Shamrock Run 8K (a.k.a. Careful What You Wish For)

I've been complaining about the cold weather hampering my outdoor running for most of the winter. I've begged Mother Nature to give me anything above 32. Today she delivered. I guess I wasn't specific enough, because with the 45 degrees, she also gave me rain and a ridiculous wind ( somewhere in the 25-30mph range, with gusts of 35+).

The first 3 miles of this race delivered a nice pace for me. I was at a 6:30ish pace. However, at the 3 mile marker we turned into the wind and rain. When I say turned into it, I really mean right into the teeth of the storm. My pace dropped from a 6:30 to a 7:20 instantly. I tried to find some shelter by tucking close behind some other runners, but this was of little relief. The rain turned to little jagged balls of ice at one point. Delightful. Certain gusts actually stood me up and I felt as though I was actually moving backwards. At 4.25 or so, we finally turned away from the wind and I was able to manage a 6:38 pace for the final mile.

I'm certainly pleased with my performance, given the circumstances, but I really need some better running weather.

Mother Nature: I request 35-45, 5 mph winds or less and sun. I know, it is a lot to ask especially in Buffalo.

Mileage: 4.98
Time/Pace: 33:33/6:43
Avg HR/Max HR: 161/178

12/312 in age group, 94/3439 overall

YMCA Turkey Trot

Brrrr....Shi.shi.shivveerrrrrr....

New strategy this year. GET CLOSER TO THE FRONT!

I slipped in a few rows back of the front row. Great decision! I encountered none of the bottlenecking that I had in previous trots. My goal today was a "simple" 6:30 pace. 4 days after the marathon, I am showing no signs of fatigue or soreness. Well, at least not until I started running.

Within the first mile, I was feeling terribly winded, much more so than usual. About midway through mile 2, I just shut it down. My heart was racing much too high and I was just feeling sluggish. Oh well, marathon hangover?

Totals
Mileage: 5.00
Time/Pace: 38:31/7:45
Avg HR/Max HR: 190/211 (yikes!!)
Elevation: 78ft
T/W: high 30's, light drizzle, cold

Not my best 8K, but definitely the best Trot time, I've had in 4 years. What's next...rest and then back to training next week! New goals, new races, stay tuned....

Shamrock Run 8K

I ran it. It felt good. Things are good...whew....

I was feeling a bit skeptical on whether or not to run this race today. I hadn't run since Sunday and I've been worried about my hip. I woke up this morning and it felt pretty good, so I headed out.

I was thinking about trying to run a 7:45 pace, nothing too intense, just trying to get my legs under me. The start was a bit interesting. I was standing there, just like always, except I was only two rows or so from the start line. Without warning the gun went off, and we were off. Mile 1 rolled off almost too easy, 7:31. Mile 2, the same 7:33. I tried to slow down, but it felt really good, so I just went with it. Then the turn onto Seneca St, Mile 3. There was a fairly strong headwind that did nothing for my pace, 7:46. Mile 4 started to hurt and still mostly heading into the wind or sometimes a cross wind, 7:56. I started too fast!!! I was able to pick it up at the end for a 7:27.

I'm disappointed about going against my plan, starting out too fast and not being able to hold it throughout. However, I am very pleased with how I finished and even happier that my hip issues were more than manageable. As far as pain, it never was above a 3 out of 10. I am hoping that the next 24 hours will not reveal any new pain and I'm staying optimistic.

Mileage: 4.97
Time: 38:00/7:39
Avg HR: 168

Age Group: 46 out of 221
Overall: 427 out of 3541

As far as the Shamrock Run all together, it is a pretty cool event. It reminded me of a Bills tailgate party, minus the Bills. With an estimated 5,000 runners, it is truly an event. Next year, we will be tailgating!

YMCA Turkey Trot 8K

EPIC DISASTER...

That's the only way to describe it. I was pumped up for this race. I feel as though I've made a ton of progress this year and thought I'd be able to tear through this one. Sadly, it wasn't to be.

What went wrong? I underestimated two things...

1) The crowd. With a record 12,000 people registered, I planned for a slow start. I tried to get to the front of the group, but still didn't cross the start line until almost 2 minutes after the gun. I didn't start my watch until I crossed the line, but it was still SLOW! Rather than taking this in stride, I got anxious and began to weave my way through the crowd. BIG MISTAKE! This takes up so much energy. Speed up, slow down, quick jerk to the right, jump over the curb, pretty much everything except keeping a straight line. This continued through the first 1.5 miles, until the crowd began to spread out.

2) The pesky little climb. The uphill on Delaware Ave, is much more deceiving than it looks. I've run this race twice before and have run a couple other races this year on this stretch of road and it still surprises me every time. Add this to the weaving, and I was done.

Another odd thing happened during this race. My heart rate went through the roof. I looked down to check it around the 2 mile mark, because it felt as though it was unusually high and to my horror it read 210!! I'm not sure if I was experiencing some technical issues with my gear or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was close, because it sure felt like it.

Anyways, again I've been humbled by a race and shown exactly how much further I need (and want) to progress in my quest for a fitter life.

Mileage: 5.01
Time/Pace: 45:23/9:03
Avg HR: 197 (questionable)

So, I guess for now I'll eat my words...and a juicy steak! (turkey is so last decade). Happy Thanksgiving.