North Shore Turkey Trot 10k

My goal for this race was to PR (41:40). My training has been going very well lately, and I knew 41:40 was attainable. I thought more realistically I'd be between 40 - 41.

The race conditions were frigid. Temps at the start time were in the low 20s with single digit wind chills. This was the coldest Turkey Trot that I can recall. I met some friends and did a short warmup. I was feeling good, but anxious to run because it was so cold.

The gun went off, and I went out at a steady, comfortable pace. The first mile came out at 6:40. I was fine with this, but I was feeling good so I quickened my pace just slightly.

I really enjoyed the course with its rolling hills along the beautiful homes of Highland Park. Mile 2 came out at 6:33, and mile 3 was 6:42.

I was feeling strong and by the 5k mark I knew this would be a great race. I made a pretty big move, and picked up the pace significantly. But when mile 4 came out at 7:40 I knew the course was fucked up. This was frustrating, but I was still in a good zone. I tried not to let it upset me, and I wanted to make the most of the race.

Despite some hills in the last 2 miles, I was able to run hard. I went 6:21 and 6:17 in the last 2 miles. In the last half mile there was a steep downhill and I tried to carry that moment to the finish. I had a strong kick in the last quarter mile, and I passed a guy just 20m from the finish line.

Mile 1- 6:40
Mile 2- 6:33
Mile 3- 6:42
Mile 4- 7:40
Mile 5- 6:21
Mile 6- 6:17
0.2- 1:11

FINISH- 41:40

6/74 AG
28/1,265 OA

It was confirmed by the race organizers that the course was long and the lead biker took a wrong turn. This was frustrating, but I ended up running 6:26 pace. I can't be upset with that.

I also had a great time with family and friends, so overall it was a big win.

Autobahn 5k

My goal for this race was to PR (19:02). I felt confident I could do that. In fact, I thought I'd blow 19:02 out of the water. I thought 18:30 was possible.  I also thought I had a chance to win this race. The winning times for the past three years were 19:02, 20:03 and 18:53.

The race took place on a Formula 1 type race track (think twisty). It was about 1 hour outside of Chicago. I went with 6 other people from my Lululemon run group. They're great people and we had a lot of fun.

I did a 2 mile warm up, some drills, and some sprints. I was feeling good. And for weeks I had been confident leading up to the race. It was 50 degrees at the start, which was surprisingly warm for the season. But it was so damn windy... 22 mph according to the internet.

The gun went off and 4-5 guys jumped out to the lead. They were kids! High schoolers. So little, but so damn fast. I let them go, and just tried to find my rhythm. I was looking for quarter miles of 1:30 but I hit the first .25 in 1:20, so I eased off.

I was surprised that I started breathing heavily and feeling fatigued shortly before I reached the 1st mile marker. It seemed too early for that. But the first mile came out to 6:00 and I thought, "OK, I can probably hang onto this". But I wrong. The wind during all of mile 2 was BRUTAL. It wasn't gusts of wind, it was a steady stream of intense wind.

At the halfway point I was feeling some intense fatigue. My breathing was so labored and I had to fight to hold onto a pace that was already slower.  It was a real struggle and it hurt badly. The 2nd mile came out at 6:23. This was a big blow, and really frustrating. But I kept fighting, and I started to make a push in the last mile.

The intensity was off the charts at this point, but I was able to run faster. The wind wasn't as bad in the 3rd mile. I closed the gap on a little booger up a head of me. This kid was as tall as my waist, but those little legs moved with quickness and fluidity. I passed him with a quarter mile to go. I talked to him and his dad after the race. He's 12 years old and finished in 19:10. Kid probably has a very bright future in the sport.

I kicked as hard as I could for the last 1:30 of the race, but it wasn't much because I was so exhausted. I knew 19:00 would be close. As I approached the finish line I watched the clock tick from 18:59 to 19:00 and I crossed the finish line in frustration.

Mile 1- 6:00
Mile 2- 6:23
Mile 3- 5:52
0.1- 0:48

FINISH- 19:05 (6:10 pace)

1st AG
5th OA

I'm pretty bummed about this race. I expected to do so much better. I'm not sure how I recently ran the last 5k of a 15k in 20:13, but could only muster 19:05 for 5k today. Maybe it just wasn't my day. Maybe it was the strong winds in mile 2. But I was so certain that I'd run well today.

It makes me question what I'm capable of. I love this distance, and I have dreams of becoming very fast at it. But today makes me question whether I have the genetic makeup and talent to take this where I wanna go.  I may have to train my ass off just to run mediocre times.

This won't be a set back. I'll keep training and I'll do whatever I can to live up to my potential. But it's a potential which I'm now skeptical about.

Hot Chocolate 15k

I didn't have any real goals for this race. I've been struggling a bit in the last 3 weeks. I hadn't felt great on most of my runs, and I was generally lacking confidence. I thought 1:07 was realistic, and 1:05 would be possible but it would be a stretch (and only possible if I was feeling great). I left my watch at home, and I reminded myself that there was no pressure for this race.

