I haven't seen the results yet, but it look like we had a really good showing last night. I was satisfied with my performance, but I think my shin might be a casualty. I can't remember when it's hurt this bad. It doesn't have any affect on me while racing...only after and of course during training. I don't think I'll run today and, under my mother's instructions, will ice 3-4x a day and take cocaine...errrr advil for the pain. The weather, I thought, was still warm...certainly not as bad as year's past.
ROUND UP
- I know that Matias ran a PR...not bad for a guy training for THREE different sports at the same time. I heard it was a sub-27 minute effort, right?
- Allen Carr, IMHO, ran his best race of the year/season. 25:45?
- Dwyer ran what he wanted to run...seems like a good start for the "Road to Boston '08" 5:20 pace?
- Wiggy is sneaky fast and seems to get faster the less he runs! He will really be a factor once he gets some mileage under his belt. 25:30s
- $teve ran 27:30...almost half a minute faster than his last 8k.
- "That Guy" Matt Ernst ran 32 low...as did Megan.
- Scott was somewhere in the 27s too...finally he is getting back into the game.
- I heard Dawn ran a stellar time...again, no results yet. 31 minutes?
- Dane ran 30:07...a HUGE PR!
- Max was somewhere circa 27:50
- AND across the river, Christiam PR'd in the 800m. His 2:06 (31, 62, 1:34) should be a huge mental/physical boost as he attempts to PR in the mile run on Wednesday. I think he'll run 4:38ish.
- AND across the river, Christiam PR'd in the 800m. His 2:06 (31, 62, 1:34) should be a huge mental/physical boost as he attempts to PR in the mile run on Wednesday. I think he'll run 4:38ish.
I'll post my "official" race report under comments later...how about you?
PHOTO FROM SOME OTHER YEAR
7 comments:
Race: Rockville Twilight 8K
Wx: a lil humid, high 70s or low 80s...start time - 8:45pm
Goal: See what type of shape I am in...happy with a sub-26 minute effort
Grandma's Marathon was 5 weeks ago. My first 3 weeks back consisted of 25-35 mpw, last week I ran 60 and this week I took it easy. My legs were feeling very heavy and "off" but I finally got through that last week. My left shin, hurting since April, is really starting to bother me. The pain comes and goes and I have good days and bad days...mostly good. It's hard to determine if pain is shin splints or sore muscles near the shin. My shins have been bothering me for more than 10 years and I lost 6 mos of training due to this same problem 5 years ago.
Anyyyyyway, the race was stacked with great runners. The goal was to simply run a race and create a platform to start from. I've run this race 4 times since 2002 and my best time was a 26:44 (from last year). I usually go out in 5 minutes and crumble to the asphalt between miles 3 & 4. The leaders went out super fast I worked my way up to my teammate Joe and started to push through miles 1 (5:00) and 2 (10:09). We passed a small handful of runners before Joe pushed on ahead. I tried to stay with him but the pace was killing me. A couple of guys passed me before mile 3 but I soon snapped out of it and started to throw in subtle surges in order to stay in the race and keep with the guys around me. At mile 3 (15:20) my left shoe lace came undone. The lace is about 6 ft long and was whipping around both my legs...I felt like I was jumping rope. I was furious but I didn't want to stop and tie it. The flat was still tight around my foot so I figured I'd gamble and avoid other runner's feet. Just before mile 4, I started to push up the hills and caught some guys. I had a new drive and I wanted to use it. I hit mile 4 in 20:45ish and began to hammer home. The last mile is basically downhill and usually you can roll pretty good on it. I did my best to "kick" but I really was lacking the wheels. I maintained contact with the guys ahead of me, but then a pack of 4 or 5 guys rolled up on my shoulder. I started to kick hard now (about a 1/2 mile to go) more so that they didn't step on my shoe lace. Our pack passed two other guys and then the pack splintered and it became an all out sprint to the line. I finished up at 25:55 and in 30th place. There were 130 people under 30 minutes! I've grown to know a lot of the runners in the DC area, but I've never even heard of half the guys who finished ahead of me...DC is getting faster and faster.
I was happy with my time, but my shin feels worse than ever. When I finished I took off my shoe and pain shot up through my ankle...yikes. I drank a cool beer, iced, stretched and then cooled down a mile...then drank more beer. The pain seemed to ease away. I took Sunday off and hiked but my shin even hurt after that. I iced for an hour and took some advil...not sure where to go from here. I either stop and rest, ice, advil for a few days then ice, ice, ice, rest, rest, rest or I try to hammer through it. I've been hammering through if for the past 4 months, but I think the pain has reached a new level. I would like to avoid a stress fracture, but really don't want to take major time (1-2 months) off again.
Kudos to everyone. What a great race!
If you care to read my recap, please do so here:
http://danerunsalot.blogspot.com/2007/07/rockville-twilighter-8k.html
Race report - I was a bit nervous the days leading up to Twilighter
since my running had taken a back seat to biking/swimming and my tempo run
last Wednesday along the canal did not go as well as planned. But when
the G'town team got together for warm up, all those butterflies and
fears on how the run muscles would perform went away.
