Miracle of the Roller

OMG.  How could I have forgotten?  The roller: hard-medium foam or hard ridged is amazing in alleviating leg aches. I had fortotten this and paid the price yesterday.

Tuesday morning brought the unanticipated (not that knowing would have made a difference) Camp Gladiator (CG) Fit test.  This was a newly devised, exquisite, method of breaking one down to a mass of gasps and aches.  After about a 15 minute or so warmup, at about 05:50 or so, we began this not to be loved experience.  Why always Tuesday mornings? (Well, one could wait for the 6 a.m. Wednesday morning class.) In essence, one does 5 different "exercises" (brutal), each for a minute, then record your count, and immediately begin the next one.  After the 5 minutes, a minute and a half? off, we went right into the next iteration.  There were 5 such sets with the last two being only 45 seconds per exercise.   

I ached for the rest of the day.  So, Wednesday comes, and those who had not done the Fit Test Tuesday were so inflicted while the rest of us had a lot of leg related exercises interspersed with runs around the parking lot.  More hurt.  Only worse.  Really bad in the after noon.  I applied this and that (horse liniment; arthritis and epsom salt sports rub, and anacar.)  Still ached.

Early evening, off to Carolina Godiva Track Club fun meet in Chapel Hill.  I went early so I could practice starting from blocks (new to this.) It began raining so that was halted but come meet time, the loyal CGTC folk were ready to run, despite the rain (no lightning.)  I did not run the 1500m. I knew better.  (Though I did the mile last week, I am not a track distance person.)  Besides, I hurt.

                                                                    Belk field - photo by William Schmitz

I was not going to use blocks for the 100m. Few at CGTC do. How about no one.  But my younger pal who is getting ready for her first meet on Sunday since a July surgery wanted to use hers and encouraged me to try since I need to get used to it.  So there we were, in the rain, waiting for our row to go. One of the CGTC members stood umbrella in hand!  (Mary Poppins). She did not run with it.  

Feeling like a fool, I go to the line with the blocks and sort of position myself.  I can't bend my right knee all the way (residual arthritis, it seems, from prior meniscus surgery) so I look even dumber, more awkward, than most.  Bang, goes the gun.  I get out of the blocks but my speed is lousy.  All the way to the end (everyone else finishes before me; my pal in 14 plus seconds.)  It took me 19.22 seconds. My timer said she thought I was slower using the blocks.  Yep.  That and being slower coming down the track.  One knows when it isn't there and it was not there.

A 1500m speed walk is up before the 400m. My legs really hurt now.  The calves in particular.  Tight. Hurting.  Ugh. The rain has let up by the time the 400m comes along.  I was probably in the 4th group to go (we line up arbitrarily except that the kids always go first. It is fun to watch them.  I don't know how they manage that distance with those short legs.  One family's kids always run bare foot.  This is the best part of the meet sometimes, watching them.)  Any way, off I go.  In lane 7, not running fast just wanting to finish.  Most are way ahead of me.  As we come near the final turn, the last person passes.  I plod along.  But coming down the last 100 was impossible,  My legs really hurt.  Finally, I walked.  But the timers were waiting. I tried to jog and once again had to walk and at the end, barely fast walked across the Finish.  1:56!
Slow and an ache from knees down.

By the time I got home, not only was I ready for a shower but also for more sports rub.  Went to bed.  Got up at 1 a.m. I had to try the roller. Wow.  Sore!  But by the time I stopped, I felt a little better. At 5 a.m., I rolled again.  Much better (still a bit sore but better.)  I was able to do this morning's CG which had some running and some leg work.

Now, I shall remember to do roller every darn day! Hurt or not.

Mustering the Energy

My fourth race weekend brought my longest race: the Minuteman Muster 8k on 5/16, in support of the NC National Guard Educational Foundation.  I was doing this along with three ladies as part of the Nog Run Club group.  Of course, many of us are also North Carolina Road Runners Club members.  The course description, naturally, contains the phrase “challenging hills”.   Other Nog and NCRC folk were there as well. The event featured a 5K and the 8K, both starting at 10 a.m.

