Bolt Run Or Running With The Big Boys

First off, who is the incredible
shrinking man to my right?....
None other then runrandall... I'm
starting to feel him on my heels and I'm afraid there is no stopping him.




If his times get any faster, I'm going to take him out to a buffet. Cause that's the only way to slow him down.... Great job runrandall!

Now on to the race.... You know a funny thing happened on the way to a painful run.... I found out what its like to run with the big boys.... For the first half mile of a 5 mile race...

See it happened like this.... I toed the start line with no runner in front of me.... No jockeying for position... no moving in and out of slower runners.... Just me, runrandall, and about 10 to 15 really good runners.... Then about 200 runners behind us.... I know there is something wrong with that picture... But I was getting tired of running from the back..

The view from the front is much different then the middle or the back.... These guys really fly... And I got caught up in it a little bit... I think a little too much.... O.K. I went all out my first mile... A 6:20 pace, what am I crazy? I wanted a 6:50 pace... But when the bulls are running it's very hard to hold back.

When I hit mile 1 and saw 6:20 on my watch, I said.... "OH.... NOoooo"..... "What am I doing?"
I felt O.K.... But I knew what loomed ahead.... I was just hoping when it happened, there would be a soft place to land and runrandall would be able to identify the body when he found me...

I brought the pace down the 2nd mile to a respectable 6:45 still feeling good.... 5 miles is a long way... And I'm not half done... Guess what else I didn't know... I was running with the wind... I realized that when I made my turn around on Bayshore.... One more... OH...NOooo....

As I made the turn an old man past me... You Know, there is nothing like running the fastest 2 miles you have ever run.... And a 70 year old man passes you.... Does a lot for the ego.
I'm thinking, so this is how it ends.... Start off with the bulls and finishes with the President of A.A.R.P. running me down.

Mile 3 still holding on... Sort of... 7:11 split not bad, but I'm still steamed about grandpa who I can't even see now... I know I'm a grandpa, but he looks the part... Shut-up! I know what you're thinking.

Mile 4 is when I started thinking.. Why didn't I run the 5k? Not the 5 mile..... Why do I do this?... This is the longest 5 miles I've ever run... I hate running... I feel someone behind me... Don't let him pass... Don't let him pass... Don't let him pass... Fine Mr. Hotshot, pass.... Go ahead pass... I'm sure he's going to write in his blog, about the old man he passed on mile 4... Young whipper-snapper, I bet he won't catch the old man who passed me.... Don't let him get you grandpa where ever you are!.. By the way mile 4 (7:32) split... Ouch!

Mile 5 the mile I've been looking for... Time to bring it home... I always like the last mile of a race... Mentally I put myself in my neighborhood and I run the last mile like I was at home, knowing I can run a mile seems to ease the pain... Not really it still hurts.

Looking at my watch I should have only a half mile to go... I pick up my pace and try to find one last gear.... It's going to be close... I want a 35:00 time, and time is running out.... Making the last turn, I see the finish line about 200 yards away... No one behind me.... No one ahead of me... I'm racing on my own.... I start to sprint and I feel pretty good.... At least I think am sprinting.... Down the stretch I come.... Boom, hit the line and watch at the same time.... It's over... Thank you it's over... Some man says "a 7:01 pace, good run!"... I'm handed a card, I fill it out with my name and put it in the 40-44 age box.... There are already 3 cards in the box, so the best I can hope for in my age group is 4th.
I'll post my official place and time when it comes out, my watch had 35:09.

Here's what I know... If you're going to run with the big dogs, it's going to hurt... I don't mean a little uncomfortable... It is a grind on your body and the next mile hurts more then the last... You run on the edge of total breakdown... Running up front is not for the weak minded... There comes a time when you have to will yourself into the next mile, because the body has limits... But the mind has dreams.

See ya on the road, runron.

Pathetic Best Describes It

When I first started writing this blog, it was a way to vent my frustrations without driving my wife crazy..... Also a way to beat myself up.... well, let the beating begin...

What I'm I doing?... Forget the positive crap.... I crashed on the last mile of a tempo run today... If I'm ever going to get better, I need to learn to man-up and run the pace that is set for the run...

It was a simple 4 mile tempo run and I missed the last mile by 30 seconds... And it would have been more, but with a half mile to go I ask myself "WWED" or what would Eddie do? That made for a little push at the end.

Oh I made excuses... It's hot..... It's windy... I'm tired... I just don't have it today... But there is no excuse for that performance... Eddie's got nothing to worry about... Yes I'm acting like a baby... It's my blog and if you don't like it, you can stick it in your ear...

I'm not used to the wheels coming off... And I don't like it... I think I'll change my name to runrhonda... After the run steam was coming out of my ears....

