2009 Show-Me State Games Duathlon

I registered for this duathlon about 2 weeks ago to make myself get back on the bike after not riding in over a year. I managed to get 3 rides before the race for a total of 51 miles. This was my third Show-Me Games duathlon and very little bike training is pretty typical for me.

The duathlon occurs concurrently with the triathlon with the duathlon starting with the first wave of swimmers. I arrived a little over an hour early to check in and didn’t seem to be many people, but all the racks filled up before the start. This duathlon is different than most in that it is only a bike and a run, not run/bike/run. The bike course is pretty challenging with steep hills, rolling hills, some nice flat in the middle for a few miles, and then more hills. The bike course is 20.5 miles and the run is a flat 5K.

Shortly after 8 am we were told to go line up our bikes. It seemed like more people doing the duathlon than I remember in the past. I positioned my bike behind in the mid pack. The first hill was not as bad as I remembered it but it was my second slowest mile. There was bit of passing back and forth until I found myself in a comfortable position. Uwe passed me on the bike, but I passed him on Forum since he had to stop to put his chain on. Later on, he catches up and easily passes me.

I managed to drink with my new bottle positioned between my aero bars and had it and my Shot Blocks finished at 16 miles. I maintained my position until near the end when I passed a guy with about 3 miles to go but I was also passed by someone else in the last couple miles. With all of the hills and scenery, this is not a dull course. I managed to reach a top speed of 38 mph which I am sure is slow compared to some.

The last half mile or so is downhill and then flat so the legs get a chance to recover just before the run. I made it to transition and I think I was out of there in less than a minute and just took off running as hard as I can to try to get the legs feeling normal as quickly as possible. Pace felt slower than my GPS said I was running. I was catching up to and passing runners. First mile split was 6:50 which was a bit slower than I hoped so I tried to pick up the pace. It was easy to pick up, but had to force myself. My breathing felt strange for this run I guess since I felt like I was breathing harder than normal. Second mile split was 6:24, and 3rd mile 6:13. Unofficial result that I had for my run was 19:34 which was a minute faster than a couple years ago. Bike estimate was 1:06:26 (18.5 mph), a few seconds slower than a couple years ago. Overall time was 1:27:00, a 29 second course PR thanks to my running improvement. I placed 1st in the 40 – 44 age group, passing the 2nd and 3rd guys during the run. I have no idea how I placed overall, but would guess at least in the top 25%.

2009 Parley Pratt 4 miler

Ran the Parley Pratt, an out and back race on the MKT. I started out in second place. There were lots of wet low hanging tree branches to dodge and it rained the entire time although not too hard. The trail was quite soft and standing water. A guy passed me in the first mile and also passed the guy ahead of me. I stayed behind this guy about age 18 the whole time. I picked up a bit in the last half mile and so did he. I finished 11 seconds behind him. The 40 year old guy that won finished in 23:06. I placed 3rd overall with a time of 24:58. If I wanted to have a good race, I probably should not have run today. My splits were slower than my recent training splits. This race is no indication of how good of shape I am in but more like an indication of how hard I have trained in the past couple weeks. I do think racing tired though is still a good workout and always fun to see what you can do even when you aren't feeling your best.

2009 Trekking for Kids 5K

I found out about this race on Thursday from a woman that came to our morning run. She was also there Tue. but did not check into it. I found out my eye doc was a sponsor so decided to run. Also, noticed it was a certified course and they had some nice prizes. She seemed very organized so I thought it would be nice to support this one. Like I need an excuse to run a race, but sometimes it helps.

I arrived at the race 7:48 am after running 11.3 miles and paid my fee. It was held in Cherry Hill which is a nice mixed development area that has its own downtown. Tom M. and kids were there and all ran the race. I stored my shirt on Mike D.'s bike since I didn't have a car. Hugh showed up a few minutes after 8 and I then gave shirt to him to put in the car. We got started about 8:10. I am guessing 30 or fewer runners. Hugh decided to run the course with us. Since we started late, my GPS had gone back to the time and I was not ready. I had also locked it so had to unlock and get a satellite so took about 10 seconds to get it started once we took off. Mike T, Mike D, Nate, Tom H. and me were all in a group and 2 much faster guys ahead of us. I was beginning to think that I had a good chance at 8th place since all these fast guys showed up.

Within the first mile and up the first hill, I started to passed all of them. Eventually Tom H. caught back up to me and said he was not going to pass me since doesn't run faster than a 6:17 pace. My GPS had gone back to the time since I had not relocked it. I actually thought it had stopped completely and told Tom I didn't know how fast I was running. The second mile was tough. I had wished I had found some water before the race since I felt dehydrated. They had water on the course, but I didn't stop to get any since I didn't feel like I could afford to take the time. The 3rd mile, I just tried to hang on and hope we would be done soon. There were a few slight hills which seemed worse they they should. Tom stayed behind me and guided me through the finish since I was not sure quite where to turn. He had helped mark the course so he knew where to go.

I ended up finishing 19:12 with Tom right behind me. He set a new PR. The prizes for the race were really nice. First place got a 1 yr membership to Anytime Fitness. I think second was a 3 month, and 3rd place was an IPOD Shuffle. I ended up with 3rd. At first they were going to award it to second place since he already had a gym membership with Anytime, but then he said due to some high school athletic association rules, he could not accept any gifts over $25 so they went ahead and awarded to me like planned. Also, won a nice coffee travel cup in the drawing. They also had several more gym memberships and several Kastaki Pizza $25 certificates so really some nice prizes.

It turned out my GPS had kept running but was not on the pace screen. I briefly could see I ran 3.15 miles and then could not get it to shut off due to it freaking out from my sweat. By the time I shut it off, it said 3.18 and had run for 26 minutes so I adjusted my time with what the timer said. Splits were off a bit too since I probably ran 10 seconds before actually starting it so it just got tacked onto the end. Considering GPS issues, heat, lack of water, and I had run 11 miles, I guess not a bad race. I did feel like i had to work hard and having time behind me helped push me. He said he likes pacing behind someone since it is less pressure than being right ahead trying to hold them off.

This was a fun, well-organized first time event and I will definitely plan to run it next year. I originally had planned to run home which would have been 6 more miles. Since Hugh was there I convinced myself to ride with him.

1st Annual Phil Sayer 5K Benefit Run - 2009

This morning I got up early to drive to Jefferson City for the Phil Sayer 5K which started at 7 am. This race was sponsored by University of Missouri Extension, Fire Rescue Training Institute. My connection is I work for Extension and my department handles their publications and clothing storage and orders. Also, I know the race director and wanted to support him with this 1st annual event.

My back has been bothering (stiff and sore) me since my run on Tuesday. On Wednesday, it was hard to walk in the morning, but after stretching hamstrings, it felt much better by the end of the day. Also, the tightness and pain was all on the right side so I was kind of off balance. It was better yesterday and today even better although I could still feel it during my mile warm-up.

This was a completely flat and certified course that went on part of the Katy Trail. We started out on the road. Temp was about 50F and bit humid but overall very nice conditions. There were around 30 people either running or walking. We started and there were 2 runners that quickly developed a good lead over me. I did not know them so I didn’t know what to expect. Before the first mile, I caught one of them and just after the first mile passed the other one. My first mile split was 5:53.

I wasn’t sure how motivated I would be to continue that pace. My back was bothering me just slightly but not too bad so just tried to run in a way that it did not hurt much. This is a flat course so it was pretty easy for me to maintain my pace. The last part of the second mile was on the trail and my split was 5:56. The beginning of mile 3 was on the trail and then we went back to road. The last 0.3 were back to the trail. Mile 3 split was 5:59. I ran the last 0.13 in 0:43 (5:39 pace). Total time was 18:32. Second place was 20:02 so I developed a really good lead.

This turned out to be my 3rd fastest 5K and my fastest on a certified course. My 1st and 2nd fastest 5K was run on a course that is short so I guess technically this is my PR. Also, I felt like I could have run it faster under more ideal conditions and didn’t feel like I could put forth my best effort. Issues today were back hurt, lack of sleep, and spent 3 hours last night moving stuff from basement to garage.

