The best part of this race is that if you do the ABB 5k and the Houston Marathon you get a third medal for doing both. BLING BLING BLING
Check out my video of the race:
Showing posts with label RACE REPORT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RACE REPORT. Show all posts
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Texas Beef Team & ABB 5k 2013 Race Report
This was a fun 5k the day before the Houston Marathon! This was also my first race representing the Texas BEEF team as a Team In Preparation(TIP). If you guys don't know about the benefits of beef to fuel you before a race go check it out the Texas Beef Team website for more info.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Dallas Rock n Roll Half Marathon 2013 race report
I had a blast helping my friend Buddy run his first half marathon in under 2 hours. I planned a strategy that would get us there and stuck to it. Check out the video to see how we did:
PART I:
PART II:
It was a freezing day to run but I do well in cold temps. I'll have to come back and run the race again.
Do you want to run a Rock n Roll race too? Find out if there is one coming to your area by checking out the Rock n Roll website : http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-diego
PART I:
It was a freezing day to run but I do well in cold temps. I'll have to come back and run the race again.
Do you want to run a Rock n Roll race too? Find out if there is one coming to your area by checking out the Rock n Roll website : http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-diego
Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon
This was a great local race unfortunately for me my training the month before the race was lacking so I had a rough time with it. Here's my video from the race. Enjoy.
After about mile 4 I knew it was going to be a long day. It was nice to see all the locals out there running it. Great race and really one of the most scenic courses I've ever run. Next year I might even train for it :P
After about mile 4 I knew it was going to be a long day. It was nice to see all the locals out there running it. Great race and really one of the most scenic courses I've ever run. Next year I might even train for it :P
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
San Antonio Rock n Roll Race Report 2013 - TEAM REFUEL
They changed the course from last year and made it more scenic but they also made it a lot more hillier! To say I struggled with this half marathon would be an understatement. I actually had thoughts of a possible DNF.
A picture is worth a thousand words and a video just makes you feel like you ran it with me. So check out my GoPro video to see how I did.
A picture is worth a thousand words and a video just makes you feel like you ran it with me. So check out my GoPro video to see how I did.
This first video is a little trailer for those who like to keep it short and simple.
This second video is the full video of my race edited down to about 9 minutes. I barely had energy to shoot footage during this race and I think it comes out in the video.
During my group runs I often pace my runners to show them the route but during this race I was the one who needed that pacing. Nancy found me at mile 4 and would not leave me for the rest of the race despite my pleads. If not for her my time would have been a lot slower. Thank you Nancy!
I ended up finishing my 20th half marathon in 2:24:24 which is my worst half marathon where I wasn't pacing someone but I finished and I'm proud of running those 13.1 miles. Because this was my 5th Rock n Roll race of the year I got my ROCK STAR medal! Pretty sweet!
How am I able to do so many Rock n Roll Races? Well mainly its because of my Got Chocolate Milk Team REFUEL sponsorship! Thank you Team REFUEL Chocolate milk for providing me with a bib and also the cold chocolate milk after the race. Trust me after drinking gatorade and water for 13.1 miles the last thing I wanted was more of it so the cold chocolate milk was a welcoming sight. To become a Team REFUEL sponsored athlete click on this link for more info: http://gotchocolatemilk.com/team-refuel/sponsorship-process
Do you want to run a Rock n Roll race too? Find out if there is one coming to your area by checking out the Rock n Roll website : http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-diego
Do you want to run a Rock n Roll race too? Find out if there is one coming to your area by checking out the Rock n Roll website : http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-diego
Thursday, June 13, 2013
My "My AFTER" ad unveil and San Diego RnR Recap
THE UNVEIL
NERVOUS, excited, and ready to do this dang thing! The unveil day had arrived and they had a competitor rep there on stage to introduce me. That competitor rep ended up being John "the PENGUIN" Bingham! I told him before the interview that it was an honor for me to meet him and that I've read many of his articles and always see his quotes on Facebook which have inspired me and many others. We then get on stage and start the unveiling which all went by in a blur. I was nervous but I was settled by seeing the support of my friends in the crowd which included members from my Golden Triangle Strutter group and members from Team REFUEL. I unveiled the ad and seeing myself in a 5 foot poster was pretty amazing. The ad looked great and it's still surreal that I'll be opening a magazine, seeing myself in it representing the great athletes of Team REFUEL.
 |
| The "Penguin" asking me a few questions on stage. |
 |
| My awesome friends and Team REFUEL teammates. |
 |
| Meant the world to me to have these Strutters here! |
I get up in the morning and head over to the start line and again meet up with some more of my Team REFUEL teammates at the VIP tent. Team REFUEL is a big supporter of the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). This is CAF's mission statement:
"It is the mission of the Challenged Athletes Foundation® to provide opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. CAF believes that involvement in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life."
