Yesterday was the Akron Marathon. Kristin ran on a 5 person relay team. She had the finishing 12.2k leg. She finished her leg in 1:28:54. The team time was 4:36:39.
I must give a shoutout to a couple other friends. My buddy Flash (yes that is his real name...one of his three middle names) finished the marathon in 4:53:15. It was his first marathon. His girlfriend Kelly, who will be running the full marathon at Disney World in January, finished the half in 2:00:16. There were also at least three teams from Smucker's that ran, but I don't know their team names and can't look up their times. Great job goes out to all the runners!
Today was Kristin's rest day. I went out planning for a nine mile run. I ended up at 7.5 miles. I had some pain in my left shin that wouldn't go away, so I stopped a bit short. I'll be icing it as soon as dinner is done.
Showing posts with label Races. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Races. Show all posts
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Michigan Apple Fun Run
Today was the Michigan Apple Fun Run virtual race organized by Deb from Michigan. I ran the 15k, and Kristin opted for the non-advertised 12k course.
I finished my run at 1:29:51. Kristin ran hers in 1:17:00.
She chose 12k because it is about the distance she will be running next Saturday in the Akron Marathon relay. The relay is a five person team - two 5k, two 10k, and one 12.5k. She was chosen by her team for the long leg since she was the most experienced runner.
I finished my run at 1:29:51. Kristin ran hers in 1:17:00.
She chose 12k because it is about the distance she will be running next Saturday in the Akron Marathon relay. The relay is a five person team - two 5k, two 10k, and one 12.5k. She was chosen by her team for the long leg since she was the most experienced runner.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Race for the Cure
Kristin and I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure today. It was not great weather for a race, but we made it through. It was pouring on the drive up to Cleveland, and there was a steady sprinkle/rain the whole time pre-, during-, and post-race. The course was largely the same as last year, but they modified it slightly and made the end even worse than last year. Last year, the last couple tenths were a fairly steep uphill. This year, they routed it so that you had an even steeper uphill just before the one we had last year. I think it was almost a full half-mile of uphill to end the race. The one thing better this year is that they had a water stop half way through. But still no mile markers or people yelling times.
For the most part it went well. I had a bit less stamina than normal, but I think I paced a touch too fast at the start. I typically start fast to get past the crowd, then get into my pace. I think I took longer than normal before settling in to a steady run today. I was able to maintain a decent pace for the rest of the race, but it took a lot of mental toughness to keep going. At about two miles, I really wanted to take a quick walk break...but I didn't give in. With less than a mile left, I had to stop to tie my shoe. Makes me mad, because I could have come in under 26 minutes had I not done that...instead, I finished at 26:01.
Kristin said she was not feeling well through the whole race. She went and immediately sat down when she was done, which is not characteristic of her...especially since she had some friends waiting toward the finish line that she wanted to go meet. She crossed the finish right at 36 minutes.
Last year was cold; this year was rain. We'll have to wait and see what Race for the Cure has in store for us next year.
For the most part it went well. I had a bit less stamina than normal, but I think I paced a touch too fast at the start. I typically start fast to get past the crowd, then get into my pace. I think I took longer than normal before settling in to a steady run today. I was able to maintain a decent pace for the rest of the race, but it took a lot of mental toughness to keep going. At about two miles, I really wanted to take a quick walk break...but I didn't give in. With less than a mile left, I had to stop to tie my shoe. Makes me mad, because I could have come in under 26 minutes had I not done that...instead, I finished at 26:01.
Kristin said she was not feeling well through the whole race. She went and immediately sat down when she was done, which is not characteristic of her...especially since she had some friends waiting toward the finish line that she wanted to go meet. She crossed the finish right at 36 minutes.
Last year was cold; this year was rain. We'll have to wait and see what Race for the Cure has in store for us next year.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Cornfest!
Jeff from the Snowy Tundra had the brilliant idea of having a virtual race today, Cornfest...both 5k and 10k distances. I celebrated the event by signing up for the Green YMCA Caribbean 10k. This was my first 10k and I am glad to say that I did a bit better than I expected.
The course was mostly flat. It was a 2.5k out and back track. The 5k racers ran it once, and the 10k racers did it twice. My only complaint about the whole thing is that they didn't do a good job of yelling times through the course. The only time I heard was at mile 1 -- 8:32.
