Hobby Jogging: 2/26/11 - Raleigh, NC - Torch Run 5k

Today marked the third race of the Second Empire Grand-Prix. It was the Torch Run 5k and was the same course as the Free to Breathe race at NC State's Centennial Campus, just in reverse. This made for a very long uphill second mile. This was also my first race running in The Athlete's Foot Racing Team singlet (and shorts). It's a great new partnership that myself and my fellow Bromar Track Club teammates are entering into!

After a week of travel for work, I was a little tired going into the end of the week and ended up taking off Thursday (per travel) and Friday (per an ailing shin and hip). This was smart as I needed to heal up! I was a little worried going into the race, but those nerves calmed when the gun went off and I felt great. I wasn't able to cruise the first bit with my training partner, John Simons, as he was sitting today out due to the recent birth of his new daughter Liza. I was able to pace off a consistent competitor, Brent Hale, and was rolling for the first half mile before we hit "the hill."

As we crawled up the long hill on Centennial Parkway, I realized the on course mile splits were off. My Garmin had me at 5:38, which seems about right. Brent and I were sitting 4th and 5th with a small pack of 5 behind us going up the hill. By the time we got to the top, we had caught the guy in 3rd (Rodney Scott) and ditched the pack. As we went down the hill at the roundabout and hit the 2 mile (11:37 per Garmin), Brent and Rodney started to pull away from me, but I kept pushing hard. The last mile was solid (5:39) with a lot of rolling hills, and I was able to muscle through and throw down a decent last .14 at 5 minute pace to finish 5th overall; just under 18 in 17:59. It also should bump me up to 2nd in the Grand-Prix standings when they are released as a few guys sat out today.

All in all, I was very happy with today's race. I went in a little dinged up and wore the Oxysox again to support my sore shin. I competed hard the full race and can tell the consistent long runs, tempos and long intervals are paying off. I am very excited for the 10k next weekend, as there are so few offered these days and hope to throw down a good time as I believe the longer distance will play to my (current) strengths. I am also excited about the Run for the Oaks 5k in 2 weeks, which is a good deal flatter than the first 3 Grand Prix 5k's. I was also pleased with my splits today, considering there was a 124' elevation gain from 0.5 to 1.5 miles per the Garmin dump. For my efforts, I was able to win a nice hand knitted scarf, a medal and $10 worth of Moe's bucks!

For more info, check out: http://patprice.com/running/races/reports/20110226TorchRun.htm

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Hobby Jogging: 2/13/11 - Raleigh, NC - Run for the Roses 5k

January was an exciting month. I had an excellent training block that was filled with 252 miles (my most ever) and ended with a fast 5k tempo on the track. After a true down week (20 miles) to recover and heal up from some nagging injuries (hamstring), I was back at it this week (48 miles) with a solid mile repeat session on Wednesday and was excited to race. John and I jogged the Run for the Roses course yesterday to get a feel for it and I drove it twice this morning to prepare for the rolling hills and wide tangents that would be presented to us at 2pm today.

Run for the Roses is the longest standing race in the triangle (31 years) and it was also the second race in the Second Empire Grand-Prix. It was also my first race as a once again Raleigh resident (thanks to a new job). The weather couldn't have been better as it was mid 50's at the start with the sun shining down. No gloves, no undershirt; just my Bromar singlet, shorts, flats, garmin, shades and oxysox (as I have been battling some shin splints). Got in an easy 2 mile warmup, some strides, and then got to the line and was ready to roll.

The gun went off and I got out well. Slight uphill to Delway where we headed up towards Blount Street. Looped up to Person and headed into Mordecai. The first half mile was slightly uphill and then we had a nice mile or so of slight downhill. I believe the mile markers were off a little bit as I crossed the official mile mark in 5:23 (my garmin had .96 miles and 5:33 for the full, which was more like it). Towards the end of the second mile, we hit the first big hill. It was a long one that I was able to pick a few people off on before heading down and around the roundabout at the 2 mile mark. Hit the course 2 mile at 11:07, but my Garmin had me around 11:18. This is where it got tough.

