Hot one!

The Iron Horse Half Marathon was one of the hottest I've ever run. Based on the number of runners collapsing near the end I assume most would agree with me. In the morning it was a nice summer day(even though still spring) with temps in the 60's. Soon after the start the thermometer took off and eventually reach the low 80's. I prepared by taking in a ton of water in the morning. Probably 32oz if not more. During the past few weeks I had stepped up my training to improve speed but my distances were longer as well.

A "sweaty mess"

My goal was to maintain a 9:00-9:10 pace for the race. Mile 1 through Mile 4 were basically on plan. Felt good and no issues. At this point in the race we were more exposed to the direct sun which meant the heat was starting to build. I was diligent about taking some water every time I passed an aid station. My iPod died because of salty sweat getting into the unit. This caused me to fiddle and tinker with it to get it going. That was a distraction I didn't need and in hind sight should have left home.

Running became harder as the temps increased but I was still OK. My mind adjusted and came to the realization that there was a need to slow down. Not what I wanted but I had to be smart about this. One of my big fears is passing out and floundering around on the side of a road. Very embarrassing if it would ever happen. OK...so I accepted the fact that my pace would be safer near 10:00/mile. I'm finishing the first loop and I can live with that pace.
As I crossed the line at the end of the first loop I passed Linda Bradley who was taking pictures. She was giving the obligatory encouraging statements....."you're doing good"...."you look OK"....etc. The crowd, which is most dense at this point, was doing the same. Then my body decided to speak up. I suddenly felt like the dinner lobster about to take the dive into the pot of boiling water! Then my intestines said "find a port-o-potty". Ugh. Luckily there was a port-o-potty up ahead. Took care of nature's calling and continued on.
I had officially become a "sweaty mess". But my inside voice started to be positive...."only 5 miles to go"...."more than half way"....."all flat roads". So I plugged along and tried to maintain a decent pace. Then on Terry Plain Road at around mile 9 I saw the first victim, a 50ish year old guy writhing around after the aid station. He was being attended to by the crowd while rolling and moaning. A little farther down the road there was another. It was apparent the heat was getting to people. I pushed on. At mile 11 I saw a boy go down in the distance. Maybe 12 years old and unresponsive. When I ran past a policemen leaned over him to place an ear to his chest. Obviously to hear a heartbeat. That was scary and unnerving. I've seen plenty of runners go down but a young boy being checked for a heartbeat really bothered me. I wasn't thinking about pace or heat or drinking water. It took a while but finally got my head back into the race. Now we could hear multiple ambulance sirens on the streets. Beginning the last mile I was feeling good it was coming to an end. Very disappointed with my performance. I crossed the finish in 2:12 which is one of my worst half marathons and 18 minutes slower than my finish last year. At the finish many runners were dropping. Paramedics, police, and race organizers had to catch people to prevent them from hitting the pavement. Chaos was in full swing. It suddenly hit me that my 2:12 probably was a great time considering the conditions. I was not in bad shape and felt OK. Lee Bradley had finished just ahead of me which is actually strange because he should of finished way ahead of me. In the end I did OK. Training paid off and probably prevented me from slamming the pavement in the extreme heat.

So I chalk that one up as a good race and a good lesson to learn. Train hard, plan well, and drink plenty of fluids. And most significant.....don't sweat pace....just run smart.

Two "Sweaty Messes"- Lee and I at the finish.

Last week I joined Debticonn which is a group of runners trying to run a race in every town in Connecticut. I was at the Burlington Shine On 5k and saw a few guys that seem to be everywhere I am. I asked what they were doing and the history of Debticonn was explained. One requirement when signing up is to record where one has run. My current total is 22 towns. Not a bad start but obviously I have a ton of work to get to all 169 towns.

My recent runs are improving. I am making a conscience attempt to run faster. Technically not "speed" work but I try to do some 9min/mile segments on each outing. There is definitely an improvement in my average pace per run. Yesterday, Memorial Day, I did the loop through the center of Burlington which is 10.5 miles. Lots of hills but a perfect morning for running. Very enjoyable and an average pace of 10:55. Not bad considering the large hills. Today I went around Lake Garda with a distance of 7 miles at a 10:58 pace. I probably shouldn't do 2 "hills" days in a row. This week is good for such a challenge because I'm OK with big mileage early in the week but must taper towards the weekend as the Iron Horse Half Marathon is Sunday. This is always my best times for a half and I hope to have another good finish this year.

Redding Road Race-"A Run For The Cows" Half Marathon

At the finish

The "Run For The Cows Half Marathon" was my 5th half in 2013 and was the best to date. This race is in its second year. Based on a few sources it sounded interesting therefore I signed up. It was well worth the $75 fee as it offered plenty of fun and a good race. It is based on New Pond Farm in Redding Connecticut. A beautiful country setting with white fences, rolling hills, a pond, and of course....cows. The race director, John McCleary, did a wonderful job organizing the race and notifying participants of details. His emails and newsletters were entertaining to read and very informative. Once I arrived on race day the fun continued with music, animals, and a drone! They had a drone/helicopter floating around with a camera taking pictures from about 50' in the air.  Fascinating since there is so much news about drones these days. At the beginning of the race it followed us in the field snapping pictures on the way. One is below.

