Put up or...

In last week's entry in this space I somewhat confidently wrote about the 5k I had run and suggested I was capable of running it about a minute and a half faster than my time, which was in the neighborhood of 21:30.  I hadn't been planning on putting that statement to the test, but late last week I was presented with the opportunity to run another 5k over the weekend.  I agreed to do it, and immediately realized I had better run about 20 minutes for real this time.

So the gauntlet was laid down, even if I'm the one who laid it down.

Here's what happened.  There is a great show on Comcast Sportsnet about the local running scene.  It's called Runners Ultimate Net, and they follow local runners and races much better than any other area broadcast media.  I have talked to them a few times about contributing in some way to what they do.  It would be a lot of fun.  That hasn't happened yet, but in the meantime, they suggested doing a story about me for their "My Race Day" feature. 

Basically they meet up with the runner at home in the morning before leaving for the race, then they follow you through the race, and sum up your thoughts afterward.  The only problem was that I didn't have any races on my calendar.  So, naturally they had a few to suggest. 

I chose the Park Ridge Charity Classic, mostly because of the location, which is not too far from where I live.  What I didn't realize at the time, however, is this race has the reputation as being incredibly fast.  It's on the CARA Runner's Choice series as well, so a lot of top runners in the area who are competing for the CARA points championship show up.  In other words, there were a lot of good runners there.

It was a pretty small field, about 400 runners at the start.  But one look around told me most were pretty serious runners, as opposed to some of the giant races that draw more casual runners and first-timers.  There were a few of the faster runners from my Elmhurst Running Club, as well as some of folks I have done track workouts with from the CNA corporate team in past years.  So I quickly gathered that I was going to have to give it some effort to avoid embarrassing myself!

Ok, I realize I work in television for a living, but it was also a little unnerving to have a camera following my every move that morning.  I told the photographer that my prerace morning routine consists of rolling out of bed, throwing the shorts on, and getting in the car.  But he still wanted to come! 

Once we got to the race, I figured I'd better try to do it right.  So I warmed up a little, stretched, and tried to get myself mentally prepared to run fast.  Or at least fast for me.  He asked me right before the start what I hoped to run.  I'm not big on predictions, but I blurted out, "20 minutes".  Like I wrote in the title, "Put up or...".

Then we were off, and heading slightly downhill for almost the first half mile.  It felt good.  I hit the one mile mark in about 6:25 and realized I was right on.  Now I just needed to keep that pace.  I felt myself running pretty fluidly, but the breathing was much harder than I am used to lately.  I have done zero speed work lately, and have only been running about 25 miles a week for the last couple months. 

As we neared the turnaround point, I saw leaders going by the other direction.  It looked to be a pretty competitive race up front.  And among the top five overall, was a woman, Tara Moody, who recently ran the marathon in the World Championships.  She grew up in the area and ran for St. Charles High school, before running at the University of Colorado.  She has a p.r. of 2:33 in the marathon.  More on her race in a moment.

When I made the turn and headed back to the finish line, I saw some familiar faces ahead, and used them as targets.  I hit the two mile mark at just under 13 minutes, and knew I was still on pace.  I still felt fine and was running pretty easily.

As we started getting a little closer to the finish, however, I started wearing out a little.  I glanced at my watch to gauge how long I had to the finish.  Big mistake.  The watch read 16:30, and I realized I still had at least three and a half minutes left.  That caused a little mental setback, and I slowed down a bit, allowing a couple runners I had just passed to pass me again.

But I regrouped and tried to push it through the finish.  A friend near the line encouraged me by yelling that I was close to 20 minutes.  I crossed the line, and stopped my watch.  There was no 'chip-timing' for this race.  My watch read 20:02. 

Darn!  So close to breaking 20 minutes!  I got some water, and ran over to get my camera and take a few shots of the other finishers for this space.  That took a few minutes, and by the time I got back, there were very few left to finish.  That's another indication of the fast field in this race.  Normally, I have no problem taking my time and getting lots of pictures.

Still, another indication came when I picked up my results.  I finished in 84th place, barely in the top 25% of the field with a time that would have placed much higher in most other races with much larger fields.  And in my age group. (45-49), I was 13th!  Guess I better think about hitting the track for some speed work before the next time.

But it was a really nice morning, and a fun race.  Considering I wasn't planning on any more races a few days earlier, I'm pretty happy with the effort.  And I can't wait to see the story they put together.  It's supposed to air the day after the Chicago Marathon (10/!2) at 7pm on Comcast Sportsnet.  The website is: http://www.runnersultimatenet.com/. 

After the race, I also did an interview with Tara Moody for them.  She was gracious, and excited.  She says she actually ran her 5k p.r. during the race (about 16:13).  After the Worlds, she says she felt pretty good, because the heat prevented her from running as fast as she had trained, so she is is really good shape right now, and looking to run a really good marathon in Chicago on October 11th.  So this was a nice little tune-up race for her.

And if you are looking for a fast 5k next year, put the Park Ridge Charity Classic on your calendar.

See you on the roads....

