Congratulations to both Chad Carr (Let's Run Summer Series 2009 Champion) and Chris George (this year's solid runner-up). Well done, my reign stops at four years.  It isn't easy staying healthy and running five races well over five months.

2010...the Comeback?






Date:    9/10/2009 6:30 PM
Type:    Race
Course:    Marsh Post 4.2
Distance:    4.2 miles
Duration:    21:02
Pace:    5:01 / mile
Equipment:    adidas Adizero Mana
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 168 / Max: 172
Misc:    Quality: 8/10, Effort: 7/10
Field Placement:    2
Weather:    64° F
Notes:    Cambridge, MA (Marsh Post VFW) - The last race in the 2009 Let's Run Summer Series. Not much series drama heading into this one (no shot of winning the series that I have won since 2005 as I missed August's race because of a work conflict). I would have been the underdog anyway but the July race was run with clear knowledge that I would not be running August. Either way, the combination of a talented Chad Carr who stayed healthy and balanced life conflicts enough to run strong and steady for five straight months, my own injury issues, and my own inability to balance work conflict from interfering with my race schedule, made it so I could finish no better than third place here in 2009. Still...a pair of shoes and some pride were on the line for this one race so I was game for toeing the line and giving battle.

Nice cool night for racing. My legs felt absolutely dead on the warm-up (I guess the mix of a long run Sunday, race Monday, track Tuesday, and double digit miles yesterday doesn't count as an official taper). But, this is a flat course and you can fake a flat course for a bit.

The race went off and I decided to take out out and change things up early. Chad gave chase along with Chris George. I didn't feel light legged but my breathing felt easy. I know Chad was coming off a half-marathon in Virginia and Chris was coming off the 20k in Connecticut so they were both conceivably joining me in the tired legs division. Neither looked tired.

I got the impression Chad wanted to coast early so I took it out pretty good. We hit the dirt path and I threw a surge in and he matched pretty well. My goal here was to see if I could get him out of his comfort and also maybe find my own fast legs that were available on Monday but not today. No luck but I did manage to get us going better.

We both cruised pretty well up through the S curves but then Chad started to pull away. As I tried to match his solid move I felt only heavy legs. I was able to maintain pace but not match and he opened up well.

I cruised in case he hit a wall along the way but he did anything but. Instead he ran what I believe was the second fastest time on the course (looking remarkably like Ian Nurse's display of force last September when the 20:xx course record was set). I let up a little as we got toward the final big green sign. Wish I hadn't because I ended up a couple ticks over 21 minutes. Still, I got beat by a good performance. I did set a PR for this course by 11 seconds. I'll take it. Congratulations to Chad on a series well run and a closet that must now be full of Brooks shoes.

Also, Renee ran smart and took first for the ladies. Well done!

Results

Statistics:    Calories: 537
VO2 Max: 68.1

Gotta go...

Date:    9/7/2009 10:10 AM
Type:    Race
Course:    Bad Habit 5K
Distance:    5 kilometers
Duration:    15:49
Pace:    5:06 / mile
Equipment:    adidas Adizero Mana
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 166 / Max: 171
Misc:    Quality: 8/10, Effort: 5/10
Field Placement:    1 / 167 (0.6%)
Weather:    68° F, Sunny
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Sep7_BadHab_set1.shtml
Notes:    Brighton, MA - Bad Habits 5K along the bike paths of the Charles River. Course started on the dirt path just behind the Elliot Bridge Tunner then headed to Arsenal Bridge, around the Marsh Post, hairpin turn after the bridge back onto the bike path and finished a ways past the boat rental spot.

Was clear in my head about running this one tactical with a win in mind and not worrying about time or even pacing. Pretty clear group of about a half dozen at the starting line that had ambitions of a victory and some reasons for confidence.

After the "ready, set, go" start, some guy in yellow who had been doing some very aggressive strides took off for the very early lead. I chased about four others so that I could see how it would start to take shape. The guy in yellow blew himself up almost immediately. A marines corp guy then asserted himself as the leader and I left the small group to give chase. I settled in right behind him and felt very comfortable on the flat, paved terrain after all of the recent running on challenging courses and footing.

We went by Renee and Byrun who were spectating this morning and then I decided to start some Ryan Carrara-esque strategerie. I started throwing in short, concerted surges to pull the leader out of his comfort zone and force him to run uneven and see if I could get his breathing to sound uncomfortable. Each time, I would surge ahead and then once he sprinted to catch up I would step behind him and settle.

