Run for Life 5K Race

To say that I hadn't trained well for this race would be an understatement. I've run once in the past week and that was a 4-miler in the Mile High City where I struggled to get enough oxygen in my lungs. I also made poor food choices on my trip to Denver. I've got enough grease in me to keep my insides slippery for a month! So, I intended to go out slow and just take it at a 9'00" pace or slower. 

I loved the fact that my registration fee would go to a great cause - a local ministry that helps women make the right choice in regard to their "unwanted" pregnancies and provides great care, resources and counseling for the men and women involved. The men and women who serve at Life House Pregnancy Center are the best!

My race bib # was 97! I love that number!
It's the year I married Kim!

I had the honor of offering up the prayer before the race began. After saying "Amen," I joined the runners in the middle of the pack as we prepared to begin. I wanted to start the race around folks who wouldn't go out too quickly.

My plan didn't work. The race began and I felt the urge to push it. I wasn't going 'all out' but I was running much faster than I had planned. The hills on the first mile quickly took their toll. I noticed that I was gradually slowing down (and had to take a couple of 3-5 second walking breaks).

It was an 'out and back' course so the hills were waiting on us again at the end of the race. I was so glad that this was only a 3.1 mile race (I checked with another runner and it seems that this course was slightly short - my gps watch measured 3.01 and his measured 3.04). Anyway, close enough.

The race route

Here are the stats:

Official finish time: 25:36
Average pace: 8'14"

Placed 20th out of 144 runners (click link for info)
Placed 13th out of 53 male runners
Placed 2nd out of 15 male runners age 40+

Reflections on my Karing for Kids 5K Race

This race didn't turn out like I had planned. I didn't take time to do a warm-up mile before the race so my heart had to elevate much too quickly as I took off. I should have known better.

I started off at a 6:52/mile pace but the jolt to my heart rate and the hills slowed me down quickly. I finished the first mile in 7 minutes and 31 seconds. I finished the second mile in 8 minutes and 38 seconds. I ran another .48 miles before I had to stop and averaged an 8 minute 42 second mile for that stretch. 

I had not been getting in all of my training runs recently and so I hadn't rebuilt my mental strength and racing endurance. Somewhere around the 1.25 mile point and then again around the 1.75 point and the 2.25 point, I stopped to walk for 5-10 seconds. I just couldn't push through.

As I look back over my heart rate readings during the race, I was pushing the limits (like I always do). My 5K race heart rate usually gets up to around 185-192bpm and hangs there until I cross the finish line. My mind, as would be expected, tries to shut my body down because it doesn't like my heart beating that fast. Unfortunately, I listened in this race. I only stopped for very short intervals but ... I had to stop a few times. When my calf injury happened, my heart rate went to 196bpm!

I only had .62 miles before the end of the race when a searing pain in my right mid-calf developed. The word "developed" makes it sound like it came on slowly, though, and that would be incorrect. It wasn't gradual. It hit instantly. I tried to keep going but the pain was too intense and I slowed to a walk (actually, it was a hobble). I tried a couple of times to resume running but couldn't.

As I rounded the final turn and I saw the finish line and the crowd cheering for those nearing the finish line, I felt pretty embarrassed. I had experienced injuries while training before but never in a race. Mack Bucy, who finished the race in fourth place overall (pretty impressive!) came running to encourage me along to the finish line.

After finishing (with a time of 30:16 - my slowest time by far!), I went to the pavilion where Russ Shemberger massaged my calf and easily found the trouble spot. His massage felt pretty incredible (Molly Franklin took a picture of me on the massage table. lol). He also told me that I need another pair of shoes (I didn't realize that I've logged almost 500 running miles on these). I also need to do a little better at hydrating during the day.

Hopefully, this doesn't mess up my half marathon in two weeks. I planned to run it MUCH slower than this race but if my calf doesn't heal up, I'm not going to get into an endurance race. I've got some healing and choices to make in the next 13 days.

Reflections on my 5K Run for Life Choice Care Center

Zach and Sean at the conclusion of their race

This was a SUPER fun and rewarding race! Here's how the morning played out...

I got up at 5:00 and enjoyed some time in my Bible and prayer. I posted my 'race verse' for the day on my dailymile.com account. It is from Isaiah 40:31 and it says: "But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." That wasn't a verse in my daily Bible reading today. It simply popped into my head during my Bible reading time. I enjoyed reflecting on the thought that those who wait/depend upon the Lord will 'run and not grow weary.'

At 6am (2 hours before the race started), I enjoyed a banana and some black coffee. I woke Zach and Sean and we headed out the door around 6:45. We picked up Alex Fredericks and headed to Floral Park.

On arriving, we got our race packs, running tags and ankle monitors. As 7:30 approached, I went out for a relaxing run with Alex to elevate my heart rate and begin warming up my legs. I also did some leg stretches. The group began moving to the 'Start Line' about 7:50. Alex and I prayed before the race started (this was his first 5K) and then I prayed with Zach and Sean. We prayed for safety and for each of us to honor the Lord by giving Him our best in this race.

