(And yeah, the header image isn’t from this race, but it’s the only image I could think of that had a “gut” in it!)
Yesterday was hot. There’s no other way to describe it. Ninety degrees in the shade, and there wasn’t a lot of shade. However, Da Lou had a “cold” front come through overnight, so the humidity was much less, which was nice.
I was surprised at the number of folks out on the trail. I guess the brutal heat of the last week had kept the casual runners and walkers (like me!) indoors. With the ten degree drop in temperatures since Wednesday and much lower humidity, folks just had to break out, I suppose. Kinda like cabin fever, but in the summertime.
For me, the heat was exhausting, but it always is. Despite being a native Floridian, I’m just not a hot-weather kid. I found myself drinking more water on the course — which is the right answer! — and was pretty dang spent by the time I got home. There’s a good reason so many races are started in the morning, especially this time of year!
My dad used to say, “Sometimes you get the bear; sometimes the bear gets you.” This race was definitely in the latter category.
I’d never heard of this race, and probably for good reason. It was only the second time they’d run this event, and it included a 5K and 10K, along with a 10mi, 20mi and 30mi ride. However, it was to benefit a broad set of good causes. With that kind of coverage, and a medal at the end, how could I say no?
The race site was in Washington MO, which is about 45 minutes west of my house. That’s about the same time it takes for me to get to downtown St. Louis for a race, so that wasn’t a bad thing. However, that meant waking up at 4:30am in order to get ready, and be in Washington around 6am for packet pick-up.
I got there, and went to pick up my packet — shirt, bib, and sack o’ goodies. The registration person asked my name, and then flipped to the second sheet of paper to find me. Yep, there weren’t many folks signed up for the race — maybe 40 folks across both the 5k and 10k. By far, this ended up being the smallest race I’d ever been part of.
After some opening comments by the organizers — reminding us to stay hydrated due to the heat advisory, and not to drink the water because of a boil order in the area — we were off just after 7am. And much of the first half kilometer was downhill — sweet! And then it was up-down-up-down through Washington. And the hills just kept on coming. I kept watching for a hydration station, which was supposed to be around halfway… and never found it.
Now, I learned a long time ago to always carry water when I’m running, walking or cycling. You just never know when you’re gonna need a slurp, and whether you can find any close-by can be a crap shoot. Today, carrying water was the smart money. Apparently, someone had been stealing the course signs, so many of us at the back of the pack were actually off the race course by a few blocks where it mattered the most — around the halfway point where the hydration station was. Add this to the hills and unrelenting heat, and it became a pretty miserable race pretty quick.
I never come to a full stop during a race, but I stopped on the course a couple of times to talk with the traffic marshals. I needed rest, and that was a good way to do it. And for the first time in a long time, I really questioned if I would finish the race. In fact, I questioned everything — why I was doing this, whether I could possibly do races in the future, my own existence… 🙂 Sometimes, there’s just a little too much alone time on the route!
Finished!
But, I finished, having gone a little more than 5K due to the hijinks with the race route. I felt kinda bad for the poor kid that had to stand there and wait for me to show up to put a medal in my hands.
I never expected this race to be so tough. I think the frequent hills were part of that, but I also think the lack of water (for my course), and the fact that I rarely saw another member of the race or staff during the race certainly added some mental challenge to the event for me.
Done is done, though, and I’m happy to drop another race in the books.
Summer has arrived in Da Lou. This week, it’s mid-90s for highs, with mornings starting in the mid-70s. With that kinda heat, I’m left with morning runs, which puts me into “weekends only” mode until this weather breaks, and cooler temperatures return.
Last night, I decided that I would get the Jedi Challenge virtual race checked off the list today — it seemed like my only chance this week to pull it off. Do you know how hard it is to get up at 5:15am to get ready to run at 6am? 🙂
That’s one of the cool things about this quest of mine, though. While I’m not a fan of getting up early like that, it’s an awesome feeling to get home and cleaned up, realizing that the day is just starting, and I’ve already got miles under my feet. That’s a great feeling, and worth every lost wink of sleep.
It was definitely hot this morning, and I started working up a pretty good sweat pretty quickly. However, I had one new thing on my side.
