The Goodlettsville Classic 4 Mile Run Race Recap

Another race, another race recap.  This year was another first for me, The Goodlettsville Classic 4 Mile Run.  Even though I used to work in the Goodlettsville area for a year, I had never been to Moss Wright Park.  Of course in those days, I was about 50 lbs. heavier and the only place I ran was to the Krispy Kreme when the hot, fresh doughnuts sign turned on.  In any case, I was back in Goodlettsville for this odd distance race.  By now, you all know the story.  My training to-date has been less than stellar.  My mileage has been short, but I thought the combination of speed work, hill work and weights would help carry me through.  Since this was a Nashville Strider race, I assumed that the field would be large and competitive.  Although it was competitive, it was a pretty small field. 

The race course itself was relatively flat and beautiful.  It was a mix of paved and tight gravel paths.  Fortunately my trail running made those transitions from gravel to pavement easy to manage.  Ultimately, I finished 27th overall out of 169. This won me a 2nd place award in my age group with a time of 28:48, 7:12/mi.  Was this worthy of a top 3 finish?  Apparently, but in hindsight, I probably could have tried harder.  In hindsight, I probably should have tried harder, and it makes me mad at myself that I did not.  Yes, it's nice to win awards and accolades, but if I get them for putting out a second best effort, is it worth as much?  Maybe, but I still won't feel good about it.  It was a good race with a nice course that deserved more effort from me, whether or not my level of training was up to snuff.  Next year, I might race it again, but if I do, I will do it right.

The 2011 Path to Progress 5K Recap

I promised you a race report and here it is.  Last week I was in Chicago for a conference (Shout out to all my NARCA homies!), and naturally I did some running.  Despite being hungover tired each morning, I would get myself out of bed and hit the streets of Chicago.  I was staying downtown at the Hyatt Regency on Wacker (that's just funny to say.  Admit it!), so I was pretty central to everything on Michigan Avenue.  I ran along the harbor, down to Soldier Field and around Millenium Park a little.  I had a blast, and for most of the week, the weather was wonderful. 

Since I knew that I would be in Chicago, I went to ye olde Internet and found me a 5K, the 2011 Path to Progress run/walk/strut around Soldier Field on Saturday (Actually I thought that I was going to be in Chicago till Sunday and had signed up for the half-marathon and then discovered that I was leaving on Saturday.  D'oh!).  So after a loooonnngggg night of socializing (my lovely wife called it "boozin' &shmoozin'"), I managed to get out of bed, get dressed, hail a cab and make it down to Soldier Field.  Remember when I said that the weather was perfect for most of the week?  Well, it wasn't on Saturday.  The temperature had dropped from the 70's into the low 40's and like a dumbass, I had not brought any warm running clothes ("It's May.  It won't be cold."  Of course, it was).  So there I am trying to register an hour before the race and my teeth are chattering and my hands are shaking (from the cold, I swear) so badly that I must have looked like I was going into epileptic shock.  I was wearing 2 techincal t-shirts and a pair of shorts with my trusty running shoes, but even this was doing nothing to keep the biting winds of Chicago at bay.  So as soon as I got my race T-shirt, I threw it on and thanked God for its heat-retaining thoruoghly abrasive cotton (runners know what I'm talking about.  Tape 'em up boys!).  I briefly toyed with running without it (as I hate to be the guy wearing the shirt of the race he's in), but it was too damn cold.  Fortunately the officials had set up a sponsor tent that offered minimal protection from the wind before the race started, so I hung out there most of the time before the race started.  I did find some reprieve from the cold in the shelter of a porta-potty but I'm afraid that the odor kept me from hanging out too long in there.

When the officials called for everyone to line up, I rushed to the front of the line but not too far up front.  I assumed that there would be a lot of fast people at this race, because I'm in the big city, right?  Well I guess most of them had planned on running the half-marathon the next day, because after the gun went off, I found myself very close to the lead pack.  As the race went on, I was picking off people and digging in for what I assumed would be an ugly race.  I caught a headwind in the middle of the first mile that almost blew me off my feet, but I hunkered down and shortened my stride.  The race started outside Soldier Field and went along Lake Michigan where we made the turn after a mile and half.  Luckily at that point, I caught a tailwind that gave me a decent boost into the third mile.  I was surprised that I was still moving so quickly as my guts were reminding me that I was not very good to them earlier that morning the night before.  As we were winding our way around the aquarium and into the Field Museum Campus, I was gearing up to make my final kick (I wasn't looking at my watch to check my distance.  Rookie mistake) when I almost ran into the runner in front of me and I realized we had just finished the race.  And just like that, it was over.  It felt anti-climatic, but it was fun nonetheless. 

I wandered around the Campus for a bit trying to decide what to do next.  Eventually I decided to head back to the hotel, and when I couldn't find a cab right away, I decided to just run back.  This let me see more of Michigan Avenue, which was a lot of fun.