   

Two of the younger women (well, they are all younger) were doing the Wake Forest Rotary 5K earlier and would arrive just prior to the 10 a.m. race start.  Both distances would start at the National Guard Center on Gold Star Dr. off of Reedy Creek Rd.Raleigh and would end up on Reedy Creek heading towards Umstead State Park.  The 5K turnaround preceded that of the 8K turnaround.  I warmed up while surveying the military equipment and booths featuring clothes and equipment of those that served in WWI and WWII.  The trucks and ammo carriers were monstrous.

The ladies who had run in Wake Forest arrived in time (both having won their age group in the prior 5k).  One was running with her mom in the 5K and the other was doing the 8K. The third lady, the young speed demon, was running the 5K.  First, the flag was honored 

and then we bunched up near the start, a few with baby joggers.  Most participants seemed to be young men.  And, indeed, such was the case.  For the 5K, 129 men competed, most of whom were in the 20-29 AG with the next highest number in the 40-49 AG.  97 women ran the 5k, most of whom were 30-39.  The 8k was overwhelmingly populated by men: 117 versus 44 women.  Most men were 20-29 or 30-39; and similarly for the women.  Did I mind being swamped by buff and capable men?  Nope.  I moved to the back of the pack, being careful not to get in front of a baby jogger.

So, off we go – in an uphill curve towards the entrance on Gold Star Drive.  Turn right onto Gold Star, partial uphill

 then left onto Reedy Creek to a greenway which took us to a tunnel beneath Edwards Mill Rd. then uphill to get onto the continuation of Reedy Creek Rd.  Just prior to the tunnel, a child in a baby jogger dumped his parent’s cap on the ground. I swerved , not quick enough in thinking or motion to pick it up.  Mom got it.  The kid later dumped something else out along the way.  The lady with the baby jogger and I alternated in leading each other until near the end when I moved on.  Anyone running with a baby jogger has got to be both energetic and strong.

  A young girl, a kid, was ahead of us.  Young guys were running in a pack wearing the red race shirt, one carrying the flag.  There were several male groups running for the 4-man team  award.  I saw some of the fast Nog folk on their way back from the 5K turnaround.  My running pal was the first female.  Well good.  She was working on a repeat of her prior race wins.  I later saw the 8K Nogger, coming back from her turnaround, steaming ahead.  An uphill just prior to the 8K turnaround was ahead, as was the baby jogger lady and a pack of men.  I was thirsty.  There was water ahead, so I ran on the grass and passed these folks to get the water first.  Most times I bypass water but not today.

  

Around the cone and now a downhill after a couple of gulps of water.   A tall fellow and his lady and I played leap frog along the way.  I’d get energy and concentrate on my new technique of breathing in when my left foot hit the ground and out when next it touched. I did not run out of energy quite as soon.  I did find that I would sometimes switch to a right foot pattern.  I slowed, almost stopping, well actually stopping, to take a photo through the trees of the lake.

  I’d been taking photos now and then since with an age group of 50+, I was not in the running.  

 A nice group of runners were out.  We joked and commiserated along the way as we trudged up and down the hills.  This is a pretty route.  A few horse farms bordered the area.  If one did not see a horse, one could smell their presence now and then.  

I took water at the second water stop too, which happened to be at the 5K turnaround, I think.  Two men and I sort of kept pace with each other until just before the tunnel where there was a slight downhill and I picked up some speed.  My speed slowed when we came out onto a street again and I made the right turn towards the entrance to the National Guard Center.  Initially, we had a downhill then a left turn to an uphill right curving road and finally, FINALLY, a right to the Finish.

