Dash and Dine 5k - November 22, 2012

It was a beautiful Thanksgiving morning with temperatures in the mid 50's, sunny skies and a 10mph breeze from the SW.   I note the race conditions for two reasons.  First, the conditions were much warmer (nicer) than average for this time of year in Minnesota.  But also because the conditions didn't last very long once the race was over.  By early afternoon a cold strong NW wind blew in icy rain that changed over to all snow by mid afternoon.  By end of day the temps were only in the mid teens.  It got ugly, but fortunately the timing of the morning race allowed for beautiful race conditions.

This was my first 5k race since last winter.  After a strong half marathon last month, I felt confident going into this race.  The course in Chisago City, MN was relatively flat and I was hoping to challenge my personal best at this distance.  This is a small race (about 300 runners), so congestion is not a problem.  As the race began I went out fast, running the first mile in 6:15.  I was well on my way to a great time, but during the early stages of mile two, my right calf muscle cramped badly.  I tried to relax and keep it loose, but the cramp was too strong and didn't want to relinquish.  I had to shorten my stride and gut it out from here.

My 2nd mile was about 15 seconds slower than my first mile due to the cramp.  With a little more than a mile to go, the calf muscle started to go numb.  I wanted to finish with a kick, but it was all I could do to maintain my pace with the cramping leg issue.  I finished with a time of 19:52 which was 14 seconds off my best 5k, but it was my second fastest 5k among the 11 that I've run.  Overall I finished 13th among 284 runners and 1st in my age group of 17.  I need to run more 5k's in warmer weather conditions.  Most of my 5k races have been winter runs.  My next race will be New Year's Day.  

Race Results:
http://www.frontrunnerusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/dashdine5kresults2012.txt

Monster Dash Half Marathon - October 27, 2012

It's been a long 6 months since my last race.  In early may I injured my left foot and was on crutches for a few days.  The injury was diagnosed as Metatarsalgia...the swelling of the metatarsals (the balls of my left foot).  It happened on a 10 mile run where I ignored the warning signs that something was not right.  Big mistake.  I was unable to run for two months before completely healed.  Once I began running again, it became clear that I was starting all over again, having lost so much in the two month layoff.

I missed Grandma's Marathon in June.  I was also registered for Twin Cities Marathon in early October.  My training/rebuilding process had several setbacks.  No injuries, but other factors that prevented me from building back into marathon shape.  My base mileage was not where it needed to be in early October.  15 mile runs were my max.  I felt like I was getting back into half marathon shape.  So I decided to run Twin Cities with the pre-determined plan to intentionally drop out somewhere after the midway point.  It felt weird dropping out at mile 16 and not finishing the race.  First time I didn't finish a race in my life.  I kept telling myself it was the right thing to do.  I had a half marathon (Monster Dash) on my calendar in late October I wanted to run.  Gutting my way to the finish line at Twin Cities would have meant a long post race recovery and jeopardized my final training for Monster Dash.

As Monster Dash approached, I was nervous and excited.  After not racing for so long it felt brand new again.  The weather was cold (25-30 degrees), but winds were not much of a factor and it was dry and sunny.  Virtually the same race conditions we had at Twin Cities a few weeks earlier.  I felt confident I could run well today despite not crossing a finish line in 6 months.    



 

I went for broke right from the start and felt good running a 6:45 mile pace.  The course runs West on Summit Avenue in St Paul from the Cathedral, all the way to the river and then follows the river south and east back into downtown St Paul where it finished.  With about 5 miles to go I knew I was on pace to challenge my best time.  I was able to improve my overall pace a few seconds as the race progressed. 

 

I crossed the finish line with a time of 1:28:02, beating my prior best half marathon by one minute and 13 seconds.  My fastest half marathon among the 14 I've completed.  My overall pace was 6:43/mile.  I finished 78th overall among 6,030 finishers and 3rd in my age group among 81 finishers.

