mr. furley
Footballguy
clocked 10 after work on friday
wound up with a hot spot in a....... not pleasant place
wound up with a hot spot in a....... not pleasant place
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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ned
- Start date
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Not to detract from race weekend, but got in a 30 mile week. That included 4 miles last night (including 4 x 400m) then 14 miles this morning (8:15/mile). Those double digits runs do take a toll.
ChiefD
Footballguy
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Harvest Fest 8-Miler
This race takes place in the town I live in and on streets I’ve trained on. It used to be just a 5-mile race that I’ve run several times but this year they moved it back from late June to late September and added an 8-mile option. Apparently they wanted it to be part of a harvest festival that has activities all day. This might have been a bad idea as attendance was down significantly. They were only 85 finishers for the 8-miler and less than that for the 5-miler. However, it is a race in the CARA circuit (Chicago Area Runners’ Association) and that always brings in at least a handful of fast runners. It’s also an officially measured course which means you’re bound to run a little longer unless you impossibly run all the tangents perfectly.
I thought about skipping the race. I noticed some hamstring pain late in my run on Thursday and again after the first mile on Friday. Nothing so bad that I couldn’t run through but, as we know, running hard with a muscle injury isn’t a wise thing to do. However, I’ve been marathon training without knowing which marathon I’d decide on or, frankly, whether I’ll actually run one at all this season. I decided I’d rather race this one and pay the potential consequences than skip it to save myself for some other race that hasn’t even been scheduled.
I ran just a mile warm-up without any strides. I wanted to be conservative due to the hamstring. I could feel it a little but it seemed OK.
My goal was to average under 6:18 pace which is my half marathon PR pace.
Mile 1: 6:12/147
There is probably a half dozen runners ahead of me. I don’t know exactly how many are running the 5-miler which splits off around mile 4.
Mile 2: 6:08/163
I passed a few runners early in this mile. I can see others ahead but I’m more focused on running my pace than being concerned with them.
Right around the two mile mark we descend a steep hill and suddenly there’s a sharp pain in the hamstring, much worse than it had been the last few days. Immediately I think about where I am on the course and how far the walk to my car is if I want to drop out. However, after the hill I notice the pain subside to a more tolerable level so I decide to keep going for a little longer.
Mile 3: 6:12/164
My Garmin splits are OK but there is an increasing distance between the mile markers and what my watch says. Only a few seconds a mile though so I think I’ll probably still make my goal if my Garmin pace stays under 6:15.
Mile 4: 6:11/164
Hamstring pain is about the same -- not too bad unless it’s downhill where it's much worse. I’m feeling decent other than that. Tiring, of course, but the pace seems sustainable for the distance and my heart rate is fine.
Mile 5: 6:13/165
Mile 6: 6:15/164
I’m running alone. I occasionally can see one runner ahead if there is a straight section. I haven’t heard anyone behind me since early in the race.
Mile 7: 6:19/163
There was a hill early on this mile early on and I noticed my pace suffer. I follow average lap pace with auto-laps every mile. I panicked a little to see it over 6:30 but I picked up the pace and got it down to 6:19 by the end.
Mile 8: 6:09/165
I tried to finish this mile faster so that I could still make my goal. At this point I’ve merged with the 5-mile runners but it’s sparse enough to not be a hinderance.
Final .08 on Garmin (poor tangent running penalty): 28 seconds (5:27 pace/166)
Official time 50:07. Average official pace 6:16. Finished 4/85, 3rd in AG
This race takes place in the town I live in and on streets I’ve trained on. It used to be just a 5-mile race that I’ve run several times but this year they moved it back from late June to late September and added an 8-mile option. Apparently they wanted it to be part of a harvest festival that has activities all day. This might have been a bad idea as attendance was down significantly. They were only 85 finishers for the 8-miler and less than that for the 5-miler. However, it is a race in the CARA circuit (Chicago Area Runners’ Association) and that always brings in at least a handful of fast runners. It’s also an officially measured course which means you’re bound to run a little longer unless you impossibly run all the tangents perfectly.
I thought about skipping the race. I noticed some hamstring pain late in my run on Thursday and again after the first mile on Friday. Nothing so bad that I couldn’t run through but, as we know, running hard with a muscle injury isn’t a wise thing to do. However, I’ve been marathon training without knowing which marathon I’d decide on or, frankly, whether I’ll actually run one at all this season. I decided I’d rather race this one and pay the potential consequences than skip it to save myself for some other race that hasn’t even been scheduled.
I ran just a mile warm-up without any strides. I wanted to be conservative due to the hamstring. I could feel it a little but it seemed OK.
My goal was to average under 6:18 pace which is my half marathon PR pace.
Mile 1: 6:12/147
There is probably a half dozen runners ahead of me. I don’t know exactly how many are running the 5-miler which splits off around mile 4.
Mile 2: 6:08/163
I passed a few runners early in this mile. I can see others ahead but I’m more focused on running my pace than being concerned with them.