I've run other races but haven't really met too many of the Team REFUEL/CAF athletes and before the race I was honored to have met Bryan Solberg and Jeff Schmidt. These guys are the epitome of greatness and such down to earth welcoming people. When I first met Jeff he had told me he recognized me from the team page and also said thank you to me for what I do for CAF. I was taken aback by his gratitude. He told me that what Got Chocolate Milk Team REFUEL does for CAF really does help athletes like himself achieve their goals. I've never been more proud to be wearing my Team REFUEL gear than at that moment. (Go to my CAF page here to donate and help more athletes achieve whatever they want to achieve. link to donate)I wasn't fully trained for this marathon but the day had come for me conquer 26.2 miles for the 11th time!
MARATHON TIME!!!
Weather: 60's with an overcast all day long. They call it the June GLOOM but I call it great weather for running!
I was feeling good through these miles. The marathon and half marathon had separate start times so the corral you started with was pretty much the people around you the whole race. I had latched on to the 4:25 pace leader and figured the pace they were running was doable.
MILES 12-15
These miles got a little iffy as we ran through Mission Bay Park. The park was nice but they had led us onto the park path which was a narrow path with thousands of runners. Passing was not easy and the pace group got away from me at times.
MILES 16-19
I had caught back up with the pace group and was taking in Gu's routinely every 45 minutes as if I actually enjoyed the stuff. Around mile 18 the lady in front of me took a bad fall when she tripped over one of the reflective road markings. I stopped to help her up and make sure she was OK and then went back to my race but my 4:25 pace leader was long gone by then. I quickened my pace to catch up with them but I probably expended too much energy doing so. When I did catch up I was able to stay with them for a bit before falling off at mile 19.
MILES 20-22
If you hadn't hit the "wall" by mile 20 this marathon sure as heck made sure you hit it with this dreadful hill that never ended. I slowed down to a walk at times and then a zombie strut at others. This hill had a pretty good grade to it and the road was slanted so to put it into other words "that hill sucked" :)
MILES 23-26.2
I'm almost done. I had actually believed people when they said that after that crazy hill it was all downhill. It was a few more painful rolling hills and then a big downhill into downtown San Diego to the finish line. Boston was on my mind during these last miles. I had worn the "Run Boston" bracelet that day and as I crossed I raised my arm for Boston.
Finished in 4:37:23! For the most part I executed a good race for myself and I'm really proud of my time. At the finish line you know I enjoyed some low-fat chocolate milk to REFUEL my body with the right balance of carbs to protein and its pure yumminess :)
If you love low-fat chocolate milk as your AFTER go get yourself on Team REFUEL! They are now accepting Team applications along with individual applications. click here to apply
Monday, November 19, 2012
HMSA 25k Race Report
After my disappointing San Antonio RnR Marathon I was itching to run another race to redeem myself. I so happened to be in Houston visiting my brother before he left to go to Cozumel for his IronMan. When we arrived at his place he mentions that the HMSA 25k was tomorrow morning and would Willie, my other brother, and myself like to run it? I knew the temps for the race were pretty much optimal for a PR and I wanted redemption for my awful performance at the SA RnR marathon. I told him I was in. We wake up early next morning so we could go do race day registration. While waiting for the 7:30 start my brothers and I discuss racing strategy. I tell them that since I've been pacing others for my last 2 half marathons I wanted to break 2 hours for 13.1 miles and also run the 15.5 miles in 2:15. With the temps starting off in the mid 40's I had no doubt in my mind that I could hit my goals. After some more waiting, a stop at the port-o-johns and couple more cups of water we head to the starting line and wait for the start of race.
THE COURSE
The course was a 3 looped course on Memorial Drive with each loop being about 5 miles. Hydration stations were stationed about every 2 miles.
MILES 1 - 5 (8:59, 8:40, 8:40, 8:44, 8:54)
I'm running along with my brother Wilie to start off. There is lots of swerving going early on as it is pretty congested just like many other race. After the first mile though things start clear up and we are able to run without too much zigzagging. I'm running pretty comfortably at an 8:35 - 8:45 pace but was worried I wouldn't be able to keep this for the 15.5 miles so I was actively trying to slow myself down hence the 5th mile being an 8:54 split.
MILES 6 - 10 (8:31, 8:43, 8:38, 8:48, 8:45)
Feeling good after the first loop, I know I only have 2 more loops to go! This is where my brother John, who was taking it "easy", passes me up and tells me I'm looking good and to keep it up. I attempt to stay with him for a bit but he's flying off at a sub 8 pace so I back off and stick to my race plan. Everything is still feeling really good and I know that I'm on pace to run a sub-2 half marathon if I kept doing what I was doing.
I'm running along with my brother Wilie to start off. There is lots of swerving going early on as it is pretty congested just like many other race. After the first mile though things start clear up and we are able to run without too much zigzagging. I'm running pretty comfortably at an 8:35 - 8:45 pace but was worried I wouldn't be able to keep this for the 15.5 miles so I was actively trying to slow myself down hence the 5th mile being an 8:54 split.
