Sunday, February 23, 2014
Snowy Bergan Peak
Today I ran with my trail group up the side of an icy mountain, nearly every step was on snow and ice. It was slow going up and slow going up and also back down our 10 mile trip took 2:30 (15 min pace). We started at around 7600ft and climbed up to 9600ft. To add to the torment I ran 15 miles yesterday so my legs were absolute crud today.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Crazy trail group wont back down
I don’t think we are getting snow like out east but it’s still snow here. My crazy trail group runs no matter the weather. Today it was 3F snowing and the wind chill was -10F. We only managed 3.5 miles before seeking shelter in the cars. | ||
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Goodbye 2013
I love digging into my running data and at the end of the
year I spend a lot of time compiling various stats, reflecting on the year and
thinking about what I want to accomplish next year. Here
are some of my 2013 Stats:
Totals
Total Miles – 2,050 which is about 500 short of last year
but on the upside this was the 3rd year in a row over 2k.
Days run – 231, I am kinda disappointed with this one I
should be running more often. Worse is
how many Saturday/Sundays I missed over the year.
Runs beyond 20 miles:
18 the last few years I have been averaging 12 really long runs per
year.
Races
03/09/2013 Run Through
Time - 26.2 - 4:56:44 (AKA – Snowathlon)
05/19/2013 Colfax – 26.2 - 3:31:30
06/02/2013 Deadwood – 26.2 - 3:37:27
08/18/2013 Pikes Peak – 26.2 - 7:03:03
08/24/2013 Ram Run – 3.1 - 0:22:13
09/29/2013 Bear Chase – 52 - 10:00:33
10/21/2013 Denver – 26.2 - 3:41:19
05/19/2013 Colfax – 26.2 - 3:31:30
06/02/2013 Deadwood – 26.2 - 3:37:27
08/18/2013 Pikes Peak – 26.2 - 7:03:03
08/24/2013 Ram Run – 3.1 - 0:22:13
09/29/2013 Bear Chase – 52 - 10:00:33
10/21/2013 Denver – 26.2 - 3:41:19
Marathons: 5 marathons are now the most I have completed
in a year. My best was 5 minutes slower than last year. 3 Marathons were Sub 4hrs before this year I only
had 3 sub 4hr marathons.
Ultra Marathon: 52 miles in 10 hrs. Longest run for me, last year my longest race
was 31.5
5k: Slowest 5k in years but it was the weekend after a 7hr
marathon
Current Streaks
(both were in jeopardy this last month)
46 months of 100+ miles
36 months with a long run beyond 15 miles
Overall
It’s been a great year and I have really grown as a runner. I finally feel like a real ultra-marathoner
now, 50k just doesn’t seem harder than a marathon. I surprised myself a few times this year
when I had good performances shortly after long races. I am looking forward to building on this
momentum and doing some amazing things in 2014.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Weekend out with the Mile High Track Club
Saturday: Ran with the running club. I decided to not run 18 with the guys because I don’t even have a race on my calendar. I ended up doing 10 miles around 8:05 pace with some other people (made some more friends).
Sunday: Today was my return to the trails. It’s been about 2 months or more since my last trail run. Bad news is that soon the trails will be runnable with too much snow on them. Today we ran about 8 miles @ 11:55 pace on slightly snowy trails.
That’s me in the front rockin my shorts in the snow. I think it was in the mid 30’s for the entire run, my hands get cold but my legs are usually fine.
Sunday: Today was my return to the trails. It’s been about 2 months or more since my last trail run. Bad news is that soon the trails will be runnable with too much snow on them. Today we ran about 8 miles @ 11:55 pace on slightly snowy trails.
That’s me in the front rockin my shorts in the snow. I think it was in the mid 30’s for the entire run, my hands get cold but my legs are usually fine.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
2013 Denver Rock n’ Roll Marathon
26.2 miles – 3:41:19 (8:27 pace)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/393284743
Pre Race
The Denver marathon has been my proving ground for years. Back in 2009 this was where I ran my first marathon in a time of 5:19 that I am still upset about. Every year since I have run either the full or the half, this race is my yearly benchmark to compare the years. I plan on continuing to run this race every year and I sign up for it super early to save money. This year I signed up before I set my goals for the year and that is why I ended up running it 3 weeks after my first 50 mile race. Expectations were low, I told everyone that I would take it easy and run somewhere around 4hrs.
