Twin Sizzler 5k Recap

July 8, 2015August 5, 20151 Comment

Last Saturday, July 4th, I ran my third Twin Sizzler 5k. This year I decided to run just the 5k and skip the 10k. The weather was surprisingly cooler for race day, with 65 degrees at the start and some slight wind a few times on the course.

The race started at 7:45, but I got down to the square by 7:15 to pick up my bib and shirt and hit the restroom before the start. I got a little under a mile in for my warm up and was ready to run. I didn’t have a certain time I was focused on, I just knew I didn’t want to go out too quick, and I didn’t want to have a meltdown on the uphill finish. Surprising, I was actually pretty relaxed. That is until a minute before the race started and my stomach was a mess.

The race started and I realized I was a little too far back in the pack. Instead of going out too fast, I was going out too slow, somewhere around a 9:07 pace. I started to weave in and out of the group to find a better spot, and finally settled on an 8:45 pace. My stomach was still hurting and I was too afraid to push myself any faster at that point.

The course starts on the square with a nice downhill onto Rt. 57 out of town. Eventually the road begins an incline and I was happy I didn’t have to do the 10k after this, with it’s continual incline into Montville Township. Just before our first turn we came across the first mile marker and a water stop. I skipped the water and was starting to feel a little better.

Mile 1- 8:45

Starting the second mile, it was refreshing that for once I didn’t feel like death, clinging onto a time that I wouldn’t be able to hold. I was feeling better with every step I took and wanted to base this next mile off of feel, not time.

During the second mile we went through some developments and had some rolling hills along the way. They didn’t feel as bad as they typically do and I was able to pass people as I made my way along the course. I continued along, quietly bringing my pace down, and keeping my eyes off my Garmin.

Mile 2- 8:33

With the last mile ahead of me I knew I wanted to pick up the pace. I also knew the finish would be difficult, and I was still unsure of what my stomach had planned. I told myself I’d be ok with an 8:20 pace, but again wanted to go by feel, rather than time.

Somewhere in the beginning of the last mile, I noticed a gentleman was near me and would stay around my pace. He’d push when I pushed, and back off when I backed off. It was nice to have a little company, even though we didn’t say anything.

As we made the turn down South Court, I tried to get myself in the zone. I took advantage of the short downhill and mentally prepared myself for the finish. We turned right on South Street, and then left on South Broadway. We were met again with my favorite part, the brick road. I started to pick up my pace a bit, but was careful not to trip on any loose bricks. I could feel the energy that had been saved up and hoped it would stay throughout the rest of the race.

We passed the intersection of 57 and memories of my Medina Half finish crossed my mind. Even though I had started with a sour stomach, it was no where to be seen and my legs wanted to take control.

We passed the railroad tracks, and then started our long incline past East Smith. As I took each step up hill, I knew I would have a much better finish than before. I kept picking up the pace, trying to go faster.

Mile 3- 8:14

With just a small section left I gave it everything I had and sprinted up the rest of the hill and into the finish. I turned around just in time to see the silent gentleman finish and congratulated him on the race.

Last .1- 7:04 pace

For the first time, quite possibly ever, I ran negative splits on my 5k. And I felt great after I finished. I didn’t run a PR, but I ran a smart race and I ran based on how I felt rather than checking my watch everything 30 seconds.

While I’m not sure I’ll ever PR on the Twin Sizzler course, I was able to run my fastest Twin Sizzler to date. And now I know where I stand time-wise on the 5k and I have an idea of where I can be if I really push myself. There is no doubt that I can drop under 25 minutes for the 5k again, but unfortunately a sub 23 is probably something that I left in college.

Not your flat 5k.

It was a great race, great weather and I’m glad I’ve been able to run the Twin Sizzler every year. It’s something that I plan on doing every year while living in Medina. And maybe one day I’ll sign up for the 10k again…

Tech tee and trouble

Results:

Official Chip Time: 25:51

AG 25-29: 4/23

Female: 65/295

Overall: 223/608

Twin Sizzler 5k/10k Recap

July 8, 20142 Comments

I started my 4th of July weekend by running the Twin Sizzler and this year I decided on the 5k and 10k. Because I was going to be adding additional miles in between races, I had a different approach than a normal race day.

