Rewind Race Recap - 2013 Fall Fest 10K

When I don't have anything else, I'm going to blog about an old race (until I run out or my memory fails me). We'll start with the most recent and work back. Today's RRR is the 2013 Fall Fest 10K, ran on 10/12/13 in Richland, WA.

Cameron had a cross-country meet in Richland and we planned on making it a family outing. I was fortunate enough to find a 10K going on the same day, that only required a slight tweak in our plans (and a lot of convincing the wife) so that I could run it. We dropped Cameron off at the school at 6:45 to ride the bus to Richland and we set off to make the 2+ hour drive to make the 9 AM start.

We made it 15 minutes prior to race start and my wife pinned my number on my singlet while I headed off to do a short pre-race ritual (bathroom, warmup, stretch). I got to the start line, figured out who would probably be the fastest runners, and took off at the gun. I didn't have a goal pace and opted instead to try to win the race.The Fall Fest 10K starts in Howard Amon Park and is an out and back course, heading north for 5K before turning around. It's mostly a flat and fast course.

I ran with the two front runners, a teenager and a tall 53-year old gentleman.  We ran 6:10s for the first two miles, taking turns leading, before slowing down at running 6:25s for the next two. After that, I slowed down and the two front runners pulled away.  I ran my next mile at 6:40 and was passed by another runner (recent Ironman finisher Eric Fahsl), who ended up sprinting at the finish for second. That motivated me to speed up for another 6:25 mile and a faster quarter-mile to the finish, for 4th overall and 1st in my age group with a 39:20.

20/20 HINDSIGHT: Come out too strong and pay the price later (the story of my life!). It wasn't a big deal this race as I wasn't trying to accomplish anything, aside from winning. I did best my previous PR by 38 seconds. It was a little disappointing because I felt fine after finishing; I could have pushed harder during the run. But that's the beauty of hindsight, isn't it!

HIGHLIGHTS/FUNNY NOTES:

• The day I ran my best 10K, Cameron ran her best XC race!
• Bailey got her exercise in the bounce house and the one mile walk to Cameron's meet
• Five Guys was an excellent lunch choice!   

10K REVIEW: 4 stars out of 5.
Would I run it again? Yes.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes

Good

• Fast course
• Plenty of aid stations
• Great volunteers
• Low cost
• Fun Fall Fest activities
• Post race snacks

Bad

• Disorganized start

FINAL THOUGHTS: Once again, I can't be too disappointed, given the new PR. I probably could have done better with proper pacing.

I love me some 10K!

Left: 10K Finish
Center: Bailey bounce house fun
Right: Cameron XC

Post-Marathon Recovery

Well, I've reached the 72 hour point after my most recent marathon. 26.2 miles causes a good amount of strain on your system and your muscles are not only weak but so is your immune system. I have read several articles and recuperated from five marathons, so here's my summary of both, starting with the first hour after crossing the finish line:

First Hour

• Thank your lucky stars and any family/friends that came along to support you (you'll probably need their help over the next few days)
• Drink some "sports drink" or better yet, chocolate milk. Why can't they have chocolate milk at the finish line?
• Eat something if you can
• Cool down walk or jog, stretch, or massage
• Laugh, cry, or craugh
• Get in some dry clothes
• Elevate your feet
• First aid (if necessary)

Me in dry clothes after the race

The Rest of the Day

• Eat healthy. And maybe a little unhealthy, but eat.
• Take a shower, cuz brother, you stink
• Get some good sleep

72 Hours

• No running. Some walking or maybe cycling or swimming, but don't over do it
• Pull off the damaged toenails and terrorize your kids with them
• Hot Epsom Salt baths or hit the hot tub
• Eat well
• Get good sleep
• Use your foam roller, self massage, or get a pro to do it

After 72 hours, a light jog, perhaps? I tend to listen to my body regarding what to do. I took the last two days off from exercising, aside from the daily 25 minutes of bicycle commuting and short walks. I did yoga this morning and will ride my bicycle for 45 minutes during lunch and do the same on Thursday, with an easy run in the evening. I didn't sustain any pulled muscles, sprains, or blisters this marathon or I might not resume running. I didn't even lose a toenail, but when you only have six left, it lowers the odds.  The man at the far left in the picture above pointed out my lovely toenail situation to his wife.