Right around the two mile mark we descend a steep hill and suddenly there’s a sharp pain in the hamstring, much worse than it had been the last few days. Immediately I think about where I am on the course and how far the walk to my car is if I want to drop out. However, after the hill I notice the pain subside to a more tolerable level so I decide to keep going for a little longer.
Mile 3: 6:12/164
My Garmin splits are OK but there is an increasing distance between the mile markers and what my watch says. Only a few seconds a mile though so I think I’ll probably still make my goal if my Garmin pace stays under 6:15.
Mile 4: 6:11/164
Hamstring pain is about the same -- not too bad unless it’s downhill where it's much worse. I’m feeling decent other than that. Tiring, of course, but the pace seems sustainable for the distance and my heart rate is fine.
Mile 5: 6:13/165
Mile 6: 6:15/164
I’m running alone. I occasionally can see one runner ahead if there is a straight section. I haven’t heard anyone behind me since early in the race.
Mile 7: 6:19/163
There was a hill early on this mile early on and I noticed my pace suffer. I follow average lap pace with auto-laps every mile. I panicked a little to see it over 6:30 but I picked up the pace and got it down to 6:19 by the end.
Mile 8: 6:09/165
I tried to finish this mile faster so that I could still make my goal. At this point I’ve merged with the 5-mile runners but it’s sparse enough to not be a hinderance.
Final .08 on Garmin (poor tangent running penalty): 28 seconds (5:27 pace/166)
Official time 50:07. Average official pace 6:16. Finished 4/85, 3rd in AG
gianmarco
Footballguy
Mo Cowbell 5kDude, that is awesome.
And we need a full report. Thank you.
First race ever and felt really good coming into today. Not terribly nervous but did think about it most of the day yesterday. Did a quick run yesterday morning to get loose and felt strong yet rested for this morning. Up at 4:50am and wonderfully able to poop to start the day. Had a running dream for the first time ever that I ran 3 miles of the race but never crossed the finish line as I didn't see where it ended and my time got lost even though I was at my goal pace. Awesome dream.
An egg with some rice (thanks @JShare87) for breakfast and we were off, leaving the house around 5:45am. My wife's half marathon was starting at 7:30am and my 5K started at 8am. Nice and cool to start in the mid 50's, we walked a good ways to the race area. She wanted me to bring her sweatshirt back to the car before her start so I used that to jog there and back as my warmup and got to watch her start. In that half hour by myself I did a couple sprints and then headed to the start area. I was a little weary to stand by the 8:00 flag area as it was near the front but figured this is what I was going to do so just went with it.
Mile 1: I was near the front with about 20 or so people starting ahead of me. A little intimidating as I had no idea if people would start flying by me but I just started running and kept up with some of those ahead of me for a brief period. After about 30 seconds I looked at my phone and saw I was at around 7:30-7:40 pace. A little panic set in but I also felt really, really comfortable. I decided I needed to slow down a little but I told myself that I would try it for a little and see how it felt. I check it a few more times over the next minute and I'm settled in around 7:55ish. At this point, I figure it's time to just go with it and I started just running without looking anymore. Maybe 3/10th or 4/10ths of a mile in, there's a short little hill with about 20 ft of elevation and I powered through it really easily and as I come around the corner it's just a long, slightly downhill straightaway. Golden. At this point, there's fewer people around me, I'm settled into a really good even pace and I hear my 0.5 mile split of 3:55 and that was all I needed. I didn't look again for a long time and that next mile or so that I ran was the best I felt all race. It almost felt too easy but I didn't want to push it as I had no idea how the end was going to go for me. In hindsight, I'm so glad I opted to not push it but to also keep it where I was and not slow down. Couple little things happened in mile one that I figured I'd share. As I got close to the one mile marker, some dude went flying by and I never saw him again. No idea if he started late or what, but I found that strange at the time. The other thing was a pair of ladies that ran by me for a short bit and then slowed down and fell behind me. I then heard one go "ok, to the end of that white car" when they did it a 2nd time, and then once again fell back. I never saw them again. I remember wondering if that was a good strategy but considering that, I'm guessing not. Anyway, from this point on, after the one dude flew by me, no one else passed me again the rest of the race.
Mile 2: Pretty uneventful, to be honest. We made a turnaround just past the halfway point to get on the trail and I was feeling great. I looked at my phone once, saw the 7:50 pace and figured I could keep this up for at least this 2nd mile and went with it. On the turnaround, I could see all the people behind me as I was now running past them and it felt good. I was going strong and had a slight urge to push even harder as it almost felt too easy but opted against. Once again, I think this was the right choice. There was a water station but I just ran through it. Had no issues with dry mouth or thirst even though I wore my water belt just in case.
