Starting the Year Off Easy

Time: 61:05
Distance: 13.03 km
Pace: 4:41/km
Map

Meagan and I were joined by Jenna Wrieden on the run this morning around Palm Springs. She and her boyfriend, Ryan Cole, came to visit us for NYE. We almost made it to midnight too! After attempting to get Ryan to borrow some of my gear to come on the run, we finally had to give up and leave him at home. The two women and I headed out the door for an hour of easy running through town. I tried to take Jenna around to see some of the more interesting neighborhoods and parks.

We decided there needs to be a winter marathon or half marathon here in Palms Springs as the town is completely flat and the weather is idea. It might be a little difficult to find 42 km in and around the city, but the conditions would be absolutely perfect in January. It's easily understood why so many people come to the desert in the winter.

Treadmill Shuffle

Time: ~10 minutes
Distance: ~1 mile

I didn't get to recap much of the USATF Club XC meet in my Thunder Road Marathon entry and I won't really do so here. But, I can say that the ladies of CRC held their own against some firmly established club teams like the NYAC, BAA, and Atlanta Track Club. It was a great day for cross-country out at McAlpine and taking in the action was awesome. The men's race saw Dave Nightingale place 3rd overall and Queens' runner Mike Crouch one spot back in 4th. I struggled to get from the mile mark, to the base of the hill, to the backside of the hill on tired legs. At times I was so wrapped up in the running that I forgot about the stiffness in my quads.

The post-race awards banquet for the club race was at Whisky River (why is this place purposely misspelled?). I was in attendance with friends and got to mingle with some other buddies that I had completely forgotten to look out for in the race. It was good catching up with now Hansons-Brooks' runner Zac Hine (formerly of Cornell and was in Japan with me), Sam Luff now of the Georgetown Running Company (also went to Japan this year), Dave Burnham also of the Georgetown Running Company (attended Dartmouth but was on my recruiting trip to Brown when we were both seniors in high school), Lucas Meyer of the Boston Athletic Association (formerly of Yale and went to Japan two years ago) and of course Dave Nightingale who now runs for New Balance. The usual local suspects were in attendance including Caitlin, Meagan, Tanya, Mike and Sarah Porter (new local), Pezz, Paul, Compton, Thomas, Jenna and several more. I also met Ruth who helped Caitlin out at Twin Cities Marathon and her friend Addie Bracy. Lets also not forget Scott Simmons and Camille Herron (I know her from Oklahoma) who just won the Dallas White Rock Marathon.

Why all the name dropping? Well, with all the friends around things got a little out of hand. It was a fun time despite being in a terrible establishment. There is a definite reason as to why I don't patron the Epicenter. I was more surprised to see that people were paying the cover to actually attend a place like Whisky Dick. The whole night left me a world of hurt the next morning. I woke up feeling fine, just a little dehydrated. I didn't get to eat much of a dinner which was ultimately my downfall. I spent about an hour sitting in front of the tv drinking Nuun when things took a turn for the worse. I ended up driving the big white bus a couple of times before grabbing another hour of sleep. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal as I didn't have to run much today, but I did have to board a plane later in the afternoon.

I got my act together with enough time to shower, pack and get to the airport. I was destined for Philly where I would meet up with my boss and our rep from Chicago. We were all going to the GORE Running Wear and GORE Bike Wear sales meeting in Newark, Delaware. Delaware!? That's right the first state of the union. The night included a bite to eat at Geno's Steaks and a drop at the hotel. I got thoughts in my head that it would be good for me to shake out the legs on the treadmill and that's exactly what I did. While my boss was going to bed and the Canadian reps mingled by the fireplace, I hopped on the treadmill for an incredibly slow jog where I covered a mile in just over 10 minutes. By the end of it I was feeling a little less stiff and was able to stretch my tight calves.

Everybody loves a good cheesesteak.

Thunder Road Marathon Recap

The clock read 2:23:28 at mile 26 and I knew the record was out of reach. I had just over 50 seconds to run the final .2 miles in order to break the course record from 2006 set by Birhanu Wukaw of Fayetteville, GA. It wasn't going to happen so I shut things down for good. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, look at the record holder's name. I gave it my best shot, but ultimately my legs ached too much on the late climbs and the windy stretch to NoDa sapped me of energy. I acknowledged the crowd a couple times during the last hundred meters, glanced up at the clock and broke the tape in 2:24:46. One second per mile faster and I would have achieved my WBTV stated goal of breaking the course record.

