Race Report - 2012 Summer Cross Country 1/3/2 Mile Runs (Week 9)

After running a 3 mile warm up lap on the course, I decided not to "race" but rather just run the 3 distances today to get the mileage. However, it always bothers me to run any race and not push to the max. But then again, I am slowly learning the difference between training races and goal races and the goal race is the Georgia Jewel 100 at the end of September. I decided to make the 3 races tempo runs instead, taking about 30 seconds off my usual pace per mile, still making it a worthy and hard workout. The temps and especially humidity level were extremely high once again. It felt like I was breathing in hot steam, like breathing through a straw. And even thug i took the foot of the gas, I still managed respectable spots in the overall standings:-) Anyway, one more day of training is in the books and I am moving closer to my goal race.

Training Log - Monday, July 30, 2012

After taking a break from running yesterday (well, sorta, since I played a soccer match) it was time to tackle our usual Monte Sano mountain trail run from Pratt Ave all the way up to the Ranger Station and back for a nice technically challenging climb up and down the mountain.

Richard, Ed and I met at 5AM and while Rich cut it short to add some lunch time miles as heat training later in the day, Ed and I continued at a fairly slow but steady pace. To be honest, we've been about 20 minutes slower before on this route, but we've also been 15 minutes faster before. It is amazing how different the times on this route shake out sometimes.

The weather was near perfect with temps no higher than low 70s and humidity fairly level. I'll be happy to continue running in those types of summer conditions:-)

Training Log - Saturday, July 28, 2012

'Twas a doozie for sure!

This was to be the final long run in preparation of the Laurel Valley Whitewater 35 Mile Run in two weeks. To be honest, it wasn't just the final tune-up, it was a last reality check for some of us as well, questioning whether we were ready to take on the beast that is known as a 35 miler that feels like a very tough 50 miler. For me, it was going to be one of many long runs in preparation for the Georgia Jewel 100 Miler. While I will be running LV as part of my 100 mile training, I won't be "racing" it. However, I am looking forward to LV very much as I will be running it with some really good friends and I will be seeing a lot of other familiar faces as well.

James, Ed, Richard and I met up at Richard's house at 6AM sharp to tackle a run that had been created by James...or should I say it grew out of what is known as James' sadistic running mind:-) He might not like to hear it (then again, he is a boy scout and there could be a badge awarded for this type of stuff), but James has an affinity for finding pleasure in the most challenging of running routes. While other runners including me would shudder at the thought of it, doing hill repeats...on Waterline Trail...in the dark...with no headlamps sounds like "a good time" to James. The steeper the better. He is also the guy that had the ingenious idea last week to do a couple of repeats on the Powerline Cut at the end of Drake Ave in the middle of an already challenging 13 miler. Yes, we all did it and yes we all laughed about it afterwards, but come on, who thinks of stuff like this?

James thought it would be fun to make us run Drake Ave, not once but twice in the middle of a long run and to convince us to do it, he used "Jamescology". He offered up two routes, one a 26 mile double loop and the other a 22 mile figure 8 loop. Of course we all chose the 22 mile option, for one because it was shorter and most of us just don't want to run the same loop twice if we can help it (again, unless your name is James, of course). But guess what, both routes consisted of having to run Drake Ave and the Powerline Cut twice, so James would get what he wanted either way. Very smart James, excellent use of Jamescology, like I said;-)

The weather was actually kind of cool or at least not hot when we first took off. All of us were wearing packs. For one, we wanted to train for LV, where we would have to carry all supplies needed for the 35 mile race. In addition, we actually needed to carry that much water. We knew it would get hot very quickly and there was one thing I didn't want to be during this run...thirsty. Richard was kind enough to stash 3 Gallons of water and a 2l bottle of Pepsi at the top of the last major Drake Ave hill, since we would pass that point twice during our run. Rich, I am extremely glad you had the vision to do that. That Pepsi hot the spot both times!

We decided on a slow pace as our goal was both distance and time on feet, not speed. In that regard, we succeeded. We did end up with one minor casualty as Richard had to call it quits prior to climbing the Powerline Cuts for a second time as he was overheating in a hurry. Ever the boy scout, James hung back and waited for Richard's rescue crew & extraction transport (e.g. his girlfriend and her car;-) to arrive before he continued on. Ed and I had continued to walk on ahead until we reached Monte Sano Blvd and picked up our pace to a slow running pace again. We knew that neither James nor Rich would be alone, even though we only received the details of Richard's plight after we returned from our run.

Ed and I continued on Monte Sano Blvd until we hit the Bluffline Trail, which marked the final 5 or 6 mile stretch of our run. Ed had been struggling with some stomach issues all day and I was only glad to settle at a slower than usual pace. We completed our run in just under 5 hours, which included a few stops here and there. James arrived shortly after us. Overall, it was a great run and I'm feeling pretty good about my ability to finish LV next month. I might not be fast, but I think a race strategy of running the downs and speed hiking the ups at LV might be a great practice run for Georgia Jewel 100. I really want to see how fast I can move when I speed hike the uphills rather than try to run as much as possible.

