Speed work!

Today's 5K was run under a heavy thick fog. It was nice greeting and being greeted by my fellow co-workers. And good to see our trainers happy face as we gathered for his first organized race. Our CFO was there and he's fast, for an old guy. Steve is 51 so he was my competition. The race was billed as slightly over 5K at 3.25 miles. Steve wasn't sure how that would affect his 5K pace calulations. All I wanted to do was keep him in sight and hope I have enough kick at the end to give me a chance to catch him. The majority of the 120 or so folks registered were going to walk/run. A few of us were racing the 3 lap course!
The rabbit lead us on the first lap. I hung with Steve for about 3 hundred yards then settled in to my pace. First loop complete and the clock read 6:40. Faster than I wanted to run. One of the two guys ahead of third place Steve faded off on the second loop but another guy came up behind me and surged ahead. End of second loop, clock read 13:35. One hundred yards into the third loop and Steve kicked it into another gear. I couldn't even think about it. I had no kick left in me. The guy who had passed me on loop two couldn't catch Steve either. I hung on trying to stay in fourth place. At the end the clock read 20:50. Good race! That's as speedy as I get. My previous PR at 5K was 22:50, 15 years ago. Steve's time was 19:54. But, he said, It was only 2.89 miles according to his Garmin. That threw a wrench into Steve's ever calculating mind.
I heard some interesting comments on a podcast about the aging athlete today.
The two things that stood out and remain in my head are, "Don't fall for all the hype as far as new training techniques or nutrition findings. Find what works best for you, listen to your body"
Another guest speaker said "Don't try to emulate the movie stars methods for staying young. age gracefully, work with what you got."
I like it!

I am not a Doctor. And I can't play one!

Well, Pertaining to my lip issue, the dermatologist asked if I chewed gum, no. Do I use mouthwash, no. Do I use breath mints, no. Do I lick my lips, no.
That last one she wasn’t buying. I don’t remember the exact diagnosis, but she said my problem is I lick my lips. I didn’t want to believe that. I don’t lick my lips that much. Do I? I tried to explain to the Doctor but she was not interested. She explained how we lick our lips without realizing it. She prescribed a topical lotion for night time and suggested plain petroleum jelly during the day. Oh, and stop licking my lips. The Doctor had spoken.
On to the eczema on my lower legs. The Doctor said it’s a pretty common issue. Mine is not bad and using cream to moisturize was suggested. Not lotion or oil. Cream. She sent me off with a prescription for a cortisone cream for when things flares up.
As I drove away I was being conscious of not licking my lips. Wow. I did have the urge to lick them. Hmm.
But only about twice an hour or so. Wow. That’s about 32 times a day, or more, if I’m awake 16 hours a day. Eating lunch I realized I DO lick my lips. Even more when I’m eating! And with apple cider vinegar and blue cheese on my tongue, that’s not a good thing!
My good friend Doctor A also had asked if I lick my lips when I mentioned the issue to him. He asked me twice!
The good Doctor E who I saw yesterday had suggested I use Cer Ve CREAM on my legs when I brought up the issue of my eczema to her two years ago!
Well so much for self diagnosis (those who know me well will laugh).
In other news.....Tomorrow morning I am running a 5k at the VIA Roadeo. Our trainer at work was successful in putting this on at the yearly Bus and Van Operator driving competition. I hope the 5K is a success for the sake of our fellow employees.

Toning it down.

