Wednesday, August 10, 2011
5 KO'd
It never ceases to amaze me just how hard running can be or maybe I should say just how hard running fast can be. Saturday, I lined up for my first 5k since May 15th. With just a little under 3 months, I knew I wouldn’t be able to run a PR in the 5k, one because I had just twisted my ankle the week before while trail running and two because I was running the Filipinotown 5k which in my opinion is the hardest 5k in Los Angeles. There are not a lot of people who can take a long break then jump up and start running a seven minute mile but for some reason I believe I could. That was my pride and arrogance but my body had other plans. I should have known better but I could not pass up the opportunity to prove I could run well at the Filipinotown 5k. History would say that I would not, given the fact that I ran poorly two years in row at that race and I was healthy.
When you run fast or attempt to run a fast pace, it takes time to get your muscles and body use to the pace. It takes at least 3 to 4 weeks just to build up that base of fitness that will help you to sustain running at a fast pace while not completely killing yourself by mile 2 of a 5k. I had none of that at the Filipinotown 5k and by the time we had hit the one mile mark, my body had already shut down and mentally I did too. My legs were so heavy that it felt like I was pulling boulders. If you have ever been in race where the wheels fall off as we say, it is no fun. People say, what’s the big deal? A 5k is nothing. Those are usually people who have never run a 5k or even attempted to run a mile.
There’s a huge difference between jogging, running, and racing. Anyone can jog a 5k, anyone can run a 5k, but racing is held for a small group of runner’s who sprint from the start until the finish line and at the end, they have nothing left to give. You’ve seen this people. They are usually heading towards the finish line when you are just approaching mile one. I am not one of them but I have done a considerable job of being able to hang right in that second pack of runner’s who straddle the line between 7 minute miles and 7:30 minute miles and it is hard. Damn hard!
Last year in July, I ran a 5k 3 weekends in a row. I was in such a great rhythm and my fitness level was at a point where I could sustain my pace throughout the race and I just felt like I could run a 5k every day of the week. Last weekend I was nowhere near that level of fitness mentally and physically but sometimes you have to throw yourself out there to measure exactly where you are. It’s not fun because you know you can do better and run better but there is no substitute for time, training, and fitness but you gain so much from being in a race where nothing feels right and nothing is going your way. You cannot obtain this type of experience by just training on your own. I hear so many people say they are not ready to run a race but to honest, no one is ever ready. The result is that you become a better runner and the hope is that you learn to battle back in a race when you have hit a rough patch. You learn how to adjust and how to run in conditions that are not ideal and the most important thing is that you development a hunger to come back for more.
During the Filipinotown 5k, I stopped a total of four times. I just could not keep my legs turning and whatever mental edge I thought I had, was all but gone. I mustered everything I could at the end of the race and sprinted towards the finish line. No matter how bad you feel, you have to find the inspiration and the desire to finish on a high note. Instead of completely hanging my head, I looked at all the positives. Just days before, I was limping around because of my ankle and I should have skipped the race but it takes more than a twisted ankle to keep me out of an event. I had to accept the fact that I would not have been able to race at a high level given all the factors I was up against and in the end, I finished in 24 minutes and considering that I stopped four times, I think that is pretty good. Now I feel like I am ready to race again. I wore off some of the cob webs and I am ready to lace up the shoes and race again at my next 5k in two weeks.
Forget Your Watch, Your Heart will tell you the time......
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Rest, Relaxation, and Running
It has been a while since I put my fingers on the keyboard and typed up a new running blog but time flies when you are having no fun and running has to be put on hold but I am back. It seems like an eternity since my last running event, the UCLA 5K to be exact, which was in May. The UCLA 5k has the worst course and I have never run the race well and to add to the running dread my ex bosses thirteen year old son has run the race the last 3 years continuously making me worry that he would one of these year’s eclipse me and make me realize my running days are over but each year he has shot out from the start super fast and he would burn out before even hitting mile one. All that youth and energy was no match for my experience and runner savvy but this year was different.
He kicked my ass for the first mile which was ok but when he kept going and didn’t burn out like he usually does, I thought, “this is finally the year this little bastard is going to get me” but just when I thought I would I have to adhere to the ridicule from his parents and everyone else for being beaten by a 13-year old, he stopped and starting walking. He was still about 50 yards ahead but I knew I had him and when he turned to see where I was, I knew that his spirit was all but whipped. True runner and competitor that I am, I ran up next to him and encouraged him to keep running and he did. I expended a lot of energy just to catch him and my legs ached and my chest burned but there was no way in hell I was stopping. I poured it on and when I glanced over my shoulder, I noticed he stopped. I pulled out a victory over a 13 year old and still I wasn’t satisfied because my overall performance sucked so I decided to make up my dreaded performance by running home at a blistering pace. I had pushed myself to the limit when I really didn’t need to. I knew I needed a break and so did my body.
A week before the UCLA 5K, I ran the 14 mile Malibu Creek trail run for the first time. Previously I had run the 4-mile race four years in a row and I was always bent over gasping for air afterwards so running 14 miles at that trail seemed like a death certificate waiting to happen but I knew I had to at least attempt it. I felt like a real stud after running the 4 mile race for the first time but as I stood there gloating and sharing my difficulty with other runners, a guy came streaming through the finish line. He had just completed the 14 mile race a little after I had finished the 4 mile race. Then I looked a little closer and noticed he only had one arm. Here I was thinking I had something to brag about but this guy made me realize that the 4 mile was great when you are a beginner but if you truly wanted to be tested, you had to run the 14 mile race, otherwise you were just another bystander standing there feeling a little short changed. I went back and forth before signing up this year but eventually I made up my mind to suck it up and do the race.
