09/29/2012 - For Paws & Wright Naturals 5k

 Race Date: Saturday September 29th, 2012
Race Name: 1st Annual For Paws & Wright Naturals 5k
Race Price: $25
Race Description: The route starts at the West Lot parking area of the Field of Dreams and continues down the drive and then onto Route 7 into Gardiner, NY. It features views of the UC Fairgrounds, farms, Wallkill River and the Mountains!
Race Location: Ulster County New Paltz Recreational Park, New Paltz, NY
Race Information: Your local dog park fundraisers and your local all natural product manufacturers are teaming up to host the 1st annual Family 5k to benefit the Ulster County Dog Park!

  

Race Distance: 5 kilometers
Distance Traveled: 22 miles

Race Time: 9:00 am
Weather: Cloudy, calm & 60's

Swag: T-Shirt | Eye Popping Dog | Bracelet | Lip Balm | Pen | Magnet
Food & Drink: Water | Cookies | Pretzel Bread | Peanut Butter | Bananas
Number of Participants: 51
Results: http://goo.gl/2hkf5

My Results

Time: 22:12
Pace: 7:10
Place: 5 of 51
Men (Age 30-39): 1 of 5




Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: Gatorade w/ Chia Seeds

During-Run: N/A

    The first race I've ever helped out with. I knew the organizer as an acquaintance. I saw her at a previous race and I was talking to her about the plan they had for their own fundraiser race. They originally mentioned they weren't going to have medals and I felt to have a good race you needed to have medals. So I decided to provide the medals as a donation. Once I did that I got involved in planning the entire event which was a really great thing to be part of.
    I got to the race 2 hours early so I could help set things up and take care of whatever they might need. I made chocolate chip cookies which turned out to be really good. I ran the route and put out the mileage markers and marked the turn around point. I definitely was not feeling great when I did this initial run. I knew I probably shouldn't push this as hard as I could since I had a marathon the next day.
    Since there wasn't many people it was real easy to get set at the front of the start line since this was a "gunshot" start. The initial part of the race was on a rocky road and started uphill. The rest of the race was on roadways and had ups and downs but nothing major. I was probably pushing myself harder than I should have been but my heart rate seemed a bit high. I passed a few people in the last mile and that helped to motivate me to keep going. I finished strong.

    After the race I was working on getting the race results entered into the computer but it helped to have some people from the Shawangunk Runners Club there to help and made everything go much faster. They handed out the medals to the placing finishers and that was it. Overall it was a nice day and a great event. Looking to help again next year. Here's a bunch of pictures since there were a bunch of people taking pictures.

09/22/2012 - Vermont Spartan Beast

Race Date: Saturday September 22nd, 2012
Race Name: Vermont Spartan Beast
Race Price: $64.47
Race Description: 10-12 mile Obstacle Race from Hell. If you have done any race anywhere in the world: whether a mud run, fun run, olympic run, bike race, death march or any kind of event claiming to be the "toughest race on the planet" you will be happy to know that this is where it ends..THIS IS THE SPARTAN BEAST...Step up and get out of your comfort zone, many will arrive, but few will leave!
Race Location: Snowshed Base Lodge, 3800 Killington Road, Killington, VT 05751

  

Race Distance: 14+ miles
Distance Traveled: 203 miles

Race Time: 10:00 am
Weather: Mostly sunny, cool and breezy

Swag: Shirt, Beer, Finisher Medal
Food & Drink: Water, Bananas
Number of Participants: 2290
Results: http://www.spartanrace.com/spartan-race-results-2012.php#raceid=215777&gender=a&page=1&courseid=297989

My Results

Time: 5:17:43
Pace: 24:15
Place: 223 of 2290
Men: 206 of 1645
Men (Age 30-34): 43 of 337




Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: 2 Bagels
                 Coconut Water

