Council Bluffs Half Marathon - race report

This was the second running of the Council Bluffs Half Marathon, and my first.  I wore my VFF Sprints - nearing 1200 miles but holding together nicely.  I didn't do any spring races last year but for some reason have been doing as many as I can this spring...  I knew all week that the race was going to be warm - high of between 85/90 for the day.  The morning of the race was a warm and humid 72 degrees.  The race started out with the 5k runners, and it was an out-and-back run for them.  I started towards the middle of the pack, because it was chip-timed and I thought I should probably start out slow for the first mile or two.  My first two miles were around 6:55 and 6:45, right where I wanted to be.  Around mile two I heard "nice barefoot shoes" (which still is an odd thing to say to somebody for many reasons...).  I ran with that guy for a few minutes, talking about the VFFs.  Around mile 3-4 one of the pacers for Team Nebraska talked to me a bit (he was on a bicycle) about the VFFs - he wore them for a trail run a few weeks ago.  The course was actually very nice and was flat.  Running by Lake Manawa allowed for some good scenery, although it smelled a bit fishy...  I kept as steady a pace as I could - ranging from about 6:35 to 6:50 per mile.  After the lake we hit my favorite part - a few hundred feet of single-track dirt trail - before jumping onto another trail and heading back toward the finish.  I worked my way up little by little, passing a couple of people every mile.  When mile ten came around I was getting a bit tired from the sun beating down on me - at the last few water stops I dumped a cup of water on my head - VERY nice feeling.  The last few miles of the race were very pleasant - we ran through another concrete trail with nice trees.  I caught up with a female runner who I could see for the last two miles or so right at the 13 mile marker.  I thought she might race me to the finish but I went on without her.  Finished in 1:29:08 (chip time), 10th overall.  Not too bad for the heat/humidity.  I felt great afterward - could have gone further.  Overall it was a fairly well-organized race.  Although, the expo was very weak and they didn't put out bananas/oranges until around 2:00:00.  A bit pricey too, at $60.

bib number:	236
age:	27
gender:	M
location:	Blair, NE
overall place:	10 out of 635
division place:	2 out of 42
gender place:	9 out of 278
time:	1:29:08
pace:	6:49
gun time:	1:29:38

Next up - Boystown Memorial Day 5 Mile Run

Chicago Marathon 10.10.10

So I was reading about the Boston Marathon results a couple of weeks ago...  I found out that Ryan Hall donated all of his prize money from the race ($25,000) to his charity, the Hall Steps Foundation.  I thought that was interesting so I researched a bit more.  He started the foundation with his wife, Sara Hall, who is also an incredible runner.  Here are some details from their website:

The Hall Steps Foundation aims to empower the running community to use the energy and resources that fuel runners’ athletic achievements for social justice efforts. Currently in its first year of operation, the Steps Foundation funds initiatives that tackle structural causes of poverty such as chronic lack of access to basic entitlements including clean water, shelter and physical security. Specifically, Steps partners with leading international and local nonprofits in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia to fund projects that invest in sustainable methods of enhancing access to basic essentials. To-date, this has included (1) constructing community wells in East Africa to secure water access; (2) funding an orphanage in Kenya to ensure access to shelter and basic education; and (3) sponsoring legal counsel for victims of human trafficking in Southeast Asia to enhance victims’ physical autonomy. In the U.S., the Hall Steps Foundation is funding youth mentor and running programs across the country that aim to position athletic activity, goal-setting and training camaraderie at the center of the national movement to improve youth health, fitness and opportunity.

The more I found out the more I thought is was a great idea.  One of the "nonprofits" that they team with is WorldVision, a Christian organization.  The three main goals of the HSF are:

1. Mentoring running programs to get kids active and fight childhood obesity
2. Providing clean water to rural communities in Africa
3. Anti Human-Trafficking

I then noticed on the site that they were looking for runners to join them at the Chicago Marathon this October.  I mentioned it to my wife and she wanted to do it too!  So now we are registered to run the marathon for the Hall Steps Foundation.  We each need to raise $1500, which sounds like a good challenge for both of us.  We haven't started formally raising money yet but we have our information on their site.  More to follow...

Here are our sites:

nick - me

erica

Garmin Forerunner

So I decided to get a GPS watch...  I went with the new Garmin Forerunner 110 - in black with the heart rate strap.  I finally got this one because it actually looks like a watch, is lightweight and I can be a nerd and look back at the data from my runs!  Here is the last run that I collected data from:


10 mile run

B.A.A. Boston Marathon 2010

Photo courtesy of marathonfoto.com !!!

