Now try 3 days in a row.

Several months ago, I ended a run streak I had started in 2011. I ran 450 days straight, and I really enjoyed it.

I got attention from a lot of people for being a crazy runner dude.
I got into great shape, to the tune of losing 50lbs and running several half marathons.
I had a great time with my running group and other friends, running so much.
I made great new friends.
I saw great sights, in great places.

Running was pretty great, you could say.

I find myself now in a place where my last race was in April, my last run (albeit a run I really enjoyed) was a couple weeks ago, before that, probably longer still.

The top of the world, otherwise known as Spencer's Butte in Eugene. Kind of my happy place and the last place I ran.

A little over a month ago, I was pretty proud that I had strung together a 3 day running streak. It was a far cry from 450 days, but an accomplishment I felt good about. I also had my comeback race planned for soon. Then there came some life stuff, and running was off again.

Running is supposed to relieve stress, but frankly it wasn't working. Thinking about running, putting pressure on myself to run, was making it worse, actually. Running was also really painful, physically. Things that 'feed into' my running motivation are the calories I consume, visiting fun places to run, and that accomplished feeling after I'm done. Believe me, I was 'feeding' my running, I just wasn't actually running.

The stress was causing me to eat more, drink more, and lose sleep, AND I STILL WASN'T RUNNING. As of a couple weeks ago, I decided to remove the stress of trying to run. Now, it's not all rosey and nice at this point, but it is better. I've gone from planning races and runs in my head, to just kind of waiting for something to happen. Maybe I'll run soon, maybe not. Maybe I'll race before the end of the year, maybe not. When you've plotted runs and races steadily for a couple of years, this is a strange feeling to try and be comfortable with.

I'm still a fatty, having put on much of the weight I lost. I miss my run group friends, who, by the way, I'm not avoiding. It's just that, when you're not running, you kinda don't see them as much. One of the ONLY things I can think of that has been good for me, physically, about not running, is that I think I may have put my several-months-old foot/achilles issue nearly behind me.

When I was at my peak, September of last year (really? almost a full year ago?) I never thought I would be on a yo-yo like this. I envisioned a lifetime of healthy, fitnessy, all cut-up me after my big PR. Not this guy who can't run 8 minute miles any more, (let along those swift 7 minute miles I was doing last September), and who has a belly like the pillsbury dough boy.

The things I know now, and that I'm ok with, are that I won't make my goal of a 3:10 marathon this year (I did run my first marathon, try it sometime, not easy!). I won't run a 1:30 half marathon again any time soon, I won't be back down to PR race weight any time soon, and life in general won't ever be the same.

I'm ok with that. Life sucks sometimes, and honestly, I think there have been some extraordinarily crappy things that converged all at once. My only regret is that I wish I could have handled it a little more gracefully, and not fallen so hard.

Hopefully soon I'll be back to that crazy runner dude, I think for now, I'm ok with just being that crazy dude. The running will happen.

Smelled the roses.

So yesterday I headed out for a trail run on my favorite trail, Edgewood. My first trail run since February I think, and it was a good one.

Totally not what I expected. I planned on running my normal route, on the outside loop, about 4.5 miles. My normal pace? I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I wasn't even planning on being close to it. Good thing too.

Taking a moment to explain my first couple of years running (starting in 2011), I've been obsessed with time. I was also obsessed with having the right equipment; my watch, my mp3 player, wristbands, headband/hat, socks, sleeves....all of it. Oh, and don't forget: BODY GLIDE. Some things you really do need, but the occasional run you can go without.

I've also been obsessed with not stopping while I'm running. No walking. Feels like a big fail if I walk part of a run. Now though, I don't have issues with walking while I'm on a run, but it's taken a long time to get there. There can be a very fine line for me, between walking for a good reason, and walking because you're just pooped. Not easy to discern sometimes.

In the last few months, I've really had to let go of some things. What, you say, besides the equipment have you given up? Well, unless I'm training, I've given time less of an influence on what I'm doing. In giving up time, I've also been able to smell the roses.

I ran Edgewood yesterday with no watch, no wristband, no headphones.

Edgewood is a trail I've run at least a dozen times, and this time I actually saw a deer. I know they're out there, they seem to be everywhere around here, but I'd never seen one out there. Before I get to the deer though, let me get back to the start of the 'run'.

My expectation for the run was pretty set: one continuous loop, same as I always do, but slower. I gave myself plenty of leeway mentally, for walking. I've only run a few times since my marathon in April, and frankly I didn't run very much in training for the marathon (less than 30 miles a week, two days running a week). Edgewood can be very difficult if you try to run it hard after taking time off, or just being out of shape in general.

