Going Short

Throughout my time as a runner, my training and racing has followed a pretty consistent path.  When I first started, I progressed through distance very quickly, going from my first 5k to 100 mile in a little less than two years.  I never felt like I was very fast, but I felt like I could tough out finishes in the ultra distances and finish better than I could in the shorter distance events.  Because of that, I pretty much fell into a routine of training at more or less the same pace and racing slow and steady, just searching for that next finish.  My finishing times were improving, but this was more because I was getting better and more experienced at managing issues during each race, and less about getting stronger and faster.  I’ve worked on building a lot more strength through hill specific workouts and consistent core work over the past year, but one thing was missing – speed. 

Cruising

The approach to this year has been very different than previous years.  I started off with some of the typical big efforts; the annual 8 hour treadmill fundraiser, followed by two 100k’s a month apart.  After that, we switched things up and began working on building speed in the shorter distance races.  Fortunately, I have been able to keep most injuries down to little twinges here and there.  I first foray into short distance racing was at an open indoor mile race at U of M.  I hadn’t done any specific prep for the event, and was going in based off of fitness alone.  My buddy Luke said that he would run a 5 minute flat pace for the first half, and then see where things went from there.  True to his word, we come through halfway exactly at 2:30, and he waved me on.  With 4 laps to go, I stayed locked onto the pace that Luke had set, and with 200 meters to go, I ran as hard as I could to catch 1^st place, and ended up coming up a bit short while still finishing in 4:56 – a PR by 15 seconds or so. 

Next up was the Dexter to Ann Arbor Half Marathon.  I ran this race last year and pulled off a solid PR, but this year I was entering the event having tweaked my hamstring during a stupid string of track workouts the week prior.  I did everything I could during that week to rehab the hammy, but on race morning I really had no idea if I would have to bail mid race.  I started off the race at what felt like a pretty relaxed effort and was actually surprised to see 6:42 as the first mile.  Since the hammy wasn’t speaking up, I ran harder, running 6:29 for the second mile.  This seemed to be about the pace that my body was ok with that day, because each time I tried to drop the pace, the hammy would start chirping a bit.  I was frustrated because the effort felt pretty easy otherwise, but I was still happy to come out of the race with a PR, by 50 seconds or so.

Different events, but 1-2 for YRC

13 days later, it was time to attack the 5k distance.  I had a couple of confidence building workouts and was getting schooled on racing strategy by my training partner Sergei.  He would race the 10k that day and crush everyone.  I started off the first mile in 5:47 and found myself in 3^rd place.  Just then, a wall of 9 or so guys came FLYING by me as if I was just standing still.  I let them go on without feeling too discouraged and finished the second mile in 5:41.  At about the halfway point, the race entered a short trail section and it was awesome to feel at home and flying on the new surface while the guys who had passed me half a mile earlier got their turn to stand still.  I made my way into 3^rd place again just before the end of the trail section and really laid everything out there, trying to catch the remaining runners ahead.  A quarter mile later, I moved into 2^nd place and could see 1^st place just ahead.  With about a kilometer to go, I was maybe 10 yards behind him, and I made my move and moved into the lead.  We leapfrogged for the next quarter mile.  Then, with about 100 meters to go, I was passed by the eventual winner who made a tremendous kick in that final stretch.  Nonetheless, I crossed the finish line in 2^nd place in 17:28, a PR by 90 seconds or so. 

That 1-2 trend.  Dude is too fast.

2 weeks later, the 10k was my target.  Both Sergei and I would be racing this event, representing Ypsilanti Running Company.  We took off at the start and it was clear that Sergei would run away with this one.  I was behind in a pack of 3 or 4 guys, making our way through the first mile in just under 6 minutes.  I then got a big surprise, as it turned out that all of those guys were running the 5k and not the 10k.  Looking over my shoulder, I only saw one runner, and he was probably a quarter mile behind me, while Sergei was easily a quarter mile ahead.  I was in my familiar position of no man’s land, and this remained for the entire race.  I still ran a very solid race, finishing in 2^nd place in 36:48, a PR by 3 minutes and change. 

I’ve learned a lot over the past 4 months.  Racing short is awesome because it doesn't take much time at all to recover, and therefore you can mix in races much more frequently.  I’ve learned that I am much faster (or have the potential to be) than I ever gave myself credit for.  I’ve also learned that I need to stop feeling like I don’t belong at the front of the pack.  I’ve always played it safe and line up for my races regardless of distance in the middle or back of the pack.  It’s time to take some chances, and really see what I can accomplish, especially with my newfound speed.  I will likely get smacked around a bit, but I don’t want to be afraid to swing for the fences, so to speak.  So, where do I go from here?  I’ve picked my 100 miler for the year, and it is going to be IMTUF 100 on September 17^th.  5 weeks to go.  I will be ready.

imtuf100.com

Oh Shit.