Shamrock Race Report: Part II - Getting to the Finish Line

Pre Race
Everything leading up to the race went according to plan. The three hour drive to VA Beach was uneventful, packet pickup was smooth, and the pre-race weather forecast had low 40s and little wind. We stayed at the Hampton Inn which was within walking distance of the start and finish line. This allowed Karolina and me to stay in the warm room (with my own bathroom!) until 15 minutes before our respective races. Karolina was running the half marathon which started one hour before the full marathon at 7:00 AM while the full marathon started at 8:00 AM. Our alarm went off at 4:45 and we started our regular pre-race routines.

Breakfast was my usual balance bar with a cup of coffee, followed by a banana, and then bottle of Perpetuam. With breakfast out of the way, I suited up and go back in bed and just relaxed. The horizon was just starting to show light when Karolina left for her race start. I wished her well and told her to hammer the last three miles of the run. We'd both completed a perfect taper and she was ready for a big PR. I now anxiously waited alone in my room, taking four or five trips to the bathroom. It was so nice having my own bathroom and not waiting in the porto lines. I watched the sun rise over the Atlantic and then went downstairs to meet Craig and Scott 15 minutes before the start.

We moved near the front of the start line, just ahead of the 3:10 pace group. I asked the lead pacer how he planned on running the race. He said it would be mostly even, with maybe a 1 minute positive split from the half way mark. I planned on running my race but I also wanted to have an idea of what the pace group had planned. I 'checked myself' a few times, making sure everything was set. I tied a double knot on my Nike Lunar Racers and made sure my Fuel Belt was tight and in the right position. As we waited, I killed the final moments trying to relax and get my HR down. Scott, Craig, and I gave each other one last handshake and we were off.

Start - Miles 1-3
The start was surprisingly smooth. There was no bumping, dodging or mass passing of people. At one point, Scott joked that we were "holding everyone up" because it seemed like no one was passing us. Nearing the first mile, the 3:10 group went by on the far side of the road. I was very surprised since my Garmin showed us at low 7 min mile pace. We passed through mile 1 at 7:07 and motioned to Scott and Craig that we should slow up a bit. The pace group did the same and we hit the next mile at 7:21 which evened things out. Around that point we passed our cheering section which was a great boost and we gave them a wave.

Rudee Bridge - Miles 3-7
Around mile 3 we made our first pass over Rudee Bridge. I hadn't seen it before, but I knew it was the main climb on the course. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared, a 200 meter steady rise and drop. My focus going over the bridge was to keep my HR down and not lose a Fuel Belt bottle. When running uphill, I tend to bump the bottles which can cause them to eject. I shorten my stride, focusing on fast feet and kept one hand near my fuel belt. The three of us went over easily and gently cruised down the backside of the bridge. This led to a long flat stretch of road going out to the first turn around. Up to this point, the three of us stayed together and didn't say much. Craig thought this is was a good time to crack a few jokes. It helped keep the mood light and relaxed and we cruised along holding 7:14 pace. At the turnaround near 5.5 miles I started drinking from my fuel belt and took my first swig of Hammer Gel. I wanted to move through my Fuel Belt and give it to Karolina at the half way point. I wasn't thirsty yet, but I'd trained to drink at miles 5, 10, and 14 and I wanted to stick with my plan.

Camp Pendleton - Miles 7-10
By the time we entered the army base, the race had really thinned out. We passed a few people, and a few people passed us, but for the most part if was very spread out. The base had a number of 90 degree turns which caused our pace to fluctuate a bit. I think this also contributed to our pace dropping a bit. By the time we left the base we were running sub 7:10 pace. Things felt great and I did a few self checks to make sure my HR was down and I stayed relaxed. As we left the base I took down some Endurolytes. Scott and Craig were letting me dictate the pace and Scott mentioned that I was "sweating a lot" so I wanted to keep enough salt in my system. I've always been a big sweater and knew the Endurolytes would be critical to keeping the cramps away later in the race. We crossed back over the Rudee Bridge and hit the 10 mile mark in 1:12:06 - 24 seconds ahead of pace. This was my first real check of our overall pace and it showed that we were right on track. I grabbed water at the next aid station and threw it on my face - only to discover it was Gatorade. I'd keep the sticky face until the next aide station.

