While out on a run a few days ago I realized that it's been quite a few months since I last posted on RunKennyFoster.com. I never had the opportunity to post anything following my latest performances at the Army 10-Miler and the Marine Corp Marathon because I've been back in the Army school-house for the Captain's Career Course and outside of running 14-16 miles a day plus "school stuff" I didn't have much extra time.
This past year has had some great improvements in racing performances. These performances include: a victory at the Penn Relays in my debut 10k on the track with a 63 second last quarter, two low 1:06 half marathons at the U.S. Half Marathon Champs in Duluth and the Tuscon Half Marathon a little over a month after finishing 2nd at the Marine Corp Marathon, and the week before MCM, finishing the Army 10-miler in 7th place overall in a new personal best 10-mile time of 49:11.
Below is a list of 12 things I believe helped me out this past year and I think can help you too!
#1. Coach Simmons
Easily my #1 pick. Since having Scott as my new coach, I've set personal bests in the 5k, 10k & 10-mile distances. He knows so much about the sport and has two great books to read, Take the Lead and Canovathon.
#2. Having 7-9 hours of sleep at night
Obvious yet important. More sleep equates to better workouts, better races, better everything. I remember doing a 25 x 400m workout this past summer in which I think I had less than 5 hours of sleep the night before and I could barely make it through trying to stay under 70 seconds on each lap. By #19 I was completely smoked. I've done that same workout before with 8-9 hours of sleep and 68 seconds feels like a trot.
#3. Having dedicated teammates to run with on the American Distance Project
The benefit of having Coach Simmons in Colorado Springs was having 8-10 other dudes who run exceptionally well. Check these awesome runners out here!
#4. Iron supplements
In 2009 I had a ferritin level of 12 ng/mL. Since taking iron tablets with orange juice and eating red meat as much as possible, I haven't had that issue since. If you're excessively tired at the end of your runs, I suggest you get a ferritin blood test. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, do a "low ferritin + running" google search and you'll have all the information you need.
#5. Having a great support system
My wife is also a runner and she's had a great past year of performances. She just recently ran a 1:14 half marathon and is on track to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Trials in the Marathon. We both know the time and effort required to perform at a high level. Whenever I'm having a tough day or struggling in workouts, it's great to have someone like her to pick me up.
#6. Routinely doing a long run on a given day of the week
I used to do long runs when I'd be closing in on my marathon. That all changed when I started working with Coach Simmons. Every Sunday is my long run day of anywhere from 16 to 22+ miles depending on what's upcoming. After the Marine Corp Marathon this year, I took a break from my speed workouts, but the one thing I kept was my Sunday long run. Six weeks after the Marine Corp Marathon I had not done a single speed workout, but was still able to run 1:06:05 solo at the Tuscon Half Marathon just from doing my Sunday long run.
#7. Special blocks
I would say that my 49:11 at the Army 10-miler this past year was a direct result of the special blocks I had done during the summer. A special block is used primarily for marathon training, but when I went through 5 miles in low-24 and still felt fresh, I knew it was because my legs could handle it from the the special blocks. Scott talks about special blocks in his books I previously mentioned.
#8. Increasing my double run days / Increasing Weekly Mileage
This will be the first year in which I exceeded 5,000 miles. Running twice, sometimes even three times a day in the afternoon following a speed workout has helped me keep a high level of aerobic fitness.
#9. Zinc Lozenges
Zinc lozenges with Vitamin C is just like the supplementing I never knew about previously with iron. Zinc has helped keep my energy at a high level even when I'm doing workouts 3 times a week and sustaining over 120 miles a week. These are the exact ones I use.
#10. Living at different altitudes
Three weeks before the Penn Relays and three weeks before the Army 10-miler the Army sent me for training away from where I lived at 6,600 ft. in Colorado Springs. The first time was in March before the Penn Relays and I thought it was just luck and good 'ole hard training that prevailed. I'm sure hard training helped, but the second time was before the Army 10-miler and other than moving down to 4,500 ft. I had done nothing different. I have no other scientific data to back this up, but I think there's got to be something substantial to switching altitudes weeks in advance before a big race.
#11. Sweating it out with layers
Going for a run in 95 degree heat with multiple layers on this past summer helped me sweat out all the toxins in my body. It helped me sweat out that extra water in my body that I probably don't need and this helps keep an extra pound or two off.
#12. Not having external stress
Fortunately this past year I was not plagued by having someone tell me I needed to run a certain time by this certain date "or else." I didn't make the 2012 Olympic Trials and life still went on.
The Mancos Project
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Waldo Canyon Fire
This past week has been a lesson that I will never forget. Even as I write this on a Sunday evening, still currently displaced with Christie from our home at Grand Centennial, the Waldo Canyon Fire is still burning and you can smell the smoke practically anywhere you go in Colorado Springs. The lesson I learned this past week is to never take anything for granted, even your own home. I've never before been affected by a natural disaster and to experience the Waldo Canyon Fire and how it affected not just me, but well over a hundred thousand of other citizens in the Pike's Peak region, it's something that I will never forget. This article isn't about my training and progression in the sport of running, but one ironic aspect of this story is that I somehow managed to run the most miles in a week for the 2012 year. I ended up running over 120 miles this past week while dealing with smoke inhaled lungs, displacement, relocation, more displacement, followed by more relocating, all while continuing my work and daily job in the Army. I believe that it is experiences such as this that develops and humbles you as a person. I haven't quite had an opportunity to yet look back on this experience, but it's easy to say that this will be one I remember for the rest of my life.
After Christie and I left the wedding we went home and could not believe how much the fire had grown in the amount of time it took us to drive from the Garden of the Gods to Grand Centennial, which is only about 3 miles. I snapped this shot right before I left for my recovery run.
Monday would end up being the last “normal” day of the week. Tuesday morning I woke up at 5:45 a.m. smelling like I had been to a bon fire the night before. I put on my go-fast clothes and track spikes and headed over Cheyenne Mountain High School for our morning workout. I met up with Robby Young, Sean Brown and one of Coach Simmons’s college athletes from Queens, NC who was spending the summer out in Colorado Springs. Upon arrival at CMHS we originally decided that we were going to cancel the workout because the smoke was just too much. We then decided that we would travel up north to higher elevation and see if could still nab the scheduled speed workout in. We ended up driving 30 minutes up to Briargate near Sean’s home and did 12 x 800m repeats on the Classical Academy track. Needless to say, we were slow on our repeats. We typically hit our 800’s in between 2:15 and 2:20 and averaged about 2:21-2:23. Not sure if this was a result of the smoke in the area, although it was tolerable from where we were at, but at least we got the work in. We decided since our 800’s were slow, we’d run some extra 200’s at 30 seconds or under to make up the difference.
After the workout, I put on my ACU’s (Army Combat Uniform) and headed into work at Fort Carson. I was worried all day because Christie was up in Denver for her medical rotations and I was about 25 minutes south of where we lived. Wynn, our little pup, was all alone in our apartment.
Luckily, I had talked to my American Distance Project teammate, Sean Brown, at Tommy and Adrian’s wedding and he told me that if the fire had gotten any worse, he would gladly provide a place for Christie and me to stay at for the night. It took roughly 2 hours to drive up to Sean’s from Centennial Blvd which is no less than 15 miles from where I live. Once Christie and I got situated at Sean’s, we headed over to Target to buy a few supplies for the next couple days. That night I did a nice and easy 4 mile jog with Sean and Christie to try and relieve the overwhelming stress from earlier in the day. This isn't my picture, but similar to what we saw Tuesday night.
Wednesday, June 27th - AM – 80 minute recovery run – 11 ½ miles
As soon as I was finished with work that night I called Christie to see if the evacuation had been lifted on our area. No luck. There was a scheduled 8 o’clock press conference that night, so I went ahead and completed my evening run to hurry back and listen to the press conference. During the press conference we started to lose any sort of confidence in returning home shortly because the evacuations weren’t even mentioned. Frustrated with not knowing how long we would be displaced, we decided to grab to our favorite late night snack at Yo-Yogurt. The one encouraging aspect was that the week was over and we could just spend the weekend trying to relax in the dorm at UCCS, but we only had one more free day left to spend.
Saturday, June 30th – AM – 8 mile Predator Run (14 miles total)
A “Predator” run is something like a tempo run where you start off at below threshold pace, which for me at altitude is somewhere between 5:20 – 5:30 pace. During the Predator run, you gradually pick up the pace as you go along. Training at altitude you have less oxygen to work with, so your body isn’t capable of running as fast as it does at sea level. I think the percentage is somewhere around up to 75-85% of your original VO2 max capacity. So the idea of a Predator run is to start off controlled and relaxed, then gradually pick up the pace, without going into oxygen 10 minutes into the workout. The 8 mile course Sean and I had mapped out would take us uphill gradually for the first 4 miles, turn around, and then use the downhill to assist in picking up the pace on the way back.
Once I returned to UCCS, I found out that we had to be out of the dorm by 1:00 p.m. or Christie and I would be charged $50 to stay for an additional day. Christie had a free hotel stay for one night at a Hilton hotel, once again up by Briargate, which she had won at local 5k road race earlier in the year, so we decided that now was the right time to use it. The one thing Christie and I didn’t understand upon leaving from UCCS, was that there was a 3-day time stamp for evacuees at UCCS, whereas after those 3 days were up and if you were still evacuated, I guess you just had to find someone else to take you in. Luckily in our case, we were fortunate enough to have a free hotel for a night, but I guess if you were evacuated for any longer, you were just out of luck.
