The Midnight Sun

We’re back from a great trip. We arrived in Reno last night and then drove as far as Susanville; staying the night at Bill and Jill’s. We made the final leg of the trip this morning and we were at home with a collection of mail and a grateful cat, by noon.

What was Alaska like…well our trip began with a short flight (1 ½ hours) out of the Reno airport and that took us as far as Seattle. There we waited about 3 hours for our connecting flight; a flight that would take another 3 hours to complete. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed the flights! Was it because I was taking this trip for pleasure and not for business?

The flight was uneventful and the view was limited to the tops of the clouds until we descended below them, about 45 minutes out of Anchorage. The plane was following the Cook Inlet north, heading directly towards the Knik Arm and the airport. I must say that the view was awe inspiring! Snow capped mountains on each side of the plane, as far as you could see and the wave flecked gray waters of the inlet below us. The sun was a filtered golden light that cast a glow over everything it touched. And I saw no sign of civilization below me; no buildings and no boats.

Eventually the plane descended and we landed smoothly at Anchorage’s international airport, where…surprise! our luggage made the trip as well. It was about 8 PM and the sun was firmly in place in the western sky. And there it stayed for another 3 and a half hours. To be replaced by twilight till about 2 AM. Dawn? That occurred about 4:30 AM.

We had reservations at the Ramada Limited on Muldoon Road, over on the east side of town and close to the starting line for the marathon. Well, “Limited” was probably a good description for the place and the neighborhood. Not that much could be done about it as every hotel in town was full. So we decided to smile and just enjoy being in Alaska. After checking in, we all thought it best to get some sleep in preparation for the next days activities. Sleep? No matter how hard I tried, couldn’t get the curtains arranged keep the light out of the room. Luckily we were tired enough to fall asleep in just a short time.

We had breakfast at our hotel and then went to the race headquarters at the Sheraton…a much nicer hotel. We also found running shorts, socks and other gear to buy; most at pretty good prices. After getting our race packet with bib number and chip, it was time for an afternoon of walking around downtown Anchorage, seeing the sights.

The next day was race day and we were ready. There was a crowd of 2,500 or more in the parking lot of the high school where the starting line was located and so we hung back, knowing there was going to be a crunch as the crowd surged toward the line at the sound of the gun. I was poised to start my GPS timer as we crossed the mat that would activate my timing chip. We kept walking forward, looking for the mat. Finally we had passed the starting line and I still hadn’t seen the mat, so I pushed the button on my GPS unit and began to thread my way through the crowd, looking for a little clear space. The paved trail was only wide enough for 3 people abreast and so it took awhile to get some breathing room.  

This section of pavement lasted for about 7 miles and within the first mile we had our first moose sighting…and our last. It was also an uphill section, though a gradual one. Then we moved into the wilds of the Army base and the “Tank” trail. This was 8 miles of uphill rock and gravel. Some of it was quite steep, but it was finally wide enough to allow for easy passing. But by this time we had run out of the easy ones to pass. I suppose I should mention that we felt pretty good, despite the climb and we didn’t seem to be falling off of our pace. My GPS unit had us at a steady 4.5 mph despite the temptation to pause and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

At the end of 16 miles we went from crossing occasional streams on narrow wooden bridges to a wide expanse of asphalt and began a gradual downhill on our way back to the city. And we were pleasantly surprised to see Laurae and Bill waiting to cheer us on at mile 17. With just nine miles left, we felt confident of a good finish. The trail section had ruined my socks, but after stopping once to assess the damage, I couldn’t find any blisters or blood so I laced the shoes up tight and we pressed on.

We had about 3 miles of dreary sidewalk to navigate before we crossed over the road and headed into the city’s network of park trails. They were narrow but paved and, once again, the scenery was great! And once more we were passing people, giving us a boost for the final 6 miles. We needed it, as I noticed that our speed had dropped to somewhere between 4.3 and 4.4 mph.

The support had been great so far, plenty of water and orange slices available every two miles. But, at mile 21 we were offered popsicles, a first for us and most welcome! It was also at this point that I knew I was going to have a problem continuing at the pace we had been setting. My legs were definitely tiring and my feet had a dull ache in them. I also had a sharp pain where my left shoe seemed to be rubbing against my ankle. I kept looking, but there was no blood or blister so there was not much point in stopping to change socks.

We finally made it to mile 25, a trail running alongside a lake and in the distance I could see people leaving the trail and heading into the trees where the lake ended. That must be the finish line! Wrong…when I reached that point myself I found one more hill to climb. What cruelty! And it began to rain, which we really didn’t mind at all.

But, at the top of the hill were West High School and the finish line. The school track served as the finish corridor and Jill was just ahead of me, but there was still one person between us, so I decided to run the last 50 yards. I passed him with about 20 feet to spare and crossed the line right behind Jill.  I looked at my GPS unit as I crossed and noted that it read 6:01. That would give us a 13.8 minute/mile average, though I was more inclined to think we were under 6 hours because of the problems finding an actual “start” point.

After getting our medals and more water, it finally registered on us that it was raining pretty hard and perhaps we should get out of it and into a restaurant for some well deserved protein and lots of tasty cholesterol!

All in all, a good marathon. Hey, make that a great marathon! We got to see some wonderful scenery, meet people from all parts of the country and we saw a moose (1). What else could we need? Well, it would be a better timing system. Other marathons, smaller marathons make use of timing chips for start and finish plus mid-course timings. Anchorage should do the same.

One for the books - Anchorage

It's over and we're back...well,almost back. We have stopped for the night in Susanville and will be heading home as soon as we have had breakfast.

This was a good marathon and not a great one. We redeemed ourselves after an embarrassing performance in the Valley of the Giants marathon, but we didn't do as well as we did in last year's Portland marathon. How well did we do? I wish I knew! We had timing chips, but apparently they were only to be used at the finish.There were no activation mats to run across at the start and none at the midpoint. I'm going to do some more checking but I believe that they used "Gun Time" to start everyone and then used the chips only to determine your finish time, as the finish linewas the only place where you ran across an activation mat.

Short story; I'm going with 6 hours flat and Jill was 2 seconds under that. I had planned to start my GPS timer as soon as I had crossed the starting mat,but when I didn't see one,I hesitated for quite awhile before starting that timer. At the finish,my timer said 6:01.The marathon website says 6:05 but since we had hung back at the start, we know that can't be right.

After we get home and unpacked,I will post some of the photos here and let you know more about the 2006 Mayors Midnight Sun Marathon

On our way

It’s been a couple of days now since my last racewalking practice and so I should go to the park this morning and get in a short and fast walk, maybe 3 miles and try to hit under 12 minute/miles. Then it will be time to check and re-check my supplies before packing for the trip to Anchorage. Although, I’m sure I will be able to find anything I need or forgot once we are there. There is usually a large selection of running and walking gear present at the check-in site.

I checked the marathon website once more and found that our hotel is about ½ a mile away from the starting line. And I read this…“The marathon event is 26.2 miles in length beginning at Bartlett High School and traveling through the eastern foothills and across Anchorage to the West High School finish line. Scenic city bike trails, gravel, rocky, and paved roadways make up this gently rolling to extended downhill course.”  Let’s see now; trails, gravel and rocky? I’m not sure how much I will like that…but I do like the words, “downhill course”.

Last week I read that the city of Anchorage is experiencing some problems with their resident moose population. They like to eat the spring gardens. Two to three hundred moose call the Anchorage basin their home and there is a good chance we will see one or two as we make our way through some of the parks on the route of the marathon. Now that would be cool!

Dumb and Dumber

That was a workout! We did something over 19 miles on the Bizz Johnson Trail yesterday. And we did it in 4:44. Since we had conflicting data from Jill’s GPS unit, we had to estimate our distance and time. I am going to have to guess that we were doing 15 minute miles…which isn’t all that bad as we had decided to do a long and slow walk. So, “slow” it was.

The trail is certainly not up to its marathon condition; it still has lots of ruts in it and the off trail detours for the tunnels make for slow going. Hopefully those will be fixed before the marathon in October.

We made one serious error yesterday; we didn’t have a plan as to how far we were going to walk and we didn’t bring any water with us. Dumb! But the good news is the fact that we didn’t die…we were simply uncomfortable for the last 7 or 8 miles. That tells us that we’re in pretty good shape, physically. Mentally? That’s a different story.

Now the training plan goes into a relaxed mode; we know we can do the 26.2 miles. I’m thinking of doing one 3-mile race pace walk on Tuesday, just to tune-up before the marathon on Saturday.  

Faster yet

A great day in the park as I ended up moving much faster than planned.

