I really wanted the 300x4 but couldn't get it. Maybe next time.
5. CLEAN PULL (10*):
150x6
160x6
6. HIGH PULL: (10*):
110x8
I still think I'm a little too heavy on the high pulls. My technique did not feel controlled. It's supposed to be an explosive movement, but it felt sloppy at 110.
7. AB CIRCUIT (no rest between sets):
*Knee-Up +20#ankles (303): 23
* Curlup/Hands Opposite Elbows (303): 33
* Lateral Leg Lowering +20#ankles (303): 6 ea. side
*Side Raises on Swiss Ball +20#DB (303)- 11 ea. side
*Pushup Hold/lift Leg and Opposite Arm/5 sec. holds - 8 ea. side
I really like this workout, even with the squats and deads on the same day. A little frustrated with the deadlifts, but they are probably compromised somewhat by the squat sets.
My only planned exercise for the weekend is a long run -- probably around 12 miles. It may not work out schedule wise and could turn out to be shorter. I may try to do my run on Sunday, since my memories of a lengthy run last weekend the day after the above workout are all too clear!
Dave, I have a question regarding hydration during a race. How much do you drink? I've never had a clear strategy regarding hydration and it's always hindered my performance - I'm either wilting due to dehydration or ready to vomit from too much. The race next Sunday will have water stops every 2.5 miles, as well as a gel at the 7.5 mile mark. I'm pretty sure I'll take the gel, but I don't know much water (or Gatorade, if they have it) to drink.
KM, during the marathon I took advantage of every fluid stop, which were approx. every 3 miles. I slurped down as much as I could, although I tried to at least keep jogging while drinking, so I didn't really get the whole cup. The best thing for me was the bottled water that was handed out occasionally. I was able to keep running and sip on that pretty well. I also somehow managed to get down 4 gels. I have kind of an iron stomach, though - I can run within 20-30 minutes of a sizable meal and lots of water without problems (usually).
When I ran a 20K in October, I believe I only drank water at one station, ~ 8 or 9 miles in. I was running a faster pace in that race, and it was more difficult to swig the water because I was breathing harder.
From what I understand, you're supposed to drink a decent amt. of water with each gel. I think 8 or 16 ounces?? That can be pretty hard.
If I was running a 1/2-M, I would probably go for the fluids at the 7.5 and 10 mile stations and make the gel optional unless I felt like I was crashing...especially if you are able to carb up pretty well before the run.
Thanks for the Info Bama. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it, but I went out for a steady state run this morning and Ugh...I'm going to be a bit sore. This is a route I used to run fairly often and fairly quickly.
Sunday, April 3rd ... I did a 9.8 mile run. Overall it went really well - much better than last Sunday's run. It makes a big difference to have a full day between a squat/deadlift workout and a lengthy run. My time was 69:40, ave. pace= 7:07. That was a Personal Best for me on this course, so definitely a good run. I was especially happy with a 1.05 mile "up the mountain" split (8:07, pace= 7:44) and the final 1.5 miles (9:13, pace= 6:09). I wish I could ramp up my pace like that in the last 1.5 miles of a race, but I am usually too exhausted! At least it's good tempo training. Less than a year ago, my average paces on these runs were more like my "up the mountain" pace yesterday, so I'm very happy with the gains -- I know they won't continue forever.
** Okay workout... I regressed a little versus last week in the pull-up sets, which is always irritating. No real advancement on the Shoulder Presses. I felt like I could have done 5x120 in the first work set fairly easily, but stopped at 4. And then in the next set I couldn't even get 1 rep at 120 (this was after attempting 122.5). When I crash on shoulder presses, I crash!
This sounds really stupid, but I irritated my elbow and shoulder on one arm by swinging on some monkey bars with my kids over the weekend!! It may have impacted the workout somewhat. I definitely stopped doing the BB Rollouts in the Ab routine due to my elbow and shoulder.
