Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon

CLICK HERE for the race website. CLICK HERE for race results. CLICK HERE for Garmin activity page. The Cleveland half marathon is the race I have trained for since November, and luckily my training payed off. Besides getting to spend time with my family, the weekend was enjoyable and the race went well enough to give me a new 13.1 mile PR- a 1:42:02! We drove up to Cleveland on Saturday and went to the expo. I went with my cousins, which was nice. The expo was nice. It wasn't quite Virginia Beach, but it was almost there. There were some good shops and I got some cool Mizuno shorts for a good price. I got to see the race area also, and it was exciting knowing I would return to race the next morning. We arrived the next morning and I explored the race area nervously. I would later find out there were about 15,000 runners, only a 1000 less than Virginia Beach. I was nervous and anxious, excited and content all at the same time. I ran a little and stretched out well before the race. It was a nice morning, and I was anxious to start. I didn't start my GPS soon enough. The race started and I was crowded down a side street. I waited a while and my GPS was still locating. I finally decided I wasn't going to let it stop me from racing so I moved forward and started the race.  I was distracted for a while at first. There was the usual race excitement, but also I kept checking my GPS. It was about half a mile before it finally located. I spent this time weaving between people. It was crowded and at a slower pace where I was. I felt I was starting out too fast. I was more self conscious of my performance since I really wanted to make this one count. I knew my training was all based on this race, and I tried to stop myself from letting it get to me. I tried to get off to a good start at a good pace. It was nice out, and sunny. At half a mile my GPS located and then I got into the mindset like the other races I ran. It was a blur of emotion and sensation. I observed the places and people around me, while still trying to concentrate on my own performance. With long distance running at this point I was both worried and unsure about how to run. So with the new setting I tried to run well as well as absorb the new experience. I was going faster for this point in the race.  We went over some bridges and there were a lot of ups and downs. They were a little annoying because of the wind. It was still exciting and the course went into the neighborhoods. The miles went really quick, but nothing really stood out. The water stations progressed quickly and reminded me how easily the race was coming. The first couple were sloppy since there were so many people. The crowd support was nice, and in one neighborhood I took a water from a mini-station. It was a large cup of water. I had the cup and I held onto it since I didn't want to litter. I threw it away at the next water station. I kept running strong. It was interesting in the way this race had few notable features for this good middle chunk of the race. The fact that it was designed as a full marathon course probably affected this. I ran a good bit faster than previous races. I got to that initial tiredness, but after that I felt alright and just tried to keep my pace.   When I got to the halfway mark I took my power gel and anxiously awaited the next water stop. Once I got the drink I got into a groove. I started feeling more fatigue, but it came on slowly as does in a distance race. I thought to myself at the time about how my months of training were coming to this race and it was already halfway over. My mindset was finally setting into the race. The next couple miles were similar to this point in the race to Columbus. I felt a little off at times in my stomach, probably from digestion, but it never was enough to bother me very much. I used my mantra some and kept my pace steady and made progress in the race. Eventually I got into mile 9. It felt like a practice run, and instead of speeding up like in Columbus I was working to maintain my pace. It was getting more into the day and getting sunny. I kept working on passing people to keep my speed up. I went around the bend which is the most north western point in the course, and there was a good crowd there. For some reason this moment remains vivid in my memory. The course went into a residential area along Lake Erie. There was a lot of trees and green, and it was welcoming and pretty. The houses were here were nice looking, and obviously somewhat expensive, especially since they were right on the lake. Around the ten mile mark the course got off the residential area and onto the freeway. This took up a good chunk and went back into the city. It was odd because I started to get bored in a way. I was trying to concentrate on my racing, but the setting was uneventful. It was windy along the water. I knew by my time I was already on my way to a PR even if I slowed down a ton, so it was tough to keep running strong. I really wanted to do my best to not just get a PR, but to get the best possible PR I can manage at that fitness level. About half a mile into the tenth mile, there was a long and gradual hill. It was one of the toughest places in the race since it was windy and uphill this far into the race. Mile eleven was still on the freeway and I could see the course went back into the city for the finish. The scenery wasn't great. Seeing the water was pretty cool, but the land all looked like construction. The freeway was high up, so the wind was still strong. I was getting anxious. At mile twelve we were getting back downtown in the city. The half marathoners parted to the right and the crowd thinned out. Since there were more marathoners the group I was running with became a lot less. We did a big loop around the downtown streets. I really picked up the speed and was trying to stride it out. I felt anticipation for the finish and was tired, but also felt energy from the adrenaline. I tried to get every last effort I could give even before the last sprint. Coming around at the end I proceeded to give as much as I could to the last step. I felt tired as I finished, but still not as drained as Gambier. I was definitely more tired than Columbus. I wandered and soon rested. My whole body ached and after resting I stretched and refueled.   OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: Time: 1:42:02 Place: 384 of 4747 Pace: 7:46.9 Age Place: 20 of 25 Split 10k: 50:33  Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 646 ft Location: Cleveland, OH Elev. Gain: +52 ft Date: 05/16/10 Up/Downhill: [+770/-718] Time: 07:03 AM Difficulty: 3.5 / 5.0 Performance Distance: 12.69 miles Time: 1:41:46 Speed: 7.5 mph Pace: 8' 01 /mi Heart Rate: 176 bpm (Avg) Calories: 1741 196 bpm (Peak) Map   Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Heart Rate (bpm) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Heart Rate Elev Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 29 +0' 28 7.1 -0.4 166 +66 ft 2 8' 07 +0' 06 7.4 -0.1 169 -75 ft 3 8' 03 +0' 02 7.4 -0.0 168 +96 ft 4 8' 03 +0' 02 7.5 -0.0 169 +3 ft 5 7' 51 -0' 10 7.6 +0.1 175 +7 ft 6 7' 42 -0' 19 7.8 +0.3 176 -10 ft 7 7' 43 -0' 18 7.8 +0.3 177 -7 ft 8 7' 36 -0' 25 7.9 +0.4 178 -26 ft 9 7' 31 -0' 30 8.0 +0.5 179 0 ft 10 7' 23 -0' 38 8.1 +0.6 180 -46 ft 11 7' 45 -0' 16 7.7 +0.3 183 +62 ft 12 7' 13 -0' 48 8.3 +0.8 183 -13 ft end 6' 09 -1' 52 9.7 +2.2 190 -3 ft Versus average of 8' 01 min/mile

