USATF New England Open Championships

Coming into the race:

The USATF New England Open & Masters Track Championships are an interesting event because the fields haven't been very deep in recent years. Since this event isn't part of a series, isn't used to qualify for anything, and doesn't have an cash on the line, most of the top runners in the area don't run it. However, having the title of New England Champion is pretty cool, so you never know who might show up. I won the 5000 meter in 2013 where the only real challenger was Nick Welch of New Balance Boston who didn't have his best race. I was coming back in 2014 to try and defend my title.

Online registration closed on Wednesday, and it looked like it was shaping up to be, more or less, a 2 man race for the win between myself and Alex Hall of BAA. I was actually pretty excited to race Alex which he called me out on right before the race (slightly embarrassing but funny at the same time). The first time we raced was in 2001 at the New Hampshire Middle School Cross Country State Championships. Being the cocky kid I was, I thought I had the race locked up before it even started, but Alex kept the race much closer than I anticipated. Although I won our inaugural meeting, it would be a very long time before I'd be able to repeat the feat. The next time we raced was in 2002 at the NH Class L High School Cross Country Championships were Alex absolutely crushed me. That was pretty much how the rest of our meetings went. We raced half a dozen times, all of which were Championship races, and he beat me every time. Our final race was at the 2005 New England Cross Country Championships when I placed 6th, 1 second ahead of Alex who finished 7th. It was easily the best race of my high school career, and I had finally been able to take him down again. He had clearly gotten the better of me all throughout high school, but I took some solace in book ending what I thought would be the end of the rivalry. Here we were though.....eight and a half years later.....racing in a Championship race.

When I arrived at Regis College, my hopes for a fast race slowly began to dwindle. During my 2.5 mile warm up, my legs felt flat, and temps were rising into the low 80s. Most of the issues I've been having over the last month were still lingering which wasn't doing much for my morale. After the warm up, I went to the starting tent to get my seed number and saw that there had been some race day entries. Sean Duncan was now seeded right behind me. I had seen Sean's name in results, but we had never actually raced. He ran well at the Boston Marathon this year though and looked fit. I thought there was a good chance it was going to be a tight race, but that didn't really change my race plan. There was a lot of talk around the starting area about running slow due to the heat and just hanging back to see who took out the race. A few minutes before the gun went off, I decided I was going to try to keep the race honest. This was likely to be my only 5000m on a track all year and one of my best shots at a fast race. My plan was to take the race out at 15:00 pace and see how things played out.

The Race:

The race started out as expected. I didn't really push the first 100 meters to see if anyone wanted the lead, and when no one took it, I settled into 15:00 pace out front. I don't know exactly what happened behind us, but it seemed like Sean and I were pretty much alone after a lap or two. Alex has been training for much longer races including running the Boston Marathon this year and only recently started focusing on shorter distances. He's been winning a bunch of local road races, but I don't think he has done much, if any, targeted training for the 5000. So, unfortunately, we didn't get to mix it up.

The first 3K of the race was uneventful. I kept rolling at 15:00 pace, and Sean was right behind me. Once or twice, I tried to surge slightly when the pace started to lag, but he stayed right with me. As we went through 3K just a bit off 15:00 pace, I felt like there was no hope of running a fast time. I didn't feel horrible. I just felt flat. At that point, I decided to stop worrying about the time and start worrying more about trying to win. So, I really eased back on the pace, and by the two mile mark, Sean had taken the lead. My goal was to sit back for two and a half laps, recover, and try my luck at a 400 meter sprint. That didn't pan out though. With 800 meters to go, Sean really picked up the pace and that was all she wrote. I tried to keep the gap from getting too big, but in the end, I gave in mentally.

Overall, I was disappointed with my effort. It ended up being a race of half measures where I never fully committed to going for time or going for the win. As a result, I didn't accomplish either. I absolutely can't fault Sean. I would have done the same thing from his position. He ran the smart race. If someone is going to take the lead at a pace you're comfortable with, following is the clear choice. That being said, I doubt I would have had much of a shot at the win even if I did run a tactical race. He's in good form and ran a great race. I could blame it on the heat, the fact that I was leading, or that my legs weren't feeling great, but in reality, I just wasn't ready for that race physically or mentally. It's very disheartening to come back and run the exact same time I ran last year especially when I felt like I was ready to run much faster. I guess they can't all be career days though. On to the next.

Sean gave an interview with Level Renner about the race here

Results:

 

Full Results Here

  Picture from Krissy Kozlosky's site.

Saturday 6/28

Today was a planned easy day with the race tomorrow. I was feeling pretty lousy though, and it ended up being a much slower day than usual. There isn't one major issue. Just a bunch of little things that have been building up over the last month. I think I'll likely have to take a few days off next week to recharge, but I'm still optimistic about the race tomorrow. 8 mile out and back along the Charles at 6:20 pace. Weather was great. 8 miles in 50:42.

Friday 6/27

Gearing down for the race on Sunday. Kept things relaxed on the run today. 10 mile out and back along the Charles. Weather was beautiful at 70 and sunny. 10 miles in 59:05. Total for the week: 71 miles on 7 runs.

Also switched up my training shoes today. I'll continue to sporadically fit in my current Lunarglide 5s since they still have some miles left, but I was in the mood for a change. When Nike started phasing out the Lunarglide 3s in favor of the 4s, I wasn't really a fan of the new version, so I stocked up on the 3s. I still had one pair of the Boston design left, and I had been undecided about whether or not I was going to use them for running. It felt like a waste to use them as casual shoes though.

