2014 Boar's Head Inn Turkey Trot Race Report

Due to the weather and other scheduling conflicts I officially achieved my first Did Not Start (DNS) by not getting to the line for this years Boar's Head Inn Turkey Trot.    The threat of cold and wet weather reduced the my co-participants eagerness to run the race.   As such we decided on Weds to bow out.   Not running the race was hard for me as I enjoy the race tradition on Holidays.    I decided to head out for a run on my own early Thanksgiving morning before the winter weather arrived.   The morning turned out to be perfect with no wind and in the high 30's when I started my run.  I did a routine route around the neighborhood and covered 10K or so.   I found a good mix of flat sections, hills and scenery to keep the run interesting.  As I finished up my run I saw a number of my neighbors departing for the race.   We exchanged smiles and waves, and I wished them well as they prepared to toe the line at the race.  I did take a small bit of pleasure in being back in the house and drinking coffee before the even got to the starting line. 

I hope that you enjoyed your holiday and were also able to get out for a nice run.

Hotels focusing on runners

This CNBC article discusses the trend of hotels catering to runners for big events like marathons.   I typically travel for races and know that hotels can impact race logistics.  The night before a race is full of mental and physical preparation activities which are made more difficult when you are not in your normal environment.   I try to find hotels close to the runners village to have access to transportation drop offs and hopefully local restaurants.

I was lucky enough to stay at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton before the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon.  The Ritz did a great job welcoming runners with a supportive welcome note and a gift back of water and sport bars.  The hospitality team did a great job preparing runners in the morning with oatmeal and other breakfast options.   Upon returning from the race the staff offered supportive and honest congratulatory remarks about the race.

I hear you all now; "What else do you expect... it is the Ritz!  You will not find that service at the Super 8!".  You are probably right - but it is this type of experience that makes people frequent the Westin and Marriott properties.   I take full advantage of being a business traveler to use rewards program for my race weekend travels. 

2011 Charlottesville Four Miler Results

2011 Charlottesville Four Miler Results are posted. I am happy to say that I PR and met my target of sub 32mins (8Min Pace).

PLACE NAME              DIV   DIV/TOT TIME  PACE 
166   Douglas Morrison  M3539 19/51   31:29 7:53

The turn out for the C-Ville Mens 4 Miler was impressive considering it was the first early summer running of the race. There were ~500 runners, and I enjoyed the new course and size of the field. I arrived early, which was good because I had some unexpected pre-race registration issues to work out. Apparently I registered for the training course not the race by mistake. I was able to get registered without issue, but it did cause a bit of stress. Once I resolved the registration issues I headed out for a quick warm up run. It was raining and muggy, which made the run a bit uncomfortable.

The start of the race was a little packed with runners but as we got through the first mile it thinned out. The first mile went pretty quick and I was probably out a little to fast. The course started with a slow incline for the first 1/2 mile and rolling hills for the last 1/2Mile as we headed out from Scott Stadium into campus. I covered this first mile at a 7:36 Pace and carried that momentum into the hilly section. The second mile contained the largest hill climb which started to separate the runners. This was a difficult hill but I concentrated on a fast stride rate to climb the hills. My heart rate was much higher than usual, it averaged 169BPM and maxed out at 181BPM which is ~10BPM faster on average. I working harder and it was humid. I was happy to pass mile marker 2 because I knew it was pretty much all down hill from there. I tried to relax into the downhill, but I found it hard to keep my foot speed and pace up. My third mile was the slowest probably due to my need to recover from the hill climbs. Once I got to the 3rd mile I was able to kick it back in but I was still struggling a bit. When we rounded the turn into the stadium I gave one last push and passed a few people in the last tenth of a mile. I was running so hard I forgot to look at myself on the Jumbo-tron! I was happy with the strong finish and meeting the sub 8min pace improving time by ~1Min for this distance.