Picture from the drone.

 Lea Crown was the only person from our "Brickyarders" group also in the race. In fact she is the one who discovered this gem. The race started on the farm wandering through a field and around the pond. Soon we were out on the streets like most races. Throughout the day the traffic was light on the rolling hills. There were plenty of aid stations throughout the day as well as port-o-potties. We passed many beautiful homes along the scenic route. At one point in the race we descended down a dirt road on a huge hill in the woods. Near the end we meandered through a small park before heading back to the farm. In the end we ran through a barn, then a garden under grape trellises, and into the back yard and the finish line. Food at the end was great while we listened to a very rocking band. The band members were young teenagers but you wouldn't know it as the cranked out old rock tunes.

Lea Crown in the barn before the finish.

Heading through the grape trellis.

I finished in 2:07 which is basically my norm these days. If the course was less hilly and I did not take a port-o-pottie break I may have finished under 2 hours. But that didn't matter because I had a great time.
Link to results: Results
I have run many half marathons and this is now one of my favorites. I definitely will return next year to run for the cows once again.

Jack Bristol Lake Waramaug 50K Ultramarathon

Yesterday was a significant milestone because I ran and finished my first ultramarathon. The Jack Bristol Lake Waramaug ultra is a small but great race.

View Larger Map
Lee Bradley, Tracy Vroegingday and others have run this in years past so this year was my turn to jump in. My goal was to finish around 6 hours based on training and known long distance ability. The final time was 6h 25m which is OK by my standards. Official Results here...

Had to get a picture of the Garmin. Don't expect to see "31 miles" too often .

Tracy and Lee used the "run/walk" technique for such a long distance. I considered it and actually did some training runs that way but I just felt the need to run. Therefore I ran the first 15 miles and did a modified run/walk as needed. The distance combined with 100 runners meant we all ran alone. The field gets spread out quickly and rarely is another runner in sight. The technique paid off for Tracy who finished 50 miles in 8h 56m. A PR for her and a fantastic finish by any measure.

Lee encouraging Tracy as she ran past on her 50 mile record.

The food stations are unreal. About every 2.5 miles there is a "buffet" of just about any foods a runner needs. Chips, cookies, pretzels, deviled eggs, M&Ms, nuts, whole grain breads, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese, burritos on the grill, chicken soup, etc, etc. I have to snap a picture at one of the stations.

One aid station. Notice the grill in the upper left corner. They had everything.

The weather was perfect as well as the scenery. The three laps around the lake are not boring at all because of the surrounding beauty and great homes.

Completing this race is a very big personal accomplishment. Doesn't mean much in the world but it means a lot to me since 5 years ago I was in bad physical condition. Running has become more than a physical health need and has become a way to relax and enjoy life.

Enjoying my first "ultra".

Heading towards the finish.

Weekend of Significant Runs

A great running weekend because both days had a significant run. Saturday was the Bristol Shamrock 2 mile run. Not a big race but it resulted in a PR for me. I finished in 15:53 which was more than a minute faster than any other 2 mile race in the past. In 2011 my time for this very race was 17:00. I was very happy to say the least. Did well in my age group as well coming in 13 of 42.
The photos from that race below. One thing about most running photos is they are boring. Usually the same pose in almost the same outfits. Just a different city.

Me, Lee, Brent, and Tracy(usual group) pre-race.

About to achieve a PR for a 2 mile race.

Sunday was a much greater challenge. That was the Asta Memorial 19.8 mile race for the Hartford Track Club. It is basically a training run for those heading to the Boston Marathon. We decided to add miles because of the upcoming ultra-marathon. I needed a 24 mile run at this point in my training so Asta offered the opportunity. Great weather today with temps near 4of and clear blue skies. I did the run/walk technique once again. The 24 miles took 4:37 with an average pace of 11:15. Not too shabby. I need to maintain this pace for the ultra on April 21st. If I can my finish time will be under 6 hours. As I write this, 7 hours after the finish, I feel like I ran a full marathon but this time my ankles are sore. Very strange.




This run today convinced me I will be able to finish the Jack Bristol Lake Waramaug 50K easily...well maybe not "easily". But I'll finish.

New Bedford Half Marathon

Today I ran the New bedford Half Marathon for the second time with a much better result than 2011. I finished in 1:58:37 which is 2 minutes faster than the first time. I felt good the entire way even though I had a slight cold. In 2011 New Bedford was my first official long race and I had no idea how to prepare. Today I used a new plan that apparently works therefore I will adopt it on all long races.

1. I did a two day carb load with pasta both nights.
2. Took a day off before the race.
3. Get plenty of sleep the night before which is at least 6 hours for me.
4. Morning meal---2-3 Coffees, Bagel with a little cream cheese or peanut butter and banana 3 hours before the race. I drank 16oz of a UCAN mix 90 minutes before and a clif bar just before the race. Also had 12 oz of water within 2 hours of the start.
5. I made sure not to drink too much water during the race to avoid pit stops. 
6. I had one gel at 7 miles.

