PA/USATF Road Grand Prix Series (Long) - 2011

I KNOW exactly when I peaked.  It was July 21, 2011, at 6:58 p.m.  The finish of Race 7 in the DSE Summer Race Series.  You see, last year, I built to one of those periods where my running was fast and comfortable, with fast recoveries from each race.  It started with the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon in July 2010.  The fall portion of 2010 PA/USATF Road Grand Prix Series benefited from races that equaled some of the best I have ever run.  The first half of 2011 continued to produce great results.  I did too many races in the summer and fall.  That lead to the initial signs of injury and caused me to pull back on training.  Although my times fell after July, I thought I did a good job of managing the risks and pulling out a respectable finish to the 2011 Grand Prix Series.

I didn't really intend to run the full PA/USATF Road Race Grand Prix Series in 2011. As I commented previously there are many great running events and it is hard to resist the draw of each one. By the end of the year, I had run all of the Grand Prix Series -- in addition to my first ultra -- in addition to a full summer series -- in addition to fall cross-country.  At the top, left, I am finishing the Humbold Redwoods Half Marathon. 

Actually, the Grand Prix includes two series for individuals, divided by the distance of the races: a long series of 12K and over and a short series of 10K and under.  Teams are ranked based on all races in both series.  I prefer the long series, which is made up of five races.  For 2011, it was one race at 10 miles, one at 12K (just under 7.5 miles), two half marathons (13.1 miles) and one marathon (26.2) miles.

NorCal John Frank Memorial 10 Mile (Redding): This was the first race of the series.  Emerging from the California International Marathon at the end of 2010, I was recovering and then returned to my normal training.  I had good but not extraordinary races at the DSE Waterfront 10 Miler (January) and the Kaiser San Francisco Half Marathon (February).  I went to NorCal in March both to use my complementary race entry and to do better than the 2010 race.  It turned out that NorCal was extraordinary.  The full 2011 race report is HERE.  I set a new personal record for the 10 mile distance by over one minute: 1:03:22.  My average pace was 6:20 per mile.

Emerald Across the Bay 12K (San Francisco): This race is a major event for the Pamakids Racing Team, so I signed up for it.  We had a very large "green" contingent at the race.  As extraordinary as NorCal was, this race was a disappointment.  Fortunately, it was just an off day and not a sign of things to come.  After this race, I ran well in The Relay, ran my fastest Bay to Breakers ever and set a new 10K PR (based on chip time) at the Marin Memorial Day Races. 

The night before the race it rained and there were heavy winds.  I considered abandoning the race but the weather settled down as sunrise approached.  I ran to Aquatic Park to meet the buses that take runners to the start near Sausalito.  I visited with people and had a good time before the race.  The race started well and the first half, over the Golden Gate Bridge, also went well.  The photo at the right is just after I got off of the bridge.

The wheels started to fall off in the second half.  I struggled in the section where I felt in total sync the year before.  My overall time was slower than the year before, probably my only race like that for the spring.  I got elbowed at the finish line by another runner.  If I had thought about it, I probably could have filed a protest, but did not.  As I was walking between the finish line and the expo, a runner I had never met came over to tell me that even though I beat him at NorCal, he beat me in this race.  Hmmm, nice to know.  It was not the normal friendly exchange.  It was more of an "in your face" statement.  I do this for fun, I just can't get that worked-up about it.  It started to rain on the run home from the finish.  All runs are good, some are just better than others.  This was not in the better category.  I finished in 48:26, an average pace of 6:29.

Humboldt Redwoods Half Marathon (Weott, Humboldt County): This race runs through the middle of an old growth redwood forest.  It was so spectacular that my support crew and I returned to see the trees, again.  We even took an extra day to do it.  On the way, we stopped at my favorite Highway 101 road trip lunch spot, Old Mission Pizza in Willits.  We set up our command center in Garberville and did our best to avoid the stoners.  (This is the unofficial capitol of the "Emerald Triangle," known as one of the best marijuana growing regions in the country.)  The forests were just as grand as we remembered them.  We drove the entire length of the Avenue of the Giants on the day before the race. 

