Pie Run Recap

Newport Pie Run 5 miler
November 26, 2015
Results
29:32

To add to my fall list of races and endurance events that I've always wanted to do, add the Newport Pie Run 5 miler to the list.  Here's why:

1. I love the idea of any Thanksgiving race.  It's a great opportunity to  celebrate being "thankful" for running, fire up some competitive juices, and burning some calories before indulging in a great meal with family.

2. The opportunity to run a race in Newport.  After vacationing and/or living in Rhode Island my entire life, I've never race in one of the coolest areas of the state.

3. I haven't run a Thanksgiving Day Race since 1996. Wilbraham Turkey Trot with my brother.

Back to my report--
Leading up the race, things weren't going well.  I had a really bad cold the week before the race and was still feeling major fatigue and remnants of congestion.  Prior to the race, I told myself just to relax, keep an open mind, and see what happens.  Shara and I warmed up for about a mile running into the wind.  Many notable local runners were on the line as we waited for the gun.

1st half of the race
As the gun went off, I was able to get a solid start before settling in.  Like any big race, there were a ton of runners who flew out.  I didn't really know the course well but could already tell wind would be a serious factor.  Within a half mile of the race, I settled in behind former RI runner, Zac Kudlak, who I had met racing in 2006 when I used to visit my family on weekends.   I sat behind Zac for a short period of time as he negotiated through the wind and decided it was time for me to do some of the work.  I told Zac to tuck in behind me and I'd carry us for a while {I remember him being a nice guy}.  Zac appreciated the gesture and let me know that we would get a break once we turned later on down the road.  Once the turn arrived, the wind did in fact let up for a bit and Zac and Kaela O'Neil pulled away from me.  I reminded myself to keep an open mind but I really wasn't feeling strong. Now running on Sachusett Point Road, I carried on.  As I ran towards the turnaround, the leaders started to run by in the opposite direction and split my attention between the two runners not too far ahead of me and the elites, who looked like they battling the wind after the turnaround.  "Oh boy, something to look forward to," I thought to myself.

2nd half of the race
At the turnaround at 2.7 miles, I could now see the runners who were behind me.  My immediate thought was this would give me the opportunity to see who was hunting me and how strong they looked.  At about 30 seconds back, there looked to be a small pack of dudes running together. Luckily, none of the them looked really strong.  Facing the wind, I continued to carry on as I approached the "monster" hill of the day {Jonny warned me about this hill when we talked last week}.  Looking at the hill, it looked manageable.  Add the fact that the hill was fairly steep,  it carried on for awhile, and the wind was blasting, it turned out to be down right brutal.  Once I crested the top of the hill, I was welcomed by the 4 mile marker.  While I was pretty tired, I did feel a big of a recharge as the course was now on a slight downhill and the wind wasn't as bad.  I crossed the line with no one around in 29:32*.

*Results list a runner finishing 2 seconds ahead of me..not sure how this came about, can only guess he finished behind me but started further back (chip time).

Post race thoughts
-Shara ran another great race and finished as the 4th female, 30th overall in 31:24.
-Disappointing performance-I wanted to run sub 29 but can't say I'm completely shocked considering how I was feeling leading up to the race.
-Splits: 5:39, 5:52 (wind), 5:46,  6:18 (wind & hill-very poor), 5:32
-Would I do this race again? Absolutely.  I didn't run well and don't love the course but liked the atmosphere, early start time, and competition.  Shara enjoyed it as well.
-Still fixated on my 2015 running funk.  I'm concerned about a drop off in performance but consistency is the key.  Prior to September, I had a poor year of injuries and running.  I just need to stay healthy, consistent, and have fun.
-I'm thankful my wife enjoys this kind of stuff, allows me to do it, and runs herself.

Thanks Shara!

Avondale 5k

Avondale 5k

November 8, 2015

17:23, 1st

Results

This happened to be the 4th installment of the Westerly Land Trust's Setting the Pace for Conservation 5k.  Due to injury I was unable to compete in 2014 and was looking forward to this race because it was close to home and I like the course.  Despite the fact that I don't run too many trails, I do admire the efforts of this group around town with land conservation and an affinity for preserving nature.  After a recent decent performance at the Monster Dash 5k, I had higher expectations for myself than I had originally planned out.  Ideally, I wanted to crack 17 and if I could not crack 17, I wanted to run better than 17:09 (my time at that race).  The morning was a bit chilly and windy but we had overall good conditions to run.  I warmed up for about two miles with Shara and Gazelle before getting into racing gear and heading to the starting line.   Shara had also been really strong and came pretty close to cracking 19 at the Monster Dash so I expected a big day for her.