After getting past the construction without too much hassle, I arrived at the park about 6:30. My plan was to see how I felt before deciding on a distance, but do a fast walk, whatever the distance. I started off by walking in the opposite direction, just for something different to do. And I noted that by the 2-mile mark, I was already up to 5.1 mph. OK, so “fast” was definitely in.

I kept it up and by the 4-mile mark I had a time of 47:34; that kind of time was giving me 11:83 minute/miles and was a little over one minute faster than I had been able to do in the 4-mile race a week ago.

With nothing better to do…why not go all out and see how fast I could do the 6.25 mile course? And I completed it in 1:17. That’s good!

Dog Days

Quite a day in the park…I went there for a short and fast walk (8 miles) and I did succeed, even better than I thought I might. I did it in 1 hour and 38 minutes, which translates into 12.25 minute/miles. That’s not far off my 4-mile race pace from a week ago – 12.095.

Just getting to the park took some effort this morning as the highway into town is still under construction and even at 6 AM I had to wait for the flagman to allow one-way traffic through Hamilton City. It’s going to be a long summer!

And for the second time this week, I was chased by a dog…the same dog, which makes me even madder. It’s a golden retriever and it’s not well trained. Neither is the owner. On Tuesday, it came after me, jumping and leaping at me. I avoided it three times – while the owner scolded, “Bad dog!” Of course it wasn’t on a leash. I should point out that I never felt that the dog was dangerous, just a bother! This morning, the same scenario ensued, except this time the dog grabbed my arm in its mouth. It didn’t break the skin. And it didn’t seem to bother the owner that much, - “I’m so sorry…Oh you bad dog!” and she kept right on walking, never looking back at me. Tomorrow? I’m kicking the dog! Hard.

I suppose I should have stopped and complained at length to the owner and explained that I didn’t appreciate dog slobber all over my arm, but I was walking with a purpose and didn’t want to stop. It’s the same tomorrow. No stopping to explain, just one good kick. But should I kick the dog, or the owner? Decisions, decisions!

Here are my thoughts before I left the house this morning… “I will be out in the park today, getting in a much longer walk this morning. I’m not going to predict how long…I always fall short for some reason whenever I do that. But I better eat a good breakfast before I go. And plenty of water…the forecast is for 95°.”

I am back from that walk and I can report that I did 14 miles this morning. The first 6.25 was done in 83 minutes. The second one was completed in 84 minutes and the last 1.5 miles was done in 20:10 minutes. I figured it out to be a 13.39 minute/mile average…and yes, it was getting warm! And I had to argue with myself to get in the last 1.5 miles.

Sure it’s a hassle at times, but all of this walking has made me fit once more. My feet are in good shape and my blood pressure seems to be right where it should be. I haven’t had a blister in quite awhile now. And my weight is right around 200. I do expect to get down to 195 fairly soon in this warm weather and that should be my summer weight.

This morning’s data… BP 103/58 Pulse 77 Weight 199.2

One More Time

OK…another good day in the park. My initial plan was to do ten miles, but I made one critical error. I took the wrong vehicle to the park. I had no Kleenex and no headband and I knew I couldn’t do the full ten miles without them. So off I went to see how fast I could do a 6.25 mile circuit. First, a 5K time of 37 minutes and then a 4 mile time of 49:30. During yesterday’s race, my 4 mile time was 48:37 and so I’m pretty sure that I could have done better yesterday if I had some competition.

The final time for the 6.25 miles this morning was 1:21:00

Mission Accomplished

A great morning!...and I’m feeling pretty good after completing the Fleet Feet 4 mile run/walk at Bidwell Park in Chico.

I made a few mistakes this morning and those got me off to a bad start. First, I left the house later than I should have and the road construction on Highway 32 put me a little bit behind. Then, when I got off of the freeway near the park, I made right when I should have gone left. Now I was on the wrong side of the park and the road I was on ended in a dead-end. OK, so I parked the car and headed into the park and then I realized that I was a long way from the starting line. Without a watch, I wasn’t sure of how much time I had left so I decided to jog my way up to the Cedar Grove picnic area, where the registration packets would be located.

Jogging? What was I thinking? As it turned out, I had plenty of time left when I arrived and I soon had my number in place and began pacing around the area to stay flexible after that short 1 mile jog. I was also worried that I might have used up some reserves of energy. Energy I would need around mile 3.5.

The race started on time and I was soon near the back of the pack, as all good walkers are, though I did hear one person (behind me) remark, “If he can walk faster than I can run…maybe I should give up.” That was good for my ego. And as I neared the trail section of the course, a volunteer told me that I was the first walker he had seen so far.

I had seen a couple of Jeff Galloway devotees ahead of me and I passed the first one within 2 miles. The second one was tougher! She stayed about 100 yards ahead and then when we got to the trail section, she pulled even further ahead…darn! But with perseverance I was able to get close to her around the 3 mile mark. She was about 100 feet away, then 50 and then…she saw me closing in on her and took off. I was never able to get that close again and she finished about 100 yards ahead of me. The appearance of a fast walker will always motivate a slow runner!

I was pretty sure that I was on target for a good overall time in this event and when I finally saw the finish line I could just make out the first number on the clock, a “4”. That was good…I was still in the hunt for a sub-12 minute mile average. But then I saw that the number after the 4 was an “8” and counting up…oh no! I poured it on. Feet, don’t fail me now! And I crossed the line at 48:37. And I was the only racewalker. Would I have done better if I had some competition? I'm sure of it.

All in all, a good experience and it added to my endurance. And I ended up with a medal for being second in my age group; 65-69 years old.

(I also spoke to the runner that walked with me in Durham. He has recovered from his injuries and is back to running. He wasn’t in this morning’s race as he had already done 14 miles earlier this morning and was just jogging through to see someone he knew.)

I will post the official times here as soon as I receive them.

Oh No!

Jeff Galloway's Marathon Training will drive you crazy!
No, it's not you...it's the Galloway students that drive the serious walkers crazy. Case in point; the last marathon we did in the Redwoods. As soon as we got started, we were passed by a running flock of Galloway "birds", perhaps 7 of them. And just after they passed us, they came to a halt, spread out across the road, like birds on a telephone wire, and began to walk...slowly. So we caught up with them and managed to work our way around them. And just as soon as we had passed them, they took off in full flight once more, running by us and then settling to earth again about 100 yards ahead of us. Well, you know the drill...we pass them, they pass us. Forever! Except there are only two of us for them to get around while it is a logistical problem for us to make our way around their much larger group. Plus, they chatter. They can't flock together without all of them recounting how exciting the last 100 yards were!

And even Galloway "loners" are a source of irritation with the constant run/pass/walk/pass/run cycle. Yet...his method has merit for those wanting to get in a good cardio exercise. Just go do it somewhere else...where I'm not.

Solo

Is there anything worse than a solo race against the clock? For some reason I dread the short workout races where I have to “beat the clock”. So I was less than enthused about a planned 3 mile (5K) walk this morning. And as soon as I started, the mental war began…”you’re really slow this morning!” and “Give it up! No one will know.” But I persevered and went the distance in 35:42, which is under 12 minute/miles. So if I do all the math, that works out to a possible 12.1? minute/mile for the 5K…or a 5K in 37 minutes? The math eludes me but I like the time. The last time I did a 5K I did it in 37:49, so it is an improvement.

Weight 202  BP is 123/58 and pulse is 59.

S'alright

I’m back from that important mid-week long walk. And as best I can tell, I kept up a great pace for a 12.5 mile double circuit of the park. I know…I should have gone for 14 miles, but since I hadn’t been walking as slowly as I should have been; and I have a short and fast walk planned for tomorrow, I decided it made sense to stop while I was ahead. I did it in 2:44, or 13.1 minutes/mile. The best part was the fact that I did the first half in 1:22 and then duplicated that time for the final tour. Now let me extrapolate those numbers and see what I could a half marathon in…2 hours and 51 minutes. OK. Not the best, but certainly enough to keep me out of last place.

Let’s see some stats: 200 pounds, down from 210. BP 115/54 and pulse 77.

Speaking of Marathons

Tuesday is here and the long Memorial Day weekend is now history. I will be out and walking again this morning, hoping to get in a long walk of 12 miles or more before the day turns hot. I have a 4 mile race coming up on the 3rd of June and I hope to do well in it; with only 4 practice days left, I have to make them count. And of course the practice will help with the upcoming marathon in Anchorage, on the 17th of June.

