Running once again along the mighty Charles

Long live Red Sox Nation!

Today's run (Charles River, Cambridge & Boston): 4 miles

After all the rain on Wednesday I was wondering what conditions we would see this morning. Despite the weather it's been a good trip. I was able to meet my brother for dinner last night near his Cambridge office after a useful and interesting day at the Media Lab. My hope this morning was to run my favorite Cambridge to Boston loop before heading over to MIT for today's activities. I got up early and saw that the skies had cleared but I waited for sunrise before I headed out.

It was 43 degrees and breezy outside when I started. I wore my lightweight half zip shirt with shorts and felt comfortable, especially after leaving shady Kendall Square for the sunny path along Memorial Drive. Like last time I ran this route, I noticed that many runners followed a clockwise direction, opposite to the way I go. It occurred to me today that  those runners probably started their run from the Boston side and came north across the Harvard Bridge.

There were quite a few fast runners this morning. I suspect that some of them were training for Monday's Boston Marathon. In any case I got passed so many times that I stopped counting. I've been feeling slow lately and this didn't help. I maintained a steady stride and crossed the Harvard Bridge toward Boston, chuckling at the measurements in "smoots" as I observed the scull teams practicing on the water. I ran along the southern edge of the river and regretted not having sunglasses for this eastern stretch. I saw a steady stream of runners, one of whom lapped me twice (from the opposite direction) since I'd come over to the Boston side. That meant he was probably running in the 5 minute per mile range.

I crossed the Longfellow Bridge back into Cambridge and followed Main Street back to Kendall Square to complete my run. In all it was only four miles but the city views and the river made it feel like a trip. Two runs while travling ths week and over seven miles covered. I always miss Boston when I visit - it's so great seeing family and it's fun seeing Red Sox merchandise everywhere instead of the ubiquitous Yankee logo.

Charles River run washout

Gloom and doom in Cambridge this morning

Today's run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

My hope for a morning run along the Charles River was dashed when I looked outside to see dark skies, pelting rain and heavy winds. Instead I walked down the hall to the fitness center that was conveniently located on my floor. More often than not, the treadmills are taken when I get there but at 5:30 AM I had my choice of machines. Although I'm no fan of treadmills I do appreciate the high end models, in this case LifeFitness, that provide some entertainment while you run along, going nowhere.

It's been two days since my last run (Sunday's race) so I felt good at the start. I chose an interactive map of a trail course and I watched my progress along that route. There was nothing trail-like about the experience but it was nice to see something other than the usual track oval that we have on our treadmill at home. Per my usual method, I stepped up the speed every five minutes and finished with a pace under 9:00. Given my still present cold I thought I did well on the run. I'm optimistic that the bad weather will move out by tomorrow morning, providing better conditions for a Charles River run.

Feeling low but anticipating Cambridge running

Perhaps due to my hard running during Sunday's race I'm suffering some fatigue as well as a bad sore throat. I get annoyed when I come down with a cold because I do so much to stay healthy. The timing for being sick is never good and today it's especially bad. I co-led an all day industry working group and am now heading up to the MIT Media Lab for a couple of days. I'll rely on ibuprofen and caffeine to get me through the rest of this week.

Despite the way I feel, I've optimistically packed two sets of running clothes along with my Kinvaras. As I've mentioned in prior posts, the loop along the Charles from Cambridge to Boston and back is one of my favorite running experiences. With a late night tonight and an early start tomorrow it may too much to take on, especially if my cold gets worse. I'll just have to see how it goes. Next week we're on vacation so I'll get to put in some sorely needed training for my half marathon.

Thoughts on my race day performance

It's easy to dismiss a 5K as an easy race. The distance of 3.1 miles is only 20% longer than my average weekday run. But yesterday's race was far more challenging than my standard 4:00 AM run. For one thing, I'm not performance focused at that hour and hardly ever break 9:00 per mile during the week. I might get there near the end but these morning runs are more about movement and maintenance. A 5K is about speed.

