Spokane Half Marathon

"As I ran toward the finish line, I started thinking about how, just a few years ago, I thought my running days were over, and about how much I really love running. I got a big, goofy grin on my face and pumped my fist as I ran across the line and into the chute."

-Me, Oct. 2009

That was from my race report from the 2009 version of the Spokane Half Marathon, which was the first half I ever ran, but I could have just as easily written the same about my race last Sunday (although, I didn't have the grin & fist pump this time around).

I have to admit, I'm losing count of how many "I thought my running days were over" proclamations I've made in my life. I suppose I should leave them in the past, because I somehow keep returning to the scene of the crime, as it were.

So, yes, I just finished the Spokane Half Marathon, my first half marathon since 2010 (and, as I said, a repeat of my first half in 2009), and...they still hurt. But I still love the distance. And this course, while the toughest half marathon course I've ever run, is enjoyable both for its scenery, and the challenge. But, let's be honest — the hills SUUUUUCK! They were every bit as tough as I remembered them. 

The race started at 9:00am on a PERFECT day. Clear as a bell, and about 45°f at start time. My goal (as usual) was to go out slow and hopefully have enough juice for the last few miles of the race. I did go out slow the first mile, but when the downhill stretches showed up, I decided to not put on the brakes and just let gravity do its thing. I ended up passing a lot of people on the downhills. It took a few miles to feel like I was in the groove, but I never felt peppy. At the start of mile 7, my average pace was about 8:03 per mile. I knew I was over my head, but I didn't feel overextended. I adjusted my plan mid-race and decided that, if I could arrive at the base of Doomsday Hill with an 8:10 average pace, I might be able to hold on for my goal of a sub-1:50 finish. Sure enough, with Doomsday in sight, my Garmin said I was pacing at 8:09, so up I went. SLOWLY. I never stopped to walk (as much as I was tempted to), but I'm pretty sure I was over 9:00/mi pace going up much of that monstrosity. I knew that I had to still be sub-8:20 pace by the time I reached the top, or I wouldn't be able to hit my goal. Fortunately, I had only dropped to 8:14s. However, that hill destroyed me. I didn't have much left in the tank, and there were still 4 miles yet to race. I tried to find an 'auto-pilot' mode and hang on. But my calves had zero push-off power left, and my hip flexors were fried. I knew there was one short, but steep, uphill left, about a quarter mile from the finish. I trudged up it (even walked for about 10 seconds), went around a couple of corners, then "sprinted" (ha!) to the finish line. The medals seem to be getting nicer in races these days (maybe the participants are asking for nicer medals?), and there was a free race photo (below) afterwards, which was nice. Food was plentiful (pizza, fruit, nuts, donuts, chocolate milk, etc). Once finished, I could tell my calves were very close to cramping. Thankfully, I had parked close to the finish line (which was about 1/2 mi from the starting line). I walked to my truck to get my phone, and as soon as I tried to climb in, my left calf cramped horribly, and I let out a loud scream. I'm surprised the authorities didn't come running!

Fake smile, through the fatigue and sweat

Here were my results:

Chip Time: 1:47:36
Avg. Pace: 8:13
Avg. HR: 148
Elev. Gain: 620' (I've seen higher on Strava)
Overall finish: 91/498
Males: 56/198
Age Group (50-54): 4/18

Yes, I just missed an age group award. I was honestly surprised to get 4th. I was just hoping for top 10. The number of runners was down this year, for some reason.

Incidentally, of the 6 half marathons I've run, this was my slowest, by several minutes. Yet, it was probably my most satisfying, given all the garbage my body has been through the last couple of years.

That was my "A" race for the year, so aside from a low-key 5k or 10k between now and the end of winter, I'll just be doing a lot of base training. Mostly outdoors, I hope. Man, I hate winter more every year...

Another 10k Race Report

My second 10k race in as many weeks happened yesterday (Sunday, Sept. 24th). The ValleyFest 10k, which also included a 5k and a duathlon, started at Plante's Ferry park, in Spokane Valley, WA at 8:00am. It was clear and chilly, but not unpleasantly so. No gloves needed this week. There were several members of the Spokane Valley Running Club there (my club, although I haven't run with them much lately), all but me running the 5k.

After starting in the park, the race was run entirely on the Centennial Trail (a paved walking/running/cycling trail, mostly along the Spokane River). It was an out-and-back course, both for the 5k and the 10k. The turnaround for the 5k was spot-on, distance-wise, but the 10k turnaround point was a bit short. According to my Garmin, the race was 5.83 miles long, rather than 6.2 (or, 6.21, to be precise!)

Due to some downhills in the first mile, I went out a bit quick (7:20), then settled into my current 10k race pace (between 7:30 and 7:45/mile). After the 5k turnaround, the amount of racers ahead of me dwindled to two. The leader had a significant lead, but the person ahead of me—a youngish gal—was only 10-20 feet ahead. After the turnaround, I let her have that lead, but I gradually closed the gap (she was slowing), so at about 3.5 miles, I picked up the pace to "pass with authority," as I was taught by my high school cross-country coach. After another half mile, I backed off the pace a tad. Once I reached the last mile, I knew I had to climb back up the hills that helped my pace at the start of the race. There were two of them, and I wanted to walk on both of them. But I chugged ahead and finally spotted the finish. Originally, I was given third place, but as of the edited results posted today, I was officially second (as I thought, when I finished). Even though my time wasn't fast enough to even place in my age group in a large race, I'll gladly take a medal for a rare 2nd overall finish in a small race.

RESULTS:
Time: 44:35 (although they gave me a 44:40 officially)
Pace: 7:39 (based on a 5.83 mile race)
Place: 2nd of 47
AG: no results
Gender: no results

Young guy: 2nd in the 5k. Old guy (yours truly): 2nd in the 10k

It was a fun little race. I may do it again next year.

So the short, "speedy" races are over for the year. Now, it's time to get ready for my 'A' race, the Spokane Half Marathon, in less than 2 weeks.

Another 10k, Then Another...

Last Sunday (Sept. 17th), I ran my third 10k of the year. It was in beautiful, scenic Sandpoint, Idaho. It was called, coincidentally, the Scenic Half & 10k. My speedy friend Dan drove to my place in Spokane Valley, spent the night, then we arose at o-dark-thirty for the 75 minute drive up to Sandpoint. It was a fairly small race, with the 10k field being 128 runners, and the half with 308 finishers. There was still some smoke lingering in the very cool air (under 40°f at race time), but it was a sunny, dry day.

Dan and the rest of the half marathoners started at 8:00am, and us wimpy 10k runners at 8:15. The 10k course was a pretty flat (my Garmin gave it 107' of elevation) out-and-back affair, mostly on the bridge extending over lake Pend Orielle (pronounced "Pond O-Ray" for you non-locals). My watch said I was running at about 7:10 pace for the first few hundred feet, so I dialed it down and settled into about a 7:45-7:50 per mile pace.