Finishing Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon (photo by Kevin Miller)

Pre Race:
Rewind the morning a few hours to 5:00 am when I got up and hit the start button on the coffee machine. I quietly got my racing costume on as Meagan slept in for her own big race later in the day. My new GORE Running Wear kit resembled a cheap Darth Vader Halloween outfit-- minus the cape. I had black on black split cut shorts, Windstopper tights, a jersey, gloves, hat, vest and jacket. I was "murdered out" Rob & Big style. I slipped out of the house and drove over to Caitlin's arriving around 7:05 am. I had a little over a half an hour to walk over to the start line and finish my final preparation for the race.

The walk over to the convention center was longer than I expected. I eventually had to walk/jog the final half mile in order to feel comfortable with the having enough time. Upon entering the building there were bodies everywhere. People were crammed in the section just off S. College, but I found enough space to shed my layers and adjust my singlet. I just needed to find a bathroom and then it would be off to the start line. I headed outside with my bag, dropped it and went in search for a porto I had spotted earlier that didn't have a line. Well, it had a line now. I'm not one to wait to handle my biz so I darted back into the convention center looking for a proper facility. No luck. Lines, lines and more lines. No time for waiting. I headed downstairs and into the bowels of the convention center. Coincidence? I think not. I was backstage, literally underground where the forklifts are stored.

I made a quick ascent to ground level, checked my bag and looked for the start line. It wasn't on S. College as I was led to believe yesterday. I scrambled my way through the little park that separates Brevard and S. College only to be locked out from the starting area. About 100 meters from the start line I jumped the fence while the Star Spangled Banner played. It was about 7:41 at this point, plenty of time to get situated at the start. Wrong! Tim was doing his final announcements while I struggled to get my damn pants off. The elastic at the zipper at the bottom was really snug, but lucky for me Leonard Hilliard came to my rescue with a few good tugs. Paul Mainwaring attempted to hand me the No. 1 bib, but it was too late. I only had about 20 seconds to get settled and the runners were off. False start! Someone false started when the NASCAR car engine revved. Fortunately we weren't going by IAAF rules and nobody was disqualified from the field. Someone at RFYL really needs to invest in a starter's pistol.

Start of Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon
Pictured: Ethan Coffey (red), Billy Shue (orange), Stephen Spada (red), Me (grey) (photo by Kevin Miller)

Marathon:
The second time off the line was for reals and I repositioned the CarbBOOM! in my glove so that I'd be able to access it later in the race. I had Mr. Mainwaring to my left and a couple of half-marathoners in front of me. I ran relaxed down 3rd street and tried to let the downhill opening mile carry my legs without putting to much junk in them. The pounding felt smooth and I was breathing contently near the front. Mile one was hit in 5:22 which was a little fast, but considering the terrain I wasn't worried. The second mile allowed me to settle further into a groove of 5:35. I ran about 5 meters behind two guys running the half and watched Ethan Coffey open up a nice gap on the field. His red singlet and shorts became my target later in the race.

As Paul and I turned off Randolph Rd. and onto Colville we were working together. The tangents were being carved with precision and eventually we caught up to the second and third place half-marathoners. There was no time to admire the million dollar homes, but I did notice the cheering committee of Emily Barrett and Katie Robertson. I don't know what I was thinking, but I some how felt the need to drop a 5:18 third mile and follow it up with another 5:18 fourth mile. The neighborhood roads suited my early effort well and I was clearly feeling good. I grabbed water efficiently at the first water station and snagged another cup at the second. I remember it being really cold and I gasped once when the water hit the back of my throat.

Paul, a half-marathoner and I ran along Providence road keeping an honest effort. Our pace slowed to a 5:38 split for mile 5, but I wasn't worried due to the quicker opening miles. I became a little annoyed at one point when the half-marathoner was drafting off me up the hill. I thought it was a cheap tactic given he was running only half as far, but I wasn't going to slow down and change running positions. Instead I increased the tempo and dropped him by the top of the hill where Aaron Linz was encouraged Paul and I. During the turn onto Sharon Lane, I started hear the discomfort in Paul's breathing, but he was hanging tough. His slightly labored breathing is what actually gave me the motivation to continue with pressing the pace. It was early and Paul was setting the tempo, but I still went for the jugular.