We returned to one of the groves we had visited in 2010. There was a tree that had fallen since our last visit. It must have been a colossal crash. When it fell, it struck the Founder's Tree. The Founder's Tree was once thought to be the tallest coastal redwood in the world. A couple of taller trees have since been found in remote areas, but it is still among the tallest.  At the right, you can see the scrape marks on the Founder's Tree, toward the middle/top of the photo. The tree fell across the path through the woods. To restore the path, they cut a section out of the fallen tree, as you can see below. In the second photo below, I am standing next to the tree where the section of trunk was cut out. Otherwise, fallen trees are just left as part of the natural eco system. After a day of marveling at the trees, it was time to race.

The long races in the Grand Prix Series take a pause after the two spring races and resume with this race in mid-October. I knew I was not as fit this year as I had been in 2010. So, I took a more conservative approach at the start of the race, aiming for 6:25 miles. This race is so remote, Steven P. and I were the only Pamakids at the race. I saw a few other runners I know from The CITY.

The start of the race was crowded (photo below), but opened up quickly so that I could run the pace I wanted.  This is a mostly flat course, but there are three bridges that create hills.  One is at the start and the second is toward the end of the first mile.  Since this is an out-and-back course, you encounter the other side of each bridge on the return.  I was able to stay at or a couple of seconds under 6:25 for each mile in the first half of the race.  I had the same problem of slowing near the turn-around as I had last year. 

Somewhere past mile 7, I fell in with a group of three other runners and we were all running about the same pace.  That probably helped to keep me on pace for a couple more miles.  Somewhere after mile 9, I could not hold the pace any more and let them go.  Mile 10 ended up my slowest mile of the race.  I was able to pick it up again and get back on pace for mile 11.  Mile 12 has the biggest hill of the race and that cost me some time.  Mile 13 also has a hill and it is, after all, almost the finish, when you have spent what you have.  I came off the bridge, made the right turn and pushed for the finish (photo at top of this blog). 

I finished in 1:25:11 gun time/1:25:07 chip time.  With the time l lost at the turn-around and in miles 10 and 13, I averaged around a 6:30 pace.  I was about a minute slower than the prior year.  Realizing I was not at my peak, I ended up about where I thought I should be.  I had hoped to be just under 1:25, but I was just over, instead.  This is an extraordinary, well organized event that everyone who is up for the distance (driving and running) should do at least once.

Clarksburg Country Run Half Marathon (Clarksburg):  Clarksburg was the race I was least likely to run in the Grand Prix Series.  It comes late in the season, close to many other events.  It is a nice race, but it has no equivalent of the giant redwoods.  The drive back to The CITY from Clarksburg is a drag.  Sometimes the traffic is slow.  Even if it moves, it takes too much time.  I just want to be home.

After Humboldt, I looked at the standings.  I was actually sitting pretty well on both the seniors and masters rankings.  I checked the registration lists for Clarksburg and CIM.  I realized I would probably move up the lists and qualify as a comped athlete for another year if I ran both.  Even though it was ill-advised, I decided to run Clarksburg.

I got up early to make the roughly two-hour drive.  My support crew took a pass on this one.  Clarksburg is located South of Sacramento, in the Sacramento River delta.  It is flat agricultural land.  This course is even flatter than Humboldt.  It has one hill in the first mile, repeated from the other side on the way back.  As hills go, it is not much.  It has more turns than Humboldt and that requires some attention to avoid losing time. 

A handful of Pamakids made the trip: Markham, Nakia, Eduardo and me.  We all met up before the race to compare goals and observations.  I intended to start the race at a 6:20 to 6:25 pace.  I ended up running the first five miles a little under 6:20.  I came through the turn around in good shape.  Somewhere around mile 8 or 9, I developed some cramps and had to slow down.  I still kept a respectable pace, but it was in the 6:35 to 6:40 area and that was it for the race.  With a strong start and weak finish, I managed 1:25:00-even for gun time and 1:24:56 chip time.  It was a race I ran as an extra and treated as a train-through for CIM.  Consistent with my fall running, I was about a minute behind my time from 2010.