The training plan is based on my recent 5k time... The pace is something I should be able to handle... But not today... What a joke... You should have seen me out there.... Looking like mile 25 of a marathon.... AND IT WAS ONLY 4 MILES!... Pathetic...

I know I'm not a writer.... And apparently I'm not a runner... well I run, or maybe a fast jog... The point is I need to do better.... Runs like today puts things into prospective... I'm not nearly as good as I think I am... There is a lot of work ahead.

If you're still reading this... Truth be told, I needed a run like today.... No I didn't have my best stuff.. That's O.K.
Writing this gives me the kick in the pants I need... A way to motivate... If I was happy with every run, I would see no room for improvement... Sometimes I need to call myself names... Like Rhonda or girly man, to pump me up.

Believe me I know there are more important things in life then running a race... Life is a fragile thing... So what you read in this blog is just for entertainment... I don't want to give the impression that I'm all wrapped up in running... I do have a life outside of running.

Never take anything I write too seriously.... But there is some truth to what I write.... It's up to you to decide what to take out of this slop I write.
But it was a pathetic run.

See ya on the road, runrhonda.... Errr runron.

You really should be worried Eddie, I'm giving you a false sense of security.

The Golden Age Of Marathons

A lot of my post are silly and full of fluff and I try not to take myself to seriously.... But I want to write about the past and what it meant to be a marathoner in the early days.... This may be too long of a post for some of you to read. It also may bore you.... So if your not up to reading about things that happened long ago, I understand..... You may want to comeback later.... I'm writing this for the men who ran before me....

Clarence DeMar... Ever heard of him... He only won the Boston Marathon seven times. The first one in 1911. The doctors found out that he had a heart murmur and told him he should not run marathons. He only ran one marathon from the age of 23 to 32, he finished 3rd. In 1922 he started running Boston again and won 6 times over the next 9 races. (1922, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1930)
Think of what he would have done in his prime. If that were to happen today, he would be his own corporation. Like Lance Armstrong.

Tarzan Brown... He ran the last 5 miles of the Boston Marathon barefoot. His sneakers fell apart on mile 21... I bet he would have loved Nike.
He also sold the two medals he won (Boston 1936, 1939) for $75.00 each. He said "you can't eat medals".

Walter Young.... He was promised a job with the Verdon Police Dept. if he won the Boston Marathon. He won and had a job for 41 years.

Mr. Boston, Johnny Kelley worked for Edison Power Company. He had to take vacation time to run in the Olympics and if he needed an extra week, it was without pay.

There are so many stories of the past. Men who ran for food or jobs, some ran for their country or bring attention to the hardship their homeland faced during wartime.
They were men of character and the were characters. They came from all walks of life, having one common bond.... Passion.

We do not give enough credit to those who blazed the trail before us. In reality they had more in common with you and me then the elites of today.
For starters they had Joe jobs if they had jobs at all. Times were tough, most of them trained a night after working all day.

Equipment... What equipment?.... Imagine a world without state of the art running shoes, the research of speed work, the science V02 max, sport drinks, energy gels, tested training plans, and who could run without the IPOD.

I know you can't miss something you never had, but to run the times that these men ran, in the era they ran in, is a truly remarkable feat.

I don't want to forget about the woman.
Not only did they have to fight a 26.2 mile battle, they had to win a war of sexism.
In 1966 Roberta Gibb had to hide in the bushes until the Boston Marathon started. She was not allowed to run officially and was not recognized as the woman's winner until 1996.

Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to get an official race bib in the Boston Marathon. She entered as K.V. Switzer and when race officials realized K.V. was a woman they tried to forcibly remove her from the race.
Woman like Ms. Gibb and Switzer may not have been running for food or jobs, but they were running for our daughters and granddaughters. And like the men that ran before them... They ran with passion...

The next time you go out for a run, spend a little time thinking about the runners who ran before you.

I know this post is not as articulate as I would like for it to be. Many writers with more skill then your humble blogger (runron) have written about these great runners.
I just wanted to give a little space to those that ran before me.

Information for this post came from the book. Young At Heart, by Fredrick Lewis.
With the help of Wikipedia

See ya on the road, runron....
And if Clarence DeMar saw me, he probably would push me out of the way.... That's the type of guy Clarence was... I think I would have liked old Clarence.
.

Bay to Bay, Oh what a day

I was recovering on my couch, watching a NASCAR race. .... And the thought came to me... To report on my race the same way a driver would.... So let me put on my best Jeff Gordon and give it a try.

Well, the 43 body really ran good today.... The Mizuno shoes never let me down..... It's a good thing I had on my Nike long sleeved shirt, because the weather was a bit cool.... I can't say enough about the way my Ipod held up, it played the right songs at the right time... I didn't know if I would make the start on time, because of the long line at the bathroom.... But Port-a-potty came through with just enough johns to get us to the starting line.... I also want to give a special thanks to Monster energy drink, it made the first few miles feel like I was shot out of a cannon.....

