2012 Running of the Bulls 8k: A Tale of Two Races

looking Smurf-tastic at this year's Running of the Bulls

I just read over my 2011 Running of the Bulls 8k  race report and two things stuck out in my mind about that race: I enjoyed the race immensely and it was a turning point in the way I ran.  Sometime shortly after completing the the 2011 Running of the Bulls, I realized that I was half-assing it in races and I need to run all out or not run at all.  Following the race, I lost most of the summer to a sever flu and the onset of Asthma, which stemmed from it.  After regaining my health and learning how to manage my Asthma, I began training for a series of half Marathons, and with the lessens that I learned following last years Running of the Bulls 8k, I have managed to break nearly all of my PR's from 2011 (the one exception being the 10k, which would have also fallen if not for a course measurement error).  The 2011 Race taught me that I would never be happy with myself if I ran a race afraid to give it my all.

When I began signing up for spring races this year, the Running of the Bulls 8k was the one race that I knew I wanted to run.  Not only did I want to run it, but I wanted to Monster it.  In a many ways it became my goal race for the spring.  Running it, was more important to me than running any of the Half Marathons for which I had registered.  I think that I was among the first 5 people to sign up for the race, and I had literally been checking the website for days in advance waiting for the registration to open up.  I ran The half Marathon in Pittsburgh on May 6th, then left the rest of the weekends open to recover an prepare for the Running of the Bulls on June 2.  At Pittsburgh, I had a blast on the course interacting with the crowd, which made the experience that much more fun, so despite my desire to crush the Running of the Bulls, I also wanted to have fun with the race.  Luckily, I was able to do both.

Last Year: I'm in orange and half-assing it.

 

The Race:

This year just past the two mile mark.

I kept the importance of this race to myself for the most part. I just spoke about how much I enjoyed it last year, how it is so well organized, that the 8k is my favorite distance, and that the course and volunteers are awesome.  Last year, Hiroko could not attend the race, but her co-worker and his son had also run the race and enjoyed it as well, which made Hiroko want to attend this year all the more.  Because to her pregnancy, Hiro opted not to run, since she has only run in one 8k in the past.  I didn't set any time goals for the race, nor did I bother to look up my 8k PR before I left home.  I had already made up my mind as to how I was going to run the race.  I didn't want go out like a mad man and blow up by the third mile, but I wanted to feel the hurt through this race and push past it.  I wanted to run the race on the edge and not hold back.

Mile 1:  The first mile begins on an up hill (that I didn't remember being steep, but my memory must have been foggy) then turns on to a straight nearly flat stretch of Main St. right through the heart of Downtown Durham before turning into a residential area .  I ran up it hard, waved to Hiroko as I passed her, but was having some breathing issues as I made the first turn.  I was able to get my breathing under control and even out my pace before we turned into the residential area. Mile 1 in 2011 -- 9:24, Mile 1 in 2012 -- 8:25.

Mile 2:  The second mile is in residential areas, it has a nice downhill then an uphill and turn before ending at the first water stop right in the middle of the hill and next to the old Durham Balls Athletic Park where the film Bull Durham was shot and which we run through to the finish line at 3rd base.  I was feeling good at this point of the race but was pushing my pace to a point where I wasn't comfortable with my ability to maintain this speed for the duration of the race.  The downhill was welcome, but instead of slacking, I forced myself to push the issue and continue running strong into the hill.  I passed through the water stop without getting anything.  The weather was perfect: cool with a light breeze.  I didn't need water and could see both a brightly clad group of supporters and Hiroko just ahead.  So, rather than slow down I continued to push my way up the hill.  Mile 2 in 2011 -- 8:53, Mile 2 in 2012 -- 8:15.

Great Supporters!

lululemon athletica Durham

Mile 3:  The third mile begins in the midst of a hill the turns onto another flat straight downtown road that eventually turns into a small but steep hill before turning left and into a long down hill that leads to the new Durham Balls Athletic Park and the Historic Tobacco District.  Last year, I struggled a bit in this portion of the course, so I wanted to keep my focus this year.  I was running well and had no issues as I made my way toward the small hill before the turn and downhill.  I kept my pace well on the hill and forced my legs to keep churning on the downhill despite a burning sensation in my quads from the climb.  As I made my way to the DBAP, I remembered that I felt like the wheels came off of last year's race right at the Three mile mark.  Mile 3 in 2011-- 9:19, Mile 3 in 2012 -- 8:29.

