I'd been looking forward to a nice long trail run at Wyco for a week or two but heavy rains last week and the race at the weekend delayed my trip until now. Although I knew it probably wouldn't be 'perfect' trail conditions (I'm starting to wonder if that unlikely situation is as elusive as Sasquatch), I was tired of waiting, so filled up my new $19 Wal-Mart special backpack water hydration device (you can just say 'bladder' -ed) and headed out.
The trail was actually quite runnable, but there were still some very stodgy mud pits. It was also quite different from the last time I'd done it because of all the foliage and Spring growth. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have too long to enjoy it. About 2 miles in, my right leg got caught in the mud, my ankle turned and I heard/felt some clicks and I knew my day on the trails was destined to end early.
I was kind of in the middle of nowhere, so had little option but to limp on for a while and even started back up with a slow, careful jog. As it started to feel better, I even thought about continuing around the loop, but after another 2 miles, the jog was becoming more of a skip, common sense finally prevailed and I headed for the comfort of asphalt and a slow, somewhat painful walk back to my car.
My guess is it's sprained. It's pretty bruised and swollen this morning, and there's considerable pain when I move it certain ways, but I can more or less walk on it, and I've done the "classic" tests for broken ankles, and I don't think it's that.
So, a forced absence from running, my first since Arizonagate. Hopefully it will be a week to ten days; no more. Frustrating as that will be, I will take the occasional minor acute injury over a chronic complaint like shin splints or plantar fasc any day. Plus, with no races coming up and, as mentioned, a house to paint, hopefully it will be no (lasting) harm, no foul.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Trolley Run
Jill's bridal shower was this weekend, so the kids were here for a couple of days. This meant a 9 hour drive to pick them up from Kourteney's track meet on Friday afternoon/evening and also a 9 hour dropoff on Sunday. This was after a business trip earlier in the week, so I was already running on only partial power, and finally, sandwiched between the two drive-a-thons was the 22nd Annual Trolley Run. Yeah, it was always going to be a pretty long weekend.
The Trolley Run has a kind of special significance to me, though I had never actually run it before this past weekend. It holds the distinction of being the first organized race I watched, as I think I might have mentioned in an earlier post. Jill ran it two years ago, and I found myself fascinated with the spectacle of it, and thus my running "career" was reborn. Last year, I was still injured from Arizona at this time, so was once again a spectator but this year I was healthy and ready to try to set another PR. Jill meanwhile was set to run her third straight, though first without her running partner Kim.
The course is a point-to-point starting in the Waldo neighborhood of KC and ending on the famed Country Club Plaza. Plotting an old trolley bus route, it's flat to downhill and probably the fastest 4 mile course in the country. It is home to the national 4 mile record and attracts top tier talent and 10,000+ other runners and walkers each year.
We dropped the kids off at the Plaza near the finish line, then took a race bus to the start area. It was a nice day for running, but not particularly pleasant for standing around. There was a healthy breeze in the air and a few spots of rain. I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt under my short sleeved shirt, a last-minute decision, but we found ourselves wandering from place to place in an effort to keep warm.
The race is so big, they segmented everyone into corrals based on projected finish time. I was in the red corral (sub-30 minutes), blue was next, then green (Jill's corral), yellow, orange and white. One of the biggest problems with larger races - the KC Marathon is a good example - is that the fun runners and walkers tend to have no idea on race etiquette and are perfectly content to line up way too close to the front, then block the entire street while they chat with their six friends or call someone on their cell phone, with no regard paid to runners trying to get around them. For the most part, corralling stops this from happening, so it works out well.
A lone wheelchair racer went first, then a couple of minutes later, the red runners were told to get ready. Jill lined up on the other side of the fence until the start then I told her I'd see her at the finish and the gun went off.
It was kind of new to be running with a bunch of other runners at approximately the same speed as me right at the start. Usually there's such a mixture of paces that it's several miles before you end up with people of the same pace. I started fast, picking as my target a woman with broad shoulders that I remembered passing in the last mile of the Rock the Parkway.