Once we got past the s-curves, the marine corps guy made a strong surge and opened up a few seconds. I waited to see if the secondary pack was charging and gave myself a moment to get around the tight turns and then I caught right back up with him. After that, I went back to a number of surges but this time I wouldn't settle in behind him but rather run right next to him and forced him to keep up a few steps faster than seemed comfortable. With about a mile to go, it seemed like his breathing was right about the very high end of his comfort zone so I decided to make my real move and I took off and could see his body burning with some lactic acid. At that point, I decided to keep the faster pace up and over the bridge and hit the hairpin (carefully). I could see that I had opened up a good gap now so I just settled back into a comfortable stride and finished up. The cyclist was real jazzed up about me being sub-16 but with a track workout, a Thursday race, and Saturday, Sunday races this week I am picking and choosing a few select moments for effort so I didn't really bother to pour any gravy on this one.

I was pleased with both the strategy today and how my body felt after a higher mileage week and a long run yesterday. This race did little to beat me up but it was a lot of fun and translated into a pair of XC spikes and a night of improv for Renee and I in Somerville.

Splits:

5:16, 5:15, 4:52

Results

Statistics:    Calories: 397
VO2 Max: 65.4

Gotta go...

Date:    8/29/2009 9:10 AM
Type:    Race
Course:    Thomas Chamberas XC Race
Distance:    6 kilometers
Duration:    20:14
Pace:    5:26 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS (Trail Shoes)
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 163 / Max: 174
Misc:    Quality: 7/10, Effort: 6/10
Field Placement:    19 / 150 (12.7%)
Age group:    30 – 39
Group Placement:    4
Weather:    60° F, Rain, Humid
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Aug29_7thAnn_set1.shtml
Notes:    Carlisle, MA (Great Brook Farm State Park) - Thomas Chamberas 6K XC race on a VERY wet, rainy, and muddy morning. The course was slick and sloppy with intermittent slick surface mud and deep vernal pool style puddles. Lots of good competition today and I ran slower than last year (part weather and part my continued tentativeness on running fast down hills or on sharp corners until I am 100%). Also, still sore from last weekend's XC and trail races.

Went out pretty conservative in 30-something place. Probably should have gone out faster but I couldn't get a good feel for the footing and when I did get more aggressive I slipped big-time and had to do a Matrix-style recovery to keep from falling down.




So, I got into the single track portion of the course in a pretty poor position and then got stuck for a while where there was nowhere to pass. I felt really good at that point but it was like a traffic jam up front and we all snaked our way through the windy course.

I was extremely tentative on the sharp downhill winding portion of the single track and actually stepped aside to let some people pass since I was having a hard time navigating.

Once we got back to the wider, rolling muddy sections I opened back up and started to pass some guys.




A guy from Navy bit it so hard I watched his feet go above his head and he disappeared into a monster puddle - he resurfaced and said he was OK. I told him that there were better ways to cool off.

I started to feel really strong. We hit the slick grass along the cornfields and I picked it up. I passed a bunch of runners and then got to thick but less muddy grass for the final kick. I opened up well and blew by Dan Verrington. I also passed a GBTC guy a few feet before the finish line (he had really let up) but they reversed us in the shoot saying he didn't know where the line was so it was only fair to put him back.



I guess...but seriously, run through the line.

I saw some good signs today. Was able to shift gears well and pick up in spots where footing would allow.

Renee finished a solid 3rd place and held first until about a mile to go.

This race was a lot of fun.

Race results

Statistics:    Calories: 477
VO2 Max: 61.5

Gotta go...

Date:    8/23/2009 9:30 AM
Type:    Race
Course:    Mt. Toby Trail Run
Distance:    14 miles
Duration:    1:47:08
Pace:    7:40 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS GT-2130 Trail
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 153 / Max: 170
Misc:    Quality: 6/10, Effort: 4/10
Field Placement:    17
Weather:    78° F, Overcast, Humid
Event URL:    www.sugarloafmac.org/mttoby_09.php
Notes:    Sunderland, MA - Back at the Mt. Toby Mountain race with 1900' of climb. Add a bunch of rain the night before and you had hilly, humid, wet, slick, and challenging.





I ran nice and steady throughout. I worked the uphills a bit and really was quite cautious on the downhills in order to prevent any setbacks as I continue to try to get back to fit. Renee kicked butt and dominated the women's field and took home some champagne and $100. Nice!

Pretty uneventful run for me. A lot of people came back toward the end of the race as they petered out. I felt very strong and was pleased with how it went. I certainly did not put a race effort in but it still makes for a very solid and challenging long run.


Race results

My previous best was 1:33:21 last time I ran this and that would have been good for 3rd today. I have run this in 2003, 2005, 2007, and now 2009. This was my slowest but also with a much lower effort (HR 153 whereas the others were 163).




Statistics:    Calories: 1789
VO2 Max: 45.2

Gotta go...

