2015 boston buildup 25k: race photos & results

 

 

i almost didn't make it to the boston buildup 25k this morning.  not because i ran the Colchester half the day before (even thought it's been a while since i've done this particular double), but rather the weather forecast for snow made the thought of driving to norwalk very iffy.  until the weather forecast pushed back the start of snow until noon last night, i didn't want to do the drive.

 

thankfully the snow held off - though there were a handful of flurries at the start!  i ran the entire race with the thought of getting in the miles before it started to come down.  that may be why i kept it under 8 minute miles - haha.  as it turned out i ran a 2:03:33, 7:57 pace.  that was well off the 1:58 i ran last year - but i didn't run a half marathon the day before that one!

 

overall i was more than happy with the outcome.  the 7:57 pace was just a few seconds slower than the 7:53 pace i ran at colchester.  no leg speed to speak of, but very consistent miles all around.  ironically, the toughest part of the day was crossing the ice covered field after the race - to get back to silvermine!

 

here are the race results from clubct.

 

 

 

here are the rest of my photos up on facebook.

2014 boston buildup 25k: race photos & results

after such tough winter conditions for the first 3 races, we got to run the 25k - the 4th and final race of the 2014 boston buildup winter series - in practically balmy conditions.  i ran in shorts, something i haven't done in months.  with all the snow on the ground it felt surreal :D

as for the race itself, i was very happy with my 1:58:50 (1:58:53 official), 7:39 pace.  it was well under my target of a sub-2:00 finish!  that goal was really a stretch because i had hoped to run 7:50 miles (roughly 2:01 finish) and found myself running 7:30 miles.  i was able to hold that pace for 13 miles before my pace flagged into the 7:50's.  to say my performance was a surprise would be a tremendous understatement (especially since it was well under my 2:10:29 from 2013)!

i'll post a short race report in the next day or so.

here are the race results from clubct.

 

 

here are the rest of my photos up on facebook.

2013 boston buildup 25k: race photos and results

despite a chilly start, we had pretty decent weather to run the 25k this morning.  there was a large turnout for the 4th and final buildup race of the 2013 season.  there was also a large contingent of runners from west point.

my 2:10:20 was about 8 minutes slower than my 2012 finish.  i had hoped to run 8 minute miles and come in with a 2:05, but when i had a hard time hitting 8 minutes in the first few miles, i dialed back my expectations and tried to string together 8:10s.  while that was doable for 10 miles, things got a bit slower for the next couple of mile (my 20k split actually matched my finish at the buildup 20k two weeks ago).  but even that 8:15 pace went by the boards during the last 3 miles.  a pair of 9 minute miles slowed my overall pace to 8:25 for the 25k distance.

still, given the low mileage i've logged this winter, i'll take it :D

here are the race results from clubct.

a few more photos posted on facebook.

2012 boston build-up 25k: race report

the boston build-up 25k in norwalk caps off the 4 race boston build-up series. it's probably the toughest (read seemingly unending hills) of the progressively longer courses. that said, it's definitely a fair course - there are some decent runnable stretches - and even a few downhills. i've run it many times over the last dozen years - and, somewhat inexplicably, it's easily my favorite of the series.

except for my 2:09 last year (i ran the 2011 edition the day after the colchester half), i've usually managed to get in under 2 hours. so i set my target at a sub-2 hour finish (basically a 7:43 pace). that may have been a stretch: plan b was to just maintain a sub-8 minute pace. i wasn't too sure about the 7:43 pace because i had only managed a 7:45 the colchester half last weekend. but i was game to try.

despite missing the marker for miles 5, i reached 6 miles in 46:26 - a 7:44 pace. that wasn't an auspicious start because there was a decent climb through miles 7 & 8 (which took me 16:23, an 8:12 pace). even with the slow last two miles, i bounced back in with a 7:43 mile 9 and a 7:33 mile 10. with a 1:18:07 for 10 miles, the 7:48 pace was way too slow to squeeze in under 2 hours.

i ran a 7:51 for mile 11 and i could feel myself starting to fade. the next two miles crept above 8 minutes, with an 8:04 and 8:05, respectively. at this point i was still confident of keeping my overall pace under 8 minutes for the 25k distance. but just when you think you've got it under control, the gods may have other plans for you! in what can best be described as hitting the wall, the last last 2.5 miles seemed endless!

