Weekly Recap-2 Weeks Until San Antonio

Sunday.
Jogged four, walked five.

Saturday.
13 in am.

Friday
Walked / jogged 5 in am. Walked / jogged another 10 at night

Thursday.
Walked / jogged 9 throughout day

Wednesday.
8 with 3 X 1,600 meter VOmax. Reduced pace. Walked 4 at night.

Tuesday.
8 miles in am, walked another 4.

Monday
Walked 3.

New Braunfels Half Marathon

(If you prefer just the "quick results", scroll down to the bottom 3 sentences.)

I had my last long run of this cycle scheduled, a 17 miler. Again, I searched for a half marathon that I could extend. The New Braunfels' event was great because it's only 30 minutes from San Antonio, so I could convince my wife it was a "family trip."

Still trying to keep my weight down, I did 7 miles Friday morning before leaving.  Then Friday night, I was able get the whole family to do the San Antonio "Dia De Los Muertos" 8k night run.  Five miles, mostly in the dark, around the roads, trails, and parks surrounding the S.A. Zoo with 900 runners dressed as skeletons, witches, axe-murders, and a variety of other costumes, including a great looking Jellyfish (see pic).

Both my girls set distance records, the full five miles (no walking). After a late dinner, we turned off the hotel room lights at 11:30. I woke at 4:45 a.m. and was on the road 20 minutes later.

This was a long run, and the course wasn't exactly made for speed. The race website read, "There are rolling hills the first 3 miles, which means you hit those on the last 3 miles, too.  New Braunfels is in the Texas hill country, so there are some hills!  Train accordingly." I planned to run a 1:33-1:35.

However, when I arrived and stepped out of the car, the weather was perfect, dry and a crisp 40 degrees. I strapped on my race shoes, beannie, arm warmers, and gloves, and decided to make an honest effort.  

At the 7:00 gun, it was still quite dark.  For the first four miles, I could feel the elevation changes in my legs and stride, but really couldn't see the climbs as visibility was about 20 feet.  Nothing too bad, long moderate inclines, and three hills that took some effort, but nothing like humping it over the Harbor Bridge.

I reached the halfway turn-around in 45:40, and in 9th position.  At that point I figured I would lose 30 secs to a minute on the back side and finish in 1:31-1:32.  However, I had forgotten one significant aspect of an out-and-back course.  You begin to pass the hundreds of runners headed in the opposite direction.

No matter how bad you feel, you have to at least give the appearance you're doing O.K, and hide the fact that you're actually about to start crying.   By mile nine, another runner and I broke away and were fighting for the 5th overall position. For the next three miles, I would close the gap to 15 yards, then he would stride to widen it back to 25. With a mile remaining, I knew I wasn't going to catch him.

I looked at my watch for only the second time of the race. I was on a 1:30:15 pace.  The course was USTA certified, and I knew a sub 1:30 half marathon guarantees entry into the New York Marathon. I went into a full stride, pulled along by the crowd support the last 400 yards.

I crossed the finish in a new PR of 1:29:27, placing 6th overall and 2nd in my division. I drank a bottled water, the first I had the whole race.  I then headed back out on the course at an easy 8:00 min/mile pace to get my full 17-mile long run logged.


"Dia De Los Muertos" 8k Night Run
I told the girls to focus on the distance,
and ignore time, "...but I do expect you
to beat the Jellyfish."

Gator Half Marathon Pic

Weekly Recap-3 Weeks Until San Antonio

Sunday.
Walked / jogged 15 throughout the day.

Saturday.
New Braunfels half marathon, extended into 17. Walked 4 at night.

Friday
Jogged 7 in am. Ran a 8k Dia Los Muertos run with Jenny and girls in S.A. at night.

Thursday.
Walked / jogged 5 during lunch.

Wednesday.
Walked / jogged 10 throughout day.

Tuesday.
11 during lunch. Walked / jogged another 4 at night.

Monday
5 during lunch, walked 2 more. Walked 4 at night.

Gator Half Marathon

Gator Half-Marathon

(As in, "You'll need to watch out for the alligators.")

 

I had my last 20 miler of this cycle scheduled.  The weather was reasonably good Tuesday, so I decided to knock it out.  By mile 7, I was knocked out.  Having done the Harbor Half Marathon just two days earlier, I hadn't physically recovered enough to do a 20 miler.  More saliently, I wasn't mentally ready either.

 

It's been a long cycle, and by Wednesday I was 90% committed to skipping my 20 mile training run.  But being only three weeks out from the San Antonio Marathon, I was worried that skipping it might kill my confidence in a PR attempt.

 

Thursday I began hastily scouring the Web for a race to motivate me.  The only last minute one I could fit into my tight schedule was a half marathon trail run Sunday morning.  Brazos State Park is located halfway between Victoria and Houston, and has 30 miles of trails looping around four large lakes.  As the race was two laps, I figured I could just do a third to get in my 20.

