Eleven Days After the Santa Barbara Marathon

This is 32 year old Andrea McLarty of Santa Barbara, women's winner in 2:52 and 11th place overall! This gal is fit! Photo credit: Simon IbsenThe Santa Barbara Marathon was on Sunday, December 6th.  For the next 3 days, I didn't run.  I think this is a pretty good practice.  With 25 past marathons in the bag, one thing I do know is that your body needs to recover after the marathon.

Muscle soreness is the most blatant sign that my body is trying to recover.  My calves, quads and hamstrings were the most sore those first 3 recovery days.  In fact, I had to walk downstairs very carefully, holding the handrail, one step at a time the first 2 days.

My neck, shoulders, traps and arms were sore too.  Not as sore as my legs, but they were feeling the strain of running 26.2 miles (well, actually 29.2 for the entire day). What I should have done was schedule a massage. But work has been crazy busy and I simply didn't make the time.

Advil was my friend the first 2 days post-marathon.  I didn't take too much...just 2 tablets in the morning and 2 at night. 

Although I didn't run the first 3 days post-marathon, I did get off my butt and walk around as often as I could. The longer I sit in one place, the more painful it feels to get up.  Don't know why that's the case, but it is.

The other sign that I'm in recovery mode is how I feel. Grumpy, tired, yucky are a few words to describe my mood and body the entire week after the marathon.  Not to mention, I was constantly hungry.

My body deserved whatever it wanted the week after the marathon. I don't eat a lot of red meat but that thick juicy steak last Saturday sure tasted good!

But in the meantime, people left and right are getting sick. At the office, at school, friends...people are getting sore throats, the flu (I had lunch with a buddy last week who came down with the flu 2 days later that has lasted now a week), etc. 

I think it was Sunday, the 13th that I started to feel a scratch in my throat...so I immediately downed 2,000 mg of chewable Vitamin C tabs and got to bed early.  Your body is more susceptible to illness after a marathon...somehow I awoke on Monday feeling about 80%.  I'm still feeling a bit "on the edge" of getting sick but with some luck and sleep I'll get past this.

As far as running, I've been running 2 to 4 miles at an easy pace for the past 7 days.  I'm at the point now where I can start doing my "normal" base training of roughly 5 to 7 miles a day...when I get adequate sleep.  So on that note, I shall end this post and attempt to hit the sheets!

The Day of the Santa Barbara Marathon

In my last post, I described my day before the marathon on Saturday, December 5th.  The next day was Marathon Day.

Before going to sleep the night before, I did remember to set my watch alarm to 5:30 am. But I realized midway into my first dream that 5:30 am probably wouldn't cut it for a 6:30 am start.  But to no avail, I stayed asleep.  (Note to self: plan better next time.)

Luckily though, even though the Bacara is an expensive, fancy resort, the phone in the room next door went off at 5 am sharp and I heard it clear as a bell like it was a Motel 6 paper thin wall. So I was up and atom.

First thing I did was go outside to grab the Gatorade bottle I placed outside the door to keep it cold (the mini-fridge didn't have room for it).  My Gatorade was gone.  Darn it!  Who took my Gatorade!!??

Another odd thing.  No coffee maker in my fancy schmancy hotel room. What the??  Pretty much every single hotel room these days has one. But not the Bacara.  Well, I later discover that there is complimentary coffee in the main lobby...but would have loved to have it in my own room.

My 2nd chocolate chunk muffin went down nicely at 5:30 am. Probably would have been good to eat more, but that's all I had other than some leftover trail mix.

So after dressing and downing the coffee, my goal was to warm up a bit and get my bodily functions moving, if you know what I mean.  For some, all it takes is a cup of coffee.  For others, ya gotta move around a bit. I ran slowly, for 10 minutes, I came back to the room, bodily functioned. Then repeated this process 2 more times. Huh??  Yes, I believe it was Return of the Quesadilla.

