The last weeks of summer and the early part of fall are the best time for long distance races. For me, I get the summer to work off the few extra pounds that I inevitably gain back in the winter, and I have a little extra daylight to run longer distance runs, so I am often in better condition.
Since the last update, I have competed in several races, two of which are in the Seacoast Series, which is a lot of fun. The first was Saunders at Rye Harbor, a 10k race named after a place that no longer exists. I had a big training week, and when the race started, I avoided a mistake I frequently make (starting out too fast) by simple exhaustion. Instead, I ran very nearly even splits, right at 6:00 pace for the first 4-5 miles, and I ended up with a solid 37:46, which was 8 seconds off my course PR set 2 years ago. For my efforts, which landed me a second place in my age division, I won a singlet and shorts, a novel, and $25 in cash. Add it to the T-shirt and that was a pretty nice haul for one night!
Nick and I ran a race called the "You and Me" (ME being a play on the state of Maine). This was the first race of its kind that I have seen -- it was a true relay. The first runner races a 5k, then hands a baton to the second runner, who does virtually the same course. The most difficult part of the event was finding the starting line, as my GPS magically disappeared from my vehicle and did not return (oldest son driving now... hmm). We drove around lost for about 45 minutes before my uncle, who lives right near there, saved us by giving us very good directions. Because I didn't have enough time to warm up, we swapped order and Nick ran first, hitting a solid 18:17. I finished up in 18:25, and we placed 3rd in the 40-59 (combined) age division.
The Kennett Challenge marked the start of the cross country season, and the Kennett high school team and the local White Mt. Milers club raced against the Fryeburg Academy XC squad. Usually the milers run away with the team score, but this year we missed Jim Johnson, Kevin Tilton, and Leslie Beckwith (who ran with her young son), and we were defeated by FA. Silas Eastman won the race with a time that tied his own course record (10:07), and our own Tim Livingston, ran a very solid race for second. Tim Even, USM all-star and former FA runner and now coach, backed off a bit at the finish and came in 3rd. Nick was fourth, squeaking past a FA runner at the finish, in a PR of 11:17. I held off a FA runner for 6th (11:41). Alex had a decent run at 13:36, and Melissa was the number three scholastic runner behind Sarah Hernandez (KHS) and one FA runner with 14:16. She counted for the milers, though, because she is only in 7th grade and not on the HS team.
The next race was the Millen Mile, a one mile track race in honor of a great community member, Gary Millen. This was an evening event, and some of the big guns came out to race. Tim Even won the overall race in 4:29, Tim Livingston would have broken the race record with a 4:36, and Kevin Tilton, last years winner, ran the same time as last year for third. I managed a fourth place finish with 5:00.3, a fairly good time for me in a race like this. Steve Piotrow hit 5:14, and Gabe Flanders, after eating French Fries, decided at the last minute to join the field and ran a very strong 5:22. Allan Whitley completed the men's field with a 6:07. The women's field only had three runners, but they were all very strong, led by repeating champion Leslie Beckwith, in 5:44. Meredith Piotrow broke 6:00, and Cathy Livingston managed a 6:06, a very solid race.
The latest Seacoast race was the Fox Point Sunset 5 miler, my favorite race of the year. It's not about the course, the distance, or the level of competition. It's about the FOOD! They have a cookout with burgers and dogs, pizza, cookies, brownies, bagels, etc. It's the best spread of any race I have been to. Having just raced the mile the night before, I was not expecting much. Again, I avoided going out to hard because I simply couldn't go out hard. However, I was quite surprised that I ran 5:51, 6:00, and 6:05 for the first three miles. I was 18:31 at 5k, which made me smile because Nick's X-C time from earlier in the day (on a hilly terrain course) was 18:33. Around the fourth mile, the runner who was in 4th place stopped by the side of the road to throw up. I felt a moment of sympathy before thinking... well, that moves us up a place! I chased a fellow named Tyler Doyle for the last mile (which turned out to be uphill, and explains the solid start) and ended up at 30:28, which was about 30 seconds off my best. That made sense given the way I felt after the night before's full out effort, plus the running around at Alex and Nick's X-C race in the AM. I think at full speed I might have been able to take 3rd place, but I was still happy with 5th. Chris Ritchie took the win, and we all enjoyed a nice cookout (once the nausea from racing full out abated).
