Running the Sentara Colonial Half Marathon: A Review

The Sentara Colonial Half Marathon was preceded by the Colonial
 Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps (picture by Lisa Jahnke)

Before last fall, I had not heard of the Sentara Colonial Williamsburg Half Marathon. I was familiar with the Run for the Dream Half Marathon, also staged in Colonial Williamsburg later in the year. Turns out the Colonial Half was celebrating its 35th year. Not many races around have a lineage that goes back that far. I signed up and convinced a few of my Cornerstone Strider running pals to join me.

Kevin on his record setting pace! A PR by 3 seconds.
(Photo by Danny West)

As this race drew closer, I began to notice a disturbing trend. Unseasonably warm weather. After all, it was February 23rd. Thanks Groundhog! I say a disturbing trend, because lately, a number of my long races have been on unseasonably warm days: the Crawlin' Crab in Hampton was in the 80's in October, the Seashore 50K was in the upper 60's in December and yesterday it got into the mid-70's in February. Given the choice, I prefer a start in the low to mid-40's. Oh well, you can't pick your weather.

Andrea kicks it into high gear on the back half of the race.
(Photo by Danny West)

Let me say that this is a pretty course. We started on the campus of William & Mary and then headed out along England Street toward Kingsmill. We looped through Kingsmill on Carter's Grove Country Road and then headed back the way we came. A couple of spots in the course were trail and were a bit soggy, but mostly paved trail. If you run this race, be prepared for some hills. I had been warned about that and the warnings were on the money. You hit a hill less than a mile into the race and then regular hills throughout the course. On a seasonable day with temperatures in the 40's or 50's, this would have been a moderate challenge. However, with temperatures in the upper 60's to mid-70's, it really took its toll on your endurance. 

The Colonial Half Marathon course was hilly
including  the uphill after crossing  the bridge
(Photo by Danny West)

I would definitely run this race again, hopefully on a cooler day, but a couple of criticisms come to mind. First, the initial water stop was at Mile 2 and then not another until well into the course (perhaps Mile 6 or 7). Normally, that would not have been a problem, but with the heat yesterday, a more regular spacing of the stops would have been preferable. I was carrying a hydration belt, so I had my own source of fluids, but I saw more than a few runners without anything. Also, the water stops seemed to be just that, I have never run a half that did not have Gatorade or Powerade. Again, on a hot day, water is good, but an alternative would have been better. Second, more than a few cars ended up on the course during the back leg. Not sure if these were Kingsmill residents that could not be bothered to take another route, but the course marshals should have turned them around, absent some emergency. While a cooler day would have been better, the race organizers have no more control of the weather than I do.

Hank and Jeff managed to keep their sense of humor
despite the challenging conditions (Photo by Danny West).

 

Mara the Wonder Puppy

Mara the Wonder Puppy joined us for 14 miles
of our long run on February 16, 2014. She is in the middle left
of the photo behind Maureen.

You often hear stories about pets that do amazing things, but I don't recall ever seeing something like that first-hand. Well, not until this past Sunday during our long run getting ready for the Shamrock full marathon on March  16. 

We were scheduled to run 21 or 22 miles that day as part of our marathon training. Although it was in the mid-20's when we started at 6:30am, the conditions were otherwise nice. When we got to about Mile 6, we were greeted by two dogs. One was a mature, white Shepherd mix and the other a cute fluffy Golden Lab puppy that appeared to be about seven months old. They started to run along the side of the road with us. We kept hoping they would turn back, but they continued along undeterred. The puppy seemed to be following the Shepherd (she must know what she's doing), casting a glance backward every so often.

As the distance between their home and our location continued to increase, they showed no interest in turning back. We were worried about them, because there were occasional vehicles and we did not want one of them to be hit. We even tried to call Animal Control, but, on a Sunday morning, no one was picking up the phone. Also, neither of the dogs had any tags that would have allowed us to call their owner. Finally, at about five miles from their home, the Shepherd lost interest and took off after something else. Not the puppy. She continued to be our companion. While we took the occasional drink from a hydration bottle, she stopped, now and again, at a puddle to hydrate herself. I nicknamed her "Mara" (short for Marathon), because she had no quit in her.

We kept an eye on her and made sure she was not in the street. She kept pace with one of our runners, Maureen, who was out for her first 20-mile run. We finally made it back to our starting point with Mara close behind. When Maureen stopped at her car, Mara laid down, completely exhausted. She had completed a 14-mile long run. Maureen scooped her up and put her in the SUV. She was tired, but happy. Maureen returned her to the spot where the dogs had joined us and found the owner. I suspect that Mara spent the better part of the rest of Sunday recovering from her long run. 

Getting Motivated for the Shamrock Full

I have been pretty lazy recently in posting to my blog, but mainly because I didn't feel like I had much to talk about. It's always been my philosophy that if I did not have something meaningful to add to the blogosphere, I should just wait until I did. Having now set the bar at that height, guess I better add something to the ether.

Running the Richmond Marathon in 2012
with friends from Cornerstone Striders

Like many of you who are training for the Shamrock full or half Marathon, it has finally sunk in that it is a mere five weeks away. Along with my running friends from Cornerstone Striders, I have been dutifully putting in the long runs to get my endurance up to where it needs to be. Although it's been a cold and snowy winter so far, I always feel like training in the winter beats the pants off those hot and humid summer runs getting ready for a fall marathon. While I don't love either extreme, I will take cold weather because I can always add another layer. So, the question becomes - what motivates you?

