Training Log - Sunday, June 27, 2010

Well, this morning's trail half marathon turned into a much shorter run after all. Unfortunately, Richard turned his ankle twice on this monrning's trail run up Monte Sano Mountain. We called it a day after Richard rolled it the second (this time with a slight "pop" sound) time just after we entered the top of McKay Hollow Trail right next to the pavillion near the picnic area in the state park. We had already made our way up Pratt, Bankhead Parkway, Tollgate Trail, Cold Springs Trail and onto the North Loop to the state park, when Richard took his eyes off the trail just for a split second to point out the beautiful early morning view from the lookout point on top of Monte Sano. The view was just spectacular. Yet again, none of us remembered to bring our cameras. The view of the rolling mountains with a thick mist floating between them is absolutely amazing and well worth a trip alone. Unfortunately, a small rock on the trail did Richard in and he ended up rolling his ankle for the first time of the day. Having "tenderized" his ankle this way, he ended up rolling it again when we entered the technical, steep and rocky top section of McKay Hollow. If there is anything good tob e said about this, it is the fact that it happened adjacent to the picnic area and we were able to call for help to catch a ride down the moiuntain for Richard, James and I. Hopefully, Richard will recover from this over the next couple of days. I need my running partner for just a "few" ultras we have lined up between now and our 100 miler in November. Anyway, we still managed to get in a great hill workout this morning by running up to the state park. This trail run up the mountain could become our new favorite "hill workout". Richard, I hope you will recover quickly. And keep some ice on that thing!

Race Report - 2010 Spirit Of America 5 Mile Run

I woke up at 5AM, just as scheduled. It was already bright daylight outside. Today's race was meant as a speed workout. I figured I wouldn't PR due to the heat and humidity, but it would be worth pushing myself just the same. I have not been wanting to do speed workouts on the track or the hill, so this would have to do. I realized soon after the start that it was going to be tough. While I kept my heart rate under control, it seemed I just couldn't push as hard as usual. My heart rate crept up, but I was never able to max it out. The start of the race was exciting in and by itself. The RD uses an age and gender adjusted start to level the playing field and to give everyone a chance to actually cross the finish line first. As a result, we would start in waves based on the 2006 World Masters Association (WMA) age and gender grade tables. As a result, the first group started at 7AM, while I had to wait a full 29 minutes to start. Basically, my age/gender group was second to last to start. That meant I had to roll up the entire field just to get into the top 20 and that seemed like an insurmoutable task given the temps and time difference. Anyway, it certainly made for a very interesting race. After looping a soccer field immediately after the start and heading down an access road for about 2 miles, we entered a nice flat winding trail that would take us back towards the finish line for the remaining 2.8 miles of the race. I spent the first half of the race passing and trying to pass other runners and managed to get passed only twice during the race. The start in waves really changed the way I usually run a race. I normally try to go out hard and then hold on for dear life and try to avoid to get passed myself. In this race, it is all about trying to reel people in. Since almost everyone started before me, that left the 95% of the runners in front of me. That meant you had to continue to pass people if you wanted a shot at one of the awards reserved for the top 15 male and female finishers in this race. At the end of the day, I finished 18th overall. Not too bad for a field of about 200 runners, but also not what I was shooting for. My average pace has slowed over the last couple oif months and I am sure that is related to my ultra running and my lack of speed trainign over the last month as well. This heat is just not accommodating to speed training and I am just glad to be able to maintain mileage ast this point. This will be my first summer in the south, where I will attempt not to cut back on my mileage, since I am right in the middle of training for my first 100 miler in November. However, having seen my mileage pace slip in the last two shorter distance races has really bothered me. I will have to get some hill and speed training back into my schedule. Maybe I do need to join the gym again to get in some speed training in an air conditioned room on a treadmill. Yes, I know, I sound like a wimp. I promise, I'm not. I just prefer to log long runs in this heat instead of attacking a hill or track. Enough whining, tomorrow will be fun. Richard informed me of the course for tomorrow's run and it will be a very interesting half marathon distance trail run.

