I have a pretty good habit of having a smile on my face at the end of a race. Not so on this day.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Umstead Finish. Not pretty, but done.
I have a pretty good habit of having a smile on my face at the end of a race. Not so on this day.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Back in the saddle again!
Well, I'm easing back into running. On Saturday, it was approximately 5k on the Run for the Oaks route. Note; we did not DO the Run for the Oaks, but merely ran the course after the race was over. Then promptly enjoyed a hot breakfast at The Morning Times, negating the run :)
However, I did not feel any major negative effects during the run, as I have in marathons past. The only thing that was a little sore was still my right hammie. I'm still taking it super easy, but I think it's getting better. One thing that helps is time on the bike. And I am happy to oblige that requirement, especially as the weather continues to get nicer.
Now to get that mountain bike shifting again...
However, I did not feel any major negative effects during the run, as I have in marathons past. The only thing that was a little sore was still my right hammie. I'm still taking it super easy, but I think it's getting better. One thing that helps is time on the bike. And I am happy to oblige that requirement, especially as the weather continues to get nicer.
Now to get that mountain bike shifting again...
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
2011 Umstead Marathon recap
2011 Umstead Marathon Report – Bill Bass 3/7/11
This report would not be complete without some narrative of the training period leading up to the race. Having done this same race in 2008, I was familiar with the terrain. I have raced three more marathons since (and bandit-ran 2009 City of Oaks full with Lainey). So, this was technically my 5th marathon, but 6th marathon-distance run. I ran Boston in April 2010, and achieved a BQ-time of 3:15:09. Sadly, it was a wasted time, as I was on a job interview the day Boston registration opened (and closed!), and I was unable to enter. Thus, I decided to return to my roots, and run Umstead again. I love Umstead. I would run there every day if I could. I prefer the single track to the bike and bridle trails, but that’s just me I suppose. I figured, “heck, I’m unemployed, I can train well, and have a chance at really improving my 2008 time of 3:55:22.”
That was a great plan, and things were going along really well. I was running injury-free, my times were looking good (not as fast as pre-Boston, but good enough). And then it happened. I got hurt. Week 12 was scheduled for 50 miles total, and I only got ~40 due to a mountain trip. Week 13 was a scheduled 51, and I got it, running a long 17 at a 7:38 (in Umstead!). On the afternoon of February 1, I did 8 on the treadmill at work, and thought someone was firing rounds into my hamstring with every stride forward. Feb. 2 I did not run. Feb. 3 was 4 miles, of which the first 2.5 were good, and the last 1.5 were torture. I did not run for a week after that. Right where I needed to be getting in 99 miles over 2 weeks. I got 26. The week of 2/14, I felt better, but far from healed. I saw the PT on 2/10 and 2/17, and he confirmed a pulled right hamstring, and said “you can run and keep aggravating it, or you can stop and let it heal; your choice”. I put in 34 of my planned 39 miles that week. The week of 2/21, I put in 30.5 slower (of the planned 32) miles. Marathon week I dropped one run. I was hobbling to the line.
Race week was upon me, and I felt awful. There’s no way I was not going to start the race, but I surely did not know how far I could go before having to stop. Race morning, I convinced myself that if I did a short bike ride from Bridge to Nowhere to Race HQ, and then gently jogged to warmup, I might be okay. So that’s what I did. The jog up to Reedy Creek b/b from Lapihio was comical. I was hurting everywhere; feet, legs, hips, arms, teeth, it was awful. But once I got back, got warm by the fire, and got into the moment of what was about to happen, I felt a wave of confidence rush over me.
So I ran.
Mile 1: 8:21 Started innocently enough. I was near the back of the field at the start, hanging out with Dusty, David, and Heidi. The race started, and I eased into it. As I got a bit loosened up, I started moving up in the field along the outside. By the time we got to the gate at the top of the trail, I was where I wanted to be. This year, the course changed; it did not go very far on the bike/bridle, only up to the Airport Overlook, before u-turning. Nothing special here. Recall I’ve had a pulled hamstring since February, so I was not in running form for this race. I carried my Gu Grip hand-bottle, with 6 Gus aboard. My plan was to only stop at aid stations if I needed to refill the hand-bottle, or throw water over my head.