I've been fighting a cold or some kind of chest congestion, which—combined with the smoke—made it harder than usual to breathe. Who knows how much that affected my time, but I'm pretty sure I could have clipped several seconds off my finish time without those issues.

I ran the first couple of miles with two other guys who looked to be in my age group (one of them was, I verified later), but I gradually pulled away from them. At mile 4, another middle-aged guy pulled even with me, not breathing as hard as I was, then gradually left me behind. After finishing, I asked him his age. "44" he said, to which I responded with a sigh of relief (hey, I covet age group wins, even in small races!)

My friend Dan finished 3rd overall in the half marathon, with a time of 1:28!

My official time was 47:08 (7:37 pace). Slower than my Santa Monica 10k in June, but faster than my Chelanman 10k in July.

I'm running yet a fourth 10k in 3 days, as of this post. The ValleyFest 10k will start just a 20 minute drive from my house. Historically, the field has been very small (basically, a group run), so I'm not sure how motivated I'll be to push for a fast time, nor sure if I'll ever ditch this pesky cold.

Here are my official numbers (and some photos) from the Sandpoint Scenic 10k

TIME: 47:08
PACE: 7:37/mi
OVERALL PLACE: 6 of 128
MEN: 5 of 41
AGE GROUP: 1 of 3

Yes, compression socks. I'm old. And it was cold.

Pretty nice medal for a small 10k!

You Don't Spit...or Run Fast...Into The Wind

Yesterday my friend Dan and I made the drive up to the quaint, artsy town of La Conner, WA...

Boy, that sentence didn't quite sound the way I intended it to. Let's try again, this time with more testosterone:

Yesterday, Dan and I kissed our wives goodbye and drove his massive SUV to the rustic seaside fishing village of La Conner, while drinking our strong, black coffees and discussing the ins and outs of home-brewing beer.

Trying too hard now, I know.

So...we ran a 10k there (the Smelt Run 5k/10k). We arrived with plenty of time to get our race bibs, use the facilities, and run a little over 2 warmup miles in the sprinkles and wind. By race time, the rain had stopped, but the wind had increased.

The course was nice and flat. The first three miles flew by. I held back and was running at a very comfortable and sustainable pace, but just past the 5k mark, the wind became an issue. It was a very persistent side wind which, after the turnaround, suddenly became a frustrating headwind. I intentionally backed off the pace during mile four, but by mile five, it wasn't so intentional any more. The course turned a couple of times, still either into the wind, or with the wind coming from the side. There were a couple of stretches where I had to lean while running so as not to get blown over.

Not great conditions for a fast race.

The final mile was brutal. Most of it was directly into what I would estimate to be a 20-25 mph constant wind. By the time I reached the last turn that lead to the finish, I was beat. I had very little kick left.

By the numbers:
Final time - 44:39
Splits: 7:04, 7:08, 7:07, 7:12, 7:17, 7:16, 1:32 (for final .2)
5k splits: 22:10/22:29
Average pace: 7:11

I was hoping to break 44 minutes. Minus the wind, I think I would have had a pretty good chance of doing so.

I haven't seen the official results yet, but I'm pretty sure I finished 32nd overall and 8th or 9th in my very tough age group (40-49).

My aforementioned friend Dan ran an amazing PR of 39:29 (his first sub-40 10k) to win our age group.

Next up will be a 5k PR attempt in Arlington, on March 23rd. Guess I better keep doing some speed work.

Race Report/Race Year In Review

I'm a week late in getting a race report up for the Christmas Rush 5k I ran last Saturday (12/8/12) so I'll combine that with a brief review of all of my races this year, since I'm done racing in 2012.

As mentioned, I ran in the 30th Annual Christmas Rush race last weekend. What makes this race special for me is that I ran it the very year the race was established (1983...yes, it's the 30th year, since you count the year it began.) It was my first road race, and it was only a 10k at the time (starting about the 3rd year, they added a 5k.) I still have the shirt from that first race. Even though it's very thin (cotton was all you could get at races back in the day), I just had to wear it to this race. The race director knew I was going to wear it. After the race, he announced it and made a big to-do about it. Hopefully I can break it out again for the 40th running!

Pre-race, wearing the threadbare original race shirt.

The weather was perfect: overcast and low 40's. I talked my friend (and running club-mate) Dan into running the race, knowing I would be bumped down in the standings because of that. I prefer his company over finishing one spot higher in our age group (45-49). Indeed, that's exactly what happened, as he's currently quite a bit faster than me.

I had a goal of breaking 21:30 in this race. I ran a 21:53 four weeks earlier, so I wasn't completely sure I could chop off 24 seconds. But training had gone well, and I ended my running streak at 77 days, allowing for plenty of recovery time (both from running and from an upper respiratory infection) so I was relatively confident.

I managed to go out fairly strong and run progressive splits, which surprised me. After opening with a 6:59 mile, I thought I'd have to slow down a bit the second mile, before kicking it in toward the end. Here's how it played out:

Mile 1 - 6:59
Mile 2 - 6:56
Mile 3 - 6:45
last .1 - :38

Official Finish Time - 21:19
Overall - 45 of 1894 (2%)
Division - 5 of 61* (8%)
Men - 38 of 749 (5%)

Pushing hard during mile 3.

Finishing sprint. Nothing left in the tank.

*I was rewarded 4th at the post-race ceremony, but later was bumped down to fifth. They gave out ribbons for the top 5 positions in each division. I got the 4th place ribbon at the race, and was mailed the 5th place ribbon. This is the only time I've received ribbons for two different places in one race!

Yes, that happened.

The one slightly disappointing aspect to the race was the lack of any real post-race food. There were bottles of water and some pretty nasty tasting (in my opinion) protein bars. But that was pretty much it. The race director did give me gift cards for 3 free pizzas at a local pizza restaurant because of my old race shirt. I hate to say it, but I'm glad I didn't have to pay for the pizza. Not particularly tasty, to be kind.
But...that aside, it's a fun race on a great course. I'll be back yet again.

2012 RACE WRAP-UP

I'll briefly go over my race results this year. As I said toward the end of last year, 2012 was going to be the 'Year of the 5k' for me. Coming off a serious injury, I still wanted to participate in races, but didn't want to take a chance at prolonging...or re-aggravating...my injury. This proved to be a wise decision. I also went into the year with the goal of getting a 5k PR, since my existing 5k PR is what I would consider 'soft' (I never raced a road 5k during my quicker high school days.) After my first (frustrating) race of the year, I quickly abandoned that goal. I had a bad experience due to a lack of fitness, horrible weather and a cranky heel on a hilly course. I took (too much) time off—two months—before resuming training in March.
Here's a quick synopsis of each race:

Jan. 14 - Nookachamps 5k, 23:13, 1/6 AG, 22/219 overall. Cold, rain, sleet, snow. Bad attitude, angry heel.

