Shorts

Nope this isn't about those socially unacceptable split shorts that everyone with a running addiction secretly likes.  Since I haven't visited my own blog in so long, it's time to catch up on with a handful of short posts merged into one hopefully-not-to-long post!

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In June I ran the Dipsea race for the 4th time, and won my 2nd Black T-Shirt with my 24th place finish!  I usually write an extensive post on what's my favorite race, but just didn't happen this time (click the Dipsea tag below if you're really curious about prior years).  My spring season had been rolling, but I hadn't trained specifically for the unique trail race (which I always said was necessary).  Still, coming off my best 10K in 10 years, and one really strong workout on the Dipsea course, I expected both my best place and best time on the course.  These days I'm usually calm and relaxed on race mornings, but this time I had nerves of Jelly starting the afternoon before!  Race morning was HOT.  I felt flat and out of rhythm for the first 20 minutes of the race, but finally turned it on during the second half of the big climb.  Realizing the heat seemed to be affecting a lot of people, I was rolling with little resistance on the most technical downhill section when boom, I feel a tweak in my ankle (the same one I had injured twice previously).  I saw my black shirt aspirations fly out the window, but at the bottom of the stairs I realized I could still run on it.  It was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and keep rolling - just a little more cautiously.  My time of 33:40 was exactly a minute slower than my 2010 best, and 5 places back, but I was happy to overcome some adversity and get that Black T-Shirt for finishing in the top 35!

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My son Jackson turned 1 last week!  Yes - everybody who told me that it would go by so fast, you were right!  He's walking, learning new words every week, and been a ton of fun.  I really hoped to keep my running going after becoming a dad, and thanks so much to Dana for being so supportive.  Some good advice I got from another dad runner was to treat running like a time management exercise - find the time, get it done, and be efficient.  It helps that I leave for work between 5:15 - 5:30am then get home early.  We've had quite a few days where I'll go to work before dawn, get home at 4pm, Dana heads out for a run while I play with Jack, after spending a little time with all three of us together, then she starts to get him ready for bed while I head out for a run.  Then dinner around 8pm, bed at 9.   We've enjoyed our weekends, which are far less hectic!  Here's me playing with my cute little guy!

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I'm still stoked at how the US mid-distance and distance runners performed in the Olympics.  The highlight for me by far was seeing Galen Rupp battle with the Ethiopians on the last lap, storming down the home stretch for the silver.  I made quite a scene watching it from an airport bar.  I was pretty close to buying a round for the whole bar, which luckily only would have been three other people.  I thought Leo Manzano could be a sleeper if he found his best stuff, and sure enough he did coming out of nowhere for a silver.  After that we had 4 other 4th place finishes (Duane Soloman - 800, Matt Centrowitz - 1500, Bernard Lagat - 5000, Meb Keflezighi - marathon).  Also depth wise on the men's side we saw 2 in the top 5 in the 800, 3 in the top 10 of the 5000, and 2 in the top 8 in the steeplechase.

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The morning before Rupp won his silver, I finished second place in a somewhat less significant race - the 50th annual John Kelley 11.6 mile road race in New London Connecticut.   The race is completely free and run in honor of the former Boston Marathon winner and two-time Olympian.  In addition to being the 50th anniversary of the race, it was the first running since John passed away in 2011.  It was long, humid, but a lot of fun.  Averaged 5:39 pace which I was happy with given the weather and how early in the season it was.

Here's the wiki article on John Kelley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Kelley

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The PA cross country season has started.  The West Valley TC men's open team keeps attracting more and more talented runners to the club.  While, I have to resist the urge to over-train on the workout days (instead of saving the best efforts for race-day), it has been fun to chase the faster guys.  I'm definitely feeling fitter and faster!  Despite getting faster, I keep getting pushed down the WVTC depth chart.  But that's a good thing - it's fun to be a part of such a strong team, and sets the bar higher which helps me get better.  Through the first 4 races of the season, and team has won 3 times and runner up once.  I finished in the top 10 in the 3 races I've run.  Here I am in the 2nd race:

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I plan to write a separate post on training.  The bullet points:  I'm getting better and listening to my body like I did successfully back in high school.  Once you experience the benefits of increasing your mileage (and there are many), it's so easy to become a slave to your weekly mileage.  It is by far the most quantifiable measure of training, so naturally many runners - myself included - make irrational decisions around weekly mileage.  At times I've been a slave to it.  Sometimes a runner needs a day or two of easy or no running to realize the benefits of prior training.  Consistency and the trend of mileage/workouts/recovery over the course of a training cycle is what leads to good results, not arbitrary benchmarks in a given week.