I finished the Malibu 14 mile trail race but it was psychologically the most demanding race I’ve ever done. I had a modest goal to finish the race under 3 hours and finished right at 3 hours and 2 minutes but I mentally and physically destroyed myself. This race made me reach into a bag of tricks that was just empty and that is when I knew I was just teetering on the edge of being burnt out. Everyone hits a wall of some sort in a marathon but no one talks about hitting a wall in general with their running but it happens.
I have cranked out 14 to 15 running events a year for the last seven years. At some point, it gets to you; training, working a full time job, studying, the injuries, the highs, the lows. It’s a miracle I have been able to keep up the pace that I have been on for this long. My body however and my mind needed a much overdue break so I have spent the last month being a bum and it has felt great. On Monday, I laced up my bright orange asics running shoes for the first time in a month and off I went to the beach to run.
I went back to where it all started for me, down on the bike path in Santa Monica close to San Vicente. When I trained for the first marathon I ever did, I ran what I thought was about a stretch of 4 or 5 miles but found during the marathon that I may have only been running two or 3 miles and boy did I suffer during the race but I got use to running down on the bike path and I loved it. It was my spot, it was my escape and more importantly it was where I discovered for myself what running was all about. As time moved on things became more complex. I had to have the perfect spot and I had to get to where the best hills were or I had to have the best hat or shoes but I forgot about the simplicity of the sport which is just get out there and run and forget about all the rest of the nonsense. No race bibs or expos, or running groups. All I needed was my running shoes, the ocean, and the breeze. What I realized was how much I missed just running. Not for time or an age division medal but just for the sport. I rediscovered that and I also rediscovered how great life can be when you slow down, take a deep breath and do what you love. I’m sure I will be back on the racing circuit soon but for now, I am enjoying my time running without a care in the world.
He kicked my ass for the first mile which was ok but when he kept going and didn’t burn out like he usually does, I thought, “this is finally the year this little bastard is going to get me” but just when I thought I would I have to adhere to the ridicule from his parents and everyone else for being beaten by a 13-year old, he stopped and starting walking. He was still about 50 yards ahead but I knew I had him and when he turned to see where I was, I knew that his spirit was all but whipped. True runner and competitor that I am, I ran up next to him and encouraged him to keep running and he did. I expended a lot of energy just to catch him and my legs ached and my chest burned but there was no way in hell I was stopping. I poured it on and when I glanced over my shoulder, I noticed he stopped. I pulled out a victory over a 13 year old and still I wasn’t satisfied because my overall performance sucked so I decided to make up my dreaded performance by running home at a blistering pace. I had pushed myself to the limit when I really didn’t need to. I knew I needed a break and so did my body.
A week before the UCLA 5K, I ran the 14 mile Malibu Creek trail run for the first time. Previously I had run the 4-mile race four years in a row and I was always bent over gasping for air afterwards so running 14 miles at that trail seemed like a death certificate waiting to happen but I knew I had to at least attempt it. I felt like a real stud after running the 4 mile race for the first time but as I stood there gloating and sharing my difficulty with other runners, a guy came streaming through the finish line. He had just completed the 14 mile race a little after I had finished the 4 mile race. Then I looked a little closer and noticed he only had one arm. Here I was thinking I had something to brag about but this guy made me realize that the 4 mile was great when you are a beginner but if you truly wanted to be tested, you had to run the 14 mile race, otherwise you were just another bystander standing there feeling a little short changed. I went back and forth before signing up this year but eventually I made up my mind to suck it up and do the race.
I finished the Malibu 14 mile trail race but it was psychologically the most demanding race I’ve ever done. I had a modest goal to finish the race under 3 hours and finished right at 3 hours and 2 minutes but I mentally and physically destroyed myself. This race made me reach into a bag of tricks that was just empty and that is when I knew I was just teetering on the edge of being burnt out. Everyone hits a wall of some sort in a marathon but no one talks about hitting a wall in general with their running but it happens.
I have cranked out 14 to 15 running events a year for the last seven years. At some point, it gets to you; training, working a full time job, studying, the injuries, the highs, the lows. It’s a miracle I have been able to keep up the pace that I have been on for this long. My body however and my mind needed a much overdue break so I have spent the last month being a bum and it has felt great. On Monday, I laced up my bright orange asics running shoes for the first time in a month and off I went to the beach to run.
I went back to where it all started for me, down on the bike path in Santa Monica close to San Vicente. When I trained for the first marathon I ever did, I ran what I thought was about a stretch of 4 or 5 miles but found during the marathon that I may have only been running two or 3 miles and boy did I suffer during the race but I got use to running down on the bike path and I loved it. It was my spot, it was my escape and more importantly it was where I discovered for myself what running was all about. As time moved on things became more complex. I had to have the perfect spot and I had to get to where the best hills were or I had to have the best hat or shoes but I forgot about the simplicity of the sport which is just get out there and run and forget about all the rest of the nonsense. No race bibs or expos, or running groups. All I needed was my running shoes, the ocean, and the breeze. What I realized was how much I missed just running. Not for time or an age division medal but just for the sport. I rediscovered that and I also rediscovered how great life can be when you slow down, take a deep breath and do what you love. I’m sure I will be back on the racing circuit soon but for now, I am enjoying my time running without a care in the world.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Your Elite Vs. My Elites
Who are you calling a non-elite runner? I wouldn’t say I am a veteran of running but I do have eight years under my belt with 9 marathons and about 60 other running events to go with it. What has really ticked me off is this complete disregard for the large community of runners who lace up their shoes on a daily basis, logging in miles in hopes to build our endurance and better our times for upcoming running events but when we open the pages of runner’s world magazine, or attend any marathon expo, the only thing you see is this exuberant worshiping for the class of what the world of running calls elite runner’s. Call me bitter but where is the love for the so-called everyday runner? If you ask me, the magazines and the experts have it all wrong.