The first mile went by quickly - in retrospect too quickly. I was surprised to see the first mile marker and a check of my watch showed I'd powered through in 6:10. I felt good, but had a feeling I was going to pay for it later. The only two inclines I can remember were next, in quick succession and I knew from having run part of the route before that after I'd crested the second, I wouldn't see another for the rest of the run, a comforting thought as I was already breathing pretty heavily. I also felt rather warm. The long-sleeved shirt had been a godsend at the start, but I could easily have done without it on the run.
We ran through the trendy Brookside neighborhood across 63rd street with it's red and blue striped awnings and down a residential portion of Brookside Blvd that I'm pretty familiar with. I passed the two mile marker and checked my watch. 12:33. Second mile in 6:23, but with the two small hills, I felt I was probably keeping a reasonably even pace over the flat parts. However, my fast start was certainly catching up with me already and another 2 miles felt like a pretty long way to go.
I finally passed broad-shouldered-girl near this section and didn't see her again, so maybe she too started a little too briskly. An older guy was holding his hamstring on the side of the road at this point also, probably not the last casualty of the day.
It seemed to take forever for the 3 mile marker to arrive. My breathing was becoming very labored and my legs heavy. My fast start was biting back hard and I was afraid of a big slowdown over the final mile. I checked my watch. 19:00. Somehow I had run the last mile in 6:27, only 4 seconds slower than the previous one, but it continued the trend of running slower with each successive mile.
People that had paced themselves better started passing me at this point. Possibly they'd sped up, and/or I'd slowed down. I didn't know and I didn't care. I just wanted to see the finish line. I heard the sound of cheering and figured I wasn't far away, but then I realized it was just a small group of cheerleaders and I found myself slightly annoyed at them for fooling me into thinking I was closer to being done than I was.
It had been pretty breezy the whole race, but the trees had for the most part sheltered us from the worst of it. This all stopped when we headed out onto a bridge crossing that would take us to the final turn into the finish line chute. Completely exposed, the wind pounded us full on here and for a couple of minutes it felt like running into an invisible wall.
At last, we were across and I turned into the final hundred meters or so to the finish line. I had very little left for a big finish but when I saw the clock at 25:40, 41, 42, I did manage a final mini-burst to get across in under 26:00. After adjusting to chip times, the final time was 25:49 (avg 6:27/mi pace). My last mile was by far my slowest. 6:49. Still, better than I could ever have imagined even a few weeks ago, but probably a combination of the windy conditions and going out too fast took away the potential for something even faster.
Overall then, a good race, a new PR on an albeit lightning fast course, and I even had my kids cheering me on at the finish line (though I only saw one of them and only one of them saw me). I finished 148th out of 7,500+ timed participants, and 23rd out of 515 in my age group, so a respectable spot. It was a good time, though I have to admit that despite being glad I'd finally run the race that "started it all", it wasn't really my favorite. Nothing bad about it, per se, but maybe I'm just starting to get snobbish about enjoying the smaller, more intimate events. This one was so huge, it was some 30 minutes later before Jill crossed, her corral having started a good 10 minutes or so after mine. Her time was 41 minutes and change, 10:30/mile, not quite as fast as last year, but her best effort of 2010.
I would like to have had a bit longer to relax after the run, but the 9 hour drive beckoned and now, just a day later, it already seems like it happened a long time ago.
After two shorter distance races, I'm looking forward to a few weeks off from racing and getting back to running slower for longer. The next event I'm eyeing is the Psycho Wyco Summer Run Toto Run in July. If training goes well, I'm going to try for the 50k. (WHAT? -Ed.) In the mean time, I have the small business of a house to paint and a wedding to plan for so if you'll excuse me.....
The Trolley Run has a kind of special significance to me, though I had never actually run it before this past weekend. It holds the distinction of being the first organized race I watched, as I think I might have mentioned in an earlier post. Jill ran it two years ago, and I found myself fascinated with the spectacle of it, and thus my running "career" was reborn. Last year, I was still injured from Arizona at this time, so was once again a spectator but this year I was healthy and ready to try to set another PR. Jill meanwhile was set to run her third straight, though first without her running partner Kim.
