... and the Rest

There have been many events since the last post.


DSE Summer Race Series (7/24, 7/31, 8/14): Great idea, a low key summer evening series at Lake Merced. Of course, in San Francisco, summer is as likely to mean cold, fog and wind as it is sun. Cold is good for running, though. I made three of the eight races with a little sun and little fog. The aim was to run fast but not all-out with a finishing time a little under 30 minutes for the four-and-one-half mile course. I was able to sneak-in with a third place age group finish for the series thanks to the tie between Steve N and Gary B for first place. Next year is a 12-week series. We will see if I have the durability for that.


DSE Lake Merced Half-Marathon (9/21): This was the goal race for the fall. I had hoped to pace myself with 6:30 miles and no individual mile above 7:00. After the first of three loops of the lake I realized I did not have it to hold that pace for the rest of the race and backed off. I came in at 1:28:15 and took first place for my age group. Any half-marathon below 1:30 is good. Although it was not as fast as I had hoped, it was still a good race.


Bridge to Bridge 12K (10/5): This is one of the larger annual races. It goes from the Ferry Building (sort-of in the shadow of the Bay Bridge) to Fort Point (the base of the Golden Gate Bridge) and finishes (after a sight rise that is a killer at the end of a race) in the Presidio. My time of 49:49 was actually my slowest 12K of the year, but the fast people all stayed home from this race. I was lucky enough to get an age group second place finish with that time. If you are not feeling fast, it pays to be lucky.


Ballpark 5K (10/19), Sawyer Camp Trail 5K (11/2), Great Highway Run (11/23): I decided to do a number of shorter runs this fall rather than to put everything into the Run Wild 10K. All fun races. My times are not what they were early in the year, but I still managed to sneak into the top five overall at the Great Highway Run. The DSE runs have become more competitive the last couple of years (it's good to see more people at the races). Those top five finishes are now harder to get. Probably one more race in December and that will be the year.

Running a 5K at Golden Gate Park

The 5K race is the most popular race distance in the U.S.

Almost 40% of reported race finishes are in 5K races. At least that is what a USA Track & Field study of 2002 long distance race participation found. The second most popular distance is the 10K, at a little over 13%. The median finish time for men in non-cause events is 26:42 (half finished below this time, half above). For women in non-cause events the median is 33:45. Cause events (such as the Revlon Race for Women and Race for the Cure) tend to have slower times because of the high number of walking participants. I am all-for anyone who gets out and does anything active. So, walk or run, any participation is good.

A 5K is 5,000 meters; about 3.1 miles or 16,404 feet. I am not a big fan of the 5K distance. It usually ends up being a substitute for a longer training run on the weekend and cuts into my mileage. It also takes a full effort for the whole distance, making it more uncomfortable to run. Longer races require more pacing as you ration your resources over more distance. This translates to a slightly slower pace and less acute distress, albeit over a longer time. On the other hand, the 5K produces less wear and tear on the body with faster recovery after a race.

The Race

I ran the DSE Conservatory 5K last Sunday (6/15/08). I wanted to check on my time so that I could see where my training stands and make adjustments. This course is not completely flat, but it is still good for assessing fitness. I arrived about an hour before the race and did a longer warm-up than usual. There was a noticeable breeze blowing in toward the start. Most of the first mile will be running into that wind.

Mile 1: To do well at this distance you must start fast and maintain a fast pace. There is no settling into a pace. The starting call is faster than I anticipate and I am left flat footed as the race begins. I struggle as I am trying to catch my breath and get my breathing in sync with my turnover. As things sort out, I find I am in a pack of six or eight runners. The pace is a little fast for me. I also realize that because I am in this pack I am not fighting the wind. I am in a little distress, but if I drop the pace a little I will be running by myself and fighting the wind. That will leave me in just as much distress. So, I take my chances and stay with the group. Drafting usually is not much help in foot races. This is the first time in over ten years of racing that I thought it was beneficial.

The race starts on JFK Drive more or less at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. This section of JFK is closed to traffic on Sundays. The road takes a dip near the de Young and gradually rises through a big, though gentle, curve. We go past the Rose Garden. I am running too hard to notice. We take a gentle left at Stow Lake Drive and head up the hill, past the Pioneer Log Cabin, to Stow Lake. I am staying with the group. The one mile mark is at the top of the hill, just before the left turn to go clockwise around Stow Lake. My pace is about 5:59.

