2013 FreezeFest 5K

This is the third year in a row I have run this particular 5K. I think I may have run it a total of 5-6 times but I am not sure on that. I had along run scheduled for this day but as I had a streak going I decided to incorporate the race into my training run. The Freezefest is run on the roads at Squaw Creek park and is put on by the local running club (Cedar Valley Running Association). It is the first big 5k of the year in the area and the club social, so it is pretty popular. I almost didn't do it this year because the more I get into ultrarunning and the lifestyle surrounding it, the more I find a distaste for these bigger races and the hoopla that goes with them.

The morning of the race I parked my car at a local trail head and ran the trail and roads about 7 miles to Squaw Creek park and the start of the race. I arrived about an hour early so I went ahead and added some more miles on my run by taking an easy recon of the 5k course. So all total I ran a little over 10 miles prior to the race. After finishing my warmup I headed into the park lodge and checked in, collecting my number and timing chip. The lodge was pretty crowded with all the runners trying to stay warm but I found a chair to sit in and took my hydration pack off and replaced it with my number and timing chip for the race.

My recon had shown that the road was partially to totally ice and snow covered along the course. This was in stark contrast to the previous 2 years when it had actually been fairly mild and the roads had been dry. My streak of consecutive PR at the 5K distance was in jeopardy. I had lowered my 5K time in consecutive races over the last 2 years but it would be tough today with the conditions. My goal was to come in under 22:00, I had run this race in 22:03 the previous year.

About 10 minutes prior to the race the announcement was made for us to move out to the start. Like a herd of cattle we all moved to the road and lined up, I was somewhere in the middle, far enough back I had no idea what the starter was saying over the megaphone. Unlike the previous races I had run this year, I did not recognize anyone I knew. Another reason I have gravitated to the ultra/trail race scene. The races are small enough, at least for now, I usually know someone there.

Right on time the gun went off and we all ran a crossed the timing mat. I started out with what I felt was a good pace. It was hard to gauge as the miles are not marked on this course. I knew about where the mile splits where however and figured I ran the first mile in about 7:15 pace. It was hard to get a good rhythm as just when you got going, you would hit a patch of ice or have to dodge a slower runner. As in previous years the course took you east along the park road for about 3/4 of a mile then you had to turn around and run back along the same course past the start and do another out and back heading west on the park road. The ice played a huge factor in getting comfortable and although I wasn't breathing really really hard or even putting out maximum effort it was the best I could manage on this road. By mile 2 I knew I wouldn't break 22:00 and started to concentrate on finishing the race with a good relaxed form. About 1/4 mile from the finish I glanced at my watch and realized I had 2 minutes to break 22:00 and I just might make it. I speed up my pace, kicking it to the finish. Although I had a lot of power left it was not to be. I had started my kick too late and I finished in 22:19, 17 seconds slower than the previous year.

Post race I went into the lodge and ate some bananas and chocolate chip cookies. I then put on my pack and ran the 7-8 miles back to my car. My total run for the day ended up being 21 miles with the race in the middle. It was a good effort and a good training day. I am not sure I will run this race next year. Even though it is great to get runners involved and get people out and moving, the pretentiousness off the running mom's, snottyness of the fast guys, and the general chaos  in theses races are really starting to turn me off.

Here are some pictures of my pre and post race run.

Freezefest 5K 2012

The Freezefest is a run I have done annually for at least the last 3 years. I have made it my traditional first race of the year. I knew this year's race had potential to be a good one as we have had a very very mild winter..very "un Freezelike." I had also been running very strong the last few months as I continue to train for some ultramarathons I am doing in the spring. Last week I ran a sub 48 minute 10K for the first time in my post military life (I retired from the military in 2004). I was excited and a little nervous about the chance to run the fastest 5K I have run since I turned 40.

The day of the race was very mild with a predicted temperature in the 40's. To keep with my training schedule I had to complete a 90 minute run on race day so I arrived about 0900 for the 1100 start. I also broke with tradition and did not eat my normal pre race breakfast of honey bun and Gatorade. I picked up my race packet and then returned to the car. I dropped my stuff off and went for a very easy 60 minute run. The race is held in the Squaw Creek park so I explored the trails around the park and finished about 5 miles prior to the race commencing.

After I finished my warmup I visited the portopotty and milled around for about 15 minutes with the other runners until everyone started moving towards the start line. Uncharacteristically and in anticipation of trying to run as fast as I could I self seeded in the front third of the group of racers. As most of you know I usually start at the back but not on this day. Shortly after we lined up the command to go was given, I hit the timer on my watch and off I went.

I started off quickly and thanks to my warmup my knee wasn't stiff as it usually is during my initial start. The course headed east on a paved service road for what I guess was about 3/4 of a mile. I was feeling good and picking people off little by little. After 3/4 of a mile we made a turnaround and as I approached it I was happy to see that I was still in the top third of racers. I glance at my watch and it was about at 6 minutes. The course had no mile markers so I wasn't quite sure of the distance, I just guessed based on previous experience.

We headed back west on the same road , passing back by the long line of runners that had not made the turn yet. I knew we would have to run back past the start and then continue on for about another mile before turning again and heading back to the finish. It was during this long section that I concentrated on maintaining my pace. I kept telling myself to run tall and keep turning over my feet. It was also during this section where people started settling into their pace. I would pass and be passed several times by the same two people for the rest of the race as we pushed each other. At one point during this section I actually felt like I was running downhill on the flat course.

