I Rocked the Parkway

I ran the Rock the Parkway half marathon, or pikermi, over the weekend. Going into this block of training I wanted to run another personal record. The PR didn't happen but it was a good time. Well, I ran a time I was happy with and I enjoyed the race.

It was warmer than I was expecting. Probably around 70 degrees. Also, it rained the night before so the humidity was high and the roads were wet and slick. I was expecting a relatively flat course and that didn't happen either.

As the race started I did my best to hold back my pace. I have difficulty not being caught up in the moment of the start and running too fast. At mile one I realized I needed to slow down. I watched the clock for the first few miles and settled into a good rhythm.

I made a decision to skip the first aid station, as I was feeling good. Also, skipped the second. This doesn't really save much time but it does cut down on the stress of grabbing a cup, fighting the people, and trying to maintain pace. I've run plenty of 13 milers without water so I knew I could skip a few.

Around half way I started trying to turn things up. Somewhere in here is when another runner passed me. At this point in races I generally am not passed. That happens plenty at the beginning but towards the end I try to pick people off. After picking up the pace and passing this lady things were looking good. Until she passed me again. Turned things up again and got in front of her.

Mile 10 presented all of us with a big climb. About a half mile of an unrelenting ever increasing elevation. I'm a decent hill climber. I thought for sure this would put a gap between me and my chosen opponent. Not the case, this lady was a challenge but it's always fun to have someone to race.

Mile 11 I started pushing harder, mile 12 even harder. Next thing I notice, lady is in front of me AGAIN, and hauling the mail like I couldn't believe. Never caught her even with my 6:51 pace.

Last 0.1 of a mile I gave it my all for a 5:55 pace but was about 10 feet too slow.

Race ended with an official chip time of 1:41:49.7

And here is the data from the race.

Groundhog 2012

A couple Sundays ago was my almost annual running of the TLC's Groundhog 10k. It is almost annual because Stephen and I missed it for his wedding reception last year. I think that is an excused absence.

The race is held underground in the Hunt Midwest Subtropolis. It was a giant limestone mine that has been turned into the largest underground business complex (according to the owners). It has a post office and a bunch of businesses built in this thing. And roads. Yes, roads underground that are big enough for semis! You can watch a little promo video on that link up there and see a truck in this thing to give you an idea of the size. I bet you're thinking something like, 'wow semis under ground. that is big.' Well it gets bigger, areas have TRAIN TRACKS. BIG.

In a place that big why not have a race at the end of January. They hold a 5k and a 10k. The 5k is one lap of the place and the 10k is 2 laps. In terms of racing it is a great place. 60-65 degrees, virtually completely flat, no wind. It really makes for an amazing experience. My only two faults for it are a couple tight turns that we have to take and a sewage smell in one area that lasts for about 25 meters.

Stephen and I arrive an hour or so before the start so we can pick up our packets, pin our numbers, and warm up. I also had some quality time checking out a lady that I was too chicken to talk to until after the race. I think she was too young anyway.

Our plan was to not blow out the first few miles and pick up the pace to the end. When we started my legs didn't really get moving and Stephen was out in front of me quickly. I got up to speed and kept the distance between us constant for a few miles. Other runners around me were stomping, panting, gasping, falling back, and just generally losing it. I have noticed in a certain range of paces you have the people that have been running for awhile yet haven't figured out how to start at a sustainable pace. I used to do this and eventually they'll learn.

Around mile 4 I started to notice I wasn't in good shape. Mile 5 I slowed pathetically but was able to start to pick it back up right at the end. Stephen finished ahead of me in 117th place with a time of 45:11.8. And I ended up finishing 149th in 46:50.1. In our age group we were 21st and 25th. A total of 1172 people ran the 10k against us.

Now for a few pictures. These below are interesting just because you can see one complete stride in the series. I like seeing how I run. How I think I run vs how it looks. How much I swing my arms. How my feet land. I can see why my soles wear out the way they do. I still need to get my elbows in and swing my arms only forward and back. I have too much cross body motion.

And now for the ladies, you can drool over a picture of Stephen and his awesome legs. Just be careful to not drool directly into your keyboard. And he is TAKEN, so don't ask. Also, his W will kill you then I will.

photos copied from Action Sports Images, LLC

Rock & Roll Marathon STL

Sunday October 23, 2011 I knocked 33 minutes of my marathon personal record.

The run started in earnest 18 weeks earlier. That's when I started on the training plan from Hal Higdon. The whole process was actually new yet familiar. I had followed one of his plans for a half marathon earlier in the year. It worked very well for me so I tried it for the full 26.2 miles. Let me tell you, 18 weeks is a long time to be following a plan.

Race weekend arrived. I made this journey with my best friends, StAshley or Stephen and Ashley. They're married and I have to say, awesome. This was Ashley's first marathon and she wanted Stephen to run it with her. He did and she ended killing my first marathon time, and Stephen's. While it is very obvious her accomplishment is fantastic I don't want Stephen's to become lost in the shuffle. Most people don't have any idea what it is like to run a long distance race at someone else's pace. It is an extremely selfless act.

