Calhouns 10 miler -- Race Report

I know everyone loves a good race report, so here is mine from the Calhouns 10 miler ran on Jan 26, 2008. This is an annual event in Knoxville, and this was the 14th running. I didn't really figure it out until afterwards that this race brings all of the best runners in the area out, this really was an excellent field of runners.


The weather was just about right for running a long distance. Temp was in the mid to upper 30's and it was cloudy. By the time the race was over my body temp was just about right, I wasn't hot or cold really at any point during the race.

I'll preface my race experience by saying that I had food poisoning Monday-Thursday last week, with the race being on Saturday. I know this was totally out of my control, but it still ticked me off and really threw my body out of it's normal routine, along with losing some weight. I really didn't know what to expect going into this race, and even the morning of the race I was questioning whether or not I should even run in this race. I did have a good Friday in which I was back to my normal eating pattern, and I did try to over carb and over hydrate in preparation for Saturday. I really think that's what got me through this race.


This was the front of the pack--I wasn't anywhere near these guys at any point throughout the race. I think the winner finished in the neighborhood of 52 minutes and there were plenty of runners finishing under 60 minutes. For perspective, when I was crossing the 4 mile marker, the leaders were heading past the 6 mile marker (It was an out and back style course). I still can't get over the speed of some of these guys--52 minutes? 10 miles? Really?

My race was actually a very good one, given the circumstances. Prior to food poisoning, I was really aiming for about 80 minutes to finish the 10 mile course. After the food poisoning, I was realistically allowing 90 minutes to be my goal on Saturday. Even when the race started, I was thinking 90 minutes was about where I was going to finish.

So the race starts, and I am near the back. I did this on purpose so I'd start slow and see what my body does as I make it through the course. I feel good for about a mile then I start feeling a little winded. My brain was really playing tricks on me for the first 5 miles of the race. I kept telling myself I shouldn't be out here, I should be at home recovering....this is only going to make me sick.....I'm going to pass out if I run too hard.....and thoughts like these run through my head for the first 5 miles. I never wear a watch when I run, and this race was sorta out in the middle of nowhere so there weren't clocks at the mile markers or anything like that. So on top of my brain telling me to quit, I have no idea how fast/slow I am running. Which I think turns out to be a good thing this day, because what felt to me as 'slow' turns out to be about an 8:15-8:30 mile! I figured this out at the halfway point (I finally broke down and asked someone with a watch what time they had), so I really picked up the pace and my 'race' started at mile 5.

At the 5 mile marker I upped my pace to what had to be 7:15-7:20/mile and I started looking ahead and telling myself I am going to catch 'person x' by the next mile marker. I set my sights on 5 people for mile 6 and I caught them all! I did the same thing with 4 people by mile 7 and I caught them too! I caught and passed 9 people between miles 5 and 7 and I am feeling good. One guy got kinda pissed I passed him and he sped up and passed me back, but then he fell back and stayed behind me the rest of the race. He should've known who he was messing with.



I am in the blue fleece and blue hat on the far left in this picture (all photo credits go to the Knoxville Track Club, btw).

Miles 7-10 were equally as fast as miles 5-7, and I really finished strong. Not a single person passed me after the halfway point and I ended up passing probably 15 people during the last half of the race. I still love that feeling of finishing strong and just blowing by people, there is just something about it. What was my time, you ask? 1:20:21! I am really pleased with my race from Saturday. That's about the time I would have expected had I been totally healthy. Maybe that says that I am holding back speed and just need to go all out during these races? I never know when to push/hold back during a run. That's definitely something I struggle with.

So, these next few weeks should be normal running, and I have a scheduled half marathon for Feb 16. I may try to push it a little more during that one and get down into the 1:40 neighborhood. There is something in the back of my head telling me I can do that. I'm just afraid to listen.

I've been a runner since May, and.....

...I've lost more weight in 3 days than I had in 8 months of running. It's funny how stuff like that works.

I guess this week hasn't been a total waste. I've finally made it down to my ideal weight! It's only taken 3 days of bathroom trips and no eating to get it done. Forget all that running business, that stuff is for the birds! IF YOU DON'T EAT YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT! The secret is out!

No really though, I am concerned in regards to putting the weight back on, and how it's going to affect my running. I weigh 165-170 normally and I'm around 160 right now. I don't want to go eat a box of donuts just to put the weight on. I'm no doctor, but I'm assuming it's water weight and I've already sucked down 2 gatorade G2's and 32 oz of water today . I don't know about that stuff, the G2, btw. It's gatorade with less sugar. Big deal.

