Training Log Archive: Rosstopher

Event: New Bedford Half Marathon
 

New Bedford Half Marathon on a really nice day. Drove down with Ian and Sam, after finally getting through the poorly organized mob to received our race bibs we didn't have much time left before the start. The block of racers was organized this year based on expected pace.... so I ran past the signs displaying different minutes/mile until I saw SGB (he is tall and was wearing bright orange and blue) in the wave at about 6 mins/mile. I started out running with SGB and some CSU runners but got a little antsy and started to push a tad bit in front of them. I came through mile 1 in 5:38, and then mile 2 in 5:41.... everything felt easy and relaxed but my calves were already tight (maybe still residual from last week's 3k and hill session). Somewhere near the top of the hill I was passed by Tyler (one of the CSU runners) and SGB and they were blazing fast. I knew I wanted to keep up with them and I was worried that I had already slowed down a lot and fallen behind on my pace. Nope they were just making an early move and so I stuck to them and came through the next couple of splits at ~5:40 pace as well (thought looking at my watch now I thought I was running faster on the course), trying to stay with SGB and a little group. Mile 5 was a 5:29 split, 6 a 5:38, 7 a 5:35, and everything was feeling pretty great. However, I couldn't keep hold of SGB and the people near me were all running a bit faster than I was able to maintain and I was slowly falling back. The 9th mile had a bit of climb and was into the wind but still, I was shocked and dismayed to see my split drop to 6:02... thinking it a fluke I tried to bear down a bit and pick up the pace on the next mile but only managed a 5:58 (57:16 through 10 miles). This called for immediate action and so when I saw the next water stop I pulled out my Gu, and promptly dropped it on the ground. So I had to quickly circle back and pick it up again. yikes a few gulps of Gu and a was settling in for a long straight stretch back to town. I knew there was a hill coming up but it wasn't really on my mind. A couple more miles that were closer to 6 than to 5:40 and then I was at the base of the hill and I found that I felt pretty good. I started closing pretty hard, catching and passing a guy on the slope and keeping a pretty high turn-over on the flat and then coming down the hill into the finish. I had a very strong finish and really felt like I could have kept on going some more.... just not at 5:40 pace :) 75:27 by my watch (77th place)

SGB and Tyler, meanwhile had raced each other up in front and finished at 73:02 (into the top 50 overall with 2600 or so entrants) and I chatted with SGB at the finish. I also saw my friend Jenn finish (2nd woman) and she was surprised and impressed that this year I managed to stay ahead of her the whole race (just barely :) ) It only took a couple of minutes to start feeling my calves really clamp down but I hobbled down the chute to be in position to cheer Sam and Ian and soon they came past together looking deceptively fresh. Both were pleased with the 91:26. PG came in soon after (93:14) and Sam and Ian were relieved not to have been scalped.

After the run we sat around on the grass eating the fish sandwiches and chowder provided by the organizers. The best part of my day happened when an adorable 4-5 year old child wandered past us trailing behind his parents. After giving us a long searching kind of look he looked at Sam and said "Hello beautiful lady" and then wandered off. From the mouth of babes :)

C • I'm impressed!!!! 11

Pushing a bit on my run into the lab. Felt nice to be outside in the sun, running fast. Hordes of people out training for the marathon, to my estimation about 80% were women. Are men lazy? or just running somewhere else?

Had to go to lab today to super-ovulate a batch of female mice for an experiment on Monday. Apparently you can take the gonadotropins from pregnant mare serum and just do an IP injection and it makes the females produce tonnes of eggs and makes them pretty irresistible to males in the cage.

And then a relaxed run home because I was trying to be cautious about tiring myself out before the half.

I was thinking of aiming for 6 minute miles for tomorrow, but I think I can do quite a bit faster actually. I'll start out with SGB and some of the CSU runners that he knows and take it from there. I think they're going for 75-78. I would be stoked to be under 75 tomorrow, even if Daniel's predicts 74 for a half-marathon based on my 3k.

C • Pretty close! 4

in to work, short sleeves. Legs are feeling pretty good for Sunday.