Thursday 6/26

Another relaxed day to hopefully speed the recover for Sunday's race. Standard 11 mile out and back along the Charles. The pace was slightly faster than yesterday, but that was due more to the fact that the weather was more forgiving at 70 and sunny. 11 miles in 64:27.

Wednesday 6/25

My legs felt pretty good for the day after a race. The USATF New England Open Championships for Outdoor Track and Field are coming up this Sunday 6/29, and I had been on the fence about whether or not it would be a good idea to try to defend my title at 5000 meters. After running fairly well at the JPM CC and having my legs feel like they are recovering quickly, I just can't turn down a chance to defend my title. I'm actually really excited about one of the match ups, but I'll get into that more as the race gets closer.

Since I'll be running another race after only four and a half days, this week will probably end up being low key as far as running goes. I want to keep the miles up, but I'm planning on continuing the trend of running slightly slower than normal training pace. Today was a standard 11 mile out and back along the Charles at right around 6:00 pace. The weather was a very nice but just a bit on the  hot side at 85 degrees and sunny. With the sun beating down in the middle of the run, the pace wasn't terribly easy. However, once I got back into the shade during the later miles, the pace felt more relaxed. I was really surprised how well my legs seemed to recover. I could barely feel the race at all. Hopefully that continues over the next few days. 11 miles in 65:32.

As I was browsing the running gear in my weekly sweep of the shops need Downtown Crossing, I came across a pair of New Balance RC1400s for only $40 and had to pick them up. I needed a new pair of road racing flats anyway since my Lunar Racer 1s have seen a few too many races. Pumped that I found such a good deal. Can't wait to try them out.

J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Race Recap

The J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge is 3.5 mile race through downtown Boston. The race starts on Charles St between the Boston Commons and Boston Public Garden. The course wraps around the Boston Public Garden, runs out and back along Commonwealth Ave and finishes back at the start. Registration for the race opens on April 1st, and the limit of 12,000 entrants is usually met by April 2nd. In order to register for the race, you must be part of a corporate team for a company that operates in the Boston area. Team scoring is done by aggregate time of the top four finishers with Male, Female and Mixed categories. A company can score as many four person teams as they like. With 12,000 runners, this is the largest race contained entirely in Boston. I tried to register for the race in 2012 and 2013 but wasn't able to get in. So, I was very excited to be running in 2014.

Coming into the Race:

I felt okay during the day on Tuesday. I still have some lingering soreness in my left hamstring and hip, but it isn't nearly as bad as it was around Market Square Day. I also had an open blister on my right achilles which was kind of bothering me. I don't usually get them, but I made a bad sock choice during a run over the weekend. It is right at the top of my heel where my shoe rubs, and all of the skin has been pulled away. It's a small thing, but it was giving me some issues. Thankfully, I was able to figure out a decent fix in a non-stick pad and nexcare tape. It ended up bleeding through the pad during the race, but it wasn't a factor since it was virtually painless.

My focus was definitely lacking throughout the day. Racing at night is always difficult for me because all I can think about during the day is the race. On the upside, it did give me ample time to figure out my pre-race plan and race strategy. I knew the pre-race was going to be hectic. With 12,000 runners and who knows how many spectators all crammed into the Boston Common area just after rush hour, moving around and getting to where you need to be would be a challenge.

Judging what the competition would be like is difficult with a race of this size and no registration list. The last few years had been won at about 5:00 pace, but 2009 and 2011 both required about 4:50 pace. Last year's winner, Andrew Combs, ran a 4:17 mile on June 5th at the Adrian Martinez Classic, so I wouldn't want to leave it to sprint finish if he returned. Not knowing who I would be up against, I really didn't want to leave it to a sprint finish if I could avoid it. Regardless of how confident I am with my 400 meter kick, any real track runner would be able to take me in the last quarter mile. My plan was to go out at about 4:55 pace and see how things developed.

I hung out at work until 5:30 pm, got changed into some running clothes then rode my bike to a co-worker/teammate's apartment in Back Bay. His place was relatively close to the start line, so we decided to use it as pre-race head quarters.  Shout out to Billy for generously allowing us to his place. At 6:10, I stretched and went out for a solitary 2 mile warm up around Back Bay at 6:15 pace. The rest of my team aren't really competitive runners, and the mile from Back Bay to the start line would be enough of a warm up for them. After the warm up, I headed back to his place for final race prep and to listen to some pump up music. We left Back Bay around 6:35 and did a slow mile jog over to the Boston Common where we parted ways so that I could try to find my parents who had driven down from New Hampshire! I also wanted to scout out exactly where the start and finish line would be. Sure enough, my parents and roommate were there waiting for me. I chatted with them for a few minutes then headed over to the Boston Common entrance on to Charles St where volunteers were trying to get runners ready to head to the start. This is when the chaos began. They were trying to pack all of the runners into the Boston Common so that they could release the runners onto the street at 7:00 to line up in a three wave start at 7:15. I got a spot off to the side but fairly close to the gate that led onto Charles St and watched as the volunteers desperately tried to get people to back up and allow more runners in. Unfortunately, the sound from the megaphones they were using just wasn't carrying over the volume of so many runners. At 6:58, the runners on the opposite side of the street decided they had enough waiting and started a dash towards the start line. The volunteers had no choice but to let us go as well, and I did a "stride" to the start line. Fortunately, I was able to get a decent position on the start line without too much trouble. There is a sharp left hand turn 100 meters into the race, so I positioned myself just right of center on the starting line to avoid getting boxed in. By the time the gun finally went off, I had been waiting at the start or waiting to get to the start for 25 minutes. This was as I expected though. With so many runners, I knew it was going to be a bit of a process to get the whole group doing what they needed to be doing. All in all, I think it was very well organized, and the volunteers did a great job.

