07/22/2012 - Canaan Road Race

Race Date: Sunday July 22nd, 2012
Race Name: Canaan 5 Mile Road Race / Railroad Days Run
Race Price: $25
Race Description: Relatively flat road race with one fairly challenging hill
Race Location: Lawrence Pavilion, Rt. 44, North Canaan, CT

  

Race Distance: 5 Miles
Distance Traveled: 54.5 miles

Race Time: 9:00am
Weather: Sunny, dry, calm, temperatures in the upper 60's

Swag: Shirt
Food & Drink: Water | Juice | Oranges | Bananas | Chips | Cookies
Number of Participants: 129
Results: http://www.greystoneracing.net/pages/Race%20Results%202012/Canaan%205%20Mile%207.22.12.txt

My Results

Time: 35:43
Pace: 7:11
Place: 13 of 129
Men: 12 of 61
Men (Age 30-39): 2 of 16
Prize: Prizes only for 1st





Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: 2 Generic Tums
                Salt Stick Pill
                Gu Mandarin Orange Gel
                Water (@20oz)

During-Run: N/A

What a beautiful morning for a race. This was a pretty far drive for me so had to leave the house around 7 to get to the race with time to warm up. The drive took me through some beautiful areas of New York and Connecticut. I didn't have the exact location of the race so got a tad lost right near the end but had plenty of time to spare.

Picked up my race packet which, sadly, didn't include a race shirt. I asked and they said you had to sign up ahead of time and I guess I wasn't early enough. I went back and asked if I could at least take a picture at which point someone else came up and offered me a shirt! I was super excited. :) The organizers / volunteers were all super nice, friendly and helpful. I did a bit of a warm up and had no idea where the race started. Luckily right when it was time to start the race director from greystoneracing pointed out where it was. You can spot me in the picture all the way to the right at the front of the pack.

The race started out pretty fast and looking at my pacing I was under a 6 minute mile and knew I couldn't sustain that so I started to hold myself back a bit. I wanted to try to maintain about a 7 minute mile. A little over a mile in there was a pretty steep uphill that caused me to drop my pace a bit. Then towards the end of the race was a somewhat long slow incline. Overall though I'd say I did well with pacing coming in at 7:11 average for the race. It was a nice race on nice roads filled with nice people. I think there may have been 4 or 5 water stops along the way but I didn't feel the need for any.

They had the regular types of recovery food / drinks at the pavilion afterwards. I walked across the street to McDonalds and got 2 Egg & Cheese Biscuits and a Mango Pineapple Smoothie...so good! They gave out a few raffles which were gift certificates to local places. The top 3 male and female finishers got whistles, bags and gift certificates. I believe the top male/female in each age group also got a whistle, bag and gift certificate. They say 2nd is the first loser right? :P I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere at this race and could tell my training has been paying off.

07/21/2012 - Rebel Race 15K

Race Date: Saturday July 21st, 2012
Race Name: 2012 Rebel Race: New York 15K Mud Run
Race Price: $95
Race Description: Obstacle Race
Race Location: Cousins Paintball, New Windsor, NY  
Race Distance: 15K (3x 5K)
Distance Traveled: 16 miles

Race Time: 2:30pm
Weather: Low 80's & Mostly Sunny

Swag: Rebel Race Shirt | Rebel Race Bag | Finisher Medal | Free Beer
Food & Drink: Water | Beer | Food
Number of Participants: 176
Results: Here

My Results
Time: 1:44:26
Pace: 11:12
Place: 14 of 176
Men: 12 of 127
Men (Age 30-39): 2 of 39

Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: 2 Generic Tums
                 Accel Gel Raspberry Cream
                 Tbsp Chia Seeds
                 1.5 Servings N.O. Xplode 2.0
                 Water

During-Run: Water

Arrived at the race location around 1. I was surprised at how many cars there were. I've raced 3 other races at this same location and never seen so many cars. They also offered camping for some reason...must be part of the experience. The course was laid out different from other times I've raced this location. I signed up for the 15K which was just running the 5K course three times.

After paying the usual, for this location, $10 parking fee I was parked in a field not far from the main location. Luckily I didn't get put into the far parking lot which was across the street and somewhat of a hike if you had parked there. There was a ton of people in the main area. The had a bunch of different tents...the usual registration & bag check tents followed by a place to buy "tickets" which were used to purchase food and drink. I didn't buy anything so not sure how bad the prices were for food. They also had a band, a dunk tank & a mechanical bull. There seemed to be plenty of bathrooms and they had changing areas for both men & women. They had the regular showers which were crowded when I was finished with my run so I didn't use them. Something worrisome was right in the middle of the main area was a area that had warning tape around it where there was a bees nest. Seemed pretty odd they didn't take care of it before the event.