Date:    8/22/2009 10:30 AM
Type:    Race
Course:    Tomato Trot Farm Race 5k
Distance:    5 kilometers
Duration:    18:54
Pace:    6:05 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS (Trail Shoes)
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 171 / Max: 176
Misc:    Quality: 8/10, Effort: 8/10
Field Placement:    1
Weather:    83° F, Sunny, Humid
Event URL:    www.redfirefarm.com/news/2009/TomatoTrot2009RacePlaceOverallResults.html
Notes:    Granby, MA (Red Fire Farm) - Ran the Tomato Trot Farm Race on a very humid morning. Course was tough but a lot of fun.





Basically, deep, thick grass fields all around a tomato farm with tons of mud and puddles and plenty of hills. This is another one of these hidden gems on the XC scene that more people should really know about. You can't really worry or think about time on a course like this. I went out moderate for a half mile to see if anyone would shake out and give me a run for the fruits and veggies - one guy went with me and pushed the pace for close to two miles but then the terrain ate him up and he ended up finishing 5th. I was a bit uncertain at times about the course because the signs were at normal eye level and I was always looking down to make sure I did not end up on my tuchas. One downhill was particularly scary where it was a sharp down hill with a u-turn right hand turn in slick mud with a left cant...nearly bit it both times through this section. Another spot I blew past the grass path and ended up adding some distance and running right through the deep, muddy tomato field before finding my way back to the path. Still, I pushed decently throughout this race and was able to stay strong enough to win pretty convincingly. Renee was top women and finished 4th overall. Apparently, last year's winner skipped the entire last section so it'd be interesting to see if I still managed to somehow beat that time. Others should definitely add this to their race calendar!




RESULTS

Statistics:    Calories: 397
VO2 Max: 53.2

Gotta go...

Date:    8/15/2009 8:30 AM
Type:    Race
Course:    Montague Mug Run
Distance:    5.5 miles
Duration:    31:39
Pace:    5:46 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS DST14 (DS Trainer 14)
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 162 / Max: 168
Misc:    Quality: 6/10, Effort: 4/10
Field Placement:    3
Weather:    85° F, Sunny, Humid
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Aug15_Montag_1_set1.shtml
Notes:    Montague, MA - Raced the Montague Mug Run for the first time. Great course! Hilly and hard. Beautiful scenery for running. Stayed with Jesse Reignier and Tim for the first mile and then lost ground on downhills a lot and settled into no-man's land and just enjoyed the run. Legs weren't that peppy today but HR was manageable. Renee kicked butt and won a killer pewter mug. I got some maple syrup and a normal mug.

Results

Statistics:    Calories: 703
VO2 Max: 58.8

Boston to Shelburne Falls to Brewster, MA - If Mike Brown Dowling can find it in him to run for three years without a day off, we can certainly suck it up and honor his accomplishment with two races clear across the state from each other in one day. We started this idea last year when Mike and I were unwilling to skip "our" race that day so we did the math and realized that...it could be done.

This year, Renee opted in on the madness, as well. We had a late scratch from Joe "Airforce" Robinson who called at 5:45 a.m. asking my opinion on whether his participation was a good or bad idea given that he was only on 2 hours sleep and horrendous neck pain. He wanted to know if he'd have plenty of room to stretch out in the car. Ummm....four of us, a german shepherd....a mini cooper...space was not going to be in abundance so he opted for the restorative choice.

So, off we went a little past 6:00 a.m. from Boston and made great time way out west to Shelburne Falls. Still, even with some fast driving we arrived wih just barely enough time for a bathroom, registration, and a minimalist warm-up. Cut it close but we made it. Helped to have a pit crew to hand Byrun off to to switch him over from running dog to spectator dog.








Date:    8/8/2009 9:00 AM
Type:    Race
Course:    Bridge Of Flowers
Distance:    10 kilometers
Duration:    35:30
Pace:    5:43 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS DST14 (DS Trainer 14)
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 153 / Max: 171
Misc:    Quality: 5/10, Effort: 3/10
Field Placement:    16 / 609 (2.6%)
Age group:    20 – 39
Group Placement:    15 / 133 (11.3%)
Weather:    69° F, Sunny
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Aug8_Bridge_set1.shtml
Notes:    Shelburne Falls, MA - Back at the Bridge of Flowers 10K - one of the tougher courses on my annual schedule. The hill during mile three never disappoints. I came in nervous about this race / course given my foot injury that I have battled (and shut-down because of) since June. I was additionally nervous about agreeing to repeat last year's two man / two race / one day series with Mike Dowling that involves heading clear across the state to Brewster on the Cape immediately after the Bridge of Flowers to race the Brew Run (a 5.2M affair). Last year I was healthy and it was probably one of my best days of running as I PR'd at Bridge of Flowers and then popped off a surprising victory at the Brew Run by finishing off the day with a 5:02 mile. This year, I questioned my ability to do either race let alone both. Somehow, it made enough "sense" to do that Renee joined us too to celebrate and honor Mike's streak of 3 straight years of running without missing a day - amazing.

