RaceFest Recap

Time: 69:48
Distance: ~11.7 miles
Race: 33:59 for 1st

W/u: 21:46 for ~2.5 miles
C/d: 24:03 for ~3 miles

Meagan has a nice recap of the morning activities before heading to the South Park Mall for the race. We found a choice parking spot in the Rotunda lot and were half worried about being towed but figured getting the tow truck through the crowds would be a huge effort. I dared the facility to take my ride.

About 4 minutes into starting our warm up we spotted John Compton who was doing the same. We put in just under 20 minutes together prior to the race. I kept an eye out for other guys who would be near the front of the race, it's something that all road whores do.

I came to the starting line about 10 minutes prior to the gun going off and joked around with one of the race timers. Dr. Duffy and Dr. Greenapple were on hand taking pictures of the starting line. I gave Greenapple my toothpaste colored waterproof Gore jacket to cover up his Craft jacket (take that Meagan)! The field was split by a median with the half-marathoners on the right and 10kers on the left. Aaron Linz lined up to my left, another decent looking kid stood to his left, Meagan, Alice and Rebecca stood behind me. I had felt pretty sluggish on the warm up but seeing all the runners and spectators near the start brought some life back into my legs.

When the gun went off I settled in behind Aaron, John and a mix of 10kers and half-marathoners. I wasn't look to force the pace and knew the guy who had a 20 meter lead wasn't running the 10k. I felt relaxed on the fast downhill opening mile and wondered what the first split would be. The clock read 5:06 but my watch was 5 seconds back. That's the fastest mile I've run in weeks and would be of the day. During the second mile I found myself in the front of the chase pack that included John, Aaron, and the half-marathoner who would go on to place second. I didn't want to be near the front so I quickly dropped back and let the others do the work. Aaron started to fall off around the 10 minute mark which had me glancing over my shoulder several times.

Miles two and three are mostly uphill and the splits showed it. I was content to lead the 10k and watch John bridge the gap up to the leader who he quickly overtook. During the third mile I made a solid push to try and catch John before the split but could only get to within a couple seconds. At every turn I would I look over my should to see who was chasing. Dean Otto was at the 3.5 mile mark cheering for the runners with a big cup of coffee in hand. At some point around the 20 minute mark it started raining again but I was unconcerned. I went through 4 miles running over 5:30s and feeling comfortable. Aaron yelled that he was coming for me just beyond 4 miles but by that point I had about a 20 second lead. It was going to be difficult for him to make up that deficit in 2 miles the last of which is mostly uphill.

I felt strong the final two miles but knew I wasn't running a particularly fast time. My goal was just to make it to the finish line to collect some dough. I missed the 6 mile mark as it was on the other side of the road.

Splits:
5:11, 5:34, 5:36, 5:32, 5:21, 6:44 (1.2 miles) for 33:59 total.

After the race I cooled down with Meagan and Brian Pratt who finished third overall. Meagan and I swept the 10k each winning a cool New Balance jacket that we can't wear and some cash. During the cool down we looped back in time to see John take the half-marathon title. Scott Dvorak put on a great race and handled the weather challenges well. I'm content with the effort but know that I have a lot of work to do before my next big race at the Capital City Classic 10k otherwise I'll get my doors blown off. I'll need to run at least 2 minutes faster in order to finish with my head held high. The real work begins next week.

Dowd YMCA 5k Recap

Time: 103:19
Distance: ~13.1 miles

W/u: 17:05 for ~2 miles
5k Race: 15:26 for 1st
C/d I: 22:19 for ~2 miles
C/d II: 25:10 for ~3 miles
C/d III: 23:19 for ~3 miles

Cold morning here in Charlotte. The temps had to be in the upper 30s when I arrived to the Dowd YMCA for Let Me Run's graduation race. My group of little guys would be competed in their big 5k and I hoped the best for all of them. I hadn't plan to race hard early in the week, but then my co-coach Melissa Bell told me the guys wanted to see me crush it. I came up with a race plan of going out hard for 10 minutes, relaxing for 3 and running hard again for the final 2 mins.

I showed up to the YMCA and there was a little confusion with my entry in the race. We got things worked out and I had an abbreviated warm up around the neighborhoods that he course would be run. I felt better this weekend than I did a couple of weeks ago when I raced twice in one morning. The triple digit mile weeks now feel like a relatively normal occurrence.

I lined up at the front of the race with Let Me Run kids asking me how fast I can run a mile. I diverted their questions to the New Balance rep Mike Moran who has run a 3:43 1500m. He was in attendance as his brand sponsored the race and was giving out shoes for the victory. He wondered why I came to this relatively small race and asked if I was running hard. I told him it was for the little fellas all around.

I shot off the line pretty hard and made the turn onto Morehead well in the lead. I wanted to fly the first mile and felt good racing down the hill. I looked at my watch around the 4:22 mark, but couldn't see a mile marker. I kept pressing and eventually rounded a turn just after the 5:03 mark which is when I realized there wasn't a mile marker or clock so I was just going to have to keep pressing. I struggled for a few blocks heading into Dilworth but tried to keep my foot on the gas. I crossed two miles in 9:47 which was well short of where I wanted to be, but I was fine with it. My lead was substantial and I soon relaxed both physically off the pace and mentally for 3 minutes. It was nice that during those relaxed minutes I crested a hill and it was time to press again for the remaining downhill. I took off just as I hit the final turn and tried to catch the lead bike and police car. The final 400m was all slightly uphill and I crossed the line just under 15:30 to win by over 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

I needed to get warm so I ran to my jacket and then headed back out on the course to shuttle in all the Park Road Montessori Let Me Run guys. First up was Jay who raced to the line in a new PR of 23:15. He was soon followed by triple-C: Craig, Clay and Colin. The others ran strong to the finish with big sprints at the end. The best moment came when Adam came shuffling toward the finish line and all the boys from my group started cheering his name. They even ran out onto the course and helped him the final 100m which got Adam sprinting all the way in. It was fun seeing their enthusiasm and hard work pay off on race day.