I did a great job pacing myself from the start. I ran past the 5k finish line at about 26:30. After that, I thought I felt myself slowing down. At approx mile 4 and mile 5 I slowed to a walk for about 30 seconds as I grabbed water, but that was the only slow down I had. Final time: 53:37 -- a pace of 8:38 per mile.
I was hoping for under an hour, and expected my final time to be closer to 56 minutes based on my time for the first half and that I thought my pace was slowing. I feel great knowing that I was able to maintain a very steady pace through the whole race.
Weather was great. It was in the upper 60s at race time with partly cloudy skies. The course was almost completely flat. I heard someone say that they didn't like the course because you went through the same scenery four times. I think it helped for pacing. Mile 1 was marked, and then on the second time through the course, mile 5 had been marked. In the few races I have been in, it has been rare to see mile markers. So knowing where that single marker was on the first lap and then being familiar with the course really helped you to know approximately how far you were at any point in time.
I have been having leg issues the last couple weeks. I am mostly better, but still have some pain in my hip. I was dying to play ultimate frisbee last night since I didn't play last week and won't be able to next week. But I erred on the side of caution and only played three games...we normally play 8-10. My hip was hurting when I finished playing, so I was worried about today, but it felt great through the whole race.
Also, with my run today, we are past 500 miles on the year, into South Carolina, and only a couple miles away from the half-way point to WDW!
Congratulations to everyone who has finished Cornfest, and good luck to those of you still waiting for your time to start.
The course was mostly flat. It was a 2.5k out and back track. The 5k racers ran it once, and the 10k racers did it twice. My only complaint about the whole thing is that they didn't do a good job of yelling times through the course. The only time I heard was at mile 1 -- 8:32.
I did a great job pacing myself from the start. I ran past the 5k finish line at about 26:30. After that, I thought I felt myself slowing down. At approx mile 4 and mile 5 I slowed to a walk for about 30 seconds as I grabbed water, but that was the only slow down I had. Final time: 53:37 -- a pace of 8:38 per mile.
I was hoping for under an hour, and expected my final time to be closer to 56 minutes based on my time for the first half and that I thought my pace was slowing. I feel great knowing that I was able to maintain a very steady pace through the whole race.
Weather was great. It was in the upper 60s at race time with partly cloudy skies. The course was almost completely flat. I heard someone say that they didn't like the course because you went through the same scenery four times. I think it helped for pacing. Mile 1 was marked, and then on the second time through the course, mile 5 had been marked. In the few races I have been in, it has been rare to see mile markers. So knowing where that single marker was on the first lap and then being familiar with the course really helped you to know approximately how far you were at any point in time.
I have been having leg issues the last couple weeks. I am mostly better, but still have some pain in my hip. I was dying to play ultimate frisbee last night since I didn't play last week and won't be able to next week. But I erred on the side of caution and only played three games...we normally play 8-10. My hip was hurting when I finished playing, so I was worried about today, but it felt great through the whole race.
Also, with my run today, we are past 500 miles on the year, into South Carolina, and only a couple miles away from the half-way point to WDW!
Congratulations to everyone who has finished Cornfest, and good luck to those of you still waiting for your time to start.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Running Wild
Yesterday, Kristin and I ran the Run Wild for a Cure 5k at the Cleveland Zoo. If anyone has been to that zoo, then you know it is very hilly. If you look towards the left of the map and see the Koala symbol, from there to the Gorilla exhibit is about an 80 foot elevation change -- which means a steep hill.
This was the most challenging 5k run I have ever done. Almost none of it was flat. And it was the first time I've done much steep downhill running. It is more challenging than I would have thought.
The map doesn't do the course justice. Basically start by the front gate. Run to the top right of the map -- through the inner and outer loops. Then cross the zoo and run up the big, steep hill to the gorilla area (the hill started just past the one-mile mark). Then immediately downhill on the opposite side of the gorillas. Around the elephants, then back to that top-right corner and around just the outer loop. Then back to the entrance area.
This was the first race I have done where I was not near the start line when the gun sounded. It was a big pain in the butt running around people. We were at least a quarter of a mile in before I could get any sort of rhythm going. I'm sure the Disney race will be much worse than this, though.