Mile 2: 6:58 The course turned into the woods at about 1.5 miles. I was feeling pretty good here, and was running behind a few guys as we entered the single track. I must’ve really picked it up through here, as I went sub 7:00. Not good.
Mile 3: 7:42 This section is largely downhill on Company Mill, with just a kick uphill after the turn up Company Mill Spur. I picked it up a little here, just to push my competition a little. Probably not the smartest move I made all day.
Mile 4: 7:44 Mostly uphill at the beginning of Mile 4, then it turns down Graylyn, finally turning onto Sycamore and following the creek for a ways. I felt really good through here, and just started to focus on getting in a rhythm for the real climbing coming up on Sycamore.
Mile 5: 8:15 This is way too fast for climbing up Sycamore. I’m normally in the 8:45/9 range in this section. I wasn’t really chasing anyone, was just running, but I started to notice my breathing more here. Took a GU at mile 5.
Mile 6: 8:22 Part still on Sycamore, but mostly out on Graylyn. I took a portapotty stop in this mile, at Graylyn gate, so this was probably a sub 8:00 pace.
Mile 7: 7:27 Part on Graylyn, but mostly on the new section of the course, the other side of Sycamore. I bombed down those hills and was just having a blast on this section. I passed 4 runners minimum on this section. Of course, they all repassed me later on…
Mile 8: 8:09 This was the second half of the new section of the course, and it contained the two pretty good climbs. Still, I should’ve been going slower here. I let my climbing ego take root.
Mile 9: 7:45 This was the short climb up Graylyn to Reedy Creek, then the downhill to the bridge over Crabtree Creek.
Mile 10: 8:06 This is where I saw Paul, Cassianne, and Ashtyn for the first time. This was a good pace for that climb up to Trenton Gate. I took a GU at mile 10.
Mile 11: 7:56 Took in 2 cups of water at the Mile 10 aid station, so I was probably more like 7:40 through this section. Feeling great at this point.
Mile 12: 7:56 Saw Mom and Dad, and Jack and Charlaine just before entering the woods on North Turkey Creek. It was really neat for them all to come out and spectate!
Mile 13: 8:16 Made it through the major climb pretty well, no ill effects immediately felt, but the damage from going fast early was starting to rear its head.
Mile 14: 8:11 I still felt pretty good about pace in this section. I wasn’t going so hard that I felt pushed, but was still moving along briskly. Took a GU at mile 14.
Mile 15: 8:40 My climb up past the Creosote Bridge was slower than planned, and I noticed I was breathing too hard, heartrate was elevated, and things weren’t feeling right. Took 2 cups of water to refill the hand-bottle.
Mile 16: 8:35 I was feeling a little better after the flat portion of Graylyn, and a little downhill to start the return on Turkey, when I got a bad pain in my left ribcage. Worse than a side stitch, really weird. HR was flying. So I stopped moving completely for 15-20 seconds.
Mile 17: 8:34 This should’ve been faster through here, as it’s mostly downhill/flatter, but I was hurting.
Mile 18: 9:38 I came back past where the parents and in-laws were, and Lainey and the boys were there too! I stopped for a bit to chat with them, catch my breath, and generally take a gut-check to see if I wanted to continue. It was looking pretty grim already. I took a GU going up the hill starting South Turkey.
Mile 19: 9:11 There was quite a bit of walking in this stretch already, but I wasn’t dead yet.
Mile 20: 9:33 This is where I started dying. Saw Paul and the girls again at Trenton gate, and I told Paul it was not going well, but that I would finish this. Miraculously, this is where the tranny prom queens were, and they had Red Oak in cups on the back of the table. I’ve never shotgunned one so fast, and that seemed to help my pain quotient. But it didn’t help my slowness.
Mile 21: 10:32 I saw the wheels roll by here. A lot of walking here to try to convince my heartrate to come down, my calves to loosen up, etc.
Mile 22: 11:28 I spent a bit at the 21.5 aid station with a cup of Gatorade and a cup of Fritos. I spoke with Brennan briefly here and told her things were not going well. I told her I would finish however. I took a GU shortly after the 22 marker.