Mile 3.1: Well, I was waiting to start to hit a wall and it happened just before the 2.5 mile mark. At this point there were only 2 people in front of me that I could see. One guy, probably close to my age (I think) that I had been keeping up with from about 20 yards behind. Shortly after the 2nd mile, he started to fade and I caught up. As I'm catching up right next to him, he goes "so why do we do this again?". I go "it's the beer at the end, I think" and told him to keep pushing as we only had half a mile left. I didn't see him again until about 20 minutes after the race while he was holding a beer. The other person was this girl that I slowly but steadily started gaining on. I wouldn't say I used her as motivation but I certainly started just paying attention to her steps and felt good that I was making ground little by little. That said, about 2.3 miles in, right before I passed that guy, I looked at my phone and I saw 8:30 and panicked a little. I remember reading and you guys saying that if it felt like I was going the same that I was probably slowing down and that's exactly what happened. As soon as I saw that, I started to push. This next half mile was pretty tough for me and I had to keep thinking about pushing harder and harder. But, I got that pace back to the 7:50's and worked at it. At around the 2.7 or 2.8 mile mark, I looked down once more and saw that I was getting close and figured this was where I needed to work. For the first time ever in my life, I actually spoke outloud to myself saying "Hey, you can do anything for 3 minutes". It's kind of dumb looking back at it but, whatever, I started making a push. I knew I was going to make it under 25:00 at this point. I got to the 3 mile mark and finally knew what it felt like to hurt. I realized at this point that it's a really good thing I didn't push early on because THIS was really hard. I slowed down a little bit for half of it and then made a full sprint for the last 10 seconds or so all the way through the finish line. I almost got the girl at the end. On the results, she finished 1 second faster than me
As I finished, all I could think about was to stop running, walk somewhere by myself and sit down. That took me almost 5 minutes until I found an isolated spot and I sat on a bench. I didn't even look at my time at this point (uploaded on Strava without even seeing it to be honest) but I knew I was under 25. I sat down and just rested. Within 5 minutes, I felt completely refreshed and have since then. Right now, I feel awesome and I'm not tired whatsoever. At the same time, I also don't think I could have done any more than I did. Despite it being my first race ever, I really think I ran it as perfectly as I could for where I am right now. I kept a near constant pace, got faster as the race went on and finished strong while really hurting for the last half mile. My splits were 7:54, 7:46, 7:47, and 7:11 for the last 1/10th.
Finished 24th out of 657 and 3rd in my AG. I was over a minute behind 2nd place in my group and over a minute ahead of 4th so that finish wasn't changing at all. But, much more happy that I hit my goal and surprised at how "easy" it ended up being. When I say easy, I mean it felt like everything went how it should and that I was more prepared than I thought I would be. I really don't think I could have done any better than I did.
Official time: 24:26 (7:52 pace)
My wife PR'd her HM as well even though she fell a little short of her 8:30 goal (did it in 8:33).
Anyway, silly long RR for just a 5K, but thanks again to all of you for helping get me here and all the feedback. It was huge and so appreciated.
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Juxtatarot
Footballguy
You've done three 20-mile runs, right? I think you're well prepared. Remember, the goal of any first marathon should be to "just" finish.
ChiefD
Footballguy
And he medals on his first try. (Assuming he got one for third in his AG.gianmarco said:Mo Cowbell 5k
First race ever and felt really good coming into today. Not terribly nervous but did think about it most of the day yesterday. Did a quick run yesterday morning to get loose and felt strong yet rested for this morning. Up at 4:50am and wonderfully able to poop to start the day. Had a running dream for the first time ever that I ran 3 miles of the race but never crossed the finish line as I didn't see where it ended and my time got lost even though I was at my goal pace. Awesome dream.
An egg with some rice (thanks @JShare87) for breakfast and we were off, leaving the house around 5:45am. My wife's half marathon was starting at 7:30am and my 5K started at 8am. Nice and cool to start in the mid 50's, we walked a good ways to the race area. She wanted me to bring her sweatshirt back to the car before her start so I used that to jog there and back as my warmup and got to watch her start. In that half hour by myself I did a couple sprints and then headed to the start area. I was a little weary to stand by the 8:00 flag area as it was near the front but figured this is what I was going to do so just went with it.
Mile 1: I was near the front with about 20 or so people starting ahead of me. A little intimidating as I had no idea if people would start flying by me but I just started running and kept up with some of those ahead of me for a brief period. After about 30 seconds I looked at my phone and saw I was at around 7:30-7:40 pace. A little panic set in but I also felt really, really comfortable. I decided I needed to slow down a little but I told myself that I would try it for a little and see how it felt. I check it a few more times over the next minute and I'm settled in around 7:55ish. At this point, I figure it's time to just go with it and I started just running without looking anymore. Maybe 3/10th or 4/10ths of a mile in, there's a short little hill with about 20 ft of elevation and I powered through it really easily and as I come around the corner it's just a long, slightly downhill straightaway. Golden. At this point, there's fewer people around me, I'm settled into a really good even pace and I hear my 0.5 mile split of 3:55 and that was all I needed. I didn't look again for a long time and that next mile or so that I ran was the best I felt all race. It almost felt too easy but I didn't want to push it as I had no idea how the end was going to go for me. In hindsight, I'm so glad I opted to not push it but to also keep it where I was and not slow down. Couple little things happened in mile one that I figured I'd share. As I got close to the one mile marker, some dude went flying by and I never saw him again. No idea if he started late or what, but I found that strange at the time. The other thing was a pair of ladies that ran by me for a short bit and then slowed down and fell behind me. I then heard one go "ok, to the end of that white car" when they did it a 2nd time, and then once again fell back. I never saw them again. I remember wondering if that was a good strategy but considering that, I'm guessing not. Anyway, from this point on, after the one dude flew by me, no one else passed me again the rest of the race.