Boardwalk - Miles 10-13
We then made our way to sea and turned left on the boardwalk. As we approached, Scott remarked that this was the point when we'd "feel the wind". At the start, there was no wind but it was scheduled to pick up during the day. If it was bad, this would be the worst section of the race. We made the turn, and thankfully, there was no wind. We spread out across the boardwalk and enjoyed the awesome view of the sea and Virginia Beach skyline. Our pace was still in the 7:08-7:10 range and everything felt good. Scott and Craig both said they felt good and we maintain our steady pace. Shortly before turning off the boardwalk, Scott came up next to me and reminded me to hold back and relax. We were about to pass back through the start/finish area and the crowds would be big. Scott reminded me to hold steady and not get excited with all the cheering. It was at mile 12 when we saw the Team FeXY section. Shawn Clark ran out of the crowd and kept us company for 400 meters while Sam and Karen shouted us on. Shawn gave us some inspiring words before pulling up. About 400 meters later, I saw Karolina. The plan was to drop off my empty fuel belt and gloves while grabbing a new bottle of HEED and Hammer Gel flask. The complicated handoff went surprisingly well while Karolina ran along with me for a few seconds. She told me she had a great half marathon race and PRed. It was just the motivation I needed. After a few seconds I told Karolina I had to go and she pulled off.

Atlantic Ave. & Shore Drive - Miles 13-19
Scott, Craig and I regrouped and hit the half marathon mark at 1:34:13 - 47 seconds ahead of pace. Up to this point, the race had gone exactly to plan. No surprises, no issues, no bathroom stops, no tripping, no cramps, nothing! We made the turn onto Atlantic Ave. which was a long straight three mile stretch that seemed to go on forever. I felt really good and tried to lock into a relaxed but strong pace. Scott and Craig lined up behind me and we started a paceline down the road. At mile 14, I we had about 8 guys following behind us in a straight line. I felt great and ticked off 7:05 mile pace. We then turned left into a wooded section along Shore Drive at mile 16. For some reason, my Garmin started showing weird data and said we were running 7:25 pace. At first I thought I had slowed down and quickly picked up the pace. After a few seconds Craig asked me what the hell I was doing? I'd completely blown up the paceline and Scott quickly came to the front and told me to back off a bit. I settled back down, but was still concerned about the numbers I saw on the Garmin. At that point, I stopped looking at my watch and got split data from Scott at each mile marker. We continued running along shore drive, reading the interesting motivational signs posted by the race organizers. At this point I noticed that we were passing people at a steady rate. We ticked off 7:10 and 7:07 splits and then Scott gave me the news that Craig had fallen back. We both talked about whether we should hold up and I was conflicted with what I should do. Craig was shooting to go sub 3:15 and we were well under the pace to hit that time. I ultimately told Scott that we should keep going. I felt bad but I also didn’t know what lay ahead for me in the race.

Fort Story - Miles 19-23
We finally made the right turn into Fort Story which marked the 19 mile point in the race. This was a mini milestone in the race and point to check my pace and nutrition. Everything felt good as I took down more gel and Endurolytes. My feet hurt a little but calves felt great with my 2XU compression race socks. I started to pick things up and bit and got down to near sub 7:00 pace. At this point Scott came up to me and said I should hold back a little. There was still 7 miles to go and I should control my effort with a gradual build. I agreed and slowed our pace through mile 21. At mile 22 I finished my bottle and gel and ditched them at the aide station. Suddenly, at this point I started to feel the effects of my efforts. I was hurting and slowed down to 7:14 pace. Scott could see I was slowing down and provided some motivational words as I bared down on what lay ahead. This was where the mental toughness would come into play. I thought back to all the hard workouts and the moments when I pushed through the pain. The pain and discomfort was spreading from my feet to my quads and I tried to focus on the straight line ahead of me. Five more miles….four more miles…hang on…bend, don't break.

