The Hamster Wheel

Athlete Alert

2010-04-19T07:53:00.001-07:00

Event Information:

Event:

2010 Boston Marathon

Runner:

William Coquelin

Latest Results:

Location	Time	Pace/mile
10km	0:46:05	7:24

All times are unofficial. Times may vary in post race official results.

Tahoe Relay

2009-05-29T15:31:00.001-07:00

A number of years back I was driving around scenic Lake Tahoe and I saw a trickle of runners on the road. Gradually, I pieced together that it was a relay around the lake and I thought to myself, "I HAVE to run this one day!" So, when Cameron invited me to join his team this year, I jumped at the chance.

Quick Facts:

When: Saturday, June 13.
The legs: The relay features seven legs between 8.5 and 12.3 miles long.
Total distance covered: 72 miles.
Average finish time: about 11 hours which equates to about 9:10 per mile.
Where: It starts at the southern most point of the lake and proceeds counterclockwise around the lake.
Participants: Usually there are about 140 teams who participate.
Aid stations: None
Traffic control: None--but at least the shoulders are wide...no, wait.

I scored the first leg which starts at 7:00 am and runs down the strip through the casinos 9.6 miles before finishing at Zephyr Cove. It's early in the morning, a short leg, and relatively flat with a downhill finish. Just the way I like it. Anyhow, everyone's talking about running very fast and I'm not so hot with my training right now (again). I'm going to try to get a little speed out of my fat legs next week and then run easy into the weekend. Stay tuned.

Back to the wheel...

On the road again...

2009-05-07T12:30:00.001-07:00

After a brief post-Boston hiatus I'm back on the road this week with
two runs at Land Park. I'm happy to report no aches or pains from any
of the ailments which hampered my training for Boston.

Endurance running is a hobby for me, but it's an obsession for others.
I follow a couple of running blogs and I one of the guys just ran the
Ruth Anderson 50K and then the Boston Marathon two days later. I
thought I was doing well to finish two minutes ahead of him at Boston
until I realized that was because he paced his 67 year old father the
whole way (a 3:45 marathon @ 67, wow). But that's not all, the
following weekend the ran a sub 3 hour marathon @ Big Sur and capped
it all off with the Miwok 100K last weekend. That's 144.5 miles of
racing in 15 days. Freak! :)

Like I said, it's just a hobby for me, but there's a small part of me
who wants to do that too...

Back to the wheel.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Boston Photos

2009-04-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

I took my photos, Joe’s photos, and some race shots from the Internet and created a video to recap the Boston weekend in about four minutes. YouTube shrinks the video, so the pictures get a little pixilated, but you can get the idea. After reviewing my photos, I can think of a thousand shots I missed. I’ll get those when I run Boston with my brother. :-)

The blog truncates the picture, so you may want to view it on YouTube.

Thought from the plane

2009-04-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

I'm on the plane back to Sac and thought I'd peck out a couple of thoughts from the weekend.

What went well:
-Travelling with Joe. He's a great travel partner. I'd do it again in a second with him.
-Catching a Sox game. Even if I DNF'd the marathon, the trip would have been worth it just to sit field-side for the game. It was THAT fun.
-The people of Boston. They are amazingly patient and kind. Their city gets overrun with out of towners annually for this event. They tolerate our bumpkin invasion with a smile and a sense of humor.
-The marathon. It really is a must for any runner. If you qualify, you HAVE to go. No excuses!!!!! (More specifics to come)
-Hooking up with Carlos at the Expo. I think he had been up for at least 30 hours at that point.

What needed improvement:
-The "T." Boston public transit is called the "T." It's a network of busses and subways the spiders through the city. It's great once you get the hang of it, but it's a nightmare to figure out. The instructions and routes are convoluted at best. How is a guy from out of town supposed to figure out if he needs the "inbound" or "outbound" subway. The marathon should provide better instructions to participants and the "T" needs to make it easier to use. Really.

Special thanks to:
-Frances and Abby for being understanding, patient, and supportive of this little endeavor. Despite what you think, we know it's a HUGE inconvenience.
-Lino Cedros for keeping the wheels on this 40 year old machine.
-Joe for making the plans.

On the ground and deplaning. Gotta run. More to come.

The prize...

2009-04-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

I don't have the time to list the experience right now, but suffice it to say that anyone who can run the Boston Marathon absolutely MUST do it. MUST! It's amazing.

AT&T Athlete Alert

2009-04-20T10:50:00.001-07:00

Event Information:

Event:

113th Boston Marathon 2009

Runner:

Eric Norton

Latest Results:

Location	Time	Pace/mile
10km	0:51:28	8:16
Half-Marathon	1:48:24	8:16
30km	2:35:10	8:19
Finish	3:43:23	8:31

All times are unofficial. Times may vary in post race official results.

AT&T Athlete Alert

2009-04-20T09:42:00.001-07:00

Event Information:

Event:

113th Boston Marathon 2009

Runner:

Eric Norton

Latest Results:

Location	Time	Pace/mile
10km	0:51:28	8:16
Half-Marathon	1:48:24	8:16
30km	2:35:10	8:19

All times are unofficial. Times may vary in post race official results.

AT&T Athlete Alert

2009-04-20T08:55:00.001-07:00

Event Information:

Event:

113th Boston Marathon 2009

Runner:

Eric Norton

Latest Results:

Location	Time	Pace/mile
10km	0:51:28	8:16
Half-Marathon	1:48:24	8:16

All times are unofficial. Times may vary in post race official results.

AT&T Athlete Alert

2009-04-20T07:59:00.001-07:00

Event Information:

Event:

113th Boston Marathon 2009

Runner:

Eric Norton

Latest Results:

Location	Time	Pace/mile
10km	0:51:28	8:16

All times are unofficial. Times may vary in post race official results.

Now THAT is a line.

2009-04-20T05:44:00.000-07:00

Better not be an emergency!

In line for a bus...

2009-04-20T03:24:00.000-07:00

Joe and I are in line for a bus at Boston Common. We've been up since 4:00 am and the race doesn't start for almost 4 hours. Groan.

Calf feels good. All fueled up. Two hours of sleep.

Sox Win...

2009-04-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Legs pooped. Public transit, the expo, the game, and marching around Boston have the legs a little wobbly. Gonna grab some food at the hotel and watch a movie.

And we're off...

2009-04-18T12:06:00.001-07:00

...Like a herd of turtles. Joe and I are at the gate getting ready to tour the lower 48 on our way to Boston: Sac to Phx, Phx to Charlotte, Charlotte to Boston. Aside from Joe getting a body cavity search from TSA, no hitches so far.

I'll leave you contemplating a 9 hour flight with a fully hydrated bladder. Please, no turbulence.

The Witches Brew (Patent Pending)

2009-04-17T11:05:00.001-07:00

The following is an email from my brother. We're both big Hammer Nutrition fans and we've been experimenting with a cocktail of their products perfectly balanced for our marathons. Here's the latest iteration...

I don't think the world is interested in the "witches brew", so here it is for you. In a small mixing bowl combine:

1 single serve of Perpetuem
2 single serve HEEDs (use the unflavored)
4 single serve Hammer Gel
Just enough water to help the mixture into two Hammer Flasks (possibly 2-3 oz.)

Stir the stuff up and pour it into (as stated above) two Hammer Flasks.

No foam, froth, or gas of any kind. As one flask emptied, I filled it with a little water and it freed up the rest of the stuff. I thought I was going to give the flask to Mary when I saw her on mile 19, but I started to fill the empty flask with water, which worked out really well. This gave me water when I wanted it as opposed to waiting for the water stops. My body was very happy with that decision. I'm in love with hammer flasks!!!! Also, I was very happy that, for once in my life, I gambled on my race strategy for the marathon and it worked out VERY WELL.

Boston Weather and Some Thoughts on Mustard...

2009-04-16T10:18:00.001-07:00

I got in five around Land Park this morning and had almost no pain in the calf. What does "almost" mean? It means that, while it didn't hurt, there were a couple of times when I could feel my calf wanting to knot up. Why it "wants" to knot up is a mystery to me. Lino really helped it out last night. Now all I have to do is keep it loose until Monday.

The temp on the run was around 43 degrees which mirrors what I anticipate for Monday's run. It gave me the confidence to choose appropriate apparel for the run. Which is O so important! If the Weather Channel is correct, we're looking at low to mid 40's, cloudy, and a chance of showers during the run so I'll take gloves, arm sleeves (AKA tube socks with the toes cut off), and a couple of different hats to fit the situation.

I'm going to stop by a fast food restaurant on the way out of town and stock up on yellow mustard. It turns out that yellow mustard packets combat cramps. Apparently, it's a combination of the mustard, turmeric, and the vinegar that make it a great cramp buster. We'll see. It's a good think I like mustard.

Last visit to Lino

2009-04-15T16:11:00.001-07:00

I'm face-down on Lino's treatment table right now with electrodes on both calves. Yeah, I'm confident. :)

After talking with Lino, I'm guessing I'm not the sole Boston runner to receive treatment. If I knew who they were, I see if we could pool funds and fly him out with us.

Time to get the rest of my fun.

Hair Removal

2009-04-12T20:50:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I've already established that I scream like a girl. I saw fit to prove it once again. We also know I've had some calf pain and that I've been willing to do just about ANYTHING to make it go away: compression socks, somatic treatments, new shoes, stretching, etc. In that vein, I thought I'd try the Salonpas pain relief patch (It's a topical analgesic). It actually worked pretty well...that is until I took the little patch off. Now, I'm not a furry guy. In the fur o'meter, I'm about about a three (one being Mr. Clean and ten being Yeti-esque); however, my legs are a little more harry than the "three." Anyhow, I ripped that sucker off and had a carpet for a hamster (see enclosed pic). Ouch.

Other news: I went to Lino on Friday after the calf got cranky on my Thursday run...not good. I then got in two 8.5 mile runs this weekend with only modest discomfort. One week to go before Boston. It's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Back to the wheel...

5 on the strip...

2009-04-06T10:11:00.001-07:00

Where else can you get a 5 mile run and see Miss USA contestants and the Stanley Cup?

Oh, and the legs feel great. I got a deep tissue massage at the hotel yesterday.

The Hamster is off to the tables. :)

Oh Happy Day

2009-04-04T15:54:00.001-07:00

I ran 10 this morning. I must admit that it seems longer that it should and slower than I'd like. Other than that, all was good. <eye roll>

The good news (I think) is that I found my Garmin!! Yeah!!! Of course, the reason I added "I think" is that it will now confirm how pathetically slow I really am.

The Hamster is headed to Las Vegas for a few days...I'm not entirely certain it's going to help my Boston training any. Of course, it's all shot anyway, so I'm off!

Two-a-day workout

2009-03-31T09:42:00.001-07:00

Well, not really, but sort of. :-) I ran 5.5 last night and 5 again this morning. Again, no pain. This is significant because I ran on two consecutive days. Now I know, with the marathon a scant 20 days away you're thinking, "So what?" Okay, so am I. But it is significant in that I was able to do it and not aggravate any of the nasties. Given the litany of ailments in the last two months, I'll hail two runs in two days as a small victory.

In other news, 650 runners will mass at CalExpo pre-dawn this Saturday to run the American River 50 (AR50). 200 of them will be first-time ultra-runners. Good luck to you all!! Of special note: Gloria Takagishi (63) will be running her 30th AR50. If she does, she will be the first person to finish the AR50 30 times. Truly amazing.

5.5 on a Monday Night

2009-03-31T00:19:00.001-07:00

The last few days have been a wee bit on the windy side. It's become common place to see for home "for sale" signs wizzing through the air...not to mention copious amounts of pollen. <achoo> Anyhow, the wind broke late this afternoon and I took advantage of it by getting in 5.5 in the park today. Again, everything felt good, but I'm still nervous to pile on miles or give it some gas.

Three and counting...

2009-03-30T11:33:00.001-07:00

I'm up to three pain-free runs and counting. That's the good news. The bad news is that I'm out o shape. The best I can hope is:

A. I gain some unfair competetive advantage from finding a harmonic rhythm to the jiggle and my pace. Think "Perpetual Motion"

B. I obtain an anti-gravity suit (though none are listed on e-bay or Craigslist at the moment).

C. I accept that I'm going to feel like I'm running through waist-deep, wet cement for 26.2 miles and wimper as runners from the 30-minute-delayed second wave overtake me.

Special thanks to Cameron Yee for meeting me midday on Saturday for my "long" run and for tolerating my pace.

Back to the wheel...

Three Runs, Two Pain-free...

