pineland 25K Race Report

It's funny how I can plan my races down to the smallest detail and somehow I think I can follow the format and accomplish the goal......it never works out that way and the 25K was no different.

First, let me say that when running a race of this caliber and by caliber I mean the venue (erik, Ian and the rest) It is very reassuring to not have to worry about anything but myself because I know there will be no logistical problems related to the race......this allows me to concentrate on my own running.

Judging by last weekends (appr) 12 mile and the weekend before of 10 miles, even though the Garmen is not too accurate at times, I pulled off somewhere in the 10:30  minute plus average which is my PR on this course.

So my goal here was to PR this race (2:48 in 2008) and if things went well perhaps pulling off a 2:40ish, then if I had that perfect day when everything just seemed to fall into place, maybe as well as 2:35.

What worried me most was if I step it up, will the calf's fail me like years past.  Normally I wear the leg sleeves and that helps a lot but on a hot day like this, the sleeves would probably work against me.

My plan was to start near the front and allow the group to pull me enough so I wouldn't settle into too slow of a pace off the start but still not get caught up into racing for the first 10 miles.......I planned on skipping all the aid stations except for the first time by the Yurk which is when I would suck down a gel. I also planned on powering the uphills so I could take it easy on the downs.

I know this plan is a bit different than most as usually they slow down and even walk the uphills then use the downs to catch up.  Instead I would merely slow down a bit on the downs and cruise with gravity.
if I could maintain an even pace on the first 10 miles and have relatively fresh legs for the last 5, then I would race the last 5 and surely guaranty a PR.

I did a good job in the first 3 miles of keeping my pace and heart rate where is should be but had wicked dry mouth so at the first stop I broke my plan (already!) and stopped long enough to take a sip of water. I was glad I did.

I was feeling pretty good and had settled into a nice sustainable pace, didn't really care how many people were passing me ( and there were a lot until about mile 5).

Second change of plan was the first Yurk stop....I was nowhere ready to take a gel, it felt much too soon so I grabbed a water took one sip and dumped the rest over my head in anticipation of a beating sun through the fields.

The fields seemed easy and the memory of last year faded away quickly. I was at the Yurk again and still felt it was too soon to gel so I skipped it completely, but something in the back of my brain told me it would be a mistake.

I powered the hill and then opened up the stride on the downhill, another change of plan....but it felt so good at the time and set up the new plan of cruising the downs.

On the third trip to the Yurk I decided it was time, I stopped, sucked down a gel, drank a cup of ( what ever that yellow drink was) took 4 or 5 sips of water, dumped the rest on my head and hit the trail.things were going well and time was on my side.


The Grove came up quickly and I felt so strong running past all the cheering people. The time was looking pretty good and I felt I would have to really fall apart to miss out on beating my PR. I stopped at the aid station long enough for a couple sips of water and a dump on the head.

Now I needed to pick things up and turn on RACE mode. There would be no more stopping and nothing but pushing the ups and downs until I see the finish line. The first mile hit me hard as I tried to pick up the pace and even though I didn't feel I was slowing down, I also didn't think I was speeding up.....so much for racing, I felt more like I was in survival mode and for some reason, I couldn't seem to get  a grasp on what to expect for a finish time.

This is when I know my body is fatiguing, when I can't do the math anymore.  Come to find out, I heard that a few of the last K marks were off, if this is true then that could explain my calculation problems. Miles 12-13 really seemed to drag but once I  got a glimpse of the runners in the field, I knew I was in good shape and breezed right by the last aid station.

The field gave me perspective as I finally had vision of my finish and I still had some energy. I passed several people through the field and could feel the pace picking up. I had a strong finish and of course was extremely happy with my finishing time.

Splits:
(1)    9:07 ---(7)    9:51 ---(13)    8:09
(2)  10:23 ---(8)  10:35 ---(14)    9:09
(3)    9:17 ---(9)  10:06 ---(15)    9:24
(4)  10:16 ---(10)   9:56 ---(15.5  ) 8:12
(5)    9:01 ---(11)   9:10
(6)    9:57 ---(12)   9:43

Garmen even had a good day as it read very accurately 15.51 miles.
15.5 @ 2:28:08   9:34 pace and a new PR
Last 5.5 miles 49:31  (9:00  average pace)

Big A Race Report

When I originally signed up for The Big A 50K, My intent was to run a lead up 50K to the Pineland 50K or 50 miler as I had planned on one or the other.  My goal at the time was just to finish the big A as time was not really a factor plus this is fairly difficult terrain so running on time would probably set me up for dissapointment.

