Turkey Day 5k - November 26, 2015

My final race for 2015 is the Lifetime Fitness Turkey Day 5k in downtown Minneapolis.  I ran this race back in 2009 when it was an "open" race with no individual timing.  However they finally integrated chip timing for the runners, so I gladly chose this race again for weather related reasons.  The race begins near Target Center where Lifetime operates a club.  So they utilize the Target Center lobby as their race headquarters.  Nice to have the comfort of being indoors prior to the start of the race, as weather can be rough this time of year.  Last year I ran a Thanksgiving Day race in downtown St Paul with no weather protection other than my car in a parking lot.  It was zero degrees last Thanksgiving, so no more of that kind of nonsense.

Today's race was a bit warmer.  34 degrees with an 11mph wind from the north.  Snow was just moving into the area and it began to snow just minutes before the start.  The race doesn't offer a bag drop, so you have to wear what you run in.  Maybe it was the holiday, but I wasn't overly motivated for the race today.  With the cold, wet, windy weather, I decided to stay warm right up to the race and forgo any kind of pre-race warm-up.  Just start cold turkey (no pun intended).  Of course I was also resigning myself to the fact that I wouldn't be running a competitive 5k time, but I would get a nice uptempo workout in and earn my Thanksgiving dinner.

My time was 20:47, good for 88th place among 2,664 finishers and 2nd in my 10 year age group of 138 runners.  My 4th slowest 5k among 15, so nothing to write home about.  I captured the pictures below from the race results website just after crossing the finish line.  December will be an easy run month while I also begin to lay out my race schedule for next year.

Race Results:
https://results.chronotrack.com/event/results/event/event-11533?_ga=1.128739215.266703160.1448485468    

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon - October 4, 2015

Marathon day has arrived and the weather is perfect.  A 45 degree mostly sunny morning, with a light breeze from the east.  Can't ask for better weather.  In fact the weather for the Twin Cities Marathon has been very good over the past 4 years.  On marathon weekend the trees usually display some early fall color, but thanks to a warm September, the trees are almost 100% green today, giving it more of a summer-like look, other than the cool temperature.  Today represents my 3rd consecutive Twin Cities Marathon and my 5th Twin Cities Marathon overall.  I really like this marathon.  The weather is usually great, the course is challenging, but fair and the crowd support is solid and encouraging throughout the course.  It also has the best 800 meter finish among all the marathons I've run.  Maybe I'm partial to my home town race, but it's much easier to manage my pre-race week routine at home.  No travel arrangements to deal with, or strange beds that make for restless nights right before the race.  Destination marathons can be glamorous and fun, but they are much more stressful.  Lots of other things to clutter the mind with besides the race itself.

Based on my last race which didn't go well at all, my goal today was to run 3:25, or better.  My average time over my last 3 TCM's is around 3:15, but having run just one other long distance race this year, a race in which I bombed over the last 5 miles, I'm not coming into this one with a ton of confidence.  But the great race weather this morning inspired me to go out at a 3:15 marathon pace anyway and see what happens.  In last month's Bear Water 20 mile race I hit the wall at the 15 mile mark and faded badly with calf cramping issues in both legs.  Something I haven't struggled with in years.  However, in addition to the good racing conditions, I figured I would benefit from the great atmosphere and adrenaline this race provides and I'm coming into this race injury free - knock on wood regarding my calf muscles.  But I could be in for a long, rough morning if I hit the wall at the 15 mile mark again.  The thought of trying to cover the final 11.2 miles on an empty tank scares me to death.        

The first 10 miles of this race is actually a lot of fun.  I suppose that's mostly because your tank is still full, so the first 10 is of course the easiest 10.  There is great crowd support in large numbers, leaving downtown Minneapolis toward the lakes.  Winding through the beautiful lake parkways (Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet and Minnehaha Creek) provide a fun backdrop of great scenery, with loud and boisterous supporters lining the roads.  In some areas, the crowds are 5 rows deep on both sides of the road.  Almost every year I encounter someone I know from my past that sees me run by and shouts out a much appreciated word of encouragement.  This year is was a former neighbor.  One year it was an old running buddy from high school I hadn't seen in years.  You never know who you will see along the way, but when you do, it provides a momentary shot of adrenaline to help get you through the next mile.  