2009-03-26T10:41:00.001-07:00

Forgive me for I have not blogged. It falls into the category of the advice given to Thumper by his mom, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." The last two months have been punctuated by foot pain (right) and calf pain (left) and, rather than grouse about them ad nauseum, I chose to remain silent...well, as silent as I can be.

Serendipity

So, after multiple visits to Lino (AKA the miracle worker) I strapped on the shoes and went for a run on Saturday morning giving myself nothing better than a 40% chance of completing the run without another blowout. I "warmed up" (euphemism for "walked") to Land Park and ran into Kris Levy and her running partner Sharon Saltzman and begged them to let me tag along. Kris is a regular in the Sacramento half-marathon scene and Sharon is a veteran of multiple marathons (Chicago, Marine Corps, etc.). As I hobbled to catch up to them, I felt my calf getting chatty and my hopes of completing the run, not to mention going to Boston, were at an all-time low. Once I caught up with them and backed off the pace, my calf loosened up. Thank God. I was relieved to have someone to talk with during the run so I could take my obsessing mind off my calf. We meandered through Land Park and Miller Park for about five or six miles (longer than I wanted to go) and it felt great. From this run I found my Boston pace and gained confidence that I might actually make it there in one piece. It was pure luck that I ran into Kris and Sharon and boy am I glad I did. Had I not, I would have picked a stupid pace for my Saturday run and surely blown something out. I'm smart like that. :-)

Since the Saturday run, I've contiued my strengthening regemine and had two pain-free runs. Heck I'm almost optimistic.

Boston

I got an email from the Boston Marathon this week talking about a new feature: text tracking. All you need is my bib number (8599) and date of birth (4/5/1969) and ATT will text my progress to your phone from the start, 10K, half, 30K, and (if all goes well) the finish. Of course, my approach to this run is, "Start out slow and back off from there." So, expect there to be a wide range of splits and a LONG time between texts. I'm going to see if I can get them posted to my blog as well.

Chocolate Milk

At the risk of sailing off the edge of the Earth, I want to talk about Chocolate Milk as a sports drink. That's right: chocolate milk. There's an increasing body of work extolling the benefits of Chocolate Milk as a sports/recovery drink. I know my two daughters enthusiastically embrace this school of thought. Anyhow, I'll stick with HEED and Recoverite, but it's certainly interesting. Has anyone experimented with this?

Random Thoughts on Anger Management

Sacramento DEFINATELY needs a smash shack. Who's in?

Back to the wheel...

The Black Knight of Marathons

2009-03-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we all know that my right foot has been giving me fits trying to get ready for the Boston Marathon. Thankfully, I've been going to see Lino and he's worked wonders. Thanks to Lino, I got in two solid weeks of training (stop laughing) and began to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, that light was an oncoming train and it arrived in the form of a seized left calf. Is it too early to call marathon a trian wreck...sorry, I couldn't resist that one. Anyhow, Lino made room for me yesterday and really gave my calf just what it needed .

So I get up, put what's left of my dignity in my pocket and head for the door when I run into local running stud Andy Harris. I've always been happy that Andy is usally in the "next" age division. Andy had blown a wheel and was there to have Lino fix him up too. Suddenly it dawned on me. As I approach 40, I no longer have my running reunions on the trail, they're in the office of my somatic practitioner (translation: guy who repairs old runners). With all of the ailments I've experienced leading into Boston, I've become painfully aware that I'm not 20 or 30 anymore. I've been bouncing from one ding to the next. This is certainly new to me. I'm staying confident that I'll complete the marathon, but there are days when I feel like the Black Knight.

Eight is Great!

2009-03-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

I ran eight miles this weekend. Of course the pace sucked. I started on Saturday morning and I don't feel like I finished until Sunday. But the good news is that my bum wheel held up!

Random thought: Now, most of you know that I love NPR but this morning they kinda pissed me off. I was listening to NPR Morning Edition this AM and they ran a story on how media failed to report more vocally/persistently on the risky investing practices which, in part, led to the current economic crisis. Essentially, they were saying that media fell asleep at the switch. NPR immediately followed up the "call to arms" with a story on "Barbie turns 50." Huh? Way to answer the call NPR.

Two runs on the repaired wheel

2009-03-06T09:58:00.001-08:00

I'm in Lino Cedros' office awaiting my next treratment and thought I'd use this opportunity to update my progress.
Since my last treatment, my foot feels much better. I've had some other aches an pains pop up, not "bad" pain. I think it's a result of body parts shifting and two runs after three weeks off.
The runs went better than I could have hoped. My feet feel stable and pain-free. Initially, I was overly conscious of my foot, aware of every little noise it made. But over the last few days, my foot feels so normal I've stopped thinking about it altogether; a good sign.

I can see!!! I can SEE!!!

2009-03-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so blindness was not my particular issue, but that's how I felt when I left the office of Lino Cedros today. The man is nothing short of a miracle worker I'm back on the road for Boston!!!

Here's the situation, I've been moaning about plantar fasciitis for way too long. Suddenly, over the weekend, I decided to call a Somatic Practitioner I've heard rave reviews about from neighbors, fellow runners, and the gang at Fleet Feet: Lino Cedros from Kinections. Luckily for me, he had a spot open this morning at 9.

I arrived and quickly scanned the joint to see what I was getting myself into. The facility occupies the bulk of the first floor of an office building. It's wide open (no walls) with the exception of four treatment beds (think massage tables) along the wall partitioned by those hideous hospital curtains. The middle of the space has bench seating and the rest of the facility is strewn with a ton of exercise equipment: two nautilus machines, leg press, barbells, yoga balls, etc.

Lino is a short, stout man with a quiet voice, firm handshake, and a no-nonsense approach. His style is to view the body as a system and pain as a symptom. He does not treat symptoms, he treats the root causes which feed the symptom. Read on. We went through a quick Q&A and some movements to help him diagnose the issue. His first statement after this was, "You don't have plantar. You have a muscle problem." Essentially, it all comes down to relaxing my big toe...which naturally starts with my hips, right? Er..right. Wait, you lost me. Lino went through a few exercises with my legs to demonstrate the limited range of motion in my right foot/leg versus my left. I was alarmed by the difference. So Lino set to work loosening the leg. And when I say "loosen" I mean inflicting eye-watering pain into my hip flexors, IT band, calf, and foot. By the way, in case you weren't aware of this, and I know I wasn't up until 9:15 this morning, I scream like a girl.

After the Maquis De Sade, AKA Lino, finished "loosening" my leg he gave me a couple of stretches for home and asked me to walk/run around the office. I'll be darned if my foot didn't feel better. It felt relaxed and noticeably more stable. I can SEE!!

Eric: "Can I run?"

Lino: "Run. Go, run, run all you want."

Eric: "Really?"

Lino: "Yes, really, you'll hurt in some new places because we've 'loosened' things up. Come back on Friday, but run all you want between now and then."

I apologized for screaming like a girl and the fingernail marks in his table, paid $75, set an appointment for Friday and left. Now I need to work, but I'll go for a run tomorrow night and let you all know how it goes.

Keep you fingers crossed, but it looks like I'm back on track for Boston...albeit a slow one.

Oh, and file this under the category of "learn from my mistakes." If it hurts, don't think you're a Somatic Practitioner and self-diagnose. Go see someone who knows what he's doing. I lost over three weeks of training trying to self-treat my self-diagnosed ailment. Don't do the same!!!

Back to the wheel...

Strassburg...

2009-02-12T09:54:00.001-08:00

No, not Strausburg as in France, Strassburg as in, the sock. Read on...

I fanned the run this morning. Partially because it's raining, partially because of the extra glass of wine I had last night, partially because I went to bed late last night, and mostly because my friggin foot hurts! Yes, plantar is getting worse. So I made a trip to Fleet Feet yesterday and procured a Strassburg Sock . If you're looking for something sexy, then you're goin' the wrong direction with the "sock." This bad boy was designed to speed the healing of Plantar Fasciitis. Essentially, Plantar Fasciitis is heel pain (just in front of the heel) caused by micro tears in the tendon connecting the heel to the ball of the foot. At night our feet point and the heel tries to heal. However, the healing occurs with the foot in an pointed position and the plantar fascia contracted. So, when you get up in the morning, you stretch the plantar fascia and undo the healing process (think stitches ripping out). The sock keeps the foot at a 90 degree angle to the leg so that the plantar does not contract, heals in a normal position, and stretches lightly overnight.

Anyhow, I now own one and tried it last night. My foot felt better (thought not all better) this morning. Stay tuned for more updates.

Back to the wheel...

5 in the LP

2009-02-10T12:17:00.001-08:00

The thermometer read a brisk 30 degrees this AM. BRRRRRRRRRRRRR! It's a good thing I forgot my long sleeve shirt. That said, the bank robber hat I purchased a couple of weeks ago really kept the dome warm. Popular believe is that the "typical" head holds 13 - 16 percent of the body's blood and accounts for up to 30 percent of the bodies heat loss (cite). Of course, with a dome the disproportionate size of mine, I could safely up that to 40 percent. :-) However, with the hat on, I actually felt very comfortable. It seemed more like a balmy 40 degrees.

Anyhow, I got in five and ran into long-time friend Grietje Reuter. She's not training for any runs right now, but she wants to swim across Lake Tahoe this summer. I told her she was crazy to which she replied, "I'm a large Danish girl...cold water doesn't affect me." Power to the Danes, once again proving that I am a big sissy. :-)

Back to the wheel...

Boston Logistics

2009-02-09T13:31:00.001-08:00

Joe was kind enough to take care of booking the flights and hotel for the Boston trip. Here's the itinerary. We'll be on US Airways (hopefully landing at Logan and not in the water). The trip out will be a little brutal with two transfers and only 30 minutes to spare with each. Gulp! We'll be staying at the Logan Airport Hilton.

Sacramento (SMF) to Phoenix (PHX) 04/18/09 12:32 pm - 2:20 pm

Phoenix (PHX) to Charlotte (CLT) 04/18/09 2:50 pm - 9:39 pm

Charlotte (CLT) to Boston (BOS) 04/18/09 10:09 pm - 12:11 am

Boston (BOS) to Phoenix (PHX) 04/21/09 6:25 am - 9:18 am

Phoenix (PHX) to Sacramento (SMF) 04/21/09 9:51 am - 11:52 am

Los Altos Hills Fun

2009-02-07T08:11:00.001-08:00

I wish all of my runs were as much fun as this morning's jaunt through Los Altos hills. Abby and I are in the Bay Area for a Red Egg and Ginger party so I got up to sneak in a few miles before we headed out for the morning. I'll run through the pics to give you an idea of the fun.

Moffett Field: Here's a pic of Moffett Field. I snapped this shot from the deck of a McMansion under construction. No one was there, so I thought I'd take advantage to get a good shot...okay, and peak through the windows. The construction crew will show up this morning to drool and nose prints on the sliding glass doors. Sorry about that. Of note in the McMansion: the 10 foot wide fireplace and the laundry room with a view...as all laundry rooms should. :-)

Coyote: I've seen this guy a couple of times but I haven't had the BlackBerry with me to snap his pic. Like all coyotes, he's a little camera shy, so please forgive the bad pic.

Here's a shot of yours truly with San Jose in the background. I stood on a guarrail to get this pic and caught the attention of a dog with "super bark" capabilities. His bellow caused me to lose my balance and fall off. Smooth move. Speaking of dogs, shortly after this pic, I came by another McMansion with a McLong McDriveway. The owner needed his newspaper at the foot of the driveway, so he opened the door and his dog ran dow and picked it up. Now THAT is a cool dog!

Sunrise Over San Jose: well, the caption about sums this pic up. :-)

Mountain On Fog: I liked this shot because you can see across San Jose to the coastal range rising above the fog. I thought is was cool and snapped the pic.

Land Park 6

2009-02-03T10:58:00.001-08:00

I got in a quick 6 with the new shoes. I'm always amazed at how good new shoes feel. When I'm in the old shoes I think to myself, "They're not that bad, I could get another 300 miles out of them." Then, after only a few steps with the new shoes <pause for heavenly music> I realized that my old shoes cushioned me poor feet as well as wooden clogs. There's never a wrong time for new shoes...er, unless it's the day before a marathon.

I'm hoping the nagging twinge of plantar goes away and I'm pinning those hopes to the new shoes. <fingers crossed>

Busy day, back to the wheel...

Land Park 10 and some other stuff...