Third marathon in Vibram FiveFingers! Just saw on birthdayshoes.com that another runner was at the Boston Marathon in VFFs: link to birthdayshoes.com post. He ran a great race in 3:25, which is just right around where my first VFF marathon was (3:24). Congrats, Dan!

Went to the expo on Sunday after my wife ran the B.A.A. 5k to pick up my packet. I had to stop by the VFF exhibit and check out the new Bikilas- I am a bit skeptical... They seem to have a lot of padding. I may or may not try them out- I'm still deciding. I did hear that Tony Post gave a free pair to Corrado Giambalvo to run in. He finished in 3:23. Hey Tony, I'll take a pair to try out!!!  Maybe they will get me to go under three hours for a marathon!!   I keep contacting Vibram about being a tester but they have no interest.  I also have contacted them about putting out some technical t-shirts so that I can support them during races but they have no interest.  I have asked them to send me some more of the cards to hand out to interested people but they will not do it.  The product is great, but the customer service lately has been poor!  Oh well.  The expo was huge but very organized; there were tons of people wandering around, very excited about the impending race the next day. I met a few people who gave me tips on how to run Boston efficiently. One experienced runner who was running his 21st Boston told me to take it easy on the first five miles because you'll want to run fast! I heard this same thing from a few others as well.

I got on the first set of busses that left the park in Boston at 6:00am. We pulled into the Hopkinton school around 7:00am made the walk into the "Athlete's Village". The wait from 7::00 to 9:10 was long and cold. Luckily they provided food, music and delicious coffee. I trotted to the starting line with thousands of other people and made my way to the #4 corral. I wore my VFF Sprints for this run - I got asked many questions by people in the corral and during the race. Many of them had just bought VFFs recently but hadn't run in them yet. I told them they are great; go for a run in them!!

The Boston Course is a net downhill course, but there are plenty of uphills along the way. I tried to take it easy on the first half, making the way in just under 1:29 like planned. The second half was mostly pain from sore quadriceps muscles. The girls of Wellesly College were amazing and gave a boost of energy to all the runners. The Newton hills were tough! I still cannot believe how many spectators there are at this event; there are people cheering the whole way! I had to stop and rub a tight quad muscle around mile 19; there were about five people that were yelling "you can do it!!" and when I started running again they cheered. Great support, plenty of water/gatorade, plenty of orange slices along the way. I got asked by a few people how my feet were feeling - I told them they were great! Boston College was awesome - seeing the Citgo sign was great, and the last two turns onto Hereford and Boylston were NUTS! Very fun race! I didn't break three hours like I had hoped but still requalified to run next year- 3:06:02 (a PR by 29 seconds!).

Bib	Name	Age	M/F	City	State	Country	Ctz	*
4083	Hanson, Nicholas J.	27	M	Blair	NE	USA
Checkpoints 5k 10k 15k 20k Half 25k 30k 35k 40k 0:20:56 0:42:06 1:03:00 1:24:14 1:28:52 1:45:50 2:08:45 2:32:29 2:56:03 Finish Pace Projected Time Official Time Overall Gender Division 0:07:06 3:06:02 2020 1884 1334

Wisner Leprechaun Run - 3.20.10

This last Saturday was the 29th annual Wisner Fire & EMS Leprechaun run.  They had 2.2 mile, 5 kilometer and 5 mile runs as part of the St Patrick's day weekend celebrations.  I had never been to Wisner, NE but there were no other good runs that weekend so we made the drive.  The weather was questionable - only about 32 degrees and windy at the start.  I got in a good warmup and luckily the race did not begin until 12 noon. 

I stepped into the little community center to use the bathroom quickly before the start and overheard a few fellow runners speaking about how they need to get shoes with the most cushioning possible, because their feet need it if they run over 10 miles...  I figured I should stay out of it and kept to myself, glancing down at my wierd VFF Sprints with Injinji socks underneath.  Not much cushioning here but I'm doing fine with 50-70 miles per week.

