Charlottesville 10 miler - 2010

Day 458 - April 3, 2010

Kick butt! Today's 10 miler went way better than expected. The forecast was for heat, but it never got that warm during the race. My goal was to break 65 minutes if all went well. At mile 1, I was a little nervous that I had gone out too fast, but at that point, there's nothing you can do about it. I decided to just go with it and if I hit the wall, I would deal with it. Mile 1 was 6:13 and I followed it up with a 6:17 for mile 2, 6:11 for mile 3, and 6:02 on the mostly down hill 4th mile. The 5th mile is where things start to get interesting as you run back uphill through the downtown mall. The crowds on the mall were great and I was feeding off the energy. I finished mile 5 in 6:09, probably the fastest I've ever run that mile. Miles 6 and 7 get pretty hilly and I was really pleased to run 6:25, and 6:30. I generally don't like the 8th mile. It is a long straight stretch up Main St with very few people. Mentally I find that really tough. But, this year was not too bad and I maintained a 6:33 pace. From 8 to 9, you run up hill through the corner and then turn uphill on McCormack through UVA. This stretch always slows me down and I've never done that mile in under 7 minutes before. Today, I crushed it in 6:38. With 1 to go, I picked it up and pushed as hard as I could for the last mile. I was rewarded with a final mile split of 6:12, my third fastest mile of the race. Official chip time - 63:14 a personal best by 56 seconds and 4 minutes faster than last year! I finished 54/2700+ and 8th in my age group (yes, it is a tough age group). Thanks to all the people and volunteers who made this such a great race.

14 miles around Charlottesville

Day 423 - February 27, 2010

I felt great today. I met up with a good friend and long time running partner and we set out for a mid-day long run. I had drawn up a long loop that would offer opportunities to break off and cut the run short if either of us just weren't feeling it, but the miles came and went pretty easily, even at a faster than normal pace. Even the hills felt easier today. We finished the first 11 mile loop and I still had 25 minutes before I had to pick up my daughter. Not wanting to just sit around, I said goodbye to my friend and tacked on another 3 miles. Perfect timing.

I'm feeling really good about my endurance, but I still need to get out there and do some speed work. I'll take it a bit easier on Sunday, but I think Monday is going to be a tempo run. 7:25 pace won't get me below 65 minutes in the 10 miler.

Today's run also brought my running streak total to 1700 miles in 423 days and YTD is 239 miles. If you typically read the blog with an aggregator, click on over to the website. I've added some gadgets from Daily Mile that keep track of my daily runs and upcoming races. If you are looking for more flair for your blog, you might want to check it out. Note: I just noticed that the posted workout doesn't match today's post. I've been backloading some runs from January into the Daily Mile and apparently the app is picking up on the posted date, not the date from the run. Oh well, it should be accurate tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and was able to log some good runs.

Charlottesville Half Marathon - Officially Signed up

Day 417 - February 21, 2010

I've made my decision and signed up for the half marathon. I predicted a 1:29:00 finish, but I'm hoping that is a conservative estimate of my time. The race is to weeks after the 10 miler and I'm hoping that race will be a good stepping stone to a solid finish.

For my run today, I squeezed in 5 miles on a very muddy dirt road. The snow is finally melting and we had beautiful blue skies and temperatures in the 50s. It was a great day. I was a little sore from yesterday's long run, but I slowly loosened up and enjoyed the spring-like day.

And if you didn't get a chance to watch the USA vs Canada, you missed the best hockey game since 1980. From the first whistle to the last, both teams played their hearts out. That is what the Olympics should be all about. Most goals wins - no judging how pretty they look doing it!

The Daily Mile

Day 416 - February 20, 2010

I signed up for the Daily Mile today. As best I can tell, the Daily Mile is a social networking site for runners and cyclists where you can log your activity and share it with friends. I'm sure it is more than that, but I'm going to give it try and see how I like it. If you'd like to check out my profile, my user name is CERuns.

Today was a long run and I was joined by a good friend that I have been running with for almost 10 years now. The plan was 13, but unfortunately that wasn't in the cards. I felt great. In fact it was one of the best runs I've been on in a long time. But my friend was recovering from a cold and the pace was a bit too fast for him. I have no doubt that he will bounce back and be ready to put a hurt on me next week. We cut the run a bit short, but still logged 11.4 miles. That was enough to put me at 36 for the week. My confidence for the Charlottesville 10 miler is building and I'm really looking forward to it.

