Tarheel 10 Miler 2016- Race Recap

Now a few weeks past, I have just a few minutes to try to recapture some thoughts and moments from my second running of a huge Triangle event.  The Tarheel 10 Miler and 4 Miler were run on the beautiful (and difficult) Chapel Hill streets on April 23rd, 2016.

An event that draws thousands of runners every year, we converged on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill bright and early that Saturday morning.  For me, it’s about a 50 minute drive, which means I left the house before 6am.  I think I was parking about 6:30, for a meet up with my son, and eventual meetup time with the pacers at 7:15.  Everything about the morning was smooth, except for the temperatures.  It was a bit warm.  Anytime you schedule a race later than mid May around here, it’s a complete crap shoot as to the weather.  It could be 50, it could be 70.  We were flirting with race day temperatures just a tad too warm.

We met at the iconic Belltower on campus for photos and quick meeting.  My first time pacing this event, but have paced two other races (both Bull City) for this team.  With a new race course, which promised more of a flatter run, and the dreaded 1 mile uphill climb near the finish, I didn’t notice much about the new course that made it easier.  In fact, I ran it faster two years ago.  Laurel Hill is the finishing challenge, and after fighting the warmth of the day, and mile markers which were all over the place, I had very little gas left in the tank for that mile long uphill climb.

There were three of us pacing the 8:00 per mile group, including my son and another guy who I hadn’t met previously.  Right from the start it was painfully clear that our Garmins and the mile markers would make this a difficult race to pace.  Side note: please, mile markers need to be carefully mapped and placed on courses in the correct spots!  We were off by almost a quarter of a mile as we reached Mile 1!  No excuses for that.  It left us wondering, and confused.  We had no choice but to follow our Garmin pace, because after asking several runners during the race, everyone’s timing devices were all over the place.  Needless to say it made for a challenging race.  We made ok time, but often us pacers were not even together, what to rely on?  Course markers?  Garmins?  We did our best.  That dreaded hill at the finish nailed all of our coffins, and each of us were just slightly over 8 minute pace.  It really couldn’t be helped.  Funny, too, that I ran the race 4 minutes or so faster a few years back.

It was still really enjoyable though, and I always love pacing, and the interaction with runners.  We had a good race.  The only other negative I had for the new finish area was that once you  left the finisher chute, there was no access that I saw to additional water.  If I had known that, I would have brought a drop bag with a few bottles of water in it.

According to the website, there were 4,010 finishers in the 10 Miler.  That’s a big race! My finish put me in the top 16%.  Not sure if I could have done better on the day if I hadn’t been pacing because the weather may have impacted my speed.  It was just too warm and sunny.  The Tarheel 10 & 4 Miler is a very successful and huge event in Chapel Hill, and you should try it one day!  UNC is a beautiful campus!  They have pretty nice swag, too for finishing!

26 Glorious 26.2’s

For those of you who have been keeping track (and this probably includes only me), the Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh Marathon on April 10th was my 26th full marathon.  I’ve considered myself a bit OCD when it comes to numbers, so this one was a big deal!  Don’t you have a favorite number?  A lucky number?  Numbers that y don’t care for or feel odd about?  Back several years ago my phone number included my birth date, my age and my sons age.  Of course that only lasted a year or so, but funny stuff with numbers is kinda cool to me.  They call an affection for numbers like this arithmomania.  I definitely have that when it comes to my most recent marathon!

Twenty-six twenty-six point twos.  Yep, most runners will never hit that mark.  I mean, if you consider that less than 1% of the worlds population has ever completed one marathon, what must the percentage be for someone running 26 of them?  A numerologist would have all sorts of fun figuring the statistics on people who run say more than 1, or more than 5.  More than 10, more than 25, or even higher.  It’s a crazy number that I hope will only continue upward for me.  Let’s hope the body continues to hold up!

So yeah, my “double weekend”, including the Rock ‘n’ Roll 5k, which was my last blog post almost three weeks ago, was followed up by the marathon the next day.  This was another race that I’m proud to have been running with my son.  He ran the Half, to a blistering new PR, and although the course was extremely difficult, I managed a sub 4 finish.

Weather was pure perfection that day.  Unusually cold at the start, followed by tons and tons of sunshine and a gradual warm up.  A course that winds its way all over Raleigh up and down hills past historic cemeteries, buildings and monuments.  Past several colleges, and local landmarks, this race is really a feast for your eyes.  My first half was really good considering the hills.  I went out at a pace just over 8:00 minutes per mile, and maintained a sub 8:35 pace until a tough spot at mile 10.