So I suddenly realize that the race STARTS in 20 minutes and I'm 1 1/2 miles away. So I go through all the preparations, change into my singlet with a long sleeve coverup and gloves (it is about 40 degrees outside...pretty cold), pack my bag and jog to the start of the race.  I've already run 3 miles today.  Not exactly a good idea.

With 7 minutes to spare I get there and there is a mass of people at a the local Ellwood School in Goleta.  I'm all warmed up, sucked down a "GU" packet and drank all my water.  Given the race was to start very soon I removed my 2nd layer and gloves, knowing I would not need them during the race.  I dropped off my goody bag and situated myself in the runner corral.

Within a minute, there is an announcement.  Accident on the 101 freeway. Race has been DELAYED by 30 minutes!  Wait a sec!!! I'm ready to run RIGHT NOW!!!  You've got to be kidding me!?  We're not running on the 101 freeway, are we?  So now I'm standing there, freezing, in light singlet, no gloves, no warm pants.  DAMMIT!!!  This sucks!!

This was no fault of the race organizers and they handled it quite well, offering up several heated rooms for runners to congregate in like sardines.  But I was very frustrated, having never experienced such a long race delay in my 16 years of running.  I was fuming but most people took it in stride.  The atmosphere of the race was very laid back. People were having fun.  I was soon over it. But still cold!

Lesson learned...prepare for the worst case scenario.  I should have worn a 2nd layer and throwaway gloves for this unlikely situation.  As it stood, I was freezing, burning calories off just to keep warm.

So 20 minutes later we are lining again, and of course, before the start of the Star Spangled Banner, I've gotta pee.  So I run off, and in the most respectful and quick way possible, I manage to finish as I hear "land of the free" (as I'm thinking, "land of the pee" for me that particular moment).

Kudos to the race announcer.  He did an OUTSTANDING and entertaining job organizing the start of the race and using humor to ensure proper placement of faster runners in front.  Too many local races start dangerously due to slower runners and walkers situating themselves at the front of the pack.  This race had 3,000 runners and got off to a perfect start at 7 am.

The Santa Barbara Marathon course overall is pretty flat with some rolling hills.  I wouldn't call it a fast course but it is a very runner friendly course.  Well organized, decent number of water stops, very clearly marked.  Over half the course takes place in Goleta actually, including an initial 12 1/2 mile loop.  The crowds were supportive and gracious. While the race ends at Leadbetter Beach, only the last 1 1/2 miles of the course provided ocean views.  The weather was perfect for a marathon.  Mostly mid 50s to low 60s.

While I was perfectly happy with my 3 hour, 16 minute performance, there are always lessons to learn from. For starters, I made not one, but TWO porta-john stops in this race, adding about 3 minutes in lost time.  I'm thinking it was the quesadilla but I must figure out how to eliminate this problem for my next marathon.

After the first pit stop (around mile 4) I felt good enough to gradually make up a 1 1/2 minute gap and pass by the pack of runners I'd been running with before the stop.  This took place around mile 8. BIG MISTAKE!  I wasn't really trying that hard to catch them but what I should have done was take my time and reel them in.  I just wasn't thinking.

Tough Going at Mile 23.5 of SB Marathon...Up Cliff Drive (Photo Courtesy of Simon Ibsen**)They caught up with me again around mile 11, then a few miles later, I believe around mile 15 or 16, I made pit stop #2.  Yikes! At that point the wind came out of my sails a bit but I remembered my goals...run under 3 1/2 hours and finish with a smile on my face.  Given I had passed the halfway mark in 1 hour, 30 min, I had plenty of leeway to get there.

The last 10 miles took us through residential areas, bike paths and later, a 170 foot climb up Cliff Drive.  My hamstrings were killing me around mile 19/20 and I walked for about 5 minutes. Then I thought, there's no way I'm gonna walk the rest of this course!  I resolve to shuffle my way in, come hell or high water. The 3 or 4 GU packs I took in earlier in the race must have started kicking in, as I picked up a steady pace to the finish.