Mile 23: 11:43 Death march downhill. Being passed left and right, but encouraged as well. I’d get the “let’s go” every few runners. I had not much fight left in me.
Mile 24: 12:25 I missed the mile 24 marker, so I split 24:49 for these two miles into 2 almost equal halves. No matter what, they were ugly.
Mile 25: 12:24 This was tough. This includes Cemetery Hill. I told myself I’d run up Cemetery. I made it about 1/3 of the way up, then walked for a minute. Oh well. Ran up the rest.
Mile 26: 9:48 Once I got to the 25 marker, I buckled down, and tried my best to run it in. I started thinking however that I wanted to look strong for the finish, so I rationed what I could on the slight uphills in this section. When I got to the 26 marker, I poured it on.
Mile 26.2: 1:24 (7:00/mile pace) This is honestly about as good as it could get. I was looking at my watch when I started my sprint, thinking about just how much I needed to push to get across the line under the 3:55:22, my previous finishing time in ’08. I cut it too close for comfort. Total time: 3:55:14. And happy with it all things considered.
Post-race thoughts:
Did not drink enough water. Did not consume enough calories. Not enough salt. Poor conditioning. Pulled hamstring. No sense.
I’ll do another marathon. Running/walking/crawling up Corkscrew, I said out loud that I would not. But, there is a good Umstead in me somewhere. I’ve seen it come up once in a while, and with smart training, it can come up again.
Plus, I want to be top-15 the year they hand out the possum plaques.
This report would not be complete without some narrative of the training period leading up to the race. Having done this same race in 2008, I was familiar with the terrain. I have raced three more marathons since (and bandit-ran 2009 City of Oaks full with Lainey). So, this was technically my 5th marathon, but 6th marathon-distance run. I ran Boston in April 2010, and achieved a BQ-time of 3:15:09. Sadly, it was a wasted time, as I was on a job interview the day Boston registration opened (and closed!), and I was unable to enter. Thus, I decided to return to my roots, and run Umstead again. I love Umstead. I would run there every day if I could. I prefer the single track to the bike and bridle trails, but that’s just me I suppose. I figured, “heck, I’m unemployed, I can train well, and have a chance at really improving my 2008 time of 3:55:22.”
That was a great plan, and things were going along really well. I was running injury-free, my times were looking good (not as fast as pre-Boston, but good enough). And then it happened. I got hurt. Week 12 was scheduled for 50 miles total, and I only got ~40 due to a mountain trip. Week 13 was a scheduled 51, and I got it, running a long 17 at a 7:38 (in Umstead!). On the afternoon of February 1, I did 8 on the treadmill at work, and thought someone was firing rounds into my hamstring with every stride forward. Feb. 2 I did not run. Feb. 3 was 4 miles, of which the first 2.5 were good, and the last 1.5 were torture. I did not run for a week after that. Right where I needed to be getting in 99 miles over 2 weeks. I got 26. The week of 2/14, I felt better, but far from healed. I saw the PT on 2/10 and 2/17, and he confirmed a pulled right hamstring, and said “you can run and keep aggravating it, or you can stop and let it heal; your choice”. I put in 34 of my planned 39 miles that week. The week of 2/21, I put in 30.5 slower (of the planned 32) miles. Marathon week I dropped one run. I was hobbling to the line.
Race week was upon me, and I felt awful. There’s no way I was not going to start the race, but I surely did not know how far I could go before having to stop. Race morning, I convinced myself that if I did a short bike ride from Bridge to Nowhere to Race HQ, and then gently jogged to warmup, I might be okay. So that’s what I did. The jog up to Reedy Creek b/b from Lapihio was comical. I was hurting everywhere; feet, legs, hips, arms, teeth, it was awful. But once I got back, got warm by the fire, and got into the moment of what was about to happen, I felt a wave of confidence rush over me.
So I ran.
