Harvest Half Marathon 2013

For me, the final countdown to this sublime race starts 2 Thursdays beforehand, when I take the 20 minute walk from work to package pick-up at the Tech Shop. I registered as soon as I could in April, and when they gave me my stuff my bib was #1!

It was with a mix of irony and genuine happiness - finally number one. "Maybe you'll win," said one of the volunteers. "Well, I was 7th last year," I replied. I could've sworn I heard a gasp behind me. Honestly, I'd love an AG medal which in itself is luck in terms of who else shows up. It is however inconceivable that out of 1,000 runners there'd be nobody capable of under 1.27. 

So despite a foot injury that had cost me a few training runs, I thought I should try for a PB despite not feeling confident of having the legs to do it. 

Back in my GB sprinter's top then, good for cool weather despite its sleevelessness. And my wife likes me in it. Rich was back in action 5 weeks since BQ-ing. He also brought an entourage of other fine runners with him. 

Once again, I led the first block as we started under cloudy skies. It was rather windy on the mainly westward approach to Fish Creek Park. This is an uphill section that climbs to varying degrees, seemingly unending. During that section, I made a close-up pass by a group of deer which had wandered up to a neighbourhood golf course from the park. I've seen them during this race before, but now finally get them on camera.

Plunging down into the park, my favourite section I call the roller coaster. The steepest gravel part scares me every year and I take small, quick, comedic steps. A right hairpin, a sharp downhill left into the trees, the path snakes to the first wooden bridge, a quick view of the creek and then into thick pine forest. 

Emerging from the trees to a grass plain and a hairpin and past the 7k mark, the pace felt hard work. A plunge back down again to the 4 bridge section, I wore the camera backwards as planned. To keep it steady I pulled it down almost to the point of making the strap a blindfold. 

After the 4th bridge a quick but steep hill and more twists to Votier's Flats. A slightly different route this year which added another sharp turn. I reckon the older, straighter route works better. 

One runner in a blue shirt who had been in front of me since the start of the park was acting as my pacer even though I kept trying to tell myself to let him go. 

Getting to Sikone Hill I was 20 seconds ahead of schedule. The hill costs 40-60 seconds so the gamble of this race would be whether or not I had anything left after the hill with 3.5k to go. Getting up to speed was tough going, and at the 18k sign I was about 20 seconds behind. Trying to crunch a few numbers which I find hard enough sitting down, my hamstrings started to feel like they were going to seize. 

The gamble hadn't worked, so just cruise home. By now I know the course so well I knew there'd be few surprises. The only one in fact was the finish line having been moved further back. Rounding the final corner with its grass bank, there it was, rather than 100 metres away. This somehow brought out the urge to celebrate more than most non-PB performances, so I Mobotted my way to the line to quite a bit of laughter. 

I even hit on the idea of taking my camera off and filming myself as I crossed the line. 

1:28:23 is not my quickest, but still a great morning's work. 9th this time, and 6th in my AG. I'll most likely have to wait until my 40s for an AG medal.

Once again this race was everything running should be, both challenging and fun as well as carrying many other wider meanings.

July

After the Calgary Half at the end of May, it was going to be 5 weeks and then a short drive south to the town of High River for the Canada Day Half Marathon. The weather had other ideas. Every time I've raced outside Calgary, I've been greeted with bad weather - high winds in Quebec City, and very heavy rain in Sacramento last December. 

The Calgary Half was, for May and June of this year, a rare dry day. On June 20, it rained heavily all day, and the usual flow of melt water from the nearby Rockies came all at once. High River is so called for a good reason. It was by far the worst affected from the floods. 

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Instead I entered the Mountain Equipment Co-op race in Calgary. MEC has 8 or so races a year for just $15 each, I think I'll do a lot more of them in the future. You can take your pick from 5, 10 or even half marathon in some of them. I thought I'd try the 10 this time, even though there was a hill that would prevent a PB. 

I saw a couple of familiar faces there - Paul the barefooter was there with his 2 sons. At the startline I chatted with Felix, a teenage rocket I'd last seen at the start of last year's Stampede Road Race. What chance a sub-40? It would depend on whether this out-and-back course had 2 hills or 1. 

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A quick start - aren't they all - and it seemed like more than 7 weeks since my previous race. A girl who looked about 13 stayed ahead of me for about the first 5 minutes. She'll be quicker than me next year. Passes and re-passes, then I stuck with a guy who overtook me on the downhill. 

The "flat" part in the middle went somewhat uphill. 1/2k before the turnaround was a "no sub-40 min 10k today hill". The guy I was shadowing took  on some Gatorade at the turnaround, I had my own. He disappeared after that. 

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It was boiling hot, a beautiful spot, but hard to keep the sub-4 minute kms coming. A quick low-5 from Paul helped though. 