Overall I felt good after the race. My legs were a bit sore but I probably would not have noticed that if I did not have to climb the stadium stairs to get off the field. My foot fared the pounding pretty well and I believe it is almost recovered.

The Charlottesville Track Club put on a great race. The new course is fantastic and the turn out showed that there is a strong running community in Charlottesville. I look forward to running this again next year and remembering to look at myself on the Jumbo-tron.

Today's Run - 5/7 - Montalto Challenge

I ran the Monticello Challenge 5K Race for the second time this year. I was happy to see the race continues to grow in size, with more than 205 walkers / runners. We had an excellent weather for the run, starting out in the morning it was in the forties and it stayed cool when we reached the summit.

This is a very challenging race with a significant change in elevation, rising ~900ft from the base of the trail to summit. The last mile of this race is ~500ft of elevation change.

This was the second year I ran this race so I knew what to expect. I started out pretty slow at ~8:40/mile pace. This was a comfortable pace to start but quickly slowed in the second mile to ~9:30/mile to make it to base of Montalto. The 7 switchbacks to make it to the top of Montalto provided a panoramic view of the valley with excellent perspective of Monticello. I worked through the 7 switchbacks passing many of the walkers and catching a few runners. Compared to last year, I was very happy that I was able to reach the summit without stopping to walk. As I approached the finish line, I stopped to grab Ella's hand so that she could finish the race with me. It was a lot of fun to run with her and cross the line with our arms raised.

Today's Run - 3/26

Race day started at 4:40am and I was out of the house by 5:30am to drive from my folks house to the DC Armory for the race.  I hit a little bit of traffic but I was able to get a parking space in RFK parking lot a little after 6am. I decided to wait it out in my car vs going into the DC Armory. I left the car and got to the starting corrals a 20mins before the gun. I hit the porta-potty line and then found my starting corral.

What an awesome day for a race! The winter weather originally forecasted for race day held off for 12hrs. It was clear and crisp when the race started. I finally learned from my previous mistakes and did not over dress for the race. I decided to wear a Short Sleeve Tech Shirt, Running Shorts and a pair of Running Gloves.  Although it was in the low 30's at gun time, once in the starting corral the tightly packed group of runners shielded the wind and raised the air temp.

Shortly before race time, I spotted the 4:00hr pace team and wandered over to start the race with them. As we headed out I decided to hang with the this pace team to make sure I did not start to fast. This worked very well as I was able to ease into the race. I enjoyed running in the streets of the District. The first half of the race provides a great tour of the different monuments, Capital, Adams Morgan and Howard University. As we returned to RFK Stadium, I thought to myself that the first half of the race to be much easier than last year when I ran the 1/2 Marathon and was optimistic as I started out for the next 13.1 Miles.

I continued to hang with the 4:00hr pace team and found running with a small pack of runners provided a good support crew. We had a bit of small talk amongst the runners, but overall I concentrated on keeping the a smooth consistent pace. Between miles 16 to 20 we started passing other runners on a more regular basis. As we ran down by the Anacostia River a cross head wind picked up and I worked on drafting behind or next to runners. My game plan for fueling and hydration seemed to be working well in the later miles as I was not feeling thirsty and the regular use of GU kept my energy levels high. We left the river section and crossed the 20 Mile mark right on time at 3Hrs.

The last 10K section of the race started on a section of rolling hills which when you saw them appeared to ask "Are you up for the Challenge?". I was determine to stay with the pace team as we hit the hills. I found my training in the hills in Charlottesville prepared me well for this section but I had 3 cases where my left hamstring cramped requiring me to slow down for a bit. I was able to remain cool and catch the pace group each time. At the 26th Mile I felt very good as I knew that I made it through without hitting the wall.

The last 0.2 Miles was a blur. The pack continue to pickup speed as we headed to the finish and we could see RFK stadium just over river as we turned onto East Capital St. This is a long straight shot to the finish with a 30Ft rise in elevation. The spectators grew in number as we approached. I worked to stay in front of the pace group and successfully croassed the finish line at 4:00:39, a new Personal Record.