My friends all did well and we enjoyed sharing stories after the race. None of us have anything to prove. We all went out and gave it our best shot on that particular day with whatever training each of us, given life's challenges and surprises, could muster. 

The beauty of running a marathon is that we all have our own reasons for running...a challenge, competition, a charity, exercise, etc...and all run together on the same course at the same time, cheering each other on. 

At the end of the day, while I didn't quite make the "big" comeback I really was seeking to do when I started this adventure on April 27, 2009, I'm certainly glad I did it.  I'm thrilled that I'm here writing about it, uninjured!

I've now taken 2 days off.  Tomorrow I'll be back at it.  So stay tuned...

**For more of Simon's photos from the race, visit:

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Another Marathon Down the Hatch! Completed the Inaugural Santa Barbara Marathon!

Today is Tuesday and I'm still a bit sore from my 29.2 mile day on Sunday. 

Yes, I ran and completed the Inaugural Santa Barbara Marathon two days ago! I think it was my 26th marathon.

Yes, I did run 29.2 miles. 26.2 mile marathon plus 3 miles of running before the race. But more on that later.

On Saturday morning I said that my goal for the race was to finish with a smile on my face.  Goal achieved! I also said that, based on my level of training, my goal was to run something under 3 1/2 hours...I finished this one in 3:16...the other goal achieved.

That's not to say that I wasn't disappointed with a few things.  But hold that thought.

So Saturday morning I ran 2 miles, after 3.5 mile runs on Thursday and Friday.  Yes, for those paying attention, you are correct, I did not heed my own advice and take at least one day completely off.

I stopped by Fresh & Easy in Newbury Park to pick up some stuff to bring for my overnight stay in Santa Barbara....mmmm...chocolate chunk muffins for breakfast (at 5 a.m. I eat whatever will go down), water, Gatorade, snacks, etc. I also opted to grab a pre-made turkey sandwich, chips, fruit, trail mix and ice tea for the lunchtime drive to Santa Barbara.

Ah yes, eating a 4 course meal in the car reminds me of this humorous video spoof on our hands free cell phone law.

Race number pickup was at Santa Barbara City College.  The expo was not particularly large but everyone was really nice and it was fun to walk around.  I met up with my friend Chaz (congrats on your 3:38 dude!).

View of the Pacific right next to the BacaraI splurged and decided to stay at the fancy schmancy Bacara Resort in Goleta, just 1 1/2 miles from the start of the race.  I spent an extra $100 on this place but my rationale was that I could sleep a little longer and walk to the start of the race. Most people took busses leaving by 5:15 am for the start of the 6:30 am race.  I also thought it would be fun to convince my wife to come with, but she opted not to.

So here I am at this fancy hotel all alone with no place to go. Yeah!!! The cell phone didn't work there, nor did the wireless access! But luckily they had "free" high speed internet access (offset by the $24 they charged me to park the car for one measly day).

One thing I DID do right on Saturday was immediately unpack my stuff and arrange it for Sunday morning.  I untied my shoes, I attached the timer chip to the shoes (and tried it on to make sure the chip didn't impede my running), affixed the bib number to my race shirt, laid out my shorts, socks, additional layers and cap. Then I laid out my race bag (used to transport items to the finish line), 2 bandaids (to cover up the nipplage), petroleum jelly (to slather on my toes, heel and chafe-worth body parts), room key and watch.

What to do for dinner?  I started getting hungry at 5 pm and opted to venture out into Goleta. A few miles down the road I found civilization...including a completely packed Costco store (there was a long line at the food stands outside too!).

Most people try to carb up the night before a marathon by eating pasta.  But I wasn't in a pasta mood.  So naturally I, uh, stopped by the Baja Fresh adjacent to Costco and ordered quesadilla with chicken and an order of rice.  Probably not the best choice the night before a marathon.  In fact, in hindsight it was a pretty lame choice as I rarely eat that much cheese at one sitting.