All of the jogging back and forth with the guys served as my first cool down. I got in a second one with Mike who was a little bummed with his 18:27, but he still took 3rd. Then I got in a third cool down with Billy and Bjorn because we were all cold after waiting around for the awards. It should be mentioned that Billy ran a great race to place 2nd overall in the Dowd Half-Marathon in a time of 76:08.

I'm pleased with my race considering the miles and lack of workouts. However, today was more about the LMR guys and making the event fun for them. I was glad to run hard and actually show them a good effort. At practice I just shuffle around giving encouragement on tired legs. It was great chatting with other coaches and parents whose children had a fun experience with the best sport in the world.

Splits:
9:47 (2 miles), 5:03 (14:50 at 3 miles), 35.5 for 15:26 finish time.

Park Road Montessori LMR. L-->R: Colin, Garret, Najee, Adam, Zac, Jay, Craig, Ezra, Clay
Who's the creepy dude in the back? (photo courtesy of Laura Meier)

Hit the Brixx Recap

Time: 97:19
Distance: 16:16
10k Place: 1st, 32:55
5k Place: 1st, 15:51

W/u: 26:12 for 3.82 miles
Race: 10k
C/d: 22:21 for 3.04
Race: 5k

I had little interest in pushing the pace this morning and testing my fitness. Instead I wanted to see where my overall endurance and stomach strength was at with some thoughts of running a fall marathon (more on that maybe later). Last week I was texting with my good buddy Pat Tarpy who ran a 12 mile warm up, 10k race and 2 mile cool down. He said it was a good workout and the beer garden forced him to take a few extra minutes in the parking lot so he could make it home safely. I wanted to mimic his effort a bit in all regards, but didn't show up to the race early enough. Cory and I parked at Caitlin's house thinking it was closer than the half mile walk to the start line. When I had all my stuff, I only had enough time to put in just over 25 minutes. I did, however, run a bit harder on the warm up than I normally do.

I changed shoes and headed over to the start line, ignoring the need to do strides or stretch. I wanted to run in a group setting today and see how I felt with bodies around. Paul, Jay, BMac, Chris and some dude (Brett) and I all ran together through the first mile in about 5:15. The opening mile is mostly downhill so it felt like we were crawling. I loved it. I wanted to keep the group together but someone (ahem, ahem, Chris) pushed the pace. Pay no mind that he wasn't registered or really racing. Brett, Chris and I ran through the second mile and were working together nicely.

Around 11 minutes Chris backed off and it was up to Brett and I to shadowbox the rest of the race. I had him do some of the work up front, but there weren't any big challenges be thrown in. I didn't feel great just after the 5k mark and started having doubts about myself and just a few minutes later I could tell Brett was tiring. I think he was just off the pace at 4 miles and then I started going to work. I tried to stretch the lead over the next 5 minutes of running, putting in little surges to get away on the downhills. I wanted to build up a lead so I wouldn't have to race the final hill back to the finish.

I was pleased with my mile from 5 to 6 that clocked 5:18. I expected to see something closer to 5:25 so to run that pace as comfortable as I was means something. I brought the 10k title home in a few tics under 33 minutes despite the clocking reading 33+.

10k Splits:
5:15, 5:20 (10:35), 5:14 (15:50), 5:21 (21:11), 5:14 (26:26), 5:18 (31:44), 1:11 for 32:55 total.

After the race I grabbed my water and ran three miles through Uptown. There was some other event going on that looked very similar to a race but clearly wasn't. The music was pumping, people were dancing while wearing brightly colored shirts that certainly supported some cause. I never did find out what it was before I looped back despite trying. I probably should have asked someone.

I took a CarbBOOM! about 20 minutes out from the 5k and rested for a couple of minutes. My goal in the 5k was to run with the leaders for as long as possible and see what happens.

The race was taken out really hard by some high school kid through the opening 800m. He raced down the hill like it were a mile race. Brad Orr who ran at Winthrop was in pursuit with me a few strides back. We split the mile much faster than I was expecting to need to run. I kept chasing Brad about 10 meters behind and just wanted to keep contact. Around 8 minutes into the race, I was right off his shoulder and a minute later I was pulling away. Like in the 10k, I pressed the effort before the hill so I wouldn't have to race up it stride for stride with someone else.

I crested the top, took a peak behind and saw the win was mine. I brought things home strong for a time under 16 minutes.

Splits:
4:53, 5:11 (10:05), 5:15 (15:20), :32 for 15:52 total.

I didn't cool down after the 5k and instead accepted my 10k award which was a gift certificate and mini beer pitcher (oxymoron?). I had the "beer maid" fill me up with the Blonde stuff and my party was started early.

So what does this mean for later in the fall? For starters, 33 minutes for 10k extrapolated out over the marathon distance is about 2:19. Could I run 33 minute, 16:30, 5:18 pace for 26.2 miles. Probably not. Definitely not. At least right now. However, I will say that I felt relaxed running that effort in the 10k and almost felt even better running harder in the 5k. I know utilizing fuel over the marathon distance is an integral part of racing well and I think my body is able to burn calories efficiently. Despite not being in a marathon specific training phase, I think with 6 weeks of more specific training and race, I would be able to run a time I could be proud of.