Training Log - Friday, June 25, 2010

Today's training run was more one out of necessity rather than choice. Richard had decided to run into work and bike back, while James and Mike wated to bike into work and back. I, on the other hand, do not work at the sdame place, so I just chose to join Richard on his run to work and opted to run back once we got there. As it turned out, neither James nor Mike biked in, so they also joined us by running towards our direction from the office. As a result, today's 8 mile training run can be described as an "urban" run along some of the busier roads in and around the research park in Huntsville. After experiencing the humidity of Wednesdays trail run, I decided to carry two handheld bottles for fluid intake. I could have used one of my water bladders, but I wanted to see what it felt like to run with two handhelds in anticipation of our Laurel Valley Run in August. This race is self-supported, so I have to be able to carry enough water and some type of filtration/purification system to turn river water into drinking water during the run. That's why I am now experimenting with different setups to carry water on my runs. So far, the "camelbak" type vest is the most comfortable, but it could be very annoying trying to fill that thing up with purified water during the trail race. I'm just not sure yet and will continue to experiment. All that experimenting with equipment should allow me to write quite a few gear reviews in the near future, I know you are all excited about that;-) The temps this morning were bearable, but the humidity was quite high even at 5:30AM. I have a 5 mile race on the calendar for tomorrow and Sunday calls for another interesting training run on the Monte Sano Mountain trails. Let's see what Richard cooks up for us, maybe another run straight up the mountain followed by a Waterline Trail and MacKay Hollow Trail section? We shall see.

Training Log - Wednesday, June 23, 2010

It's back to early, eraly morning runs again. With this heat and humidity, we have to leave pretty early to get a reasonably long run in without massive heat problems. We met up at Richard's house at the bottom of Monte Sano at 5:15AM. The plan was to run from his house straight up Bankhead Parkway to Tollgate Trail and Cold Spring Trail straight up the mountain to North Loop Trail and the Park Ranger lodge for a refill at the water fountain. We would need it. This run was meant as "hill and heat" training for Claude Sinclair's self-supported Laurel Valley White Water run we have coming up in August. This run is officially billed as a 35 mile run that feels like a 50 miler. It takes place in South Carolina and has some serious heat and even more serious hills and stairs to deal with. However, the Alabama heat and humidity is nothing to laugh at either as we found out again first hand this morning. Figuring that we would be ok heat-wise if we left early enough, we were proven wrong again. A mile into the run, granted it was all uphill for the first half of the run, Richard and I were already soaked in sweat. James was still looking pretty dry, but that would change over the course of the run;-) Suffice it to say that it was a hard and hot run and I guess we better get used to it. It's not even summer yet and the temps coupled with the humidity are just excrutiating. Well, at least we'll be able to prepare in the proper weather conditions. I easily went through two bottles of water during this 9.5 mile training run and it seems I could have used more. I guess I better start using the water bladder and/or more than one bottle on my training runs. There is nothing worse than being thirsty on a hot training run.

Training Log - Monday, June 21, 2010

Finally I did manage to get my first "recovery" run in since completing my first 100K race and returning to the US. I could've picked a better day as temperatures were already reaching the high 80s and significant humidity levels at 6am. I was joined by Richard and James and we opted for a longer run rather than speed work, it was just too hot and humid already. We ended up with close to 10 miles after running from Research Park to Rainbow Mountain, running the loop to the top of Rainbow Mountain and back down and returning to Research Park. While James seems almost comfortable in this heat, Richard and I realized that one bottle of fluids was no longer sufficient for these training runs. With temperatures quickly approaching the 100s (did I mention it is not even officially summer yet?) We needed to start carrying either a bladder pack or two bottles. Both have their pros and cons. The bladder pack is a bit of an effort to fill, while my hands start to prune up quickly holding two water bottles in this humidity. I know that sounds kind of arbitrary, but comfort is everything, especially when you already have to deal with unbearable heat and humidity. I'll probably have to start experimenting with different shoe, sock and foot lubricant combinations to avoid swamp feet and the resulting blisters in these conditions. I don't want another blister issue like the one I experienced at the Scenic City Trail Marathon last month after just 10 or so miles. After all, I managed absolutely no blisters in last week's 100K. I guess this will be great training for the ultras that I have coming up over the next two to three months. It is good to be back in the South;-)