First 10 miles 1:24:51 (8:29 pace)
The early miles went perfectly to plan just enjoy the race. I ran what ever felt comfortable, I had my watch but I wasn’t checking times or pace. I have run the half or the full for 5 years in a row now but this was the first time I was soaking in the course, marathon atmosphere and the beautiful fall weather. I read every marathon sign, joked with other runners, jammed to the live music and laughed at all the crazy costumes. I knew I was running about 8:30 pace but I didn’t have a clue what kind of a finish time that would be I only knew that 9:09 was 4hrs, usually I study up on pace times. In the back of my head I only had one concern my feet, which started to hurt around mile 4 or 5. The last few months I have been having foot pain on some of my longer runs and a lot during and after that 50 miler. I am not talking about the bottom of my feet, which were also sore. This is pain feels like is coming from the tops of my feet. I got to see my wife and kids at mile 6 and then again at mile 8. They were eating breakfast in the grass and not ready for me so I went way off course to give them hugs and high fives (not the first time I have gone to them).
11-20, 10 miles 1:25:12 (8:31 pace)
Mile 11 was tough because of a short but steep hill. Normally this hill would have been cake but at 8:30 pace it was the first time I felt out of breath in the race. Luckily my parents, brother and niece were at the top of this hill cheering me on. At mile 12 we split off from the half marathon crowd it seemed like for every 10 HM runners 1 runner went down the full marathon route. The race contained 15,000 runners and only about 3,500 were running the marathon. With so few people I was able to relax even more, the fall colors were just amazing. My feet continued to hurt but they never really got any worse than a mild discomfort. Nearing mile 20 realized how easily I had coasted through first part of this race. I saw my training buddy around this time and he was happy to see how well I was doing so close to that 50 miler. He said “Allen you are doing great, go get em’ and finish strong”. I think this is about when I decided I had enough fun and now it was time to race.
Last 10K, 6.2 miles 51:16 (8:16 pace)
Running through the park I started passing tons of many people. I had only slightly picked up my pace but at the same time people around me started dropping like flies. A few of the people that I passed chased me down and suddenly I was leading my very own pace group. I was the expert on the course and marathoning. I was asking how people felt and letting them know what was around the next corner. Our group continued to run low 8:20’s for the final few miles passing people like crazy. We lost a few people in our group along the way and near the end we were down 3 strong runners. They kept saying “don’t let us hold you back if you need to go then go”. I told them about my day and my crazy year of races, they were both running their first marathon and very impressed that I was even running this race. I asked them if they felt good and that we should start our kick even though a big hill was right in front of us. We ended up running mile 26 in 7:59 even with the big hill. At the top of the hill we took about 2 minutes to recover before I said “it’s all downhill from here lets go now”. I left the group behind and ran the last .42 miles @ 5:57 pace!!! (.42 mi because I ended up with 26.42 mi). At the finish line I waited for my mini pace group to finish. They both said that because of my kick they also pushed themselves to have awesome finishes.
Post Race:
Even with the hard effort over the last 10K I felt great at the finish line and then at home the rest of the day. My foot pain never really got worse or better from about mile 4 mark. Monday at school I didn’t really feel sore except in my back a little.
This wasn’t the first time I collected runners and formed a pace group in fact it seems to be happing more and more often. I set out to have a fun day and I did just that but even better I helped make some others day a little better.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/393284743
Pre Race
The Denver marathon has been my proving ground for years. Back in 2009 this was where I ran my first marathon in a time of 5:19 that I am still upset about. Every year since I have run either the full or the half, this race is my yearly benchmark to compare the years. I plan on continuing to run this race every year and I sign up for it super early to save money. This year I signed up before I set my goals for the year and that is why I ended up running it 3 weeks after my first 50 mile race. Expectations were low, I told everyone that I would take it easy and run somewhere around 4hrs.