Falling for Fall

 

For distance runners, fall is the best season of the year.  Lots of people love the fall because of the beautiful colors as the leaves change.  Or they appreciate the holidays like Thanksgiving or Halloween (not an actual holiday, I know).  Or they love football.  But for runners, the fall represents cross country season.  Or the culmination of all their marathon training during the long hot summer.  There are probably more marathons in the fall than all the other seasons combined, because, in most of the country, fall is the best time of the year to run.

The weather is the key.  Temperatures are mild, even crisp.  To a lot of people it is a time when it starts to get cold.  To runners, it's a time when we can start our run feeling a little chill, and finish it comfortably without needing to wring out our clothes from dripping sweat!

Last weekend, the final weekend of summer 2009, was the day most of those training for the Chicago marathon finished up their hard work and entered the 'taper' phase.  I heard lots of talk about the 20 milers many of my friends were doing.  They had a great weekend for running, and as the days grow shorter, the weather is going to continue to be perfect.

Truth be told, It makes me feel a little envious, and a little bit like a slacker.  I'm not running a fall marathon, and for the first time in more than a year, I failed to get a long run in over the weekend.  In fact, Saturday's Mad Dash to Madison 5k was my big effort of the weekend.  But enough about me.  Let me tell you about the race.

It was part of the Blackhawks training camp festival at the United Center.  I agreed to run as part of a media contingent arranged by my friend at Fox 32, Amy Freeze.  We had a fun group of runners from print, television, public relations, even Miss Illinois!   Hawks President John McDonough was also there to support the runners and the festivities.  He tells me he was a runner for years before his knees decided he should try something else.

I never heard the final number of runners entered, but it was a small field.  I'm sure there were fewer than 1000 runners, and many of them were hockey fans who came out to enjoy it, but don't do many runs otherwise. But course was flat and fast.  The weather was about perfect. And the leaders of the race were still in my sights at the one mile mark.  That hasn't happened in many, many years.

Unfortunately, I really never mentally prepared to try to run fast, and I lived up to my low expectations as the race unfolded.  I never warmed up, and shortly after the starting horn (sounded by Hawks legend Stan Mikita), I  ran with my friend Tom, who is still trying to get his speed back after a year off with injury.  I was trying to help pace him to his goal time, which he made easily.  In retrospect, however, I  think I provided more irritation than support.  I encouraged him to try to catch the next person in front of us all the time, while he was running a good pace regardless.  In a race that short, each runner really needs to run his or her own race. 

When I finished, I felt a little empty.  It's interesting, because no matter your expectations or goals, any time you pin on a number in a race, you tend to want to do well.  I didn't really try to run well, and therefore I felt like I betrayed the spirit of the race in some way.  It's strange, but most of us race to try to challenge ourselves on some level.  In this case, my finishing time was probably about a minute and a half slower than I was capable of running on that day.  Oh, wait, I said enough about me earlier didn't I?

Anyway, no one really talked about times when we finished.  Although I do have to say I'm proud of my wife for cutting more than a minute and a half from her 5k time of just over a month ago.  Her determined effort to get back to her 'pre-maternity' body is paying off!  All in all, It was a fun morning, and a great way to get psyched up for  the Hawks season! 

Oh, and please excuse all the pictures of me.  I wanted to show the people I was talking about, but I happened to be in all the pictures! 

Congratulations to all the runners who did their 20 milers over the weekend.  Enjoy the taper.  Get lots of rest, and eat and drink well for the next couple weeks.  Remember, there is nothing you can do at this point before the race to improve your fitness.  The work is done, and you can really only fine tune things at this point.  You can, however, hurt yourself by doing too much at this point before the race.  So relax and have fun.  And enjoy the fall!

See you on the roads....

Window to the World

This might have been the most beautiful place I've ever run.  Just down the street from the hotel where we were staying in Avon, Colorado (near Vail) was a great bike/running path along the Eagle river, nestled in the valley, surrounded by mountains.  My wife and I took turns every morning make the best use of it we could, while the other minded the kids. 

The path was hilly, and unbelievably scenic.  It helped me get over my disappointment of missing a couple of races back home that I would have otherwise enjoyed.  Had I been in Chicago, I would have run the Oak Brook half marathon on Labor Day, and the Chicago half on the 13th.  But this was a much different experience, and, dare I say, more enjoyable!

Running in the mountains, at elevations near 8,000 feet or so, is a challenge.  The thin air makes it tough to get enough oxygen.  That, of course, is why many world class runners train at altitude.  I am not training for anything right now, but, I do want to try to maintain my fitness level from a spring and summer full of racing.  So a week of altitude running, along with carting the kids around to a host of tourist activities, amounted to a pretty good week of exercise.

I pretty much ran the same route every day along the path, with my turn-around point a little different each day depending on the distance I planned.  So I became pretty familiar with the sights along the route.  Being surrounded by such breathtaking views, however, I tried to soak it all in every day.  It was really a great way to start each day.

