Mini Duathlon Through Sycamore Canyon

This past Saturday morning I decided to try something I always wanted to do. Drive to the beach, leave the car, run home via Sycamore Canyon, then ride my bike back to the car with my son. What a fun way of "mixing it up" a bit by doing something new.

My destination Saturday morning was PCH at Sycamore Cove State Beach in Malibu. While a straight shot down Sycamore Canyon Road from Newbury Park to the beach is 8 to 9 miles depending on where you start, getting there via Potrero Road west to Hueneme Road and south on Las Posas to PCH is about 18 miles.

Driving west on Potrero Road while deftly taking picture before navigating twisty, hilly turns.

I reached the ocean around 6:45 a.m. and soon noticed there were "no parking" signs lining up almost every inch of PCH within range of the Sycamore Canyon trailhead. Thoroughly annoying. I KNOW it wasn't this way all the time. Perhaps the state is so broke they're putting up the signs to force us to pay $12 to park in a lot.

Malibu in the morning does not suck

I thought of parking in the state park lot but it didn't open until 8 a.m. So I drove down PCH just south the trailhead and discovered a handful of spots available and nabbed one. Whew!

Most of Sycamore Canyon from the beach is slight to gradual uphill, up until the very top where there's an 800 foot ascent over 3/4 mile. The bottom half of the course is mostly dirt trail, then switches to pavement  More on this course HERE.

I love it back in Sycamore Canyon. It is rarely crowded, beautiful, peaceful scenery, you can go miles without seeing anyone, in the early morning you'll come across deer and other wildlife and....there are plenty of, ahem, porta-johns along the course. That's a nice feature to have along any course.

So 72 minutes later I was home and felt great. A bit grungy though, so I hopped in the shower and within 15 minutes was out the door with my son.

The ride down Sycamore Canyon doesn't require too much effort. Other than some initial, brief uphills into the Canyon a handful of dirt stream crossings, it is a fun, downhill ride. Make sure your brakes work!

We enjoyed the beach a bit afterwards then drove over the Oxnard via PCH to grab lunch and enjoy the rest of the day.

Sycamore Canyon is beautiful but do watch out for poison oak if you veer off the main road/trail.

Plugging Away in Hidden Valley

Not a lot of excitement to report running-wise these days. Just plugging away, slowly ramping up mileage for a TBD fall marathon at this point. Nothing too serious, though I did run The Oaks Mile 5K on May 5th in a (for me) pedestrian 19:55. Hoping something "clicks" in this ancient body of mine one of these days. I also had a decent 90 minute run into Sycamore Canyon last Sunday; my longest run, roughly 12 miles, in about 4 months (pre-eye surgery).

This morning I got out later than I wanted and chose to run into Hidden Valley from Newbury Park. Running through Hidden Valley can be one of the most peaceful, rewarding runs one can do in the Conejo Valley area. Quiet, serene farmland views, mostly flat (though there are sharp hills on both the Newbury Park and Westlake Village sides of the run).

The only negatives of running through Hidden Valley are that there are no restroom stops, which makes the run dicey if you feel you may have a need for a pit stop, and you may encounter periodic speeding cars.  You'll also encounter cyclists on most any day through Hidden Valley...remind me the final "con" - that there are no bike lanes/sidewalks back there, so you absolutely must run facing traffic back here to stay safe and sane.

See you out there...!

Boston Marathon 2012 Was Sweltering; Top Local Finishers

Here is the card I got back in the mail, indicating my lack of appearance at the race. My friend picked up my shirt in Boston for me. At least I have even splits in this race.It was actually a blessing that I didn't run the Boston Marathon last month as I don't like running in the heat and it was one gnarly, hot and humid day out there. According to race organizers, it was 79 degrees at the start of the men's race and 85 degrees at the finish.

One local runner who has run Boston a dozen or so times said it was 87 degrees at the finish and he was starting to see double. He finished about 33 minutes slower than last year's time, though he was equally fit. Another friend of mine who works at Future Track Running Center in Agoura Hills dropped out of the race; having finished in 3:22 last year, he saw little point in staying on the course for 4+ hours in overheated misery! The winner of the men's race finished in 2:12:40 this year, nearly 10 minutes slower than last year's winning time.

Here are some of the top local runners who did complete the whole course. Congratulations to all!

• Blue Benadum, 32, Malibu: 2:42:08 (100th overall!)
• Jessica Douglas, 30, Santa Barbara: 3:12:41 (79th female overall)
• Pete Feldman, 47, Santa Barbara: 3:16:58
• Joy Zemella, 36, Santa Barbara: 3:19:37 (153rd female overall)
• Craig Prater, 47, Santa Barbara: 3:20:50
• Simon Martin, 45, Newbury Park: 3:26:40 (1st Ventura County finisher)
• Steven Kulchin, 57, Santa Barbara: 3:34:01 (61st in age group)
• Leanne Mohr, 26, Camarillo: 3:34:25 (2nd Ventura County finisher)
• Joslynn Spreadbury, 35, Santa Barbara: 3:37:30
• Fred Alvarez, 49, Ojai: 3:37:35
• Rebecca Getman, 23, Calabasas: 3:38:22
• Barry Wallman, 60, Camarillo: 3:38:30 (19th in age group)
• Andrew Whittington, 45, Thousand Oaks: 3:38:39
• Jason Griffith, 40, Thousand Oaks: 3:40:03
• Sharon Pick, 45, Thousand Oaks: 3:41:03 (56th in age group)
• Brianna Alban, 23, Thousand Oaks: 3:41:09
• Erik Lange, 44, Ventura: 3:41:57
• Scott Hambly, 45, Thousand Oaks: 3:42:24
• Dana Janowicz, 36, Camarillo: 3:42:31
• Larissa White, 25, Santa Barbara: 3:42:49

Visit www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon for more information.