I started with a half mile warm up and made my way to the start line for the 5k. Knowing I’d be doing a ton of miles that day, I didn’t want to go all out. I also knew the course wasn’t flat, so running a PR wasn’t on my radar.

We started on the square and headed South on 57. The first mile begins with a downhill, but then has a continual uphill that really makes you work for it. I felt pretty comfortable with my pace, but the humidity was a bit deceiving so I felt warmer than I had expected. I grabbed a cup of water, took a sip and kept going.

Mile 1-8:52

After we hit the first mile marker, the field started to spread out. I could concentrate on my breathing and making sure I was staying at a decent pace. My second mile is usually my slowest, so I did everything I could to keep my pace quicker than the first mile. The course was relatively flat, and I still felt pretty good.

Mile 2-8:44

The last mile started on an incline, but quickly flattened out once we got onto South Court. We were shaded by the tree lined street, so I was able to pick up my pace and not feel like I was wasting too much energy. We made our way onto South Broadway and were met with the brick road. I always love running this street because it reminds me of Muskingum, but it’s not always the easiest to run on. Knowing we’d be finishing uphill, I tried to work on my speed here before I got to the finish.

Mile 3-8:34

I picked up my pace, focused on the finish and crossed the line with negative splits!

Last .06-8:10 pace

Coming into the finish

5k Results

Official Time: 26:45

Age Group 25-29: 11/34

Female: 100/342

Overall: 273/659

I followed up the 10k with a mile and a half with Mo, an MCRR member. We took it easy, and tried to figure out how one races a 10k, and what pace you should be at. I still didn’t know how to race a 10k, but figured I’d take it around my half marathon pace and keep it easy for the additional miles I’d still have to run once I was finished.

We lined up for the 10k, and we were off. I tried to keep a conservative pace, but couldn’t help but speed up a bit by everyone else that was running by. The first mile was the same as the 5k’s, and this time I had my water so I didn’t stop for a drink.

Mile 1-9:20

I knew we continued on 57 for a bit, but when I saw the sign for Montville Township, I knew we were in for some major hills! We started going up, and I did everything I could from walking, luckily I saw Renee at the top of the hill and that helped to push me through.

Mile 2-9:43

We kept going past the second mile marker and turned onto Lexington. I knew there was another hill, but wasn’t sure how big. At this point we had been running uphill for about a mile, and my legs were starting to crumble. We continued through the development, winding on the roads and continued to go uphill. Once we hit the third mile marker, we finally had a downhill.

Mile 3-9:47

By this point my legs were toast, so I stopped to stretch them. I slowed by pace down, but they were still in pain. I took a sport bean around this time, hoping I’d get some energy, but really looked at keeping a decent pace.

I was more focused on how many miles I had run for the day, rather than what mile I was running for the race. I was sitting between 8-9 miles and with all the hills, it felt like I had run about 11-12 by this point.

Mile 4-10:19

I made it to mile 4 and I think it was around this point that I saw Christy. Seeing her helped to motivate me, but my legs were hurting worse now. We had smaller rolling hills, but by this point, my knee and arch started to ache a bit. I stopped to stretch some more and slowed my pace.

Mile 5-11:14

By now I was counting down the miles until I was done, my legs were in a ton of pain, and I just wanted to sit down and stretch for about 10 minutes. But I kept going, slow and steady, knowing that the last mile would be the same as the 5k.

Mile 6-10:15

We made our way onto South Court and I could feel my legs getting lighter. I finally had some flat ground and I could pick up my pace. We got to the brick road, and I did what I could to keep my pace from slowing down. I braced myself for the final hill and made my way to the finish.

Last .25-10:29 pace

Final push!

10k Results

Official Time: 1:03:13

Age Group 25-29: 18/24

Female: 101/142

Overall: 233/290

I finished up the day with an additional two miles around town and the final mile in my development. I managed to get 14 for the day, but my legs were incredibly beat up.

Overall, I’m glad I ran both the 5k and the 10k. After the 10k, the 5k felt easy, and although I didn’t push myself too hard in the 5k, I was able to negative split and focus on my pacing.

