Sometimes, low expectations can be self-fulfilling. Other times, they can ease off internal pressure, which can lead to better results.
That was the case at the first "Run To Summer" 5-K in Scotch Plains June 23rd. I was undecided about entering all day, as threatening skies and a low energy level, along with a late starting time (7:30 p.m.), all gave me reason to forego it.
My reasons to run? Well, I had taken the previous day off, in anticipation of competing. There were a couple of members of our club running as well, and I wanted to show support. One, Sam Lamparello, owns MLB Mortgage, which was the main sponsor of the event.
The rain finally fell at around 4 p.m., but was done by 5, which eliminated that excuse. I dragged myself there, and did manage to get into the energy of the event, which attracted nearly 500 runners.
It was impossible to gauge my pace in the first mile. There were a ton of little kids darting in and out, and lots of older folk ahead of me, too! I wasn't even sure there were mile splits, but was pleasantly surprised to see a 6:53 reading at the first one.
The key was to keep it together on the second mile. The course was all flat, just a lot of twists and turns around the small streets of the downtown area. I settled in back-and-forth with a couple of others, and hit two miles in 14:03. Okay, I thought, "Don't fall apart and you might break 22 minutes."
Sure enough, one hill did appear in the third mile, but I glanced at my watch every couple of minutes and mentally just shortened up the distance. "16 minutes? Okay, about six minutes of pain left!"
I tried to keep some semblance of form, and got rejuvenated when I saw area that I recognized as "somewhere near the finish."
There was a sign at the 3-mile mark (helpful!), and I glanced at my watch - 21:04. "Okay, 56 seconds this last .1 to break 22!"
I hobbled as hard as I could and was satisfied to see 21:54 on the clock, my first race under 22 this calendar year, and 33rd in a field of 488. At least now, with a variety of injuries plaguing me through the winter, I bested my worst times of last summer. Full "speed" ahead!
Monday, June 27, 2016
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Bob Beckert Memorial 5-k 2016
The Bob Beckert Memorial 5-K Run is a staple on my racing calendar. Our club, Mountain Fitness, serves as a sponsor, and "Team Mountain Fitness" is always well-represented.
A good chunk of the course is part of one of my favorite running routes, and the size of the race is big enough to have someone to pace off of, but not too massive where you're feeling crowded or lost. It's a local run, with most of the same faces from year-to-year.
The race benefits a scholarship fund at Watchung Hills High School in Mr. Beckert's name, and there are always quite a few current and former Watchung Hills runners there. The course is mostly flat, but finishes on the killer "Bob Beckert Hill" up the high school's parking lot
As chronicled in earlier posts, I've been battling a couple of persistent injuries, and really didn't know if I would be able to run it with any sense of competitiveness this year. However, a relatively encouraging 22:04 showing at the Legal Runaround 5-K on May 26th gave me some hope, despite the creaky conditions of both my knees and right hamstring.
An early-morning Aleve helped allay the stiffness, and I was content with my first (mostly downhill) mile clocking of 6:45. The field of 105 spread out by that point, and I was back-and-forth with a few young and middle-aged runners over the next mile. I hit what-I-believe-to-be the two-mile point in 14:04, a few seconds slower than my split at Somerville.
A hanging sky had turned to a monsoon by this point, and me and the rest of the runners were soaked through. No excuse at all, it was a warm rain, and I just tried to maintain my focus over the rolling hills on Mountain Avenue in Warren, before it turns up the high school parking lot.
I hit the bottom of the Beckert Hill in 20:51, and I remember that it took exactly a minute (longer than I thought!) to climb up it two years ago in this race. This year, between my hamstring and advancing age, it seemed like I was on a slow conveyor belt! I gasped to the finish line in 22:15, meaning it took nearly a minute-and-a-half to do this finishing "sprint." I was definitely "gassed," though, my heart rate read 143 a good 20 seconds after I was done.
I finished 16th overall, and third in my 50-59 age-group. I wasn't disappointed in the time, I felt I was running as hard as I could from the first step. My only way to improve now is to ease back into some speed work, as much as my hamstring will allow. It's that tricky balance of training hard enough to improve, without getting injured. I'll try another race in about two weeks, and report back!
A good chunk of the course is part of one of my favorite running routes, and the size of the race is big enough to have someone to pace off of, but not too massive where you're feeling crowded or lost. It's a local run, with most of the same faces from year-to-year.
The race benefits a scholarship fund at Watchung Hills High School in Mr. Beckert's name, and there are always quite a few current and former Watchung Hills runners there. The course is mostly flat, but finishes on the killer "Bob Beckert Hill" up the high school's parking lot
As chronicled in earlier posts, I've been battling a couple of persistent injuries, and really didn't know if I would be able to run it with any sense of competitiveness this year. However, a relatively encouraging 22:04 showing at the Legal Runaround 5-K on May 26th gave me some hope, despite the creaky conditions of both my knees and right hamstring.