Again, this course is a bear early and then plenty of downhill to follow. The downhill has not been a good thing with my foot...at all. I have mostly jogged downhills because of the pain. However, in the past week the pain has lessened and I have been better. Not normal but better. So, what better way to test?

My plan was to pretty much run Mike's race for the 10K and then see what developed at the Brew Run. Mike and I went out slow in the first mile but had plenty of talent around us. We all seemed shocked at the 5:42 split - it's accurate but it felt like we were running faster. I think the first 800 was especially slow. Makes sense given that we barely had time to warm-up as this year we drove from Boston this morning rather than come in the night before (I'd prefer to return to the night before routine).

The next bit I matched Mike's surges but also watched folks like Kent Lemme pass us by. Then, we hit the hill. I felt like I was crawling but I was able to keep it controlled and prevent any real burn from hitting my legs and just stayed patient on the never-ending climb. Yep - 7:00 mile. Still, that opened up nearly a 30 second lead on Mike.

The steep dirt downhill that followed felt pretty good. I ran reasonably well down it with only minimal foot pain. It hurt more when it turned to pavement so I slowed.

I had ended up in No-Man's Land and just found a very comfortable pace and just rolled the rest of the course without pushing too much. I passed 1 runner and did not get passed.

I was really pleased with the 16th place finish in 35:30 - even if it was more than a minute slower than last year. I really enjoyed this race...

Splits (2009):
Mile 1 - 5:42
Mile 2 - 5:36
Mile 3 - 7:00
Mile 4 - 5:18
Mile 5 - 5:29
Mile 6 - 5:20

Splits (2008):
Mile 1 - 5:21
Mile 2 - 5:29
Miles 3&4 - 12:00
Mile 5 - 5:26
Mile 6 - 5:06

RESULTS

Statistics:    Calories: 794
VO2 Max: 59.7


We spent a little too long in Shelburne Falls before stopping in Deerfield for some Subway (grilled chicken, cookies, Coca Cola, Gatorade, Pretzels, and...a Zinger for Mike).  We hit some gnarly traffic heading across the state to the Cape and only made it because of help from Mike's wife to sign us up and be at the starting line with our bib numbers.  VERY close to missing the race...





Date:    8/8/2009 4:07 PM
Type:    Race
Course:    Brew Run
Distance:    5.2 miles
Duration:    28:08
Pace:    5:25 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS DST14 (DS Trainer 14)
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 157 / Max: 170
Misc:    Quality: 7/10, Effort: 4/10
Field Placement:    3 / 1662 (0.2%)
Age group:    30 – 39
Group Placement:    1
Gender Placement:    3
Weather:    74° F, Sunny
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Aug8_BrewRu_set1.shtml
Notes:    Brewster, MA - Just barely made it to the start of this race. Traffic was brutal travelling from the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls. Thankfully, Suzie registered us and we were able to park at her grandparents, use the bathroom there, then run with Byrun and trade puppy for three bib #s at the starting line as they were announcing 1 minute to go. I was prepared to hold my bib # but it actually ended up being closer to 5 minutes with a long (thankfully) National Anthem.

Had no real strategy other than to stay with the leaders in the first mile and see what developed.

The horn went off and Mike and I quickly set the pace for almost the entire first mile.

Then Brenan Prindiville (fellow but far more talented BAA runner) and Tom Casey (from New York) formed a lead pack of two and I trailed behind hoping to catch lightening. I didn't. I felt OK but not strong enough to reel those two in on this day.

Then, I got passed by Andrew Holmes. As he went by he asked if we had run Bridge of Flowers again this year. I confirmed that we had. He replied, "Sick! Awesome...keep up the good work." I wished him well and he opened up good distance on me. I encouraged him to see if he could catch one of the two leaders. he stayed pretty conservative, though, and just trailed in his own zone but still continued to open up distance on me.

My effort was good but not great. My foot was OK but not normal. I felt a bit complacent (a bad habit when not near the very lead of a race). But, I got my head tough and decided to try to race Andrew once I battled through some of the hillier miles. I kept the slightest of contact through the middle miles and then started to gain some traction on the final uphill before the final mile.

