Hot Chocolate 15K Atlanta 2016 Race Recap

After looking forward to the Hot Chocolate 15K for several weeks I spent a good 48 hours wondering if it was even going to happen.  I knew the weather here in North Carolina was going to be bad but the ice and snow forecast made its way down to Atlanta as well.  Eventually Saturday rolled around and the directors sent notification that the race was still on.  They did implement their 'cold weather plan' which basically diverted 15K runners with a pace slower than 13 min/mile to the 5K to limit their exposure to the cold and they suspended the outdoor kid activities.  

Overall I was very impressed with how the race directors handled the numerous questions, comments, and whiney runners for the 48 hours prior to the race.  And I reserve the whiney term for the very few runners that were posing questions such as, "will you cancel the race if the temperature drops below 32 degrees" and my personal favorite, "will you be mailing finisher medals even if the race is cancelled, because I would like to have mine."  They did an excellent job of providing regular updates regarding the status of the expo hours, packet pickup, and notification that the race would go on as scheduled with the exception of the cold weather plan.

I booked a room at the Westin downtown which was a few blocks from the shuttle pickup. We checked in on Saturday night which just happened to coincide with a national Omega Psi Phi (aka Que Dogs) convention that culminated with a 6th floor hotel party.  This little soirée kicked off at 10:00 pm and formally ended at 3:00 am Sunday morning but the after parties went on until at least 5:00 am when I finally crawled out of bed.  After an impromptu room change at 11:00 pm to move away from the elevator and what seemed to be the pre-party staging area I finally got a block of sleep from about 1:30 to 4:00.  Of course that abruptly ended to the tune of some chick singing in the hallway about her milkshake bringing all of the boys to the yard.  I never sleep well before races anyway but that wasn't exactly what I expected to keep me awake...

The Hot Chocolate race series bills itself as America's sweetest race and they live up to the billing.  The race swag is really nice with a full zip up fleece, very nice finisher medals, and a plastic finisher mug filled with chocolate fondue, hot chocolate, pretzels, and some other stuff my kids polished off.  The race was broken down into 2 waves and approximately 8 corrals in each from A-H in wave 1 and I-P in wave 2...or something like that.  The 5K and 15K runners are co-mingled and corralled by pace submitted with registration.  In total there were about 15,000 runners with roughly 9,400 running the 5K and 5,200 running the 15K and I would say at least 60 - 70% of the runners were female.  If I didn't know better I would think there was a connection between women and chocolate.

I ate my customary pre-race bagel and drank a Diet Pepsi before making my way to the shuttles shortly after 6:00 am.  The temperature was about 25 but with the breeze it felt closer to 15 so it was pretty uncomfortable to say the least.  I prepaid to ride the shuttle roundtrip which was $3 well spent and was dropped off a few blocks from the start.  Wave 1 didn't start until 7:40 so I was hoping to find a little shelter but the best I could do was to hunker down under the apparel tent to kill some time.  The DJ was already setup and there were a few women getting their Zumba on but that seemed like a pretty horrible idea so I passed.  Finally around 7:00 I decided it was time to start acting like a runner so I ditched the warm up pants and fleece, checked my bag, and started to get loose.

I was in corral A so I made my way up front a few rows back.  My plan was to mentally break this into 3 separate 5K's and run a controlled first 5K , the second one assertively, and the last one hard.  That was actually Coach Caleb's plan but it made sense and all I had to do was execute...easy enough, right?  I mentioned that I had A and B goals in my pre-race post which were 60 minutes (A) and 62 minutes (B).  I knew running sub 60 (as in 59:59) was a stretch and would likely require perfect conditions and a flat course.  After reviewing the elevation profile and speaking with folks that had run the 5K and 15K I knew this probably wasn't the course for me to run 60 minutes but I still felt like I could come in under 62 minutes even on a chilly morning.

The course is definitely challenging but I wouldn't say it's notoriously difficult.  Atlanta is very similar to the North Carolina piedmont where I do most of my running so it's really just a continuous series of rolling hills with some ups and downs steeper than others.  Based on my 3 separate 5K strategy, in hindsight I would consider the first 5K moderate, the second 5K easy, and the third 5K difficult....maybe even very difficult.  The race starts off downhill followed by a steady uphill, and from there the course just rolls.  I hit the 5K split at 20:23 with splits of 6.37 / 6.34 / 6.23 which is exactly where I wanted to be.  The next 5K is still rolling bit but there are more downs than ups and that combined with just a general loosening up and my body adjusting to the temperature my splits were 6.11 / 6.13 / 6.18 so when I hit the 10K split I was at 39:58 but I knew the hard part was ahead. 

