I usually run races where I have a chance to win a medal, but the Emerald Nuts Across the Bay 12K is an exception. I have no shot at placing in this event, but I enjoy the race because it goes over the Golden Gate Bridge.
This very popular race is part of the Pacific Association of US Track and Field (PA/USTAF) circuit, and thus has a very fast field. The Pacific Association is the big leagues of local running. Former collegiate runners of all ages looking to satisfy their competitive urges, semi-professional runners, Olympic trials qualifiers and the odd Olympian compete. I can place in the top three in my age group in most races, but that may never happen in a PA race. I'm just hoping to place in the top ten in my group.
I haven't run a PA event since 2007, which was my fastest year. I run for the West Valley Track Club, which is one of the better teams in the Pacific Association, but hasn't fielded a masters (40+) team at an event for the three years that I've been a member. As a result, my performances are too slow to score in the open division, and my respectable masters times don't count for a team.
Even though I get no material benefit from PA races, they always provide enough competition to push me. There's usually a pack of six men and women about as fast as me, so there's no lull in the action, and I remain focused the entire way.
When I ran this race as a novice, I didn't notice all the runners wearing the same color singlets with their team affiliations. That is, I didn't notice any of them at first.
I was going through my prerace stretching routine before the race, sitting in an open space along the road. In the middle of my limbering up, a group of women surrounded me, all wearing tops with the word Impala. They weren't drawn to me, rather they were completely disregarding me. I was doing some hurldlers stretches and butterflys, and the women went on with their conversations and walked around me as if I were an ant or leaf.
I finished 351st that day, and found out the the Impalas are an elite women's team. Seventeen Impalas, probably including the entire group that nearly trudged on me before the race, finished ahead of me in 2004.
I've run this race twice since then, finishing 74th in my best year, 2007.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Blonde Ambition
"We're on for tomorrow - right? I need to get there early to warm up a bit. I'm having a little issue (interior lower calf that is irritated). I am going to try to find a way to tape it. Do you know anything about these things? Don't worry - I'll be good to go - I'm a trooper.”
That email was from Jane Watson, my partner for the Couples Relay, a 10K split into two 5K legs run by coed teams. I’m looking forward to this race a little more than others, and Jane seems pretty excited too. It may be that we haven’t run together and barely know each other, or maybe it’s just that this is a rare opportunity to run a relay. I will find out that Jane is just as competitive as I am, and I think the normal psychological lift of running gets a boost when two or more people are working together toward a common goal.
I call Jane about her injury and to make race plans. Jane’s says she’ll wear a waterproof jacket made for running. I don’t even own such a garment. I’m a wimp when it comes to weather. If it’s not dry outside I run in the gym. The forecast calls for rain, which leads me to think of all the wardrobe and motivational possibilities for the race. Do I bundle up, wear training shoes and take it easy, or should I risk ruining my race shoes in the rain and go with normal race attire? Should I push myself, or accept that I’ll probably run slowly in the bad weather and just cruise around the course?
Saturday’s dry weather turns to a steady rain Sunday morning. I decide to go with the race shoes, but I’m still undecided about what to wear. I’ve got a pair of shorts under my tights, and I can choose between a singlet and short-sleeved shirt. I meet Jane and her boyfriend Paul outside the boat house at Lake Merritt. Jane says her leg is fine and she’ll be fine for the race. I tell her not to worry if she needs to hold back, but she’s pretty sure she’ll be able to go all out.
After the women start I go to my car to get ready. Some runners are wearing minimal clothing. I usually need to see just one person in shorts and a sleeveless top to ignore any chill, so when I notice some runners dressed that way I go with the shorts and singlet. The ground is too wet for stretching, so I do a quick warmup, trying to run straight through the puddles instead of adjusting my steps to avoid them. I’m not too successful. I have an instinctive reaction to try to keep my feet dry. I can’t ignore the puddles and my feet seem to have a force field that repels them from the water. Other than that, the running is comfortable. I actually find the rain pleasant, or at least different.
Paul agrees to hold my t-shirt until I’m done. Now there’s nothing to do but wait. Jane says she’ll do her leg in about 20 minutes. A few minutes ahead of her some high school girls reach the touch-off point. I then notice Steven Chavez (M50) from San Ramon getting ready for his wife to arrive at the exchange point, telling his kids to stay with Mommy when he’s running. Steven is a phenomenal runner, and unless I have a lead of a minute or two I know he and his wife will finish ahead of us.
Carrie Chavez finishes her leg and touches Steve. He’s off. Not long after Jane slaps my hand. I quickly acknowledge her effort.
“Good job!”
“You can do it, Larry!”
I take off and suddenly remember I hadn’t set my watch to track my time. Too much time sitting around, or too many distractions, I don’t know why I forgot to change it. Now I’m shuffling as fast as I can while pushing buttons on my watch. In five years of racing I have never done this, but I manage to get the watch on the stopwatch setting about 10 or 20 seconds into the race.
Jane finished in the low teens among the women, so I’ve got a few people ahead of me. I quickly pass two, and before we hit the next mile I pass another. It’s kind of fun, catching others from behind. I run the first mile in about 5:35, which is pretty good given the weather. Lake Merritt is a flat course, but contains a number of turns. The sidewalk that we run on is modestly wide, but the lake is a favorite place for pedestrians of all speeds, and numerous streetlights and trash cans narrow the sidewalk in many places. These obstacles force me to step onto the street and jump back onto the sidewalk fairly often.
About two miles in I pass Ralph Gowen and then approaching the third mile I pass a high school runner. The last phase of the course goes over a hill, which causes my heart to feel like it’s lodged in my throat. I pass the finish as the clock reads 40:14 for Jane and me.
