The Long Run

Had a good start, a rough patch from miles 4-8, then pulled myself back together and had a good, solid race, managing 1st place in my age group, with a 1:28:32 (gun time, chip time 1:28:28, garmin time is 1:28:30).

Splits: 6:32, 6:38 (+:07 adjust), 6:46, 6:48, 6:49, 6:55, 7:06, 6:51, 6:46, 6:39, 6:45, 6:34, 6:50, 0:26 (last 0.1)

Since this race is point to point, from Madeira Beach to Taylor park in Largo, we (Jenny, Jamie, and I) took two cars down so we could drop one car off at the finish line.  We arrived at Taylor park a little bit before they opened at 6:00, so we waited til opening and then got into one car and drove to Madeira Beach.  

When we got to the starting area, it was a little chilly and windy, and still dark.  But, I knew that the wind was actually from the south so there would be a slight tail wind for most of the run.  I warmed up as it was starting to get light out.  I had on two shirts, arm warmers, and a hat.  I quickly switch to just one shirt and no arm warmers, but kept on the hat.  After the warm up, I was feeling almost two warm.  So, I put the hat in my back pocket (lots of room in the Race Ready shorts).  It was fun to see all the usual faces, some I know well and others that I just see at races.

Started off and felt really good and was immediately on a much faster pace than planned, so I backed it down to just over a 6:30, I was hoping for a 6:38 pace to go just under 1:27, so I figured the 6:32 first mile was not too fast.  Next mile still felt good, 6:38 pace (but I was short of the 2 mile sign, so I hit the lap button again when I actually got there).

Third mile (6:46) was still feeling good, but my pace was slowing and I couldn't seem to go any faster.  The 4th mile was still a little bit slower at 6:48, but it was at the top of a bridge going from the beach to the mainland and I was thinking I'd feel better after the bridge.

I did not feel better after the bridge, but slowed down even a little bit more - 6:49, which included a surge towards the end of it so I would be under 6:50.

Sixth mile,  once again even slower at 6:55.  I was having a lot of tightness in my shins.  I was thinking of two reasons I wasn't doing as well as planned.  Company Christmas party was on Friday night, where, by company party standards I was somewhat restrained, but was probably still too much just two nights before a race where I wanted to do well.  I also think that last night's dinner might have had a bit too much salt.

On the 7th mile, I was getting more discouraged, 7:06 pace.  But, we were starting onto my favorite part of the course, the stretch that runs on the Pinellas Trail.  A nice straight shot, mostly shaded and flat, but with two pedestrian bridges to cross a couple of the major streets.

I started saying to myself, over and over again, calm and relaxed.  And finally, it started to pay off, and started to get a little bit faster.  Mile 8 was 6:51.  At the start of the race, I wouldn't have thought I'd be happy with a 6:51 at mile 8, but coming off of a 7:06 mile, it felt great.

Mile 9, a little faster at 6:46.  I was starting to come up behind people who started passing me at mile 4.   People who had seemed impossibly far away were getting closer, and then I was next to them and then past them.

Mile 10, 6:39.  My legs felt like there was a little bit of spring in them, mile 11 was 6:45, as little bit slower but I was feeling good still.

Mile 12, 6:34, almost my fastest mile of the morning.  Then, just past the 12 mile sign, we turned onto a packed dirt path which ran along Taylor Lake.  The wind was coming across it, and after I passed the last person who was in sight of me, I had trouble holding it.  Did my best to hang on and keep pushing.

 As I neared the end of mile 13, I decided I had to try and pick it up a bit as I didn't want to get passed by anyone.   Finished mile 13 in 6:50 and continued accelerating.  At some point I could hear determined, rhythmic breathing coming up behind me, but my kick was good enough to keep me from getting passed.  Clock was in the low 1:28's when I first saw it.  Garmin said I ran the last 0.1 at a 5:09 pace which is probably my best race kick.

Sometime at the beginning of the race someone asked me what time I was shooting for, and I said from 1:27 (PR) to 1:30, so I did exactly half way between it at about 1:28:30.

 I checked the results and saw that Bret, from the blog was here and come in about a minute faster than me.  Tried to find him at the awards but somehow missed him.

This race, put on by Chris Lauber, was extremely well down as usual.  Great organization and lots of personal touches (like Bib #18 for me for my birthday date), and some of the old Florida feel, between the beach community portion, the Pinellas Trail, and Taylor Park, it's one of my favorite courses.  I was happy with how the race started out, how I was able to come back from a mid-race slump, and how my finishing kick held off the person behind my by 6 seconds

Jenny and Jamie stuck together.  Jenny was not feeling well, but still managed a second fastest half marathon time for her and 3rd place age group award.  Jamie and Jenny crossed side by side, but the timing machine doesn't do ties, so Jenny ended up with the award, maybe they can cut it in half?

I could deny the cold no longer.  At 28 degrees this morning, I broke down and wore long pants instead of shorts.  Maybe I can wear shorts tomorrow.

Run was pretty good, a little bit slow but not bad.  At the end, did 10x100m strides.

Average pace: 9:04

Did the better than nothing upper body workout after the run.