The race started a couple of minutes after 8:00. It had an unusual start because there was no horn or gun. The lady with the stopwatch just said, "10 seconds ... 5 seconds ... GO!" We took off and, as usual, began to look for our own personal running space (after having been a little cramped at the start line). I had my GPS watch set on 'Average Pace' so I quickly realized that I had gone out fast. But, I was feeling fine and knew that I had developed endurance and mental toughness so I kept the pace.

photo compliments of Lauren Lemieux

Almost a quarter mile into the race, we were to make our first turn onto a side street. Unfortunately for the front runners, there was no one at that intersection. They only went a few steps past the street before they realized their mistake. I yelled out "TURN! TURN!" They retreated and the race went smooth from then on.

The first mile is a steady incline. I finished mile 1 in 6:52. That was the fastest I've ever logged a
mile. But, I didn't panic like I did on a previous race because I still felt OK. Mile 2 is where the rolling hills began and I had not trained on hills for a few months. Yet, I focused on proper breathing and tried to keep my mind from playing games with me as it periodically called upon me to "STOP THIS MADNESS!"

photo compliments of Lauren Lemieux

I finished the second mile in 7:39 and then primarily had a downhill trek (with a few uphills) to the
finish line. I finished the third mile in 7:54. As the grade evened out at the finish line, I picked up the pace a bit and finished in 22:50 (for an average of 7:21/mile). This was 1 minute and 31 seconds faster than the time I had on this same course last year (a time I have never been able to beat at other 5Ks).

I crossed the finish line with my finger aimed to Heaven because I knew that I had set a new PR (personal record) and it was because of God's goodness. He had given me the ability to run and the opportunities to improve. I only took advantage of those abilities and opportunities. The glory was due to Him!

I was grateful that I finished in 12th place overall (click here for race results) and took 1st place for my gender/age group. However, that was because the overall fastest runner and the fastest master runner were in my age group. Since they received rewards for those achievements, the rest of us were invited to move up two places in our standings. I would have been 3rd but am grateful to take home the blue ribbon.

After finishing, I walked around a bit to lower my heart rate (it averaged 189bpm in this race peaking at 193bpm as I crossed the finish line) and then waited for Zach and Sean. My heart welled with pride as Sean and then Zach came into view. They both set PRs as well! Sean finished in 30:43 and Zach finished in 30:57.

Reflections on my 5K Race for New Beginnings

Nearing the finish line!

This was a great race. I had done a lot of hill runs and hill sprints to prepare for it because there was virtually no flat surface. It was ALL hills.

I lined up in the back of the pack with Kim and Joseph. The horn to start the race caught us by surprise. It took about 10 seconds or so to actually cross the start line after the race began. I encouraged Kim and Joseph to take it easy and then started to pass some people. I came up along Zach and Sean, let them know the pace they were running was fine and encouraged them to maintain that pace for about a half mile and then run at whatever speed they desired.

After a couple of blocks, the route began a downhill slope that lasted for about a third of a mile. I picked up the pace and began passing more people. When I came alongside some of our 'Run for God' team members, I said, "Think Dairy Queen Blizzard." (I told them beforehand that if they crossed the finish line before their pastor, I would buy them a Blizzard.)



Previously, I had tried to figure out what my max heart rate was. I sprinted up a hill a couple of times during my training phase and got it to 180bpm. However, a half mile into the race, my monitor read 186bpm! (I actually saw it get to 192bpm at the finish line!) I was a little winded but felt like I could keep up the pace. I began passing a few more people.

The second part of the race really got hilly. At one point, I was feeling fried and wanted to stop and walk for a moment but I just couldn't get myself to do it. It was only 3.1 miles and by the time I was experiencing that feeling, I was within 3/4 miles of the finish line.

I had intended to sprint the last 1/4 mile to the finish line but didn't have it in me. I crossed with a time of 24' 40" with an average pace of 7:57/mile.

Here are a few of my stats:

• Mile 1     -     7'39" pace     -     187bpm ave. heart rate
• Mile 2     -     7'53" pace     -     181bpm ave. heart rate
• Mile 3     -     8'33" pace     -     189bpm ave. heart rate
• My max heart rate was 192bpm at the end of the race.
• I placed 18th overall with 160 runners. (click here for printout.)
• I placed 2nd in my group (males / 40-44) with 12 runners. (click here for printout.)
• Pictures from the race can be accessed here.

Kim's foot after the race. It wasn't as bad as it looks.

After crossing the Finish Line, I cheered for my boys and wife as they crossed the line. I was so proud of them! Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a lifelong running habit for them.

Zach placed 2nd and Sean placed 3rd in the boys / age 10-14 category. Joseph placed 1st in the boys / age 5-9 category. Kim was the only one who didn't place in her age/gender category. She's been so busy with work and family that she hadn't been able to adequately train. This picture of her foot immediately following the race also shows that she gave it everything she had. I'm proud of her!

A little motivation as we raced up the last hill
and turned to sprint the last 1/4 mile to the finish line.

Reflections on my Labor Day 5K Race (August 25, 2012)

(I'll add some more pictures to this post when they become available.)