Olympic Trials Predictions

The Olympic Track and Field Trials got underway yesterday with the hammer throw, and track action starts tonight in Eugene, Oregon with the men's and women's 10,000s! NBC Sports (formerly Versus) will pick up coverage tonight at 6pm PT, and that and NBC will cover the meet extensively over the next week. Here's the schedule:

http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2012/U-S--Olympic-Team-Trials-TF/Results.aspx

To make the Olympic team an athlete must be in the top 3 and meet the Olympic "A" qualifying standard.  If an athlete in the top 3 does not have or match that standard in the race, then the next athlete to finish with that standard will make the team. 

Men's 10,000 meters
June 22nd
Olympic A standard:  27:45

This year's 10,000 meter field will be the deepest in years if not ever at the Olympic Trials.  There will be 8 runners who already have the A standard, and another 8 or so who are pretty close.  In 2000 if you came into the trials with a 28:00 qualifying time you were automatically a contender, now this year there are 13 runners under, and in some cases way under that mark.

The favorite:

Despite the depth of the field there is a heavy favorite - former Oregon star Galan Rupp.  Rupp first showed his precocious talent back in the high school, and steadily gotten better throughout college and as a professional.  Yet there often seemed to be somebody around to steal his thunder.  I think back to Josh MacDougal upsetting him to win the NCAA cross country championship.  Then I was at the Stanford track meet where Rupp was making an attempt at the American 10,000 record when Chris Solinsky ran away from him in the final two laps two be the first American under 27 minutes.  Still, every year Rupp has gotten better.  Now he is the American record holder at 26:48, has shown exceptional speed running 3:34 for the 1500 meters (under the Olympic A standard in that event).  The only person who might have had a shot - Chris Solinksy - is hurt, but even then I just can't see Rupp losing at this distance.  Crazier things have happened than Rupp losing this race, but not that much crazier.  This is the safest bet among all the mid-distance and distance races.

The next two spots:

If you asked 10 people you might get 10 different answers - well at least 5 - on who will take these next two spots.  Here are my predictions.

2nd:  Dathan Ritzenheim - A talented but injury prone runner who is overdue for some good luck.  He ran a fabulous race at the Olympic Marathon Trial, but a late cramp dropped him just off the pace, still he rallied to just miss the team by less than 30 seconds.  In 2008 he finished in the top 10 in the Olympics marathon, then later in the summer broker the American 5000 record (now held by Bernard Lagat).  I think he'll put it together but there will be a lot of track between him and Rupp after 25 laps.

3rd:  Chris Derrick - The best runner to never win an NCAA championship still walked away from his senior track campaign with the American Collegiate record of 27:31.  There's been at least a couple Stanford runners make the Olympic team every year since 2000, and I think he'll join Ryan Hall who is already on the marathon team.

Sentimental favorite:  Matt Tegenkamp - Teg is the current American record holder for the 2 mile (8:07) and one of only 4 American born athlete to break 13 minutes in the 5,000.  He has been off his best form recently as he's now 30, but don't count him out.  In the mid-2000s he brought the fearlessness back to American Track & Field not seen since Bob Kennedy.

Dark horse:  It's tough to call him a dark horse, but I'll pick Brent Vaughn.  His track times (27:40) aren't worthy of that label, but he has never been competitive in a championship race on the track at the professional level.

Really Dark horse:  James Strang went to my high school a few years after me, and comes in with a 28:12 qualifying time.  He lacks the A standard, but anything can happen in a race like this.


Women's 10,000 meters
June 22nd
Olympic A standard:  31:45

The favorite:

Shalane Flanagan - The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in this event has qualified for the marathon, so just running this meet for bragging rights (unless she changes her mind and runs both).  She'll have some competition, but I just can't see her losing.  That said - again unless she changes her mind - the race for the three Olympic spots will be behind her.

The next three:

This field is very top heavy, but nowhere near the depth as the men's field.  In fact, after Flanagan only three more runners have the A stanford.  If Shalane wins as I predict and sticks and passes on the 10,000 at the games then all Lisa Uhl (formerly Koll), Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, and Amy Hastings have to do is finish - assuming nobody else gains the A standard at the trials.  However one that is unlikely in that environment (with no pace setters), and I'll think they'll finish in that order above.  If Hastings finishes 4th that will repeat her marathon trials where a great performance still left her one spot off the team.  However, this time she will get to represent the US in London. 



