Race Review: Ray Tanner Home Run 12K 2012

Oct 15, 2012 by Greg Fowler

I could take the easy way out and copy and paste last year’s Home Run review because, in reality, the experience was almost the same – a great event and a good personal result.

While I can be somewhat lazy, I suppose that might be crossing the line.

The Event Summary

As I’ve mentioned before, this is one of the best events in the Columbia area. This year lived up to that reputation, with a sold out event for both 5K and 12K races.  I think the organizers have some kind of deal with Mother Nature, too.  While somewhat cool and breezy before the race, once we started, the weather was perfect for running.

Also, I believe the organizers made the 5K start time a few minutes later, as they were not in the way of most of the 12K runners as we came back down Knox Abbot Drive.

Race swag included another Under Armour short sleeve shirt and a coffee cup.  Only nit picky complaint with the shirt is that it is basically the same color as last year (just a slight shade difference in the garnet) and they don’t include the year on the shirts.  I didn’t notice that last year.

The post race spread was very good with bananas, oranges, bagels, cookies, hot dogs and snow cones.  One could definitely consume more calories than burned during the race, if not careful.  There was also a rock band playing.

You can view the race results here.

Personal Summary

This event was two weeks before my next marathon.  In an ideal race prep world, I’d do a half marathon at full marathon pace (i.e. a bit slower than normal half marathon pace) to test my fitness level.  My full marathon target pace per mile for this next one will be in the 8:50-9:00 range.  Well, there was no half marathon close by, so I decided to give a hard effort at the 12K (7.4 miles) distance.

My last couple of long training runs had not gone well at all, so my confidence was getting pretty low.  However, a pretty good short workout a few nights before the Ray Tanner gave me a glimmer of hope.  With a relatively short distance of 7.4 miles, I felt breaking the 8:00/mile pace was attainable, but would be short of last year’s 7:31 pace that resulted in a 55:49.

So, how did I do?  Much better than I expected. Here are my mile splits:

Mile 1: 7:19

Mile 2: 7:54

Mile 3: 7:20

Mile 4: 7:34

Mile 5: 7:54

Mile 6: 7:14

Mile 7: 7:36

last .4: 2:41 (6:44/mile pace)

Total 55:36 (7:29/mile) for a PR in a 12K, beating last year’s time by 13 seconds.  I really didn’t see that coming. At least I have some confidence back as a taper for the marathon.

If you want to run the Home Run next year, be sure to sign up early.

POFIFOTO!

 

 

read more

Race Preview: Ray Tanner Home Run 12K 2012

Oct 7, 2012 by Greg Fowler

Saturday, October 13, 2012 is the next running of the Ray Tanner Foundation Home Run.  I don’t have  a whole lot of time to cover the preview on this one,  so here’s the low down.

1.  This is one of the best races in the Columbia area.The post race spread is probably the best.

2. Both the 5K and 12K races are sold out for 2012.  So if you missed it this year, sign up early next year.

3. Here’s the elevation map for the 12K.  I tracked this during last year’s race.

 

For more information about the course map and other details, please visit the official site at http://raytannerhomerun.org.

Last year the weather was perfect, and I ran one of my best races ever.  Right now, less than a week before the race, the forecast looks good but maybe warmer than I like.  This race is two weeks before my next marathon, so this will be a good gauge of my fitness.  If the last couple of long runs are any indication, I’m in trouble.  I’ll keep you posted.

To see my review from last year, please click here.

POFIFOTO!

 

read more

Running with the Crazy Man Next Door

Sep 18, 2012 by Charlie The Dog

Editors note: This is a guest post by Charlie The Dog.

Hi, my name is Charlie, and this is my first ever blog post. Several months ago, I was a lonely lost dog wandering the countryside. My fortune changed one day when I came upon a group of adult humans gathered around a tall fence. They were watching some young humans hit a bouncing ball back and forth over a net with some funny looking sticks.

I wanted to chase the ball, but I was too tired and hungry.   The fence was keeping me back anyway. That night, one of the humans, a big man with a deep voice, put me in his truck and took me home to a new life.

