8 Is Not Enough

I was standing around before the start of the race on Saturday morning, when I heard announcer Dave Kappas welcoming runners to the 8th annual Soldier Field 10 miler.  I was taken aback.  I have been fortunate to run this race every year since it began, but it seems like maybe 4 or 5 years.  Time flies when you're running all the time.  But it was also a reminder that I'm quite no longer a 'young runner'. 

The race, though, is always a big focus of spring training for my training partners and myself, and my goal is generally the same every year.   I was hoping to break 70 minutes.  This might have been an unreasonable goal, given that I pretty much used up the tank a few weeks ago running a half marathon in 1:38.  That's about a 7:25/mile pace for 13, and I was hoping to run nearly a half minute faster pace for ten.  It kind of defied my math logic, but math was never my strong suit.  And for some reason, I am usually able to get pretty close to that goal.  I managed to break it once or twice.  Last year I believe I was within about 12 seconds. 

I made things tough on myself by arriving a little late and neglecting to warm up.  I know, I just wrote about the importance of warming up a couple weeks ago.  Things happen.  I also neglected to find a porto-potty, and that came back to haunt me.  But the temperature was about perfect, and it looked to be a good day.   

I had the pleasure of starting the race with a couple of friends, including Anthony Ponce from NBC-5.  Anthony is a really strong runner, who was showing me a little charity by running with me until about the five mile mark.  And we had a nice run for that first half, following the course on the east side Lake Shore Drive this year to account for the construction further south on the path.  It was different than previous years, but every bit as smooth.

Once Anthony decided to pick it up a bit for a couple miles, I wished him well, and watched him take off.  It would have been nice to go with him, but that was not in the cards, or my legs.  On the bight side, we were right on 7:00/mile pace through five.  I mean exactly. 

From this point on, however, I was on my own.  I kept the pace for the next two miles, but then near water stop by the 7th mile, the porto-potty I'd neglected before the start beckoned to me, and I gave in and stopped.  I figure it cost me nearly a minute, but, more importantly, I found it difficult to regain focus when I started running again.  I slowed to about 7:20 pace for what I believe is always the toughest mile on that course, the 8th mile. 

At that point in the race, you are physically pretty spent, and psychologically you are battling the perception that the tall buildings of downtown seem like a long way in the distance.  After 8, you can look forward to seeing McComick Place, and Soldier Field behind it.  The last mile is always one of the most exciting as you approach the stadium and look forward to entering the tunnel.  But you have to get there first.  And it felt like a long time.

Eventually it came into view though.  From the time I saw on the clock at the 9 mile split, I knew I had no chance of getting under 70 or even 71 minutes.    But pride was on the line.  So I tried to get the legs going as well as I could for a nice finish.  The feeling of entering the stadium, looking up and seeing yourself on the jumbo-tron, and crossing the finish line is really amazing.  I can't think of a finish line at any other race that compares.

I actually got so caught up that I failed to stop my watch at the finish, and had to check the results later to find my time.  It was 1:11:56, which averages out to 7:12/mile.  Well off my goal, but judging from how sore I am a couple days later, still a good effort.  If you'd like a complete list of results, you can find them at: http://www.soldierfield10.com/htm/features.html

I'm hoping to recover this week in time to run the 13.1 race on the South side next weekend.  Hope to see you out there.  In the meantime, see you on the roads.......

 

 
 
 
 
 

Ramp it Up

Running in it's most pure form is a solitary, peaceful activity.  For me, it is the time of day I often most look forward to.  It's a break from all the responsibilities and stress of the day.  I'm in control.  I can run fast, and work hard, or I can take a leisurely jog and listen to music.  Either way, I love it.

But it dawned on me the other day, during a conversation, that racing is almost the polar opposite.  Even though I've been racing for more than three decades, I still get pumped up.  I intentionally put pressure on myself to run well and reach my goals.  And as race day approaches, I often get a little stressed out.  In fact, one of the reasons I'm taking a little time off from running marathons is because I'm really not that fun to be around when I'm focused on marathon training. 