I talked to the 3rd place guy after the race and he is more of a spring triathlon guy, but he is also considering the OT100 mile in November. Post race blueberry muffins (which were excellent) and bananas were served. I felt this first year race went well. Also, we got a black wicking shirt and the award with the fireman’s bobbling head is very nice.

2009 WellAware 5K

I ran a 1.2 mi warm up and then had 10 minutes before starting. I was hoping I could finish at least 22 minutes today since I didn't feel great. I was up late last night cleaning so not the most ideal conditions to run a race. The rain had pretty much stopped but I wasn't worried about it raining. I really didn't care. The sidewalk in the park was not draining well so we were going to get our feet wet anyway.

I lined up near Chris C. and Bill S. and we were off. I felt like I was being left behind since about 20 or so ran ahead of me. I ended up passing all of them and then passed Chris in the first mile or so. I caught up to another guy that I passed in the 2nd mile. Hugh was working at a water station. He had gone there to watch me but no one was there so he took over. Sam was on the course taking pictures and got some good ones. Photos

The hills were tough for me today and slowed down but tried to make up the time on the downhill. About 0.3 from the end I figure I have a good chance of finishing under 19 min so pump the arms to get me up the hill before the finish line. I can see the clock says 18:50 so push hard and finish in 18:57. Splits were 5:57, 6:09, 6:04, and 48 sec for last 0.13. Course PR for me and it was certified this year so actually just a bit longer than the non-certified course.

Took awhile to get to the awards. They were giving a choice of water bottle and stop watch for 3rd place, a Flexifreeze cooler for second, and a coaster for first. I actually hoping for second since I wanted the cooler. I ended up with second and the cooler.

2009 Berryman Trail 50 Miler

I left Columbia around noon on Friday with Jeff and we arrived about 3 pm at the Berryman Campground. There were no empty camping spots to park his truck/camper so we asked a guy if we could park in his campsite. He was hiking and didn’t mind. We then picked up our race packets and Jeff took a nap. While he was napping, the guy that let us park told me he was leaving since he didn’t realize there was a race going on and didn’t want to deal with all the people on the trails on Saturday.

Jeff cooked steak and a potato for his dinner and I had a whole Roly Poly Basil Cashew Chicken. About 9 pm the wind picked up so we put everything inside and went to bed. Then it started to rain and rained 4 solid hours, stopped, and rained off and on the rest of the night.

We got up at 5 am and it wasn’t raining. We had heard the day before there were many trees down on the trail due to a storm a week earlier. We could see where trees in the campground had been cleaned up. The trees on the trail were not cleared and we would have to go over, under, or around them. I figured with the mud and trees that I would need to revise my goal. I had hoped to come in under 8 hours, but was thinking if I could come in under 9 as last year that would be reasonable due to the conditions.

We were off running at 6:30 am. I started out slow and ran first mile in 9-something. GPS was not accurate (about 6% off) on this trail but did give me an idea. A guy named Dan was running behind me and it was his first 50 miler. He said he wanted to run around 8 hours. After a few miles, he told me he was going to slow down the pace and I went ahead.

From this point on, I mostly ran on my own passing back and forth a few people. I had to stop at about 8 miles, find some nice wet leaves, and go to the bathroom. No one passed me during this stop. I stopped at every other aid station to refill my bottle and eat about ¼ of a peanut butter and jelly. I probably should have been eating more, but didn’t feel like it and hated wasting time at aid stations.

I heard music behind me and there were a couple guys running with hydration packs and playing soft music. I would pass them back and forth several times. I ended up passing 3 people before the end of the first loop. Pat P. was running the marathon and we ran near each other for awhile and then he went ahead and ended up finishing 3rd. The last third of the loop had the most downed trees which really slowed me down. I came in about 2 minutes behind Pat at the end of my first loop in 4:08, 23 min slower than last year’s first loop.

I decided that I would not change my shoes. There was so much water and mud on the trail, it didn’t make a lot of sense since they would get muddy within the first mile of the second loop. My feet felt okay other than they were wet. I could feel the Body Glide on them so figured they would be okay for another loop. I had scraped my back under one of the trees and had that cleaned up and drank an Amp before starting the second loop.

I felt okay, and happy to be starting the second loop, but this feeling didn’t last long. The mud on the second loop seemed so much worse and was bringing me down. In some places I decided to walk through the mud rather than running it. I really had a bad attitude about the mud and was not enjoying it. I took the pace easy and did not push it. I was concerned I was taking it too easy but just could not motivate myself to go harder.

At about 7.5 hours, my GPS has 0% power so I shut it off. It continued to show the time for the rest of the race so I had some idea how long, but may have been better off not knowing. I was ready for this to be over and figured at the pace I was going I had another 2 hours. I was fed up with the mud. I decided if I ever did this trail race again, I would run the marathon. One loop in the mud was doable but 2 loops is too much knowing what is coming in the second loop. Of course there is no guarantee what the trail will be like on race day and this year we were just unlucky. I questioned why I put myself through this and whether I should do another 50 miler ever again. I was thinking how ridiculous that I thought I could run 100 miles later this year. I had a very poor attitude, but kept moving and trying to run.

I was getting passed by other runners and ended up getting passed by 6 runners. I kept hoping that maybe I could run with one of them since I really needed someone but figured if they were passing me, then they were feeling better. I was able to pick up the pace when the 6th guy passed me and stayed with him for a few miles and then he went ahead. A few minutes later, I felt like something magical happened and suddenly I was able to run faster again and felt good. I caught up to him at the next aid station with a little over 5 miles to go. He took off with a girl not running the race and she paced him to the end.

I could see them for awhile, but eventually they went ahead. I decided to just make it to the next aid station and hoped no one would pass me. The last aid station was 2.3 miles before the finish. I figured I could run that section in at least 30 minutes and possibly finish around 9:15. I hadn’t considered all the downed trees that would slow me down again, but with my slightly faster pace maybe it was possible.

I kept pushing on and made it through the mess of trees and mud to the finish in 9:15:36 without being passed again. I was glad to be done and not hurt. This would have been a good day to do only one loop and I would have been happy and placed well. The second loop was frustrating, not being able to keep my pace and getting passed by so many people. The times were slower this year but I felt like I was struggling more than most. I was not having a good day.

I was able to eat right away and the solid food was really good after drinking Accelerade and eating 9 gels. I have decided I need to find something other than Accelerade to drink since it is not working for me. It made me feel bloated a good portion of the race and my stomach did not feel good. Thankfully, I had run out of it with about 14 miles to go and started drinking Gatorade and things returned to normal.

There were 70 people signed up for the 50 miler but am not sure how many started. I placed 12th overall which was disappointing to me. Jeff finished 11:02, 43 minutes faster than last year and also ran negative splits on the loops. I was just amazed at how much he improved with the conditions. Dan, the guy I ran with at the beginning and wanted to run 8 hrs finished about half hour after Jeff so unfortunately he was probably having a much worse day than me.

After a decent night’s sleep, I was ready to start thinking about attempting a sub-8 hr 50 mile next year and again considering the 100 mile trail race in November. I am glad this one is over and I guess what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. My plan is to take it easy for about 3 weeks and then figure out what I want to do next.

2009 Jay Dix Challenge to Cure 5K

Today I ran the 5K at the Jay Dix Challenge to Cure. This is one of my favorite 5Ks and it benefits cancer research. This year there were a record number of participants and looked to be well-organized. There is a 5K, 10K, and 5K walk that all start at the same time. The race is chip timed as well. I lined up behind Tony R. with Brad E. Katie and Dan were nearby. I was thinking Katie might be good for to pace since she was running the 10K and is faster than me for 5Ks.

I was not sure how fast to start or if I was going out too fast. I didn't have any reason to expect that I was any faster than last year so was hoping to run around 19 min. I decided to try to stay with Katie as long as I could. We passed a few runners along the way and this course seemed to go by quickly. The race is a loop plus part is an out and back. At the turn around, I ran ahead and again was not sure how hard I should push. I felt really good but if I pushed to soon, I wondered if I would lose steam at the end. At this point, I was in 4th place with two 10Kers and one 5K runner ahead of me. I was able to see everyone on the way back which was a nice boost.

