Race Recap: 2010 Halloween Haunting 5km

Well, what a weekend this has been. I'm lying on our bed, still in my running gear (yuck!) and I'm sipping a fine '07 Syrah from France as I try and recap the whirlwind that was this weekend.

Saturday saw me judge the Halloween Costume Competition at the London Runner Distance Club annual Halloween practice. There were some creative costumes (the entre women's squad dressed as elements from the periodic table), some funny ones (a few clowns stood out) and a truly amazing display of human strength. Dylan, a runner and hockey player, decided to wear his hockey equipment to the practice, and ran the whole workout with the equipment. Helmet, shoulder pads, gloves and a hockey stick. Simply amazing! I got in an easy 12km run, some strides and stretching as I was slated to race the Halloween Haunting 5km the next day...

Saturday night was full of spooky halloween fun with friends and then I got to shoot the debauchery at a local club. It was fun being the photographer when everyone wanted their pictures taken.


Halloween Haunting 5km Race Recap

And now, the piece de resistance. I ran my first 5km road race in at least 7 years. I ran a fun run 5km in the summer of 2008, clocking in at 22:30. A far cry from my speedy days, but I was also just getting back into this running business. I was really curious to see what I could crank out today as I've been training steadily for the past 4 months and I have been getting stronger and faster at our recent workouts.

I arrived at Springbank park with the very best cheerleader I could ever ask for, Melanie. Wes, another amazing cheerleader showed up well before the race to cheer me on too! How blessed am I? VERY! I quickly picked up my race package and timing chip, but I went and forget to pick up my long sleeve shirt that came with the package. I blame the person who was tending to me. Unless 5km runners don't get a shirt? Hmmm...

Regardless I got myself ready and went out for an easy 4km run. My legs didn't particularly feel sharp, or dull, but I was a little worried I wouldn't have the speed I needed to crack my goal time of 20:00 over 5km. I logged in 4 easy strides, some stretching and spent a few seconds being star struck by the sight of Matt Brunsting doing some strides just ahead of me. *Swoon*.

I met up with some teammates of mine and the announcers call the 5km/10km runners to the line for the race. I stuck around the front, not toeing the line just yet as they told us 'elite' (hah) runners that we should wait here if we're planning on going sub 20:00 for 5km (or sub 35:00 for 10km). I felt so special, but as I was just planning on hitting 20:00, wondering if I really belonged with the bigger boys.

I toed the lined and tried to activate my nike+ pedometer, but the darn thing wouldn't work. I look down at my shoe and I realize what happened. I forgot to put my chip on my racing flats after my warmup. DAMN IT. So I quickly realize that I'm just going to have to go with my gut on this one and quickly come to terms with it and calm myself down.  Then a few seconds later the starter asks the timing guys for a 30 second warming prior to the gun going off, and I jumped on that. 30 seconds? I can run and get my chip from Melanie in plenty time. And I did, but not after scaring my team mates. I made it back with 15 seconds to spare and we were off!

0km to 2km

I know this course so well and I knew the first 1km would be fast as most of it was downhill and I used this to my advantage to unfurl a little more without any fear of digging too deep. There were tons of runners around me at this point and I had to pay special attention to not get boxed in just before the long downhill section at the 800m mark.

I crossed the 1km marker at 3:33 and thought to myself, dayum, that is fast. Actually, I said it out loud too. I still felt great, and I should have, it was my first km, and I wanted to see what I could do coming up to the 2km marker and use that to gauge where I'd take the pace from here on in. The 2nd km marker was just atop the first uphill and when I crossed it feeling great and seeing that my split was at 7:05 I knew I had managed to keep my pace from the 1st km into the second.

2km to 4km

These were actually fun kms to run, and this surprised me. At this point another runner latched on to me and we chatted about the race, the fact the 3rd marker said 9km and his goal for the 10km race. The fact I was able to chat while racing says quite a few things about the effort I was exerting at the time.