I caught him with less than a mile to go and then focussed in on just keeping a steady, solid pace and hoping it wouldn't require an all-out kick. I had more there but I remain tentative as I am just starting to edge toward some semblance of running health (at least running without every single step hurting). It was enough to regain third and cross the line with an encouraging 28:08 (this one only 35 seconds slower than last year).

Both Mike and Renee kicked butt. I did enough to clinch the two man/ two race / one day series.

Splits 2009:
Mile 1 - 5:13 (160/166);
Mile 2 - 5:24 (149/166);
Mile 3 - 5:31 (162/167);
Mile 4 - 5:36 (162/167);
Mile 5 - 5:13 (167/170)


Splits 2008:
Mile 1 - 5:14 (156/165);
Mile 2 - 5:18 (167/171);
Mile 3 - 5:24 (168/171);
Mile 4 - 5:22 (170/173);
Mile 5 - 5:01 (173/175)

RESULTS

Statistics:    Calories: 665
VO2 Max: 63.0

Gotta go...

Date:    7/30/2009 7:30 PM
Type:    Race
Course:    Marsh Post 4.2
Distance:    4.2 miles
Duration:    22:31
Pace:    5:22 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS DST14 (DS Trainer 14)
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 166 / Max: 176
Misc:    Quality: 3/10, Effort: 3/10
Field Placement:    3 / 1092 (0.3%)
Weather:    87° F, Humid, Partly Cloudy
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Jul30_JerryG_set1.shtml
Notes:    Cambridge, MA - Back at the 2009 Lets Run Summer Series. Came into the event trailing 2 points and came out trailing 4. It is somewhat moot given that I can't make the August 20th race because of a work conflict that has me out of town. Still, the injury remains the story.

This continues to be a lost summer of running. Too bad...

Went out conservative and watched Chad Carr quickly disappear. He coasted to an easy pair of shoes as he went unchallenged.

I started in second for a bit and then in the first mile Todd Callaghan went by me. I wanted to stay conservative to avoid any injury setback. Chris George came flying by me shortly thereafter.

I started to loosen and feel better so I just hung comfortably about 15 steps off of Chris and let him decide the strategy. If he picked it up, I picked it up. If he slowed, I slowed. We stayed like this right until the final turn a little more than a mile out when Chris made a strong move coming off the last bridge. I picked it up to match his surge and then quickened my pace a bit to pull even with Chris. I decided to stay there for a few steps and see if I could convince Chris to pick it up. He wanted no part so I left and gave gentle chase to Todd. I gained on him well but it would have taken more effort than I wanted to fully close the deal and it wasn't worth the risk.

Good step in the return from injury program.

RESULTS

Statistics:    Calories: 537
VO2 Max: 62.9

Gotta go...

Date:    7/28/2009 6:25 PM
Type:    Race
Course:    Yankee Homecoming 5K
Distance:    5 kilometers
Duration:    16:56
Pace:    5:28 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS DST14 (DS Trainer 14)
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 165 / Max: 174
Misc:    Quality: 3/10, Effort: 2/10
Field Placement:    10 / 1512 (0.7%)
Age group:    30 – 39
Group Placement:    2 / 60 (3.3%)
Gender Placement:    10 / 709 (1.4%)
Weather:    90° F, Sunny, Humid
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Jul28_Yankee_set1.shtml
Notes:    Newburyport, MA - Made the wise decision to stick to the 5K again this year. I am not in-shape for longer and my injury remains a current factor. No way I would have held up for 10M.

Never really got into a race mode tonight. Went out comfortable in 5:10 and was low effort. Could not take advantage of the flat that well as right foot felt week and I was a bit one-legged. Not limping just not driving off the right foot. Was in about 15th place at the mile with a solid pack out in front.

Was concerned on the downhill in mile two and got passed a bunch as I was cautious again on the downhill. Then, struggled to pick-up the pace through the downtown section and just coasted comfortable.



Foot felt better in the third mile but the uphill and my place at the time (along with the heat) kept me from really doing much more than maintain my tempo effort.

Coasted over the top of the hill and just eased it in with a little sprint once I hit the final grass.

Nothing too exciting...




Ran 1 minute and 5 seconds slower than last year and finished 8 places lower. Finished 10th / 2nd in age-group.

Renee ran well and finished 2nd overall with a few ticks quicker than last year.

My HR was low today - maybe fast will be there once foot starts cooperating.

SPLITS:

Mile 1 - 5:10(159/165);
Mile 2 - 5:04(165/168);
Mile 3 - 6:02(170/174)

RESULTS

Statistics:    Calories: 397
VO2 Max: 60.5

Gotta go...