I wasn't even a half mile into the run (which does start with a little uphill grade) and I stopped to walk. My arch/foot was pretty sore right off, and I didn't want to injure it further. I figured I'd just warm it up by starting with a little walk/jog. So, I kept going, jogged a bit more, with the intent that I was going to run the majority of the rest of the trail.

When I finally got up the path to where the loop actually starts, I was pooped again. Breathing hard, straining on my foot, and my legs were heavy with each step. Things were just sore, and I started to realize that the run was going to be much less ambitious in the end, than it started out to be.

The final realization that I was going to have to run/walk/jog this trail was when I got just up the trail, in some trees, right before the first big clearing. I caught something out of the corner of my eye and turned to see what it was.

This isn't new, I'll turn to look at things all the time, but I won't stop. I like to take notice of things, because it really enhances the run. Stopping is not a great feeling, so I rarely do it.

Yesterday, what I saw was cool, for Edgewood. I saw a little doe about 20 yards into the trees. As a side note, deer are very common on the Sawyer Camp Trail. So common, that they are within feet of the trail and don't run when you come by. Not only have I not paid attention most of the time at Edgewood, if I did see something, I just passed it on by.

At this moment, I realized this was the perfect opportunity to smell the roses, so to speak. I was in a fair amount of pain, and needed to warm up the old, creaky bones. I was also on a short time frame. I decided that the whole loop was out of the question, so I ran until it was uncomfortable (I have a high threshold, so it was pretty uncomfortable) then walked. I tried stretching out my foot while I was walking, and it seemed to work ok. I then I chose to start running uphill, then downhill, then uphill. Really a lot of walking.

Oh, wait, I lost track of the deer. So I stopped, and it was just staring at me. I started trying to call it over. I realized after that there was a much smaller companion. I mean tiny. Probably not 2 feet tall. I actually don't see fawn's all that often, and especially ones this tiny. As much as I tried to make friends, it just wasn't going to happen, and they trotted off back into the trees.

As I continued through the first mile, I arrived at the point where the trail splits, and you can go up to the scenic viewpoint, or at least one of them. I was looking over the south bay where the trail splits. You can see the Dumbarton bridge, some of the bay, and some of the lower part of the peninsula. There is a big mountain directly out across the bay too, which I mistakenly guessed might be Diablo, or Hamilton, but I think it's too far south for the former, and too far north for the latter. After some intense google map searching/reviewing, it appears to be Mission Peak. By the looks of it, maybe a good place to get to the top of, at 2500 feet, and not too far from the peninsula.

At any rate, I've ran through this view many times, and it was great to just stop and give it a good look-see. I decided at that point, to go up the trail I always skip in lieu of completing the run efficiently. I headed up to the top of one of the hills in the park.

The view from the top was good, but in actuality the view from the trail split was better for the south bay. The view west was cool, but mostly more trails, some forested hills, and almost directly below, the 280 freeway.

What I did learn though, was that you can really make the run challenging by heading up some different trails. All I have to do is remove some of the time constraint, be willing try something different, and be ready to work!

Edgewood has such a great mix of open trail, shaded trail, a bathroom/drinking fountain a short distance in (or right where you start, depending on how you do it). I did see what I think is poison oak, in a LOT of places, so stay on the trail. The weather is almost always sunny, and apparently there is plenty of wildlife, if you stop and smell the roses.

Eugene Marathon - A quick summary

First ever marathon finish.
On the track in my hometown, Track Town USA

26.2 miles is longer than my commute to work, about twice as long, I think. It's just short of my 35 minute drive to my buddy Karl's place up the peninsula in the San Francisco bay area.

26.2 miles is more than twice the width of San Francisco (12 miles).

Wilsonville Oregon to Vancouver Washington is 26.5 miles.

Oh, and I would only have to run 21.3 marathons to get home to Menlo Park from Eugene. The point being, a marathon is a big distance to cover with your feet.

When I was 30, with zero understanding of the possibility of completing, or the implications of my words, I vowed to run a marathon before I was 40. Done and done. I turn 38 in just under 2 months.

Completing the Eugene marathon yesterday is definitely one of the great highlights of my life so far. Rough math puts marathon runners in the US vs the US population at about 6.4%, so I'm in fairly exclusive company now. Among my friends, the percentage is much higher (and that's awesome!). Completing my first marathon in my hometown was extremely important to me. Not only is it Track Town USA, but all of my family lives here, and many of my friends live nearby too.  Add in that several good friends were running the 1/2 marathon, it was too perfect to pass up.