Considering the fact that I had just run a marathon a week prior, I was feeling pretty good.  As the marathon and half courses split, that section through Meredith College was a big challenge.  Not for the faint of heart.  Or legs for that matter.  It’s a true test, but also rewarded with a downhill as runners head back toward NC State.  Even though my son is a student at State, there were parts of the course on the campus that I had never seen, and it was truly beautiful.  Centennial campus was just a really great part of the course!

Now, what follows on Avent Ferry Road was another true test of grit!  I believe for me, this was the beginning of the end for my speed.  I eeked it out, but man was it tough.  I didn’t have a ton of expectations for a finish time that day, I pretty much just wanted to finish in one piece.  My legs were already tired from a disastrous marathon seven days prior at All American.  You remember, my worst marathon finish ever.  I really only wanted to go sub 4 in Raleigh.

My pace and legs were wrecked by the time I hit Lake Johnson in Raleigh, but the views and quiet of running around the lake for the first time gave me some positive enregy for the final six miles of the race.  Just look at this picture I took.  Pure running serenity!

Time to head back northwest to the city, the course was pretty unforgiving.  With the exception of mile 22, where I had a burst of energy, and managed an 8:51 pace, each of my last six miles were over 10 minutes per mile.  I was beat!  I was looking forward to seeing my family at the finish.  Once I finally crested the ridiculous Boylan Avenue hill, I turned east and on into the city for the finish.  My younger son was waiting for me about 3/10 of a mile before the finish.  He surprised me, and I asked he join me and run me in to the finish.  He gladly accepted, although he wasn’t dressed for it at all. 🙂

Thanks to that final bit of energy he gave me, I gave it all I had and crossed the line in 3:59:05.  Two marathons in seven days, I’ve barely run since.  I was rewarded however with a nice marathon medal, and finish jacket.  I also received the “Remix” medal for completing both races during the weekend of events.  Although this marathon course will never be listed or described as flat, or easy, it’s always a joy to run the streets of Raleigh, my states Capitol.

I finished 30th in my AG, and 246th overall out of nearly a thousand finishers.  Top 25 percent, I’ll take it.  I hope to return to this race next year and give it another go.  I surely recommend it!

2016 Spring Racing Schedule

With a glimmer of Spring these past few days, all I can say is I am ready!  Today being Leap Day, we have to wait an extra day until Spring this year, but the weather lately has me thinking positively.  I went out on a five plus miler yesterday afternoon on a beautiful 65 degree sunny afternoon.  It was even 60 degrees way up in the northeast.  A good sign that Spring is just around the corner.

Will all of those miles logged over the past few cold, long dreary months pay off?  Wel’ll see.  In general, I’ve felt pretty lazy, as usual for this time of year.  But, I for one, am ready to get off the couch and race!  I have a busy few months ahead, so I am hopeful for some really fun events.

My “Spring racing season” begins in less than two weeks up in the mountains of North Carolina.  I will be heading to Asheville for a few races back to back.  I ran the inaugural Marathon at the Biltmore Estate back in 2013, returned last year to pace the Half Marathon, and this year will be pacing BOTH, on back to back days.

I am excited to return, and conquer the beastly hills on that lovely estate!  Just thinking about them has me a bit nervous, but my experience should help.  I’ve run them before.  I can, I will, get over those hills again!

After Asheville, I have a few weeks break.  Of course it will be good to take several days off to let my legs and feet recover.  I’ll need it.  With Easter during that time, we should be getting into Spring quite nicely by then.

The first weekend in April I will be pacing another event.  The All American Marathon which is run on a point to point course from Fayetteville to Ft. Bragg, NC, will be my first time running the same marathon three times.  Actually this year is the third anniversary of the event, so I will have run it all three times.  The All American Marathon will be my 25th marathon overall, so it should be full of meaning for me!  I am pacing the 4:00:00 Full, and couldn’t be happier to have reached the “Quarter Century” mark at this event!  I’ve already spoken with the team there to try to get bib #25!

 

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Series first came to Raleigh back in 2014.  The first event was on my 44th Birthday.  The folks at RnR helped me celebrate with a 44 on my bib.  Because of the heat and pollen and tough marathon course that year, I decided to run the Half in 2015, only to regret that decision when the made changes to the marathon course a few months prior to the event.  The offered an incredible deal last year at the race expo, to run either race this year for $50.  I signed up for the marathon this year, and I plan to just have fun with this one since it will only be a week after All American.  I also signed up to run the inaugural 5k the day before.  It’s been a few years since I’ve run a 5k, so I figured it would be a good shake out run.

What an awesome medal!  Rock n Roll originally signed a three year deal with this Raleigh location, with an option to add two more years.  So, depending on numbers, this may very well be the last event here.  Time will tell.