As it turned out, I did not get the distance running in this winter and spring so I only signed up for the 25k at Pineland. Because of this change, I felt it was a good oppourtunity to hit the big A with a race mentality and see what I could do.

My plan was to really push the first loop then see what happens after my body blows up. My hope was to do at least two laps but perhaps three if I felt good enough. I didn't really plan a pace but was hoping for at least 12 minute for the first loop and if I was lucky 13 minute miles for the second.

I knew this was a bit aggressive for this terrain, but I had nothing to lose because I only needed 16 tough miles to fit into my 25K training plans. Last year I ran 2:16:01 for the first loop but was off course and racked up about 9.5 miles instead of 8 miles. My second loop was 2:07:00  with a total time of 4:26:09

I figured I would be happy to at least beat the 4 hour mark this year. It was overcast and chilly when I arrived and my first thought was that this could be a good thing as far as heat goes but perhaps not so good with all the rock and ledge at Mnt A.

 I am not sure why I did this, but I wore the Nathan vest fully packed and loaded on the first loop ...what was I thinking? It is only 8 miles then I would be back at the start where there is an adequately stocked aid station and all my gear in the truck.  I guess I was still thinking long Pineland or perhaps I was going to need something out on the course....

There were only about 30 or so runners and the group took off quick putting me about 25 back. I figured I would be running mostly alone, until the leaders caught me on their second loop. Instead I found myself hanging with the pack and passing at least 3 runners on the first hill.

 I settled in rather quickly except for the vest which was bugging me and I kept wishing I could shed the extra weight. Wearing the Inov8 295s seemed to give me a bit of an advantage on the wet rocks, which allowed me to really let go on the down hills which is where I did all my passing after the first hill.

 Somewhere around 5 miles into the first loop I started feeling real good and I was still passing people. A little bit of worry came over me because I shouldn't be catching this many people and I wasn't really pushing the pace. I think the slippery conditions were causing a lot of caution.

The last 2 miles of the first loop was so much fun, I leap frogged with a woman runner who seemed detirmined to keep me behind her. After pocupine trail, I knew it was all down hill and I just let go, opened up the stride and ended up coming in1 minute ahead of her and surprised to find myself in tenth place. Of course the difference is that I was racing and was pretty sure everyone else was gearing their pace toward the 50K. Still, a 1:33:01 was very respectable for a midpacker.

 I actually felt good, even after the 3/4 mile kick, so I dropped the vest off at the truck and looked forward to a second lap without the nusance. I didn't feel too spent until about mile 5 of the second loop and up until that point I was leapfrogging with Joe W for a couple miles. I passed him on two down hills but then he would catch back up and pass me back.

After mile 5,  I never saw Joe again as I suspect he was warming up and speeding up. I did notice he had great form and a fairly short stride which I suspect worked well in this terrain. The last three miles of this loop were pretty slow and I was now walking the up hills and tripping my way down the other side. It was appearant that my legs were starting to feel the result of the speedier first loop.

 This loop Porcupine trail lasted forever and I was experiencing some hip pain on the left side. It felt so good to crest porcupine knowing I had mostly a downhill to the finish. I came to the aid station at 1:43:03 for the second 8 miles.... still not bad for me.

I decided even though I felt I could pull off a  third loop, I didn't see sense in it with the hip pain and low energy. I was comfortable taking my much speedier two loop time of more than one hour faster than last year and calling it a day.

1st  loop 1:33:01 (11:38 pace)
2nd loop 1:43:03  (12:53 pace)
16 miles overall including stops 3:23:11

In The Interest Of Time

My weekend was jam packed with things to do and none of them were running. In the interest of time, I opted for a ........road run. I know it's a nasty word but sometimes you do what you gotta do.