The real question was with my nagging achilles injury, do I run and risk further injury, maybe hampering my running for several months? I also felt like I required a shoe change.

Superfriends.

Decided to run, decided to change the shoes. My reward for the risks? Probably the most perfect first time marathon experience a person could ask for: perfect weather, amazing crowd and community support, family and friend support both on and off course, and all of the post race hometown comforts a person could ask for.

Thank you so much Eugene!!

Almost Marathon Time

Two weeks out.

I'm not super nervous about the race yet, but I'm thinking about it more and more.

Two of the biggest reasons I can keep running.

I felt pretty apprehensive after the Oakland 1/2 marathon. It was a dramatic swing that I wasn't really ready for. I felt OK running before the race. Admittedly, I knew I wasn't in great running shape, I just didn't think it was as bad as it was. I've never felt worse in a race, probably never felt worse on any regular run either.



So by today (Friday the 12th), I've completed 3 of my long training runs, two of which are the longest runs I've attempted (13.1, 18, 17 miles) and I have one left. It's a 20 miler, but I'd like to get 22. I'm on an 'accelerated' marathon training plan, designed to simply prepare me for the distance. In the event that I survive, I still plan to continue my quest to qualify to run Boston....in 2014. If I feel like my body will take it, I'll make an attempt in August (unless I can find a good race sooner). Otherwise I will likely focus on speed and fitness, to drop my 1/2 marathon PR down.

Back to Eugene though, I'm not only anxious to run, I'm stoked to get to see my family and friends. ALSO - several of my friends are running the same day. Lots of anticipation around travel, friends, family, time off from work......the drive!

Good journal start -will pick up again soon....

4-22-13

One week out.
So I haven't run much this week. Just the one track workout on Tuesday: 3 miles in solidarity with the victims in the Boston Marathon bombing. Easy pace with friends. Last week was rough from a run/mental standpoint. I had several friends running Boston, and just such a big blow to the community as a whole.

I could probably, and may, write a whole post about that, but I'll get back to my training for now.

The last weekend aside, I have made all my long run goals (I ran a 21.5 miler between now and my last post). I know it's not great, but each week I've only ran twice. I did sneak a 5 miler in I think once, but I've had competing issues: I need to get a feel for the long mileage, but I've also had a problem with my achilles/foot.

I do feel like I have the feel of a long run, so have chosen to rest and rehab the Achilles/foot. I've also been rolling/massaging it. I also switched from my lower drop shoes to my stability shoes for walking around. It seems to be working. It doesn't hurt as much to walk, and I figure to try 3 runs this week, at least 5 miles each. Whoops, time to see what's wrong with the hot rod. [editors note: I was at a cafe waiting for the mechanic to diagnose an issue with my car, not good news, unfortunately].

4-23-13

Sitting at the train station - 9am.

I'm pretty disappointed with the results of the mechanics evaluation of the hot rod: $5k+ for repairs. :/

My feelings are mixed, I'm to travel to Eugene on Friday, and currently have no way to get there. Just paid my federal taxes and haven't seen the state return yet. Is it irony that a pending car payment for a car I can't drive is preventing my travel? It's many things really, but right now, that's where the money's going.

Did I mention I have a marathon in a few days? My first one? Yeah, feeling like that is starting to be in doubt now.

After last week in Boston, it's hard to sit and feel sorry for myself. It could be so much worse. Still sucks. Hard to mentally prepare for the longest run of my life.

Also, not sure if I'm going to make my track workout with the group. It's my last chance to see the group, theoretically, before the race. Well, train will be here in a minute....

4-24-13

Almost a lot of things: softball day, travel day, family day, friends day, RACE DAY!

After working out travel arrangements, I've been trying to get rested and calm after Monday and Tuesday, rough days. Friends stepped up to volunteer their cars, carpool from Portland.....awesome.

4-27-13

I got cut off on Wednesday when I was working on my last post. It's OK though - friends were early to the bar, always a good time.

To close out the post though, I was feeling pretty scatterbrained and stressed. My friends were great and hanging out help relax me a little.

------------------------------

Finish line tomorrow....

I find myself one day, now less than 24 hours away, from my first marathon. Hopefully I'll be done by this time tomorrow!

My prevailing thoughts are: what do and don't I eat, or drink? Do I make my foods nice and salty? How about drinking caffeine or beer?

