Posts Tagged ‘Percival’s Island’

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.

My wife caught this awesome photo of the James River in Lynchburg from the first bridge we cross in the race.

You know those moments where you plan something and it plays out perfectly? Well, that didn’t happen today. For one of the first races ever, I set a very specific goal for today’s Percival’s Island 5 Miler in Lynchburg. I even went as far as writing on my wrist where I needed to be each mile to hit 36:54.

7:22 pace would have put me at 36:54 (yes, that's a 4, not a 9)

My time today was 36:47. That’s right, 7 seconds faster than my goal. It was also 12 seconds better than my PR in this race from 4 years ago, and it was nearly 3 minutes faster than last year.

The best laid plans of running a consistent, even-paced race — hitting about 7:22 each mile — just didn’t happen. Not that it’s a problem, but it turned this into a race in which I dug deep both physically and mentally in the second half to make up time after losing precious seconds in the first couple of miles.

I got caught up in a little more traffic than I usually do in the first mile and hit it in 7:28. I hit mile 2 in 7:25. That put me about 10 seconds off where I wanted to be.

When I hit the halfway point and the clock read 19 something, I had a decision to make — lay off the gas pedal a bit and still have a solid race, but accept missing my goal, or … well … let’s just say I wasn’t going to play the mental game today. I picked my ass up and went for it.

Through mile 3 and 4 I was able to get my pace down a bit, but I still had some work to do. When I hit mile 4, the clock was right at 29:59 — I still had to do a 7-minute mile just to tie my time from 4 years ago. It was shut up and go time.

At that same moment, I passed a couple of people who had just passed me; then a quarter mile later a guy passed me; I stuck with him and we passed a guy on a bridge who told us we were looking strong; the guy we passed on the bridge passed me with a tenth of a mile to go and said “Come on”; I passed that guy 3 feet from the finish line; the other guy was just in front of me.

This is near the finish line; I'm in blue. Somehow I dug deep and passed that guy at the end.

Instead of thinking about what I was doing, it was some very friendly competition in the last half mile that led to a sub-7 minute mile and a PR.

In the end, I learned a lot today:

• For these community races I need to get closer to the front — I was 42nd out of 225 people. There’s no reason for me anymore not to start a little closer to the front than I do.
• Writing the splits on my wrist is a huge help in keeping focused. I don’t know how many races I’ve done in which I tried to do math in my head to hit certain times, but I felt more at ease mentally today. I will definitely have more specific goals for future races.
• Keeping my arms lower continues to help keep me relaxed when pushing it. I heard someone at the end telling runners to “work your arms; finish strong.” While I probably did use my arms at the end to push myself, that technique is not for me for a flat race anymore. For hills, yeah, you need to use your arms, but I had a lot of energy left at the end because I didn’t waste any with big arm movement the first 4 miles.
• When the weather cooperates, push it harder. Today’s temperature at the start was in the mid-60s, about 20 degrees cooler than at the same time for much of the first half of the week. We had highs in the mid-90s to near 100 until Thursday, and those temperatures are coming back, so I felt like I had a small window today to push things even harder than I usually would.
• Compression calf sleeves are great for recovering. I’ll write a full review later, but my legs do not feel like they ran a hard 5 miles this morning.

Today’s race also caps off the first quarter of marathon training. I couldn’t have asked for a better start with some strong runs, steady long runs and two race PRs.

This weekend I’m running in the Percival’s Island 5 Miler in Lynchburg for the fourth time since 2006. This year the weather looks great with the forecast to be in the low 60s the night before with relatively low humidity.

Last year turned into a big humid mess; the weather the first half of this week has been the worst of the year with heat indexes in the low 100s.

Why all this weather talk? Well, like last week’s 5k PR, a change in the weather is all I need to change my mind frame. I’m also realizing that each time I run in the heat that battling the elements is just as much a mental fight as it is physical. I’m ready to move forward with setting a very specific goal for this race.

Based on recent runs on hills, the way I felt on this course last year, and some technological help, I’m setting a goal of 36:54. That’s 5 seconds faster — 1 second per mile — than what I did four years ago. I think it’s a realistic goal to set my mind to so I don’t just go out and “see what happens.” I’ve done that enough over the years, but I think it’s time that I have a very specific goal for a race like this.

Image: Chaiwat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For the first time in four years, I’ve done four races in the first half of the year. There’s something about the variety of races I’ve done this year that have me really wanting to do more as I train for the Baltimore Marathon. And more is what I’ll do.

