Virtually the Same 2021

 Hey there. It's been over six months since I've felt like I had anything good to write about. But I'm back. Still running. More than ever actually. Last year I ran 1,647 miles which is a 40-year high. That was made possible by the lack of any significant injuries, as well as the lack of tapering or downtime for racing! I spent the summer thinking (foolishly) I was training for a Fall marathon, but when that went away I just kept putting in miles at a slightly lower rate. So it turned out to be a good year despite the lack of races and race road trips (after Atlanta anyway).

I did manage to add a few rows to my racing tab on the spreadsheet; Four "virtual" races which were really just glorified time trials, but I'm counting them. They were all my local traditional races that I do every year. I ran them all on the traditional start date and time and on the actual course. And I pushed as hard as I could manage without any one to chase or any results to motivate me.

July 4th I did a 5K in 22:23 which was a minute slower than last year but a solid effort. There were a handful of others on the course at about the same time doing the same thing.

In October I did the local 10K, and about a dozen people were there at the start and even more hanging at the finish after maneuvering the course.48:46 was a good 3-4 minutes slower than I figured to be capable of. It was more of a tempo run than a race. But fun to see some other runners.

Thanksgiving I did the Turkey Trot 3 mile in 22:20 and again there were a few others walking and jogging the course.

None of these had official timers, but they all had virtual race options. I refuse to pay $30 just for a t-shirt so I was a virtual bandit, guilt-free because I wasn't using up any race resources like water or or food or police, because there were none of those things.

The fourth race actually had results. It was a new idea. A course was mapped out on the beach bike path and added to Strava. To race, one just had to do that course (marked on the path as well) any time in a 7-day window, and then upload your results to Strava. I did pay for that one, because it supported the high school cross country program, and they had come cool Covid medals. It was a 5K in 22:14 which got me 32nd place. 

So that brings me to this week, when I virtually bandited our Super Bowl 10K, the race which I have run more than any other. This would be the 25th time over the past 36 years. It figured to be like the others but I invited my friend and rival to join and he surprised me by accepting on Saturday night. So now it was a real race! No more being happy running sub-8 miles and giving an "honest" effort. No, I would need to try and beat this guy. He usually beats me by very small margins but we are about even, and I think I am in better shape at the moment. He also brought his 19-year old daughter who I have ran with before and is about the same speed.

I jogged down to the start and found some other runners from our club who had started earlier and were just finishing. Got to chat a little. It was all the fast old guys that would have beat me anyway so I'm glad I wasn't aware of their race. I would have been dead last. So anyway, we waited for a green light at one of the few intersections at the start and off we went.

My rival, B, went out fast, as expected. He always goes out fast and tries to hang on. I usually catch up to him in the second half. He mocks my negative splits like they are a bad thing - silly man. So when my pace showed 7:02 in the first 100 yards I had to let him slip ahead and I eased back. Young C stayed with me and we ran side-by-side almost the whole race.  She runs track and CC and sensibly understands the whole negative split concept. My A goal (besides beating B) was sub 7:30 pace and sub-47. But I wasn't sure I was capable as I haven't run that fast for that long in 18 months. My "plan" was maybe 7:50 first mile and work it down to sub 7:30 by mile 3.

So B is pulling away from us and we are trucking along at a hard pace just to stay close. We hit mile 1 in 7:24 (with uphill) and B is maybe 40 yards ahead. At this point he looks back, unsure of a turn. Ha! He has only run this race once or twice and doesn't know the course! Advantage me. I shout some directions to him, but it costs him a few seconds anyway on about four turns. Mile two we are maintaining pace and he isn't getting too far ahead. Mile two is 7:30 with more hill and he is 50-60 yards ahead.

Mile three is straight and slightly down and usually where I start to pick it up. Sure enough, he starts to come back to us. I am working pretty damn hard though. Feels pretty much like a normal race; Locked in on someone to catch. On the edge of my body's limits. (My HR averaged 178 for the race and was about 180 or more the last 4 miles) Mile 3 is 7:20 and he is 20 yards ahead. 