So as I notice as I get in the car that stomach is gurgling and the seat belt feels tighter.  Yes, cheese quesadilla w/chicken probably not the wisest choice for final pre-race meal. But heck, it tasted good!

I spent the rest of the night sending mostly obnoxious (as usual) tweets from my http://twitter.com/ConejoJoe Twitter page and caught many episodes of that great MSNBC documentary "Lockup."

Time passed by and I before I know it my wife is sending me emails telling me what an idiot I am for staying up so late the night before a marathon.  OK, she was right.  So at 11 pm I went to bed.  But not until I had a chocolate chunk muffin for dessert.

YA KNOW, THIS POST IS GETTING KINDA LONG. I SHALL CONTINUE IN THE NEXT POST!

The Day Before a Marathon is the Time to Relax and Reflect

Today is Saturday and tomorrow is the Inaugural Santa Barbara Marathon.  My goal for this marathon is to finish this marathon with a smile on my face.

Today I'll drive up to Santa Barbara, visit the race expo to pick up my bib number and check out the cool running stuff for sale by vendors, check into my hotel and basically vedge out.

It is 9 am right now and before I make the drive, I will run a mile or two, but that's about it.  I didn't practice my own advice and ran about 3.5 miles each of the last few days, but I ran slowly.  I have a hard time taking an entire day off from running solely for the purpose of resting.  Call it obsessive-compulsive, but I prefer to save up my rest days for injuries and illnesses.

Last time I ran a competitive marathon was just over 5 years ago, when I ran a 2:48 at the age of 40.  I trained 70 to 80 miles per week for that marathon and it paid off.

Since then, my life has been a blur.  While I never stopped running, I did stop serious training as my family grew in size and simply put, I got too busy and tired to train hard.  I did run the L.A. Marathon as a "training run" in 2005 and I believe that is my last full marathon until, hopefully, tomorrow!

I've been training for this marathon since late April. Early on I set a goal of peaking at 60 to 70 miles per week in September/October, but I never managed to get over 60.  In fact, my mileage was way down in these critical pre-marathon months due to swine flu, back spasms and other lame excuses.

So while I'd love to run even just a sub 3 hour marathon, I know from past experience (25 marathons) that I CANNOT FOOL MY BODY in the marathon.  The marathon distance is unforgiving.  I haven't been training at a 6:52 pace, which is the pace required to break 3 hours.  If I go out at that pace from the start, no doubt I'll be hurting big time at mile 20.

My goal is to ignore my pace, my watch and other runners.  The marathon is a highly individual sport. We all have our own goals. I know there will be other 45 year old runners there who I should beat handily if my training had been stronger, but they will be ahead of me tomorrow if they've done their homework!

And that's o.k. with me because I've aligned my expectations with the reality of my training. I ain't gonna run a 2:45 marathon tomorrow.  My expectation is to run something under 3 1/2 hours, which is still good (heck, that time will get me into the Boston Marathon).

All that said, maybe, just maybe, I'll get lucky, feel amazing good at the 20 mile mark, pick up the pace a bit, start passing runners who went out too hard, and finish in under 3 hours.

Ya just never know.

Today is Tuesday, Marathon is Sunday

Last week I ran 37 miles in my 2nd to last week prior to the Santa Barbara Marathon.  My longest run was 7.5 miles on Saturday run at a pretty solid marathon pace.

There's not much I can do at this point other than rest up for the marathon.  With 5 days left before the marathon, no training I do will help, it can only hurt.  Though running 3 or 4 miles a day at race pace wouldn't be a bad thing.

The best thing I could do for myself is get to bed earlier and sleep more.  But, truth be told, I'm actually typing this at midnight on Tuesday. So I ain't doing myself any favors at the moment.  But my thoughts start to solidify late at night.

I'm excited about this weekend.  Not so much about running the marathon...my up and down training will preclude me from running at my best...you can't fool your body in the marathon I know well.  I'm looking forward to spending Saturday night in solitude. 