The Race

The gun went quickly went off and I was able to start strong off the line.  My main competition for the day would be Gazelle and Jeff Duda.  {Matthew, glad you were still in season for this race.  We wouldn't have provided you any competition anyway}.  As we started out, Gazelle and I encouraged Duda to dig in with us.  Jeff tucked in right behind me and I could tell he was running strong and aggressively.  I joked with him and Duda that I could see how it is and that I'd do all the work for them!  Gazelle and I headed out of the preserve and I felt like we were really pushing.  Not being sure of our first mile split, I was running based off effort and competition but man did it feel like we were running fast.  Turning off Watch Hill Road and onto Avondale Road we were struck with a strong headwind that felt like it really slowed things down.  By the time we turned onto Champlin Drive, I was gassed but happy for a reprieve from the wind.  Feeling tired and slow, the Gazelle was riding me like a dog on a meat truck.  I was officially running scared.  He passed me right before the cul-de-sack turn and I thought it was over.  Somehow I was able to pull back up to Jeff and just wanted to stay as close to him as I could.  Eventually I was able to pass the Iron Gazelle again but I was cautious about trying to run much harder as I wasn't sure if he'd strike back.  By the time we made it back into the preserve, I hoped to have a little lead on him.  I didn't want to be running neck and neck with not much to go.  I ended up crossing the line in 17:23 and the Gazelle crossed in 17:32 (an impressive run and new PR). Duda crossed in 18:07 in 3rd and not long after Shara came through in a big PR at 18:44, which was good 1st female and 4th overall.

I was happy to take the overall win and hold off Jeff.  I didn't end up meeting my time goals and left disappointed in my time because it was about 40 seconds slower than two years ago.  Big congrats to Shara and Gazelle on their PRs!

Monster Dash 5k

October 25, 2015
Providence Monster Dash
Results 17:09, 3rd

Halloween happens to be one of my favorite holidays.  Ever since being a little kid, I've loved the fun this holiday brings and enjoy throwing on a goofy costume and having some good laughs.  With the Charlestown Halloween Hustle 5k ending, the opportunity to participate in another halloween type pace really appealed to me.  Add into the mix that I've always wanted to run a road race in Providence and here we have the Providence Monster Dash 5k.  I even convinced Shara, who is not a fan of costumes, masks, or dressing up, to join me for the race and run in a matching Batman/Batwoman get up with me.

Upon arrival to the race, we checked in to grab our race numbers at the Wild Colonial Tavern and then headed out on a warmup.  I wanted to warmup a little longer than normal (approximately 2 miles) so my knee would feel good for the start.  We watched the kids race and then headed to the starting line.  While lining up I came across strong RI runner, Steve Brightman.  Steve and I greeted each other and he asked me if I was going to run sub 17.  I said that would be great, but not to count on me as my fitness wasn't that great.  I mentioned the goal of finishing under 17:30 was most reasonable for me.

The gun went off and we shot off.  Brightman was dressed as Steve Prefontaine and he did a great job impersonating him by taking a strong lead right off the gun.  As Steve ran in 1st, I had a couple of other dudes to battle with.  I kept my eye on Steve but also reminded myself to run my own race. Shortly after a mile, we entered the RIPTA tunnel, which was pitch black and filled with spooky characters who jumped out at runners as we ran by.  While I thoroughly enjoyed the theme and antics of these characters, the scariest thing I came across in the tunnel was the incline.  We kept climbing and climbing.  By the time I came out of the tunnel, I felt gassed.  I guess this is the payment I get for running beach roads.  We ran back down the tunnel and I was in recovery mode.  Leaving the tunnel, I got passed by a young dude without a costume who was wearing real deal racing garb.  He looked pretty strong and I wasn't sure if he was going after Brightman next, who was not too far off.  I still felt like I was running a decent race and wanted to finish strong.  I came across the line in 17:09 in 3rd place overall. While I would have loved to crack 17, I was still pleasantly surprised by my time. Not outstanding but a step in the right direction.