The last mile on the Run for the Roses course is brutal. If you take a look at my Garmin dump, you can see we rose (no pun intended) 100 feet in elevation with many ups and downs. What you can't see is the excruciating wind. My last mile (according to my Garmin) was 6:06. Not too sexy considering my other splits, but I continued to gain ground and passed a former Division I runner with about 600 meters to go. Hit the 3 mile in 17:25 then ripped the last .11 at 4:35 pace to finish 12th overall in 17:55 (and 3rd in the strong 30-34 age group). Thanks to Inside-Out Sports for being a sponsor and awarding the gift cards!

The competition was much stronger today than the Run for Young, but John and I held serve against the guys that competed in that race and should hold onto 4th and 5th overall in the overall Grand-Prix standings (when they are tabulated). It felt great to compete again and I felt my effort was 100% the whole way. It has been nice having two excellent training partners in John Simons (Raleigh) and Tyler Pake (Greenville). Strong tempos, long intervals and strong long runs at Umstead are paying off. Looking forward to the rest of the Grand-Prix season and of course, my return to Boston.

PS. On a side note, one thing I noticed today was that the race was a "no headphones" race. When I first started running again in the mid 2000's, albeit slowly and very sporadically, I joined the North Carolina Roadrunners Club (before leaving to help form Bromar). One of the last things I remember was a big fight on the email list about them DQing one of their own for wearing headphones in this race. It was kind of childish, but I thought it was a good stand to take and wish more races would outlaw headphones. Cheers to NCRC for sticking to their guns in iPod friendly times and for putting on an excellent race with great volunteer support.

PSS. To the woman that kept yelling at her approximately 7 year old son to sprint out front at the start so she could get a picture, you are setting a bad precedent. Luckily he didn't listen to her as he would have gotten trucked (as the start area was very small). Let the kid enjoy the race. Get a good photo of him finishing!

For more info, check out: http://patprice.com/running/races/reports/20110213RunForTheRoses.htm

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Running in Greenville, NC - A Primer

When I moved to Greenville in September 2009 to enter graduate school at East Carolina University, I found it difficult to find information about places to run. So as I exit the town a year and a half later (for a new job in my second hometown of Raleigh, NC), I hope that this will be of future help to those that move to Greenville or to those that live here and are looking for new places to run. If you have any specific questions or think I am leaving something out, feel free to email me.

Tracks
JH Rose High School - 600 W. Arlington Blvd
A nice rubberized track that is (generally) open to the public (ie. they leave the gates open on nights and weekends). Like anywhere in Greenville, it can get a little windy, but this is a nice track. The ECU team has been practicing here while theirs is being built, so that should tell you something about the quality of it. Also, it is about 2 miles from campus, which provides a nice warmup.

DH Conley High School - 2006 Worthington Rd
Conley is a bit out of town (down Charles Blvd towards Winterville), but generally has a little less traffic than Rose. It is a newer (also rubberized) surface than Rose and has an adjacent park that is great for warmups on the trail and grass. This can get a little windy as well, but not as bad as Rose.

ECU – Corner of Charles Blvd and Greenville Blvd
In progress as of this post, the new ECU track is going to be awesome. The old one was on par with the high school tracks, but the new one promises to be a nice all-weather surface with a steeple pit and everything you could want in a local track. Hopefully they'll let the public use it (they are building a wall around it). Just be smart and respect the team if they are out there and you should be ok. From talking to some of the runners on the ECU team, they have said expect it to be finished around March 2011 (but don't hold your breath).

