This Week
Reindeer 5k on the schedule this weekend so it is back over to Southern Pines! Last 5k I ran was a week out from a self-supported marathon distanced training run. I ran 17:05 and fell short of my goal of 16:59.
Next Week
I am currently in the midst of tapering for next Saturday's Thunder Road Marathon in Charlotte where I hope to run sub 3 hours... so tomorrow I believe dipping below 17 minutes is possible.
The main focus is to get one more race experience before next week's goal effort. A little background here...
...and how the hell we got Here...
In 2003 I qualified for Boston running my PR of 2:58 (and change) at Chicago. That was a long time coming for me... a good five years of running the distance to break through. After Chicago I was deployed to an airbase in Kuwait and while there was injured while running leading to a long lay off. I missed Boston in 2004 and then in 2005 as well.
After leaving the USAF I fell into some traps and bad habits which led to less than ideal training environments... my running fell to 4 miles a week on a good cycle. Let's just say the quarter repeats came in plastic baggies, not on an oval. After a few years of that I made the decision to get myself together. This past January I began running again for myself, for the enjoyment and to this point I have run at or above the marathon distance 4 times this year, Charlotte will be number 5... matching my lifetime total coming into the year of 2009.
So, what?
Will I get back to Boston (for 2011) qualification? I think I can run 2:53 if things go well... on a larger scale I could not be happier to be writing about such things.
Showing posts with label southern pines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label southern pines. Show all posts
Friday, December 4, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Half Marathon Report- First Health Turkey Trot (Pinehurst, NC)
Not too much drama this weekend in Pinehurst, NC for the annual Turkey Trot 21k.
The winner got out quickly and settled in as I watch from about 80-100m back for the first few miles. Another two runners had gone out with him but I was confident with a solid effort of running within myself that these runners would fall back toward me.
After about 3 miles I was in second position and still looking at the back of the leader. We reached some hills around mile 5 and I was loosening up running solid 6:07's like clockwork. The leader peaked back and saw there was still someone back there and dropped in a 5:40 mile down to the lake and the low elevation point of the course at mile 7.
There was a long stretch here and for the first time I peaked back to get my bearings before heading up into the 3-4 mile stretch of climbs. I saw that my gap on the next runner was about the gap in front of me... I figured since I felt quite good that the race was all but set for positions and I could focus on just running my best time.
Over the next few miles the splits were a tad slower hitting 6:24 and 6:31 in there on those ascents. At mile 10 the course levelled out for good and now we joined with the 10k runners. I told myself to just run this remaining 5k strong and powerfully and set out feeling like I was on a longish tempo effort. The final 5k was covered in 18:45 and I really felt that I should have pushed like this a bit sooner in the run after seeing how well I responded and how my stamina was able to compensate for the lack of leg speed I was experiencing.
The winner was done in 1:17 and I came in about 4 minutes later in 1:20:58 for second overall... and all I got was a lousy, smallish duffel bag... not that I am complaining. The goal was to test my fitness leading into the full marathon in three weeks. My goal there is to average sub-7... to 6:45 per mile. I felt very strong at sub 6:10 for 13.1; while I won't make radical changes to my pace plan, I do go into this feeling more confident that some extra speed may be there in the second half of the marathon.
One more tune up 5k in two weeks, a couple of track sessions and tempo runs mixed with a final 2 hour effort and the day of reckoning will be here. A Boston Qualifier is the only goal at Thunder Road and I am feeling like this well within my capabilities at this point.
The winner got out quickly and settled in as I watch from about 80-100m back for the first few miles. Another two runners had gone out with him but I was confident with a solid effort of running within myself that these runners would fall back toward me.
After about 3 miles I was in second position and still looking at the back of the leader. We reached some hills around mile 5 and I was loosening up running solid 6:07's like clockwork. The leader peaked back and saw there was still someone back there and dropped in a 5:40 mile down to the lake and the low elevation point of the course at mile 7.