Shara crossed the line as the 1st female in 19:04.  A new PR and a very strong race.  We both enjoyed racing in Providence and the atmosphere.  One of the most enjoyable parts of my race was hearing spectators, "Go, Batman."

BoldrDash & Pumpkins

After a long season of trying to prepare and race triathlons, I was really excited to do a couple of low stakes races just for run.  Shara and I have always talked about doing an adventure race and the stars aligned this year for us to give BoldRDash a shot.  We agreed to do the race together and appreciated how close the race is to home (Note: Most Tough Mudders are in other states).  The second race we'd be doing would take place Columbus Day Weekend and it was a WTAC race.  The Run for the Pumpkins 5k was changing venues to Bradford Preserve and would be a trail run.  I'm truly a horrible trail runner but actually like running trails and felt like I needed to support the club and Jeff on this one.  My only expectations for both races was simply to have fun and not get hurt.

BoldrDash- 4 mile obstacle race.
October 3, 2015
57:33, 14th and 15th/804
Results
Some of the obstacles

We started off in the "elite" heat of the BoldRDash.  Having never done one of these races before, I certainly did not consider myself an elite.  The weather for the race was windy and cold, but knowing we would be running up and down the hills and working through obstacles, I actually welcomes the conditions.  I found some of the obstacles to be really challenging (i.e. some of the rope climbs were difficult with balance).  Other obstacles were just fun..jumping around in a potato sack, carrying rocks up and down hills. monkey bars, etc.  There were a ton of mud pits, single track trails, and even a couple of streams to run through.  I simply hung with Shara (1st Overall Female on the day) and enjoyed the atmosphere.  Loved the finish: crawling through a watery mud pit under ropes.  Neither of us felt really tired aerobically but other body areas were sore from all of the lifting.  Post race: changed up quickly and grabbed my complimentary beverage.

The big question I received after this race was, "Would you do it again?"  My answer is absolutely.  I found the event to definitely be a physical challenge and it was fun.  It's clearly different than any regular race I've ever done.  Would I ever take one of these races really serious?  Probably not.  I do think there is high potential for injury in these events if you are careless.

Post BoldrDash..dissapointed that we didn't have more mud on us

Run for the Pumpkins Trail 5k
October 10, 2015
21:58, 6th/111 (My slowest 5k..ever!)
Results

The Run for the Pumpkins race has existed in Westerly for quite some time.  It used to be solely organized by the Town of Westerly's Recreation Department and over the past few years the race has really been organized by the WTAC.  Prior to this year, I had never run the race and it was a road 5k. For one reason or another, the Pumpkins never fit into my schedule until this year.  Funny thing is, the race now involved trail running.   With all of Jeff's personal efforts to re-organize this year and make it happen, I felt like I had to support it--no matter how bad of a trail runner I am.

While I did not expect a good performance at this race and was simply "running" it, I really enjoyed the fall atmosphere.  My Mom and Dad came to spectate and mentioned to me that the venue  reminded them of my high school and college cross country days.  I totally shared their sentiment.  As for the race, it was my goal to try to stay out of the way.  I knew Matthew, Justin, Jonny, and Jeff would be up there and battling it out in the race.  After about a mile of the race, I was completely out of contention and out for a fall run.  Overall, I really enjoyed the course because it wasn't crazy technical and it was fun.  Shara pulled off another strong win in the women's race and the WTAC boys front loaded the top spots.  Congrats to Matthew on the win, Justin (3), Jonny (4), Jeff (5), and the club on a great new event.

The Gazelle and me

Shara for the win!  This pumpkin sits on my steps

OCY

OCY Tri-9/20/2015
1:09:04, 2nd
Results

The OCY Tri would serve as my final TRI of the season and important race to me.  I was hoping to finish on a strong note and was interested to see how I would fare on a quick hometown course.  As far a pre-race expectations, I was hoping for a Top 5 finish.  I knew previous race runner and friend Jeff Duda would be competing and figured he should have the top spot locked down.  I also knew that Shara would have a really good chance at taking the women's race and knew she had recovered well from Firmman.  I was also interested to see how Jeff Walker would do in the Duathlon and figured he'd have a strong day out there.