Jill and I were discussing our future marathon plans yesterday while we did a fast 6 miles around Susanville. (80 minutes) She will miss the Portland event this year as the family is involved in a wedding on that date. But, the following weekend (October 7th) we will do the Susanville Bizz Johnson Trail marathon that goes from Westwood to Susanville. Since she is going to miss one of our favorite marathons, we will probably try for an early marathon (January) in Phoenix. Of course we discussed the possibility of a Hawaiian marathon and I need to do some research on that. I know there is a marathon in Honolulu, but that’s really a “Big City” marathon with high rise buildings for a backdrop. It’s a very popular event and draws a large crowd…that’s always a good thing for a walker. And there is a Maui marathon, but I’ve never been to Maui and so I’m not sure of the course? There is also a Kona coast marathon and I’m attracted to that one because it’s on the Big Island. Although I don’t find the Kona coast all that picturesque, it might be the best of the three possibilities.

(I just looked at the website for the Kona marathon and walking, not running, seems to be the preferred method of propulsion for that one! The website is sparse and I’m not able to get a good idea of the course.)

OK, I just looked at another website, this one with pictures and a review of the course. And just as I thought, the majority of the course would be on the bleak highway that leads to and from Kailua-Kona. It’s not a pretty picture!…well, it’s still a possibility but it goes to third place in my list of possible Hawaiian marathons.

(Later) I’m back from a fast walk. I decided to do a fast one today and a longer, slower one tomorrow. I didn’t have anything to eat this morning and decided that it might be risky behavior for a long walk and I will be sure and have breakfast tomorrow before I start. How fast was it? According to one clock, I did the 6.25 miles in 79 minutes. That’s a good 12.64 minute/mile pace. There was some confusion about the time as my GPS unit said 1:14. That would have given me an 11:84 minute/mile, but the clock in my car said 1:19. And I do remember hitting one milestone a good 4 minutes earlier than normal…so did I or didn’t I do the faster time? I’m going with the conservative number and will try it again on Thursday to see if I can replicate that time.

Cool

It was a good day in the park. Cool, around 55° and a light wind. I wasn’t sure just how far I wanted to go so I set off to see how I felt. And I felt fast…I ended up doing the 6.25 mile circuit in 81 minutes, a 12.96 minute/mile time and that was good enough.

As I was walking, I was also thinking about the various blogs I write and I decided that it was time for me to cut back. I don’t receive much validation for it and so it seems to be an exercise in futility. I enjoy the writing (as a good mental exercise) and I will probably continue with my own personal journal.

I do have 3 marathons left to do this year and I will probably write a little bit about them. And I will post some pictures of the garden once in awhile…

4 Miles - Faster

It was time for another 4 mile fast paced walk. I started off with a good first mile time of 11:48 and then made it to the turn around in 22:32 (11.16). I slowed some on the way back, doing the 3rd mile in 12.32 and finishing the 4th mile with a time of 12.77. Now if I add all that up I come up with a total of 47.41 minutes! Alright! – Under 12 minutes per mile. I did this a few weeks ago and my time was 48:22. I like it…

And I saw a sign of summer while I was out and about in the park – the park crew was getting the swimming hole at 1-Mile ready for its re-opening. They had diverted Big Chico Creek and were about to clean out the sand bars that the winter floods had deposited on the bottom of the pool. I wonder if there’s any gold in that gravel?

That one is over and

The results are…2:46 for 12.5 miles. That would be a 13.28 minute/mile average and that’s not bad at all for that distance. If I had gone for another .6 miles, or a half marathon distance…that would have been a 2 hour and 54 minute time. Let’s see, I think I did the Bidwell Classic, back in March, in 2:51:17, or just 3 minutes faster.

Despite the cloudy and cool weather, I did need some extra water for this effort. For some reason, I’ve been very thirsty lately and this morning was no exception.

I had a few foot problems this time…sock related. I really should throw out all of the old socks I have and get some new ones. The shoes did just great and I really like the new non-loosening shoe laces.

Only 8

I had a pretty good practice yesterday. I did the usual 6.25 miles in 1:24 and since it was so ordinary…I decided to add a few more miles to it, making it an even 8 miles. I would have liked to have done 10 miles, but I got a late start and the temps were already rising. The good news was that the shoes were comfortable. Very much so.

(The weight afterwards was also good news – 200.4)

I’m going to start a little earlier this morning and see if I can’t get in a 12 miler.

More Training

I just got back from a pretty good training walk. It’s a cloudy and humid day here and so I wasn’t all that fast, but I was consistent. I started off at a slow pace and gradually built on that, doing the 6.25 miles in a pretty much ordinary 1:24 (13.44 minute/mile) Then I decided to tack on some more mileage and went for another 30 minutes at about the same pace. That gives me 8.5 miles total for the day. My plan is to try for a 14 mile walk tomorrow and then a 19 miler by the end of the week. And I can’t forget to get in a fast 4 mile walk sometime this week as well.

I’m including a photo of the marathon medal from a few weeks ago. It’s pretty nice, though grandson, Steven, said, “Where’s the other shoe?”

Sure, I will admit that I do marathons for the “jewelry”. It’s not the sole reason, but it certainly helps. In fact, the reason I did my first marathon was because of a medal (not my own). And if you’ve heard this story before, just click on your browser’s Back button.

It was about 1999 and I was in our Tigard, Oregon office and training some estimators to use computers. I needed a temporary office and I found an abandoned office on the second floor, in the back. It had a telephone and an internet connection so it would be my “hangout” when I wasn’t training. After setting up my computer, I spotted a large bronze medal hanging from a bulletin board nearby. It was a medal from the 1997 Portland Marathon. I looked at it and wondered…first; who left this medal behind? and then, could I ever do a marathon? I saw that medal all week; always fascinating me. And it was still there when I made a repeat trip in about 6 months. It seemed to challenge me. And in 2001, I received my own finishers medal!

Shoes!

Shoes and more shoes...it's a recurring problem; trying to find the "right" ones for racewalking and marathons. I have pretty much figured out that the NB 111's are fine for the short courses, up to 10K but not much beyond that. They are definitely lighweight...and ugly.

Now I'm trying out a pair of NB 1060's and they seem to be pretty good for the long haul. Heavy, at almost 11 oz. But very "springy". The only problem so far is that the shoe rises at the heel more than the 111's, almost 1" more and that has caused some blisters on the Achilles area.

I'm still looking for the perfect shoe. Where is it?

Saturdays Stats

I just got back from a fast walk. I decided to do a 4 miler as I have a couple of 4 mile races scheduled for the end of this and next month. So it made sense to see how fast I can do it now. Of course it all adds up to increased endurance for the marathons ahead of us this season.

I started on the “right” side of Bidwell Park and right at the 1 mile marker. The first mile was clocked at 11:33 and I certainly felt the strain. At the 2 mile turnaround, I had a time of 23:22. (11.61 minutes/mile) I eased back a little on the second half and felt more in control. I finished that two mile lap in 25 minutes, or 12.5 minute/miles. Overall, 4 miles in 48:22 and that is a respectable12.06 minute/mile.

Then it was time for a cup of coffee at Bidwell Perk; a disappointment. Not a full cup, too much foam and the price of a scone had risen to $3.25! I suppose that’s a good thing…I didn’t buy it at that price and that helps with any weight problems I might have.

Weight 201! BP 121/62 and pulse 67

Redux

I’m just back from a long walk (10 miles) at the park. I did it in 125 minutes and that means 12.5 minute/miles. Now does that sound like a guy that couldn’t get a marathon completed in less than 14.5 minute miles, just 3 days ago? OK, I’m just trying to make sense of it and I know I wasn’t 100% ready for the distance, but I was even less prepared for the course itself. Final word: The Avenue of the Giants marathon is not for racewalkers. If you’re a fitness walker, you should do this marathon and do it in 7 hours or more. Enjoy the view…I didn’t. And bring your own food for the end of the race.

I did enjoy the earlier hour at the park; a lot less people to contend with and so I will try that tomorrow, getting there a little after 6.

Statistics: I just checked my weight and I’m at 205. Now let’s see what my BP and pulse are. 116/67 and 64. Not bad at all. I’m not in the best of shape but I’m not that bad either.

The Next One

Here I am, awake early on a Tuesday morning and I have to say that I feel pretty good, despite doing that most painful marathon on Sunday. That’s a good thing, as it really was a training marathon and it’s nice to be able to say that I’m not injured from it. I’m not sure that I’m ready for another one real soon, but I can imagine my doing one in June with no problem. And that’s good – because that’s when we have another one scheduled! It’s Anchorage, Alaska on June 17th and that’s only 39 days from now.

The training plans are for longer and faster walks. I will try for at least 3 walks each week of 10 to 12 miles and one of 16. Once around the park won’t cut it anymore and I need speeds of 13 minute miles or less each time. Then throw in a few 18 milers during the next month and I should be good to go.

