Hustle or Hustled?

Most 5Ks are run as awareness and fundraising vehicles for charities. Larger races like the marathon and half marathon are corporate sponsored, but are done simply for the sake of runners; no one is making a profit. The 5K I ran yesterday, on the other hand was organized by a company designed to make money. This was the second for-profit race I've done this summer, in addition to the one I spectated, but I won't make this mistake again.

Yesterday's run was called the Santa Hustle 5K. I finished it in 26:16, a full 1:30 faster than my PR from this summer. I tweeted out that time, along with my shock, because I didn't feel that I had run that quickly. It turns out that the course, although certified, was about 1/5-1/4 of a mile short of a full 5K. The corrected distance of 4.65K seems to be the reality, but it's really going to be hard to know positively what the distance was, because the race organizers are covering their asses. They're issuing corporate statements that sound apologetic, without actually taking any blame. If I recalculate my pace based on this distance, my pace was 9:05 per mile, meaning I would have a 28:13 for a 5K.

I'm ok with that pace and time. It's slower than my last race, but not by much. The race went fine, so 28:13 seems reasonable. The first mile seemed like I was running slowly, nowhere near the 8:55 that my chronograph clocked between the start gate and the first mile marker. The field was too crowded to get any speed going, though. There was a 180 degree turn after about a mile and a half that immediately encountered the crowd-slowing hydration station. I ran the third "mile" a minute faster than my first or second mile, which seemed unlikely to me, especially considering I walked part of it while taking off my jacket.

Charity races tend to be capped at 2,000-4,000 people to make sure they run smoothly. For-profit races don't do that, because it would limit profits, so they end up with double the number of runners, if not even more. This leads to many problems with the race going off smoothly. One for-profit race this year had lines of 2-3 hours for packet pick-up because of the 40,000+ participants and poor planning. The other for-profit race I did this summer started 30 minutes late because of a vendor and people had to wait 10 minutes while a bridge lifted for a boat to pass, in the middle of their race. Those runners also had to dodge tourists during the last .2 miles of the course because it was held at a tourist attraction with no roped off course.

These races attract people because they have a clever concept and/or great swag. I received a Santa hat and beard yesterday, in addition to a long-sleeve tech shirt that looks like Santa's jacket. Others give out really expensive running jackets, sweatshirts and medals. They have much better marketing behind them, too. It makes sense; if you're making money, you can pay for a good ad campaign, which will lead to bigger profits. Charities don't want to spend money on marketing that could be better spent on their actual cause.

I don't want these for-profit races to disappear. I think they are a great gateway for new runners. People who may never consider running otherwise may be lured in by the fun concept and giveaways. If these races get more people into running, they serve at least one good purpose. Personally, I will just avoid them in the future. They aren't providing me with the product I actually want when I pay to run a race.

July 5Ks

I know I promised an update on how I did in my 5K Double-Header back in July. I am here to deliver, even if it's FOUR months late. My post might be late, but I wasn't late during the 5K Famous Racing Sausages Run/Walk at Miller Park. In fact, I passed most of the sausages, even though they had a good minute or two head start.

When trying to set a time goal, I finally settled on under 28 minutes total or faster than 9 minutes per mile. I finished in 27:37, which is 8:53 per mile. That was more than a full minute shaved off of my time from my PR 5K in April.

I've said it many times, but one of the reasons I love running is that the main competition is you on any prior day. I was not nearly as fast as the person who won the trophy for my age group (30-39) but I was about 4% better than I had been a mere 3 months prior to this. 4% might not seem like a huge improvement, but it's about 20 seconds faster per mile. I will take a 4% improvement every time.

I haven't run a 5K since that run, but I'm running one this weekend. I would love to see a 4% improvement for a finishing time of about 26:30. That would put me closer to my long-term goal time of 25:00. When I run races, I usually have a realistic goal and a reach goal. My reach goal will be 8 minute miles for a time of 25:00, but my realistic goal will be 27:00. That's not a full 4% improvement, but it's an improvement, which is always welcome.

I just looked at the best times for my age group and they're closer to 20:00. That's a pace of 6:26 per mile. I have never even run one mile faster than 7 minutes. I can't imagine running 3.1 of them at that pace. I'm sure some people would see that my goal of being 25% slower than the fastest runners of my age is "losing." I see it as realistic and competing against myself, not random strangers. It is possible that if I hit 25:00, I will evaluate my progress and aim to be faster than that.