Trails
EC Velo Bicycle Post Trails - 3132 Short Bridge Rd
The best trails in the Greenville area (Grimesland). These were built by the EC Velo Club for the mountain bikers, but are just as good for a run. $10 a year gets you entrance to these 10+ miles of single track trails that are great for a change of pace as there are plenty of hills and the whole thing is soft trails; a nice break from the constant concrete of Greenville. You may want to carry some pepper spray on the back of your shorts though as wild animals and unleashed dogs will run with you every now and again. If it is your first time, you may want to go with a friend or someone that has been there before. It's hard to get lost, but just a suggestion.

ECU North Recreational Complex - Highway 264 East (10 minutes from campus)
These soccer fields and attached trails are a great place for easy days and for longer intervals. There is a field house with a bathroom, water fountain, drink and snack machine which is nice as well. A loop around the soccer fields is just under a mile and if you add the trails in, you can make a 2.25 or so mile loop that is easy on the legs. Beware the windy days, but this place is one of my favorites for the day after a workout or hard run. Also, they close the gates at dark, so get out there early.

River Park North - 1000 Mumford Rd
This is a fairly short trail (about 2 miles out with a few side trails), but can be added to a run from downtown to make a good 7-8 mile loop. Nice crushed rock trails, but beware the side trails can get a little slick and muddy as I have taken a few dives.

Boyd Lee Park - 5184 Cory Rd
Many local high school cross country races take place here, but it is not a whole lot of trails. It is essentials running around a flat field with a few ducks into the woods. Can get pretty windy. I don't really like Boyd Lee, but some people do, so take it for a spin and see what you think.

Race Directors

East Carolina Road Racing - Kip Sloan
The staple in Greenville road racing, ECRR puts on most of the races around here. Kip's a very nice guy and will get you a course map and/or any info you need about a race by email quick.

Run the East - James Orr
This is a new venture that split off of East Carolina Road Racing this year. I have not met Mr. Orr, but by all accounts he's a good guy and seems to be very tech savvy. Expect good things.

GRG featured in Runner's World

Running Groups
Greenville Running Group - a great email list to get on if you are in Greenville where people bounce around ideas for runs and other local info. They also have a Facebook group where runs are organized during the week as well. If you are moving here, the first thing you should do is sign up for GRG's email list.

ECU Club Running - If you are in college and are not running varsity, ECU Club Running is a great place to keep the competitive juices flowing. The team meets daily and has a wide range of commitment and ability. Lots of nice people and they compete in NIRCA races, as well as local road and trail races. One of their favorites is the Medoc Trail Marathon (and 10 Miler).

GoRun - an all ages (8+) and abilities local group that does weekly track workouts at DH Conley, hill workouts at Town Common, Sunday long runs from Elm Street Park and competes as a team at local and out of town races (this spring they are all running the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach).


Running Stores

Omega Sports - 3160 Evans St (252) 317-8956
Not really a true running store, but as close as you get to one in Greenville. Omega has a great selection, a knowledgable staff and always has information on all the races coming up as well as the current issue of Endurance Magazine, which is a nice free pickup if you haven't read it before.

Popular Races
Reindeer Dash for Cash - in my mind, the best race in Greenville. Held every December and directed by Dawn Cash-Salau. The event features a 5k and a 10 mile race. The 10 miler has prize money and both events have a team component. Pretty typical Greenville 5k course, but great post-race food and nice awards and door prizes. The only true "must" race here.

Fiesta Biathlon - not just for runners, Fiesta is a 5k run followed by a 15 mile bike, but Fiesta is likely the longest running race in Greenville (25 years) that starts and ends at Chico's with a big post race party.

Thinking of buying near Greenville? I can help!

Other Places to Run
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium - 100 Ficklen St
One of the best places to get your hill repeats in. The ramps at Dowdy are a nice gradual incline and the gates are generally open to knock these "stadiums" out mid run without catching any flack from university security.

Town Common - 100 E. 1st St

This is where 90% of the local races start. It is also a good place to do some hill repeats or meet a friend for a workout or run.

