5k PR: Track/TT

 Hello Runners.

Yesterday, our Team - Athletics East, held a Team Time Trials / Races of various distances at a HS track in Alexandria, VA.   I decided to you use this meet to try (again) to break 18:00 in the 5k.  

A few weeks ago I tried to break 18:00, went out too fast, and crash and burned 2.5 miles in.  This time I had a team mate pace me at an even 18:00 pace (1:26 / 1:27 per 400) thru 3k to keep me from spazzing out, and give it my best shot at getting to 17:59.

I got some excellent pacing and clicked off the laps, feeling pretty comfortable.  About 3k in, my pacer pulled off, and it was time for me to finish it.  Was able to stay on pace, getting splits from my Coach and I continued to go round the oval.

 In the last couple laps, I started to feel like I was going all-out; my crash and burn from last time got into my head, and I started to get into my head too much (again)....afraid I was going to crash again.  With all this shit going thru my head, I lost track of what lap I was on, and hit the 5k mark without ever kicking.  I was being told by my Coach how much I had left, but somehow it didn't compute in the fog of the 'big effort' to stay on pace at the end of the race.

I ended up with a time of 18:02.  A PR, but short of my goal.  As my friends and Team Mates say "A PR is a PR".  Period.  So, I've chosen to be happy with the result.  The time confirms my 10k PR last month was not a fluke....confirming my new level of fitness.

An hour later, I "paid it forward" by helping another Team Mate run a great time in the 1500.  He wanted to run each 400 in 73".  I was able to pace him for the first and last 400.  It felt good to help him out, and I got to run a couple fast reps.

I will continue with my Coach's Training, it's making me faster, and I'll hopefully dip under 18 in my next 5k.

Shorter distance races coming up for me.  1500 and 3k at a Track Meet in Leesburg in a few weeks, then the Loudoun Street Mile on Memorial Day.

Onward

5k Time Trial: Crash and Burn

 Hello Runners.

This is a different kind of "Race Report" than normal.

Last week I ran a 5k "Time Trial".  I entered a small / low key 5k put on Bishop Events in Lorton, VA on a paved park trail.  My goal was to go out in 5:40 pace for the first mile and hold on for as long as I could - deep down hoping I could make it to the finish without slowing down - or at least slowing down very little.

I ran a 10k last month in 37:10 (6:00 pace), and thought maybe I can take another leap forward and run a 5k in "17 high".  I was going in with the attitude of "Do or die".  I had team mates in the race I could use for pacing - and had some confidence going in....

• I went thru the first mile in almost exactly 5:40.  I was feeling okay, in a small group - all good.  
• At 2 miles I was hurting pretty good.  Approaching red-line really; but kept pushing.  Still on 5:40 pace....
  
• At 2.5 miles - I quit.  
• Side of the trail, hands on knees, gasping for air kind of quit.
• Once I got my breath back I jogged it in as a few runners passed me.

So, the "Do or die" choice ended up being "Die". 

I am disappointed, but I knew it was a long shot.  On the bright side, I got in a good workout, and found where the limit is.  

On the downside, I quit.  I wasn't injured, I was just gassed.  Could I have gone farther?  I think if I had made it 2.75 miles I would have been able to push the last 500m.  But, when I knew I had 1k to go still, it was just too much.

I'm going to give it a go to finally break 18:00 in a couple weeks.  I'll pull back some on the pace; 5:45 pace will get it done.

I almost didn't write this post.  Then, I read an article about how so many professional runners will post their workouts and successful races, but won't post their struggles.

So...this is my honesty....mostly so I can remember how it felt, what happened, learn from it, and move forward.

P.S: In the 10k last month, I felt under control with 2 miles to go, and played it safe.  I "felt like" I could have gone a little faster, but the pace on my watch kept me from doing it.  This time, I "knew" I was out too fast...I felt it....but I held on to the pace on my watch until I below up.  There's a "Goldie Locks" analogy in there somewhere.

Carry on.