My cheering section (my wife, all 4 children and 3 grandchildren) did an outstanding job tracking me throughout the race.  I think they identified at least 7 or more locations along the route to stop and cheer me on.  This isn't easy to do - particularly with 3 young children in and out of car seats.  There is a lot of marathon traffic all trying to follow runners along the route, but my son-in-law always seems to have a great plan that allows them to arrive at the next destination just before I pass by.  They cheer so loud, everyone around them turns and smiles.  Their support is a huge help to me along the way.  I even heard my 3 year old granddaughter cheering "Go Papa!" during one of their stops.  They all seem to love to watch the marathon and it shows in their enthusiasm.  This year my son and daughter-in-law were my official photographers, taking pictures and video clips each time they stopped.  At mile 18, my family didn't have time to get out of the car because I was already passing by, but they found an opening where they could drive on a road that paralleled the course to hang out of the car windows and cheer me on for about two blocks.  I noticed other runners wondering who they were cheering for, so I proudly claimed them as my supporters.  

The course rounds Lake Nokomis counterclockwise to the east side of the lake, where I reached the midway point of the race in 1:36:04.  Last year I reached the midway point in 1:36:21, while two year's ago I clocked 1:36:14.  Almost identical times the past 3 years.  Now the preliminaries are over and the real racing begins.  I was still feeling okay midway through the race, but by mile 15, my right calf muscle began to tighten up.  Over the next two miles I had difficulty fully extending my stride and noticed my pace was slowing.  Then my left calf began to tighten as well, but not as bad.  I tried to keep my mind away from the discomfort and focus on other thoughts, as panic was beginning to set in.  Maybe it was the extra swig of water I took in at the next two water stations, but by mile 18, the pain was gone, other than the normal fatigue one feels after 18 miles of running.
    

Even better news.  Crossing over to the St. Paul side on the Franklin Avenue Bridge (mile 19), my pace was still holding true.  Fatigue was definitely setting in like always at this point in the race, but I was still rolling along.  I passed the 20 mile mark almost 5 minutes faster than I ran last month's 20 mile race.  Now the race becomes as much a mental battle as it is a physical battle.  6 miles to go, but two of those miles (22/23) are tough uphill miles heading east from the river.  I try not to think about them as they approach, but it's kind of like the elephant in the room.  You know it's there and it's unpleasant, but you try to avoid it as long as you can until that dreaded left hand turn on the Mississippi River Boulevard where the climb up to Summit Avenue begins.  

Being my 5th Twin Cities Marathon, I probably know this course all too well by now.  I know what's coming, when it will come and exactly how it will feel.  Although in great shape time-wise, the two hill miles took a toll on me.  I ran mile 22 about 30 seconds slower than my overall pace, while mile 23 was not as bad, but still 20 seconds slower than my pace over the first 21 miles.  But the real test is trying to get back on race pace after completing these two uphill miles.  Although I ran a very solid race today, better than I expected, my needle was now registering below the empty mark and I was not having success getting back on race pace over the final 3 miles.  I did regain some speed and tempo after the hill miles, but ran the final 3 miles about 15 seconds/mile slower than my race pace prior to the hills.  

Like last year, I decided not to reference my Garmin over the final 6 miles for fear that the slower mile splits might have an even greater adverse affect on my mental psyche, causing me to lose heart and slow even further. There are sections of Summit Avenue over the final miles that create an optical illusion, where it looks like a slight hill up ahead when actually the course (miles 24/25) is flat to mildly downhill.  I've learned to not focus on these illusions from a distance, as they can be mentally depressing at this stage of the race - particularly when they aren't what they appear to be.  The mind can play some bad tricks on you when in 100% fatigue sets in.    

My favorite mile of the race (the last mile) was finally here, as Summit Avenue bends northeast and and turns into John Ireland Boulevard for the final 800 meters.  That's about the distance remaining once the St. Paul Cathedral comes into view.  The Cathedral also represents the beginning of my favorite marathon finish.  As you pass the Cathedral you look down upon the State Capitol grounds and the finish line from above.  The next 400 meters bends downhill from the Cathedral and then straightens and levels out for the last 400 meters.  Spectators line both sides of the boulevard, cheering you home.  I don't hear much of the cheering, but I do focus on the public address announcer's voice (wish I knew his name).  You begin to hear his voice with 800 meters to go.  He's been the voice of the marathon for years and I love the sound of his voice, because the louder his voice becomes, the closer I am to the finish line.  