5K Double Header

On Saturday, I will be running in two 5Ks. I cross the starting line of my first one at the Klement's Sausage House right by Miller Park in Milwaukee. That's at 8am. At 6:30pm I will cross the starting line of the second race on Lombardi Avenue by Lambeau Field. I am hoping for some big things from these races. I am postponing my 16 mile team run until Monday after work, so I want it to be worth it.

Last year, I ran the Lambeau Field 5K a week after the 16 mile run and I was still in pain. I probably had a stress fracture in my femur already, just didn't realize it. I still managed to finish the 5K in 33 minutes, but that was the last real run I had until November. That was a long time without running. I don't have any of those problems this year at all. I am not walking with a limp, and only have a slight tweak in one thigh, but only after I run.

I have never really said this before a race before, but I want a personal record (PR) on Saturday. The last 5K I ran was at the end of April and I finished in 28:43, for a 9:15 pace. That is my PR and it was almost 40 seconds faster than before. I did run a timed 3 miles a week after I set that PR and finished a bit faster than 9:15 per mile. I think I can run faster than that on Saturday. I don't think I can do it in both races, but in the morning one. I know that running at 6:30 after driving and an earlier 5K may slow me down.
I don't know what time I am setting as my goal. In reality, 28:42 would be great, because it would be my new PR. However, I know that won't make me truly happy. I shaved almost 40 seconds with my last PR, so 28:00 would be amazing. That would put me in the top 10% of my age bracket, something I never really imagined. I just have to average 9 minutes per mile. I think I can do that. It is only 3.1 miles.

After thinking about this for a while, I really want to break 28 minutes. I will be shooting for 9 minute miles. I've come close to that pace for that distance before, I can do it again. I will post tomorrow to let you know how I did.

Couch to 5K

Many people tell me that they can't run or can't imagine enjoying running. I was once among those people. I ran slowly and with a lot of whining. I think running is one of those things that people view as something they do or something other people do. There doesn't seem to be much of a gray area. I have been converted to the awesomeness that is running. I really want to help others experience the same conversion. Or at least open them up to the possibility of conversion.

With that as my goal, I started looking into the many couch to 5K programs out there. The concept is great. It lays out a 8-10 week training program starting with about 20 minutes of walking & a little bit of running and at the end, you're ready to tackle a full 5K. My only problem with many of these programs is that at the end, they expect you to run the full 5K with no walk breaks. I think that's pushing the participants past their abilities. I also read many people saying that they couldn't do the last week of training because there were no walk breaks. That leads to frustration and quitting.

I love Jeff Galloway and his run-walk Galloway method. Many of the charity marathon training programs use this method, but not necessarily the same run-walk ratios. This is the method that Team to End AIDS uses it gives them a great success rate. I finally found a couch to 5k schedule that used the run-walk method. I don't know if it's perfect, but it's the best combination of the two programs that I have found. I hope that I can encourage those non-runners out there to give it a shot and see if at the end of two months if you can enjoy running. I'm not guaranteeing that you'll love running as much as I do, but at least you'll have opened up to the possibility.

If you make it through the training program, you'll be ready to take on the 2nd challenge that I issued for 2012. I would love if all of you were out there with me next summer.

Day 75C--Lambeau Field

I've been lax in my running and my blogging the last two weeks. The lack of running was because of pain in my IT Band and the rest of my right thigh. It got so bad on Wednesday that I was barely shuffling around, and that still hurt so bad that I was wincing in agony every few steps. The lack of running fed into my laziness and led to a lack of blogging.

The one thing that I really want to share was my experience with the 5K I ran on 7/30/11. As a Packer fan, the opportunity to run near Lambeau was really tempting. Luckily, this run actually runs into the stadium, down the player's tunnel and around the field on the track. That made it impossible to turn down. The Packers Cheerleaders (UWGB and St. Norbert squads) were on the field cheering us on for the final stretch. There were cameras set up so I could see myself running on the big screen. (Not a Jumbo Tron, I just learned.)

