8/18/12 First Call Summer Marathon

My first time heeding the call of a First Call Marathon.  These very low key events are put on by Maniac Dr. Adrian Call.  For a couple of years now he has hosted races on the paved trail along the Sammammish River in Bothel WA, about 4 times a year.  The races are free, and no frills.  But he does accept donations and there will be plenty of food at the finish line.  Part pot luck, part provided.  On course there are some large jugs with Gatorade and water but no cups or staff.  I have wanted to run one of these races and today is the day to do it.  I am still mapping out my course to get to marathon #100 at Tacoma next May.  I need to fit in as many as I can, to get there.

Since I ran the 12 hour race just six days ago I am still recovering from that.  In fact if I can finish the 26.2 miles today, I will have a new mileage record for any seven day period (84 miles). Any kind of time goal is out of the question.

Very small race, but lots of friendly Maniacs.  Two things complicate the day a little.  One is that there are three different races (half, full and 50K) and three different start times (7,8,9) , but apparently any runner can start at any of the times.  The other change is that runners will have to go west on the trail for out and backs until after 10AM when the permit will allow us to run the eastern section.  I will start at 8AM.  That means that I will run west for 3.3 miles and then back to the start.  Repeat that, and since it will be just after 10AM, I can then go east for 6.55 miles and return to the start/finish line.  Double out and back first half, single out and back second half.  This will be the most crowded paved trail that I have ever run on.  So many bicyclists, walkers, joggers, and dogs.  And with so few runners in our race, starting at different times, I will seldom run with anyone.  After days of very hot weather it is cloudy and much cooler.  Temps will peak in the lower 70s, which is warm for racing, but will not seem so bad now after some of the hot running I have done recently.

Start to Mile 3.3 - Briefing by the RD and we are off.  Over the bridge and off to the right.  7AM starters coming toward us.  I take it nice and easy and actually the legs do not feel very sore.  I ran a total of 5 miles between Monday and Friday.  If anything will trouble me today it will be my left heel/plantar and or my right ankle.  Loosening/warming up now, I go just a little faster.  Suddenly I have very sharp pains in a couple of spots up and down my left leg.  In front and behind my knee, in the upper hamstring and maybe down in the shin too.  Very surprising and worrisome.  I walk and it feels fine.  I run slowly and it is fine.  I go faster and it comes back.  Walk and it is fine, run slowly and it is better, go faster and the pain comes back.  I take it really slowly and ponder if I should drop out after the first out and back.  Let John Shaphorst  and Andy Lin go on ahead.  More surprised than anything.  No idea what is wrong.  I continue on and the trail becomes more urban.  Two short tunnels that are good for loon calling.

Mile 3.3 to 6.55 - Return trip.  Hand slap Maniac Deb.  Short slow stride feels fine.  Before the start area I pick up the pace a little and have no pain.  Go a little faster and all seems well.  Whatever the problem was, it worked itself out.  It will not bother me at all any more today or after the race.

 

Mile 6.55 to 13.1 - Meet Maniac Stephanie who also ran the 12 hour last weekend.  She is only doing the half today.  From last weeks race, only Maniac Linda and I are running the full today.  We will finish with about the same times in both races.  This section is uneventful.  The trail is fine, but crowded.  I get back to the start at 2:08, about a 10 minute per mile pace.  No way that this will hold.


Mile 13.1 to 26.2 - Now the longer out and back, heading east to Woodinville.  This is all new for me and it is nice to run somewhere different.  Except the part about not being sure of the course.  A half mile into it and the trail splits and I really am unsure where to go.  John catches up ( I had passed him earlier) and we decide to go over the river.  Then we turn right and see a road and another road that goes more closely to the river and has faint purple chalk arrows on the ground.  We follow the arrows and it takes us down and around and back up to the road where we were on.  Other runners stayed on the upper road which goes straight to the continuation of the paved trail.  Our route added less than a tenth of a mile, and I am still not sure which was the correct route.  Now on the paved trail and it splits again.  The RD had said to follow the detour signs.  There is a detour sign here right in the middle of the split, with no arrow.  Really unsure about this one.  Maniac Mellisa joins us and we all go right, hesitantly. I don't mind a little adventure, but I really do not need any extra miles today.  So it is with great relief that after a mile more I see the aid station jugs.  Running and walking alone now.  Feet tiring.  Getting warmer.  Nice flat trail but crowded.  I resort to music, for the first time during a race in many years.  I have to keep the volume very low for safety though and it does not provide any great boost.  Look at landmarks ahead and try to run to them before taking a walk break.  Stop twice for blackberries.  Bridge way off in the distance that I can focus on.  So happy to see the turn around and start heading back.  Set a very easy goal of beating 5 hours.  John is way ahead now.  Linda starts catching up.  When I reach the detour/road area I know that I am getting close and I put on what speed I have so that she will not catch me.  Going well here and the legs feel fine.  Feet are the worst part.  Slow pace meant that my stomach was good and I was able to tolerate gels and Gatorade on the course.  Reach the finish in decent shape.  26.3 on the GPS.  Enjoy the recovery area and post race food.  Wait for a few runners to come in and then head home.

