2009 Annapolis Ten Miler

Back again at this classic race today (my 4th time, I think?) with 5,499 of my closest friends. Usually it's insufferably hot and humid but we were fortunate to have temperatures and humidities both in the low 70s today.

Watch time: 1:58:32/Garmin time: 1:58:40
Official chip time: 1:58:24 (11:50 min/mile pace)
Previous best on this challenging course: 2:01:24 (2005)

So exactly a 3-minute course PR. I'll take it! The entire 3 minutes can be accounted for by not walking up ANY hills this time (for the first time on this course), and indeed, there are several tough ones. I did walk for a short while several times at water stops, just to gulp down some water, but limited it to just as long as necessary to drink-and-go.

Still a long way off my ten mile PR (different course, cold weather, 2007): 1:48:52

On the final hill on the Severn River bridge, there was an overweight teenage boy really struggling and I started badgering him to get up the hill: "C'mon! We're going to run up this hill! Count to twenty and we'll be there! Lift up your chin and you can breathe easier! Use your arms! Look, just run to that flag and we're done!"

Mostly it helped take my mind off myself, of course, but it kept me going!

He did great. I passed him later but found him after the finish line and shook his hand and congratulated him.

I felt strong the whole race, very positive mentally, and got a great technical long-sleeved running shirt at the finish line that I'll wear often. Also nice to see some old friends at the start and on course!

A good day for running, and a solid training run in the bank!

Quiet Waters Anniversary 15k Race Report

I ran my HILLY HILLY 15k race today on NARROW WINDY PATHS in an Annapolis, Maryland park in 1:40:22, or a 10:47 min/mile pace.

I'm very pleased with that result! It's 11 1/2 minutes off my EXTREMELY soft 15k PR from the Gasparilla Distance Classic in 2005. I don't think I've run any other 15km races - my attempt at this race last year ended up in an ignominious DNF due to a severe cramp.

I ran faster at the distance ONCE - for my half marathon PR on a perfect-weather day on a perfect-weather course with no walking at all. This pace is faster than my best 10 miler pace (10:59), though.

AND this was a very hilly course that required quite a number of walk breaks from me - at least 3 for water and 4-5 to get up steep hills and catch my breath!

I really struggled through those last couple of miles - glad I had my training buddy Pace-Guy Dave to keep me moving!! (We missed Janice out there, who was silly enough to choose to run the Honolulu Marathon instead.) But doing well on a hilly course today means that my fitness levels aren't quite as bad as I thought. All this bronchitis this year had me thinking I was going to be much slower!

It's my last race for the year and the last race in the Annapolis Striders Championship 8-race series for the year. It's possible that I moved up a notch or so from my 8th place in the AG standings, but I'm happy with just finishing the series!

Always 4th place

This seems to be my week to be 4th out of 4. Did it twice today in two different cycling time trials, plus last week the same at Steelhead duathlon. Oh well. Today that means I don't qualify for the Senior Nationals in time trialing, unless I can manage to pull it off in another state games (Delaware?).

I found out that they never posted official times from the last time trial because their chip system wasn't working properly - whoops!

5k time trial: Got a slow start clipping in and made a poor turnaround.

Watch time: 9:41(?)
Garmin time: 10:12(?)
Average heart rate: 170 bpm
Average bike computer speed: 18.5 mph
Maximum bike computer speed: 23.3 mph

Official 5k time: 9:41
Calculated speed: 19.26 mph

Rode another mile or two between time trials to keep the legs warm. They were 45 minutes apart.

10K time trial: Better start (clipping in) and better turnaround, but I could feel some fatigue slowing down my legs from the start.

Watch time: 19:52(?)
Garmin time: 20:27(?)
Average heart rate: 166 bpm
Average bike computer speed: 18.2 mph
Maximum bike computer speed: 21.5 mph

Official 10k time: 19:43
Calculated speed: 18.91 mph

I had hoped to go faster, but that's as fast as I could go today. That's as much "oomph" as my legs had in them. No excuses, it just shows that I have a lot of work yet to do! That gives me a benchmark for my first 5K and 10K cycling time trials and helps chart the path for improving on them the next time around.

Still, it was fun and I met some very nice local Maryland cyclists - a very congenial group of Senior Olympians!