May 19 - Walk & Roll 5k, 23:26, 2/7 AG, 8/90 overall. No base, no speed, no fitness.

Jun. 9 - Flight for Sight 5k, 22:54, 1/8 AG, 7/93 overall. Still out of shape, but a bit quicker. Hilly course. Surprising AG win.

Jun. 16 - Berry Dairy Days 2 Mile, 15:42. Paced oldest daughter. Rainy, 60°.

Jul. 7 - Run of the Mill 5k, 23:15, 19/111 AG, 175/1321 overall. Back over 23 minutes...but on a tough course. Had some bronchial issues.

Sept. 15 - Run For Hope 5k, 23:47, 2/5 AG, 8/62 overall. Took a bad fall on the course, then slowed down. Low mileage due to summer vacations, so wouldn't have been much faster.

Sept. 30 - Summer's End 5k, 22:56, 1/4 AG, 5/109 overall. Race started & ended at my old high school. Another hilly course, but got back under 23 min.

Oct. 13 - Fire Prevention 5k, 22:18, 4/10 AG, 9/70 overall. Finally starting to cut some time off. Recorded a sub-7 min. 3rd mile. Fitness is improving.

Nov. 10 - Fowl Fun Run 5k, 21:53, 2/6 AG, 13/139 overall. Sunny, 36°. Finally back under 22 min (1st time since July 2010.) Closed w/6:48 final mile.

Dec. 8 - Christmas Rush 5k, 21:19, 5/61 AG, 45/1894 overall. Only 4 seconds from current PR. All three miles under 7 min (6:45 for 3rd mi.) Felt good, but left it all out on the course.

Having come so close to a PR in my final 5k, I hesitate to start moving back up in race distances. I'll be running a 10k in January, with another in February, but I do intend to include a few 5k's next year, with the intent of not only setting a new PR, but demolishing the old one. I plan on adding some "official" speed work early in the year as well. Please, body, don't fail me now!

Fire Prevention 5k, Snohomish, WA

Rain before and after, but fortunately it held off during the race. Temps in the low 50's.

Although I'm still not back to where I'd like to be, I'm very happy with the time—my fastest 5k this year so far (out of 7, to-date.) The irony is that, after winning my AG two weeks ago, in a slightly larger race with a slower time, I placed out of the awards (4th of 10) in this one. This race went with 10-year divisions instead of a 5-year spread, so I was in the 40-49 group (rather than the 45-49.) Two of the guys who beat me were 40 on the nose (the other was 44.) Still, I'm much more focused on what I can somewhat control—my time—which is coming along. Finally.

Final time - 22:18
Splits:
7:33
7:18
6:55 (1st sub-7 mile in a 5k this year)
(6:05 pace for last .1)

PLACING
9 of 71 overall 
4 of 10 age grp.
8 of 31 men 

I pushed well into my 'pain cave' the last half mile or so, trying to catch two guys in front of me. I passed one, but couldn't catch the other. Hopefully I'll have an interesting finish photo. Spit was flying from my mouth quite impressively.

Next up: The Fowl Fun Run 5k, Nov. 10th.

Run of the Mill 5k...and, More New Shoes!

Yesterday morning, I ran the Run of the Mill 5k, in Mill Creek, WA. I ran this race for the first time in 2010 but skipped last year's version due to my never-ending injury situation.

It was a beautiful morning, with temperatures hovering somewhere between 'just right' and 'a tad too warm.' I've been fighting a head and chest cold for over a week. It recently turned into a bit of bronchitis, so I wasn't going to go all out in this one. I started slowly (partially out of necessity, due to the crowd), then ran each mile faster than the previous. My splits were:

8:00
7:24
7:02
(6:19 pace for last .13)

Official time: 23:15.

Overall: 175 of 1321
Age group (40-49): 19 of 111
Men: 140 of 581

Obviously nothing to crow about, but given how I felt, I was pleased with the result; especially with a pretty quick final mile.

The overall winner, Jordan McNamara, won it in a time of 14:13 (a new course record). He's the real deal, having finished 7th in the Men's 1500m final at the Olympic Trials in Eugene recently.

A nice addition to the many booths set up for the race was the Brooks Cavalcade of Curiosities double-decker bus. Being a Brooks ID member myself, I (of course) had to pay them a visit. Although I've been a runner since the late '70s, I somehow had never had my gait professionally analyzed. Brooks was offering that service for free on the top level of their bus, so up I went. I know I'm a bit of a pronator, so this wasn't ground-breaking for me, but it was interesting to see the video, as well as a photo breakdown of just how much I do pronate.

As a result, I was recommended three models of Brooks shoes that I've never worn (of course!) The Adrenalin GTS 12, the Ravenna, and the Trance II.
I ordered a pair of Adrenalins, as well as the Pure Cadence (semi-minimal shoe with a bit of support). My wife was thrilled, to say the least. More shoes to add to my pile ;-)

I'll report back after I've put a few miles on each pair.

Boeing Flight for Sight 5k

This morning, I ran the Flight for Sight 5k, which is a race to benefit Guide Dogs of America. I finished in 22:54 (7:23 pace). I actually won my age group (45-49)! I can't remember ever winning my age group (got a few 2nds & 3rds, but never 1st place). There were only eight finishers in my age group, but I'll take it. Finished 7th overall (not sure how many overall finishers yet, but it was a small race. I'm guessing under 100 for the 5k).

I'm a bit embarrassed to win my age group with that time, but I am happy about a couple of things. First, I've done nothing but Zone 2 runs (10:20-ish pace) the last three weeks, with absolutely NO fast running. I guess this shows that slow base-building can increase fitness enough to still run a reasonable pace. Second, this course was hillier than the 5k I ran in Arlington three weeks ago, yet I ran almost 30 seconds faster (note: I have lost 6 lbs. since that race, so that helped, too). Third, I managed to run negative splits yet again (7:44, 7:27, 7:13, 6:10 pace for last .1). I was still hurting more than I wanted to, but for an old guy held together with duct tape and paperclips that can barely train, I'm not at all disappointed. Next up, Berry Dairy Days in Burlington (with Natalie; next Saturday), then Run of the Mill 5k (July 7th).

[EDIT: the official results are in. Turns out, there were actually 8 finishers in my age group (makes me feel better, anyway)]. Official results:
22:54
Overall: 7 of 93
Age group: 1 of 8
Men: 7 of 47

Arlington Walk & Roll/Run 5k

Beautiful morning for a race! Sunny, low 50's.