It's amazing how a little rest can rejuvenate the body. I have cut my weekly mileage in half since the 50K I ran the first week of March. Although I had a great race and ran better than I had in a long time, my body felt stressed for about two weeks after that race. Sometimes it's difficult for us runners or otherwise athletic types to slow down. In my case I had no choice. Minor discomfort in my chest and creaking bones made be do it. All that is gone now.
2 to 4 mile weekly runs and 10 or so mile long weekend runs is all I've done the last two weeks. Last Sunday's bicycle ride was also a welcomed change of pace.
At yesterday's weekly group run I had the pleasure of running with my good buddy Tom. Tom is rarely able to make the Thursday night runs so it was a treat having his company. My legs and lungs felt so good, I was running strong going up the climbs at Eisenhower park. This was due to the toned down routine the last two weeks, no doubt.
I am not without health issues though. I saw my Doc yesterday and although she was impressed with my blood work results there is a problem with eczema on my lower legs and a chronic chapped lower lip. She ordered more blood drawn to check for a vitamin deficiency and referred me to a dermatologist. The eczema has been a problem for many years. As a child, just playing in the grass would sometimes cause welts on my legs. Now I'm running in the trails! It's not a terrible case of eczema though. Compared to cases I've seen while researching info on the net. But it's annoying. The lip issue is new. I eat exceptionally well! Except for Beer occasionally. So what can it be? Supplements I take? Krill oil, Ubiquinol, Cordyceps, Amla. Or can it be I'm allergic to some of the many raw vegetables I eat? Could it be too much of a good thing? My usual weekday lunch contains a variation of raw spinach, brussel sprouts, asparagus, red onions, red bell pepper, garlic, hemp seeds, almond chips, blue cheese, tomatoes, hummus, olive oil, and/or apple cider vinegar among other things. Maybe I need to tone this down too. Hopefully the dermatologist can give me a clue. In the meantime I guess I'll start eliminating some of the things I consume one at a time.

Run for the sake of running

I ran 3 road miles after work with my good buddy and co-worker "O" yesterday, and then we were back at boot camp. Our trainer at work introduced a new routine with a body bar! This guy is really good. He's always challenging us in different ways. But one thing remains constant, Squats!
Today I was out for a 4+ miler in Leon Creek, my easy-to-get-to-from-my-front-door trails. Surprisingly, I was running pretty strong considering I had just run a 50K three days ago. For me that's surprising. It made me think of two things. First, how after my first Marathon in 1998 I did not run for six months. And second, how back then I could not even think about placing in any race, much less run 7 miles in two days this soon after a marathon.
Back before my first marathon, when I was in my 30's, I enjoyed running 5 and 10K's. The only reason I decided to run a marathon is because a friend told me " your not a runner until you run a marathon." I fell for it. It's not true. A 5Ker is as much a runner as a Marathoner.
In races I was always finishing in the top 25 to 30 percent in my age group and strived to remain there. Sometimes I was in the top 25 percent overall! And SOMETIMES, I JUST MISSED PLACING.  I think I was stronger physically then (I weighed 20 pounds more than I do now but with the same body fat percentage as now) but now I am better trained. And the number of entrants in my age group has dwindled. I'll claim a victory in longevity. I just hope I can hang on. I'll try, and my Rockhopper friends will help.
I thought about how much I enjoy running for the sake of running. For the natural high. For the feeling of moving like the wind. I enter races more for being out with my friends and other runners who many times become friends. Sure, I'm enjoying the awards but my feeling is if I do well, GREAT! If not, Oh well, I tried. I've met many wonderful people running. Many have become very close friends. We share accomplishments and find comfort with each other in our shortcomings both athletically and personally.
After the 50K last Saturday a runner I had been leap frogging with all day (and left behind with three miles to the finish) came to me as I was checking results and called me an unpleasant name after he found out I was in his age category, therefore causing him to miss out on an award for placing. I laughed it off. I Thought he was kidding and  began to tell him my race story.  As I've been replaying the moment the last couple of days, I don't think he was kidding. He didn't smile, didn't offer his story of the race and just walked off. This began to make me angry. Then I thought, I can't let that bother me. But it made me feel sad. Not for me but for him. I hope I'm wrong about him. Maybe he was kidding and just has a dry sense of humor.
Yeah! That's it! He enjoys running for the sake of running. Just like me!
I hope.