MILES 6 - 10 (8:31, 8:43, 8:38, 8:48, 8:45)Feeling good after the first loop, I know I only have 2 more loops to go! This is where my brother John, who was taking it "easy", passes me up and tells me I'm looking good and to keep it up. I attempt to stay with him for a bit but he's flying off at a sub 8 pace so I back off and stick to my race plan. Everything is still feeling really good and I know that I'm on pace to run a sub-2 half marathon if I kept doing what I was doing.
MILES 11 - 13.1 (8:32, 8:44, 8:39)
I make the turnaround and look down at my watch at 13.1 and see a time of 1:54 and some change. Boom! An unofficial half marathon PR by 8 minutes! I do a little happy dance in my head and keep on running cause I still have 2.4 miles to go!
MILES 14-15.5 (8:38, 8:43, 8:10(0.55))
.JPG)
I considered these last 2.45 miles my "victory loop" but that did not mean that these miles were easy for me. My body was feeling the pounding from the last 13.1 miles and had not yet fully recovered from the marathon just 7 days earlier. I had to shake off all those feelings so I could still reach my goal of finishing in 2:15. After one last little hill it was a straight away to the finish line. I give it one last push with the help of the cheering crowds and sprint to cross the finish line with a new 25k PR!I finished in 2:15:08 getting a new 25k PR by 20+ minutes. I actually don't think I could have raced it better than what I did that day. I was 37th out of 79 in my AG and finished 412 out of about 1200 runners. Not too shabby for an impromptu race.
SPLITS:
8:59, 8:40, 8:40, 8:44, 8:54, 8:31, 8:43, 8:38, 8:48, 8:45, 8:32, 8:44, 8:39, 8:38, 8:43, 8:10(0.55)
Sub 2 for 13.1 miles: CHECK
25k in 2:15 CHECK
Redemption is mine.
I've been using low-fat chocolate milk as a recovery drink after many if not all of my training runs. It's probably the best and tastiest way to provide your body with the calories, hydration, carbs, proteins, and vitamins that your body needs in order to refuel itself after the punishment that you've put it through. You can try many of the other recovery drinks out there but I find low-fat chocolate milk to be cheaper and the fact that it has the perfect ratio of carbs to protein all in one bottle just makes it the best choice for me.
Do you want to join me on Team REFUEL? Check out this website to apply: http://gotchocolatemilk.com/getsponsored/apply
Thursday, November 15, 2012
2012 San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon Race Report
26.2 miles is a distance that I was setting out to tackle for the 8th time. Team REFUEL Got Chocolate Milk was sponsoring me and also offered my brother, Willie, a bib for the race. We arrived in San Antonio on Friday night, headed to the convention center to pick up our bibs and check out the expo. While there I of course checked out the Got Chocolate Milk booth and everything else they had out there. Meb Keflezighi and the Biggest Loser guy were also there so we got a few pics with them before calling it a night.
Miles 1 - 2: 10:19
Miles 3 - 9: 10:05
Miles 10-17: 9:55
Miles 18-26.2: 9:42
I've used the MARCO calculator for my last two marathons and have had great success with it. The plan looked easy enough on paper but lets see how it would work out for me on race day.
We are assigned to corral 12 and see my two friends Van and Matt there. The first corral goes off at 7:30 and our corral finally goes off around 7:50ish. Let the race begin!
MILES 1 - 2
MILES 3 - 9 (10:07, 10:03, 10:04, 9:48, 9:56, 9:48, 9:55)
The temps were rising fast and I knew it was only going to get hotter. My body was working hard to cool itself and my shirt was soaked with sweat. My brother and I decide to take off our shirts so our bodies could cool themselves off properly, insecurities be damned. I took GU every 30 to 45 minutes and drank water and Gatorade at every hydration station. While we were still on pace with my under 4:20 goal, I knew that the chances of speeding up for the second half would be slim. But I still had hopes that I could fight the inevitable so I kept on with the prescribed pace.
MILES 10 - 13.1 (10:05, 9:54, 9:59, 9:54)
About mile 11 the half marathon and full marathon split. I remember reading at the expo that if you were a full marathoner you could go ahead and take the turn around for the half and you would automatically be considered a half marathoner even if you signed up for the full. I did see one or two full marathoners make this decision but I signed up for the full and I was going to finish the full 26.2 miles. Besides I was feeling really good crossing the 13.1 mat at about a time of 2:11 so I was still on track to get that PR if I sped up. Was it in me??
MILES 14 - 17 (10:11, 10:06, 10:17, 11:06)
Nope not today. My pace is suppose to be close to 9:55 but I'm clearly slowing down and the heat is ever present. I notice I start having a little bit of trouble keeping up with my brother. I keep urging him to go ahead and run his race but he stays with me. IT'S HOT!