Right after crossing the finish line I heard a group shouting my name and looked over to see my brother in-law holding a "Run Dug Run" sign, my brother, my wife and children along the spectator rail.   I ran over to get high-fives, hugs and kisses.   It was awesome to see my support team so soon after completing the race.

I appreciate the support and understanding of my wife, family and friends who enabled me to train, listened to my ramblings about my LSR/Tempo/Speedwork runs, and provided grounding advice when I minimize the accomplishment of completing a marathon in 4hrs.  Even though I did not obtain my goal of breaking 4Hrs, it was an excellent run and experience that I am proud of.    I am thankful I was able to run this race and that I continue to improve my running capabilities.  Looking back I can see that I enjoyed the training as much as the race.

Today's Run - 11/25

We ran the Boar's Head Inn Turkey Trot this morning. Emily ran / walked with Wes in the stroller and I ran with Ella in the jogging stroller. This is the 2nd year in a row we have run this, after a few years off. I am glad this is becoming a tradition again. I really enjoy this race because it is big enough to feel like a race but casual enough to be fun. There both ends of the spectrum of runners, guys blazing sub 6min miles and kids running there first race. The course is challenging with some good hills which makes it a bit more fun for a short race. The CTC and The Boar's Head Inn put on a great show with food and drink.

The weather held up for the race with overhead clouds and temps in the forties. We had to start in the back with all the strollers and it was very tight. Ella and I weaved our way for the first mile and half until the crowd of slow runners / walkers thinned out. With the crowds in the first mile, Ella and I averaged just over a 10Min mile pace. The second mile on the course has significant hills but we cranked up the pace a bit to 9:37. As we started to pass trotters that went out faster than they should we heard comments like "That is embarrassing to be passed by a guy pushing a stroller!". But the best one I heard was "Go Dad!" from a spectator watching Ella and I chase down a group of costumed runners. Ella and I crossed the finish line just under 29Mins after doing the third mile in 8:15.

Here are some pictures of us, enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

Richmond Marathon Pictures

Brightroom posted pictures of me from the 2010 Richmond Marathon here

Most of these pictures were from Mile 22 and I was struggling. The pictures after the race are good with James and I together.

Richmond Marathon Results

Official Results for the 2010 Richmond Marathon are posted here

Name: Douglas Morrison
Bib Number: 2021
Overall Place: 1890
Sex Place: 1273
Age Place: 205
10K: 00:55:30
Half: 01:55:17
20M: 03:01:35
Net Time: 04:17:27
Clock Time: 04:19:46

An all-time record of 16,106 runners participated in this weekend’s events. The 26.2-mile SunTrust Richmond Marathon drew in 4,952 runners, while the McDonald’s Half Marathon had 6,605 and the HCA Virginia 8k had 4,549 participants.

Today's Run - 10/13

Emily, my Dad and James left our hotel at 6:15 for the race. We stopped grabbed a bite to eat and were downtown shortly by 7am. We found our way to the starting line just as the 8K race started. James ran the Richmond 1/2 Marathon, we looked for a spot out of the wind and cold to wait out James start. I also got to see Laura, Marty, Heather and Kyle before they started their speed walk of the 1/2 Marathon. It was a great to see them before the race started.

After the start of the 1/2 Marathon, I checked my runners bag and headed to my corral. It was starting to warm up and I felt good standing in the mass of runners with the sun shining. I waved to Emily and my dad as I headed out.

