Saint Patrick's 5k - off to the races

Pacing myself for the first race of the season and especially a short one: not my best skill. A few seconds per km quicker when closer to the limit of your breathing make a much larger difference. Too fast, too soon and you'll finish sounding like a fire-breathing dragon without the actual flames. 

So, back to racing for the first time since November. That was also a 5k. In quite a damaged state, I had struggled across the line in 20:58. 4 months earlier I had set a PB of 19:18 which I remain pleased with. 

I've been increasing kilometrage and speed only since January. Add to that a Saint Patrick's Road Race course with a couple of tricky bits of gradient and plenty of corners, and I could rule out the low 19s, but I was hoping to guide/ inspire/ grind/ drag myself to a sub 20.

A touch chilly, the roads were clear and good for racing. This event, it almost goes without saying, always delivers a great vibe. 

Benard Onsare, a many time winner of the Calgary Marathon, placed 3rd in the 10k. He probably let 2 others finish in front of him. 

One stroller took on the 10k. 

It was soon time to line up and contemplate who had discarded a rather nice jacket. 

During my bouncy warm up, I could see a lot of guys who looked way faster than me standing still. 

Legendary photographer Neil Zeller took a few probably unpublishable extreme close-ups of me. 

I had gone under the tape to line up in front of runners with headphones, etc. A runner with music is especially dangerous at the start of a race.

Started the gopro and let whatever was about to happen, happen. 

There I am, jumping. Not actually 7 feet tall. 

Off we went at what seemed like 400m pace. 

One really quick 10k competitor came hobbling back having had turned his ankle a bit in a pothole. He decided to do the 5k despite not being in the best shape. You can spot him if you examine the feet above. 

A-Chang got a couple of great quad shots. Trailing leg extension on toe-off quite good, even if foot a little sideways. 

Me, cropped. 

The course is an out and back. First uphill/ last downhill was less steep than I remember from 2 years ago. The first downhill/ last uphill is however steeper, it's second visit coming at a key stage in the race.

2k sign and I was about 40 seconds ahead of 20 minute pace. My watch km splits were coming before the signs, earlier and earlier, though it's always going to be about completing the course rather than when a gps tells you to stop. Into a headwind before the turnaround, I slowed a bit as I felt I was burning too many matches. 

The leading lady's speed, just in front of me, was dropping more than mine. I overtook, knowing it's all too easy to settle into a pace-setter's slowing speed. The leader and race winner, who surely rode a bicycle some of the way, came flashing past. The injured guy came past wearing quite the grimace (camera zoom too wide to pick it up). 

Overtook one more at start of that incline. 

About halfway up, I overtook a kid who looked about 13, maybe younger. He'll be back next year with bigger lung capacity and leave me trailing.  

Past some gopro fans and the 4k sign after that last incline. I couldn't wave back, still recovering and trying to get my breathing rhythm back from that uphill. What is usually 3 steps per inhale and 3 per exhale seemed to swap places. 

"Be at 16 minutes at 4k, then 3:59 pace till the finish". So began the endgame. The last downhill helped conserve a little energy for the final few hundred metres. 

I could see the clock from quite a way off, and knew I had the sub-20 by the time I could read it. Easing up as I crossed the line, final time was 19:50. 

I had to push through a couple of barriers to get under 20 minutes again, however it shows that my speed and speed-endurance are gradually making a comeback.

Exhaustion arrived a few seconds later, level: hands on knees. 

I lost count of my place during the race, my 12th was actually 15th. No age group podium this time. 

Watch thought I'd done 5.1k. 

Irish stew makes for the best post-race food ever.

A-Chang was entertained by the various costumes, and welcomed not having to wait too long for me. 

She got this shot of me at the line, which through the magic of Instagram manages to convey much of what running means. 

The extra benefit

Just a thought. When runners think about the benefits of running, there are the obvious ones of the various ways in which health and fitness improves. We could also get into the psychological side of it. I could talk about that for days, literally without stopping, if only breaks to the little boys room weren't required. 

This week I was reminded of one more. On monday my stomach felt slightly uncomfortable. Back from the gym, I felt rather faint. It was time to go home and throw a sofa at the problem. 

I stayed home and cross trained on the sofa all next day. By early afternoon, my hands no longer needed to stay under blankets to be warmer than a frozen haddock. 

Quite simply, there you have it. A higher level of energy that helps with the everyday, including being channeled into a powerful immune response more potent than a sedentary person could ever hope to muster (as witnessed by my sofa). 

My little Korean secret

Meet Jung Da Yeon, age 48.

Mother of 2, she transformed herself from sedentary housewife to, well, think up your own adjective. 

Along the way, she became a fitness and diet guru, selling a great many books and DVDs in her native Korea and beyond. 

Some of her workouts just happen to also be a good mixture of cross-training, free weights and core work. 

She was introduced to me by my wife A-Chang. She does her workouts a few times a week. On mondays I join in for a bit of novel endurance strength training. 

Nothing beats running, however cross training and resistance work are a vital part of any exercise program. There are options out there that can both challenge and amuse. 

So I proudly announce that on monday nights I allow myself a sprinkle of fabulous with Jung Da Yeon and her entourage of dancing girls. & A Chang, best of all. 

I'm on TV I'm on TV

15 seconds of anonymous fame was probably not quite what Andy Warhol had in mind. 

When the weather is extremely cold I have seen TV cameras generally filming runners defying the temperature. 

In Calgary last Tuesday, shortly after attempting my final 800m interval I saw a cameraman and reporter asking runners if they had time to chat. 

