2012 Sharin o' the Green 5k

Sharin o' the Green 5k
16:51, 7th


We don't usually go out of our way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day too much, but that was probably the best one in memory, no doubt aided by sunny temperatures hovering in the upper 70s (highly conducive to an afternoon nap in City Park), and a visit from one of our good out-of-town friends.

And it began with the annual "Sharin o' the Green 5k" race.

Partners Mentoring Youth
The race is a benefit for Partners Mentoring Youth, a fantastic community organization that helps pair adult mentors with child and teenage mentees in order to foster a meaningful relationship of support and encouragement. My family members have been inspirational supporters of PMY, with brother-in-law Caleb having mentored an energetic 6th-grader for just over a year. I've been consistently impressed with the variety of activities Caleb has regularly been able to do with his mentee. More recently, J has been spending time with a precocious 7th-grader, whom I've found to be not just unfailingly polite, but also a great helper in things like baking cookies. (See how the relationships work both ways???) The program is successful because of the great volunteers, as well as the great staff.

The Race
Since PMY is such a valuable community resource, it's wonderful to see the success of the 5k race. Race participation nearly doubled to over 2700 participants this year, such that registration closed before race day. Also, the course was entirely new this year, with a great collaboration with O'Dell's brewing, such that the race started at the brewery and ended at the same, but with the addition of free beer.

My prediction is that the massive crowds might cause some race logistic issues, but the large details went mostly smoothly: ample and close parking in the field behind O'Dells, numerous port-a-potties, and an almost on-time start (amazing with the number of participants). The race was bib chip-timed and worked well (as far as I know) -- by the way, this means the race is quite the "bargain" by having chip timing, free beer, and a t-shirt, for as little as a $17 early registration (LivingSocial deal). It's hard to count pennies when great charities are involved, but this really means that the race organization is quite professional and able to allow for maximum donation to PMY itself (so it doesn't hurt to throw a few bucks into the beer tip jars, for example).

But the large crowds did make it quite difficult to navigate a narrow start, and I understand that subsequent waves of people got jumbled up in the usual confusion of dogs, strollers, walkers, etc. Everyone is most definitely encouraged, but all races have an important aspect of etiquette in terms of appropriate starting line positioning, so anything that can be done to aid the process would be welcomed.

In my case, it made sense to start near the front. I don't have the esteem to start on the very front line, but I tucked in close enough that it wasn't really an issue. I was happy to see friends and training partners like Nick, Sarah, Tim, and Alex up there as well, having already seen other FCTR's like Celeste, Mindy, and Pete before the race, and did a few strides with Alex to get warmed up and ready.

And with a quick set of verbal commands, we were off.

Off the bat, I had a brief moment of frustration and bumping elbows (maybe a bit harshly) with a couple guys in a tight but slow wall before the first turn. Soon enough, that was over with, and we were off and running.

I kept Nick in my sights (with one runner in between us) just like I would on our fun Tuesday morning speedwork sessions this year, but wanted to keep a controlled and even pace, which I suspected would be 20-25 seconds net back. (My target was 16:45-17:00). Keying off of someone predictable was a great boost, since a few other nearby runners had clearly gone out too fast and started falling back. I was already a good 2-3 seconds back but kept the gap fairly steady in the first mile. I forgot to look at the exact starting time of my $10 running watch, but 1st mile was on target at 5:22-5:24ish, and felt smooth. My injured rib is noticeable on very deep breaths but was basically a non-issue.

Next came a few turns and then a brief spot onto the bike path, which required a little bit of work getting around another runner, but was mostly steady. I think I dropped a couple seconds on that mile, but still felt steady.

At Mile 2, we overlapped with the first mile of the race, and their were a significant number of runners. Because of the difference in speed and traffic at the start, I heard the girls way past when I thought I would, and heard a few other random name shouts, which was great and kept us honest.

But it also meant that there was significant traffic remaining in the first/last mile, which I'm not sure was predicted. As it was, we swung out wide onto the bike path when coming inbound, instead of the sidewalk, outbound route. The route was flawless and non-confusing, but later runners took the slightly shorter sidewalk route as mapped, so I believe the final course for the front-runners was a touch long. (Better than noticeably short, though).

One more turn onto Lincoln and it was a straight shot to the 3 mile mark, before a final awkward 180 into the parking lot. I forgot to look at my watch again, but assumed it was sufficiently below 17:00 for the first time in my life. I congratulated Nick quickly, I ended up right behind him, and assumed I'd catch up with him on his race later, though I ultimately didn't get to do so in the crowds. I also missed out on seeing Sarah finish up strong and win her age group, but I was happy to see fellow (fast) training partner Chris who was volunteering at the finish line, and then I circled back and headed out to find the girls.