I finished with a time of 3:14:59, good for 506th place among 8,543 finishers and 10th in my age group of 296.  Although I was 3rd among Minnesotan's, as 6 of the age group runners that beat me were from elsewhere in the country, including one Canadian.  I ran the last half of the race 2.5 minutes slower than the first half, but still very happy with my overall time, considering my doubts entering the race.  I also discovered that only 4% of the race finishers are older than me, so finishing in the top 6% overall isn't too shabby.  Today's time was within 1:40 of my best Twin Cities time and represents my 4th best marathon time among the 14 I've finished.  The marathon is always the highlight of my race season.  I have two races remaining this year.  The Monster Dash half marathon in St. Paul later this month and the Lifetime Turkey Day 5k Thanksgiving morning.  

Race Results:

http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=1904&race=3410 

Bear Water 20 Mile - September 12, 2015

This was my third running of the Bear Water 20 Mile and the second consecutive year that I've run it.  It was a beautiful morning for a run - 50 degrees, sunny, with light winds.  Bear Water is my final race before next month's Twin Cities Marathon.  I've completed two recent 20 mile training runs, so this will be my third 20 mile run in preparation for the marathon.  Same approach I took last year.

Participation in this race seems to be dropping a little bit each year.  Today's race included about 350 finishers.  There aren't a great number of long distance race options to choose from in the area this time of year, but I wish the race was a bit larger participation wise.  What happens in these smaller long distance races is that runners quickly begin to develop large gaps between each other, making it feel more like an individual training run, rather than a competitive race.  I ran most of this race by myself without seeing much of the other runners.  I find it so much harder to push and maintain beyond my comfort zone for miles on end without some competition pushing me.  

Muscle cramping is something I rarely experience in my races, but around the 5 mile mark, my left calf muscle began to knot up.  I thought I could work through it as the race progressed, but no luck.  The discomfort stuck with me the remainder of the way, which added even more difficulty to maintaining my pace.  I went into the race hoping to run a 7:15 mile pace (ran 7:19 pace last year).  I reached the 10 mile mark in reasonably good shape (7:17 pace), but began to slowly fade over the last 10 miles.    

The slow fade turned into an empty tank, as my pace slowed to 8 minute miles for several of the final 5 miles.  I finished with a time of 2:29:44, good for 18th place overall among 365 finishers and 3rd in my 10 year age group of 38 finishers.  That doesn't sound too bad, but my overall time was 5 minutes slower than last year, as I ran my last 10 miles about 30 seconds per mile slower than my first 10.  I was completely gassed over the final 5 miles.  I found this a bit alarming to say the least, as my training mileage is right on par with last year, but last year I ran more long distance races during the season compared to this year.  Ultimately I think that explains part of my demise today.  

With the Twin Cities Marathon just 3 weeks away, today's performance was not exactly a confidence builder.  I'm hoping it was just one of those races which I can put behind me and forget about.  Always exciting to look forward to the upcoming marathon as the peak event of my race season each year.  Hopefully I can shake off today's performance and put it all together in 3 weeks.

Race results:
http://www.mtecresults.com/race/show/3476/2015_Bear_Water_Run-20_Mile

MDRA 15k - August 16, 2015

The MDRA 15k is an annual event, but it's the first time I've run a 15k race distance.  15k races are few and far between, as it's not a very popular distance (9.3 miles) among road races.  I signed up for this race, as it's one of thirteen race distances where runners can compile point totals toward the Minnesota Running Data Centers age group runner of the year standings.  That was a mouthful.  Anyway, virtually all of my races this year represent a different distance, with the exception of the 5k, which I have two on my schedule.  

Today's race was one of the warmest races (75 at start) I've run in over two years.  It was very humid as well, but a thick cloud cover helped protected us from the sun.  As much as I hate the cold, I'm not a big fan of warm weather racing.  My body doesn't handle it well.  I feel very sluggish and tired when I run in the heat.  In my fantasy world, the air temperature would be 70 degrees up to the start of the race to avoid the pre-race "chill to the bone" effect.  Then when the gun goes off, the air temperature slowly drops to the mid 40's by the end of mile one.  Only in my fantasy world!

Today's race consisted of about 230 runners.  Many were members of local Minnesota running clubs, as this race was a USATF team running event.  Teams compete against each other in select races over the course of the year, keeping track of their cumulative points/standings along the way.  This is also an MDRA race which brings out the top Masters runners as well.  So a very strong field of runners today, even though the field was relatively small, compared to more popular races.    

