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American Tobacco Trail 10 Miler

10/25/2014

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I've wanted to do the American Tobacco Trail 10 Miler for several years but it hadn't worked out with fall marathon training plans until this year when I decide to do this as my main fall race instead of a fall half or full marathon.  The reason I wanted to do this race for several years is because I had heard great things about it from friends that ran it and had seen some fast times posted at this race.  I had only ran one previous 10 miles race before this.  That was the Dash For Cash 10 Miler on their old course in 2011.  I finished in 1:02:18 on a hot December afternoon since it's a 1pm start.  I expected to be faster, by minutes, for the American Tobacco Trail 10 Miler because it has traditionally had good weather, even really cold and I love cold, I think the course is better and faster, and it's a morning race as opposed to waiting around all day trying to figure out nutrition for an afternoon race.  

The race is held on the American Tobacco Trail which is a rails to trails converted course which consists of a low impact, compacted soil surface.  I ran my first  sub three hour marathon, a 2:55, on this course back in 2010 at the inaugural Tobacco Road Marathon.  The American Tobacco Trail 10 Miler is put on by the North Carolina Road Runners Club and it's been the state championship 10 miles race since 2008. 

I decided I would train for this like I would for a marathon because I have a history of running PRs in shorter distances during marathon training without tapering for the tune-up races.  I didn't do as much mileage for this as I would a marathon; I peaked in the mid 60s for mileage in a week whereas in a marathon I would peak around 80 or a little over.   The key parts I took from my marathon plans were the long tempo runs, goal marathon pace miles at the end of long runs, Zap Fitness style surges during long runs, and a mid week long run to go along with a weekend long run.  I peaked my long run at 18.23 miles, which may be a bit much for a 10 miles race, but like I said I think it helped me. 

I ran a disappointing Twin Bridges 8K Road Race on October 4th.  That was largely due to the strong headwind the whole way on the point to point course and wasn't an indicator of my current fitness.  I was confident both my 5 miles splits at this race would be faster than my time at Twin Bridges.  My goal for this race was to break one hour. 


PictureShortly after the Start
Jamie and I arrived at Thomas Brooks Park, the home of USA Baseball, to take the shuttle to the race headquarters at the White Oak Church Road entrance to the American Tobacco Trail.  The women's race started at 8:50am, followed by the men at 9:00am.  We arrived to race headquarters shortly after 8.  It was cold, ideal for running, but not for standing outside waiting an hour for the start of the race.  The temperature was in the upper 40s and the wind was calm.  I met up with my friend Laura while waiting for the start.  She just ran the Bull City Race Fest Half Marathon the week before.  I eventually started my dynamic warm-up routine, ditched my warmup clothes, except for my Duke hoody, and started off a 15 min easy warm-up jog.  I watched the women start, ditched my Duke hoody in my bag, and lined up for the men's start.

The numbers looked smaller then what I had seen in previous results.  There was still some fast looking runners there though.  I lined up alongside friends Ryan Laytham and John Barry.  The race started and I went out behind Ryan and John.  They were shooting for sub 59 minutes so I knew if I stayed with them I would reach my goal of sub hour.  The race starts on the road for about a quarter mile before making a sharp left turn onto the Tobacco Trail and running South to the turnaround and then back to the finish on the trail before the road.  I ran the first mile in 5:41, faster than I planned but it was a downhill mile. 

With the women starting just 10 minutes ahead of the men, I was worried about congestion and having to pass a lot of women.  Luckily, they were mostly staying to the right of the trail and passing was not an issue.  I was in seventh place after the first mile and settling into my goal pace.  I wasn't far behind sixth place, a guy in a Raleigh Running Outfitters singlet who I had to beat since I run for Capital RunWalk.  I ran miles two and three in 6:01 and 5:52.  I gained on sixth place enough to make a pass but he was passing a group of women on the right leaving me to say excuse me and squeeze in between the women as I passed him and the ladies with a quick surge.  


PictureTurn Around
John pulled away shortly after we hit the 1 mile mark.  Ryan was still in my sights and I was keeping in at a consistent distance for several miles.  I was feeling good and in control.  Around 3.5 miles the race goes through a tunnel under Hwy 64.  Since Ryan was ahead of me for fifth place and I wasn't sure how close seventh place was behind me I used the women as motivation.  Every time I passed a woman I would focus on the next one ahead and pick them off.  I passed my friend Laura and she cheered me on and I told her good work and to keep it up.  I ran miles four and five in 5:59 and 5:47.  My first 5 miles split was 29:23, 1:36 faster than my Twin Bridges time. 

