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Archives For November 30, 1999

2012 Emerald Across The Bay Race Report

March 20, 2012 — 4 Comments

This past Sunday, I ran the 29th Emerald Across The Bay up in San Francisco.  The race was is 12K, point-to-point from Fort Baker, up to and across the Golden Gate Bridge, down around to Fort Point, and then on to the finish near the east side of Fort Mason.

I did notice one interesting thing that my Garmin had issues with.  It got a bit confused on reflecting elevation when I ran across the portion of the bridge without earth under it – going from ~190′ to 0′ and back again:

As it was for last week’s 408K in San Jose, the day was PERFECT for a run.  The temp was fine for shorts and long sleeves; and the sky had just a few clouds blowing through.  The tailwind was also a plus as all 2,179 of us crossed the bridge!  I mean come on – with a sunrise and sky like those below, who wouldn’t want to run – especially across the Golden Gate!

Anyway, The race was extremely organized and well run – from arrival, parking ($10 for 4 hours at Ghirardelli Square for racers!), transportation to the start, sweats check, starting line control, on-course management and directions, etc. – EVERYTHING was on point and made the race enjoyable.

Call me crazy, but I just can’t bring myself to stop mid-race and take pictures – even running up toward the Golden Gate from Fort Baker.  Believe me, I looked at it, took it in, thought it would make a great photo, but just couldn’t take out my iPhone.  So, here are some shots I did take (BTW, there were more people at the post-race expo, that shot was after most had left):

My Race

Like the weather, my race day – on a personal level – was all I asked for.  I left home early to avoid any traffic and parking rush and got to Aquatic Park at about 0615.  I parked at Ghirardelli Square, located a clean, flushing toilet(!), and took care of pre-race business.  I headed to the bus pick-up zone and got my bearings – still with enough time to sit in Starbucks for a coffee.  Just before 0700, I boarded the shuttle bus to Fort Baker with the growing mass of people.  It was a nice ride and offered some good views of the bay and Bridge.

The bus dropped people off and the groups walked to the start queue area for pre-race sweats check, potty breaks, warm-ups, etc.  It was great to see the wide variety of people running…and standing in the sun to keep warm.

I was part of the third wave start – which I signed up for back in November 2011.  Given my current training level, I probably should have opted for the first or second wave, but at the time all this was an unknown.  My goal time for the race was 68 to 69 minutes, based on a conservative, negative split pace plan ranging from 9:30 to 8:30 – not knowing how I’d do on the climb to the bridge deck or the final climb at Fort Mason.

Pffft – sixty-eight, shmixty-eight!

With a GOOD tailwind, locating and pacing some good, fellow runners, and, quite honestly, and my training (including my tempo and hill repeat sessions), I blew the 68 minute goal out of the water by five minutes with better-than-planned pacing (see below.)  I ran all the hills (two: up [8.4 and 8.7% grade*] and down [5.1 and 7.8% grade*]), with a climb-to-the-deck pace of 9:20 and a climb in Fort Mason pace of 8:13.

This being my ninth organized race since starting to run last September: ME HAPPY!

Results:

Garmin time: 1:03:15 at an 8:24/mile pace.
Official time: 1:03:17 at an 8:32/mile pace.

Wrap-Up

As I wrote above – it was a great day.  I hung around at the expo for a bit, watched the top finisher awards presentation, grabbed another Starbucks, and headed home.  My post-race meal was a great one at El Burro, where I gorged on CHIPS…chased with a couple of tacos and a little bit of beans & rice.

I can really see and connect the benefits of training – especially with this race since it incorporated hills (up & down), wind, some trail, a lot of pavement, and other factors.  I can’t imagine doing without the structure of a training plan.

I’m hooked and having a blast…

Next up:

  • The Presidio 10, back in San Francisco on April 15.  [I’m going for it and doing the 10 mile course]

Giddy-Up!