A long run

Day 409 - February 13, 2010

I had an hour an fifty minutes of free time today which was perfect for a long run. I dropped my oldest daughter off at her Saturday enrichment class and I was off. I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted to get around Charlottesville, but I kept my options open and tried to find roads with clear sidewalks - not an easy feet. I also tried to include as much of the 10 miler course and Marth Jefferson 8K course as I could just so I could refresh my memory about the hills and road conditions.

It was great to have that much time. I just had to make sure I was back to pick up the girlie on time. When I realized I was going to finish my run 20 minutes early I tacked on an extra mile. I love having that flexibility and not feeling like I have to rush a 20 minute run.

With today's 12.2 miles, my weekly total was 38. That makes this the highest total of the year and one of the highest of the streak. I hope I can maintain that mileage for the next several weeks as I prepare for the 10 miler.

Five and half miles after dinner

Day 405 - February 9, 2009

What a difference a year makes. Last year on this date, it was 65 degrees and gorgeous. Tonight, I ran in the snow - again. If we get the accumulation that is forecast, we will break the all time record for snow accumulation for Central VA. Crazy. Granted, some areas of the country get this much snow in a single event, but 50+ inches is a lot for us.

Running in the snow hasn't been bad and hasn't affected my mileage, but I have been quite a bit slower on my runs. I also haven't done any tempo runs or fartleks on the icy roads. I still have time to get my speed up before the 10 miler, but I need to start soon. So if you don't see any posts about me doing some speed work, drop me a comment and hold me accountable!

Felt good tonight

Day 397 - February 1, 2010

I ran with a friend after work tonight and felt comfortable for most of the run. I still have a nagging dry cough when I finish, but today I felt closer to 100% than I have in nearly two weeks. I'm not making any bold predictions on how soon I'll be back to normal mileage - we have more snow forecast for tomorrow and apparently there is a chance of the storm of the century this weekend. Thank goodness the wife decided we needed to replace our dead treadmill.

But, I did sign up for the Charlottesville 10 miler yesterday. The Charlottesville Marathon is probably out since I've lost two long runs, but I think I will run the half. The $70 entry fee makes me want to make sure I'll be in top form before I plop down that much cash. I'll make a decision by the end of the month.

10 Miles in C-ville

Day 381 - January 16, 2010

Put in my first double digit mile run today. I met a few friends in Charlottesville to run. We broke into groups and ran runs of 5.5 to 10 miles. Roger and I ran the entire Charlottesville 10 miler course.


I had a hard time getting loose today and constantly watching out for the black ice that resulted from yesterday's thaw and refreeze made the first few miles tough. eventually I did feel better and we averaged 7:30's.

The 35 miles I logged this week made up for last weeks low mileage. If I can continue to put in long runs on Saturdays, I may just convince myself to run the C-ville Marathon in April.

2009 Charlottesville 10 Miler

April 4, 2009

Race Day.

The rains were gone and the skies clear for the 34th running of the Charlottesville Ten Miler.



I positioned myself about 10 people deep in the pack at the starting line. I intentionally wanted to get held up by the hordes so I would be forced to run slow the first mile. Last year the strategy worked great for me when I went out in 7:50 for the first mile, then picked up the pace to the point of averaging 6:50's for race. So I held back at the beginning and settled into a spot for the first 300 m or so as we climbed the starting hill and turned the corner onto Alderman. Once I got on Alderman, began to weave in and out of the groups of runners ahead of me, not really trying to pass anyone, just trying to find space to run without having to break stride. I missed the split at the first half mile, but I assumed I was running somewhere around 7:30 pace.

I kept up the weave until I reached St. Thomas Aquinas church, where I should say their band was rocking it out, moved to the outside, and let the downhill carry me past about 20 runners. I then settled back into pace as I approached the mile mark. When I could finally see the clock, was shocked to see I was well under 7 minutes. Uh-oh - that could be too fast. I crossed the mile in 6:57, over 30 seconds faster than I had anticipated.

Well, nothing to do about it now but stick with the plan for the second mile and hope that I could hang on at the end. Around the stadium and up past the parking garage I continued to pass runners and focused on running a consistent pace. Mile 2 came and went in 6:40 - faster than planned, but comfortable and controlled. Mile 3 was about the same, more runners coming back to me and at my preferred pace, 6:43. I had expected to get to mile 3 in ~21:40 like last year, but with my faster first two miles, I was only 20:20 into the race.