It is surely going to be an exciting Spring for me.  How about you?  What epic races do you have planned for the coming season?  I think that next year I am going to try to break out of my comfort zone, and do a destination marathon for Spring 2017.  The three races I have coming up I have already raced twice each, and will likely choose a change of venue next year.  Any thoughts?  Suggestions?  Where should I race next Spring?

2015- My Racing Recap

I finally have a day off, with some time to actually sit down and compile a look back on another really awesome year in running.  It’s truly hard to believe that it just takes some dedication and good health to push out the kind of results that I have been able to achieve in just five years.

What truly began as a quest to help my son when he joined his High School Cross Country team, has become a passion of mine that would be hard to give up.  I don’t want to give it up, in fact, I am still striving for more.  Getting that BQ is really the only thing that I didn’t achieve in 2015, but that’s ok.  I had so much fun on the pavement, so let’s have a look back.

Hilton Head Marathon- 2/7/15. My first ever AG placement in a marathon!  2nd place!  Was thrilled with my performance in my first race of 2015.  Finish time 3:46:53

Asheville Half Marathon- 3/15/15. I paced the 1:50:00 finish group, on a beautiful day in the mountains of North Carolina.  The race is so challenging, yet running here evokes so much respect and history that even the hills are welcome.  Finish time 1:49:17

All American Marathon- 3/22/15. My second year in a row racing from Fayetteville to Ft. Bragg.  I had a really hard fall and got pretty banged up right before the race, so just finishing in one piece was a big accomplishment on the day.  Finish time 3:50:51

Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh Half Marathon- 4/12/15. The intense marathon course here in 2014 prompted me to only take on the Half this time around, and then they changed the course, and left me wanting to run the Full.  Feeling a bit of a let down, a good race almost turned sour with leg cramps toward the end.  I pushed through it with the help of cheering supporters.  Finish time 1:47:46

New River Marathon- 5/2/15. A fist time running way up in the northwest corner of my state, the course was absolutely breathtaking!  Very challenging in parts, but a quiet, small event with so much to offer.  This race was one of the highlights of my year.  Finish time 3:50:13

Run the Quay 10k- 6/6/16. So much fun running my hometown event, and then watching my younger son run the 5k right after me.  Sub 8 minute mile pace on this undulating downtown course with about 35 turns.  Finish time 48:48

Aspen Valley Half Marathon- 7/18/15. Adding a new state in a 50 state quest that will probably never be completed, I paced the 2:15:00 finish group high up in the Rockies.  I felt privileged to be running such an awesome event, and the salad during the post race festival was amazing!  Finish time 2:14:41

Revel Rockies Marathon- 7/19/15. Taking full advantage of my weekend in Colorado, this challenge was a first for me.  A Half on Saturday, then this Full on Sunday.  Back to back.  The elevation and a lack of proper hydration killed my BQ attempt, but with ten miles of intermittent killer calf cramps, still managed to finish.  Finish time 3:46:46

Carowinds Run & Ride Half Marathon- 9/13/15. Pacing again for Beast Pacing, a weekend riding roller coasters with my son was reason enough to run this race.  Although the course was mega short, I made sure to get as many runners to the finish line in under 1:50 as I could.  Finish time 1:49:18

Marine Corps Half Marathon- 9/19/15. Ran this Half for the first time, and with my older son.  Been wanting to fit it into my schedule for a few years, and glad we finally ran it.  Race day’s weather was really tough, with temps way to hot and humid for a half marathon, but we both managed to win age group medals, so it was a father/son double.  Finish time 1:48:08

Chicago Marathon- 10/11/15. So happy to return to such an amazing marathon in one of my favorite cities ever!  I absolutely love this race, and would do it yearly if I was lucky enough to get in and had the travel funds.  Not my best race of the year, but certainly a blast with millions of spectators cheering me on by name!  Finish time 3:49:38

Bull City Race Fest Half Marathon- 10/18/15. Amazing event in downtown Durham, my son and I paced a race for the first time together in the same group.  An epic experience that we both really enjoyed.  We paced the 8:30 per mile group and came in just under goal time in 8:29.  We rocked it!  Finish time 1:51:14

TCS New York City Marathon- 11/1/15. What can I say?  The NYC Marathon was the crowning achievement of 2015 and my last race of the year.  One of the Big 6, this race has it all.  Big city, big production, millions of spectators, and too many bridges!  Having my Dad and Brother there cheering me on was the highlight of my year.  Finishing in the top 15% was more than I could hope for.  It was also my fastest marathon finish of 2015.  Finish time 3:45:23

 

All in all, just an amazing year of running and racing.  Six Fulls, six Halves, and a 10k sprinkled in for good measure.  Happy New Year to you all, and hope that your running takes you places in heart and sole, that you never thought possible.  Here’s to 2016!  Make it EPIC!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh Half Marathon 2015- Race Recap

The most beautiful of Spring days ushered in and welcomed thousands of runners to Raleigh for the second annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and Half yesterday.  A bit of a chill and breeze in the air as I easily found a parking spot downtown.  The day had much promise!