Training Log - July 27, 2012

After yesterday's debacle track workout, I was worried about today's scheduled run up the mountain. The heat and humidity have really been getting to me, but I keep telling myself that PRs are gonna fall this Fall if I can keep up my training. Anyway, I met up with Rich and James at 5AM as usual for our trail run to the Ranger station and back. This is a nice 10 mile out and back trail run with about 1400 feet of climb and some extremely technical trail sections. One of these days, I plan to run this thing twice as my weekend long run.

We had to use our headlamps as the days are getting shorter again. We kept an easy pace and dropped Richard at the Land Trust hiker's parking lot, since he wanted to cut his run short in anticipation of tomorrow's adventurous long run, but more about that one in tomorrow's training log:-) I didn't have the luxury of cutting this run short, I desperately needed to increase my mileage after taking it easy last week. James and I continued at a perceived slow pace, but when we arrived at the top, we noticed that our pace was actually not that bad. It wasn't fast by any means, but it certainly wasn't as slow as we have done this one before. We turned around and continued at an easy pace and my body thanked me for it. The temps were already in the low 80s and the humidity levels continue to be ridiculous.

While I was dropping some significant "water" during the run, I have been rehydrating all day and I am actually feeling pretty good right about now (e.g. 9 hours later) which will hopefully stay that way until tomorrow at 6AM, when I will be meeting up with the crew again for a nice tough 22 miler.

Training Log - Thursday, July 26, 2012

Wow, once again, heat and humidity dominated my workout, but this time, it actually resulted in my worst training performance, yet as I was unable to maintain my goal pace for the last 2 repeats. Shannon had come up with what I thought would be an almost easy workout. Boy, was I wrong! One mile warm up, followed by six 800m repeats with 30 second recovery jogs in between and followed by one mile cool down. On paper, this looks like an easy workout. Shannon asked for 5K pace +15 seconds, I wanted to make it tougher, setting my Garmin to target 5K pace - 15 seconds. While I was able to hold this target of 6 minute per mile pace for the first 4 repeats, the wheels came completely off on the final 2. I had to extend my last two 30 second recovery periods and I was glad to barely hang on to sub 7 minute pace for the final lap. Well, when you think you've made it, reality sets you straight. While it hurt, both physically and mentally, to not be able to stick to the workout, it also has given me renewed motivation to keep on pressing forward with my current training regimen. After all, tomorrow is another day...and I get to do it all over again;-)

Training Log - July 25, 2012

What was scheduled as a 14 mile run for James, Ed and myself had to be cut waaaaay short because of me. We had originally planned to run from Richard's house to Tollgate Trail > Alms House Trail > Waterline Trail > Ranger Station and back, but when I made it to the top of the waterfall (running all the way, mind you) I almost toppled over. We had left for our run at 4:30Am and actually ran Waterline Trail in the dark. While it was really a lot of fun to run this entire section in the dark, I was exhausted when we made it to the top. I actually had to sit down. I started to get a headache and was basically done. There was no way I could run another 8-10 miles. Instead, I had to ask the boys to cut the run short. We ended up running 8 miles total and even though I drank 64 ounces of water (trying out my new inline water filter for the self-supported Laurel Valley Whitewater Run 35 Miler net month) I still dropped over 5 lbs during the run. I was clearly dehydrated which caused me to be so exhausted. I need to figure out how to keep up hydration levels when I'm upping my mileage.

Race Report - 2012 Summer Cross Country 1/3/2 Mile Runs (Week 8)

Today was about mileage and not speed, so I met up with Richard in the morning to log 4.5 miles on my usual UAH loop before running the Summer Cross Country Runs at the Huntsville XC Running Park in the evening.

I arrived at the running park a little early to run an additional 2 miles before the actual races. I ran into Cary Long, who joined me for 2 after having logged a bunch of miles already himself. There were a couple of the usual folks running, but quite a few were missing as well, which actually suited me fine. that way, I didn't have to actually race. Instead, I just kept a steady pace through all 3 races, picking up the pace only towards the end of each race.

The temperatures were extremely hot (what else is new!) and the humidity levels were near 100% (are you kidding?). Anyway, it was draining the life out of me and I knew I had to save some energy for the run the following morning. Either way, I managed 12.5 miles for the day, so speed didn't really matter.

Training Log - Monday, July 23, 2012

Another 4:30 AM training run. While Richard, Ed and I had planned on a 13 miler, we decided to stick with 10 miles for the day. With temps in the low 70s, you'd think perfect running weather. Unfortunately, the humidity was at 94%, extremely uncomfortable and physically draining. Overall, it was a slower than usual run, but with these conditions  I am just glad to be getting my runs in at all. This week needs to be a high mileage week, so I need to make sure I don't miss out on any extra opportunities to get some miles in.

