Wow... I sure let the ball go on this one.
My last post was from the Oak Park Gallop where I ran 18:29.6 IIRC That was pretty much all alone on a three loop course. There was no way I was going to catch up with Thomas Preiss, and I wasn't going to drop back to the group of runners 30 seconds back.
So here's a quick look back and the events I participated in, and why I didn't run in more of them:
The Turkey Trot 5K in the D:
Things were going great until the idiot with the trumpet crossed my path while he tried to be funny for someone. Not funny for him, I'm pretty sure I heard his ribs crackle, and watching him float backwards in midair and land in the huge puddle of water made up for muscle cramps he gave me. I've measured that course three different ways, and it always comes out long. (.14 long). The difference now is that it really doesn't matter, just knowing that if I ran any other 5K that day, it would probably be 30-40 seconds faster. I took down a few unsuspecting high school kids at the end of the race, placing myself in about 8th for the time being. Chip times, what actually counts, were to paint a different picture.
18:53 (with the joy of slamming into a rogue band geek)
November 30th: Snippy Snip Snip.....translation....soreness and swelling "down there"....supposed to take it easy as long as it feels uncomfortable.
New Year's Eve: Belle Isle Casino 4 Miler
Time: 25:38.... Probably should not have even gone to this one. 2 mile warm up felt great. First mile in 5:40 felt great. Then the pain came out of nowhere....immediately backed down and ran outside of the pain zone. Ended up settling for a "slow" race. I wish I would have kept that feeling.
I was really looking forward to running the "Heat the Streets 5K" in Detroit. Apparently the individual who organized it last year became the race director somewhere downriver, so couldn't pull double duty. Not having this race to train for, a different kind of event was selected.... climbing stairs.
Feb 24th 2008: Climb Detroit
Climb the 70 flights of the Ren Cen....yippee!!!! First and foremost, easy (junk) miles will NOT prepare you for climbing stairs above 7 stories. Anyone can do 7 without any training. Thanks to the 12 stories at the Greektown casino parking structure just off I-375, going there 3 times per week climbing anything between 36 and 208 flights became something of a regular occurrence. Running was sort of put on hold, put on the back burner, with logging nothing more than one run per week....5K in about 23-24 minutes.
This being my first year doing this, and my first attempt at climbing stairs in an organized event, I decided that a steady climb without crazy amounts of effort in the beginning would be the smartest thing I could do. That turned out to be the greatest strategy from what I would experience on my way up.
There were 20 second intervals between people starting their climb. When it was my time to go my "chip" beeped and I calmly jogged over to the stairs and began my climb. I skipped a step with each stride and used the hand rails for early support. I probably didn't need it, but it proved to be a smart move near the top. Before the second floor, I had already caught one person. From that point on I seemed to catch at least one person per floor, and on later floors where the doors were open to the hallways (for a rest and for water) there were people on the floor gasping for air, laying there looking as if they had just completed a marathon. That was at 30. We had to go to 70. I took water at 40 and 60. Mainly because the stairwells were rather hot and dry. Did I need the water? Probably not. But it did feel good. Above 55, people were just sort of slugging along praying that this thing would be over. Walking the entire time proved to be my friend. Slow and steady, along with positive thoughts worked rather well. The last flight I decided to run it up because I still felt so strong, having hardly broken a sweat. 8:36.7 was the official time (rounds up in the posting) for my first outing. I have no idea if that's good or not. I want to say it's probably better than the average person, simply by virtue of my placement within the competitors (25th??). I intend on doing this again next year, and hope to drag some friends along with me.
The proceeds from the event were for the American Lung Association. Each climber was asked to register for the event (30-$50) and to collect a mininum of $100 in donations.
See ya at the Ren Cen next year.
One Week Later:
The Bikini Mile (at the Park Bar)
Yes, a Bikini Mile. Run a Mile in a bikini. One Mile. One Bikini.
There are rumors that pictures of me exist participating in this event. Do your own homework to find them. They are out there. Unfortunately, it was also on Channel 7 that same night...twice.
