Race 4: Success and failure in Boalsburg

For those of you who slept in this morning, it wasn't raining when the sun and I got up. That started just as I got to the starting line in Boalsburg.

This is a big, crowded race: over 300 runners, and lots of spectators. I don't think I ever ran a race with spectators: that was weird.

The race started out fairly level. In order to hit my goal of 30:30, I needed to keep a pace of 7:38, which is really pushing it for me, especially for a course I didn't know. I'd heard the last half was mostly downhill, so I wanted to negative-split. I crossed the first mile marker in 7:45, which was just about where I wanted to be. Then the first big climb began.

The race ran up to the top of Main Street and then back down. I struggled a bit, but I made it, and turned around to see a vast sea of runners still climbing up. I settled into a good rhythm on the way down, and crossed the 2 mile maker at 8:05. So I knew I needed to get moving if I still wanted to make that goal. Then came Bailey Lane. This is a long, long hill that many had warned me about. In fact, someone had mentioned that it's a gradual climb, and then it has a steep bit right near the top. Apparently I forgot about this...

I started up the hill feeling pretty good. I had a good stride going, and I was tired but still strong. I pressed on and on, and soon I could see the turn-around for that road ahead of me. Then I hit the steep part. I totally lost it. I just could not get the air into my lungs. For the first time in my life, I had to walk for a part of a race. I walked about 20 steps, just long enough to get my lungs back, and started running again.

When I hit that turn-around, I knew it was all downhill from there. I had time to make up, so I started to quicken the pace. Just past the bottom of the hill was the 3-mile mark. Somehow, I'd covered that section in 8:06, despite the huge hill and my momentary muscle failure. I kept going, fatigue plaguing me, struggling to keep the wheels turning.

Just then a petite woman passed me, going at a good clip. I realized that she was doing everything right that I was not: she was standing up straight, shoulders up, and lifting her knees. That was just the reminder I needed to pull my form together, and close out strong. (I found her after the race and thanked her, BTW.) Suddenly I found myself passing people again, my strides getting longer and quicker. I turned the last corner and could see the finish. I heard someone coming up behind me. "No way," I thought, and found another gear. I heard him say to me "you got it," and he was right. In the last hundred yards I found still another gear, and passed a few more people.

I crossed the line in 29:53. I was in disbelief. I checked my watch: 6:05. Could I have really run that last mile in 6:05? Could I have really finished so far ahead of my goal? Soon enough, I had my answer. I finished in 101st place, 13th in my age group, in a field of over 320 runners. They had calculated my pace at 7:52. So the race was in fact shorter than four miles: it's more like 3.8 miles. Had I kept that pace for a full four miles, my final time would have been about 31:15. But then again I was accelerating at the finish, so who knows?

I do know that the fact that I finished so strong meant I was more than strong enough to run the entire thing. My failure to do that proves again that running is as much about mental toughness than about physical condition. I won't make that mistake again.

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Pre-race prep

In the information sheet for the Boalsburg race, it says you can "avoid the rush" by picking up your race packet today, the day before the race. (Your race packet typically includes your T-shirt, your number and a bunch of coupons.) Since the race is at 8:30 a.m., and Boalsburg is about a half-hour's drive from here, I figured, "yeah, I'll just do that."

So I drove to Boalsburg, and found the place where they had the packets. But apparently, they are using microchips instead of numbers, and they are only handing those out on race day. They woman said, "be sure to get here before 8, because it gets pretty crazy." So I drove all the way out to Boalsburg, and all I get is a lousy T-shirt which I could have gotten tomorrow anyway! (Actually it's a pretty nice T-shirt, but that's hardly the point, is it?)

I did get a look at the course. There's some long hills. My previous 30:30 goal may be a bit optimistic. But it's already out there in the universe, so I'll stick with it.

The rest of the day I did yardwork, and then I did my usual day-before-race yoga practice. I am feeling a bit tired this evening, but I think I'm ready.

Race 3 Summary: Black Moshanon 5K

Or, "How I Almost Ran the Wrong Race."

I awoke to beautiful sunlight Saturday morning. But it was chilly: in the mid 40's I'd say (roughly 4.3 Celsius). Now I understand that some people like cool temperatures to run in, and they are certainly entitled to their crazy, nonsensical opinions. I, however, like it hot.