The race took place at Crosby Farm Park in St. Paul.  A park along the north side of the Mississippi River, just east of Fort Snelling.  A beautiful location, as you can see from the pictures, but a very difficult course, as I was soon to find out.  The first two miles and last two miles took place in the heart of the park and where these pictures were taken.  The middle five miles took us counter clockwise outside the park along Shepard Road.  This five mile stretch began with a nice climb from the park up to Shepard Road, along with a number of smaller hills along the way.  No downhill sections to speak of ,until just three miles to go.  Then a very steep downhill section that was very tough on the quads.  About 100 yards of heel "braking" where it seemed like the balls of my feet never touched the ground.  Then finally back for one final loop through the park to the finish line.

I wanted to run a 6:40-6:45/mile pace for this race.  I ran 6:50 for the first mile, but just didn't have it today.  When I finished my climb up the biggest hill in mile three, I just couldn't get back on pace.  It was a combination of the heat/humidity, coupled with a very difficult course to navigate through with many turns and twists.  But I gave it my best with what I had to give today, but my average pace was about 15 seconds slower than I hoped to run.

I finished with a time of 1:04:29 (6:55/mile pace).  In a strong field of runners, I placed 77th overall among 231 finishers and 4th in my age group (55-59) among 15 finishers. Very happy to have this race behind me.  Not the result I was looking for, but I'll take it on a warm humid morning.

My next race is the Bear Water 20 Mile on September 12th.  My final race before Twin Cities Marathon.  Time to push my long Saturday runs up to the 20 mile mark.  Fun, fun, fun.

Race results:
http://www.mdra15k.com/uploads/2015MDRA15k.txt

Hoska Midsummer Mile - July 8, 2015

This year the Hoska Midsummer Mile is Minnesota's USATF One Mile Championship and held on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.  It's my first one mile race in 5 years.  I ran the 2010 Medtronic TC One Mile in Downtown Minneapolis and also run two indoor miles.  One in 2009 (Bethel University) and in 2010 (U of M Field-house).  This will be my 4th one mile race, but just my second outdoor one mile.

With my last 3 races all shorter distances (10k or less), I've been doing a lot of interval and speed work the past few months embedded within my 5 mile weekday morning runs.  For this race I've dedicated one workout per week that includes two interval miles at a 6:15/mile pace, with a half mile recovery in between.  Then another workout with four uptempo quarter mile splits at about 90 seconds each, with a quarter mile recovery in between.  A third workout consisted of 6 shorter (75 yard) strides or sprints near the end of a 5 mile run.  The remaining 3 workouts each week were standard 5 mile runs and one longer 10 mile run each week.  Once this race is behind me, my workouts will transition to higher mileage workouts, for my longer distance races coming up in August through October.  But I feel as prepared as I can be for this short one mile "sprint."

I could not have asked for better weather for a mid-July evening race in Minnesota.  Light winds, low humidity, with temps in the mid 70's at race time.  One thing that feels strange for me is the fact that this is a weekday evening race.  The Medtronic TC One Mile 5 years ago was also a weekday evening race.  But my training routing is all early morning based.  I think it's been almost 4 years since I've run even one workout after work on a weekday.  Running in the evening after work doesn't appeal to me.  I'm tired, hungry and ready to relax.  So I was curious and a little nervous to see how my body responds to a hard evening run.  I ran 3 easy miles this morning before heading to work.  After work, I drove directly to the fairgrounds for the race.  With this being the USATF One Mile Championship, I knew competition was going to smoke me for the most part.  But also knew it would help me run scared and hopefully not embarrass myself.  The course consisted of two laps around a small section of the fairgrounds main entrance (pictured below), with the start and finish one block apart on the north end of the loop.   

My best one mile time was indoors at the U of M (5:31) in 2010.  My best and only outdoor mile was same year at the Medtronic (5:48).  Knowing I'm 5 years older, but still feeling good, I would be thrilled to run 5:40 today, which is also the minimum national class standard for my age.  But 5:50 seemed the more likely scenario based on my Medtronic performance and the additional years.  As the race started, I tried to quickly find my pace.  Runner traffic was much more aggressive than what you see in longer races.  Here, runners were diving into each turn to gain the advantage, while trying to avoid getting boxed in.  The course was similar to a 600 meter rectangular track with 4 distinct turns vs the standard 400 oval meter track.  Lot of excitement and risk as each turn approached.  I had to be careful to avoid stepping on runners heals as well as being stepped on myself.