The course is a point-to-point starting in the Waldo neighborhood of KC and ending on the famed Country Club Plaza. Plotting an old trolley bus route, it's flat to downhill and probably the fastest 4 mile course in the country. It is home to the national 4 mile record and attracts top tier talent and 10,000+ other runners and walkers each year.
We dropped the kids off at the Plaza near the finish line, then took a race bus to the start area. It was a nice day for running, but not particularly pleasant for standing around. There was a healthy breeze in the air and a few spots of rain. I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt under my short sleeved shirt, a last-minute decision, but we found ourselves wandering from place to place in an effort to keep warm.
The race is so big, they segmented everyone into corrals based on projected finish time. I was in the red corral (sub-30 minutes), blue was next, then green (Jill's corral), yellow, orange and white. One of the biggest problems with larger races - the KC Marathon is a good example - is that the fun runners and walkers tend to have no idea on race etiquette and are perfectly content to line up way too close to the front, then block the entire street while they chat with their six friends or call someone on their cell phone, with no regard paid to runners trying to get around them. For the most part, corralling stops this from happening, so it works out well.
A lone wheelchair racer went first, then a couple of minutes later, the red runners were told to get ready. Jill lined up on the other side of the fence until the start then I told her I'd see her at the finish and the gun went off.
It was kind of new to be running with a bunch of other runners at approximately the same speed as me right at the start. Usually there's such a mixture of paces that it's several miles before you end up with people of the same pace. I started fast, picking as my target a woman with broad shoulders that I remembered passing in the last mile of the Rock the Parkway.
The first mile went by quickly - in retrospect too quickly. I was surprised to see the first mile marker and a check of my watch showed I'd powered through in 6:10. I felt good, but had a feeling I was going to pay for it later. The only two inclines I can remember were next, in quick succession and I knew from having run part of the route before that after I'd crested the second, I wouldn't see another for the rest of the run, a comforting thought as I was already breathing pretty heavily. I also felt rather warm. The long-sleeved shirt had been a godsend at the start, but I could easily have done without it on the run.
We ran through the trendy Brookside neighborhood across 63rd street with it's red and blue striped awnings and down a residential portion of Brookside Blvd that I'm pretty familiar with. I passed the two mile marker and checked my watch. 12:33. Second mile in 6:23, but with the two small hills, I felt I was probably keeping a reasonably even pace over the flat parts. However, my fast start was certainly catching up with me already and another 2 miles felt like a pretty long way to go.
I finally passed broad-shouldered-girl near this section and didn't see her again, so maybe she too started a little too briskly. An older guy was holding his hamstring on the side of the road at this point also, probably not the last casualty of the day.
It seemed to take forever for the 3 mile marker to arrive. My breathing was becoming very labored and my legs heavy. My fast start was biting back hard and I was afraid of a big slowdown over the final mile. I checked my watch. 19:00. Somehow I had run the last mile in 6:27, only 4 seconds slower than the previous one, but it continued the trend of running slower with each successive mile.
People that had paced themselves better started passing me at this point. Possibly they'd sped up, and/or I'd slowed down. I didn't know and I didn't care. I just wanted to see the finish line. I heard the sound of cheering and figured I wasn't far away, but then I realized it was just a small group of cheerleaders and I found myself slightly annoyed at them for fooling me into thinking I was closer to being done than I was.
It had been pretty breezy the whole race, but the trees had for the most part sheltered us from the worst of it. This all stopped when we headed out onto a bridge crossing that would take us to the final turn into the finish line chute. Completely exposed, the wind pounded us full on here and for a couple of minutes it felt like running into an invisible wall.
At last, we were across and I turned into the final hundred meters or so to the finish line. I had very little left for a big finish but when I saw the clock at 25:40, 41, 42, I did manage a final mini-burst to get across in under 26:00. After adjusting to chip times, the final time was 25:49 (avg 6:27/mi pace). My last mile was by far my slowest. 6:49. Still, better than I could ever have imagined even a few weeks ago, but probably a combination of the windy conditions and going out too fast took away the potential for something even faster.
