July 25, 2009
Tonight marked the second running of the Crystal City Twilight 5K, sponsored by Pacers. I thought it was well run last year so I looked forward to participating again. It did have a high entry fee ($40) but that included a very nice technical t-shirt that I would certainly spend $20 on so I figured it was worth it. Plus, they had beer at the finish!
A pretty heavy rain began to fall about 20 minutes before the start of the race. I was already a little worried about my gimpy right ankle and the thought of slipping on wet roads made me more uncomfortable. So I went off in search of a drug store to buy an ace bandage. Unfortunately, Crystal City largely shuts down on weekends and the one store I was able to reach was closed. So I hustled back to the start line with wrapping my ankle and arrived just before the start. That meant not getting my Garmin up and running for the first couple of minutes of the race. Such is life.
Even though it was still hot and muggy, the falling rain kept me realtively cool. I have noted before that I have fairly well in rainy conditions so I was hopeful. There were some pretty large puddles in the road so I tried my best to avoid them and keep the insides of my shoes dry. I also made a point of avoiding running on or near the stripes on the road as they become very slippery when wet, as recently seen during the Tour de France.
I took my first walk break about 12 minutes into the race at the first water stop. My heart rate was 150 but I still felt pretty good. I did lose too much time here though as I walked for over 90 seconds as I gulped down some water. My heart rate dropped down to 135 during this time. But then I got going again and I was slowly passing other runners as we approached the turn around point. My heart rate reached 152 during this stretch. But I still felt good. I was running at about 11 minute pace, excluding the walk break. But then it was time for another water stop and another walk. This was another 90 second walk and again my heart rate sank to the mid 130's.
Now it was time for a long mild uphill stretch. I tend to not notice low grades when they are downhill but I sure do notice them when I have to run up them. Other than the walk breaks, this is where I probably lost some time. At this point, the sky was full of lighning. I have been recently reading about the increase in number of people being hit by lighning and that kept me moving. I didnt want to be a statistic. I made a final push during the final 1/4 mile, getting my heart rate up to 156. I crossed the line with a time of 37:17. That's 47 seconds slower than my by 5K of the year and 2 seconds slower than my time in this race last year but I could live with it given the wet conditions. Most importantly, I felt really good when I finished. That was really important after feeling so poorly after my race just a few days before.
As I cooled down the race director came over the loud speaker and said a large thunderstorm was about 10 minutes away and suggested we head for our cars. That meant the movie showing of "Twilight" was cancelled. Bummer. I was kinda looking forward to sipping a beer and watching some of the movie (Dori was in Pittsburgh). But with the movie cancelled and the extremely long lines for beer, I decided I would just head home to my frightened dog Riley and comfort him during the storm. I goy thome just as the main storm hit and held my shiverring dog in my lap for almost half an hour while the storm passed.
Race stats.
Avg heart rate 145bpm
Max heart rate 156 bpm
calories burned 332
max speed 10.5mph (about the 3 mile mark)
This race marked my 37th race of the year and 414th in my career.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Feel like I'm just going in circles
July 22, 2009
This evening saw the annual running of the DCRRC Steve Thompson Memorial 8K. This year it was run at Ft. Hunt Park. Ft. Hunt is just about 1 1/4 miles around so its well suited for an 8K or 5 mile race. However, it does make for a pretty boring race, particularly if you are running by yourself.
I got to the park a little early...unusual for me...which allowed me to sign in casually and also squeeze in a nature break. I even went back to the car and did some reading. It was a hot, humid evening and I wanted to stay as cool as I could for as long as I could.
The park rangers were once again out in force against the club...this time with 2 rangers watching our every move. From my vantage point though, there were no incidents this time.
When we took off I felt pretty good. I felt like I was running slow and comfortably but I still pulled away from Sharyn Gordon and I was nipping on the heels of Blair Jones. My heart rate monitor confirms this as my heart rate was only 138 after 10 minutes of running. But thats when I started to run into trouble. Even though my heart rate wa relatively low, I was tiring. I stopped for a walk break after about 1.1 miles and Sharyn went speeding by, putting me in last place. I tried to stay close to her but by shortly after the 2K water stop she was ahead by 100 yards and not to be seen again. I was already being passed by the leaders who were a lap ahead of me. A few would ultimately pass me twice.
I want to give a shout out here to Karsten Brown and Jay Wind. When we run on out and back courses I always try to cheer on the other runners I know as they pass me on their return leg. Few offer any response, which I understand as they are concentrating on their race and they are suffering at that point. But both Karsten and Jay gave ME encouragement today as they came up from behind me. That was particulalrly impressive for Karsten as he was in a race for the lead. I thank them both. There were also a couple of other runners that shouted there encouragement to me as they passed and even a couple that asked if I was OK. I must have looked pretty bad!
Over the next few laps I really began to struggle. I knew my heart was OK (it didn't break 150 until the finish line) but I felt like crap. I had to walk...A LOT. It looks like I took 13 walk breaks over the course of the race. As I completed the 3rd lap I was so worried about my time I was afraid that I meet be lapped by Sharyn and Blair!