I feel rejuvenated after the run, nothing like the post-marathon fatigue and pain I had a few weeks earlier. Several minutes later Jane, Paul and I stroll over to the awards announcements. I won this race in 2006 with Diane Dove as my partner. The next year Diane and I finished first in our age group and third overall. We didn’t receive anything for our results, and I’m not expecting anything this time.
To my surprise and delight the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders are giving gift certificates to each age group winner! First place in our age group (combined ages 60-99) is a gift certificate to a restaurant I’ve wanted to visit, Flora. Jane and I place second, about a minute and a half behind Carrie and Steve Chavez, and 11th overall. I’m very happy with the result, but Jane is not so satisfied.
“I could run faster,” she says.
I assure Jane that we couldn’t have beaten the Chavezes, but she’s not convinced. She has a year to work at it. It’s an ambitious goal, but if she wants to try to win next year, I’d be glad to be her teammate.
That email was from Jane Watson, my partner for the Couples Relay, a 10K split into two 5K legs run by coed teams. I’m looking forward to this race a little more than others, and Jane seems pretty excited too. It may be that we haven’t run together and barely know each other, or maybe it’s just that this is a rare opportunity to run a relay. I will find out that Jane is just as competitive as I am, and I think the normal psychological lift of running gets a boost when two or more people are working together toward a common goal.
I call Jane about her injury and to make race plans. Jane’s says she’ll wear a waterproof jacket made for running. I don’t even own such a garment. I’m a wimp when it comes to weather. If it’s not dry outside I run in the gym. The forecast calls for rain, which leads me to think of all the wardrobe and motivational possibilities for the race. Do I bundle up, wear training shoes and take it easy, or should I risk ruining my race shoes in the rain and go with normal race attire? Should I push myself, or accept that I’ll probably run slowly in the bad weather and just cruise around the course?
Saturday’s dry weather turns to a steady rain Sunday morning. I decide to go with the race shoes, but I’m still undecided about what to wear. I’ve got a pair of shorts under my tights, and I can choose between a singlet and short-sleeved shirt. I meet Jane and her boyfriend Paul outside the boat house at Lake Merritt. Jane says her leg is fine and she’ll be fine for the race. I tell her not to worry if she needs to hold back, but she’s pretty sure she’ll be able to go all out.
After the women start I go to my car to get ready. Some runners are wearing minimal clothing. I usually need to see just one person in shorts and a sleeveless top to ignore any chill, so when I notice some runners dressed that way I go with the shorts and singlet. The ground is too wet for stretching, so I do a quick warmup, trying to run straight through the puddles instead of adjusting my steps to avoid them. I’m not too successful. I have an instinctive reaction to try to keep my feet dry. I can’t ignore the puddles and my feet seem to have a force field that repels them from the water. Other than that, the running is comfortable. I actually find the rain pleasant, or at least different.
Paul agrees to hold my t-shirt until I’m done. Now there’s nothing to do but wait. Jane says she’ll do her leg in about 20 minutes. A few minutes ahead of her some high school girls reach the touch-off point. I then notice Steven Chavez (M50) from San Ramon getting ready for his wife to arrive at the exchange point, telling his kids to stay with Mommy when he’s running. Steven is a phenomenal runner, and unless I have a lead of a minute or two I know he and his wife will finish ahead of us.
Carrie Chavez finishes her leg and touches Steve. He’s off. Not long after Jane slaps my hand. I quickly acknowledge her effort.
“Good job!”
“You can do it, Larry!”
I take off and suddenly remember I hadn’t set my watch to track my time. Too much time sitting around, or too many distractions, I don’t know why I forgot to change it. Now I’m shuffling as fast as I can while pushing buttons on my watch. In five years of racing I have never done this, but I manage to get the watch on the stopwatch setting about 10 or 20 seconds into the race.
Jane finished in the low teens among the women, so I’ve got a few people ahead of me. I quickly pass two, and before we hit the next mile I pass another. It’s kind of fun, catching others from behind. I run the first mile in about 5:35, which is pretty good given the weather. Lake Merritt is a flat course, but contains a number of turns. The sidewalk that we run on is modestly wide, but the lake is a favorite place for pedestrians of all speeds, and numerous streetlights and trash cans narrow the sidewalk in many places. These obstacles force me to step onto the street and jump back onto the sidewalk fairly often.
About two miles in I pass Ralph Gowen and then approaching the third mile I pass a high school runner. The last phase of the course goes over a hill, which causes my heart to feel like it’s lodged in my throat. I pass the finish as the clock reads 40:14 for Jane and me.
I feel rejuvenated after the run, nothing like the post-marathon fatigue and pain I had a few weeks earlier. Several minutes later Jane, Paul and I stroll over to the awards announcements. I won this race in 2006 with Diane Dove as my partner. The next year Diane and I finished first in our age group and third overall. We didn’t receive anything for our results, and I’m not expecting anything this time.
To my surprise and delight the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders are giving gift certificates to each age group winner! First place in our age group (combined ages 60-99) is a gift certificate to a restaurant I’ve wanted to visit, Flora. Jane and I place second, about a minute and a half behind Carrie and Steve Chavez, and 11th overall. I’m very happy with the result, but Jane is not so satisfied.
“I could run faster,” she says.
I assure Jane that we couldn’t have beaten the Chavezes, but she’s not convinced. She has a year to work at it. It’s an ambitious goal, but if she wants to try to win next year, I’d be glad to be her teammate.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Third Time Around
The morning is foggier than I expected. When I last ran this marathon two years ago the weather was sunny and beach music provided its up-tempo and relaxing melodies, the perfect combination for running. Today all I see is gray with oil derricks on the east side of the Pacific Coast Highway on my right.
I finish 13th out of 1,977, fourth in my age group (M40-44). It's the third time in a row that I've run a marathon in 2:53. This seems to be one distance that I'm destined to not improve upon.