Mile 1: 8:21 Started innocently enough. I was near the back of the field at the start, hanging out with Dusty, David, and Heidi. The race started, and I eased into it. As I got a bit loosened up, I started moving up in the field along the outside. By the time we got to the gate at the top of the trail, I was where I wanted to be. This year, the course changed; it did not go very far on the bike/bridle, only up to the Airport Overlook, before u-turning. Nothing special here. Recall I’ve had a pulled hamstring since February, so I was not in running form for this race. I carried my Gu Grip hand-bottle, with 6 Gus aboard. My plan was to only stop at aid stations if I needed to refill the hand-bottle, or throw water over my head.
Mile 2: 6:58 The course turned into the woods at about 1.5 miles. I was feeling pretty good here, and was running behind a few guys as we entered the single track. I must’ve really picked it up through here, as I went sub 7:00. Not good.
Mile 3: 7:42 This section is largely downhill on Company Mill, with just a kick uphill after the turn up Company Mill Spur. I picked it up a little here, just to push my competition a little. Probably not the smartest move I made all day.
Mile 4: 7:44 Mostly uphill at the beginning of Mile 4, then it turns down Graylyn, finally turning onto Sycamore and following the creek for a ways. I felt really good through here, and just started to focus on getting in a rhythm for the real climbing coming up on Sycamore.
Mile 5: 8:15 This is way too fast for climbing up Sycamore. I’m normally in the 8:45/9 range in this section. I wasn’t really chasing anyone, was just running, but I started to notice my breathing more here. Took a GU at mile 5.
Mile 6: 8:22 Part still on Sycamore, but mostly out on Graylyn. I took a portapotty stop in this mile, at Graylyn gate, so this was probably a sub 8:00 pace.
 |
| Did I mention the COURSE CHANGE?? |
Mile 8: 8:09 This was the second half of the new section of the course, and it contained the two pretty good climbs. Still, I should’ve been going slower here. I let my climbing ego take root.
Mile 9: 7:45 This was the short climb up Graylyn to Reedy Creek, then the downhill to the bridge over Crabtree Creek.
Mile 10: 8:06 This is where I saw Paul, Cassianne, and Ashtyn for the first time. This was a good pace for that climb up to Trenton Gate. I took a GU at mile 10.
Mile 11: 7:56 Took in 2 cups of water at the Mile 10 aid station, so I was probably more like 7:40 through this section. Feeling great at this point.
Mile 12: 7:56 Saw Mom and Dad, and Jack and Charlaine just before entering the woods on North Turkey Creek. It was really neat for them all to come out and spectate!
Mile 13: 8:16 Made it through the major climb pretty well, no ill effects immediately felt, but the damage from going fast early was starting to rear its head.
Mile 14: 8:11 I still felt pretty good about pace in this section. I wasn’t going so hard that I felt pushed, but was still moving along briskly. Took a GU at mile 14.
Mile 15: 8:40 My climb up past the Creosote Bridge was slower than planned, and I noticed I was breathing too hard, heartrate was elevated, and things weren’t feeling right. Took 2 cups of water to refill the hand-bottle.
Mile 16: 8:35 I was feeling a little better after the flat portion of Graylyn, and a little downhill to start the return on Turkey, when I got a bad pain in my left ribcage. Worse than a side stitch, really weird. HR was flying. So I stopped moving completely for 15-20 seconds.
Mile 17: 8:34 This should’ve been faster through here, as it’s mostly downhill/flatter, but I was hurting.
Mile 19: 9:11 There was quite a bit of walking in this stretch already, but I wasn’t dead yet.
Mile 20: 9:33 This is where I started dying. Saw Paul and the girls again at Trenton gate, and I told Paul it was not going well, but that I would finish this. Miraculously, this is where the tranny prom queens were, and they had Red Oak in cups on the back of the table. I’ve never shotgunned one so fast, and that seemed to help my pain quotient. But it didn’t help my slowness.
Mile 21: 10:32 I saw the wheels roll by here. A lot of walking here to try to convince my heartrate to come down, my calves to loosen up, etc.
Mile 22: 11:28 I spent a bit at the 21.5 aid station with a cup of Gatorade and a cup of Fritos. I spoke with Brennan briefly here and told her things were not going well. I told her I would finish however. I took a GU shortly after the 22 marker.
