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