"Was That a Road Trip, or What?" - 10/17/10

THIS IS THE MOST SPECTACULAR course I have ever run.  My support crew and I traveled about five hours North of THE CITY to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park for the third race of the five race PA/USATF Road Race Grand Prix Series.  The old growth redwoods were the highlight of the trip. 

We left The CITY at about 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, went over the Golden Gate Bridge and traveled the entire route on U.S. Highway 101.  North of THE CITY, almost to the Oregon border, the road is known as the Redwood Highway.  In Southern and Central California it is often called El Camino Real because it generally follows the route that linked the California Missions, pueblos and presidios.  Technically, the Golden Gate Bridge is not part of 101 because it is maintained by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and not Caltrans. So, Highway 101 ends on the approach to the bridge and re-starts on the other side. 

Highway 101 travels inland through congested Marin County to the wine country of Sonoma County.  It then travels through the mountains using the Russian River Valley, eventually transitioning over to the Eel River Valley (South fork) in Mendocino and Humboldt Counties.  The road varies from multi-lane freeway to two lane highway.  After the crowded areas of Marin and South Sonoma Counties, the driving is nice and the scenery is beautiful. 

Garberville, CA

We stopped in Garberville (population 2,400), an unincorporated community in Humboldt County for lunch.  It is located on the South fork of the Eel River and was first settled in 1853 as Dogtown.  The local postmaster, James C. Garber, later self-named the town.  With a sign like the one pictured, how could we not pick the Eel River Cafe?  It was a nice little coffee shop.

We stopped at the race site to pick up my race number and then went to Fortuna to check-in at our motel.  After that, we drove down the Avenue of Giants to see the trees and preview the race course.  The old growth forests and trees are incredible and worth the trip.  You can see our photos HERE.  (Click on the slide show.  It is the easiest way to see the pictures in a larger format.)

Parking for the Race

On race morning, we arrived at sunrise, a little after 7:00 a.m.  Parking was down a path and on the flood plain of the Eel River.  This time of year, the river is probably at its lowest level.  We walked up to the race start and greeted some of the other runners we knew from THE CITY. 

The race starts at the Dyerville Bridge, on the Avenue of the Giants, near Founders Grove.  The course is on pavement, mostly under a canopy of old growth redwoods.  It is generally flat, although there are three bridges that result in moderate elevation changes. 

This is the last race I will run in the 50-54 age group.  I have a couple of goals for the race.  I want to test my fitness to see how the training is going.  I also want to try using an energy gel in the middle of the race to see if that is an option for December's marathon.  I would like to come in under 1:27 and to follow my usual pattern of averaging 6:30 miles with no mile above 7:00.  If I average 6:30 I will do a lot better than 1:27

The Race Course - Avenue of the Giants

Mile 1: The start is crowded as we climb over the Dyerville Bridge, but it opens up quickly.  We run past the Founders Grove.  About 3/4 of a mile into the race we cross the bridge over Highway 101.  The mile marks are painted on the road, with temporary signs next to them.  This greatly reduces the chance of having a mile marker out of place.  Mile 1 is 6:08.  That is a bit fast for a half-marathon, but I still feel good.  I decide to see how long I can hold a fast pace.

Miles 2 & 3:  The scenery is beautiful and I am still running comfortable, but fast.  I am with one of the two other Pamakid runners I saw at the start.  He is in his twenties and will probably finish in the low 1:20's when everything is done.  Mile 2 is 6:16 and Mile 3 is 6:17.  If I can hold this for the whole race, it will be amazing.  Around Mile 2.5 there is a clearing and we pass along the edge of the small unincorporated community of Weott (population 450). 

Mile 4: Around the Mile 4 mark, the other Pamakid runner pulls ahead and starts to move away.  I come in at 6:27.  I figure I am losing my concentration and try to push a little harder.