I showed up early and made sure I got to the front of the corral (there was so much riff-raff at this race). When the gun went off I felt just OK. In fact, I was doubtful that it was gonna be a good race. My legs seemed heavy and I thought I felt mediocre at best. But when I saw that the first mile came out to 6:50, it was a pleasant surprise. Maybe I was feeling better than I thought. Still, the pace seemed a little too fast, and I eased off a bit.

I left my watch at home. I've never done anything like this before. Hell, I won't go for a 3 mile training run without my watch. But I wanted to take the pressure off myself, and just run based on how I was feeling. I still paid attention to the clocks on the mile markers and I knew I was doing about 6:50-6:55 pace.

I hit the 5k mark at 21:13. I settled into a nice rhythm, and just relaxed. I regained some confidence and composure. Despite the 45,000 runners in this race, there were very few runners around me. I found myself really wanting someone to run with, but it didn't matter much, I was feeling good.

Between 5k and 10k I held onto a steady pace. These middle miles were quick. I was moving at a good pace, but didn't really feel like it was taxing me too badly. It excited me that I was this far in the race and the pace had such little impact on me. I crossed 10k at 42:15. Any doubt I had over the last 3 weeks was gone.

At 10k I was ready to make a move. I slowly started to push the pace. With 2 miles to go I still felt so damn good. I picked up the pace in a big way. As I passed small groups of people I ran next to the person who looked the strongest. I tried to get them to push harder with me, but they weren't up for it. This happened 3 times with 3 different people. I would have liked to find someone to push me to a faster finish.

The last mile felt similar to my last mile in recent successful races- full of piss and vinegar. It was so exhilarating to feel that strong at the end of the race. If I had to guess I'd say the last mile was between 6:10-6:20.

5k- 21:13
10k- 42:15
FINISH- 1:02:40 (6:44 pace)

105 OA
15 AG
12 minute PR

I am so surprised by the result of this race. It really helped me regain some confidence. I'm excited to train hard this winter.

Chicago Marathon

My goal for this race was to finish feeling good and enjoy the experience. But if I had to predict a finish time, it was 3:25. I thought it was realistic, and based on my HM time of 1:33, I thought maybe even 3:20 was within reach.

Hosting an elite runner for the weekend was an incredible experience. I picked up Tesfaye from the airport on Friday afternoon and was immediately drawn to him. He was charming, humble and well mannered.  On Saturday morning Tesfaye and I went for a brief shake-out run. We started out slow (9:30 first mile). And ended around 7:30 pace. We did a few strides and I jokingly tried to “race” him. The effortlessness with which he ran was mind-blowing. I really enjoyed the time I spent with Tesfaye, and he contributed so greatly to my race experience. 

Saturday afternoon he was required to go to a uniform check (the race staff must pre-approve elite uniforms). As his host I was given “credentials”. I very much enjoyed hanging out in the elite suite, and tried hard not to gawk at the athletes that I recognized. I briefly said hello and good luck to Matt Tagenkamp and Alberto Salazar.  Afterward there was a “tech meeting” in a conference room with all the elite athletes, their managers and high level race staff. They talked about race day logistics and race strategy. They identified the pacers and which portion of the race they were responsible for. 

 

After the conference there was a buffet pasta dinner for all the elites. Tesfaye and I sat at a table with Dathan Ritzenhein, Jason Hartmann, and Chris Solinsky. I didn’t ask many questions, just enjoyed listening to them talk.

On race morning we met at the hotel and our bus was escorted by police motorcade to the elite tent.  After arriving at the tent I said goodbye to Tesfaye and went to corral B.

I met up with the 3:25 pace group. I told myself that if I felt good in the late stages I would push forward, but otherwise I’d stick with them for most of the race.  During the singing of the national anthem, the microphone cut out. The 45,000 runners picked up where the singer left off and the runners sang the rest. It gave me chills.  

During the first 3-4 miles I still felt very jittery and unsure of myself. But by mile 5 I settled down and felt AWESOME. I was comfortable and confident. I was holding ~7:50 pace and feeling great about it. The crowds in the first half of this race are overwhelming. I saw family and friends all over the course and I cheered right back at them.

The Lululemon cheer squad at mile 9.5 blew my mind. I went completely ape shit when I saw them.  Having my siblings at mile 4, 11, and 25 was incredible. I am so thankful for the support of all those around me. It makes the biggest difference in the world.

Around mile 16/17 I could tell that I was slowly starting to fade. I let the 3:25 pace group go, but thought maybe I could keep them in my sights.

But by mile 18 the wheels were falling off. The fatigue was in full force and my hamstrings were starting to tighten and cramp up. I was already running on fumes and starting to get very worried that I still had 8 miles to go.

By mile 20 the cramping was BAD. It now moved into my quads and hip flexors. My legs were locking up, and my pace slowed dramatically. I kept plodding along, but it was a fight, and I was in a lot of pain. I knew the final 10k was about to get real ugly.

At mile 23 it felt like there were huge softball size knots in my hamstrings. I was having trouble moving. I was in severe pain and desperately struggling to move forward. I had slowed down so dramatically that swarms of runners were blowing past me. I just kept trying to take small steps and put one foot in front of the other.