Race Report - 2012 HTC Twilight 5K

One of my more memorable 5K t-shirts, since I just ran only my second sub 20.

I would be lying if I said I did not expect to run this one in under 20 minutes. When I say expect, I mean I actually changed my training schedule around to give myself 24 hours of rest between my last training run and this race.

The HTC Twilight 5K race is within walking distance of my house at the campus of the University of Alabama Huntsville. As the name indicates, this race takes place in the evening, which makes pre-race activities quite different from other early morning races. I skipped my long run in the morning and i had a light brunch only. There were quite a few familiar faces at the event and I was glad to arrive very early, allowing me to swap race plans and do just a little bit of smack talking as well;-) To be honest, I did that to increase the pressure on myself. I was excited to see so many guys that I knew would push me in the race. There were at least 4 runners I knew who would run either right ahead of me or right with me.

A siren started the race just after 6:30PM and we were off. I had double tied my shoe laces and warmed up with a short jog to try to do everything right, unlike in previous 5K races, were I hadn't done so due to stupidity or because it had to be done as part of my training (e.g. sandwich a 5K in the middle of a long run). I had decided that I would stick to Jason Shattuck right from the start and when he would usually leave me behind after 2 miles, I would NOT let him leave me behind. My plan worked, but I actually ended up passing Jason just before the halfway mark. At that point, Mike Dehaye had already pulled way ahead of both of us and my suspicion that he started off too fast was proven wrong. Mike never looked back and he never faded. Well done, Mike!

What made this race a tough one to try to break 20 minutes at was the heat and humidity and that tiny little hill half a mile from the finish. It is very short and would normally be considered a bump in the road, but running it after having run 2 1/2 miles at full speed really makes this is tough one. My first mile split was on target, 6:08. I figured I would slow down eventually. For some reason, my second mile is always the slowest, but not so today. My second mile split was 6:18. I was still on sub 20 minute finish pace, but I knew I still had the hill ahead and that would most definitely slow me down. I tried to push on the hill and even passed a couple of guys (one of them passed me with 10 yards to go to take my top ten finish away from me, argh!). My third mile was the slowest, 6:37.

When I passed the 3 mile marker I heard my split and I knew I was cutting it close, very close. I knew I had to really kick. I finally crossed the finish line in 19 minutes and 51 seconds. Good enough for 11th overall and 2nd in my age group. Hopefully, I can keep running sub 20, considering that the conditions were pretty tough today. Congrats to Mike Dehaye, Jason Shattuck and Timo Sandritter on their respective age group wins, very impressive! And thanks to all the volunteers for putting on a great event.

Training Log - Friday, July 20, 2012

This was one ugly, slow yet fun short trail run. What was to be 10 easy miles turned into a short slow 6 miler on some unfamiliar trail sections at Land Trust and Monte Sano State Park. Richard and I met after work to get an easy trail run in and after I started struggling basically after just one mile in ( side stitches of all things), we decided to shorten the run AND slow it way down. I´d call it a slow jog or fast speed hike. Oh well, I got some miles and they can always be pretty:-)

Training Log - Thursday, July 19, 2012

"Need For Speed" Thursday. Timo decided to join the speed workout group today and although it was a tough one, i think the group might have a new member. Shannon scheduled mile repeats of a special variety. Five 1 mile repeats progressively getting faster with a one mile warm up and cool down. After the cool down, I realized it was way too hot for a really aggressive pace, so I decided to run my first mile at 7:15 minute per mile pace followed by each mile to be 15 seconds faster than the previous one. Recovery jogs in between the repeats were 1 minute. I really struggled on my final mile repeat and Shannon was kind enough to drag my butt along the final mile only slightly slower than goal pace to complete the workout as scheduled. Thanks, buddy! And the 100 mile training continues...

Training Log - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

It's 3:45AM and I am right awake. Why, just why did I wake up at 3:25AM. I could've had 20 more minutes of sleep. Instead, I ended up tossing and turning, refusing to get up before an already unreasonably early wake up call. Oh, the things we do to get ready for a 100 mile race.

I met James and Ed for a 13 mile run at Richard's house at 4:30AM. James had come up with another adventurous route for today's run, slightly deviating from last week's route to give us that little extra distance (and elevation gain) to make this a full half marathon distance. We ended up running from Pratt Ave through some neighborhoods and along California and Whitesburg until we turned left onto Drake Ave. We following Drake with all its ups and downs (way way more ups than downs) until we reached a dead end. Well, its a dead end for normal folk. For trail runners, it's the entrance to the Powerline Cut "trail".

After climbing the powerline cut, which consists of a combination of rocky technical terrain with plenty of briers (to be fair, Huntsville Utilities recently cleared a lot of that stuff out) and a long gravel section, we turned left onto the "Spacewalk" trail before entering another neighborhood. After crossing Governor's Drive, we followed Monte Sano Blvd until turning left onto the Bluffline Trail. Later on, we continued onto High Trail and another  newly cut short cut trail back up the mountain until we hit the Tollgate Trail again.