Aside from the sheer awesomeness of the run, it was really well organized. They said it would start at 10am, and it started at exactly 10am. Even though it was only 4,000 people, they had 6 different bibs/corrals. I was passing some people during my run, but most of the people around me seemed to be similarly paced to me. They kicked off the run with the National Anthem, and I actually heard the last line of it for the first time in ages. The fans/runners didn't cheer until the singer had ended.

The run wasn't perfect, though. Although it started on time, a 10am start is too late for July. It was super hot by the time we kicked off. I believe I could have clocked a better time if we had started earlier when it was cooler. The race shirt was cotton instead of a performance material. I ran in one of my regular running shirts instead. The bag they gave away for the race also seemed to be cheap.

Overall, I was happy with the race, though. I have recommended it to several people already and would suggest others try it, too. With any luck, I can get a caravan of Packer fans to make a Green Bay pilgrimage for the race next year.

Day 59C--Morning Run

I woke up early this morning to get my run in because my week is so packed that I didn't know when I was going to get them both in. Because I didn't want to get up three hours before work to fit in breakfast two hours before my run and then a shower after the run before my train ride, I ran without eating breakfast. It wasn't my best idea ever, but it wasn't horrific, either. I used the 5:1 run/walk intervals, but ran much faster than the 11:30 distance pace. I ran about a 9:43 pace. I did skip the last walk interval, but only because I could see the finish line and didn't want to walk to it. If it had been a real 5K, my time would have been under 31 minutes, which isn't my best ever, but much better than I've done over the last year. My next real 5K isn't until the end of July, so I have plenty of time to get a bit faster. By the time that 5K comes around, I will have run 16 miles, 60% more than I ran this last Saturday. Hopefully the increased distance over the next month will help my time in the 5K. I would really like to break 30 minutes, something I haven't been able to do since last May.

Day 47C--my running

I walked over 4 miles on Monday for my cross-training. It wasn't as much training as I probably should have gotten, but it was nice to walk to the beach and around the neighborhood on Memorial Day.

Yesterday was my mid-week run day and I ran 4.22 miles, even though it was hot and sticky. I thought the run was sucking, but my pace was right at 11:39. Yesterday was also one month into my marathon training. I should have taken measurements, but forgot. I will get them tonight and be sure to share if my weight or measurements have changed at all over the month.

I signed up for a 5K that happens at the end of July. It's in Green Bay and ends with a lap around Lambeau Field. Even cooler than that is that it's only $25 for the race. That's one of the lowest costs I've ever seen for a chip-timed 5K. The Soldier Field race was $65. Yes, I'll have to pay for a hotel room, but this is still a way cooler race than any other I've run. Better than running through the concourse at Wrigley.

Day 22C--Race Results

I finished the 5K in 31:59. It wasn't as fast as I was running last summer, but a better pace than I've been running this year. The weather was the worst I've run in. It was cold, windy and raining. By the time the run was over, I just wanted to get inside and peel off my sogginess. Other than feeling super cold, the run went well. I didn't walk during the race at all and I didn't feel fully spent when it was over. I probably should have pushed myself harder during the race and tried to shave some time off. All in all, I guess I feel ok about the race, but not as good as I could.

Day 21C--Lack of Running

I haven't run since Monday. It was a super busy week, and I was sadly unable to fit in more than one run. I will be running again tomorrow, though. I am signed up for the Race to Wrigley. It's my first 5K of the year. I've been so concerned with ramping up my distance for the marathon, that I haven't really paid attention to my 5K pacing at all. I don't have any goals for tomorrow at all, which is just fine. I promise that I will share my race results with all of you after the race.

Day 88--5K #2

I have officially signed up for my second 5K. I will be running the Path to Progress It benefits the American Brain Tumor Association. If you'd like to donate a few dollars, I would really appreciate it. You can donate here. It's a good cause and a well-run charity.

You can also use that same link if you'd like to join me in running that day. Right now I'll be running with Kate.

Day 69--Registration

I just signed up for my first 5K. I've now spent the money, so I will show up for the run.

Date:	Saturday, April 10, 2010
Time:	9 a.m. start
Location:	Grant Park (Upper Hutchinson Field @ Columbus & Balbo) | Chicago
Beneficiary:	Voices for Illinois Children & Prevent Child Abuse America

If anyone knows of other people who might be at this race, please let me know. I would love to see a friendly face or two at the start line. Even if this isn't for me, the worst case is that I just bought a slightly overpriced Dri-Fit shirt.