Derry/OFTM recaps

Haven't written in a while--sorry about that. I needed some time to not be hard-core about running (or at least as hard-core as I ever am). I did Derry again (a month ago already!), boldly leaving my garmin behind and setting out to "run the race by feel". I ran a solid half marathon (<85), and was at that point probably in the top 10--but then it all came apart. One of my faster and more dramatic bonks--going from strong and confident to stumbling jog in under 2 minutes. This got me in the mindset of writing up a post on bonking made up of my lamentably sizable sample set, but...I'm still dilly-dallying about that. Anyway, here's a pic from early in Derry, when things were still going well:

So, on to today's race. I started feeling the motivation again about two weeks ago, and came into the race with at least one solid track day to my name (4x 2k intervals @ 6 minute pace). Also, with the taste of humble pie in my mouth, I brought along my garmin. This time the plan was to keep it between 6:04-6:08 in the first 8 miles, then actually accelerate and run the last 2 flat miles < 6. And hey! It worked. I even passed somebody in the last mile, dropping my pace to 5:51 for the last segment with the aid of my finishing kick. Funny how I can't remember any long race where I regret going out too slowly.

Results:
Old Fashioned 10M
place: 15/576
distance: 10M
time: 1:00:55
pace: 6:06

2011 Year In Review

2011 marks the first year I've kept a training log consistently through the whole annum, so--I actually have something to review! It's been a really strong year for me, with several PRs at shorter distances and one win to my credit. Longer distances continued to be problematic, with the Vermont City Marathon being--at least relative to the sky-high expectations I had for it--a bit of a low point.

2011 In Numbers
Races:        11
PRs:            4 (13.1M, 4 Mile, 5K, 10K)
Miles Run:   2110
Shoe Pairs:  4?
Prize Money+Gift Certificates: $125


2011 in Races

Derry 16M. First race of the year. What I remember most vividly is how cold it was when I walked down to my car at 6am that morning--right around 0F. Bonked hard at mile 14 and somehow toughed out the last 2 miles, which is about the only time I've ever beaten the bonk over any distance.

At the time I was thinking "never again", but the memory must have faded because here I am, all signed up with Derry just three weeks away!

Derry Boston Prep            1-23-11        43/657            16M        1:49:30        6:51






Old Fashioned 10M A mediocre effort. Training had been very challenging (my logs including such entries as (*** treacherous w/ snowmelt!) (imagine black diamonds in place of asterisks), and (more snow, sheesh!) --after two consecutive missed days.

Foxboro Old Fashioned 10M        2-20-11        47/521            10M        1:03:22        6:20

Hyannis Half Marathon. Conditions were...interesting. Rain alternating with snow alternating with more rain. Frigid puddles  on the streets. I had almost forgotten this was a PR. It surprised me because I hadn't had good training (quality or volume) over the winter. My old record was pretty soft though (set on the hilly Applefest course). A good day to not be doing a full marathon, as one of my teammates did.

Hyannis Half Marathon                   2-27-11        47/2683                 13.1            1:23:20         6:22    

Blue Hills Foxtrot 10M Man, I love this race. It was a beautiful spring day in the woods, the way it always is that time of year. I led the 1st 3 miles, but then somebody slipped by on the Breakneck Ledge trail descent. Complacently settled in for 2nd. Where's the competitive fire, Woodruff?

Blue Hills Fox Trot 10M            4-10-11        2/139            10M        1:07:27        6:45

Keybank Vermont City Marathon It started off so well (don't they all!). But then the clouds cleared off, the cursed daystar leered down at us, and the temps shot up into the 80s. by mile 18 I was cooked, wobbly-legged and sick. It was a long hike to the finish. I had plenty of time to reflect on how I suck at marathons. I'm pretty sure that lady in the picture kicked my ass.

KBVCM (keybank marathon)        5-29-11        287/2668        26.2        3:29:51        8:00

Highland Sky 40M. My first Ultra! A race I am proud simply to have finished. This run had so many good things going for it--beautiful scenery, views, blooming mountain laurel, falls, and highland meadows; awesome, incredibly helpful volunteers, and a similarly great field (you have a chance to do some chattin' in an ultra marathon). What a great 7 hours. The last 2+ hours...well, that got a little rough. But I'm over it! Looking forward to doing this race again in 2012!

Highland Sky 40M            6-18-11        62/178            41M        9:18:16        really slow

Bridgton 4 on the 4th My traditional 4th of July race. Also my first race as a 30-year-old. Existential shock! Calamity! Wait, no, I'm still here--all good.

Bridgton 4 on the 4th            7-4-11        19/1850            4M        23:24        5:51

Summer Slump. Tired with racing for a bit. Motivation to log heavy miles plummeting. Achilles hurting. Summer slump, err...break! Hiked with friends. Did a two day solo on the Monadnock-Sunapee trail. Still doing routine maintenance runs, but otherwise nothing to report.












Houghton's Pond Trail Race My first race back after Achilles pain made me take 10 solid days off running. That sucked. This was mainly just a reference-point. I lacked the endurance to effectively race at 10K distance, especially over hills.

Houghton's Pond 10K (trail)        10-2-11        9/228            10K        39:18        6:20

Canton Fall Classic 10K  The freak snowstorm that cancelled the Bills Pizzeria 5K also postponed the CFC, so I decided to hop in. At first I was exhilarated about winning it, but on reflection, it's hard to take it seriously. Let's just refer to the Race Highlights, shall we? 

"Woodruff's winning time was the slowest for men in the race's history. The men's field was greatly affected by the reschedule. The new date conflicted with a New England Championship meet where several expected competitors ran for their clubs"

Consider me deflated.