I came by 3km in about 10:40 and was still feeling amazingly good. Light on my feet. Tall through my head. In great spirits. The turn around mark was at about the 2mile mark and I got to cheer on every team mate that I ran past. Nate, Matt, Tim, Ian, Leslie, David and cheered them all on as best as I could. It actually helped boost my energy levels as when we turned around, we'd be heading up a 300m hill we had just descended. This would be the last killer hill, and frankly, the only 'real' hill on the loop, so I attacked it with gusto. I felt a little spent coming off of it, but knowing I would only have about 1.2km left I was ready to attack every step I took.

4km to 5km

At this point, I didn't even check my 4km split. I wasn't trying to balance effort with capacity, it was time to throw down and leave it all behind me. The runner I was running with for the first 4km gave me a few words of encouragement which I took and ran away with. The last 400m are fun, except for the short and steep uphill you get to negotiate with a 90 degree right turn into the last 150m straight. I caught a glimpse of the clock as I neared it and I couldn't believe it.

I finished with a time of 18:02 for 5km. Absolutely astounding. If you recall, I was aiming to crack 20:00 for the race and well, to say I cracked it would be quite an understatement. I smashed it to pieces. Not only that, but my best 5km of all time is just below 17 minutes, I'm within reach already!

I ended up finishing with an average pace of 3:36/km, and with an overall placing of 7th. I was 3rd in my age group, with the top 2 being other London Runner Distance Club teammates.

I'm ecstatic to say the least and I rewarded myself with a lovely bottle of wine and some homemade pesto pasta. Now I'm relaxing and trying not to fall asleep. And now I get to update my About Page with a new, recent PB (aka post-post-collegiate PB).

For full event details, click here: http://www.runnerschoice.on.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=12

Running Log: Oct 18 - Oct 24 2010

Well, I've gotten so busy lately that my only posts are running logs, I have to apologize for that but I'm starting up a new business venture and it's eating up a lot of my time. The good news? I'm still running! :D

Here are my stats for the week, if I can remember the details:

Monday: Easy 10km
Tuesday: Easy 10km
Wednesday: 20km total:
- 5km warmup
-6,4,2,6,4,2,6 tempo with 2min rest between each segment
-5km cooldown
Thursday: Off
Friday: Easy 14km
Saturday: 4km Shakeout (without nike+)
Sunday: 13km Easy run

Grand total: 70KM

This was my heaviest week yet and my knees felt it. They aren't getting any worse and I'm still hodling steady at 90% healthy, but they definitely do feel a little beat.  This week is another HIGH week for me and it includes a 5km race on Halloween. I'm aiming to crack 20:00 for the race and my legs are faster than they have been in a long time. The question becomes do I have the stamina....I hope so!

Running Log: Week October 11-17 2010

I can't get over how quickly these weeks are whizzing by. It's been a week since Thanksgiving and already we're merely days away from my birthday. Whoa, where has October gone to?  This week was to be a low week in mileage for me, a welcome change after a 65km week the prior week. 50km was the number this week, but I blew the doors off that in my Saturday workout. D'oh.

Monday: Rest (raced the day before), did 30 minutes of stretching
Tuesday: 13.2km Steady run at 4:30/km
Wednesday: 10km Easy Run
Thursday: Day Off
Friday: 12km Easy Run
Saturday: Meadowlily Workout
 - 4km warmup
 - 4 x 100m strides
 - Meadowlily hill work: 3,2,1,3,2,1
 - 1.5km easy
 - 6x (2min hard, 1min easy)
 - 4x 100m strides
 - 4km cooldown
Sunday: Rest with 30minutes of stretching

Total Mileage: 57km

Nostalgia On The Trails

I quite literally ran into the UWO Men's Cross Country team last night as they were crusing along through the trail system lining the Thames river on an easy run. Guy and Brandon, both now coaches on the team, recognized me nearly instantly and well, who could ever forget Guy's loud voice?

We ran for about 3km and chatted about what's been going on in our lives lately and when they turned around at their 30min turnaround point, we went our separate ways.  It felt strangely amazing to get to run with two old running mates of mine and the new UWO blood. I had a new found bounce in my step, and it was great to have my recent efforts validated by allowing me to cruise along with the team without over exerting myself.