The experts differ on how long you should take it easy until resuming training. Some espouse a reverse taper, or doing what you did before the weeks before the race in reverse. Others suggest going easy for one to two months. It is obviously dependent on the person, but I will go easy for two weeks and reassess at that time to see if I'm ready to start training again. It really depends on how well you recover and that can be helped with a good post-race routine. 

Post-Race Routine
 
You planned your pre-race and race and you should also plan your post race routine. I bring the following along with me to a race:

• Wash rag and towel
• Clean clothes
• Post race nutrition
• Calf sleeves
• First aid supplies and meds
• Flip flops
• Plastic bags for dirty clothes
• Props for post race pictures (see below)

Matching Team Shirts after taking second team in the 2013 Bavarian Battle

It's good to know when the race officials plan on doing the awards ceremony, if you placed or if they're handing out raffle swag. Some races set a time for this and others do it on the fly. Some require you to be present to get your award or swag.

Other things to plan/schedule before the race:

• A babysitter for the rest of the day 
• A day off of work the day after
• Massage appointment one or two days after the race
• A strong person to carry you up and down steps

Happy Racing!

My Road Bike - 2003 Merlin Agilis

My road bicycle is a 2003 Merlin Agilis. I bought it from a bike store in Florida in 2005 for $1500 when we lived in Nebraska. My good friend Kyle convinced me that titanium was king and the lifetime frame warranty felt reassuring. This is my second road bike, and I sold my 2004 Bianchi Brava shortly after purchasing it.

Summer 2013

My Merlin is my only road bike and I use it for fitness, racing, recreation, and commuting. I haven't bike raced but I do duathlons (and eventually triathlons?) with aero bars. We have one car and I usually don't drive it so I ride my Merlin until it starts snowing. I rarely covet another bike, except for perhaps a triathlon/time trial bike. I've put roughly 21,000 miles on it and have swapped out a few parts in the past eight years.

Bike set up

• Frame Construction: TIG-welded
• Frame Tubing Material: 3Al/2.5V titanium
• Fork Brand & Model: Reynolds Ouzo Pro
• Component Group: Shimano Dura-Ace
• Brakeset: Shimano Dura-Ace Dual Pivot brakes, Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control levers
• Shift Levers: Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control
• Front Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace SS
• Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace 7950 Compact, 34/50 teeth*
• Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace PD-9000 SPD-SL*
• Bottom Bracket: Shimano BB-7700, 109.5mm spindle, 68mm English width*
• Rear Cogs: 9-speed, 12 - 27 teeth*
• Chain: Shimano CN-7701, 1/2 x 3/32"*
• Seatpost: FSA FR-270*
• Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow*
• Handlebar: Easton EC90*
• Handlebar Stem: Vision Sizemore*
• Headset: Cane Creek IS-2 integrated
• Wheels: Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL*
• Tires: 700 x 23c Michelin Krylion Carbon*

(*upgraded/changed from original setup)

Keep the rubber side down!

2013 Tri-Cities Marathon recap

I ran the 2013 Tri-Cities Marathon (TCM) on 10/27/2013. The 26.2 mile race starts at the Shilo Inn in Richland, WA and runs through Pasco and Kennewick, crossing over three bridges. It's mostly a flat course on riverside trails aside from the bridges.