The final 5K includes a nasty stretch from about the 7.5 mile mark to around 8.5 miles.  There's really no reprieve and it doesn't roll, it's just a steady one mile climb late in the race with enough of an incline to suck more than your typical one mile hill that just shows up late in a race.  My splits for miles 7-9 were 6.30 / 6.44 / 6.17 and 5.55 for the last 0.3 thanks to the overall female winner carrying me.  Fortunately once you crest the hill it levels off before the downhill finish over the last half mile or so.  I was able to finish strong but just lost too much time during the climb and missed my A goal with a time of 1:00:26.  Considering my A goals are generally based on the highly unlikely but possible if the stars align premise I was very satisfied with my run.

My time was good enough for 12th overall and 1st place in the 40-44 category.  Even though this race doesn't recognize a masters category I would have been the top masters runner as well.  It looks like I might have gotten a bit lucky with who decided to run this year because last year that time would have only been good enough for 4th place in the 40-44 category. 

I can't objectively comment on the expo or the post race experience.  I made it to the expo 20 minutes before closing then was in and out in a flash.  After the race I shook a few hands, picked up my finisher mug, went to bag check, got dressed, and was on a shuttle headed back to the hotel within 20 minutes of crossing the finish line.  That just speaks to the efficiency and overall organization of the race and my desire to take a hot shower and go back to bed.

It was really nice to get back into the spirit of racing again and I really appreciate the kind words from friends and family before and after the race, especially the one my wife sent immediately after I finished.  It simply said, "I'm so proud of you" which was her way of acknowledging the effort without respect to the time. 

If you're looking for a race that offers all of the bells and whistles the Hot Chocolate series is definitely one you should consider.  The cities are certainly destination worthy and they seem to have the logistics down to a science.  The swag is great and as I understand it the race photos and videos are free once available.  Real time tracking is available and age group awards run 3 deep but only the top 3 overall awards are handed out on race day.  Age group awards are mailed 6-8 weeks later.

 

Ultimately I wanted to finish strong and get through this unscathed and aside from a little race belt rash I'm good to go!  Apparently my numb back didn't feel the plastic buckle rubbing my back for an hour which had me screaming in the shower like a nine year old girl.  Now I'm just looking forward to an easy week of running and then back to the grind before running the Tobacco Road half in March.  And considering there are only 100 spots left I guess I better sign up! 

 

 

Getting back on the horse...

It's probably no secret to anyone that knows me personally that last year was challenging to say the least.  I ran when I shouldn't have, let me pride interfere with my common sense, and stubbornly refused to acknowledge that I'm not in my 20's anymore....or 30's for that matter.

While I selfishly spent most of last year consumed with what was wrong so many things were going right that have me in a much better place today.  I spent more time running with friends, racing along side my kids, and following my running friends and their continued improvement.  I ran less, and slower, and became increasingly interested in the training habits of older and successful runners.  Fortunately I didn't have to look too far with the likes of Bill Johncock and Robert Murray practically in my backyard.  Unlike myself, these guys were big time runners with elite PR's in their prime and even in their 50's they continue to defy father time.  Even though I could probably count my conversations with them on both hands their insight and wisdom in passing still remains fresh in my mind. 

In the early summer of last year I started working with Caleb Masland and Team Wicked Bonkproof in an effort to return to form.  In a sense this was my way of acknowledging that while my training philosophy had helped me quickly achieve some success it simply wasn't sustainable.  It also provided a level of accountability that I knew I needed but somehow always managed to avoid.  I wanted to understand how to become a better runner and the science behind the plan.  And once I finally realized and accepted the fact that fast doesn't always equal better then things started to fall into place.

If left to my own devices I would have continued to push my daily runs chasing workouts that I was running 2 years ago.  I would have run too fast, too often, too soon, and most likely I would still be hobbling around today.  Instead Caleb gradually increased my weekly mileage focusing on a slow but steady build and gradually mixing in some quality speed work during the week.  My plan basically consists of 5 days per week with a long run on Saturday and speed work on Wednesday with each followed by a slow recovery run.  The 5th workout is generally a steady run by feel and typically my weekly mileage ends up in the mid to upper 40's with the focus being a half marathon in March.

Not too long ago I would look back and my workouts from when I was at my peak fitness and it was a sobering look at how far I was from where I wanted to be.  Now I look back and realize just how far I've come and how much I didn't know.  It's very safe to say that I'm still not as fast as I was 12-18 months ago but not until yesterday did it hit me that I used to approach every training run as a competition with the prior run.  I typically ran 1 of 3 routes and practically every run turned into a tempo run.  There was hardly ever a slow run or recovery run and there were never intervals or miles run at 5K, 10K, or HMP.  It was literally tempo run after tempo run unless I got a wild hair to run 12 or more which was entirely based on how I was feeling and how much time I had to put in a longer run.   