Two weeks ago, I put a new Garmin running watch on my wrist (a 920XT — more on that another time) that will sync through my iPhone. However, carrying my iPhone isn’t always convenient. I have a SpiBelt to help with that, but it’s a little constricting, and I’d rather have my phone in my pocket Of course, that means securing the phone so it won’t fall out, and that means zippered pockets.
I found these guys on Amazon, and started looking at them pretty closely. Looking at their blog, I see that their shorts are American-made, and that they’re runners. It seems like there are a bunch of running products out there, with some zoomie-zoom runner behind it. These guys are faster than me, but are just normal folks out running, and I dig that.
I wound up with a pair of gray shorts from them, and took them out for a test run this morning. They were light, didn’t soak up a bunch of heat, and have two wonderful zippered pockets. The pockets extend toward the front, so my phone stayed on the front of thigh, and didn’t move around. Perfect!
The other thing I liked about these new shorts was how they fit across my belly. I carry a little extra weight — something I’m working on! — but beyond that, I have a little bulging belly scar tissue from my surgeries when I was fighting colon cancer. These shorts don’t stretch too tight across my lower belly, and frankly, sorta give my belly some support as I’m chugging down the trail. These are winners, and I will have more!
I was telling Darla this weekend that I’ve done fifteen races in the last nine weeks or so. That’s just amazing to me. A little over three years ago, I was still on the mend from colon cancer, and just barely decided to do a little running. I’ve already run more races this year than I ran all of 2012, 2013 and 2014. I think I’m hooked.
And I get why I do it. This crazy race to run races plays right into my obsessive nature. It’s measurable, has a collecting aspect to it, and the only person I’m competing with is me. It doesn’t hurt that I’m seeing other benefits. For example, I’m down about twenty pounds over the last two months. Part of that is paying attention to my diet, but I know that putting 6-10 miles a week under my feet certainly doesn’t hurt!
My next scheduled race is the Wheels and Heels 5K in Washington MO on Saturday. See ya then!
Yesterday, I ran my third Freedom Four Miler. And once again, I found myself in Forest Park, chugging through a hot course replete with hills.
Fog in Forest Park
The morning started cool — about 65°, way cool for July — with a foggy sunrise. I got to the park early, knowing that parking was gonna be at a premium, and that it was a long walk from the parking to the start/finish line.
It’s full of stars!!
Pre-race is always weird for me. There’s usually some activities going on — usually beginning about thirty minutes before racetime — but there’s normally not much to do other than hang out. I talked with other racers, stretched, and watched for good photo ops.
Schnuck’s Shopping Cart
This race always features a little bit of military hardware — this year, a Humvee — but the coolest hardware was a crazy, giant, motorized shopping cart. I’ve seen this at the Bristol Speedway for some NASCAR races, but this is the first time I’ve been this close to one. It’s a pretty cool rig, with plenty of noise, and a cool “gee whiz” factor.
Shortly after it pulled up, we all lined up for the start — about a thousand of us. With the performance of the Star Spangled Banner, and a quick toot of an air horn, we were off.
The first third of a mile was a pretty quick flat, and slight downward hill, only to be followed by upward and downward portions of the course. I’m just not a hill guy! I broke into a quick walk, and watched as many folks passed me by. That’s something I’m kinda used to, being a back-of-the-pack guy!
Somewhere late in the first mile, I was joined by a another runner, Kate. This was her second race, and we stayed together, chatting through the remaining miles. Frankly, the miles just seemed to melt away, and in no time, we were crossing the finish line.
Close to the finish!
This is the first race in a well over a year that I’ve run with a partner — even one “discovered” on the course. I’d forgotten just how much a difference that can make. Chatting about life, the universe and everything really takes your mind off the footfalls and the miles, and makes the race so much easier to complete. Thanks Kate!
I was thrilled to cross the line, put another race in the books, and make a new friend along the way. All in all, a really great Fourth of July!
(This race benefitted the USO of Missouri. As a former military member, this is an outfit that I can’t help but support, and appreciate.)
Yeah, I know the medal has 2014 on it, instead of 2015. There’s a story behind that. (Isn’t there always?!)