not only did i slow down (any semblance of leg speed suddenly escaped me), but i was easily passed by at least a dozen runners during that final stretch. the splits for my last 2.5 miles were 8:14, 8:25, and 4:09, respectively. that 20:48 for the final 2.5 miles worked out to an 8:19 pace. on the bright side, even with the slowdown over the final 4.5 miles, my overall average pace, 7:55, was below 8 minutes for the 2:02:56 finish.

finish time aside, i still enjoyed the race, together with all the pre- and post-race socializing that went with it :D

2012 boston build-up 25k: race photos and results

i had mixed results at the boston build-up 25k this morning. i missed a sub 2 hour finish by almost 3 minutes, with a 2:02:57 - but the 7:55 pace was solidly under my 8 minute target. i had run 7:40's thru the first 10 miles, then slowed a bit for 11 and 12. but it was the last 3 miles that told the tale because i hit the wall (so to speak) and was passed by at least a dozen runners during the last 5k :(

still, it was almost 7 minutes faster than my finish last year (that said, i had run the colchester half the day before the 2011 25k... yesterday was an easy 6.5 miles).

here are the race results from clubct.

2010 boston build-up 25k: race report

the boston build-up 25k in silvermine is my favorite of the four races in the winter series. the 2010 edition of the build-up was also the first time in recent memory that i completed all 4 of the races in a given year! normally, because of schedule conflicts, weather, or postponements, i typically miss one of the races (the 15k wins that prize). but taking into consideration the unofficial boston blow-out 30k, i often get in 4 of the "five" events. this time around, the 30k conflicts with the trip down to raleigh for umstead - so i'm back to 4 out out 5 events ;p

this year i had no plans to race the 25k. in fact, the race was the second of two that weekend that i would use as training runs. i had run the colchester half the day before in 1:46:03 (just over an 8 minute pace). that was well off my prior year's time and well off the 1:40 time goal i had started out with (and my readjusted 1:45, as well). i planned to run the 25k at a faster pace. my target was a sub-2:00 finish. at the last 25k i ran, the mhrrc turkey trot in november, i missed a sub-2:00 by just over a minute (2:01:18).

the 25k course lends itself to negative splits because the first half is essentially an uphill climb, and we give back that climb on the way down to the finish in the second half. my basic plan, following that terrain, was to take it easy on the climb up and open it up on the way down. to finish line was moved onto the road to avoid the snow covered trail and bridge to the traditional site on the school field. aside from the a tiny "water" crossing at the 10k mark, the roads were otherwise clear of snow!

despite missing the markers for the second and fourth miles, i stuck to that plan for the first 8 miles, running a 1:02:46, 7:51 pace. except for the water overflowing across the road at 10k, the first half was uneventful. once again i ran the risk of overdressing - with 3 layers. but i took off the top layer, wrapped it around my waist, and ran in two layers from mile 4 onward. i could have taken off the second layer as well, but figured it was easier to just keep it on.

as expected, the second half was a net downhill - we gave back all the elevation gain on the way to the finish. i thoroughly enjoyed myself on this stretch, and did drop the pace as i had hoped would be the case. this is an incredibly scenic course, and one of my favorite landmarks is passing by the legendary silvermine tavern just after the 15 mile mark. aside from all the great memories i have of that place, it also meant less than a half mile to go :D

i finished in 1:59:30, a 7:42 pace, and felt great! while it was almost 3 minutes slower than last year's finish, and well off those sub 1:50 days... it was a great follow-up to the much slower colchester half. the two day 3:45:33 worked out to a 7:54 average pace for the combined 28.6 miles - well under my 8 minute target!

here are my splits:

7:43

15:18 23:01

15:33 38:35
8:11 46:46
7:52 54:38
8:07 1:02:46
7:50 1:10:37
7:31 1:18:08
7:24 1:25:33
7:35 1:40:37
7:34 1:48:11
7:36 1:55:48
3:41 1:59:30

7:42 pace

here are some race photos and here are some from the 2009 boston build-up 25k.

next up: caumsett park 50k this weekend.

