33 Hours in a Van with Strangers? A Fine Proposal! Ragnar Key West

Some time last year former Loopster Rushourunner suggested joining her Ragnar team in Florida. I had just done Hood to Coast and had relay fever. And I've never been to Miami or Key West. So I signed up and committed and bought plane tickets. I figured I could talk some Loopsters into joining, but that didn't work out, so it was me and 10 strangers and one person I've met once. Woo Hoo! Adventure!

So off I went to Miami and was introduced to people in a hotel room. That we were all sharing. 3 rooms, 6 beds, two couples, 7 ladies, and me.



I guess I could have asked for a cot, but I'm kind of stubborn and lazy, and after some awkward conversation, I eventually convinced them I was a harmless old man, and got one of them to share a bed with me. No biggie.

Meanwhile, we decorated the vans, and had a really good Philly Cheesesteak at a dumpy little place run by a Philly guy. It was better than the one I had in Philly 3 years ago! Got to know my teammates a little over a few beers. Didn't get to see any of Miami though, except the airport and some random neighborhoods on the way out of town. Oh well. I'll take my talents to South Beach another time.

I was in van 2, so I got to sleep in a little. Van 1 got started at 6AM. Our group was mostly slower runners. We averaged 9:55 for the whole race. Here was our tracking sheet. We ended up staying pretty close to it, finishing within 18 minutes at the end.



You'll see there were two quicker runners to keep me honest. I quickly got competitive with Lisa over who would be the fastest. She is a hard-core runner, with many marathons and Ragnars under her belt, and competitive! So we ended up pushing each other on every leg. That helped make it feel like a race.

As we casually made our way to exchange 6 by 9AM, van 1 had an extra surprise going on. Runner 6 was planning to propose to runner 5 as she finished her leg! He had some signs made up and stretched the team out over the last section of her leg.


Thankfully she said yes! Otherwise it would have been a long day in that van!


Of course, he then had to go and run his leg, so she was left with a big ring and time to spread the word from her phone.

We met up with van 1 at the first exchange and heard the story and talked for a bit, but soon we had to go chase down our runner. Lisa ran 7:25 pace for her leg, so the gauntlet was thrown, and I had my goal for leg one.



I took off at what I thought was conservative pace. But Garmin told me 6:25, so I dialed it back a bit. We were running on sidewalks since there were no road closures, and we had to follow traffic laws. So when I hit a major intersection after just 1/4 mile I had to stop for a red light. A looooonnnggg red light. The two people I had passed jogged up and we stood together chatting. I had decided to hit my lap button for red lights, so I had clean running numbers. The light was 2 minutes and 4 seconds. This graph shows my pace and you can spot the stoplights.

Four stoplights total, although one I may or may not have blown through one because there were no cars...

Anyway, I was working pretty hard, picked up 12 kills, yelled at two headphone wearers who had missed the turn and saved them some time, averaged 7:15 when I was running and did the last 1/4 at 6:22 pace feeling good!

It was 70's and sunny and more humid than I am used to, so I had a good sweat going. But it was back in the van and on we go! I did have a sweat towel, and 3 sets of running gear, so nastiness was kept to a minimum. Still...

After our first legs, we dined at Chili's and then drove through the Everglades into the Keys. Van 1 got to run through the major crocodile section at dusk, but we had to keep our eyes open.



I never saw one though, sadly.

By now it was dark, and we were on highway 1 for the rest of the race - one long, straight, flat road along the Keys. We hung out at a high school for hours. Some slept, some showered. Lots of waiting. I got to know my teammates a little better. I couldn't sleep. We started our 2nd legs about midnight and mine was at 2:30AM. 10.7 miles in the dark. Lisa had nailed her leg at sub-8 pace, so I planned to treat it like a long run, go out over 8, and than bring it down as I warmed up to marathon pace, maybe 7:45.

But, you know, racing! Mile 1 was 7:52, and I was just getting warmed up. 7:47, 7:41, 7:42, 7:30, 7:26, 7:25, 7:30, 7:36, 7:41 and 7:13 for the last 0.7.

