Family Ties

Encouraged by my decent showing at the corporate challenge on September 16, I decided to run a 5K while visiting my family in St. Louis. It’s the St. Michael’s Day Dash, a race to honor the patron saint of firefighters and police officers. I had no idea that St. Michael held this position, but I suppose that St. Louis looks for the Catholic connection whenever possible. My siblings and I all attended Catholic grade school and high school, and my sister Diane met her husband at a Catholic university. Not until I moved from St. Louis did I realize that most cities don’t have a lot of Catholic schools, and the schools they have are small and relatively insignificant in athletics.

The race’s connection to public safety means that it features an array fire and police icons like fire trucks and a bagpipe ensemble that leads us to the starting line. Maylee would have loved it, but she and Mandy are back in California.

I haven’t run since the 3.5 mile corporate challenge 11 days earlier. Yesterday I ran around the block to test my knee, which responded favorably. I’m not in great shape, but I think I can run under 20 minutes, which would be two minutes slower than the last 5K I ran on July 4. I want to finish in 19:21, which will require the 6:15 pace that I ran the shorter corporate challenge. This course is hilly and has eight turns, whole the corporate challenge is flat with long straightaways.

The start of the race is marked by a race volunteer who had to avoid us like a dodgeball target when he forgot to get out of the starting lane, and then a car that crossed the course 20 feet from the start, missing the lead runners by about five feet. Once we navigate these two hazards, we’re on our way.

I’m somewhere in the top 10 as the race begins, feeling pretty good. About a mile and a half in, a runner catches up to me and I instinctively slow down, so subtly that it’s almost imperceptible.
“Stay with me,” he says. His name is Don Kueneke (M53) of Kirkwood, Mo.

I barely pick up my pace and run alongside. “Nice job,” he says.

It occurs to me that in this relatively small field I have the luck of running not only with a pacer, but also a very supportive one, if only I can keep up with him. I ask him his goal time. He says 18:40, to which I respond that’s probably going to be too fast for me. He replies anything under 19 minutes would be good, and I indicate that we’re on pace for that time. I consider telling him that I’m injured and not in the best of shape, that my PR is under 18 but that was on a flat course, and if my lungs don’t give out my foot might wither, but I’d rather run than talk, and he surely feels the same. I spare him my drama and figure he and I will find out the level of my fitness in about 10 minutes.

We hit the second mile in 12 minutes, comfortably within reach of a 19 minute finish. The third mile has a series of hills, and I take the lead for most of it. I’m going full speed and he’s cruising, so he passes me before the last turn. I finish in 19:10, eighth overall. I would have placed in the top three in any age group other than my own (M40-49) in which I finish fourth. Fortunately for me, the race gives masters awards to the guys in my age group who were ahead of me, and because the race doesn’t allow double-dipping it declares me as the winner of my group. The generous $20 gift certificate covers my registration fee.

The men’s winner is Seth Kelly, who works at the running store that I will visit later today to redeem my gift certificate. The women’s winner is not a woman at all, but a 13-year-old girl named Sophia Racette, who I thought was no older than eight years old. She’s about four and a half feet tall. Looking like a mini Kara Gaucher, she sported professional running attire that included form-fitting shorts and singlet, aerodynamic sunglasses and arm warmers, and had her hair in a ponytail. She reminds me of kids who wear full football pads in Pop Warner leagues or for Halloween, as if she was wearing a costume or the clothes are for grownups. Her time of 20:13 proved her ability matches her clothes, and undoubtedly she’ll make some high school and perhaps college coach thrilled to have her on the team. I later learned she’s posted one of the top 20 times for 3000 meters among girls nationwide in her age group.

After the race I meet up with my brother Andy and sister in law Kathy. They finished in 27:07 and 28:28, helping us set a record for the most Wittes in a race. I meet with other runners as well, including Don Kueneke and James Marino (M30), who raved about the San Francisco Marathon that I missed a few months ago when my foot screamed in pain. So many friendly people. I’m having a great time.

I love St. Louis races. In the three that I’ve run, I’ve won prizes and money, and tonight I made the evening news. Channel 5 did a story on the race, and featured my finishing kick as its running clip. Above is a still shot from the newscast. I even met Fredbird, the mascot of the St. Louis Cardinals, who had clinched a playoff spot the night before.

That’s a lot of activity for a small and short race. My hope is to run three times a week for 20 miles. If everything goes well, I’ll run the 5K at the Primo’s race in two weeks.

Which Doctor

Acupuncture doesn’t sound like a bad idea. More than two months since my breakdown in Chicago, I’m still looking for answers to my injuries. My regimen has shifted to no-impact non-competitive training, but I’ve noticed no improvement in my feet or knee. Actually the problems seem to be increasing. The plantar fasciitis that exploded in my right foot has crept into my left foot. When I ran the Corporate Challenge last week I nearly dropped out of the race after the first third of a mile after the start, but then my right knee and then left hamstring improved during the run.

Last year’s miracle cure of orthotics didn’t work. My feet still hurt and I’m probably putting more stress on the knee as I favor the feet, whichever one is hurting.

The symptoms are weird and the diagnosis is unclear. I saw Dr. Gordon Lundy, orthopedic specialist, on Wednesday, who had no explanation for my injuries. He stretched my legs and knees and said of my knee that “It’s a rock’. There is no obvious damage or weakness in the joint. He prescribed six weeks of physical therapy, describing my condition as a strained hamstring and tendinitis. If my condition doesn’t improve then we’ll do an MRI.

I'm not one to go beyond the traditional medical establishment, but the lack of progress has me searching input from non-western medical sources. Among the suggestions I’ve received:

• Kat, the spinning instructor at the gym and triathlete, and Hillary, a very fit gym member, swear by their acupuncturist. I plan to make an appointment.
• Suzette says that when her and Tony’s high school athletes get inexplicable maladies, ice sometimes does the trick. I purchased an ice wrap that I’ll try to use while visiting my family in St. Louis this weekend.