90 minutes from home, this race is a good option if I need to get a long run in, or am trying to build up marathon numbers. I hope that it stays small. 


4:43:20
11th place of 25
Race #278, Marathon or ultra #88
****

8/12/12 Transcendence 12 Hour - Olympia

Third annual event and my third time here.  I did not think that I would want to race today, it is my 23rd wedding anniversary.  But when Jody decided that this was the best time for her to have a vacation in Japan.....transcendence here I come.

The good: so close to home, 1.5 mile loops means no carrying aid and no getting lost, great organization as usual from Guerrilla Running and an amazing number of Maniac friends here today.  The multiple loops means that I should be able to see and run with many friends.

The bad: 1.5 mile loop around Capitol Lake.  I ran 38 loops last year and that event along with the previous year has done something to my mind.  This is a local hot spot for the running clubs and generally a nice place to run, but I start to shudder every time I drive by this place.

The history: The first year was extremely hot.  I ran 33.5 miles, a distance record for me.  I quit after about 6 hours due to the heat, but had fun.  Last year the weather was much better.  I ran 57.9 miles, my current record, in 11 hours 42 minutes.  Last year I ran about 10 minutes per mile for the first 6 hours and then dropped to 14 minutes per mile for the second half.  I had OK energy at times but had pain up my right leg that was much better during walk breaks.  Late in the race I was able to run better while on the crushed gravel than on the pavement.

The plan:  I must start slow.  Repeat: I must start slow.  Yes it will be cooler in the early hours, but running faster early on is not the strategy that I will take today.  I will try my best to keep the average pace between 10:30 and 11:00 per mile for at least the first 5 hours.  Hopefully then I can maintain that pace for a longer time.  I had a 12/mile average last year and quit with 18 minutes to spare.  If I can run a little faster average pace and squeeze in an extra lap, that will be a new record for me.  If everything goes very well and I do three more laps that last year, then I will have 62.4 miles which would be 100K. 

But then came the weather forecast.  Its going to be a hot one.  Maybe not as hot as the first year but still very warm.  In fact it will peak at 89 degrees in Olympia.  That is the same temperature as the Boston Marathon reached, but today I will try to run for 7 more hours than at that race.  The unshaded back half of the course will seem much hotter than the front half. 


0-26 miles - I do well to keep a nice slow pace.  Mostly on my own until mile 13.  The the Rogue Wave joins me for ten miles.  She is not my pacer, just doing her own run before volunteering here,  but we do run together.  I hold about a 10:35 pace, taking walk breaks any time that my pace approaches 10:30.  This course is so boring, all of the loops just merge together in my mind.

26.2-31.1 - Reach the marathon distance in about 4:50, about the same as my Boston time.  It is really hot now.  I have been putting ice cubes under my hat, but now Joe gives me a small Ziploc bag full of ice.  I can position that on my head and hold it in place with my hat and it is oh so nice.  It must have a small leak because a little drip of cool water keeps running down here and there.  It melts away by the end of each loop, where I can fill it with fresh cubes at the aid station.  I try to not linger at the aid station but I always get ice and have something to drink.  About every third time I stop at my supplies (cooler, chair and stuff) for one reason or another.  At about mile 29 I am hurrying to make a quick stop at my place when I smack my left shin into a metal picnic table seat.  I am tripping and almost falling on my face.  Balancing on my right leg as my left shin is screaming at me I manage to not fall over.  Surprisingly with all the people around, I do not think that anyone saw my crazy moment.   Sunscreen refreshed and I am on my way. Although the lake is fetid and nasty, at one one of these loops I stop for a moment to get a great look at two otters splashing around.