2010 boston build-up 25k: race photos and results

great day to run! i met my sub 2:00 goal at the boston build-up 25k this morning with a 1:59:29, so that was a plus :D but we had great weather, the roads were clear, and plenty of post-race socializing. even got to the race early ;p

here is my race report; and here are the race results from clubct.

more photos posted on facebook.

mid-hudson road runners turkey trot 25k: race report

thanksgiving started off with a different twist this year - a trip north to dutchess county for the mid-hudson road runners turkey trot 25k in freedom plains, new york. both the race distance and travel distance were beyond my typical pre-turkey dinner dinners. the 25k was 2.5 times greater than the gateway gobbler i ran last year, and the hour plus drive was also much longer than the 20+ minutes it takes to get to the gobbler. but the travel distance was a minor cavil in for a fantastic race!

the drive itself was enjoyable because emmy, rob, and i carpooled to the race. at one point, we drove through thick ground fog - and the surrounding landscape draped in it! i thought we'd need headlamps for the race! we arrived almost a half hour early - and ran into our good friend greg and his daughter at pre-registration. then, in what may have been imported from a charlie chaplin movie, we all dispersed and then, in varying stages, had interesting problems with the start!

after we put away the champagne glass souvenirs(!), i headed back in to use the bathroom while emmy and rob went on a warm-up jog. as i was on the long line bathroom line, i heard the announcement that the 25k would start at the track, behind the school. with literally minutes to spare, i ran the quarter mile(!) from the gym bathroom to the track - weaving through all the 5 mile runners (whose race didn't go off until 8:45). when i got to the track i didn't see anyone! a volunteer said they were lining up behind the track! so i sprinted another 10th of a mile(!) and spied the start - behind some buildings!!

when i got there, greg was the only familiar face - no rob and emmy. and i didn't have time to wonder where they were because within a minute - literally - the race went off. and i stood there doubled over in pain because of a sudden back spasm! it took a minute for me to regain my composure - as i watched the field leave me behind. but i pulled it together and began slowing shuffling forward until i could run. as we retrace the route back out of the track and parking area i didn't see rob or emmy!

it turned out they didn't know where the race started - and missed it by a wind margin! so much, in fact, that rob went back in and got a chip for the 5 miler - and ran that race instead! emmy started the 25k race from the parking lot - 8 minutes late (and made up the extra distance at the end of the race)! but i've gotten ahead of myself - i didn't learn any of this until i finished the race myself. here are the splits:

7:53
8:33 16:26
7:43 24:10
7:40 31:51
7:26 39:18
7:45 47:03
7:53 54:57
7:56 1:02:53
6:18 1:09:11
7:48 1:16:59
8:06 1:33:29
8:35 1:42:05
7:40 1:49:46
7:40 1:57:26
3:52 2:01:18

7:50 pace

even with the stressful start, i knew i'd have trouble hitting my 2:00 target because i was laboring to maintain an 8 minute pace for the first 3 miles (although there did seem to be a small mountain stuck in those miles)! i knew from asking around that the course was hilly - but my favorite 25k, the boston build-up in silvermine, is also pretty hilly. i figured after a few miles i'd settle into a groove. i was listening to tom petty (just purchased his awesome 4 cd "live anthology" two days earlier) and planned to switch over to green day for the second hour.

even with mile 8 a little long (because even gravity assisted, i didn't run a true 6:18 in mile 9), i still had the 2:00 target in sight with a 1:02:53 split - but just barely. but the stretch of 8 minute miles between 11 and 13 really moved it out of reach. at the mile 12 split, someone had written "this is the last big hill" - which made me laugh. that hill in mile 13 did turn out to be my slowest mile - 8:35 - of the race (mirroring the big hill in mile 2). but, despite the "training run" mindset of this race, my competitive side emerged in the last two miles.

i had been trying to reel in the only runner ahead of me for the last couple of miles, and didn't have that much luck. with only 2.5 miles left, i figured i'd pick up the pace and see if i could at least catch him. it took a pair of 7:40's but i did catch him! on the long flat stretch during mile 14 he realized i had closed on him and picked up his pace. unlucky for him, however, there was one last hill at mile 15. i decided to go all in for that one and passed him on the climb. i used the last half mile to recover from that surge - and finished ahead of him, but well off my 2:00 target with
a 2:01:18.

the big surprise as i negotiated the parking lot to finish the race was seeing rob there with my camera! that came totally out of left field - and i shout to him, "what are you doing here?" that's when i learned about his fiver miler and emmy's late start. the second surprise was emmy's finish - as she came into the parking lot she shouted at me, "help me find the start!" so i ran with her over to the official start (which technically added some extra distance to her race), and rob then ran her in to the finish!

what an unusual race(s) it turned out to be. emmy actually won her age group! rob ran an awesome 5 miler (33 minutes) - switching his mind set from endurance to speed in just the few minutes it took to switch race chips! and i had a great training run - albeit my slowest 25k race in recent memory. given the all the hills and turns on that course, it already has me looking at the boston build-up slivermine course with fondness :D

here are some race photos.