Camel City Elite Indoor Meet @ JDL Fast Track

January 31st's Camel City Elites 800m, 3000m, and mile event was preceded by the Hilton Innvitational (not a misspelling!  Inn -- get it?), featuring competitors from colleges.  I got to JDL Fast Track, Indoor Track, in Winston-Salem NC during the women's 60m hurdles.  Since I'd left home a few hours earlier without coffee, that was where I headed.  Panerea had setup on the wall behind the hurdle start area.  I have to say, that while waiting on line, I had quite a view of the athletes in their track outfits: some quite brief and others more modest.  At the gun, they all shot out of the blocks handling the hurdles with no difficulty.  Unless someone was way out front, from the rear view it was hard to tell who had the edge.

snack break between events!

I found a seat in the stands about 3/4 of the way down the track near the last hurdle, in the second lowest row.  It was tough to see the actual start at the other end, especially of competitors in lanes 6-8.  However, when the third heat of the men's 60m hurdles took off, I stood, and it was clear almost from the start, who was in the lead.  Tall fellow in orange singlet, who by the time he reached the last hurdle, was clearly ahead.  And how he was ahead!  Aleec Harris crossed the line full out in a time of 7.55. Even unsophisticated I could tell this was phenomenal. Turns out that his time was the second best world time in 2015. 

In a subsequent heat, former Olympian David Oliver hurdled in a time of 7.60, making that the third fastest world time for 2015.  In the 60m finals neither man beat his own earlier time (hard to do after such all out earlier effort!)  The order of finish in the 60m Hurdles Final was Harris (7.58), Jason Richardson (7.62), and Oliver (7.69) 

I was sitting among some women Furman athletes. Some had already competed and one was waiting for the 4x400 relay. These ladies broke out their psych textbooks (yes!  even in such an atmosphere they could tune out) highlighting passages relating to older brains (hello!) Yea -- student-athletes!

In the women's 60m Hurdles Final, Sharika Nelvis set a facility record with her time of 7.95.  Christina Manning was 2nd (8:16 in my notes) with Hayley Warren (Toronto) third in 8:18.

The women's 60m was a very tight race.  LaKaya Brookins was being overtaken by Raven Covington, but gave her last, crossing the Finish first in 7.47, but pulling her hamstring, or quad, in the effort.  She was assisted off track.   

In the men's Camel City Elite 3000m event, the gun went off, the 16 or so competitors took off, but just at the first curve on the 200m track, some got tangled up and one went down.  Bang! Bang! Bang!  The runners were called back.  Wow, does that take some wind out of the sails.  One has to get resettled mentally.  Almost all were college athletes, except for about three, including Raleigh's Sandy Roberts.  The race seemed to break into three separate packs after a couple of laps (15 total, I think).  Thomas Curtin pulled ahead of everyone when there were about two laps left and he came in first in 7:56.10.  The next fellow came in at 8:00.66.

The men's Camel City Elite Mile race was loaded with hot shots.  Olympian Leo Manzano (silver 2012 Olympics), Will Leer, Matthew Elliott and college athletes. There were 11 runners plus the rabbit. The mile is an eight lap ordeal.  Manzano was near mid-pack at the start and kept that position during the beginning laps.  With about two laps to go, Cory Leslie took the lead. With one lap to go, I watched Will Leer on the back stretch put his move on.  Manzano was two back.  Down the final 100m or so, Leer closed and he almost got to Leslie but ran out of track.  Cory Leslie of Furman Elite came in at 3:56.99 with Leer following in 3:57.54.  Elliott Matthew and Leo Manzano were almost tied as 3rd and 4th in times, respectively,  of 3:57.76 and 3:57.79.  Leslie's time is the 3rd best world time for 2015.

The women's Camel City Elite Mile was not as dramatic at the end.  It was Shannon Rowbury from the start.  She finished in a great 4:22.66, followed by Morgan Uceny, 4:30.99, and Heather Kampf 4:31.24.  Rowbury's time put her as #1 in the world for 2015!

I stayed and watched some of the women's 4x400m relay races, of which there were many, and some of the ladies were wicked fast!  But I had to leave after the first three sets.

This is the second year I have watched the Innvitational and Camel City Elite races.  Fun!

Train, slow up, cut back on gorging food

Two weeks to go before the Southeastern Region Masters Indoor Meet.  At the track on Sunday, it was maybe 37 degrees.  I warmed up with pseudo lunges -- my knees don't bend that well -- high knees, butt kicks, and a slow traverse of the track.  The plan was for 5x400 with interspersing walk 400m.  The first two were a bust.  Halfway around and I was walking.  Partial quad wipeout, partial breathing.  Result: 2:24 or so for the 400m.  I am really feeling like an ancient, these days.  I wised up a little on the last three attempts by slowing up my pace, managing to get to the finish line, without walking, in 2:02 - 2:04. Nonetheless, it was an effort!   To think -- last year I was able to do 400ms one after another (no interspersing walk) with a minute break between.  Not fast, but at least completed.

Next, I tried the 200m.  The first two attempts were hard, but I got there.  The third was a total failure. I dropped to a walk halfway, thinking no way and just bag it.

Next the 100m, but this time I decided on an 80% effort right off the bat. (One would think I had been doing that, or 50% effort in the earlier distances, based on my times, but sad to say, nope.  I was going as "fast:" as I could.  "Fast" is a relative term -- faster than a snail -- or faster than a New Mexico roadrunner?)  I did three 100m at about 80%, averaging about 22-23 seconds.