Now the question is why? Why run a marathon that I haven't trained for specifically and where. I'll answer why with the fact that I'm healthy and have put together several months of solid training. I've put in two big marathon cycles before and got injured both times forcing me to reschedule the race. Where is another good question. I don't know if OBX is too early, I'm not sure about traveling to Philly after The Running Event and Karhu North America sales meeting and I don't think there is much of an incentive to run the Thunder Road Marathon again. However, the pros of each are: money at OBX, friends at Philly, and staying local for Thunder Road.

Another Quick Update

I'm not injured and I'm not dead, but I am lazy and have been busy. I don't mind saying that I'm lazy, but I hate when I hear that people are "busy." It's all relative and in reality nobody is really ever that busy. Just to give you an idea of my travel in the last couple of weeks I've done some awesome runs, met even better people and been a part of several cool events. I've been able to recap my trip up to DC and the Carolina Cup. I'm in the process of recapping my trip out to California and I need to write about my trip up to Providence. And, I need to write about my week's travel the week of Hit the Brixx. Since returning from Providence check out this little map...


View Larger Map

So that has kept me on the road with some great store visits, new runs and fun times. I hope to have a marathon posting session sometime this weekend that will bring me current. Oh yea, I'm going back to Japan...

Freedom Park Miles

Time: 36:39
Distance: 5.31 miles
Pace: 6:54
Map

The body started off the month feeling a little tired. Charlotte is experiencing a bit of another heat spell with temperatures back up in the 90s. I definitely have to consider that in the last two weeks I've run over 200 miles as I went 107 and 94 mpw. In fact if you were to go back the last three months you would see weeks of (recent to week ending June 6th): 94, 107, 55, 93, 96, 80, 87, 88, 85, 91, 79, 92, 82. That's probably one of the best 13 week stretches that I've ever had. Averaging 86 miles per week for the last 13 weeks has left me a little fatigued during the summer months. I shouldn't be complaining though because my buddy Jerry's Kids out in Oklahoma has been running in the 110-120 range in his lead up to the Chicago Marathon.

I am going to workout this evening, but I'm needing a bit of extra coffee and motivation to do so. I put in an easy 5 miles this morning in order to see what the body was telling me.

Greek Fest Recap

Total Time: 67:29
Distance: 9.29 miles
Race: 15:20, 1st

W/u: 26:23 for 3.11 miles
C/d: 25:46 for 3.08 miles

I'm not sure what happened out there today. It certainly wasn't the race performance that I was hoping for. I had contacted some of the areas faster runners asking if they would be around for the race and neither Ryan Woods or Bert Rodriguez were in town. I needed some motivation to get me under the 15:00 barrier so I posted to my Facebook page that I would run 14:54 with splits of 4:44, 4:49, 4:50, :31. The course was primed for some fast times and the weather was decent, though not as cool as promised.

I started my warm up well in advance and went on a slow shuffle over the course. I was feeling pretty solid prior to racing and was taking mental notes of where the pace could potentially slip during the race. I picked points that needed to be focused on and sections to really open up the stride. I ran into Stephen Spada and Richard "Rocky" Falcone about 1.5 miles into the warm up and we finished the rest of the course together.

Splits (based on clocks during race and my memory):
4:45, 4:55 (9:40), 5:05? (14:45), :35 (15:20)

Rocky and I out hard on the right hand side of the road. Look at those other suckers on the left hand side.
Mike Beigay took some awesome shots of the race.

I lined up for the race on the right hand section of the road with Danielle & Chad Crockford. A bunch of CRC runners lined up on the opposite side which puzzled me. I got out relatively hard on the slight downhill along East Blvd. Rocky Falcone was just off my shoulder for the first 800-1000m. During the first time around the Dilworth Speed Loop I tried to relax and maintain pace. It was a little unsettling to see all the baby joggers in the neighborhood. The parents and tykes were released a full 5 minutes prior to the runners which strung them out a good way. I didn't catch Chris Bradle until after 1.5 miles. Usually I'm not worried about the baby joggers after 1000m or so.

Baby jogger who went out pretty hard, still smiling though. Thanks for the 5 minute head start I was still passing beyond the mile point.

I was pretty much spot on with my first mile split. I was feeling good and focused on not letting up the pace. I picked up the effort turning on Park and then relaxed on the false flat along Kingston. I knew the 600m on Kingston would be slow, but I hoped to get that time back on Worthington. I think what happened was that my first 800m of the race was run somewhere around 2:15-2:17 and then I backed off to hit the mile in 4:45. When I picked it up I was only running just under 5 minute pace and then things lagged. My second mile split was about 7-10 seconds off despite my best effort to fly down Worthington. That was frustrating to see.

Coming back near the Dilworth Speed Loop. Just after or before the 2 mile mark.

As I entered the Dilworth Speed Loop for the second time I started to fatigue and couldn't get rolling. I knew sub-15 minutes was out the window so I backed off. I ran pretty comfortably until I reached East Blvd and took a quick glance over my shoulder. I was a little surprised to see that Rocky (who is 40 by the way) was having a great race as he was still in sight. I refocused and ran the final 2 minutes of the race hard again. The 3 mile split was about 14:45 and then I coasted to the finish.

About 50 meters from the finish line. Not even worth racing the clock at this point.

I'm disappointed I ran 2 seconds slower on today's course than I did at Blue Points 5k. It was great seeing all the PRs out there this morning. Billy Shue, Brian McMahon, Alice Rogers, Pezz, Danielle all ran great. Being one of the few people not to hit their goal is tough to swallow. I probably put in too many miles last week (107) to be fresh for a 5k today. Oh well. I know I'm still fit and willing to take a challenge.

At least the Karhu shoes and Craft singlet look cool even if the time doesn't.

I shouldn't be too hard on myself as Charlotte has lost two of its most talented female runners for the next few weeks. Both Megan Hovis (M1) and Meagan Nedlo (M2) are suffering from ailments.