Mile 23: 11:43 Death march downhill. Being passed left and right, but encouraged as well. I’d get the “let’s go” every few runners. I had not much fight left in me.
Mile 24: 12:25 I missed the mile 24 marker, so I split 24:49 for these two miles into 2 almost equal halves. No matter what, they were ugly.
Mile 25: 12:24 This was tough. This includes Cemetery Hill. I told myself I’d run up Cemetery. I made it about 1/3 of the way up, then walked for a minute. Oh well. Ran up the rest.
Mile 26: 9:48 Once I got to the 25 marker, I buckled down, and tried my best to run it in. I started thinking however that I wanted to look strong for the finish, so I rationed what I could on the slight uphills in this section. When I got to the 26 marker, I poured it on.
Mile 26.2: 1:24 (7:00/mile pace) This is honestly about as good as it could get. I was looking at my watch when I started my sprint, thinking about just how much I needed to push to get across the line under the 3:55:22, my previous finishing time in ’08. I cut it too close for comfort. Total time: 3:55:14. And happy with it all things considered.
Post-race thoughts:
Did not drink enough water. Did not consume enough calories. Not enough salt. Poor conditioning. Pulled hamstring. No sense.
I’ll do another marathon. Running/walking/crawling up Corkscrew, I said out loud that I would not. But, there is a good Umstead in me somewhere. I’ve seen it come up once in a while, and with smart training, it can come up again.
Plus, I want to be top-15 the year they hand out the possum plaques.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Winter ain't here yet, but MAN is it cold out!
This is when it gets tough training for a spring marathon. When the mercury plummets, and stays well below freezing all day. Those fun summertime morning runs when a t-shirt, shorts, and light socks are distant memories; now it's North Face this and Windshell that, Smartwool socks, tights, etc. For a 4-mile run. Four miles!
Also have to start factoring in the "actual" weather, i.e. rain (regular or freezing?), sleet, snow, wind. Road status if running remotely. Are shoes dry from the last run? Need another pair of tights!
So much for "strap on the shoes and hit the road"!
Also have to start factoring in the "actual" weather, i.e. rain (regular or freezing?), sleet, snow, wind. Road status if running remotely. Are shoes dry from the last run? Need another pair of tights!
So much for "strap on the shoes and hit the road"!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Man, I've really got to update this blog!
Well, lots of changes since I last posted. I've been unemployed since mid-August, in very exhaustive job search. Any real race plans have been tabled for the most part. I was on a job interview the day Boston opened (and closed) for registration, so was unable to actually use the BQ I earned AT BOSTON! Bummed about that, so I decided to stay close to home and run Umstead again in 2011. It was my first marathon back in 2008, and remains my favorite. So, I want to give it a good run this year and see if I can take a few minutes of the '08 time :)
2011's schedule is shaping up like this:
January - Little River 10-miler
March- Umstead Marathon
May- White Lake Half (and perhaps the sprint next day)
July-Triangle Sprint Triathlon
August-Mayo Lake Sprint Triathlon
I'm sure there are more I'm missing, but looking forward to a fall marathon somewhere.
2011's schedule is shaping up like this:
January - Little River 10-miler
March- Umstead Marathon
May- White Lake Half (and perhaps the sprint next day)
July-Triangle Sprint Triathlon
August-Mayo Lake Sprint Triathlon
I'm sure there are more I'm missing, but looking forward to a fall marathon somewhere.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Mayo Lake Sprint-done!
TrySports Mayo Lake Triathlon
2010-08-07
Roxboro, North Carolina
United States
FSSERIES
80F / 27C
Sunny
Triathlon - Sprint
Total Time = 1h 27m 49s
Overall Rank = 24/153
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 8/30
Pre-race routine:
Up at 4:30 or so, let Lainey sleep until almost 5. Car was loaded up the night before, so I just puttered around. Peanut butter, banana, and honey on whole wheat for breakfast, and a cup of decaf coffee. We hit the road at 5:31 am.
Event warmup:
I had time to do a 4-minute run out of transition, didn't get the normal 10-minute bike in. Oh well. Took a Strawberry/Banana Gu at 7:45. Sipping on Blueberry/Pomegranate GU Brew throughout the morning.