I found them near the 1M mark, and had fun encouraging other runners along the way. They were held up in the first mile but were running at a good clip (with tutus and jewelry and hats on) and having a great time. I peeled off before the finish and then we headed over to the free beer. That was somewhat chaotic, requiring an ID check (as expected) but also race bib tags (after many of us had recycled ours). It was still easy to get the free beer though and $3 otherwise.

We met up with more friends then, including some that are just getting started in running or races, so it was great to see them as well.

Anyway, I guess that's how you write up a whole 5k race report without pictures, thanks for reading. I was happy with the way this race went, thankful for the organization of it, and now onto working more on the endurance.
Alex (WS pacer and math teacher) says the Sharin' o the Green time is exactly equal to a WS finishing time (in hours and minutes instead of minutes and seconds), so hopefully I'm pretty much set in that regard and can start tapering.

New Year in Running

Ended up 2011 with a final race: the Fort Collins Resolution Run 5k.
I didn't have any sort of costume, other than my favourite alpaca hat, but enjoyed seeing some of the other FCTR's out in formal wear.

J and Nora were decked out in tutus:



The course is a couple of loops around CSU, with an extra final spur around The Oval. Similar to the Jingle Bell Run, I was excited to run on familiar roads on campus. But this time: at night!
And it supports KRFC, our great local NPR affiliate.

I pushed hard and painfully, and didn't get mile splits, but enjoyed pacing fast people in front of me, and was very happy with 6th in a PR of 17:01.
I had actually pushed to beep the timing mat (they had chips at the race!) at 16:59 on the digital clock. I then hacked up my asthmatic lungs for about 10 minutes, which weren't happy with the effort in the cold temperatures. As I sort of suspected, the GPS guys showed ~3.05M, so possibly a bit short, though a google maps view shows a legit 5k.
Either way, that pace is another big improvement that made me happy and a good way to end 2011.

J also hit a PR, when I caught up with them and told them to push to make it under half an hour, and they did it!

After this, we headed to a fun party at the Slushoconnor household:



We found out the downtown fireworks were cancelled due to the wind (earlier in the day), so we enjoyed hanging out until the stroke of midnight, as determined by an arbitrary microwave clock. Looking forward to a great year of running achievements and tall tales from this group of friends!

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If nothing else, 2012 is now notable to me for being the first time I've ever purchased a Horsetooth Mountain Park vehicle pass. Now with the initial investment, I'm sure I'll be inspired to go up there often and get my money's worth!

Today was a nice morning, with the wind finally having died down. That didn't prevent ice:


So it was pretty slow going in both directions on the upper part of the trail. I got less miles in, but more vertical, hitting up a HT summit and then a subsequent Towers summit, all of it pretty slowly.
But the theme of my WS100 prep is vertical and trail, so it was nice to be out.

Happy 2012!

Jingle Bell 5k 2011

Jingle Bell 5k
17:46, 2nd OA

Despite ice, snow, and single-digit temperatures in the morning, J and I lined up for the Jingle Bell 5k at the CSU Oval on Saturday. We ended up having a great time, and will look to do it again in the future.

J had received two complimentary entries, which put it on our schedule. Still, shivering in our car before the start, I wasn't sure about my own motivation. Luckily, J's a tough girl, having been running early pre-dawn runs with a friend for several weeks now. Plus, she had snowpants on! So we donned our free jingle bells, a characteristic of the Arthritis Foundations national Jingle Bell runs. (In fact, a Jingle Bell run in San Diego 8 years ago might have been the first 5k we ever ran!)

Onto the race. Previous results suggested that I might place well, but it all depends on who shows up, and I didn't know how much the ice and snow would affect things. As a compromise on traction, I gave up on pure road flats and wore my new-ish Brooks Pure Grit lightweight trail shoes instead, and ultimately think this choice was a good one, since I didn't fulfill my worst fears of slipping and getting a concussion. Again.