I rounded the clearly marked turnaround on the trail shortly after 5 miles and started the run back to the finish.  I knew I had to keep pushing and not settle for the current pace I was on.  I knew the final couple miles were going to be a gradual uphill since Ryan told me before the race started.  For the most part the Tobacco Trail is flat and fast but there are some gradual inclines over the course of miles that you don't really notice until you are pushing it and fatigued.  I ran mile six in 5:53 and split 10K around 36:40. 

With four miles to go I was confident I was going to run sub hour unless I really blew up.  With that in mind I started changing my focus to break 59 minutes.  I was feeling fatigued but still able to stay consistent on pace and click off the next several miles.  Miles seven, eight, and nine were 6:03, 5:54, and 6:01. 

PictureFinishing in 59:26
I knew I just needed a sub 7 minute final mile to break an hour but sub 59 was going to take a pretty fast final mile.  The fatigue was hitting me harder now and combined with a gradual uphill final 2 miles I only managed a 6:10 for my tenth and final mile.  I finished 6th overall out of 139 and 2nd in my age group with a 59:26.  It was a new 10 miles PR by 2:52. 

John Barry finished 4th overall, 1st masters, in 58:02.  Ryan gained on John during the final miles and finished 5th overall in 58:08 and 1st in our age group (30-34). 

The women's race was won by Michelle Langan in a new course record of 58:56.  My friend Laura beat her PR from last year by mins and finished in 1:26:06.  It was a good run for her considering she ran a half marathon the week before.  She's still new to running, only been running for two years, and she's gonna keep improving. 

My friend Adolfo volunteered at race and he got some pictures on his blog that you can view here. 

This was a great race for me and my friends.  I loved the course.  I think the south part of the Tobacco Trail is prettier than running north if you start at the White Oak Church Road entrance.  The whole trail is pretty and shady with trees lining both sides of the trail but you get a couple more views of some ponds and water on the south route.  The race was well organized, the pint glasses awarded to all finishers was nice, and got a great tech shirt.  Passing runners on the trail wasn't an issue for me.  There are not many 10 miles races out there and this is one of the best.  This is a must do North Carolina race.

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Twin Bridges 8K Road Race

10/4/2014

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Picture2014 Shirt with 33 tribute to Sonny
The Twin Bridges 8K Road Race is one of my favorite races in my hometown.  The race is part of the North Carolina Seafood Festival that is held the first weekend in October in Morehead City, NC.  I've done the race every year but one since my first in 2000.  This marked my fourteenth year of running it. The race starts in front of the Beaufort Drawbridge on the Morehead-Beaufort Causeway.  It follows Highway 70 West from the Beaufort Drawbridge, over the Beaufort High-rise Bridge into Morehead City, through Morehead City to the Atlantic Beach High-rise Bridge, ending in front of the Bella Pizza & Subs on the Atlantic Beach Causeway.  The course is flat minus the two high rise bridges. 

I was so excited and happy when I finally won this race last year.  This was the first year of the race since Sonny Hyman passed away.  He started this race and and was known for running on the bridges.  It was weird last year running when he wasn't but he was still alive then. I was so glad I won it and he could read in the Carteret County News Times that I dedicated my win to him.  It took me awhile to win this race and it took Sonny 8 years before he finally won his first Twin Bridges.  The race shirts had the number 33 on the back of them this year as a tribute of Sonny.  33 and 3 were his lucky numbers.  He always got a 3 in his number at local races.  I wish the shirts were neon green also, that was his color.  That would have been an even better tribute.  Sonny is always going to be missed at local races, especially by me. 

I've used this race in the past as a tune-up for a fall marathon.  This year's race was also a tune-up; but not for a marathon but for the American Tobacco Trail 10 Miler that was serving as the North Carolina 10 Miles State Championship.  I had two goals for this race.  First, I wanted to win and repeat as winner.  It's been awhile since Twin Bridges has had a male repeat winner.  My second goal was to break 29:00.  I've broke 29:00 once in a 5 miler in Rocky Mount but I haven't done it yet at Twin Bridges. 