My new life is great. I have two new dog friends and plenty of food and water. I’m not fenced in, but with all this good food and water, who needs to leave?

There is one slight problem, though. There is a strange human next door. He wears funny colored shoes and clothes.  Well, I think he does. I’m color blind so I can’t really tell. I do know he runs up the road and back almost every night. Sometimes more than once. Then on Saturdays he’s gone for hours. This seems crazy to me.

A few weeks ago, I started following him to see where he goes. Sometimes I’d get too close and almost trip him. Not on purpose, of course. Other times, I’d keep back and wait when he’d go down the cul-de-sac  where the mean dogs live. Those mean dogs don’t have a fence, either, but they don’t leave the yard.  It is almost like there’s an invisible force holding them back. Still, I don’t take chances down there. Every now and then, I spot a rabbit and chase it through the woods. I WILL catch that rabbit one day. Not sure what I’ll do with it when that happens.

Last week, I was following the crazy guy again, but I kept getting distracted by pickup trucks driving by. They all looked like my owner’s truck, and I wanted to chase them. The crazy running guy wouldn’t let me, though. When we got back close to his house, he went inside for a few minutes. When he came back out I ran to meet him, like I usually do. I thought he was reaching down to pet me on the head, but instead he attached sometime to my collar. What a minute, I thought, what is going on here? I pulled back and  realized he was holding the other end of a LEASH! Oh no, not me. I’m a country dog. I don’t need no stinkin leash. Then he started running again and said “Come on, Charlie”. Well, I obeyed. We had a great time, and we’ve gone a few more times since.

Apparently, running with dogs is new to the crazy man next door. You may be considering it or may have done it. Either way, he wanted me to share these tips with you:

1. Make sure your dog can handle the run. I had no problem running with the crazy man. Not only am I young, he had seen me run around after him before. He knew I could handle it. (He is also slow, so that helps). If your dog training partner is out of shape, start out with walks and build up gradually.
2. Beware of hot roads. Hey, remember, we dogs are barefoot. Roads can still be hot in the evening. I like to run in the grass just off the road.
3. Use a four to six foot nylon leash. Avoid the retractable leashes. With a nylon leash, you can loop it around your wrist easier.
4. Take some water along. If you are running long enough to take some water along, take some for the dog, too. Better yet, take some for the dog even if you don’t need it.
5. Avoid other dogs, if possible. We don’t do down that street with the mean dogs. Sometimes other dogs don’t like visitors. Please be careful.
6. Be prepared to clean up. Sometimes a dog’s got to do what a dog’s got to do. Be prepared to clean up.  See if you can get the dog to take care of business before running!

Any other tips? Crazy man says please share in the comments below.

POPIFOTO! (Put one paw in front of the other!)

Charlie

read more

Cross Country: SCTCCCA Coaches Classic 2012

Sep 9, 2012 by Greg Fowler

The Coaches Classic is the largest high school cross country meet in the state of South Carolina.  On Saturday, September 8, almost every high school in South Carolina sent teams to the meet.  Seven races covered 4 varsity and 3 junior varsity divisions.  For a break down of the results you can click here.

One of the best things about this meet is seeing the slogans the teams have come up with to put on the back of t-shirts.  Last year, I wrote a post about this and posted pictures. You can find that here:http://palmettostaterunner.com/?p=515.

This year there didn’t seem to be as many slogan shirts, so I only took one picture, but it I think it sums up running pretty well:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you can, go check out a high school cross country meet in your area.  These kids will inspire you.

For more South Carolina cross country coverage check out http://sc.milesplit.com.

POFIFOTO!

read more

Running Social

Sep 4, 2012 by Greg Fowler

When it comes right down to it, one of the things I like about running is being by myself.   Maybe running is decompression time for me or maybe I’m somewhat of a loner, I’m not sure.  Anyway,  I’d bet 99% of the thousands of training miles I’ve logged before this year have been solo miles. This year, though, as part of a surgeon-less makeover I’ll call Greg 2.0 (or maybe Greg 2012, if you’re a Microsoft fan), I made a conscious decision to add more social to my running world.  So far, this is what I’ve done:

• Helped coach a group of beginners in a Couch To 5K-type program.
• Coordinated a group of co-workers for a team event 10K.  We helped raise money for a charity and came in third in the corporate competition.
• Paced a friend in a half marathon.  We both set person bests.
• Trained with a partner for most of my runs this past summer.