With an 8:30 am start, it felt like I was sleeping in compared to most TRIs.  We arrived to the Town Beach shortly before 7:30 am, picked up our numbers and chops, and set up in transition.  Shara and I went for a mile warmup and joined up with Duda.  While warming up, we all talked about how slow we felt.  I kind of laughed at this thought to myself thinking about what the two of them might do to their respective competitors.  After arriving back from the warmup, I put my wetsuit on and took a look at the surf with Shara.  We hung out for the national anthem, which was led by a Coast Guard guard, and then made the trek down to the start.

Swim- 1/2 mile: 10:33
I lined up for the swim with Duda.  We chatted a little about the tide and then it was go time.  I tried to get a clean start in the water and reminded myself to swim my own race.  Like run races, many swimmers fly out at the beginning of a race and quickly drop off.  If I over exerted early, I figured oxygen debt would quickly set in and my form would fall apart.  I rounded the first buoy and spotted 3-5 swimmers ahead of me.  Based off positioning, I knew Duda was way out there.  Swimming along, I felt an up and down sensation from the current.  I tried to keep a watch on the other competitors and was starting to feel taxed as I moved towards the final buoy.  Still having Duda and another swimmer in my sights ahead of me, I tried to swim really hard into the shore and make up as much time as I could.  I ran out of the water and headed towards T1.

T1: 1:14
Always struggle with the transition, not just getting wetsuit off, but getting bike shoes on and out of transition.  Oh well.

Bike-14 miles: 39:28
After mounting my bike on Atlantic Ave, I was feeling spent from the swim.  I tried to get into a groove and slowly found it.  Riding out onto Atlantic Avenue, it felt nice to ride on such familiar roads.  Unfortunately, I felt like I was in no man's land for most of the ride.  I just reminded myself to keep trying to ride hard and see where I end up towards the end of the ride.  A couple of miles into the second lap of the bike course I was passed by a guy.  When he passed me, I told myself to keep him in contact or at least in sight.  Throughout the rest of the second lap, I tried to keep this guy in my sights as we passed other triathletes who were on their first lap.  The remainder of my ride was uneventful and I met my goal of keeping near the guy.

T2: :54 seconds..had trouble slipping into my run shoes and getting my TRI belt on.

Run-3 miles: 16:59
Heading into the final leg, a spectator or course official let me know that I was in 4th place.  I knew that 1st place was not within my reach with Duda's super swim and awesome biking ability.  But 2nd or 3rd?  It was possible.  Leaving transition, I was running mad.  The next two guys were a little up the road from me and I wanted to get them both.  I knew if I ran too aggressively, that I could end up paying dearly.  Within a very short period of time, I was able to pass both guys at once.  After passing them, I tried to widen the gap and before I knew it, I saw Duda approaching the 2 mile mark of the course.  We exchanged greetings (he claims I gave him a grunt) and tried to hammer on.  Duda looked really comfortable and I was happy for him.  As for me, I still wanted to widen the gap and ran it home fairly hard.  I crossed the finish line in 2nd place overall and felt really strong.

After finishing up, I met up with my parents to see Shara finish and hammer home a strong 2nd place after competing in the Firmman Half Iron last weekend.  It was also cool to find out that Gazelle won the duathlon.  OCY was a hometown sweep.  This race marks the official end of my TRI season. Despite some knee issues that impacted my running, it was a fun, successful TRI season.  I'm looking forward to the 2016 TRI Season and already have some goals for next year.

Happy with 2016 TRI Season

Schonning 5k

August 25, 2015

Roger Schonning 5k

17:30, 3rd

Results

Westerly Sun Article

The Schonning 5k is one of those races that is pretty much locked into my calendar every year.  It's a great race but the real reason I run this one is to support Steve, son of the man who the race is held in honor of and a good friend of mine.  After a poor performance at Battle of Stonington 5k, I was not feeling too confident about my abilities going into this one.  Quite frankly, I thought about the race being over well before I got there.  It wasn't so much the suffering of racing that was bothering me, it was my diminishing performance.  

Pre-race

I came directly from work to the Westerly Y to get ready for the race.  Arriving a little after 5 pm, the race chute and timing was all ready to go and I found teammate and friend, Mike B. hanging out in the parking lot as he prepared for the race.  Shara, who was women's defending champ, would be joining me at the race after making a quick stop home from work.  After a brief warmup with the usual suspects, it was almost race time.