The 2012 Richmond Marathon was
my first full marathon

If it's your first full marathon, then the challenge of finishing 26.2 miles is plenty of motivation. I was also motivated for my second full by the drive to show that my first was not a fluke. But, what if it's your fifth or your tenth? What gets you up on a Saturday morning to do a 20-mile long run? It's a question I have been struggling with recently. I'm not sure if I know the answer, but, for me, I think it has to do with the fact that I still have something to prove. For me, it's showing that I can break that 4-hour barrier. I know I will do it one of these days, but, so far, it has eluded me. And, perhaps, that is a good thing, because when that alarm goes off before dawn on Saturday morning, I know what motivates me!

Meg's Miles - A Tribute

Some images require no explanation. There are no words that elevate the meaning. This is one such image.

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.

Looking Forward at 2014

Okay, enough with the nostalgia about looking back and thinking about what HAS BEEN DONE. It's a new year with new challenges and it's time to focus on what I want to accomplish in the coming year.

Mile 19 at the 2013 Shamrock Marathon

I want to continue to push myself on my running. Although I can generally sustain a solid sub-9 minute mile pace, I need to find ways to get the lead out. If I am going to have any hope of breaking a 4-hour marathon, I have got to get my mile splits down. Following the 2013 Shamrock, I noticed that they have been creeping back up and I need to reverse that trend. That means dropping my holiday weight and eating healthier in 2014.  I have a notoriously bad sweet tooth and portion control issues.

Our Cornerstone Marine Corps Marathon Team at the start line.

Speedwork is critical. Our Cornerstone group has been doing speedwork on Thursday mornings and I need to keep that going. I am not a fast runner, but that workout pushes my limits and, boy, do I need some pushing. I was complaining one morning that speedwork really hurts and my friend, Amy, was not hearing it. Her comment: "it's supposed to hurt!" I won't forget that. Thanks Amy!

Cornerstone Striders "Speedwork" Thursday

Although I try to rotate my workouts between running, spinning or cycling and swimming, I have completely neglected weight work and flexibility. During both the Marine Corps marathon and the Seashore 50K, I noticed discomfort in my upper legs and hips. While running is great for the muscle tone in my legs, it does little or nothing for the upper legs. Lately, I have been doing some weight work on my legs and that seems to help. I have never been a big yoga fan, but I need to rethink that. While endurance is important, so is flexibility.

On the cycling front, I want to maintain my endurance on long rides. The Cap2Cap Century pushed me in 2013 and I need to keep from backsliding. I want to do the Tour de Cure Century this spring and one more century before the year is out. I love my bike and my wife got me a Camelback for Christmas that I am looking forward to using. Hopefully, we will get some more mild days this winter that permit a ride.

Ready for my first sprint tri

I remain an aspiring triathlete. I completed my first sprint in August, so I am not a complete rookie, but I have yet to do an open water swim. That needs to get done this year. I am planning on doing the Smithfield Sprint in April, but that is a pool swim. That means, I need to find either another sprint or an Olympic that gets me out of the comfort of the pool. I have heard good things about the Patriot, but I just need to find the right open water race.

Well, I clearly have my work cut out for me in 2014. I am not sure that I will achieve all of these goals, but I hope to make a dent. I turn 52 this month and I want to celebrate that by working toward a stronger and more fit me. The bar is set higher and I'm not sure I can clear this height, but I'm sure going to try!

A Look Back at 2013

First ride of 2013

As 2013 draws to a close, it seems only right to take a look back at the highs and lows of the past year. This year has been a difficult one for our family. In March, we lost Courtney's dad and Anne's "Pop".  We all miss him terribly. Losing a parent is really hard. I lost my dad in 1998 and I miss him every day.

On the professional front, I will be moving to a new law firm after 25 years in Norfolk. The nice thing is that I will be in Suffolk and only five minutes from home. No more tunnels! Sometimes change is difficult, but I am excited about the move and practicing with a great group of folks here in Suffolk.

Cap2Cap Century Ride in Richmond

On the running front, 2013 has been a year of many PR's and firsts for me. At the beginning of the year, I set the goal of running 1500 miles by the end of the year. I met that goal at the end of October and just recently crossed the 1800 mile barrier. If I throw in my cycling miles, my total mileage for 2013 is over 4400 miles. Guess I will have to raise the bar to 2000 miles for 2014.

Cornerstone Striders at the Marine Corps Marathon

I had PR's in the half marathon in San Antonio in January (1:57:40), the 14K at Virginia Is For Lovers in February (1:12:15), the full marathon at Shamrock in March (4:20:18) and the 10K at Monument Avenue in March (53:01). I also ran in my first Marine Corps Marathon in October. On the other side of the equation, I had a very disappointing race at the Crawling Crab Half Marathon because of the warm day. I finished my first ultra marathon at the Seashore Nature Trail 50K last weekend, although my time was much slower than I had hoped. I also competed in my first century ride at the Cap2Cap in May, my second ride at the MS 150 and my first triathlon in August in Goochland. Our Cornerstone Century team also completed the Colonial 200-mile Relay in September.

On the whole, not a bad year. I have been blessed to have the support and love of my family and to surround myself with great runners and cyclists, who don't accept excuses and won't let you fail. Like they say, it's the company you keep!

Our Cornerstone Century team at the Colonial 200 Relay

My first tri at the Goochland Sprint Triathlon

So, what's in store for 2014? Well, I still have my eye on trimming my full marathon time down toward that 4 hour mark. Also, for the past two years, I have wanted to ride in the Tour de Cure Century ride, but have not been able to make it work. I hope that 2014 will see that happen. I also want to try a triathlon that includes an open water swim. I am planning to do the Smithfield Sprint in April, along with some tri rookies from Cornerstone and some from my old firm. 2014 is looking like a challenging year for me. But, then again, I like a good challenge. Happy New Year to you and yours!