And that was it for Sunday.  Not a long or exhausting (except the 400s!) workout but all I wanted to do.  The 400s are so discouraging that it seems as if there is no point being out there, at times.  

This morning, at CG, this being Metabolic Conditioning week, by the time I got to the sprint out and back (touching the ground at each end) for four minutes, I found that after the fourth time I was slowing up and huffing and puffing. By number eight I walked part of the way out, dragging back.  I managed ten and a half by time end.  Then, it was on to the other joy: suicides! (Run out to a cone and back, then out to the next cone and back, etc)  Talk about slow grind to a halt.  I had nothing in the tank.

Time to add a lot more protein - meat -- rocket fuel to my diet!  Protein shakes five mornings a week get tiring.

At least I can go out and do some kind of running training.  Not so for the folks along the NE coast for the next week.   It will be beautiful.  To be enjoyed from a warm room looking out.

  

Once again -- not ready for competition

Not ready for   .. any track competition.  Forget prime time!

Here it is almost the end of January 2015 and I can not complete even one 400m without walking.  Forget how long it takes.  About 3 or 4 weeks ago, I returned to Sunday track practice and it was bad.  Since then it has not improved. Last week at UNC's Belk, I was able to trot around only if I maintained something like an 11 minute pace. This, after a half hour warm up of knee lifts (in my case slow and not high -- creaky knee), lunges, butt kicks etc.  When my running pal and I tried a decent run around (she recovering from knee surgery) I could not do it.  I got just a bit over 200m and bonked.  We moved onto 200m. Again, I could not complete the full 200m.  In the end I did one 100m in a partially decent speed.

It is not just lack of lung power, but leg strength as well.  Towards the end of the 200m runs, the legs felt weak.  The old rubbery feeling.  Very discouraging.

This week, I measured out about 1/4 mile on a local packed dirt-sand greenway.  The route is not flat and has some curves in it.  It is also week 3, high intensity week, of this session of Camp Gladiator.  So, early morning five days a week I do CG and then have some R&R at home before attempting the greenway 1/4 mile.  I have yet to get through any of the repeats without walking.  I made it easy by running one 1/4 mile then walking back to the start before running again.  The most I have been able to do is five repeats, none of which have taken less than 2:16 minutes and today's was 2:34!  More than a minute longer than my last competitive 400m!  (And today I felt a twinge in my left quad.  Stretching after helped.)     

Southeastern Regionals Indoor is February 8th.  I signed up for the 400m, 200m, and the 60m.  All in one day.  USATF Indoor Masters Nationals (championships) is March 20-22, also at JDL Fast Track in Winston Salem.  I would really like to drop the 400m.  I have not yet signed up for Nationals.  There are those who say I have to "defend my title".  Ugh.  That was an aberration.  The thought of trying to just get around the indoor 200m track twice is not enticing.  I suppose I can do it if I can cut back on my pace and just forget about anything other than finishing without walking.  The problem is I tend to speed up and then deflate, like certain Patriot footballs.

Too little training, endurance, muscle strength. 

USATF Masters Outdoor Championships

The Races and ugly endings

July 18-20, 2014

                                The 400m (did I say I really dislike this distance?)

Warming up is always a quandary.  Will I do too much or too little? Too little and I would be quickly gasping for breath during the race and too much and the legs would just as quickly burn out.  I found a practice football field behind the stadium.  First, I did some of the moving stretching routines I’d found online.  I remembered three -- walk and touch the ground in front of the forward foot; lie down and stretch one leg across the other to the side to stretch the hips, and drop to hands and knees and kick back, slowly (not fast donkey kicks).  Then I started slow trotting around the circumference of the field.  I did that a few times, ending with one short sprint. I was careful not to do any all out sprinting.

On return to the spectator stands where I was hanging out with the Piedmont Pacers and had stashed my gear, I consumed a packet of 2^nd Surge Double Expresso Energy gel, then on the track drank some water.  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate had been the advice I’d found online along with the pre-race warmup exercises.

There were two race check-ins: the first to declare you were there for the race, and one must do so no later than an hour before the race OR be eliminated, and the second, about twenty minutes before the race.  The various age groups for a race congregate to change shoes and wait until the officials call out the age groups, two at a time.  So I’m carrying my regular shoes, looking for a place to put them when a pal tells me, no,no, we carry them to the start area where we can put them in a basket associated with ones assigned lane. Well, alrighty! 

When I saw that Irene Obera (who has umpteen records) was in the group before mine for the 400m race, I was star dazzled. Previously, I’d encountered her name as a record holder with fantastic times in various age groups.  Their group was a mixed age group (the older one gets, the fewer there are in your AG). There was Obera (80), West Valley Track Club, and Jeanne Daprano (77), Atlanta Track Club (another record holder who, though older, has always beaten me.) I watched them run and Daprano came in first followed by Obera.

Jeanne Daprano Jun 2014

Irene Obera July 20,2014

 I was assigned lane 5, with two competitors to my right, ahead of me, and three behind me to my left, including Mary Robinson, last year’s champ who has faster times than I do.  I had no plan in mind other than to not get too far behind.  At the “Set”, I was not in a classic middle distance runner stance.  Nope.  I knew I would not be tearing up the track, so why burst out? Besides, I wouldn’t last if I did. 

