Rusty's Run 25k

...It's been a while, so I need to catch you up on an old race report that took place on March 13, 2016.

This race served as a perfect workout in my buildup to the Green Bay marathon on May 22, 2016. I had penciled in a 25k training run at 95% effort of my marathon goal pace. I always give myself a range in regards to pacing ..as we all know, everyday isn't a "perfect" day.  This also puts my mind at ease that I do not have to start at the exact pace right out of the gate. It teaches my body and mind to start off conservatively and evaluate my body as the race/workout progresses.  Besides, I am very aware that as I get older, it takes my body a little more time to warm up into my race pace.  Anyhow, my range for this workout was from 6:00-6:08 respectively.

This race almost didn't happen as it pouring rain the entire day and of course that came along with some 20+ mph winds - not fun.  A good buddy of mine (M.J. Moore) whom I was training with quite a bit did the race with me ..he was training for the Boston marathon. It was perfect timing as we were both getting into some decent shape for our spring marathons. Our goal was to run this together and keep one another in check with our pace range and not get happy feet and go to the well in this race.

This post does not come with any pictures of the race since no one in their right mind would have been out on the course taking them in these conditions.  M.J. and I started started off in the 6:12's for a few miles to feel each other out and how we were going to negotiate the weather.  Despite the weather we were both feeling pretty good, so we decided to keep our pace honest and within the goal range set out for our planned workout.  We were cruising in the low 6:00's for a good clip and later in the race (~5 miles left) we dipped under 6:00 as it felt pretty smooth and comfortable. I ended up with an average pace of 6:01 - which was very reassuring given the comfortable level I was experiencing coupled with the weather conditions.  I hope that this is a good sign for my marathon in late May.

I am a very big fan of doing some local races as workouts if they fit into your training schedule. Nothing beats prepping for a big race by practicing in race settings.  I'm not going to kid myself here...the great company and after race refreshments makes it all worth it!

Till' next time.....Keep on training, learning and Never Give Up!

Gear Used:
Altra One 2.5
Drymax Sport Socks
Orange Mud - Running Water Bottle Handheld Hydration Pack
Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes
SaltStick Caps
Huma Chia Energy Gel

The Huff 50k Race Report

This race was a great experience for me which incorporated many factors: different style of training, inclement weather, and course profile.

Distance: 50k ~ 31 miles
Result: 2nd place Overall with a time of 3:35:31 (7th fastest time in race history)

Let's start with the varied style of my training leading into this race.  This race was my A race and it was going to be my last one of the year..being December 19.  My build up and cycles were lengthy, which was great, as I had plenty of time to build my base and leg strength.  I would say that my miles per week (mpw) was on average anywhere between 80 - 90 miles.  This included a staple long run on the weekends which proved to be tiresome and difficult at times.  I am a high school cross country coach and we have meets on almost every Saturday. The meets can be long days with a lot of standing and running around.  My body was trying to maintain enough energy to get through the week of training for both my team (I run with the team) and my own.  Without getting too much into specifics, my training was largely based off of Renato Canova's philosophy.  I am happy with how my fitness is progressing, therefore I will continue to adopt his methods.

                                           Left (me), Middle (Molly Culver) Right (Craig Culver)



The picture below is a tell as to what the weather was like for the day. I think that the start of the race was something like 9 degrees with 20+ mph winds. The weather had some play into my race I believe. I could never get warm or into a rhythm. The continuous rolling hills and some climbs took its toll on my legs, and the winner was just stronger that day on the climbs. I always give credit when credit is due. The cold made it a little more difficult to consume liquids or calories.  I usually take in electrolyte pills and salt pills about every 30 min or so during my ultra races.  However, due to the frigid weather, I was unable to use my hands to grab my pills - not good!  I will take this as a learning experience for sure. Nonetheless, I had a great time and the race was well put on ...I will be back and with a vengeance.

Molly and me trying to stay warm before the start

This is me finishing with mixed emotions: happy I am done but a tad disappointed with a 2nd place finish.

After every training block or race, every runner should do some sort of reflecting from their training:   What worked? What didn't work? What should I add or take out? Diet and etc.  For a race, I always rerun the entire race in my mind and develop points of importance that I can use for my next run. Some of these may be about the following: nutrition during race, pace, race strategy, and gear. For me, I will make sure next time to add more hill work in my training and really force myself to drink and take in calories despite the weather..it's a must!


Nutrition and Gear used

*Shoes - Altra Superior 2.0  ( I absolutely love these and all their shoes)
*Hydration System - Orange Mud  HydraQuiver Vest Pack 1  (doing great things for us runners)
*Clothes
       Base Layer - this is my new favorite compression gear and a great company albeit.
              Trail Running Compression Short
              Calf Sleeves
              Full Socks V2 Compression   (used for recovery before and after race)
        Socks worn were by Drymax and were specifically for Cold Weather Running

*Nutrition
        Gel was by Huma (another big fan especially if you like Chia Seeds)
        Tailwind Endurance Fuel
       SaltStick Caps and Electrolyte Tablets 


In closing, I want to say thank you for such a great season of training and racing. I couldn't do it without the support from my wife, Jenna, and my son, Kello.  In addition, many great miles were run with my fearless BBCHS Cross Country Team, CulverTraining Racing Team and friends. I am proud to be a part of the Altra Running Team and Orange Mud Running Team. I appreciate their support as always!  Many more posts to come regarding specifics with training, gear reviews and nutrition.  This is only my second blog, and I'm not really a writer at heart - I teach Math..so...

Thanks for reading!

No matter what....never give up.

Introduction:

Let me start off by saying, I have no clue what I am doing in regards to this new world of blogging. I am not some stellar writer in the likes of James Patterson or Malcolm Gladwell. I am an avid reader and follower of many running blogs and have learned a substantial amount along the way. I feel like I can provide a similar effect among people of all ages and fitness levels.

I am a pretty normal guy with the following: married (my high school sweetheart), 15 month old son (pride and joy), high school math teacher and cross country coach, and endurance junkie.  You will get to know me and my family along through this journey of blogging.

I hope to connect with people of all ages and levels of endurance and will be posting about my training, races, gear I use and just some everyday life stories.

Hope you enjoy the ride!


P.S. Next post will be a race report on the Huff 50k that took place on December 19, 2015.