Sunday, February 12, 2012

A Couple Race Reports and PR's ...

Yep, it is a Chocolate (edible) Medal!
Race Report #1: LifeTime Fitness 10K Chocolate Run

Today Annie and I ran in the inaugural LifeTime Fitness Lake Houston 5K/10K Chocolate Run. The course was setup by our friend and Run Club Coordinator, Coach KT White, and she did a wonderful job for the first year event. She had over 100 runners signed up and the premise of the race was simple: Run and then eat chocolate. This is something most of us can support!

The 10K was scheduled to start at 9am followed by the 5K at 9:15 and, as luck would have it, it was the coldest day of the winter so far for us in South East Texas. The wind was cutting and the Real Feel Temps were in the high teens to low 20's. It was freaking cold!

My plan for the race was to take it out slow and then settle into marathon pace (7:00/mi) and just cruise on in for some chocolate. I had run 20 miles yesterday (and 60 for the week) so today was to be nothing more than a flush out the lactic acid type of run.

The starting cowbell rang and the group took off. Within a few steps I was up in the front with a couple other guys and it was absolutely freezing. I was flapping my arms around like bird wings trying to stay warm - this had to look ridiculous! I looked up and saw my buddy Dennis on his bike as he was to lead the front runners along the course. At this point I decided it was so damn cold that running faster would get me back indoors that much sooner. A new plan had been devised! I dropped down to about a 5min pace to catch up to Dennis on the bike. I looked back and no one had come with me so within less than a quarter of a mile this was my race to win or lose.

When I got within earshot I yelled for him to slow the hell down so I'd have someone to chat with. Dennis was freezing too so he was down with my plan of going faster than planned and I told him to keep his bike speed around 9mph (6:30 running pace) and we settled in to that pace.

The rest of the run was rather uneventful. I was running at a good pace but not one that had me redlining or even really hurting that bad. I was concerned with blowing up my legs so I held back just enough to lay down a respectable time. The last mile of the run was into a pretty viscous head wind and this one hurt a little bit as I maintained the same pace but it was over quick.

Dennis dropped off with about 400 meters to go and I cruised on in at the time of 40:20 for the win. I wish I would have paid more attention to my watch (it was tucked under my sleeve) and ran a little harder as I was just 21 seconds short of going sub-40. Still a 5min PR!

Jeff Irvin
LifeTime Fitness 10K Chocolate Run
Humble, TX 2/12/12
40:20 - 6:29/mi avg
First Place Overall

1st Place Award - A vase of Chocolate, the entire thing is filled with Hersey Kisses and bars!

Race Report #2: Bridgefest 5K

Saturday, Feb 4th - This was the second year in a row that I have run in the Bridgefest 5K. Last year it was icy and freezing and I was coming off a bout with Bronchitis. I finished last year in 19:54 and my current 5K PR sits at 19:43.

My Tri Club sets up a tent at this race since it is local and this means we have to get there early to get this accomplished. The race starts at 9am and we had the tent up by 6:15am - just before the skies opened up!!!

Yep, another Bridgefest with crappy weather!

It literally just poured on us all morning long with high winds, thunder, and lightening. The organizers pushed the start time of the 5K back by 45 minutes as the radar showed a little break in the weather and would allow us to get in the run. The radar was wrong - this is called foreshadowing (-;

After a couple mile warm up a few friends and I got ourselves positioned towards the front of the starting line and were standing by as they made the pre-race announcements. The course is a simple out-and-back that has us running the first half mile along the tree lined West Lake Houston Parkway and then we run up and over the one mile bridge going over Lake Houston. We turn around at the base of the bridge and run back -- easy peasy!

My plan was race this hard and just go until I blow up.

The gun went off and we were off. The local High School track and Cross Country teams were there and all the 115lb kids shot off like they were fired out of a cannon. I settled into a 5:38 pace and was actually feeling pretty good - and then it happened - started to POUR rain again. It was coming down in buckets!

I made the turn at the base of the bridge and was feeling pretty good even at this pace? I started back up the slight incline and it was here when I realized why the first 1.55mi of the race went so well - we had a tailwind. And based on the now headwind I was fighting it was a very solid tailwind!

The last half of the race absolutely wrecked me. The rain felt like little daggers hitting you in the face and the wind felt like you were running against a wall. The amount of water made it difficult to take long strides so my cadence seemed to be extremely fast. Not very good times!!

Anyway, I finished with the time of 19:11 and got myself a new PR. My Garmin showed the course as being a little long and my pace per mile was 6:02 on the watch - which was my overall goal. I was the 4th non-HS kid to finish and picked up 3rd Place hardware in my Age Group. They had the AG's at 30-39 this year and a couple of youngster 30-year olds aged up on me -- hehe!