I arrived at the start of the race at my customarily one hour before the start.  My Dad went on to the finish line where Jamie would meet him.  The temperature was in the low 70s and sunny but the wind was the issue.  It was going to be a strong headwind on the point to point course.  Of all the years I've ran this race I think we've only had a headwind twice.  I knew the wind was going to make sub 29:00 difficult but I felt I could still win a tactical race.  I talked with several friends and local runners before I did my dynamic warm-up.  After that I headed off on an easy 2 miles warmup with Katherine and Heidi.  My friend Anne was also running.  Anne and Heidi had a close race last year with Anne edging Heidi at the line for the overall female win.  Anne was training for the Table Rock Ultra Marathon later in October while Heidi and Katherine were training for the OBX Marathon in mid November. 
PictureLeading on MHC High Rise Bridge. Photo by Sally Kelly
The race started and 297 runners headed towards the Morehead City high rise bridge.  I was out front with a group of runners right behind me.  It was windy and wasn't going to get any better.  Katherine was right on my heels, our feet made contact several times and she apologized several times.  It didn't bother me because I knew it wasn't on purpose and things like that happen running in a close pack.  We started up the Morehead City high rise bridge and I hit the first mile marker in 6:02, not bad considering the wind. 

I maintained my lead up and over the bridge but knew there were several runners within a second or two of me.  As soon as we came off the bridge I was hoping someone else would take the lead so we could take turns drafting but it didn't happen so I kept leading. The headwind was brutal, steady at 15-20mph, and gusts over that.  I ran miles two and three in 6:10 and 6:11.  My effort was there but the time was not reflecting it due to the wind.  I was still leading and getting annoyed at the runners drafting me.  I moved from side to side some on the road after mile 3 hoping to break the draft but where I went, they followed.  I even slowed drastically around 3.5 miles hoping to force someone to take the lead but no one did.  I think I could have stopped and they would have stopped behind me. 

I was feeling fatigued and the wind was taking its toll on me but I was still leading and hoping I would drop the pack drafting me on the final uphill on the AB Bridge.  We made the left turn and started up the final bridge.  The wind wasn't as bad since it was hitting me more on the right shoulder instead of directly in my face.  As we started up the bridge two runners pulled out from behind me and pushed up the bridge as I was doing.  They ended up getting ahead of me and a third runner passed before we hit the top, dropping me to 4th place.  I ran mile four in 6:19.  I did a surge down the bridge and was gaining on 3rd place.  1st and 2nd placed were pulling away. 

PictureFinishing. Photo by Jamie Connerton
We came off the bridge and I simply had nothing left and third place was starting to pull away from me. I gave it what I had but finished in 4th place overall in 30:59, one of my slowest times ever at Twin Bridges.  The winner was 17 year old Nicholas Walker from Durham in 29:56 in his first Twin Bridges Race.  He was the only one under 30:00. 

PictureKatherine and I post race with our tribute to Sonny
Katherine stayed with me till 3 miles or a little more.  Katherine kept me and the lead group in her sights and held on to win the women's race in 31:38 and also finished 5th overall out of 272.  Anne was the 2nd female in 32:47 and Heidi was 3rd in 33:23.  Anne has the women's course record of 28:05.  We all ran slower due to the wind.  It was a struggle and a test of strength.   

I wrote "Sonny" on my right arm for this race as a tribute to him.  I also did it for the Boston Marathon and the Beaufort Road Race this year. 
I haven't decided if I will keep writing Sonny's name on my arm for future races.  I may just do it one more time at the Lookout Rotary Spring Road Race in April if I get to do that race.  I haven't been able to do Lookout since I won it in 2010.  Sonny helped start that race as well.  If I decide to keep writing Sonny's name on my arm it will probably just be at local races in Carteret County.  I'll keep wearing his color of choice, neon green, as my tribute to him as well. 

An awesome feature the race had this year was video of the finish provided by Run The East. You can view the video at the bottom of this post or directly on YouTube by clicking the link in this paragraph. 

PictureJamie, Bud, Me, and Justus post race
I was disappointed and mad after this race. I did all the work, leading so long in the wind, just to have them sit and kick on me across the final bridge.  It just sucks to lose that way.  It's a great racing tactic but it would have been nice if they would have been willing to take turns leading so we could all draft some.  Leading so long into the wind beat me up and took it's toll on me.  It was my own fault.  I'm stubborn and a front runner.  I know this race isn't an indicator of my current fitness.  My first five miles and my second five miles at the American Tobacco Trail 10 Miler will be faster than this race.  I still love this race and it is a must do race.  The course is great when it's not a headwind which is rare.


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