30 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
29 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Land Trust Trails, Monte Sano Trails, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
28 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Speedwork, Track Workout, Training Logs, Ultra Running
27 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Drake Ave Hill, Hill Workout, Road Running, Ultra Running
26 June 2012
Jason and I both decided to take it really easy over the 1 mile distance. As it happened I ran it in 9:30, but there really is no reason to push the pace over this distance as it is the warm up mile for almost all runners.
When I lined up for the 3 mile distance race, I wanted to make sure I stayed with Jason. I knew he would be at faster than me, the question was by how much. I figured staying with him would give me a decent time. I also kept an eye on the other usual suspects. I knew if any of us stayed close until the final half mile that it would be quite a final stretch. As it turned out, Mike pulled away early and Jason did the same. I stayed with Jason until the half way point, were I started to loose sight of him for a while. However, I started to see Mike again and I decided to try to stay with him similar to the week before. When we reached the final half mile, I spotted Jason again just 10 seconds or so ahead of us. I decided to try to push past Mike and just like last week, he did not drop off. We pushed each other to the finish, shortening the gap to Jason as we crossed the finish line. I ended up with a new personal CR of 20:46, almost 30 seconds faster than before. Will I be able to break the 20 minute barrier this year?
This afternoon, I also decided to run the 2 mile race distance for the first time. I fully expected to crumble as it was hot and I felt exhausted, but to my surprise, I was able to run a nice pace, finishing 6th in 13:28. These XC runs have added a fun weekly tempo training session to my 100 mile training plan. I look forward to another fun filled Tuesday next week.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, 2012 Summer Cross Country Runs, Race Reports, Trail Races, Trail Running, Ultra Running
25 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Hill Workout, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
Another cool shirt for a cool event...and a nice bottle and some Hammer product samples to boot:-) |
I arrived at the race site at Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama almost an hour before the 7AM race start. Finding a spot on the bike racks was a "first come, first served" activity and not knowing anything about how these events worked, I figured better be safe than sorry and show up a little early, instead. Once I arrived, I quickly found a place to "hang up" my bike. Afterwards, are started roaming the crowd to find some familiar faces. I knew there there would be at least 4 coworkers of mine at the race as well as a few running buddies as well. I managed to spot most of them for a little pre-race chat to calm the nerves. Almost all of them had either borrowed a bike, failed to train properly or were first timers like me and while I was confident in both my ability to run and my ability to "cheat" my way through the bike leg. After all, I had a decent road bike. Yes, it was from the early 1980s, and yes, there has been a lot of progress since that time, but it was actually a very light bike and it truly was a high end bike of its time, a Cinelli bike handmade in Italy and weighing in a just above 20 lbs, which was incredible for a steel frame bike. How much difference could some serious bike training coupled with a serious bike really make, right? Well, I was about to find out the hard way.
I met up with Timothy Pitts at the starting line and both of us seemed a little outside of our element. Like me, Timothy was more familiar with trail running than with road biking, but we figured we would push on the runs and see what the bike leg would hold for us. Since Timothy is a faster runner than me, I decided I would try to stay with him as long as possible to accomplish a decent time on the first run. I managed to stay with him and we both transitioned to the bike leg pretty much at the same time. When I checked my time for the first 2.5 mile run later, I was very happy to see the clock at 15:53. I added just over 50 seconds during the transition before starting the bike leg.
I remember seeing Tim grab his bike in the transition area and we both pretty much left at the exact same time again. He passed me shortly after the start of this leg before I passed him again later on, but we basically stayed pretty close to each other once again. This section was new territory for me. I didn't know what to expect. I had had a very good first leg, but how long could I hold off the real cyclists. As it turned out, not very long. Not only that, when I started to get passed, it seemed like I was literally standing still as they flew past me. And this would repeat itself multiple times over the course of 10 miles. I would pedal for a mile or so and here they would come, three at a time, passing me at close to twice my speed (my average speed was 20mph for the entire leg, so you do the math). While I handily beat some of them during the first running leg, they took back the time they lost and then some. It was quite the humbling experience, but it was still a lot of fun. I did manage to get into a couple of duels out there with a couple of other cyclists. I would pas them on the climbs and they would fly past me on the downhills until the final mile, where I was able to hold them off for the remainder of the bike leg.