I picked up my bib, shirt & bag and wandered around the site checking things out and taking some pictures. I did notice there were some pretty long lines at some of the obstacles. I can't stand waiting at obstacles so this was worrisome.

Ran into a few people I've met at other obstacle races and everyone seemed to be having a pretty good time. Checked my bag and started to prepare for race time.

The start of the race was up the hill from where I've started before. They had an announcer guy who had some pretty crazy nose piercing which I should have got a picture of. The race bibs had these strange foam type chips. The starting gate had these square shaped panels at the top which I guess registered your chip. The announcer guy kept making everyone back up since I guess your chip could get set off prematurely. When I was roaming around originally I guess I got too close and thought I may have set off my timer...in the end it wasn't a problem. Overall the guy was kind of annoying...nothing like the MC's they have at the Spartan Races.

Luckily I was at the front of the pack when the race started. First obstacle was a pretty destroyed hay bale pyramid followed by a tough little uphill section. A short stint in the woods and you hit a long straight away where you had to do a strange side step for a bit and got sprayed with water guns. Next up was the monkey bars which I failed this time through and was told to do 30 Burpees...something only the 15K had to do. Have I mentioned how much I hate burpees? Next up you had to run backwards up a hill. Back into the woods and hit a backup at the spiderweb obstacle, they had rope spread across several trees and this was actually kinda tough when I had to do it the 2nd and 3rd time through, but luckily they let us go around the obstacle to avoid the backup. More running in the woods...

Things get a bit fuzzy as to what came next so i'll just go on to explain some other obstacles. They had a few ladder type obstacles which were pretty easy, although at one point one was pretty backed up so me and another 15Ker decided to run by it. A few wall climbs which luckily had blocks to help you over on one side but the other side was flat...this was actually pretty dangerous and surprised people didn't get hurt. It was a pretty far drop down if you didn't do it right. They had a water slide which seemed to be malfunctioning more than it was working and had a ton of rocks under it. I slid down the first time but the next 2 times I walked down. At the bottom was a deep mud pit, probably chest deep, and stunk...it was really gross. After that short muddy run to some plastic tunnels. A mud hill to run up and some over / under obstacles in water. There were 2 sections where you had to go on your hands & knees, one through mud and the other through muddy water. I'm sure tons of people lost their shoes in the mud part cause it was pretty thick. There was a large hay bale pyramid, a log pyramid, a small fire jump & a cargo net climb all which were extremely easy. They also had a section where you were supposed to do 10 pushups | 10 situps | 10 leg lifts. For round 2 the pushups were changed to burpees. For round 3 you had to do a 45 second plank and 5 pushups. The final section before the end of the race was a rope hanging across the pond where you were supposed to cling on and pull yourself across. This was backed up for the entire event and I didn't even try it, luckily they had a way across where you just went through the water. I forgot to mention the worst part of the race...the fire drill! You had to stop, drop and roll down a hill. Now I know this doesn't sound very tough but I have never felt so sick in any run I have ever done. You don't realize how dizzy you get when rolling down a hill. Each time I did it I felt sick and dizzy.

I actually finished slower than I would have thought. I'm not sure why it took so long but I was moving at a pretty steady pace the entire time. The obstacles themselves were nothing great and having to wait at obstacles is never fun. Luckily I was able to avoid that in most cases. Since I don't drink beer I gave away my free one to someone else and I can't comment on the food since I didn't have any. I will say they did a good job with water on the course. Probably not worth the cost but I'm an addict so I would probably do it again. Out of the 4 races I've now done at this location this was probably the worst and most likely because it was more crowded.