I later tried to spot the two men who had been just behind me but did not see them.  I found the Nog folk and we hung out.  Awards were in ten year age groups, up to 50+.  There were team awards for 4-person teams, mostly a military challenge.  In the 5K, my Nog runner's mom came in 3^rd in the 50+ group, with a 35:27 time (mom and daughter ran together, giving the kid a break after her earlier 5K.)   Our 5K speed demon lady ran a 6:23 pace, coming in as first female overall. The other woman who had run the earlier 5K, and ran this 8K came in first in her AG (second time this day) in 47:44 and pace 9:36.  And, oh yeah, the little kid running ahead of me? Ashley Nowacki, 10 years old, finished in 47:37 (yes, ahead of my pal!  But that is because she, unlike me, graciously held back to let the youngster cross before her.  Me?  I would have blown by – but obviously, I did not have that opportunity, coming in much later.)

Despite the hills, this was a fun event and I think it was because of the participants.  Upbeat, and encouraging each other.  I had been reluctant to run this one (I bypassed last year) figuring this was not an event for senior citizens. Sort of like me trying to do a mud run!  However, I am glad that I did it.  (As it happened, I placed 2 of 4 in the 50+ AG)

And now it is back to track related practice.  Carolina Godiva Track Club has begun their fun summer series of Wednesday night meets.  I will be dragged out from morning boot camp, a good excuse!  The worst part is the drive there during commute time. ugh. 

Clayton Road Race 5K -- uh oh, which way?

The Clayton Road Race 5K on Saturday 5/9/15 had not been on my race list; only future track events.  But, as things happen, I decided on Friday night that my legs did not feel too achy and if it was not raining I would go.   The drive to Clayton was encouraging. I saw flat farm land. Well, good.  This one might be a nice flat 5K.  My first problem was finding the Start.  Street signs at Hwy 70 intersections were either non-existent or tiny and hardly visible.  I had not used the GPS since the directions seemed simple: HWY 70 to Fayetteville St.   Next time, when in Johnston County, I will use GPS.

My trips to Johnston County in the past were to rural areas with lovely names such as Willow Springs and Four Oaks. Smithfield is renown to the older generation as the once upon a time home, and now burial site, of actress Ava Gardner.  Johnston County used to be known as bootlegger land.  Sort of independent one might say as opposed to lawless.  Even I heard of Percy Flowers when I first got to NC.  For side entertainment, a bit of his history:  (and hound dogs!)  

Mr. Percy's Run

When I entered the Clayton Center to register, I encountered the Nog Run Club adorned folks   Oops.  I was the oddball in my pink Shamrock 5K shirt.   The Nog ladies and I warmed up, trotting several of the streets (but not going down the hill we would later run up towards the Finish) It was overcast, but no rain.  The race director announced that this was the 32^nd running of the event and thanked the returnees and welcomed newcomers.  He mentioned that the course this year differed from prior years (construction?) It was situated between Hwy 70 and the rail road tracks.  The route was marked with chalk arrows, white and orange.  (I must have missed what each signified.) He did say that the new route was hilly.  What? Oh, sure!

 The race started promptly at 09:00, heading downhill before making a right turn.  I had lined up about mid pack, making sure I was not in the path of a lady with a baby jogger.    I kept pace with those ahead of me until after we turned the corner.  Then, when it was clear, I moved more to the right and steadied my pace to something more reasonable.  The Nog ladies were well ahead of me.   There followed a few more right turns to put us on Fayetteville St, which was a longer trot before we began making turn after turn it seemed.  A tall fellow in a red shirt ran nearby.  Off and on during the course, we swapped places, so we were maintaining a similar pace.  The homes along the route were single story.  A few dogs barked. I did not see anyone outside other than race volunteers and other runners. People staying inside sleeping or avoiding the hoard. Almost like a deserted town. We encountered a long uphill of medium grade along the way.  At the top, we turned right. 