The pace on the sixth mile dropped slightly back down to 5:20 and I crossed 10k in 33:40. Whoops! That was a little aggressive and Paul was done for the day. I believe he ended up running faster than he did at Hit the Brixx only a few weeks after posting a great time at the Richmond Marathon. Meagan had told me not to break her personal best during the opening 10k, but I guess I just don't listen.

My focus now shifted to closing the gap on the lead half-marathoner. I thought it would be cool to have the overall lead by the splitting point on the course. Ethan Coffey was about 30 seconds in front and I just stared at his back making certain to slice the tangents better than him. I rattled off splits of 5:25, 5:28 and 5:25 for miles 7, 8 and 9. I tossed my long sleeve shirt to Chad Crockford just before turning onto Sharon Road and a few minutes later I was cheered on by George "Monk" Linney and Jason Page of the Bull City Running Company. They gave me a boost of energy which can be seen in the splits during this section. The course also dipped down until coming up to cross Selwyn. I remember blowing my nose in my gloves and the lead biker offering me a tissue. I declined, but it was a nice gesture.

I started thinking about the first major split that I wanted to hit once on Queens Road. I was approaching 10 miles and wanted to be under 55 minutes (5:30 pace). Meagan and Jenna were in the center of the median cheering enthusiastically and snapped a few photos. I hit 54:21 for 10 miles and split 5:29. Just after the mark I spotted Queens' runner and German stud Simon Steutzel and his girlfriend Holly. They had made a sign, but I'll admit I don't know what it said. I was just glad to see them out there.

Approaching mile 10 along Queen Road (photo by Meagan Nedlo)

I took my second gel somewhere along this section. The first was around five miles as I like to start fueling early. I got CarbBOOM! down near mile 11 (5:29) and definitely before making the left onto Morehead. Everybody knows what a nuisance this road is during race. Need I remind you of Blue Points? Ironically, the best I felt in the race was during a 20 second stretch when rap music blasted. Running uphill, all of a sudden, I felt like surging past the group of kids with a quicker stride doing my best Sammy Wanjiru impression. This was the only point in the race where I actually felt like I was hammering and it was for a brief 100 meter section. I can't tell you the song, the lyrics or other specifics other than the fact the beat got me to hammer. Considering the uphill stretch I still split 5:34 for mile 12.

It was more tough running through Dilworth when the marathon split from the half-marathon. I was now truly solo running by Latta Park, but I knew the halfway point was approaching and I wanted to be in the 71:30 t0 72:00 range. In order to get back on a respectable pace I opened the stride down the hill along Euclid. I rolled past the tennis courts with the markers in sight. I was 5:37 for mile 13 and 71:35 at the half. I did a quick calculation and this put me on 2:23:10 pace. I was rolling! But, I was also starting to become fearful of the early opening miles. My stride was still efficient and everything seemed right, but there are always questions for the late stages of the race.

Jumping back on Morehead just prior to the Dowd YMCA sucked. No other way to describe it. I got to mile 14 in 5:35 and took a cup of water from Jason Martin. He handed it off perfectly and I nearly had a full 3 ounces instead of the 2 sips I normally get. I fell back into a rhythm on Camden and Tremont to split 5:23 for mile 15. Getting over to Mint St. was uneventful but I started to notice the wind. I wasn't sure if this was due to me tiring or if the wind was actually picking up. I had been off the line for about 90 minutes and it was time to take a quick evaluation of the body's systems. The feet felt good, breathing fine, arms working fluidly, the stomach was in okay shape, but the legs -- specifically the quads -- were getting heavy on any slight incline. South Mint is a slight incline.

Miles 16 and 17 were 5:35 and 5:33. I missed a water cup just after the I-277 overpass and was really bummed the drummers weren't stationed underneath like last year. Missing the cup was a little worrisome as it was a critical point in the race, but I hoped the gel I took during mile 16 would kick in soon. It felt like a crawl running along Trade St. to mile 18 but fortunately I quickened the pace just before the marker to hit 5:32. The wind funneled through the Uptown buildings made it difficult to maintain pace, but I was being cheered on by athletes heading out to McAlpine for the USATF Club XC meet.

The turn on Caldwell street was the start of my demise. I immediately felt the wind in my face and the incline over I-277 was a real minger. Caitlin, Jenna and Meagan were stationed just off 7th street. It was good seeing familiar faces, but I knew the stretch to NoDa would be lonely. It was last year and it would be this year. I managed a 5:32 for mile 19 which was good considering the hill. At the top of the hill was the wreckage from a recent accident. A BMW looked totaled and a woman was being ushered into an ambulance. I was starting to feel her pain.