----------------------
TUESDAY April 5, 2005:
5 mile run (5.05 if I wanna be anal)-- I did this one with fast paced intervals. The terrain was variable -- some steep hills, some more rolling hills. I varied my interval locations -- sometimes going for the gusto on uphill stretches and other times running hard on the more gentle terrain. My overall time was 35:59, which averages out to a pace of 7:08 per mile. That's actually unusual for a run with intervals - my average pace is normally slower than a typical run.
The knee irritation I have been experiencing the past few weeks seems to be dissipating. I hope so! It never was anything serious and didn't impact my runs, but was concerning because I was afraid it was the beginning of something worse. I hope not! My right calf is still giving me some problems, but it's not compromising my running. I'll probably take 3-4 non-running days ahead of the next race to make sure some of these lingering aches and pains are better healed.
WED. APRIL 6, 2005: STARTING MY FINAL WEEK OF BOM INTERMEDIATE
BOM - Phase 4 Intmdt Workout A
ALTERNATING SETS:
1. Bench Press:
10x90
8x110
6x120
4x185
4x190
9x165
12x140
** I believe the 4x190 qualifies as a PB for me on bench press. I checked my logs from when I was doing HGM, and did have a 3x192.5 set in Phase 9. But if you run these numbers against a one rep max calculator, the 4x190 corresponds to a slightly higher predicted one rep max (207 vs. 204). So I'll take that as a PB, and those don't come easily for me on bench press. I know most would hope to have significant strength gains after a program like this, but I am happy with maintaining my strength in spite of my love affair with running and racing.
2. EZ-BAR BICEP CURLS (Close Grip):
10x37
8x47
6x57
4x97
4x99.5
10x82
13x74.5
AB CIRCUIT - No rest between sets:
Full V-Sits - 30 reps
Leg Raises - 30 reps
Curlups w/Twist Hands 4-head/ Elbows Out- 20
Russian Twists +20# - 10 reps each side
Side Raises - Hands 4-Head/Elbows in - 30 each side
------------------------------
THURSDAY 4-7-2005
MORNING RUN -- 9.3 miles total. Time = 68:55; Ave. pace = 7:25. I felt a little sluggish this morning. This course was the same as my Sunday run, minus 0.5 miles and I ran it in reverse. The reverse course meant I had one really long almost continuous uphill stretch, ~2.3 miles. Nevertheless, that didn't account for my slower pace overall, because even the first mile was in the 7:30 range. I only managed about 5 hours of sleep last night, although I really felt pretty good. Just one of those days!
I did a little web research on the issue of weight loss and impact on running pace. It sounds like a rough rule of thumb is to expect about 2 seconds per mile pace improvement per each pound reduction in weight. If true, a 10 lb. weightloss could knock about 2 minutes off a 10K finish time. That's actually very significant. I'm not so sure I believe the benefit would be that much.
Good job on the PR man. I know bench is one of your kind of sticking points. To get ahead, even a little must feel great.
Just as an observation. Your bench seems like the only lift that isn't pretty freaking strong (even then it's nothing to be ashamed of). You're curling several sets at near half your body weight! You're putting up some really nice numbers on 99% of your stuff. I dunno about what progression you're feeling, but I don't think you're giving your lifting abilities enough credit.
Have you put any thought into what your next program is going to be?
Thanks, Gobbla. I think in Bench I have a natural limitation in that area and/or I use too much tricpes and not enough chest to move the weights. As evidence, I think my close grip bench press numbers are too close to regular bench press. BP is one exercise where I could really use some input from a trainer. So far the 15 year-old cat hanging out in the basement with me hasn't offered any decent pointers! I also think my shoulder presses are fairly weak; in fact, I have probably made less progress on those over the years than with bench press.
Otherwise, I am happy with my strength levels in most lifts -- but, of course, like anybody it would be nice to experience constant steady improvement in everything -- and that isn't going to happen unless I go on a bulking diet, which is not on the horizon for me.
