Groundhog Run

 

Shelly and I got to ride a bus together early this morning to get to the start line of my races today.

It sure reminded me of Boston, where all runners have to load up on school buses. From there it is about a 40 minute ride to the start in Hopkinton.

This morning was much better. It was a shorter ride and I had my princess by my side.

 

I did the math

I wasn't sure which shoes to wear for my races today. I had a 5K and then two hours later a 10K. Should I go for the lightweight racing flats, or the all-around shoes with more orange? That was a tough call. Lighter weight or more orange? Ultimately, I made the right choice. I know. I did the math.

I think I should trademark that as my catchphrase. "I did the math". You know, just like Arnold's "I'll be back," Joey's "How you doin?," or Urkel's "Did I do that?"

More and more I find myself saying it, "I did the math."

• We can't yet afford to retire. I did the math.
• Our business has to be mindful of cash flow when expanding operations. I did the math.
• The first lottery ticket has value, it buys the dream. Any extra tickets are worthless. I did the math.

I went with more orange.

Race

Today was one of those unique races, or in this case two. It is groundhog day and I ran the Groundhog Run in Kansas City. It is a unique venue, underground in the business park built into the 270 million year old limestone cave system. Get it, groundhog day, groundhog run, racing underground.

The first race was a 5K. I haven't run a 5K in years so this was sure to be a personal record (PR) for my age group. I'm not as far along in my quest for NYC as I hoped, so I was going to have to be happy with a modest goal here. I am getting faster, but I'm getting faster slow. My goal was 25 minutes for this race. I finished in 24.37, or 7:57 per mile. That was good enough for third in my age group of 52 old guys. I was also 138th overall out of a 1768 runners. That was a much bigger turnout than I expected.

Two hours after the 5K was the start of the 10K. I knew I would be drained from the earlier race but I underestimated just how much. I thought I could finish in about 53 but ended up at 55:18. I still ended up third again in my age group; this time against only 16 old guys.

Coaching Change

The only previous time I ran a combined 5K and 10K double race was in Indianapolis in 2013.

That was the day I met my long time nutrition coach. He stresses the importance of fueling my training, all about the carb loading he is.

I am going to have to get my weight down further though if I want to reach my goal time and qualify for NYC. That is my limiting factor, not my age or my training. My problem (still) is eating.

So, I think I may fire this coach for giving me bad advice.

Second breakfast isn't really a thing, is it?

The Lucky Man

While in KC, Shelly and I celebrated our 39th anniversary.

Once again I told her that I am more than just a lucky man. I am the lucky man. I say that regularly. She always seems skeptical when I say it and each time I assure her that it is true.

I did the math.

Opal would be proud

Opal was my maternal grandmother. As the first grandchild on both sides, I knew all four of my grandparents by their first names. It was several years and several grandkids later before they got cute grandparent names. She was always Opal to me.

It was a conversation with Opal one Sunday afternoon in 2006 that launched my streak of continuous daily exercise. She told me about her childhood, how she had to walk 5 miles to her best friend's house. In Arkansas, those were hilly miles, both ways.

People of her generation got a lot more exercise than people of my generation. That night I climbed on my stationary bike. Day one.

By the numbers

I logged an 8 mile run today at Lake Fayetteville. Day 6790.

With that I have crossed 1200 miles for the year, just a tad bit over 100 miles per month. That is the most for me since 2014.

That bit of reflection caused me to look back farther, not just over this year but all the years since that conversation in 2006. So far I have had

6790	continuous days of exercise
2395	hours on a stationary bike
5	worn out stationary bikes
16043	miles of running
57	pairs of worn out running shoes
7	full marathons
14	half marathons
1	50 mile ultramarathon
33	other assorted races
40	minutes walking up a down-only airport escalator

I expected security to show up at any moment on that last one.

Looking forward

Each day I start over. The entry in my log book is blank. I have to go do something to fill it.

Don't be impressed by any of these numbers. Just be inspired. If I can do this, what can you do? What will you write in your log book?

As we mark the beginning of another new year, go start something big.

Your Opal would be proud.

Not Yet Fall

Weeks ago I found an online article that discussed the physiology of running in the heat.  I wanted to remind myself that it wasn't just my imagination.  You physically cannot run as fast in the heat, at least not for long.

Per the article, as our core body temperature goes up, our heart rate increases.  We pump more blood to the exterior of our bodies, near the surface where the heat can get out.  Since more of our blood is near the surface, there is less available to the muscles themselves and we run slower.  Makes sense, pretty much what I remembered.

I also learned that heat tolerance decreases "as we get older".  That was a surprise.  The author was pretty convincing though, talking about her own experiences with training in the heat as she herself got older.  

It is really important to learn from older people, don't you agree?  They have all that wisdom gained through their vast experience.  I skimmed through more of the article and saw that this particular wise old internet sage was ... "almost 30".  Uhhhh...

MJ's Stampede 10K 

That heat stuff is suddenly pretty relevant again.  I just finished a 10K race this morning that was pretty darn hot and humid.  At the race start it was 77F with 88% humidity.  We were running along the river in Fort Smith, so the local micro climate probably had even higher humidity.