So what does a hobbled runner do? I think there are tips for coping. First, be patient. I have paid attention to the pain. I had hoped to run the Banana Chase 5K two weeks ago, and then the Primo’s half marathon next month. I missed the Banana Chase and will skip Primo’s. I felt obligated to run the corporate challenge, and I’m glad I did since I managed to complete it in a respectable time with no lingering effects. I’ve registered for a 5K in my brother’s town of Kirkwood tomorrow. Basically I’m limited to three-mile races. Even though I can’t train hard and can run only minimal distances, my training regimen has kept my cardio vascular system strong. I never thought I would be running so little so suddenly, but there’s no use forcing it when the outcome will disappoint.

Second, be happy for what you have. I belong to a great gym close to the house. The gym has all types of cardio equipment, weights and resistance equipment, a pool, a variety of classes, and very nice people who have been encouraging me. I’ve experimented and found that swimming is great but doesn’t stress my cardio vascular system as much as I would like. Spinning is surprisingly easy. I probably need a tougher instructor than Kat, or maybe I need to figure out what resistance I can tolerate. Stairmasters are too easy, and Nordic track is even easier. I put all the machines on their highest level and get bored. The only workout that comes close to my typical run is the stationary bike. I choose a preset routine, Kilimanjaro or Cascades, put it on the highest setting of 25, watch CNN, or ESPN and pedal for 40 minutes. If the corporate challenge is any indication, the cycling maintains a high level of fitness without any impact.

Third, don’t have any expectations. I thought I’d be training hard in September, but now I have no timetable. I hope I can run in the spring, I’d like to do the Tahoe Relay again, and I’d like to run some distance at the Oakland Running Festival in March and return to St. Louis for the Go! St. Louis half marathon. All this is up in the air. These are all worthy goals, but maybe it won’t happen.

Fourth, stay involved. This one I have to work on, but there are a lot of opportunities to help and stay active in running without racing. Maylee’s getting close to the age that she could volunteer at a race with me, and I should do it regardless. Plus, it’s also a way to stay in touch with running friends and their success.

Fifth, diversify. If the running doesn’t return soon, I may have to branch out into other activities. Swimming doesn’t come as naturally as running, but I do have convenient access to a pool. I have no bike, so cycling would be more difficult, but I think I would be pretty good in that sport based on what I’ve done the last two months on the stationary bike. Maybe a bike is in the future.

Sixth, stay interested. I read Runner’s World a few days after it comes in the mail and I do my best to follow track and field. We watched the world championships last month and I recorded the last track meet of the international season. It’s exciting to see Bernard Lagat, Shannon Rowbury, Nick Simmons and others running in big meets.

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Maylee's famous: My sister-in-law Kathy Doan gave me a copy of the Pamakids newsletter that was distributed at the RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) conference in San Francisco in March. Lake Merrit Joggers and Striders (LMJS) was one of the co-sponsoring organizations, descriptions of which were included in the publication. Among the photos from the club is one of Maylee at the starting line of an LMJS kids race, looking up at the kids a head taller than her.

Happy Birthday Mom: Today my mom turns 70. My uncle Jay and aunt Lynn are having a party for her tonight. All of my siblings except Valerie and I are in town for the party. Valerie comes to St. Louis in a few weeks. Mom looks great and is in good health. We're very lucky. thanks Mom, for everything you gave us and continue to shower on us and our children.

Good Company

This year five members of our office represented Standard & Poor’s at the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge. With three men and two women we had the right mix for one coed team, two males and two females, with one extra runner. Weather was ideal and the stunning scenery made one forget about the pain, or maybe a little of it.

Eighty percent of our team is shown above. It's me, Anne Selting, Jessica Schultz and Chris Morgan. The team results for the 3.5 mile race:

• Larry Witte: 21:49 (99th among men)*
• Chris Morgan: 29:10*
• Paul Dyson: 29:49
• Anne Selting: 31:46*
• Jessica Schultz: 38:12*

*Times includes in team scoring.

The combined coed time of 2:00:57 was eight minutes faster than our coed team from 2008. For comparison, our male team from last year was about 20 minutes faster. As a team we finished 54th among coeds, exactly in the middle of the 107-team field in that division.

After the race we held the second annual S&P JPMCCC Awards Ceremony at Amici’s. Awards went to:

• Chris Morgan: Rookie of the Year for having the fastest time among first-year runners.
• Paul Dyson: Johnny Kelley Award. (Also ‘AAA’ winner, see below.) Paul has the longest streak for running this race among those in our office. Johnny Kelley ran the Boston Marathon a record 61 times, winning it twice, finishing second seven times, and placing in the top 10 18 times. The marathon was a smaller affair in Kelley’s heyday (there were no Kenyans, Ethiopians, or professionals), but his time of 2:30 in 1945 translates to a pace of 5:45 per mile. He was named Runner of the Century by Runner’s World magazine. Kelley passed away at 97 in 2004.
• Anne Selting: Most Electrifying Runner. Anne was our first corporate runner ever and she’s a utilities analyst.
• Jessica Schultz: Oldest Shoes. At least three years old. I'm very proud of Jessica. This was her first race ever. She did well and without her we wouldn't have fielded a team.

Above is our whole team at Amici's. Paul, on the right, joins me, Chris, Jessica and Anne. The day after the race the panel of judges (me) noticed the oversight of not naming the ‘AAA’ Award winner for predicting the closest actual time. Paul won, coming within four seconds of his predicted time. Anne was a very close second, 14 seconds from her predicted time.