Road Racing and Training Thread - Week ending 7/1/2018

put some in your morning coffee

Pappy wrote:

put some in your morning coffee

This is a good choice. When need a little morning giddy up.

What Brand? If it is a good whiskey I would not mix it and keep it on hand for company etc

If like evan williams the standard mxixer is Coke I reckon. You could do an Old Fashioned etc

If something simple for summer Half Tea/Half Lemonade and Bourbon to taste. But I do not drink hard liqour anymore so someone else may have a good summer mix

Rocks are my go to, but you can make an old fashioned or a Manhattan. You can also mix it with lemonade, or, muddle some berries and add that into the mix with lemonade.

Smoove - The rocks may NOT be the way to go if he has Ten High, Early Times, Kentucky Gentleman, Or Kentucky Deluxe!

Manhattans and Old Fashioneds are the best, but if you don't love the taste of bourbon you probably won't like an old fashioned. A Kentucky mule or mint julep would also be tasty, less bourbony simple-to-make drinks. If the bottle makes it to the fall, it pairs well with legit apple cider (not apple juice).

Hardly ever drink anything stronger than beer anymore (I really like bourbon but have been working on the same fifth for 4+ years), but if it’s okay-but-not-great stuff, try a Bourbon Rickey.

Bourbon + soda water + plenty of lime = great for summer. Drink wearing seersucker on a porch, on a dock, or in a “resort” with newspapermen/lobbyists. Then constuct a typo-ridden post for this thread.

The Old Fashioned and Manhattan are better drinks, of course, but not in July.

And read this by Walker Percy a few weeks ago and think it appropriate to add it to the mix:

https://www.claremont.org/crb/article/bourbon-neat/

The race report I promised...

I get to the park and find one of the last parking spaces. I am feeling decent, and it is about 7:30. The temp reads 80, and I head over to the shelter to pick up my bib. I could feel the the heat, and it is sauna-like, just as Allen has decsribed it. I go back to the car, pin on my bib, and then run a brief warm-up. Not much time for anything else, I ran about 3/4 of a mile, with two small surges to get the legs going a little. I stop, take an organic Honey Stinger gel, and head to the start at about 7:54.

Always a lot of younger folk in this race, and they tend to congregate in the front, no matter how fast or slow they are. Spoke to my friend Brenda about work or the lack thereof, among other things. Bren has been the top female runner in the valley for a long time, but has been battling injuries for a good year. Anyway, the gun goes off and I feel pretty good, weaving my way around the kids and other assorted unfamiliar runners. I see some high-school age kids, and then notice the 28-year old who outkicked me last year. John, from the 10k (age 17, and one of the better xc kids in the area) was in the group, too, but I did not notice him. As we got closer to the mile mark, there were about seven or eight of us up front, with me in fifth, I believe. I was still assessing things, and assessing myself.

We get to the mile 1 sign, and my watch dings “5:35.” I thought: “Hmm...I feel pretty good for 5:35 in this weather,” but I knew that the three significant hills still lie ahead, waiting for us. I cruise past a couple of people and am now in third, with a young kid not far in front of me, to the right, and Nelson a bit further ahead, leading the way, more to the left. As we get to a left turn, around 1.3 or so, I get a look at the kid, and say to myself, “Pass him.” I soon pass him, and now have a better view of the guy in the lead. I figure I will just follw him and see how things develop. As we weave around some turns on the college campus, I get closer to him, until I get a couple of meters or so behind him, and I know that the first of three hills will be coming soon. At that moment, I think, “Take him on the uphill.” I know it sounds arrogant, but as the hill approaches, I am thinking: “He can’t climb the way you do. Get after it.” I pull up beside him, and he immediatly sees me, and goes with me. He covers the move for about 100m or so, but as we near the top I say to myself somehting like: “Go—More—Break him.” I kick it and pass him, and make the turn at the top, and am so happy that my plan worked. This is at about the 1.8 mark, and I could see some volunteers up ahead at the 2-mile sign. Watch dings “5:47” after two miles.

I get to the sign, and can still faintly hear some footsteps behind me. I head downhill, knowing that I am not the best of downhill runners, hoping that he will not catch me on the downhill. To my surprise, his footsteps get even fainter, and as I make the right turn to head toward the next hill, his footsteps disappear altogether, and I know I am alone and in the lead. I could feel some joy starting to build.

I get to the right hand turn, and see my friend Becky doing the marshaling (she is a fine runner and a coach), and she yells to me: “You got it Glen—just finish it out.” I turn and head up the second of the three hills, and start to think: “I do not want to climb this hill.” I cut a Smoovey deal with myself and say: “But the downhill will come soon, and then it is just the short steep one and you are done.” I get over the hill conservatively, being mindful of the weather and the last hill. I start to feel a little better, and I see some other familiar faces cheering me on as I head toward the last hill. I can see the shade that covers the last hill (the short steep one), and I start to think to myself: “ There is no one around. You are going to win!” The top of the hill comes fast, and I am at about the 2.8 mark or so. I see the gentle rollers and curves that lead to the finish. I see people lining the sides of the park road, and still no footsteps behind me. I spot the 3-mile sign, but I am so possessed by my running that I do not look at my watch, or even hear it ring with the split time. I put on something of a kick as I hear the people cheer, and I pick up the clock at about 17:20-something. I realize that I am about to win, and feel a surge of joy. I glance to my left and see “17:44” and then crosss the mats. I say to myself, “I did it.”

Actually, I had won in May with 17:39, but that was a smaller race, and so the impact here was greater. Later I realized that I had also won the master’s at Shamrock, and so I am on a nice little streak.

In honor of RRR, I ate lots of bananas...and smiled a lot.

Thanks OR. Great job!!!

I was riding my bike this morning (it was working me) and had a thought. Wonder how a month of cross training as much as I want. And only running 9miles per week affect a 5k time. Next spring after the local half when taking a down month from April to May I may try it. Run a 5k then take a month of only 9mpw + XT and then run another

5k

Came in 8th place in the 5k this morning to qualify (needed top 15) for the prize money road mile tonight.

Ran a comfortable 17:46 although the course was probably ~100m short.

We'll see how tonight goes

Congrats pewow. You are just a racing fool. What a summer for you. Best of success tonight.

A bunch of great races this week, OR, Allen, Jeremy, and pewow.

And AJ, that’s a great time trial effort. Looks like the Slo/AJ giraffe combo is a good tag team.

Old Fashioned and Manhattans for me!

And thanks for all the congratulations. According to Jack Daniels weather adjustments, that was a little under a sub 17, which is good. I'm hoping for fast times this fall. I hope to finally get under 17.

Jeremy R wrote:

Old Fashioned and Manhattans for me!

And thanks for all the congratulations. According to Jack Daniels weather adjustments, that was a little under a sub 17, which is good. I'm hoping for fast times this fall. I hope to finally get under 17.

Crap I gotta get healthy and in race shape by 8/11. Gotta beat ya to sub 17!!

Smoove wrote:

outsiderunner wrote:

Forgot to say...I like my steak medium-well or well. Honestly, I prefer hamburger these days.

Oh, OR. Do you also like to add some Coke to your single malt scotch?

*Insert "BUUUUUUURN" gif here*

Three cheers for Sub6:00 for reminding me about the Rickey. Except the one I'm drinking right now is with gin instead of bourbon. Makes for a damn fine summer libation.