 Bang!  I set out at a pace that seemed okay (I could breathe!) and had passed the two to my right by the first turn.  Along the straight away near the stands, I heard pals urging me on, and the announcer saying I was in the lead (Oh, great! This won’t last long!)  This was disconcerting.  It was not my plan to be in the lead 1/3^rd of the way through the race!  I was probably at about an 80% pace, hoping not to experience a loss of energy before the end. There was a long way to go.  I was expecting Mary Robinson to catch and pass me.  As we approached the far turn, I hear that I am in the lead and Mary is second.  (It is odd to hear one’s name in that way!  Especially after watching earlier events and seeing and hearing how the leader was over taken!) 

1/3rd-1/4th done. LG, Robinson, Primmer

 In the turn, as motivation, I intentionally called up the image of a Carolina Godiva pal urging me on as she does during Wednesday night track meets.  I sped up as best I could.  (Good thing, because the video shows Mary right on my heels at that point!) 

Mary Robinson, inner lane,  closing gap

 With about 40 to 50 meters left, the legs began giving out. They burned and felt tight and resistant, with turnover slowing.  Oh, no! By 20 meters out they essentially froze.  I could barely get them to move. Worse than walking, I was going to come to a stop, they were so locked up. Mary was coming on.  I just knew she would pass me any moment as I slowly stumbled forward. The legs were turning to cement.  I was so close to the Finish line but I wouldn’t make it!  By this point, I normally would have given up at a Godiva meet. But this was Masters.  Gasping for air, I willed myself onward, one leg at a time.  I looked down as I stumbled forward.  Aaargh!  I was too close to the right lane line! I swung my right leg wildly over, avoiding going out of lane. Off balance, I stumbled across the Finish before Mary.

 Do you remember Gabriella Andersen-Schiess in the 1984 Olympics Marathon?  She weaved and stumbled to the Finish? That was me.  I wobbled forward, hyperventilating, hoping not to collapse.  Ugly finish.  My worst ever.  I’ve had dead legs before and been gasping, but this was beyond anything in the past.  Far from elegant! I was still off balance even after the finish. (To add insult, photos of my awkward, ugly finish, turned up online on a race site!)  

My time was a PR, beating my prior best from 10 years ago! (1:27.83) But what an ugh! feeling.  

From Masterstrack.com, photo by Ken Stone of the ugly end to my 400m, with Mary Robinson coming up on me. 

http://www.masterstrack.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=55929

The video from USATF TV

http://www.usatf.tv/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&do=videos&video_id=121906

100m Saturday July 19, 2014

My next race was at 09:40 the next morning.  My last minute decision to stay the night equals a decent but non luxurious motel, about 10 minutes from WFU.  No wake up call capability.  I set my cell phone to go off at 07:00.  I did not plan to eat. (Atkins protein shake would do.)  At 07:22 I woke to a distant buzz.  Up I jumped – the cell had been going off since 07:00 but not loud enough!  I got to the track by 8:00, feeling hyper.

I took my warmup to a new field, where others were also busy getting ready.  Some were jumpng practice hurdles. I went through the same routine of walking touching hand to ground, but no lying down and stretching because the grass was too wet.  I jogged, again wondering if I was doing enough.  I took about three trots around adding about two very short sprints.  Enough.

Today, I took a Stinger honey gel about 40 minutes before my event.  Then, down to the track for the second check-in and to change shoes.  I brought my camera to stick in my regular shoe so I could get some photos of the youngsters running after me.I chatted with other runners and met Kathy Bergen (Southern California Striders, aka SC Striders), who was running this event. 

ESPN photo of Kathy Bergen

http://espn.go.com/espn/photos/gallery/_/id/8399448/image/6/kathy-bergen-senior-moments

  This time, as we were being led to the start for the 100m, I see that my compatriots are not carrying their shoes.  Maybe no basket?  So I dropped my shoes along the base of the spectator wall and trot back to the group. Ack! I still had my ball cap on.  Run back to my shoes, drop the hat and run to catch up with the others.  Pros are disciplined and focused.  Not me.  I got lane 5 again.  Each age group started about 3 minutes apart. I watched Obera race ahead of her competitors. One runner (Marion Coffee) suddenly went down.  Tripped on her feet?  She was eventually carried off the track.  This time, Ann Carter (Atlanta Track Club)  was in lane 6 to my right; she has beaten me in the past and also competes in many more events than I do.  Mary Robinson was to my far right in lane 8 and Kathy Bergen to my left in lane 4.  Of the six entered, three of us do not use blocks. Now is the first time I put my new 3-point start to a real test.  Bam!  Off  Kathy Bergen darts.  No chance to get near her. But I knew that ahead of time.  Ann and I are about even, Mary ahead of me. I have no strategy for the 100m, just go as fast as I can and hope to catch up.  I pumped my arms, held my head up to get air and churned. It takes me about 10 meters to get going.  I pass Ann but Mary is still ahead.  I push hard and get even with Mary.  We run like this for about 20 meters it seems and just before the Finish line, I edge ahead of Mary, just crossing before her. Kathy 1st by a huge margin, me 2nd, and Mary 3^rd. Tough race but at least I wasn't physically undone as I had been the day before.