The race

As the gun went off, I tried to settle in a smooth yet steady pace.  Based off my current fitness, I knew I needed to be careful not to go out too hard as I knew I'd pay for it.  Sizing up competition, I noticed Matthew Walker, who I predicted to win the race,  his Dad and my friend, Jeff (Gazelle), a younger dude with headphones, and Mike Tammaro from the NRA.

After the opening 1/2 mile, a bunch of us were jockeying for position and it seemed like no one wanted to make a move.  I knew Gazelle was not afraid to push the pace and certainly is not one to let others do the work for them out there.  As for Matthew, I knew he was getting faster and faster and that he had a very solid summer of training.  I thought the headphones dude would drop and was concerned about Tammaro sitting on me and making a move at an opportune time.  As for me, I was concerned about getting dropped and my low running fitness.    We basically ran in a pack until the turnout around cone which is more than a mile into the race.  After the cone, I remember Matthew making a small break with Tammaro, Headphones, me, and Gazelle in tow.  I knew I needed to run as smart as possible and do my best not to let Tammaro or Headphones get a big gap on me.  I also needed to watch out for Gazelle, who very nearly took me down at the BOS.  Running back towards town and with less than a mile to go, I was able to pass Headphones.  At this point in the race, I disregarded the fact that he was wearing headphones and respected his running.  Unfortunately, I was never able to catch up to Tammaro.  In the end, Matthew took it, Tammaro grabbed 2nd, and I crossed the line in 3rd at 17:30.  

Post race

A little over a minute and a half after finishing, Shara cruised in at 19:10 to become the repeat women's winner and owner of a new 5k PR.  Mikey B. finished shortly after her to win his division.

We took a brief group warmdown, chatted it up with friends, and ate a little food before the awards ceremony.  On a personal level, I was somewhat pleased with my race.  Here's why: 1. I ran 30 seconds faster than the Battle, 2. My pace was consistent, 3. I really haven't been running much (not going to run sub 17 off 12 miles a week.  Shara had another strong win and her ability continues to amaze me.  It was also pretty cool to see Matthew Walker take the win..it's been fun to see him progress and he earned the victory.  Jeff and Mike both ran strong and it was a great family event held in honor of a friend's Dad right in Westerly.  Moving forward, I'm hoping to continue to strengthen my knees and run a little more this fall so I can run some better 5k times and live up to my name.

Strong showing by WTAC

RW Olympic Recap

Sunday, August 23, 2015
Rhode Warrior Olympic Distance Triathlon
RESULTS..scroll down for the olympic race
2:58:04, 2nd overall


With my well chronicled and often complained about knee issues of the past year, the Rhode Warrior Olympic Triathlon was scheduled to be my BIG race of the race.  When I say BIG, I'm referring to distance.  The thought of completing a half iron or even half marathon does not cross my mind.  As I've transitioned more towards triathlon and this particular race had me excited.  Based off the advertised distances (1 mile swim, 30 mile bike, and 6.5 mile run), I figured this race would match my strengths.  Training has been fun.  To ward off further knee injury and to keep my sanity, I've biked more this summer than ever.  My swim, which isn't fantastic, is competitive.  As for the run, my training is limited but I can tough it over most other triathletes.

Race day
Being a home town race, Shara and I slept in (4:45 am wake-up).  We quickly ate breakfast, did one final gear check, and headed down to Misquamicut for battle.  While setting up in transition, we ran into friend and teammate (what evcr did come of the proposed team competition?), Jeff Walker.  After all of our gear was set, Jeff and I went off for a very, easy warmup jog.  My knee was already talking to me--great!  While walking down to the swim with Shara, Jeff, and Super Fan, Mikey B., we all noticed that the swim distance seemed especially far.  I tried not to say too much about it because I did not want to psych any of us out.