I know I'm supposed to be resting, but it's hard with so many friends and family around. I still need to pick up my race packet too. Hopefully the 'light' coordination I've been doing will come together well. I really want to get together with all my race friends today (and the family).

I don't know how much sleep I should try and get, I've never slept more than 4-5 hours before a race.

I'm supposed to rest, but due to various circumstances I haven't run since Tuesday's track workout. I'm hoping to get a shake-out run on Pre's trail later this afternoon. On my long runs, my arches/feet have gotten a bit crampy, so have my calves...we'll see.  My achilles/arch seems to flare up pretty easily, but I ran my 21.5 miler with it so hopefully this rest helps it, not hurts it.

My new Elixers.
The Marathon will be my 2nd run in them.

A pretty big deal: I'm strongly considering running in new shoes. I picked up some Mizuno Elixers, as my Mizuno Inspires seem to have died an early death on me. Truthfully I probably should have been training in the Elixers, but I went with what I had. Unless I have an extreme change of heart, I'm running in the Elixers.

This is likely to be my last entry, pre-race, so I'l sum up how I'm feeling:

I'm psyched
I'm content
I'm at ease
I'm anxious
I'm ready to start
I'm ready to finish
I'm ready for mile 21 (you'll find out why)
I'm happy to be here
I can't wait to run a marathon in Track Town
so much more....

See y'all on the the other side of 26.2!

Post Eugene Marathon Check In

May 11th, 2013

Awesome mug and medal I was greeted with
when I returned to work after my marathon.

So it seems I find myself with some time to jot down some notes about how my first two weeks post-marathon have gone (on my flight to Portland).

So far, physically, pretty lazy feeling. I'm attempting to rehab my left foot/achilles so I've done no running.

I do play softball, so I do have some physical activity. Not to mention with my car breaking down, I've been riding my bike to the train, then from the train to work. Putting in about 9 miles a day.

I don't mind the ride or softball, but I do wish I could keep things more immobile. It's getting better, I just don't know how long it will take. Could be months.

I keep going between being proud of my accomplishment, completing my first marathon, and feeling like it was a bit anti-climactic. Most people don't even want to run 26.2 miles, let alone complete it. It's a big deal. I hate the way this will sound, but there was a big mental build up for me about the difficulty. I absolutely know that the way I ran it (to have fun, to actually ENJOY a race for once) removed much of the challenge. My long training runs were all nearly a minute per mile faster, including my 21.5 miler.

I was definitely tired when I finished, but I feel like I was more tired after my 1/2 marathon PR in September (1:29:48 yipee!). I'm very much looking forward to my next marathon, being physically and mentally exhausted. I guess more simply put, I feel guilty for not feeling worse.

Not running has both a physical and psychological effect: I miss running, really miss my running pals, and I'm not getting my normal doses of endorphins or stress relief. It's also a time for me to mentally work things out.

All in all, I feel pretty good, I'm looking forward to not only getting back to running, but to training hard for my next marathon. After all, I still have my Boston qualifier to run.

The Perfect Trail run, but it's trying to kill me.

If you live in the Bay area, you've inevitably driven north or south on Interstate 280 at some point. Somewhere between Daly City and San Jose lies one of my (so far) all time favorite places to run. It's visible from the freeway, both northbound and southbound, and it's called Edgewood Park.

The area around the park is probably more popular with cyclists, so you will see a ton of people riding around on the long stretches of road paralleling 280, sometimes criss-crossing  under the freeway. I just love the trail though.

Why is it perfect?

I consider Edgewood the perfect trail run for several reasons:

• the trail is local to me, and accessible to most in the bay area
• when you are on the trail, for the most part, you are taken away from civilization
• there is enough elevation change and variety on the trails to allow you to make it as difficult or easy as you want
• The distance is short, but extending or varying the distance is easy
• there is frequent traffic on the trail, so if you are in distress, you can either get help from a fellow trail visitor, or use your cell phone and get help on the way quickly
• the people are friendly and courteous
• the scenery is terrific
• the signage and trails are well maintained
• I always feel good when I am done (except this one time.....)

Trail Etiquette (taken from San Mateo Parks website HERE):

This is an example of me learning things. There is something called Sudden Oak Death (no, not related to my poison oak, thankfully).