It was fun. I wore the headlamp, but had trouble getting it to point the right way and stay steady, so I ended up holding it in my hand after I stepped right into a deep puddle I didn't see in mile 2. Lisa had 24 kills in her 8 miles, so I was trying to beat that too. But runners were scarce. I caught two in mile 1 and three in mile 2. There were long stretches where I couldn't see anyone in front of me. Then I would see some bobbing lights and I would have my next target. Most were lots slower than me so it was fun to track them down and blow by. I felt like an elite cruising through the field. 38 kills and no one passed me.

The views were awesome. Much of the time I could see ocean on both sides of the road. The wind was blowing pretty hard, but it was at my back the whole time. Especially going over the bridge, it was definitely giving me a huge boost! The full moon was overhead, and it made for a surreal run at 3 in the morning. Here is a pic of one of our other runners at dawn.


By dawn our van was pulling into exchange 30 and again I had a shower and failed to sleep. More time-killing, but there was a pancake breakfast which was edible. And coffee. I did sleep about an hour altogether I think, in phases.

Our 3rd legs were all short. Lisa killed her 4.4 miles at 7:15, but mine was only 2.7 miles, so I figured I could go for sub-7. Well, it was not to be. From the start my body just felt tired and I could not get up to speed. I got 12 more kills, but two guys passed me for the first time, and one of them was wearing a batman costume. Nothing kills your motivation like getting passed by Batman. I worked as hard as I felt that I could and averaged 7:23. So Lisa got me on that one.

But I was done. And now we got to cruise into Key West and gather for the group finish. Ragnar put on a good race - organization was great, traffic was not a problem, parking was pretty good. Much better than Hood to Coast! Limiting to 500 teams is a good plan.

The finish was on the sands of the beach, and directly into the party and beer garden. We all ran in together and commenced celebrating.


Our medals were cool, and when you put all 12 together, the back created a puzzle.





After getting to the hotel and a shower, I think I napped for 15 minutes before it was time to go out. Key West was amazing! Lots and lots of bars and restaurants and one big party! Loved the casual beach vibe and party atmosphere. We ended up at the Ragnar party, where they rented the biggest bar in town (Rick's), and for an hour it was all you could drink for free. There was a great live band, multiple bars around an outdoor courtyard, and hundreds of runners in party mode. Lots of fun.



The next day I got to tour more of Key West, had some Key Lime Pie, went through Ernest Hemingway's house, and then headed to the airport for the long flights home.

The strangers I met on Thursday I now count as friends. And now I know even more runners around the country to drop in on. Ragnars sound pretty silly when you try to explain it to people, but we runners just love to do our thing together and revel in it. And party after.

PR or Bust:10K RR

This was serious business. I came into this race in great shape. No excuses, so I was going for a PR. Even though I just set one 8 weeks ago in my last race, and that felt like a 100% effort on a flat course. This one had a few hills, but netted out to zero. It's a course I knew well from 19 previous races, but then they went and changed it a few days before the race. Due to some road construction they reversed the course. Same course, just backwards.

I ran it that way on Thursday to check it out. I liked it! It got rid of the worst hill at mile 5.5 which was always brutal. Instead we would have several nasty little hills in the first 1.5 miles, but then the rest was mostly flat or downhill, with a downhill last two miles. I set up my plan to start out relaxed, not burn out too much at the start, and then attack the course the last 4 miles with progressively faster miles to the finish.

Here's the elevation.


The goal was to get under my PR of 43:08, and also under 43:00. So I had to average about 6:55. I wanted to keep it over 7 for miles 1 and 2, and then under 7 the rest of the way, and make up whatever I lost on the hills.

I warmed up with about a mile, which was the distance from my house to the start. It was a perfect day - 50's and sunny. Many of my speedy running group were on hand, in uniform. We dominate this race, and it is fun to be part of the team, even though many of them were way ahead of me. The uniform makes me feel like a VIP; I'm one of those showoffs who does warmup runs in front of the start and then just moves to the front of the pack ahead of all the saps who have been standing there in the corral for fifteen minutes. In this crowd (~3,000) that was a necessity. The only other way in was through the back.

I moved about 5 rows back. And then we were off and running. I ran my plan and stayed relaxed. We hit the first hill after 1/4 mile and I kept telling myself to stay within myself. I glanced at G and it said 7:20. Great. Perfect. The hill got less steep and I started to pass the early starters already. I crested the first hill, and while I was huffing a bit, I was certainly in control and able to step it up a little.  A steep downhill let me open it up and fly a little, and I hit mile 1 at exactly 7:00.