This is where we finally turned left to make our descent down from the mountain. When we arrived back at "the base", we had logged almost exactly 13 miles with 1600 feet of climb. Not bad for an early morning run before work. Not the fastest run, but plenty of "time on feet". Here are some numbers from today's run: 70 ounces of Gatorade consumed and 5 lbs of water lost during run. 3 deer, 1 Armadillo, 1 rabbit, 1 squirrel and 1 cat spotted during run.

Race Report - 2012 Summer Cross Country 1/3/2 Mile Runs (Week 7)

Rather than run a few miles right before the races, I decided to do some lunch time heat training. I met up with Richard to do a quick 4.5 miles at an easy pace. The humidity has been an extreme factor in my training these past few weeks. My pace has been off significantly, but as long as I can get my miles in, I am okay with that.

One of my old friends and former running buddies recently decided to pick up running again, so we met up at my house just before 6PM to ride to the Summer Cross Country Runs at the Huntsville Running Park together. He still needed to sign up and we lined up for the 1 mile distance shortly after. I had decided that I wasn't going to "race". Instead, I just hung with Timo and some other runners, chatting along and having a good time. I decided to do the same thing for the 3 miler. Timo was already showing concern for his ability to run the 3 mile distance, so I figured I'd stick with him and hopefully help/push him along to a finish. He ended up with a very respectable time. Next , it was time for the 32 mile race, but since that was still a few minutes away and since neither Timo, nor I, nor David Bier were going to "race", we took off on our own to get another 2 miles in. I also got to meet Andy Brown, another fellow Masters runner, who is probably going to smoke me in the HTC Grand Prix ("Nice to meet you, Andy!").

Timo took a slight shortcut ("Very well done for a first timer on this course, Timo!") while David, Andy and I completed our little 2 mile cool down. I was glad I decided to take it easy tonight, since it will be a short night. I'll have a 3:45AM wake up call to meet up with another running crew to do a 13 mile run with some serious climbing on both roads and trails. Fun times!

Training Log - Monday, July 16, 2012

Week 7 of my 100 mile race training officially started this morning with another trail run up Monte Sano mountain. The goal is 70+ miles for the week with a long run >15 miles on Saturday. 10 miles down, 60 to go. Richard and I met at 4:30AM this morning with the plan to run 13 miles, but we decided to cut it short at 10 miles. I wasn't really in a rush to pile up mileage and Richard looked like he didn't the shortened route either:-) On a side note, no wasp or bug attacks today, which is always good. While the temps are reasonably low in the mornings right now, the humidity levels are consistently between 80-90 %, which really takes it out of you.

Training Log - Saturday, July 14, 2012

This was to be my long run for the week, but I decided to cut it short, running 13 miles rather than 15 or 16. The total mileage for this week was almost 70 miles with 6500 feet of elevation gain, almost 100 feet of climbing per mile. Since the last 5 weeks had been closer to 40-50 miles per week, I needed to keep the ramp up reasonable. I am shooting for a 70+ mileage week next week and two or three 100 mile weeks before reducing mileage again prior to the Georgia Jewel 100. I've changed my training in some areas (added consistent hill training and track speed workouts, and more weekly mileage overall if everything goes as planned) and kept it the same in others (Monday and Friday Ranger Station runs and Saturday long runs) with the goal of running sub 24 hours at either one of my upcoming 100 mile races (Georgia Jewel 100 or Pinhoti 100).

This was also my first semi solo run in quite a while since everyone else ditched me;-) Just kidding, boys! I left my car at Richard's house at 6AM with the goal to run up Tollgate and Cold Springs Trail to the Ranger Station and the Monte Sano hiker's parking lot where I would meet the Saturday morning 7AM trail running group from WRH. Jason also planned to be there, so I waited for him to show. Since he was running about 10 minutes late, the others had already taken off. Jason and I decided to run the white loop at an easy pace before I would head back down the mountain and back to my car. Since Jason wanted a few more miles as well, he actually joined me down the mountain before running back up again. If there is anything more challenging that running up and down the mountain it is running down and then up the mountain to finish out the run. Well done Jason, I didn't envy you when you turned around to climb back up.

I completed about 13 miles at a slow and steady pace, incorporating lots of technical trails and a reasonable amount of elevation gain to lose out this first week of high mileage. I still need to do better in my long runs....e.g. run loooonger.

Training Log - Friday, July 13, 2012

It was just James and I this morning. Ed didn't show (hope you're ok, buddy!) and Rich had to be at work early. James and I took off at 4:30 AM to run up to the ranger station and back. Originally, we had planned to add the South Plateau Loop into the run, but we opted for the North Plateau Loop instead, because my legs were heavy due to the higher mileage this week.

