Race Reports – Page 4 – HillRunner.com

Personal and team race report: 2015 Al’s Run – battling adversity

September 21, 2015 / Race Reports, Team HillRunner.com / 10 minutes of reading

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

Al’s Run is, of course, always the big Team HillRunner.com event of the year. This is the 13th year we’ve entered a team under the HillRunner.com banner. As always, I’m very touched and honored by the great group of runners who agree to run under the HillRunner.com banner.

This year was a struggle from the start, though. Due to injuries and other issues, a handful of recent Team HillRunner.com members were unable to make the race this year. While this hurt the team’s depth, I still felt we were fielding a solid team. Unfortunately, we had another runner bow out after registering due to not being race ready. Before I go any further, first let me wish all those who couldn’t run this year well on your recovery efforts. I hope to see you at Al’s Run next year not just to solidify our compeitive pursuits but because it’s always sad for me to see team members missing.

To further complicate things, my personal registration got messed up somewhere along the way. I was given the wrong bib (I believe it was a walker bib which means it didn’t even have a timing chip) when I picked up our team packet a week before race day. I reported this to the people there and one of the individuals told me she didn’t have a replacement bib on hand but could either leave one at the registration table on the day of the race or overnight one to me. Due to everything I have going on race morning, I requested it be overnighted to me. My understanding was that it would be issued Monday and I’d have it by Tuesday. When it didn’t arrive, I called Wednesday morning and was assured it should be arriving that evening. When it didn’t arrive by Thursday evening, I called again and left a voicemail. Friday morning, I got a call and was told to go to the registration table and request a replacement bib. Great but two problems. First, that’s what I was trying to avoid because I’m just too busy on race morning. Second, last time a team member had to do this, he never showed up as a member of our team. I pointed this out to the person who called me and she assured me I would be counted as a member of the team. So, on race morning, I asked the guys I carpooled in with to take team packets to our meeting spot and I headed straight to the registration table.

This is when the pre-race fun began. I went to the "problem solver" table and told them of my situation. First, I was told that I did receive a bib. Right here, it says you received bib number 15. One problem. I never received it. They didn’t want to believe me so argument #1 started. Finally, they either believed that I never received it or just gave up and issued me a new bib number. Then I asked if they could ensure that this bib number get properly added to our team. Argument #2: you can’t be added to a team on race day. You need to register with a team. I did! You guys screwed up my registration! After another argument, they took down the team information and repeatedly ensured me that I would be included as a member of the team.

Then it was off to our meeting spot to catch up with the rest of the team. As I arrived, I saw that the crew was there except for Peter and our one new recruit for this year’s race, Peter’s son Mike. I pinned my newly issued bib on my singlet, hoping to no end that I would actually be included as a member of the team but not counting on it based on past experience. I then chatted with the guys while going through my usual pre-race routine. Just before warmup time, as I was preparing to leave Peter and Mike’s race packets behind, they arrived. I said hi to Peter, we caught up quickly, then I introduced myself to Mike and we had a quick chat. Then it was warmup time.

As usual, we warmed up down Wisconsin Avenue, over the opening portion of the course. At one point, I swung off to drop a gear bag at my car. As I rejoined the team, I just kept thinking how cool it was to see the line of blue HillRunner.com singlets going down the road. That will never get old and it will always give me chills. I rejoined the group and we continued on our warmup.

On the way back, I again stopped at the car to change to my race gear. Then I ran by myself back to the starting area. After a few strides and a bit of loosening, I went inside and found the team and we headed out to the starting area together. A little more warming up, then we were lining up. In a classic Double move, he saw someone who shouldn’t be toeing the line of a large race like this and shouted something like "Alright, big guys in pairs, small guys in bunches!" You could hear a pin drop in the moments after that but the "big guy" didn’t take the hint and ended up toeing the line.

As the race started, I got out well. Quick but comfortable. The wind was a little tricky, generally a tailwind but at every intersection swirling around the buildings and creating cross winds and even headwinds. The gradual downhill almost to the mile marker, though, left me feeling like I was just in cruise control while going pretty quickly. I found myself in a gap so, when the crowd stayed to the left as I knew we were approaching a quick jog to the right, I went to the right. I wasn’t in position to pick up a draft anyway so I might as well take the shortest line. Nothing much happened from then through the mile mark, which I hit in about 5:31. I was targeting something around 5:30 so I was feeling good about this.

I know my best races at Al’s Run always consist of a relatively slow mile 2 as we climb from the river toward the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan. I’ve learned to not fight this slowdown. When I do, I end up running poorly. So I didn’t push when we started climbing, actually just before the mile mark. Nobody was getting away from me, though. There were some swapping of positions but nothing major. By the second half of mile 2, I had my mark. Two Marquette uniforms put a PRO guy out the back and he was struggling to hold on. I knew he was my next victim and I was working on gradually bringing him in. I was closing in at the 2 mile mark, which I hit in about 11:32 for a 6:01 second mile. Not spectacular but within range of what I wanted.