 

Saturday morning I woke at 6:00 am to run a 5k race with my daughter.  I followed this up with back-to-back birthday parties, each for eight year olds.  For a moment I figured that the parties would suffice; enduring a birthday party for 20 wild screaming 2nd-graders is physically and mentally equivalent to enduring a 20 mile run, barefoot through a thorn patch.

 

I didn't get on the road until 6:00 pm, and arrived at my hotel at 9:00.  As I headed to my room the desk-clerk noted, "Oh, we also have a full hot breakfast from 6:00-10:00: eggs, pancakes, sausages."  I sighed and lugubriously replied, "Can't, I have to check-out at 5:30 am."

 

After a ten minute gear check, I hit the bed and was dead to the world.  In what seemed a minute, my 5:00 am alarm went off.  I strained to open one eye halfway, "Screw it."  I resolved to get three more hours sleep and then hit the buffet for a dozen pancakes.  I'm not sure who put them there, but I found both my feet on the floor.  "Well, crap. I'm committed now."

 

I drove for 30 minutes down pitch black country roads and arrived at the park just after 6:30.  At a small pavilion, about 90 runners were assembled.  For a small event, it was very well organized.  At 7:00, the announcer called us into the chute.  Then the announcer looked directly at me and then the two guys standing a foot to my left. From the neck down we looked like identical triplets.  "You three might want to get in front," the announcer directed.

 

I stood at the start line with my two reunited siblings. We were then joined by a fourth runner, a little girl no more than three-and-half feet tall, with bright blond hair braided in two pig-tails that wrapped around her head in a kind-of Princess Leia hairdo.

 

"Oh honey, you're doing the relay," the announcer rhetorically asked her.  "OK, you might not want to stand in front."  The girl didn't even reply with a glance in acknowledgement.  The horn sounded and we were off.

 

After just 50 yards my two siblings were in fact leading 1st and 2nd.  I was running 4th as Princess Leia was out like a sprinter.  I said to myself, "How incredibly fearless for this little girl to try and run a relay-leg of a half marathon."  I simultaneously thought, "How incredibly stupid that someone threw a little girl in this with no coaching; she'll be walking by mile two."

 

The trail was generally good and alternated among stretches of gravel and dirt.  The gravel was moderately compact, with occasional golf-ball sized stones here and there.  The dirt pack was soft, and had the occasional tree-root or broken branch sticking out.  As a result, you had to stare at your feet the entire run.

 

I didn't catch the little girl until mile three, and she was still pushing with good-form at a 8:00 min/mile pace.  "Wow, amazing.  Go get it girl!" I encouraged as I finally past.  I was now third overall, and could see the two leaders about 100 yards off.  I settled into my 20 mile pace, but decided to peek-up now and then to look for any signs of weakness in the leaders.

 

Finishing the first lap, I had no idea of my pace since I left my watch turned off, intentionally.  But my leg turn-over felt fast and I estimated I'd complete the first lap in 47 minutes or so.  Crossing the timing-mats I looked up at the clock, 50 minutes.  "What!?"

 

I couldn't believe my actual pace was 30 seconds/mile slower than my "felt" pace.  Giving it some more thought while cruising my second lap, it was logical.  It was a little warm and humid at the start, I was wearing my heavy trainers and not race shoes, and the soft-give in the trail reduced my striding power somewhat.

 

I finished the bend around "Horseshoe Lake" and converged on the main trail again.  That's when I saw the women's race leader headed to the lake, the little girl!!!!  She wasn't doing the relay; she was doing the full half marathon.  It then dawned on me, she wasn't a little girl.  She was what is now called, "A little person," or what George Carlin used to euphemistically refer to as, "A person who is vertically challenged."  Nevertheless, it was odd to see such a small frame pushing along at that pace.

 

Halfway through the second lap, I was passed by another runner which temporarily moved me to 4th place overall.  But just a mile later, I caught one of my siblings and moved back into 3rd.  With a mile remaining, I began hearing sliding gravel behind me as another runner had moved within 10 feet.  I had a decision to make.

 

To hold him off, I would have to run full-bore the last mile, but that might jeopardize my ability to make my full 20.  I tested him and increased my pace a nick for 50 yards.  He held-on, clearly willing to fight for it.  I acknowledged to myself that the purpose of this trip was to make my 20; I dropped my pace and encouraged him as he past to cross the finish placing 3rd overall, with me 30 yards behind in 4th at 1:43.

 

I just ran through the finish and started a third lap.  My race was over and now I could afford a few glances up to see the park.  The lakes were large and swamp-like, but completely placid.  I ran past a dozen or so "birders" taking pictures; how nice it would be to just stroll the trails.

 

I finished my third lap which took me to 19.6 miles, which should have been good enough.  But having come so far, I ran another quarter mile of a 4th lap, and then jogged back to the pavilion to make a full 20.  The post-race event was great.