It seemed like this race should be easy on the one hand.  So short compared to most of my races.  Less than 6 minutes of pain.  Sure beats the 3+ hours of torture in a marathon  I can handle that no problem - right?  It's amazing how every race distance has it's own way of punishing the body.  In all races your body doesn't have enough oxygen to maintain the energy demand.  But the speed of oxygen depletion is so much more dramatic at faster speeds, to the point where lactate begins to pool in your muscles and you "bonk."  I found myself sucking air big time as I began my second lap.  But I was able to maintain a steady, even pace throughout the race.  Coming around the final turn with less than 300 hundreds yards to go, I was running on fumes like usual.  The finish was about 50 yards north of Dan Patch Ave, but the finish line always seems a lot further away when you get to that stage of the race where you just want it to be over.  I had trouble correctly interpreting my pace throughout the race, because I had to focus so closely on runner traffic through each of the 8 turns.  I was actually disappointed and discouraged running the last few hundred yards because I thought my pace was around 5:55.  I knew I was giving it everything I had and really expected a better time.  But as I approached the finish line and was able to see the race clock up ahead, I discovered I was much better off than I thought.

I crossed the finish line with a time of 5:38 and was absolutely thrilled.  I beat my stretch goal by two seconds and my 2010 Medtronic time by a full 10 seconds.  I finished 124th among all 303 finishers, 104th among 187 men and 16 of 37 in my (10 year) age group.  These 10 year age groups are rough on me.  All though nobody older than me finished ahead of me.  Of course Bobby Paxton (same age), beat me by 12 seconds.  But no surprise, as he's basically the top runner in the state for my age.

My next race is a 15k on August 16th, in St Paul.  Then a 20 mile race in September, followed by the Twin Cities Marathon in early October, a Half Marathon in late October, and finally a 5k on Thanksgiving Day morning to wrap up my season.  Lots of miles to log before we get there, but I'm in no hurry for summer to end, as short as it is in Minnesota.    

Race results:
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=857&race=3269

Brian Kraft Memorial 5k - May 25, 2015

The Brian Kraft Memorial 5k is a highly popular and competitive race around Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis and is always held on Memorial Day.  This is the first time I’ve run this race, but I’m very familiar with the race because it draws well known, accomplished runners on both the men’s and lady’s side.  

It was 61 degrees and cloudy at race time.  Overnight rains gave way to a light mist which ended about an hour before the race.  The parkway surrounding the lake was wet in spots, but no puddles, or precipitation to deal with during the race.  Winds were a non-factor as well, so conditions were good for a fast race.  The parkway around Lake Nokomis is flat, smooth and in great shape.  It’s been almost 6 years since I ran my best 5k time (19:38), but I felt good about the possibility of challenging that time today, based on how training has gone so far this spring. 

As the race began I made sure I didn’t make the mistake I made last race, where I became bottled up in runner traffic at the start and unable to immediately transition to my race pace.  With the fast competition, this wasn’t much of an issue, as the entire field took off and never looked back.  There were no gaps that developed between runners.  There were other runners always right there battling you for position.  This helped me tremendously.  Sometimes when gaps form between runners, you subconsciously relax your pace for a brief moment which can cost you valuable seconds. 

The picture above was around the half mile mark early in the race.  I ran the first mile in 6:10, but fatigue was setting in much quicker than the longer, slower paced races.  At the same time I kept telling myself this will be over quickly, keep fighting through the pain.  I clocked a 6:10 second mile as well.  At that point I knew I had a good time going and a great shot at beating my 6 year old 5k record.  But I knew I had to maintain my pace as fatigue was quickly wrapping it’s arms around me and squeezing tight.  The one thing that continued to help was the competition around me. 10 runners passed me during the race, but I passed 60 other runners from start to finish.  So I was steadily improving my position as the race progressed.  This helped me stay mentally positive with each runner I passed.

With 1 mile to go I saw Kirt Goetzke about 10 yards in front of me.  Kirt is 4 years younger than me and well known among the local road scene because Kirt virtually runs every race in town, every weekend and runs them well.  I’ve never beaten him in a road race of any distance to this point and that covers a lot of races.  Kirt passed me about a half mile into the race as he always does and I assumed that would be the last I would see of him.  But with one mile to go I now had new motivation to fuel my finish.  With about ¾ of a mile to go, I pulled even with him and then passed him.  Now I was running scared, hoping I wouldn’t see his back again until I crossed the finish line. The last half mile clicked by very slowly, but eventually the finish line was within sight and Kirt was still behind me.