Atlantic Ave. Part II - Miles 23-26
We left the army base and got back out on Atlantic Ave. at mile 23. I told myself I had 5k to go. Come on, 5k is so short…I can run 5k with one leg. I tried every mental trick in the book. At mile 24 I started to feel a bit better and put myself in a running trance. My stride was locked in, I just continued the exact same motion over and over, trying to hang on and not blow up. Amazingly, we were still passing people. I was watching people blow up all around me, stopping to walk, stretching calves, sitting on the curb. Scott kept me focused, saying motivational phrases and counting down the miles. I continued my trance like run until suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt something kick my left foot. Scott was following right behind me and he accidentally got too close and kicked my foot forward. I felt my hamstring tighten up and begin to cramp. No! I yelled and tripped forward catching myself before locking up my hamstring and falling down. I was wide awake now from my trance. Scott was apologizing next to me but I heard nothing, all I could hear was brain screaming for me to stop. We hit mile 25 - one mile to go. The course snaked left and right and the sudden change in stride caused my right calve to twitch dangerously. I was moments away from my calve locking up and I needed to hang on for another 8 minutes. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, a cyclist pulled out in front of us, nearly hitting Scott. Scott provided some colorful commentary as we put our heads down for the final turn onto the home stretch.

Boardwalk - Mile 26
The final stretch was a .3 mile straight shot down the boardwalk. We made the final turn and could see the finish banner in the distance. I asked Scott if I was close to hitting 3:10. "We got it" was his reply. All I remember thinking was OK - don't cramp now. Just hang on for another quarter mile. The crowds grew as we approached the line. I could hear the sound of the announcer but it slowly became drowned out in the screams from the crowd. I looked over and saw Scott next to me. I could see he wanted to drop the hammer but I couldn't go. Part of me was scared of cramping up, but deep down I really just wanted to enjoy the final moments of the journey. It was running down the final stretch smiling from ear to ear. I couldn't stop smiling, I was so happy. It was going to happen. I was going to qualify for Boston. In the final steps I extended my hand to Scott. A final handshake to the guy who helped shepherd me home to the finish. We did it.




Finish
A few moments after crossing the line, I stopped my watch and hunched over. After a quick self examination, I confirmed I was OK and started my slow hobble down the finish shoot. I walked a few steps and then stopped to look at my watch. I still wasn't 100% convinced I'd done it. I saw 3:08:something. OK - confirmed. We received our finishers gear (a nice hat, medal, and beer cup) and made our way to the exit. Reid was the first to find us followed by Karolina, Dan and Shawn. About five minutes later we heard that Craig was finishing. He hung tough after mile 18 and also qualified for Boston with a 3:13. The three of us all hit our goals. It was an awesome conclusion and all the more special being surrounded by my friends and lovely wife.

Looking back on the day, the one thing I can say is "everything clicked". From pre-race, to race, to post-race, there was nothing that could have gone better. Everyone who ran on Sunday had a great race. Dan, Reid, Shawn, Ally, and Karolina all had PR races. The three marathoners all hit BQs and had amazing races. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