I would have much rather been sailing around the single track at Bradbury but I had an early morning window of only one and a half hours. I decided this would be a good time to speed up the pace a little and get as much out of the run as possible.

I was surprised how chilly it felt at the start but I actually warmed up fairly fast. I have an 8 mile loop from my house that I used for training back when I ran a lot of road races. It has a good mix of hills, one being almost a mile long.

Funny how things change, back when I trained on this loop I was running mostly 5ks and this was my long run loop. I would bring water, power gels and electrolytes. I would stretch before and after the run.

 This day, I just hit the road and ran the loop, no prep or support items because I don't need them now that I run longer distances.  A 6-8 mile run is  just my normal training distance on any given day.

I was quite surprised to find myself enjoying this road run, of course being early morning, there was no traffic to worry about. I settled in nicely and because I didn't have to think about foot placement and such, my mind was able to wander and just relax.

The long hill that usually left me struggling at the half way mark was .......well just a hill ......I worked a little bit harder but settled in and just powered up it. It really felt quite easy and actually the whole run felt that way even though I was running a faster pace than trails.

I sped up the last half mile and pulled off a decent kick. In the end I accomplished a pretty good training run that would have been much to short if I drove somewhere and ran trails.

Next weekend will be totally different running the Mnt A 50K course. I am planning 2- 3 loops but who knows, maybe I will end up doing the whole thing.

8 miles (road)
1:08:43 (8:35 pace)

Where Am I and Whats up With The Blog Changes?

 I really liked and was comfortable with the old blog format....so why change it?  I guess change is good but it will take a while to get used to this new style.

The big question looms over my head lately, Where Am I?  In the past few months I have not been able to set any type of training plan in place, time restraints and responsibilities seem to overwhelm my current schedule.

Honestly, my running plans are up in the air until I actually grab my running clothes and head to a site. Not knowing how things will settle out on weekends, I just wait until I wake up and then decide what I can accomplish. This format doesn't give me much time with other runners, so I have been running mostly alone.

That being said, I have been able to get out for some good quality runs and virtually had no junk mile runs at all. Perhaps this is a good thing but it feels out of control and I tend to be more comfortable when I have a plan and am in control.

We will see how things shake out this year, but if The Merrimac race is any indication, I am hoping for good results. Track workouts start up this Tuesday and it is my plan to attend this year.......last time I did track, I ended up injured and it affected my performance the rest of the year. This time I plan on scaling things back a bit. My intent is to get a bit more turnover...thus a bit more speed.



last weeks training,

Monday
 Weight training

Tuesday
 Cross training

Wednesday
  7.5 miles at Pineland @1:12:39 (9:42 pace)  Minimus shoes
  2 mile cool down

Thursday
  2 mile walk

Friday
 Crosstrain

Saturday
 5:30 am .....6 miles Hill work @ Bradbury  1:26:01 (14:21 pace) Started at the School (inov-8)
cooldown  3 miles (at home)

Slapping The Merrimac (race report)

This weekend I went to Merrimac Mass to run a trail race. This was my first time at this race and it was great to see a bunch of familiar faces with all the Trail Monsters that showed up. The out and back would give me a chance to cheer them on as they passed me.....of course they cheered me on too.

Wholly Crap.......The Merrimac river race was so much different than I imagined. My intent was to start conservative, use the 5 mile out as a sort of a warm up,  try and weather the returning hills then race the remaining 3 miles.

I heard the 4th and 5th mile hills were pretty tough and was not sure how I would handle them.  Though I have been running hills at Bradbury, these sounded a touch more difficult.  I figured this would be a good gauge of my condition.

I was in no hurry at the start so I hung at the back of the pack and mentally prepared for a surging walk run for the first mile or so. To my surprise, this group was in a huge hurry and there was very little clogging after the first S turn.

The terrain opened up with plenty of room for passing so the runners seem to settle very quickly. I think because the first 3 miles is fairly easy, most runners wanted to take advantage before the steep inclines.
I found myself pushing the pace also so instead of an easy 11-12 minute pace, I somehow ran a much speedier (for me), 9:58 1st  mile, a 9:06 2nd and 9:30 3rd.. I was fairly happy with this pace and only hoped I could mirror it on the return.