I also had something else to be concerned about...the club had to shut down the race by 8:10. The race started at about 7:03 so I had 57 minutes to get in while the clock was still on. I was on pace to come in ahead of that time throughout the race by I had didnt have a lot of room for error. If I really struggled during that last lap I was going to be in trouble.
Fortunately, things didnt get any worse during that last lap. They also didnt get any better but I felt just good enough to run pretty hard the last 1/3 of a mile. One of the blessings of being so slow is when you finish you run by the other finishers that are waiting for the awards ceremony. Most cheer you on as you finish. Its a little embarassing but its nice too. In this race I even had the race director come out and run the last couple hundred yards with me, which was very nice of him. I finished with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 14 seconds. I was last but I finished in time. And surprisingly, it was actually 24 seconds faster than my best 8K time of the year...the Georgetown 8K held exactly 1 month earlier.
Joe Racine won the race with a time of 27:35. Karsten wasnt far behind with a time of 27:54. Ted poulos finished 5th with a time of 30:10. Maggie Infeld was the top woman (and 4th overall!) with a time of 28:55. She gave the top guys a run for the money.
Other notable finishers were
Jay Wind 34:12
Kirk Gordon 37:26
Jon Palks 41:03
Bob Gurtler 50:28
Sharyn Gordon 56:50
Blair Jones 57:21
Shonda Hightower 61:50
So I wasn't too far behind the runner in front of me, which makes me a feel a little better, even though I finished 77th out of 77 runners. There was a nice spread at the awards ceremony and I helped myself to some cookies, pretzels, and water.
My Garmin stats were
Avg heart rate 135bpm
Max heart rate 151 bpm
calories burned 508
max speed 7.3 mph (end of race)
This was my 36th race of the year and 413th career race.
This evening saw the annual running of the DCRRC Steve Thompson Memorial 8K. This year it was run at Ft. Hunt Park. Ft. Hunt is just about 1 1/4 miles around so its well suited for an 8K or 5 mile race. However, it does make for a pretty boring race, particularly if you are running by yourself.
I got to the park a little early...unusual for me...which allowed me to sign in casually and also squeeze in a nature break. I even went back to the car and did some reading. It was a hot, humid evening and I wanted to stay as cool as I could for as long as I could.
The park rangers were once again out in force against the club...this time with 2 rangers watching our every move. From my vantage point though, there were no incidents this time.
When we took off I felt pretty good. I felt like I was running slow and comfortably but I still pulled away from Sharyn Gordon and I was nipping on the heels of Blair Jones. My heart rate monitor confirms this as my heart rate was only 138 after 10 minutes of running. But thats when I started to run into trouble. Even though my heart rate wa relatively low, I was tiring. I stopped for a walk break after about 1.1 miles and Sharyn went speeding by, putting me in last place. I tried to stay close to her but by shortly after the 2K water stop she was ahead by 100 yards and not to be seen again. I was already being passed by the leaders who were a lap ahead of me. A few would ultimately pass me twice.
I want to give a shout out here to Karsten Brown and Jay Wind. When we run on out and back courses I always try to cheer on the other runners I know as they pass me on their return leg. Few offer any response, which I understand as they are concentrating on their race and they are suffering at that point. But both Karsten and Jay gave ME encouragement today as they came up from behind me. That was particulalrly impressive for Karsten as he was in a race for the lead. I thank them both. There were also a couple of other runners that shouted there encouragement to me as they passed and even a couple that asked if I was OK. I must have looked pretty bad!
Over the next few laps I really began to struggle. I knew my heart was OK (it didn't break 150 until the finish line) but I felt like crap. I had to walk...A LOT. It looks like I took 13 walk breaks over the course of the race. As I completed the 3rd lap I was so worried about my time I was afraid that I meet be lapped by Sharyn and Blair!
I also had something else to be concerned about...the club had to shut down the race by 8:10. The race started at about 7:03 so I had 57 minutes to get in while the clock was still on. I was on pace to come in ahead of that time throughout the race by I had didnt have a lot of room for error. If I really struggled during that last lap I was going to be in trouble.
Fortunately, things didnt get any worse during that last lap. They also didnt get any better but I felt just good enough to run pretty hard the last 1/3 of a mile. One of the blessings of being so slow is when you finish you run by the other finishers that are waiting for the awards ceremony. Most cheer you on as you finish. Its a little embarassing but its nice too. In this race I even had the race director come out and run the last couple hundred yards with me, which was very nice of him. I finished with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 14 seconds. I was last but I finished in time. And surprisingly, it was actually 24 seconds faster than my best 8K time of the year...the Georgetown 8K held exactly 1 month earlier.
Joe Racine won the race with a time of 27:35. Karsten wasnt far behind with a time of 27:54. Ted poulos finished 5th with a time of 30:10. Maggie Infeld was the top woman (and 4th overall!) with a time of 28:55. She gave the top guys a run for the money.
Other notable finishers were
Jay Wind 34:12
Kirk Gordon 37:26
Jon Palks 41:03
Bob Gurtler 50:28
Sharyn Gordon 56:50
Blair Jones 57:21
Shonda Hightower 61:50
So I wasn't too far behind the runner in front of me, which makes me a feel a little better, even though I finished 77th out of 77 runners. There was a nice spread at the awards ceremony and I helped myself to some cookies, pretzels, and water.
