7/22/17 WA State Senior Games 5K

 


Second time here.  This year we are at North Thurston High School so it is very close to home.  Sign up the day of and it is $42 with shirt.  I could enter more track and field events for only $9 each, but the 5K is enough for today.

Marathon last Saturday. After that my "Summer Sniffles" got worse.  Also lack of sleep with kids here.  Monday I had to get up at 3:45 to get them to the airport.  Monday I was so tired but as the week progressed I felt better.  Very easy running T-Th with a day off yesterday.

1.5 mile warm up.  Fun to start on the track.  Race is so small but there are lots of other events here so it is a busy place.  Saw an old guy struggle to get out of his car, then saw the can of Red Bull in his hand.  Chip timed by Terry again.  Small tag is pinned to my shorts at the left hip.  Guy asks me if that is my good hip.

Start - Start on the track.  I get behind Tim Oguri.  Either he or Pat will win.  No need to stress about possibly winning.  We start with the 10K and right away there are a bunch of people in front of me.

Mile 0.5 - Out the stadium, through the parking lot, along the road and police escort across Slater Kinney.  Now a longer straight bit.  Three guys way ahead, then one woman who I will not catch.  One guy closer and I slowly reel him in.

Mile 1 - Along Martin Way and now onto the Chehalis Western Trail.  Ron Volunteering.  Rachel sighting, she says that if I can talk I am not running fast enough.  It is hard to focus on the pace, but I feel OK.  Fun to be along the same course as last week.  Then it was mile 19 and a lot easier pace.  See two of the guys come back, one is going on for the 10K course.  Turn around and I take a quick cup of water.  The guy that I passed is not far behind, good incentive to keep working.

Mile 2 - Sad to leave the cool shade and return to the much hotter roads.  Just after mile 2 marker I see the 90 year old man finishing his first mile.  Doing great!  He will finish looking strong and well under an hour.

Mile 2.5 - Trying to focus.  Legs are sore from last week.  Getting really hot.  But my place is secure.  Once I hit the track I sprint to the finish.

Mile 3.1 - 3.09 on the GPS.  I am happy enough with my finish time.  Being the only one in my age group I get to stand on the podium and have a gold medal draped around my neck.


 



Fun event.  More folks should do it.

24:13
4th of 15, 1st in age group
Race #423, 5K#110
*****

7/15/17 Trials Legacy Marathon

My first time here at this second annual event, a marathon that retraces the course of the Women's Olympic Trials marathon, held in Olympia before the 1984 Olympics (the first Olympics that women where allowed to compete in the marathon).  I heard (but don't quote me on this) that the RDs are trying to raise money to erect a statue/monument in Marathon Park to commemorate that race.  I love the idea of another local marathon, though I could not make it last year, I was happy to register early for this. The $80 entry fee is not bad considering we get a shirt, socks, medal and a whole lot of volunteer and police support.

A number of things happened recently to take away my competitive spirit though.  I have not run farther than 7 miles since June 18.  Trip to England and then Caleb and family visiting messed with my normal routine.  Birthday party with cake and ice cream last night.  Started feel a cold (the Summer Sniffles) coming on yesterday.  Seven days ago I ran very hard to win the Mcleary Bear 10K.  I think that my legs will be OK, but my competitive spirit needs a break.  No desire to push myself hard.  Oh and it is going to get very warm out, another reason to take it easy.  Plus the course......not having run this race before and knowing that it is a small event, I am afraid that we may be on sidewalks a lot and probably have to stop for traffic lights at times.  At packet pickup yesterday I learn that there are only 35 runners registered.  So disappointing.  The Lakefair half and 8K will be going on at the same time, with hundreds of runners, but I will be out there all alone.  Best thing is to find someone or two who are OK with a slower pace and stick with them.