The trails were slick and muddy...and dark. I guess that's to be expected at 4:30 AM. The overcast sky didn't help. Once we reached the top of Monte Sano, the sky finally showed some daylight. I was running with my pack again and James could tell I was laboring more than usual. Can you say "heavy footfalls"? Anyway, once the trails leveled out I felt ok and the way back down the mountain wasn't bad either. Overall, it had been a great week so far. Hopefully, tomorrow's long run will be the perfect conclusion to my first "higher than usual" mileage week. James and I ended up running just under 10 miles at a slower than usual pace, but that's ok. Today was just about getting the miles done and it's always great to do that with lots of climbing and a picturesque setting involved. We've been seeing plenty of deer and foxes on the mountain lately:-)

Training Log - Thursday, July 12, 2012 (Part 2)

Second workout of the day was definitely a fun one. Jason graced us with his presence as well;-) The "Need For Speed" group met at the Grissom High School Track at 6PM tonight as every Thursday night. Shannon had come up with another great speed workout. 12x 400m intervals with 1 minute recoveries preceded and followed by a 1 mile warm up and cool down, respectively.

While 5K pace was the target, I planned to drop the pace to below 6 minute per mile. I had hoped to keep sub 6 min pace with the goal to drop the pace closer to 5:30-5:45 min pace for the last couple of repeats. I finished the final lap in 5:13 minute per mile pace, not too shabby. Jason was kind enough to run with me, making the recovery jogs much more entertaining than usual. Of course, chatting the entire minute of recovery also made it feel a lot shorter. Great peeps, great workout, thanks everyone and especially Shannon for continuing to keep it challenging.

Training Log - Thursday, July 12, 2012 (Part 1)

It had been raining all day and I figured I'd get a quick lunch time run in, but rather than going it alone, I decided to drag Rich and Timo along as well. We kept an easy pace, all of us enjoying the cool down the constant rain provided. Hopefully, running a slow 4.5 miler at lunch won't have a negative impact on tonight's track workout at Grissom High School. Either way, I need the miles. 12x 400m repeats are on the menu tonight and I still need to figure out my pace for these since I'm not sure I can maintain a target pace between 5:30-6:00 minute per mile as currently planned;-)

Training Log - Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Wow! That's what came to mind when I received the following text message just after getting home from the Summer Cross Country Races last night: "How about Pratt Ave to California to Whitesburg to Drake, then up Powercut through neighborhood to Monte Sano Blvd and Bluffline to Bankhead Pkwy back home...with a 5lbs backpack and a couple of hill repeats on Drake Ave and the gravel section of the Powercut? Should be 12-14 miles, let's meet at 4:30AM. Woot!" Sure, why not. While those three words weren't the first words that came to mind, they were the only words my running buddies received in my text message back to them. James was the initiator and I could always blame him later, if things went south;-)

As planned, James and I met at 4:30AM....and Ed joined us at 4:40AM. We took off through some neighborhoods, running at an easy pace, enjoying the cool morning air and the constant drizzle of rain that would accompany us for the next 2 hours and 20 minutes. I have to say the run felt great. I never really struggled, except during the "hill repeats", but who doesn't struggle during those. Once again, I carried my CamelBak Octane XCT in anticipation of the Laurel Valley Whitewater Run, a self-supported 35 mile point to point race in North and South Carolina. I had filled it up with 2 liters of water as well as a couple of gels, a headlamp, an Epipen and a couple of Zyrtec. My decision to wear a worn in pair of road running shoes was probably not the best one since the Powerline Cut and the Bluffline Trail were quite muddy. The rain kept me comfortably cool during the entire run, but I also felt like I drank a lot more water than usual.

We arrived back at Richard's house 12.5 miles and 2 hours 20 minutes later. This run does involve a considerable amount of climbing (at least I perceived it that way) and considering James and I carried our packs I am actually quite content with our time. I work on pace during the weekly short distance races and track workouts, so a slower pace just feels right sometimes.

Race Report - 2012 Summer Cross Country 1/3/1 Mile Runs (Week 6)

The weather never changes quietly around here. The long lasting drought was ended today with a line of thunderstorms that nearly cancelled tonight's XC races....nearly. Instead of shying away from the races due to the inclement weather, folks actually welcomed the rain, not so much the slippery terrain. I had heard about some blow downs on the course and decided to show up early to run the entire course as a warm up to check out the damage and to get some extra miles in.

I arrived about 15 minutes before 6, catching RD Carter and his crew of volunteers during set up. I set off at an easy pace, getting my legs loosened up without exerting to much energy. After all, Jason, David and Mike would most likely all be there for the races and I knew using the warm up miles as an excuse for any of them beating me in the race would not fly. I completed the loop with about 5 minutes to spare before the start of the 1 mile warm up race. I took it very easy, chatting away with Cary before pushing the pace a little on the final quarter mile, just to stretch the legs. When I arrived near the finish, all the usual suspects had already assembled. This would be fun. It is just so much easier to push yourself when there is a few guys there that are faster than you on most days...not so fast that there isn't a chance that you'll beat them, just fast enough to hopefully make you get faster week after week of running with (against) them. Of course, it's all in good fun and I do believe we all benefit from these "little" competitive strains that we all have within ourselves.

