Double Race Weekend

As I've posted before, I'm sort of going through a period of transition in my training and running.  During this period, there are plenty of phases of trial and error, and just trying new things in general.

At the tail end of a 4-week reverse taper from the Shamrock Marathon a month ago, I decided to try something new and have a weekend consisting of two short races.  There was no particular logic or insight involved with the decision, I just wanted to see how I'd feel running at a moderate-to-hard pace two days in a row.

The first race was the Kessler's 5 mile trail run at Gifford Pinchot State Park.

On a beautifully sunny and mild morning, around 150 runners set off on the trails on the southeast shore of the lake.  I'd never been in this section of the park, and was pleasantly surprised at the runability of the first few miles.  They were trails, but definitely not singletrack.  6-8' wide and mostly flat...just like what you might imagine surrounding a popular area in a state park.  I was also pleasantly surprised with my pace: maintaining just under 8:00/mi, and very relaxed.

The course was extremely well staffed and marked...like ridiculously well marked, as in bright yellow signs with black direction arrows that jump out at you in the brown and (slightly) green early spring woods in Central PA.  Even with the numerous intersections, there was definitely no excuse for getting lost out there.

Between miles 2 and 3 was about a half mile on pavement through a camping area, then at mile 3 we got to the "muddy mile".  I'm talking as much as 8-10 inches deep in some stretches!  It was so much fun slugging through that section, happy to report that I didn't see a single spill or lost shoe, though with SpeedLaces on my Brooks Cascadias I did get close to slipping out once or twice.

Caked on mud, post race

At almost exactly mile 4, we crested the final hill and the trail transformed to speedy, fine gravel, barreling downhill for the final mile.  I crossed the finish line in about 38 minutes, good enough for 17th.

The finishing chute

It was a well organized race that I really enjoyed.  I didn't stick around long enough for the hot dogs afterwards, I just headed home to shower and rest up for the race coming the following morning.  As long as my schedule is free next year, I'm definitely doing this race again.  Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for putting on this event!

There was even another fellow runner/geocacher racing on Saturday!

After a nice pre-race dinner at Fenicci's, race #2 was the Hershey 10K, starting bright and early at 7:30am Sunday morning.  I was fortunate to join several of my friends in this race, including my buddy Ben (who I joined last summer at Savageman).  The race was sold out with approximately 2500 runners joining us.

Just like the day before, I was out there simply to give it a go with no intentions on pushing too hard.  The course was relatively flat, and almost exactly the same course for the first 3 miles as last fall's Hershey Half Marathon.

After weaving through the crowd for the first half mile, I settled into a comfortable pace with 2 or 3 others at just under a 7:00/mi.  Being completely content at this pace, me and my Saucony Kinvara's glided along until around mile 4 when we entered the hilly and winding part of the course through Hersheypark.  Out of all of the races that I've done in Hershey, this is the most distance through the park that I can remember.  After about a mile and a half going under and around roller coasters, there was a final short hill up to the stadium finish, where I just missed the 42 minute mark by the clock.

Later looking into my time at the kiosks inside the stadium, I found out that my chip time was under 42, making this an unlikely PR!   As with the other Hershey races I've attended, there was plenty of fellowship afterward, hanging out with friends on the artificial turf field inside the stadium.

Some of us went out for an amazing breakfast in nearby Palmyra after cleaning up a bit.  The Top That Cafe is a gem in the middle of town, and a "must stop" for breakfast or lunch with plate-sized pancakes and complex french toast creations at a reasonable price.  And with that, the race weekend was complete and I couldn't have been happier with the way it turned out.  The outlook in regards to shifting my training program is bright, even though I have no big races planned for the rest of the year.

To finalize this post, I'd like mention some critique on the Hershey 10K Race.  There are a few things that are just expected in a 10K event of this size:

• At least one aid station
• A tech shirt
• Possibly a finisher's medal
• Electronic timing
• A well marked course with plenty of volunteers
• Post race food/water

In some aspects of the event, my expectations were greatly exceeded, but of course there are others where the event fell short.