I run the first mile in 6:10, a little faster than my desired 6:30 pace. The course is better than before. In 2007 we hit the only hills about two-thirds through the race. We also merged with the half-marathoners about halfway through the course. This kept me from getting any water since the slower runners clogged the water stations. This year the hills are before 10 miles and we run on opposite sides of the road from the half-marathoners.
Past the hills I'm running ahead of a 6:30 pace. The field is about 1,900 runners, about twice as large as in 2007. I'm running alone, which doesn't help me maintain a pace. Through 13 miles I'm still ahead of schedule, which surprises me in one sense. When I train I can barely hold my target pace for a few miles, but when I race its effortless, at least for a while.
One element that is not going well is my race fueling. I've taken a couple of the Cliff Shot Blocks and am feeling a bit nauseous. I keep making excuses to not eat any more. "Just one more mile." "After the next water stop." "When I get out of this pack of runners," which is ridiculous since there's no one around me.
The 16th mile takes us north on the beach. We pass RVs and surfers, but I have to focus because we're hitting a slight headwind. At this point my running mechanics are faltering and the added resistance is making each step more difficult. I keep pushing, knowing that the wind will be at my back in a few miles, but I don't see the lead runners so the turnaround must be a long way ahead.
When I reach the end and turn around, I welcome the assistance of the wind, but every part of my body below the waist hurts. It's now 20 miles and I'm still on a 6:30 pace. My feet hurt, so I try to soften my steps. But I can't do it because that would require absorbing more of the impact with my thighs, which are tight and sore. I can't take lighter steps, landing more on my forefoot, because my ankles hurt.
I'm running out of gas, so I take whatever electrolyte drink they're giving along the course. Fortunately my stomach doesn't react poorly to the solution. I'm just not strong enough to keep up the pace. I slow considerably, even with the tailwind. Every change in elevation, no matter how small, is painful. The last stage of the race returns us from the beach to the Pacific Coast Highway. I can't wait for the race to end. Two guys pass me down the homestretch. My last sprint to the finish line gets me to the end in 2:53:34. My pace over the last 6.2 miles was 7:30, a full minute slower than over the first 20.
I finish 13th out of 1,977, fourth in my age group (M40-44). It's the third time in a row that I've run a marathon in 2:53. This seems to be one distance that I'm destined to not improve upon.The race features a unique surboard finishers medal. On top of that I received a large medal and nice jacket for finishing the third leg of the California Deraming Race series. Of the three races Long Beach International was my favorite, not taking expenses into consideration. Northern California runners would do best to wake up for the 5:30 AM start for San Francisco and avoid the travel costs for the SoCal races. Between the two Southern California races, the weather is better in Long Beach, but the competition is more difficult.
San Francisco is on my calendar for 2009, and if I ever run Long Beach again, I'll try to do Surf City for the California Dreaming gifts.
If I make any adjustment it will be to run my annual marathon later in the year. Training in the dark is too bleak, and I'd enjoy the speedwork more if I'm running races instead of huffing around Alameda on my own.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
PR in '09?
Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday and my annual marathon. I race every Super Bowl Sunday to remind me to stay active on this holiday of inactivity. Winter marathons keep me motivated to train in the dark and damp months. I force myself to run most mornings wearing a headlamp and gloves. This year's race is the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach. Formerly known as the Pacific Shoreline Marathon a couple of years ago, the marathon's host city has branded itself Surf City, much to the displeasure of Santa Cruz, which has its own surfing heritage. To prove a point, Huntington Beach labels every possible activity Surf City something.
I'm cautiously optimistic about this race, because I emerged relatively healthy from the training. I hope to break 2:50, which would be a PR by three minutes. I use a 12-week program from Runner's World, maxxing out at 55 miles in any week. I averaged about 46 miles a week, and missed only a couple of days because of illness. Last year I reached a maximum of 60 miles a week, and stretched the program out over 14 weeks. I also missed two weeks of training with the flu and averaged two miles less per week than this year.
I was pleasantly surprised how well I performed the race pace workouts that began in early January. The pace was 6:30 per mile, and I was able to do a 4 x 2.5 mile, and 3 x 3 mile. Later I was unable to complete a 2 x 4 mile and a 2 x 3 mile. I rebounded last Saturday with a strong eight mile run at marathon pace, and felt really good about the race tomorrow.
I'll enter the race with two unknowns, which is never a good thing for a marathon. After considering several options, I decided to wear a new pair of my Boston Classic training shoes instead of buying race shoes. I figured that buying shoes for a distance that I only run once a year wasn't worth it, and I didn't feel comfortable wearing my usual race shoes for 26.2 miles. I reduced the weight a bit by cutting the instep portion from the sock liner and using only the forefoot cushion. This leaves me with my orthotics to support the rear of the foot. The other experiment is going with Cliff Shot Blocks, which I haven't used in about year for race fuel. My favorite snacks are Luna Moons because they give me the smallest aftertaste of any race nutritional supplement. Unfortunately the Alameda Bicycle shop where I buy them was out of stock early in the week and I couldn't get back before we left town.
I'm cautiously optimistic about this race, because I emerged relatively healthy from the training. I hope to break 2:50, which would be a PR by three minutes. I use a 12-week program from Runner's World, maxxing out at 55 miles in any week. I averaged about 46 miles a week, and missed only a couple of days because of illness. Last year I reached a maximum of 60 miles a week, and stretched the program out over 14 weeks. I also missed two weeks of training with the flu and averaged two miles less per week than this year.
I was pleasantly surprised how well I performed the race pace workouts that began in early January. The pace was 6:30 per mile, and I was able to do a 4 x 2.5 mile, and 3 x 3 mile. Later I was unable to complete a 2 x 4 mile and a 2 x 3 mile. I rebounded last Saturday with a strong eight mile run at marathon pace, and felt really good about the race tomorrow.
