TheRunningRev.Com

210 Days to Comrades - Scare in White Bear 5k

It was  a chilly morning, 35 degrees, as my two oldest daughters and I made our way to West Park in White Bear Lake. After a 10 minute warm-up I headed to the start line and waited 10 minutes for the race to start, plenty of time to cool down on this chilly morning. 

As the race started I tried to find a good pace to settle into, I haven't run a 5k since May and haven't been doing any 5k tempo runs, I felt like I found a good pace and as I hit the mile mark I glanced down at my watch and saw 6:22 on it. A little faster than I had thought. I think it got into my head as my next mile was 7:00. I'm not sure why I slowed up so much and tried to pick it up again over the final 1.1 miles which I covered in 7:19 for a finish time of 20:41.

The sub-20 5k remains an elusive dream at this point.

My finish was good enough for 2nd place in the male 40-49 age group. I'll take that!

I didn't run in costume but some members from our church did... 

CO 5k

It was a near perfect morning for the first CO 5k. The goal was to raise $10,000 for Camp Ojibway and they were successful in this quest. The race itself was very well organized, although there were no official times, about 200 people showed up to run and walk the course. The entire Craigan clan was present and ready to run. 

As the race got underway I found myself in a position I'd never been in before, I was leading! Unfortunately a small pack tucked in a little behind me just waiting to pounce and after about three quarters of a mile I gave up first place, just past the 2k mark I gave up second place and around 3.5k I lost my third place... boo. I thought I might lose fourth place but fought hard to the finish crossing the line in 20:46.

It was an interesting experience for me to be running at the front and I clearly didn't race it well. I shouldn't have run at the front, I should have held back but I don't think I've ever been in the lead before!

I want to run sub-20 before the end of the year.

Fast Before the Feast

It was a cool morning and the wind wasn't making it feel any warmer. I hit the starting line with my good friends Brian and Jan. Neither Brian nor I figured we'd beat Jan but we thought about going sub-20.

When the race started we ran together and made it through the first mile in 6:27 in spite of a long hill on the way out. The second mile was mostly flat and ran about the same pace for that mile. Unfortunately for me mile three included a long uphill that slowed me down and allowed Brian to push ahead of me. I didn't see him again until after the finish.

I pushed hard for the finish and then Jan, Brian and I ran out to meet the rest of my family, Jenny was running with our girls and we ran in with them. That's the way Thanksgiving is supposed to be, fun with the family!

We waited around for the results as Jan was the first women and then it came to the age group awards... Men 40-44 first place... Brian!!!! Second place... Neil!!! What a thrill to be able to take the age group award with a good friend on Thanksgiving morning, yes, that was a highlight of the day.

I admit our youngest got pushed in the jogging stroller and Jenny pushed her up the hills, but all five our family members crossed the finish line. It was a great day and I'm most certainly a proud dad.

Fast Before the Feast - or not

OK, we have a local race on Thanksgiving morning, Fast Before The Feast and I'm thinking about running it. They offer a 5k and 10k option. Two of my three daughters are determined to run the 5k.

For the last few years we've run the VA Run Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving and thoroughly enjoyed it. The big difference between VA and MN at the end of November is the weather and the fact that our church was one of the sponsors and took care of all the post race snacks so it was a good opportunity to see 20-30 church members that morning.

Do I want to get up early to freeze my buns off? Perhaps, but then again why? It's not as if either 5k or 10k is my preferred distance. I ran some intervals today, 400, 800, 1200, 800, 400 to see if I had any speed in my legs and I may still have a modicum of speed still there.

The ten day forecast is suggesting a low of 24 for thanksgiving morning. of course that could change, it could get colder. What to do? Please don't say, "welcome to MN!" And if I do, which distance?

Manitou Days 5k - new PR

It was a warm, almost 80 degree, evening in White Bear Lake and the humidity was fairly high. It had been a year since I last ran a 5k and I wasn't sure what to expect.

About 200 of us toed the starting line and when the starter sent us on our merry way I flew out of the gate and after about 100 yards knew I was going way to fast so I slowed to what I thought at the time would be a more sustainable pace. As I arrived at the mile one marker I looked at my watch and it read 6:04, surely that couldn't be right there was no way I could sustain this pace but I decided to press on see what would happen. I was certain that by the time I reached mile 2 I had slowed considerably so I was thoroughly suprised to discover my watch said 12:14 at this point in the race. I had just run the fastest two miles of my life and I was starting to really feel it!

I pressed on but felt the energy leaving my legs and the third mile became a challenge but I made it through it. Upon reaching the three mile mark I turned on the burners for one last pick-up to take me through the finish line. I ran into the chute and straight through the other end as quickly as possible as
I grabbed the edge of the large garbage can and started to dry heave. I had nothing left, I had just averaged 6:36 for the race finishing in 20:28 and a new PR for the 5k, beating my previous best by over a minute (21:31). Who says you can't improve with age!

Later in the evening I raised a glass of wine to Ian Connor for all his support and encouragement and his blasted whistle at our Wednesday track workouts!

Braemar 5k

I raced a 5k yesterday. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining and there was a good breeze blowing. The gun went off and so did the runners, round the bus loop we went and then out of the school parking lot and up the hill... I ran a strong first mile in 6:30 but it took a lot out of me and I slowed to 6:50 for the second mile.

The third mile was a real struggle taking way to long (don't know exactly how long). However as I reached the last .1 I was running alongside another guy and the competitive juices kicked in as we sprinted for the finish, I edged him out by a yard. There's something really sad about taking great delight in beating a 55 year old to the line! I can only hope that I can still do this fifteen years from now.

I finished in 21:32, a 6:56 pace. It was a new PR for me and the first time I've broken the seven minute barrier in a race. It was also the first time I've placed in my age group since starting to run two years ago (I took third). The last time I won something in a race I was ten years old and it was the "wheelbarrow race" at our elementary school sports day, Paul Calvert and I took first place!

Slowest But Greatest 5K

Today I ran a 5k in about 29:34, it wasn't chip timed so the time isn't exact, it was the slowest I've ever run for a 5k. What made it the greatest 5k I've ever run was that I was running with daughter, it was our first race together and that made it very special.

I told her I'd give her $5 if she finished in under 30 minutes and needless to say her competitive nature had her push to the line and sneak in with about 20 seconds to spare. Way to go kid! Dad's very proud of you.

With about half a mile to go I told her it was decision time, cross the line holding dads hand or lose to him. To my great delight she decided on the hand holding option and we crossed the line together, I held her hand high and the small crowd cheered!

Virginia Run Turkey Trot

Felt like a great race! Virtually no trouble from the bad leg. Cold and damp morning. Finished in 23:29 a 7:34 pace. Where did that place me? Just inside the top 25%, very happy with that.

Lots of church volunteers at the finish, it was wonderful to see so many CPC folks passing out water, bananas, apples and bagels.