One last confusing turn that he misses by a few steps and we catch him on the corner. My racer instinct keeps the foot on the gas to keep him from hanging on. Sure enough, he has dropped back and a block later I turn to look and he is a good 20 yards back. Beaten. I know that it is virtually impossible to come back from that but I need to keep the pressure on anyway. I don't want a last mile surprise.

But the adrenaline of the chase is gone and that little voice in my head says "It's OK to slow down now, the race is won". But I tell him to shut up. Mile 4 is 7:11, but now there are more hills ahead. Still I feel pretty good and I have C with me which helps. We keep pushing and mile 5 is 7:23. One more look and B is out of sight. So I just need to get to the finish and post a good time. I am breathing pretty hard by now and Mile 6 has the nasty steep hill which always crushes me. I slow to a crawl (9 min pace?) to get over it and C pulls ahead with her young lungs and legs, damn her. But I don't care if she beats me. I get to the final half mile downhill and regain life and crank it up. I get mile 6 down to 7:27, and cover the last .21 at 6:24 pace, nearly catching the whippersnapper. I'm in at 45:38, and only 3 seconds off my time from two years ago.

Phew! Quite happy with that. We wait and wait and finally C calls her Dad. Apparently his calf was cramping so he walked it in. But he acknowledged that I had him beat well before that. Victory is sweet. All day long I felt good - not just the endorphins, but just that great feeling of racing again, putting it all out there and reaching a goal and exceeding expectations. It's Monday night and I'm still smiling.

Life is good.

Birthday Silliness - 2020

 So I had a birthday last week. Since we are all bored stuck at home and looking for meaning in our lives, I tried to think of a birthday run. 58 miles? No chance. 58KM? Still way too long. 5.8 miles? Nah, too boring. 58 laps on the track? That would be 14.5 miles and possible, but challenging. But all the tracks are closed, so forget that.

So then I thought an appropriate challenge during these "Stay-at-home" times would be to do 58 lengths of my block. I would never get more than 200 yards from my front door. Garmin measured it out as .12 miles, so 58 back and forths would be about 7.2 miles. Easy peasy.

I figured I could spend each block reflecting on that year in my life. About one minute per lap to think about what happened during that year. Then I texted the boy about the plan and said he could join in on lap 31 and run the rest of the way. Or Do 8 laps with me, and then 10 laps where he only does half a lap, and then he can take off. I told the wife she could join in at 41 and do the last 17 laps with me. I did not invite the ex to do laps 25-39 with me...

Shockingly, the boy agreed to join in. And the wife said she would give it a try. So the plan was on.

I went out about 10AM and walked to the end of the block and got started. It was just me going up and down my block. I picked a manhole cover to be my turnaround cone at one end (a dead-end), and the stop sign line on the other end. Only a few neighbors were out and they may have wondered why I kept going by, but didn't say anything. I cruised through my childhood...

5: Kindergarten...

6: 1st grade, OK not much to reflect on yet...

8: Spent a year in England while Dad was relocated. Got to travel in Europe. Go to English schools. Quite the adventure!

9: Back to Minnesota. Started liking girls...

11: Spent a year in Northern California. 

12: Back to Minnesota again. Junior High.

13: Ran 8th grade cross country and launched an obsession.

15: Run all summer. First road race (5 miles, 34:30). Start high school.

16: First kiss

18: Graduate. First true love. First marathon. Go to Stanford. Set many PRs that still stand. Quite a year!

19: Discover alcohol and weed

22: Graduate and move to So Cal

23: The year of living dangerously. 

24: The year of the crazy ex-girlfriend

25: Second true love. Get engaged.