First 10 miles 1:24:51 (8:29 pace)
The early miles went perfectly to plan just enjoy the race. I ran what ever felt comfortable, I had my watch but I wasn’t checking times or pace. I have run the half or the full for 5 years in a row now but this was the first time I was soaking in the course, marathon atmosphere and the beautiful fall weather. I read every marathon sign, joked with other runners, jammed to the live music and laughed at all the crazy costumes. I knew I was running about 8:30 pace but I didn’t have a clue what kind of a finish time that would be I only knew that 9:09 was 4hrs, usually I study up on pace times. In the back of my head I only had one concern my feet, which started to hurt around mile 4 or 5. The last few months I have been having foot pain on some of my longer runs and a lot during and after that 50 miler. I am not talking about the bottom of my feet, which were also sore. This is pain feels like is coming from the tops of my feet. I got to see my wife and kids at mile 6 and then again at mile 8. They were eating breakfast in the grass and not ready for me so I went way off course to give them hugs and high fives (not the first time I have gone to them).
11-20, 10 miles 1:25:12 (8:31 pace)
Mile 11 was tough because of a short but steep hill. Normally this hill would have been cake but at 8:30 pace it was the first time I felt out of breath in the race. Luckily my parents, brother and niece were at the top of this hill cheering me on. At mile 12 we split off from the half marathon crowd it seemed like for every 10 HM runners 1 runner went down the full marathon route. The race contained 15,000 runners and only about 3,500 were running the marathon. With so few people I was able to relax even more, the fall colors were just amazing. My feet continued to hurt but they never really got any worse than a mild discomfort. Nearing mile 20 realized how easily I had coasted through first part of this race. I saw my training buddy around this time and he was happy to see how well I was doing so close to that 50 miler. He said “Allen you are doing great, go get em’ and finish strong”. I think this is about when I decided I had enough fun and now it was time to race.
Last 10K, 6.2 miles 51:16 (8:16 pace)
Running through the park I started passing tons of many people. I had only slightly picked up my pace but at the same time people around me started dropping like flies. A few of the people that I passed chased me down and suddenly I was leading my very own pace group. I was the expert on the course and marathoning. I was asking how people felt and letting them know what was around the next corner. Our group continued to run low 8:20’s for the final few miles passing people like crazy. We lost a few people in our group along the way and near the end we were down 3 strong runners. They kept saying “don’t let us hold you back if you need to go then go”. I told them about my day and my crazy year of races, they were both running their first marathon and very impressed that I was even running this race. I asked them if they felt good and that we should start our kick even though a big hill was right in front of us. We ended up running mile 26 in 7:59 even with the big hill. At the top of the hill we took about 2 minutes to recover before I said “it’s all downhill from here lets go now”. I left the group behind and ran the last .42 miles @ 5:57 pace!!! (.42 mi because I ended up with 26.42 mi). At the finish line I waited for my mini pace group to finish. They both said that because of my kick they also pushed themselves to have awesome finishes.
Post Race:
Even with the hard effort over the last 10K I felt great at the finish line and then at home the rest of the day. My foot pain never really got worse or better from about mile 4 mark. Monday at school I didn’t really feel sore except in my back a little.
This wasn’t the first time I collected runners and formed a pace group in fact it seems to be happing more and more often. I set out to have a fun day and I did just that but even better I helped make some others day a little better.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
2013 Bear Chase
52 miles 10:00:33 (11:33 pace), 3400ft of climbing
15th overall, 3rd in age group
Last year I ran my first ultra-marathon a 50k and although it was a great accomplishment I didn’t feel like I was an ultra-marathoner. This year my #1 goal was to run a 50 mile race and I have been preparing for this race since that 50K (April 2012). Everything that I have done this year has been with this race in mind. I have sacrificed race times in order to turn them into training and build up for this race.
The course was 5 – 10.3 miles laps around a lake near Denver. Each lap had one big climb and some short but steep hills. Because of flooding the course had some extra sections on the bike path traded in for trails that were under water.
Lap 1 – 0 to 10.3 - 1:44:38 (10:03 pace)
The race started before the sun came up it was dark windy and about 45F. I decided to wear my jacket for this first lap. Once the sun came up I was a little warm but it was only a few miles until I was able to ditch the jacket at the finish line. One of my major worries of this race was the creek crossing every lap. When I got to the creek instead of crashing through the water like everyone else I skipped across some rocks and kept my feet dry. During this first lap I stayed calm and took in my normal amount of fluids like any other run. The only slowdown of this lap came from when I needed to stop and use the bathroom (too much coffee). One of the benefits to the multiple loop course was that I didn’t need to carry much. I drank my 20oz bottle of Gatorade and only ate a little at the aid stations.