I’d been signing up for a few races through the Virtual Nerd folks. They sponsor races that fundraise for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and with my connection to that disease, I couldn’t resist hooking up with them. Of course, the races were cool … Star Wars themed, Back to the Future themed. (Both yet to come for me!)
A week or so ago, I got a note from them that some of the race medals from last year were still hanging around, they were selling them cheap. I was a Beavis and Butthead fan a long, long time ago, and the Cornholio medal tripped my trigger. It helped that the guys’ shirts have “Cancer Sucks” across them. My sentiment exactly.
Once I ordered, I made mention to the Virtual Nerd folks on Facebook that I’d ordered this up. I told them that I’d survived colon cancer, and that mom was fighting CML — and that both of us agreed that cancer sucked. 🙂 They were impressed by mom’s fight, and said she must be a very tough lady. Who am I to argue with a stranger on the internet!
Fast forward a few days, and the envelope came with the medal. Scribbled on the outside was “Best of luck to your mom! (one 4 her too)”. I opened the padded mailer, and there were two medals in there, one for me and one for mom.
And once again, I was reminded just how wonderful the running community is. I’m so touched by the kindness of someone to just do a simple, kind thing for another runner. All I can say to Joe and Amanda (who operate Virtual Nerd Runs) is thank you from the bottom of my heart. The medal will be in the mail to mom this week.
Oh, and the miles today were hot, but pretty easy on a flat course. There — race report done. 🙂
Today’s race was another of the Go! St. Louis race series, second of the three they’re holding this year. I’d been watching the weather, knowing that we’d had a tropical depression move over us, and that a cold front was to move through today. Last night, it looked like it would be 77° with sun at race time. As it ends up, it was cloudy, about 68°, and storms were moving across the northern parts of our area.
Tut, tut, it looks like rain
Siobhan had come up for Father’s Day, so all three of us piled into Darla’s Acadia, and headed toward Kirkwood. The ominous clouds continued to drop southward as we drove, and we could hear the thunder growing.
We found parking — which was pretty scarce! — at the start line. This race is a one-way, mostly downhill race, so Darla and Sio were gonna drop me off, and then drive to the finish line to meet me as I finished. Great plan.
George Sells from KTVI was there, and interviewing folks about the race, all the rain we’d gotten and whether we liked to run in the rain. He interviewed me and Sio, and that probably aired while we were at the site. There’s a piece up on their website, but it was after it was all over, and didn’t include our fifteen seconds of fame. 🙁
Sio and Darla decided to go back to the Acadia, and wait to see if the race was gonna go off. With the storm approaching, and lightning visible, it was a pretty good question.
Enter the rain.
And I’m not talking little sprinkles, I’m talking soak-you-to-the-bone-try-to-find-shelter-wherever kind of rain. It poured, and we lined up for the race. The horn sounded promptly at 7:30am, and we took off.
I was expecting this race to be kinda fast. It’s billed as the fastest 5K in St. Louis, and after looking at the elevation profile, I see why:
All-American 5K Elevation Profile
I took off at the gun, and began running. And, as I frequently do, I walked part of the course. However, I made it a point to run all the downhills. On two of those hills, I really kicked it up, and ran faster than I’ve ever run in a race. The cool thing was that one of them was as I was going to finish line. When a big ol’ overweight guy turns on the afterburners at the finish, the crowd absolutely starts cheering for you. That’s pretty doggone cool.
Typically, I shoot for less than 10min/km, although my races over the last year or two have been frustratingly shy of that.. That’s a 50-minute 5K, and a number generally just above all the time. In my splits today, they were ALL under ten minutes — significantly — except one segment. That’s amazing, and the first time I’ve pulled that off. And as you might expect with splits like that, I had a great finish time. In fact, it was the best race finish time I’ve ever had in a 5K, and the fastest 5K distance I’ve run in three years.
I get that I’m not all that fast, and my time isn’t exactly remarkable. But, to me, it was like I’d won the Olympics. And that’s the deal for me. I run “against” me, and sometimes have a great day doing it.
