This race is one of the races that I try to do every year--it is put on by the club I belong to for one thing, but also there is a certain allure to racing a mile for me. Because the mile is unit of measurement for my runs, it seems that running a mile race gives me a sense of my base.
I went into this year's race further behind in my training--I'm in the third week of doing hill work--than I would like but my better than expected results in other races left me optimistic that I wouldn't be too far off.
When I'm in reasonable shape, my mile times bunch pretty tight--5:16-5:20.
My pacing strategy coming into this race was to sit behind two runners--Jenn and/or Fred, my shoe guy. Both are normally close to where I finish and while I had not raced either this year, both of their times seemed to be a bit better this year, so maybe they could pull me along to a fast time.
I got to the race in plenty of time, got a two mile warm up and some stretching in. Switched into my flats and did a little speed work.
The race itself went by awful fast--had to dodge some little kids that typically lined in the very front. I never saw the first quarter mile marker, finally at 2 minutes I checked my watch and confirmed I had to be past it. Around that time, I also decided that I was going too slow for a mile--wasn't hurting enough yet, so I passed Jenn and set my eyes on a further target.
I never spotted Fred during the race, ended up he was behind me. The problem, I decided afterwards, with using Fred & Jenn as pacers was that they've been running fast MARATHON times, which doesn't necessarily translate to fast mile times..
Hit the half at 2:39--right about where I wanted to be. Thee quarters came at 4:00, again right on pace. The race was run in the opposite direction this year, finishing with a slight curve in the final stretch, so I couldn't sight the finish until it was almost too late. Pushed hard but I left a little too much in the tank. Finished with a 5:18 watch time. With a little better course awareness, think I could have run 5:16 at least.
I should have prerun the course--the street itself is one I've driven hundreds of times and have run often so I warmed up along a nearby bike trail. Prerunning the course would have given me a better sense of where around the bend the finish actually was and hopefully I would have noticed where the 1/4 mile was so I could have gotten some pace feedback a little earlier although I think I benefited by running the first chunk a little easy.
Overall, I am happy with where my fitness is but a little unhappy with how I actually raced. Does leave me yearning for a chance to run an actual mile race on the track with others running around my pace.
Free Running Swag
I have intentionally not promoted my blog anywhere, just wanted to see who stumbles across it. But since noone has left a comment yet, thought I would run a little promo. First person to leave a comment to this post wins a "i run" bumper sticker or any other of my oval sticker designs found at
CafePress, including my popular 26.2 design. The fartlek one is one of my favorites but almost noone has bought it.
Roots
Ran a trail race, Chippewa Valley Firecracker, this past weekend. One of the first things I remembered about this type of race was to look out for roots because they are easy to trip over. Rocks, branches, streams, soft spots, hill sides and clumps are other dangers.
Do a trail race also brought me back a bit to my running "roots". My first organized running was the fall of 1984 when I went out for cross country as a freshman.
While I was a huge Green Bay Packer fan, I was small in size and my mother would not let me go out for football. I've never told her, but that actually was a relief because I probably would have gotten hurt worse than tripping over a root in the woods.
Most of my training is along roads and almost all the races I do are on roads, trails are more satisfying to run on, even at a slower pace.
This race was listed as a 5k but in the prerace announcements, the race director said the course was actually just under 6k, which is fine but I would have like to know how close, just to know what my actual speed was. My Nike SDM measured it at 3.5 miles but I am not confident the calibration translates to trail running--especially since I wore my spikes.
Also a note about my ancestral roots--my last remaining grandparent, my paternal grandfather, passed away this weekend. I am sad about it but not overwhelmed--feel a little guilty that it does not bother me more.
Do a trail race also brought me back a bit to my running "roots". My first organized running was the fall of 1984 when I went out for cross country as a freshman.
While I was a huge Green Bay Packer fan, I was small in size and my mother would not let me go out for football. I've never told her, but that actually was a relief because I probably would have gotten hurt worse than tripping over a root in the woods.
Most of my training is along roads and almost all the races I do are on roads, trails are more satisfying to run on, even at a slower pace.
This race was listed as a 5k but in the prerace announcements, the race director said the course was actually just under 6k, which is fine but I would have like to know how close, just to know what my actual speed was. My Nike SDM measured it at 3.5 miles but I am not confident the calibration translates to trail running--especially since I wore my spikes.
