Shillelagh 4 Mile Race

Start of the Race...



I decided to run the Shillelagh 4 mile race in flushing, I did It a couple years ago where I I got 2nd place in 21:20. This year I thought I might be able to run 22:00 If I was feeling good and if it wasn't to cold/windy.

I had to work the night before the race so I wasn't sure how I was going to feel with only a couple hours sleep. I got up and was really tired, luckily I didn't fall right back to sleep after my alarm went off. I picked up my buddy scott, and I wasn't feeling all that good. We got there, I warmed up 3 miles and my legs didn't feel real bad but I knew there was some competition there so I wasn't even thinking about winning it. I got to the starting line and saw there was more competition there then I had thought there would be. Now I was thinking "great I might get 3rd or 4th place if I'm lucky."

The race started and I decided I was just going to go with the leaders for however long I could and just try to finish from there. We hit the mile in 5:03 and I wasn't feeling real bad but I knew I couldn't keep that up so I decided to let them go and I sat back 5 or so seconds. The second mile I hit in 5:18 and they were coming back alittle so I decided to try to get back up to them, I caught the second place guy around 2.5 miles and the other guy was 5-10 sec up then. I hit the 3rd mile in 5:13 but the whole last mile was into the wind, which was very gusty and knocked me back a couple times. I kept that distance on the leader till the last 1/2 mile where I was staring to get closer but he still beat me by 6 sec. I finished the 4th mile in 5:33 and 21:09 offical time. The winner won it in 21:03... I P.Red and was happy even tho I didn't win, I wanted to see what kind of shape I was in and I'm in better shape then I had thought.

Cool down with Jerome who got 3rd place for 4 miles .... My next race will be about a month from now in April at the Memorial Steps for Courage 5k ....just a little race but it was fun last year.

Finishing...

Starving for a Race...

Well I need to start updating this more...

I've been super tired the last few months now that I've been working more at Krogers. I'm all alone now on 3rd shift so I've been really busy every night plus I've been puting in on average 65-70 miles a month. Doesn't really sound like a lot of miles but the past few years I've average around 55-60 miles. I haven't put any speed work in yet except a few tempo/steady state runs when I feel good but nothing really to write about. It's getting harder and harder to get out and train, myself and my buddy are going back to Flushing in a few weeks to run the 4 mile shillelagh run in on March 10. I ran it a few years back and got second place by less then a second. I feel like I'm in great shape right now and can't wait to see what kind of time I can get!!!

I'm getting excited for High School Track season to start up in a few weeks... The winter hasn't really been the winter this year, its been more like fall... It's felt like track season ever sence XC season was over.

-I also just found out we have been invited to the Greater Lansing XC Race which only took 4 years. I'm just glad we are able to run in it. I feel like this will help are kids get more competition and push to be like the elite teams in are league. Each year we are getting closer and closer and with the girls getting back to the state meet, I feel the guys will be there with the girls next year and Owosso will be talked about how fast they are instead of how slow they are.

Run Happy Every one!!!

Winter Has Arrived in Michigan!!!

Quick little update on my training from the past few days... Last week I finally got back up to 75 miles. This week I plan on going down to 70 for a "recovery week" then back up to 80 miles next week. I decided to do a few extra things to help stay healthy with the increase in miles. Doing push-ups daily and some kind of core work and using my foam roller when I start to feel extra sore or more tired then normal. I feel like all this is helping me with my running form, now that we have snow and ice we have to deal with.
Congrats to all the Olmpic Marathon Qualifier from this past weekends race!!! Hall,Meb, Abdi and Flanagan,goucher and davila

“The unspoken and shared understanding of what it means to be a runner can be seen in the kinship between runners. When 40,000 people line up to run the Chicago Marathon, or when 130 line up at a high school cross-country race, they can look each other in the eye with a certain respect, awareness, and comprehension that is prohibitively elusive for the non-runner. Before, during, and after the race, the fellowship between runners is tangible and real. The brotherhood and sisterhood of the running community can be felt in the air as they inhale a collective like-mindedness. To be a runner in the midst of other runners just before the start of a race is a mystical experience that can no more be captured in words than can the color blue.”

Jan 6th 2012 and it's over 50 degrees!!!