Nearing 18.5 mile mark (photo by Meagan Nedlo)

Running to my doom (photo by Meagan Nedlo)

The road curved on Parkwood and Greg Isaacs was out on his bike. I think Matt Jaskot was out here too. I still hadn't made it onto North Davidson, but I was getting close. The stretch up to NoDa was pure suffering. Lonely, windy, industrial, hills would be key words to describe the 20 mile mark that was reached in 1:49:49 (split of 5:37). I was slowing but still on pace through 20 miles to break the record. I wanted to be under 1:50:00 as that would give me 34:20 to get to the tape for the last 10k. I ran an opening 33:40 10k, but 34:20 would be hard to muster. I still had over a half mile until making the turn onto 35th and being in the heart of the fun and artistically minded neighborhood district. My quads had enough energy to maintain pace on the flats, but had nothing for the gradual inclines.

I made it through the wall this year! Last year "the wall" constructed of wood was still under construction when I passed by. I was a few minutes short of 21 miles and starting to realize the record was slipping out of my hands-- err legs. My splits for 21 and 22 were 5:43 and 5:42. In hindsight, that was the record. Right there on those two splits. I needed to average 5:31s and those two splits put me 23 seconds over pace. I had thoughts of packing it in right there and run to the finish at whatever pace it took to win not worrying about time.

However, I was tired but not exhausted at this point. My legs hurt a lot, but the lungs were in complete control. Breathing was never difficult late in the race. I also knew a fast section was approaching along The Plaza. Last year I clicked off a fast late mile for my under-trained legs. This year I hoped to become uplifted by seeing a fast split. It happened, but it wasn't enough. Mile 23 brought me back down under pace for a 5:29. At the time I couldn't do the math, but I needed to run the final 3.2 miles in 17:35 in order to take down the course best. I got to mile 24 with a 5:36 which was good given we turned back into the houses with few 90 degree turns. It was disappointing not being offered a pint, mimosa or bloody mary at the house party. With dampened sober spirits, I really just wanted to be done.

Running to the Hawthorne Hill aka "Take of souls" (photo by Troy Lee)

I felt better running down Hawthorne with friends yelling out. I don't know if Bob Heck was out there with his boom box, because I was in a daze. The Hawthorne Hill was only moments ahead and I knew this was the last battle on the course which caught me by surprise last year. Despite knowing it's position and tactics, it still put me in a dark place. It was my "taker of souls." I was done. It felt like I walked to the top and reaching the apex didn't ease the tightness . I couldn't find a rhythm upon hitting Central despite the mini-entourage of Caitlin, Jenna and Meagan again. John Compton and Garrett were a few hundred meters down the road. I remember Garrett yelling that I was an animal.

Approaching mile 25 and cheering section (photo by Caitlin Chrisman)

Wanting to be done (photo by Caitlin Chrisman)

Darth Vader attacks (photo by Caitlin Chrisman)

Nick Frank-esque glamour shot (photo by Caitlin Chrisman)

Better side (photo by Caitlin Chrisman)

Caitlin trying to keep up but getting smoked (photo by Meagan Nedlo)

Charlotte's skyline and mini-me (photo by Caitlin Chrisman)

I didn't get another split until the 26 mile mark. I'm pretty sure the 25 mile banner was stolen or never placed because nobody seemed to get that split. At the turn on to McDowell I heard Allen Strickland and Leonard yelling. Allen said something about my Karhu Racers. McDowell is ever so slightly uphill, mile 26 made it feel like a Morehead or Mt. Mitchell. Miles 25 and 26 combined for 11:06 (5:33 average), not bad considering the leaden legs.

The cheers got louder and looking up I could see the finish line a ways off. I also saw the clock at mile 26 also read 2:23:28...

Nearly finished with the race (photo by Karin Helmbrecht)

Glad to be done and cold (photo by Karin Helmbrecht)

Woman's winner, Danielle Crockford and sketchy dude in black (photo by Chad Crockford)

Post Race:
I was immediately congratulated by Donny Forsyth at the finish line. James Haycraft Kent Morris also escorted me to collect my belongings. My legs were shot and I needed to get warm. After getting in dry clothes I sat in the timing booth where it was warm waiting for the awards ceremony. I watched Danielle, Theoden, and others finish the marathon from the comfort of the hotel conference room. Eventually I made it out to the stage where the awards were presented at noon. I had been done for nearly two hours and was ready to get out to McAlpine. The crowd went wild as Danielle and I ascended the stage to collect our flag and flowers. Actually, there were maybe 50 people in attendance and it was rather lackluster considering the wait.