Throughout the race my focus was to work on each individual mile. Checking my pace with a goal of keeping it under 9min/mile through 9 miles. The next 4 miles I continued to focus on the same pace but I knew drifting a bit higher would keep me below a 2 hour time finish. It worked.

Sri Bodkhe and me before the race.

Most of the runners lined up in New Bedford.

Over all a good race for me and my fastest 13.1 miles since the fall. It was encouraging to know that my speed work was paying off. I must continue it to get to sub 1:50 times.

Mike, Denise, and Molly also ran. Mike and Molly came in at 1:30 and 1:42 with Denise posting her first official half at 2:21. About 4,000 runners lined up at the start. Weather was about 35f and crowds supportive as usual. I must try to make it back next year as it is one of the better races in New England.

Colchester Half Marathon

The Colchester Half Marathon was my second half marathon of 2013 was a better result than the Walt Disney Half in January. Considering the hills in this race it is a good time with a finish time of 2:07:30 and pace of 9:45. The weather was tentative as snow/ice/rain was predicted. It held off for most of the race. I had never entered this in the past so I didn't know what to expect. Rick Konon is the organizer from the HTC and as claimed he did a great job. Everything from parking to post race food was well done. The course was great. Many challenging hills but the entire course was on country roads and some of it was on dirt roads. Even ran between two herds of cows. I had planned better for this race. Took the day before off and followed a proper "carb load" diet. In the morning I made sure my breakfast was appropriate with just cereal and a banana.

Rick Konon-Race Director updating the runners

I maintained a 9:00-9:15 pace for many of the miles but appropriately slowed to 11+ on the bigger hills. I never walked on any of them. Lee, Tracy, Lea, and Sri all did well.

The post race food spread was impressive as advertised. Pizzas, pasta, lasagna, chilis, etc were plentiful and quick for the roughly 500 people. I enjoyed this one and will definitely be back next year.

Training run

Today I was able to get in a 16 mile training run. It was a snowy and at times windy which made it a little challenging. The streets were not always plowed or cleared. One part of my new course included an unplowed road through the state forest. It was actually pleasent to run because of gently falling snow and the quiet surroundings. I had to get a picture which is below.

Peace and quiet on Stone Road in Burlington

The run had many large hills on the course. This slowed my overall pace but I ran each and every one of them. The body was barely running on some but I didn't give up. I've included the Garmin link of my run. If you click and go to the site there is an elevation map of the run. Note the big hills.


Good solid run but as I write this 10 hours later my ankles and lower legs are killing me. As usual after a long run I can barely keep my eyes open. Next week I will be running the Colchester Half Marathon so it will be a light week of training.

Snow...and lots of it.

In the past week we have had two snowstorms. One, Nemo, was the biggest we've ever seen with 28" on the ground. Apparently it was a true blizzard which is why it was tagged with a second name, Charlotte. The storm was Friday and Saturday morning. We never lost power but when we woke on Saturday morning it was apparent we were trapped in our house. The doors were blocked with 3-4 foot drifts and the street was not plowed all night. The depth prevented any car traffic. Walking was difficult as well. So we spent Saturday digging out. In the pictures below one thing to notice is the snow depth was higher than my snowblower. I just tunneled through.

Front door after the storm

Nice imprint of the garage door.

Note the snow is higher than the blower.

Sun room door.

Kate and Aiden in the street. 

The plow arrived at 4:30.

. Our town plows kept getting stuck and needed to be pulled out by other plows which caused the slow street clearing. A plow finally came up around 4:00pm on Saturday. They cut a path but the streets were still bad. In Bristol and other towns they waited days for some streets to be cleared.

One benefit for Aiden was the extreme snow depth allowed me to construct a great slide path for his snow tube. He is really enjoying that.

Aiden enjoying his slide path.

The second storm was just 3" and not an issue compared to the blizzard. We are having a good winter with plenty of snow. So much for "climate change".

Jack Bristol Lake Waramaug 50K Ultramarathon

It's official. I registered for the Lake Waramaug 50K Ultramarathon in April. Three plus loops around Lake Waramaug for a total of 31 miles. It will be my longest race yet and longest run of any kind. In 2012 I ran 1 1/2 loops with Lee so I have experienced the run before. Its a beautiful lake with great support from the race volunteers. I'm doing it just to experience the event as well as reach a new achievement in my hobby of running. Based on my abilities and recent runs I am targeting a 6 hour time for the ultra. That is an 11:35/mile pace. A very doable time for me. Regardless of what happens that day I will finish the race. Google map below shows the course.

View Larger Map

Today I ran 10 miles with the Brickyarders. That brings my weekly total to 33 miles....light by my recent running record. I will do a few long Saturday runs in preparation for the Ultra. Probably 22-24 miles. Now I must plan the training.