Miles	Split	Total	HR
1.00	0:07:07	0:07:07	139
2.00	0:07:21	0:14:28	146
3.00	0:07:07	0:21:35	154
4.00	0:07:16	0:28:51	150
5.00	0:07:14	0:36:05	152
6.00	0:07:28	0:43:33	155
7.00	0:07:10	0:50:43	156
8.00	0:07:09	0:57:52	154
9.00	0:07:06	1:04:58	156
10.00	0:07:08	1:12:06	157
11.00	0:07:09	1:19:15	157
12.00	0:07:10	1:26:25	158
13.00	0:07:08	1:33:33	161
14.00	0:07:03	1:40:36	161
15.00	0:07:05	1:47:41	162
16.00	0:07:07	1:54:48	162
17.00	0:07:10	2:01:58	163
18.00	0:07:07	2:09:05	164
19.00	0:07:03	2:16:08	166
20.00	0:07:01	2:23:09	167
21.00	0:07:09	2:30:18	168
22.00	0:07:14	2:37:32	167
23.00	0:07:12	2:44:44	166
24.00	0:07:14	2:51:58	167
25.00	0:07:14	2:59:12	168
26.00	0:07:14	3:06:26	170
26.22	0:01:34	3:08:00	171

Shamrock Race Report: Part I - Getting to the Start Line

This is part 1 of my race report for the Shamrock Marathon

Making the decision to go for BQ
The idea of qualifying for the Boston Marathon first came up in 2004 when I began running again. My supervisor was a serious runner and he talked about the Boston Marathon and the qualification process. I remember going to the BAA website and looking up the times. My first thought was wow, that's fast. Then I figured out the pace, 7:15, and realized it was way beyond my capabilities. The idea of qualifying for the Boston Marathon quickly faded away.
Two years later I attempted my first marathon. I signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon and started training. 2006 was a tough year both personally and professionally. I didn't train well, put on weight, and tried to make up the missing mileage a month before the race. Long story short - I got injured and didn't race. My lasting memory of this incident was going to packet pickup, telling them I wouldn’t race, and refusing to take the race t-shirt. I didn't want the shirt for a race I didn't complete - especially a marathon.

2006 - DNS

One year later I reentered the Marine Corp Marathon and followed a solid (but abridged) marathon training plan. I felt confident that I could run a solid race given my training and went in with the goal of finishing. I finished the race but suffered through one of the hardest and most painful moments of my life. I went out too fast, hit the wall at mile 18, and hobbled home with seizing cramps.

2007 - 4:05

I didn't want to run another marathon ever again. But, I made a last minute decision to enter the Baltimore Marathon in 2008 with the idea of supporting Karolina. I was going to start with her and see what happens. I was better trained overall in 2008, but I hadn't focused on the marathon. I started the race with Karolina and slowly ran my own race after a few miles. I used my experiences from 2007 to temper my efforts, focus on nutrition and hydration, and run a steady and relaxed race. I made it to the line without bonking in complete shock of my time.

2008 - 3:33

After Baltimore I realized that I could actually run 26.2 miles without killing myself. I also started dreaming about what I could do if I focused on the marathon. How fast could I go? Could I qualify? By the time we got home from Baltimore, I'd made the decision to go for a BQ.

Picking the Plan
I consulted with my coach, Eric Sorensen, and my cadre of running friends about marathon-specific training. I grew up a swimmer and all I knew about running came from triathlon training. I needed to build a marathon training plan that would take me from my current form to BQ. I'd need to run more miles per week then ever before and run consistently for at least 18 weeks over the winter months. I consulted with friends, family, and researched the internet across running forums and websites.

I eventually decided on a plan developed by Pete Pfitzinger known as the Pfitz 55/18. The plan goes 18 weeks with a max mileage of 55 miles a week. I started my marathon training three weeks prior to the formal plan to get some base miles down and not jump to quickly into high mileage running. The Pfitz 55/18 plan comes from the book Advance Marathoning. It's an excellent guide to 'racing' marathons. This was one of the big differences in my training - going from training to finish a marathon to training to race a marathon. I liked the simplicity of Pfitzinger's training, the focus on one key workout a week and simple pacing guidance during longer runs. The main difference from my past training was this plan included 10-14 mile runs during the middle of the week. These 'medium distance' runs kept the weekly mileage up while allowing two days off from running a week. Once I decided on the plan - I completely committed to the schedule.

