Weekend Bling Report
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The fifth anniversary Giants Head Marathon on Saturday. My second running of the event, a trail marathon in Dorset. It's undulating, over 27 miles with about 1000 metres of elevation.
Having picked up a mild piriformis pain at the Ox 12Hour the other week where I limited myself to a marathon I was a bit cautious and chose to carry my hiking poles. About 14 miles in it started nagging again, so the poles helped a lot, to minimise my limping. As the ground is very hard at this time of year I opted for my Inov-8 Road Claws, rather than my Race Ultras. I think they helps a little, although with lack of a rock plate led to a fair amount of bruising.
As ever a tough race, with the winner finishing in 3:20 and the last runner coming in at about 8:30, so I was reasonably comfortable with a 6:39 finish.
https://relive.cc/view/1051776023
Other than really bad blisters, I'm in pretty good shape, ready for the Chase Half in a couple of weeks.
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Firecracker Four Mile was not an important race to me, but I was feeling pretty good at the start line. Ended up running it at about the same pace I ran my last tempo interval, but on a course with more hills. 4 mile certified course in 25:42, 16th of 697 overall and 1st of 16 in the M 60-64 age group.
I wasn't crazy about the curved glass plaques that were out for awards, so I settled for taking a picture of them and leaving before the awards ceremony.
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I've decided that I really don't like short races. My lungs burn for 20 minutes and then I go home. I think the mile race I am signed up for in a couple weeks will be the last thing I run shorter than a 10k (or maybe even HM distance and longer).
Still, I managed to finished 2nd in my age group today and 11th over all in the Paxtang Patriot 5k. The last mile was over a minute slower than the first thanks to a nicely placed hill that seemed to go on forever. I got passed exactly once and that occurred in the last 200 meters. I had nothing left in the tank. Did I mention I really hate short races?
I'm the one in the blue looking all serious. I have no idea what I was thinking at that point to have that look on my face. The race just started.6 -
@MobyCarp - I kinda like the glass plaques. They are different from the usual trophies and medals.
The first time you see them, they're pretty cool. By the the third time the reaction is, "Where am I going to put it?" Some of them have ended up in my recycle bin for lack of storage space.0 -
Chase Half on Sunday. The first time this event has taken place, with a 12 hour the day before. A few friends did marathon distance during the 12 hour.
As ever, trail course with about 250 m of elevation. No steep ascents and a very hard surface. Inov-8 Race Ultras worked well, although having picked up very bad heel blisters at the GHM I was a bit cautious of opening them up.
A really good day, 2:44 finish which seemed fair for the conditions.3 -
A bit of cognitive dissonance. I won my age group running my 14th and slowest half marathon, in a race where I struggled to run as slowly as I should.
It was 64º F (18º C) with 88% relative humidity and overcast skies. As weather for Shoreline goes, it was pretty good. I've trained in the humidity, and it felt pretty cool compared to the evening running I've been doing.
But I was pacing for a 1:40 finish, targeting a 7:38 pace by race mile markers. Kept having to slow myself down, which wasn't too bad for the first 11 miles when I had a guy depending on me for a good pace. Then he took off to finish in 1:38:30, and it was really hard to run the last 2 miles slow in space. Ended up finishing in 1:39:05, and I'll count less than a minute off target as a victory.
That turned out to win the M 60-64 age group (1st of 15 in the age group, 38th of 639 overall), so I got another curved glass plaque and a jar of organic peanut butter. I wasn't sure I was eligible for the age group award, since I was a pacer and my entry was comped; but I'll take the peanut butter. It may not be as good as the almond butter or sunflower butter I've got at other races, but it's a lot better than the peanut butter I'd buy in the store.
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Ran a tiny 10k race yesterday. Had a blast. My cousin and aunt won the overall female awards for the 5k and 10k respectively, and I beat the only other female in my age group. So I wasn't last after all! My cousin tripped and broke her trophy seconds after receiving it, only to discover that they gave her the wrong one - so she had actually broken someone else's trophy! Oops! The real rewards for us were the gobs they gave out at the end. We left with a pile of them. See the picture if you don't know what a gob is
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^^^ You mean Whoopie Pie ^^^
Where is this race? I will run for whoopie pies any day any time. 1 -
^^^ You mean Whoopie Pie ^^^
Where is this race? I will run for whoopie pies any day any time.