Remember how I parked at Caitlin's? Yea I had to rush over there in order to get my car and hit the cross country course for Meagan's race. I shuffled off in the direction of 7th and McDowell with a box of flowers in my hand. I ran backwards on the course and tried to encourage those runners still out on the roads. I found an efficient route to McAlpine that avoided the marathon course and made the start of the race just in time to start my watch. I could go on about how I tried to run around the park cheering on the CRC teams at USATF Club XC, but my fingers are numb.

Meagan's recap: Big Day of Racing
Caitlin's recap: Two Races, One City

12/11/10. The day Charlotte was the running mecca of the USA.

I was there.

Salem Lake Long Run

Time: 112:18
Distance: 16.03 miles
Pace: 7:00
Map

Meagan, Tanya, Jenna and I all ran around the famed Salem Lake loop this morning. In fact we ran it twice. Since moving to Charlotte I've kept hearing great things about the trail from local runners and those in Winston-Salem. I know Caitlin and John who think highly of the lake as they used to do long runs there while at Wake Forest. Jenna has also hyped Salem Lake now that she's an assistant at High Point University. She will drive her athletes to the lake on weekends for a change of scenery. I also know that Aaron and Theoden have raced out there in a couple longer distance events. I, on the other hand, am not completely sold. It was a good run and I enjoyed the softer surface, but every part of the loop looked the same. You never really got to head back into the woods and instead ran along the water's edge. Also, the footing wasn't the best but that could have been because the leaves have fallen to hide the rocks and roots. I could see how in summer the trail would be great.

The run was good, but the brunch was even better this morning. After finishing we all hit up a local cafe that Jenna found or read about. We put down some omelets, pancakes, coffee and more. What's also key is that the new Fleet Feet Winston-Salem (if you're ever in W-S and want to check out/compare another well merchandised specialty running store, this is a good one to visit) location is right next to the cafe. I can see myself visiting these parts again soon.

Meagan also recaps the run pretty well so just read her post.

High Point Trails with Jenna

Time: 47:18
Distance: ~6 miles

After the Greensboro Velo Club meeting last night, Meagan and I headed over to Jenna Wrieden's apartment in High Point. Over the summer she took a job as the assistant coach for the women's team at HPU. It was great catching up with her and enjoying a few pints of ice cream last night.

In the morning she drove us to some trails where we ran for about 6 miles. It was difficult to judge pace as the single track trails were rather rooted and sinuous. (How's that for a vocab word)? I originally wanted to run a workout on High Point's track, but when we got up the air had a nice chill to it. I decided to run easy with the girls and do my workout in the evening back in Charlotte.

McAlpine with CRC and Athleticore

Time: 115:16
Distance: 17.01 miles
Pace: 6:46
Map

I had a busy social calendar last night post run. It started at Duckworth's on Park Road with Scott Simmons birthday celebration. It soon moved to Uptown for the Presby Crit. I was much impressed with the cornering of those pros. I couldn't imagine taking those turns so sharp especially when the sun went down. The night ended at an art show in Plaza Midwood where they were kicking off the "Let the Good Times Roll." I had never been to Twenty-Two Gallery and I will have to go back. Meagan, Jenna and I strolled in and immediately noticed we didn't have enough tattoos or piercings. I ended up purchasing two skateboard decks that I won't received until the end of the month. I will post pics then.

Due to the late night I was not going to be up early and at McAlpine to meet the Charlotte Running Club group at 6:30 am. Instead the three of us from last night met at Boyce about an hour later. We jumped in the group of about 10 for some miles through McAlpine.

I peeled off near the 5 mile mark to meet up with Mr. Athleticore who this week had to quell the complaints of many local athletes. Nick escaped a tarring and feathering and wasn't burned at the stake because he was able to recover all the lost data. It was good hearing about the fiasco and running 12 miles at a quicker tempo. We stopped every 20 minutes or so to drink some water stashed at the stage. I think this definitely helped me recover quicker later in the afternoon.