I had made the decision to run the Half this time around, and I really was happy with my choice.  I arrived downtown about a hour and fifteen minutes before the race was to begin at 7am.  Stretching and hydrating, I felt pretty good.  I hadn’t gotten much sleep, but surprisingly felt some good energy.  I knew I wanted to take some photos of the starting area, so I made my way over to the start just before 6:30.

The crew was furiously setting up the finisher village as I passed by the finish line.  Like a well oiled machine, the volunteers and folks with Rock n Roll had it under control.  Corrals, main stage, signs everywhere.  It was pretty impressive.  I didn’t use bag drop, but that was going in full swing.  Runners starting to gather in big crowds, they started filing into the corrals.  I was in Corral 1, so had a great view of the main stage where they were making announcements.  The National Anthem was sung by a guy who was there running something like his 65th marathon.  He did a fine job!

As the countdown clock was nearing zero, I snapped a few photos.

Unlike my last race three weeks ago, I didn’t trip and fall prior to this run.  I wasn’t battered and bruised at the start, although my leg still isn’t fully healed.  All I really had to do was down my GU fifteen minutes prior, and tighten my shoe laces one last time.  I had decided to wear my RnR Las Vegas marathon shirt for this race, and snapped a picture right before the start.

Promptly at 7am, the race began.  Unlike most races, this time I used both my Garmin and Runkeeper on my phone to track my run.  I wanted to track my splits at this race because of the unending hills.  Because this event is not homegrown, and draws in folks from all around the country, the course incorporates many of the iconic sights around the city.  Due to the nature of trying to include all of these sights, runners get the best of Raleigh’s hills right alone with it.  Local races typically try not to include every difficult hill in the city, as a course will draw more runners the flatter it is.  So, with that said, if you are looking for a flat Half or Full marathon, Raleigh is not the city to scout out for races.  It’s a perfect place though if you like to train on hills!  And I do!

The course this year was more well supported with aid stations than last year.  I never felt the least bit dehydrated, as water/Gatorade stops were aplenty.  I cruised along through the first few miles downtown.  I felt pretty good.  The first five miles, full of ups and downs, I maintained a pace under 8:00 per mile.  It wasn’t until mile 6 when my pace hit 8:20 that I knew the hills were taking a bit of a toll on me.  I felt good though, and really enjoyed all of the music and entertainment along the course.  I really think that there were a lot more spectators all along the course route this year.  The constant cheers were so appreciated, especially along some of the tougher uphill stretches.

Traversing Peace St. toward Cameron Village is certainly one of the toughest parts of this course.  I ran mile 7 in 8:26, and mile 8 in 8:57.  Yes, the hills played a big roll in those times.  My overall pace was now over 8:00 per mile, and that was my goal for this race.  I was shooting for a 1:45:00 finish, so if I wanted to achieve that, I would have to now make up some time.  Mile 9 brought us to the Bell Tower at N.C. State.  I had sort of pre-arranged seeing my older son here at the Bell Tower.  He wasn’t sure if he would be on campus that night since a couple of his buddies were in town for the weekend, and sure enough he wasn’t there.  Bummer!  We made the turn onto campus and down Pullen Rd.  I had found a bit more of a boost in energy here, but knew my miles running sub 8 were gone.  I was just trying to keep focused on running smoothly.  After that nearly 9 minute mile 8, mile 9 was 8:21, followed by an 8:06 mile 10.

The beauty of Spring in North Carolina was everywhere.  Azaleas are in bloom, dogwood trees full of whispy white and pink flowers.  Spring brings pollen, but the weather this year wasn’t as warm during the race, so it didn’t feel as bad this year.  Temperatures were probably about 55 to 58 degrees, and felt a bit warmer in the sunshine.  Heading toward the stretch on Dorthea Dix campus, I knew that the “Wear Blue to Remember” dedication was upcoming.  I looked forward to seeing it, and being inspired.  Right as I approached the flags, photos and inspiring folks on the side of the road, my race nearly ended.  It has never happened to me before, but my right knee completely gave out.  Out of nowhere!  It completely buckled and I almost fell.  I staggered over to the side of the road completely bewildered.  What was going on?  I didn’t know what to do, but to try to run again.  So, I did.  A few steps later it buckled again.  Almost fell again.  I tried to massage it, stretch it.  It wasn’t muscular though.  How do I fix this, I thought to myself.  All I could do was keep trying and see if it would stop.  Finally, after a few attempts, and some encouragement from the spectators I slowly began running again, careful, not wanting to fall.  I guess it worked, because it didn’t happen again.  Thinking back on it today, my only guess as to what the hell that was all about is that maybe it had something to do with my fall on that knee and leg a few weeks ago.

