Among my big goals last year, was to set the American record for the 25K road race at the Amway Riverbank Run in Grand Rapids, MI. The other two were to win the overall age division at the USATF Master Grand Prix, and to run a sub 3. I got two of the three, but fell short at the Chicago Marathon in October.
Finishing last year’s Riverbank Run
This Was Not Supposed to be a Rebound Race
Although I did get the record at the Riverbank Run (by a full minute) it wasn’t a perfect day, with temperatures in the 60s, and I took a hard fall in the 2nd mile when another runner clipped my heel. I ran 1:40:39, and felt that I might have another minute with better conditions and no mishaps along the way. So last fall when I got a complimentary entry for winning my age group, I signed up immediately.
Everything training-wise was on track through March but at the end of the month I decided to try a new training system. The thought was that I could use the extra input from a professional coach instead of relying my own methods, which have worked but maybe I could squeeze out a little more. The results were less than perfect, three weeks into the program I felt overtrained and tweaked my hamstring. I was pretty disappointed to miss the USATF 10K championships at the end of April.
Fortunately, I healed up quickly and was only out for a week, and was able to cross train through most of it. Hopefully I didn’t miss much. However, I did feel off with the reduction in mileage and uncertainty of whether I would even be able to line up in Grand Rapids.
Travel Deja Vu
The logistics of this trip was almost a carbon copy to last year. We traveled on Thursday evening, which turned into Thursday night and just like last year the flight was delayed a couple of hours. We got into Grand Rapids after midnight and didn’t get to the hotel until well after 1 am. That wasn’t ideal, and I slept poorly, maybe getting 5 hours in before awakening.
We scouted the course in the morning, and I did a short shakeout run starting at John Ball Park, near the 3 mile point, and then visited the Lake Michigan shoreline at a county park about 45 minutes away.
Lake Michigan from Rosy Mound Natural Area
Wooded sand dunes at Rosy Mound Natural Area
We were really boring and even ate at the same restaurant that we did last year. It had good food, friendly service, and it was close to the hotel, so why not?
Even though I was tired all day, and wasn’t sure how much fitness I had lost over the past couple of weeks, I was encouraged by the weather which promised to have near perfect temperatures, with some wind. I set out to break 1:40 and to run a string of sub 20 minute 5Ks to accomplish that. The plan was go out and hold the pace for as long as I could.
Race Day
Fortunately, I slept well, as well as possible on the night of a big race, but did wake up frequently in the early morning hours.
The morning was cool and cloudy, threatening some rain which never really materialized, but it was also breezy with steady 7-12 mph winds coming from the northwest, and stronger gusts here and there–especially in the downtown area along the river and between the tall buildings.
I took an easy warm up, but it was intermittent because downtown was so crowded. Spent some minutes looking for the gear drop area, which I didn’t find (note to self–read the map/instructions even if you have been to the race before). So I ditched my gear bag under a bush near the finish. Jogged to the start area, and was shocked that we had just 2.5 minutes to start! (note to self, check your watch!)
It had started misting about 10 minutes before our start so I kept my arm warmers and gloves on. I wasn’t sure what the race would be like and hoped it wouldn’t rain the entire way.
In the days and hours before the race I was excited but more tempered than last year. I felt less pressure, like there was nothing to lose, but also less tested and unsure about my fitness. In 2023 I had already put up some good numbers by May topped of with a 92% age grade at the USATF masters 10 mile the previous month. This time I had not raced in 8 weeks, and was coming off a dinged hamstring which compromised training. Overall I was less psyched, but the day was good so I was ready to stick to the plan of sub 20 5Ks.
The Race
We were off and I found a groove and space right away. After that quick first turn onto the downhill toward the river, I checked my watch, which read 6:10 pace. So I let up a little. By a half mile I could tell the arm warmers wouldn’t be necessary so I pulled them off, and tossed them to Tamara, who was standing just short of the mile marker. Split 6:20 for mile 1. A little quick but with the net downhill, it was right on and I felt decent.
I found my pace in miles 2 and 3, and only checked splits at the mile markers. We ran by John Ball Park, where I did the shakeout on Friday, and I found the 5K marker on the road. Took my split there, which was 19:57, so right on. The effort felt typical for when I travel to sea level–fast (borderline too fast) but intuitively sustainable.
As we headed west out of the park and residential area to the more rural Butterworth Road I could see a large pack of 50 or so runners strung out some 20-40 seconds ahead, while I was more in a no-man’s land with a runner or two here and there, spaced 5 or 10 seconds apart. On the first hill (about 3.5 miles in) a couple groups of runners went by–I ran with them for a bit but, their pace seemed faster like low 6:20s instead of mid 6:20s. I did not want to flame out at 15K and chose to keep the effort even. With a headwind, this was the more conservative choice. On the top of the first hill a bystander said we were about in 100th place. (Looking back my guess was somewhere around 105th or 110th).
Still feeling fresh near mile 3 of the Riverbank Run.
The fifth mile had another long hill and a few rollers but the effort did not feel bad. Then we made a turn to the SW for a few miles with some long downhills. 10K split was 39:55. I guy who seemed to be close to my age pulled up and drafted off me for a bit, I dropped back and we ran side by side for a couple of miles. At an aid station at 8 miles I slowed to get my gel and he gapped me. Pulling away a few seconds a mile. Oh well.
I felt I was on that edge and we were barely half way into the race. Just before 9 miles we crossed the Grand River, going through a scream tunnel of sort. A local high school cheerleading squad. They had a lot of spirit was the noisiest part of the course.
Turning left on to the park drive it was quite the opposite. No fans, just quiet. Here y0u had to watch your footing. The road was fairly narrow and crowned, with a rumble strip in the middle, and it had lots of patched roadwork. Footing was best on toward middle the either side of the rumble strip. This is a nice stretch, it’s nearly flat, but its also a bit lonely. Crossed 15K in 59:44 and for the first time I felt decent about possibly breaking 1:40. I just needed to run 40:15 for 10K.
I passed one or two runners here, and maybe two or three passed me. The masters runner who had gone by was a good 20-30 seconds up. Still in the park at 20K, passed that maker in 1:19:49, so losing out on my little sub-goal of running each 5K split under 20. Mentally the 15-20K stretch is the most difficult part of the race. I was also feeling it physically and just tried to focus on little landmarks a minute or two ahead. Focus on that point, reach it, find another, repeat. Just after 20K we run back onto the newly paved road that leads into the city. It’s wide and smooth, much better footing and you can focus a bit more on pace and effort and think less ab0ut the surface.
They had a timing mat at the half, and I while I was feeling the pace it also felt sustainable. I could hold this for 2 more miles and still have a kick at the end. I passed a runner and encouraged him. A half mile later he came back and encouraged me. I mentioned that I was aiming for the record and he said “let’s do this!” and we ran together heading into the city. With about a mile to go there is a hill that climbs some 60 feet over a third of a mile, I anticipated it and ran within myself. My (right) hamstring started to cramp a bit (note the left was the one that acted up a couple weeks before), so I had to ease my pace until we made the turn and headed down. The tightness dissipated on the flat and down, but now we were running into a stiff headwind. I held on as best I could as my compatriot pulled away. So I was back on my own. However, I was able to increase my cadence and lengthen my stride as we wound through some twists and turns. I knew I had the record and was fairly certain I’d be under my goal of 1:40. Tamara was cheering at a corner, about 400 m from the finish and that also gave a boost.
Crossed the line in 1:39:50, running that last half mile or so at 6:12/mile pace. And that extra effort is what kept me under 1:40. A new American record!
After the race!
rrunnin234 