MILES 18 - 21 (13:05, 13:56, 12:51, 15:40)
This is pretty much where we start this steady uphill climb and since I'm from the flat South East Texas (SETX) area plus my legs/body are beat. I start to walk. Its never a good feeling to walk during a marathon but it is what it is. Around mile 20 I get a tap on my shoulder from Tara and Erin, my friends from SETX, and they are looking really strong and running at a good pace. I initially tried to stay with them but my body was hurting so once again I was stuck walking as they went ahead. This is also around the time Willie went ahead of me to run with Van and Matt. I was now running or rather walking my own race.
MILE 22 - (9:59, 12:35, 13:27)
Feeling pretty horrible about that last mile, I just remember thinking "ITS ALL IN YOUR MIND" and that I would be able to trick my body into running again if I just went through the motions of running faster. So that's what I did. I focused on the road, my form, and my breathing. I was passing runners left and right but as you can see from my pace it didn't last too long and eventually I slowed down once again. Ehh... it was good while it lasted :P
MILES 25 - 26.37 (14:58, 12,:34, 9:39)
Where is the finish line? The last miles of a marathon are always the longest! Everything hurts, you're tired, and all you are dreaming about is the finish line and yes I was dreaming of refueling with low-fat chocolate milk. I just had to keep moving my battered body forward! The volunteers were awesome! They had wet sponges for us throughout the course and when I would ask them to throw water on me they would. I make it to the little underpass at the Alamodome and then there is one last incline with spectators all cheering for you. The crowd is urging me on to run hard, finish strong and I'm finding myself re-energized for that one last push. I make the turn and there it is!! I give it my all and sprint to the finish line to once again become a marathoner! I crossed in 4:53:47 about 33+ minutes off my "goal".Being that this was my 8th full marathon, you would think I'd remember every aspect of it by now. But when coming up with my race plan I forgot to give it the RESPECT that it deserves. 26.2 miles is no joke and I let my ego push me into trying to go for a PR. I finished and that probably should have been my goal all along with the sub optimal conditions that met us on race day. 26.2 miles RESPECT it or it will kick your ass!
I did end up getting my low-fat chocolate milk for my after. My body was definitely craving all the essential nutrients and electrolytes that it provides, not to mention it just taste great. Thank you Got Chocolate Milk Team REFUEL for giving me the chance to run this race!
Do you love low-fat chocolate milk as a recovery drink for your AFTER? Apply to be part of Team REFUEL! Follow this link for directions on how to apply. http://gotchocolatemilk.com/getsponsored/apply
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
LA RnR Half Marathon Race Report
I initially wanted to run this race for me but when planning the trip I spoke to my good friend in LA, Theresa, and she said she would run it too if I ran it with her. If there is one thing better than getting a PR for yourself its helping another runner get their PR, so I happily agreed to be her pacer. I was running this race as part of Got Chocolate Milk Team REFUEL so my bib was provided by them and with that came VIP treatment at the race.
So race day arrives and we wake up pretty early to get to LA Live by 6 am. Once there we walk around and find the VIP tent. It's pretty awesome with everything you could need pre race including Gatorade, low fat chocolate milk, danishes, bagels, pastries, fruits, bathrooms with no lines, sunscreen, band aids, and many other things. This being an LA race I was curious to see if there would be any celebrities in the VIP area. The ones I saw were Deena Castor, Shawn Johnson, Andrea Barber (Kimmy Gibbler from Full House), and Skylar Laine (American Idol). I'm sure there were others but I didn't recognize them. I took a few pics with them and then chatted with other Team REFUEL members. It was nice not being the only one in Chocolate Milk gear at the race.
After all the pictures and star gazing Theresa and I head to our corral and wait for the race to start. My plan for her was to get her to the finish line in 2:15 which would be about a 15 minute PR for her.
The plan:
Mile 1 10:50 - 11:20
Mile 2-4 10:25 - 10:35
Mile 5-8 10:15 - 10:20
Mile 9-13.1 9:55 - 10:20
The race starts but since we are in Corral 12 we still have a pretty good wait until we cross the start line. It takes us about 20 minutes after the initial start to begin our race and we are off!
MILE 1 (10:53)
As expected the early miles are pretty congested so there was a lot of weaving in and out around other runners and walkers. All the great costumes and just the energy of the race had me wanting to push the pace but I kept as close to the low end of the pace range as possible. Theresa was having no problem at all with this pace and looked great!
MILE 2-4 (10:26, 10:30, 10:14)
Pretty nice route around LA. We passed up the La Bria Tar Pits and other landmarks.