Dark Cold Winter
The only drawback to spring marathon is that training goes on during the winter. I initially dodged the outdoors when I started training and hit the treadmill whenever possible. Once the individual workouts exceeded 8 miles - I found myself resorting to run outdoors. Although I initially fought it, I eventually embraced the dark cold evening run workouts. I convinced myself that they made me tougher and that the harsh conditions would make race day feel easy. By December I was limiting the treadmill to select recovery workouts and doing everything outside on the W&OD trail. I did all of my evening runs alone and rarely saw a single runner on the trail. I adopted the image of the 'lonely long distance runner' - training alone and driven by my own unseen demons. As I ticked through the workouts, the longer I stayed on schedule, the more galvanized and driven I became with completing the program. Looking back, I missed only four workouts in 21 weeks.

Challenges Along the Way
No quest would be complete without some challenges along the way. I had a few scares but at no point did I train myself to injury. This was my ultimate fear. I'd get within a few weeks of completing the training and suddenly wake up injured and unable to run. While this never happened, I did manage a trip to emergency room with a severe abdominal infection. As bad as it was, the timing was almost perfect, coming near the end of the hard training cycle. The time off corresponded with a scheduled recovery period and I bounced back quickly. My life outside of running also brought a few challenges. Work demanded much of time and I found myself exhausted from the challenges in the office and the demands of training. Once again, when things really became tough, the timing worked out. My late nights in office came during taper when my run training decreased dramatically. Had this come during a major training cycle, I would have likely snapped under the pressure. Everything seemed to happen at the opportune time, and I started to think that I just might be successful.

Confidence
As my training moved through the two key months of January and February, I started to believe that I could BQ. The tests I completed in training gave me the confidence that I could run 26.2 miles at 7:15 pace. I was running faster then ever around the track and able to hold the right pace on select long runs. Each milestone in training sowed the seeds of confidence that would bloom during taper. The final few weeks were largely uneventful. My challenge was balancing work with my life at home. The other item to control was my mental strength. It could make or break the race and I needed to balance confidence, patience, relaxation, and excitement. "The work is done, now you need to execute" and "Execution: running the race according to plan" became phrases I repeated over and over. I was nervous no question about it, but I was also excited.

Race Report: Anheuser Busch Colonial Half-Marathon

Race: Anheuser Busch Colonial Half-Marathon
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Race Type: Run - Half Marathon
Age Group: Male 30 - 34
Time: 1:28:53
Overall Place: 63/ 735
Age Group Place: 5 / 43
Comment: A Great Season Opener and Solid Run

Race Report:
This is a special race for me and Karolina for a number of reasons. The start and finish are on the campus of my Alma Mater and it has marked the opening race of the season for us two years in a row. It's a well run event on a challenging course with a convenient 1:00 PM start time.

Like last year, Karolina Mikey, and I drove down to Williamsburg on Sunday morning after a quick breakfast. We left Reston a little after 9:30 AM and after a few potty stops arrived at packet pickup shortly before noon. We got our packets, checked out the expo and went back to the car for some final prep before warming up.

The goal for this race was to test my fitness and 'dry-run' my marathon race execution. I had not raced since the first week in December and was excited to see what I could do after 10 weeks of high quality run training. I was also stocked to run in my new compression racing socks and racing flats. I'd become a big fan of compression gear over the past 6 months and Mikey got me a pair of 2XU Compression Race Socks for Christmas. I'd trained in compression tights all winter and was excited to test out the race socks. This was also my first race in my new Nike Lunar Racers. I'd selected these shoes back in late December and after some lengthy searching, secured a pair from the Running Warehouse. The shoes are racing flats with maximum cushion in a super-lite package. They weigh a little over 5 oz. which is less than half the weight of my current Asics Gel-Nimbus. In addition to this gear, I wore my Craft tri shorts and Team FeXY shirt. This is as close as possible to what I will wear on marathon race day.

I felt that given my performance in training, I should be able to run under 1:30 for a half marathon. This is also in accordance with the 'Matias-Scale' for marathon time prediction -- take your half marathon time, double it, and add 10 minutes. To qualify for Boston (3:10), I'd need to run 1:30. The only other item to consider was the course. The Colonial Half is one tough rolling/hilly run!