Avenue of the Giants Marathon

OK. It’s over. That had to be the worst marathon I have ever completed. As much as I would like to fault the marathon itself, I can’t. I simply wasn’t in the best of shape. Oh, there were plenty of things wrong with the course, starting with the first half, which is a 13.1 mile loop Out and In on Bull Creek Road. To call it a road is a mistake. It was very much like a trail run, rough and uneven. Plus a constant up and down in elevation. The official course remarks make no mention of the surface, which really slowed the racewalkers.

And as long as I’m complaining, we weren’t too happy with the “Early Bird” (8:00) start for walkers and 9:00 for runners, which meant that an hour and a half later the runners began running through our ranks. We had almost made the turnaround point when the runners showed up and passed through. Then it was a struggle to keep out of the way for the next 45 minutes while runners took up most of the “road”.

To tell the truth, as we came back to the starting area and made a right turn onto the Avenue of the Giants road, I had two distinct thoughts – One; I should stop now and call it a fair half marathon. Two; at least we were past the crowds and the road looked much improved. And the road was better but my feet weren’t. I had to stop two more times to put on bandages and re-lace the shoes.

Now the miles came slow and hard. It seemed like we were on an incline for the next 7 miles. Not a steep one, but one that sucked our energy away. By the time we reached the turnaround at 19.5 miles, we were both dragging. (And very glad the other was there to encourage!) And on the way back down the mountain, I got my second wind and hoped that it would last till the finish line. It didn’t. Every time we came to a sunlit stretch, the heat would slow us down. And by mile 22, we were walking and had given up on racewalking. (Racewalking requires some fine motor skills that disappear in extreme fatigue) But we persevered and pretty soon we could see the bridge that we had to cross to make it to the finish. Our energy picked up as we came off of the bridge and with a couple hundred feet left to go, I asked Jill if she wanted to go for it? She did and we actually ran the remaining distance, crossing the finish line a second apart…and with a finish time of 6:19:57. Almost half an hour slower than our time last October in Portland. And all of the promised food was gone.

Were there any positives? Well, the race to the finish was my highlight. I never saw the redwoods after the first 3 miles. You had to concentrate on road if you didn’t want to get hurt. We walked through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and never saw it. Oh, we did get a cool t-shirt and a medal and I guess that’s positive.

I doubt that we will ever do the Avenue of the Giants marathon again. It’s certainly not suited for racewalkers. And the mixing of runners and walkers is foolish and dangerous for both groups on a narrow one-lane road.

And we both need to be in better shape for the next competition. For weeks ahead of time, we had told ourselves that this was simply a practice event for us. Not to worry! But once you start, the competitive juices begin to flow and then it became much more serious than just a practice walk. Shame on us.

Almost There!

Jill and I are heading to the coast later this morning, en route to our latest marathon adventure, the Avenue of the Giants 26 miler. Since it’s going to be a walk in the redwood forests of Humboldt County, it’s also going to be a very scenic and cool marathon. (65°) And it comes with a medal and t-shirt reward for the finishers. We love our rewards!  

This is going to be a much different experience from that of the Portland marathon. Instead of participants numbering in the thousands, we’ll see only hundreds. And no large crowds to cheer us on…only the giant redwoods to watch us pass by.

I think we’re prepared for the race; mentally if not physically. I had a couple of down days last week where I wasn’t sure that I even wanted to do it? But now that the day is almost here, I’m excited about it once again. As I’ve said before, marathons are mostly a mental exercise.

Sore Again

I just got back from a slow walk around the park. I took 87 minutes to make the 6.25 mile trip. A pace of 13.92 minute/mile. I really didn’t want to go much faster as I was still getting some pain around the site of Saturday’s heel blister. But other than that nagging pain, all went well. Now I’m wondering if I shouldn’t try for a short walk tomorrow. Or should I rest until Sunday morning and the marathon? Decisions, decisions!

Slow or Fast?

Fast or slow? I had this plan…you know how plans are. And I was going to do a slow and long walk today, followed with a faster one tomorrow. Followed by a long and slow walk on Wednesday. But, as it turned out, I felt the urge for speed this morning and did a 5 mile walk in 62 minutes. No, that’s not the fastest I’ve ever gone before. But it was a pretty good pace after a grueling 17 mile walk on Saturday.

So now what’s the plan? Long and slow tomorrow. Day off on Wednesday. Fast/short distance on Thursday and two days off before the marathon on Sunday morning.

Sorry

What I forgot to mention in the previous post…
Saturday was opening day for trout season and Deer Creek was crowded with people trying to find a place to cast a hook into quiet waters. And quiet waters were hard to find! The snow melt has begun and Deer Creek offered up mostly rapids for the anglers. It was the same situation on the Susan River, where I saw stretches of river that looked as good as any Class III rapids in the world. But I did see one good sized (3 pound) rainbow being carried home from the Susan… about 2 miles above Hobo Camp.

Progress

Friday afternoon: On our way out of town, we stopped at Fleet Feet so that I could buy a new pair of shoes and some socks. This store didn’t disappoint. Great service and I felt that I was fitted properly. And oddly enough I was sold a pair of size 12’s! I have always bought 11’s or 11 -1/2’s. But the shoe felt good enough for me to want to try it on our practice walk.

Shopping done, we headed up the hill on our way to Susanville and a long practice walk on Saturday morning. The river along the highway, Deer Creek, was running high and fast with lots of blue green water. A real beauty! When we turned onto Highway 36 and left the river, we began to see water standing in the small meadows alongside the road. Water was everywhere! The flood control channel near Chester was running high with spectacular man-made waterfalls. And when we crossed the causeway at Almanor, we could see that the lake was as high as we had ever seen it.

Here’s a link to a photo blog I found and it has quite a few Lassen County photos in it…explore!

Jill and I got an early start on our practice, walking on the new walking/bicycle trail that runs along the Susan River. It’s great paved trail and meanders from near the Little League field down past Wal*Mart. (We bought water at Wal*Mart…good idea!) I think we did that section about 4 times before we headed back uptown and over to the trailhead of the Biz Johnson trail. Here we knew that we had at least 9 miles ahead of us.

I wish I could say that the trail experience was great…but the surface was so uneven after a hard winter that we were both grumbling as we picked our way through the rocks, big and small, that littered the trail. There were even a few VW sized rocks that had made their way down and onto the middle of the trail. Even with the hazards, we seemed to be making pretty good progress, until about the time my GPS unit said we done about 10 miles. That was when I first noticed the small itching sensation that signals the start of a blister. Darn!

I went another mile before I was talked into sitting down and putting a bandage on it. It didn’t look bad at all; we had caught it before it had become serious. I re-laced everything and we continued uphill at a slightly reduced pace.

We turned around at the first tunnel (A spooky place!) and shared a quick bite of a small Cliff Bar. We were both happy to have that water now, as there is nothing quite as dry as a Cliff Bar after 11 miles of hard trailing!

The return trip went well and we ended up with 17.1 miles in less than 4 hours. The hardest part of the trip? That had to be the walk up Main Street from Richmond Road to near Lassen Street where the car was parked. Nothing says “I’m done!” quite like a steep hill climb after a hard morning on the trail.

But of course we weren’t done…when we got back up to the house, we found a small chore waiting for us. The 36’ long floor joists for the Dunn addition needed to be turned around and placed on the waiting supports. I can tell you that they look great! And I know that Bill and Jill are happy to see some progress being made after an overly long winter.

My original plan was to do 18 miles, but considering the condition of the trail, I think we did an exceptional job…ending up with an estimated pace of 13.7 minute/miles and at an altitude of 4,200 feet.

Cooking!

I decided to see how fast I might be able to go for a 4 miler this morning and I got it done in 43 minutes. That's a 10.75 minute/mile average. Now I need to find some shoes for tomorrows longer walk.

Old Shoes

Gotta get rid of them!
I did a longer walk today, about 11.25 miles. And it was quickly apparent that these old NB 110’s are worn out and useless. I have done innumerable practice sessions in them and two 1/2 marathons. Maybe 150 miles? Whatever! It’s time for something new on my feet. I do have a pair of NB 111’s, but they aren’t ready for a marathon. Or I’m not ready for one while wearing them.

It wasn’t the fastest practice and I didn’t even bother to try timing it accurately. I know that I walked for about 2 hours and 30 minutes, so that makes my pace somewhere in the neighborhood of 13.3 minute miles. But, my feet hurt!

And while I was walking, I would look up every once in awhile and wonder…where was I? The trees are now covered with leaves, giving the park a whole new look and it seemed to happen overnight.