Mile 4: The fourth mile goes up a long slow gradual incline before snaking its way through a couple of parallel streets along the railroad tracks and leading back to Main St.  Last year, I lost my focus during this portion of the course and took this portion of the course way too easy.  I was determined not to do the same this year.  I kept pushing hard and was beginning to struggle with my pace.  Just before the four mile mark I decided to go all in and keep pushing, I didn't feel like I was going to puke or pass out, so there was no reason to back down.  I could fell a swell determination fill me up.  I could tell that this was the point in most races where I back off and play it safe, but I wasn't going to back down today.  Mile 4 in 2011-- 9:30, Mile 4 in 2012 -- 8:31

Near the 4.6 Mile mark

Hiroko and I following the race.

Mile 5:  The fifth mile (or .99 to be exact) went back down Main street then turned down the hill we had climbed at the beginning of the third mile before turning on to another downhill that led into the baseball stadium in right field, along the outfield warning track then down the left field foul territory to the finish at third base.  I began to pick up my pace even more as we turned onto Main Street again.  I had run the last four miles just the way that I wanted to going into the race. and I wasn't going to waste it now.  My chest and right side began to tighten and I could feel a side stitch beginning to form but chose to keep pushing. As we turned onto Morris Street leading back to the old DBAP and the finish, some people in cars stuck in traffic began to angrily honk there horns at the runners and police officer that was holding traffic.  I turned to them and waved my arms and yelled. "thank you for your support!"  This amused both the officer and the runners around me, but it also seem to work out the side stitch as well.  I continued to pick up my pace, collected a few high 5's from the brightly clad cheer girls that we had passed on our way of the hill at the two mile mark, waved to Hiroko as I passed her, and turned towards the stadium.  I began a head long sprint once I got in the outfield, but had to ease up a bit as not to lose my footing on the loose gravel warning track as I made the turns in the outfield.  I was breathing heavily and incapable of sprinting any more by the time I crossed the finish.  Mile 5 in 2011-- 8:22, Mile 5 in 2012 -- 7:40. I had done it!  I ran the race a close to the edge as I could and had crushed both last years time of 45:08 and my 8k PR of 42:58 with a time of 41:21.

The Race was awesome!  Well organized, perfect weather, and a result that I am very pleased about.  I can't wait to run it again next year.  I would like thank the Bull City Running Company for putting on yet another great race!  The Running of the Bulls 8k will always be a race that I have a great deal of fondness because of the lessons I've learned while running it. 

 

Running of the Bulls 8k: Race Report 6/18

I registered for this race on a whim after running the Komen 5k on the 11th.  Before the Komen, I hadn't run a race in nearly two months and afterward I realized how much I missed running in races.  I had seen the Running of the Bulls 8k listed and had given it some thought, but decided against it because Hiroko wouldn't be able to go because of work and because the fact that it was in Durham -- about a 40 minute drive from where I live.  Honestly, 40 minutes isn't that far, but I have never gone more than 15 minutes for any of my races (except the 8k in Hawaii, but even that one was only 10 minutes from our hotel), and basically Durham is one of those place that always seem farther away in my mind than what it is in reality. But, after a hectic start to my week and continuing to jones for a race,  on Wednesday I decided to register. 

The race was being held in the historic and revitalized areas of downtown Durham, including the American Tobacco Historic district, the new Durham Bulls Athletic Park  and finish with a lap of the warning track inside the old Durham Athletic Park where the film Bull Durham was filmed.  This area of Durham also happens to be the only part of Durham that I know anything about.  So, I knew that the course would have some hills, but I didn't think that the hills would be as difficult as the Komen's hills. So, Friday night Hiro and I trekked to the The Bull City Running Companyfor the packet pick up before we headed out to Chapel Hill for dinner.  

Race Day:

I got up at around 5am to give myself plenty of time to make the 7:15 start.  I left the house with plenty of time and didn't figure to hit any traffic.  However, I was dead wrong.  Just outside of Durham there was some kind of road work going on that had traffic at a stand still.  Since, I didn't know the area at all, I waited it out rather than try to take and alternate route and risk getting lost.  I should have gotten to the race with about thirty minutes to spare, but I ended up parking my car at 7am and still needing to find the starting line.  I was only about a half mile away, which I used as a warm up.  Once I got to the start, I couldn't find any port-a-johns set up, which I though was odd.  However, I quickly realized that we were allowed to use the restrooms a the Durham Farmer's Market, which was near the starting line.  After returning from the bathroom, I noticed that everyone was moving towards the starting line for the beginning of the race and I would be stuck near the rear of the field of over 700 runners.  But, I figured that I could use this as a way of keeping myself from going out too fast and decided to just deal with it.

