Ed Lowery Bash XC 5k from steve speirs on Vimeo.

I had a solid race considering my 6 and 8 mile training runs just a day earlier. The first mile felt very comfortable in 5:55 and I had fun chatting to high school senior Connor Doan who’d been up all night at a graduation party. How you can run that easily with no sleep is beyond me…

The second mile was also fairly comfortable (5:59), although towards the second mile marker I could tell my legs were starting to get fatigued. Here’s a short video of me running alongside Connor and a few other high schoolers:

Ed Lowery Bash XC 5k from steve speirs on Vimeo.

Mile three I had to work really hard to stay under 6:00 per mile pace. By this time Connor had left me for dust (actually, left me for mud would be more appropriate) and I was left to battle it out to the finish pretty much on my own. I finished in 18:44 – good enough for 7th overall and 1st in the 40-44 age group. Not bad considering Friday’s training and the challenging cross country conditions.

The race was in honor of Ed Lowery, a local coach who lost his battle with cancer last year.

It will also be the last race before a 5 or 6 day break to prepare myself for Richmond Marathon training which begins on July 6th. It’s been a tough, but enjoyable six months, and I’m sure the short period of down time will do me nothing but the world of good, both physically and mentally.

Should be a fun race on the rolling Bells Mill course. Note to self: definitely need to find my Nike spikes before Saturday morning rolls around…

Anyway, Friday at around 5pm I managed 30 minutes on the treadmill. It was a weak effort, but at least it was a run. Losing six pounds in as many days does that to you I guess. At least I knew I’d get round the 8k course and maintain my streak – not a bad worst case scenario.

Fast forward to Saturday morning and I find myself at the race venue with about an hour to go to the start. I warmed up for just over a mile and took in the last portion of the new one loop course. I figured it would might help my cause if I knew where I was going at the end of the race.

At 8:00am sharp, with the wind picking up and temperature dropping, we were off. I decided to wear a Welsh soccer jersey for luck – it’s Saint David’s Day tomorrow which is a national day of celebration within Wales – not exactly traditional cross country attire, but it’s always nice to represent my country of birth! At first my legs protested at the speed I wanted them to go, but after a half mile or so, I finally got into a rhythm. That’s me in red at the back of the chasing pack by the way. The first and second place guys are just out of the picture and the guy placed third overall in the series (the one I need to beat by 13 seconds) is leading the chase and looking strong.

My plan, if I can call it a plan, was to keep the guy I needed to beat in my sights for as long as possible, maybe catch up with a mile or so to go and then surge ahead by at least 13 seconds – a bit outrageous considering my sickness and the fact that he’d already beaten me twice in the first two races of the series. No matter, I settled in, worked my way through the pack and found myself in fifth place about 20 meters behind. Midway through the second mile another runner Jack came up on my shoulder and helped me along for a while. He was running strongly and carried me on a surge that lasted almost a mile.

Next time I glanced ahead we were just 7 or 8 meters behind and gaining ground rapidly. We hadn’t reached the three mile mark and although I felt it was a little early to “take the lead”, I went for it anyway. Rob (the guy I was trying to beat), was breathing a little harder than me, and I felt my only opportunity was to just go for it. I surge a little and told myself not to look back.

The final two miles were hard. Not only was I running scared, but my strength seemed to be slipping away. I tried to maintain good pace, but felt the cadence drop and hoped I could at least stay ahead to the finish line. Eventually I reached the spot where I’d warmed up before the race and felt comfort in the fact that at least I knew where I was running now. The ground was a little soft in places, but hardly muddy and with just a few minor undulations, was relatively easy to keep a good rhythm going – I just hoped it would be enough. With just half a mile to go, I knew the race for third could be decided by just a second or two and pushed for home.

It was great to finally see the finish line. My tank was empty, but I kept going and crossed the line in 30:27 (4th place). I turned quickly and was relieved to see Jack was right behind with Rob not far in the distance. Not too far, but further than 13 seconds away. Unless my calculations were wrong, somehow I’d managed to snatch third place in the series! Amazing…

I took it fairly easy in the early stages and found myself in about 12th place as we headed out towards the mile mark. The lead two or three runners already had a big lead but I was happy to sit back and stay comfortable. I hit the mile in 5:58 and decided it was time to pick up the place a little and passed several runners in the next quarter mile. Next time I looked up I was in 4th place and about 15-20 seconds back from the third place guy – the same guy who’d beaten me in a couple of 5k races earlier this year.

Try as I might, I couldn’t make enough ground in the last 3 or 4k to move into 3rd place. However, my pace stayed consistent (5:58, 5:58 and 5:57) and I ended up just 11 seconds away from 3rd place. Finish time was 22:05 for an average 5:55 per mile pace, so I guess I finished the pretty quick in the last half mile or so. Now I’m looking forward to the last race of the series on February 28th – an 8k cross country race at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk. I wonder if I’ll be able to make up the 15 seconds and move into third place overall??