Early in mile 3, we ran past a spot with a particularly strong gust of headwind and the PRO guy as well as the second Marquette guy both did not handle that gust well. It also hit me hard but not as hard as them. Shortly after that gust, I made the double pass. PRO guy was a little back of the Marquette guy but fought to stay with me. As I was approaching Marquette guy, I actually thought for a split second I could rub PRO guy off using Marquette guy but I’m not that kind of runner. I left room for both of us to get past without incident (or I hope I did at least, I was trying to). Near the end of mile 3, we head down Lafayette Hill. I always let loose on this downhill. In doing so this time, I gained on the Marquette guy ahead of me. Surprisingly, though, someone caught me. As we leveled off and cruised through the 3 mile mark in about 17:24, a disappointing 5:52 mile, I held with him and thought we might be able to work on two Marquette jerseys ahead.

Into mile 4, this is typically my "drop the hammer" mile. It’s a mile that can be very demoralizing if you’re not in the zone along here as you’re running a flat, relatively straight mile, staring at the east side of downtown Milwaukee the whole way. If you’re struggling, it can crush you. I like to attack, partly to keep my mind in the right place and partly because I know passing someone along here can help crush their spirit and prevent them from coming back on you. This time, though, the guy who caught up to me going down Lafayette Hill began edging ahead of me. I tried going with but just couldn’t. I did my best to focus in on this mile, ignore the city skyline off in the distance and just focus on the guys ahead of me. I did that well but I just couldn’t get my legs going. I didn’t pass anyone in this mile, which is the first time in probably at least a few years that has happened.

I finally got myself to the 4 mile mark but can’t remember the split. I think it was a low 23, probably around 5:50 again. At this point, I just told myself give it all I have. The guys ahead of me were pulling away but I could tell there were guys close behind. I was going to do all I could to have enough of a gap on them to be safe in the kick. This final mile has several turns. Right, left, right, left, left, finish. I did all I could to prevent myself from looking over my shoulder on any of those turns. I didn’t want to show any sign of weakness. Right, left. No looking back. Guys ahead are pulling away. Right. They are already going left. Have to gap the guys behind me. Left. Don’t look back, don’t look back. Go, almost in. Left. I see the finish line. I can’t see the clock, though. This year, the speakers are above the finish line and the clocks are off to the side. I can’t see them until the time is ticking past 28:40. One of the photographers is directly in line with my shortest path to the finish. Playing chicken with him. Eventually, he takes a couple steps to the side and I pass by without incident. Is anybody coming on me? I don’t know, I’m not even thinking of looking back. Drive through, every second counts.

I end up crossing the line in 28:52. 25th place overall. Not what I was hoping for but far from a disaster. Given the fact that I let myself waste energy by getting more worked up about my registration mix-up than I should have, combined with the fact that I was coming down with a cold, I’m not going to complain.

I then backtrack to catch my teammates. First, Cameron coming in just under 31 minutes. Then Double and right behind him Ed about a minute behind Cameron. I walk around the last turn and see Josh coming. I give him some words of encouragement. In retrospect, I should have been telling him the finish is just around the next corner so he knew he was close. We have two more runners coming. So I can catch everyone shortly after our last runner is in, I begin walking back toward the finish line, frequently looking over my shoulder to watch for the blue uniforms coming. Somehow I almost missed Peter as he went by but he called out and told me Mike was right behind. I hung around for Mike, gave him some words of encouragement, then went back around the corner to find my teammates. Unfortunately, we missed Peter and Mike but the rest of us chatted a bit, then went out to my place for a little (or not so little) unhealthy food and healthy war story swapping.

Final results for Team HillRunner.com:

25) Ryan Hill, 28:52.0 (2nd 35-39)

53) Gerald Cameron, 30:52.0 (2nd 40-44)

78) Dave Dehart, 31:55.5

81) Edward Pankow, 31:59.2 (3rd 40-44)

238) Josh Jackett, 36:46.0

324) Peter Diamond, 38:13.4

867) Mike Diamond, 44:32.1

For the record, there were 2,560 finishers listed in the run and total participation, run and walk combined, was reported to be over 16,000. Very solid results all around.

Also check out our cleaning house in the middle-aged male age groups. Nice job guys!

It took them two days to get some team scoring issues worked out but I believe the final result is in and, battling all the adversity we faced, we still hung tough for a top 5 team finish with an overall team time (top 5) of 2:40:24.9.

Race report: 2015 Hootie Hustle 5K

September 1, 2015 / Race Reports / 5 minutes of reading

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

My second of two race reports from August races.

the Hootie Hustle is a second annual event supporting the scholarship fund at the school district I live in so I feel an obligation to show up. Besides, last year I discovered that it’s a pretty nice course overall and it had better competition than I was expecting. Plus, this year, I’m unable to make it to the Jamie Block Alumni Meet at UW-Stout so it’s the perfectly timed replacement for that as a final Al’s Run tune-up.