The Start of the Running of the Bulls 8K

Mile 1:

On my way to the race, there were just tons of crap songs on the radio, and I was just ecstatic that not one of them had managed to lodge itself into my head.  It took me 36 seconds to get through the start, there were just tons of people in front of me, and the course start on a hill, but I was just happy to have made it to the race on time and decided to just focus on the race ahead.  After the initial hill, which lasted about a quarter mile, the rest of the first mile was fairly flat and I spent it trying to make my way through the pack without getting boxed in or expending too much energy weaving around people.  The first mile felt really slow, and it was when compared to the first mile of nearly all of my other 8 or 5k's, but I think that it was more in line with where I should have been on those other races.  I did the first mile in 9:24.

Mile 2: 



One of the many awesome people that
helped with the Running of the Bulls 8K

 The volunteers at this race were really awesome!  They had
the course marked of extremely well, had people at nearly every major intersection and turn, and all of these volunteers had cowbells, which they rang with great zeal.  Honestly, this was one of the most organized races that I have run.   During the second mile the folks with the cowbells helped me out a great deal and gave me something to focus upon other than the hill at the end of the second mile.  As I passed on person, I couldn't resist the temptation to do my best Christopher Walken and demand "more cow bell!" Overall, I was feeling fairly good after this mile, and I tried to think of the rest of the race in terms of a 5k.  I did Mile two in 8:54.

Miles 3 & 4:

I'm not sure where things started to go a little sideways for me in this race, but it was in these two miles, so I'll deal with them together.  Mile 2 had ended with a water station, which I never handle well.  I fumble with cups, never stop to drink, and always fill like crap for about 30 seconds after drinking.  I came out of this one the same as always.  I went right into a hill, but again was able to focus on bell ringers rather than the hill.  Still I could feel myself beginning to struggle as we made or way along a flat stretch towards another hill.  My confidence began to waver partially because I didn't know the course and how many more hills we were in for or where they were, but there was something else going on too.  I wasn't willing to hurt.  I was running alright, but I was holding back and not willing to dig.  I ended up running a fairly complacent third mile, and only ran it as fast as I did because of a large downhill portion.  I ran it in 9:19.  I kind of began to realize that I had more in the tank and needed to work harder towards the end of the mile.  The fourth mile began with slow deceptive incline that caused a lot of people around me to begin grousing about.  This portion is where I really seemed to needlessly lose time.  I should have pushed harder to cover this portion of the course faster.  I had even picked up my pace at the end of the third mile, but backed off allowed the complaining of the people around me to give myself an excuse to not push.  After getting through this slow portion of the course, I forced myself to pick up my pace.  I was irritated with myself for not running hard and decided that I would attack the last mile of the course.  I was able to salvage the second half of mile four and do it in 9:31, which would be my slowest mile of the day.

 Mile 5:

Running.  For the first time in this race I begin to run.  I don't know what is ahead of me but I am beginning to pick up my pace.  I got really confused and thought that we were covering a different part of the course and that we had one more hill or I would have pushed even harder than I did.  Regardless, for me, I am steamrolling through this mile.  The fastest mile I had done in a race since I got Old Bob is 8:03 at the NHL All Star 5k's first mile.  That consisted of a major downhill that I exploited and still destroyed me for the rest of the race.  This mile did have a downhill to it, but it was nothing to right home about and I was already attacking and pick people off well before the downhill.  By the time I entered the stadium, I was committed to legging it out to the end.   As soon as stepped 

I am the orange speck in the back of this picture, but the guy wearing 669 finished four people behind me.

out onto the field I went into an all out head long sprint and tried to pass as many of the people in front of me as I could.  I sprinted all the way across the warning track of the out field, made the turn and at the left field foul line and headed for the finish, which was set up somewhere between third base and home plate.   

Looking for the finish line.

Conclusions:

Crossing the finish

I did the last mile in 8:00 minutes flat, which makes it the fastest mile I have done in a race since I got my Garmin and tells me that I needed to push harder in this race.  I have been reluctant to test my limits in my last few races and have stayed in my comfort zone.  If I am going to run scared, I need to just save myself the registration fee.  I run races to test myself and to gauge my improvement as a runner, and you can't measure your improvement if you are only looking how you run at 80% of your ability.  I finished the race with a chip time of 45:08, but took no risks.  I had a great time at the race and am starting to realize my mistakes, so I count it as a huge success.  But, this race will be an even greater success if I can force myself to run harder at my next race rather than sit back and run complacently like I did in this race until the last mile.  

***I want to give a huge shout out to Anthony at Running Down for letting me gaffle his photos for this post.  I really appreciate it!***