Greenville Greenways - All over Greenville
The greenways are currently expanding and the new section will run from around the dog park down the New River to behind the cemetery at the end of 5th Street near Green Springs Park. This will be a nice new option.

Post-run Fueling
B's Barbecue - 751 B’s Barbecue Rd (No Phone)
One of the oldest and most famous barbecue joints in North Carolina, B's is always busy. Get there early as I believe they only cook 4 hogs a day and when they are gone, B's closes up. They are closed Sunday and Monday and are cash only. They won't break the bank though as a barbecue plate with a side and a sweet tea is around $5. A great place to hit when coming home from the EC Velo Bike Post Trails.

Chico's - 521 Cotanche St (252) 757-1666
Possibly the best reference point in Greenville. Chico's is always busy and has a happening bar area with happy hour appetizer specials daily. Decent mexican food and nasty bathrooms, but a good place to meet up for a run (as you can stash water bottles, gels, etc behind the wall right across the street on the campus side for long runs).

Sup Dogs - 213 E. 5th St (252) 752-7682
A great post race stop and the only outdoor deck in downtown Greenville you can sweat on! Great hot dogs and burgers and cheap daily deals. On Saturday they have $1 hot dogs and $1 PBR draft in a mason jar. Always a good celebratory lunch after a good 5k on a spring day.

Other things of Note
ECU Student Recreation Center (on Campus)
This is the best gym I have ever been in. If you have access to this, use it! It has tons of nice treadmills, a rubberized 235 meter flat track, plenty of weights, basketball courts, a smoothie bar, a pool (with hot tub) and stationary bikes, ellipticals, etc. I haven't checked out the local health clubs like Golds and Snap, but can fully endorse the SRC. Just make sure if you come as a guest that your sponsor doesn't leave as I was recently jerked off a treadmill mid-run and asked to leave because my friend went to class. Lame!

Massage Works of Greenville - 104 East Victoria Ct (252) 355-1000
I am getting older and need work! Spencer at Massage Works does a great job and will keep you loose and limber. Only $50 for an hour massage and well worth it!

Running Assessment Clinic At East Carolina University (RACE)
Dr. Blaise Williams is doing some cool things and has monthly lectures on different topics (which I hear are great). They also do studies from time to time that they will post on the Greenville Running Group email list.

Future Additions
This was orginally posted in February 2011. My hope is that when people google "running in greenville, nc," that they will find this post, so if there are any additions I am missing, or things change in the future, please email me and I will revise accordingly!

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Bookworm: "Running With Joy" by Ryan Hall

On April 18, 2011, Ryan Hall will make his third consecutive trip to Beantown to toe the line at the 115th Boston Marathon. In an interview this week at the Endurance Live Awards Gala, Ryan said "Something about Boston grabs my heart. Runners are rock stars that weekend. I love when I'm standing on the starting line in Hopkinton. I feel like I'm living in a history book and I'm writing history (Video of Interview)." Many of us who treat the Boston Marathon like our personal Olympics feel the same way! "Running with Joy" really embraces Ryan's love of the world's oldest annual marathon and details his training from January 2010 up until the start of the race, where he concludes his first book with a recap of his race to Boston, where he finished 3rd overall in an American Record time (for Boston) of 2:08:41.

"Running with Joy" is a book for runners. Those that feel elite runners are too cryptic in their training methods and never let the public in enough to what they are doing will love "Running with Joy" as Ryan details every training run from January to April 2010 (most days are doubles) and doesn't hold back when something is bothering him. One more fired up moment of his account is when he is discussing the challenging winters in Mammoth Lakes, CA:

"Why do we live here? We could train anywhere in the world-Mexico, Columbia, Kenya-and yet we train here! Why?" I yelled as I slipped for the fifth time in that many minutes running through a blizzard with the team on Mammoth Scenic Loop. I knew I had a bad attitude, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. It was dumping snow, and with every slip I saw my journey to Boston crashing to a halt because of muscle spasms. I was sure I'd tear something before long.

