Wow. This has been quite the four day weekend. We've signed papers for the new house, done a home inspection, gone to three races, shopped, and I can't tell you how much else. I do know that I've run too much this weekend, eaten too much this weekend, slept too little this weekend, and stressed too much this weekend.
The calm before the 8k race.
So, to start from the beginning, as best as I can remember at least, we have our trip to Williamsburg on Friday. I placed some more cameras on the trail, got my stuff packed, and fed the kids lunch when they got out of school early. We headed to Williamsburg, did a little shopping at the outlets, went through the expo, ate dinner, and checked into the hotel. The kids swam for a bit and then it was bedtime.
Met a teammate for the first time. He has good taste in clothes.
We were up early Saturday morning since the 8k race started at 0700. We dropped William off with my dad who was a few doors down in the hotel and then Elizabeth, Yvonne, and I headed to the Start line. Traffic was decent and I'm glad we got there early. With the new start area by the Visitor's Center, we ended up parking in the overflow lot. Which meant a short hike to the start line. Once parked, we headed over to just chill out until we could run.
The kid's shirt says "he not heavy, he's my brother." They were part of Team Hoyt.
We stuck to our plan which was to have Elizabeth and I run together while Yvonne ran her own race behind us. Last year I let Elizabeth run off ahead of me with a mile left so this year I increased it to two miles. We eased into the run and even though she wanted to run out fast, I reeled her in and kept her on pace. We did pretty good through the first mile and then she started to need a few more breaks. Our pace was a little slower overall but we kept moving. We talked about all sorts of stuff and while I'm sure she can turn into an all-star runner, I'm glad I'm not like some of the other parents I saw later in the day dragging (sometimes literally) their kids through a race.
At Mile 3 I gave her some last minute advice and let her truck off. I was able to keep her in sight but she gapped me pretty good. Around Mile 4 I slowly started to reel her in as I picked up the pace a little bit. In the end she still beat me but only by 9 seconds. I gave it all I could at the end and so did she. According to the race results, she placed second in her age group (10 and under).
Weather:
Temps were about 60F at the start but warmed to about 70F by the finish. Sun was out in full and there was a light breeze. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Nothing before the run. During the run I had just plain water. No recovery.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.
Gear:
No special gear.
Heart Rate:
The first few miles were pretty easy to stay near my Zone 2 goal but as she picked up the pace and I tried to keep up with her I kinda tossed that zone under the bus.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:36 (AVG HR - 147)
Mile 2 - 12:30 (AVG HR - 151)
Mile 3 - 13:13 (AVG HR - 154)
Mile 4 - 11:08 (AVG HR - 172)
Mile 5 - 10:07 (AVG HR - 181)
Finish - 58:29 (3 minutes slower than my PR)
Shortly after her race finished, I ended up running and walking with William for his fun run. I had plenty of time to cool down and drink a little water before we headed out on the track. We ran out of the stadium, ran a goofy loop around the parking lot, then ran back onto the track for the Finish. The route was pretty well marked but I'm not too sure younger kids would really know where to go. Especially if they were unsupervised.
All the stats above are all the same except the time below.
Splits:
Finish - 15:45 (AVG HR - 127 )
Total for both events:
1:14:21
AVG HR - 153
MAX HR - 200
MIN HR - 94
After both races were over, we went back to the hotel to eat our free breakfast. And like the Heck family, we do our best to eat our fill of free food. Even though it wasn't really free. So after I overate, I showered (as did everyone else), then we headed back out on the town for some shopping.
This marked the darkest timeline of our trip as we discovered the local toy store was closed. I felt a little part of my childhood die as I walked into the store and suddenly realized it was full of shit instead of the toys I expected. I was so pissed off. I was probably more upset than the kids. It truly was a staple of Merchant's Square.
So after that sad news, we headed to Retro's for lunch. Thankfully I discovered this little burger joint a few blocks away and it's worth it. We went back to the hotel, chilled out, slept, watched TV, and then went out for dinner.
Then we went for a little pirate mini-golf.
Before I knew it, I was getting up at 0430 for my half marathon. My alarm was set for 0500 but sure enough, I woke up entirely too early. So I got some coffee in an attempt to jump start my bowels. After I showered and lubed up, I started my walk to the Start. That's right, I walked the 2.5 miles to the start line. Who does that? This guy. It may sound crazy, but that walk was less stressful, even with a gurgly belly, than trying to wrangle two kids, a wife, and a father so you can make it to the Start on time.
Once at the start line I finally got my bowels to cooperate and I was left with that pleasant empty feeling. I drank my GenUCAN and chilled. Suddenly, through the crowd, as if drawn by magnets, I see a teammate. I had met one the day before and was surprised to see a second. The three of us chatted for a few minutes before the start then we went our merry way.
The course this year changed. Again. And while it was much cooler, the scenery was less than desirable at times. The little piss-ant loops through parking lots suck. The paved trail through the trees was awesome and will be even awesomer when it's 20 degrees hotter and the sun is out. The slog down the road with nobody on it was depressing. The hills on the paved trail were hard but not quite as hard as last year's hills.