By mile 24 the cramping moved into my abdomen. My whole body was just one giant cramp. My pace was reduced to a crawl and the pain was searing. Suddenly my legs completely locked up and I collapsed to the ground! I screamed in pain and just lay on the concrete. A few runners stopped to ask if I was ok, but I told them to keep moving. I thought my race was done. I thought my legs had completely lost all function. I told myself I would crawl to the finish line if I had to. But I used my arms and propped myself up. I tried to stretch but that only made the cramping worse. So I forced myself to resume plodding. It was just a shuffle, but I refused to walk.

During mile 25 I closed my eyes and just tried to go to a “happy place”. I was like a trauma victim who disassociates while the bad man does stuff to him. My eyes drooped nearly closed, and I simply death marched my way to the finish.  Have you ever seen a very old man running? His back is hunched over, and he is shuffling along by barely lifting his feet off the ground. That was me. It was all I could muster.

Crossing the finish line was emotional. I thought perhaps I’d need medical attention, but after stumbling around for 5 minutes my legs started to feel better.

I got my gear and met up with my family and Tesfaye. I am so grateful for their support, and for the support of my friends.

Mile 1- 7:53

Mile 2- 7:51

Mile 3- 7:37

Mile 4- 7:22

Mile 5- 7:37

Mile 6- 8:10

Mile 7- 7:55

Mile 8- 7:58

Mile 9- 7:40

Mile 10- 7:56

Mile 11- 7:50

Mile 12- 7:34

Mile 13- 7:43

Mile 14- 7:50

Mile 15- 7:37

Mile 16- 7:48

Mile 17- 7:47

Mile 18- 7:49

Mile 19- 8:05

Mile 20- 8:27

Mile 21- 8:37

Mile 22- 8:53

Mile 23- 9:08

Mile 24- 9:26

Mile 25- 10:49

Mile 26- 10:39

0.2- 2:03

FINISH- 3:36:21 (8:16 pace)

I am somewhat disappointed with my finish time because I expected better. However, I recognize that it took strength to push through those last 5 miles, and I do feel a sense of pride for that.

The next time I run a marathon I will be far better prepared. But this experience has made qualifying for Boston seem very daunting.  For now I will be spending some time working on shorter distance races.

Running a marathon will break a person down to their bare essentials and expose their true character. It forces you to summon every ounce of your strength and courage. And it will teach you an invaluable lesson about who you are and what you're capable of. 

Petco 5k

Since most races prohibit dogs, I was very excited when I saw a race that actually encouraged running with your dog. I picked up my 2 sisters and we drove to the course. The pre and post race area was a blast! Tons adorable dogs everywhere. There was also plenty of vendors and exhibits, a large stage, a photo booth, and an off-leash play area. There was a ridiculous amount of swag- endless treats, toys, t-shirts, dog food, and human food. The festivities alone would have made this a great day. 

My plan was to do this as a hard tempo run. I had been out late celebrating my birthday and I barely slept. But I was feeling surprisingly good. I did a 1 mile warm up with Miles and we headed to the start line. (Fortunately he pooped during the warm up and not the race). I knew the distance wouldn't be a problem for Miles, but I'd never pushed him that hard in training. He may have done a few miles at 7:30 pace, but that's the fastest he's run with me. 

We lined up right on the start line and Miles was being very well behaved. Not every runner had a dog. In fact, most runners at the front didn't have a dog. Miles was being very well behaved in the corral. Miles and I ran the first quarter mile with the lead pack. He was the first place dog for a while, but then some little dog came storming out of nowhere! It was a little mini Australian Shepherd, probably 20lbs. They were flying! The lead pack thinned out, and Miles settled into a nice rhythm. 

I was shocked with how fast Miles was running. He was pulling on the leash for most of the way. He could have ended with a much faster finish time, but I slowed him down. I felt good, too. The 6:30 pace was "comfortably hard". Miles was absolutely cruising. His tongue was wagging, but he wasn't even panting. He's ears were flopping around adorably. I have no idea what was going through his head, but there was an excited joy about him. 

We passed a few people in the last mile, and we got a huge cheer as we crossed the finish line. I dropped to a knee and hugged the hell out of him. I was so damn proud!

Mile 1: 6:29
Mile 2: 6:41
Mile 3: 6:30
0.1- 41

FINISH- 20:23 (6:35 pace) 

2nd AG
9th OA

The first place finisher was the guy with the 20lb dog. They finished in 17:16!

This was such a fun event. Along the course was a line of port-a-potties. Next to the port-a-potties was a line of plastic fire hydrants! I also thought it was funny that there was both a med tent and a vet tent. There was so much to see and do. Petco did a great job with this race. My family and I truly enjoyed ourselves, and Miles was in heaven all morning. Tons of laughs and smiles all around. 

Race Judicata (9-12-13)

My goal for this race was to PR (19:02). For the last month I had been stressing out about this race because it was only 4 days after my half. I kept thinking, "Darby is gonna kill me!"I told myself that if I felt crappy I would just do this as a training run. But I knew I had a real chance to break 19:00. In fact, I was almost sure of it. 

