Love to Run

2009 Cranberry Crawl 10K

2009-11-07T12:45:00.002-06:00

I was feeling better this morning, but didn't know if that would mean I run faster or not. The plan was to finish the 10K in 1 hr 20 or less. I lined up about mid-pack and moved way over to the side since I wasn't sure if I was in the right place for whatever pace I might run. I started off pretty slow but definitely better than the 11:30 miles I have been running on the trail. I was easily passing people up the hills and this pace felt okay and was low impact. For the first 2 miles, I passed a lot of people.

At the end of the first loop, it looked like I was going to finish in under an hour so that was good to see. I passed a few more and then caught up to a girl (Emily) and she seemed to be the right pace so I stayed with her. We had a good conversation about running and ran together until the last hill where there less room on the side of the road to run. I picked up a little to stay out of the way of any cars passing and since it was a hill, I felt like I could run faster.

Overall, this was very easy for me and my butt gave me fewer problems today which I think helped with the pace. From what I can tell, it is the SI joint that is becoming inflamed and keeping me from running faster. I did hold back for this run but not sure if I can run this pace on a normal run or if it was because of the race. Hopefully, it is a sign I am getting better, but I do not plan to push the pace for quite awhile. I'd be very happy if I could run 9 min miles pain free for awhile.

I placed 3rd in my age group with a time around 58 min, about a 9:27 pace. I didn't quite get my GPS started for a few seconds at the beginning. I picked out a pair of Mizzou running socks from the table of prizes. Hugh placed 1st in his age group in the 10K.

Health Note - Protruding Disc - McKenzie Exercises

2009-10-27T11:10:00.004-05:00

Some people have been wondering if I am injured or what is going on so here is the story. Early last month, I noticed a little pain in my right hip, sliding in and out of the car. I had no idea what was going on but it seemed pretty minor at this point.

I ran both marathons in September and recovered fine, but still noticed this slight pain in the butt. I used the foam roller on it but never got any better. First week of October, I started to have shooting pains down the back of leg to top of calf. I noticed that my right hip and butt was hurting more, but whenever I would run, I felt fine. There were even times when I felt okay walking. It was strange how it would come and go.

I called Estaban (massage therapist) and got an appointment for the 15th and wished it were sooner. I felt like a massage might work out the soreness. The pains got worse but were better when I ran. I ran a 5K on October 11th. I wasn’t sure how I would do, but once I warmed up 3 miles, I could run pretty normal but a little tight. After, I could barely stand to sit in the car and getting into the car was difficult. After awhile, I could get comfortable sitting but then getting up from a chair or out of the car, I could barely walk the first few steps. I ran Rock Bridge Revenge 25K the next day and the hamstring felt pretty tight and I could feel some twinges. I learned this was sciatic nerve pain. It especially hurt me to duck under anything just like ducking into the car. Overall, it went okay, but I was glad I wasn't running the 50K.

The 50K I was planning on the 18th in Louisiana was questionable. I ran on Oct 13th and butt hurt the entire run and hamstring and calf were so tight I was afraid I was going to pull something. It was difficult to put on socks and shoes. I went to see Esteban on Thursday and he treated me for tight hamstrings. I called my doctor and was hoping to get in Friday to see if she thought I should be running, but could not until Thursday the next week. I decided to go ahead and try running the 50K. I would not run it hard and just see what I could do. It was a flat course so should be easier since no hills. I had to get up extra early race day morning and stretch myself out and get moving so I could try running. The shower in my hotel lacked a mat and I ended up falling and hitting my head on the floor. Left a nice bump and not much blood but wondered if this was a sign I shouldn’t run. I went ahead and ran the race. I was tight nearly the entire time, but ended up having a 50K PR on a flat course and placing 2nd overall. I felt pretty good during and after the race other than I could not bend over to take off my shoes.

It seemed that as long as I kept moving, I was fine. Go to bed or sit down too long, and I had problems. I felt the same as before the race, but didn’t run and went to the doctor last Thursday. She sent right away for some flat scans and an MRI that evening. She suspected a bulging disc in L5 S1. Dan S. had sent an e-mail when he read my symptoms earlier and had suspected the same. It was all confusing to me how I could have a back problem and my back didn’t hurt, but my leg was having the problems.

I never heard the MRI result on Friday, but learned from another runner about some back extension exercises (McKenzie Exercises) that were helpful for back problems including bulging discs. I started to do these assuming that would be the diagnosis and bought the book on Sat. since it had a lot of good information on posture (which I can definitely use). I’ve continued to do the exercises and ice the back where the disc is located. I am noticing a little improvement each day so I am hopeful I can get over this. Today, I was able to tie my shoes a little easier.

Today, I received the official diagnosis and they said it is disc at L5S1 that is protruding a bit (bulging disc). The protruding disc is the same thing as a bulging disc. It can get worse, but it appears maybe I have caught it early enough. Running doesn’t cause them but doesn’t help get rid of them any faster. The bulge applies pressure to the nerves in the region which signals sensations like pain and numbness in the leg. It can also inhibit range of motion and cause pain. People can often having bulging discs and not have a problem. Sometimes things can get so bad that surgery is needed.

The doctor could do an epidural steroid injection or physical therapy. I feel with the exercises I am doing that I am improving enough to treat this on my own from this point. I am taking it easy for now and have been doing the elliptical and walking. I tried weight lifting last night and could not do it. Any runs during this recovery, will be very slow, short, and low impact until I feel like it is 100% recovered. Then I will start to rebuild my fitness.

Q50 USA – 50 K Ultramarathon - Mandeville, LA

2009-10-20T10:01:00.003-05:00

Q50 USA – 50 K Ultramarathon. Hopefully, pictures and results on this web site soon.

I decided to run this race since I am attending a meeting at LSU in Baton Rouge this week. The race was actually in Mandeville, LA. So I flew to Baton Rouge, rented a car, and drove the 75 miles to packet pickup on Saturday. I got arrived at 5 pm and they said we were eating at 6 pm and a meeting at 7 pm. I decided to go check into my hotel about 10 minutes away and then return.

The pickup was at Franco's Athletic club. The packet had a sample of Q50 coffee and we got a nice tech shirt and a sample Hammer Gel, one of the race sponsors. Q50 is a brand of coffee and they have races in Nicaragua, Italy, and more. The one in the US was to contribute money to help fight childhood obesity in LA. There was a duathlon event on Sat. as well.

The food was setup outside by the pool but it was a bit cool so some people moved inside. I sat with a woman, Mary Anne, from Texas that was race walking the 50K and she had her son with her for support. She said she had signed up for the Rocky Racoon 100 in February that I am considering if I am able. After eating, we went inside since it was getting cold outside.

The pre-race meeting started about 7:30 and they warned us repeatedly about snakes which kind of freaked me out and also that there was some deep mud on the course. That had me wondering what might be at the bottom. The meeting was a bit long and would have preferred to be in my room but it was mandatory. After, I went to the store to find some food since I really wouldn't have time to eat breakfast when the hotel served at 6. I ran into several people at the store from the meeting.

I came back to the hotel and ate the half pound of fudge I had bought to calm my nerves. I got my stuff ready to go for the morning. I was seriously wondering if I could do this race since my right hamstring was super tight and still having a bit of what I think is sciatica. Calf was also tight. I have been barely able to bend over to put on my socks and shoes recently and had not run since Tuesday.

I woke up around 4:45 am and decided to go ahead and get up. The alarm I had thought I set was not for the right time so it was good that I woke up. I ate a shake with coffee, ate some bananas. Then I took a shower. I noticed there was no mat to place in the tub and the surface was slippery. I was thinking I need to be really careful and next thing I know I am flipped out of the tub and on my back. I think my leg was still hanging on the tub. I felt okay so got up and checked my head since it had hit the floor. I had just very slight bit of bleeding and a sore bump on the side near the back, but it wasn't bad enough to be too concerned and only hurt if I pressed on it. There was no way I was getting back in the shower so cleaned up standing on a towel beside the shower. I will never get in a tub like that again without a mat. Then I did some stretches to try to loose up the hamstrings and all the leg muscles so I could attempt to run.

I left the hotel about 6 am and there was no one around to complain about the tub. There was a note they would return shortly so I just left for the race which started at 7. It was about a 15 min drive, but took a little longer since I missed the turn the first time. I got there and rushed to the bathroom for one last time. Then talked to a few people and they thought the threat of snakes was not great. There is one that is poisonous, but since it was around 48F, it wasn't likely they would be out for awhile. I was less worried but still would be careful. I had decided last night I would just run this race to finish and wasn't going to go all out. With the tight hamstring, it didn't seem like a good idea since I could pull something.

Before we started, we were warned again about the snakes. They had seen one setting up the course, but most people didn't seem worried. We started around 7:15 am. There was also a 2 leg 50K relay and 10Kers starting at the same time. The beginning was on grass and it felt good to run but immediately my quad felt tight, but not as bad as Tuesday since I had stretched. I caught up to a group of guys that said they were doing their first 50K. They normally did adventure races together. I went ahead and caught up to a couple women doing the 10K. They were commenting about the the tree roots and to watch out but it really wasn't that bad.

I ran ahead and then eventually had another 50K guy running right behind me until about mile 9 when we hit the paved trail portion of the course and he fell behind. At this section I was really having the urge to pee and we were no longer in the woods so I was looking for options. I was getting close to peeing in my shorts since I had to go so badly. When I turned onto the paved path by the lake, I guess with all the water I could no longer stand it. There weren't a lot of trees but I was looking for a big one to quickly and discreetly use. This was along a street and there were people playing with dogs along the lake. I finally found the right spot and no cars. I felt kind of bad to publicly urinate, but this was just one of those times where I was out of options and I didn't want to wet myself.

Shortly after, I am at mile 11 and a guy at the aid station says this is my turnaround. I didn't even realize there was a turn around. I decide to fill my bottle a little even though I had some Accelerade left. There were aid stations about every 4 miles but I didn't take anything since I had plenty of Acclerade and also Accel Gels. Also, they were serving Heed, which isn't my favorite drink. After turning around I saw several people running at me and they asked me, “is there a turn around?” One guy nearly stopped and asked if I was quitting. I guess they didn't realize there was a turn around and didn't notice anyone ahead of me to ask. I ran back on the paved trail and then made another turn toward the start to complete the first “loop”.

Someone had told me at some point I was in 4th but I am not sure if they counted relay people or not and figured I was actually further behind since I wasn't pushing it. The different racers were wearing different colors but I didn't know who might be ahead of me from the beginning. I didn't think I was doing that well considering this was a flat course. There were no hills, but there was some mud and big puddles to go through and a few places that turned a lot slowed me down. I picked up my second bottle of Accelerade and left for the second loop immediately. I think my time was around 2:07 so figured I had a good chance at breaking 4.5 hours. My PR for a 50K is 4:59 on hillier, more trail-like courses.

I had a problem finding exactly where we went into the woods at the start of this “loop” since they didn't have any flags in between where we started and the woods off in the distance. I couldn't see the flag that was that far away and no one to follow. Someone had to run over and help me out and so I got a little extra distance due to the back tracking. I felt like an idiot. Otherwise, I didn't have any problems, but did need to keep looking ahead for the orange flags since there plenty of wrong trails to take. There were aid stations about every 4 miles but I didn't take anything since I had plenty of Acclerade and also Accel Gels. Also, they were serving Heed, which isn't my favorite drink.

I follow the same course as the first 25K and see Mary Anne at the point she was less than 2 miles from the finish. Once I reach the lake some girls say how well I am doing and that I can catch the guy ahead of me. I see him on the way to the turn around and figure he is about 0.25 mile ahead. Then at the turn around I ask the guy at the aid station my place and he says I am second and probably had a chance of catching the guy. I was excited to be in second place so I immediately pick up the pace. I see a relay runner coming toward me. A half mile or so later he flies past me and says he is running the relay.