Thus did I make the main headline of CTV's 6 o'clock news. "Shall I take off my goggles?" "It's ok to leave them on," I was told. The Walmart Ninja look is in apparently. It also allowed them to edit my voice without touching the film.

Why was I running today, I was asked. I just love running, I said. The part that got me in the headlines was my answer to the follow-up question "even when it's freezing cold with blowing snow?" I've seen my response phrased in quite a few ways on motivational pictures on various running sites: "If you wait for perfect weather, it'll never happen, especially in Calgary." 

Even better was the next runner, without goggles, saying the weather was "just perfect". Trust a couple of runners to lighten the mood and make it all seem better.

The few in front of me didn't stop.  

The coverage also filmed the 2 Jeeps that do the heavy snow clearing on the pathways.

Free gait analysis too. Needs work. My goggles steamed up shortly after and I had to take them off. 

Later on twitter I deemed it good form to say hi to the reporter Rylee Carlson. She must've checked shortly after telling viewers to dress appropriately "...ski goggles or not." Me and "perfect" were the only ones to stop hence her gratitude. 

I can forgive use of the "j-word" seeing how much of a kick I got out of it. It was a fun interlude in early January training, a time when I usually feel slow and heavy. 

For the news story: 

http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/mobile/video?clipId=525518

I am a ForeRunner

He's not a runner.

He is.

We all got started somehow. For me, as with probably quite a few runners out there, it began when I came to a point where I had to make a decision:

Do I decide to continue in poor and deteriorating health, or do I go down a road full of hard work and challenges that gradually leads to a permanent change in fitness and physical state?

It seemed to me that it would be purely a matter of loosing weight and gaining energy. 

What has surprised me since January 2007 have been the other changes for the better: improved reflexes, better concentration and a sharper mind. A lighter mood even in stressful situations, greater calmness, inner peace and loss of a slightly dead expression in the eyes. A heightened sense of ambition, adventure, knowledge of self and willingness to push boundaries. 

Is it any wonder I love running? The gift that keeps on giving all day, every day. It came into the picture in 2008, at least in the summer. Since 2009, I've been running in all weathers. 

Calgary's Half Marathon in 2009 was my first ever race. Get me more of this, I thought. My first full marathon came the following year, and I've alternated every year since. For the 7th year in a row, I'll be towing the line at the Calgary Marathon Weekend. Only this time, I'll be doing the 50k Ultra, hopefully in under 4 hours ("Studio 54"). 

Calgary and running for me are one and the same thing. It will be a joy to share it all as a ForeRunner. I race with a camera (below, during "Run the Runway" for example) and will as ever make a short film of the race (awards pending). Waves, hi-5s and the guy dressed as Darth Vader at last year's finish all welcome on race day.

Whether in training, at the start or at the finish line, I will give it everything, for the guys on left as well as the guys on the right. 

2014 into 2015

An early Christmas gift for me was discovering that one flood damaged bridge in Fish Creek Park had been re-opened. I deliriously ran across it for the first time in 19 months.

Quite a few missing trees now, but still a great path and a few Sunday options are back. 

I managed a great run that day, can feel a little strength returning. I have also worked out where there's a flaw in my technique. It's all in the left leg, not driving/ pushing through while excessively gripping with the toes. Change that habit, along with better toe-off for both feet, and 2015 should go better than 2014 ended. 

Before 2014 did end, there was the Christmas Day gift of running:

Finally, the Resolution Run 5k. Starting at 6pm on New Year's Eve, the finish line was also 2014's finish line. Cruising in at the finish, the clock said about 20:50, quicker than the 5k I did in October. The signs of recovery are there.

The end of the year had me dealing with and recovering from overtraining, and a lesson learned. Before that, I managed marathon and 5k PBs. On the whole, a positive year.

For 2015, the main race is my first ultra, the 50k at the Calgary Marathon weekend. It's time to get into training, eating and sleeping well, with the St Patrick's 5 k on the way to test my speed work. Lots to do, let's get to it!

50 Shades of White

Is it 2015 yet? 2014 is ending with a touch of the weird. Late November had me wearing NASA surplus to plough through deep snow in -25.

Then, in a surreal turn, the snow starts melting. In December, there are now March problems such as melt-freeze, but with excellent traction otherwise. This time last year, I felt I needed to carry a shovel on my runs. 

Still, there's the long honed winter running habit: checking the ground ahead, analyzing the colour of the snow/ ice, the shade the piece of ground gets, recent weather, previous years' traction, etc. All within a split second to decide whether to slow down or not.

Core workouts are proving effective with the new program after I made a few changes, mostly by adding weights to few of the exercises. 

Is there a song called "Shorts In December"? I might some alt lyrics to "Gone Till November", though it'll be January by the time I get to it. 

My left calf/ achilles tightness is gradually fading, and I'm working my way into my training program for Studio 54 (50k in 4 hours on May 31, Calgary marathon weekend). 

I need to get out of a bad habit: I've noticed that my left toes are unnecessarily gripping - my foot seems upturned and not smoothly rolling. With that, I notice that the left leg seems also to plunk down and not pull me forward as the right does. Now I say "copy the right" (there's a political joke in there somewhere) to try to get it working properly, reduce the imbalance, and stop the mild soreness. 

Once there's snow and ice again however, back will come the "whatever keeps you upright" technique, so lots of thinking to do. Long way to go, but journey already started. I'll be running on Christmas Day, perhaps (hiccup) even a speed interval or 2. 

Merry Christmas to all runners, present and future :)