I felt strong on the few hills in the last mile and still was under 6 min pace. My overall time was 17:47. I finished 2nd of 291 runners and 1st in age group 40 - 45 out of 12. Hugh placed 2nd in age group and 31 overall. Dan placed 1st in age group and 8th overall. Brad E. was 3rd overall and Katie was first female in 10K and 4th overall. As last year, the course was just a bit (0.07 mi) short. I counted my time last year as a 5K PR so if I count this is a PR and a course PR by 35 seconds. I think if the course had been correct, time would been more like 18:15 which is still faster than any PR not on this course. I am really surprised and don't know where this came from. I have been tapering for my 50 mi so maybe that helped. I felt strong at the end and was sprinting up the last hill and then going strong into the finish.

Race Start

Andy at finish (above) - Hugh at finish (below)

2009 Joe Mark's 5 mile Human Race and Amanda's 5K

I wasn't sure how I would do in this race so soon after Boston but wanted to run it. Temp was 70F so a bit warm, but legs felt good. I planned to attempt a 6:10 pace, the same as I ran course last year when I set a PR. I didn't have any idea if I could do it so would just see how I felt which I guess is usually the case in any race. I started out on pace and kept behind Nancy. Once we turned onto Cedar Lake, passed her up the slight hill. Bill was way ahead of me and there were 3 guys ahead of him and the wheel chair racer in the lead. I eased up on the pace just a bit. This seemed like a fast course, but I just could not keep the pace at 6:10 today. Kept it pretty steady the last 3 miles and finished in 5th of 42 runners, first age group, but no actual awards for age group. Course came out to 4.96 on GPS and ran 31:11. Other Long Run Lunatics running were Hugh, Phil, and Brett. Brett finished closely behind Hugh. I had a yummy cinnamon roll and then hung around until the next race that was also started in Bethel Park.

We walked over to the other shelter to Amanda's 5K. Hugh decided not to run this one but was joined but Brett, Phil, and John P. They had a huge crowd and I heard there were around 300 entrants counting walkers. This was a race to raise money for Amanda for a prosthesis.

I decided I would try to start out with Phil and see if I could keep up. I was hoping for at least 22 minutes. The course started in parking lot, headed down Bethel, and then all the way to the end of Southampton and back. Start was kind of awkward in the parking lot with so many people. I started slow and then caught up to Phil. About 0.3 mi we turn onto Bethel. I decide I can pick up the pace and run ahead of Phil. I notice at this point there are only 2 guys ahead of me and they are running together. I am easily catching them and don't feel like I am running that hard. The wind is against us on the way out. I pass them and cannot believe I am in the lead with all these people. At the turn around is Tom and Robin. I see at this point I have a good lead. I keep the pace steady and now have the wind behind me but it is feeling warm. I was pretty confident at my pace no one was going to pass me. The runners coming at me on the other side were offering encouragement.

I make the turn onto Bethel near the end and Hugh runs a bit with me. Then I turn into the parking lot to finish. Course was only 3 miles, but I was ecstatic with my time of 18:23 for 3 miles. I think would have been under 19 min if had been a full 5K. I definitely think the 5K was my race today and not 5 mile. I guess I had enough time in between to recover enough as well. Phil placed 2nd and also got a nice basket of goodies. Definitely the race to win a prize here.

My award was a super-cool big basket of various Nestle Products. A very nice gift and loved it since a good portion of it was chocolate. I was glad they had a huge turnout and I think this fundraiser was a huge success for them.






More pictures

2009 Boston Marathon

Andy's Race Pictures

Hugh's Race Pictures

Other Pictures taken by Charlie and Dan H.

Video by time of day I am between 12:50 - 1 pm somewhere in the last minute of video, but kind of fuzzy so couldn't really see myself very well.

We had another good Boston experience this year. On Friday evening, we arrived in Boston with Dan. S., Lisa, and Jeff. Dan H. and Kathy arrived on a later flight. Took the T and a commuter train to the Hilton Hotel in Dedham. This was about 45 minutes away from downtown but a very nice hotel and a good price. The staff was friendly and very helpful. Kathy and Dan H. took a taxi and just beat us to the hotel by a few minutes. We ended up eating dinner at the hotel and then heading to bed. I slept very well without cats and dogs on the bed.

On Saturday morning, we first went for a 4 mile run and then we all headed to the expo. We decided to spend about 2 hours and then meet and head somewhere for lunch. Picked up race packets, tried on shirts and Hugh and I both exchanged for a smaller size. We didn’t see much at the expo we needed to buy this year, but I did end up purchasing one pair of Mizuno shorts with a zipper pocket and another jacket like I purchased in Minneapolis only the red version. We ate lunch downtown at Vinny T’s near the expo. Thanks to Dan S. cool phone, we were able to figure out what was available and how to get there. During lunch I had a few texts back and forth from Danielle, but we were both so busy we never managed to meet up. Hugh went to Boston Common to the Emerson bookstore while the rest of us checked out Quincy Market and ended up in a bar sorting through our packets to lighten our load on the way back.

Saturday night, Charlie (Kathy’s son-in-law) and Tiffany (Kathy’s daughter), along with Kain (Tiffany's service dog) went to Chili’s for dinner. The 2 Dan’s had already eaten at South Station and did not join us. Charlie made 2 trips to drop the rest of us off. We had a nice dinner and then off to bed.

Sunday morning, some of us went for a 2 mile run. After the run, Hugh and I were meeting the Flints and kids and the rest were going to Charlie’s aunt Cecilia for brunch and then church. The Flints (friends from Columbia that moved to Rhode Island last fall) arrived in 2 cars to take us to the Aquarium which turned out to be more interesting than I expected. Lots of cool creatures. Then we went to Quincy Market. The food court area is amazing, but not much seating so Karen decided on Dick’s Last Resort for lunch. I had no idea what we were getting into but the staff lived up to the restaurant’s name. Actually, the experience was quite funny and Karen knew what we were getting into. After lunch, went to Chinatown where Karen did some shopping and we followed. Later in the afternoon, we said our goodbyes and Hugh and I went to the pre-marathon banquet since we were in the area. We got back to our room around 8 pm and I was in bed shortly after. I had already made my prerace preparations that morning.

I slept fairly well and we were up around 4:30 am and the fun began. I woke up a few minutes early and took my prerace shower. After having a shake and banana, Hugh, Dan S. and I went down to meet the others to head to the commuter train, catch the T, and then get on the bus at Boston Common. This year the bus ride went smoothly and we arrived around 7:45 am. Since we were heading to the Cleere’s house about a block from the starting line, we had to drop our bags. Kathy and Lisa attempted to put their bags on the second wave bus but they weren’t quite ready so Dan S. and I combined their bags into ours. The first wave buses went ahead and took our bags and we walked to the Cleere’s house.

The Cleere’s welcomed us into their home and had food for us to eat. We also took them some bags of goodies as a token of our appreciation. It was great hanging out in a low stress environment with our own bathrooms before the race. We enjoyed talking and then all went outside for a picture. Those of us in Wave 1 headed to the start around 9:45 am and the others followed later. We all walked together. Hugh and Dan H. were near each other around corral 12 and 13. Dan was in corral 5 and I was in 2. We continued walking until we lost each other in the crowd. I moved up in my corral as close as I could get which was about a third back. I decided to go ahead and remove the throw-away shirt I had brought. I was glad to not stand around long and we were off with a slow shuffle.

This year I was able to start a little faster which was not necessarily a good thing. The temperature was just a little cooler than I like at 42 degrees. There was a bit of wind in a few places but at least it wasn’t raining. I ran mile one at 6:49 and then 2, 3, and 4 in the low 6:30s which I knew was too fast but went with it. If I had slowed down, almost everyone would have passed me. The course went downhill so this fast pace felt so very easy. I had worn my name on the front of my shirt so had people calling my name. I enjoyed the crowd support. At times, I questioned whether I could keep up the pace. I was hoping to have a lot left at the end like last year. I was passing a few people on the hills and then later but nothing like last year.