I ran a 6:00 flat 3^rd mile and finished the 3.1 mile distance with a time of 19:04, shattering my best 5k time of 6 years ago by a full 34 seconds.  Kirt finished 4 seconds behind me.  This may be the only time I ever beat him in a race, but at least I can say I did it once.  Overall I finished 174 among 465 finishers and 13 of 55 in my 10 year age group.  Although nobody older than me finished ahead of me.  All these young 50 year olds beating me now, but seriously, this was one of the strongest race fields I've competed against and overall times were fantastic.  In fact looking at race results from today, 213 of the 465 finishers ran under 20 minutes.  That’s 46% of the field!  That's crazy good.  But it’s also competitive fields like this that bring out the best in most runners and it brought out the best in me today. My race results reflect my gun time 19:10 and chip time (from start line to finish line) of 19:04.  I also beat the "tougher" revised 2015 national standard time for this distance by about 30 seconds for my age.  Very happy and pleasantly surprised with how things turned out today.  

My next race is a one miler on the State Fairgrounds, the evening of July 8.  I'm not used to evening races after working all day and it will be 5 years since my last one mile race.  So interested to see how this one goes.  More speed training this month for the short race, while I also begin to ramp up my overall mileage for longer distance races in September/October.               

Race Results:
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=401&race=3131

Get in Gear 10k - April 25, 2015

The Get in Gear 10k was my 16^th 10k race, but this was my first 10k during prime racing season in a number of years.  I was really looking forward to this one.  The Get in Gear event is one of the most popular events in town, with a long history.  It draws large numbers of runners from all age groups as well as top talent each year.  3 years ago I ran the Get in Gear Half, but today it’s the 10k which is their most popular and highest participation distance. 

The race began at Minnehaha Park, near the Mississippi River on West River Parkway.  From there it headed north to the Lake Street Bridge.  Then across the bridge into St. Paul, where it headed south on East Mississippi River Boulevard.  Then back onto the Minneapolis side via the Ford Bridge.  The race ends in Minnehaha Park where it began.  The course is relatively flat, but for a brief, but challenging climb about half way through the race near Summit on the St. Paul side.  I’m very familiar with much of the course, as many races including the Twin Cities Marathon utilize major portions of this course.

It was a good day for racing, with temps around 45, cloudy skies and an 8mph wind from the east.  I did make a major rookie mistake at the start that cost me time though.  I didn't realize it until the race began, but I positioned myself too far back in the starting corral.  I crossed the starting line in 423rd place and had significant difficulty fighting my way through slower traffic until I could settle into my race.  This went on through the first quarter mile, when I noticed my pace was about 2 minutes slower than desired. 

Here's a video of the start... 
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=967279096824693A&id=967279096824693a%2128321&v=3&authkey=%21AOKqsQF2vtz39RY

Runner traffic slowly began to thin, but in a bit of a panic now, I had to resort to a more aggressive “slalom” strategy, zigzagging in and around approximately 250 runners, until I eventually could run at my race pace.  When all was said and done, I clocked a 6:45 first mile, but that was about 20 seconds slower than I wanted to run, as I wasted valuable energy trying to pass so many runners in the first half mile, while trying to make up lost time over the second half of same mile.  I know better than to put myself in that kind of predicament, but today I just didn't do a good job properly sizing up my location the starting corral and paid for it.

Once I got through first mile congestion, I was able to run my race and lengthen my stride.  My per mile pace improved throughout the race, with my final two miles just under a 6:20/mile pace.  I finished with a time of 40:26, placing 162 among 2,665 finishers.  I placed 7th, among 110 finishers in my age group.  As mentioned earlier, this was a top talent race, as I'm very familiar with the 6 runners that finished ahead of me in my age class.  They represent some of the top runners in the state in my age group.  I was happy to finish less than a minute behind 3 of the 6 and had it not been for my first mile, I may have been able to break 40 minutes today.  But no excuses, I did my best today and happy with the result.

Finish video:
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/videoResults?rid=665&race=2970

Race Results:
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=665&race=2970

I beat the current national class minimum age group standard for my age group, however I've come to find out that the World Masters Athletics age group standards, which are also recognized by the USATF organization as "the official" standard, is updating their age group charts this year.  The new standards are available in some locations now.  Using the new standards I came up 15 seconds shy of a national class time, which makes me reflect back on my race mistakes in the first mile.  Bottom line, I'm going to need to run faster if I want to achieve the new national class standards.  The old standards have been in place since 2009.  Masters runners continue to improve, which in turn raises the standard across all age group categories.

