Posts Tagged ‘races’

I signed up for the Cleveland Marathon on Friday, which drastically changes my approach to the whole year. I have been indecisive about what to do this spring for a couple of months now – while the Shamrock Half Marathon is my No. 1 priority, I believe that a spring marathon will only enhance my experience in Virginia Beach in March.

With doing some initial planning, the timing is perfect — Shamrock is 9 weeks before Cleveland; this summer I ran the Lynchburg Half Marathon 9 weeks before the Baltimore Marathon. My planned mileage and long runs before Shamrock really don’t change all that much by signing up for the marathon.

I have had a lot of thoughts wrapped up in my head about a spring marathon, and it’s relieving to finally have the chance to get them out. As I hinted yesterday, this hasn’t been an easy decision.

Warning, there will be blood below. 

Today was one of those days that made me feel like a new runner all over again — I ran a race for the first time ever in January, and it was on a trail in the mountains near Roanoke.

Since I knew I wasn’t running with a specific time goal in mind for the Mountain Junkies Frozen Toe 10k, I left my watch at home so I could fully enjoy this experience.

Oh, and it was about 50 degrees at the start. The previous two times this race has been held it has been cold with snow and ice.

There’s really no reason to do a traditional “race report” — this was a learning experience that I wanted to utilize for future trail races. Plus I did not know the course at all.

I went out with a very conservative approach and hung back quite a bit at the beginning. In hindsight, I could have pushed it more in the first half mile before entering the trail. That said, I was very comfortable with things in the first couple of miles. Since I’ve only run on trails a few times in the past couple of months, there was no need to push it hard.

The aftermath.

Somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd miles, I took a tumble. A hard tumble.

I hit a stretch of very leaf-covered ground and I guess my right foot hit a rock — I’m not really sure what happened after that other than I rolled on the ground. Oddly enough, nobody saw this happen.

I got up and realized that I was pretty banged up — there was a cut on my right knee and elbow. But I could walk fine, so I just ran. I could feel some discomfort in my right thigh, but nothing too major.

Around mile 3, I stopped at the water stop and took a closer look at things — while there was blood, the cuts weren’t bad, so along I went.

The course consisted of some of the best trails I’ve ever been on. I think some of that is because it was so cold earlier this week that anything that could have been mud had dried up. Passing people and getting passed was pretty smooth.

While there definitely were some tight areas, there was no getting backed up behind people for too long. The continuous up and down hills kept everyone spread out fairly well.

I crossed the finish line in a time of 56:14. The first thing I did was go to my car to get my phone to take pictures of my battle scars. Pretty disturbing, right?

I’m pretty sore tonight, especially my elbow. I have a bruise on my thigh pretty high up — I’m pretty sure that I hit a nice-sized rock under the leaves with my upper thigh with the multiple marks I have. All in all, though, I feel good.

Knowing what I know now about this course, I probably could run it a few minutes faster than that. I’m definitely happy with today though. It’s a great way to kick off the year and official training for the Shamrock Half Marathon.

Last night I passed last year’s running miles and now stand at more than 1,012 for the year. In just a few days I’ll pass my consecutive running days streak — Saturday will be the record-setting day. It’s a fitting way to end the year full of personal records. Here’s a look:

• It started in April with a 3-second PR in the 10k at the Monument Avenue 10k in Richmond. You may recall this was my No. 1 racing moment of the year in my post the other day.
• In July I had one goal — a PR in the Stars and Stripes 5k in Howland, Ohio. Mission accomplished by 31 seconds.
• A few weeks later, I dug deep and found a PR in the Percival’s Island 5 Miler, the fourth time I’ve done that race. I knocked 12 seconds off my PR from 2007.
• It wasn’t a personal record in the distance, but I did set a course record by more than 4 minutes on the “new” course of the Lynchburg Half Marathon in August.
• A week after that I set a new bar in the 5k in the Fab 5k, knocking off another 18 seconds off my PR.
• Perhaps the biggest PR came in the Baltimore Marathon. I never really talked about how much improvement I made in that distance, but my 3:56:17 finish was more than 16 minutes better than my first attempt at that distance in 2007.
• The final record of the year came with a course record a few weeks ago in the Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic in which I knocked off more than a minute and a half of my time from 2009.

This may sound confusing, but to me it makes sense — some of my top racing moments of 2011 may not show up in a later post with top running moments of the year, or some of these moments may rank differently. The Baltimore Marathon, for example, was definitely one of the biggest highlights for me — ever — but from a racing perspective, it’s not my No. 1 moment of the year. Read on  …

5. Trail race + age group award + running with my son
In May I was very humbled by running the Mountain Junkies Trail Nut 10k trail race in Bedford. That experience was one that reminded me how challenging running on multiple surfaces really is.

This race was made special in that I was 2nd in my age group and my son wanted to run with me after – a perfect way to cool down. Winning a free pair of Injinji socks added to that great day.

4. Sub 7-minute final mile, Percival’s Island 5-Miler
The fact that I set a PR in this race is not the reason this is here – the final mile of that race is. As I think back to that day, I’m still not sure why I couldn’t pick up the pace in the first four miles, nor do I know where I found the motivation to have one of the best miles ever in a race. I do know, though, that it’s worth this list.