My splits ended up being 7:02, 7:02, 6:45 and 6:35/mi for the last .1 mi.  I got 1st place in my age group!  When I found out later  that day, I was happy but exhausted from a week of boozin' & schmoozin'.  I haven't received my prize yet for coming in 1st, but it's nice to have the recognition even if I don't get my prize.  My time was 4 seconds slower than my PR, but I'm not complaining considering that I was lucky to make it to the race in the first place.

I loved running in Chicago and my brief time up there has me leaning heavily towards making it my next marathon in the Fall of 2012.  Assuming the world doesn't come to an end on Saturday, I will probably start making my plans.

Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon Race Recap

Hail my running brothers and sisters!  If it wasn't true before, it is true now, that I can count myself as a marathoner.  Yesterday was the second official marathon that I finished.  While I didn't have the finish for which I was hoping, I was glad that I was able to 1) actually run this race (as opposed to the Middle Half which was a DNS) and 2)  actually finish this one (as opposed to the Country Music Marathon).  Post-race excuses and rationalizations:  Unfortunately I believe that my accident a month ago weighed heavily on the outcome of this race.  Missing two weeks of training and 2 big long runs (which included a race to test my speed and endurance) left me unsure as to whether I would be able to run this race.  When I was able to get back to training, I ran every step tentatively, wincing at every pain, because I was sure that it was an indication of an impending stress fracture.  Still I was determined to run this race, even if I had to crawl across the finish line. Luckily that wasn't necessary, though at times during the race, I was sure that it was a near thing.

For background, the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon takes place in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA on the Civil War battlefield of Chickamauga.  It's a small race of about 500 runners for the marathon.  There were also about 700 half-marathoners.  Likewise the expo was small with a few vendors.  Still it was a nice, friendly atmosphere that emphasized paying tribute to the history of the area as well as being friendly to families.  The hours before the race, I stood huddled with several other runners around a heater inside the registration tent as the 39 degree chill felt much colder.  Still I managed to take care of some of my normal pre-race rituals (poop and pee), but I did not do a warm-up jog.  I was just too darn cold!

Eventually, they called for the imminent start, so I lined up with the rest of the runners at the starting line.  I found the 3:40 pacer and stood near him.  Chickamauga starts off their race by firing a canon (they also fire it for the first finishers of the marathon, half and jr-marathon!).  I knew about it, but I still jumped when they fired it.  Early on, I had decided to hold back and keep an easy, but quick pace.  I just wasn't sure what I could handle physically since the accident and  loss of training time.  Still as the miles ticked away, I felt strong and stable as I stayed with the pace group.  I stopped at the water stops for a minute or two and even took a porta-potty pit stop once or twice.  

The race itself was beautiful and eerie.  We started out at dawn and as the sun rose through the air, I could see rays of sunlight cut through the treetops and fog.  It was like some hazy special effect, and at any moment, I kept expecting to see a ghostly Civil War soldier materialize out of the fog.  Adding to this, the steam from the runners' labored breathing added to the ghostly quality of the race.  I almost stopped to take a picture of this scene (and wished that I had), but my competitive drive wouldn't let me give up the pace.  The course was generally flat, but it had a fair number of hills and some decent elevation to make it challenging.  Though it was a double loop course, the scenery of the park and the monuments throughout the battlefield never made the course seem boring.  There were plenty of volunteers riding on bikes throughout the course checking on runners, providing medical aid, duct tape (for blistered runners!), and Powerade from their bicycle baskets, if necessary.  The water stops and aid stations were well-manned and well-stocked.  So all-in-all, my race experience went fairly well.

Mile 15.  Feeling good.

Now the race was supposed to provide shuttles (in this case, small school buses) that would take spectators to various points along the race every 15 minutes or so.  According to my lovely bride, this did not happen.  So it was, that I was only able to see my family at mile 15 before the finish.  When they saw me, I was still feeling good and moving well unlike when they saw me at mile 18 of the Country Music Marathon.  I was just ahead of the 3:40 pace group by maybe a minute or two, and after shedding my extra clothes and kissing my family, I headed back to the race.  About 1/2 a mile into mile 16, I noticed the first bit of cramping.  I was surprised as I had tried to maintain my fluid intake, and had even made sure to drink a big bottle of water prior to the race.  I soon came upon another water/potty stop and decided to use the "facilities."  That's when I discovered that my pee-pee urine was a darkish brown.  Now, I'm no dummy (though my lovely bride has told me that I can be a dumbass).  I know what this means.  I'm majorly dehydrated.  I cursed my lack of training and started downing the Gatorade that my lovely bride had given me when I saw my family.  I thought briefly about dropping out, but I dismissed that thought immediately.  I kept sipping on my Gatorade, and when I got to a water stop, I two-fisted water and Powerade from the volunteers.  Still the cramping, like my pace, got worse.  I briefly hoped that if I could slow down to 9-10 minute miles that I might have some hope of finishing under 4 hours, and had I been able to do that, I probably would have finished under 4 hours.  