My next race is a 5k on Memorial Day Monday at Lake Nokomis.  Looking forward to that race as well, as I normally don't run 5k's in the middle of the race season, so hoping for good weather and a good time!      

O'Gara's Irish Run 8k - March 21, 2015

Today’s race, race number two of the season was an 8k (5 mile distance) in St Paul.  Just my second 8k race ever.  But here’s the embarrassing part.  I intended to register for the Irish Run St Paul, which is the new name for one of the oldest and most competitive 8k races in the state with 800 top notch runners.  It’s also the same 8k I ran 5 years ago.  It was formerly called the Human Race before the name change.  Anyway, several months ago I found the web site for the (O’Gara’s) Irish Run 8k in St Paul and registered.  I didn’t know until I showed up for the race, that there are two Irish Run 8k’s in St Paul the same weekend, taking place just a few blocks apart.  One on Saturday (the race I signed up for) and one on Sunday (the one I wanted to sign up for).  So you guessed it.  I signed up for the wrong race.  But because of the similarities (name, location, date) I understand how I got messed up.  But it was a surprise on Saturday morning when the number of participants in the race was about 200 vs. the 800 I was expecting.  The light didn’t go on that there were two races with the same name, same weekend until I got home and discovered my error.

It was a brisk, clear 28 degrees, with a 10mph north wind on race morning.  The race was an east to west, out and back on Selby Avenue in St Paul.  Standing at the starting line, I could see a large (very large) overpass about 200 yards after the start of the race.  All I could think was how tough it will be to climb that overpass with 200 yards to go in the race when fatigue has taken over.  It was kind of an ominous start to the race.  I tried to block it out of my mind, but knew it would be there to greet me on the rebound.  The other 8k race which I intended to run is very flat and fast.  I felt like the big hill overpass was my punishment for the registration mistake I made.  Further punishment, because my goal today was to run a national class age group time for this distance.  A flat course would be much better suited for a fast time, but dealing with a large overpass twice in the same race would put a bit of a dent in my plans.  According to the USA Track and Field website, I would need to run 32:22 or faster to accomplish my goal of a national class time.

As the race began, I crossed over the hill less than a quarter mile into the race.  Not much of an issue this early in the race when fresh.  I clocked a 6:29 first mile, which is about where I wanted to be.  But had aspirations of running under 32 minutes which meant I would need to improve my pace about 5-10 seconds per mile.  In these shorter, faster races, there is little time to evaluate how you are feeling during the race.  You just need to put the pedal to the metal and hope for the best.  However easier said than done.  I’ve always loved Vince Lombardi’s legendary quote “fatigue makes cowards of us all”.  It’s a quote I use to motivate myself to push through pain and try to avoid the “cowards” way out and slow down when fatigue knocks at the door.  Many times it works out and other times it doesn’t.  Mental toughness is such a big factor in a fatigue based sport like road racing.  I sensed in mile two that I was having difficulty pushing my pace to the 6:20 range and in fact I was.  I ran a 6:35 second mile.  Now I knew it was going to be a tough race for me today with regard to my time goal.  With just 200 runners, traffic thinned out quickly, making it more challenging to push the pace, as gaps form ahead and behind you.  I remember my first 8k 5 years ago (the race I intended to run this weekend) was constant competition for position from start to finish because of the larger field of runners.  It’s also easier to push yourself when being challenged continuously by other runners.

 

As I made the turn at the 2.5 mile mark and began retracing my steps back to the start/finish line, all I could think of was the hill at the end, knowing it would eventually pop into view during last half mile.  My pace improved a bit in miles three (6:28) and four (6:29), but I just didn’t have the mental toughness I needed to run the time I thought I could run today.  As I worked my way through the final mile, the dreaded hill was starring me in the face for about 10 blocks before I got there.  I pushed hard up the hill with weary legs, hoping I would still have my legs underneath me to get down the backside of the hill without falling flat on my face.  Coming down the hill was a bit scary, but I extended my stride as far as possible to maintain my momentum and balance to the finish line.