My Garmin stats were
Avg heart rate 135bpm
Max heart rate 151 bpm
calories burned 508
max speed 7.3 mph (end of race)
This was my 36th race of the year and 413th career race.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
TB3K
Just 16 hours or so after finishing the 4 miler, I lined up to run this months edition of the Tidal Basin 3K. I have been running 3K's every night around my neighborhood for the last couple of weeks (training, what a concept) so I had some hope of a respectable time. Unfortunately, the race the evening before took the starch out of my legs and I just didn't have it this day.
My heart rate was already 150 when I crossed the first bridge, only 1/2 mile into the race. I was running about 10 minute pace. I must have been thinking I was running that 1 mile race from the week before. :) But no, this was a 3K so I had to slow down if I wanted to finish. I took my first of 4 walk breaks after 1K. To my credit (I guess), I didn't start any of my walk breaks with a heart rate of 151 or less. So I really did need the breaks when I took them. I generally started running again when my heart rate got down to the mid 130's. I probably could have run a little sooner but so be it.
I had no one around me during the 2nd half of the race so I was competing solely with the clock. The clock won. I finished in 21:52...about 30 seconds slower than my last 2 3K's on this course. My average heart rate was 144...nearly the same as the 1 mile race the previous week. My max heart rate was 157 at the finish.
My heart rate was already 150 when I crossed the first bridge, only 1/2 mile into the race. I was running about 10 minute pace. I must have been thinking I was running that 1 mile race from the week before. :) But no, this was a 3K so I had to slow down if I wanted to finish. I took my first of 4 walk breaks after 1K. To my credit (I guess), I didn't start any of my walk breaks with a heart rate of 151 or less. So I really did need the breaks when I took them. I generally started running again when my heart rate got down to the mid 130's. I probably could have run a little sooner but so be it.
I had no one around me during the 2nd half of the race so I was competing solely with the clock. The clock won. I finished in 21:52...about 30 seconds slower than my last 2 3K's on this course. My average heart rate was 144...nearly the same as the 1 mile race the previous week. My max heart rate was 157 at the finish.
More whine please
I have a love/hate relationship with the Bastille Day 4 Miler, this year held on July 14. I like the theme, the distance is approachable even for someone slow like me, and the surface is pretty good for running (Crescent Trail). But is is run in the evening during July in Dc so it's always warm. It wasn't unbearable this evening but it was still hot.
The race is very popular and there were 98 finishers. The path is only wide enough for 2 people side by side so you can imagine how croded it is at the start of the race. The race Director did a good job of not having us line up until just before the start of the race but it was still enough time to clog the path and cause a biker to get irate. Just chill dude! Anyway, I hung back even more than usual given the crowd. It helped that it was a chip race so I knew the clock wouldnt really start until I crossed over the mats.
I passed Ric Franke after about 5 minutes. Walt Washburn was behind me at the start. The first mile has a pretty significant uphill climb towards Bethesda. I completed the first mile in 10:51 but I did need 2 brief walk breaks to get there. I obviously spent a little too much time walking around the top of the hill because even with a long run down the hill I finished the second mile in 24:25. I was slowing down badly. My heart rate peaked at 149 coming DOWN the hill. It was going to be a long 2 miles. I did pass another runner during the downhill though, a gentleman by the name of Daniel Klimow. I managed to keep him behind me for the rest of the race.
As I approached the start finish line at 2.4 miles, many finishers were already cooling down. The DC Roadrunners are just starting to use this new chip system and runners have to get used to staying away from the mats after they finish their run. Unfortunately, some of thenm got in front of me as I approached the mats. Ed Grant yelled at us to stay away from the mats. But I was just following the runners in front of me. I understand he probably didnt realize that I was only a little more than halfway through but geez, I wish he would take a chill pill. He's such an angry guy.
My anger at Ed got me through the next mile or so as I really don't remember much about it. What I do remember is that there were 2 women (Nicole Gulatz and Maureen McKenna) about a minute in front of me for most of that last mile. I repeatedly tried to make up ground on them during that last mile but I couldn't sustain the push and would have to walk. I finished just over a minute behind both of them with a time of 48:54. I had been hoping for something closer to 44 minutes so I missed that by a lot but I did soundly beat my time from the 4 miler held just 10 days before this race so I was pleased about that. My heart stats were
Average 139bpm
Max heart rate 152bpm
The race is very popular and there were 98 finishers. The path is only wide enough for 2 people side by side so you can imagine how croded it is at the start of the race. The race Director did a good job of not having us line up until just before the start of the race but it was still enough time to clog the path and cause a biker to get irate. Just chill dude! Anyway, I hung back even more than usual given the crowd. It helped that it was a chip race so I knew the clock wouldnt really start until I crossed over the mats.