I worked to start slow, but it was tough as the crowd was moving pretty quick. But I was able to start with 9:30 mile and work down from there. Early into the 2nd Mile I bumped into a CTC Marathon Training member Zen. We ran worked together to maintain a 8:30-9:00min pace. We ran together for the first 13Miles or so but got split up. After 17Miles I started to struggle, I was still wearing my hat and racing sleeves, so I worked to shed those to cool off. At mile 16 I was able to see my friends Trish and Cheryl. It was a huge pick up as I continued to work through and mile 21, I started to get a few leg cramps forcing me to walk for a few stints. I continued to battle the leg cramps through Mile 24.5 where the pull to the finish kicked in. I turned the final turn onto the downhill stretch down Cary St. As I ran down the road I saw my friends Doozie and Dawn cheering me on. Another block and I saw my Dad, Emily with Ella and Wes, James, Jim and Liz. I slapped my dad's hand and headed to the finish line to cross with a chip time of 4:17:26.

I really enjoyed this weekend and the support from family and friends. We were able to celebrate my Mom's birthday, and James and my running. As a birthday gift I dedicated the last 2.2 Miles to mom. I am happy with my race even though I did not break the 4Hr mark. I improved my time Marathon Time by more than 11Mins. Looking back at the race, the thing that stands out is I was over dressed with my hat and racing sleeves as the temps went from the 30's to the 60's. I will take these lessons learned and incorporate into my training for March.

Today's Run - 9/18

For today's run I ran the Pepsi 10K Run to support the Special Olympics. I did a 2 Mile warm up run before the race to stretch and to get some extra miles in for the week. I was in a time crunch to meet the family for a birthday party, so I decided not do an extra cool down mile after the race.

My target for the race was to be under 50Mins, as I thought a 6min improvement over last year would be a good showing. I was not supposed to run all out for this race, but once I got in the groove it was hard not to push. I probably started to fast, but was able to run negative splits for the first 3Miles. Mile 4 was a difficult stretch but I was able to regain my composure and run negative splits for miles 4-6. I pushed hard in the last mile 1.2Miles to finish in 47:55.

This was 8mins faster than my last year race, and a new 10K PR!

Today's Run - 5/8 - Montalto Challenge

I ran the  Montalto Challenge this morning and it was challenge to say the least.   This 5K starts at the bottom on a trail and ends 900ft on top of Montalto above Monticello.   There were ~160 runners / walkers for this run and a much different feel from Boston.   Although a small race, it was well sponsored and executed by the guys at Ragged Mountain Running Shop.  The runners swag bag included a cool shirt that they required to make it to the top to get.

My goals was to finish this race with positive splits but average ~10min/mile pace.   The initial 2miles were perfect at just over 9min pace.  The last 1.1Mile was very difficult as it had to be more than 40% elevation change and I did the climb in about 15Mins.   As the runners approached the top they were pulled on by a group playing bag pipes.   I reached the top to find Emily cheering me on to the finish.    I crossed the finish line at ~32:18 and was happy with the effort.   I will do this again next year to see how I can improve.

I was surprised how hard the course was, but the views of the way up helped take your mind off the physical pain of the run.   The landscape that can be seen from Montalto was breath taking.  To the north you looked down on Monticello, to the west you can see the University of Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley, and to the east you can see a number of farms and vineyards in the surrounding area.

The male and female winners were crowned King and Queen of the Mountain.  There prize was a special poca-dot running shirt that they can wear to other races to show their ability to climb hills.   Both gender winners set new race records this year.   Very impressive!

Here are the official results for the 2010 Montalto Challenge

Today's Run - 4/19

Today was the day I have been training for since December.  I did not have any trouble sleeping but still woke up before my 5am alarm.  I got up, showered and got dressed to go run my first marathon. 

Emily and I left the hotel to find a diner to grab breakfast.   We walked to the only 24hr diner in Boston for breakfast.  We entered the dinner to find the place pretty much empty, and the wait staff jumped into action once we sat in a booth. 

I needed to get a good mix of carbs and protein for the this meal; it was 6am and I had ~4 before the race and ~9hrs before I would eat a meal again.  I ordered banana pancakes, scrambled eggs, some banana bread and a coffee.   As we waited for our food the owner came over to talk with us. He told us about the diner's history and different movies that were filmed there.  He asked where we were from, if I was running the marathon.  Although he did not claim to have run the Boston Marathon and it was doubtful he ran at all,  he had lots of advice about the course and how to complete it.  He was very nice and as we finished up breakfast he gave me some banana bread and a coupon for a free breakfast the next day ONLY IF I completed the race.