The 3 mile race was next and I knew no one would take it easy on this one. The 3 miler is always the most competitive event. You've got the "young bucks", the highschoolers that are in the process of joining their cross country teams, eager to impress their coaches and each other with their running prowess. They come out of the gates like it's a 100m dash on the track.

Then there's the "seasoned veterans", both in age and skill, leading the field of runners along the course, unfazed by the horde of teenagers running by, some recognizing youthful versions of themselves among the young runners, others knowing that they will pass them in just a mile when that first burst of energy and adrenaline is wearing off and the slightest grade in the trail feels like a massive hill.

Then there are the "in-betweeners", not quite elites or veterans in regards to their speed, but just a little too fast to be called midpackers. This is the category I fall in...and by default all of those guys that I usually run with. Most of us are quite capable of placing in our age groups (as we often do), but we're not quite good enough to take any overall accolades, (yet). We're only veterans by age not skill, but we have not given up hope that we can and will get faster, if we just keep working at it. And if that doesn't work, there's always age grading;-)

Today was no different. We pushed each other from the start. Promises of "taking it easy today" made to each other just seconds before at the starting line were quickly brushed off and replaced with "I can't let him beat me again today". Not out loud of course, but clearly evident in each runners actions. Ahhh, when the competitive juices get flowing, everyone just works a little harder....who am I kidding, a lot harder! So it was no surprise to me that when Jason turned his head about 200 yards from the finish, he spotted me just seconds behind him with a grimace on my face doing everything I can to appear to be relaxed and smiling. I tried to reel him in, but at the end of the day, I finished behind him...but not by much. I think my training is starting to pay off. While I was worried that my legs would be tired due to the additional miles I had run already, today's time actually tied my previous course best from 2 weeks ago to the second. Very strange, since I've been running multiple races with identical finishing times a lot these past few weeks. By the way, there were two detours included on today's course as well due to the blow downs and with the slippery terrain, these conditions were much more difficult than usual. But the temps were definitely milder than usual.

After a short break and a raffle by Nike we lined up for the last XC race of the day. This would usually be a 2 miler, but the weather and much darker than usual conditions resulted in the distance to be shortened to one mile. Once again, there were promised made of running slow and taking the time to chat. These promises were broken about 5 seconds into the race. Yeah, I admit it, I was the first to do so as I saw Mike charging ahead, leaving all of us momentarily in the dust...or mud to be more accurate. I decided to stay with him so we could have ourselves a little sprint to the finish. As we approached the final 200 yards of the race, I decided to try to pass him and we ended up running shoulder to shoulder for what felt like eternity. I finally managed to pass him just before the finish. Once again, pushing each other helped both of us to a faster than usual finish. In fact, I ran my fastest recorded mile in any trail race today.

I ended up with a 12th place and 3rd place overall finish in the 3 and 1 mile races, respectively and I got to spend some time with a bunch of like minded folks who help me grow week after week. Thanks everyone.

Training Log - Monday, July 9, 2012

Rich and I met up at 4:30AM, 30 minutes ahead of our usual time, to get an extra 3-4 miles in. We ran from Pratt Ave up to the Monte Sano Ranger Station, chugged down a whole lot of water at the water fountain and continued on to the South Plateau Loop. After we completed the South Loop we continued on back down the mountain after once again filling up on the water fountain.

I carried my new CamelBak Octane XCT pack filled half way up for the first time to prepare for the extra weight at the self-supported Laurel Valley 35 Mile Whitewater Run. I didn't tout the water in the pack and only drank at the fountain to make sure I kept carrying the extra weight. After having run a little less than me the last couple of weeks, Richard was moving slower, attracting sweat bees and other bite and sting happy insects, so that I decided to push ahead and move just a little faster. I had my allergic reaction from last Monday still fresh in my mind. After all, I was not only carrying water, but also a couple of Zyrtec and an Epipen (just in case the next allergic reaction turns out slightly more serious than the last one, which would be very bad news in the middle of a trail run on the mountain).

Rich and I ended up with a little over 13 miles, which was just what I had hoped. I hope to get 50+ miles this week and closer to 75 next week. 100 mile race training is in full effect.

Race Report - 2012 Sherwood Park 5K

This race logo just looks better than the crappy picture I took of my shirt and race bib;-)

I had registered for this race a while back, but since I also needed more than 3 miles for the day, I decided to run to and from the race to get closer to a half marathon for the day. I made sure to print directions, just in case. I also triple checked the map online, cause I didn't want to miss the race start because I got lost. I was prepared. And yet, I still managed to get lost. If it hadn't been for a fellow runner, I would have missed the race start. Instead, I got an extra mile on the way to the race.

When I arrived at the race start, Ed had already arrived. He had also run there from home. The race start was scheduled for 7AM and I got there just in time to put on a dry shirt I had packed in my new CamelBak Octane XCT that I was testing for an upcoming race. When Ed and I lined up at the start, I noticed a coworker and a couple of other familiar faces in the very small field of runners.

