Saturday, March 27, 2010

Flushing Half Marathon

I want to start off by saying sorry it's been so long sense I last updated this. I been pretty busy now that I have started coaching the middle school track team and I live a boring life.

Today was my first half marathon down in Flushing , Michigan which is close to Flint Michigan. It started at 9:30 in the morning it was a brisk 32 degrees out which is not my favorite running weather. Also the wind decided it wanted to show up also, most the race was either into the wind or at the side of us. I wasn't to nervous at this race, I just wanted to get it over with and see if I like it or not. This is the longest race I have done so far.
I get warmed up with two miles nice and easy and then do some strides and I am freezing with the wind and cold weather. I wore my Brooks ID jersey with a pair of arm warmers and my new Brooks T6 road shoes. We start off and the first mile I feel great it goes out and do a out and back in a small sub division and then we rejoin the 5k loop. I was leading up till the mile then a local kid who now runs for Eastern Michigan university joins me at the front of the race, I feel good till we get to the 3 1/2 mile mark and we are running average 5:22 /mile pace and it's a little to quick for me so I back off because I have no idea if I can keep this pace or am I going to "die" at mile 11. I fall back around 15 sec back from the leader and just chill and I am a little a head of pace then we get to the 2 loop finish. The course finished with two 4 mile loops which I do not like, I get to bored and I fall into a relaxed pace and never can get out of it. Which was the case plus we had to watch out for cars that didn't want to move or stop. The second loop I have to contend with the other runners and cars which wasn't very much fun. I end up 2nd overall with a unofficial time of 1:13:18, the computer didn't want to work I guess so the official time I might never know. Cool down was only 2 miles...calf/solus very very sore. Overall I was happy with my race, the conditions were cold and next time I will know more of a pace I can run and not be scared I might "die' towards the end of the race.-Run Happy
Brandon

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Brooks ID

Today was my first race as a Brooks member. It was a decent sized field of runners, but I think I was the only crazy person to wear running shorts and a jersey. It was very windy out 20 mph and gusts up to 30 mph. Then it kept spitting rain off and on throughout the warm up. I didn't see anyone that I knew so I wasn't worried about getting beat until 2 min before the race. I've raced this guy 2 times, once in a mile run on the track where he it was windy and he just sat on me and kicked with 200 meters left. The second time I just wasn't in shape and I died hard, so I was thinking well I'm in ok shape I'm going to push it hard and see if he goes with me. Well another guy from University of Oakland shows up which has recently ran 15:xx low for indoors and my recent 5k was low 16:xx. So I kind of knew I was in trouble from the start.
The start of the race I take off decently fast and I look around and I'm all alone, I look back on one of the corners and they are just chilling about 10 sec back. I just keep pushing hoping I could put enough distance between myself and them, First mile I come in 5:08 which wasn't bad, not tired so I kept on pushing and I was still the same distance from the 2nd and 3rd place guys. Second mile I was 10:28 going partly into the wind and the rain picks up a little bit and still I'm up on the other guys, so I knew they have to start coming anytime now and we hit some little hills and I push up them and I start to feel little tired, so I though. Finally right before the 3rd mile the guy from Oakland is coming he already made up a little distance on me. I though well maybe I'll just keep the pace and if he gets me I'll try to stay with him and maybe he'll be to tired at the end and I can out kick him. I get to the 5k and he's right behind me and I let up a little bit and he passes me and I feel ok not to tired so I go with him and I don't know anything about this course so I look at my watch and see 19:30. I figure we should be between 1/2 to 1/4 left in the race. I push past him and push it one last time and he stays right behind me and we get to the last turn and he must of knew the finish was right there cause he took off and I try to go but I haven't done any speed except long tempos, so he out kicks me by maybe 2 feet. I finished with 21:20 time (5:20 pace) not real fast but with that wind and now its pouring rain and I'm freezing I'll take it. Until next time
Brandon

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Sunny Day's

The last few days have been great for running. It's amazing how the sun and mid 50's make it feel like 70's when you get used to 20 degrees and with wind chills in the teens. I've decided I'm going to run a 4 miler this Saturday, so the last few day's I've been getting in the mileage, and resting toward the end of the week to be a little fresh for the race. This is the last week at 80 miles and my legs are telling me. I am pretty sore from the long run last Sunday (15 miles) and last two days of 13 miles. I wanted to get a workout in today (Tuesday) but my calf's were pretty sore so I guess I'm going to have to just go with easy days the rest of the week. Well until after my race this weekend. Later....

P.s Can't wait to wait the new Brooks ID jersey....I'm almost more excited to wear that then racing haha...

Brandon

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Leadup to Half Marathon

Today was the last Long run before my half marathon at the end of March. So far I've been building my mileage for 7 weeks (almost 2 months) at 70 or more per week. I've got my long runs up to 15 mile today, and I've been doing either a fartlek or a tempo run per week. I feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in sense 2006 when I ran 15:03, 31:12, and 25:38 for the 8k xc. I haven't raced very much leading up to the half marathon, I've only did 2 races, one being a 5k (16:3x) and a indoor 5k. I may do a 4 miler next Saturday to see what kind of shape I'm in. Last Wednesday I got in a really good tempo with Kierran one of the high schoolers, I pushed the run a few times and I felt great, around 5:50 pace for 4 1/2 miles. I was dropping Kierran so I had to back it down a few times, he just got done with wrestling season and already in pretty good shape after a week of running. This will be the last 80 mile week, the next 2 week before the Half I will go 60 miles then either 50-55 taper with a short quicker work outs and no long run. That is all, until next time...

Peace