PM – 7 ½ miles easy
Sunday, July 1st – AM – 2 hours easy (18 1/2 miles total)
That morning after I woke up I met up with Sean and we did 2 hours easy on the Air Force Academy trail, which is roughly above 7,000 feet. The legs surprisingly felt pretty good and I was to hit a few sub-6 minute miles in the last quarter of the run. After the run I hurried back to the Hilton because we had to check out by 1:30 p.m. Christie and I didn’t have much belongings to pack up so we checked out and went over to the Starbucks across the street, where I am now typing up this story. At 2 p.m. we listened to the news conference and they had finally mentioned about the over 10,000 evacuees still displaced in Colorado Springs. We never quite heard anything regarding Grand Centennial, but on the evacuation map it looks as if we are no longer on the evacuated portion. It looks like we’ll finally be able to return home tonight at 8 p.m!
Saturday, June 23rd - 85 minute recovery run (13 miles)
This all begins last Saturday, which wasn’t apart of my most current training week, but is when the Waldo Canyon Fire first began. That Saturday, June 23rd, began with me sleeping in and opting not to run in the morning prior to my friend, Tommy Neal’s and Adrian Chouinard’s wedding. I had just completed my first of many tempo runs to come the day before in training for the upcoming marathon season and decided I needed a little extra rest.
The wedding started at 10 a.m. and Christie and I ended up arriving frustrated because we were unable to find a parking spot at Garden of the Gods. It was a perfectly normal day, but extremely hot at over 100 degrees, with lots of tourists checking out the beautiful site in the Garden. Below is a picture of Tommy and Adrian after they had said their vows and congratulations to you both!! It was such a beautiful day for a wedding and Christie and I had an amazing time!
The wedding started at 10 a.m. and Christie and I ended up arriving frustrated because we were unable to find a parking spot at Garden of the Gods. It was a perfectly normal day, but extremely hot at over 100 degrees, with lots of tourists checking out the beautiful site in the Garden. Below is a picture of Tommy and Adrian after they had said their vows and congratulations to you both!! It was such a beautiful day for a wedding and Christie and I had an amazing time!
After the wedding we all headed over to the reception. It was a very cool experience and basically like a who’s who of American Distance Running in celebration of holy matrimony for Tommy and Adrian. Matt Williams, who is a 3000m Steeplechaser for the Air Force, had amazing taste in clothing that day and obviously we had to take a picture together.
As we headed over to the reception we were all asking each other about the past track season and how it went for everyone and we were all excited for many of the athletes in the area who were competing at the Olympic Trials up in Eugene, Oregon. At some point between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday we noticed a smoke bloom up in the air across from where we were all gathered within Garden of the Gods. We had heard of the fire up north in Fort Collins and with it being as hot as it has been lately with not precipitation, of course we were all concerned, concerned enough as my friend and teammate, Robby Young, called 9-1-1, only to hear a “uh, yeah we know, you’re caller #20.” Unfortunately, Robby didn’t win a prize that day, but we did have our first golf outing scheduled for later that afternoon/evening.
This is what we saw and the first picture I snapped of the Waldo Canyon Fire.
We ended up leaving the reception shortly after 12 that day after Tommy and Adrian had cut the cake. Christie and I were able to get a picture with the bride and groom before we left.
After Christie and I left the wedding we went home and could not believe how much the fire had grown in the amount of time it took us to drive from the Garden of the Gods to Grand Centennial, which is only about 3 miles. I snapped this shot right before I left for my recovery run.
Christie and I were obviously concerned so we decided that one would stay at the apartment while the other runs. So I just ran from the apartment that day and went on an 85 minute recovery jog and made my way back over to the Garden to see if and how much the fire was spreading. By the time I was on my way back to the apartment, fire marshals were clearing everyone out of the Garden. I decided that golfing was not a good idea that day and had to cancel my golf outing with Robby. I think that was probably a good decision considering how the smoke looked on my return.
Sunday, June 24th – 20 1/2 miles
Although there was an ever growing fire practically in our back yard, Sunday was just another normal day. Christie and I decided that we would both do a long run and head up to Gold Camp Road. I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea and maybe we’d be able to get some good glimpses of the fire. I was scheduled for 18 miles or 2 hours of running that day, but I ended up running over 10 miles up Gold Camp Road to almost the peak of the mountain because from the vantage point of the peak you could see down and get a fairly clear view of exactly where the fire was at. By the time I got back to my original starting point, Christie was waiting with a fire marshal. They were kicking people out of Gold Camp Road as well and evidently I was the last one to leave. As Sunday progressed and the temperature again began to rise, the fire worsened, but Monday was going to be another day on the job and a normal week continued.
Monday, June 25th - AM – 3 1/2 miles
Monday morning was still somewhat normal except you could really start to begin smelling smoke from where we were at in Grand Centennial. I was pretty tired from my mountain climb up Gold Camp the day before and only ran for 25 minutes in the morning. I try to run at least 25 minutes in the morning before work, even if I’m exhausted because it helps flush out my lactic acid from the day before.
PM - 12 miles
I spent a full day at work on Monday and even though I could clearly see the fire growing from Fort Carson, I still decided to do my evening run on the Monument Valley Trail. My next speed work was scheduled on Tuesday, but by Monday night the smoke was getting to an almost unbearable point.
PM - 12 miles
I spent a full day at work on Monday and even though I could clearly see the fire growing from Fort Carson, I still decided to do my evening run on the Monument Valley Trail. My next speed work was scheduled on Tuesday, but by Monday night the smoke was getting to an almost unbearable point.
Tuesday, June 26th - AM - 12 x 800m repeats + 3 x 200m repeats (13 miles total)
Monday would end up being the last “normal” day of the week. Tuesday morning I woke up at 5:45 a.m. smelling like I had been to a bon fire the night before. I put on my go-fast clothes and track spikes and headed over Cheyenne Mountain High School for our morning workout. I met up with Robby Young, Sean Brown and one of Coach Simmons’s college athletes from Queens, NC who was spending the summer out in Colorado Springs. Upon arrival at CMHS we originally decided that we were going to cancel the workout because the smoke was just too much. We then decided that we would travel up north to higher elevation and see if could still nab the scheduled speed workout in. We ended up driving 30 minutes up to Briargate near Sean’s home and did 12 x 800m repeats on the Classical Academy track. Needless to say, we were slow on our repeats. We typically hit our 800’s in between 2:15 and 2:20 and averaged about 2:21-2:23. Not sure if this was a result of the smoke in the area, although it was tolerable from where we were at, but at least we got the work in. We decided since our 800’s were slow, we’d run some extra 200’s at 30 seconds or under to make up the difference.
After the workout, I put on my ACU’s (Army Combat Uniform) and headed into work at Fort Carson. I was worried all day because Christie was up in Denver for her medical rotations and I was about 25 minutes south of where we lived. Wynn, our little pup, was all alone in our apartment.
I broke for lunch at noon and although the fire looked worse than ever, I still had not seen any flames up until this point and it didn’t look threatening at that point to where we lived in Colorado Springs. If given another opportunity, I would’ve taken work off the rest of the day and packed everything I possibly could have, but decided that I would just leave a little early. Below is a picture I snapped from work on Tuesday afternoon.
The rest of the day at work I was nervous and checking for updates about the fire on my computer. I ended up leaving Fort Carson at 4:30 that evening to see the fire like never before. This time I didn’t even take a photo of the fire on I-25 and just tried getting to Grand Centennial as soon as possible. Flames were easily visible and traffic was horrific on the drive up and by the time I arrived, smoke consumed everything so much that you couldn’t see any further than 50 feet from where you were standing.
Considering how much smoke enveloped the area, I figured that the fire was across from us. Turns out I was right. Reported 65 mph winds didn’t help that day and the fire raced down the ridge across the street from our apartment in the Mt. Shadows neighborhood and along the Flying W Ranch Road. I didn’t give myself any time to pack. I grabbed Wynn, a safe with our social security numbers, my book bag and lap top and left. I didn’t even think to have locked the door on my way out. By the time I got in my car and up on Centennial Boulevard, traffic was at a standstill and you could barely see anything in front other than car lights. I took this picture on my drive out of Grand Centennial.
During this time, Christie was still on I-25 headed south from Denver on her way home from her clinical rotations. I told her that I got Wynn, but nothing else other than our wedding photos and a safe with our personal information. As she told me that she was going to drive up and attempt to gather as much of our stuff as possible, we both hear on the radio that Centennial Blvd had become a one-way traffic street headed outbound.
PM – 4 miles easy
Luckily, I had talked to my American Distance Project teammate, Sean Brown, at Tommy and Adrian’s wedding and he told me that if the fire had gotten any worse, he would gladly provide a place for Christie and me to stay at for the night. It took roughly 2 hours to drive up to Sean’s from Centennial Blvd which is no less than 15 miles from where I live. Once Christie and I got situated at Sean’s, we headed over to Target to buy a few supplies for the next couple days. That night I did a nice and easy 4 mile jog with Sean and Christie to try and relieve the overwhelming stress from earlier in the day. This isn't my picture, but similar to what we saw Tuesday night.
