Ironkids

Oceanside, California

They had an Ironkids run on Friday night before the race. Christian did it while Vayden cheered him on. She was really cute. They have done away with both Ironkids San Diego and Tucson triathlons this year? Good thing Christian has moved basically moved on.

L.A. Big 5K

Los Angeles, California

This race is part of the LA Marathon, and I wanted to do this race, in part to check out the Expo. As it turned out, pouring rain and fear of getting stuck in a traffic nightmare prevented us from even seeing the expo. As I began this run, I came to the conclusion that my legs are sufficiently trashed from the mileage building up for Oceanside. This 5k had some significant uphill which actually felt better than downhill given the state of my legs. It rained and it was cold and windy to boot. I even wore a jacket. No post race food or even water, but they did give out a finisher medal which is rare for a 5k. Given the rain, the cold, the wind, the hills, and the state of my legs, I actually felt I deserved a finisher medal for this 5k. The race took place at Dodger Stadium. I have not been there since my childhood. It was an interesting course. I ran the whole thing talking to Christian. He sprinted ahead of me in the final 300 yards. The final stretch was down hill and I knew better than to give chase.

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Southwest Valley Regional YMCA Olympic Triathlon

Goodyear, Arizona
This was the first triathlon of 2012. I needed to dust of the winter cobwebs before I hit the harbor in Oceanside. The swim was the most brutal pool swim I have ever encountered. It was fairly normal until my third trip through the pool. A bunch of us with equal swimming ability just bunched up and it was kill or be killed for the entire 3rd trip through the pool. I did well on the bike and struggled for the first 4 miles to find my running legs on the run, but in the end, today was my fastest Olympic distance race to date. I finished in 2:30:48 which is about 8 minutes faster than I have ever done before. I did this race last year and I was faster in all three disciplines. I did not feel very fast on the run however. I ended up in 4th place in my age group.

The Phoenix Half Marathon

Mesa, Arizona

I couldn’t resist this race. It is a half marathon that goes slightly downhill the entire race. Too bad I am currently too fat, too out of shape and still recovering from being sick to take advantage of the opportunity to set a new personal record.
This was a well run race. We bused up to the start and they had about ten bon fires going to keep the athletes warm. The wind was the real source of the cold and since had brought my parka, I opted to be anti-social and found a spot out of the wind to stay warm. I didn’t want to breathe smoke from the fires prior to the race. The first 5 miles of this race are beautifully fast. I was running under 8 minute miles. It is down hill, but no so steep as to cause any problem for me in running. Even at 245 lbs I was running under 8:00 minute miles. The first three miles are straight down Ellsworth road. You couldn’t find a better road to run from an elevation and road surface perspective. In fact those first 5 miles are so wonderful that when you finally flatten out it seems like a hill. At about mile seven we hit power road, and although it doesn’t look like much of an uphill on the elevation chart it certainly felt like running uphill. Maybe I had just gotten spoiled earlier on in the race. Now when I say hill I just mean a slight elevation gain which went on for about three miles. I finished in 01:54:53, which is a little better than my average half marathon. I attribute this to the accommodating course. I was running this race at 245 lbs which had to cost me. I was getting a little dehydrated. The only criticism I have of this race was that it had too few aid stations. I needed water as I did not carry any.
This race had more post race food options than any race I have seen. They even gave you a bag to collect it. This is definitely my favorite Arizona half marathon. I signed Christian and I up for it next year.

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Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Pasadena