It had  been eleven days since I donated a pint of blood at work and I'm wondering if that was still affecting me as I raced along the course. I made some mistakes in my preparation -- I probably ingested too much caffeine and not enough water -- but I didn't suffer from oxygen debt throughout the race. My energy level was good but not optimal. There was a point in the race where I was moving along, probably at around an 8:20 pace, and a small group of runners passed me together. I thought at that moment "Why are they moving faster than me?" My legs were cranking but my cadence was probably slower. I tried to increase turnover but it didn't make much of a difference.

I'm sure that if I had done speed work in the last month I'd have been more competitive on Sunday. My focus on base runs surely helped me because I felt solid even though I was running at paces that were close to a minute faster than on my training runs. Overall, I managed to beat 71% of those in my age division and 66% of the field so even on the day after the race I'm still pleased with my performance.

Race report: 2011 Marcie Mazzola 5k

Rounding the corner -- finish line ahead

Today's run (Marcie Mazzola 5K): 27:33 (8:52 pace)

This morning I ran the Marcie Mazzola Foundation race for the third time. My family and I have a sentimental attachment to this event because the 2009 race was my very first competition. I ran well today though I didn't come close to a PR nor did I match last year's time. The important thing is that I did fine and had a great time running this race.

It was cold this morning and I was glad to have worn insulated sweat pants and two jacket layers to keep me warm prior to the start. Having my family at the race helps tremendously because I can wear the warmer layers and then hand them off to my wife before the start. This race is always well organized and today was no different. However, the usual on-time start was delayed 11 minutes to accommodate last minute adjustments related to routing car traffic around the race. I was chilly in my short sleeves and running shorts but not uncomfortable. I looked forward to the start so I could generate a little body heat.

Off to a good start - the big hill was still to come

The congestion at the beginning prevented a fast start but that didn't bother me because I've learned to take the first mile of this race slow and steady. While it isn't as steep or onerous as Cow Harbor's Widow Hill, there is a steep incline that runners reach about a quarter mile in that goes on for a while. I took it a little faster than planned but still came though mile 1 with a split time of 9:36. I was alarmed at that but I figured I could make up some time on the flat and downhill portions of the race. It's been a while since I've run at a sub-9:00 pace but I was ready to do that today.

I wore my new Saucony Mirages and liked them a lot. They gave me no trouble on their maiden flight and moved me along well. I wondered briefly at one point whether I should have run with the Kinvaras because they are a little more flexible but in the end I don't think that mattered. I suspect the Mirages will loosen up a little after I put on more mileage. 

I came through the second mile at 17:58 so I'd already made up 37 seconds by then. That put my overall pace under 9 minutes. I was running well but wished I had drank a little more water prior to the start. I thought only of preserving the pace I was running and concentrated on holding off other runners that tried to pass me. I was only partially successful there. Before long we were crossing Main Street on our way to circling Heckscher Park. I knew we were near the end but the last half mile is always tough on a 5K. I took a half cup of water which I sorely needed and it helped.

I knew the last hill was coming and when I saw it my heart sank because I felt my tank emptying and dreaded a bonk just an eighth of a mile from the finish. I decided to take the hill fast, passing a few runners in the process, and suddenly I was on the last patch of road before entering the grounds near the finish. The final leg was routed up an incline with a dogleg turn to the finish line. I saw my family cheering me at that turn and my wife snapped the picture at the top of this post. I came over the line in a sprint and noted my end time. Not my greatest effort on a 5K but comfortably under 9:00/mi which was my goal today.

Post race awards and Mr. Softy near the back

During the cool down we enjoyed the generous variety of recovery foods -- fruit, energy bars, bagels, cookies and chips, administered by the always helpful and cheery volunteers. It's a really nice race with a nice small town feel. This year the race organizers had three Mr. Softy trucks parked at the race grounds who were handing out free cones to anyone with a race bib. Our big surprise was when we ran into one of my daughter's favorite teachers who had left her school last year. Ms. M had run the race with her mother and another friend. Their reunion was sweet and it characterized the feeling we always get from this event.

I'm now setting my sights on the LI Half Marathon that's less than a month away. I'm going back to my long base runs and thinking about strategy for the longest race I'll run to date. But today it's about enjoying the feeling that comes from a good run on a good day. Another Marcie Mazzola race has been run. Can't wait for next year.