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