The race starts with a lap around "The Oval" at CSU, which is a beautiful quad area on campus with majestic older oak trees and some of the older campus buildings that serve the classic sciences and liberal arts. By going counterclockwise, it's a fun track-like start to the race. Despite a few hundred runners and walkers that braved the elements, the start line wasn't too crowded, and the announcers kindly asked walkers to wait until runners made the first lap. Then, we were off. Quickly, I found myself running shoulder-to-shoulder with one other runner, who had the inside track, and a tattoo on his calf, which was visible because he was wearing shorts. Clearly, he meant business. We stayed next to each other running a bit hot for my goals, and I realized I wasn't doing myself any favours by running the extra distance in "Lane 2", so I tucked in behind him.

By the end of the oval, he had a gap on me, and as we headed West through campus, I kept him in view but let him go (aka "I couldn't keep up"), which was fine as I continued to run my own race, having opened a gap on anyone else behind me. The course was mostly plowed, so I enjoyed the views of the foothills and fond memories of having taken classes for a few years at CSU, and have run every part of the course outside the oval numerous times.

We worked our way West, with few turns, before a brief section going south and then heading back East. We occasionally ran through patches of snow, and some of the corners required more care to negotiate, but the course was otherwise very well-marked and controlled. I didn't have any mile splits, but by the 2nd mile the leader was in view but about 25 seconds ahead of me. So I just relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the run. Soon enough, we were back on the oval, with 3/4 of a lap to finish up the race. Again, this is a fun finish, to be able to see the finish line and anyone ahead or behind for a few minutes. I ended up 2nd in 17:46, 35 seconds behind the winner, Mark Saunders, whose name I recognized as being generally faster than me. 3rd place was more than a minute behind me, so there's clearly room for more local runners to show up. Happy with my time, despite the pace being slower than last week's longer Turkey Trot -- given a warm-weather race in the future, I'm hopeful that I still have even more speeding up to do in these shorter races before I start slowing down.


I ran back to grab the camera, and followed J in as she finished up a solid pace, fully decked in snowpants scarf, hat, and a few hundred other layers.

So, I have to strongly recommend this race as being well-run and fun, a good time right after the Thanksgiving Day Run. As for materialistic perks, along with the entry fee, racers receive a timed run and a nicely-designed long-sleeve T-shirt (which I'm wearing as I type this), in addition to bagels and hot coffee and hot chocolate after the race. Top 3 runners, as well as best costume and top fundraisers, are additionally recognized with medals and (in my case) a highly-appreciated Whole Foods Gift card. Of course, with all these benefits on a free entry, it was obvious that we would be increasing our donations to the Arthritis
Foundation.

The Arthritis Foundation
Finally, and most importantly, a word about the Arthritis Foundation. Besides a well-organized race, with some inspirational fundraisers as well as some motivated child running groups, we enjoyed hearing various facts about the Arthritis Foundation's work while cheering on other runners. Like many diseases, arthritis (which itself has over 100 forms) has a drastically different presentation, cause, and treatment results for patients of all different ages. This means it's difficult to make broad generalizations. However, one area of results-driven protocol supported by the Arthritis Foundation is that of regular exercise to prevent and reduce the symptoms of arthritis. Coincidentally, I discussed this recently in a disease and pathology course in the context of osteoarthritis, so I have a bit of a soapbox on the subject. (Remember, there are numerous forms of arthritis, which run the gamut from less-understood genetically influenced autoimmune forms, to those which are very much affected by diet and lifestyle, of which I am focused on here).

A recent meta-analysis ("Exercise and knee osteoarthritis: benefit or hazard?", Bosomworth) highlights research showing that a history of physical activity is not associated with development or progression of osteoarthritis, and may be protective:
http://171.66.125.180/content/55/9/871.full.pdf

This makes sense mechanistically based on what we discussed this week in class: both bone strength and cartilage development are stimulated by repeated stress. Stress such as running is sensed biomechanically, ultimately resulting in stronger bones, tendons, and ligaments. The stress of the activity is temporary and is compensated by long-term physiological adaptations.

Obesity, on the other hand, stresses cartilage in the knee (e.g.) chronically, and studies have shown for several decades that obesity can increase the risk of development of osteoarthritis:
"Obesity and knee osteoarthritis. The Framingham Study" (Felson, et al.)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3377350

Unfortunately, osteoarthritis can make it difficult for people to exercise without pain, leading to a vicious cycle of more weight gain. However, among people who already have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, continued exercise and diet/weight-loss have been shown to reduce pain and improve functional mobility:
"Exercise and Dietary Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Older Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis: The Arthritis, Diet, and Activity Promotion Trial (Messier, et al.)"
https://www.cebp.nl/media/m1074.pdf

In summary, I believe it is imperative that doctors recommend exercise and weight loss as a primary treatment for osteoarthritis, especially among younger patients, and physical activity that includes running or walking should be encouraged as prevention.