Also a note about my ancestral roots--my last remaining grandparent, my paternal grandfather, passed away this weekend. I am sad about it but not overwhelmed--feel a little guilty that it does not bother me more.
LIVESTRONG
Before it was a fad, LIVESTRONG only had a purpose--to raise money for The Lance Armstrong Foundation's fight against cancer.
In 2000, my mother-in-law relapsed with ovarian cancer. The day she told my wife, my wife told her we were pregnant with her first grandchild. That was in January. That spring, we traveled the 5 hours as often as we could to see her.
We saw her fight but deteriorate, including one visit where she appeared to be a walking corpse. Very difficult dealing with the pain, sorrow and guilt of her pending death while still trying to enjoy our pregnancy.
She died July 15, 2000. Our daughter was born in late September. I wish she would have gotten to see her granddaughter just once.
In 2003, my wife spent 8 weeks at school, an hour and a half away, leaving me home with our daughter. I took care of her when she was awake and worked whenever she slept. Sleep deprivation was a way of life. The Tour de France was my escape that summer--I allowed myself to veg out for that.
As a runner and sport fan, I knew who Lance Armstrong was but didn't really appreciate cycling because, most of the time, it is boring to watch. But this was the year that Armstrong cut through the field to avoid a crash and later bit the pavement due to a child's bag--the drama got me.
I read Lance's books and felt a connection because of his cancer. When the wrist bands first started showing up, I immediately got some. Have worn one since.
One of the first other people I saw wearing one was one of the owners of the company I work for. We talked just briefly about them--mostly how we got them because they were difficult to get at that point.
His mother died yesterday of ovarian cancer. Our company had a big party celebrating its' 10 year anniversary and he wasn't there. That seemed odd, when I asked someone, I heard about her. I never met her & never talked to him about her but it just tears me up inside.
Last weekend in Galena, one of the people from the other office made a comment about LIVESTRONG bands being a fad, which it definitely is partially. But the root purpose should not be forgotten.
Drawn and Quartered
Ok, that is an exaggeration but sometimes I do feel pulled in many directions. Work, family, house, and running all biding for my time.
Today I was feeling overwhelmed by work & the house. Last week had the Galena trip, tomorrow we are having a customer appreciation day that will use up most of the day, next week we have the holiday, and the week after that, I have a three day trip to St. Louis. All these distractions, yet the same workload.
We have been living in our house for 15 months but still have several projects to finish. The thing is, I'm tired of working on stuff so I seldom do, so the projects sit there mocking me day after day.
And if that isn't enough, I've got two girls--a 5-year-old and 16-month-old to chase around.
Sometimes, I feel like running away but I always find my way home.
The People You Meet.
One of the things about running early in the morning is that you get to know other people up and about early in the morning.
There is the schnauzer guy--he has two mini schnauzers that he walks. He covers a pretty wide area. Whenever I meet him in open areas--a cemetary or park--he has them running loose and they behave. We have a hyper mini schnauzer that bites men, kids, and the mail lady once. His schnauzers behave, tough.
Today I saw one of my regulars while running my Daws Hill Workout. I use a hill at the local university. I believe Ken (don't know if that is his actual name) works at the school. As I ran the trail along the hill that separates the university's upper & lower campuses, I met Ken. I often see Ken along this trail when I do it in the mornings, I assume he walks that way on his way to work.
What struck me today was that Ken had taken a stick and was slashing it back and forth as he walked--clearing the vegation along the sides of the trail. Nothing unusual, but something I didn't realize Ken did. Presumably, Ken does that on a regular basis and I didn't know it. I don't even know Ken's name but the fact that Ken clears "our" trail shocked me.
There is the schnauzer guy--he has two mini schnauzers that he walks. He covers a pretty wide area. Whenever I meet him in open areas--a cemetary or park--he has them running loose and they behave. We have a hyper mini schnauzer that bites men, kids, and the mail lady once. His schnauzers behave, tough.
Today I saw one of my regulars while running my Daws Hill Workout. I use a hill at the local university. I believe Ken (don't know if that is his actual name) works at the school. As I ran the trail along the hill that separates the university's upper & lower campuses, I met Ken. I often see Ken along this trail when I do it in the mornings, I assume he walks that way on his way to work.
What struck me today was that Ken had taken a stick and was slashing it back and forth as he walked--clearing the vegation along the sides of the trail. Nothing unusual, but something I didn't realize Ken did. Presumably, Ken does that on a regular basis and I didn't know it. I don't even know Ken's name but the fact that Ken clears "our" trail shocked me.