A few weeks ago when I signed up, I was hoping for much better conditions.  I thought I could run a 10K under 50 minutes.  By the time I reached the start line though, I knew to lower my expectations.  I told Shelly "probably 51".  Sadly, that wasn't really close.

 

Breathing

Once again I fell back on my breathing pattern to guide me.  If it is hot and humid, I know I have to slow down, but how much?  I slow down to achieve my target breathing pattern depending on where I am in the race.

I like to start off with an easy 4-4 pattern to stave off the adrenaline rush.  I can sing a little football cheer in my head to get my breathing in sync with my feet.  With 4 steps per breath it is, "Let's-Go-Wild-Cats" ... "Let's-Go-Wild-Cats" ... "Let's-Go-Wild-Cats".

As I approach the first mile, I get more serious with a 3-3 pattern, "K-S-U"... "K-S-U" ... "K-S-U".

On a good day, I can keep that up for the bulk of the race.  Then it devolves into a more desperate 2-2 pattern, "K-State" .. "K-State" ... "K-State".

Nearing the end of the race all that structure kinda goes out the window.  The song in my head is more like "$#@%!" ... "$#@%!" ... "%#@%!".

Today was a whole lot of singing "$#A%!" in my head.  At least I hope that stayed in my head.

I finished in 53:54.

Summer Runnin'

I don't have any firm race plans, certainly none this summer.  I don't like to race when it is hot.  Running in the summer for me is just about putting in miles and building endurance.  I ran 28 this week.



"Just how OLD are you?"

While running past a couple walking their dogs, passing them for the third time that morning, and having seen them many other times this year, he politely asked that question.  How old are you?

That reminds me, has anyone else noticed the change at parks lately?  They used to be filled with old people taking walks with dogs, old people sitting on benches, old people watching birds.  Not any more.  Nope.  Now everyone is my age.

Anyway, when I answered with my age (~59), he seemed amazed at my answer.  I hope that meant that they thought I was pretty darn fast for that age or at least that they were impressed with my stamina, or something.

Alas, though they may have just thought someone my age should really know better.  It is crazy to run in this heat and humidity, especially for us old folks.

I am going to go with the former.  They were impressed that I could do things that they couldn't, especially in this heat.



Built for Rugby
 

Distance running, especially for me, is all about heat transfer.  When you run a long time your core body temperature rises and if you cannot get that heat out then you slow down.

It is no surprise that all the best distance runners have that classic, lithe, toothpick thin physique.  They have no insulation.  Their inner core body is fully exposed to the air.  Heat is no problem.

Me on the other hand, I am not really built like that.  I struggle in the heat.  Even when I am "thin", I carry a lot of muscle and bone.  I have thighs the size of tree trunks.  I am built more like a rugby player.

Perhaps I should lean into my rugby physique at races.  Use it to my advantage.

At the starting line I always am on the lookout for the competitive guys in my age group anyway.  Once I find them, maybe I should run over and tackle them, rugby style. 

 Then, I could take off running, just as fast as I can.  I should be well motivated.  I sure don't want those guys to catch up with me after tackling them at the start.

Then, when I get the to the finish, I want to make sure everyone knows I finished, right?  I want them see my bib number clearly.  

Dive!

You can do that!
 

You may be like that couple I saw this week.  You don't think you can do the things I do.  I disagree.  I think you can.

I spent time outside this week enjoying nature.  I saw the sun rise, made some deer nervous as I got too close.  I listened to the creek bubbling gently over the rocks.  You can do that.

I saw friendly people out walking their dogs and exchanged pleasantries with them.  The people, not the dogs.  I smiled and waved at kids.  I gave a big thumbs up to encourage other people in their struggles.  You can do that.

I was all hot and sweaty, panting and totally out of breath in the car.  I was trying to put my clothes back on without drawing too much attention, flush in the face already and trying not to honk the horn with an elbow or a knee.  Then smiling contently as I drove away knowing no one knew what happened. 

See, you can do that!

In the Ditch

Shelly and I were watching a documentary with a couple of British comedians driving across Siberia, through ice and snow.

A local Siberian gave them some sage advice, "The slower you go, the faster you get there."  It meant, of course, that with the road conditions that bad, trying to drive fast will simply result in spending all of your time in the ditch.

I hate to spoil it, but, they spent all of their time in the ditch.  Plus, Brits don't know how to curse properly.  Wankers.

 

Training

That advice really resonated with me though, "The slower you go, the faster you get there."  That sums up my approach to training.  I know that if I push too hard, too fast, I will end up injured -- in the ditch.  I really am trying to avoid that.  Or, I was.

A couple of weeks ago I was scheduled to run a half-marathon but with just a few days to go before the race, I felt a familiar pain in my left calf.  I had pulled it, again.  I was back in the ditch.  Bollocks.

One Door Closes

While re-evaluating my training, I got some clarification on the NYC marathon selection process.  Their rules have been changing over the past year because the number of people wanting to run has swelled.