Jeff Irvin
Bridgefest 5K - 2/4/12
Kingwood, TX
19:11 - 6:10/mi avg
3rd/41 AgeGroup & 14th/619 Overall


Thanks for Reading,

Jeff



27 comments:

  1. Some solid race efforts. I like your running, dominating races from the 5k to the 50k without sacrificing one for the other. Events with weather don't make for the fastest times but they can make for some memorable and fun times.

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    1. The weather does make it interesting, that is for sure! Hoping I can take on the marathon distance next - only 19 days away!

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  2. OMG! The chocolate medal is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    That would be the fastest disappearing medal in history if I'd won it. *wink*

    Good on ya.

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    1. Yeah, the chocolate vase is about half as big as it was when that picture was taken a few hours ago! Annie and I are a little out of control with the chocolate right now!!

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  3. You poor thing! So cold! haha

    Nice work on the PRs! You'll be under 19 and 40 at your next 5k and 10k no sweat.

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    1. Don't worry Kevin, I have my blanky and hot tea and the temperature is supposed to be back to the mid-70's by the middle of the week!

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  4. Hey, Great job on your racing! I can relate to the weather issue being a factor, as I had a race this past weekend with some wicked winds and only 7 degrees out :(
    Seems like you are on track to kick some ass at the upcoming marathon. Good luck to you on that!

    DonnaG
    donnalifestyle.blogspot.com

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  5. Great races for you! I feel your pain with all the HS kids in the race....my kid is usually one of them ;). Though I should say they are always impressed by the "old guys" who crank out awesome times. At the local turkey day race my 15 year old was in awe of the guy who strollered him at the finish line at 18 minutes!

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  6. It hasn't gotten that cold up here in awhile. Perfect running weather though, and awesome job on the 10k and 5k PR'S!! So close to that sub 40 time, but I'm pretty sure u can crush it by a few minutes rested and tapered.

    When was the last time you ran a 10k??

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  7. Congrats on the PRs! Sounds like some nasty race weather which should make the PRs mean even more. I hate being cold while running/racing.

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  8. Holy cow! You've had some great races. Fun reading about them. Enjoy the remains of the chocolate vase!

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  9. Nice work and congrats on two PR's in a couple of week's time! You're going to crush this marathon!

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  10. I want to do that chocolate race! How cool is that that you got a vase full of choco!! :)
    Congrats on your PRs...you are sooo fast! Awesome job!

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  11. I will seriously suggest chocolate for all winners if I ever direct a race. That is just brilliant! Love it!! Congrats on the fine running even in less than ideal circumstances. Just blows my mind that people are really that fast.

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  12. Holy 5 minute PR!
    and those ARE cold temps with Real Feel high teens
    dude you are so close to a sub 19 / sub 40 thats awesome - serious speed right now - but your window is closing with marathon week approaching followed by IM training? very very psyched for you guys and this 26.2 coming up!!!

    D

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  13. It seems like every time I read your race reports you are PR'ing. Way to go man!

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  14. Wow, congrats on both of the races.

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  15. holy shit you are pulling PRs left and right. send some of your speedy gonzales speed my way. and while you are at it, send me some of that chocolate too! congrats jeff!

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  16. Does it say, "settled into 5:38 pace" somewhere in there?? Yikes! Congrats on the PR's, overall win and, most importantly, CHOCOLATE!

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  17. Now you have uncovered the Northerner's secret to speed work. When we freeze our nuts off, we have that mentality, the faster we go the faster we are warm!

    Love seeing all of the hard work paying off for you man. This should be an EPIC (sorry Jon) year for you!

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  18. Now that you are officially a "gazelle"... will you talk to us mere mortals?

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  19. Wow, you continue to have awesome performances in races! Congrats! And yea, if you ran a 10K all out, I bet you would get somewhere around 38 min or so. With better weather next time you could probably get like 18:30 5K or something like that. I have no doubt you will get your Boston qualifying time at your marathon. Keep up the great work!

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  20. u r fast. And I call BS on the 10K cold temps, you would've laid the hammer down regardless.

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  21. Damn you are laying tracks. I am excited to get down there next month to watch you and Kevin crush that BQ time. It is one hell of a ride for you in the running department. Now get on the bike.....IMMT is coming up!

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  22. Are you wearing those "wheelie" shoes? Dang, Jeff! Nicely done!!

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  23. Just stumbled on your blog and I love it! I'm inspired by your PR's! Way to go! Looking forward to following along!

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