Weight 206 (6 pounds overweight!)     BP 121/65    Pulse 71

Better Times Are Ahead

OK! A good time and a surprise as well. I wasn’t all that happy when I started out this morning. I had left my pack in Susanville and it contains my Kleenex, my pedometer and my GPS unit; plus my bandages for the occasional blister.

I had to make do with another “fanny pack” and just that was enough to make me grouchy. But I started out with the intention of doing 10 easy miles. I knew the distance for that was out to the gate and back twice. At the end of the first 5 miles I was doing a 12.6 minute/mile pace and I was happy with that. Then I decided to see if I could pick up the pace for the next five.

On my way and at the 7 mile mark, I felt the first little itch that signals the beginning of a blister on my left heel, so I decided to turn it around and go for a fast nine miles instead. And I ended up with a 12.0 minute/mile average for 9 miles. That has made me very optimistic about the upcoming race…

Another benefit was the fact that I put another 9 miles on the “death” shoes. I have found that these New Balance shoes are great once they are broken in, but they kill me until that happens.

Almost

Bad news…the much anticipated high altitude walking was a bust. It rained continually while we were in Susanville and the trails were mud paths. We gave up waiting for a break in the weather just before noon and headed home…but we’re heading back up next Friday, to get in one good walk at altitude before we head to the Redwoods. So this week it's back to Bidwell and some long walks.

Early

It's just a little after 6 and I'm looking out of the window at a very wet landscape. A Lassen County landscape at that. I'm at Bill and Jill's house for a high altitude practice and it doesn't look very promising. I was hoping we might get in 16 or 18 miles today, but with the weather looking "iffy", I'm not sure now.

Slower?

No, not the best of days. I had intended to get in a long walk this morning, but I just couldn’t get it into gear. My mind said “Go!” but my body was reluctant for some reason. I finished the standard circuit in 83 minutes, which is OK, but certainly not what I was hoping for. Since I had made a promise to myself to get in a longer walk, I added a mile to the course and finished with 7.25 miles in 1:41. And I was sweating?

I suppose I should take comfort in the fact that I did the exercise without a lot of discomfort. I was still able to breathe normally. I see that my BP is slightly elevated…133/71, but the pulse is fine at 59. Weight? Oops! Maybe that’s the culprit? No, I weighed that much yesterday and did quite well.

Tuesdays Pace

Not bad at all…I decided to do a short and fast walk this morning and did a four miler in 46 minutes. That’s an 11.5 minute per mile pace and I will take that kind of performance anytime. I knew I was doing fine when I reached one of my landmarks in 21 minutes, compared to the 23 minutes I had experienced a few weeks ago. Sunshine does wonders for me!

A Good One

What a great day! I got out of the car and into the park about 7 this morning and decided to start my practice over on the opposite side of 1-Mile, the side where the mile markers begin. The temperature was in the 40’s but with fair skies to look at, it wasn’t noticeably cold.

Before I had made it around once, I decided that I felt good enough to go for a half marathon distance. (13.2 miles) So I faithfully followed the route and went around one more time.

According to the GPS unit, I was maintaining a 4.5 mph pace and even at the 13.2 mile point; the pace was still the same.

Some figures:
1:22 for one 6.25 mile circuit of the park. (13:12 minute/mile)
2:50 for the half – marathon (12.88 minute/mile)
3:01 total walking time, at 4.5 mph.  (14.05 miles total)

The best part of course was getting in another half - marathon and then some; another ¾+ miles. It’s all psychological of course, but I needed to do this. Now the next marathon doesn’t sound so forbidding. And I did better today, in a solo walk, no crowds, no competition…than I did a few months back while competing in the Bidwell Classic. My time then was 2:51…

A Little Bit Faster

I’m just back from a good and fast practice. The temperature this morning wasn’t bad, maybe 50°, but the wind was blowing in gusts. And I don’t like being in the park in this kind of weather. The ground is already saturated and with gusting winds, you never know when a tree might decide to leap out of the ground and mug you. The last time through the park I saw two downed trees...

I decided to do a fast 5 mile walk and I did it in 62 minutes. (12.4 minute/mile) That’s a reputable number, one you can always brag about. (A small brag…don’t get carried away!)

And now that I’m home, the wind has really increased. That doesn’t make Sunday a good choice for another walk.

Suns Out!

A good day; a sunny day! You couldn’t ask for a nicer day! OK, enough already. Now, about the walking; I started off a little bit later in the day than usual and wondered if that was the reason for my slow pace. I couldn’t get past 4.3 mph. (13.95 minute/mile) I was struggling for some reason. Then I saw Lin Jensen, the other Chico race walker, coming towards me. We greeted each other and then he turned around to walk with me for a moment while telling me that there was a 21 mile power walk in Santa Cruz coming up soon. I thanked him as he turned to leave and then I turned and walked a little ways with him, explaining that I was signed up for a couple of marathons in the next few months. Again we waved and I returned to my task of getting around the park in as few minutes as possible. And I was still slow…and disappointed.

I kept pushing and pretty soon I was up to 4.4 (13.63 minute/mile) but at the end of one circuit (6.25 miles) I hadn’t advanced beyond the 4.4 pace. OK, I had to push harder and I was rewarded by seeing my pace increase. At the end of nine miles I was averaging 4.6 mph, (13.04 minute/mile) a respectable number. And that means that I had to have been walking in the 12.5 range for the last 3 miles.

13+

A good walk! I didn’t use any technical equipment…not even a watch. I walked for 2 hours and 1 minute according to the clock on the dash of my truck. So by using my deductive reasoning, I think I got in close to 9 miles. I’m sure I kept a 13 minute plus pace for miles. The nice part was the fact that I certainly could have gone further. Now I need to get in a longer walk tomorrow…maybe 3 hours.

And I had to keep a wary eye on the sky while I was walking, the clouds would move in, dark and forbidding and I would start wondering where I could take shelter? Then they would pass on by and I would see blue sky again.

Blisters

I’m back from a good walk, a 7.15 mile walk. But, the bad news - I’m slightly injured; I ended up with a blister on my left heel and that will bother me for a day or two. But the important thing is that I got in some good cardio exercise and I’m building endurance for the next marathon. 122/56 - 51 were my BP and pulse today, an hour and one latte later.

North Pole Marathon™

World's Coolest Marathon
I missed this year's event (darn! It's tomorrow) but it's on my calendar now.

OK, it should be on your calendar as well...

Sore

Almost a good walking day…but I wore my newer shoes and after 6 miles I had to give up and call it good enough. I was getting hot spots on both ankles, despite having stopped about 3 times to lace and re-lace the shoes. I don’t need a foot injury right now, so I contented myself with a good 6 mile walk at 4.3 mph. Not the fastest…

Often Walking

I did get in a good walk yesterday, in fact; very good. The fact that the flu had left me and the promise of better weather had me in a great mood and I didn’t feel any reluctance to get moving…although I didn’t use a watch and just free-styled my way around the park, I know it was a good workout. And it should be good today as well. According to the various forecasts, I may be able to get in a walk tomorrow AM, a little later than usual to avoid the morning showers. I will have to play it by ear.

Rain?

Good news…the rain held off long enough for me to get in a good walk. I really needed an attitude change so I took off at a pretty good pace and kept it up for the duration. I am not sure of just how far I went, as I had to make cross park detour to the restrooms about midway, but I was walking steady for 84 minutes once more. I thought my pace was a little better than Tuesdays, but…?

And it was exciting to see the water racing down through the park. The color of the water is phenomenal! A clear but deep green with tinges of blue. No babbling brook here!

Rain and more rain

Two days in a row. That’s the best I have been able to do. The weather is not cooperating! And today is supposed to be wet again.

I did get in a full circuit of the park and did it in 84 minutes. Not the kind of times I’m looking for, but certainly healthy times…good for the heart and lungs.

I’m beginning to wonder if I’m cut out for the racewalking game…I was on a good pace the other day when I noticed some flowers I had never seen before. I slowed a little to look at them, wondering if my daughter would know what they were? Then I started thinking about what a great photo I could take if I had my camera with me and if I were to lay down right there and use the macro lens…Oops! I’m going too slow. Snap out of it, Steve…

Sunshine!

A good day in the park…the sun was shining and that was the best news of all.

I started off by going the “wrong” way around the park, the opposite direction from my normal mode. I had noted the rapid rise of water in the creek and I wanted to see what it looked like as it went over the dam by the footbridge, so off I went, heading west. And at first, I was going through all of my usual fumbling and tripping as I tried to come up with a pace that would serve me well.