Training Journal – 3/20/12:

  • Current plan: 10-Miler Training
  • Today’s session: 5 mile easy run @ 10:10
  • Comments: 5.23 @ 9:55

(*by my rise/distance calculation at least)

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408K RACE TO THE ROW Race Report

March 12, 2012 — 4 Comments

Yesterday, I ran the inaugural 408k RACE TO THE ROW in downtown San Jose.   The race was a point-to-point, flat course from the HP Pavilion to the Santana Row shopping center that weaved its way through several neighborhoods.  The morning was PERFECT for a run – no substantial cloud cover and temps in the low 50s.  It was also great to see a wide range of running levels represented – which is something I like to survey.  I think that makes the sport more approachable…I know it did for me when I started running.  The race benefited the Pat Tillman Foundation and, according to the organizer, raising about $10,000.

Being the inaugural event, I’m sure many were expecting glitches.  If there were any – which I’m sure there were – I wasn’t aware of any that were significant.  There was a ton of volunteers and the course signage and management was excellent.  UPS provided the sweat check service (also point-to-point), which was awesome!  The Mariachi band at about mile 4.2 was a nice touch!

The post-race expo was well organized and set up and had a good range of food (ranging from bananas to chili), SWAG-infested booths, upcoming race sign-ups, and live music.  People just hung out, which was what, I’m sure, the organizers had hoped for.  Not to many of the Santana Row stores were open when I was walking around – maybe next year they will open up a little early and benefit from the captive foot traffic…

I hung out at the expo for a while before heading over to the complimentary bus service back to the HP Pavilion – given the point-to-point course set-up.  The only glitch I encountered all day was that the signage to the buses was off slightly and I (and a bunch of other people) passed the turn to the queue and headed for Stevens Creek Blvd.  That said, the bus service was excellent and provided a good venue for post-race chats before heading back home.

My Race

My mind was pretty occupied throughout the morning because my Father-in-Law had been in the hospital since Friday night.  I phased in and out of race/him/race/him throughout the morning until hitting my “tunnel zone” (see below.)

Anyway, I got to the venue early and stayed warm in my car for a bit.  At about 45-minutes to race time, I walked around and got the lay of the land for the start area, etc. and then headed back to the car for my gear.   I usually wear pants, but with the temp higher than my normal 0430 runs, I wore shorts.  I dropped my stuff at the UPS sweat check, went through my pre-race potty/dynamic stretch/jog/potty routine, and then joined the growing throng in the start gate – standing in the middle depth of the start gate area.  Club One Fitness Center representatives lead the pre-race, mass warm-up stretch routine – I just watched and downed my GU.

The race started on time (actually, about 30 seconds early!) and, out of the gate it was pretty crowded.  I managed to weave through the crowd and settle into a comfortable pace and entered “tunnel zone” – which I can only describe as a state where I really am focused on the run and my “systems” (pace, breathing, hydration, posture, etc.) and not the course, people, etc.  It’s weird because as I try and recall the race event later, I don’t remember much about where I ran, the sights, or what specifically happened.

At any rate, my goal this for this race was a sub-40 minute time with negative-split pacing.  I pretty much stuck to plan, pushing myself a bit more this race rather than hanging comfortably back and playing it too safe as I did in my last run (read: “Leave it on the course, dude!” OR “Why train if you’re not going to push yourself a bit.”)

I was a very happy camper, er runner this morning.

Results:

Garmin time: 38:38 at an 7:52/mile pace.
Official time: 38:36 at an 7:46/mile pace.

Wrap-Up

Bottom line: The 408k was a GREAT event that has potential to build with the coming years.  They limited the entrants to 3,000, with 2,761 actually finishing – I could see this growing.

This was my 8th organized race, having started running from “the couch” in September 2011.  For me personally, it was a race where I think I safely pushed myself a bit and was happy with the outcome – maybe I’m gaining confidence and grasping/appreciating the analytical and strategic side of running.  [at least that sounds good anyway…]

No fantastical post-race meal this time…just showered and headed to the hospital.  We are thanking God that my Father-in-Law was doing much better on Sunday and seems to be on the mend.

Next up:

  • Emerald Across The Bay 12K on March 18 – my first of three runs across the Golden Gate this year and my furthest organized run to date.  I’m still trying to strategize about this one…

Giddy-Up!