Wednesday, June 27th - AM – 80 minute recovery run – 11 ½ miles
Sleeping that night was not the greatest, not because we were uncomfortable at Sean’s, but because we didn’t know whether or not we still had a home or if everything we’d ever owned had been burned in the fire. Sean and I decided to get our morning run out of the way early that day and run outside of his apartment. When we initially started our 80 minute recovery run, the air was smoke-free with helicopters and planes all flying over to the fire to help contain it. By the time we got to our turn around point the smoke was getting almost unbearable. We figured that it would get better once we turned around but the wind was with us on the way back so the smoke just stayed with us the entire time. That might have been one of the few days where running actually negatively impacted my fitness rather than hinder it.
After the run was completed, I left Christie and Wynn at Sean’s and traveled down to Ft. Carson for work. I still had not heard of anything regarding our apartment, but from the news channel, we learned that the Mt. Shadows neighborhood directly across from Grand Centennial had be decimated by the fire. I don’t think it was confirmed until later that evening that approximately 346 homes had been lost.
Once I arrived at Ft. Carson, work just carried on like nothing had happened. There were a few other Soldiers displaced as well, but other than a few conversations regarding the fire the night before, work just carried on.
PM – 60 minute recovery run – 7 miles
That night after work I headed back up to Sean’s and did a very light recovery run with Christie and Sean. I could really feel the stress from the day before on my legs, not to mention a speed workout on top of everything. Probably one of the slowest recovery runs I have done in a long time, but it was what I needed. I figured that night I didn’t need to strain my body any more. After the run, we got some quick showers and then Christie and I decided to head over to UCCS (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs) where they were providing free housing for 3 nights to evacuees. It didn’t take long for us to gather our things and get situated in the dorm room. One piece of information we learned that night was that Grand Centennial was still standing. We didn’t know if there was significant smoke damage or not, but at least our home was still there.
That night we checked in at UCCS and got the keys to our new home for a few days. I hadn’t slept in a dorm room since my Freshman year of college at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania and I forgot how hard the mattresses are for students. In addition to sleeping on a rock, there was no air conditioning as well. Regardless, it was a free place to stay at for 3 nights and we figured that by Friday afternoon we would possibly be able to head back to Grand Centennial.
Thursday, June 28th - 12 mile trail run
Thursday, June 28th - 12 mile trail run
Thursday morning I woke up so exhausted that I opted to try and catch up on a few hours of sleep before heading into work. Christie and Wynn spent the day monitoring the news trying to find out when we would be lifted from evacuation, but the fire was still burning and containment on the fire was only at 10%. Christie would've rather had gone up to Denver for her medical rotations, but the physician she was shadowing told her to take the rest of the week off. After resting the legs all day at work I decided to go exploring during my run and find out how close I could get to my apartment and not infiltrate the evacuation zone. UCCS is less than 3 miles from Grand Centennial, but I only got about a mile and half before I would run into a police road block. Each road block I would come to I would go down a different street to see if I could get any closer, but I never even got close to visible sight of Grand Centennial.
Friday, June 29th – AM – 7 miles easy
Friday morning Christie and I woke up hoping that Friday would be the day we would no longer be evacuated. Little did we know that we were still quite a ways out from that. Friday’s are typically my “Predator” run days. I’ll describe what a “Predator” run is later, but I decided not to do a workout that morning and give my body one more day of recovery before I strained it again in a workout. That morning though I could tell my legs were starting to bounce back as I was easily running under my 7-minute recovery pace.
PM – 7 miles easy
As soon as I was finished with work that night I called Christie to see if the evacuation had been lifted on our area. No luck. There was a scheduled 8 o’clock press conference that night, so I went ahead and completed my evening run to hurry back and listen to the press conference. During the press conference we started to lose any sort of confidence in returning home shortly because the evacuations weren’t even mentioned. Frustrated with not knowing how long we would be displaced, we decided to grab to our favorite late night snack at Yo-Yogurt. The one encouraging aspect was that the week was over and we could just spend the weekend trying to relax in the dorm at UCCS, but we only had one more free day left to spend.
Saturday, June 30th – AM – 8 mile Predator Run (14 miles total)
A “Predator” run is something like a tempo run where you start off at below threshold pace, which for me at altitude is somewhere between 5:20 – 5:30 pace. During the Predator run, you gradually pick up the pace as you go along. Training at altitude you have less oxygen to work with, so your body isn’t capable of running as fast as it does at sea level. I think the percentage is somewhere around up to 75-85% of your original VO2 max capacity. So the idea of a Predator run is to start off controlled and relaxed, then gradually pick up the pace, without going into oxygen 10 minutes into the workout. The 8 mile course Sean and I had mapped out would take us uphill gradually for the first 4 miles, turn around, and then use the downhill to assist in picking up the pace on the way back.
By this time, the smoke was starting to clear south of Colorado Springs, so fortunately we no longer had to suffer through fire smoke. The course we run is fairly challenging. It’s definitely not what I would consider a “fast” course and my best average pace on the course was 5:17 per mile for 6 miles when training for the 10k back in the winter and spring. I would be nowhere near that pace today. I was able to stay with Sean for the first 2 miles only. The first mile felt surprisingly fast and when I looked down at my watch and saw 5:34, I knew today it was going to be a battle to even maintain that pace. By the time I hit 4 miles I was just over 22 minutes. One thing about running at altitude in Colorado Springs, it definitely humbles you. Even with the slight downhill on the way back, I managed only to run 44:19 for the 8 mile course. Not my best effort, but I figured considering the week I had just experienced, it was still some money in the bank. After the predator run was finished, Sean and I completed an easy 3 mile cool down and I headed back to UCCS dorm.
Once I returned to UCCS, I found out that we had to be out of the dorm by 1:00 p.m. or Christie and I would be charged $50 to stay for an additional day. Christie had a free hotel stay for one night at a Hilton hotel, once again up by Briargate, which she had won at local 5k road race earlier in the year, so we decided that now was the right time to use it. The one thing Christie and I didn’t understand upon leaving from UCCS, was that there was a 3-day time stamp for evacuees at UCCS, whereas after those 3 days were up and if you were still evacuated, I guess you just had to find someone else to take you in. Luckily in our case, we were fortunate enough to have a free hotel for a night, but I guess if you were evacuated for any longer, you were just out of luck.
PM – 7 ½ miles easy
That night Christie and I checked into the Hilton at Briargate and sleeping on a real bed that night was amazing. I ended up waking that morning at 4:30 with an unquenchable thirst so I ended up driving to a local gas station, picking up a gallon of orange juice, a liter of water, as well as two 32-ounce vitamin waters. After that, I didn’t get out of bed that morning until after 9 a.m. Christie had woken up at 8 a.m. for the news press conference and once again, they didn’t even mention anything about Grand Centennial and whether or not or when we would be let back into our home.
Sunday, July 1st – AM – 2 hours easy (18 1/2 miles total)
That morning after I woke up I met up with Sean and we did 2 hours easy on the Air Force Academy trail, which is roughly above 7,000 feet. The legs surprisingly felt pretty good and I was to hit a few sub-6 minute miles in the last quarter of the run. After the run I hurried back to the Hilton because we had to check out by 1:30 p.m. Christie and I didn’t have much belongings to pack up so we checked out and went over to the Starbucks across the street, where I am now typing up this story. At 2 p.m. we listened to the news conference and they had finally mentioned about the over 10,000 evacuees still displaced in Colorado Springs. We never quite heard anything regarding Grand Centennial, but on the evacuation map it looks as if we are no longer on the evacuated portion. It looks like we’ll finally be able to return home tonight at 8 p.m!
When we arrived in Grand Centennial that night, there was very little smoke damage. Across the street from us, much of the ground was black. I was surprised to look across the street to see how many of the homes had been saved by the fire. That night I did an easy 4 mile jog around our area. It never felt so good to run around Zachary Grove, Centennial Blvd and around Vindicator Road back to Grand Centennial. During my run, although it was getting dark outside, I was able to see firsthand some of the devastation. One home I saw looked as if a sledge hammer had been taken to it for a few days. You could tell that the firefighters had attempted to save the home, but I’m sure the fire was too severe where the home was located. As I continued on my run, all I could imagine was that the Colorado Springs Firefighters did as much as they could have possibly done. Although 346 homes were lost, I’m certain that well over a thousand probably would have perished had it not been for them, including perhaps our own. Finally, here is photo (not mine) that was taken of the Mt. Shadows neighborhood shortly after the devastation of Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
ASICS Men's GEL-Nimbus 13 Running Shoes, Lightning/White/Fire - 8.0
ASICS Men's GEL-Nimbus 13 Running Shoes, Lightning/White/Fire - 8.0
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
06 March 2012
After seeing my last post from back in December I know I have been well overdue for an update on my website. It’s hard to believe that the California International Marathon and my marathon PR of 2:19:49 was already 3 months ago. There have been many changes and new happenings over the past 3 months that I’m eager to share on RunKennyFoster.com.
After the marathon in December at Sacramento, I didn’t know exactly which route I wanted to take with my running. I definitely had some options ahead of me, but the direction was uncertain. I hadn’t really planned for anything past the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, so after I missed the Olympic Trials A standard for the marathon by 49 seconds in Sacramento, I had to take some time and think of what I wanted to accomplish next. I’ve always been the type of person to set goals and try to achieve the goals I’ve laid ahead of myself. So, for the first time since 2008, I actually didn’t have a goal directly in front of me that I needed to attain in the near future. It was a weird feeling at first, but also a little bit of a relief. I took the rest of December to collect my thoughts, enjoy the holiday season with friends and family, and then get back to work in January.