Splits:
8:35, 7:04, 7:12, 7:06, 7:11,
6:37, 6:44, 6:23, 6:20, 6:33,
6:43, 6:22, 6:39, 6:39, 6:27,
6:19, 6:19

Post Pool Run

Time: 41:35
Distance: 5.38 miles
Pace: 7:43
Map

After the morning run Meagan decided to invite a bunch of friends over to hang out in the FT pool. I'm not a big time pool reveler, but today called for some splashes. The afternoon was most enjoyable and rehashing the stories from last night was key too. Caitlin, Denise, Tyler and I held down Charlotte, Meagan and Jenna took on Boston, and John Compton and Jay Holder shook up Asheville. We all had some good laughs and when the sun finally started to get past prime tanning time, the group dispersed. Jenna and I opted to go for a run through Freedom Park. It wasn't much fun for either of us as I ate too much during the day and her achilles was hurting.

Easy Double

Time: 40:51
Distance: 5.34 miles
Pace: 7:38
Map

I left the house with Meagan and Jenna, we headed to Freedom Park where the plan was to meet up with Caitlin. The pace was nice and slow which was good considering the recent running I've done.

Recovery Run

Time: 45:27
Distance: 6.09 miles
Pace: 7:28
Map

I'm not really sure what I'm recovery from. I guess it could be last night's outing to Tyber Creek. Who can argue with $2 drafts? And, I'm not talking Bud Light or Miller Lights. These are legit brews like Guinness, Harp and Fat Tire. Some jerks are still lame enough to order a $2 Bud Light when the other options are available on Thursday night. It was a good low key event with friends and of course Beats and Keys (I can't find a website for the 3 man cover band).

Jenna met up with us for a few miles around Freedom Park. I felt good considering the chicken finger, spinach dip and pizza dinner last night. I don't think Meagan could say the same.

Birthday Run

Time: 53:26
Distance: 6.71 miles

W/u: 31:06 for 4.01 miles
W/o: Drills + 3 x 100m
C/d: 22:20 for 2.70 miles

I turned the big 2-6 today. Does that mean I move up an age group in road races? Or do I have 30 years old to look forward to?

Tyler, Jenna, Meagan and I headed out from our place to the AG for our respective workouts. Meagan was doing a light workout, Tyler was running 12 x 200, I was doing drills and strides and Jenna was cheering because she tweaked her achilles.

I felt relatively fast on each 100m stride. It doesn't seem that the extra year has slowed me down yet. If Bernard Lagat can still make moves at 35, then I can still train at 26.

JCSU Track Fun

Time: 23:30
Distance: 3.04 miles
Map

Tonight I went over to JCSU with some Queens runners to watch their workout. Everyone was doing 4 x mile with 4 minutes rest. Mike and Futsum were hitting 4:30-4:35, Tanya hovered around 5:05 and Meagan and Jenna were at 5:20. Meagan had a miserable workout that wasn't fun to watch and less fun to run.

Mike hammered the last half of his final mile in 2:01-2:03 which put him at 4:16-4:17. Very fast.

I ended up running two laps of jogging the turns and sprinting the straights. I also did some drills before the strides. The goal was to loosen up the legs and get ready to roll tomorrow night in Uptown.

Cinco de Mayo

Time: 57:44
Distance: 8.01 miles
Pace: 7:12
Map

I met up with some peeps from Queens out at the Boyce parking lot for a run. Mike Crouch is back to near top form after his stellar 13:53 5k out at Stanford's Payton Jordan Invitational. He and I put in 8 miles together at a leisurely pace. It's good seeing his confidence back up. He will surely be one of the favorites in a few weeks when he toes the line at DII Nationals here in Charlotte. If it comes down to the final 1k, my money is on Crouch as he doesn't often lose to other DII runners.

Speed Development

Time: 65:16
Distance: 9.02 miles

W/u: 42:47 for 6.01 miles
W/o: 2 x 100m @ 85%, 2 x 50m @ 100%, 2 x 100m @ 95%
C/d: 22:29 for 3.01 miles

I drove over to JCSU this afternoon for some speed development. Last week beat me up pretty good, but I know it's all a process to getting the fast twitch fibers to start firing efficiently again. Today's workout on paper seemed pretty easy, but trying to run near all out and relaxed is a challenge at this point. I basically strain off the line and run tense until the tape.