Mile 2: We are out of the wind and I need to back-off the pace. The group is starting to break-up, anyway. Stow Lake is man-made, as is much of the park. Strawberry Hill sits in the middle of the lake. It is actually a natural formation and rises 428 feet. We pass the bridge to the island, run gentle curves to the left with a full right turn around a corner of the lake. We get down to MLK Drive, transition to the sidewalk and take hard rights to get back on the road around Stow Lake. We are running a tree lined route, past RV's with dogs playing the grass. We make a full right turn as we head toward the parking lot at the Lake. Through the lot and hit the two mile mark at the far end just before going down the same hill we came up. Pace is 6:12 for the second mile.

Mile 3: Down the hill and back onto JFK Drive. It is now time to close-out of the race. I try to pick my line carefully. The idea is to run tangents between curves so that you run the least distance possible. Nice in theory, but in road races you also have to deal with potholes, the crown of the road and other factors. If you end up fighting broken or sloping pavement, it can cost more energy than the shorter route saves. The paving machines that lay asphalt are a standard width. The place where the seams come together is a little flatter and often a better place to run. I make that sweeping curve and dip near the de Young, again. Even though it takes a little extra energy, I like that stretch. I am still pushing hard, although it seems like I am not pushing hard enough. Then, somewhere in the half to three-quarter mile area, I realize I had better stop pushing the pace so hard. Otherwise, I am going to blow-up before the end of the race. I have been running with and pacing off of another racer. I decide to let him go. I hit mile 3 with another 5:59. Faster than I thought.

The Finish (3.1 Miles): I see the finish clock. I have a chance to break 19 minutes. I am trying to maintain pace. I hit the stopwatch on my wrist watch and it shows 18:54. There are only a hand full of times I have broken 19 minutes for a 5K. I am very happy.

After the Race

I walk and then slowly run after catching my breath. The slow run is supposed to keep your muscles from stiffening and help to clear lactic acid. I cheer a few people I know who are headed to the finish. At the water cooler, I see the guy who I let go before the finish and congratulate him on a good race. He had more at the end than I did. He tells me he saw the clock and realized he had a chance for a personal record time. He pushed to the finish and got the PR. I congratulated him again. That is a great accomplishment.

My time is better than I expected. I can now take that time and use it to recalculate may training paces using the Daniels VDOT tables from "Daniels' Running Formula." The endorphins are kicking in. Life is grand.

Bay to Breakers 5/18/08

Pre-Race

No better way to start a blog on running in San Francisco (THE CITY) than with this year's Bay to Breakers. This race has something for everyone. There are elites at the front, some local and some international. There are a variety of other folks looking to put in their best effort either racing against others or against their past times. There are also many who enjoy a run or walk across THE CITY on a Sunday. There are centipedes (13 runners tethered together), runners in costumes and (though technically not allowed) runners in nothing at all.

I am a fan of the big-tent view of running. There is room for everyone -- fast or slow, racing flat-out or at a more modest pace, running or walking. Anyone who gets out and does something active should be celebrated. This event puts that philosophy into action.

You can get your race packet mailed to you (for an extra fee) or you can pick it up at the Expo. I opted for the Expo and went on Friday night. As usual, you have to walk through the Expo to get to the area where the race packets are distributed. There was no wait and the process went smoothly. I worked my way back through the Expo. It did not seem as interesting as past Expos.

The race starts at Howard and Beale. I was lucky enough to get sub-seeded this year. The elites, various seeded groups and pledge runners start in corrals at the front of the start area. The instructions say you must enter before 7 AM for the 8 AM start. It does not really matter, but I was there at 7 AM, anyway. Visited with a few people, warmed-up and stretched. I usually see the Mayor looking spiffy and doing interviews at the start area, but not this year.

Just before the start, the dividers between the corrals come down and everyone moves toward the start line. So, aside from the elites, it does not really matter which corral you are in. The race started on time, always a plus.