An early-morning Aleve helped allay the stiffness, and I was content with my first (mostly downhill) mile clocking of 6:45. The field of 105 spread out by that point, and I was back-and-forth with a few young and middle-aged runners over the next mile. I hit what-I-believe-to-be the two-mile point in 14:04, a few seconds slower than my split at Somerville.
A hanging sky had turned to a monsoon by this point, and me and the rest of the runners were soaked through. No excuse at all, it was a warm rain, and I just tried to maintain my focus over the rolling hills on Mountain Avenue in Warren, before it turns up the high school parking lot.
I hit the bottom of the Beckert Hill in 20:51, and I remember that it took exactly a minute (longer than I thought!) to climb up it two years ago in this race. This year, between my hamstring and advancing age, it seemed like I was on a slow conveyor belt! I gasped to the finish line in 22:15, meaning it took nearly a minute-and-a-half to do this finishing "sprint." I was definitely "gassed," though, my heart rate read 143 a good 20 seconds after I was done.
I finished 16th overall, and third in my 50-59 age-group. I wasn't disappointed in the time, I felt I was running as hard as I could from the first step. My only way to improve now is to ease back into some speed work, as much as my hamstring will allow. It's that tricky balance of training hard enough to improve, without getting injured. I'll try another race in about two weeks, and report back!
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Legal Runaround 5-K 2016
Having suffered a strained right hamstring this winter to add to my previous knee problems, this winter was probably my most frustrating "off-season" in quite some time.
Suffering the hamstring injury doing mile repeats in January, I had to defer my entry in the annual Long Branch Half-Marathon this year. I also missed about two months of running, sustaining my cardiovascular fitness with the rower, StairMaster, or elliptical machine.
I began slow running in the beginning of April, and only about three weeks ago was able to complete my normal, hilly six-mile course.
Obviously, my expectations were down for this years edition of the Legal Runaround 5-K, held annually the Thursday night before Memorial Day weekend. It was my first race of the Spring, and did it as an experiment to see if it was really feasible to run hard at all right now.
Temperatures were in the high 80's, which I like, and I did a good warm-up of high-steppers, kicks and lunges to really work all the leg muscles. My hamstring did twinge at the start, but got no worse as we went along.
Since it was my first race since October, and I hadn't even done speed work in five months, I had no idea of my pace was good or bad in the first mile. As in the other races, little kids are speeding by you at the start, and I've always had a hard time gauging the beginning of races.
I was pleasantly surprised when the clock read 6:40 at the first mile split. I was in oxygen debt, almost from the first step, and just tried to maintain my place (I have to pass someone for whoever passes me!) in the race of about 225 people for the second mile. I felt I'd be happy breaking 14:00 for the two-mile, and barely did so, at 13:51.
The crowd spread out by the third mile, and I stayed back and forth with a couple of people, really trying not to totally fall apart. I got between two other runners over the last half, and that helped maintain a semblance of pace. They out-sprinted me up the little incline at the finish, but I was not disappointed in my 22:04 time, good for 28th overall.
There's a buffet from Verve restaurant after the race, and a raffle that gives gift certificates to many of the better dining establishments in Somerville. While my various aches and pains are still an issue, I felt this was a decent start to my summer racing season, and a fun, well-organized event!
Suffering the hamstring injury doing mile repeats in January, I had to defer my entry in the annual Long Branch Half-Marathon this year. I also missed about two months of running, sustaining my cardiovascular fitness with the rower, StairMaster, or elliptical machine.
I began slow running in the beginning of April, and only about three weeks ago was able to complete my normal, hilly six-mile course.
Obviously, my expectations were down for this years edition of the Legal Runaround 5-K, held annually the Thursday night before Memorial Day weekend. It was my first race of the Spring, and did it as an experiment to see if it was really feasible to run hard at all right now.
Temperatures were in the high 80's, which I like, and I did a good warm-up of high-steppers, kicks and lunges to really work all the leg muscles. My hamstring did twinge at the start, but got no worse as we went along.
Since it was my first race since October, and I hadn't even done speed work in five months, I had no idea of my pace was good or bad in the first mile. As in the other races, little kids are speeding by you at the start, and I've always had a hard time gauging the beginning of races.
I was pleasantly surprised when the clock read 6:40 at the first mile split. I was in oxygen debt, almost from the first step, and just tried to maintain my place (I have to pass someone for whoever passes me!) in the race of about 225 people for the second mile. I felt I'd be happy breaking 14:00 for the two-mile, and barely did so, at 13:51.
The crowd spread out by the third mile, and I stayed back and forth with a couple of people, really trying not to totally fall apart. I got between two other runners over the last half, and that helped maintain a semblance of pace. They out-sprinted me up the little incline at the finish, but I was not disappointed in my 22:04 time, good for 28th overall.
There's a buffet from Verve restaurant after the race, and a raffle that gives gift certificates to many of the better dining establishments in Somerville. While my various aches and pains are still an issue, I felt this was a decent start to my summer racing season, and a fun, well-organized event!
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