I’d had a few question marks about putting this race on the schedule. I had no idea how my knees and stamina would be this weekend after the Hospital Hill duals last week. As it ends up, all the races this year have (apparently) made a difference, and my recovery seems quicker, even after abusing my feet and knees like I did last weekend.
Last night, I vowed I’d get up and run this morning. Yesterday, I awoke early (5:30 or so), thought about running, and then rolled over and slept for THREE MORE HOURS. Now, I believe that if your body sleeps, you probably needed it… but, gee whiz! I wasn’t gonna let today slip away from me, and suffer from a lack of miles.
So 6am came around this morning, and after a slow wake up — and a couple of snuggles from Bailey — I got up, and started prepping. Remember a few weeks ago that I’d mentioned treating virtual race days just like regular race days? I’m still doing that, and it really puts the event ahead in perspective. I guess it’s akin to pro athletes getting their game face on, physically and mentally preparing themselves for what’s to come.
Girded up in all my running armor (there’s a contradiction, eh?!), I stepped out into the sunlight… and found a icky, humid airmass out in the sunshine. Shades of the Hospital Hill 5K. Blecch! I got going though, and while the air was tougher, I once again found the course to be moving beneath my feet, just like I was flying. One kilometer, then two, and suddenly I was at the turnaround point.
That’s been the beauty of doing these races every weekend or so. This was my sixteenth race of this year, and that frequent activity is making these races get easier and easier. I’ve been bemoaning not finding more speed so far this year, but I think what I’ve found is even more important: determination. And that’s been key for running so many races already in 2015.
I’ve been asked why I would do these virtual races. I know me, and setting a “collectible” goal out there hits my brain pretty well, and grabbing these finisher medals is kinda a Pokemon thing for me… gotta collect ’em all! That’s what gets me out there, and getting out there is what’s important. It’s healthier for me, and it gives me a tangible thing that I can chase after. And given that there’s not always races around here I can get to, this keeps my feet on the pavement in between racing events.
And I know there’s a population of real runners out there who believe that a “finisher” medal isn’t worth having, advocating that the only medals worth having are those you win for placement in 1st, 2nd or 3rd. That’s definitely an opinion. It’s not mine.
Words to Live ByYou see, I do earn my medals. I run the same miles, sometimes on the same courses, and my miles, although slower, are for the same distance as their medals. I’d even wager that those of us “back of the pack” folks are probably putting together a bigger effort than the elite runners at the front. They know they can do this, and quickly. A 5K is like a sprint for some of these folks, finishing in less than twenty minutes. For those of us who are moving a lot slower, and carrying many more years and pounds than the folks in the front, the determination to finish is higher, and beyond the sense of accomplishment in finishing, having that medal waiting at the end is a tangible result of our toil and sweat.
As one of the signs at Hospital Hill last weekend said, I’m not here to compete, I’m here to complete.
And that’s what’s kept me on the road this year. And next weekend is the All-American 5K on Father’s Day. I’ve never run this race before, but I’ve been led to believe that this is one of the fastest races in Da Lou, with a one-way, mostly downhill course. Can’t wait to give it a shot!
Ferguson. What comes to mind when you hear that word?
There’s no doubt that there are as many views about what’s taken place there over the last nine months as there are people. And with all those varying views, it seems there’s a constant flow of rumors of planned unrest, both peaceful and not-so-peaceful.
It’s against that backdrop that this race hit my radar. I’d been thinking about this race, but frankly, was very concerned about the atmosphere there. That wasn’t helped much by rumors of a “Ferguson Spring” event that was targeting this weekend. Even the race organizers addressed this rumor on their website. They also talked about their commitment to a safe, fun race.
That didn’t stop me from checking social media and other spots on the web as Becky drove us to Ferguson. I was willing to bail on the event if it looked like there would be danger afoot. I just simply wouldn’t put us in a dangerous situation for a medal.
We parked, and caught the shuttles from the parking to the race event. And already I was getting more comfortable with my decision to run this race. There were people of all ages, capabilities, and races in the bus with us. It was really a melting pot.