The Race:

I've got video of both the start and the finish, but the quality isn't good enough to post right now.  I'm hoping to get them cleaned up and posted in the next few days. The start of the race had a decent amount of jostling. The start line was crowded, and everyone was trying to get to the first turn quickly. After 20 meters of bumping into the runners next to me, I was able to get out into space and made it to the corner without any major issues. The course took another sharp left followed by a right all in the first quarter mile before things settled down as we headed out down Comm Ave.

I found myself in a group of about 10 runners during the first mile. We were moving at about 4:45 pace into a 15 mph gusting headwind, so I was happy to just tuck in. Half a mile in, a guy wearing a t-shirt and Nike Lunarglide 5 training shoes made a move on the lead pack (turned out to be Zack Schwartz). He quickly put 15 meters on us, and nobody tried to go with him. I think everyone just assumed he was going out too hard since he wasn't really dressed for a race and it wasn't an ideal spot to make a move. We were running into gusting winds, and he wasn't putting on enough speed to pull away. The gap was maybe 15 meters, and he wasn't trying to increase it. We went through the mile in 4:48, and runners slowly started to fall off the lead pack.

Coming into the turn around at the halfway point, I was in 5th place and ready to make my move. We had slowed down slightly in the second mile, and with the wind about to be at my back, I thought I could create some separation without pushing myself too hard. I picked up the pace as we went around the hairpin turn and quickly started to break away from the lead pack. After about a hundred yards, I was all alone and feeling good. My race plan was working out perfectly. Until I realized that all had not gone to plan. The runner in training shoes was still out in front of me. He must have also picked up the pace around the hairpin turn, and without me noticing, he had built his lead to 30 meters (very impressive and well timed move). I split 4:58 for the second mile and started to get worried even though I still felt pretty good. I didn't have enough energy to significantly pick up the pace at this point in the race, and he wasn't slowing down. I would later find out that Zack shouldn't be counted out of any race with results like a win in 24:43 at the Harpoon 5 Miler in May. That's the interesting thing about races like this. You never know who will show up, and it can be difficult at times to spot the good runners.

I decided to wait it out a bit longer and just held the gap at 30 meters through 2.5 miles. With a mile to go, I started to pick up the effort. I thought 30 meters would probably be too much to make up in the last 400 meters, so I wanted to slowly reel him back in to a manageable distance. I went through 3 miles in 4:55, and it started to creep into my head that I wasn't going to be able to catch him as he still had 25 meters on me. As we came around the Boston Public Garden in the final turns, I really started to pick up the pace. I started thinking about waiting 2 years to run this race and how good it would feel to win. When we came around the final turn onto Charles St with 400 meters to go, I was only 15 meters behind, and I started an all out kick. I doubt it was actually very fast since I was pretty much gassed by that point, but I was making up ground. I passed Zack with about 150 meters to go and put everything I had into creating some distance. I was only able to manage 5-10 meters before I ran out of steam. I spent the last 100 meters just trying to make it to the finish line as I checked over my shoulder a few times to make sure he wasn't coming back on me. I crossed the line with my arms held wide for the win in 17:01 over 3.5 miles. I haven't felt like this after a race since Market Square Day last year, and I have to say that I missed it. I am also very proud of my US Bank teammates who all did a great job. We are still waiting on the team results though.

Just a great overall event. Being able to race through downtown Boston in such a big race with great crowd support was amazing.

Getting my award after the race took a bit longer than I anticipated. Volunteers brought me over to a fenced off section by the stage overlooking the start line and asked me to wait for some pictures and the awards ceremony. After that, I did a meandering 3.5 mile cool down through Boston at ancient marathoner pace. I ended at Billy's apartment to pick up my stuff and ride my bike back to the North End.

Level Renner did a write up and has a video from around the 3 mile mark Here.

Top Male and Female Results:

 

Couple of photos courtesy of the JPM CC site

Spectacular award complete with gloves for proper handling!

Monday 6/23

Less than 24 hours till the race. I have a few minor discomforts but no major issues. Feeling like I'm ready to go. I don't think I'll be in the mentality to go out and "crush the spirit of my competitors", but I'm optimistic that I'll be able to put in a good effort. I'm also starting to get pretty nervous though.

Easy 8 mile out and back along the Charles at 6:0X pace. Tried to keep it easy and relaxed. Weather was great with the sun out in the low 70s accompanied by a nice breeze. Hoping the weather is just as nice tomorrow. 8 miles in 48:34.

Sunday 6/22

Winding down a bit to get ready for the race on Tuesday. 10 mile out and back along the Charles at a little under 6:00 pace. Another sunny day with temps in the low 70s. Run felt pretty good, and I'm optimistic about the upcoming race. Kept the rest of the day really mellow. I've been itching to get back on the bike, but I think double sessions will be much better saved until later. 10 miles in 59:30.