Race Without My Watch?! Crazy, Right?

 Hello Runners,

I’ve been thinking about the 10k race last Sunday, and need to get something off my chest.

I was racing with my watch on, like I always do, the screen set to show me my current and average pace.  My PR going into the race was 37:43; 6:05 pace.  My goal was to maintain my pace faster than 6:05 and set a new PR.

I was having a good race, in a small of group of guys clicking off 6:00 miles.  I know this because despite the course not having mile markers I would periodically check my watch.  I was feeling surprisingly comfortable, not really under stress at all, almost like a tempo effort, as we went thru 5k and approaching 4 miles.

At about 4 miles, one member of our small group picked up the pace some, not a super hard surge but he gradually gapped us.  It was one of those mid race decisions - do I go with him or stay back with the group?  My watch told me to stay back, I was 5 sec/mile faster than my PR and I still had over 2 miles to go.  But, I was feeling comfortable, I could have gone with him.  If my watch had said we were on 6:10 pace I probably would have because I “should” be able to.  I never caught back up to that guy, and he ended up beating me by 13 seconds.  I held the 6:00 pace thru 6 miles, which was NOT easy, and then was able to pick it up some the last 400, but I never got closer to catching him.

My Coach keeps telling me to stop watching my watch during races.  I’ve seen professional and experienced racers compete without watches.  I’ve always thought that was crazy, or at least I am not experienced enough to race without my watch - I wouldn’t know how hard to go without checking in with my watch periodically.

 Based solely on how I was feeling when it was time to make that decision at mile 4, I should have gone with the breakaway.  Now, maybe I would have died a mile later, but I would have given it a shot and actually “raced” vs time trialing. 

I’ve been racing for 5 years now, it’s time I do more listening to my body and pay less attention to what my watch says. I may fail a few times, but maybe I’ll get a big break through every now and then.  I’d be racing.  Either way it’s pizza, beer, and smiles past the finish line.

Thoughts?

Onward.

Race Report: DCRRC Fort Hunt 10k

 Hello Runners.

Yesterday I raced the DCRRC (Washington DC Road Runners) 10k at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria, VA.

Big Shout Out to DCRR for putting on a race, an actual road race, during Covid.  Protocols were put in place, wear a mask and go out in groups of 10 or less - each group spaced by about 30” at the start.  About 50 runners total with no fanfare, but plenty of good ol’ competition.

The weather was perfect - clear sky, low 40’s, and little wind.  The course is 5 loops around the park, with gradually rolling hills.  About 30’ of up/down per 1.2 mile loop.  I set my PR on this course last March, right before Covid shut everything down.  37:43; 6:04 pace.

At 8:00 sharp the Director said “Okay 6:00 pace and faster come on up”.  I hesitated, but figured the next wave will not be 6:05 pace, but more like 6:30 or 7:00 pace - so I stepped forward with another 8 or so runners in the “first wave”.

Off we went, pulled our masks off and 4 of us quickly settled into 6:00 pace.  Two younger lads and two old folks (my teammate Pete and I are both in our mid 50’s).   About 2 miles in one of the younger lads dropped down to 5:55 pace or so, 3 of us held the 6:00 pace.  We crossed 5k around 18:35.

This would have been a 5k PR a couple years ago, I was 5” / mile ahead of my current 10k PR pace, and I was feeling - well - comfortable.

Around mile 4 the remaining youngster dropped his pace some, so now it’s me and Pete - the old man train pushing to the end.  Pete’s a little faster than I am, and I was in new territory, so I had no problem letting him pace me in.

About 5 miles in my hard but comfortable feeling turned into an all out effort.  I thought Pete had picked up the pace, but looking back on our splits he was just holding pace.  We passed our Coach about this point, and he yelled “If you wanna break 37 you have to go now!”  This didn’t compute to me, and I have never been close to breaking 37, so I figured this was just some encouragement to keep fighting.

