Waltons ThreadLord
Mike, Vitaly - Thank you for the kind words.
5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); 10M 1:29:33 (2/24); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)Upcoming races: Scotch Plains 5k, 6/12; Firecracker 4-miler, 7/4
The Loop Race (12/3/2023)
This is the 52nd running of this race and my first time. The entire race is on Kelly Drives along the Schuylkill River and Boat House Row, so on a nice day it's very scenic. It rained the entire time, but no downpours. Just a constant rain and puddles everywhere. Luckily it was 52F. Normally this is a very fast field, but I think the weather had a lot of people stay home. There were 600+ signed up, but it looks like there were 359 finishers. It's an odd distance of 8.4 miles, I guess because normally it's a loop and the distance is what it is.
Vitaly, you asked me earlier in the week if I planned to run this as a race or just hard. The more the week went on, I realized I had no business thinking I could race it I've only run 8 or more miles 10 times this year. I wanted to go out around 7:25 and see how I felt at 3-4 miles. With the crappy weather, I barely warmed up with an 0.8 jog. I figured with the distance and pace I'd be able to warm a bit during the race.
We started off and I tried to get to 7:20 as soon as possible and hang there. I think I did an okay job of it. My first mile was 7:11, but I think the faster pace was in the first 1/4 mile. I felt pretty comfortable and looked for people to hang onto. I looked at my current pace a lot today. More than usual. The second mile was 7:16 and I started to tell myself to slow it down and get into the 7:20's. I felt okay now, but I didn't want to pay for it later. I spotted a guy and girl ahead of me and caught up to them and then ran with them for 2 miles. They seemed to be keeping a steady pace. My third mile 7:20 and cumulative 21:47. I wanted to hit 22:00 per 3 miles. The rain and steam coming off of me really fogged my glasses today. I lift my cap a bit to see if that helped let some air in, but it didn't. I took them off a few times to whip the rain, but it only lasted a short time. Then they'd fog again. Across the Falls bridge and to the turn around. Puddles everywhere and at times we got into the soft grass and mud! I was still running with the one guy, but the girl had dropped off. 7:32 for mile 4 and then 7:30 for mile 5.
I lost a little focus and another girl flew buy us! It was a little bit of a wake up. I was feeling okay. I wasn't winded, but it was tough keeping pace that long for me. I actually picked up the pace during that mile and had a brief conversation with my running partner. I told him to keep going and that he had brought me a long up to that point. He said he was trying 7:11 for mile 6 and 44:00 on the button, so I was right on pace. I think it was around that point that I thought about what Fred had done at some point this season and took my glasses off. I'm blind as a bat, but couldn't see anything anyway and I only look about 5 feet in front when I run! Making sure to hold onto them gave me something to think about other than how hard it was getting.
During the last 2 miles I had stretches of feeling like I could pick it up and then "wow this is hard". I told myself to push on. Mile 7 was 7:24 and then the last mile plus at a 7:21 pace. I finished the race in a chip time of 1:00:59. The race site gave me a 7:16 pace, but Strava had it at 8.3 with a 7:21 pace, which I think it accurate. I was 46th overall and got 3/32 in the 50-59 AG. Last year I would have been 10th, so it's always about who shows up! I'm happy with the result. I'll need to do more long runs before attempting that again! Maybe that May HM in Jersey with Fred and Vitaly? Oh yeah, Strava gave me a 10K PR of 45:32
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PR's: 1 mile - 5:57 (2024) | 5K - 20:49 (2024) | 5M - 35:42 (2023) | 10K - 45:12 (2024) | 10M - 1:16:09 (2024) | HM - 1:40:04 (2024)Up-coming Races: Break Fast 5K (6/16/24), Revolutionary Run 10K (7/4/24)
Mike - Congratulations, that was a solid race, you executed your plan really well and gained valuable experience on racing longer stuff! And 3rd place in your AG - impressive!