After a few comments by the RD, we were off. I kept the lead runner in sight from the start, but I had no intention of blowing up early. Instead, I followed in third place just behind a female runner who was off to a great start. I figured I would fade sooner or later, since I already had a few miles in the bag. Ed and another runner stayed just behind me and the rest of the field was a little farther back. The five of us were pretty much on our own, with the lead uncontested, but the four of us fighting for second place pretty much for the entire race.

I avoided focussing on the mile splits and instead focussed on running alone. I wanted to make sure I stayed close to the runner ahead of me and 1.5 miles into the race, I moved past her. She continued to run strong just behind me and when I started to fade with about a quarter mile to go, she made her move. I was too tired to try to pass her again and instead, I focussed on staying with her. She finished in 19:59, which left me with a finish time of...you guessed it....20:00 flat...for the second time in 4 days...ugh!!! Oh well, I finished 3rd overall and 1st age group, not bad for a training race. However, I am so ready to run sub 20 for a second, third, fourth time...

I believe the race had a total of 41 finishers, but I really think it should grow to a bigger event. The race course was reasonably flat with lots of turns and very few long stretches of road. Lots of shade as well which is a good thing when temps rise above 90 degrees by 8AM. Thanks to all the volunteers and the RD for putting on a fun event. I will be back next year, determined to break 20 minutes;-)

Training Log - Friday, July 6, 2012

I had almost hoped that everyone would back out on the run this morning as I didn't get my usual 7-8 hours of sleep. On top of it, I had done a speed workout the night before, so I knew I needed to take it easy, but Ed had replied to my text message and when my alarm went off at 4:15AM, I decided to get up and get it done. As usual, I was extremely glad I did. The temps were excellent for running, although the humidity continued to be rather high. Or maybe I just sweat a heck of a lot more in these temps, who knows.

Ed and I took off from Richard's house at 5:00AM to run up the mountain. Everyone else was otherwise obligated. We backed off the pace to take it easy and ran up Toll gate Trail and Cold Springs Trail before hitting the North Loop to the Ranger Station. The entire time, I kept checking my surroundings for anything buzzing around. I kept telling myself how highly unlikely it was that I would be stung by a wasp or yellow jacket twice in one week, but I definitely didn't think it out loud...I didn't want to jinx it. After my allergic reaction on Monday, I made sure to make an appointment with an allergy specialist, but that isn't until later this month so in the meantime, I try to be extra careful, but it's not gonna keep me off the trails;-)

Training Log - Thursday, July 5, 2012

Thunderstorms, lightning, rain, hail, 85 degrees...perfect conditions for a track workout. Unfortunately, I was running late so I had to do most of my laps on my own. However, if I really needed proof that it was a great idea to join the "Need For Speed" group under Shannon's guidance, I got it last night. Every lap I ran, I received encouragement by the group and I mean on every lap. It was great. Thanks again to everyone for being such supportive fellow runners. It's not always to get dressed to get your run in, but this group of peeps surely made it a pleasure. And their motivation worked. When I got home and uploaded my Garmin data, I noticed that I ran negative splits for every repeats we ran. Shannon had created the following workout: 1 mile warm up, 1x 1200m at 5K pace followed by 2 minute recovery jog, 2x 800m at 5K pace followed by 1 minute recovery jogs, 6x 400m at 5K pace followed by 1 minute recovery jogs, 1 mile cool down. I started the first 1200 meters at 5K PR pace of 6:15 min per mile, followed by 6:13 and 6:08 for the two 800m repeats, followed by 5:51, 5:48, 5:48, 5:40, 5:42 and 5:32 respectively for the six 400m repeats. I even managed to keep with the tradition of running your last lap of a track workout as the fastest lap, too. Great day all around.

Race Report - 2012 Firecracker 5K

The race temps were definitely "as hot as a firecracker".

This was the fourth running of the Firecracker 5K race put on by Morningside Baptist Church and sponsored by Fleet Feet Sports of Huntsville. I participated in this event for the first time, adding to its record setting attendance of 336 runners, exceeding its record from the previous year by over 100 runners.
While the field was probably not as deep as other recent road races (how else would you explain my 3rd place overall in the Male Masters Division?), it was certainly a large field.

While I had hoped for a 7AM race start to avoid the heat, an 8AM start still made it much more bearable than any other time of day (hey, always look for the positives, right?). I had run the Summer Cross Country races the night before, but I had made sure to go much slower than the previous weeks as I was set to attempt a new 5K PR at the Firecracker. At least I wanted to break 20 minutes. I didn't, but that's ok. I walked away with a 3rd place finish in the male master division (oh, did I mention that already?) and 16th overall and a small stack of Fleet Feet gift cards...score!