During-Run: Water | Gels | Lemonade | Larabar

    This race was my original goal for the year. Since signing up I've gone on to sign up for 3 marathons which are my new goals.
    This will start out 4 days before the race when I was at work in the afternoon and my chest started feeling tight and my heart rate started doing strange things. I ignored it for the first day but it was still happening the second day. I took some aspirin and said I would head to the doctor in the morning before I headed off to Vermont. I woke up Friday morning and luckily my chest/heart felt good but I had a sore throat. Got a doctor appointment a few hours before I had to leave and they checked me out. Everything came back normal related to my heart and I didn't have strep throat so off to Vermont I went.
    I left around 1 for the 4 hour drive up to my hotel in Rutland, VT. The drive was pretty uneventful and I arrived at the hotel without incident. Checked in, got settled and headed out to pick up my race stuff at the pre-race pickup and to check out the race site. I took some pictures along the way but sadly my phone lost it's life during the race. More on that later. The pre-race pickup was at Outback Pizza in Killington not far from the race site. There were a lot more people here than I expected. I went in to pick up my stuff and ran into a few people I had met at other obstacle races. I chatted with them for a bit and headed out. I ran a few errands, picked up some food and headed back to the hotel to prepare and relax. One thing I really enjoyed was that all over Killington were these weird animals made out of bailed hay. I wish I had pictures of them all. In searching it looks like there is a Hay Festival - Here are some pictures courtesy of google. I went to bed pretty early so I would be nice and fresh in the morning.
    I woke up early Saturday morning, got dressed and headed off to the race which was about 30 minutes from my hotel. As I approached the site there wasn't a lot of traffic and parking, which did cost $10, was perfect and right near the race site. This was one of the best places I've been for parking for an event. We were told ahead of time that we needed to have a way to carry water with us on the course as only 2 water stops would be available and no cups. I bought a camelbak type device and had all my food / gels / phone / accessories packed into it. I made sure everything was secure in ziploc bags. I learned from the Super Spartan that I needed to be extra prepared with food/water.
    As I was walking from the car you could see the clouds moving across the mountain. It was quite cold and breezy. I knew this wasn't going to be an easy race considering the temperature.  I walked around and checked out the scene. I was pretty early so I got to watch a couple groups head out. I headed towards the front of the pack for the start and got ready for what I knew would be 5-6 hours of fun.
    There is not much I can say here to truly give you a feel for what the course was like. The mountain was tough but felt nowhere near as bad as the mountain at the Super Spartan. Maybe this was because I was better prepared with food & water but I never felt that pain in my legs like I did in NJ. There was 1 section towards the end which was a pretty steep single trail that seemed to go on forever. I had to pass multiple people on the trail but thought I made pretty good time up it. Here is a rundown of the obstacles in order for the race. You can find explanations for lots of these on Wikipedia

• Ditch jumps
• Over unders
• Dirt mounds w/ water pits
• Vertical cargo
• Barbed wire high crawl
• Double 7 foot walls 
• Barbed wire crawl #1
• 2 short walls 
• Monkey bars
• Trench crawl
• Traverse wall - First time I've completed this in 4 tries!
• Rope climb #1 - Failed! I couldn't even get past the first knot (30 burpees)
• 40° water swim - This water felt freezing
• Tarzan swing - Failed! Again no upper body strength. There was a long swim to the other shore to do burpees (30 burpees)
• Memorization poster (Echo 023 7101)
• Herculean hoist
• Atlas carry
• Barbed wire crawl #2
• Double 7 foot wall #2
• Wall climbs w/rope
• Tractor pull
• Sandbag carry
• Memorization test (Echo 023 7101! I got it!)
• Sled pull
• Tyrolean traverse - This was super long and I didn't make it. Cold swim to the other shore.
• Giant dirt mounds with water
• Rope climb #2 - I completed this one with a lot of effort. I fell and my timing chip broke off my wrist.
• Log Hop - Failed! Lost my balance and was super mad. (30 burpees)
• Vertical cargo net #2
• Double 7 foot wall #3
• Hobie hop
• Spear throw - Failed! 0 for 4 on this (30 burpees)
• Barbed wire crawl #3
• Slippery wall
• Fire jump
• Gladiators

    The downhills on this course were by far the steepest and slipperiest I've ever done. Normally my Inov-8 shoes handle things pretty well but I was slipping in multiple spots. I am surprised more people didn't get hurt. The last downhill section most people were sliding down on their butts just to not get hurt. At the end of this race I had much more energy and sneaked out multiple smiles and talked to the crowd as I finished. 14+ miles later and 6000 feet of elevation gain and I had finished the longest race of my life. I did my best to clean the mud off of me at the cleaning station but the water was absolutely freezing.
    I headed back to the car to get out of my wet clothes and change into something warm and dry. Getting back I unpacked my pack only to find that every ziploc bag had water in it. This included the bag with my phone which had been in multiple other bags. Sadly my phone did not survive or come back to life. It took me a really long time to change as I had to keep crawling around into different parts of the car. I also realized that once you close the back door on the CR-V you can't open it from the inside.
    I headed back to the race area to pick up my Trifecta badge! This was a major part of this year. Having completed the Sprint, Super and Beast I got a special medal. I also got a sticker for each event so that I can put them on my car. Really felt good to wear the medal.