I wasn't sure I could see the guy ahead of me and I find out later he sees the relay runner coming behind him. He said he also saw me before and so he picked up the pace too. I only picked it up for about a mile and then resumed the 8-something pace. The stretch where we run to the last turn before getting back the woods which was grass and mud which slowed me down more than on the first time. I think we were running between power lines right of way here.. This part of the course had some of the worst huge puddles that could not be gone around. I really slowed on this part. Also, it smelled like pigs and someone said later there were wild pigs nearby. I had given up on catching the guy ahead, no one was close behind, and I was thankful to soon be finishing.

I reached the finish at 4:17:50 so ran the second half a bit slower. If I hadn't wasted the time starting the second loop almost getting lost I would have been a bit faster, but not sure if fast enough to beat the guy in first. He finished around 2 minutes ahead of me. Overall, I ran pretty even. My 50K PR improved 31 minutes and GPS had 31.1 miles so the course would have been almost exact if I had not added a little extra. I heard several people made wrong turns and one guy doing the 50K that was in first went the wrong way and ran 7 extra miles. He got back on track but decided to stop at the first loop. Someone said they don't have a lot of trail races here so I got the impression that could have been part of the problem.

They had massages so I went with the first place relay guy, Matt, to go wash off in the lake. He had run with his wife and he was a super fast 2:33 marathoner so no wonder if flew past me. We got to the beach and I told him I didn't think I could remove my shoes. Every time I went to bend my leg, it felt like it might spasm and they were tight. It has been a challenge at any time lately to get on my shoes and socks due to the tightness. They had loosened up just at around mile 22, but were tight the entire race. People that saw me on the course said I looked good running so I guess they were just loose enough to let me run. So he unties and loosens my shoes so I can remove them. I managed to pull my socks off with my feet. Then we get into this shallow lake. It was a huge lake, but seemed to stay shallow for a long time. It went up to my calves and I was able to bend a bit to wash off. Then I went back and washed my shoes off. They smelled like a pig lot.

The massage lady is free when I get back. She worked on my good leg first and then my other leg. She was very good and it was quite painful. Legs were definitely looser when she finished with me. I then went to get some food. We had pork and jambalya. There was an actual entire pig with the head, and it had an apple in its mouth. It was a bit disconcerting to me, but to someone that rarely eats pork it tasted pretty good. I was able to sit down and eat my food and noticed that I didn't have any issues sitting like I have been.

So we all wait around and wonder if there is an awards ceremony. They had given us medals at the finish. I got tired of waiting, so was packing up to leave and the guy who was first says they are going to do awards in 10 min or around 3:30 so we had been waiting awhile. 20 minutes go by and the race director says they typically wait until everyone is finished at these races. The time limit was 8 hours so we would have been waiting a long time and had waited a long time. He went ahead and did the awards. I received a nice curved clear plaque. They awarded the top 3 overall male and female and top 3 relays. They also gave each of us a bottle of Hammergel.

Finally, I can leave and I have a message from Hugh. He had called just minutes before and I missed the call. So I call him and while I am on the phone the last 2 runners come in. One of them is Mary Anne and she is race walking. So I go back to congratulate her and then leave for Baton Rouge. I sat in the car and the drive wasn't too painful. I decided to skip New Orleans since it was getting late. Also, driving was a bit uncomfortable but not bad. It is really strange to me how running the 50K made me feel better but not sure it will continue. I am doing better and but don't know if it will continue. I am still pretty inflexible but moving around seems to help. Unfortunately, I need to sleep so can't keep moving all the time.

I was able to walk this morning and other than soreness, my legs aren't any worse off than before the race. I think the sciatica is a little better but sitting too long and getting up is still an issue. Hopefully, will have a few pictures to post from the race later.

2009 Rock Bridge Revenge

2009-10-12T14:50:00.018-05:00

If you are looking for results and pictures see: Rock Bridge Revenge Results

This year the Rock Bridge Revenge was a new experience. In the past the race included a 10K and a 20K with most people running the 10K. This year which included a new course offered a 7 mile, 25K, and a 50K with most people running the 7 mile. I ran the 25K and would recommend anyone running this race to try to run at least the 25K since you get to see a lot more of the park. If you want extra Revenge and to see everything 2 times, then run the 50K.

On Saturday, I ran a 5K in Kirksville and even though I raced pretty hard, I was not concerned about running the 25K the next day since I have done a few multi-day races that were much longer. We had a late dinner at Fazoli's and then went home and got some much needed sleep since it had been a long day. The race started at 8 am. We left at 7 am and Hugh went with me. I had to pick up my packet since I had not done so the day before. Everyone received a Nathan Quickdraw Plus water bottle, a very nice premium for a race.

My sciatic nerve was letting me know its presence and I was limping a bit when walking due to the pain. I ran just a little before the race and could feel it, but not a big deal and no limping when running. The temp was in the upper 30s so I just wore 2 wicking shirts and shorts which felt about right. I carried one Nathan water bottle with Accelerade and 2 gels. Due to the temp and already being well-hydrated I hoped that would be enough although there were aid stations if I needed to refill. At 8 am after receiving pre-race instructions, we all lined up in the parking lot. We had a few yards to spread out before heading into the woods.

I passed a few people at the beginning before settling into a pace. I am never quite sure of my pace since my GPS seems to be a little slower on the trails than I think I am actually running. My first mile was 8:54 and I was hoping to be around 9 min average on this course. Most 50Ks on similar trails have been about 9:40/mi. This was my first 25K so 9 min miles was my best guess. Also, wasn't looking at pushing a super hard effort since I am running a 50K next Sunday.

I passed Kevin T. early in the race in the first half mile. After a about 2 miles, I hear him catching me and then let him go ahead. I figure he is running about the pace I need to be running so I planned to stay behind him. He was running the 7 mile so I would stay behind him until the courses separated at about 5 miles. We had to cross the usual cold creek and get our shoes wet. My shoes did dry out some and had no problems since I had applied Sports Stick to my feet. I was surprised that the trails were in such good shape since we had 6 inches of rain last week. As we were coming out of the woods, Dan H. was taking pictures by the Devil's Ice Box parking lot.

At this point, I crossed the road and run a small 2 mile loop that includes some grassland as well as trail. As I was coming out of this loop, I seen another runner just starting the loop. Kathy and Mary Ellen were directing and cheering for runners in this area. After that loop, I then ran a loop in the Gans Creek Nature area for 6 miles. The trails were very well marked with pink flags and signs in a few places. It was very obvious where to go so I had no problems staying on course. Around mile 8, I stop to get rid of some water since didn't think I could make it 7 more miles. I wasn't drinking much and didn't feel that warm either.

At mile 9, I got to see Hugh and Jeff at the campground which also had an aid station. I still had plenty of Accelerade so did not stop. There was an area shortly after that the trail was flooded with water. A path had been flagged to go around, but I decided to just run through it. It actually felt good and washed the mud off my shoes and legs. I took my final gel before mile 11 (had taken one earlier about mile 6). At mile 11 as I am climbing the steep hill, I see Jeff again. I opted to walk up the hill since it doesn't do much good to run this one. It is only about 0.1 mi long but it is quite a climb in a short distance. This course had plenty of other hills and I did run every one of those.

As I was coming out of the hill, I turned right and was back on the same trail I took going into this loop. I met a couple runners walking on this portion. I was still feeling pretty good and going fast as the last part of this loop went downhill where I had gone uphill in the beginning of the loop. I was back to where Kathy was directing people and Hugh and Dan were there (he took yet another picture). I ran back across the road and I knew I didn't have much more than 2 miles to go. Mile 14 felt pretty good and James was at an aid station somewhere on this mile. Then about mile 15 which had a couple hills, I was really ready to be done. Although I felt strong, I was glad I was only running 1 loop.

The final stretch was up the hill that we had come down into the park at the very beginning. Ended up finishing in 2:22:23, a 9:10 pace. GPS was very close to a 25K and my GPS is usually a little short on the trails. At the end we got a very nice finisher's glass. There was also chili, hot dogs, brownies, and drinks. The food was excellent!

The first female in the 25K finished about 4 min behind me and Kurt K. was 9 min behind me. Overall, I placed 4th out of 16 runners. There were 42 finishers for the 7 mile and 11 for the 50K. Also, cash prizes for the 25K and 50K male and female winners.

Overall, I thought it went pretty well. I did feel my sciatic nerve for most of this run. The times I sped up to about 7:30 or faster, I did not feel it so I guess I just need to run fast. Also, I think the unevenness of the trail might have been an issue. Just like after Sat. run, it was very painful to sit in the car and then get up, but a hard bench was fine. We stayed around until the first couple 50Kers crossed the finish. The first 50K runner was Andy P. at 4:48 and the first 25K was 1:50. I would really like to run the 50K for this race next time since I enjoy this course so much. The course is so awesome, if you are in shape to run that far, 2 times is a must! If not, the one loop which is just a little over 3 miles longer than a half marathon is well worth the scenery.

Here are my splits:

m1 - 8:54
m2 - 8:58
m3 - 8:07
m4 - 9:01
m5 - 8:28
m6 - 8:32
m7 - 8:29
m8 - 9:43
m9 - 9:52
m10 - 8:20
m11 - 10:17
m12 - 10:36
m13 - 10:19
m14 - 8:43
m15 - 11:10
0.32 - 3:02 (9:28 pace)

Map and Elevation Profile

Very cool Nathan Quickdraw Plus Water Bottle and Finisher's Glass

Lisa running the check-in

Bryan & Andy

Race Director, Jeff giving starting us off

Andy at about 5 miles

Andy at about 12.5 miles

Hugh being photogenic

Kurt, Lisa, Andy, & Elaine

Andy P. after winning the 50K

Rock Bridge Revenge had its revenge on Tony with 10 stitches!

Truman State Homecoming 5K

2009-10-10T18:52:00.003-05:00

We arrived at packet pickup shortly after 7 am. Temperature was quite cold today at about 34F. I wanted to arrive early this year since my sciatic nerve really flares up after sitting and especially in the car or in a soft chair. I find if I walk around, the pain goes away so I wanted plenty of time. I had not run since Wed. so had no idea if I could still run, but assumed I would be okay.

We ran the course as a warm-up and it felt pretty good. I had just a slight twinge during the run. The warm-up reminded me this is a challenge course with some hills figured 19:30 would be a reasonable goal on this course and I had never really had a good race here. A couple years ago I ran a 20:10.

Hugh and I lined up in front and when we took off, a bunch of guys were way out in front. I remembered this was the case a couple years ago so kept my pace under control and waited patiently. About 0.7 miles, I pass about 10 or so of them huffing and puffing. First mile split was 5:57. I was very happy to see I had some speed today. I passed another guy shortly after first mile.

About the halfway point, I passed another guy that I had been catching up to. He attempted to stay with me but couldn't do it so I ended up putting a lot of distance between us quickly. The second mile was 6:10. I expected the second to be slower since it had the most hills in the course. I was very happy though with 6:10 since expected I would be much slower.

I still felt strong for the 3rd mile and tried picking up the pace but still some hills. I was catching up to another guy in the last 0.3 mi, but didn't quite reach him. I finished the last mile in 6:04 and the last 0.1 in 33 sec. I had a lot left in me and felt good. I never had any sciatic pain during the run.

Overall I finished 4th of 133, but 2nd of 13 in my age group of 35 - 44. The guy that beat me by 10 seconds was in my age group. I also had never gone under 19 minutes on this course so I am very happy with my time. Hugh finished 23rd overall and 2nd in the 45 - 54 group so we both ended up with silver medals today.

Splits:
m1 - 5:57
m2 - 6:10
m3 - 6:04
0.1 - 0:33 (5:27)

We noticed a couple guys running in the Vibram Forefingers today which reminded me I would like to try running in mine again. Overall, this was a good race. The course is always well marked and the distance seems pretty accurate too. After the race, we went to move the car and it was quite painful sitting in the for just the few minutes. I did feel like I am noticing some improvement today. Since it is a irritated nerve, it seems to change so much though I don't know sometimes if it is getting better or worse. I think better though. If it is all better by Thursday I will cancel the painful massage session with Esteban.