I never thought I'd be happy with a 23:26 time in a 5k, but given that I'm running a total of 6-7 miles per week, I'm 17 lbs. over my race weight, and I'm still battling a perpetual heel injury, I'll gladly take it.

Wanted to run progressive splits and succeeded - 7:53, 7:37, 7:17, (6:58). Barely took 2nd in my age group (I think I passed 3rd place within the last mile), but would have won the group if they split it into 5-year segments. The last mile was tough for me. I was totally spent crossing the line.

I was 13 seconds slower than my January 5k time (when I was running just a little more), but I enjoyed this one a lot more.

I have a LOOONG way to go, but I'm hopefully that I can slowly rebuild my base and increase my fitness and, just maybe, race the way I'd like to again. Fingers crossed.

Nookachamps 5k

Before I elaborate a bit, here's what I wrote in my Daily Mile post about the race:

Cold, rain, sleet, snow, wind. That pretty much sums it up. I was literally drenched to the bone, from head to toe. I was humbled this morning. Did not have a good run at all. Went out at 7:23, followed by the same time for mile 2, then my lungs & throat tightened up to where I couldn't breathe well. Slowed down for a 7:36 mile 3 (23:13 finish). Aside from pacing my daughter, I've never run a 5k this slow. Even though it was miserable and I couldn't breathe, I expected to run faster than this. Perhaps 12 miles of running per week isn't enough? ;-)
Next up will probably be the Smelt Run 5k in La Conner on Feb. 25th (unless I retire. Only half-joking).

It took me about 20 minutes in my truck after the race (with the heat all the way up) to thaw out, even with fresh, dry clothes. Since it's about an hour's drive home from where the race was (Mount Vernon, WA), I had some time for reflection. I concluded that, even though I've gotten back into running (after a LONG fight with an injury) in a restricted and minimal way, I just don't feel like a runner right now. I know that just getting out for a run — period — defines me as a runner, but I'm so blasted goal-driven and time-focused that when things don't go well, it's hard to accept.

Running and I have a one-way co-dependent relationship (I tend to depend on it, but it certainly doesn't depend on me). Right now, I'm not particularly happy with this relationship. I've tried to slowly bump up the mileage and intensity, but more mileage right now doesn't agree with my injury. So I'm sort of stuck in a "Runner's Pergatory," where I can run just enough to whet my appetite, but not nearly enough to perform the way I did prior to the injury.

So...what to do. I'll tell you one thing I'm doing immediately, and that's taking next week off from running, entirely. I don't want an activity that has brought me so much pleasure the last 28 years (well, the times I wasn't injured) to be something I dread or fight against. I'll do some rides on my bike trainer and lift some weights next week, along with a few dog walks...but the running shoes will go untouched.

Speaking of the dog, I'm still suspicious that I may be allergic to him. I wheeze a lot when I breathe deeply, and I've really had some respiratory issues during the last several runs. Might have to visit my doctor.

As far as effort goes, maybe I'll back off during my next race (Smelt Run 5k, Feb. 25) instead of fighting it. I'm nowhere near being able to bust out a PR, so it might be best to run the first few 5k's this year more as training runs. Can I really do that and not push? I don't know. But today's race unfortunately left a foul taste in my mouth and, like I said, I don't want an experience like that to define what running means to me.

Candy Cane Dash 5k

Well. If there was ever a race I shouldn't have run, it was this one. I last ran this race in 2003, when there were 405 finishers. Today, there were 30 or 40. When I showed at 8:00am for day-of-race sign up, they told us that the start time had been changed from 9:00am to 10:00am because one of the volunteers was going to be late (huh?). It's sad to see a formerly vibrant race die a sad death.

I decided to wear my new Brooks Launch (the old red and orange model. They're new, but sitting in a box in my garage for over a year), instead of my new Pure Flow; partially because of a tweak behind my left knee (thanks to a lot of jumping in my latest video) and thanks to multiple suggestions from my friend (and running conscience) Mark U. I'll do a few more short runs in them before I run a race in them. It was chilly, so I layered up with a couple of long-sleeve tech shirts under my Brooks racing singlet, and went with tights and compression socks down below.

One thing that made me a bit uncomfortable is the stereotype I seem to portray; especially at these small races. I'm decked out in Brooks pro race gear, so I look fast. I've also got the bodytype of a fast runner. The thing is...right now, anyway...I'm NOT FAST. But while waiting for the race to start, I could feel lots of eyes on me that seemed to be saying, "oh, this guy must be going for the win," or "what's HE doing here at our little race?" Boy, were THEY in for a letdown!

Once the race began, I realized that, for the most part, the course was unmarked and unmanned. There were 3 or 4 volunteers out on the course, but due to the winding nature (going up and down side streets, through wooded trails, etc.), there was no way to know where to go unless you knew the course, or could stay close enough to someone in front of you who did. I succeeded in keeping up with a high school cross-country runner (girl) so I wouldn't get off course. I've had trouble all week with my breathing — partially due to a chest cold, and partially due to the lousy air quality here (which I'm pretty sensitive to, it turns out). Thankfully, the above-mentioned soreness behind my knee wasn't an issue during the race (although it's tender as I write this). What was an issue are the measly 12 miles per week I've been running...with no speed work...and this being my first race (aside from pacing my daughter) in 15 months. With that said, my game plan was to go out at 7:30, run mile 2 at 7:20, then bring it home with whatever was left. I ended up going out at 7:25 and ran mile 2 also in 7:25, splitting the difference (unusual consistency for me). As I neared the finish, I could tell the course was significantly short. I ran what turned out to be the last .92 in 7:06 pace (7:19 pace for the whole race). I did push myself but, with the breathing issues, I didn't want to go too deep into the pain cave.

It's a shame it was a short course, as I can't compare the finishing time to other races. Using some math, it was equal to a 22:42 5k, which is just about what I ran in my 5k time trial a couple of weeks ago. At least I have a bit of a benchmark to go by when I run my next race in January.

But skipping this particular race wouldn't have been a bad idea, in hindsight.

Well, What the Heck Did You Go And Do That For?!

What's the definition of insanity? Yeah, that's what I thought. What's the definition of insanity? Yeah, that's what I thought.

I ran a low-key, donation-only half marathon this morning (First Call, put on by Adrian Call, who does a very nice job). There was also a full marathon and a 50k, along with three different start times. The race started at Bothell Landing and was an out-and-back course, mostly flat. After destroying my heel on a 2-hour hilly trail run on Monday, I decided to be smart and skip this event, opting to volunteer instead tough it out, heel be damned, and run the stupid race. Ah, I can hear a couple of you booking flights to Seattle right now so you can show up at my doorstep and knock some sense into me when I answer (which is why I don't answer the door, most of the time).