The first three miles were easy and I found myself enjoying the terrain and the scenery. The run along the river was amazing and I felt like I was just out for a relaxing run rather than running a race. This is unusual for me as I  tend to hate the first couple miles of a race and don't settle into a comfortable pace.

Through most of the 4th mile I kept looking for the huge hills but found nothing that I couldn't run up and actually enjoyed the extra work to get my heart rate going.  Mile 5 I found the hills but really didn't get slowed down by them too much because even though they were steep, they were not very long.

 The three things that slowed me down the most (miles 4 -5) was there was no room to pass because by now we were hitting a lot of return runners (I was very careful to give them the room they needed), the runners in front me were slower than I wanted to go and I really couldn't seem to get the speed going on the down hills.

My cardio recouped  very quickly after each hill so I felt ready as I hit the next one. In the end, there was really only two inclines that were difficult. I was reduced to a ridiculous pace in the my 6th and slowest mile because I hit the runners coming through their fifth mile and they didn't seem to give me the room I allowed the oncoming traffic when I came through. I found myself pulling off the trail and actually stopping many times.  I guess that is one drawback from an out and back on single trails.

By the time  I hit mile 7, there were very few runners coming and I was able to settle into a comfortable pace. Each of the last three miles became quicker and I began passing many runners. There were a couple runners pushing like I was and leap frogged with  each other to keep our pace going.

  Everything was perfect until mile 9 when somehow a root grabbed my left foot ( not sure how this happened because there were very few roots here) and I found myself flying forward toward the ground rather than running.  I hit hard and the runner that had been chasing me along with two others were able to push me back three spots. I don't know why this bothered me but it did.

 I was discouraged to lose those spots but also determined to get them back. It was so difficult to get back in the zone and I only caught two of the three but at the same time passed another runner and out kicked one right at the end, so I gained a total of five spots.

I finished strong and somehow beat my estimated time by almost 25 minutes. It was one of those races where the running gods were in a good mood and I felt like I could continue forever. In essence,  I guess I slapped the Merrimac down a bit as it could not get the best of me.....at least not this time.

Stats:
10 mile race 1:35:53 (9:36 pace)
5 mile splits:  1st half 50:51, 2nd half 45:02
Splits: (garmen read 9.48 miles so the splits are a bit slower)
  9:58
  9:06
  9:30
11:22
11:12
12:56
  9:46
  9:31
  8:49
  7:51

Product Review

 I have been trying a liquid supplement called Athlete Octane. According to the website www.atheleteoctane.com  it is an amazing product. They can do what others can't and provide a product that really works.

 Like many other products, they spend a lot of time stating that their products promote all the good stuff and reduce all the bad stuff. Also like most other products, you have to use them forever to continue enjoying the benefits.

When I read the contents of the website and discarded the hype and unproven claims, I must admit that their approach made a lot of sense Endurance runners do deplete their nutrient levels just by the nature of their sport and the time spent running, so replacing the lost nutrients surely has to help with stamina and recovery.

One point that really stuck out and probably the one that convinced me to purchase is the importance of CoQ10, the key to producing ATP (muscle energy) The website states that after age 20 our bodies gradually reduce production and after age 50 it plummets......well I am over 50 so I figure it is worth checking out.

I researched CoQ10 and found their claims to be supported by fact.  Some of the other stuff....reducing free radicals, reduces soreness, promotes recovery, supports the immune system, full of antioxidants (antioxidants....doesn't everyone claim that? Hell that's my excuse for enjoying Dark Chocolate), helps you train harder.......who knows and how could one prove it?

Anyway, I figured if it helps with the ATP (with out drugs) and has no sugar or caffeine, then perhaps it is worth a try and if the other stuff is actually true, well that is a bonus. Lucky me, there is a two for one sale and I get double my order.

First thing I notice, is there is surely no sugar in this product because it is really tart .....they say it is an acquired taste over time and after one and a half months, I strongly disagree, it doesn't taste any better but it is bearable.