Falling Short:

1. Race shirts.  They were long sleeve, cotton shirts.  I would have expected a tech shirt, even if cheap.
2. While not a huge deal, after coming through the finish each runner received a bag full of some Hershey goodies.  The only issue was that the chocolates were being handed out within paper bags.  They really could have used a handle since the runners had their hands full with water bottles, heat sheets, cameras, etc.  It would have been easy to provide some sort of plastic bag with handles.

Above and Beyond:

1. Timing.  Literally within 5 minutes of finishing the race, I had an email waiting in my gmail inbox with my time.  As I also mentioned, they had something like 6 touchscreen kiosks to check your time, and various other placement stats immediately following your finish.  In addition to this, the results were online the afternoon of the race!  Bravo on this aspect, organizers, with your decision to choose Mid Atlantic Timing once again.
2. Medals.  As you can see from the photo above, these are very nicely crafted medals, especially for a 10K race.  This may be why they skimped on the shirts...it's one of the nicest medals I've earned.
3. Photos.  Holy crap I could not believe how quickly they got photos online.  I got an email notification that photos were up at 8:26pm ON THE SAME DAY AS THE RACE.  That's right, roughly 12 hours after the completion of the event.  Absolutely unreal.  Again, kudos to the race organizers for picking a great vendor.  In this case, it was Get The Picture Corp.

As always, here's the Strava activity:


Thanks to everyone who made this weekend possible.  In light of recent events in Boston, I'm grateful I had the chance to enjoy these races, and hopes of many more in the future.  Now it's time to strengthen up, continue to run faster, and look for some more races to run.

Hershey Half Marathon Race Report

Less than 7 days from when I crossed the finish line in the Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon, I arrived with my wife at the packet pick-up/expo for the Hershey Half Marathon.  During the 6 days in between, I had run (or more appropriately, jogged) exactly 5 miles on laughably flat routes in order to simply keep my legs loose.  I wasn't really sure what to expect over the next 24 hours mentally or physically, but I was willing to give it a shot and allow things to play out.

First up, we were extremely happy to find a legit race expo at the Ice Palace at the Hersheypark Arena, home of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game which took place 50 years ago this past March.  There were at least a half a dozen retailers along with 20-30 other booths with the standard giveaways and/or information.  The actual packet pick up was at the far end of the hall, well organized and well staffed.  It went smoothly, but we were then directed over to a separate area to do a chip verification scan, something neither of us had ever heard of.  Basically, a volunteer waves your bib over a scanning device to ensure the timing chip is working properly.  I suppose this extra step was most likely in response to the timing fiasco that occurred in the inaugural Hershey Half Marathon, but even though we were both involved in that event two years ago, were not worried this time around.  Ironically, my wife was hopeful to hit a PR during this year's race, which would rely on an accurate chip time...what is that saying about lightning striking the same place twice? ;)

Busy expo, Saturday around noon

Later that evening, we enjoyed some down time taking a peek into our race bags, highlighted by 2 Hersheypark in the Dark tickets a piece.  This was followed by her idea for a pre-race meal: dinner pancakes (they're the same as regular pancakes but you eat them in the evening). During our consumption of three giant-sized cakes each, she hinted at a new tradition which I have to admit, just might stick around for years to come.  We got to bed early in hopes of getting plenty of rest before a 5:00 AM wake-up on race day.

Race fuel

Fast forward to 6:56AM, and we're in Hershey, just a few hundred yards from the starting line and traffic going into the parking area is moving slower than some of us would be at 12 mile mark later that morning.

Busy underpass, Version A (6:56AM)

We eventually made it to Hersheypark Stadium, right next to the starting line in hopes to use the facilities.  The lines proved to be too long to get that business taken care of before the race, though.  It seemed like mere seconds from the time we walked out from underneath the stands to the time the gun went off, at 7:30AM.  With only 4 minutes between when the sun came over the horizon and the starting gun's explosion, we all set out braving the chilly, dim morning and for 13.1 miles of fun.

Many of us spent the final moments before the race in the warmth at the stadium

I've never designed a race course, but would imagine an important aspect of the first few miles is the width of the road.  The organizers did a great job here, utilizing all three lanes of the pavement (see busy underpass pictured above, 40 minutes beforehand) which wraps around The Giant Center while the runners spread out.