Race Results

2009 MU Dog Jog

2009-10-04T22:15:00.000-05:00

Hugh and I ran the MU Dog Jog this morning. I don't really consider this a race. I ran with Bruno and Hugh with Rusty. I was impressed with Bruno's splits today. The first mile at 5:50 is the same as I normally run in a 5K. He slowed a bit the second mile. Course was a bit confusing as we were running into the walkers as we ran back across college. I passed the lead guy with a dog back and forth. Then got slowed down by some people in the way coming at us. Almost missed the ramp to go back over the road too. This was supposed to be a 5K so I assumed had some course left but it came up way short at 2.5 miles. I was barely beaten by a guy with a dog and one without by just a few seconds. I was really expecting them to tell us to keep going but that was the end! Both dogs enjoyed the run. I was disappointed to see the course was so far off.

I impressed how calm they were at the beginning. I picked up packets early and then we went back with the dogs. We would have had less than 10 min to wait, but not sure the problem since we didn't start until 8:20 am. They had a raffle and we didn't win a thing! Also, got nothing for second place with dog. They gave something to the first 2 overall men and women whether or not they ran with a dog. The second place male didn't have a dog so I was 3rd overall. We were all very close though. The guy that won ran with an Australian Shepherd.

2009 Roots n' Blues Half Marathon

2009-09-26T14:17:00.003-05:00

For those looking for results, see 2009 Roots 'n Blues Results

This event was convenient since I got to run a half marathon and less than 10 min drive to the start. It was lightly raining this morning and temp around 59. Hugh and I took separate vehicles since he was volunteering and we didn't know if he would need a car. He worked at the tunnel near the Stadium so ended up walking. I headed to the porta potties and there were plenty of them due to the Roots 'n Blues festival. Very nice that I didn't have to wait. Then went out for a warm-up and it started raining a little harder.

I lined up in the front in front of the 1:30 pacers, Tom and Jackie. My goals was to run about 1:27, assuming the course would be accurate since this was a new course so did not know. The course was quite hilly in the second half so did not expect to break any PRs today. Started off pretty fast and had to watch my pace. Once we spread out I passed one guy during the first mile. It had felt like I started more for a 10K than a half, but first mile was not too bad at 6:28. Any miles under 6:30 were a bonus since my fastest half pace is 6:30 in Sedalia, a much flatter course.

I skipped the first water station since I had ran just over a mile. I was passed by a guy flying down the steep hill to Providence. The roads were wet today and slippery so I was glad I decided not to wear the racing flats. After Providence, we got on the trail at the tennis courts at around mile 3. Pace felt good on the trail and kept the pace sub-6:30. I passed the guy that had passed me earlier flying down the hill. Took my first gel at about 30 minutes. Several of the Uprise runners cheered me on as I ran to Twin Lakes. The timing was perfect.

The halfway point was just as we turned onto Chapel Hill to go up a significant hill before turning onto Fairview. Split was around 42:15 at 6.57. The mile that included the hill was not too bad at 6:42, and then 6:48. After I got back on track with 6:30 pace with some up and down. Saw Phil on the course and he thought I was in about 6th place and Stephen B. was ahead. The course went onto Fairview and down the hill we had went up earlier. I got to see a lot of runners on this part of the course for about a half mile. Then up Chapel Hill to Mills Dr. This seemed like the worst hill for me and this mile was 7:03. I did seem to recover quickly after the hills.

The course then crossed Forum to go down Stadium and back to the trail. I had been slowly gaining on Stephen and could see another guy ahead of him. With only 2 miles to go and no more hills, I was ready to pick up the pace. We crossed under the trail on Stadium Blvd. I wasn't sure if we were going over or under but Stephen went under so I followed. The water was about ankle deep. Shoes were already wet but now they were thoroughly soaked. At this point it had nearly stopped raining. Shortly after mile 12 which I ran 6:14, I passed Stephen. I still could see the other guy ahead. I kept the pace going. I was running past a lot of the 10K runners so it was getting kind of crowded at this point. Ran the last mile in 6:20. I probably could have run faster since this didn't hurt at all. Half marathons are supposed to be more painful than this due to the faster pace so it was nice to feel good.

At this point, I knew the course was probably a little long since we weren't close to the finish. They had us cross over the road on Providence rather than use the tunnels due to the water. I couldn't quite catch the guy ahead of me before the finish. My GPS had 13.38 miles, 1:27:10 which was close to my goal even with the bonus distance. I was given a finishing glass at the end which I was a little worried I would drop since I was wet so I gave to Hugh. Soon, we see someone had dropped their glass. Bags might have been a good idea.

Hugh gave me a dry shirt and then we walked back to the car and I changed out of all my wet clothes. We went back to the finish, and checked the results several times and ate some food. The result postings were kind of amusing. They would post sheets and then post the same sheets with updates. The first sheet had my time at 1:27:15 and Stephen at 1:06-something. The guy ahead of me was at 1:27:14. I know Stephen started at the front so couldn't have been that much of a difference in chip time. Earlier I heard them call his name to report so figured there was an issue. Next results had him at 1:27-something. Later I checked and I was at 1:27:13 (2 seconds faster) and 9th place, guy ahead of me at 1:27:08, and Stephen at 1:26:55. Also, the overall winner of the half had changed. Then the results they posted on the web site changed yet again and were 1:27:05 for me and now 7th place and Stephen got faster too at 1:26:49. Since the improvements were not equal for everyone, it all seems kind of random.

There were also some issues with getting some of the 10Kers mixed in with the half results. I am not sure how this happens, but I am sure they were doing their best. I am a bit perplexed how my overall time changed at least 4 times. I do think all the possibilities were close, but I am going with my GPS of 1:27:10 as my official record. I placed 1st of 22 in my age group. Awards were wine or grape juice and a hat. I took a bottle of Les Bourgeouis grape rather than wine. The winners for each age group posed together for pictures. Also, they kept repeating some of the results since they kept changing and some of these people had to go back on stage and different people had to go up in some cases. Even the overall male winner was incorrect the first time. I guess a good thing they weren't giving out plaques today. That would have been a big mess! I do know my age group result is correct. Overall, I think I placed 6th of 653 rather than 7th. Either way, not bad for hilly half marathon and 6:31 pace for 13.38 miles.

There were 653 running the half and 306 running the 10K so they had a good turnout holding this in conjunction with the Roots and Blues festival. Overall a fun race, a few bands along the course, great spectators and volunteers that came out in the rain.

m1 - 6:28
m2 - 6:22
m3 - 6:33
m4 - 6:25
m5 - 6:21
m6 - 6:26
m7 - 6:41
m8 - 6:49
m9 - 6:31
m10 - 6:31
m11 - 7:03
m12 - 6:14
m13 - 6:20
0.38 - 2:25 (6:25 pace)

Overall: 1:27:10 - 6:31 pace

2009 Heart for Africa 5K

2009-09-19T22:01:00.004-05:00

This was the third time I’ve run this race. It is organized by the Long Run Lunatics that I run most of my long runs with on Saturdays. The race benefits orphaned children in Burkina Faso, a tiny country in western Africa, considered to be one of the poorest in the world. Some of the proceeds also go to local African refugees. I picked up our race packets on Friday so we didn’t have to pick up race morning. Packets contained candy and one had an umbrella and the other a water bottle.

I had planned to go run the course ahead of time, but instead we decided to run a mile with the dogs first. By the time we got to the race there was only time for me to run another mile and I also quickly used the bathroom at Hardees at the beginning of my mile. Temperature was perfect and I think around 60F when we lined up on the start. This was around 15F cooler than last year. I felt good, but figured coming off 2 marathons (Sept 7 & 13) in 1 week, today was not the day to set a PR. I did hope to at least set a course PR and run faster than 18:43.

There were about 5 of us that took off in the front group and I did not hold back as we were running downhill at the beginning. I was running close to a guy wearing a San Diego half marathon shirt. I noticed him before the race and thought he looked fit and fast. I also thought he might be in my age group and possibly older. Once we got to Stewart Road, I was running a 5:49 pace and the rest of this group was pulling ahead. I decided my pace was fast enough and let them go. This pace was faster than any I have ever tried to maintain in a 5K. The course goes up about 100 ft elevation in the first mile. However, I didn't feel like this hill was any problem for me.

The second mile is a little rolling and not bad. I decide I will try to maintain a 5:49 pace and see what happens. Just before mile 2, the elevation drops drastically, about 300 ft, and I am seeing 5:30-something. Mile 2 is just as I turn to go on the trail and split was 5:49.

Third mile is on the trail and I am hoping I can maintain the sub-6 pace. I could no longer see any runners ahead of me at this point. The trail just slightly increases in elevation the last mile. My pace slows and GPS is a bit erratic so I am not sure exactly the pace. I did feel like I was slowing though. A guy passes me about half mile from the end and I decide not to try to stay with him. I am really ready for the race to be done. Then I heard breathing behind me, and sounds like a girl. I pick up the pace just a little.

There is a series of tunnels near the end and I can hear her right behind me. This is not where I enjoy being passed in a race by anyone. We go up a small incline and then flattens out and we are near the end. I hear her footsteps pick up the pace so I see if I have anything left. I sprint all out and hear her coming faster for me so run harder and make the finish line. She finishes one second behind me.

The last mile split was 6:17 and the last 0.1 was 5:23 pace. Overall time 18:23, a 20 second course PR, and an 8 second 5K PR. Thanks to the girl behind me, I somehow managed to get a PR even with my disappointing slower last mile. I feel I could have pushed harder, but just didn't want to make it hurt that much and maybe wasn't focused enough. The PR was still a nice surprise and I placed 5th overall of 98.

Hugh had said he wanted to run 22:30. He crossed the finish line exactly 22:30 and 12th overall. We both ended up with second in our age groups. The guy from San Diego was 42 and in my age group. There was a drawing for prizes at the end. I won a Dunn Bros. coffee gift bag with a stainless steel travel mug, ceramic mug, coffee, some truffles, and biscotti.

m1 - 5:49
m2 - 5:49
m3 - 6:17
0.09 - 0:29 (5:23 pace)

18:23 overall

Race Results

Hugh

Andy (2nd in 40 - 44)

Hugh (2nd in 50 - 54)

Andy

Andy (one of the lucky door prize winners)

2009 Lewis and Clark Marathon - St Charles, MO

2009-09-13T20:34:00.010-05:00

This marathon was a new challenge for me since this is the first time I have attempted 2 in 1 week, 6 days apart. I left Columbia on Saturday afternoon to head to packet pickup at Fleetfeet in St. Peters. Took a brief survey on leg pain while there and will be e-mailed followup surveys. I then headed to hotel to check in. The hotel was half mile from the start line on the east side of the river. Around 4 pm, I went down to St. Charles near the finish on the west side of the river for dinner with some running friends from out of town. We ate at the Trailside Brewing Co. and then went back to Jan's hotel where we had her yummy cheesecake. She made and transported all the way driving from Mississippi. Laurie and her daughter Tess were at the same hotel as me so I drove them back. I set alarm for 5 am and went to sleep at 10.

I woke up at 4 and didn't really sleep the last hour. I had a Myoplex with coffee in it and 2 bananas. I had plenty of time to get ready, take my pre-race shower and use the restroom multiple times. I headed over at about 6 am to the start. The race didn't start until 7:15 am. I talked to Tom W. briefly who also ran HOA last week so I wasn't the only crazy to attempt this feat of 2 marathons in one week.

4480 finished the half and 688 finished the marathon so there were over 5000 people at the start. I found Jan, Kevin, and Bill in the parking lot and we all wished each other well. I decided to go back to the bathroom at the far end of the parking lot away from the noise and chaos. I waited about 25 minutes just in time to head to the start line at 7 am.

