3, 2, 1... Done

Time: 82:54

Distance: 18.86k

W/u: 26:12 for 5.12k

W/o: 3 miles, 2 miles, 1 mile with 800 recovery

C/d: 13:35 for 2.39k

Like last Saturday, I got to tag along in a workout with Paul, Spada and Meagan. Only Mr. Beigay was missing this week, but that's because he ran The Bear on Thursday evening. The workout was 3 miles, 2 miles, 1 mile starting at about 5:30 pace which was then adjusted according to Paul's coach, Tim Budic. Since I was only tagging along I wasn't concerned with hitting specific splits, I just wanted to provide some company for Paul on these repeats.

The course was pretty simple as we warmed up out to the 3 mile marker at McAlpine. The first repeat would be straight back to Old Bell with 800 jog in between. Fortunately we all came prepared with bottles of water as this was going to be a hot one.

I felt good during the opening 3 mile section as if necessary I could have upped the pace. However, that feeling was short lived as once we stopped to get water and jog I could tell that I was going to be hurting. Knowing that the pace would drop didn't do much to make me feel any better despite the distance getting shorter. I finished the 3 miles feeling hot, but the overheating cues didn't arise until about 12 minutes into the workout. This wasn't the case on the 2 mile interval as 90 seconds in, I felt hot and sticky.

Splits:

3 mile in 16:45 - 3:25, 3:32, 3:30, 3:23, 2:55 (for .83k or 3:31 pace)

(4:29 for .83k)

2 mile in 11:11 - 3:23, 3:26, 3:33, :49 (for .23k or 3:35 pace)
(5:11 for .85k)

1 mile in 5:24 - 3:21, 2.03 (for .61k)

43:07 for 11.35k

Avg - 3:47/k

I tried my best to stay on pace even when Paul dropped back and eventually called the interval at 1.5 miles. I ran to the 2 mile marker knowing the final 2k was just flat out bad. I tried to regroup for a final mile interval and all I could muster was a 5:24. The smoothest part of the workout was when I snatched my Nuun bottle off a ledge with 600 meters to run.

Everyone was feeling the effects of the heat, humidity and dew point today. We were all glad to put in some work and survive.

McMullen Tempo

Time: 79:52

Distance: 19.38k

W/u: 16:19 for 3.31k

W/o: 8 mile tempo between 5:50 and 6:00/mile

C/d: 16:11 for 3.19k

This workout has been blogged about by Meagan and Steve and mentioned on Facebook by Paul and Beigay. I'm just now getting to it because I'm a slacker.

I'm not sure why I felt inclined to jump in this workout because I really just want to be running for the month of July. I guess the thought of putting in solo kilometers along McMullen was too McMahon-esque. I didn't think the pace or the distance was too unreasonable for my current fitness, so in a Boondocks Saint's mixed idiom, I threw caution to the early bird catching the worms.

Meagan and I met Paul, Steve and Mike at McMullen for a light warm up just before a local Team In Training chapter started their run. We all regrouped and kicked off the 8 mile workout that would be out and back right around 7:00 am. I was content to sit toward the back of the group and let Paul and Steve do most of the work. I wanted to keep Meagan in the workout for as long as possible before checking my fitness later on. We stayed together as a group through about the 10k mark when Meagan called it a day (she did run a hard mile to finish up). I rallied from several meters back to catch Paul and Mike who were both having pretty solid runs.

During the 10th kilometer my chest/heart was definitely being tested as I felt some slight discomfort. It eventually subsided and I was able to run the final 2k somewhat more relaxed. In fact, if the pace kicked up a notch the final few minutes, I would have been able to answer the challenge.

Splits: (just for reference 3:45/k is 6:00/mile pace)

3:45, 3:46, 3:43, 3:44, 3:37, 3:44, 3:41,

3:37, 3:37, 3:41, 3:35, 3:34, 3:38 for 47:22 total and 12.88k. 3:40 avg.

The splits aren't anything to brag about, but nice indication of where I'm at. In a few months I hope to run close to that pace on a medium long run done midweek.

Muddy McAlpine

Time: 60:38
Distance: ~8 miles

Early in the afternoon I took a break and met up with some local runners who had MLK Jr. Day off from work. The melted snow has made a mess of the trails at McAlpine and I was none too happy. I'm not sure who said McAlpine was good to run on over the weekend, but it was a little too soft for my liking. I'm still trying to nurse the achilles back to health and while it is really really close to being 100%, I don't need to mess things up by running on a mushy surface.