I finished with a time of 32:22, good for 30^th place among 196 runners and 2^nd in my age group of 14 runners.  Surprisingly, my time was the exact minimum qualifying time for a national class time to the very second.  I really expected to run faster today, so not as thrilled by the fact I just barely met the national qualifying time by the width of a hair.  I’ve decided to drop my next race in two weeks which was not high on my list of races to run this year anyway.  It was a 15 miler and this early in the spring I don’t feel prepared to go hard for that distance yet.  Also, I have a 10k and a 5k coming up right after that, so going to stick to the shorter distance races while building my mileage for longer races later this season.  My next race will be the Get in Gear 10k on April 25^th.

Race Results:

http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=67&race=2999

Hot Dash 10 Mile - March 7, 2015

Today was my first race of the new 2015 season.  The Hot Dash 10 Mile.  This race begins and ends on the east side of the river by Nicollet Island, near downtown Minneapolis.  My 2015 race season starts out with a bang.  I have four races of varying lengths over the next eight weeks, which will put my winter speed and endurance training to the test and stretch me to my limits.  Speaking of winter training, an unseasonably cold February forced me to train on my treadmill all month.  So today’s race is my first outdoor run in just over a month.  Winter training has gone relatively well, in that I’ve had no injuries or setbacks.  Although I did come down with a bad case of the stomach flu just 36 hours before today’s race.  I was in no condition to run yesterday.  I simply went to work and then laid low all evening.  I woke up this morning still weak, but I’ve been able to keep things down for about 24 hours now.  I debated if I should skip the race today, but decided to give it a go, even if it turns into a training run vs. a competitive race.  My confidence level coming into the first race of each new season is always a bit questionable, because winter training is not like summer training due to the indoor approach I must embrace in Minnesota.  Just not sure how my legs will respond to the hard pavement, the outdoor elements, and then add to that my recent health setback.

Weather for today’s race was actually quite good for early March in Minnesota.  The skies were perfectly clear with bright sunshine.  The air temperature was 37 degrees at race time.  The only negative was a brisk 12mph NW wind that we would be running directly into over the first 4 miles of the race.  But I decided I would run in shorts and two thin shirts, light gloves and hat.  As the race began, I was intentionally tentative, running a 7:10 mile pace.  My goal was to get to the finish line, not to set personal records.  By the end of mile 4, we turned south heading back toward downtown again.  Beginning in mile 5, my mile splits improved to the 6:40 range.  Not sure if I was gaining confidence at this stage of the race, or if I was simply benefitting from having the wind to my back.  Either way, my improved pace was not a conscious decision on my part, it just happened.  I know my mid-race tendency is to begin competing with those around me.  Those who are running my same pace, or within sight, just ahead of me.  I want to beat them!  I don’t want them to do poorly.  In fact I want them to run well also, but I do want to beat them to the finish line.

With about 3 miles to go, we crossed to the west side of the river on Plymouth Avenue, for a short trek north again, before turning and heading south along West River Road to the old Stone Arch Bridge.  I hate this bridge, or at least the east end of it, because it eventually turns into cobblestones.  Nothing wrong with cobblestones, but this short stretch of cobblestones are very dangerous.  Uneven heights, with wider gaps between them.  Very easy to twist or roll and ankle if you aren’t very careful and at this stage of the race when fatigue is at maximum levels, safely navigating through this short section is easier said than done.  I’m familiar with the danger, as I’ve had other races over the years that use this bridge.  My second race through this section I badly rolled my ankle badly, but survived and continued on to finish.  Since then I’ve been very leery and keep my eyes to the ground to avoid the worse spots.  I made it through safely today, back onto Main Street with 4 blocks left in the race.

I finished with a time of 1:09:14.  My fifth fasted among seven 10 mile races I’ve run and three and a half minutes off my personal best.  But all things considered, I was happy with the result.  My faster 10 mile races all took place later in the season when my outdoor conditioning was much further along than today.  I finished 42 overall among 1,320 finishers and 2^nd in my age group of 32 finishers.  My overall race pace was 6:56/mile, as my speed improved as the race progressed.  I’m sure I will be good and sore this week after pounding the pavement hard for 10 miles.  But it’s March, so hopefully my training can transition to 100% outdoor training by end of month.  My next race is the March 21^st.  O’Gara’s Irish Run in St. Paul.  An extremely popular and competitive 8k race that brings out most of the top runners in the state each year. I ran this race 5 years ago and got smoked by the strong competition even though I ran a good time for me!  So now I’m doing this again five years later, five years older.  What’s wrong with this picture?   

Race Results:
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=989&race=2839