Men's 800 meters
June 25th
Olympic A standard:  1:45.60

The 800 meter final at the 2008 trials was epic.  Three runners with Oregon connections - OTC runners Nick Symmonds and Christian Smith plus Oregon sophomore Andrew Wheating were at the tail of the field after the first of two laps.  With 200m to go Symmonds has moved up but is boxed in.  Then on the final straight Symmonds dusts the field, Wheating blows by on the outside to finish second, and Christian Smith somehow dives past co-favorite Khadevis Robinson to take the 3rd spot. 

This year I think Robinson who made the 2004 team, but finished 4th in the trials in 2000 and 2008 gets the monkey off his back.  Although we won't win as Nick Symmonds is the class of the field and an outside medal threat in the games

1st:  Nick Symmonds
2nd:  Khedevis Robinson
3rd:  Robby Andrews (who skipped his senior season at Virginia to turn pro and prepare for the trials)



Women's 1500 meters
July 1
Olympic A standard:  4:06

This race features the 2011 world champion Jenny Simpson, 2009 world championship Shannon Rowbury, yet my pick is Morgan Uceny.  Uceny was winning European Diamond League meets left and right last summer, only to get knocked down in the 1500 meter final at the World Championships.  If she hadn't gone down, we may well have seen a 1-2 sweep for the USA.  Rowbury is an interesting case because she has struggled with injuries the last two years, and just hasn't shown the sort of fitness yet that she did in years past.  She may well have been last fit last summer, yet somehow found a way to grab the 3rd spot and go to the world championships.  Several runners have better PRs then Rowbury, but she's excellent in tactical races, and I think she'll make it happen.

1st:  Morgan Uceny
2nd:  Jenny Simpson
3rd:  Shannon Rowbury



Men's 1500 meters
July 1
Olympic A standard:  3:35.5

Now here's a race that's wide open!  Bernard Lagat (who ran the 2nd fastest time in history as a Kenyan) will not be in the field in the US championships for the 1st time since gaining his citizenship. 

The favorite:

Matt centrowitz won last year's NCAA championship making it look easy blasting away from the field in the last 200 meters.  I figured it would look a lot different when the kid went up against the big boys at the US Championships, but once again a super smooth kick held off Bernard Lagat to win that meet.  At the word championships the 21 year old advanced through his heat, then in the semifinal race he made a sneaky pass right on the inside rail with a lap to go to led the field and win that race.  The night before the final I asked a knowledgeable buddy if it was crazy to think he could medal, and the answer was no.  Sure enough a beautiful tactical race in the final and a 51 second last lap won him the bronze behind two Kenyans.  However, Centro has battled an injury this spring which indicates he's out of top form. 

The next two spots:

Other than Centrowitz there's probably 4 other guys who should make the Olympic team - Leo Manzano (Texas Grad with a low 3:50s mile), Andrew Wheating (NCAA champ at 1500 & 800 at Oregon, and 2008 800m Olympian), Robby Andrews, David Torrence.  There's several others who potentially could sneak in the top 3 - Russell Brown, Jordan McNamara, Jeff See..

Unfortunately only two of these guys will make it.  This pick is tough because the race is so wide open, especially given the propensity for this type of race to move at an early tactical pace setting up a wild finish.  I think given Centro's injuries he won't win, but will make the team and be ready for London.

1st:  Leo Manzano (this is bold, but he's fast & rarely makes mistakes)
2nd:  Matt Centrowitz
3rd:  David Torrence (semi-dark horse, but he's been knocking on the door in recent years)


Men's 5,000 meters
June 28
Olympic A standard:  13:20

While the men's 1500 meters might be the most dramatic this race might be the most interesting.  It's really a shame that Chris Solinksy won't be in the field (or in the 10,000 due to his injury) after he broke 13 minutes three times in 2010 and almost broke Bernard Lagat in the US championships as they both ran under 4 minutes for the last mile of that race.  However a new threat burst onto the scene this spring.