They publish qualification times by age group, similar to Boston but even more strict.  To qualify for Boston you have to be in roughly the top 10% of your age group.  The published qualifying times for NYC is closer to top 5%.  In both cases though, you can run that qualifying time and still not get into the race.  There are just too many entrants.

They just announced that of all the people who submitted a qualifying time this year for NYC, less than 1-in-5 got in.  Instead of running in the top 5% of your age group, you really needed to be top 1%.

That isn't realistic for me.  I have done the math.  Why are you laughing?  Of course I did the math.  Blimey.

Another Door Opens

However, NYC has other means of qualification.  

I don't have to run a marathon at all. I can qualify with a half marathon time (about top 5%) and I don't have to compete for spots with others either.  That catch is, it has to be one of their (NY Road Runners) half  marathons.

Now I just need to convince Shelly to go to NYC with me, twice.  Bob's your uncle.

Sweethearts

I ran the Sweetheart Run (15K) in Tulsa today.  My sweetheart was there, as always cheering me on.  

As many of you know, we just celebrated our 38'th wedding anniversary.  

I think she is going to keep me.

I make a point every day to tell Shelly how much I love her, often creatively.  I recently cracked her up with, "I am so lucky.  I can't believe your parents still let you sleep over with me!"

I have to be good at telling her I love her because I am bad at buying stuff.

Eating Elephant

Shelly has a favorite metaphor for accomplishing big goals or persevering though difficult situations.  "You eat an elephant one bite at a time".

Qualifying for the NYC Marathon is a whole elephant.

My plan for this race was to take another bite of that elephant, to run this 15K (9ish miles) in 1:17:00.  That is an incremental improvement over my last race.  Instead of running a 10K at 8:21 per mile pace, I hoped to run this 15K at an 8:16 per mile pace.  That is running both a bit farther and a bit faster.  

Training

My weekly mileage peaked at 33 in several recent weeks.  My longest runs were 11 miles.  I toss in a couple of harder tempo runs a week, sometimes hills, sometimes long intervals like 6x1K.  Otherwise, all my miles are as slow and easy as I can run with good form.

Sometimes I think Shelly isn't listening when I talk about my training like that.  It has to be boring, right?   She listens though, and will call me out if I say something extra silly.  This week I told her I was planning some extra rest days to get ready for the race.  She said,  "Wait.  Hold on.  You think 40 minutes of cardio on your stationary bike is rest?"

Race

I signed up for a nice flat race with good weather.  It started off very nice, just like I ordered.

I am on the left in the manly shade of quartz.  That was the color of the shoes I bought.  Quartz.  You know, like the stuff they dig out of dirty mines, with hand tools.  

Luckily I had a quartz shirt to go with those shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day ended up more ... blustery.

I missed my goal by 3 seconds finishing in 1:17:03. 

It tasted kinda like elephant.

So Far So Good

I passed my first test.

For about a month I have been telling Shelly, "It is gonna be close".  My goal of beating 52 minutes for this 10K seemed ambitious but not quite impossible.  

Don't get me wrong.  I haven't been running that fast during my training, at least not for 6 miles.  I was relying on race day magic to get me there.  I have been running about 25 miles-per-week and almost all of them slow.  I would only push the pace on a handful of miles each week.

What really put this first race goal in doubt was the course.  There is a big hill in the last mile.  In total there are 240 feet of elevation change over the course.  Per some online calculators that costs about a minute.

So, I lined up needing more than the usual amount of race day magic.  I didn't need Grandpa's quarter-behind-the-ear trick.  I needed some Harry Potter level stuff.  One of those brooms would do nicely for that hill, thank you.

I had no idea of my time throughout the race.  I ran totally by feel, or more to the point, by breath.  I held my pace back enough to maintain a 3-3 breathing pattern though the first 4 miles.  Three steps breathing in, three steps breathing out.  At the 4 mile point though, knowing I am running up that hill, I went to 2-2 and probably 1-1 near the top.

Coming down the hill I told myself to sprint.  It is a steep downhill all the way to the finish.  Sprint man, sprint.  I wish you could have seen me.  It was amazing.

Shelly placed herself right at the end of a long straightaway near the finish.  She saw me and she can tell you, "No.  It didn't look like a sprint."

Regardless, I crossed the finish line in 51:53.  I beat my goal by 7 seconds without once looking at a clock.  

Magic.

Unfinished Business

I haven't written in a while but I have been running.  I run just over 20 miles per week now.  Recently I have been feeling the itch to put on a racing bib again.

More than just racing though, I have been thinking more and more about a long term goal.  When I started back running again in July 2021, my goal was pretty simple.  I just wanted to run the loop around Lake Fayetteville.  Of all the beautiful places to run around here, that is by far my favorite.  It is a total of 5.4 miles, so I had to work back up to that.

It wasn't long before I met that goal.  I have enjoyed running that loop many times since.  Only a true nerd with significant OCD would know the exact number (36).