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Back up that 1st hill and sweating heavily. I felt like toast at the top, but was surprised to be able to hit 4:00 minute pace. It took a while to get there, and just before the end, the no-bottles-guy tried to pip me at the line. I found enough speed to stay ahead - all that for 6th place! 

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So a bit frustrating to be in what I thought was PB shape but without a course to match. That said, it was a beautiful day and MEC puts on a great event. Doing some of the charity runs makes me feel a bit of an intruder at times, but this is just pure running for a great price.

Calgary Half Marathon 2013, a PB despite the melodrama :)

So, the plan: seeing as my PB of 1:26:48 was set on a hilly course (Harvest Half last September), I decided to pace myself for a 1:26:00. However, any PB would do, and if not that I feel that a half has gone well if I can add to my collection of sub-90 minute performances.

In direct contrast with California in December, race day took place in a good weather window after heavy rain for the previous 3 days. Slightly chilly at sunrise, newcomers were easily spotted: dressed appropriately for standing still at the start line at 6:45am. They would all be literally wearing their regret later.

There was some kind of Zumba dance at the start line - one of the group came up to me to dance a bit, and all I needed was 3 seconds to show why I'm a runner. 

There were 4 or 5 Kenyans who do this race, I took a few steps back from Kip Kangogo (won the half) and Bernard Onsare (won the full) so as not to get in their way. Compact yet lanky frames, I felt like saying hi but didn't want to disturb them for their pre-race thoughts.

A tidy getaway with my camera facing backwards, by the Saddledome 300 metres or so later it was time for my annual standing appointment with Adam, this year with a more aerodynamic haircut. Going for a 1:20, I would loved to have joined him, but that's under my 5k pace. 

The world-record attempting group of 10 tethered runners were doing the full marathon at a slightly slower pace than my half. Most of them had individually done 2:40. "Any of you have those shoes with wheels on the soles?" was the wittiest thing I could think of. 

Just after 3k near the zoo, is the steepest incline, a c-train travelling parallel to the course gave a blast on his horn. A few spectators by this time were saying things about my camera, Team GB top or even quickly reading my bib and encouraging me by name. Always a nice touch. 

The course has been tweaked this year from last year's broad departure from the old one. There are fewer corners, crossing the downtown core is now 3.5k all along 11th ave. There was a nice breeze along here, and just after passing photomeister Neil, the full marathon course branched off. Unfortunately the 2 solid "pacemakers" I had chosen went off on that course. Next time I'll make sure to draw level so I can see the bib and check they're doing the same distance.

 

Kensington Road is a welcome addition to this year's course. If 17th avenue can be added then it would be perfect. Just after that is a right turn on Memorial Drive and the turnaround just under 2k later. Kip Kangogo flashed past the other way, 4k in front of me just as I passed 2 girls who saw my camera and said "I've always wanted to do that." It's great, but the editing takes forever. 

After the turnaround, it was quite a lonely run east along Memorial Drive. There seemed to be no-one within 100 metres of me.

At 17k, I felt a twinge in the hamstrings which is familiar to me from all 3 of my full marathons and one half. About 5 seconds up on 1:26:00 pace, I felt 4k was a little far out to maintain it. I decided to back off just a bit and get the PB anyway but with less risk. 

Threading through 10k runners who got in the way from time to time (though not too bad and much improved over previous years), tightness in the legs came and went. 

At the 20k sign they got a little tighter, and I tried to keep them a little straighter. Not far to go. With the Stampede Stadium in sight, all that remained was a left curve, about 75m, then a right and another 75m or so. Getting to the right hander, my right hamstring cramped and pulled me up. Not one step further. A quick deep stretch and I glance at my watch I said to myself, probably out loud, "can still get a PB". Rounding that last corner, I made for the line in lopsided fashion as fast as I safely dared, quasi-Terry Fox style.

As I crossed the line to see the clock giving me a PB by 4 seconds, I did the Mobot and let out what I would like to think was a roar, though it might have been more of a meow. Such melodrama. 

Doing a few more stretches after the line, I was fine to walk afterwards. 

1:26:44, and a PB it is. No matter what, disappointment is not allowed. If on the other hand I had missed it by a few seconds, that would've been annoying. Motivation is what comes from the "what might've been" part of the race. I have a few ideas, such as more hills in my training and negative splitting my next half - matching PB pace then accelerating for the last 10k. 

A great occasion once again, the Calgary Marathon weekend gets bigger and better every year. Next year is the 50th anniversary, and I have my eye on a 3:10 in the full, using the Hanson method.

I Feel Good, Didn't know That I Would

Just over 2 weeks until the Calgary Half Marathon, and while I can sense the fatigue I'm supposed to have after peak week has just passed, I otherwise feel great. 