Fun run after work with Rachel. She has an annoying habit of apologizing, pretty much constantly, for going too slowly. Other than that, she's great company to run with. Saw Hilly along the Charles (she wasn't in a boat though)... also saw some guy that I've never met who gave me a high-five so that was pretty cool too.

Home, by way of a store where I could buy just one beer. I wanted the beer for risotto and didn't want to haul a six pack around with me. The gourmet beer store on Beacon Street provided me with individual bottles of Chimay (Clem, you and Dasha should go there sometime). Sam scolded me for using a good beer in such a callous way.

C • good beer 14

C • high five 2

If you are going to attend the CSU Training Camp #1 this coming Easter Weekend, sign up on the AP event site ASAP. Brendan and Clem need to know about maps.

Too far off to predict the weather, but I can predict that the awesomeness will be high!

woof. I had breakfast this morning, and that breakfast was angry! I guess I'd be angry too if I had just been eaten. Had all sorts of granola and orange juice induced cramps and stitches etc. (this is not helping me feel like breakfast is a good meal in the day).

So I was running kinda slow, but it was a nice morning so I didn't mind so much.

running home. very crowded sidewalks and trails tonight. I ran into some old work friends as I crossed the Riverway and got to chatting with them. Turns out that they had a baby since I saw them last so they've been busy trying to keep up with her. Nice catching up with friendly faces on a sunny afternoon.

Then I ran a lap of the reservoir a bit harder than normal. The place was packed with people, many of whom were not very good about leaving enough space for others to pass.

Got home a bit late, but then Dan and I spent some time sorting out some Epunching stuff for the NEOC meet at Hammond Pond on Sunday 3/21/10. It's going to be a good event, so worth checking out

Shins still sore in the morning, so today became a very pleasant rest day. Shins feel fine in the evening so that's a relief. Also, not running another 3k tomorrow, though I think the weather will be pretty good. Instead I'll wait until after the weekend and find a time when SGB and I can go together and push the pace a bit.

C • 8

Planned to take the shuttle in the morning, but timed it wrong and got to the stop just as the shuttle was leaving. So instead of waiting for the next one, I ran to work instead. Heavy backpack made for slow going. Also, the Garmin is being slow about satellites this week.

Heading from work over to Alex and Ed's in Newton for CSU training. Got a little turned around on the streets near their place and ended up doing some extra climb. Running through Brighton isn't very nice, too congested, too many stop lights. Pack still heavy, making my shins very sore (I think) from the impact.

Street-o set by Alex. Brendan, Giovanni, SGB, Ian, Lori, also showing up for the running, with Sam and Ed coming as social members for pretty amazing dinner afterward.

Heading out I felt pretty tired and legs were complaining a little. Still it felt so much better than running with a pack that I was quite happy with things. I was trying to run in reverse order (to pass SGB partway) but didn't notice that there were numbers on the map so I just ran counterclockwise which is how everyone else did it too. Alex sent us over every hill in creation. It was kind of nice to see some of these areas that I'd never been to in Newton and Brighton. Caught up to SGB at a control near the end where we couldn't get through on the street anymore. We saw the road was messed up so headed on to the last control racing each other back to the finish. glad he was there because I was pushing much harder trying to stay with him and then it was an all out sprint starting from where we hit Center Street.

So Sam and I spent some time thinking about what a good USOF logo would look like. Now, I'm no artist, but this would be totally sweet :)

C • Logo 8

Hey, I should get points for even thinking about going out tonight for my hill workout. Weather was spectacularly vile, spitting rain and hail ( so that wetness would patter against the face in the staccato of raindrop, raindrop, raindrop, hail (ow) ). Calves were sore from the 3k yesterday (but not as sore as the last time ) and my motivation was certainly tepid. I had talked myself down to running just 4 reps by the time I got out to the bottom of the hill. Cajoled and wheedled my way up to 6, then 7. Then my hands started to go numb. Finished out the 10 so take that raincloud. days like this I like to say " It's a good day for the ducks" but honestly ducks have more sense than this. Pleased with how fast my times were.

1:56
1:56
2:00
2:00
2:03
2:02
2:04
2:03
2:04
2:09 <-- fell off the train on this one

C • Good for you. Character has... 4