The head wind was a slight factor on parts of the course and I tried to use others to block if possible. I know I went out just a bit fast. At the time I am doing it I am thinking I know this is probably wrong, but didn't slow down enough. It felt good and I was keeping pace with others. I wore a 2:55 pace tattoo since Dan had picked one up for me at a previous marathon. I knew that I wasn't ready but figured I could try to stay around 6:40s and see what happens. I think 2:57 might have been a more reasonable goal as taking over 4 min off my PR as I did last year isn't realistic anymore. Last year I ran the first half in 1:29:10 which was slower than this year and had a faster time overall last year. I didn't run the negative split this year so had a slower time overall. This tells me that I ran the first half a bit too fast. But overall, I can't complain since I ran another sub-3 so I am being consistent and didn't fade at the end.

5k - 0:20:51
10k - 0:41:50
15k - 1:02:41
20k - 1:23:55
Half - 1:28:33
25k - 1:45:08
30k - 2:06:50
35k - 2:28:26
40k -2:49:42

Finish Pace – 0:06:50
Official Time - 2:58:57
Overall - 1205

As I was turning in my chip at the end, Dan sees me as he is on the other side having his chip removed. We retrieved our bags (took me forever to get mine) and then waited for the others to finish at the E’s. We all headed back to hotel. Hugh and I attempted to use hot tub, but some guests were staying in it forever so just used the pool. Later that evening we had a little post-race pizza party. We were told we could dine in the restaurant. Manager said we couldn’t do that but offered us a nice private room.

Tuesday, we got up and made the long journey back home. I felt like I could go out and run another marathon although not as fast. This was a very fun trip running with friends and just what I needed. I think we should do this more often. If not Boston, then somewhere else since sharing the time with others makes it so much more fun than going alone.

Mile splits according to my GPS:


Interval 1 Mi 6:49
Interval 2 Mi 6:31.83
Interval 3 Mi 6:35.17
Interval 4 Mi 6:38.35
Interval 5 Mi 6:47.37
Interval 6 Mi 6:41.15
Interval 7 Mi 6:40.9
Interval 8 Mi 6:44.6
Interval 9 Mi 6:41.2
Interval 10 Mi 6:44.31
Interval 11 Mi 6:49.52
Interval 12 Mi 6:47.54
Interval 13 Mi 6:46
Interval 14 Mi 6:48.26
Interval 15 Mi 6:46.24
Interval 16 Mi 6:48.79
Interval 17 Mi 6:58.75
Interval 18 Mi 6:58.76
Interval 19 Mi 6:51.24
Interval 20 Mi 6:51.88
Interval 21 Mi 7:08.65
Interval 22 Mi 6:40
Interval 23 Mi 6:46.
Interval 24 Mi 6:52.56
Interval 25 Mi 6:44.61
Interval 26 Mi 6:44.95
Interval 0.42 Mi 2:43.72

Make-a-picture with your GPS

Anyone reading this may think this is really nerdy and we have gone off the deep end here in Columbia, Missouri. Perhaps this will be the next craze sweeping the country. So far I have not heard of it, but maybe others have done this. Hugh had this idea that people could run a route that makes a semi-recognizable picture or spells something.

He made an attempt himself on Tuesday. Can you read what he wrote between miles 3 and 4? You will need to zoom in:

Click here to see his creation

Then tonight another one of our running friends spelled something on his run.

Click here to see his creation

I am wondering if this might put Columbia on the map as the home of running art or footmanship?

I suddenly have this urge to go out and do a run and then in the middle of my run, draw a picture or spell something.

2009 Sedalia Half Marathon

2009 Sedalia Half Marathon Select Columbia Runners Pictures taken courtesy of Dick Ross

All Sedalia Half Marathon Pictures taken courtesy of Dick Ross

2009 Sedalia Half Marathon Results

Today Hugh and I headed to the Sedalia Half Marathon. We have run this half marathon more than any other half. It is close, cheap, and a well-run fun small event. I wasn’t sure if I would be racing it this year since I ran 3 Days of Syllamo last weekend. I felt pretty good after Syllamo and even better after taking 3 days off running. I ran on Thursday and felt good so on Friday I was thinking I would attempt to break my 3 year old half marathon PR.

I ran this half last year after Syllamo and although it went okay, I was not recovered enough to attempt a PR. I wasn’t even sure I would try racing it at all last year since the warm up felt awful. This year, one week later, I felt ready to race again. We arrived about 8:30 am, picked up packets, and then I headed out for a 1 mile warm up. Warm up felt good, headed to the car to get rid of some clothes before heading to the start line. Temperature was about 50F and skies were cloudy.

My plan was to try to run just under 6:30s, and take the first couple miles a little easier at 6:40. There were fewer than 100 people at the start line this year, where normally this race attracts over 100 runners. We started a few minutes after 9 am. I started in the front and there were 3 guys that took off very fast that were clearly not in the same league as the rest of us.

Dan S. hung with me for the first mile which ended up being 6:31. This was a little faster than both of us thought we wanted to run. He let up a little on the pace and I decided to keep it steady. I found myself running with a young kid (have no idea how old he was) and kept pace with him. Then he pulled ahead a bit and I decided to hang back. On the first slight hill, I caught him.

We continued to run together and I am not quite sure who was doing the pacing but he did not act like he wanted to pass me so we ran side by side. I didn’t take water until the second water station. From this point, the run is pretty boring but I am feeling good and focused. The miles just keep clicking by one by one at a very consistent pace. Before we reach the turn around we get to see the 3 guys in the lead. We were in 4th and 5th place at this point. These 3 guys in the lead were so far ahead of us that we did not see them until they were coming back from the turn around. I took a gel at about 6.5 miles.

Right before the turn around we took water although they only had 1 water and 1 Gatorade ready so he took water after we turned around. It was nice to see everyone for about a mile on the way back. We are both still running strong side by side and I am getting a lot of encouragement as I see everyone. Then we are back to running alone. He seemed to be breathing harder than me and although I felt like I could talk I presumed that he didn’t want to or he would have said something by now. At the next water station, I let him go first and he got water. They had Gatorade in the other hand so I said I would get at the next station. My racing partner asked if I wanted the rest of his water so I took it. I am just thinking, what a nice guy.

At this point we were about 3 miles from the end. I am still feeling good but now we are running into some wind. I push to keep our pace steady and he stays right with me. I figure at some point since I am feeling so good I should probably pick up the pace and am hoping he will stay with me and we’ll finish together unless he feels like passing me. I was not planning to attempt to pass him right at the end after pacing that far with him. I just don’t want to pick it up too soon.

With 1.1 miles to go, I decide to pick it up and see what I have left. He does not stay with me. I picked up to about 6:15 pace pushing to the finish. Overall time was 1:25:04 for 13.16 miles at a 6:28 pace. I have a new PR by 1:44 and on the same course as my previous PR. I placed 4th overall and my race partner came in right behind me about 19 seconds behind me. He thanked me for pacing him although I think we paced each other at times. Dan S. finished 6th behind him setting a half PR.

Our Columbia group seemed to run well and most of us received bricks for placing in our age groups. I was first in my age group and Hugh placed second.

The event was hosted by the Sedalia Runners Club for the benefit of the Max Lewis Special Needs Trust and is sponsored by Pepsi, Bothwell Regional Health Center and County Distributing.

There is a raffle in between awards for a lot of different prizes. Dan S. had purchased 5 tickets and gave to Hugh before he left. I purchased 5 more tickets. Dan said to get him the beer clock or the Michelobe Ultra Beer mirror if they drew his name and those were left. They drew one of my tickets fairly early and I picked out the UltraMarathon Man – Dean Karnazes book since I didn’t see anything else I really wanted and had wanted to get this book at some point. The clock was the first thing to go. With about 6 items left, they still had not drawn any of Dan’s numbers, but the mirror was left. They drew another of my numbers. Nothing left that I really wanted so I picked up the mirror for Dan to add to his collection.

We had a large group that went to Country Kitchen for lunch before heading home.