I put in 6 miles from the track to the cemetery and was able to meet up with Simon and Jenna. She was going to join me in the embarrassment of sprinting on JCSU's track. I even brought spike at her suggestion because there might have been some "races" planned. Simon was doing a swift 12 x 300 workout with a minute rest and ended up probably averaging 43 high to 44 low.

I did some drills and light strides prior to slipping into spikes for the first time in about a year. It was fun getting that fast feeling again. Once you put spikes on, you know it's time to run fast.

I didn't time any of the workout except my final 100m. I did the first effort with a floating start and all the others were from a standing start. I had plenty of rest between sprints, I'd guess around 2-4 minutes. The race between Jenna and I wasn't even close as her blades were no match for my raw strength. Just kidding, it was definitely the slowest 100m race in recent history on that track. Even the Mondo surface couldn't bring us to respectability.

Any guesses on the final 100m? I hand timed it with my Garmin so the accuracy might be a little off based on when I could hit the buttons. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the time knowing I was already starting to feel the effects of the two 50m efforts.

Free pair of Balega socks to the individual who gets closest. Mini-contest ends Monday at 12 pm EST.

McAlpine Monday

Time: 58:02
Distance: 7.87 miles
Pace: 7:22
Map

It's not very often that I get out to McAlpine during the week, but today was an exception. Meagan and I met Jenna at the Boyce parking lot and we ran a loop of the Footlocker course. I think the Garmin measured the run a little short as it should have come out closer to 8 miles. The added tree coverage along the shaded areas is probably messing with the devices accuracy. I was content to take today really easy in preparation for tomorrow's shape cutting.

Not So Long on Sunday

Time: 65:45
Distance: ~9 miles
Pace: ~7:14
Map

My recovery weekend continued when I went out to McAlpine for the Sunday long run. My schedule had me running 5 miles so naturally I ran 9 with Tanya, Jenna and Meagan. Five solo and my pace = 9 easy with the girls, right? Probably not but I'll take it. Surprisingly, I didn't feel great on the run and I'm not sure why. It might be because I haven't run under 7 minute pace in a few days and I'm starting to feel stale.

Third Time This Week

Time: 63:46
Distance: 8.56 miles
Pace: 7:27
Map

It's the third time this week that I ran the medium Freedom Park loop as Meagan likes to call it. This outing, however, was with Jenna as she decided to meet up with us this morning. We kept things nice and easy. I challenged Jenna, who comes from a scientifically based background, to come up with a universally adopted training method. I wanted something everyone who runs accepts as being a factor in creating better distance runners. There is a lot of information out there and everyone wants to know the shortcut. For example, increasing iron intake, compression socks, consuming caffeine, supplementing nutrition, carbo loading, etc. The two methods she came up with were (a) stretching and (b) altitude training. She's probably right.

I would add interval training as (c). For all of the studies and journal articles out there promoting iron, compression, and caffeine; none of them are necessarily conclusive. We essentially decided that as long as you believe that what you are doing will make you better and the training/advice that your coach gives you is believed fully, then you will continue to mature as a runner/athlete.

I will admit that I was coming from a pessimistic standpoint since listening to the Letsrun Training Talk this week with Ricky Simms and Noah Ngeny. Simms is most well known for being Usain Bolt's agent/manager and Ngeny is the 2000 Olympic 1500m champion (he defeated El G). Ngeny also holds the second fastest mile ever run at around 3:44.xx and is the current 1000m world record holder. The training talk with Rojo (co-founder of Letsrun and current distance coach at Cornell) focused on Joseph Ebuya's recent ascent to the top of the running world by winning the World Cross Country Championships. It's an interesting interview for a long drive in the car.

During the interview, Rojo asked Simms why he coached some athletes he managed like Ebuya, but not others like Leo Manzano. Simms answered by saying that he didn't like to coach his western athletes mainly because it took too much effort. Western athletes are notorious for over-analyzing everything from their nutrition, to the amount of sleep. From how they felt on the fourth interval during the workout, to why their hamstring is just a little sore.

In contrast, Simms African athletes simply show up to practice, run the workout, go home and repeat. There is little discussion about why a workout/race went bad. It seemed that Simms runners, like Ebuya, would have a very short memory in terms of being able to forget about the past and always looking to the next race, next workout. Of course, it helps when you're extremely talented and run 13:03 for 5k in only your second race on the track. I believe those guys training in the Rift Valley all winter come prepared to dominate European races during the summer because, in their mind, they know they've worked the hardest.