BTW, the HM in NJ is in March, not May, just saying
Frequent Racer Group
PRs: 400m- 1:04.94 (2015) / 1M - 5:08 (2024) / 5K -18:23 (2017) / 5M - 31:14 (2022) / 10K - 39:29 (2018) / 10M -1:05:01 (2024) / HM - 1:27:34 (2023) / FM -3:15:08 (2023)Coming up: Break Fast 5K (6/16/24), Equinox Endurance Run (6/22/24)
Damn, I thought I had more time to train
Mike - Congratulations on the AG podium! Nice job on keeping the pace relatively steady.
Looks like I'm going to make the March half my goal race for the spring, so I have 14 weeks in which to do my 18 week training plan.
Former Bad Ass
Nice race, mjhaston. Congrats!
Damaris
Covered Bridge 5K (12/10/2023)
The first race of the Winter Series is not for the faint-hearted, 400 ft of climb is more than enough for a 5K!
This was my 5th appearance at the race, and only once(!) I was able to break 20 minutes:
20:32 (2015), 20:29 (2019), 19:52 (2021); 20:14 (2022); one thing I have to mention right away is that they move start/finish mat up and down the path every year (how hard would it be to paint something permanent on the asphalt?) and even the turnaround has been placed in various spots over the years.
My one and only goal today was to go sub-20, but I knew well it might only happen if the course distance is accurate (it was not).
It was great to catch up with many running friends who showed up today, my coworker was there, and so was Mike!
It was 55F at the start, the warmest it’s been since late October! But at least the rain hasn’t started until we have finished, so there was that.
I warmed up by running 1.65M including 2 minutes @HMP, 2x30 sec @5K and 30 sec @1M pace, but the race started probably 10 minutes late, so not sure if the warmup did me any good.
First section is a gradual uphill of 0.31-0.35M and although I was working hard I was already 15 seconds(!) behind 2021 schedule, my suspicions about the course length (once I saw where the starting mat was) were justified, darn it. Oh well, what could I do… We turned left and conquered a steep hill, but it was “only” 0.2M long, so not too bad. Here you can see me running close to my AG competitor Chris (the dude just ran a 3:07 marathon with 2 pit stops along the way!)
After we turned away from the hill we ran a flat, but short, section that later changed to yet another climb and not soon enough arrived at a Covered bridge intersection. Now it was an easy part; next 0.46M was downhill, with 150 ft drop (yep, we’d have to climb it back after the turnaround! )
Chris took off on the downhill and had ~30 meters on me at the turnaround. At least that one was set in the exact same spot as last year, yay! I was 10th at that point and knowing a sub-20 won’t be happening today, I decided to at least try to stay in top 10. Having competition during the climb was great; last week on my solo training run the hill demoralized me quite fast, today I was able to push through. A lot of runners going towards the turnaround told me something encouraging (including Mike, thank you!) and that helped as well. First, I passed my running buddy Joe, and then two other runners and by the time we crested the hill I was together with Chris again!
But of course, on the huge downhill that followed, he accelerated and restored the gap quite fast. I covered the next mile in 6:02, here you can see us on a gradual incline right before the final stretch of the course.
I was running as hard as I could (5:56 pace during the last section), but obviously it was not enough to catch Chris who beat me by 15 seconds. But at least I was able to keep my 7th place, which is really good in this company.
20:30 was the official chip time… Excluding the first (same as last) section of the course which totally depends on where the timing mat is placed, I was only 4 seconds slower than in 2021 on the “middle” 2.5M section of the course and 5 seconds faster than in 2022, but obviously that first & last interval killed all my chances of a sub-20: I was 34(!!) seconds slower than in 2021 and 19 seconds slower than in 2022 on these 2x0.35M sections.