Overall then, a good race, a new PR on an albeit lightning fast course, and I even had my kids cheering me on at the finish line (though I only saw one of them and only one of them saw me). I finished 148th out of 7,500+ timed participants, and 23rd out of 515 in my age group, so a respectable spot. It was a good time, though I have to admit that despite being glad I'd finally run the race that "started it all", it wasn't really my favorite. Nothing bad about it, per se, but maybe I'm just starting to get snobbish about enjoying the smaller, more intimate events. This one was so huge, it was some 30 minutes later before Jill crossed, her corral having started a good 10 minutes or so after mine. Her time was 41 minutes and change, 10:30/mile, not quite as fast as last year, but her best effort of 2010.
I would like to have had a bit longer to relax after the run, but the 9 hour drive beckoned and now, just a day later, it already seems like it happened a long time ago.
After two shorter distance races, I'm looking forward to a few weeks off from racing and getting back to running slower for longer. The next event I'm eyeing is the Psycho Wyco Summer Run Toto Run in July. If training goes well, I'm going to try for the 50k. (WHAT? -Ed.) In the mean time, I have the small business of a house to paint and a wedding to plan for so if you'll excuse me.....
Monday, April 19, 2010
Braden's Race for Life and Miracle Mile
Braden Hofen is a five year old boy/warrior that has been struggling with neuroblastoma for some two years. Aggressive treatments initially led to the disease entering remission, but just a few months later it returned and now the prognosis is unfortunately not optimistic. Despite this, Braden's fighting spirit has endured and the hope is still there that he will respond to the treatments and can somehow beat the odds.
I don't personally know Braden, nor his mother Deliece, she also now struggling with recently diagnosed breast cancer, father Brian or brother Zach. However, it emerged that Jill's sister knows Deliece, a school principal, having worked with her previously, and it was she that suggested we take part in the inaugural Braden's Race For Life and Miracle Mile, put on by Ben and Sophia of the Trail Nerds. Although the idea for the race only came about two months ago, signups exceeded expectations, buoyed by the cause and the spirit of the Hofens, and by Sunday, a remarkable 1,600+ were signed up to run or walk in one of three events; a mile, 5k and 10k. Jill and I signed up for the 10k.
The information on childhood cancers is tragically limited. 'Hope' was the key theme of the day and, written in block letters on the event t-shirts that almost everyone seemed to be wearing, it undoubtedly applied to Braden's particular case. However, there's no doubt it also had a broader meaning. The long-term hope will be for diagnosis and treatment options to be adequately funded and recognized moving forward. Deliece, in one of several speeches made to the gathered crowds, mentioned how within 2 days of being diagnosed with breast cancer she had a firm action plan, but for Braden, not only did it take a long time for him to even be correctly diagnosed, the treatment options were in many cases either limited or experimental, a gulf that has to be addressed.
Many, if not most organized races are for a good cause, and power to them all. For some reason, though, this one, to me, seemed closer to home, more intimate, more real. It could have been the fact that the Hofens were on hand, including the pint-sized star himself, to speak with passion and conviction about their son and his illness. It might have been the fact that almost everyone seemed to know them, or know someone that did. It might be that everyone knew someone with cancer. It might even be as simple as everyone knowing someone with a child.
Whatever the combination of factors, it was a moving, inspiring, and, yes, life-affirming occasion. It was also an extremely well organized one. The food and refreshments were great. There was a very extensive silent auction (Jill and I managed to win a weekend at the Crowne Plaza, which will work out great as our wedding hotel), and even a raffle for a guitar signed by KC American Idol David Cook. No-one would have held it against the race directors if there were problems, given the compressed time frame with which they had to work, but as far as I could tell, other than a somewhat congested race course (again, they hadn't anticipated such a big response), everything seemed to go flawlessly.
It's funny, but the atmosphere was so good that in the end, the races, particularly the 5k and 10k, almost seemed beside the point. Still, after the parade-like stroll of the Miracle Mile was done and dusted, Jill and I, along with about 90 other 10k-ers and 400 or so 5k-ers, lined up near the front of the pack for our race, Ben blew a horn and off we went.
The run was an out and back, mainly on trails, that reminded me a lot of those I ran on for the Gobbler Grind, though they were a little more challenging, with a few short, but relatively steep bumps. I started fast - for a while I thought maybe too fast - and settled into something of a rhythm as we rounded a field and entered the trail portion. I figured I was in about 7th or 8th place at this point, but also knew that at least some of those in front of me were most likely running the 5k so my actual position was probably a little higher.
