Race Report: Kaiser 5k 2014

Mileage
Today: 3
Present: 961
Count: 133

All week I had been thinking about the race. Envisioning the start, the middle, the finish. It's been a long time since I ran a 5k for pace, even longer since I ran one in a race. I knew I had a fast time in me, I just had to trust myself and not get intimidated by the relatively large stage. I had something to run for, to release everything that's been bottled up.

The morning didn't exactly go as planned, despite my early arrival. Rain mucked things up, but I got in a good warm up and despite the wet, I was not cold. The elements don't generally bother me -- and on a relative scale when other people crumple in the wind and rain, I excel. Mental toughness I guess.

I looked around for my dad at the start but couldn't find him -- the rose garden failing as a meeting place. I eased up towards the starting line, lost on a sea of runners. With a couple minutes to spare, KJ showed up, typical late arrival. We briefly shot the shit and got ready to rock.

The trolley bell rang and off we went. As it goes in these races, some slow people thought it would be fun to start up front so I had to weave through traffic for the first 20-30 yards. But all clear, I took off after the leaders. I looked ahead and saw a ton of people. My heart dropped a little but I kept my pace.

As the half marathon diverged and the 5k cut left, most of the leaders kept on. I was reminded that this is one of the most competitive half marathons in the area, and the fast guys come out for that one. I tucked into about 10th place as we sped past the museum. I felt strong, felt fast, but held within myself. I didn't want to get into the red too early. No time to slow down.

And from that moment on, no one passed me. I gradually picked people off, running smart. Easing up the hills and accelerating the downs, using my technical downhill ability to my advantage.

On the flats I felt smooth, gliding along through the falling rain. As we left JFK and dipped south, there weren't that many people ahead of me, but I couldn't see the leaders anymore. I knew 7th would be no problem, and eyed 6th.

My limiting factor was my lungs, not my legs. A great problem to have. I just don't do that much speed training, but all those hills have strengthened up my legs considerably. Looks like more mile repeats are in my future.

We hit the two-mile mark and the road drifted down. I took off, catching 7th with my eyes on 6th. And despite the fact that he was running fast, I still looked at him and thought there's no way I am losing to this guy. I didn't look back. 5th was in sight.

I pushed it. The 3-mile mark came into view and 5th turned around. He kept turning around all the way to the finish, but stayed just out of reach. By this time I was borderline wheezing, a dull burn emanating from my chest, slowly enveloping the rest of my body. The knowledge that I just couldn't go much faster was numbing.

The last 0.1 took forever. Probably because it was 0.2. But I didn't know that, so when I crossed the finish line at 18:06 I thought to myself, shit, 18 minutes is a FAST 5k if I couldn't even do it on this course, running that well. But when I found out that the course was actually 3.2 and I ran 3.3, that my "true" 5k pace was just over 17 and my race 5k (with added distance for not running a perfect line) was 17:30 or so, I was thrilled.

I crushed my PR and couldn't have been happier about the way I ran. I left it all out there, but ran smart. Perhaps I could have started a bit faster to keep up with the elites, but I ran within myself and can't complain about how it shook out.

The blueberry would be proud.

http://app.strava.com/activities/110777155

East Potrero Farm Recon

Mileage
Today: 3
Present: 958
Count: 132

I just wanted to get out onto the road. Out on my feet. I'd been reading about this property over in East Potrero, even walked it. So I ran over to check it out and now want to build the farm. The biggest urban farm.

Blueberry farm.

http://app.strava.com/activities/110777158

Tuesday Maintenance, Lactate Dislodging

Mileage
Today: 6
Present: 955
Count: 131

I've found this great little six mile loop, up my hill, down around the ballpark and back. Its mostly flat, I can avoid traffic when I need to and just shut it off. Its not the prettiest route in the city but it gets the job done.

But tomorrow, it all changes.

http://app.strava.com/activities/109570614

Showing Maura Heron

Mileage
Today: 7
Present: 949
Count: 130

I'm writing these updates almost two weeks after the runs. So much has passed since this run. It didn't have anything to do with it, but it kicked off the bad feelings. So many bad feelings.

Maura liked the run, she liked my park. But I didn't like what came next.

http://app.strava.com/activities/109570623

The Long Way to Breakfast

Mileage
Today: 4
Present: 917
Count: 128

I am starting to dig this Thursday tradition of running to breakfast. This morning Dmitri was painting the mural at 3266 24th Street and I wanted to see just how this would go down.

Up the backside of Bernal the long way, around and down, reminding myself just what a special neighborhood that is. And someday, if I stick around, I'd like to get back there. Even though the secret is out and it really is the next Noe Valley.

http://app.strava.com/activities/108948282

Kick Out the Cobwebs

Mileage
Today: 3
Present: 913
Count: 127

Big day today. Going down to the ole MP for a tough conversation, one where I have to be sharp and on my game. I don't need a lot of mile this morning but need a clear mind. Need to unwind the string inside my mind.