Anyway, I was finally running again.  Pretty confident that my knee wasn’t going to buckle again, I tried to pick up the pace.  My knee issue wrecked my pace though on mile 11 and 12.  9:02 and 9:21, despite the starts and stops.  I was determined to finish strong.  Boylan Ave. was approaching, a tough uphill run before dipping back down into the center of the city for the finish.  I managed a good showing on Boylan.  Ran it strong.  I really just tried to enjoy the last mile.  Clapping for spectators, saying thank you.  Winding my way to the finish mile 13 was completed in 8:32.  With the finish line in view, I gave it one final push.  I practically sprinted to the finish, not knowing if my knee would give out and send me flying through the finish line.

I managed to stay on my feet, passing about 8 runners in the final few hundred feet.  With a medal around my neck, my 26th Half marathon was over.  I came close to my goal, even with my knee hampering the later part of my race.  Finish time 1:47:46.  Overall pace 8:14.  Pretty happy with that!

Water, Gatorade, bananas, pretzels, chocolate milk, I took my time walking though the finisher chute.  Stopping now and then to rest in sunny spots.  A guy from Jersey Mike’s handed me a mini turkey sub sandwich that really hit the spot.  As I sat on the curb, I turned to snap a picture of the finish area looking back at the finish line.

I decided to return to my car and grab a jacket before heading over to the Red Hat Amphitheater for the post race concert.  It was a good time.  It was nice to relax and take in some music before heading home.  “Hey now, you’re a Rock Star!”  Smash Mouth was the post race headliner.

Results were posted last night.  5,599 finished the Half, and 952 finished the Full.

My results-  502/5599 overall, 378/2213 gender, and 62/359 on my last day in the 40-44 Age Group.

Pretty happy with my results!  Now that today is my birthday, and I am officially 45, let’s see what kind of impact I can have in my new AG.  Thanks again, Rock ‘n’ Roll, the Raleigh event is amazing!  Such a challenge, but so much fun!  Great swag, too!  Love the Cree Shimmer Wall on the medal.

The Half it is…

I headed to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh expo this afternoon.  The expo was pretty much as expected, although it did seem like there were less vendors there this second go around.   A couple of things became abundantly clear while I was at the expo.

Sporting a shirt I bought at the expo last year, I picked up my bib.

From there I decided to check out the “Solutions” table, and at least see how much it would cost me to switch from the Half to the Full.  I had kinda figured it out in my head how much more it would be, but I wanted to see if I would really feel the urge to transfer to the Full once at the desk.  Yeah, after being told it would cost me an extra $70 to make the change (just a wee bit less than what I had already paid to run the Half) I wholeheartedly decided to stick with what I had already paid for.  No extra $$ out of pocket.  At least not yet.

With my guardian Sir Walter Raleigh at the front entrance, Rock ‘n’ Roll does know how to put on a good show, I proceeded around the expo center in search of any good samples, etc..  Pretty much the same from big expo to big expo, I didn’t drop any money until I made a donation at the Jimmy V booth.  From there I popped over to the Rock ‘n’ Roll info area where you can register for races, etc…  You know, check out and get enticed into signing up for more races.  I didn’t sign up for anything last year, but the deal they were running today was hard to pass up on.  Signing up on the spot, you could pay just $50 to run next years Half or Full.  Done deal!  I filled out my registration, and now for only $50, have my first marathon of 2016 secured and paid for.

So yes, I could have paid $70 to switch from the Half to the Full for tomorrow’s race, but instead decided to pay twenty dollars less than that to run next years Full.  I am super stoked about my decision.  Tomorrow I run the Half, and even if I am running in a cloud of pollen from all of the azaleas in bloom, I will only be running for half the time.  I will survive!  I’ll take my inhaler just in case.

Rock and Roll in Raleigh

Six days to go!  The second annual Rock ‘n’ Roll event in Raleigh is almost upon us.  Word around town is that participation levels for the second running of this event are down.  No surprise to me, since an inaugural event will always bring in more folks.  Regardless, event numbers are looking to be around 8,000 runners between the Half and Full, and that’s a lot.

My preparations this last week were good.  I got in three quality runs, all while breaking in new running shoes.  Somehow I let my last pair go a little beyond their useful comfortable life, and I could tell.  This new pair has a surprisingly springy feel, but probably just because my last pair was flat.  The weather has been very cooperative too, for really nice springtime running.  We are finally out of the cold, and into delightful temperatures that are so prime for running.

