Time: 73:47
Distance: 16.01k
Pace: 4:36
Map
It's the final day of The Running Event and we had to be up early in order to get in a run and make it to the expo by 8 AM. Meagan and I ran around Town Lake completing two loops at a leisurely pace. There were lots of other industry folks out putting in time on the feet. I spotted Justin Wager who is the footwear buyer at Fleet Feet Syracuse and Dan Kittaka who works at Fleet Feet Chicago.
My legs weren't feeling too beat up after the 5k yesterday. There was a bit a of adding on around the hotel where we saw a homeless woman trying to chat with Angela Lindbo who works for W.L. Gore & Associates. There certainly are some interesting people (weirdos) in Austin.
Showing posts with label town lake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label town lake. Show all posts
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Indie 5k at The Running Event
Time: 88:12
Distance: 18.96k
W/u: 37:37 for 6.88k
Race: Indie 5k, 15:45 for 10th
Meagan's Workout: 16:55 for 3.73k
C/d: 17:55 for 3.29k
The Indie 5k: The fastest, free 300 person, 3.1 mile race for no money. This is what my season came down to, a joke of a race with lots of pride on the line. Last year I placed 4th overall and hoped to improve upon that effort, but I knew this year's competition would be better and my training has been worse.
Meagan and I jogged over to the race site at Zilker Park with Dan Matena. The race was scheduled to start around 7:00 AM, but I knew it wouldn't not make that mark. I didn't know that it would be closer 7:30 when the racers were off which made for an interesting bit of warming up. It's a good thing the race was delayed as I'm pretty certain the sun wasn't out until 7:15.
Once at Zilker I jogged a few extra loops around in an attempt to wake up the body some more. I was also checking out the competition which would be pretty impressive. Ryan Bak (Yurbuds) would be toeing the line who was fresh off a 2:14 marathon debut at Cal International the previous Sunday. Also in the field would be Andrew Letherby (New Balance) who is a former 2:11 marathoner from Australia, Harry Norton (New Balance) who ran at Dartmouth and boasts a ~4:01 mile PR, Sergio Gonzalez (Puma) who has run impressive times on the roads and track. It should also be noted that Kevin Sullivan was in the field who has a mile PR of 3:50. Word on the street was that he ran an out of shape 4:26 mile the other week to check his fitness baseline.
My warm up kept getting longer and longer as the race was pushed back. I jogged around with several individuals hoping to stay loose and warm. In the end, I wound up talking with lots of friends instead from Nuun, TGA, and accounts. Upon lining up near the front of the field, the Star Spangled Banner was aired over the speakers and I joked with Kevin Sullivan that if he waited long enough they would play Oh Canada for our citizens to the north.
The signal was given and we were off to the races. I started in about 15th position and noticed Kevin was sitting off my right shoulder for the first 600m. Something just wasn't right about that scene. He quickly moved up to near the lead group as I slowly picked off a few guys. We climbed the only riser on the course that isn't steep, nor long, but just enough to make it hurt. The fact that you have to run up it four times over the course is a cruel punishment to ruin fast times.
I was just off the back of the lead pack approaching the mile, and may have even latched on momentarily before the first steep descent. My arms and legs pinwheeled downhill when might tight right hamstring let me know you wouldn't be running with the leaders anymore this morning. My formed remained strong and my lungs were relatively comfortable, but I couldn't make up ground on anyone in the field. I could see a good battle shaping up out front and would have loved to be in the mix, it just wasn't meant to be. I spent the rest of the race chasing a guy in a Spira uniform and couldn't believe I wasn't making up ground.
It's been a while since I raced a 5k and it felt like I was sprinting the entire way. Again, my lungs felt good so aerobically my fitness is coming along, but I had nothing in terms of turnover. The legs were definitely a bit tired and showed it on the third and fourth climbs up the annoying riser. Last year, I ran 15:22 and was pleased with the effort. I was certain that the pace I was running and considering the talent in the field that the overall times would be much faster. When I approached the line and say I was well over 15:30, I had to be a little disappointed. I thought running 15 to 20 seconds faster wasn't too much to ask. Nobody ended up breaking 15:00 whereas last year Darren Brown ran 14:49.
To get a little more in depth on the results and make me feel better about my lackluster time, last year Lorin Wilson (RunTex) ran 15:09 for 3rd, this year he was 15:27 for 8th, I was 15:22 for 4th last year and 15:43 for 10th in 2011 and BJ Christensen was 15:37 last year for 10th and 16:04 for 16th this year. I think the course was the same and conditions were about the same in terms of weather. Coincidence that all three of us just ran 20-30 seconds slower? Perhaps.
After the race I caught up with Meagan who had a great performance to win "fastest vendor in America." She would be awarded with a heavy ass trophy later in the evening, a Timex watch and a hydration belt from a brand that won't be named. I wanted her to do something a little extra so we ran across the street and got in some pickups. The goal was to run hard based on feel and that I could listen to her breathing to determine the length of the interval. Once I could hear she was really working, Meagan would run 10-15 seconds longer and we would be done.
Splits:
(5:01), 70.68 @ 3:29 pace, (1:31), 72.21 @ 3:50 pace, (1:32), 79.90 @ 3:29 pace, (1:30), 71.60 @ 3:23 pace, (1:01), 1:21.00 @ 3:29 pace.