Next up in the Seacoast Series is Great Island, and then Great Bay, both 5k's. Meanwhile, I am changing my training to get ready for indoor track, under the guidance of Roger Pierce, a many time American and World Champion Master's runner, who has agreed to coach me. The goal is a fast 400m time; from that, all else will come!
==
Darin
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Nationals and Cigna
I competed in the USATF Master's National Track and Field meet last weekend. My goal was to get to the finals at the 800m, and hopefully acheive All-American status. I had a good race in the 800m trials, and moved up substantially from my seed, running very even splits and hitting 2:11.93, for the 6th fastest time and qualifying me for the finals. At the final, it was 94 degrees and humid, and except for the two guys who won the sections (Landen Summay and Kevin Forde) the rest of the group all ran slower in the finals. I ended up 7th at 2:12.98, and I missed A-A status by 0.93 seconds.
In the 1500m, I was dead legged, and the race was early in the AM after racing the afternoon before. I went out perfectly at 2:25, but then I couldn't hold the pace and fell off, finishing at a rather disappointing 4:42. However, my final race of the meet, the 4x800m relay, was a bright spot. I anchored the Mass Velocity team, and I got the baton in second place in the race, but the racers in front and right behind me both were submaster teams (they had 30 year olds on them) and therefore we were not technically racing them. I gave chase to the leader and ran a quick first lap, but made up no ground on the younger runner and cruised in for a 2:19, locking in the gold medal!
After a couple of days of easy running, Nick and I raced Cigna, the largest 5k race in NH. We planned to run together, and I talked Nick into starting out "easy" around 5:40. We passed the race clock at 1 mile at 5:37 (although my GPS watch clocked the mile at 5:47) and I came through the second mile at 5:50, which was perfect for me. Nick and I finished 18:03 and 18:04, which was my best time for the season. Nick was 3rd in his age division and I was 7th; in a race with 5000 runners, this is a pretty solid accomplishment!
Next up, Fox Point 5 miler, and then X-C season starts.
--
Darin
In the 1500m, I was dead legged, and the race was early in the AM after racing the afternoon before. I went out perfectly at 2:25, but then I couldn't hold the pace and fell off, finishing at a rather disappointing 4:42. However, my final race of the meet, the 4x800m relay, was a bright spot. I anchored the Mass Velocity team, and I got the baton in second place in the race, but the racers in front and right behind me both were submaster teams (they had 30 year olds on them) and therefore we were not technically racing them. I gave chase to the leader and ran a quick first lap, but made up no ground on the younger runner and cruised in for a 2:19, locking in the gold medal!
After a couple of days of easy running, Nick and I raced Cigna, the largest 5k race in NH. We planned to run together, and I talked Nick into starting out "easy" around 5:40. We passed the race clock at 1 mile at 5:37 (although my GPS watch clocked the mile at 5:47) and I came through the second mile at 5:50, which was perfect for me. Nick and I finished 18:03 and 18:04, which was my best time for the season. Nick was 3rd in his age division and I was 7th; in a race with 5000 runners, this is a pretty solid accomplishment!
Next up, Fox Point 5 miler, and then X-C season starts.
--
Darin
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Nationals coming up; achilles battle
After nearly three weeks of backing off training (mostly to heal up the achilles injury from July 4th) I gave another shot at a 5k race today at Lancaster, to make sure the PT has taken and my achilles is up to speed.
Much like Lovell last weekend, I felt terrible right from the start, and my time was a very similar 18:22. The only things I can say that are positive are that I wasn't tired after the race, and I don't have a lot of pain. I took 5th overall, and managed a mug for the age division award.
Nick had a terrible race, finishing slightly behind me after taking off to the lead and then feeling like his arms were made of lead. He still won his age division by over six minutes, and he gets a week off now before X-C season training starts for real.
Melissa ran OK with a 24:17 time and an age division victory (by a few seconds). Her training is "run a few miles every other day" as she is still too young in my opinion to start serious training. She will have plenty of time for that later!