Best of all, the weather. It was a cool 60F or so at the start and that made a huge difference in how everybody did. This race has been a scorcher in years past and I'm glad it was so nice this year. Anyway, aside from the new course and some pros and cons, the race went well. I had no major issues until the finish when I thought my heart was going to explode. That'd teach me to sprint at the finish.
After I got my beer and dumped it into my bottle, I posed with this guy.
Weather:
Temps were 60F at the start and maybe 75F to 80F at the finish. Sky was clear with light winds.No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Coffee and GenUCAN before the race. During the race I had a bottle of plain water, a bottle of GenUCAN mixed with their new electrolyte stuff, and another bottle of GenUCAN electrolytes. I also had two applesauces, one about an hour in and the second around 45 minutes later. Recovery was way too much food.
Aches and Pains:
Felt like a blister on my left toe but nothing was there. Outside of that, I felt fine until the finish when I sprinted a little too hard, temporarily lost feeling in my legs, and had to take a breather after the finish.
Gear:
No special gear.
Heart Rate:
Did much better just chilling out and staying pretty close to my Zone 2 goal. I'm afraid to look at my end results though. Pretty sure I maxed out my heart rate.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:56 (AVG HR 139)
Mile 2 - 12:19 (AVG HR 144)
Mile 3 - 13:12 (includes a bathroom break) (AVG HR 148)
Mile 4 - 11:36 (AVG HR 152)
Mile 5 - 12:42 (AVG HR 153)
Mile 6 - 11:19 (AVG HR 157)
Mile 7 - 12:01 (AVG HR 161)
Mile 8 - 11:48 (AVG HR 160)
Mile 9 - 12:52 (AVG HR 166)
Mile 10 - 12:09 (AVG HR 164)
Mile 11 - 12:27 (AVG HR 167)
Mile 12 - 12:28 (AVG HR 167)
Mile 13 - 12:34 (AVG HR 172)
Mile 0.1 - 00:30 (AVG HR 200)
Finish - 2:39:56
AVG HR - 158
MAX HR - 207
MIN HR -117
After my race, and after over-eating, we went back out on the town, did more shopping and walking around, and before you knew it, we were back at Retro's for lunch. Then it was off for more mini-golf, this time the old west one, and then back to eating dinner.
Here's William checking out a little stream.
The calm before the 8k race.
So, to start from the beginning, as best as I can remember at least, we have our trip to Williamsburg on Friday. I placed some more cameras on the trail, got my stuff packed, and fed the kids lunch when they got out of school early. We headed to Williamsburg, did a little shopping at the outlets, went through the expo, ate dinner, and checked into the hotel. The kids swam for a bit and then it was bedtime.
Met a teammate for the first time. He has good taste in clothes.
We were up early Saturday morning since the 8k race started at 0700. We dropped William off with my dad who was a few doors down in the hotel and then Elizabeth, Yvonne, and I headed to the Start line. Traffic was decent and I'm glad we got there early. With the new start area by the Visitor's Center, we ended up parking in the overflow lot. Which meant a short hike to the start line. Once parked, we headed over to just chill out until we could run.
The kid's shirt says "he not heavy, he's my brother." They were part of Team Hoyt.
We stuck to our plan which was to have Elizabeth and I run together while Yvonne ran her own race behind us. Last year I let Elizabeth run off ahead of me with a mile left so this year I increased it to two miles. We eased into the run and even though she wanted to run out fast, I reeled her in and kept her on pace. We did pretty good through the first mile and then she started to need a few more breaks. Our pace was a little slower overall but we kept moving. We talked about all sorts of stuff and while I'm sure she can turn into an all-star runner, I'm glad I'm not like some of the other parents I saw later in the day dragging (sometimes literally) their kids through a race.
At Mile 3 I gave her some last minute advice and let her truck off. I was able to keep her in sight but she gapped me pretty good. Around Mile 4 I slowly started to reel her in as I picked up the pace a little bit. In the end she still beat me but only by 9 seconds. I gave it all I could at the end and so did she. According to the race results, she placed second in her age group (10 and under).
Weather:
Temps were about 60F at the start but warmed to about 70F by the finish. Sun was out in full and there was a light breeze. No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Nothing before the run. During the run I had just plain water. No recovery.
Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.
Gear:
No special gear.
Heart Rate:
The first few miles were pretty easy to stay near my Zone 2 goal but as she picked up the pace and I tried to keep up with her I kinda tossed that zone under the bus.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:36 (AVG HR - 147)
Mile 2 - 12:30 (AVG HR - 151)
Mile 3 - 13:13 (AVG HR - 154)
Mile 4 - 11:08 (AVG HR - 172)
Mile 5 - 10:07 (AVG HR - 181)
Finish - 58:29 (3 minutes slower than my PR)
Shortly after her race finished, I ended up running and walking with William for his fun run. I had plenty of time to cool down and drink a little water before we headed out on the track. We ran out of the stadium, ran a goofy loop around the parking lot, then ran back onto the track for the Finish. The route was pretty well marked but I'm not too sure younger kids would really know where to go. Especially if they were unsupervised.