Zero
The longer the day goes without me running, the odds increase dramtically that I won't get a run in. This year, odds are probably around 50% at 12:01 am that I'll get a run in that day. But if by 9:00 am I still have not gotten a run it, bet it drops to 10% chance. At 7:00 am, before work and family have gotten my attention, running is my top priority. But if I give other things a chance, they quickly get in the way of my miles.
Today was one of those days. I had planned to go into town around noon--had to return a video and purposely didn't bring a lunch to encourage myself to get out of the office for a bit. Ended up going into town and returning the video and doing errands instead of running.
So I ended up with 0 miles today. Rationalized by saying the rest will help with a planned Daws Hill workout tomorrow.
Today was one of those days. I had planned to go into town around noon--had to return a video and purposely didn't bring a lunch to encourage myself to get out of the office for a bit. Ended up going into town and returning the video and doing errands instead of running.
So I ended up with 0 miles today. Rationalized by saying the rest will help with a planned Daws Hill workout tomorrow.
Galena Through the Back Door
Got two runs in while in Galena. I had never been there before--running is a great way to get to know a new place or at least glimpse parts you would otherwise miss. In addition to getting off the main roads, you get a chance to see & smell things that you cannot while riding in a car. Reminds me of Rick Steves' Travel Through the Back Door Philosophy.
I'll remember Galena as a city of stairs. It is along a river (turns out to be the Galena River)--some is constructed along the river valley but much is up on higher ground. Seemed like I was always go up or down a flight of stairs.
I did visit the suspected track but left unsure where or not it was ever intended to be a track. It was dirt and had no marking of being a track but could have been in the past.
ORN 6/24: 10 (9:12)
ORN 6/25: 3 (9:40)
I'll remember Galena as a city of stairs. It is along a river (turns out to be the Galena River)--some is constructed along the river valley but much is up on higher ground. Seemed like I was always go up or down a flight of stairs.
I did visit the suspected track but left unsure where or not it was ever intended to be a track. It was dirt and had no marking of being a track but could have been in the past.
ORN 6/24: 10 (9:12)
ORN 6/25: 3 (9:40)
Galena, IL
I am headed to Galena, Illinois for a weekend conference for work. We are charting the course for the next 5+ years for the company. One of my concerns while travelling is always if I can find a place to run. I checked terraserver and saw a school close to where we are staying. Checked to see if they have a track and I'm still not sure but looks like they may have a really odd shaped one. Look around the perimeter of the baseball field. I would assume it wasn't except that at the north end, looks like they may have a 100 meter stretch because there are little tails at two ends.
ORN: 4.25 (8:29)
Daws Hills
Ron Daws was a "Self-Made Olympian" or at least that is what he claimed in his book, The Self-Made Olympian. Daws ran the Marathon in the 1968 Olympics for the United States. Daws' books (he also wrote Running Your Best: The Committed Runner's Guide to Training and Racing were very inspirational to me when I restarted running after a few years of neglect during college.
Daws was a believer in New Zealand coach Athur Lydiard's training philosophy--especially incorporating hill and form workouts. In Daws' books, he presents his version of Lydiard's training scheme and made me believe in them.
One thing Daws' books lacked, though, was specific paces to run workouts at. A few years ago, a friend recommended Jack Daniel's book, Daniels' Running Formula. Daniels' overall plan is very similar to Daws' plan although it has less emphasis on hills. Daniels does, however, provide specific workout paces. Since getting Daniels' book, I have tried to mesh the two systems. Using Daws' hill workouts as part of Daniels' "Repetition" phase.
Today was my first Daws Hill workout of the season. It included a warm up, three circuits, explained below, and a cooldown. Each circuit consisted of:
- Uphill portion that include form drills--high step, butt-kickers, skipping, bounding, broad jump.
- Short recovery. (~ 2 minutes)
- 2x200 at Daniels' Rep pace. Tried for 42 seconds but legs not ready yet.
- Short recovery. (~ 2 minutes)
- Downhill portion. Gradual downhill (under a quarter mile) run at fast clip.
- Short recovery. (~ 1/4 mile)
The total workout was 6.75 miles. Eventually, I will expand to 4 circuits and extend the cooldown to get a total of 10 miles. Overall pace doesn't matter.
If there is any shortcut in running, Daws says, it is running hills. I do not count on it being shortcut, just the first step in a fresh training cycle.