Swim
Comments:
Started on the backline, and just focused on swimming my race, and on swimming on-course. I achieved both of those. Caught a couple of drafts here and there, but moved off as needed. Swam to the best of my current ability, didn't have to make any significant course corrections, sighted about every 12th stroke or so. Caught Alan running up out of the water, so we were pretty much on-par with each other for the swim.
I can't remember a better-feeling swim. Had I not had to navigate around a few frog-kickers, I would've made up a few more spots. Though I was 21/30 AG and 111/153 OA, I thought this was one of my best efforts in a non-wetsuit swim. I can see steady progress if I'll just stick with it. Swimming focus must remain for the rest of the season, through the winter. Need coaching first.
What would you do differently?:
It's time to actually get some lessons, and join masters. It's hard to suck so bad at swimming, then nail the bike and run, EVERY time.
T1
Comments:
I really lost a lot of positions here. I really thought it was a lot quicker than this, but I got bogged down putting on socks, in advance of the trail run that would be coming up after the bike. Looking back, I should've gone shoeless on the bike, and put on the easy-to-pull-on socks (black) just before the run, instead of trying to pull up the Sock Guy socks before the bike. All said, I hit my goal of sub-2:00 on T1.
What would you do differently?:
No socks on the bike, put the socks on before the run.
Bike
Comments:
Took an Orange Burst GU when I turned back onto 49/Virgilina Rd. Felt good out of the gate. Right before the race, I swapped to the Vista SLs with the 12-27 cassette still installed. Traded aero for weight. For 75% of the race I was happy with that decision, then came the flat road headwind...
No one passed me for good on the bike. Had one guy at the start who passed me on 2 successive downhills, then I rolled past him on the uphills for good. Another guy that passed me back after I passed him on Mill Creek, then I put him away too.
Caught up to halfpint, who had a fantastic swim, and was working a great bike, out on Mill Creek. He snarled "you and your legs!" as I went by :)
Early on, there was quite a bit of blocking, position fouls, riding left of center...I was calling out "Move right unless you're passing!!" quite a bit at the start. 111th out of the water, and 14th after the bike...not bad.
Took second Gu (Vanilla Bean) with about 3 miles left on the bike.
What would you do differently?:
Race wheels? Aero helmet? More work on flat road headwind power generation? I felt like I worked the hills well.
T2
Comments:
This felt like a very good T2. Breezed in, breezed out. Took a bit to get the shoes off due to the wonky strap on the right shoe, but I got the bike racked, shoes off, helmet off, slid on the Wave Elixirs, grabbed hat, race belt, and water bottle and was gone.
What would you do differently?:
I could've benefitted from my trail shoes. In hindsight, bike sockless, at T2 put on run socks and take the time to put on the trail shoes. Speedlaces in the trail shoes might've worked, but I've never tried them in those shoes, only the Elixirs.
Run
Comments:
I was passed by one 23-yo male early on the run, but aside from that, I was making passes the rest of the way in. 111th on the swim, 14th on the bike, and 9th on the run, means I picked off 5 or so on the run. Fastest AG run, yet one of my slowest sprint runs to date. It was that tough of a course.
What would you do differently?:
Trail shoes, trail shoes, trail shoes. That and yankz/speedlaces.
Post race
Warm down:
None. Greg beat me by 28 seconds. I just walked over and we chatted about our race. Went back to the finishing area and cheered on competitors. Walked down to the 2.5 mile point on the run and cheered on competitors, took a couple of photos. When Lainey came by, I beelined up to the finish for some more photos.
What limited your ability to perform faster:
Swim. Swim. Swim. Same thing as every race. Super-long T1 compared to others. Speedlaces on the run. Correct shoes for the run. Aero helmet, race wheels. More speedwork on the bike (I have not ridden with IOS since last year)
Event comments:
A very nice, small, intimate race. Transition area is a little screwy (it's on a hillside), and I wish they'd assign rack locations, as these free-for-alls get weird with everyone throwing their stuff around. Still, it worked out okay, and I got to race with all my BT buds!! Even got to help a couple of folks who haven't done many with some time-saving tips (tape those Gu packets to the top tube, pre-opened; grab and go!)
