Labor Day races (Read 553 times)

How did everyone's Labor Day races go??? I ran an interval workout (6X800) on Friday, 12 miles easy on Saturday (which is very long for an easy run for me lately), and an 18-miler on Sunday. It was my first 70+ mile week (70.75 to be exact) since about March and only my second all year. Not surprisingly, my legs were telling me during my warmup that I was an idiot for even trying to run today much less race. I did a local 10K that was pretty hilly...I didn't even know the course in advance but it turned out to be mostly on a stretch of country road that I work into the middle of my long runs when I want a challenge. I felt like butt on the outbound leg, was happy to average right around 6:00/mile (18:30ish). For some reason I felt a lot better right as I turned around to repeat the course back, and did about 17:15 on the return leg, a heck of a negative split for me on a 10K. Won in around 35:47, not fast for me but I'm happy with it considering the work I have put in this weekend leading into it. As a bonus a local running store added some sort of Timex Ironman with iPod controller to the prize and I found $20 on the ground near my car so the race was free. Bonus!

I ran a half today, my favorite distance. The Super Jock N Jill Half, near Seattle (Super Jock N Jill is a rather strange name... it was the first local running store in the area, circa 1975). Anyway, it was supposed to be my late summer attempt at a 1:30 half, which would be fast for me. Unfortunately, I lost all the skin off my right heel a few weeks ago and that derfed my training. And then on Tuesday, I got five stitches in my back... which pull when I bend over or work my legs too hard. Boo. So, my 1:30 became a 1:41. And that will just have to do. The winner ran a 1:05.

Same race as tuf_aint_enough --- who would have run his sub 1:35 if not for his nasty summer cold! --- and it was a tough race today. I don't know if it was the heat or the time of year (too many BBQs followed by ice cream & beer lately ) or too close to last race (30K two weeks ago) but I just felt like a tired mutt today. This is how I worded it in my training notes: This race receives a very low mark on the HTFU scale - just didn't feel like pushing it, especially towards the end when it got hot. A PR was so within reach but I didn't have the will to gut it out. I only missed a PR by a minute & 30 secs which I wasn't aware of else I may have pushed a bit harder in the last few KMs. I thought I was a few more minutes off and refused to look at my watch for confirmation for some reason 1:39:51 Happy Labor day everyone!

No racing for me, I have about 2 weeks 'til my next one. Got a semi-long run, easy run, and long run in, though, which was very nice. Granted, my long run was only about 16 or 17 miles so it wasn't that long, but since I'm training for a 5k right now it works out. About 56k / 34 miles total for the 3 days. Just right.

I ran a 10k on Saturday. Finished in 53:38, but was hoping to be closer to my sub 50 minute goal after running pretty consistently since April. I knocked about 3 minutes off of the 10k time I ran in May so I'm trending in the right direction, but I doubt I'll get under 50 this year. I'm beginning to question whether I'm capable of ever getting there on the level of training I'm doing now. Ideally, I'd like to bump my long runs to 10-12 miles and my weekly mileage to about 35, but its hard enough for me to fit in a 8.5 miler once a week and 25 mpw as it is.

I ran a little 5K race this weekend. With the Chicago Marathon coming up in 6 weeks, I am trying to get some faster stuff in. I came in feeling pretty good after taking an extra rest day the day before. It was another hot day, so I knew I would not be able to get close to my PR of 17:37 set last year. By race time it was 80 degrees with 96% humidity so for once I would use the water stations...to dump it on my head. I went out at 5:42, but quickly discovered that I was all by myself, with my nearest competitor about a minute or so behind me. As the heat and sun bore down on me my pace slipped to 6:10, and then 6:29 in the third mile. Not having any real competition didn't exactly help either. I sprinted out the end of the race and ended it at 18:50 in first place. It's hard to say what the race says about my fitness. I live in SE North Carolina, and the mornings here start at 78-80 degrees with humidity in the mid to upper 90%'s, so I am accustomed to the heat. Still, a cooler day probably would have helped me hold my pace better. I am shooting for a 3:20 marathon after getting a 3:30 in last year's disaster in Chicago.

Ran the Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half Marathon. The temp was 74 but the humidity was 94%. Felt really good for the first 5K and was staying right with the pace group I was hoping to finish with. However, at the 10K mark the wheels came off and my legs felt like pudding (I would say jell-o, but the weren't even that firm). I finished in 1:54:30 (my second worst 1/2 time yet), but considering how my legs felt I was glad to just finish. Not sure I'm going to do this race again next year. Just not impressed with the swag and support for the $$$. I know it's an elite racing event and that is what to expect, but one can hope. I have another half in October and hopefully I can get my goal of 1:45 for a half then.