Knocking Out the Cobwebs With a 10K Race

Yes, I guess I did run like never before last weekend...my first 42 minute 10K, 11 seconds slower than the first 10K I ever ran back in July 1993, 2 months after starting running.

But I don't mind. I had been back to running less than a month after 5 1/2 weeks away from running and this was a good way to "work out the kinks." My hamstrings have been sore and stiff and the day after the 10K they seemed to have loosened up. While 42 minutes isn't blazing fast for me in a 10K, the 6:46 pace was much faster than the slowpoke training pace I've been running.

Now I've got a bit of a sore right outer knee, something new for me, but it doesn't seem to be impeding the running too much. My right hamstring has been sore too. Guess I gotta give it a day off or two as I've barely taken a day off since coming back to running.

In any case, my advice is, if you're looking to improve your speed and aren't motivated to run on the track, consider signing up for some local races as training runs. It costs a bit of $$ but usually it goes towards a good cause. Plus, it makes it more enjoyable to run fast when you're running with others.

Boston Marathon Organizers Indicate 2012 Race to Occur in "Red Zone" Not Safe for "Unfit and Novice Runners"

Boston Marathon organizer issued another precautionary email today with a more direct recommendation that "anyone entered in the marathon who has not met the qualifying standards for their age and gender strongly consider not running, and that they strongly consider deferring until next year."

That is very strong wording. They are obviously taking this weather very seriously. As mentioned yesterday, I think a deferment of this magnitude is unprecedented. Of course they still will ask those not running this year's race to pay for next year's race, thus giving up the $150 they paid this year. But it gives these runners another chance to run should they decide to take a pass.

Here is today's email from Boston Marathon organizers:

Update to Entrants in Tomorrow's Boston Marathon®

Sunday, April 15, 2012 as of 4:30 p.m.

Running any marathon involves risks

• The weather conditions that we will be seeing on Monday, April 16 will involve even more risk.  It will involve an increased element of risk to all participants due to the heat.  Only the fittest runners should consider participating.
• We have put in place a broad array of services and support for our marathon participants, but the risks that will be presented on April 16 will be higher than normal.
• Therefore, in cooperation with the Boston Marathon's Medical Team, it is our recommendation that anyone entered in the marathon who has not met the qualifying standards for their age and gender strongly consider not running, and that they strongly consider deferring until next year.
• Another essential factor to take into consideration is whether you have ever run a full marathon in weather conditions involving hot temperatures-and that can mean temperatures even lower than those that may be present on Monday.  Do NOT assume that any experience you have in running a cooler marathon will be a reliable guide in making the decision in whether to participate or defer.  You must factor in the heat.
• Everyone who does choose to participate should strongly consider running significantly more slowly that they normally would plan to run a marathon.  We have extended the opening of our finish line in support of this recommendation.
• For the overwhelming majority of those who have entered to participate in the 2012 Boston Marathon, you should adopt the attitude that THIS IS NOT A RACE. It is an experience.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY-everyone needs to take responsibility for their own safety.  Ultimately this is an individual sport in which individuals must take responsibility for themselves.

Boston Athletic Association

Advisory From Boston Marathon MEDICAL DIRECTORS to Entrants in the 2012 Boston Marathon

Sunday, April 15, 2012 as of 4:30 p.m.

The weather situation continues to be a significant concern for Boston Marathoners. We have determined that the race will occur in a "red zone" which is considered an increased risk but acceptable for high-level elite runners.  However, it is not considered safe for unfit and novice runners.

We strongly recommend that unless you have met qualifying times for this race that you accept the deferment option from the B.A.A.

Anyone who has not run a qualifying time should also very strongly consider the deferment option.

Again, if you have any medical problems or if you under-trained, then please do not run this marathon.

Those who are running the race should run much slower, adding several minutes to your per mile pace.

Also important, please be sure to complete the emergency medical contact information on the reverse side of your bib.

Remember, unless you are acclimated to the weather conditions forecast for Monday, you should not run.

For those very fit athletes who decide to run, you should take significant precautions:

• Run at a slower pace and maintain hydration.
• You should frequently take breaks by walking instead of running.
• Heat stroke is a serious issue and is related to intensity of running as well as the heat and humidity.
• Good hydration is important but over hydration is also dangerous.

Thirst is an indication that you are under-hydrated. You should maintain hydration levels slightly greater than your hydration program in your training, but not excessively so.  Over-hydration can cause severely low sodium, known as hyponatremia.

Even the fittest athletes that take precautions can still suffer serious heat illness. Recognizing symptoms of heat illness in yourself and others is critical. This may include headaches, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. If you experience any of these, stop running immediately and if symptoms persist seek medical attention.

