Ok, you probably didn’t even know I was gone.  That’s OK.  My feelings aren’t hurt (that much). 

Anyways, Jennie and I just returned from a short vacation in Harbor Springs.  After a sprint triathlon on Saturday, we headed up to Harbor Springs for a few days of rest and relaxation.  My Google Reader has a backlog of nearly 75 posts to go through and I look forward to seeing how every one else’s training and races went this past weekend.

Details of our weekend are forth coming, but here is a quick preview:

I finished the tri with a 3+ minute PR from two years ago and took 32nd overall (out of 592).   I had an awesome race and was really in a groove.  Not only that, but my coworker David had an amazing race while his son rocked his first tri ever.  Rob also knocked his first big tri out of the park.

Then, it was up to Harbor Springs for a little of this

a little of this

a lot of this

and way too many of these

Stay tuned for more details and pictures!

Today was the annual Reeds Lake Run.  I have done this race the past 3 years and it is right around the corner, so I figured why not make it four in a row.  There was a worry that it would rain, and possible storm, but thankfully it turned out to be a beautiful, sunny morning. 

5k

First up was the 5k.  This was Jennie’s race.  As always the 5k and 10k are staggered by 45 minutes so it is relatively easy to run both events.  As her coach, I ran along with her to provide encouragement and a kick in the butt if needed (it was not).  She did awesome all on her own!  She set a PR, both for a 5k and for a single mile split time.  When she was done, she had a huge smile on her face.

Here she is at the first mile.  The first mile was pretty crowded, but she did a great job navigating the crowd and passing as many people as she could.

Only .1 to go and a huge smile on her face.

Celebrating her great race with round one of the post race refreshments.  The real food would come after my race.

10k

On to the 10k.  This race sucked.  No other way to put it.  I had a good time, but it flat out sucked.  I don’t know what the actual temperature change was, but it seemed a lot warmed even though it was only 45 minutes later than the 5k start.  I had sort of hoped for a sub-45 time, but today was not the day for a fast time.

Taking off out of the gate.  I started further back than I probably should have, but it wasn’t too crowded and made my way forward.

I felt pretty good at first, but I rapidly started deteriorating.  My legs felt like cement by the 2nd mile and I was ready to be done.  I trudged along as best I could, but I couldn’t find any speed.  As the race progressed it seemed to just get hotter and hotter.  I was almost wishing for rain at this point.  Anything to cool down.

Headed to the finish.  I had nothing left in the tank at this point.

I ended up finishing in 47:12 (7:37 pace).  Not the time that I wanted, but I was happy to be done. 

Now, it was time for time for the post race party.  The Reeds Lake post race party is like none other.  It is open to runners as well as the general public and everything is free.  Burgers, hot dogs, fresh fruit, chips, pop, Gatorade, frozen yogurt and more.  For the kids, they have balloon animals, air brushed tattoos, and other games.

We both ended up with burgers, fresh fruit/veggies, and chips.  Unfortunately, I started to go down hill quickly. I got a splitting headache and was nauseous.  I don’t know if it was the heat or what, but I felt like crap.  I laid down on one of the park benches while Jennie got her (second) frozen yogurt of the day.  I passed on the frozen yogurt.  Yes, I was feeling that crappy.

We headed back home after that were I proceeded to pass out on the couch in the cool basement for a good two hours.  Jennie even came down a couple of times to make sure I was still breathing.  Thankfully, after a nap I felt a bit better, my head is still a bit fuzzy feeling.

Upon further reflection, I am more happy with my race than I was immediately afterwards.  First off, despite having a bad race, I didn’t feel mentally defeated at the end.  I sort of just blew it of a “Oh well, maybe next time.”  Second, I logged pretty consistent miles (7:33, 7:22, 7:40, 7:31, 7:32, and 7:40) and even managed to negative split the course (23:46/23:26).  Third, I managed a decent time even after a hard week of training (92 miles on the bike, 32 miles running, and about 7,000 yards in the pool). This bodes well for how I will perform during the running leg of my next tri.  If I can knock out a 7:37 pace during a tri, I’d be very pleased with that.

I leave with you a picture of a costumed runner from this morning.  I was able to grab a shot of him during the 5k.

He was wearing a caveman toga and running barefoot.  Yaba, dabba, do! Or don’t?

Or: What It Feels Like to Be an Elite Athlete

Or: I’m Famous!

Friday

I took it easy on Friday after my 10 mile run on Thursday.  I did an easy long swim before heading to the expo for packet pickup.  I got downtown at about noon which was apparently when the rest of the world decided to do packet pickup as well.  However, because of my new VIP status, my line for packet pickup was only 2 people long.  Now, before I go too much further, allow me to explain my VIP status.  The River Bank Run has a 2 Hour Club for any runner who completed the previous year’s race in under 2:00:00.  As I finished in 1:55:59 last year I was allowed into this private club. Here is a copy of the email I received welcoming me to the club.

After getting my packet, of which, I only needed my number and shirt and not the 2 dozen fliers included.  They certainly aren’t going to be winning any green status with that packet.  But I digress.  I wandered through the expo and checked out the booths.  Nothing too exciting.  Nice to see that the Grand Rapids Marathon, Brooksie Way, and 3Disciplines all had booths though.