Mile 2: Pretty uneventful, to be honest. We made a turnaround just past the halfway point to get on the trail and I was feeling great. I looked at my phone once, saw the 7:50 pace and figured I could keep this up for at least this 2nd mile and went with it. On the turnaround, I could see all the people behind me as I was now running past them and it felt good. I was going strong and had a slight urge to push even harder as it almost felt too easy but opted against. Once again, I think this was the right choice. There was a water station but I just ran through it. Had no issues with dry mouth or thirst even though I wore my water belt just in case.
Mile 3.1: Well, I was waiting to start to hit a wall and it happened just before the 2.5 mile mark. At this point there were only 2 people in front of me that I could see. One guy, probably close to my age (I think) that I had been keeping up with from about 20 yards behind. Shortly after the 2nd mile, he started to fade and I caught up. As I'm catching up right next to him, he goes "so why do we do this again?". I go "it's the beer at the end, I think" and told him to keep pushing as we only had half a mile left. I didn't see him again until about 20 minutes after the race while he was holding a beer. The other person was this girl that I slowly but steadily started gaining on. I wouldn't say I used her as motivation but I certainly started just paying attention to her steps and felt good that I was making ground little by little. That said, about 2.3 miles in, right before I passed that guy, I looked at my phone and I saw 8:30 and panicked a little. I remember reading and you guys saying that if it felt like I was going the same that I was probably slowing down and that's exactly what happened. As soon as I saw that, I started to push. This next half mile was pretty tough for me and I had to keep thinking about pushing harder and harder. But, I got that pace back to the 7:50's and worked at it. At around the 2.7 or 2.8 mile mark, I looked down once more and saw that I was getting close and figured this was where I needed to work. For the first time ever in my life, I actually spoke outloud to myself saying "Hey, you can do anything for 3 minutes". It's kind of dumb looking back at it but, whatever, I started making a push. I knew I was going to make it under 25:00 at this point. I got to the 3 mile mark and finally knew what it felt like to hurt. I realized at this point that it's a really good thing I didn't push early on because THIS was really hard. I slowed down a little bit for half of it and then made a full sprint for the last 10 seconds or so all the way through the finish line. I almost got the girl at the end. On the results, she finished 1 second faster than me
As I finished, all I could think about was to stop running, walk somewhere by myself and sit down. That took me almost 5 minutes until I found an isolated spot and I sat on a bench. I didn't even look at my time at this point (uploaded on Strava without even seeing it to be honest) but I knew I was under 25. I sat down and just rested. Within 5 minutes, I felt completely refreshed and have since then. Right now, I feel awesome and I'm not tired whatsoever. At the same time, I also don't think I could have done any more than I did. Despite it being my first race ever, I really think I ran it as perfectly as I could for where I am right now. I kept a near constant pace, got faster as the race went on and finished strong while really hurting for the last half mile. My splits were 7:54, 7:46, 7:47, and 7:11 for the last 1/10th.
Finished 24th out of 657 and 3rd in my AG. I was over a minute behind 2nd place in my group and over a minute ahead of 4th so that finish wasn't changing at all. But, much more happy that I hit my goal and surprised at how "easy" it ended up being. When I say easy, I mean it felt like everything went how it should and that I was more prepared than I thought I would be. I really don't think I could have done any better than I did.
Official time: 24:26 (7:52 pace)
My wife PR'd her HM as well even though she fell a little short of her 8:30 goal (did it in 8:33).
Anyway, silly long RR for just a 5K, but thanks again to all of you for helping get me here and all the feedback. It was huge and so appreciated.
Very well done sir. Time to look at a spring half marathon.
gianmarco
Footballguy
Well, I got a Bronze cowbell as that's what they give out instead of medals.
So, during race pickup, you get a little cowbell as part of your bag. They also give away cowbells to spectators to ring while runners are going by.
After my wife finished, as we are walking to the food area, I'm showing her some things I picked up from some tents and the Bronze Cowbell comes out. I hadn't yet told her about my finish and she goes "why did you grab another one? We have plenty at home already"
So I go "Well they wanted to give me another one for finishing 3rd".
Her face just drops and she smiles and goes "Are you serious? What the hell"
I just smiled back
So, during race pickup, you get a little cowbell as part of your bag. They also give away cowbells to spectators to ring while runners are going by.