Looking at my race recap post from last years race, I think it got warmer quicker in the season last year.  The pollen cloud that typically envelopes us during the Spring is not yet here.  We have some, but the worst of it has yet to begin.  I remember almost seeing it in clouds during last years race.  It made breathing, especially during the harder sections of the course, very difficult.  Maybe the worst of the pollen will stay at bay until after race weekend.  Fingers crossed!

If you read my post from the race last year, you know I ran the Full.  It was also my birthday marathon, taking place on my 44th birthday.  It was certainly a unique way to spend a birthday, pounding pavement for 26.2 miles.  So, this will be the second time I run this event at 44 years old.  My birthday this year isn’t until the day after the race.  Because of this fact, the Rock ‘n’ Roll race will be my last race in the 40-44 Age Group.  Yes, a week from today I will officially be in the 45-49 AG.  I think it’s pretty safe to say that I will be the oldest runner in the AG this weekend, on my last official day at 44 years old.  Hey, that’s a built in excuse to run the slowest.

So, as the final days before the race come and go, I am still undecided as to which race I will be running on Sunday.  Registered for the Half, but still considering the Full.  As of right now, however, I am leaning probably 70% toward sticking to the Half.  A lot of that decision will be based on the weather.  As of right now, The Weather Channel forecasts a race day low of 54 and a high of 78.  A partly sunny day, with very little chance of rain.  May be a tad too warm for the Full, but it seems like an identical forecast to last years race.

This RnR event will either be my 26th Half or 19th Full, but regardless of which it will be, everyday I say my thanks for the opportunity to run.  It doesn’t matter which race it will be on Sunday.  The only thing that matters is the fact that I am healthy and able to run.  For that, I am so grateful.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Dilemma. Half or Full?

A have a dilemma I need to share and discuss.  Hopefully my readers can give me some advice.

I ran the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh last April on my Birthday.  It was an amazing event, running a marathon on my birthday was such a huge treat!  I didn’t sign up to run the event again until about six months ago.  When I signed up I had a big decision to make, but at the time it seemed pretty simple.  Here were my considerations …..

-temperatures in mid-April can vary widely here.  Last year temps were too warm for a marathon.

-the full course was killer with hills.  Killer!

-aid stations were lacking on the full course.

I decided based on the above bullet points to sign up, but run the Half this time around.  I wanted to support a Rock ‘n’ Roll event here in my hometown, but the thought of trying to tackle the same full course again was something I just didn’t want to do.  I was happy with my decision to run the Half.

Then, about a month after I signed up, Rock ‘n’ Roll announced (I’m assuming based on runner feedback from last year) a new marathon course.  An easier/flatter course.  Taking all things with a grain of salt because regardless of a change in course, Raleigh is hilly everywhere.  The new elevation chart does look better.  They’ve also announced more water/aid stations.  After all that getting my mind whirling, they posted a challenge.

For returning runners, if you run the course faster this year than last, you get a special shirt.  A challenge, my friend?  Have they issued a challenge?  Thrown down the gauntlet?  I believe they have.  Only one problem.  I signed up for the Half.

But now I want to run the Full!  I think that if I decide to run Full, I won’t make the change until at the expo.  I would have to pay the change fees, but with a new course it may be worth it.  Waiting until the expo to potentially change races would also let me make a last minute decision based on how the weather looks.

What do you think about my dilemma?  Have you ever changed races at the last minute?  Ever upgraded or downgraded races at an expo?

City of Oaks Rex Healthcare Half Marathon – Race Recap

I had the most incredible day yesterday at one of our local races.  The Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon is an extremely popular and well attended race here in central North Carolina.  The Old Reliable 10k is also run, and is just as popular.

Huge medal with a spinning acorn in the center.

I ran the Half with both of my sons.  For me, this race was my 24th Half Marathon.  For my 18 year old son, his 3rd Half.  For my 16 year old son, his FIRST!  So, yeah, it was a pretty big day for all of us.  I had been looking forward to this race for months and months.  I actually signed up when registration opened many months ago.  Back then, February, my older son had just run his first Half.  Due to sibling rivalry, my younger son who was 15 at the time went out a few days after that race and ran 13.1 miles.  Why?  His brother had just done it, and he wanted to prove that he could do it, too.  I asked him if he would ever want to run a race at the distance, to which he responded, of course.  I signed him up just before his Birthday in April.  He would have over six months to wait, and train.  My older son decided a few months later that he wanted to run it, as well.