I went out at a 7:44 first mile, backed off the pace a bit, then picked it up a little on the return trip, for a finish of 1:41:44...which is only :22 off my (rather soft) half PR...on low training and a bum wheel. It was the longest run I've done since my marathon on May 15th, and even though the last couple of miles were tough, I managed to run negative splits, which is rare for me. The only downside to this race (aside from my injury) was that I ended up running all but the first 2 miles alone, so it felt very much like a training run...which is how I was going to treat it, anyway.

So why did I do this when my heel has been so agitated this week? Um...how 'bout them Cubbies!

Honestly, I wrestled with the decision. I knew the course was flat (the hills have really been killing my heel), and I figured I'd start with the idea of DNF'ing if the pain was too much. Well, there was pain, but I guess I didn't consider it "too much". Plus, I'm not always the brightest bulb in the pantry (we keep our spare bulbs in our pantry. So there.) Now, maybe due to overcompensation, my lower right calf has been hurting & getting tight during my runs, and I've felt hints of Plantar Fasciitis underneath the heel. My whole right foot is going on strike.  I figure that if I'm going down, I might as well go down with a big THUD, instead of during a routine neighborhood run. The deck chairs on the Titanic look better rearranged, anyway.

I've got an ice pack on the heel as I'm sitting here. I'll alternate ice with a tub of warm water for the next hour or so. Here's where I feel like Fonzy, from Happy Days: I plan on bbbbb....bbbbbb......bbacking off for awhile. How long? Oh, what time is it now? Kidding. I don't know yet whether I'll do an official "shut down" for the long term, or just play it by ear. I still hold out hopes of running the Baker Lake 50k on October 2nd. The reality is that I probably won't be able to put in 1) enough long runs, and 2) enough trail time to feel comfortable running it. But there's still a glimmer of hope. We'll see. Other than that, I have no other races on the schedule, and that's kind of a relief right now. I'm hoping to reconcile with my heel and tear up these divorce papers.

Man, this ice is cold.

Ragnar - Northwest Passage, July 23 & 24

I figure I should finally post a race report, at least before next year's Ragnar!

In today's vernacular, the word "epic" is overused…in my opinion, anyway. But in describing my experience at Ragnar last Friday and Saturday, it would be my word of choice.

I'm going to post my (not terribly impressive) personal stats first, to get that out of the way, because this event was so much more about the team experience than our individual performances. Out of the 36 total legs, I ran legs 10, 22 and 34. Originally, I was scheduled to lead off with leg 1 (and run 13 and 25 after that), but due to my heel and subsequent lack of fitness, our captain (Lars) cut me some slack and gave me the shortest legs. According to my Garmin, they were 3.17 miles, 4.22 miles, and 4.16 miles. Here are the results:

Leg 10 - 3.17 mi (10:20pm) 22:05 (6:59 pace) 0 kills (but set up our first kill). Flat and straight.
Leg 22 - 4.22 mi (5:23am) 30:52 (7:19 pace) 2 kills. Some hills.
Leg 34 - 4.16 mi (12:45pm) 32:35 (7:50 pace) 6 kills. VERY hilly.

As you can see, my paces deteriorated pretty significantly - partially due to ZERO sleep and buildup of fatigue, partially due to the hills, and partially (okay, significantly) due to being a bit out of shape. The heat also came into play during the third leg. My average heart rate slowed somewhat from leg to leg. But even if the heart was willing, the legs weren't. By the start of the third leg, I knew I was about out of gas. My heel held up great during the first two legs, but started barking at me pretty noticeably during the third.

The Northwest Passage edition of Ragnar consisted of 187 pretty hilly miles, from Blaine, WA to Langley, WA. Our team consisted of 12 men, split into two vans (6 guys each); each man running their leg, then rotating through both vans in a set order. Our ages varied from late 20's to mid 40's.

If you're familiar with Ragnar (or other long relay events), you know what a "kill" is. It signifies passing a runner from another team. Several weeks prior to the race, each team had to submit an anticipated average pace for all of their runners. Our estimate put us in the last (fastest) group (Friday, 4pm start time). The slowest groups started at 7am. There were 4 other teams that started with us. Needless to say, they were impressive. We spent the first several hours in last place before we finally started picking off other runners in the middle of the night.

I could write a book about all the stories, both funny and inspirational, that took place during the race, but I'll refrain. It was an amazing and well-organized event, and it was great to have the opportunity not only to run it, but to hang out with a bunch of great guys and get to know them better. I'm currently working on a video, and accompanying original song, that will hopefully do justice to the experience. I will, however, give shout-outs to my brothers-in-vans by listing their names: (Van 1) Gus, Tony, Lars, Brian, Josh, Mike M., (Van 2) Mike T., Cris C., Dave, Me, Kris A., Garrett. We had some tough and speedy guys on our team! Overall, we finished 5th out of 208 teams, and 2nd out of 21 in the Open Men's division, both of which surprised us. Our total time was 22:16:14 (7:04 avg pace, by my calculation). Not bad for a bunch of guys who meet at a coffee shop every Saturday morning to run a few miles together.

As tough a time as I had, and even with a night of ZERO sleep, I would still do this again. Hopefully we can pull the same guys together next year and do even better…but more importantly, share another really cool experience.

And maybe I'll even be in shape next time!

Heat: Yes. Speed: No.

This morning I ran my first race since my marathon on May 15th: the Run of the Mill 5k, in Mill Creek, WA. How did it go? Ugh. 21:53 (my goal was 20:59). I'm going to blame the heat for my lack of speed (plus the heel injury and under-training). It hurt far more than it should have.

Splits: 7:06, 7:04, 6:54, [6:28]

Official results: 
Overall: 112/1711 (6%)
Age Group: 12/143 (8%)
Men: 103/707 (14%)

There was quite a bit of uphill the first half of the course. When I hit the downhills on the way back, I was too toasted to take advantage of them.

I ran a warmup mile before the race (7:48), which told me today wouldn't be my day. After post-race festivities, I ran 3.6 miles home and was starting to feel a little heat exhaustion, plus the heel was hurting (it felt fine during the race). Took an ice bath when I got home.

So...Ragnar is less than 2 weeks away. It could be rough. I'm running the lead-off leg, which starts at 4:00pm on July 23rd. All next week, I'm going to run during the hottest part of the day (even though it looks like a cooling trend is on the way). Still, that won't be enough time for heat acclimation. I'll just try to take the first leg (6.2 mi) slower than normal and save my energy for the final two legs.

I've never run well in the heat, and I'm not entirely sure why. For a guy built as slight as me, one would think it would be easier for my body to cool itself. Must be my Nordic heritage.