We cooled down with Dan Kittaka from Fleet Feet Chicago, Sergio from Puma and another guy from Puma before starting the long expo day from 10 AM to 6 PM.
And now my 2011 race season is over... Hoping 2012 brings some better times from 5k to the marathon.
Distance: 18.96k
W/u: 37:37 for 6.88k
Race: Indie 5k, 15:45 for 10th
Meagan's Workout: 16:55 for 3.73k
C/d: 17:55 for 3.29k
The Indie 5k: The fastest, free 300 person, 3.1 mile race for no money. This is what my season came down to, a joke of a race with lots of pride on the line. Last year I placed 4th overall and hoped to improve upon that effort, but I knew this year's competition would be better and my training has been worse.
Meagan and I jogged over to the race site at Zilker Park with Dan Matena. The race was scheduled to start around 7:00 AM, but I knew it wouldn't not make that mark. I didn't know that it would be closer 7:30 when the racers were off which made for an interesting bit of warming up. It's a good thing the race was delayed as I'm pretty certain the sun wasn't out until 7:15.
Once at Zilker I jogged a few extra loops around in an attempt to wake up the body some more. I was also checking out the competition which would be pretty impressive. Ryan Bak (Yurbuds) would be toeing the line who was fresh off a 2:14 marathon debut at Cal International the previous Sunday. Also in the field would be Andrew Letherby (New Balance) who is a former 2:11 marathoner from Australia, Harry Norton (New Balance) who ran at Dartmouth and boasts a ~4:01 mile PR, Sergio Gonzalez (Puma) who has run impressive times on the roads and track. It should also be noted that Kevin Sullivan was in the field who has a mile PR of 3:50. Word on the street was that he ran an out of shape 4:26 mile the other week to check his fitness baseline.
My warm up kept getting longer and longer as the race was pushed back. I jogged around with several individuals hoping to stay loose and warm. In the end, I wound up talking with lots of friends instead from Nuun, TGA, and accounts. Upon lining up near the front of the field, the Star Spangled Banner was aired over the speakers and I joked with Kevin Sullivan that if he waited long enough they would play Oh Canada for our citizens to the north.
The signal was given and we were off to the races. I started in about 15th position and noticed Kevin was sitting off my right shoulder for the first 600m. Something just wasn't right about that scene. He quickly moved up to near the lead group as I slowly picked off a few guys. We climbed the only riser on the course that isn't steep, nor long, but just enough to make it hurt. The fact that you have to run up it four times over the course is a cruel punishment to ruin fast times.
I was just off the back of the lead pack approaching the mile, and may have even latched on momentarily before the first steep descent. My arms and legs pinwheeled downhill when might tight right hamstring let me know you wouldn't be running with the leaders anymore this morning. My formed remained strong and my lungs were relatively comfortable, but I couldn't make up ground on anyone in the field. I could see a good battle shaping up out front and would have loved to be in the mix, it just wasn't meant to be. I spent the rest of the race chasing a guy in a Spira uniform and couldn't believe I wasn't making up ground.
It's been a while since I raced a 5k and it felt like I was sprinting the entire way. Again, my lungs felt good so aerobically my fitness is coming along, but I had nothing in terms of turnover. The legs were definitely a bit tired and showed it on the third and fourth climbs up the annoying riser. Last year, I ran 15:22 and was pleased with the effort. I was certain that the pace I was running and considering the talent in the field that the overall times would be much faster. When I approached the line and say I was well over 15:30, I had to be a little disappointed. I thought running 15 to 20 seconds faster wasn't too much to ask. Nobody ended up breaking 15:00 whereas last year Darren Brown ran 14:49.
To get a little more in depth on the results and make me feel better about my lackluster time, last year Lorin Wilson (RunTex) ran 15:09 for 3rd, this year he was 15:27 for 8th, I was 15:22 for 4th last year and 15:43 for 10th in 2011 and BJ Christensen was 15:37 last year for 10th and 16:04 for 16th this year. I think the course was the same and conditions were about the same in terms of weather. Coincidence that all three of us just ran 20-30 seconds slower? Perhaps.
After the race I caught up with Meagan who had a great performance to win "fastest vendor in America." She would be awarded with a heavy ass trophy later in the evening, a Timex watch and a hydration belt from a brand that won't be named. I wanted her to do something a little extra so we ran across the street and got in some pickups. The goal was to run hard based on feel and that I could listen to her breathing to determine the length of the interval. Once I could hear she was really working, Meagan would run 10-15 seconds longer and we would be done.
Splits:
(5:01), 70.68 @ 3:29 pace, (1:31), 72.21 @ 3:50 pace, (1:32), 79.90 @ 3:29 pace, (1:30), 71.60 @ 3:23 pace, (1:01), 1:21.00 @ 3:29 pace.
We cooled down with Dan Kittaka from Fleet Feet Chicago, Sergio from Puma and another guy from Puma before starting the long expo day from 10 AM to 6 PM.
And now my 2011 race season is over... Hoping 2012 brings some better times from 5k to the marathon.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Run with Matena
Time: 80:30
Distance: 18.89k
Pace: 4:16/k
Map
With a busy day on the docket, Dan Matena (the new Jordan Kinley) and I met up for a run around Town Lake. I first did a short out and back with Meagan and her friend Allison while I waited for 7:30 AM to arrive. It was much colder than I expected it being this time of year in Texas. It was colder in ATX than it was in Boston which is saying something especially this time of the year.
