Nick won the mile at the Middle School State Meet in a dramatic fashion. After two laps of very slow paced tactical maneuvering (82/78), Nick's rival, Marc, took the lead and picked up the pace (75). With 400m to go, Nick put on a surge and gapped Marc, and ran a 67 final lap to win 5:02 to 5:04. Marc ran a 2:16 (71/65) to win the 800m, where Nick took second at 2:21. Nick had really wanted to break 5:00 for the mile, but he realized he needed to race tactically to have the best chance to win.
Melissa came from 7th place in the last lap of the mile to finish 4th, almost catching the 3rd place runner, in a time of 6:23. The leader ran an amazing 5:37, and was 50 meters in front. Melissa came back in the 800m with a PR time of 2:56, 3rd in the section, and probably 7th overall.
My best training day was a 10 miler that was supposed to be a 10 mile steady state, but I ran out of gas at 8 miles and jogged the rest. I am hoping to continue to pick up the mileage going into the summer racing season. If I can get to 50 miles a week to develop a better base, with a race each weekend for speed training, I should get back to my best level of fitness, which is the only true goal any runner can have!!
==
Darin
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Solid results
Melissa, Nick and I competed in the Mother's Day 5k on Sunday. Nick took 16th overall with a PR 17:34 (winning his age division). I managed a season best 18:14 (2nd in age group) and Melissa cramped up but still finished with a respectable 22:37 for 2nd in her age division, and her second best time.
On the track, Nick set a PR with a 5:02.9 mile, running 75/79/77/71 completely by himself. His primary competition for the state meet skipped the mile and ran the 800m, which was too bad, because this youngster ran 4:56 recently and Nick was hoping to get under 5:00. Nick came back in the 400m and set a season best 62.7, and then 10 minutes later ran a 2:28, taking 2nd to the Interlakes youth who ran low 2:20's.
Melissa cramped up in the last 2 laps of the mile and fell off pace, but still managed a 6:23, which ties her season best. She broke 3:00 (barely) in the 800m for a PR at 2:59.9, and then ran the next event, the 200m, at 33.2 for her first race ever at that distance. She wanted to go back and try the next heat of the 200 as well; I guess she is ready to start interval training on the track!
State meets are next for the kids, and Red Hook 5k for me.
===
Darin
On the track, Nick set a PR with a 5:02.9 mile, running 75/79/77/71 completely by himself. His primary competition for the state meet skipped the mile and ran the 800m, which was too bad, because this youngster ran 4:56 recently and Nick was hoping to get under 5:00. Nick came back in the 400m and set a season best 62.7, and then 10 minutes later ran a 2:28, taking 2nd to the Interlakes youth who ran low 2:20's.
Melissa cramped up in the last 2 laps of the mile and fell off pace, but still managed a 6:23, which ties her season best. She broke 3:00 (barely) in the 800m for a PR at 2:59.9, and then ran the next event, the 200m, at 33.2 for her first race ever at that distance. She wanted to go back and try the next heat of the 200 as well; I guess she is ready to start interval training on the track!
State meets are next for the kids, and Red Hook 5k for me.
===
Darin
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Catching up
Time to catch up; I have missed a couple of months of posting. The short story is my indoor season ended badly at nationals with disappointing races in the 3000m and the 800m, and I was feeling so bad that I scratched out of the mile (a good decision). Although I hit the All-American standard at the 3000m, my time was 20 seconds off my PR earlier in the season. If I had raced the 800m like I had before I tore my calf, I would have been in position to win, and I would have certainly medalled, but I ended up in 7th.
Since then, I have been simply trying to maintain fitness, and get Nick to break 5:00 in the mile. I have a couple of 18:30's for 5k this year (including a top Master's finish at the Children's Museum 5k last weekend), but I am nowhere near where I should be. I need to pick up the mileage -- hopefully I can get out with Jim and Kevin once the kids' track season winds down and I have more time!
Nick has been progessing nicely. His mile PR of 5:07 could get tested on Wednesday, the last meet before states. Melissa won her first track race (mile) a few weeks back with a solid 6:35, and last week set a PR at 6:23. Both Nick and Melissa won the respective races (Nick overall, Melissa the top female finisher) at the small Spring into Spring 5k last weekend (18:05 and 22:14, respectively). They both hope to PR for 5k tomorrow -- all three of us will compete in the Mother's Day 5k.
----
Darin
Since then, I have been simply trying to maintain fitness, and get Nick to break 5:00 in the mile. I have a couple of 18:30's for 5k this year (including a top Master's finish at the Children's Museum 5k last weekend), but I am nowhere near where I should be. I need to pick up the mileage -- hopefully I can get out with Jim and Kevin once the kids' track season winds down and I have more time!
Nick has been progessing nicely. His mile PR of 5:07 could get tested on Wednesday, the last meet before states. Melissa won her first track race (mile) a few weeks back with a solid 6:35, and last week set a PR at 6:23. Both Nick and Melissa won the respective races (Nick overall, Melissa the top female finisher) at the small Spring into Spring 5k last weekend (18:05 and 22:14, respectively). They both hope to PR for 5k tomorrow -- all three of us will compete in the Mother's Day 5k.
----
Darin
Sunday, January 1, 2012
All American!
After 30+ years of competitive racing, I finally acheived the milestone of "All-American" status. I raced the 3k at Boston University's "mini meet" and managed a PR time of 9:56.93, which was under the 10:00 age division standard for AA. I had Brendan Dagan helping me out with splits, which was very useful, because I drifted off pace after the first 800m. I went through the mile in 5:21 (slightly better than last week's 5:22, but off the 10:00 pace), but came back the last 800m in 2:34, passing many of the other runners in the race (I had been hanging out in last place!) in the process, and taking 5th overall in the heat.
