YGBC 10k

We went. We saw. We sucked. No real motivation to do a real write-up on this one. It was bad enough that I am questioning whether or not I should ever run hills again. Started out of front, dropped on hill #1, still spiked the heart rate, fell further behind for several more miles, dropping back to a distant 4th. Loop splits of about 18:20/19:30 give or take a few seconds. Blech...

Davis Stampede

This is one of those races that feels like I've done it more than I really have. In reality, this would only be my second time racing (and first time in the 5k) after placing 2nd in the 10k in 2010. But, I've come twice to watch TLD run here, and came with Turi to pace him in the half last year. So I feel I'm pretty familiar with the layout and the area. So imagine my surprise when I found out there was a bottle shop just west of the course that I never knew about til this year. Or the pizza place next door. Needless to say, we went to both, and both are worthy. A special shout out to Woodstock's Pizza staff for not only opening the doors early, but for making us two kick-ass pizzas, with great service to boot!
The weather looked like it was going to cooperate this time around...no driving through, or running in, any precipitation. Right around 40 degrees or so at the start with a light breeze. I got to watch Charlie, Fred, Mannie & Co. start the half/10k while I was warming up, and all three finished in the top 7 in their respective races. Way to represent Reno/Sparks, guys! The 10k winner was also from Reno! All of those miles 4500 feet+ above sea level must be helping, right? Anyway, we stayed a few blocks from the start, which a man like me, with my oh-so-delicate bowels and all, could get really used to. No porta potty lines for the 2nd race in a row, just a quick jog over to the hotel lobby, drop off the kids, change shoes, and I'm ready to go. They were a few minutes behind in starting, but otherwise the race went off without a hitch. New course, but it was dead on overall, and well marked. The only hick-up was that the first mile marker was a little long (the 2nd was a little short, therefore, to be accurately 2 miles, which it was). No big deal, just caused a mini-panic for a couple minutes til we figured it out :)
There's often some young guns that start road races at the front, and inevitably fade a couple minutes in. This race was unique in that were more of them than usual, and they kept it up for longer than usual. Just before the half mile, I turned to a fellow runner and said "didn't know we had some Kenyans in the field". He responded with a knowing smile, and would go on to beat every single one of them by a substantial margin. He and I started in 9th & 10th, respectively, and began picking people off about 4 minutes in. I had moved up to 3rd by the mile marker, finally passing the kid who had a 40 yeard lead on the field a minute-and-a-half into the race. We had a tight pack of three at this point, and ran about a 5:15 for mile 1. Right on pace for my last couple time trials. I was hoping that the drop to sea level and the lighter shoes would cancel out the fact that I'd done my time trials on the treadmill.
So far so good. 7 minutes in, I'm maintaining contact with 2nd place but 1st (Matthew, who started 9th) has started to put a nice gap on us. Can't hear anyone behind me. Lots of easy turns, but no 180's, which was nice. Mile 2, 10:34. Slowed a little, but that could be the course. Still maintaining contact. 1st place out of the question unless something abnormal happens, but we're in a dogfight for 2nd. Running pretty even, I, for the first time, pull up to the side of my competitor with 3/4 mile to go...maaaaybe get a half step ahead. We trade back and forth a couple times, go under the road and back up, he gets a couple strides ahead, but I know the end of this course well, and time my kick. Mark Hicks is there at mile 6 (10k) for some encouragement. I've pulled even again, and as soon as we make the last turn for home (200-250m) I give it all I've got and take off. I wouldn't learn until hours later that I'd put over a 5 second gap in there in less than .2 miles. The finish (and my overall time of 16:23) were almost exactly like I'd imagined, except for Matthew 14 seconds in front of me in 16:09. He ran a great race for the win (dead even splits most like) and there's nothing I could have done different to make up that kind of gap, so I was happy, and congrats to him for his 2nd Stampede win in the last 3 years!
It's funny how te little things can make a big difference. Several days later, my calves are still in knots, and likely wouldn't have been at all if I hadn't had to sprint at the end. But, I had a very specific time in mind, though, so I needed that sprint to not only secure 2nd, but to run an age graded 80 (16:26)...my first since last summer. Not sure what's next. I'm really looking forward to the Bidwell Classic in 4 weeks, and I'm hoping to be closer to 16 minutes by then. It's another flat, fast course. In the meantime, I may run the You Gotta Be Crazy 10k* (6.4m) in Verdi in a couple weeks, and then decide between the Fresh Tracks Snowshoe 5k and the Getty Owl Runs in Sac on the 26th.
No pics from Abby (ok I lied, there's one)- Rocco made sure she had her hands full all morning :)

That's my boy - ready to eat even when he's asleep!