ORN: 6.75 Daws (11:22)
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes...
Hearts & Lungs, muscles, and ligaments & tendons...
jimp (see link section) says that during training, three different systems adapt at different speeds. Heart & Lungs are fastest to improve, next comes your muscles, and finally the connective tissues. Seems to fit my experience & also think it applies to recovery, too. I basically feel rested, muscles aches are mostly gone but still have some ackwardness that I'm attributing to tendons & ligaments that aren't fully recoved. Commuted to work (8.25 miles), transitioned into running gear and did do three, somewhat faster, miles today. Commuted home too.
OCN: 8.25 (12.3 mph, rear brake rubbing) 40:30
ORN: 3 in 25
OCN2: 8.25 (13.4 mph, rear brake fixed)
jimp (see link section) says that during training, three different systems adapt at different speeds. Heart & Lungs are fastest to improve, next comes your muscles, and finally the connective tissues. Seems to fit my experience & also think it applies to recovery, too. I basically feel rested, muscles aches are mostly gone but still have some ackwardness that I'm attributing to tendons & ligaments that aren't fully recoved. Commuted to work (8.25 miles), transitioned into running gear and did do three, somewhat faster, miles today. Commuted home too.
OCN: 8.25 (12.3 mph, rear brake rubbing) 40:30
ORN: 3 in 25
OCN2: 8.25 (13.4 mph, rear brake fixed)
Ouch!
Two days later is when I usually feel a race the most. Today I got up and shuffled 3 miles before going to work. I was not going to worry at all about pace but after doing a 10:59 & 10:40, my pride got to me and I did a blistering 9:33. Gastronemius are still the most sore but feeling the lower quadiceps more than yesterday.
ORN: 3 in 31:13 (10:24)
It's Not About the Bike.
But the day after Bjorklund was about recovery. My calves feel like someone took a baseball bat and wacked me right at the bottom of the muscle bulge. So I took Daughter Number One, Kei (pronouced "Key"), out for a ride in the bike trailer. Did only 16 minutes of light spinning--avoided hills as much a possible. I love my bike, a 2006 Gary Fisher Marlin, which I got this past winter as a gift from Trek for some programming I did for them.
ORN: None
OCN: 16 minutes, 10.4 mph
Garry Bjorklund 13.1
I ran the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and did better than I expected. My final time of 1:37:54 is slightly better than I had hoped for, but it doesn't tell the full story.
I went into the race undertrained but too cheap to skip it. It was warm and muggy at the start and the logistics of the start of the race left me needing to go to the bathroom at the start.
But I did a nice job of race management and made a few decisions before the initial gun that paid off. First, I moved my race number from my shirt to my shorts in anticipation of removing my shirt because of the heat. The second was acknowledging ahead of time I would need to stop at a port-a-potty and would not try to tough it out. Both are minor details but they helped me face the difficulties at the beginning of the race.
Miles 1-4 Splits: 7:18, 8:03, 6:48, 8:24 Ave: 7:38 Stan. Dev: 0:33
I had a chance to completely fall apart early but by anticipating the problems, I was able to deal with them and continue. Early in the second mile, I stared to feel the heat and removed my singlet and noticed a huge difference. We had a slight headwind so I think having additional exposed skin really helped. Near the end of mile two, I hit the port-a-potties--probably cost me about 40 seconds but knowing it was coming and the fact I had 11+ miles to make it up allowed me to not worry too much about it. I had to revisit the port-a-potties during mile 4, this time having to wait about 20-30 seconds for an open one.
Miles 6-10 Splits: 7:11, 6:58, 7:10, 7:16, 7:17, 7:27 Ave: 7:15 Stan. Dev: 0:07
After I left the blue port-a-potties the second time, I was able to find my pace and hold it. As I cranked out each mile, I worried some because I was originally planning on running 7:40s but I felt good and because of my delays, I was steadily passing people, making the running a lot easier mentally. Mile 10 included Lemon Drop Hill, which is the largest incline of the race.
Miles 11-13.1 Splits: 7:42, 7:48, 7:44, 0:46 Ave: 7:44 Stan. Dev: 0:02
At the 10 mile marker, I had a 66 second advantage over a 7:30 pace but starting to feel the heat. I decided to back off a little to avoid a burn out. Considering my lack of training coming into the race and that this wasn't my target race, I think I made the right decision. I ended up beating my predicted time by over a minute.
