Original posting date: 09/26/2014
Considering all of the medical issues that I have been through and the fact that I have only been racing for a little over 6 months now, I am really proud of some of the races and results below. Conversely, there are some performances that I have had to file in the recycle bin of my short term memory after noting lessons learned. It can only get better, right?!? :)
04/12/14: Chick-Fil-A Connect Race Series 5k -- Athens, AL
A more official race recap can be read in my previous blog post.
- Official Time: 26:35
- OA Result: 31 / 297
- AG Result: 2nd
Finishing Up..
04/27/14: Swamper's 5k -- Muscle Shoals, AL
Lesson learned: I really dig this whole racing thing.
After my first race, I really wanted to test myself when I was a little more healthy. I felt as if I could perform much better than I did in my previous event. I signed up for this race on a whim afterward after a buddy of mine twisted my arm a little (very little). It was a two hour drive from my home, but that was fine by me. I've driven farther just to play a round of golf. I am actually proud of this race. To date, this event is one of my better performances. Not because my time had went to sub 24' in less than two months, but becasue of how I managed the race itself. I took the lessons learned from the previous race and corrected them. All clothes were now dri-fit (zero cotton!), I lined up early for the start of the race, I warmed up properly, and I didn't start my finishing kick based off of my watch display. I started out faster to separate from the pack and decrease congestion/lateral movement, slowed to a manageable pace and held consistent splits, and blew by at least 12 people on my finishing kick. Not too bad for a rookie if I do say so myself :).- Official Time: 23:53
- OA Result: 60 / 522
- AG Result: 1st
Me and my homie Ben after the Swamper's 5k
05/26/14: Cotton Row Run 10k AND 5k -- Huntsville, AL
Three words: HO. LEE. SHIT. This was the day from hell and two races that I'd like to forget ever happened. That's right. EVER. I should have backed out and not raced them at all.
Lessons learned: I really hate overcrowded races and racing three days after oral surgery is a stupid idea.
By this time, I had my cardio and running base built up enough to easily race both of these back-to-back.. Until..
I raced them both back-to-back THREE DAYS after oral surgery. If you're reading this, I'm sure that you've heard me say a bit about oral surgery. So, a tidbit of background: I have genetic periodontal disease. Regardless of how well I take care of my teeth, they still suck and deteriorate at the roots, moving upward. Three days before this race, I had three molars cut out. It sucked out loud. With that, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
At the time, I was a prideful dumbass and thought that it wouldn't be a big deal. Both of these races are basically in my backyard -- one piece of the 10k race route is 1/8th of a mile from my house. I run these routes ALL THE TIME. I knew every road, turn, pothole, and the best path to take. Attacking "the hill" was part of my normal hill workout. I had to race these events -- even though I had NO chance of winning!
Aaaand.. I got my ass handed to me. Big time. The results speak for themselves. I could easily jog both routes faster than this.. There were too many people for my liking and I did not manage my hydration for two races in the heat/humidity worth a damn -- leaving me severely dehydrated. It took me several days to recover from this and it will NEVER happen again. GO FORTH AND HYDRATE, PEEPS!
Cotton Row Run 10k Results
- Official Time: 59:29
- OA Result: 1075 / 2182
- AG Result: 96 / 137
Mountainwood hill climb. Photo courtesy of Gregg Gelmis at We Run Huntsville
Cotton Row Run 5k Results
- Official Time: 26:46
- OA Result: 264 / 1849
- AG Result: 21 / 66
Still trying to re-hydrate. Photo courtesy of Gregg Gelmis at We Run Huntsville
05/31/14: Running the Shoals Half Marathon (Trail HM) -- Muscle Shoals, AL
Lesson learned: I. LOVE. HILLS.
My first long-distance race! I was stoked. I had played the surrounding golf course more times than I could count. BEAUTIFUL scenery, awesome volunteers, and top-notch swag. Definitely a repeat event.