I have gotten into this topic a bit because of a couple of oddities -- bear with me -- related to running and arthritis.
First, I've heard more than a few (dozen?) times, "Isn't running bad for your knees?" Not only is it very much generally not bad for your knees, shown repeatedly in scientific studies, but it is generally beneficial. The unfortunate irony of this is a fundamental misconception that leads some people to avoid the very thing that could most improve their health.
Exercise, such as running, trains the body to adapt and deal with occasional stress; combined with proper nutrition, the body beautifully builds itself even stronger. In contrast, the latest research shows that excess weight and lack of exercise leads to a chronic situation of inflammation and stress, which exacerbates all kinds of diseases, including osteoarthritis.

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So, as the Arthritis Foundation says, "Arthritis is Not Inevitable!" Let's continue to support their good work in supporting research and awareness. Even more simply, as a runner, every time you lace up your shoes, and encourage a friend or family member to go for a walk and make healthy food choices, you're already doing your part in prevention!

Quick sea-level running weekend

Orange County, CA


We were fortunate to have a quick weekend visit out to Orange County to visit our good friends, Todd and Andrea. We always have a great time with them, and the weekend went by too quickly. Unfortunately, the weather was as about as bad as it gets in sunny So Cal, with rain and cool temperatures 2 of the 3 days we were there.

But there's nothing to complain about, as we still had a great time with them, and did have a nice day to get some surfing in, which was one of my main goals.

Rain, rain, go away!
We used to live in So Cal, and I remember how the infrastructure just...isn't...built...for...rain. That is, the roads get slippery (noticeably so on a bike); bacterial levels get high in the ocean so you can get sick if you surf afterward (although I'll pay for that check when it comes in a few days, if it does); and the trails are caked in thick mud. Al fresco dining is ruined, and the coffee shops don't have the requisite character, generally. Everyone gets crabby, and doesn't know what to do with themselves.

Strangely, though, it was a perfectly welcome relief.

I went for a run a couple mornings in the rain and grey, something I rarely did while living there (I ran less, so I'd just do some sort of indoor workout or something else). Instead, I found it quite enjoyable to go for a run in the morning when it was calm and traffic was light. The people that were out in the rain were, as a percentage, more friendly.
So I did a couple of 1.5-2 hour jogs from downtown Newport to areas around the beach, Corona Del Mar, and Irvine.
This one's for Alex!


Sea Level Run Tests
8x800s
But first: one of my goals was to do some sort of quick sea-level test to see how noticeable the extra oxygen density might be. So, the first morning I headed out to the track at Irvine, home of the UCI Anteaters.

This, however, happened to be the absolute heaviest part of the storm.
I decided to run 8x800 anyway, but used Lane 5 so as to avoid the worst of the puddles:


This meant I had to think about the staggered start lines and such.
First lap was OK, in the mid 2:30's. The same or a little faster than I've been lately, though not the fastest.
The rain picked up a bit.
I thought I'd be OK as long as I didn't slip or anything, but in the following laps, my shorts, socks, and shoes were absolutely soaked. I was easily 5, 10, then 15 seconds slower than my first lap, with times all over the place. I stopped in the middle and wrang the water out of my socks.

So the workout was absolutely worthless in terms of testing-the-fitness at sea level. This bothered me as both a runner, and a student of exercise physiology. Shoot.

5000meter
In the afternoon of our last day, a few hours before we left, I hadn't run during the day yet. Todd said he'd be OK with a quick jog to the local high school track in Corona Del Mar. Then I could do a quick workout and he didn't mind waiting or stretching, etc. It was near sunset now, due to Daylight Savings Time ending, but the weather was absolutely perfect.

I ended up having about 20 minutes, so I just decided to do a 5k.

Everything felt awesome and I hit 5000m at 17:10. Holy crap (in my world, anyway). I wasn't dying at the end, and finished another 400m up at the same pace to make it an even 13 laps. Todd was timing as well and said he was impressed (very kind of him to say so) about clicking off tight 5:30 splits with regularity.

I was pretty stoked by this -- I've never even run sub-18 in a race.
Is this a PR? Does it "count" since I didn't pay money for it? Who knows. AK is running his own self-timed marathon, and I think it's an awesome idea.
In any case, it's the fastest I've ever run that distance, and it felt awesome.