100m finish - Kathy Bergen, LG, Mary Robinson,Ann Carter

video

http://www.usatf.tv/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&do=videos&video_id=121952

200m Sunday July 20, 2014

I had driven home Saturday night and returned in the morning for my 11:05 race.  I checked in, dropped my stuff off at the Piedmont Pacer area and went off to practice.  Again, I went through my routine of active stretching and jogging to get my blood flowing and breathing evened out.  With this event (and the 100m) I at least knew I would finish.  Though, there was a time two years earlier, where, at this very track, I had almost come to a walk in the 200m!  During the 2012 Powerade NC State Games, which I was insufficiently trained for due to an ailing Achilles. I’d run an earlier 100m.  By the 200m my legs weakened with 40 meters to go.  I barely managed a slow jog to finish. Nonetheless, it had happened.  I did not think it would today.

Time came for the 200m race.  I carried my shoes, with a camera tucked inside, to a far wall near the Finish line (so I would not have to later run all the way across to get the camera) before walking with the group to the start area.  I got lucky lane 5 again, Kathy Bergen on my left and Mary Robinson on my right. Ann Carter had just come off a triple jump and was still thinking about it.  3-point start position again. Stable. On your mark; Set, Boom!  Kathy led the way to the curve and beyond (bye, Kathy!) I huffed and puffed to try to catch up to Mary, who was way ahead.  It did not seem possible. Head up, arms pumping like mad. It took most of the last 100m to catch up, inching past just before the Finish. Real close!   

200m finish - Kathy Bergen, LG, Mary Robinson

The video

http://www.usatf.tv/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&do=videos&video_id=122044

The 4x100 non club relay (running as 60)

Mary Robinson, Angela Staab, and I were to run the 4x100m with a younger runner, Kathy Jacobs, who is 61.  This put us in the non Club W60 age group.  The relays are the last events of the Meet.  But when time came to check in, Kathy was not there. With no earlier race, she was in church in the choir!  We needed to check in an hour before the race. No Kathy.  (Angela, who really wanted to run this race, had not realized that Kathy would be in church!)  Fortunately, there were so many teams checking in that Kathy got there before they had finished processing them all.  We had about ten minutes before we had to run.  Our team ran with teams ranging from 30-years old to 50s.  Oh, yeah, we got in last.  But we were the only non club 60 AG. Fun!

Guardino, Jacobs, Staab, Robinson

 I watched the 90 year old men do their relays as I waited for the W40 Club relay team of Carolinas Track and Field with some of my idols.  The 4x100 was a beautiful race to watch.  Anne Sluder led off, Melanie Walker had the second 100m, near the spectator stands, then Kris Kazebee carried to the baton to the anchor, Toccata Murphy. Getting the baton a little late, Toccata Murphy brought it home for the win.  They subsequently ran the 4x400.  Fine ending to a fun meet.

Leadup to USATF Masters Outdoor Championships 2014

                Training does not equal Procrastination  

                                Last summer I heard that the 2014 USATF Masters Outdoor Championships were coming to Winston-Salem.  Maybe I’d sign up for something.  Really? Having looked at earlier years’ race results, I shouldn't even be on the same track.  My times -- not even close!. All the training in the world might not do it. Sundays track with Coach Z, Mary S. and Jerry S. was tough.They tended towards middle distance practice (400m and up) and I liked shorter.  But it was the propensity to work the slow twitch muscles rather than the fast twitch ones that was the problem. Running 5ks up to Half Marathon distances – not helpful! In November 2013, I went to an Open (anyone may compete) indoor track meet.  Once inside, I felt like Lemuel Gulliver on landing in Lilliput, not in size but in age. In the two events I ran (can’t say competed!), I was in heats with third graders, who left me behind.  How could I possibly compete with experienced Masters?

  By the New Year, I’d done little toward my goal.  Well, okay, then.  I will do short sprint exercises, and run distances no longer than a mile.  Except that 5Ks and XC fun events kept cropping up.  (With no nearby track events.) First, the Carolina Godiva New Year’s XC race, followed by more Godiva 4 mile or longer XCs, along with Run For Young 5K, the Run for the Roses 5K, and more.  My plan was in the dumpster.

 Okay, build up!  Spend more time at the gym doing Body Pump and practicing street sprints. And add  repeat 10x running up the steps. (Fun when the dog also decides he wants to follow!)  Until one day something did not feel right.  That something became an inflamed patella and, worse, shooting pains down the calf to the foot. Driving one mile was agony. It was the foot on the brake that was the worst.  Waiting at a stoplight or being stuck in traffic, equalled screaming fury. There went training. Forget about competition! In February I found a chiropractor who determined that my right hip was out of whack and I needed to wear orthotics.  (ugh. I now wear orthotics in all except my racing shoes.) A fellow competitor offered a ride to JDL Fast Track for the Southeastern Region Masters Indoor Championships in March, where I competed, with non spectacular times, in the 60m and 200m events. 

Now, I decided to really cut back on distance (except for a 10k, a half marathon, and Run for Our Heroes – a must-do 5k!).  My lack of discipline was evident. What am I?  A road racer or a sprinter? Once more, I decreed no more road races (Monday night nOg Run Club outings or Tuesday Capital RunWalk Downtown Challenges are not races!) I stuck to this – except for the May Rocket Mile and Mother of All Races 10K.   On April 16^th, I began Camp Gladiator boot camp training, going 3X a week.  May 20^th  I started serious sprint training. Carolina Godiva Track Club's Wednesday evening summer track series started the next day. I could sprint against others.    I jogged in the Social and fun runs leaving much of the actual sprint training to Sundays. 