Having no idea how fast I could run this, I had to rely on faith. I felt really good, had no pain or issues from the last marathon, and I thought this was a pretty flat course which might help. Temp was around 60F and humid. The sun was out so I was a bit worried it would heat up. I lined up just ahead of the 7 min pace. There was also a 6 min and there was such a large area and barely no one in it so we all moved up and I was probably about 10 ft from the start line. I decided I would attempt a sub-3 but today was not the day to attempt a PR. I hoped to keep the pace around 6:45 and see what happened.

The first half was on roads with the half marathoners at the same time and the last 13 on the MKT trail. Pace was very consistent for the first half. I noticed that about 8 miles I had some people from the half marathon passing me since they had picked up their pace and then about 10 miles, I was passing the ones that were slowing down. It was funny hearing some people say almost there, not realize I was running the marathon. There was no way to tell who was running what race based on our bibs, but I could kind of tell those breathing harder were running a half. In fact, later I determined that everyone around me was running the half.

I completed the first 13.1 at about 1:28:30 and 6:45 pace, right on target and realized I had a chance of a PR if I could run the second half about the same. I had to pass by the finish chute which I thought would be hard, but since the largest crowd was here, it actually helped. Once I passed, the announcer said something like, looks like he wants to do another 13 and I looked strong. I was told I was in 6^th place. My goal was to finish in the top 10. There was not anyone close behind that I could see once I got on the trail. There was a guy not far ahead that I passed early on the trail and then had people telling me I was in 5^th place.

The trail part of the course was flatter than the road and boring. It wasn't much different than running on the MKT in Columbia. A lot was in the shade which was good since at this point, it felt much warmer. The parts in the sun made me wish I had not worn a shirt. I felt like I was out for a run alone until I would reach a water station and there were a few spectators. When I was at about mile 17 I think, I met the first marathoner, James Cheruiyot, coming back. I don't know that he is related to Robert but he was fast. I started counting and I was indeed 5^th and hoping I could maintain about that position. Tom W. was in 3^rd which was good to see he was having a good race. He also is in my age group so that improved my chances in age group since there is a top 3 overall division. I saw him around the 20 mile marker so I was about 0.7 mi behind him. I made the turn around at the 19.6 mi. The running out seemed to take forever so I was glad to turn around.

Running back, I got to see lots of people and get encouragement from other runners. Our race numbers had our names printed so I heard my name a lot. This made the time seem like it was going faster on the way back. I was feeling really good until about mile 21. The heat was starting to get to me although I still felt good. Legs felt good but body was saying slow down. My pace slowed and I really had to really focus on running, trying to keep the pace, but not go too fast and blow up. I rationalized that if I could keep at 7 minutes I would still finish under 3 hours. I had changed my GPS today to see my overall time rather than the mile split field which was much more useful. A different guy than the one I passed earlier goes blazing by me around mile 22. Mile 23 was 7:05 and then managed to run mile 24 just under 7. By mile 25, I was ready to be done and slowed to 7:13. I wasn't worried about being passed and wanted to be done. Mile 26, ran in 7:10 and then picked up the last 0.35 with the crowd to 6:48 so I had a little left, but not as much as Heart of America marathon. Finished in 2:59:38.

Once I stopped, I felt a little nauseous for a couple minutes and then suddenly felt really good like I could go run more, but slower. A couple introduced themselves as Mike and Elaine from Ashland, that ran the half recognized me over where they were taking finishing pictures. I had my picture taken and then went through the food line. I went over to the finish shoot to watch runners come in for awhile and then watched the awards ceremony for the top 3 overall for each race. Tom W. was third overall. James was 2:31 something I no one was even close. I think the rest were in the 2:50s. Tom was about 4 min ahead of me. The age group awards will be mailed in a week. I ended up with the first place in my age group of 74 people since Tom won an overall award.

I headed back to the hotel around 11:25 on the shuttle bus since I had to check out at noon. They took us back to the start so I jogged back to the hotel, showered and checked out at 11:57 am. I sat in the lobby to check e-mail and call the group. I finally get Kevin. Jan had to head home right after, but got to talk to everyone else. They were going to do a bit of sight-seeing in the afternoon. I went in search of food since I was getting a little hungry. Ate at Culvers since I was craving a concrete. Had a double cheeseburger and a pumpkin pecan concrete. The 1.5 hour drive home seemed to go very fast and legs seemed happy.

Overall, this marathon had good organization and at $55 was not too pricey. It would have been nice if they had some sort of Expo as the packet pickup was at the various FleetFeets in the area, but they are the major sponsor so understandable.. The first half of the course was not bad. There was even a stretch where you could see other runners on the other side of the road where Jan yelled for me. I would have preferred the last half on roads rather than the fine gravel MKT. Mostly the running out to the 19.6 was long and lonely. It is almost like the marathon was an afterthought for this race, but I do feel like it is a fast course even with the trail. I think a full road course might get better participation. The finish area was great and there was plenty of food. There were sparse crowds along the first half and a lot close to the finish. Spectators were very few along the trail. The volunteers though were plentiful at the water stations. I am glad to have run the marathon and most importantly I did have a good time. Once again, I have proved to myself nothing is impossible or maybe I just get lucky sometimes. Stubbornness helps too. Also, I feel like I have a good chance of running another marathon PR at some point which I will try only on a week where I have not already run a marathon.

1 Mi	6:38.1	6:38.1	6:38
2 Mi	6:43.26	13:24.36	6:44
3 Mi	6:43.26	20:07.62	6:44
4 Mi	6:42.13	26:49.75	6:43
5 Mi	6:44.06	33:33.81	6:45
6 Mi	6:44.06	40:17.87	6:45
7 Mi	6:47.59	47:05.46	6:48
8 Mi	6:49.14	53:54.60	6:50
9 Mi	6:45.45	1:00:40.05	6:46
10 Mi	6:46.73	1:07:26.78	6:47
11 Mi	6:46.76	1:14:13.54	6:47
12 Mi	6:43.9	1:20:57.44	6:44
13 Mi	6:44.78	1:27:42.22	6:45
13.1		01:28:35 AM
14 Mi	6:34.22	1:34:16.44	6:35
15 Mi	6:46.89	1:41:03.33	6:47
16 Mi	6:48.13	1:47:51.46	6:49
17 Mi	6:49.97	1:54:41.43	6:50
18 Mi	6:48.44	2:01:29.87	6:49
19 Mi	6:47.62	2:08:17.49	6:48
20 Mi	6:47.76	2:15:05.25	6:48
21 Mi	6:52.46	2:21:57.71	6:53
22 Mi	6:56.77	2:28:54.48	6:57
23 Mi	7:04.14	2:35:58.62	7:05
24 Mi	6:58.35	2:42:56.97	6:59
25 Mi	7:12.6	2:50:09.57	7:13
26 Mi	7:09.14	2:57:18.71	7:10
26.35 Mi	2:22.47	2:59:38.18	6:48
2^nd Half		01:31:11

Jan, Laurie, Kevin, Andy, Bill, Tess

Kevin, Jan, Andy, Tess, Laurie, Bill

Tess, Laurie, Kevin, Bill, Andy, Jan

2009 Heart of America Marathon

2009-09-07T17:24:00.016-05:00

Today was the 50th annual Heart of America Marathon in Columbia, MO which I ran for the 6th year in a row and my 20th marathon since 2004. This is the 4th oldest continuously certified and one of the most difficult marathons in the country and attracts around 100+ people each year. This year there were 319 registered, beating the record of 178 in 1978. I set the alarm for 5:00, but woke up a few minutes early. We got to sleep in later this year since we are only 2 miles from the start line.

When we are home I always fix a pre-race shake in the blender, but the blender was dead today so used the shaker. I hoped this wasn’t a bad sign. We didn’t leave the house until about 5:40 am which was great! I did use the bathroom one last time when we arrived at Hearnes. Then we jogged over to the start line since it was 5:55.

Temp at the start this year was 62 F with 97% humidity. This was a 10 F improvement over last year! There was quite a bit of fog, but the sky was brighter than usual. There was a huge crowd at the start line but still ran into a few people we knew. I was feeling decent today and since the weather cooperated, I planned to attempt a sub-3. Secondary goal was to beat my 3:04:08 course PR from 2007. Also, on my mind was that I just wasn’t sure I was quite ready for a sub-3 on this course. Some of the hills really slow my pace so I would need to make that up on the easier miles. I still wanted to give it a try.

Bill Clark, marathon founder started us off. Gun did not fire so it took 2 times and we were off at 6:03 am. I felt good, but kept pace under control for the first mile. I was surprised I could actually see the pace on my GPS, but the sky was a little brighter than usual for this marathon. I was trying to pick someone out to keep pace, but when we got to the uphill on Providence, I started passing people. Up the hill I was startled to see Andy P. and Ted Z. walking. I was worried at first, but Ted explained they were doing an experiment walking the hills or at least part of the hills I guess.

I skipped the first water station since I was still well-hydrated. Ted and Andy passed me again and then about mile 4 I passed them and didn’t see Ted again until he drove past me later in the race since I think he was only running 20 miles. I was kind of hoping I would have someone to run with but at this point I was on my own. I could see someone ahead of me, but wasn’t gaining on them. For Gels, the plan was to take an Accel every 4 miles so took the first one shortly after mile 4.

The volunteers and crowd support was much better than usual this year and helped me pick up the pace every so often. The long hill on mile 8 slowed my pace to 7:26. I had been tracking in my head how close I was staying to a 6:44 pace. At one point I was behind, caught up, and this hill put me behind again. 6:52 is a sub-3 pace, but by only 6 seconds. Last year the course was 0.18 longer so I took that into consideration on my goal pace.

I could see someone ahead of me at mile 10 and I was gaining on them. I thought it was Chris C. and ended up passing him before Cooper’s Landing. Last year, near the end of the race, I was getting closer to him, but didn’t quite catch him. He was in my age group, but I aged up since last year. He won the marathon in 2006 and ran a sub-3 and has run the marathon many times. Hugh’s boss cheered me on at Cooper’s before we got on the MKT trail part of the course and before the big hill.

Up the hill, I kept the pace easy but didn’t walk. Ran the mile that included the hill in 7:50. At the half-way point my split was 1:30:02. I figure a course PR is possible since I am still feeling really good, but sub-3 maybe if I have anything left the last few miles where I have always slowed down on this course. About mile 14 or so I hear breathing behind me. I don’t think it sounds like Chris. I just keep the same pace and Tom W. passes me. I figure this is normal since he has always run this faster than me. He is also in my age group. He gets a little ahead of me and I stay behind him catching up a little where there are any hills. I was actually glad he passed me since I think he helped my pace for the next few miles.

At mile 21 I am really gaining on him. After some encouraging comments from Ted, I pick up the pace and pass him. At mile 23, I am feeling really good going down hill and pick up the pace. Then hit the hill up Providence and wondered if I was going to fall apart but keep the pace steady and split isn’t too bad at 7:05. Next split was also 7:05. Then I start to feel really good again and think I am probably close to 3 hours so try to pick up the pace for the last mile. Mile 26 ran in 6:44. I sprinted to the end, and last 0.3 was a 5:44 pace. I am thinking way too much left in the tank for a marathon. I see the clock at 3-something and end up finishing in 3:00:23.

I was very happy with that time which was a 3:45 course PR and first time a sub-7 pace on this course. Next time, I guess I should make sure I can see my overall time on my GPS. Possibly could have tried to make it up earlier, but who knows. Ran the last half 21 sec slower than first which is not bad for me. This is the closest I have ever been for this marathon. I also had a strong finish which is a first for me on this course.

I placed 5th overall of 278 that finished and 2nd of 30 in my age group. My age group took 4th, 5th, and 6th place. Overall this is the best I have placed and there were more people this year.

I drank a Gatorade, ate a banana, saw Andy P. finish and then went out for a 2 mile recovery run to see a few other people come in. 1st and 2nd female had a great finish with only 15 sec apart. I headed back to the start and had just stepped into the ice bath and Hugh crosses at 3:48 so I don’t get all the way in. He kept a nice steady pace and was pretty happy with his time. He said he passed a lot of people in the last half.