Meagan, Compton, Ben and I all met up at Old Bell right on time. Somehow Paul Mainwaring and Ben Hovis didn't get the memo and went to Boyce instead. We spotted them further up the course and eventually got to run together and bicker back and forth as to who messed up. I still say they did...

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.

Thunder Road Course Preview

Time: 92:11
Distance: ~13

Last night while supporting Matt in his latest endeavor, Jay Holder told me that a big group was departing from the Dowd YMCA at 7:00 am. I was torn because I also wanted to run with Caitlin's group from McAlpine at 9:00. Why not do both?

I met up with Jay, Paul, Aaron, Billy, Spada, Jason Martin, Leonard Hilliard, B-Mac, Nathan and many more for a tour of the first half of the Thunder Road Marathon course. I had forgotten just how hilly the first part was. Last year I must have blacked out or purposely forgotten the tough parts of the race. The opening 13 miles are definitely rolling with no one section being particularly tough, it's just that very little is flat. It was a great group to run with and the conversations were great. The pace began to pick up around 9 and we held a solid clip until the very end.

Once back at the Dowd I passed out a bunch of Nuun water bottles and some tablets to share. I had a box of 50 bottles in my car that has slowly whittled down to friends and accounts. Today was the day that I gave away the last bottle. Yes! Now I just have to get rid of the other 50 bottle box in my storage unit. Yikes. Who out there likes Nuun?

I stood around for about 5 minutes and then made the decision to hurry over to McAlpine. There was another group to run with...

McAlpine Before NYC Marathon

Time: 97:57
Distance: ~14 miles

Meagan and I were a little late getting out the door this morning as I had to deal with some internet shenanigans. We arrived to Old Bell a few minutes late and just missed the group of Charlotte Running Club members. Instead of playing catch up, we ran comfortably to the Footlocker Course while keeping an eye out for the crew. We spotted them as we approached the hairpin and thought if we excluded the hill we might be able to catch them. However, when we got out to the pond they were nowhere in sight. We finished up the back section of the course and then made a pit-stop at the conveniently located bathrooms near the start of the course.

The Richmond Marathon trio of Jay, Aaron and Paul came trotting our direction so we continued back to Old Bell. It was a good chat about the soon to be run NYC Marathon during the two miles back to the parking lot. I think everyone was looking forward to tracking Spada, watching Geb and seeing how Shalane would do in her debut. I grabbed a quick drink at the lot before heading back out with Meagan for some more miles.

We ran the same loop, but tossed in the hill for good measure. We got back to the parking lot for the second time having run over a minute faster with the added distance. I had planned on running back to the house, but when I realized that the marathon was about to start in 10 minutes I bagged that idea. We hopped in the car and hurried home so that I could pull up all the forums, twitter, and live feeds to enable proper running nerd enthusiasm. I even downloaded an iPhone app that allowed me to track the top runners in real time. Somehow my former teammate at Brown, Nick Neely, made the app which meant I could see how much distance he had remaining and could calculate pace. It would have cost me $3.99 to track Spada so unfortunately he didn't make the cut.

Here is a short list of how those I know did at NYC:
Mark Olivier - 2:28:55 (Ran at Columbia)
Kim Smith - 2:29:28 (NZ legend and friend)
Nick Neely - 2:30:46 (Former college teammate)
Alissa McKaig - 2:37:29 (Runs at Zap)
Janeatte Faber - 2:39:41 (Married to volunteer coach when at Brown)
Sally Meyerhoff - 2:41:00 (Sister visited Queens last winter)
Jonathon Pillow - 2:42:43 (Used to race Jonathon in OK)
Stephen Spada - 2:48:17 (Representing the CRC)
Alexandra Brown - 3:04:39 (Ran at Brown)
Val Matena - 3:09:45 (Used to live in Clt)

Congrats to all those who ran. Sorry not to mention others. Good effort by Meb and Ritz. Sorry to see Geb go.

LungStrong 15k Recap

Time: 93:09
Distance: ~14.5 miles

W/u: 22:26 for ~2.5 miles
Race: 48:49 for 15k
C/d: 21:54 for ~2.5 miles

I wouldn't have believed running sub-49 minutes would have gotten me rolled by over a minute, but Ryan Bender took it to me for the second time at a distance over 10k. I do think I was working under a bit of a handicap having just returned from Japan, but to see Bender press the last 5k was impressive.