Boston Marathon Co-Medical Directors, Dr. Pierre d'Hemecourt and Dr. Sophia Dyer

2012 Boston Marathon Organizers Urging Caution on Monday Due to Extreme Heat

If you've been reading this blog you would know I signed up for the Boston Marathon but due to an eye surgery lost 5 1/2 weeks of training and thus opted to skip the marathon. My surgery was 2/6 and I started running again on 3/18.

Today I received the following email (excerpted below) from Boston Marathon organizers. WOW! I've NEVER seen this before. Race organizers telling runners literally "YOU SHOULD NOT RUN." They are definitely urging caution due to projected heat going into the mid to high 80s with 50% humidity.

Glad I'm not going! I strongly dislike running in heat and doubly so adding in humidity. Sounds miserable! And the race doesn't start until 10 a.m. Uggh. Well good luck to all that ARE running! Stay cool and hydrated! Thanks Phill for picking up my Boston Marathon race shirt!

Organizers take what may be an unprecedented (I haven't verified this) step of "deferring" entry to to 2013 for those that opt to pass on Monday's race. They will make you pay for the 2013 entry but you don't need to qualify again.

Advisory From Boston Marathon Medical Directors to Entrants in the 2012 Boston Marathon

Saturday, April 14, 2012 as of 11:30 a.m.

We are looking closely at the current weather situation which is projected  to be quite warm. The B.A.A. is closely monitoring this situation for for race day decisions. If the temperatures reach certain levels, running will put even the most fit athletes at risk for heat injury. 

 

We are now making the recommendation that if you are not highly fit or if you have any underlying medical conditions (for example-cardiac disease, pulmonary disease or any of a number of medical problems), you should NOT run this race. 

Inexperienced marathoners should not run. 

 

Those who have only trained in a cooler climate and who may not be acclimated (for at least the last 10 days) to warm weather running conditions should also consider not running. 

 

For those very fit athletes who decide to run, you should take significant precautions:

BOSTON MARATHON UPDATE

Due to warm weather in Monday's forecast, a deferment option has been introduced. 

 

Due to the unusually warm weather forecast for the Boston area on Monday, the B.A.A. will defer the entry of those official entrants to the 2013 Boston Marathon for participants who decide not to race.

 

This applies to official entrants only who either have claimed or will claim their bib number packet at the John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo through Sunday evening at the Seaport World Trade Center in South Boston. Runners must claim their bib number for deferment to be an option.  

 

In order to receive a deferment for 2013, race participants may not start the race. 

 

No refund for the 2012 entry will be given.  All entry fees for 2013 must be paid. 

 

In addition, the B.A.A. will keep the finish systems open an additional hour on race day.  Whereas the finish systems generally cease just prior to 5:00 p.m., this year the finish systems will remain open until approximately 6:00 p.m. 

 

Please go to the B.A.A.'s web site - www.baa.org or www.bostonmarathon.org - for the latest information. 

 

The B.A.A. thanks all participants for their cooperation in this matter.

Gaining Entry Into the New York City Marathon Can Be Quite a Challenge

A friend of mine who recently finished his first marathon told me he entered into the lottery for an entry into this year's ING New York City Marathon. He asked me how I did in that race.

I've never run the NYC Marathon!

Timing simply never worked for me for New York and I enjoy the logistical simplicity of running local fall marathons like the Long Beach Marathon, Malibu Marathon and Santa Barbara Marathon.

But New York is one of the pre-eminent marathons around the world. With over 46,000 finishers last year, it is also one of the world's most popular marathons.

I've run Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago but not New York. So for grins I took a look.

Wow! $255 for non-New York Road Runners club members plus an $11 application fee! Ouch! That compares to $165 for this year's Los Angeles Marathon and $150 for Boston.

What really surprised me is that there are qualifying times for a guaranteed entry into the NYC Marathon. Having recently signed up for Boston, with a 3 1/2 hour qualifying time for my 45-49 age group, I was actually shocked to see that the qualifying time for my age group at NYC is 3 hours, 10 minutes, a full 20 minutes faster than the Boston Marathon!

Then I read and realized that the 2013 New York Marathon guaranteed entry qualifying times drop even more...to 2 hours, 58 minutes for my age group! Wow! Boston qualifying times are also dropping in 2013, but more slightly, to 3 hours, 25 minutes for my age group, a full 27 minutes, or over 1 minute per mile, slower than New York.

I better start training! Or maybe I should sign up for New York THIS year!

They don't let anyone off the hook beginning in 2013. NYC qualifying times for men up to age 39 will be 2:45 in 2013 while ages 70+ will be 3 hours, 46 minutes. That's MOVING! For women up to age 39, you will need to run a sub 3 hour marathon, while apparently 70+ year olds will need to run 4:50 to qualify (which is actually 15 minutes slower than current NYC Marathon qualifying times).

I see this as a challenge! Check out more at www.nycmarathon.org.