31.1 to 40 - Nice to have the 50K done.  Quite a few Manics will quit here since they got the required distance in to count for Maniac stats.  I decide to change my shoes and keep going.  I have never done that in a race before and hope that it will give me a lift.  I have been slowing.  The new shoes are a little roomier and feel nice, but do not make me any faster.  My pace is slowing with the heat.  Although I am better heat acclimated that in previous Summers, I am still afraid of pushing it in the super warm weather.  I just do not want to be that guy that collapses and no finish time or place is worth the risk to me.  At one point I get just a little fuzzy with the heat.  It is near the end of the loop, so I walk it in and sit for a while.(thanks Riki for looking out for me and for the lemon bar!)  Most of this section is a blur.  Running mostly alone.  What I remember is that Ginger had just passed me and then Jeff was helping her with ice and they spilled a bunch of ice cubes on the ground in the "oven" section of dusty gravel.  The next time I came around the ice was melted.  The next time around the damp spot was starting to dry.  The next time it was almost gone, then I could not see it anymore.  That was the highlight of that two hours.

40 to 51.8 - At times I feel like I am the last one still running.  I will never beat last year's distance so how far should I go?  Then I see a pack of runners or see that Craig has updated the leader board and I remember that this is a race.  I catch up to Marie and correctly guess that this is the final loop that she needs to do to complete 50K, which will give her 100 lifetime marathons or ultras.  I walk the second half of the loop and exchange a high five when she crosses the line.  She is not done yet and I decide that I am not either.  There is plenty of time left and my legs feel fine (feet are getting a little beat up) and I have good energy.  I should be able to reach 50 miles.  That loop will end at 50.2, so if I make it that will be my second farthest ever run.  Maybe it is getting a little cooler.  Ginger catches me and I am able to pick up the pace and stay with her for a short while.  She will go on to win the women's race and set a course record of 67 miles.  Counting down the laps now and in no hurry.  I am able to chat with more runners than I had previously.  Meet someone new, check in with old friends.  Encourage Katie who is a lap behind me and trying to get to 50 miles.  She is going to have to work hard to get there, while I stroll along, but she does it!  I reach 50.2 miles a little after 11 hours.  Some runners will stop here as it is a nice round number.  I have plenty of time, so I add one more lap, to finish at a slightly higher place.  At 11:33 I cross the line and call it quits.  I see no reason and no one can talk me into going for just one more.

I have 30 minutes to recover and relax before dinner is served.  Nice awards ceremony and I am surprised to see that I was the 2nd male masters runner and came in first in my age group.  Slow persistence paid off I guess.  I ended with over a 13min/mile pace and I second guess my strategy. Maybe next year I will go out faster and see what happens.


51.8 miles, 11 hours 33 minutes, 44 seconds
9th of 80
Race #277, 87th marathon or ultra, 3rd T12
*****

8/5/12 Race Against Crime 5K

Last minute decision to run this one.  I have not done a 5K in four months and have not done any speed training, so I expect to be well off my best.  This will get me some forced speed work for the week. I ran the 10K here two years ago. Day of race registration costs and extra $5 but I also get $5 off as a Club Oly member.  $25 includes a T-shirt.

Hot one.  Really hot.  Bright sun, no wind, and probably about 80 degrees.  The start is at 9:15AM.  It will reach 90 later in the day.  The crows in Rainier Vista Park in  Lacey all have their beaks open in a cooling posture.

My warm up is not so good.  I get in two miles and try to pick up the pace, but just do not feel like I have any speed.

Start - I line up directly behind the front row.  Lots of slower and more casual runners, plus more of the faster ones probably are running the 10K which started five minutes ago.  I should place well, maybe get an age group award.  It is a smooth start and I go out at a good clip, but not too fast.

Mile 1 - 7:18.  Really warm now.  Dump water on my head.  Turn right on to the paved trail. Shaded but not much relief.

Mile 1.55 - Turn around.  I am just behind one guy.  No one very close behind me though.  I am ahead of the first woman and quite a ways ahead of the next man.