I did a 1.5 mile warm-up, some drills, some sprints, and some dynamic stretching. And it all felt great. I was ready to rock, and it was nice to have the support of my co-workers at the race.

I lined up right on the start line and off we went. I knew I wanted quarter miles of 1:30 or 1:31. But I hit the first quarter mile in 1:25. Whoa! Waaaaay too fast, I was feeling great, but I eased off the gas a bit and a bunch of people passed me. I ran the first half mile in 3:00- perfect. I was feeling good, but the fatigue was slowly starting to creep in. First mile came out to 6:02.

The 2nd mile was REALLY windy. I dunno how much it affected my time, if at all, but there was a steady and strong wind. I slowed down some, but I didn't think I slowed down that much. I was hurting pretty badly, but it wasn't completely unbearable. My training was helping me fight through this. Mile 2 came out to 6:36. What?!? Get the fuck outta here! I know I slowed down some, but I didn't slow down that much. I think this mile marker was long (Garmin showed 1.04). 

I was hurting badly now, and I was discouraged by seeing that 6:36 split. But I still felt like I had a strong finish in me. I started to pick up the pace. By mile 2.5 the discomfort was intense. But I pushed on and kept quickening my pace. There was no one around me for most of the last mile. In the last half mile I passed 1 or 2 people, and I gained a lot of ground on a pack that was 150m ahead of me. But I never caught them. Mile 3 came out to 5:50 (I think this mile marker was short, Garmin showed 0.97).

As I approached the 3rd mile marker, I knew that 19:00 was out of reach. I still gave it everything and I kicked hard to the finish- I was completely spent.

Mile 1- 6:02
Mile 2- 6:36
Mile 3- 5:50
0.1- 0:38

FINISH- 19:08 (6:11 pace)

I'm disappointed with the outcome of this race. I was really confident I could break 19:00. Maybe it's because I'm not fully recovered from the half. On the other hand, I felt strong, and I put everything I had into it. I know it won't be long before I get under 19. 

Rock n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon (7-21-13)

It's been over a year since I've ran a half. My new approach to training has been very low volume (25 mpw) and high intensity. I've been feeling great the last few months, but I was unsure about how my low mileage training would play out in a half marathon. I told myself that I definitely wanted to come in under 1:40, and probably closer to 1:38.

While waiting in the start corral I noticed a girl standing next to me who had a striking resemblance to a girl I used to date. I said to her, "you don't happen to have a sister named Abby, do you?" Turns out she was Abby's sister, Brynn. Brynn and I talked for a few minutes before the race and she said she was gonna try to keep up with me. We decided to go out around 7:30 pace and see if we could finish strong. 

The gun went off, and we were chatting and enjoying ourselves. I saw my mom and sister at the 1st mile, it was nice of them to come out. I must have missed the first mile marker. Our mile 2 split was 14:35, too fast. We were feeling good, but acknowledged that we had to back off the pace a bit. 

The next few miles were right around 7:30 and we were feeling great. I love running through the streets of downtown Chicago and the loop. Rock N' Roll (Competitor Group) was well organized and logistically sound. I would definitely run one of their races again. 

By mile 6 I could feel some fatigue setting in. By mile 8 I noticed that I had to work considerably harder to hold the 7:30 pace. This is where my low mileage training became noticeable. Usually at this point in the race I would slowly step on the gas and quicken my pace. But I didn't have it in me. I was frustrated by my lack of endurance, but I told myself "just hold the current pace and you'll find the strength in the last few miles." Brynn was struggling too, but she did a great job of hanging with me. 

Despite the fatigue and having to work harder, we held onto a steady 7:30 pace. By mile 11 I was encouraged by the fact that I only had 2 more miles to go. I was ready to make a move. Brynn was struggling so she dropped back and I told her I'd see her at the finish line. 

With 2 miles to go I started to slowly squeeze more out. I began passing people and working harder. I was hurting but I also felt strong and excited. With one mile to go "it was on". I don't know where this energy came from, but I told myself that I could bear down for just 1 more mile. I really sped up and felt like I was on "auto-pilot". I was passing a ton of people. There's something so thrilling and empowering about feeling strong at the end of a race. I think it's the ability to dig deep and pull something out of yourself. It's part courage and part crazy- letting go of my fears, trusting myself and laying my cards on the table. It's a special feeling and a big part of why I run. 

With the finish line in sight and about 300m remaining, some guy came up on my shoulder. I could tell he wanted to race. I suspected that he had a stronger kick than I did. So I decided to kick way earlier than I normally would have. My tactic worked- he was discouraged and faded back. I slowed down when I realized he was no longer on my shoulder, but I still ran hard to the finish. I was exhausted, but exuberant and thrilled with my time. I waited a couple minutes for Brynn to cross the finish line. Gave her a big hug and told her she should be very proud. She ran a great race.

