Garry Bjorklund 2015

Heading into Grandma's weekend this year I had put in some solid run training. With that in mind, a PR should have been in the bag. The hard half iron the week prior was the one caveat in the plan. Well that and the weather...  Leading into race day the weather forecast was for steady rain at the start and heavy rain during the run. 

Pre Race

With a 6:15 start, I set the alarm for 3:30. Damn is that early. I got up, had my toast for breakfast and rolled out. I had to pick up Serena at 4:30 prior to hitting the DECC. She would be running her first half, so I was hoping to make the pre race challenges a bit easier for her. As we approached the DECC we passed by the long line and swung into the parking lot by the Irvin with no wait at all. Score one for having done this before. We grabbed our clothes bag and final snacks and got ourselves in line for a bus. 

No drama on the ride and we were happy that it was not raining as of yet. We both had a throwaway warm shirt on the stay warm at the start, and snacked over the short ride. When they dropped us off, we slowly wandered towards the gear trucks where we dropped our bags. We looked for fellow DRC group runners and said hello to a few. We then hit the porta potty line and took care of business. 

We found a couple runners that she was planning on starting with, and I found Brian and Dave so we wished each other luck and went to our respective areas of the corral. Our plan was for 7:00 flat to start and see where it went. 

Race Time

Off we went and I tried to get in a groove quickly. Mile one went by in 6:50 so a bit quick, but not worried. At about mile 2.5, the light rain started. Not pouring, but rain none the less. We kept rolling along and soon we were approaching London Road. At the Lester River, I started to notice my legs feeling a bit tired. Last weekends race was coming back. I tried to keep steady and see what I could do over the next couple miles. 

As we approached Lemon Drop Hill I was starting to struggle. The uphills were real tough. I really focused on taking advantage of the downhill after Lemon Drop because I knew the small hill at Super One would be tough also. By now my mile splits were in the 7:10 range, but a PR was still an option if I could keep it together on the flats through downtown. 

After passing DRC I really focused on turnover. After we passed Wells Fargo and turned onto 5th Ave West it was just one mile to go. Muscle up the hill and use the downhill to get my speed back. Around the DECC, by the Irvin and onto the homestretch. A PR was going to happen, and I ran strong through the finish line. All in all, a good effort. 

Post Race

As it was still sprinkling, I grabbed my clothes bag and changed to stay warm. I was looking for friends to see how everybody's space went. I caught up with Kris, Skeeter, Tiffany, Noah and Halie who all seemed pleased. I was really looking for Serena as her sprained ankle was a big question mark for her. I finally saw her in the crowd and she gave me a big hug. I was so happy for her to be able to get a great time for her first half marathon. She even got that time running with a really sore ankle. 

2013 Review

I know this is a little late, but I am trying to get back to blogging so here goes. 

Running

Early season running had me knock out a PR at my pre Grandma's 10 k in Barnum. I also hit my PR at the Garry Bjorklund half. My fall running suffered though. After Tahoe I had no drive to train and went into TC Marathon weekend with no training at all. The loony challenge proved to be painful but interesting. Interesting enough that I signed up again for 2014. 

Tri

I made a big focus on long distance races in 2013. I started with a promising race at the Duluth Tri. I followed that with a PR at Boulder in tough conditions. Superior Man was equally tough, and I felt pleased with my effort. My season finale ironman at Lake Tahoe left me happy with my effort even though I did not get the time I was hoping for. Overall, a decent season. 

Garry Bjorklund 2013

In my preparation for the Garry Bjorklund this year, I tried joining the Duluth Running Company training group. With my solid PR I set two years ago, and the inevitable aging process I figured it would be a chance worth trying to see if I could coax a little more speed out of my running. The biggest advantage I found from the group was the incentive to get out early in the season when the weather was crappy because I knew there was a group waiting. 

Race Day

As race day dawned, the weather looked good. Not too hot and no headwind. My goal was to go out around 7:10 pace as my PR is right at 7:11 pace. As I waited for the start it was nice to chat with everyone I knew who was running. I have never been much for warming up, so it was a nice way to pass the time. As the start edged closer, I downed my gel and lined up with the 7:00 minute area towards the lake side. 