I'll enter the race with two unknowns, which is never a good thing for a marathon. After considering several options, I decided to wear a new pair of my Boston Classic training shoes instead of buying race shoes. I figured that buying shoes for a distance that I only run once a year wasn't worth it, and I didn't feel comfortable wearing my usual race shoes for 26.2 miles. I reduced the weight a bit by cutting the instep portion from the sock liner and using only the forefoot cushion. This leaves me with my orthotics to support the rear of the foot. The other experiment is going with Cliff Shot Blocks, which I haven't used in about year for race fuel. My favorite snacks are Luna Moons because they give me the smallest aftertaste of any race nutritional supplement. Unfortunately the Alameda Bicycle shop where I buy them was out of stock early in the week and I couldn't get back before we left town.
Race prep is generally very good. We're staying at the super nice and expensive Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa, which is just across the street from the race. Maylee went to the expo with me and then played in the beach for a while. The hotel upgraded us to the Governor's Suite, which is so big that we invite Mandy's cousin Yvonne and her family over for dinner. They brought a variety of entrees from the Cheesecake Factory and some cheesecake. Maylee had fun playing with Yvonne and Richard's children, especially Miranda. After the Perez family left, Maylee lost herself in bubbles in the whirlpool bath.
Everyone is fed, clean and relaxed, and we're off to bed.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Personal Bests
2008 was a very good year even though it was the first year that I failed to improve my running. The only legitimate PRs I hit were in two half marathons. Otherwise, I fell back, sometimes significantly and even feared I'd have to quit due to injury. But I was very fortunate, and the good experiences far outnumbered the bad ones. The following are my fondest memories of 2008:
1. I can run!: In the fall of 2007 through the early spring of 2008 I dealt with nagging plantar fasciitis. I don't know Latin, but the plain English description is heel pain that can include a swollen arch. At the Napa Valley Marathon I experienced both with my arch flattening from the ballooning tissue. The last six four miles I gimped home, wondering the extent of any permanent damage I caused. Two days after the marathon my podiatrist, Donald Hegref of San Francisco fitted me for orthotics. He said they would cure my pain. On my return to pick up the orthotics I brought my running shoes to test the orthotics. I was afraid he would frown on my lightweight footwear, but instead he examined a shoe and said, "Cool". His diagnosis was perfect, and If I had gone to him in the fall I could have avoided all the pain.
2. Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders: This all-volunteer group holds monthly runs of 5K, 10K and 15K, and three special races each year. They also manage to record every time and maintain an 0n-line database that goes back 11 years. They also hold a kids race 11 times a year, and to my delight entitle members to a 10% discount at Transports. My participation is limited to races, but for those with more time, LMJS hosts quarterly potlucks with excellent speakers, training runs, and fields several teams for events throughout the year.
3. Harbor Bay Club: I switched gyms in late 2007 for the nearby Harbor Bay Club. I still do the same routines as at the old gym, but Mandy takes yoga classes and Maylee swims like a sea otter. The gym features five treadmills with personal cable TV monitors, permitting me to watch what is usually the only television I can in the morning. The people are friendly and supportive and I get excellent advice from my personal trainer. The morning crowd is a lot of people in my demographic or older, doing a variety of workouts. It's very motivating to me to work out regularly knowing that I'm in good company.
4. Transports Running: Ritchie Boulet is a former all-America runner who in his 30s remains one of the best runners in the Bay Area. He also is the owner of Transports. When I was looking for a replacement for my race shoes, he spent more time than a realtor showing me prospective houses. He went through the trouble of seeking out-of-production models from my favorite brand and calling me with ideas. When I went back to see his suggestions, I noticed that for about 15 minutes he helped a casual runner find a comfortable running shoe. Ritchie ran the mile in four minutes! It was like Babe Ruth giving tips to the St. Catherine's CYO baseball team. Ritchie is married to Magdalena Levy-Boulet, the 2008 Olympic marathon runner, who shares Ritchie's running talent and incredible niceness.
5. Go! St. Louis half marathon: A great big race. Eight-thousand half-marathoners, 2,000 marathoners, and more than 100 four-person marathon teams composed in excess of 10,000 people running around St. Louis. But it felt like 300. Parking is a breeze. There were no lines at the porta-potties. Perhaps most amazing, runners actually lined up according to their pace! Imagine that, a mass of runners that understand that there's no need to crowd the starting line in a chip-timed race. The prizes go five deep in each five-year age group, and are the size of salad plates. If this weren't enough, they also hold a 5K, a kids race and a seniors race the previous day. All the activity was great for Maylee, my mom and me, and definitely worth the trip to visit my parents in St. Louis. Organizer Nancy Lieberman does an amazing job. I only saw her get flustered at the kids race when she admonished parents, including me, to give the kids enough space to run. This one is on my annual calendar.
6. Davis Stampede half marathon: A great little race. This race conflicts with the San Francisco Half Marathon, which I had run twice before. I decided to avoid the parking, city streets and crowds in San Francisco and drive 60 miles east to Davis. My hunch that the travel time was about the same was correct, and parking was easy to find. The post-race party is one of the few that offers food to non-runners, and the items go beyond energy bars and typical packaged foods. Even better, the festivities include a kids jumpy thing. I'll try to do this one in 2010 since I'm running a marathon that day in the coming season.
7. Big River Running: On New Year's Eve 2007 Brigette Schutzman, a cross country and track runner at St. Louis University, was injured in a car accident that left her in a coma for six weeks. Big River helped organize a meet of mile races for different competitive groups, followed by a pasta dinner. The event raised $8,000. I encountered Big River when I visited St. Louis for the Go! half marathon, and was a few fast runners wearing the store's singlets. I went to both locations, finding the first pairs of shorts that I liked in several years. One of the stores has the sentimental location in a house near where my mother and father grew up. Big River is one of the top 50 stores in the country and would be ranked higher here if I lived in St. Louis. Check out their web site. http://www.bigriverrunning.com/. The variety of activities includes speed sessions, running camps, and races.