Here's how this week panned out:

Runs: 4 (6, including warmup and post-race run home)

Miles: 22.34

Time: 3:12:10

Avg. Pace: 8:36

Avg. HR: 130

Windermere Marathon Race Report

Everyone always says that your first marathon is special and you'll never forget it. With mine only one day removed, I don't have the benefit of weeks, months or years to reflect on it. But I already know that it will be special and memorable for many reasons.

After several months of focused training, I finally ran my first marathon. The Windermere Spokane Marathon started, ironically, in Post Falls, Idaho at 7:00 am on Saturday, May 15th, 2010. My wife brought me to the start 30 minutes prior to race time. Most of those minutes were spent standing in a much too long port-a-potty line. After the pit stop and a good-luck kiss from my wife, I lined up near the back of the pack, along with roughly 400 other marathoners. The skies were perfectly clear and it was cool enough to make my teeth chatter as I stood wearing my Brooks ID kit - a singlet and shorts that I wish were just a tad longer to cover more of my pasty-white chicken legs. Around my waist was my Brooks Aid Station belt, which held a 22-oz Nathan bottle full of Heed, and two 5 oz flasks containing Hammer Gel. I kept a handful of E-caps in a zipper pocket on the belt. After a 10-minute delay to make sure the chips for the full marathoners were synchronized with the chips for the half marathoners (who started at the same time, but 13.1 miles closer to the finish line), we were off. Led by a race official on a bike (more about this later) we made a large loop around a strip mall before being led onto the Centennial Trail, headed for downtown Spokane, Washington. The first three miles seemed to fly by in no time. I was just a tad ahead of my planned pace, averaging 8:25 per mile. My desire was to go out even slower than I felt I should, then increase my pace later in the race. But I felt fine at this point. In fact, the first 10k felt great, at a fairly slow 51 minutes. Here, I took my first hit of gel. The sun was beating down on my shoulders and the temperature was creeping up as I continued drinking every mile on the mile. My heart rate was higher than I had hoped, but I chalked it up to race nerves. At about mile 8, things weren't feeling quite as effortless, even though I threw in an 8:15 and 8:17 for miles 9 and 10. I reached the half at 1:50, where my wife was waiting, ready to swap a cold bottle of Heed with my now empty bottle. During the quick exchange, I told her "this is going to be tough". I was now feeling the heat, and my legs were already feeling some fatigue. I was surprised by how heavy the new, full bottle felt as it replaced my empty one on my belt. iPods weren't against the rules, but were discouraged. I decided against wearing mine for this and other reasons. So, without the distraction and/or motivation of music or podcasts, it was about this time that the mental games began. I kept thinking, "oh no - I didn't plan a 'mantra' ahead of time!" I quickly adopted whatever positive self-talk I could come up with. I started telling myself "You've got this. You're strong. You've done the training. Run steady, you've got this". As the miles clicked off, I was a bit frustrated with how difficult it was to fight the negative voices in my head, saying "My legs feel dead! My breathing is far too labored for this pace! There are still so many miles to go. It's too hot", etc. It became a pretty intense battle.

Through mile 15, I was still averaging 8:24 miles. Even though the whole course had a net elevation loss of 240 feet, there was an uphill portion from about mile 16 to mile 18. It may not have been terribly significant, but by now it seemed like a small mountain. This is when the walk breaks started. I was getting a slight cramp in my right calf. I was still able to run, though. I had begun taking my E-caps at about mile 6, then every few miles after that. I only took 8 during the race, which I thought was enough. At about mile 20, I started thinking that maybe it wasn't, as my right quad started cramping and having spasms. To make things more interesting, it seemed like my system quit processing the fuel I was taking in. I felt like I needed to continue drinking and taking gels, but my stomach was getting more and more bloated. By this point, the heat was a major factor, as more and more runners were resorting to walk breaks. The course continued to roll along, up and down, with just enough little hills to spur on more cramping in my quad and, now, both calves. I was down to averaging 8:35's at mile 20. I started doing some math. The dream of a 3:30 finish was gone a long time ago. I'd have to run a 49-minute final 10k to finish in 3:40. Normally not difficult, but at this point, there was no way I'd even get close to that. I walked the first two minutes of mile 21. Miles 21, 24 and 25 were the slowest - all a little over 10 minutes. My hopes went from a 3:40 finish, to a 3:45 finish, to thoughts of "okay, I just want to break four hours!" At about mile 24, there was an active train crossing. As I approached it, spectators were yelling "you can beat the train if you hurry!". I saw the flashing lights and the gate across the road, so I willed my aching legs to sprint. I and a couple other runners ran across the tracks seconds before the train came through. Wow.

As we got into downtown Spokane, my leg cramps were intensifying. I felt like I was dragging my right leg, as I had little power in my quad, and my calf wasn't allowing much push-off from my foot. As I ran past the Gonzaga University campus, toward Riverfront Park, volunteer on bicycles rode toward us every few minutes, asking, "are you trying to qualify for Boston?" Of course, I kept answering "no", but wondered why they were asking this. As I began crossing the bridge over the Spokane River to run the final stretch toward the finish, my sister appeared, frantically telling me that I needed to turn around and run more if I wanted to run a full marathon. By now, I was experiencing a bit of brain fog and thought, "okay, this is NOT a funny joke, Andrea". But she kept explaining as I ran by and, given the BQ questions from the bike people, I realized that something was wrong. I didn't mention it before, but every mile marker in the race was quite a bit off. They were coming far too early, according to my Garmin (and everyone else's around me). When I reached the finish line, the announcer was telling everyone that they needed to turn around and run another point-something miles if they want to run a full marathon. Either he didn't say the exact amount as I was finishing, or I just didn't hear it. Not thinking, I ran across the timing mat and said to the volunteer, "I want to run the full distance. What do I do?" She gave me a confusing answer, so I just followed another runner that was doing the same thing. When she turned back around, so did I, crossing the finish line for a second time. I don't know the whole story, but the official on the bike that I mentioned earlier apparently didn't take us on a big enough loop at the beginning of the race, so we were short of the full distance. Oops. In an otherwise well-organized event, this was disappointing and frustrating. Those of you who have finished a marathon know how ready you are to finish when you cross that line; how your brain and body are ready give up the battle. It was disheartening to have to turn around and run even a short distance further. After I finished for good, I received my medal, met my wife, two daughters, dad, step-mom and sister, who escorted me to a chair, where I promptly collapsed, dizzy and nauseous. Twice they tried to get me to stand up, but it wasn't going to happen, as I turned pale and nearly blacked out. After some chocolate milk and several orange wedges (the only food that sounded good), I finally made my way to the bathroom with my dad's help, then to our vehicle for the ride back to my folks' house for an ice bath and, eventually, some solid food.