    I had a burger, hot dog and soda and then headed out on my drive back home. As I walked away from the race site I said I would not do it again. 3 days later I signed up for next year. I guess I like punishment. The drive home was tough considering I didn't have my phone available to listen to my music. There's an awful lot of stations that have things related to God on them. I was definitely happy to be home again after the 4 hour drive.

09/16/2012 - Dutchess County Classic Half Marathon

Race Date: Sunday September 16th, 2012
Race Name: 34th Annual Dutchess County Classic
Race Price: $32
Race Description: Loop, starts at Arlington High School on Dr. Fink Road, ends at the end of Stringham Road. Mostly flat. USATF certified. Miles marked. Water stations every 1.5 – 2 miles.
Race Location: Arlington High School, Lagrangeville, NY

  

Race Distance: Half Marathon (13.1 Miles)
Distance Traveled: 10.2 miles

Race Time: 8:30 am
Weather: Sunny & cool

Swag: T-Shirt, Bag, Gloves, Finisher Medal
Food & Drink: Water | Soda | Juice | Fruit | Chips | Yogurt
Number of Participants: 541
Results: http://www.mhrrc.org/MHRRCuploads/raceResults/2012ClassicHalfResultsRevised.pdf

My Results

Time: 1:35:51.80
Pace: 7:20
Place: 64 of 541
Men (Age 30-34): 9 of 32







Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: 2 Tums
                Gatorade w/ Chia Seeds

During-Run: Water | Gatorade | Gel

    Probably one of the closest races I have done also the biggest race of the year for the Mid-Hudson Road Runners. Everyone was told to get to the race area as soon as possible since the traffic & parking were going to be issues. I actually got to the race 2 hours before the start time. While this seems like a huge amount of time I was able to take my time, get things settled and warm up proper. I had biked 45 miles the day before and was worried that may affect my performance somewhat. It was also really chilly this morning and I hoped it would warm up as it got closer to the race time. I had worn compression pants under my shorts to help with the cold but probably didn't need to.
    The race was well set up. They had flags set up for each 30 second interval to help people get in the proper area for the time they were shooting for. I set myself up in the middle of the 7 minute mile marker. I really liked this as it helps to alleviate the problem of slow runners being in front of you. Of course it also helps that they have timing at both the beginning and end. That way it doesn't matter if you are right at the front as your chip time is your real time.
    There were a few men at the race who I knew had similar racing times as me so I did my best to stick with them. The course wasn't too tough with a pretty nice downhill at the beginning. After the mid section there was some nice climbing and I remember at mile 9 feeling pretty exhausted after a uphill section. The first 6 miles were pretty fast for me actually keeping my 5k pace for them. The second half was clearly harder and my times slowed by about 10-20 seconds over the first half pace.
 

    As I headed towards the finish line I saw my parents on the sideline. This was the first time they've come out to one of my races and was nice to see them there. I was spent though and couldn't even muster enough energy to sprint to the finish. Luckily there wasn't anyone right on my heels at that point. I set a new personal record for a half though and I was very proud of that scratching almost 5 minutes off my previous PR.
    The finish line was a ways away from the finish line so the parents and I walked over and I got some refreshments and snacks. We waited around for the awards but sadly I didn't even come close to placing. It was nice though that they had small age groups for the awards and in most cases gave things to the top 5 people in each age group. Overall it was a awesome race and so well organized. I will definitely be back next year.

09/13/2012 - King of the Hill 5K

Race Date: Thursday September 13th, 2012
Race Name: King of the Hill 5K Road Race
Race Price: $25
Race Description: USATF certified scenic course through Matrix Corporate Center
Race Location: Matrix Corporate Center, 39 Old Ridgebury Road, Danbury, CT
Race Information: Run is through the beautiful community of Newtown and includes many landmarks of this special town

  

Race Distance: 5 kilometers
Distance Traveled: 32.9 miles

Race Time: 6:30 pm
Weather: Sunny, calm, temperatures in the 70's

Swag: T-Shirt
Food & Drink: Water | Soda | Hot Dogs | Hamburgers | Pasta Salad | Chips
Number of Participants: 358
Results: http://results.active.com/events/king-of-the-hill-5k-road-race--2/overall-results