Nick had a great race in the mile, hitting a PR 5:11.13. He is looking to break 5:00 this season, which, given that performance, is a likelihood.
Happy New Year and hopefully this will be a good year of racing!
===
Darin
Nick had a great race in the mile, hitting a PR 5:11.13. He is looking to break 5:00 this season, which, given that performance, is a likelihood.
Happy New Year and hopefully this will be a good year of racing!
===
Darin
Sunday, December 25, 2011
First try at 3000m
Nick and I went to Boston Saturday to run in the BU Mini meet. Nick is changing gears after a long X-C season, in which he won the NH State Championships, and competed in the USATF Junior Olympics, placing 175th in the National meet (getting caught up in a clog of fallen runners near the start).
I have not run a serious race since January's injury, and this was a true test, racing 3000m on the track. I prepared by staying up all night (OK, so I planned on NOT racing so deliberately scheduled myself to work) and we left at 6:30AM for the 9AM start time. They postponed the start until 10am, so we were very, um, early.
After plenty of warmup, I took off at the back of the section (I was the last seed anyway) and hung there for the first mile (5:22). I passed one person shortly after, and basically just tried to hang onto the pack (we were all seeded very close, within a 15 second window). This worked well for me, and in the last 400m I tried to pick it up, passing one more person and hitting what seemed like negative splits, but turned out to be pretty much another 5:22 pace split. The time counts as a PR since I have never raced it before, and under the circumstances I was very happy. I came back to run the mile with Nick, seeded at 5:10, and ran a 5:12.
Nick ran 2:35 for the first 800m, and I passed him there and tried to drag him along to a 5:10 or so finish, but he started breathing in the track dust and was unable to come back in the last 800m, instead hitting 5:20. This is technically his mile PR, but he ran that as a split in a 2.1 mile race, so obviously he can go faster. His goal is sub-5 by the state meet, and of course a victory there would be nice too.
I am planning on taking a little time to recover but racing again in 2 weeks, probably another 3000m, rather than trying to test the calf and hamstring too much with speed. Hopefully I can log a strong mile at one of the later races this season as well.
====
Darin
I have not run a serious race since January's injury, and this was a true test, racing 3000m on the track. I prepared by staying up all night (OK, so I planned on NOT racing so deliberately scheduled myself to work) and we left at 6:30AM for the 9AM start time. They postponed the start until 10am, so we were very, um, early.
After plenty of warmup, I took off at the back of the section (I was the last seed anyway) and hung there for the first mile (5:22). I passed one person shortly after, and basically just tried to hang onto the pack (we were all seeded very close, within a 15 second window). This worked well for me, and in the last 400m I tried to pick it up, passing one more person and hitting what seemed like negative splits, but turned out to be pretty much another 5:22 pace split. The time counts as a PR since I have never raced it before, and under the circumstances I was very happy. I came back to run the mile with Nick, seeded at 5:10, and ran a 5:12.
Nick ran 2:35 for the first 800m, and I passed him there and tried to drag him along to a 5:10 or so finish, but he started breathing in the track dust and was unable to come back in the last 800m, instead hitting 5:20. This is technically his mile PR, but he ran that as a split in a 2.1 mile race, so obviously he can go faster. His goal is sub-5 by the state meet, and of course a victory there would be nice too.
I am planning on taking a little time to recover but racing again in 2 weeks, probably another 3000m, rather than trying to test the calf and hamstring too much with speed. Hopefully I can log a strong mile at one of the later races this season as well.
====
Darin
Monday, October 24, 2011
Training
I did 4x 800m at 2:28-2:31 today on the track with Peter Haine and the Kennett X-C team, who have the Division meet this weekend. Yesterday I did 10 miles in the woods with Frank Holmes, who is planning on joining me for the Key West Half Marathon again this year. That event is a great excuse to eat ice cream in the middle of winter. Most body parts seem to be holding together for a change!
The White Mountain Milers half marathon is this weekend; I think I would have rather race the 5k on Saturday but that conflicts with the team's XC meet, and Nick wants to run the half again this year and see what he can do, so I will give the half a shot.
--
Darin
The White Mountain Milers half marathon is this weekend; I think I would have rather race the 5k on Saturday but that conflicts with the team's XC meet, and Nick wants to run the half again this year and see what he can do, so I will give the half a shot.
--
Darin
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Proud Dad
Nick won the NH X-C Middle School State Meet today with a blistering 11:46 for 2.1 miles. He was around 5:30 for the first mile, behind the Tri-County champion who was looking very strong. However, Carlos tried a couple of surges to break Nick which appeared to backfire, and Nick kicked in the last 300 meters to the cries of "look at that kid go" in the audience around the finish line. A youngster from Oyster River came in strong for second. Justin Carbone took the Large School race in 11:52 (Nick's Granite State Flash Teammate).
Melissa ended up a bit disappointed with her finish (17th place?) at 15:34. She wasn't feeling great and this was only her third ever middle school race (she was 7th at Plymouth and 11th at Belmont earlier this year). She has two more years to move up...
Darin
Melissa ended up a bit disappointed with her finish (17th place?) at 15:34. She wasn't feeling great and this was only her third ever middle school race (she was 7th at Plymouth and 11th at Belmont earlier this year). She has two more years to move up...
Darin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)