Saturday 6/21

Back to feeling a bit off. Nothing horrible. Just slightly sore and tight. No need to really push the pace with the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge on Tuesday though. Today's run was about getting in the miles. Kept the pace easy and actually felt pretty good after a few miles. Standard out and back along the Charles with excellent sunny weather in the mid 70s. 11 miles in 65:30.

Friday 6/20

Really good run today. I haven't felt quite right on run for the last two weeks. Finally started to get my stride back today. 11 mile out and back along the Charles. Weather was perfect at sunny and 72 with a cooling breeze. The pace was right in my target range and seemed relatively easy.  Just an overall upbeat run. 11 miles in 63:12. Total for the week: 78.5 miles on 7 runs.

Thursday 6/19

I've got plans for after work again today, so I got my run in during lunch. It kind of worked out though since it was only 75 when I ran, and temps are going to get up into the 80s later. Standard out and back along the Charles. The sun was beating down which was countered by a decent breeze which cooled things off a bit. Pace wasn't quite at normal training pace, but it wasn't overly easy either. Overall, pretty enjoyable run. 11 miles in 64:06.

Wednesday 6/18

Went out for dinner after work to celebrate Sarah's birthday. It was another 80+ degree day, so waiting to run wasn't a bad idea anyway. We went out to Legal Harborside in the Seaport District which was amazing. I tried my best not to eat too much, but it was difficult. Got home around 8:30 and gave myself half an hour to digest. Temps were still in the high 70s which wasn't bad with the sun down. With J.P. Morgan less than a week away, I decided to take it a bit easy to let my hamstring recover. It has been gradually improving but still twinges during runs. Averaged 6:0X pace on an out and back along the Charles which didn't really feel all that easy in the dark with a full stomach. Made it through the run without any issues though. Nothing too exciting. Just logging the miles between two races. 11 miles in 67:13.

Tuesday 6/17

After a couple days of minor internal bleeding, I finally went to see a doctor about the stomach issues I've been having. Wasn't anything major, but I got some meds to help rebuild the lining of my stomach. I'm also going to have to switch up my diet a bit. I was informed that drinking more than 2 liters of seltzer water a day isn't the best idea. That combined with running and acidic foods was causing havoc in my stomach.

Weather was fairly hot today in the low 80's, so I waited a while after work to go for my run. By 7:30, temps had dropped into the high 70's, and I went for an out and back along the Charles. It was definitely still warm but manageable as there was a decent breeze which cooled things off. 11 miles in 64:18.

Monday 6/16

Standard out and back along the Charles. I've been favoring the out and back lately for a few reasons. 1. I can pick the exact distance that I want to run 2. I found a slightly modified route that can go up to 11 miles without any traffic stops between miles 1 and 10. I had less than a minute of down time during the run today which was great. Hamstring was still tight but wasn't much of an issue. 11 miles in 63:49.

Sunday 6/15

After leaving Market Square Day yesterday, my stomach started to feel fairly uncomfortable. By the time it got home, it was pretty bad, and that combined with waiting around for over an hour for the awards, I didn't get in a very good post-race routine. I felt dehydrated and hungry but couldn't keep anything down for a few hours. As a result, I tightened back up, and I woke up this morning with my hamstring feeling sore again. It wasn't as bad as it had been previously, but it's still something I need to monitor. I was considering taking an off day until around 6pm when I was feeling a bit better and decided to test things out. After a few minutes on the treadmill, I determined my leg was good enough for a run. Weather was great at 70 and sunny for an 11 mile out and back along the Charles. Didn't push the effort, but I did get closer to my normal training pace which felt good after a week of slow training runs. I also hit the traffic lights nearly perfect with only 40 seconds of down time which was awesome. 11 miles in 62:50.

Market Square Day 10K

Recap of the Race Last Year:

Coming into Market Square Day last year, I was much more confident. By that point, I had raced 5 times, and they all ended in a PR (3,000M, 5000M, 5000M again, Road 5K) or a course record. I had also won the first 2 Seacoast Road Race Series by more than 30 seconds. Granted, I hadn't raced a 10K since my only previous 10K race: the 2003 Bridges 4 Friendship 10K. So, I was a bit nervous about the distance, but I wasn't overly concerned.

When I got to the line, one of the other runners informed me that Jonny Wilson had showed up. I had no idea who he was at the time, but I was told that he was an extremely good 10K runner out of Maine who I probably wouldn't be able to run with (I appreciated the vote of confidence right before a race haha). That changed the race strategy. I had been planning on going out at 5:00 pace to see if anyone would stay with me. Now that I knew there was a serious 10K runner in the field, I would have to wait and see what he did.