Congrats to everyone who finished a Stampede over the weekend, and I hope to see you all again soon.
GIANTS WIN!!! GIANTS WIN!!! GIANTS WIN!!!
5K RESULTS: http://changeofpace.com/Results/DS2012/5Kover.htm
PICS: http://www2.brightroom.com/96764/4315

TLD enrolls in the Whole Foods Running School

We got the team together for the second time is as many months, though the weather tried to spoil our plans. After weeks of the tamest winter ever recorded in human history, a pair of storms rolled in over the weekend. We lucked out, though. Except for some predicatable delays, we had no problems getting over the hill in either direction. Par for the course we hit up Noodles and Co. at the Galleria for dinner (about a minute walk from the starting line) & stayed at the Hyatt Place a mile up the road. I don't think Amber likes N & C as much as Dave & I, but maybe she'll give em another chance :)
Turi, Amber, & myself would be running the 10k, & Dave the 5, all on slightly different courses than last year. Unfortunately (for your time anyway) they replaced the only completely flat part of the race (save for the first 200) with the hilliest. The forecast had called for wind & rain, but we got pretty lucky. It was windy (& as Murphy's Law states, there was a headwind for 82.6% of the course) but I've been in worse, and the rain mostly held off until after we'd adjourned back to the hotel for our "recovery beverages". I took off at the front, feeling good about the pace, but I didn't recognize anyone at the start, & don't have as good a sense of pace as I do when things are really rollin. Since the first mile was a net drop in elevation (though into a stiff headwind - funny, no tailwind the last mile) I was hoping for a 5:30ish to have a shot at 5:40 pace for the race, but no dice. Just a hair under 5:40 for mile 1, then things got fun. We dropped down onto the bike path along Miner's Ravine, which is a nice running path. Rolling hills, water, a little less exposed to the wind. We did about 4k out before the pace bike dropped off & I turned back against traffic. Mile 2 had been a 5:47 & I felt like I could hold that, or close to it. Hard to tell how big the lead was as we'd passed enough halfers that it was hard to tell who was who on the way back. I did spot Turi & Amber around the half-way point, though.

Mile 3...18:00. What?! It sure didn't feel slower. What the cake? So much for a 35, right? Well, that would have been all she wrote if that was actually mile 3, but it was at least a couple hundred meters long, with mile 4 being a couple hundred short. The 6:33 was followed by a 5:06 (5:49 average, that'll work). Lots of weaving in and out of all 3 distance runners the rest of the way. Didn't see mile 5 in the hills, but noticed the 2 and 12 mile-markers for the 5k & half (which suspiciously were NOT right on top of one another as they should have been). Hmmm...I'm going to have to hustle up this last grade to break 36. O look, there's Dave (I got a ten minute head start. If I punked him he was SUPOSSED TO find the cutest girl in Whole Foods and ask her where the homeopathic Vagasil was)...some cursing and maybe a finger (the Georgia State bird!) as I went by with a minute or so left...35:55, (5:47 per mile) for my first real win since summertime!!! Turi measured the course 6.21 on his GPS which mans it was at least that far. They determined the half was really 13.4, so the times in that one are really a little faster than they seam. I tried to get heavier shoes on and get back on the course to run Turi & Amber in, but they were less than half a mile out when I finally caught up to them, with Amber on her way to running a 50:39 10k pr(!) in far less than ideal conditions (and with Turi as a pacer). Way to go you two. They ended up 39th & 40th out of 276 in the 10k, and Dave finished in 26:16, 77th/407 in the 5k. I was hoping to be a little lower in the 35 range, but I was also counting on getting my @#$ handed to me, so I guess it balanced out.
We adjourned to the hotel for a nice beer tasting with Mark Hicks & Andy Harris, & headed back over the hill in time to see the GMEN set up a rematch of their epic Superbowl with the Bellecheats...er...Patriots. Our nect race will be Superbowl Sunday in Davis, CA for the Stampede. I've got 8 weeks or so to knock 92 seconds off my time on a faster course to have a chance at matching or beating my Elk Grove 10k time from last year. That's the goal anyway...let's see if the Achilles et al. choose to cooperate :)
pics: http://www.backprint.com/view_user_event.asp?PID=bp%1Es%40s&EVENTID=96990&PWD=&LAST=badolato&DIVISION=&BIB=307
results: http://www.capitalroadrace.com/results/2011_WF_10K_OVL.HTM