There are millions of us out there who work forty plus hours a week, have families, have finals and mid-terms, have financial problems, but we somehow find a way to pay registration fees, pay for subscriptions for running magazines, and do whatever we can to get tips from the so called elite but what do we get in return? We get shunned by runner’s who get paid to appear at running events, who get their running shoes for free, have the best training facilities, coaches and all the amenities afforded to them. As I see it, our registration fees go towards the prizes those runners get. The free shoes Asics gives away, we buy so once again, I ask where is the love?
What qualifies you to be an elite runner? I run over 14 running events each year and I may come in the top 3 in my age division two or 3 times but there’s no bonus, just a ribbon that I am proud to wear around my neck because it comes with respect from all the other runner’s who are out there giving it their all week in and week out. We don’t have lucrative shoe deals or sports drink endorsements but we have an admiration and a love for the sport and for each other and we share tactics and training advice with each other for free. None of us consider ourselves famous just because we come in 2nd in our age division at a local 5k. Runner’s world is not running to put an everyday runner on the cover of its magazines; why not, we buy the magazine.
When race directors raise the registration fees to increase the prize purse for the elites, we scrape together our pennies and do whatever we can to make sure we don’t miss the race. When we get injured, we don’t drop out of races, we ice, we tape, and we do whatever it takes to make it out there. No one knows our troubles, because it’s not important enough to write about. Each of us so-called everyday runners has a story to tell worth a million dollars but I am sure we would settle for just a little recognition.
If you ask me the word elite has been placed on the wrong runners. It takes an elite person to do what we do. No one prepares us for a race. We don’t have the luxury of a coach. No race has ever paid us to be there but we have paid them to run all because we love the sport and sometimes we just wish for the sport to love us back.
Please do not get me wrong. I do have a humungous amount of respect and admiration for those who have worked hard, and have fought long and hard to get to where they are today but why have so many of them abandon the runner’s out there who contribute just as much to the sport as they do?
The sport cannot survive without us!
There are millions of us out there who work forty plus hours a week, have families, have finals and mid-terms, have financial problems, but we somehow find a way to pay registration fees, pay for subscriptions for running magazines, and do whatever we can to get tips from the so called elite but what do we get in return? We get shunned by runner’s who get paid to appear at running events, who get their running shoes for free, have the best training facilities, coaches and all the amenities afforded to them. As I see it, our registration fees go towards the prizes those runners get. The free shoes Asics gives away, we buy so once again, I ask where is the love?
What qualifies you to be an elite runner? I run over 14 running events each year and I may come in the top 3 in my age division two or 3 times but there’s no bonus, just a ribbon that I am proud to wear around my neck because it comes with respect from all the other runner’s who are out there giving it their all week in and week out. We don’t have lucrative shoe deals or sports drink endorsements but we have an admiration and a love for the sport and for each other and we share tactics and training advice with each other for free. None of us consider ourselves famous just because we come in 2nd in our age division at a local 5k. Runner’s world is not running to put an everyday runner on the cover of its magazines; why not, we buy the magazine.
When race directors raise the registration fees to increase the prize purse for the elites, we scrape together our pennies and do whatever we can to make sure we don’t miss the race. When we get injured, we don’t drop out of races, we ice, we tape, and we do whatever it takes to make it out there. No one knows our troubles, because it’s not important enough to write about. Each of us so-called everyday runners has a story to tell worth a million dollars but I am sure we would settle for just a little recognition.
If you ask me the word elite has been placed on the wrong runners. It takes an elite person to do what we do. No one prepares us for a race. We don’t have the luxury of a coach. No race has ever paid us to be there but we have paid them to run all because we love the sport and sometimes we just wish for the sport to love us back.
Please do not get me wrong. I do have a humungous amount of respect and admiration for those who have worked hard, and have fought long and hard to get to where they are today but why have so many of them abandon the runner’s out there who contribute just as much to the sport as they do?
The sport cannot survive without us!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Never Question A Runner's Heart
Completing my 8th straight LA Marathon was a huge thing for me. I could not imagine ten years ago that I would even run one marathon. Running was never my strong suit in junior high or high school. My running really consisted of running up and down the basketball court. Being embarrassed and completely demoralized after finishing the first LA marathon may have something to do with why I am still going.
You could not write a story like mines or maybe you can, after all this is Los Angeles. I crossed that finish line in 2004 and felt like someone hammered both my feet with a sledgehammer. My feet ached and my legs were so sore from cramping up at around mile 7 and all I could do was sit after crossing the finish line. Though I was exhausted, I was so honored as the medal hung from my neck. I really wanted to get over to see my dad and show him the medal. I told him I would run the marathon in his honor because he had battled colon cancer for at least three years and I figured if he could battle cancer, I could battle too for a few hours but at that moment, I just wanted to go home and sleep. When I tried getting up the next day, it was like I had been run over by a truck several times. My phone repeatedly rang but I ignore it. I finally answered my phone thinking it was just people calling to congratulate me on the marathon but it was my mom telling me my dad had passed away during the night.