Things were starting to smooth out when I spotted a couple of homeless or street people, sitting on the sidewalk at the end of the road. They were arguing loudly with each other and didn’t appear to be watching the large pit bull that sat nearby. The dog had his eye on me and when I turned to walk into the park, the dog rose and began to growl. The man snarled at the dog and he sat down again, but I was slightly unnerved now. I hadn’t seen a leash and I wasn’t sure that the man had control of the dog. So I kept turning around as I walked. Finally, after about 5 minutes I was pretty sure the danger was past and began walking with eyes forward.

I had to wonder though; why would anyone keep dogs like that? Then I remembered that if you’re homeless, or just an odd street person, you are likely to be the target of attacks by cowardly groups of neo-(insert name here) that take perverted delight in attacking anyone different than themselves. I guess a dog like that makes some odd sort of sense if you’re hoping to defend yourself.

There were few people in the park this morning, despite it being a great day for a walk. There were some of the familiar faces present and we exchanged waves while passing. And then there were some bicyclists…all rude. And one ruder than the rest, passing me with only inches to spare and never giving me a warning.

One of the many questions that came up while I was walking was “should I continue to racewalk, or should I invest in a training regimen that includes jogging or (Gasp!) running?” I have this debate with myself every few weeks and have never resolved it completely…more on this later.

Let’s see…6.25 miles in 84 minutes. 13.44 minute/miles

And I forgot to tell you about the water; it was within a foot of the top of the pool at One-Mile.

What will I do?

Decisions! Decisions! My plan was to train on Monday and Tuesday...take a break on Wednesday. Return to training on Thursday and Friday; and then make Saturday my long walk day, followed by a day of rest. That's 5 workout days and 2 off...

Well, my art class is on Saturdays and I'm torn now. I hate to give it up...either one.

So I went walking this morning and we'll see how it all shakes out at the end of the month.

I decided to go for speed this morning; it was cold (33 degrees) and I wanted to get back in the truck as soon as possible! So I did a little over 4 miles in 44 minutes. Or about 11 minutes per mile.

A little bit faster now...

90 minutes and 7 miles. That’s a 12.85 minute/mile pace and good enough. Once more I didn’t take my GPS unit or a watch, I was only interested in the 90 minute mark, as I’m looking for endurance this week and not speed.

I had the usual “bad thoughts” versus “good thoughts” arguments for the first 3 miles. “You’ve gone far enough. It’s really cold and you only need to get your heart rate up. You’ve done that…and you can do more tomorrow.” Now that’s a Bad Thought! And I was able to provide a better Good Thought argument and continued on.

Another Foot Note: Beauty is fleeting…and so are toenails. Real beauty lies within…within the middle of a ten minute mile!

Foot Notes

A good walk. I didn't take my GPS unit and I ignored the clock, yet I'm certain that I kept a 13 minute/mile pace for about 6 miles. The plan was for a longer walk, but the rain made the decision for me and I called it quits before I could do the planned 7 miles. The far ranging goals of making certain that my heart and lungs were working were met and that's important.

Chico Creek was running fast and high today. The water is clear; not the usual brownish runoff, but melted snow from the foothills. And where the bridge crosses Chico Creek, at 1-Mile, the water was flowing in a solid sheet over the dam...no splashing, just a thunderous roar as the water dropped over the side of the dam.

Oh, yes...the Foot Note. I'm losing another toenail. That's three gone with one on it's way back. Ugly. But, luckily there is no pain involved with losing a toenail. Only your vanity is affected.

2006 Bidwell Classic 1/2 Marathon & 5K Half Marathon Race Walker

Oh, darn!
Well, my estimate was off...by 3 minutes! I can console myself with the fact that I had aimed for 13 minute miles and had come darn close to it.

Postscripts

A few more thoughts about the Bidwell Classic...

The contestants numbered almost 1,200, a big leap from last years 800+.
There were far too many dogs around the starting area. A lot of excitement and children...dogs were barking and straining at their leashes to join in. What's with that? Can't the dogs stay home for once? What was the purpose of having them there?
And bicycles...the same old Bidwell story...even during a race, the cyclists were cruising through the packs of runners without giving any warning. I saw one (1) cyclist using his bell and I saw two (2) near misses.
And socks...I wore my favorite. Not a good choice. I ended up with blisters on my toes. Always wear "New" socks!
I won...a prize in the drawings after the event. I won a paid entry fee for the Paiute Meadows Trail Run, to be held in Susanville on May 20th. I don't know a thing about it, but I will soon.
And last...just as it happened after the Almond Blossom 5K, I heard some great opera on the radio as I drove home. I turned up the volume and basked in the exuberance that only a great aria can deliver.

Bidwell Classic 1/2 Marathon

The race is over. All of my practice (not enough) came to a climax today when I crossed the mat at the starting line and activated the electronic chip attached to my shoe. And 2 hours and 48 minutes later I crossed the finish line. Tired.

The day began when I got to Bidwell at a little after 8 and found a parking place near the finish. Then it was time to wander around and see if I could see anyone I knew from Roseville. I was pretty sure there would be some walkers from Sierra Race Walkers and I was also hoping to see some runners/walkers from Valley Springs as well. About 8:30, I spotted a few old friends from Sierra Race Walkers and found that they would be doing the ½ Marathon Relay.

Since I was in the second wave to start, I lined up far back of the crowd and tried loosening up with some stretches. That was when I spotted my acquaintance from the Almond Blossom run, the runner who was injured and had begun a second “life” as a walker. We talked for awhile and he asked me what I had planned for a pace per mile. I told him I thought I would try to keep it at 13 minute miles. He said that sounded good to him and that he was going to hang around me for awhile.

The first wave took off and 5 minutes later it was our turn. We walked and talked our way to the first mile and we noted that we had done that one in 12.18 minutes, a little bit fast. The second mile came along and we were at 12.2 minutes, still too fast. We reminded each other that we had done that well during the Almond Blossom and that was only a 5K. I decided to slow it down a little and after another mile, my friend decided to move out a little faster. And it was at this point that I noticed that the field of walkers was thinning out considerably! And after the 5th mile, I was suddenly all alone. Bummer! All I could do was use my watch and try to count for a regular pace. A pace that approximated what I had been doing earlier when I had a crowd to compete with. Trying to do the math in my head was a real pain! I am much happier when I can see someone and then try to overtake them. But I didn’t see anyone until the 9th mile and there I found 3 people in rapid succession and was able to overtake and pass them. Another mile or two went by without competition and then one more was passed. At this point I only had another 2 miles to go. So I tried capitalizing on my second wind and kept up a good pace.

Pretty soon I turned the corner that leads to the timing lane and was most pleasantly surprised to see some friends from Sierra Race Walkers there to encourage me. (Thanks!) And then I was over the mat and my time had been recorded. I tried to estimate, as best I could, and I think it was 2:48? The Chico Running Club will be posting the results later and then I can see the true numbers. The good news; the time is very close to what I had predicted, and I like the fact that I was able to manage my pace that well.

Now it was time to relax, have a couple of bananas and an orange and walk around…slowly. I met my friend, the runner/walker, and he reported that he did it in 2:37. Not bad at all for being injured. And he told me that he had walked for awhile with someone else from Sierra Race Walkers; Sandy Flint, I believe?

The weather. Did I tell you about the weather? The morning was clear and cold. Probably about 40 degrees. The bright sun helped to raise the temperature to close to 50, but not much beyond that. I had layered my top, but just wore shorts. And as long as I was on the south side of the park, it was almost too warm. But once you turned the corner and headed west on the north side, it became quite chilly.  And I think the sun disappeared behind some clouds about the same time the race was ending…for me. Perfect weather. OK, it could have been warmer! But it didn’t rain.

Bad news/Good news. My partner was not able to walk this race with me and that was very disappointing. The good news is that we have a little over 8 weeks to get ready for the Avenue of the Giants marathon and I’m certain we will be in good shape for that one. A couple of weekends in Susanville, doing 18 or 20 miles on the Biz Johnson trail will really help. Susanville is at 4,500 foot elevation and Avenue of the Giants is all at sea level.

Race Day

It’s early on race day and I’m awake after a very restless night. I think it must be because of the race; as my dreams were all race related. I don’t know why this particular race would cause any anxiety, as it’s just another ½ marathon, 13+ miles and I’ve done that plenty of times before. My goal is to finish in 2:45 (12.7 minute/miles) and with any luck at all, I should be able to get close to that.

I’m probably anxious because I won’t have my walking partner with me. With Steven having bronchitis and with crummy weather/roads, Jill will be sitting this one out. Since we had already decided that this was simply a tune-up race, we’re not going to be that far behind in our training for the Avenue of the Giants Marathon in May.

Timing is everything!