I passed Ric Franke after about 5 minutes. Walt Washburn was behind me at the start. The first mile has a pretty significant uphill climb towards Bethesda. I completed the first mile in 10:51 but I did need 2 brief walk breaks to get there. I obviously spent a little too much time walking around the top of the hill because even with a long run down the hill I finished the second mile in 24:25. I was slowing down badly. My heart rate peaked at 149 coming DOWN the hill. It was going to be a long 2 miles. I did pass another runner during the downhill though, a gentleman by the name of Daniel Klimow. I managed to keep him behind me for the rest of the race.
As I approached the start finish line at 2.4 miles, many finishers were already cooling down. The DC Roadrunners are just starting to use this new chip system and runners have to get used to staying away from the mats after they finish their run. Unfortunately, some of thenm got in front of me as I approached the mats. Ed Grant yelled at us to stay away from the mats. But I was just following the runners in front of me. I understand he probably didnt realize that I was only a little more than halfway through but geez, I wish he would take a chill pill. He's such an angry guy.
My anger at Ed got me through the next mile or so as I really don't remember much about it. What I do remember is that there were 2 women (Nicole Gulatz and Maureen McKenna) about a minute in front of me for most of that last mile. I repeatedly tried to make up ground on them during that last mile but I couldn't sustain the push and would have to walk. I finished just over a minute behind both of them with a time of 48:54. I had been hoping for something closer to 44 minutes so I missed that by a lot but I did soundly beat my time from the 4 miler held just 10 days before this race so I was pleased about that. My heart stats were
Average 139bpm
Max heart rate 152bpm
It's just a mile
July 10 brought the MCRRC Rockville evening mile and my 33rd race of the year. It was a nice evening...perhaps just a bit too sunny but not really anything to complain about. I saw Blair Jones when I arrived and I immediately decided that she would be my target for the day. She has been running faster than me at the longer distances but I thought I might be able to outrun her in a shorter race. I also saw Christiana C. before the race. She was not looking forward to the race as she had spme aches and pains from a previous workout to contend with. I told her she would beat me, given how she trounced me at the Triple Crown Races. She wasn't so sure.
I signed up for the first and slowest heat. This heat was for runners with expected finishing times of 8:30 or more. I was just hoping to 1)not have to walk at any time, 2)break 10 minutes, and 3 beat Blair.
I started on the far outside at the start so that I could have the same watch time as the official clock. It was a very large heat...perhaps 30 runners...so it took about 200 yards before I could work my way to the inside lane. By that point, Blair was about 20 yards in front of me and Christiana was about 30 yards in front of me. There were a few other runners scattered between all of us as well. I concentrated on keeping a slow and maintainable pace, which I figured to be about 10 minutes. I was almost right on the money after 1 lap, completing it in 2:26. My heart rate was 142 after the first lap.
I paced myself behind Blair for the rest of the race. I never let het get more than 30 yards in front of me. Christiana increased her lead to about 50 yards by the end of the 2nd lap. I finished the 2nd lap in 4:54. The heart rate was 151. I was clearly pushing it. My pace was great but could I keep it up?
Lap 3 is supposedly the critical lap in a 1 mile race. You need to exert enough energy to have a good lap time and still be able to kick during the 4th lap. I finished the 3rd lap in 7:22! I was running very consistent lap times. Of course, I had Blair to thank as I was just hanging out behind her. The trouble was my heart rate was now 158. I was hurting. I briefly considered taking a quick walk break but I kept telling myself "just 1 more lap, just 1 more lap". I started closing on Blair and some other runners as we neared the end of the back straightaway. I must have sounded a like a freight train coming up behind people. I was huffing and puffing. I pulled even with Blair on turn 4 and passed her pretty easily as we reached the straight away. I actually felt pretty good! That Christiana was the only runner in front of me with 50 yards left (others had already finished). I pushed mightily and came oh so close but I couldn't quite get there. If the race was 10 yards longer I think I had her. She finished with a time of 9:28:47 and I finished in 9:30:59. I think it was actually a little closer than the time indicates as I had to brake just a little as we finished since we finished in a tight little chute and I didn't want to run over her. All in all, I'm pretty happy with that time. I met my goals and I felt pretty good afterwards. It also gave me room for improvement during the rest of the year.
I signed up for the first and slowest heat. This heat was for runners with expected finishing times of 8:30 or more. I was just hoping to 1)not have to walk at any time, 2)break 10 minutes, and 3 beat Blair.
I started on the far outside at the start so that I could have the same watch time as the official clock. It was a very large heat...perhaps 30 runners...so it took about 200 yards before I could work my way to the inside lane. By that point, Blair was about 20 yards in front of me and Christiana was about 30 yards in front of me. There were a few other runners scattered between all of us as well. I concentrated on keeping a slow and maintainable pace, which I figured to be about 10 minutes. I was almost right on the money after 1 lap, completing it in 2:26. My heart rate was 142 after the first lap.
I paced myself behind Blair for the rest of the race. I never let het get more than 30 yards in front of me. Christiana increased her lead to about 50 yards by the end of the 2nd lap. I finished the 2nd lap in 4:54. The heart rate was 151. I was clearly pushing it. My pace was great but could I keep it up?
