Sunday, March 25, 2012

2012 NC Half-Marathon at Charlotte Motor Speedway

March 25, 2012 7:30 AM
Charlotte, NC


Time Pace Division Division
Place
Gender
Place
Overall
Place
Bib #
Owen 1:42:34 7:50 M35-39 17/160 93/895 108/1790 958

Written by Owen:

This race didn't really fit into my schedule.  I had just run the Publix Georgia Marathon 7 days earlier, but this race was just too cool to pass up.  Since this race was right in my back yard almost, there was a lot less build-up to it.  I had focused so much on the marathon, that this race snuck up on me.

Saturday we went to the expo together as a family.  Wow, were we terribly disappointed.  I had almost paid $600 for Taz Running to be a vendor at the Expo.  I decided against it since I would be running, I didn't want to be on my feet the whole day before.  I was so glad I didn't waste that money because this expo was really small.  In fact, you can't even call it an expo, it was packet pickup with a couple people selling shirts.

When I registered for this race I remembered making the comment that at least parking won't be a problem, since the speedway is setup to handle hundreds of thousands of fans, it could easily accommodate a half-marathon.  Parking was the single biggest problem for this race.  They funneled everyone into one parking lot, when race time arrived, there were still hundreds of cars in line trying to get into the parking lot.  So it was a late start.

Before the start

Anxious runners waiting for the start
This was the inaugural event for this race so everyone was understanding while they worked out the bugs.  My biggest complaint, however, was their disrespect to the National Anthem.  The volume was so low, that a lot of people didn't even realize it was going on for the first couple of lines, and even after the crowd finally showed respect, they still had some stupid Britney Spears song blaring over the speakers the entire time!

The race finally started and was pretty uneventful.  I loved the course.  I very much enjoy NASCAR, so running on the track was really fun.  We ran a full lap around the Charlotte Motor Speedway, then through the infield, out the tunnel, around the outside of it, across the street around the dirt track, up and down the entire drag strip, then back into the Charlotte Motor Speedway for the finishing miles.

Because of my feet problems and I've been sick the past couple of days, I decided to take it easy again, but I'm competitive so I didn't take it as easy as I had planned and came within a couple minutes of a PR.

Keeping Tony Stewart's spot warm at Victory Circle.
After the race we had some food and left without staying for most of the festivities.  I've learned I always do that.  Before each race I tell myself to stick around and enjoy everything, but inevitably I just want to get out of there right after the race.

Here's a video compilation of the race, Malissa did a great job taking the kids all over so I got to see them at multiple points throughout the race.  It's amazing how much of a boost that gives me, something I really missed in Atlanta last week.



Here's my Garmin data:

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

2012 Publix Georgia Marathon

March 18, 2012 7:00 AM
Atlanta, GA

Time Pace Division Division
Place
Gender
Place
Overall
Place
Bib #
Owen 3:44:21 8:33 M35-39 33/221 186/1259 233/1915 1406

Written by Owen:

I didn't think this race was going to happen.  After the Myrtle Beach Marathon on February 18th, my left foot was hurting very bad.  I took several days off from running and it was feeling better.  I tried running and within half a mile it was hurting again.  So I took four days off then tried again, same problem.  Each time I took longer off until I had been off for almost three weeks with only 10 days until the Publix Georgia Marathon.

I decided I better make an appointment with my doctor.  He looked at the x-ray and saw a heel spur.  He said because I pushed it harder in Myrtle Beach, the area around the heel spur was inflamed.  He gave me a VERY painful shot and told me I could run in three days.  That put me exactly one week before this marathon.  Normally I'd be two weeks into a taper.  I ran 4 miles that day, then 10 miles the next, with no pain!  Hallelujah, I was back.

We had planned on driving down to Atlanta as a family immediately after the Run the Creek 5k on Saturday, but then the organizers of the Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon called me and asked me if I'd man their booth for them at the expo in Atlanta on Friday and Saturday.  I couldn't pass that up, a way to pay for my trip down there, so I flew down by myself and my family cheered for me from Charlotte.