Here are my splits:

Mile Time Overall Time Pace
1 Mi 6:30.61 6:30.61 6:31
2 Mi 6:30.46 13:01.07 6:31
3 Mi 6:27.79 19:28.86 6:28
4 Mi 6:27.75 25:56.61 6:28
5 Mi 6:30.76 32:27.37 6:31
6 Mi 6:30.92 38:58.29 6:31
7 Mi 6:30.43 45:28.72 6:31
8 Mi 6:28.03 51:56.75 6:29
9 Mi 6:24.89 58:21.64 6:25
10 Mi 6:26.12 1:04:47.76 6:27
11 Mi 6:29.53 1:11:17.29 6:30
12 Mi 6:31.28 1:17:48.57 6:32
13 Mi 6:16.58 1:24:05.15 6:17
13.16Mi 0:59.19 1:25:04.34 6:10

3 Days of Syllamo - 2009

Road Trip plus Day 1 -

Once again this race turned out to be the most fun, and scenic race I have done. This is one that is just done for the pure joy of running regardless of pace. Jeff and I headed to Arkansas at 11 am Thursday. This year instead of camping I stayed in a small cabin with Jeff with a comfortable bed, kitchen, satellite TV, and more. We arrived late afternoon checked into the cabin, picked up race packets and headed to dinner for a buffet at the Pizza Inn in Mountain View. Then back to the cabin, prepared for Friday’s race, watched ER and then off to bed.

We got up at 6:30 am and arrived at race headquarters around 8 am. The race site was about 15 minutes from where we were staying. The area was hit hard by an ice storm in early February so we were limited on the trails that we could use this year. Volunteers had cleared some trails and the plan was to use trails and forest roads to make up the difference. We found Allan at his campsite and then visited with other runners before the race and I got to see Ashley, the female winner that I ran a lot of the miles with last year.

The first race was supposed to be a 50K but ended up being a marathon. We started out up a big climb which was the same as we took last year for the 50 mile. This time though it wasn’t quite as painful, but still not pleasant to start up this big climb. I never could seem to catch my breath. Maybe I should have run a warm up?

The first 10 miles were on trail and I ran with Ashley. There was an aid station about every 5 miles. At the 10 mile we ran on a forest road for an out and back. It was at this point we learned the course was not going to be a 50K. I don’t think anyone was too disappointed as it was still quite challenging. Once we got back to the trail I had Ashley run ahead of me. We ran a couple miles and then I told her I was going to stop to pee and to go ahead and I would try to catch up. I tried but wasn’t feeling a whole lot better so just kept moving.

I had been drinking Accelerade and taking an Accelerade gel every 5 miles. I used about 1 of my bottles each 10 miles. By then I felt naseous/queasy but didn’t eat any solid food which may have been my problem. Mentally, I felt good (but no speed) so I keep pushing on and about half mile before the end Po Dog catches up to me. Once he sees how close we are to the end we decide to finish together. Last year I had finished with someone each race and thought I was going to go in alone, but it was nice to finish with someone. I headed off to soak legs in creek with some other runners. Allan finished in 4:31 and Jeff in 5:15.

42K (26.2 mi) - 4:20:19
12 of 44 men
13 of 56 overall

Temp: 34 at beginning and 48 at end.

Day 2 - 50 mi

I felt pretty good waking up and didn’t need to take any Ibuprofen this year. I had no joint pain and no muscle soreness. We had to get up at 5 am since the 50 miler started at 7 am. Ate breakfast as the day before and then headed to race head quarters to check in. Today’s course was going to be 2 different out and backs. The first out and back about 10.5 miles total and then the second out and back same trail as marathon but different forest road.

Since my GPS is only good for 8 hours, I did not turn on until after the first 10.5 since there was no way I could run under 8 hours on this course. I decided to start out real easy and see how I felt. I ran the first half of the out and back with Allan and some others. We crossed a creek about chest deep and had to cross again on the way back. Once we crossed the creek, I picked up the pace. I finished this part of the course about the same time as another guy that I would end up passing back and forth for quite a bit of the 50 miles.

At the 20 mile aid station, which was the end of the trail portion, I decided to not change my shoes since my feet felt pretty good and they were mostly dry. I grabbed more gels from my drop bag, ate some peanut butter and crackers, and drank an Amp since I really needed some energy. I spent 6 – 7 minutes refueling and then headed out with one of the coed teams that had caught up. We headed up the forest road to run out 10 miles.

I didn’t stay long with this couple since I ran up the hill although slow I called it running and was faster than they were walking. It went up for about a mile until it went down and ended up being a rolling gravel road that was not necessarily easy, but easier to run faster than trail. I really had to concentrate to run faster than the trail since I was tired. Some miles were faster and some were not. I passed a guy that didn’t look like he was doing too well. I finally make it to the end and had almost caught the guy that passed me earlier until I stopped to refuel at the 30 mile aid station. I headed back out as the guy I had passed came in and asked for Ibuprofen.

I had already seen the faster runners heading back and got to see the rest on the way back. The guy that wasn’t feeling well earlier caught up to me and was feeling better. Another guy caught up too. We pass back and forth for awhile as I am not feeling well. Then I have a surge and leave them both in the dust although one of them will catch me later.

I stopped at the 40 mile aid station for more gels and peanut butter and crackers, peanut butter and jelly, and then head back out to the trail. Once I get on the trail my pace is noticeably slower. The guy that I passed earlier passes me and looks like he is running well. I have to walk up hills and have some really slow miles. I am thinking at best I will be done in 9 hrs 45 min at this slow pace. This is fine with me since I just want to finish feeling good. After about 3 miles, I manage to pick up pace a little and run more smoothly hanging on to the end. This was an okay (not great) run and I felt good at the end. I headed off to soak my legs in the creek with about 20 fish gathering around me. I had to kick them away as they got too close to my legs.

50 mi - 9:33:06
11 of 34 men
12 of 41 overall

Temp: Beginning was 43 end was 59F

Allan finished in 10 hr 25 min and Jeff finished in 10 hrs 50 min. We all took hours off our times from last year. Jeff and I headed back to our cabin and grilled steaks before heading off to bed at 10 pm.

Day 3 - 20K

I woke in the night with slightly achy knees and took an Ibuprofen. When I got up I felt pretty good and decided to take 2 more Ibuprofen just for good measure. I was feeling good and ready to run a race. I did not have that feeling the first 2 days. Last year I had felt completely beat up by the 3rd day so was happy to feel so good. I was actually looking forward to the 20K and not dreading it.

Originally, we were going to run back up the hill for the 20K, but since we had already done that twice the race director decided we would do the out and back that crossed the creek. After crossing the creek, we then had to run a short while on roads to a rickety bridge before turning around. I managed to stay right behind a group of faster runners until we crossed the creek on the way back. For some reason, the cold water must have been a shock and I had a hard time getting my pace back up to speed. At one point I did catch them later when I sped up.

As I was speeding along to catch them I fell on some rock and landed on my water bottle. The bottle sprung me right back up on my feet which was quite amazing and too bad no one could see this. I caught up to them as they had made a wrong turn. They were on fire and although I felt I was running fast I could not keep up so kept my own pace.

About 1 mile before the end a girl that had been running with us earlier caught up to me. I told her to go around and I would try to keep up. I ended up finishing with her and we were 2 minutes behind the group we ran with earlier. I was quite happy with this run and overall it went very well.

20K - 1:49:25
13 of 53 men
14 (tied with second woman) of 64 overall

Temp was 48.

Overall - 15:42:50
9th of 31 men
10th of 39 overall

2009 Results


Once again even with the lack of trails, this proved to be a fun and low-key event. There were great single-track trails with rock faces, ledges, and the not as fun forest roads. There were even a few trees to climb over but the trails we ran on were pretty clear so not as bad as last year. Also, this year we got 2 different shirts, a finisher’s glass, and coffee travel mug. I also won a pair of toe socks in the drawing. And as always there were other supportive runners that offered a lot of encouragement. I ended up feeling good and not like I had been through hell after the 3 days. My feet were in good shape as I had thoroughly coated them in Body Glide. Legs felt decent and joints felt good. Even though the course was less difficult than last year, it wasn’t easy. I am still new to this but it seems like it does get easier each year.