My next goal was to run a half marathon again and beat my last time in 2016 when my fitness was in serious decline.  I met that goal too.  Now what?

The only full marathon that piques my interest at all is New York.  It is unfinished business given that I qualified in 2012 when the race was cancelled due to the hurricane.  That feels like an excellent long-term goal -- qualifying again, and then actually running the New York Marathon.

One step at a time, my immediate goal is to run a sub-52 minute 10K in December.

Shelly looked at this and said, "You are on the downhill side."  

And how, sweetie, and how.

Back Racing

My entire return to running has progressed much faster than I expected.  I attribute that to a couple of things:

1)  My years of riding my stationary bike were very good for my cardio, so I didn't really have much work to do there.

2)  I was very careful in building up the stress on my legs.  I added miles slowly each week and never tried to run too fast for fear of injury.

I decided a couple of months ago that it was about time to race.  I was running consistently 25 miles a week at that point.  Instead of continuing to add miles I started replacing some slow miles with some faster miles.  I thought a 10K sounded like a good first race.

As race day approached though I realized I was actually quite capable of racing a half marathon instead of the 10K.  I had several good 10-12 mile long runs under my belt.  Plus, my training had given me some indication that I might already be able to reach my goal of 1:56:30 -- my time in my last race in 2016.  

So I signed up for the Fayetteville Half.

 

Breathing

Breathing is important.  I like breathing.

Seriously though, I do like to use my breathing rate while I am running as a guide to pacing myself.  During all of those months of training, I wanted to run "slow" so I could avoid injury.  But how slow is slow enough?

I use my breathing as a guide.  I know from past experience that if I can take 4 steps while inhaling and then 4 steps while exhaling, I am running a nice relaxed easy pace.  That is all you really need to stimulate most endurance benefits.  You get the benefits of running and building mileage with minimal risk of injury.

The cool thing about using your breathing rate like this is that it is perfectly calibrated to each person.  I am older now, and still heavier than I was a few years ago, and some days I am more tired than others.  All that is fine.  It just means I have to adjust my running speed accordingly.  You might be a very fit 25 year old woman who can click off 7 minute miles and maintain an easy 4-4 breathing pattern.  I'm going to be closer to 11 minutes a mile for that same easy breathing.  We are both running easy, it is all relative.

Race Day

That 4-4 breathing pattern isn't the only way to run of course.  On race day I planned to run faster than that.  My plan was

• Use a 4-4 easy breathing pattern for the first mile to keep race adrenaline from sending me out too fast.
• Use a steady 3-3 breathing pattern for the bulk of the race, up to mile 10.
• Finish with a 2-2 breathing pattern as controlled as possible for those last 3+ miles. 
  

 

I lined up at the start with that plan in mind.  I was happy to have a bib on again.

 

 

I was pretty much able to follow my plan.  Along the way I noticed a bunch of other people weren't following that same plan.  They were breathing much heavier than me and eventually it showed.  Most of those people breathing heavy in the early miles of the race fell way back towards the end.

 Here at mile 13 I look less happy, but you will notice -- I am still breathing!

I finished in 1:53:56.  I beat my goal by a couple of minutes.  I get another try in New Orleans in a few months.  I will need another goal.  :)

On the road again

I have started running again after a long layoff. My fitness life appears to be 

 

Gain weight

Lose weight

Run

Repeat

Repeat?  Why the heck did I repeat? 

Seriously, I don't recommend it.  I am going to try really hard to not repeat again, holding instead here at run.

My last race

My last race was the Bill Snyder Half Marathon in May of 2016.

I never wrote about it in these pages because I wasn't happy with my performance. I knew I was in bad shape after several years of losing fitness from my peak in 2013, but I also knew I was still capable of finishing a race.  I really wanted that finishers medal and the race course passed through the campus of KSU, my alma mater.   

This picture alone was worth the price of registration 😀😀😀.

I finished in 1:57ish. 

 

 

Diabetes

 

Shortly after that race I stopped running altogether.  

 

I kept planning to lose weight and start running again but couldn't find the willpower.  I thought that as long as I exercised every day (15 years and counting) that I could eat anything I wanted and never have to worry about diabetes again.  I was wrong.  My diabetes symptoms returned, worse than ever.

This winter, back in the doctor's office to look over my latest results, I asked what was wrong.  Why isn't my prescription working?  Come on lady, I want a magic pill, dammit.  She kindly, but firmly replied

 

 

"The disease is progressing."

 

That was the moment.  Right there, those words.  

 

 

She should have been holding her stethoscope to the side of my head.  It would have been like one of those old safe crackers hunched over, listening intently, sweat dripping from his nose, nothing, nothing, nothing, ..., "click".

 

From that moment I made immediate diet changes and in the months since I have lost enough weight to allow myself to run again. 

My next race

I signed up for the Best Damn Race in New Orleans in March 2022.  

I can no longer hope to run as fast as I did a decade ago.  However, compared to others in my age group my potential is the same.  After all, those guys got older too.

For now though, I think just beating that 1:57 above would be a nice return to racing -- on the road again.