Shanksville, PA, a tiny little town in Somerset County, just a few miles from the Flight 93 crash site. It seems to be an annual race as a fundraiser for the girls high school basketball team. VERY low-budget! But the "gobs" - that's what they call them here
- made it worth it!
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Did the running leg for a relay team at a local triathlon. Although our average age is ~57, we won the 40+ division. I went into the event mildly injured, so expected to run slower than I actually did.1
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My first (and maybe last
) mile race is compete. I managed to run it in 6:16. That was a bit slower than my goal (and what I think I can do) but I'll take it. It was good enough for 116th place overall and 6th in my age group. The placement could have been worse but a severe storm went through and caused a significant delay between heats. Many participants left.
If I do run it again I want to get under 6 minutes. I'm confident I can but the question is do I really want to train for it. I'm much more comfortable running marathons. I have a few months to think about it...
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@dewd2 - I've seen the workouts for people targeting mile races, and they intimidate me. So far, I've avoided them by telling everyone I'm training for a marathon and just running the Michigan Mile because I'm expected to support the team. And telling the team captain he doesn't need me, he really needs a miler. He doesn't seem to believe me.
Before my first mile race, I told another runner, "I don't know whether I want to run a mile. I'm not much of a sprinter." Big mistake. I got a long lecture on how a mile is not a sprint, and a description of race strategy that (aside from the ludicrously short distances and fast paces) sounded a lot like a half marathon race strategy. Still, from the perspective a marathon runner, the task is simply go run a mile as fast as you can.3 -
Wasn't on the weekend, but ran a local 5k this week for fun and to break up the training monotony. Like @MobyCarp, all of my training is targeted towards longer distances (marathon/50k). I don't do any speedwork beside a once a week marathon pace run. 80% of my running is at an easy conversational pace.
Came in first overall, PRed my 5k time, and set my first sub 19 minute 5k time with an 18:57 official time.
Even a mile or 5k is predominantly an aerobic effort, so training for distance has greatly improved my performance even in shorter races.
https://runnersconnect.net/the-importance-of-aerobic-running/4 -
Ran the Run United 5K Saturday. Started out oversleeping my alarm, got half way to the park and realized I forgot my headphones, got to the park with 25 minutes to spare and only got about half a warmup run in, still tending a sore knee and then during the Anthem, it starts to pour.....
Nutty day, but finished 3rd in my age group (50-59) and 33rd overall.4 -
Ran the Karknocker 5K this evening. 19:28 was good for 23rd of 272overall and 1st of 7 in the M 60-64 age group. 2nd and 3rd place in age group got cheap medals; age group winners got more generic bling:
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I did a small 6.5 mile today. Though I was very close to first overall, I just never could quite catch up. At two points, I was only a few feet behind the lead; and ended less than a min. later.
It didn't help that I started the day with some health issues... I'll spare you the gory details, but it was painful to stand up straight when I first got out of bed. I knew exactly what was wrong and was almost back to top shape before the race. Issue resurfaced around mile 2, but I was able to keep going. It did slow me down a little bit during miles 2-4; a time when I could have taken the lead otherwise (the leader appeared to show some weakness on this hilly section).
Nonetheless, I won my age group and got a medal for that.
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Dorset Invader Marathon yesterday, 28.2 miles of Dorset trails with over 700 metres of elevation. Very muddy for much of the route and persistent rain throughout.
Not a great experience as I was significantly underfueled. Two weeks of military food left me in a bad state and I felt my energy starting to drop rapidly at about 12 miles. I then fell quite hard on rock at about 15 miles, which reduced me to walking much of the rest of the route. The wall finally caught up with me at about 24 miles, despite six gels, flapjacks, beer and assorted cakes at the aid stations.
https://instagram.com/p/BXIXn6Bht-G/
Not all that happy with 6:58 but I'll take it. I probably shouldn't have gone out, but you know how it is.