Miles 5 & 6: I am back on track with 6:13 and 6:09, respectively.  I am still feeling good, but looking forward the the turn around.  A little past Mile 4 we pass a campground.  These are the closest accommodations to the race site. 

Mile 7: Since this is an out-and-back course, the turn around is at about 6.5 miles and requires a 180 degree turn.  I am sluggish going into and emerging from the turn.  Mile 7 registers at 6:50.  That will not do.  I should have pushed the pace into the turn around.  Most people slow down emerging from a turn.  When racing, a runner can sometimes pass an opponent by working hard to maintain pace coming out of the turn.  It is also one of the places to try to avoid losing a few seconds, even if you are not in hot competition. 

Miles 8 & 9: My next experiment comes in this stretch.  I open a packet of orange-vanilla GU Energy Gel.  It is a sugary syrup with carbohydrate, potassium, sodium and a blend of vitamins and amino acids to supplement the energy stores that are being depleted during the run.  It tastes like the center of a candy.  I think it would taste a lot better if it was wrapped in dark chocolate.  I put little dabs on my tongue and let it melt in my mouth as I slowly swallow it.  This is hard to do with heavy breathing.  As I am squeezing the packet, I get some on my hand and spend  the rest of the race with very sticky fingers.  Mile 8 is 6:20 and Mile 9 is 6:27.  I am losing steam, but still a little better than 6:30.

Mile 10:  This is the dividing line in most of my half-marathons.  Mile 10 and beyond determines what kind of race I will have.  My time is 6:42.  My legs are losing their responsiveness.  I need to push hard to keep them going at a good pace.  In some races it is my breathing and oxygen intake that are the limiting factor.  In this race, my breathing is comfortable and I feel that I have oxygen capacity to spare.  In this race, it is my leg muscles that are the limiting factor.  My legs are not responsive and I am going to need to very consciously push them the rest of the way.

Miles 11 & 12: These miles are 6:32 and 6:30.  That is acceptable.  I need to keep pushing.

Mile 13: This mile ends on top of the Dyerville Bridge.  I have been visualizing it since Mile 10.  I will climb the bridge and pass the high point just before the mile marker.  Then, I will scream (figuratively) down the hill and around the corner to the finish line.  Mile 13 is 6:43.  That is not good, but it is the last mile.

Mile 13.1: As I approach the finish line, I see that I am well below 1:25.  My time for the last .1 is about 40 seconds and probably about a 6:30 pace.  A little slow.  I have spent what I have out on the course.  Nothing wrong with that.

My finish time is 1:24:19 gun time and 1:24:17 chip time.  My second fastest half-marathon ever and my fastest on a certified course.  Certified courses are measured according to standards set by USATF.  As long as the race director has laid out the course correctly, you can be relatively confident that the distance is accurate.  With uncertified courses, you cannot be as confident. 

Overall, I am 57 out of 606 finishers.  I am 6 out of 29 in the 50 - 54 age group.  I am 9 out of 37 PA/USATF seniors (50 - 59) and move from 13th to 9th place in the Grand Prix Series competition for Seniors.  This race also had a marathon with 206 finishers and a 5K with 226 finishers.  Over 1,000 finishers in all three events.

I am thrilled with the result and completely impressed with the course.  I can run in the 6:15 neighborhood, but I cannot hold it for the whole distance.  As a result, my pacing was uneven.  That was the conscious decision I made to see what I could hold.  At Clarksburg, I think I will try for more even pacing.  The syrupy taste from the GU stuck in my mouth for the rest of the race.  I am not sure I can do three or four packets for a marathon. 

Next up is the Clarksburg Country Run Half Marathon on November 14.  After that is the California International Marathon on December 5.  CIM has sold out their regular entry limit of 7,500.  There are also 300 special charity entries (with a $150 surcharge) and 1,000 marathon relay entries. 

Train[ing] Kept a Rollin'

Leading into the final week before the Humboldt Redwoods Half-Marathon is a good time to review how the fall training is progressing.  The half-marathon will be the first truly objective measure.  After that race I can evaluate my pace and endurance.  This is the second in the training update series.