I probably should have hit up the port-o-johns one more time before the race as I really needed to pee but wasn't willing to wait at one of the long lines during the early miles. Luckily we ran around the LA Memorial Coliseum which had plenty of restrooms around it. I told Theresa I would run ahead and find her once I was done. It worked out as she only had to slow down for a little bit before I saw her right outside the restrooms. Theresa was still doing really good with the prescribed pace.
MILE 5-8 (10:25, 10:22, 9:47, 9:33)
These were the Elvis miles. There was a fun group of runners all dressed up as Elvis. One of them was even pushing a baby stroller with a stereo in it playing Elvis songs while holding a beer. Pretty fun stuff and it really made the miles go by fast. There was a steady incline here that sucked but wasn't too bad. Somewhere around mile 8 or 9 we ran through this pretty cool tunnel. If you've ever paced someone you have to ask yourself if you are pushing your runner too hard or not enough. I looked at TSA(Theresa) and saw her running strong and breathing easy. She was doing awesome and I knew that she would be able to handle a quicker pace so that's what I did.
MILE 9-12 (9:58, 9:51, 9:35, 9:22)
Where did that mountain come from? During these miles there was this crazy bridge we had to run up. It had a pretty good incline and I thought TSA might slow down for it but she told me she has to run up inclines fast so off she went. Her fast pace uphill surprised me a bit and she actually left me behind a little going up it at a sub 9 min/mile pace. We keep speeding up with each mile and are clearly not following the pace plan anymore so I was just going to run and pay attention to TSA's breathing as a cue as to slow down or not.
MILE 13 - 13.44 (7:33, 6:58(0.44))
Just a little bit more to go!!! I tell TSA we only have about 10 minutes of running left. She tells me I better not be lying and takes off! We are running at a pretty nice pace passing runners left and right. It's all pretty much downhill to the finish line. I'm surprised to look down at my watch and see our pace is so fast and TSA has no signs of slowing down. As we get closer we see the finish line is in site. She gives it one last push and we cross together at 2:11:30.
Of course after the finish line the first thing I'm craving is low fat chocolate milk because I know that it has the perfect 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein to help my body recover after 13.1 or in this case 13.44 long miles. So good!! We also make it back to the VIP tent and are treated to more low fat chocolate milk, champagne, beer, breakfast burritos, hash browns, waffles, fruits, pastries galore.
This was an 18+ minute PR for TSA and she finished really strong I'm sure a sub 2 hour half marathon is in her near future. I'm honored to have been a part of your race and really proud of you Theresa! You kicked ass!
Thank you Got Chocolate Milk Team REFUEL for the letting me represent you in this race! It was a blast and I'm ready to go again at the RnR San Antonio Full Marathon in November!
If you are interested in becoming part of Team REFUEL or the chance to train with Hines Ward to compete in the World Championships in IronMan Kona. Check out www.gotchocolatemilk.com for info on how to submit your videos. Happy running!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Dallas Rock n Roll Half Marthon 2012: Race report
This race report really begins in January when my good friend Ivy started coming out to the Golden Triangle Strutter runs that I lead. She is an avid tennis player and wanted to get into running as another outlet for all her energy. We started out walk/running but pretty soon she was able to cut the walking out and just run the whole 3.5 mile course. During our runs she had asked me about the races I've done so I told her all my stories. She seemed to be interested in doing a half so I had told her if she wanted to do one I would pace her through the whole thing. Once that seed was planted she got excited and agreed to start looking for one. She wanted to do a big race and we found the Dallas RnR Half Marathon on March 25. 3 months? Half marathon? Newbie runner? I told Ivy it could be done and she nervously agreed to it. Through the next 3 months I had trained her to do a 5k then a 10k and then our longest run, 3 weeks before the race ,was a 9 miler. She did well on her 9 miles doing it in an average pace around a 11:50 and I had no doubt she could complete the 13.1 miles in Dallas.
My plan for Ivy was to get her across with a goal time of 2:40 - 2:50 but mainly to have fun and finish. The race is started in waves and since we were in corral 13 we had a good while to wait before our wave started.
We finally get our countdown and are off!! Willie and I initially have a little trouble finding the correct pacing but soon settle in. There is not one cloud in the sky and the sun and heat are bearing down on us it was going to be a tough day for a race. I notice Ivy is sweating a lot in her outfit so I tell her to make sure she gets adequate amount of hydration during all the water/Gatorade stops. Our outfits were a big hit during the run and we had lots of spectators cheering us on.
Miles 3 - 5
We start hitting some hills on the course and since Southeast Texas is flat as a pancake we had absolutely no hill training. She had a rough time but was powering through them. Around mile 5 Ivy tells me that she is starting to have some lower leg pain on her left leg. She's never had this pain before and I'm suspecting it might be her IT band acting up due to the hills. She says she can deal with it and we continue running strong during these miles.