Short lived was my accomplishment. The only memory I had from the marathon was my purple toenails and my bruised calves and hamstrings. I took my first medal and I hung it around my dad’s neck because he earned it for his battle. It was at that moment that I knew I would be back the next year running the race again. The race really became an anniversary for me, and the passing of my dad. I looked at as a day to pay homage and to go out there and give everything I had because no matter how much pain my dad was in, he just kept going and when he wanted to give up I wouldn’t let him.
Sometimes people do not understand the passion that runner’s have for running. I have lined up the past eight years of the LA Marathon, one time with the flu, one time with a fractured big toe, and this year after a 3 month break from running because of 3 cysts in my left knee and at no point before the marathon did I believe I would not run the race but it is funny that every person who is folded into their sofas criticize those who have a goal bigger than the sofa. When people cannot see themselves doing something that someone else attempting to do, it is called crazy or stupid. That couldn’t be more the case this past Sunday when legacy runner James Smith refused to stop after falling and hitting his head around mile 24 of the race. With a horrible gash on his head and bleeding like crazy, Smith was determined to finish the race at all cost. After he somehow summoned the resolve to continue on to the finish his twenty-sixth straight LA Marathon, he was taken to the hospital to treat what was a subdural hematoma.
Stupid and crazy is what most replied about his decision to carry on in the race. These comments obviously came from people who have no concept of what it means to commit to something and no matter what obstacle they face they get it done. Being a legacy runner is not just and everyday thing. Running every single LA Marathon since its inaugural race is priceless and for him to come so far to think he would just quit is beyond comprehension. His passion, his drive and his desire to keep his streak going is motivation for me but it also validates the reasons why I continue to line up each year no matter what. People set a precedent for all types of things and you follow their lead or make your own way but to criticize them means you have yet to understand what life is all about.
Competitors compete while the critics just watch.
You could not write a story like mines or maybe you can, after all this is Los Angeles. I crossed that finish line in 2004 and felt like someone hammered both my feet with a sledgehammer. My feet ached and my legs were so sore from cramping up at around mile 7 and all I could do was sit after crossing the finish line. Though I was exhausted, I was so honored as the medal hung from my neck. I really wanted to get over to see my dad and show him the medal. I told him I would run the marathon in his honor because he had battled colon cancer for at least three years and I figured if he could battle cancer, I could battle too for a few hours but at that moment, I just wanted to go home and sleep. When I tried getting up the next day, it was like I had been run over by a truck several times. My phone repeatedly rang but I ignore it. I finally answered my phone thinking it was just people calling to congratulate me on the marathon but it was my mom telling me my dad had passed away during the night.
Short lived was my accomplishment. The only memory I had from the marathon was my purple toenails and my bruised calves and hamstrings. I took my first medal and I hung it around my dad’s neck because he earned it for his battle. It was at that moment that I knew I would be back the next year running the race again. The race really became an anniversary for me, and the passing of my dad. I looked at as a day to pay homage and to go out there and give everything I had because no matter how much pain my dad was in, he just kept going and when he wanted to give up I wouldn’t let him.
Sometimes people do not understand the passion that runner’s have for running. I have lined up the past eight years of the LA Marathon, one time with the flu, one time with a fractured big toe, and this year after a 3 month break from running because of 3 cysts in my left knee and at no point before the marathon did I believe I would not run the race but it is funny that every person who is folded into their sofas criticize those who have a goal bigger than the sofa. When people cannot see themselves doing something that someone else attempting to do, it is called crazy or stupid. That couldn’t be more the case this past Sunday when legacy runner James Smith refused to stop after falling and hitting his head around mile 24 of the race. With a horrible gash on his head and bleeding like crazy, Smith was determined to finish the race at all cost. After he somehow summoned the resolve to continue on to the finish his twenty-sixth straight LA Marathon, he was taken to the hospital to treat what was a subdural hematoma.
Stupid and crazy is what most replied about his decision to carry on in the race. These comments obviously came from people who have no concept of what it means to commit to something and no matter what obstacle they face they get it done. Being a legacy runner is not just and everyday thing. Running every single LA Marathon since its inaugural race is priceless and for him to come so far to think he would just quit is beyond comprehension. His passion, his drive and his desire to keep his streak going is motivation for me but it also validates the reasons why I continue to line up each year no matter what. People set a precedent for all types of things and you follow their lead or make your own way but to criticize them means you have yet to understand what life is all about.
Competitors compete while the critics just watch.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
LA MARAPOUR
We train, we diet, we deal with injuries all year long but somehow someway we find a way to make it to the starting line of every race we sign up for. Training prepares you for the race but one thing you cannot train for is mother nature. Feeling 2 months short of being physically ready to run the marathon on Sunday, I laced up my shoes and my grabbed my gear and got ready regardless of what type of shape I was in. I had worried all week about rain but Wednesday’s sunny upper 70’s weather made me think that it would be another year where every runner worried about rain and we would all overdress and then the sun would play its normal trick on us by popping out when we least expected it to, causing many to dehydrate before even reaching mile five but with dark clouds looming all around dodger stadium, we could have only hoped for the sun to bless of for a few miles.
As the race began, Elizabeth and I hung back or I should say I had to run to the bathroom again. I think I hydrated too well because I made at least 4 trips to the bathroom before the race began. I figured there was no rush considering we have timing chips. By the time we jumped into the pack, fifteen minutes had gone by. This landed me amongst the slower runners and walkers, which was just what I needed. My plan was to walk and run the race because with only a month of training, there would be no way in hell I would be able to successfully be able to just haul ass from the start to finish without completely falling apart by mile 8. I also planned to take pictures along the route because I had always admired the view of the crowd from within the crowd. I figured I would make an adventure of the race by carrying my camera. I also realized that I may have had too much stuff. I had a carrying pouch for my ipod, camera, gum, and other stuff, then I had a hydration belt with only two of the four bottles with fluids.