All the stats above are all the same except the time below.
Splits:
Finish - 15:45 (AVG HR - 127 )
Total for both events:
1:14:21
AVG HR - 153
MAX HR - 200
MIN HR - 94
After both races were over, we went back to the hotel to eat our free breakfast. And like the Heck family, we do our best to eat our fill of free food. Even though it wasn't really free. So after I overate, I showered (as did everyone else), then we headed back out on the town for some shopping.
This marked the darkest timeline of our trip as we discovered the local toy store was closed. I felt a little part of my childhood die as I walked into the store and suddenly realized it was full of shit instead of the toys I expected. I was so pissed off. I was probably more upset than the kids. It truly was a staple of Merchant's Square.
So after that sad news, we headed to Retro's for lunch. Thankfully I discovered this little burger joint a few blocks away and it's worth it. We went back to the hotel, chilled out, slept, watched TV, and then went out for dinner.
Then we went for a little pirate mini-golf.
Before I knew it, I was getting up at 0430 for my half marathon. My alarm was set for 0500 but sure enough, I woke up entirely too early. So I got some coffee in an attempt to jump start my bowels. After I showered and lubed up, I started my walk to the Start. That's right, I walked the 2.5 miles to the start line. Who does that? This guy. It may sound crazy, but that walk was less stressful, even with a gurgly belly, than trying to wrangle two kids, a wife, and a father so you can make it to the Start on time.
Once at the start line I finally got my bowels to cooperate and I was left with that pleasant empty feeling. I drank my GenUCAN and chilled. Suddenly, through the crowd, as if drawn by magnets, I see a teammate. I had met one the day before and was surprised to see a second. The three of us chatted for a few minutes before the start then we went our merry way.
The course this year changed. Again. And while it was much cooler, the scenery was less than desirable at times. The little piss-ant loops through parking lots suck. The paved trail through the trees was awesome and will be even awesomer when it's 20 degrees hotter and the sun is out. The slog down the road with nobody on it was depressing. The hills on the paved trail were hard but not quite as hard as last year's hills.
Best of all, the weather. It was a cool 60F or so at the start and that made a huge difference in how everybody did. This race has been a scorcher in years past and I'm glad it was so nice this year. Anyway, aside from the new course and some pros and cons, the race went well. I had no major issues until the finish when I thought my heart was going to explode. That'd teach me to sprint at the finish.
After I got my beer and dumped it into my bottle, I posed with this guy.
Weather:
Temps were 60F at the start and maybe 75F to 80F at the finish. Sky was clear with light winds.No humidity.
Fluids and Fuel:
Coffee and GenUCAN before the race. During the race I had a bottle of plain water, a bottle of GenUCAN mixed with their new electrolyte stuff, and another bottle of GenUCAN electrolytes. I also had two applesauces, one about an hour in and the second around 45 minutes later. Recovery was way too much food.
Aches and Pains:
Felt like a blister on my left toe but nothing was there. Outside of that, I felt fine until the finish when I sprinted a little too hard, temporarily lost feeling in my legs, and had to take a breather after the finish.
Gear:
No special gear.
Heart Rate:
Did much better just chilling out and staying pretty close to my Zone 2 goal. I'm afraid to look at my end results though. Pretty sure I maxed out my heart rate.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:56 (AVG HR 139)
Mile 2 - 12:19 (AVG HR 144)
Mile 3 - 13:12 (includes a bathroom break) (AVG HR 148)
Mile 4 - 11:36 (AVG HR 152)
Mile 5 - 12:42 (AVG HR 153)
Mile 6 - 11:19 (AVG HR 157)
Mile 7 - 12:01 (AVG HR 161)
Mile 8 - 11:48 (AVG HR 160)
Mile 9 - 12:52 (AVG HR 166)
Mile 10 - 12:09 (AVG HR 164)
Mile 11 - 12:27 (AVG HR 167)
Mile 12 - 12:28 (AVG HR 167)
Mile 13 - 12:34 (AVG HR 172)
Mile 0.1 - 00:30 (AVG HR 200)
Finish - 2:39:56
AVG HR - 158
MAX HR - 207
MIN HR -117
After my race, and after over-eating, we went back out on the town, did more shopping and walking around, and before you knew it, we were back at Retro's for lunch. Then it was off for more mini-golf, this time the old west one, and then back to eating dinner.
Here's William checking out a little stream.
2 comments:
I have got to get a pair of those red plaid shorts!!!!!
@Lauren - Talk to Tabitha from T-Star Running (http://tstarrunning.com/). She won't make a kilt but she mostly makes women's running skirts. And, if I ask her nicely, she'll make men's running shorts.
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