Year end wrap-up & random musings

Well, I guess it's time to break radio...er...blog silence. After taking 13 weeks completely off running (including nearly 7 weeks in that infernal contraption they call a walking boot) I've been moving around on my own two feet for 9 weeks to end 2011. On one hand, there has been progress. I was pretty out of shape, cardiovascularly, after taking the boot off. I'd gained 12-13 pounds (& lost 3!), some of it muscle, but the legs (especially the left) and my core were pretty weak. I compensated by strengethening the other areas more than usual, and am now back to seeking balance.
One of the things I like about running is the purity of it. Numbers don't lie. I can tell to a nearly exact degree how much work needs to be done to get back in the shape I want to be in, because the clock is painfully honest. I've come a long way in that regard in 9 weeks, but, as far as actually being healthy and able to move forward, I'm right where I left off. My right heel is still swolen & a bit angry, but not enough to seriously hamper training & racing. The left (surgically repaired oh so many years ago) Achilles tendon, though, did not really respond at all to the 13 weeks off. I've been walking a very thin line between being able to run & being on the sideline for all of the two months since my return. I still don't know where to go from here, so it's hard to look forward to 2012 with any kind of clarity or long term goal-setting ability.
I usually end each year with a summary of the previous 12 months. This fall, I grew frustrated enough that I stopped keeping a training log, so my numbers are not exact. It was my goal to run 3,000+ miles & do 5,000+ sets of weights/strength exercises. I'm sure I made it over 2,000 in December, ending 2011 with a 50.2 mile week 52, but obviously taking nearly a third of the year off & buildign back up blew any chance of hitting 3k. I'd also guess I did about 6,000 sets of weights...easy to hit that goal when that's all your doin.
2011 only saw a brief glimpse (& by brief I mean two or three races) of fitness levels acheived in 2010, but it was a good year nonetheless. I absolutely LOVED the Steep Ravine run put on by Coastal Trail Runs. Top 2 course...ever! My best performances came in June (before I got sick) at the Fitch Mountain 3k, where I ran my fastest time in 3 years (9:09) and the Firecracker Mile on July 4th (the day before things started the downward spiral) where I somehow held off the field to run my fastest mile in over a decade at 4:25 & change. I ended up running 23 races, if you include the 3 I've done since Thanksgiving. I ran the Turkey Trot in Nevada City on that day, placing 7th. Then the Red Nosed (really - it was in the teens) 3 mile in south Reno (5th) & the Kaia Resolution Run 3-miler in Sac (1st) in 16:36.

Those were all either fun runs, though, or run as such by me, even though I went hard in each. That leaves me 11/23 for the year, with 3 CRs, 9 runner-up finishes, a 3rd, a 5th, & a 7th. I'm already signed up for runs on 1/22 & 2/5, & am hoping to do a lot more after that. Any bright ideas on how to get the Achilles to cooperate (without me breking the bank), please don't hesitate to comment below. Happy New Year!

Shortest Comeback EVER!