Lopez Lomong escaped Sudan as a boy - one of the Lost Boys - and found his way to the US.  As he grew up he discovered his talent for running, but was a middle distance runner through high school and college.  In 2008 he made the Olympic team in the 1500 and was given the honor of carrying the US flag at the opening ceremony.  At the Payton Jordan invite at Stanford in May I saw his 5,000 debut.  Running with a strong field he moved to the lead and really accelerated with 800 meters to go.  On the backstretch he opened a huge lead and I started to wonder if he had miscounted laps.  On the home stretch there was no doubt as he opened an all out sprint with still a lap to go.  As he crossed the line he clearly didn't look at the clock or hear the bell as he threw up his arms.  Every person around the track started screaming and waving.  After a second he realizes and starts running again.  He doesn't really get going until halfway through the turn (with 350 meters to go), and by the back stretch is digging again.  The look of pain of his face was unmistakable, but he held off the charging field to win in 13:11 - way under the Olympic A standard.  For a race that he royally screwed up in, it was one of the most sensational runs I've ever seen.  His second to last lap was in 52 seconds - the sort of kick that can win an Olympic medal if done off a slightly faster pace (and if done after 11.5 laps instead of 10.5 laps).  I'm dying to see what he can do!

The favorite:

Bernard Lagat is one of the greatest runners of this generation.  He graduated from Washington State as a multi-time NCAA champion.  In 2000 he represented his native Kenya and took the bronze medal in the 1500.  In 2004 he won the Silver behind the world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj.  He has run still the second fastest 1500 meter time in history at 3:26.  In 2005 he became a US citizen.  In 2007 he won world championships in the 1500 and 5000 meters as a US citizen.  He disappointingly missed the medal stand in Beijing, but won two medals in the 2009 world championships, and last summer finally focusing on just the 5000 meters won the silver at the world champs.  This may well be his last season, but he can still has a shot at winning that elusive Olympic Gold medal. 

I think Lopez will give Lagat a very serious challenge in the trials, but Lagat's racing tactics will give him one last national championship. 

The last spot:

There are quite a few worthy contenders, but I think Galan Rupp will be right there.  He ran a huge PR at the Prefontaine classic earlier this month in 12:58.  The only reason I am picking him third is because he'll have some junk in his legs from the 10,000 and the prelim round of the 5,000 three days earlier. 

Dark Horse:

I think my claim to fame as a high school runner is that it took Andrew Bambalough until his senior  year to break my course record at the Tennessee state cross country meet.  Then of course he crushed it!  He's gotten better and better throughout his college career and has been running really well as a pro.  He enters with a 13:16 PR and is getting closer and closer to that top level.  I think it would take either Rupp withdrawing to focus on the 10,000 or perhaps Lomong making a tactical mistake, but he should at least be in the hunt with 2 laps to go. 

 Sentimental Favorite:

Matt Tegenkamp:  see above in the 10,000


Enjoy the trials!  I know I will. 

Marin Memorial Day 10K

Last week I was telling Dana (my lovely wife for those who don't know her) that I was really excited for the next two races - the Marin 10K and the Dipsea Race.  This spring season hadn't featured the consistently high mileage (by my standards) and epic workouts that I logged the prior spring, yet my race results have been much much better.  I decided to not get so caught up on how my training looked on paper, rather be patient - work really hard when I'm able, but rest when I needed to.  Also, a big mistake I made last year was trying to train through competitive races.  It has been a small adjustment, and if you compared my training log year over year you might say I'm not training as hard, but it's tough to argue this is working better when my 5K races have been ~30 seconds faster than the prior year. 

On memorial day I laced up the flats for the Marin Memorial Day 10K.  The race is on a flat, fast course in the shadows of Mt Tam (where I'll be racing the Dipsea in a week).  While it's a great opportunity to run fast, this race really had my number the prior two times I ran.  The only question mark for me was whether the 5K focused training would translate to twice the distance.  I just had to hope the occasional progressive tempo runs, the two 10 mile races from the early season, and even the Bay to Breakers centipede effort would fill the gap of not doing longer interval sessions.  Regardless, I told myself to push it all out of my head and just be confident as I've had great momentum recently.  The goal was to run 5:15 pace - a mid 32 minute effort.

