New Season is Starting Fast

Over the past 8 days, I attended three races, and they were all very good experiences. While not technically the first races of the year (I did a low-key 5K in chilly January), they're the first events since I started my spring training.

Background
Since we got the great news that we're gonna have our first baby at the end of August, I planned for a very short and relaxing racing season. I deferred my registration to the SOS Triathlon, and for the first time since, well, my first season in 2005, I'm not planning any long race, like a Marathon or a HIM. Instead, I'll focus on shorter events, and try to get a bit faster. This doesn't mean less training yet, as I routinely logged 6-7 hours workout weeks, but I'm leaning towards more intense efforts.

Race plans
My first important race will be on May 2nd, the Long Branch Half Marathon. Just before that, we'll go on a week-long Caribbean cruise, which will be an important part of tapering. Three weeks later, I'll be returning to the Black Bear triathlon, although I vowed never to do that again. But I guess I have a love/hate feeling towards the Bear. It's there that I did my first ever Sprint Tri, and also my first Half Ironman. The HIM was an exhausting painful experience, as that is one of the hilliest courses in the Northeast. But this year they replaced the HIM with an Olympic, and the Sprint is the day before, so I thought... Why not do both? It should be quite a challenge, doing those two intense very hilly races back-to-back. The only other major race planned is the traditional NJ State triathlon in July. In between I'll do any 5K, 5-miler, sprint triathlon or duathlon that falls on an open weekend.

Sgt Pat 5K
The first race mentioned above was the Saturday before Easter. A 5K along the windy Long Branch boardwalk. Last year I did it right after my injury, on a very rainy, stormy day. Not too many people showed up, and I ended up with a 3rd place age group award. But this time the weather was a bit better, although still very windy and cold. I had struggled with my speed since that 2 months break last spring, due to a broken toe, but I felt like I was coming back. However, that 22:02 PR still seems very hard to attain again. Last year I couldn't get faster than 23:26, but at that January race I hit 22:51, and I had hope again.

Running through the cold fog

The race was right along the ocean, and it had a strong headwind on the first half. But like I always do, I started very fast, maybe too fast, and clocked a 6:32 first mile. Then the wind really hit me and I struggled to the turn-around. On the way back, I pushed as hard as I could, but I'd used most of my energy at the start, so I finished in 22:21.


Wait, 22:21!! That is an awesome time, well under my goal. Just 19 seconds from my PR, and my 3rd fastest time by far! And I ranked 63 of 608, so almost in the top 10%. So this race was a great confidence boost at the beginning of the season.

Saluting my show sponsor

CASA 5K
One week later, I went to a much smaller 5K race in Ocean Twp, in the Joe Palaia Park. Still windy and cold, but maybe not as bad as last week. It was a low-key event sponsored by a children charity, and there were maybe 150 runners at the start.

I started very fast, like I always do and... a few seconds later I realized there was no one in front of me! That was a really weird feeling, it never happened to me! I know I jump at the gun with a 6 minute pace, but there were fast people in the race, including Luciano DeOliveira who's a consistent 5 minute miler and wins most 5K races around here. I looked around, and him together with everybody else were a few steps behind me. That kept me going even faster, and then I get to the first turn. Hmmmm. I never bothered about directions, because I always had someone to follow in a race. Big decision time. Well, I took the turn, and I was still in the lead. And I kept leading for the entire first quarter mile, for a 5:34 pace. It was exhilarating, and if you've never led a race, you should try it at least once!! It's quite a strange feeling when you do it the first time, but I guess you can get used to it.

Leading the field

DeOliveira and someone else caught me after 1/4 miles, and I ran with them a few steps before dropping back. Coming around after half a mile, near the announcer at the start, I was still a comfortable 3rd place, with a 6:03 pace up to that point.

Still in 3rd place

But then as we headed into the woods and around a big loop, a lot of other runners easily passed me. I still clocked a 6:38 first mile, but then I couldn't keep up the pace anymore. Also, after that onslaught of passers, no one came close to passing me again. I was dreaming of an unlikely PR, until we got to the XC section of the race. Because of flooding on the last half mile, the course was detoured on the grass. And I don't perform well on non-pavement, so that last half mile was about 15 seconds slower than the previous ones. I finished in 22:28, but I was still very happy. And I'm sure that without the grassy part, I might've had a faster time than last week.



Still, I finished in the 12th spot, clearly in the top 10% again. And I know that with a little more speedwork, I can have a new PR this year.

Indian Trails 3M
This is a very familiar race for me. It's organized by my triathlon club (Sandy Hookers), it's right in Middletown, and I often bike on that course. There's also a 15K race going on, and most of the hundreds of people are doing that. It would sound like the 3 miler is more for beginners, but a few years ago I discovered that it's an easy way to win an award. In fact, I got 1st place age group 2 years ago, and 3rd place last year (when I was still recovering after the injury). So this time I came with the goal of reclaiming my age group title.

The course is a difficult one, with a huge climb in the first half, and a fast downhill at the end. I started more conservatively, knowing that after the initial long steady climb will come the big uphill on Serpentine Rd. The 3-mile course splits right before this climb, and from the huge crowd that's trotting forward, it's only a handful of runners that take the detour. There was a guy ahead of me and two more guys passed me right away. I managed to pass 2 of them before the top, and then on the flat portion on the ridge I put some distance between me and the chasers. I let my feet loose on the downhill, but I couldn't get any closer to the guys ahead. From the top, I could see all the way across the bay, to Sandy Hook, Verazzano Bridge, and the New York City skyline in the back, but closer to me there were just two runners visible.

At the bottom, there's still a painful, neverending half a mile sprint to the finish, but I didn't push too hard. I kept looking back to make sure noone will catch up, and cruised on the final hill to the line. My time was 22:11 (over a minute faster than last year, but slower than my PR). I finished in 8th place overall, and, as planned, I won the age group again! Another morale boost for the rest of the season.

Aftermath
A few hours after the race, we went on a recovery bike ride, and we ended up on Serpentine Road again. I'm not even sure which is harder: running up, or biking up. Well, when you're running, at least you can't stall and tip over. Somehow, I got enraged at that hill, and stood up on the pedals and sprinted up that friggin road.

On Friday we go on vacation for a week (not before a 12-mile training run), and then I'll be back for the half marathon. I hope to get a few runs in on that big boat...