I then started reflecting on how far I've come since joining LRDC in mid July.  Back then, my mileage was a paltry 20km per week, normally 4 5km easy runs and I was slowly getting back into the regularity and consistency of a running program.  I decided it was time to take the plunge and join a running team, enter London Runner Distance Club.

Since then I've been consistently logging over 50km per week, reaching a few weeks of 65km and though I have to keep my knees in check, I am loving every step.  I'm starting to gel with some of my team mates, though it sure would be nice to have more senior level runners out with us right now. Try as I may, there is still 10 years separating me and the juniors on the team and relating is oh so challenging.

All in all, it was great to run again with a team I cowardly left back in 2001, and again in 2003. I didn't know how to deal with my mental state, physical well being and pressure from my engineering program. Last night, though as insignificant as it was, was a stepping stone in my healing that I had to step on. Now that it happened, I can see it clear as day, but I had no idea this would be on my path. And for this I have Guy and Brandon to thank. :D

Running Log: Oct 4 - Oct 10

This week was scheduled to be a HIGH week for me as my mileage was set to increase to 65km. I felt up to the challenge come last monday and even though I had a super busy week in all areas of my life, I stepped up to the plate and delivered. Here are the details:

MONDAY: Stretching for 30mins
TUESDAY: 13km easy run
WEDNESDAY: 15km total
-3.4km warmup (15mintues)
-12 diagonal strides (1km)
-4x 1km Pond loop (4:00, 4:00, 4:08, 4:03) Consecutive
-5min rest
-4x430 small pond loop (6:15 total over 1.75 km)
-4.5km cool down
THURSDAY: Day Off
Friday: Easy 11km
Saturday: Easy 10.5km
Sunday: 15.2km Total
-3km warmup
-8.3km Turkey Trot (Sudbury) Time: 35:47
-3.2km cool down



TOTAL MILEAGE: 65km (nikeplus is missing a few as I forgot to start the darn watch a few times...)






This week is an LOW week for me, I get to run 50km and then jump right back into a 65km week the next. I'm impressed with how well my legs are recovering and reacting to all the mileage I'm logging. I'm also getting much stronger and faster, yay!

From Treadmill to Track: A few Pointers

Do you find yourself having an enjoyable time running on a treadmill but when you hit the pavement, trails or track your breathing becomes labored, legs tired and you just can't seem to get very far without stopping?

Sadly, this isn't an option...

Well a friend of mine recently commented on this very issue and I thought I could offer a few pointers to help out with this transition.  Short of finding a treadmill we can use outside, these tips are a great option if you want to ditch the spinning track and start pounding the trails in the peak of Canada's fall colors.

1. Take it easy: You are likely to start off rather quickly once you start to pound the pavement. When I started running again last year I did so on the treadmill and once I moved outdoors my pace picked up by 30 seconds per kilometer. That worked out to an increase of about 10% and can be very hard for someone to maintain. Focus on taking it just a little slower as you begin running outside. 
2. Run at dusk/dawn: This is key if you begin running during a hot summer season. When you ran indoors on a treadmill odds are the room was air conditioned and the humidity was controlled.  Outside, you don't have this luxury. Try and work your schedule around the cooler times of the day so that this plays as little a factor as possible.
3. Water: If you learned to run on a treadmill with water at hand, don't expect to start running outside without water. Your body needs it if you've trained it to, so get a water belt and a water bottle. This is especially important if you can't control point #2 above.
4. This ain't a track meet: If you find other runners on the track or on the trails, don't feel the need to pass them or stay ahead of them. When you ran on the treadmill, you weren't passing anyone because you couldn't. It made it easy to keep your ego in check. You'll have to force yourself to this time around.
5. Find a distraction: In the gym, on the treadmill, you likely had TV to occupy your thoughts. You won't be privy to such luxuries outdoors so bring along an mp3 player or clear your mind so that you can freely flow from thought to thought. Even better yet, bring a friend along so you can chat.

I hope you can find some benefit from my pointers above when you decide to transition from the treadmill to the trails, roads or track. Happy running!