Another 28 degree morning.  Felt sloggy for the first half of the run, with a lot of over 9:00 miles.  Started picking it up with a few miles left.   Should be warming up soon, although it's starting to feel not so bad.  Happy to get all 11 miles in.

Average pace: 8:50

Jenny and I have decided to follow the Pfitzinger plan for Boston.  It looks like it is about the number of miles I would have run anyway and will incorporate some variety I might not have done if I was going plan-less.  So, this is the first week, and the first mid-week medium long run which will start to get longer.  Due to Sunday's half-marathon and Saturday's 10K, this first week will be somewhat modified from the plan.  I plan on making changes to the plan when necessary but it's good to have a road map.

Ran inside today instead.  Treadmill at the Y after a warm up on the bike and some crunches and a little bit of stretching.  Did some strides towards the end of the run for variety.

Did a couple of leg extensions before heading home.

Average pace: 7:55

I tried out a fitness test for push ups and sit ups.  I just barely missed making it into the highest fitness category.  The number of each of the exercises was not a problem, I just underestimated the speed I needed to do them.  59 push ups in one minute and 47 sit ups also in one minute.

Ran with Jenny around the neighborhood and over by the golf course.  Kathryn and Cherise also joined us.  This morning we were finally back to more typical Florida in December, mid 50's, quite nice.  Took it easy and had a pretty enjoyable. run.

Average pace: 8:59

After the run got in my stretching and upper body better than nothing workout.

Good race today, challenging course.  40:14 was good enough for1st place age group.  Ever since we started running the Turkey Trot here, I've always wanted to do this race but was never able to for various reasons.  So, today I finally was able to run it.  I was hoping to break 40 minutes and maybe even PR.  The race was very well put together and organized.  Lots of volunteers, good food at the end and even a bit tent for the pancake breakfast.

Splits (garmin): 6:28, 6:19, 6:20, 6:30, 6:29, 6:34, 1:34 (0.27 @ 5:54)

Called out times : mile 2 - 12:50,mile 3 - 19:13,  mile 5 - 32:10, mile 6 - 38:55, mile 6.1 - 39:39

Warmed up with a little bit over 3 miles of easy running and a few strides.  About 30 minutes before the race, the rain started.  Not very hard, just a sprinkle.  I waited in my truck for a bit to stay warm.  Got out and re-warmed up a little bit before lining up.

The course starts in Coachman park and immediately goes up a short climb, turn right, go straight for a while and then up the Clearwater Memorial Bridge over the intracoastal waterway.  My friend Pat was there, so we were running together for the first couple of miles.  Pace was bouncing around 6:15 and 6:20 until we hit the bridge, then slowed down a little bit as we hit the peak.  Picked up speed on the way down the bridge.  Tried to stay smooth and not get carried away.  Was happy with the second mile but didn't want to get too used to the downhill.  Mile 3 was still feeling pretty good.  Shortly after 3 was the turn around.

I had been trailing several people and slowly caught up and passed them after the turnaround.  However, I had slowed down a little bit, but passing people made me feel like I had sped up.

Mile 4 was in 6:30, I think I lost some focus.  For mile 5 I kept telling myself to stay smooth and relaxed.  I was able to bring my pace closer to where I wanted it, recovering from mid 6:30's to just under 6:30.

The mile 5 marker was at the base of the bridge.  Time to go back up (about a 75 foot climb).  Pace slowed but I was passing some more people.  Hung on until the peak as best I could.  Back down the other side, but then the course turns off onto the helix.  It was pretty thick with 5K walkers, but they did a pretty good job of staying to one side.  However, going down the helix, fast runners had to stay to the left, which meant you had to cover a little more distance since you couldn't hug the railing.

At the bottom of the helix, you go back up again, maybe about a 30 or 40 foot climb.  Around this point a 17 year old male passed me going at a pretty good clip.  Got to the top of the street and went through an intersection where they had police directing traffic.  An older lady with white hair nearly strolled into me while crossing the street.  A police officer yelled at her to watch out, to which she replied "he can go around me".  That may be true, however I would have hated to find out what would have happened if I didn't successfully dodge her.

Finally, approaching the end of the 6th mile.  A volunteer called out the time - 38:55, ok, very slight chance of making sub 40:00, let's see what I can do.  The last 0.1 is back down the same hill we started up.  As I was running down as fast as I could, a lady (maybe mid 20's) jumped out of the crowd, and ran with a friend of hers doing the 5K, but instead of finishing, ran back to the outside and nearly ran into me, missing by inches.

So, it was at least a small improvement over my last 10K time of 40:33, although that one was done at midnight on July 4th, this course had its challenges too.

Had some pancakes, and stayed for the awards.  My running friend Eudair from the Striders, took the female masters award, and another one of the Striders, Marcia took 1st place age group (35-39).  Several other Striders were there also, but I don't remember all the times and awards.

So, the only complaint, at all, was they ran out of coffee before I was able to get any.  Everything else was perfect, and the coffee would have been a non-issue if it wasn't feeling chilly out (mid 50's with rain while wearing running clothes starts feeling cold once you stop running)