This Sunday I'm on my way to Atlanta to run the Hot Chocolate 15K which I'm approaching as my first real 'race' in over a year.  I'm anxious, nervous, and excited with no expectations other than to run smart and finish strong.  With it being a 15K a PR is a certainty....but only because I've never raced that distance before :)  The course doesn't appear to be a fast one based on the elevation profile but I'm fairly certain that all of us will be running the same hills.  I've put in the miles, been consistent with my long runs, run fast when it was time to run fast, and recovered when it was time to recover. 

Of course I have my standard 'A' goal and 'B' goal in place.  For me that basically equates to a target that's very unlikely and one that should be hard to screw up....but I have surprised myself on both counts before.  The past year has given me a greater appreciation for the physical ability that I was blessed with and the motivation and determination to make the most of it while I can.  Hopefully when I recap this event I'll do so with the same appreciation that I have today.  Of course if I miss that 'B' goal all bets are off........I'm kidding (sort of :)  Either way I'll be at the starting line healthy and prepared to run my race, against me, knowing that I might not be faster but I will be better.

Until the finish... 

2015 Blue Ridge Relay: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

 

For the third consecutive year Hey Jack! took to the backroads of the Virginia and North Carolina mountains for the 11th running of the Blue Ridge Relay.  LT was again flawless in serving as captain, cheerleader, spiritual advisor, spreadsheet planner, book assembler, and information distributor. 

After a series of mid-summer email banter to make sure everyone from last year was on board we were all set.  And on board should not be confused with in shape - just willing and able to shell out a couple hundred bucks to spend the better part of two days in a rancid van eating cookies and power bars, running hill after hill, not getting any sleep, and understanding that the next day would be not be pleasant.  Having 11 hard commits plus Huegerich meant it was time to determine the running order and project our pace.  This involves a highly non-analytical exercise that is completely baseless and is generally met with a great deal of resistance.  But hey - it made LT and I feel like we did something worthwhile...

Once the master plan was unofficially hatched it was time to make it official so we all got together for the 'unveiling' of the legs and van assignments.  Hank earned a mountain goat leg by taunting me all the up The Bear earlier this summer and John Mills got the other because he seems to actually enjoy running up hill.  Ben Duke got the honor of having the highest mileage including the 10.5 climb up Grandfather as his reward for torching the Palmetto Relay.  The rest of us tried to run routes we hadn't run before and spread the love just to keep things interesting.  Van 1 included Andy Burchfield, Eric Meredith, Ben Duke, Joe Haines, LT, and Huegerich while van 2 included me, Hank Eimer, Michael Banks, John Mills, Luke Stafford, and Knox Tate. 

The 12:00 start time was our latest to date with the blazing fast Asheville Running Collective and Charlotte Running Club being the only teams starting behind us and going off at 1:30.  We rolled out of Hickory shortly before 9:00 am and as always headed up the mountain feeling really good about ourselves.  Then, as usual, we pulled in the parking lot for that painful reminder that everyone starting this late is really fast.  Yes, seemingly every one of them weighed a buck-forty with 3 inch slits and shaved Kenyan calves.  That's exactly the shot of confidence we needed before the start. 

As we roamed the parking lot we noticed a silver haired gentleman that we were certain we could outrun.  That just happened to be UNC head coach Roy Williams who was there as the dedicated driver for his son's relay team.  He was very approachable and a super nice guy so managed to get a few pictures with him, wished the team well and then headed back to the start. 




Andy Burchfield made the trip down from the DC area for the second year in a row which represents a whole new level of crazy.  And because of his unwavering commitment we were kind enough to saddle him as our first runner.  The guy that gets the easy 4 miles downhill but has to lineup against 10 other guys running for 10 faster teams with 50 vans full of runners watching.  He handled it like a champ though and more than held his own.

I was in 2nd van and running 8th which meant two things; I was having subway for lunch and I was not having Chipotle for dinner.  Plus collectively our van had about 15 fewer miles than van 1 which they caught on to fairly early on.  We headed to West Jefferson to the transition area but not before Knox ducked into a Dollar Tree and came out with balloons, Christmas lights, and some other neon paraphernalia to decorate the van.   Now that the essentials were out of the way we waited our turn to break that first sweat.

Mark came barreling down the mountain as the 6th runner and handed to Hank for a short 2.5 miles so finally our van was officially part of the action.  We were a little behind schedule but that was expected since the 2nd leg of the race was rerouted because of a fallen tree.  Eric might not have appreciated the extra 2 miles but it didn't seem to affect the rest of us and he didn't complain too much.  My first leg was a short one, roughly 5K with a climb from mile 1.5 to 2.5 which feels a lot like Joe described it....like running into a brick wall.  The elevation profile and my splits for Leg 8 are to the right.  John, Luke, Knox and Michael all hammered through their runs to finish our first full rotation which ended with an impromptu birthday party for John complete with the Ms. America sash and cupcakes.