Lap 2 – 10.4 to 20.7 - 1:56:43 (11:13 pace)
My sister met me at the finish line with a new Gatorade bottle. Again during this lap I only consumed that bottle, 40oz for 20 miles is pretty normal for me. Again at the creek I skipped across the rocks and kept my feet dry. The last rock was over 2 feet from the bank and wondered if I would be able to keep taking the dry route later in the race. My stomach hurt a lot this lap and again I had to stop and use the bathrooms at the top of the climb. I only ate one of my granola bars because they made me feel like I was going to puke. From here on out I relied on aid station food only usually 1 piece of watermelon and a quarter PBJ sandwich. 20 miles when so quick I didn’t really think about the distance.
Lap 3 – 20.8 to 31.1 - 2:02:40 (11:48 pace)
At the finish line I stopped for a few minutes to put on sunscreen and reapply body glide. My sister had another bottle of Gatorade ready but looking at it almost made me puke. Instead I started using the race sports drink, it was almost clear and it had a really light flavor. The temperature was rising and I started to drink more even though it hurt every time, during this lap I finished my bottle off twice. I also kept up eating a piece of watermelon and quarter PBJ sandwich every 3 miles. In the middle of nowhere and unmarked was the marathon split 4:45 not a bad time. I coasted into the finish line relaxed and feeling pretty good except for my stomach. This was the finish of the 50K I ran 5:43 which is about 12 minutes faster than my 50K PR. Only difference is I felt nearly dead that day and today I was ready to run another 20 miles.
Lap 4 – 31.2 to 40.5 - 2:05:27 (12:04 pace)
This was the lap I was worried about, at mile 40 I would have a pacer but first I had to get to mile 40. All of the 50K runners had finished and now it was a lonely road. The runners left running were so spaced out that I didn’t see anyone for the first 4 miles of this lap. My mind was getting loopy and I missed a turn and headed down the wrong path. I turned around mad at myself for adding distance to already long course. I almost fell in the creek while hopping across the rocks but I stayed dry for at least another lap. My fluid intake increased again this lap I was now filling up my bottle every aid station, that’s 3 20oz bottles for this 10 mile lap. My stomach hurt but I knew that in the grand scheme stomach problems was small problem compared to energy issues. It was weird watching the miles click off on my Garmin into unknown territory. My only comfort was that a few weeks ago I had run Pikes Peak in 7hrs. I knew that I could run for 7hrs and on this terrain I could run a lot more miles in that same time. I was taking salt tablets every hour so when it was time for a salt tablet at hour 7 I realized I was just shy of 38 miles. I thought to myself “12 miles that’s nothing”. I got a second wind and picked up the pace. Suddenly I was passing people left and right. I thought that I was moving up in the standings but then I figured out that I was lapping people (but it still felt good).
Lap 5 – 41.6 to 52 - 2:11:15 (12:37 pace)
Every lap it was hard passing the finish line and heading out for another long lap. This time was different all my family and friends were not there, my kids each made signs. I didn’t stick around long because I knew that I still had a job to do. My training partner Laura came out to be my pacer for the last lap. A pacer can’t carry any of your stuff or you they are basically there to keep you company and keep you motivated. Coming up to the creek I was thinking “I don’t know if I can make the jump” but like all the laps before I skipped across the rocks and made that last long jump to the shore without getting wet. A mile or two later I stopped to get a rock out of my shoe and found that it wasn’t a rock but a giant hole in my sock under my heel. Like the last lap I was drinking a ton of liquids, one bottle per aid station so again 3 -20oz bottles. At this time I was doubling up on my salt taking one tablet every 30 min instead of 1 per hour. By the 5th lap I knew every turn every hill of this course. We walked up the big hills and ran all the downhill and the flats. My quads were now starting to complain, my feet had been hurting for the last 15 miles. Like the previous laps I killed it the last few miles. Again passing tons of people but only moving up in the standing 1 place. The people I was passing did not look like me they looked broken and beaten many of them were limping some siting and stretching. The last mile I realized how close I was and I decided to not stop and run all the way to the finish even over that last big hill. I felt euphoric the pain was gone and I knew my family was just over the hill waiting for me to cross the finish line. My son ran with me the last 50ft to the finish line where the rest of my family was waiting. It was an amazing feeling.