26: Marriage

So I'm running alone this whole time. The boy said he would come over but has yet to show. Wife still inside. The running is easy. The street is a little U-shaped so that there is a little down hill and up hill each direction. It's actually pretty nice. By the time you notice the uphill, you can turn around and cruise down. I get to 30 and take a little walk break hoping the boy shows up. Wife happens to come out so she checks on him and says he is on his way. So I keep going.

28: 2nd marathon

29: Buy a house

31: Have a baby!

32-36: Baby jogger years

As I run 34 the boy shows up. He jumps out of the car and joins me. With bandanna.

He's not in running shape, so I drop the pace a little and we jog and chat. Now the wife and dogs have come out to watch and she alerts the neighbors about the whole thing and soon I have people cheering us as we go by each lap. It's pretty fun actually. People need something to cheer for. I attached a video, but not sure if it works here.

So I keep going. Not so much reflecting, but the laps roll on.

39: Divorce

40: Unemployment

41: Rebirth - A new job and true love #3.

43: Another wedding!

The boy drops after two miles and cheers from the side. The wife runs a few laps with me. Or partial laps. The dogs are included. It's a party. The neighbors stay until the end. Because what else do they have to do?

47: Join the Loop and kickstart the 2nd major phase of my running career.

51:1st Boston

53: Layoff...er...Retirement!

57: 19th marathon

The boy joins in for the last lap and I kick it in and drop a BP.

Good fun. Later we celebrate with a Corona.

 

Life is good.

(see video link below)

IMG_1131.MOV31.63 MB · 154 downloads

Virtual Racing

 Well, I told Dave I would do the Half, so I had to do it. My plan was to choose my flattest course - out and back at the beach - and see how close I could get to Atlanta's hilly 1:46:59 from 4 weeks ago. But then they shut the beaches down, including the walk and bike paths, so that was out. I didn't really want to do a virtual race in roads with all the stoplights and stuff. So the best option was to go up to Palos Verdes, where there are no stoplights and not many cars. Nice beautiful roads with sweeping ocean views. And lots of hills.  I thought about switching to a 5K or 10K. But I wasn't feeling the speed lately, and I really needed the miles. So I stuck with it and committed to the hilly course. Dave posted a 1:52 time, or 8:35 pace, so I thought that looked like a pretty good goal to shoot for. I would try to average 8:30s with the downhills balancing the uphills. 

The day was sunny and cool, but warming up. Stupidly I dawdled and did not get started until almost 10:00AM. Temps were low 60s by the time I finished, which was pretty hot given all the sunshine. I carried no water or fuel. There was only one water fountain at the turnaround. I parked at the base of the hill, which is normally jammed with runners and bikers on weekend mornings. It was about 1/3 full with a few people hanging around and practicing social distancing. So, without any warmup, off I went.

Mile 1 starts with 1/2 mile flat and down to get warmed up, and then a 200 foot hill for 3/4 mile. I ran comfortably and started up feeling OK. Treating it like a regular weekend long run for now. 9:06

In mile 2 I crested the first hill without dying too much and started a nice long downhill section. Lots of people were out walking and jogging, but in a good way. Parking lots near the coast were closed but people just parked in the streets. They were well spread out though. 8:31 and 8:06 for 2-3 had me near an 8:30 average and feeling like my plan was good.

Miles 4-5 were 8:29 and 8:26 despite including a big hill. But I was feeling pretty tired. But it was a race, right, so about normal. Mile 6 was supposed to be a nice flattish trail along the coast, but I was surprised to see it closed as well. So that meant I had to add ANOTHER big hill, both ways. Did not improve my mood! My energy was flagging. 8:38 up and over that bastard. Now I looked forward to a drink at the turnaround. After another hill. Then I added a little bit extra to be sure I had enough mileage before stopping at a restroom for water and a pee. Yes, I stopped my watch for 2 and a half minutes, but I figured if it was a real race I would have drank on the run and skipped the bathroom. It was my only chance for water so I drank a lot. Caught my breath and headed back. Mile 7 was 8:27. That put me at 8:32 pace through 7. Right on track.