8. Technical race shirts: The Napa Valley Marathon, Go! St. Louis half marathon, Tilden Tough Ten, San Francisco Marathon, Long Beach half marathon, Primo's Run For Education and the US Half Marathon-San Francisco all provided technical shirts at no additional cost. This seems to be a growing trend and one that I hope sticks as the shirts wear better and will be part of my wardrobe for years to come, much to Mandy's chagrin.
1. I can run!: In the fall of 2007 through the early spring of 2008 I dealt with nagging plantar fasciitis. I don't know Latin, but the plain English description is heel pain that can include a swollen arch. At the Napa Valley Marathon I experienced both with my arch flattening from the ballooning tissue. The last six four miles I gimped home, wondering the extent of any permanent damage I caused. Two days after the marathon my podiatrist, Donald Hegref of San Francisco fitted me for orthotics. He said they would cure my pain. On my return to pick up the orthotics I brought my running shoes to test the orthotics. I was afraid he would frown on my lightweight footwear, but instead he examined a shoe and said, "Cool". His diagnosis was perfect, and If I had gone to him in the fall I could have avoided all the pain.
2. Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders: This all-volunteer group holds monthly runs of 5K, 10K and 15K, and three special races each year. They also manage to record every time and maintain an 0n-line database that goes back 11 years. They also hold a kids race 11 times a year, and to my delight entitle members to a 10% discount at Transports. My participation is limited to races, but for those with more time, LMJS hosts quarterly potlucks with excellent speakers, training runs, and fields several teams for events throughout the year.
3. Harbor Bay Club: I switched gyms in late 2007 for the nearby Harbor Bay Club. I still do the same routines as at the old gym, but Mandy takes yoga classes and Maylee swims like a sea otter. The gym features five treadmills with personal cable TV monitors, permitting me to watch what is usually the only television I can in the morning. The people are friendly and supportive and I get excellent advice from my personal trainer. The morning crowd is a lot of people in my demographic or older, doing a variety of workouts. It's very motivating to me to work out regularly knowing that I'm in good company.
4. Transports Running: Ritchie Boulet is a former all-America runner who in his 30s remains one of the best runners in the Bay Area. He also is the owner of Transports. When I was looking for a replacement for my race shoes, he spent more time than a realtor showing me prospective houses. He went through the trouble of seeking out-of-production models from my favorite brand and calling me with ideas. When I went back to see his suggestions, I noticed that for about 15 minutes he helped a casual runner find a comfortable running shoe. Ritchie ran the mile in four minutes! It was like Babe Ruth giving tips to the St. Catherine's CYO baseball team. Ritchie is married to Magdalena Levy-Boulet, the 2008 Olympic marathon runner, who shares Ritchie's running talent and incredible niceness.
5. Go! St. Louis half marathon: A great big race. Eight-thousand half-marathoners, 2,000 marathoners, and more than 100 four-person marathon teams composed in excess of 10,000 people running around St. Louis. But it felt like 300. Parking is a breeze. There were no lines at the porta-potties. Perhaps most amazing, runners actually lined up according to their pace! Imagine that, a mass of runners that understand that there's no need to crowd the starting line in a chip-timed race. The prizes go five deep in each five-year age group, and are the size of salad plates. If this weren't enough, they also hold a 5K, a kids race and a seniors race the previous day. All the activity was great for Maylee, my mom and me, and definitely worth the trip to visit my parents in St. Louis. Organizer Nancy Lieberman does an amazing job. I only saw her get flustered at the kids race when she admonished parents, including me, to give the kids enough space to run. This one is on my annual calendar.
6. Davis Stampede half marathon: A great little race. This race conflicts with the San Francisco Half Marathon, which I had run twice before. I decided to avoid the parking, city streets and crowds in San Francisco and drive 60 miles east to Davis. My hunch that the travel time was about the same was correct, and parking was easy to find. The post-race party is one of the few that offers food to non-runners, and the items go beyond energy bars and typical packaged foods. Even better, the festivities include a kids jumpy thing. I'll try to do this one in 2010 since I'm running a marathon that day in the coming season.
7. Big River Running: On New Year's Eve 2007 Brigette Schutzman, a cross country and track runner at St. Louis University, was injured in a car accident that left her in a coma for six weeks. Big River helped organize a meet of mile races for different competitive groups, followed by a pasta dinner. The event raised $8,000. I encountered Big River when I visited St. Louis for the Go! half marathon, and was a few fast runners wearing the store's singlets. I went to both locations, finding the first pairs of shorts that I liked in several years. One of the stores has the sentimental location in a house near where my mother and father grew up. Big River is one of the top 50 stores in the country and would be ranked higher here if I lived in St. Louis. Check out their web site. http://www.bigriverrunning.com/. The variety of activities includes speed sessions, running camps, and races.
8. Technical race shirts: The Napa Valley Marathon, Go! St. Louis half marathon, Tilden Tough Ten, San Francisco Marathon, Long Beach half marathon, Primo's Run For Education and the US Half Marathon-San Francisco all provided technical shirts at no additional cost. This seems to be a growing trend and one that I hope sticks as the shirts wear better and will be part of my wardrobe for years to come, much to Mandy's chagrin.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wishful Thinking
"And here comes Larry Witt (sic) of Alameda!", said Dave Rhody. "I think he's our second masters finisher."
