8 Miles Running (6:42) - I ran angry, mostly because the lack of activity from the weekend. I went out of town and had some fun with some buddies, but hate it when I can't get in the volume I want to.
Tuesday
7.5 Miles Running (6:56)
58 Miles Cycling (21 mph) - Did GPAC today - this ride is the fastest ride Memphis has to offer. It is basically a road race simulation.. or at least as close as you can get to one. Since the last time I cycled was last GPAC (7 days ago) I felt heavy and not sharp at all. That is to be expected. Thankfully I did not get dropped.
Weds
4.6 Miles Running (7:36)
Thurs
8 Miles Running (7:06)
31 Miles Cycling (18.7 mph)
Friday
11.5 Miles Running w/ 5K Race - (5:39) - 5th Overall
Harbortown 5K is known for its twists and turns which can really break up your rhythm. I remember a couple of years ago trying to preview the course with a map and actually getting lost. It has that many turns.. I was never able to figure it out.
I started my 3 mile WU about an hour before the race. The goal was to just run from home since it is only a couple of miles away and the parking is always crazy. I finished the WU and a few strides thinking I felt ok, but not great. Looking at the field I knew a handful of guys that were faster than me. Mark, Chris would be 1/2. Autrey and Chumney always battle back and forth and are a bit faster than I am. This put me in at least 5th OA. I am sort of in this no mans area where I am not quite fast enough to compete for a win in a competitive race in Memphis, but faster than that 3rd tier of guys. Also, you never knew who shows up out of town for these races.
Once we started I tried to settle in at a good comfortable pace. I ended up running with Chumney and Autrey for the majority of the first mile. We clocked off a 5:18 split. This is probably faster than I needed to run, but I wasn't worrying about blowing up. Knowing I finish in no mans land, I certainly cannot compete with the people faster than me if I don't put myself in the position to run with them. I knew that I wasn't going to get passed even if I blew up, so I wanted to try to push through this one. After the 1st mile we start getting into the heart of Harbortown homes, which is where the weaving and turns start. I was starting to feel it about halfway into mile 2 and Autrey was starting to pull away and Chumney started to come back a bit. I passed a couple of people early that went out too hard but I had 6 people in front me. Mark, Chris, some guy I didn't know, Autrey, Chumney, and some dude with an afro I had never seen. I came on mile marker 2 about 1.75 into the race and wondered if the course was going to be short. I have also seen those misplaced and thought the last mile was just going to be a really long one. Eventually everyone except for afro had pulled away far enough out of my sight with the turns. I was in the hurt cave, but afro kept coming back. He was hurting just as much as I was. Once my core body temp reaches a certain point, it's hard for me to keep that turnover smooth and my form starts breaking apart. I was never able to catch afro as the course finish line appeared about 2.8 miles into the race. I didn't care honestly. I was in the hurt cave and was never so glad to see a short course. Turns out that Mark and Chris got lost on the course and was disqualified. This put me at 5th overall. I hate to move up that way, but I have also gotten lost in a race several times this year and I can feel their pain. It's the runners job to know the course, but this one is basically impossible to memorize.
Once the race was over I did a 3 mile cooldown with Eric Knight and Kyle Grady. I had a couple beers and hungout with my buddies and ran by home (another 2.3 miles) with Kyle, who lives close by me.
Saturday
61 Miles Cycling (22 mph) - We did the usual "All team Trinity ride" - This is where we invite anyone and everyone for a very spirited long ride with either fast rotating pace lines or attacking over the top. Knowing that I still didn't feel great on the bike and that I had Navy Nautical the next day, my intent was to sit in and try not to burn any matches. Once we got into the fast sections, the rain started coming down hard. It made it kinda fun at first, but eventually started to get annoying. Mostly I sat in and just hung out on the bike or in the pack. I didn't really stick my nose out or do anything crazy, but the legs still felt pretty heavy and fatigued once we were done. My plan was to run sometime that afternoon, but the legs just weren't feeling it so I called it an early night.