I can't say I was disappointed in my performance, but I know I can do better. When I ran my first half marathon 7 months ago, it was the hardest thing I had done at that point. Now, this marathon takes that distinction. I still have some work to do, but I'm excited to move forward and shoot for a faster finish in the future. After the soreness dissipates, of course!

Here are the numbers:

Chip time: 3:46:20 (when I accidentally crossed the mat the first time)
Actual finish time: 3:49:32
Avg. pace: 8:45
Overall place: 67/344
Gender: 54/180
Age Group: 12/32

To all those who I've had the privilege to share this journey with either in person or online: thanks again for the tremendous encouragement, support, advice and friendship. The journey doesn't end here. It's just getting started!

Photos to come...

Weekend of Fun

On Saturday, April 10th, I ran the Tulip Run 5-Mile race. I was planning on taking it easy during this race, since I was asked to pace a friend over the last 21 miles of a 50-mile ultra today. Well, I apparently don't have much discipline in short races. Went out at 7:00, backed off a bit during the middle, saw a young boy (as in, maybe 9 yrs old?) ahead of me at mile three and couldn't let him stay ahead of me (stupid ego). Then there was some guy I kept passing and getting passed by, so I finally had to pull ahead of him out of frustration. Then, with a quarter mile to go, I went by a guy who said "no, THAT'S not gonna happen!" Of course, I emptied my tank after hearing that and gave whatever I had left (6:45 last mile). After the finish, he thanked me for inspiring him to finish strong. Don't know the standings yet, but I finished in 34:55, for an average pace of 6:59.

Surprisingly, in checking my records, this is the first time I've paced sub-7 since 2002...and that was a 5k. It's actually the first race of 5 miles or longer that I've gone sub-7 since...1987! Given that I'm training for a marathon and doing very little speed work, I'm happy with the result.

Now, on to today. I paced my friend Arthur for the last 21 miles of his 50-mile ultra PR. He ran a 7:02 and change to destroy his old PR of 8:01. Even after a relatively fast race yesterday, my legs were a bit over-eager. I've never paced anyone before and I was "called back" a few times after leading out too much. I got caught up in trying to pull him along a bit too much, mostly because I was afraid of going too slow for him. I felt great until around 18, when a little fatigue settled into the legs. We still finished strong. Next year I'm going to run either the 50k or the 50 mile...especially if the weather is like it was today (mostly sunny, low 60's). Plus, the course was beautiful - gravel and dirt trails through the woods, passing a waterfall, streams and rivers.

In addition to being a "pacing job" for me, this was one of my scheduled long training runs leading up to my May 15th marathon. I'll run one more 22 miler before starting my taper in a couple of weeks. So, with 28 combined miles for Saturday and Sunday, thus ends a fun weekend of running!

Mercer Island Half Marathon...After Solo Half Marathon

This was a challenging, but enjoyable, running weekend. On the advice of my ultra running friend Arthur, I ran a solo half marathon yesterday, then the Mercer Island Half Marathon today. When we first discussed the idea, I wasn't so sure I wanted to try it. He said it would be a good way to simulate leg fatigue late in a full marathon. Once I wrapped my mind around the idea, I went for it. I ran 10 miles on Monday, 6 Tuesday, 5 Wednesday, 4 Thursday, took Friday off, ran 13.1 on Saturday and 13.1 today, for a new weekly PR of 51.3 miles this week.

Back to the halves. Saturday morning, I ran the first 6 miles with Mike and Eric (two guys from the Mill Creek Running & Multisport Club, with whom I run on Saturday mornings. BTW, I carpooled to today's race with Lars, who is one of the group's founders. He ran the race this morning in a nice 1:48), then ran the last 7.1 alone. I ended up with a quicker-than-expected 1:43:42. Fast-forward to this morning at 9:00am when the Mercer Island Half started, under overcast conditions with a temp of 52. PERFECT. I wanted to go out slowly (8:00-8:10), but ended up with a 7:44. No worries - still well within my range. I'll list mile splits later, but I'll say that I felt TOO good for the first 6.5 miles. I naively started thinking that yesterday's half wasn't really going to affect me that much. Well, I forgot to mention that the Mercer Island course is HILLY! I felt some leg fatigue kick in at the 6.5 mile point, but it was slight enough that I thought I could push through it at my current pace (7:30 or so by then). At that point, I took a Hammer Gel and tried to drink enough water (which I never do) and continued to cruise along (mostly uphill...like an M.C. Escher drawing, where there seems to be more ups than downs). Alas, mile 12 showed it's ugly, asphalt face. There was a pretty serious hill (as opposed to the joking ones) that started at the 11.5 mile mark that slapped me in the face. My legs revealed a level of fatigue I have never felt before. I don't know if I achieved glycogen depletion (i.e. "hit the wall"), but at this point, yesterday's half came into play big time! I struggled my way up the hill, feeling like I was barely moving. My quads were zapped of energy. There was a downhill immediately after, but I didn't have enough in me to fly down it like I typically try to do on downhills (and did on previous ones in this race, few as they seemed to be). There was another slight uphill (which didn't feel too slight) with less than a mile to go...then down again briefly, then up to the finish. The last bit of uphill was torture, since there was no way I was backing off the pace, or walking, in the midst of so many cheering spectators! One interesting thing I noted was that my heart rate was actually dropping later in the race, yet my legs were dying. That told me that the pre-fatiguing of my legs was indeed working.

Here are the numbers:

Time: 1:42:11
Pace: 7:48
Overall place: 371/2137 (17%)
Age Group: 48/174 (28%)
Men: 301/1077 (28%)
Avg. HR: 150 bpm
Mile Splits:
7:44
7:56
7:33
7:27
7:31
7:35
7:44
7:49
7:45
7:55
7:27
8:08 (where I hit my "mini-wall")
7:59
7:59 (pace for last .1)

I'm sure I would have gone under 1:40 if I hadn't run a half yesterday and tapered a little, but my current focus is the marathon, so even though I didn't run a PR, it ended up being my second fastest half (out of four races), and with dead legs, on a hilly course. I'm pretty happy with the result, and also happy I got a taste of the leg fatigue I'll likely encounter in my first marathon, now only 8 weeks away.

Nookachamps Half Marathon

This morning I ran the Nookachamps Half Marathon in Mt. Vernon, WA. The skies were clear and temperatures were in the upper 30's by race time - perfect conditions! I've struggled with some kind of chest cold the last few days and took two days off before today's race. Before the race, I felt pretty decent, but still not as strong as I usually do. I think I get these little "mini colds" when I'm borderlining (is that a word?) on over-training. I've also run a few too many times in the pouring rain lately.