It was fun running through the zoo and seeing the animals. It was a nice distraction during the run. Although, the tigers saw all the people running by and they were eying us like they wanted to chase us down and eat us. They reminded me of house cats when they play...how you can wave a string in front of them and they'll act disinterested...but they're really following the toy with their eyes until they finally pounce. That's exactly what the tigers were doing, right up at the front of their enclosure.
I was a bit worried going into the race because I was having a fairly decent amount of knee pain on Friday. It wasn't bad during the race, but was acting up a bit after. I feel I did pretty well considering the difficulty and the crowds at the beginning. I plan to rest a few days now so I don't get me knee acting up again.
We walked around the zoo for a few hours after the race. Then we met up with some friends for dinner and went to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This was a funny show. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, or what the creative team really wanted the audience to get from it. But the actors did well and overall it was a good show.
And, sadly, the "Grin & Bear Eats" eatery was closed at the zoo...so we couldn't stop for lunch. Gotta love that name!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Race Results
Kristin and I ran the Wildcat 5k this morning. There are results and pictures if you follow the link. There are no good pictures of either of us, but I did spot us in the background of a few. They had nice pictures of the guy the finished directly ahead of me (you can see me in the background) and the woman behind me. But they left me out :(
Kristin originally didn't plan to run the race. She had to work a twelve hour shift last night (7pm - 7am); her third twelve hour shift in as many nights. But when I signed up on Thursday, she told me to go ahead and add her. She'd tough it out.
It was a fabulous day to run. It was in the sixties and the sun was shining. It could have been a few degrees cooler to be ideal, but I won't complain.
The course was generally flat. Just a couple short uphills and downhills, but nothing major. It wound around the streets near the Canton South high school, then into the stadium and halfway around the track.
As I suspected I would do, I started too quick. My first mile was just under seven minutes. I slowed and ran the second in about nine minutes. Then finished out the remainder of the race in another eight minutes. My time was 24:15 (7:49 pace). I was definitely worn out at the end. When I entered the stadium and saw the time, I thought I might be able to sneak in under 24 if I pushed it out hard. But at that point my stomach wasn't doing too well. So I just maintained my pace. Kristin came in at 34:10 (11:00 pace). I was hoping she would beat her previous time, but I know she was already exhausted by the time the race started. I'm sure she'll do better at our next race.
Kristin originally didn't plan to run the race. She had to work a twelve hour shift last night (7pm - 7am); her third twelve hour shift in as many nights. But when I signed up on Thursday, she told me to go ahead and add her. She'd tough it out.
It was a fabulous day to run. It was in the sixties and the sun was shining. It could have been a few degrees cooler to be ideal, but I won't complain.
The course was generally flat. Just a couple short uphills and downhills, but nothing major. It wound around the streets near the Canton South high school, then into the stadium and halfway around the track.
As I suspected I would do, I started too quick. My first mile was just under seven minutes. I slowed and ran the second in about nine minutes. Then finished out the remainder of the race in another eight minutes. My time was 24:15 (7:49 pace). I was definitely worn out at the end. When I entered the stadium and saw the time, I thought I might be able to sneak in under 24 if I pushed it out hard. But at that point my stomach wasn't doing too well. So I just maintained my pace. Kristin came in at 34:10 (11:00 pace). I was hoping she would beat her previous time, but I know she was already exhausted by the time the race started. I'm sure she'll do better at our next race.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Home Again
I'm back home from Denver. It was a fun city. Not somewhere I think I would take a vacation, but it was nice to experience it for a few days. 16th Street (left) was a nice shopping and restaurant area. We spent a lot of time there.The view from the hotel was great. The picture above was taken from the pool deck. I had a similar view (though more obstructed by buildings) from my room.
They had little cards with running maps on them. I ran the three mile course one day. It took you down 16th Street, then around the capital building (right), 
then by some other historic buildings, past the mint, then down to jogging trails by the creek (below), then back up and through a few downtown blocks back to the hotel. It was a great scenic view of that portion of the city and had great views of the mountains in the distance.
then by some other historic buildings, past the mint, then down to jogging trails by the creek (below), then back up and through a few downtown blocks back to the hotel. It was a great scenic view of that portion of the city and had great views of the mountains in the distance.
Since I've been home, running has gone great. I ran four miles Saturday and four and a half on Sunday. Kristin put in over 10 miles again this week.Before leaving for Denver, I got some new shoes. The guy at the running store said I had a low arch and I pronate when I run. I tried on four different pairs of shoes and ended up with Asics again. They are very comfortable. I also got some moisture-wicking socks. I don't notice a huge difference, but my feet do stay a bit cooler on the longer runs. I'm sure they'll be great when I get to the longer runs.
