Road Racing with My Buddy

Last week 4 runs- 38 miles
Sunday- off
Monday- 6 easy treadmill

The last two Saturdays I have participated in the areas big road races. My wife and I completed the Charlottesville 10 Miler and Richmonds Ukrops Monument avenue 10K. The former had 2,000+ finishers and this weekends had over 24,000!!!! I believe it may even have been the biggest race I have ever participated in.

Both races were very well done and showcased their cities greatest streets and sights. The huge crowd in the 10k was incredibly well organized at the start with a multiple wave start via seeded corrals. This allowed the super elites competing in the USATF national championships (won by Abdi Abdiraham) to start unimpeded at 8:30, my D corral to start at 8:44 and so on back to walkers going off nearly an hour later. A pretty neat system indeed. I both of our races we managed to beat the majority of the folks AND enjoy ourselves.

The Charlottesville race had cool but clear weather which brought out a good number of fans while this Saturday's race was in the midst of the 8 straight days of rain we have endured. So the cheering sections were down from what I hear is common, but the hearty souls that were out there made it fun.

Pinning a number on for a road race always brings me back to my first ones....some 23 years (and 560-some races) ago when I was a little runt of an 11 year old. Many kids were out running in each race and I can only hope they will end up loving and competing in running races as much as I have over the years.

I also have a small pang of .....hhmmmmmmm you should get some speed workouts going and get competitive again..... playing in my ear.

Next up Bull Run Run 50 Miler!!!! nothing but easy 6 mile runs this week to come in rested and ready.

hitting the roads

Friday- 5.5- 45min
Saturday- 25miles on the roads 3:28
Sunday- 5 mile- 44:41 with Anne

I managed to get out for some road miles this weekend getting in with the Richmond Roadrunners Club folks training up for MCM, NYC marathon, MMTR, and JFK. We managed to pound 25miles Saturday at a conservative pace. A fun time with 15 in the group being the most I have run with in a non-race setting in a long time. Today the legs feel great other than a tight calf. Hopefully in 2 weeks we will have just as great of weather! 50-75 and sunny!! :-)