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.

Dilworth Four Miler Recap

Time: 57:11
Distance: 8.26 miles
Race: 20:26, 1st (5:06 avg.)

W/u #1: 11:16 for 1.43 miles
W/u #2: 10:04 for 1.23 miles
C/d: 15:25 for 1.60 miles

Rough race.

The morning started with an early wake up and a quick preparation of some Starbuck's Via instant coffee. It's much better than the instant crap we used to drink in college. I milled around the house checking my RSS feed for anything of value. I came across a post from Tim Budic's blog about dew point and the effect it has on the body's ability to sweat. Tim makes the point that it might be in a runner's best interest to move a long run or workout from a day when the dew point is above 64 degrees. However, Tim was still running a track workout, and I was still going to have to run the Dilworth Four Miler. By the way, after reading I checked Charlotte's dew point which was 75 degrees. Awesome.

Meagan and I got to the RFYL parking lot fairly early because I wanted to do a mini-warm up prior to the hydration clinic I was giving. We ran the first 1,000 meters of the course before turning back. The clinic went well for the 6:30 am hour. I think people were more interested in getting to the start line than hear about how to keep one's body from being over/under hydrated.

After the clinic, I got in another 10 minutes of easy running a few strides. I spotted that Bert Rodriguez was in attendance for the first time since the first GPx race. We have raced three times before, each time he has kicked my ass. The first was at the Runway 5k, the second at the Shamrock 4 Miler and the third was up in DC at Cherry Blossom 10 miler. I come from a background where I believe if someone has beaten you three times, he/she, simply put, owns you. I was 0 for 3 versus Bert and I needed a victory against him. I had a feeling that he was coming off an injury because he hasn't raced down in Charlotte for a few months and today might just be my day.

My plan was to go out hard. Before previewing the course I wanted to be through the mile in 4:40. However, I backed off that time because of the hill and I should have adjusted it even more with consideration for the weather.

Splits:
5:01, 5:05, 5:19, 5:00

Race:
I got out relatively hard, but not all that fast. I attack the hill like I wanted. Burt was right on my shoulder for the first 800m before taking over the lead. I was impressed with his ability to run hills as I could tell he's strong on the incline. I battled back from a 2 step disadvantage on the downhill along Lyndhurst and we made the turn onto East just about stride for stride. I was running just off his shoulder for most of the way down East. The pace felt honest but not too ridiculous. I also wasn't feeling fantastic and never really forced the issue because it was early. About 200m from the turn onto Charlotte, I found myself with a few steps of a lead. The pace hadn't changed and Bert was starting to slow.

Frustrated after just missing the water cups.

The advantage grew heading back into the heart of Dilworth and I started pressing a little more to lengthen the advantage. I tried to grab water at the aid station but missed with the lady turned away from me and the guy didn't let go of the cup. It was a little discouraging as I could have really used that cold water on my head. I found Worthington to be cruelly long. Every intersection was a tease and the slight incline made my third mile the slowest of the day.

Nice downhill end to the race.

Getting back on Lyndhurst was a bit of a relief, but the hill up to McDonald wasn't kind. It wasn't very long or steep, rather it came at just the right time to make the body hurt. I took a few glances behind to see how hard I was going to have to push down and couldn't see anyone in sight. It was now a race against the clock knowing I had messed things up during the third mile. I finished well within myself and was a little hesitant to fly downhill. Again, I need to do something to open my stride up more.

Approaching the finish. Only a police officer in sight.

I crossed the line a few clicks under 20:30 which was about a minute slower than I wanted to run. I think most people ran slower today than they would have liked for various reason, number one being the dew point (not the heat and humidity). Ben Hovis was out snapping some photos of the Charlotte Running Club (see pics). He also said that I just missed his PR on the course by a couple of seconds. Next year.

Summer Series Track Meet

Time: 52:26
Distance: 8.02 miles
Mile: 4:38? for 1st
5k: 14:59 for 1st

W/u: 10:27 for 1.28 miles
W/u & C/d: 9:47 for 1.07 miles
C/d: 12:35 for 1.57 miles

Tonight's events kicked off when I headed over to the Myers Park HS track for the biggest meet of the year. All the hitters were lining up to hit fast times on the city's best track facility. I had a lot of doubts in my mind as to how fast I would be able to run this evening. I spent most of the day in the car visiting run and bike shops between Charlotte and Hickory. Plus, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Carol Amrani who is in charge of Balega's marketing. She knows this great little family owned restaurant called Youssef 242. It just so happens that her husband's name is Youssef and he has a taste for fine dining. I may have mentioned this in an earlier post, but if you're ever in Hickory at lunch or dinner time, look up their restaurant. Today I was tempted by the hamburger and the sweet potato fries. It definitely wasn't the best pre-race meal but I couldn't resist.

I began with some slow warming up around the neighborhood and track. I felt heavy as I tried to warm up the legs and open up the airways. I had qualified to run the championship mile from my race a few weeks ago when I ran 4:19. Tonight's focus was the 5k, but I didn't want to opt out of the mile. Most of the others with top times in the mile were absent so I felt a little obligated to toe the line.

Mile:
I had no interest in doing much work in this race. The main competitors were Brian McMahon and Greg Isaacs who have both run close to 4:40 this summer. My plan was to make a move with 600m to go so I wouldn't have to run hard the final 200m. Our splits were around: 75, 70 (2:25), 67 (3:32), 65 (4:38). I sat off Brian for the first 1,000m and then made a move to the front. I felt in control, though still a little heavy. I probably shouldn't have worn spikes for this contest, but I did anyway.