I haven't planned out my next workout program yet. I have been doing pre-packaged programs for over 1-1/2 years without doing my own thing, so I am looking forward to a little less structure. In the near term, I would like to stay with routines that are fairly close to what I am doing right now. I really like the heavy sets combined with the lighter backoff sets. I think those work well for me. I'll also most likely stick mostly with major complex lifts. I would also like to work in some Olympic lifts and squat variations like Overhead Squats (I haven't done those since one of the phases of Homegrown Muscle last Summer).
I'm planning to continue weight training 3 days per week, but around the end of August, I plan to shift to 2 weight training sessions per week and 5 running sessions per week to facilitate training for a marathon in December (Huntsville, AL -- Rocket City Marathon).
Originally posted by gobbla:
[qb] Just out of curiosity, are you going to shoot for boston any time in the next year or so? [/qb]
I would like to qualify and only have to knock 2 min, 21 sec off my time to do so. However, I don't know that I would be able to travel to Boston to run the marathon if I did qualify, since we have many other more important things we could do with the money I would spend on that. I hope to do it sometime in the future for the experience, although I'm kind of wondering whether running a marathon in a mob of people would be a great experience!
If you haven't already done so, read Dave Tate's articles on benching over at t-mag. Focusing on form brought my numbers up significantly (though they're still not that good).
*Knee-Up +20#ankles (303): 18
* Curlup/Hands Opposite Elbows (303): 20
* Lateral Leg Lowering +20#ankles (303): 7 ea. side
*Side Raises on Swiss Ball +25#DB (303)- 9 ea. side
*Pushup Hold/lift Leg and Opposite Arm/5 sec. holds - 10 ea. side
-- This was my last squat/deadlift workout for this program. I'm happy with the squats - I have been going to the bottom or really close, and I feel like my form is better and safer than when I was doing previous programs. I'm not sure where I am strengthwise on squats compared with last Summer near the end of Homegrown. I noticed in my logs that I did 325x2 for squats in one workout, but I was not going as deep (past parallel, but not to the bottom). I also think my technique was sloppier - I was going more for the heavy weight versus being sensible. I plan to keep doing squats as deep as I can and see where my numbers go.
Deadlifts - these numbers are close to where I have maxed out on previous programs. Actually, my best deadlifts were two years ago at the end of Ian King's Bring the Pain workouts - I had a 305x3 and more than one 300x4. Those didn't follow heavy squatting, though. I also was at the end of a bulking cycle and weighed 15 lbs. more than I do now. I plan to keep doing heavy deadlifts for awhile and see whether I can go higher. As with squats, I feel like my technique is better at this point than in the past (not threatening my lower back).
4-9-05: 6.1 Mile Run. This is my down the mountain and back up run that I have been using for race intensity or near-race intensity runs. My time was 41:07 (ave. pace= 6:44)
The first half of this run went great - I went out much faster than last time for the first 1.05 miles. That probably wasn't such a great move, because when I started back up the mountain in the 4th mile, I could tell fairly quickly that I was not going to have a personal best run today, even though I had knocked 37 seconds off the first half of the run versus last time. I was substantially slower on the second half than last time, by 1 min, 37 secs. I had some good pace "periods" in the second half, but I found myself having to slow down to regroup. It was around 80 degrees and mid-afternoon when I did this run, so that may have contributed to my lack of oomph - I lost a lot of fluids... good rehearsal for the much warmer temps. to come, although I normally do my runs as early as possible to escape the worst of the Summer heat.
Tomorrow should be a long run day. Earlier in the week, I was thinking of going for a 15-mile run again, but I probably will cut back on that.
Thanks, Ninjaboookey -- I never have considered my curls to be strong -- but I have realized they aren't as weak as my shoulder and chest exercises.
SUNDAY 4-10-05:
12.8 mile run. Time = 97:53. Ave. pace = 7:39.
I worked outside planting a vegetable garden for much of the day Sunday and was fairly sun-fried by the time I decided to go running (5pm). Overall the run went fairly well. For this distance and course difficulty, it's a slight improvement pacewise versus some of my recent long runs. I think if this run had not followed squats/deads on Fri. night and a fast-paced, difficult run on Saturday, I would have been able to keep my pace a little faster. At least now that I am moving off the pre-packaged weight training programs and onto my own workouts, I can maneuver exercises around so that they don't compromise the harder runs.