We left the diner and walked to the Boston Common to load the buses to take me out to the Athlete's Village in Hopkinton.  We arrived at the Boston Common a little before 7am.   Emily and I were watching in amazement of all the runners ascending on the common and by 7am the lines were starting to get long.  As we took a few pictures of the crowd a woman asked if we would take a picture of her and her boyfriend.  After taking her picture, Emily noticed that the woman's bag showed that she was from Charlottesville!   We introduced ourselves and spent the time in line and on the ride to Hopkinton talking about Charlottesville, recent races we run, training, raising money for charities and the overall experience.  It was nice to connect with someone to pass the bus ride.   The bus ride was fairly somber, runners were reading newspapers, eating breakfast, talking about how many times they have run Boston, and debating what will be the hardest part of the race.

 
We arrived at the Athlete's Village a little before 9am.  I had hoped to get to the Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center before the race but there really was not enough time.   I had been drinking water all morning so the first thing I did was stand in line to use the porta-potty.  That killed about 30mins of time!  

I headed into the main village to check things out. To create the Athlete's Village, the BAA took over the high school athletic fields, put up tents to serve water and food, created walls of porta-potties, and constructed a scaffold for the local announcer to survey the crowd.   There were people everywhere!  Runners doing yoga, dressing, eating, and doing warm-up runs.   I found a spot in the main tent to sit down, eat some more banana bread, drink more water and wait until it was time to head to starting corrals. 

With about 45mins to go, I took off my warm-up suit, put on my bib and cut a couple holes in the trash bag I was sitting on to use it as a wind breaker.  I decided I better use the porta-potty again before heading out.  This time the line was not as bad.   As I waited the local announcers gave commands about starting times and other general information.   The announcer notified the crowd that Massachusetts National Guard F14 would be flying over head.  About 2Mins later 4 F14 came roaring across the tree line.  He said the planes would fly the 26.2 mile course in 4mins, and the crowd ahh and then groaned knowing that they had a bit longer of a journey.  The planes few over at ~10am to mark the start of the race.

I followed the crowd to the Buses to check our bags and then head down to the starting corrals.   The starting corrals were ~1/2 mile from the athletes village and it was a good walk to warm up a bit.   The crowd was in a good mood as we walked to corrals.  We got to my starting corral at about 10:20 and waited for the Wave-2 starting pistol to fire.  Once the gun went it took about 15mins before I hit the starting line to offically start the race.

I started out feeling good the runners moved pretty a quick cadence, and I fell into an easy pace.  The spectators were great in Hopkinton to start the race.  The folks cheered and lined the street with extended hands to give the runners High-Fives.   I spent most of the race on the left edge of the runners to get a good view of the crowd.

My goal was to run the first 13miles at 9min pace and I started out a little quicker than that averaging a 8:50pace.  I was happy with that considering it was downhill and I had heard the bad stories about starting out to fast.  As I ran through the first 5K I started to gain confidence and was really enjoying the run.  I was trying to soak in the crowds and what was going on.  Driving the course helped as I picked out things I remembered.  I counted the number of Dunkin' Doughnuts, looked for the Framingham Train Depot and different churches along the route.

I got through the first 13miles just as I wanted at a 9min pace!  I was feeling pretty good and thinking that my plan had worked exactly like I wanted.  A little before mile 13 I noticed my left foot felt like it was starting a blister, and my left calf was starting to get tight.   I continue to push on modifying my gait a bit to see if I could loosen up my calf.  I found that running on flat roads hurt the most when I landed on my mid-foot.  I concentrated to land heal first and see if I could stretch my leg as I ran.   I quickly realized that this was something that I was going to struggle with for the next 13Miles.