Yes, my wife and kid will not be joining me for the marathon experience this weekend.  This does kind of bum me out that my wife does not want to join me and bring the kids up for the fun.  But I understand her decision, as she is not particularly interested in a weekend centered around my running.

It would certainly be motivational knowing that my young boys are at the finish line to cheer me on.  But perhaps another time.

So on one hand I'll enjoy time by myself, but on the other hand I'll miss not being able to share the experience with my family.

But ya know what, I'll have plenty of friends up there with me in the same boat.  I've run in solitude nearly all of the miles I've trained over the last 33 weeks.  Marathoning is an individual sport. 

Wish me luck!  All I want to do is finish at a respectable time, uninjured! :>

Tapering Off the Mileage in Preparation for a Marathon

This past week I ran a total of 41 miles with a long run of only 7 miles.  I had planned to run longer today (Sunday) but sleep (or lack thereof) needs required me to stay in bed and vedge out this morning.  Well truth be told, I owed my wife a "sleep in" morning today in exchange for something she provided to me.  We bartered. I gave up my last opportunity for a 10 mile tempo run in preparation for the marathon in exchange for, well, let's just say that it is something that married couples with young kids usually do not get enough of.

If my wife reads this, I am dead meat.  So if you enjoy reading this blog or Conejo Valley Guide in general, sshhhhh, do not tell her.

I'm doing a 3 week taper for the Santa Barbara Marathon on December 6th. The rule of thumb I use for a 3 week taper is to run 75% of "normal" mileage in the 3rd week pre-marathon, 50% 2 weeks out and 25% the final week.

My mileage in week 4 pre-marathon was 54, which means my 41 miles was exactly 75% of that.  I don't usually grab a calculator and try to get precise with these calculations.  I just go with my gut.  I got lucky last week.

So this coming week, Thanksgiving week, should not be a problem "forcing" myself to run less, given the holiday goings on.  I do intend to gastronomically enjoy the holiday, but will do my best not to overeat too much.

The final taper week is usually the hardest, especially if you've been training really hard. Since I haven't been training really hard for this marathon, slacking off the mileage won't be mentally or physically difficult for me. 

The final 3 days pre-marathon one should perhaps only run once or twice, just to stay limber.  No training you do the final week before a marathon will help your marathon.  It's too late...what you DON'T do will help you more than what you do do (or doo doo, for that matter).

Some people do 4 week tapers, running 80% of normal week 4, 60% week 3, 40% week 2 and 20% week 1.  Nothing wrong with that plan either. 

Don't get too caught up in precision. The percentage don't have to be exact.  The overall goal is too ease off the mileage in the final weeks prior to a marathon in order to allow the body to recover and rest up for 26.2.

29 Weeks of Training, 3 Weeks of Tapering

Yesterday I ran 20 miles with a buddy, my first 20 miler for 9 weeks, and my last 20 miler until the Santa Barbara Marathon on December 6th assuming all goes well.

Last week was my 29th week of training for the marathon and I manaqed 54 miles.  Over those 29 weeks, I've managed to run 1,219 miles and an average of 42 miles per week. My low point was 16 miles (the week I got the swine flu) and my high point was 2 consecutive 57 mile weeks with 2 consecutive 20 milers.

While I didn't achieve my peak mileage goal of 60 miles per week, I'm happy because I'm not injured!!  Training has had peaks and valleys but overall I KNOW I can finish the marathon without a problem.  While I won't be anywhere close to my 2 hour, 35 minute PR, I'll be happy to finish in the 3 hour, 3 minute (7 minutes per mile) range.

I've been pessimistic about my training of late due to constant, recurring setbacks.  Back problems, knee problems, swine flu, colds, smoke in the air, heat, more back problems, tiredness, you name it.  I'm not one to not speak my mind.

But I'm also a stickler for documenting my daily training, which gives me the opportunity after 29 weeks to see the big picture.  While my mind wreaks havoc on my psyche by telling me my training has sucked for 2 months, I look back at the stats and see, heck, I may not be training for a marathon record, but I've done some homework!