The Plaza at 501
The race site was amazing. There was plenty of food and people everywhere! I picked up my shirt and bib, and we headed to the party. The center of the event was a place called The Plaza at 501. It was a neat little community area, with plenty of space and a nice pavilion. Normally, I’d feel a little weird about leaving Darla behind as I raced, but entertainment was everywhere — jugglers, live band, and a drum circle that invited anyone to join in.
My time to race came, and I kissed Darla, heading to the starting corrals. This race was capped at 2500 runners, and I’m not sure they had that many there, but there was a huge crowd nonetheless. The horn sounded, and we began moving slowly toward the actual start line. Of course, once we hit the line, folks took off.
I ran for the first two songs (as measured by the music on my iPhone!), and began to walk. I discovered that this was a very, very hot and humid day, and that was sucking the life out of me. I walked the rest of course.
And in retrospect, I was cool with that. I made it a point to pet every big dog I encountered. I danced like a kid in the spray from an open fire hydrant. I enjoyed this race!
For the last three years, this race has been voted “Best Community Support”, and I see why. Throughout the whole course, there were neighbors sitting on the sidewalk and on their stoops, cheering on the runners. There were signs of encouragement everywhere along the course. Along the course was a rock band, and a little while later part of a marching band from one of the schools. The community was really into this race, and made it a joy to do, despite the heat.
Almost Finished
Because I was walking, I got to see an awful lot of the area. I’ve never been to Ferguson before, and at my slow pace I was able to take it all in. There were some beautiful older homes hidden in the neighborhoods, and some that were obviously not as big. As I wound up and the down the hills (and the hills were ugly in the heat!), the neighborhood got behind me, and I came into the business district.
That’s where it got very surreal for me.
I was suddenly aware that I was passing the Ferguson City Hall, and eventually the police headquarters. I walked past shop windows, still boarded up from the unrest. I saw murals painted on the wood panels, advocating peace. It was tremendously moving to see this area first hand, and realize just how much things had calmed since August. It was emotional to be there.
Finished!
And with all that, I still felt very comfortable on the course. There was a ton of very visible security on the course — folks at the street closures, volunteers on bicycles among the racers, and loads of uniformed first responders at the Plaza. It was obvious that there was a tremendous desire by the folks in Ferguson to have a safe, fun event. I think they succeeded.
While I’d vote for cooler weather, this was easily one of the most enjoyable races I’ve participated in over the last three years. I do believe that I’ll add Ferguson to my list of races I’ll run yearly. It was that good.
When I’d originally lined up my “six races in six weeks,” this race wasn’t even on my radar. Somewhere, I heard about it, and thought long and hard about whether I wanted to do a back-to-back on this final weekend of racing for me. Would I have enough fuel in the tank? Would my legs hold out?
Today, I found the answer to those questions and others.
First things first… Why does the shirt and medal say “2014”? Delorean with a flux capacitor? Time capsule? Nah, nothing quite that dramatic.
This race was originally slated to be run last fall. But when the Grand Jury decision came down for the Ferguson events, the race committee didn’t feel that it made sense to pull resources from the crisis in North County just to provide safety for a race. After looking for a date, they landed on today, and just used the shirts and medals they had in hand from last fall.
I’ve mentioned this before — I’m not a big fan of running downtown. The roads that the courses travel are pretty rough with uneven pavements, patches and potholes, and typically it takes a lot of extra time to travel back and forth from the race site.
Typically, I’d just drive to the MetroLink station in Brentwood, and take the train downtown. That means an early start, but I don’t have to worry about driving or parking downtown. However, just a couple of days ago, there was a brutal beating of a MetroLink passenger on the train by a gang of thugs. I know the odds are way, way against me having to deal with that, but I also knew that if I drove downtown, I’d avoid it altogether.
See, there were only about 500 folks registered for this race. For the big downtown races, the train cars are full of runners, and with that “safety in numbers” going for me, riding the train isn’t that big a deal. But with a really small race, I know the trains would be pretty empty.
Headquarters
As it ends up, I found “rock star” parking, just about three parking spaces from the race start/finish line. Excellent!
The home base for the race was the downtown Hooters, and even at 6:30am, they had it open, serving coffee and water. No chicken wings, however. 🙁 But, it was warm inside, had plenty of seating, and even featured real bathrooms instead of porta-potties. That was nice!