So, I used this stuff for one and a half months and I can honestly say, I am running stronger, I am recovering faster, my heart rate related to degree of difficulty is better, I feel stronger, I am running faster and the hills are easier.

Out of context this would seem to be a pretty compelling review, but.....there is the old saying, which came first the chicken or the egg? The point to remember here is that nothing replaces good training.
All the supplements in the world will do nothing if one doesn't train for results.

So.....here is the rest of the story,
1.   I started this spring well rested because of time restrictions last winter, Surely that alone could have an affect on how strong I am running right now.
2.   I am 15 pounds lighter than I have been in four years, that also has a large affect on stamina, speed and recovery.
3.  I drink a whey protein drink after hard workouts, this helps with muscle recovery
4.  I have incorporated weight training and core strengthening this year.
5.  I changed my training and mix things up with more speed and hill work.
6.  I am allowing a recovery day after each hard workout.
7.  I lost the weight by adjusting my diet .... eating healthier promotes better performance.

As an overview, if I had to pick out one thing that would create the largest result, it would have to be the weight loss. Even with all the other things in place, if I strapped 15 extra pounds on my back before a hard run, I am sure I would struggle a lot more in all of the categories.

In closing, I guess I could say that the supplement is surely not hurting my performance and at a reasonable cost, it would makes sense to continue. If I was competing professionally perhaps I would embrace even the tiniest edge a supplement might give me at any cost. This product equates to about $70.00 a month after the "special" introductory offer.

For this mid pack runner, $70.00  a month is too much to spend for something that I can only say, is surely not hurting my performance.

Maybe Not race Ready, But Feeling pretty Good

It seems the Merrimac 10 miler is creeping up a bit faster than I was planning. I expected I would get in a few 2 hr plus long trails runs before the race. As it turns out, I haven't done that. That being said, I have had some very good training runs of over an hour. What I haven't had is LSD.

In the past, I didn't concetrate much on LSD and just ran most runs as tempo or speed related, so all runs were "like racing" and though my weekly mileage was relatively low, I ran some fairly fast times. This is when I accumulated most of my PRs right up to the half marathon distance.

It was when I ran the first Pineland 25k that I realized that there may be something to the LSD and perhaps I should spend more time training for time on my feet rather than speed. I had a darn good 10 mile race in me that day but spent the last 5 miles trying to convince myself to continue. Ironicly, that finishing time is still my PR for that distance.

People kept telling me that running longer equates to racing longer and faster. From what I can tell, running longer slower helps me run longer slower and shorter slower. I concentrated on LSD and didn't incorporate much speed work. My  PRs in the last couple years have only been new distances.

So...this year I realized I need to change my approach. Instead of LSD, I am running faster paces and working up to longer distances at those paces. It seems like I am progressing slow but actually, I am feeling pretty good and definately am running faster and stronger.

What does this all mean right now? Well I am thinking that I will have a fairly good 6-8 mile race in me for the Merrimac 10 miler and will have to struggle a bit near the end........but that is Ok and as long as I  know ahead of time, I can deal with it and use it as a step forward in my training.

training;

3/28
Bradbury mountain side  hills "semi race pace"  4.6 miles @55:49 (12:09 pace)
3/30
Road "semi race pace" 3.1 miles @ 24:49 (8:01 pace)
Road  Tempo 2.5 miles @21:50 (8:44 pace)
3/31
easy 3 miles
4/1
Pineland "semi race pace" 7.5 miles @1:17:43 (10:22 pace)
cooldown .5 miles
4/2
easy 2.5 miles
4/4
Bradbury hills (mountain and east combo) 6.5 miles @1:12:27 (11:09 pace)
cooldown 1.5

Not Particularly Excited

On my way to work this morning, it started snowing (about 4:15 am) Hey.....What The....?  You know I love winter and the snow and everything that goes with it, but when its over, its over and I am ready for the new exciting season.

 This is Maine though and Winter usually slaps us from behind a couple times in March and April.....so I shouldn't be surprised...and I'm not, I am just disappointed because I don't want to deal with it. I am more ready for spring this year than any one I can remember. Perhaps it is because I didn't really have a fun winter,
or maybe just the "over the top" weather from last week.