Training Journal – 3/12/12:

  • Current plan: 12K Training
  • Today’s session: 5 mile easy run @10:28
  • Comments: Normally, Monday is a rest day; but, with the Emerald Across the Bay next Sunday, I changed things up this week.  I did 6.3 miles @ 9:11 (I know, more than a minute off the “easy” pace…it just felt right.)
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Bay Breeze 10K Race Report

February 18, 2012 — 1 Comment

This morning, I ran the Brazen Racing Bay Breeze 10k.  As with all Brazen races I’ve run, the event was well organized, staffed with awesome volunteers, and run like a race should be…and on time too!  Proof that Brazen knows how to “put ’em on” was that each race at the event (half marathon/10K/5K) was completely sold out (547/513/536 respectively).  Needless to say, the place was busy.

The 10K (and all races, for that matter) were nice, flat out and back courses that started at the San Leandro Marina Park and headed out along the shoreline. As I was sharing the “running along the shoreline with the waves crashing” story with Karen after I got home, it dawned on me – I only recall hearing/appreciating it for a short distance.  I think I got in a zone and blocked out most everything else.

Weather wise, it was a little cool; nothing new for me since I normally run at 0430 anyway.  All in all, a great weather day for a run.  I was glad the rain predicted earlier in the week ended up not happening.

The post-race, food-a-palooza was packed (the picture below was just after I finished my run – it got a lot more crowded), so I grabbed some water, waited for the results, and then headed home.

My Race

This was actually my first “official” 10K – though my long runs are already an average of 12 to 21K. I’ve been intentionally building base and limiting the organized runs to incremental distances (no matter how tempting it is to register for a half marathon at this point.) Bay Breeze marked the progression from 5 to 10K…all leading toward my first marathon in December!

It’s funny, all week I planned my pacing strategy for ending up with a sub-60 minute 10K: 9:25/9:20/9:10/9:00/8:30/8:30/8:00=56:55. Out of the starting area I told myself, “you’re too fast, once you get out of the crowd, settle in at the planned 9:25” – oh well, so much for listening to myself! The race ending up being a fast tempo run, albeit about a minute faster than I normally “tempo.” Bottom line, I tempo’d my way to my goal of a sub-60 and ended up 3:25 better.

While I’m happy with my time (as I should be!), I feel like I made my “kick” too late and could/should have done it sooner – I had the energy and probably could have done it at mile 4 or 5. Next time, next time.

A bummer, a laugh, and a forget:

  • Bummer: Neither my foot pod nor my heart rate monitor worked this morning…my Garmin wouldn’t even detect them. I’m wondering if the batteries are dead… Not a big deal for this morning, but a bummer none the less.
  • Laugh: I averted a possible “wardrobe malfunction.” As I made my final potty break before the race, the drawstring on my running pants broke…and came all the way out of the pants. All I could think while I was running was I hope my rear’s not showing! I never heard anyone laugh, saw people pointing, or parents shielding their children’s eyes, so I must have been OK.
  • The “forget”: In the starting pen, I remembered that I didn’t eat the GU Chomps I brought with me! Maybe I just psychologically need them, though I do believe they serve a purpose. I did have my electrolyte brew in hand, so it wasn’t a total forget. Still, I may have shaved some time off if I’d eaten them – probably not!

Results:

Garmin time: 53:30 at an 8:38/mile pace.
Official time: 53:27 at an 8:36/mile pace.

Wrap-Up

All in all a good run – even with my “could have done better” whine.

Post race meal: Big Mac Extra Value Meal, baby!!!

[NOTE: I have tracked my food for the past two years and this is literally the third Big Mac I’ve had during that time – ok, 2.5…I shared one with Karen last December (yeah, I’m weird.) It just sounded good and Karen did a double-take when I told her I was having that for lunch – the subsequently commented, “you mean you ate the whole thing” as I slowly backed away from the kitchen table…]

Next up:

As far as training plans go, since I have a series of runs in short succession over the next few months and I will be starting a half marathon plan in May, I’m using the final weeks of the 10K plan I’ve been using, upping the mileage slightly to ensure a necessary base for the various runs on the calendar – sorta my own “bridge to” plan.