Last updated: 2010-07-14 1:00 AM
STATS:
Swimming
00:17:42
750 meters
02m 22s / 100meters
Age Group: 21/30
Overall: 111/153
Performance: Good
Suit: Team Zoot/Gu tri top/shorts
Course: Short out with a dogleg right, then hard left and a straight shot to the end. It was actually a very nice swim course, very protected.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 85F / 29C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 01:40
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good
Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:45:29
16.1 miles
21.24 mile/hr
Age Group: 3/30
Overall: 14/153
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course: Quite rolling. A flat section on the backside, but into a headwind. Fun course, reminded me a lot of Pinehurst. One 39-mph descent.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence: 90+
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:40
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:22:18
03 miles
07m 26s min/mile
Age Group: 1/30
Overall: 9/153
Performance: Average
I clocked the run at 7:20, 7:31, and 7:27 for the 3 miles.
Course: It was a tough course, much like running Company Mill at Umstead than anything else. Started on the shoulder of the road, then merged off to single-track very quickly. Up, down, left, right, repeat. Running in the Elixirs, I really had to be careful of my footing.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Chase run=free fun!!
My good friend and training buddy Paul extended an offer a few months ago for me to join him on a "chase run" that his coach puts on every 4th Tuesday. The premise is simple: you submit your anticipated time to run a set distance, and do your best to hit that time. The course is either a 4-mile or 4.75 mile out/back along the Black Creek Greenway near Umstead Park. I went fairly aggressive with a 30:29 goal (6:25 pace) for this distance. I have not done any speedwork since before Boston, and I needed to do some, so this was a good excuse for it.
Put in my 30:29, and hoped for the best. Turns out I would be running with today's run organizer, as that was his goal as well. GREAAAT....
Paul went with a 31 something, so he went off a bit ahead of Dan and I. We went off together. Good strong pace, but still conversational. We were able to hold a conversation for the first mile. Got to the first mile in 6:01. Holey moley, way fast! Eased off the pace a little, but I started putting a bit of distance on him.
Got near the turnaround and saw Paul ahead. He made the u-turn, and we spoke briefly. I made the turn, and suddenly he was really far away from me :) He kicked at the turn. A bit later, I caught him, we exchanged pleasantries, and I motored on. He locked in behind me for a bit. I just kept it nice and steady for the 2nd half. Not familiar with the course, I couldn't remember when the final stretch was. Fastest runner of the bunch (Tim Meigs, sub 3:00 Boston) came blazing past. Checks over the shoulder showed that other fast runners were approaching. Hammer time. Kicked in about a 400m sprint at the end, and came in at 30:23, six seconds faster than my goal. Held the rest off.
I was pleased with this run, and really had fun with it. I really felt good the entire run, even entertained a brief stop at a water fountain at the 3-mile point, but kept on moving. I look forward to doing this again in late July to see where I am at that point.
Put in my 30:29, and hoped for the best. Turns out I would be running with today's run organizer, as that was his goal as well. GREAAAT....
Paul went with a 31 something, so he went off a bit ahead of Dan and I. We went off together. Good strong pace, but still conversational. We were able to hold a conversation for the first mile. Got to the first mile in 6:01. Holey moley, way fast! Eased off the pace a little, but I started putting a bit of distance on him.
Got near the turnaround and saw Paul ahead. He made the u-turn, and we spoke briefly. I made the turn, and suddenly he was really far away from me :) He kicked at the turn. A bit later, I caught him, we exchanged pleasantries, and I motored on. He locked in behind me for a bit. I just kept it nice and steady for the 2nd half. Not familiar with the course, I couldn't remember when the final stretch was. Fastest runner of the bunch (Tim Meigs, sub 3:00 Boston) came blazing past. Checks over the shoulder showed that other fast runners were approaching. Hammer time. Kicked in about a 400m sprint at the end, and came in at 30:23, six seconds faster than my goal. Held the rest off.
I was pleased with this run, and really had fun with it. I really felt good the entire run, even entertained a brief stop at a water fountain at the 3-mile point, but kept on moving. I look forward to doing this again in late July to see where I am at that point.
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