I recently signed up for runnersworld.com’s “Quote of the Day.”
The quote below has stayed in my inbox for about a week and, after my 7 mile “long run” yesterday, seemed pretty apropos:
“The long runs on the weekend are a genuine adventure for me—a physical challenge in an otherwise mostly cerebral, abstract sort of daily life. And you don’t have to go to a mountain or anything. It starts right out the front door of your home.”
– John Walter, runner and journalist
GIDDY-UP!
This morning, I ran the Brazen Racing Quarry Turkey 5K held in Fremont. It was a great event, well run, and had a great variety of runner levels (which was great being a new runner myself.) The event offered a half-marathon, 10K, 5K, and a Kids Run. Each had a great group of participants that broke out at: 187 half-mara, 284 10K, and 359 5K.
The weather was great – about 50 degrees at race time.
Brazen Racing put on an EXCELLENT event. It was extremely organized and the post-race SWAG and food was great. I will definitely be running in their events again!
My Race
This was my third 5K, having run the Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K last Saturday and the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving.
I “early started” it again today, just wanting to get there and get my bearings and probably a bit anxious. Just like Thanksgiving morning, I got there in no time and sat in my car with the heater and seat warmer on, chilled with the ol’ iPhone, and called Karen a few times. As the start time got closer, I made a porta-potty (lines for the flushables was LONG) stop and queued up.
The Kids went first, then the Half, then the 10K and finally the 5K. I hit my Garmin’s START button at 0834 and headed out for the loop around the lake. Remembering my “pace issues” from Thanksgiving’s run, I tried to force myself to stick with my pace. I seemed to be doing OK this time. At home, as I reviewed my Garmin data, I see that I ran pretty consistent splits: 8:43, 8:44, and 8:45.
Results:
Garmin time: 28:03 at an 8:45/mile pace.
Official time: 28:04 at an 9:03/mile pace.
One note on the course. It was actually 3.2 miles, so my time was pretty consistent from the other two 5Ks that I ran this week.
Wrap-Up
Happy with my results. I remained sub-30 minutes and was able to control my pacing better thank I did on Thanksgiving.
Post-race lunch was from McD’s again, though it was more of the average fare I eat…
All in all, it’s been a great post Couch-to-5K graduation week and start to my new hobby:
I’m still finalizing my 2012 race schedule (which will include a mix of 5Ks, 10Ks, and half-marathons), but my next race is the Jingle Bell 5K for Arthritis in Pacific Grove on December 10th! If you want, you can even sponsor me – it’s for a great cause!
Giddy-Up!
So I ran with the masses this morning in the 7th annual, Silicon Valley Turkey Trot held in downtown San Jose. Masses meaning that the organizers reached their capacity for registrants: 21,000, though according to the Race Central results site, only 16,311 runners actually ran this morning.
All in all, the event was pretty organized and well run. The cuing of the various races was great, with well-labeled holding areas for each running group. The post-race expo was crowded, but set up so people flowed through efficiently. SWAG was decent.
The weather pretty much cooperated. Showers were forecast, but it ended up a light drizzle before the race and tapered off as the morning progressed.
I stayed for the Elite 5K races, which was pretty cool to watch. I get stretched at my “speedy” 8:44 pace – I can’t imagine running at half that! The Mens Elite winner, David McNeill, set a new course record at 13:33 at a 4:22 pace…WOW!
My Race
This was my second 5K, having completed the Couch-to-5K program on November 10 and running my first 5K last Saturday in Pacific Grove. Actually, a billboard for the Turkey Trot was what prodded me to start running, so this morning was the “full circle” of the C25K process.
With the 5K start time at 0815, 21,000 registrants, and rain in the forecast, I decided to get an early start. Actually, not as early as my normal weekday, but I was up at 0430 and on the road by 0600. Of course, I got there in no time and the crowds were no where to be seen (at least that early.) I sat in my car with the heater and seat warmer on, chilled with the ol’ iPhone, and called Karen a few times. It was drizzling a bit, but I headed down to the race area at about 0650, visited the porta-potty, and walked around. As the start time got closer, I did some warm up sprints, made a final porta-potty stop, and queued up with the masses.
Start time came and all 10,419 of us 5K’ers began to move. I hit my Garmin’s START button at 0823 and headed out on Santa Clara Street. I tried to force myself to stick with my pace, but found myself running a little bit fast. I pulled back a bit and settled in on a comfortable pace. At home, as I reviewed my Garmin data, I see that I ran the second mile at a faster pace (8:31) than miles one (8:50) and three (8:56). The interesting thing is that I did much the same thing in last weekend’s 5K. I guess working on better pacing will become part of my training process.