Looks like I will be running the Wildcat 5k Run this Saturday. And we are both signed up for the Run Wild for a Cure 5k at the Cleveland Zoo on May 10. More details to follow.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wimps
So Kristin and I are big wimps. The weather calls for 26 degree temperatures at race time. Neither of us are cold weather people, and....well, no real excuse. We just didn't want to run in sub-freezing weather. We have decided to forgo this weekend's race and look for the next couple events to come around. There are races every weekend in April. We have crazy schedules to deal with considering she works nights and I have a lot of travel for work. But we should be able to get one in during that month. I just hope that we start getting temperatures near average rather than this cold spell we've had.
Our plan is to hit the rec center on Saturday and run a timed 3.1 miles on the indoor track. We will post the results here.
Our plan is to hit the rec center on Saturday and run a timed 3.1 miles on the indoor track. We will post the results here.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The New Snowy Tundra
The weather is turning bad here in northeast Ohio. The snow is falling and it doesn't look like it will be letting up any time soon. We haven't had a lot of snow this winter, but it looks like we'll be making up for tonight. We bought a snow blower at the start of winter, but we have only used it once so far. That will change today.
After being out and about in the cold weather the past few days, I don't think I am going to run the race on Saturday. It will probably be about 22 degrees at race time. I don't think I can handle that amount of cold. There is the obligatory standing around waiting for the race to start, then the 30 minutes or so of the race itself, then the walk back to the parking deck. When I first heard about the race, the forecast was showing about 35 degrees. Going down 10 degrees from 35 is a huge change. I had planned to run with Dave, but now he will probably be calling me a big wimp for the next week or so.
But on a better note, I ran a full 5k on the treadmill last night without taking a walk break. I made sure not to watch the display on the machine. I think watching it makes the distance feel a lot further because you just keep looking down waiting for every hundredth of a mile to tick off. I kept my eyes on the TVs. I watched about half an episode of Seinfeld and then a couple events on American Gladiators before I checked my progress. At that point, I was past 2.5 miles. And I only felt mentally as if I had run about a mile and a half. The last half mile was rough mentally, but it went fine physically.
After being out and about in the cold weather the past few days, I don't think I am going to run the race on Saturday. It will probably be about 22 degrees at race time. I don't think I can handle that amount of cold. There is the obligatory standing around waiting for the race to start, then the 30 minutes or so of the race itself, then the walk back to the parking deck. When I first heard about the race, the forecast was showing about 35 degrees. Going down 10 degrees from 35 is a huge change. I had planned to run with Dave, but now he will probably be calling me a big wimp for the next week or so.
But on a better note, I ran a full 5k on the treadmill last night without taking a walk break. I made sure not to watch the display on the machine. I think watching it makes the distance feel a lot further because you just keep looking down waiting for every hundredth of a mile to tick off. I kept my eyes on the TVs. I watched about half an episode of Seinfeld and then a couple events on American Gladiators before I checked my progress. At that point, I was past 2.5 miles. And I only felt mentally as if I had run about a mile and a half. The last half mile was rough mentally, but it went fine physically.
Friday, February 8, 2008
5k
It looks like our plans for our first 5k are changing. One of my coworkers told me about the West End Chili Bowl Classic 5k in Cleveland on February 16. I think we will be running that race. As of now, the forecast is 34 degrees with mostly sunny skies. So apparently when they say chili, they also mean chilly. The chili part is actually at the end of the race, where you get a bowl of West End Tavern chili.
Today was gym day, and I did my first 5k run on the treadmill. OK...it wasn't non-stop 5k. It was a 3.1 mile run, with a couple .25 mi walk breaks added in. But I did maintain a 6.5 mph during all of the running, which is a notch above my normal pace. It took a total of 38 minutes to go those 3.6 miles. I definitely won't be breaking any records at the race. I just hope I can run most of it.