Color Guard
And with this race benefitting Backstoppers, it only made sense that there would be a color guard from the police. I love that most races begin with the National Anthem, and spinning up a few flags just adds to the experience!
And that warmth was well-needed. It was cold… really cold. I think the temp was around 30, but the buildings kept the sun off much of the course, and were great for channeling the wind down the streets. It was probably the coldest race I’ve run this year. Now, when we got to the long straightaway where the turnaround was, the sun was blazing down, and it was a nice warmup mid-race.
Speaking of that straightaway, once again, this race had a single water table that served water to both sides, just like the Undy. In this race, that was about 2.5km into the race on the outbound side, and about 3.25 km into the race on the return side. Before yesterday, I’d never seen that configuration, and I really, really like it.
I knew I was near the back, and on the straightaway, I saw how close I was to the back. From the return side, I could see the tail end of the runners, with a support truck following along to keep them safe. As the recent GoDaddy commercial says, every train needs a caboose, and that was me!
Things we going well… and then it happened. The real world intruded into my race. About 3.5km into the race, my phone went off, alerting me to a power outage at one of our facilities. Ugh. So I slowed, trying to manage dialing into a bridge call, keeping my team updated on what I was hearing, and trying not to fall in a pothole or walk into a light pole. As it ends up, they didn’t need me on the call, so I dropped, but I was slowed across about ten-fifteen minutes of my race.
After a few more turns, I came to the finish line, and found that I finished three seconds faster than yesterday. Woot! The last time I did a back-to-back weekend (last year’s Rock and Roll Remix), I had a ten minute difference between the races. Having consistent results this go around is a really pleasant surprise.
So, the last race of these six weekends of races is complete. I have some reflections on these races, but I’ll save that for another day!
Three years ago this weekend, I ran my first race — the 2012 Undy 5000. I did this as a symbol of fighting back from only three months earlier having fought colon cancer… and won.
Three years downstream, and twenty-six races later, I returned to the Undy this morning, running my fourth race in this series. The Undy is special to me, as it benefits the Colon Cancer Alliance, whose sole focus is to aid patients, survivors, caregivers and anyone affected by colon cancer. Of all the races I run, this is the only “fundraising” race in which I participate. That’s how important this is to me.
Me and Louie
The weather was cold, and I knew it would be. However, the sun peeked out from the clouds, and helped bring a little warmth to the park. But, I was still glad to have all the cold-weather running gear I’d been investing in this winter.
In the opening remarks, the MC indicated that there were 2000 folks registered, with about $150,000 raised. If you’re reading this, you may have helped either support me, or donated your money. Either way, I thank you for that. It was also announced that St. Louis is the biggest Undy event for CCA. I’m a little surprised at that, as this is run in eighteen cities, some of which are much larger than Da Lou: Denver, Atlanta, Philly… We were the largest Komen race for a while, so maybe we just like to run and fundraise out here!
The course, while still at Forest Park, was different this year due to some parking lot construction at the site of the Muny. Because of that change, the course was much flatter this year, and much easier to deal with. With the new path through Forest Park, terrific traffic control, and a well placed water stop that you could pass twice, this was an ideal course.
On the Road Again
I did have a surprise about a kilometer into the race. There was some crazy redhead yelling at me from the sidelines, and I went over to her. A hug, a kiss, and I was on my way. I’ve never had that happen during a race! She looked an awful lot like Darla, but that could’ve just been the sun in my eyes. 🙂
And as I approached the finish line, Darla was waiting for me, cheering me on. There’s no better sight than that.
I got my post-race snacks, and waited for the closing ceremonies. We all listened to a survivor and her story, and then the cool thing about this event took place.
All 71 colon cancer survivors and patients were invited to the front to receive a medal honoring their fight. This is an amazing feeling, having almost two thousand people cheering their support for your fight.
And that’s what this race is about — supporting everyone who’s been impacted by this terrible disease. I was supported during my battle; why wouldn’t I return the favor?
(Tomorrow is Race #28, and the last of this series of races for me until later in the Spring.)