As I mentioned, this course is pretty nice overall. I wasn’t expecting so much in Slinger, a pretty hilly town. However, they found a course where you have a long, gradual climb in the first half and a long, gradual descent in the second half. Before the race this year, someone mentioned the middle school, roughly the high point of the course, is 130 feet higher than the start/finish area, roughly the low point. So it’s not like we’re mountain climbing but it’s hardly pancake flat.

As I arrived at the course, I found an open parking space and, as I was pulling in, realized I ended up parking right next to Ed. We had a quick conversation, then I wanted to pick up my packet. Ed decided to join me so we walked together to the packet pick up. It was kind of drizzly/misting but, otherwise, not too bad of a morning. Honestly, I was thinking that precipitation might be a benefit because it was humid. Without the precipitation, it could get downright stuffy. With it, at least there was something to help cool you down.

Ed and I warmed up together, scouting out a bit of the early part of the course and the last mile or so of the course. After some loosening up, strides and scouting out how slippery the field turf football field we’d be turning on to for the finish gets when wet (not very) it was time to line up.

At the start, you pretty quickly hit a U-turn onto the street. Before that, i was out into the lead. Around the turn, I played it a little cautious and someone got past me. I fairly quickly got back in front and then was in the driver’s seat. For some reason, I felt like I was working hard but not going as fast as I would have hoped. As we climbed the hill, I could hear someone on my back. I could tell he was working hard but not giving in. I didn’t want to kill myself up the hill and turn myself into a rabbit so I kept the pressure up but didn’t fully open up. Then we got to the middle school and I knew that, generally speaking, it was all downhill from there. By that time, I felt a little more in sync and began pushing a little harder. Around a hard right that slowed me down, then into some neighborhoods. I pushed through that stretch then, at the 3K mark around a turn I stole a look back. I definitely built a gap but not as big as I had hoped. Knowing I didn’t have a whole lot to go and a great downhill was coming, I raised the effort level a little there.

Around another turn, through the 2 mile mark and into almost the perfect downhill. I leaned into the hill, tried to make the most of it but felt I wasn’t really accelerating much. By the bottom of the hill, I was just pushing with all I could.

You can see how wet it was, not ideal but not as bad as 85 and sunny would have been

Around a left turn, then just before a right I could see the scoreboard clock. 15:03. I pushed the pace thinking I’d be at least in the low 17s and maybe have a shot at sub-17.

I didn’t realize quite how far I still had to go, though. By the time I hit the track, the clock was right around 16 flat. I was pushing as hard as I could but, even in an oxygen deprived state and without trying to do the math, I knew a sub-17 effort would require the kind of sprint I don’t have when I’m rested, much less at the end of a 5K. I still gave it all I had, around the track for about 300 meters, then onto the field and finishing at the 50 yard line.

I saw 17:15 on the scoreboard as I crossed the finish line, then thought Ed should be around. Sure enough, he was on the track. I tore my pull tag off, then got around to cheer him in. I could see he was clearly on track for sub-19, I started telling him he has sub-19, how far under can he go? He seemed to pick up the pace some but not a whole lot. One of the finish line workers said something about me telling him sub-19 and I told him it was his goal and would be a PR for him. I think he was quite impressed when Ed crossed in 18:30.

After a few pictures, Ed and I headed out for a cooldown through a different part of town. All said, I have to rate this as a successful day for Team HillRunner.com at the Hootie Hustle. Sure, I would have liked sub-17 but I scored the win and this tells me I’m well on the path to sub-17 this fall. Ed got a top 3 finish and a huge PR. I’m looking forward to seeing what we both can do at Al’s Run.

Race report: 2015 Hank Aaron State Trail 5K

August 31, 2015 / Race Reports / 4 minutes of reading

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.

Hootie Hustle 5K Race Report

August 30, 2015 / Race Reports / 4 minutes of reading

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!!!

Race report: 2015 Walleye Run 5 miler

June 15, 2015 / Race Reports / 7 minutes of reading

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

I haven’t given many updates on how my running has been going here for a while. Before I get to the race, I’ll offer a quick overview.

The winter went well. I thought my volume was a little off but my intensity was better. When I checked this year compared to last, my volume was nearly identical. If my intensity was better, then I was having a very solid winter.

In retrospect, my intensity was good but possibly not as well balanced as would have been ideal. Lesson learned. Tempo runs are great for base training but you at least occasionally need to crank up the effort level a couple more notches.

For the first time in over 20 years, I took a spring break this year. The family headed down to Florida for a Disney vacation, then we went to Alabama to see family. Needless to say, this wasn’t the greatest thing for my training. I planned my training around this, though, so I could be in ultimate recovery mode.