.A water stop was ahead. I was skipping the stops, so at first did not pay much attention. But then, I felt some confusion.  I think we were coming up a slight incline.  Ahead, a water stop table was manned by young girls.  The confusion was that I noted a white chalk line pointing to the right and an orange line going straight beyond the table.  I hesitated mentally. Some runners ran straight and others turned right.  I decided to follow the runners I’d been behind all along and turned right.  This turned out to be the correct decision.

 We had about a mile to go when I became aware of a lady gasping as she ran along.  She reminded me of how I sound when nearing my limit.  “I’m dying” she said, every so often.  She had headphones so I wasn’t sure if she heard me when I told her to keep on at it.  I knew how awful she felt, but unlike when I am gasping, she persisted in keeping her pace rather than slowing.  Finally, a spectator outside of his home, with a large excited dog on a lead.  The dog was getting his exercise lunging back and forth until the owner took him inside. 

I could not get to the final turn soon enough.  Once there, I still had to drop to a walk even though I knew the Finish waited several blocks ahead.  Uphill!  I walked up the hill until the last intersection before the Finish and then sprinted across the line.  Since I had just walked, I had enough breath to go all out.  I was later rewarded by a comment from a young fellow (10?) that certainly gave me a lift.

I stopped and watched some of the folks come up the hill towards the Finish. 

 A little dog came running along with one, danced around, followed another for a short distance, then darted back the way he'd come, down the hill and out of sight.

happy running dog

Back to the water stop issue.  One of our Nog runners had gone straight, along with other runners.  She became suspicious when they made some turns and ended up intersecting with the main batch of runners.  Plus, her Garmin was about 4/10^th of a mile short.  She had gotten second in her age group but told the officials she had gone off course and was short on distance. (Gee, I am reminded of the Rock N Roll marathon winner who was led off course by the lead biker, then got a ride, and reentered the course – losing time – but still recognized as the female winner.) Any way, the Nog runner was not recognized in her AG. 

So, 32^nd year of this event and they still have something to learn, such as have an adult course monitor there to direct runners.  (I have no idea what the orange line was for – maybe we came back that way and I did not recognize the terrain.)

Interestingly, the three male overall winners were all under 16, with Caleb Silver, 15, the winner in 17:29.  The three overall women winners were all in their early 30s, with Susan Heuser (Nog!) winning in 20:31.  207 folks ran the event and 19 people walked it as part of the 5K Health Walk.  It was sunny by the time the event ended.  Except for the directional confusion at the water stop, this was a nice event to run. 

A larger home near the Finish, with a cat safe in the doorway observing the runners in the intersection on the side street.

Rocketing and flopping in the Rocket Mile

The week of the Nash Health Care Rocket Mile, affectionately known as the Rocket Mile, arrived.  Oh, yeah!  Going to beat last year's time.  Even if by only a minute.  Sounds good.  On the Friday before the race, I decided not to do Camp Gladiator.  I was feeling a bit achy this week and knew the wiser course was to take it easy the two days before Sunday's Rocket Mile.

Saturday, feeling a little guilty over doing nothing, I decided to try some slow, and I mean slow, half mile jogs.  Well, dang it -- I could not sustain even a quarter mile, even on a dirt greenway with less knee stress. But I had not an iota of energy and wow, my legs ached.  I returned home not exactly in high spirits.  Last year , I had done the Rocket Mile in 8:40, with one walk.  Now I adjusted expectations to between 9 and 9:30. I decided to eat some meat for dinner and applied epsom salt deep penetrating arthritis and sport rub to the legs.

Sunday morning I felt better; the legs did not ache and I sensed more energy.  My pals and I arrived in Rocky Mount around  one p.m.  This event is run in four sections: the men at 2 p.m.; women at 2:20; boys 14 and under, then girls 14 and under.  We did the packet pickup, rest stop business and eyed the place medals as well as the RRCA medals for male and female Open, Master, GrandMaster, and Senior GrandMaster, which were displayed on a table.  The returning live band from last year, Featured Attraction, was playing beach music.