Early on it was pretty clear that we weren't beating last years time - especially not with the detour on leg 2 even though it was relatively slight.  Last year nearly all of us were either in the middle of a training cycle or just wrapping one up and personally I was just in better shape and healthier last year.  I was coming off a great summer of base building after making a mess of the spring so I was very optimistic until about a week before the race.  After running the HCA 5K two weeks prior to the BRR I was scheduled for 14 miles the next day.  I've been working with Caleb Masland and team WBP since June and his comments regarding the Sunday long run after the 5K specifically said "KEEP IT SLOW".  But in my infinite wisdom I decided a long run on those 5K legs that included some hill work would serve as the perfect BRR training.  And I thought if I maintained a moderate pace in the 7:30's it would be a great confidence builder.  Just for the record, I'm much better at giving advice than following it.  Eventually I started compensating for some quad soreness which resulted in some lower back pain that led to butt pain which put me on the shelf for a while.  But I wasn't about to miss this - I mean I had two doctors running with me plus a bucket of ice and a bottle of Ibuprofen so what could possibly go wrong?!  

Getting that first rotation out of the way was a relief.  For one it's lonely out there running in the middle of nowhere when well over 100 teams have an hour or more of a head start.  It really doesn't get fun until later in the night when we start getting in the thick of it and mixing it up with the other teams.  Plus it's always nice to spend a little time catching up with our Hickory running buddies from F3 and the Hickory Knuts at the transition zones.  Knocking out that first run in van 2 also means it's time to hit up the Chick-Fil-A in Boone.  I've eaten a whole lot of CFA sandwiches in my days but something about that BRR sandwich is just on a whole other level.

We decided to try to catch a few winks at the 2nd transition zone and found a good spot under a tree, right next to high grass just perfect for snakes.  It wasn't quite 10:00pm so we had a good 2-3 hours to rest and I was wrapped up like a cocoon hiding from natures nocturnal fleet of everything I don't like about camping.  For me sleeping during the BRR consists of 30 minutes spent barricading myself in a sleeping bag, an hour and a half of listening to runners yelling, porta-potty doors slamming, and vans driving by before getting 30 or 45 minutes of something comparable to sleep.  We set the alarm on our iPhones as if there's a real chance that all 6 of us fall into such a deep slumber that we just sleep right through the exchange.  This time we didn't have to rely on our iPhones or our internal clock though.  Apparently Banks was stirred by a set of headlights on high beam and promptly woke the rest of us as he yelled, "why don't you turn your effing head lights off."  Oddly enough, they did - and just like that we were on the clock again.

Hank made quick work of 4.4 miles and I was up for a 'very hard' 7.4 miles which was basically a 5 mile roller coaster followed by a 2 mile uphill kick in the nuts then a screaming 0.5 downhill to the finish.  The only saving grace was that we had finally caught up to several teams so the night running was made easier by focusing on the guy (or girl) in front of you and trying to catch up with them.  Otherwise I found myself envisioning various scenarios resembling scenes from Deliverance which lead to those night terror runs and that's just no good for anybody.  I was warned not to miss the right turn so I made a note of the street sign just in case some backwoods idiot decided it would be funny to move the sign.  And that's happened on more than one occasion so it's good to know your route especially at night.  Once I had a few runners in site I was finally poised for my first kills of the relay and looking forward to getting this leg over with.

I approached what I thought was the turn sign but the runners in front of me both went straight.  It's rare for a sign to point straight ahead but all I could hear was a little voice saying, "don't miss the right turn" so I turned right and hoped for the best.  I ran uphill for what seemed like an eternity on a country road flanked by trees on both sides before another team van finally passed by on the way to the next leg.  Finally I had some confirmation that I wasn't running aimlessly at 2:00am but the other two runners presumably were and I felt pretty bad about it.  In my defense though, I wasn't totally confident in my decision and they were several hundred yards in front of me when I made the turn.

Again Joe's advice, while not especially encouraging was spot on.  Something along the lines of that last hill starts sooner than you expect it to and it just seems to go on forever -- and truer words could not have been spoken.  I could feel the glute monster waking up in the form of a grumpy little troll that was digging at my right butt cheek with a pick axe.  I was really hoping I could maintain something close to a 7:30 pace and even though I had banked quite a bit of time that hill was as advertised.  No streetlights made it impossible to see any potential end in sight.  Throw in the switchbacks and you're left with a mind numbing run through the darkness up the side of a mountain closing in on runners that you can't even see.  I wouldn't necessarily consider leg 20 'suicidal' as it's listed on the BRR website under Hatch's description but it's definitely worth not looking forward to.  In my opinion the Grandfather climb of 10.5 miles is more difficult - the grade doesn't really compare to the climb on leg 20 but the it's all uphill and it just grinds on you.