What surprised me the most is that my average weekly mileage over 29 weeks was 42.  I was surprised by that because all I think about is the 16.5 mile swine flu week and the 25 mile vacation cruise week and how much fitness I must have lost.  But not only did I run an average of 42 per week, I actually ran 16 or more miles 7 times over 7 months, including 5 18+ milers.

So I shouldn't be so hard on myself.  I may not win my age group in the Santa Barbara Marathon. But heck, I've done a lot of training and by golly, I'm gonna have some fun!

Marathons for most of us are an individual fitness test.  We're not competing against the other runners present that day. We set our own goals and work towards them.  For the majority, the goal is to finish.  For others, it is to achieve a particular time or personal record.

My goal for this marathon is to finish at or near 3 hours.  I don't expect to be the fastest 45 year old at the race.  I just want to have some fun with it.

Long Runs are Better When You're Not Alone

Today marked the end of my "real" training for the Santa Barbara Marathon.  The event is on December 6th, 3 weeks away, but for all intents and purposes my training is done.  Time for a 3 week tapering off period as I rest my body up for the race. 

Today's long fun of roughly 20 miles took me from the Starbucks on Reino Road to Pacific Coast Highway via Sycamore Canyon.  I've been training for the marathon for 29 weeks now and believe it or not, today was the first time in those 7 months that I did a training run with another human being!

My good friend Dave is 56 years old and one of the top age group distance runners in Southern California.  He is tougher than nails and an inspiration.  Dave has done nearly 50 marathons through the years with an average, not best, but AVERAGE time of 2 hours, 52 minutes, an unbelievably outstanding statistic.  Dave is a rock.

You would not know Dave is 56 by looking at him. Dave and I used to run together all the time as we both live locally here in the Conejo Valley. But six years ago with the addition of kids into my life, my training took a nosedive and I opted to train on my own.  But we still talk all the time.

Just so happens that Dave also signed up for the Santa Barbara Marathon because he wanted to be part of this inaugural event (race director Rusty Snow recently indicated there are over 2,000 marathon entrants, which is outstanding). 

In recent months, Dave developed a case of plantar fasciitis, a condition where the bottom of the foot/heel becomes irritated and swolen.  It often takes months and months to gain relief from the problem.  That didn't get Dave down.  He is DEDICATED and took to pool running, diligently straping a floatation device to himself and running in the pool for an hour at a time.  (I could never do this unless perhaps a TV could be floating in the pool in front of me.)

So after months of pool running and a month until the marathon, Dave started back on the roads again. He asked me if I wanted to run long with him today in preparation for the marathon and I said SURE!

So we started off from Starbucks at 6:30 am.  It was windy and cold so we both wore an extra layer.  Within a mile I took my layer off as the wind didn't seem that cold. Dave followed suit a mile later.  About half the course is paved, from Starbucks up Reino Road, turning right on Potero Road, then left onto Big Sycamore Canyon Road, which winds its way down Sycamore Canyon towards the beach.

Dave and I both chatty types, which is a nice trait to have on a long run.  We hadn't run together for a while so we had lots to talk about.  It certainly make the run go a lot more quickly when you run with a buddy!  I've done the run myself many a time and while I always enjoyed it, it was a lot more fun today. 

We resolved NOT to run too hard or fast as we both are coming off injuries and illnesses that have hampered our training.  All we wanted to do today was run a nice, slow, easy 20 miles and we accomplished that goal.  At times we had to remind each other to slow down. 

We found the temperature to be quite bipolar running down Sycamore.  We both wore gloves and I took mine off 3 miles into the run.  But every mile or so we would hit a real cold patch, only to find a warm sauna-ish stretch moments later.  It was kind of bizarre how quickly and extreme the temp changes were in the canyon.  Towards the bottom of Sycamore Canyon, 2-3 miles from the ocean, it stayed pretty cool, to the point I had to put my gloves back on.