Just before the 6 mile mark I started my sprint (Strava says I covered the last .2 at 5:40 pace).  Pete went with me, both of us trying to move our old legs as fast as they’d go.  In the end, I lost the sprint by 2 seconds, but still came in with a time of 37:10!  33 second PR!!  I’m feeling pretty stoked about it.

After running the indoor races last weekend, I was taking a chance by racing again 7 days later.  Turns out it was a good chance to take.  For those interested, twice now I’ve set big 10k PR’s after training for, and racing a 3k.  After racing and training at 5:30/mile, 6:00/mile seems more “manageable”.  Don’t know if this makes any sense from a training science point of view, but it’s worked for me.

I was feeling pretty beat up after the indoor races, and just ran easy miles all week, with only a few strides on Wednesday.  None of it felt good.  I did a lot of extra foam rolling and stretching.  Saturday, the day before the race I finally felt my legs coming back.  Still - I was going to pull the plug as soon as I felt any of the wrong kind of strain. Luckily, nothing ever came.

I’m still sore, but not injured.  In fact, my left plantar and IT band are better than they have been, And my left hamstring and glute are holding up okay.  If I could just have two right legs I’d be in business!

So now - couple weeks of easy running, then build back up for a mile race in late May.  If I find a good 5k or 10 miler before then, I might jump on that too.

Onward

Race Report: AAU Masters Indoor Championships

 Hello Runners.

Yesterday I competed in the AAU Masters Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach.  USATF has cancelled everything due to Covid, but AAU kept this meet on the calendar - so many on my Team (Athletics East) made the drive down.

This is my first and only indoor meet this year - I did attend two meets last year.  I ran the 1500 / 3k / and the 4x400 relay.  It was fun, rewarding, and TIRING.

Virginia Beach is about a 4 hour drive from my house, so I drove down on Saturday afternoon, had dinner with the Team and checked into a hotel Saturday night.  My first race was not until 1:00 on Sunday, so I was able to sleep in, have a small / light breakfast around 10:00 and made the short drive to the Virginia Beach Sports Center.  I arrived around 11:00.  I'd forgotten what a "thing" it is to register for an indoor meet; spike check, security, race officials, when/where can I warm-up, etc.  The facility and the 200m track is GREAT.  All brand new and fast, with banked turns and bouncy surface.  If you like indoor racing, this is the place to be in the Mid-Atlantic region.

First Race: 1500 (Start time: 1:00)

• My goal for this race is "Less than 5:00".  
• I thought I could go as low as 4:55, but really wanted to get under 5:00.
• This translates to 39" - 40" every 200m lap.
• There's a big screen right in your face as you finish each lap, so it was easy to know if I was on pace.
• I didn't run with a watch - I've found thru my limited experience on an indoor track, that I NEED to pay attention to the track and the runners around me, not looking down at my watch.
• I was in a race with some much faster runners - the winner won in 4:27 in a 4-way sprint finish.
• After the first 200, I let these faster guys go, and became the leader of a "second pack" running each 200m a few seconds slower than the lead group.
  
• I went into "Time Trial" mode - and tried very hard to click thru each 200m in 39" - 40".
• I already had that lactic acid feeling in my arms after the 3rd lap, so I knew the next four laps were going to hard....
  
• After 4-5 laps, I was pretty much on schedule, but it was slipping - very slightly - away....
• With 200m to go I was 2 seconds behind 5:00 pace.  I had to GO.
• Just then, a Team Mate of mine passed me, and I got in behind him as we kicked for the finish.
  
• With his help, we ran the last 200m in 36", coming in at 4:58!
• Goal achieved!
• I tried as hard I could to come back around and win our own little race, but I was pipped at the line.  But I'm pretty sure had I just time trialed it in I would not have gone under 5:00.
  