Once I finally crested the top I just let it roll and finished with a 7:33 pace and was done, like literally.  As soon as I handed the band to John I couldn't take another step.  The butt troll had me on lock down and as Julie affectionately likes to describe it, I looked like a baby about to take his first step.  Lean and think about it, I'm really going to take a step, just put one foot in front of the other, here it goes......na I think I'll just crawl.  Finally somebody picked me up and put me in the van knowing that John would be making quick work of his shortest leg of the relay.

I think the downhill finish was my demise and it was pretty clear to everyone except me that my BRR was over.  Of course I was optimistic that some ice, rest, and Ibuprofen would do the trick while the rest of our guys finished the second rotation and as a team we were still holding strong.  Even though I was unofficially out I had still run the first two legs very close to plan and aside from the extra two miles we weren't too far off from where we wanted to be.  We handed back to van 1 sometime after 4:00am and headed to the third transition zone to catch another cat nap at the church that would be serving pancakes the next morning right before Hank was scheduled to run the mountain goat.  If someone would have interrupted Banks slumber in the front yard of God's house we might have been in need of divine intervention but fortunately we avoided further incident.

After a couple hours of not being able to walk I was resigned to the fact that running 9.5 miles downhill was clearly not in my best interest nor the teams for that matter.  I went to bed thinking a quick sleep might serve me well but that didn't happen.  The pancake breakfast did me wrong a few years ago which was really more about my internal plumbing being a wreck than their pancakes but nonetheless - I opt out of the pancake deal now days.  Banks stepped in my spot running the 9.5 without hesitation and killed it as we continued with the next man up through leg 35.

I was starting to loosen up a little and feeling short changed by only having run 2 legs so I thought maybe I could get through the final leg.  I mean I did have an extra 3 hours or so to walk around and leg 36 wasn't the downhill screamer that I had been scheduled for so why not give it a shot...  Well don't worry - there's no Chariots of Fire ending nor did I end up in the E.R.  I told the guys to give me 2 miles or 15 minutes before leaving and 12 minutes and 30 seconds later I was all but running backwards looking for them because it just wasn't happening.  They saw me waving the white flag and in typical Hey Jack fashion at least half the team piled out of the van and ran the final leg together to finish the race.

We ended up running as the 14 seed and finishing 15th overall with a time of 26:51.  Of course anyone reading this blog that wants to improve their position by 1 spot could probably do so by getting us disqualifying because technically Banks wasn't the next man up but we didn't shake things up to improve our time.  

Very proud of our team effort and still love this race and running with these guys as much as any individual event I've ever run.  In the 2 weeks since the BRR I've put in a whopping 4 miles; 2 miles a week after the race and 2 miles last night.  A couple more weeks of light running and hopefully I will be able to shake the butt troll.

And then there's this vicious rumor that Hey Jack! is jumping in the Hood to Coast lottery next month with hopes of running the mother of all relays.  1,050 teams from Mt. Hood (south of Portland, Oregon) to the coast of Seaside, OR.  If that doesn't work out we might try our hand at the Palmetto relay again with the full squad.  Either way we'll be back at it again soon because YOLO and we're not getting any younger!

Run On!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luke Stafford finishing Leg 10

Stretch station for old guys




Getting ready to watch Hank tame the
mountain goat

Eric, Joe, and Mark lounging before their second rotation



Getting sound advice from Huegerich.  Sort of.

Sought and was Destroyed is more like it



Showing off the most infamous IT
band in sports



Knox Tate cruising through leg 11

John Mills finishing leg 9







Ben a rainy sweaty mess but smiling after leg 27 is in
the books

Hank cruising through leg 7
 

Banks finishing leg 12

 2015 Blue Ridge Relay - Hey Jack!

Why Dew Point is Killing Your Pace

I've spent most of this summer running slow and trying to figure out how much was the weather and how much was simply my conditioning......or lack of.  I know that the increased fluid loss and energy used cooling the body takes away from performance but that just wasn't quite enough for me.  I did a bit of research and found the scientific answers but few things lost my attention faster than a weather man explaining the relationship between relative humidity, dew point, and temperature. 

Finally, after about 45 seconds reading a LetsRun thread about water vapor, ambient gas, air density, and something that seemed relevant about oxygen I decided it was time for me to figure it out and dumb it down so that people like me can understand what's going on.  So here goes.....

As a runner dew point is probably the most important measure affecting performance.  I've run in the dry heat of Arizona when it was near 100 and it was nothing like a 90 degree run in the dirty south.  Dew point reflects the actual amount of water in the air regardless of temperature.  The closer the air temperature and dew point are the more saturated the air is and the more uncomfortable your run will be.  Obviously when humidity is high running isn't going to be pleasant but humidity moves around a lot during the day as the air temperature increases and decreases.