Dan and I chatted about work and what would take place during The Running Event. There is so much going on that it's often difficult to grab the attention of accounts to show specific products or show specials. The pace was clipping along but the vibe was right as many others were out this morning. It's difficult to not partake in a "jogger war" with someone who runs up on you or that you see in the distance. Dan and I ran about an hour together before he turned for his hotel.
I continued on and completed a second loop around Town Lake before calling it a day. Meagan and I had to finish setting up the Karhu and Craft booth, visit Luke's Locker, grab lunch at the flagship Whole Foods and be ready to impress the CEO upon his arrival.
Distance: 18.89k
Pace: 4:16/k
Map
With a busy day on the docket, Dan Matena (the new Jordan Kinley) and I met up for a run around Town Lake. I first did a short out and back with Meagan and her friend Allison while I waited for 7:30 AM to arrive. It was much colder than I expected it being this time of year in Texas. It was colder in ATX than it was in Boston which is saying something especially this time of the year.
Dan and I chatted about work and what would take place during The Running Event. There is so much going on that it's often difficult to grab the attention of accounts to show specific products or show specials. The pace was clipping along but the vibe was right as many others were out this morning. It's difficult to not partake in a "jogger war" with someone who runs up on you or that you see in the distance. Dan and I ran about an hour together before he turned for his hotel.
I continued on and completed a second loop around Town Lake before calling it a day. Meagan and I had to finish setting up the Karhu and Craft booth, visit Luke's Locker, grab lunch at the flagship Whole Foods and be ready to impress the CEO upon his arrival.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Downtown Austin to TGA HQ
Time: 53:57
Distance: 11.82k
Pace: 4:34/k
Map
I arrived in ATX and got a ride from a dreadlock'd cabbie who wanted to tell me all about the world. He started in on the Christmas tree growers who let their product burn in the hot Texas summer. "Get some irrigation, it's your livelihood, man!" Next he started in on the female role model population which included the Kardashians, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. He had some other good ones that provided me with some chuckles during the drive into downtown Austin.
I got situated at the hotel and linked up with Meagan who had been in Texas since Monday. We made some early preparations for The Running Event before meeting up with some of her former colleagues at Brooks for a run along Town Lake. About 6 of us started out along the crushed gravel path running easy with hoards of others. I came to the realization that I could run over to TGA HQ and visit with my former team of reps.
I dropped in on a meeting with FuelBelt (great stuff coming out soon) and got to meet the growing TGA crew. Toward the end of the meeting, I peaced out and ran back to the hotel at a good clip. I needed to be back to clean up and head off to the Balega happy hour. This was the start of a fun and busy week of mingling with friends/store owners from my old and new territories.
Distance: 11.82k
Pace: 4:34/k
Map
I arrived in ATX and got a ride from a dreadlock'd cabbie who wanted to tell me all about the world. He started in on the Christmas tree growers who let their product burn in the hot Texas summer. "Get some irrigation, it's your livelihood, man!" Next he started in on the female role model population which included the Kardashians, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. He had some other good ones that provided me with some chuckles during the drive into downtown Austin.
I got situated at the hotel and linked up with Meagan who had been in Texas since Monday. We made some early preparations for The Running Event before meeting up with some of her former colleagues at Brooks for a run along Town Lake. About 6 of us started out along the crushed gravel path running easy with hoards of others. I came to the realization that I could run over to TGA HQ and visit with my former team of reps.
I dropped in on a meeting with FuelBelt (great stuff coming out soon) and got to meet the growing TGA crew. Toward the end of the meeting, I peaced out and ran back to the hotel at a good clip. I needed to be back to clean up and head off to the Balega happy hour. This was the start of a fun and busy week of mingling with friends/store owners from my old and new territories.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Run & Crash
Time: ~70 minutes
Distance: ~16k
I got up and out the door for two more loops around Town Lake this morning. It was crowded as ever out on the path with all the fitness fanatics getting in some more workouts. I returned back to Paul's for a relaxing end of the morning. I was just settling in to read some blogs and watch some football when I got a call from Paul asking me to come pick him up. He gave me the address and I was off to find the bossman.
Paul had left this morning for a 60 mile ride with a group that meets every weekend. He was scheduled to return around noon so it was little surprise when he called asking for a ride. I figured he had gotten a flat and didn't have a spare tube. Turns out that he had crashed and was posted up on the corner of the sidewalk flat on his back. The neighboring inhabitants had come outside to take care of Paul giving him ice and a bag of peas for his shoulder.
I helped to the Sprinter van and put his bike in the back for a quick drive over to Jack & Adam's. We wanted advice on which ER to visit for the best service. Paul wasn't convinced anything was broken, but just thought his shoulder was dislocated. The reception at the ER was to be expected. They quickly took down Paul's info and shuffled him back to see a doctor. I waited out front watching football, reading Twitter and looking at Facebook on my phone. A couple of hours later Paul comes out with a sling on his arm and a diagnosed broken clavicle.
What went from being a fantastic Saturday afternoon quickly turned into me caring for Pablo and making sure he wasn't in too much pain. He rallied to get some pizza and beer at Home Slice, a local favorite. I'll remember this day when roadies or triathletes try to get me on a bike. No thanks!
