Run With Garrison

Aloha! I am now less than a week away from the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler and I am feeling pretty good. I have spent the last 2 weeks running easy and trying to make sure I am rested and healthy heading into this challenge. The only 2 serious efforts I made over these 2 weeks were the Chapson 8k race here in Honolulu and my first crossfit workout at the men’s Rx–this also happen to be my last elements class.

This 2 week training/tapering block started off with a massage. I have been working with Barbara at Massage Specialists and she does an outstanding job every time. My massage sessions last 2 hours and I can’t wait to get another one before I fly to Huntsville on Thursday!  Mileage over the past 2 weeks has been 56 and 41 miles per week with 4 days off. I have been sleeping a bunch and my focus is really starting to narrow down. Sweet P has noticed that as we get closer to the start of big races, I start to become more and more quiet.  Over the course of the runs, my thoughts have either been focusing on how I think I will feel at different points in the 100 miler or I have just been completely zoned out and thinking about very little at all. Thank goodness for the waterproof iPod and iRun waterproof headphones. It has not been raining, I just sweat a lot on a regular 11 mile run….Onto the big efforts of the past 2 weeks..

The Chapson 8k is a typical, well-run, early season race here in Honolulu. It starts and finishes in Kapiolani Park and the course is out and back over Diamond Head Road. I wanted to get in a solid effort just to see where I am in my training. Last year I finished in 13th place and ran 31:56–6:26 pace. The goals for this race were to finish in the top 3 and run sub 6 minute pace. The race went out at a fairly conservative pace. I noticed on my warmup that the entire way out we would be facing a serious headwind so I sat in the main field for the first 1.5 miles and let the other guys take the wind. At the start, 2 guys took off and got themselves a pretty good lead, we decided to let them go and I felt confident early in the race that we, as a group, would reel them in.  Well, I guessed wrong and as we were nearing the top of Diamond Head on the way out, I decided to make a move to try and close the gap. I totally committed to the effort and had no doubt that this was the right thing to do—super positive! Nobody from the main field followed me so I was all by myself into the headwind to chase down the 2 leaders. It took quite an effort but I caught them by the turnaround at Triangle Park. I worked my was past the younger of the two guys as we headed back up Diamond Head on the return trip. I could see the bunch I was running with earlier and I felt confident that my goal of top 3 would be realized (check) and now I just needed to see what I could manage and if I could actually win the race. The runner in second was really laboring on the uphill and as I moved up to the leader, I felt that I had successfully made it a 2 man race–I was wrong… I crested the hill with the race leader and I was starting to really feel the effects of chasing down these 2 guys. I started thinking ” just follow, hang on, don’t make any move until we get to the park (about 1000 meters to go)” and as we were about halfway down the hill, the kid in third just runs right up to us, and then right past us! I jumped onto his shoulder and kept up the same race thoughts–this time just at a faster pace!. It was once again a 2 man race and as he let up a little bit I made a move but I did not totally commit to it. Looking back, I should have either fully committed to the move to just sat there and showed a little patience. I chose wrong and paid for it. Legs felt heavy at this point and as he passed me after my weak move, mentally I just checked out and stopped fighting. I was passed by the older of the 2 guys as we headed into the park and the result did not change from there. 3rd overall, 29:26–5:55 pace. I met all my pre-race goals but the lack of commitment late in the race stings a bit. Winning a race is hard to do and I feel like I let a great opportunity slip away…Hopefully I can learn from this for a better result next time.

The other effort this week was my final crossfit elements class/workout. This was my first workout at the men’s Rx and I am very happy with it–very tough! the workout was 5 sets of 400m run, 30 box jumps on a 24″ box, 30 wall balls with a 20# med ball. The runs and the box jumps were fine, the wall balls were the killer. I finished the workout in 31:52 and my abs still feel the workout 3 days later:)

That is all for now. Looking forward to my first 100 miler. Hopefully, the next time I write–I will be a 100 mile man!

We may try to send updates during the race to post on this site. I will see my support team at least every 20 miles at Rocky Raccoon and if we can find some wi-fi they will post updates and maybe some video or photos. Heading out to buy a Go Pro camera to log some of these crazy experiences–hope to share some great video with all of you.

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Happy Running!

Shoes used and mileage–Adidas Glide (151.34), Adidas XT3 trail (6.02), New Balance 890 Blue (361.68), Adidas Aegis (139.78), Adidas Ride (40.81), and New Balance 890 Black (66.47)