Well...instead of jerkin around for a week, or two, or four, I tested out my foot to see if the short break from running (12 days) and week in das boot made for rapid healing. The short version? It did not. A 4 miler at warm-up pace on Friday started out poor, but loosened as I went. Sunday, quite the opposite. After an opening mile of 5:40 (half marathon race pace on a good day) on this rolling course in South Lake Tahoe, the wheels started to come off. Every uphill the second half was a deathmarch, and I managed to run splits of 8:47/9:19 for the race (and it was a double loop of the same course!). I didn't bother with a cooldown. By that point I'd do more harm than good, and I didn't even want to stand on that foot, let alone run on it. I have no idea at this point what it'll take to heal up, and even then, for how long. It's not like I haven't played this game many times before. The difference this time??? It's my left (surgically repaired) Achilles that's amking walking a chore. This is the first time over the last 6 years that's been the case...
Anywho, results are up at http://www.capitalroadrace.com/results/2011_TADF_SUN_OVL.HTM
Pictures are on the Thin Air Distance Festivals facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thin-Air-Distance-Festival/119584411402837#!/media/set/?set=a.260516550642955.80919.119584411402837

Blood, Sweat & Beers 2011

Last weekend was a trail run in Auburn that I'd signed up for well in advance, which was a good thing, since it sold out. The bad part was that I was squarely injured by the time it rolled around, but not ready to throw in the towel just yet. With the family and dave, we stayed in Grass Valley on Saturday night and celebrated Betty's 63rd birthday. I may have posted something on Facebook to the effect of "Evil Betty turns 93 today"...but as of now it's an unconfirmed rumor.
I figured this course would be close in difficulty to the Resolution Run 10k I ran from Outlook Park a few years ago, and as luck would have it, the start (at Railhead Park) was right down the street. I knew for a fact that if I had a chance of winning this race I'd need a decent lead at the bottom, roughly 3 miles in. There was one (rather large) felloe who took off like a bat outta hell at the gun, but Camron & I rightfully guessed he was not a threat, and after a few minutes of flat grass and downhill, we were alone. I took the lead and hit the singletrack first, which was the best part of the course. It went back up a little, but not enough to kill me off yet, then rolled along an aquaduct for a while over packed dirt, roots, and rocks. I steeped aside to let Camron by on one of the short but steep downhill bombs (I was wearing road shoes so had to back off briefly on a couple of these). He'd get a bit of a lead, and I'd reel him in when the course mellowed out. But, because of that, I was already in a deficit when the real climbing started, and immediately fell back. I pretty much ran alone the whole way up, only briefly catching a glimpse of Camron speeding away up the hill.
That's not entirely true, I guess. We did have to pass a ridiculous amount of slower long-course runners, so I had some company, just not the kind I'd like. That was my only complaint about the race. The wave starts made for lots of weaving, waiting, and ducking to get around people going nowhere near the same speed on a singletrack trail. Other than that, a great race, and one I hope to do again. HEALTHIER!
Camron destroyed me up the hill. From even at the bottom to a 56 second deficit less than 3 miles later (the course was 5.8-5.9 miles with 1400 feet of elevation change). Camron ran about a minute off Rich Hannas course record, with me in 2nd, and 3rd place nearly another 6 minutes back.
We had a couple brews from Hoppy and a burger while waiting for Dave to finish the long course (10.5) and played with a pug named Pancake. In the days since, I've had to stop running alltogether, though. Between getting slower every week and the pain at best not going away (and probably getting worse) it was just time. Hopefully the rest of the year isn't screwed. I can't say I'm incredibly optimistic for 2011 given the chronic mind-numbing soul-crushing repetitive nature of my issues. Not to mention I started back in PT a couple weeks ago for my right Achilles, and it's the left one that is now imobilized and preventing me from running. So, maybe some silence on the blog for a while, but hopefully not too long.

results: http://www.capitalroadrace.com/results/2011_BSB_SC_OVL.HTM

Presidio Cross Country Challege

These are at the top of "Sandy Hill"...that's why Dave looks like he's birthing twins!