Other reports:

Ashley Nordell

Julie

Susan

Dave Wakefield

Marshall

Adam and Dan

Karl

2009 Run with the Eagles 5K

Run with the Eagles Race Results

Started out really fast on this course at a sub-6 pace. The course goes down and then we come back up on the way back so it is not a negative split course. I planned to start fast and then slow down a little. At the beginning I was in 6th place. I could see Bill S. ahead of me most of the way and Pat H. for a awhile. I passed one guy shortly before the first mile, passed Nicole M. at about the 1st mile, and then a 3rd guy right after the first mile. I felt confident I was running stronger and could stay ahead of all 3 of them. First mile was 5:46 which was about where I wanted it.

We turned around at a cone at the half way point. Hit second mile in 6:08. Then had a few hills to go back up. It was warm and I was feeling fatigue but kept pushing. I could see one of the guys behind me but had enough of a lead I thought I could stay ahead of him. The end was up hill so really had to push to keep my lead. Third mile was 6:33 and last 0.13 was 47 seconds. Ending up finishing 3rd overall in 19:15 and first in age group of 40 - 49. I was happy with this result. I don't think I could have done any better today.

2009 Psycho Wyco Run Toto Run 50K

After getting up at 4 am, Hugh and I left at 4:45 am to drive to Wyandotte County Park in Kansas City, KS for the race. He was kind enough to get up and go with me to fulfill my need to run a trail ultra. I didn’t have time to prepare anything to eat before we left so we went to the drive-thru at McDonalds for an Egg McMuffin on the way out of town. I sipped on some Accelerade as well on the way there.

After driving 2.5 hours we arrived at about 7:20 am. The temperature had dropped from 30 F to 23 F from when we left Columbia and there was a dusting of snow on the ground. First order of business was to use the bathroom and then picked up my race packet and number which contained the timing chip. The packet included a bright yellow-orange wicking shirt, Psycho Psoup mug, and some candy hearts. We headed back to the car and moved to a closer spot to the start line. Then I changed shoes, and figured out what clothes to keep and remove. I was trying to decide whether to wear the Mizuno running pants or not. A couple runners out of several hundred were wearing shorts so I opted for shorts although some girl commented that I was crazy when she saw me heading to the start line later. I decided to keep my running jacket which did come in handy for holding all the baggies of powdered Accelerade and Accelerade Gel. I mixed one in my water bottle since we were required to carry a bottle and refill at aid stations.

At 7:55 I get out of the car and we headed to the starting line. Hugh took a few pictures of me with his phone and I decided to head to near the front of the starting line. The race promptly started at 8 am and we were off across a field. We had about 1/3 of a mile to spread out before heading into the woods. The first couple miles of the trails were pretty torn up from horses. The ground was pretty frozen and this was really tough to start out running on this surface. My fingers were cold and numb for a couple miles, but then warmed up.

About mile 3 we entered the Psycho Triangle which is a confusing switchback section. There is an aid station at this section that we encounter on the way in and then again on the way out. This section had sharp turns with trails running near each other so I could hear other people close behind at times even though they were not. I was following close behind another runner through this section. He offered to let me pass and I told him I would let him know if I needed to do so. I ended up staying behind him and he ran ahead.

The course overall was very hilly and described as 20% flat, 40% up and 40% downhill. There were lots of rocks and roots to run over and steep hills and downgrades, and a few trees to climb over or duck under. A few times we got to run in grassland area which was a welcome break. Also there were a few short sections of pavement, one which came at about mile 5 and was 1/3 of mile up hill. This hill road section came after we had just climbed a hill up to the road. The trails along the course were very well marked with flags and signs and there was never a question of where to go. There were also amusing signs along the way and flowers sticking in the ground in along one the grassy areas in honor of Valentine’s Day.

I had told Hugh not to expect me before 1.5 hours on the first loop, but ended up completing in 1:29:00 so he just missed seeing me. He had gone out for a 5 mile run and then was going to run 5 more miles while I ran the second loop. He was back in the car when I came through after the first loop. There were 3 aid stations on the course, but I didn’t need to stop at any since I was carrying everything I needed. Before I had completed the first loop, I added another bag of my Accelerade powder to my bottle and had it ready to fill at the end of the first loop so stopped less than a minute and was off again.

At this point, no one was running near me. On the second loop I caught up to the guy that I was behind for awhile on the first loop. The race had included either 1, 2, or 3 loops and he was running 2 loops. I ran behind this guy for awhile. He was running his first trail race. Eventually, he had me go around him and wished me a good race. At the Psycho Triangle a guy I ran with a Syllamo and also have seen him at other races said hi to me. He actually got me through the 50 miler at Syllamo last year when he caught up to me with 5 miles to go and got me running again.

The second loop some of the snow was starting to melt and the some of the downhills were slippery. I skied a little ways down one hill but managed not to fall and then slipped down another shortly after that one. I was still feeling good and kept the pace steady but cautious to avoid falling on the treacherous parts of the course. By the end of the second loop it was starting to get a little muddy where the sun was hitting the trail.

I finished the second loop in 1:36:56 with an overall time of about 3:06. Filled my bottle again the same as before having already dumped in the Accelerade while I was running. I also had been taking a gel Accelerade gel about every 5 miles and did not consume any other food. Hugh got to see my take off for the 3rd loop, asked how I was feeling. I said good and I was off to finish the last loop.

I spent a lot of time on this loop passing slower runners that ran the 20 mile race. This was kind of nice to pass the time since otherwise I ran this loop alone. By now I knew the course and also was cautious where I could see people had slipped. The course was getting muddier and this third loop turned into a complete mess. There was no way I could keep the same pace due to the mud. I had to slow down for corners to not slide. I ran up hills when I could but sometimes still had to walk a few steps to keep my footing. My shoes had stayed fairly dry since there was only 1 creek we crossed and it wasn’t that deep. Even though my shoes became coated with mud, my feet felt dry. There was no longer slippery snow on downhills, but now I had slippery mud on some of the downhills.

Everyone I encountered as I passed was having the same difficulty getting through the mud. The worst part was a muddy ditch we were running and I nearly lost it there as I tried to stay up right stumbling around like a drunk. I did hit my hand on the side of the muddy ditch so got my water bottle and glove a little muddy. Shoes were a mess and had to carry the extra weight of mud on them until it came off. This third loop I really had to think about keeping myself moving, no matter how slow and try not to walk.

I had no idea of my overall time since I only had my Garmin to show splits which are never accurate on these kinds of trails. I wasn’t tracking overall time as I was going. I wasn’t worried about anyone catching me at this point since I was confident they were having the same kinds of problems as me with the mud. I figured as long as I kept trying to run, they couldn’t catch up to me. Where I could I tried to run faster.

Finally, I get to the point where I know the end is near. It didn’t seem like the third loop was taking that long, but it took me 1:54:57. I was so occupied with keeping my mind on getting though it, I guess that made the time fly. Looking at the results this was the norm for everyone that each loop took them longer.

My finishing time was 5:00:54 which is about the same as all 50Ks I have run so far. I got a finishers medal. Overall, I placed 4th out of 77 finishers, 4th of 65 males, 1st of 19 in age 40 – 49 age group.

For each loop in my age group they had our place which I found interesting and also made me feel better seeing these results. I placed 2nd in the first loop, and first in the 2nd and 3rd loop. That third loop time really bothered me but I was still first within my age group for that loop. Everyone ran each consecutive loop slower than the first so I guess that is just how it was supposed to happen for this race. It was just a matter of the course worsened on each loop which made this challenging course even more challenging than I could have imagined after running the first 2 loops which didn’t seem too bad. If I had ended it there, I would have felt like I didn’t work very hard, but the 3rd loop was a real test and I feel like mentally I handled it well and physically I just did the best I could. I think I learned from this race to always keep running no matter how slow do not stop and walk. That mindset really helped get me through that 3rd loop.

After I finished a guy working the finish recommended that I get something to eat since I looked pale. Actually I felt fine and wasn’t hungry but ate a small bowl of soup, a cookie, and some orange juice. At that point I was not hungry at all and the thought of anymore food did not sound good. We walked back to the car, and I got my clothes to change. I scraped the mud off my legs with an ice scraper and cleaned up the best I could. My appetite came back and we then drove to the Plaza and had Cheesecake Factory for a late lunch before heading home.