Distance: ~16k
I got up and out the door for two more loops around Town Lake this morning. It was crowded as ever out on the path with all the fitness fanatics getting in some more workouts. I returned back to Paul's for a relaxing end of the morning. I was just settling in to read some blogs and watch some football when I got a call from Paul asking me to come pick him up. He gave me the address and I was off to find the bossman.
Paul had left this morning for a 60 mile ride with a group that meets every weekend. He was scheduled to return around noon so it was little surprise when he called asking for a ride. I figured he had gotten a flat and didn't have a spare tube. Turns out that he had crashed and was posted up on the corner of the sidewalk flat on his back. The neighboring inhabitants had come outside to take care of Paul giving him ice and a bag of peas for his shoulder.
I helped to the Sprinter van and put his bike in the back for a quick drive over to Jack & Adam's. We wanted advice on which ER to visit for the best service. Paul wasn't convinced anything was broken, but just thought his shoulder was dislocated. The reception at the ER was to be expected. They quickly took down Paul's info and shuffled him back to see a doctor. I waited out front watching football, reading Twitter and looking at Facebook on my phone. A couple of hours later Paul comes out with a sling on his arm and a diagnosed broken clavicle.
What went from being a fantastic Saturday afternoon quickly turned into me caring for Pablo and making sure he wasn't in too much pain. He rallied to get some pizza and beer at Home Slice, a local favorite. I'll remember this day when roadies or triathletes try to get me on a bike. No thanks!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Hot One in Austin
Time: ~88 minutes
Distance: ~20k
I flew down to Austin to meet with TGA bossman and discuss business. We had a good lunch at Taco Deli, some good coffee at Juan Pelota and browsed around Mellow Johnny's. If you don't know Mellow Johnny's then you don't know Austin or the yellow jersey. Later in the evening we suited up in our costumes, him in spandex, me in short running shorts to go out and elevate the heart rate.
When in Austin for only a few days, it is almost obligatory to run along Town Lake. I made two loops from Paul's house around the crowded dirt paths. It's always a good time to be out with the fitness crowd, but at the same time annoying when three trophy wives pushing baby joggers block up the flow of traffic.
I was just getting close to Paul's house where I would call it a day when Mr. Perrone comes charging my way. I was on the brink of bonking, but I couldn't turn down the opportunity to get in some additional distance. I turned around and shuffled on for an additional 20 minutes which pushed my total distance and time to levels I haven't seen in weeks. My foot was feeling good so I wasn't going to complain with being able to run respectable again.
Distance: ~20k
I flew down to Austin to meet with TGA bossman and discuss business. We had a good lunch at Taco Deli, some good coffee at Juan Pelota and browsed around Mellow Johnny's. If you don't know Mellow Johnny's then you don't know Austin or the yellow jersey. Later in the evening we suited up in our costumes, him in spandex, me in short running shorts to go out and elevate the heart rate.
When in Austin for only a few days, it is almost obligatory to run along Town Lake. I made two loops from Paul's house around the crowded dirt paths. It's always a good time to be out with the fitness crowd, but at the same time annoying when three trophy wives pushing baby joggers block up the flow of traffic.
I was just getting close to Paul's house where I would call it a day when Mr. Perrone comes charging my way. I was on the brink of bonking, but I couldn't turn down the opportunity to get in some additional distance. I turned around and shuffled on for an additional 20 minutes which pushed my total distance and time to levels I haven't seen in weeks. My foot was feeling good so I wasn't going to complain with being able to run respectable again.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Final Miles on Lady Bird Lake
Time: 72:44
Distance: ~10 miles
Who's been to Austin before? I first visited when I went to run a mile at the Texas Relays and hang out with Owen while he was doing graduate work at UT. It was a fun weekend despite actually missing the race due to weather. He showed me where everyone runs... Town Lake. Everyone calls it that, but the real name is Lady Bird Lake. However, it's not even really a lake, it's a river. It's the Colorado River. Weird right? Well, that's Austin.
This morning Meagan and I got out for two loops from Paul's house around the "lake." A lot of people were getting in their morning workout which is normal. There are always a ton of people running on the trail. Austin is one of the fittest cities in the country and home to countless running stores including: RunTex, Rogue Running, Luke's Locker, 1379 Sports, Hill Country Running, Jack & Adams, and Texas Running Company. Most of the stores can be found within a couple of miles from Town Lake too.
Later in the morning we drove up to Dallas where we visited Luke's Locker at Oaklawn and Plano. Texas is a huge state and despite all the money that can be made repping here, I'm glad that I have North and South Carolina. The drive up to Dallas took for-ev-er. I thought about getting out the door for some more miles but called it a day after checking into the hotel.
Distance: ~10 miles
Who's been to Austin before? I first visited when I went to run a mile at the Texas Relays and hang out with Owen while he was doing graduate work at UT. It was a fun weekend despite actually missing the race due to weather. He showed me where everyone runs... Town Lake. Everyone calls it that, but the real name is Lady Bird Lake. However, it's not even really a lake, it's a river. It's the Colorado River. Weird right? Well, that's Austin.
This morning Meagan and I got out for two loops from Paul's house around the "lake." A lot of people were getting in their morning workout which is normal. There are always a ton of people running on the trail. Austin is one of the fittest cities in the country and home to countless running stores including: RunTex, Rogue Running, Luke's Locker, 1379 Sports, Hill Country Running, Jack & Adams, and Texas Running Company. Most of the stores can be found within a couple of miles from Town Lake too.