Last night I didn't sleep much having gone to bed around 11:30 pm not feeling tired and waking up at 2:15 am even more alert. I couldn't fall back into a slumber so I got up and satiated my hunger. I was starving and put down crackers, cheese, my leftover pasta, trail mix and some water. I still couldn't sleep so I pulled out my mini laptop and watched the 2010 Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 20km Qualifying Road Race. During the video race coverage I followed Brett Larner's twitter feed that explained what was going on in English. To put things in perspective of how I was to race later in the day, the leaders went through 15k of their race in 43:30 and the chase pack was just over 45 minutes. The guys who split just under 49 minutes would go on to place 250th or above. Yikes! I realized what I was watching was a group of legit athletes running desperately to qualify their university for the biggest race in Japan. It was great fun, I just wish it wasn't at 3:30 am.

I tried to catch some sleep after the race, but still wasn't able to do so. I headed up to Cornelius around 6:00 am and got myself situated for the Lungstrong 15k. I felt a little sluggish on the warm up and was starting to get a little sleepy. I combated this with a bit of coffee and geared up to run hard. My goal was to run between 5:10s and 5:15s as comfortably as possible. If I felt good once finish, I considered doing a second loop as a long tempo.

When we were lining up for the race I noticed Bender was in the field and figured he was fit. I've only raced him twice in the past and he seems to only show up when he's ready to hit it hard. Hit it hard we did as our opening mile was sub-5. I was content to let him control the pace and in the second mile he managed to gap me by a few strides. I maintained my race target splits for the first three miles and let Bender do his own thing up ahead hoping he would come back around 10k.

I kept clicking off respectable splits through 6 miles, but Ryan was still hammering away 50-70 meters ahead. The gap never closed and he never tired. By 7 miles I was starting to slow and my 8th mile was terrible. Aerobically I felt very comfortable, but the legs just didn't have the strength in them. On the rolling hills I struggled to climb with any sort of efficiency.

Splits:
4:58, 5:08, 5:08, 5:13, 5:16, 5:16 (31:00 at 6 miles), 5:20, 5:31, 5:20, 1:44 for 48:56 according to my watch. ~5:15 average

Post race I was not in a place to run the course again as a tempo. My stomach was feeling the 3:00 am snack and I was lucky to shuffle a few miles with Compton who closed really well the final 5k. Rocky Falcone and Paul Mainwaring also had good days on the course that everyone seem to measure a little long.

The Grand Prix Series has come to a close which is a bit of a relief. It's difficult to race 10 times consistently and still fit in workouts, other races and work. The series is great, but I'll have to reevaluate it's benefits next year before signing on. I am both happy and surprised that I was able to race all 10. I would have put money down in March that I would have missed at least one to travel, injury or illness. Further, the longer race today gives me the motivation to really put in the miles this fall. My body feels healthy and I'm ready to start logging bigger mileage in preparation for racing 10k and above. Seeing and hearing how the Japanese train has me almost convinced that it's necessary to run above 170k per week.

After the race I drove to Birkdale Village where I was able to visit Fleet Feet Huntersville and have lunch at Red Rocks Cafe. I was starting to feel really tired by the time lunch came so my social mood was not the best. It was a good group of Charlotte Running Club members in attendance including Allen Strickland, Scott Helms, Compton, Jay Holder, Paul, and more.

Accurate Long Run?

Time: 105:45
Distance: 14.01
Pace: 7:33
Map

After a really fun evening at Jay's house last night a good sized group of Charlotte Running Club members were out for some long easy miles. I got to the parking lot a few minutes late and guess correctly on where to find the group. I wasn't really tired or sore from yesterday's racing, but didn't have much direction on how much to run. I jogged along chatting with Aaron at the back of the pack for the first 20 or 30 minutes. I was content to sit back while the Hoviseseses (Hovii?) ran with some others up front. When the group started breaking off I found myself with Jay and Paul who were both running really long.

There wasn't too much to report from the run this morning other than the presence of Ms. Meagan Nedlo who is back from her first week of work. She's been up in Beverly and Boston, MA to be trained on Craft and Karhu. She also flew to Atlanta to help Fleet Feet John's Creek with packet pickup for the 13.1 Atlanta race. The best part was her foot being pain free for 4 miles for the first time in a month.

PDS Track Workout

Time: 82:33
Distance: 10.88 miles

W/u: 23:33 for 3.00 miles
W/o: 4 sets of - 600 in 1:48, (90 sec), 400 in 65, (60 sec), 200 in 31 (3 mins between sets)
C/d: 26:49 for 3.02 miles

I learned that Billy, Brian, Spada, Paul and Jay were going to be running a workout on the PDS track this morning early. The plan was to start things off at 6:00 am. I didn't have a workout that was similar to theirs, but having company on the oval is always nice. Paul, Spada, Brian and Jay were doing 1 x 2 miles, 2 x 1 mile, 4 x 400 meters. Billy was jumping in the working during the mile repeats and doing the rest.