07/19/2012 - 10th Annual Gardiner 5K Classic

Race Date: Thursday July 19th, 2012
Race Name: 10th Annual Gardiner 5K Classic
Race Price: $22
Race Description: Scenic with rolling hills
Race Location: Majestic Park, Murphy Lane, Gardiner, NY

Race Distance: 5K (3.15 miles)
Distance Traveled: 22.8 miles

Race Time: 6:30pm
Weather: 80's & Mostly Cloudy

Swag: Kiss My Face Moisturizing Soap (I was not 1 of the first 100 to register so I didn't get a shirt :( )
Food & Drink: Water | Soda | Hamburgers | Hot Dogs | Watermelon | Cookies | Chips | Ice Pops
Number of Participants: 328
Results: http://www.coolrunning.com/results/12/ny/Jul19_10thAn_set1.shtml

My Results
Time: 21:24.1
Pace: 6:54
Place: 20 of 328
Men: 19 of 156
Men (Age 30-39): 3 of 24
Prize: Yellow Bag :P

Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: 2 Generic Tums
               Salt Stick Pill
               Accel Gel Raspberry Cream
               Water (@20oz)

During-Run: N/A

This was a much nicer day weatherwise compared to how hot & humid it has been as of late. Got to the race site around 5:30 and checked in. I am always disappointed when I don't get a shirt at an event but this time it was probably my own fault since I forgot to send in my early registration. Luckily someone let me take a picture of their shirt to keep the style I normally use in my results pictures. Everyone also received a pretty sizable bottle of Kiss My Face Moisturizing Soap...not expected but, hey, it was free! I was surprised with how many people ended up showing up for this race.

The start of the race was pretty hectic. No one knew where the start line was and when it came close to starting time everyone had to get behind these 2 posts which was not a wide starting area. One of my biggest pet peeves in races is when slow people are at the front of the starting line. I could spot a ton of these people mostly standing in front of me or on the side. Luckily once the start happened there was room on the left to fly past the first group of slow people. I would say I was at a pretty good place after about 100 yards.

The course started out on regular paved roads for about the first 1.5 miles and then turned onto a rial trail which was mostly dirt, gravel & grass. I was moving pretty good for the first part but could definitely feel a hit to my speed once I hit the trail. The last .5 miles was back on the roads. Right at the end someone started to pass me but with a little hill I knew I could push it to my max and finish out strong, which I did. They had water available in a few spots on the course but I didn't feel the need to take any.

Overall pretty happy with my time considering how slow I have felt lately. Hopefully this is a sign of my speed picking up again. Of course it could have been that the weather wasn't as hot as it has been either. I was disappointed I didn't get a shirt but, since I got the picture, I didn't really need it. It was a nice race with great attendance. I didn't eat any of the food but I'm sure it was good.

Shoes

I thought everyone might be interested in the shoes I wear for my runs. I have a bunch of different shoes but there are 2 main ones I use. One for road & trail races and another pair for obstacle races.

Road / Trail Races

Brand: New Balance 720
Description: This quick-drying water shoe will ease your transition from water to land with unsurpassed traction on slippery surfaces, quick drainage and full foot protection; features the H2Flow™ water evacuation/drainage system.

• C-CAP® midsole provides cushioning and support
• H2FLOW™ full length water evacuation/drainage system allows for both water and sand to easily escape from the shoe
• Water-Resistant Synthetic/Mesh Upper helps keep feet dry
• HydroHesion Rubber Outsole provides stable traction for a variety of wet surfaces
• Slip-on construction for easy on/off wear
• Razor siping outsole
• Quick pull lacing system
• Color: Gray with Orange
• Shoe Last: RL-3
• Weight: 290 grams (10.2 oz)

Info: Of all the sneakers I've bought these are my favorite. They are light and have nice cushioning. I really like that they have the quick pull lacing system where I don't have to worry about laces coming undone. I actually bought 3 pairs cause I liked them so much.


Obstacle Races

Brand: Inov-8 Roclite 295 Trail Running Shoe
Description: The Inov-8 295 is a trail running and walking shoe with high levels of comfort, breathability and performance. The patent pending Fascia-band aids propulsion efficiency of the running cycle. Good underfoot cushioning makes the 295 ideal for hard surface tracks and trails as it keeps your feet protected and cushioned. Meta Shank - New 5 finger meta-shank aligns with each individual metatarsal for greater flexibility when contouring while retaining underfoot impact protection. Meta Flex and Meta Shank - allow your feet to flex in a natural way whilst still giving you maximum protection under foot Met-Cradle - specifically, anatomically placed support in the upper to cradle the foot and provide a secure hold for your feet Fascia Band - A replication of the plantar fascia ligament to increase propulsion efficiency and reduce fatigue Mid Level Cushioning - Usually used for training. Sticky Rubber Outsole Compound - ensure you have fantastic grip and traction on all surfaces Webbing Upper Support - Lacing attached to nylon webbing, cradles and secures the upper behind the metatarsal heads. Unisex - Built on a last based of an average runner's foot giving a good fit for both male and female Comfort Last - Generous fitting and offering a more comfortable style. Ideal for training and long distances particularly on trails. Great underfoot cushioning makes the Roclite 295 ideal for hard surface tracks and trails. Giving you the best grip possible in any conditions. Ideal/Recommended Activity: Mountain running | Mountain marathon | Tail running | Mixed road and trail | Adventure racing | Long distance walking | Trail walking | Nordic walking | Climbing approach | Lifestyle Ideal/Recommended Terrain: Loose rock | Dry grass | Dry rock | Mixed terrain | Mud
Info: I bought these after researching shoes for obstacle races that had mud. I know that a lot of times shoes don't have enough tread to give you good grip during these races. These shoes have surpassed my expectations. Light and with amazing tread. They breathe and don't retain water, both things I need for obstacle races. I just throw them in the wash after a race and they are good to go for the next one.