Mile 2 - Holding steady pace but it is not easy.  I pass the one guy and can only hope that he will not challenge me later.  We are all spread out and as long as the one guy does not catch back up, no one will.  But I will not pass anyone else, the leaders are far out of sight.  Struggle along the road and bring it on home at a steady pace.

Mile 3 - Turn into the park.  Quick look to see that no one is close behind me.  Been thinking that I might be able to beat 23 minutes.  Now I see that it will be close.  I try to go faster, but just do not have the power.

Mile 3.1 - Finish in 23:05.  My slowest road 5K in quite a while but 7th out of 98 looks great.   Terra Perkins expertly places my tag on the results board.  Another volunteer hands me a cold wet cloth which is a wonderful treat.  I walk back to watch the others and the 10K finish.  Stick around to get my giant gaudy ribbon.


23:05
7th place of 98
Race#276, 5K#70
*****

7/21/12 Lakefair Half Marathon

After three years of missing this race in order to be with Jody at Chelanman, I am able to run this year as she is not doing that triathlon.  New this year is a half marathon. I signed up some time ago and with the no T-shirt option the price was more than reasonable.  We will get a nice wooden finisher's medal,along with an accurate and well supported course.  The only problem that I have is that I did the Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon just six days ago.  My legs are still shot.  I "ran" two miles on Tuesday.  On Thursday I ran about 4.5 miles but still felt tired legged.  I keep telling myself to just have fun today and not worry about time.  Well I have a streak of sun 1:50 halfs, so I will try to beat that, but who knows how it will go?

Weather is looking very good, cloudy and comfortable.  I got my race number and timing chip yesterday, so I can leave the house this morning after 6AM and still be in downtown Olympia well before the 7AM start.  I like the big local race where I can see so many friends.

Start- On Fifth Avenue.  We start two minutes after 7AM and it is smooth going out.  Turn on Jefferson and begin climbing.  It is not steep but I can feel it in my legs.  I hope that the extra day off yesterday would help, but my legs are still shot.  I can run, fairly quickly, without pain, but I am sore and tired.  Can I go on like this for 13.1 miles?

Mile 1 - Pass Judy Fisher.  I beat her by two minutes at the marathon and I will come in two minutes faster than her today.  That is not to brag.  She is 68 and absolutely amazing.  Finish mile 1 in 7:57 but I am still settling into a decent pace.

Mile 2 - Paved bike trail that parallels I-5 and takes us across Jefferson.  Nice route that I have not run on.  First water station has large cups that are totally full.  I go to grab one off the table and drop it because I did not expect it to be so heavy.  Not many cups or helpers either, I hope that it is not swamped with all the runners just behind me.  The race was capped at 350 registrants and I think that was a good idea.

Mile 3 to 7 - Steady 8:04 pace.  Every once in a while I get the feeling that my legs will buckle under me and I will fall to the ground.  Other than that I am having fun.  Now we are on the paved Woodland Trail.  I have run here often and I am very familiar with the rest of this course.  Plenty of room to run, great volunteers at the couple of road crossings and at the water stations.  Fun to see Rich and Phil.  Chehalis Western Trail has a nice gentle downhill and I have run here so often.  I pass a couple of people, but also get passed.  If I can hold this pace the rest of the way I will be happy.

Mile 7-11 - On 36th street now.  Little traffic and cars will not be an issue.  I can hear footsteps behind me, catching up.  Now they get louder.  Now ridiculously loud.  Someone is stomping their feet at my heels and it can only be Martinho.  He finally comes up next to me and I laugh.  I figure that he will move on ahead but he stays with me.  Warming up now.  At one aid station I want to dump a little water on my head but they only have gatorade.  Small uphill before Priest Point Park and that does me in.  I can not help but slow now.  Martinho goes ahead and I simply can not keep up.

Mile 11-13.1 - Very short section of dirt trail, then the road in the park.  Over the bridge and down and around to East Bay Drive.  It is all familiar and a gentle downhill for most of it.  I am slowing but will get under 1:50 for sure.  I get passed by a couple of guys and only catch one myself.  Happy to see the finish and I cruise on in with what energy my legs can muster.

Overall I had fun and I am glad that I raced today.  Running on tired legs is difficult and a drag at times.  My legs never buckled and it was probably good training for something but I wish that I could have run on fresh legs.  I love the Tunnel and I love Lakefair so I will continue to do both races, sacrificing a speedy time for a fun time.

Now I can rest up a bit as my next race is not for three weeks. 