Busy underpass, Version B (7:36AM)

It was around this point that my Runkeeper audio cue (which is set to give me feedback on pace, time, and distance every half mile) gave me the heads up that I started off a little too briskly at about a 7:40 pace: almost a minute faster than I originally intended.  With nothing to lose and legs which (currently) felt good, I decided to let it ride.

Soon after the Giant Center loop, we encountered a line of spectators along Hersheypark Drive representing the Children's Miracle Network, the beneficiary of the race's net proceeds.  This was certainly one of the loudest cheering sections on the course, rivaled by only the enthusiastic Team in Training groups near every odd mile marker, as well as the kids around every corner at the Milton Hershey School...more on the MH kids later.

Miles 2-3 had us winding through Hersheypark, with some tight sections keeping everyone on their toes.  Though I've been skeptical about using gels during races recently due to stomach problems after the finish, I got one down the hatch about a half mile before the aid station near mile 4.  There were aid stations at every even mile (2, 4, 6, etc.) offering Gatorade and water, in that order from a runner's perspective.  My legs continued to feel good so I kept up the pace established early as we left the park and headed east.

Aside from a short little section through a tunnel then past a few holes of Hershey Country Club and the High Point Mansion, the next 3 miles were long, straight sections in eastern Hershey with not a lot to see.  I did find it funny that this is the second race in as many weeks that brought me right up against a golf course though.

Early morning scene near Hershey Country Club and the High Point Mansion.  This photo could have been really cool with everyone's breath in the morning sun, but the photographer's timing was a bit off.

Despite the heavy feeling beginning to set into my legs, I decided to go for a negative split and push just a little bit harder shortly after the halfway mark, which I crossed in 50 minutes and some change so I knew I'd be setting a PR today if I could get through the final 6.5 miles injury-free.  Plus...you're able to stop running sooner if you run faster, right?  The course didn't provide any relief to help in my effort though, seemingly getting more and more hilly as the mile markers passed.  Speaking of mile markers, the course was absolutely littered with orange cones alongside, displaying detailed mileage information down the the second decimal place.  This was a bit overkill for a race of this length...did we really need to know we were currently at mile 7.15?  Each mile would be perfectly sufficient in my book.

Near mile 8, there was a slight incline to an area of the Milton Hershey School property consisting of wide open spaces and several student homes.  By this point it was around 8:30am and all of the MH kids were out lining the route, cheering everyone along while donning their sweats and fleece throws in an effort to stay warm.  Their attire reminded me of what most folks wear while opening presents Christmas morning.  One young boy along the hill was a little overzealous, shouting out phrases such as "YOU OWN THIS HILL!!!".  His outbursts were fun and "PG", bringing a smile to many of the participants' faces through that short section.

The next 3 miles are now a blur, with the exception of a high five from my Mother in Law at mile 10.5.

We were getting back into the town of Hershey by mile 11 and encountered the hill from hell just before the "Chocolate Aid Station" (where instead of water and Gatorade, volunteers are handing out mini Hershey's Chocolate bars).  It wasn't particularly demanding: only about 50 feet of climb over .2 miles, but being at mile 11 of a half marathon was a complete drain: far enough into the race that your legs are complete toast, but not close enough to the finish to let the endorphins take over.  All I could do to get up this obstacle was stare down at the double-yellow line in the middle of Chocolate Ave and put one foot in front of the other.  I made it to the top in one piece and wanted nothing to do with chocolate.  I wasn't the only one around me who didn't partake; it seems the hill may have done a number on their appetites as well.  Oh and in case you're wondering, Hersheypark Drive and Chocolate Ave are legitimate street names in Hershey.  We didn't run on it, but Cocoa Ave is another!

After passing through town we skirted the amusement park boundary, coming within just a few feet of Hershey's newest addition to its roller coaster arsenal: Skyrush.  A quick loop around Hershey's Chocolate World and we were on the homestretch towards the stadium.  Along the final quarter mile of the course, I passed 10-12 other runners in hopes of breaking into the top 100 finishers for the day.  As I crossed the finish line inside the stadium, the clock read just under 1:39:00!  Knowing that I just (to quote Eric Turkewitz) "blew the doors off" my PR by over 7 minutes, the next few moments all seemed so secondary as I came through the chute grabbing my medal, water, heat sheet, and post-race food.  The immediate order of business though, was to find my wife on the course.  She'd be coming through within 20 minutes with her own hopes of a PR.

