Sirens of the Season

It's that time of year again, the time we all love. Spring is in the air, there is green everywhere! We get to indulge to excess and have our peers support us in this endevour! Yep it's St Patty's weekend and that means lots and lots of... running (and a brew or two).

St. Patty Plans
I won't be racing, or travelling much for my Siren Season running this year. In fact, I may find myself dizzy on The Dragon for hours on end loop on loop!

However, rest assured, when things get tough/boring (never) I will have visions of cold hops filling my head (that's a pun)! and if that doesn't work... I have other visions to fall back on.

The Sirens of the Season

Let's welcome those Sirens as they ring in the St. Patty's season again this year. I am not much for tradition but for in a handful of things; Opening Day, trail racing in June, our anniversary and birthdays and The Sirens.

So, happy Siren Season to you all!

Asheville Shamrock 10k Race Report... and a treat

A perfect day for racing was left to participants of the 2011 Asheville Catholic School's Shamrock 10k. This was my first visit to this particular event after having raced in Lenoir, NC for the previous 3 years. I was expecting the competition to be more serious amongst the runners and the course to be more difficult as well.

Elevation by kilometer (do the math as you climb!)

The Course
This was challenging for a 10k and certainly not the place to run a personal best... but had enough give within the take that a decent time could be posted. This course favored the stronger climbers and then downhill speed.

I had not run it, but had a vague memory of the chart showing the elevation profile etch in the depths of my mind. I knew there was something steep and then some more climbing before the course lolli-popped back to the starting area. It was with this limited knowledge that I lined up and dashed from the start to avoid trampling small boys.

Into the Great Semi-known World
Right away the course offered short steep ups and downs so the body HAD to be ready from the start. Since I had run my warm up in this section I was ready and ran a 5:40 and felt very comfortable.

Soon, I did back down a little bit effort wise as runners were finding their paces in the uneven terrain. I yo-yo'd with one runner for a bit, before he settled back a bit as Dave Workman (Masters Champion) came up on my shoulder. We have been racing together quite a bit lately so it was good to see that I would have such a nice guy to work through the course with. He is in the picture below in white just behind the large cone and the little guy in red.

The Sean is stage left... #1073

Mile two was a downhill cruise and a straight shot on a large avenue. We ran side by side chasing after the pace vehicle on a cool and still morning. I felt right at home and really enjoyed the scene as the race was set up to be a good one. Mile two 5:32 and feeling great!

The Climb
And then... we made a sharp right hand turn and began the climbing in earnest. Within a minute I found myself slightly over-extended but also opening a gap into the lead. This was not intentional in the least. But once out there, doing that kind of work I decided to just settle into it and grind. Adjusting my intensity to a level I could maintain for 10 minutes I knew that even with some over extension here, I did have a big, steep and long downhill run into the last mile where I could cover ground on pace and recover at the same time.

As the hill continued I was able to catch glimpses of Dave chasing me. At switchback sections I saw that I was probably extending the lead a little bit, maybe 15 seconds or so. At the same time, I derived a good dose of confidence recalling all the hill training I have been doing back home in Boone (which is much hillier than the Asheville area if you ask me). I hit the hills almost every day and came to the place where I was no longer "racing" but running the terrain as fast as I could. The "race event" in this sense fades to the role of a stage for performance, testing fitness, which is elevated as the distractions of competition fade and all that remains is the job at hand... getting up over the hill quickly.

Dividends
The slope gave way steadily and the course became a slight grade for a mile or so with a couple short steep spikes. As I reached the top of the course I caught some great views of the Asheville area below and then followed the escort vehicle down tight turns and steep grades.

Having the trust in your turnover and sustained leg speed is a skill which needs to be developed by running hills aggressively. You really have to allow the legs to spin freely on the steepest areas and then reconnect with your pace when the road levels out again.