2009 Nut Race 5K

Ran 10 miles at 7 am before the race with the Uprise Group at 9:01pace. Arrived at the race about 15 min before start time at 9 am. I felt good today and was hoping for something under 19 min. I had part of an energy drink before we received our pre-race instructions. I was wearing 2 long-sleeved wicking shirts from my earlier run and I changed into the one that felt the lightest since it was above 60 F. I thought about going shirtless but decided I could remove during the race if I got hot since the course is almost 3 loops.

At the start line, the race director mentioned that the most scantily dressed would win a coconut. Since it was about 62 F this wasn't a big of a deal as normal. This is called the nut race since often it is quite cold. I think this year was the warmest nut race on record.

Everyone seemed to start off at a very fast pace going slightly downhill. I just let them go and tried to slow down as my Garmin was clocking 5:38. I felt really good and tried to keep the pace around 5:55. I passed a few people in the beginning and then stayed behind Brad E. Going up the hill, I slowed to around 6:11. After it leveled out we were back to the start and it goes gradually downhill again and I picked up the pace. I dropped my shirt off at this point.

About mile 2, I was catching Brad and felt like I needed to pass him. Then up the hill again the same pace as before. Here I passed a group of 3 guys running together. After the hill, recovered quickly and again a good pace going down.

On the 3rd loop, I lapped a few people. The pace up the hill slowed a bit according to the Garmin, but once I hit the downhill, I easily made it up running 5:30 - 5:40 to the end. The 3rd loop does not go all the way back around and I sprint to the end.

Splits:
M1 - 5:59
M2 - 5:58
M3 - 5:58
M3.13 - 0:43 (5:47 pace)

I have never run a 5K with such even splits. The course is almost 3 loops and the miles are not in the same position, but we do get the hills on each loop. I was still amazed they were that even since the last hill was slower, but made it up on the down. I had way too much left at the end too so know I could have ran this better.

I had a course PR by 25 seconds at 18:37 and my second fastest 5K. I placed 2 out of 10 in my age group of 40 - 49 and 7 of 45 overall. It was a fast group of runners today. I was the only person in the 18 min range and the others ahead of me were in the 15 - 17 min range. I received an age group award for second was a jar of peanuts. Award for first was a bigger jar and 3rd was a small bag of peanut M&Ms. I also received the coconut. Although another runner removed their shirt during the race since I beat him, I got the coconut for most scantily dressed runner. Hugh also placed second his his age group.

The past 2 weeks after Disney I have run 84 and 78 miles. This week is a cut back week for me and will be 58 miles. Then next Saturday I run the Pyscho Wyco 50K trail run in Kansas City. Then back to the last few weeks of training for 3 Days of Syllamo. I am hoping to be more prepared than last year for this one.

Strange occurrence after running - Raynaud's Syndrome?

This afternoon I met Dan for a trail run at Rock Bridge. We ran 9 miles together and I ran 9 alone. I really felt like I was running smoothly today and had good energy. I dressed as warm as yesterday wearing 2 layers of pants, 2 shirts, jacket, warm hat, and gloves. I did wear the lighter gloves and hands felt plenty warm even though it was 19F.

Driving home, I noticed the tip of my index finger and middle finger on the left hand were feeling a little tingly and numb. I thought this was strange since my hands felt warm during the run. I just assumed maybe a pinched nerve or maybe I was grasping the steering wheel too tightly. I stopped for gas and still noticed the fingers felt tingly. I am thinking maybe they got cold and I didn't realize it. I wasn't worried since I figured I'm in the warm car and they will be fine.

I get into the house and then notice the index and middle finger are turning completely white. At this point I am really freaked out and don't know what is going on. I pace around the kitchen moving my arm around. I think my fingers are going to die and fall off. Then I run some warm water over them. This goes on for several minutes and then they begin to get some reddish color back like the rest of my fingers. None of this was painful. I am confused since I remember if my hands get really cold and I rewarm them it kind of hurts. After the color returned though they still felt really cold but looked and felt about normal as the feeling gradually returned.

I search Google for frost bite and it didn't seem to fit the symptoms so I searched for running fingers numb white. I find this has happened to others so I start to feel a little better. It really sounds like Raynaud's Syndrome to me. I had not heard of this before, but I think that is what happened. At least I know what to expect if it happens again and maybe can do some things to prevent. Also, I now know what to do during an attack and without knowing I did some things right when it happened.

Here are a couple of the web pages I found that pretty much described what happened:

Cold Hands Warm Heart

Running to Win Forum

Symptoms and Prevention

2009 Walt Disney World Marathon

Hugh, Dan, and I traveled to Orlando on Friday to run the Walt Disney World Marathon on Sunday. We arrived late on Friday, ate IHOP and went to bed. On Saturday we did a lot of carb-loading and resting since we had to get up at 3 am Eastern time which was like getting up at 2 am Missouri time.

We left about 3:30 am and didn't have any problems with traffic. Arrived about 4 am and stood in line for bathrooms hoping that we could go, but I think due to the early time it was difficult. There was a guy right behind us in line wearing a USMC shirt with a nametag of Chris, and wearing a hat. I asked if he was Chris from the Joy of Running Group since he said that was what he would be wearing. Pretty amazing that he picked that line out of the 100s of port-a-potties and the thousands of people. He called Bill (slow twin) from the group that we met in Minneapolis for dinner and he came over to say hi. Then we headed to the start line which had plenty more bathrooms and shorter lines. We waited there around an hour before starting trying to use the bathrooms and I finally had success 2 times cutting it close since we were starting in 15 minutes. Dan said he was giving up and moved up to the 3:10 area. Hugh started somewhere behind the 3:30 pacers. When I came back the last time I moved up as close to the front as I could get through people and waited.

National anthem, wheel chair runners, fire works and we were off running. My body felt really good before the marathon so I was hoping that wasn't a bad sign. I had set my Garmin for a 6:51 pace to get me in at 2:59:28 giving me a little cushion to get under 3. Felt like my pace was fast and erratic at times, but turned out it was really even at each mile. Ran the first 4 miles trying to establish a pace and then met up with a guy named Brian that asked if I wanted to pace with him. When he found out I was from Columbia he mentioned he was running the Heart of America this year staying with 2 friends from Mizzou. He was trying to qualify for Boston with a 3:10 or better and had also ran a couple 50 miles. I enjoyed talking with him and we paced for 3 miles until he said he was stopping to loosen his tight shoe and said to go ahead. I kept looking back for him and did not see him again. I found out after the marathon he is a friend of Andrew and Allison Cox (Hugh's former coworker).

The first hour or so of the course was dark although some areas were lighted and some were not. Disney characters along the course trying to amuse us. Some parts were fun to run through and some were kind of boring where there was nothing. I continued pacing on my own and the miles kept going by a little ahead of goal pace. At mile 14 I caught up to a small group of about 6 guys that looked like they were running about the pace I should be running. They said they were trying to keep between 6:45 – 6:50 pace so I ran with them for 3 miles and then their group started to break up. I pulled ahead with a guy from their group. Also, had a guy with an Army shirt I was using for pace too that kept going back and forth.

I had run the first 13.1 in my mind as a race and then was sort of running the next 6.9 to get to 20 as a race. I was still feeling good at 20 so kept pushing on with the pace. I was running alone and couldn’t see many in front of me and right before mile 24 I start seeing people. I feel like I am running a faster pace and begin passing runners, counting them off to pass the time. I end up passing 10 of them by mile 25 and then see no one ahead of me until about 25.5 mi gaining on a guy but not catching him. Never bonked or hit the wall. Felt quads a little in the last half mile. At times in the last 6 miles I felt like I was the only one running since no one was around me. It was kind of strange and almost didn’t feel real. Crowds of people all cheering for me since no one else was around. Our names were on the number so they could yell out names as we went by.

I finished in 2:58:12, 66th out of 14,940. Placed 9th of 1374 in 40 – 44 age group. Once I got through the food line, waited for Dan to come in and then Hugh. I wasn’t sure whether to go for a sub-3 or just run to enjoy, but my competitive nature made me go for it even though I really had my doubts I could do it on this flat course. The flat Chicago course I ran poorly in 2006 mostly due to cold and spasms had me thinking that I couldn’t run fast on a flat course. I am very happy with my even splits and ran the last half 12 seconds faster than the first. Missed a PR by 25 seconds.