That, and every little hill charge helps.

http://app.strava.com/activities/108948280

Purisima Loop With Dad

Mileage
Today: 10
Present: 910
Count: 126

What a find, this Purisima. And I still haven't fully explored what it has to offer. This 10-mile loop can be hiked or jogged or I don't even know what else. Then the spur out to Bald Knob and beyond. So much potential.

I am fortunate on so many levels to be able to go on a 10-mile trail run with my dad. I sure as hell hope that when I am 65 I can do the same. And we weren't exactly going slow either. He's a pretty tough guy to get to open up, which I guess is where I get it.

But midway through the run I probed a bit about what it was like to run after kids. He explained how he actually started running more once he had me. How time becomes more dear and if something is important, you find a way to make it happen. It was not only refreshing to hear that not everyone becomes a fat slob once they have kids, but just to hear him tell stories about his life.

There is something special in this place, I felt it the first time I stepped foot onto the mist-shrouded trails. I can't wait to go looking for it.

http://app.strava.com/activities/108948302

Extended Intervals Breed Morning Epiphanie

Mileage
Today: 9
Present: 900
Count: 125

I'm running well right now. Running smart and running hard. I have my routines down and its working well. Just need to keep putting in the time.

I charged hard this morning, looking for the CR at Heron's Head. I missed by a few seconds. Then later read that Jim Harbaugh would laud me as the first loser and deserving of derision. If you really want to leave it all out there, couldn't you have gone a bit faster? A bit harder? I could have. Another great mantra.

I sped off through the future of San Francisco, breezing past Pier 80, then 70 on down into China Basin. The past knocking around in my mind from A Negotiated Landscape, a fascinating account of history of the San Francisco Waterfront. Amazing to watch the past transform into the future.

Around the stadium after a fast mile and straight up Rhode Island, breathing hard at the top and coasting down. These interval runs are phenomenal, an amazing mix of cruising, pushing and sailing. I finish spent but refreshed. What a way to start the morning.

And given the roller coaster of negotiations at work, I need these runs to clear my head - to chart the path. Such is my role as skipper.

http://app.strava.com/activities/106971094

Run Back Through Time

Mileage
Today: 5
Present: 891
Count: 124

I'm slowly getting the hang of this getting up early thing. And while early for me may not be early for others, its a milestone nonetheless.

I ran back through time this morning. Through Bernal Heights and past Lundys Lane, marveling at how quickly somewhere can cease to feel like home. Back over Dolores, brushing past memories of hazy days and Jetta dreams, when running was the furthest thing from a priority. I ran, from time to time, back when my body didn't care what I put into it.

Having found the Fear and Loathing San Francisco Ultra, and seen the octogenarian sporting an "I train while you sleep" sweatshirt, I have found a new mantra to wake me in the morning. I ran this morning to our weekly breakfast, arriving early to read the paper. To actually read the paper.

http://app.strava.com/activities/106813534

Friday Wife

Mileage

Today: 4

Present: 873

Count: 122

Maura has been sick all week so we wanted to get out there but take it easy. Crisp morning but given what the rest of the country has been dealing with weather-wise, I'm more than thankful that I can run in the morning in shorts and t-shirt and am just a bit chilly at the outset.

http://app.strava.com/activities/105326311

Prehike Warmup

Mileage

Today: 4

Present: 869

Count: 119

Nice and easy morning run, I've got a race this Saturday and I'm feeling good. My regular four mile track up and down the hill, around past my now old office and out to the water.

I'm reading a book about the history of the San Francisco waterfront and I'm starting to see this urban coast in a different light. Amazing how knowing just a little history helps connect the dots and these derelict, absolutely beautiful buildings start to whisper the future.

http://app.strava.com/activities/105326320

Family Bonding, Levy Fartleks

Mileage

Today: 6

Present: 865

Count: 118

After a long day of hauling our office up the hill, Maura and I drove out to Stockton to spend the night with my parents. We didn't exactly wake up early, but joined them on their morning run out on the levees.

Talk about flat.

We jogged the first half of the run all together, joined by their golden retriever Gracie. Turning off the levees to run along an irrigation ditch, my dad sped up and we ran together at around 7-minute miles for half a mile or so. He turned back with Gracie to run with the ladies and I turned it up, doing my best to hold sub 5 for as long as I could.

Didn't last long, but it felt good to open it up. I chased the dog and determined that she can out-sprint me. I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about that though.

I circled back and hung with the family, winding through orchards and hearing stories of Pam being chased by coyotes. As we neared the final straightaway, electric poles dotted the right side of the trail about 50 yards apart. My dad took off at the first and when I caught up, he said he likes to sprint between them through the end of the run.