What actually ended up happening was a hugely unexpected 5k road PR on New Year’s Eve, where I ran 14:48 by myself from the gun, then suffering from bronchitis for the first half of January. Although January was a rough month and start to 2012 for me, I dedicated the rest of the month to doing hill repeats and strength workouts that I’ve been seeing the benefit from as of late.
After a few consecutive weeks of solid workouts, my new coach, Scott Simmons, has persuaded me to train for the Olympic Trials in the 10k. This happens to be two of the new and exciting changes that has occurred over the past 3 months. One, being that I’m training under Scott Simmons with the American Distance Project, and two, being that I’m currently training for the 10k. The 10k is brand new ground for me and I have actually never even run a 10k on the track before. It is still not official when my 10k debut on the track will be, but it will definitely be in the coming weeks. Right now, I’m more than likely looking at my first 10k on the track being at the end of April.
Training has been going great under Scott Simmons and with the other athletes on the American Distance Project, mainly Joseph Chirlee, Tommy Neal, Robby Young and Edwin Sang. It just so happens that the American Distance Project is coming directly out of Colorado Springs and I’m luckily in the right place at the right time. Scott Simmons has me currently team up with the same guy I ran with for much of 2011, Joseph Chirlee. The only difference is that I’m in much better shape than I was back in 2011 and I can actually consistentyl push Chirlee in the workouts. I don’t know what the 10k will bring for me, but training with Chirlee and the other guys on the program has been a blessing. Especially now that I’m working a full time job again in the Army, which is another of the changes - “post-WCAP training.”
Two of the workouts we’ve done as of late is a 6 x 1 mile repeat workout w/ 3 minutes recovery ranging from 4:38 to 4:44 and a 12 x 800m repeat workout w/ 2 minutes rest ranging from 2:09 to 2:22. The one trick Scott has us doing in the workouts is a “hammer” repetition where we go all out, typically during the 2nd to last rep. So on #5 of the mile repeats, Joseph and I went all out for the mile and both ran a 4:38...during the 800m, #10 was the hammer rep, clipping off a 2:09. Hard to believe that I’m running this fast, late in a workout now, at altitude, but running sub-2:10 in an 800m event in high school would take such a huge effort out of me.
The workouts that Coach Simmons has been giving me seem to be working. I just recently ran a 10-mile altitude PR of 51:53 in Pueblo, Colorado at the Colorado State 10-Mile Championships. Although it was a huge effort and I tried my best in the race, Scott wanted me to focus on it more as a workout and not as a race. I wasn’t able to taper for the race and I think I ran just shy of 100 miles for the week when I toed the starting line. Still, I was happy to have placed 4th overall in this hugely competitive field. Along with my ADP teammates, Tommy Neal and Robby Young, Robert Cheseret, Patrick Rizzo, Justin Ricks, Alex Nichols, Brian Dumm and Matthew Levassiur were in the field. Even had I tapered for the race, I think 4th place is what I would’ve ended up with regardless, and it’s always nice to get paid in prize money for a workout. My next hard workout I have on the schedule is coming up this Thursday, which is 25 x 400m repeats. I’ve never done this many 400’s in a single session and I’m eager to see how I’ll do and also, if I finish the workout, how my body will respond. My goal is to run all of these 400s under 70 seconds and I believe the rest is somewhere between 30-45 seconds.
The other bit of exciting news recently announced is that my wife and I will be representing the Mancos Project at our future races and also heading be heading down to Mancos, Colorado in September to train for a month with the group before I have to leave for Fort Huachuca, Arizona to attend a 6-month Army school. The Mancos Project is a brand new group for elite distance runners who want to live a sustainable lifestyle. The group is headed by a good friend of mine, Ben Hahn, who studied and ran track as well as cross country at Edinboro University. After our marathon performances at CIM, Ben contacted my wife and I about possibly joining the group and now we’re officially project members along with John Yatsko (1500m, Northern Arizona University), Julian de Rubira (Steeplechase, UC-Santa Barbara), Chris Marker (5k, Allegheny College), Tony Dipre (1500m, Allegheny College), Dylan Kleinberg (Environmental Coordinator), and Dustin Stein (Tour de France Cyclist, Farm Manager).
I can’t think of any better group to run for and I can’t think of any better, more simple lifestyle to live. Throughout the majority of my life I’ve kept my political, economic and environmental ideas mostly to myself. I’ve never went to a political rally or demonstration. I’ve never held a sign for a particular cause and I don’t have a huge background with environmental activities, but I believe the Mancos Project is a great way for myself and other athletes to voice these issues and actually do something to help the cause. Even if it is simply constructing a garden, living off the land and making our own food while representing what we do at U.S. Championship events as well as the Olympic Trials, I think this is a proactive option than just holding up a sign.
Aside from being a sustainable, eco-friendly group for elite American distance runners, it’s also in my eyes a new way of life and a great way to train as an elite runner. My wife and I are both very excited to take this new journey and see where it takes us, both in running and in helping out the environment.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Final Stretch for the California International Marathon
It's crazy to think that I'm already one week away until my final marathon for the 2011 year. I was hoping that I would not have to run another marathon after my failed attempt in Rotterdam, but I was simply unable to get under 1:05. Not yet, I guess. I'm very excited to be going back to the California International Marathon. I had such a good experience here in 2009 that it only seems right to come back here to accomplish this goal I've put forth since I saw Ryan Hall cross the finish line in the 2007 US Marathon Olympic Trials.
The goal next Sunday, December 4th, from Folsom to Sacramento is to average 5:18 miles for 26+ miles. One advantage I have is that I know the course layout pretty well and it does have a net downhill. Even with the net downhill, the course is challenging with constant undulating country roads from start to finish. That has been one aspect of my training that I have incorporated for my preparation into CIM. The majority of my tempo, steady state and progression runs have all been on courses in Colorado Springs where I'm constantly running uphill or running downhill. Hopefully I'll see the benefits this coming Sunday.From where I left off last month, below are my last few weeks of training in preparation to the California International Marathon:
Sunday, 10/23 – 14 ½ miles at Woodland Park in 1:32:30 (Controlled effort), 8 miles easy in the evening.
Monday, 10/24 – 12 ½ miles recovery
Tuesday, 10/25 – 4 mile w/up, 7 x 1 mile @ 4:56 avg. w/ 1 lap recovery jog, 2 mile cool down. 40 minutes easy in the evening
Wednesday, 10/26 – 11 mile recovery run in the morning, 7 miles in the evening.
Thursday, 10/27 - 13 miles easy, no PM run.
Friday, 10/28 – 3 mile w/up, http://connect.garmin.com/activity/124888027. followed by 15 x 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy, 3 mile cool down
Saturday, 10/29 – 13 miles easy in the AM. 5 miles easy in the PM.
Week Mileage: 124 miles
Sunday, 10/30 – 21 mile progression run in 2:05:43
Monday, 10/31 – 13 ½ miles recovery in 1:30:40
Tuesday, 11/1 – 4 mile warm up + strides, 3 x 1 mile repeats in 5:00, 4:59, 5:01 (Windy, didn’t feel good, tired) did a very long and slow 4 mile cool down jog
Wednesday, 11/2 – 14 miles on the treadmill (snow), 4 ½ miles outside in the elements
Thursday, 11/3 – 4 mile warm up, 1 mile hard in 4:47, 20 x 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy, 1 mile hard in 4:53, 3 mile cool down
Friday, 11/4 – 12 ½ miles recovery
Monday, 10/24 – 12 ½ miles recovery
Tuesday, 10/25 – 4 mile w/up, 7 x 1 mile @ 4:56 avg. w/ 1 lap recovery jog, 2 mile cool down. 40 minutes easy in the evening
Wednesday, 10/26 – 11 mile recovery run in the morning, 7 miles in the evening.
Thursday, 10/27 - 13 miles easy, no PM run.
Friday, 10/28 – 3 mile w/up, http://connect.garmin.com/activity/124888027. followed by 15 x 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy, 3 mile cool down
Saturday, 10/29 – 13 miles easy in the AM. 5 miles easy in the PM.
Week Mileage: 124 miles
Sunday, 10/30 – 21 mile progression run in 2:05:43
Monday, 10/31 – 13 ½ miles recovery in 1:30:40
Tuesday, 11/1 – 4 mile warm up + strides, 3 x 1 mile repeats in 5:00, 4:59, 5:01 (Windy, didn’t feel good, tired) did a very long and slow 4 mile cool down jog
Wednesday, 11/2 – 14 miles on the treadmill (snow), 4 ½ miles outside in the elements
Thursday, 11/3 – 4 mile warm up, 1 mile hard in 4:47, 20 x 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy, 1 mile hard in 4:53, 3 mile cool down
Friday, 11/4 – 12 ½ miles recovery
Week Mileage: 106 miles
Sunday, 11/6 – 5 mile w/up + strides, ran the Golden Gallop in a course record (32:27) for 1st place. 7 mile cool down w/ Japheth. 5 miles in the evening
Monday, 11/7 – 13 ½ mile recovery run
Tuesday, 11/8 – 11 miles easy starting out, but progressively increasing the pace
Wednesday, 11/9 – 4 mile w/ up + 200m pick-ups, 4 x 1 mile repeats @ 4:49 avg. (4:49, 4:51, 4:50, 4:47), 2 mile cool down
Thursday, 11/10 – Traveled to Santa Barbara, California – ran a little over 8 miles in 1 hour
Friday, 11/11 – 5 miles easy + strides in the morning, followed by 3 mile shakeout run in the evening
Saturday, 11/12 – 2 mile w/up. Ran the Santa Barbara International Half Marathon in 1:07:24 (3rd place).