Second Race: 3k (Start Time: 6:00)

•  Yes - that's right.  5 hour wait for my next race.
•  Good and bad.  More time to recover from the 1500, but also more time to get stiff and frankly lose motivation to run again.
• I watched my Team Mates race shorter distances, 800m, 400m, etc.
• Around an hour before the start I did my warm-up routine as if I hadn't already raced.  I really didn't know what else to do.
• I wasn't feeling too bad as we lined up for the race, pretty much recovered from the 1500.
• My goal for this race is 10:30.  3:30 per k.  42" per lap.  5 laps per k.
• As with the 1500, there was a "lead pack" that soon left me.  I was now running with another Team Mate (no, not the same one as the 1500), in the "second pack".
• We were on track thru the first k.  Coming in around 3:29.
• The 2nd k I let a gap grow between me and my Team Mate - I was falling behind schedule.  I lost 5 seconds to my goal: 2nd k was 3:35.  This was a MENTAL failure.  I was tired, realized I had 6' to go, and got cautious.  I was tired, let negative emotions in, and started to use the excuse I had already run a 1500...and this is hard.
• In the 3rd k, my Team Mate started to come back to me some, so I decided I was going to catch him.  I was able to pick up the pace some, and almost caught him.  Once again just got pipped at the line.
• Overall Time: 10:37.
• This is 7 seconds faster than the 3k I ran last year (which was NOT after a 1500), so I don't feel too bad about it.  I think I could have run 10:30 had a not had the mental lapse in the 2nd k, and some fatigue still in my legs from the 1500.

4 x 400 Relay (Start Time: 6:40)

• What would a Team Meet be without the 4x400?
• All hands on deck, take the baton, run two laps as fast you can, and give it to someone else.
• I was second leg, ran a 1:12 on dead legs.
• It was fun....build team work.

What did I learn?

• I'm a better racer when I have someone to chase down.  I'm not good at front running.  I already knew this - but it was definitely reinforced in these meets. Every time I had some to follow/catch, I was able to find another gear that was NOT there when I was leading the train.
• Nike DragonFly's are pretty good.  Not sure I'm a lot faster in them, but I do notice some bounce and my feet / lower legs are not as beat as when I use other spikes.
• I can run fast when I'm tired.  
• Mental - dude it's all mental.  Just f*cking run!  There's more there - 

 I haven't done ANY mile pace work going into this meet.  I did two 3k workouts over the last 6 weeks, and that's it.  I feel good about getting a little faster for outdoor events later this Spring / Summer.

Next up:  DCRR Fort Hunt 10k next Sunday.  Loudoun Street Mile on Labor Day...and whatever pops up on the calendar.

Onward.

 

2020 In Review: The Covid Year

 Hello Runners.

So....here's my running summary for 2020, a crazy year.

I set my 2020 goals as follows (of course, prior to knowing about Covid).

 

Notice, that my goals are all process oriented.  No time or race goals.  Frankly, I had no idea how I'd run in 2020, and at 53 figured all my PRs are behind me. 

So, how did I stack up against my goals?

Be a good team mate

I joined Athletics East toward the end of last year.  AE is an Master's track club based in the DC area.  My first running team (I was on a cycling team 25 years ago).  I joined in on workouts and races - ran a relay on an indoor track, and placed in some road races representing the team.   I worked with the other guys during races, "pulled" a team member to a mile PR, and had a shit ton of run.  I consider this goal a big green check mark.

Have Fun

I've made running too important in the past, and took my running too seriously.  This year my focus was on my own improvement and making running more social (both on the Team and the Ashburn crew).  I avoided (best I could) comparison to others, and focused on my process and how I'm feeling, in the moment.  Except for a few moments in 2020, I've achieved this goal.

Avoid Injury

Complete success! (Almost).  I had to take about 5 days off in August due to a tight IT band.  I ran a mile race, and 7 days later did some hard 800m repeats.  The back to back weeks or very fast stuff got the IT going.  I immediately took a few days off and did some rehab, and was back in action.  I'm proud that I was able to take the days off when I needed them....and avoided a bigger injury.  That may not have been the case a few years ago.