 

Race results

http://www.mtecresults.com/race/show/1224 

 

 

Get in Gear Half Marathon - April 28, 2012

Get in Gear is one of the longest running, most successful race series in Minnesota which attracts premier runners every year to Minnehaha Park.  Celebrating it's 35th season, it has expanded to a 4 race event, however the 10k remains it's signature race and premier event.  Known as the first "mega" race in Minnesota that drew over 5,000 runners in 1978, Get in Gear continues to draws strong runner participation and top talent with over $6,000 in prize money for registered USATF athletes.

I'm in the process of ramping up my race distances in preparation for Grandma's Marathon in June, so I chose to run the half marathon today, my longest race so far this year.  From a weather perspective, March and April switched places this year.  As race day approached, the weather forecast projected the tri-fecta of bad running weather...cold, windy and wet.  The potential for poor weather looked so bad that I debated if I should even run the race.  I decided to arrive early and find a prime parking spot close to the start of the race where I could stay warm/dry in my car before making the decision to run or not.  This wasn't easy to do in this part of town as street parking is very limited.  But arriving 90 minutes before the race I was able to find a spot just a few hundred yards from the start.

It was an odd morning with a 46 degree temperature when I drove to the race.  But after parking, ice pellets began bouncing off the hood of my car as the air temp plummeted to 39 degrees with fierce winds.  My biggest concern was staying dry before the race.  I knew if I could stay dry until the race began, I would be okay.  I just didn't want to get soaked before the race began in these cold and windy conditions, a recipe for hypothermia in a race of this distance.  I ventured out for an easy 1 mile warm up to get the blood flowing and then back to my warm car to shed my sweat gear and wait for the start which was about 10 minutes away.  It was sprinkling lightly as I jogged from my car to the starting corral, hoping the rain would stay light until the race began, but peeking at my iPhone radar I could see we were in for a wet race. 

The 10k and half marathon races began at the same time.  Both races used the same start and finish, but the half marathon extends further on the St.Paul side of the course than the 10k.  As the national anthem played, I recognized that I hadn't given much thought to a race strategy yet.  As the horn sounded to start the race, I began piecing my race strategy together on the fly.  Runner traffic was heavy at the start and forced me to run defensively to avoid getting tripped up while also trying to navigate past groups of slow runners who had no business lining up near the front of the pack.  Unfortunately racing etiquette is lost by a small minority of runners who are either inexperienced in racing or simply don't care about others on the course.  Fortunately they are a minority, but I see them in every race...a story for another time.  We immediately left Minnehaha Park heading north on West River Parkway for the first two miles of the race.  It was raining lightly, but the strong easterly wind was not going to be a factor until entering the St Paul side of the course. 

From there we crossed over to the St Paul side on Marshall Ave, then south on Mississippi River Blvd.  The only significant hill on the course was just after the 3 mile mark.  The overall course was relatively flat which I enjoyed very much.  I settled into a 6:50/mile pace at this point and held this pace throughout the race.  Miles 7-9 were wet and tough.  This is were the wind became a big factor as the course turned directly into the teeth of the wind.  Water puddles were now all over the road.  I try to avoid them at all cost as they sometimes hide dangerous potholes that can end a race quickly with a bad ankle sprain. 

 I reached the turn-around at the 9 mile mark and began making my way back to the finish.  The last 4 miles were with the wind, but the rain continued to fall as the miles ticked by.  With one mile to go I crossed back to the Minneapolis side on the 46th Street bridge.  I knew I had a good time going, but didn't realize I had the opportunity to run under 90 minutes until entering Minnehaha Park for the final 600 yards.

I finished in 1:29:35.  My second fasted half marathon among the 13 I've completed and just 20 seconds off my personal best.  I finished 42nd overall among 1,244 finishers and 2nd among 36 finishers in my age group.  As soon as I finished, I headed straight for my car.  I drove home with the heat on high and still found myself shivering the entire drive home.  A long hot shower was exactly what I needed to bake the chill out of my body.  A tough, but satisfying race despite the conditions.  Hopefully spring...make that summer will return soon.         

Goldy's Run 10 Mile - April 14, 2012

I saw this race on line over the winter and being a U of M alumnus, I thought this one could be a lot of fun.  Having run the Mississippi parkways many times, I understood the course was not an easy one.  Many hills and descending stretches that would test the mind and the quads.  However the finish, which would be inside TCF Bank Stadium, looked like a fun way to close it out.