Date:    7/23/2009 7:00 PM
Type:    Race
Course:    Marathon Sports 5 Miler
Distance:    5 miles
Duration:    28:05
Pace:    5:37 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS DST14 (DS Trainer 14)
Weight:    169 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 161 / Max: 172
Misc:    Quality: 6/10, Effort: 2/10
Field Placement:    30 / 961 (3.1%)
Age group:    30 – 39
Group Placement:    7
Gender Placement:    30
Weather:    63° F, Rain, Humid
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Jul23_Marath_set1.shtml
Notes:    Weston, MA - Back to the Marathon Sports Five miler after last year conflicted with Jim Kane. Foot has just started feeling less painful (still pain but getting better) so I decided a very cautious approach to the evening was in order. This course has a similar profile to the 5K in Lexington where I hurt my foot to begin with so I decided to jog all downhills, run uphills easy, and pace out the flats a bit. Mission accomplished.

Not much too report or much drama. Just chilled and enjoyed. Rainy night. Felt very good the first mile and the last two. Middle miles were hilly and I held way back to keep foot safe.

Still, very pleased with a 28:05 at an average HR of 161 (max 172). To put in perspective:

2007 - 26:36 (175/181)
2006 - 27:23 (173/178)
2005 - 28:17 (173/179)

So, my average HR the past three times I have raced here was higher than my maximum this time. Slower time seems pretty explainable.



(Photo from 2009 Race)


(Photo from 2004 race)

Splits:

Mile 1 - 5:27(154/162)
Mile 2 - 5:42(162/167)
Mile 3 - 5:50(157/163)
Mile 4 - 5:36(162/167)
Mile 5 - 5:26(168/172)

Starting to feel optimistic. If I can string a few weeks together in the right trajectory, all will be fine in my running world.

RESULTS

Statistics:    Calories: 639
VO2 Max: 60.2


Gotta go...

Date:    7/16/2009 6:30 PM
Type:    Race
Course:    Jim Kane Sugar Bowl
Distance:    5 miles
Duration:    28:28
Pace:    5:42 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS DST14 (DS Trainer 14)
Weight:    175 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 170 / Max: 183
Misc:    Quality: 4/10, Effort: 5/10
Field Placement:    12 / 1216 (1%)
Age group:    30 – 34
Group Placement:    3 / 101 (3%)
Gender Placement:    12
Weather:    78° F, Sunny, Windy, Humid
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Jul16_SugarB_set1.shtml
Notes:    Boston, MA - The Annual Jim Kane Sugar Bowl. A course that is slow for a flat, fast course. By most measurements each year it is approximately 5.14M. The race director refuses to acknowledge that the turnaround mile (2 to 3) is long because the cone is too far. This year my pacing was all over anyway so the data is less compelling but in years past it is pretty clear.

Goal for this race was simple: Start, Finish, and Not Hurt Myself. Nothing more. I started very comfortable and was happy with the way my foot / peroneus longus felt. Not pain-free but reasonably good foot function. I did not at all feel like I was racing. Effort was easy and pacing not horrible. HR was a comfortable 157/ 166 for the first mile.

I caught up to the lead women and encouraged the BAA girl to chase after the girl in black. She eventually caught her and won the race. What I didn't know was the othe girl was also a new BAA runner. Oh well.

After that I really just coasted and waited for people to die. People did and I moved up throughout the race and did not get passed. I didn't dig in for effort at all.

With about two miles to go, Chris George came into sight in the distance. I assumed he would keep pace and that was that. He didn't. With 3/4 of a mile to go he really slowed up and I caught him with 800 to go. I promised myself no kick. It was funny because with 3/4 to go, Chris looked back and laughed. I thought that meant he knew I was there and would kick to keep me behind. He didn't. So, an old crippled man stumbled on by (me). My HR was high in the last mile so the lack of fitness was pretty evident.

Mostly, I was real glad to make it through unscathed and hope I am going in the right direction.

I finished 12th overall and took him a very small trophy for 3rd in my age.


Splits:

5:36 (157/166), 5:44 (168/171), 11:37 (173/177) (they didn't have 4M), 5:29 (179/183)
Statistics:    Calories: 662
VO2 Max: 59.2

RESULTS

Gotta go...

Date:    7/11/2009 9:30 AM
Type:    Race
Course:    Outdoor Track 5K
Distance:    5 kilometers
Duration:    16:09
Pace:    5:12 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS Gel-Bandito (Bandito)
Weight:    175 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 175 / Max: 187
Misc:    Quality: 4/10, Effort: 7/10
Field Placement:    4 / 11 (36.4%)
Age group:    19 – 99
Weather:    75° F, Sunny
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Jul11_2009Ba_set5.shtml
Notes:    Cambridge, MA (MIT) - BayState Games 5K Final. Excited to be racing and foot has felt good the past couple days. I was the unearned #1 seed for this race (having been on crutches for the Metro qualifier and the Northeast qualifier being cancelled on the sunniest day of the summer due to potential thunderstorms - so my "history" at BayState and other events gave me an OK to to fill an empty slot in the event).