The race went off & I just didn't feel very smooth.  In the 1st mile I settled in behind a couple masters runners, including the mighty 55 year old Brian Pilcher.  I was a little concerned with how I felt, but tried to stay as loose and relaxed as possible.  I hit the mile mark in 5:11, not a bad split, just wanted it to feel easier.  By the 2 mile mark, teammates Rookie and Gus ran by & opened a small gap.  I hit that split in 5:19.  It was a very slight uphill, but had to make the decision to ignore how I felt, and just trust the training that I'd be fine to push a bit harder.  So I threw a surge and caught up to my teammates, and even led the train for a while running the 3rd mile in 5:06.  There wasn't a 5k split but from the 3m I guessed half way was about 16:10.  Feeling more energized, on pace, and even thinking how I just ran the first half faster than most my 5K races last year, I kept pressing on. 

Our group strung out a bit in the second half of the race, but just kept as close to Gus as I could, telling myself to relax, and throwing little surges when I needed to catch up.  From half way I moved up 1-2 positions each mile.  The 4 mile split was 5:13, the 5th in 5:14, then the 6th in 5:21 (with a slight headwind).  The race ended with 250 meters on a track, and I kicked it in when I heard some footsteps behind.

The final time was 32:26 for 19th place - my fastest 10K since the 90s!  Our West Valley team had a very strong day with 7 guys under 33 minutes (I was the 5th).  It's exciting to see how well our team is doing, and that it's a combination of new guys joining, and existing guys working hard and getting faster.

The race was satisfying one because I set a challenging goal and accomplished it.  It also was good to have a day where thing didn't just automatically click - like those rare days you always dream about - but was able to stay tough and confident, and race hard the entire way. 

Next up is the 102nd Dipsea!  I've been pretty tired this week, but that's to be expected.  I'll take a decent taper week, and can't wait to show up in Mill Valley Sunday morning feeling strong.

* The finish

The Bay to Breakers Centipede

The annual Bay to Breakers race is one of the biggest events in San Francisco.  The 12K race offers big prize money to attract some of the best road racers in the world, and a great overall scene for serious runners, to joggers, to walkers, then finally to party goers.  All throughout there are creative costumes, and um a few people with no clothes on at all.  Last year I ran the 100^th annual race – which was first known as The Cross-City race.  Having raced 3 previous times (and joined the party a few times before that), I was still missing out on a very unique twist to the competition - The Centipede!

In 1978 a group of 13 guys from the Aggies running club said “hey let’s enter the race and see how fast we can run tied together” (or something like that).  After that the centipede division was born.  The Aggies have run every year since, although recently a group of mostly Bay Area Track Club runners sponsored by Linked In has stolen the show setting new centipede world records. 

I always wanted to run a ‘pede.  My West Valley teammates had discussed in the past, but never found the numbers to field the 13 members.  This year, with our ranks of open male runners growing, we finally got everyone on board and entered a centipede!  

It took a bit more planning than showing up for a normal race.  With 13 guys there was a fairly wide range of running abilities.  So we had to determine the right paces to run and have people communicate throughout the race.  Also there was the gear.  Turns out you can’t just show up at your local running store and ask for standard “centipede gear” so each team gets creative.  We bought some clipping nylon straps to wear as belts, with 4 foot carabineer bungee cords. 

*6am meeting spot

The race was an absolute blast.  People were soaking up the festive atmosphere, and chatting with various other runners we knew who were running near our group.  The bungees gave us a margin of error if you strayed too far out of our zig-zag formation, but let the stronger runners assist the less fit up the hills (the steep Hayes Street Hill in particular). 

*Nick feeling tired on the rollers

A smartly planned race got us through the first two miles at 5:45 pace, next two which included most the hills at 6 flat.  Through Golden Gate Park, some of the stronger runners were working the hardest from pulling on the cords during the rolling hills at low 5:30s pace.  Then on the downhill last couple miles most people were ready to roll, and we ran 5:17 and 5:18 for the last two full miles – both downhill.  At the faster pace we had to be careful not to run over the photographers up on their ladders.  The finishing time was 42:11 for the 3^rd place centipede – a 5:40 average.  It was also cool that we were passing runners most the way - some people various ones of us knew, and others we chatted with along the way. 

*Rolling through the park

My first centipede is in the books.  I have the gear stored away, and can’t wait for next year! 

Various people posted pics on Facebook, and some were great.  There was even a random picture on Instagram which was the best of all – and I don’t even know what Instagram is other than the company that Facebook bought for a gazillion dollars. 

Here's the random Instagram shot... pretty good! 

Here is the Linked-In team running 36:44 (4:56 pace)

The Aggies

West Valley making the turn for home!