OK, a little faster than plan, but I felt OK, but now there was another long hill. I dialed it back and again, stayed within myself (my mantra for miles 1-2). "Hold it back. Don't burn out early. This is not a 5K. Long way to go." Much huffing and puffing, but again I crested the hill feeling in control and was soon able to start pushing it again. Started heading down a long gradual downhill and got into the racing groove. Mile 2 clicked in at 7:08.

As I started mile 3 I saw my pace was about 6:55. Good, but I was going downhill and thought I may need more speed than that. Started getting near the red line, where the pain makes you not want to go any faster. "That's good enough right there, sir", my body was telling me. Then the course leveled off, and it started feeling harder. Ugh! Long way to go! But I was slowly catching people. All during the race I would spot people I knew from my running groups and go after them, and that really helped. Chasing people you know is a lot easier than chasing a time on a watch. Mile 3 was 6:57.

As I started mile 4 I was heading back toward the finish and had a long gradual uphill. Pace was showing just over 7. I had some water, but it just made me a little sick. A kid passed me. Dammit, this is hard! OK, It was time to see what I was made of and start pushing the envelope. I got the pace under 7 despite the hill and just worked it one block at a time.I was focused and working now. Passing people and then going for the next person. I knew I could do this. It would hurt a lot, but I've done enough to know that it could be done.  You just have to get through each minute and not give in to the urge to let up.

I saw this quote after, and had to add it here:


That's how I felt in miles 4 to 6. It hurt like hell. But I knew that pain. This was my 97th career 10K. I knew I could remain calm, set the pain aside, and get through to the other side. So I kept my foot on the gas. Mile 4 was 6:53.

The last two miles were mostly gradual downhill or flat, with a few little uphills mixed in. I saw another rival from the club and went after her. Also, coach Ed was just ahead so I chased him too. Got them both in mile 5, but I think I pushed a little too hard in running them down. After passing them I was really hurting and starting to get lactic acid buildup. I eased off just a tad because there was still a mile and a half to go. Mile 5 was 6:43.

Those little uphills near the end were nasty and brutish, but short. I was redlining it now, for basically the last mile. "Just hang on. Pace will take care of itself. Just keep moving." Passed the wife at mile 5.2 coming up the last little hill, and headed down to the finish.


Still had one more club member to catch, a woman who normally runs just in front of me during intervals. I passed her with 0.4 to go. Legs were tying up, and I was just hanging on to the finish. I knew it was going to be close, so I kept pushing for every second. Mile 6 was 6:40, and I hung on to 6:29 pace for the last 0.25 to the merciful finish line. I stopped my watch and it showed 42:59.3.

Boom. Did it.



Officially 42:58, a ten-second AGPR, best time in 12 years, and on a tough course. This graph nicely shows my pace progression over the hills and the gradual move from 7:00 to 6:30 pace.


Once I got my breathing back and managed not to dry heave (another close one), the endorphins kicked in and I felt GREAT! Lots of friends to chat with (brag to), beers at the beach-side beer garden, and a beautiful warm day. And a goal achieved. I ran to my plan perfectly! It's a good feeling.

112th overall, 17th in my tough age division (needed a 37:20 to place top 3!)

And then, Loopsters! About six dropped by after Surf City for a Super Bowl party. We ate and drank and celebrated. Good times.

 

 

 

Super Sunday is for Running

I love traditions. And racing. And the race I have done the most is the Redondo Beach Super Bowl 10k. The one coming up this Sunday will be my 20th time running it in the last 30 years. So I thought I would jog down memory lane.

The race is the biggest in our area, usually about 6,000 people between the 5K and 10K. The course is beautiful, with much of it along the beach.


A lot of people wear costumes, and it is very festive.


And there is an awesome post-race beer garden at this little spot, just steps from the finish. Lots of people do the race just to hang at the beer garden.


Here is the filtered list from my race spreadsheet.