Beating my 5K PR (personal record) continues to remain elusive. I anticipated that today would be the day that I could break the 24:21 time (7:51 pace) I attained at my first 5K back on April 7, 2012. Well, it didn't happen. Here's how the race played out:

I did a short, easy pre-race run with Neil, a friend I met on dailymile. (The encouragement and insight he has provided since I got into running has been invaluable.) In doing that pre-race run, I got my legs loosened up and my heart rate elevated. I checked that off my list.

Then, I took my position at the Start line at the front of the pack. (There seems to have been a couple hundred runners.) The path was about 10' wide which makes passing difficult when runners cluster together so I wanted to get up to the front. I checked that off the list.

The gun was fired a couple minutes past 8:00am and we took off. That's when I made my big mistake. The front pack was filled with teenagers and 20-somethings. They hit it hard and I tried to stay with them. (One of the most interesting parts of a race is the minute after the gun is fired. Everyone is crowded before the start and then as everyone begins to run, it takes a lot of mental effort to keep from tripping over each other and find your personal running space.) I did well for the first mile. But, then I noticed the clock at mile 1 and it said 7:15. I began to panic a little because I knew that I was in uncharted territory. I've never run that fast.

Maybe it was partly mental but in miles 2 and 3, I began to fizzle. I stopped to walk a couple of times for no more than 5-10 seconds ... but I had to walk. Bummer! About half a mile from the finish line, I felt like I was depleted of energy and I stopped for the second time. A runner, who I've never met, gave a word of encouragement as he passed. "Don't give up now! You're almost there!" I resumed running and booked it to the finish line.

One of the highlights of this race was halfway through when I ran past the crowds. There was a lot of cheering going on for the runners. Those cheers didn't do anything for me. But, then I saw Kim, Zach, Sean, & Joseph. They clapped, smiled and yelled out words of affirmation and encouragement. It felt awesome! It made me feel like I could have kept running ... well, almost!

I'm unsure how many runners were in my gender/age grouping. I was in the male/40-44 group. For the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place medals, I was only up against runners in this group. I was pleasantly surprised that my finish time of 25:22 (8:10 pace) got third! It's my first medal and hopefully won't be the last.

After the race, my wife took a picture of Neil and me. He's in the 35-39 age group and took first place with a time of 19:17 (6:13 pace). Too fast for me ... at least for now.

Reflections on my Spring Lake 5K Race (May 26, 2012)

This was only my second 5K (3.1 miles) race to participate in but I think I can safely assume that this was about the hardest 5K race I'll ever run.

I have been training pretty seriously since Christmas Day 2011 so I only had about 5 months of preparation.

My goal going into this race was to beat my race time for my last 5K (and first race). Seven weeks ago, I ran in the LifeChoice Care Center 5K and did it in 24 minutes and 21 seconds. However, I failed to anticipate the differences in the courses.

My time for this race? 27 minutes and 14 seconds ... almost 3 minutes slower! Here's what happened:

For starters, I think I ate a little too much that morning. I had a bowl of cereal but didn't realize until afterwards that it was still sitting heavy on my stomach when the gun went off. I'll eat less next time and focus on something with a higher carb content.

Second, I made a mistake by getting postitioned toward the back of the pack at the starting line. When the gun was fired, we took off. In less than 100 yards, we were on a dirt trail winding its way through the woods. The trail was probably no wider than 3-4 feet and so passing runners was not necessarily impossible ... but it seemed a little reckless. This narrow trail lasted for about half a mile. I only passed a couple of folks in that time span.

On the gravel road moments after getting off the dirt trail.

At the end of the first 1/2 mile, the trail emptied out onto a gravel road where I began to pass runners. After about 2/10 of a mile, we turned onto an asphalt road where we would spend most of the remainder of the race.

That's when it got really physically tough ... hills!!! I'm unsure of the hill incline or the distance up and then down those hills. All I know is that even though I had done plenty of work on hills here in Brooksville, I wasn't ready for the ones on the course.

I had to stop a few times to walk. I tried to walk no more than about 5-10 seconds at a time. When I finally crossed the finish line on the driveway into The Arc property, I couldn't have been more glad to see the finish line! I was exhausted. Even though my finish time was almost 3 minutes slower than my previous 5K, I knew that I had given my best.

Moments before crossing the finish line!

Now that summer has arrived, I plan to get even more focused on my running routine. When the Fall arrives, I plan to place in some of the 5Ks. It seems that I'll need to be running about a 7 minute mile in order to do so. I'll be ready for it!

Reflections on my first 5K

I began with one primary goal - to run a sub 8 minute mile. The excitement of the race and the friendly competition helped me get it done. I ran the 5K (3.1 miles) in 24:21 minutes (7:51 pace).

Here are some pictures from this special day.

A picture with my boys before the race began.
God has really blessed Kim and me!

There were 128 registered runners.
This is moments after the horn went off and we were on our way.

About 24 minutes after the race began,
Kim took a picture of me heading toward the finish line.

Crossing the finish line. I was checking my watch
to see if the official race clock was correct. HA

I came in 40th place. There were 128 runners.
http://www.drcsports.com/Results/index.php?p=LCover

Yep. I'm as tired as I look.

The only thing better than completing my first 5K
was enjoying it with my incredible wife!