Later in the morning we drove up to Dallas where we visited Luke's Locker at Oaklawn and Plano. Texas is a huge state and despite all the money that can be made repping here, I'm glad that I have North and South Carolina. The drive up to Dallas took for-ev-er. I thought about getting out the door for some more miles but called it a day after checking into the hotel.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Town Lake from Pablo's
Time: 47:48
Distance: ~6 miles
We wrapped up TRE this afternoon and had the rest of the day to mill about. Meagan and I had a big Mexican lunch with the Nuun crew on 6th St. The amount of food left both of us sluggish several hours later when we ventured out for a dark double around Town Lake. By the end of the run I started to feel good in a pair of Li-Ning shoes that I was testing out. The remainder of our evening was spent making a fire back at Pablo's and hanging out with Katie who is the Adidas rep in Texas.
Distance: ~6 miles
We wrapped up TRE this afternoon and had the rest of the day to mill about. Meagan and I had a big Mexican lunch with the Nuun crew on 6th St. The amount of food left both of us sluggish several hours later when we ventured out for a dark double around Town Lake. By the end of the run I started to feel good in a pair of Li-Ning shoes that I was testing out. The remainder of our evening was spent making a fire back at Pablo's and hanging out with Katie who is the Adidas rep in Texas.
Town Lake with Meagan
Time: 64:38
Distance: ~9 miles
The Running Event yesterday was full of activity that you can read about in Meagan's blog. I won't go into too many details about the day, but I will mention that I wore a tie. I think it's going to become a bit of a tradition because it was one hear ago on the first day of TRE that I was hired with TGA. I interviewed with my boss Paul and the president of Karhu. I was the only person wearing a tie in the entire convention center so I decided to be that guy again. The main reason I wore the tie was to negate the fact that I had a sweet mustache. I figured I had to do something to cancel out the filthy 'stache so I classed it up with a dress shirt and tie.
Yesterday was long and productive. I normally would have gone out with the likes of Keith Kelly of Reebok, Scott Schilter of Nuun or Mike Rouse of K-Swiss, but instead I had an early night with Meagan. Both of us were exhausted after the race and several hours on the expo floor.
In the morning Meagan and I hit up Town Lake for two loops. We saw several familiar faces including Mike Moran of New Balance, Jason Page of Bull City Running and others. It felt good waking up relaxed and fresh for day number two of The Running Event. There wasn't too much that took place on the run but we did notice that Mike was wearing a pair of Hoka One One Hubbles that looked absolutely ridiculous. He said they took away his quad pain during the run though. Good for them.
Distance: ~9 miles
The Running Event yesterday was full of activity that you can read about in Meagan's blog. I won't go into too many details about the day, but I will mention that I wore a tie. I think it's going to become a bit of a tradition because it was one hear ago on the first day of TRE that I was hired with TGA. I interviewed with my boss Paul and the president of Karhu. I was the only person wearing a tie in the entire convention center so I decided to be that guy again. The main reason I wore the tie was to negate the fact that I had a sweet mustache. I figured I had to do something to cancel out the filthy 'stache so I classed it up with a dress shirt and tie.
Yesterday was long and productive. I normally would have gone out with the likes of Keith Kelly of Reebok, Scott Schilter of Nuun or Mike Rouse of K-Swiss, but instead I had an early night with Meagan. Both of us were exhausted after the race and several hours on the expo floor.
In the morning Meagan and I hit up Town Lake for two loops. We saw several familiar faces including Mike Moran of New Balance, Jason Page of Bull City Running and others. It felt good waking up relaxed and fresh for day number two of The Running Event. There wasn't too much that took place on the run but we did notice that Mike was wearing a pair of Hoka One One Hubbles that looked absolutely ridiculous. He said they took away his quad pain during the run though. Good for them.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Pancho Villa Runs
Time: 66:34
Distance: ~9.6 miles
Race: 15:22, 4th
W/u: 22:46 for ~2.5 miles
Indie 5k
C/d: 28:28 for ~4 miles
My hopes and dreams for the revolution were crushed this morning when Pancho Villa could only manage a 4th place showing at The Running Event's Indie 5k. Retailers and vendors were on hand to crown the best of the washed up in the running industry. I thought today was going to be my day when I woke up mustache and all, but it wasn't meant to be. The revolution will have to live on elsewhere.
Lee and I were up early and over to Zilker Park by 6:15 am. We didn't know what time the race actually started but knew it was around 7:00 am. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere as a handful of vendors were setting up tents including Nuun, 2xU, Re-Gen, and more. Meagan arrived soon after and the three of us warmed up around the park. The pace on the warm up was slow and the chats were lighthearted. Lee and I want to start our own apparel company called trAchE (pronounced trash). It would be made out of all recycled goods but of the highest quality that we could scrounge up.
I signed up under Pancho Villa due to my sweet 'stache and got in a few quick strides. While preparing to race I spotted Darren Brown and Kyle Miller (both formerly of UT and now run for Rogue Equipment in Austin) lining up near the front. Also there were Keith Pierce (2:20 marathon and Austin Marathon champ), Jerry Faulkner (2:25 marathoner), Scotty D (2:26 marathoner) and a couple of other guys who looked legit.