The morning started off dark and chilly. I was in corral 1. The race started and I ran. I can't say I was really focused on my speed. I started with everyone around me but also made sure I was being slowly passed by those people. See, I have this little problem of going out too hot. It is occasionally used to get a laugh now and again.

There were around 25,000 people at this race. The first aid station was just over a mile in. With so many people I was having a bit of an issue getting a drink while being polite so I bolted to an open spot. Went to grab a cup but instead knocked the whole cup onto the volunteer. As you can tell we still had a lot of people at the 5k mark (24:43) from the picture below. You might also notice the very attractive lady over my right shoulder. Turns out she ran the half and beat my best half marathon time by 1 second. What a B! (Kidding, good work. Wanna go have dinner?)

Next big deal was around mile 8. Mom was going to be there. Well, supposed to be there. She was late. I thought about how Ashley would at least have some cheering for you and laughed about how she would try to ask them where I was. She sometimes doesn't understand what it's like on the course but I'm always happy when she is able to come to a race. This is also where we split from the half-marathoners. The course thinned out but we still had a lot of spectators and a fair number of runners.

Half way point was next (1:47:59) and arrived there feeling very good and being very impressed with my time. I thought, wow, I'm rollin.

That feeling changed around mile 20-22. This is when the struggle bus arrived and I got on board. I just started making deals with myself. Thinking about how I only had X number of miles. It's funny how easy 4 miles is at the front end, and how impossible it can be at the back end.

I crossed the finish line after 3:47:45 of running. This blew the old record out of the water by 33 minutes. Did I want to be faster, of course but am I happy with my time, ABSO-FRIGGIN-LUTELY!

Bourbon Chase 2011

This was the best event I've ever been a part of.

The Bourbon Chase is a 200 mile overnight relay race from Jim Beam to downtown Lexington. Along the way we pass Heaven Hill, Maker's Mark, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and Woodford Reserve.

I was roped into doing this over a year ago by a bunch of people I only knew via twitter. During this last year leading up to the event I've visited them several times and was even a guest at a wedding between two of the runners, Dooch and Jess.

After meeting up with most of Team Shirlock at a Waffle House (it's a house not a home) we went to Patty's. Patty is the sister of a former team mate from 2 years ago. She's obviously a really cool lady because she offered her BEAUTIFUL 1864 farmhouse for us to stay pre and post race. She and her husband, Steve, even made us breakfast.

We picked up the rest of the team at the Louisville airport and headed to Jim Beam. I've never been to a distillery. It really is an impressive place. I think the neatest aspect is the barrel warehouses. These building are HUGE. Stories tall, hundreds of feet long, and tens of feet wide. They are just packed with barrels of bourbon. There really isn't much room to walk. All the barrels are in racks on their sides towering up and into the darkness.

Dooch started us off at 2:45 in the afternoon on Friday. From here we just kept running. Person after person and leg after leg. We were supposed to have 12 runners but we only had 10. Some of us ended up running 4 legs with others running the standard 3.

Two of my 4 were at night. Around 1:30 and 3:30. I pretty much hauled the mail on the 1:30 leg. Averaged a 7:27/mile pace. If darkness can be gorgeous this was. All of the runners are required to wear a reflective vest, a headlamp, and a red taillight. The run was a road that was miles of straight pavement with slight elevation gain. When i would look behind me there was an endless stream of tiny white bouncing lights and ahead of me blinking red lights. I don't know what was so interesting about this scene, maybe I was delirious from lack of sleep but several times I'd look at this and smile and laugh. The next leg at night was much more challenging. It was me, the darkness, and my breath in my headlamp. Well those things along with the 3 runners that past me. It was tough; all alone, long, sleepy, hoping i wasn't lost, hungry.

My last leg I almost don't want to mention. Only 4.2 miles but so difficult due to cramps I would have quit if I didn't have a teammate waiting on me to hand them the slap-bracelet. Yeah, we had a slap-bracelet and I know you're jealous.

The best 28 hours 29 minutes ever. Pictures do much better justice than my words.

I run.

On tonight's 10 miler I came to the realization I don't think I have blog ideas because I think about all the stuff that most people blog about while I run. I'll do my best to remember what I think about so I have something to notwrite about.

Some of my friends know how much I run, some don't. These are all my kicks I am currently alternating between. That collection will end up lasting me about a year.

Heart of America Marathon 2011

What a day. The weather was perfect, I was awesome. Linked up with Dana around the 1 mile mark. I almost was hit by a car. It was completely my fault. Generally it isn't advisable to run out into a street when you have a red light and cars are coming and it is still dark out. Turns out this was Dana's first marathon. We chatted about running to help the time pass. It's amazing how fast the miles go by when you have someone to talk to. Eventually my guts caught up to me and I had to stop for some relief. After 6 minutes in the best port-a-potty ever I hit the trail again. Caught back up to Dana, got him to mile 22 and he told me to go on. Finished with a new PR. I recommend armature marathoners walk any major hills. Big thank you goes to Stephen for his nutrition advice, Dana for putting up and talking to a stranger, Danny for always being positive and feeding me, and Jess for being there to cheer for me like she said she would.
Can all training runs be like this?