With varying degrees of training, as the race neared we were all excited.  I am a very lucky man.  To run a Half Marathon with both of my sons was going to be epic!  I wasn’t able to even attend the race expo this year because I worked both days.  My oldest, who is a student at NC State, location of the race expo, picked up all of our race bags.

So, with all of our stuff laid out for race morning we hit the hay on Saturday night.  Colton and I woke up early on Sunday, but the drive to the race is not really that far.  Just 20 miles to a parking lot at nearby Cameron Village.  We were to meet up with my son Dylan at 6:30am at the NC State Belltower.  The weather here in NC had just taken a turn this week.  With a cold front coming out of Canada, our race morning was extremely chilly.  And windy!  Race morning temps in the mid 30’s, rising to near 50 for a high.  The wind made it feel bone chilling at times, but it really was to be great conditions overall for a race.

We met up at 6:30, for the 7am start.

All three of us warmed up, stretched and talked about our goals for the race.  I was aiming for a sub 1:45, Dylan and Colton both wanted to go sub 2.  I knew Dylan could do it, as both of his previous Halves were sub 2, but Colton would be the wildcard.  He is a dedicated sportsman, and stubborn like myself, I trusted that he would finish.  Due to his soccer season at school though, he just didn’t properly train, and because of that I just didn’t know what to expect from him.  As any runners knows, proper training is key, and race day can bring a wide range of results.  I was excited for all of us.

At about 6:45 the three of us made up way into the starting chute.  We decided that we would start together near the 1:45:00 pacer, and just see what happened once the race began.  Part of me was calm and content.  The part of me that was just going to enjoy the experience of running with my kids.  The Dad in me was nervous though, for both of them.  The starting line is quite the sight to see.  Right next to the Bell Tower on Hillsborough Rd., runners filled the street, and spectators were everywhere.  As all three races line up together the crowd was a big one.

As the gun went off we made our way down Hillsborough.  The three of us stuck pretty close to one another for the first half mile.  Dylan went out in front as we traversed Ashe Ave., and Colton just just behind me heading up and then down the first hill of the course.  Not sure why I don’t have a crick in my neck today, because I kept turned to see where Colton was, while straining my neck to keep my eyes on Dylan up ahead.  A straightaway down Western Blvd., I overtook Dylan when I finally caught a good pace groove.  We were running at a pace of about 7:30 at the time.  Heading into the center of the city for a quick loop, I knew that the first really big hill test was coming up at mile 4.  At this point Dylan and Colton were behind me, and I couldn’t find them in the sea of runners anymore.

Boylan Rd. is a tough uphill section of the course. Up until mile four my right foot (which I have had trouble with lately) felt fine.  Going up this hill that all changed.  All of the sudden the pain was back.  The top of my right foot.  It almost feels like I have a stress fracture in one of my metatarsals.  It really annoyed me, and slowed me down.  As I crested the hill, my overall pace was 7:42.  I made it my goal to try to get through the next four mile section through the city, and not let that pace slip any more.  I knew that rolling hills from miles 8 to 11 would find me losing time, and knowing I wanted to finish under 1:45:00, I couldn’t afford to lose precious time during the relatively flat section through the city.  Winding through the city is always fun, but with each change in direction the wind would come at you from different directions.  Down Morgan, then Martin and finally north on Wilmington St. toward the Capitol Building.  The drumline is always a motivator!!

Running back toward Hillsborough I crossed the timing mat at the 10k split.  48:32.  Not bad!  I had lost a bit of pace in the city, but with an aching foot, I wasn’t complaining.  Out toward Glenwood Ave. S the real fun begins.  Down, the up, then down and back up for the next four miles.  Really an undulating section of the course, it will really bite you in the ass if you aren’t prepared.  I was hanging in there.  I stopped for water near mile 9.  The only time during the race that I took any hydration at all.

My mind was all over the place during this race.  A bunch of times I looked over my shoulder to see if I could locate my kids, but never could.  I found myself hoping they were having good races.  Part of me wanted to stop on the side of the course and let them catch up.  I had thoughts of my younger son getting a calf cramp on a hill and having to drop out of the race.  I had thoughts of Dylan doubled over throwing up in the bushes.  It was nerves.  Fatherly nerves.  I remained optimistic that they weren’t far behind me, and several times thought at some point during the later sections of the race that one or both would tap me on the shoulder, say hello, and then run on past me.  I knew that just beyond mile 11 would be and out and back section, when I would get a look at who was behind me for about a half mile.  As it approached, it gave me energy, knowing that I may see them.