I completed the bike leg in just under 30 minutes and added another 50 seconds in the second transition before the final 2.5 mile run. I was feeling pretty good until I dismounted my bike and tried to start running. What the he!!? Why are my legs so wobbly? Why can't I run faster? Why am I so exhausted? What is going on? Once again, I tried to keep Tim in my sight, but it became clear to me that I just did not have the motivation (or maybe fitness?!?) to stick with him for the entire leg. I decided to let him pull away and tried to settle in a slower pace instead. Not long after, a couple of runners tarted to pass me. I did not care, which is very unusual for me. When I reached the first water stop, I just wanted to cool off with some water and walk for a bit. So I did...I doused my head with a cup of water and grabbed two cups of Gatorade to hydrate...all while walking. Ugh, if I wanted to get this over with, I probably needed to get running again. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the first two legs of this race, but the last leg felt pretty brutal. Clearly, I had pushed just a little too hard early on. Fighting the two tri athletes earlier during the bike leg was probably not the best idea. I was sure I was paying the price for it now. But man, it sure was fun while it lasted.
I was merely able to manage what felt like a slow jog at this point. There were still a few runners passing me, but I kind of settled into a steady slow pace and I knew I could hold this for another mile or so without killing myself. Then I started hearing someone breathing behind me. I figured he or she would just pass me and I would be on my way, but it seemed he was laboring just as much as me to get this done. Since he didn't pass me and he did not fall back, I figured he'd make his move on the final stretch. I never turned around, but I could tell this would be a push to the finish. Dang, why do I get sucked into these things? I could've just let him pass me...but with less than .5 mile to go there was no way I was going to let anyone pass me without a fight. It was on! I slowly picked up the pace and he stayed with me. I knew it was a guy just by listening to his labored breathing. I also remembered that I had my age marked on my calf, so this guys must have realized that I am in his age group and he was going to move past me in the final standings. He had licked blood as they say and so had I;-) I knew there would be one last incline before the finish and that's where I would try to put the hammer down. As the road rose before us, I started to shorten my strides and pick up the pace fast. I wanted him to just say to himself, "heck no, this is stupid, why should I pick up the pace on a hill just to beat one runner? I'm not playing this game". And he did fall back a little. I kicked a little harder and when I crossed the finish line, I was just glad to be done and happy to not have been passed one more time on the final stretch. When I checked the results later, I realized that I barely beat the guy by 3 seconds. Thanks for pushing me, buddy, I truly appreciate it!
Thanks to the organizer and the team of volunteers who put on a fantastic event. I will be back next year for more fun in the sun...but better prepared for the bike leg;-)
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, 2012 Heel And Crank Duathlon, Duathlon, Race Reports, Road Cycling, Road Races, Road Running, Ultra Running
22 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Endurance Training, Training Logs, Ultra Running
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Speedwork, Track Workout, Training Logs, Ultra Running
20 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Road Running, Training Logs
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Drake Ave Hill, Hill Workout, Ultra Running
Me right between masters runner "par excellence" Marty Clarke and local ultrarunning legend DeWayne Satterfield...in a race?...yeah, for about 2 seconds;-) |
I started the race at my usual pace, but slightly slower than last week. The return leg felt harder this week, so I backed off a little and tried to do the hills slow but steady to preserve some energy for later. I had passed one of my "nemises" about 1.5 miles into the run and I spotted the other just ahead of me. I decided to get behind him and try to relax. I had no plans to push at this point, just hang with him to see what happens. When we ran the final loop around the soccer field, I decided I would see if I can pass him on the final .25 miles. Just as that thought crossed my mind, Kathy Youngren passed me, and might I add with ease. No matter, I am man enough to handle being chicked, especially by a great runner like her;-) I kicked it into high gear, hoping I had enough push left to pass without getting passed again. I don't think I've kicked that hard in a race in a long time. It took all I had and I could her his footfalls right behind me, picking up the pace along with me. We pushed each other to the finish and I managed to stay ahead...for the first time in quite some time.