I wish Dave was right, but I was pretty certain that at least three runners ahead of me appeared to be older than 40. It turns out that there were several, including two in their 50s. It was a fairly stacked and well-attended race, and I finished fifth out of 89 in my age group (M40-49), 19th out of 538 overall. A special benefit to me was that my mother, Toni Witte, was in town for Thanksgiving and attended the race. That's her on the left, next to my sister-in-law Kathy Doan who ran the 5K, my brother Martin, and me.
Thus ended my race season of 2008. I had a great year even though I fell short of all my goals. I hoped to win 10 medals, but won nine. If I had run one of three or four races that I avoided because I thought my chances of placing were slim, I would have had 10. Of course, there was also the disaster in Livermore. I also failed to meet my goals of 17:30 in the 5K, 36:00 in the 10K, 1:20 in the half marathon and 2:50 in the marathon.
The above times may always be out of reach, but I am very fortunate. I feared I had seriously injured myself at the Napa Valley Marathon in March, running on a left foot inflamed with plantar fasciitis. But since my podiatrist fitted me for orthotics, my feet haven't been a problem. I was able to run consistently, and my mom got to see me race twice. Maylee ran several kids races and enjoyed riding in the jogging stroller, and joining me for sprints and jumping exercises.
My wife Mandy deserves a lot of credit for being patient and supportive when my runs shift more of the family duties to her in the morning. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a lot of people to enable a grown man to act like one.
Now I'm in my winter marathon training phase, which involves a lot of long, dark and cold runs. It's hard to get motivated, but I'm halfway through the program in preparation for the Surf City Marathon on Super Bowl Sunday.
Monday, October 20, 2008
4 X 13.1
The race season is ending and I'm trying to cram in as many as I can after not running a competitive race since early August. October is a great month for races, and the ones I hope to run are all half marathons on consecutive weeks. In running all these races I plan to put in about 30 miles during the week with no speed sessions, then take Saturday off and race on Sunday. I'm curious to see how the reduced mileage and speedwork will mix with the increased long distance racing. How well will my 44-year-old body withstand four straight race weekends?
The first race is the half marathon of the Long Beach International City Marathon, one that I've wanted to do for a couple of years. The last race is the US Half Marathon-San Francisco, which I've run three times. In between is a favorite, the Primo's Half Marathon in Danville-San Ramon, and the Livermore Grape Stomp.
Long Beach: Oct.
12. This was the most beautiful road half marathon I've ever run. The course goes over the waterfront in downtown Long Beach and through the beaches to the south. Other than some early sections around highway access roads and a part over a bridge connecting the port of Long Beach, the route was very appealing. Weather was perfect despite heavy Santa Ana winds the previous day that disappeared on race morning. The course is generally flat with the exception of the bridge. I pushed myself and met my goal of 1:21, running 1:20:45, a 6:10 pace after running the first mile in 5:35. This was my second PR in the half marathon in 2008, partly due to the Brooks T-5 Racer shoes that I bought at Transports in Oakland. I was concerned that the shoes wouldn't
give me enough support over 13 miles, but my feet and legs felt fine throughout the race. The only disappointment was finishing fourth in my age group out of 261, just out of the medals.
Long Beach is also the second stop in the California Racing Series. The San Francisco Marathon and its affiliated half marathon that I ran in August is one of the other races, the other being the Surf City Marathon and half in February. I hope to run Surf City and get the medal and jacket for running all three. After the marathon, we spent two days at Disneyland.
Primo's Run for Education: Oct. 19. A cold morning greeted us at a very well run local race. Last year I received three technical shirts from this event. The freebies weren't as plentiful this year, maybe because of the poor economy.
Not long after the start, a woman sped past me listening to an iPod. I chased her and five men, but after three miles they were out of sight. I ran by myself for the remaining 10 miles, a very well-marked course. Not until the 11th mile did I see anyone else, a woman approaching a turn around after I had passed it.
My time was 1:20:53, seventh overall and second in my age group. I checked the results and found that the woman wearing the iPod was Magdalena Levy-Boulet, who represented the United States in the marathon in the Beijing Olympics. I sought her out and found her with her 3-year-old son near the medal stand. She's an incredibly nice person, like her husbank Richie Boulet, who is another outstanding runner and the owner of Transports running stores. I introduced myself to her and asked about her injury, a knee that she banged on a bus handrail in China, which forced her to drop out of the Olympic marathon after three miles. When I told her that I bought my shoes at Transports, she clapped and cheered. She listened politely as I described how she passed me early in the race and I couldn't keep up with her, but I later realized that nothing I said was relevant since I was running at full speed, and she was getting in a comfortable workout.
The Primo's race was a tune up for Magda for the New York City Marathon on Nov. 2. She finished 11th overall in New York.
Livermore Grape Stomp: Oct. 26. The third leg of my half marathon trek was the Livermore Grape Stomp. I ran this race in 2005 and wasn’t impressed in the award, which was a ribbon that I quickly bent and threw away. This year’s race fit in my schedule and was intended to give me a good training run before the US Half Marathon the following Sunday. I arrived 45 minutes early to a long line for the pre-registered runners. Those who registered on the day of the race received their bibs and chips instantly while the rest of us waited single file for several minutes. This is an absurdity that some races permit, much like a restaurant immediately seating walk-ins while making those with reservations wait.
A race organizer told me that the race would start 10 minutes late due to the late arrivals. I told her that the long line at the registration table was caused by the inability to process those who preregistered. Then she told me that the race would start at the opposite end of the field from the registration tables. I joined a few hundred runners, none of whom knew the exact starting point, which organizers failed to mark. A few minutes later the woman in charge told us that the race started at the other end of the field where we were originally.
Having returned to the end of the field that I just left, I met up with Brian Collett, who was running the 10K. Brian’s a little faster than me, so I hoped to keep him in sight for a few minutes. As the race began, I chased Brian for the first mile with no one near us. I had the notion that I could win the race. Knowing that some runners might have gotten caught behind slower people at the start, I didn’t get too excited. I figured that If I was in front for two miles I’d have a good chance of winning.