I have one workout left in BOM. Then I'll take about one week off from lifting, since I haven't done that for a long time. I should be able to get some decent runs in this week. Next week, I'll return to weights and plan to go easier on the running in advance of my 15K race on 4/23.
It seems that my calf has healed for now... no aggravation at all the past two days. My knees are still grumbling a little bit while running, but afterwards they feel fine.
I have been almost constantly hungry since my Sunday run. I didn't really eat much on Sunday evening following the run, and maybe my body was begging for full refueling. So I pigged out tonight, including plenty of bad-for-me sweets. I'm stuffed and feeling much better!
WORKOUT: BOM - 4C INTMDT -- THE FINAL WORKOUT OF BOOK OF MUSCLE INTERMEDIATE
BOM Phase 4 intmdt - Workout C:
ALTERNATING SETS:
1. PULL-UPS (211): 10A; 2U/6A; 3U/3A for warm-ups
+40: 4 reps
+45: 4 reps
+20: 8 reps
Body Weight: 12 reps
2. SEATED MILITARY PRESS TO FRONT:
Warm-Ups: 10x40; 8x60; 6x70
4x122.5
5x120
9x107.5
12x97.5
3. AB CIRCUIT ROUTINE:
Hanging Leg Raises: +20 (211): 16
BB Rollouts (201): 25
Swiss Ball Side Raises +50 (201): 8 each side
Russian Twists/Feet Anchored +30 (202): 15 each side
Weighted Curlups/Legs Straight Up +50 (201): 40
I didn't have a very good night's sleep last night, but the workout still went well. Some improvement on Pullups and decent improvement on Shoulder Presses. Must have been the cookies and ice cream! I browsed through some old logs, and I am stronger on shoulder presses than I have ever been, although only by a hair. That seems to be the outcome for me with almost every major exercise following the BOM - Intermediate workout plan. My best strength gains were on Barbell Rows and possibly full squats, although I have not done enough of those at peak strength points in the past to know for sure what I could have achieved.
Overall, I enjoyed this workout series and believe it has helped me retain and even gain some strength in spite of lots of running/marathon training and a slight weight loss since starting the program.
My hamstrings are still sore following this past weekend's workout and runs, so I will likely take off tomorrow as a rest day as well (unless my eyes pop open at 5AM - which is not that unusual). I'm taking a week off from weight training, but will resume running again on Thursday. Meanwhile, I need to start planning some workouts since I am off the pre-planned programs for awhile.
AM run with fast-paced intervals (irregular distance and spacing). 5.05 mile course. Time = 37:08. Ave. pace = 7:21.
This run was just kinda aight for me, not really da bomb. I felt really sluggish for about the first half, which has an elevation increase of about 250 feet. Second half, which is more generally rolling, felt good with some decent fast-paced interval periods. I was hoping for more OOMPH with this run, since I have taken three days off from running since the long one on Sunday, and also because this should be my peak training week ahead of the 15K on 4/23/05.
Tomorrow morning, I'm planning a 15K run on a course which is nothing short of completely obnoxious. Hopefully I'll have more pep in the morning. I should plant the seed for that by getting to bed early tonight. At least I got the taxes done last night! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
AM run -- 9.3 miles total (15K) - challenging course, lots of inclines. My time was 67:45, ave. pace= 7:17. I was happy with this run - it should be a good trainer for my race due to the hard terrain. I believe I paced myself fairly well on this course - I didn't go overboard on the easier segments, which helped preserve stamina for the harder parts. The last 2.2 miles was the hardest segment overall, and I was pleased that I kept myself near 8:00/mile for that portion.