I decided I'm going to start writing in this again. I don't remember what I wrote about the last time I updated this. I'll use this as a update about my running the past few months.
I haven't really raced much after the Crim 10 miler. I ran with the Playmakers B Racing team at the Detroit Marathon Relay which was a lot of fun. We had 2 teams in the Open Division which we took 1st and 2nd place, we had a team in the girls race which they won, and we had a team in the Co-Ed Division and they also won. The team I was on took 2nd in the Open Division, I ran the longest leg 6.7 miles or some weird distance. I had no Idea how fast I was going, I just wanted it to be over and keep my place for the team. Overall I was happy with the race, my legs kinda cramped up the last mile but I averaged around 5:10-5:15 pace. With getting 2nd place are team won 500 dollars so each of us got 100 dollars. I guess I'm not a recreational runner any more and now I can be consided a Pro or sub pro runner.
After that race I got sick so I took a couple down weeks and now finally getting my mileage back up to 70 this week. I'm feeling great with long runs again and getting some longer tempo/fartleks and legs are healthy. I had a lot of problems in college with my legs and injuries so I'm going to keep increasing my mileage but taking it easy and not pushing myself to much.
-I hope I keep updating this and I'm thinking about running a marathon so if anyone has any that they think should be my first please let me know.

2011 Track and Field State Meet

Regionals we qualified 3 runners for the state meet. First we had a Freshman 100m runner Mackenzie Jones in 12.80 seconds. Then Soph. Claire Gilbert won the 1600 in a sprint finish 5:10 which is are school record. Claire sister, senior Chloe Gilbert won easily in a new school record 11:31.

The State meet myself and the Head coach got there early for the prelims where Mackenzie was in the 2nd heat 7th lane. She got out well and ran alittle faster then what she usually runs in prelims, however this time her time didn't qualify her for semi. She didn't get out of prelims but only being a freshman it's good experience to be around that kind of atmosphere and next year with alittle bit more strength training she should be back and go after it alittle more.
Next was the 1600, we found a shade place to get out of the heat/sun. It was over 80 degrees now and the track even hotter, you could see it was starting to take a toll on all the runners. Claire got out alittle fast 1:11 and she was still with the top 5 on the second lap, the third you could see the first lap plus some alergies where starting to bother her, the forth lap she came back alittle bit and finish 7th with 5:15. It wasn't what we wanted but it still All-State and her second best time ever. She came back alittle later and tryed to double in the 800 which probably wasn't the best idea, She was at 1:09 first lap but could tell she wasn't in it at all after the 1600. Finish way back in 2:28 but I was very proud of the way she ran the whole year.
- The 3200 was crazy hot, the track was over 105 the officals were saying, so they allowed the coaches to splash their runner if they wanted and the track also had a hose that was misting the runners. Chloe got out great and was with in the top 6 the whole race, her mile split was 5:33 which before the season would have been a P.R itself. Each lap was looking good and was in close to second place but with the heat she started to slow the last couple of laps and just didn't have anything on the final 2 laps and finish in 6th place. This is her first All -State honor in Track but 4th counting Cross Country which puts her as the best runner ever at Owosso High School. Only running 2 full years after switching from soccer and finishing with a school record is a great accomplishment and I am glad I got to coach her for 3 years!!! She is heading to U of M running for the Wolverines!!!

Runyan Relays

Jon Runyan Classic is named after a former football player who went to high school at Carman-Ainsworth then went on to star at the University of Michigan and continue on in the NFL.

This meet is a fast, fun, relay style and something alittle different for the High schoolers. It started off sunny with a little wind, then it started to rain and wind, then 5 min later sunny, then rain again, it seemed like the first 45 min it continued to switch back and forth. Finally it stayed Sunny but got pretty windy in the middle of the meet which slowed down the times. Overall this is more of a sprinters meet but its good for the distance guys to get some speed in also. Overall Owosso Boy's got 2nd overall in the Small Schools which included Flint Hamady, Lake Fenton, Owosso, Flint Powers, Flint South-Academy, St.Clair and Flint Northwestern. The girls got 3rd overall with lots of new P.Rs. It was a fun meet and turned out to be nice day overall.

