Summertime at Last

 

Our plan was to go about 12 miles on Saturday morning.  We were on the Prairie Path somewhere in West Chicago.  We were running into the sun, when something happened that hadn't happened for yearly a year.  We overheated!  This spring has seen plenty of nasty, cold, and rainy weather.  There have been precious few warm, humid days.  But it all came back to us over the weekend.

 

Last Saturday we ran in a downpour, and tried to see the bright side, comparing it to running in heat and humidity.  At the time we opted for the heat.  Saturday, we longed for the rain.  Go figure.  In any case, we were on about mile 8 when my friend Tom put into words what the rest of us were thinking.  We would be fine with running a little shorter than we planned.  Thank you Tom!

 

Seriously, the heat can be not only unpleasant to run in, but dangerous.  We all remember the 2007 Chicago marathon.  Tom and I, coincidently, ran together that day, and made the decision to quit after about 12 miles (choosing to run another marathon a couple weeks later).  Of course, later that day, marathon officials shut down the race. 

There were lots of people transported to hospitals, and one person died.  There were complaints about running out of water.  You remember.  It was a bad scene. 

 

So with that in mind, you might consider a seminar my friend Mark Buciak is hosting Tuesday evening.  Details are below.  Meantime, I'll see you on the roads....

 

 

BEAT THE HEAT SEMINAR:  Running Tips To Survive The Summer’s Heat

More runners are dying in races from 5K’s to the marathon.

Find out what you can do run safely in the summer’s heat while not sacrificing your training.

Please join us for this free seminar presented by veteran marathoner and Coach Mark Buciak. Mark will give you great tips and inspiration to get ready for any summer running program or races.

Coach Mark Buciak, QCC veteran of 53 marathons including 30 straight Bostons and one open heart surgery welcome you and your questions. He is program director of THE ROAD TO BOSTON Training Program and is a friend & supporter of Jack's Team.

Date: Tuesday, June 23rd  

Location: REI, 1466 N. Halsted Street

Time: 6:30-8:00PM

Cost: Absolutely free but please RSVP to reserve your space

RSVP:  www.theroadtoboston.info

Free Parking: For 90 minutes in the garage with validation

 

 

My Kind of Race

 For years since my college days of competitive running, I've slowed down pretty steadily and run mostly for fun.  I've entered lots of races, setting time goals, and generally finishing in the top 10-20% of the field in most of the races I enter.  That might sound good, but in a race with 10,000 runners, that might mean I finish about in about 1,700th place for instance.  In other words, my times aren't exactly going to set the world on fire, but it's really only about reaching my own goals anyway right?  Until last year's Jim Gibbons 5k that is.

The Gibbons race is special to me for a lot of reasons.  First off, it's sponsored by ABC-7, but it also honors the reporter whose tragic death created the opening at channel 7 that I ultimately filled.  Everyone who knew Jim recalls a wonderful gentleman and journalist.  So I've tried to run the race most every year since I've been here.  And my time at channel 7 coincides with the number of races the Leukemia Research Foundation has put on.  This was the 15th anniversary.

  It's also a 5k, which, despite my focus on running marathons for the last several years, is really a distance I am better suited for.  Or at least I used to be.  My best time in the race was a few years ago when I ran about 19 minutes.  That's quite a bit slower than my college days, but quite a bit faster than I've been able to run lately.  Nevertheless, last year, after running just under 21minutes, a time I was disappointed with, I learned I had finished 3rd in my age group.  It was a distant third but it was still good for a medal! 

Now I hadn't gotten medals or placed in my age group really since high school and college.  I run for fun.  But since that surprise finish last year, I secretly promised myself I would aim to finish high in my age group again this year.  And I even entered an older age group this year, 45-49.  

Even without focusing or thinking much about the race in recent days, I knew I wanted to give it a good effort.  I'm usually pretty low key before races.  I don't really worry about getting there early or warming up too much.  But before this race, I was kind of keyed up.  I didn't really joke around too much before hand, and actually did go through a bit of a warm-up routine.

When the gun went off, I concentrated on going out at a steady, quick pace.  I really didn't know what time I was capable of, but I wanted to run as fast as I could and still feel comfortable.  Since I forgot my running watch at home, I really could only judge by how I felt, rather than time.  I hit the first mile marker in about 6:35, which I thought was about where I wanted to be.  Then I concentrated on trying to hold that pace.  The second mile marker read about 13:06, which also felt good.  I thought it was a pace that I could hold to the end, but if I could pick it up a bit in the last mile, I had a chance to break 20 minutes.

That didn't happen, but I did take notice of anyone ahead of me who seemed to have a lot of gray hair, thinking they might be in my age group!  I passed a couple of people who fit that description.  I crossed the line in 20:21.  It was more than 30 seconds faster than last year, and felt like a good effort. 