Lap 3 is supposedly the critical lap in a 1 mile race. You need to exert enough energy to have a good lap time and still be able to kick during the 4th lap. I finished the 3rd lap in 7:22! I was running very consistent lap times. Of course, I had Blair to thank as I was just hanging out behind her. The trouble was my heart rate was now 158. I was hurting. I briefly considered taking a quick walk break but I kept telling myself "just 1 more lap, just 1 more lap". I started closing on Blair and some other runners as we neared the end of the back straightaway. I must have sounded a like a freight train coming up behind people. I was huffing and puffing. I pulled even with Blair on turn 4 and passed her pretty easily as we reached the straight away. I actually felt pretty good! That Christiana was the only runner in front of me with 50 yards left (others had already finished). I pushed mightily and came oh so close but I couldn't quite get there. If the race was 10 yards longer I think I had her. She finished with a time of 9:28:47 and I finished in 9:30:59. I think it was actually a little closer than the time indicates as I had to brake just a little as we finished since we finished in a tight little chute and I didn't want to run over her. All in all, I'm pretty happy with that time. I met my goals and I felt pretty good afterwards. It also gave me room for improvement during the rest of the year.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Hmm...what do I say about this race?
July 4, 2009
I look forward to July 4 every year. Not just because of the foreworks but also because of the annual DCRRC Age handicapped 4 Miler. It's a neat little gimmick race starting and finishing in Carderock. Old men and women get to start first. Then younger men and women start later based pre established times based on their age and sex. Theoretically, if everyone was at exactly the same level of fitness we would all finish at the same time. While the format almost assures me that I will finish at the back of the pack, its OK as I enjoy being ahead of the young punks early :) It also allows me to tag different people that leave before me as targets that I can strive to catch.
I thought I could probably catch Ric based on times the day before at the Tidal Basin, even though he was leaving 2 minutes before me. Sharyn Gordon, Cristina Caravoulias, Joe Broderick and Walt Washburn were also possible but unlikely.
Even though I arrived more than 40 minutes before my start time, I failed to have my watch ready when I started. As a result, I missed the first minute or so of the race on my heart monitor.By the time it came on, my heart rate was already 118. This lapse was important as the race volunteers had already shut down the clock when I came in, so we had to estimate my finish time. Based on the information I did have from my watch I estimated that it took me about 56:15 to complete the course. I managed to catch Ric with about 1/2 mile to go and held him off.
So why so slow? In a clear case of poor planning, I had intestinal issues almost immediately after the race started. I really struggled with cramps and I couldnt wait to finish. I had to walk a great deal but not because I was tired. My average heart rate was only 125....a clear sign that something was wrong. My max heart rate was only 140. I can only wait until next year to try to do better.
I look forward to July 4 every year. Not just because of the foreworks but also because of the annual DCRRC Age handicapped 4 Miler. It's a neat little gimmick race starting and finishing in Carderock. Old men and women get to start first. Then younger men and women start later based pre established times based on their age and sex. Theoretically, if everyone was at exactly the same level of fitness we would all finish at the same time. While the format almost assures me that I will finish at the back of the pack, its OK as I enjoy being ahead of the young punks early :) It also allows me to tag different people that leave before me as targets that I can strive to catch.
I thought I could probably catch Ric based on times the day before at the Tidal Basin, even though he was leaving 2 minutes before me. Sharyn Gordon, Cristina Caravoulias, Joe Broderick and Walt Washburn were also possible but unlikely.
Even though I arrived more than 40 minutes before my start time, I failed to have my watch ready when I started. As a result, I missed the first minute or so of the race on my heart monitor.By the time it came on, my heart rate was already 118. This lapse was important as the race volunteers had already shut down the clock when I came in, so we had to estimate my finish time. Based on the information I did have from my watch I estimated that it took me about 56:15 to complete the course. I managed to catch Ric with about 1/2 mile to go and held him off.
So why so slow? In a clear case of poor planning, I had intestinal issues almost immediately after the race started. I really struggled with cramps and I couldnt wait to finish. I had to walk a great deal but not because I was tired. My average heart rate was only 125....a clear sign that something was wrong. My max heart rate was only 140. I can only wait until next year to try to do better.
Presidential Fitness Runs
The new Tidal Basin Run group decided to hold a trio of races around the Tidal Basin on the morning of July 3rd. With virtually everyone off that day, we had the sidewalks largely to ourselves. The race provided the group with an opportunity to raise the money needed to pay dues to the RRCA and it also gave a few prolofic area runners to make a rare visit to the Tidal Basin.
Three different races were held...the Thomas Jefferson 3K, the John Quicy Adams 6K, and the John Tyler 10K. The races were tabbed as the Presidential Fitness Runs. We had 7 finishers in the first 2 races and 6 in the 10K. All of the races started at the same time and finished at the same finish line. Runners for the 3K and 10K started at the same start line but took off in opposite directions. (That was interesting). The 10kers ran about 300 yards before turning around and running in the same direction as the rest of us.
I opted to run the 3K. I thought about running the 6K to give myself a race at an "other" distance and to also stretch out my distance a little but I thought I should get in quickly and help Jay with timing and any other needs. Peter Lamberton ended up halping Jay with the timing so I wasn't really needed but I enjoyed being there to cheer on the other runner sas they made there way around the loop course.