 

 

 

High Times

My race finish times are still higher than I want, though I am improving.

What did you think I meant?

The Fayetteville Half Marathon was held on the same course as the St. Jude 10K that I ran in August. The Lake Fayetteville trail is beautiful in the Fall and the weather was perfect.  This time we got to race around the lake twice.  Plugging that earlier 10K time into an online calculator gave me a projection of 1:41:35 for this race.  Since that 10K though, I have had some good training and I thought a 1:40 goal was within reach.  I did better than that, finishing in 1:37:15.


Caution, nerd at work

My runner friend, Abrena, ran the race too; she was 2nd place overall female, and beat me handily too. Congratulations Abrena!

She told me after the race that her Garmin showed the course to be short, only 12.9 miles.  I usually scoff at Garmin reports, but that is usually because the Garmin tells people that the course is too long and they really ran faster.  You can make a lot of money building gadgets that tell people what they want to hear.

Her watch was saying the opposite, though.  So, I measured the course online with Google maps and it came out just right.  Abrena, I think you are just in better shape than you realized.  That bodes well for your Memphis Marathon next month, good luck!

For the record, I don't really trust Google maps that much either. Though, I used it once to measure the Arkansas Razorback track circumference and it measured 399.9 meters.  Good enough.



Old guys 

I was passed at mile 10 by an old guy.  He said he had been chasing me for 5 miles.  I knew what he meant.  We had made eye contact at an out-and-back section near mile 5.  Runners are always on the lookout for others ahead/behind who appear to be in their age groups.  We are competitive that way.

He didn't worry me though, he was behind me, and clearly older than me.  Clearly.  At mile 10, he passed me, but still, he was obviously older than me.  Obviously.

I never caught him again; he finished about 20 seconds in front of me.  Inconceivably, he is 2 years younger than me.  Inconceivably!  As it happens though, he finished 3rd in the Masters awards and I was "first" in my age group. 

Perhaps it is time to roll out my long-term strategy for continued success in my age group:

St. Jude 10K

My complaints, which I now believe were due completely to low vitamin D, began last year on August 19.  It took over a year but I finally felt like racing again.

One of the reasons I wanted to run this race was the course, the paved loop around Lake Fayetteville.  It is my favorite running spot; I usually run that loop a couple of times a week.  It is a little bit hilly, but for Northwest Arkansas, what do you expect?  It is a beautiful trail.  The lake is visible as you run across the dam, but mostly it is a jaunt through the surrounding woods. 

Given the hills and summer heat, I figured my pace would be slowed by a minute or two, but everyone else would slow down too.  Based on my recent training I thought I could finish in 46 minutes, give or take a minute. 

I chose to run without my watch.  I am pretty good at knowing what pace I can maintain just by how it feels.  If it feels like your heart is about to explode, your lungs are on fire, and your muscles could rip apart at any moment, then you are running too fast for a 10K.  That is how a 5K feels.  Okay, not quite.  ;)

I finished in 45:35.  I was first in my age group and 4th master's male but those are really a function of who decides to show up.  More objectively, I was 16th out of 83 men.  Top 20% among men is about where I thought I was, so I'm pretty pleased.

Boston Marathon 2014 - Blood, sweat, and tears. And sweat.

Getting to Boston is never easy for any runner.  This year was especially trying for me. I didn't run this race for time; I was thrilled to just be there.  Instead of a race report, I will just describe some of what I saw and how I will remember the day.

As we walked to the start line in Hopkington, some generous locals offered free supplies to runners --  Beer, donuts, and cigarettes.  That cracked me up, and it set the tone for race day.  The crowd was incredible.  Spirits were high.

I cannot tell you how many kids I slapped high-fives with.  I have run other large races and the crowds are always great.  The crowd at Boston is something truly special.



Another sign I saw later, during the race:

Smile if you peed a little.  

Now tell me, how do you not smile when you read that?


I wore Ryan's University of Arkansas shirt and all day long I got to hear yankees call the hogs.  Woo pig sooie.

Go hogs!  Razorbacks!

Go Arizona Razorbacks, wait, what?  Lol.

The Wellesley scream tunnel at mile 13 is a favorite among runners.  It isn't a tunnel at all.  It is a long line of screaming coeds offering cheers and kisses.  "Kiss me I'm Irish."

I would feel creepy getting a kiss from those girls at my age, but I have often joked that if the professor ladies came out to support the runners, well...

As luck would have it, I saw the sign, "Kiss me I'm a Professor".  Finally, my chance!  Was I serious?  Shelly would understand, right?

Then I looked down at the person holding the sign.  It was a dude.

After the race, we made our way to the subway.  It was packed and we got stuck on a train for 45 minutes.  Just like last time, the riders were all very kind and allowed runners to sit.

As I sat there and waited, a little girl handed me a post-it note and a pen.  She asked for my autograph.  Awww.  She was the sweetest little 4th grader you ever saw.