Marathon Training Week 2

Marathon Training - Week 2
Location: Dutchess County Rail Trail
Distance: 12.5 Miles
Time: 2:01:04
Pace: 9:41
Calories Burned: 1530
Heart Rate (Avg/Max/Min): 151/168/77
Weather: Sunny | 94 w/ 41% Humidity

Pre-Run: 2 Generic Tums | Saltstick Caps Plus | Accel Gel Raspberry Cream
During Run: Saltstick Caps Plus | PowerBar Gel Raspberry Cream | Water

Run Details
I did not feel great before this run. My stomach was giving me some issues. Luckily it didn't affect me too much during the run. The first 6 miles out were pretty good kept a pretty good pace for a training run and kept the heart rate at a good place. I then walked .25 miles to hit the bathroom. On the way back I took my other Saltstick cap and my other gel. Started the run back and around 11 miles started to feel cold. I knew since it was over 90 this wasn't a good feeling. It was at this point I realized I did a bad job of preparing for this run. I had plenty of water for the run but had only eaten about 2000 calories and at 11 miles had already burned about 1300 on the run. I could definitely tell my body was telling me to slow down. So for the last 1.5 miles I alternated between walking and jogging. Lesson learned to prepare better by eating more before these long runs. I also ran out of water towards the end which is crazy since I had filled my 72oz Camelback. My feet were definitely hurting at the end of the run as well...probably over did it running the last 4 days for a total of 23 miles.

07/16/2012 - New Paltz Summer Cross Country Series "Lou's Run"

Race Date: Monday July 16th, 2012
Race Name: New Paltz Summer Cross Country Series
                     Mohonk Preserve "Lou's Run"

Race Price: $20 for Series (5 Races)
Race Description: 4 plus miles on single track and carriage paths, fast finish
Race Location: Spring Farm Trailhead, Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, NY
Race Distance: 4.4 miles
Distance Traveled: 23.3 miles
Race Time: 7:30pm
Weather: Hot & Humid

Swag: None
Food & Drink: Water, Watermelon & Cookies
Number of Participants: 167

Results
Time: 34:06
Pace: 7:45
Place: 31 of 167
Men: 28 of 95
Men (Age 30-39): 9 of 15

Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: 2 Generic Tums
               Salt Stick Pill
               Accel Gel Raspberry Cream
               Water (@20oz)

During-Run: Water (Small sip plus poured some on me)

This was the second race in the New Paltz Summer XC Series. I have never been to this trail section before so it was a first for me. Luckily I planned better this week and didn't get lost. Upon arriving around 5:40 I parked in the Visitor lot only to realize there was parking a lot closer to the start of the race so went back and moved the car. It's nice to get to these races early cause I get the pick of the best parking spots. I walked around and took some pictures.


Took my pre-run stuff about 20 minutes before the race actually started. Overall I felt pretty good for this being my 3rd race in 3 days. My right calf muscle was a little stiff but nothing that was really affecting me. I started out towards the front of the pack of runners. I like to do this, especially on runs that push you into a shoot, since you can get stuck behind slow people. This happened to me last week and I didn't want it to happen again this week.

The race started out with a pretty nice downhill which was then proceeded by a long climb back up the mountain. You can see from the Elevation graph above that it was not a flat run. I do really well on uphills and passed at least 3 people during that section. I have a hard time on downhills as I just can't seem to run as fast as others on them. I got passed by more than a few people on the last downhill section. Right at the end of the race was a brief uphill where someone went to pass me and I thought "Hell no!". I really pushed myself to sprint up the hill and to the finish. You can see my heart rate race up as I did. I felt really good during the entire race.

Final Comments
Overall this was a nice trail race with friendly people