Eventually we curved back east on the road and passed the "cowbell guy" who every year at CVRA events cheers on the runners with his boombox and cowbell. We continued on east to the turnaround when we headed back towards the finish. I was starting to smell the barn as I could actually see the finish line off to my right as the road curved back around the park. I looked at my watch and it read 20 minutes. Based on the distance left I was pleased to discover I was going to beat my goal time of 24 minutes by a pretty sizable margin. I just didn't know by how much. The course turned right into the parking lot for the last .1 mile to the finish. I could see that the official timer was reading 21 something so I really pushed it hard up the small incline to the finish in hopes of running the race under 22 minutes. Unfortunately it was not to be as I finished in 22:03.

I was very happy with my time and thought it was a post military PR, however after I arrived home I discovered I had run the CC Rider 5K in 20:37 back in 2004. Oh well it is definitely the fastest 5K I have run in the last 7 years. Looking forward to a definite PR at the Hawkeye 50K coming up next month

Freezefest 5K Race

This was my first scheduled race of the year, I haven't ran a race since the Hawkeye 50K that I did back in December. This was also my second year doing this race and I wanted to better my time from last year which was 26:44. I have been training for the Ice Age 50 mile ultramarathon that I will be doing in May so I have been putting in some longer runs. However I have been doing some speedwork at the indoor track and have been able to maintain an 8 minute mile for 3-4 miles. Don't laugh 8 minute miles for me is speedwork,it's not really about speed but about effort anyway.

Now I will get my excuses out of the way upfront. I ran a grand total of 4 miles this week prior to the race due to having the flu and generally feeling pretty low. The temperature has also changed drastically and it snowed last night. Wild weather changes usually make my asthma worse,so all in all not at optimum form for todays effort.

I pulled into the parking lot of the event and went into the lodge to checkin and grab my race packet. I was number 105 and I got the sweet red shirt that you see above. I say sweet because most of my race t-shirts are white it was nice to get another color for once.I walked back to the car and geared up for the race. The older I get the more gear I need for a simple run. Hat and gloves-check,sunglasses-check,race number-check,race chip-check, ipod-check, knee brace-check, and yak trax-check. Glad I wore the yaktrax because about an inch of snow had fallen and the roads were covered with some slickeryness.

I then went on about a mile warmup running pretty slow and taking pictures along the route. I did notice some pain in my bad knee but nothing unusual and I just chalked it up to my inactivity from the past week. When I returned to the lodge parking lot, I took the obligatory prerace visit to the porto potty and waited outside for the race to begin.

Right about the 1100 start time all 200 or so racers ambled down to the start and more or less seeded themselves according to where they thought they would finish. I put myself somewhere in the middle. We tried to listen to the starter who was talking through a bullhorn but I for one couldn't understand a word she was saying. Eventually she said the words I could understand, Runners Ready,GO!! (what happened to set? no one says set anymore.)

I started out pushing my pace a little based on my indoor times I was shooting to finish under 25 minutes for the race. We initially headed east and while snow covered the road was flat and wide, I was passing people and settling into my pace. My breathing however wasn't relaxed and I was gasping a little bit, no problem I just took a hit from the old vitamin O ( inhaler) and I started to breath a little easier. I knew I would be using the inhaler a lot in this race due to the weather change and trying to beat a specific time. A few hundred meters short of the first turnaround the race leader passed me going the other way. He was moving pretty quick as you can imagine. More runners up ahead started to pass me going the other way so I knew the turnaround was close, after a few minutes I saw it and picked up my pace a little.

Making the turn we started heading back down the same road now heading west. I was passing other runners myself as they continued east towards the turnaround. about 3/10ths of a mile past the turnaround was the 1 mile mark. My 1 mile split was 8:01. I am not sure if at this point I  psychologically relaxed or if I just got tired. What I noticed is that I started breathing easier and now I was getting passed occasionally by some runners from behind. No one had passed me in the first mile. As we headed west we passed the start point and continued on down the road I continued to try and maintain my pace but I was still getting passed by a few runners and I was no longer passing others. It is this point in the race which was about halfway where separation usually occurs and people settle into their race pace. Just prior to the second turnaround was the 2 mile mark, my split for the second mile was 8:18 so I had run 17 seconds slower. A few hundred meters later we hit the second turnaround and headed back east along the same route. I could see the finish off to my left but we still had to run almost a mile before we got there.

I decided to try and run comfortably, and attempt to maintain my place in the race standings for this last part of the course. I pretty much accomplished this only getting passed by one person in the last .75 of a mile. Just about where the start had been was the 3 mile mark, my split for the 3rd mile was 8:17 so I was maintaining a steady pace. After the mile marker we took a right turn into the lodge parking lot and ran the remaining .10 of a mile to the finish. This last .10 was uphill which somewhat slowed me down ( excuse mulligan) but I attempted to power up the hill. Unfortunately I missed my goal by :38 finishing the race in 25:38. The good news is that I ran this race 1 minute 6 seconds faster than last year. Another good stat is that the times for my last 4 5K races have all been improvements. dating back to this race last year I have run 5K's in 26:44,26:22,25:46 and today's 25:38. So I consider this race combined with the awesome post race cookies to be a win.