After my wife finished, as we are walking to the food area, I'm showing her some things I picked up from some tents and the Bronze Cowbell comes out. I hadn't yet told her about my finish and she goes "why did you grab another one? We have plenty at home already"
So I go "Well they wanted to give me another one for finishing 3rd".
Her face just drops and she smiles and goes "Are you serious? What the hell"
I just smiled back
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Brony said:
Gianmarco, it's not really a surprise that your report is long. The beauty of a 5K is that you really are racing the entire time ...every turn, every step, it's all a race, so there's much to say. Great report!
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
gruecd
Footballguy
Well, despite my relative lack of training and the 15-20 extra pounds I'm carrying, I managed to run 3:29:12 (1:44:09/1:45:03), good enough to win the Clydesdale division by 20+ minutes over the 2nd-place finisher. Started with the 3:30 pace group and left them after about 7.5 miles, only to have them catch up towards the end and finish right behind me. Honestly felt pretty good through the first 21 miles or so, and even the last 5+ weren't terrible. All in all, I did about as well as I thought I'd do time-wise, but I felt better than expected doing it.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
I trained and ran my first marathon (2008) without a watch, smartphone, heart rate monitor, or Internet presence. As much as those things can help, I always wonder if it may have been for the best.
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Juxtatarot
Footballguy
gruecd
Footballguy
If I do anything, it'll be the Carmel Marathon (outside Indianapolis) on March 31. Average low/high temps 37°/56°, relatively flat, and driveable. Plus registration is only $80 up until the week of the event, so I can wait to commit. If I'd want to do an 18-week program, I could take 3 weeks recovery after my 8-hour trail run on 11/4 and start on the 27th.Congrats! Decide on a spring marathon yet?
-OZ-
Footballguy
Great racing gents!
You know you've been running for a while when you walk downstairs, feel discomfort / a pulling sensation in the inside back of your knee and just think "hmm, that's new". I feel nothing walking flat or upstairs but it's there going down. Don't think it's anything major but I'll keep an eye on it.
You know you've been running for a while when you walk downstairs, feel discomfort / a pulling sensation in the inside back of your knee and just think "hmm, that's new". I feel nothing walking flat or upstairs but it's there going down. Don't think it's anything major but I'll keep an eye on it.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
The early miles should be - will be - surprisingly easy. Uncomfortably comfortable, if even that. Hitting the HM point shouldn't cause any alarm. After that, accept the steady increase in effort and use your mental planning (e.g., mantras), race tricks (feeding off the volunteers; hanging with the runners around you), and FBG pressure to carry you through to the end.
gianmarco
Footballguy
This is such a real thing. Even for just the 5k this morning, as I'm getting closer to the end, I was thinking about how much it would suck if I fell off my pace and had to post about it here. There was no chance I was slowing down at the finish and have you guys see that.
I thought of @SFBayDuck briefly as well, but only for a moment because there wasn't a hill in sight at the end.
Osaurus
Footballguy
I don't really have a race report other than to say I finished and did okay. Haven't had the chance to run much lately while traveling so the 15k went the way it should have. It was the longest race I've run to date and my 14th this year. Observations:
10k is no longer a big deal for me and I can now probably run them the way I used to run 5ks assuming decent weather (for FL anyway)
I will be more than ready for my half in March.
Recovery time is diminishing as I run more (duh). Feel a little sore this morning, but way less than I expected.
I want to run every race near the water if possible
Should be deployed again in the next week. I have an 8k trail run and a 5k Halloween run at the end of the month that I will be back in Tampa for. Gonna try to run when I can while I'm out in the field.
10k is no longer a big deal for me and I can now probably run them the way I used to run 5ks assuming decent weather (for FL anyway)
I will be more than ready for my half in March.
Recovery time is diminishing as I run more (duh). Feel a little sore this morning, but way less than I expected.
I want to run every race near the water if possible
Should be deployed again in the next week. I have an 8k trail run and a 5k Halloween run at the end of the month that I will be back in Tampa for. Gonna try to run when I can while I'm out in the field.
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bushdocda
Footballguy
Yep, nothing new on race day includes gorilla suits.Ooh, legs a little sore today and feeling tired. That's new.
With cooler temps, going to try running in the gorilla suit today or tomorrow and see how it works.
ChiefD
Footballguy
mr. furley
Footballguy
please, please, please have someone videotape you as you run. maybe have them position themselves randomly along your route so we can get an honest reaction from other people who see you loping by.Ooh, legs a little sore today and feeling tired. That's new.
With cooler temps, going to try running in the gorilla suit today or tomorrow and see how it works.
MAC_32
Footballguy
Northern Ohio Half Marathon
Well rested, legs are popping, energy is high, temps are cool (42), no wind, and not a cloud in the sky. Don't think I could ask for a better setup.
