Austin and I completed the 2011 Indianapolis 500 Festival One America Minimarathon as we proudly represented Anneliese and everyone with ties to Neurofibromatosis.
Here is my account of the event:
I have been due for a race with good weather and this was the one! I woke up at 5:30 and ate my traditional bagel with peanut butter and drank Powerade. Austin and I stayed downtown the night before the race which was a first for me. Our room overlooked the start line of the race where I could see final prep taking place. The Neurofibromatosis (NF) Endurance Team had a team pic scheduled for 6:30. We left for the picture expecting a slight chill in the air so I wore my arm warmers. I quickly realized that I wouldn't be needing the arm warmers or the sun glasses I had clipped to them. At the picture we met up with Team Captain Joe Gunn and several other people running the 5k or half-marathon. After the picture we completed our .5 mile warmup run and then headed back to the hotel to drop off the stuff we wouldn't need. While we were in the room the 5k race started. Seeing the race start from 8 stories up was pretty cool. I had a better appreciation for the wave in the sea of people.
Right after the 5k started we headed down to corral F (the Minimarathon uses an alphabetic coral system to stage the 35,000 runners for the race). A guy standing in front of us was a magnet for the beach balls that were flying around the pens of people. He must have been hit in the head 30 times or more before the corral compression started. Even as I stood in the corral I wasn't sure what my goal was going to be for the race. To race hard or even effort training run?
I crossed the start line about 3:45 after the start, give or take. I used an agressive weave to pass people in the first mile and still managed only a 9:25 first mile split. Mile 2 was right around 8:10, possibly too fast but that remained to be seen. Mile three was congested again and over 9:10. During mile 3 I was also feeling a little light headed. Shortly after mile 4 the feeling had passed possibly aided by the gel pack I had taken. My race strategy was broken down into a 5mile/5mile/5k segmentation so at this point in the race I was most concerned with where I would be sitting at the 5 mile point. I crossed the marker in 43:56 (my watch time). I was happy with that split since I was shooting for anything under 45 minutes.
Soon after passing the mile 5 marker I looked ahead and to my right and saw the facade of the Motor Speedway. I was determined not to be intimidated by the track this year. In past years the 2.5 mile oval inside of the Speedway had seen me go from PR (personal record- best completion time for a given distance) aspirant to holding on for dear life. As I entered the track the energy from the cheer squads boosted me. About the far turn I realized that I was no longer being passed by anyone and I was the one doing the passing. That boosted my confidence. I was feeling better than I ever have in any race! I exited the track and popped a gel right before passing the 15k point. After my second 5 mile segment I was @ 1:27:56 for the race (official time). Doing the math in my head I had even split the first 10 miles.
After a pit stop I was back on the course and headed for home. Running past the biker bar on the way back to town isn't the same since they hand out water now instead of beer. Miles 11 and 12 were comfortable, perhaps 20 seconds slower per mile than I was averaging to that point. Mile 13 included a surge until .75 when I dialed back a little, then a surge at 1/2 until I spotted my family. I ran by them before I realized it was them! I checked around me to make sure the coast was clear then I back tracked a little bit to pre-celebrate. Just then the announcer starting urging runners on to finish before the gun time struck 2:00. I gave it what I had and just missed with a gun time of 2:00:08 and a chip time of 1:56:10. I was about 2 minutes over my PR but proud of the effort.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Seasons don't fear the reaper...
nor do the sun, nor the wind, nor the runner. Or something like that. Apologies to Blue Oyster Cult for mangling their lyrics. A few posts back I commented about the cold, snowy, icy conditions we endured over the harshest winter I can remember. Far be it from me to complain when the temperatures are unseasonably warm, as will be the case tomorrow. Highs are expected to peak at 84* in the hometown tomorrow. Early June you ask. Neigh says I, tis but April. Good news is the warm weather will help me acclimate to the temperatures we might expect on Carmel Marathon race day. So let's talk running:
Fundraising Report: Liz and I are nearly ready to launch our letter campaign for donations to Children's Tumor Foundation. A few tweaks remain but the letter should be in the mail this week. As a reminder, I will be running the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini Marathon along with the Carmel Marathon to raise money and awareness for Neurofribromatosis. Countdown to the "Mini" is on since we are less than one month away from race day. Any size donation will be accepted and appreciated. Thanks!
Anneliese: I'm so proud of my little girl! She and I have been doing running workouts together along with little sis Emmeline. Our street is a 1 km loop and makes for a perfect distance run for the girls. We are slowly building up their endurance. Right now we do one loop. Anneliese tells me that she is training to run a NF 5k with me this summer. How cool will it be to see her cross the finish line?
Training: As I sit and type this I am on the eve of an 18 mile run. Tomorrow I will run solo since my usual running partner will be out of town. If all goes well and I complete the course I have prepared (18.87 miles officially) then I will be at around 323 miles run for the year. The 18 miler will also mark the longest run I've completed going into a Minimarathon. I think what I am trying to say is that my training is going well so far. I haven't decided yet what my goals will be for either race.