I also got to run at this meet, In the middle of the meet they have a race for who ever wants to run. The race is called "Worlds Fastest Meet" which in total is a mile long. There are 4 races total tho, You run a 200 as fast as you can and if you win you get a medal. Then you run to the 400 mark and if you win you get a medal. Next you run another lap for 800 meters and if you win you get a medal, finally you run 2 more laps to make it a mile and if you win you get a medal. The Girls team first asked me run this the day before hand and I said I would. The race starts and it was pretty wind and the first 25 meters 4 guys almost fall trying to win the first 200. I just stayed in 8th place because I knew I wouldn't win that part. I came through in 30.5 sec and 6 guys stopped but I was now 10 meters back so I tried to get closer. Got to the 400 and I was pretty tired now from the first 200 (latic acid) and now I'm going into the wind. I'm now right behind the leader and we get to the 800 and I don't even try to win the 800 thinking the guy in front would stop but nope...he kept going and I'm thinking I'm dead and I don't know if I can continue this pace. I use the wind on the last lap try to pass the guy but he won't let me so I decide to slow down and wait till the last 100 but the wind is horrible. I then decide give it one last shot so I put my head down and dig the last 80 meters and the guy is coming back so I pump my arms and I lean at the line. I win the race and in 4:52 haha, It felt like I had run 4:30 mile but overall it was a fun race. I also got my picture taken by Mlive.com with my brooks Id jersey on and I think the Owosso track team thought it was fun to cheer on one of the coaches instead of the coaches cheering for them.... Run Happy !!!

Here's the video of the race... http://videos.mlive.com/flintjournal/2011/05/great_finish_to_worlds_fastest.html##

Steps for Courage 5k/High School Track

Steps for Courage is alittle local 5k that has around 100-200 runners/walkers that helps the local hospitals cancer center in Owosso, Michigan.

I haven't raced at all this year and I was sick of just training every day and not racing... so, I wanted to see what kind of shape I was in. The last few weeks of training hasn't been the best, ever sense I rolled my ankle and got sick. I haven't been able to get long runs in and only a few tempo runs, no speed workouts.
So today I decided to get the Brooks Jersey out with the Brooks half tights and the Brooks racing flats, sense it was pretty nice out although it was pretty windy at 15-20 mph SW so I knew unless someone showed up to help push the pace I wasn't going to go under 16 min. I got out in the race pretty slow at 5:16 (I wanted to get out at least 5:10) but it was dead into the wind. I was already alone with next guy 50 meters behind me, so then I got to the 2nd mile and hit that at 5:16 (10:32 -2mile) and the guy behind me was still 50 meters or so. The course goes through a little sub-division after the 2 mile and we turn and head back to the start/finish line with the wind at are back. I wanted to try to get under 16 min still so I thought I was picking it up but I hit the 3 mile at 5:10 (15:42) and finished at 16:14. I won by 30-40 seconds and I felt like I had just ran a tempo run. I think I need to start getting in tempo run with my long runs to help with fighting through the latic pain you feel in the middle to tale end of the race. I know I slowed down/settled on the 3rd mile when I should have been pushing through the lactic pain on the last hill.

Overall I wasn't happy with the time but I won and I came out feeling like it was easy and I learned what I need to work on in the next few week. Hopefully the weather will allow me to get in good training runs without all the wind, rain and snow.

OWOSSO HIGH SCHOOL TRACK SEASON RECAP SO FAR:
-Overall the distance team has been doing pretty good with improving each meet. We started out at CMU with a win in the girls 3200 and should have had a win in the 1 mile but somehow are top girl was put into the slower heat and the first heat girl ran 2 sec faster.
-MSU was the next meet where we got some good runs in the 3200 with 12:00 and 12:16 then are girls miler ran well with some good runners from the lansing area.
-Jackson NW. Both boy's and girls won this meet...pretty windy and chilly out
-Corunna Relay: Girls got 4th place best placing in a few years.
-Mason/lakeville- Boys and girls went (1-1 )losing to mason which is the top team in the CAAC Red division, The Mason boys has 3 in the 3200 sub 10:00... Highlights for Owosso was we had 2 boys go sub 5 min in the mile (4;47 and 4:57 -first time going sub 5min) and another that was 5:03.
*School Record in the girls mile with a 5:25...4 sec faster then the previous record of 5:29
then she came back and ran a 2:29 (800) and a 1:03 in the 4x4 relay*
Next week we have a double duel vs. Lumen Christi/Lansing Waverly then friday we have a fun Invite we look to win at Webberville...