Saturday

I woke up at 6:00, had a bowl of Cheerios and a banana and we were off.  Having done this race a few times before, I already knew where the best parking was.  We got there with plenty of spots left and plenty of time to spare.  The weather was less than optimal; cold, windy, and sprinkling, so Jennie and I headed over to the Two Hour Club room.  It was 39*F with a 29*F wind chill because of the 20mph winds out of the west.  Thankfully, the hospitality room was nice and warm.  We hung out there for a few minutes before heading to the starting line.  The weather, despite sounding miserable, was in reality perfect for the race.  The strong winds were blocked almost entirely by the tree lined roads and the only portion of the course that was open to the winds was when the wind was at our back.  In the end, there was probably a head wind for less than a mile of the entire course.

Which brings me to another perk of the Two Hour Club – premium start position.  In a field of 6,500 runners, the Two Hour Club corral is directly behind the elite athletes.  I was literally 3 feet away from actually toeing the line myself and rubbing shoulders with Stephen Shay (the late Ryan Shay’s brother), Rockford native, Jason Hartmann, and Dan Browne.

The gun went off promptly at 8:20 and we were off.  Starting with the elites was a nice perk, but not something I’ll ever do again.  Going out with them caused me to go out WAY too fast – my first mile was 6:45 – YIKES.  Plus, I would rather start further back and have more opportunities to pass people than to be passed.

Miles 1 – 5

As I said, I went out way too fast: 6:45, 7:08, 7:07, 6:58, 7:18.  About 3 miles in, the 7:00 min/mile pace group went past me.  I did my best to keep them within sight, but eventually the round yellow sign become a tiny dot in the distance before disappearing completely around mile 7.  Despite the fast pace, I was feeling pretty good.  At the second aid station, I was running along and a guy cut me off to get a water.  I was slightly peeved about it until the woman in front of him botched grabbing a cup causing the water to splash down the front of the cutter.  Karma’s a bitch.

Miles 6-10

The next five miles (7:09, 7:12, 7:17, 7:21, 7:34) was a roller coaster of mental strength.  Just after the 6 mile mark, the course turns around and starts to head back in the direction of the finish line which gave me a mental boost.  It felt like the halfway point – but it wasn’t.  When reality sunk in, I trudged along another 1.75 miles to the actual halfway point and my mental strength returned.  I passed the halfway point at roughly 55 minutes which meant that I was well on my way to another sub 2 hour race.  Then the course turned into the wind and faced an uphill just before mile 10 – there goes the mental strength again.  At the corner, just before mile 10, I saw the lovely Jennifer taking pictures and cheering.  She was accompanied by a co-worker (and fellow runner/triathlete) who came out to cheer me on (Thanks David!).  And back came the mental strength.

Miles 11 – 15

This is by far the hardest part of the course (7:38, 7:35, 7:15, 7:42, 7:35).  Not only is it the end of the course, but it is the hilliest portion.  Every year, the Hills of Butterworth catch me off guard and always seemed longer and harder (TWSS) than the previous year.  With the prospect of another sub 2 hour race, I wanted to keep a relatively fast pace, but I didn’t want to go all out because this was only supposed to be a C race, not an A race.  I have a triathlon in a month and didn’t want to run so hard as to jeopardize my training.   I saw my dad was at the end of his street near mile 13 cheering me on which gave me another boost of energy.  After seeing my dad, it was a quick run through the zoo before finally turning back towards the finish line.

The Final .5

The finish of the River Bank Run is one of the hardest final stretches I have ever done in a race.  The last half mile climbs 60 feet which is about a 2% grade, but after 15 miles, it feels like much more than that.  I picked up the pace as much as I could and finished strong with a final time of 1:54:38 – a PR!

Post Race

The race refreshments and post race party are very well organized.  The food is great and beer is cold.  I had my annual first piece of watermelon which means that summer is right around the corner.  We then headed over to the beer tent and found our friend Kelli Jo – the best beer girl ever – for some Michelob Ultra.  Not my first choice for a beer, but they are race sponsors and beggars can’t be choosers.  As I was enjoying the beer, I had someone walk up to me and ask me if I had a blog.  I said that I did and then he asked if I was Ironman By Thirty.  Holy cow! My first blog recognition!!! I’m famous!  It’s like being a rock star (without the uninhibited sex and drugs)!!  Ryan stumbled across my blog and is a newbie triathlete.  He did his first tri at Reeds Lake last year and I am sure there are plenty more in his future.  This was definitely one of the highlights of the day.

Chatting with Ryan, a blog buddy.

Overall

Overall, I am very happy with how the race went.  I really didn’t have any firm goals going into this race.  The PR was nice, but not necessary.  I guess, if anything, my only goal would have been to stay under the 2 hour mark – check.  One lesson I learned was to not start with the 2 Hour Club in the future.  Sure, I’ll take advantage of the hospitality room and private bathroom, but when it comes to starting, I’ll position myself in a more realistic pace group to prevent myself from going out too strong.