Between races I jogged several laps on the track watching the rest of the meet. It's cool watching some of the youngsters compete in the sprints and relays. There wasn't much time before the 5k, but enough to shake the legs out and prepare mentally for the effort. I wasn't sure how fast I was capable of running. Late last week I considered going for a PR (14:43 on the roads and track), but today wasn't the day to test my ability. On top of eating too much at lunch, it was really hot and humid. Nothing new for Charlotte this year.

5k:
I wanted to get out well and remain fluid during the middle section of the race. I would be lapping people as early as the mile mark which just gave me the incentive to go faster. I don't have official splits because I didn't wear a watch and nobody was calling out times. From memory I was: 2:55 at the 1k mark, 8:55 at the 3k mark, 13:52ish with a lap to go and finished in 14:59.4. I'll take the effort considering I was out front from the start. I never went to the well, but definitely gradually slowed over the course of the race. See the pics that Caitlin took from an earlier post.

The best part of the night was the showdown/throwdown between Tim Rhodes and Meagan. Her recap tells the story.

Inferior Blog

I was told tonight that my blog has been lacking. True. It's been lacking to the point that this person claimed Meagan's blog was better. Not true.

My only excuse is that I've been lazy about posting and busy on the road visiting accounts. The training is being done, but the updating hasn't.

Here's the most recent update: I ran 14:59.4 tonight for 5k at the "June Stanford of the East Meet." And by that I mean in Charlotte at Myers Park High School's wonderful facility with grass clippings, lane one filled with divots and packed stands. I'll make a real recap sometime late this week, but I'll leave you with some photos taken from Caitlin Chrisman's Facebook page.

Just before the 200m mark. Solo effort.

Keeping pace.

Caitlin getting artistic and scoping out my arse. Trying to rival Scotty D's mullet.

Bringing the fans to their feet.

Leaning back at the finish line just to make sure it wasn't 14:58.

Great Harvest 5k Recap

Total Time: 59:37
Total Distance: 8.41 miles
Race: 15:44 for 1st

W/u: 24:01 for 3.01 miles
C/d: 19:52 for 2.31 miles

What to say about the Great Harvest 5k other than it had hills, a lot of turns and great prizes? That basically sums the race up right.

I was personally stuck in one gear mode the entire way as I split 5:04, 10:08, 15:10? and then finished in 15:44. It was warm and humid which didn't help the cause either. John Compton ran a great race as he pushed me through 2 miles just off my shoulder. I felt relaxed the entire way but I wasn't sure what was around the next corner. As a result, I was reluctant to really drop the pace because I didn't know if there was a large hill looming ahead.

On my warm up I ventured out in the direction of the course, but I didn't get great instructions. Somehow I ended up back on Pineville-Mathews road and just ran back to where I parked. Should I mention that I parked in the Piper Glen lot and didn't get ticketed or towed? Yea, I'm a badass.

This wasn't the best performance I could have asked for, but I'll take it. I was comfortable most of the way and in control at the front. I will say that I am having a hard time really letting go on the downhills. I can't seem to turn the legs over fast enough to take advantage of the easy section. I think it's that I'm using them to catch my breath and slow my heart rate rather than attacking again. Maybe I can get Jeff to toss in a downhill running workout.

Oh, I'm not sure if he reads my blog, but I'll give a shout out to Richard Harris Jr. who I believe broke 17 minutes for the first time. RHJ is also coached by Jeff.

Thunder Road Marathon Race Recap

Time: 2:29:39
Distance: 26.2 miles
Pace: 5:43
Place: 1st
Map

Two for two. (Photo taken by Diedra Laird)

Grab a cup of coffee, this is going to be a long one.

It wasn't until Thursday when I started entertaining the idea of running Thunder Road and it really wasn't until Friday when I decided to toe the line. My training hasn't gone well for the last few weeks and I felt I needed something to jump start my focus on the sport. Running is a simple sport that many athletes and coaches make too complicated. My approach for Thunder Road was going to be one of patience and toughness. I knew that my body wasn't prepared to run 26.2 miles at a personal best pace, but mentally I was comfortable with going out for a really long training run.

To reinforce my casual approach to Thunder Road, the night before I cleaned our refrigerator of week old leftovers, drank a Pabst Blue Ribbon and two glasses of inexpensive Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon and ate a plateful of holiday cookies. It was a relaxing evening spent at home, but certainly not the straight edge approach I normally take when gearing up for big races.

I was excited to wear the Craft/Karhu uniform for the first time. I found the kit in a box of samples I obtained a few weeks ago. I already posted about the pair of Karhu Racers that I would be wearing, also, for the first time. Before leaving the house a little after 7:00 am I pinned two Strawberry Kiwi carbBoom! energy gels inside my shorts. Later I would stuff another packet of gel in each one of my Craft Performance Gloves. I was going to have to rely on the carbBoom! to get me to the finish line. It is almost inevitable to bonk the final six miles when you haven't done the long runs, so my hope was to stay fueled up on the natural ingredients of the four Strawberry Kiwi gels.

Meagan dropped me at the corner of the finish line and I spotted race director Tim Rhodes. He looked stressed and too busy to joke with me asking "how long is this race?" I scurried up to find the start line as I only had about 20 minutes until go time. Inside the convention center I changed into my snug racing flats, stuffed my extra clothes in my Fuel Belt backpack and ran down to the expo floor where I left my stuff with the Brooks rep, Brian Leonard.

I made it to the start line with a few minutes to check out the hitters. It looked like most standing at the front of the crowd were running the half marathon, but there were a few who looked capable of running sub-2:40. The national anthem was performed and the Nascar race car revved it's engine. We were off!

I spent the first few miles feeling the pace and judging the effort. My plan for Thunder Road was to run with the leaders through the halfway mark and then evaluate the race, effort, and benefits of soldiering on to the finish. There were no guarantees that I was going to finish, but at least I wanted to get some fitness benefit from the run.