Karolina and did our final prep in the car and took off on our warm up. Conditions were windy in the low 40s. I wanted to make sure my legs were warm and loose given the cold. Warm up included a steady jog to the start line plus some strides. I got in a little over a mile and felt solid before the gun. The race was a shotgun start (no chip time) so I tried to get near the line with Karolina. A final kiss to Karolina and then we were off.

The start is a fast down hill with some immediate turns. I saw Mikey at the first corner and gave him a shout as I ran by. The first mile was fast (6:14) but I felt relaxed and steady. I was amazed how fast people took off. This is one of the more competitive half marathons in the areas and I was amazed to see how far ahead the leaders were after the first mile. They must have took off at 4:45 pace! The next couple miles were mostly downhill so I tried to stay relaxed and not go too hard too soon.

My execution plan was to control my effort over the first half and not push the hills. I'd done very little hill training (Shamrock is a flat course) and I was afraid that I might strain my calves if I ran too hard uphill. The first major climb came shortly before mile 4 and I was careful to slow things down and shorten my stride. Lite fast feet was what I repeated in my head as I watched the people around me pound up the hill. It was a little disheartening to see people pulling away but I tried to remain focused on my individual effort. I yo-yoed with a couple of guys over the next few miles out to the turnaround. I felt really solid running in the 6:30-6:50 range. I didn't check my watch much during the race and focused on feel.

I hit the turnaround following a length climb and tried to relax during the gradual decent through Kingsmill. As I ran through the neighborhood, I felt the wind for the first time and even had a slight chill. This seemed odd since I rarely felt cold during races given my high body temp. I spotted a few runners ahead of me and tried to rachet things up a little as I made my way towards mile 8. Around mile 8 we rejoined the country road path and made the trek back to Colonial Williamsburg. I slowed down again as I hit the hills again and started to feel some fatigue. I tried to stay comfortable and settled into 6:5x pace.

I hit the 10 mile mark in 1:06.10 which was a full minute faster than my PR from last season. I knew I was running well so I tried to stay focused and maintain my pace. Like last year, things were going well until the final climbs at mile 12 and 13. I hit the climb and knew I couldn't push the pace. In fact, I was hurting so I backed off. Looking at my splits, I really slowed down running 7:22 and 7:12 over the final two miles. I wish I'd had more in the tank to finish stronger, but the hills took too much out of me and I was spent. In hindsight, I might have benefitted from a Gu or HammerGel at the 10 mile mark. I was clearly out of gas and I only had a few cups of water during the race.

I ran strong through campus towards Willam & Mary Hall. I thought about all the times I'd walked around the campus and how nice it was to back at W&M. I powered into the stadium and saw the clock read 1:28:xx, an 8 minute PR. I was so happy to see a sub 90 minute time on the clock given my goal to run 3:10 in March. I walked through the finish chute and grabbed some drinks from the volunteers. I caught up with Eddie Valentine, (a former coworker and super-fast marathoner) who ran a solid 1:19 despite stopping to re-tie his shoes a couple times. It was great to see him and some other old acquantences in the finishing area. I found Mikey in the stands and he through me my recovery bottle. I few moments later Karolina came across the line in 1:41! She was nervous about her form going into the race -- but it didn't stop her from running a PR by 3 minutes!

We collected our gear, showered up in the W&M locker room, and grabbed a couple beers courtesy of the race sponsor. Per tradition, we stopped at the Cheese Shop on our way home to have a couple sandwiches with world famous house dressing. It was another perfect end to a great season opener.

Below is the data from the race.