Running wise, I am progressing a bit slow but actually the way I should be this time of year. I see all these huge mileage reports from everyone else and feel a bit behind....well alot behind. At the same time, I am not training for a big ultra in a couple weeks either.

 On the bright side, all my runs in the last four weeks have been fantastic. Though not a lot of miles, they were very solid and each one left me feeling positive about the up coming season. I am running lighter, stronger and faster than any spring I can remember.

So.....I guess I am whining a bit but that won't change anything. I have a run planned tonight and regardless of snow or cold or whatever, I will be happy to be out there.

Last run;
Saturday at the Brad.....it was a fantastic 7 miles of fun......felt great all day.
Sunday two hour walk....not really a run but still felt it at the end.
Monday, cross training (bike)
Tuesday, anniversary dinner......no run

Summer Running At "The Brad"

Something about running Bradbury when the temps are warm, and the summer feeling is in the air.
Even though the terrain is still spring like as far as conditions go, the 75 degree temps had summer written all over it.

If I stated any complaint at all, it would be the uncomfortableness of mud and particles in my shoes. After hitting shin deep mud spots, I purposely ran through pure water to try and rinse some of the irritating granules out. this is not usually a big problem when wearing sox, but today I was running in the New Balance minimus which I do not wear sox.

My intent was to run a semi race pace 4 or 5 miler then hit the O trail for a bit of torture. I started out at a pretty good clip and once I hit Lanzo Trail, I was feeling quite spry and enjoying the feeling of extending the stride and pushing the pace.

The difference in my weight this year is very noticeable on the trails as I seem to be able to negotiate the twisting terrain much better. What a difference a few pounds make.

When I got to the O trail, I took a few moments to take off the shoes and wipe some of the dirt off, that felt a lot better. This O trail run would be my base time for this year as I planned on taking it easy and hopefully not getting lost.

 To my surprise, there were new lime green colored trail markers and it surely made negotiating this trail much easier.....I still had a few confused moments but the markers sure helped a lot. One thing I noticed, is one direction there were wooden markers and the other direction there was a painted mark on the trees, so if I got turned around for some reason, I could tell I was going the wrong way.

About halfway through  I was feeling fatigue and a heaviness in my legs that reminded me of the Bruiser. I found myself longing for the end and quite happy when I found it. To my surprise, I ran the O faster than I thought I would ....only about 4 minutes slower than my fastest time for the 2.4 miles.

The O trail is like repeatedly slamming your legs with a baseball bat and as funny as it might sound, the dead leg feeling really felt good.......like the feeling of stretching out a lame muscle the day after a weight workout.

Overall.....just an excellent run.

4.75 miles @44:58 ( 9:27 pace)......124-173 heart rate
O trail 2.4  miles @33:38 (14:01 pace)...137-149 heat rate

Weird ...and then it was OK

It was a weird day......wanted to run and thought about it all day. Counted down the minutes and finally was able to leave early so I could get in a hour or so of running before dark.

I wanted to run Bradbury type trails but on the way there I was feeling that I just didn't want to put up with the ice like it was Sunday.....all I wanted was nice rooty, rocky twisting bradbury trails.

I dreaded the conditions all the way there and almost re-routed or worse aborted all together. Weird how one can talk themselves right out of things.

Anyway, I showed up and grudgingly changed my clothes, then hit the East side trails, but thinking all along "why am I doing this if I just don't feel up to it?"

Within minutes I am in a totally different world. there are a lot of soft areas and a little icey snow spots but overall very nice conditions.  The roots and rocks were all showing, the mud was in it's glory and the ice was not slippery at all.....so much different than last Sunday when I ran here.

Isn't spring GRAND? I think one more week and the old familiar trails will be in full bloom. I even ran a bit of the O trail but somehow got turned around and found my self back at the beginning (still a bit of snow on this trail)

This was a great run and I drove home feeling fulfilled.

OH.....I got into Beach to Beacon, wasn't really sure if I wanted to do it as it is the day before the Bradbury 9 miler, but figured I would try and if i got in, it was meant to be.....registration opened at 7am and was full at 7:04 am.....I think a new record.

6.4 miles @1:18:38