 Prison Break - The Escape, Fun Run 

The cutoff date for event registration was June 20^th.  I for sure wanted to do the 100m and 200m.  I have been saying that I would never do another 400m (except for one last one in Senior Games State Finals.) But the idea of doing the 400m lurked.  I held off registering. This was my once in a lifetime chance to run in big deal (read – above my class) events.  On June 17^th I decided to also register for the 400m.  So what if I came in last. It would be while running with the best to come out that day.  When registration deadline had passed, I took a look at the list of competitors.  Sure enough, as expected, Kathy Bergen, world record holder in two of my events (100m and 200m), would be there. This was good, because I’d never seen her race except in videos.  Exciting!  Not to worry about her – she’d be zipping down the lanes before I moved a foot.  But what about the others?  I saw at least two to worry about:  one had beaten me in the past and the other had posted faster times than mine. Two of the remaining four had no posted history. The 400m was loaded, it seemed, with one or two unknown threats, and one known..  

In the less than a month remaining, I ran lots of repeat 400s, 200s, and 100s. Each repetition usually slower than the last.  But sometimes not. Oh, and let's fit in one more race. A special July 4th inaugural Raleigh Downhill Mile.  Barbara L. loaned me her older starting blocks so I could make one more attempt at using blocks.  Out to a nearby grassy field I went. Nada -- awkward and added nothing to my start. Forget it.  Back to experimenting with various 3-point starts.   In the final week I found one that both kept me steady and gave a smoother start.  Also, in the last two weeks, I increased my attendance at Camp Gladiator.

 I was really apprehensive about this whole Masters thing. Scared, actually.  The number of times I have had to drop to a walk during a Godiva 400m, fresh in my mind. The night before my first event, I visualized running to catch my competitors, closing on a few. I could at least hope for that.  When I left for Winston-Salem for the dreaded 400m (oh, please do NOT walk during it), I was anything but relaxed.  I took written directions as well as my Google Maps app and a backup GPS unit. Dare not be late, I’d been warned.  I left early and got to WFU about two hours before my 400m.

Raleigh 70.3 Half Ironman June 1, from volunteer perspective

I was an afternoon volunteer course monitor on Hillsborough street, so all the Pros had already finished when I arrived.  There were still plenty of folks on the running loop.  A hellacious 6 plus route up Hillsborough St. and back, twice!  Psychologically, if you are already feeling the burn, when you get to the end of the first circuit, knowing you have to go up that long grinding slope again -- ugh!

But these folks are nothing if not determined.  Most seemed happy to still be moving.  Some loped along, others jogged on and off, and yet others walked.  I wasn't far from the water stop and spraying station up the hill a bit from me.  It was good to be able to relay some good news to these weary folks as they came by. Another good thing they had to look forward to was the downhill return.

One fellow who'd had a bad encounter with another biker had to carry his damaged bike six miles to the transition point.  He was wiped but determined to finish the event (which he did.)  TeamRWB, consisting of  Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, was well represented.  One member carried the American flag.  It's tough enough to carry oneself, but the strain on the arms and shoulders (after an already taxing swim and bike) must have hurt like the dickens! But, these are tough folk. There was a huge delegation of runners from the DC area -- club jerseys testified to affiliation.  One woman came by, looking to be in the older category.  A fellow volunteer said she was in her 70s (age on back of leg).  Indeed!  There were two women in the 70-74 age group who completed the half ironman.  One in 7:11 hours and the other in 9:02.  Like they say down here "Bless their hearts!"  To me, this is an amazing feat.

One couple approached. The male sat on the curb holding his foot  He was on his second loop of the run portion but was having Achilles - calf problems.  They were about 3 to 4 miles from finishing.  He got up and tried walking but it was easy to see he was in agony. Better to stop then to destroy oneself to the extent that months of recovery (or worse) would be required.  I felt badly but was glad to see him take the lift back to the Finish.  His companion carried on to finish. Towards the back of the group, one lady who had not been able to train was struggling through the event.  She was quite concerned about not completing the run within the time limits.  Fortunately, she continued on because she did finish -- just in time.  I saw one fellow, accompanied by a few volunteers, who was also having a tough time.  Since the sweeper PD car was right behind them, I knew it was if-fy. (He later dropped out.)

The water crew up the road had a good time encouraging the lagging runners as they approached and passed.  Dancing and clapping, they buoyed the spirits of those who walked, jogged, and slow ran their way back down to the Finish.

The weather was maybe about 80 degrees in the afternoon.  It was nice to volunteer and cheer on those I knew and those I did not know.  I've no doubt that those who finished felt a great sense of accomplishment and came home with lots of stories.  Perhaps the most welcoming thing for these folks at the end was a cold drink and a cold shower and clean clothes!

Achilles issue and Semi Hibernation over -- sort of.

Since my last post in July 2012, I had been battling Achilles tendinitis (incurred in April) and finally decided to stop running and get it looked at.  Since in a sense this blog is just a posting into the ether (unviewed) silence would not be a problem.   Any way, first it was 2 weeks of PT (eStim, ultrasound, and stretching exercises) and that got me back to at least being able to run some track at moderate speed (slow) without driving home in pain.  However, continued casual runs still resulted in tender to touch, so finally I went to a chiropractor.  Left side issues (calf in the past) said to me -- out of alignment or something.  Cutting to the chase, the most effective treatment for the Achilles was the Graston technique (scraping the effected area with an instrument of mild torture.) My Achilles had developed an extensive thickened bulge over the months of running and sports activities since the initial injury in April.   After 4 treatments the bulge was substantially reduced and I could run again.  Yea.