So they announce that they are going to start heading outside to start the race. I'm still chatting it up inside thinking I've got another five minutes before they start this "race".... then I notice out of the corner of my eye that people are cheering the other runners as they turn LEFT out of the bar. Apparently the starting line was inside the bar. You leave the bar, technically you're on the course. The leaders are about 2 blocks ahead of me, and it takes me about 400 yards to catch them. There's a dog that wants to be in first place, and he's dragging the owner faster and faster. As I take the lead, I hear the dog breathing harder and harder trying to keep pace with me. Fortunately she was on a leash. By 800 meters I was in a really comfortable pace, just staying far enough ahead of the dog to cinch up first place, but close enough to make the dog want to try and catch me.
I'm pretty good at taking mental measurements of race courses. I looked at my watch about one block back and saw that I was at 5:40, so I just kept it at that pace and finished at the Park Bar doorway. A measurement later on would prove that the race was roughly 1.1 miles. Combine the calclutions that allow for the distance difference along with starting about 30 seconds late, and I'll estimate that I ran my "5:50 mile" in about 5:15 or faster.
The funds raised from that event were used for TEAM in Training.
Detroit's Corktown 4 Miler
March 16th
25:53
Tried to go out slow and keep it that way. The miles haven't been logged to back up any respectable performance. Mile 1 was 6:25, Mile's 2 and 3 were somewhere in the 6:40 range, and the last mile was sub 6:20. The guy I sprinted in with last year popped up during the last mile and we sort of battled it out for that last mile.
Hansons 5K (Bill Roney Memorial)
March 22nd
20:06
Slippery course (ice and some snow on corners) made for some treacherously negotiated turns. Got really lazy for the first two miles. I'm pretty sure 13:00 was the 2 mile split. 6:30 pace. 20:06 finishing time makes for pretty even splits, just a notch under 6:30.
Just didn't feel like running that day. Felt like crap. Ran like crap. Time was crap.
Hansons 16 Mile Run
March 30th
8:15/mi pace..... 2:12 overall
Felt great the first 10 miles. Mile 13 I could feel it coming on strong. Mile 14 the calves were cramping at every flex. After the completion of the 14th mile, there are no hills. Those last two miles would have been impossible had it been hilly. Ran and talked the entire time. 8:15 pace is a cakewalk for me. The prior long run for this year had been 5 miles.
I think I'm nursing a phantom knee pain now. Some of the pain is real, some fake. It's hard to tell which is which. Where did it come from? March 30th.
Sylvan Shuffle 5K
April 12th
19:40
In a few words, WENT OUT TOO FAST.
First mile: 5:48
Remaining 2.1 miles (all even-paced) 13:52 (6:36/mi)
Going out in 6:25 probably would have been the better option, and would have probably resulted in a faster time. Oh well. That's what happens when it feels comfortable running next to Shane Logan for 600 meters.
What's Next?
Bob Busquaert's 4.5 Mile Run on the Macomb Orchard Trail
April 19th
Having been slapped around for 24 hours with some odd sickness, and having a lackluster training this spring, I don't have the greatest of expectations for my performance. My race pace seems to have settled in around 6:28 for the time being. That translates into the exact same time I ran last year, if the endurance is there.
Goal: Sub 29:06 if the nerves aren't shot, and the energy level is up. Breakfast is a must.
May 11th: Berkley 1 Mile and 10K (try to beat 5:35 mile, and run sub 6:51 pace 10K)
May 17th: Cranbrook 5K (distance is WAY WAY WAY off, course might even change)
May 24th: 8:30 AM Rochester RARA 5K
May 26th: Grosse Ile 8K
May 31st: Race for the Cure 5K @ Comerica Park
June 7th: Dodge Park 5K
June: Solstice 5K
June: Huntington Woods 1 mile and 3 mile
July 4th: Firecracker Mile... SUB 5??????
August: Run Thru Hell???
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