A high dew point means that sweat is less likely to evaporate which is the body's cooling mechanism.  The result is that your core temperature rises and performance suffers accordingly.  The saturated or 'thick' air also makes breathing more difficult.  One reason the poor man's altitude analogy is often used is because having more water in the air displaces some of the oxygen molecules which makes the air less dense as you might experience in higher altitudes.  Training through the summer sweat baths eventually makes your body more efficient with delivering oxygen and blood to working muscles so your focus should be more on effort than pace. 

I found a number of charts illustrating the perceived impact on running at various dew points and included the information from Running Times below:

Dew Point____________________________________________________________________
50-54         Very Comfortable =>   PR Conditions
55-59         Comfortable =>  Hard efforts likely not affected
60-64         Uncomfortable for some =>  Slower than optimal conditions
65-69         Uncomfortable for most =>  Easy training could feel OK but hard efforts are difficult
70-74         Very humid and uncomfortable =>  Expect pace to suffer greatly
75 +           Extremely oppressive =>  Skip it or dramatically alter goal

That's all fine and dandy but really all I wanted to know is exactly, to the second, how much is weather affecting my performance.  I mean is that too much to ask?  That way when I come home after a disastrous long run, or a slow run that was supposed to be fast, at least there's some mathematical consolation.  Not that it will help that much but at least it's something....

So apparently some 'real' runners and coaches like to use a measure of Temperature plus Dew Point to determine pacing adjustments......and viola, I found my answer.  OK not really but it's enough of an understanding for me to stop using Google to compare my desired pace to my actual pace.  So for what it's worth I created the chart below to show the impact of the Temperature + Dew Point and the amount the 'experts' suggest your pace could be impacted.  Obviously it depends on your conditioning, acclimation to running in similar conditions, etc. but you get the idea.

And finally, I did the math of the impact to pacing at certain levels.  

My take away from all of this is pretty much the same as it was when I started; summer in the south is hot and humid so deal with it or go swimming :)

  

To A Friend I Never Met

Tyler -

I'm really not even sure where to begin.  This morning on my way to work I noticed that traffic was unusually backed up.  Several cars were turning around and taking a number of side roads that could have easily saved me the time spent traveling that next 1/2 mile.  Of course I know the exact distance from where I first stopped until I realized why traffic was backed up because I run this street back and forth nearly every day.

For some reason I was oddly curious about what was going on.  Nine times out of ten I would have turned around and taken a shorter route but not this morning.  Eventually I rounded the slight curve and saw the ambulance, police car, and firetruck.  It was clear this was more than a morning fender bender and as I neared the scene I realized that I was only minutes behind the accident.  I saw your bike in the middle of the road and my heart sank.  I immediately felt a personal connection without even knowing the gravity of what had unfolded just minutes earlier.  I prayed for your safety, peace, and comfort hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

Within the next hour I would learn of your passing on the way to the hospital.  Having a number of cycling friends I began asking around because I wanted to know more about you.  I first heard your name about 10:00 this morning -- at 29 years old, a young man full of energy with so much life to live and a wife and young son at home.

I thought about you a lot today.  My heart breaks for your wife and son, your parents, and those that had the pleasure of calling you friend.  I can't pretend to understand what you went through this morning or what your family is going through now but I will continue to pray that God brings peace to their lives.    You did everything right on your morning commute and as an accomplished cyclist you most certainly knew what you were doing.  The driver of the vehicle that hit you crossed several lanes including the center lane before hitting you and then a telephone pole.  His unspeakably stupid decision to drive while high on drugs could have killed any of us - another driver, cyclist, runner, or walker. 

You have forever changed my daily route and undoubtedly I'll think about you often.  I ran by you tonight at the makeshift memorial and stopped to say hello.  I eat at that Subway several times a week, get my car serviced there, and run by all the time so get used to it.  I know you're probably busy watching over your loved ones but once you settle into your guardian angel role if you could keep a watchful eye on the rest of us running and cycling that would be great.  I'm not someone that takes life for granted, or anything else for that matter but today was a painful reminder that life is short, today is a gift, and tomorrow is never guaranteed.

Godspeed my friend, until we race again.

Jason

Long hot runs - the joys of summer training

Last weekend I was all tee'd up to fire off about my early Saturday morning 15 miler.  For starters, I actually woke up early to beat the heat - like on purpose and everything.  By 6:30 I was out the door and by 7:30 the 90% humidity had me looking like I had just crawled out of a swimming pool.  I was struggling to maintain a semi-respectable pace, I had very little sustance in me and no fuel or fluid with me.  I had already been chased by a cat, left my wet shirt behind a bush never to be seen again, broken my third iPod shuffle of the year, and was batting about .300 on the morning run crowd acknowledging me.

Long story short...15 miles and 2 hours of running later, which doesn't include a brief walk at mile 12 to have a word with Jesus and plot the absolute shortest route home, it was over.  Then like any quality runner would do, I went to Bojangles and ate like it was my job.