Post race pose

Beating the Nemesis

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote a frustrated post about my Nemesis - the 5K.  Over the last two years I had trained hard to race a good 5K, only to end in frustration again and again.  I imagine the frustration of Gold Glove second basemen Chuck Knaublach when all of a sudden he couldn't throw the ball to first base anymore!  There just didn't seem to be any good explanation. 

Last Friday, I returned to the track to give it another shot at the SF State Distance Carnival.  I really could have come up with more than a few reasons why I shouldn't run fast.  The main reason was the race was only coming 5 days after a 10 miler on the roads (a PR in 54:41 although not entirely happy with where I placed).  In the past I've rarely bounced back well from long races like that.  I also could have pointed to feeling a bit run down in the weeks prior, and overall not running the mileage that I like to before heading into the racing season.  But for a change, I blocked all the noise out, and went into the meet with nothing to lose. 

The Distance Carnival has turned into a deep college meet attracting athletes from all NCAA levels, plus some open runners like me.  The 5000 is one of the last events on Friday afternoon, and this year expanded from 3 heats to 4.  I entered myself with the 15:49 time that I ran there two years ago (and my best time post-college) which seeded me in the middle of the slowest of the 4 heats.  I was satisfied being in that heat as I'd rather try to compete toward the front than have it be a time trial where I'm hanging on for dear life. 

As the gun went off, the plan was to find the rail somewhere in the middle of the pack, get into a rhythm, and move my way forward if people ahead of me started to fall off the pack.  By the first turn I was on the rail and in a spot where I wasn't getting jostled around.  I felt a moment of anxiety seeing the clock at the finish line for the first time and the lap counter reading 12 to go.  I told myself to relax and just run for a while.  As soon as my brain quieted down I was in a good rhythm and somewhere around 15th in the 23 person heat.  There was no clock at the start line, but plenty of people yelling splits.  First lap was 77 seconds - a little on the slow side, but I didn't give it much thought.  The next few laps went by quickly and easily, and all of a sudden I'm still relaxed and moving forward to the 1600 meter (~1 mile) split of 5:02.  No problem so far. 

Six and quarter laps is the half way point.  In my last 5k on the track last year, I hit halfway wanting to quit, literally not knowing how I could run another 2500 meters.  This time I'm definitely working hard, but I feel like there's a lot left in the tank.  The field is more strung out but I keep moving myself forward.  At one point I feel my arms start to ride up really high.  Sorry Christopher McDougall, that might be a good way to run a very long distance, but it's not how you run fast!   I consciously dropped the arms, and I immediately feel more relaxed.  The 3200 meter split was 10:04.  I know these next 4.5 laps will be tough, but I'm going to get through it.  The field was strung out in the last mile, but I managed to catch a couple more runners.  I had a couple laps fall back off to a 77 second pace, but then a 73 for the final full lap and a 32 second last 200 (as I tried to unsuccessfully to kick down a kid about half my age) brought me home in 15:41 for 6th place in my heat. 

I've probably had races that would be considered a stronger performance, but this was one of my more satisfying races.  I had struggled at the 5K for so long, and when I least expected, just ran my fastest time in 10 years.  Have I defeated the nemesis?  Who knows, but at least I've won the battle!  I can't wait to hit the roads for another 5K in two weeks with some momentum behind me! 

It's worth noting that there was an American record in my race.  No, the winnder didn't lap me twice to run 12:52.  It was actually 56 year old Brian Pilcher clocking an amazing 16:05 for his age group record.  He even gave me a "let's go Jamey" when were running near each other around the mile mark.  I think we'll be seeing a lot records from him this year!

California International Marathon - Part 1 - The Race

If you had talked to me recently (or read my blog update), you might have known I was gearing up for my first marathon in 6 years.  I often like to write down what I was thinking and how I was feeling before a race, and similarly record my post-race reaction.  I want to circle back, and fill in that part, but since I have 26.2 miles to cover, I'll break with my normal practice and jump right into the race.

The background info I'll quickly note is when I signed up for the race my goal was 2:33 - 2:35 (5:50 - 5:55 pace).  After running most my "marathon pace" workouts in the low 5:40s, I was more optimistic, but still wanted a conservative race plan - to run the first half marathon in 1:16:00 - 1:17:00 (5:48 - 5:52 pace).