This morning's temps were a lot cooler than last Friday, at least a lot less humid. There was almost a slight chill in the air when I started my warm up. The purpose of the workout was to run fast and relaxed with a short jog recovery. After the 600m I would jog 200m and stand around. After the 400m I would try to time my 200m recovery to be exactly 1 minute and roll into the 200m. I took a full 400m recovery between sets and would stand around for about a minute before running hard again.

Splits:
1:48.78 (90), 65.15 (61), 30.36 (3:01) - I couldn't see my watch that well and just ran off feel
1:47.78 (90), 64.43 (63), 30.47 (3:01) - Body was getting used to the splits and felt recovered at the end of the rest
1:47.80 (91), 63.60 (60), 32.00 (3:00) - Not sure what happened during the 200
1:46.10 (65), 61.95 (59), 29.41 - Took shorter rest after the 600m to chase down the group on my 400m
32:11 total for 4.86 miles

I'm pleased with the splits and how I felt. It wasn't too taxing of a workout to be honest. The 600m was about 5k pace, the 400m about mile pace and the 200m were glorified strides. On the final set it just worked out to where the group and I were going to start at about the same time. I figured they were running between 66 and 72 seconds so I gave them a bit of a head start and cut my rest short. I caught the back of the pack along the backstretch and worked my way up. Down the homestretch I reeled in Brian and Billy but couldn't track down Paul. The 61.95 split was exciting to see.

The cool down was just as interesting as the workout today. Paul, Billy, Jay and I ran down Sardis toward Paul's house for about 1.5 miles. Jay and I turned back to get in a solid 3 mile post-workout shakeout. Our pace was hovering around 8:30-9:00 and a pile of garbage bags filled with grass clippings laid in the middle of the sidewalk. Somehow Jay managed to catch his foot on one of the bags and was slammed to the ground. It wasn't pretty. He jumped up and asked how bad it was. All I could say was that I'm sure showering was going to sting a bit. We were still 800m from the cars and Jay's wounds only got redder. Good thing he's going to the Bahamas on Friday because I hear the piranhas are huge down there. Lauren will certainly be safe swimming with him this vacation.

Marathon Training for the 5k?

Time: 115:01
Distance: 16.42

W/u: 20:07 for 2.50 miles
W/o: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, minutes at 5:00 pace. Switch to 4:50 pace on second 5 min. Rest?
Actual: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 mins. All at 5:00 pace. Rest varied between 200m and 500m
C/d: 22:27 for 2.40 miles

I somehow got talked into meeting up with Paul, Spada, Billy and Brian at PDS this morning. I loved the company but the hour was atrocious. We started our respective workouts at 6:00 am. We were running hard on the track at 6:00 am. That means my warm up started around 5:30 am which means I got out of be at 4:30 am. Why did I agree to this again?

I warmed up from Providence Day School down Sardis where I ran into Paul Mainwaring. We ran back to the track together and found the rest of the crew doing strides on the track. It was still dark when I changed into my racing flats and made one last check on my phone to make sure I had the workout correct.

Paul and Spada were doing 8 x 400 meters with 200 walk recovery in order to get some turnover work. Brian and Bill were running 12 x 400 meters with 200 jog recovery. My hope was to latch on to either group during my session of varying minutes.

Splits:
3:03.51 for .62 miles - I almost ran 1,000 meters to start off a little fast
(1:23 for .13 miles) - I jogged back over to the start line
4:03.07 for .80 miles - I made it just over 3 laps running about 5:00 pace
(1:49 for .19 miles) - Jogged roughly 300m back to the start line
5:03.30 for .99 miles - Ran a full mile but the watch doesn't record so accurately on the turns of the track
(2:27 for .25 miles) - Jogged a full 400 meters nice and slow. Start to add up how much this workout is...
6:02.78 for 1.21 miles - Ran about 100 meters shy of 2,000 meters. Pace is still right on 5:00 pace
(3:26 for .31 miles) - Realize that this will be 46 minutes of hard running
7:01.12 for 1.39 miles - Stayed relax through the mile in 5:03, finished with running about 2,300 meters
(3:57 for .37 miles) - Jogged 600 meters recovery
6:01.10 for 1.19 miles - Ran tough but the pace is starting to get hard to hit
(4:23 for .33 miles) - Had to "lose" some weight in the bushes, jogged about 500 meters recovery
5:02.83 for 1.01 miles - Was supposed to run 4:50 but was locked in to 5:00 pace
(2:56 for .25 miles) - Jogged a full lap recovery
4:01.33 for .80 miles - Made it about 1,300 meters and was through 3 laps in 3:46
(2:30 for .20 miles) - 300 meters recovery, ready to be finished, looking forward to some faster repeats
3:01.80 for .61 miles - About 1,000 meters of hard running, started to get some fluidity back
(1:58 for .14 miles) - About a 200 meter recovery, trying to focus for the final two repeats
2:01.28 for .41 miles - Ran 700 meters going through 400m in 71-72
(1:04 for .08 miles) - Short recovery to start line
1:06.53 for 400 meters - Felt like running a full lap to get a "real" split, happy with the leg speed, glad to be done

