HMSA Classical 25k

First time running the event and with only 3 weeks to go to my goal marathon I didn't want to burn myself out in it. Coach (Sean Wade) said to think twice about doing it as the prior week I was struggling with a few minor injuries - but by race day the pain seemed to have left completely so I thought I'd give it a go. I planned to run a workout in much the same way I planned the marathon in 3 weeks - keep the effort right about the same and just finish the marathon effort run after 15.5 miles instead of 26.2. At the same time I had my eye on a particular prize - local elite status at the Houston Marathon. This prize goes to the fastest in 10 year age groups in each of the HARRA warm-up series to the races. Since many of the fast guys already had their entries (Sean, Gerardo, Wilmer, Jon) I figured the probables for getting it were Tommy or Andrew or me and in a head to head all out race I figured any one of us could get it. So in an workout effort I figure I've got no shot but I'll keep an eye on these guys and if they give it to me - I'll take it.

I'd tested my marathon effort pace about a week ago at 6:13 mpm (ran 10 miles maintaining 164 HR and that was the average pace). I figured if I did my hot sweats run (12 miles in sweats) a few days before the race I just might be able to knock that down maybe 5-10 sec/mile or more if it works but I'm not always confident it will work. Figured at least if it didn't work I could maintain the marathon pace effort and at 6:13 mpm that was just enough to get a qualifying time then if I got very very lucky (like Tommy and Andrew no-show) it was mine.

Before the race I run into Tommy and mention I was just running an MP run - gotta marathon in 3 weeks - probably around 6:13 pace - which is really what I was making myself expect, the 5-10 sec/mile improvement was more of a hope but not an expectation.

Course is an out-n-back x3 going pretty much East-West and as it turns out the wind ended up be a pretty steady ENE around 5 mph. As Houston streets go this one had some hills on it - rollers. Temps were perfect right around 50F. I set the watch up to record laps base on when I pushed the lap button and I planned to push it at each turnaround which was about 2.65 miles each - also had alarms set at 160 and 164 bpm to stay in marathon pace zone:

Lap 1 West - 6:01 pace/157 AHR tailwind. A bit faster than I expected but feeling good, HR staying in check, Tommy up ahead of me as expected.

Lap 1 East - 6:14 pace/162 AHR headwind. According to the timing mat Tommy's about 6 seconds ahead. Little did I know these two were stalking me from behind - Francisco on the left and Andrew (guy who beat me by 6 seconds at the 1/2 marathon 3 weeks ago) on the right. Francisco passes me just before the timing mat. I cross the mat in 17th place overall.

So - we've got a race - Tommy 6 seconds ahead of us, and the three of us here who all record within a couple seconds at the mat - and all four of us are after the local elite status....there can be only one....I'm a bit amazed I'm even in this race as I'm just running a workout.

Lap 2 West - tailwind again. 6:03 average 160 AHR - right on my target HR or even a little low. Tommy is moving off into the distance - I'm figuring he's gone. Andrew has passed by me near the start of this Lap and went on ahead of Francisco - not that I was keeping track of him - I didn't even know who he was I just putting it together from hindsight. I'm back about 20 yards from Francisco.

Lap 2 East - headwind. 6:06/161AHR After counting to myself 26 ~seconds between Tommy and I passing a mark in the road - I get this bright idea after about a 1/4 mile of headwind - why not close the gap to Francisco and let him do the work against the wind. I do that (with high alarm chirping at me until I silence it) - close the gap and sit right on him. He's a little short to be a great windshield but much better than going it alone. He's trying to drop me by different tactics, weaving, speeding up - but to no avail - I'm sticking right behind him drafting and the lap goes much better than the last I did on my own. As he's trying to shake me with speed - he closes the entire gap on Tommy who is himself leading a pack of three guys into the wind and working hard doing it - Francisco powers me right by the whole pack of them. That appears to break Tommy as he falls back a whole minute by the time we get to the next turnaround. Towards the end of the lap there's a downhill and I figure I'm ready to move on ahead so I pass by Francisco. Here's the shot just near the end of that lap - and look who's just ahead. I'm pretty sure Andrew got there without any drafting so he's gotta be hurt'n - I'm feeling good and fresh - still just a workout for me:


Cross the mat in 14th place and on to the last lap.

Lap 3 West - Tailwind. 5:57/160AHR. The blue shirt guy is going about my pace so I stick with him. I figure he'd be real convenient to draft behind on the East side of the loop so I kinda keep him just in front of me. As we pass an aid station someone yells out - "Go Andrew" and I finally know who the this guy is - he's the guy that was in front of me for 5k of the last half marathon I ran and takes the 1st AG award, he's a contender for the local elite status - with Tommy and Francisco out and now I know THIS is Andrew - and I'm still only at a workout level of effort - he's going down and I'm taking the golden ticket.

Lap 3 East Part 1 - Headwind. 5:52/161AHR - first 1.2 miles. Just as planned - I'm letting Andrew do the work. He tries to shake me a couple times - even slows way down at one point but I'm not ready to take the lead so I stay behind and keep drafting. Figuring I'm fresh and he's gotta be feeling like 80% of the way into a race - I'm just trying to pick my place to make a move. Finally a little after the 14 mile marker I sprint by Andrew so he's got no chance to link on and I start making some space.

Part 2 - 5:43/165AHR - final 1.5 miles. Redemption for that 1/2 marathon - something very sweet about being at my limits with a guy one race then 3 weeks later just running away from him. I race it in hard - no idea how far back Andrew is. With all the slower runners getting lapped looking back was useless to spot him so I just kept charging it in. Got over the last hill and charged down the last hill to the finishline where Susie's there taking pictures and clapping up a storm. Gerardo (1st Master) points me out to the guy taking names and numbers for the local elite and with a shacky hand - I fill in my info for him.

Everything and more than I could ask for in this "workout".

Final results:
11th Overall out of 1241 with a time of 1:33:55, 2nd Masters ($75 prize) (Andrew +40 sec, Fransisco 3:31, Tommy +5:50) and a cool looking award:

After the race as I explain my race tactics to my wife - she riddles me with questions aimed at determining if I was cheating. No - drafting is not cheating in road racing - it is in triathelons but not road racing - a normal race tactic. I do feel a little bad telling Tommy I'd be doing 6:13s and actually ending up 6:03s - 6:13s really was all I let myself expect so I wasn't lying but as I passed by him I kinda felt like he might think I was lying - I suppose pre race lying is a race tactic too but I didn't actually intend that. As for the drafting - that's just the kinda thing competitive jerks like me do. It's all good racing.