Pasadena, California

I had been sick for weeks prior to this race. I went to Pasadena not knowing if I would be well enough to even run the race. I figured we paid all the money and Christian was healthy, so he should do it. I figured I could maybe just walk the race if I had to. We ate an early dinner at Tommy’s Burgers. Not the best pre-Race dinner I know, but how often do we get to eat Tommy’s. Pasadena’s Tommy’s is the nicest most luxurious Tommy’s I have ever seen by the way. I ate two triple Cheese Burgers with extra chili of course.
I woke up on the morning of the race feeling better than I had in two weeks. I still had a slight headache. We warmed up and walked the 1.5 miles to the Rose Bowl and start line. We walked through absolutely beautiful neighborhoods. I talked with Christian about running together today and Christian sensing his opportunity boldly told me that he was going to beat me today. His capitalization on my weakened condition ticked me off and I vowed not to let him beat me.
The race began and my legs felt good. They ought to with 2 weeks rest. We hit a hill at about mile 2 and I could feel that it was going to be a long race. As I struggled, Christian passed me. There was nothing I could do about it. I spent the next several miles catching up to him and then shadowing him just out of his sight so that he wouldn’t push and think he had me beat. I needed to conserve as much energy as possible. I noticed that he was not using the downhill portions to increase his pace. I decided that I would exploit that. Christian has stuck with me on several previous half marathons until about mile 4 or 5. I knew that he was mentally weak at mile 4 or 5 because that is when I had gotten away from him on previous occasions. He would be mentally predisposed to the pattern, so I pulled up a long side of him at about mile 5 and asked him how he was doing. He told me his knee hurt and his stomach was bothering him. Perfect, I thought. He is focusing on the negative. Now I knew for a fact that I felt far worse than him in many respects, but I had rested up running just behind him for a short while until I felt I could portray an image of strength. When I felt strong enough, I pulled up a long side him and had started the conversation. I told him I was feeling good and then proceeded to use everything I had to put about a 100 yards between us. At this point in the race there were several turn arounds that I could see him behind me. As the miles wore on he was closing the distance. There was nothing I could do about it however because the wheels were falling off of my run. I was starting to grind pavement. My engine was smoking and was spitting up oil on my wind shield. At around mile 9 there was a short steep hill with an aid station at the bottom. I had not been using gels because my stomach felt like I would throw up if I ate one. My sweat rate was ridiculous given that it wasn’t very hot. I knew I was breaking down and that that hill might just seize my engine. So I walked the aid station and took on some water. I ate a gel because I needed something to go on, even if it was psychological. I walked up the hill and tried not to worry about Christian closing on me. If he did, he would have to run the hill and then when we reached to the top he would be spent and I would be fresh and I would just take off breaking his spirit as he struggled to regain his strength. A steep hill at mile 9 would cost him some matches, especially if he took it hard to catch me.
Christian did not over take me, and I tried to make up some time, but I just did not have any gas in the tank. A short while later there was another hill. This one was shorter and not as steep but I broke down walking again. I was feeling light headed. The top of the hill was a turn around, and when I reached the top, I saw Christian about 50 yards behind me. I tried to power down the next downhill portion. I had decided to sacrifice my legs at that point. It is the only weapon I had to stay ahead of Christian. I know that he is conservative on down hills, and will assume that I will be too because I normally am in an effort to protect my legs. I couldn’t do much with the hill, because the muscles in my legs were beginning to fail. I started to worry they might buckle and I would fall. I started thinking. I have 4 miles to go. How am I going to make it 4 miles? That was the last turn around and the last opportunity to I had to gage my lead over Christian.
At this point I was broken down. I had no business running. My form had fallen to pieces and I must have looked pathetic. I was in a world of hurt and getting tunnel vision. After a while I worried that Christian may have already passed me and I didn’t even notice given the state I was in. The voices telling me to stop sounded very reasonable. As we ran past the Rose Bowl, I could just stop there. I told myself that I had already suffered greatly and it would all be for nothing if I gave in at this point. All I had to do was stay ahead of him. I stumbled forward step after step. We were going steadily uphill again. It wasn’t steep, but it was relentless and it just kept breaking me down. I would run and then walk for a little bit trying to get my heart rate under control. I was getting dizzy and losing control of my legs. I wondered how much longer I could continue to do this. I started to ask myself why? Why was I killing myself to stay ahead of Christian? I kept thinking that I would hate myself if I gave in now. All that suffering would be for nothing. So I would force myself to run again. My pace was pathetic and I was surprised I had not seen Christian. Had he passed me in my haze I not seen him? The voices kept telling me to just walk until he caught me and then I could run ahead. No, I thought, he would smell the blood in the water! Keep the lead! Keep the psychological advantage. Don’t give up that lead. If he is going to catch you make him pay for it. I knew that if he caught me and was running at a pace faster than I was, I had no answer and it would be all over. I would mentally collapse and would be reduced to walking. The last mile and a half was slightly downhill and I summoned everything I had. I told myself I would not stop running. I would fall down before I stopped running. I knew Christian would surge. If he was back there and he could see me I need to dash any hopes he had of catching me, so I sped up. The cost was excruciating. I have never been in so much pain and agony in any race. I was exploring uncharted territory. I cannot describe the revolt of my body, the mutiny of my muscles, and the anguish of my mind in those last miles.
I crossed the finish line and stopped. A race director told me to keep walking and I shot him a look that made him move on. I found some water and drank which catapulted me into coughing fit that depleted the oxygen in my brain to near fainting. I was not feeling good and made my way to where I could lay down and put my feet up.
I had stayed ahead of Christian, but now I had to find out determine the price. Christian soon met me at the spot we had pre-selected. He looked a bit wrecked Also. I laid in the sun, which felt very good and then we started our 1.5 mile walk back to the hotel. That walk became very difficult and I actually had to stop and sit down.
When we reached the hotel I knew that I needed to eat something. I had the shakes. For some reason I knew exactly what it had to be. We went to the Hotel Café and when the waiter came over to get our drink order, I told him I needed potatoes, and I needed them fast. Forget the drinks! Forget the menus! Just please get me some potatoes quick. He did and I think it saved my life.

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Pancake Run 10K

Gilbert, Arizona

This run takes place right up the street here in Gilbert and benefits the local high school. Also a portion of the course travels around the lakes at the riparian reserve, so it is an interesting course. How could we pass that up? Unfortunately I was sick. I took Christian to the race so he could run the 10k. He needs the mileage (so do I) for Pasadena in a week. I went in jeans and my regular walking shoes. The 10k is a double loop course. Somehow I convinced myself I needed to walk the 5k. Walking turned into a little running at times. I did the whole thing with a scarf that Lori made for me wrapped around my mouth so I wouldn’t take any cold air into my lungs. It was a good course. Oh well there is always next year. The pancakes were good.

Sedona 10K

Sedona, AZ

This 10K takes place at 4, 500 feet. The elevation wasn’t as much of a concern as the hills and elevation changes in this race.
Below is the 10k elevation map:

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One factor I had not considered when I signed us up was the temperature. We had to get up at 3:00 a.m. to head up to Sedona. The morning cold got cured quick, fast and in a hurry when you spend the first two miles running up hill. This race does not have a flat step. For future reference 400 feet of climbing in 1.5 miles is a big long hill. It doesn’t sound that bad but it is. My legs are torn up from both going up and coming down. It was defiantly a good workout, especially for these flat land legs of mine. I don’t think I would want to run more than a 10K of those Sedona hills. Climbing the last half mile to the finish made me glad that it was over. It is a beautiful race.