I got off to a solid start and felt good right away. My first few mile splits were low 7:00's with mile three being in the high 6:50's. I tried to back it off ever so slightly to make sure I was not going to crash at Lemon Drop Hill.  The middle few miles were right at 7:05 to 7:10 so I was happy. 

London Road

As we headed down London Road, a large group of college age girls started slowly passing me. They were a group of CC runners. At the same time I was passing a younger guy.  Everyone was chatting and I heard the guy was a senior at East. As the ladies pulled away, I tried to convince him to stay with them. He just did not have it in him. Too bad. 

Moment of Truth

Lemon Drop Hill...  I was still feeling pretty good as I approached the hill, but I knew that could all change as I went up it.  I made a point of taking it easy to not aggravate my calf and instead wanted to focus on getting back up to pace at the top.  Once over the top, I was able to get back on my pace quick. On top of that, I still felt strong. On the gradual decline into mile marker 10 there were some college age spectators with Stella Artois in cans. They offered so I took one. A little carb with my hydration...

Finish Strong

As we headed down Superior Street, I focused on keeping my pace solid. With only a couple miles left, I just needed to stay on my pace and I had a PR in the bag. When I crossed the line, I had a PR of 1:32:49, 7:06 per mile average. Overall it was a good race for me. 

Post Race

With the chilly temps, I did not stick around for too long. Basically I changed, got some snacks and bailed out. 

Holiday Running

As it is the off-season for me, I have been simply running off and on. Basically, when the weather is not too cold and I have time I have been getting out for runs. I also have the bike on the trainer and have had a couple rides so far this winter. I even made it to the East middle school pool for a swim.

Since I have not been doing too much, I have not been blogging much either. I am only writing today since I had a running related encounter while I was out Christmas shopping. Yes, it is two days before Christmas and I am just finishing my shopping.

While I was at the Target store in Duluth this afternoon, I saw who I think was Kara Goucher shopping. I contemplated saying something, but then thought it would be best to let her (if it was her) enjoy her holiday shopping without being hassled by a random fan.

So, if it was in fact Kara, I hope she has a wonderful Christmas. I hope everyone else has a wonderful Christmas holiday season.

I hope to be back to writing about training related stuff soon. At least I better be having some training to write about as I am now signed up for two half iron races and a full iron race next season.

TC 10 Mile Race Report

Short Version – 1:09:04 PR by 52 seconds

Long Version

Came into this race with decent run fitness, and some up and down results throughout the summer.  No great run race results, but I have had some good results from triathlons so I was thinking I had a 50/50 shot at a PR.  The weather was decent for the race with very cool temps (30 at the start) and the wind would not be a headwind for us.

Pre-Race

Nothing special here.  Wake up and have my standard two pieces of toast and some Gatorade and water.  Head to downtown and park in a nearby ramp.  Walk over to the Dome…  Of course, seeing tailgaters for the 3:20 Vikings game already setup at 6:00 am was a little bit of a surprise. 

Once in the dome I ran into Dave and wished him luck.  Then I went to look for a short bathroom line.  I found one where I walked right in and did my business.  Once that was over with I finalized my race wardrobe and headed to the exit.  Ran into a few other runners I knew and said hello, and then made it to the bag drop and on to the start line.  When I got to the corral I bumped into Kraig and we chatted a bit.  Wished each other luck and off to find the correct spot to start my race from.  I also took in my gel and some more Gatorade to finalize my pre-race fueling.

Off We Go

On your marks, go…  With that we all started running.  I was close to the front (12 seconds to the mat) and had no trouble with the crowd.  Quickly got into my groove and tried to not take the race out too fast as is typical for me.  Take advantage of the downhill, but don’t burn yourself up is all I was thinking.  As we were going through the second mile I started to peel my outer shirt I was wearing just for that purpose.  I wanted to be ready at the aid station to ditch it.  Up the steep hill to the bridge I simply concentrated on keeping the feet turning over and soon enough I was on the bridge heading to the water stop at mile 3.  Ditched the shirt and grabbed a water making good time.  Knowing what was ahead I wanted to work on staying smooth on mile 4 and then really stay strong and not slow down too much on the hills.  When I hit the halfway mark I saw 34:XX on my watch and was pleased.  I had a little in the bank, but I did not want to waste it on the hills. 

