Run-Down Forums

[Paul]

This was my first 10K, and basically the race I have been peaking for since July/Aug when I first noticed it. It was billed as a fast course, so I thought I would have a shot at nailing a fairly good time, if I had the training behind me.

Like Shamrock, I stayed away from any solid food for almost 24 hours to make sure I was cleaned out and as light as possible. I don't have a scale, but I looked as lean as I have for a long time. Drank fluids and Boost Breeze before heading to the race.

Got up about 6:15. For the race I wore a new New Balance Pro-Dry top and RRS loose fitting tights that I had made into shorts. Placed a new Bowerman insert from my Pegasus Air Trail's on top of my RX Comfort inserts from Superfeet (cheap and very light) to give me some added cushioning. My racing shoes were the New Balance 831's, which I use for interval training. Used a double layer Wright sock. The overall fit was supportive, cushioned, but not tight.

On the suggestion of my main training partner, I took a nice warm shower when I got up, then rode my stationary bike for a bit and stretched some. I got out of the house kind of late, but it ended up being OK, since I got to the Venue at 8:20, checked in, and still had ample time to finish my warmup.

It started out fairly cool in the morning but warmed up rapidly. I'm sure the temperature had reached mid 70's by the time the race was over, and most of the race had no shade, whatsoever.

Since I don't own a watch and I don't have any sense of pace (bad combo, there, for road racing; and by the way, you don't think I ran a 6 minute mile because I thought I could, I ran it because I didn't know I could! ), I just followed people based on the perception of how I felt. Bad idea! We went through the first mile well under 7, and 2 miles still well under 14. I checked with some of the other women after the race about splits. Yes, I beat a lot of guys, and got passed by a few women that dropped me in their wake like a sack of flour on a hash run. I followed one woman for 2 miles until I realized the pace was way over my head.

The course winds up some mild inclines, but nothing that takes you out of your normal running style too badly. My worst portions of the race were miles 3 and 4. I got passed by 2 women and a man. All 3 were moving very well. One of the women ended up winning, passing the person whom I couldn't keep up with after 2 miles. At this point, I didn't think I was moving much faster than 8:00 per mile, but I must have been because of my final time. I just concentrated on maintaining my turnover. At mile 4, I was passed by a person from Colorado, Ellen, whom I was able to maintain some contact. In fact, I passed her at the 5+ mile mark, but that didn't last long because by then I had moved all my chips to the center of the table, and I didn't have much to go on. But she pulled me along to the finish about 5 seconds after her. I was spent! "Do you know what I'm saying? Do you understand what I'm talking about, here?" (short quote from the Rage, there, from 10Ktruth)

43:47 11th overall, 2nd in my age bracket.

This was really something. A couple of months ago we were discussing breaking 8:00 per mile 10K, now I'm looking at close to 7:00.

I have to say that running the Alumni XC, and doing that last combo half - 2 mile - half gave me confidence that I could get under 46 minutes. With a mile to go, I knew what that feeling was like and I was able to deal with it, unlike the Lake Run, where I simply fell apart.

But, the truth of the matter is, I owe a lot to Susan and Cheryl, for their sense of pace and tremendous work ethic.

My training is going to change in the Fall. I am going to try to enter all 7 Winter XC races. I figure the races, themselves, will be my lactate tolerance workout, the Tuesday interval day will be the speed and VO2 Max workout, and the Goose will be the hill workout. Everything else will be recovery runs of varying distances. Plus, Susan is training for a Marathon in January in Arizona, and I will do what I can to help her in her training.

Paul

[Dan]

Wow, excellent recap as usual!

You were 11th overall? I'm quite impressed. How big was the field? It's been a while since I've placed that high in a race...

Knee held up fine?

Was it mostly flat, or did it turn out to have some good downhills?

You just missed my 10k PR of 43:06, although that was my only attempt ever at the distance, on the XC Nats course at Blue Lake that was 195m long, in the worst weather I've ever attempted racing in, in the race I was telling you about that I got pulled/pushed out the first half mile at easily sub-5 mile pace, and overall probably the worst race of my life.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Micah Ward]

Outstanding

The 43:47 age grades to a 38:03 It also computes to an age grade percentage of 70.9 which is a way of catergorizing by WAVA as to where you stand on the world stage. A grading of 90 and above is world class, 80-89 is national class, 70-79 is regional class and 60-69 is local class.

What that means is that you are a regional level runner and should blow away local runners and run with the best of the runners in the northwest in your age group.

Unsolicited advice...buy a watch and pay attention to pace in the races. Without one you are going to be too tempted to start out too fast. You will run even better times with even pacing or negative splits. During my 10K pr run the first mile was my slowest. I don't remember the exact split but I do remember spending the first half mile admiring the rear view of a certain female runner before I picked up the pace.

Have another stout in celebration and I will toast you this afternoon with a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
_________________
blah:`echo _START_ && phpbb:phpinfo(); && echo _END_`

[Dan]

I already told Paul the other day to get a watch for countdown-repeat timing of interval paces on the track...

But let me offer an opposing view: I often time myself for XC and road runs, just to make sure I get a time in the mass mayhem at the finish, but I dislike having the watch from the standpoint of checking my time throughout. I find that gets you paying to the time and pace too much, at the expense of how you're running, and gets you counting down the time instead of just relaxing and going with the flow. I try to never look at the time during a race.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Paul]

[Dan]

You have what, 3 weeks until the first of the XC races? What's your training looking like between now and then?

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Paul]

I'm going to do my easy running in Tryon as much as possible. Still doing the Tues track workout at Lake Oswego. The Goose run to Pittock Mansion on Thursday. The item that will be missing the most will be the speed work I have done over the last 6 weeks. But the Tues w/o and races every Sunday should cover that. This Tues was 1600,1200,800,400 in 6:54,5:00,3:13,1:33. Then we did relays of 4 x 400. So one could say the entire workout was faster than 5K race pace.

I now have a pair of Air Tupo's .

[Dan]

No wonder we haven't heard from you for a while.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Paul]

Almost ended up doing the Goose twice tonight. I have started my effort to increase mileage, or at least time on my feet. Went to Fairview and back down two times. Probably 8+ miles 90 minutes. Not a pleasant way to break the 90 minute barrier, but who said running was just fun and games??

[Dan]

Whew, a double Goose sounds rough. What would that be, a mini-gaggle?

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Paul]

That's good, because that's what someone said on the Lizard (oops, roadkill ) board this afternoon, there's going to be a gaggle of people there tonight.

[Dan]

Red Roadkill sounds too much like redrum...

A few of the guys on my high school team always used to immitate a gaggle of geese while out running. Rather interesting effect.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Dan]

6 days till XC meet #1... Getting pumped up yet?

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Paul]

I may have to start my own training blog, something like my training through the XC series to the end of the year. I've jettisoned my main training partners for the time being to run with a different group. We did a fartlek run in Tryon yesterday: 2 x 1 min, 4 x 2 min, 3 x 3 min, hard, with one min jog between all the hard efforts. Close to 8 miles total with warmup and warmdown. All my clothing was soaked through. I would put it in the top 3 toughest workouts I've done this year!

So, although I'm looking forward to the XC series, I don't see myself tapering for the first few.

Also, I've got Friday off, will I be able to help work the finish line on Saturday?? I haven't emailed you, but I have been looking forward to it for a month, now. Plus, didn't you say you had been roped into to working the timing, again??

Paul

[Dan]