I came into Sunday morning without having done conventional marathon training for almost two months. The last marathon I ran was the 2013 Lake Chelan Shore to Shore on 9/7/2013, where I set my Personal Record (PR) of 3:09:59 and Boston Qualified (BQ) by 1 second. Since then, I had occupied each of the subsequent weekends with a different escapade:

• 19-mile Enchantment hike
• A run to the top of Mission Ridge
• 19-mile Enchantment run
• Tough Mudder Seattle
• Fall Fest 10K
• The final lap of the Fort Steilacoom 50K

I approached the TCM with the "less is more" training philosophy and figured these jaunts had kept me prepared to run for 3+ hours.

The day started out great. I enlisted the help of Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) aficionado, John, who graciously offered to drive the 4 hour round trip and to take pictures and pace throughout the race. If you are running a marathon or more and can find someone to drive, snap photos, and/or pace, it's a great help and makes a big difference. I was lucky enough to have a friend there to do all three.

We arrived at the Shiloh Inn 40 minutes before race start. That left plenty of time for packet pickup, warmup, and biological breaks. The first two went smooth, the last left something to be desired as everyone who hadn't stayed at a local hotel was lined up to use the one lobby restroom. Temperature and conditions were near ideal, upper 40's and overcast, even better than the forecast. It was shaping up to be a great run and the perfect setup for my run at a new PR of 3:04:59.

My plan was to run 7-minute miles. This plan seemed flawless until the weather changed and stomach cramps started on my right side around mile 10. Luckily, my pacer joined in and help me through the head winds and drizzles for the next 4 miles. At that point, I was still averaging 7's and feeling pretty confident.

This changed around mile 16 when I had to cross over the Columbia River the third time. At that point, I started falling off my pace and cramping in my legs as well as my entire stomach. I've heard of other runners complaining about cramps but I had never experienced them, aside from the occasional side stitch when racing a 5K or 10K. From then on, it was a fight to finish as I battled the cramps, sore legs, and head winds for the final 10 miles. 16-20 is a lonely stretch for the TCM with very few fans aside from the volunteers manning the aid stations.

Around mile 22, my trusted running companion joined up again and I had calculated that I needed to run 7:30's for the final four miles to salvage a BQ. I couldn't make it happen and instead finished with a 03:12:53, which happened to be good enough for first in my age group.

20/20 HINDSIGHT: What was I thinking? Running a marathon without doing a sustained pace long run for 7 weeks and thinking some trail runs and OCR would suffice? It seems so clear now. I came out too strong and paid for it. Really, I should have paced at 7:14 for a 3:10:00 finish and I probably could have accomplished it. But that's the beauty of hindsight, isn't it?

HIGHLIGHTS/FUNNY NOTES:

• At the mile 9 aid station, I missed two volunteers handing out GUs and kept running. One of the volunteers chased me down and gave me a GU. AWESOME!
• John, who I had previously almost convinced to run a marathon, stating that the marathon is less of a race and more of a suffer fest. He said this without even seeing the gentleman run past with bleeding nipples.
• The three mile trek to get John's car with my legs barely working and John's trick knee bothering him. It was a long painful walk, but we cheered everyone along the way and picked up empty cups by the aid stations. Plus stuff like this makes good memories!
• The weird topics of conversation that come up when driving to and fro.

MARATHON REVIEW: 2.5 stars out of 5.
Will I run it again? No. (Probably not?)
Would I recommend it to a friend? Maybe

Good

• Excellent volunteers
• Water and sports drink at every aid station
• Aid stations every 2 miles
• Sport Gel at 4 aid stations

Bad

• Four bridge crossings
• Lack of restrooms
• Disorganized start line
• Certain race officials
• Unpredictable fall weather

FINAL THOUGHTS: I can't be too disappointed with the result. I'm looking forward to a break and then slow sustained winter training and searching for a marathon to run in April or May.

On to the next one!

Upper left: Waiting at the start line > I'm the fourth from the left, John is all the way to the right
Upper right: After the gun, I'm in the middle
Bottom left: Limping across the finish line
Bottom right: Awards Ceremony, receiving my beer mug from Miss Tri-Cities