Week Mileage: 91 miles
Sunday, 11/13 - 40 minutes easy
Monday, 11/14 - 25k progression run in 1:42:09
Tuesday, 11/15 - Ran 6 miles in the morning for the Fort Carson Change of Command Division Run. 20 kilometers in the evening in 1:32:02.
Wednesday, 11/16 - (Treadmill) 3 mile w/up, 8 x 1 mile repeats @ 5:02 avg. 2 mile cool down
Thursday, 11/17 - 72 minutes on the treadmill in the morning. 5 1/2 miles easy in the evening.
Friday, 11/18 - 90 minutes easy
Saturday, 11/19 - 20 mile endurance run in 1:58:35 (very windy)
Monday, 11/7 – 13 ½ mile recovery run
Tuesday, 11/8 – 11 miles easy starting out, but progressively increasing the pace
Wednesday, 11/9 – 4 mile w/ up + 200m pick-ups, 4 x 1 mile repeats @ 4:49 avg. (4:49, 4:51, 4:50, 4:47), 2 mile cool down
Thursday, 11/10 – Traveled to Santa Barbara, California – ran a little over 8 miles in 1 hour
Friday, 11/11 – 5 miles easy + strides in the morning, followed by 3 mile shakeout run in the evening
Saturday, 11/12 – 2 mile w/up. Ran the Santa Barbara International Half Marathon in 1:07:24 (3rd place).
Week Mileage: 91 miles
Sunday, 11/13 - 40 minutes easy
Monday, 11/14 - 25k progression run in 1:42:09
Tuesday, 11/15 - Ran 6 miles in the morning for the Fort Carson Change of Command Division Run. 20 kilometers in the evening in 1:32:02.
Wednesday, 11/16 - (Treadmill) 3 mile w/up, 8 x 1 mile repeats @ 5:02 avg. 2 mile cool down
Thursday, 11/17 - 72 minutes on the treadmill in the morning. 5 1/2 miles easy in the evening.
Friday, 11/18 - 90 minutes easy
Saturday, 11/19 - 20 mile endurance run in 1:58:35 (very windy)
Weekly Mileage: 106 miles
Sunday, 11/20 - 20 miles easy in 2:09:21
Thursday, 11/24 - 3 mile w/up, 5k Turkey trot in 15:35 @ 7,000 ft. elevation, 5 miles cool down
Sunday, 11/20 - 20 miles easy in 2:09:21
Monday, 11/21 - 65 minutes easy
Tuesday, 11/22 - Treadmill workout - 2 mile w/up, 17 x 1 minute hard 1 minute easy, followed by 5 x 2 minutes hard, 1 minute easy. (12.5 miles total in 1:20:35)
Wednesday, 11/23 - 70 minutes easyThursday, 11/24 - 3 mile w/up, 5k Turkey trot in 15:35 @ 7,000 ft. elevation, 5 miles cool down
Friday, 11/25 - 85 minutes easy on the monument valley trail
Saturday, 11/26 - 5 miles easy, 5 miles at marathon tempo (5:12, 5:14, 5:11, 5:17, 5:10) 2 mile cool down
Weekly Mileage: 86 miles
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Regardless of my performance this coming Sunday, this will probably be one of my last marathons for a while. If I do make the 2012 Marathon Olympic Trials, then of course I will be traveling to Houston to run the trials, but after that I will be focusing on primarily the 5k and 10k. Other than the US 25k Championships and the occasional half marathon, I won't be running in many races over 10 miles, at least until I start my preparations for 2016.
There's no doubt, summer is gone and winter is here or quickly approaching. It's hard to believe that after a summer full of hard training, I'm down to a 3 x 1 mile repeat maintenance workout before my marathon. As a tribute to the summer season and the hard work and sweat that we've all put in during that time, here's an inspiring August mix by DJ Steve Porter:
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Sendeku and Dengera Capture the 27th Army Ten-Miler By George Banker
Below is a complete recap of the 2011 Army 10-Miler by George Banker. Very honored and thankful he quoted me in a few paragraphs on the write up as well as the first two.
SENDEKU AND DENGERA CAPTURE THE 27TH ARMY TEN-MILER By George Banker
“WCAP for me this past year has helped my running tremendously. When I first came into the program, my personal best time in half marathon was a 1:09:39, in which I ran back in 2009. In less than a year's time of being on the program and training in Colorado Springs, I've lowered that time to 1:05:32. I'd say that's been my best accomplishment thus far, but I'm still hungry and know that I can run MUCH faster. WCAP has let me know that I do have a future as a professional distance runner and that with the right training, other athletes, and coaching, I can make it”, stated Captain Kenneth Foster, Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).
Foster was a participant in the 27th Army Ten-Miler (ATM) on Sunday, October 9, 2011. and is produced by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington. The ATM is the second largest 10-miler in the United States. The race posted the largest field of finishers or 22,074 (12,377 males, 9,697 females). Since 1985 there have been 256,728 finishers.
As a result of a loss of the South Pentagon Parking (permit request was disapproved) some major changes were implemented. The start of the race shifted from Route 27 to Route 110 and the finish line shifted from the South Pentagon Parking to a narrow roadway along Boundary Channel Drive. The finish line experienced congestion but a back up was avoided.
The top runners had their eyes on the event records. The open record for the men was set in 2009 by two-time winner Alene Reta of Ethiopia with 46:59. The women record was set in 2009 by Samia Akbar of Herndon, Va., with 55:25. The master record for the men was set by Army Sgt. Sammy Ngatia of Fort Carson, Colorado in 2000 with 48:50 and he was the overall winner and the oldest to date. The woman holder is Firaya Zhdanova of Russia in 2007 with a time of 58:31.
There were a few prior winners on the start line which include three-time winner and two-time record holder Dan Browne, Army WCAP (’97-47:44, ’98-48:52, ’04-47:32). There were two Brazilians, Jose Ferreira (’07-48:59) and Reginald Campos, Jr. (’08- 48:59).
There was only one female prior winner, Alisa Harvey the only four-time winner (’98- 58:56, ’99-56:40, ’03-59:29, ’06-59:00).
The prior master winners included John Colpeck of Stow, Mass., (’03-53:14), Marty Muchow (’06-53:25), and Mike Scannell of Grand Blanc, Mich., (’07-54:31, ’08-53:04).
In addition to Harvey (’06-59:00, ’08-1:01:00) there was the only three-time winner Martha Merz of Mystic, Conn., (’02-59:49, ’03-1:00:36, ’04-1:00:57).
1The three waves lined up along the southbound lanes of Route 110 and the journey began for a short stretch up to the ramp to get the runners up on to Memorial Drive near the first mile and then across the Memorial Bridge into Washington. The lead pack was still thick up to that point as it was anyone’s race to win. Leading the charge was 2010 runner up (47:58) Tesfaye Sendeku of Ethiopia. Last April he ran 46:53 at the 39th Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run.
The chase pack included Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) runners, SPC Augustus Maiyo who at the Cherry Blossom was the third American (49:56). In the mix was SPC Robert Cheseret the brother of Bernard Lagat. Last year he placed third at the ATM (48:20). Close on the heels was the Brazilian runners Frankc de Almeida who has a marathon personal best of 2:12:32 (2008). Teammate Clodoaldo de Silva who has a marathon personal best of 2:13:12 (2005) and last year he placed sixth at the ATM (48:39). The Brazilians were trying to up seat WCAP to regain the International Army trophy.
The women had not completely thinned out as a pack had formed which included teammates from I Run For God (IR4G) Serkalem Biset of Ethiopia who ran a 1:03:25 last year at the ATM. Shiferaw Tiringo-Getachew who ran 2:42:40 at the Napoli Marathon in 2008. Tezata Dengera born in Ethiopia and now a Turkish citizen placed third at the 2010 Blue Cross Broad Street Run (56:10), the largest 10-miler in the United States. The leading American was Navy Lt. Amada Rice of North Bethesda, Md. At the 2011 RnR Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon Rice was the eighth American with a time of 1:14:36. Within eyesight was Erin Koch who holds the indoor school record for the mile at American University (4:46:19).
The race continued the progression along Constitution Avenue and turned at 19th Street towards Virginia Avenue and went towards Rock Creek Parkway in the direction of the Kennedy Center. The runners passed the Lincoln Memorial along Independence and near the World War II Memorial they crossed the five mile mark. The race had begun to thin out as the pace was increasing.
Sendeku was setting the pace for the males as he passed five miles 23:24 with Maiyo and Cheseret in close pursuit with 24:02. The Brazilians were still in the hunt as de Almeida crossed in 24:07 followed by de Silva in 24:23. WCAP Browne crossed five miles in 25:44.
There were a pack of females crossing five miles in 28:17 which included Dengera, Biset, Tringo-Getachew, and Rice. Koch crossed in 28:45.
The top master was Edmund Burke of Team Pacers/New Balance in a time of 26:15. WCAP team manger LTC Liam Collins crossed in 26:50. Collins was running for his 12th time and has posted a best finish of 52:48 in 1997. In 2010 he ran 54:22 which placed him seventh in the 35-39 age group. This year he was running as a master (age 40 and over). The 2003 master winner (53:14), John Clopeck crossed five miles in 27:37. In the
mix was the 2006 winner (53:25) Marty Muchow and the two-time winner (’07-54:31, ’08-53:04) Mike Scannell.