This was my goal race of the year and I couldn’t have imagined that it would go this well. Compared to the people I was running with I think I was really well prepared. I finished 15th overall and 3rd in my age group. One of this things I am most proud of was my never give up attitude, the thought of quitting didn’t even cross my mind in those 10 hours.
So if anyone one was keeping track that was 10 – 20oz bottles or 200oz consumed during the race. That just the liquids I can account for I also drank random cups of water at aid stations while they were filling my bottle. I was a little concerned about this but I knew that I was also consuming lots of salt too.
This is the lake that we looped around, notice the trees that seem to be out in the middle. Interesting note: Most of my trail runs are on that mountain in the background.
Here I am at mile 31 looking strong
My awesome spectators
My son and I crossing the finish line. He thinks we won the race
My Age group award – Cool race mug with a gift card
Check out those feet, that’s not a tan line that’s 10hrs of trail running dust
15th overall, 3rd in age group
Last year I ran my first ultra-marathon a 50k and although it was a great accomplishment I didn’t feel like I was an ultra-marathoner. This year my #1 goal was to run a 50 mile race and I have been preparing for this race since that 50K (April 2012). Everything that I have done this year has been with this race in mind. I have sacrificed race times in order to turn them into training and build up for this race.
The course was 5 – 10.3 miles laps around a lake near Denver. Each lap had one big climb and some short but steep hills. Because of flooding the course had some extra sections on the bike path traded in for trails that were under water.
Lap 1 – 0 to 10.3 - 1:44:38 (10:03 pace)
The race started before the sun came up it was dark windy and about 45F. I decided to wear my jacket for this first lap. Once the sun came up I was a little warm but it was only a few miles until I was able to ditch the jacket at the finish line. One of my major worries of this race was the creek crossing every lap. When I got to the creek instead of crashing through the water like everyone else I skipped across some rocks and kept my feet dry. During this first lap I stayed calm and took in my normal amount of fluids like any other run. The only slowdown of this lap came from when I needed to stop and use the bathroom (too much coffee). One of the benefits to the multiple loop course was that I didn’t need to carry much. I drank my 20oz bottle of Gatorade and only ate a little at the aid stations.
Lap 2 – 10.4 to 20.7 - 1:56:43 (11:13 pace)
My sister met me at the finish line with a new Gatorade bottle. Again during this lap I only consumed that bottle, 40oz for 20 miles is pretty normal for me. Again at the creek I skipped across the rocks and kept my feet dry. The last rock was over 2 feet from the bank and wondered if I would be able to keep taking the dry route later in the race. My stomach hurt a lot this lap and again I had to stop and use the bathrooms at the top of the climb. I only ate one of my granola bars because they made me feel like I was going to puke. From here on out I relied on aid station food only usually 1 piece of watermelon and a quarter PBJ sandwich. 20 miles when so quick I didn’t really think about the distance.
Lap 3 – 20.8 to 31.1 - 2:02:40 (11:48 pace)
At the finish line I stopped for a few minutes to put on sunscreen and reapply body glide. My sister had another bottle of Gatorade ready but looking at it almost made me puke. Instead I started using the race sports drink, it was almost clear and it had a really light flavor. The temperature was rising and I started to drink more even though it hurt every time, during this lap I finished my bottle off twice. I also kept up eating a piece of watermelon and quarter PBJ sandwich every 3 miles. In the middle of nowhere and unmarked was the marathon split 4:45 not a bad time. I coasted into the finish line relaxed and feeling pretty good except for my stomach. This was the finish of the 50K I ran 5:43 which is about 12 minutes faster than my 50K PR. Only difference is I felt nearly dead that day and today I was ready to run another 20 miles.
