2018 Keep RLGH Independent 4 Miler

2018 Keep RLGH Independent 4 Miler

Too slow. Your man is too slow and needs to pick up the pace. These Runologie races are much more competitive than the ones I'd been running, so instead of being in or near the top 3 for my age group, I'm now the back of the middle of the pack. As the competition is getting stiffer, my mins/km needs to be getting better. I feel like I should be running under 5 minutes per km, at least in these 5Ks and 4-milers. I can do 15K averaging 5:20/km in the heat, and I've done a 5K under 25 mins. once when it was cool, so it's a matter of being able to do it when it's hot and humid.

I've started working jump-ups and hill repeats into my routine and have about a month and a half before the Labor Day 8K to shave some seconds off. If I can push the pace and the heat backs off a bit, here's hoping I can be a bit braggadocious after race 13.

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58
Race 4 - "Running Over Cancer 5K" [official results] - 3/12/2017 - 25:32
Race 5 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/7/2017 - 25:03 [official results]
Race 6 - "Run the Quay" - 6/3/2017 - 25:11 [official results]
Race 7 - "Decem-burrrr Dash" - 12/2/17 - 24:43 [official results]
Race 8 - "SPCA Mutts & Marshmallows Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/13/18 - 26:27 [official results]
Race 9 - "Cary Greenways 10K" - 4/24/18 - 55:48 [official results]
Race 10 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/6/2018 - 26:19 [official results]
Race 11 - "Raleigh Beach 5k" - 5/27/2018 - 26:49 [official results]
Race 12 - "Keep RLGH Independent 4 Miler" - 7/4/2018 - 36:42 [official results]

Raleigh Beach 5k – 2018

Raleigh Beach 5k – Runologie

This was at Dorothea Dix, same park as last race, but a different course through the park. Middle of the pack for dudes of my age group but I don't feel too bad. The times of the top finishers were under 23 minutes -- faster, I think, than the other races I've run. This Runologie series looks like it's a cut above the races I've done up 'til now, competiveness-wise.

I felt like I ran well for me, considering the weather (hot) and course (bit on the hilly side). Still, I had a goal of getting at least one kilometer under 5 minutes, and my best was 5:12. I made an effort to watch my heart rate during this one to see if staying around 165-170 bpm made a difference. (Going to want to start monitoring earlier next time and try to get to 170 faster. Based on average bpm for the race, I must have kept a lower rate for the first few klicks.) 

Posting just the participation medal, the post-race selfie was a horrorshow.

Next race is a 4-miler, first of that distance, at same park Fourth of July weekend.

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58
Race 4 - "Running Over Cancer 5K" [official results] - 3/12/2017 - 25:32
Race 5 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/7/2017 - 25:03 [official results]
Race 6 - "Run the Quay" - 6/3/2017 - 25:11 [official results]
Race 7 - "Decem-burrrr Dash" - 12/2/17 - 24:43 [official results]
Race 8 - "SPCA Mutts & Marshmallows Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/13/18 - 26:27 [official results]
Race 9 - "Cary Greenways 10K" - 4/24/18 - 55:48 [official results]
Race 10 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/6/2018 - 26:19 [official results]
Race 11 - "Raleigh Beach 5k" - 5/27/2018 - 26:49 [official results]

Racing for Rescues 5K 2018

Sigh. Slower than last year. I'd be less aggravated if the finish line photos looked OK, but instead of an athletic runner crossing the line of a race in triumph, I look more like a knock-kneed smuggler trying to sneak a sack of potatoes under his shirt through a border crossing.

Don't think I can blame the new course for this year's race, if anything I thought the hills at Dorothea Dix park were a little less daunting than the ones at the Cary Soccer complex. I think I slow up a bit in the last kilometer to gather steam for a final push, but I wait too long to actually go all out to the finish. Next race I'm to try to do a brief bit of steadying at the end of the 4th klick and start the 5th with more pace and basically go all out the last 200 meters or so to ensure the tank is empty when I cross the line. Resting up to push hard the last 100 meters isn't working.

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58
Race 4 - "Running Over Cancer 5K" [official results] - 3/12/2017 - 25:32
Race 5 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/7/2017 - 25:03 [official results]
Race 6 - "Run the Quay" - 6/3/2017 - 25:11 [official results]
Race 7 - "Decem-burrrr Dash" - 12/2/17 - 24:43 [official results]
Race 8 - "SPCA Mutts & Marshmallows Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/13/18 - 26:27 [official results]
Race 9 - "Cary Greenways 10K" - 4/24/18 - 55:48 [official results]
Race 10 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/6/2018 - 26:19 [official results]

First 10K

So, not only did I gear up for maximum dorkiness, I stumbled from getting my chip into the starting box and took off without warming up, got off to a miserably slow start, and got stuck at a crosswalk for what seemed like an eternity in the first half of the race.