The sun was pretty bad at the start, but my Oakley sunglasses pulled me through.... And the Adidas cap kept the sweat out of my eyes....

We got into a little trouble at mile 3 when some hot shot kid came out of nowhere and clipped me on the side... it was way to early in the race to be running like that.... But it's just one of those deals...

The pace was fast, I was hitting 7:15 miles... my Timex Ironman watch was unbelievable today.
When your in shorter races, you really don't need energy gels.... But I had Gu with me just in case... And I have to mention Zephyrhills Water, they help fuel the old 43 at the water stops.

All in all I would say it was a good race for the 43 body, we placed 15th in a field of 66 (age group 40-44) I thought I was getting a little loose at the end, but my Timex said it was my fastest mile of the day.
I hope I didn't forget anybody, but let me thank, Under armor for their socks, Body Glide for a chafe free race, the Volunteers who made this race possible, the ST. Pete police for their cooperation with traffic......And all the fans of old 43.
We got a race in two week.... So we'll go back to the shop and work out a few things.... there is always room for improvement.... we'll be back.... That's racing.

I guess it would sound something like that.... And if any of the products I just mentioned want to sponsor me, I'm all ears.... Because this is the last time you will get free time on my blog.

Now the boring stuff.
Mile 1 - 7:13
Mile 2- 14:28 (7:15)
Mile 3- 21:38 (7:09)
Mile 4- 28:56 (7:17)
Mile 5- 36:16 (7:20)
Mile 6-43:37 (7:20)
Mile 7- 50:43 (7:05)
Mile .46 54:00 (3:18)

Hey "Eddie" you were a no show, I guess the Eddie G is not the real Eddie.

See ya on the road, runron

Bay To Bay Classic or another race already?

Well boys and girls the racing season is getting in full swing.... Sunday will be my 5th race of the year and every one of them has be a P.R. and I guarantee this race will be as well... Just as long as I cross the finish line... Why?.. Because I've never ran a 12k race before.... Even the name sounds odd... 12k...

For those of you that are metric challenged. 12k is about seven and a half miles... It's funny how us crazy Americans run distance in metric, but run our pace in miles... Go figure... No I really mean go figure, it don't add up... And I'm the guy that uses the metric system more then most Americans. (It's part of my job)... Even though I use it everyday and it's a simpler why to measure things... I don't like it... I'm starting to get off topic... But 25mm is the same as an inch.... What sounds better, "I stepped on a nail 25mm long". Or "I stepped on a nail an inch long"...I know Nether, who wants to step on a nail... But you get my point.

Back on topic... The Bay To Bay Classic is a point to point race. That is something I've never done before, and it sounds pretty neat... Did I just write pretty neat?... What's happening to me?... Anyway we start on one side of ST. Petersburg (not Russia) and run to the bay on the other side.... What fun... I don't think Eddie is going (see post below) too bad... But I'm not ready for him anyway, our time will come...

We'll see how the race goes, right now I'm not feeling it. I did a slow run today, just to give my legs a rest... Been pounding the pavement a lot lately and I need to be fresh.
Tell you about it over the weekend, maybe Monday

See ya on the road, runron

My Nemesis

Look, I know running is not about winning... We do it for our health... We try to improve against our own time... It keeps middle age guys like me out of trouble... There are all kinds of reasons to run... I just found one more...

Every sport needs a rival, a foe, an arch enemy. Someone that is better then you, but with hard work you think you can be their equal.
I don't wish ill will on my nemesis... I want him to run his best, to beat him when he's not on top of his game would take the joy out of running down the enemy.

I've thought long and hard about picking my combatant. He would have to be in my age group, run a 5k about a minute and a half faster then me. He would also have to run in most of the races I run and be a little cocky about his running prowess.

There are several guys I know that fit this bill... But one stands out as "the guy"... We all know the type of guy I'm talking about... And it does not apply to only running... He's the guy that takes himself too seriously... I picture this guy at work getting bent out of shape if someone took a paper clip off his desk and then runs to tell the boss that someone is stealing his stuff...Or maybe he made a big sale then struts around the office like a rooster...

None of these guys know about this blog, but to keep it safe I'll call him "Eddie".
Eddie is a very talented runner. He has probably been running for years, but he needs to be ran down... And I'm the guy that's going to do it... It may take awhile, but I'm pretty determined when I put something in my cross-hairs.

Here is the beauty of my plan. Eddie has no clue, I don't think he even knows my name (yet, he will). Like all hunters I know my prey... The Internet is a wonderful tool to find out race results. I know all the races he's been in, his times, his pace, what place he finished. Before this is over I will know what he eats for breakfast..