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Gym Workout and Tempo Run

I was not able to workout yesterday. Originally I planned to work out in the gym yesterday and run today. Since I did neither, I decided to both with less intensity. I first went to the gym and did a good workout. I cut back on weight so that I could still manage 10 reps each time. Since I only did 2 sets and didn't run on the treadmill, the workout went quickly. It was still a nice strength routine. Stretch Superset x2 Chest press: 90 pounds, 10 reps Seated leg curl: 140 pounds, 10 reps Leg lifts: 1 minute Camber curl: 70 pounds, 10 reps Seated leg extensions: 100 pounds, 10 reps Lateral pulldown: 87.5 pounds, 10 reps Sit ups: 20 reps, rotating   I didn't stretch down since I ran as soon as I got home. It was already dark but I wore my headlamp and reflective stuff. I ran for 0.3 miles at a slow pace as a short warm up. I then ran at a tempo like pace. I had a large dinner early, and so my stomach acted up a little but not very much. I was very tired from the begging, and it was probably since I lifted first. It was warm out and I sweated lot. I ran decent and ran a 5k. I ran the first mile in 8:03, the second in 8:32, and the last mile in  8:13. The last 0.1 took 45 seconds but it was almost all downhill so that sped it up. This came to a 25:33. It had a lot of uphill, but even more uphill. I ran the last bit as a cool down but it was still tough since it was up the steep hill at the end. I stretched down well when I was done. CLICK HERE for Garmin activity page. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 1098 ft Location: Howard, OH Elev. Gain: +3 ft Date: 05/13/10 Up/Downhill: [+606/-603] Time: 09:24 PM Difficulty: 2.8 / 5.0 Performance Distance: 3.80 miles Time: 0:32:24 Speed: 7.0 mph Pace: 8' 32 /mi Heart Rate: 171 bpm (Avg) Calories: 520 189 bpm (Peak) Map Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Heart Rate (bpm) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Heart Rate Elev Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 25 -0' 07 7.1 +0.1 157 -132 ft 2 8' 27 -0' 05 7.1 +0.1 172 +16 ft 3 8' 26 -0' 06 7.1 +0.1 177 +131 ft end 8' 31 -0' 01 7.0 +0.0 180 -13 ft Versus average of 8' 32 min/mile