Dave and I have an understanding that when one of us needs to stop (restroom, water stop, etc.), we stick together.  I'm a Type A that has to continue movement, running circles, as Dave does his thing.  Dave is more low key and has no problem stopping to stretch in the middle of a run.  We've run together enough to know each other's style and work with it. No need for explanation.

So on the return trip we made our way up the tough 800 foot climb and at the top knew that we were on the final leg of our latest marathon journey.  Two more miles to Starbucks and we paced ourselves in, congratulating each other on getting it done.

In our "younger" days we'd hang out for a bit at Starbucks and savor the camaraderie. Today we both had to quickly drive off for family activities. I sat in my seat and attempted to lift my left leg to take the emergency brake off.  Damn was that tough.  I hard to literally pull my leg upward with my hands.  Those darn hamstrings were sore, but in a good way.

Thanks Dave. You helped me through my first 20 miler for 9 weeks. You're a good man and a good friend.  And a damn good runner.

Beaten by a 15 Year Old Girl?? I Don't Think So!

Well the good news is that last week I upped my mileage to 50.  The bad news is that I'm running out of training time for the Santa Barbara Marathon, now less than a month away. In fact, I generally plan to have all of my long, hard training done 3 weeks prior to the marathon, so as to taper off the mileage gradually over the final 3 weeks.  I won't be needing much of a taper this time around.

While I didn't get around (yet again) to doing a long run, I did make it to the Calabasas Classic 10K on Sunday.  I highly recommend this well run local event.  It is HUGE with over 1,900 runners in various events and well organized. The goodie bags have a really nice "technical" shirt made out of a breathable material.  This is the only event I can think of that offers up such a nice non-cotton shirt.

As has been the case on a recurring basis over the last 6 months of training, I encountered some challenges this weekend. For the umpteenth time, I caught yet another scratchy throat and cold from my little guy on Saturday.  So in my haste I decided to down about 10 chewable 500 mg vitamin C tablets on Saturday. Big mistake I'll later find out.

I get to bed at 11 pm and am awakened by something around 1 am but I can't remember what.  Playing to my favor was the recent time change, which provided an extra hour of sleep and helped me wake up feeling more refreshed. But my throat felt nasty and I would have loved to continue sleeping.

But I got up and out, grabbing a large coffee from 7 Eleven (I hate Starbucks because they don't offer the flavored cream that I like) and a blueberry muffin.  Breakfast of champions.

My goal was to get some mileage in by warming up for a few miles, running the 5K at 8 am at a moderate pace, running the 10K at 9 am a solid pace, then cooling down.  I succeeded in my goal.

The normal pre-race routine consists of the following: park, get race number, get timer chip (for larger races like this), get goodie bag, bring stuff back to car, pin number to race shirt, tie timer chip to shoelaces, drink, eat, visit the porta-potty, warm-up, change shoes, change shirt, chat with fellow runners, then get to the start of the race.  This all pretty much worked out for me.

But after jogging the 5K in about 21 minutes, the 5,000 mg of vitamin C combined with jumbo cup of coffee worked a number on me. Seems I had a bit too much acid in my innards. So with about 5 minutes to spare before the start of the 10K, I would have liked to head right into the head.  But even with 15 beautiful, sky-blue porta-johns sparkling in the sunlight of the Calabasas City Hall parking lot this fine morning, there were 30 other people with the same goal in mind.

Lucky for me there were mostly guys in line. Yes, that sounds bad, but guys take half the time as gals in the bathroom (based on my vast experience).  So the line moved and I found myself quickly entombed in a porta-john, where within seconds my internal combustion vaporized into the scary blue liquid seas below.

But something still didn't feel right, and it wasn't my scratchy throat.  It felt like someone had kicked me in the %^&* and their boot was still lodged in there.

In any case (and without further elaboration), I did make it to the start of the race, felt fine, and actually ran a respectable 38:50, good for 1st place in my age division, and nearly a minute faster than my last 10K time.