Powerful emotional outbursts like this help show the reader and more than likely, the runner, that even Ryan Hall has some bad days. He goes on to say that his then teammate, American 50k record holder, Josh Cox, helped him get to a better place mentally during that run and by the end of it, his attitude was positive again. This kind of run also possibly led to his departure from the Mammoth Track Club in October 2010 to train in various (and milder) locations like Flagstaff, San Francisco and most recently, Seattle. There is no doubt that Ryan is a free spirit of sorts, which makes him extremely relatable to me and likely to many that will pick up this book.

Another very important thing in Ryan's life is his faith. Many people have found Ryan to be a polarizing figure because of this, but I believe "Running With Joy" will show the reader where he is coming from. That is a good place. Ryan is using the bible to inspire himself and to do unto others. He and his wife Sara have established the Hall Steps Foundation to raise money towards Clean Water (through World Vision), fighting Human Trafficking (through International Justice Mission), and funding a home in a Rescue Center in Kenya through Global Children’s Movement. Hall never comes off as preachy and only quotes scripture to inspire and help him understand his own personal growth, not to condemn others for their particular beliefs. There is an entertaining piece about Sammy Wanjiru in here, as well as former teammate, Deena Kastor, who is Jewish, that will show the reader a deeper side of his faith and values.

No matter what you believe, if you believe in the run, you will take something away from "Running With Joy." This is a book that I will not be passing on to a friend, because there are too many good workouts and ideas for training weeks/months, that will provide an excellent reference as I continue to train for this years Boston Marathon myself. I enjoy reading running books to learn some new tricks. Here's a few I picked up from Ryan:

• He drinks 20 ounces of water when he wakes up in the morning. 
• He coats his feet in vaseline before runs (and puts band-aids on his nipples).
• He does easy runs in the Asics Gel-Cumulus, faster runs in the Asics Gel-DS Trainer, and tempos/races in the Asics Gel-Hyperspeed.
• He takes his easy runs easy (after hammering in college and losing steam at the end of seasons). Many runs are around 7:00-7:30 pace.
• He focuses on a healthy diet and eating every few hours to maintain racing weight.
• He wears the Garmin Forerunner 110 and brings gum to the starting line (in case he "gets parched").

What's next for Ryan? Before heading back to Boston, he'll be tackling the best in the nation this weekend in Houston at the USATF Half Marathon Championship, the place where he set the set the American Record in 2007 (on a slightly different course). Houston is also the place where this 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon will take place a year from now, so that should provide for some extra excitement. You can also find Ryan tweeting here and blogging here (while currently rocking a sweet beard).

Be sure to check out RunningWithJoy.com for more information and for a chance to win some of Ryan's favorite things (including copies of "Running With Joy" as well as Oakley and Cytomax products). You can order a copy of "Running With Joy" on Amazon.com here

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Hobby Jogging: 1/8/11 - Raleigh, NC - Run for Young

Today marked the first race of the 2011 Second Empire Grand-Prix Series. It was the Run for Young 5k, which is in remembrance of Sadiki Young. The Grand-Prix is something I have been hoping to complete for a while and I think I can get in 6 of the required scoring races (out of 8) before Boston this year if I do them all. After being in Chicago for a few days this week and enduring 8 degree weather Thursday night, 37 degrees at 10am this morning felt pretty warm! Luckily, my training partner, John Simons, decided to show up and compete as well. This proved extremely helpful! We got in a nice 2 mile warmup and some strides, changed into singlets and flats and were ready to roll.

The gun went off and the first quarter mile was flat down Edenton Street before hitting a small downhill and then going up the ramp to merge onto Hillsborough St. We got out pretty relaxed, but 4 guys had gotten away early and there were some high school kids that soon would slow after their typical sugar buzz start. We rolled up the 2nd hill by St. Mary's and hit the mile very relaxed in 5:53 or so. Then came the big, long hill in front of the YMCA to Oberlin that continued upward around the new roundabouts. This was quite a long hill and we worked it well. We had passed #4 right before the mile and John began to pull away from me at the roundabouts (Greenville hurts for hill training). After that, we got some relief coming down the hill and hit the second mile in 5:54-ish (there were no mile markers or people calling splits anywhere. For a Grand-Prix race, this has to happen).