The Black Moshanon race is actually two races, there's a 10K and a 5K. The 10K is the main event, so all the directions, course descriptions, etc., relate to that. There is nothing that says where the 5K starts or finishes. So I'd asked a few people where I was supposed to go, and they directed me to the parking area by the beach. I did find the starting line, but it said "10K Start." OK, so where's the 5K start? 5 kilometers up the road? So I asked around some more, and finally someone directed me back to the other side of the lake. This was at like 9:50, or ten minutes before race time. So I got warm hustling over there.



I had no idea what the course was like, but my goal for this race was to get under 24 minutes. The initial part looked relatively flat, and it turned out the rest of the course was as well. This was the biggest group I'd run in: about 120 people.

I got out quickly, but it took me a while to get into a flow because it was so chilly. (Also some damn kid almost tripped me at the start.) I passed this wooden block on the road that said "1." I guessed that was one mile. I checked my watch: 6:23. OK, there's no freakin' way I ran a 6:23 mile. I little further up the road they had a water station. I passed that around 7:20, and I imagine that was actually the first mile.

The course went up this road, around a cul-de-sac, and back. The leaders passed me about 2 minutes before I reached the turn-around. Usually, that would make me pick up the pace, and it did a little, but I held back a little because I didn't know what more to expect. I knew the finish line was at the bottom of a hill, but I also knew at some point I had to go up some of that hill as well. I began to realize just how much downhill it had been going out, because I was starting to tire running back. I passed some people, some people passed me, and suddenly there was no one around me. It was chilly still, and I had only the sound of my labored breathing to keep me company. I came to a break in the trees where the sun was shining on me, and pressed on.

Finally, I reached the last stretch, where we went off the road and up a steep, sharp hill for maybe 100 yards. This was just like the courses I used to run in high school. I dug my feet in with each stride and threw myself up the hill, passing a couple of people as I did. I hit the top of that, turned for the final stretch of about a quarter-mile, all downhill. From somewhere, I found a closing kick: I was taking long strides and burning down the mountain. It was the best finish I'd had so far.

My official time was 23:38, or almost 30 seconds better than my best time this year. I finished 34th overall, and 4th in my age group. I'm pretty darn happy with that!

Next up is the Boalsburg 4-mile on Memorial Day. My goal for that is 30:30. Wish me luck, and thanks again to everyone for your support.

Race 2 Summary

Today's race was the "Break the Line 5K," which inexplicably had an 8AM starting time. I am really not a morning person, but I hauled myself out of bed at 6 for this thing. I was grateful that it wasn't raining for a change. It's been pouring down rain every morning for what, like a month now? But this morning was warm and even a little humid.

The first surprise of the day was that it turned out I had been training on that course going the wrong direction. So instead of doing a bunch of small climbs and dips over the first 2 miles, it was one big hill for the 1st mile (actually more like the first 1.2 miles), and then climbs and dips from there. From my training runs I expected to finish in about 25 minutes, but with this new twist I wasn't sure what to expect. So I just planned to run 8-minute miles. The second surprise was that the field was very small: 24 runners. So it was again a very hardcore group.

Despite all the stretching and warming up, it still took me a while to get loose and into my rhythm. Did I mention that I am not a morning person? Running a long hill did not help. I finished the first mile in 8:05. Finally I crested that first big hill on Blue Course Drive, and I knew it was a long downhill from there. My legs finally got under me, and I hit a good stride. I crushed the second mile in 7:24, which is my best single-mile time in many years.

The last 1.1 miles was up and down. I was feeling really good, and looking to breeze to the finish. But somewhere in one of those hills I lost my pace. My lungs started feeling heavy and wet. I surmised that this was from the yogurt I ate for breakfast. So here's an important tip for you athletes: avoid dairy before aerobic exercise. I was starting to fade, I could feel myself slowing. My body was telling me to stop. But I knew I was so close. Somehow I found the energy to stretch out my stride for the last quarter mile.

I finished 13th overall, in a time of 24:16, well under my unofficial goal of 24:50 (that's an 8-minute mile pace). I also finished 1st in my age group, which isn't saying much because there were only two people in my age group. But I did get a little wooden medal that I'm sure I will find a place to display.

This is the first race in my 8-day, 3-race plan. Next up is the Black Moshanon 5K, which is Saturday. Then Monday is the Boalsburg Memorial Day 4-mile. I'd better get back to training.

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