2016 Hot Diggity Dog 5k

Place: 58/375; Net Time: 24:46.5; Avg. pace 8:05 per mile

Thanksgiving morning was cool and wet this year. Emily, Ashley, and I gathered at St. Albans high school to run the Hot Diggity Dog 5k for the second year in a row. The race started in a bunch and it was difficult to set a steady pace in the sea of almost 400 runners and walkers. I accelerated to find a path through the traffic and as a result ran my fastest split in the first mile (7:38). After the first mile, I realized I was far away from peak running shape and slowed down. The rain picked up slightly in the second mile, and I sucked serious wind. I still managed an eight-minute-mile in the second split. Then, the course ran up the only hill of the race, slowing me and the other runners down considerably. The hill was about a 20 foot incline that only lasted for one-tenth of a mile - short and steep. It was hard to return to my previous pace, even after coming back down the same hill. Hence, the third mile was my slowest split time. The rain abated in the last part of the race leaving the streets wet and difficult to grip cleanly. But no excuses. I was pleased with the net time, given my lack of run training this fall. I finished next to two other guys, one of whom had the energy for a sprint and took off past me 20 meters from the finish line. I had no such burst and jogged across the finish. I caught my breath and watched Ashley then Emily finish. The consensus? It was a good run for all, but far from our best. And the course is nothing special to look at. Still, it is a good motivator to get out and run on Thanksgiving morning. I imagine we will be back for the 2017 edition.

Shoe Review - Saucony Guide 10s

Trial Run
2.0 mi; 16'16"; 8'05" avg. pace

I paid a visit to Robert's Running in Charleston last weekend to buy some new running kicks. As is my custom, I went in expecting to buy one brand of shoe and ended up getting something different. Although to be fair to myself, I have alternated between buying Saucony and Brooks for the last four years. I retired the Brooks Adrenaline 14 and tried on the Brooks Adrenaline 17 first. The were comfortable and I thought about buying them and walking out of the store. But I thought I should try on the comparable Saucony model. I bought the Saucony Guide 6s back in early 2013. By comparison the Guide 10s had a softer, more flexible upper mesh and a new cushioning system. It simply was less noticeable on my foot than the Adrenaline 17s. Hence, I walked out of the store with them.

 

Today I took these shoes on a first run. It was a short 2 miler around the block. The heal-toe-offset of 8 mm was noticeable, as the cushioning on my old shoes was completely worn out. It felt like the shoes were encouraging me to keep a quick pace as I sprung forward. And the impact with the ground was much easier given new cushioning. I had a good average pace despite not having run in over a month. The strong heel gives good support when striking the ground. Overall, I am happy with the purchase, although it is too early to teel how long the shoes will last and how they age with the miles. Still, it is another strong showing by Saucony. 8/10.

Fall Cycling

The Stats - October
11 rides; 148 miles; 13.4 miles per ride; 8,188 feet elevation gain

I hardly did any running in October. Instead I tried to see how many feet I could climb on the bike. I got to over 8,000 feet, as you can see. That is over a mile and a half of elevation gain for the month. My pace has noticeably improved as a result. The fall weather has helped as well, but I continue to set PRs on hill segments and flat segments due to an emphasize on hill training.
Strava has monthly challenges for cycling and running. Their climbing challenge was to ride 9,000 meters in October, which is something crazy like 29,000 feet. I am not sure I can ever get there, but it is interesting to see what other amateurs are doing.
The coming months will likely bring a lot of indoor cycling on Zwift. They have a fun sweepstakes going in November where you can win a trip to their headquarters and some swag if you ride 100 km on a virtual kid's tricycle. I may try that out one night; it would take me a little over three hours.
In running news, the PTR crew is set to run The Hot Diggity Dog 5k in St. Albans for Thanksgiving again this year. I need to purchase some new shoes from Roberts before that takes place. My two-year-old Brooks are still wearable, but the tread is nearly gone and I can convert them to casual shoes. Brooks have won me over and I will probably buy another pair. The Adrenaline GTS 17 shoes look like winners. I will recap the Thanksgiving 5k near the end of the month. Until then, happy running!