By this time, I had integrated a LOT of hill workouts into my running. But this course taught me that I needed to do MORE of them! This race gave me a new appreciation and LOVE for hills :). The race route was nothing but constant STEEP climbs and descents. Over and over again. I barely (or didn't) had time to recover on the downhill sections before it was time to start climbing again! It was great. If I wasn't wearing the Nike+ SportWatch GPS at this time, I could give you the total vert.. So be it. I'll get it for you next year.
Even though my time isn't that great, I am satisfied with it for one reason: this course added 18 MINUTES to the overall winner's normal HM time -- the winner is a beast and was a former XC standout from one of our local universities. If the winner usually finishes HMs in 1:05:00 and added 18 minutes to his finish time, adding 7 minutes to my HM PR just fine for this normal guy. #TeamMountainGoat
- Official Time: 2:09:12
- OA Result: 44 / 131
- AG Result: 8 / 19
06/07/14: Our Kids 5k -- Huntsville, AL
Lessons learned: ALWAYS WARM UP BEFORE RACING, if you bring the whole family, tell them the race begins an hour before it actually starts, and racing in the heat/humidity with an 11:30 start time SUCKS.
My family did this event with me -- even my 73 year-old mother-in-law. It was for a great charity and my wife, daughter, and MIL wanted to walk the course while I raced it. This family event turned out to be pretty fun. EXCEPT..
Family racing :)
Getting everyone out the door on time. Between my wife forgetting her stuff, my daughter having the normal 6 year-old drama, and the MIL.. well, being 73 and set in her ways, I had to go straight from the car to the starting line. I felt pretty good and was running the race well with even splits the whole way. Everything was going great. I was on my way to setting a new 5k PR.. UNTIL..
I started my finishing kick :). 800 meters out, I took off! Almost immediately, I had the calf cramp from hell! I looked like a complete dumbass for about 200 meters hobbling until I got the cramp bearable enough to run again. This cost me a LOT of time. I imagine that I looked like a character from Monty Python's "Ministry of Silly Walks". Again, lessons learned -- but, my performance was still good enough for my best finish to date (placement wise, not time).
- Official Time: 24:02
- OA Result: 11 / 305
- AG Result: 1st
06/14/14: Chick-Fil-A Connect Race Series 10k -- Decatur, AL
Lessons learned: How to NOT race a 10k, the 10k is the bane of my racing existence, and that I hate 10ks.
This was a flat and fast course primed to set a new PR. I COMPLETELY screwed that up. I started the race at my 5k pace, gassed myself out, and had to Galloway myself to the finish. The time was still good enough for some bling, but I still cringe when I look at the medal I received that day.
My personal sufferfest!
- Official Time: 53:47
- OA Result: 21/55
- AG Result: 3rd
06/28/14: Fayetteville Firecracker Chase 10.2-Miler -- Fayetteville, TN
DEFINITELY a repeat event. If you are close by, get your ass over there next year! Good price, awesome swag, awesome after party, and unleash your inner glutton on the spread of post race goodies! There was more food there than could have possibly been eaten and a nice pool to dip in to cool off afterward..
The course was challenging to say the least. My back wasn't very happy with me at the time, so I returned the feelings in kind by racing anyway. The morning was HOT, HUMID, overcast, and it rained briefly before hitting "the hill" halfway through. The hill placement could not have been any worse. Two miles from the finish, it started to rain again.
I usually LOVE to run in the rain, but not on this day. Having arthritis, sudden fluctuations in temperature, humidity, rain, etc. (let's just say "weather"), make normal flare-ups even worse. As hot as it was this morning, the rain just made the temperature feel hotter, the air thicker, and harder to breathe. This was far from my best 10-mile pace at the time, but considering the circumstances, I'm not upset with the results. It was still good enough to earn another AG award. I look forward to racing this event again next year!
This was an AWESOME event!
- Official Time: 1:29:11
- OA Result: 35 / 136
- AG Result: 3rd
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