I returned to group runs a few weeks before Thanksgiving and ran my first race since September on Thanksgiving Day.  No Achilles problem!   I have done 3 more races since then, in not so hot speed, and figured I could work my way back.

Until the last race.  Reindeer Romp 5K in the midst of my herky jerky sprint - slow jog routine, something went awry at the back of my thigh -- it felt as if something was tangled ---- hurt below the knee, behind the knee, and in the hamstring area.  Ugh!



 Stopping and stretching did not help. I finished the race in a quite slow jog.  GRRR.  Did I mention I was freezing while waiting for the start of the race?  Actually shivering.

I did some slow jogging on the next day and it hurt a little.  Then, I blew it by playing pickleball and in the 4th game the hamstring had had enough when I once again lunged forward.  Back to square one.  So now I am somewhat back in a partial hibernation.  I will slow jog when I can. Stretch, use the roller, etc etc.

I'd say this was a crone issue -- aged tendons muscles and the like, except that younger folk also seem to incur these injuries.  Maybe they are really old people in young bodies?    

Dump those emotions: Run!

Dumping Bad Emotions through running -- Sprinting vs Road Racing

%$#@!!!

Anger - and the release of it or other negative emotion - and its relation to running.  I was thinking the other day about angry feelings.  Ordinary folks in Aurora CO. experienced many emotions upon hearing of the theater shooting. I was reminded of when I heard about 9/11/01.  After seeing the first plane hit, I put a flag out and went for a run. I was angry and could not do a damn thing about it except run. Running helped dissipate the "fight" adrenalin.  Running faster or longer used up energy that otherwise would have been diverted to emotion,

So, I was thinking about the difference between sprinting (short track events) versus road running.  Tactics and speed are essential in track.  Concentrated focus is required.  Awareness shrinks to your lane and sometimes a competitor just ahead or just behind. And the Finish line.  Outside of the 100m (which is just all out from the git go),sprinting involves strategy. There is only time to assess short term tactics -- back off to conserve for a final all out push or try to maintain to the Finish? Go out fast then back off until about 60m from the Finish?  Steady sprint at just under anaerobic condition so as not to run out of gas before the Finish?  There is no time for error.  At the end of a sprint competition or casual meet, you are either flooded with happy endorphins or kicking oneself for a poor strategy or just lack of conditioning.  Either way -- your mind has been diverted from any non-racing aspects of life.

Road (or trail) running -- any distance run -- allows for time to think or let the mind drift.  Something bothering you?  Run it off.  You may start out angry or hurt or sad, but as you run on, the act of physical movement is almost lolling in terms of emotion and thought.  Your mind may drift or be mesmerized by the scenery. If anger is present at the run start, it will be released.  Powerless anger, such as at something you have no control over, will be run out.  Emotional upheaval over personal situations will also be run out --  perhaps even a solution found as your mind drifts from thought to thought to no thought.  Being out there, just experiencing, is sometimes enough.  Bottom line, one almost always feels better at the end of a run (unless you did something silly like trip and bang up something vital!)

There you have it: another reason to run, either fast sprints or more leisurely (and exhausting) long runs.  You can be sure a sprinter gasping at the Finish or an ultra runner crossing the Finish has only room for thoughts of the next breath or impending relief from pain.      

misery run 2011

I have not posted in some time mainly because my race reports have been going to the running group newsletter. This particular report did not.

Godiva’s Misery Run 2011

Some like it rainy, cold, and sloppy. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t. Sunday November 13rh in Carrboro was sunny and just a bit cool. Nonetheless, I came prepared for the muck in long fast-dry pants, with snug cuffs also secured by rubber bands, long sleeve tech shirt, and green latex gloves. Bring it on! This event takes place at a home for Angus cattle. Dogs and people milled around. The resident three year old pointy eared female dog anxiously searched for a pal to play with while arrivals registered. At 2 p.m., off the runners went, across the field to the first obstacle: a hay roll. Running jumps were aided by bales in front of the roll, as well as bales on the other side for the landing... What a sight! People crawled all over the roll, legs and arms scrabbling for a hold. Let the fast ones battle it out. I waited and got over it on my second try. There were two of these hay rolls on the course, each to be conquered three times. If you were 60 and older you could bypass the hay and keep on going. Not me – this was the most fun part of the event.

After the hay roll, we followed a path to a field and along its perimeter into the cross country section. More fun. We were to keep right of the orange flags placed along the course. The path not having been cleared, we were forewarned that what was beneath was uinknown. The large fallen trees were easy to see and jump or step over. There were some rocks and a few roots, but nothing like Umstead single track trails. The leafy path was mostly clear. The course meandered through the woods giving us a scenic view if one dared to look away from a forward scan. There were little gullies to jump over, short up and down inclines, and, of course, the thick and thin tree debris. Maybe ¾ of the way through the 1.9 mile or so loop we came to another delight: the wider than a jumper’s leg span mud pond filled with who knows what and under constant water replenishment. You were going to get wet. An ankle deep splat, two or three steps, then up the opposite muddy slope onto the grassy path and onward to another hay roll. Joy! A trot along the perimeter of the field again and back to the first hay roll.

