BQ by 40

I raced the 10 mile Hangover Classic in (East of) Downtown Louisville this morning. The forecasts were saying start temperature would be low 30s, but reality was that my warm-up at 9:15 was at about 19°F, and start was probably low 20s still. The course is amazing flat, with an average grade of about 1.6%. With the air temperature generally very cold, the race is about as fast as you can get.

I set my Garmin to pace me for a 7′15″ pace, trying to beat my Papa John’s 10 miler PR (which is a little warmer and a little bit hillier with Iroquois Park in the middle). I struggled to hit 7′15″ pace even once, but stayed below 7′30″ pace until the wheels came off in the 8th mile. My legs had no kick left, and I had some major side stitches creeping in. I also managed to run the course inefficiently, adding about 0.05 from running wide on several turns.

Warm up:1.6 miles in 14:28 for a 9′01″ pace.
Recovery: 2.51 miles in 26:28 for a 10′31″ pace

I started the morning with a bit of a cold and my mileage has dropped off of late. Looks like I’ll be looking at the Papa John’s 10 miler this year to break the 75 minute mark.

Elevation Chart:

• Negative splits on my 18 miler (streak day 92) #twit2fit Last week, I ran a 16 miler in which I never got my legs under me.   My expected easy/long run pace is roughly 9:30 per mile, but I'm okay with 10 minute miles given the warmer weather.  Last weeks' run was roughly the same conditions as this weeks, but I......
• The Iroquois hill run and an 8-week streak #twit2fit I ran the full hill on Iroquois park on Friday afternoon:  Sunny and mid-80s.  I had a sluggish start, but enjoyed being able to run in the near-summer temperatures after missing out on running most of last summer. The "real uphill" to the top never seems to give me any......
• Happy National Running Day #twit2fit Storms were rolling in this morning when I'd normally venture outside, so I hit the treadmill in the basement for 6 miles in 58:30 (9'45"/mile).  After the double runs yesterday (4.6 in the morning and 5.6 in 87 degree weather at lunch), this was a pretty rough run. I can......
• My splits This was a very consistent run for me. A little pain the last three miles, shortened my gel intake to every 5 miles instead of every hour. Lap Time Distance 1 8:34 1.00 2 7:51 1.00 3 8:04 1.00 4 7:51 1.00 5 7:56 1.00 6 8:04 1.00 7 8:44......
• Using a crutch? Beating limitations #twit2fit 14 mile long run (14.58) in 2:20:20 (9:38 / mile) A crutch fails: I had yet another crutch fail on me for part of my run:  My Garmin Forerunner 305 lost signal in a low-lying area in the dense fog this morning.  It was less than 2 miles into my......

• Three Tips for Avoiding The Dreaded "Saddle Sores" of Biking [caption id="attachment_220" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Don't get saddle sore!"][/caption] For those who have become hardcore, die-hard cyclists, there is frequently a similar issue that arises: keeping your, well, butt comfortable while you're riding. Let's face it: cycling isn't always the most attractive way to move through the world, and while you......
• Seven of my favorite ways to save money on driving expenses -- and one I don't use My tachometer, my friend. Not all vehicles have one of these but it is a helpful monitor of gas consumption.  The relationship between gas consumed and revolutions (cycles) per minute isn't exactly linear but in general, the higher the engine's RPM, the more gas is consumed.  The tachometer gives......
• Goodbye 1995 Dodge Intrepid, Hello 2001 Dodge Stratus I’ve had quite a bit of money sitting in my savings account for some time now which was designated for a new vehicle. After realizing that I was driving a vehicle that was worth no more than $1000 with a cracked windshield and no air-conditioning in the middle of June......
• Flashback: Gain inspiration to reduce your debt Blueprint for Financial Prosperity hosted lucky Carnival of Debt Reduction #7.  The flashback post from that carnival comes from Chief Family Officer: Get Inspired! (To Reduce Your Debt) The quote from the post says it very well: "Sometimes it's hard having debt and finding the motivation to pay it all......
• Best Way to Get Low Rates on Your Car Insurance It is a good idea to examine the vehicle insurance policy that your insurance provider has given periodically. This will enable you to get the best insurance quote with all possible discounts added thereon. A little bit of online research will provide you with all the necessary details from various......