27th Great Race of Agoura on March 24th Race Results

The Great Race of Agoura is easily the largest event of its kind in the area. The 27th event on March 24th continued in its tradition of bringing thousands of runners out. Here are the stats and some of the top placing runners in this year's event:

• Deena Kastor 5K: 1,409 finishers (611 male, 796 female)
• Old Agoura 10K: 1,639 finishers (624 male, 1,015 female)
• Pacific Half Marathon: 549 finishers (246 male, 303 female)
• Cheseboro Half Marathon: 1,034 finishers (512 male, 522 female)
• Kids' One Mile: 443 finishers (232 male, 211 female)

Total finishers for all 5 races was 5,074 with a distinct skewing towards females, who were 56% of the total! Guys, take note!

I ran 5.5 miles that cool morning in my slow return back to running. The last time I ran one of these races was 2007, when I did a 1:26 in the hilly, half trail based Cheseboro Half Marathon.

Here are the top 5 finishers in each of the 5 races! (I'd love to post the top 5 finishers by age group for the various races but I discovered the way the results are laid out that that would take me several hours to do.  So check out all the results at greatraceofagoura.com/results/index.html.

5K Men:

• RYAN ZELADA 16:30
• COLIN ANDERSON 16:58
• KRISTOFFER CHACON 17:00
• TROY BARGER  17:27
• JEFF WELLS 17:58

5K Women:

• HUMA HUSAIN 20:24
• TAYLOR GARRISON 21:01
• KELSIE GARRISON  21:03
• KATRINA CARL  21:09
• NICOLLE JACOBS 21:18

10K Men (these are some amazing times for the invitational event this year!)

• CHARLIE SERRANO 29:43.9 (Serrano, who lives locally apparently here in Newbury Park, finished 49th in the 2012 Men's Marathon Olympic Trials!, his first marathon. He previously won the Long Beach Half Marathon in 64 minutes, 5 seconds.)
• SERGIO REYES 29:49.5 (25th in the 2012 Men's Marathon Olympic Trials! Personal best marathon time of 2:14:02!)
• BEN BRUCE 30:02.6
• COURTNEY WILLIAMS 30:22.2
• AARON SHARP  30:51.1 (Oxnard resident an competitor in 2008 Men's Marathon Olympic Trials)

10K Women

• ELIZABETH BLACKWELL 36:14.8
• ERIKA AKLUFI  36:14.9
• LILIANA HERNANDEZ 37:54.9
• TANIA FISCHER 38:16.2
• TIFFANIE MARLEY 38:59.7

Pacific Half Marathon Men

• LARRY BLAYLOCK 1:20:47
• JOE NORDIN 1:24:46
• STEVE BERARDI 1:28:42
• TYLER WELCH  1:30:27
• SCOTT FITZGERALD 1:32:03

Pacific Half Marathon Women

• ELIZABETH BOJANOWSKI 1:34:32
• SARAH LABASS  1:37:43
• GINA JOHNSON  1:37:50
• RACHAEL PARENT 1:39:51
• EMILIE BERTRAM  1:40:59

Cheseboro Half Marathon Men

• ANDREW SALG  1:13:14
• SKYLER MOSENTHAL 1:17:52
• RYAN BUETZER 1:21:00
• MIKE DAVIES 1:21:41
• LUIS AGUILAR 1:22:46

Cheseboro Half Marathon Women

• CINDY LYNCH  1:32:19
• STACEY STERN   1:36:52
• JOANNA NYGREN 1:37:58
• SARAH MOORE 1:38:02
• GLORIA RIOS 1:38:27

Kids' 1 Mile - Boys

• FOREST POLSKY 6:00
• MATTHEW NEVILLE 6:01
• BILLY MORTON 6:32
• JAKE IAZZETTA  6:37
• MICHAEL HOLCOMB 6:38

Kids' 1 Mile - Girls

• HANNAH RITZ 6:36
• GRACE STAVICH  6:44
• SIENNA GOLDEN  6:47
• PEYTON MOREAU  7:09
• SOPHIA RITZ  7:13

Back Running After a 5 1/2 Week Hiatus and Los Angeles Marathon Results

After 5 1/2 weeks without running a step due to doc's orders after an eye surgery, I finally started pounding the pavement again on Sunday, March 18th. The next day was followed by a head cold that I've finally fought off (knock on wood) but I've been very gradually working back into it.

At age 47, I'm finding my recovery and buildup times have grown quite a bit as compared to 20 years ago. But then again, in 20 years of running, I've never taken 5 1/2 weeks off, even for a running related injury. And this latest comeback comes on the heels of 45 days taken off after my initial eye surgeries back last October. Needless to say, my fitness level has taken a hit.

1 1/2 weeks back into running, pretty much daily, an FINALLY, this morning, my body started to oblige again. The biggest sticking point for my running after taking time off seems to be my hamstrings. They get sore easily. I'm not big into stretching but a bit of hamstring stretching off and on seemed to make them feel better. Nothing fancy. Just find a wall about hip heighth, pull one foot up and start stretching.

So at this point I have no race plans but as my fitness improves I'll start planning my next event. I'm itching to run a marathon but I'll need 4 to 6 months to train.

Speaking of marathons, the Los Angeles Marathon was also on March 18th...perhaps that was my motivation.

Over 22,000 people registered for the race and 18,881 crossed the finish line. There were 660 registrant from Ventura County and Agoura Hills and of those, 546 completed the race. The average time of all local finishers was 5 hours, 8 minutes and ranged from 3:04 to 9:57.