I don't know where that came from exactly, but I felt like a few things were key:
1. I've been doing less mileage (planned and unplanned) and am pretty well rested
2. I've been stretching with some regularity, and some niggling pains are getting better (fingers crossed)
3. Sea level doesn't give you any speed that you don't have already, but it makes the speed you do have easier to maintain for longer periods of time

Regarding the last point, I realize I could also benefit from some occasional very short stuff (100m, 200m, 400m), because my leg speed in this case was the limiter, whereas my heart and lungs felt like they had a bit more to give.

Anyway, it was a memorable workout and a fun scientific test.
Now back home, where our motto might was well be "A mile higher and a minute slower!"
Next up is the FC Thanksgiving Day Run, so it's fun to do the short stuff for a change.

5k, the Right Way

The wellness group at my employer puts on a fun run 5k twice a year, which is a cool way to get people out of the cubes and excited about exercising. Furthermore, Runner's Roost has a nice connection with us (and the broader community, for that matter), with some current and ex-engineers working at the Roost. Brad and Steve show up to provide great support with course mile marking and timing -- pretty sweet for a workplace fun run.

After the first few races of modestly sitting back and finishing in the top 3 or 4, I had a good string of running alone in first....until last time, when I inexplicably took a wrong turn and ran nearly 3.5 miles, even though I was all alone in the last mile. Whoops.

This time, Brad joked to me that he's certainly gotten lost on courses before, too. And it was very clearly and generously marked, so he said I shouldn't have a problem.

Normally by now, I'd be a month or so past a marathon, and I'd be doing some speedwork and sharpening. This time, I've slowly recovered from lots of LSD, on my feet and on the bike. With my hamstrings still a touch tight, I notice that I was a little wobbly when trying to put on any speed. I took it easy the last couple days, and the goal today (besides the correct route) was to run relaxed and smooth, and an even pace of 6-min miles, regardless of what was around me, until a possible last-minute kick.

We lined up at the start -- they had a Start and Finish banner! -- with a weather forecast that threatened rain, but actually delivered quite warm sunshine for a morning run. We took off, and I had a clear line to myself. Last year, someone pushed with me about 15 seconds faster than I wanted, and we both paid for it. Even splits!

Mile 1: 5:59...tick...6:00...bam! This is on the cheapest stopwatch I could find at Target.
Mile 2: A bit of a headwind and full sun, but kept charging. We cross near the Start, with some cheers of encouragement. Mile 2 in sight: 12:00...tick...12:01

Then, I heard a bit of chatter behind me. It is evident that someone isn't that far behind me. A cloud of negative thought enters my head in an instant, whispered from a cartoonesque shoulder devil: He's catching up. You're slowing down. You're going to throw up your oatmeal. You can slow down and just go for 19 minutes. This is all stupid and pointless anyway. I can't argue with the last point, but I can choose to ignore the rest.

I made it back off of the sidewalk/path and back onto the road, and decided I wasn't going out that easily. I opened up my stride and pushed, intermingling with some 1-mile walkers. I wasn't going to look back, and if anybody was going to catch me, they were going to have to work, and we'd both be better for it. I hit the last turn and cruised in: my watch said 18:40. Exactly my target pace.

The next guy -- I have to get his name, because I've met him before and am too shy to ask his name again (I need to see things written, then I remember them for life) -- ended up being 17 seconds back. I guess it felt closer than it was, but my push was in the right spot, as I gapped 6 of those seconds in the last mile.

Felt good and relaxed. Not a PR but not far off, and this is just the beginning of a phase when I'm going to add some intervals on the track this summer. Feeling good about that, and good about intuitive pacing. I'm glad I vanquished some self-doubt, but I need to work on this. I am fully aware that a huge component, maybe the largest, of the back half of a 100 is mental. Before I commit, I need some deep training to lean on and trust, and the ability to visualize the entirety of highs and lows.

Finally, it's clear that some competition nearby helps push me along (obvious), so I should hop in a local 5k one of these days when I'm ready to push my hardest at that distance. Digression: One year, we lived within running distance of the Carlsbad 5000, and it was awesome. It's a great course to run a PR, I wish I were better trained back then. The wave starts were great, and we ate breakfast at a favorite local restaurant, the Daily News Cafe, where we got to watch the elites run after we had finished our own.

Anyway, thanks to Runner's Roost, Zquila, Rustic Oven, Silver Mine Subs, and Panera for also providing some food and raffled gift certificates. Pretty fun to have a little mid-morning mid-week race!