Super 5K Race – Super Bowl Sunday 2009

The second race of 2009 is now history and in the books. The Running Fit Super 5K is run on Super Bowl Sunday “The Super 5K” gets your metabolism moving in the morning so you can indulge in Hot Wings, Pizza and Libations quilt free later that night!”

Held in Novi Michigan it is an out and back on Eleven Mile road. Nice course, with a few easy hills on it to keep you working.

I also volunteered to work the packet pick up the day before the race. This was the second time I have done this, the first being for the Holiday Hustle back in December. I have also volunteered for the Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K Run & Walk on March 15, 2009. Hey, you get a free race shirt and free entry in a race of your choice, pretty good deal for not so much work. The Shamrocks & Shenanigans packet pick up will be from 3-5 PM on Saturday march 14th… at Connor O’Neils (a popular local Irish Pub) so may even be able to get a brew while working! I will sign up for the race then also using the coupon I get for volunteering.

The race itself was a little windy and a little cool. A running jacket would have been nice at the start. I had decided on only a winter compression shirt with tech shirt over it, and while pretty chilly waiting to get started, once on the road I warmed up pretty well. Gloves were appreciated as was the head band. Some time I should do a review on stuff… I use several different “Halo” brand head bands which have a rubber sweat gutter/guide in the inside front of them. The idea is the sweat from the head and forehead, instead of running into your eyes is directed back along the guide to about your ears, where it is free to run down. It works too! I have lightweight for summer and another with ear flaps for the winter. They are also tech knit fabric, but they get water/sweat logged anyway, but it does keep it out of my eyes. Which can be especially annoying if I leave glasses on when running.

Unfortunately while there were camera crews on site, I seem to have gotten missed by them, so there are no action photos. Only a few taken the day before at the packet pick up, and some before the start and at the end of, the race.

The official Results for bib number 999.

    Some stats for the race:
    a) 5K
    b) Finished 564 out of 1119 overall
    c) Finished 16 out of 32 in my age group.
    d) Had a 8:51 pace (27:28 total time)
    e) Had a great time, even if I missed a PR by 6 seconds.

Until the final buffalo hot wing is consumed,
George

Update on Houston EP5K

They just sent an email with updated stats. I had not been able to calculate the actual places within division and age group. They must have discovered that so sent the info out to everyone.

The percentages look really good, and I am really pleased with the performance.
Stats:
Chip Time 27:22
Pace : 8:49
Division: Male 55-59
Division: 13 out of 57 (Top 22%)
Gender : 379 out of 1230 (Top 30%)
Overall : 503 out of 2840 (Top 17%)

Time: 27:22 & Pace: 8:48
Time: 27:22 & Pace: 8:48

So overall a very positive start to the 2009 season. Next up is the Super 5K in Novi Michigan on February 1, 2009… back to the cold and snow. Have been running this week in 10-15 degree temperatures. With a good head cover, insulated compression shirt, light running jacket and tights I still work up a sweat and keep warm. Only issue I had… I have gone to really heavy weight gloves to keep my fingers from going numb. Maybe some windproof mittens are on the shopping list!

All the pictures are now posted on the photo album page!

Until frosty fingers are abolished,
George

The first race of 2009 Special Notes = Warm + PR

This weekend was a bit of a change up for racing. If you read the last post on the New Year’s Eve run you know the temperature was around 20 degrees in Detroit when I ran it. This Sunday I ran in the elpaso 5K, in Houston, Texas. The weather at the 7:30 am start was in the mid 50’s! Very nice change. Actually it was warm enough the full marathon went “Condition Yellow” because of the wind and temperature.

The other positive aspect of the race, I set a new PR for a 5K @ 27:22, or a pace of 8:48. (I am going to assume a lot of the runners were in either the half or full marathon, which made it easier to move up in the positions in the 5K.)

Stats:

Overall in 5K race: 502/2818
Overall in 5K race: 502/2818

Age Group: 13/57
Age Group: 13/57

Time: 27:22 & Pace: 8:48
Time: 27:22 & Pace: 8:48

So overall a very positive start to the 2009 season. Next up is the Super 5K in Novi Michigan on February 1, 2009… back to the cold and snow.

If I get them out of the camera, and onto the web site you will eventually be able to see the pictures!

Now I still have a couple of days to get outdoors and run in 70 degree temps before I have to return to the frozen city of Ann Arbor! There are at least two really popular places to run here in Houston, Memorial Park and Hermann Park adjoining Rice University. Hopefully will get a chance to do both of them in the evenings before I leave.

Until Global Warming hits Ann Arbor,
George

Dart Frog Dash 5K at the Toledo Zoo

Tomorrow isThe other day was the next race, down in Toledo Ohio. The “The Dart Frog Dash” so named (I think) in honor of the new exhibit at the Toledo Zoo – which is the site of the 5K race.” at the Toledo Zoo.

Hopefully I will be able to “jump” right on this and get the results posted.

Dart Frog Dash

The race went well, and I finished within my goal time. But did I set a new PR? That remains to be seen!

Some stats for the race:

  • a) a quick “jump” at the start got me going
  • b) things got really “hopping” at the 2 mile point
  • c) a 5K (3.1 miles)
  • d) finished 206 out of 344 male entrants (60% finished ahead of me)
  • e) finished 11 out of 20 in my age group (55% finished ahead of me)
  • f) finished 326 out of 737 total finishers. (finished in the top 44% overall)
  • g) had a 9:08 pace (28:18 total time)
  • h) had a great time, and chalked up another new PR for a 5K! Hey, four races, four new personal records, what’s so hard about this?

Until the the last person feels “froggy”,

Martian Marathon – 10K in the books.

This morning I did the Martian Marathon – 10K race portion. I had a good time for sure. Having never gone 6.2 miles before except once in training, did not know for sure how it would work out. I did not finish first… come on only been three months since I could even go 3 miles at a time…. but I was pleased with my stats.

  • There were 617 total finishers (do not know how many entrants)
  • I ended up 426th out of that 617
  • In my age group there were 43 runners
  • I ended up 30th out of that 43.
  • The official time was 1:03:01
  • That makes the pace 10:09, not burning up the pavement, but better than the 5K pace (10:30)  just a month ago, and twice the distance!
  • Then of all the runners, 69% finished ahead of me, while in the Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K a full 77% finished ahead of me.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The numbers here confuse me a little, they are just slightly different than the spreadsheet data on the Gault Race Management web site. But the spreadsheet looks to be more correct to me.

If I hang in there it will be interesting to see what happens at the same races next year.

Will get I now have some photos posted, but finally got the main system is down for an upgrade right now  running enough to get this done.

Until the Martians make face to face contact,

Martian Marathon Invaded by Kazology Running Team!

The count down has begun to the Martian Marathon, well in my case the Martian 10K, which is pretty much a marathon for me!
For the curious, it shows that I am officially signed up for the 10K race.

The race is less than two weeks away on Saturday April 5, 2008. ???? like ????? I think I can go the distance, probably not non-stop, but a short enough “breather” to still keep the time pretty reasonable. ???? ????? ???? 777 ???? ?????

Should be a fun race! I am hoping the weather does not decide to dump more snow the night before – or during the race! ????? ?? ?????? After the latest round on Friday the 21st, Ann Arbor broke all annual snowfall records that went back to 1880 when the first records were kept, so it would not surprise me since we sometimes get snow that late! Better get out and buy those YakTraxs to have on hand foot feet!

Until the last alien abduction is solved,