Canton Fall Classic 10K            11-6-11        1/188            10K        36:06        5:48

Norwood Turkey Trot 4M: A great race and PR day for me. Last year I had a dream of breaking up HFC's top 5, and this year I did! A warm day for November--everyone was in shorts and singlets.

Norwood Turkey Trot            11-20-11    9/612            4M        21:56        5:29












GNRCYO 5K: This was the last race of what I think of as my Fall Season. I really wanted to cap it strongly with a PR--and I did! There's really nothing with quite the same short-lived savor as setting a PR. It's sublimely delicious--for about 5 seconds. Then you start thinking, "hmm, maybe I can do 16:30".

GNRCYO 5K                12-3-11        3/144            5K        16:49        5:24

How does Danny Hart SIT DOWN with BALLS that big!

I saw this on the Science of Sport "Best Sports Videos of the Year" blog post. If we could get announcers like that for running events, broadcast race commentary might even  be popular!

GNRCYO race report

I've been waiting for this race all week. Not entirely because of my excitement at another chance to set a fast time either. There was certainly that, but also a feeling that it was good time to reach a caesura--soon. My ankles felt a bit complainy, similar to the ignored signals I felt in late July prior to an enforced period of low activity due to Achilles pain. More importantly, psychologically, I felt like I was peaking out. Rationally (from external measurements such as races and track workouts) I know I'm in the best physical shape of the cycle, but mentally I start to flake a little--not wanting to get up for hard workouts, not really excited about planning what I'm going to do next week.

I deliberately decided not to dwell on this before today's race, however. Instead I just thought about last Tuesday's workout and how well it went. "5:22s", I thought to myself. "I'm physically ready; I can totally run that pace!"

My goals were simple: PR in under 17 minutes, kick home the last 0.1mi in under 30s, and...win. OK, winning a race is a tricksy goal--you never know who's going to show up. But winning at CFC wasn't without effect in the way I saw myself, i.e., as a front-runner, imparting that funny, sometimes delusional, usually (but not always) valuable mental state that tells you "yes, absolutely" it should be you out there with the whole field at your back and nothing but empty road in front.

So, when the race started, I did exactly that. After the first 200m or so I captured the lead, spinning down the long decline of Albemarle street to the first mile marker. For brief period the noise of the chasers faded and it was silence, but then I heard foot-strikes behind me. I ignored them and carried on.

Last year I had opened in 4:59, which was bad. This year I was hoping for 5:15, only slightly under-pace. I hit the mile marker and...5:15. On the money.

I held the lead through the half-way, but after turning the rotary, my invisible companion stepped up and took the lead. I tucked in and did my best not to lose contact, hoping to burn past him once back on Alebmarle street.

Mile two in 10:38. My brain informed me, quite incorrectly, that I had just run a 5:19.

Back onto Albemarle. The TriValley guy had opened up perhaps 20m. It wasn't looking too good. Then a CMS guy jetted by me--worse on worse. At this point I had already more or less made my play. Naturally I wonder (like I always do) if I could have toughed out a few more seconds, perhaps hung with the CMS guy for at least some way while he charged up the hill.

In this case, though, it was not to be. I did have one more goal though. After cresting the Albemarle hill, I started pulling for all I was worth back toward the finish. mile 3 in 16:04.

"16:33", I thought.

The last stretch. I saw the clock, 16:20-something, and kicked through in 16:29. 16:29! Unbelievable! Indeed, yes. I checked my watch: 16:49. OK, more believable. Still, that last 0.1 seems a bit long--I don't think I was running a 7:30 mile pace for the final kick!

So, final verdict? I'm happy. What a fantastic run it's been since August, when I had to go 10 whole days without running to let my Achilles rest. I'm feeling grateful that my body gave me the chance to deliver performances better than I could have guessed a year ago. It's so easy to take being healthy for granted--while you're healthy. I'm trying not to.


As a side-note, it's cool to see how this race's field has progressed since its first running in 2007. Then, our own Zac Laidley took it in 16:58, with the next runner almost a minute behind. The next year it was won in 18:03. Then in 2009 Andy took it in 17:32, with only one other runner under 18. Last year Kevin Gray won in 16:49, with 3 runners total under 18, including me. Then, this year: 5 runners total under 18, and 3 under 17. I will flatter myself into thinking that running strong from the front today maybe helped with that.

Final results: 3rd overall, in 16:49 (5:25 pace).




Here are some random photos for you. These are actually from the Norwood TT, two weeks ago:

Thanksgiving Week Recovery

Thanksgiving week always takes a toll on my training plans. Overeating plus staying out too late every night will do that! This year I attempted to do my long run in McLean Game Refuge, which was silly because of the amount of damage the freak October snowstorm did. Blowdown every twenty yards! After attempts to run continuously began to look increasingly silly, the workout degenerated into an impromptu trail maintenance session. Then I ran back along the trail, looking at what I had done and measuring it against the amount of work still to do: I hadn't even made a dent.

Additionally I somehow managed to cleat my own calf pretty hard during the Black Friday Ultimate game. It was pretty sore the next few days. I'm not complaining though--that game was totally worth it!

So, here I am with one more week until the unofficial end of my Fall season this Saturday. Despite residual soreness, I limped over to the track for my final interval workout. 3 x mile with an 800m cherry on top, in 5:24, 5:22, 5:22, 2:40. This is about what I want to do in the 5K on Saturday. As I hoped, I felt looser, stronger, and generally better jogging back than I had jogging out; I'm feeling like I'm back in trim for my final effort.

Nothing else hard to do, just an easy 9 miler Thursday, then on to round out my string of PRs with a <17 minute 5K. Now is the time!