Enter Vicki and Emillie.  I first met them in April at Blooms to Brews and have since seen them at Capital City and the Seattle Rock and Roll.  I knew that today is a special day for them and since they finished behind me at each of those races, I hope to run with them today and have it be easier for me than if I really ran for time.  This will be Vicki's 100th marathon and she is finishing a goal set be her late husband, so it is a very meaningful day for them.  They are pleased to see me and seem happy that I want to tag along with them.

Start - At Heritage and Evergreen Parkway.  Easy parking here, but getting back from the finish (3 miles away) is not entirely figured out.  Bright sun and warm enough to start in just short sleeves.  Crockpot is here as is Maniac Laura, so I have another option of someone to run with, but for now I will stick with Vicki and Emillie.  Chipped timed, but no mat at the start line.  Such a small group though the start is smooth with plenty of room to run on the quiet street.

Mile 4 - A bit of a rough start  but now I am feeling warmed up and running relaxed.  Over Highway 101, down second ave to Littlerock road.  Over I-5 and up Capital Way.  I know this whole course but seldom run on any of the first 18 miles.  Traffic will build and the roads will get busy.  It may have been a nice course in 1982, with closed roads, but with all the development and our little race, it may not be so fun.  Yes it is as flat as you can get around here, but I would take scenery and hills and quiet roads compared to this.  Matt sighting, followed by Rob sighting.  Thanks for volunteering!

Mile 13 - 2:18 on the clock.  We are hoping to beat 5 hours, so we are in great shape.  Very uneventful morning so far.  Warming enough to start pouring water on my head.  So pleased with the number of volunteers, course marshals (in bright shirts) and police at road crossings.  No waiting for traffic lights.  Aid stations every two miles.  Never a questions of where to turn on the course.  But the best part by far is running with my new friends.  They think that I am sweet to run with them, but the miles are just easing by in pleasant conversation and I am happy to be here with them.  Perhaps mother and daughter have run out of things to talk about after 8 marathons in 16 weeks, they seem so happy to have me with them and to talk about whatever.  They keep saying how nice I am, plus they think that I am a fast runner.  They also have family and friends up from Portland just to spectate and help them celebrate this achievement.  It is a nice diversion every time we see them.  In the mean time we have settled in to a steady pace.  Yelm Highway sidewalk, College Street, 45th Ave, Ruddle Road (with cones so we can run in the road); these are roads I would never choose to run on.

Mile 15 - Starting to tire.  I expect that we will take walk breaks soon.  But Emillie says that her Mom does not walk, just slows a little. Emillie is still running on her toes, like a deer.  For now Vickie is running strong and I begin to wonder if I will be able to keep up.  Yes I came in ahead of them in three races this year, but now that I think about it, they were very close behind me in each one.  We really are very well matched to be running together. Right shoulder is bugging me.  Water bottle with phone is heavy.  I take two ibuprofen.  I often carry some with me but seldom use it.

Mile 18 - Through St Martins, then back along and over I-5.  Now the course will get nicer.  The shade on the Western Chehalis trail is so welcome.  After that long gradual uphill, we get a nice downhill.  We pass a couple of runners and are maintaining our pace.  I feel better after that bad patch.  Just hot and tired, nothing hurts, shoulder is under control, I think the ibuprofen helped. 

Mile 21 - On to 26th street (no road shoulder or shade) for about 2 miles and then it will be along the bay and gentle down to downtown. Vicki is running like a machine.  I want to take a walk break.  Instead I push on ahead.  Until this point I had been careful to not get ahead, let Vickie set the pace, but I just want to be done with this section.  I can see the aid station and the turn onto Ames road up ahead.  I get into the zone and trudge on, planning to wait for them in the shade.  Alone for the first time in this race, work really hard to get through this section.  Walk into the aid station and look back, and Emillie and Vicki are only a few feet behind me.  No rest for the weary, we continue on together.

Mile 24 - So nice coming down East Bay.  Gentle breeze and gentle downhill.  Making great time.  We want Vickie to finish however she wants but we all realize that a sub 4:40 is very possible.