Mile 2- 14:35
Mile 3- 7:32
Mile 4- 7:31
Mile 5-  7:29
Mile 6- 7:30
Mile 7- 7:30
Mile 8- 7:31
Mile 9- 7:29
Mile 10- 7:36
Mile 11- 7:23
Mile 12- 7:10
Mile 13- 6:36
0.1- 0:42

FINISH- 1:36:41 (7:22 avg pace)

While I'm very happy with the outcome of this race, it was alarming how little energy I had between miles 6-11. It's a cause for concern regarding the marathon in October. I will have to reconsider setting any time goals for that race. 

Proud To Run 10k (6-29-13)

I had a few goals for this race A) PR (41:40), B) 42:30 and C) 43:00. My training has been good lately, and I knew the PR was within striking distance. It's a PR from 2008 before I had any setbacks. All I really cared about was the PR.

I was invited to join a running team a couple months ago. They're great people. I met them at the race, we did a 2 mile warm-up and lined up at the start. My plan was to go out around 6:50 pace and slowly drop down. 

As always, I went out way too fast. I ran the first half mile in 3:10, so I backed off and let a lot of people run ahead. There was no "Mile 1" marker  but my watch showed 6:35 for the first mile. I eased off a little more and fell into a comfortable rhythm. By mile 2 I was at 13:47. The 5k runners turned off and suddenly there were only a few runners around me. I caught up with a pleasant guy named Christopher. We ran together for about a half mile before he had to drop back. Mile 3 came in at 6:47, perfect.

But I noticed that the course was different than the course map online. And suddenly the mile markers didn't jive with my watch. When I crossed the Mile 4 marker my watch showed 4.09 and the split was 6:59. This annoyed me, as I was certain I was moving faster than that. I tried not to let it get to me, and kept pushing. I didn't like being alone and wished there were more runners around. I could see 2 or 3 runners ~100m ahead of me, and I had hoped to catch them by the end of the race.

The discomfort was pretty bad, but not horrible. I still felt strong and I could tell my training had been decent. I hit mile 5 in 7:00 and my watch showed 5.17 miles. I told myself, "whatever, 1.2 miles to go, I don't care about the course, I'm still gonna give it my all." With 1.2 miles to go I didn't know for sure, but thought the PR was still possible. 

I was joined by one of my teammates who ran (and won) the 5k. She carried me along for a few minutes. I was able to surge really hard with her pacing me, it was awesome. I passed 2 of the 3 people I had in my sights. But my watch showed 38:30 and I was only half-way through mile 6. I knew I wasn't gonna get the PR. I told her that I wasn't gonna get it, and she dropped off to run with some other teammates.

But as soon as she dropped off another teammate came in and picked me up. Even though I didn't think the PR was possible I still wanted to finish strong. It was so great to have a teammate there helping me out. I passed that 3rd guy I had been after. When I saw mile marker 6 and my watch showed 41:15, any hope I had for the PR was gone. Still I felt good and had a big kick. I even dropped my teammate. There were a ton of slow 5k runners who were crossing the same finish line. Weaving between them while trying to kick was horrible. I will try to avoid future 5k/10k races because of this. 

Mile 1&2- 13:47
Mile 3- 6:47
Mile 4- 6:59
Mile 5- 7:00
Mile 6- 6:31
0.2- 1:08
FINISH- 42:15

I felt mixed emotions when I crossed the line. I was disappointed in not PRing, and also annoyed by the long course (I hate using this as an excuse, but 4 other people's watches showed 6.3x miles). On the other hand, I felt like I ran strong. After years of disappointment, frustration and setback I am approaching a level of fitness I never thought I'd see again. That's the main thing I'm taking away from this race. 

Alivio Y Salud (4-29-13)

On Sunday I ran the Alivio Y Salud 5k. The race is in a neighborhood of Chicago known as Pilsen. The neighborhood has some charm, but many of it's residents are underprivileged. The proceeds from the race go to a low-cost medical center in the area. 

My recent training runs have been great and I thought sub 21:00 was realistic. But deep down, a wishful, confident and optimistic side of me said I could break 20:00. 

This was a smaller race of 175 people. The gun went off and 2 or 3 guys jumped out to the lead. I was in the 2nd pack of about 5 guys. 

I quickly realized that I went out too fast. The first half mile came out to 3:01 and I thought "oh shit!". I've never crashed in a 5k before. But this was the first time I thought it could happen. I let the "chase pack" go, and I dropped back. I was still working hard, but I regained some composure and rhythm. First mile came out to 6:15.

Seeing that 1 Mile  split made me smile. I was hurting, and I slowed down. But I felt more confident, and the doubt I felt earlier in the race went away. By mile 1.5 the discomfort was intense. I tried not to think about the fact that I was only halfway done. I hit the 2nd mile in 6:47 and felt a different type of "oh shit!". I knew that 20:00 was a 6:26avg. I was too tired to do any math, but I acknowledge that I needed a strong finish. 

I began to push the pace. I started gaining on some guys from the chase pack. I passed 2 of them. I worked REALLY hard in the last half mile, and I felt strong. The finish line could be seen from a half mile away. I love that. When the finish line is in sight, it doesn't matter how badly I'm hurting- the sight of the finish line eases the pain. I'm annoyed when a finish line is tucked around a corner and it doesn't come into sight until the very end.