Miles 1-2 (6:27-6:15), I started off with gloves and a garbage jacket on. We went by my car near the mile mark and there was a giant willow tree about 50' away, so that's where I dumped my gloves. We emerged from the shade of the park about a quarter mile later and once I got into the sun I figured I could dispose of the jacket. At this point, I felt exactly how I hoped I would. Warmed up and ready to race and the cold actually felt great once I took off my jacket - just had sleeveless, shorts, compression socks, and a headband.
Miles 3-4 (6:20-6:14), After passing a couple that started off too fast I settled into positioning in 5th place. The two leaders ran side-by-side about 100m ahead with 3rd and 4th spread out fairly evenly between them and me. I started getting real encouraged during this section because I had to keep holding myself back. I wanted to take off, but I knew I didn't need to and doing so could only lead to bad things later. Thankfully the 2 runners in front of me were steady, so they served as excellent rabbits. If I got closer to them I'd just shorten the stride. I was really focusing on maintaining quick cadence during the first half of the race, so I could save leg muscle energy for the second half - if I decided to take off.
Miles 5-6-7 (6:12-6:11-6:14), I inched closer to 3rd and 4th throughout this stage. To this point the entire race was on pavement and having tested out the course 2 weeks ago I knew some dirt, boardwalk, and gravel sections lied ahead miles 8-10. I was about 15-30 seconds behind schedule for a run at sub 80, so if I was going to make a run at sub 80 I needed to maximize leg muscle usage during this section then see if I can maintain once back to pavement as that would result in faster mile times. Bounding up a short incline about mile 6.5 I was happy I felt as much spring in my hams as I did as it gave me hope that I could stick between 6 flat and 6:15 during this section. Marathon runners split off just after mile 7, one of the leaders split, and the other 3 continued on with the half. I could tell by security activity that there was no one behind me as they kept shuffling traffic through after I passed, so it was just the 4 of us.
Miles 8-9 (6:16-6:27), I screwed up mile 8 because I was still too focused on the two in front of me instead of my pace, so I picked things up to start mile 9. Sub 80 was going to be a very tall order at this point, so I just focused on racing. Get these two then find the leader. Welp, most of you are on strava, and if you look at my run you can pin point the moment things went off the rails. I got on the heels of 2 and 3 and was priming myself to stride past them when side stitch #1 hit. It really couldn't happen at a worse time either. It was right before we started a one mile gravel stretch in which I needed springs to maintain speed. It was impossible to dig my feet into each step as I battled side stitch #1, and eventually #2. I felt so out of control of my lower body that I was kinda just waiting to bite it once hitting a spot that was too soft.
Miles 10-12 (6:40-6:31-6:34), it wasn't as miserable as the end to last fall's marathon, but this was arguably just as mentally challenging. Trying to workout continuous side stitches and back tightness due to over compensation. This may be common for those of you who have battled side stitches before, but this has never happened to me so I was just winging it and hoping for the best. I definitely spent more mental than physical energy and it sure didn't help that I was basically solo out there. Obviously lost track of 2 and 3, no one behind me, and this is the part of the race with little crowd support. It was getting hard to continue on, but I kept checking my paces and noted I was still on pace to at least demolish my PR. Which is really what kept me going instead of packing it in and trying again in November.
Miles 13-13.2 (6:18-5:44), finally towards the end of mile 12 the side stitches stopped. My back was fried though. My legs wanted to go faster, they probably had for several miles but I was too pre-occupied on other issues, but my back would only allow so much stride. So I didn't force it and just focused on cadence. Just don't injure yourself, finish strong, and while it's not your A goal - enjoy your pr.
1:23:50 (6:21 pace) - 4th overall of 592
This bested my previous pr by more than 3 minutes, but my real positive takeaway is how I didn't let adversity tank my race like I did a year ago. Granted, a half is a whole lot different than a full, but having successfully navigated a mid-race problem is a confidence booster for upcoming marathon training. I was too worried about being perfect during marathon training last year and now I don't feel like I need to this time around.
I'm gonna take it easy this month. I don't know when I'll start marathon build-up, but this is also why I raced now instead of later this fall - I don't need to force it. My body needs to rest. When it feels better (a week? 2 weeks?) I'm going to ramp up strength training, because I know that's going to get scaled back come January. Then once adapted to that again I'll start building up the miles. I don't need to start 50 mile weeks until Thanksgiving, so I have time. And given the miles I've gotten under me the last 4 months I should be able to get there rather quickly when that time comes.
Just need to avoid getting fat between now and then.
Well rested, legs are popping, energy is high, temps are cool (42), no wind, and not a cloud in the sky. Don't think I could ask for a better setup.
Miles 1-2 (6:27-6:15), I started off with gloves and a garbage jacket on. We went by my car near the mile mark and there was a giant willow tree about 50' away, so that's where I dumped my gloves. We emerged from the shade of the park about a quarter mile later and once I got into the sun I figured I could dispose of the jacket. At this point, I felt exactly how I hoped I would. Warmed up and ready to race and the cold actually felt great once I took off my jacket - just had sleeveless, shorts, compression socks, and a headband.