Through the three miles of uphill I worked hard on staying strong and was glad to see my slowest mile was 7:10 in this section.  Exactly what I wanted to do.  When I got to the flat area at the top I tried to put in a little push as I was feeling good probably due to the cool temperatures.  My last three mile splits were all good and led me to a negative split for the race. 

Finish

I knew I would have a PR as I was approaching the finish line so I was very happy.  When I saw how close I came to 1:08 I wished I had a little more somewhere, but overall a great race for me.

Post Race

Right at the finish I saw Dave again and he said he did a 1:04 and was very pleased with his race.  Roger was right behind me at the finish and we all congratulated each other on a strong race.  With the temps still being chilly, I went off to get my dry clothes and needed to bail out so I did not freeze.  I went and caught a bus back to the start line and back to the hotel for a shower.  Overall, a great day at the races…

Details

Here are the mile splits.  Overall, I was very pleased with my pacing for the race.  I came through the five mile mark in 34:47 official time so 17 seconds of the extra 28 belongs spread out in the first five and the other 11 gets split up over the last five mile splits.  Bottom line, I managed a well paced negative split effort.

6:41 – mile 1 adrenaline and a little bit of a downhill.

6:40 – solid downhill mile, try not too go out too fast now.

7:13 – toughest single hill on the course getting up to the Franklin Ave. Bridge.

6:52 – nice flat mile to get back to pace before the hills start.

7:04 – start of the hills.

7:10 – work on staying strong as there is another mile of these hills.

7:01 – last mile with real hills in it.

6:44 – course flattens out, time to get back to pace.

6:45 – hold the pace because I know mile 10 is downhill and quick.

6:22 – let gravity help on the downhill, and give it everything I got.

0:28 – miscellaneous GPS time/distance.

Race Profile

Run Season Recap

With the finale of the NMTC fall trail season this past weekend, my running season for 2011 has essentially come to an end.  I may get another holiday 5k in, but nothing planned right now.  When the year started, my "A" run races were the Garry Bjorklund half marathon and if I got in, the Twin Cities 10 miler.  I also planned on running as many of the NMTC events as I could.

Spring NMTC/Garry Bjorklund Prep

Early this year I was focusing on running often.  In fact I was running 5-6 times per week.  My plan was to build up the consistency of my running to see how this worked out.  This worked out well as the spring NMTC series rolled in.  I managed to make it out for all of the events but was not as fast running as I felt I should have been.  I was focusing more on preparation for the Garry Bjorklund so I was not too concerned.

Garry Bjorklund Race Day

As the race approached, I was feeling pretty good about my prep.  I felt I might be able to get a PR if I raced well.  Race morning dawned and it was questionable weather.  It was raining and windy.  At least the wind was coming from the northeast.  Standing around at the start line we were all getting wet and it was cold with the wind off the lake. 

Once we got running, the rain stopped and we were able to take full advantage of the tailwind.  I was keeping a good pace and came through the 10 mile mark in 1:11:XX which was a PR for that distance for me.  I was able to finish with a 1:33:49 which was a more than 1:00 minute for me. 

The race ended up being a great race with a combination of good fitness coupled with good race weather for a PR.  If I want to break that time I will be hard pressed to do so.

Summer Running

As summer set in, I focused on hitting solid races at my multisport events.  As far as running goes, I hit some really good times, and some that were less than stellar.  Apple Duathlon and the Moose Lake Triathlon had pretty good run splits. 

I also jumped into the Park Point 5 Miler during the summer.  I was not really focusing in any way on this race and even got out to the point early and got in 16 miles of intervals on my bike prior to the Friday evening run.  I ended up having a pretty solid race and knocking out a PR of 33:49. 

Another summer run that was found was the Bay to Bay trail race on the Superior Hiking Trail from Silver Bay to Beaver Bay.  This was a very challenging 10k trail race.  I had a great time running the race and even won the $50 door prize after the race.

Prep for 10 Miler

Later in the summer I started my prep for the Twin Cities 10 miler.  I was still running consistently and hitting really good mileage (for me).  I was averaging over 100 miles per month so far this year.  As race day approached I did a couple specific workouts I have tried in the past that I liked and did not hit them like I was hoping to.  I was a little concerned that I might have been a little less prepared for the 10 miler this year. 