And so it went. At the end of the last go around, we had the bonus feature. Besides cows and hay, what else does a cattle farm have an abundance of? Bypassing the hay roll, we veered to the left, went down a sharp incline into some dried manure then took a bend to the left around a building. We faced a steep mound of wet cow manure. This was a climb (no touching of orange markers allowed) into the very best the Angus had to offer. For slower runners, being last has an advantage. Some of the mound has been packed down by those before you; and you can see deep imprints. I chose a fairly solid ridge and took that route to quickly exit the brown heaps.

Afterwards, first the hand sanitizer then queue up to wash off your legs, feet, and shoes. I’d already removed my pants (shorts beneath) socks (required an overnight soak in 60% bleach and machine wash) and shoes. The pants went into my garbage bag, the socks and shoes got a rinse before being dumped into the bag. A quick rinse of ankles. One apple and Misery was done-after not being so miserable.

Post script: I was fine that day but the next day or so and for a month afterwards, my right hamstring leading into the gluteus hurt. No doubt from extension while trying to conquer the hay rolls.

Magnificent Mile, 9/13/09

Maybe I should lead up to this race. After softball Finals were over, I decided on Labor Day weekend that perhaps I had better start to train for the upcoming road races. Not that I had not tried. Oh, yes, I had tried. But I had not gotten far. Less than a block and my left knee would balk. Since I did not want to screw it up for the softball competition, I stopped trying anything which used slow twitch or distance muscles. I stuck with just running bases and in the outfield.

But now decision time had arrived. Either I was going to stop running road races or I wasn't. What better test than to go out to Umstead State Park and its hills and see what happens. So I did. Labor Day weekend I went two days in a row (dummy, eh?) and jogged-walked four miles. On the first day I had previously walked the same area with my dog, who was not too keen to walk the hills either. I took Reedy Creek Lake trail (downhill but on return an ugly uphill), up Reedy Creek trail to Cedar Ridge and back. Ugh. Both days four miles roundtrip and 45 minutes.

I felt it later in the week.

By the time of the Mag Mile, I was not too optimistic about how I would do. I expected to walk somewhere within the mile and not once but maybe more. I feared having to drop to a walk by the time I hit the first corner of the Capital. (The race goes down Hillsborough St in Raleigh, around the Capital and back up Hillsborough. Since it is an NC USATF Championship Mile event, with cash awards for the top three men and top three women, lots of whoop de do runners come out.It was 81 degrees and sunny. They ran the men's race first and zounds! The fellow who came in first, Bobby Mack, was really moving, coming in at 4:10. The next fourteen men (not all listed as USATF members)came in under five minutes. 187 men raced.

I lined up maybe eight rows or so back since I did not want to be trampled. When the race began I concentrated on getting out of the way and moderating my pace so I could at least get to the Capital before burning out at my ever so slow pace. Yes, when we reached the Capital and began the curve to the first full street around it, I flagged but did not stop. I forced myself to keep moving faster than a walk. Up the street and around the curve to the back side of the Capital. People passed. The crowd had long since cleared. Around the next curve. I remembered that this is where I dropped to a walk last year. Not this time. Slow, but still not walking. This is always the point at which I think we are going to run diagonal back to the beginning of Hillsborough, but no! Yet another corner to take and then, finally, I see up ahead the runners turning onto Hillsborough. A forever slog for me.

Those finishing blocks on Hillsborough seem to be made of infinitesimal inclines that only I can sense. At last I can see the finishing mat. But there is nothing left to give a final sprint. Nothing. But I did finish and I did not walk.

The winning woman was Kasia Sujkowski at a time of 5:03 and she was closely followed by Toni Salucci who had the same time except for maybe a thousandth of a second or so. The next 18 finished under 6 minutes. 164 women ran the race. My time was 8:50. As it turned out, this was my fastest time of the three times I have run this race. Probably because I did not walk while going around the Capital.

Great Raleigh Road Race July 4th 4 miler

"We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty."
George Washington

This year the race was lowered from 5 miles to 4. No matter. I still bonked. This time just after the 3 mile marker. I turned onto Hillsborough St. for the last mile and was wiped from the minor incline on W. Park St.

The water stop was the clincher. I slowed to a walk, took the cup of water and kept walking. I could not even drink because I could not slow my breathing enough to even sip. Eventually I drank and resumed a slow jog. But I knew I had blown it in terms of being competitive in my age group. No doubt I walked for at least two minutes. And that was not enough. I walked yet again one more time within that last mile.

However, I did sprint the last 20 meters or so when a runner came up on my left. Thank you runner! I managed therefore to finish in under 40 minutes which was really my goal. Not by much, but still ....

The weather was not a problem,low humidity and temperature and the route took us through several interesting residential areas.

There were 350 runners and NCRC had lots of great volunteers out there.

The fastest male at 15 years old was Thomas Graham with a time of 20:56; the fastest female was Brennan Liming (33) with a time of 23:15. The time of the median finisher was 34:13. And 76 year-old Edwin Harris had a finish time of 30:48!

Komen Race for the Cure 5K

June 13, 2009. The 4 a.m. alarm time was almost the worst part of this race. The dog ate, we went out for a brief walk and I left by 5 a.m. I got the first bus out of the RBC parking lot for the short ride to Meredith College, the site of the event.

