Race review: Tyler Azalea 10K

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
I got across the red bricks and up and down the hills of Tyler and 42:20, 1:33 faster than the same race 2 years ago and 1:10 faster than any other 10K I've run.

DID YOU WIN?
I was hoping to break 42:00, but considering the 70-degree weather and harder-than-I-remembered course, I was more than happy with my time. I took 3rd of 28 in my age group and 22nd of 657 overall.

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?
After a 4:25 a.m. wake-up and extremely sleepy drive to Tyler, I downed an Amp and jogged around the neighborhood. I wasn't drenched in sweat yet but the temperature and humidity were apparent.

I controlled my start much better than my last race, taking the downhills comfortably without zooming down them. By the 2-mile mark I knew my stretch goal of 40:30 wasn't going to happen, but I felt strong. The winds were nowhere near as fierce as predicted.

I reached the halfway point in about 20:40 and thought 41:20 would be a great number for today. But that pretty much went out the window with the half-mile hill starting just before the 4-mile mark, and got further away as we kept ascending more or less all the way to the finish. Sure we started and finished at the same spot so the net gain was zero, but it sure seemed like the uphills did more harm than the downhills did good.

WHAT ELSE?
The advertising is not hyperbole: This is probably the most picturesque course in Texas. Most every house along the course has lovely, huge azalea bushes, all in bloom, and the red brick pavers make the experience feel even more historic. It's almost enough to make you forget that if you blink you'll miss the flat parts.

The aid stations were ideal: water on one side of the street, Powerade on the other side, with signs advising of such beforehand. I enjoyed having one less thing to think about.

Normally I don't care about finish-area music (because it's mostly horrible), but a little bit of background noise would have been nice during the extended wait for the awards ceremony. I milled about for much longer than it took me to run the actual race.

SPLITS?
6:36
6:42
6:35
6:45
7:06
6:56
7:00 pace last .25

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?
This year Mellew upgraded the shirt to a tech shirt, and a nice one at that. Age-group awards were the standard glass plaques:

WHAT'S NEXT?
Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon, tomorrow.

Race preview: Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Dallas, TX

WHEN?
Sunday, Mar. 27

WHY?
Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon

NO REALLY, WHY?
After volunteering at the race last year I decided to run it this year. A long race in Dallas that's not just another lap around the lake -- brilliant.

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Some 13,000 of my closest friends, although I believe that figure includes the relay. I also believe the race is pretty close to being sold out.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
Low 50s warming to upper 50s. Pretty terrific.

HOW DO WE WIN?
It's hard to say what I'd consider a win. I won't be within 10 minutes of an age-group award, and coming the day after an all-out 10K, I can't really think a PR is to be expected either. If I feel OK, I'll set out with the 1:30 pacer and see how long I can hang on. If I'm still with him when I turn onto Haskell, then maybe I can surge and break 1:29:51. If not, I won't be too torn up about it.

Race preview: Tyler Azalea 10K

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Tyler, TX

WHEN?
Saturday, Mar. 26

WHY?
Tyler Azalea 10K

NO REALLY, WHY?
I have crushed all my PRs over the last couple months except for the 10K. This one fit into the schedule.

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Last year's race drew about 500 people and I guess we'll be close to that number again. I think the Rock 'n' Roll race in Dallas being 2 weeks later this year -- and the day after this race -- will have some impact, but then again, I'm doing both races so other folks might be as well.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?
Mid- to upper 60s with south winds at 15 mph. Not in any way ideal but it least it should be cloudy.

HOW DO WE WIN?
I should have no trouble bringing down my PR of 43:30; the only question is by how much. The internet says I should be 3 minutes better, but given the conditions I'll hope to split the difference and be happy if I break 42. I ran this race in 2009 in 43:53. I like my chances for an age-group award; only one man in M35-39 has gone under 43 in the last 2 years combined.

Race review: Dash Down Greenville

ENOUGH WITH THE SMALL TALK. HOW'D IT GO?
Even though I left a bunch of time on the course, I lowered my 5K PR by 32 seconds, finishing in 19:23.

DID YOU WIN?
I got the PR I expected, so I did win in that regard. Officially I was 61st of 3808, 12th of 263 in my age group -- higher overall by about a dozen spots but lower in my age group by a couple places than the previous 2 years. M35-39 is no joke.

HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?
My tendinitis eased enough to let me get a couple of jogs in this week, but there was nothing remotely close to 5K race pace. I had a good feeling going in that I'd get a PR, but that was just from having a better race plan, not any physical factors.

I started a couple rows back from the starting line and took off like a shot. So many folks were behind me that I worried about getting run over, having been on the other side of that fence before as the one running people over. Toward the end of the opening straightaway I actually felt a little breathless.

As we turned onto Caruth Haven I finally had a little elbow room and settled into my pace. I'd blasted through the first mile in 5:51, a few seconds faster than my 1-mile PR. After climbing the hill on Southwestern and turning onto Skillman, I headed into what was supposed to be an appreciable headwind. It wasn't that bad -- at first.

But somewhere around the halfway point of that mile-long stretch, it suddenly dawned on me that it was starting to warm up in a hurry -- and oh by the way, don't forget that you've got the wind in your face, regardless of how strong it really is. The wind became a crosswind on University, as I started to feel the effects of how little and how slow I'd been running since Cowtown. Is it possible to bonk a 5K?

Fortunately the final turn back onto Greenville came soon enough, and even though a couple more folks zipped past me, I put together enough of a kick to come in right around the time I'd been aiming for. If it's a little cooler next year and I'm a little more appropriately trained, maybe I can have a crack at 19:00.

WHAT ELSE?
With a train station just 2 blocks from the starting line and a bazillion folks gathering for the parade, I won't dare drive to this race. But it stuns me that DART continues to show no interest in running extra trains to handle the early birds. This is one of the biggest events in Dallas every year. If you think you're getting on the Red Line south of Bush Turnpike, forget it.

Once you've made it, you'd better get up front if you plan to run this race like you mean it. For a lot of folks, this is either their first race or the only one they'll do all year, so there's a stunning ignorance of protocol. Walkers, strollers, folks with dogs... it doesn't bother any of them to line up right at the front. There was a dude in front of me who wasn't even wearing a chip!

Some of the problems could be alleviated if the folks running the show would just fork over the few extra bucks to close all lanes of Greenville for a few minutes to get things properly underway. The entire course is too narrow, but at least this much would help.

With all this said, it's still a fantastic event, both for the beneficiary (North Texas Food Bank) and the people-watching. This bit is going to get old really soon (if it hasn't already) but I most enjoyed seeing this one guy's green T-shirt that read simply:

DUH
WINNING

SPLITS?

5:51
6:09
6:42
6:11 pace last .11

OK, WHAT ABOUT THE REAL REASON WE ALL RUN, THE STUFF?

It's a 5K; you get a shirt. Otherwise, the post-race refreshments were pretty standard, and of course there was beer. Thanks to my quick finish I actually beat the line this time, but I passed anyway.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Tyler Azalea 10K, Mar. 26.

Race preview: Dash Down Greenville

WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Dallas, TX

WHEN?
Saturday, Mar. 12

WHY?
Dash Down Greenville

NO REALLY, WHY?
The DDG was my very first race back in 2008. I've run it each year since and plan to keep that streak going until I can't put one foot in front of the other anymore. Aside from the sentimental value of it being my debut race, it's quite the party and it benefits a very important organization, the North Texas Food Bank.

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
More than 3,000 will be timed, possibly a couple thousand more won't, and still thousands more will be lined up on Greenville making a whole lot of noise as they start drinking at 8 a.m.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?Not perfect but not bad: 57 degrees or so, partly cloudy, south winds around 10 mph but picking up. That should make for a quick start and a quick finish, with the stretch from mile 1.5 to 2.4 into the wind.

HOW DO WE WIN?
I have no shot at an age-group award; I'd need to go well under 19:00 to even get close. So my goal will simply be to take down my 19:55 PR. McMillan says I should be at 19:20; I'd need a 19:14 to break my age-graded PR. I ran a 20:17 on this course last year but I have more of an actual plan this time around.

WHAT'S THE PLAN?
I ran a couple miles Thursday in what is seeming like my first pain-free run since Cowtown. I'll probably repeat this Friday to keep the blood flowing and have a chance to really stretch my calves. Then I'll take the train to the race Saturday. If you're doing this race and have a chance, please please please take the train, especially if you have someone to hold your stuff while you run.