We soaked in the tub. I managed to stay in for about 15 min and when we got out I did not get warm until we got to the car over 30 min later and I turned on the heat. We went home, showered, and then to Shakespeare’s for the post race pizza party. We had a good time talking about the race with friends. Everyone seemed pretty happy with their performance and to finish strong.

Overall winner had run his first marathon in 2:53 and the guy that was 1st in my age group also his first marathon in 2:58 so 4 guys ran a sub-3. I was impressed with the 2 first-timers. I ran this marathon in 3:19 my first time. They made it look easy. I guess I need to do more hill repeats to prepare for next year.

Splits:
m1 - 6:48..........m14 - 7:00
m2 - 6:54..........m15 - 6:51
m3 - 6:41..........m16 – 6:48
m4 - 6:41..........m17 – 6:54
m5 - 6:46..........m18 - 7:05
m6 - 6:40..........m19 - 6:47
m7 - 6:52..........m20 – 7:08
m8 -7:26..........m21 – 6:48
m9 - 6:45..........m22 – 6:46
m10 - 6:42..........m23 – 6:27
m11 - 6:38..........m24 – 7:05
m12 - 6:42..........m25 – 7:05
m13 - 7:51..........m26 – 6:42
0.30 – 1:43 (5:44 pace)

I was 1:30:02 at 13.1 and second half 1:30:21

Overall, 3:00:23, 6:53/mi for 26.2 mile certified course. 26.3 on GPS.

Overall Results

Link to last previous year splits (didn't have GPS first year)
Splits

More Media Coverage

Heart of America Marathon - KOMU Video I am in the beginning footage running to the finish.

Missourian Photo Gallery

Reactions to Obama speech from Heart of America marathon finish line

Man runs marathon barefoot for charity

Hauser is late to register, first to finish: Record numbers participate in 50th marathon

Messing with GPS as Sam takes our picture

Speeding to the finish!

Finishing! Touching the GPS again!

2009 Heart of America Marathon articles

2009-09-06T10:38:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is the 50th Annual Heart of America Marathon, the race on the first cover of Distance Running News which became Runner's World.

There will be close to 300 registrants, a record number. This will be my 6th consecutive HOA and 20th marathon, not counting ultras. HOA was my first marathon which often isn't recommended due to its' difficulty. This year there will be many brave first timers on the course.

The marathon has been getting some local press:

Designed by the devil

Doesn't get any easier with time

Marathon keeps pace after 50 years

The man who made the marathon

Good luck to everyone running tomorrow and have fun!

The Great Sandbagger 10K - 2009

2009-08-01T16:01:00.008-05:00

This is a race where you predict your time. You can "win" this race by grossly overestimating how long it will take to run the 10K. Since we stagger the start times from the slowest predicted time to the fastest, usually the person with the largest positive difference between the predicted time and the actual time (lying) wins the race. Theoretically, if everyone told the absolute truth about how fast they planned to run the race, everyone would cross the finish line together, but that never happens.

I ran a 2.3 mi warm up before signing up for the race and it was raining just a little. I ran a mile with Dan and Tom during their 20 mile run since they ran by near where the race started. I also ran another 1.2 mi after the race started while waiting for my time to start with Bill P. At this point, I felt warmed up and ready to go.

There were over 30 runners that participated (no official results yet). The course is an out and back and somewhat hilly. I always try to predict my time accurately since I don’t want to win the atrocious trophy. It's some sort of tall clock thing with a tube of red liquid and the winners have to add something to it and bring it back next year. This year I predicted to run it in 40:33, 12 seconds faster than I ran last year. Temp was 66F and it quit raining by the time the race started. Legs were feeling good even with all the miles I had already run during the week. There were 3 people that predicted faster than me. I started after a girl that predicted 41:30 and also Nancy T. had started a little ahead of her.

We can't wear watches during this race so I have no idea of pace, but I felt like I was starting out pretty fast as I tend to do if I don't know my pace. I could see the woman that started ahead of me and caught up to and passed her fairly soon. I didn't catch Nancy until near the turn around. I just hoped I could keep the pace and not be passed by her. After the turn around which is approximately 3 miles, I started catching more people and passing. The slight uphills felt difficult but I really pushed on downhill and flat to make up for it. I felt strong and felt like I was running a fast race considering I kept passing people.

In about the last half mile I see a bunch more people as we are all finishing near the same time if we predicted anywhere close to what we said we would run. At the last 0.2 mi we had to run 2 times around the long driveway around the school. I passed several on the first loop. After I completed the first loop I see Bill coming to just start his first. This pushes me since I know he is fast and really don't want him to pass me as I finish. He had predicted 37-something so started about 3 minutes after me. I make the second loop and pass my 20th person just as I reach the finish line.

My sandbagging placement was 15th out of 30-something runners and I am guessing my actual placement was probably 4th based on my time of 39:35 (a 1:10 course PR for me over last year, but not a 10K PR). I guess I was sandbagging just a little when I predicted my time since ended up passing 20 runners and was 1:10 faster than my predicted time. I really had no idea I could run under 40 on this course and was thinking I would be lucky to shave just a few seconds off of last year’s time.

This was a good "race" and felt like I did about the best I could do. It was fun to see how fast I can race and not have any clue about time, pace, and exact miles. The only feedback is how many people am I passing and this is only good if I know the runner and they predicted somewhat accurately.

More Sandbagger 10K Pics

2009 Show-Me Games 5K

2009-07-26T10:46:00.002-05:00

I ran a 3 mile warm-up and had 3 minutes to wait before race started. I was definitely warm and sweaty so glad we started promptly at 8 am. I lined up on the left side of road in the front. I wore my HR monitor for this race since I was curious. In the past HR had been in the 160s during a 5K. I positioned myself closely behind Cesar M. and Clayton H. and stayed with them for the first mile. First mile had a small hill before turning on to South Hampton. First mile was a decent spit at 5:50.

I passed Clayton shortly after first mile and Cesar at about 1.3 mi. I kept pace steady and hoping that I would not get passed. I noticed HR in the low 160s so decided to try to keep it there and pace around 6 min. Second mile split was 6:05 and typically I run 2nd mile a bit slower so I was right on target. We hit the 2nd mile on the outer Providence Rd near Rock Bridge High. Then turned onto Peach Tree and then left at Nifong. I could see a guy ahead of me at this point and I was gaining.

Turned onto Bethel, but there wasn't enough race left to catch him. The last 0.2 was up a slight hill and I pushed pretty hard. Hit mile 3 at 5:48 and last 0.13 at 45 sec (5:35 pace). This race 7 seconds slower than my last PR on a certified course. This course was hillier and weight was up a bit today so that might have slowed me down some and did not taper for the race. I was surprised I placed 3rd overall. I am not sure how many runners but seemed like a really good turnout. I placed 1st in the 40 - 44 age group. Mark K. won overall and the 2nd place guy that I couldn't quite catch was 20 years old.

I really like this course better than the old Show-Me 5K course and it is also nice to run on a certified course.

2009 Show-Me State Games Duathlon

2009-07-20T09:03:00.001-05:00

I registered for this duathlon about 2 weeks ago to make myself get back on the bike after not riding in over a year. I managed to get 3 rides before the race for a total of 51 miles. This was my third Show-Me Games duathlon and very little bike training is pretty typical for me.

The duathlon occurs concurrently with the triathlon with the duathlon starting with the first wave of swimmers. I arrived a little over an hour early to check in and didn’t seem to be many people, but all the racks filled up before the start. This duathlon is different than most in that it is only a bike and a run, not run/bike/run. The bike course is pretty challenging with steep hills, rolling hills, some nice flat in the middle for a few miles, and then more hills. The bike course is 20.5 miles and the run is a flat 5K.

Shortly after 8 am we were told to go line up our bikes. It seemed like more people doing the duathlon than I remember in the past. I positioned my bike behind in the mid pack. The first hill was not as bad as I remembered it but it was my second slowest mile. There was bit of passing back and forth until I found myself in a comfortable position. Uwe passed me on the bike, but I passed him on Forum since he had to stop to put his chain on. Later on, he catches up and easily passes me.

I managed to drink with my new bottle positioned between my aero bars and had it and my Shot Blocks finished at 16 miles. I maintained my position until near the end when I passed a guy with about 3 miles to go but I was also passed by someone else in the last couple miles. With all of the hills and scenery, this is not a dull course. I managed to reach a top speed of 38 mph which I am sure is slow compared to some.

The last half mile or so is downhill and then flat so the legs get a chance to recover just before the run. I made it to transition and I think I was out of there in less than a minute and just took off running as hard as I can to try to get the legs feeling normal as quickly as possible. Pace felt slower than my GPS said I was running. I was catching up to and passing runners. First mile split was 6:50 which was a bit slower than I hoped so I tried to pick up the pace. It was easy to pick up, but had to force myself. My breathing felt strange for this run I guess since I felt like I was breathing harder than normal. Second mile split was 6:24, and 3rd mile 6:13. Unofficial result that I had for my run was 19:34 which was a minute faster than a couple years ago. Bike estimate was 1:06:26 (18.5 mph), a few seconds slower than a couple years ago. Overall time was 1:27:00, a 29 second course PR thanks to my running improvement. I placed 1st in the 40 – 44 age group, passing the 2nd and 3rd guys during the run. I have no idea how I placed overall, but would guess at least in the top 25%.

2009 Parley Pratt 4 miler

2009-07-04T19:55:00.001-05:00

Ran the Parley Pratt, an out and back race on the MKT. I started out in second place. There were lots of wet low hanging tree branches to dodge and it rained the entire time although not too hard. The trail was quite soft and standing water. A guy passed me in the first mile and also passed the guy ahead of me. I stayed behind this guy about age 18 the whole time. I picked up a bit in the last half mile and so did he. I finished 11 seconds behind him. The 40 year old guy that won finished in 23:06. I placed 3rd overall with a time of 24:58. If I wanted to have a good race, I probably should not have run today. My splits were slower than my recent training splits. This race is no indication of how good of shape I am in but more like an indication of how hard I have trained in the past couple weeks. I do think racing tired though is still a good workout and always fun to see what you can do even when you aren't feeling your best.

2009 Trekking for Kids 5K

2009-06-13T22:36:00.001-05:00

I found out about this race on Thursday from a woman that came to our morning run. She was also there Tue. but did not check into it. I found out my eye doc was a sponsor so decided to run. Also, noticed it was a certified course and they had some nice prizes. She seemed very organized so I thought it would be nice to support this one. Like I need an excuse to run a race, but sometimes it helps.

I arrived at the race 7:48 am after running 11.3 miles and paid my fee. It was held in Cherry Hill which is a nice mixed development area that has its own downtown. Tom M. and kids were there and all ran the race. I stored my shirt on Mike D.'s bike since I didn't have a car. Hugh showed up a few minutes after 8 and I then gave shirt to him to put in the car. We got started about 8:10. I am guessing 30 or fewer runners. Hugh decided to run the course with us. Since we started late, my GPS had gone back to the time and I was not ready. I had also locked it so had to unlock and get a satellite so took about 10 seconds to get it started once we took off. Mike T, Mike D, Nate, Tom H. and me were all in a group and 2 much faster guys ahead of us. I was beginning to think that I had a good chance at 8th place since all these fast guys showed up.

Within the first mile and up the first hill, I started to passed all of them. Eventually Tom H. caught back up to me and said he was not going to pass me since doesn't run faster than a 6:17 pace. My GPS had gone back to the time since I had not relocked it. I actually thought it had stopped completely and told Tom I didn't know how fast I was running. The second mile was tough. I had wished I had found some water before the race since I felt dehydrated. They had water on the course, but I didn't stop to get any since I didn't feel like I could afford to take the time. The 3rd mile, I just tried to hang on and hope we would be done soon. There were a few slight hills which seemed worse they they should. Tom stayed behind me and guided me through the finish since I was not sure quite where to turn. He had helped mark the course so he knew where to go.