Things went out extremely slow with a pedestrian first mile of 5:20. I was itching to pick up the pace but thought my best chance for the win was to keep the pace slow for as long as possible. So, I waited, and waited, and waited. The pace stayed slow at 5:20 - 5:25 for the first 4 miles which meant there was a fairly big group all running together at the front: myself, Jonny, Andrew Huebner (still rebounding from Boston), Josh Andrews, Jim Johnson, Justin Montgomery, and Kevin Tilton. Jonny finally made a move at the 4 mile mark. It seemed like he may have been waiting for that point because it was an extremely decisive move. He immediately put a small gap on the group, and I went with him. After a few seconds, I couldn't hear anyone behind us, and I knew that no one had come with us. I still felt really good since the first 4 miles had been so slow, but as we went through the 5 mile mark in 4:40, I started to realize that I wouldn't be able to hold that pace until the end. I was banking on the fact that he was just trying to drop me and would slow up slightly in the last mile. Thankfully, it worked out that way. I ran just off his shoulder, and once he realized that I wasn't going anywhere, we slowed down to 5:00 pace. About half a mile into mile 6, it started to creep into my mind that I might have to settle for second. The 4:40 had taken alot out of me, and I thought that if he started a long kick then I would be done for. I was able to hang on and began to gain confidence as we got closer and closer to the finish. He wasn't picking up the pace, and I felt like I just needed to hold on until the bottom of the hill at the 6 mile mark. From there, I'd be able to start my kick and just hope that it held until the end. I went into a full sprint at the bottom of the hill with 400 meters to go, and by the time I hit the top of the hill 100 meters later, the race was over. He hadn't tried to respond to my move, and I was able to ride the downhill to the finish line. I finished in 32:10 for the win which I was really happy about. However, the race had been extremely slow and neither Jonny nor Andrew were at 100% health.


How I Felt Before the Race this year:

The hot tub did its job. I woke up on Saturday morning feeling better than I had all week. My hamstring and hip were still tight, but I was confident that I would be able to loosen things up. I did a quick soak in the hot tub before leaving my parent's house, took a few anti-inflammatory, lathered on the icy hot, and did some stretching exercises. After my 2.5 mile warm up at 5:50 pace, I wasn't really concerned about my leg anymore. It felt pretty good, and I thought it would hold up for the race.

My overall confidence wasn't soaring though. I hadn't raced at all in 230 days, and I hadn't raced well in about a year. I had built up a decent base on 8 weeks of solid training, but I had a few bumps along the way that had broken up my rhythm. I was only able to log 36 miles in the week leading up to the race and had to take 4 consecutive days completely off from running. I tried not to think about it though. I focused on my last track workout of repeat miles which suggested that I was ready for this race.

Before the race, I saw that both Jonny Wilson and Andrew Huebner had registered for the race. Jonny had run a 31:15 10K in May, so I assumed he would be mixing it up for the win. Andrew had run an amazing 1:42:33 at the Eastern States 20 Miler at the end of March, but I hadn't seen anything from him since. I would later find out that he is prepping for the Grandma's Marathon next weekend where he hopes to run sub 2:18 and qualify for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. So, he is fairly fit haha.

Not knowing how fit Andrew was, my plan was to go out in 5:00 and see how things developed.

Race Recap:

My race strategy was out the window in the first 100 meters. Andrew and Jonny started a hammerfest right from the start, and I decided to go with them. After 400 meters, I realized that they weren't slowing down, so even though there wasn't any wind, I tucked in behind them to survey the situation. About half a mile into the race, I glanced at my watch which showed we were running about 4:35 pace. It seemed like Jonny and Andrew both wanted a very fast race. I was okay with that, but this was too fast for me. I thought I could maybe hold 4:50 for a few miles without blowing up, but a mile in the 4:30s? That might be enough to finish me off in a 10K. I made the choice to stay tucked in behind them though. I thought there was an outside shot they were going out so hard to try and drop me early. After all, we were well under 30 minute pace which is something I don't think either of them have done in a 10K. So, I stayed with them and hoped that they would let off the pace after the first mile. We went through the 1st mile in 4:41, and they didn't let up very much. As we cruised during the 2nd mile, the pace was still about 4:50, and I had to start easing off. I still felt okay, but I knew that I would be gassed by the 3rd mile if I kept going. I went through the 2nd mile in 4:55, and they had a 5 second lead on me. From there, the gap just grew and grew. I was backing way off the pace now, but there were moments in the 3rd mile, when I still thought "Alright, I just need to regroup, hold the gap where it is, and I can start trying to make it up as they slow down." That wasn't to be though. I went through the 3rd mile in 5:11, and the wheels fell off. The only time I've gone under 4:40 for a mile in the last 2 years is during a 3K, so starting out with a 4:41 in a 10K was just too much for me right now. I was completely alone for the next two miles as I entered no man's land. Andrew and Jonny were moving in and out of sight up ahead, and we had put a big gap on the rest of the field behind us. Mile splits were 5:19 and 5:10 as I struggled through miles 4 and 5. During the last mile, I briefly entertained the idea of trying to pull things back together to finish strong with a 5:00. I couldn't do it though. Even when the runners in places 4-7 jumped out in front of me after taking a wrong turn, I wasn't able to summon the energy to run them down. The tank was empty, and I had given in mentally. I finished up with a 5:16 last mile and 1:15 (did I even sprint here? I can't remember, but it doesn't look like it) for the last .25 (slightly long probably due to tangents). Final time was 31:47, and I had to workout my place with the race officials. 3 of the runners who had run the wrong way knew it and pointed that out to the officials at the finish line. One of the runners was acting like he wasn't sure though, so I had to make sure I got counted as 3rd.

Overall, it wasn't the race I was hoping for, but it was the performance that I was expecting. The week leading up to the race was less than ideal, and I still have alot of work to do with my training. I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I would be though. At least I tried to go out with the leaders even if it was very stupid. I also take some solace in the fact that if I had run as well as I thought I might be able to going to the race (31:00-31:15), I still would have ended up in 3rd place well behind the winning time of 30:31.