2009-02-02T11:05:00.001-08:00

Here's the dirty, got in 10 with Joe and Carlos on Saturday. They're both in great shape while I resemble an amorphous blob. I titled this the Land Park 10, but in reality we went all over the place: Land Park, Pocket, along the river, Miller Park, to the edge of Old Sac, through downtown, and back to the park. Oh, I forgot over the river and through the woods...oops, wrong blog.

Boston Update: Joe booked our flights last night, I'll post the info as soon as I have it.

Shoe Update: with the specter of plantar and Boston less than three months out, I decided it was time for a new pair of shoes. I love the Brooks Defyance! In them, I was able to train for a marathon and, for the first time, not lose a single toenail. (pause for a collective EWWWW! from non-runners and a collective REALLLY?!?!?! from the runners) :-) So I ran over to Fleet Feet on Saturday and picked up the latest edition, the Brooks Defyance 2. So far, the only difference I notice is that Brooks decided to drop bile green as the color choice. I'll let you know more after my first couple o runs.

Back to the wheel...

Boston Registration Closed

2009-01-30T11:45:00.001-08:00

It's official, all 25,000 spots for the Boston Marathon have been filled. So, if you were on the fence, you'll have to wait until next year.

http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/Registration113th.asp

Thug?

2009-01-29T07:50:00.000-08:00

So, should I avoid my bank wearing the hat? I don't see it? :)

Ran 5 around Land Park on this chilly AM. I felt the specter of plantar for the first mile. Stay tuned for hopefully no more info on that little issue.

Back to the wheel...

New hat

2009-01-28T21:03:00.001-08:00

Ok, I've been whining about the cold so I went to REI and picked up a hat to give me some motivation to get out of my warm bed pre-dawn. (Pic to come...of the hat, not the bed) I love it. It fits my oversized melon...and that's saying something. Usually one-size-fits-all it about two sizes too small for my dome (Think of an orange on a toothpick...yeah, it's that bad). Anyhow, it's one of those black, skull cap, beanie-type, fleece hats. Warm, wind resistant, water resistant...or so it says. It's a great running hat.

So I threw the new find on last night and Abby D pops off with, "You look like a robber." Whatever. Shake it off, it's still a cool hat. Right? Then my girls see it lying out and ask me to put it on...you look like a robber daddy. Doh!!!!! Oh well, I'm not wearing it to a bank anytime soon, but it'll be on the dome for sure tomorrow morning. :)

Back to the wheel...

Easy 10 To Discovery Park...and a Muffin Top

2009-01-24T20:28:00.001-08:00

I dragged my carcass out of bed the morning to run 10 miles at 6:45 with Stephanie. She's a very, very talented runner and it took all I had just to hang with her. My lack of training is taking it's toll on my svelte physique. As I strolled past a mirror this morning, I couldn't help but notice the jiggling muffin top spilling over my running shorts. I need to lay off the good eats and add some more miles to my week.

Speaking of good eats, I spent the afternoon at a child's birthday party which featured a better selection of food than most inaugural balls. So much for cutting back on the calories. Anyhow, one of the featured events of the party was a Dora the Explorer pinata. I the kids tore through poor Dora like sharks in a feeding frenzy. I almost felt bad for the pinata. Once they were through Dora looked like she was taken out by a vicious mafia hit. We rolled what was left of Dora up in the outdoor carpet and dropped her in the river.

The Water Soluble Hamster

2009-01-23T09:33:00.001-08:00

The good news, I'm sticking to my upper body strengthening regimen. The bad news, the much-needed rain we've had in Sac over the last few days has sapped my diminutive resolve to get out of bed and run (think jaws of life). Sissy.

More good news, Mike's marathon photos were posted and there's actually a good photo of him. I think most marathon photographers must have on their resume, "Laid off as DMV drivers license photographer" before they're "qualified" to shoot runners. Great. Seriously, the photo is good. The bad news, the guy in the photo with Mike looks like he just took a bullet in the back...is he race walking?

http://www.asiorders.com/stf.asp?EVENTID=44488&PWD=&ID=61051528

Back to the wheel...

Catching up

2009-01-21T09:42:00.001-08:00

Okay, I've been off the blog bandwagon for a bit. Here's the catch up.

Saturday, I ran seven with Rob. He's been a real sport about trekking down from Folsom to the LaBou on Howe Ave most Saturdays to get in a long run with me. So I figured I'd reciprocate...Okay, so one trip is hardly reciprocity. Anyhow, I met Rob at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery (Mile 22.5 on the AR Parkway) for the run. Good fun. Rob, you have my permission to whine about the drive down from Folsom...not that you need my permission to whine.

Sunday, Mike ran the RNR Marathon in Scottsdale . Yeah buddy. 4:23:26 (about seven minutes ahead of his goal time)

Tuesday, five around Land Park. Not much to note...brrr.

Back to the wheel...

Jack Frost Nipping at Your Nose...

2009-01-15T09:31:00.001-08:00

...and ears, and fingers, and toes, etc. It was a frosty five around Land Park this morning. I felt like every joint in my body seized due to the cold. Of course, it's -40 in Minnesota today, so I can't complain too much.

Speaking of weather, mi hermano runs the Scottsdale Rock and Roll Marathon this Sunday. He's done an admirable job getting back into shape and, thanks to two bouts of stomach flu in seven days, he's down to 188 pounds. He's been training in great weather (duh, Arizona in the winter), but there's a warm spell headed his way which threatens to send the mercury up to 75 on the day of the run. 75 is great for golf, but less than ideal for running 26.2 miles. The typical marathoner hopes for mid-40s and cloudy on the day of the run. It will be interesting to see how the flu-impaired training and warm weather impact the run.

Back to the wheel...

How do you train for Boston during January?

2009-01-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

You fly to Hawaii and run in 70 to 80 degree weather. That's how. Cameron (left) and Carlos (right) have been on Oahu and have whole heartedly embraced the island lifestyle. In a recent email from Carlos he proclaimed, "My new motto.. Life is a bitch so, why not go to the beach instead." Nice.

All I can say is...where's my coat, I'm late for a meeting?!

Back to the wheel...

How Running Marathons Made Me a Sissy

2009-01-12T11:25:00.001-08:00

It's true! Running marathons has made me a sissy. I used to run around dehydrated, malnourished, and hungover without a problem. Then I started training for marathons. Stupid! As I got in better shape, I began to eat better (lest I pay the price of an urgent need for a restroom), I began to take supplements (to offset the readily apparent effects of aging), and I began to properly hydrate (to make my runs easier and recover quickly). The net effect is that I've created a hyper-sensitive system...yes, the sissy. Now, if I eat wrong, my sissy tummy grumbles. If I drink too much...defined as anything more than one sissy drink, I get a sissy hangover. And, if I don't hydrate properly...even when not training hard, you guessed it, I get a sissy dehydration headache. So, I ask you, what is the upside to training for marathons? I think we're better off eating junk and drinking too much. Our body acclimates to the adversity and mutes all of our "normal" responses. Hence, we live a happier life. Yes, I know this conflicts with the my post extolling the benefits of exercise but it's my blog. :-)

5.6 around the park

2009-01-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

Ok it's time for me to get off my lazy butt and take Boston seriously. I just got through with 5.6 miles around the park and it felt like 10. Of course, staying up late last night and a large order of Vegas Fries didn't help any. What are "Vegas Fries" you ask? They are french fries tossed in buffalo wing sauce and served with a blue cheese wasabi sauce. I still can't feel the tip of my tongue. :)

Back to the wheel...

Why Exercise?

2009-01-08T10:56:00.001-08:00

Why do I like to run? No, why do I LOVE to run? Because I find exercise tremendously rewarding. I feel more alert and somewhat more sane when I exercise regularly...the voices in my head are not the topic of this blog. :-) Where was I? Oh yeah, the benefits of exercise. I stumbled across this article in the Scientific American (Jan. 02, 2009) which corroborates what those of us who exercise regularly already know: reduced cancer risk, reduced risk of heart disease, increased bone density, increased sex appeal...okay, so I threw the last one in there for the heck of it. Anyhow, I highly encourage you to read the article.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=does-exercise-really-make

Back to the wheel...

Boston Marathon Entry Confirmation

2009-01-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

It’s official! The Boston Athletic Association confirmed my registration today for the 113th Boston Marathon. Oh S##T!! The email is listed below.

________________________________

Dear Eric C. Norton,

This is to notify you that your entry into the 113th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20, 2009 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate.

You can verify your acceptance into the field by searching the 113th Boston Marathon "Entrants" database on the B.A.A. web site, www.baa.org/2009/cf/Public/EntryLists.cfm. Additionally, an acceptance postcard will be mailed to you via US Postal Service mail.

In early April 2009, an official Number Pick-up Card and extensive information regarding the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and related race week activities will be mailed to you via US Postal Service first class mail. If you do not receive your Number Pick-up Card (required to claim number) and brochure by April 11, please contact our Registration Office at registration@baa.org. Registration related inquiries may also be directed to 508-435-6905.

Note that bib numbers will not be distributed on Race Day. Your travel arrangements should take into account picking up your number at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston on Friday, April 17 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., or Saturday, April 18 or Sunday, April 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you in April! Best of luck in your training!

Sincerely,

Boston Athletic Association

Wet 5

2009-01-05T09:09:00.001-08:00

I woke this morning at 5 am and realized that there was no way I was going to get back to sleep. Apparently, the snooze feature on my mind has malfunctioned. So I got up, threw on some running gear and figured I'd make the most of being up early by getting in a few miles. I opened the door and was surprised to discover rain! I've been in a fog since going to Napa this weekend (go figure) and have not paid any attention to weather forecasts. Oops. Oh well, I pulled the hat down and headed out. I was hoping for a slow five, but I ran into Austin and my pace suddenly took a turn for the faster. We caught up on the last month and talked about upcoming runs. Austin has family in Solvang so he wants to run the Santa Barbara half later this spring. He figures 1:05 or 1:06 will win it and he wants the $700 in prize money, watch and two magnums of wine...he seemed most interested in the wine. :-) Good luck Austin.

Back to the wheel.

Land Park 8

2009-01-04T19:36:00.001-08:00

I got in 8 with Carlos, Joe, Cameron, and Strada. We met at Land Park at 8:30 and had no idea about how far we'd want to go...my favorite kind of run. It was really cold (around 34 degrees plus wind). Yes, I know that there are many places where "cold" means 30 below, but this is Sacramento and 30 degrees is cold enough for me. We did a couple of laps around Land Park and then headed to Tower Cafe and back.

On the run we discussed Boston logistics. Of course neither Carlos nor Joe have registered yet. Assuming they get in, Carlos and Cameron plan to stay with a friend in Boston. If Joe decides not to go with the fam, then he and I will make it a low-budget affair: cheap hotel, short stay, no frills. If not then Abby and I will make other arrangements. Luckily airfare is coming down ($400 round trip per person) but it's still hardly affordable. I really want to run Boston, but I also really DON'T want to go broke doing it!

Back to the wheel...

Boston Registrant Number 16,325

2008-12-31T10:36:00.001-08:00

According to my math the 113th running of the Boston Marathon has 16,324 athletes approved to run. I registered online and, as soon as they verify my CIM result from earlier this month, I hope to be 16,325th. My next post will have a list of things to do before getting to Boston...you know, silly things like train, get airline tickets, and find a place to stay. Piece of cake!

Carlos and Joe, I don't see you guys on the registerd entrants list yet.

Happy New Year...back to the wheel.

Back on the wheel...

2008-12-30T09:34:00.001-08:00

Okay, the holidays got in the way of training...the dog ate my homework...I'm pms...whatever, I've been a couch barnacle for the last three weeks. I changed that over the weekend with a couple of brief, but hilly runs in Los Altos Hills (the town motto is "What goes up, must go up, and up, and up, and up...you get the idea). I was surprised to be stiff the morning after my first run. Would it be too much to hope we retain our fitness while taking a few weeks off?!?! Apparently.

Things to do this week:

The Marathon Distance 24.8...er...26.2 Miles

2008-12-15T14:51:00.001-08:00

I can't tell you how many people have asked me why the marathon is 26.2 miles. After a wee bit o' research here's the best response I could come up with.

The 1896 Olympic marathon distance of 24.8 miles was based on the distance run, according to famous Greek legend, in which the Greek foot-soldier Pheidippides was sent from the plains of Marathon to Athens with the news of the astounding victory over a superior Persian army. Exhausted as he approached the leaders of the City of Athens, he staggered and gasped, "Rejoice! We Conquer!" and then collapsed.

