Pre-TSFM2014 Spring Race Report (written after the marathon)

So coming off the LA Marathon and gearing up for the San Francisco Marathon, there was the usual training and several races. I originally intended for the blog to be updated regularly through the spring season, but various distractions kept me away from the keyboard. Still there were some lessons learned worth documenting after the fact.

The TVFRs are famous for their "soup
runs," so the swag was a soup mug.

Four weeks after melting on the streets of LA, I headed north to nearby Upton, MA for the annual Tri-Valley Front Runners Boston Tune-Up 15K. This was my 3rd appearance at this event and it has become one of the few races that I want to do yearly. 15K races are quite rare, but the distance has become my favorite - an equal part speed and endurance. The course is relatively lumpy (40 ft/mile) and the weather has been unpredictable over the years. At its worse, the race has gone off in the remnants of a winter storm, but the 2014 edition was run in close to perfect conditions. Although there was a little wind, the temperatures stayed in the 40s to low 50s and the skies were overcast. The one drawback of running a Boston Marathon tune-up is a faster field than one usually finds in a small town race with 300 or so competitors. I finished the race in 1:03:48 (6:50/mile) almost 1 min faster than last year (1:04:45) and much faster than my debut (1:08:30), but still only managed a 6th place in the M30-39 age group. The winner came in at a scorching 52:11 (5:35/mile). The take-home lesson: my fitness was fine for LA despite the results (and running in the cold is always more pleasant than in the hot).

         

Headed to the finish with a body temperature of 3000 F

Next on the agenda was the WilliWhammer Half Marathon that was sponsored by the Willimantic Athletic Club. I hoped to build on my positive 15K results. On a positive note, it didn't rain as hard or as heavily as had been forecast originally; however, the pre-race chatter was all about surviving a wet, cold half marathon, so I donned long-sleeves, tights and a rain coat. By mid-race, it was clear that I had severely overdressed. Not only had I managed to stay dry, I was also on the verge of overheating. The race benefitted the Windham No Freeze Project, so I supported the "No Freeze" theme by sweating profusely in my poorly chosen race attire.

Crossing the finish line in 2nd at the Willington PTA 5K

The final road races of the spring (excluding the run at the end of the Ellington Sprint Triathlon in July) were two local 5Ks. The Willington PTA 5K on Memorial Day weekend and the Run for the Playground 5K in Mansfield 2 weeks before San Francisco. I won my age group in Mansfield and finished 5th overall in 20:08. More notably, I finished 2nd overall in Willington in 19:50, just behind the winner at 19:32. I was fortunate that a few of the fastest runners apparently stayed home this year as past year's winners have come in under 18 min. This was my fourth time running this race finishing in 21:35 (2011), 20:43 (2012) and 20:45 (2013) before finally breaking the 20 min mark this year. I started running 5Ks regularly in 2010 and finally broke 20 min in 2012. What was most significant is that all the previous sub-20 min 5Ks were accomplished on relatively flat courses in the late fall. In addition to being early in the year, the Willington 5K is very hilly and includes the dreaded Jared Sparks hill that ascends over 100 feet over half a mile at the very end of the race. Under normal circumstances this is a tough climb, but when your lungs are screaming at the end of a 5K, it can feel like running up a wall. This race was one of the only times I have ever led for a significant portion of a race. The eventual winner and I took turns in the lead. He passed me on the first flat and I returned the favor on the first big hill. He returned the favor going down the hill before Jared Sparks. While I was slowly making up ground on the final climb, his lead was too big and the climb too short for me to close the gap before the quick decent to the finish. This is a continuing theme for me: I suck running downhill. Usually, I will pass my "pace peers" going up hills, but my speed is relatively slower going down, especially on steeper declines. One can't complain about coming in 2nd in a race that finishes less than 2 miles from your front door.