Smithfield Sprint Triathlon: A Review

The Cornerstone Striders at the Smithfield Sprint

Well, the 2014 Smithfield Sprint Triathlon is now in the books and I am fairly pleased with my performance. This tri was a 300m pool swim, a 10-mile bike ride and a 5K run. I was a bit apprehensive about the event, because I broke my left pinkie finger during a run on Thursday morning and had to tape it to the next finger for support during the race. Although it was painful at points during the event, I still managed to PR at 1:13:49. Sometimes adversity makes you better.

This is a popular tri, because it's the first event of the Set Up Events Virginia triathlon season. It was sold out several weeks ago with just under 600 participants. It began and ended at the Smithfield YMCA, which was also the beneficiary of the event. Their indoor pool served as the venue for the swim portion of the event.

Andrea on her way to transition after the swim

The weather was about perfect on Saturday with starting temps in the mid-60's. For me, the hardest event was the swim, because I was trying to swim and protect my bad finger. The net result was that my freestyle and comfort level in the water were hampered and it slowed me down. Once out of the water and onto the bike, I felt much better. The bike course took us out from the Y in a westerly direction. For the most part, the bike course was flat with the occasional hill. The was a significant turn and hill combination at about Mile 4, but the organizers had warned us about this. It required you to anticipate the sharp turn and to have geared down to ascend the hill without having to shift. I managed it with no significant problems, although apparently some folks did not heed the warning. There was a bit of a headwind on the return ride, but still pretty easy.

Headed out onto the bike portion of the Smithfield Sprint

I was a bit apprehensive about the run. My last tri was last August in Goochland and the 5K run was really difficult. I had trouble transitioning from the bike, the hot and humid conditions were a bit overwhelming and much of the run was almost cross-country over a mowed field. Net result was a very disappointing time. Fortunately, Saturday's 5K went well. Although the day had gotten hotter than expected, there was no real humidity and the entire course was paved road. It covered some of the same ground that I had run with our Cornerstone Striders group on some of our Windsor Castle Park runs. Mostly flat, with a few gradual hills. I managed to keep a solid sub-9 m/m pace and averaged out at 8:44 m/m. Felt strong the whole way.

Maureen headed toward the finish line after the 5K

In the end, I really liked the Smithfield Sprint. I would encourage anyone thinking about their first tri to consider it. It's a good race to get your feet wet....literally. They also had really good barbecue after the race. Being in Smithfield has its benefits!

Relaxing after the Smithfield Sprint Triathlon

Meg's Miles - What's Best About Running

A rather remarkable thing happened yesterday. Tens of thousands of people laced up their running shoes and went out to run miles in honor of a person most had never met and a week before had never heard of. The people I am talking about, of course, are members of the running community and the person they honored was Meg Menzies. I was one of them. Sadly, I never knew Meg and never ran with her, but celebrating her life was really important to me.

In case you missed it, last Monday, Meg went on a morning run in Richmond. She was an accomplished runner training for the Boston Marathon. She never came back from her run. Her life was taken from her by the senseless act of a drunk driver. She left behind a husband and three children. More of the story can be found here. In a split second, the world was changed for the worst.

Almost any runner can tell you stories of close calls with cars or trucks operated by careless drivers more concerned with texting or talking than devoting attention to the operation of a 4000 pound piece of metal hurdling down the road. Fortunately, most of those close calls are just that. We hurl a few expletives, but we come back from the run. Meg never came back.

Cornerstone Striders running Miles for Meg at
Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield

It would be even more tragic if that was the end of the story. Fortunately, it was not. Some very devoted folks in Richmond organized #megsmiles to honor Meg. They also set up a Facebook page. They asked the members of the running community to dedicate their miles on January 18 to Meg. To do what she could no longer do. Although I saw various figures, the number of people was over 80,000 runners from around the world. Some ran in freezing cold and others in staggering heat. Some ran two miles and some ran twenty miles. They ran in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. Our running group had 16 show up in Smithfield, Virginia. Simply amazing.

Everyone wore the MegsMiles bib on our run yesterday morning

In my short time as a runner, I have met some truly amazing people. People who inspire me to push myself to achieve more and to live better. For me, that is what is best about running. It is a community of devoted people, who brave the elements and encourage one another to dream of what can be. It is a community that is poorer for the loss of Meg, but one that celebrates her life and who she was.

Running Destinations: Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield

Windsor Castle Park by The N. Pham - The Virginian Pilot

Very often, the joy of running is an extension of where you run. This is true whether you are talking about a marathon or a long run. Boring is almost never good.

Over the past couple of years when I started running seriously, I have run a lot of miles in a lot of different places. One of the best places I have found to run is Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield. It provides excellent trail running and challenges you with a few hills. The trails are well maintained and wide in most places, so it's easier to run out there with a group.

Windsor Castle Park by The N. Pham - The Virginian Pilot

Our Cornerstone group generally meets at the parking lot across from Smithfield Station off of Church Street. You have to be careful, because if someone plugs "Windsor Castle Park" into their GPS, nine times out of ten, then will be directed to the parking lot at the dog park.  An outer loop around the park is just under 3 miles (not including some of the dead end side trails), so it's perfect for a group where some runners want to drop out and others want to rack up more mileage. For longer runs, we often divert out of the park onto Jericho Road and into the Town of Smithfield. You may encounter a few cars, but nothing heavy.

Windsor Castle Park by The N. Pham - The Virginian Pilot

Like some of the other regional parks in Hampton Roads, Windsor Castle has nice foot bridges and signs to direct you around the property. Also, in the summer and early fall, there is a bonus. Smithfield has a terrific farmers' market. We often finish our runs and head over there to reclaim some of those burned calories in the form of all kinds of treats. Not a bad incentive to finish off your miles.

As you can imagine, Windsor Castle Park has lots of fans in the form of runners and walkers. We usually start early in the morning, but still encounter our share of others enjoying it. If you are looking for a good side trip for a run, check out Windsor Castle Park. You won't be disappointed.