From start to finish this workout to 72:27 and I covered roughly 11.52 miles. Of the 72 minutes, 46 of them were run at 5:00 to 5:05 pace or faster. Talk about a long workout. I didn't add up the total time until the recovery laps after the first 5 minutes of hard running. I only then learned that it would be over 9 miles of running at 5:00 pace! I'm glad I didn't know that going into the workout because I would have been intimated.

It was a little depressing to see mid-workout that everyone was getting ready to leave and I was only on the top of the ladder. I had about 90 seconds left of running when I spotted Paul, Billy and Brian walking off to cool down. I still had to come all the way back down from there. I was pleased at how I approached the workout and that not finishing the effort didn't creep into my head.

I would have like to have changed gears on the second 5 minute interval more, but I was just locked into that pace. A lot of the early intervals have me running a few seconds over the prescribed time and that's because I couldn't see my watch. The Garmin's light is difficult to use when it's so humid out and the touch bezel doesn't register all the time.

Very pleased at where this workout puts me. I think I could go out and run a very fast marathon/half-marathon and still have the speed to pull off a fast 5k.

Blue Points 5k Recap

Time: 72:24
Distance: 11.27 miles
Race: 15:18, 1st

W/u: 22:54 for 3.02 miles
Meagan's Workout: 18:55 for 3.14 miles (6:06, 6:15, 5:49)
C/d: 15:17 for 2.01 miles

I thought today might have been the morning for a sub-15 effort, but in the end I came up well short.

My day started off dark and early with a cup of coffee and some internet browsing. I was out the door with Meagan around 6:00 am because I knew parking might be an issue. We found a spot at the Dowd YMCA and walked the half mile to the Bank of America Stadium. There weren't too many people in attendance yet which made registering and picking up my chip pretty easy. Dr. Greenapple has been kind enough to cover my entry fees for the remainder of the Grand Prix Series. He's been a great (Dr. Duffy and Dr. Clay too) contact since moving to Charlotte and really helped Meagan stay healthy this spring during track.

I warmed up a full 3 miles on the race course. I wanted to see just how bad the final mile was going to be. All week I heard about the climb past the Y. Jogging the hill didn't intimidate me too much and given the cooler temps I had thoughts of running fast. The humidity was still off the charts and the oh so lovely dew point hovered in the low 70s.

Race time was a couple of minutes after the wheelchairs and babyjogging crew were released. I was told that Rocky Falcone would be one to go out hard and he didn't disappoint. I was also sizing up a couple of college kids that made an appearance in Charlotte. I was out fast, but Rocky was out even faster. He charged around the first turn and continued to up the pace. I followed about 10 meters behind and didn't completely close the gap until about 800 meters. We ran together to about 1,000-1200 meters and then I gained a bit of an advantage.

I knew the mile split would be quick and saw the clock tick off 4:43 or so. The downhill continued onto Kenilworth and I tried to maintain my momentum. I know the pace slowed going up to Morehead where I finally passed the lead babyjogger. He would definitely give Mike Beigay a run for his money as he finished in 17:45. I didn't catch the lead wheelchair until just before the two mile mark which I crossed in 9:40-9:41 (4:58 split). He also came back on me just before the final climb up to the Dowd YMCA.

After hitting the split for two miles I was still convinced I could go under 15:00. With a good final mile I'd have things locked up. Wrong. I started to struggle about a quarter mile beyond McDowell. I had a bad 3 minute stretch of running. It wasn't really a loss of focus, but a loss of strength. I just couldn't power my way up the hill and maintain pace. I took a good long look back about 50 meters from the top of the hill and could see the neon green singlet of Matthew Elliot (Winthrop grad with 3:43 1500m credentials). I felt the crosshairs on my back and I knew that the downhill needed to be quick.

Cresting the hill I tried to get a response out of the legs but they were slow to react. I never really got rolling on the descent and crossed 3 miles in 14:43 (5:02 split). I had little motivation to sprint to the line since I looked over my should and saw things were locked up. I brought things home in 15:18 which means my final 200m was a dismal 35 seconds. I think Meagan closed faster than me.