I secured a spot along the fence right where the runners were entering the stadium.  After about 10 minutes, she came speeding in, with a strong cadence for the final 150 meters.  I asked the gentleman next to me if he had the time and I was elated when he responded with 9:28AM.  This put my wife with a PR for the day as well!

By this point a large crowd was gathering in the infield and we followed suit.  Hershey's candy mascots were all around for photo ops and high fives, meanwhile the timing company had results stations near the finish line, which was a nice touch to check on our official chip times immediately following our finishes.  Bree ended up beating her previous PR by about 2 minutes, clocking in with a 1:57:50, and I had a 1:38:15, good enough for about 135th out of around 4,000 participants.  We didn't stick around for too long though, since the chill was beginning to set in as our bodies cooled down.

Celebrations, stretching and fellowship in Hersheypark Stadium

Later at home we had a chance to check on the post race goodies, chock full of Hershey's stuff:

Post race "lunchbox"

Click here for detailed info about my run, recorded by the Runkeeper app on my Android Phone.

By the time the day ended, it couldn't have gone any better:

• We both had PRs
• All of our friends who also ran were happy with their races
• My fantasy football team won
• and...the Steelers had a victory late on Sunday night!

      

The next race for these two running fools will be the Sophie's 6K in about 4 weeks, a much smaller race and a much shorter distance.  It'll be nice to rest for a week then get back into some more regular training after these two crazy half-marathon weeks.  Though they were difficult, I had a blast challenging myself and sharing a great day with my wife and friends.

Four Diamonds 5K

So my mom invited me to join her in a 5K run to benefit the Four Diamonds Fund, a charity near and dear to her heart, because she works in cancer research at Hershey Medical Center.  The race was held entirely on the grounds of HMC, and this would be her second "official" 5K (she had walked a few others in the past, but beginning this year, she's been running!).  I decided it would be fun to run along with her, for encouragement, support, pictures, entertainment, etc...

There was a decent turnout despite the threatening skies.  My initial estimate was about 500 runners and an equal number of walkers, but it turns out the head count was more like 700 total.

At the start line

The course immediately brought us past the main medical center building, including the flashy new Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital.

New additions to the hospital, near the half mile mark

Not long after that we swung in front of the ER, where it became apparent that this portion of the course was an out-and-back section since the lead runners were passing in the opposite direction already!

Lead runner and pace car, complete with a micro-sized Nittany Lion!

Petunias in front of the oldest section of the hospital, with sweet "UFO Style" architecture

No emergencies for us today!  Mom's chugging right along near mile 1.5

At around mile 2 we caught up with the walkers, who started a few minutes after the 5k'ers and were joining the running course for the final mile.  This section got a little tricky since the course was on a 6-8 foot wide paved walkway, rather than the road.

The horde of walkers around mile 2.5

The final half mile was a slight incline had diamond signs lining the course, each with an individual's name.  Mom pointed out that there are two different types: "In honor" and "In memory".  "In Honor" indicates the person is still fighting the illness; the other is self explanatory.  A heart-wrenching moment for me was at one of the "in memory" diamonds there was a family standing by in tears, thanking each participant as they passed.  Most races that I've done contribute to a charity of some sort (and that feels great), but this was the first time that contribution felt so real, and appreciated.

Diamonds near the finish

With about a quarter mile left, I sped up ahead to get a few shots of Mom crossing the finish line.  She made it in 36:49, a solid 265th place finish.  She didn't win any medals, but I know we were both very proud, especially considering her previous 5K time was around 50:00!

She made it!

The rain held off and we had a great time in the 50 degree temps that morning.  I even calculated that I "broke even" on my registration fee between the event t-shirt, swag bag items, and post race food/drink...not a requirement, but I like to feel that I'm getting my money's worth!  Yes...I know it's a fundraiser ;)

With my first fall race of 2012 in the books, it's time to look forward to the 4 remaining runs scheduled between now and Thanksgiving: 6K, 10K and two half marathons!  The partridge in a pear tree arrives a month later.