It felt great to warm up together, all of us out on a Saturday night
doing the things we enjoy - testing our limits and always demanding more
out of our bodies. Not what most would consider "fun".
My goal - go out in 5:20 and run around 27:15. That fourth mile had
done me in at past Twilighters, so this year I was determined to get the
better of it. Dwyer wanted to go out in 5:20 as well, great we could
work together.
Before the gun, I could tell Wiggy was going to run well. He was
jumping all around at the starting line, like a greyhound waiting to be
released. I glanced over at Dwyer, he looked calm and collected, as if it
was time to go to work and put some miles in the bank.
The gun went off and yes, it felt like a storm. A sea of runners
fighting for position, it always seems like a race within a race to the first
turn. I quickly settled into pace and found myself next to JD, and
then $$$$$. What a great feeling. Like a team of soldiers regrouping after
the initial explosion. We went through in 5:20, it felt good, so I
decided to test the hills and lead an attack through the next mile.
5:21. Perfecto. The second mile took a lot out of me, but at the same
time felt getting stronger as the race went on. 5:20 for the third mile,
the time was right to attack the fourth mile. I picked it up through
the MC parking lot whipping around the turns, and then made the final
turn towards 355. This stretch is decievingly difficult because it's not
steep, but seems to go on and on and on...
At this point Dwyer went by, so effortlessly. Like a cyclist who's in
distress up a hill, he was the wheel I so desparately wanted to stick
to. I continued to fight that last stretch, but my heart rate was through
the roof... but if I could just make it to Rockville Pike, then the
time would be right to open up the sails and let 'er rip.
5:32. Not bad, the mile took a few swings at me, but not the knockout
punch like past years. Now it was time to roll. A Jon Wiess look-a-like
went by me wearing a similar jersey as the G'town running one, but with
a Falls Church logo on the back. I told myself I wasn't going to get
past by some Jon Wiess phony. So I made a surge, Jon Wiess surged back,
so I tested him again. We made the turn off the pike and I surged
again. Bodies were flying everywhere, runners digging deep for that last
stretch, that last burst of energy you get when you get a glimpse of the
balloons at the finish.
Faux Wiess was left in the dust. Ended in 26:45 and very pleased. Dwyer
must have run a sub 5 last mile, which is a sign of good things to
come. He's almost convinced me to do Boston next year, but I have to
remind myself to take it one "marathon" at a time.
Matias
My expectations were very low going into this. my back was hurting quite a bite from moving the past two days, but my legs were fine. After 14 years of competing, I knew, for me, this was not a race to race- but rather to test the water. I'm not in shape and my mind is not sharp. Been in a bit of a trough since end of may, and I know I won't be able to get consistent until the fall. (weddings for the next 5 weekends- and I want to enjoy them). So, 5:20s would put me at about last year's time- stuck to the plan through 3 miles with local celeberty- Matias, and kept the effort for the 4th mile- but as it is uphill- the time was slow... rolled through the last mile- I think it was comfortably under 5 and was pleased to run 13 seconds faster than last year. nice to know my base is better, and if I can just keep up the base for the next two months- I will feel poised to have a good fall, winter, and boston marathon campaign.
I gave Dane a hard time the other day for running so many races. Told him he has to have a goal. Sorry Dane, just messin with ya. No harm intended.
I do think all of you should focus on a distance, whatever that might be, to call your own. I am focusing on the marathon. I am not like you guys in that I am not one to push myself to the limits in a 5 or 10k. Jake describes these races as a border line torcher test. using words like i was near death and such.
I am going to use the shorter races to help me improve my technique and as speed sessions, in preparation for the marathon. Even during my marathon, i like to run even and pain free.
this is just me, however. curious as to what others think about identifying an ideal distance that suits them.
Max
Can't identify an ideal distance unless you try them, right?
Unlike most of you, I didn't run prior to the recent pass. I played rugby, swam and acquired an amateur record in boxing. I am still learning!
Talking about different distances, here's a recap of my 800m race this past saturday:
The plan was to shoot for 2:06, with a 62 second first lap and I did exactly that. My splits for each 200 were 31, 62, 1:34 and 2:06.
I felt pretty comfortable after 300m and I went after the leaders (was in 5th-6th place at the beginning of the race and then got to 3rd after the first 400m). At 500m one of the leaders made a slight push to get away and I decided his time was over and went after him. With 200m to go I passed him on the inside lane while another guy passed him on the outside lane and then it was a fight for 1st place... the other guy got a good start at changing gears and I felt I tensed up a bit in the final straightaway (I think I didn't use my arms as much as the other guy), although my leg turnover seemed quicker than his (video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3416118827302171616&hl=en)
Next up, mile race tomorrow. Goal: sub 4:40.
Then a 2 mile race on 08/03/07 and a road 5k on 08/07/07
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