The race started at 8AM sharp and i had lined up in the second row to ensure a good start. As soon as the race start was signaled, I pressed the start button on my Garmin FR310XT and took off. I planned to stay with the lead group as long as possible before fading away as usual but still maintaining pace for a PR. Well...there was only a small problem with my approach...I had forgotten, for the first time, I might add, to double knot my @!$#%&^ shoes. Sure enough, less than a quarter mile into the race, my right shoelace came undone. After exclaiming my dismay with an unfortunate word choice (note to self: In the future, exclaim dismay in your native German language rather than in the locally recognized tongue), I stepped aside and retied my right shoe. I took off sprinting as soon as I was done, but the lead group was way ahead of me now. Rather than take my time to even try to catch up (which would have been the smart way to go about it), I decided to try to catch them right away, with little success. While I did manage to catch up to a couple of runners that I expected to run at my pace, I spent all of my energy just playing catch up. I had nothing left for any final mile push or finish line sprint. I was physically done and the sun did the rest.

As we approached the final mile of an out and back race course that utilizes much of the Aldridge Creek Greenway, we became fully exposed to the sun again. Thankfully, the mid section of the course had nice shade cover. Not so the first and final mile of the course. I just had nothing left to push and it took all I had to just stick with David Bier, who was chugging along ahead of me (unbeknownst to me, he was pushing for and on track for a new PR himself). I decided I wouldn't even bother to attempt to pass him. Who was I kidding, I had nothing left to even try. Instead, I tried to just hang on and not let him drop me. Of course, he heard me huffing and puffing behind him and like any decent road racer, he wasn't going to be passed on the final stretch, so he picked up the pace. Crap! I wanted to tell him "slow down, buddy...I'm not gonna pas you, I can't, I'm tired, just slow down so I can follow you to the finish", but I didn't even have the energy to do that. I was too busy taking in all the oxygen I could to keep moving.

When I saw the finish clock I tried to sprint, I really did. There was a slight chance that I could still break 10 minutes, but life can be cruel indeed....my final clock time was 20:00 exactly, not 19:59 which is what I had hoped for, even if that wasn't going to be a PR. Oh well, I was glad to hear that David not only broke 20 minutes, but that he blew his previous PR out of the water. Awesome job, buddy, well deserved. The weather conditions certainly weren't perfect for a PR attempt and you did it anyway.

Thanks to the friendly volunteers at the church and to the RD for putting on this event. I will be back for more next year, which double knots in my shoelaces, determined to break 20 minutes!

Race Report - 2012 Summer Cross Country 1/2/3 Mile Runs (Week 5)

Is it going to get cooler any time soon? The field was a lot thinner than usual, lots of folks apparently were on 4th of July vacation already. None of my nemeses had showed up, which meant I could actually follow my plan to sit back and take it easy. After all, I had planned to race the Firecracker 5K on July 4th in an attempt to set a new PR and what I didn't need was to spend all my energy on the XC runs the night before the 5K race. Hopefully, my decision to dial it back a little bit would help me set a new PR, but that will be revealed after the Firecracker 5K. I still managed to finish in the top 15 and top 10 for the 3 and 3 mile races, respectively. Props to all the folks showing up on yet another hot night to get their runs in. It's always more fun to run with a bunch of like-minded people then yo log your training miles all alone all the time:-)

Training Log - Monday, July 2, 2012

Not sure if this morning's run was work getting up at 4AM for. Granted, I did get in my 10 miles on technical trails with lots of elevation gain, but I paid for it. Half way up the mountain, I was bitten or stung twice on my back by something, probably a wasp or a yellow jacket (although spiders were considered as an option as well). It was extremely painful and I can't deny it, I screamed like a girl for Ed to check my back for the culprit. By the time Ed had turned around on the trail to head back towards me to "assist", I had already ripped off my shirt and engaged in what I would call the "trail dance" (definition: excessive up and down jumping while spinning in circles and violently jerking your arms around while screaming like a little girl). I've known trail runners to engage in this dance simply after encountering spider webs spanned across the trails or after seeing actual spiders or, like in my case, after being stung or bitten by an unidentified object.

After about 2 minutes of this dance and triple checking my shirt for any remaining predators, I decided to man up, put my shirt back on and continue to the top of the mountain before returning back down. It hurt, but I figured it would go away after a while. All was good until we were about 1 mile out from Richard's house. Suddenly, my hands were feeling swollen. They started to itch like crazy. And my lips, they started to swell up, too. What the @!$%^! I had never had an allergic reaction...to anything...and now this. Surely, it couldn't get worse, right? Right....until I got in my car, that is. I looked in the mirror and what I saw wasn't pretty. My face was swollen and blotchy. And now I started to itch all over my body. Ugh!!! I could barely keep my hands on my steering wheel, I was itching so bad.

When I arrived home, I chewed up a couple of Zyrtec and a Benedryl and took a warm bath. I needed the itching to stop! I had hives all over my body. I tried to relax and an hour later, I was feeling much better. I guess the antihistamines had finally kicked in. At least I got my run in, right;-)