Lap 4 – 31.2 to 40.5 - 2:05:27 (12:04 pace)
This was the lap I was worried about, at mile 40 I would have a pacer but first I had to get to mile 40. All of the 50K runners had finished and now it was a lonely road. The runners left running were so spaced out that I didn’t see anyone for the first 4 miles of this lap. My mind was getting loopy and I missed a turn and headed down the wrong path. I turned around mad at myself for adding distance to already long course. I almost fell in the creek while hopping across the rocks but I stayed dry for at least another lap. My fluid intake increased again this lap I was now filling up my bottle every aid station, that’s 3 20oz bottles for this 10 mile lap. My stomach hurt but I knew that in the grand scheme stomach problems was small problem compared to energy issues. It was weird watching the miles click off on my Garmin into unknown territory. My only comfort was that a few weeks ago I had run Pikes Peak in 7hrs. I knew that I could run for 7hrs and on this terrain I could run a lot more miles in that same time. I was taking salt tablets every hour so when it was time for a salt tablet at hour 7 I realized I was just shy of 38 miles. I thought to myself “12 miles that’s nothing”. I got a second wind and picked up the pace. Suddenly I was passing people left and right. I thought that I was moving up in the standings but then I figured out that I was lapping people (but it still felt good).
Lap 5 – 41.6 to 52 - 2:11:15 (12:37 pace)
Every lap it was hard passing the finish line and heading out for another long lap. This time was different all my family and friends were not there, my kids each made signs. I didn’t stick around long because I knew that I still had a job to do. My training partner Laura came out to be my pacer for the last lap. A pacer can’t carry any of your stuff or you they are basically there to keep you company and keep you motivated. Coming up to the creek I was thinking “I don’t know if I can make the jump” but like all the laps before I skipped across the rocks and made that last long jump to the shore without getting wet. A mile or two later I stopped to get a rock out of my shoe and found that it wasn’t a rock but a giant hole in my sock under my heel. Like the last lap I was drinking a ton of liquids, one bottle per aid station so again 3 -20oz bottles. At this time I was doubling up on my salt taking one tablet every 30 min instead of 1 per hour. By the 5th lap I knew every turn every hill of this course. We walked up the big hills and ran all the downhill and the flats. My quads were now starting to complain, my feet had been hurting for the last 15 miles. Like the previous laps I killed it the last few miles. Again passing tons of people but only moving up in the standing 1 place. The people I was passing did not look like me they looked broken and beaten many of them were limping some siting and stretching. The last mile I realized how close I was and I decided to not stop and run all the way to the finish even over that last big hill. I felt euphoric the pain was gone and I knew my family was just over the hill waiting for me to cross the finish line. My son ran with me the last 50ft to the finish line where the rest of my family was waiting. It was an amazing feeling.
This was my goal race of the year and I couldn’t have imagined that it would go this well. Compared to the people I was running with I think I was really well prepared. I finished 15th overall and 3rd in my age group. One of this things I am most proud of was my never give up attitude, the thought of quitting didn’t even cross my mind in those 10 hours.
So if anyone one was keeping track that was 10 – 20oz bottles or 200oz consumed during the race. That just the liquids I can account for I also drank random cups of water at aid stations while they were filling my bottle. I was a little concerned about this but I knew that I was also consuming lots of salt too.
This is the lake that we looped around, notice the trees that seem to be out in the middle. Interesting note: Most of my trail runs are on that mountain in the background.
Here I am at mile 31 looking strong
My awesome spectators
My son and I crossing the finish line. He thinks we won the race
My Age group award – Cool race mug with a gift card
Check out those feet, that’s not a tan line that’s 10hrs of trail running dust
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Ram Run Race Report
5K – 22:13 (7:07 pace)
I started student teaching at a new school and on Monday this week I was beat and broken from the Pikes Peak marathon. During the week I was asked 100’s of times if I was going to do the ram run coming up in a few days (a school fundraiser). Each class I taught had a couple kids running and half the teachers were also running. I figured sore or not I better be a good sport and join in with this awesome active community. The race is put on by the cross country team but it seems like half the school shows up to run, football, soccer, swimming, wresting, tennis, cheerleading, and middle schools it was really amazing seeing the participation from all kinds of different groups.
I said I was going to take it easy but I know myself better than that…
Mile 1 – 6:42
This was a very hill course and although the race stated with a half mile hill the second half was very downhill. For me still in recovery mode this downhill was the hardest part my lower back and calf’s begged for me to slow down. But my breathing was very comfortable and in control.