The race went off and I found myself in the lead for the first hundred meters. It wasn't that I was running faster, just that I had run the tangent. Darren soon asserted himself at the front and basically ran away from the field while Kyle Miller chased. I looked around and hoped that I could still win the fastest vendor award because the guy in third was definitely not a rep or brand employee (turns out he runs for RunTex).
The course was tough. The first time up the hill put a dose of reality in my legs. I felt labored and didn't know how things were going to play out. Somehow around the 1k mark I felt amazing. I had slipped back into about 6th or 7th, and in my period of feeling great, I took off. It was like I had rocket boosters. Seriously.
I've only experienced the feeling a couple of times in the past and it only lasts a few minutes. I pulled wide and moved up into 5th and then solidly in 4th. I was chasing and closing the gap of 3rd when the sensation wore off. It was only 400 meters of feeling fantastic but it was enough to distance me from some of the other guys.
My mile split was only 5:05 given the early hill, but I picked it up to hit two miles in 10:01. Over the next couple of minutes I could hear another runner slowly approaching. He had monstrously loud footsteps that just slapped the pavement with authority. I couldn't imagine who it could be. I was a bit surprised when on the downhill I was caught and passed by Jerry's Kids. He opened a small gap on me that I would close during the final uphill (the damn hill we had to run up 3 times). At the apex I now had a slight advantage about 600 meters from the finish. I wasn't going to be able to catch 3rd, so I shifted my focus to keeping 4th.
I geared up for any late charge that he may have been planning and took off the final 300 meters missing the 3 mile split but managing to hit the line in about 15:20. Jerry finished two seconds back. Keith was back at 15:28. In terms of the leaders Darren ran 14:49, Kyle 15:05 and third was Lorin Wilson in 15:09. Pancho Villa lost to a dude name Lorin.
I'm pleased with how I ran given that I'm using residual fitness from this summer. I've strictly been logging miles for the past month and like knowing I can still run sub-5:00 for a 5k race in a competitive field. I can also say that after a month of triple digits I'm starting to feel incredibly strong. I think that's why I had superman powers for 400 meters today. The strength is there despite not doing anything particularly fast.
In the end I was screwed out of the vendor award because I don't actually work for any one particular brand. The Genesis Agency writes my check and not Fuel Belt, Nuun, Balega, etc. so the race director/Competitor Group didn't want to give me the credit deserved. I'm not sure why, but I think Meagan was also passed up as they recognized Sarah Bowman as the vendor winner because, you know, New Balance writes her checks. Seems a bit like they're playing favorites to me.
Distance: ~9.6 miles
Race: 15:22, 4th
W/u: 22:46 for ~2.5 miles
Indie 5k
C/d: 28:28 for ~4 miles
My hopes and dreams for the revolution were crushed this morning when Pancho Villa could only manage a 4th place showing at The Running Event's Indie 5k. Retailers and vendors were on hand to crown the best of the washed up in the running industry. I thought today was going to be my day when I woke up mustache and all, but it wasn't meant to be. The revolution will have to live on elsewhere.
Lee and I were up early and over to Zilker Park by 6:15 am. We didn't know what time the race actually started but knew it was around 7:00 am. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere as a handful of vendors were setting up tents including Nuun, 2xU, Re-Gen, and more. Meagan arrived soon after and the three of us warmed up around the park. The pace on the warm up was slow and the chats were lighthearted. Lee and I want to start our own apparel company called trAchE (pronounced trash). It would be made out of all recycled goods but of the highest quality that we could scrounge up.
I signed up under Pancho Villa due to my sweet 'stache and got in a few quick strides. While preparing to race I spotted Darren Brown and Kyle Miller (both formerly of UT and now run for Rogue Equipment in Austin) lining up near the front. Also there were Keith Pierce (2:20 marathon and Austin Marathon champ), Jerry Faulkner (2:25 marathoner), Scotty D (2:26 marathoner) and a couple of other guys who looked legit.
The race went off and I found myself in the lead for the first hundred meters. It wasn't that I was running faster, just that I had run the tangent. Darren soon asserted himself at the front and basically ran away from the field while Kyle Miller chased. I looked around and hoped that I could still win the fastest vendor award because the guy in third was definitely not a rep or brand employee (turns out he runs for RunTex).
The course was tough. The first time up the hill put a dose of reality in my legs. I felt labored and didn't know how things were going to play out. Somehow around the 1k mark I felt amazing. I had slipped back into about 6th or 7th, and in my period of feeling great, I took off. It was like I had rocket boosters. Seriously.
I've only experienced the feeling a couple of times in the past and it only lasts a few minutes. I pulled wide and moved up into 5th and then solidly in 4th. I was chasing and closing the gap of 3rd when the sensation wore off. It was only 400 meters of feeling fantastic but it was enough to distance me from some of the other guys.
My mile split was only 5:05 given the early hill, but I picked it up to hit two miles in 10:01. Over the next couple of minutes I could hear another runner slowly approaching. He had monstrously loud footsteps that just slapped the pavement with authority. I couldn't imagine who it could be. I was a bit surprised when on the downhill I was caught and passed by Jerry's Kids. He opened a small gap on me that I would close during the final uphill (the damn hill we had to run up 3 times). At the apex I now had a slight advantage about 600 meters from the finish. I wasn't going to be able to catch 3rd, so I shifted my focus to keeping 4th.