Our early spring has suddenly decided to take a bit of a break this past week with cold, blustery weather.  Yesterday was ugly.  Cloudy, cold, wet and super windy with gusts over 30mph all day long.  Yet, the forecast on race morning gave hope that a small sliver of nice weather would settle over us during the race, before more rain and wind later that same day.  I woke up 2 hours before the race ands breathed a sigh of relief when I saw clear skies with no clouds in sight.  The winds had also calmed very nicely.  It was about 48 degrees at race time with temps projected to climb to the mid 50's toward the end of the race.  Absolutely perfect weather considering what we had yesterday.

This was my longest race of the spring so far (10 miles) and a good next progression leading up to my first half marathon in two weeks.  There were roughly 1,400 runners in the 10 mile event and despite parking challenges around the stadium, the race began on time at 8am.  The first mile took us west from the stadium on University Ave past the U of M campus and down to E River Parkway heading south.  I knew the first mile was going to be a breeze with much of it covering the decent to the river.  I intentionally held back to make sure I didn't go out any faster than my target pace of 6:45/mile.  This wasn't hard to accomplish as much to my surprise, there were several solid hill to climb over the first two miles which I hadn't expected. 

Miles 3 and 4 followed E River Parkway down to the Lake Street bridge and then over to the west side of the river before heading north on W River Parkway.  Runner traffic had thinned out considerably by this time and I could feel the warmth of the sun on my back as the temps began to climb into the mid 50's.

I held my target pace through mile 7 as I passed under Washington Ave and the U's West Bank.  Next came one of the toughest hills on the course heading up toward the 35W bridge.  This quarter mile climb at the beginning of mile 8 took more out of my legs than I expected as my pace faded a bit.  This wasn't the only hill to conquer in mile 8.  This mile included 2 tough hills...a mile tough enough to make any one's legs rubbery.  The second hill climbed up to the Northern Pacific foot bridge which brought us across the river to the East Bank again.  The final tough hill came early in mile 9, a short but steep climb up Arlington St back into the heart of the East Bank campus.

By this time I conquered all the tough hills on the course, but still had a mile and a half left to go, as I tried to push my burning legs to the finish line.  The rest of mile 8 and early stages of mile 9 consisted of many twists and turns through the East Bank campus before rejoining University Ave for the final push to the finish inside TCF Bank Stadium.  With less than a half mile to go, we made a clockwise loop around the outside of the stadium before entering on the east end of the football field.  One final sprint to the 50 yard line and the race was over.        

I finished with a time of 1:08:28 (6:51/mile pace).  81 seconds off my best 10 mile time, however this was the most difficult 10 mile course I have run so far.  I finished 34th overall among 1,430 runners and 1st among 43 in my age group.  My next race will be the Get in Gear Half Marathon on April 28th.

Race Results:
http://67.23.19.61/system/files/6134/original/Overall.pdf?1334419195

Race Video:
http://www.goraceday.com/watch/6928/  

Twin Cities Get Lucky 7k - March 17, 2012

I've been looking forward to my spring race schedule this year.  Last year unseasonably cold weather and high winds greeted me at every race.  The mild winter has given hope that weather conditions will be much better this spring.  So far so good.  In fact the weather seems to have others thinking the same thing.  Last year's Get Lucky 7k brought out 5,000 participants in 30 degree weather (very good).  However this year's 60 degree race temps brought out almost 9,000 runners.  Race organizers proclaimed it the largest participant 7k race in the world.  A 7k race distance is not common, so they may not have much competition, but any race that can attract this many runners is very profitable and going to make race organizers happy. 

The race took place just north of Downtown Minneapolis along the Mississippi River.  One large counterclockwise loop (7k is approximately 4.4 miles) with two river crossings.  This is the same course as last year. 

I was happy with my race last year finishing in 28 minutes flat. I was hoping to run just as well this year. It was a good winter training season with minimal setbacks. This allowed me to focus my weekday treadmill workouts on interval runs, tempo runs and strides and end each week with a 10 mile outdoor run on Saturday. I felt prepared and ready to take on this race.