Race Report - 2010 Nord-Ostsee-Kanal-Lauf 108K

On June 12, 2010, I was one of only 15 runners lucky enough to participate in the sixth annual and ultimately last running of the "Nord-Ostsee-Kanal-Lauf", a 108K (67 mile) ultra marathon along the entire length of the Kiel Canal. The Kiel Canal opened in 1895 as Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal, a name it kept until 1948. The Kiel Canal is roughly 100 kilometers in length and links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel. It was built to save ships an additional 450 nautical miles they would otherwise have to travel around the north cap of Denmark. As a result, it is the most heavily used artificial seaway in the world with over 48,000 ships passing through annually. Since this is a charity event that attempts to raise funds rather than spend it on race swag, and since I was lucky enough to be invited/accepted as one of the few race participants, I figured it would only be appropriate to create a couple of race shirts for the Race Director in memory of this great event (the image above was designed by a co-worker of mine, who shall remain nameless until he has a chance to agree or decline to be named).

While this ultramarathon was fully sanctioned and certified by the German Track & Field Association as an official race, there is one aspect that sets it apart from any ultramarathon that typically takes place on the North American continent: Because this race is run as a charity event for the German Multiple Sclerosis Foundation with the motto “Running for those who cannot run any longer”, the social aspect was in the foreground of this race. As a result, participants run as a group, from start to finish. There are also logistical, insurance and liability issues requiring this format. As race director Karl-Heinz Jost would state after the race, “Every finisher is a winner”. This format would present some interesting issues related to group dynamics not encountered during a normal ultramarathon race event. However, all participants solved this challenge with flying colors.

Now to the fun part, the actual race. I headed to Kiel the night before the race to visit family and to make the morning of the race less stressful. I spent the night at my aunt’s house, who would drive me to the race the next morning. My alarm went off at 5AM. After a cup of freshly brewed German coffee (hmm…how I’ve missed that) and a quick and final equipment check, we left the house at 5:45AM to arrive in time for the pre-race meeting at 6:20AM. The official start of the race was scheduled for 7AM. The weather forecast called for mild temperatures and dry conditions for race day, so my drop bag only included absolute essentials, like a dry short sleeve shirt, socks and some energy gels. Well, I found out very quickly that the German weather service is just as accurate as US weather forecasts, but more about that later. As planned, I arrived at the meeting spot at a parking lot near the Kiel-Holtenau canal lock around 6:15AM (the picture below shows the obelisk near the starting line that provided the official meeting spot for the runners) 

A couple of runners had already assembled and volunteers were inflating balloons and hanging up the banner for the start line that also identified the cause we would be running for (the picture below shows us runners under the start banner with balloons that we would release right before the race in recognition of the German Multiple Sclerosis Foundation). The combination of the cause and the unusually long distance and location of the race (along a canal) also piqued the interest of local newspapers, radio stations, and even regional TV stations.

I felt like a celebrity, giving interviews for a regional TV station (Norddeutscher Rundfunk) before the race and the sports segment of one of the local radio station (Welle Nord Radio) at an aid station around mile 45. I'm sure it had more to do with the fact that I was the only one to travel from the US to participate in this event than with my athletic abilities;-) In any case, it was quite exciting and a new experience, I had never given any interviews before, during or after any sports event. It was somewhat of a paradox. On one hand it was a low key event with only 15 invited runners, on the other hand TV and radio stations were covering the race. It was definitely a great way to raise awareness for Multiple Sclerosis and I am glad to have been allowed to be part of it, especially since it was the last time this event was held. Next year, the canal will be under long-term construction and the RD had to make the difficult decision to end the event for good, since a detour would no longer justify the term "canal race".

As can be expected from a race in Germany, runners took off at 7AM sharp after a brief speech by the mayor of Kiel (who would join us for the first few miles of the race) and to the countdown of the representative of the MS organization. After briefly making our way along a couple of yachts and the Kiel-Holtenau canal lock, we entered a single track trail along the canal (see picure below), which would later turn into a dual track trail of concrete tiles and asphalt sections allowing utility crews and their vehicles direct access to the canal. However, the canal road/trail is mostly used by bikers, hikers, runners and anglers.