I use trigger words to remind myself that the goal is not to run that screaming downhill pace for the remainder of the event but to settle back into the race as the terrain settles back... What I say to myself is "transition". This key word triggers proper running form and technique which put me in my effort/pace once again. I do this all the time, everyday any time terrain changes present themselves. As the course flattened out into  the end of mile 5 the 10k course rejoined the 5k and a straight and slightly downhill grade ushered me along. Thanks to preparation I was running fast and efficiently. The training was paying off and I was having a blast:)

Hold it together
Now I was back in a recognizable land. This was where I had warm up, I usually like to run the final mile of the course for key topography, so I knew I had 3 little hills ahead of me. I had no clue who was behind me or how close they were as I chased down the bumper of the lead vehicle but I had a good idea that I was laying down my best race in over a year. The finish line proved it in numbers too as I completed a very difficult course in 6:02 pace, 37:26 (full results)... compared to January's 38:51 on a MUCH gentler course I am feeling very good about where my training is and where my mind is leading into Boston next month.

The Takeaway
By adding consistent volume, with long and demanding (but very low effort) trail runs and regular short duration, but fast and intense speed work I have been able to quickly find my racing legs... this week that brought me a free rafting trip and a new pair of shoes from Foot RX in Asheville!! So at least I covered my entry fee and gas money... (getting a little out of hand don't you think? Anyone else driving to Boston?)

and... if you have made it this far in the report you deserve a prize yourself. So here is the traditional finisher's award for St. Patrick's Day races here on this blog.  Georgia Snail here are The Sirens for their annual visit:

The Sirens

Happy Running!

New Year, New Post

With the expiration of 2010 my running began to develop of bit of a sour odor, and with it I developed a bit of baggage causing my skinny pants to mock me with struggling zippers and bulging buttons. While the Holiday brews were pleasing, they have collaborated with a lack of sleep (and running) to prevent me from floating away anytime soon.

The Sylas and The Dad

But I like a challenge, and now I have one. 4 1/2 months from now comes Boston. On the way to that I goal, I begin racing in 3 weeks as the Asheville Track Club Grand Prix Season gets underway with what is touted Asheville's flattest 10k. See the schedule to right for all the details (if you have that kind of time on your hands...). 

Another change to the schedule this year is the lack of the Leprechaun Leap. Rather than racing in Lenoir for the 4th straight season, I will run a Grand Prix event in Asheville, NC. So what does this mean for you all... probably nothing; except I am sorry to say to Georgia Snail... there may be no Sirens this year...

This weekend, around changing new born diapers on the hour, I was able to get outside and put in another 1/2 mile of trail. I trudged into the mud and melting snow to dig trail into the steep hillsides, further extending The Dragon, I can now get in 60 minutes of out and back running! This is great on one hand and for obvious reasons... the bad side?

While removing debris from the trail, I actually took some forest shrapnel to the left eye rendering me utterly useless for the following 36 hours. Though I have not been particularly helpful anyway, so at least Lynnea's expectations were more in line with the results which diminishes frustration I think...

Little Sylas has now surpassed his birth weight. 16 days into life he tilts the scales at 8 lbs 4 ounces, so it seems that Lynnea is the only member of the family currently losing weight (and mommy looks amazing!!).

Happy running!

Race Report: Leprechaun Leap 5k

Another year gone by and another edition of the Lepreachaun Leap. This was my third consecutive year running this course and so I am getting to know it pretty well. I assumed my main competition would be the 14 year old Peter, who most of you readers already know about.

This year I was shooting to go sub-17 on a course that is mostly flat leading to a long climb at the finish. The previous years' results were 17:45 and 17:30ish progressively. I also knew that I did not want to sell myself short, so I was going to run aggressively at the start and see who was there one mile in, to hang around and race the remaining distance.

One... Two...
On the count of "three" we were off heading toward the downhill start. Out of control was the theme here and I seized the lead early. Halfway, through the hill I was passed for a short time but quickly used the control fall to reach the flat of the course at half a mile, in the lead. It was not long until I heard nothing but my own steps and my own breathing.