Upon returning from vacation, I wanted to get in a race but didn’t know how to fit it into the schedule well. The answer was run a race 6 days after returning from a 9 day vacation. Not ideal. The course also wasn’t ideal and the competition wasn’t there. I ended up winning a 5K in 17:44, second place was 21:24 so I didn’t exactly have anyone pushing me.

4 weeks later, I was again looking for a race. I ended up at another small 5K on a constantly undulating course. No major hills but never on level ground. I ended up also winning that in 17:41. Not the same runaway effort but not really pushed in the second half of the race and the course left me less than motivated to keep pushing.

So that brought me up to Walleye Run, a race that has become a family tradition. The family makes the trip with me, then we hit the festival after the race to do all the kid friendly events.

This year, we arrived to find the weather very humid, a little breezy but not terribly warm. When I started warming up, though, I realized how much the wind would be a factor in the first half of the race. It wasn’t terribly strong but, out in the open as we are for good portions of this race, it would be hitting you hard enough to have an effect. On the way back, I got a taste of how the return trip would be. Dead, humid air that just made everything feel stuffy and sticky. By the time I got back, I was sweating profusely and this was just from very easy running with about a 1/4 mile gradual acceleration. At race pace, this was going to be like running in a swamp.

As I was doing my pre-race strides, I saw a couple familiar faces, including an old InStep teammate. I don’t expect to see InStep guys in Fond du Lac so that was a bit of a surprise but it was good to see him. We chatted a bit, then lined up pretty close to each other.

At the start, the usual crowd of fast starters got out ahead of me (you can see a couple of them in the photo at the top) but not like some years. I don’t think I was ever outside the top 15. Usually, I’m at some point in the 20s at this race. Not sure if I got out better or the hard charging crowd was a bit thinner than usual.

About 1/4 mile in, we approach a median in the road. I was to the right of someone with someone just to my right and a half step back. The guy to my left moved out, forcing me out and the guy to my right made some comment that only I could hear. I think he was saying something about squeezing him out. Sorry man but I’m doing what I can. I didn’t say anything but I was definitely thinking that. We did settle back in, though, and the median never became an issue.

As we rounded another turn, I found myself right around 10th, with a pack of 3 that had already separated themselves by a fair bit and a couple guys in no man’s land before the chase pack I was in. I worked my way up to the front of the chase pack and found myself even with a guy in a green singlet for 5th/6th place at the mile. I had a period where the going felt a little rough so I let green singlet take the pace for a bit before I felt stronger and pulled up next to him. As I did so at about 1.5 miles, I said let’s work together and get the guy in black ahead, we both can get him. From this point on, that guy in black was my focus. The guy in green fairly quickly dropped off the pace and I was alone chasing the guy in black.

The guy in black was a distance ahead so this was going to be a long term chase. I set out to close the gap gradually, while hoping I wouldn’t run out of time. I grabbed a cup of water somewhere around the 2 mile mark and poured it over my head. A nice temporary relief from the humidity but short lived. Through mile 3, I kept focusing on the guy in black. I did notice at one point that the 3rd place guy was dropping off the lead two but he was so far ahead I knew he would have to completely fall apart for me to have a chance. My only real chance was the guy in black.

By the 3 mile mark, I knew I would be in competition with the guy in black well before the finish. I had closed the gap enough that making contact was nearly inevitable. The only question was how he would respond. As I continued closing the gap, grabbing another cup of water to pour over my head at one point, I was formulating a plan for the pass. Actually, more recalling my usual pass strategy. Surge a little and try to get past without him thinking he has a chance to hang. A little before the 4 mile mark, after focusing on this guy for 2+ miles, I got to put the strategy to work. I made the pass and he didn’t respond.

Still, I put a lot of effort into catching him. I was worried that he might recharge and make a run at me. I put everything I could into the next mile to not let that happen. I kept pushing and the signs I could pick up on from the people cheering were positive. It appeared the gap was growing.

I kept telling myself 3/4 of a mile to go, 1/2 mile to go, 1/4 mile to go, what do I have left? The answer was not much. I did not have a spectacular kick, I really had no gas left in the tank. However, I made the pass and I separated myself. I didn’t need a kick. I did all I could to bring it home as fast as I could but I had already left it all on the course.

I crossed the finish line in 4th place in 28:52. Just as expected, the wind was a bit challenging on the way out and the humidity and dead air were stifling on the way back. All in all, I’m thrilled with my effort. I’m not ecstatic about my time but the time is understood given the conditions. I am very happy to be back in the top 5 of this event and to have run a very strong, very smart race. I couldn’t have asked for more of myself on race day.

This is it for me for the spring racing season. I’m going to take a bit of time away from racing to work on my fitness, then gear up for the fall season.

Official results