1. Check with Park Rangers for current information on trail conditions, and to obtain more detailed, up-to-date maps of the specific parks.
2. On those trails with considerable horse rider usage, runners and hikers should observe a basic rule of conflicting usage. The horses have the right-of-way! Foot Traffic should always stop and stand quietly off the trail until the horse passes. Failure to observe this rule can endanger not only the hiker and runner, but also the horse rider.
3. Pets are not allowed in any County Park/Trail.
4. Observe any trail closure signs.
5. The trails on this site are: a) trails which are safe. Most trails have been recently rebuilt to a standard 4' width and maximum 10% grade; b) trails which are scenic. The variety ranges from redwood forest, to chaparral, to grassy ridges; c) trails of varied distance.
6. Always respect the plant and animal life found in these unique communities.
7. Educate yourself on Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum) to reduce the risk of spreading the disease. Learn more.

Friends of Edgewood

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us

I decided to write this blog a few days ago when I realized that in my fairly limited trail running experience, I consider Edgewood the perfect trail run. This pressed me to learn more about the trail, as I didn't simply want to post: I love the trail, it's awesome.

I want to encourage people to try the trail out, whether you are running, walking, jogging, or riding horses. Yep, it's an equestrian trail as well. I know this already, as I've encountered a lot of horse poop in my experiences out there.

Now that I've fallen for the trail (see below for details on that), I want to learn more about the history and share it with my faithful reader(s?).

Turns out, coincidentally, this is '2013 - The Year of Edgewood'. Lucky me! At the least, I hope to get know the park better, appreciate it more, and get other people to experience it and enjoy it the way I do.


More about the trail:

• 467 acres
• 78 Plant famillies
• 70 bird species
• protected species including the bay checkerspot butterfly
• well known spring flower blooms

Oh, you ask, how do I know the trail trying to kill me? Well, in my last two runs out there, I've tweaked my ankle, tripped and fallen, gained a painful blister, and the coup de gras: a rather unpleasant case of poison oak.

The ankle is fine, the bloody scrapes and bruising on my knee has healed, the blister is gone. The poison oak? Not only did it take more than two days to show up, it's been slowly taking over my legs. Keep in mind that I didn't even SEE any plants on the ground where I fell, but the affected area is very clearly the area of impact on the ground. I haven't had poison oak since I was a kid, and this is much more unpleasant than I remember it being then. Also, when it happened then, it was another 100 degree summer in Eugene, living in a house with no AC.

Really, it's just (very) annoying and looks pretty gross. I can still run, and did just that yesterday, on the same trail. Yep, I've made my peace with it, and am moving on (though I'm keeping a better eye out for roots and rocks on the trail...for sure). I'm sure it could be much worse.

My advice for running or hiking the trail?

The trail can be a great workout, bring a snack or snacks, and some water to replenish your energy and keep you hydrated. Depending on where you start, there is a drinking fountain (if I remember correctly) and bathrooms at Old Stage Day Camp.

Watch out for horse poop. The piles tend to be fairly significant.

If you can do it comfortably, cover your legs and arms. As I've recently discovered, there is some poison oak out there. I've successfully avoided it 11 out of 12 trips, so you may not have to worry about it, but I'd stay on the trail (and try not falling half way off of it).

Bring some handy wipes, or something to wipe your skin off if you do fall. I have recently learned that if you can get your skin clean relatively soon after you fall, you can help reduce the amount of exposure to poison oak oil, just be sure to avoid spreading it around.

Obviously, wear comfortable shoes. I've ran the trail several times, but none more comfortably than in my trail running shoes. If you're hiking, just make sure your shoes have good tread on them, and some decent support. I wouldn't necessarily advise sandals unless you are used to wearing them out like that.

If you are hiking, bring a camera. Also, bring some pictures (maybe on your smartphone) of the types of animals, insects, plants and trees you might see. I've never stopped long enough to really check these things out, which I hope to change soon.

From a timing standpoint, plan for it to take a couple of hours. I run the 4.5 miles at an average pace of 9 minute miles, sometimes slower. If you deviate from the main trail to get to the summit, for example, just keep in mind that it will take you a while to get back to where you parked.

If you are hiking, its probably best to park at Old Stage Day Camp, this helps you avoid the .6 mile walk/hike up from the intersection of Canada road and Edgewood road. I like that .6 miles as a runner because it gets me warmed up for the trail.

Well, it's just about spring time, about time to get out on the trail huh?
 

Racing Giant

August 27th, 2011.