But then it all went to hell. Another big hill had me hating life and gasping for air and feeling the legs get heavy. The nice downhill did not help as it should have and 8 was 8:45. Mile 9 started flat and I still couldn't get the pace down and I started wanting to quit. So, just like a real race! Then the steepest hill of the day approached - one that I often resort to walking up. I had no energy left so I accepted my fate and walked up it. I may not have been able to go any faster running anyway. Mile 9 was 10:16 and I knew I was not going to catch Dave.  

Mile ten was all downhill, but I was on survival legs and could only manage 8:21, and even then I really wanted to quit. I started re-evaluating goals. Certainly I could still do sub-two. Keep my average under 9:00. Let's see, that would be about 1:58. Did some math...Yeah, no problem. But you have to run. Mostly. At ten, I took another walk break even though it wasn't a hill. I just needed to catch my breath. Galloway became my new coach. 11-12 promised almost all uphill, but then 13 would be down, so I focused on just getting through 12. I did what my lungs allowed. I took two more short walk breaks, and got through 11-12 in 9:51 and 9:59. I was going to break 1:58 at least.

The last downhill was nice. Pace dropped in to the 7's as gravity was my friend. A little uphill for the last 0.4 was not fun but I tried to keep up the best I could and finished gasping for air. 13 was 8:17 and I got to 13.1 in 1:56:03. 8:51 pace. The total elevation gain was 1,001 feet. A bit more than "hilly" Atlanta's 736.

I was pretty wiped out and dehydrated and hungry, but happy with my effort. "Race-like" I'll call it. Good to have a challenge. But I think I'll be doing the 5K next month.

Runs in the Time of Corona

 I'm missing my group runs. Sure I have run solo most of my life, but when it is forced, it does get sad after a while. I've noticed a change in how we react to each other too. A week ago runners were even more friendly than usual. More waves, smiles, nods, etc. Like, "Hey we are in this together - it's good to get out and run, isn't it?" Now I still get a few like that, but more and more people avert their eyes, turn their heads, or look at you like, "You're not going to come into my 6 foot circle are you?" It's more like they (we) are ashamed to even be out running, since we should be holed up at home. I come home feeling a little guilty. But, yeah, still glad I can get out there and work the body and make endorphins and de-stress and add numbers to my spreadsheet.

The beach bike path is closing tomorrow. I'll be running mostly on the empty roads. I skip the sidewalk entirely so the dog walkers don't get freaked out. Today I saw a guy driving a convertible wearing a mask.

Meanwhile we are finishing season two of Schitt's Creek (funny!). I binged all of Fleabag (funny!). Just watched JoJo Rabbit which was good. Parasite was odd but really interesting - recommended. Marriage Story was brutal but very well done. I'm watching BoJack Horseman which is amusing. I still recommend Black Mirror if you haven't seen it yet - some fantastic shows. Plus I read. 

This too shall pass. Eventually. In Love in the Time of Cholera, the guy did get his lover in the end. Keep at it.

Life During Wartime

 Here is a link to the awesome title song for background. It can also double as an aerobic video if you need a workout.

So 2020 is going to be a year like none of us have ever experienced. Not since 1918 or maybe 1930 has American life changed so quickly. Every day has been a new development and what seemed crazy a week or two ago is now the new normal. We in California are now told to stay home unless necessary. I expect the rest of the country to follow suit soon. I expect it will be 6-8 weeks before any normalcy returns and who knows?

Anyway, I just started reading The Splendid and the Vile, which is about Churchill and life in London in 1940, as they prepared for an apparently imminent German invasion and bombing. It made me think of certain parallels to us now. Mainly the "not knowing" what will happen. The shock of changing expectations and considering the unthinkable. The threat of potentially massive death tolls. Could we look like Italy looks now? I heard we are only 8 days behind Italy on the infection curve. I actually considered the possibility that this could actually kill me if hospitals get overwhelmed and I caught the bug. Scary stuff.