There were eight local finishers ages 16 and under and four 75 year old runners. The average age of all 546 runners was 40.

The winning overall times were 2:12:12 (men) and 2:25:39 (women). The top 10 fastest local Ventura County area participants by chip time were:

• Michael Conoscenti of Newbury Park in 3:04:43
• Jose Garcia of Oxnard 3:05:41
• John Wheeler of Simi Valley 3:08:35
• Ramon Hernandez of Thousand Oaks 3:09:03
• Erin Chenoweth of Ventura 3:09:55 (Top Local Female! 23rd female overall in race!)
• Levi Moellering of Moorpark 3:10:13 (He's only 17 years old! Nice job Levi! 1st place overall in his age division!)
• Golan-David Danino of Ojai 3:10:36
• Jason Griffith of Thousand Oaks 3:12:04
• Jose Lastre of Camarillo 3:15:09
• Brian Pidduck of Ojai 3:18:18

Other top 10 finishers in the age divisions included:

• Katie Tapia of Ventura 3:35:05 (9th place in 45-49 age group)
• Serafin Barajas of Thousand Oaks 3:59:45 (9th place in 65-69 age group)
• Sheila Galinsky of Camarillo 5:18:57 (9th place in 65-69 age group)
• Joe Herzog, Sr  of Simi Valley 5:52:09 (10th in the 75-79 age group at age 75! This was a highly competitive age group with a winning time of 3:19:21**)
• Thomas Sullivan of Camarillo 6:17:50 (2nd in the 70-74 age group!)
• Linda Loiselle of Camarillo 7:07:11 (2nd in 55-59 age group)

**In fact, I've contacted race organizers as the 1st and 2nd place finishers in this age group appear suspect. The exact names finished the prior year event in comparable times...except their ages last year were 33, not the 77 listed in this year's event. This could just be a big coincidence...but something appears off to me.'

Congrats to all that crossed the finish line, regardless of time and place! You all accomplished something special!

Long Hiatus But Soon to Come Back to the Running Scene

Well it has been a long time but I'm still here. As mentioned 5 weeks ago, I had another eye procedure and my surgeon gave me a thumbs down to running for 6 weeks post surgery. Well, I'm almost at that point now and am chomping at the bit to start running again.

One thing this extended hiatus has taught me is that my body does not turn into a blob after 5 weeks of no aerobic activity. I've gained a few pounds, but nothing a week or two of running won't take care of. Because I'm a bit obsessive/compulsive when training for a marathon, I tend to overtrain and as a result risk injury and illness. Now that I've seen what zero training has done, or not done, to me, I think I'll be apt to take more days off!

In the meantime, I've cancelled my Boston Marathon plans. I'm not one to run a full marathon with a base of zero miles. I guess I could train a few weeks before the race but I've opted to save my money and pick another marathon in the fall. I'm out $150. The Boston Marathon organizers are not flexible with injury situations and has a no-deferral. no-transfer policy.

Speaking of marathons, the L.A. Marathon (or I should say, the Honda LA Marathon as it is officially now called), is this Sunday. I know many people are running it. Amazing. after such a DRY winter, the weather report for this weekend is quite dreary (see weather advisory below).  An inch to 2 inches of rain this weekend and high temps in the low 50s!

Reminds me of my very first marathon, the 1994 LA Marathon, which was also run in the rain. I can't recall how much rain I encountered (seemed to not be too bad until I finished), but I can tell you that it didn't bother me that day. Good luck to all marathoners this Sunday!

"BY FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY... THE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DEEPEN ACROSS CALIFORNIA... WITH A COLD FRONT LIKELY SPREADING PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT... A VERY COLD AND SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL BRING A THREAT OF SHOWERS SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY... AND POSSIBLY MONDAY. SOME OF THESE SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SMALL HAIL. CONDITIONS WILL ALSO BE FAVORABLE FOR ISOLATED WATERSPOUTS ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS.

THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY OF THE EXACT TRACK OF THIS COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM... WHICH WOULD AFFECT THE DURATION OF SHOWER ACTIVITY BEHIND THE FRONT. HOWEVER... PRELIMINARY RAINFALL ESTIMATES FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN ONE HALF AND ONE AND ONE HALF INCHES ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA... WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS UP TO 2 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS."

Offline for Another Month With a Follow-Up Eye Surgery

Well due to complications resulting from my retinal detachment surgery last Fall, I'm back in the surgery seat tomorrow. Yes, quite depressing. Just when my training was starting to feel good, I'll be away from running for about a month, starting tomorrow.

But the good news is that with all this rest, and hopefully an eye that has regained some of the vision lost due to macular/retinal issues, I'll be back at it with renewed energy. With rest "forced" upon me, my body will go into hibernation mode I suppose.

Yes, I'm still signed up for the Boston Marathon on April 16th but with a month of quality training time removed from my schedule at the peak of my training, I will likely be bailing out from the race :<

There's always next year...

2012 Marathon Trials Winner Meb Keflezighi is Motivational For a Number of Reasons

Before I get to that, a brief update on me. Boston Marathon is less than 3 months away and until I hear about my "next steps" for my lousy 20/70 vision in my right eye. If I hear that surgery is viable to correct the vision, that will sidetrack my training. In the meantime, last Saturday I was able to comfortable boost my long run to 12.5 miles in 1 hour, 35 minutes. If the rain is pouring too hard tomorrow morning, I'm hoping to run another 15 minutes longer.