The sounds of crowd started to grow more intense the closer you get to Boston.   The first big crowd interaction after the start is at Wellesley College.  The girls were out in full this year with signs for free kisses for runners and screams that made me think I was one of The Beatles.   As I left the girls of Wellesly my leg cramp really set in, forcing me to stop and stretch it.  At about mile 15,  I stopped because my left calf muscle had completely cramped up and a specatator offered me Advil as I was bent over in pain.   I suppose it could have been just about anything she gave me, but  they kicked in at about mile 18 right before the start of Heart Break Hill climb in the Hills of Newton.  I do remember seeing the Fire Station and thinking here come the hills.

Heart Break Hill is well named, not because it is overly steep but because it goes on for a long time which can break your will to run.  The crowds were great and almost push you up the hills.  It was a great relief to get to the top and know that I had made it through the hardest parts of the course.

Coming out of the residential setting of Newton and into the more urban setting of Boston College was a big change in spectator attitude. The Boston College students were out and mostly drunk to cheer on the runners and I needed every ounce of energy they could spare.  The Boston College energy somehow got me from mile 22 to 25 with my left leg cramping but not as bad as earlier.  The CITGO sign began to taunt me once it came into view.  It never seemed to get any closer, just staying on the horizon.   At a water station I saw a volunteer with a UVA shirt on, I called out Wahoowa! as I took the water cup.  Once we hit mile 25, the pack started to pickup up speed and I worked to keep up.

The crowds continued to grow the closer I got to the finish. I pushed on towards the end and my thoughts started to turn to finding Emily near the finish line.  I was not sure where she would be and even if I would see her.  I turned onto Boylston St and I could see the finish line structure in the far distance.  I moved to the center of the road to so that I could see the entire scene and the crowds.    With about 2 blocks to go, I heard a group calling my name and saw Emily waving a sign "Run Doug Run!".

I darted over to the rail where she was and stopped in for a hug and kiss on my way to the finish.   After seeing Emily, I had a burst of adrenaline which helped me get to the finish line.  I crossed the line with my arms up and a smile!

 

114th Boston Marathon Results

Bib   Name                 City    State Country 

24187 Morrison, Douglas E. Keswick VA     USA          

Checkpoints
5k      0:27:20
10k     0:55:17
15k     1:22:53
20k     1:50:55    
Half    1:57:11    
25k     2:23:29    
30k     3:03:20    
35k     3:36:53    
40k     4:14:06
Full    4:28:36

Pace    Official Overall Gender  Division
0:10:15 4:28:36  19348   11547   4132

Watch the Boston Marathon Live

You can watch the Boston Marathon on the Universal Sports website. You can find the schedule here

I will be the guy in the green shirt and black shorts.

Today's Run - 4/3

Race Day today with the C'Ville 10Miler! I have run this course for many long runs during my training program. I was excited to see how my training had prepared me for this race. My taper has allowed me to rest a bit and I felt pretty good this morning. The weather was excellent for a road race.

It was an early start this morning. I left the house at 6:30am after a breakfast of I peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a banana. I made sure to drink plenty of water before the race and had a GU Jell 15mins before the race start.

I found the 9min pace group in the runner corrals. After the gun went off, I found that many of these runners were actually sub-8 min runners. Needless to say, my first few miles were much faster than usual. I decided to see how long I could keep the pace and did pretty well until mile 7. The second half of the course is more difficult than the first half, but even as I feel of the sub 8 min pace I still beat my goal of sub 1:30 by almost 10mins! My gun time finish was 1:20:48 and a new Personal Record!

The C'Ville 10Miler is a home town race that many runners train for and use it to start out the racing season. It was great to see a number of other runners that I know and to run in a big pack of people. The best part of the race was that Emily, Ella and Emily's folks were on the course. I found them at about mile 4 and they had big signs and smiling faces. I was excited to find them and hear their cheers. I was able to run by and grab Ella's hand for support which helped me stay focused for the next couple of miles.