So, assuming I survive the race tomorrow, I'll have a race report from the back. It's the calhoun's 10 miler in Lenoir City, TN. Should be fun!

Food Poisoning :(

I would like to take the time to congratulate a Burrito restaurant on Northshore Dr. in Knoxville, TN (name rhymes with 'hose') for successfully becoming the first (and hopefully, only) restaurant to serve me (partially cooked?) food that my body could not handle.

Now, I am not one to make accusations, but I had lunch at this establishment and some 7 hrs later 'lunch' wanted to see the 'the other side of the road' on the road from my mouth to my stomach (...and that side of the road is very rarely used...). 'Lunch' had its way with me that night, the next day, the next night, and still to some degree, today--a full 3 days later.

On top of having to deal with this meal from hell, I had to travel to Dallas, TX for some business (that I will be self-promoting from this blog when it's ready). Being sick at home is one thing, being sick on the road is something else. Things like always knowing where the bathroom is 'just incase'. Not venturing far from said bathroom. Not eating anything more than Diet Coke and a few fries. Sleeping during any freetime. Having my 'business partner' pick up my slack in our presentation (thanks again, dude). NOT RUNNING AT ALL THIS WEEK WITH A 10 MILE RACE THIS SATURDAY. Not eating a full meal since Monday afternoon. It's Thursday afternoon. Wow, I'm bitter. I think it's more a matter of timing, however, and this was not the week for me to get sick.

Welcome to 'hose'!

You think I forgot about taking Oprah down?

Oh no, Oprah is still my prime target for defeat in the Knoxville marathon. I accidentally told some people jokingly at a run that I had set taking down Oprah as a goal for this marathon, and it seems as if the whole city of Knoxville now knows I'm out to get Oprah. She ran a marathon in 4:29:20 back in the 90's, and that time is something that coincidentally I am shooting for.

After some tough calculations (McMillan's), I figured that to be a 10:17 mile all the way through.

I think I can do that. I KNOW I can do that. McMillan's says I can do that.

However, I think I am developing some right knee tendonitis. I hope it's not a big deal and goes away, I've never had tendonitis so I guess I don't know how severe of a problem it is? We'll see.

16 miles tomorrow, and if I can survive that I can make it through anything, right?

The 'benefits' of running with a partner....

I have changed up my running routine a little bit for this upcoming Knoxville marathon. I am running 3 times during the week, and my long run is on Saturday mornings rather than Sundays. There are multiple reasons for this, but the biggest being the Knoxville Track Club has a group run Saturday mornings for marathon preparation. I cannot stress how awesome it is to have the Knoxville Track Club here in town. They put on SO many races and training runs that people who have a desire to run in Knoxville really don't have an excuse not to.

That being said, there were about 50-100 people that showed up Saturday morning for the run! Now, there are people training for the 1/2 marathon as well as the full, and the distances that the KTC members mapped out varied from 2-15 miles. Again, the KTC goes out ahead of time and maps out a course and marks the trails with chalk so you know how far you've gone and where you're going the enitre time. It's awesome.

Of these 100 people that were there, I have been running with 3 guys consistently. We met at one of these runs a few weeks ago and it's been great to train with them. Our training pace is about the same, but they like to pile on the miles, which in all honesty I've needed. I tend to 'take it easy' for fear of getting hurt or tired out and therefore may have been holding a little back on the long runs.

So this past Saturday I didn't find my guys at the beginning of the run, apparently they started behind me, and when I stopped at a park bathroom they passed me. My plan for the run was 12 miles at about 8:45/mile. (This is already WAY ahead of my long run training schedule for my first marathon--Knoxville marathon is on Mar 30). So, I got caught up with some people training for the 1/2 marathon and only running 8 miles at the beginning of my long run on Saturday. They were running at about 8:00/mile, which for me was too fast for this run.

I slowed down and started running by myself :(

I don't wear a watch when I run (don't try that at home kids....runners should have a watch), so I really had no idea how fast I was running. Usually someone in the group has a garmin to lead the group. I was apparently running faster than 9 minutes a mile, because at my 6 mile mark, which was going to be my turnaround spot, I caught my running buddies at the water stop. I was totally prepared to turn around and run 12 miles, but they twisted my arm into running with them (which I wanted to do anyways), and running 15 miles. They had 1.5 more miles to go before they turned around, and they were running at about 9:10/mile, which sounded good to me.

So, I ran with them and it was a good run. I was dead tired after the run and have been hungry ever since (It's now Monday at lunchtime). I am really pumped I made it 15 miles at this point and I still have 2.75 months to train. Everyone should run with a group, it makes everything so much easier!