The marathon distance was later changed as a result of the 1908 Olympic Games in London. That year, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria wanted the marathon race to begin at Windsor Castle outside the city so that the Royal family could view the start. The distance between the castle and the Olympic Stadium in London proved to be 26 miles. Organizers added extra yards to the finish around a track, 385 to be exact, so the runners would finish in front of the king and queen's royal box. Every Olympic marathon run since the 1908 Games has been a distance of 26 miles, 385 yards. Thanks!

So, you might imagine that King Edward VII was an athlete, given his interest in the marathon...you would be incorrect. Edward usually smoked twenty cigarettes and twelve cigars a day. That's right, a chain-smoking monarch from England extended the marathon by a approximately 1.5 miles so he could have a better view of the start. Thanks!

The CIM

2008-12-08T05:24:00.001-08:00

I have a busy work week ahead and may not get to post about the full CIM experience until later this week. In the meantime I wanted to post a quick synopsis. I qualified for Boston. Mission accomplished...though it was far from easy and far from a lock. I needed to finish with a 3:20:00 so I could go to Boston (thank you Mom for birthing me 40 years ago and two weeks before the start of the Boston Marathon!), and I finished 3:19:57. In other words I crashed and burned and redefined pain over the last three miles of the course. As you picture my sprint to the finish, imagine a plane riddled with bullets, its engine on fire, one landing gear down, and half a wing missing as it tries to land on a pitching carrier in the middle of the ocean...yeah, it was a lot like that. Hey, any landing you can walk away from, right?

Real quick:

Thank you to Abby for supporting my three-day-a-week running habit at the expense of our time together. I love you.
Thank you to everyone who ran any run with me whatsoever...running is SO much easier and higher quality with someone next to you. Rob Saint Evens, Carlos Jora, Cameron Yee, Strada Morris, Joe Cress, Sephanie Finelli, Mike Morris (not related to Strada), and Austin Weaver. Thank you

Job well done to:

Mom and Abby running the first leg of the CIM relay for their teams...I really enjoyed the company before the run.
Rob Saint Evens - 04:15:11 - One month off for a bad achilles (now healed). Not bad
Carlos Jora - 03:18:58 - Carlos has sub 3:10 written all over him.
Sephanie Finelli - 03:18:05 - On the heels of a 3:19 performance at the Cowtown. WOW.
Cameron Yee - 03:53:05 - Yet another great finish.

Full results: http://www.runcim.org/data/results/Results2008Indiv1.html

Back to the wheel...

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

2008-12-06T13:08:00.001-08:00

Counting down the time to the start of the CIM. Only 18 hours to go.

Chronology of CIM preparation:

6:00 PM last night: The Expo. Abby and I headed to the expo to pick up our packets. The Expo was very well organized and easy to negotiate. I managed to get out of there without any impulse purchases.
7:00 PM: Dinner at Mikuni's. Abby took me to Mikuni's on J street. The place was filled with marathoners from the Expo. I feel sorry for the food servers, no one was drinking and everyone was eating sensibly. It must have been a bad night for tips.
Sleeeeeeep: I slept really well last night! It must have been the sushi.

Today's Plan: I planned to be a couch potato. Only time will tell if I was successful...enough.

I ran to Target to get some tube socks (cut of the ends and you have great disposable arm warmers for the run).
I prepped all of my materials for the CIM (another blog entry).
I have a quick errand at 2 with Abby.
Then I'll stop at the Chiropractor (Thank you Kamala Turko).
From 4 - 6 I'll be wrapping presents for a school thing and then picking up the girls.
Off to my parent's for dinner. The girls and I will be staying the night with my parents.
My final errand will be dropping off a car at the first relay hand off for my mom and Abby.
Sleeeeeeeep

Tomorrow's Plan:

Get up at 4:00 am. Eat a bagel with peanut butter, a banana, a cup of tea, and a handful of Hammer supplements. Drag mom to the car (she's already informed me that this will be the case)
Depart at 4:30 to get Abby (not a morning person...definitely NOT an o'dark thirty girl when it's foggy and freeeeeeeezing cold)
Steal my favorite parking spot (less than 100 yards from the finish line).
Walk to the Sheraton to catch a bus up to Folsom with 6000 close friends. :-)
Run fat boy, run.

We'll see how well it goes. Stay tuned,

The Gear

2008-12-06T12:44:00.001-08:00

Starting in the top left and moving clockwise:

Drop bag with my number on it
The CIM shirt...it's the best yet! I won't wear it tomorrow, but I wanted to get it in the photo anyway.
Garment Pile: Hat, short sleeve shirt, and compression underwear. No, Mike, they are NOT panties!
Garment Pile 1: Socks with the big wheel and my Brooks running shorts.
Tube Socks: I cut the bottom off tube socks and use them to keep my arm warm. Don't laugh. They work REALLY well.
Body Glide: friction = bad.
Vitamins: two capsules of hammer nutrition supplements (old man pills)
Recoverite for after the run.
Hammer Gel: two flasks of Raspberry Hammer Gel. I figure I'll need 8 ounces of gel for the run. So I split it into two flasks and added some water to thin it out. Gel in 40 degree weather takes on the consistency of Vaseline.
Electrolyte Pills for the run. I figure I'll need 3 per hour.
Not Pictured: the Garmin 405 watch and my vomit green Brooks Defyance shoes.

The last run and a little hypochondria...

2008-12-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

I posted this last night, but it didn't go. Forgive the tense.

Today was my last run. I plodded along for three miles around Land Park with Abby's friend Melissa. We ran into each other right when I hit the park and her pace was just what I needed.

My legs finally stopped hurting after I beat them up at the kddie trampoline party last Friday, but I certainly don't have the spring I was hoping for this week. Nice taper butthead. I still have a couple of days until the marathon and I'm hoping to have happy legs before I board the shuttle bus on Sunday morning.

Speaking of the shuttle bus, it's going to be a great ride. My mom is running the first leg of the relay for her team and, due to a last-minute change, Abby is doing the same. So all three of us will be heading over together.

Runner's hypochondria. Raise your hand if you've ever felt sick heading into the final week of the marathon...anyone. Okay, put your hands down. Without fail, most of the marathoners I know become hypochondraics the week of the marathon (think Melman the Giraffe in Madagascar). Every morning they wake with a headache (the onse of the flu), sniffle (sinus infection), or sneeze (head cold!!!!). Of course, sharing my life with four girls 10 and under doesn't help. Those lovely little petri dishes seem to have gone out of their way to sneeze on me this week. It's a conspiracy...I'm onto them!

I'm going to the expo tomorrow. Stay tuned...achoooooo! :-)

The week in review...

2008-12-02T12:43:00.001-08:00

Last week I got in 6 on Monday, 6 on Thursday, and 13 (or so) on Saturday.

Monday run was around Land Park. I stumbled across Melissa (a friend of Abby's) going the other way, so I made a u-turn and we shared a mile together before I peeled off for home.

Thursday's run (Thanksgiving) found me on the bike trail with family and friends. We gave up battling with 27,000 other runnes at the Run To Feed The Hungry. It's a great run, but not one I want to do with the kids. I'm terrified I might lose one...which would be a bad thing. Right? :-) Mike (bro) was in town and looked really good on the run. I think he's on pace to do really well at the Phoenix Rock n Roll Marathon in January.

Friday...yes, I know I didn't run on Friday but it's here for a reason. Friday is posted to prove that I am an idiot. I took the girls to a birthday party at the Sky High trampoline complex. It's great fun. It's also a whole lot of work. Who knew jumping up and down on a trampoline for 90 minutes could be so exhausting? Who knew it would work muscle groups in my legs I didn't know I had? Yes, you guessed it, I was sore on Saturday, and Sunday, and Monday, and still a little bit this morning. Idiot! Of course, my lame ego couldn't let me be satisfied with a little jumping and then off the trampoline. No, in my quest to be the superhuman Daddy my girls think I am (note: I'm aware that this is only temporary...why do you think I'm getting the most out of it right now?), I jumped as high as I possibly could...pretty high. Was that enough? No. I also had to figure out how to do full standing front flips...as many as I could in a row. Which turned out to be three. I drew the line at back flips out of a fear that they'd need to call 911 and remove me on a backboard. Idiot. Without pulling a muscle, it was possibly the dumbest thing I could have done. My legs are completely flat right now.

I'm going to run three on Thursday, try to sneak in a massage on Friday, and remain velcroed to my couch until Sunday morning.

Turkey Trot

2008-11-22T22:48:00.001-08:00

Today was the Davis Turkey Trot. I love this run because it's a 5k and 10k with a setup which affords one the chance to run both races if she/he were so inclined. I was so inclined. :-)

I hauled myself out of bed this morning to cold (in Sacramento, cold = mid-40's...yes, I'm a sissy), calm and foggy weather. Abby signed up for the 10k because she's getting ready for a leg of CIM corporate relay. So, she and I headed over to Davis together to get our race packets, run and have breakfast at Bernardo's.

We got to Davis and parked about four blocks from the start...and felt lucky that we were only four blocks away. Davis is a college town without barely enough on-street parking to accommodate its residents. Never mind sandwiching in additional cars for 3500 or so runners. When we got our packets, we discovered that A Change of Pace has new chips. The old ones looked like a pretzel tied to your shoe and had to be returned after every race. The new ones looked like a thin, pliable strip of orange plastic. Instead of zip ties, the new "chip" had adhesive on one end and slipped through the shoe laces. I like them.

I headed to the start of the 5k with hopes of beating 20:30. The course had a lot of turns and consisted of road and bike trails. I hate lots of 90 degree turns because I feel like they kill my stride and cadence. Oh well. I went through mile one at sub 6 pace and I felt great...but nervous. I can't remember my last sub-6 mile. I decided to throttle back a little and trust the pace which felt comfortable...which turned out to be 6:10. After mile two, the course takes us off the street and onto a bike path. I still felt good, so I decided to press the pace a little. I finished what seemed to be an easy 5k in 18:51 (6:04 mins/mi) at 36th place. I was VERY pleased.

I hooked up with Abby and we got ready for the 10k start. My goal for the 10K was to run it at an easy pace and hope that it was faster than the 7:37 mins/mi I need to get 3:20 (Boston). This meant that anything better than 47 minutes would make me happy. I went out at 7:00 minutes for the first mile and sped up every mile for the full 10k. My finishing time was 41:30 (6:41 mins/mi) and I still had a whole lot in the tank. I was thrilled! I've had more bad runs than good and I needed some good news heading into the CIM. This was just what I needed.

Abby predicted she'd finish at around 12 mins/mi pace, but came in at 1:05:57 (10:37 mins/mi). She did very, very well and should have a good CIM relay.

Of course, the day was not without folly. Abby had the key to the car...where my sweats were. By the time she finished I had been in a short sleeve shirt and running shorts in 40-50 degree weather for over two hours. I was freezing cold!!!! Next time, I'll drive or take the key. I was shivering for 30 minutes after getting my sweats on. Loser!

Notes:

The Eggs Benedict at Cafe Bernardo are exceptional after a cold morning running.
My bro, Mike is in town for the Thanksgiving week. After circling Sac for 40 minutes waiting for the fog to clear...you're not in Arizona anymore. He's going to run 16 in the morning.
I'm pooped. Good night. :-)

Getting Caught Up...

2008-11-22T22:17:00.001-08:00

Bad Hamster! I've neglected my blog. Here's the quick catch up for the week's events:

Saturday: I ran 17.5 with Carlos around Sacramento. I dragged him onto the AR Parkway the last time we ran, so I felt it was fair for me to follow him on one of his runs. We started at his house by Land Park (a familiar theme in my runs), ran around Land Park, down Land Park Dr to E Street in mid-town, to past McKinley part to Elvas, down Elvas and into CSUS (stroll down memory lane), and back. It was great running with Carlos, he's in fantastic shape (I predict 3:13 @ the CIM for him), but contending with stoplights and traffic took its toll on me. The las couple of miles were more than a little difficult...bonk.

Tuesday: I had a dentist appointment at 7:00 am, so I only got in 5 around Land Park. It felt slow, painful, and demoralizing. I've officially had more bad runs that good in the last few weeks. :-(

Thursday: I hooked up with Austin for 9.5 around Land Park. It was a refreshing change to not run solo mid-week. Austin and I averaged around 7:20 mins/mi (snail pace for him) and I felt refreshed.

Weekly Roundup...

2008-11-13T10:21:00.001-08:00

So, here's the week's workouts so far...both of them. :-)

Tuesday, fast 6 around Land Park. I had every intention of running 10, but I was out late the night before at Hawk's restaurant for a wine dinner featuring the Frank Family Vineyard . Good wine...a lot of wine...throbbing head on the run. Actually, i was impressed that I could maintain a decent pace with a hangover. Okay, I'm a loser.