Today was gym day, and I did my first 5k run on the treadmill. OK...it wasn't non-stop 5k. It was a 3.1 mile run, with a couple .25 mi walk breaks added in. But I did maintain a 6.5 mph during all of the running, which is a notch above my normal pace. It took a total of 38 minutes to go those 3.6 miles. I definitely won't be breaking any records at the race. I just hope I can run most of it.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
All In
We got our ChampionChips in the mail this week. They are just a little physical reminder of the challenge that we have posed to ourselves this year. And it looks like we'll be able to use them at the Canal Park Home Run Trot on March 29. It's weird sometimes how little things can be so exciting.A quick update on pledges... Currently we have flat donations of $96 and per-mile pledges totaling $0.255. The per-mile may increase, though, based on the results of Dave's Challenge. That puts us so far at a projected total of about $350 contribution for the Dream Team. Thanks to everyone who has pledged money so far.
Running went fairly well for me last night, but Kristin was having trouble breathing after she got going. She put in one mile. I ran 2.75 mi, with a short walk break at the two mile mark.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Super Bowl Weekend
This was a great weekend with lots of friends, but sadly lots of food, too. A friend of ours is moving to North Carolina this week, so we had a going away party Saturday. And of course Sunday was the Super Bowl. Pizza Saturday. Fried chicken and french fries Sunday. I haven't eaten that kind of junk in a while. It tasted so good. But now I've got the guilt going on. Back to diet today. Cereal for breakfast. Small portion of spaghetti and a yogurt for lunch. And I believe Kristin will be making chicken tortilla soup for dinner. I need to make sure not to pick back up on excess snacking. That is the hardest eating habit to kick.
Running went well for me last night. Two and a half miles non-stop; 6.0 mph constant. My best run yet. Then I did some arm and leg workout on the machines. Kristin ran 1.5 miles and also did some weights.
She made a comment this weekend about wanting to try to run the Akron half marathon. She thinks we can be ready by then. The race is in September, so we've got plenty of time to plan and see if we are ready. We would probably need to commit ourselves in July at the latest to make sure we are able to build distance in time for the race.
But in my mind, the first milestone is March 29. There is a 5k in downtown Akron that we will be running. I'm hoping to beat my previous 5k time of 26:16. I don't think it will be a problem. By the time that race rolls around we will have been running for about two and a half months...longer than we had been running before running the Susan G Koman Race for the Cure last September.
Today I received an e-mail from a coworker, Linda, who is a runner. Apparently we have another coworker in Canada that is a running coach on the side. Linda forwarded me some documents from the coach that include a half marathon training guide and a 213 page document with everything you would ever want to know about running -- training programs, shoes, clothing, weather, stretching, running form, nutrition, strength training, race day, mental preparation, the list goes on. I will definitely be reading through this.
We will hit the gym again tonight. I don't know if I have a specific goal in mind for today. This will be the first time that I have run two days in a row. I'm not sure how my body will handle it. I will try for at least two miles of run, but I'm not sure if I will be able to do it without a walk break. Hopefully in the next week or so I will be up to a 5k distance. Then I can start working on building speed over that distance.
Running went well for me last night. Two and a half miles non-stop; 6.0 mph constant. My best run yet. Then I did some arm and leg workout on the machines. Kristin ran 1.5 miles and also did some weights.
She made a comment this weekend about wanting to try to run the Akron half marathon. She thinks we can be ready by then. The race is in September, so we've got plenty of time to plan and see if we are ready. We would probably need to commit ourselves in July at the latest to make sure we are able to build distance in time for the race.
But in my mind, the first milestone is March 29. There is a 5k in downtown Akron that we will be running. I'm hoping to beat my previous 5k time of 26:16. I don't think it will be a problem. By the time that race rolls around we will have been running for about two and a half months...longer than we had been running before running the Susan G Koman Race for the Cure last September.
Today I received an e-mail from a coworker, Linda, who is a runner. Apparently we have another coworker in Canada that is a running coach on the side. Linda forwarded me some documents from the coach that include a half marathon training guide and a 213 page document with everything you would ever want to know about running -- training programs, shoes, clothing, weather, stretching, running form, nutrition, strength training, race day, mental preparation, the list goes on. I will definitely be reading through this.
We will hit the gym again tonight. I don't know if I have a specific goal in mind for today. This will be the first time that I have run two days in a row. I'm not sure how my body will handle it. I will try for at least two miles of run, but I'm not sure if I will be able to do it without a walk break. Hopefully in the next week or so I will be up to a 5k distance. Then I can start working on building speed over that distance.
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