From the start, I knew there was trouble. The timer on my brand new watch wouldn’t even start. I had no way of even keeping an accurate time on my walk breaks but I just went with the flow. The drizzling had already began but I figured this is what we would have to deal with the whole way. I had a plastic poncho over a broncos sweatshirt, over a dri-fit short sleeve shirt. I felt like I was warming up so I ditched the broncos sweatshirt and no soon as I did, the drizzle picked up to rain. I have run in rain before so it was no big deal but by the time I hit mile 4, the rain turned into showers. Showers turned into more showers and before long, I knew we all were in for a test of our endurance and will to deal with the extreme conditions.
My legs felt heavy, and my energy level just seemed non existent but I stuck to my plan. I walked when I needed to and when I felt like running, I ran but I still felt sluggish and heavy. I knew it had to be my hydrations belt. I had no choice to take it off and ditch it. It made me feel lighter and by the time I hit mile 8, I knew I was on a roll. I picked up the pace and really got into a good rhythm. The streets progressively began to look like flowing rivers and it became impossible not to slush through floods of water which were basically at ankle level. My feet were never dry after mile 8. The one rule in running a marathon is to do your best to keep from getting your shoes wet. That completely went out the window. I didn’t worry so much about it because I’d covered my feet with Vaseline so my feet and toes felt good.
As the rain hammered down, it became increasingly difficult to take pictures because my hands were dripping wet. I could barely control my ipod. My cheap poncho caused me so much grief because the hood kept coming off, so I had to tie a space blanket around my neck to keep my hood from falling off. I was starting to look like a bag person but in conditions like this, no one cared about looking good except for the few idiots running without shirts as if it was 90 degrees outside. Apparently thousands of other runner’s didn’t get the message that running for more than hours at a time with little to no clothing in conditions such as these can be dangerous. Everywhere I looked there was someone looking like a popsicle. This would explain the countless amounts of people being treated for hypothermia after the race.
When I got to the 18 mile area, I really fell into a groove. In my mind, I knew 8 miles separated me from the finish line and my eighth straight completion of the Los Angeles Marathon.
There were not a lot of thrills to this race. With visibility at a minimum, the only real goal was finishing the race. When I crossed the finish line, I was proud and relieved. I finally stuck to plan. I knew that I could have run a bit faster and I could have finished with a better time but knowing that I was able to successfully execute a plan feels so much better. I felt so good after the race I ran another mile and a half to the car and I didn’t even feel tired.
I admire all those who stuck with it on Sunday from the runners to the volunteers. Runner’s run regardless of the conditions. It’s what makes us better runners. I’m hoping Sundays race can get me jump started for the upcoming running season and I have plenty of ammunition for next year’s marathon.
Pictures coming soon..
Stay dry
As the race began, Elizabeth and I hung back or I should say I had to run to the bathroom again. I think I hydrated too well because I made at least 4 trips to the bathroom before the race began. I figured there was no rush considering we have timing chips. By the time we jumped into the pack, fifteen minutes had gone by. This landed me amongst the slower runners and walkers, which was just what I needed. My plan was to walk and run the race because with only a month of training, there would be no way in hell I would be able to successfully be able to just haul ass from the start to finish without completely falling apart by mile 8. I also planned to take pictures along the route because I had always admired the view of the crowd from within the crowd. I figured I would make an adventure of the race by carrying my camera. I also realized that I may have had too much stuff. I had a carrying pouch for my ipod, camera, gum, and other stuff, then I had a hydration belt with only two of the four bottles with fluids.
From the start, I knew there was trouble. The timer on my brand new watch wouldn’t even start. I had no way of even keeping an accurate time on my walk breaks but I just went with the flow. The drizzling had already began but I figured this is what we would have to deal with the whole way. I had a plastic poncho over a broncos sweatshirt, over a dri-fit short sleeve shirt. I felt like I was warming up so I ditched the broncos sweatshirt and no soon as I did, the drizzle picked up to rain. I have run in rain before so it was no big deal but by the time I hit mile 4, the rain turned into showers. Showers turned into more showers and before long, I knew we all were in for a test of our endurance and will to deal with the extreme conditions.
My legs felt heavy, and my energy level just seemed non existent but I stuck to my plan. I walked when I needed to and when I felt like running, I ran but I still felt sluggish and heavy. I knew it had to be my hydrations belt. I had no choice to take it off and ditch it. It made me feel lighter and by the time I hit mile 8, I knew I was on a roll. I picked up the pace and really got into a good rhythm. The streets progressively began to look like flowing rivers and it became impossible not to slush through floods of water which were basically at ankle level. My feet were never dry after mile 8. The one rule in running a marathon is to do your best to keep from getting your shoes wet. That completely went out the window. I didn’t worry so much about it because I’d covered my feet with Vaseline so my feet and toes felt good.
As the rain hammered down, it became increasingly difficult to take pictures because my hands were dripping wet. I could barely control my ipod. My cheap poncho caused me so much grief because the hood kept coming off, so I had to tie a space blanket around my neck to keep my hood from falling off. I was starting to look like a bag person but in conditions like this, no one cared about looking good except for the few idiots running without shirts as if it was 90 degrees outside. Apparently thousands of other runner’s didn’t get the message that running for more than hours at a time with little to no clothing in conditions such as these can be dangerous. Everywhere I looked there was someone looking like a popsicle. This would explain the countless amounts of people being treated for hypothermia after the race.