Mile 2 – 6:56
Most of the downhill was over and this mile had a lot of up and down. Each up I could feel myself going into the red zone and then recovering on the downhill. For my slightly sore body this section was much easier than that huge downhill but I could feel myself slowing down. Looking around I was the only adult in sight, these kids were awesome. I probably did awesome in my age group.
Mile 3 – 7:31
The start and finish were close so we had to make up all that downhill. This mile was up flat up flat over and over. I passed some kids and one of them chased me down and said “Hi Mr. Peoples” very excited I said “How are you doing” back and then dropped him. After the race he came and found me and told me how awesome I ran up those hills and I of course congratulated him on his awesome run as well.
Last 0.1 – 1:02 (8:24 pace)
They saved the biggest hill for the end. No one around me was able to hold pace going up this last hill. I was just happy I didn’t half to walk, I heard from many of the other teachers that they had to walk that last stretch. My lungs burned and my muscles cried in pain, it felt like I was on top of Pikes Peak again. I hit the finish line and felt like I could hold myself up.
Altogether it was a great experience. I think I made a lot of great connections with a lot of students. I made sure to talk with to principal so she could see that I am here even when it was optional (please hire me next year). I was pretty happy with my time its slower than I have been 5K’s running but after talking with students and teachers they all agree that this course is slower by 0:30 a mile than a flat fast course. I took my watch but I didn’t look at it once during the race, it was nice running to run without any time pressure. Still I gave this race all I could for the condition I was in (I can’t take it easy) maybe next year I will run it on fresh legs.
Looking at the Garmin data the race climbed 228ft and dropped 300ft in the 3.1 miles.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/364294211
Sorry no pictures this time.
I started student teaching at a new school and on Monday this week I was beat and broken from the Pikes Peak marathon. During the week I was asked 100’s of times if I was going to do the ram run coming up in a few days (a school fundraiser). Each class I taught had a couple kids running and half the teachers were also running. I figured sore or not I better be a good sport and join in with this awesome active community. The race is put on by the cross country team but it seems like half the school shows up to run, football, soccer, swimming, wresting, tennis, cheerleading, and middle schools it was really amazing seeing the participation from all kinds of different groups.
I said I was going to take it easy but I know myself better than that…
Mile 1 – 6:42
This was a very hill course and although the race stated with a half mile hill the second half was very downhill. For me still in recovery mode this downhill was the hardest part my lower back and calf’s begged for me to slow down. But my breathing was very comfortable and in control.
Mile 2 – 6:56
Most of the downhill was over and this mile had a lot of up and down. Each up I could feel myself going into the red zone and then recovering on the downhill. For my slightly sore body this section was much easier than that huge downhill but I could feel myself slowing down. Looking around I was the only adult in sight, these kids were awesome. I probably did awesome in my age group.
Mile 3 – 7:31
The start and finish were close so we had to make up all that downhill. This mile was up flat up flat over and over. I passed some kids and one of them chased me down and said “Hi Mr. Peoples” very excited I said “How are you doing” back and then dropped him. After the race he came and found me and told me how awesome I ran up those hills and I of course congratulated him on his awesome run as well.
Last 0.1 – 1:02 (8:24 pace)
They saved the biggest hill for the end. No one around me was able to hold pace going up this last hill. I was just happy I didn’t half to walk, I heard from many of the other teachers that they had to walk that last stretch. My lungs burned and my muscles cried in pain, it felt like I was on top of Pikes Peak again. I hit the finish line and felt like I could hold myself up.
Altogether it was a great experience. I think I made a lot of great connections with a lot of students. I made sure to talk with to principal so she could see that I am here even when it was optional (please hire me next year). I was pretty happy with my time its slower than I have been 5K’s running but after talking with students and teachers they all agree that this course is slower by 0:30 a mile than a flat fast course. I took my watch but I didn’t look at it once during the race, it was nice running to run without any time pressure. Still I gave this race all I could for the condition I was in (I can’t take it easy) maybe next year I will run it on fresh legs.
Looking at the Garmin data the race climbed 228ft and dropped 300ft in the 3.1 miles.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/364294211
Sorry no pictures this time.
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