Before, it's been a matter of the taper arriving just in time before injury comes along. Not this time. Last Sunday's final long run is a case in point. Calgary's weather being weird as ever, much of April was wintry. For that 26k however, it was already 18 degrees when I headed out at 10am. So completely unused to the temperature, I did this hilly loop around the banks of the Bow river in 2:13. When I finished, I didn't have the "creaking" feeling in my legs, and a slightly tight hip flexor disappeared after a couple of hours. 

So what's changed/ going right? Mostly clearer thinking which has come from lots of reading and experience. The good things I'm doing which seem to be having a good effect, aside from the running training program are:

No April race. This one has required willpower, although the awful weather in April certainly helped. It has tended to be a shorter race, so high-paced, hard running. It proved a bad way to go before  my full marathon last year (even though I wouldn't trade that sub-40 10k for anything), more in terms of not wanting to back off training to recover. Training now goes on uninterrupted. 

Better posture. I keep trying to perfect this, making sure footstrike is behind the knee and remembering too that arm swing should be in synch. Speeding up arm swing to increase pace works well and feels like less effort - perhaps as it better ensures better balance and therefore having the hips work more on forward movement rather than stability. Not an expert in this field, but seems logical.

Logical too is that my physiology is still improving. There's a 10 year period of the body adapting fully to running that I've read and heard about, and I'm only 4

years into it. At times I notice the hips swivelling which I don't think happened before. Longer stride without over-striding perhaps.

Yoga. I don't go in for much of the spiritual stuff - much of that sounds overblown to me. One "expert" in from Australia to teach a class was one of the most pretentious people I have ever come across - perhaps I was completely wrong about him in thinking he was full of shit (or everyone else was taken in - I'll never know, but I stand by my opinion).

Furthermore, unless doing it 7 days per week, it does not constitute a balanced exercise regimen on its own just a couple of times a week. For me however, twice a week is an extremely useful supplement to my training. It pulls the spine apart, contains quite a few challenging balancing postures and many which nicely stretch out the hip flexors and hamstrings. I can see too how it improves circulation and has a general calming effect. 

The Stick. Like a roller without having to get on the floor. It can get to every part, even that tricky inner thigh. I personally feel a slight reduction in muscle tightness straight after using it, and the legs are generally fresher over time. 

Chiro. Similar benefits to the Stick, I go once a month unless there's a specific, noticeable problem. If anything's even slightly tighter than the rest of the legs, he'll spot it. An expert diagnosis on exactly how things stand.

Free weights. Of my 3 weight sessions a week, I alternate between 1 & 2 of them being free weights. Unlike static machines, nothing is completely isolated, just as in running. Squats are a big part of it too - aims to correct the quad/ hamstring imbalance. 

Minor backings-off from time to time. If feeling especially tight the day after a run - which is usually a weights day - not doing drills (high knees and butt kicks) has made it go away.

Diet and whey protein. Eating sensibly and more fish has served me well over the years. A couple of meat-free days each week can help in keeping one's weight in check. Also, immediately after all runs except easy Mondays I will have a whey protein drink for fuller recovery of running-specific muscles.

So the aim if all's still well in the engine room on race day is to get a sub-1:26. The signs point towards that being possible, with current PB at 1:26:48 on a hillier course.

Boston and the meaning of running

You could say this comes a little late, but these observations are hopefully about more than just "staying strong" and other oft-mentioned, though nevertheless noble sentiments.

Most things that have been said about the bombing itself have been in the general news media. From a running, or a runner's perspective it is difficult to put it into words. Questions abound - from what is the appropriate response to why do people run, and what does running mean beyond the purely physical aspect?

I had said in my blog last year that qualifying for Boston itself had ceased to be my aim. For me any of the majors (or other large marathon) will do. I do still want the qualifying time of 3:10, but now i think I would run the Boston Marathon if I got the chance.

The events of April 15 now mean that qualifying takes on an extra dimension - simply being there to run with everyone else would be the chance to make a statement.
Going for a run and speaking with my feet was the most eloquent response I could and can think of. After I lost weight and got into running, it was for emotional reasons that I became hooked. There's that race day feeling and all that goes with it - one's own "runner's high" but also sharing in those of everyone else on course.
Spectators give encouragement which all runners are heartened by - I once told myself it was applause for having lost 1/5 of my previous weight and therefore putting my life on a better path. Each runner, regardless of ability, is being applauded for the very same thing - with variations in the exact backstory.

To answer my own question of what running means, I believe that after gaining a base of fitness most come to a realization similar to mine: it brings out the best in me - so much so that I have surprised myself by surpassing my previous self-perceptions of not only my physical limits, but also mental and psychological.
I hope I speak for all runners then, when I say that it is by keeping on running that we provide the most overwhelming response to April 15, 2013.