When I got to the 18 mile area, I really fell into a groove. In my mind, I knew 8 miles separated me from the finish line and my eighth straight completion of the Los Angeles Marathon.
There were not a lot of thrills to this race. With visibility at a minimum, the only real goal was finishing the race. When I crossed the finish line, I was proud and relieved. I finally stuck to plan. I knew that I could have run a bit faster and I could have finished with a better time but knowing that I was able to successfully execute a plan feels so much better. I felt so good after the race I ran another mile and a half to the car and I didn’t even feel tired.
I admire all those who stuck with it on Sunday from the runners to the volunteers. Runner’s run regardless of the conditions. It’s what makes us better runners. I’m hoping Sundays race can get me jump started for the upcoming running season and I have plenty of ammunition for next year’s marathon.
Pictures coming soon..
Stay dry
Sunday, March 6, 2011
I Can Do A Marathon before Wilson
If you want to know what the definition of hard is, throw out the dictionary and head to Mount Wilson. After really being off my feet from running for about three months, I’ve tried to jump start my running with an accelerated training plan to get ready for the LA Marathon coming up in 2 weeks. I began running home from work 2 nights a week. I’ve hit just about every trail in Los Angeles to get the proper hill training and to increase my endurance but it has been nothing short of hell. With at least and extra ten pounds to deal with, my runs have been hard and slow. 3 mile runs seem like 6 and my 5 and a half mile runs from work have me running straight to the couch to just catch my breath. Coming off of a layoff of any kind can be very difficult but I have no choice to keep pushing through these difficult times so what can be more difficult than trying to get some training done at Mount Wilson? I am not sure but right now, I am inclined to say nothing.
With very little rest thanks to a hell of a week at work, I knew it would be a challenge waking up to do anything on Saturday but I managed to get up at 6:40 a.m. We arrived at Mt. Wilson about 8:20 and hit started about 8:40 and by that time, the sun was already letting me know I was in for trouble. I hiked Mt. Wilson once and that was last year on one of the hottest days of the year and I suffered the entire way up. I forgot to mention that it is a 7-mile trek to the top and of course that means 7 miles back. 14-miles really feel like18 when you are done. Last year, I was in pain the whole way up. I walked at a snails pace but somehow made it but forgot about the 7 miles back and tried running. I managed to go strong until a portion of the trail my legs cramped so bad that I’d wished I were dead. I was in so much pain after doing the trail and my legs were essentially crushed for a week.
So what did yesterday hold? Not much because I started out feeling sluggish and slow and knew my legs were not in the mood. After 20 minutes, I began to feel like I did last year. The sun was unforgiving and the first mile or so provides no shade. I tried upping the ante by running a bit which makes you look psychotic because everyone else is walking and struggling. I was only able to run about five minutes here and there as my legs began to really drag down. I just began to walk, take breaks, and hoped I could find some energy somewhere. I carried a bottle of water and had Gatorade in my side water bottle and before I knew it, I drank all my water. With over 4 miles to go to the top, I knew I had to conserve my Gatorade. Mt. Wilson challenges you, then it challenges again, then again. There were points where I just wanted to turn around and go back but this is when I remembered what it feels like to be in the late miles of every marathon. You start to doubt yourself. The Miles don’t come as fast as they did in the beginning and your body just wants to go back to bed but you can continue to go and hope your body goes with you or you can give up.
With views that were just stunning, I continued to push on. I’d pick up and run a little bit, then I would hit a portion of the trail where I had to walk. A lot of trails challenge you with inclines that do not stop but this trail breaks the barrier. At some point you are 3 and a ½ miles in and it seems like the trail gets steeper and steeper. At some point I felt like I was being pulled backwards. One of the key factors to this trail is that there are rocks everywhere in trail that adds to the danger factor. There are trees that have fallen and lay in the middle of the trail so you have to conserve your energy and strength to climb over and under as they block the path. Most of the trail, I found myself mumbling. I think most of it was just trying to tell my mind to keep going. It seemed like there was a stretch on the trail where I felt like I was barely moving but I’d come upon another hiker just in front of me and even though I didn’t ask them to move over, they did which always put pressure on me to not only go in front of them but to keep up a faster pace. I just kept summoning the energy but when I finally made it to the 5 and a ½ mile spot where you rest and check your mental status before continuing to the top, I just could not go any further. I was mentally and physically drained so I elected to turn around and go back. I know my lovely companion that day was disappointed but I just couldn’t keep up with her. Sometimes you have to concede and know when you have been licked.
In my only attempt to regain some respect, I took the challenge to run back down the entire 5 and a ½ miles. If you know anything about running trails, then you know running downhill is not only dangerous but one sure fire way to beat the hell out of your legs but it is a thrill. The real challenge is trying not to kill yourself when running down the sharp turns and the sliding rocks. There is a portion of the trail where you get to hide deep within the trees, shielding you from the sun but the bad part is the last mile to the end is all in the sun. It takes all you have to push and push and it seems like there’s never an end in sight. 3 hours and 20 minutes total time it took to do 11 miles. How insane is that? Another hour and I might as well have done a marathon but this was exactly what I needed. A true test that let’s me know I have a lot of work to do.
If you need something to inspire you, then go read a book. If you are looking to see how mentally and physically strong you are, then go up to Mt. Wilson!
Check out the photos on my facebook page!