SPLIT TIMES AND PACES:
Split - Time for split - Total Time - Pace for Split - Ave. Pace for Total Run
1.55 miles - 11:09 - 11:09 - 7:12 - 7:12
2.55 miles - 6:50 - 18:00 - 6:50 - 7:04
3.55 miles - 6:38 - 24:39 - 6:38 - 6:57
4.55 miles - 7:50 - 32:29 - 7:50 - 7:08
5.55 miles - 7:18 - 39:48 - 7:18 - 7:10
7.05 miles - 9:47 - 49:36 - 6:31 - 7:02
9.3 miles - 18:09 - 67:45 - 8:04 - 7:17
I'll probably do a run tomorrow around 6 miles, maybe with some faster paced intervals included. Sunday I am planning a run from hell -- about 11 miles, but with many of the worst inclines my area offers! Should be slow, but challenging.
6.6 mile run this morning. Time = 46:15. Ave. pace = 7:00.
The only split times I have are:
2.2 miles: 15:30 (7:03 pace for this segment)
5.6 miles: 40:18 (7:18 pace this split; 7:12 average to this point)
6.6 miles: 46:15 (5:57 pace for last mile; 7:00 pace overall average)
Right after the 2.2 mile split, the longest uphill climb for this course started -- about one mile in length. I was probably around 8:00 pace for that uphill stretch. Overall, a decent run - ramped up intensity versus yesterday's run, but I didn't go crazy with it. And the weather could not be any more perfect -- bright sun, clear, clean air, low humidity, temps. in the 60's and a nice breeze!
Perfect weather again. This course included several obnoxious, long and/or steep inclines. I kept the pace at a comfortable level and made no effort to go fast. Just going for hill endurance, not to mention not wanting to tempt fate and get injured 6 days away from my next race. Overall the run went very well - no problems on the hills. Also, I still had energy to spend the entire afternoon planting vegetables and doing massive amounts of yardwork, so I definitely didn't kill myself on this run.
Today (4/18) is a rest day. Tomorrow I will resume weight training. I guess I should actually plan a workout! I'm planning to run on Wed. and Thurs. Maybe include some intervals on Wed., but Thursday's run will have to be fairly low intensity.
My weight this morning was 171.5, which is the lowest reading I have seen in a long time -- probably since around this time last year. I'm not really that low, since I was likely low this morning on glycogen and associated water. Nevertheless, it does indicate that my weight has been dropping back somewhat. I was surprised by this, especially since I ate a lot last week, including one day that was 4000+ calories. If anyone ever figures out metabolism, please let me know!
I finally drove the course for my 15K race on Saturday. The first 5.5 to 6 miles seem fairly easy with mostly level to rolling terrain. Not bad at all for Birmingham. Then the next two miles are hell on Earth, with two brutal inclines, and one of them is fairly lengthy. Not any worse than my training inclines, but racing changes everything - it will be very easy to go too hard those first six miles and be wiped out for the hills. The last 1-1.5 miles should be easy, as much of it is "down the Mountain" followed by a level stretch. It's also a very scenic run through the most upscalish community in the area -- mostly older neighborhoods that are densely wooded, in full Spring bloom, etc. Plus some scenic overlooks. Not that it's possible to pay any attention to scenery during a race, but at least it will be shady and cool if the sun is out.
This should make for some interesting strategizing as far as pacing. I am hoping to do better for my finish time than in my last 15K. If I want to knock a full minute off my time, then I need to average 6:40 pace. I'm assuming that it will be difficult to do much better than 8:00 per mile on the 2-2.5 miles where the major hills are. So, I would probably have to run around 6:20 per mile for the first six and then really ramp it up for that last 1-1.5 miles in order to achieve an average pace of 6:40 per mile. That would allow me to slow down to an average of close to 8:00/mile for the obnoxious stretches. I'm not so sure about 6:20 per mile for the first 6 miles, though. I guess I will shoot for that pace for the first 3 miles and then reassess how I am feeling. In the last 15K, I ran the first mile in ~6:15 and knew that was too fast, but even the first mile in that race was significantly hilly. I guess there is really no way to know for sure - I'll have to experiment this year and learn better how to pace myself for this race for next year.