 

The first aid station came way too quickly after only 5k. However, I was told that we would have aid stations every 5-9k throughout the race, which presented quite the challenge when all of us would come into the aid stations at the same time and having to leave at the same time. It added a significant amount of time spent in the aid stations, but I would very much appreciate the numerous aid stations later on in the race. It really helped mentally to be able to break down the race in such short sections when you begin to struggle in your first 100k race and are pushing beyond the longest personal distance to date. For me that began after 52 miles or 85 kilometers. Running into the first aid station, I finally got to see the much touted buffet style feeding station and it did not disappoint. Every runner even had his/her own cup provided by the race crew to avoid the use of paper cups. Since my first name is a very common name in Germany, my cup was labeled with the nickname "Martin USA" (See picture below).

 

The participants included 13 runners from around Germany and a couple of expatriots (another German living in Denmark and myself living in the USA) with various levels of ultra experience from first time 100K participants to experienced 2100K transcontinental racers. Initially, the race presented two major challenges. First, to be able to finish the race, and second, to be able to run and finish the race with this group from start to finish, never separating from the group by more than a few yards. However, shortly after the race, the weather decided to add yet another challenge. After about the half marathon distance, we had to take a detour across a farm to circumvent a construction zone at the canal and what would an ultra marathon be without getting lost. Aparently, the entire group misunderstood the instructions provided by the race doc right before we crossed through the farm. As a result, we took a wrong turn and ended up in the wrong forest referenced in the directions (the picture below does not require any comments).

 

As we got back onto the right trail, we were able to enjoy some of the flat but beautiful countryside away from the canal. Once we got back to the canal, we would not only have to deal with a very strong headwind for the race, but it also started to rain steadily shortly after the race started. Unfortunately, I had opted to pack light and my only shelter against these unpleasant conditions was a light windbreaker that kept the rain out, but also kept the sweat in (The picture below shows what the trail looked like for most of the race as well as the conditions we dealt with early on).

 

After 3 or 4 hours, the rain became intermittent and the sun would peek through every once in a while. As a result, myself as well as other runners played a continuous game of taking our running packs off to take off our windbreakers or to take off our packs to put the shells back on, on and off, on and off, so it went for the next few hours. After covering the first marathon distance, we arrived at a major aid station in the city of Rendsburg, where we were welcomed by families afflicted and affected by MS thanking us for our efforts in raising awareness through this race (See picture below). After a brief photo opp and another symbolic release of balloons we were off again to continue on our way.

 

Just in time for this aid station and for our next section of the race, the rain subsided, the sky cleared and the sun provided warmer temps about 6 or 7 hours into the race. The sheer distance of the race and the requirement to run together as as a group provided ample time to interact with each other. I had the pleasure to meet so many nice fellow runners, including a new personal hero of mine. Steffen Klitschka of Thuringa is an experienced ultra runner, who was born legally blind with only 5% of his vision remaining. He has to be an inspiration to anyone, not just people with disabilities and that was certainly true for me. He also provided the quote of the race after about 80K completed, showing an incredible sense of humor when a volunteer at the aid station asked if anyone was wishing for a new set of legs (obviously addressing us runners in reference to the distance already covered) to wish Steffen responded "Tomorrow, my answer might be different, but right now, I'd take a new set of legs over a new set of eyes".

As the weather cleared up, everyone's mood got even better than before. It became evident to me that you couldn't have created a better group dynamic if you had tried. Noone was left behind. 34 miles into the race, another first for me in an ultra. Due to construction on one side of the canal, we had to cross the canal with a ferry at Breiholz to run a 10K section on the other side of the canal before taking another ferry at Oldenbüttel at mile 40 to get back again (See picture below). Interesting little fact, when German Emperor Wilhelm built the canal, he declared that citizens would never have to pay any toll or fare to cross this canal via ferry. Before heading across the canal, we were greeted by an accordionist at the aid station playing traditional shanties, typical for this northern region along the coast.