The first 2 runners in the 3K took off quickly. Ric Franke got a few steps ahead of me at the start as I wrestled with my watches but then I passed him before hitting the sidewalk. I REALLY wanted to beat him today. I had failed in meeting most of my running goals recently and I really wanted to beat someone I thought I should beat.
The temperature was about 71 degrees and it was a clear, sunny day. It was a perfect day for almost everyone but a little warm for runners. That is my only explanation for a somewhat disappointing race. I ran for 6 1/2 minutes before feeling the need for a walk. My heart rate was 143 when I stopped for the walk. I know I can do better than this! More disturbing...I walked for nearly 2 minutes! In all, I took 5 walk breaks. Thats just not acceptable. The walks brought my average heart rate for the race down to 134 and my max heart race was only 145. As a result, I finished in 21:22...which was 4 seconds SLOWER than my disappointing TB 3K just 2 weeks earlier. On the bright side, I did manage to beat Ric, as well as another runner, Ketty Smith. My 3rd place finish actually made into The Washington Post on July 4th, which was pretty cool.
After the race, we celebrated Jon Palks 60th birthday with a very good birthday cake. Ric and I also had a nice chat. Karsten Brown set the course record for the 10K course with a time of 36:06 ( I succeeded in only allowing him to pass me once!) Suzanna Sullivan ran a blistering 6K to win the inaugural event in a time of 24:15. Jon and Peter Blank trailed her by 4 and 5 minutes respectively. So she was moving!
All in all, it was a great way to start the holiday weekend. We decided to do it all again for Columbus Day.
Three different races were held...the Thomas Jefferson 3K, the John Quicy Adams 6K, and the John Tyler 10K. The races were tabbed as the Presidential Fitness Runs. We had 7 finishers in the first 2 races and 6 in the 10K. All of the races started at the same time and finished at the same finish line. Runners for the 3K and 10K started at the same start line but took off in opposite directions. (That was interesting). The 10kers ran about 300 yards before turning around and running in the same direction as the rest of us.
I opted to run the 3K. I thought about running the 6K to give myself a race at an "other" distance and to also stretch out my distance a little but I thought I should get in quickly and help Jay with timing and any other needs. Peter Lamberton ended up halping Jay with the timing so I wasn't really needed but I enjoyed being there to cheer on the other runner sas they made there way around the loop course.
The first 2 runners in the 3K took off quickly. Ric Franke got a few steps ahead of me at the start as I wrestled with my watches but then I passed him before hitting the sidewalk. I REALLY wanted to beat him today. I had failed in meeting most of my running goals recently and I really wanted to beat someone I thought I should beat.
The temperature was about 71 degrees and it was a clear, sunny day. It was a perfect day for almost everyone but a little warm for runners. That is my only explanation for a somewhat disappointing race. I ran for 6 1/2 minutes before feeling the need for a walk. My heart rate was 143 when I stopped for the walk. I know I can do better than this! More disturbing...I walked for nearly 2 minutes! In all, I took 5 walk breaks. Thats just not acceptable. The walks brought my average heart rate for the race down to 134 and my max heart race was only 145. As a result, I finished in 21:22...which was 4 seconds SLOWER than my disappointing TB 3K just 2 weeks earlier. On the bright side, I did manage to beat Ric, as well as another runner, Ketty Smith. My 3rd place finish actually made into The Washington Post on July 4th, which was pretty cool.
After the race, we celebrated Jon Palks 60th birthday with a very good birthday cake. Ric and I also had a nice chat. Karsten Brown set the course record for the 10K course with a time of 36:06 ( I succeeded in only allowing him to pass me once!) Suzanna Sullivan ran a blistering 6K to win the inaugural event in a time of 24:15. Jon and Peter Blank trailed her by 4 and 5 minutes respectively. So she was moving!
All in all, it was a great way to start the holiday weekend. We decided to do it all again for Columbus Day.
The tow path revisited
On June 21, I ran the Georgetown 8K. The race starts under the Key bridge, runs up the tow path to just past Fletchers Boathouse and then back the way we came. I just ran much of this same course the previous evening during the Hugh Jascourt 4 miler. It was cooler than the night before so I hoped for a better run tonight.
This was hailed as a Father's Day race and there were several fathers in attendance. The race also included triathalon standout Desiree Ficker, who easily won the womens race by more than 6 minutes (29:02). Unfortunately for me, none of my slower friends made it to the race so I hoped I had some new company out there.
I intentionally went out slow this evening. No one else did though so fell to the back of the pack pretty quickly. I ran for over 8 minutes before taking a rather lengthy walk break. My goal became a simple one...beat last years slow time of 63:06 in this same race on a miserable muggy evening. At the turnaround I was just about on pace but I faded during the next mile and a half. I picked it up a bit from there to the finish as I tried to catch the runner in front of me (James Sullivan). I was making up ground on him when I ran but he was running faster than I walked so I couldn't close the gap entirely. He finished 58 seconds in front of me. I finished 53rd (sounds better than last) with a time of 64:38 (chip time). So I failed in my efforts to beat last years time. However, on a positive note, my pace per mile was about 9 seconds faster than the previous evenings race, which was a mile shorter. This was my longest race sincre late December so I was relatively pleased with my performance. Hey, at least I finished.
