Tag Archive: Hudepohl
Hudy 14k: Some Sort of Race Report
So Saturday, September 20, 2014 I ran the Hudepohl 14k. This is one of the funnest races on my calendar – so fun I paid for the 2015 race already!
The course
The course is an easy course, which is hard to do given the hills in Cincinnati. The first 3.3 miles (or so) are nearly flat, and there is a slight hill coming back into Over-the-Rhine via Harrison. After the loop, there is a major hill up Brighton Bridge (ending around mile 4.5). That hill is short but steep. The last hill is Liberty Street hill, and all of us Brew Hogs know that hill well, as it is on both the Hudepohl 14k and the Bockfest 5k. There is a little bit of a hill towards the end coming from the intersection of Pete Rose Way and Eggleston to the finish line on Mehring.
Marked along the course are the location of several breweries that were once in Cincinnati – some still existing, but many are ghosts of prohibition, which killed the brewing industry in the city.
The course is well monitored by volunteers that make sure that we don’t get turned incorrectly at the 7K/14K split (which is very early on). This event is put on by same group that organizes the Flying Pig Marathon, and they know how to put on great events.
My performance on the course was pretty awesome. I maintained a reasonably consistent speed (consistent meaning that there wasn’t a lot of speeding up and slowing down), and I negative split the race. Of course, with Endomondo (or any other program), the first mile seems a lot longer because I started the timer when I THOUGHT the gun would sound, and I was a little bit off. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was running near a six-pack (see the website) of convicts and suspects including Lindsay Lohan, Ray Rice, and Adrian Peterson (complete with a switch) and my dislike for black eyes and busted bums! 🙂
One thing that really shocked me was when I actually looked at Endomondo, I told me I had 6 trophies for best distances/times. I’m pretty shocked I could get my best 12 minute, best 1 hour, best 3k, best 3 mi, best 5k, and best 10k all in one race, but I’m certainly not complaining and it FELT that good while I was running.
The Weather
Partly sunny, low 60s at the start, upper 60s at the end. No rain, roads dry. Wind was light.
Fueling Strategy
Everyone talks about fueling for marathons and half marathons, nobody talks about fueling for a 14k or 15k, although for a lot of runners it is pretty important but not complex. I took two Gatorade Energy Chews around mile 3.5. I didn’t want something as potent as Gu, and truthfully the Energy Chews taste better. That also put me taking the chews just before the second water station, where I ended up with a Gatorade (I wanted water, but I ended up with the green stuff).
Life of the Race and Afterparty
One of the things that makes this race unique is the costume contest. I didn’t take many pictures, but I did take a few.
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- Yes, they’re wearing Lederhosen. This is Oktoberfest in Cincinnati, after all., the second largest in the world.
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- Peach and Luigi.
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- Luigi.
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- Ladies after having run in Dirndls.
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- I ran the 14k near these convicts and suspects for most of the race.
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- Watch time, which was the same as the official time.
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- Reward for a great race!
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- Confirmation I paid in advance for the Bockfest 5k, Little Kings 1 mile, and Hudepohl 14k next year.
The band, Just Add Beer was pretty cool too. I’d post the videos of them, but truthfully my phone does not do them justice. Of course being in a runner’s high, having a beer in me, and them deciding to play Gold On The Ceiling may affect my judgement. Also, one of them was wearing a 7k number and medal.
So the 9:11 min/mi pace was not only a PR for a long race, it was a 10:27 improvement over last year. So I’m pretty pleased with myself.
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620 Miles…
…is how many miles I’ve logged this year. 620.56 to be exact. I love that I have Endomondo to track that for me.
Today was a 9 mile run in preparation for the Hudepohl 14k (this is “Running on Beer”, after all!). The H14k is probably my favorite run. One reason is because it is meant to be fun.
Another two reasons why it is my favorite are that the wimps all run the 7k, and the real runners run the 14k (we lose the 7k runners about 2 miles into the course where they turn back) and the route. The route has many breweries marked (many in places that are no longer breweries or even buildings at this point) and that we get to go through the Dalton Street Tunnel under Union Terminal. Also, there are only two decent hills that are not killers – Brighton Bridge and Liberty Street. These are easy compared to going up Gilbert in the Flying Pig Marathon!
This year I might be prepared a little early, but I’m ramping up mileage because I want to break 1,000 miles this year. I decided on this in June or so, when I only had 418 miles in. With recent increases, I expect I’ll likely break 1,000 miles around Thanksgiving. Also, having a good long run (which will probably be around 10 miles) will put me in a very good position for whatever half marathon I run next year, whether it be the Pig (where my 2:17 is unfinished business because I KNOW I can do better) or something else.
Anyway, below are some pics from last year.
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New Blog: What You’ll Find Here…
…is a lot of stuff about running. And a lot of stuff about beer.
I am a runner. I became a runner at around 30 years old, so a bit late to be any sort of champion, prodigy, or coach. I may never run Boston, I’ll probably never win my age group in a race (unless I’m the only runner in my age group).
Running somewhat caused me to become a better beer drinker. For a few years, the only race I ran was a memorial run in mid-August. After some downright horrid times (by my standards), I decided to actually compete and improve in running. I had one failed attempt where I started to run 9 weeks before the August race and stopped running after the race. The second time I kept going through the winter. The following year, I branched out in terms of races (more on that in a sec). At the same memorial run, I won my class- the “Clydesdale Class” for people heavier than 220 pounds. The following year (we’re up to 2014, BTW), I was no longer eligible to defend my title because my weight had fallen to 216 pounds. I ran a 27:01 5k.
Little Kings Mile. No Cream Ale to be found at the finish, though. Had to ‘settle’ for Hudepohl Amber.
Running into Beer Drinking
When I started branching out in races, I stumbled on the Bockfest 5k. It was a cold day and I knew nothing of the sweetness of bock beer on a chilly spring morning following a great 5k. Later that day, I went out and purchased two 6-packs of Bock Beer (Yuengling Bock and Hudepohl Bock). The spiral of drinking less Yuengling Lager and Budweiser and drinking more craft beers had begun.
Beer Drinking to Beer Exploration
I had, over the course of a handful of months, went from a beer drinker – one who drinks beer – to a beer explorer. I made it a goal to unlock badges in Untappd based on how many unique beers I’ve drank. I realized that my pallet, which at one time was apprehensive of Stone’s Arrogant Bastard Ale because of the text on the back of the bottle, now looked forward to trying different styles of beer and different brewery’s take on those styles. I had attained the level of “I fear no beer”.
…and I’m 23 away from 200…
Fast forward to now, I’m beginning to get into brewing my own beer. I may at some time grow my own hops (growing peppers and carrots in the garden has worked well for me, and hops are much more useful 🙂 ).
“Make your own 6-pack” has quite a ring to it when the bottles in the holder are ones you’ve brewed!
So What Is This Blog About Again?
Beer brewing and running. I’m an expert at neither. I’ll be posting about my experiences – successes and mitsakes.