Conclusion
Not my fastest race ever and not the hardest I've ever run but may be the smartest race I've run. I could have finished harder but I felt that the risk of a potential crash was not worth the minute or so I could have saved. Later in the seasson, I will need to push to the end but not today.
ORN: 13.1 in 97:54 (7:28 pace)
I went into the race undertrained but too cheap to skip it. It was warm and muggy at the start and the logistics of the start of the race left me needing to go to the bathroom at the start.
But I did a nice job of race management and made a few decisions before the initial gun that paid off. First, I moved my race number from my shirt to my shorts in anticipation of removing my shirt because of the heat. The second was acknowledging ahead of time I would need to stop at a port-a-potty and would not try to tough it out. Both are minor details but they helped me face the difficulties at the beginning of the race.
Miles 1-4 Splits: 7:18, 8:03, 6:48, 8:24 Ave: 7:38 Stan. Dev: 0:33
I had a chance to completely fall apart early but by anticipating the problems, I was able to deal with them and continue. Early in the second mile, I stared to feel the heat and removed my singlet and noticed a huge difference. We had a slight headwind so I think having additional exposed skin really helped. Near the end of mile two, I hit the port-a-potties--probably cost me about 40 seconds but knowing it was coming and the fact I had 11+ miles to make it up allowed me to not worry too much about it. I had to revisit the port-a-potties during mile 4, this time having to wait about 20-30 seconds for an open one.
Miles 6-10 Splits: 7:11, 6:58, 7:10, 7:16, 7:17, 7:27 Ave: 7:15 Stan. Dev: 0:07
After I left the blue port-a-potties the second time, I was able to find my pace and hold it. As I cranked out each mile, I worried some because I was originally planning on running 7:40s but I felt good and because of my delays, I was steadily passing people, making the running a lot easier mentally. Mile 10 included Lemon Drop Hill, which is the largest incline of the race.
Miles 11-13.1 Splits: 7:42, 7:48, 7:44, 0:46 Ave: 7:44 Stan. Dev: 0:02
At the 10 mile marker, I had a 66 second advantage over a 7:30 pace but starting to feel the heat. I decided to back off a little to avoid a burn out. Considering my lack of training coming into the race and that this wasn't my target race, I think I made the right decision. I ended up beating my predicted time by over a minute.
Conclusion
Not my fastest race ever and not the hardest I've ever run but may be the smartest race I've run. I could have finished harder but I felt that the risk of a potential crash was not worth the minute or so I could have saved. Later in the seasson, I will need to push to the end but not today.
ORN: 13.1 in 97:54 (7:28 pace)
Beginning
Today is the last day of my off season. My wife returned to work as a school teacher this past school year. I stayed home with our 1-year-old during the day and went to my programming job at night. This left little time for training. Once spring came, I was able to log some miles pushing our daughter in the baby jogger as well as bike some with the bike trailer.
Tomorrow, to kick off my training, I am running the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon that is run in conjunction with Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. While I am not in racing shape, my goal is to finish in under 100 minutes (1:40). The only race I have done this spring was a 6 miler in 41:39?. My race prediction formula predicts 1:39:05 so unless the weather does not cooperate, I should be close.
Tomorrow, to kick off my training, I am running the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon that is run in conjunction with Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. While I am not in racing shape, my goal is to finish in under 100 minutes (1:40). The only race I have done this spring was a 6 miler in 41:39?. My race prediction formula predicts 1:39:05 so unless the weather does not cooperate, I should be close.
Time for a Beer run!!! The best beer is made in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Here is how to get to New Glarus.
And then to the New Glarus Brewing Co.
Of just visit them on the web:
http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/
New Glarus make some great beers.
Their fruity beers, Wisconsin Belgian Red & Raspberry Tart, are their top award winners but I think Spotted Cow is their top seller.
They have a variety of other brews, though too. My favorite (currently) is Yokel but I'm eagerly waiting their Bavarian Weiss coming this summer.
http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/beers.html
And then to the New Glarus Brewing Co.
Of just visit them on the web:
http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/
New Glarus make some great beers.
Their fruity beers, Wisconsin Belgian Red & Raspberry Tart, are their top award winners but I think Spotted Cow is their top seller.
They have a variety of other brews, though too. My favorite (currently) is Yokel but I'm eagerly waiting their Bavarian Weiss coming this summer.
http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/beers.html
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