Now, I’m certainly no expert on being social yet.   I barely have over 100 friends on Facebook.  Nonetheless, I’ve come up with some reasons to run social, at least occasionally, and some guidelines to follow when doing so.

First, I’ve discovered at least three reasons to run with others:

• Motivation. Most of us, if not all, need help with motivation. If you know a group or partner is counting on you to run at 7am Saturday, you’re probably more likely to get out of bed.  When my friend Ben called me to pace, it was just the motivation I needed to set a PR. (I wrote about this in this old post.)
• Knowledge sharing.  One piece of advice I gave to the beginners in the running club was to buy a good pair of moisture-wicking socks.  A couple of weeks later, one the runners told me she had followed my advice and really loved the new socks.  You can also learn from others.  I also believe that even the most experienced runner can learn something from others.  For instance, I learned about a running app from a friend during one of our runs.  I’ve also learned about races that sounded fun and penciled them in on the bucket list.
•  Fun.  As much as I still like to run alone and be lost in bad ’80s music, running with others is really fun.  And if running isn’t fun for you at least every once and a while, maybe you should check out cycling.

Second, I have come up with some guidelines to keep in mind while running with others.  These are even more critical if the runners’ abilities are vastly different. One of the biggest challenges with running with others is how to compensate for these differences. Some suggestions:

• Slow down to the comfortable pace of the slower runner(s).  Running is no fun when you cannot keep up.  Discuss the plan and pace before starting.
• Don’t over do it – a.k.a know your limits.  This is a hard one for many guys.  The bottom line is it is just dumb to push way beyond your abilities.   If you’ve never run over three miles, then don’t try to do ten!
• Don’t leave anyone behind.  I found this was especially important in the group 5K training. No one wants to be left behind on a group run.  I liked to make sure I played “sweeper” on the group runs, hanging out with the slowest person.  Sure, I could walk faster, but I just ran really slow and tried to give encouragement.  Remember, we’ve all been there.

If you have anything to add, please share in the comments below.

POFIFOTO!

PS. Help me on the Palmetto State Runner Facebook likes.  Click here to go to the PSR FB page and click like.

PPS.
If you find this blog enjoyable, please consider subscribing to e-mail updates by using the form below:

Enter your email address:
Delivered by FeedBurner

 

 

read more

See Spot Run – After Me

Aug 9, 2012 by Greg Fowler

Back in the late ’70’s, my grandfather had the hair brained idea to breed a rottweiler and a chow.  Most of the offspring turned out looking like smaller rottweilers with the short reddish coat from the chow.  They also had the chow’s bluish tongue, which I thought was pretty cool.  Like any normal kids, my brother and I bugged the fool out of my parents to let us have one of the puppies.  They finally caved, and we ended up with ‘Ginger’.

Ginger grew up to be a very powerful dog, and she hated other dogs and the trash men.  Back then, the trash men would come to the back of our house, near her pen, and roll the trash can out to their truck and back.  Ginger would go nuts, and then she’d bite down on the chain link fence, bending the thick steel wires.  I just prayed she’d never get out after those guys.  Eventually, we gave her away to someone “in the country”, but the bent fence always reminded me of Ginger and her strength.

These days,  I live “in the country”, and there’s a chow on one of my regular run routes.  The dog is unfenced and unchained.  The first time I came across this dog, I immediately thought of Ginger, and hoped this dog  didn’t think I was a trash man.  I stopped to see what she would do and walked slowly passed her.  She just watched me and never made a sound.  Another time, she was in the middle of the road.  Again, I slowed to a walk and went slowly passed her, each of us keeping an eye on the other.