Mile 26 - Downtown, so great to see that mile marker.  No problem reaching 4:40.  But then the last 0.2 miles seem long.  My watch had been running 0.1 miles long, now it reaches 26.4 at the finish. 

Mile 26.2 - Vickie's friends are here with balloons and 100 roses.  I make sure that they finish a step ahead of me.  Hugs all around.  Each of us happy with how the run went.  Watermelon and orange slices and water.  Jared and Caleb are here to drive me back to my car so I do not stay long.  Buy a cold Mountain Dew and it is so good!

My watch read 4:38:40 but a volunteer at the finish said that our time as 4:37:40, looking at a clipboard.  Also I did not see a chip reader at the finish, don't know what is up with that, but I don;t care.

I had a much more fun day than I expected, thanks to my new friends and a well organized and supported course.  The running was good too, with great pacing and an even split time!  The course with the mostly ugly busy roads and long stretches in the hot July sun, and the small numbers are reasons why I might go back to the half at Lakefair next year.


Results pending
Race#422, Marathon or Ultra#157
*****

7/8/17 Mcleary Run From The Bears 10K

Today the Mcleary Bear Festival 10K will join the pantheon of races that I have run at least 5 times.  Fun little race that is an easy choice if I don't have better plans for that day.  Sunny and warm.  I arrive in plenty of time to get my parking spot.  Same RD as last year, who is again not really advertising this race.  Last year we had six in the 10K and this year there will be seven.  The two miler option is more popular with about 20 runners and walkers in that.  Same course as last year, except we will run the loop counterclockwise this year, finishing down main street before a final turn to the finish line.  Same side of the road as previous years, this way will be facing traffic which will make it a little safer.  $10 Day of Race entry with the no shirt option is much appreciated.

I jog the 0.2 miles from the registration/finish area to the start line on the quiet side street.  Then a longer warm up and I am feeling ready to race.  Just before 9AM the other runners and the RD, volunteers and a police officer arrive.  We are all standing in a semi circle listening to the safety briefing as I evaluate the competition.  One young guy looks really fast and my hopes of winning are dashed.  Also two very fit looking woman who I imagine could be faster than me. 

Start - With little fanfare both races take off.  Very short way down the quiet road and cross the larger street to then turn right, as the two milers turn left.  I am even with one woman, but out of the corner of my eye, I see the young guy turn left to run the 2 miler.  I pull ahead of the woman.

Mile 0.2 - There are so many ways that one can feel while running.  Very rare for me is the exciting yet scary feeling of leading a race.  I know that someone is right behind me and that I need to just do my thing and not go so fast.  Steady but strong and able to go a little faster if needed.  10K is a tough distance to get right.  My breath is worse than my legs.

Mile 0.8 - I know that there is a left turn ahead.  The course is not marked on the road itself, but there are plenty of yellow signs sticking up, warning drivers about the race.  I see a left turn and no marker ahead, but the road says "dead end" so that can not be my turn.  I hesitate a little and look back.  First woman is maybe 25 feet back.  I go straight and soon see a yellow sign, then the real turn.

Mile 1.5 - Getting warm.  Aid station. I drink a little and splash a little on my head.  Look back and I have extended my lead but not by much.  Hot in the sun, cooler in the shade.  Steady pace, but it is harder in the sun and a nice relief in the shade.  Last year's new chip seal road is much more runnable this year.

Mile 3 - I look at my watch just at it clicks to 3 miles and see that I ran that mile in 7:45.  My overall pace is 7:54, so that was my fastest mile so far I think.  I am hot, but if I can hold this pace I should be able to win.  Now the second aid station.  Cup of very cold water.  I tell the volunteer "thanks, that was great".  She says "that is Karang (?) water".  "Oh that's so good" I say.  She replies "Do you know what that is?  Do you want to hear about it?"  I am already 30 feet past her and trying to win a race so I shout something about not having the time right now, sort of in a hurry.  Later I will try to look it up, but I don't think that I remember the name correctly.  I do peek back and see that my lead is extended and fairly comfortable.