This was hailed as a Father's Day race and there were several fathers in attendance. The race also included triathalon standout Desiree Ficker, who easily won the womens race by more than 6 minutes (29:02). Unfortunately for me, none of my slower friends made it to the race so I hoped I had some new company out there.
I intentionally went out slow this evening. No one else did though so fell to the back of the pack pretty quickly. I ran for over 8 minutes before taking a rather lengthy walk break. My goal became a simple one...beat last years slow time of 63:06 in this same race on a miserable muggy evening. At the turnaround I was just about on pace but I faded during the next mile and a half. I picked it up a bit from there to the finish as I tried to catch the runner in front of me (James Sullivan). I was making up ground on him when I ran but he was running faster than I walked so I couldn't close the gap entirely. He finished 58 seconds in front of me. I finished 53rd (sounds better than last) with a time of 64:38 (chip time). So I failed in my efforts to beat last years time. However, on a positive note, my pace per mile was about 9 seconds faster than the previous evenings race, which was a mile shorter. This was my longest race sincre late December so I was relatively pleased with my performance. Hey, at least I finished.
2nd one today
After a disasterous race earlier in the day, I was excited to run the DCRRC Hugh Jascourt 4 Miler that evening. Unfortunately, it was a hot evening and I just didn't have any energy for the race. I had hoped to keep up with Sharyn Gordon but she passed me after about 1 1/2 miles and I couldn't keep up with her. She finished more than 5 minutes in front of me so I clearly struggled over the 2nd half of the course. I did manage to beat a couple of guys in, including Walt Washburn, but it was certainly a disappointing race. I finished the 4 miles in 52:42, good for 67th place. I last ran the race on 2007 and had a time of 43:07 so I clearly fallen apart over the last 2 years. The heart monitor once again tells the story as I had to take 11 walk breaks during the race. Unlike some, I'm OK with walk breaks but I would like to see no more than 1 per mile. The walking lowered my average heart rate to 136, which isn't too bad. My max heart rate though only got to 148 so it appears as though I opted to walk pretty quickly when I started to feel tired.
What a waste
June 20, 2009
I decided to run the Losing to Live 5K today. I had several races to choose from but decided on this one as I enjoyed it when I ran before and it was the most economical of the day's races. Rain was forecasted and the weathermen got it right this time. It started raining pretty hard as we lined up for the start and really started to come down hard only about 1/4 mile into the race.
Here's why the race was a waste....the course was not clearly marked. Nor were there enough marshals on the course to keep people on the correct course. As a result, the leaders took a wrong turn and were back at the finish in about 2 1/2 miles. Slower runners, like myself, ended up taking an even shorter route home. My watch tells me that I completed about 1.55 miles. I felt great for the first 1/2 mile but then I had some stomach issues and had to walk most of the rest of the race. As a result, my average heart rate was only 130; though I did manage a max of 159. And I did burn about 200 calories so I guess it wasn't all bad. Plus, I have a race later today so I guess this helped me save some strength for that race.
I decided to run the Losing to Live 5K today. I had several races to choose from but decided on this one as I enjoyed it when I ran before and it was the most economical of the day's races. Rain was forecasted and the weathermen got it right this time. It started raining pretty hard as we lined up for the start and really started to come down hard only about 1/4 mile into the race.
Here's why the race was a waste....the course was not clearly marked. Nor were there enough marshals on the course to keep people on the correct course. As a result, the leaders took a wrong turn and were back at the finish in about 2 1/2 miles. Slower runners, like myself, ended up taking an even shorter route home. My watch tells me that I completed about 1.55 miles. I felt great for the first 1/2 mile but then I had some stomach issues and had to walk most of the rest of the race. As a result, my average heart rate was only 130; though I did manage a max of 159. And I did burn about 200 calories so I guess it wasn't all bad. Plus, I have a race later today so I guess this helped me save some strength for that race.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
A whole new Tidal Basin 3K
The first edition of the Tidal Basin 3K not sponsored by the DC Road Runners was held on June 17. Before the race, a new club was formed, by laws were approved, and officers were elected. Jay Wind will serve as President, Peter Blank will be Vice President, Ric Franke will be Treasurer and I was elected Secretary.
The race also marked the annual celebration of Juneteenth.
I really, really tried to go out slow and I intentionally fell behind all but one person right away. But the heart monitor doesnt lie. I ran the first 1K in under 10 minute per mile pace and my heart rate was already at 148. That was a mistake. But what I did next was even worse. I walked for 2 1/2 minutes while my heart rate dropped all the way down to 120! I'm an idiot! I know I was struggling with some reflux but I should have fought through that a little better. I was still ahead of my pursuer at that point but I allowed him to close the distance between us considerably. I took another walk after 2K and he caught up to me then. I struggled to keep up with him until I had to take a final walk break after crossing the last bridge. I was closing on him slowly during that last long straight away but I couldn't catch up to him. Miguel Gomez-Verdun beat me by 18 seconds as I crossed the line in 21:18. Very disappointing after my 20:10 a month earlier.