The final 2 miles of the race I was running neck and neck with a young kid who I later found out was 17. He ended up beating me by like 9 seconds.  Just couldn't seem to reel him in. But when I saw the race results, somehow a 15 year old girl showed up 3 seconds ahead of me (and right behind the boy).***

Just wait a sec!?  There was no 15 year old girl*** ahead of me!  How the heck did that happen? I contacted the people who did the timing, who reviewed the video and said they did see a female in front of me, though she didn't look 15 and she did not look like someone who could run a sub-39 minute 10K.

This was a double loop 10K. While we were finishing the race, we were passing many of the walkers and slower joggers. What I suspect happened is that she decided to cross the finish line at the end of lap 1. I asked the timers what her 5K "split" was, but they said they weren't tracking splits.

So I KNOW she didn't beat me, THEY know it and I know the other runners in the 10K know it, but anyone else who checks the race results will think this 15 year old girl beat me out*** for 12th place overall in the Calabasas Classic.  At least for now. Darn it!

I'll get over it I guess.

All that said, I feel really good about my performance and more importantly, how I feel.  At this particular moment (Tuesday night 9:30 p.m), I feel GOOD!  And that's what's important :>

*** A post mortem 11/12. Upon further review the race timers determined this young lady, who provided me fuel for the title of this blog posting, was actually in the 5K and was moved from 12th place overall in the 10K to DEAD LAST in the 5K in 1 hour, 38 minutes.  I kid you not! Well I feel kind of sorry for her now but at the same time, I feel vindicated!!

Long Run Plans Went Up in Smoke

Last week's mileage was 38.5 with a "long run" of only 7 miles.  I could make excuses, but I won't. No, actually I will, it'll make me feel better. I had planned on a long run on Halloween morning as I knew with my sugar high that night I'd want to sleep in on Sunday. So around 9 pm I start smelling smoke, like a fire pit.

No big deal, close the windows, hopefully they will put the fire out in an hour or so. But the smell of smoke kept getting stronger and stronger, to the point it started infiltrating my house.

I walked into the garage and it smelled like an ash tray, about as strong as when major wildfires hit us close by in Thousand Oaks last year.  Maybe worse.  I go to bed around 11:30 pm smelling a distinct scent but there's nothing I can do about it.  Again, I'm hoping they will be good neighbors and put the damn thing out.

2:30 am. Wife wakes up and says there must be a forest fire. She calls the fire department. I go outside and hear teenagers 3 doors up from us, still partying outside. I tell her the smoke must be coming from them.  Too late. Fire department drives up street to investigate. I'm too tired and embarassed to walk outside.  I go back to sleep at 3:30 am.

6:30 am. My 6 year old wakes up. I can't move or breathe.  Stench of lingering smoke surrounds us.  I'm tired, cranky, unable to move. I open the windows (thankfully they put their fire out finally) to let some fresh air in. Way too tired and incoherent to do anything other than pour Rice Krispies and milk into bowl.

7 am. 4 year old wakes up. Pillow over my head. Spongebob on the TV. Hoping the kids get along as I lie on the couch. Fighting, arguing, punching, crying ensues.  I give up. Coffee maker turned on. I'm up. I'm cranky. I'm tired. I'm coughing from the smoke. No way in hell I'll be running long on Saturday. But I do resolve to have a word with my neighbor up the street...

So here I am, 32 days from the Santa Barbara Marathon, feeling undertrained, tired and embattled as I've fought through 2 major back spasms, swine flu, sore throat, sore knee, sore big toe.  Planned training schedule basically UP IN SMOKE!

But ya know what, THE PAST 3 DAYS I've actually felt great!!  The time change has been good to me. While I feel quite underprepared to run the type of marathon that I'd like to run, overall I feel fit, healthy and happy. And that's what's most important. 

So I shall ponder whether or not I will actually run the marathon at this point.  I may defer to a Spring marathon instead.  But in the meantime, I'm looking forward to a fun Calabasas Classic 10K run this Sunday!