2014 Market Square Day 10K Top 10:

1 1/3 MOPEN 30:31 Andrew Huebner
2 2/3 MOPEN 30:41 Jonny Wilson
3 3/3 MOPEN 31:47 Eric Couture
4 1/126 M2029 33:26 Thomas Paquette
5 1/214 M3039 34:07 Jim Johnson
6 1/199 M4049 34:20 Rich Smith
7 2/214 M3039 34:26 Mark Brissette
8 3/214 M3039 34:35 Chris Grange
9 2/126 M2029 34:57 Adam Brooks
10 3/126 M2029 35:04 Lucas Pozzetta

Matt Parker Photo from Seacoast Online


Meandered through Portsmouth on an easy 3.75 mile cool down at ancient marathoner pace with Jim Johnson before heading back to the finishing area to enjoy the food/refreshments and collect my medal. 12.5 miles for the day.

Friday 6/13

Stuck in the same position. My hamstring is tight but not getting worse. It’s on the borderline of being able and not being able to race. It seems like I would be able to put in a decent effort, but I’m starting to question if I’ll be able to really push it. If I race, I also run risk putting myself out of commission, and I can’t determine which race is more important: Market Square Day or the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge (only 10 days away). Missing Market Square Day would mean I can’t defend my title for the race or the Seacoast Road Race Series as a whole. Not to mention the fact that Market Square Day is a great race, and my training suggests I’m ready for a 10K PR. On the other hand, I’ve wanted to run the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge for 2 years. I’m the person who set up the team for my company which I am now captaining, and if I don’t race, we won’t be eligible to score as a team. So, not running JP really isn’t an option, but I know if I don’t try to race MSD, I’ll regret it.
I’m kind of hoping things just work out at this point haha. I’m in between a rock and hard place, and the only way out is with a little luck. My general sense is that I’ll be disappointed with the outcome at MSD tomorrow and then forced to run JP slow because I strained my hamstring. I know…. pretty negative. There is one last glimmer of hope somewhere in the back of my mind though. One of the best parts about going back to my parents’ house to race in NH is their hot tub. That thing can work wonders on tight muscles. I’m holding out that combined with only a 6 mile run today is enough to loosen things up.
Not much to report on the running front. Easy 6 miles at 6:00 pace. My hamstring seems to loosen up after about a mile and half, but the pace has been incredibly easy for the last 4 days. I don’t know what will happen when I try to drop a 5 flat mile. 6 miles in 36:00.

Thursday 6/12

Same story as the last two days. Hamstring is still tight, but with copious amounts of icy hot and an anti-inflammatory, I can get through an easy run without too much difficulty. 10 mile out and back along the Charles in 59:13. I’m planning on backing off even more tomorrow to get ready for the race on Saturday. Just hoping that it’s enough to bring things together.

Wednesday 6/11

My leg was pretty sore when I got home from work. I did a bunch of stretching exercises and felt like it was probably slightly worse off than it had been on Tuesday. So, I decided not to run. My resolve not to run held for about 2 hours while I watched TV and ate dinner. Around 7:30, the urge to run started to take over again. I did more exercises and thought "What harm can it do to jump on treadmill for a half mile and see how things feel? At least then I will have a definitive answer for the night and can move on to something else." Well, I would find out the harm it could do was to convince me running might not be such a bad idea. I had really been of two minds about it. On the one hand, I wanted to make sure I stay fit, and on the other, I wanted to make sure it wasn't going to make things worse. After the half mile on the treadmill, I felt pretty good though and couldn't resist running. I went out for an easy 10 mile out and back along the Charles at 6:0X pace. I got an upset stomach over the last 4 miles due to eating quite a bit at dinner, but other than that, I felt okay. Still not 100% but maintaining I suppose. My ideal situation would be to get in an easy run on both Thursday and Friday which would give me a decent set up for Market Square Day on Saturday, but everything is up in the air. It all depends on how my leg responds and recovers over the next 2 days. 10 miles in 61:22.

Tuesday 6/10

Still not 100%, but I thought today was the day to get out there and test how running felt. I was still sore, but I was hoping that I was at the point that I could safely run without causing more damage. I did a 10 mile out and back along the Charles, and my leg held up reasonably well. I had slathered on the icy hot and taken a few anti-inflammatories, but I was still surprised how well my hamstring loosened up. My only issue was some minor tightness in my hip. I kept the pace easy at about 5:55, and I was able to finish up the run still feeling good. The real test would come afterward though. I thought I would be able to handle a run without any real problems, but I was worried how I would feel the next day. Immediately after the run, I felt really good. Much better than I had in about a week. My hamstring felt close to 100%, and my hip was only slightly sore. We'll see how things feel tomorrow though. 10 miles in 58:52.

