Iron Horse 10K 5-31-2009

It was touch and go whether I was going to run at all. I have had a cold for three days and in bed at night I am hacking whenever I lie down, but I think it is more of an allergy related cold than a true cold. My phlegm wasn’t the deep lung mucus, but more of the bubbly white allergy sticky phlegm.

I stayed up till midnight last night after working 16 hours. I got up a few times during the night and then after my alarm went off, I laid back down for awhile. Then I got up, dressed, but then got back in bed deciding I didn’t feel that well and better to rest and race another day. Then I got back up five minutes later and thought, well maybe if I eat something and take my allergy medicine, I’ll be all right. I can always drive there and if I badly, just not pick up my number.

This is why I like to do races so close to home. It took me about 15 minutes to get there and the parking lots were way more packed than last year. I took my Claritin and then gave myself an extra nose squirt of Nasonex (drug-testers be damned). I had to wait in a long line to get my number, and then a long line to get my tee-shirt. Fortunately I had pre-registered so they still had an Xtra-large for me. Then I waited in a long line for the port-a-potty to finish emptying. I wanted to walk back to my car and dump my shirt and goodie bag, and get a last drink of water, but it was too close to the race start, so I asked a guy if I could stick my bag under his front tire and retrieve it later.

The race went off only a minute or two late. I confess to feeling a little light-headed and did worry it might turn into a full white out, but I kept on running very easy and slow. My goal was simply to beat my last year’s time of 1:06:50 ( a 10:46 mile pace) with a secondary goal of finishing the race without passing out..

The first mile I clocked in at 10:42, so I was slightly ahead of pace, plus the first mile is always a little long with several seconds between the clock starting and actually crossing the starting line.

It was a very nice day, clear, warm, but not humid with periodic shaded portions of the course of the largely flat course that ran along the river and through farmland.

Mile 2 I clocked in at 10:30
Mile 3 10:33

I was feeling good and just kept cruising along at my easy pace. I took advantage of the three water stops they had to grab a water or Gatorade and drink it all, instead of drinking some and tossing the cup. I kept running with the cup, and slowly sipped it all down in time. The one bad thing was with the first two cups, I crumpled them up, and shoved them in my pocket, but with running each time they worked themselves up and then the next thing I knew they had popped out and were litter in the street. I kept going. The last water stop though, I crumpled up the cup and ran all the way to the finish with it.

I kept an steady, slightly increasing pace throughout and felt like the race was actually going fairly quickly. I wasn’t looking to kill myself, just beat my last year’s pace and not set too high a bar for next year.

There was one guy doing a frenetic run/ walk who was dripping sweat. He and I passed each other about twenty times. I zipped by him on the homestretch. After hitting mile six, I stepped it up a little.

As I saw the finish, I couldn’t help myself, but broke into a sprint as did many of the runners around me, but I had so much gas left, I blew by quite a number of people, and cruised in 1:04:51. a pace of 10:27 I came in 286 out of 365, 137 out of 149 in my age group, 19 out of 20 Clydesdales. Had I run last year's time I would have come in 307 out of 365. Last year I was 248 out of 272.

Here are all my mile splits compared to last year:

This year / Last Year
10:42 / 10:15
10:30 / 10:28
10:33 / 10:58
10:39 / 11:07
10:22 / 11:06
10:15 / ?10:47

Now last year it was very humid, but last year I wasn’t sick. I’m still waiting for my final time, but I beat last year by two minutes, so I’m glad I ran.

They handed me a bottle of vitamin water when I crossed. I do confess to one coughing fit shortly after that almost caused me to puke, but after only coughing up some allergy phlegm, and sitting down for a minute, it passed and I was okay.

Down in the tent area I got a banana and a bagel. They had banana pancakes, but I was out of fluid then, so in walking back to where they had more water, I was already headed to my car. My shirt and bag where right where I had left them.

All in all a good day. I’m glad I raced.

Me 1, Old Age 0.


Results

Cough

Had a bad cough yesterday and last night. Other than that I feel fine. I was coughing up the white allergy type mucas. So today I am taking it easy. No workout, two days rest. Hopefully I will have a good night and be ready to run easy tomorrow. My goal, if I race, will be to just barely beat my last year's time. I don't want to stress myself too much.

Lift

Went to gym, rode bike for 10 minutes, lifted for 15, rode bike for 5.

2 Mile Run

It looked very overcast so I put on sweats. I ran while Lauren's softball team practiced before her game. It turned out to be extremely humid. I made it two miles and then quit. I was hot and sweaty, plus I had to pee. Not the most satisfying run. I don't know if I will run again before my Sunday race. Maybe I will try another run tomorrow, then take a two day rest.

15 Mile Bike

Rode 15 miles at work. Last night I read an article about spinning. How beginner bikers like me prefer to spin in the 50-70 range, while good bikers are encouraged to spin at 90. Lance Armstrong meanwhile revolutionized racing by spinning at 120. But it isn't just a matter of moving your legs faster. You need to develop the stroke and technique to be able to move your legs faster and maintain control. I get up to high and I start bouncing around and wobbling. Practice, I guess.

Today I worked on spinning for awhile and 5then did my gradual increase in speed up to 12.2. I had gone from 11.4 to 11.8 and then had to start back over again because I was briefly interrupted. I stopped at 12.2 as I was getting uncomfortable in the saddle and had already logged 15 miles in 75 minutes.