Despite all those impediments, I managed to come in 2nd in my age group and 27th overall. For my first 10K, I guess I'll take it.

How dorky, you ask? So. Effin. Dork.

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58
Race 4 - "Running Over Cancer 5K" [official results] - 3/12/2017 - 25:32
Race 5 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/7/2017 - 25:03 [official results]
Race 6 - "Run the Quay" - 6/3/2017 - 25:11 [official results]
Race 7 - "Decem-burrrr Dash" - 12/2/17 - 24:43 [official results]
Race 8 - "SPCA Mutts & Marshmallows Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/13/18 - 26:27 [official results]
Race 9 - "Cary Greenways 10K" - 4/24/18 - 55:48 [official results]

SPCA Mutts & Marshmallows Hot Chocolate Run 2018

NC's record cold snap from end of December through early January impacted my preparation for this race ... rather than toughening up and running through the cold, I scaled back and took some extra rest days. On the one hand, was a little disappointed with my time as I'd hoped to be close to my last result. Want to see times starting with 25, 24, or even 23 at some point this year, so putting up a time starting with a 26 felt like a step backwards. On the other hand, this was my first time with a top ten overall finish and my first age group win, so I'm pretty happy about that.

Let's call the slower time a function of the course (wet, muddy) and conditions (cold,windy) and try to focus on the positive, shall we?

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58
Race 4 - "Running Over Cancer 5K" [official results] - 3/12/2017 - 25:32
Race 5 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/7/2017 - 25:03 [official results]
Race 6 - "Run the Quay" - 6/3/2017 - 25:11 [official results]
Race 7 - "Decem-burrrr Dash" - 12/2/17 - 24:43 [official results]
Race 8 - "SPCA Mutts & Marshmallows Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/13/18 - 26:27 [official results]

Decem-burrrr Dash 2017

Not going to lie, proud of myself for going hard at this year's race and finally cracking the 25 minute barrier while notching a new personal best. They changed the course a bit from last year, had us do a loop around the football field before heading up the first hill, rather than having us do a circle in the parking lot at the halfway point, which felt kind of dumb. Incorporating more hills into my running routes certainly seems to have paid some dividends -- the hill on this course felt much less taxing this year than I remember it feeling last year, that's for sure.

Speed seems to be the area I need the most work in, which I think means I need to incorporate more stride outs into my running. Now that I've proven to myself I can sustain a 5 min/km pace, I'd like to see if I can get start getting some kms to come in closer to 4:30 than 5:00. And, if I can do that, then to start stringing some of those times together.

2nd place in my age group.

Chugging to the finish.

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58
Race 4 - "Running Over Cancer 5K" [official results] - 3/12/2017 - 25:32
Race 5 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/7/2017 - 25:03 [official results]
Race 6 - "Run the Quay" - 6/3/2017 - 25:11 [official results]
Race 7 - "Decem-burrrr Dash" - 12/2/17 - 24:43 [official results]

2017 Garner Rex Healthcare Sprint Triathlon

That was fun. No super-heroics to report. I hoped I would finish middle of the pack, and I did. 159th position from a start position of 190 out of a field of 302 racers. I think I might try another of these. Maybe sign up for the whole series in 2018.

Next time, I'll make sure to give an accurate swim time, more like 4:40 instead of the 5:20 I supplied. It might not have made much difference, but I stayed in line, didn't try to pass, and it felt very slow. I caught up to the swimmer in front of me in the first length of the pool. Watching the earlier swimmers go out, the guys who passed people looked like jerks, kept hitting other swimmers coming down the lane the other way head on, so I had decided I would just trail the swimmer in front of me, regardless. The key here, it seems to me, is give an accurate time and get seeded behind someone same speed as you or just slightly faster and then don't don't let them get too far ahead of you. Lesson learned.

Also, riding a single-speed bike was a bit of macho I wouldn't repeat. I'll get a geared bike before doing this again. The bike portion is probably where I could improve the most. Hard to build up any momentum going downhill without a high gear to work with, can never go very fast, and that's momentum you don't have to spend on the flats or coming to the start of a hill. Bet I could get under 30 minutes for next time.

As far as the running goes, I'm not sure how much more speed I can cultivate. My time there might represent about the best I can expect when it's 90 degrees out. Cooler conditions though, I bet that'd come down a bit as well.

Run The Quay 5K 2017

Not going to let the fact I didn't set a new PB time in this race get me down. Not going to. Not.

Ugh. It's eating me up.

Look, here's the deal: I started way back in the crowd and was jammed up in traffic the first quarter mile, barely walking until there was enough room to start running past people. My "gun time" reflects the 40 seconds or so it took me just to reach the starting line. If I'd actually been able to run from the start, I think I would've been under 25 minutes. But, the time is what it is and I'll just have to carry a chip on my shoulder until the next race when I can try again.