The race morning was much like my last marathon 6 years ago - clear skies, calm winds, but pretty chilly (in the high 30s).  Just after daylight broke, I found myself on the starting line with a pair of gloves and arm-warmers.  Even though this wasn't a Chicago Marathon type field, I knew there enough elite runners - particularly those gunning for their last chance to make the Olympic Trials next month - that I didn't need to be anywhere close to the front row.  I figured spotting some of my eventual competitors 10 seconds early on was easily worth the trade off of not getting sucked into way too fast of an early pace.

As the starting horn went off, and I cross the start line 3 seconds later, it just didn't feel like a race.  It felt like a long run with a ton of other people, just a bit faster than my normal everyday running pace.  I chatted with other runners I knew as we all settled into our paces.  Shortly after the start I saw a large pack of women who I figured were gunning for their Olympic trials standard of 2:46 (and sure enough quite of few of them nailed it).  As the first few miles are mostly downhill I eased into a smooth comfortable pace, and slowly moved forward in the large pack.  The first mile was 5:48.  I was almost relieved - I was going fast enough but not too fast!  The second split was 5:52.  I quickly questioned - was that too slow?  was that too much effort?  But just as quick, I shut the mental rambling off - I had well over 2 overs left to run, and I was still getting warmed up, and there would surely be a lot of ups and downs.

In the 3rd mile I definitely started to feel good.  I figured out pretty early in the race that I was going to run my own race, rather than try to key off other runners.  Mile 3 was 5:38 - faster than I should be running this early, but didn't concern me as we're still going downhill.  Now I'm reeling in a large pack that includes the 3 female leaders, plus a couple West Valley teammates who are shooting to run sub 2:30.  The 4th mile was 5:33.  WHOA BUDDY - CHILL OUT!  At this point I pretty much slam on the breaks.  The last mile felt totally relaxed, but I knew there was probably no better way to torpedo a good marathon opportunity than to run way too fast in the first quarter of the race.

From the 5th mile through the half way point, I established a really smooth consistent rhythm.  Through that stretch - every mile split was 5:42-5:44 (other than one 5:40).  I was doing exactly what I told myself not to do - running faster than the 1:16 pace I set as a speed limit, but it just felt too easy not to put myself in a position to possibly break 2:30.  The short uphills would strain my breathing ever so slightly, but it would quickly return to normal on the flat & downhill sections.  At some point - probably around 6 miles - I felt the first hint of lactic acid in my legs, but nothing to fear, it had to happen at some point.  I just focused on keeping a smooth relaxed stride.

The pack of runners who I almost caught in the 4th mile, remained 50 or meters ahead.  Right around the 9th mile I finally caught up to them, announcing my presence to teammates Jonah B. and Jason "The Rookie".  The Rookie let out an excited "Hey Gifford!" while Jonah said much more calmly "Jamey's going for it."  I really thought I would relax and just run with this pack for a while.  However, the pace I had settled into slowly eased me ahead of the group.  Just ahead, I caught the three lead woman - one American and two Africans.  There were a handful of bicycles riding along side along with a motorcycle cop.  It was unclear if they were on course support for the leaders or just interested spectators.  One of the bikes was almost blocking my path to a water station; I knew getting worked up would only take away energy I needed to run, so I just eased off for a couple strides and cut over.  Just before 11 miles I pulled ahead of the women, but didn't realize I was serving as their temporary rabbit until I heard some words in Swahili (I assumed) right behind me.  That was a new experience for me!

I hit the half marathon split - now just clear of the lead women - in 1:14:53.  So much for my planned pacing.  While I wouldn't call the effort really hard at this point, it definitely wasn't easy.  Mentally the first half of the race went by very quickly.  I knew the second half would be a lot harder.  Different parts of my legs and feet would ache, then go away.  I could deal with discomfort, I just didn't want to see anything turn into a muscle cramp.  The 15th and 16th miles were tough.  The mile 15 split was 5:52 - my first mile slower than 5:45 since the 2nd mile.  I'd lie if there wasn't a little concern that my early pace might be catching up with me.  Shortly after that, I hear footsteps behind - and it's The Rookie and Gus Gibbs (who had taken a pee stop) blowing past me as their running ~5:30 splits.  They invite me to jump on the train, but I'm not feeling it; I just need to keep my own race on track. 

After a rough couple miles, I hit the mile 16 with a 5:43 split.  I was back on pace.  I felt a big confidence boost.  Only 10 miles to go.  This might be the toughest 10 miles I'll run all year, but how many times have I run 10 miles the past 4 months (that was rhetorical)? 