Someone passed me at about a mile and a half, but he split off at the 10K turn, so I maintained my lead. I was running about a 6:05 pace through four miles and opening a lead. I figured I had the race won, with about a quarter mile lead and no one around me. The lack of people turned out to be a problem. I didn’t see any volunteers after the 10K split, and the course was extremely poorly marked with chalkboard chalk arrows on the ground the only guide. After passing the fifth mile I lost the trail. Lost in a subdivision in Livermore, I asked someone walking his dog for directions. He pointed me down the street, but still no arrows.
The race was a complete disappointment. Instead of winning the race, I was now concerned about getting home fast enough to catch a flight in the afternoon. I had no money or cell phone, and there were no pay phones. I found some arrows and followed them past some vinyards, still not certain where I was going.
I continued, still not seeing anyone until I ran for about an hour. There I followed a runner for some race, either the 5K or 10K, and reached the finish, but I think I went through it backwards. My time of 1:10 and change was achieved by skipping untold miles.
I informed the race director of my trouble. Other runners had complaints, and after the director took care of them, she told me that someone had stolen all the signs that marked the course and threw the barricades at Shadow Cliff Park into the lake. It’s a shame, but I said they could have had someone on a bike guiding the lead runner. To her credit she refunded my entrance fee plus a few dollars.
US Half marathon: Nov. 2. “Where do I go?” I yelled as loud as I could after running something like 10 miles, facing backwards, my hands in the air.
Is it really that difficult to properly mark a course? New rule: If race organizers can’t afford the signs, orange cones and volunteers to guide runners through a course, maybe they shouldn’t hold the race. I didn’t see a mile marker after the third mile, and didn’t check my watch for the last 10 miles. Why bother? I had no idea how far I had run.
At the turn around after the Golden Gate Bridge the path loops on a dirt path under the bridge. I spoke to a runner after the race who said that he and several others overshot the turn because the orange cones were stacked and lying flat on the ground.
I’ve run this race four times, and I know the route on the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I get lost after returning to San Francisco and descending to the shoreline. The course goes left toward the bridge before reversing back towards Fisherman’s Wharf. The confusion is that the half marathon merges with a 10K held at the same time. I passed the first turn and feared I was making the same mistake I did last year when I and a few others ran aimlessly toward Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. That’s when I turned around and voiced my frustration.
Benjamin Cronin (M30-39) was the only half-marathoner around me, about five seconds back. He was confused like me, and we ran to Fort Point complaining about the course, before he passed me at the turn. I chased him for the rest of the race and finished ninth overall and second in my age group with a time of 1:24.
After the race Ben wondered if we had run more than 13.1 miles. I think we ran the correct distance, but I’m convinced that twice before I did not. In 2006 I completed the race in 1:22, which seems extremely fast, meaning that the course or my route was not a complete half marathon. Last year I ran a 1:25, which I felt was too slow, probably because I ran too far.
At the end of the four half marathons I had two medals and one PR, and one incomplete. I would give myself an ‘A’, a better grade than race organizers. Long Beach gets an ‘A’ and Primo’s a strong ‘B+’. The Grape Stomp served a race before its time and receives an ‘F’ while the US Half did not impress as much as in previous years and gets a ‘C’.
My legs held up well over the four weeks, and my training was very manageable. I ran about 20 miles during the week with no speed work. The races gave me enough running at maximum effort to keep up my speed. If I hadn’t gotten sick in the last week I probably would have run the US Half faster, but I’m happy with the result.
I usually end my season with the US Half, but I’ve won nine medals this year and my goal is 10. The next opportunity is the Academy of Sciences Run Wild 10K in three weeks.
The first race is the half marathon of the Long Beach International City Marathon, one that I've wanted to do for a couple of years. The last race is the US Half Marathon-San Francisco, which I've run three times. In between is a favorite, the Primo's Half Marathon in Danville-San Ramon, and the Livermore Grape Stomp.
Long Beach: Oct.
12. This was the most beautiful road half marathon I've ever run. The course goes over the waterfront in downtown Long Beach and through the beaches to the south. Other than some early sections around highway access roads and a part over a bridge connecting the port of Long Beach, the route was very appealing. Weather was perfect despite heavy Santa Ana winds the previous day that disappeared on race morning. The course is generally flat with the exception of the bridge. I pushed myself and met my goal of 1:21, running 1:20:45, a 6:10 pace after running the first mile in 5:35. This was my second PR in the half marathon in 2008, partly due to the Brooks T-5 Racer shoes that I bought at Transports in Oakland. I was concerned that the shoes wouldn't
give me enough support over 13 miles, but my feet and legs felt fine throughout the race. The only disappointment was finishing fourth in my age group out of 261, just out of the medals.Long Beach is also the second stop in the California Racing Series. The San Francisco Marathon and its affiliated half marathon that I ran in August is one of the other races, the other being the Surf City Marathon and half in February. I hope to run Surf City and get the medal and jacket for running all three. After the marathon, we spent two days at Disneyland.
Primo's Run for Education: Oct. 19. A cold morning greeted us at a very well run local race. Last year I received three technical shirts from this event. The freebies weren't as plentiful this year, maybe because of the poor economy.
Not long after the start, a woman sped past me listening to an iPod. I chased her and five men, but after three miles they were out of sight. I ran by myself for the remaining 10 miles, a very well-marked course. Not until the 11th mile did I see anyone else, a woman approaching a turn around after I had passed it.