I was pleased to get the win and a little disappointed I couldn't sniff 15:00 today. After the race Meagan had to run another loop as part of a workout. I tagged along and dragged her through the course. Our splits were 6:06 (weaved through finish line traffic), 6:15 and 5:49 (as fast as Meagan's final mile split during the race).

The prizes were decent as I received a signed Panthers mini-helmet. I can't really read the signature but I think it's Matt Moore's. If the Panthers do well this year that thing is going up on E-bay. I also received some sort of bag that Leonard Hilliard joked with me about wanting a prize. I politely passed along the bag and hope it's used well by him.

There were good performances turned in by Jay Holder, Alice Rogers, Paul Mainwaring and Mr. Spada. Big congrats to Billy Shue who cracked 17-flat for the first time ever.

My cool down didn't occur until much later as I couldn't find a ride back home so I walked about a mile over to Inside-Out Sports and stashed my bag. I then ran two miles to Run For Your Life where I waited for Meagan to arrive so that I could drive the rest of the way home.

McAlpine Recovery Run

Time: 82:28
Distance: 10.75 miles
Pace: 7:40
Map

I was dragged out of bed to Meagan singing the 98.9 morning wake up song. If you want to hear it, tune in around 5:50 am and listen to what I'm talking about. I'm not going to try and "sing" it via my blog. Anyway, despite not getting enough sleep last night I was feeling decent running with Aaron and Paul this morning. We jogged around for about 9 miles together while Meagan and Pezz did their workout. I managed to log just under 11 miles for the morning at a slow pace to allow the legs to recover some.

Booty Loop Workout

Time: 79:54
Distance: 11.54 miles

W/u: 24:09 for 2.98 miles
W/o: 2 x 3 miles at Caitlin's pace w/ 4 mins rest
C/d: 19:12 for 2.56 miles

Scott Schilter and I had to be in Greensboro for an appointment with Omega at 10 which meant fitting in a run had to be early. Meagan and I were out the door at 5:40 am on our warm up to the tennis courts of Freedom Park. We were meeting Caitlin, Justin, Mike Beigay, Brian McMahon, Paul and Lat Purser for some Booty loops. It was one of Caitlin's first marathon specific workouts and it called for 3 x 3 miles at 6:20 pace. It turns out that my schedule said 10 miles steady with some hill sprints. I failed to look at the schedule prior to running as I was just happy to be out the door. I ended up doing the first two sets of Caitlin's workout with Meagan and the others mentioned.

Splits:
6:14, 6:13, 6:03 for 18:30
(4 mins)
6:03, 6:07, 5:53 for 18:03

I was thoroughly impressed with Caitlin's workout given the hour, the effort and the placement in her training cycle. She nailed the splits and truly crushed the goal pace. It was also great having the group atmosphere with some pretty solid runners pounding the pavement. I was given the duty of leading the second set which is why the pace was a bit quick. The course we ran started uphill, leveled off and then ended with a long downhill. I have only run 3 x 3 miles once before and it didn't turn out so well. I wanted to stick around for the final 3 miles, but Meagan reminded me that I had to be at Scott's hotel at 8 am and it was already 7:00. I opted to return back home so that we would get a late start to the day.

The Nuun showing to Omega went well. Really well.

Reliving the Thunder Road Marathon

Time: 110:56
Distance: 17.01
Pace: 6:31
Map

I met up with a great crew this morning for a long run through the streets of Charlotte. The CRC die hards were at the Dowd YMCA about 7:30 am for a run over the second half of the Thunder Road Course. I started near the back of the pack, but was able to catch the likes of Caitlin, Meagan, Paul, Billy, Aaron, Justin and others by the 10 minute mark. I really don't know the course that well despite having run the TRM course. The second half of the race last December was a bit of a blur and I had the luxury of following the lead vehicle.

Today the pace was comfortable early on and I had second thoughts about doing the second half quicker. My coach, Jeff, had me down for running the second half of a 14 miler in under 5:30 pace. I just didn't think the legs were going to move that quick this morning. I was content to run with the group for about 6 miles and then I hit the front to see if I could wake myself up. I couldn't manage much better than 6:30s as the run took me to NoDa. I decided to back off and run with the group some more as it started to string out. Justin was game to push things along with Billy, Chris (from TrySports), and Paul. Around 11 miles Aaron came screaming up The Plaza and I think he said he dropped a 5:26 mile to do so.