It’s funny, but GPS pace for the whole race was exactly 6:26 during 2021, 2022, and 2023, right on the money when it comes to a sub-20 and quite consistent too 😊
Although I was at one of the first meetings for the BCRR back in 1978, I don't think I ever joined back then! This is my first Winter Series. I ran their Turkey Trot back in 1983, and think that's where I set my all-time 10K PR. Luckily the bad weather held off entirely. 54F and no wind that I noticed. Even last night they were still calling for 35 mph gusts. My RR will be less detailed than Vitaly's because I think I blacked out for half of it It was a long week for me with 40 miles, which included last week's 8 mile race, 6 miles at hilly Tyler and a 9 mile run. Me and others I run with on the weekend all proclaimed we weren't going to race today. I think I was the only one who stuck to the plan!Joe H. warned me that he thought the first hill in the opening mile was worse than the Covered Bridge hill, so I went out at an easy pace and wanted to make it to the top of that hill in okay shape. I didn't look at my watch at all today. For me pacing was going to be irrelevant. Looking at Strava, I came though the first mile in 7:38. 136 ft of climb in that mile. The Grade Adjusted Pace was 6:56. I was huffing and puffing, but then the course flattens out and you get to Covered Bridge hill and it's a brutal downhill. The "old guys" I run with talk about going downhill in short choppy steps to protect your knees, but I learned to let loose, to gain time and recover. By the time I got towards the bottom and was approaching the bridge, Vitaly was coming in the opposite direction. We exchanged pleasantries I wasn't sure where the turnaround would be. I'd heard that moved over the years. It was just at the other side of the bridge and I did the dreaded 180.
I took off in the other direction. It was nice to hear encouragement from runners in the opposite direction, but I have no idea who they were. I was tired and I run with my head down. Up the Covered Bridge hill I go and I feel like I'm running in sand! Joe H. is walking up the hill, which he does. It doesn't matter. He runs again and walks again. I pass him again, but he ends up beating me by 20 seconds Lori walks a bit too and she beats me by the same margin. Maybe I should have taken a breather? I wasn't really going much faster than a walk! I know all I need is to get to the top of the hill and then it's mostly downhill the rest of the race. Looking again at Strava my pace slowed to 11:00 at the top of the hill. BRUTAL! Second mile was 7:53. Now for the downhill. It never makes up for what the uphill took out of me, but I was letting it go again. I was just telling myself there was only 1 mile left and I may get winded, but there was no more drastic hills. I passed a couple of people along that way. I came up on a 13 year old who had smoked me in my worst 5K of the year. I pulled up along side and he picked up the pace. With about 100 m to go I got a little closer again and said "don't let me catch you". He didn't
My watch had me at 23:39. Vitaly let me know the course was long, which made me feel a little better. I was figuring I'd run 7:30-ish and my pace turned out to be 7:24. My last mile was 6:54. I was 37/255 OA and 4th in my AG. Good thing other guys like Pete L. and John W. volunteered for this race. Maybe I'll make sure I have fresher legs next week. It's 5.3 miles and my usual route through the park. We'll see.
Vitaly, Mike - Thanks for the race reports and congrats to both of you for doing so well on a tough course. The photos give some flavor of what the park is like. I get the frustration of a race that's never the same length; maybe they should advertise it as "approximately 5k" and give up the illusion that they measure it closely.
2023/24 Winter Trail Series Race #2 - 12/16/23 - Lewis Morris Park
I'd raced several of last winter's races and enjoyed them all, so I signed up for the first one I could get to this year (I had a conflict with the first race of the series). Whereas last year's races were on a cross country course used by local high schools, today's race was in a different location, on hiking/biking paths in a different park. Having looked at the contour map of the park, it was clear this would be a real trail race (vs. XC) with some narrow paths and steep hills (plus I expected plenty of roots & rocks). We (younger son running the race too; wife along for the ride) got there about 30 minutes ahead of time, saw the 10k race start, picked up our chips (wrapped around the ankle), and I went on a warmup run.
The racers were called to the start line a few minutes before 10:00 and given a brief talk about how to follow the markings on the course. There was one important point where the 10k course and the 5k course split; we were told to take the left turn. I'm guessing there were 15 - 20 runners there (turns out there were 19). A "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" count and we were off. The start was downhill on a smooth surface so I took off (I've learned on trail races to go fast whenever the course condition allows). DS was right there with me and I kept expecting other runners to reel us in but it didn't happen.