I told Jill going in that my hope was that I could crack the top 10 for the first time, and after the 5k-ers ahead of me had turned around I knew I was well into that and was actually pretty certain I was in 4th. Once again, I feared I'd set off too quickly and my legs felt rather heavy for a while, but I managed to run through it and by mile 3 and the turnaround I felt pretty good. I wasn't closing on the guy in front of me but I had seemed to pull away from those behind. I grabbed a cup of water and headed back.
I started passing the 10k-ers still on their way out. There was a decent gap between me and 5th place, and as I ran on, many of those I passed shouted encouraging words as I went by, including Jill, who looked pretty comfortable herself and confirmed that I was in 4th. Not long after, the line of people going the other way thinned out, then it was just me and some open trail, perhaps my favorite part of the run. I felt the most comfortable at this point and a glance behind told me I had a good lock on 4th place. I also realized for the first time that I was gaining on the guy in front.
A bridge was followed by a quick turn and then, almost without being conscious of it, I was on the 3rd place guy's shoulder. I stayed there for a while, gathering myself for a burst, then after maybe 20-30 seconds went past and upped the speed a little, hoping I had enough left in the tank for the finish. A third of a mile later, and I was back at the 5k turnaround point.
Lots of 5kers, mainly walkers, were still on the course, and the next mile or so was a challenging weave through crowds. I shouted 'Scuse me' as I approached, but mostly I had to do the dodging. I think perhaps in my haste to get through without injuring myself or anyone else, I actually was forced to speed up a bit, so it might not all have been a bad thing. Still, I was running right at my limits, so the finish was certainly not going to come a second too soon.
Finally, I could hear the crowd at the start and I popped out of the woods and into the open where I rounded the field back to the start/finish. I was pretty much out of gas, but managed to drain the last of it to propel myself into the final stretch and across the finish line. I was well behind 2nd place, but well ahead of 4th; a solid 3rd; my first "placement", and a PB of 41:51; 6:44 pace. I even won some prizes - another first.
I waited at the finish for Jill, who came in at 1:07:32, some 10 minutes faster than at Rock The Parkway! She was well pleased. We hung around for a good hour or so afterwards, listening to Deliece, Sophia and others tell stories, both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and enjoying the weather and festivities.
All in all, a great race, but a greater cause. Braden's future is uncertain, but the race seems destined to become a key event in the fight against childhood cancers. Backed by the first-rate organization of the race directors and sponsors, year one, at least from what I could see, couldn't have gone much better. Doesn't that show you that all things are possible?
Hope.
If you wish to make a donation, you can do so here.
I don't personally know Braden, nor his mother Deliece, she also now struggling with recently diagnosed breast cancer, father Brian or brother Zach. However, it emerged that Jill's sister knows Deliece, a school principal, having worked with her previously, and it was she that suggested we take part in the inaugural Braden's Race For Life and Miracle Mile, put on by Ben and Sophia of the Trail Nerds. Although the idea for the race only came about two months ago, signups exceeded expectations, buoyed by the cause and the spirit of the Hofens, and by Sunday, a remarkable 1,600+ were signed up to run or walk in one of three events; a mile, 5k and 10k. Jill and I signed up for the 10k.
The information on childhood cancers is tragically limited. 'Hope' was the key theme of the day and, written in block letters on the event t-shirts that almost everyone seemed to be wearing, it undoubtedly applied to Braden's particular case. However, there's no doubt it also had a broader meaning. The long-term hope will be for diagnosis and treatment options to be adequately funded and recognized moving forward. Deliece, in one of several speeches made to the gathered crowds, mentioned how within 2 days of being diagnosed with breast cancer she had a firm action plan, but for Braden, not only did it take a long time for him to even be correctly diagnosed, the treatment options were in many cases either limited or experimental, a gulf that has to be addressed.