I honestly had no idea as to what to expect. I have run very little in the past month and just got a little consistency (with pain) the past 10 days and no pain the past day. It was sunny and hot and I certainly was not prepared for that.

Had pole position to start. Two kids quickly stepped in front of me at the start (not that sure why) so I popped into lane two, passed, and took the early lead. It felt very very comfortable. I figured I could at least be helpful to Mike and Joe early and get the race sorted out sooner than later.

That proved to be the case as I stayed in the lead through the mile in a very comfortable 5:05 first mile. Then the heat started to get to me a tad.

Then the pack of Brouillette, some 20 year old who ran well, Mike, and Joe passed me by and I decided to just stay back. I definitely felt the lack of training (and tempos) and also had my foot in my head (better than my ass) for the rest of the race. I was a bit uncertain about running in the racing flats (with heel cups) and this proved to be a mistake as my foot got beaten up by this event. These flats have hundreds of miles on them and are dead.

I thought about dropping out a number of times but then wanted to just see how it would shake-out. Joe and Mike had opened up some distance on me. I kept thinking that top four get a jacket so I kind of thought about who I might be able to pick off over the last mile and holding off anyone from behind (it actually was top 6 who got apparel).

Mike started to look like I felt. So, I went up to him and tried to get him to run with me. He wanted no part. I still really felt he would come back and blow by me over the final 800.

I started gaining on Joe but I promised myself absolutely no kick under any circumstance - so I left him be. Hell, he would have had more in him had I approached him. I wish I could have helped him to get under 16 but I was mostly concerned with not hurting myself.

So, my foot really flared up right after. This is the first run during this injury that has irritated it and I'm pretty sure the flats were the reason (stupid on my part). I didn't cool down after so as not to risk irritating further and I iced and rolled it immediately. So good progress as the day progressed.

Funny note from the day: There was a sophomore from Tufts in the race who dropped out at the two mile mark. He explained that he started doing his mileage math during the race and realized that the 5K would put him at 61 miles for the week and he was only supposed to do 60 this week so he stopped right at the two mile mark so he didn't hurt himself. OK...

RESULTS

Statistics:    Calories: 411
VO2 Max: 63.9


Gotta go...

Date:    6/28/2009 9:00 AM
Type:    Race
Course:    New Charles River Run
Distance:    1.8 miles
Duration:    13:00
Pace:    7:14 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS DST14 (DS Trainer 14)
Weight:    178 lb
Notes:    Cambridge, MA - Failed attempt at running at the New Charles River Run. Did a bit of a warm-up and then headed to the start (armed with bib #1 but not prepared to compete to earn it). Plan was to start easy and then pick it up a bit as I went. There were 4-5 fast college kids out front. Instead, my foot felt off enough after a half mile that I just pulled off the course. No sharp pain but didn't seem like it was the right thing to do to head back to normalcy. Maybe this week I can do some light running here or there but it's still not real runable. It feels fine at tennis and walking is OK but sustained running isn't great yet. Summer racing not looking great...
Statistics:    Calories: 242
VO2 Max: 41.8

Gotta go...

Date:    6/18/2009 7:30 PM
Type:    Race
Course:    Marsh Post 5.0 Miler
Distance:    5 miles
Duration:    27:52
Pace:    5:35 / mile
Equipment:    ASICS DST14 (DS Trainer 14)
Weight:    178 lb
Heart Rate:    Average: 167 / Max: 172
Misc:    Quality: 3/10, Effort: 2/10
Field Placement:    3 / 802 (0.4%)
Weather:    65° F, Rain
Event URL:    coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Jun18_Reggae_set1.shtml
Notes:    Cambridge, MA - I have never been less certain about even starting a race than I was this evening. As background, I hurt myself on Sunday at a 5K race in Lexington. It was a perfect storm for injury - pushing mileage limits on all of my shoes in the rotation (my entire inventory had aged out on me), minimal pool running (too nice out and tennis is so damn fun), lack of sleep and too much walking (hello, puppy Byrun), 10-12 hours of car riding in the last 24 hours (trip to Long Island for an overnight with traffic), and racing in Nike Frees on a hilly course (couldn't make it home to get my real racers - which have 450+ miles anyway). So, yeah, not surprisingly I hurt my plantar fascia in my right foot.