Normally I don't pay too much attention to the awards when they announce the winners after races.  I'm always curious to hear what times the winners ran, and whether I know them.  But, in this case, I was really interested.  Unfortunately, I had to leave before my colleague Frank Mathie made those announcements on the stage.  So I had to wait until the results were posted online before I could find out whether I passed enough old guys like me to get another medal. 

It turns out I snuck into another 3rd place age group award, well behind 1st and 2nd places, but still good for a medal!  It is really pretty funny that my focus changed so much over such a trivial matter as getting a medal that will probably sit in the bottom of a drawer somewhere.  I am certainly an experienced enough runner to know that placing in a race like that really just depends on what faster runners my age sign up for that particular race.  In the overall results, I finished in 41st place.  But, hey, I don't get many chances at stuff like that. so I'll take it anyway!

Meantime, I also had the chance to talk to a real world class runner the other day.  Deena Kastor, when healthy, is the best American woman marathon runner.  She was in Chicago to announce her plans to run the Bank of American Chicago marathon in the fall.  It will be her first marathon since suffering a broken bone in her foot during the marathon at the Beijing Olympics.  Take a look at the interview here:

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=6870798

I'll see you on the roads....

Mix up Your Workout

       I was deep in REM sleep Sunday morning when my wife's alarm clock went off at 7:30.  Mind you, this was already a luxury that we were able to sleep that late without one of the kids coming in to wake us up.  But they were still asleep on this rainy morning.  My wife set the alarm because she was planning on going to 'boot camp' that morning.  But, because of an injury (or maybe she just wanted to sleep in) she decided not to go.  So she woke me to ask whether I wanted to go instead.  My immediate answer was, "No, now let me go back to sleep". 

But after laying in bed for another ten minutes without being able to go back to sleep, thinking about how I should try this workout, I decided to get up and go.  Fortunately, it's right down the street from where  we live, and I was able to get dressed and make it there in a couple minutes for the 8am start.  

All I knew was that there was supposed to be a cross section of people there, including athletes, Moms trying to stay in shape, and Dads doing the same, and some kids.  This particular group meets in Elmhurst on a football field for sprints and calisthenics, then runs over to a nearby sledding hill for a good part of the workout.  I run by that hill at least four or five times a week on my normal running routes, and have long realized it would be good to do a couple runs up it, but somehow I never had done it.  This, I guess, would be the day.  

I figured I'm in pretty good shape, having run some pretty good races recently.  I've been keeping my weekly mileage near 30 miles a week since the Boston marathon in April.  So, I thought," how hard can it be?".  The answer, is pretty hard.  It was a good reminder that running is a great activity that works your legs and your arms and cardio system.  But it is an activity that works them in one direction:  straight forward.  As I've gotten older, the other sports I used to do more have slowly fallen off the radar.  These days I rarely play basketball, volleyball, softball, or tennis.  All those sports used to be regular parts of my life, before age, marriage, and kids took hold.  Now, I'm clinging to my daily run and vowing that's the one thing that will not go!

But it also means I need cross training more than ever.  We hear talk about working on our 'core' muscles all the time, but it really can't be emphasized enough.  A strong core not only helps improve our running, and really helps prevent injuries, by taking some of the pressure off our knees and other joints.  So, in short, that's why I thought the boot camp was a good idea. 

One of the nice things about not having a marathon on my fall schedule this year, is that I can really mix up the workouts a little, and experiment a bit without worrying about following the rigorous marathon training schedule.  Of course, I haven't experimented much, but it's a great theory.  Other workouts just aren't as enjoyable to me as simply hitting the road or trail on a run.   But as I lined up for the boot camp workout I realized I haven't done a workout like that since my high school football or basketball days.  That was, ahem, quite a few years ago.

About a minute after I got there,  the leader was barking out instructions:  Sprint to the end line and back, then do 10 push-ups.  Then do it again, and again and so on.  Then go back and forth accross the field and hit the ground and roll.  It  was so  different from my normal routine that it was actually fun.  I didn't know what to expect, so I paced myself early on.  But I finished the workout feeling strong.  Then I was sore for the next three days!  But I'll ldo it again.  Below is link to the group's website, and a sample of the workout.  I'll see you on the roads..... The Workout

Each one-hour workout will choose from among the following: WARMUP - 60 meter sprint followed by 5 or 10 push-ups, crunches or burpees (x20) 60 meter sprint (forward, backward, side-shuffle, karaoka) followed by 5 or 10 push-ups, crunches or burpees (x20) Timed 400 meter sprint around soccer field to top of The Hill Calisthenics: push-ups, crunches, burpees, plios Run The Hill for 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes 120 meter sprints (x10, x15 or x20) Motivational talk and prayer

http://www.hillsworkout.com/index.html
 

What Was Your Time?