Monday 6/9 - Biking

Still too sore to run. Improving though. It took some will power not to run today since I feel like I am also ready to give it a go, but I thought the smart thing to do was hold off to make sure I don't increase the risk of missing my next two races. Instead, I went out for a 25 mile bike ride around Boston. Started off with my normal bike route of 10 miles straight out along the Charles. I was planning on a more even effort today, but things didn't quite work out that way. I caught the wheel of a few decent bikers putting in a 22-24 mph effort (into the wind) in the early miles which isn't something you usually see in this area, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ride along with them. Since I haven't run in 4 days now, I was itching to open up the throttle, and I probably would have found another excuse to push the pace anyway. I rode with them for the first 7 miles when they broke off heading in a different direction. I kept the pace up for the next 3 miles until I hit the section where I leave the Charles near Watertown. At that point, I was on the fence about turning around and heading back the way I came. The second half of this ride can put some strain on my legs with the hills of Newton, and I didn't want to make my leg any worse. I had to stop for traffic at that point anyway, so I did a quick mental check. I told myself that my leg felt fine and biking hadn't been making it any worse. I have really been wanting to put in a solid effort over the last few days, and that part of brain ended up winning out. The rest of the ride was on the roads. Most sections have a dedicated bike lane, but some do not. The route makes its way into Newton through some neighborhoods and a little main street area. Once in Newton, the hills begin. They really aren't long sustained climbs, but as I only ride my bike in Boston, I don't do much climbing on my bike. I continue through the hilly neighborhoods to the Boston College Newton Campus, over to and up Heartbreak Hill, and through my old stomping grounds along the Boston College Campus. The first time I did this ride (and let's be honest, pretty much every ride since), I got pretty nostalgic through this section. I cut through Upper Campus which is where I lived the only two years that I lived on campus at BC. From there, I cruise down the hill that BC sits on, around the Chestnut Hill reservior, and back into the neighborhoods. I stay in the neighborhoods all the way through Brookline and turn out to Comm Ave at Fenway. After that, the ride is all city miles. I really don't mind it though. Picking up the pace through the city in the bike lanes can be really fun.


And now a few comments on my lovely bike. I picked it up two summers ago in the hopes of being able to do some cross training after suffering an injury. At the time, I was in a bit of a hurry to get a bike because I wanted to keep my fitness level up while I couldn't run, but I also didn't want to put too much money into a bike. I hadn't ridden a bike in the better part of a decade, and I had never ridden a bike with the intent of staying in shape. I was looking for something that would fit me, was reasonably priced for the quality, was available for pick up in the city, and was ready to ride. Obviously, my next move was to scour Craig's List. I found an ad for a bike for $150 in about 30 minutes and picked it up just a few hours later. I wasn't disappointed at all. I got exactly what I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, I like my bike, but to put it lightly, it just isn't quite built for speed like the bikes today. It's a 10 speed Belgium built Astra Tour de Belgique from 1971. While it is in pretty good condition for a 40+ year old bike, it still suffers from being an old bike. The steel frame weighs about twice that of an average bike today, the wheels no longer ride completely true, and changing gears takes some finesse. Given the chance, I wouldn't make a different decision though. Riding this bike is definitely a great workout, and as I don't race, there is no need for me to spend the money on race bike up to today's standards.

 

Sunday 6/8

Still unable to run. I finally felt like I would be able to ride my road bike without making the issue worse though. Got out for a 20 mile out and back along the Charles. Since the paths aren't dedicated bike paths, Miles 2-4 and 17-19 can be really stop and go which slows the overall speed down but also makes it a good workout. I wanted to see how things felt, so I really pushed the pace on the way out. I tried to keep the average above 20 mph and push it into the mid 20s whenever there was an open stretch. I would also get out of the saddle to get back up to speed quickly every time I had to slow down to go around other people. Made it to the turn around point in good time, and it didn't seem like biking was causing any issues with my sore leg. By that point, I had pretty much burnt myself out with all of the accelerations, so I let off the pace a little on the way back averaging 17-18 mph. It's important to note that my road bike is from the 1970s and can be a bit clunky, but I'll get into that more at another time. Overall, it felt good just to get in the exercise. My legs felt about as sore after the ride if not slightly improved from before.

Saturday 6/7

No run. Couldn't race. Very disappointing day. Woke up still sore and knew that if I ran, it would only make things worse. It also took just about all the will power I had not to go out for a bike ride. I hate days when I can't exercise. It drives me completely insane, but I felt like even riding my bike might make things worse.

Friday 6/6

No run. Too Sore. I knew if I ran it would make the problem worse. Still holding out that I may wake up Saturday with everything feeling better.

Thursday 6/5

Still sore today. Can't seem to shake it. I iced after my run yesterday and have been spending some extra time stretching. Woke up early and did an easy morning run before work to try and avoid the rain. Kind of worked but not really. The precipitation gradually picked up from a light mist in the first mile to a steady rain for the last two miles, but it wasn't a major issue since there wasn't a downpour and temps were in the low 60s. However, the weather didn't do much to raise my spirits. As far as running goes, I've been feeling like I've been in a bit of a funk since Tuesday Morning. Starting to question whether or not I'll actually be able to race Saturday.

I kept the pace slow again today at just about 6:00 pace and backed off the miles a bit. 8 mile out and back along the Charles in 48:14.

Wednesday 6/4

Another rocky start to the day. I was able to fall asleep earlier on Tuesday, but I was still sore when I woke up today. I could hear the rain outside, and a weather check told me, it was likely to continue for the morning and let up in the afternoon. So, I decided to hold off on the run until after work. By this point in the week, I am starting to get pretty nervous about the upcoming race and the state of my legs. I'm worried that I may have done one track workout too many in preparation for the race this weekend since I am still sore. It may have been better to just roll a tempo last weekend. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. All I can do is try to give my legs the best chance to recover. That was the major factor in not running when I got up. Had it been sunny this morning, I probably would have gone out for my run, but running in heavy rain always seems to take the snap out of my legs for a day or two. The last thing I need right now is to compound the issue. Looking at the weather report, I may not have much of an option for Thursday and Friday though.