 

The headwinds were even stronger on the other side of the canal as the wind was blowing across the water with nothing blocking it from us. After 40 miles, these types of wind conditions started to become as much a mental as a physical challenge, trying to maintain the pace we all had settled into. Along the way, we were frequently joined by pacers from different local running clubs. Once again proof that runners are an unselfish and supportive bunch around the world. Around mile 50, we encountered another challenge. You wouldn't think that there would be stair climbing involved in a canal race. However, since vehicle access to the canal is limited, this section of the race required us to climb these stairs to get to the aid station. Exactly 136 stairs that felt like eternity at this stage of the race (See picture below).

 

Leaving this aid station was even harder, having to climb down these stairs. At least we only had a half marathon and a 5K left to run;-) Running along the canal, we got to see numerous ships going by in both directions. This included tankers, cruise ships, container ships, yachts and even canoes in some areas. Running along settled into a consistent pace, you have plenty of time to pay attention to your environment. And this environment was all about ships from around the world in all shapes and sizes (See picture below).

 

As dawn approached, we entered the final stretch of the race. During the final 10 miles, one of the other runners severely struggled, physically and mentally and nearly unable to even move forward, let alone run. However, while most of the group were still capable to run at a faster pace, we stayed together to ensure that all of us would complete this memorable race. This group showed real character during this phase. Everyone was ready to be done. Multiple runners (including myself) had either blisters and other aches and pains that appeared to be amplified with the slowing pace. Slowing down to a near walk also started to affect us from a temperature perspective as the cold of night coupled with the cooldown of our bodies really caused some serious shivers and chills. However, noone broke away from the group and at 11:30PM the entire group of runners, escorted by RD Karl-Heinz Jost, was welcomed at the finish line by the mayor of Brunsbüttel with a case of beer. Numerous other spectators had assembled to welcome the race participants before we were transported to a local gym to take a hot shower and to receive our awards (See picture of race swag and awards below).

 

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank RD Karl-Heinz Jost for putting on such an excellent event and for inviting me to participate (The picture below shows Karl-Heinz and myself at the final aid station). I am sad to see such a well organized and run event for such a great cause disappear, but I am proud to call myself a finisher and "NOK-Ultraman", one of only 60. I would also like to thank our race doc and team coordinator Dr. A. Bonnemann, who ensured that everyone was physically ok to continue at every aid station. Additional thanks go to A. Heitmann, the representative for the German Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, along with all the other volunteers and crew members, whose names I sadly cannot remember. Only they made it possible for me to complete this race, my first 100K event. Lastly, I want to thank all of my fellow race participants for being such a fantastic group of people. I couldn't have spent 16 hours of my life with a nicer group of runners.

Please click here for TV coverage of the race for a program called "Schleswig-Holstein Magazin" on NDR 3, a regional TV station. Please click here for an interview I gave at the 60K aid station for the sports news on NDR Welle Nord, a regional radio station. For an article in the local newspaper "Kieler Woche" covering the race, please click here. The newspaper "Lübecker Nachrichten" also published a nice report here. For a web album with plenty of pictures of the event, please click here.

 

Thank you all.

Training Log - Monday, June 7, 2010 (Berlin, Germany)

My 100th blog post. What better way to celebrate than to run. I finally went for my first morning run while in Europe. I guess I am finally getting over my jetlag. It's about time. I decided to run through the park again. This time, I opted to run a larger loop. This allowed me to do some more sightseeing. This time, my run led me past the US Embassy (which, to my surprise, is literally attached to the Brandenburg Gate), through the "Brandenburger Tor" (Brandenburg Gate, see picture above) into the park along ponds and streams, past the "Zoologischer Garten" (Zoological Garden), across the "Strasse des 17. Juni" (Street of the 17th of June), around the "Siegessaeule" (Victory Column) and past "Schloss Bellevue" (Bellevue Castle, the home of the German President) and "Haus der Kulturellen der Welt" (House of the Culturals of the World), and finally past the "Bundestag" (German Parliament) before passing through the "Brandenburger Tor" back to my hotel for a total of close to 6 miles. The sky was slightly overcast with a light drizzle, perfect for a morning run. The streets and park were not yet filled with tourists, making my run a little faster, minimizing the zig-zagging required to dodge people. It was still little more than a slow run, but hey, I managed to do some sightseeing along the way. The most impressive part of the run was the passing of the "Bundestag" with its large inscription "Dem Deutschen Volke" (To the German People) above the main entrance to the building. I have to admit, I was a little moved. My muscle strain is still there, but it only flares up when I try to pick up the pace. Reason enough for me not to pick up the pace;-) The countdown continues, only 5 days left until the big race.

