Lakes Of Williams Ranch 30K - Sugar Land
I got up this morning to go run the 30K, which starts about 10 minutes from my house. In fact, our long-run route comes within about 100 yards of the edge of the course.
I wasn't really psyched up to do this race this morning for various reasons. The weather was going to be far from ideal, with temps around 70 at the start, and high humidity. Also my training has been off track for the past couple of weeks. Week before this last one I had to go to San Antonio for a trade show and didn't run at all for three (really four) straight days. I didn't do anything special once I got back unless you count the 8 mile tempo run I did Tuesday when the front blew in. I attempted some speedwork Thursday night but was tired and didn't finish. I knew it was going to be warm so I wanted to train in warm, humid conditions but that wicked cold-front and snow eliminated the chance of that.
But of course I headed over anyway and got my game face on once we started. Three years ago - the only other time I've done this race - I had one of the best races of my life, ran a negative split, picked up hardware, and ran a 6:36 pace. If conditions had been ideal I guess I might have been able to target 6:35-6:40 pace, but they weren't. I hooked up with a runner we met down in Schulenberg a year and a half ago named Sean Dunbar, from Katy. Sean is a solid runner who has posted some excellent times since I started noticing his name. He told me at the start that he was targeting a 6:50 pace but we took off together and hit the first mile in 6:40. The 1st through 12 miles were:
1 - 6:40
2 - 6:40
3 - 6:35
4 - 6:42
5 - 6:43
6 - 6:39
7 - 6:39
8 - 6:41
9 - 6:35
10 - 6:37 (1:06:30 for 10 miles)
11 - 6:36
12 - 6:39
These were the good miles, when I was hammering along with Sean. But I started to realize in mile 11 that I wasn't going to be able to keep dropping the 6:40 pace we had going. Just after mile 12 we hit a water station and I took a bit more time than he did - good time to let him go. I didn't drop off too terribly bad running the next 6.6 alone, especially given the adverse conditions, but drop off I did. Here are the remainder of the splits:
13 - 6:48
14 - 6:47
15 - 7:01
16 - 6:55
17 - 7:00
18 - 7:05
Final .69 - 4:45 (6:54 pace)
I'm sure the course was accurate but those of you with a Garmin know that early on in most races you start beeping miles well before the marker. The splits I've provided were not according to the markers on the course but according to the Garmin. So the final .6 wasn't actually .69 on the course, just according to my Garmin. Here are the numbers:
Total time: 2:06:01, 6:45 pace by the Garmin, 6:47 officially
Splits: 1st half - 1:02:21, 2nd half - 1:03:39
27th overall, 2nd in the 45-49 male age group - I'm just lucky Sim Cuevas, Kevin Regis, or Tuan Nguyen weren't there today.
Reflecting on my performance, it's about what I should have expected and I'm okay with it. I think with cooler weather I probably could have maintained the 6:40 pace. But I still feel like I have about one more step to take to be completely back at my A game level.
Great running with you Sean, if you're a reader.
I wasn't really psyched up to do this race this morning for various reasons. The weather was going to be far from ideal, with temps around 70 at the start, and high humidity. Also my training has been off track for the past couple of weeks. Week before this last one I had to go to San Antonio for a trade show and didn't run at all for three (really four) straight days. I didn't do anything special once I got back unless you count the 8 mile tempo run I did Tuesday when the front blew in. I attempted some speedwork Thursday night but was tired and didn't finish. I knew it was going to be warm so I wanted to train in warm, humid conditions but that wicked cold-front and snow eliminated the chance of that.
But of course I headed over anyway and got my game face on once we started. Three years ago - the only other time I've done this race - I had one of the best races of my life, ran a negative split, picked up hardware, and ran a 6:36 pace. If conditions had been ideal I guess I might have been able to target 6:35-6:40 pace, but they weren't. I hooked up with a runner we met down in Schulenberg a year and a half ago named Sean Dunbar, from Katy. Sean is a solid runner who has posted some excellent times since I started noticing his name. He told me at the start that he was targeting a 6:50 pace but we took off together and hit the first mile in 6:40. The 1st through 12 miles were:
1 - 6:40
2 - 6:40
3 - 6:35
4 - 6:42
5 - 6:43
6 - 6:39
7 - 6:39
8 - 6:41
9 - 6:35
10 - 6:37 (1:06:30 for 10 miles)
11 - 6:36
12 - 6:39
These were the good miles, when I was hammering along with Sean. But I started to realize in mile 11 that I wasn't going to be able to keep dropping the 6:40 pace we had going. Just after mile 12 we hit a water station and I took a bit more time than he did - good time to let him go. I didn't drop off too terribly bad running the next 6.6 alone, especially given the adverse conditions, but drop off I did. Here are the remainder of the splits:
13 - 6:48
14 - 6:47
15 - 7:01
16 - 6:55
17 - 7:00
18 - 7:05
Final .69 - 4:45 (6:54 pace)
I'm sure the course was accurate but those of you with a Garmin know that early on in most races you start beeping miles well before the marker. The splits I've provided were not according to the markers on the course but according to the Garmin. So the final .6 wasn't actually .69 on the course, just according to my Garmin. Here are the numbers:
Total time: 2:06:01, 6:45 pace by the Garmin, 6:47 officially
Splits: 1st half - 1:02:21, 2nd half - 1:03:39
27th overall, 2nd in the 45-49 male age group - I'm just lucky Sim Cuevas, Kevin Regis, or Tuan Nguyen weren't there today.
Reflecting on my performance, it's about what I should have expected and I'm okay with it. I think with cooler weather I probably could have maintained the 6:40 pace. But I still feel like I have about one more step to take to be completely back at my A game level.
Great running with you Sean, if you're a reader.
posted by Lance Collins at 6:29 PM
5 Comments:
Nice race Lance - 2nd AG is pretty impressive!!
Conditions at that race were perfect a couple years ago but now that's 2 years in a row they've been hot - That's texas - pretty hit or miss....but I think I've heard you say you tend to hold up better in the heat (many don't even show up) so that works in your advantage for sure...
Great job, Lance. You can only race those who show up. As fas as I am concerned, you were faster than Sim, Kevin, or Tuan on Sunday.
Recover well so you can do damage for team..., what's our team name again:-)), at the Houston Marathon.
Tuan
Lance,
That is some nice running down in Sugar Land! Jack Daniel's calls that his 5th degree of success...loosely translated it is called "just take care of your shiz and forget who or what is there...just do your thing and let the other stuff get sorted later." Way to do your thing and walk (or run) away with some hardware!
David
Good run man. And some hardware to show for it.
Keep it up.
Nice running out there with 'ya the other day-great job!
Btw...I found you on the Battling Bloggers blogroll
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