Recent Events

In the original plan I left open the possibility of running a couple cross country races and the Bridge to Bridge 12K.  As the training started, I did not feel up to any additional load.  Running races would have interfered with my training as I was forced to take rest after each event.  I also felt that I was at high risk for injury.  So, the optional races were jettisoned.

Another part of the plan was to skip the DSE Lake Merced Half-Marathon.  I volunteered for the race to assure that I did not convince myself on race morning that I was feeling great and should run.  You can see me (above) chatting with Mark M. and another runner before the race. 

A full loop of the lake is 4.5 miles.  So, the half-marathon course is two full loops and a final 4.1 mile loop that uses a short cut.  I was the course monitor at the short cut to help the runners stay on the right path at the right time. 

Weekly Progress

Week 11: (9/20 - 9/26) Probably as typical a week as there will be.  Monday was weights and a 5.5M run.  Tuesday had an unexpected work conflict and became a rest day.  Wednesday was a 10M run with 20 minutes of tempo toward the end.  Thursday was a repeat of Monday.  Friday was a rest day.  Saturday was the normal 6M group run in Golden Gate Park and Land's End.  Sunday was 19 miles at Lake Merced. 

Week 10: (9/27 - 10/3) This week was probably the first time that I started to feel that my recovery was catching up to my training.  The weeknights were the same as Week 11.  Tuesday was the forced rest day this week because a plumbing upgrade for the building had the hot water off all day.  The Saturday group run was moved to Lake Merced because of a music festival that took over Golden Gate Park.  I added extra running before and after the group for a 20 mile long run.  On Sunday, the Bridge to Bridge occupied the Embarcadero and Crissy Field, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival had Golden Gate Park and a Run/Walk to Beat Colon Cancer had Lake Merced.  So, it was to the fitness room for weights and 6.2M on treadmill.  That made 26.2 miles (the distance of a full marathon) for Saturday and Sunday.

Week 9:  (10/4 - 10/10) The problem when I start feeling good is that I want to do more.  That was my mistake on Tuesday.  Monday was a rest day owing to a work commitment.  Tuesday, I did the normal weights and 5.5M run on the treadmill.  My left foot was feeling a little strange, so I decided to use the elevation on the treadmill to change the angle of the surface and make the run a little more difficult.  I switched between 1% and 2% grades at the normal 8:00 minute training pace.  In the process, I strained my right hamstring where it inserts at the back of the knee.  I felt it all week and decided that a tempo run was too risky.  Wednesday was 9.3M and Thursday was weights and 5.5M.  Friday was rest and Saturday was 6M in Golden Gate Park.  This week got a shorter long run of 15M in recognition of the half-marathon next weekend -- the long run was a tour of sites: Nob Hill, Aquatic Park, Crissy Field, Fort Point, Fisherman's Wharf, Embarcadero, Ferry Building and Ballpark.  I took an extra couple of breaths in front of the Boudin Bakery. 

Training Elements

Pace: One of the keys to my training workouts is to run the right pace.  I need to keep in mind the purpose of the individual run and keep to the correct pace for it.  If I run too fast I increase injury risk.  If I run too slow, I do not get the full benefit of a workout.  My regular training pace is 8:00.  When I am feeling good, I want to run faster because it is exhilarating.  I need to stifle that and the treadmill is good at enforcing discipline.  The 8:00 minute regular training pace and 6:30 tempo pace come from the tables in Daniels' Running Formula.  Another way of estimating pace is that normal half-marathon pace should be close to tempo pace.  Normal training pace should be about a minute and a half slower.  My times fit nicely with this guideline.  The normal training pace should be comfortable with the ability to carry on a conversation.  Not necessarily long exchanges, but full sentences.  If you can't get the words out because you are breathing too hard, that is too fast for the regular training pace.