On a side note, I was sitting down thinking about places I have run while traveling for work. My 323 miles since January 1st have taken place in Bellevue, Lexington, Louisville, and Newport in Kentucky; Carmel, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, South Bend, and Valparaiso in Indiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois. I've had the opportunity to share my passion for running with some good friends who joined me on several of those runs. I'm thankful to have the support of family and friends as I continue the journey.
Final Words: "Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." - Oprah Winfrey (4:29 Marathon PR)
See you on the roads.
Fundraising Report: Liz and I are nearly ready to launch our letter campaign for donations to Children's Tumor Foundation. A few tweaks remain but the letter should be in the mail this week. As a reminder, I will be running the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini Marathon along with the Carmel Marathon to raise money and awareness for Neurofribromatosis. Countdown to the "Mini" is on since we are less than one month away from race day. Any size donation will be accepted and appreciated. Thanks!
Anneliese: I'm so proud of my little girl! She and I have been doing running workouts together along with little sis Emmeline. Our street is a 1 km loop and makes for a perfect distance run for the girls. We are slowly building up their endurance. Right now we do one loop. Anneliese tells me that she is training to run a NF 5k with me this summer. How cool will it be to see her cross the finish line?
Training: As I sit and type this I am on the eve of an 18 mile run. Tomorrow I will run solo since my usual running partner will be out of town. If all goes well and I complete the course I have prepared (18.87 miles officially) then I will be at around 323 miles run for the year. The 18 miler will also mark the longest run I've completed going into a Minimarathon. I think what I am trying to say is that my training is going well so far. I haven't decided yet what my goals will be for either race.
On a side note, I was sitting down thinking about places I have run while traveling for work. My 323 miles since January 1st have taken place in Bellevue, Lexington, Louisville, and Newport in Kentucky; Carmel, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, South Bend, and Valparaiso in Indiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois. I've had the opportunity to share my passion for running with some good friends who joined me on several of those runs. I'm thankful to have the support of family and friends as I continue the journey.
Final Words: "Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." - Oprah Winfrey (4:29 Marathon PR)
See you on the roads.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Intervals...
Fundraising has begun for my spring/summer race schedule. So far AR3NF has raised $100 towards our $500 goal. Please help if you are able by donating to a worthy cause near and dear to our hearts. You can click on the Click Here to Donate! link on the right to get to our fundraising website.
Anneliese will make her debut as a track star this summer. Sign-ups for the Westfield Youth Sports track club will not take place for 2 more months but we are already getting excited. I attended a coaches and volunteers meeting last night. The club is intended for K-6 grade children with practices and meets starting the first week of June. Kids will work out with high school coaches and athletes as well as college track athletes. Meets will be held on Friday nights. Anneliese will get the chance to run 50m, 100m, 200m, and longer if she wants. She is also looking foward to getting new shoes and running clothes!
Training continues for me as the Mini and Carmel Marathon approach. With only 9 weeks until the Mini I am feeling good about where I am in my schedule. I completed a long run of over 13 miles recently along with several strong speedwork sessions. Motivation is easy when you ruNFor a reason.
50 marathons is a major accomplishment. Earlier this year Bob Skold ran his 50th marathon. Way to go Bob. What's next for Bob? "100 is the new 50," he says. See you on the roads, Bob, and good luck! Read more of Bob's story here.
Runner's beard... Check out a beard contest conducted by Daily Mile recently. Your's truly was entered for my frosty tipped beard (photo credit goes to Liz) which can be seen in the hirsute collection of photos on the Daily Mile Blog. Congrats go out to the winner and the runner up, a dog. Yeah, I was beat in a beard contest by a canine. (Bad Don humor alert) That puts a new spin for me on the cliche "hair of the dog that bit you." I guess it is true that the world is going to the dogs. Ugh, sorry. You can judge for yourself here: http://www.dailymile.com/blog/contest/battle-of-the-beards.
Final words. "Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and a miracle fiber called courage" -George Patton
See you on the roads.
Anneliese will make her debut as a track star this summer. Sign-ups for the Westfield Youth Sports track club will not take place for 2 more months but we are already getting excited. I attended a coaches and volunteers meeting last night. The club is intended for K-6 grade children with practices and meets starting the first week of June. Kids will work out with high school coaches and athletes as well as college track athletes. Meets will be held on Friday nights. Anneliese will get the chance to run 50m, 100m, 200m, and longer if she wants. She is also looking foward to getting new shoes and running clothes!
Training continues for me as the Mini and Carmel Marathon approach. With only 9 weeks until the Mini I am feeling good about where I am in my schedule. I completed a long run of over 13 miles recently along with several strong speedwork sessions. Motivation is easy when you ruNFor a reason.
50 marathons is a major accomplishment. Earlier this year Bob Skold ran his 50th marathon. Way to go Bob. What's next for Bob? "100 is the new 50," he says. See you on the roads, Bob, and good luck! Read more of Bob's story here.
