Ryan

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

I’m a little behind on race reports. It’s been a hectic summer. So I’m going to be posting two race reports in fairly short order.

First up, the Hank Aaron State Trail 5K. As seems to be the case every year recently, I find myself at some point questioning whether I should run this race. This time, as mentioned, I had a very busy summer. The weekend before this race, I was in Illinois going through an RRCA coaching certification course (which I’ll write about when I get a chance). 2 days, 8-9 hours per day plus driving, then return to work on Monday. Plus I had a 100 question test I had to complete on my own time after the course was completed and I wanted to get that done before going on vacation the weekend after the HAST 5K. So I thought about skipping the race because I thought I’d be pretty drained.

Then I saw an offer for a free entry on the Keep Running MKE blog and figured what the heck, if I can get in free I can show up and at least get the body used to running hard. As it turns out, I ended up winning the free entry so there was no backing out.

On race day, I arrived and claimed my free entry, then relaxed until warmup time. During the warmup, I wasn’t feeling great but I was feeling good enough. What I noticed more than anything was the humidity. It was only around 70 (pretty good for this early August race) but the humidity was just thick. Still, everyone has to race in the same conditions and conditions are never ideal for distance running in early August. So I lined up thinking of what has become my recent usual finish: mid-20s for place with a time in the high 17s. This is a good field but not on a fast course so, while not thrilling, that isn’t a bad performance.

I lined up about 3 deep and, once the race started, quickly found myself first wishing I had lined up in the second row then getting passed by a handful of people. I probably lined up about right.

As the course looped around the Miller Park parking lots for most of the first mile, I worked my way past the fast starters, then settled into position. Around the mile, I passed a few people, then someone with a Hansons singlet passed me I believe just past the mile mark. I wanted to go with but I couldn’t quite match him so my goal became to just hang close and try to get him back later.

As we went up the gradual rise, I stayed as close as I could but he did open up a bit of a gap. As we turned around and went back down, I tried to make the most of the gentle downhill slope to pick up some speed but Hansons guy seemed to be doing the same thing. I was gaining slightly, though.

At the bottom of the slope, there are a couple quick turns, then a turn onto the off road portion of the trail along the river. Around the first turn, I was lining up to pass the Hansons guy. Coming off the turn, he knew I was there and picked it up, almost instantly passing 2 guys who were just ahead of us. I tried to match the move but again couldn’t. So I shifted to focusing on the 2 guys now between us. I fairly quickly passed one, then set to work on the other. Just past 2 miles, I got him and was back looking at Hansons guy.

With a couple quick, sharp turns, we cross the river, then it’s running parallel along the other side of the river upstream until we’re back by the Miller Park parking lots and into the finish line. Not much changed along here. I pushed hard, trying to close on Hansons guy unsuccessfully but also trying to make sure the guys I just passed didn’t come back on me. I don’t remember any position changes through here or into the finish.

In the end, I finished 19th, 1st 35-39 age group, in 18:03. Not quite the time I was hoping for but a better place than I was expecting. Maybe the humidity took more out of me than I expected. I did finish feeling like I had just swum, not run, a race.

Regardless, this race brings me back for another year and I get another good early tune-up for the fall season. Plus a gift certificate to a local running store. Not a bad day.

This article was originally posted by Ed at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

August started out very poorly for training and I was just recovering from a light ankle sprain ten days before race day so I had mixed feelings about my possible race performance. I had a great workout on Tuesday so I did have some confidence.

The weather seemed less than ideal with a mix between a light rain and a heavy mist. The winds were less than ten MPH so that was good.

I did try something new this time and that was eat something about three hours before the race. I, as always drink a lot of water and some Gatorade.

I like to be early to races "just in case," so I got there in plenty of time. I proceeded to pick up my t-shirt and bib and noticed that there was no timing chip. That’s fine – old fashioned scoring and gun time – works for me. As I was pining my bib on the iconic blue Hillrunner Team Shirt Ryan, my friend and coach, pulled up next to my car. We chatted which helped calm my always nervous energy before a race.

We went out for a warm-up of about two miles and Ryan gave me some excellent pointers regarding the course. I stretched some (very little actually) and very lightly and did some easy strides. It was then time to line up at the starting line.

Upon the command of "go" we all took off. After making a tight turn onto the streets I decided to check my Garmin to be sure I wasn’t heading out to fast – especially since I was pretty dang close to Ryan who usually beats me by about two to two and a half minutes in a 5K and holding pretty steady tied for third. "Shoot!" 10.3 MPH and I was hoping to go out at 9.8 for the first 3/4 miles. I dialed it back a bit knowing there was a hill somewhere in the first half of the race but I didn’t want to lose to much ground on third.

I normally check my Garmin every 1/4 mile to see my splits but this time I didn’t check it too often at all. As we hit the hill I decided to make my move on third place so I reeled him in and started to create some space. From there I started to push for what I thought was too hard but wanted to see what I could do. I started to close the gap on second a bit but then he and Ryan pulled away.

I was in no-man’s land. I was losing sight of Ryan and the second place guy and fourth was no-where in sight behind me. This is where the mental battle started. Why should I endure this pain with about 1.25 miles to go when I could ease up and still take third? So I started to back off a hair and then thought – NO!!!!!! I want to come in under 19 minutes and get a solid 20 some second PR.Plus I was coming up on the downhill portion of the race.

The downhill is great! Not too steep at all but just steep enough to lean into it and pick up some extra momentum that didn’t cost that much energy. By the time that I was getting close to the finish line (almost a full loop around the track and then a very tight turn headed to the 50 yard line on the field) I was really hurting and not driving it as hard as I could. Until. Ryan yelled "under 19" "go Ed". That is when I dug in deep and pushed hard for that last 250 yards or so.

Crossed the line looking at the clock and I was elated 18:30. A new PR in the 5K that was almost a minute quicker than last year on a faster course with better weather.

Thank you Coach Hill!!!