1986: No, that is not a typo. Worst race of my life. I had some MAJOR intestinal traumas going on, and had to pull off in mile 3 and find a toilet. A bar/restaurant was open at 8AM and mostly empty, but the Mens room was out of order, so I hopped in to the Ladies. Desperate times. It was just one toilet, so I could lock myself in. And I spent about 15 minutes in there, doing unspeakable things. Finally I emerged, and there was a lady waiting... Sorry... I got back on the course, but still couldn't run, and ended up walking the rest of the way back and trying to avoid disaster in my pants. So, 95 minute 10K! I jogged in to the finish amongst the last straggling walkers and the announcer said "2nd time through?". Uh, no.

1987, 1989: Clearly I was not training too much in the late 80's.

1991: 42:12 - This is still my course record. I am shooting for it this year, 24 years later. If you told my 28-year old self that my 52-year old self would be chasing him down, I'm not sure what he would think. Hopefully he would be impressed.

1994 - 1998: This race has a separate start for the Baby Jogger division. About 50-80 people pushing babies. It is ten minutes before the regular start. So I got to avoid the crowds, and got to see the leaders blow by me in the final miles. Lots of fun. So I pushed my boy for 5 straight years.


2004, 2008: There is also a 5K, and I did that twice, both times running along side my son this time, at ages 10 and 14.

2010: In one of the first Loop Meets, sfschas came out to run this race with me. There was much trash talk and build up, and we raced hard, just to end up finishing side by side.


2011: My 2nd best course time, 44:16, was an over-40 PR at the time.


The last three years I have missed it, because Surf City is the same day, and Loopfests took priority. But this year Surf City didn't attract the masses, so I will get back to my tradition. The starting line is about 1 mile from my house, so it's a nice warm-up run. I will be shooting to beat the AGPR I set 8 weeks ago (43:08), and get under 43, and maybe take a run at my course record of 42:12.

Then I am hosting a Super Bowl party for the Loopsters that are around. J-Zee and Hoosier Ted are in town for Surf City, plus all the usual locals. Should be a fun weekend. Go Seahawks!

Monster Month

I generally call the last big month of mileage before a marathon Monster Month. Usually it is 2-6 weeks before the race, so for my March 15th race it would be February.

But I am a little ahead of schedule, and January is getting to be pretty monstrous.


I am on track to hit 200 miles for January, which would be my biggest month since....1981. Check this out from Strava.

That's 4 solid weeks, with 4 busy weekends!

So, let me tell you about last week.

I had a dinner date Wednesday, so I would be skipping track night, so that meant I could push it a little harder on Tuesday and make it a 7-mile tempo. Hoka was back, so I borrowed some new Cliftons to "test". By the way, my Cliftons are close to 500 miles and still feel good! I did just buy my second pair, but will continue to use the old ones as long as I can.

Felt good and pushed it - hoping to run 7:30's or better, but I guess I was still tired from the last weekend, because I kind of petered out and had to drop it back a little in miles 6 and 7. Still, a nice little tempo.



It's funny how that pace somehow feels easier ten miles into a run then it does in miles 2 and 3.

Thursday I did 9 miles on my rolling hills course and averaged 8:20, which was fine. I was trying to relax.

Friday was gym day, and Saturday I passed on the Mountain Goat run, and chose to do a flatter 8 miles near home so I would be a little more rested for Sunday's 20. However, a heat wave rolled in, and I was lazy and didn't get out until 10:30AM, and it was warm! Like 70 and sunny. I felt OK, and was making good time, but again I kind of bonked in the last few miles and faded.



However this whole run was on wood chips, and I wore my heavier trail shoes, so the effort was probably 20 seconds faster than the splits show. Still, it was not encouraging when I knew I had to do 20 the next day. I vowed to get up and out earlier to avoid the heat.

And I did! Out the door by 7:05. I went shirtless and it was pretty chilly for the first six miles (50s) but then I hit the sun for the rest of the way and was comfortable! Back in my Cliftons, I felt better, As usual, I did the first 5 on the wood chips and gradually dropped the pace. Then it was over the hill, down to the beach, and 14 miles of flat beach running.



Like clockwork, I slipped into sub-8 pace and held it. And the endurance I'm building paid off, and I was able to maintain that pace all the way to 20.

It's crazy. I don't really understand it. But averaging 7:46 for the last 14 miles seems easier than running that pace on Tempo Tuesday. I guess I need that warmup period. I can't go out like Quadracool and run 7:45 in mile 1 and keep going.