• The check is in the mail for a 5k near my in-law’s house in Ohio on July 4 — the Stars and Stripes 5k in Howland, Ohio. This will be the flattest 5k I’ve ever done. Considering that I’m coming off a 23:03 5k on a very hilly course this past weekend, there’s no doubt that I’m going to aim for a PR. I pretty much have no time to prepare for that increased speed, so here’s to hoping the hills I run on make all the difference. If I don’t get it, I’ll be OK. I just want to put it out there that I want to break my 5k PR — this is my last shot until December.
• On July 16 I’ll run the Percival’s Island 5-Miler in Lynchburg for the fourth time. Last year I did what I called the smartest racing I’ve ever done. In hindsight, I don’t really remember much about that race, but I’ll be shooting for a faster time than last year (39:52). In 2007 I ran this race in 36:59, which is still my fastest-pace race ever. I don’t know if I have that in me right now, and I’m sure that weather will be a factor once again, so I won’t set any goals just yet.
• Nearly a month later, on Aug. 13, I’ll run the Lynchburg Half Marathon for the fourth time, but only the second time on the “new” course with a nasty hill in the middle. Last year, this was a bad race, but a good training run. Looking back, that hill defeated me. I’m not going to let that happen again. Whether or not I beat last year’s time of 1:55 is something I’m not thinking about right now. Ideally, yes, I want to be faster. How much faster is a goal that will wait after several long runs.
• After that there are some other things I’m considering before the marathon, but I’m not signing up for anything else right now. The 5 miler and the half marathon were very cheap right now and come with moisture-wicking shirts; with a price increase coming July 1, I went ahead and signed up for those this week. Signing up also gives me even more intense focus on training and putting thoughts in my head now of what I want to do in Baltimore in October.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned in six years of racing is that not every event will be the best ever. Today, I took that lesson to heart as some pretty crazy humidity was on hand for the Percival’s Island 5 Miler in Lynchburg.

I had a nice warm-up and was feeling pretty good as the race got under way, but a mile into it, I knew that pushing myself to set a PR wasn’t smart. After hitting the first mile in 7:22, I settled into a pretty good pace for the rest of the race, finishing in 39:32 (8th in my age group among 17; 63rd overall among 200 runners).

Instead of taking the chance to injure myself or beat myself for running hard and not getting a personal best, I turned this into a nice tempo training run. My lack of speed work was evident today on top of the humidity, but that certainly didn’t stop me from enjoying myself, the shaded trails, the views of the James River, running with a large group of people and getting in a solid, solid run.

While it wasn’t anywhere close to my PR of 36:59, this race was quite possibly the smartest race I have ever done. And that’s really all I have to say about this experience.

***

The winner of the POM Wonderful competition for guessing my race time is Danny, who guessed a time of 38:40. Danny’s blog is one of the first ones I started reading a few years ago. You can head over to his blog to follow his training for the New York City Marathon. Thanks to everyone who guessed some times that I was certainly hoping for!

“You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.” - Steve Prefontaine

While running is often about self-satisfaction, it’s always fun to get others involved in the activity. For the second time ever, I did a guess-my-time contest for tomorrow’s Percival’s Island 5 Miler in Lynchburg, and I’m thrilled to have had so many guesses. I also want to thank POM for getting involved in this to and posting a link on Twitter to yesterday’s post. It’s exciting to have so many people helping push me to do the best I can possibly do.

You can view all the guesses in the Comments section. Thanks to everyone for dropping by! Good luck.

When I launched this site back in April, I promised to have some contests and giveaways, but unfortunately I haven’t done too much of that beyond giving away an awesome book (Thanks Steve!) and a failed attempt at giving away an event T-shirt (Half of Jess and another Steve let me keep it, and I actually have worn it quite a bit).

So fast forward to now … I’m ready to do contest No. 3 — a free case of POM Wonderful juice. Talk about some good stuff — in addition to drinking it, it’s good for cooking too. Even my 20-month-old son enjoys it.

So, how do you win it? Predict my time in Saturday’s Percival’s Island 5 Miler, being held along a flat paved trail in my almost-hometown of Lynchburg, Va. It’s really that simple — the person closest to my time to the nearest second over or under wins. If there happens to be a tie, the person under my time wins (kind of like “Price is Right”). If two people happen to predict the same time, I’ll use Random.org to determine the winner.

To help you out, I’ll give you some background to help predict the time. This is one of my favorite community races that I’ve done. The only problem is I haven’t done this race in three years. Back in 2007, I finished in 36:59, a huge improvement from 2006, when I had a time of 41:07. 2007, just like this year, was full of PRs. I’m not really shooting for a PR though — I’m really just continuing this test of how fast I can go in races and, right now, use them as speed work for marathon training.

The PRs I have set this year have come in the half marathon in March (1:42:52), the 5k in April (21:41) and the mile early this month (6:15). I’ll save you some homework: plug all those numbers into race predicting calculators and the times range from about 36 minutes to just under 38 minutes for a 5 miler. Would I like to set a PR? Definitely. I’ll see how I feel a couple of miles into it whether or not it’s realistic. One huge factor will be the weather. Saturday looks to be muggy, but not all that bad temperature wise. Also keep in mind that I have to run hills all the time, and this race is very flat.