About ½ mile in we hit the first hill climb and DS fell back. I was running on my own, still in the lead and figured I'd just keep pushing. At ¾ mile the course hits a set of short uphill switchbacks and I got a clear look back. DS was falling further back, but at this point I first spotted a runner in a pink top. Coming to the 1 mile mark, the course was still climbing, I was slowing, and pink shirt was closing on me. Trail races where I live are in the foothills of the Appalachians, which means some very old terrain. The uphill and downhill sections are full of rocks and roots, but the flat sections can be smooth and that's what I got shortly after the 1-mile mark, and I was able to put on a burst of speed and pull away from pink shirt. This didn't last as around 1.4 miles the course started it's steepest climb up to the highest point. I made the strategic decision to switch to walking on this steepest, rockiest part. Near the top, the hill got less steep and I started running again, but pink shirt had caught up and passed me here. I told her she was now the leader and to go for it, which she thanked me for.
So, about halfway through I was no longer leading, but I wasn't seeing anyone else behind me on the turns, so I knew I was still first male. Then I noticed pink shirt wasn't really pulling away, but staying 30 yards or so ahead. We hit a not-too-steep downhill and I put my foot on the gas. I passed pink shirt on the downhill stretch and she told me to "go get it" and mentioned she thought she'd passed my son, which I confirmed. However, just as pink shirt hadn't pulled away from me, it seemed I wasn't pulling away from her. Around 2.7 miles there was another hill climb and I was tiring again. (I'd caught a couple roots and almost went down at one point, which tweaked my hamstring a bit, so I was feeling a little beaten up.) I opted to walk the short uphill, expecting pink shirt to pass me again, but she didn't.
By now, we had merged back onto the same route as the 10k and there were more runners around, so I had people in front of me to follow and to set as targets to help me keep my lead on pink shirt. Around 2.8 miles the course turned to mostly smooth and mostly downhill. I heard pink shirt say "quarter mile to go," though I don't know if that was just for herself or for both of us. I recalled that the race page clearly stated "distances approximate" and the RD had told us that the park had made changes to some of the paths, so I wasn't banking on there being ¼ mile left and decided I'd just keep running hard (all that distance training really helped out here).
3.1 miles came and went. Pink shirt was still back there, sometimes closer and sometimes further back. The course was flat, wide, and smooth and I was working hard to keep near top speed. I crested a small rise and saw the building where the finish line would be and started my final kick, pumping my arms hard, passing a few 10k runners in the process, and hitting my fastest pace of the day. I crossed the line feeling elated. 1st Overall. I had never won a race in my life. I finished the 3.56 miles in 37:02. Hannah (pink shirt) was 10 seconds behind me as first female.in 37:12. She asked if I was sure she was first female and I assured her she was the only one to pass me during the race (no 10k runners passed either of us during the combined portion).
DW greeted me at the end, having no idea that all the runners crossing just before me were 10k runners and that I'd actually won (and then she started worrying about DS, who usually finishes before me, so motherly instinct smothered any joy she might have felt for me). 3rd place was 41:34, so Hannah and I had clearly put the pack well behind us and I think that was in large part because we were pushing each other for more than half the race. DS came in at 45:18 feeling grumpy about a couple of stumbles and about thinking he'd taken a wrong turn because at 3.1 miles the race wasn't over (despite me warning him that might happen). He cheered up a bit when he found out he was 4th male, 7th overall, and not as far behind me as he feared.
My first ever race win felt great. My prize was free entry into an upcoming race, which I promptly registered for (so about a $35 value). The next race will be back on the XC course and my track-star nephews will be there for the 5k, so I signed up for the 10k so they wouldn't be able to compare their times with mine.
Fred - That's an awesome RR. I'm exhausted just reading it! Congratulations on the win!