With very little rest thanks to a hell of a week at work, I knew it would be a challenge waking up to do anything on Saturday but I managed to get up at 6:40 a.m. We arrived at Mt. Wilson about 8:20 and hit started about 8:40 and by that time, the sun was already letting me know I was in for trouble. I hiked Mt. Wilson once and that was last year on one of the hottest days of the year and I suffered the entire way up. I forgot to mention that it is a 7-mile trek to the top and of course that means 7 miles back. 14-miles really feel like18 when you are done. Last year, I was in pain the whole way up. I walked at a snails pace but somehow made it but forgot about the 7 miles back and tried running. I managed to go strong until a portion of the trail my legs cramped so bad that I’d wished I were dead. I was in so much pain after doing the trail and my legs were essentially crushed for a week.
So what did yesterday hold? Not much because I started out feeling sluggish and slow and knew my legs were not in the mood. After 20 minutes, I began to feel like I did last year. The sun was unforgiving and the first mile or so provides no shade. I tried upping the ante by running a bit which makes you look psychotic because everyone else is walking and struggling. I was only able to run about five minutes here and there as my legs began to really drag down. I just began to walk, take breaks, and hoped I could find some energy somewhere. I carried a bottle of water and had Gatorade in my side water bottle and before I knew it, I drank all my water. With over 4 miles to go to the top, I knew I had to conserve my Gatorade. Mt. Wilson challenges you, then it challenges again, then again. There were points where I just wanted to turn around and go back but this is when I remembered what it feels like to be in the late miles of every marathon. You start to doubt yourself. The Miles don’t come as fast as they did in the beginning and your body just wants to go back to bed but you can continue to go and hope your body goes with you or you can give up.
With views that were just stunning, I continued to push on. I’d pick up and run a little bit, then I would hit a portion of the trail where I had to walk. A lot of trails challenge you with inclines that do not stop but this trail breaks the barrier. At some point you are 3 and a ½ miles in and it seems like the trail gets steeper and steeper. At some point I felt like I was being pulled backwards. One of the key factors to this trail is that there are rocks everywhere in trail that adds to the danger factor. There are trees that have fallen and lay in the middle of the trail so you have to conserve your energy and strength to climb over and under as they block the path. Most of the trail, I found myself mumbling. I think most of it was just trying to tell my mind to keep going. It seemed like there was a stretch on the trail where I felt like I was barely moving but I’d come upon another hiker just in front of me and even though I didn’t ask them to move over, they did which always put pressure on me to not only go in front of them but to keep up a faster pace. I just kept summoning the energy but when I finally made it to the 5 and a ½ mile spot where you rest and check your mental status before continuing to the top, I just could not go any further. I was mentally and physically drained so I elected to turn around and go back. I know my lovely companion that day was disappointed but I just couldn’t keep up with her. Sometimes you have to concede and know when you have been licked.
In my only attempt to regain some respect, I took the challenge to run back down the entire 5 and a ½ miles. If you know anything about running trails, then you know running downhill is not only dangerous but one sure fire way to beat the hell out of your legs but it is a thrill. The real challenge is trying not to kill yourself when running down the sharp turns and the sliding rocks. There is a portion of the trail where you get to hide deep within the trees, shielding you from the sun but the bad part is the last mile to the end is all in the sun. It takes all you have to push and push and it seems like there’s never an end in sight. 3 hours and 20 minutes total time it took to do 11 miles. How insane is that? Another hour and I might as well have done a marathon but this was exactly what I needed. A true test that let’s me know I have a lot of work to do.
If you need something to inspire you, then go read a book. If you are looking to see how mentally and physically strong you are, then go up to Mt. Wilson!
Check out the photos on my facebook page!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Get Off Your Couch and Set a Goal!
Where do you draw the line between doing thing that are crazy, or irrational, and just plain stupid? Well, I would be the wrong person to ask because I have done a lot of things that most people would consider dumb or just plain nuts but I really don’t see it that way.
There really wasn’t much to brag about after completing the LA marathon in 2004. I completed a marathon but in return my toenails were all purple, my legs felt like they had been ran over by a car several times, and my ego was severely bruised. So, I set out with mission to run the LA marathon the year after in 2005. I improved my time a little but I was not satisfied with the overall performance so I ran again the race again in 2006 and I was lucky enough to be a part of 26 runner’s who were sponsored by Saucony. I met one of the other Saucony runner’s who just happened to be a legacy runner. As a novice runner, I had no idea what that really was. She explained that the legacy runners were a group of 200 or so runners who had ran and completed every LA Marathon since its inauguration. Regardless of how slow or how fast they ran the race, this is an impressive feat. Unless I went back in time, being a legacy runner is something I do not qualify for but I decided to start my own legacy or tradition. I vowed to run the LA marathon every year until my body says it just cannot go anymore. To some, this may sound like no big deal but when you have a goal, you have to see that goal to the end, otherwise why set goals, why make promises, and why dream.
I’m less than 37 days away from trying to complete my 8th consecutive LA marathon and it may prove to be my toughest one so far. In October after completing the Point Mugu trail race I essentially had to shelf my running because of some knee pain. I experienced the same pain here and there throughout the years but it normally just goes away but this time, it just lingered on and on. I knew the marathon was getting closer and closer so I set out to try to run a few miles here and there but I really couldn’t manage much. I was having some serious pains the day after my runs so it caused me to really delay my training. I started physical therapy to help strengthen my legs and to learn some new stretching techniques and even though I began to feel like I was ready to get back out the door and pick up my running mileage, the resounding knee pain caused me to be hesitant and I began to worry that something was seriously wrong but in the back of my mind, I knew some way, somehow, I would be in the marathon, even if I had to rent a wheelchair.