I had thought my running was setting me up for a chance at a PR, but I was getting a little concerned.  Once race day hit, I figured it was worth going for the PR anyway.  I figured if I ran a smart race I had a chance.  In the end I was able to pull out a great PR for myself of 1:09:56. 

Fall Trail Running

For the fall trail running season I really wanted to make it out to all of the races so I could see all of the courses; especially the power lines.  I was able to make it out every week.  The start of the season went well, but after the TC 10 miler, I think I really lost my drive to race.  I still enjoyed the remainder of the races, but was not knocking out times like I was hoping for. 

Season Summary

All in all I had a great year running.  At my two "A" races I knocked out solid PR's.  I also had a PR at the 5 mile distance.  So three PR's in one season.  I doubt I will ever do that again.

For the rest of 2011 I will be just running when I feel like it.  For the first time ever I have run more than 1000 miles in a year.  As I look forward to 2012, maybe I will shoot for 1200...  Already I have the Garry Bjorklund lined up for next season.  I think I will have to find a couple of new races for next year too.

TC 10 Mile; PR or Stupid Mistakes???

Finisher's Medal

This morning I competed in the TC 10 Mile race again.  Last year I came into this race with pretty solid race fitness, and I set my PR on the course by running one of the smartest races I ever have.  In the past, this course has always given me problems and I typically go out way too fast, and then proceed to fall apart on the last five miles.  Last year I ran a 1:13:39.  Earlier this year at the Garry Bjorklund Half, I came through the 10 mile mark in 1:11:24.  Coming into today's race, that was my 10 mile PR.

50 Degrees and Clear Skies...

In other words, the weather was on our side again.  There was a little wind, but it never really felt like it was really pushing against us.  No excuses not to put up a solid time.  My running this summer has gone well so I know I had good enough fitness to run a good time.  The question was could I keep out of my own way and not do anything stupid on the run course that would stop me from running a good time.  I really felt I could get my personal course record, with an outside chance at hitting my 10 mile PR.  In order to do that, I figured I wanted to never see a split higher than 7:10 on my watch other than the third mile (the hill to get up to the Franklin Avenue bridge).  If I managed that, I figured I would have a chance to let gravity do its thing in the final mile and help me hit my PR time.

7:23???

That was the split I saw when I came through mile 6.  Now, mile 6 does not have the worst of the hills and I was just a little pissed at myself.  Especially since I had come through the 5 mile point in 35:16 which had me in good position to that point.  So I made a conscious effort to pick up the pace a little.  So when I saw a 7:12 for mile 7 I was really pissed off at myself.  The rolling nature of the hills on mile 7 were definitely easier than mile 6 and I was not able to get back to my goal of 7:10 or better per mile.  So, the weather was cooperating, my running prep was there, and here I was screwing it up again.  At this point, I had made enough small stupid mistakes on this course that I figured why not throw it all out there and either get my PR or have a really epic failure.  So I really picked it up now.  If my mental math was correct, I needed to hit 7:00 flat for the final three miles to make my PR.  As I was picking it up, I was not feeling too bad.  So when I saw the 6:49 for the next split I was glad to be back on track.  I tried my best to hold the pace for the next mile and hit a 6:51.  I was still feeling pretty good at this point.  On the edge, but I thought I could hold it for another mile.  Of course at this point, I was doing the math to see what would be needed to go under 1:10 so I could actually average sub 7 minute miles.  I could not really do the math so I just ran down the hill towards the Capitol as fast as I could.  As the clock came into view, I could see 1:09:4X and was not sure if I could get to the line in time.  As I crossed the line with a clock reading of 1:10:1X I was a little pissed off.  It really sucks to be that close to a milestone and miss it.  Who knows when the weather and my fitness are going to come together for a great race opportunity.  Then I checked my watch...  1:09:57...  So, my chip time was just under the 1:10 barrier. 

Summary

Overall I ended up pleased with the race.  The more I look at my splits, the more I wonder what the heck I was doing out there.  My splits were all over the place.  Also, the final three miles were all under 7:00 minutes so I clearly could have run a little bit faster than I did.  Oh well.  Be happy with a PR.