 I signed it of course.  Then we had time to chat with her and her mom and her little brother.  Her name was Michelle.  We talked about how long they had lived in Boston, after moving from New York.  We talked about the race.  We talked about where we were from.  Shelly, the librarian, talked with her about her favorite books.

Her little brother, a second grader named Jason, asked to see my medal.  I told Shelly to grab the camera as I put it around his neck.  His mom took his picture too, as he beamed a huge smile.  I won't post that picture publicly.  Instead, I will keep it on the shelf next to my medal.  That is how I will remember this race.

Got milk?

It appears my running issue has been vitamin D.  That is certainly odd, given that our bodies produce vitamin D in response to sunlight and my symptoms began in August, after I had run outside the entire summer.  Nevertheless, my vitamin D levels tested low and I have been responding very well to the mega-dose my doctor prescribed.

My running has improved steadily and I feel much better too.  Shelly, Ryan, and I will be going to Boston in 2 weeks, where I will simply run slow and enjoy the experience.

This has been a long ordeal and I'm glad to put it behind me.  In the end, it seems I can treat my problems with cheap supplements, milkshakes, and more time on the beach.

Don't cry too much for me.

Suck it up Nancy

I have been struggling with a health issue. I can barely run anymore. It happened virtually overnight, August 19 to be exact. Though, I have no explanation for what happened exactly. I'm tired and sore whenever I run. It is all I can do to get in an occasional 5 miles, no matter how slow.

Here is my weekly mileage since last summer.  I was ramping up for some races but I've since had to withdraw from all of them.

Apparently, August 19 was the day someone told my body how old I really am.

 
I've been consulting every health-care provider I can find.  I have given so many blood samples I'm tempted to just install a tap.  Some doctors have been helpful, others not so much.  My dentist just looked at me with a blank stare.  Pitiful.  He was no help at all.

Running the Boston Marathon, actually running it hard, has been out of the question for a while now.  At this point I would need a miracle to simply be able to shuffle along and finish the race without hurting myself.  I won't withdraw officially yet, but realistically.... sigh.

My hope now is to simply get back to feeling better.  My exercise streak is still alive though; my bike is still bearable.

Hopefully the doctors can figure this out soon.  Otherwise, I will have to rename this blog ARiderOfStationaryBikesNerd.  If you think my writing is boring now...

Indy racing

We were in Indianapolis to pick up Ryan after the Drum Corps Finals competition.

He spent the entire summer traveling the country as part of a competitive Drum and Bugle corps.  We were able to see their show several times and it just kept getting better and better.

We were happy he had that experience but we were thrilled to have him back with us.

I took advantage of the trip to run one of the new Double Road Race events.  There have only been a few of these so far around the country. They are a unique combination of a 10K race, and a 5K race, with a halftime in between.  The two race times are combined.

These are the latest brainchild of Bob Anderson, who founded Runner's World magazine many years ago when he was a student at K-State, my Alma mater.  We chatted a little about K-State at the start. 

During halftime, Shelly and I stumbled upon this runner.  He isn't as fast as me, but to be fair, he is a Goonie who runs in shoulder pads and has Hobbit feet... 

Seriously though, Sean Astin is a an actual runner; he doesn't just play one on TV.  He just showed up to run the race with no fanfare whatsoever.  I'm not even sure the race organizers knew he was there.  He has finished several marathons and has a respectable 4:04 PR.

At the beginning of races, when runners are bunched together and most start out too fast, I like to listen to other runners' breathing patterns compared to my own.  Most of the people huffing and puffing in that first mile will peter out long before the finish.  As a rule, I won't pass anyone breathing slower than me, and I don't worry about getting passed by anyone breathing harder than me.  I will see them again.

This lady passed me breathing quite hard.  I expected to catch her later but never did.  She is Christine Kennedy, arguably the world's best runner in her age group.  She ran with the elite women in Boston and finished in 2:55 at the age of 58!

The course was flat, with only a few bridges.  It was relatively cool at the start, perhaps 65F, but very humid.  When the sun came out, the 5K was downright hot.  Still, decent conditions for summer racing.

In runner-speak, I sought to run both the 10K and 5K at my "LT" pace -- nominally the pace I can run for an hour in race conditions.  I claim I can run this pace by feel, so I tried to do just that.  I held back a bit in the first mile of the 10K to offset normal adrenaline effects, settled into a steady LT pace, and finished without any final kick.  This was the first time I have smiled at Shelly at the finish line of any race.  I had more in the tank, finishing the 10K portion in 41:31.

I tried to stay loose during halftime but my muscles still felt a bit tight at the 5K start.  I tried to push the pace as much as I could but it was tough, between the heat and the fatigue from the earlier race.  I wasn't smiling this time.  I finished the 5K in 20:12.

My combined time was 61:43, placing me 11/163 overall, 2/10 in my age group, and second among male Master runners.  I earned a nice medal and a $50 prize.  I also got to meet Bob Schul, the only American to win the 5K Olympic gold medal, at Tokyo in 1964.

Cancer Challenge 10K

It felt good to get out and compete again. I ran a couple of half marathons earlier this year but treated them both as training runs.