At this point, we had the a few more hills to go and with a half a mile left, the pace really picked up. I ran very strong up the last quarter mile hill before it leveled out. This is where I really dug in. I could hear footsteps behind me and was holding strong in 5th and didn't want to give it up. I was gaining on John and my turnover was rolling. I kept one gear in my back pocket just in case the sixth man caught up. Finished strong in 18:10 (official results) with a 5:44 last mile that had 2 good uphills. Felt totally fresh at the finish and John and I knocked out a good 4+ mile cooldown to each hit 50+ miles for our down week.

The awards ceremony was right on time, just the way I like it. Coming in 5th overall got me first in 30-34. John was 4th and first in 25-29, which netted us both $25 gift certificates to The Athletes Foot (Age Group Awards went only 1 deep, so they were good). The shirts were pretty cool as well and I got a student discount for entry, which is always nice. A good effort on a challenging course and some good points are on the board for the rest of the season! Satisfied...

For more info, check out: http://patprice.com/running/races/reports/20110108RunForYoung.htm

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Hobby Jogging: 2000 Miles for 2010 (and some highlights)

After taking a 2 week break after the Dash for Cash to heal up from a bunch of nagging injuries, I was itching to get back on the roads and trails to get that last 65 miles to hit 2000 for the year. 2009 was my first year back to training with consistency and I hit 1411.5, so 2000 was a pretty big jump. After getting a solid week of training in this past week (51.5 miles), I was sitting just 14 miles shy of the mark after my Christmas run. Charlotte got dumped on with snow Christmas evening, making a Sunday long run nearly impossible. I took the rest, headed back to Greenville today (Monday) and set out for a 14-miler, only my third double digit run since Chicago. Snow was all over the place and I was forced into 10" of snow during one mile stretch of highway. Made it through and took a gel and a half a bottle of water at 8.5 before cruising the last 5.5 and rolling home in 6:41 for the last mile. I felt best on the last 20 minutes of the run. Hopefully a sign of good things to come. Now, onto 5 highlights from 2010...

Boston - This was a race I have watched since my teens and qualifying for it at NYC in 2009 was one of my biggest sporting thrills ever. Competing at Boston was everything I had hoped it could be. Felt great from the gun, went through the half in 1:22 and was on 2:48 pace through 30k. Didn't quite hold it, but still ran a 9 minute PR and had a blast. A trip and event to remember. Here's the full race report

Gate River Run - Luckily, this race fell over my spring break and a few good friends of mine live in Jacksonville. I was lucky enough to qualify for the top corral and it was cool warming up with the pros and having our own port-o-johns! It was a hot day and the race was tough, but coming down the Green Monster, I turned on the jets and ran from the 9 mile mark to the finish (600 meters) at 5:08 pace (and passed a ton of people); good enough to get me on the scoreboard for the USATF National 15k Championship. Here's that race report


Get Your Rear in Gear 5k - This was my first competitive race back in 2009 and I almost won, just running out of real estate against a high school kid, running 19:29. This year I took it out conservatively and was mentally tough the whole race. I hammered the last downhill mile and finished 3rd in 17:29, my best 5k time since starting to compete again (and only 12 seconds off my lifetime road PR of 17:17 from the Stumptown 5k in 1996). Here's that race report

Lifestyles 5k - After battling a troubling hamstring for the last 23 miles of Chicago, I was eager to heal up and get back to it. I hopped in this race in Little Washington as a test/tempo to see where I was just 13 days later and was rewarded with my first road race win since 1991 (Eastover Fun Run)! Here's that race report