Miles 6 - 8
Ivy's left leg is really starting to bother her and I tell her we should stop and try to stretch it out. It doesn't really help and she starts to tear up telling me she wanted to run the whole race and not stop or walk. Willie and I give her hugs and tell her not to worry about it and that we will get her across no matter what. Other runners also stop to console her telling her there is no shame in walking and that she can finish it. We start moving again and Ivy is giving it her all with every step trying her best to keep at a running pace. Around mile 8 I see Ivy writhing in pain with every step forward so we make the decision to stop at a medical tent to see if they can wrap up her knee to relieve some of the pain. We leave the medical tent and she tries to run again but all she can manage is a walk and we tell her its OK we will just walk until she can run again. Willie and I also tell her our own stories about our first half marathons and how it was a struggle for us to finish. We tell her how we walked many of the last miles in pain and that all the pain and struggling makes crossing that 13.1 mile line all the more sweeter.
Miles 9 - 12
 |
| Ivy smiling through the pain for the camera. |
MILES 13 - 13.1With the fair grounds in sight Ivy starts to run a bit and we are all there motivating her to keep it up. I tell her to give me 5 more minutes of running and she'll be done and be a half marathoner. She is in grimacing pain but keeps on moving forward. Other runners, who have finished, are cheering her on and telling her she's almost done. With the finish line in sight we are all yelling/motivating Ivy to finish strong. As we cross I'm pointing at her cause this moment isn't about me its about this first time half marathoner that we helped on her journey across these hilly Dallas streets for 13.1 miles. We all give her hugs, Ivy has tears in her eyes, its a great moment. Ivy has become a half marathoner!!!
Pacing a half marathon rather than racing one was a totally different experience. Both are rewarding but pacing another runner to their goals was just as great a feeling as one can get. Congrats IVY!!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
The Gusher Marathon 2012
This was my "A" race so I wanted to run a serious marathon this time which meant I wasn't going to
.jpeg)
run with my GoPro cam, make unnecessary stops, or slow down to chat with other runners like I did for the Houston Marathon. My original goal was to break 4:29:15 and beat Oprah's time but I saw that one of my good running buddies had just completed a marathon in 4:23 so I adjusted my goal to run a 4:20. I found this great site www.feelrace.com. that when you input your goal time it will calculate progressive splits for the 26.2 miles. So I wrote the splits on my bib: Miles 1-2(10:19) 3-9(10:05) 10-17(9:55) 18-25(9:42) 26-26.2(as fast as I could!) and would follow it as closely as possible for the race.
run with my GoPro cam, make unnecessary stops, or slow down to chat with other runners like I did for the Houston Marathon. My original goal was to break 4:29:15 and beat Oprah's time but I saw that one of my good running buddies had just completed a marathon in 4:23 so I adjusted my goal to run a 4:20. I found this great site www.feelrace.com. that when you input your goal time it will calculate progressive splits for the 26.2 miles. So I wrote the splits on my bib: Miles 1-2(10:19) 3-9(10:05) 10-17(9:55) 18-25(9:42) 26-26.2(as fast as I could!) and would follow it as closely as possible for the race.The weather initially called for 80% rain and warm temps but on race day it was just about perfect weather conditions starting somewhere in the 50s and actually cooling down as the day went on. The course is a 2 loop course around Lamar University and Downtown Beaumont.
Miles 1 - 2
There is a little bit of a shuffle at the beginning but once we pass the timing mat everyone is off and running. I stuck to my plan of running a 10:19 pace as closely as possible which meant many runners were passing me during these miles. I had to keep telling myself most of them were running the half and I had a LONG way to go so I should just stick with the plan. It was nice running around the Lamar campus and I did end up chatting with a few running friends along the way.
Miles 3 - 13.1
These were all strong miles I kept having to tell myself to slow down because I was going faster than my prescribed goal pace but I figured it would be time in the bank for later if I ever slowed down. There aren't many spectators out in the downtown area because they close if off to traffic. When I did see some people especially at the water stops I would interact with them by saying thank you, giving them high fives and call for some cheering. Around mile 12 I was running next to a half marathoner and she looked over at the other side of the road where some marathoners had already started their second loop and she said to me without looking at my bib "Poor saps they have to do this whole thing again!" I told her I know I'm one of them! She smiled and I helped motivate her to the finish line. I ended up crossing 13.1 miles in 2:11:23.
Miles 13.2 - 18
After seeing all the half marathoners finish it gave me some energy and I was running fast through the Lamar campus. Because this was a 2 loop course I could see the half marathoners on their last miles on the other side of the road and I would cheer them on telling them "one more turn to go" "you got this" "less than mile to go." Heading back onto MLK parkway my feet were hurting a bit but I kept focusing on my pace and because my plan called for progressive splits I was passing marathoners one by one which of course gives you a boost with each runner passed. I saw one of my running friends around mile 18 and he was cramping up and struggling. I offered him my GU and ran with him for a bit trying to motivate him to keep pace with me but he soon fell off. I wished him luck and continued my journey.