And for what?  A P.R.?  An age group medal?  Personal satisfaction?  Well yes, sometimes to all of those.  None of them mean much to anyone but myself.  And don't get me wrong, I think it's important for personal growth to challenge yourself, to set goals and strive to reach them.  But those goals mean relatively little in the big picture.

I ponder these things as I prepare this week for the race I have targetted to try to run well.  This weekend's Soldier Field 10 mile race is a great early season challenge, and because I'm not doing a spring marathon, it is the race I have focused my training on.  And I feel the stress already.  And the pressure.  I love that for different reasons, but it still has me looking forward to going back to the other side of running.  I'll plan some easy, carefree runs after the racing season eases up. 

But that's not for a few weeks at least.  After Soldier Field comes a great half marathon on June 4th.  It's the 13.1 race starting at the South Shore Cultural Center.  And if you are interested in joining me, now is your chance.

 1.  In honor of Oprah's last week on Ch. 7 (or celebration of the start of Windy City Live), what marathon did she famously run in 1994 in a time of 4:29?

2.  Who holds the male course record for the Bank of America Chicago marathon?

3.  And now for the tough one.  The race which is now known as the Rock-N-Roll Chicago half marathon was for more than 20 years known by another name.  It was a 20k race sponsored by ABC-7, and owned by the American Lung Association.  What was the name of that race?
 
 The first correct answer wins an entry to the race. 

See you on the roads... or at the starting line....

Races, Races, and More Races!

 
Sunday's weather was really great for watching the Bulls playoff game inside the United Center, or in front of your TV in your warm den.  It was not especially great weather for running a half marathon.  It was cold, wet, and windy along the lakefront.  But that apparently failed to discourage more than 4,300 runners who started the Magellan Chicago Spring Half Marathon.  Kudos to all the finishers.

It was about 2:30 in the morning Sunday when I learned I had to bow out of the race.  It wasn't related to the weather, but a family emergency.  I wasn't too dissapointed, given the miserable weather, but it did eliminate an interesting challenge I was going to face.  I had committed to do a live shot for ABC-7 from the finish line at 8:50 in the morning.  The race started at 7.  Considering my last half marathon time was 1:38, it was going to be a quick turn-around to say  the least.   Basically grab a drink, then grab a microphone and start talking.  Oh yeah, and catch your breath. I'm kinda glad I didn't get to see how that worked out.

 

 
In any case, there are plenty of other races coming up.  Too many fun ones to run, much less mention.  The next one on my calendar is my Memorial day weekend tradition:  The Soldier Field 10.  If you haven't run this before, trust me, it's one of the best races on the calendar.  When else would you get a chance to run on the field where the Bears play?  And you need to sign up quickly, because I'm told registration is going to close this week.  http://www.soldierfield10.com/htm/registration.html 

 
When is the last time you ran all-out for a single mile?  Not just part of a work-out or longer race, but just a fast mile?  For me, it goes back to College.  And I know I'm significantly slower these days, but I would be curious to find out how much.  That's good reason to drive out to St.Charles for the street mile they are doing.  http://www.footmechanicsmile.com/.  They tell me they will have competition at all levels, from elite to turtle pace!  If you are interested, You can win an entry by being the first to respond with the correct answers to this quiz.

1. Name the 2 time winner of the Chicago Marathon who died suddenly this week?

2. What television station did Oprah start her Chicago career?

3. Name one of the two women who have set the World record at the Chicago Marathon.

Good luck! 

I also expect to offer a free entry to another exciting race next week.  That race is the 13.1 half marathon on June 4th.  If you want to take no chances, you can register now.  Here's the info: 

Registration is now open for the 13.1 Marathon® Chicago and Karhu 5K on Saturday, June 4, 2011 where the party meets the pavement. 5,000 runners will hit the streets at the 13.1 Marathon® Chicago, starting and ending at the South Shore Cultural Center.