Official Results

Misc

In elite racing news, the US swept the field for the first time in the past 2 decades taking the top 13 spots!  It doesn’t hurt that A) Ethiopia’s Siraj Gena (the favored winner and recent winner of the Rome Marathon) never made it to GR due to Visa issues and B) the Kenyan men traditionally do not perform well in the colder weather.  Go USA!

Fifth Third River Bank Run winner Andrew Carlson, far right, talks with third- and second-place finishers Nicholas Arcininga, left, and Brett Gotcher after the race. (Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press)

Also, Jennie spotted a few characters that finished just ahead of me.  First, I give you body suit man:

He ended up a finishing in 1:47:55 (6:56/Mile).  Maybe the suit is aero dynamic.  Regardless, I don’t think I’ll be giving it a try.

He was followed up by our second costumed friend of the day; Eagle Man:

Thanks for reading!

This morning, I did a last minute 5k.  I’ve done it the past few years, and it has a history of being brutally cold; only 4F last year.  Thankfully, we are in the middle of a winter thaw with temperatures creeping into the upper 30’s.  I didn’t decide to do the run until yesterday when I talked to my friend Carrie and confirmed that she and her dad would be running as well.

Portland is about an hour away, but the race didn’t start until 10:00, so it wasn’t a super early morning.  Nevertheless, I let Jennie sleep in because she has to get up early every day during the week and it wasn’t worth missing a sleep in day for a 5k.

We got to Portland High School at about 9:00 so I could register and make sure I got a t-shirt.  Last year, they ran out of shirts and just handed out shirts from the previous year.  Apparently they got complaints over that last year, so anyone who late registered didn’t get a shirt on race day and will instead have one mailed.  Whatever works, I guess.

I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to do because my right calf hurts like hell after cramping up on me yesterday at the pool.  It actually hurts more when I am walking than running, so I decided to push it as much as I could.

I went out fairly strong with a first mile of 6:13.  There are a lot of high school students who run this race, and they set a fairly quick pace right off the gun.  The second mile was my slowest mile; mainly because of the hills.  There are two hills that suck the life out of you.  I slowed down to 6:53 for this mile; crap.  I knew I would have to push hard to make it under 20 minutes.  As I turned back for the final mile, I was headed right back into the wind.  Not looking good.

Despite pushing out a 6:37 3rd mile and a 31 second .1 mile, I fell 15 seconds short of breaking 20 minutes.  Craptastic.  But it actually gives me a legitimate 5k PR (unlike the Turkey Trot), so I am happy with it.

After finishing, I grabbed my camera to snap some pictures of Carrie and her dad.

 
Dave crossed the finish line before I could grab my camera.

 
Carrie ended up finishing in just under 30 minutes – 29:58. 

Not bad for just giving birth to this bundle of joy 3 months ago.

After the race, Carrie forced politely asked for us to take a couple pictures of us all wearing shirts for 3C’s Fitness (a fitness center in Lake Odessa).

  
Because the name of the fitness center was on the back on my shirt, we had to do one with my better back side showing.

Post Race

Post race is the reason to do this race.  They have great food afterwards; better than a lot of the bigger races I have done.

I started off with a cup of homemade vegetarian chili, oranges, Great Harvest Bread Company’s Whole Grain Low Carb bread, powdered donut (which I ended up saving for Jennie), and a sour cream donut (that I didn’t save for Jennie)

After scarfing that down, I had to head back for more chili.

Well, whatever calories I burned during the run were quickly replenished.

Final Results

I ended up finishing in 20:15, which put me at 6 of 9 in my age group and 38th overall (out of 300-ish).  Last year, I ran slower (21:42) but placed 1st in my age group and 22nd overall.  I guess that is what happens when the weather is a bit warmer – more competition.

Overall, I am happy with my PR, and it leaves me confident that I WILL get under 20 minutes this year when I am 100% and have a bit more speed work under my belt.

Rest of the Weekend

Because of the race, I missed my long run of the week, albeit only a 6 mile run this week.  Probably all for the better as I want my calf to fully heal before I start another hard week of training.  I can’t believe I have to run 20 miles one day next week!!! I may do some easy spinning tomorrow, as the stretching tends to help my calf and that way there isn’t any impact.

As 2010 nears, it is time to finalize my schedule for the year.  I am getting fairly close to a full schedule, but I am not quite there.  However, I think I have decided on my first race of the season.  In keeping with my general plan to do 2 marathons in 2010, I have chosen the Martian Marathon as my first one.  The Martian Marathon has a Mars/Martian theme, which sounds like it could add a fun element to the race.  The race is invasion begins on April 10th, which puts it almost exactly 18 weeks away.  This is perfect because my standard marathon training program is 18 weeks.

So, that makes today the first day of the training plan.  I think I am going to modify the plan a bit and cut it back to 4 days a week of running coupled with continued swimming and biking to round out each week.  Rather than doing two light workouts (Tuesdays and Thursdays on the schedule), I’ll instead do one speed workout.  This should allow me to fully prepare for the marathon without losing any of the base I have built up for when triathlon season starts back up.