1:47:18
58th of 303 finishers
Race #275 , half marathon#26
*****

7/15/12 Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon

So I proclaimed that my new goal is to make the May 2013 Tacoma City Marathon my 100th marathon or ultra.  I started planning out a schedule and then was not able to race the first one that I had planned.  I was too sick with a bad cold to run the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon.  Feeling much better now, but it has been six weeks since any run longer than 10 miles.  I won't be surprised if I have lost some endurance and hit the wall early today.

Last year I ran this race in 4:05.  I was on a good pace but just melted in the heat.  Now we have had a warm streak and I have been running in the afternoons trying to get heat acclimated.  But here on race day it is cool and misty.  We will have fog and some drizzle.  I will wear my long sleeve shirt through the tunnel, planning to leave it in the drop bag just outside of the tunnel.

Maniac Central.  Plus people are traveling to this race now from across the country.  It sold out early and I am lucky to be here.  I get to the parking lot plenty early and catch one of the first buses.  Nice time milling about, getting my chip and number and visiting with friends.  I share a common bond with so many Maniacs, it means a lot to me to see these guys.  Maybe it is just a quick hello today, or even a wave across the crowd, but I am warmed by the friendship.

Start - Right on time and a smooth start.  Quick out and back and then into the tunnel.

Mile 0.4 - I can feel the cool air coming out of the tunnel as we run in.  Now for about 2.4 miles of dark, cool, dampness.  Knucklelights work well.  The whole path is runnable, but the center part is really smooth.  I stay there, mostly behind a few guys and let others pass on the sides if they want.  Maniac Tracy finds me.  She says that she recognized my calfs.  She will go on ahead, I will pass her at about mile 15.  Then she will pass me at about mile 24 and beat me by a minute.  Fun to have another runner friend who is right at my level.  Small light at the end of the tunnel slowly gets bigger.  I like it better in here than I remember from previous years.  Still it is good to get out and have some light.

Mile 2.7 - I decide to keep the long sleeves on.  We are in a fog.  My watch snaps in and at mile marker 3 it reads 3.00.  My pace is slower than I thought however.  9:24/mile.  I need 9:10 to beat 4 hours.  I go a little faster and very gradually make up the time and get into a comfortable pace.




Mile 6 - Been passing a few people but now I have settled into a steady pace that I would like to hold.  Two non Maniacs (Ally and Sam) are chatting, seem to be having fun and running just ahead of me.  I join them for the next 6 miles or so and then off and on till the finish.  Sam is trying to BQ and needs a sub 4.  Ally would also like to run sub 4, this her second marathon.  I have reached the point where 3:59 is terrific and 4:00 is disappointing so we make good company.  I need to work on my over 4 attitude, but that 4 hour mark really stands out for me as an indication of a good run.

Mile 13.1 - 1:56.  Feeling very good and running even paces.  A little warm but I keep the shirt on.  I also have the fuel belt that I hate, but I am afraid that I will want some drink at a point between the aid stations.  The last aid station is 3.1 miles from the finish and I will make sure that I have something in the bottle to last me.  So I take a cup at most aid stations, skip a few and slowly work on the fluid that I carry.  One gu at mile 4.

Mile 15 - Catch up to Maniac KP.  She ran a tough 23 miles or so just two days ago but looks strong today. Nice company for a couple of miles.

Mile 18 - Legs are starting to tighten up in some way.  Also starting to feel the gravel under my feet.  Three miles to the turn, then five more after the turn.  I expect to hit the wall soon and with the tight legs I am slowing but not by much.  Catch up to Judy Fisher!  We run together a bit.  All race everyone has been pleasant and a nice distraction from the miles.  No one has talked too much or taken themselves too seriously.  Drizzle now but still very scenic.  Judy and I run together off and on till about mile 22.  I thought that I had left Ally back there but now she zooms past feeling great and will get that sub 4.

Mile 21 - Navigate the turns and still running OK.  I can slow to 10 minute miles and still beat 4 hours if I need to.  I have the energy to run a little faster but my legs are stiff and don't like going so fast.

Mile 23 - Still running.  Tell those around that all we need to do is not take walk breaks and we will have a sub 4.  Sam I had left behind many miles back, but now she passes me and I am happy to see that.  She will go on and get that BQ.

