A Winter Series race in Winter!

Race #3 coming up this Saturday, due to last week / end storm that barely impacted the Springs - but did dump on Monument - trail conditions for Saturday will be "adventurous".

Picked up #12 after he finished school yesterday to check out the (Santa Fe) trail.  Parked at the North end of the course and went South 3/4 mile and back.  100% snow covered w/ depths varying from 2" to 4".  Not too bad, going South, but coming back (slightly uphill) North required a little more effort, got a decent sweat going.

Then we jumped in the car and drove South to the Start line.  Ran 1 mile up North and then back.  The first 1/4 mile snow varied from an inch to almost a foot deep :)  Then for the next 3/4 mile the trail was clear - so we didn't cover the whole course, but where we turned around it was covered again all the way up North.

So, we have had some sun today, supposed to get more tomorrow, but by Saturday there will definitely still be noticeable snow in play for the race.

Should be fun.  Hopefully the wind won't blow - but with the course nickname being "The Dreaded Windy Course" - doubt it.  Although yesterday winds were barely noticeable.

As for the mindset of the runners..... #12 was having fun yesterday and threatened to make snow angels during the race.  I recovered fine from the 1/2 last Sunday - so I should keep up with him on Saturday - if I am feeling frisky - may even start a snowball fight, probably not.

Super 1/2 Marathon Race report

Brisk morning for a race - in the 20's, but the sun was shining and only a (very) slight breeze from the South.  With 3' snow drifts at my house it was nice to run on 99% snow free trails.

Going in to the race I was a mix of curious and hopeful of how I would do.  After the race I am okay w/ how I did, would have liked to have done better - but am accepting that with the arthritis in the knees limiting the ability to train well - the race was a good reflection of my current fitness level and therefore, ability.

I wanted to go out at a 7:30 pace for the first couple of miles, then see how things were from there - gradually increase if possible.  15:04 at mile 2, doing okay - no aches or niggles but also not feeling super strong.  Maintain.  Mile 4: 30:20.  By the end of mile 4 I knew there would be no 1:35 finish (pipe dream goal).

So, I just kept on going - gradually losing a second or more per mile pace as each mile went by.  At the turnaround point I was about 65th overall.  For the next 3 miles it was a mix of being passed by the occasional runner, me passing the occasional runner. 

W/ about 3 miles to go at the last aid station 2 ladies had eased up behind me, one of them being the eventual Masters winner.   I decided to try hang with them the rest of the way in - requiring more effort but I was able to keep within 20 feet of them both for the next 2 + miles.

W/ a half mile to go, I tried to push more and caught back up to them - all the while we were catching two other guys ahead who were dropping back to us.  It was a good thing they were there as the competitive juices in me used them as targets.  With about a 1/4 mile to go I passed the 2 ladies and bridged the gap to one of the guys.  That last few minutes was a blurr, definitely accentuated by a lack of oxygen to the brain - but I managed to pass by the one guy and squeeze in front of the other guy with about 10 feet to spare from the finish line.  Spent.

1:41:27 officially, 60th place overall (367 finishers), 9th out of 59 in the (40 - 49) age group.   As mentioned earlier - a good reflection of where I am at in my physical abilities as a runner.

What's next?  In the short term - some slightly aching quads but really not too bad.  Will take a couple of days of not running, maybe some stationary bike and / or eliptical work and then run w/ #12 the last 2 races of the Winter Distance Series.  I'll run when I can, sticking to the trails, enjoying where I live and make the most of each opportunity to run.

Here is a pic of yesterdays race - w/ about 1 1/2 miles to go.  Kind of sums up where I am at w/ running mentally - I'm the guy in the middle of the photo - a little out of focus - running to keep up, running to keep life in focus.  Eh, not really - the other photo I found of me running yesterday my eyes were closed, head down, looking like I was about to cry / pass out / or both.

The Dreaded Windy Course

The Winter Series Race #3 has an appropriate nickname of "The Dreaded Windy Course", it is a wind tunnel, sometimes w/ wind from the North, other times from the South and occasionally from the West.  It's another out and back course w/ less than 200' of elevation gain.  With the wind usually blowing - it can be pleasant one way, miserable going the other.

I picked up #12 yesterday after school and hopped on over to the trail.  My knee was starting to swell and I would not have run if I was going by myself, but w/ the kid it was hopefully going to be helpful, for him and me.  As we continued on the knee loosened up so it was bearable.

Wind was from the South so we had it at our backs for the first half.  We took it easy the first mile, chatting up a plan for the race in a week and a half, goal is to do it in 40 minutes or less, 8 minute per mile pace or better.  Last year the wind was thankfully not a factor, however the course was covered in snow, deep in many spots.  He timed out at 41:15 ish.

So we are running to a pacing plan as a goal this time around.  Going to aim for 8 min pace the first half, turn around and see if we can keep that up or increase as we head for the finish and I am allowed to be vocal and keep him at that pace for the first 2 1/2 miles.

Back to yesterday - after an easy 1st mile we did the next in 8 minutes, eased off for the next 1/2 mile, turned around and were hit in the face w/ the wind.  No fun at all, in fact it was miserable.  Slogged for another 1/ mile then tried to push the pace - did a 1/2 at 8 min pace, recouped for the next 1/2 and then did it again.  Last 1/2 mile we were just wanting to be done, eased back home.

We think an 8 minute pace on race day is realistic - just hope the wind will have a day off that day (Feb 11th) - if that is the case then things should work out favorably.

Going back to the knee - I was okay w/ it swelling up - recent history will indicate by Saturday morning I should be good to run.  So today I will sign up for the Super Half on Sunday.  Training for that has not been optimal - but I am determined to run hard and see what happens. 

My PR for the half is 1:36 and change - on the Slacker Half marathon course a couple of years ago, a course which drops over 2200 feet - so I kind of consider that not a real legit PR.  I would like to beat that, but at a 7:20 average pace - may be a pipe dream.  I'm going to (try) to start out at a 7:30 pace and see what happens as things unfold.

January blew by

The obligatory statement that there was a bunch of wind last month - I don't like running (or doing much of anything) in the wind.



Finished up the month w/ a total of 122 1/2 miles, only ran 17 times, gained over 11 1/2 thousand feet elevation.

Some highlights were running w/ my oldest daughter on the Rescue Run on New Years Day, running the first  and second races of the Winter Distance Series w/ my Son - plus a few training runs with him also.  I made it up to Barr Camp again - have managed to do so every month since (and including) August (for the Ascent) of last year. 

Ran Waldo Canyon a couple of times - including last Thursday when I actually took 3 minutes off my best time there.  That was nice because I felt like I could have gone harder on the way back down - but held back to conserve the hammies.  The rest of the way around I managed to run just about all of it and a consistent pace.

On Sunday afternoon, while #12 was at Soccer Practice I ran through Bear Creek Park and then up Gold Camp road to just past the end of the paved section - a gradual climb of about 1300 feet that I had not run before.  I wouldn't mind going up further some other time and meeting up w/ High Road - of the Summer Roundup 12K course - coming back down that. 

Finished the month off yesterday afternoon trying something new in training for the Super Half Marathon coming up this Sunday.  I ran with my hydration backpack - that itself is nothing new as I often take it w/ me on 8+ milers.  But yesterday I filled it up w/ water and clothes - all totalling 7 extra pounds.  The goal is by Sunday, to run a few more times with the same added weight - then without it on Sunday I will feel lighter and therefore faster.  Will see how that goes.