There was a long stretch here and for the first time I peaked back to get my bearings before heading up into the 3-4 mile stretch of climbs. I saw that my gap on the next runner was about the gap in front of me... I figured since I felt quite good that the race was all but set for positions and I could focus on just running my best time.
Over the next few miles the splits were a tad slower hitting 6:24 and 6:31 in there on those ascents. At mile 10 the course levelled out for good and now we joined with the 10k runners. I told myself to just run this remaining 5k strong and powerfully and set out feeling like I was on a longish tempo effort. The final 5k was covered in 18:45 and I really felt that I should have pushed like this a bit sooner in the run after seeing how well I responded and how my stamina was able to compensate for the lack of leg speed I was experiencing.
The winner was done in 1:17 and I came in about 4 minutes later in 1:20:58 for second overall... and all I got was a lousy, smallish duffel bag... not that I am complaining. The goal was to test my fitness leading into the full marathon in three weeks. My goal there is to average sub-7... to 6:45 per mile. I felt very strong at sub 6:10 for 13.1; while I won't make radical changes to my pace plan, I do go into this feeling more confident that some extra speed may be there in the second half of the marathon.
One more tune up 5k in two weeks, a couple of track sessions and tempo runs mixed with a final 2 hour effort and the day of reckoning will be here. A Boston Qualifier is the only goal at Thunder Road and I am feeling like this well within my capabilities at this point.
Monday, October 5, 2009
"It'll only take a minute..." AutumnFest 5k- race report
You can't go back. Once upon a time I was a young 16 year old, running 50 seconds for the quarter, 4:20 for the mile and doing so without much training. Now, I am none of these things. At 31 I have learned to train consistently, love the long run and stay away from speed most days in favor or aerobic stimulation. When I do run speed sessions I get in tempo or 10k efforts that match the marathon and above races I mainly aim towards as goal events.
So, when a 5k does pry its way into my racing schedule I often look forward to it, the way I did the all out mile at the end of an XC season. I know that it'll be fun, relatively fast and over before I get going. These types of races feel like vacations from the patience required in a long term training program.
The Race
The course started off on a downhill slope. With my toe on the line next to a sizable group of high school runners, the starter did his thing and we were off and running. We were going to settle the age old battle of experience versus youth, strength versus speed. In half of a mile we were 4... and I was wondering just how fast these kids could run. I was already breathing a little bit and the course was flying by. What a great feeling though, just moving in such a relaxed state with a group. We reached mile 1 in 5:13 and I was just off the back of the pack.
Over the next 800 meters we stretched a little further apart. The front two were asserting themselves and leading handily, racing each other and not thinking too much about anyone else. 3rd place was just in front of me. My focus was on staying tall and relaxed. Keeping that power in the hips and the arms low was my main concern. I wanted to be light and quick... running fast and easy. The course was now climbing some and within a quarter of a mile the heels of runner #3 were getting closer to my toes. I regained composure and threw in a small surge for 2 minutes as the hill continued. I was in 3rd and confident that I had that at least. I was feeling good, but still about 200m back of the leaders.
The Hill
We kept on climbing for most of mile two. Half way up the ascent I had begun to notice that every 15 seconds or so I was gaining discernible distance on the top two. I was feeling really good on this climb and all of the strength work I've been doing was giving me the confidence to keep after it. Running fast and free I kept seeing the lead shrink. We reached mile 2... 11:05; a little slow for me, but those kids were even slower and I was now within 100m. It looked like they had a separation too. The front runner was hurting a little bit from the climb as it crested, but still able to move on ahead. I focused on the slumped shoulders and cocked head of number 2... he was coming back.
The Finish
Downhill finished seem nice before a race. But when you are tired, trying to run down a young runner with leg speed on the descent is a challenge. I just let the center of mass fall and did my best to float and glide. 800m to go and now second place was only steps away. he'd come all the way back and number one and just 15 seconds ahead. Maybe a little too far but I was still feeling alright. The sting was there for sure... it always is in any good anaerobic effort. What was missing was that dull ache of the marathon, the despair of wanting nothing other than to finally stop running. This was different, this was attack mode!