Mile 24 - Very short walk break.  I could push extra hard now and maybe lower my time by a minute or two, but I do not feel like struggling so much.  So happy that this will be remembered as a "comfortable" run with a decent finish time.  Rachel and Melinda go blazing past me.  I do not try to keep up.

Mile 26.2 - Sprint to the finish. 26.37 on the GPS.  Recover, watch a few runners come in and then the longish walk to the parking lot.  I love this race and will do my best to get in next year. 

Next up - This Saturday is the Lakefair Half Marathon.  I will probably be on the slow side, but it should be fun.


3:57:49
146th place of 350 finishers
Race#274, Marathon or Ultra#86, Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon #3
*****

6/16/12 Harbor Half Marathon - Hoquiam

1st annual event put on by the city of Hoquiam.  Nice weather in Olympia but as I travel west it gets grayer and foggier and then some drizzle.  I arrive in plenty of time for the 11AM start.  Nice small race so packet pick up and parking are a breeze.  $25 entry gets me a T-shirt, finishers medal, chip timing and plenty of on course aid and finish line food.

My second experiment of racing without my clunky orthodic inserts.  I have the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon next week, so for these reasons I would like to hold back and have a good run but not go all out.  1:45 to 1:47 finish time with no aches in the feet would be great.

Start - No rain but it could start any time.  The race is larger than I expected and there is also a 5K that will start at the same time.  No problem running my pace from the start.  I did a minimal warm up but I feel ready to run from the get go.



Mile 1 - 7:50 - faster than I had planned but its easy going.  Lots of turns and curvey roads on this course.  At the start the race director had warned us to watch for traffic, but never said that we must stay on one side of the road or another.  I normally would not cross all the way to the other side of an open road, to take advantage of the inner curve, but everyong else is doing it, so I do too.  All of the roads are open today, but there is very little traffic and the course is safe.

Mile 2 - Past the mill and giant wood chip pile, then out to the airport.  I am in a pack with 5 others.  This course has two long out and back sections so I can see all of the other runners.  Raining lightly now.

Mile 5 - On to the second, and longer out and back.  My pack is down to me and two others.  One is the lead woman.  She is running a very even 7:51 pace and it is easier for me to settle in behind them a little bit.  They are local and know the course well.  I think that I will just stay with them and then maybe pull ahead in the last mile or so. 

Mile 6 - The course had been very flat, but now we have a major and steep hill.  Well it really is not that bad but it sure zaps my energy.  The two ahead of me gain ground and I have to work hard to catch back up.  From here to the finish will no longer be easy running.  But I do get back to that 7:51 pace and am holding on OK.  Heavier rain shower, I am well soaked now.

Mile 9 - On the return of the second out and back, have that steep hill to contend with.  I struggle to get to the top.  As I finally make it, I throw my arms in the air in triumph.  Now the big downhill, then it will be mostly flat the whole way back.  I lost the two that were ahead of me though.  Just could not quite keep up.  My average pace is slowing and I am pretty sure that they were able to speed up.  I do pass two runners who are struggling a little more than me.  Great support from enthusiastic volunteers at all the aid stations.

Mile 11.5 - One guy that I passed is not far back, but there is no one ahead that I can follow.  I am following the chalk marks on the ground and they have not lead me wrong yet.  Under a bridge and I am not exactly sure which way to go, but there is a well placed volunteer to steer me the right way.  Sharp turn, another turn and onto the bridge and over the river.  Pace is now 7:58 and I would like to be done and not have that guy behind me catch up.  Off the bridge and swing on the lamp post (as instructed by Bullseye Bob) to make the 180 turn.  Now on to a paved trail along the river to the next upstream bridge.  I should finish around 1:45, which was my goal, but I am more tired than I should be.  Whoa, wait a sec, the finish line is closer than I thought it would be.  Over the bridge, and then a short bit to the end.  12.64 on the GPS.  So my finish time looks great, but I did not run that fast.  Other than the short course (some could be due to taking the tangents) this was a well done event and I was glad to participate.

My feet felt fine, but later I had unusual calf tightness.  The next morning I could feel a little plantar discomfort.  Not bad, but not good enough to make the leap to no inserts for the marathon.  I am optimistic that I will be able to ditch them if I keep working at it.