California International Marathon (Sacramento): I was also ambivalent about this race.  Earlier in the fall, when I got into the Boston Marathon, I decided to run it as preparation.  That set marathon training as the overarching training framework and goal for the fall.  I was working to prevent minor injury problems from becoming major injury problems.  By mid-October I was able to return to Lake Merced for long runs.  I always felt that I was about a month behind in the training. I had fewer long runs, but accelerated the long run mileage.  In the end, I was able to hit the mileage I wanted.  There was nothing extra in the training and no speed work, other than the two half marathons.  Anything more would have sent me flying over the injury cliff.

As I was approaching CIM and considering my race plan, I checked an equivalent performances table and found my 1:25 Clarksburg Half finish translates to a sub-3 hour marathon. So, I was confident going into CIM that a sub-3 was still possible.  My racing plan was to duplicate what I did in 2010. 

So, we stayed at the same hotel. My support crew and I left The CITY at the same time and made the same stop at The Bagelry on Polk Street for the same pre-race food.  We checked in and went to the same place for lunch, the River City Brewing Company in the K Street Mall.  We made the same trip to the expo so I could pick up my race number and attend the keynote speech.  This year it was Greg McMillan, M.S. of the McMillan Running Company.  He is a noted runner and coach  It was a more practical and motivational talk than the science based speech of 2010.  My support crew found it easier to stay awake.  There was relaxing, dinner and the same early bedtime.

I did not wake with the same drama as last year.  I got up around 4:30 a.m.  I had the same bagel and coffee.  I headed out to make the bus that was scheduled to board and leave our hotel between 5:00 and 5:15.  We got to the race start in Folsom where there is a row of porta potties that stretches for as far as the eye can see.  Some people stood in line.  All you really needed to do was go farther down the row.  I walked around to loosen up and watched the sunrise.

For reasons that I do not know, about half an hour before the start of the race I decided I needed a cup of coffee.  Maybe I was just bored and it was something to do.  There is a gas station at the start and I had a little money with me, so I bought a cup.  After that, I dropped my sweats at the sweats truck and found the 3 hour pace group, just like last year.  The gun went off and we were on our way. 

We had the same pace leader as 2010 and he did the same great job of setting the right pace.  Somewhere around the third mile, my left hamstring started to feel a little ragged.  I decided there was no need to slow down, but I realized I would pay for that decision after the race.  The first half was pretty quiet.  Markham was on pace to set a personal record and running about half a minute ahead of the group.  I talked with him at the start, but that was it. 

I came into the half way point at 1:29:18, 42 seconds ahead of the 1:30:00 goal for a three hour marathon.  In 2010 we had similarly hit the half way point ahead of schedule, but the pace group gave it all back by mile 20.  That meant I had to struggle to stay exactly on pace if I wanted to finish in three hours.  I only made it by a couple of seconds.  The one variation on the race plan I was considering was to push a little of ahead of the group and preserve as much of the cushion as I could.  At the half way point, I decided that was the plan and I stayed ahead of the pace group for the rest of the race.

Mile 20 was 2:16:26, 58 seconds ahead of the 2:17:24 goal.  I had actually picked up a couple of seconds per mile.  Somewhere a little after mile 20, I matched up with a guy who had been running about my pace for the race.  He billed himself as "Mr. 2:59."  He is the guy in the lime green shirt just behind me in the finish photo at left.  We kept each other on pace and focused to the finish.  That was a great help to me and he said it helped to him, too.  I was still tired and had to push the last six miles to the finish, but I felt better and more confident of the sub-three hour finish than 2010.