There were two things that were frustrating…
The first was that with so many walkers (the 5K was a run/walk), I spent a lot of time dodging walkers – like the old Frogger video game. People were walking all over the place (not just “to the right”) and in groups. I realize I probably sound like a crusty/jaded/snobby runner…it just would have been great if the organizers had asked walkers and people with strollers to line up at the back of the start area. The race organizers at the Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K did this last weekend and it worked really well. I’m not sure if this would have resulted in a faster time/pace, it just would have been one less thing to have to concentrate on.
The other frustrating part was the finish line. It was basically a wall of people and in order to avoid a massive pileup, you had to effectively stop running/slow down well before crossing the finish line. The wall of people was basically the result of having the entry to the expo area too close to the finish line – and I think they had the 10K finishers cross the 5K lane to get to the expo. Again, this was probably not a huge impact on my time, just a frustration. It was part of the chatter I heard while waiting in various lines at the expo…so it wasn’t just me. [see below for a post-post update from the race organizers]
Anyway, other than those two things, the race was great and I had a fun time! I will be trotting next year – though it will be the 10K…
Results:
Garmin time: 27:31 at an 8:44/mile pace.
Official time: 27:31 at an 8:52/mile pace. (?)
I started out bummed that my time this week was slower than last weekend’s race (26:56 vs. 27:31); but, they were actually about the same from a pacing standpoint (and probably overall.) It turns out the PG Lighthouse 5K was not a full 5K in distance (it was closer to 3 miles, due to race route controls).
Wrap-Up
I’m Happy with my results. I am sub-30 minutes, which was an original goal and feel that I again accomplished these three goals from a Jim Galloway book I’m reading:
Um, I am doing it again.
On Saturday I’m running my third 5K in eight days: the Quarry Turkey in Fremont.
Finally, my post-race lunch was even a treat from McD’s. I typically avoid those yellow things on the left and even the sandwich on the right!
Karen has a cold, so the rest of the day will be spent hanging out together, resting, watching TV, possibly taking a nap, and – of course – being thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
UPDATE – November 29, 2011
All runners received an email from Carl Guardino, Silicon Valley Turkey Trot Race Founder and Director on November 29th. The email provided an update on the fundraiser aspect of the race and also addressed the “finish line” comments they’d received.
Kudos to Mr. Guardino and the whole team for addressing this!
Here’s the email:
Dear Silicon Valley Turkey Trot Participant,
Thank you so much for being a part of our event this Thanksgiving. Thanks to your support, we have raised more than $600,000 for our three beneficiaries; Second Harvest Food Bank, the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County and the Children’s Health Initiative of Santa Clara County.
I am also writing to directly apologize: For a portion of the race, there was considerable congestion at the finish line. As a runner, I realize how frustrating any delay can be. This year’s race grew by 150% and we had more people trying to finish at once than we had anticipated. However, I am not writing to offer excuses – but to let you know we are working on solutions. We have already begun to make the course corrections needed for next year to provide more room at the start line and much more room at the finish line. If you have specific ideas, I hope you will write back to me directly and let me know.
I deeply appreciate you sharing your feedback on ways the race can be improved and we will do our best to meet your expectations. Thanks again for your support. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
With Kind Regards,
Carl Guardino,
Race Founder and Director
I wrote a while back that I’ve started building my “runner’s necessities”, but this is one that was a non-negotiable…essential item. [The example above is what mine looks like, except with correct phone numbers!]
I saw an ad for Road ID In Runner’s World and ordered one a while back. I opted for the “Wrist ID – slim“, since it is about the since of the leather bracelet that I already wear. It’s about the size of those “cause” bracelets, though a little more heavy duty. It is comfortable and I really don’t notice that I have it on. I originally ordered a large, but found that it was too big and now wear a medium. (The large will come in handy if I want to wear the bracelet over a long-sleeved shirt or jacket while running.)
Road ID is a father/son company started to address the “getting hurt without ID” situation. You can read their story here.
If you are a runner, cyclist, walker, or just want to wear an ID bracelet, consider picking one of these up. They have several types – if you’re not into wearing bracelets.
When I ordered, they gave me a coupon that I could pass along to friends. The coupon is good for $1 off any Road ID order. Since I’ve placed two orders, I have a total of 40 $1 coupons:
Enjoy & be safe!
Big day today…
I put the Couch-to-5K program to the test and ran my first race. It was the inaugural Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K. (Actually, my first 5K was supposed to be the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot this coming Thursday, but my wife found this one two weeks ago…)
It was a sunny but brisk morning at ~45 degrees. I’m used to running in the early AM, so the temp was nothing terribly new. With close to 700 participants in the race it was a great experience.