As for the race, it started at 10am. It was a crowded start, as the 5k, 10k and half marathoners all started together. The runners in the shorter races turned off the main road early in the race, opening up the course nicely. The roads weren't closed to traffic, so even though we occasionally had a motorized escort, we had to keep an eye on passing cars. Due to the crowded start, my first mile was very slow...but that played right into my plan of going out slowly. I then settled into a rhythm for several miles. The course was primarily flat, with the exception of a nice hill at around mile 6 and an even longer hill starting at about mile 10. I wore my hydration belt, drank Heed and ate one caffeinated gel (which gave me a nice kick later in the race).

I thoroughly enjoyed this race for a number of reasons. First, after several days of clouds and rain, the weather was perfect. Second, once I started running, I found that I had more strength and energy than I had the previous two days. Third, this is the first road race I can remember in which NO ONE passed me the entire race! I didn't count how many people I passed, but I would guess around 40 or so. That leads me to believe I ran within myself and didn't go out too fast. Fourth, I managed to get a PR by nearly a minute! This was my third half marathon (my first one was last October) and in just three months, I managed to improve my time by nearly 3 minutes. I know I won't get a PR every time out, but I'm thrilled with my progress and even more anxious to run my first full marathon in May.

It was also nice to see some familiar faces there - Terry, who is the RD of the Skagit Flats Marathon (which I may run this Fall), Scotty, who I first met while volunteering at the Ron Herzog 50k, and Bill, who I first raced against at the Fowl Fun Run 10k, back in November. In that race, Bill and I ran together for the last 2 miles. He then out-kicked me to beat me at the end. Today, I passed him soundly on the uphill during mile 10 and ended up beating him by three minutes and change. He just moved up to the 60-64 age group. Am I proud of beating a guy 17 years my senior? Heck, yes! No shame here. He managed to place third in his age group today, so he's a good runner and a very nice guy.

So, finally, my finishing time was: 1:41:22 (7:41 average pace, according to my Garmin)

Here are my splits:

Mile 1: 8:28
Mile 2: 7:36
Mile 3: 7:46
Mile 4: 7:47
Mile 5: 7:47
Mile 6: 7:50
Mile 7: 7:32
Mile 8: 7:31
Mile 9: 7:31
Mile 10: 7:27
Mile 11: 8:00 ("The Hill")
Mile 12: 7:28
Mile 13: 7:07
Last .1: [7:02 pace]

I was surprised to have a 7:07 mile in me for the last full mile. I'm becoming much more comfortable with this race distance and pacing myself accordingly. This was a well organized race on a very beautiful & scenic course, mostly on country roads. I look forward to running this one again next year.

I'll post placing results when they're available.

Next up - the Mercer Island Half Marathon on March 21st.

Last Chance Half Marathon

I was talked into running today's Last Chance Half Marathon at the last minute by my friend Arthur. I'm glad he talked me into it. The race was in Bellingham, WA, mostly on the Interurban Trail. The course is fairly hilly (with a couple of pretty steep ones). Nice, pretty course, though, with some good views. Ended up with a nearly 2-minute PR, unexpectedly - especially after Tuesday's hilly trail run. Arthur paced me, and he being faster helped me to keep my pace up. I likely would have run it slower on my own. I have no idea of placing yet (it's pretty low-key and low-turnout, so it doesn't really matter). I worked on a Gu from about mile 7 to mile 9, and drank about 15 ounces of Heed along the way.

Here are the numbers:

Finishing Time - 1:42:17
Avg. Mile Pace - 7:48
Avg. Heart Rate - 148

Happy New Year!

Back To Where It All Started

In December of 1983, I ran my first road race. It was the inaugural running of the Christmas Rush 10k in Kent, WA. I was 16 at the time and, frankly, didn't run very fast (46:28). I had just finished my first season of Cross Country and was still very new to running.

Fast forward to today, for the 27th Annual Christmas Rush 10k (and 5k run/walk). My race number was 834...which gave me a chuckle, since I first ran it in '83, and it was my 4th time running it. Anyway, it was 27 degrees as I lined up at the start. This year, the race directors went with an out and back course, rather than the usual loop for some reason. More on that later.

My goal was to go out a bit slower than I did in my previous 10k (when I went out at 6:39). Mission accomplished, with a 6:49 first mile. My legs felt good, but even that early, I was having problems with my breathing. My lungs felt very tight, and later in the race, I felt like I was breathing through a straw. Due to the cold and stagnant air, the air quality has been pretty bad this week. I'm beginning to think that I'm sensitive to that, or maybe I've got mild asthma. I ran mile 2 in 6:58. At about this point, I got tired of fighting my heart rate strap, which apparently wasn't tight enough. It finally dropped down to my stomach and became useless. Mile three clocked in at 7:01. At 20:46, I was still running at sub-7 pace, but was starting to feel some fatigue. At the 5k mark, I tried to hit my lap button on my Garmin, but pushed the start/stop button by mistake. It took me nearly a mile to realize this. I could already tell that this probably wasn't going to be my day, but for some reason this took even more wind out of my sails. I guess I rely too much on that stinkin' Garmin.

So I had to run the rest of the race without having any idea of my pace or heart rate. There were volunteers at the mile markers, but, for some reason, they were calling out times that were nearly 2 minutes slower than the actual time.

At around mile 4 1/2, the consequence of having an out-and-back course reared its ugly head. The 5k runners and walkers started 10 minutes after the 10k runners, and here is where we ran head-on into them. There was a sea of mostly walkers, many with strollers and little kids darting all over the place (and people talking on cell phones, for crying out loud!), and us 10k-ers had no choice but to dodge and weave through the mob as best we could. It would have been a good idea to have several volunteers along the 5k course reminding them to stay to one side of the path. So that was basically strike 3 for me, mentally. I pretty much cashed it in and quit racing. My pace slowed quite a bit. My initial goal was to run under 44 minutes, but by now I expected to cross the line in 45-something. I managed to come in at 44:47. Better than my first 10k this year, but 41 seconds slower than my most recent. I obviously don't have all of my mile splits, but my first 5k was 21:31 and my ugly second half ended up being 23:16.

After the race, I walked by the booth of our regional running magazine (Northwest Runner). One of the guys (the editor, I think) noticed my 1983 race shirt and asked to take my picture. He said it'll probably be in the next edition of the magazine. He was really impressed to see a race shirt that old. I didn't notice any other runners with old shirts. I definitely got some quizzical looks & a couple of questions about it.

So in summary, I'm a bit disappointed, but relieved to be done with my shorter races for awhile. I'm ready to move up to longer challenges, but it was fun to come back to where it all started.

[EDIT - This was actually the 5th time I've run this race: 1983, '84, '87, '91 and '09]