I finally started feeling good around 12 miles and Chris was right on my shoulder. I picked up the pace going up McDowell and he tagged along. It wasn't until crossing Morehead that he fell off or decided to loop back for the others. I found myself on a tempo loop that I used this winter. It's hilly but a useful route and it allowed me to focus on running two rounds versus the 4 miles I had to complete. See the splits for how I finished up.

Splits:
7:58, 7:15, 7:09, 6:54, 6:51, 6:42, 6:36, 6:41,
6:43, 6:31, 6:12, 5:52, 5:45, 5:42, 5:28, 5:25, 7:05

I didn't average under 5:30 for the last half, however the effort was there.

The morning got even better when I showed up to Caitlin's and she was busy cooking a pancake feast. We had blueberry and chocolate chip options. John also splurged and bought a $10 bottle of syrup, but decided to return it. Damn that Trader Joe.

AG Track 3 Hundos and Captain's Time Trial

Time: 49:23
Distance: 7.11 miles

W/u: 16:50 for 2.04 miles
W/o: 12 x 300m w/ 100m jog. 300s in 54 sec, 100s in 30s
C/d: 16:43 for 2.07 miles

This afternoon I got an email from the Captain who was looking to take to the track for his bi-weekly 400m throw down. He knows that I sometimes workout at the AG track on the evenings at the end of the week and it just so happened that I was planning on doing some 300s. Over on Tim Budic's blog, there is a running list of a 400m challenge that Paul is trying to inch up. I believe this was Paul's third attempt at the distance and first time running the 400m effort in the afternoon. I can't imagine trying to hammer a 400m time trial at 5:30 in the morning like Paul has been doing. It's also no wonder that he had not managed to break 60 seconds.

We met up in the parking lot and went on a short warm up around the island that is Alexander Graham Middle School, Selwyn Elementary and Myers Park High School. It was pretty warm out and we didn't need much time on the feet to get ready for our respective workouts. Once we got back to the track, I prepped my legs for my workout while Paul ran a few strides. I had run a big long in the morning and I wasn't sure how the body was going to respond to the speed. On paper, the workout shouldn't be that tough with the goal being 54 seconds (~4:50 pace). It's the 100m brisk jog in 30 seconds that takes its toll later in the laps. I used to get crushed by Owen Washburn (I'd link to his blog if it were still legit) who was an absolute stud at this specific workout. I remember hearing how he once took it to Leo Manzano on a workout similar down in Texas. It wasn't that Owen would crush you on the 300s, rather he would press the pace on the recovery so that you were only getting 22-25 seconds rest each lap. Today's goal was to just run fast and comfortable with some pace changes, nothing too taxing. If done correctly I would run 3 miles in 16:48.

First up was Captain who got off the line well and pressed down the backstretch. Before his time trial I told him about Michael Johnson's 4 P's of the 400. Each 100m he would focus on these four concepts: power, pace, position, pray. It didn't look like Captain was praying the last 100m, but he was fighting to the line and clicked the watch to see a "5" for the first time in a few years. He had cracked a minute and I would refer you back to the 400m challenge link to see the official time.

I was up next and prepared to hit my splits. As I mentioned during the warm up, it was pretty hot, but luckily I would be getting a bit of a break after less than a minute of hard running. I kept clicking off my splits and running the 100m section faster than necessary. I was recovery in 25-27 seconds and just kept the 3 miles constant. I started with 100m easy so that my last 300m would be the end of the day.

Splits:
(23.60), 51.56, (26.61), 53.67, (26.42), 53.77, (26.93), 52.17,
(26.40), 53.48, (27.62), 53.33, (25.97), 52.93, (26.07), 52.75,
(27.10), 53.23, (27.39), 53.84, (26.62), 53.73, (26.32), 45.91 for 15:47 total and 3 miles

I was very pleased when going back through my splits. I managed to average right around 5:15 pace for the 3 miles. How many of us in Charlotte could run 3 miles in under 16:00 without the pace change? Maybe I'll race the next 5k in such a way. I finished up with two more miles around the tri school island and called it a day.

Feeling Miserable

Time: 90:01
Distance: 11.61 miles
Pace: 7:45
Map

I'm not sure why I agreed to it, but I did. I was up at 5 am and out the door 40 minutes later with Meagan in order to run at McAlpine. Meagan, Caitlin, Billy, Spada, Thomas and Justin were all doing a workout on the last mile of the Footlocker Course. I was just getting in some miles since I worked out last night. My calves were pretty sore from being on the track and up on the toes. I was content to run with Paul as the big group did 6 x 1200m.

I never felt good on the run despite the great conversation with Paul about the World Cup. We are both excited to watch the final match this Sunday. I ran farther than I should have because when I got back to the Old Bell parking lot and sent Paul on his way home, I realized that I couldn't get into Meagan's car. I opted to turn back and find the workout crew which meant more shuffling. I was glad to get in the miles, but wish it felt better.