A challenge indeed! I was wondering what it would take to get a 29-30 minute 10k runner to run a 17:22 5k. Is the course long? If not, it must be pretty stinkin hilly! Well...option 2 it is. Long would've been better for me. Hills (climbing) has not been my strong suit all year, and since July 6th my right Achilles has limited my ability to ascend even more. Just for fun, I decided the left one needs to be hurt too, so that one has been on the fritz since mid-last week. So...going in, the story would be my quickly evaporating confidence, not so much what the course was like or who I'd be running against. I honestly didn't feel like I'd be able to do much going in, and if you're already beat mentally...well...it's not ideal. I absolutely LOVE running in the Bay area, though, so feeling strong or not, this was going to be a fun trip.
Abby was partying it up in Sacramento for her 13 year class reunion, the kids were in Grass Valley, and Dave & I were staying in the lap of luxury in Vallejo, at a Motel 6. Noteworthy here is that it was even the cheaper of the TWO Motel 6's in Valejo. The vagabond sentry as we pulled in was not quite as entertaining as the filthy man in the lobby who was requesting his room be changed for the third time. Please don't give me one of his cast-offs...please? As luck would have it, our room was spartan, but clean, and you could even open the door all the way without hitting the bed (see: Motel 6, Escondido, CA). We were only there to sleep after all. First thing in the morning it was another 40 minute drive over the Bay Bridge to the Presidio, made famous by the somehow NOT-award-winning Mark Harmon/Sean Connery movie of the same name :)
Back to the race. In my feeble mental state, I had to have noticed every CA State Cross-Country shirt, College Cross Country shirt, and every other peice of gear that made me wonder just how many people were going to kick my butt that morning. When the race started, just like back in the school days, lots of traffic up front. We started on a grass field for about 40-50 yards, before a quick left and a climb as soon as we hit the dirt. I started out in about 15th, but as soon as the sprinters slowed down, moved up to 8th or 9th by the base of the climb. I don't think this first hill had a name. We went up and over, and down Sandy Hill (which we had to run back up near the end). This hill was even slow going down. If you've ever run on the beach you know what I mean. Over the next few minutes, I slowly passed a couple runners and was in 6th place at the mile mark. So far not too taxed, but a couple runners already had a decent sized lead on the field. We climbed back up behind the start and started the bigger of the two loops with, you guessed it, another climb. I was still feeling good enough to pet a dog as we passed (it didn't hurt that I was going slow enough that I didn't really have to slow down to do so). After mile one, we had a beautiful but brief ocean view, with the Golden Gate off in the corner, a long descent, and a 180 turn at the bottom. This was the half way point of the race. I had moved up a couple more spots to third/fourth at the half, pretty much out of contention for a win. I started back up "Long Hill" (there were 3 named hills...Sandy, Long, and Steep) and was quickly passed. Back in 4th with not much power being generated by the lower half. Back down to the start I regained most of the ground lost on the last climb, and I hit the flat sand section before Sandy Hill redux hoping just to stay close on the climb, and I'd be able to pass on the downhill/flat honestretch.
To my surprise I actually managed a pass about a quarter of the way up, held it over the crest, and extended the lead over the last quarter mile. I was gaining slightly on 2nd place, but was too far behind to make a move. I ended up 3rd in a pretty accurate (3.13) 5k in 18:51...13 seconds ahead of 4th, 16 behind 2nd, and 37 off 1st. Thus ends my odd little streak of 1/2 finishes going back to last Decemeber.
For those unfamiliar with DSE Runners, if you are ever in San Francisco and have an itch to race, they are there nearly 50 weekends a year to scratch it for you! Not only that...the courses vary, they are super cheap ($5!!) and they are some of the friendliest people you are likely to meet (though I think the running community in general is more friendly than most). I've done two of their races in the past year and hope to do many more. They were even nice enough to provide the exquisite photography you see above :)
Dave ran pretty well, figuring that this course was about 15-20% slower than a fast road 5k. Depends who you go by...I think my sub-16 self left about 30 seconds out there on the course, but I just didn't have it that day. On one hand, I was 1:29 slower than last year's CR setter, who is just about that much faster than me on my good day. On the other hand, the guys in front of me are of a speed I've run in the recent past (and hopefully the near future). Dave was under 30:00 on a course that had few fast spots and many slow ones, and finished quite strong after the punishing Sandy Hill.
This week I'll be climbing much more than I'd like once again at the Blood Sweat and Beers trail runs in Auburn. After an aborted speed attemp today, I'm hoping to get one quality run in before then...
Thanks to DSE, and to Sue & Eric, who came to the race to cheer us on, and took us out to a wonderful breakfast at the Presidio Social Club afterwards.
Beer Revolution...quit selling long expired beer!!!