In almost four years of running, I’ve been very fortunate.  Only one time has a loose dog chased me.  It was a neighbor’s yippy schnauzer, and a squirt from my water bottle thwarted him.  That’s about the extent of my dealing with dogs, so to give you some tips on dealing with loose canines, I had to “borrow” a few ideas from other sources.

Here is the summary of some tips I found at  SecretsofSurvival.com.

1. Have a weapon.  The most practical for a runner is probably pepper spray.  You can buy a small canisters and have it in a running belt pouch.  Other weapons could include a stick or even a gun.  I do have a friend who has tried running with a small pistol.  He has been chased by pit bulls.  The bed of a nearby pickup truck saved him that day.

2. Try to avoid a confrontation.  Don’t stare down a dog, they take this as a threat.  (Oops, I’ve done this!).  Try giving a command to the dog like ‘Sit’.  Also, try not to make any sudden movements.

3.  If attacked, use your pepper spray, trying to hit the eyes.  If you don’t have a weapon, try to hit the dog in the eyes or throat.

One final tip I would add is try to scope out any new routes in a car or bike first.

 For some additional instruction click here: http://www.wikihow.com/Handle-a-Dog-Attack.

POFIFOTO!

read more

900 Reasons to Buy Newton Running Shoes

Jul 31, 2012 by Greg Fowler

The couple of long time followers of my blog know that I am a big fan of Newton running shoes. I really don’t have 900 reasons to buy Newton shoes, but I do have a pair of 2011 Newton Gravity’s with over 900 miles on them.  That’s kind of 900 reasons.  Here’s a picture (right) of the my old pair with 900+ miles compared to a new pair. Notice how the lugs are worn toward the toe.

 

Why Newton?

I’ve used “traditional” running shoes, and I’ve tried “minimalist” running shoes. What I have found with the Newtons is they strike a balance between wanting the lower heel-to-toe drop of minimalist shoes and actually having some shock absorbation that the minimalist shoes don’t offer.

So, with my 2011 Newton Gravity’s over the 900 mile mark, I decided it was time for a new pair.  I was headed to one of my favorite shopping locations, Charlotte, NC,  and planned to stop in at the Charlotte Running Company to buy a new pair.  I still don’t have a local retailer. I could have ordered them online, but I wanted to compare a 10 vs. a 10 1/2.  I also wanted to try on a different model of Newtons called the MV2.

I arrived at the store late one Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago.  The had the 2012 Gravity’s but only in 10 1/2.  Unfortunately, these were too big.  Well, the manager (I think) got on the phone for a minute, then told me he’d be right back if I could wait about 15 minutes.  No problem.  I just drove 2 hours, so I didn’t mind.  I think he grabbed a 9 or 9 1/2 box of Newtons and headed out the door.

While waiting, I tried on the MV2’s.  These are sort of the ‘racing flats’ of the Newton line, geared for shorter distances.  They were way too tight for me in the toe box.  Oh well, I couldn’t afford two pairs of Newtons anyway.  I think they were yellow, too.  Not really my style.

Now I was “forced” to shop in the running store for a few more minutes. Darn.  The manager returned shortly with the 10’s.  These fit well and I took them.  I’m not sure if he met a guy in a back ally to swap shoes or happened to have a agreement with a competitor up the road to swap the 9 for the 10.  Didn’t matter to me.  That was great customer service.

Break In

When I bought my 2011 Gravity’s last year, they cautioned me to build up slowly with these.  The lugs on the sole really work your feet and legs differently.  I heeded their advice and only did short runs in them of two miles or less for a week or two.  I figured this year I was in the clear, having run in the old model for a year.  Nope.  The first thing I noticed was that the new shoes worked my feet and calves differently again, just like in 2011.  By mile 4 of the first run, I knew I better build up slowly again as I had some discomfort in my left foot and calf.  By the third short run, I was OK, though.  I still haven’t gone over a 5 mile run in them, but the discomfort is gone.  I’ll slowly build up to longer runs in the 2012’s while phasing out my 2011’s.

POFIFOTO!

If you find this blog enjoyable, please consider subscribing to e-mail updates by using the form below:

Enter your email address:
Delivered by FeedBurner

read more