Miles	Split Time	Total Time	Heart Rate	Pace	Notes
1.00	0:06:14	0:06:14	153	0:06:14	Quick start, mostly downhill
2.00	0:06:27	0:12:41	163	0:06:20
3.00	0:06:17	0:18:58	163	0:06:19	Long downhill
4.00	0:06:48	0:25:46	164	0:06:26	Long uphill
5.00	0:06:31	0:32:17	165	0:06:27
6.00	0:06:45	0:39:02	166	0:06:30
7.00	0:06:36	0:45:38	164	0:06:31	Cruising - felt great
8.00	0:06:52	0:52:30	166	0:06:34	Hills again
9.00	0:06:41	0:59:11	166	0:06:35
10.00	0:06:59	1:06:10	167	0:06:37	A PR for 10 miles!
11.00	0:06:57	1:13:07	163	0:06:39	Hills - tried to stay relaxed
12.00	0:07:22	1:20:29	164	0:06:42	Brutal hills - turned it off
13.00	0:07:12	1:27:41	164	0:06:45	Held steady - hurting
13.11	0:00:59	1:28:40	168	0:06:46	Finished strong
Final		1:28:53		0:06:46

Some key points and lessons learned from the race:
- I'm on target for my BQ attempt at Shamrock
- I should carry a gel for my next half marathon
- Don't push the hills during a race without proper training and preperation
- The racing flats and compression socks worked great and will be used at Shamrock

Thanks for reading.

Race Report: Fall Into Winter 10k

Race: Fall into Winter 10K
Date: Sunday, December 7, 2008
Location: Reston, VA
Race Type: Run - 10 km
Age Group: Male 30 - 34
Time: 0:41:48
Overall Place: 15 / 210
Age Group Place: 1 / 7
Comment: Wicked Cold

Race Report:
I signed up for this race to test my current run fitness. I wanted to hold below my goal Half Marathon pace (6:50) while feeling relaxed and strong. In summary, I met my goal but would have liked to run a little bit faster.

Pre-Race went well despite some linger 'effects' from the RMST Christmas party the night before. I met my youngest brother at the Reston Community Center and did a 1.5 mile warm up with some strides. It was very cold (low 20s) with a nasty wind adding to the discomfort. I wore my Nike compression top, race tights, and opted to wear my Asics Nimbus training shoes rather than racing flats. I felt OK during the warm up but not great.

The race started on time without issue. The first 200 meters were straight down, then back up before settling into a gradual downhill to the 5k mark. I made an effort to go out easier than normal and stay relaxed over the first 5k. My plan worked well and I felt great over the first 3 miles. Having a rolling downhill and tailwind helped a lot too. I kept my HR in the mid 160s and went through the 5k just below 20 minutes.

The second half consisted of a rolling uphill and a nasty headwind over the last two miles. I tried to ratchet things up a notch running up Glade Drive but found that the course slowed me down a little. Despite my harder effort, I ran almost 20 seconds per mile slower over the next two miles at 7 min/mile pace. (Note: I don't check my watch during the race so I had no idea how 'fast or slow' I was running until the finish.) I think my slowed pace was more the result of a lack of 'running strength' than anything else. I honestly felt good over mile 4 and 5 but I lacked the power during the rolling uphills. This highlights my need for increased leg strength. All of my treadmill and W&OD runs are mostly flat so that helps explain my lack of power when running uphill.

The final mile was back down South Lakes Drive to Colts Neck and the finish line. This final mile was partly uphill and had a nasty headwind. Looking at my splits, I maintained my pace (adding only 6 seconds) but I remember 'suffering' a lot more than on Glade. The headwind really got to me, chilling me to the bone. I remember this section as a test of mental toughness. I think I handled it well, but I also remember a few moments where I lost my focus and slowed down. It was a good test but I still have work to do in this arena.

The final stretch went well and I was able to pick up my pace (6:30) over the last .2 miles. Even with an uphill finish I felt solid through the line. I was a little disappointed with my final time of 41:48 (6:44) which was right on my PR. Using the Jack Daniel's VDOT from my 5k the week before, I should have run about one minute faster. There are a number of factors that might have contributed to my slower time (lack of sleep, cold, wind, rolling uphills) but I tend to look past those factors and focus on the results. If viewed from the lense of my goal marathon pace, I was right on.