We made the final turn and the finish line banner was hung out there about 200m ahead. I opened up and drove for the line passing into second place. Driving and flying across the pavement I cracked the line in second place... 17:05. Not under my goal time of 16:59, but substantially faster than I have run in about 18 months... and 6 days after my unaided marathon distance run.
Here are the particulars from the perspective of the computer gadget on my wrist.
mile one 5:13 4th place
mile two 5:55 climbing 3rd place
mile 3.1 5:53 2nd place
This was a very strong run with lots of work done on the hill. My leg speed early was insufficient against these three high school 5k runners. After being dropped for about 8 minutes I made up almost everything in the second half of the run. I took home a plaque and a little speed deposit into the fitness bank which is always welcome!
So, when a 5k does pry its way into my racing schedule I often look forward to it, the way I did the all out mile at the end of an XC season. I know that it'll be fun, relatively fast and over before I get going. These types of races feel like vacations from the patience required in a long term training program.
The Race
The course started off on a downhill slope. With my toe on the line next to a sizable group of high school runners, the starter did his thing and we were off and running. We were going to settle the age old battle of experience versus youth, strength versus speed. In half of a mile we were 4... and I was wondering just how fast these kids could run. I was already breathing a little bit and the course was flying by. What a great feeling though, just moving in such a relaxed state with a group. We reached mile 1 in 5:13 and I was just off the back of the pack.
Over the next 800 meters we stretched a little further apart. The front two were asserting themselves and leading handily, racing each other and not thinking too much about anyone else. 3rd place was just in front of me. My focus was on staying tall and relaxed. Keeping that power in the hips and the arms low was my main concern. I wanted to be light and quick... running fast and easy. The course was now climbing some and within a quarter of a mile the heels of runner #3 were getting closer to my toes. I regained composure and threw in a small surge for 2 minutes as the hill continued. I was in 3rd and confident that I had that at least. I was feeling good, but still about 200m back of the leaders.
The Hill
We kept on climbing for most of mile two. Half way up the ascent I had begun to notice that every 15 seconds or so I was gaining discernible distance on the top two. I was feeling really good on this climb and all of the strength work I've been doing was giving me the confidence to keep after it. Running fast and free I kept seeing the lead shrink. We reached mile 2... 11:05; a little slow for me, but those kids were even slower and I was now within 100m. It looked like they had a separation too. The front runner was hurting a little bit from the climb as it crested, but still able to move on ahead. I focused on the slumped shoulders and cocked head of number 2... he was coming back.
The Finish
Downhill finished seem nice before a race. But when you are tired, trying to run down a young runner with leg speed on the descent is a challenge. I just let the center of mass fall and did my best to float and glide. 800m to go and now second place was only steps away. he'd come all the way back and number one and just 15 seconds ahead. Maybe a little too far but I was still feeling alright. The sting was there for sure... it always is in any good anaerobic effort. What was missing was that dull ache of the marathon, the despair of wanting nothing other than to finally stop running. This was different, this was attack mode!
We made the final turn and the finish line banner was hung out there about 200m ahead. I opened up and drove for the line passing into second place. Driving and flying across the pavement I cracked the line in second place... 17:05. Not under my goal time of 16:59, but substantially faster than I have run in about 18 months... and 6 days after my unaided marathon distance run.
Here are the particulars from the perspective of the computer gadget on my wrist.
mile one 5:13 4th place
mile two 5:55 climbing 3rd place
mile 3.1 5:53 2nd place
This was a very strong run with lots of work done on the hill. My leg speed early was insufficient against these three high school 5k runners. After being dropped for about 8 minutes I made up almost everything in the second half of the run. I took home a plaque and a little speed deposit into the fitness bank which is always welcome!
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