Almost 65 and he's still sprinting. Love it.

I hit my first pole and was off. I don't really open it up like that very much these days and wow. I was back up on my toes and for a split second felt like I was in high school again. I felt fast. Really fast. I kept waiting for my hamstrings to tear but they held together. Man it felt good to be running like that.

The next couple poles were fast, but not as fast as the first. Turns out somewhere deep down there, I may still have it.

http://app.strava.com/activities/105326327

De Haro Hill Repeats x3

Mileage

Today: 4

Present: 859

Count: 117

Having resolved that my weakness is the ups, I started hill training today. I read up on hills and it seems like the general consensus is that there a handful of ways to use hills and that hills, more than anything, will make you faster. I can't wait.

1) Long hill runs. I do this already by virtue of where I live, so no need to change anything here.
2) Long repeats. 1/4-1/2 mile ups, run at 5k pace. De Haro is perfect, half a mile up either side.
3) Short repeats. 100-200 yards hard. Wisconsin by the Mews will be my proving ground.
4) Fast downs. See above, jog up.
5) Bounding. Not sure about this one yet, need to find the right grade but I get the explosion and power that can be gained.

De Haro from the north is this long, gradually steepening monster that peaks 2/3 of the way through with a final, long and deceptively steep final stretch. I ran into Nicole and Lucia on my first ascent, a welcome respite. I glided down the other side and hit almost exactly one mile from 17th to 26th. Quite a training track.

Up the other side is shorter, but steeper with more of the up early on. Its faster, but more intense with a longer rest back down the other side.

I felt like I was running too hard, breathing too heavy at the top. But the point is to push, I think. I did three repeats, my goal is to work up to six within the next month or two. So long as I keep at it, shouldn't be too hard.

http://app.strava.com/activities/105326329

Off-Trail Trekking, River Crossings Galore

Mileage
Today: 6
Present: 811
Count: 114

Determined to find the trail promised to go "all the way back into the canyon," my feet were soaked within a quarter mile. Maura on my back, I crossed the river and hit the sand running.

But the trail didn't last, it petered out and all that was left was Texas thicket and the tail edge of a paintball range. And water. Alone, perhaps I would have charged ahead to see if the trail reemerged around the bend, but looking back at my wife and her two brothers, I thought better of it.

We backtracked to the trail we knew, past the house across the crossing and out towards the main part of the lake. The trail ended again and this time Maura turned back. It wasn't wise, the risk reward just wasn't there. So Miguel, Luchi and I pushed on, a rare moment when all three of us could just be guys, out in the open air testing each other and pushing the others ever so slightly.

I held back of course, we were out for a run not racing, and I've learned enough times that if you want people to enjoy running with you, you can't leave them in the dust. Ego anyone?

And we had a blast. A week ago I did my first snow run, and today I did my first true cross country, off-trail trek replete with river crossings, cliff shimmying and dying light. We crisscrossed the sad dry lake bed, doubling back numerous times when the "trail" we were following disappeared into the brush or over a cliff.

I longed for my worn Salomons but my Sauconys performed admirably and forced me to dance through the weeds and plants, dodging rocks with prudence.

Turning around at the resort, we struck a new path back cliffside, scurrying down rocks that were anything but stable. When we hit the path, legs scraped and adrenaline pumping, our wet shoes felt light in the evening air.

We picked up the pace a bit, a quick gait home. Miguel and I led Luchi back, and I think we all thought forward to May when the three of us would be running in Bear Mountain, 50 long Ks in upstate New York.

Coasting across the final meadow and scampering up the steep steps to the house, I couldn't help but feel like I had just finished one of those runs you'll never forget. The terrain, the company and the place -- just a special hour. Oh, and Merry Christmas.

http://app.strava.com/activities/102267600

Lake Travis Recon

Mileage
Today: 3
Present: 809
Count: 114

Fresh off the plane in Austin and on the shores of what used to be Lake Travis (drought), I looked out the window of the house we rented and was delighted to see a wide trail cutting a line along the banks of creek that was once a lake.

Maura, Luchi, Jessica and I grabbed our shoes and were out the door. Light dwindled and we drove down the road to the town park to pick up what we were told was a trail that would lead us to an easy spot to cross the river and continue along the river back towards the house. It was too late for fording and we just wanted to get out there.

The dirt was soft, just what you'd expect basically running at the bottom of a lake. Short, but sweet, we took the trail to its natural conclusion as light gave way to night.

I knew I'd be back tomorrow for further exploration -- and indeed I was right. Not bad for a backyard.

http://app.strava.com/activities/102267593

P'Hill Loop Plus Wife

Mileage
Today: 3
Present: 795
Count: 112

Great little mellow run with Maura this morning. We don't do it often enough, but when we do run together our lack of consistency actually makes it all the better. We appreciate and enjoy the time, quiet stretches intermixed with catching up on things that normally get pushed aside by the pressing matters of the day.

