2020 ZENA ROAD RUNS 15K RACE REPORT

A few minutes before the race!

Finally it was time to do the Zena Road Runs 15k again! It is one of my favorite smaller races but I hadn't done it since 2016. Hopefully it can become a near-yearly tradition again. It is a great challenge and something to look forward to in the dead of winter. It is not $5 anymore like the first year I did it, but it is still very reasonable at $25 and included a Zena wine glass!

It actually had an earlier start than it used to, 10am instead of 11am. Even sleepy Thomas is okay with 10am though. I woke up about 8am and was out the door a half hour later. The drive was a bit longer than I remembered, about an hour, but not too bad. It is through some nice country backroads, and with some coffee and some dry public radio news, I was happy as a clam. As expected for a race this size, packet pickup was a breeze. The weather was perfect, sunny and about 44 degrees. Katie and Tony were doing the three mile race, so we hung out until it was time to start, which came pretty quickly!

THE FIRST THREE (7:42, 6:54, 7:23)

The race had us starting in a gravel lot right next to the road. Once the gun went off, six mile and 15k runners went to the right, three mile runners to the left. Everyone seemed to line up in the right spot and it seemingly went off without too much chaos. I knew I had to attack these first three miles, as they contained the majority of the downhill in the race. That first mile actually was mostly flat, technically even a little uphill overall, so even though I was running hard I only managed a 7:42. Honestly though, I think that was the right pace given the terrain and my heart rate.

So that second mile... wow. This was "the mile" in the race where I'm sure everyone was licking their chops. Almost 400 feet of elevation loss! And while I don't have exact splits to compare this mile to the previous races (we start in a different point now, even though the course is exactly the same), it compares very favorably back when I was at my fastest. So I am pretty proud of this mile, even if it is hill aided! I mean, the only time these days I'm throwing down these speeds is when I am doing 400m repeats.

About 250 feet of loss in that third mile. So while I couldn't quite maintain by sub-seven speed, I was still trucking along pretty good. I was feeling pretty confident at this point in the race, and as you'll see, it was a false confidence! Things were about to get a lot tougher. Back in the "olden days," this race started with two killer, uphill miles. There was then a flat mile. Then two miles downhill. Then four "rolling" miles to the finish. Well, now we start at that "flat mile" and go from there on that same course. Which meant the two "killer" uphill miles would be the last two of the race.


THE "ROLLING" FOUR (8:15, 8:53, 9:04, 8:59)

Looking back at my previous race reports, I appear to always be surprised at how "rolling" these hills are. I think when you are looking at the overall elevation chart the two majorly downhill miles and the two majorly uphill miles really stick out. But these smaller bumps? Those must be easy! Well, climbing a 100 foot hill is no joke. Especially when, like me, you haven't really been training for that. Back in the day I used to run the "rollercoaster" in the winters at PRC, often times at tempo speed. It prepared me great for something like this. Now? Any speedwork I do is flat. And while I don't avoid hills, I am not quite doing them like i used to.

Anyways, all of that to explain my complete cratering of times. I was hoping to be at sub eight minute mile speed before the final two uphill miles. That was kind of a goal. Let's just say, by the time mile six hit, I was a couple seconds a mile above that. By the time mile seven hit and the hills started... well, an 8:59 does not bring you closer. I was surprised at how tired I felt as I ran these miles. It was easy to blame Miami the week before, and that was certainly a factor. But I also think I ran the first three miles too fast. I just really trashed my legs.

Long story short, I was not having fun during these miles. I was keeping my heart rate up though, in the low 180s. It was a proper effort. That 9:04 mile was basically all gently uphill for a total gain of nearly 100 feet. The people around me were also not really passing me all that much. I think my experience was pretty common. I used to be the one passing people in these situations though... not anymore! Anyways, while I wasn't looking forward to climbing uphill the last two miles, I was looking forward to the race being over.

THE FINAL UPHILL TWO (11:03, 10:37)

I looked back at my old times on this stretch and I simply cannot believe I used to do these in the 8s. What kind of wizard was I? Well, having fresh legs certainly would have helped! I think you could honestly shave off a minute from each split, at least, if I had fresh legs. I literally had nothing left at this point. Frankly, I am surprised they are as low as they are. I felt like I was doing a 13 or 14 minute mile. My pace, at times, was in the mid-12s. I mean, this hill is steep. It's brutal.

Chugging up the hill like a slow moving freight train. This was my life now. A whole BUNCH of people around me were walking portions of this. I made it a point of pride to NOT walk. It was going to be a fun test... would my chugging beat their energy saving walking? I ending up yoyo-ing with a few walkers. They'd walk the steep parts, then when it flattened out a little, they'd start running with a spring in their step, pass me... but then it would be steep again, they'd walk, snf I'd slowly move past them. On and on it went.