 

13th of 59
1:41:06
Half Marathon#25
Race #273

6/9/12 Sound to Narrows 12K

40th annual event.  My 7th time here. 
2002 - 1:00:20
2005 - 59:08
2006 - 58:27
2008 - 57:21
2009 - 56:41
2011 - 56:34


The past couple of years I have run a marathon on the weekend before this race and I have waited to see how I feel midweek, before signing up for StN.  This year I had the R2R 50K last Saturday.  On Wednesday I felt good enough so I registered for today.  At the SSR store in Olympia, they were out of yellow wave bibs (7:30 to 8:30 pace) so I got a red bib (greater than 8:30 pace).  On Thursday I went for an easy 4 miles and it was horrible.  No lingering soreness or pain, just tired legs.  I was really dragging.  I cut that run short and took off Friday.  So I do not expect to run well today.

In training runs I have been weaning myself off of the custom orthodics.  Yoga twice a week plus foot strengthening exercises of the last couple of years has enabled me to build up foot strength in the muscles that are weak from being in the orthodics all the time.  The running has gone well recently, so today I will race without them.  It really lightens up the feel of my shoes.  I know that having soggy wet shoes feel so heavy and slows me down late in a marathon, I wonder how much the reverse is true.  If today does not bother me, I may try to go without them on a longer run next weekend and then go for it in the marathon on 6/23.  So today I am looking for a good hilly workout, run well on tired legs, hope that my feet don't hurt later and I will not expect a PR.  Anything sub 60 minutes will be fine.

Start - Three club Oly guys are here and all have yellow bibs.  I would like to run with that wave and I go to the "fix it" center at registration.  They tell me that it is fine to keep my reb bib but run with the yellow wave.  I think that I will do that until I watch the green wave go off and the announcer is telling people that they should not be starting yet with  a red or yellow bib.  I decide to not make any trouble and just go out at the front of the red wave.  One mile easy warm up, then I line up right in the very front for our start.  Its nice weather, with a little breeze.  I don't need the long sleeves but I will wear them anyway.  Late yellow starters are still coming through a minute before our time, then we go out and down the hill.

Mile 1 - 6:46 -  Feet slapping fast on the downhill start.  I have had plenty of running room. I may be in the lead of the red wave.  But now I am passing yellow stragglers.  Oh the steep and sudden uphill before the zoo parking lot.  Dramatic slowing.  Have to catch my breath.  Legs a little tired but mostly now it is my lungs and maybe my racing heart.

Mile 3 - Hard to get a rhythm with the ups and downs in the park.  Negotiating around a lot of slower yellow bibbers.  Tough going but doing OK.  Now I gradually catch a wonderful costumed group.  With cardboard cut outs they are dressed like Pacman characters.  First I pass two white dots.  As I get ahead of them, I hear one say to the other "it is so pretty here".  What a great reminder about where I am running!  Until this moment it had been more like showing up for work and just getting it done today.  But lets think about this and appreciate it. I am running through old growth forest.  It is an amazing park full of God's green earth.  I still consider it an honor and a blessing to be able to run here.  Also to be with a few thousand others who care enough about their bodies to get outside and get some exercise on this nice day.  I will keep running as best I can, and it is too fast a pace to relax and joke around, but from here to the end I will enjoy and relish the time. 

Mile 3.5 - I am just behind Pacman himself and a blue ghostie.  I am suddenly afraid that the ghostie will start flashing and then turn around and chase me.  I decide to pass before that happens.  On through the park.

Mile 5.5 - Down the big hill and now up the big hill.  I can tell that I will finish under one hour, but also not be near a PR, so I will just keep on the best that I can.  Up up up the long hill.  Turn and turn and on to the finish.

Finish - All 4 Club Oly guys finished in 58 minutes.  My left foot is perfectly fine.  My right foot has some ankle issues that I have had off and on recently, even when using the orthodics.  I will wait a couple of days and then decide about next weekend.  I like coming here and seeing all the casual runners as well as the speedys.  Seth Bridges, who has been beating me in races since he was 12 or so, was the overall winner and I am so happy about that.  I like doing the same course year after year, as a measure of fitness.  The price has gone up and the race is on the same day as the Lake Young's Ultra, so I may not do this every year.  But I do hope to come back soon.



58:28 (7:52 per mile pace)
321st place of 2511 (not including walker wave)
25th of 126 in age group
Race #272
Sound to Narrows #7
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