3. PR in the Baltimore Marathon
Here’s where this list gets tricky. Coming back this year after an injury and running in the marathon may very well be my best running highlight this year (that’s for another list before the end of the year), but when it comes to racing, it’s not what stands out as the best moment.

Here’s why: as I near the finish of 8 years of running, I have to think about where I started and where I am now. When it comes to racing, the marathon is not where my roots stand. Yes, it is very important to me that I ran 26.2 miles and was not injured afterward, but as I allow hindsight to tell the story, the Baltimore Marathon was not the best racing highlight of my year. Considering that I ran 13 races this year (also a PR), No. 3 isn’t so bad.

2. Destroying my 5k PR
In July I set out for a PR in the 5k at a race in Ohio. It was the first time in a while that I’ve approached a 5k with a “PR or go home” mentality. While I did set a PR that day, the next month I once again set my PR in a 5k (the Fab 5k, another Mountain Junkies race) with a time of 21:52. I have shaved 49 second off my 5k PR this year — more than 16 seconds per mile.

1. Getting back to the start line
Nearly 5 months after being injured after the Richmond Marathon, I went back to the River City for my first race of the year – the Monument Avenue 10k. Not only was getting to the start line a huge deal, I also managed to get a PR by 3 seconds with a well-executed negative split. There’s no doubt in my mind that day was my greatest race moment this year.

It’s funny to think that at two different times since I started running that I went more than a year between 5ks. Now I can say I have run four 5k races in four weeks. It’s not something I highly recommend, but it’s been fun.

The fourth 5k this past Saturday was similar to the first one in this series — my main goal was to help pace Josh, a co-worker of mine, while still getting in a very solid run at the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis in Roanoke. I was hoping to push Josh to a PR on Saturday, but he just couldn’t quite hold the pace for the final mile.

Josh ran a 24:23, just shy of his PR this past summer. His PR was when I set my PR at the Fab 5k; this course in Roanoke on Saturday was completely different with rolling hills and a couple of tough bridges.

I ran with him for about 2.5 miles, then went ahead with a strong finish myself at 24:08. I would have liked to have gotten to under 24 minutes for the both of us, but on this course I am more than pleased with what we both did. I think with the right conditions on a flatter course Josh is poised to break 24 minutes.

The past four weeks have been a tremendous learning experience for me, as I not only set a personal record for races in consecutive weeks, I also added the Runner’s World Holiday Run Streak into the mix. Here are some things I’ve taken from this:

• It’s perfectly fine to leave something on the course. Yes, I’ve done that before, but it’s been way too long since I ran a race for the fun of running a race and enjoying great company.
• If you’re going to run races in consecutive weeks, make only one of them your “A” race. This approached worked well for me with setting my course record in the Christmas Classic.
• Pacing another runner is an awesome opportunity to take the pressure off yourself. I hope to do more of this in the future. Saturday was fun for me because I didn’t care about my time. Thinking about the “what could have been” element of race like the one on Saturday was quite enjoyable and presents a challenge should I do this race next year.
• Lastly, these four 5ks have made me realize that the distance of 3.1 miles is the hardest distance to race. I used to think it was the 10k, but it’s now this for me. Those precious seconds you may lose at the beginning weaving around slower runners or not hitting a hill exactly right are the make-or-break points with setting personal records for a 5k.

Now that this challenge is done, all that is left is 13.1 miles for 1,000 running miles this year …

After Saturday’s Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic, I didn’t hang out for long. After being out in the cold for a while, my son was ready to go home. I ended up missing some exciting news though — an age group award.

My official time of 22:53 put me 3rd in my age group, which was really surprising considering the top 3 in my age group last year had finishes of 20 minutes or better. So I’d like to thank all the REALLY fast guys 30-34 for staying home Saturday.

My award was the coffee cup above; the inset photo is me and my son showing off our awards — he ended up getting a medal for his race.

I ended up being 60th out of 369 finishers, the largest Christmas Classic ever. My official time puts me at 1:41 better than my previous time from two years ago when I was 100th out of 322.

It always seems like “next year” is so far away, but then it never really is. When it comes to running, I’ve thought about this year’s Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic nearly every time I’ve gone for a run in Bedford. It’s nearly impossible to not run part of that course.

A year ago this weekend, I sat on the sidelines and watched many friends run the race; it was that day that really set the wheels into motion of coming back from my injury that I still have a hard time shaking from my head.

It was that day I felt like I was more determined than ever to get back to running; it was also the same day I had my initial visit with Wimmer Chiropractic and began developing a strategy with how to run more than a half mile at a time.

Today was a special day as I was able to get to the start line of the Christmas Classic healthy, and with a strong goal — break my course record. I did that today with a Garmin time of 22:54, more than 1:30 better than two years ago.

It was such a great race, despite my nose being stopped up again. I actually ran with a Breathe Right strip to help battle that issue.

Today’s cold air felt great — it was in the upper 30s when it started.After last week’s lesson, I finally got brave enough to not wear a long sleeve shirt under 40 degrees.