I've now got about six weeks until my next races, and I think I need the break.
https://relive.cc/view/1107174457
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Jenny Kuzma Memorial Bergen 5K today. Didn't know I'd run it till this morning, when the legs felt healthy enough to risk a 5K. The point was to support my team; but it turned out there were no age group team awards, so I could have sat it out without hurting the team, sigh.
Ran a 19:47, good for 88th of 200 overall and 2nd of 11 in the M 60+ age group, behind a team mate who recently aged up. This was a tough field because it was also the USATF Niagara Region 5K Championship, and the open teams were hotly contested.
Bling was nominal; a plastic pint glass, and a visor with no hat that is useless for old bald guys like me. Age group winners also got a bag/backpack, but I already have one just like that from last year. And there was a $15 gift certificate to a local running store. I'll use that.
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20km Emperor's Challenge Tumbler Ridge BC. Gun Start and Chip Time finish.
Registration capped at 1000 Athlete's ( filled in < 13 hr's ) which is realistically all the Available Parking, Trail System and volunteers can handle due to the Terrain Challenges and the large amount of area's that are single track.
1000 registered but only 654 made it to the start line. That is a lot of DNS.
325 of 654 Johnson Bill 03:00:02 M Peace River 31/52 in my AG.
Since I am normally a Mid-Pack Finisher that's where I tried to Line up for the start.
Was a little to deep. Lots of walkers snuck in front which made for a slow start.
1 - 2.3 km. Uphill on a road to let the athletes spread out. So lots of work to pass the slower athletes and walkers who were 4-6 across
2.3 - 5 km. Into the bush on a rolling old Pipeline right of way ( 1-2m wide ) with limited passing until km 5.
5 - 6.5 km. Back uphill with passing opportunities untill km 6.5.
6.5 - 8 km. Into the trees, Mixed Single and Double Track until km 8 Water Station. Mud Holes, Rock Gardens and with the false peak visible
off the right shoulder.
8 - 10.5 km. Uphill through the trees, tundra and jumbled rocks. High Tripping Hazard.
I was in a group with 7 runners ahead of me who were constantly passing the slower athletes
the lead runner would step off the main trail to pass and we would all step out at about the same point to pass.
Not sure what was happening behind me but suspect there were others doing the same.
Then the trail would narrow down and we would all pullback into line.
Drop into a Narrow Rift Valley - Slippery Loose Granular rock that was a real challenge for some.
I slowed up a little before the descent to get a little space between me and the runner in front of me
and then just threw myself over the edge. Ran uphill through the rift valley and then we ran into the
Big Boulders that had broke free from the walls and crashed down blocking the valley, Straight uphill out of the Rift.
Right into the 10.5 km Water Station. The real peak was now visible. Across the Top of the mountain with a Fantastic Cooling Wind
very irregular bedrock with unstable footing - a real challenge. Normally would be a magnificient view but lots of
smoke limiting visibility to 1 km.
11 km. Pass the peak and drop back into the Rift Valley between Mtn Top Tarns/Lakes. Another straight up-hill assent
out of the Rift Valley. Back into the Broken Bedrock with nasty footing/tripping hazards. Rolling Downhill
km 14 Aid Station. A short up-hill section and then steeply downhill untill km 19.4. A short uphill and its over.
Gold Medals < 2hrs
Silver Medals 2 - 3hrs
Bronze Medals >3hrs
My Time 3:00:02 Yea that's right 2 lousy second's away from a Silver Medal Finish.
My GPS Watch from Strava was 2:59:32.
But it was so much fun I know that I will have to hit this event again.
Nice Shirt - Very Nice Shirt.
I stole/hijacked a few photo's from another athlete's Strava Post since I did not have a phone/camera with me.
Km 6 - 7 1 of 4 Cracks in the Bedrock we had to jump across. This was the smallest one.
Rock Garden Single track
Km 10 Rift Valley
Steep Climb out of the Rift Valley - there be lots of walking
Km 11 Downhill off the peak. Heavy Smoke obscures the other Mountains
Km 12 Smoky
Km 13 Bedrock - Boulder gardens. Tricky - technical section
Km 14 Cliffside Ridge Run on the descent. Adjacent Mountain shrouded in Smoke.
Weather Reports - Smoke Advisory from the BC Fires. @mwyvr
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