I did get in some walking this week. Just not as much as I had planned. This weather has all of my plans in disarray. I got in a 5 miler yesterday and did it in 63 minutes and that's fairly fast. Not my ideal, but certainly enough to get the heart pumping. Let me see...63 divided by 5 equals 12.6 minutes per mile. (I'm using an old calculator that I can barely read...why don't I just buy a new one?) I would say that we're in good shape for the Bidwell Classic in just 2 days from now. I have to pick up my race packet tomorrow and this year, for the first time, the packet will include a timing chip. A great way to run a race!

And here's a photo of the creek that runs through Bidwell. It was running pretty strong yesterday and had created a whirlpool as it descended into the swimming pool section.

Old?

I just finished reading some posts on the MarathonWalkers board and noted that during the past few weeks there has been some discussion about older walkers...those over 50. It was all positive and encouraging for those new members who might have thought life was over at 50.

I'm headed towards the 66th year of my life and I am enjoying a great year of walking...October of 2005, I did my second marathon; I had a time of 5:57 and a few weeks ago I had a 5K time of 37:49, after a winter training break of 8 weeks. I will be doing the Bidwell Classic 1/2 marathon in another week and then I am signed up for 3 more marathons this year. Is 50 old? Not! Nor is 60 or 70. I'm not sure about 80...I'll let you know when I get there.

Rain

The storm has arrived with not much fanfare and a nice gentle rain. The good news is that we saw no rain at all when we did our ten mile walk this morning. It was a slow walk for us. We're certainly able to do faster ones, but since Jill had new gel arch supports, we kept it down to a nice cardio walk while she figured out whether the supports were doing any good...they weren't.

It was nice to see that we could do 10 miles without faltering, and we both agreed that we could have done an additional 3 if we had been so inclined. And it's 13 miles that we need to do next weekend.

Faster yet

The good times continue as Jill and I were able to do a good, fast paced circuit of the park yesterday morning. The cloud cover had kept the temperatures moderate and that certainly helped. And we’re going to do another, a longer walk this morning in preparation for next weekends Bidwell Classic. If we can get in 10 miles this morning, at a moderate pace, we will be good to go for the race.

The weather for the race is sort of “iffy”…forecasts now call for rain on Friday, partly cloudy on race day (30% chance of rain) and rain again on Sunday.

A New Day

What a difference a day makes...or a degree or two. I was becoming frustrated with my inability to gain any speed. I had a feeling that it was simply the temperature that was holding me back. This morning I went around the course in 81 minutes, a 12.96 minute/mile average. At one point (4 miles) I was up to 4.9 mph. And the day? It was grand! It was warm and sunny...and that made the difference. Here's some pictures of the park as it appeared this morning...

Smile!

Another day in the park.
Yesterday, I got in just a little over 6 miles in the cold. At least 3 miles went by before I could feel any warmth returning to my cramped muscles. I have to admit that training and cold don’t go well together for me. I love the heat!

This morning I decided to go for a long walk. A long slow walk. So I dressed in jeans, t-shirt and sweatshirt. I needed the sweatshirt for the pockets, as I planned on taking some photographs and I knew I would go through some batteries.

Off I went; doing a good 4.3 mph. That is considered brisk walking and will certainly raise the heart rate and build muscle. Then, seeing something scenic, I stopped to take a picture. Darn! Batteries died in the act of extending the lens. So I put the camera away and hurried on. After awhile I saw another great image and decided to change batteries. I raised the camera and that set of batteries died as well. Now my pockets contained 8 dead batteries and one useless camera.

I decided to make the circuit and then go across the street to the drugstore and buy 4 batteries. And off I went again, doing the 6.25 miles in 87 minutes. That’s a 13.92 minute per mile average and pretty good for my long and slow walk.

Then I headed to the drugstore and got the batteries. I turned the camera on again and then saw the message “No Card”. What? Where had I left the memory card? I headed back to the car, hoping that the card was sitting on the back seat. No such luck. That was when I decided to cut my long walk to a short one…7.25 miles…and go home. Where I see my memory card sitting in the holder next to my monitor.

Winner

I got a call from my #1 daughter the other day. She was calling to tell me that I had won something at the Almond Blossom 5K…I had left right after the race as I had to get back to Orland to pursue my “artistic” career. Our watercolor class had already started and I was late!

Granddaughter Meghan and son-in-law David were at the awards ceremony and heard my name being called as the winner of the 5K Men’s Walking division. Meghan was kind enough to accept my award for me.

We went into town yesterday and picked up the award (Denise had brought it to work with her) and I must say it is quite nice! A dark green enameled plaque with the name of the race on it and the date. It has been a long time since I had last received an award of any kind…was it the pie eating contest in Manhattan Beach, back when I was about 9 years old? I think I placed first in that memorable contest.

Obviously, the Almond Blossom is now my favorite race and I must prepare to defend my title next year, as I’m certain that many will want to topple me from my throne. I’m going to have to do better than 37:49 for the 5K, that’s for sure!

Almond Blossom Results Just in...

The first race of the season, a 5K is over and I did well enough to please myself. I’m only doing for me anyway, so that is all I really need in the way of encouragement. The race started on time, and just before the gun, a gentleman asked me if I was going to walk it? He had been watching my practice sprints and had figured out that I was certainly not a runner. He told me that he had injured himself and would have to walk this race, though he certainly wished he could run it. We wished each other well and the gun sounded…off to the races!

I quickly maneuvered past the recreational walkers and settled into a good racing pace, one that I knew I could maintain for the full distance. I could see the crippled runner up ahead of me and noted that he was staying just about the same distance in front of me and not pulling away. At the 1.6K mark I was starting to close in on him. When we reached a point about ¼ mile from the turnaround, I had caught up and we began to talk. He was a former track coach and had been running marathons for quite awhile. He was exploring the possibility of changing over to racewalking if his injuries didn’t heal as expected.

We enjoyed the conversation and it kept us moving along without any strain. I still maintained the pace I started with and I think I helped him to keep up as well. When we got to the parking lot and close to the finish line, he indicated that I should make a dash for it as he wasn’t going to…I accelerated away and crossed the finish line in an ET of 37:49, which would be about a 12.09 minute per mile average for me. And I liked that!

I wasn’t tired and I knew I could have gone faster, but I had enjoyed the talk of races, past, present and future and that was better.

The cold? I decided to go with short sleeved shirt and running shorts, expecting that the walk would have me heated up pretty fast and I was right. I never did sweat, though I was right at the verge most of the time.

And afterwards I was really pumped...so on the way home I turned the radio up, real loud, and listened to arias from the opera "Aida". Perfect!

Not the best of days

I arrived at the park with the best of intentions. It all went downhill from there. Figuratively. Here's a photo of the parking area where I start.Not many people here at 7:30 I started out fine, but then noticed that my right heel was being rubbed, so I stopped and adjusted my laces. After a few more minutes, my foot felt cramped by the laces so I loosened them a little. That only started the heel rubbing syndrome again. What was the matter? I wore these shoes yesterday without a problem? Well, I persevered and finally ended up doing about 4 miles total before I decided it was too close to race time (tomorrow) for me to be fooling around with a possible blister. I headed back to the car and then took the time to shoot a few more photos...here's the swimming pool at 1-Mile. No one seems to be taking advantage of it?
And here's a shot of the creek as it enters the swimming pool...

A little better

I have just returned from the park, where I was able to get in a decent walk. Not the fastest, but it was certainly better than yesterday’s fiasco. I did the 6.25 miles in 84 minutes; then I took a minute off of that number because of stopping a few times to blow my nose and make adjustments to my clothing. Make that 83 minutes and that puts me at 13.28 minute miles. And that’s OK.

The walk started off OK, but it took almost 2 miles for my body to get used to the cold. Breathing that chilly air was almost painful! At the 4 mile point I took off my ear warmers and gloves and never needed them again.

Ugly!

Ugly was the right word for it. I couldn’t get going this morning. First, I was a little slow getting on the road this morning and then once I arrived at the park and hit the pathway…I slowed down even more. Was it because it was cold and I decided to leave the long pants on? Or was it the sweatshirt? My ears were warm and at one point, it felt as if that was the only warm part of me, no matter how hard I tried to gain some speed. I finally told myself to hang on for 2.3 miles out and 2.3 back. Which I did in 65 minutes. And that equals 14.13 minute miles. Oh, terrible!

Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder, 29 degrees, but I’m going to avoid the sweatshirt. I think that was the culprit.

