Hope I didn't hurt myself!!

Since I was staying in NC this weekend, and already had a 10 mile run on the training schedule, why not do a 10 mile race in Durham. Well, with no preview of the race course, I was going in totally blind. Of course, Murphy had something to say about that...the course was 10 miles of unrelenting hills! The Army Ten Miler course for next Sunday is almost pancake flat, so this may not turn out to be the best decision I have ever made. But...oh well, I finished it and am not too much worse for ware...I think.

Race report: The first mile went by in 6:55, not too far from what I had hoped for. I always have tough time keeping the pace reasonable after that gun goes off, especially since a 5K started en masse with the 10 miler crowd. I decided before the race to run miles 2-4 at a moderate 7:20-7:30 pace, then bump it up to 7:00 to 7:05 for miles 4-7, before shutting it down to save my legs. The 7:00 to 7:05 pace is what I hope to be able to maintain at the ATM next week. Well, this course didn't have a quarter mile of flat pavement on it, so my pace had to be adjusted a bit. The next couple of miles ticked off at about 7:15 to 7:30, and they felt pretty comfortable, although the hills required a smidgen more effort than I had hoped to be dishin out. At mile 4 I ramped it up a bit and was quickly reeling in runners who earlier were pulling away. I experienced a few twinges of abdominal cramps during those miles, but with a very slight slowing they would fade. Miles 4-7 rolled off at 7:10 to 7:15...but I was feeling the effort. At the 7 mile marker I shut it down and promptly got a nasty stitch in the left upper abdomen. It felt like my spleen was about to explode, and I actually had to walk a bit to work it out. After the stitch subsided a bit, I was able to pick it back up for miles 9 and 10, finishing with a 7:28 average. The course was VERY challenging, so I am hoping that my 7:28 will translate to a 7:00 to 7:05 next week in D.C...We'll see.


A word about the race. This is the 3rd annual Anna's Angels 5K and 10 miler. The race benefits Down Syndrome research, which softened blow of ponying up $40 to "practice" for the ATM. I would, however, like to see the race organizers do a little better job of supporting the racers. The race flyer was a little short on details, there were large intersections without race personnel or police, and at the end of 10 miles of relentless, muscle grinding hills, you are rewarded with a warm bottle of water and a banana. With that aside, this was a good race with a challenging course and great cause. I just hope the legs recover for next week! I'll post a race report on Sun/Mon.

Racing Again!

I'll be heading to Washington D.C. on 4 Oct to run in the Army Ten Miler. Once again, I'll be joining my good friend Scott Brenneman for this great event. Scott and I last ran the ATM in 2006 and if my memory serves me right, we ran 7:11 miles, finishing at just a little over 1 hr 11 min. My goal this year is to break the 7min/mile barrier and finish below 1 hr 10min. As usual, the weather will play a big role in my time. If the temperature is somewhere in the low to mid sixties, then it's "game on." I will be running with the Ft. Eustis team this year and hope to run fast enough to score one of the 4 times that will count toward the team's total. Should be fun! Check out the race page at http://www.armytenmiler.com/. I'll post a recap after the race.

The new ride!

Well...I finally took the plunge and bought a new bike after riding my tried and true Merlin Road Ti for nearly 10 years! It took a special bike, and a special deal, to make it happen. Because of the recent rainy weather, along with the increased running miles I've been logging, I haven't had a chance to ride it enough for a full review, but WOW...what a difference! Noodly would probably be the best way to describe the Merlin in comparison to the 2008 Madone. I can almost see the trail of wasted watts I was spilling on the old girl. Now don't get me wrong, the Merlin was my first true two-wheeled love, and she'll be well taken care of in the stable, but after getting shelled on several recent Saturday mornings while watching a posse of new carbon fiber roll up the road...my decision to upgrade was easy. It was made easier when Chris, manager of our team's bike shop, dropped a bomb on me over a venti mocha chip frapp. A like-new '08 Madone 5.5 was warrantied for a small crack in the paint. While the bike was being repainted, the owner discovered that the "Pro" geometry wasn't right for him and now the shop had a "lightly used" Madone to unload. So...long story short, I'm now the proud owner of a 58cm Speed Yellow 2008 Madone 5.5 Pro. I'll post my full set up and review when I've had a chance to log a couple hundred miles...and I can't wait!