It felt great to share the event with them and knowing that they were there supporting me. It is amazing to finish a race and hear "Good Job, Great Finish!" from your wife and "Go Daddy Go!" from daughter.

Boston Course Tips

Boston Course Tips article in Runner's World is pretty good. I hope to remember to look at all this stuff when I am running by!

Today's Run - 3/20

A great start to spring with the National 1/2 Marathon. It was an early start to get to the starting line by 7am. I left the house by 5am and was at the DC Armory and RFK stadium by ~5:30am. I was relaxed pre-race and able to find a place to sit and wait for the call to the runners corrals. The corrals were packed and lively with runners waiting to start. The weather was absolutely perfect for a run, and we headed out just after sunrise. I started in the 8:45 to 9min pace group. I wanted to see if I could beat my previous time of 1:57 and even target going sub 1:50. I knew that this course was much flatter than much of my training course. I was concerned to start to fast and not have enough to keep a steady pace.

I locked into a 8:30min pace early in the race and felt comfortable. I wanted to see how long I could go at that pace. I found that the other runners pulled me a long and I was passing a number of runners that were falling off the pace. Mile 11.5 to 12 I found to be the most difficult to keep the pace. Once I hit mile 12 I figured I needed to gut it out. I headed to the finish line and found a burst of speed to pass a few runners before the finish. To top off a great run the announcer called my name as I finished with a total time of 1:51:40.

The race crowds were fun this morning and cheered hard for runners. I liked the DJ's playing music outside the dorms at Howard University. I was able to find Emily, Ella, my Dad and brother James at about mile 5. I found them in the crowd and surprised when I jumped out to say Hi. They were at the finish line when I finished. It was nice to see them and feel their support. I also ran into an old friend after the race that I had not seen in a few years.

The Nation's Capital is an awesome setting for a road race. I can't think of another time you can run down the middle of Constitution Ave and not have the cops chase you! The sights were awesome, I was able to grab one quick picture of the Washington Monument as I ran by. I forgot to get more pictures... I had a race to run.

Boston Marathon Athlete Tracking

Boston Marathon is using an AT&T Athlete Tracking System so that you can track me as I race through the streets of Boston. You can sign up online to receive TXT message for my Start, 10K, 1/2 Marathon, 30K and Finish times.


Here is my Bib information you will need to register for alerts.

Bib	Name	City	State	Cntry	Age	M/F
24187	Morrison, Douglas E.	Keswick	VA	USA	34	M

Today's Run - 12/5 - C'Ville Men's 4 Miler

I braved the weather and ran the C'Ville Men's 4 Miler this morning! The weather all week has been warm and nice, but not for the run this morning. I woke up to 40 degrees with a constant rain. By race time is was in the low 30's and rain, mid race it was mix of rain and snow and right after finishing it was snowing with accumulation on the ground.

The 4 Miler Course is a nice rolling track that starts out pretty much all down hill for the first 2 miles. You then turn around and run up the hill you just came down. I started the race a very good clip and ran the first 2miles in ~15mins. I was not able to keep that pace for the last 2 miles unfortunately, but did finish in ~32mins. I am pretty happy with my race, but would have liked to be more consistent in my pacing.

I over dressed despite the cold wet weather. I think that the last mile was hard because I was getting over heated in my rain jacket. I wore my new shoes for the race and was very happy with the familiar feel of the ASICS.

Today's Run - 12/2

The cold weather is here and I ran indoors on the dreadmill for the first time in a long while. In preparing for the C-Ville 4miler I kept my run short but tried to run hard. I ran a pretty fast 5K with multiple burst of speed to complete in just over 26mins. It was a good run, but I was very bored as I felt as though I was on forced march.

The weather is looking pretty bad for Saturday's Race. I hope that snow and race hold off until later in the day otherwise I will really have to think about running.


Runkeeper Stats