Runner's beard... Check out a beard contest conducted by Daily Mile recently. Your's truly was entered for my frosty tipped beard (photo credit goes to Liz) which can be seen in the hirsute collection of photos on the Daily Mile Blog. Congrats go out to the winner and the runner up, a dog. Yeah, I was beat in a beard contest by a canine. (Bad Don humor alert) That puts a new spin for me on the cliche "hair of the dog that bit you." I guess it is true that the world is going to the dogs. Ugh, sorry. You can judge for yourself here: http://www.dailymile.com/blog/contest/battle-of-the-beards.
Final words. "Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and a miracle fiber called courage" -George Patton
See you on the roads.
Monday, February 7, 2011
First day of spring training...
as in spring marathon training. Today was the first day of my 18 week marathon training plan that will culminate on June 11th with me running the inaugural Carmel Marathon. Carmel is a neighboring community to the area where I live. The race offers me a short commute along with an inexpensive entry fee (as far as marathon entry fees go). The course is advantageous to me since I have run most of route during workouts and races over the years. I'll also have an opportunity to do some of my training runs during this training cycle on the actual course. ...more exciting information about the race to come in future posts...
BEFORE I get to the start of the starting line for the Carmel Marathon I will be racing the OneAmerica 500 Festival Minimarathon on May 7th. This will be the sixth year that Anneliese's Road Racers for Research will take part in an event at the "Mini" for the NF Endurance Team. This will be my fifth running of the half-marathon distance. Last year I opted to run the 5k race and was joined by our cousin, Austin Yoder. This year Austin will return with me to the Mini and has stepped up to the half-marathon distance. The mini will also be the race that I am targeting for fundraising. If you are interested in donating to fund NF Research, please click on the "Donate Now" link on the right side of the blog. We are hoping to raise over $500 again this year.
This year the NF Endurance team has charity slots available for the Mini. This is the first time our team has been able to offer entry to the race to people after the official sell out has occurred. Find out how you can join the team by visiting the team page for the Indy Mini. You'll also notice on the website that our little Anneliese is featured for her courage and inspiration. If you have every thought about running a half-marathon then this is your chance to run the best in the world while supporting a great cause.
Weathering the workouts is as challenging as the workouts themselves. Record snow, ice and cold temperatures seem to be a way of life this year. In the past, most of my running workouts were usually done outside. I've been burning up the treadmill at my gym this winter with the exception of my weekend long run. I'm looking forward to the spring thaw out. With no sign of improving conditions in sight I am looking into alternative workouts...
I have moved many of my workouts indoors to BANG! Fitness Project (formerly Cardinal Fitness Carmel). Tonight I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill followed by stairmaster and Versa-Climber. I added a few sets of dumbbells to round out the workout. The owner of Bang was very helpful to me in getting started on the Versa-Climber. The machine offers a full body workout and will probably find its way into my gym routine.
I recently discovered Daily Mile. The website is a nice resource for logging workouts and keeping track of other teammates as they train for events. You can follow my workouts during marathon training on the AR3NF blog with the "widget" on the right side of the screen.
That is all for tonight.
See you on the road!
BEFORE I get to the start of the starting line for the Carmel Marathon I will be racing the OneAmerica 500 Festival Minimarathon on May 7th. This will be the sixth year that Anneliese's Road Racers for Research will take part in an event at the "Mini" for the NF Endurance Team. This will be my fifth running of the half-marathon distance. Last year I opted to run the 5k race and was joined by our cousin, Austin Yoder. This year Austin will return with me to the Mini and has stepped up to the half-marathon distance. The mini will also be the race that I am targeting for fundraising. If you are interested in donating to fund NF Research, please click on the "Donate Now" link on the right side of the blog. We are hoping to raise over $500 again this year.
This year the NF Endurance team has charity slots available for the Mini. This is the first time our team has been able to offer entry to the race to people after the official sell out has occurred. Find out how you can join the team by visiting the team page for the Indy Mini. You'll also notice on the website that our little Anneliese is featured for her courage and inspiration. If you have every thought about running a half-marathon then this is your chance to run the best in the world while supporting a great cause.
Weathering the workouts is as challenging as the workouts themselves. Record snow, ice and cold temperatures seem to be a way of life this year. In the past, most of my running workouts were usually done outside. I've been burning up the treadmill at my gym this winter with the exception of my weekend long run. I'm looking forward to the spring thaw out. With no sign of improving conditions in sight I am looking into alternative workouts...
I have moved many of my workouts indoors to BANG! Fitness Project (formerly Cardinal Fitness Carmel). Tonight I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill followed by stairmaster and Versa-Climber. I added a few sets of dumbbells to round out the workout. The owner of Bang was very helpful to me in getting started on the Versa-Climber. The machine offers a full body workout and will probably find its way into my gym routine.
I recently discovered Daily Mile. The website is a nice resource for logging workouts and keeping track of other teammates as they train for events. You can follow my workouts during marathon training on the AR3NF blog with the "widget" on the right side of the screen.
That is all for tonight.
See you on the road!
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