I had two GUs at miles 8 and 16, and practiced eating them while moving at sub-8 pace. I did stop 7 times for water along the way.

So I'm feeling pretty confident. Although pretty sore too. My adductor is complaining, and the bottoms of my feet hurt a lot for hours after. But generally I'm feeling good with 7 weeks to go.

This week I am cutting back, and I have a 10K to race Sunday, and next week I am off to Florida for a Ragnar Relay. Then I'll have 3 more weeks to pile up miles before the taper.

Mortal? Or Awesome?

I've been cranking up the miles, trying to get the most out of my marathon training. I keep expecting my body to feel the fatigue. But lately I've still been laying down fast splits no matter how tired I get. This week would be more of the same. Plan was to go over 50 miles, with some speed work, some hills, and a long one. The usual.

Tuesday I did my 7 miler where I met a guy gunning for the Olympic trials. (FYI, he just ran the Houston Half Marathon USA championships and ran 1:06:57 - only good for 68th place!) I had a good little progression and finished strong.


 Wednesday was track night. Plan was 4x1 mile. Coach said to target 30-60 seconds under marathon pace. I figured 6:50, but my pace buddies were shooting for 6:40, so I tagged along.

6:42, 6:43, 6:38, 6:37

Felt good! I could have done a few more. Or faster. Still cocky.

Thursday I went out for an easy six, and managed to keep it reasonably paced, averaging 8:27.

Friday was gym day, and then Saturday morning I went back to the mountains with the Goats.


10.6 miles with over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. I was feeling pretty tired, but it was an absolutely beautiful day in the mountains, with incredible views, and I hung with three other guys the whole way. So it was a fun social run, with plenty of challenge.

I was feeling pretty beat up, but we hosted a party Saturday night, so I was on my feet much of the day and night. And I had a few beverages. Dragged my butt to bed about midnight, exhausted, and the idea of dropping 18+ miles the next morning did not sound like a great plan. But I had committed to a group run, and that helped me get up and out the door before 8AM.

It was a small group and I didn't plan to run with them long. But I did meet Badwater legend Danny Westergaard, who did Badwater to Mount Whitney SIX times in a row! Not in 6 years, Consecutively!

Anyway after a slow half mile I said goodbye to the group and pushed ahead. I was feeling sluggish, but just cruised. The whole run was flat along the beach, so I got up to speed quicker than usual. By mile 4 I was near 8:00 pace, but I was not getting close to the crazy 7:40's I was hitting last week. I just plugged along. Definitely feeling the fatigue, but by the return trip, I was seeing sub-8 paces and felt good enough to maintain it, and just kept going. My heavy legs felt like they wanted to quit, but the endurance I have earned is paying off, and the body somehow is just able to keep going and going.

Still, I was toying with blog titles about being mortal finally since I was slower than last week. But then the pace kept getting better and not getting worse, and the miles piled up, and I decided I would try to push the last few miles to see if I could run 7:30 pace with end of marathon fatigue. So I pushed it a little for the last 1.6 miles. And the body responded! Mile 18 was 7:28, and for the last 0.57 I cranked it up to 7:16!

I'm going with Awesome.


 50.5 miles for the week. Looking forward to 20 next Sunday after a rest day on Saturday.

At Seventeen I Learned the Truth

For you youngsters, here is the soundtrack for this week's training bloop. None of the lyrics have anything to do with running, but my long run is At Seventeen (miles), so I thought of this song...

But I have a whole week of (awesome) runs to catch you up on. Warning, this bloop is filled with splits for running nerds and no pictures.

Last week went great, so I just hoped to keep the mojo rolling as I kept increasing the miles. Five runs, 48+ miles. I was going to keep raising the bar as long as my body was taking it.

Monday was rest day. Tuesday was my usual 7 mile group run. I didn't turn it into a tempo this time, but a nice little progression that finished strong. I was saving something for Wednesday.


 Wednesday is interval day. It was a bigger group than usual, maybe 40 people, which I blame on resolutionists. Fast group too! Everyone seemed to be faster than normal. Including me!

Intervals always makes for a nice pace chart.



Warmup, then some accelerations, and then 3x400. First two at 5K pace, then 1 fast one. I tend to go out a little fast, and then cruise to try and stay at the requested pace. But I always go too fast. 94, 94, 83!