Slowly the burn was beginning. I ran right on this edge, pushing when I could and relaxing back when the waters seemed to be boiling too soon. Approaching the halfway turnaround I threw in a surge to get as big a gap as possible as I passed the oncoming, pursuing pack. For the first time I could see my lead was about 200m. I was getting tired, but still okay.

The next half mile was more reasonable. Gliding along to the 2 mile mark and having gathered myself for the final push, I knew I was the strongest hill runner on the course I wanted to reach the base of the half mile climb with a big gap and effectively shorten the course. So, I pushed and pushed and now, with the accumulation of effort- the burn began in earnest. Oh yeah- back to the 5k:)

Heaps of Pain
The acute burn begged me to ease off, but I was not going to listen. Recalling the hard hill running and fartlek training of the winter I celebrated the season of cold weather training by breaking out my best assault on this hill. For sure, I was getting heavy legged on the final third of the ascent but I knew it would be over in just a minute or so. I went as deep into the pain as I could go, exploring the acute sear. Relishing in the moment I had earned.

Then... nothing
As quickly as the pain had come, I was across the line and tearing off my tag strip for the volunteers. Breaking the tape in 16:46, a :45 second improvement in my previous time on the course and the win:) 3 years in a row:)

Lessons
I was left with the idea of running slightly over the edge, and how easy this can seem on the simple combination of base training, fartlek and tempo, over hilly courses. The resulting confidence makes the 5k distance seem like a blink of an eye. Greet your discomfort and realize it for the improvement it signifies.

Have faith in your fitness and use races to see what you can do with that fitness. Don't allow yourself to be complacent and run the same race each time out-

Farewell, Lovely Sirens, You've Served Us Well...

Upcoming Race Schedule

The Leprechaun Leap is nearly upon us! This will be my third consecutive year running this race in the town of Lenoir, NC. The course is a perfect one for early racing season. It begins with a long downhill of 1/2 a mile or so and then is flat as flat can be. The out and back brings you right back to the hill to finish up. The spectators see nothing but the whoosh away at the start and the hill inspired, oxygen-debt induced stumble to the finish in the parking area finish line.

Two Years Ago I ran this as my first North Carolina race and was unprepared to say the least. I ran okay, coming of cross country season, though I was more nervous there than I can recall being ever before a race. The results were a win, fairly alone most of the way for somewhere around 17:50 or so if I recall...

Last Year's Duel with a 13 year old boy brought many questions to my mind. It was a dilemma as the race progressed and I went from thinking, 'hey, cool, this kid is pretty fast' to wondering 'hey, how much longer is this kid going to stick around?' Then deciding as the literally elbow high competitor put a surge on me with under a mile to go, that he was indeed worthy of all my effort, to actually race this little kid and see what we each had in us.

The Dirty Deed
There came a point where I had to decide.

1. Let the kid win... he is cute and would love to win this race I am sure. He deserves it. And the people, what if this mean man beats a little guy... and what if he does it in the final sprint???
2. Go for the win... respect the sport, respect the kid. Give a full effort and see what happens.

Well, my integrity told me to go for it. But I knew this, better go for it at the base of the hill and not in the parking lot, no need to George Costanza the little boy out of the way. So, after Peter put his move on me leading into the hill (and he did get away, gapping me by about 10m) I responded and made a hard push up the hill. It was decisive and I think my strength paid off with the climb.

Do Not Be Fooled

This kid, Peter, was tough, one of the most fierce races I have been in actually. Normally things are decided much earlier in a course. Now, 3 weeks until the big day where a year of training will tell this years story. I am a year older and Peter will be 14... I am getting the big guns polished up ready for whatever may come at me.

I am feeling fresh and fast and eager to test the early season racing waters. I know this, I am more prepared at this point in the year than ever before with my best winter of training on record. I have become my best version of a Leprechaun Leaper and can't wait to get this show on the road!

P.S.- This also means the Leprechaun Leap Sirens (Georgia Snail dubbed as such) will be soon moving on to their off-season home.