Try New Races / Training Methods

I ran indoor track January thru March this year.  I did a 3k, 2k, a couple 1500's and a 400m relay race.  All new to me, hell I'd never even been on an indoor track before!  And, since I had no prior experience, I had no expectations...it was a blast.  I also started a new training plan provided by my Coach on AE.  The new plan includes different workouts than I was doing, and focused more on fast paced work.  The change itself I think was worth it, I was stuck in the a rut of doing the same workouts over and over again.  Goal complete.

So, how was my race performance this year?

Even tho my goals are all process, race results are still the barometer of a good or bad year for me.  And, I got faster this year....even with Covid.

• 10k PR - 37:43
• Almost a minute off my old PR.
• I ran a small DCRR race in March coming off the Indoor races.
• Completely surprised myself....it was fantastic.
• 1 Mile PR - 5:16
• 1 second improvement from my prior PR (set 4 years ago).
• Same course, Loudoun Mile, in Winchester, VA.
• I had a couple team mates helping push thru....
• 5k PR - 18:06
• Small race in the Fall under Covid restrictions.
• My PR prior to this year was 18:40.
• This year I ran 18:25; 18:18; and 18:06....solid improvement.

Here's to hoping 2021 gets back to normal (or at least closer).  Looks like Spring is going to be light on race opportunities, but maybe the Fall we can get back to larger races?  

 

Carry on....

Loudoun Street Mile

Hello Runners.

Exciting news!  I was actually able to race...in a REAL race....yesterday; the Loudoun Street Mile in Winchester, VA.  The race was slightly modified from the normal format, it was run in heats with a maximum of 50 per heat.  the "A" Heat for men seeded faster than 5:00; "B" Heat for fast women, and "C" Heat for Men slower than 5:00.  I submitted an optimistic seed time of 5:10 and was put in the "C" Heat.  "A" race went off at 9:00; "B" race at 9:10; and "C" Race at 9:20.

I met some team mates before the race, did our warm-ups; and started to feel it getting hotter and hotter.  At 9:20 race start it was 77 degrees and 85% humidity.  I turned to my team mate (Mark), who I was planning to run with most of way and suggested we target 5:15; 1:19 per quarter adjusted for incline/decline on the course; he agreed.  Plan set - we line up - and we're off.

The course is a straight shot down Loudoun Street, ending downtown Winchester on a pedestrian only brick outdoor shopping area.

Quarter by quarter breakdown:

• Q1 (1:17): The first quarter is downhill, we spend the first 200 meters getting into rhythm and sorting thru the other racers, then settle in.  We go over the 1/4 mile marker in 1:17. Mark is no my shoulder, I'm feeling fine about 10 racers in front of us.  A couple seconds ahead of schedule, but I feel like I'm holding back some.

•  Q2: (1:24): The 2nd quarter is uphill, and I planned to slow down some, but this is too slow.  I'm feeling fine, but I probably gave back a few seconds here.  Mark is still right on my shoulder.  I'm drafting off a kid, but I need to move.

• Q3 (1:17): The third quarter is another downhill section.  I want to gain some time here and I do.  It's getting pretty hard now - I'm pushing, downhill is helping.  1:17, got a few seconds back.

• Q4 (1:18):  My thought is to hold pace for another 200 meters, then go hard.  Mark is on my shoulder, the roads turns to bricks about 250-300 meter out.  When we get to the bricks Mark passes me and has about a 5 meter gap.  I go with him best I can, holding the gap but not closing back up on him.  I push and push - my legs will just not go any faster.  1:18 last quarter on a relatively flat section.

• Total time: 5:16: one second, one tick, faster than four years.  Four years older, and one second faster, I'll take it. 

It was great to get back out and race again.  I really appreciate Runner's Retreat for putting on the race.  I'm sure there were extra steps they had to take, and it would have been easier to cancel like most have done - much, much appreciated!

I saw many people in "real life" that have been Strava only friends since February.  That was nice.

Now back to time trials - nothing else on the calendar anytime soon.

Onward.