Thursday, I laid of speed work for two weeks after my quad got cranky running yasso 800 repeats. In the mean time I read up on speed work for marathoning and discovered, much to my chagrin, that I should be running 1200 repeats instead. So I ran a paltry 4 x 1200 repeats at the park today. The proof will come in slightly over 3 weeks.

Other notes from the hamster wheel:

Austin Weaver strained his hamstring setting a course record at the Apple Hill Harvest run and will not be able to run the CIM.
Rob Saint Evens has been working through an achilles problem which was diagnosed last night as tendonitis. His CIM prognosis is questionable.
The CIM is full! All 6000 marathon entries and 750 team slots have been filled. This means that race day could see as many as 9000 athletes on the course. It's nice to see our little marathon growing up.

Weekend Round Up

2008-11-10T10:24:00.001-08:00

I got in 20 on Saturday. I went out a little slower than 8 mins/mi and came back sub 7:30 mins/mi until about mile 18.5. Then the wheels came off and I bonked. I stopped fueling late in the run, I ran 20's on back-to-back weekends, the moon wasn't aligned with Saturn...or, maybe, just maybe, my hare-brained desire to run a good marathon on three days a week training has come back to bite me. I'm beginning to wonder if it's possible to run a good marathon without getting in more miles than I have. The halves have been great, but I just don't seem to have enough in the tank for the 20s. Whereas a couple of weeks ago I thought was staring at 3:15 - 3:18 for the marathon, I'm now calling into question 3:20:59. I've decided to play conservative and give myself the best chance at 3:20. I'm going to head out with the 3:20 group and stay with them until mile 20 or 22 and only then will I speed up if I feel good. It's hard for me to part with 3:15. I want it so badly.

Other Weekend Performances

Carlos Jora at the Clarksburg 20 Miler turned in 2:24:17 (7:13 mins/mi). It looks like Carlos wants to go sub 3:10 at the CIM.
Cameron Yee at the Big Sur Half Marathon completed with a solid 1:47:43 (8:13 mins/mi).
Kris Levy at the Clarksburg Half Marathon finished with a 2:16:59 (10:27 mins/mi). She's in shape to run the CIM, but chose to train elementary school children for the CIM 2.6 mile run instead. We should share her spirit of volunteerism.

Back to the wheel for this hamster...

Land Park 6

2008-11-06T16:23:00.001-08:00

It was another good run today. I ran a slow first mile to warm up and then averaged 7:20 mins/mi for the last 5+. The only thing disconcerting about the runs this week is that I have no rhyme or reason to when I run well or poorly. In general though, I'm running better and better...and that's a good thing with only four weeks (plus a few days) until the CIM. I'm planning to run 20 this weekend and then slowly taper from there...of course, how much can I taper when I only run three days a week? :-)

Thoughts from the Hamster Wheel:

The Theracane: Okay, laugh all you want, but I've had a couple of cranky muscles soothed by the theracane over the last few weeks and I thought I'd share. I first ran across the theracane at a friends house and I thought he'd inadvertently left some perverse sex toy laying around. But, I tried it and bought it online the next day. I really works.
RunnersWorld Training Calculator: I got this one from my brother. Nice find Mike. Enter the distance and time that you want to hit, and the calculator pops up another screen that has three tabs across the top; the Distance Finish Times, is how fast you should be able to run each distance; then Training Paces was really interesting as it had what target pace they recommend for easy, tempo, and long runs; finally, Pace is the mph and minute/mile break out for the marathon. It's a fun page to play with.

Run well...

Land Park 6 and Running Monks

2008-11-04T10:39:00.001-08:00

I told myself last that I would forego track workouts this week after the scare with my left quad last Thursday. So I this morning I headed to Land Park for a quick 6 miles. I finished with a 7:18 mins/mi average and felt good about the run. I was amazed at how many runners were at the park this morning...fast runners. I like to pick out runners ahead of me and see if I can catch them. I caught all but one this morning. After clipping off a 7:02 mile and not making hardly any ground on her...yes, her. She stopped and started walking back toward me. I could clearly see the ING NYC Marathon shirt she sported. Wow! I wasn't sure if it was this years, but I think it was. That means she ran in New York on Sunday and kicked my a$$ on Tuesday. Nice run.

We read about the exploits of Dean Karnazas (ultra runner extraordinaire), his documentary, "50 Marathons in 50 Days " is the stuff of legends. His 50th marathon was a sub 3 hour performance at Boston. But what you read about a people who ran 100 marathons on consecutive days? What if they did this for years on end, in the middle of the night, on mountain trails wearing straw sandals? That's exactly what the Buddhist "Marathon Monks " of Mt. Hiei, Japan do. They use the runs to help them on the path to personal awakening. One of the first things a person learns about Buddhism is the Four Noble Truths (1. All life is suffering, 2. The cause of suffering is craving/clinging, 3. Suffering ceases when we relinquish craving, 4.The path to cessation of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path...but that's another entry). For these monks, I'd say the cessation of suffering comes when they stop running! Seriously, check out the link. It's very interesting.

May all be free of suffering.

NY Times Article Follow-up

2008-11-03T17:04:00.001-08:00

For those of you who read the article in the NY Times regarding the toll marathon training exacts on relationships (spouse, co-worker, children, etc.) You read about Jon Cohen training to qualify for Boston. He needed to best 3:20:59 in order to pack his bags for Boston and subject his spouse to another five months of training. Jon purchased a $900 muscle stimulator to improve recovery and an indoor jogging machine. He cross trained with a bike and logged up to 80 miles per week. Sadly, Jon finished 3:28:46, well behind his needed qualifying time. I know he's probably feeling a little disheartened today, but I'm sure he'll be scouring the Internet in no time at all in search of the fastest course in the US. Hey Jon, it's time to tell your wife how beautiful Sacramento is in early December. ;-) Get back on that horse baby!!!

Deluge!!!

2008-11-02T21:55:00.001-08:00

I had to get in 20 this Saturday which coincided with Sacramento getting about 10% of its annual rainfall total. Nice. Actually, I took advantage of a break in the weather and only got dumped on for the last 8 of the 20, so, it could have been worse...but not much. I was so cold after the run that, even after a long, hot shower, I was shivering. I felt great on the run up until the last two miles. Everything seized up: knees, ankles, feet (yes, they can seize and it's not pretty), quads. In fact, I didn't feel like myself until about three hours after the run. I need to find a way to stay warm if it rains like this at the CIM. Let me know if anyone has suggestions.

Kara Goucher made her marathon debut at the NY City Marathon today. Hers was the fastest debut marathon by an American woman. Her 2:25:53 finish meant she averaged 5:33 over the windy course. Check out other results as well.
Jim Obermaier (friend) finished the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in 1:57:10. Nice job Jim. Jim also finished the Indianapolis Marathon last month in a time of 4:39:39. He dedicated the run to the memory of his father.
Austin Weaver. On a local note, I've been blogging from time to time about a new runner in Sacramento, Austin. Well, he debuted at the Apple Hill Harvest run this weekend. The 8.5 mile course is hilly, but a lot of fun. Just ask Austin, he won it by more than a five minute margin. Did I mention he's fast? At 44:46, he averaged 5:16 per mile. Way to go Austin.

When you gotta go...

2008-10-31T12:38:00.001-07:00

...you gotta go. So, where will the 39,000 entrants to the NY City Marathon go pee this Sunday? In one of 2,250 porto potties set up for the race. See the NY Times article.

Just the Facts:

2,250 Porto potties (1 potty for every 17.3 participants)
11,250 gallons of blue
101250 gallons of additional capacity (about 1/6th of an Olympic-size pool...go Michael Phelps)
39,000 nervous, hydrated runners with questionable tummies
1 rich porto potty vendor!

Speed Workout

2008-10-30T10:42:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful morning. The temp was right and the sunrise which unfolded during my half mile repeats was spectacular..it also put me on notice that the forecast for my Saturday run is rain and wind. Cool!

The halves, however, were lack luster. They started with my left quad yelling at me as I took my first step into the first half...great. It loosened up and I continued to gut out five mediocre halves. I wanted to do six, but the quad got chatty on the fifth interval and I asked myself, rhetorically, "What's more important, the sixth half or the CIM?"

Notes from the Hamster Wheel:

All of you marathoners in training need to go home and give your significant other a hug, flowers, wine. Remember, as this NY Times article calls out, they're in it too.
Apparently, Nike feels the fastest runner DOESN'T always win. This article from SF Gate explains what happened to the "winner" of the Nike women's marathon in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago.
Wanna get a look at what your pace could be for the CIM based on some of those fun runs you've put in? Head to the Race Time Predictor ...if you dare. :-)
Also, here's a great pace calculator from Cool Runnings . I use it all the time.

Back to the wheel.

Land Park...Austin 5

2008-10-28T10:28:00.001-07:00

My calves were a little tight this morning so I decided to push my speed workout to Thursday in favor of a recovery run...I really don't want a visit from the injury fairy this late in training.

So, I get to the park and along comes Austin. He was running so fast, I swear he skidded for 30 feet before he got down to my pace. I feel old. :-) I sped up to about 6:45 pace and he slowed to meet me. He's insanely talented, but he's never run a marathon before. He has a lot of anxiety about the CIM. So we talked mostly about race strategy. Okay, I know half of the readers just shot coffee out their nose when laughing at that last statement. Ha ha, I get it. I'm probably the LAST person to give him running advice (FYI, his last 22 mile long run averaged between 5:21 and 5:24 mins/mi), but I have run more than a few marathons and I'm very familiar with the whims of the CIM, so we chatted. He's going to run the Apple Hill Harvest run as his first Sacramento area race. I predict he'll win...by a large margin.

So much for a "recovery" run.

Four Bridges Half 2008

2008-10-26T20:29:00.001-07:00

The Four Bridges half was today and, all things considered, I am pretty pleased with the results. I picked up Joe a little later this morning than I should have...I was running late...again! Anyhow, we both lamented being more than a little stiff from our work at the school Halloween event the night before. Joe's children attend the same school as mine. He and I helped out the the fourth grade and wound up running around herding fourth graders for almost three hours. We both agreed that the day before the CIM we're going to be velcroed to a couch.

We made good time getting up to the start at the Folsom Community Center and, through sheer dumb luck, we pick up Rob as Andi dropped him off as well. We found ourselves at the start with about 10 minutes to spare and enjoyed the people watching. Our favorites were the two guys dressed up as Nacho Libre (no joke). The gun went off and we found ourselves thundering down Natoma with the rest of the herd in the first wave.

About the run. The Four Bridges half starts out fast, going downhill for the first mile. It meanders on the bike trail with rolling hills for the next five miles along Lake Natoma before a serious uphill between miles 6 and 7 as the route hits Hazel and then picks up the bike trail again on the other side of the lake. There's another hill at mile 8 and then the course levels for miles 9 and 10. Mile 11 starts with a a$$-kicking climb and then levels out until you cross the old Folsom foot bridge and climb, climb, climb for the last half mile...what a way to finish!!!

I started out too fast (6:39) but I wanted to get ahead of the herd and attributed the speed to the decline. I didn't feel so hot for miles 3 - 7 (go figure), but found another gear for miles 8 - 11. Despite my new gear, Joe caught me at about mile 9 and we ran until the hill at 11 where Joe (who is apparently immune to the effects of gravity) bounded away from this mortal. I was still passing people, but not like Joe.

When all was said and done, I finished at 1:33:34, about seven seconds slower than Cowtown. Given the course is tougher than Cowtown and the events of the night before, I felt lucky that I finished where I did. Good run.

Roll Call:

Joe "Mountain Goat" Cress - 1:32:53. Well off his best finish, but a great run considering how little he's trained.
The Hamster - 1:33:34. Not my best ever, but it is my best Four Bridges time by over five minutes.
Rob Saint Evens - 1:41:17. He would have broken 1:40, but he had to stop, remove his shoe, and take off the tape that, instead of protecting his blister, made his toe bleed. Ew!! It was also a PR by more than 8 minutes for Rob. Nice.

Notes:

Aid stations were well supported, but quiet as a grave. I've never seen people so quiet on a run; the spectators too...with the exception of Andi. At one point Rob was running through an aid station and jokingly asked them to, "...keep it down." I don't think they got it.
The lemonade offered by Tahoe Joe's at the finish REALLY hit the spot.
The course was warm for this time of year and the second half of the run is very exposed. Need sunscreen next year. I DON'T need to work on a tan in October!! For that matter, ever.
I need to work on some strength before the CIM. In addition to the new speed workouts...great.