I L-O-V-E healthy competition to push myself to the max on the final stretch. Thanks guys. |
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, 2012 Summer Cross Country Runs, Race Reports, Ultra Running
18 June 2012
Well, someone forgot to tell James...and Ed, for that matter. We somehow managed to run up the mountain at or near record pace and while we all agreed that we would not push it on the way down, that´s exactly what we ended up doing. In fact, we all set new PRs. Using the same standard of measure I used the previous attempts, my Garmin Forerunner 310XT showed a total time of 1:27:34 and an average pace of 9:12 minutes per mile for 9.52 miles and 1300 feet of elevation gain. Not too bad for a training run. I just hope I can continue this momentum throughout my training. It is going to be tough to have a shot at sub 24 hours at either Georgia Jewel 100 or Pinhoti 100 with my abilities, so my training is crucial to my success. I guess that´s true for everyone:-)
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Endurance Training, Monte Sano Trails, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
17 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Endurance Training, Training Logs, Ultra Running
15 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
14 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Speedwork, Track Workout, Training Logs, Ultra Running
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Endurance Training, Training Logs, Ultra Running
13 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Hill Workout, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
12 June 2012
If I can continue to improve my pace week to week, that would be great training progress. For now, my goal continues to slowly increase my mileage to above 50 miles per week, while maintaining my current training schedule including hill repeats, track workouts, the cross country races, a couple of trail runs and a long trail run on the weekend. Once I reach 50+ miles, I will start to add two-a-days to increase mileage in an effort to keep risk of overuse injury low.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, 2012 Summer Cross Country Runs, Cross Country Race, Trail Running, Ultra Running
11 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
10 June 2012
Go Green...or just a clever way to reuse/recycle race numbers? |
I arrived just after 7AM after receiving a couple of text messages from Jason Shattuck about how to find the race start. I had never been on the A&M campus except for my wife´s Master´s degree graduation a couple of years back. Sure enough, I drove right past the race start even with Jason´s instructions. Luckily, I spotted a couple of runners in my rearview mirror, just in time to step on the brakes and ask for directions.
Jason and quite a few other familiar faces were already there wondering was this new race course had in store for us. After chatting with a few folks about there upcoming ultra adventures, we got ready to line up. The race started at the old historic A&M football field. We would return here to finish the race after running a final lap around the field. The race started at 7:30AM sharp and after leaving the field we turned left on the road before getting sent onto the ¨cross country¨ part of the course about a quarter mile further down. The race would take us across grass fields towards the lower area of the campus and towards Chase Road. The first mile was rather fast, which was expected considering that it was mostly downhill. I knew I would pay for that sooner rather than later. Sooner arrived just half a mile later. Jason started to pull away from me rather fast and I decided not to give chase. Truthfully, I was too exhausted to give chase, which is ironic, since we were now running along Chase Road.