As I approached the 3rd mile marker my watched showed 19:10. I knew that sub 20:00 was within reach, but I was gonna have to dig. There wasn't anyone around me for a sprint to the finish, but I had a decent kick to close it out. I felt a sense of relief and happiness when my watch showed 19:53. I immediately thought of Adamneh and his near exact prediction.

Mile 1- 6:15
Mile 2- 6:47
Mile 3- 6:15
0.1- 0:35
FINISH- 19:53 (6:25 avg pace)

6/174 overall
3rd AG

I'm happy with this race, and surprised in what I've been able to do with low mileage. I was convinced that high mileage was the only way I'd improve. I've got my fingers crossed that I've found an approach that works for me. 

Shamrock Shuffle 8k (4-7-13)

I was very uncertain about my fitness leading into this race. I've only been running consistently for the last 3 months, and only 15 miles/week. In the last 3 weeks I've had some quality runs and I'd been feeling great. Based on 2 solid runs in recent weeks, I thought I could probably do about 7:20 pace, maybe 7:10 if I was feeling great.

I woke up so damn early. I was out of bed at 3:00am. I don't know why, I was just excited and couldn't go back to sleep. I was out the door around 7:15am. The race was a nice 1.5 mile warm up from my condo. Conditions were good- low 40s with a few small wind gusts. I got to the race early, but that is necessary at large events like this (40,000 runners). I waited in the chute for a good 30 minutes and just tried to stay loose. I don't like standing around for that long. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but I was antsy.

Finally we were off. I was feeling good in the first few minutes, but I tried to hold back. Considering how little I knew about my fitness, I didn't want to go out too fast. I hit the first mile in 7:26. I thought this was too slow and felt like I should pick it up. I saw my sister shortly after the first mile. It was nice of her to come out. I started to get a pretty bad cramp or sidestitch. It was really uncomfortable and it stayed with me for the entire race. Fortunately it started to become less noticeable by the end.

I love this course and running through the city streets. I'm pretty infatuated with my city. There were great crowds, and it was nice to be around so many other runners. Despite the discomfort, I felt a strong sense of joy from my surroundings.

My confidence started to grow around mile 2.5 and I began to push the pace a little more, still trying to save something for the end. I was passing a lot of people. I hit mile 2 in 7:11 and mile 3 in 7:16. But I knew I could do better. With just 2 miles remaining I felt ready to turn it up a notch and I pushed even harder. I hit mile 4 in 6:53. That split gave me a big boost, and I was feeling great. I thought, "You've only got 1 mile to go and you just ran a 6:53?? Let's friggin do this!" 

I really gave it my all in the last mile. Yet it didn't hurt that badly. I was so happy to be in this situation after being away from it for so long. With about 400m left the finish line came into sight and I tried to leave it all out on the course. I was passing a ton of people, but some guy came up behind me. I decided not to let him pass me, so I made a move and we both broke into an all out sprint. With about 150m to go I pulled ahead slightly and I could tell that I was faster than this guy. But he was in better shape and there was just too much distance for me to hold it. He pulled ahead about 40m from the finish and I eased off. We high-fived at the finish and I complemented him on his kick. 

Mile 1- 7:26
Mile 2- 7:11
Mile 3- 7:16
Mile 4- 6:53
0.97-   6:11
FINISH: 35:00 (7:02 pace)

Overall I'm really pleased with this race. I'm surprised with where I'm at (especially on such low mileage). I desperately hope to stay healthy. The thought of burning out again is really upsetting. 

 

North Shore Half Marathon (6-10-12)

I didn't have any concrete goals for this race. I wanted to qualify for a corral start at the marathon which required a 1:50:59. I thought that was a reasonable goal, but I was uncertain about it with the weather conditions. It was 75 degrees at the start of the race and upper eighties by the end. A 1:45:59 would have qualified me for Corral C, but I thought that was unlikely.

The race was in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago 30 minutes north of the city. My mom lives about 10 minutes from the race start, so I spent Saturday night at her place. We arrived at the race really early, but I was OK with that. She brought her bike so that she could see me at a few different points in the race. 

The gun went off and I let a ton of people pass me. My plan was to start out around 8:30/mile and then slowly pick up the pace. I wanted to start conservatively for two reasons (1) the heat, and (2) I haven't done a distance race in years. I hit the first mile in 8:14 and thought "well, I'm feeling good now, but who knows how I'll feel in an hour. Maybe I should ease up." But mile 2 came out at 8:15, so much for easing up. 

I was did about 8:15-8:20 through the first 6 miles. I told myself that it's not too late to back off and save yourself. But I was feeling great and was not nearly as affected by the heat as I had anticipated. I made sure to drink a lot both before the race and during, but around mile 6 some stomach issues came up. There were cramps but they only lasted for a couple minutes. A bigger problem was the sloshing. There was sooo much sloshing from the liquids in my belly. With every step I could feel the liquids in my stomach bouncing up and down, I could even hear it. It lasted from mile 6 until the finish. I don't think it hurt my time, but it was annoying and distracting. Any tips on how to prevent this? 