I ran the 2011 Giant Race 1/2 marathon as my first long distance race, and up until race day, I was really intimidated. My training, whether on purpose or not, included NO distances close to 13 miles. My longest run was 8 miles in my training. On race day, I was late (as usual) and didn't have time for my pre-run routine of stretching.  I was still dead set against jogging before the run, thinking that I was giving all I had in the race, and if I ran before it, how would I finish? I pretty much went into the run cold (I was also VERY not into stretching in front of people, there were about 10,000 watching me that day), I was about 215lbs, maybe more, and like I said before, I'd never run the race distance.  Once the race got started, all I could think about was finishing. I can't really recap the feelings per mile on this race, but I know I felt good the whole time. I finished strong, felt great, and had accomplished something I never even knew I would want to do 6 months earlier. I ran 13.1 miles and finished in just under 2:20.

Photo Credit to Karl 'Doctorbrew' Doerner

Fast forward to September 26th, 2012.

I feel like I'd been prepping for this race for over a year, but really had only decided to try for a serious (and ridiculous) PR towards the end of 2011.  I always want to run races the next year for comparisons sake, and for enjoyment, and really I set the goal for 'before the end' of 2012. I thought it would be great to do it at the 2012 Giant Race. I wanted to run a sub 1:30 race.

Between the 2011 and the 2012 Giant Races, I had run several (I think 5) additional 1/2 marathons, steadily improving, and dramatically improving my time on two of them. I had run a hard and fast 15k, PR'd a 10k, ran some difficult and long distance trail runs. I ran hard in my track workouts, gradually lowering my times on the track and also in my tempo runs. I started running a minimum of 2 miles a day, every day, on Thanksgiving 2011. I wanted to drop some weight, but had set a goal of drinking 500 unique beers in 1 year in December of 2010. Just before my 1 year was up, I made my goal and started driving down my weight. In a few months, I had dropped 50lbs.

I was ready for the Giant Race.

The last 1/2 marathon I ran before the Giant Race was in June (the day after my birthday), but it was a good one. I started 7 corrals behind where I should have been for my expected finish time. You know when there is that time you CAN NOT wait to go to the bathroom? No dance can cure it, no putting it out of your mind, and for me....I won't go on course. I need those minutes to be running! It was happening whether I liked it or not. But I digress, I started running in corral 9, several minutes after the gun went off. I still finished with a PR of about 1 minute, maybe 2, under my May 1/2 marathon. The June race was a hilly one too.

Seriously, I was ready.

I was on my own for Giant Race day 2012. I wasn't running with anyone but the pacer group. I had to get up ridiculously early to avoid the Seattle fiasco (and the 'I'm not telling', San Jose fiasco), so while I did have a beer and some food late night, not as late and not as excessive as in previous races.

I've developed a pretty good pre-race routine for the night before and day of:
Eat something 'soft' late, around midnight.
I don't want to be hungry in the morning, or be digesting much food pre-race.
Drink some beer. YES, I know it dehydrates you but there is much to be said for a good, relaxing feeling the night before a race. Don't drink 10 beers, that's just dumb. Have 1 or 2 and drink some water (later).  Get up nice and early but be comfortable with your time. Stressing about getting there sucks.  My pre-race meal? A banana at home, then a brownie (gluten free of course!) and a mocha.

I'll grab the mocha and brownie the night before, toss the mocha in the fridge and then microwave it in the morning. Not the best mocha you'll ever have, but it works for me!

Registered racers were strongly advised to get to the parking lot early, or carpool. Knowing what it was like in 2011, I got to the parking lot nearly 2 hours before race time. It was a ghost town. Just my luck, I thought. I have to admit though, if you charted race day parking at almost every (popular) race out there, it would look like the chart on the right. Everyone gets there right before the race..

Getting there early is always advised, and I can pretty much guarantee that extra hour of sleep you're getting will stress you out far more than that sleep will help you for the race. So, I was there early. What do to?

Having never been that early to a race, I was in a bit of a quandry. I was half-way through my mocha, eagerly anticipating my race, and I had already prepped everything I needed to do. Sleeping didn't look promising, and I certainly wasn't going to run around for 2 hours. Oh, it was pitch dark too, but provided a very unique early morning view of AT&T Park.

So I actually just double checked all my gear, snapped a couple of pictures, and sat in my car. I was partially just trying to relax, partially watching the parking lot fill up, and also going over my 'race strategy' such as it was. Closing my eyes every once in a while...sometimes I was trying to visualize my race, other times I was trying to clear everything from my mind. I'd never had a goal so tantalizingly close, yet feeling so impossible.

I'm not always great with setting goals that seem out of reach, like a dream. Having run a 2:18 1/2 marathon the year before, I set my 1:30 goal almost as something to drive me to run harder. I don't think I really intended to make the goal at first. Just try and get close because that time is impossible. I would have to run sub-7 minute miles for 13 miles.