And yes, you did read the word “MARATHON” above. I am planning on running my first marathon on December 9: The 40th Honolulu Marathon…ALOHA!  Training for that starts August 6!

Giddy-Up!

Training Journal – 2/16/12:

  • Current plan: 10K Training
  • Today’s session: Race Day!!
  • Comments: See above…
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Test Your Resolution Road 5k – Race Report

January 15, 2012 — Leave a comment

This morning, I ran in the Bay Area Track Club’s Test Your Resolution Road 5k, which was part of their second-annual Bay Area Cross Challenge (BAXC).  It was a nice, low-key event at the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park.  The BAXC had four events: 5K Road Race, Women’s 6K, Men’s 8K, Open 4K – with a field of 106 runners total.  They also had a Kid’s Race.

I wasn’t sure what to expect – given the fact that this was hosted by a “track club” and also after viewing the recap video from the 2011 event – but I decided to go for it and sign up anyway (my goal being to run at least one event a month.)  The Men’s 8K looked pretty competitive on the website’s description, so I went for the 5K, of course, which was added this year.

The weather was cool, but not as cold as my normal morning run temps have been lately (no gloves this AM.)  Overall, a nice morning for a run.

My Race

(i’m just behind the guy in blue at the far left – sporting my orange shoes!)

Great run!  I’ll call this my PB, since my previous PB was less than an 5K in official distance.  It was a PB by overall time (25:40) and pace (8:16 [8:13 on my Garmin]).

The course started out just near the entrance to the Polo Field and looped through the roads in that part of Golden Gate Park.  It was a nice combination of easy up and down hills with the final .1 mile finishing on the dirt course of the Polo Field.  Pacing was good overall for me, with improvements over past races – split 2 benefited from some good downhill sections.

We even ran by the buffaloes (K asked why I didn’t take a picture…)

I stayed and watched the Women’s 6k and Men’s 8k.  Pretty cool to watch.

Results:

Garmin time: 25:40 at an 8:13/mile pace. (?)
Official time: 25:40 at an 8:16/mile pace.

Wrap-Up

A personal best – not gonna complain about that!  I really liked the size of the event and the vibe in the field and crowd.  Even with elite runners – including some Olympians and World Class participants – it was a novice-friendly event…geared for people who just enjoy running.

I will definitely watch the calendar for the 2013 event…

Next up:

Brazen Racing’s Bay Breeze 10K on February 18th.

Giddy-Up!

Training Journal – 1/15/12:

  • Current plan: 10K Training
  • Today’s session: Test Your Resolution Road 5k
  • Comments: see above…
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2011 Brazen Racing – New Year’s Eve Runs Race Report

January 1, 2012 — 1 Comment

New Year’s Eve morning I ran Brazen Racing’s New Year’s Eve 5K run held at Lake Chabot Reservoir in Castro Valley. It was a great event – completely sold out with a total of 1072 runners by my count of the results – that had three runs: a 1/2 marathon, 10K, and 5K.  I had never been to Lake Chabot, but with a morning view like the one below and a clear and crisp morning, it was a good run day…and I will definitely run it again.

This was my second Brazen Racing event and, like the previous one, it was very organized with a great staff and volunteer team.  The expo area was nicely set up, food was great, and the SWAG was pretty good too.

If you have not run a Brazen race, I highly recommend checking them out.  I plan on running several of them in 2012.  You can check out their calendar here – they have at least one race each month in the Bay Area with most on Saturdays.

My Race

This was my fifth 5K since starting to run in September 2010.  Needless to say, I’m hooked and having a ball!

As usual, I got to the event early and kept warm in my car.  I picked up my bib and timing chip and then took a short warm-up run along the lake.  Close to the start times, I headed back to the starting line and watched the 1/2-marathon and 10K starts.

I joined my fellow 5Kers – 339 in all – in the start pen and waited for the countdown and start horn.  Before the start, they gave out an award to two 5K runners who had run in all 2011 Brazen races – dubbing them “streakers” and giving them the framed collection of 2011 race medals shown below…pretty cool!  There were “streakers” in the other two races as well…as you can see, Brazen has quite a following.