I didn't get any good pictures at the expo, so I borrowed this one from Elzabeth (Running for Bling), who I ran into at the Expo.
I decided I should never work an expo for a marathon that I am running again.  Being on my feet for hours upon hours the two days before the marathon was not wise, especially since my foot was less than 100%.  I plan on doing some expos for Taz Running, but will do them at races I'm not running.

Friday and Saturday were very long days, but I had a good time.  After the expo on Saturday, I found the address of a Spaghetti Factory that was within walking distance of my hotel (I had no car), and walked to it.  To my disgust after walking about a mile in a not so nice part of town, I discovered it was a vacant building.  So I hit a Publix grocery store on my way back to the hotel and bought a loaf of delicious bread, bagels, bananas and had a hotel room picnic the night before my marathon.  Not ideal, but it worked.

Saturday morning I awoke at 4:30, had a bagel and banana, showered, got all ready, and walked to the MARTA station (Atlanta's public transportation) that was a block from my hotel. That station was very empty, I was surprised that there was only one other runner waiting to board.  When the train arrived I realized I was just not at a popular part of the city, because the train was PACKED with runners.

My view of the starting line from Corral C
The race started and, like always, I was so excited.  The start of a marathon is such a great feeling.  My training was so messed up the past month that I decided to just take this one slow and enjoy it.  That's what I did, and I did enjoy it for the first 20 miles or so.  Then, as you can see in my split times below, my muscles had had enough.  I was not horribly in pain, just not enjoying it any more.  I couldn't wait for the finish line.  It eventually came and I was just so happy that after such a horrible training month, I could still complete a marathon.





 After the race, I was so exhausted, and had a long walk (only a half-mile, but that's long when you have to penguin waddle it) to the MARTA station, I skipped all of the post-race festivities, including the food.  I hate it when marathons make you walk a long way to get the food.  All they had at the finish line was water and chocolate milk, you had to battle the crowds to get to the post-race food, and I just wasn't up for that.

I showered, gathered my things, checked out of the hotel and was back on MARTA to the airport.  Now my right foot feels like my left foot did after last month's marathon.  SO FRUSTRATING.  Doc said to wait a week and then he'll give me the same shot in that foot.

I'm just going to take the week off, run the NC Half-Marathon on Sunday, then go get the shot (if needed).

Here's my Garmin data.  The straight line from the green arrow to the red arrow shouldn't be there.  When I got out from underground at the train station near my hotel, my watch automatically started up again.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Run the Creek 5k

March 17, 2012 7:00 AM
Charlotte, NC




Time Pace Division Division
Place
Gender
Place
Overall
Place
Bib #
Michael 20:47 6:41 M8-10 1/14 13/192 14/440 192
Alicia 36:07 11:37 F1-7 2/6 131/248 283/440 190
Kyle 37:42 12:08 M8-10 11/14 156/192 302/440 189
Malissa 37:45 12:09 F25-29 18/28 147/248 304/440 191

Written by Malissa

We signed up for this race a few months ago to run with our friends to celebrate a year of running together. Owen planned to run with Alicia, I planned to run with Kyle, and Michael planned to smoke us all. A few weeks after we signed up, Owen decided to run the Atlanta Marathon. We planned to speed down to Atlanta right after the 5k was over just in time for Owen to pick up his race packet for the marathon the next day. Last week Owen was given the opportunity to help the Thunder Road Marathon with their booth at the Atlanta Expo. Since the expo was on Friday and Saturday, Owen went down to Atlanta by himself.

Saturday morning we woke up, got dressed in green, and headed out the door for the 5k. The race started and finished at the kids' school, just a short walk from our house.

 When we arrived at the school they had chalk set out by the finish line to write encouraging messages for the runners. Since Owen was in Atlanta, Alicia wanted to run with her friend, Jhanvi. While we waited for Jhanvi to arrive we were walking around and found some of the kids' friends.