I hit the first mile, which was a gradual downhill, in just under 7 minutes. I was very happy to battle the infamous hospital hill in the second mile and hit about 7:45. I wish I had some juice left in the final mile, but with a gradual uphill finish and a course record in the bag, I stayed focused on finishing under 23 minutes.

While the focus of this race was about completing my comeback and ending my racing year strong, I also thought a lot about my grandfather who passed away earlier this year. The loop course was his favorite walking loop, and through the neighborhood my grandparents lived in until this year.

I thought a lot about him today, as I often have on runs by myself this year. With Christmas near, the memories of him wearing a “I told you the Schmidt house!” Santa sweatshirt every year are as clear as ever in my head.

To add to today being a special day, my son also completed another race — a simple quarter mile in which he was able to dust another little kid at the end who veered off course. This was after my son’s shoe fell off and he was complaining of his legs hurting.

Seeing him doing this on his own terms is just awesome. I don’t think he quite “gets it” yet when it comes to races, but I’m sure he will soon enough. And when he does, he’ll quickly break all of my personal records.

For now, it’s all about having fun. Something I’m doing a lot of, too.

A year after not being able to run a race on Thanksgiving Day, I’m very grateful today to have hit the hilly streets of Lynchburg for my second 5k in less than a week. There has been no greater feeling of success than coming back from my injury this year.

Similar to last week, my main goal was to run hard, not give quite that 100 percent race effort and think about how I’ll approach my “A” 5k next week in the Christmas Classic.

About a half mile was on cobblestone streets. That was, quite simply, very rough.

There’s really nothing to “report” from today besides a few notes:

• My chip time was 24:54. I would have liked to have been closer to 24 minutes, but with a jam-packed beginning I just rolled with the crowd, weaving in and out way too much, thus having nothing in the tank for the final uphill finish. Or maybe it was my 4th beer last night that left me without as much to give today.
• I am very happy to have been 176th out of 1,395 finishers, and 17th in my age group out of 55.
• My Garmin, which I know is slightly off with elevation issues, said this race had 270 feet of elevation gain. That’s nuts for such a short run. Here’s the elevation data:

• I overdressed. It’s the first time I’ve done that in a race. By the time the race started (10 minutes late), it was in the low 40s and there was no need for a long-sleeve shirt. It made for too big of a distraction in the second half of the race with that being hot feeling.
• My sister ran her first race today, finishing in 36:40. I’ve been dropping hints for a while now for her to sign up for the Monument Avenue 10k in Richmond. We’ll see what happens.
• Lastly, I got to talk to Taco’s owner. Taco is a local running celebrity, and I’ve seen him several times this year. His owner says that Taco runs about 20 miles a week. And no leash is needed for this awesome dog.

A free 5k, plus a $15 gift card to a new running store? Yes, please.

Yesterday I started off my 5k frenzy a week earlier than I originally wrote about, kicking off four straight weeks of 5k races. This race was to celebrate the grand opening of The Aid Station, a new running store in Forest, Va.

It included the gift card, a free shirt, free GU and some other door prizes that were thrown out at the end (I caught some Shot Bloks and a pair of socks).

I used yesterday to help pace a co-worker for the first couple of miles or so to help push him to a strong time. I wanted to run hard, but not go all out.

The course was what I would consider relatively flat for this part of Virginia — there was a gradual downhill first half and a gradual uphill second half, both which included going over an old-school wooden bridge.

The beginning of the race was crazy — there were more than 500 people there with a tight start. The strategy was to just go with the flow the first half mile and not fall. We ended up hitting the first mile in about 7:30.

My co-worker struggled a bit after the first half and I got about 20 feet in front of him — I slowed down a bit, gave him some encouraging words and things to think about and it helped pick him up a bit. As we neared the cross over of the wooden bridge again, I think the cold air (it was about 35), not running for a week and the brief hill got to him.

I ended up finishing in 24:11; he wasn’t too far behind. Official times haven’t been posted, and it’s possible my posted time will show up a couple of seconds slower as an inconsiderate runner passed me and a boy and a woman in the finishing area as the young guy was throwing up. (He was saying near the end, “I’m gonna die,” but he was very happy with himself a few minutes later.)

The huge turnout for this event, the gift card (I finally bought myself a handheld water bottle), a T-shirt, pushing another runner along, the free handouts, and seeing more people that I knew than ever before at a race made this such an awesome event. I also got to meet the Nutrition Nerd, who has a regular feature for my #runchat co-moderator Scott.

I can’t thank The Aid Station enough for putting it together. I wish them the best of luck in their business and hope they’ll be a part of more local events, as well as creating new events. I’ll certainly be shopping there again.

As for my 5k time, it feels great to push it and leave something on the course. I haven’t done that in a while. This sets me up well for the next three weeks and gives me confidence to close out the year strong. I can’t wait until Thursday!

“… I would love to go back there for a third time …”

Those are my words from my last post, which may explain this email subject line:

There are lots of reasons for this, which I don’t want to get into right now. It’s the right thing for me and I can’t wait to run Richmond for a third time. That is all, for now.