Falmouth Road Race - Probably the quintessential All-American Road Race. Although we stayed in probably the crappiest hotel that $150/night can get you and my girlfriend went to get Meb to autograph a poster for me that ended up being addressed (and personalized) to her (he's charming :), this was an awesome event. It included dueling with Joan Samuelson for about a mile and experiencing the Falmouth Cinema Pub, plus great weather and a very cool race. Here's that race report

Now we'll look towards 2011 and can't wait to up the miles a little more, run Raleigh's Second Empire Grand Prix and Boston again. If you are reading this (or following my twitter), you'll hear all about it!

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Hobby Jogging: 12/5/10 - Greenville, NC - Reindeer Dash for Cash 5k

If you are ever going to do a road race in Greenville, NC, the Reindeer Dash for Cash is the cream of the crop. Dawn Cash-Salau does an excellent job and really works hard all year to put on an excellent event. Every year it draws a larger and larger crowd and this year there had to be 700+ (most races here have ~100). It was a very cool day for a race after we got an unexpected coat of snow last night. I was a little worried about the wood bridge finish being slick, but then realized the Army helps put this race on and had it swept and salted by 0700. Now the cold didn't really bother me today, but the wind, that's another story.

Got in a good warmup and got to the line with 5 minutes to spare. The start was called on the bullhorn and off we went up 1st Street. Got out good and controlled and started to settle in on Evans before turning up 5th. By the time we got a half mile in, I had settled in with my buddy Nic Boerio and Adidas Raleigh's Heather Magill, both who were running the 10 mile. Ran up the hill on 5th and went through the mile pretty comfortably in 5:42. I started pressing the pace a little on mile 2 as it was slightly downhill and felt pretty good doing it. Legs didn't have a lot of pop, but was hoping to just maintain what we had going. When we turned left onto Brownlea, the wind came cranking hard right at us (~20mph). I'd like to say it didn't bother me, but it did. We got through the 2 mile in 11:30, which was right about where I wanted to be. I started pressing again, but just didn't have it. Slogged up 1st and started to lose touch with Nic and Heather a little, so started to go into maintain my place mode and be ready to kick if you hear footsteps.

Hit the 3 mile in 17:31 and the last .1 turned into .14, but came home a solid 3rd overall in 18:13. After coming in 4th last year, it felt great to get an overall award. Afterwards, grabbed a cup of coffee and a bagel with Kevin Sheehan and jogged home to throw on my compression pants and pullover to cooldown and see how Heather and Nic were doing. The funny thing about the Dash for Cash is that Kenyans show up every year and rip it in the 10 mile. I think they don't realize the race is in Chris Cash's memory and not a race director making it rain. This year there was indeed prize money for the top 3 in the 10 Mile, so 3 Kenyans took some money home and Heather took the title on the womens side for a nice $200 payout. My teammate, Erin Duke, should have come up as she would have gotten 2nd and $150. No money in the 5k, but got a nice medal, tech shirt and tech hat (things I can use!)

After Nic and Heather got done, did a good 2 mile cooldown with them before some more coffee and the award ceremony, where I met my old friend Laura MacLean, who I know from back in the day when I ran a couple days a week and couldn't break 20 in the 5k. Was good catching up with her and she took home the masters title in the 10 mile (and is doing what I think she told me was her 13th marathon of the year next weekend at Thunder Road). She's a maniac.

As for me, I need 65 more miles this year to join the 2000 mile club. That's my final goal as I am done racing this year and am looking forward to the Second Empire Grand-Prix Series in the Spring and a return to the Boston Marathon in April. So I'll log some easy miles, then take about 10 days off to heal up before getting ready for the 2011 season. My legs are lacking pop and I think a little break will get that back as I get back into Jack Daniels style training in 2011 that I had a lot of success with in early 2010. Can't wait!

For more info, check out: http://patprice.com/running/races/reports/20101205DashforCash5k.htm

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