A group of half marathoners shot to the front and formed a pack while the rest of us settled into about 1:20/2:40 pace. At least that was the buzz for target times in the group. I was asked by a reader of my blog what I was shooting to run. I can't for the life of me remember his name, and if he's reading now, my apologies. Not a great way to keep readers, but I wanted to give you a shout out.

I ended up settling into a groove with Greg Isaacs. We had never met before but he seemed to be holding a good tempo and we became partners for the race's early miles. This was Greg's first half marathon and I would later get a ride to Run For Your Life from him after the race. I learned that he also graduated in 2006 and that he ran for Clemson University.

The splits on Mr. Garmin were telling me that I was clipping along below 1:18 pace. I predicted that the leaders would hit the half somewhere around 1:18 to 1:20. My breathing was comfortable, my form was relaxed and my feet weren't too impaired. I knew Paul Mainwaring was looking to run about 2:40 and he seemed to also be running well near the front. I took a break from this post to read his recap of the race. He finished well under 2:40 with a new personal best/record of 2:38:16 and third place finish. Congrats.

The first 10k was excellent in terms of the neighborhood support, the gentle hills and the cool weather. I tossed an old shirt at five miles and donned the singlet with pinned number 1758 for the first time. I took my first carbBoom! around this time and found the flavor to be sweet. My "spinach" would serve me wonders today.

My pre-race plan sort of went out the window when I latched onto Greg. We worked our way through a few runners who had gone out a bit too hard. One of those guys told us that all the other runners ahead were half marathoners, so I assumed by 10k I was in the lead. Not necessarily what I planned for or wanted, but if that was the case I'd take it. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked when around mile eight I reeled in a guy wearing Race Ready shorts, Ravennas and a t-shirt. I wasn't so much shocked at his race kit, but rather when I asked him what he was looking to run and he said, "oh, I'll take 2:30 something." Wait, 2:3x? He's gone out pretty hard for a half marathon over two hours. I quickly glanced at his bib number and saw that it wasn't the green and white of the half, but the yellowish orange of the full marathon.

My attitude immediately changed because now I felt like I was in a race. The competitive instinct was triggered and my "long run" mentality started to fly out the door. If this was going to be a "race" then let's start throwing in moves to check fitness. Truly silly ideas for me to have at mile eight of 26.2, but that's what happened. For about 10 minutes we ran stride for stride and I became worried that I was going to fade late in the race. However, I gained a few steps on a hill just before crossing over Selwyn Ave. to jump on Queens Rd West.

Greg had ditched me by this point and I was running solo down the "Booty Loop." Looking up I could see the flashing lights of the police escort, a couple half marathoners, and pockets of spectators. The manager at Run For Your Life- University, Kara, wished me luck from the median. And, best of all, Meagan came out to cheer at the corner of Wellesley. She asked how things were going and I just gave her the "so-so" gesture. I was in the lead, I was only 10 miles in and I was having thoughts of being caught from behind.

At 11 miles I realized a guy on a bike was shadowing me. I asked, "are you assigned for me today." He was as long as I stayed in the lead. "Well, if we were going to be friends then I should know your name." Dennis and I became a duo for the next 90 minutes. Since I didn't get to thank him after the race as he pulled off about 150 meters from the tape, I'll do it here. Thank you Dennis.

Getting to 13.1 miles meant I was halfway home. I crossed the mats at 1:15:14 and figured I was eff'd. Who rolls out a 75 minute half on a rolling course to start what was only a marginally good idea? -->This guy<-- I was prepared for things to get interesting later on.

I got a boost of energy from the drummers near the Panther's stadium. I tried to keep tabs on the runner in second place (who I now know was Josh Beck). He was still within striking distance if I were to crumble late in the race. Near mile 17, I spotted Jay Holder, co-founder of the Charlotte Running Club, and told him he better not jump in and help those behind me. Normally, I wouldn't care, but the last 9-10 miles were no certainty. Getting caught from behind after 2 hours of running would suck. Jay ended up helping Paul to the finish.

I felt fantastic running back through Uptown on Trade St. I dropped splits of 5:30, 5:35, 5:35 and 5:30 from miles 15 to 18. The feeling was short lived as the stretch along N. Caldwell/Parkwood/N. Davidson was utterly terrible. The crowds were thin to non-existent, there was only one water station and the slight breeze made it's presence known. My mood improved a little once I made the turn into the NoDa neighborhood. There were a couple more groups of spectators sprinkled on 35th St. and near The Plaza.

Mentally the race would be over at 24 miles. If I could make it to 24, then I knew I could run for 15 more minutes and enjoy the moment. I climbed the hill at Hawthorne and could see Uptown in the distance. I still had mental images of "The Crawl" but was confident I was going to make it to the line. My breathing was still very comfortable which tells me that my aerobic base is still strong. However, you can't fake 26.2 miles of pounding. My quads and calves were suffering with each step and I could tell my toes wanted freedom.

Just before the turn onto N. McDowell St. I saw Aaron Linz riding his bike. He encouraged me to break 2:30 which I had some interest in doing, but I wasn't going to throw down the final mile. I was interested in cherishing the moment and playing to the crowd. But, there was no crowd. There were no spectators until about 200 meters from the finish. That was a huge disappointment on the day. I don't want to get on the negative train, but another disappointment was the post-race experience. I basically crossed the line, grabbed a Powerade, turned in my chip, was handed a medal, congratulated second place and then walked off to change clothes. A few others acknowledged the run, but for the most part if was a ho-hum atmosphere.