Still a bit sore after work when I ran, so I slowed the pace down to 6:0X for today. Trying to get ready for the race this Saturday. 10 mi out and back along the Charles in 61:02.

Tuesday 6/3

Just an all-around "meh" kind of day. Tried to go to bed early on Monday night, but ended up just lying in bed trying to fall asleep. Woke up for my run today with my legs feeling sore and tired. Decided to hold off for a lunch run since I had plans for after work. Things got hectic at work and leaving for lunch at all was out of the question. So, I had to postpone my plans until Wednesday to make time for a run.

The run itself was fine. Weather was great at 70 and Sunny. I still wasn't feeling back to 100% from the workout on Sunday and didn't push the pace. I tried to focus on running even splits which didn't really work out as I let off the pace a bit too much in mile 7, but I did manage to keep 8 and 9 (normally my slower miles) in line with the earlier miles. 10.4 miles in 58:24

My legs felt really tight a few hours after the run, so I went for a walk along the water in the North End to try and loosen things up. In retrospect, I probably should have held back more on the run today. Since the race this Saturday will be my first race of the year and will likely be my best chance for a fast 5k this summer, the paces I run during my training runs in the week leading up to it don't need to be anything special.

Bed early to try to get off to a better start on Wednesday.

Monday 6/2 - Plus some pics

I figured today was going to be a fairly rough run. I put in a quality effort during the workout yesterday, and today was the first day that temps hit 80 while I was running. Therefore, I was expecting a slogging run, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. My legs were tired, but not as sore as I was anticipating. I got out for a decent walk around the Boston Common at lunch which loosened things up. The first 5 or 6 miles of my run felt great. I held a normal training pace with what seemed like less effort than I've been putting in recently. During miles 7, 8 and 9, I could feel the effects of the heat as the sun beat down with no cloud cover, and I slowed down slightly. I stayed below 6:00 minute pace though while keeping myself relaxed, and I was able to pull things together in the last mile when I go back into the shade. Overall, nice easy run as I recover from the workout yesterday. I did feel a little tight afterward, and I'm planning on a morning run tomorrow. So, we'll see how fast I am really recovering then. 58:57 for the standard 10.4 mile loop around the Charles.

So, the majority of my runs are on the walking/running/biking paths along the Charles River in Boston, but I haven't had any pictures of that area to post up until now. When I went for my bike ride yesterday, I brought my camera along and took a few pics to give you a sense of what it looks like around there if you aren't familiar with it.

 

  Sailboats and crew teams are very common along my route. This is near the Esplanade. 

 

 Just an example of what the paths look like.

 

Most sections have a center line which people tend to ignore unfortunately.

 

 BU Boathouse

Ha'va'd Boathouse

Sunday 6/1 - Speed Workout

Didn't get up quite as early as I hoped today. Made it to the Charlestown track by 10am though, and luckily, there weren't any games going on in the infield. There were 4 elementary school track kids doing a workout with their coach, but they were really cool. I talked to them a bit during my recoveries. They were doing repeat 100s and working on their turns.

The weather was perfect at 65 and Sunny with no wind. I will admit it felt warmer than it was with no clouds, but it wasn't an issue. After a 2.25 mile warm up at 5:50 pace, my workout plan for today was 5 x 1 Mile with full recovery of 3.5 minute rest. When I do this workout, I usually just run 1600s, but I decided to do full miles today. So, for lap splits, I just counted the extra 9 meters all in the first lap since I usually start too fast anyway. For pace, I wanted to shoot for 71 seconds laps and 4:45 mile pace. Per usual, my splits were all over the place. During the 1st repeat, I started with two 69 second laps before finding the pace and finishing in 4:40. I hit my marks all the way through the 2nd mile for a 4:45. I felt good at that point, but I could tell I was going to pay the price for starting off to fast in the 1st mile. For my 3rd and 4th miles, I backed off to 72-73 second laps, and pushed the last lap to finish in 4:47 and 4:49. For the final repeat, I really wanted to bring it back down to 4:45. I was feeling fairly tired by that point and didn't think I could hold 71s the whole time. So I started off with 72s and made up the difference in the last lap to finish on pace with a 4:45. (4:40, 4:45, 4:47, 4:49, 4:45)

My pacing was inconsistent during this workout, but it averaged out to the goal pace. So while it would have been nice to run evenly throughout, I was happy overall. I ran some good splits for my current fitness level, and it felt like a very solid effort. I could definitely feel the effects of the workout during the 3.25 mile cooldown as I slowly made my way home at ancient marathoner pace. I think the average pace was around 8 minute pace. Definitely the slowest miles I've run over the last 2 years, but I didn't see any need to pick up the pace on the cooldown. 10.5 miles all together.

I also got out for an easy 15 mile bike ride later in the day. I had been sitting around doing a movie marathon all day after my workout and was feeling a bit lazy. I have also been itching to get back on the bike anyway. It was such a nice day that I couldn't resist. It wasn't much of a workout anyway. More of just a shake out. Felt really good after, so I did a quick core workout as well.