I geared up for any late charge that he may have been planning and took off the final 300 meters missing the 3 mile split but managing to hit the line in about 15:20. Jerry finished two seconds back. Keith was back at 15:28. In terms of the leaders Darren ran 14:49, Kyle 15:05 and third was Lorin Wilson in 15:09. Pancho Villa lost to a dude name Lorin.
I'm pleased with how I ran given that I'm using residual fitness from this summer. I've strictly been logging miles for the past month and like knowing I can still run sub-5:00 for a 5k race in a competitive field. I can also say that after a month of triple digits I'm starting to feel incredibly strong. I think that's why I had superman powers for 400 meters today. The strength is there despite not doing anything particularly fast.
In the end I was screwed out of the vendor award because I don't actually work for any one particular brand. The Genesis Agency writes my check and not Fuel Belt, Nuun, Balega, etc. so the race director/Competitor Group didn't want to give me the credit deserved. I'm not sure why, but I think Meagan was also passed up as they recognized Sarah Bowman as the vendor winner because, you know, New Balance writes her checks. Seems a bit like they're playing favorites to me.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Lee G FTW
Time: 44:56
Distance: ~5 miles
The day was spent over at the Austin Convention Center setting up various booths for The Running Event. I arrived a little late and helped finish up the Orthaheel booth. Fuel Belt, Nuun, and Balega were also busy putting together their displays when I slipped out with Lee (Chicago) and Kela (Tennessee) to grab some coffee. We had a TGA meeting to get ready after our boss, Paul, got back from visiting with his wood packer. No really. He had to meet up with a guy who was delivering wood for his smoker. How else do you get delicious brisket? You need good wood.
We got fueled up on delicious Starbucks coffee which really is a shame because there are so many great independently owned coffee shops in Austin. Somehow none of us could find on on 6th St., the main bar street that perpetually smells like alcohol and vomit. I'm sure it's fun after a UT football win, but there haven't been many of those this season.
Our meeting was productive as Team TGA is strong and numbers are good. We had some time to kill before the opening cocktail reception in the expo hall so Lee and I decided to go for a run. I mentioned in a post a couple of days ago that despite being "the running event" there is very little time for the actual activity. Lee and I found that time and hit up Town Lake for a few miles. I'm not going to pull punches and I'm not sure if Lee even reads this blog, but he's packed on a few pounds since our first run together a full year ago in Portsmouth, NH. The pace was slow but it allowed me have a good honest discussion with Mr. Greenberg. It also kept me fresh for the biggest 5k race of the year tomorrow morning.
The rest of the night was spent back at the expo where I was the smelly kid. Lee and I tried to shower up back at Paul's but we failed to break in and we didn't have key. I attended the reception smelling something awful and had to venture out to a Mexican dinner with the Nuun and Fuel Belt crew. Scott Schilter selected Guero's which would have been delicious if I had been able to tear into the meats. Instead I ordered a vegetarian dish with chicken so that I would feel heavy in the morning. I don't know about you, but the next morning I feel more than sluggish after a big meal of Mexican food.
It was early to bed after a shower and shave. And by shave, I mean I shaved my chin and left the mess above the upper lip. This means I am rocking a slick Pancho Villa style mustache. I would fit in perfectly with the pitching staff of the World Champion SF Giants. Some, like Meagan, would say mustaches are gross, but I maintain that it's simply a bit of awesome on my face.
Distance: ~5 miles
The day was spent over at the Austin Convention Center setting up various booths for The Running Event. I arrived a little late and helped finish up the Orthaheel booth. Fuel Belt, Nuun, and Balega were also busy putting together their displays when I slipped out with Lee (Chicago) and Kela (Tennessee) to grab some coffee. We had a TGA meeting to get ready after our boss, Paul, got back from visiting with his wood packer. No really. He had to meet up with a guy who was delivering wood for his smoker. How else do you get delicious brisket? You need good wood.
We got fueled up on delicious Starbucks coffee which really is a shame because there are so many great independently owned coffee shops in Austin. Somehow none of us could find on on 6th St., the main bar street that perpetually smells like alcohol and vomit. I'm sure it's fun after a UT football win, but there haven't been many of those this season.
Our meeting was productive as Team TGA is strong and numbers are good. We had some time to kill before the opening cocktail reception in the expo hall so Lee and I decided to go for a run. I mentioned in a post a couple of days ago that despite being "the running event" there is very little time for the actual activity. Lee and I found that time and hit up Town Lake for a few miles. I'm not going to pull punches and I'm not sure if Lee even reads this blog, but he's packed on a few pounds since our first run together a full year ago in Portsmouth, NH. The pace was slow but it allowed me have a good honest discussion with Mr. Greenberg. It also kept me fresh for the biggest 5k race of the year tomorrow morning.
The rest of the night was spent back at the expo where I was the smelly kid. Lee and I tried to shower up back at Paul's but we failed to break in and we didn't have key. I attended the reception smelling something awful and had to venture out to a Mexican dinner with the Nuun and Fuel Belt crew. Scott Schilter selected Guero's which would have been delicious if I had been able to tear into the meats. Instead I ordered a vegetarian dish with chicken so that I would feel heavy in the morning. I don't know about you, but the next morning I feel more than sluggish after a big meal of Mexican food.
It was early to bed after a shower and shave. And by shave, I mean I shaved my chin and left the mess above the upper lip. This means I am rocking a slick Pancho Villa style mustache. I would fit in perfectly with the pitching staff of the World Champion SF Giants. Some, like Meagan, would say mustaches are gross, but I maintain that it's simply a bit of awesome on my face.