 

With the race falling on Saint Patrick's Day and carrying a Saint Patrick's Day theme, there was much green to be seem among the thousands of runners.  I started up near the front to avoid congestion. As most races are chip timed, it doesn't matter where you line up because your timer won't start until you cross the starting line. But it can be troublesome trying to weave your way through slower traffic if you start too far back in the pack.

I settled into an early rhythm running my first mile in 6:25 which is right where I wanted to be. Mile two has a cobblestone section that I found difficult to run on last year because of the uneven footing.  This section begins at the end of the Stone Arch Bridge which brought us to the East side of the river and runs along Main St until about Hennepin Ave.  This year I stayed on the sidewalk through this section which helped keep my mind off the possibility of a sprained ankle if I were running on the uneven stones. The wind was primarily to our back in mile two and three.  I could feel the heat of the sun on my back for the first time this year.

The second river crossing around the 3 mile mark is one of the most challenging sections of the race. The Plymouth Avenue bridge is basically a good sized hill due to it's crown shaped design. We were also running into the wind as we crossed back to the west side of the river. Runner traffic was really thinning out by mile 3. I passed a small handful of runners just past the bridge, but that was the last set of runners I was able to catch and pass along the course.

With just over a mile to go as we turned onto West River Road for the final stretch. I could see one runner up ahead in the distance, but realized I wasn't gaining any ground on him. I no longer heard footsteps behind me either. I was alone for the final mile, just trying to stay mentally tough and push my way to the finish.

















The voice of the public address announcer is one of the best sounds ever in a race, as it signifies you are closing in on the finish.  Coming around the final turn was a large group of spectators lining the finish area.  My time was 27:51, which was 9 seconds faster than last year.  I was 20th overall among 8,786 finishers and 1st in my new age group among 84 finishers.  I was happy with pace which I was able to maintain at 6:25/mile throughout the race.

My next race is April 14th (Goldy's Run).  A 10 mile race that finishes inside TCF Stadium on the U of M campus.  Hoping for more good running weather this spring, but so far so good.

Race Results
http://www.mtecresults.com/race/show/668
Finish Video
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=536&race=668

Frosty 5k - January 28, 2012

In my last post I stated that winter racing just isn't my thing and that my next race won't be until March. Well, the first part of that statement remains true, however our relatively warm winter led me to brave another race in late January.  I love to search the web for new races and stumbled across a new 5k event at the University of Minnesota, the campus of my old alma mater.  The course consisted of two loops that touched both the east and west banks of the campus.  I haven't been on the old university grounds for years which is why the race intrigued me.  So I decided to go back in time to revisit my old college days.  

It was a sunny 20 degrees on race morning with a stiff west wind to greet those of us who turned out for the race.  There were also a number of slick icy spots along the east campus side of the course requiring some caution early in the race while running in heavier traffic.  The race began directly in front of Coffman Memorial Union which served as the finish line as well.         

The first counter clockwise loop around the east bank went by quickly as I made my way past old Northrop Auditorium and then headed south toward Washington Avenue for the first of four Mississippi River crossings.  It brought back memories of many cold walks across the bridge as a student in the late 70's.  The brisk west wind reminded me that some things never change.  

As we completed our first loop on the west bank side, I was surprised to see that they directed us back north before looping around the south end of the Rarig Center as the course map showed.  I didn't think too much of it at the time, but it became a factor by the end of the race.  With the wind now at my back, I headed east for my second trip across the river and back onto the east bank to begin the second and final lap of the race.                                         

The second loop of the race was winding down after visiting the west bank for a second time.  As I crossed the river for the 4th and final time toward the east bank, my Garmin confirmed my suspicions that the course distance may be a bit short based on the curious course adjustment on the west bank side.  I soon made my way back to Coffman Union toward the finish.  The race clock confirmed my suspicions with a reading of 19:35 when I crossed the finish line.  A time that would represent my fastest 5k race by 3 seconds.  I raced hard as always today, but I knew this wasn't my fasted 5k race considering the time of year and conditions.  My Garmin said the race distance was 2.95 miles as the distance - or 4.75k.  Projecting my pace (6:38/mile) to a full 5k distance, my time would have been 20:37 which seems more reasonable with what I expected to run on a chilly January morning.  Overall I finished 8th among 112 finishers and 1st among 9 in my age group (40+). 