After a cold shower I thought better of complaining because I was actually pretty happy about it.  It was hot, humid, and I slogged through 15 on a 4th of a bagel and spoon of peanut butter without water.  That's actually pretty stupid to begin with and nothing to be proud of but I'm learning.

This morning was sure to be my redemption long run.  It was scheduled to be 14 with a progressively faster finish and I was going to own it and blog all about it.  Then I overslept.

Nonetheless, after church I was going to get after it.  Ok so it was getting closer to 90 degrees but the humidity wasn't 90%...silver linings right?  I ate a very light lunch and decided to take 20 oz. of tailwind with me.  Great idea, very poor execution.  I mixed it in a Powerade bottle which has a wider opening; great for casual drinking, not so much for drinking on the run.  I'd say I wore about 5 oz. of it and I don't believe a sports drink on the skin counts for much.

The first 6 miles I was locked in and my splits were within a few seconds.  Mile 7 was up 6th street so I slowed a bit but I wasn't feeling too bad. My tailwind was running low and getting hot but so was my back - sticky wet shirt and all.  Putting the lid back on that stupid bottle became increasingly difficult to the point that I was ready to throw it in the next dumpster I saw.  I was just trying to get to mile 11 then finish strong.  Another thing that became very difficult was math.

I pieced together a few of my regular routes and for some reason every few minutes I was calculating different numbers for where I might hit mile 11. Then I started hypothesizing about what it would take in those last 3 miles to get my average pace down.  That was an absolute disaster.  Throw in me trying to gauge the impact on pace from the heat / humidity and I felt like a third grader all over again.

Soon enough I took the last sip of tailwind which was just a hot gulp of nasty but at least it was wet.  My average pace was about 15 seconds faster than last week and the heat hadn't completely brought me to my knees.  At least not yet.  I knew this wasn't going to be the redemption blog I hoped for but whatever.  I was blogging for better or worse.  I mean who wants to read about fast times and solid workouts anyway - where's the fun in that?

Finally it was time to pick up the pace for the final 3 miles.  I wasn't quite in the attack mode I envisioned from my bed the night before but I my legs were still turning over.  I brought the pace down 24 seconds in mile 12....and my heart was none too happy about it either.  I brought it down another 19 seconds for mile 13 and then my brain weighed in on the situation.  I was hot, thirsty, and my heart rate was at about 600.  Actually I have no idea what it was but 13.1 seemed like a nice round number so I shut it down.

My next stop was a cold shower, fully clothed, and it was awesome :)  One more month of this and hopefully it will all be worth it!  All kidding aside, if you're logging a lot of miles in this weather make sure you never leave home without your common sense...

The 21st Annual Shuffling of The Bear

I've decided to lift my self-imposed Blogging cessation because I believe this death march to the top of Grandfather Mountain deserves some press.  Nevermind that my rash of ailments began almost to the day of posting my first Blog.  No, it wasn't turning 40 or 20 years of running catching up with me.  It wasn't the lack of stretching or overtraining.  It was the karma that came with blogging about getting faster....and then sharing that with 137 people.  But I've learned, or maybe not, but either way.....this is about The Bear.

Honestly I do enjoy reading running blogs and I often search for race recaps if I've never run a course before or in the case of The Bear, if I just want to know 'how' to most effectively or efficiently run it.  There were a few good reads out there but I didn't really find what I was looking for, so here I am, writing what I was looking for.  Sort of.

For starters, The Bear is advertised as a 5 mile run from Linville, NC to the top of Grandfather Mountain with an elevation gain of 1,541 feet which is about 1/3 of a mile from top to bottom if you were to measure straight up.  The race caps at around 800 runners and with the increasing popularity over the past 20+ years it sells out very quickly.  Registration opens in the spring and I believe it was full within about 20 minutes this year so if you really want to run this you'll need to circle the date on the calendar.

The course actually doesn't measure 5 miles and this year the shirts even refer to the distance as an 8K but the topo map still shows this as 5 miles.  Generally speaking your 10K time should be in the ballpark of your Bear time with the more conditioned runners and better climbers coming closer to that number.  Flat land runners and track guys along with runners that don't incorporate hill training into their preparation (raising my hand now) should expect to run slower than your 10K time.  I'm not talking pace of course but suggesting the time it takes you to run a 10K should be roughly the time it takes you to complete The Bear. 

I hatched this bad idea back in March when I was feeling pretty good about things.  The usual suspects were on board as well so I met up with Knox Tate, Hank Eimer, Eric Meredith, and Joe Haines to make our way up the mountain.  The race starts at 7:00 so we were there with an hour to spare - plenty of time to pick up our packets, sit around doing nothing, and get a decent stretch in.  The pre-race jitters were obvious with 693 of the 750 runners in line for the porta-pot at any given time and a number of runners running aimlessly a good hour before the start.  The daunting climb makes you feel obligated to put extra thought and effort into fueling, hydration, stretching, etc. but really it's an evening race of less than 5 miles so the last thing you want to do is carry a full stomach up the mountain.