Post race in Seattle

I knew I was getting close though, running a 1:35 in Seattle was a great boost, and the Giant Race was much more flat compared to Seattle in June.

It's finally about time for the race to get going so I head to the start line. I actually didn't know where the line was, and realized with only about 10 minutes to go that I was pretty far back. Of course, then I had to go to the bathroom again: go figure.

Luckily I was able to get things squared away and I headed up through the crowd of runners. Going further, and further, and further...I really underestimated how many people I was behind. Having started a couple of races too far back, I wasn't really trying to make any friends getting up to the front. My projected race time had me in the 1st corral, behind the elite runners who would finish far ahead of me (the winner finished in 1:04.....ONE HOUR AND FOUR MINUTES....).

Then, I ran into an old colleague who was running his first 10k. I stopped to chat for a couple of minutes as I hadn't seen him for quite some time, but then as politely as possible, I told him: I have a race to PR :)

I finally made it up to the starting line, where I was pretty much right up front. You can see me in the starting line video (if I can find it anywhere, it seems to have disappeared!). I was ECSTATIC to see my friends Jenny and Steven at the starting line, just the kind of encouragement and distraction I needed. I wasn't super nervous but definitely benefited from the smiles and positive reinforcement of running group friends smiling at the start.

Bang goes the starting gun.

So now that I'm a few 1/2 marathons into my 'racing career', I know at least a little bit about how to start my races. I've been blessed with a steady cadence by virtue of having been in marching band for 8 years, so steady pace has never been difficult for me.

The problem I had at the beginning of this race, besides a fairly narrow starting chute, was that at a pace very close to correct for a 1:30 finish, I was pulling ahead of the 1:30 pace group. I've only had a friend truly be a pacer for me in one race, and that was not a planned thing, it just happened that way. It was a nearly 20 minute PR, and I can't tell you how valuable a good pacer is.

I've found, for me, in a 1/2 marathon at least, the hardest thing is regulating your pace for the first few miles. Those are the easy miles. I regularly train at or above 5-6 miles, and can do them pretty quickly. The trick is being able to sustain that pace, or speed it up in the last few miles.

Running in the first few miles, there were some tight spaces with racers and walkers from the 5k and 10k distances either still heading out to their turn around, or people coming back on the left side of the route. Couple that with the fact that while these races are mapped and cordoned off at most points, it's still a public area and there are pedestrians along the route too. Luckily the combination of my quick starting pace, forward placement in the corrals, and the early start time (8am), I dealt with much less of this than some other racers.

You head up the Embarcadero, and once you get up to about Fort Mason, you take a left and head up a short but fairly steep hill. I was a little surprised by this as I thought the course in 2011 stayed more flat. I had pulled probably 1/4 to 1/2 mile ahead of the 1:30 pace group, so I felt good about where I was, even if I slowed down a bit. I'm a pretty strong hill runner, as long as the up is steep and the down is more flat. Once I got over that hill, I was still cruising at a decent pace, when I hit Crissy Field.

Now, here is where I got a little frustrated. As it turns out, looking at my Garmin track, I did start out a little fast, faster than the 1:30 pace group. What they did though, was pick up speed and pass me around mile 7 or so. By the timing on the Garmin, my slowest mile(s) were  10 and 12, at a 7:09 minute per mile pace. I didn't really start feeling the pain and suffering of racing until mile 10.5, and by mile 11 I wasn't going to run another 1/2 marathon...ever.

This directly coincides with the 1:30 pace group passing me, and slowly edging out of sight. I tried to keep up, but obviously the effort level had gone up with fatigue setting in on my legs. It's still pretty rare for me to feel the burn in my lungs, especially before my legs give out (yay for not smoking). I was hard pressed to keep it together as I saw the group creep out of site.

The thing about racing is, you can trick yourself. When you hit mile 11 of a 13.1, you literally only have 2.1 miles left. All things considered, that's pretty damn short! While the last two miles were pretty painful, and I didn't really increase my speed, I didn't get any slower either.