We took a team photo at 6:15. Some of us were doing the competitive 5K, some the non-competitive open 5K. I lined up for the 7 a.m. start with one competitor in my age group and maybe 4 or 5 rows behind the one who usually wins the age group. We were up near the front. I am not really keen on being that far forward, especially in a big race. They said several times that if you run slower than an 8 minute mile, line up towards the back. I don't run 8 minute miles! But a competitor who always beats me lined up rows in front of me.

Fearing trampling, I almost moved to the back (as I have done in the past in some races.) But, I didn't and the race started. I stayed close to the right so that fast runners could pass. However, there were so many runners and masses were passing that not too far from the start of the race, a young lady wearing a pink top (or was it blue?) and white shorts pushed me to the side as she passed and weaved through those in front of me. She was moving quite fast. Within a minute, a lady behind me and to the right began falling forward. I glanced back hearing the noises and saw her, arms outstretched, heading for a nasty fall. I worried about the possibility she might get trampled and slowed for a fraction, thinking of stopping. I saw people on the curb and a few nearby runners lean down to her. Meanwhile I kept going to avoid being run over myself. I expect she either tripped or someone stepped on her heel.

It was about 70 degrees and humid.

The race proceeded up Hillsborough St which had a slight incline, left on Gardner and then left onto Clark St. Clark was partially down and uphill. There was still a sizable pack of people running with me, so I imagine there were a lot of runners in this race. We turned right onto Brooks and I began to feel the strain. Brooks has a gradual uphill incline. Somewhere along here, we passed the half way mark and began going uphill again. I dropped to my first walk about 3/4 of the way up that hill.

Between Barmettier, Dixie Trail and the return towards Meredith on Clark, I dropped to a walk three more times! I am wondering if my almost 5 mile trot on the hills of Johnston Lake the preceding Thursday night was too much for this old crone. (The east path around the lake has numerous short but challenging inclines towards the latter half of the path.)

By the time I finally saw the Finish and the horde awaiting the 7:45 start of the Open 5K, I was wiped. I barely managed to speed up for the finish. In fact, I did not speed up.

I don't know that I shall do this race again. Too many people. Too much jockeying for front position. If I do do it, I won’t consider any kind of age group placement and rather, start in the back of the pack and just track my chip time. Sometimes, it isn’t worth it to try to be competitive within your age group when you can't really run as fast as the front of the pack.

And there is very little chance that I will ever run fast enough (over a distance) to make up for another's possible gun time start advantage. It really is myself I am running against, any way. The satisfaction comes with a better chip time and more than that, how it felt to run the race. Was I exhausted? Was it a real strain? Or, was I able to run it feeling a bit uncomfortable at times, but without dropping to a walk at any time? That is really the objective.

This is not track, after all.

Chip time 29.39.61 Gun time 29.50.28 1348 of 2623. Lots of people equals lots of folks crossed start minutes after front runners. Chip times would be far better for those folks than gun time.

Run for the Haw! 5K

Graham is where my softball team is based. It is a neat little town. Cooke field has three well tended softball fields as well as tennis courts and picnic areas and a walking path. Graham theatre is renown for miles for its entertaining movie announcements. Today, June 6, 2009, Graham held the first Run for the Haw! to benefit the development of the Haw River Trail.


Up at 5 a.m. so I could get the dog taken care of and get to Graham by 7:30. I made it by 7:20. The race started on Goley Street at 8 a.m. near the corner by the Graham Middle School softball field. It was overcast, but warm. The sun came out almost right away. After the slight incline along Pine street adjacent to the cemetery, and out to Main, the course is mostly flat. It traverses downtown Graham on Main St into a residential area, with a turnaround at Parker and then back on N Maple before cutting back through the residential area back to the school around the track to the Finish.

Due to the excessive rain yesterday, there were a few mats out covering the worst of the mud spots around the field and the finish line was denoted by a large SWIM FINISH banner.

I started slowly and jogged the entire way, huffing away. Nearing the school on the return, I came upon another runner who heard me huffing and told me to come on along. I said not to worry, I wouldn't be passing. We jogged to the street adjacent to the ball fields and track. Not realizing I still had the track to go around, I sped up and passed the runner and came onto the field only to be directed to the track.

Poof. The air went out of me and I dropped to a walk. The lady runner passed and encouraged me again, but I continued walking around the first curve before forcing a jog. There was that lady, who passed another in front of us, and three ahead, a lady in a red singlet. In the final stretch, the lady in red and the encouraging lady crossed the finish. I sped up and passed one lady, came into the finish area and slowed, figuring they were going to rip off the number tag (i.e. order of finish tally). But no, there was a guy clocking us in on a device who told me to keep going. So I lost a few seconds there. Nonetheless, this was a PR for me. I expect that is because Graham is a heck of a lot flatter than Raleigh. At least downtown. Still, I should have pushed harder at the end instead of flopping like that. Especially after having watched MARATHON CHALLENGE last night.

The 84 runners consisted of a mix of avid (pro) runners (Missy Foy, the Women's winner) and casual, such as myself. One man said he had not run a race in 15 years, the last being a marathon. He and his pal set off ahead of me and were well along with the main pack. However, I came upon him on Main street, beyond RT 49 (Harden St) intersection, and he had to drop to a walk. He may have resumed running later, but didn't pass me. I do know he was happy to be out there. Me too.

Missy Foy won the women's (38) in 19.45, and Graham Crawford the men's (46) in 17.41. The median time was 27.20. I was 15 of 38 women with a time of 28.37. (50/84 overall)