To enter this contest, simply leave a comment below by 9 p.m. (ET) Friday. If you do not want the case of POM, please do not enter. Predictions given over Facebook or Twitter will not be accepted. Please leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you’re the winner.

Good luck!

About a year ago, I went to the doctor after dealing with various foot issues on and off since late 2007. It’s odd to read the post about the visit and see what didn’t happen. I didn’t do physical therapy; I didn’t run on the weightless treadmill; and I didn’t get any shots in my foot. I simply wore some insoles for a little while (that temporarily hurt the other foot) and the infamous plantar faciitis “slipper” on and off for a few months and that was it. That was all I needed to get through the summer.

Fast forward a year later and I’m in a completely different state of mind. At the time of the doctor’s visit, I privately considered giving up on long distances. I wouldn’t have had a problem doing that — I never ran any longer than 4 miles for the first two and a half years of running anyway. Now, I’m planning a schedule of races to do this year. I haven’t done this in three years. I’ve focused on the big picture races and rest — Shamrock, rest, Rock ‘n’ Roll Half, rest, repeat. Big picture is important — I’m completely focused on the Richmond Marathon in November — but it’s the smaller picture races that will make the big picture even more rewarding.

I’m almost scared to put this out there, but it’s part of my shell-breaking that I’m doing. Sure, some of these races might not happen for various reasons, but this is the plan through November in addition to what I’ve already done.

* May 8: Bella 5K Stroller Race in Roanoke
This will be a first for me — racing with my son. I’ve never done more than 2.6 miles with a stroller, so it’ll be the longest distance with him. My main goal will be to finish without tripping over a baby or two … I guess as far as time is concerned, I’m really just shooting for under 9-minute miles. While I can run any time with my son, I’m looking forward to the racing experience. That makes the entry fee worth it.

* June 5: Trail Nut Half Marathon in Bedford
Another first — an all-out trail race. I’m hoping to do more trail running this month beyond a mile or two to prepare for this. It will mark the third half marathon this year, all with increasing difficulty. From what I’ve heard about this race and what I know about these mostly single-track trails, I think two hours or so will be likely. I’m looking forward to doing something radically different so my focus isn’t on a PR, but rather just having a good time.

* July 3: Academy Mile in Lynchburg
There needs to be more mile races. It’s been three years since I did a 6:26 in this race. I’ll set my mind on this much later, but it would be awesome to be even faster. Maybe that weird goal of mine of running so hard I throw up will come true.

* July 17: Percival’s Island 5-Miler in Lynchburg
This is one of my most favorite races around this area. It’s flat; it’s fast. One of my best races ever came here in 2007, so I hope that I continue what’s happened so far in 2010 and nail it again this year. This race will be a good test of where I am with my speed and endurance and can help set the tone for the three months of marathon training that will follow.

* Aug. 14: Lynchburg Half Marathon in Lynchburg
Want to run a half marathon for $20? That’s all this race is. It’s also a very flat race, a rarity for this area. It’s hard to believe that when this race gets here that this might be the fourth half marathon of the year. There’s also a 5K that same day — I might change my mind and do that as a speed workout instead. We’ll see. No reason to rush on that decision.

* Sept. 25: Virginia 10 Miler in Lynchburg
This is a wish-list race that is dependent on marathon training. This very tough race is only $30 through the end of August, so I’ll decide by then whether or not this will happen. If you’re looking for a challenge and can’t afford some bigger-named fall half marathons, this is one to consider doing.

* Nov. 13: Richmond Marathon in Richmond
Marathon No. 2 — the big prize — is 192 days away. The countdown is officially under way.

Today’s 5-mile run marks an interesting milestone in my training this summer — it’s the first time since March 1 and 2 that I have ran 5 miles or more two days in a row while training. Just like hitting 20 miles for the week last week, it’s another hurdle I’ve passed since coming off my injuries earlier this year. The next big milestone will be hitting 10 miles in my long run. After that it’s just going to be fine tuning before the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half and, hopefully, losing a few more pounds.

Speaking of 5-mile runs, I have an entry form in the mail for next week’s Percival’s Island 5 Miler in Lynchburg. I love this race — it’s nice and flat and it’s the site of my second-fastest paced race ever. Last year’s time was 36:59, which was 4-plus minutes faster than the year before. Since this is my first race in more than three months, I’m not really sure what my goal is right now. This is a good distance to test myself in a race, so I’ll just have to wait and see how I feel that morning with how much effort will be put into it. It’s a perfect test for my upcoming half — it’ll be six weeks to go, so it’ll put things into perspective with what I need to work on.

Workout since last post
July 11 — Walk - 0.7; Run - 5