My Results

Time: 22:13
Pace: 7:09
Place: 23 of 358
Men (Age 30-39): 9 of 52







Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: Gatorade w/ Chia Seeds

During-Run: N/A

    My first race after my 33rd birthday! I like these mid-week races as it switches things up from the regular early morning weekend races. Screwed myself up again getting to the race. I stopped at a rest area right off the exit I needed to take but the only way out of the rest area was to get back on the highway so I had to go to the next exit and make a u-turn. I then couldn't figure out the right road to take to get into the complex. Took me a couple tries but I finally got there with plenty of time before the race. The Matrix Corporate Center was pretty amazing place. I enjoyed the "atrium" they had set up for registration & after party.
    The start of the race was probably a tenth of a mile from the registration. Did a bit of warming up and got ready. I was at the front of the starting line and overheard people next to me, who clearly weren't fast, mentioning that they liked being at the start line even though they weren't fast. One person in the group made a comment about that being rude and I agreed. I can't stand getting stuck behind slower people at the start of a shotgun start.
    The first half of the race was all downhill and I ran the fastest first mile I've ever done in a 5k. Of course the entire second half of the race was slow and uphill. Nothing really spectacular about the views here but a nice course. With 2/10's of a mile left I was in a group of about 6 guys fighting to make it up the last hill. This rush came over me and I thought "What am I doing...lets pass these guys". I took off sprinting leaving everyone in the dust and passing a few people in front of me. This was probably the fastest I've ever run in a race at any point. I was out of breath and spent at the finish line but isn't that how it should be?

    After the race I went back to the after party and got a hot dog and a soda. They had results posted up so checked those out and also got to test out a new item they had that printed out a little sheet with your time and stats. I thought that was pretty neat and would like to see it at more races. I ended up taking some pictures before I headed home.

09/09/2012 - South Nyack 10 Miler

Race Date: Sunday September 9th, 2012
Race Name: 24th Annual South Nyack Ten Miler
Race Price: $30
Race Description: USATF-Certified 10 miles on scenic out/back along the Hudson River. Begins and ends at Franklin Street Park. 'Runs' from South Nyack down to Piermont and out onto the mile-long Piermont Pier, turnaround is at the end of the pier.
Race Location: Franklin Street Park, Nyack, NY

  

Race Distance: 10 miles
Distance Traveled: 56 miles

Race Time: 8:30 am
Weather: Mostly Sunny

Swag: T-Shirt
Food & Drink: Water | Fruit | Bagels | Gatorade
Number of Participants: 369
Results: http://www.rocklandroadrunners.org/races/SN10/SN10results2012.html
Official Race Pictures: http://www.backprint.com/view_user_event.asp?PID=bp%18%7CD&EVENTID=98329&PWD=0&LAST=Regan&BIB=3387

My Results

Time: 1:17:42.90
Pace: 7:46
Place: 60 of 369
Men (Age 30-34): 5 of 23





Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: 2 Tums
                 Salt Stick Plus Pill
                 Gatorade w/ Chia Seeds
                 Gu Gel

During-Run: Water
                        Gu Gel

    After the Spartan Race yesterday I was wondering what the hell I was thinking doing this. After the debacle of getting to the race yesterday I was taking no chance and definitely made sure I had the right directions and plenty of time. I got to the race more than an hour early, got a parking spot, and walked over to the race start area. I checked in and got my shirt and bib and started to prepare. I jogged around a bit to warm up.
    My friend Daren was doing the race so I was looking around for him. Hung out and talked to him while he stretched and then headed off to the start line. I was planning on taking it somewhat easy because of the race yesterday. The first few miles I felt tight and didn't think I was going to do well but around mile 6 I actually started to loosen up and feel good. The first half of the race was mostly downhill which meant the second half would be back uphill. The first major hill came around 8.4 miles in and the second at around 9. I do typically do better on uphill sections but these were definitely killer on the legs. I did have enough to sprint out the last couple hundred feet.
    Overall I was pretty happy with my results especially with two 10 mile runs in two days. I waited by the finish line for Daren to come through and went over to meet him. We then went back and waited for his friend to come through. In the meantime I noticed an ex-girlfriend run by so I figured I would go over and talk to her. Definitely didn't feel too awkward and it was nice to catch up.
    I liked this race and would probably do it again. Maybe not after a tough race like a Spartan the day before. I ended up taking some pictures before I left.

09/08/2012 - Tri-State Super Spartan

Race Date: Saturday September 8th, 2012
Race Name: Tri-State Super Spartan
Race Price: $107.81
Race Description: Obstacle race up, down and across the mountain at Mountain Creek
Race Location: Mountain Creek Waterpark, 200 Route 94, Vernon, New Jersey 07462

  

Race Distance: 11 miles
Distance Traveled: 54.4 miles

Race Time: 11:00am
Weather: Mostly sunny

Swag: Shirt, Beer, Finisher Medal
Food & Drink: Water, Zico Coconut Water, Bananas
Number of Participants: 4230
Results: http://www.spartanrace.com/spartan-race-results-2012.php#raceid=215776&gender=A&page=1&courseid=315976