Next up is the sprint triathlon in July. (Unless I can find another 5K to sneak in in the meantime.) Swimming is underway. I'm slow and need to log lots of laps in the next few weeks. And then I still expect I'll be slow. But I've been doing some biking, and of course running, so just going to keep up with those and hope for the best. My goal: don't come in dead last.

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58
Race 4 - "Running Over Cancer 5K" [official results] - 3/12/2017 - 25:32
Race 5 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/7/2017 - 25:03 [official results]
Race 6 - "Run the Quay" - 6/3/2017 - 25:11 [official results]

Second Chance Pet Adoptions | 2017 Racing for Rescues

Second Chance Pet Adoptions | 2017 Racing for Rescues

This was a fun event for another great cause. I'd do this one again.

We got lucky on the weather. The conditions were ideal for running. I'm a little bummed I didn't get under 25 minutes. If I'd started my final push sooner, I think I could have done it with several seconds to spare, but the finish line kind of snuck up on me. I'll know better next time.

If nothing else, this slight improvement over the last race suggests I can be training harder. Even if the Run for the Quay turns out to be on a hot, humid morning, I'm shooting for a time comfortably under 25 minutes in that one. That it's been almost two months since my last race and I managed better race-over-race improvement with only a month between each of the last ones is a bit discouraging.


Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58
Race 4 - "Running Over Cancer 5K"- 3/12/2017 - 25:32
Race 5 - "Racing for Rescues" - 5/7/2017 - 25:03 [official results]

Running Over Cancer 5K 2017

It was just a "participation medal." But I still like it!

The ROC5K was my second 5K at the Cary Soccer complex, the SPCA run was also held there, and I was ready with potential excuses for not doing better than my last time running it, or my last race: got sick and missed days of running; it was cold after a morning snow; I biked on the Weds before the race and wrecked my legs, couldn't recover fast enough ...

But I don't need them, managed to set a new personal best, better even than my best practice run to date.

Now I've got a 5K lull until the Fuquay race this summer and need to keep biking for the longer term goal of completing a Sprint Triathlon in the Fall. So not knowing where I'll be with the training regimen changing, and how the coming warm weather will effect me, won't set a goal for the Run the Quay race yet, but I'd really like to keep getting faster these next few months and show marked improvement. 22:00 feels out of reach -- a time would've been competitive for my age group in this race  -- but maybe a time under 24 minutes isn't out of the question?

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58
Race 4 - "Running Over Cancer 5K" [official results] - 3/12/2017 - 25:32

I Heart 5K 2017

There's definitely something satisfying about setting a goal, then being able to tick it off. For my 3rd 5K, I wanted to be under 27 minutes and I managed it by logging a 26:58 time at the I Heart 5K run this weekend.

The course was fun, not much in the way of flat stretches, but the ups and downs weren't too steep overall. There were a couple long-ish, steep-ish hills, the last uphill climb coming to the finish was deadly, but I managed to only pass, and not be passed on that last one, so I felt pretty good about how I did.

Next race will be back in Cary at the soccer complex, same course I ran in January, so my goal will be to beat that time. Not sure I can say how the courses compare overall in terms of difficulty, but I hope I can go a little faster than I did in this last race. Have a feeling it will be tough though as I felt like I never let up in this last one, didn't leave anything in the tank. In the first couple, I feel like I didn't push myself the whole way, so my gains might be more about focus than improving fitness. Still, I'll keep up the every other day runs and try to keep a more consistent pace. The fact my fastest kilometer was the 4th, and was 20 seconds faster than the first, tells me I can be less conservative and come out a little faster. If I could do each kilometer around 5:10, that'd get me under 26 minutes ... probably too aggressive to shoot for in the next one. However, after the March race, the next one I've registered for is the Run the Quay in June, and I think I should set my goal for that race to at that point by then, maybe shoot for 25:30 or better.

If all goes to plan, I'll also have started swimming and biking before June, with an eye towards my first sprint triathlon in the fall, so I may be doing less running as I work in training for the other disciplines.

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25
Race 3 - "I Heart 5K" - 2/11/17 - 26:58

Starting line

Approaching the finish line

Done.

Apparently cooking up an evil scheme, by the looks of things.

Hot Chocolate Run 2017

One of my goals for this year was to finish in the top three for my age group in a 5K. Happy to report I managed it in my first race of the year (second ever) over the weekend.

Finished 48th out of 250 overall with a time of 28:25. That was well short of my goal of getting under 27:00 but I don't feel too bad as it was my first time on that particular course, which featured a pretty daunting hill that we had to run up twice. Despite the hill, my biggest race day source of irritation was that Pokemon Go crashed less than a minute into the race, so I didn't get to hatch an egg at the end. Grrrr.

I've signed up for races in February and March with the hope bettering my time with each race and finally cracking 27 minutes.

Race 1 - "Decem-burrrrr Dash" - 12/3/16 - 29:10
Race 2 - "SPCA Hot Chocolate Run" - 1/15/17 - 28:25