I'm interested to see what the competition is like for this race. Based on results from previous years, it seems like some of the fastest runners in my age group skip this one. I'm assuming because it's impossible to achieve a personal best on this course. If things go well and the competitors who enter are similar to last year's, I have a decent shot at an age group placement. But you just never know!
Started weight training again, now with my own workout plans. Strange to be planning my own workouts again after 19 months of following pre-planned workouts.
1. BB BENCH PRESS:
WMP: 110x8; 130x5
WORK: 182.5x5; 187.5x4
2. DB INCLINE PRESS:
70x3; 65x5 (trying to go for two sets of 5)
3. DB DECLINE PRESS:
65x5; 65x5
4. BB BENCH PRESS BACKOFF SETS:
4x160 (failed on 5) -- DB presses sapped my strength!
8x130 -- was going for a 12-15 rep set!
5. BB SQUATS (deep)
WMP: 8x180; 5x210
WORK: 5x275; 5x280; 5x285 -- the first set was shaky. I was trying not to use pipe insulation on the bar. I realized that I need this insulation on the bar to prevent slippage on my sweaty back, rather than to alleviate discomfort. I used to need it for discomfort, but maybe I have built up my padding. LOL.
BACKOFF SETS: 9x230; 13x180
6. AB WORK:
*Hanging Leg Raises with twists to sides - did left side - center - right side. 21 total (7 each position). My arms fatigued from the hanging before my abs, so I'll add ankle weights next time.
*Swiss Ball Side Raises: +50db -- 8 each side
*Weighted Curlups: +50db (303 tempo) - 20
------------------------
WEDNESDAY 4/20/05:
6.2 mile run. TIME = 43:09 AVE. PACE = 6:58
SPLITS: (mile point) - (split time) - (total time) - (pace for split) - (ave. pace to this pt.)
1.0 miles - 7:11 - 7:11 - 7:11 - 7:11
2.3 miles - 9:25 -16:36 -7:15 - 7:13
3.35 miles -6:43 -23:20 - 6:24 - 6:58 (downhill split)
4.4 miles - 7:57 -31:18 - 7:34 - 7:07 (uphill reverse of last split)
5.2 miles - 5:34 -36:52 - 6:58 - 7:05
6.2 miles - 6:17 -43:09 - 6:17 - 6:58
Tried to keep a steady pace, not overboard or intense. On the uphill split, 3.35 miles to 4.4 mile point, I worked to keep my pace strong and paid special attention to my breathing to keep it controlled, from the belly, etc. I believe I PB'd on that uphill stretch by 10 seconds, which was nice! Now if only I can manage 7:34 pace on the incline miles of this race on Saturday, I would be set for a great finish. However - I am not expecting that to happen, as I will no doubt have less stamina from running a race pace for the first 6 miles of the race. Apparently a lot of people walk these hills in the race to reserve energy for the big down-the-mountain finish, but I'm going for it! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
III. STANDING BB SHOULDER PRESS (Backoff Sets): 100x6; 90x8
IV. BENT OVER BB ROWS (1 sec. pause at "top"): 8x90 (wmp); 6x110 (wmp); 5x150; 5x155; 5x160; 8x130
V. BB SHOULDER SHRUGS: 8x200; 8x200
VI. AB STUFF:
a. DRAGON FLAGS (=20# ankle wts): 12
b. RUSSIAN TWISTS (feet up; +30db): 10 ea. side
c. INCLINE SIT-UPS: +50db: 4 (failed on 5); +30db: 5
d. BICYCLES: 35 ea. side
e. SWISS BALL WEIGHTED CRUNCHES: +50db - 30 reps
This was a decent workout. I feel pretty trashed. My legs and hiney are still sore from squats the other night. But I think it's fading this evening.
Tomorrow morning I am planning a shorter run - prob. ~ 4.5 miles. Hills, but I'm not going to do anything with intensity since my race is on Saturday.