The Real World 5K

2008-10-24T12:16:00.001-07:00

I've long thought that age divisions are not the truest measure of ones ability. Sure, we lose a step as we age and a 50+ runner will be hard pressed to compete with a 20-something runner. I get it. But, the experience gained from 39+ years on this rock (a blink) gives me the following insight: the biggest predictors of one's personal performance are factors of everyday life. In other words, how much crap we have on our plate and where running falls as a priority. How high a priority can running be in my life when I have two wonderful daughters (and everything that comes from being a school volunteer, piano and gymnastics lessons, etc.), a girlfriend (who has two wonderful daughters), and a full-time job which all take precedence OVER running? I've always wanted to organize a run called the "Real World 5K" where we scrap traditional age divisions in favor some other mechanism. What dredges this thought up is a post on Scott Dunlap's blog. See what you think...

Runs this week...

2008-10-24T12:03:00.001-07:00

...sucked. :-)

I ran halves on Tuesday which ranged from 3:00 - 3:09 (I cramped on that one and must admit embarrassment at cramping while running a 6 min/mi half).

I wanted to run seven or eight on Thursday, but woke with a huge headache (no, I didn't drink on Wednesday night). So, I ran five and it felt like driving a car with the parking brake on. I couldn't crack 8 min/mi no matter how much effort I added.

The rest of the week, I've felt a little lethargic. I think I'm fighting a bug.

Of course, this all bodes well for the Four Bridges half this week.

Saturday 18 - Great Day, Lots of People

2008-10-20T10:50:00.001-07:00

I only have time for a quick post today. Saturday featured the best running weather I've seen this year: mostly cloudy, cool, and slightly breezy. It also featured a million runners on the AR Parkway. We saw hordes of SacFit runners, my mom's crew (the Golden Girls), Austin (AKA Wheels), and everything in between.

Rob and I got in 18 at about 8 mins/mi (yes, I forgot my watch again) and it was high quality...for the most part. I guess actually ran two separate runs: 17 3/4 miles and a 1/4 mile cool down. Sadly, with a 1/4 mile to go, I felt the urgent need to inspect the conditions of the men's restroom at the Campus Commons Golf Course...everything was in working order.

Next up: another "speed" workout at the CK McClatchy track tomorrow morning.

Five Plus Strides

2008-10-16T10:20:00.001-07:00

I got in five this morning and it felt good. I thought I'd still feel the effects of my inaugural speed workout but, much to my surprise, my legs felt fresh and ready to go.

My pace was much faster than my anticipated marathon pace of 7:37 and, for the first time since I started training for the CIM, the pace felt easy. Of course, feeling easy for five and feeling easy for 26.2 are WORLDS apart, but I'll take the small victory.

In addition to "speed" workouts, I've added strides to the end of my runs (again, in an effort to draw out every last morsel of speed). I finished the run and tacked on a paltry four sprints. My goal was not to yard sale in the middle of the street in front of my neighbors. Mission accomplished.

Planning on another 18 this weekend and then Four Bridges next weekend.

"Speed" Workout

2008-10-14T11:14:00.001-07:00

Okay, I've been remiss in posting my runs. Here's a quick catch-up: fanned my run last Thursday...bad hamster; ran a high quality 18 on Saturday...good hamster.

And now to today's workout. My recipe for a "decent" marathon in December calls for long runs (check), training for more than the six weeks leading up to the CIM (check), a "fast" Cowtown half (check), a faster 4 Bridges half (pending), and...gulp...speed workouts. So I bit the bullet and ran five x 800 today with a 200 recovery. My 800 times varied from a pedestrian 3:03 to a glacial 3:09. It's apparent that I needed to introduce speed workouts earlier in the training regimine. It's been so, so, so long since I've pushed my pace with a speed workout that I swear my legs forgot how to do it. The first three 800s felt awkard at best. The final two felt better, though far from good. I plan to keep up the Teusday 800s; I definately need them.

Observations

It was downright chilly this morning. My guess is the temp started with a 4 today. My covers had a strangle hold on me but, once I broke free and got into the morning air, it felt great.
The 405 gets an "F" for track workouts! The "Lap" button beeped, but failed to register the lap. So I did what anyone would do; I pressed the button again <beep> and again <beep> and again <beep>. Screw it! After more failed attempts than I care to admit, I resorted to checking my time at the beginning and end of each 800 and doing the math.

Back to work...

Land Park 4

2008-10-06T13:30:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning with tight calves and too much on my mind, so I decided to slip out for a quick pre-dawn 4 to ease both. At least the calves loosened up.

Cowtown Half Marathon 2008

2008-10-05T14:27:00.001-07:00

The Hamster lined up this morning unsure of the performance to unfold over the next 13.1 miles. In order to understand fully my uncertainty, we have to get into the "way back" machine and travel to yesterday morning. Hammy went to the Big Crush in the Amador foothills. Basically, you purchase a ticket for $30 and get a wine glass you can use at almost any winery in Amador. I was the DD, so I dumped a whole heck of a lotta wine. Luckily for me, most of it was marginal at best. I was really disappointed by the quality of the wine I was tasting. The best part of the afternoon was at the last winery "R", they had the best wine, vegetarian soup, and a component aroma test. They added herbs/flavors to 26 glasses of wine and you had to see how many you could guess correctly: soy sauce, olive, dill, cherry, strawberry, etc. I got 19 of 25. Not good, not bad. So, after wine, I enjoyed an alfredo pasta dinner and a little too much dessert: apple crisp and smore brownies. Yummm! I woke this AM with my tummy talking to me. Why is it that tummies never have anything nice to say? Groan.

Okay, now you know what I did yesterday and why I was nervous about the run. I wanted 1:35 (7:15/mi) as a finish time and got out of the gates at about 7:10 per mile and, sure enough, visited a potty at about mile 4. That tends to kill one's average pace because the clock doesn't stop just because you're in the potty, wouldn't that be nice? Nuts. I got out and caught back up with the 3:10 pace group and, after a 9 minute mile got back to 7:05/mi pace. The tummy still was not 100% but I wasn't about to get off the course again. Short story long, I came in at 1:33:30 (or about there), 7:08/mi pace. I'm pleased.

Notes and observations:

The porto potty at mile 4 was very well kept. :-)
The Cowtown half is very, very well supported: the water stops are plentiful and easily accessed, traffic control is great, and the organizers (Rich Hanna) are very organized. I give this run high marks!!!!
Way to go Carlos! I almost saw Carlos' backside as he galloped away from me at the start and, other than the turn-around in Miller Park, I never saw him again. I think he came in at 1:30 or less. Nice wheels.
Thanks to Abby for watching my Team Chaos so I could run. And also for herding them to the finish.
Thanks to my girls for getting up early and getting ready quickly.
Thanks to my parents for cheering me on.
Thanks to the Fox and Goose for some GREAT post-run food! (we were going to go to Tower, but the line was insane and they don't do anything fast).
Thanks to Greg for running in with me.

I'll post some actual times after Cowtown posts them.

The Older I Get...

2008-10-02T23:08:00.001-07:00

...The faster I was. :-) I set out to piece together my running history tonight. My initial desire was to see how my performances from Cowtown and Four Bridges served as indicators for my CIM performance. In for a penny...I figured I'd try to piece together a complete history of races run over the last 11 years. Groan! What a pain!!!! I couldn't find a lot of my runs: Race for the Cure, Run to Feed the Hungry, the Tower to Tower Half, etc. Then I stumbled across this site. Holy COW! I found a nearly complete listing of all local runs. It was a stroll down memory lane. One I encourage anyone who's run a race in the Sacramento area to take. The only gaps were my Cowtown times (which I had already) and the Crater Lake Rim Marathon.

See you at Cowtown this Sunday...hopefully dry.

Land Park 5

2008-10-02T11:38:00.001-07:00

The morning was again unseasonably warm (67 degrees) and humid too. I ran without a watch today because I felt like I needed a day away from the GPS taskmaster. Today was not about keeping up with a "virtual partner" or tempo, it was about clearing the mind: which didn't happen.

The weekend is the Cowtown half marathon for me. I like using it and the Four Bridges half as litmus tests for the CIM. I always hope my time at Four Bridges improves on the mark established at Cowtown (even though Four Bridges is a more difficult run). If I have a chance at sub 3:20 for the CIM, I'll need to go sub 1:35:00 (7:15 mins/mi) at one, if not both, of these runs. We'll see.

Eric's links

Pace Calculator: I'm always trying to figure out pace and distance for the runs I have planned. I like the Cool Runnings Pace Calculator and have spent WAY too much time on the site figuring out the impact of subtle changes of pace on the overall marathon time.
What's Your VDOT?: I'm going to use the Cowtown and Four Bridges to establish my VDOT and shape my training plan for the final month before CIM. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out the article on Runners World (48 would be nice).

Now get back to work!

Land Park 5

2008-09-30T10:32:00.001-07:00

Distance: 5
Time: 38:55
Pace: 7:47

I know I sound like a whiner, but it's still warm in Sac! The mercury tickled 64 degrees this morning before the sun came up! Note: all of my temperature readings come courtesy of the new changeable message sign in front of Sacramento City College...and we all know how reliable those temp readings are: not so much.

The good news: I didn't feel any residual fatigue from the long run on Saturday. This means either the I didn't run hard enough, or I'm getting used to running long again. It's probably a little of both.

The bad news: my desired marathon pace of 7:37/mile still feels "fast." I want 7:37 to feel like a recovery pace, but it still feels like I'm pushing it. I think the only choice I have is to begin including some speed workouts...groan!!! Of course, I have NO idea how that's going to happen.

In other news, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia smashed his marathon world record by 27 seconds Sunday, winning the Berlin Marathon in 2:03:59. Gebrselassie, 35, became the first man to win at Berlin for the third time. Let's do the math: Gebrselassie averaged 4:44/mile for 26.2 miles. Am I the only person floored by that?!?!?! Suddenly, 7:37/mile doesn't seem like such a big deal.

2008-09-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday 16 - Not the Most Elegant Run I've Logged

2008-09-27T14:56:00.001-07:00

The Hamster barely eeked out 16 with some new and familiar faces today. Before I get into the nitty gritty of the run, I want to thank Mike, Carlos, Cameron, and Strada for joining me on the trail. Mike's a stalwart of the Saturday runs, but Carlos, Cameron, and Strada are all new to the fray. I was introduced to Carlos through Abby, he's a marathon veteran whose resume includes the Paris and Chicago marathons. Nice. Cameron is Carlos' long-time running partner and Strada is Carlos' neighbor...got it? Anyhow, I was glad to get the opportunity to run with them and I hope they can make many more Saturday runs to come!

The Crew

We kicked off about 7:20 and headed to the 6.5 mile mark. Strada is recovering from a flu so she and Cameron held back just a little while Carlos and I set out at about 7:40 per mile pace (a little fast). Carlos and I spent most of the rest of the run getting acquainted. Carlos ran without a water bottle (which amazes me) and has a springy, efficient stride; juxtaposed with my lumbering, labored stride, we must have made an interesting sight. :-) We stopped at mile 7 to make sure the potties at Arden Ponds were in working order...they were, and then, after a brief conversation with Strada and Cameron, continued across the American River to the turn-around. On the way back we hooked up with Mike whose ego was suffering because he just got passed by a guy with a baby jogger. Hey, we're not as fast as we used to be and getting passed by a baby jogger is a pretty good blow to the ego. Mike jumped in and, after another potty stop (bad pre-run prep by Carlos and me), we dropped Mike off at mile 12.5 and finished out the run with a decent pace. Carlos was pretty patient with me today, I didn't have a whole lot in the gas tank and I probably kept him off the pace he wanted.

We waited for a few at the 6.5 mile mark for Cameron and Strada who both looked really good for running 16 miles, and headed back to our cars for fresh baked bread and iced Vitamin waters courtesy of Cameron. Thank you! All things considered, it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning.

Observations:

It's HOT: It's unseasonably warm in Sacramento for this late in September, so I made sure to fill my hydration pack to overflowing...I needed every drop!
Runners, runners everywhere: It's CIM time!!! I could not believe the volume of runners on the American River Parkway today. The full spectrum was represented: from sub 6 speedsters (more than a few) to jog-walkers (most). It's nice to see that many people in the sport and everyone seemed to be working hard to share the parkway.
Wildlife: Carlos and I stumbled across a juvenile Coyote on the path today. He seemed completely unfazed by our presence.
Rio Del Lago: good luck to all of the runners on the Rio Del Lago 100 going on today.