The fourth mile starts up a slight grade on Rugby Ave, then turns downhill on Grady and Preston. This is always the fastest mile, if you are careful at the start, and this year was no exception. I continued to catch runners and move past them down the long hill. At one point, I noticed a female runner about 15 yards ahead of me whose legs were really flailing out to the side. The running coach in me started thinking she could be really fast if her stride was more controlled and she didn't waste all that energy bringing her legs back. I followed her for probably a minute before it dawned on me...hey dummy, if her stride is so bad, why is she in front of you? :) That was enough motivation to put on a burst to get past her and finish the 4th mile in 6:24.

The fifth mile is where things start to get interesting. Once you get to the bottom of Preston, you have to climb back up the downtown mall, turn up 5th street to get to the mile mark (6:27), then take on the roller coaster of a hill on 2nd street, before finally tackling the hill on Northwood. The best part of that climb is the music - just about every year I'm treated to the Rocky Theme song, what better to get you pumped back up on the climb. I think I ran a bit too hard on the 5th mile because I started to get side stitch when I turned onto Jefferson just before 2nd street. I probably slowed down too much trying to get my breathing back under control and after passing the annual doughnut station, reaching mile 6 in 6:56.

In my pre-race planning, I thought if I got to 6 miles in 41:40 I would be in good shape for beating last years time. Today at six miles my time was 40:08. Four miles to go and a minute and a half ahead.

For the next mile, I just focused on getting up the hills on Lexington and Maple. I really can't say if I passed anyone or if I got passed in that mile. I think this is the second hardest section of the course and really just wanted to get to the top. The last quarter mile takes you back down to the downtown mall and out onto Water street which is a nice reward for reaching the top of Cemetery Hill on Maple St. At the 7 mile mark, (6:55 - 47:03) I started feeling the relief of knowing it was less than a 5k remaining.

The long straight straight stretch up to mile 8 was uneventful and by that point, I was running with a group. One person would challenge for the lead, and the rest would counter. Someone else would take the lead and everyone else would counter. This continued to the mile mark (6:58 - 54:02) and on to the Corner.

From mile 8 to 9 is by far the toughest part of the race. You have a long hill up around the Corner, then you turn and have to run back up McCormack. Add in that you are starting to run out of energy, and it makes for a slow mile. This year, surprisingly, wasn't as slow as some years past. I wasn't able to keep the pace under 7, but 7:11 was respectable, but the slowdown meant that I was going to have to work the last mile if I was going to break 68 minutes. At nine miles, my time had slipped to 61:13!

Knowing I needed a 6:43 for the last mile, I decided to push the downhills and shorten up my stride on the hills to maintain my leg turnover. I was really running out of gas, and I didn't think I was going to hold on. But once I crossed the bridge over the final railroad tracks, I got passed by two people. I was back in high school - no one out kicks me :) I immediately went back past those two runners and tracked down a few more finishers. Time on the clock - 67:49! I had broken 68.

The only thing left was to see if I had cracked the top 100 - a secret desire I had going into the race. I went over to the scoring table to check the posted results. That's the great thing about chip timing - instant race results. There I was on the third page - #77 with an official time of 1:07:49 and chip time of 1:07:41! I'm still not sure how many runners finally finished, but I do know there were 2607 entries.

Overall, I'm really pleased and looking forward to next year. With another year of the streak under me, I hope to run even faster.

10 miles in the rain

Day 85 - March 26, 2009

With the Charlottesville 10 Miler just 10 days away, I wanted to run the course once to get reacquainted. I lined up a couple of friends to run with me and it was poised to be a great day. Unfortunately, I guess I should have extended an invitation to Mother Nature.

The rain chased one of my running partners away, and I'm pretty sure the other would have canceled if I had left for Charlottesville five minutes later (the wife told me he called as soon as I backed out of the driveway).

We met at the track, stretched for a few seconds and then started out. The rains kept coming, but never very hard. It really just kept the puddles full and enough water in the eyes to miserable. My running partner wears glasses and he hates days like today because he has to choose between not being able to see through the water drops on his lenses or not being able to see without his glasses on.

We pressed on, through the muddied road around the stadium where they are doing construction, back through grounds and past the fraternities and sororities, and then down Preston to the Downtown Mall. Here's where it gets interesting. Teh brick replacement on the mall is going to force the runners to weave through and around construction gates. I can see that being quite crowded for runners in the middle of the pack.

The second five miles were just as I remembered and I didn't notice anything that might affect the course next Saturday. Traffic was the only trouble, but hey, it was 5:30. That shouldn't be an issue during the race.