Miles 3-4 (6:20-6:14), After passing a couple that started off too fast I settled into positioning in 5th place. The two leaders ran side-by-side about 100m ahead with 3rd and 4th spread out fairly evenly between them and me. I started getting real encouraged during this section because I had to keep holding myself back. I wanted to take off, but I knew I didn't need to and doing so could only lead to bad things later. Thankfully the 2 runners in front of me were steady, so they served as excellent rabbits. If I got closer to them I'd just shorten the stride. I was really focusing on maintaining quick cadence during the first half of the race, so I could save leg muscle energy for the second half - if I decided to take off.
Miles 5-6-7 (6:12-6:11-6:14), I inched closer to 3rd and 4th throughout this stage. To this point the entire race was on pavement and having tested out the course 2 weeks ago I knew some dirt, boardwalk, and gravel sections lied ahead miles 8-10. I was about 15-30 seconds behind schedule for a run at sub 80, so if I was going to make a run at sub 80 I needed to maximize leg muscle usage during this section then see if I can maintain once back to pavement as that would result in faster mile times. Bounding up a short incline about mile 6.5 I was happy I felt as much spring in my hams as I did as it gave me hope that I could stick between 6 flat and 6:15 during this section. Marathon runners split off just after mile 7, one of the leaders split, and the other 3 continued on with the half. I could tell by security activity that there was no one behind me as they kept shuffling traffic through after I passed, so it was just the 4 of us.
Miles 8-9 (6:16-6:27), I screwed up mile 8 because I was still too focused on the two in front of me instead of my pace, so I picked things up to start mile 9. Sub 80 was going to be a very tall order at this point, so I just focused on racing. Get these two then find the leader. Welp, most of you are on strava, and if you look at my run you can pin point the moment things went off the rails. I got on the heels of 2 and 3 and was priming myself to stride past them when side stitch #1 hit. It really couldn't happen at a worse time either. It was right before we started a one mile gravel stretch in which I needed springs to maintain speed. It was impossible to dig my feet into each step as I battled side stitch #1, and eventually #2. I felt so out of control of my lower body that I was kinda just waiting to bite it once hitting a spot that was too soft.
Miles 10-12 (6:40-6:31-6:34), it wasn't as miserable as the end to last fall's marathon, but this was arguably just as mentally challenging. Trying to workout continuous side stitches and back tightness due to over compensation. This may be common for those of you who have battled side stitches before, but this has never happened to me so I was just winging it and hoping for the best. I definitely spent more mental than physical energy and it sure didn't help that I was basically solo out there. Obviously lost track of 2 and 3, no one behind me, and this is the part of the race with little crowd support. It was getting hard to continue on, but I kept checking my paces and noted I was still on pace to at least demolish my PR. Which is really what kept me going instead of packing it in and trying again in November.
Miles 13-13.2 (6:18-5:44), finally towards the end of mile 12 the side stitches stopped. My back was fried though. My legs wanted to go faster, they probably had for several miles but I was too pre-occupied on other issues, but my back would only allow so much stride. So I didn't force it and just focused on cadence. Just don't injure yourself, finish strong, and while it's not your A goal - enjoy your pr.
1:23:50 (6:21 pace) - 4th overall of 592
This bested my previous pr by more than 3 minutes, but my real positive takeaway is how I didn't let adversity tank my race like I did a year ago. Granted, a half is a whole lot different than a full, but having successfully navigated a mid-race problem is a confidence booster for upcoming marathon training. I was too worried about being perfect during marathon training last year and now I don't feel like I need to this time around.
I'm gonna take it easy this month. I don't know when I'll start marathon build-up, but this is also why I raced now instead of later this fall - I don't need to force it. My body needs to rest. When it feels better (a week? 2 weeks?) I'm going to ramp up strength training, because I know that's going to get scaled back come January. Then once adapted to that again I'll start building up the miles. I don't need to start 50 mile weeks until Thanksgiving, so I have time. And given the miles I've gotten under me the last 4 months I should be able to get there rather quickly when that time comes.
Just need to avoid getting fat between now and then.
ChiefD
Footballguy
That looks like a nice set up. Especially with the weather.
There is no way I'll ever do another fall marathon. Training in KC in summer just doesn't work for me. But something like this would allow training in the winter, which is relatively mild here.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
MAC_32
Footballguy
...and when you feel great at the half DO NOT pick up the pace. That feeling is a mirage. If you fall to temptation regret in the form of a mile 18-20 wall is going to smack you in the face. Then continue for 6-8 miles. Trust your pacing and if you're feeling strong at miles 20-22 be proud, you ran it right, unlike most everyone else. If you feel like you can pick things up at that point, and only at that point, then by all means.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Some great races out there. Motivating and exciting to watch as PR's start to drop!
Way to go fellas!
Way to go fellas!