Two-fer

2008-09-25T10:03:00.001-07:00

At the risk of breaking my motto (Marathons on three-days-a-week training) I got in an extra four mile run last night. Nothing exciting, just 8:00 mins/mile and a little sweat. I got up this morning and nabbed another 6.3 this morning again, at 8:01 mins/mile pace. Everything felt good, just not a whole lot in the tank this morning. I'll relax tomorrow and then get in 16 this Saturday with the LaBou crew: Rob, Mike, and ????

Random thought: my mind was ALL OVER THE PLACE this morning. I had a song stuck in my head (don't worry I won't share it an ruin your day too) and a million thoughts on top of the soundtrack of my run. How many thoughts does a person have in one day? Well, according to the National Science Foundation, people have between 12,000 and 50,000 thoughts a day...now THAT's quite a range. That's like Google Maps saying Sioux Falls, South Dakota is between New York and California...correct, but not a lot of help. How many thoughts do you have a day? Is a person who has more thoughts smarter than a person who has less thoughts? I think we all have the same number of thoughts, it's just a matter of being a critical consumer of the thoughts we choose to engage.

Austin Ass Kicking

2008-09-23T09:48:00.001-07:00

There are no two ways about it, I got my ass kicked this morning!!! I completed my first mile in 8:12 and was looking to try 7:30 for the rest of the run to see how marathon pace felt when I heard footsteps coming up from behind me...I HATE getting passed.

I looked back and notice a speedster I've seen running around Land Park the last couple of weeks gliding up at slightly sub-sonic speed. Okay, I figured I'd pick it up a little to find out his story...which required him to throttle back to stall speed. <groan> Anyhow, his name is Austin and he just move to Sac (Land Park) six weeks ago from Nashville. He's 25 and fresh off the Notre Dame track and cross country teams. (At this point, the Hamster knew he bit off a little more than he could chew) After a 6:30 mile I decided to cut him free so he could do his thing and I could hail the ambulance coming down 13th Ave. Seriously, I felt like I was doing wind sprints on Mount Everest with Tenzing Norgay.

I settled back into a 7:50 mile to recover and then "sped" back up with a 7:40 mile when I heard footsteps...again!!! Crap! I was getting lapped by Austin...did he have a twin out there? There was more to learn so I pour gas on the coals for a final 6:38 mile and got a little more info out of him. Austin's training for his first marathon after two knee reconstructions. He's been running 20 milers on Saturdays by himself to keep his miles up. When asked his pace, he replies with unfeigned modesty, "5:40 per mile." WTF!!! He's running 5:40 per mile for 20...by himself. This kid needs a training partner because he's got to get ready for the US Olympic marathon trials in 2012.

Late Update

2008-09-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

Okay, the hamster's a little behind on the runs. I'll get caught up right now.

Runs last week that I missed:

Thursday 6: nothing to report. I ran at about 8:10 pace.
Saturday 16: I hooked up with Rob and Mike again. I'm truly grateful for their willingness to join me on the trail. I finished in 2:08:16 (8:01/mi pace). It was a hot day on the trail and my pre-run regimine of beer and pasta alfredo the night before didn't help.

Land Park 4

2008-09-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

· Distance: 4

· Time: Don't know

· Pace: Don't know

· Link: Don't have it

I left my watch at home, so I did this one on feel. Here are my observations

· Watch Addict: I had no idea I was so addicted to my watch. I spent most of the run looking down and my naked wrist. I also missed the beep heralding yet another mile of training under my belt. When all is said and done, I want to run a report on my "training program" to see if I can make tweaks to improve my performance. Now, I'll be four miles short. I shouldn't be so attached to having a complete log, but I am.

· Shoes Matter: Running in the new shoes made a huge difference today. Obviously, the run was not long enough to offer a definitive opinion on the shoes but, at least my feet didn't feel worse. By the way Rob, you definitely need to retire the pre-2000 shoes you're running in...are they moccasins? Seriously, shoes matter.

· Overall: The run felt fast. I don't know my exact pace, but it seemed close 7:15.

Saturday Long Run - 14 on the Bike Trail

2008-09-13T21:46:00.001-07:00

Distance: 14.01
Time: 1:49:42
Pace: 7:49/mi (thanks to the last two miles)
Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/807977

What a run! I got a chance to run with Rob and Mike. Rob met me at LaBou on Howe and we set out for 14 miles of fun. Rob ran his first marathon at the CIM last year and he’s looking to use CIM for his second this year. He’s only been running consistently for the last three weeks, though he’s no couch potato when not running. Anyhow, with only three weeks of training under my belt, there’s no way I’d have logged the performance he put in today. Nice work.

I was pleasantly surprised when we picked up Mike at 3.5 into the run (at the Watt Ave. bridge) and he carried us into William Pond for the turn-around at 7 miles (actually, the 13.5 mile mark on the trail). As we got into William Pond, we were greeted by signs declaring a “full scale training exercise” underway. Apparently the Sacramento Regional Office of Homeland Security was simulating a failure of Folsom Dam. I shudder to think what would happen to Sac if the dam really failed. Not good. Anyhow, it seemed like every first responder in a 100 mile radius was there and they were all showing off their gear: satellite trucks, rescue trucks, fire engines, mobile command centers, mobile hospitals, etc. All perfectly polished. It was quite a display. Of course, the kid/gear hound in me found it all irresistible. I decided the group of rescuers mulling around with nothing to do wouldn’t mind taking a quick photo of us, so I pulled out the BB and naturally got a photo in front of one of the fire engines. (What is the difference between a “fire engine” and a “fire truck?”). Mike’s on the left, I’m in the middle, and Rob’s on the right.

Observations from the hamster:

1. Marathon Season: Marathon season is truly upon us. I could not believe the volume of runners on the trail. I’m used to running across Sac Fit, Fleet Feet, or TNT. But none were present today. It was just a steady stream of small groups of runners: fast and slow, old and young, rookies and trail veterans. In 14 miles of running I can’t recall a single stretch where I couldn’t see another runner around. I love the Sacramento running community.

2. Bikes Galore: Folsom hosted the Folsom Lake Bike Festival today and, in addition to the sea of runner, there were as many cyclists on the trail. All headed to Folsom to support their brethren. I saw cycle teams from as far away as Davis on the trail. That’s quite a ride!

3. Détente: Everyone got along today. The runners shared the trail and didn’t run four-across. The cyclists were all polite (I think one almost waved at me). It was amazing. It did my heart good to see that we could peacefully coexist on the trail.

4. Foot Pain: My foot still hurt (still a 3 out of 10) so I decided to pry open the wallet for a new pair of shoes. I went to Fleet Feet in downtown Sac and used WAY too much of Lisa’s knowledge and patience as I tried on 342 pairs of shoes. I hate being high maintenance, but I really need some shoes that are going to ensure I make it to the starting line. The result: I picked up an ugly, but comfortable pair of Brooks Defyance (Warning: put on sunglasses before you open this link). Wait for the review in upcoming entries.

Here are the splits and my comments.

Lap	Time	Comment
1	0:07:49	A little quick out of the gates
2	0:08:01	Much better
3	0:08:01	Yawn
4	0:07:49	Met up with Mike and temporarily sped up.
5	0:08:00	Much better
6	0:08:02
7	0:07:57	Photo stop!
8	0:07:54
9	0:07:58
10	0:07:59
11	0:08:12	Dropped off Mike
12	0:07:57
13	0:07:11	I wanted to push it to see how things felt…good
14	0:06:43	Can you say, "Anaerobic threshold?" I <gasp, gasp> can!

Round and Round I Go...

2008-09-12T13:50:00.001-07:00

By the numbers:

· Distance: 6

· Time: 50:34

· Pace: 8:25/mi (glacial)

· Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/788669

It’s been a busy week, so I’m late posting this run. I ran this guy yesterday.

You would think that because I have a Garmin that gives me distance and maps my route, that I’d run all over the place because I always know how far I’ve gone. You’d be incorrect. Truth be told. I really enjoy running around Land Park. The decomposed granite track is easy on the joints (and my nagging little foot), the park is beautiful and peaceful, and I don’t have to stop for lights or intersections. It’s great. Also, running around the park is very, very relaxing to me. Instead of focusing on which turns I’ve made/missed and how far I am into the run. I get to relax, quiet the incessant chattering in my head, focus on form, and let the miles tick off (sometimes faster than others).

All for now. I have a proposal I need to finish related to prison healthcare. What do I know about prison healthcare? Thankfully, nothing first hand. Gotta go!

Land Park 5...again

2008-09-09T09:44:00.001-07:00

· Distance: 5.05

· Time: 0:38:00

· Pace: 7:31/mi

· Link: (not uploaded yet)

Fall is on the way!!! It was 59 degrees during my run, which felt great! The first mile was spent blowing the cobwebs out. My foot hurt a little more than I wanted it to and my calves were a little tight. From there I picked up the pace and finished with a 6:28 mile. My first sub 6:30 mile in what feels like 20 years. That said, the 7:37 pace I need to maintain for Boston still feels fast. I keep waiting for 7:37 to feel easy…and waiting…and waiting. I’m still early in my training, I know. But the bottom line is, if that pace doesn’t feel like a walk in the park by early November, I’m in trouble.

Saturday Long Run - 15

2008-09-06T16:55:00.001-07:00

Okay, this run involved three people running three different distances meeting up and splitting off at differing points. Essentially, this was three different runs. Joe, Stephanie and I are linked Waldorf. We all have kids who attend the school. They are among an incredible amount of parents running marathons this fall from the school. Joe plans to run the CIM and Stephanie plans to run the Cowtown full marathon as well as the CIM (she’s nuts). We all share the goal of 3:20:00 or better for the CIM. Anyhow, Stephanie used this as her last long run before Cowtown so she ran from her house to meet me at 6:30 AM. Joe had an early soccer game, so he too ran from his house to meet me at 6:30. So 6:30 rolls around and everyone’s been running except me. What a sloth. Not only that, I’m the only one with fluid…what? I think Joe and Stephanie must be part camel. Now I feel like a sloth AND a sissy! Great.

Here’s what the run looked like:

Mile	Pace	Comments
1	0:08:07	Pick met up with Stephanie and Joe at my house
2	0:08:00	This split hit in front of the Cemetery
3	0:08:14	Up the incline into Old Sac.
4	0:08:04	Into Discovery Park and onto the bike trail
5	0:08:06	Feeling good
6	0:08:13	No idea why we slowed here
7	0:08:02	Last split with Joe, he cut off to head home for a soccer game
8	0:07:48	Stephanie and I feel good so we pick up the pace
9	0:07:38	Still feeling good
10	0:07:42	Here too.
11	0:08:01	Stephanie feels good, but my legs are going flat at this point
12	0:07:52	I power though it hoping to turn things around
13	0:08:12	Nope, now I'm just a boat anchor for Stephanie
14	0:08:06	In the home stretch.
15	0:08:02	Gut it out sissy!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/748548

I planned to run a little faster, but my legs ran out of gas. My ego and Stephanie powered me through the last few. It was not my finest run. I definitely held Stephanie back on the last three miles. Sorry. If I were to predict the run times based on today’s run, I’d have Joe and Stephanie well below the 3:20:00 goal and me languishing around 3:30:00. I need to get my game together!

On a positive note. My foot feels good. I switched to an old pair of running shoes and it made all the difference. I guess my “new” shoes are the culprit. So I need to make a stop by Fleet Feet this week.

Land Park 5

2008-09-04T20:14:00.001-07:00

Distance: 5.44 mi
Time: 00:41:29
Pace: 7:37 / mi (Big Smile)
Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/734140
Quality: 6/10

Lap	Time	Distance
1	0:08:05	1.00 mi
2	0:07:32	1.00 mi
3	0:07:39	1.00 mi
4	0:07:32	1.00 mi
5	0:07:32	1.00 mi
6	0:03:07	0.44 mi

I still felt the effects of my Sunday long run today. It’s not like I was debilitated, I just suffered from some tight calves. Actually, the introduction of the Garmin into my daily regimen ensures that I stretch before every run. The 405 needs to acquire a satellite signal before I can begin, and that process can take up to 3 minutes to occur. The perfect amount of time to get in a few stretches to critically tight muscles. Anyhow, my calves loosened up and the run went pretty well. The best part of the run was bumping into Abby…twice. She’s really taking the CIM relay seriously.

I’m really looking forward to my long run this Saturday. It looks like I’ll have at least one partner and possibly three. The kids started school this week and it turns out that three of the parents in my youngest’s class are planning to run the CIM. So, naturally, I got them together for 15 this Saturday. Stay tuned.

Recovery Run or Junk Miles...