The Race

Mile 1: Uncomfortable for me. Breathing, cadence, heart rate and muscles are out of sync. It takes the first mile for the body to settle into the pace. The streets are wide and the race opens up early, but you still have to work your way through other runners. In this race you also have to watch not to collide with runners entering the race from the curb. I missed the Elvises standing on the curb at the Moscone Center having a beer. This happens after they have had their two blocks of glory running with the Kenyans at the front of the race. Around a 6:20 pace for the first mile. A little too fast.

Mile 2: I was running with Spiderman for the first couple of miles. He was a pretty popular guy. Spectators were cheering (mostly for Spiderman) and I was starting to settle into a good pace. Right turn at 9th, across Market and onto Hayes. Watch for the street car rails and potholes. The Hayes Street Hill looms ahead. 6:30 pace. Good pace, allows me to start the hill without being overextended.

Mile 3: The Hayes Street Hill is the signature element of this race. Yes, there are costumes, the salmon (running from the finish to the start, against the crowds) and a variety of other unusual goings-on. Forget those, it is the hill. If you are going to run in THE CITY, you have to embrace the hills. The secret of running the Hayes Street Hill is the flat spot at each cross street. It is a brief moment of relief before the next block. Somewhere on the hill, I lost Spiderman. I don't know if he sped ahead or if that face mask finally got the better of him. The crest is one block further than it appears as you are climbing. I should know better, but it got me, again, this year. The crest comes a quarter mile or so before the three mile mark. No matter, I'm not making up any time before the next marker. I am trying to catch my breath and get some spring back in my legs. Left at Divisadero, right at Fell. 7:20 pace up and over the hill. Smooth sailing from here, right?

Mile 4: Mostly along the panhandle of Golden Gate Park. Lots of people on the street and hanging out the front of the buildings along the way. Music blaring from speakers. Various political, social and other issues being promoted. Hey, it is THE CITY. Across Stanyan to JFK. 6:51 pace. If I lost time, this is where it happened. I should have been able to recover from the hill and get back on pace quicker.

Mile 5: Into the main part of Golden Gate Park. Running comfortable and smooth. The park scenery is nice. It rolls a little, but I have run this stretch enough that there are no surprises. 6:30, back on pace.

Mile 6: Running does not get any better than this. Slight downhill for part of this mile. Fully recovered from the hill. Running is smooth, rhythm is good. Everything is in sync. JFK takes a turn to the right. A little better than 6:15. At this point in the race, on this terrain, this pace is fine.

Mile 7: The buffalo are not in the paddock. I miss them. I heard that the park personnel are trying to give the grass a chance to grow before reintroducing the buffalo after a maintenance project. This mile opens like mile six closed: smooth, glorious running. By the end, I am starting to feel the strain. Of course, we are closing-in on the finish. If you haven't left what you've got on the road by this point, its too late. Mile seven is near the windmill, but there is no banner marking this one. Luckily, I happened to see the paint mark on the pavement. 6:20 pace.

The Finish (7.46): OK, I have had enough, this needs to be over. Left turn onto the Great Highway. Ocean on the right. Time to push, but the distance closes way too slow. Watching the clock. If I push, I can break 49 on the race clock. 2:50 for the last stretch. I am suppressing the desire to toss my cookies. Where is the water. Forgot to stop the watch. Did I break 49? Too close to tell.

Post Race

I had planned to go directly from the finish to the Judah train and home. A friend told me that they give out stickers with time and place on the way to the post-race Footstock festival. I head over. 48:56, chip time. Ninth in my age group and 200 overall. I make a round of Footstock, but it is too cold and I leave. I am more interested in the race than the other events and it has been a good morning. Home to a hot shower and a big plate of french toast. There are people on the train at 10 AM with a start on their buzz. They are headed to Bay to Breakers parties. A good number of costumes, too. One guy in nothing but a baby diaper (and I think I am cold?).

Gotta give the race organizers credit. This is a well run race, especially considering its size and the free-for-all that most participants are after. The real-time results are available during the race and full results are posted by the evening. 48:56 chip time, 49:02 gun time, finishing places hold: 9 of 1,657 in my age group and 200 out of 22,452 official finishers. I have been in races where it takes a week for the results to be released. These guys gave me my results minutes after I crossed the line.

Time to rest and recharge.