Training Log - Sunday, June 6, 2010 (Berlin, Germany)

Fifth day of running for the week, third country. I am very lucky to have a job that requires me to travel every once in a while. I arrived in Berlin early afternoon and decided to go for a run right after I had settled into my room and grabbed a bite to eat. I did not manage a run this morning while still in Dublin and I punished myself by skipping breakfast. Well, that caused me to be starved by the time I arrived here. Luckily, there was a Doener shop right near the train station and that did the trick. My conference hotel is located pretty much in the center of Berlin near the famous street "Unter den Linden" and the "Brandenburger Tor" (Brandenburg gate). So I decided to go for a light jog through Brandenburg gate and into the "Tiergarten", a large park approximately the same size as Central Park in New York. The weather was just fantastic causing just aboiut everyone in Berlin to head down to the park to walk, run, bike, stroll, lay or barbeque. In addition, there was some kind of festival going on so the place was just happening. What a perfect setting for a run. I ran 5 miles at an easy pace. I couldn't be happier to be back home in Germany to "work and play." Berlin is a great place to start my final week of tapering before the big race next Saturday in Kiel, Germany. I hope I will be ready. I have to force myself to relax and rest. I feel like I've been lazy. On a very positive note, my strain was barely an issue on today's run. I am going to take it easy in hopes that it will be completely gone by Saturday. However, I will go for two more runs here in Berlin. Who knows when I will be getting another chance to run in this great city. And the Tiergarten is perfect with so many trails and ponds and streams and trees and meadows. Hopefully, the weather will continue to be awesome.

Training Log - Saturday, June 5, 2010 (Dublin, Ireland)

Another day of beautiful running weather, this time in Dublin. I arrived this morning and went for a nice run after checking into my hotel. I actually followed in the footsteps of one of the "Runner's World" contributors. Runner's World had recommended to stay at the Best Western Ashling. Hotel right across from the Guiness Brewery and only two blocks from fantastic Phoenix Park. This park is the largest park within a city in Europe lending itself to the perfect training run. I entered the park through its main entrance gate at Parkgate Street. It is absolutely fantastic. The first sight I ran past was the Wellington Testimonial (see picture above), completed in 1861 in honor of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, and at 62 meters the tallest obelisk in Europe. Along with some very distinct looking ruins throughout the park I also ran past the Papal Cross that stands 116 feet high and is made of steel girders. I managed to rack up 7.5 miles trying to run its outer circumference. I am not sure if I accomplished that. There are so many many trails, roads and parths criss-crossing through it that it is very difficult to know where you are going, if you're not familiar with the area. It was fantastic conditions for a nice run, about 21 degree Celsius and dry. I went for a very slow and easy pace, still trying to heal up. Aside from the many monuments located within the park there were literally herds with hundred or so deer (see pciture below), an amazing sight to see.

While I was able to snap a couple of pictures, I didn't get to take nearly enough to truly capture the magnificance of this park. If I get up early enough, I will head there for another run before my flight leaves for Berlin, Germany tomorrow.

Training Log - Friday, June 4, 2010 (Galway, Ireland)

I decided to take a triple dose of Ibuprofen last night to agressively address my lower ab and groin strain that I have been dealing with. To my surprise, I felt much better this morning. This made me optimistic about the 9 mile run I had scheduled for this afternoon. I had decided to rest yesterday in order to give my body more time to recover from the strain. So this afternoon, I went for another run down towards and along the "Prom" In Galway/Salthill (see picture above) on the West coast of Ireland. It was fantastic weather when I took off from my hotel at 4pm. I picked up the pace a little early on to try to settle in at 8:30 minutes per mile. I felt pretty good, even though the strain is still there. I was nagging me just a little bit less today. People were out in masses today to enjoy the fourth straight day of sunshine and dry weather. If you have ever been to Ireland, you know how unusual and special that is. My run consisted of a little road running as well as some nice sections of trail between the beach/coast and the actual promenade. Lots of people were out running, walking or just laying out at the beach. Some brave souls even went for a swim in the Atlantic. Overall, I enjoyed this training run very much. I am now looking forward to tomorrow's run in Ireland's capital, Dublin.