Approaching the finish in my Craft/Karhu racing kit. (Photo taken by Diedra Laird)

I spent the next 30-40 minutes wandering around looking for the awards ceremony. Finally, when I did find it in the back corner of the race expo with Greg Isaacs and Billy Shue (first time meeting Billy who was excited about his huge PR) it appeared to be over. Only a small group of Try Sports athletes were milling around and about five others who were looking for results. I was cold, tired and the stiffness was starting to set in. I didn't have a ride home from the race and when Greg said he lived near RFYL I asked for a lift. I left before the marathon awards ceremony which looks poor, but finding another 50 minutes of comfort Uptown would have been difficult. Simply put, I apologize for not sticking around.

I got dropped at Run For Your Life where Meagan was working for the rest of the day. I've run two marathons and she has missed the finish of both! I'll give her credit for cheering earlier thought. I chatted with a couple customers and received congratulations a few more times before going home to soak in some Epsom salt.

Today's performance was greatly unexpected and a time I can be proud of. I thought I had a chance of running with the leaders and perhaps winning, but to dip under 2:30 was a treat. My coach, Jeff, and I are in the process of perfecting two new training programs. Look for an issue of Runner's World featuring "40 days to victory" and "The Swine Flu Method."

I had a great time being out on the roads of Charlotte. Thanks to everyone who played a role in making the race possible.

You done with that coffee yet?

Yea, the shoes were definitely too small, but they worked great.

Splits according to Mr. Garmin (a little off from the course mile markers):
5:46, 5:59, 5:51, 5:45, 5:51, 5:38 (36:11 at 10k),
5:40, 5:42, 5:36, 5:37, 5:33, 5:40, 5:38 (1:15:14 at 13.1 miles),
5:36, 5:30, 5:35, 5:35, 5:30, 5:40, 5:39 (1:54:08 at 20 miles),
5:45, 5:45, 5:38, 5:38, 5:44, 5:37, 2:16 for final portion that Mr. Garmin registered as .40 miles, 2:29:41 for 26.40 miles according to him.

Dallas White Rock Marathon Relay

Part I Time: 92:57
Part I Distance: 16.19 miles
Pace: 5:44
Splits: 5:06, 5:14, 5:11, 5:28, 5:39, 5:33 (roughly end of 1st leg), 5:58, 5:56, 5:36, 6:10 (roughly end of Jilane's leg), 6:07, 5:30, 5:59, 6:24, 6:26 (roughly end of Meagan's leg), 5:32, 1:03 (for .19 miles or 5:27 pace)

Part II Time: 27:36
Part II Distance: 4.20 miles
Pace: 6:34
Splits: 7:14, 6:31, 6:07, 6:25, 1:18 (for .20 miles or 6:30 pace)

White Rock Marathon Video/Photo Montage

Team OK Runner Elite plus Aja who debuted in 3:23. Post race shot courtesy of David "320."

Team OK Runner Elite finished 3rd overall in the 5-person relay and first in the mixed open division.

Where to start? How about at the beginning that's always a good place. Things kicked off with a wake up call at 2:30 am when room 709 got a knock at the door. Scotty was closest and he answered only to find two young ladies dressed not all too scandalously, but they asked if he called. Presumably someone called an escort service and they mistakenly arrived at our door. I hope whoever called received proper attention.

When I really got up a little after six I slugged down some coffee and pinned the bib to my jersey. I was leading off the race and got to the start line with about 20 minutes to spare. I mingled around before jumping into the sea of people and squeezed my way toward the front of the race. Up front I could see some familiar faces that were lined up with the elite. I was surprised to see former California prep-star and recent winner of the '08 US Marathon Champs Fernando Cabada up there. He was joined by Fasil Bizuneh and a bunch of Kenyans.

By the time the gun sounded I had made my way to near the front and was able to run unimpeded for the first straightaway. I know I went out too hard through the first 800 meters as I was with a group of half-marathoner elites. I was hoping to run a strong first 6 mile leg and needed to settle into a rhythm quickly. There were a couple relay runners that were just in front of me that I tried to latch onto. I was feeling good for the first 3 miles but then started to struggle the next three. I wore a Garmin on my left wrist which took mile splits and on my right wrist I had a running clock on my Timex. For whatever reason the first mile on my Garmin synced perfectly with the course mark, but the second split was way off. According to the course mile marker I would have run a 5:45 mile (estimated) and at that point all the splits were a little off from my GPS watch and the course mile markers. What that means for the satellite technology or the marathon course, I don't know.

Marathon leaders racing around White Rock Lake. Photos stolen/borrowed from C. Lowe's FB page.

Just before the 5 mile mark there was a steady incline that put me in the tank. I had just closed the gap between me and a Mexican looking relay dude, but I was not feeling the wind and was having a hard time getting into a comfort zone. The hill allowed me to close the gap even further but cresting the hill the guy gapped me again and I was pretty much thinking that I had a 20 miler on my hands and not the 6 mile leg I was running. I didn't back off but not being able to relax due to the wind made my mind wander. Soon I smelled the musty scent of the Kenyans who were in the process of walking me down just beyond the 5 mile marker. I was surrounded by a group of 8 or so "Munyans" and a few other guys trying to latch onto the group. I'm pretty sure I was also walked down by a couple of the lead women half-'thoners which just added insult to my misery. Luckily I was almost at the relay exchange zone and was able to slow down.

I handed off the green slap bracelet to Jilane in an exchange area that deviated just slightly from the course. There was a little fiasco that occurred once she was on her way back to the course, but it wasn't as bad as what happened in the men's half-marathon race when an athlete took a wrong turn and finished 6th. It's hard to say who's fault it is when something like that happens.