The second mile is more more rolling. It allowed us to go back and forth a number of times. I was convinced they would eventually win out because my running on the hills was not much faster than their walking, but it turns out there was a sustained hill right before the downhill finish. And I passed them toward the bottom of it as they began to walk. And when my watched beeped for mile nine, even though I couldn't see the finish line, I knew it was close. So I shifted into another gear and never looked back. Finally the hill crested and I was able to sprint downhill the final few hundred yards and through the finish!

FINISH AND THE AFTER PARTY

I was a little shocked at how "terrible" my time was. I was not prepared for that. I was expecting something like 1:18 or so. What I didn't quite factor into my prediction was how the starting point of the race would change the course so much. It was a LOT harder than the previous configuration. Having to do those final two miles on trashed legs versus fresh legs is a big deal. And while maybe doing the downhill fresh is faster, it in no way makes up for those final two miles.

So honestly, I am pretty happy with my time! If I end up here next year, and the course start point is the same, it'll be good to compare those two times. All told, it was a solid effort and another good race. They had some good snacks and post race cheer. Katie won first place in her age division, which was awesome, so she got a ribbon for that. Otherwise, after some munching, it was back home for a hot bath and a lazy day.

Official Results: 1:20:58.7, 8:41/mile. 46/96 overall, 36/54 male, 9/11 M30-34.

2020 MIAMI HALF MARATHON RACE REPORT

Taken by my friend Jon, running over the MacArthur Causeway about forty minutes after I did.

Another year, another Miami Half Marathon. This was my SEVENTH in a row after running my first one back 2013. It has turned into quite the fun little tradition! This race is never a good race to have any expectations for... the weather, the lack of sleep, the lack of training after hibernating in the winter, etc. Despite that, I enjoy going out there and giving it a solid effort and just enjoying some warmth in the dead of winter.

Like usual, I left on Thursday. I avoided the 6am flight this year, so I was able to wake up and bumble my way to the airport by 11 or so. That's where the fun again. My flight to Atlanta was delayed, which would mean I would miss my connection to Fort Lauderdale. Delta realized this and offered me some different options, but none of them would get me into town until the next morning and all required me to spend the night in a random airport.

There was a flight into Orlando through Salt Lake City that would get me into town around 11pm, so my friends agreed to drive up to pick me up (3 hours) and then we could do something in Orlando the next day. Seemed like a plan. Well, those thunderstorms in Atlanta that messed up my earlier plans ended up moving south and prevented my flight from reaching Orlando... after circling a while we ended up having to re-direct into Atlanta. So I ended up in Atlanta anyways. By now it is midnight. We ended up waiting in Atlanta about an hour, then they boarded everyone up again and we continued on the way to Orlando. We finally landed around 3am. My friends picked me up. What swell chaps!

After the nightmare getting there, the rest of the trip was pretty normal. We slept in that next day and didn't want to spend a bunch on a theme park for a half day, so we just headed back down south and stopped to play disc golf a couple of times on the way.

RACE DAY MORNING

In the corral about 20 minutes before the start.

I actually ended up getting 4-4.5 hours of sleep this year, not bad! I thought for sure I'd be screwed after the 4:00am bedtime that first night, but by midnight Saturday I was sufficiently tired and I didn't have much problem falling asleep. The race started at 6 and we were out the door by 5. Normally it's about thirty minutes there and then we have a lot really close to the start line we use. However, this year it was a construction site, so those plans were gone pretty quick.

We ended up driving right next to the start line, and with about 25 minutes to go, I bid farewell and hopped out. I remembered the chaos trying to get into the chute last year and wanted to avoid that if at all possible. My friends weren't going off until some 40 minutes after gun due to their corral, so they went ahead and parked the car. There was a small line to get into the corral this year, but nothing like the panic of last year. I got it and even had some time to do some stretches and make small talk with a fellow Portlander before our corral, Corral C, went off.

UP AND OVER THE CAUSEWAY (8:32, 8:29, 8:34, 8:28)

This is actually early in South Beach.

The weather this year wasn't ideal, at start it was 72 degrees with about 70% humidity. It has definitely been a little muggier in the past, but I think this may have been the warmest it's been. Fortunately, there was a decent breeze that made it less insufferable. It was warm, make no mistake, but with the sun still down it wasn't too miserable.

Originally I thought maybe I could go under 1:50 in this race, but quickly threw that out the window due to the conditions. Instead, I just trusted myself to set the appropriate pace. I knew what it should feel like, so I worked to get that correct "half effort" feeling and went from there. That pace ended up being in the low 8:30s. I went back and forth with the 8:30 pacers for a while but they eventually passed me. I just tried to enjoy the sights and atmosphere as much as I could. I knew later in the race my gaze would drift downward and I'd be incapable of really enjoying it.