Going into battle

Team WTAC

The SHARK and I..right before go time

Swim, 43:06, distance unknown

Before I knew, it was go time.  All of the men were starting in one wave, which really excited me because I'd know exactly where I'd stand throughout the race.  Shortly into the swim, my goggles filled with water.  This caused me some panic as I wear contacts and wanted to see as well as possible throughout the race.  Since the swim was on the long side, I decided it would be in my best interest to stop and fix those bad boys.  Unfortunately, my goggle issue carried on throughout the swim and I had to fix and re-adjust them at least 3 or 4 times.  Swimming along, it felt like I was going no where. Was I having a really tough, slow day in the water?  The only way I could tell was to gauge myself
off other competitors.  I was passing others rather than being passed, which was good for me mentally.  However, the flow of the current definitely changed.  In my head, I gave thought to what seemed to be a longer distance swim and a changing current.  Rather than dwelling on something I could not control, I swam on.  Focus.  Keep trying to catch people.  Spot buoys.  I kept moving.  As I was approaching the final buoy, I was suddenly passed by another competitor or possibly a fast moving shark.  This person/fish swam by me with authority.  I popped my head out of the water and sure enough...it was Shara (who started her swim a full 5 minutes after me)!  I put my head back in the water and tried to maintain my form.  I wanted to stay with Shara but it was pointless.  She is a far superior swimmer to me and I needed to focus on my own race.  You go, girl!  Before I knew it, I was out of the after and off to T1.

T1

Bike-ask Fast Finishes timing services
As I ran out of transition and mounted on my bike, I was a little bit in panic mode.  My wife had at least a minute or two on me and she started 5 minutes behind me.  In overall contention, I had no idea where I stood.  Heading out on Bradford Road, I caught up to Shara, offered her well wishes (No, really, I did), and let her know that I was in trouble and had a ton of time to make up on her.  After cruising along the bike course, it was time to head out on the dreaded Tomaquag Road.  While this road is almost completely free of traffic, I can't stand the bumps and road surfaces.  Riding on the road is anti-climatic and I just wanted to get off it.  The second half of the ride went by quickly and I felt strong.  I think I was passed by two riders and tried to keep them close enough where I could strike back at them on the run.  Towards the end of the ride coming down Shore Road and trying to cross Winnapaug Road, I had to come to a complete stop due to traffic.  A police officer was assigned to stop traffic but he was not ready for me. {*I later found out that the same officer had Shara and a bunch of other competitors ride down Winnapaug Road instead of following the proposed course.  There probably should have been a race official at that point so the officer could solely focus on traffic}.  Coming off the bike, I dismounted, drank some water, and felt pretty good.

Run, 6.5 miles, 40:35
Starting the run, I wanted to immediately get into a controlled, steady pace.  As I was leaving transition, Marc Burbelo was right in front of me.  I asked myself, "How and when did he get in front of me?"  As I passed Marc, I offered him well wishes and picked off another competitor whom I hadn't seen before in the race.  After passing a few competitors at the start of the run, I really did not see anyone else for quite a while.  While my legs were holding up pretty good, I was parched and could tell dehydration was looming.  I literally stopped at every water stop the rest of the way.  In some places I drank two drinks just to get water back into my system.  With about a 1 1/2 to go I came up on one last competitor.  Since it was a game of survival at this point, I carefully passed him and wished him well.  The final mile I was completely solo.  I crossed the line in 2nd place overall!

Post race
Shara came in shortly after I finished. She was 4th overall and beat the next women by 18 minutes!!  I was very proud of her win and overall performance.  On a side note- I was also happy that I was able to put 3 minutes between her and I.  I won't go down without a fight!  Despite all of the logistical nightmares with the long swim and current, issues on the bike course, and humidity, it was a great day for both of us.  Shara dominated and it was my highest placing in a triathlon ever.  I was also happy that my knee withstood the 6.5 mile run.

Post race.  Happy with results.

Other notes:
-It turns out Marc Burbelo and a group of other competitors were also led off course on the bike.  While coming back into the Misquamicut area they were directed back down Weekapaug Road by a race official.  Unfortunately, Marc was DQd.  I felt bad for him as it wasn't his fault and he self reported to the race director what happened.

-I know the ride was 30 miles and the run was 6.5.  The swim was definitely long.  How long exactly?  We may never never know..plus I don't wear a Garmin for TRIs.

-The race results still aren't perfect.  The only split that matches in my results is my swim.  The overall time was correct as well, but my transitions, bike, and run don't really exist.  It's frustrating because all triathletes want to know how they stacked up against the competition.  We may never know.  I do know that I completed the run in 40:35, which is about 6:15 pace.  I used my Timex to figure it out.

-Congratulations to Gazelle on finishing a grueling half iron and still placing in his age group.  It was a brutal day out there.