The final stats were
Average heart rate 136
Max heart rate 150
Calories burned 265
Max speed 7.8 mph
Avg speed 5.3 mph (11:19 per mile)
I can do better.
The race also marked the annual celebration of Juneteenth.
I really, really tried to go out slow and I intentionally fell behind all but one person right away. But the heart monitor doesnt lie. I ran the first 1K in under 10 minute per mile pace and my heart rate was already at 148. That was a mistake. But what I did next was even worse. I walked for 2 1/2 minutes while my heart rate dropped all the way down to 120! I'm an idiot! I know I was struggling with some reflux but I should have fought through that a little better. I was still ahead of my pursuer at that point but I allowed him to close the distance between us considerably. I took another walk after 2K and he caught up to me then. I struggled to keep up with him until I had to take a final walk break after crossing the last bridge. I was closing on him slowly during that last long straight away but I couldn't catch up to him. Miguel Gomez-Verdun beat me by 18 seconds as I crossed the line in 21:18. Very disappointing after my 20:10 a month earlier.
The final stats were
Average heart rate 136
Max heart rate 150
Calories burned 265
Max speed 7.8 mph
Avg speed 5.3 mph (11:19 per mile)
I can do better.
Wish I lived here
June 14th brought the HCS Burleigh Manor 5K. I wasn't all that excited about running a 5K after my poor showing in the cross country race a couple of days earlier but it was really the only race on the schedule that worked for me this weekend.
As always it seems with Columbia races, I arrived just moments before the start of the race. In fact, I wasn't able to get my watch/heart monitor working until I was about 100 meters into the race. It was a nice day for non-runners but it was too hot and sunny for me. I was soaked from sweat within just a couple of minutes as we had to climb a bit of a hill before heading out onto the streets of Columbia.
My lack of a warm-up showed as I had to walk only 3 minutes into the race. I topped out at 160beats per minute only 6 minutes into the race. But I was working hard not just because I'm not in great shape...I was also pushing a pretty good pace. There were 2 young kids in front of me that I was trying to keep close. as a result, when I ran I was running about a 9 minute per mile pace. In fact, I ran at 7 minute per mile pace for 3 short sections of the course. Running that fast obviously wears me out so I had to take quite a few recovery walks. But I kept all of them under a minute in length so they didn't destroy my overall time.
I was traling Sarah Moreau and Bruce Breon throughout the 2nd half of the race. I would run hard to catch up to them only to have to slow to a walk when I finally caught them. I hoped to be able to pass them in the final 1/4 mile as I did to the kid the previous week but the course had a long and steep uphill section just before that last 1/4 mile and that sapped the strength from my legs and prevented and sort of reasonable kick. as a result, Sarah beat me by 46 seconds and Bruce beat me by 28 seconds. I finished with a time of 36:37...not a 5K PR for the year but one of my better efforts. My avaerage heart rate was 138 and my max heart rate was 162. My heart rate at the finish was 149, which is a little slow for me...meaning I could have kicked a little further out and maybe shaved off the 7 seconds I needed for a 2009 PR. Such is life.
I saw 3 50+ racers out there. Shout outs to Noah Wood who came in 5th with a time of 18:23; John Way who finished 10th with a time of 19:43; and Kirk Gordon who finished 23rd with a time of 22:17. Good runs for all of them!
As always it seems with Columbia races, I arrived just moments before the start of the race. In fact, I wasn't able to get my watch/heart monitor working until I was about 100 meters into the race. It was a nice day for non-runners but it was too hot and sunny for me. I was soaked from sweat within just a couple of minutes as we had to climb a bit of a hill before heading out onto the streets of Columbia.
My lack of a warm-up showed as I had to walk only 3 minutes into the race. I topped out at 160beats per minute only 6 minutes into the race. But I was working hard not just because I'm not in great shape...I was also pushing a pretty good pace. There were 2 young kids in front of me that I was trying to keep close. as a result, when I ran I was running about a 9 minute per mile pace. In fact, I ran at 7 minute per mile pace for 3 short sections of the course. Running that fast obviously wears me out so I had to take quite a few recovery walks. But I kept all of them under a minute in length so they didn't destroy my overall time.
I was traling Sarah Moreau and Bruce Breon throughout the 2nd half of the race. I would run hard to catch up to them only to have to slow to a walk when I finally caught them. I hoped to be able to pass them in the final 1/4 mile as I did to the kid the previous week but the course had a long and steep uphill section just before that last 1/4 mile and that sapped the strength from my legs and prevented and sort of reasonable kick. as a result, Sarah beat me by 46 seconds and Bruce beat me by 28 seconds. I finished with a time of 36:37...not a 5K PR for the year but one of my better efforts. My avaerage heart rate was 138 and my max heart rate was 162. My heart rate at the finish was 149, which is a little slow for me...meaning I could have kicked a little further out and maybe shaved off the 7 seconds I needed for a 2009 PR. Such is life.
I saw 3 50+ racers out there. Shout outs to Noah Wood who came in 5th with a time of 18:23; John Way who finished 10th with a time of 19:43; and Kirk Gordon who finished 23rd with a time of 22:17. Good runs for all of them!
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