Runners will enjoy a beautiful half-marathon course along the lakefront and the sounds of over 20 party stations while they run. At the finish line all runners will enjoy festivities with friends and family including live entertainment, food and refreshments. Register to be one of the first to start and finish 13.1 Marathon® Chicago.  It isn't half of anything, it's a 13.1® mile race! The 5K will start 50 minutes after the 13.1 Marathon® Chicago and participants will begin from the same start line.

Register now for only $80 for the half marathon and $25 for the 5K because the event is limited to only 5,000 party-goers and will sell out fast. For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.active.com/framed/event_detail.cfm?CHECKSSO=0&EVENT_ID=186959

See you on the roads.........

Holy Guacamole!

If you've run many races, chances are you probably have a pre-race routine you tend to follow pretty closely.  I've been doing it since high school, which was (cough) years ago, and I still tend to fall back on the familiar stretches and warm-up run.  I don't know if it's superstition, or laziness, it's just what I end up doing without giving it much thought.

At least it's what I used to do.  Over the last few years, I have to admit, I've gotten more lax with my pre-race warm-up.  These days, I generally don't get to races too early, and I tend to do a few stretches, and barely any running.  I shake out the legs a little, hit the starting line, and take off.  Most of the time, I use the first part of the race to warm up.

For Saturday's Cinco de Miler event however, I was thinking ahead to some longer races I'm running in the next couple weeks.  So I needed to put in more miles than just the five that covered the race.  And since the 9:30 am start time was a little on the late side, my training partner and I decided to go out for between 4-5 miles before the race.  I figured that would be a good way to get some extra distance, but it would probably affect me toward the end of the race.

I was wrong.  After running the race much better than I expected, I believe those miles did affect me.  In a good way.  I ran the Shamrock shuffle, which was virtually the same distance, a few weeks ago in just under 35 minutes.  So I hoped to do the same at the Cinco race.

Instead, since I was pretty loose from the long warm-up, I went out at 6:45 pace, and kept it there for the whole race.  I ended up running 33:30, and had plenty left for a good finish.  My friend, Rick ran it hard, and won his age group with a an impressive time of 30:33.  It was almost a minute faster than Shamrock for him also.  My warm-up partner, Tom, ran at least a minute faster than he was expecting as well. 

We usually decline the beer they offer after some races, but this one called for a celebratory toast at the post-race party. 

And it was quite a party.  They served Chips, salsa, and tamales to go along with the Mexican beer.  This was the first year RAM put on this race, and I'm sure it will become an annual draw on the racing calendar. 

It's a great concept.  A five mile race, centered around Cinco de Mayo, complete with Mexican food, and mariachi music was a great way to celebrate.  Add in the fact it was along the beautiful south portion of the Lakefront path, and ended on the lawn outside Soldier Field, and you have a really nice morning.

It was a little bit of work getting there.  We had to park at Soldier Field ($17), and then take shuttle buses to the start at about 39th street.  But that seemed to be well-organized, and it went pretty smoothly.

There were lots of great races in the area to choose from this first weekend in May, but I was pretty impressed by the Cinco de Miler.  If you are interested in results, you can find them here: http://www.cincodemiler.com/results/.

Meantime, I'm going to pay a little more attention to my warm-up from now on.  See you on the roads.......

 
 

 
 
 

Half Crazy

Sunday morning driving to the race, my stomach was in knots.  That's not really unusual before a race or any other big event I've been preparing for.  But, I wasn't really targetting this race.  In fact, I've done little training, and am trying a new approach this spring. I'm trying to race myself into shape by doing a race just about every weekend, and hoping the last couple will be pretty good.