The course was beautiful. There are some incredible mansions in Highland Park, especially those on Sheridan Road along the waterfront. There were rolling hills throughout the course, and one STEEP uphill just after mile 7 that seemed to last forever. I've never ran a hill like that during a race. Many people couldn't run the entire hill and started walking it. I continued to chug away as best I could. By the time I reached the top I thought my legs were trashed and I wasn't sure how I'd finish the race. It took me a good 2 minutes to recover, but eventually I was back in a good rhythm. 

It was hot and the fatigue was had set in, but I was still feeling good around mile 10. I told myself "you got this" and I was ready to start picking up the pace. I didn't want to start pushing too early, but I felt ready. I caught up with one girl just before mile 10 who seemed to be running strong. We ran together at ~8:05 pace for 1.5 miles, but she had to drop back as I kept getting stronger. At mile 11.5 I caught up with a guy who was running very strong, probably too strong for me to keep up with given the remaining distance. But I said "what the hell" lets try to hang with this guy. I was hanging with him alright, but we were moving fast and I wasn't sure if I could hold it. As we took a turn he tripped on a curb, fell, did a somersault, popped up, and started SPRINTING! It was weird as hell. "Ok, whatever dude, you go on ahead." There was a mile left and I'm still feeling good. 

I'm pushing hard through the last mile and there's awesome crowd support here. I see "somersault dude" up ahead and always have him in my sights. He got about 100m ahead of me at one point, but I was slowly gaining on him. With ~0.20 to go he is within striking distance and I start to haul ass. I passed him and continued sprinting to the finish. I had a great kick for the final 0.10. The crowd at the finish line was just amazing. Such a good feeling. 

Mile 1- 8:14
Mile 2- 8:15
Mile 3- 8:21
Mile 4- 7:49 (downhill)
Mile 5- 8:20
Mile 6- 8:13
Mile 7- 8:04
Mile 8- 8:25
Mile 9- 8:20
Mile 10- 8:11
Mile 11- 8:06
Mile 12- 7:53
Mile 13- 7:32
0.1- 0:39 
FINISH- 1:46:30 (8:07 pace)

I got the Corral D start, but missed Corral C by 30 seconds. It's not at all upsetting because I'm really happy with how this went. The heat was bad, but I'm not sure how much faster I would have ran in good conditions. I saw my mom at miles 5, 8, 12 and the finish line. It was a real joy to have her on the course, cheering me on. She was cheering louder than anyone. I made sure to say "I love you" every time I saw her. My grampa also came to the finish to meet us. 

Ridge Run 5k (5-28-12)

I didn't have any goals going into this race. My running has only been consistent for the last 3 months. I've been doing pretty much nothing but slow easy miles and just trying to keep a regular routine and run some decent mileage.

The weather was HOT. About 85* at the start with 22mph winds. But I woke up feeling pretty good. The race is on the south side of the city through a part of town called Beverly. A quaint neighborhood with some nice houses and parks. I ran the race with 3 co-workers and a co-worker's bf named Chris. Chris was in good shape, so we decided to hang together at the start.

The heat was most noticeable while waiting in the starting Chute. 3000+ people crammed shoulder-to-shoulder made it almost difficult to breath. Finally the gun went off and I was able to get some breathing room. After a little bit of weaving around people, Chris and I were able to settle into a nice rhythm. At first it seemed like we may have gone out too fast, but at about 0.5 I could tell we were still ok. We hit the first mile in 7:01. 

Around 1.25 miles in Chris was starting to fade but I was still feeling good. There was a slight uphill that I charged, but Chris didn't have it in him so he dropped back and told me to keep going. The pain really started to set in about 1.5 to 1.75. My gut tightened up, and I was feeling some real discomfort. My 2 mile split was a little slower, but knowing I only had about a mile to go was nice. Many of the neighborhood residents turned their sprinklers onto the street, or held hoses to spray runners. It felt really good. With about 0.8 remaining I made a surge and started passing a lot of people. Despite some intense pain, I was feeling pretty good. I caught the 4th place female and she kept up for a bit. But I had a really strong kick to the finish and left her behind. Crossed the line feeling completely exhausted and very satisfied. Got some high-fives and handshakes from a few of the people I passed.

Chris crossed the line about 40 seconds after me, and we waited in the chute for a few more people. Got some post-race food and headed back to a co-worker's place for a nice BBQ.

Mile 1- 7:01
Mile 2- 7:07
Mile 3- 6:38
0.1- 0:36 (5:25 pace)
FINISH- 21:24 (6:51 pace)

Overall I'm happy with this race. It's not even close to a PR, but it's my fastest 5k since 2008. I think with a few more months of consistent training I can be within striking distance of some PRs by the fall. 