My daughter running to me at the finish.

However, my legs were screaming at me to stop.  My IT band was flaring in fiery, hot pain from the top of my thigh down to my knee, and every tendon and muscle touching it joined in the hate-fest.  At several points, I had to stop and bend over to stretch out my calves and thighs, or I might have locked up on the spot.  Around mile 24, I made an attempt at finishing stronger than my last few miles, but the pain was too much. Throw in that I was not mentally ready for it, this time my pace again dropped to crawl.  Still I refused to quit, though I must have been quite a sight as a couple volunteers asked me if I was okay.  I told them that I felt better earlier this morning, but I would be fine once I finished.  Eventually I did reach the finish.  I even passed several people, but I got passed by even more.  Still, nothing was better than seeing my family waving at me as I crossed the line.  My children ran out to me and my lovely bride hugged me and told me how proud she was of me.  I told her that I was glad to just be standing.

With the help of my family, I stiff-legged my way over to the Finisher's tent and ate and drank as much food as I could get my hands on.  Pizza never tasted so good as it did in that moment.  Before I could stuff a 4th piece of pizza into my mouth, the officials were calling for the start of the Jr. Marathon, of which both my children were participating.  I waved my wife and kids on telling them to hurry to the start as I gingerly followed behind them.  When I caught up to them, my kids were picking their way up to the line.  I gave them hugs of encouragement and my son told me that he was going to try to win it!  I told him to go for it and stepped back to my wife.  At the last minute, I decided to see if my daughter wanted me to follow her (hoping she wouldn't need me), and hobbled towards her.  Before I got to her,  the canon went off and the crowd of kids rushed off the line.  I'm not sure why, but I walked behind, following the crowd. That's when I saw the crowd of kids move around something and the officials rushing into the pack.  I knew from my experience with cross-country that meant someone had fallen, and somehow, I knew that it was my daughter.  In fact, it was.  She is so small that I imagine she could not keep her balance with the surge of the crowd and she was trampled.  The officials had picked her up and she was crying loudly.  I came up on them, told them that I was her father, and I scooped her up into my arms.  I'll admit that I had little left in the tank, but even I couldn't just let my little girl stand there crying.  So while she clung to my neck, I started walking around the junior course.  I tried soothing her, so I could calm her down and she could finish her race.  I don't know why, but for some reason, I thought it would matter to her if she didn't finish.  I carried her for awhile, and eventually I was able to calm her down enough so that she could walk. Holding her hand, we walked the course well behind the pack.  We talked a bit, and though I wasn't able to get her to stop sobbing, she kept going.  She even agreed to shuffle-jog into the finish when her brother came back to us and she got her medal.  After that, I let her have as many cookies as she wanted!

Team Vallejo finishing the Jr. Marathon!

Overall, the race was a great experience.  The course was beautiful and the weather was near perfect.  The officials and volunteers were friendly and helpful.  Now for the usual post-race questions:  Was I hoping for a better race?  Of course, I was.  Am I happy/proud with how I did?  Absolutely.  It wasn't the epic fail of the Country Music Marathon, and I proved that I can still overcome adversity to finish something that I started.  Was this race dedicated to anyone?  Yes.  Of course, I dedicated this race to my mom, but also to my friend Joe Lynn Smith and my sister-in-law's Uncle Bob.  Will I do another marathon?  Absolutely.  I think that I'm going to take another stab at the Country Music Marathon for next year, but I may end up pacing a friend.  What about qualifying for Boston?  I'm not saying it's out, but unless I really re-vamp and re-focus my training, it doesn't seem likely.  The marathon is such a beast, I have no idea how Ultra guys do longer.  I think that I'm just way too competitive to give up on striving for Boston, but realistically I can only mentally train to race one marathon a year.  I think that physically I can do more than 1 marathon a year, but rolling out sub-8's for 26.2 miles is a lot to train for.  Official time:  4:07:03, 9:26/mi.  I finished 38th out of 71 in my age group (Ugh.  I'm a Masters now.  When did I get so old?) and 182 out of 502 finishers overall.  My pace times were (thanks to Garmin) in order:  8:21,  8:21, 8:08, 8:50, 7:35, 7:51, 7:58, 8:14, 8:19, 8:13, 8:29, 8:30, 8:11, 8:28, 8:11, 9:16, 8:20, 9:19, 11:50, 10:38, 11:14, 12:47, 11:48, 9:50, 11:58, 11:47 and 10:18 for the final .2 of a mile.

For now, I am going to rest and recover.  I'm going to re-vamp my training plan and hopefully get ready for my final race of the year, the Rudolph's Red Nose 5k this December.  Keep the faith, kids!