I enjoyed my brief return visit to the U of M.  It was a fun race.  Maybe by next year they will fix the course distance and make it a true 5k event.

Results:

http://www.mnfrosty5k.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Frosty-5K-2012_Overall-Results.pdf

http://www.mnfrosty5k.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Frosty-5K-2012_Award-Winners.pdf            

Polar Dash 10k - January 1, 2012

I ran the Polar Dash 10k two years ago in 5 degree weather, but it was a sunny day with calm winds which made things tolerable. With our unusually mild winter I was hoping for a dry track and moderate temps this year. But New Year's Eve dumped a quick two inches of snow on us which made the track wet and slushy in some sections. It also brought colder temps (25 degrees), but still relatively mild for this time of year. However the main story today was the wind. 30mph sustained winds from the WNW with gusts up to 50mph. I guess it wouldn't be a winter race in Minnesota without some aspect of the weather making its presence known.

The 10k course runs southeast along the Mississippi River on E River Parkway to the 3.1 mile turn-around point. Then it retraces it's steps back to the start/finish line. There are some moderate hill climbs in the first half of the race which become downhill stretches on the return trip to the start/finish line. The strong winds provided a bit of a push to the turn-around point, but became a stiff obstacle on the return trip. I had hoped to run a sub 40 minute 10k under good conditions, but with a slushy track and strong winds I gave up on that goal before the race began. Events like this one sponsored by Team Ortho always attract a large number of participants (over 800 ran the 10k). Plus, they also sponsor 5k and half marathon races which all take place at the same time, utilizing the same course for the most part.

With possible footing issues, I decided to wear my marathon shoes for better traction, but they are a bit heavier (7 ounces) than my normal 10k racing shoes (4 ounces). I felt good going into this race with two months of speed and tempo training under my belt. Knowing I had to battle headwinds over the final 3 miles I didn't want to go out too hard only to crash and burn while trying to fight the wind on the return side. However, I felt a little "dead-legged" in the first half of the race for some reason. I ran the first mile in 6:38, mile 2 in 6:39 and mile 3 in 6:37. The course wasn't too bad with regard to the slush, as tire lanes were down to the blacktop. But whenever I had to run outside of the tire lanes, slush stuck to the bottom of my shoes creating added weight for a stride or two until it fell off. It's surprising how a little extra weight on the bottom of a shoe can throw off your natural stride just enough to mess your rhythm when fatigued.

As I reached the turn-around and headed for home I felt the immediate impact of the wind which was uneven with strong gusts. I tried to block out the wind and look forward to several downhill sections on my way to the finish. Another element in this race that also caused me problems two years ago was coming up. With 1.5 miles to go, the 5k race merges into my race utilizing the same finish. As I came to this point in the race I could see the problem was going to be the same as two years ago. Hundreds of slower 5k runners had already made their way onto the parkway ahead of me. The issue could be solved in the future by delaying the start of the 5k an additional 10 minutes - 25 minutes after the start of the 10k rather than the 15 minute delay they used today. This would help match 10k and 5k runners up who are running roughly the same pace and eliminate congestion issues and possible injury as runners try to pass. Weaving back and forth through slower 5k traffic was like trying to solve a puzzle, all the while trying to avoid contact with other runners. This continued on to the finish line.

I finished with a time of 41:11 (6:38/mile pace), good for 9th place overall among 815 runners and 1st among 27 in my age group. I was happy with how I placed despite the fact I ran slower than I wanted to. But I did maintain a steady pace throughout the race. This was my 8th fasted 10k race to date - about 2 minutes off my personal best. My next race isn't until mid March, almost two and a half months out. Winter racing can be so unpredictable and frustrating for me at times. It just isn't my thing, but I do it anyway to break the monotony of training 6 months straight without some type of goal or reward to focus on. Maybe, just maybe I'll sneak in a 5k race before then if good weather happens to fall on a race weekend in February. Time will tell.

Race Results:
http://mtecresults.com/race/show/597