But basically I remain positive. Trying to remain rational and taking it a day at a time. The wife is home with me. She works at a school so they are off for at least 5 weeks. Ubering is dead in the water with no demand, and I don't want to go out there anyway. Libraries are closed so I have to get e-books. Golf courses are closed. Hell, everything is closed except grocery stores and takeout dining. I sit around. I watch TV. I walk the dogs. I read. And I run. Thankful I have that as an outlet. My running groups are no longer meeting so I run alone. But I'm good with that. I skip the water fountains and don't press the pedestrian walk buttons. No races to train for, but I'll keep building a base and doing speed work because it's fun. Hopeful that Chicago will still be there in October. But if not, that's fine. I'm getting used to it now. This ain't no party. This ain't no disco. This ain't no fooling around. 

Be safe out there.

Atlanta Half 2020

 Better late than never, right?

First a quick update. My four days a week plan worked for nine weeks, but then I got sick (during Atlanta weekend) and my lungs were just not functioning well enough to run, so I took 6 days off, only ran once last week (poorly) and I'm doing three runs this week as I am just getting healthy again. But back on schedule next week! I had a 5K tomorrow which got cancelled, but I was glad, because I was in no condition to run well anyway due to the illness. Next up is a Half on 5/3 which hasn't been cancelled yet, although I'm not optimistic. At least no one can stop me from training! And our group runs haven't been shut down yet. Although my gym closed. Boo hoo.

Anyway, so two weeks ago I was excited to travel to Atlanta and see some running buddies and watch the trials. I flew in Thursday and met up at Carissa's Running Lodge with Caitlin, Roger and T.O.  Carissa and Adam were wonderful hosts, along with their three furry friends. We had some long drives to Atlanta three days in a row. Friday was the expo, which was surprisingly lame. Almost no vendors. Lousy merchandise. For some reason they had an indoor high jump and shotput competition going on in the middle of the expo. But we did see some famous faces: Paula Radcliffe, Kara Goucher, Gail Devers. Also ran into Loopsters Dan Tian and Rebecca Trachsel.

Earlier we had a little shakeout run in the chilly weather. Who knew you needed layers to run in Atlanta? And there was a Flying Tomato sighting!

Saturday was the trials. We got down there early and got to see everybody warming up behind the start line. We were arms length from all the best runners in the country. It was fun to see them all up close just acting like normal runners - nervously going through their routines. Galen Rupp was all business, but most of the others had smiles. I got to say Hi to two guys I knew from my local running group, just as they lined up (in the back of the pack). As the race got underway, we walked a few blocks over to Peachtree, where the men and women did out and backs three times. So there was almost constant action going by. The crowds were loud and the excitement was palpable! Roger started chatting with a guy who was rooting for his son. It turned out his son was Jacob Riley who ended up getting 2nd! When the women came by at mile 21 and two women I never heard of were breaking away it was quite shocking! Where was Molly Huddle? And Jordan Hasay? And the other favorites? It was quite exciting. It was really windy and cold. I felt bad for the runners battling that wind. And the hills. But it wasn't too bad for spectating.

Then we relaxed and got ready for our own race on Sunday. Tom and I were running the half and Carissa did the full while the others cheered. I worried about the cold, but the next day the wind had died to nothing, so the 33 degree temperature was much more bearable. I ditched all my extra clothes in the start corral.

I was starting to feel sick and coughing up some junk, but it wasn't bad (yet). It didn't seem to bother me while running. I just coughed a lot after I finished and by the next day it really kicked in. But I'm getting ahead.

So we all started together, which allowed us to get this cool photo right at the start.