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Speedwork

I went to the track and got a decent workout in. It was dreary out. It was not raining, but it had been so it was wet. It was a little cold, but I dressed appropriately so it wasn't too bad. It was a little windy also. I started by jogging a half mile and then stretching out. I had the track to myself and ran without music. It was quiet and I liked being alone to work out for a while. I then did a two mile repeat. I felt okay the first mile, but I got pretty tired later on. I was not in the best mood for speed work. It took a lot of effort and concentration to finish this workout in good time. After I finished the 2 miles in 14:30, I took about a minute break and then jogged a lap very slowly. I rested up a bit more before starting again. I then did another 2 mile repeat. This one got tough after about 2 laps. I ran with my eyes practically closed and kept running even though I wanted to stop. I finished in 14:39. I took a break, jogged a lap, and then took a longer break. Finally I ran a 1 mile repeat in 6:33. It got really hard about half way through, but I still finished in decent time. I stretched down good once I was done. CLICK HERE for Garmin activity page. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 966 ft Location: Howard, OH Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 05/11/10 Up/Downhill: [+396/-396] Time: 02:47 PM Difficulty: 2.8 / 5.0 Performance Distance: 6.39 miles Time: 0:46:43 Speed: 8.2 mph Pace: 7' 19 /mi Heart Rate: 178 bpm (Avg) Calories: 845 193 bpm (Peak) Pace (min/mile) Heart Rate (bpm)

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Gym Workout

I went to the gym and put in a really tough workout. This will be my last tough gym workout before my half marathon next Sunday. I plan on running speedwork tomorrow, then a medium gym effort on Wednesday, then a tempo run on Thursday. I will do either an easy run or just completely rest on Friday and Saturday.

As for this workout I tried to increase the weight a lot. I went for as many repeats as I could and then stopped. I didn't spend a lot of time, I just went until I felt like I was about done. My treadmill run went well, and since I gradually increased weight it was pretty enjoyable. The weights were tough but since I was doing less repeats it went faster. I did end up doing a third repeat, which really made this workout a good one. The hardest part may have been the leg lifts, which I really pushed hard on.

• Stretch
• Treadmill: 9:31 pace, 2 miles
• 0.5 miles, 1 elevation
• 0.5 miles, 2 elevation
• 1 mile, 3 elevation
• Superset x3 (repeats varied each set)
• Chest press: 110 pounds, (8, 6, 5)
• Seated leg curl: 160 pounds (7, 7, 8)
• Leg lifts: (1:15 minute, 1 minute, 1 minute)
• Camber curl: 90 pounds (6, 6, 6)
• Seated leg curl: 120 pounds (7, 8, 10)
• Lateral pulldown: 100 pounds (6, 5, 5)
• Sit ups: 40 pounds, 20 reps
• Stretch

Long Run: 9 Miles

I was busy all weekend so I had to put off my long run to the last minute. It was getting late so I took my headlamp and reflective vest with me. It was colder, so I wore a long sleeve shirt with a vest as well as a headwarmer thing. I set out and the sun was starting to set. I didn't need my headlamp right away. I ran a decent pace and felt good. I felt like I was going faster than I really was but I didn't worry too much since it was a long run. At the second mile I picked it up a little. I still felt great. It started to get dark so I soon got off my headlamp. I started feeling even better so I picked up the pace. I was a little worried about going stronger at the beginning, but I wanted to simulate race pace to an extent so I just let my body tell me what to do. I got in the zone and to maximum runner's high. I even started philosophizing in my head and stuff. I kept picking up the pace. On the hills I slowed a little, but I still pushed and ran fast uphill. At the halfway I was starting to get tired but I was still feeling pretty good. I ate my power gel and headed back. I picked up the pace the rest of the way. It was getting dark and the light of my headlamp kind of put me in my own little world. With three miles left I really picked it up since there were a lot of big downhills. Once the last mile arrived I was starting to get pretty tired but I pushed and got my pace down a lot. The run as a whole ended up being like a long tempo run, which is what I aimed for it to be. I am tapering for the Cleveland half marathon. I am cutting back on amount but not intensity. CLICK HERE for Garmin activity page. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 1111 ft Location: Howard, OH Elev. Gain: +6 ft Date: 05/09/10 Up/Downhill: [+1233/-1227] Time: 08:50 PM Difficulty: 3.8 / 5.0 Performance Distance: 9.01 miles Time: 1:15:39 Speed: 7.1 mph Pace: 8' 24 /mi Heart Rate: 167 bpm (Avg) Calories: 1228 188 bpm (Peak) Map Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Heart Rate (bpm) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Heart Rate Elev Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 26 +1' 02 6.3 -0.8 144 -- ft 2 9' 14 +0' 50 6.5 -0.7 158 -- ft 3 8' 45 +0' 21 6.8 -0.3 162 -- ft 4 8' 09 -0' 15 7.4 +0.2 168 -- ft 5 8' 27 +0' 03 7.1 -0.1 172 -- ft 6 7' 56 -0' 28 7.6 +0.4 177 -- ft 7 8' 00 -0' 24 7.5 +0.4 173 -- ft 8 7' 36 -0' 48 7.9 +0.7 173 -- ft 9 7' 45 -0' 39 7.7 +0.6 180 -- ft end 6' 40 -1' 44 9.0 +1.9 188 -- ft Versus average of 8' 24 min/mile

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