So, while not a perfect day for running, it was still good to get out and see the course. I'll take it easier the next few days to rest up and start to taper a bit. I'm feeling pretty good about my preparation. I just need to avoid getting sick or injured over the next week or so.

Today's run - 10 miles (YTD 356)
Today's time - 1:15:56 (YTD 45:50:42)

Day 78 - 3.3 miles

I've decided to run a 5K this weekend - the Camp Holiday Trails 5K. Camp Holiday Trails is a camp for children with special medical needs. The camp itself is in a great little location, practically right in Charlottesville that you'd never know was there if you didn't stumble upon it. There are some great running trails in that area and Reservoir Road is a wonderfully quiet gravel road for anyone at UVA looking for a long run.

The race will be run on the UVA neighborhood course, a hilly, but familiar route. I've never run a particularly fast time on this course, but it will be good to get out and see how much I've improved since the beginning of the year. I'm really just hoping to average 6:40 or 6:45/mile.

I decided to take it easier today and will do the same tomorrow. I want my legs to be as fresh as possible. Even with a couple of easy days I should still log 35 miles this week. I'm hoping this will also give me some clue about where I am in my preparation for the Charlottesville 10 miler. I finally signed up for that race as well today, so I'm all in. It should be a fun two and half weeks.

Day 77 - 11 weeks complete

The sun was out and it made for a beautiful spring day. By 4:00pm the temperature was 77 degrees - a perfect coincidence for my 77 day running streak.

With the 10 miler just two and half weeks away, I'm starting to think about a reasonable time for finishing. I of course want to finish faster than the 117th place time of 68:25 I ran last year. I'm way ahead on mileage for the year, but my average pace has been significantly slower. But last year, the longest run I had done was only 6 miles and I've already completed runs of 10.5 and 12.2 this spring. So I don't expect the endurance to be a problem, just leg turnover.

I know it is too late to really make much of a difference for the race, but I am now trying to run faster on my normal runs. Today, I did another fartlek interval workout. Instead of short bursts, today I focused on running fast for 7:00 minutes at a time. I started with a 5 minute warm-up, and then sped up to what felt like race pace for 7 minutes. When my watched beeped again, I slowed to a recovery pace, probably around 8 minute miles, and slowly built back up to normal pace over the next 7 minutes. When the watch beeped again, I went right back to race pace for another 7 minute interval. Today I only ran two fast 7 minute stretches, then cooled down for another 6-7 minutes. As I get stronger, I'll increase the number of intervals and hopefully get faster.

Day 74 - Long Run After the Rain

A well timed phone call delayed my run just long enough for the rain to stop. That was a real blessing because I was not looking forward to 12 miles in the rain. The run was pretty uneventful. I took it slow the first 6 miles and reached the turnaround point in 49 minutes, stopped and stretched out for a few minutes, then finished the second 6 in 47 minutes.

I love that I can map out the run ahead of time with www.gmap-pedometer.com and know exactly how far the route will be. I've run with people who have the fancy Garmin GPS systems and I've found gmap-pedometer to be just as accurate and I don't have to worry about losing the satellites half way through the run. Of course, that means I have to remember the course exactly, but usually that isn't a problem for me.

So, I'm off to a good start this week and hoping to get in another 35 mile week before running a long run of 14 or 15 miles next Sunday. That should put me in good shape endurance-wise for the Charlottesville 10 miler. I know I won't have the speed to run as fast as I'd like, but I shouldn't hit the wall either.

Today's run - Mt Vernon UMC run
Today's mileage - 12.2 miles (YTD 298.8)
Today's time - 1:36:06 (YTD 38:41:47)

Day 70 - Windy 6 Miles

Fortunately the temperature today was back up in the 70's because if it had been in the 30's, the wind would have made it bitterly cold. It was very gusty tonight and the first three miles were straight into the teeth of it. I really struggled up the first few hills as the wind was constantly pushing me back. But as hard as it was, I was very thankful that I would have the tailwind on the way back. I wanted to break 44 minutes and despite an all out effort the last minute and a half, I still came up 5 seconds short. Oh well, something to work for next time.

I'm really pleased with my progress this year. My average run is approaching 4 miles (275 miles in 70 days) and I'm pretty easily hitting 30+ miles a week now. I've already run long runs of 8+ miles and even have completed a 10.5 mile run. I'm thinking I might actually run the Charlottesville 10 miler now. I still won't run as fast as I have in the past (64:09 in 2005), but it is a fun race and it is local. We'll see.

Today's run: 6 miles (YTD 275.8 miles)
Today's time: 0:44:05 (YTD 35:41:06)