I splurged on a new pair of decent running shorts and a sleeveless top for the race. Prices on this stuff are way out of control. Whoever is forking over the $35 for running shorts and tanks, please stop so the market prices will come down. I mean, come on!
The forecast for Saturday is chilly and windy, which I can barely believe after two consecutive balmy and sunny weekends. Temps. will probably be in the 50's for the race, which is fine... but I am really hoping the winds are not as high as forecast. Most of the race route is along the South face of a ridge that crosses the city, and I am hoping that position will provide sheltering from the Northwesterly winds. Most of the course is through wooded neighborhoods, so that should help as well. I hope! Windy races suck!
AM Run. My time was 38:26. I don't know the exact distance, but it's somewhere between 4.5 and 5.0 miles. I kept my pace down - probably a little over 8:00 per mile average. The course was difficult with plenty of uphills to deal with, but I kept it slow on those to minimize any leg fatigue.
Today I'm making sure I eat a lot of carbs, since weight training last night and running this morning likely depleted a lot of my glycogen reserves. Also, the race tomorrow is a great excuse to pound down something sugary for dessert tonight. The kids better watch out, because I'll be raiding their cookies, candy, and ice cream!
The forecast is still calling for gusty Northwest winds in the morning at race time. Temps. in the 50's with cloudy skies. This is February weather for here, not late April weather! It's going to seem even colder after several weeks of balmy Spring conditions.
Thanks, Gobbla - I'm hoping the 1400 calories worth of Pepperidge Farm cookies I ate for dinner will give me a magic energy boost tomorrow -- if I don't throw them all up!!
RACE REPORT, STATUE to STATUE 15K, BIRMINGHAM, AL (well, it was supposed to be a 15K, more like a 17-18K for me and a bunch of others!)
Well, this is my first major race letdown, and I am pretty mad and frustrated at myself. The race started out great, weather cooperated and was almost perfect- in fact, everything was smooth sailing until around the 8 mile point. At that point I was in FIFTH PLACE (!!!!), which was a first for me - I have never been in the Top 10. The first 5 miles were fast. I averaged 6:17 per mile and actually held that in a controlled manner (fastest split was mile 3 at 6:11, and slowest was mile 4 at 6:20). So that was certainly a PB for me on a 5-mile stretch. Happy about that, and I felt very good - no perception of having overdone things. In the sixth mile, the hilly stretches started, and so my splits slowed down. Mile 6 was 6:47. Then the ominous Mile 7, which contained the worst incline of the race. In fact, this was probably the worst incline I have ever conquered for combination of grade and distance. In my training area, I have longer uphills and steeper ones, but this one is demonic on both accounts. My split for the 7th mile was 7:42, and I believe the guy who won the race said his split was around 7:30 for that mile, so I felt really good about that.
Mile 8 -- still obnoxiously hilly, but not of the magnitude of Mile 7. Mile 8 was 6:59.
And then the disaster struck! At least 20 of us near the front of the race missed a turn and went WAY off course. I honestly don't know how all of us could have done this, but we did. I think the guy in third missed it first, and then the rest of us were following like ducklings?? Who knows, but evidently there was something with the turn marker on the road at a point where we were supposed to head down the mountain that was not very clear. Also, we really could have used a guide at that turn to assist us delirious runners.
So, I would say those who were in the range from 3rd place to 25th or maybe even more went majorly offcourse, as in well over one mile. A police officer turned us around, finally, and I reached the 9 mile point 16:17 after reaching the 8 mile marker!! So considering that we were back well under 7 min pace at that point, we went well over one mile off course. Probably almost 1.5 miles. AAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!
This was all the more frustrating, because the last 1.3 miles should have been almost entirely downhill and very fast. I probably could have been back at 6:15 per mile or even lower. But instead I finished the race in 1:11:10.
The only other consolation is that I am estimating I reached the 10K split at 39:30 or a little sooner, which makes this my first 10K run under 40 minutes. To make up for this frustrating disaster, I am going to try to run a 10K sometime in May and maybe also a 5K.
Re: See BamaDave Run (and Lift)
Linear Mode