Tito Makes Town Lake Miserable
Time: 65:53
Distance: ~9 miles
This post really should start the night before because it explains why I ran so slow and felt so miserable. I left for Austin and arrived to my boss' house mid-shindig. He invited over a bunch of his friends, local retailers, vendors and more. There was a keg out back, a bucket of brisket, a pile of tortillas and all the fixins that any good Texan would provide. I was having a good time chatting with Michael from GORE, Scott & Scott and Tyler from Nuun, Matt who reps Chrome, my colleague Lee and many more. Alistair Cragg's dad was even there! I'd like to say it was the who's who of the running world, but it really wasn't. I'm not that big time... yet.
At some point during the night it was revealed that one of the Scotts from Nuun was celebrating a birthday. This could mean only one thing, invite Tito to the party. And by Tito I mean Tito's Vodka. I've never heard of Tito's Vodka and neither have you. It would be one thing if it were Tito's Tequila, but it wasn't. I guess Tito could be Russian, but in my head he's Mexican. This is where the morning run took a turn for the worse.
When I left the house in the morning for a run I knew that Brooks employees were going to be down on Town Lake playing games and stuff. I ran to their various checkpoints and failed at a couple of their games. I really only stopped to catch my breath, drink water and chat with friends. While I was at the last stop I ran into one of the store owners where I started working in the running game. Tim(b0 Slice) Thompson of OK Runner and I caught and I learned that Jerry's Kids and Scotty D would be in attendance for the Indie 5k tomorrow morning. The ringers were coming to town and I had to get serious about this running thing.
Distance: ~9 miles
This post really should start the night before because it explains why I ran so slow and felt so miserable. I left for Austin and arrived to my boss' house mid-shindig. He invited over a bunch of his friends, local retailers, vendors and more. There was a keg out back, a bucket of brisket, a pile of tortillas and all the fixins that any good Texan would provide. I was having a good time chatting with Michael from GORE, Scott & Scott and Tyler from Nuun, Matt who reps Chrome, my colleague Lee and many more. Alistair Cragg's dad was even there! I'd like to say it was the who's who of the running world, but it really wasn't. I'm not that big time... yet.
At some point during the night it was revealed that one of the Scotts from Nuun was celebrating a birthday. This could mean only one thing, invite Tito to the party. And by Tito I mean Tito's Vodka. I've never heard of Tito's Vodka and neither have you. It would be one thing if it were Tito's Tequila, but it wasn't. I guess Tito could be Russian, but in my head he's Mexican. This is where the morning run took a turn for the worse.
When I left the house in the morning for a run I knew that Brooks employees were going to be down on Town Lake playing games and stuff. I ran to their various checkpoints and failed at a couple of their games. I really only stopped to catch my breath, drink water and chat with friends. While I was at the last stop I ran into one of the store owners where I started working in the running game. Tim(b0 Slice) Thompson of OK Runner and I caught and I learned that Jerry's Kids and Scotty D would be in attendance for the Indie 5k tomorrow morning. The ringers were coming to town and I had to get serious about this running thing.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Hunged Over
Time: 65:17
Distance: 10.04 miles
Had a great night with Carmody and some of his buddies last night. We played a few games of pong in the death zone of a backyard that is Hanley's house. Cups everywhere. Couches everywhere. Terrible scene. The one great decision I made last night was to not go out on the town after the games of pong.
I was up and out the door a little after 7 to hit up Town Lake. I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to find a parking spot. The run started out slow and gradually progressed into something respectable. I ended up averaging about 6:30s which means the final few miles were of some quality. I couldn't find my Karhu Fast_Rides which meant I had to run in the Lunar Racers.
Distance: 10.04 miles
Had a great night with Carmody and some of his buddies last night. We played a few games of pong in the death zone of a backyard that is Hanley's house. Cups everywhere. Couches everywhere. Terrible scene. The one great decision I made last night was to not go out on the town after the games of pong.
I was up and out the door a little after 7 to hit up Town Lake. I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to find a parking spot. The run started out slow and gradually progressed into something respectable. I ended up averaging about 6:30s which means the final few miles were of some quality. I couldn't find my Karhu Fast_Rides which meant I had to run in the Lunar Racers.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Town Lake
Time: 57:17
Distance: 8.72 miles
I ran on Town Lake this morning and happened to run into Sara Bei (aka Sara Hall, Ryan Hall's wife). She was in town for the Running Event and to meet with Lance Armstrong about how to run a successful organization. Sara and Ryan have started the Hall Steps Foundation just recently. It was fun catching up with her and it made 20 minutes pass by really quickly. We departed on the far side of the Run Tex bridge and then I ran back to 0.0.
After the run I did a few strides to check up on my turnover. It felt a little awkward doing so.
Distance: 8.72 miles
I ran on Town Lake this morning and happened to run into Sara Bei (aka Sara Hall, Ryan Hall's wife). She was in town for the Running Event and to meet with Lance Armstrong about how to run a successful organization. Sara and Ryan have started the Hall Steps Foundation just recently. It was fun catching up with her and it made 20 minutes pass by really quickly. We departed on the far side of the Run Tex bridge and then I ran back to 0.0.
After the run I did a few strides to check up on my turnover. It felt a little awkward doing so.
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