M&M's and the Honey Badger

Yesterday I ran the Prickly Pear 50K in San Antonio's MC Allister park. The course is three 10 mile loops of mostly flat, mostly wooded trails, with short up and downs, some rocks in sections and an open field midway through. It was rainy, cold (41 degrees), and Muddy.
I had a great race. It was great to see many familiar faces. Chris and Tom, along with his daughter Stella were volunteers. Rachel, Jean, Brian, Kelli, Eric, Paul, and Joe also were running the 50K. Tim and Elizabeth the 10 miler. Elizabeth hung out after her 10 miler and helped too.
I started with Joe Prusaitis. I felt really good and was moving fast, I thought, after loop 1 and it continued through loop 2. How long will this last. Am I pushing too hard? I deliberately kept a less than all out effort. The nasty conditions helped keep me honest. The thicker, stickier mud began at mile 4 and continued through mile 6 on each loop. And was even worse after the 10 mile race began and more runners trampled over it. Walking in the mud seemed to be more difficult than running over it. There was some running water crossing the trails at times and standing water in some portions of the trails too. Some tried to jump over the water or find an easy way across, but I found running through it helped knock some mud off my shoes. Even though my feet got colder and wetter. I almost fell at one point but a tree pushed me back upright before I bit it. Third loop, my glutes were hurting. My combination of eating boiled potatoes from the aid stations and Carbo pro drink mix was working well! Halfway through loop 3 my lower body began to ache a little but I felt good overall. I try not to eat candy, even during races but those M&M's were calling me. I found energy after eating those M&M's through the last two aid stations and kept a good pace following Olga. At mile 28 I kicked it up a notch and started passing people to a 5:37 finish and second in the 50-59 age category. I finally got that Prickly Pear etched mug I've always wanted! and I ALMOST caught me a Honey Badger! Rachel (The Honey Badger) was 200 yards ahead of me approaching the finish. I tried but Couldn't catch her but we had a few laughs at the finish.

Random notes

I've been away for awhile. Far away in my thoughts. We suffered a tremendous loss last month. My Mother in Law passed away. You hear many stories and jokes about Mother in laws, but my Mom in law is a very good lady and loved me like her son. I say IS because she'll always be with us. And she'll forever motivate me to keep running. Just as I hear my deceased Dad's voice say "keep it up son, don't ever stop." I will forever hear my mother in laws voice ask, "?Ya fuiste a correr?" "Have you been on your run yet?" My fondest memory of her will be the message she constantly tried to convey to us all, "Don't judge a person's actions. Every person is a world unto themselves. What we may see as important, others may not.
Ever hear, "It's not a trail race unless someone gets lost"? Well I've seen it several times. Once at an event where there was a trail race and a triathlon being held together on the same date and at the same venue, a trailrunner got lost and thought she was supposed to swim too and almost jumped in the water until someone noticed she had a runner number and not a tri-athlete number. About an hour and a half after all runners had finished the event, Mountain bikers found her lost and wandering the trails.
This past Sunday I ran the Salado creek 16.04K Trail run in my Brian Ricketts race shirt! Brian, Kelli, and I warmed up with a slow three miler before the 8 AM start. Amanda greeted us at the start. she ran the 16.04 race too and finished second female overall! Kelli, suffering from Flu like symptoms dropped down to the 10K and finished first in her age group.
The course is very nice. After a mile on the road to the trailhead it's almost all single track with dirt, rocks, roots, and up/down twisting turning trails with a climb at the turn around on this one loop course The course was well marked but you really had to keep an eye out for the turns. There are many trails that criss-cross in Salado creek. At one turn there was a young kid about 15 yrs. old standing there. I thought he was directing runners. He chose me to ask, "which way does red go?" We had just passed a turn for the 5k runners that was marked with red flags going back to the finish. "Go back" I said. "You missed the turn" As I kept running I looked at my number and it was red. Maybe he meant red numbers. I stopped, turned and yelled "HEY RED" "Yes?" he responded. "This way I yelled" I waited, and as he turned the corner towards me I noticed he had a black number! "No, go back to the last turn." He had a 5k number. I continued on. Poor kid, I hope he found his way.
I fed off the pace of two young girls in front of me. we were moving at a good clip until one of them started to fade and the other asked me to lead. I felt good and ran as strong as I could. In my Salado creek tradition, I finished third in my age group.
What a treat to see Amanda's husband, my good friend Lalo at the finish. He gave me a chest bump and a Bro hug! Great guy! We hung out at the post race pasta buffet listening to the "I Ching Gatos band" Their Garage band name is a play on Texas spanish slang.
This Saturday I'm registered to run the Prickly Pear 50K at MC Allister park. I have many memories of that park going back to the 70's, but I won't bore you.
The weather man calls for rain and cool temps beginning Thursday and continuing through Saturday. This place gets muddy. I just replenished my running shoe stock! Which ones am I willing to get dirty? But I will wear my Brian Ricketts Race shirt again!