Fred - congratulations! You worked so hard for so many years, and all of that finally culminated in this WIN. Great job on pacing yourself on the steep hills and pushing hard on the downhills and flat sections. Having some competition was helpful I’m sure, and you haven’t settled on being the first male, but battled Hannah and prevailed at the end. You have to celebrate the occasion 😂
I’m a bit surprised you beat your son in the process, even though it was a trail race, makes the win even sweeter!
Mike, Vitaly - Thank you!
Fred - congratulations! You worked so hard for so many years, and all of that finally culminated in this WIN. Great job on pacing yourself on the steep hills and pushing hard on the downhills and flat sections. Having some competition was helpful I’m sure, and you haven’t settled on being the first male, but battled Hannah and prevailed at the end. You have to celebrate the occasion 😂 I’m a bit surprised you beat your son in the process, even though it was a trail race, makes the win even sweeter!
Not to make excuses for my kid, but he's still dealing with a cough from his late November cold and hasn't been running much. Plus, I think I psyched him out a bit the way I ran hard up the first hill; something he needs to work on, but he's only 17.
Jingle Bell 5.13M (12/17/2023), Winter Series Race #2
This was my 10th time running this big Tyler park loop of 5.13M (with results ranging from 32:22 (PB, Feb-23) to 34:18 (Feb-22, with snow on the ground). Only 3 out of 9 times I was able to break 33 minutes here, the course is tough with 400+ ft of total climb. Today I’d love to be close to my PB set 10 months ago, but the weather was not nearly as good: 50F with 91% humidity and noticeable wind vs. 35F / 65% humidity/ light wind in February. In any case, the game was on!
I warmed up with my usual 5 min easy – 2 min @HMP – 2 min E – 2x30 sec @5K (30 sec jog) – 30 sec @1M effort routine.
It’s been a while since I was in the same race with my RP Bob, finally he was able to make it to the race. Here we are heading towards the start. Looks like we are holding hands, but that was not the case LOL.
The race starts with a big hill, but it’s not too bad when one is fresh!
I was 8th from the start, and the first 7 runners (including my AG competitor Chris) went for it from the get-go. I heard the steps behind me for the first 0.5M, but then they faded away.
First landmark – 4:39 (4:32 in February), yikes, but then again it could have been the function of the mat placement, don’t panic just yet! I was running behind a young guy in a black T-shirt and during the next 0.6M section (~100 ft climb) I was able to catch him and then pass him. Chris and the others ahead were at least 50 meters in front of me. From this point on it became a solo time trial, sigh.
Next landmark gave me some hope – 9:44 (9:37 in February), at least the gap has not changed! We enjoyed a flat section for the next 5-6 minutes and then there was the biggest challenge of the race: next 0.5 miles are all uphill (total of 120 ft of climb). I had no one pushing me, but I was holding my ground. At the top of the hill I was “only” 4 seconds behind schedule – 17:39 vs 17:35, but that was the closest I was able to get to PB schedule today. The average pace was 6:36 at this point, and the following down hill was very welcomed, the average pace started to slowly improve. There were two bumps during the next mile, but I was able to push through them, however at the next landmark the gap to February was already 10 seconds, warm temps and humidity were getting to me, I guess. Next mile starts with a big downhill, flattens out and ends with a gradual incline – I posted 6:04 for that mile, pretty much the same time as last week during a 5K race, but in February I covered that mile 11(!) seconds faster, so the game was definitely over. I maintained a sub-6 min pace for the remainder of the race and crossed the line in 32:45 (my time, chip time is not available yet), so 21 seconds slower than February. Here I am with 0.15M to go
Still, it’s my 3rd best time on this course, not too bad. If my recollection is correct, I finished 7th overall (just like last week) and second in my AG. Then I went back to the course and helped my coworker finish the race. I definitely look less stressed in this picture LOL
Vitaly - Well done in the humid weather. Most non-runners don't get how even at 50º conditions can be less than ideal. Very nice of you to run your co-worked in.