I think my overall effort for this race solid. I took it out at a controlled level of effort and was able to run well despite some harsh conditions. I'm still hungry to run another race this season which will likely come around New Years. It was also another great occasion to hang with family and friends. Karolina's support was critical to my success on this day. Her cheers and support helped keep me warm and motivated. It was also great to see my brother and Mike Sevier race one last time (taking 4th and 3rd overall). Both Mike's ran fast races and were a big motivation. It was also great catching up with Kevin (great race in 40:18), Tony, and the other Reston Runners.

Splits and HR details below.

Mile 1 - 6:18 HR: 158 - Quick split but felt relaxed
Mile 2 - 6:22 HR: 166 - Nice downhills and tailwind
Mile 3 - 6:38 HR: 169 - Flattened out with a climb up and down Twin Branches
Mile 4 - 6:59 HR: 171 - Rolling uphills on Glade
Mile 5 - 6:59 HR: 171 - Rolling uphills on Glade and Soapstone
Mile 6 - 7:05 HR: 171 - Back down Southlakes, cold headwind
Mile .2 - 1:23 HR: 171 - Strong downhill/uphill finish

Total 41:48 HR: 168

Thanks for reading.

Race Report: Turkey Trot

Karolina and I decided to continue our Thanksgiving tradition of running a 5k the morning before the feast. The past couple years we've raced the VA Run Turkey Trot in Centerville, VA and decided to do it again with some friends.

The first time we did the race was back in 2004 when we came home to visit my parents. Karolina and I were working in Thailand at the time and went into the event hoping for a fun race. The majority of my training in Thailand was on a treadmill at that point and I hadn't raced a 5k in years. I remember taking it out in 6:45 and slowing down dramatically as the pain seared through me. The highlight of the day was Karolina's race. It marked her first race ever and beginning of her running/triathlon career.

2004 Result -- 22:50

In 2007 this race marked my 'return' to training after taking a month off (following my Marine Corp marathon melt down). Once again I took it out hard and tried to hold on. My lack of training showed and the final mile was another burn session.

Mile 1 6:27 HR 158
Mile 2 6:39 HR 177
Mile 3 6:50 HR 180
Mile 3.1 0:52 HR 184

2007 Result -- 20:51 HR 172

This year I went in without any expectations. My stretch goal was to run sub 19 but my lack of speed workouts hurt my confidence. The main difference between this race and previous efforts was a more extensive warm up. I got in over 2.5 miles of warm up with strides before the race. I decided to take it out hard but hold back a little before opening it up after the one hill at 2.5KM. The race went well overall. I ran with Dan O'Connell for the first couple miles before he slowly pulled away. Dan would go on to run 18:52 which is an awesome time given his recent IT band issues. I ran well within myself and was pleased with my final time of 19:23. I was also excited to see my buddy Shawn Clark ran an awesome PR of 19:57. Mikey Orton killed it like usual in 17:17.

Mile 1 5:56 HR 170
Mile 2 6:19 HR 179
Mile 3 6:24 HR 180
Mile 3.1 0:45 HR 184

2008 Result -- 19:23 HR: 176

The results show some interesting data.
- In 2008 my starting HR was much higher than 2007. This is largely due to getting in a solid warm up where the previous year had little to no warm up.
- The delta between mile 1 and 3 was 23 seconds in 2007 and 28 seconds in 2008 -- very similar.
- The average and max HR data was very close. The averages were nearly identical both years over miles 2 and 3. I clearly max out in the low to mid 180s.

Overall it was a great day for racing. Karolina and I had a blast and really enjoyed the event. I saw some great friends there including Brad Pigage, Jason Goyanko, Jill Coleman, Shawn and Julie Clark, and el'presidente Keith Bohnenberger.

I couldn't have asked for a better start to Thanksgiving with family and friends.