Saint Patrick's 5k, let it snow

The Resolution Run on December 31st at 6pm had much better weather than this.
Still, it marks the end of waiting season, and the beginning of running season, even if spring has forgotten to show up.

A-Chang's favourite part was seeing me in my new Puma top which I picked up in Tokyo. If only they stocked the same stuff as in Asia and Europe, instead of the "shoplifter's uniform" Canada seems to get.

-12 was the temperature, with gusts of wind at 30+ km/h. It had been snowing for a few hours before gun time, with 1-2cm on the ground. Bad weather doesn't bother me all that much, but it was nice not to be doing the 10k. For race day I want to do your best, but regardless of the shape you're in, the weather owns you.

The snow certainly owned me as I hadn't brought my Salomons which would have gripped much better. As it was, people surged past me at the start. My legs were turning over at 5k pace, but I wasn't going that speed. Not a single step I took was "true". Is that foot-spin or leg-spin?

Towards the top of the initial hill, I passed a couple of teenagers who decided to walk (!) and another couple of runners. After the first turn at the top, I found myself running in lots of space, gently round the 120 degree left and downhill. One volunteer called out "go camera guy!", which gave me a flashback to that other meteorologically challenged race, California International Marathon last December.
On the next right there was Neil, the ace photographer, lying on his side - a great angle for making as all look like giant strong runners. "Does my gastrocnemius look big in this?", etc. The next corner had the course heading due north to the turnaround. The snow now blew almost parallel to the ground right in my face. Pull your hat down I said. You won't be able to see, I replied. That's healthy inner chatter.

On the way back I was slowly gaining on the next guy, so made that my aim. An AG podium might be possible if I pass him I thought. Just before rounding the last corner, I went past then battled that wind again on the home stretch.
22:06, and glad it was over although pleased to have given it everything among runners laughing in the face of adverse weather. 17th overall out of 281, and good enough for 2nd in my age group just like last year. Conditions give no clue as to my current fitness, but speed work of late suggests possible PB given better weather on the day.
Next up is the big push towards the Calgary half at the end of May and the aim of getting into the 1:25s.

Japan & Taiwan

I got back from holiday in Japan and Taiwan just over a week ago. Aside from a great experience in general, I got some decent runs in too.

 

Here's the vid of my Tokyo run It's blocked in Japan due to the music used (Dragonash). Not a pothole, piece of uneven pavement or litter in sight. I did the well-known runners' route of the emperor's palace. The path on the outside of the moat is 5k long and no traffic lights at all. It was 2k from my hotel, so perfect warm-up. 2 laps while the sun was rising was a perfect way to start my sunday. All path users stick strictly to the left except when overtaking, something else which makes for a relaxing run. The same is broadly true when walking down the street or taking the subway (I used to live in mainland China where it's elbows and general piss-offedness all the way). Perhaps inspired by the local impeccable manners I pointed out to a teenager I passed that his laces were undone on one shoe. He said thanks as he stopped to do them up, though all I could do was point.

I noticed that all the Japanese runners have rather nice looking clothing, better than most of the stuff available in Canada where most stuff you buy makes you look like a basket ball player. I picked up a couple of things at the Puma store in Harajuku. The last time I saw such great Puma stuff was in Berlin. When will their stores in North America stop selling "car thief in training" rubbish? Should I write them a letter?

 

Kyoto vid. My favourite vid, and favourite run despite being slightly lost much of the time. It was still dark when I set off, and passing traditional looking houses and temples/ shrines at daybreak made for quite the romantic image of Japan. A monk wished me good morning, and I passed a temple in which some were doing their early morning chanting. I was never exactly where I was planning to be from my map, but always had a rough idea. I did stop once to ask for directions, so as not to miss one particular street which is towards the end of the video.

2 days later I did a tempo interval run up and down the river to avoid getting lost and to hit my target pace without traffic lights. Lots of herons and egrets along the way. I needed to go for a bio-break halfway through. I knew there were metro stations along the river, so I went to one of those. It was inside the ticket gates, so I went to the ticket window and putting on my best pained expression, and maybe even the "twist like ropes" pose from yoga, said "toilu!" Thus relieved of my burden, got a couple more intervals in.

Taipei. Not the prettiest city in the world to be honest, though most places suffer in comparison with Kyoto. Being tropical, it was already over 15 degrees and humid when I started. Bathed in sweat. The nicest part was probably the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial hall, a grand open space with nice park off to the side. A lot of familiar hobbies on display, including fan dancing, taichi, and walking backwards. A more uninterrupted run would have been on the river pathways, but it was still a good workout.

 

Where did the winter go? Well, it's still here from the snow that keeps coming. It melts - partially - during the day. Hopefully the roads'll be clear for next sunday and the St Patrick's 5k. Race season is here!