When I was nearing the stadium, heading up the embarcadero, I had totally lost the 1:30 pace group. I had been watching my times on the GPS, and knew I was still under or right at my goal pace, but not seeing the group confused me a little. By this time, they would have already finished, probably around 1:25. I feel like if the group had run closer to their pace, or if I had someone closing out the run with me the last few miles, I would have probably cleared 1:28, if not better. That is actually my only 'gripe' with the race. I passed on having someone come out and pace me because I thought I could rely on the pace group. Well...boo hoo on me.

www.armyourfeet.com

I pressed on, knowing how close I was. I could feel the burn in my legs, my lungs ached, and I was truly ready to be done. Throughout the race, I had various thoughts on my mind, but two things occurred to me throughout:  I was SO close to my 1:30, and my 'proxy' running coach Monty (with A Runners Mind). His voice was just ringing in my ears. He's always telling me how much better I can do, how much harder I can run. I've set goals in my running that, for my training and cumulative time spent running are pretty lofty. His expectations are higher. It's part of what drives me, between him and my other 'coaches', everyone I run with has high expectations. I couldn't have done this without my ARM friends.

So I find myself at 12 miles, feet are getting achy, body is running low on fuel, but emotionally I'm up. There are always times when you have doubts, at least I do. I find that having some music in my ears to distract me from the physical pains, I can reflect mentally on what I need to do to make it. I was tempted more than once to walk during the race, but having walked before in races, it tends to hurt more than continuing to run. So you keep running.

As soon as I saw the stadium, with the masts from the sailboats on the left, I couldn't help but smile inside and push through. One advantage to running a race from year to year is that you can instantly recall how close you are with certain landmarks. I knew I was there.

While I did have to navigate through some pedestrians, there were far less than last year. I can tell you that although my GPS time does not reflect a faster pace, the last two miles I felt like I was flying.

I rounded the corner into the stadium, through the metal gate in right field and charged up the warning track around to left field. I could see the time over the finish line: it hadn't crossed the 1:30 threshold yet. I wasn't taking any chances, and sprinted across the finish line. 1:29:48. Yes, it was barely under 1:30, but.......I did it.

I have yet to encounter a feeling like finishing a race, you just feel great. Finishing by completing a goal or meeting a set time that, just a short time ago, seemed outlandish is a tremendous feeling.

I took some time to catch my breath, went through the finish area to get some food and something to drink. This is where it would be awesome to have friends waiting. I can enjoy this moment on my own, but with friends, it's amazing.  I don't carry my phone with me, or a camera or anything, so I was pretty much isolated until I got to my bag at the bag check.

I took my time, and absorbed both the achievement, and being privileged enough to be allowed on the field of the Giants, who were both one season removed, and a short time away, from winning World Series trophies. I actually went around to the outfield walls and gave them a gentle pat, around the markers for the distance from home to the wall.

As the infield started filling up (yep, we were allowed on the field this year, pretty amazing!) I eventually made my way up the steps (yeah, had to climb steps after a 1/2 marathon..woot) to the concourse area. A short line for a free sports massage? YES PLEASE. My first ever sports massage was amazing. I told the woman who was doing it: You don't have to worry about anything but my lower back/hips, my hammies, and the calves. The rest will live ;)

Now, I may have been able to run faster, I don't know. I do feel like I felt a little too good after the race to have not run all out. I credit most of that to the euphoria of running a race that I never thought I would, let alone ever thought I would run at the speed I did.

My next steps of the day were: food and beer. I met up with my buddy Karl and had some good food, good beer, and bragged about how awesome I was.

After some time, I needed to make my way to the city, so I parted ways with Karl and headed to my pals place in Mission. We were getting ready for a 5k. Hahahahahaha. Yes. I ran a 5k at 4pm, just a few hours removed from my best 1/2 marathon.

I committed to the 5k before I realized it was on the same day as the Giant Race, and wasn't going to back out of it. I might have if I felt terrible, but since I had several hours to recover, I knew it would be fine. I wasn't going to race the 5k anyway, so I just ran a nice relaxed warm down from the 1/2.

All in all, it was one of the most amazing race day's I've had. I can tell you that the previous races were all great too, this one was just special because I had been working on it for so long.

Races to me, are like places I visit: whether on purpose or not, I tend to be happy wherever I am. I've raced in the bay area, Sacramento, Eugene, Portland, and Seattle. I have yet to have a bad experience. The people, the race conditions, the course, the finish, the friends...they all combine to make this running thing amazing.

I've been running steady now since August of 2011 and I'd be hard press to find a group of more supportive, encouraging, positive and talented people. My Giant Race experience is just some more icing on the cake: the course conditions were great, the timing of each race distance worked well for my pace, the course had a lot of fans and volunteers supporting the runners, the finish line was wide open and had a reasonable amount of food and refreshments, and hey....I got a Matt Cain runner bobblehead for finishing. Why else would you want to finish the race?