Today I raced. In fact, I surprised myself. I had expected to run something close to 43 minutes, given that I'm not quite back to top form yet, it is a tough, hilly course, and the weather has been hot.  Instead, I finished in 41:12.  I was 16/256 overall and 2/14 in my age group.

The temps really weren't that bad today, maybe 70F at the finish, though it always feels a little warmer when you are running hard.

Training has been going well.  I'm averaging about 70 miles/week lately and have put in a few good, solid speed sessions too.  Today counts as one of those.  I will be running at least one full marathon this fall but I haven't chosen which one yet.

There was a creepy guy with a beard at the awards ceremony.  The local baseball mascot showed up too. :)

Still running

This winter has been a tough one for me.  The NYC marathon was cancelled, then I ran poorly in my replacement race (Bass Pro in Springfield, MO).  Work responsibilities were overwhelming, and, well, somewhere in there I got depressed.  I spent the entire winter working more, eating more, and running less.  I gained 20 lbs. and I wasn't sure I would ever race again.

I never stopped my daily workouts though.  My streak is still active.  That commitment to exercise was key for me.  Little by little I have now worked my way back to some good running.  I'm still above my ideal race weight, so I won't be winning any awards for a while, but I'm a runner again!



Bass Pro - November 2012

Marathons are hard.

I know, I know.  Marathons are supposed to be hard -- duh.

What I mean when I say that marathons are hard is that it is very difficult to figure out how to achieve your goals in the marathon.

Choosing appropriate goals is absolutely essential, of course.  Doing the hard work of training is certainly part of the recipe too.  Yet, those aren't enough.  You have to eat right.  You have to rest right. You need a suitable course, and good weather.  You most certainly have to pace yourself right on race day.  Even still that isn't enough.  On paper, I did all those things right.  I still failed. 

Next time, I should just run on paper.

I ran the Bass Pro Conservation Marathon in 3:18 and change.  I failed in my goal of 3:10. At about mile 22 my right quad started cramping and it was all I could do to not stop completely.  Quad pain is pretty common for runners who aren't prepared for racing hills.  That isn't me though.  I train hard in hills all the time.  I'm in Arkansas, for goodness sake, we have a Junior High track nearby with a hill in the track surface!  (No joke.)   I had noticed a little soreness in that right quad in the weeks leading up to the race but it was so slight I just ignored it.  Argghh.

After the emotional roller coaster that was the NYC marathon, I was thrilled to be able to run the race in Springfield, MO.  As luck would have it, Springfield is home to a virtual running friend that I met online.  We were able to meet and make a virtual friendship real.  Running is a great way to meet some really nice folks.

Chad and his wife Jessica cheered for me in Springfield.  Today I'm heading out to cheer for them.  They are running in a 200 mile relay race through the Ozarks.  "You are a mermaid!!!"

Prairie Fire Half Marathon

 I must have gone soft since leaving Kansas.  Several locals commented about how little wind there was -- it was 18 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.  Hello!?!  That is windy folks.  I almost got knocked over at one point.  Plus, and if you have ever driven through Kansas you can back me up on this, the wind in Kansas is always against you.  While you are going West, the wind blows East.  Turn around and go East, the wind is blowing West.  Argghhh.

Ok, enough whining about the wind.  It was a great day, a great race, and the fan support was awesome.  Of course, fan support is always awesome at every race I run because I have Shelly, and, well, she is awesome!

I improved my personal record by almost a minute, finishing in 1:27:23.  Yet, once again, my placement in this race fell from last year.  The race is getting more popular, so more, and faster, people are running.  I finished 29th out of 2140 overall and 4th out of 94 men in my age group. As my son, Ryan, noted, 4th is the worst placement of all.  I was fastest among all the men my age who were not recognized.

Winslow Half Marathon

"This is the last hill."

"Just one more.  That is right, now I remember." 

"For sure, this is the last one". 

That is pretty much my last few miles. I ran that last hill about a dozen times, lying to myself on each.

Winslow is a tough course. In addition to the hills, the middle 5 miles of the race is on country roads with packed dirt and rocks. This year there was no mud, thankfully, but the bright sun made for a little warmer day than last year.

There was certainly more competition this year. The guy who won last year brought several of his fast buddies.  I finished in 1:30:55, bettering last year by more than 3 minutes.  Yet, I fell from 4th place to 8th place overall.  I was still the fastest masters runner by several minutes, though.

This is an encouraging sign for my training.  I'm definitely faster than ever.  I'm not sure I'm 3 minutes faster, but I am faster.  I'm curious what I can do in Wichita on a flat course.  I hope the weather is good.

Shelly was fascinated with my decision to continue running a cooldown jog after I got my medal at the finish. I explained that a 2-mile warmup and a 2-mile cooldown would allow me to count the day as a 17 mile long run in my NYC marathon training program.

A long run is 17 miles minimum, it says so right there in the rule book.  It's just after the warning about running a race in the shirt they give you for that particular race -- bad karma.  It's also just before the explanation for why the weekly mileage log must start on Mondays and end on Sundays -- obviously.