Sunday was my typical long run day. Nothing too exciting to report – I ran 8 miles towards the Virginia Beach oceanfront, turned around and ran home. Of course the wind was behind me on the way out which made for a challenging run home into a pretty stiff headwind. Nice. Good training for the traditionally-windy Shamrock Marathon though…

Summary: 16 miles in 1 hour 56 minutes – not a bad pace and nice that the calf issue seems to have cleared up.

At one stage I’d forced myself into third place, but I was out-sprinted (again) in the final tenth of a mile. Coincidentally, or not, it was the same guy who out-kicked me at the Hair of the Dog 5k on New Years Day. Maybe I can return the favor at the second race of the series on January 31st? I’ll certainly be trying…

My legs were a tad achy this morning after yesterday’s solo World Media Run, but after a brief warm up in the rain, and 4 or 5 minutes stretching, I was raring to go. I could tell many of the race entrants were not sharing my enthusiasm and the bizarre pre-race thunder and lightning didn’t help their mood either. After a brief warning to be careful on the sodden course and a couple of quick “have a good race” exchanges, the horn sounded and we were off.

The first 200 meters were a lot of fun – a huge stampede of adrenaline pumped runners, charging through the puddles towards the first turn. I must have been in about 50th place or worse as were traced the outline of a lacrosse field and headed back towards the start line where a pleasant surprise was in store – a neat stack of hay bales to be jumped, hurdled or climbed over. Instead of hurdling as I did last year, I chose to step onto the first bale, up onto the top pile and push off to land on the ground – great fun!

Just around the next couple of turns we passed the one mile marker, which came in at about 6 minutes 8 seconds. I soon realized today would not be a day for a fast time, but with nearly four miles to go, there was still a lot of racing to be done. The next portion of the race headed out to a narrow trail around the back of the college campus on which we were running, and signaled the start of the mud! I closely tracked a couple of runners but made sure I looked ahead to follow the best [least muddy] route. Before we knew it, however, we were off the trail and onto a road which would take us to the two mile mark and the only “hill” of the course.

Mile 2 was a bit slower (6:12), and although I’d passed several struggling runners by this point, I was starting to feel rather fatigued myself. Approaching the three mile mark we had to navigate the hay bales once again – this time they were significantly softer than on the first loop, and I almost lost a shoe in the soggy haystack. Mile 3 came in at 6:30 (my slowest) and once again we headed out to the muddy trail which was now quite badly cut up and even soggier than just 15 minutes earlier.

With the incentive of catching a couple of runners ahead, I somehow quickened to a 6:25 fourth mile, and realizing there was less than a mile to race, pushed on to the finish. I managed to catch two of the runners in front of me, but was passed in return by two other runners in the final half mile. As the clock ticked well into the 31 minutes, I sprinted through the puddles and towards the finish line, unaware that I’d quickened a little more to a 6:21 final mile.

I finished the 8k in 31 minutes 44 seconds, good enough for 12th place overall and 1st in the 40-44 age group – not my fastest 8k XC race, but a solid effort after yesterday’s 5k and in today’s challenging conditions.

About an hour later at the post race awards ceremony, and after a 1.5 mile cool down and a change into semi-dry clothes, I found out I’d won the 3 race series 40-44 age group by about 6 minutes. Also, I’m now the proud owner of a very cool and unique trophy (above left) which has been added to my growing collection.

This is the fourth year of the Mud In Your Eye XC Series and I’ve been lucky enough to compete in every race. Today’s race, although cold, wet and miserable to many, was so much fun and a great test of strength and character, but I must admit I’m feeling a little jaded tonight after 2 big efforts in 2 days. I’m looking forward, however, to picking myself up and preparing for tomorrow’s Colonial Half Marathon – a challenging, hilly 13.1 mile race that takes place about an hour away in Williamsburg, Virginia. Luckily start time isn’t until 1pm, so at least I can use the morning to get myself mentally and physically ready.

Detailed metrics from today’s race are available by clicking on the MotionBased image below:

Bells Mill is one of my favorite race venues – an all grass course which includes a few slight slopes and several twists and turns. The race was due to start at 8am, so I arrived in plenty of time to pick up my race number and prepare for the cross country battle. I warmed up for a couple of miles at a nice gentle 8:17 per mile pace, and included a couple of the “hills” to remind myself of what to expect in the race.

After a quick change into my trusty Nike XC spikes and the removal of my warm up clothes, I jogged the roughly 600m to the start line and waited for the horn to signal the start of the race. Just after 8am and we were off. As is typical with any cross country race, the start was chaotic. I’ve learnt my lesson many times not to set off too fast. Let the high school kids and less experiences runners go, play the waiting game and gradually pick them off one by one. Today’s 6k was no exception and I soon found myself buried in the pack as we made the first 90 degree turn towards the western field.