Kyle and his buddy Hudson
The last 5k Kyle and I ran, I pushed him too hard at the end and he hasn't been that interested in running since. He says he still likes running but I can just tell that he lost his spark. I decided going into this race I was just there for moral support. I told him ahead of time just let me know when you want to walk or need to take a break. In our practice running at the track he has only been running a lap or two so I figured we would probably walk most of the race and as long as he was having fun, I was ok with that.

The course was out and back and full of small rolling hills. When we got to the top of the first hill I looked at my watch and was surprised at how fast our pace was. Kyle ran the first mile in 12:15. He walked for a few seconds right around the 1st mile marker.

It was probably about a mile and half that we saw Michael running back. Michael was running with 18-30 year old men. I thought it was so cute that he yelled good job to Kyle.

At the first water stop we hear, "Hey Kyle, you're doing good!" It was Hailee, a girl from his class. He had the biggest grin on his face and I think he even picked up his pace a little. He ran the second mile in 11:55. This was one of my favorite 5ks and I think a lot that had to do with all the people that were cheering us on. I feel so lucky to live in such a great running community. Another fan called out Kyle's number and said, "You're doing such a great job. You're not even sweating!" Kyle replies back, "I may not be sweating on the outside but I am seating on my brain!" We looped back around to the water station and Hailee yelled again, "You're doing great Kyle. Keep it up!" Again, another smile on his face.

Close to the three mile marker I can see Jhanvi and Alicia running. They were just a little in front of us so I yelled to get their attention. I see Alicia turn to Jhanvi, say something, and then they take off running. Alicia later told me when she saw us. She told Jhanvi they needed to run faster!!

On the last mile we walked a little but still had a great mile, 12:06. Our friends Elisa and Doris were waiting to cheer us on the last tenth of a mile. When we got to the finish line Viloki, Michael, Alicia, and Jhanvi were all cheering. By far this was Kyle's best race, he even PR'ed!

 
Alicia had fun running with Jhanvi and a bunch of other kids from school. She took second place in her division!


Michael enjoyed his run, he won some new Brooks shoes, and won 1st place in his age division!

I'm already looking forward to running in this race again next year!!

Saturday, March 3, 2012

2012 HabiTrot 5k

March 3, 2012 9:00 AM
Concord, NC



Time Pace Division Division
Place
Gender
Place
Overall
Place
Bib #
Michael 20:34 6:38 M1- 14 1/2 2/48 2/115 58

Written by Owen:

We signed up for this race with the sole purpose of qualifying for the "Sub-A" corral at the Peachtree 10k in Atlanta on July 4th.  I picked this race because it was flat, and was the last race before registration opens for the lottery for Peachtree. Both Michael and I already qualified for the "A" Corral when we ran in the Hot Chocolate 10k in Asheville, NC.

I had to accept my first DNS because of my stupid foot issues, but I enjoyed cheering Michael on.  Because of my foot issues and lack of training, I didn't train Michael as much as I would have otherwise.

It was a pretty small race, only a couple hundred runners or so.

I sure hated not being right next to him.
Just after the race started, the race director asked Kyle and Alicia if they would hold the finish line for the winner.  They were pretty excited.

Kyle and Alicia practicing.

Watching the clock tick by was agonizing.  Our goal of 20:15 was pretty fast, and with our lack of recent running, I was afraid it was too ambitious. At 19:30, I saw the leader turn the corner, and guess who was right behind him? I was so excited to see Michael in 2nd place!  By that point I knew he couldn't hit 20:15, but I didn't care, I am so proud of him.

This is the race winner, Kyle and Alicia did a great job.

Here comes Michael, just 35 seconds behind the winner.


Michael finished with a time of 20:34, a new PR.  He was thrilled to receive his first running trophy, and not just any trophy, but a trophy for 2nd place OVERALL.  The crowd was very supportive and the announcer did a great job, watch the video at the bottom of this post.



Here's the video I took:


Thursday, March 1, 2012