The injury left me unable to walk on Monday so I went to the doctor. I was given crutches, some Ibuprofen, an Rx for Physical Therapy, and an order for X-Rays. I skipped the X-Rays and headed right to Peter Stone at Post Physical Therapy first thing Tuesday morning. I was not enjoying disabled life. Trust me, it is not easy to walk a puppy and move a motorcycle while trying to make a bus within a 15 minute timespan when on crutches.

Peter Stone confirmed my self-diagnosis that this was not a stress fracture and not an over-use fascitis situation. Already by Tuesday my foot function was starting to return so Peter felt strongly that this was a strain and not a tear. One thing was clear - I would not be racing the BayState Game Track qualifiers that evening. But the question quickly turned to Thursday and the second race in the Let's Run Summer Series. Peter said it wasn't entirely out of the question but it would take a lot of icing, massage, e-stim, and tape. So began the Crutch to 5 Miler program...

I hit the pool a bit and that felt good. I remained on crutches until Wednesday but started to fatigue on the crutches. My arm pits were raw, my shoulders so tired. After PT on Wednesday, I waited for the bus home and just as it was arriving, they did an evacuation drill at the Prudential Center and shut-down the road where my bus stop was. I tried to catch the bus on the crutches but was too slow...

I made it most of the way home on crutches before my arms just hurt too much. I decided to test my foot out. It hurt but was much better than Monday and Tuesday. I walked the remainder of the way home, gingerly, and put the crutches in the closet with some hesitation.

I was pretty clear in my head that I would not be racing on Thursday. I woke-up Thursday morning and again had some progress on the healing. I had a PT appointment scheduled for 4:45pm where Peter Stone would treat my foot, tape it, and give me the go/no go to even do a warm-up before the race to see if it was runable. I passed his test with strict instructions to warm-up no more than 8 minutes, to stop and walk if I began limping at all, and to run very conservatively with small, short strides.

I put my race uniform on beneath my jeans and shirt and headed to the race. I had splurged on a new pair of DS Trainers (version 14 fixed the toe box) and felt like I at least had the tools to keep the risk more minimal. I also had significant doubts that I was ready and wished I had about 5 more days to heal up.

About 20 minutes before the race I set out to do my 8 minute warm-up / test run. It did not feel wonderful and about 3 minutes in I ran into Tom Szumitza heading back from his warm-up and I turned around with him. At that moment, I had decided not to run tonight. But as I was running with Tom, it started to loosen up and I was running with a balanced stride. I spoke with the race officials and I knew that I had the option to walk the 2.5 mile course if things went wrong and at least get the participation bonus points but that would still essentially end my reign at this event.

So, I quietly headed to the starting line. No strides, no stretching - just questions. A number of things lined up well for me at the starting line. First, Lou Rafetto had just become a proud father and this rightly slipped on his priority list so he was a no-show. John Colavincenzo was unable to make-it. Mike Brown-Dowling's wife won tickets to the Red Sox game and was racing Mt. Washington on Saturday so he decided to head to rainy Fenway. Greg Picklesimer was battling a busy schedule and still not feeling 100% so he no-showed. Chad Carr was hear to battle but was running Mt. Washington and would be content to just be ahead of me. Eric Narcissi showed and was the favorite to win and combined with my injury and Chad's desire to save it for Saturday would be given the uncontested show victory tour. So, as I eyeballed the starting line, it became clear to me that I could some out of this still in the mix in the standings if I could hold off the Chris Georges of the world. This, of course, would require at least some ability to run a decent pace safely.

The race started and Eric was gone. Chad hung back with me and a few others as we went super slow. I think Chad wanted to go as slow as he could while still remaining the leader in the standings. I hung near him but was pretty clear that he could go faster and I should not. Chris was breathing down my neck and I started to wonder if Chris was gonna light my old ass up on this rainy night.

Most importantly, my foot felt stable enough. I had no desire to push the pace. Too slow hurt more. So, I found a moderate effort pace that seemed safe and just tried to keep an eye on Chad to make sure he didn't sneak attack Eric and put two points on me and an ear toward Chris to make sure I didn't allow him to put another point on me.

This course is really flat which made a big difference in being able to run this. The spots that scared me were a grass downhill (I nearly walked) and a turn off a bridge that I crept to a crawl around. The rest was alright.

So, eventually, five miles came and went and I finished 3rd in the race. This puts me two points behind Chad Carr for the series lead with three races to go. Chad is a talented and smart runner who seems to do a great job of racing consistently well and staying healthy. This will not be an easy series to win for me. But, to go from crutches at the start of the week to still being in the mix and no worse for wear by the end of the week I really couldn't ask for anything more.

Now, time to heal up and then start training again...

Results

Gotta go...
Statistics:    Calories: 673
VO2 Max: 60.7