So last Saturday was the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, where, the top runners around the country who met qualifying time standard competed for 3 slots to the Olympics. The men's "A" standard (and thus receives funding support to the trials) was a 2:19 marathon, 1:05 half marathon or 28:30 10,000 meters on the track. The women's "A" standard was a 2:39 marathon or a "B" standard of 2:46 full, 1:15 half or 33:00 10,000 meters. I'm happy to say that back in the day I met all the women's standards...though unfortunately, or fortunately (depending on how you look at it) I'm not a woman.

So in a nutshell, naturalized U.S. citizen Meb Keflezighi, won the Men's Olympic Trials in a personal best time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 8 seconds, with favorite Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman rounding out the top 3. Notably, the top 2 are both California residents (Mammoth Lakes).

At age 36, he's the oldest winner of the Marathon Olympic Trials after an injury slowed him down at the 2008 trials. In 2004 Meb won the silver medal in the Olympics, the first U.S. male medal winner in the marathon since Frank Shorter in the 1970s.

Perhaps though, this is what inspired and impressed me the most with his recent performance. Only 68 days prior to Saturday, Meb finished 6th place in the New York City Marathon. But he did something really lame that day. Something I can relate to. He accidently ran with a Breath Right nasal strip in his left shoe. And it messed up the ball of his foot so badly that he got an infection. As a result, he had to take extra time off to heal.

Yes, this world class runner made a rookie mistake that I can relate to! Like the day I stupidly ran 45 minutes in "barefoot" running shoes in my first attempt. Even the best of the best make boo boos. This is really motivating! We're all human and we all make mistakes! But we move on!

Congratulations all trials winners! The women's top 3 that are going to the Olympics are Shalane Flanagan (2:25:38), Desiree Davila (2:25:55) and Kara Goucher (2:26:06). Agoura High alumnus and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and U.S. marathon record holder (2:19:36) Deena Kastor finished 6th in 2:30:40. Not bad for a 38 year old who became a mother just 10 months ago!!

Time, Training and Tenaciousness Tames the Training Tiger

This past Saturday I ran a hilly 11 miles and change in 1 hour, 24 minutes. This was my longest run since my first detached retina surgery on September 15th. A comeback milestone while I decide if I will run the Boston Marathon in April.

What was most satisfying about this run is that it felt effortless. The weather was agreeable as I stepped out the door around 8 a.m. Not particularly prepared for a longish run, I had a few glasses off sweet tea and brought no liquid with me. But I was perfectly fine.

Dogged by tight hamstrings since and sluggishness since getting back into running 2 month ago, as has been the case in previous layoffs, suddenly, out of the blue, my body kicked back into gear. No explanation, no rhyme or reason.

But maybe there are some reasons for this. Perhaps it is my knowledge and experience from nearly 19 years of running that it was only a matter of time. The passage of time, the consistency of my training and the tenaciousness in my mind that I would keep the faith in my comeback.

As with anything in life, success is not easy to achieve. It takes effort.

In any case, the next day, Sunday (yesterday), was the 2nd Annual Camarillo Marathon. The first running of the event on October 3, 2010 was dogged with problems, including a lack of fluids and port-a-johns on the course. The 2nd annual event was originally planned for last October but scheduling issues ensued. The marathon race results this year showed 96 finishers; about a 40% drop from the prior year. That didn't stop 27 year old Peter Ellis of Issaquah, Washington from blowing away the field in 2 hours, 45 minutes, a full half an hour before the next finisher.

Next year's Camarillo Marathon is planned for January 6, 2013. Something to consider, if you like flat, low key marathons.

Predicting Your Anticipated Marathon Time Based on Other Races

Have been running regularly through the holidays, though nothing too long, speedy or intense. Generally 30 to 45 minutes per day. Would love to kick it up a few notches but the holidays and year-end crazyness make that a challenge.

After a visit to the eye doctor the other week, my spring marathon plans may be a bit up in the air. Since the vision in the right eye is terrible and not correctable with lenses, I will be doing another eye surgery next year, quite possible in the January/February time frame. If I can get my running mojo back and ramp up to 20 milers by late January, it's possible to run a decent marathon.

Speaking of marathoning, a topic of interest to most marathoners is how to predict your marathon time based on your times in other distances. Over the years I've used rules of thumb to predict my time, such as multiplying my 10K time by 4.7 and multiplying my half marathon time by 2.1. The resulting total is my predicted marathon time, assuming I've done sufficient long distance training.

To use these formulas, you have to convert from hour/minute format to total minutes in decimal format, then after doing the calculation convert the resulting number back into hours/minutes.

For example: If I've recently run a 38 minute, 25 second 10K, to predict my marathon time, first I convert the 38:25 into decimal format. To convert 25 seconds into minutes, divide it by 60 seconds and the result is .42. Then add .42 back to 38 and you get 38.42. Multiply 38.42 by 4.7 and your marathon time is 180.57 minutes.  Now time to convert .57 back into seconds by multiplying by 60. That equals 34 seconds. Add that back to 180 and you're running a 180 minute (3 hour), 34 second marathon.