My race "plan" was very soft. I wanted to see if I could run sub-8 pace and break 1:45. But I was not real confident and I didn't care too much. The constant hills had me a little worried. As did my sickness. I figured to just run with the group for a while and see what happened. Have fun out there. I ran with Carissa the first mile and we lost Tom right away in the crowd. Pace felt easy as it was mostly downhill. 7:54. Good, OK. But then we found the rolling hills and my pace dragged. And Carissa slipped ahead in mile 2 and it was too much work to try and keep up so I let her go. I kept her in sight for 2-3 miles but then she was gone - on her way to another ho hum BQ. Never saw Tom, although he was within a minute or two of me the whole way. So I was on my own. I clicked along in a comfort zone that was just over 8 minute pace. 8:02, 8:10, 8:15, 8:05. Hard enough to be working without thinking I was going to die. Each little hill was its own challenge, but of course the downhills were lovely! Passed this strange restaurant which we ended up going to for lunch after the race. Excellent burgers at the Vortex!

7:58, 8:25, 7:52, 7:42, 8:16 through ten. Miles 8-9 were nice with long downhills and going through a park. I was starting to feel pretty decent. Started searching for Carissa's ponytail in case maybe I might catch her (nope).

But then the last three miles were mostly up hill, and my adrenaline flagged. And then left entirely. 8:08 and 8:27 for mile 12 where I considered walking up a particularly long hill. 8:06 for mile 13 as I tried to give what I had left to get to the finish. I knew 1:45 was gone. I thought I had a shot at sub 1:46 until mile 12, and then I was just shooting for sub 1:47. I gave a little kick down to the finish - the same finish the trials people had just run down to punch their Olympic tickets.

My watch showed 1:47:02, but officially I got 1:46:59. So 1:46 it is! I'll take that. Not close to where I want to be, but just fine for where I am now. And I loved the whole weekend with my buddies.

Back to work. Life is good.

Once in a Lifetime - Trail Marathon 2019

 It's been 3 months since I've posted on here. Since then I trained for a marathon. And I didn't get hurt. But it was summer (so, a little warmer than usual around here). And I wasn't really motivated. Because you see, it was a trail marathon. So when I didn't really get enough miles in, I shrugged and said, eh, no matter. It's just a fun run in the woods. Time will be ridiculously slow anyway, so, whatever.

So I enjoyed running and didn't push it when it got hard, and (not coincidentally) stayed healthy and happy. I maxed out at 17.5 miles and 42 mile weeks. 

The race was the Skyline to the Sea Marathon. It starts at the top of the hills outside San Jose and runs mostly downhill to the ocean near Santa Cruz. It's all trails, mostly single track, and all shady and beautiful through a redwood forest. I'd been wanting to run this one for years, but needed the right motivation. It came when Mild Sauce agreed to meet me there and accompany me on this little run through the woods.

So I found myself in another part of the world, and I found myself behind the wheel of a large automobile, and I found myself on a beautiful trail, with a beautiful girl, and I asked myself, well, how did I get here?

It was a seven hour drive, that's how. Got to Santa Cruz Friday night and scouted the local establishments. Found one up to the Sauce's standards.

So we had a couple beers Friday. Saturday was open so we explored the area with a long cliffside hike.

Then of course we had to ride the circa 1924 Giant Dipper. A must for any Santa Cruz visit. 

Sunday was race day. We had to ride the bus over an hour to get to the start. The bus driver took the loooong way around and up the hill, but we managed to arrive in time to pee and get our bibs. Then the race director talked to us in the parking lot and pretty soon said 3-2-1-go! We were still a jumbled mass in the lot and casually headed over to the trail. There were only 130 people, but the race got to the trail in 50 yards so it was a little crowded, but amazingly most of the fast and slow people were in the right place so it worked out pretty well.

It started out with a pretty steep downhill and I was full of energy so I may have gone out too fast. Saucy said so anyway. What do I know about trail running? I felt easy and was enjoying cruising along with a group at a pace that seemed effortless (about 9:00). But of course with an expected five hours ahead of us, I probably should have backed off.

Same as it ever was.