Many, if not most organized races are for a good cause, and power to them all. For some reason, though, this one, to me, seemed closer to home, more intimate, more real. It could have been the fact that the Hofens were on hand, including the pint-sized star himself, to speak with passion and conviction about their son and his illness. It might have been the fact that almost everyone seemed to know them, or know someone that did. It might be that everyone knew someone with cancer. It might even be as simple as everyone knowing someone with a child.
Whatever the combination of factors, it was a moving, inspiring, and, yes, life-affirming occasion. It was also an extremely well organized one. The food and refreshments were great. There was a very extensive silent auction (Jill and I managed to win a weekend at the Crowne Plaza, which will work out great as our wedding hotel), and even a raffle for a guitar signed by KC American Idol David Cook. No-one would have held it against the race directors if there were problems, given the compressed time frame with which they had to work, but as far as I could tell, other than a somewhat congested race course (again, they hadn't anticipated such a big response), everything seemed to go flawlessly.
It's funny, but the atmosphere was so good that in the end, the races, particularly the 5k and 10k, almost seemed beside the point. Still, after the parade-like stroll of the Miracle Mile was done and dusted, Jill and I, along with about 90 other 10k-ers and 400 or so 5k-ers, lined up near the front of the pack for our race, Ben blew a horn and off we went.
The run was an out and back, mainly on trails, that reminded me a lot of those I ran on for the Gobbler Grind, though they were a little more challenging, with a few short, but relatively steep bumps. I started fast - for a while I thought maybe too fast - and settled into something of a rhythm as we rounded a field and entered the trail portion. I figured I was in about 7th or 8th place at this point, but also knew that at least some of those in front of me were most likely running the 5k so my actual position was probably a little higher.
I told Jill going in that my hope was that I could crack the top 10 for the first time, and after the 5k-ers ahead of me had turned around I knew I was well into that and was actually pretty certain I was in 4th. Once again, I feared I'd set off too quickly and my legs felt rather heavy for a while, but I managed to run through it and by mile 3 and the turnaround I felt pretty good. I wasn't closing on the guy in front of me but I had seemed to pull away from those behind. I grabbed a cup of water and headed back.
I started passing the 10k-ers still on their way out. There was a decent gap between me and 5th place, and as I ran on, many of those I passed shouted encouraging words as I went by, including Jill, who looked pretty comfortable herself and confirmed that I was in 4th. Not long after, the line of people going the other way thinned out, then it was just me and some open trail, perhaps my favorite part of the run. I felt the most comfortable at this point and a glance behind told me I had a good lock on 4th place. I also realized for the first time that I was gaining on the guy in front.
A bridge was followed by a quick turn and then, almost without being conscious of it, I was on the 3rd place guy's shoulder. I stayed there for a while, gathering myself for a burst, then after maybe 20-30 seconds went past and upped the speed a little, hoping I had enough left in the tank for the finish. A third of a mile later, and I was back at the 5k turnaround point.
Lots of 5kers, mainly walkers, were still on the course, and the next mile or so was a challenging weave through crowds. I shouted 'Scuse me' as I approached, but mostly I had to do the dodging. I think perhaps in my haste to get through without injuring myself or anyone else, I actually was forced to speed up a bit, so it might not all have been a bad thing. Still, I was running right at my limits, so the finish was certainly not going to come a second too soon.
Finally, I could hear the crowd at the start and I popped out of the woods and into the open where I rounded the field back to the start/finish. I was pretty much out of gas, but managed to drain the last of it to propel myself into the final stretch and across the finish line. I was well behind 2nd place, but well ahead of 4th; a solid 3rd; my first "placement", and a PB of 41:51; 6:44 pace. I even won some prizes - another first.
I waited at the finish for Jill, who came in at 1:07:32, some 10 minutes faster than at Rock The Parkway! She was well pleased. We hung around for a good hour or so afterwards, listening to Deliece, Sophia and others tell stories, both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and enjoying the weather and festivities.
All in all, a great race, but a greater cause. Braden's future is uncertain, but the race seems destined to become a key event in the fight against childhood cancers. Backed by the first-rate organization of the race directors and sponsors, year one, at least from what I could see, couldn't have gone much better. Doesn't that show you that all things are possible?
Hope.
If you wish to make a donation, you can do so here.
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