Training Log - Wednesday, June 2, 2010 (Galway, Ireland)

It's great to be back in Europe. I went for a short 5 miler this morning along the coast in Galway, Ireland. They have a great bay area called "The Prom", which is a beach strip in Salthill. I ran straight from my hotel down towards the water and along the bay until I hit 2 1/2 miles to turn around and back to the hotel. I kept an easy 8:30 minute per mile pace. I am still feeling the groin/lower ab muscle strain, but it does not keep me from running. I am too worried about the ultra race next week not to run. I just avoid pushing the pace to keep from making the strain any worse. I am not over the jetleg yet either. We shall see how I'll do tomorrow morning, when it's time for another run. I am in taper mode right now. I just can't seem to get rid of that strain. By the way, this is the best weather I have ever experienced in Ireland. Sunny, blue skies with temps in the mid 60s and low 70s. That's just unheard of in Ireland. However, it is also the first time in over 4 years that I have been in Europe during the summer, so it's not entirely fair to judge Ireland's weather on my past trips during the Fall or Spring seasons. Let's see what tomorrow brings, both weather and running wise;-)

Race Report - 2010 Cotton Row Run 5/10K

These were my last tune-up races before my ultra marathon in Germany. I had to leave for a business trip to Europe for two and a half weeks immediately following the race. I decided to run the 10K race at a leisurely pace because I was still struggling with a groin and lower ab muscle strain I sustained during a recent soccer match. As luck would have it, my usual running buddies had not really been able to train much lately, so we all had the same goal of running a relaxed race. And this plan worked right until the moment the race actually started. Mike's goal was to run somewhere around a 48 minute race, which suited me well, so I decided to try to stay just behind him. It was difficult to tell what James would be shooting for. He had actually been training at some really quick pace during his family visit to Japan, so I figured he'd be leaving us behind right at the monster hill about half way into the race. As soon as the gun went off, I  focused on staying with Mike, not realizing until about a mile into the race, that he was going at a pace significantly faster than the sub 8 minute pace we had discussed just before the race. We were actually running closer to 7 minute pace. Well, well, I figured I'd hold on as long as I could and then ease into a slow jog until the finish. As things happened, I never did have to slow down much and I was even able to keep my heart rate down below 180 until about the last mile of the race. I did push my heart rate briefly above 180 when I climbed the infamous hill without slowing to a walk. How can you walk when you are listening to the theme from Rocky over loudspeakers. Every year, local residents are looping the theme of Rocky at the hill, providing much needed motivation to all runners. So much for running a relaxed race. I was even able to make up some of the time lost on the hill on the downhill run on Bankhead Parkway. However, I didn't have as much spring in my step as I thougt I did. But I did end up staying right behind Mike and tapped him on the shoulder about 200 yards before the finish line. We finished in 44 minutes and 35 seconds with Mike placing 154th and myself finishing 155th out of a total of almost 2000 runners. Not too bad for a training run/race.
I followed up this race with the 5K race as a cool-down race together with my son just like I did last year. He had asked me to run this race with him to help him pace for a new PR. Is current PR was around 24 minutes so I wanted to shoot for a sub 8 minute pace. However, he was struggling very early with stomach cramps and was never able to overcome them. However, his pure determination and will allowed him to still finish the race in under 30 minutes. The combination of really humid conditions and his stomach problems caused him to throw up all of the water he had taken in during the run right after crossing the finish line. I felt really really bad for trying to push him in the race, even if it was to help him to his PR. However, he recovered quickly with another couple of cups of warter and Gatorade followed with pizza and icecream. This race allowed me to spend some extra time with him and witness him push himself way beyond his comfort zone. I couldn't be more proud of his determination and will to never quit.