The race director gave some instructions on where to go- everybody started and finished in the same spots.  The first turnaround was for the 2.2 mile race, the second was for the 5k and the last was for the 5 mile race.  My wife and I had both chosen to run the 5 mile race.  At the start I was feeling very loose and must have actually warmed up properly for once.  I got to the front of the pack and started running hard.  I chatted with another runner for a minute about the VFFs - he told me that he has a pair but only wears them on the treadmill.  I told him he should try wearing them outside!

I got through the first 2 miles in about 11:50 and did not realize that the wind was pushing me until the turnaround, about 2.5 miles in...  The return trip was brutal- into the wind for the whole last half of the race.  I think I ran about 6:00 pace for the first half and 6:30 for the second half.  I was in second place virtually the whole time- the guy ahead of me somehow ran faster after the turnaround and sped ahead of everybody.  He finished in 28:53 and I came in second at 31:22, around 6:16 pace.  I was happy, especially with all of that wind.  I even got my first trophy- with the little plastic running guy on top.  Awesome.  After I finished the runner that I had talked to came up and was asking me how much I run in my VFFs - I told him that anytime I'm outside I'll run in them, or barefoot.  He told me that they give him blisters on his big toes due to the seams - I told him that he needs to get a pair of the Bikilas (if they ever come out) because they are completely seamless!

After the race we got our free $2 steak sandwiches.  Yes; you read that right. 

bentonville half marathon

So the Wal-Mart Bentonville Half Marathon was this Saturday in Bentonville, Arkansas.  I originally signed up for it because I thought it would be a great spring half to do with warm weather- turned out Arkansas weather can be variable in March...  At the start of the race it was about 38 degrees and misting rain.  I warmed up for 15 minutes before the start, jogging around the the parking lot where our car was.  We had to wait for a while at the starting line, though, so I got pretty cold waiting there.  The Injinji socks worked well to keep my toes warm while running, but at the start they were definitely starting to get COLD!  I was shooting for a time of around 1:24 but forgot my watch at home.  I started somewhere in the middle - this was a mistake because it took a while to run through a big pack of runners.  I did not know how fast I was running until there was a clock at the 10k point- 42:17.  I still was not warming up... I picked up the pace a little from there but knew there was an impressive hill at the end of the race.  I finally started feeling warmed up and ready to run hard around 10 miles.  When I got to the hill (around the 12 mile mark) I ran up without stopping; it was steep but very fun and challenging - I passed two other runners here.  I finished in 1:29:57 feeling like I could have run a bit faster.  Results were posted already- I was in 29th place at the 10k point.  Ended up 22nd overall out of 888 runners; 4th out of 60 in my age group. 

Also - I had an interesting conversation with the race director/ local running shoe store owner Mike Rush (http://rushrunning.com/) about my Vibram Five Fingers Sprints that I was wearing.  While wearing a head-mounted video camera he politely informed me that I was pronating while wearing my VFFs.  I told him that a fair amount of pronation is normal during running gait and it is just your arch supplying you with energy.  He then told me that I would have problems and would get injured soon.  I explained that I have been running in them exclusively for over two years now and haven't had problems with the VFFs yet.  I have even done two marathons, two half marathons and a handful of 5Ks and 10Ks so far...  He seemed to be caught off guard about the fact that I had done two marathons in them and was still healthy- but quickly asked what the times were.  I told him 3:24 and 3:06.  He told me that he knows biomechanics and that I will get injured- and that he refuses to carry VFFs in his store because he does not believe in them.  I told him that I have my MS degree in Exercise Science and my thesis was on barefoot running- I have done a lot of research and I think I'll be okay.  It was an interesting conversation, though.  Usually I get asked by curious people what it is like to run in them and if they have any arch support, etc. but nothing like this.  Thought I would share this.

Next race - Leprechaun 5 Mile Run in Wisner, NE

update

Thought I would post a quick update regarding winter running...  I live in Nebraska and the winter has been harsh, to put it midly.  Not many warm days since November.  I have been running on the treadmill mostly, either barefoot or in socks (the treadmill can get very warm running for 1-2 hours).  Occasionally I will wear my VFFs on the treadmill too.  I have gotten outside probably 6-7 times in my VFFs this winter, every time with my Injinji socks for warmth.  I plan on wearing my Sprints (roughly 700 miles on them now) to the Bentonville Half Marathon this weekend and then to the Boston Marathon next month.  I've been running outside more and more lately- it was ~44 degrees Saturday so I did the last ten miles of my 20 miler outside in the Sprints and loved it.  I am anxiously awaiting the VFF Bikilas!!!