Because this was an RRCA championship race, we figured there would be a lot of competitors.

This is the second year of the event.  It has a lot going for it: a very fast, flat, course with just three left turns!  Great food after: hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, cookies (last year all sorts of salads), nuts and more.  The event begins and ends at The Imperial Center in Rocky Mount which has an inside beer joint, for those who might like such after the race.   I talked with the two Piedmont Pacers who had shown up: Kevin Gobble and Dixon Cook. We four ladies relaxed until abouit a half hour before the men's race.  I then went through my warm up.  Slowly.  This year it was not windy and the temp was about 74.  I didn't do as many run outs as last year, but did do lunges etc.  My running pal I'd trained with was not feeling strong this day and so changed her own expectations.  But our plan was for me to initially stay at her pace (so I wouldn't burst out like a jack rabbit and then burn out before even 1/4 mile)

We watched the men's race and saw our own Sandy Roberts win it in 4:20.5, with a seven second lead over the second place male.

RRCA Grand Master P. Gibson;Master Musa Gwanzura;Sr Grand Master Dixon Cook; Open Champ Sandy Roberts. 

Now it was to be the women's turn.  73 men had run.  72 women were now getting set to go.  The swift elites were tuning up: all slim, some tall some not.  Three of us had decided to move up closer to the start area and towards the left edge.  I was reminded by my training pal to not rush out but to keep near her pace.  (She is younger and of course faster but planned to modertate at the start.)   With the Go command, we were off. I started off adjacent to my pal but found myself moving ahead and so backed off a little.  The Garmin says I started at 09:28 then went to 05:59 then to 07:15.  Now, why is this important?  Why even mention it?  Well because at .04 of a mile (4/100th), near Gay St junction, a lady in a purple shirt passed on my left then cut diagonally in front of me. I had time to think, what the hey! before I was on the ground.  I really don't know how it happened.  Upright and moving one second or partial second and the next on my hands and knees.(my falling speed was 16.33 then 0!)  My sunglasses flew off to the right with the impact.  People began flowing past; one running pal came back and the other stopped and got the glasses, while a volunteer was asking if I was okay. Yep. I berated my pals to get going and they took off like the rockets they are.  Think about how fortunate the runners behind me were!  None stumbled over me and they all got by without incident.  I think that may have been because I was so far to the left (maybe 2 steps from N. Franklin St curb) that the majority of runners were more centered in the street.  I later heard from my other pal that before I was cut off, a runner from that same group (purple shirt, logo on back) elbowed her on the way forward.  Lordy, Lordy!

 Anyway, I got up and ran on starting at 10:06 down to 7:15 and varied between 7:30 and 8, with an occasional 9:30, until I got to the first turn where I slowed up to 9:30 or so.  Meantime, I passed two purple shirted women.  I am rhinking at this point that I needed to back off to keep from burning out.  I'd used a lot of reserve getting back to some kind of pace.  Last year, I'd had to drop to a walk at about 3/4 of a mile.  I hoped not to do that again.  Yeah, sure.  Only if I backed off now and became more leisurely.  (Is this a race?) After the turn onto N. Church St, now beyond a half mile, I stayed mostly in a 9:30 pace.  Several churches on both sides of the street along here.  A fellow on the sidewalk is ringing a sizable bell (church steeple size it seemed to me) as a token "bell lap".  These folks in Rocky Mount really support this event. I made it to the 3/4 mile point without walking (that pleased me!) and then pushed to an 8 minute pace and below seven on the last bit.  

Once across the Finish, I gasped to the grassy area on the side and sat.  My pals come over, one gets the EMS/PD folks over (really -- just a scraped knee!  Actually, both had bled, one was minor since my Rock Tape covered the impact area.  Not only is the tape helpful and attractive in appearance, but it may also act as a shield against unforeseen street impacts.)  We ended up just putting bandaids on, to allow the scrapes to breathe.  What really hurt on into the night was my unscraped left hand's trapezium area -- the fatty area extending on the palm from thumb to wrist.  I needed lots of ice for that.