I was on a run recently with friends I hadn't seen in several weeks, since before the Boston marathon, when one asked how I did.  I told him it was a great day, that I had a good run, and the weather was perfect.  That apparently was not the answer he was looking for.  What he really wanted to know, was the time I had run.  I told him.  I finished in 3:37, and was marginally dissapointed that it was a little slower than my goal. 

In this case, the time was just one part of the overall experience from the race.  Sure, if I had run significantly slower than I was hoping for, the overall experience would not have been nearly as positive.  But I answered his question with the first answer.  It was a great experience.  

It got me thinking about personal goals in running.  Sometimes we are looking specifically to place in our age group, or in the overall standings.   Sometimes we are just looking to beat a rival.  Usually we have a time goal in mind, and the number on the clock at the finish line is the most important thing.

I have friends my age and older who remember the finishing times for every significant race they have ever run.  One friend recalls finishing times from college races several decades ago.  I get that.  You certainly remember how close you got to magical times like a 4:00 mile, or a sub 30:00 10k.  He was close to both of those.  He particularly remembered a half marathon he ran in 1:07.  All great times indeed.   

As for myself, however, I've really never been concerned too much about the clock.  In fact, if Boston didn't require qualifying times to run the marathon, I probably wouldn't even remember most of my marathon times.  Come to think of it, other than four or five of the most recent, I don't remember.  I don't even remember how many marathons I've run.  I'm pretty sure it's more than ten and fewer than 20.  Nor do I remember the times I ran in college cross country or track.  I generally remember the pace I was able to run, and the place I finished on my team, but I couldn't tell you a single finishing time from those days.  About the only thing  I do know is that the times were significantly faster than they are these days!

The problem with times is that everything is relative, and your finishing time in a race is really only meaningful to you.  You are the only one who knows what you were hoping to run.  And you are the only one who knows how much effort you gave, and whether you had anything left in the tank at the end, or a nagging injury slowed you down a little. 

The Soldier Field 10 miler was another interesting example of this.  I ran pretty well, and enjoyed the day quite a bit.  I did not run as fast as I was capable that day, nor did I take it as easy as I might have felt like.  I shared the time I ran, 1:12, with my friends who had run the race.  Mine was far from the fastest time, and not quite the slowest in my group.  But the only one who it really meant anything to was me.  I know how I ran, and I was the only one who could decide whether I was happy with it.  For the record, I was.

After Boston in April, I wrote on my facebook page that I was thrilled with my time because it was 20 minutes faster than the last time I had run there.  That was true, and it sounded impressive  But I failed to mention it was also 18 minutes slower than the time I ran to qualify for the race in the first place.  Everything is relative.  The first time I ran the course, it was in terrible weather, and I basically threw in the towel halfway through the race.  As unsatisfying as the time was that year, however, I still enjoyed the experience of running the Boston marathon.  I was more happy with the race this year, though, because of all the factors involved.

My real goal for Boston this year was to make sure I left it all on the course.  I wanted to give a good effort and have a good feeling about it afterward.  I accomplished that.  And no time on the clock would reflect that.  I think we miss out on quite a bit of the journey when we focus too much on the destination.  And how long it takes to get there.

There are lots of first-timers who enter the Chicago marathon every year with the objective of simply finishing.  There are plenty of others who aim to run a better time than their last, or a p.r.  Many want to qualify for Boston.  Some want to break 3 or 4 or 5 hours.  My time means little to them, just as their time means little to me.  Unless they are out to win major prize money, it probably doesn't matter a whole lot to anyone in the big scheme of things.

The way I look at it, running is a way of life.  Races are supposed to be a celebration of that lifestyle.  They can serve as goals to help keep us on a training schedule, as well as a kind test that we give ourselves.  But there are really no grades.  Just being out there makes it a successful day regardless of the time.

Oh, and  speaking of races, there is a good one coming up later this month I want to share with you.

RACE for the Kids 5K RUN/WALK

to Benefit Children's Memorial Hospital

Who:               Serious athletes, fitness enthusiasts, families and Children's Memorial supporters are invited to take part in...

What:              Children's Memorial Hospital’s Race for the Kids 5k Run/Walk.

When:             Saturday, June 20

8:00 a.m. Start

Start/Finish:  Soldier Field

               

Registration:    Registration is $35 (children 12 and under are free)

Visit www.childrensmemorial.org/raceforthekids

Packet pick-up and in-person registration will be:

·        Thursday, June 18, 4 to 7 p.m.

·        Friday, June 19, 2- 6 p.m.

      Running Away, 1634 W. North Avenue, Chicago

*Receive a 10% in-store discount when you pick up your race packet at Running Away.

Note: There will be no race day registration.

Highlights:      The 5k features a CARA-registered course that will take participants along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront path. All participants will be timed and will receive an exclusive Race for the Kids t-shirt. A post-event party with live music, refreshments, kids’ activities and awards will celebrate the finish. 

It should be a good race.  Maybe I'll see you there, or somewhere else on the roads.....