Train hard, win easy.

Light on the Toes

Time: 94:54
Distance: 14.03 miles
Pace: 6:46
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Today's long run went really well. It's probably the best long run I've had in several weeks excluding the Tobacco Road Marathon. The pace started off nice and easy and gradually progressed after many miles. I've consciously been trying to run more upright in the couple of weeks after the marathon. I always find it easier to correct minor issues during the regeneration or recovery phase of training.

Splits:
7:29, 7:18, 7:03, 7:08, 6:57, 6:50, 7:03, 6:51, 6:37, 6:26, 6:06, 6:02, 5:56, 6:54 (ran back with Jenna and Meagan last 1200m).

Playing Queen Maker

Time: 68:28
Distance: 10.14 miles

W/u: 23:23 for 3.06 miles
W/o: 5 mile predator rabbit
C/d: 16:28 for 2.07 miles

While some of the Queens team was racing at the Duke Invite, others were at McAlpine for some weekend miles. However, there was a core group of females who would be running a pretty legit workout. Pezz, Tanya, Meagan and Jenna were all gearing up for their respective workouts. Pezz was running a 4 mile predator run, Meagan and Tanya were doing 5 miles and Jenna, who is just getting back the training buzz, was hoping to go 4 miles.

Since this week has been pretty light in terms of total miles, I decided to play Queen Maker by pace setting the ladies. The goal was to start at 6:00 pace and drop down each mile. Tanya had ambitions of running 5:20 for the last mile. Meagan was hoping to hang on to the pace for as long as possible.

It was up to me to keep things controlled early on and gradually increase the effort as smoothly as possible. I've helped out Meagan many times, but wasn't sure how Pezz or Tanya would respond.

Splits:
5:57, 5:47, 5:36, 5:34, 5:37 for 28:37 total and 5.01 miles.

Early on I could tell Meagan was feeling good because she was running up on my shoulder. Over the second mile, I dropped the pace about 10 seconds, which is what the ladies agreed to before the workout. Pezz and Tanya ran with me during mile three and Meagan was a bit off the pace. Tanya's breathing sounded good until about 1.5 miles to go when her recent wheezing troubles started on a much lesser scale.

At four miles, Sean jumped in to help out during the final mile. I dropped off to see how Meagan was doing and was going to run with her to finish out the workout. However, just as I was starting to make my way back she stopped at the start of the Footlocker course (4 miles). I quickly jumped back around and chased down Tanya and Sean. She was running tough, but struggling. Her form slowly started to deteriorate as she arched her back and began to over-stride. Tanya still managed to hang on to the pace and finished well, but still about 100 meters from 5:20 pace.

Meagan's workout wasn't anything special as a week prior she ran faster at the Shamrock 4 Miler. See her recap for more.

I felt fine throughout. Hopefully I helped a bit.

After the Conference Call

Time: 38:58
Distance: 5.30 miles
Pace: 7:20
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Meagan and I drove out to Boyce this morning to meet up with Jenna. I totally forgot that I had a 9:00 am conference call when I agreed to meet at that time. The girls headed off while I paced around the parking lot conducting busy. After a relatively short call I went out to find the ladies. They just happened to be near the pond right when I was approaching so I joined their little group. The pace was slow and comfortable. The weather was excellent. I think spring might be here.

Terre Haute, Terre Haute

Time: 49:55
Distance: 7.07 miles
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There is a little saying they have in Indiana... It goes, Terre Haute, Terre Haute. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Terre Haute!

At least that's what Mr. Nick Neely told us when the Brown XC team ran pre-nats in '04.

Jenna, Meagan and I arrived to the DI course moments before the men's race started. The guys were milling around the start line doing strides and preparing for battle. I don't feel the need to recap the entire race but I will say that Sammy Chelanga is a beast-child. He put on a show and made a mockery of the entire field.

Other points of interest:
Brown XC runner Christian Escareno went out hard and tanked the final 3k.
I saw Christian Tabib.
I exchanged an awkward moment with Craig Lake.
It was good seeing Conor Holt and Camille.
Big ups to OU placing 12th. Before the season they were unranked.
Funny comment of the day to Marty Smith who said "overwhelmed" when asked how the team was doing.

After the race, the three muskateers went for a run and talked about the racing. Meagan stopped short but Jenna and I continued on. We finished with a blistering 6:40 mile.