The defending master winner (58:52) Peggy Yetman of team Potomac River Running crossed five miles in 29:47 followed by Harvey in 30:42. The other masters included Martha Merz and Linda Sawvell.
The race course proceeded up the long stretch of Independence Avenue to 4th Street for a left turn at the 10K mark prior to reaching Jefferson Drive. The dominate leader was Sendeku crossing in 29:18. Maiyo and Cheseret both crossed in 29:57. Trailing not in the far distant was de Almeida in 30:05 followed closely by da Silva with 30:21. The race was slowly being put out of reach of the chase pack.
Going into the 10K mark were Dengera, Biset, and Tringo-Getachew crossing in 35:13. Rice was holding fourth place with a 35:15 and still in the hunt. Koch trailed in fourth place with 35:46.
Once back on Independence Avenue the runners had over a mile of flat surface before a turn was to be made at 14th Street to reach the rolling hills of the HOV Lanes going back to the Pentagon. The stage was set as the leaders for both the males and females were holding down their positions.
Sendeku was not to be denied a second year as he sailed across the finish in 47:51 the fifth fastest winning time. Dan Browne was the last American to win the event in 2004. Maiyo took second place followed by Cheseret both with 48:21. Frankc de Almeida was third with a time 48:42. In fifth place was Clodoaldo da Silva with 48:56.
“Overall the Army 10 Miler was great, lots of fans throughout the course, which makes you work that extra hard, especially when they are cheering you and saying 'Go All Army", it is the best spectator race that I have ever participate in, great. Parachute team and the singing of the National Anthem before the race makes the event that much exciting, motivating and entertaining. Watching the wounded warriors compete makes you appreciate their efforts and makes you want to go out there and do the best just for them” stated Cheseret.
Tezata Dengera was able to maintain the lead and took top honors with a 56:35 and the fourth fastest winning time. Biset was second with 56:40 followed by Tiringo-Getachew in third with 56:44. Amamda Rice was first American and fourth with a time of 57:17. Erin Koch took fifth in 57:48.
“I was nervous at first knowing there were several top runners from the other armed forces competing, but I found myself keeping up in front fairly easily. The top three finishers, I have to admit, were unexpected. But I held on to them as much as possible during the race. The Washington post wrote in their article I was the “uninvited guest" and was able to keep pace until the last mile”, stated Navy Lt. Rice.
“I was looking for a good race after my Philly half marathon to see where I was at in my training in terms of conditioning. Being an active duty naval officer, I had a keen interest in running with the other armed forces and wounded warriors. It was a privilege to run amongst these men and women. I am a chaser. I love dueling with another runner at the end of a race. This tests both physical and mental strength. There are a lot of mental tricks I use to defeat exhaustion and fatigue. This has been the hardest and most rewarding part of racing. I still have a long ways to go to becoming a better runner”, Rice added.
This was the second closet winning time between first and second place. The closest was in 1990 between Russian teammates Olga Markova and Albina Galiamova who had 58:15 and Markova was credited with the win.
The winning master was Edmund Burke of Pacer/New Balance with 52:57 the 11th fastest winning time. The runner up was Mike Scannell with 53:39 followed by Liam Collins in 54:13.
Peggy Yetman made a successful defense of her master’s title by running a 1:00:04 the fifth fastest winning time. The time Yetman ran in 2010 (58:52) was the second fastest winning time. In second was Alisa Harvey with 1:02:00 followed by Martha Merz in 1:05:23.
“My plan was to start out comfortably and conservatively in pacing, hold onto that pace and possibly negative split if feeling good the second half. I had a very small taper going into ATM this year due to training for Ironman Cozumel next month. Going into the race I wanted to keep my ironman training momentum going while having a respectable ATM race performance. ATM always brings out a very competitive field with many talented runners to keep me on my toes”, stated Yetman.
Yetman continued, “First of all this has become one of my favorite DC area races. ATM is very well organized and supported given all the logistics required in running a large race. ATM is also one of my family's favorite races. While Mom is in race mode, my husband and two young children enjoy visiting the various Army booths learning new advancements in technology and collecting souvenirs as they thank our troops. Our 8 year old son carried around his bag of goodies at ATM this year saying, "This is better than trick or treat."
The closest competition in the history of the International Army as WCAP made a successful defense with 3:16:05 to 3:16:09 over Brazil. The WCAP scoring members were Augustus Maiyo, Robert Cheseret, John Mickowski, and Charles Ware III.
The Brazilian Army team members included Frankc de Almeida, Clodoaldo Da Silva, Reginaldo Campos, Jr., and Cicero da Rocha.
The Commander’s Cup for the men was captured by Fort Bragg with a team time of 3:42:29. The scoring members were Hilary Cheruiyot, Jeffrey Glick, Jordan Ritenour,
and Matthew Taverner. The record was set in 2000 by the Fort Carson men with a time of 3:19:36.
The Fort Bragg women captured the Commander’s Cup for the 10th time since 1997 with a time of 4:24:20. The scoring members were Ashley Keller, Amy Walters, Kala Stahl, and Katie Durham. The Fort Bragg team set the record in 2004 with 4:19:16.
“My plan heading into the race was to run fairly conservative for the first five miles. It was a new course and I did not want to get myself into to much trouble early on in the race where I would be struggling to hang on to the pace. I wanted the last mile of the race to be my fastest. I was lucky to be able to execute my plan the way I wanted to. The level of competition at the 10 miler gets better every year. More and more talented runners are entering the race so you have to improve your time every year or get left behind”, stated WCAP Captain John Mickowski finishing in 10th place with 49:37.
“For me place is definitely the most important aspect of the race. Race conditions change every year as far as the layout of the course, the temperature outside, and other factors such and wind. Place is the most important factor in determining the outcome of race because conditions can greatly effect your time regardless of what kind of shape you are in. WCAP has allowed me to train and maximize my ability. Without it I definitely would not be at the level I am at today”, Mickowski adds.
“I wanted to start off running around 5:05/mile and get quicker as the race went on. That strategy worked, for the most part, and I ran a 49:46. The competition was very solid and 12 people ran under 50:00 is quite good. My motivation when I race is to seek to glorify God in all that I do, including running. I wanted to run for the All-Army Team” stated 1LT Charles Ware III, WCAP, finishing in 49:46.
“My strategy was to go out in the first mile in a mid-to-low 4:50 mile and just try to hold on to sub-5 minute mile pace as long as I could. I had previously run a 1:05:32 and a 1:06:09 in two half marathon previously, so I knew I would be close to 5:00 pace or hopefully under. The Army Ten-Miler is one of the biggest 10-mile races, just not in the country, but in the world. Being on the All-Army team, our main competition is against the Brazilians. I can always count on the Army Ten-Miler being a very competitive race, especially with the Brazilians. We've been fortunate to beat them the past two years, but they keep bringing a better team each year. Luckily, both teams the past two years have brought their A game” stated Captain Kenneth Foster, Army WCAP finishing in 50:20.
Foster adds, “I would say I'm not overly concerned about place, unless it is a specific event. Most of the races I do are road races and each road race is different in varying difficulty. What I'm most concerned about when I come to a race is usually time, but as long as the effort is 100%, I'm never upset if the time isn't there in a race. I've learned a lot about myself and about my running just in the past year of being on WCAP. I know what my body can and cannot do, or at least has trouble doing.”
“The number of guys working in the high 49s low 52's seems to have gotten much deeper 5
recently. Used to be lonely after the first 2 or 3 miles if you were running 51-52, now there's 4-6 guys right around you and a pack of 4-6 charging just in front of you. I used to sneak into the top10 every couple years. Don't see 51:00 being top ten anytime soon”, stated LTC Keith Matiskella of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas finishing 3rd age group 35- 39 in 51:18 (18th place). Matiskella made his ATM debut in 1997 (50:49).
Matiskella continues, “I'm always looking for time since I'm my biggest competition. I do get stoked about racing the other Army guys so getting ahead of as many of them as possible is something that pushes me during the race. As I've gotten older and had life (kid, deployments, job) affecting how much/well I can train, taking the fitness I have on that day and getting as close to the maximum effort I can do has become more important than what the clock actually reads (faster is better though)”.
“The level of competition was top-notch of course, and while the top guys are out of my league at this point, even the local competition was tough. Our club has a friendly rivalry with the Pacers so it was a great opportunity to compete against those guys. My motivation is to continue to improve while I still have opportunity to train at a high level. I'm in a situation right now where I have a good club and a great coach, and I've been lucky to stay healthy for a long stretch of time, so I just want to make the most of it while things are going well:, stated Sam Luff of GRC finishing in 51:18 (3rd age group 20-24).
“I picked the Army Ten-Miler because outside of MCM, it is the marquee event of the fall racing circuit in DC. It's a well run race, and it's inspiring to see the service men and women come together and compete. Seeing them stand at attention during the national anthem, and seeing the wounded warriors out there on the course definitely sent some chills down my spine. It's a powerful reminder to be thankful for all they do for the rest of us”, Luff adds.