From mile 16 - 20 it was back to focusing on a smooth stride.  My legs were hurting pretty consistently now, but I could deal with it.  I would see runners well ahead and slowly reel them in.  Mile 19 was my second fastest of the race in 5:37.  I started having visions of throwing the hammer down in the last 6 miles to put myself well under 2:30. 

The 20 mile mark was announced with a couple fake walls that you run between & a couple women dressed in grim reaper costumes.  I grabbed my last Gu gel, which just about made me barf.  After taking as much sports drink as I could, I figured I wouldn't need much more water.  Mile 21 was 5:43, but the legs were feeling really beat up.  The last hill of the course was the ramp to a bridge over the American River just before the 22 mark.  It's not a steep hill, but it HURTS at this point.  I tried to hold my pace up the ramp, but it hurt, and my legs never came back to me after that. 

The last four miles were rough.  I knew I was slowing down a little, but it was time to just grit it out.  Somehow I was still mostly passing people.  Miles 23 and 24 were both 5:53.  I'm slowing down, but the wheels aren't falling off.  With two miles to go a couple runners catch me, and I just try to latch on.  I'm even thinking I can find a gear and manage to run a couple fairly fast last miles.  But where the brain was willing the legs weren't.  Mile 25 was still a respectable 5:48, but then I just hit a level of pain I hadn't felt all race.  The 26th mile is a long straight shot down L street by the state capitol in Sacramento.  I keep looking ahead toward the first of two left turns before finishing right in front of the capitol.  As I look ahead it just doesn't seem to get closer.  Spectators cheer my effort, but as I grit I had to yell "let's go Gifford".  Somehow I thought I was thinking my finishing time might be 2:32, but that was clearly a lack of mental capacity late in the race. 

I hit the 26 split - 5:55 - my slowest of the race, but was elated I made the first left turn too see a race clock just over 2:30.  There was a huge crowd, and I made the final turn to the finish line with a huge smile on my face. 

The final time was 2:30:29!

I'll say more in part 2, but have to say a quick thanks to my wife Dana - of course for supporting my training, but for getting out on the course to cheer and support me.  Also to our coach Jack, for preparing us, and for great race day support as well.

Being the excel dork I am, here are a couple charts - the first with each mile split, and the second my projected finishing pace at each mile mark:

Finally - it was great to see little Jack at the finish line :)

PA Cross Country Championships

My life hasn't been all marathon training.  On November 20th, I laced up my spikes for one of my favorite annual races - the PA Cross Country Championships.  The race - 3 times around a hilly 2 mile loop in SF's Golden Gate Park.  It's a nice challenging race to cap off the cross country season, and fun to get all the club teams together in the same race. 

With rain falling for much of the week leading up, I knew it would be muddy one!  Here's a quick recap.

I have to say in all my years of cross country, that this was probably the sloppiest course that I have ever run on!  It was muddy last year, but my footing was firm enough with spikes on. This year I was sliding all over the place even with my spikes on.  After watching the men's master's race, I noticed there was a tight lead pack of 5-6 runners but after that the field spread out quickly.  In past PA Champs I liked to go out pretty conservatively on the first loop, then work my way up, but this year I was thinking "track position" (to use a NASCAR term) seemed pretty important.  I had confidence from my increased mileage and the longer tempo work from marathon training that I could hold on after a quicker early pace.  It was a weird experience to be within 5 seconds of teammate Neville Davey (who has won several PA races recently) & others at the mile mark, but a quick internal systems check told me the pace was ok.  I gave up a few positions at the end of the first loop as I let myself regroup, then started moving forward again at the bottom of the hill on the second loop.  Close to halfway the race seemed to be going by fast.  3 miles in I felt confident I could keep pressing hard without blowing up, so I made an effort to surge by any runners who appeared to be falling back.  On the 3rd and final loop I was battling with a strawberry canyon runner.  He opened a 5 second gap on the flat section by the polo field.  Up the last hill and down into the meadow I was reeling him in, but just ran out of room near the finish as he crossed 1 second in front. While this wasn't my best time ever on the course (I ran about a minute faster under dry conditions), I feel pretty good that this was my best effort of the 5 PA champs I've run.  Final results - 32nd place in 33:34 (6.1 miles)


It's now the day before CIM.  We're about to load up the car for Sacramento.  I'll check back in after the race!