M1 – 6:57…….M14 – 6:43
M2 – 6:42…….M15 – 6:41
M3 – 6:45…….M16 – 6:51
M4 – 6:46…….M17 – 6:48
M5 – 6:47…….M18 – 6:47
M6 – 6:47…….M19 – 6:43
M7 – 6:45…….M20 – 6:46
M8 – 6:49…….M21 – 6:48
M9 – 6:47…….M22 – 6:45
M10 – 6:47…..M23 – 6:51
M11 – 6:43….M24 – 6:44
M12 – 6:45….M25 – 6:46
M13 – 6:45….M26 – 6:45
………………0.35 – 6:20 pace

Clock Time2:58:19
Chip Time2:58:12
Overall Place66 /14940
Gender Place61/7801
Division Place9/1374
5 Mile 34:08
10 Mile 1:08:07
Half Split1:29:12
20 Mile 2:15:58

I'm really bad at describing this course but this blog does a good job:
Disney Marathon Tour

2008 Running and Racing Year in Review

Goals accomplished this year (I had 6 goals for this year and accomplished my top 4):

1. Sub - 3 hour marathon
2. Ran fewer 5Ks. I ran one less 5K than last year
3. Ran more trail races and more on trails
4. Enjoyed running and racing

I did not meet my goals to become a better swimmer and do a triathlon. I had a lot of other great accomplishments but they were not goals.

Total Miles:
2008 – 3014
2007 – 2572
2006 – 1937
2005 – 2090
2004 - ~1000

Marathons:
2008 - (4) Boston Marathon (BQ & PR), Laughing Out Loud Marathon, Heart of America Marathon (BQ), Twin Cities Marathon (BQ)
2007 - (5) Laughing Out Load, Berryman (First Trail Marathon - placed
4th), Heart of America (BQ), Baltimore Marathon (BQ), Bass Pro
Marathon
2006 - (3) Flying Pig (BQ), Heart of America (BQ, Chicago (BQ)
2005 - (3) Mad City, Heart of America (BQ), Portland (BQ)
2004 - (1) Heart of America

Ultramarathons:
2008 – (4)3 Days of Syllamo 50K, 3 Days of Syllamo 50 mi, Berryman 50 mi, Rock Creek Trail 50K
2007 - (1) Hocking Hills Indian Run 60K


Number of each type of races:
50 mi – 2
50K - 2
Marathon – 4
Half Marathon - 1
20K - 3
10 mi - 1
10K - 2
5 mi - 1
8K - 1
4 mi - 1
5K - 10

Total running miles run in 28 races: 385 miles (last year 30 races – 295 mi)

States I ran marathons and ultras in 2008 (5): AR, KS, MA, MN, MO
All states I have run marathons and ultras (9): AR, IL, KS, MA, MD, MN, OH, OR, WI

2008 PRs in 5K, 5 mi, 10K, 10 mi, marathon, 50K, 50 mi
2007 PRs in 5K, 4 mi, 8K, 5 mi, 10K, 10 mi
2006 PRs in 20K, Half Marathon, and Marathon

Goals for 2009:
1. Continue to enjoy running and racing

I am making it easy this year and having only 1 running goal. Too much other going on in life right now. I would like to sell house and settle in a new home this year closer to where I work. Also, would like to focus on work so that our expansion goes smoothly.

Marathons and ultras planned for 2009:
January - Disney
February - Maybe Pyscho Wyco 50K
March - 3 days of Sylammo
April - Boston Marathon
May - Berryman Trail 50 miler
June - No plans
July - No plans
August - No plans
September - Heart of America Marathon
October – Rock Creek Trail 50K
November - No plans
December - No plans

2008 First Night 5K

We barely made it to the race on time to run a half mile warm up since we had about 10 minutes to the start. Temperature of 31 F is a little cooler than I like for a 5K. I ran once around the block with Hugh before heading to the start line. I started at the front behind Nicole M. and ran a good pace up the hill before 6th street so barely noticed it. Right away though I could tell I was not quite warmed up since the cold air was hard to breathe.

Tony R. easily passed me at the beginning and seemed to be running a good race ahead of me where he should be so I didn’t try to stay with him. Jacquie was ahead and I passed her and figured we were about the same pace. At the turn around I thought I counted I was in about 15th place. I could hear Jacquie behind me on the way back but she never passed me.

In about the last 3/4 mile or so John H. catches up to me. I decide to just stay with him and we cross the finish together. I motioned for him to get in line ahead of me since it really didn't matter and this race was just for fun. I really didn't feel like pushing it since the race felt more like a warm up for me. I guess I am now used to the usual 3 mile warm up for a 5K and I think that would have helped with the breathing.

Considering I didn't really push it, my time of 19:01 is decent for this course. Placed 15th overall and 2nd in age group and John took first. No awards though since this is a non competitive race.

Hopefully, I will be able to make myself taper enough to run Disney. My temptation is to go out and run a lot of trail miles training for 3 Days of Syllamo when I should be tapering. I am guessing that I going to place 3rd in the Serial Competition beating out Bill S. by one point. This race helped him catch up a little to me but didn't count in my top 10 for the competition. The other 2 guys behind me easily passed me up since this was their 10th race. I think Dan will place 5th and Hugh 6th.

After the race, my mileage for the year ended at 3014.5 miles. Last year ended at 2572 miles which is about what Hugh ran this year. I won't be trying to hit a certain amount of miles next year. Really, I have no goals other than to continue staying healthy and enjoying running and running races.

2008 Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler

2008 Cranberry Cheese and Sauerkraut Results

This is a prediction race where the closest predictor wins cheese and the worst wins sauerkraut. Also, the race is run without wearing watches. The temperature was about 45F but it was terribly windy today.

This year I decided to predict closer to what I actually thought I could run in ideal conditions even though it was a bit windy. Dan and I ran 3.6 miles as a warm up and the wind wasn't too bad for where we had to run on the course. Last year I ran this race in 1:06:46 so decided to predict 1:04:30 since based on my last race which was a 10k, the running calculator was saying about 1:04. I didn't taper for this so gave myself an extra 30 seconds.

I took off at what seemed like a very fast pace and had a pretty big lead. With no watch to pace myself who knows what ridiculous pace I ran. At the road where we run out and turn around to run back before we get on the trail, I calculated the first guy behind me was about 42 sec. By the time I finished the first loop, he looked closer. They did not get our 5 mile splits this year so I had no idea how I was doing.

I tried to keep the pace steady. On the second loop after the turn around he passed me. I let him go ahead since we had about 2 miles to go and he was obviously running faster than me to catch me. He had removed his shirt and it was feeling warm. I had considered removing my windbreaker after the first loop, but the wind on the last part convinced me to leave it on. I could see a few others after the second turn around. Tony Rigdon had also removed his shirt. With the wind behind us at some points, I guess it was pretty hot.

I could the guy that passed me him all the way to the end. I finished in 1:04:50, 48 seconds behind Sam, age 16, the winner. I knew he was young, but wouldn't have guessed that young. He had predicted he would run it in 1:13:21 and ended up being the second worst predictor. My prediction was 20 seconds off which was the 3rd closest. One guy predicted exactly. My time was a 1:56 faster than last year's ten miler on the same course. Pace was 6:29 per mile and I think I could run it just a little faster if I could have paced better at the beginning. I am really surprised that I broke another PR by so much. I normally expect if I am going to have a PR it is only going to be a few seconds, not 2 minutes. I'll take it though. We had 33 runners that completed the course which is a pretty good turnout for this race.

Hugh finished the race about a minute faster than last year, but didn't break his Minneapolis 10 mile PR, but I'd think we both ran a good race without having a taper.

Last year we brought sauerkraut brownies. This year someone else brought a sauerkraut cake and we brought Velveeta Fudge which was actually quite good. Dan and I ran another 3.6 mi loop after we finished. It had warmed up a little, but didn't feel like it since it was windier.