Mile 5 - The wheels start to come off.  Legs stiffen a little.  New chip seal here.  Frightened that I will really fall apart.  I really want to know how far my lead is.  But looking back is a sign of weakness and fear.  But I am weak and scared so I might as well look back.  I do and see that I am still comfortably in front, confident now that I will win.  Soon the big smoke stack comes into view and it does not look so far to the finish line.  Down Main Street where people are starting to gather for the parade.  No one cheers for me though.  Then the last turn to the finish where a small crowd waits and cheers me in.

Finish (mile 6.2?) - But my GPS reads 5.79 miles.  First woman comes in less than a minute later and says that the course is short and she keeps running to get in an even six miles.  Second place woman finishes and her watch reads 5.76 miles.  We each get a cold bottle of water and medal and recount our adventure.  None of us, nor the RD can figure out why the course is reading short.  Maybe because I was exhausted from running so hard, but the simple answer comes to me a few hours later.  By turning right instead of left at the start, we never covered the short bit of main road from the quiet street to the finish line.  In previous years we would do that at the start of the race and then again as we approached the finish line.  So my finish time looks very fast, but really I am happy with the pace I ran and of course to get the victory.  Then I realize that I was the only male out there, so in addition to first overall and first male, I was also last male runner. 


46:27
1st place of 7
Race#421, Bear run 10K #5
*****

7/4/17 Steilcoom 4 on the 4th

My tenth time here!  Off and on since 2000.  My last race here was in 2014 and I remember being a little unhappy with my finish time.  But it is a quality event steeped in tradition.  Back from England yesterday afternoon, the jet lag had me in bed early but also up before the alarm and feeling well rested.  I know to get there early, so I can get a good parking spot, with easy exit after the fair is all set up and in progress.  Great DOR at $20 with chip timing by Terry Fritz and crew.

Sunny and warm.  Beautiful views across Puget Sound, to the snow capped Olympics.  1.6 mile warm up finishing with strides at a decent speed.  No injuries to report.  Very little running in the past 10 days, but lots of walking around England.  No speed work in, so little expectations to be fast.

Start - Nice to see Wayne.  No other friends here though.  But it is a very good turn out, with lots of families and young runners.  National Anthem and we are off.  Crowded.  Three groups pushing kids in wheel chairs which is great, but do they need to start right in the front?  I will beat at least two of them by a long way. One guy standing still fiddling with his watch.  Some of the kids and young adults are not patient and are zigging and zagging in a dangerous way.  Close calls but no tripping.  By a tenth of a mile there is room to run and everything settles down.

Mile 1- 7:21 - Zoomed down the big hill and now it will be flat.  Keep the yellow lines to my left but try to run the tangents as much as possible.

Mile 2 - 7:38 overall pace.  Staying even with most runners but passing the small kids who went out too fast.  Take water and splash more on myself than goes in my mouth.  Trying to focus on keeping up the pace.  Mostly it is my breath more than my legs.  I can put on very small surges, but they don't last.  Running so that I will have no regrets that I did not try hard enough.  This is tough.

Mile 3 - Along the water.  Bald Eagle flies across the road and lands in a tree just ahead of me.  So fitting for the 4th of July.  Back to race focus and then the uphill to the end.  Confident that I will beat an 8/mile pace, I relax just a little.  A couple of runners pass me, but none look like they are in my age group so I do not freak out.  Can't help but slow on the hill.  Give it a good effort to the finish.

Finish - 4.04 on the GPS.  A little nauseous, it takes a few minutes to recover.  Then with this great timing service I can get my result and third place in age group ribbon.  Happy to see that I finished 9 seconds faster than three years ago.

Don't stay long, but really happy that I raced today.

31:15
77th of 341
Race#420, 4 on the 4th #10
*****