But it was fun. And beautiful! The course did not disappoint! Huge trees, narrow trails with rocks and roots, bubbling streams, water flowing underground... Here are some shots from the website.

So I cruised along. Saucy stayed nearby and by the time we reached the first aid station at 6 miles we had separated from the others and were mostly just running alone, the two of us. The shade kept it cool, despite temps near 80 in the area. The next section was mostly uphill for 4 miles and we did lots of walking. Then it would be mostly down the rest of the way. But, boy, those downhills were getting to my quads! Not just the steady decline, but stepping down over roots and rocks constantly was even more jarring. Sauce led the way most of the rest of the way, and I was working to keep up. Although she stopped and walked whenever I asked, I still felt the pressure to keep going, because it was a race, after all! I had a goal to break 5 hours, because, why not? And it seemed like it would not be easy. Gotta keep pushing! We hit half way in right around 2.5 hours. But mostly downhill now, right? Well, yes, but, those quads... We got to an aid station at 15 and I was spent. And then there was more uphill...

My God! What have I done!

Well, no matter. It's just a fun day in the woods, right? We walked and talked. When we reached downhill I ran, but it was steep, and my legs were not functioning properly. I tripped about ten times but never went down. But the later it got, the more nervous I was about it, so I slowed over the hard steps, just putting more pressure on my quads. I was getting more tired and between the shadows and my bleary eyes I knew I was one step away from disaster. And there were some steep drop-offs close to the trails' edge! But I persisted.

At one point about 17 I slipped on a rock and landed on my butt and felt dizzy, so Sauce gave me her stashed rice krispy bar. Apparently I wasn't fueling properly. Me! Shocking! I never eat enough. It helped. But after that there was even more walking. Oh well, walk in the park. Enjoyed the beauty. 

At about 20 we reached a wider trail that was groomed. Basically a dirt road. So I was able to settle into a shuffle that didn't tax my legs as much and we started making better progress. That lasted 3-4 miles until the last aid station where they said the last 2 miles were mostly uphill and sunny.  Ugh. But we were going to make it. Had to walk the ups, but then we finally heard the finish line cheers, and cruised down a steep hill (OW!!) and to the finish at last. 5 hours and 15 minutes of fun. Would have been good for a 3rd place age-group medal last year, but only 5th this year. Darn ten-year categories. All the winners were at least 5 years younger than me. But the finisher medal and shirt were quite cool.

The post-race spread was NOT impressive, sadly, but we went out later for pizza and beer to celebrate. My legs were thrashed, but I never fell, and I had a fun time with a buddy cruising through a beautiful place. I can check trail marathon off the list. 

Now I'm recovered and I have a 5K, a 3 mile turkey trot, and a 10K on the calendar in the next 4 months. Next long one is a half in Atlanta 3/1. No more marathons until next Fall (Chicago is the plan, lottery permitting). Meanwhile I'm going back to enjoying my runs with my local group and running for fun.

July 4th 5K 2019

 There were no tanks or flyovers, but I tried to show I was Keeping Bangle Great by doing my annual 4th of July 5K, here in beautiful Redondo Beach.

This would be my 17th year doing this one. In keeping with my current blasé attitude toward racing, I was not super excited and didn't have any special goals. Since I seem to continue to get slower as I age (go figure!) it gets a little depressing to find a consistent goal (like sub-20) getting further and further away. So I don't stress it - vow to do my best and chase easier targets.

Today I had several, in the person of club teammates. Coach Ed, as usual, was a good one. Now that he is 67 I have been able to beat him the last few times. He always starts fast, so I try to chase him down over the first two miles and it gives me a good visible target to keep me going. Another one is 33 year old Evelyn, who is bouncing back from pregnancy. At top shape she beats me, but right now we are about the same speed and have been training together. Then there is 65 year old Mark, who narrowly beat me last year, which bugged me because I didn't think he had the speed. He doesn't do any speed work at all - just runs. But danged if it doesn't work for him.