Miles 19 - 22
These miles were tough only about 100 runners were in the marathon so we were all spread a good distance apart from one another and it was almost like you were running alone in an abandoned city. Good thing I had my music on me because whenever it got tough or I felt my pace slowing I would just focus on the beat of the music and it would get my pace going.
23 - 24
Back on MLK parkway and the little "hills" that it provided really gave my body a beating. I saw another runner struggling so I yelled at him "C'mon we got this!" and he sped up to a good pace which actually motivated me to run and try to keep up. Mile 24 was my worst mile of the marathon I had to walk for a bit as my left shin started cramping up on me. I was so close and I knew if I kept on running I could get my 4:20 goal so I tried my best to shake it off and eventually powered through and shook off the cramp.
Miles 25 - 26
Again tough miles getting back into the Lamar campus I was just focusing on running forward with all my energy and not giving up like I did last year where I walked most of the last 2 miles and it cost me a PR. I ended up seeing my brother on the course and he was about 4 minutes ahead of me but it gave me the motivation to power through the pain.
26 - 26.2
I make the last turn and see some friends cheering me on and I'm hurting bad but this lifts my spirits and I start hyperventilating a bit and start getting emotional but shake it off so I can finish strong. I have the last long stretch to go and people at the end are cheering for me. I give it my all and run as fast as I can towards the finish line and notice a big group of my friends are at the end really cheering me on and as I cross the finish line it was just about the best feeling in the world. Usually at the end of my races no one is waiting on me but this one I was surrounded by friends congratulating me and giving me hugs. It was a bit overwhelming but in a good way. Definitely made for one of the best moments of all my 7 marathons.
So I had beaten Oprah and followed my plan for the most part and gotten a new PR by 17+ minutes Official time was 4:21:50 I ran the first half in 2:11:23 and the second half in 2:10:26.
Splits: 10:03, 9:58, 9:58, 9:59, 9:48, 10:05, 9:47, 9:50, 9:58, 10:20, 9:33, 9:34, 9:48, 9:17, 9:38, 9:42, 9:45, 9:56, 9:57, 9:32, 9:30, 9:35, 9:53, 10:58, 9:09, 9:53, 10:22(0.63)
Whats next? The Dallas RnR half marathon on March 25 where I'm pacing my friend for her first half. Should be a good time :)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Chevron Houston Marathon 2012 Race Report
Saturday night I'm still debating on whether or not I should wear my GoPro camera for my run and also whether I should wear my Vffs or my MT-20 Minimus shoes. I was thinking that the GoPro would be too much of a hassle to wear and mess with for 26.2 miles and as for my Vibrams the longest I had ran while wearing them was 15 miles and it was pretty painful for the last two miles of it. But I decide finally to go ahead and wear my Vffs I figured my feet were gonna be hurting regardless of the shoe I wore after mile 20 so I might as well wear the shoe I've been training in since March 2011. I had also decided on wearing the GoPro Cam since it would just be so cool to have video documentation of me running a marathon.
RACE DAY: SUNDAY MORNING
Alarm goes off at 4 am and I jump out of bed and get myself ready for the Marathon. Breakfast was a banana, a few granola bars and a gatorade. We head off at about 4:45 and park, seeing all the runners around walking to the GRB convention center is really getting me excited to start this thing. At 5:30 they have Catholic mass so we attend that and they have a blessing of our feet at the end which I definitely took part in. We then check in our bags, port-o-johns, and head to the starting line.
MILES 1 - 5
We are in the OPEN Corral so we start 10 minutes after corral A starts. After some introductions by the Houston mayor and the 10 minute wait the crowd starts moving and we are off. I'm running at first with my brother Willie. I wanted to keep a 10:30 - 10:45 pace through the early miles so I knew we wouldn't stay together for too long. But we were able to stay together long enough so we could get some footage of each other with the GoPro camera which was fun. A little after the convergence of the halfs and fulls I told Willie to go ahead and wished him well on his marathon. These miles felt real good the crowds were out cheering and it led me to run faster then planned so I kept having to remind myself to slow it down because if I didn't I knew the later miles I'd be doing some major walking. I also ran into Julia and her running group of 80's themed ballerinas. Its always nice to see someone you know on the course.
 |
| Running alongside Dinh |
Still feeling good just taking it all in giving high fives to the crowds and hearing a lots of them shout out my name or comment about my Gopro camera like Look he's got a "(webcam/lil camera/GoPro) on his head" which really got me pumped. Sometime around these miles Dinh another DMer comes up and runs besides me and ask "Are you Jeremy?" I tell him yes and he introduces himself and runs besides me for a bit before I tell him I'm gonna slow it down as I'm running faster than planned. I also ended up seeing a barefoot runner and chatting him up to let the miles go by. Once the half marathoners split off around Rice University the roads open and its not so congested anymore so most of the weaving is done with. During this point I start grabbing food from the crowd bananas/oranges/pretzels. I'm not sure if it was the crowds food or just my stomach but I started to feel the need to go #2. It was probably a good thing people were holding up signs that said "Don't POOP your pants" because that gave me the motivation to go ahead and stop and take care of business. I won't go into details but I was in the port-o-john for a good 5 to 7 minutes but if felt like forever! Knowing I had lost some time but also feeling better I start picking up my pace to make up for that lost time passing many people and finally reaching some of the familar runners I had been running with previously before the stop.