My time was 1:20:53, seventh overall and second in my age group. I checked the results and found that the woman wearing the iPod was Magdalena Levy-Boulet, who represented the United States in the marathon in the Beijing Olympics. I sought her out and found her with her 3-year-old son near the medal stand. She's an incredibly nice person, like her husbank Richie Boulet, who is another outstanding runner and the owner of Transports running stores. I introduced myself to her and asked about her injury, a knee that she banged on a bus handrail in China, which forced her to drop out of the Olympic marathon after three miles. When I told her that I bought my shoes at Transports, she clapped and cheered. She listened politely as I described how she passed me early in the race and I couldn't keep up with her, but I later realized that nothing I said was relevant since I was running at full speed, and she was getting in a comfortable workout.
Magdalena, or Magda is on the right after finishing second in the US Olympic trials. On the right is Blake Russel, who finished third, and Deena Kastor, who was first.
The Primo's race was a tune up for Magda for the New York City Marathon on Nov. 2. She finished 11th overall in New York.
Livermore Grape Stomp: Oct. 26. The third leg of my half marathon trek was the Livermore Grape Stomp. I ran this race in 2005 and wasn’t impressed in the award, which was a ribbon that I quickly bent and threw away. This year’s race fit in my schedule and was intended to give me a good training run before the US Half Marathon the following Sunday. I arrived 45 minutes early to a long line for the pre-registered runners. Those who registered on the day of the race received their bibs and chips instantly while the rest of us waited single file for several minutes. This is an absurdity that some races permit, much like a restaurant immediately seating walk-ins while making those with reservations wait.
A race organizer told me that the race would start 10 minutes late due to the late arrivals. I told her that the long line at the registration table was caused by the inability to process those who preregistered. Then she told me that the race would start at the opposite end of the field from the registration tables. I joined a few hundred runners, none of whom knew the exact starting point, which organizers failed to mark. A few minutes later the woman in charge told us that the race started at the other end of the field where we were originally.
Having returned to the end of the field that I just left, I met up with Brian Collett, who was running the 10K. Brian’s a little faster than me, so I hoped to keep him in sight for a few minutes. As the race began, I chased Brian for the first mile with no one near us. I had the notion that I could win the race. Knowing that some runners might have gotten caught behind slower people at the start, I didn’t get too excited. I figured that If I was in front for two miles I’d have a good chance of winning.
Someone passed me at about a mile and a half, but he split off at the 10K turn, so I maintained my lead. I was running about a 6:05 pace through four miles and opening a lead. I figured I had the race won, with about a quarter mile lead and no one around me. The lack of people turned out to be a problem. I didn’t see any volunteers after the 10K split, and the course was extremely poorly marked with chalkboard chalk arrows on the ground the only guide. After passing the fifth mile I lost the trail. Lost in a subdivision in Livermore, I asked someone walking his dog for directions. He pointed me down the street, but still no arrows.
The race was a complete disappointment. Instead of winning the race, I was now concerned about getting home fast enough to catch a flight in the afternoon. I had no money or cell phone, and there were no pay phones. I found some arrows and followed them past some vinyards, still not certain where I was going.
I continued, still not seeing anyone until I ran for about an hour. There I followed a runner for some race, either the 5K or 10K, and reached the finish, but I think I went through it backwards. My time of 1:10 and change was achieved by skipping untold miles.
I informed the race director of my trouble. Other runners had complaints, and after the director took care of them, she told me that someone had stolen all the signs that marked the course and threw the barricades at Shadow Cliff Park into the lake. It’s a shame, but I said they could have had someone on a bike guiding the lead runner. To her credit she refunded my entrance fee plus a few dollars.
US Half marathon: Nov. 2. “Where do I go?” I yelled as loud as I could after running something like 10 miles, facing backwards, my hands in the air.
Is it really that difficult to properly mark a course? New rule: If race organizers can’t afford the signs, orange cones and volunteers to guide runners through a course, maybe they shouldn’t hold the race. I didn’t see a mile marker after the third mile, and didn’t check my watch for the last 10 miles. Why bother? I had no idea how far I had run.
At the turn around after the Golden Gate Bridge the path loops on a dirt path under the bridge. I spoke to a runner after the race who said that he and several others overshot the turn because the orange cones were stacked and lying flat on the ground.
I’ve run this race four times, and I know the route on the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I get lost after returning to San Francisco and descending to the shoreline. The course goes left toward the bridge before reversing back towards Fisherman’s Wharf. The confusion is that the half marathon merges with a 10K held at the same time. I passed the first turn and feared I was making the same mistake I did last year when I and a few others ran aimlessly toward Fort Point at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. That’s when I turned around and voiced my frustration.
Benjamin Cronin (M30-39) was the only half-marathoner around me, about five seconds back. He was confused like me, and we ran to Fort Point complaining about the course, before he passed me at the turn. I chased him for the rest of the race and finished ninth overall and second in my age group with a time of 1:24.
After the race Ben wondered if we had run more than 13.1 miles. I think we ran the correct distance, but I’m convinced that twice before I did not. In 2006 I completed the race in 1:22, which seems extremely fast, meaning that the course or my route was not a complete half marathon. Last year I ran a 1:25, which I felt was too slow, probably because I ran too far.
At the end of the four half marathons I had two medals and one PR, and one incomplete. I would give myself an ‘A’, a better grade than race organizers. Long Beach gets an ‘A’ and Primo’s a strong ‘B+’. The Grape Stomp served a race before its time and receives an ‘F’ while the US Half did not impress as much as in previous years and gets a ‘C’.
My legs held up well over the four weeks, and my training was very manageable. I ran about 20 miles during the week with no speed work. The races gave me enough running at maximum effort to keep up my speed. If I hadn’t gotten sick in the last week I probably would have run the US Half faster, but I’m happy with the result.
I usually end my season with the US Half, but I’ve won nine medals this year and my goal is 10. The next opportunity is the Academy of Sciences Run Wild 10K in three weeks.
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