Sunday
12 Miles with Navy Nautical 10 Miler (6:20) - 1st OA
Navy Nautical 10 Miler is a footrace in the heart of Millington, TN. This race is a gem in Memphis and has always been on "my list" of races I want to win. They measure the course in nautical miles and is the only one of its kind. I have done this race several times and came in 2nd last year to a very fast Clay Hickman who ran a 2:37 marathon 3 weeks after. The finishers medal is always awesome and they always give you an unlimited amount of beer post race so this one if a favorite of mine.
Race morning came too fast. For some reason I could barely sleep and woke up with maybe 2-3 hours of sleep total. I never worry about this. Once I read "Meb for Mortals", Meb states that he got no sleep the night before he won the Boston Marathon. It's normal to be nervous and have a lack of sleep the night before your race. The key is getting in consistent sleep throughout the week and you will be fine. The alarm went off at 4:30 and Casey Katz and I arose like zombies hungry for coffee. The race starts at 6AM and provides a bit of relief from the summer heat.
I didn't worry too much about getting in a decent warmup. After looking at the race participant list and scoping out the competition I knew that I was the fastest out there. Also knowing the heat is a big factor in this race, I decided I was going to go out fairly conservative. I didn't want to enter the hurt cave on this race. I got in about a half mile warmup before I headed to the start line. My buddy and best man - Marcus Jones was also running. Marcus is quick, but not quite ready to "race" this kind of race as a newborn baby can throw a wrench into consistent training. I figured he was out there to get in a decent long run and hope for an easy 2nd place. Also, to put a dent into the post race kegs. The gun went off and not even 100m into the race Marcus realizes he left his phone in his pocket. He proceeds to dart off the course to his Pruis and put his phone away in the car then sprint back up to the lead pack. All I could do was just laugh and shake my head.
The course starts off fairly flat the first mile and we settled into a very conservative 6:20 pace. I look around me and there were about 4 people in the mix. I focused on staying relaxed and Marcus jumped right beside me and we paced off each other for a bit. After the first mile we look over to first set of cameras to get in a good picture, but I didn't realize how good of a picture it would actually be.
Epic.. just epic! Marcus' middle name should have been "shenanigans." After the first couple miles we go into a really bumpy section of the course. I was already sweating profusely even with the conservative miles and knowing that I was at the end of a big week with a lack of sleep and recovery I didn't want anyone hanging on to me. I dropped a 6:15 split still feeling really good on the hilly section of the course and that immediately opened up a good 15-20 sec gap on the field. Miles 4-7 are very flat to gradual downhill and I just wanted to be sure that I still felt fresh and smooth once I got to that section. I found a really good rhythm and on the flat/downhill miles I popped off a 6:14, 6:11, 6:12, 6:12, and 6:19 while feeling really relaxed and right around aerobic threshold. The legs started feeling it a bit and it was impossible to take in as much water as I was losing. I was literally drenched and probably running in 4 lbs of sweat combined in my shoes, shorts, and Journeymen Kit.
Once I got to mile 8, I ran into the local Memphis Hash House Harriers. A good group of my friends that run and drink.. but more of the latter. At this point, beer was probably not the best of ideas, but what the hell. We do this to have fun right?
They actually told me I was the first lead/eventual winner to ever take a beer. After sipping down a cup of warm beer that was probably keystone or PBR (yummm), I set off into the military base of Millington, TN. Once you enter the base you run about half a mile into a neighborhood for which I can only guess is housing for the base. It is fairly windey until you come up on the edge of the base and run beside a barbed fence on a flat paved section. This is where the heat gets to you. I still felt great aerobically, but the legs were starting to burn and could feel I was getting pretty dehydrated. I clicked off a couple 6:20 miles until we got out of the base and knew the homestretch was near. I eased up a bit knowing I had a pretty good cushion and tried to enjoy the last 1.5 miles before the finish.
Once you cross the finish line you are greeted with some of the best hospitality for a race. They give you an iced towel that you can keep and sit you down in "cooling" chairs. They bring you water and gatorade, basically anything you could want. Memphis races need to take note of the great job they do at this race. Ultimately I am glad to get this race "checked" off of my list. After several beers and the awards ceremony, Katz and I ordered some Chinese food and indulged that night to some Game of Thrones. You will love the fortune and I don't make this up. #gobeserk
GPS: https://www.strava.com/activities/599257398
Total Miles Running: 51.7
Total Miles Cycling: 149.9