Saturday Long Run & A Day of Sport

Time: 122:43
Distance: 17.23 miles
Pace: 7:07
Map

I was invited to run out at McAlpine with a group of Charlotte Running Club members. Originally I had planned to start from the Old Bell entrance, but as I was driving over I made a last minute decision to start at the Main entrance. I try to avoid the Main parking lot as much as possible since Meagan's car was broken into this winter.

When I arrived I was delighted to see about a dozen other cars, half of which belonged to the CRC group. Caitlin was leading this excursion as part of her marathon training program. I was content to sit well off the back of the pack for the first mile simply allowing the bod to warm up. The 6:30 am start time is much earlier than I'm used to and I had to start with a shuffle. Ten minutes into the run I was happy to join the group up front that contained Paul, Spada, Compton, Beigay and a couple others. It was great fun chatting with Spada about track legends like Daniel Komen, Noah Ngeny, El G and Bob Kennedy.

Later in the run Beigay took us on some single track near the Boyce parking lot that I didn't know existed. The trail might have lasted for 1k, but it was cool while it lasted. When we hit the start of the Footlocker course around 11 miles a few people called it quits while the rest of us ventured on. We spotted a fit looking old dude named Tom that Spada knew and tried to close the gap over several miles. The pace kept getting quicker until we took a left and he went right. With about 5 miles to run the pace had dipped into the mid-6:30s and Ms. Chrisman was pushing the effort. I started feeling really smooth just before heading up the hill and decided to open things up. I split 6:10, 5:52 and 5:43 for the final miles. It was a good way to close out the run.

Splits:
8:04, 7:11, 7:33, 7:37, 7:43, 7:18, 7:12, 8:27, 7:45, 7:05, 7:05, 6:59, 6:49, 6:39, 6:10, 5:52, 5:43

Afterward, a group of us decided to have brunch at Zada Jane's which is always a treat. However, it couldn't compare to the rest of my day that included watching Germany blow out Argentina, the Prologue of Le Tour, Spain inch past Paraguay and finally the Pre Classic. It was a great day for sport! The coverage of the Pre Classic was miserable at best because the commentators didn't tell a story and missed the real highlights of the day which had Phoebe Wright running 1:58 and Andrew Wheating dropping a 3:51 mile. Ryan Fenton of Flotrack has a pretty good rant about NBC's shit coverage of the meet.

The day only continued to get better over at Nick and Jenn Frank's house where they had a cookout celebrating the construction of their deck. Meagan and I got to hang out with some pretty cool people who are some of Charlotte's most committed runners and triathletes.

Long Run Before Soccer

Time: 100:22
Distance: 14.03 miles
Pace: 7:09
Map

Meagan and I met up with Paul and Billy out at the Old Bell parking lot of McAlpine. The long run this morning was fun, but it was definitely overshadowed by the World Cup match between England and Germany.

Our run took us on all the familiar paths of McAlpine. Nothing too eventful happened while we were out there. It was sticky during the entire effort which made the thought of watching the WC and eating a proper English breakfast that much better. I was pretty keen to finish out my last 4 miles a bit quicker after dropping off Paul, Meagan and Billy at the parking lot. I cut the pace down a little and soon found myself paying the price with the increased heat.

The game was a fun one, though England didn't really show up. It was great watching with the three others on the run plus Jay, Aaron, Lauren and the rest of Paul's family.

Run splits:
7:57, 7:34, 7:27, 7:24, 7:35, 7:19, 7:30, 7:23, 7:11, 7:03, 6:31, 6:27, 6:21, 6:23

King Maker

Time: 34:54
Distance: 5.00 miles

W/u: 15:36 for 2.13 miles
Pace: 1200m in 3:30
C/d: 15:49 for 2.11 miles

Tonight I wanted to get in some extra miles and decided to head over to the CTCC Track Summer Series at Myers Park HS. I knew that Paul was running the mile and hoped to see a good performance. Meagan and I were watching the participants line up and we didn't spot anyone that looked like they could push Paul to his goal of 4:40. At the very last minute, I opted to jump in to play King Maker. He was looking for 70s, so I took him through 400m in 70, 800m in 2:20 and 1200m in 3:30. I felt great up front controlling the pace and giving a few words of encouragement. I considered taking Paul even farther, but figured he should have to do some work. I pull out to lane 3 just after the third lap and shut things down. The final lap was strong and he managed to cross the line in 4:37 to accomplish his goal for the night. I was happy to help out.