As for the 10k, it was hard, and a lot hillier than I had expected. When you have an elevation chart like this, it’s not hard to see why my legs were so sore.

Hills, hills, and hills

The Twin Sizzler has become one of my new favorite traditions in town, and I plan to run it every year I can. Except next year, I think I’ll stick with just the 5k.

Twin Sizzler 5k Recap

July 10, 2013July 10, 2013Leave a comment

Almost a week later, I have my recap on the Twin Sizzler 5k I ran on the 4th of July. Last year I ran Bay Days in Bay Village and was a little bummed I wouldn’t be able to run it this year. Lucky for me, Medina had their own festival of events for the holiday. The Twin Sizzler provided a ton of events for the community including a 5k run, 10k run, 27 mile Community bike ride, 27 mile expert bike ride, 1 mile kids fun run, and a 5k walk. If that wasn’t enough, you could run both the 5k and the 10k for a double workout. All proceeds went to the Red Cross of Medina County, and with well over 800 people in attendance, we definitely helped out our local chapter. There was also a DJ, activities for kids, and a ton of families out for the holiday.

The race was slated to start at 7:45 and with how hot and humid it has been, it was much better than a 9:00 start. Lucky for us, the sun stayed behind the clouds, but the humidity was thick and people were sweating before we started. I got there around 7:25, and headed straight to bib pick up. If you registered early (which I finally did for once!) you were promised a t-shirt. Unfortunately they had run out of smalls by the time I got there, so I was given a medium. I plan on donating it since I already have way too many shirts.

Around 7:40 we were told that we’d had a delay of the start. We eventually got going around 7:55, only a 10 minute delay. Still feeling warmed up, I didn’t have a goal, I just wanted to survive the muck of the humidity. The first mile had a bit of a down hill and wound through some of the downtown streets. I knew I didn’t want to go out too hard, but didn’t want to focus on my time. I let my legs do the work and I was somewhere near a 7:50 pace. I pulled back and tired to slow myself down. It was getting hotter and hotter and I knew that it would be a tough race. We came up on the first mile and I was around 8:30. Right after the marker was a water stop. I grabbed a glass, drinking some, but dumping most on my head. I don’t normal grab water in 5k’s, but I couldn’t get enough of it.

We continued on through more neighborhoods and I could feel my pace slowing down. I bounced between 8:45 and 9:10, always struggling to keep a solid pace. Most of the course was very familiar either from previous runs or from the Medina Half Marathon. It was relatively flat, but had some gradual inclines throughout the second mile. I was still feeling pretty strong, but didn’t want to go too fast and not have anything left for the finish.

I don’t remember what time I hit the third mile, but I was excited to see more water. This time the cup was filled up a bit too much, so I had more difficultly drinking it and running. I slowed down a bit, but then tried to pick my pace back up. The last mile was straight towards the square and I knew we’d have an uphill incline. I was starting to get hotter and sweatier, but tried to ignore it. With a half mile to go I was around 23:xx and everyone started to pick up the pace. I felt great and followed the crowd. Crossing the rail road tracks we had about 400 feet left, the incline of the hill started and I felt off. I hate finishing uphill because I usually feel sick so I tried to relax and just ignored my pace. I slowed quite a bit, but was nervous that I’d lose whatever was in my stomach on the course. About a hundred feet to go and I gagged. I told myself to stop, and just get to the finish. Fifty feet from the finish I gagged again, and nothing. I jogged to the finish line, barely stopped my Garmin and was off to the side. The humidity had gotten the best of me.

After grabbing some water and heading to my car, I started to feel much better. I drove home and suddenly felt that like I could run some more…if the humidity wasn’t so thick. I almost regretted not signing up for the 10k as well, but after the 5k, I was glad I only had one race. Besides for the last half mile I felt great throughout the entire run. I was dissapointed with my time and pacing, but I know that the heat plays a big factor in this. It was no where near a PR, but I feel that I’ll definitely be dropping time once the weather cools off.

Overall the race was great. The course was well marked and relatively flat considering some of the major hills around. Having two water stops was awesome, but I think I had too much water in my stomach, which didn’t help later on. There was only one sprinkler on the course, but many more would have been appreciated. I’ll definitely run this race next year and even think about doing the 10k.