I hit my Garmin’s START button at 0907 and headed out for the out-and-back run along the lake. My goal for this race was to continue to keep my sub-30 minute time and keep my pacing on the hills (the 5K had about 4-5 short rolling hills.)  At home, as I reviewed my Garmin data, I see that I ran splits of: 8:38, 8:58, and 9:07.  They were close, though I see that I started a little fast.  Given the hills, I’m sure I was just getting tired – though I pressed and ran through the hills keeping my cadence at an average of 96 for the whole race.  I’m happy with my overall race though and see the pacing and hills as all part of the learning process of running – I seem to learn something new each time.

Results:

Garmin time: 28:37 at an 8:51/mile pace.
Official time: 28:48at an 9:17/mile pace.

Wrap-Up

Happy with my results: remained sub-30 minutes, controlled my pacing, and ran through the hills.  Brazen Races rock and will be one of my frequently attended events when planning my calendar.

Next up:

I started a 10K training plan on December 13th and my first organized 10K being Brazen Racing’s Bay Breeze on February 18th.

I don’t really have any runs planned as of this post for January, but may do the Bay Area Track Club’s Test Your Resolution Road 5k on January 15th.

Giddy-Up!

Training Journal – 1/1/12:

  • Current plan: 10K Training
  • Today’s session: 9 mi long run. Given the fact that I ran the 5K on Saturday (which is my normal off day), I ran the balance of the 9 miles today: 10K or 6.2 miles.
  • Comments: Good run – ran the whole 10K in 59:25 at a 9:34 pace.
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2011 Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis Race Report

December 12, 2011 — 1 Comment

Last Saturday, I ran in the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis held in Pacific Grove.  It was another great event in PG – with a great variety of runner levels and the weather was fantastic!  The course was along the coast and flat (Elevations: MIN: -1, MAX: 37), which resulted in a great time for me.  Did I mention “along the coast?”  With a view like the one below, you know it’s gonna be a great run:

The event was very organized and the pre/post-race SWAG and food was pretty good!  The event raised $53,000 for the Arthritis Foundation, which was cool as well.

My Race

This was my fourth 5K and, as I become more experienced, I’m starting to see the “thinking” side of running.  I find both the tactical and strategic aspects very engaging – it’s not just about thought-free, forward, all-out movement.

K and I made a day out of it and our two best friends came along.  We left at 0600 (catching the lunar eclipse on the way) and got to PG in time for me to avoid the bib pick-up lines and for K and our friends to hit a local bakery for some goodies.

The Kids 1K Elf Run went first and then the 5K started – right on time!  Learning from the last few races, I started toward the front of the pen to avoid walkers – OK and maybe I’m getting a little braver.

With the requisite bells on my Reeboks and a Santa hat on my head, I hit my Garmin’s START button at 0859 and headed out for the out-and-back run from Lover’s Point, along Ocean View Boulevard, toward the Point Pinos Lighthouse. My goal for this race was to keep my sub-30 minute time, but also run at a little faster pace (and time) overall.    My thought was, “I’m training, let’s push it a bit on the organized runs.”  At home, as I reviewed my Garmin data, I see that I ran pretty consistent splits: 8:21, 8:15, and 8:26.

Results:

This was a “personal best” by 1:15 on the time and :24 on the pace!

Garmin time: 25:30 at an 8:18/mile pace.
Official time: 25:38at an 8:16/mile pace.

Wrap-Up

Very happy with my results. I remained sub-30 minutes, controlled my pacing, and had a “personal best” day.

Post-race breakfast was yummy – banana/pecan pancakes from Toasties!

Next up:

The Brazen New Year’s Eve event.  While it’s tempting to jump to longer event runs (given my training distances), I’m sticking with my overall plan and only doing 5Ks for now – building a good base.

I start my 10K training plan on December 13th, with my first organized 10K being Brazen Racing’s Bay Breeze on February 18th.

Giddy-Up!

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2011 Quarry Turkey Race Report

November 26, 2011 — 4 Comments

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!

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2011 Silicon Valley Turkey Trot Race Report

November 24, 2011 — 2 Comments

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:

  1. “Finish in the upright position,
  2. with a smile on your face,
  3. wanting to do it again.”

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

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