I tried to stay close to my average, 9:20-something pace, but ended up with an 8:40 pace. I think running with others and the fact that it was a race pushed me a little. My official time was 26:53, which was a personal best against my self-timed, neighborhood 5Ks.
It was a fun day, shared with my awesome, #1 fan – and our best friends even came with us!
So, the Turkey Trot will now be #2 – with, from what I’ve heard, ~17,000 other runners. Number 3 will actually be on Saturday: the Quarry Turkey, in Fremont. Both are 5Ks – I’m working my way up…10Ks next, then on to the half-marathon! I’m finalizing the 2012 calendar this week!
GIDDY-UP!!!
Photo: abcnews.go.com
As someone who recently started the running thing, I find this inspirational and encouraging…
MS Inspiration: Zoe Koplowitz Finishes Last Place At The NYC Marathon
In a time of 31 hours and 20 minutes, Zoe Koplowitz completed the New York City Marathon yesterday (the day after she started) in last place–and she couldn’t be happier
Read the rest at: MS Inspiration: Zoe Koplowitz Finishes Last Place At The NYC Marathon.
So I tried one of those energy gel shots before this morning’s run…
Per the instructions, I ate (?) it about 15 minutes before I headed out at 0430, chasing it with a nice glass of water.
It tasted pretty good, didn’t upset my stomach, and I guess I did seem to feel a little bit more energy on the second half of my 4-mile.
At 100 calories and as low as $.99 through Amazon, they seem economical…
Time will tell though…I bought a few more just for experimenting.
GIDDY-UP!
Read this yesterday and thought about it early this morning during my first “long run”:
“Effortless effort. It means work hard, but trust that you can do it.”
-Rachel Cieslewicz, Pro Runner
[daaaaah, dah, dah, daaah, daaaaah, daaaaah / daaaaah, dah, dah, daaah, daaaaah]
This morning, I completed graduated from Active.com’s Couch-to-5K® program!
WOOHOO!!!
Honestly, looking back two years ago, I could not have imagined myself 100lbs lighter – much less running… I got the running idea back in September while I was driving and saw a billboard for the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. I thought, “I’m gonna do that!” […and, Putting my “money where my mouth was”, I registered for the 5K before I started the C25K program!]
I found an app, loaded her up, and started – gradually moving from a “non-runner” to someone who can confidently run a 5K…without stopping! At first (and into the second week), I was pretty nervous that I wouldn’t succeed or would simply give up; but with each run, my confidence grew. I pretty much told myself, “Hey, this isn’t that bad – you can do this!” I was pretty tight lipped about doing this – only my family and a few friends knew. I gradually let it slip and outed myself this week on Facebook…
I even managed to stay on track through two business trips and two rained out training days. I ran outside all but those two rain-out days. I DO NOT like the treadmill – read: Boring! (plus, I think I run slower on a treadmill – I’m paranoid about tripping, falling, and getting hurt.) I’ll run on it, although begrudgingly…since “winter is coming” – spring too.
As for the Couch-to-5K app (which really is the overall Cool Running program), I really liked how it gradually increased my endurance – if you can call it that. With each run, my distance and pace increased:
Not “world-class” distance or pace, but I’m happy and am still improving!
My last two “timed” 5Ks were 29:22 at a 9:17/mi pace and
28:40 & 9:06/mi pace – again, not “world-class”, but...
Prior to starting, I followed the advice of my Jedi Master Joffre and invested in some good shoes that have served me well. I went with the Reebok RealFlex and LOVE THEM! I have not had any foot or leg issues (knock wood) and hardly know I have them one when running.
Along the way I have also transitioned to runner-grade clothing – might as well, since this thing is a habit now. My runner “accessories” [tech and non-tech] are also growing… 🙂
BOTTOM LINE: I’m hooked, having a ball, and would recommend this program or app to anyone who wants to truly go from the couch to a 5K.
So, what’s next? Keep running, of course! I’m also planning a number of runs over the next 14 months: starting with a number of 5Ks (#1 is on Thanksgiving), progressing to a series of 10Ks, and I’ve set a goal of running a few half-marathons in 2012 as well. Once I have the schedule finalized, I will probably do a post about that.
As for training, I found an app that is for C25K “graduates” that bridges you to 10Ks – it’s loaded on the iPhone and ready to start on January 2nd. I’m also researching half-marathon training programs as well and have tentatively mapped that to start April 2nd (no foolin’!)
Now that I’ve graduated, I’ll post a bit more frequently about this topic – the ups and downs of this new adventure. Giddy-Up!
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” -Theodore Roosevelt
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