 

Two Bar-B-Qs were full of hamburgers and hot dogs, and right next to half-a-dozen ice-chests stocked with a variety of cold drinks.  I grabbed a burger and sat at one of the picnic tables.  When I looked up, the women's overall winner was two feet from me.  She was a young girl!!

 

She sat pressed against her proud father.  "That was incredibly amazing.  How old are you?" I could see that she was in-deed quite young as she didn't answer and shyly hid behind her Dad's back, just peeking one eye above his shoulder.  Her father began to speak.  He too was quite accomplished, well in the conversational arts for he didn't stop to take a breath for 15 minutes.

 

He explained that she was nine years-old, and this was her 3rd half-marathon.  She just PRed in 1:53.  Phenomenal!  The father looked like a runner also, and I figured he must be some-kind-of university track coach to have a pre-teen daughter at this caliber.  I inquired, but his jaw had built-up so much momentum, it couldn't slow enough to turn toward a reply.

 

I caught it when he said, "My girls [plural] have a strong running base."   To slow him down a little, I stood up and pointed one foot in the direction of the hot-dog table.  Before leaving, I was able to squeeze in, "Girls?"

 

He continued, "Her older sister runs also; she did a full marathon yesterday."  I asked how old she was.  Without a wink, smile, or even grin, he dry and plainly answered, "Eleven."

 

1st in my Division / 4th Overall

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Weekly Recap- 4 Weeks Until San Antonio

Sunday.
Gator half marathon, kept going to get in 20.

Saturday.
5k with Juliet in morning

Friday
Walked, mostly jogged, 6 during lunch.

Thursday.
3 in after breakfast, walked 1 more. Nine at night with 5 X 800 meter VOmax pace. Walked two more.

Wednesday.
In AM, was going for 20, stopped at 7, feeling a little over-trained. Walked 2 more.

Walked / jogged 11 throughout evening.

Tuesday.
Five during lunch, walked 1 more. Walked / jogged 5 at night.

Monday
Five during lunch. Walked / jogged another 9 in evening.

Harbor Half Marathon

When I arrived at 6:30 a.m., it was 71 degrees with 95% humidity. I left my watch in the car.

I walked to the front of the race chute and chatted with some locals. There was one whose name I didn't know but who I recognized. I noticed he didn't have a bib. He said, "I just found out about the race yesterday and tried to register, but was too late.

"The announcer called us to queue-up. It was then that a race official noticed this runner didn't have a chip and asked why. The runner explained but the official told him, "This event is for paid runners, you'll have to move to the back of the chute.

"Clearly the official was in his right, but the fact he actually did it just pissed me off. It was completely unnecessary; this is just a local race. I foolishly stuck my nose in it and said very loudly referring to the runner, "He's fine; he knows what he's doing." The official went and got the race director, which really ticked me off. I continued to spout my view to leave the runner alone, and then I offered, twice, to make a donation equal to his fee. The officials didn't relent and moved the runner off the start.

The gun fired and we were off. It was hot and humid from the get-go. As I ran up the 120-foot bridge climb the first time, there was a light breeze head on. I straighten up, looked to the sky, and ran on feel.  At the half way mark I had no idea of my time or pace, but I felt good in the legs. I saw later that my split was 47:19 (3:10 pace). After turning around, it got bad, zero wind and sun out.

Legs still felt good, but at mile nine I was soaked through, sloshing in my shoes, and hurting. I technically ran the second time up the bridge, but it was probably at a walking pace. I was on the verge of heat stroke and feel apart, losing 3 minutes on the split.

I finished in 1:37:40. Second in my division, 14 out of 390 half marathoners, and 19th out of the total 600 counting the 210 relay teams.

Weekly Recap- 5 Weeks Until San Antonio

Sunday.
Harbor Half Marathon

Saturday.
Walked / jogged 5.

Friday
Walked 3 in morning. Hit pavement for 5 with 3 farklicks after work. Jogged 4 at night, walked 1 more.

Thursday.
5 at lunch with 3 X 800 LT pace.

Wednesday.
10 during lunch. Walked 4 after work.

Tuesday.
up at 5:30am and hit pavement with Mike, Jeff, and Jamie for 6. Walked another 5 at lunch. Walked / jogged another 8 at night.

Monday
9 with 3 X 1,200 at slightly reduced VOmax pace during lunch.

Weekly Recap- 6 Weeks Until San Antonio

Sunday.
Solid 16, walked / jogged another 3.

Saturday.
5k trail race. 21:25, not bad considering weather, uneven trail, and no race shoes. Walked / Jogged another 10 throughout day.

Friday
17 in morning, slow slow slow, but humidity awful, and that's indoors on mill. Walked / jogged another 8 at night.

Thursday.
Off, busy work work, more busy with home. Probably needed a break anyway. Off diet some also.

Wednesday.
Walk / jog 9 in am. / Walk / jog another 9 in pm

Tuesday.
Slow 6 during lunch.

Monday
Tough 18 during lunch. Slowed a nick or two, but added 5 X 400 moderate hills.