“My strategy for the 10 miler this year was to start off a bit conservatively and pick up the pace every mile. This year there was plenty of competition for me, it always seemed like there was someone near me, and usually someone for me to try to chase down. Place in a race with competition is more important because I'm racing other people, not the clock. My motivation in a race is the same as everything I do, to do my best. I know how disappointed I'll be later if I don't race hard, so I make sure I don't give in to tiredness. I really enjoy the Army 10 miler, that's why I chose it. I don't view myself as a long distance runner, I like 5Ks. The Army Ten-Miler does not make me cringe like some other 10 mile races do”, stated Will Viviani of Team Pacers/New Balance finishing in 51:24.
“My strategy was to make sure I start at the front to go out with the leaders and hang as long as possible. I always like to compete to win, not to get a faster time. My challenges were mainly trying to keep up with athletes coming from the back and passing me. My motivation is hoping and thinking that someday I can make the WCAP. The ATM is a very organized race. Lots of Armed forces competition. And it is very close to New York, where most of my family is” stated Captain Elias Gonzalez of Tampa, Fla., finishing in 52:42.
“My strategy was to find the lead Masters runners - there were about 5 of us - and compete head to head with them. By the 800, I had found the top 3 or 4 master’s and we ran in a pack. From there, the pace, the race, is controlled more by the decisions of the pack (and competitors) than by me. But my initial thoughts were that we would run 5:15 pace and that panned out. We were on that pace for the first 5 miles or so” stated Mike Scannell, first 45-49 and second master in a time of 53:39.
Scannell adds, “You get a solid group of master guys at your race every year. Heck, my teammates alone provide a very competitive field each year. There are few 10 mile races in the US that have better masters runners competing. I love being a part of a team. My motivation is to lead my team as I feel obligated to run well and place well for our team score. We have been fortunate to have several guys with this mindset so our team has won the Masters Men's event a few times. 'I'm hooked.' You only need to run it once before you get hooked on the event. My teammates are hooked as well. We'll be back until you kick us out”.
“My strategy for this race was to run a nice consistent race and not get caught up going out too fast. My strategy was to run the first half at 5:20 pace and see if I could hold it. I ran right on pace through 5 or 6, but then slowed down a little over the last few miles, so my strategy worked. Ultimately, my motivation comes from within. I enjoy the competition and like to push myself. When I'm in the race, I try to push myself to run the best that I can given my level of fitness. I passed more people over the last 5 miles than passed me, so I know I ran a good race”, stated LTC Liam Collins, Army WCAP team manager finishing in 54:13 as the third master. In 1997 Collins ran 52:48 which was good for seventh place.
Collins adds, “I think it is the ATM is the best race in the world, at least for an Army runner. I've done everyone since 1993 (with the exception of 2000 when I had a broken leg). It is like a reunion to see friends from around the Army at the race. The best part is the team competition within the race. If I only do one race a year, this is it which is saying something because the ten-mile distance is not my favorite. I learned once again that I'm fighting a losing battle with age, but I'm holding up fairly well.”
“The Army Ten-Miler is one of the best managed events in the DC area, and I've always liked the 10 mile distance. It came into line with my marathon build up, so I was happy to go out and experience the event. I was impressed with the level of organization that was put on display, despite the race being so large. I was also excited to be a part of the team competition for Potomac River Running, as groups like Pacers & Georgetown Running Co. have a much more substantial record of participating in team oriented events. Over the next year or two I hope that our store can begin to show up and all race consistently at these types of events”, stated Dave Miller finishing in 54:15.
“The level of competition at Army Ten-Miler was phenomenal. I am from Jacksonville, FL, home of the Gate River Run 15k - a USA National Championship race. I placed 71st
there this year and 79th at Army 10. I had a better race at GRR, but I still think that says a lot for the Army 10 Miler. The course was difficult; it was deceivingly hilly. I also had to bring it in hard to not get "girl'ed" at the end of the race. I believe I was the last guy to not be beat by a girl. Haha”, stated Tripp Southerland finishing in 56:34.
“My strategy was to run a smart race like I did in 2010 (59:36). I was hoping to run the second half quicker than the first half. I ended up running even pace, maybe slightly faster depending on what finish time you go by, the first five miles was 30:10. The level of competition featured a number of outstanding athletes. My main goal was to try to defend my title as M55 age division champion, which I was fortunate in doing so. I'm proud to have done as well as I did this year as well as 2010”, stated Maurice Pointer of Baltimore, Md., finishing in 1:00:20 for first in the age group 55-59. In 1997 Point ran 57:17.
“For me the most challenging part of the race was the stretch from when I turned on to 395 HOV Lanes to the finish because it was a battle within my self to preservere when I was feeling fatigued from the hard effort as well as using mental strength to get me across the finish. My main motivation when I race is give my best effort. I feel that if I gave it my best effort, no matter where I ended up, I would accept that. I enjoy running the Army Ten-Miler. It is a great event. You and all involved do a great job putting it on. I look forward in coming back in 2012 to run again”, Pointer adds.
“My motivation to run this was race was to achieve a new 10 mile PR in preparation for the US Olympic Trials Marathon 2012. I also love running this race because it is especially inspiring to run past the Wounded Warriors. Their determination to finish the Army 10 Miler inspires me every time! It also really helps put my own running into perspective; I am eternally grateful to have the opportunity to run every day”, stated Caitlin Chrisman of Charlotte, NC finishing in 9th place with 58:34. In 2009 Chrisman placed 10th in 1:00:50.
“My strategy going into the race was to go out conservatively (between 5:50-5:55 pace) with my best friend Meagan Nedlo and to negative split. Time was important, while place really didn’t matter to me. I wanted to have fun racing and pushing myself against my teammate. Each year the competition at Army Ten-Miler seems to get stronger and stronger, so I just wanted to achieve a new PR”, adds Chrisman.
“My best friend and training partner, Caitlin Chrisman, had run the race before and had nothing but positive things to say, so when she asked me if I'd like to run it with her this year I said yes without hesitation. Without knowing it at that time, this would end up being a very special race for the two of us as it was the last race we were able to run together before I moved up to Boston”, stated Meagan Nedlo of Charlotte, N.C., in 10th place with a time of 58:56 ( a personal best).
Nedlo adds, “Caitlin and I looked up some past results the night before and noticed that in recent years it has gotten significantly more competitive. I believe I could've won or placed in the top three of some previous years' races with my time, but this year I was
fighting for a top 10 spot. I think that says a lot about the quality of the field and the current depth of women's distance running in general”.
“To be honest I hadn't given much thought to time or placement, until around mile 7 when I saw Jordan (coach/boyfriend) on the course and he shouted that I was in the top 10. (I think I was actually 11th or 12th at the time, but he was well-intentioned.) At that moment I resolved to not let anyone else pass me so I could hold that top 10 spot. As it happened, I passed two more girls but still ended up finishing 10th”, stated Nedlo.
“This is the first 10 mile race I’ve ever completed. My goal was to run just under 6 minutes per mile and break one hour for the entire race. I’m proud to say that I was successful! I ended up running 59:04...I was so close to breaking 59 minutes, so my goal for next year will have to be to break 59! The Army 10 miler hosts some excellent competition! The top athletes were either Ethiopian or Kenyan (runners renowned for their endurance and speed). The superb competition offered at the race was one of the primary reasons I was interested in competing in it”, stated Sara Petrick of Apollo Beach, Fla. (University of Florida).
Petrick continues, “I often feel I have something special to share with others through my running. I know that I am very fortunate to be able to run as there are several others who can’t do so. This actually reminds of a moment in the Army 10 miler when I passed a double amputee on artificial legs...I normally don’t talk during races in order to conserve energy, but I was so touched by his strength and courage that I voiced a surprisingly loud, “Great job...keep it up!” The mood was infectious and other runners around me started to voice (between deep and labored breathing) their encouragement as well! It was a very special memory that I have of the race.”
Petrick comments on place versus time, “Some races offer prize money to the top male and female athletes; in these types of races, placement is often more important than time. However, in other races, I may be more focused on time. For example, last year, I set a goal to break 2:46 in the marathon in order to qualify for the Olympic Trials. I eventually did qualify at the Houston marathon running 2:45:23. In that race, I didn’t care at all about what place I was in...my only concern was whether I was at or under the pace needed to qualify. In the Army Ten-Miler, I made both a time and place goal. As I mentioned earlier, one of my goals going into the race was to break one hour”.
“My coach, Jerry Alexander of Georgetown Running Company, suggested this race to me. I usually race between 5 and 10k, and we thought this would be a great opportunity for me to try something longer. The level of competition at ATM was excellent! I had plenty of people to run with during the race. I go into every race with a set of goals, but I also try to enjoy the experience. At ATM this year, the enthusiasm of the crowd made it a really fun race”, stated Anna Holt-Gosselin finishing in 59:31 (13th place).
“This race was definitely a challenging one for me. Mainly because within the first mile I felt like it was not a good race day for me. My body was not feeling 100%, which eventually lead to my mind not being 100% on my side. I just felt flat from the
beginning, which was probably to be expected with me racing it in the middle of my marathon training. Early on I fell off my pace and our pack broke up a bit, which was frustrating. My negative thinking about how I was performing and feeling got the best of me at times, but around mile 7 I started to feel a little more 'together' and picked myself up mentally to finish with negative splits for the last 5k. This felt pretty good in retrospect because I was able work hard through some negative thinking and start racing the last 3/4 of the race. I learned that sometimes your mind is stronger than your body and when you put it to good use it can strengthen your body. This was a great learning experience for me bbecause I know I am not going to feel 100% at every race”, stated Kate Dart of Team Georgetown Running Company (GRC) finishing in 1:01:44 (19th place).