I ended up finishing 19:12 with Tom right behind me. He set a new PR. The prizes for the race were really nice. First place got a 1 yr membership to Anytime Fitness. I think second was a 3 month, and 3rd place was an IPOD Shuffle. I ended up with 3rd. At first they were going to award it to second place since he already had a gym membership with Anytime, but then he said due to some high school athletic association rules, he could not accept any gifts over $25 so they went ahead and awarded to me like planned. Also, won a nice coffee travel cup in the drawing. They also had several more gym memberships and several Kastaki Pizza $25 certificates so really some nice prizes.

It turned out my GPS had kept running but was not on the pace screen. I briefly could see I ran 3.15 miles and then could not get it to shut off due to it freaking out from my sweat. By the time I shut it off, it said 3.18 and had run for 26 minutes so I adjusted my time with what the timer said. Splits were off a bit too since I probably ran 10 seconds before actually starting it so it just got tacked onto the end. Considering GPS issues, heat, lack of water, and I had run 11 miles, I guess not a bad race. I did feel like i had to work hard and having time behind me helped push me. He said he likes pacing behind someone since it is less pressure than being right ahead trying to hold them off.

This was a fun, well-organized first time event and I will definitely plan to run it next year. I originally had planned to run home which would have been 6 more miles. Since Hugh was there I convinced myself to ride with him.

1st Annual Phil Sayer 5K Benefit Run - 2009

2009-06-05T10:45:00.004-05:00

This morning I got up early to drive to Jefferson City for the Phil Sayer 5K which started at 7 am. This race was sponsored by University of Missouri Extension, Fire Rescue Training Institute. My connection is I work for Extension and my department handles their publications and clothing storage and orders. Also, I know the race director and wanted to support him with this 1st annual event.

My back has been bothering (stiff and sore) me since my run on Tuesday. On Wednesday, it was hard to walk in the morning, but after stretching hamstrings, it felt much better by the end of the day. Also, the tightness and pain was all on the right side so I was kind of off balance. It was better yesterday and today even better although I could still feel it during my mile warm-up.

This was a completely flat and certified course that went on part of the Katy Trail. We started out on the road. Temp was about 50F and bit humid but overall very nice conditions. There were around 30 people either running or walking. We started and there were 2 runners that quickly developed a good lead over me. I did not know them so I didn’t know what to expect. Before the first mile, I caught one of them and just after the first mile passed the other one. My first mile split was 5:53.

I wasn’t sure how motivated I would be to continue that pace. My back was bothering me just slightly but not too bad so just tried to run in a way that it did not hurt much. This is a flat course so it was pretty easy for me to maintain my pace. The last part of the second mile was on the trail and my split was 5:56. The beginning of mile 3 was on the trail and then we went back to road. The last 0.3 were back to the trail. Mile 3 split was 5:59. I ran the last 0.13 in 0:43 (5:39 pace). Total time was 18:32. Second place was 20:02 so I developed a really good lead.

This turned out to be my 3rd fastest 5K and my fastest on a certified course. My 1st and 2nd fastest 5K was run on a course that is short so I guess technically this is my PR. Also, I felt like I could have run it faster under more ideal conditions and didn’t feel like I could put forth my best effort. Issues today were back hurt, lack of sleep, and spent 3 hours last night moving stuff from basement to garage.

I talked to the 3rd place guy after the race and he is more of a spring triathlon guy, but he is also considering the OT100 mile in November. Post race blueberry muffins (which were excellent) and bananas were served. I felt this first year race went well. Also, we got a black wicking shirt and the award with the fireman’s bobbling head is very nice.

2009 WellAware 5K

2009-05-25T13:27:00.003-05:00

I ran a 1.2 mi warm up and then had 10 minutes before starting. I was hoping I could finish at least 22 minutes today since I didn't feel great. I was up late last night cleaning so not the most ideal conditions to run a race. The rain had pretty much stopped but I wasn't worried about it raining. I really didn't care. The sidewalk in the park was not draining well so we were going to get our feet wet anyway.

I lined up near Chris C. and Bill S. and we were off. I felt like I was being left behind since about 20 or so ran ahead of me. I ended up passing all of them and then passed Chris in the first mile or so. I caught up to another guy that I passed in the 2nd mile. Hugh was working at a water station. He had gone there to watch me but no one was there so he took over. Sam was on the course taking pictures and got some good ones. Photos

The hills were tough for me today and slowed down but tried to make up the time on the downhill. About 0.3 from the end I figure I have a good chance of finishing under 19 min so pump the arms to get me up the hill before the finish line. I can see the clock says 18:50 so push hard and finish in 18:57. Splits were 5:57, 6:09, 6:04, and 48 sec for last 0.13. Course PR for me and it was certified this year so actually just a bit longer than the non-certified course.

Took awhile to get to the awards. They were giving a choice of water bottle and stop watch for 3rd place, a Flexifreeze cooler for second, and a coaster for first. I actually hoping for second since I wanted the cooler. I ended up with second and the cooler.

2009 Berryman Trail 50 Miler

2009-05-19T20:20:00.001-05:00

I left Columbia around noon on Friday with Jeff and we arrived about 3 pm at the Berryman Campground. There were no empty camping spots to park his truck/camper so we asked a guy if we could park in his campsite. He was hiking and didn’t mind. We then picked up our race packets and Jeff took a nap. While he was napping, the guy that let us park told me he was leaving since he didn’t realize there was a race going on and didn’t want to deal with all the people on the trails on Saturday.

Jeff cooked steak and a potato for his dinner and I had a whole Roly Poly Basil Cashew Chicken. About 9 pm the wind picked up so we put everything inside and went to bed. Then it started to rain and rained 4 solid hours, stopped, and rained off and on the rest of the night.

We got up at 5 am and it wasn’t raining. We had heard the day before there were many trees down on the trail due to a storm a week earlier. We could see where trees in the campground had been cleaned up. The trees on the trail were not cleared and we would have to go over, under, or around them. I figured with the mud and trees that I would need to revise my goal. I had hoped to come in under 8 hours, but was thinking if I could come in under 9 as last year that would be reasonable due to the conditions.

We were off running at 6:30 am. I started out slow and ran first mile in 9-something. GPS was not accurate (about 6% off) on this trail but did give me an idea. A guy named Dan was running behind me and it was his first 50 miler. He said he wanted to run around 8 hours. After a few miles, he told me he was going to slow down the pace and I went ahead.

From this point on, I mostly ran on my own passing back and forth a few people. I had to stop at about 8 miles, find some nice wet leaves, and go to the bathroom. No one passed me during this stop. I stopped at every other aid station to refill my bottle and eat about ¼ of a peanut butter and jelly. I probably should have been eating more, but didn’t feel like it and hated wasting time at aid stations.

I heard music behind me and there were a couple guys running with hydration packs and playing soft music. I would pass them back and forth several times. I ended up passing 3 people before the end of the first loop. Pat P. was running the marathon and we ran near each other for awhile and then he went ahead and ended up finishing 3rd. The last third of the loop had the most downed trees which really slowed me down. I came in about 2 minutes behind Pat at the end of my first loop in 4:08, 23 min slower than last year’s first loop.

I decided that I would not change my shoes. There was so much water and mud on the trail, it didn’t make a lot of sense since they would get muddy within the first mile of the second loop. My feet felt okay other than they were wet. I could feel the Body Glide on them so figured they would be okay for another loop. I had scraped my back under one of the trees and had that cleaned up and drank an Amp before starting the second loop.

I felt okay, and happy to be starting the second loop, but this feeling didn’t last long. The mud on the second loop seemed so much worse and was bringing me down. In some places I decided to walk through the mud rather than running it. I really had a bad attitude about the mud and was not enjoying it. I took the pace easy and did not push it. I was concerned I was taking it too easy but just could not motivate myself to go harder.

At about 7.5 hours, my GPS has 0% power so I shut it off. It continued to show the time for the rest of the race so I had some idea how long, but may have been better off not knowing. I was ready for this to be over and figured at the pace I was going I had another 2 hours. I was fed up with the mud. I decided if I ever did this trail race again, I would run the marathon. One loop in the mud was doable but 2 loops is too much knowing what is coming in the second loop. Of course there is no guarantee what the trail will be like on race day and this year we were just unlucky. I questioned why I put myself through this and whether I should do another 50 miler ever again. I was thinking how ridiculous that I thought I could run 100 miles later this year. I had a very poor attitude, but kept moving and trying to run.

I was getting passed by other runners and ended up getting passed by 6 runners. I kept hoping that maybe I could run with one of them since I really needed someone but figured if they were passing me, then they were feeling better. I was able to pick up the pace when the 6th guy passed me and stayed with him for a few miles and then he went ahead. A few minutes later, I felt like something magical happened and suddenly I was able to run faster again and felt good. I caught up to him at the next aid station with a little over 5 miles to go. He took off with a girl not running the race and she paced him to the end.

I could see them for awhile, but eventually they went ahead. I decided to just make it to the next aid station and hoped no one would pass me. The last aid station was 2.3 miles before the finish. I figured I could run that section in at least 30 minutes and possibly finish around 9:15. I hadn’t considered all the downed trees that would slow me down again, but with my slightly faster pace maybe it was possible.

I kept pushing on and made it through the mess of trees and mud to the finish in 9:15:36 without being passed again. I was glad to be done and not hurt. This would have been a good day to do only one loop and I would have been happy and placed well. The second loop was frustrating, not being able to keep my pace and getting passed by so many people. The times were slower this year but I felt like I was struggling more than most. I was not having a good day.

I was able to eat right away and the solid food was really good after drinking Accelerade and eating 9 gels. I have decided I need to find something other than Accelerade to drink since it is not working for me. It made me feel bloated a good portion of the race and my stomach did not feel good. Thankfully, I had run out of it with about 14 miles to go and started drinking Gatorade and things returned to normal.

There were 70 people signed up for the 50 miler but am not sure how many started. I placed 12th overall which was disappointing to me. Jeff finished 11:02, 43 minutes faster than last year and also ran negative splits on the loops. I was just amazed at how much he improved with the conditions. Dan, the guy I ran with at the beginning and wanted to run 8 hrs finished about half hour after Jeff so unfortunately he was probably having a much worse day than me.

After a decent night’s sleep, I was ready to start thinking about attempting a sub-8 hr 50 mile next year and again considering the 100 mile trail race in November. I am glad this one is over and I guess what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. My plan is to take it easy for about 3 weeks and then figure out what I want to do next.

2009 Jay Dix Challenge to Cure 5K

2009-05-09T21:54:00.006-05:00

Today I ran the 5K at the Jay Dix Challenge to Cure. This is one of my favorite 5Ks and it benefits cancer research. This year there were a record number of participants and looked to be well-organized. There is a 5K, 10K, and 5K walk that all start at the same time. The race is chip timed as well. I lined up behind Tony R. with Brad E. Katie and Dan were nearby. I was thinking Katie might be good for to pace since she was running the 10K and is faster than me for 5Ks.

I was not sure how fast to start or if I was going out too fast. I didn't have any reason to expect that I was any faster than last year so was hoping to run around 19 min. I decided to try to stay with Katie as long as I could. We passed a few runners along the way and this course seemed to go by quickly. The race is a loop plus part is an out and back. At the turn around, I ran ahead and again was not sure how hard I should push. I felt really good but if I pushed to soon, I wondered if I would lose steam at the end. At this point, I was in 4th place with two 10Kers and one 5K runner ahead of me. I was able to see everyone on the way back which was a nice boost.

I felt strong on the few hills in the last mile and still was under 6 min pace. My overall time was 17:47. I finished 2nd of 291 runners and 1st in age group 40 - 45 out of 12. Hugh placed 2nd in age group and 31 overall. Dan placed 1st in age group and 8th overall. Brad E. was 3rd overall and Katie was first female in 10K and 4th overall. As last year, the course was just a bit (0.07 mi) short. I counted my time last year as a 5K PR so if I count this is a PR and a course PR by 35 seconds. I think if the course had been correct, time would been more like 18:15 which is still faster than any PR not on this course. I am really surprised and don't know where this came from. I have been tapering for my 50 mi so maybe that helped. I felt strong at the end and was sprinting up the last hill and then going strong into the finish.