Once Around the Park

Ah, very good! I did the circular route around Bidwell in 83 minutes. (13.3) It was a good time to see how much faster I could go, as the temperature was in the 40’s and it will be quite a bit cooler in the days to come. There was nothing special about the walk today, although I did stop briefly to introduce myself to the “other” Chico racewalker. We kind of shuffled in place as we shook hands, made a polite comment or two and then took off again. I might have lost 10 seconds in the exchange…

Faster?

Well, not much...I did the circuit in just under 84 minutes and that is an improvement. (13.44)

I had to begin the walk with my hands tucked into my sleeves, but my ears were toasty warm...Thanks Kitty & Dean! In fact, I had to pull the ear warmers off after a few miles and let my ears flap in the breeze to cool off.

And I ran into one of those dogs who shouldn't allow his master in the park. One man was leading two dogs on leashes and the other man's dog (no leash) began to circle the trio. The clueless gentleman kept calling his dog, who now had the trio all tied up in leashes...but the dog was ignoring him. You might have thought that the clueless one would walk over and separate the dog from the mess he had created, but no...he simply continued to call the dog, "Here Howie!" "Please, Howie!"

Faster

12.6 minutes per mile…
That was the score for today. I didn’t do the full 6+ miles, deciding at the last minute to do a faster 5 mile walk instead. The sore muscles played a small, but powerful part in that decision.

And it was a beautiful day for a walk. Chilly, but clear and sunny. And I love the fact that walking expands your brain as well as doing good things for your body. Walking just makes you feel more alive!

All of the way around

Another good, but somewhat painful morning. I got in a full 6.25 circuit of the park and did it in 85 minutes. (13.6 minutes per mile) I’ve done it before in 78 minutes without a problem but that isn’t going to happen for a week or two. The muscles I stretched yesterday were complaining a bit this morning, but I had to ignore them if I were to get in a full practice. And then, just to make certain that I was on the right track; I got rid of the warm-up pants and did another 2 miles. A little slower, but still in the 14 minute range.

Tuesday

Tuesday is here and all seems to be well. My body didn’t fall apart after a good workout yesterday and so I will do it again this morning. It’s a little less than 3 weeks to the running of the Bidwell Classic ½ Marathon and I hope to be in shape for it. I won’t embarrass myself; that I know. But I want to make myself proud as well.

Yesterday, I spent a few hours at the Orland Library conducting a survey of the patrons. Boring! I had to ask each person coming in the door whether or not they lived in the city of Orland, or did they live in the county? Perhaps out of the county? Since the day was nice, I did most of my interviewing in the vestibule…it was cooler. And while I was there, I spotted a notice for the 24th running of the Almond Blossom 10 & 5k races in Durham on the 18th of February. T-shirts and medals for age divisions…sounds good to me and the timing is perfect; just two weeks before the Classic. Let’s see now, 5k is ??? OK, one kilometer is .62137 of a mile so I multiply that by 5 to get 3.10685 miles. And I should be able to racewalk that distance in about 40 minutes. I know I should be faster, so I will aim for 36 minutes.

Been There, Done That...

Mission accomplished. I got in my training time this morning. It started off well as I quickly found my way up to 4.8 mph. It’s so great to feel your body responding to the demands. Even though it has been a few months since my last training day, the rhythm was easily found again.

After about 2.5 miles, I decided it was time to tone it down. I was getting overheated because of the hat and gloves so I put those into my pack and dropped my speed down to 4.6 mph.

After about 5 miles, I decided to cut it short as I was getting some chafing that I hadn’t anticipated. Overall, I went close to 6 miles (5.8) and had maintained a 4.6 mph average. I’m happy with that.

Odd: Walking east, a couple with a dog approached and as they went by, the man looked at me and said, “You look curious.” Startled, I turned toward him and he repeated himself. I tried to figure it out. Did I look curious to him? Or did I look as if I were curious? I would have to say that afterwards I looked…baffled!

As I was saying...

An auspicious weekend! Jill and I signed up for the Midnight Sun and the Avenue of the Giants marathons. It’s a done deal. No backing out now! The money has been sent…Now we need to find travel and lodging. Our semi-plan is to do a marathon in each state and so far we have done Oregon. 49 to go. The one we’re looking forward to the most is Hawai’i and there are 2 or 3 to choose from over there.

Plans

The plans are coming together. Jill and I will be doing the Midnight Sun marathon in Anchorage in June. Now we need to make some plans for it. Hotels and airlines need to be reserved. But first we have to register...

And it looks we’re putting together quite a good schedule for the whole year. Bidwell Classic ½ in early March. The month of May will see us in the redwoods as we tackle the Avenue of the Giants marathon. June is Alaska and then we are clear until October when we will do two marathons, a week apart. Those are the Portland and Susanville marathons. We still need an April race and I wouldn’t mind doing a half marathon sometime in August or September.

Alaska

It looks like the Midnight Sun marathon (June) is a go...And we are also hoping to do the Avenue of the Giants marathon in May. All we need now is a decent 1/2 marathon in April. Hmmm?

A Plan

OK, it sounds like my walking partner wants to do the Midnight Sun marathon…it’s always been on my short list and so I’m up for it. It’s a walker friendly marathon and I’ve never been to Alaska. So what’s not to like about that combination? Now I have to do some searching for accommodations and travel. I think that Alaska/Horizon Airlines flies out of Redding and if true, that would be the best place to start.

Should we do another one prior to June? We have the Bidwell ½ in March and possibly? the Valley of the Sun ½ in late March. Late April or early May would be a good time for another full marathon.

Live From CES

Garmin Forerunner 205 and 305

As a marathoner, can I justify this expenditure? Please tell me Yes!...

New Stuff for the New Year

The New Year has arrived and I need to get busy with a training program again. Yesterday, I registered on-line for the Bidwell Classic, the ½ marathon that will be held on March 4th. The Chico Running Club has been putting on this event for 35 years now and it’s a great way to begin the marathon season. I wonder if they welcome walkers in their club?

Rain

It’s raining again and so I know I won’t be out in Bidwell Park today. With this weather to contend with, the training has slowed to almost non-existent status. And I must report that my right foot is bothering me once again. I really need to find a good shoe for those times when I don’t want to wear a tennis shoe for daily wear. I have pretty much decided that it’s my favorite shoes that are causing the problem. These are old shoes that I used to wear all of the time when traveling and since they don’t have a metal arch support, they are suspect. (Metal would set off alarms at the airport and so I enjoyed wearing these shoes and walking right through security) Now it’s time for me shop around for a substitute pair of shoes. In the meantime I will need to go back to using ibuprofen to relieve the inflammation.

As I stated, I haven’t returned to my walking regimen and I need to do that soon. I think we have a marathon to do in March (Phoenix?) and I know we have the Bidwell Classic half marathon in March as well. I need to register for both of those events and that will help with the motivation process and get me out onto the pathways of Bidwell.

Odd…I could have sworn that the Valley of the Sun was a full marathon? The website now shows it as a half?

And here’s the full marathon link…Marathon Guide

Falling Behind

As you may have noticed...I haven't had much to say here recently. And I'm not going to beat myself up over it. The holidays are upon us and I don't have the time to give to a regular training schedule. So I'm taking a break...without guilt! With the New Year will come a new training regimen and we're still hoping to do a marathon in Arizona (March) and a half marathon. (Bidwell Classic...also March?) Hmm, I better check and see if there's a conflict.

Another winter day in the park. I started off at a slow pace and kept it there for the entire time. 4.5 mph was a good workout and I wanted to treat my right foot to an easy walk. After about 4 miles, I felt some twinges of pain in the foot but nothing too serious, so I kept going. And instead of going around the park, I decided to exit the park and walk over to Teaz Me. As I stopped at signal and waited, I noted that I had gone a little over 6 miles in 1:21. Those are decent times and miles. (I should note here that I spent some of that walking time thinking about creating another blog...)

But I wasn’t prepared for the pain in my foot when I got up to leave the restaurant. I hobbled and limped my way back to the park and to my car, and by the time I reached the car, the pain was almost gone again. It’s time for more ibuprofen!

Back at it

I'm just back from a short walk in the park. I did a 5 mile walk and did it in 1:06...that would be a 13.2 minute/mile average, not my best effort. But I had a good excuse in that my right foot was still bothering me. I went out fast, doing the first 3 miles at an average of 4.9 mph and then I decided to save myself from any lasting damage and walked back in at a leisurely pace.

It was beautiful day, lots of sunshine and some frost. I think it was right around 33 degrees when I started and although I was wearing shorts and a light shirt, the fact that I had gloves and a wool watch cap on made for a very comfortable walk...except for the walk back when I had slowed down. That was when I felt the cold!

OK, that's a good start. Now I will take tomorrow off but will return to the park on Monday for a full circuit.