Since Sunday's Great Western half marathon fell pretty early in that plan, I really had no reason to be keyed up.  When my training partner, Tom, talked about his strategy before the race, I thought running 7:30 pace for a finishing time of 1:38:15 sounded good for him. He's targeting the Grand Rapids 25k in two weeks.  But I was just going to take it easy and try to break 1:40.  But that nagging feeling in my stomach suggested perhaps my body was ready to go faster, even if my head wasn't engaged.

The weather certainly was about perfect.  It was cool, sunny, and a little breezy, with the wind at our backs for the second half of the race.  And it was a small field, with fewer than 1000 runners on a nice trail.  I was definitely looking forward to the run, even if I had no plan to try to go fast.  

Then the starting gun went off, and Tom and I ran together for the first mile, which, to my surprise, was exactly 7:30.  The surprises continued.  With no real plan, I just ran as my body felt.  And it felt like running a little faster.  So I started running about 7:20 pace for a few miles.

Because this was an 'out and back' course, I was able to see the leaders as they went by after they turned, which was fun.  And after I turned at the 6.5 mile mark, I was able to see Tom and offer some encouragement.  He was maybe a minute behind me.  So I kept on running as I felt, and kept up the 7:20-7:30 pace.  As I approached ten miles, I started to think about finishing times, and realized that I was going to be under 1:15 at 10 (7:30/pace), one of the few benchmark times I could figure with my rudimentary math on the run.

I hit 10 in 1:14:20, but then I started to feel it. By mile 12, I was starting to slow considerably.  And by 12 1/2, the finish was in sight, but I had nothing extra to give.  It took all I had to get accross the line.  I heard them announce my name, and moments later I heard them say Tom's name.  While I struggled, Tom had a strong kick and almost caught me by the finish.   I managed to cross the line in 1:38:09, and was thrilled.  And it was funny that we basically finished together, though we really didn't run the race together.

I tried to register for the Great Western half marathon several years ago, but was too late. The race was sold out.  Now I understand why.  It's a great experience!  You can find results at this link:  http://www.foxrivertrailrunners.org/.

In order to run Great Western I had to skip out on several other great races going on this weekend.  One of the best, was the Fleet Feet Ravenswook 5k.  They also enjoyed a great day, and some fast times.  Congrats to James Akita on a big win.  Here are results for that race:  http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?orgID=234623&rsID=109094. 

So now I have the Chicago Lakefront path portion of my racing schedule for the next several weeks.  The next four races I'm running will all be over the largely the same route on the south part of the path. 

Next weekend is the Cinco de Miler, which is a new five mile race that finishes by Soldier Field. It is nearly sold out, but here is the link: http://www.cincodemiler.com/register/

In two weeks is the Magellan spring half marathon, which I've also been interested to try.  The info is below.

Date:        Sunday, May 15, 2011 at 7am

Location: The Park at Lakeshore East, Chicago

Description:

The Third Annual Magellan Chicago Spring Half Marathon and 10K races help kick off Chicago’s race season.  Starting just steps away from Chicago’s Lake Michigan waterfront alongside the Chicago River, the race course takes runners south along the scenic lakefront path with Chicago Street Musicians entertaining racers along the course.  The one loop half marathon and 10K courses continue through the city’s historic museum campus, alongside Soldier Field, finishing up at The Park at Lakeshore East, where runners celebrate their achievements at a post-race picnic with live music.   

The race start time for the Half Marathon is 7am and the 10K starts at 7:30am (or 30 minutes after the half-marathoners clear). 

Organizers:  The Magellan Chicago Spring Half Marathon is a Life Time Athletic and Endurance event. 

Register: www.chicagospringhalf.com

The Soldier Field 10 miler (http://www.soldierfield10.com/htm/registration.html) and the 13.1 half marathon (http://www.131marathon.com/13_1_Chicago//?gclid=CJWc9eDuyagCFcW8KgodhFdpuw) round out my racing schedule through early June.  It's gonna be busy, but fun.  Especially if I can keep 'racing into shape'.

See you on the roads.....