Shelly laughed at me.  I don't think she understands the importance of rules.

Run with Your Nephews

The race was called Run for a Child but I like my name better -- Run with Your Nephews.  This was the best part of the day by far.  After the 10K was over and I had a chance to cool down a bit, I jumped in the last quarter-mile of the 5K so I could finish up with Riley and Devin.  I looked for my sister, Andrea, but missed her. I guess she was running so fast she was just a blur...whooosh.

As for my 10K race, meh. I ran a 3 second PR, with a finish time of 39:53.  I finished 13th/253 overall and 2nd/22 in my age group.

I had some good excuses why I didn't run as fast as I was capable, but after 10 days or so, I have forgotten those excuses.  Something about being sick, or hills, or heat, or something.  Pick one I guess.  Next time I will be more diligent about preparing proper excuses.

Beaten by an Olympian

I ran in the Run for the Grapes 5K today in Tontitown.

Just last week I was hoping for some cooler temperatures where I could prove that I'm in better shape than ever.  Today, I got my chance.

It was about 65F but felt even cooler than that.  Maybe it just seemed that way compared to the recent high temps we've endured.  The course is relatively flat too, by NW Arkansas standards anyway.  It is very nice to run on a certified course, where you know the distance is correct.  My only concern for this race was some lingering pain in my left calf, though that actually might have helped me in retrospect.  I rested a lot more than usual this week.

I had some lesser goals for the race but they seem somewhat moot now.  My ultimate, long-term goal was to break 18:40, a 6 minute-per-mile pace.  Today I did it, I ran 18:36.



That was a 38 second improvement over my previous PR. I was 5th out of 312 runners overall and 2nd out of 25 in my age group. The guy who beat me was Reuben Reina, an 8-time All-American at Arkansas, who then went on to run the 5K at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.  Yeah, I think I'm OK with losing to him.

Another win, and turning Pro

It turns out that my "first" win was not to be my "only" win after all.  I ran the Decatur BBQ 10K today and won.

It was a tiny race, with only 8 runners in the 10K.  There were many other runners, including some fast ones, but they all favored the 5K race.  I wanted to run the 10K; that distance suits me better and 10K races are hard to find.

There were several of us bunched together for the first 10 minutes but then at the 5K turnaround spot, everyone else turned around.  I was seemingly all alone.  It was a good thing the course was marked well because I had no idea where I was going and could have easily ended up in Oklahoma.  I can hear the police call now, "...be on the lookout for a dork with a numbered bib on his shirt, running in circles...".

I managed to stay on course, and after the 10K turnaround I saw there were indeed some others behind me.  I finished about 5 minutes ahead of the second place fellow.  I finished with a time of 42:24, and that is a bit disappointing.  Even with hills, heat, and a dirt road, I was hoping for faster.  I always say that.

A couple of weeks ago I ran the Miles for Miller 5K and won my age group with a time of 19:56.  That too was slower than I hoped.  My training this summer suggests I am in better shape than ever, but I just don't have race results to prove it yet.  I am sure looking forward to some cooler weather.


As the overall winner today, I received a $25 cash prize. Woohoo! Am I a professional athlete now?

My First Win

Today I ran, and won, the local West Fork Elementary School 5K. 

My chances were better here than most races because there weren't going to be many runners.  I didn't know, though, that one of them was to be a former member of the University of Arkansas track team!  She is our cross country coach, and lately, a marathoner.   She is also a wonderful person.  You should have seen her running with the little kids in the fun run after the 5K.

She and I traded the lead in the first mile, but then she dropped back and let me go.  She isn't in the 5K shape she used to be, but was still was pretty darn close to beating me.  She was only about 30 seconds behind me at the finish.

This was an inaugural race, and there were some last minute verbal changes to the course that weren't universally understood by the course volunteers and escort car.  Any runners reading this know what comes next.  Yep, we made a wrong turn and ran too far.  I didn't care though, time was irrelevant.  I finished in 21:42.

I intentionally highlighted that word, first, in the title of this post.  That was what Mom wrote on my first home run baseball when I was ten years old. 

I came to the plate with a man on 3rd base and only 1 out.  I was nervous,  but I just told myself that all I needed to do was make contact and bring the runner in.  I made contact alright.  The ball sailed over the fence in center-right field.  The coach gave the ball to Mom.  Later that night, she wrote the details on it for posterity.

A few years ago, my sister Andrea took the ball from Mom's cedar chest and had it mounted.  She presented it to me as a birthday present.  Don't I have great women in my life?

The reason I mention this baseball is because that first home run proved to be my only home run.  I played a lot of baseball after that day.  I had a lot of good hits, including at least one foul ball that cleared the fence, but I never actually hit another home run.  Life is funny like that.  You don't always know when something is over.

Today was my first race win and there is a very good chance it will be my only race win.  I am OK with that.  Running isn't about winning races.  It is about proving to yourself that you can do anything you want to do.

Come to think of it, I win all the time.