If the Shoe Fits

The Eden Medical Center Run to the Lake is the first race in which I won a medal in the Bay Area. Seventeen years earlier I had begun to place in my age group and was training for a 34 minute 10K. My big race was in Rhode Island, and I ran a fast first mile before succumbing to a severe side stitch and not finishing the race. Soon after I moved to San Antonio, met my wife, and over the years moved to Boston and then to the Bay Area. I ran casually during that time but didn't return to competitive running until my terrible finish at the 2000 Tilden Tough Ten (see Above the Clouds, May 2008) and later in the summer of 2003.

I resumed consistent running the following January and entered races to motivate me. My times were respectable and showed steady improvement. Finally I placed second in the M35-39 age group at the Run to the Lake, a fortunate finish since my 42:40 wouldn't have placed me in the M40-45 age group. I was so encouraged that I entered the San Francisco Marathon three weeks later and barely qualified for the Boston Marathon.

The Run to the Lake has many of the characteristics of a big race even though it's mostly local. The medals are the best I've seen for a smaller race, with different designs that match the t-shirts every year. RhodyCo manages the race, so it's well organized with mile markers and water stations. The event also features a large post-race expo that rivals those of larger events.


Today's weather is unusually cool, and I decide not to wear sunglasses for the first time at this race. My bigger decision is which shoes to wear. I feel that my racing shoes have lost their bounce, and had hoped to replace them. I bought the Adistar Competition last year, but since have learned that manufacturer, Adidas, no longer makes them. I'll have to go to Transports for a fitting.

I haven't had a chance to visit the store, so I'm considering wearing a pair of Adidas Rotterdam shoes, which are two ounces heavier than my usual race shoes. I wore the Rotterdams for the Napa Valley Marathon in March and haven't worn them since.

I've worn Adidas almost exclusively over the last four years. The only exception is a pair of Solomon trail shoes that I received for running the Pacific Shoreline Marathon--a great and discontinued premium for all finishers--that I wear for the Lack Chabot Trail Challenge half marathon. I tried a couple of other brands, but quickly developed blisters and scrapes. After wearing out a pair of Adidas, I went to a running store for a fitting. I tried several pairs and found that the Adidas Boston Classic was the best training shoe for me. Like Coke Classic, Adidas has decided to keep making the Boston Classic without changing them. This is good for me because I go through eight pairs a year. Last year I bought racing shoes for the first time, and after trying a few brands at Transports, purchased the Adistar.

After arriving at the race, I test the Rotterdams by running a couple of miles. They seem fine, but the left shoe is tight. I take the sole insert from my lightweight racing shoes and substitute it for the Rotterdam's and voila, it feels great.

The race begins with a steady climb up Lake Chabot Road. I look around me and only see Mark Ramirez (M52) near my age group. Mark finished ahead of me at the Devil Mountain 10K (see Guy on a Bike, May 2008), but he's running behind me. When we reach Lake Chabot the 5K runners continue straight ahead while those of us running the 10K make a right turn. After the turn I notice that everyone over 30 has gone straight ahead, so it's just me and a few high school runners.

The course gets more interesting. We run by the marina where it's flat near the shore. Then we take the paved path that ends the Lake Chabot Trail Challenge half marathon in the opposite direction. The path has rolling hills, and then we climb a gravel path in a gut-busting surge away from the lake to the road high above. A right turn takes us to the turnaround.

I'm chasing Derrick Thomas, a 17-year-old from San Leandro. Toward the fifth mile we're running down Lake Chabot Road, one of my favorite stretches in road racing. This is the reward for pushing on the first half of the race and the hills around the lake. On our right the 5K walkers encourage us. A small girl is zigzagging through the orange cones separating the 5K and 10K races. I barely avoid colliding with her, and her mother shouts at her to stay to the right.

I pass Derrick and hold the lead for a few seconds, but then he responds and reclaims the lead. He finishes seven seconds ahead of my time of 38:56. I run 21 seconds slower than last year, but still win my age group (M40-44) and finish seventh overall. The oldest runner who finishes ahead of me is 23, my buddy Brian Collete.

My bounty for winning includes two identical first-place medals, one for my age group and one for being the first masters (40 and over) runner. I also receive a box of 15 Powerbar Nut Naturals.

The shoe experiment went well, but I'm curious how well the shoes will work if I use them at the San Francisco Marathon half marathon in a few weeks.