Before you think I'm a stalker, let me say I'm not... This is just my way of getting the best out of my running... But it's also fun, I need something like this to get me to the next level... If I can make "Eddie" the focus of my training, I know I will get better... I'm sure Eddie is a nice guy, I've only had a passing conversation with him a few times, but for now he is my "Darth Vader" and the force will be with me when that day comes.

This may take years, I don't know... If Eddie quits running (not likely) or moves out of town, there will always be an "Eddie" and I'll find him.

Who knows I might be someones "Eddie" and that's O.k. I just hope they don't think I'm as cocky as my "Eddie". There is something about him that rubs me the wrong way and I don't think I'm alone with that thought.

I don't know how many races we will be in this year. He has sat a few out because he is getting ready for Boston... Yes, he's a Boston qualifier (if you stand within 10 feet of him, you know that).... Starting to hate him aren't ya?
But we will race down the road, I'm not going anywhere, and I'm sure "Eddie" is not either. I know how to find him.

Until then I will be in the tall grass, honing my skills... Waiting... Waiting... Then pounce on my prey like a puma in the wild.

Running is starting to get interesting again, just when I thought I was getting into a rut... Along comes Eddie, thanks "Eddie"

Next week I will be running in the Bay To Bay Classic 12k. I don't know if Eddie will be there, but I'll find out... To be continued.

See ya on the road (lets go "Eddie") runron.

A New Gear

I needed a plan... And I think I've found one.
This running thing is still kinda new to me, I've been doing this for over a year and to be honest, I thought I would be sick of it by now..... Just when I think I can't possibly run any faster, something clicks and that 8:30 ten mile pace becomes an easy run.

I did a 6 mile tempo run Tuesday at an 8:08 pace and I thought I could run forever, it was effortless... This is something I'm not familiar with.... well maybe a little, my Gasparilla run was like that, but I thought it was a fluke.

What I have found is another gear... One that I didn't know I had. A faster pace actually feels better then a slower one. Maybe I'm getting the hang of this running thing.... The plan I've come up with is the Furman First 5k plan. It calls for a lot of tempo runs and speed work at the track. Which I'm starting to enjoy (I know I'm sick).
I'll do this through the spring to go along with my 5k races and then start adding longer runs to build up my base before marathon training starts in July.

You never know, that 19:59 5k time might be reachable. If I never run that time it won't be from lack of effort.

I guess that's the beauty of running, there is always a goal to conquer and a race to run... Kinda like life.

See ya on the road, (or track, Tim) runron

Strawberry Classic 5k

First let me thank all the good runners that chose not to run in this race. By sitting this one out it allowed me to place 3rd in my age group.

Yes I'm happy with the outcome, but I think the field was weak... I ran a 21:28 and that is more like a 5th or 6th place time when the competition is a little more stiff.

My 5k goal is to run it in 19:59, so I need to shave almost a full 1:30 off my time. I'm beginning to realized that's a tall order.

A year ago I ran a 24:05 (5k) or a 7:45 pace.... Today my pace was 6:54, if I'm going to reach my goal I will need a lot of speed work and about 3 more years of training....

Problem is, by that time I will be 3 years older and a lot more beat-up.... My mind is up for the challenge (ego)... But my body is saying something else (common sense)... I still need a plan... right now I'm going to continue to run until the wheels fall off or I die, which ever comes first.

Other then that Mrs. Lincoln how was the play?
Well it was a good day, my brother runrandall ran his best 5k... He made his goal of running it in less then 30:00 a remarkable accomplishment considering what his diet is right now... To be honest with you I don't know where he gets his energy. If I could have his discipline I might just run that 6:25 pace.

To make a long story short, thanks for the cake it had to be hard not getting a piece for yourself. (and it was gooood)

Also my nephew Ben ran with us and the rascal came in 3rd in his age group (25-30) not bad for a first timer, he gets the runron gold star for his effort. Well played Ben, great job, but next time try not to leave your breakfast between the 2nd and 3rd mile. (I'll leave it at that)

So what have we learned about today? Running a 6:25 pace, not likely to happen.... runrandall well on his way of beating me...... Cake goooood....... Don't eat, unless you want to see it again.

That's it in a nut shell.
See ya on the road, runron.

Strawberry Fields Forever ?

It's Friday and I feel like crap.... I don't know if I'm not running enough or too much... It's been a hard week to focus... My mind is not ready to run a 5k tomorrow.... And I don't think my body is either.... I want to run a 6:45 pace, but just thinking about it makes me tired.

I'm in a runners funk and I need to pull myself out of whatever I'm in. Maybe I'll go off as fast as I can (forget about pace) and try to hold on to the end. Something needs to change, I need a plan... But for now I'll just put one foot in front of the other and pound out whatever time I can...

I'll get over it.

Race report over the weekend and I'll see ya on the road (I think), runron