2008-09-02T10:09:00.001-07:00

Distance: 4.23
Time: 0:39:42
Pace: Well north of 7:37
Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/713937
Quality: 4/10

First of all, I slept like heck last night! I was up multiple times and had a difficult time getting back to sleep. Nuts. Second, my sleeping troubles might have something to do with the sangria I had last night. Abby made a fantastic Tamale Polenta Pie and sangria seemed like the perfect accompaniment…maybe not. Lastly, my calves were WAY tight this morning and my foot is still a 3 out of 10 on the pain-o-meter. This was the recipe for a “recovery run”. One where I just needed to get the blood flowing and stretch out the muscles a little bit. Mission accomplished. I ran the first mile with Abby and then spent the rest of the run working on form.

So, are they junk miles? Or was it a recovery run? I guess I’ll find out when I run the CIM.

Sunday Long Run

2008-09-01T10:30:00.001-07:00

Distance: 14
Time: 1:50:57
Pace: 7:56/mi
Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/704084
Quality: 7/10

I usually do my long runs on Saturday, but my girls were out of town and I had my Fantasy Football Draft on Friday night, so Sunday held a special allure for me this week. (note: I drafted 10^th of a 10 team league and made some poor drafting choices…my team sucks this year) I started at the 6.5 mile mark on the American River Bike trail with a goal of 8:00 mins/mi and 13 miles on the run. I finished faster and ran 14, so that was a good thing. I can’t remember the last time I ran this distance, this well, this far in advance of the CIM. Usually I’m cramming in a 14 in early November.

Notes and Observations:

· Fleet Feet CIM Training Team: The Sacramento Fleet Feet store has a CIM Training Program. The guys at the Fleet Feet store in are without parallel for knowledge and customer service…their training programs are equally well supported and organized. I ran into about 150+ of their crew between Howe and Watt on the bike trail. I was impressed to see that many people out there. Good stuff.

· Foot Pain: The ball of my left foot is talking to me a little bit. Unfortunately, it’s saying, “Ouch!” It’s not bad, about a 3 out of 10 on the pain scale. I’m just going to watch it for now. But I think my left foot may warrant a few more blog entries before the CIM. Getting old sucks.

· CSUS Cross Country Team: speaking of getting old, I saw the new guard on the trail. The CSUS men’s cross country team was out for a little run. Judging from the breeze that nearly pushed me off the trail when they passed, I guess they clipped along at about 6:00 min/mile pace. They were talking as they passed, but I couldn’t understand them. I think they were speaking in their native tongue: antelope.

· Mike Morris: My training partner from the late 90’s met at 3.5 miles into the run and ran with me for 7 miles. It was GREAT to see him and I really appreciate him coming out. I ran into his wife at one of my client sites and got his email address. He’s still running (just completed his fourth Eppies Great Race as an Ironman…nice) and he was eager to meet up with me.

Sleepy Hamster

2008-08-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Here’s the Hamster’s morning. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ <alarm rings>, the Hamster hits snooze, intends to get up and run 6 miles…ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ <alarm rings>, the Hamster hits snooze, intends to get up and run 6, er, maybe 5 miles…ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ <alarm rings>…you get the idea. The hamster only got in four miles today. On the bright side, I got to run the first mile with Abby.

Distance: 4
Time: 0:31:10
Pace: 7:47/mi
Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/671761

Mile	Pace
1	0:09:27
2	0:07:35
3	0:07:15
4	0:06:46

Two Runs, One Post

2008-08-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, the Hamster got a little behind on his posts, so I'm going to get in two for the price of one.

Run 1 - Sunday Long Run in Los Altos

Distance: 11
Time: 1:37:25
Pace: 8:37/mi
Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/653429

This run sucked! I ran from Los Altos Hills almost to the garnet gates of Stanford University. As you can see by the map, I spent most of my time on the foothill expressway: a four lane boulevard with HUGE bike lanes (8' wide). The reason the run sucked is because the final score had Bikes @ 150+ and Runners @ 4 (including the Hamster). The bicyclists did little dispell the bad reputation they have for being rude and arrogant. I got yelled at twice while doing everything I could to stay out of the way of their packs. It got so bad that I ran to the median of the boulevard whenever I saw them coming. Note to Bicycle Guy: get over yourself! My taxes pay for the same road you use. I'm willing to share it with you, show me the same courtesy!

Run 2 - Land Park 5

Distance: 5
Time: 0:37:50
Pace: 7:33/mi
Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/653428

This was a great run. I started out feeling a little flat, but quickly got into the groove. The best part of this run was seeing Abby on the run. She's training for the CIM Relay and decided to get in a few miles this morning around Land Park too.

Here are my splits.

Mile Split

1 - 0:08:02
2 - 0:07:42
3 - 0:07:42
4 - 0:07:36
5 - 0:06:42 - I liked this one.

The downside of this run is that I was sweating until about 10:30 this morning! It's a good thing I don't smell.

Los Altos Hills

2008-08-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

Stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/616803

Distance: 5.01 miles
Time: 00:54:29 (some runs aren't about time)
Elevation Change (up and down): 1,700 feet
Quality: 8/10

So we arrived in Los Altos hills on Thursday night to spend the weekend at Abby's mom's house. We arrived at 10:30 pm and she had a selection of Satura cakes waiting for us. I couldn't resist, they're my favorite...not exactly good food the night before a tough run, but the run forgave me.

About the run. Los Altos Hills is Spanglish for "the tall hills" and it doesn't disappoint. The run takes me to an old quarry (now dotted with McMansions). The last time Iwas here I found a trail-head to the Mount San Antonio Open Space Preserve. It's basically a fire road that leads up behind Los Altos Hills. Here are some pics and explanations.

Pi1 - The Trailhead

Pic 2 - Sign Announcing the San Antonio Reserver (look at the bottom)

Pic 3 - Here's a better look. So in case you were wondering, yes, signs like this make city boys more than a little nervous on the run. Especially when Mountain Lions can disguise themselves as Quail and Squirrels...don't believe me? Think it was my overactive imagination? Well, you weren't on the run.

Pic 4 - Here's a shot from one of the vistas looking back down on the Quarry and over a slightly foggy/hazy San Jose.

Social Network

2008-08-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

I have a client who needed to set up a space where researchers from around the world could collaborate on what else, research topics. I thought MySpace and Facebook might lack credibility with this crowd so I sought a viable alternative. It turns out that the former founder of Netscape, Marc Andreessen created a social networking space on the Internet called Ning. Ning hopes to compete with large social sites like MySpace and Facebook, by appealing to users who want to create networks around specific interests or have limited technical skills. The unique feature of Ning is that anyone can create their own custom social network for a particular topic or need, catering to specific audiences…that, and it’s not blocked by my clients firewall. <evil grin> So, as a proof of concept, I created a Sacramento Running “social network”. It will probably go nowhere, but here it is.

http://sacrun.ning.com/

Guilt Run (plus a little foot pain)

2008-08-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here’s info on my morning 4.44 mile run. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/596478

Lap	Total Time	Distance	Pace	Calories
1	0:07:53	1	7:53	98
2	0:07:47	1	7:47	110
3	0:07:32	1	7:32	111
4	0:07:02	1	7:02	108
5	0:02:55	0.44	6:40	47

Okay, so I’m a little proud about the splits…At least I admit it. Of course, I need 7:38 per mile for 26.2 in order to go sub 3:20:00, so 7:28 per mile for 4.44 is nothing to get too excited about.

I almost named this blog “Marathons on 3 Days A Week” because I only get to train three days a week. You won’t find this as a recommended marathon training regimen from Runners World, but it’s all I got and I’ll take what I get without complaining. Being a three-day-a-week marathoner, missing a run is a BIG, BIG deal. As I mentioned earlier, I’m watching the girls full-time this week which will make it difficult to get in my runs. So, I dropped off the girls at care this morning and decided get in a quick run before going into the office a wee bit later than I should (feeling guilty). That’s why my splits were faster than usual, I really wanted to crank this one out to minimize my tardiness to the office.

The splits felt great, but I finished the run and the ball of my left foot started talking to me. In fact, it’s downright cranky right now. Now that I’m a runner counting down the days to turning 40, any tweak or twinge makes me want to run for the panic button. My internal dialog screams, “OH GREAT! That’s it Norton, you’re out of the game.” I’m going to let the calmer internal voice prevail today...I know it's in there telling me to breathe and reminding me not to pile onto what it really is...just a sore foot. I’m hoping that a little ibuprofen and ice will mend the ills by the morning. If not, my panic voice will dominate the next post. :)

Garmin Report: Per the info from John Blue (see post from this weekend) I modified my pace settings on the watch and got exactly what I was looking for. Also, 405 is connecting perfectly with my PC and uploading the info to Garmin Connect has been a breeze. I like the 405 more and more every day.

Garmin Neophyte

2008-08-18T11:27:00.001-07:00

Okay, I consider myself to be more than somewhat tech savvy, but I’ve been having more than my fair share of technical difficulties getting my Garmin Connect set up. Here’s how it’s supposed to work in a perfect world: Go for a run, plug in your Garmin 405 USB antenna, watch it sync, share your reports from Garmin Connect. Piece of cake, right? Wrong! My journey to “sharing” involved staying up until 2:00 AM on Sunday and an additional two hours on the line with Garmin Tech Support from 6:00 – 8:00 AM today. However, I do have to give credit to the Flo and Austin at Garmin. They were knowledgeable, patient, and persistent. Without them, I never, ever, would have gotten my 405 to work. Thank you Flo and Austin!!!!

So, I posted my run from Saturday. Let me know if you can see it. The interface is fairly rudimentary at the moment, I will update it as I learn more about the features of Garmin Connect.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/589868

Sunday Activity

2008-08-17T21:42:00.001-07:00

No running today. I had good intentions to do push-ups and sit-ups but they never came to life. I wonder how good intentions will feel at mile 20 on the CIM. (Rhetorical question)

My physical activity consisted of a 500 yard swim during adult swim at the Cabana Club South, followed by repeats of Kid tosses. This is where I throw one of my kids as far as I can and then the next, and the next...you get the idea. I feel like a human water park at times. Now you know why I cherish the 20 minutes every hour dedicated to adult swim (AKA Sanctuary). Seriously, I over did the kid toss today, I feel like I was in a car wreck.

Long Run

2008-08-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Distance: 9.75 (Land Park loop)

Time: 01:21:39

Pace: 8:22/mi

Temp: 80 (warm because I ran at 10 AM)

Quality: 6/10

First things first, I want to thank Abby Darrah for making this run possible. The girl's mom is out of town and I did not want to impose on my parents. Abby volunteered to come over and take the girls while I went for the run. THANK YOU.

About the run. In general, it was a good run. I used my hydration pack and filled it with 40 oz. of a combination of HEED and Hammer Gel to give me some fuel. The only downside was my right nipple rubbed RAW so I had to stop and take off my shirt at the 8 mile mark. Right in front of Fairytale town...upon reflection, not the best place to start stripping. Ooopsie.

Watch report. I'm having problems getting the active sync to work (to the tune of me going to bed cursing at 2:00 am). So I was a little grumpy about Garmin this morning. But it picked up a signal and worked like a champ. In no time I was watching the mileage increase and the time fly by. It was great to actually know how far I was into the run. Before, in my runs, I guessed where each mile mark was (e.g. the third light pole in from the edge of the park, the fifth driveway on the way back from Land Park, etc.) I set the Autolap feature to 1 mile and had all of my laps captured at the right moment. It was great. However, the pace feature sucked! My first two miles were 8:05 pace because the pace kept telling me I was running everything from 7:35 - 11:30/mile. At about 5.5 miles I decide that I was not going to keep the 405 if this is the best it could do. My intuition and a Timex had gotten me this far. Why change now? Not more than 100 meters after making this decision, a guy crossed Freeport onto the park just in front of me Wearing a Garmin 205. I picked up the pace and started to talk with him about how he liked the 205...he loves it. It turns out he's John Blue. A local ultra running stud. He got 27th this year on the AR 50. Anyhow, he informed me that I needed to change pace setting from instant pace to "lap pace" in order to get an accurate reading. He also told me that the lap pace is the primary feature he uses during his races. Thank you John. Garmin gets a repreave.

New Toy - Forerunner 405

2008-08-16T13:24:00.001-07:00

Mike asked me to snap some shots of the Forerunner 405 and post them on the blog so he could see what it looks like on. The bottom shot is of the 405 acquiring a satellite signal and it gives you the view from the top. The other shot is a profile shot on the wrist. It's WAY smaller than the 205, but it still looks like a parole bracelet.