My Results

Time: 3:27:22
Pace: 25:55
Place: 468 of 4230
Men: 412 of 3002
Men (Age 30-34): 67 of 669







Personal Race Info
Pre-Run: Water + Gatorade + Chia Seeds

During-Run: Water

    This race started off bad before I even got there. I had a hard time figuring out the right address to put into my GPS. I thought I got the right one and started heading to the race with what I thought was plenty of time. I got near the destination on the gps with an hour to go before the race but realized I had the wrong address in the gps. I used my phone to get me to the right place but it was about 30 minutes from where I was. So I got to the race site but had to park about 2 miles away. The line for the buses was so long that I didn't think I'd make it in time for my race start so I decided to run to the start. So I spent the next 20 minutes or so running down the road. I got there and checked in as quickly as possible. I checked my bag and had about 5 minutes before my race time. This caused a real issue with my pre-race routine and I felt completely lost because of it.
   I worked my way up towards the front of the starting pack but not all the way up as I wasn't feeling great about the start. Also forgot to remove my MotoActv but I was hoping I could keep it dry since it's not waterproof. The race started out heading up the mountain and I did my best to keep up a jog for as long as I could. Ended up having to start walking as there was no way I could keep up the pace. First obstacles was the under nets / over small walls which is always easy. From here on out I pretty much jogged downhill and walked uphill.
   Other obstacles - Over / under / through walls > log hop > muddy water pits / hills and then...the swim. I tried my best to keep my watch above water but there were 2 times you had to swim under boats. You also had to pull yourself up onto a floating platform which was actually pretty hard. After i got out of the water my watch started acting funny. I was hoping it would keep going. Some higher wall jumps and then a long downhill to a cliff jump. The line was way too long so I decided to skip and do burpees instead. I was starting to feel pretty tired at this point and was really needing some water. Next up was the Hobie Hop which I had never encountered before but you put on a thick band around your ankles and hop over logs and go under ropes. A steep, rocky downhill led to the sandbag carry which hasn't been as hard as I started carrying it on my head. Right after was the tire flip where you had to flip a giant tire 4 times. Then it was back up the mountain.
    The climb up the mountain was brutal and then I came upon it. A huge rock covered mountain side covered with some sort of netting. I have never felt sick before from running / climbing but I was feeling it now. I had to stop at each little section and this went on forever. I made it to the top but I was not completely exhausted and really wanted some water / food. Oh did I not mention they only had water on the course and nothing in terms of food. At this point I really was running out of energy. Up next was the cement block drag which isn't hard but annoying at this point. Probably one of the longest drags I've done. Right after was the Herculean Hoist where you lift a heavy block using a rope on a pulley system. An obstacle I used to hate but have since grown to enjoy as I have beaten it most times...the monkey bars. These were a bit different than others in that each one was at a different height. I took  my time and made it across feeling accomplished. Some high walls that I used the sides to help me get over and then a brief run before another higher set of walls. Cargo net climb was next and there were people helping to hold down the net at the bottom to help others over. It goes to show how everyone is there to help and not just about getting the best time.
    Some more mud pits and I came to an obstacle I've never done before the Tyrolean Traverse. The lines were long and going slow. I got to enjoy watching multiple people complete and fail this obstacle while waiting. I was very happy I was wearing my high compression socks cause crossing the rope was giving people some serious rope burns on their ankles. I've never done anything like this and I was pretty scared I wouldn't complete it. I got on and slowly started working my way across the rope and, after what seemed like forever, hit the bell to complete the obstacle. You still had to drop down into the water and swim to the other side of the lake.

    I knew I was getting close to the end cause we came back to the spectator area and to my nemesis...the spear throw! I've never successfully done the obstacle and this time was no different...30 burpees. Right after was another obstacle I've never completed, the Traversal Wall. I slipped after a couple wood blocks and another 30 burpees. I was absolutely spent at this point and really just wanted to finish. Of course it wasn't that easy as next up was the rope climb and I was so glad to make it to the top. I knew I was near the end. The wonderful barbed wire crawl was up next and luckily nowhere near the length it was at Tuxedo. A slow crawl up the mud and rock and finally I saw the finish line. A short jump over the fire and a quick hit from the gladiators and I was done.

    I've never felt so tired and defeated after a race before. I was horribly unprepared but it was definitely a learning experience. I got my shirt and medal and rushed to drink some Zico coconut water. Tried to wash myself off as best as possible since I was super dirty. I went to grab my checked bag which took way too long, grabbed some quick food and left as soon as I could. I was so tired I didn't even try to take pictures. Overall this was the hardest thing I had ever done.