My pacing was still good.  If I could keep it up, I would hit my goal.  I hit mile 11 at 7:55 pace overall.  I knew I could maintain it over the final two miles.  I made the turn at mile 11.6 and quickly affixed my eyes on the runners on the other side of the road.  My eyes were peeled!  A few minutes after the turn, A huge smile on my face as I spotted Colton!  I cheered him along.  Gave him two thumbs up!  I calmed down a bit.  He looked strong.  Then a few more minutes passed, and I spotted Dylan.  He saw me as well, and was pointing at his back, and shaking his head back and forth as if to say “my back is hurting, this isn’t my best but I’m doing it”.  There we all were, within five minutes if each other, making our way down the final stretch of the course back to the finish at the Bell Tower.

I was ecstatic!  What a fun way to end a race.  Lots of spectators, cheering and the finish line was approaching.  I knew that I would have to wait in the finishers chute to see both of them finish.  I crossed the line, hitting my goal.  I quickly had the race medal placed around my neck, caught my breath, and tried to find a spot on the side where I could have a view of finishers behind me.  Just a few minutes later I could see Colton approaching the finish of his first Half Marathon.  It was pure joy to watch him cross the line.  As he walked toward me a volunteer laced his medal around his neck and a big smile emerged on his face.  I gave him a huge tight hug!  He had done it.  In record time, I thought.  I was so proud.

It was now time to move out of the way of other runners.  We found a good spot, and cheered Dylan on as he then finished a few minutes later.  All of us done, all of us under two hours.  I couldn’t have been prouder.  Giving Dylan a huge hug and fist bump, we all gathered our finishers shirts, and found a place to relax on the hill.  We were all immediately freezing.  The wind was whipping around, and because we were all wet from sweat, every time the sun went behind a wispy cloud, the shivering began.

We gathered for photos, ate some food and tried to warm up in the sun.  Priceless moments in time that I will always remember.  I am so happy that I can share this wonderful sport with my sons.  It truly is a gift.  This one was all about family, and I was in my glory.

Many, many thanks to all of the race volunteers.  Our hometown race is spectacular year after year.  Yes, the race is not easy or flat, but it’s ours.  Last year I ran the Full, and to this day it’s still my PR.  The Half this year, was my fastest half of 2014.  Not a PR, but a personal best for 2014.  Here are our official results.

There were 2,132 runners in the Half.  Overall I placed 233, Colton 329, and Dylan 414.

Our finish times:

Dad: 1:43:58.    Colton:  1:47:27.    Dylan:  1:51:01.

I finished 27th out of 160 in my Age Group.  Colton finished 20th and Dylan 23rd in their AG’s.

Pretty amazing!  Very proud!  Quite satisfied.  It was another amazing year at the City of Oaks.

Family Affair – Half Marathon with my sons

November 2nd will be a special day.  A really special day for me and my two sons.  Why you ask?  We will be toeing the line as Dad and sons at Raleigh’s City of Oaks Rex Healthcare Half Marathon.  I couldn’t be more happy about it.

This is my hometown marathon, half and 10k.  The race that is currently my PR at the marathon distance.  A mark that I set in 2013.  This year however, I chose to run the Half Marathon with my 16 and 18 year old sons.  I am not going to try to better my time from last year in the marathon.  In fact, I just didn’t come close at all this year in achieving that new marathon PR.  My best marathon this year was about nine minutes shy of a PR.  My goal this year is to run with my kids.

I am not really sure what to expect come race day.  My older son has run two Half marathons to date.  This will be his third.  He has run his other two half marathons this year.  His first in Hilton Head, SC,  back in February, finishing in 1:43:10.  Then his second, the Mike to Mike Half Marathon, in Fayetteville, NC.,  in 1:51:50.  He is now a freshman in college, and has been trying to train, but hasn’t gotten in the necessary miles.  Not sure what to expect from him come race day, but knowing him, since the start and finish are at NC State (where he goes to college) he will give it 110%.

This photo is over two years old. They are both taller than me now!

My younger son (16yrs.) has yet to run a Half.  This will be his first.  He has been so busy playing on his varsity soccer team in high school this Summer and Fall, that he has barely had any time to train.  He will be the wildcard on race day.  He has certainly had his fair share of workouts, just not all distance running related.  He is hardheaded like me, and I know will give it all he has on race day.

Based on our varied training, I doubt that we will all run together.  I wish we could, but that is probably unrealistic.  If we all plan to give it our all, we will probably all run at different paces.  It will be interesting, to say the least.

How do you think it will turn out?  It will certainly be a first.  We’ve competed in shorter distances together, but never a 13.1.  All I know is that the City of Oaks is about to get a handful of us.  Will it be dear old Dad that arrives first at the tape?  Will it be the college freshman with a PR better than my last two Halves?  Will it be the High School Junior with something to prove?  Surely it will be a blast!