Race Start

Andy at finish (above) - Hugh at finish (below)

2009 Joe Mark's 5 mile Human Race and Amanda's 5K

2009-04-25T23:18:00.010-05:00

I wasn't sure how I would do in this race so soon after Boston but wanted to run it. Temp was 70F so a bit warm, but legs felt good. I planned to attempt a 6:10 pace, the same as I ran course last year when I set a PR. I didn't have any idea if I could do it so would just see how I felt which I guess is usually the case in any race. I started out on pace and kept behind Nancy. Once we turned onto Cedar Lake, passed her up the slight hill. Bill was way ahead of me and there were 3 guys ahead of him and the wheel chair racer in the lead. I eased up on the pace just a bit. This seemed like a fast course, but I just could not keep the pace at 6:10 today. Kept it pretty steady the last 3 miles and finished in 5th of 42 runners, first age group, but no actual awards for age group. Course came out to 4.96 on GPS and ran 31:11. Other Long Run Lunatics running were Hugh, Phil, and Brett. Brett finished closely behind Hugh. I had a yummy cinnamon roll and then hung around until the next race that was also started in Bethel Park.

We walked over to the other shelter to Amanda's 5K. Hugh decided not to run this one but was joined but Brett, Phil, and John P. They had a huge crowd and I heard there were around 300 entrants counting walkers. This was a race to raise money for Amanda for a prosthesis.

I decided I would try to start out with Phil and see if I could keep up. I was hoping for at least 22 minutes. The course started in parking lot, headed down Bethel, and then all the way to the end of Southampton and back. Start was kind of awkward in the parking lot with so many people. I started slow and then caught up to Phil. About 0.3 mi we turn onto Bethel. I decide I can pick up the pace and run ahead of Phil. I notice at this point there are only 2 guys ahead of me and they are running together. I am easily catching them and don't feel like I am running that hard. The wind is against us on the way out. I pass them and cannot believe I am in the lead with all these people. At the turn around is Tom and Robin. I see at this point I have a good lead. I keep the pace steady and now have the wind behind me but it is feeling warm. I was pretty confident at my pace no one was going to pass me. The runners coming at me on the other side were offering encouragement.

I make the turn onto Bethel near the end and Hugh runs a bit with me. Then I turn into the parking lot to finish. Course was only 3 miles, but I was ecstatic with my time of 18:23 for 3 miles. I think would have been under 19 min if had been a full 5K. I definitely think the 5K was my race today and not 5 mile. I guess I had enough time in between to recover enough as well. Phil placed 2nd and also got a nice basket of goodies. Definitely the race to win a prize here.

My award was a super-cool big basket of various Nestle Products. A very nice gift and loved it since a good portion of it was chocolate. I was glad they had a huge turnout and I think this fundraiser was a huge success for them.

More pictures

2009 Boston Marathon

2009-04-24T15:02:00.012-05:00

Andy's Race Pictures

Hugh's Race Pictures

Other Pictures taken by Charlie and Dan H.

Video by time of day I am between 12:50 - 1 pm somewhere in the last minute of video, but kind of fuzzy so couldn't really see myself very well.

We had another good Boston experience this year. On Friday evening, we arrived in Boston with Dan. S., Lisa, and Jeff. Dan H. and Kathy arrived on a later flight. Took the T and a commuter train to the Hilton Hotel in Dedham. This was about 45 minutes away from downtown but a very nice hotel and a good price. The staff was friendly and very helpful. Kathy and Dan H. took a taxi and just beat us to the hotel by a few minutes. We ended up eating dinner at the hotel and then heading to bed. I slept very well without cats and dogs on the bed.

On Saturday morning, we first went for a 4 mile run and then we all headed to the expo. We decided to spend about 2 hours and then meet and head somewhere for lunch. Picked up race packets, tried on shirts and Hugh and I both exchanged for a smaller size. We didn’t see much at the expo we needed to buy this year, but I did end up purchasing one pair of Mizuno shorts with a zipper pocket and another jacket like I purchased in Minneapolis only the red version. We ate lunch downtown at Vinny T’s near the expo. Thanks to Dan S. cool phone, we were able to figure out what was available and how to get there. During lunch I had a few texts back and forth from Danielle, but we were both so busy we never managed to meet up. Hugh went to Boston Common to the Emerson bookstore while the rest of us checked out Quincy Market and ended up in a bar sorting through our packets to lighten our load on the way back.

Saturday night, Charlie (Kathy’s son-in-law) and Tiffany (Kathy’s daughter), along with Kain (Tiffany's service dog) went to Chili’s for dinner. The 2 Dan’s had already eaten at South Station and did not join us. Charlie made 2 trips to drop the rest of us off. We had a nice dinner and then off to bed.

Sunday morning, some of us went for a 2 mile run. After the run, Hugh and I were meeting the Flints and kids and the rest were going to Charlie’s aunt Cecilia for brunch and then church. The Flints (friends from Columbia that moved to Rhode Island last fall) arrived in 2 cars to take us to the Aquarium which turned out to be more interesting than I expected. Lots of cool creatures. Then we went to Quincy Market. The food court area is amazing, but not much seating so Karen decided on Dick’s Last Resort for lunch. I had no idea what we were getting into but the staff lived up to the restaurant’s name. Actually, the experience was quite funny and Karen knew what we were getting into. After lunch, went to Chinatown where Karen did some shopping and we followed. Later in the afternoon, we said our goodbyes and Hugh and I went to the pre-marathon banquet since we were in the area. We got back to our room around 8 pm and I was in bed shortly after. I had already made my prerace preparations that morning.

I slept fairly well and we were up around 4:30 am and the fun began. I woke up a few minutes early and took my prerace shower. After having a shake and banana, Hugh, Dan S. and I went down to meet the others to head to the commuter train, catch the T, and then get on the bus at Boston Common. This year the bus ride went smoothly and we arrived around 7:45 am. Since we were heading to the Cleere’s house about a block from the starting line, we had to drop our bags. Kathy and Lisa attempted to put their bags on the second wave bus but they weren’t quite ready so Dan S. and I combined their bags into ours. The first wave buses went ahead and took our bags and we walked to the Cleere’s house.

The Cleere’s welcomed us into their home and had food for us to eat. We also took them some bags of goodies as a token of our appreciation. It was great hanging out in a low stress environment with our own bathrooms before the race. We enjoyed talking and then all went outside for a picture. Those of us in Wave 1 headed to the start around 9:45 am and the others followed later. We all walked together. Hugh and Dan H. were near each other around corral 12 and 13. Dan was in corral 5 and I was in 2. We continued walking until we lost each other in the crowd. I moved up in my corral as close as I could get which was about a third back. I decided to go ahead and remove the throw-away shirt I had brought. I was glad to not stand around long and we were off with a slow shuffle.

This year I was able to start a little faster which was not necessarily a good thing. The temperature was just a little cooler than I like at 42 degrees. There was a bit of wind in a few places but at least it wasn’t raining. I ran mile one at 6:49 and then 2, 3, and 4 in the low 6:30s which I knew was too fast but went with it. If I had slowed down, almost everyone would have passed me. The course went downhill so this fast pace felt so very easy. I had worn my name on the front of my shirt so had people calling my name. I enjoyed the crowd support. At times, I questioned whether I could keep up the pace. I was hoping to have a lot left at the end like last year. I was passing a few people on the hills and then later but nothing like last year.

The head wind was a slight factor on parts of the course and I tried to use others to block if possible. I know I went out just a bit fast. At the time I am doing it I am thinking I know this is probably wrong, but didn't slow down enough. It felt good and I was keeping pace with others. I wore a 2:55 pace tattoo since Dan had picked one up for me at a previous marathon. I knew that I wasn't ready but figured I could try to stay around 6:40s and see what happens. I think 2:57 might have been a more reasonable goal as taking over 4 min off my PR as I did last year isn't realistic anymore. Last year I ran the first half in 1:29:10 which was slower than this year and had a faster time overall last year. I didn't run the negative split this year so had a slower time overall. This tells me that I ran the first half a bit too fast. But overall, I can't complain since I ran another sub-3 so I am being consistent and didn't fade at the end.

5k - 0:20:51
10k - 0:41:50
15k - 1:02:41
20k - 1:23:55
Half - 1:28:33
25k - 1:45:08
30k - 2:06:50
35k - 2:28:26
40k -2:49:42

Finish Pace – 0:06:50
Official Time - 2:58:57
Overall - 1205

As I was turning in my chip at the end, Dan sees me as he is on the other side having his chip removed. We retrieved our bags (took me forever to get mine) and then waited for the others to finish at the E’s. We all headed back to hotel. Hugh and I attempted to use hot tub, but some guests were staying in it forever so just used the pool. Later that evening we had a little post-race pizza party. We were told we could dine in the restaurant. Manager said we couldn’t do that but offered us a nice private room.

Tuesday, we got up and made the long journey back home. I felt like I could go out and run another marathon although not as fast. This was a very fun trip running with friends and just what I needed. I think we should do this more often. If not Boston, then somewhere else since sharing the time with others makes it so much more fun than going alone.

Mile splits according to my GPS:

Interval 1 Mi 6:49
Interval 2 Mi 6:31.83
Interval 3 Mi 6:35.17
Interval 4 Mi 6:38.35
Interval 5 Mi 6:47.37
Interval 6 Mi 6:41.15
Interval 7 Mi 6:40.9
Interval 8 Mi 6:44.6
Interval 9 Mi 6:41.2
Interval 10 Mi 6:44.31
Interval 11 Mi 6:49.52
Interval 12 Mi 6:47.54
Interval 13 Mi 6:46
Interval 14 Mi 6:48.26
Interval 15 Mi 6:46.24
Interval 16 Mi 6:48.79
Interval 17 Mi 6:58.75
Interval 18 Mi 6:58.76
Interval 19 Mi 6:51.24
Interval 20 Mi 6:51.88
Interval 21 Mi 7:08.65
Interval 22 Mi 6:40
Interval 23 Mi 6:46.
Interval 24 Mi 6:52.56
Interval 25 Mi 6:44.61
Interval 26 Mi 6:44.95
Interval 0.42 Mi 2:43.72

Make-a-picture with your GPS

2009-03-26T21:32:00.003-05:00

Anyone reading this may think this is really nerdy and we have gone off the deep end here in Columbia, Missouri. Perhaps this will be the next craze sweeping the country. So far I have not heard of it, but maybe others have done this. Hugh had this idea that people could run a route that makes a semi-recognizable picture or spells something.

He made an attempt himself on Tuesday. Can you read what he wrote between miles 3 and 4? You will need to zoom in:

Click here to see his creation

Then tonight another one of our running friends spelled something on his run.

Click here to see his creation

I am wondering if this might put Columbia on the map as the home of running art or footmanship?

I suddenly have this urge to go out and do a run and then in the middle of my run, draw a picture or spell something.

2009 Sedalia Half Marathon

2009-03-21T22:26:00.003-05:00

2009 Sedalia Half Marathon Select Columbia Runners Pictures taken courtesy of Dick Ross

All Sedalia Half Marathon Pictures taken courtesy of Dick Ross

2009 Sedalia Half Marathon Results

Today Hugh and I headed to the Sedalia Half Marathon. We have run this half marathon more than any other half. It is close, cheap, and a well-run fun small event. I wasn’t sure if I would be racing it this year since I ran 3 Days of Syllamo last weekend. I felt pretty good after Syllamo and even better after taking 3 days off running. I ran on Thursday and felt good so on Friday I was thinking I would attempt to break my 3 year old half marathon PR.