Dart continues,”The competition, hard work, inner strength and determination are what motivate me to race. I am also motivated by constantly wanting to challenge myself and try to improve. Another big motivation is the running community in this area that keeps me coming back for more runs and races. I selected ATM bbecause it is a large local, competitive race. It is also a really great race bbecause it acknowledges our military - seeing them out there running or volunteering is very encouraging.
“My goal was to remain comfortable and steady for the first five miles and then to slowly build the last five miles. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a great day, so the race wasn’t executed as planned. The Army Ten-Miler always has great competition. I was in a really nice place this year, having three of my teammates (with the Georgetown Running Company) racing with me, so I knew that I would have some great competition and support from them,” stated Susan Hendrick finishing in 1:04:23.
“I didn’t perform nearly as well as I wanted, so I faced a lot of mental challenges on that particular day. No matter how any race day plays out, there were some great lessons learned, and it just feeds the fire for the next race. I love the Army Ten-Miler. I did it once when I was in high school and have been fascinated by it ever since. In my mind, it is the epitome of a great D.C. road race, with so much hometown support. Also, the course is flat and fast – and there is always competition,” Hendrick add.
“It was inspiring to look ahead and see thousands of heads bobbing along the course, all with one common goal - make it to the finish, as fast as possible! More inspiring still were the moments I caught sight of wounded veterans running on prosthetic legs or hand cranking their way alongside the masses, most of whom were clapping and cheering while fighting tears at the strength of these warriors' courage”, stated Megan Finck of Washington finishing in 1:32:18 (net time).
Finck continues, “As expected, I didn't PR at the race. However, I did beat my most recent 10-miler time by two minutes, and I felt strong at the finish. I also finished within the top 25% of all females who raced that day, which I count as a personal victory. Given that I was an obese child/teenager and ran my first complete mile as a freshman in college, I continue to be amazed by the achievements I've been able to accomplish over the past few years as I've become increasingly enthralled with running. It's truly been one
of the best discoveries of my adult life, and I look forward to many great races - the likes of ATM - that lie ahead. Looks like next year I'll be setting my alarm for midnight of registration day”.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Last Upcoming Races for 2011
Like I said in my last update, I've made a few adjustments in my training. I have 3 races left for the 2011 year and we'll see if the training adjustment will come to fruition. Regardless of the outcome of these final 3 races, 2011 has been a great year. I've seen improvement like never before and I've been able to increase the training load from years past. I've adopted some of the training that Renato Canova has his athletes focused on which is progression runs. I've been doing that for my hard days as well as my easy days. I might start my recovery run at 7:30 pace, but by the end of the run I'm going to try and hit my marathon race pace for the final mile, two, or three. Below is what I've done since my last update:
Sunday, 10/16 - Endurance Run with Chris Barnicle (21 miles total), Ran 45 minutes easy in the evening
Monday, 10/17 - Easy run for 90 minutes (No PM run)
Tuesday, 10/18 - 3 mile w/u, 5 x 2k Bear Creak Loops (6:25 - 6:28), 2.5 cool down - (Jack Quinn's run in the PM)
Wednesday, 10/19 - 80 minutes at Woodland Park w/ Chirlee, 40 minutes easy in the PM
Thursday, 10/20 - 80 minutes very easy on the Monument Valley Trail (No PM run)
Friday, 10/21 - 3.5 mile w/u, 3 x 2 mile repeats (9:58, 10:01, 10:19), 2 x 1 mile (5:15, 5:05), 3.5 mile c/d
(45 minutes in the PM)
Saturday, 10/22 - 1 hour 50 minutes easy on the Monument Valley Trail
Week Mileage: 121 Miles
Unfortunately, I will be no longer be with the Army WCAP program effective November 4th. It was a great opportunity and a great experience. Their standard for me was to break 1:05 for the half marathon or 2:22 for the marathon. When I ran my 1:05:32 half marathon back in June, my coach at the time, informed me that it was an equivalent standard. I knew I still needed to run under 1:05 for a half or 2:19 for a full to get the Marathon Olympic Trials standard, but in terms of WCAP, I thought I was good to go. A week before the Philadelphia Half Marathon in September, I was informed that I had to break 1:05 or I would be off the program. Not sure if it was a lack of training or just mental, perhaps both, but I ended up running over 30 seconds slower in Philly than I did in Seattle.
It's unfortunate that the people who govern WCAP are not distance runners. When I had entered the program back in July 2010, my personal best for the half marathon was 1:09:39 and I've lowered that time by over 4 minutes. In basically less than a month's time as well, as I was out for 3 months last year due to a random disease (Rickettsia Typhii) that I ended up getting while traveling to the 2010 Army 10-Miler.
After the 2011 Army 10-Miler, I've been able to hit the reset button a little bit, not focus on running for WCAP, and just focus on what is best for me. Here are my last upcoming races for the 2011 year:
Training in Colorado Springs has been great and I'm excited that I'll be here for at least another year until I have to attend the Military Intelligence Captain's Career Course in Fort Huachuca, AZ starting November 2012. After that, Christie and I are hoping to relocate back to Colorado, possibly even Colorado Springs. I'm hoping that training for the 2016 Olympics will be much better in the sense that I'll have a consistent group of people to train with. Below is a video I just saw recently of the Hansons-Brooks training video for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. I've heard mixed reviews about running for Hanson's, but I think it would be a perfect fit for me if only this group would be at altitude.
Plus I wish I had moves like this dude!
Monday, October 17, 2011
October - Army 10 Miler
I've made a few adjustments in the past few weeks with my training and I believe that I am starting to feel the benefits. I'm finishing workouts feeling strong and in control. It hasn't paid off in any races yet, but I believe I need to simply have patience and the improvements in racing will come. My races haven't been necessarily bad, but I guess like all competitive athletes, we just want more from ourselves.
October has been a pretty good month of training thus far. I've been able to train consistently with some of the guys from WCAP in speed workouts such as Robert, Augustus and John. In addition to training with these great athletes, I've been able to do endurance workouts and progression runs with some athletes from the American Distance Project, including Tommy and Chris.
Although training started picking back up from after my calf strain in August, I can definitely tell that I had lost a step or two in my stride. Although September and October thus far have been two great months of training, both races I've done in these months have not gone as I had planned. The half marathon in Philly was a pretty big disappoint although it was my 2nd fastest half marathon I've ever run. My goal heading into the race was to improve upon my 1:05:32 in which I had run in Seattle and maintain 4:57 per mile pace for a sub-1:05. I started falling off pace as early as 8 miles and although I went through 10 miles in a PR of 49:56, I was only able to manage 5:06 pace in the last 8 kilometers. I'm hoping that the increase in long runs of 16-24 miles will help build the strength that I am lacking for late in these races. Regardless, I'm happy with the improvement I've made in 2011 in the half marathon:
2011 Half Marathons:
January, US Half Marathon Championships: 1:09:01
April, Half Marathon in Rotterdam: 1:07:53
June, Seattle RnR Half Marathon: 1:05:32
September, Philly RnR Half Marathon: 1:06:09
It was basically the same story, different distance in the Army 10 Miler. Thankfully, we were still able to win the team title for the 2nd straight year against the Brazilians. I felt strong at 8k 24:35, but shortly after I went through the 10k in 30:46, I started to fall off pace. I don't know if I start to get lazy towards the latter half of a race or if I'm just putting that type of work in during practice. Hopefully the training I'm doing now will help fix this issue for the coming races in November and December.
I'm currently training for the Santa Barbara International Half Marathon on November 12th. I plan on going into that race with relatively high mileage the week before so when I go into the California International Marathon on December 4th with fresh legs, I'll feel that much better.
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October 2011
(Week before the Army 10-miler)
10/2: 14 mile recovery run with Robert and Augustus (1:37:08)
10/3: 12 miles easy + 5 x 100m strides
10/4: 3 1/2 mile warm up, 8 x 800m repeats (2:22 - 2:26), 2 mile cool down
PM: 5 1/2 miles easy in the evening (40:12)
10/5: 11.5 miles easy in 1:22:08
10/6: 8.5 miles easy in 1:02:41 on the Monument Valley Trail
10/7: Flew into Washington D.C. for the Army 10 Miler
PM: 6 miles easy with Robert, Augustus and John in 45:12
10/8: Pre race-day jog - 5 miles easy with the All-Army Team in Washington D.C. + 5 x 15 second striders
72 miles for the week
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10/9: Army 10 Miler in 50:20 (14th place overall) + 3 mile w/u and 3 mile c/d
10/10: AUSA Conference - Took the day off
10/11: Flew back to Colorado Springs in the morning
PM: 14 miles in 1:30:01 on the monument valley trail
10/12: 16.2 mile endurance run (1:45:39)
PM: 7 miles easy in evening
10/13: 2.5 mile warm up, 8 mile progression run with Augustus (5:52, 5:42, 5:31, 5:28, 5:27, 5:12, 5:13, 5:22 - averaged 5:28) 2.5 mile cool down
PM: 5 1/2 miles in the evening easy
10/14: Ran 13.3 miles with Christie on a hilly course around our apartment up by Blodget Peak
10/15: Ran 14.6 miles easy on the monument valley trail in 1:34:45
100 miles for the week
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