I've had this idea in my head that after my race at Rodeo I would take a month off. Let my body rest, let my mind rest. But now that the race is done, the last thing I can imagine is taking a break. I feel strong, both body and mind and my life these days seems to be one big waiting game between runs. I love it.

I'm running well, am in a good rhythm and have a couple races I want to perform well in early next year. So, why rest?

http://app.strava.com/activities/102267610

Shake 'em Out Then Off to Oaktown

Mileage
Today: 4
Present: 792
Count: 111

Fresh off an awesome run in Marin over the weekend, I just wanted to get back on my feet. I friend was hosting a drinking event at a recently finished project in Oakland and I wanted to get over there, but prioritized myself and went on a run before heading over.

It felt fantastic to be out there, a little creaky from Saturday but overall I can't complain. I didn't run fast, or particularly hard, but the late-afternoon run reminded me why I work for myself and why just those four short miles can make all the different in your state of mind.

I was sharp, engaged and on point at the event, then kicked it with my friend Mike who I don't spend enough time with. Not that the evening would have been a flop without the run, but I set myself up for success -- all I had to do was swing.

Mid-Week Maintenance

Mileage
Today: 6
Present: 769
Count: 109

There was a time in my life I only ran at night. Back when running didn't really matter, except as a release from whatever post-adolescent angst happened to be gnawing at me.

In college, I used to run wind sprints barefoot on the soccer fields outside my dorm. Back and forth, back and forth, the cool mud squishing between my tensed toes as they dug into the earth. In hindsight, nothing really was wrong, but to my 18-year old self, the entire world seemed to be crashing down around me.

Running can still be a released, but those phantom demons are long since chased away and my running is a far more productive, organized and consistent force for good in my life. To wit, I even have a snap-on reflector harness that I borrowed from my brother and haven't given back.

So I set off this evening not trying to exercise any demons, per se, but just going out on a run, at night. I still get that rush, flowing through the quiet air, my legs wanting to move faster. I toned them down though, knowing that my last race of the season was just a few days out.

I felt fresh, relaxed, like I could run forever. I've had some great runs lately, and couldn't be more excited for Saturday.

http://app.strava.com/activities/100432791

Crisp Bernal Morning

Mileage
Today: 4
Present: 765
Count: 108

With my last race of the season coming up in a couple weeks, I'm doing a modified tapering for the next couple weeks. Its a 30k trail run in Marin at my "home course" at Rodeo Beach. And while I haven't really been specifically training for it, I want to perform the best I can and a series of short, brisk runs this week should fit the bill to get my legs ready for the blissful brutality of the course.

The run to Bernal is anything but an easy four miles, but I took it light and enjoyed the crisp morning air. Its unseasonably cold for San Francisco right now, even in winter, so just getting out there and on my feet is a bit of an accomplishment. Its amazing how soft you can get living in this idyllic, temperate climate.

I never tire of the view from up there, and I ran consistently up and up and up to the top, hit the fence and cruised back down. I wasn't in a rush and didn't have anything specific to get back to, but I didn't want my morning rushed and was content with the short run.

Just three days running in a row now and I already feel world's better. I've been struggling to be consistently healthy after the marathon but feel like I'm finally back on the right track ... for today anyway.

http://app.strava.com/activities/98706038

Blustery Lunch on Grandpa Jim's Birthday

Mileage
Today: 5
Present: 761
Count: 107

110 years ago today, my grandpa Jim was born. He was the kind of grandpa that every kid dreams about having - great stories, a big laugh and a mystique about him that you're just old enough to comprehend, marveling at that something special you hope to someday have.

People say I remind them of my grandpa, and nothing could come as a deeper compliment. Perhaps it was our propensity towards danger early in life -- but I like to think of it as a zeal for purity, a quest for experience.

I always remember December 3rd, its an easy day to keep in mind since my birthday also falls on the 3rd day of the month (May). And when I recall the day, I take a moment to reflect on my grandpa, who passed away now almost 20 years ago.

I think about my life, and what he would have thought of it. What advice he would give me. Sometimes I think about him for a fleeting moment, other times for longer.

Today, as I mulled whether to rush in a run before an important afternoon meeting, I thought WWJD? He'd go on that run, and make the most of it. He wasn't a runner, but was an athlete in his own right and performed at a high level in all endeavors long past when most people call it quits. He had this unlimited supply of energy and the idea of getting old wasn't one to which he subscribed.

So I charged out into the wind. I didn't set any records, but I ran strong and fast. I got back in time for the meeting, was almost on time but the run had put me in a clear-headed, positive frame of mind.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Jim.

http://app.strava.com/activities/98551355