Mile 2 was 30 seconds slower and still reasonably fast for a cross country course, but I knew the worst (or best;-) was yet to come. We would climb back to were the race started and rather than doing it in one stretch, we would go up, down and then up again. What a great way to finish this race. When I entered the football field with one lap to go, I was spent. I had backed off a little in pace, because I didn´t want to end up dry heaving at the finish line again. I finished at a steady pace for 16th overall (out of 137) and 2nd age group (out of 21). There were quite a few familiar faces finishing ahead of me today, another reason to train a little harder;-)
Receiving my age group award while supporting Germany for EURO 2012:-) |
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 2012 Alabama A and M Cross Country 5K, Cross Country, Cross Country Race, Race Reports, Trail Running, Ultra Running
08 June 2012
I am closing in on my first week of full training and I am feeling pretty good...aside from overall muscle soreness. I will have 40 miles for the week by tomorrow, which is a great start to my renewed training schedule.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
07 June 2012
The speed workout lead this week was Lynn and she had something for us called the speed ladder workout, I think. We would start at 10K pace and get progressively faster. We started with a 1 mile warm-up followed by 1600m at 10K pace with a 400m recovery jog, followed by 1200m at 5K pace with a 400m recovery jog, followed by 800m at 5K pace with 400m recovery jog, followed by 400m at 1 mile pace with 1 mile cool-down. I made sure I went progressively faster, starting the first mile after the warm-up a little slower than I thought. I made up for it by going faster than originally planned on the remaining ladder workouts. It felt pretty good to do some speed work with purpose. I´m sure my hill repeats help my speed, but there is nothing that replaces a good old fashioned track workout, or so I´m told by folks with much more running experience than myself.
Thanks again to Lynn for organizing and running this week´s workout and thanks to all the other folks participating for making this not only a purposeful but fun workout.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Speedwork, Track Workout, Training Logs, Ultra Running
06 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Hill Workout, Training Logs, Ultra Running
05 June 2012
I got to talk to a few fellow runners just before and in between races, exchanging race schedules for the next few months. Quite a few guys running 100 milers in the near future. The 1 mile distance was the first race and I stupidly laid it allot there, just like all the young high school kids out there to kick off their summer training for their upcoming cross country season. When I lined up for the 3 mile distance I was mostly recovered and willing to push the pace again, this time just a little more conservatively from the start. I stayed with a couple of guys until they left me in their dust. I clearly have some serious training to do to get back up to speed and to be comfortable with more distance again.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, 2012 Summer Cross Country Runs, Cross Country Race, Race Reports
04 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
03 June 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
02 June 2012
Unfortunately, I only had time to run the 5K distance. |
I arrived 30 minutes before race start, giving myself and my lonely supporter (my son Mace) enough time to check out the course. There were two courses, a 1K loop to be run 5 times for the 5K race, and a 2K loop for the 8K race. Both would cross a creek multiple times, making both events extremely challenging and definitely not a place to go for a PR. The 5K course would have racers cross one waist deep section of the creek as well as a more shallow knee deep section. I would find out soon enough how I was going to handle that.
I lined up at the starting line just before 8AM. While there were over 150 runners at the starting line, I only recognized but a few folks. Jason was one of the familiar faces and I decided to stay just behind him early on and to just let him go, if I perceived my effort to be too strenuous. I wanted to have fun, I didn't care about anything else. Of course, as soon as I crossed the first creek and I saw my son cheering for me, I knew I couldn't just walk it in, I had to at least make an effort for a respectable finish. I kept my sight on Jason, but I wasn't going to be too concerned if he pulled away.
Before I knew it I only had one loop left to run. I still saw Jason, but he had pulled ahead. I decided to push a little on the final quarter mile. When I crossed the finish line, I had completed my first Eurocross 5K in just over 23 minutes, just about 30 seconds behind Jason, good enough for 14th overall and 3rd in my age group (40-49). Jason was able to add another top ten finish to his resume (well done, buddy!).
Hopefully, my son will be able to run this race himself next year, if soccer tryouts fall on a different weekend. I know I can't wait to do this race again next year, when I plan to do both the 5K and 8K distances. I haven't had this much fun at a 5K in a long time, if ever. Thanks to the RD and the volunteers for putting on such a fun event.
A perfect coaster for the post race summer ale;-) |
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Cross Country Race, Eurocross 5K, Race Reports, Trail Races, Trail Running, Ultra Running