Getting back to my planned marathon pace everything is feeling pretty good until about mile 13.1. I start getting the feelings of the beginnings of a cramp on my right calf. If you've followed any of my training you know that I've suffered through some tough calf strains so I slowed it down a notch until that pain went away and luckily the pain subsided and I was able to run at a strong pace again. 13.1 more miles to go!!!
 |
| Messing with the GoPro Cam probably making sure its on. |
MILES 14 - 17
These are tough miles the crowds are a bit thinned out as we go down Westpark but there is also this little hill that we have to go up. People start groaning, others are pumping themselves up by screaming "hills are our friends" "They make you stronger". I love it when other runners try to pump everyone up. So I go up and down the thing and finally make it back to some crowds down Post Oak Blvd. where the Galleria is. Whenever I'm tired and see the crowds I make my way to the right or left so I can get some motivation from them. I loved reading the signs like "Chuck Norris never ran a Marathon", "Worst Parade Ever", "Run like a Kenyan and quit after 2 hours"
MILES 18 - 20
This was my first Marathon 2 years ago and back then along Woodway street I saw President George H. W. Bush but didn't have a camera to document it. I thought to myself as I was passing that same area wouldn't it be cool if he was back here again. As I'm passing St. Martins Episcopal Church I see him there again. So I take the time to stop and get not just one pic but two because I had to make sure I had a picture of me shaking hands with this great American President. Talk about flying high, I was excited about meeting and taking the pic with the ex-pres that I had once again picked up my pace and was just running along crossing 610 and into the Memorial Park area.
MILES 21 - 24Still chugging along my feet hurt, my legs were hurting, my whole body was hurting but this is a marathon and that's how its suppose to feel right! Lots of people are slowing down their paces to walking at this point but I was trying my best to keep myself running at my goal pace. Its rougher roads here as the cement is mixed in with some pebbles so I decided to run on the grass for a bit but then I step on a rock,which sucked, so I go ahead and just run on the roads. I see a beer truck, I forget what the brand was, and I decide I'd get a cup. Talk about the best beer ever! It tasted great and I was chatting with some other runners and cheering them as we drank and ran together.
MILES 25 - 26
Entering downtown you can see the George R Brown Convention center which meant the finish line is RIGHT THERE! I pick up my pace probably too much as I soon tire out and start walking for a bit but motivate myself to run again as I knew a PR would be mine today. I'm passing runners left and right I see one of my friends from Beaumont and I try to motivate her to run with me. My legs have found new energy and I'm flying. I'm in celebration mode.
MILES 26 - 26.2
Crowds are to the left and right everyone cheering for us. I'm pumping them up by telling them I want more and raising my arms. The finish line is there and I run as hard as I can, my lungs are hurting, my legs are hurting, I want to slow down but I don't. I raise my arms in celebration and savor the moment a bit before turning off my Garmin. I had just completed my 6th marathon and a new PR! Official time: 4:40:07. What a great day!
SPLITS: 10:23, 10:25, 10:14, 10:34, 10:12, 10:08, 10:20, 10:04, 10:22, 9:58, 10:08, 10:14, 10:28, 10:14, 10:34, 10:40, 10:17, 10:17, 11:12, 10:49, 10:45, 10:52, 10:44, 10:49, 10:54, 10:39, 7:40(0.45)
Running with the GoPro Camera wasn't bad at all. I might even do it for my next marathon. I set the setting to take pics every 10 seconds and when I looked back at while editing the pics weren't as fluid as when I had it set to take pics every 5 seconds. So I'll have to work on that if I run with it again. My Vibrams worked out really well for me. I'm definitely glad I went with them for this run. With all the stops I made during this marathon like the restroom break, meeting the pres, and messing with the GoPro cam I know my time could have been better but who cares I enjoyed every minute of it.
My next marathon is going to be the Gusher marathon in March in Beaumont, TX. I'll take the time to recover some and hopefully I'll be able to get another PR for my hometown marathon. Thank you for reading my race report and thank you to all the DMers and everyone that follows and motivates me during my training.
Check out the edited GoPro footage here:
Part I: http://youtu.be/on4dlCX78Uk
Part II: http://youtu.be/f83I_omW7zY
Part III: http://youtu.be/MWvvVqxE2IY
Part IV: http://youtu.be/VPc2GbCHLaQ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