Hot Chocolate 15k (11-5-11)

This morning I ran the Hot Chocolate 15k. I was kinda nervous leading into this race. I've never ran a 15k before, and I've only been running consistently since May. I wasn't sure where my fitness was at, and I didn't set any goals for this race. I just wanted to finish strong and not crash. That would have been disappointing. My plan was to go out easy (probably around 8:45) and see how I felt from there. My sister and I signed up together. She's in much better shape than I am. She said she wanted to run with me, which I agreed to, but also made it clear that if either of us felt good at the end, it was ok to run ahead.

The race was supposed to start at 8:20am, we arrived at 7:40am. It was 38* at the start. Despite doing a small warm-up, I was FREEZING. I was wearing the appropriate clothes for running, but not appropriate clothes for standing around. The race started late, and the gun didn't go off until 8:40! Standing in the starting chute freezing my ass off for an hour was NOT fun. Fortunately, I was all nice and warm by mile 2. Forty degrees is absolutely perfect running weather.

We hit the first mile in 8:36. It was faster than I had planned, but I was feeling pretty good. This second mile came in at 8:12, woah nelly! I told my sister that we need to ease off the pace a bit. We settled in to a comfortable pace around 8:25 and hung there until mile 6. I was feeling very good between miles 3-6. I knew that I still had plenty of gas in the tank, and was ready to start making the push.

We picked it up and hit the 6 mile mark in 8:06. With only about 3 miles left in the race, I was ready to rock. Mile 7 came in at 7:55. At this point, my sister started getting stomach cramps. She insisted that I go on ahead because she could tell I was feeling great. I felt badly leaving her behind, but we had agreed to this and I pulled away.

Mile 8 was 7:30. I was cruising now, and feeling strong. The fatigue had set in, but it wasn't too bad. With 1.3 miles to go, I told myself that it was time to leave it all on the course. I started really pushing hard. About halfway through the 8th mile I started hurting pretty badly. I knew it was almost over, but the discomfort was really making itself known. I found myself begging to see that "mile 9" marker, and it just wasn't showing up. The discomfort was intense now, and all I kept thinking was "where the hell is that last mile marker?!?" It was one of the longest miles that I can recall. Finally "mile 9" came into sight, and with only 0.3 remaining I knew that I could kick pretty good to the finish. We went up that annoying incline on Roosevelt which appears in all the major Chicago races. It was a great relief to cross the finish line. 

I waited for my sister who only finished a few minutes after me, and gave her a big hug. Then we gorged on hot chocolate and fondue, and walked home. Here are the splits:

Mile 1- 8:36
Mile 2- 8:12
Mile 3- 8:25
Mile 4- 8:28
Mile 5- 8:21
Mile 6- 8:06
Mile 7- 7:55
Mile 8- 7:30
Mile 9- 6:59
0.30- 1:57 (6:30 pace)
FINISH- 1:14:35 (8:02 pace)

I am happy with the way this race turned out, and with where my running is at right now. I'm gonna work hard this winter, and hopefully I can be in a pretty good spot come spring.

Race Judicata 5k (7-21-11)

Tonight I ran the Race Judicata 5k. The race is put on by the Chicago Legal Assistance Foundation. Many of the local firms put teams together, and get involved.

This was my first race in 16 months, and after a long layoff, I've only been running for the last 3 months.  On top of that, I've really struggled with running in the heat. At 6pm, the temperature was 96* with a heat index of 104  But I didn't put any pressure on myself for this race. I just wanted to go out there and see what I could do.

I told myself not to go out too fast, but of course, it happened anyway. I felt pretty good in the first mile, I was comfortable and it wasn't much of a struggle. But when I hit the 1st mile marker in 7:28, I knew I was in a little trouble. In the 2nd mile I had to back off the pace. I got passed by a lot of people. At 1.25 miles the discomfort really started to set in. At 1.5 miles I was hurting pretty badly and thought to myself, "Shit, I can't believe I'm only half-way done!"  

I hit the 2nd mile marker in 7:51. The pain was pretty intense at this point, but it was comforting to know that I only had 1.1 miles left. The heat wasn't really bothering me. In fact, I wasn't even noticing it. All I could think about was the pain. My breathing was labored, my stomach tight and cramping, I could not wait for the race to be over. But I tried to stay positive and still had enough to pick up the pace at the end. Somehow, despite the intense discomfort, and the desperate need to stop running, I was still able to move with a certain sense of fluidity. It felt good. The course was straight out and back. I rounded a corner, and the sight of the finish line was a beautiful thing. I didn't have a very significant kick, but it was still a pretty solid sprint across the finish line for the last 0.1

I proceeded to dump cup after cup of water on myself, as I waited for my co-workers to cross the finish line. Then I had a bagel, a banana, 2 hot dogs, 2 ice cream cones, and a slice of pizza. 

Mile 1- 7:28
Mile 2- 7:51
Mile 3- 7:31
0.1- 0:46 (6:01 pace)
FINISH- 23:38 (7:38 pace)

Overall, I'm happy with this. It felt good. Although this is a PW, I think the finish time is decent in light of the heat and short amount of time that I've been running again. I dunno if I'm gonna race again for a few months though. It was pretty painful, and I'd like to get in better shape before giving it another shot.