I leave for nationals next week, and hopefully I can make it out of the trials at 800m, but my focus is to just do the best that I can, given the injury which has hampered my last 3 weeks of training. I had high hopes going into the season, but after missing all three of the practice meets due to injury, I have resigned myself to looking forward to next season to set my personal bests.
==
Darin
Much like Lovell last weekend, I felt terrible right from the start, and my time was a very similar 18:22. The only things I can say that are positive are that I wasn't tired after the race, and I don't have a lot of pain. I took 5th overall, and managed a mug for the age division award.
Nick had a terrible race, finishing slightly behind me after taking off to the lead and then feeling like his arms were made of lead. He still won his age division by over six minutes, and he gets a week off now before X-C season training starts for real.
Melissa ran OK with a 24:17 time and an age division victory (by a few seconds). Her training is "run a few miles every other day" as she is still too young in my opinion to start serious training. She will have plenty of time for that later!
I leave for nationals next week, and hopefully I can make it out of the trials at 800m, but my focus is to just do the best that I can, given the injury which has hampered my last 3 weeks of training. I had high hopes going into the season, but after missing all three of the practice meets due to injury, I have resigned myself to looking forward to next season to set my personal bests.
==
Darin
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Races!
After another weak performance at the Tuesday Whitaker Woods races (probably because it was so hot and muggy) Nick, Melissa and I took to the track Thursday for a 200m interval workout. Nick and I hit 29-31 and Melissa was solid in the high 30-low 40 range.
We started July with the MIT track meet, where Nick hit 4:43, I ran 4:44, and Melissa 6:08 for 1500m. Nick jogged the 3k to a victory with 11:18, and Melissa and I ran a very hot and windy 800m in 2:17 and 3:18, respectively. The times for most everyone were poor because of the heat.
July 3rd was my big race of the week; the Manchester Mile. I ran 4:34.8 with Nick closing at the finish at 4:39.9. Sure it was downhill, but those are good times regardless. I thought the finish was slightly more downhill, but it was rather flat, so I didn't have quite enough left for a strong finish. I was hoping to break 4:30, but maybe next year! We both won our respective age divisions, and we were both in the top 10 overall (although not even close to the top 4, 3 of whom ran sub 4!)
We all did Bridgton's Four on the Fourth. Nick and I had dead legs, after the mile race the night before. Nick still pulled off a 23:25; his age division was stacked, with race winner Silas Eastman, and another younster in the top 5 in the mid 22's (which Nick could probably do with a day of rest in between races). Melissa ran a PR 31:34 for 3rd in her division (she got heavily boxed in at the start, but still did well), and Alex ran a PR at 34:04, after 6 weeks of not running. My time was 24:50, but somehow I managed to win my age division anyway. Unfortunately, I may have tweaked my achilles, which started bothering me after a 10.6 mile run over this weekend. That will be inconvenient, as I was hoping to bump up the mileage and do more track work to get ready for Masters Nationals in August; instead I will be babying the injury and trying to maintain fitness.
==
Darin
We started July with the MIT track meet, where Nick hit 4:43, I ran 4:44, and Melissa 6:08 for 1500m. Nick jogged the 3k to a victory with 11:18, and Melissa and I ran a very hot and windy 800m in 2:17 and 3:18, respectively. The times for most everyone were poor because of the heat.
July 3rd was my big race of the week; the Manchester Mile. I ran 4:34.8 with Nick closing at the finish at 4:39.9. Sure it was downhill, but those are good times regardless. I thought the finish was slightly more downhill, but it was rather flat, so I didn't have quite enough left for a strong finish. I was hoping to break 4:30, but maybe next year! We both won our respective age divisions, and we were both in the top 10 overall (although not even close to the top 4, 3 of whom ran sub 4!)
We all did Bridgton's Four on the Fourth. Nick and I had dead legs, after the mile race the night before. Nick still pulled off a 23:25; his age division was stacked, with race winner Silas Eastman, and another younster in the top 5 in the mid 22's (which Nick could probably do with a day of rest in between races). Melissa ran a PR 31:34 for 3rd in her division (she got heavily boxed in at the start, but still did well), and Alex ran a PR at 34:04, after 6 weeks of not running. My time was 24:50, but somehow I managed to win my age division anyway. Unfortunately, I may have tweaked my achilles, which started bothering me after a 10.6 mile run over this weekend. That will be inconvenient, as I was hoping to bump up the mileage and do more track work to get ready for Masters Nationals in August; instead I will be babying the injury and trying to maintain fitness.