The unique thing about The Bear is that there are no age group awards, only the coveted Bear mug.  On the way up we speculated as to what the cutoff time might be for a guy to get get a mug and decided somewhere between 43 and 45 minutes.  A really precise bunch we are.  Afterwards I was able to confirm that the cutoff was 43:38 and the confirmation was in my hands because I was that last guy to get a mug.  The target is for the top 10% of men and women to receive a mug so based on my back of the napkin math I'm guessing they receive about 100 mugs to distribute and allocate roughly 60 to men and 40 to women based on the 800 runners and the mix of men and women runners registered.  In speaking with some women on the way down after the race I would say the last mugs were awarded in the very low 51's for the females.    

The Bear starts at the corner of Highway 105 and 221 running up 221 before turning right towards the Highland Games.  The first 2.5 miles really aren't that bad relatively speaking.  The initial 1/2 mile is fairly steep and sort of a shock to the the system but once you settle in and get a rhythm it's more than manageable.  Just past the 2.5 mile mark you'll hear the Highland Games and begin traversing the gravel roads leading through the infield and around the track.  As if your lungs aren't burning enough be prepared for the carnival atmosphere complete with campfire smoke, bagpipes, and plenty of cheers.  All of which is short lived because what makes The Bear a bear is waiting on the other side.

Actual Bear profile vs. what it feels like

 After climbing a steep grassy hill which I must admit is probably my least favorite part of the race you'll start the steep ascent to the top of Grandfather Mountain.  From here on pace is out the window because you simply can't run it fast - you just have to get up it.  I ran a very hard effort to get to this point in the race but didn't feel the pain and burning I do in the final mile or two of a 10K.  I had decided coming in that I wasn't going to walk just as a point of pride, and I didn't, but I'm also a witness that walking the switchbacks won't slow you down.  From mile 3 through mile 4.71 I watched Hank perfect his Olympic power walk stride through every switchback while I helplessly made up 0 ground as I shuffled along with my choppy steps and arms pumping in an act I still maintain constitutes 'running'.

After a series of switchbacks the road finally opens up so that you get your first view of the top.  On one hand it's a relief to know the end is near but it's also confirmation that you still have several more of those stupid@*s switchbacks left.  I was closing in on 43 minutes and all of a sudden my concern with a mug had taken a backseat to planning my next meal.  I had forgone dinner and even passed on the late afternoon bagel I had planned to try to keep things light which was the right thing to do but it was pushing 8:00 and I was getting hungry.  I would have gladly traded a Bear mug for my orange slices that were at the bottom of the hill.  And I don't mean real orange slices, I mean the good gummy ones covered in sugar...

Knox serving humble pie for breakfast

But I forged ahead along with Eric and Joe helplessly watching Hank effortlessly (note sarcasm) maintain his 10 second lead while Knox sat comfortably at the top of the mountain with his 4th Bear mug in hand.  To my surprise they were still handing out mugs, to guys at that, and I was fortunate enough to get one.  After receiving mine I heard the guy say he was "all out" and oddly enough I felt a little bit guilty.  Not sure why but I felt like there was somebody that probably worked harder or deserved it more and just as I was the last one to get a mug behind me were the first guys that didn't get one.  Such is life I guess.  For any of you curious about pacing my splits were; Mile 1:  8.13  Mile 2: 8.26  Mile 3:  8.12  Mile 4:  10.26  Final 0.71:  8.22 (11.47 / pace).  Realistically it makes sense to try to maintain fairly even splits through mile 3 saving just enough oxygen to make it through the last 1.7 - simple as that, right :)

The Bear is definitely a race that I would recommend running at least once.  There are a lot of quality runners, especially for a race with less than 1,000 runners but there are plenty of folks running just to complete the challenge and enjoy the scenery.  It's a gorgeous run, definitely challenging, and well worth the $35 entry fee which includes a t-shirt, finisher medal, and mugs for the top 10%'ers (roughly).  The weather is a little unpredictable on top of the mountain with gusty winds which turned into a really strong headwind coming up the final hill and it's definitely cooler at the top of the mountain.  There are shuttles waiting at the top to bring the runners back down the mountain but they don't leave until the last runner finishes so you could be up there for a while.  There is also a bag drop so it's a good idea to send up a jacket or something even if it's warm at the start. 

I came out of The Bear unscathed which was really priority one.  I've got about a month and a half of solid training in after taking most of the spring off and it feels good to be running again.  Some days are better than others and I've still got a lot of work to do to pick up where I left off so I'll just keep grinding through this hot and humid summer and hope things start coming together in the fall.  The Blue Ridge Relay is coming up soon and I'm planning to run the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon in October but in the meantime I'll probably just continue laying low and watching the rest of you get faster!  Hope to catch up with you soon (literally).