OK, that's a bit technical, so I have a better solution. Visit www.mcmillanrunning.com/index.php/site/calculator and try the great running calculator that calculates all sorts of projected race times based on a range of actual times. Typing in a 38:25 10K into this calculator generates a predicted marathon time of 3 hours, 17 seconds.  Pretty darn close to the rule of thumb.

Check it out! It's simple, quick and great!

Ran 14 Miles This Weekend...Most I've Run in 4 Months

Perfect weekend to run...temperatures in the 60s, no wind, no rain. So I ran. Not too hard, but I got out there. Six and a half miles on Saturday, 8 miles today. My hamstrings are tight and my rump is sore, but I"m surviving.

I looked back and this is the most I've run in one weekend since the weekend of September 10-11, the weekend prior to my detached retina surgery.

Something I'm learning more and more with age is that my body needs more time to recuperate from runs. When I was younger, I could force the issue and run hard day in , day out. Not so these days. Old habits are hard to break though...

Running a Local Turkey Trot While Still Feeling Sub-Par

Seems that as I age, I'm "off" more days than I'm on. After my 45 day hiatus I started back up with running. Then all of 18 days later I'm back with what's become my standard early winter cold.

I'm always wondering what I can possibly due to eliminate this issue of catching colds when those around me are sick. Sometimes it just feels impossible. A co-worker had been sick for several weeks and while I steered pretty clear of her, her office is next to mine and many of the documents she touches come to me. So while I diligently washed my hands as much as I could, there was only so much I could do.

Then of course my wife was sick for several weeks. Hard to stay away from her :>

November 14th was my opthamologist visit to check out the eye with the no-longer-detached-retina. The first words out of his mouth as I sat face to face, just a foot away from him, was "I just got over a cold that knocked me out all weekend." CRAP I'm thinking. There's absolutely no way out of this situation. He's literally touching my eye and placing drops in it and I'm thinking, I'm screwed. Sure enough 3 days later the storm in my sinuses and throat came.

T-shirts like this never get worn by yours truly. This color just doesn' do it for me.In any case, the cold made it (as usual) into my lungs and I'm coughing up stuff in large chunks in shapes like Maine, New York and Massachusetts every morning and my chest hurts from all the hacking. And a week later was Thanksgiving and we had no out of town plans, so I figure, why not go run the local Turkey Trot at The Oaks mall.

The race got off to a nasty start for me. With only 20/70 vision in my right eye (more on this situation in a future post), my depth perception is in bad shape and I didn't see the bump in the road 10 steps into the race serves as a walkway towards the mall. After nearly falling flat on my face, both hamstrings immediately were sore. It was bizarre, like they decided to go on strike. They weren't sore before that. All I could think of is that my body simply was telling me it wasn't ready to be speedy again, 25 days into running again and 11 days since my first 5K since coming back.

But this was a "fun run" for me and I kept on running. While running isn't so fun for me when my hams are sore and my chest is full of yucky stuff, I continued onwards to at least break under 20 minutes, several minutes slower than my "typical" 5K time. But hey, I'm still glad I did it.

Tonight, December 1st, I'm still coughing to some degree and have a little bit of stuff left in my chest, but I feel good enough to have my first glass of red wine for about 3 weeks. Yay!

I see Conejo Valley Guide on the back of this shirt. :>

Feeling Under the Weather While Running in Wet Weather

With my wife battling a cold for the last 10 days and a co-worker bring a cold to the office, I kept a positive mental attitude, proactively loaded up on vitamin C and washed my hands all the time to steer clear of catching something myself.

It was a galiant effort. But it got me. Finally. Dammit.

While I did my best to heed off the cold, probably what did me in was insufficient sleep. Hey, I like writing and sharing information, but it does keep me up later than what my bedtime should be.

But I continue to do my best, running through a head cold. Helps me clear out my system. But yesterday it was pouring rain most of the day and I didn't stay out too long.

This brings me to running ware in the rain. It is so infrequent that I run in the rain that, while I know what I should be doing, I usually am not prepared to do it. I wore 2 layers of cotton and it was raining on me. Within 15 minutes the shirts were soaked. Not a good thing as those wet, heavy shirts can do quite a bit of chafing on the chest. Luckily, I didn't run long and I escaped the dreaded shredded nips.

Layering is good. In the colder winter months I layer my tops and often take the outer layer off during the run. But in the rain, the outer layer should repel the water. If you anticipate taking off the outer layer, the inner layer should too. A "technical" shirt made out of non-manmade materials is the way to go. If you are running in strong rain, placing protection, like a bandaid, over the nips, is not a bad idea.

I survived that run. This morning I woke up and it felt like a bus hit me. My sinuses are clogged. But I got out there anyway for 35 minutes. Felt terrible most of the run.

Ah yes, the joys of winter running when sick. The toils of a marathoner.

Coming Full Circle in the 5K - What 45 Days Off Does to Your Aerobic Capacity

So on Halloween I was given clearance to start aerobic activity again after a 45 day hiatus due to multiple eye surgeries. 45 days off from running is by far the longest I haven't run since the beginning of my running endeavors in 1993.

While it sure felt great to get out there again, I knew regaining my aerobic conditioning would not be easy.