I ran this half last year after Syllamo and although it went okay, I was not recovered enough to attempt a PR. I wasn’t even sure I would try racing it at all last year since the warm up felt awful. This year, one week later, I felt ready to race again. We arrived about 8:30 am, picked up packets, and then I headed out for a 1 mile warm up. Warm up felt good, headed to the car to get rid of some clothes before heading to the start line. Temperature was about 50F and skies were cloudy.

My plan was to try to run just under 6:30s, and take the first couple miles a little easier at 6:40. There were fewer than 100 people at the start line this year, where normally this race attracts over 100 runners. We started a few minutes after 9 am. I started in the front and there were 3 guys that took off very fast that were clearly not in the same league as the rest of us.

Dan S. hung with me for the first mile which ended up being 6:31. This was a little faster than both of us thought we wanted to run. He let up a little on the pace and I decided to keep it steady. I found myself running with a young kid (have no idea how old he was) and kept pace with him. Then he pulled ahead a bit and I decided to hang back. On the first slight hill, I caught him.

We continued to run together and I am not quite sure who was doing the pacing but he did not act like he wanted to pass me so we ran side by side. I didn’t take water until the second water station. From this point, the run is pretty boring but I am feeling good and focused. The miles just keep clicking by one by one at a very consistent pace. Before we reach the turn around we get to see the 3 guys in the lead. We were in 4th and 5th place at this point. These 3 guys in the lead were so far ahead of us that we did not see them until they were coming back from the turn around. I took a gel at about 6.5 miles.

Right before the turn around we took water although they only had 1 water and 1 Gatorade ready so he took water after we turned around. It was nice to see everyone for about a mile on the way back. We are both still running strong side by side and I am getting a lot of encouragement as I see everyone. Then we are back to running alone. He seemed to be breathing harder than me and although I felt like I could talk I presumed that he didn’t want to or he would have said something by now. At the next water station, I let him go first and he got water. They had Gatorade in the other hand so I said I would get at the next station. My racing partner asked if I wanted the rest of his water so I took it. I am just thinking, what a nice guy.

At this point we were about 3 miles from the end. I am still feeling good but now we are running into some wind. I push to keep our pace steady and he stays right with me. I figure at some point since I am feeling so good I should probably pick up the pace and am hoping he will stay with me and we’ll finish together unless he feels like passing me. I was not planning to attempt to pass him right at the end after pacing that far with him. I just don’t want to pick it up too soon.

With 1.1 miles to go, I decide to pick it up and see what I have left. He does not stay with me. I picked up to about 6:15 pace pushing to the finish. Overall time was 1:25:04 for 13.16 miles at a 6:28 pace. I have a new PR by 1:44 and on the same course as my previous PR. I placed 4th overall and my race partner came in right behind me about 19 seconds behind me. He thanked me for pacing him although I think we paced each other at times. Dan S. finished 6th behind him setting a half PR.

Our Columbia group seemed to run well and most of us received bricks for placing in our age groups. I was first in my age group and Hugh placed second.

The event was hosted by the Sedalia Runners Club for the benefit of the Max Lewis Special Needs Trust and is sponsored by Pepsi, Bothwell Regional Health Center and County Distributing.

There is a raffle in between awards for a lot of different prizes. Dan S. had purchased 5 tickets and gave to Hugh before he left. I purchased 5 more tickets. Dan said to get him the beer clock or the Michelobe Ultra Beer mirror if they drew his name and those were left. They drew one of my tickets fairly early and I picked out the UltraMarathon Man – Dean Karnazes book since I didn’t see anything else I really wanted and had wanted to get this book at some point. The clock was the first thing to go. With about 6 items left, they still had not drawn any of Dan’s numbers, but the mirror was left. They drew another of my numbers. Nothing left that I really wanted so I picked up the mirror for Dan to add to his collection.

We had a large group that went to Country Kitchen for lunch before heading home.

Here are my splits:

Mile Time Overall Time Pace
1 Mi 6:30.61 6:30.61 6:31
2 Mi 6:30.46 13:01.07 6:31
3 Mi 6:27.79 19:28.86 6:28
4 Mi 6:27.75 25:56.61 6:28
5 Mi 6:30.76 32:27.37 6:31
6 Mi 6:30.92 38:58.29 6:31
7 Mi 6:30.43 45:28.72 6:31
8 Mi 6:28.03 51:56.75 6:29
9 Mi 6:24.89 58:21.64 6:25
10 Mi 6:26.12 1:04:47.76 6:27
11 Mi 6:29.53 1:11:17.29 6:30
12 Mi 6:31.28 1:17:48.57 6:32
13 Mi 6:16.58 1:24:05.15 6:17
13.16Mi 0:59.19 1:25:04.34 6:10

3 Days of Syllamo - 2009

2009-03-19T22:37:00.008-05:00

3 Days of Syllamo

Road Trip plus Day 1 -

Once again this race turned out to be the most fun, and scenic race I have done. This is one that is just done for the pure joy of running regardless of pace. Jeff and I headed to Arkansas at 11 am Thursday. This year instead of camping I stayed in a small cabin with Jeff with a comfortable bed, kitchen, satellite TV, and more. We arrived late afternoon checked into the cabin, picked up race packets and headed to dinner for a buffet at the Pizza Inn in Mountain View. Then back to the cabin, prepared for Friday’s race, watched ER and then off to bed.

We got up at 6:30 am and arrived at race headquarters around 8 am. The race site was about 15 minutes from where we were staying. The area was hit hard by an ice storm in early February so we were limited on the trails that we could use this year. Volunteers had cleared some trails and the plan was to use trails and forest roads to make up the difference. We found Allan at his campsite and then visited with other runners before the race and I got to see Ashley, the female winner that I ran a lot of the miles with last year.

The first race was supposed to be a 50K but ended up being a marathon. We started out up a big climb which was the same as we took last year for the 50 mile. This time though it wasn’t quite as painful, but still not pleasant to start up this big climb. I never could seem to catch my breath. Maybe I should have run a warm up?

The first 10 miles were on trail and I ran with Ashley. There was an aid station about every 5 miles. At the 10 mile we ran on a forest road for an out and back. It was at this point we learned the course was not going to be a 50K. I don’t think anyone was too disappointed as it was still quite challenging. Once we got back to the trail I had Ashley run ahead of me. We ran a couple miles and then I told her I was going to stop to pee and to go ahead and I would try to catch up. I tried but wasn’t feeling a whole lot better so just kept moving.

I had been drinking Accelerade and taking an Accelerade gel every 5 miles. I used about 1 of my bottles each 10 miles. By then I felt naseous/queasy but didn’t eat any solid food which may have been my problem. Mentally, I felt good (but no speed) so I keep pushing on and about half mile before the end Po Dog catches up to me. Once he sees how close we are to the end we decide to finish together. Last year I had finished with someone each race and thought I was going to go in alone, but it was nice to finish with someone. I headed off to soak legs in creek with some other runners. Allan finished in 4:31 and Jeff in 5:15.

42K (26.2 mi) - 4:20:19
12 of 44 men
13 of 56 overall

Temp: 34 at beginning and 48 at end.

Day 2 - 50 mi

I felt pretty good waking up and didn’t need to take any Ibuprofen this year. I had no joint pain and no muscle soreness. We had to get up at 5 am since the 50 miler started at 7 am. Ate breakfast as the day before and then headed to race head quarters to check in. Today’s course was going to be 2 different out and backs. The first out and back about 10.5 miles total and then the second out and back same trail as marathon but different forest road.

Since my GPS is only good for 8 hours, I did not turn on until after the first 10.5 since there was no way I could run under 8 hours on this course. I decided to start out real easy and see how I felt. I ran the first half of the out and back with Allan and some others. We crossed a creek about chest deep and had to cross again on the way back. Once we crossed the creek, I picked up the pace. I finished this part of the course about the same time as another guy that I would end up passing back and forth for quite a bit of the 50 miles.

At the 20 mile aid station, which was the end of the trail portion, I decided to not change my shoes since my feet felt pretty good and they were mostly dry. I grabbed more gels from my drop bag, ate some peanut butter and crackers, and drank an Amp since I really needed some energy. I spent 6 – 7 minutes refueling and then headed out with one of the coed teams that had caught up. We headed up the forest road to run out 10 miles.

I didn’t stay long with this couple since I ran up the hill although slow I called it running and was faster than they were walking. It went up for about a mile until it went down and ended up being a rolling gravel road that was not necessarily easy, but easier to run faster than trail. I really had to concentrate to run faster than the trail since I was tired. Some miles were faster and some were not. I passed a guy that didn’t look like he was doing too well. I finally make it to the end and had almost caught the guy that passed me earlier until I stopped to refuel at the 30 mile aid station. I headed back out as the guy I had passed came in and asked for Ibuprofen.

I had already seen the faster runners heading back and got to see the rest on the way back. The guy that wasn’t feeling well earlier caught up to me and was feeling better. Another guy caught up too. We pass back and forth for awhile as I am not feeling well. Then I have a surge and leave them both in the dust although one of them will catch me later.

I stopped at the 40 mile aid station for more gels and peanut butter and crackers, peanut butter and jelly, and then head back out to the trail. Once I get on the trail my pace is noticeably slower. The guy that I passed earlier passes me and looks like he is running well. I have to walk up hills and have some really slow miles. I am thinking at best I will be done in 9 hrs 45 min at this slow pace. This is fine with me since I just want to finish feeling good. After about 3 miles, I manage to pick up pace a little and run more smoothly hanging on to the end. This was an okay (not great) run and I felt good at the end. I headed off to soak my legs in the creek with about 20 fish gathering around me. I had to kick them away as they got too close to my legs.

50 mi - 9:33:06
11 of 34 men
12 of 41 overall

Temp: Beginning was 43 end was 59F

Allan finished in 10 hr 25 min and Jeff finished in 10 hrs 50 min. We all took hours off our times from last year. Jeff and I headed back to our cabin and grilled steaks before heading off to bed at 10 pm.

Day 3 - 20K

I woke in the night with slightly achy knees and took an Ibuprofen. When I got up I felt pretty good and decided to take 2 more Ibuprofen just for good measure. I was feeling good and ready to run a race. I did not have that feeling the first 2 days. Last year I had felt completely beat up by the 3rd day so was happy to feel so good. I was actually looking forward to the 20K and not dreading it.

Originally, we were going to run back up the hill for the 20K, but since we had already done that twice the race director decided we would do the out and back that crossed the creek. After crossing the creek, we then had to run a short while on roads to a rickety bridge before turning around. I managed to stay right behind a group of faster runners until we crossed the creek on the way back. For some reason, the cold water must have been a shock and I had a hard time getting my pace back up to speed. At one point I did catch them later when I sped up.

As I was speeding along to catch them I fell on some rock and landed on my water bottle. The bottle sprung me right back up on my feet which was quite amazing and too bad no one could see this. I caught up to them as they had made a wrong turn. They were on fire and although I felt I was running fast I could not keep up so kept my own pace.

About 1 mile before the end a girl that had been running with us earlier caught up to me. I told her to go around and I would try to keep up. I ended up finishing with her and we were 2 minutes behind the group we ran with earlier. I was quite happy with this run and overall it went very well.

20K - 1:49:25
13 of 53 men
14 (tied with second woman) of 64 overall

Temp was 48.

Overall - 15:42:50
9th of 31 men
10th of 39 overall

2009 Results

Once again even with the lack of trails, this proved to be a fun and low-key event. There were great single-track trails with rock faces, ledges, and the not as fun forest roads. There were even a few trees to climb over but the trails we ran on were pretty clear so not as bad as last year. Also, this year we got 2 different shirts, a finisher’s glass, and coffee travel mug. I also won a pair of toe socks in the drawing. And as always there were other supportive runners that offered a lot of encouragement. I ended up feeling good and not like I had been through hell after the 3 days. My feet were in good shape as I had thoroughly coated them in Body Glide. Legs felt decent and joints felt good. Even though the course was less difficult than last year, it wasn’t easy. I am still new to this but it seems like it does get easier each year.

Other reports:

Ashley Nordell

Julie

Susan

Dave Wakefield

Marshall

Adam and Dan

Karl