I felt much better on Jilane's leg because I was able to back off the pace. We were still running a dip under 6 minute pace so I was still getting a good long run. The wind wasn't helping anybody on this day, as breezes were consistently in the 20-30 mph range with gusts in the 40s. I had to use the bathroom around the 9 mile mark so I jumped in/out of the port-a-potty in a hurry. I tried to catch up to Jilane as quickly as possible so that I could block the wind around the lake. She ran a strong leg and I felt comfortable dropping a 5:36 mile to catch back up, but I still wasn't feeling great. Jilane handed that green slap bracelet off the Meagan for the third leg.

Meagan and I started the leg with the wind at our back and I was feeling comfortable. I ran ahead to use the restroom again and then caught up to help pace. As I was running down Meagan I noticed a high schooler 20 meters back from a sexy Santa slut. I clipped past the elf ho and made my way back to Meagan's side, but not before I had to yell at her for not running the tangents. We were running on a left hand bend and Ms. Meagan thought it wise to run 15 feet off the curb as we approached the 12 mile mark. She quickly fixed her tactics before we turned back into the wind where I allowed her to draft off me. As much as I would have liked to see Santa slut again, I didn't want to go through the embarrassment of being rolled up on again. Coincidentally, if Santa had rolled us, it would have been within a quarter mile of the last time we got rolled up at White Rock Lake. The section from mile 13 to the end of Meagan's leg was absolutely brutal. The wind was a bit cold off the lake and there was nothing to block its wrath. I attempted to gear up mentally knowing that the exchange zone was near and my 5 mile race with Scotty D would be on.

Meagan finished up wanting me to run harder which I guess meant she was feeling good. She passed the bracelet to Scotty D and I felt the pace change immediately. At first I tried to gap him, but that last for 2.5 seconds when I realized the wind was at its peak and I was nearly 15 miles deep. I fell a stride behind Dizzle and started to draft for about a 800 meters when we made a turn and the wind was at our back. The wind's push felt great for about 800 meters and then we had to turn back into it. I made it about 100 strides before I called it a day and told him to start getting after it. I stopped my watch to end Part I of my workout. I stood by the side of the road for about a minute before starting Part II at a very slow clip.

The marathon leader's just before the 19 mile mark. Photos stolen/borrowed from C. Lowe's FB page.

My shoulders were tight probably because of the hunching into the wind. I couldn't believe how sore they had become just from running, it felt like I had played a day's worth of football or baseball. I must have jogged about a mile to the cheers of spectators telling me good and relaxed I looked. Aerobically I felt fine, but I was mentally discouraged from running in the wind. I knew that Team JJJSM would be waiting at mile 20 for me so I needed to forge ahead and get to the next exchange zone. As I trotted along I looked back and saw a marathoner named Jason who was having a terrible time fighting the wind. Being the humanitarian that I am, I picked up the pace and told the guy to just draft off me. I felt better having a new mission of getting this guy through the roughest section of the race and closer to the finish. When we were leaving the lake the second place female joined our group and it wasn't until after the race that I realized it was Liza Hunter-Galvan of New Zealand. She was not enjoying the wind either but her performance was respectable considering the conditions. I think I deserve 2.5/26ths of her paycheck because that's about how much I paced her during the race. I even handed her a cup of water and offered a Clif shot around the 19 mile marker which was significant because the Hooter's girls were there.

Scotty finished his leg well and passed the stick to Jerry who closed things out for our team. Jerry is coming off his win at the Tulsa Marathon and despite not running much the last few weeks he's still in great shape. Scotty and Jerry brought the team average down quite a bit over the last two legs and closed the gap on the two relay squads ahead of us. The team performed well with a finishing time of 2:30:09.

I got to the 20 mile mark in 2:03:30ish according to the big clock but that included a couple pitstops and a whining break. Overall my performance was not what I really wanted but I'll take it with the far from ideal conditions. I have a better idea of my current level of fitness and will look to fine tune things in the coming weeks/months as we approach the Austin Marathon.

Also of note was Aja Clark's stellar 3:23 performance in her marathon debut. She ran a smart race and qualified for Boston in the spring. Meagan will soon have a recap of her and Jilane's pacing job during the latter miles of Aja's race. See above link for Jilane's commentary on the former Sooner's performance. Other Normanites that fared well were Jenny Graef in the half with an 8th place finish time of 1:24:36 and Andrea Larabee's 10th place in the full with a time of 3:09:17.

Latest and Greatest

Time: Meh
Distance: Trial of miles...

My recent running has taken a turn for the better as I have been able to put in 30-45 minutes of easy mileage for the past week. I have been incorporating more lower ab work to my routine in hopes that it will strengthen my iliopsoas. I had been reading a lot more about hip injuries and learned about this iliopsoas business rather late in my recovery phase. There is a lot of information on the Internet about hip injuries but none of it is too helpful. From what I can surmise is that there is so much going on in there that any one little element can cause pain. My hip pain has become more localized and I know believe I have iliopsoas tendinitis (aka snapping hip syndrome, aka dancer's hip syndrome).

Now that I am running a touch more I will begin to start blogging more. Hopefully... I had to clear my watch that contained some runs with Meagan that last time she was in town. Since, that was weeks ago it just goes to show how poor my running has become.

On another note, Mike DeCoste '04 has started a training blog which can be found in the training blogs column of my page. I first met Mike on my recruiting trip to Brown the fall of my senior year of high school. He was one of my hosts for that weekend and is largely responsible for me attending Brown. Not really, but we'll let him think that. Actually, Eamonn O'Connor is the reason I went to Brown, mainly b/c I couldn't understand a word he said all weekend. I also was able to spend a few days out in Eugene the summer after my senior year with DeCoste and a crew of other Brown dudes (not skintone). We had a great time which is why a few summers later a group of guys returned to Tracktown, USA. That certainly is a Boring Story of Glory Days.