I returned to the sports medicine doctor at the end of January and updated him on my status and though there were no true signs of ligament damage from the strength test he gave me, the pain in my knee persisted but the puzzling part was that it was not my knee that has been really bothering me. It was on the outside of my knee, right on the bone. We initially chalked up the injury to an ITB band injury which is common for runner but I pretty much did all the stretching and exercise in physical therapy to help deal with that. The sports med doc had no choice but to send me to get an MRI. I was still was not that concerned because I’ve had several MRI’s but they never really reveal anything and it really didn’t matter what the doc said, I was prepared to delay any major type treatment or procedures that would endanger my chances to be at the start line of the race in March.
When I went back to the doc Tuesday, he let me know there were no tears at all in my knee and my knee looked pretty healthy except for a little wear and tear which is normal but then he paused to tell me there was one possibility as to where the pain in my knee was coming from. I have three tiny ganglion cysts that were present right in the area I’ve been complaining about. What pissed me off was that the cysts were present back in 2001 when I had an MRI before having a knee surgery from a basketball injury. Nonetheless, the cysts are too tiny to drain which is something you can do but if you’ve ever had a cyst before, they fill back up with fluid and you have to do back in to drain them again. Though the cysts are small, they are likely the source of the pain I have been experiencing on and off for the last five years.
The next step for me is to see another sports med doc for a second opinion and to get his opinion on the course of action. My first desire is to have the cysts removed because I had a cyst on my wrist when I was in the 7th grade and it was quite painful. Whenever it was drained, it seemed to come right back in a week so it had to be surgically removed and I’ve had no problems since then.
You can call me crazy but the show must still go on. Come March 20th, I will be lined up at the LA Marathon, looking to run my 8th consecutive race and continuing my goal towards completing the race every year. What will you be doing?
Athletes compete, we don’t watch…
There really wasn’t much to brag about after completing the LA marathon in 2004. I completed a marathon but in return my toenails were all purple, my legs felt like they had been ran over by a car several times, and my ego was severely bruised. So, I set out with mission to run the LA marathon the year after in 2005. I improved my time a little but I was not satisfied with the overall performance so I ran again the race again in 2006 and I was lucky enough to be a part of 26 runner’s who were sponsored by Saucony. I met one of the other Saucony runner’s who just happened to be a legacy runner. As a novice runner, I had no idea what that really was. She explained that the legacy runners were a group of 200 or so runners who had ran and completed every LA Marathon since its inauguration. Regardless of how slow or how fast they ran the race, this is an impressive feat. Unless I went back in time, being a legacy runner is something I do not qualify for but I decided to start my own legacy or tradition. I vowed to run the LA marathon every year until my body says it just cannot go anymore. To some, this may sound like no big deal but when you have a goal, you have to see that goal to the end, otherwise why set goals, why make promises, and why dream.
I’m less than 37 days away from trying to complete my 8th consecutive LA marathon and it may prove to be my toughest one so far. In October after completing the Point Mugu trail race I essentially had to shelf my running because of some knee pain. I experienced the same pain here and there throughout the years but it normally just goes away but this time, it just lingered on and on. I knew the marathon was getting closer and closer so I set out to try to run a few miles here and there but I really couldn’t manage much. I was having some serious pains the day after my runs so it caused me to really delay my training. I started physical therapy to help strengthen my legs and to learn some new stretching techniques and even though I began to feel like I was ready to get back out the door and pick up my running mileage, the resounding knee pain caused me to be hesitant and I began to worry that something was seriously wrong but in the back of my mind, I knew some way, somehow, I would be in the marathon, even if I had to rent a wheelchair.
I returned to the sports medicine doctor at the end of January and updated him on my status and though there were no true signs of ligament damage from the strength test he gave me, the pain in my knee persisted but the puzzling part was that it was not my knee that has been really bothering me. It was on the outside of my knee, right on the bone. We initially chalked up the injury to an ITB band injury which is common for runner but I pretty much did all the stretching and exercise in physical therapy to help deal with that. The sports med doc had no choice but to send me to get an MRI. I was still was not that concerned because I’ve had several MRI’s but they never really reveal anything and it really didn’t matter what the doc said, I was prepared to delay any major type treatment or procedures that would endanger my chances to be at the start line of the race in March.
When I went back to the doc Tuesday, he let me know there were no tears at all in my knee and my knee looked pretty healthy except for a little wear and tear which is normal but then he paused to tell me there was one possibility as to where the pain in my knee was coming from. I have three tiny ganglion cysts that were present right in the area I’ve been complaining about. What pissed me off was that the cysts were present back in 2001 when I had an MRI before having a knee surgery from a basketball injury. Nonetheless, the cysts are too tiny to drain which is something you can do but if you’ve ever had a cyst before, they fill back up with fluid and you have to do back in to drain them again. Though the cysts are small, they are likely the source of the pain I have been experiencing on and off for the last five years.
The next step for me is to see another sports med doc for a second opinion and to get his opinion on the course of action. My first desire is to have the cysts removed because I had a cyst on my wrist when I was in the 7th grade and it was quite painful. Whenever it was drained, it seemed to come right back in a week so it had to be surgically removed and I’ve had no problems since then.
You can call me crazy but the show must still go on. Come March 20th, I will be lined up at the LA Marathon, looking to run my 8th consecutive race and continuing my goal towards completing the race every year. What will you be doing?
Athletes compete, we don’t watch…
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