Then we did 3x800; 10K pace, 5K pace, mile pace. After sprinting, 10K pace feels like jogging. Again I was too fast. 3:20, 3:07, 2:52!

That 2:52 is my fastest 800 since college. And it felt great! I could have gone faster.

Then we did a 1200, with two laps at 10K pace, and then a hard last lap. I came through 800 in 3:20, and did the last lap in 92. And that was it, other than some short accelerations. I still was ready for more! Feeling good!


Thursday I went out for a third day in a row for an easy 6. But I got caught up competing with a stranger who was ahead of me, and then after I passed him he stayed on my butt despite my acceleration...


Friday was a gym day, and then I got ready for a big weekend.

Saturday I skipped the mountain goat run and instead did 10.4 miles in my local hills. It was rainy but 55, so perfect for running. Plenty of challenging hills, but not so mountainous that I had to walk, so I maintained a pretty good clip, and was working it.



Still feeling strong! So Sunday would be 17+ on my flat course. Again it was misty/drizzly but not too cold. My body was tired, so I figured I wouldn't be able to match last week's awesome 16 with 8 at 7:44. But I hoped to stay sub-8 for the last half.

Well, I just started clipping along and the pace dropped, and it felt comfortable, so I kept pushing it. Damned if I didn't get faster this week. By the end I was tiring, but the pace was steady. No bonking. I think the cool weather helps some. And my Hoka Cliftons are still the bomb after 430 miles. And I guess I'm just getting into good shape. At seventeen I learned the truth. That I am going to kick some butt at my next marathon. I started calculating what 7:30 pace would get me...



Today I rest. This week will be more of the same. Can't wait.

I Think '15 is Gonna be a Good Year

In case you're not already singing...here is the soundtrack for this bloop.

Last week was another series of awesome workouts which has me feeling overoptimistic. I even had to brave some bad weather.

Tuesday: It was cold and rainy for the evening run. OK, cold for us, maybe 45. I stepped out of my car into a 3" deep stream, so the feet were soaked from the get go. Only a small group of hard core runners showed up at the LRS for the Tuesday group run. I thought about running in my Boston jacket, but decided at the last minute to just go with a long sleeve t and shorts. Cold to start, but worked out fine. It was raining and a bit windy, but that just motivated me to run hard. So I did.

I was pretty well rested after a cutback week and a zero on Monday, so I decided to push it a little for a Tuesday Tempo. I had a running buddy to push me too, so I went out a little faster than normal, and then continued to push. By mile 4 I had lost him and it was just me vs. the elements. Lots of puddles to run through. I felt good and kept pushing more, while keeping it in control. By the last 2.5 miles I was at or under 7:30 and feeling strong!


That may be the best time ever on a Tuesday run!

Took Wednesday off for New Year's Eve, although I was in bed by 11.

Thursday was a holiday, so I got to get a daytime run in before settling in for 8 hours of football. Decided on my 9-mile hilly route and tried to take it easy. The usual fail at going slow. I just can't.



Still feeling good.

Friday I hit the gym, and Saturday was Mountain Goat day. We were still in our cold spell. It may have been below 40 as we headed up into the hills. Certain canyons certainly were cold, as there was still frost on the trail. Even one patch of ice! I tried to run on it, just to say I did, but it cracked and I didn't feel like wet feet so I hopped off.

11 1/2 miles, with over 2000 feet of elevation, and I was working it.



Which leads me to Sunday. I am building up for a marathon, so I have been doing doubles every weekend. Goat runs on Saturday and longer flat runs Sunday on tired legs. But I still want to hit marathon pace if I can. Without working too hard....

So I did 16+, and felt pretty decent from the beginning, and I let the ponies run.


7:44 average for the last 8! I'm kind of in shock at the improvements I'm making. Strong finish too. At this point I am ahead of where I was in 2012 when I BQ'd. Looking forward to seeing how far I can take this.

Another thing. I ran by several friends during the run. One from Tuesday group in mile 2. A friend from Wednesday track group in mile 4. Then a mountain goat at mile 8 and again at mile 13. The trifecta! All I needed was to spot a loopster. No luck. BUT, I heard a walker call my name, and it was Jacqueline Hansen (famous runner) who I now call a friend. Very cool.

So, Life is good! Looking forward to what this week has in store.