As mentioned in previous blog posts, I was signed up to run the Malibu Marathon that took place yesterday, but obviously had to bail out due to my eye surgeries. However, I had forgotten that many, many months ago, last March to be exact, I had signed up to run the Calabasas Classic 5K. Yes indeed, I was signed up to do 2 races in 1 day. Kind of lame of me, but hey, I wanted to get the early bird discount way back when.

The Calabasas Classic 5K/10K is one of the biggest local races, with over 2,000 participants in the 2 races (split about 75% 5K and 25% 10K). It is a well orchestrated event and the goodie bag alone, with a nice "technical" shirt and other items, is worth the cost of entry. Not to mention, the medal you see to the right is given to all finishers. What a neat gesture, as people love getting great swag and momentos at local races!

So since I had already paid to run the 5K, I decided, what the heck, it would be fun to actually run the race.

Mind you, I had only been back running for 12 days since my doctor's blessings. Without a day off in those 12 days and Friday/Saturday my legs were pretty darn stiff and non-responsive. While I had felt pretty good the first week back to running, my body was starting to rebel a bit.

So race day, I had very low expectations. I was running to have fun and test myself, not compete. That was certainly the way the race went.

The gun went off at 8 a.m. My legs actually felt o.k., slightly better than the prior 2 days, and my breathing wasn't labored or anything. While I couldn't run "fast" by my standards, I had situated myself in a spot where I was stuck behind slower runners at the start of the race. This allowed me the mental enjoyment of passing dozens and dozens of runners the first mile of the race.

But after the first mile, that was pretty much it. While my legs were moving, I simply was not able to run "fast" (again by my own standards). About a year ago I ran a 17:30 5K in Camarillo without any speed training. Yesterday I had absolutely no gears and ran a 20:11, effectively the slowest 5K I've ever run (my first ever 5K was 19:42). But hey, it got me 45th place overall out of 1,500 participants. Gotta look at the positive side. And 4th in my age group.

NO REGRETS! Given everything I've been through, I was perfectly happy with my time. Heck, that was a 6:31 per mile pace, 11 days and no rest after 2 major eye surgeries and 45 days of zippo running.

Still, I was a little bit exasperated, trying to run down 2 kids, ages 11 and 13 (according to the results) that were directly in front of me. Heck, add them up and double it and I'm still older than them. I'm gonna run down those kids down next time :> (loved seeing those kids doing so well out there).

After the race my chest was so tight and sore I though I might get a stroke or something. But not to worry, my lungs were simply not used to sucking down all that air so quickly. My aerobic capacity had taken a beating and was in shock I think. Within an hour I was back to feeling fine.

The morning after the race most of my lower body was sore, though mainly my shins and hamstrings.

Feels good to get sore again. I'm baaaaccckkkk. Or on my way, at least.

Run local races. It's great motivation for getting aerobically fit.

7 Days Back Into Running and Starting to Feel the Love Again

Last Monday I was cleared to start physical activity again after my 45 day hiatus from running and other physical activities. While my retina detachment is fixed, my vision in the affected eye continues to be terrible, absolutely terrible. But luckily that is offset by the excitement of RUNNING again.

The first week back at running has been a crescendo of positiveness. I was very careful to start out very slowly and not run too far. The first week, last Tuesday (the 1st) through yesterday (the 7th) was fraught with off and on sore shins, hamstrings and calves. I had hoped to run an easy 8 miles with some friends on Sunday morning, but woke up nursing sore shins. Shin splints from time to time have been my nemesis, causing me to drop out of the Tucson Marathon with them years ago.

But this morning I felt different. The air has been cool, we gained an hour of sleep on Sunday as Daylight Saving Time went buh bye and I started feeling like myself again. Just easy, enjoyable running around town. No major pains or aches.

With the Boston Marathon still 5 months away, today made me felt like I've still got my mojo.

In other news, I'm hoping that I can last until age 100 so I have a chance at beating Fauja Singh's 8:11:15 record performance at the Toronto Marathon on October 16th. That equates to 11:59 per mile.

The way I see it is as follows. I can easily run a 7 minute pace marathon at age 47. If I slow down by 5 seconds per mile for the next 53 years, I'll be able to run a 11:25 pace in the marathon at age 100, demolishing Singh's new age group record!

Congratulations to Singh! You are an inspiration!

Back to Running After a 45 Day Hiatus

At my appointment on Halloween this past Monday my treat was hearing from my eye surgeon that I could resume full activity. So after 45 days, it is time to get this old body in gear again.

Not everything is currently a treat. The vision in my right eye is absolutely terrible. Objects are blurry, distorted and I have to get within a few feet of something to read with the eye, but hey, at least I can run.

My butt and hamstrings now hurt. Yes sir, here I am, former 2:35 marathoner, slogging away at a nearly walking pace as my body readjusts to physical activity. Two days of running 3 to 4 miles and I'm sore.

Taking it easy and slow to get back into it. How the heck am I going to run the Boston Marathon in April? I'll get there. The key I think is to keep my expectations low and to not rush the training.

I was invited to run 10 miles with friends this Sunday morning. Not sure yet if I'll do it. I don't think I'll be able to keep up just yet. But today is only Wednesday, so I'll see how I feel on Saturday.

Back at it!