==
Darin
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Thursday Track work
We ran into Roger Marcoux, Tim Livingston, and Tim's family tonight on the track, where Nick, Melissa and I ran 12x400 in the searing heat. Nick and I ran 79/78/76/75 for set 1, then 74/73/73/73 for set 2, and for set 3, 69/70/72 and then Nick took off with a 64 while I staggered in for 75. Melissa hit 1:47 for most of them; her target pace was 1:45 but that was a serious challenge running by herself. It was a great workout under the circumstances!!
Fudgesicles and a gallon of lemonade afterwards... let's hope tomorrow is slightly cooler than the 95 degrees we ran in today!
==
Darin
Fudgesicles and a gallon of lemonade afterwards... let's hope tomorrow is slightly cooler than the 95 degrees we ran in today!
==
Darin
Monday, June 18, 2012
Downhill and Uphill
I raced the Hollis fast 5k on Thursday, capturing my age division with a 17:16, a somewhat disappointing time. I was a bit sore from Tuesday's Whitaker Woods effort, which was a very strong one for me at 19:22. My hamstring was bothering me enough to scratch Sunday's Father's day 5k.
Meanwhile, Nick had a fantastic race up Mt. Washington, coming in 83rd overall and 2nd in the 19 and under age division with 1:22:56. Congrats to Kevin Tilton for winning the first NH finisher award, and the hometown crew including Jim Johnson, Paul Kirsch, Marc Ohlson, Nick and Josh Brustin, Rich Laracy, Shauna Ross, Leslie Beckwith, Kevin Callahan, and everyone else I missed!
Next up, Tuesday's Whitaker Woods race series. Hopefully my hamstring cooperates for that.
==
Darin
Meanwhile, Nick had a fantastic race up Mt. Washington, coming in 83rd overall and 2nd in the 19 and under age division with 1:22:56. Congrats to Kevin Tilton for winning the first NH finisher award, and the hometown crew including Jim Johnson, Paul Kirsch, Marc Ohlson, Nick and Josh Brustin, Rich Laracy, Shauna Ross, Leslie Beckwith, Kevin Callahan, and everyone else I missed!
Next up, Tuesday's Whitaker Woods race series. Hopefully my hamstring cooperates for that.
==
Darin
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Good week so far
Saturday Nick and I competed at the Market Square 10k, with Nick setting a 10k PR at 38:10, for 15th overall, and me coming only 21 seconds off my course best, at 37:52, for 13th overall. I hit the top spot for Masters runners, and Nick was 2nd to former MS state XC champion Cameron Barth in the under 19 age division.
Sunday Nick and I did 10.7 around Silver lake, yesterday was an easy 4, and today Nick rocked at the first Whitaker Woods 5k, with a huge course PR of 18:36, taking 4th overall. Jim Johnson, Tim Livingston, and Peter Haine were the leaders tonight, and I managed a strong 19:22 for 5th. Melissa hit a PR for the course at 23:38, as she continues to get stronger. For comparison, when Nick was 12 he was running 22:50 for this course, so Melissa is doing extremely well.
Thursday is Hollis for me, Saturday Mt. Washington for Nick, and Sunday is the Father's Day 5k for me in Portland. Should be a high mileage total week for me as well, and lots of quality runs.
==
Darin
Sunday Nick and I did 10.7 around Silver lake, yesterday was an easy 4, and today Nick rocked at the first Whitaker Woods 5k, with a huge course PR of 18:36, taking 4th overall. Jim Johnson, Tim Livingston, and Peter Haine were the leaders tonight, and I managed a strong 19:22 for 5th. Melissa hit a PR for the course at 23:38, as she continues to get stronger. For comparison, when Nick was 12 he was running 22:50 for this course, so Melissa is doing extremely well.
Thursday is Hollis for me, Saturday Mt. Washington for Nick, and Sunday is the Father's Day 5k for me in Portland. Should be a high mileage total week for me as well, and lots of quality runs.
==
Darin
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