Checking my watch for my heart rate, I was quite pleased with where it was at 178. I figured my half effort would be in the high 170s, and sure enough, that's right where it was. It let me know I wasn't slacking off as my mile times might have had me think. Before I knew it, mile four had been ticked off and I was in South Beach. The sun was still down but I was wary of what would happen once it came up.

STEADY IN SOUTH BEACH (8:38, 8:33, 8:35, 8:38)

Look at those tan legs!

Can we admire my mile times for a second? Man those are steady! I wasn't pacing myself by my watch either, this was all by feel. Okay, now that I have that bragging out of the way, onto my shenanigans in South Beach. Honestly, I was just cruising along here without much issue. I've seen the sights along this part of the course seven times now, so there's no surprises. Just swishing along and trying to keep it together as long as I could.

I jogged through all the aid stations this year and did my normal strategy of half Gatorade half water. I knew I'd need to keep hydrated given the conditions and sun sure to come. I didn't end up doing any sort of fueling with food though. A lot of years I do Shot Bloks down here, but when I was at the expo I started wondering why. I don't usually use fuel during a half. You don't need it, you have enough glucose or whatever built up to do thirteen miles. Anyways, nothing really to note in this section of the race! Back to the "traditional" route, same as last year, so there is no longer that out and back section.

CRUISING OVER THE VENETIANS (8:39, 8:34, 8:43)

15k timing mat on the Venetian Islands.

As usual, at least when I'm running this under two hours, the sun started to come up about when I was getting ready to leave Miami Beach and cross the bay back into downtown Miami. To my relief, there were some clouds in the sky this year, more partly cloudy versus partly sunny, so there wasn't the direct sun like there has been in previous years. As a result, my pace continued to stay steady even as the miles piled up.

This part of the race is always great, I love the little islands along the way and there are some great view of the bay and the city. The question is whether or not you're able to enjoy them. While I was certainly tired, I wasn't desperate yet like I have been during some years. Pretty quickly I was going through the toll gates, a milestone every year, and back onto the mainland. My heart rate by this point had climbed to average about 180, but I was still feeling pretty good. With only two miles to go, I knew I had it in me to finish strong.

TO THE FINISH DOWNTOWN! (8:46, 8:44)

Done!

Continuing with tradition, shortly after you get back downtown there is a lot cheering section that imparts a lot of energy into the race. This is also the point where they had out pineapple... this is always a should I/shouldn't I situation with me. This year I didn't stop and take any as I didn't need any mental tricks to convince myself I was going to be okay. I was feeling good and decided to just chug along. My pace slowed about ten seconds a mile from early on in the race, but nothing major. Honestly I was super proud of how steady I was. This was probably the most consistent Miami Half I had ever ran.

A couple of times downtown the buildings blocked the wind and it got quite warm. Thank goodness for the constant wind during the race, it would have been quite miserable without it. The sun peaked through the clouds here and there but nothing major. I just continued moving ahead but by this point I was definitely ready to be done. I had done two total runs over ten miles since the marathon, so while my legs still weren't complaining too bad, they were ready to bring this puppy to a close.

Finally we wound our way back toward the finish line. The energy toward the finish line was pretty good and you could definitely hear it a few blocks away. Unlike some of the people around me, I didn't feel the need to kick it in. I picked up my pace a little, sure, something like 8:00/mile, but nothing major. I had pretty much given it my all.

AFTER PARTY AND GOING HOME

Year seven complete!

I walked through the chute without discomfort this year, my legs held up really well! I remember my legs almost giving out from under me last year, so mark that as another point of improvement in addition to my finish time being three minutes faster. Through the chute, got my food, ate my food, used the bathroom, watched my friends finish, met them after, drank the shitty beer, headed back.

In what is also becoming a tradition, we all went out to eat at Pizza Hut after taking a nap and recovering. Something about Pizza Hut is just very satisfying after a half marathon. I don't think you can eat there in good conscience unless you have ran thirteen miles... maybe that is it, haha. Anyways, we enjoyed that gorge and then just had a fun celebratory night. The next day our flights weren't out until 5pm, so we went to the beach and enjoyed some last minute rays in Florida.

My flight back... ugh, that would be another whole long post. Long story short, weather in Atlanta (grr!) forced our plane to go into a holding pattern. While we finally landed, it was much later than expected and this caused me to miss my connection. I ended up spending the night in an Atlanta hotel room and flew back to Portland the next day. It's always something trying to get back!

Official Results: 1:53:55, 8:41/mile. 2382/15431 overall, 1880/7934 male, 322/1186 M30-35.