Its a beautiful day. I may ride again later.

3Mile Run

Ran three miles at the track, nice and easy, untimed.

12 Mile Bike

Rode 12 miles, started off easy, and then tried each lap to up my average speed by .1 and only .1 mph. After some easy laps, I started at 11.1 and worked it up to 12.6, then it started raining. Now it is sunny. I probably should have kept riding, but it was one of those traveling thunderstorms that could have soaked me if it really burst loose.

50 Minute Run

Ran about 4 and a half miles in a long road run that covered 50 minutes. I ran from my house and discovered some new roads. I am going to try to do most of my runs right from my house unless I am doing a track workout or a measured 5K.

30 Minute Bike/Hill

Did some neighborhoor riding, practicing on hills. Ineed to get some hard biking shoes because riding in my sneakers hurts my toes with the cages. The hills were hard. I also don't like going back down, riding the brakes.

26 Minute Run

Wanted to do a long run, but waited until I got home from work and discovered there was a concert recital that hadn't been put on the family calender so i did an abbreviated 26 minute run in the neighborhood. It was hot and humid and even though I only ran a bit over 2 miles, I was gassed.

1200 Yard Swim

Recieved the video from my swim taping the other day and then went and banged out a quick 1200 yards. The vieo review i thought was btter than the inital session I had going over the video immediately after taping it. I worked on not putting my arm so deep in the water, trying to keep my arms more to my side and bending the elbow. It felt okay.

2 Mile Time Test

Went to the track, walked a lap, ran two easy laps, and then did a 2 mile time trial. Here's how it came out.

Lap 1:2:03
Lap 2: 2:09
Lap 3: 2:13
Lap 4: 2:15
Lap 5: 2:16
Lap 6: 2:16
Lap 7: 2:17
Lap 8: 2:15

Total 17:47

Mile pace of 8:53

I was getting tired. My goal is to run a 5K in 8:59 pace or better.

Signed up for the Iron Horse 10K today. I could have signed up for the 5K and gone for the record then, but since I ran the 10K last year, I want to compare times. The 5k will have to wait.

6 Mile Bike/5 Mile Bike

Rode six miles in the wind and cold. Rode another 5 later.

6 Mile Bike/5 Mile Bike

Rode 6 easy miles in about 30 minutes.

My rub last night eft me with a couple blisters (due to bandaids I had on acting as knives against the adjoining toes) and some bruising of the ball fo my left foot. I don't think it was so much the distance as all the hills that probably did it, my feet not used to landing at different angles due to the hill.

I only rode 6 miles to make certain I didn't cause further damage to the bal of my foot, but ti seems okay so I may ride a little more later.

Rode another 5 later.

52 Minute Run with Hills

Did a 52 minute run in the neighborhood with lots of big hills thrown in. My guess is I did 4.5 to 5 miles. I tried to remap it in runnning routes, but couldn't be sure oif all the turns I made. Nice easy run, no walking.

I discovered some great hilly back streets that will be great bike practice for me.

Mile PR

Walked a lap, ran an easy mile and then raced a mile, walked a lap, then ran two easy.

Here's my mile time. 8:06.8

1st Lap: 1:56:8
2nd Lap: 2:05.6
3rd Lap: 2:06.9
4th Lap: 1:56:9

New world Record.

For me.

A month ago, I ran one in 8:30

Two years ago almost to the day, I ran one in 8:10.

I'll time myself again next month.

7 Mile Bike

Rode 7 miles with my new toe cages and what a difference! I averaged 13.6 mph where I have been averageing 12.3. On my speed attempts I got up to 24.9 where my previous best was 23.8. It definately helps. The balls of my feet are positioned on the pedals now instead of the middle of my foot, and I get power with the upstroke.

1/2 Mile Swim

Was too busy at work today to ride. Tonight I swam 1/2 mile, trying out some of the instruction I got yesterday afternoon when I had my 2nd swim videotaping. It went okay. It is hard to teach an old person new things.

4 Mile Run

Ran four miles at the resovouir. I felt tired and ran very slowly. I don't know if i was deconditioned from not really running since Wednesday or still too tired from running at a faster than normal pace on Wednesday. Either way, I was intending to do a long run, but was lucky to do 4 instead of three. Sometimes I think I don't have the mental toughness to do the longer runs.

No race Today

No babysitter. No race.

2009 St Francis Kate Kuhn's 5K Road Race

Entered a 5K this evening at Elizabeth Park. It was only $20 and I needed to do a 5K run to prepare for Saturday, so I decided to do it. Not certain if it would be a good idea or not. I thought I might go for a PR, but was worried I might exhaust myself for Saturday, so I decided to just see how it went.

There was no mileage markers so I couldn't tell how i was doing. I knew I was running fast, but I kept the pace up.

Bottom line, I destroyed my PR, but I felt the course was short, which other runners agreed, so I am not counting this as a PR.

Time: 27:24 8:50 Pace

Still, it gave me a good bit of confidence.

Here are the results:

Results

6 Mile Ride

Rode 6 miles and then snapped a spoke. Went to the bike shop later and got ties put on the pedals. I'll pick it up later in the week.

Ran 2 miles, one mile fast at the track by Lauren's softball game.

6 Mile Ride

Rode 6 miles and then it started to rain.

12 Mile Bike/Strength Training

Rode 12 miles at work, but broken up into 3 segments due to calls. Also did 15 minutes of dumbell training.