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Agree 1000%. picking up pace at 13.1 is a recipe for a painful last 10K.
Get to 20 miles. Still feel good? Then have it and run as fast as you think is reasonable.
MAC_32
Footballguy
I've noticed my best workouts usually come with a negative split, sometimes significant, and I still finish with gas left in the tank. I figured by starting off with 6:15's that if things were clicking I could ramp it up in the second half. If things weren't then I would be less susceptible to a mid-race flameout. Even with my mistake mile 1 starting off too slow I still only needed to get down to about a 6 min/mile avg miles 8-12 to put me in a spot to kick it in for sub 80. Objective was to find that pace between miles 7.5 and 8.5 after the shorter dirt/boardwalk section and before the big section of gravel. I lost focus early on during this section, which really eliminated any margin for error then the side stitches started hitting shortly after I was starting to find that pace. I'm guessing my breathing was out of whack and the cold temp's I obviously wasn't used to this year caused the problem.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Yeah, as you might remember I've had the side stitches during races a few times and that's been my takeaway -- cold temperatures combined with unusually hard effort. I **think** I held it at bay one race by focusing on deeper breathing but who knows. Good job getting past it. I certainly know how difficult that is mentally and physically. Part of me wishes you would try again this season but I know you have a good sense of your body and what it needs.
MAC_32
Footballguy
I'm sure others here have experienced it, but you specifically were on my mind during that lonely gravel section.
I swear juxt has posted about this issue before, now if only I could remember what the #### he did to combat it!
I thought about ramping up for another go at the half I've done before in mid November, but that's getting close to the beginning of marathon training. Keeping my priorities in line I'm going to hold off until at least next Fall.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
I've always liked running a half as a tune up race for a marathon -- maybe four to six weeks out. I know there aren't a lot of early spring marathons in the north though.
MAC_32
Footballguy
Yep, absolutely none nearby until taper time. There's one in mid-February in Columbus ( 2 1/2 hours away), but given the winter weather around here I wouldn't give that a thought until a week out and there's no plan B. I haven't totally ruled out travelling for one, but I'm also job hunting and I think I already have too much vaca time plotted out to add another long weekend to the mix.
gianmarco
Footballguy
Ok....
The gorilla suit is a full-go. I just tried it outside briefly on my driveway and street and it won't be a problem at all. The only difficulty may be the mask but I'll manage. I will do a "trial run" down a main street that I run on and I'll get some footage of it for sure.
I'm ordering my wife's banana hoodie right now. But, more importantly, I just called my buddy that is running with us and informed him that I know what his costume will be.
Easiest costume ever with some khaki shorts and shirt, a hat, a handkerchief or something tried around his neck and some kind of net. My wife will run 2 yards in front of me the whole way while he runs 2 yards behind me.
This will happen.
The gorilla suit is a full-go. I just tried it outside briefly on my driveway and street and it won't be a problem at all. The only difficulty may be the mask but I'll manage. I will do a "trial run" down a main street that I run on and I'll get some footage of it for sure.
I'm ordering my wife's banana hoodie right now. But, more importantly, I just called my buddy that is running with us and informed him that I know what his costume will be.
Easiest costume ever with some khaki shorts and shirt, a hat, a handkerchief or something tried around his neck and some kind of net. My wife will run 2 yards in front of me the whole way while he runs 2 yards behind me.
This will happen.
ChiefD
Footballguy
pbm107
Footballguy
This sounds like a good plan, getting the mind and body right before marathon training. It is also kind of a shame, October is my favorite month of the year for training, best weather and without the allergy issues of the spring. Seems like your going from training in the heat of the summer to winter marathon training which can be challenging and kind of depressing. I can't wait to see what you'll do in the marathon, glad to see you're taking the time to plan it out.
MAC_32
Footballguy
Enjoying October running was a big reason why I wanted to race a half early September. It'll be easier to justify staying up until 1 am every night watching baseball and I have a big yard with lots of trees and three young boys with too much energy, so I'll still get to enjoy the weather...but it definitely isn't the same as doing both that and running.
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SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Hey there. I don't want to be THAT guy, but I have seen some races ban costumes that cover your face. I'm guessing its for safety reasons, but wanted to make sure you read the fine print in your race packet.gianmarco said:
If its a small 5K, they probably won't give you a problem, but wanted to alert you.
Good luck and get pictures!
JShare87
Footballguy
I get side stitches all the time. They mostly occur when I am working hard but have occurred out of the blue on a normal long run. I am not sure the cold has much to do with it but it may. During my marathon, I literally had a side stitch on both sides for nearly the entire race. I can usually shake them with the deep breathing that Juxt mentioned in here but it takes about 4-7 minutes of agonizing pain to get through it. They have to be the worst because you never know why, how, or when they are going to pop up.Juxtatarot said:
pbm107
Footballguy
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
It was quite sore on Sunday and yesterday. It's better today. I'm not sure if I'll run tomorrow but I expect to back soon.