This is me and Evelyn before the race.

As for time goals, I hoped to break 21. I planned to get out under 7 and try to run 6:45 pace. I did 21:13 last year in this race and 21:14 in my last 5K in May, so I aimed to beat those.

The day dawned with a heavy marine layer - so it was cloudy and a little humid, but not too hot. Maybe 60. There were literally hundreds of teenagers warming up in packs as all the local high school teams turned up. Over 2,100 participants, with a huge amount of slow joggers and walkers. I felt sluggish warming up, as usual, and positioned myself about 6 rows back from the start. Just after the gun a couple teenagers went down in front of me, but I avoided disaster and got around them. I eased into pace and my rivals all shot ahead.

I've gotten pretty good about starting slow. Maybe it's age, but I don't let adrenaline bolt me out at 6 minute pace anymore. 7 minute pace felt hard enough already thank you very much. By the time we cleared the first two crowded turns after 1/4 mile I could see Ed at least 50 yards ahead of me. Then the course is a steady uphill for about 3/4 mile, so I tried to relax, stay steady and not burn out. The racing would begin in mile 2.

I got to one in 6:57. Happy with that, and I wasn't hurting too much, so it was time to start pushing. Another teammate had been running with me most of mile 1, and this was a guy I should be beating, so it kind of irked me enough to shift gears. I could see my 3 rivals up ahead, and oddly they were all very close to each other, about 50 yards ahead still, but I was closing the gap. As we got over the hill I  started to pass more people and gain confidence. Mile 2 rolls through 3 little up and downs - just enough to make you suck wind on the ups. I was gaining on my peeps and feeling like I was on track, but it was definitely hurting. Ah, yes, the 5K burn in the chest. Embrace it before it sinks into your legs...

There is a sharp U-turn on this out and back course at the half-way point. I passed Evelyn just before the turn, and then passed Ed just after the turn. But Mark had pulled a little ahead and was obviously running a little stronger than the others. I knew that barring disaster, I had the others beat. About 1/4 mile later I caught Mark and gave a little hand wave. And that little SOB starts chatting like its a fun run. "Hey, how's it going..." Grr. I was non-verbal and just trying to breathe at this point. I tried to move on by and keep racing and that jerk just stayed with me as we continued to pass other people. Dammit.

Hit mile 2 in 6:47. OK, I'll take that. Mile 3 is mostly downhill, so I was hoping I could drop that down closer to 6:30 and still break 21. After cresting the last hill and re-gaining my wind, I tried to push the gas a little more on the down. But there was little left in the tank. And Mark kept hanging on. A couple times I thought I lost him, but I'd turn and look and he was right there tracking off of me. OK, fine, I should be able to out-kick him at the end (I said to myself). The downhill was not as helpful as I hoped and I was just trying to hang on and get to the finish. We turned the corner and kicked the last 1/4 and damned if he didn't move ahead and dust me. Kudos to him. That's him in the white.

Mile 3 was only 6:50, although I managed 6:20 pace for the last sprint. My time was 21:23, just missing my goals. But still, not too far off, right? I am 57 now...

Ended up 6th in my AG, 185th overall, with an age-grading of 73%. I can live with that. I held out hope that my chip time might beat Mark, but no, he beat me by one tenth of a second! 

Well, I beat the others anyway, and I'm still injury-free and grateful for that.

In other news, I decided to sign up for a trail marathon in October; Skyline to the Sea near Santa Cruz. It's through a redwood forest and mostly downhill. And I will get to run with Loop Superstar Mild Sauce, which was enough reason for me to disavow my promise of no marathons until next Fall. Besides, it's just a trail run, not like a REAL marathon, right? I can go slow and not worry about speed and just have fun. But I will have to bump up my summer mileage.

Next week I'm off to Kentucky for a week to experience real summer heat and humidity. NOT looking forward to that. The running part I mean.

Life is good.