But one of the things that stuck out in my mind every day as I passed by, was the beautiful gym at the Westin Hotel.  I passed by it near the entrance to the path every day.  There are outside pools and hot tubs, and a well-equipped gym with windows facing the mountains.  Right in front of the windows are treadmills.  So runners can take in the view as they run in place in the gym. 

Sounds great right?  I'm sure it is, especially when the path is covered with several feet of snow and ice, and the temperature is hovering in the teens. Or a driving rain.  That was not the case during our visit.  We were were blesssed with ideal weather every day.  Yet the treadmills seemed to be getting a lot of use every time I ran by.

Which leads me to what I thought was an obvious question:  Why?!?.  Why would you run inside on a treadmill in a gym, looking through the window at nature, rather than take a few steps outside and be a part of it?  Inside you are insulated from the sounds of the babbling river as it flows through the rocks.  You miss out on the fresh mountain air, and the ever-changing scenery.

Don't get me wrong, this treadmill set-up is one of the best I've ever seen.  And I'm a runner who generally hates running on treadmills.  So if there was no other choice but to run on a treadmill, this is the place I would do it.  But, most of us have a choice.  And running on the treadmill, with an outdoor setting like that just a few feet away, just seems like a strange choice to me. 

To each their own I guess.

Anyway, I want to mention a great non-running event coming up this weekend.  It's in LaGrange, and benefits the Community Nurse organization which provides health care to those who otherwise cannot afford it.  It's called Rocktoberfest.  Here's a link if you would like more information.  www.communitynurse.org

So, good luck to those finishing up their last 20 milers in preparation for the marathons this weekend.  I hope to see you out on the path....

    

A Different Marathon

I was congratulating my colleague Michelle Gallardo on her triathlon finish Monday when she asked me about branching out into other sports aside from running.  It turns out running is her weak event in the tri, while she is a strong and experienced swimmer.  I am just the opposite, and my weak swimming is what keeps me from having any desire to do a triathlon.  I enjoy running, and that's what I stick to.  For the most part anyway. 

I do enjoy the lake, even if I'm not planning on swimming a mile in it.  So when my wife was organizing media teams for the Chicago Shoreline marathon, I immediately agreed to do it.  The name is misleading.  It's a kayak marathon.  No running involved.

Anyway, the media teams were full of lots of friends of mine.  People like Amy Freeze, Ramblin Ray Stevens, Ginger Zee, Amy Jacobson, Dina Bair.  There were lots of other great folks I met for the first time that morning.  They're all good athletes.  And while some of us can be pretty competitive, this was just for fun.  I've never been in a kayak before, and it looked like a pretty cool way to spend time in the lake.  I didn't realize, at the time, that I literally meant in the water.

But I began the morning with my normal weekend long run with my regular group.  We went out on the Lakefront path on the south side for a change of pace.  It was a perfect morning to run.  The temperature was cool, and there was a nice breeze off the lake.  None of us are training for anything right now, so it was nice to be out there running for the sake of running.

But as we ran along the lake, my friends pointed out that the lake seemed a little rough.  They knew, of course, that I was doing the kayak thing after our run.  So they were pointing out imaginary sharks in the water, ten foot waves, anything that would make me have second thoughts.  I dismissed it.

So we finished our run.  I downed a couple bottles of Gatorade, and then went off to the northside for the kayaking.  When I got there I learned that the winds were for real.  In fact, they had shortened the course and changed direction for the pros doing the full marathon distance.  And for the media teams they simply made the course a couple loops around buoys not more than a quarter mile from the shore. 

It looked like a piece of cake.  I had the third leg on our team.  Ramblin Ray Stevens led our team off to a great start, and we were in the lead.  Ginger Zee then took over, and kept us in strong contention as well.  Then I got the baton.  I got off to a good start and was rolling along thinking this was pretty easy. 

Then I hit a wave the wrong way, and suddenly I was no longer in the boat.  It was upside down in the lake, and  I was treading water, trying desperately to hold on to my paddle and figure out how to turn the boat right side up.  Being that this was a race, I was trying to do this as quickly as possible, and hoping to get back in before anyone noticed.  There was a major embarrassment factor going on here as well.

Well, fortunately, there were a couple of safety patrols nearby, who helped me figure out how to get back in the boat, and dump the water out.  I managed to get back in, and pump the rest of the water and start on my way again.  I got about two turns of the paddle before I dumped into lake once more.  Ok, so much for my thinking that this was easy!

By the time I managed to get back in, and make my way back to shore, we were no longer in contention.  I handed the baton to our anchor leg, our 'ringer' Tracy.  She had no chance to make up our deficit, and we finished well behind. 

So, I learned that kayaking can be a lot of fun, and can be a really good workout for the core and upper body muscles.  I also learned it takes a lot of practice, and I'm not very good at it right now.  The good news is that at least I can still stick to running.

And speaking of running, the Chicago marathon folks are starting up an interesting campaign to help some of the many charities that benefit from their training and fundraising programs.  You can sign a 'digital footprint' to leave your mark and contribute to each charity.  That's a poor explanation, but you can find a better one on their website.  Here's the link: www.chicagomarathon.com/footprint

See you on the roads....