Of the four of us who came to the race, one got first age group and also RRCA Grand Master (time of 7:43 even after stopping to come back to me), the other two got second in their age groups -- one of whom might have gotten first had she not also stopped for me (missing first by 16 seconds).  I had predicted that if Suzanne Gibson showed up, she would probably get Senior Grand Master.  She did, running the mile in 8:08.

RRCA Open champ Deanna Foshee; Master Allie Bigelow; Sr. Grand Master Suzanne Gibson; Grand Master Paula O'Neal

The Piedmont Pacer folks did well: Kevin Gobble placed second in his age group with a 5:29 and Dixon Cook got first AG as well as Senior Grand Master, running a 5:50.

Oh, yeah -- I did not beat last year's time. I finished in 08:45.5.  Bleh!  OMG! In purusing the event site's photos, I came across many of the start as well as photos of folks as they came to the Finish.  Analyzing them and then looking at race results, it turns out I finished before the lady who cut me off.   (Hey, I understand -- race excitement, enthusiasm -- this may have been her first race in a bit.) But she needed more than a take down to beat this crone in this race, on this day, it seems.

   

Second Empire 5K --count the number of walks!

Not having been running "distance" races (okay, a 5K is only 3.1 miles) I did not leave home with a great deal of enthusiasm.  I had signed up for this event out of loyalty to the originator (sponsor) of the event: Second Empire Restaurant in Raleigh.  I did not run it last year when it changed location from Hillsborough St downtown Raleigh (a wonderful uphill from the restaurant to NCSU area and return) to what at one time was the outer edge of Raleigh, Baileywick Rd.  The race started and ended at Trinity Academy of Raleigh.

The day was bordering on miserable.  Dreary, damp, and cold.  We'd had rain, it seems, daily.  This morning, clouds threatened and it was downright chilly. Nonetheless a good crowd showed up for the event.  I had heard that it was somewhat hilly (well, that's Raleigh!) from running pals who ran it last year.  

The race started within the circular drive into Trinity, with a slight downhill on a curve, folowed by the upwards path to the exit onto the road.  Though I had said I would start slowly, I found myself pushing to keep up with those in front, at least until the road, where there would be room to scoot to the side and let others pass. The road was downhill and would be uphill on the return. Yep.  Enjoy the down when one can.

The area was rural, small homes and woods until we turned right onto Wildwood Links.  This signalled a chamge in demographics and income, as is obvious by the name.  A recently? sprouted golf community with large homes on manicured plots.  And a golf course along the way.  I jogged at between an 8 and 9 minute pace, slower at times when the effort to breathe wore me down.  A few turns, a few up and downs and we were on our way back.  My nose was running and I was out of fresh tissues.  Poor planning.

Surprisingly, I came up on my main competitor. Usually she is well beyond visual range -- as she had been at the start (I usually start about midway in the starting lineup).  She is a very consistent, no walking, runner.  Wind her up and she steams along.  Whereas I chug, walk, then sprint only at the end if there is any energy. Twice I got close but had to back off, having used up energy reserves.  Until the very end.  Just prior to the turn into the school drive, I came up on her again and passed. I did not think I would hold out to the end as I could feel the energy just seeping away.

And, indeed, I did run out.  Right at the left turning circle  I had to drop to a walk for three or four steps.  How could I let this happen?  So close.  Expecting her to come up and pass, I gave it one last shot at running and rounded the curve to see the Finish just ahead.  I sprinted and gasped my way to it.  A six second difference in a 3.1 mile race. Gun Time 30.26, chip 30.18.

The Garmin doesn't lie.  I walked 14 times! The elevation gain and loss was 132 ft gain and 133 loss.

She wins 99% of the time. This was my 1%.  And it did not rain until later.