At the far end of the field the course follows the perimeter of a lake where you can see the lead runners heading back towards the one mile mark. To help take my mind off the race, I counted the runners in front of me and realized I was in about 33rd place (there were a few small packs where I guessed the number of runners). Last year I finished in about 11th or 12th place, and knew there was plenty of work to do to even make Top 20.

I hit the mile mark in 6 minutes and 5 seconds, about 5 seconds faster than I’d anticipated, but still feeling pretty comfortable with a heart rate of about 168 beats per minute. The sun shone brightly in my eyes, and all I could do was look down at the ground and follow the runners in front (note to self – wear sunglasses next time). I picked off quite a few more as we made our way down to pass the finish line and cross over to the eastern field where once again I could calculate where I stood in the race. This time there were just 19 runners in front so I must have passed more than I thought.

Mile 2 arrived in 12:05, which meant I’d quickened the pace to a 6 minute mile. I could tell by my heart rate (now 174 beats per minute) I was definitely working harder, but at the same time feeling good and ready for the final 1.7 miles. We made another 180 degree turn and I attacked the hill, passing a pack of 4 more runners. Don’t look back, just keep pressing on….

The toughest part of the race for me is the third mile, where once again you run towards the finish line before heading back to the start line. One of the good things about the race is the crowd support from the spectators who gather at the finish area, plus the fact you can usually see who’s ahead and behind you in the race. Once you pass the 3 mile mark you make another 180 turn, then head back to the western field for the final out and back before sprinting to the finish line. I reached 3 miles in 18:03 which meant an even faster 5:58 mile and a huge confidence boost for the last 0.7 miles. Oh yes, by now I was lying in 14th place and still with a slim chance of reeling in a couple more runners.

I finished stronger than I have in quite a while and did indeed manage to pass two more guys. Even more encouraging was the fact I was able to hold off two younger runners who were closing in rather quickly! My overall place was 12th and I took 2nd in the 40-44 age group with a time of 22:20 (6:00 per mile pace) – a fair bit slower than last year, but still a solid performance. I’m particularly pleased with the progressive mile splits where I went from 6:05 to 6:00 to 5:58 with an ever quicker last 0.7 of a mile.

As for the Series Standings, I was quite concerned before the race of not being able to hold off the second place guy in the 40-44 age group. For some reason, however, he finished a couple of minutes behind me today so I have quite a healthy cushion going into the third and final race in a couple of weeks time. I’d love to collect another age group win and pick up one of the cool Mud In Your Eye awards.

After the race I ran another 3 miles to cool down and stretch out my legs. By now the temperature was rising and the morning sun made for very pleasant running conditions. I could have run more, but needed to save myself for Sunday’s long run. I wonder how that will be with tired race legs? So, 9 miles on the 9th and a very encouraging performance in many ways!

Just thought I’d post the MotionBased Viewport from this morning’s Mud In Your Eye 5k XC race. My finish time was around 19 minutes 10 seconds, which means I beat my pre-race prediction by about 30 seconds. Despite fading slightly in the last mile, I’m very happy with my performance and looking forward to another solid week of base building.

Pictured on the left is the longest climb of the race, which occurs early in the first mile. Luckily the incline isn’t too steep, unlike some of the shorter slopes scattered throughout the race – some of which are real leg and lung busters!

Click on the photo for an enlarged view of the climb with the Westin Hotel, the tallest building in Virginia, in the distance.

More details to follow once the official race results have been posted….

Well, results have been posted and I must say I’m happy with my performance. Running a cross country race at Mount Trashmore is never easy, but this was my fourth running of the Mud In Your Eye 5k and I knew what to expect. I deliberately held back in the first mile as everyone else was jockeying for position and wasting valuable energy in the first 200m!

At the top of Mount Trashmore, at about the 3/4 of a mile mark, I could see at least 30 runners ahead of me – but still feeling good and gaining momentum on some of the fast starters out in front. After a quick downhill followed by a short, steep uphill, I hit the first mile in 6 minutes 9 seconds – a little quicker than expected to be honest.

The second mile was a mix of another steep downhill followed by an almost identical uphill with a section around a hill and across to the perimeter of the lake. The surface wasn’t great, but my choice of Nike spikes was a good one and helped to maintain good traction on the course. I must have passed about 10 runners before reaching the second mile mark in 12:19 – a 6:10 effort almost identical to the first.

Mile three was a struggle. After feeling great at the two mile mark, I quickly faded and could sense the lactic acid building up in my legs. I passed a few more runners who were fading worse than me, but also got passed by a couple of younger High School runners. I managed to dig deep and held on for a 6:22 mile which gave me a finishing time of 19 minutes 10 seconds – my second fastest time in four attempts at this particular race.

Scanning through the results on Saturday afternoon I noticed I was the first old guy to finish! As Mud In Your Eye is a three race series, I need to pay close attention to the guys behind me in my age group – I desperately want to win the 40-44 male age group and win another cool Mud In Your Eye award….