One last thing...  Next June I will be taking another shot at the Garry Bjorklund.  I "won" a slot in the random drawing from the Grandma's Minnesota Mile in Duluth a couple weekends ago.  The whole concept of calling the method of giving out slots for the popular races as lotteries is a little bit of a misnomer.  Something tells me Powerball would not be nearly as popular if when you "won" the Powerball you had to pay the lottery $75 and then you now had the privilege to run 10 or 13 miles.

Garry Bjorklund Here I Come!

Easy Run

Went for a nice easy 4 mile jog after work today.  As is typical of fall running around Duluth the weather was cool, perfect for a run.  I did one of my basic routes on the lakewalk that is a simple out and back.  With the good running weather there were a lot of other runners out getting their workouts in also.  Great to see so many folks out taking advantage of the weather and the great trails for running. 

Looking forward to the NMTC trail run tomorrow evening.  I am curious to see what course we are able to run.  Hopefully the trails are dry enough to run so we do not have to do an out and back on the road.  No matter the course, I plan on running a pretty hard pace to make sure I get a good workout in for the middle of the week.  I will follow it up with another easy day on Thursday or Friday, and then get one last longish run in this weekend prior to the Twin Cities 10 miler.   

Sunday Long Run, Monday Ride

With the Twin Cities 10 miler coming up, I got in a nice 10 mile long run yesterday.  I used a portion of the Grandma's marathon course to take advantage of the mile markings so I could check my pacing.  Overall I was pleased with the run.  A two mile warm up with then upping the pace till I hit 7:14's for a couple followed by a two mile cool down. 

With the nice warm weather today, I figured I would get a nice easy ride in.  Since my tri season is over for the year, I took the road bike out.  Well, the tri bike is now in pieces for some minor maintenance/modifications could also be the reason I took the road bike out too...  I started out at Ordean school and headed east to Skyline Parkway.  I rode up and jumped off at the top of seven bridges, and then found my way to Tischer.  I kept heading north and then took a left on Zimmerman to head back to Jean Duluth and head home.  On the way up, I kept it pretty easy as the road was either heading up, or a little rougher pavement or both.  Once onto Zimmerman, the pavement was pretty nice so I picked up the pace a little.  The rest of the ride was nice and overall it was a good way to recover from the long run yesterday. 

What the Hail?

Every spring and fall I participate in the trail running series in the Duluth area organized by the Northern Minnesota Track Club.  It is a series of races on various trails around the Duluth area on Wednesday evenings or Sunday afternoons. 

Tonights race was Zapp's loop.  It starts in the Fond du Lac area runs through the Mission Creek park.  The trail has some good hills, a couple of creek crossings and is through a very wooded area.  With the dark clouds that were headed our way as we prepared to start, it was inevitable that some form of precipitation would hit us while running.  Since it was in the low 40's, it happened to be hail.  Luckily it was only small hail, only fell for a short time and fell while we were running through a pretty tree covered part of the trail. 

The run starts with a nice uphill section.  The trail is basically single track and pretty easy to follow.  At the top of the hill we get thrown out on the paved Munger Trail for a short section.  With my legs still a feeling a little heavy from my triathlon this past weekend, I used the flat section to see how my pace felt.  After leaving the trail, we then head downhill.  The trail downhill is a little wider than the uphill section, but it has a lot of washout so I spent the whole section trying to pick the best line and not trip and fall on my face.  At the bottom of the hill you hit a couple of creek crossings.  They are not very deep so you can barrel right through them.  Then it is back up the hill again.  At the top we are back on a single track section and there are lots of tree branches hanging over the trail.  Since a lady had passed me on the uphill I was following her through this section for a bit.  After smacking into a few branches that appeared out of nowhere, I figured it would be smart to pass her before the coming downhill.  Onto the final downhill...  This section was a very fast downhill with very tricky footing that was not helped by the fact it was wet.  I managed to keep myself upright and crossed the creek one more time and hit the finish. 

Even with the wet conditions, I was able to cut over a minute from my time last year.  I would say that had a lot to do with having a decent idea of what was coming and being able to pace the run better.  Ended up being a great run and lots of fun.