I finished in 2:59:25 gun time/2:59:19 chip time.  It was a new PR by about half a minute.  I did end up losing time in the last six miles.  That is something to note for Boston.  I was not as fit as I had been in 2010, but I had a better race plan that benefited from the prior year's experience.  We also had ideal conditions for the race: cool temperatures, overcast (no beating sun) and almost no wind. 

My support crew met me at the finish with the same double dose of Endurox R4 recovery drink.  I did not feel nauseous, as I had in 2010 .  My legs, though trashed, were not in immediate revolt, as in 2010.  As we passed through the K Street Mall on the way back to the hotel, I could smell cinnamon rolls.  I looked inside Spinners and informed my support crew they were to buy me one of those massive, warm, gooey ones with the walnuts.  It went into a Styrofoam clam-shell container.  I felt like such a rebel, those containers are outlawed in the The CITY (as are single use plastic grocery bags and, soon to be, all shopping bags).  It is a good thing I do not live near-by.  This should be a rare, special occasion experience.  Not a regular undertaking.  The roll was so rich it took me the rest of the time until we left Sacramento to finish it. 

After the Sunday race my legs were totally trashed.  The first run I tried was on the following Saturday.  I had to stop because my hamstrings hurt too much.  As expected, the left hamstring was the worst.  I switched to the elliptical for a couple of weeks and gradually started running again.  It took a month before I was back to anything approaching my normal routine. 

I finished 347 out of 5756 total finishers.  I was 6 out of 247 in the 55 - 59 age group.  My 2:59:19 chip time was an average pace of 6:51 per mile.  The graphic of the very large and colorful finisher's medal is at the left.  I finished the Grand Prix seniors competition (over age 50) in seventh place, the same as 2010.  I was tied for 13th in the masters category (40 and over), only one point from 12th and two places ahead of 2010.  Just like 2010, I qualified as a comped athlete with free entry to all of the long series races for 2012.  Owing to the way that ranking is done for comps, I did not qualify as a senior, but ended up qualifying in the masters. 

On to Boston.

PA/USATF Cross Country - August to November 2011

THERE ARE SO MANY great running events and it is hard to resist the draw of each one.  I did too much racing in the summer through fall and it impacted my fall running.  I had committed to running the fall cross country season with the Pamakids and signed up for the most promising races.  My results were mixed, at best.  Running with the team was the highlight of the series. 

The PA/USATF Cross Country Grand Prix is ten races plus the championship.  Runners compete both individually and as club teams, divided by gender and age.  The best five races plus the championship are scored.  I originally signed-up for six races and left the decision on running the championship race to the end.  I skipped the races in San Francisco (2), Marin and Mountain View.  I do not like the courses and the scoring opportunities are the lowest. 

UCSC XC Challenge (Santa Cruz, 8/20):  The season opened with the 11th Annual UC Santa Cruz Cross Country Challenge.  The race is run on fire roads and wooded trails on the North end of the University of California campus. It is a beautiful course.  It opens with climb out of the starting meadow and then goes up what is probably the biggest hill of the race at half a mile or a little less.  The first half to the turn around is generally up and the third mile is a reverse the second, but now slightly down. The final mile veers left down a different trail through redwoods.  It is an exhilarating downhill close to the race.  As long-time readers know, I hate running in the rain.  The weather this year was foggy, wet and cold.  There was light rain off and on through the morning. I ran the four mile course in 26:04.  I was a couple seconds faster than the prior year, but thought I should have done better. When it was time to leave I was cold, wet and happy to go.  In terms of conditions, this was the most uncomfortable of the races I attended.  The Pamakids seniors entered the standings in fourth place.  Above, I am trailing Senior teammate Paul Z. 

Empire Open (Santa Rosa, 8/27):  The weather was better for the 19th Annual Phil Widener Empire Open.  The usual schedule is that the women run first, followed by the masters men and then the open men.  In this race, the masters men went first, which was a nice change.  It was overcast and cooler than the prior year when the masters ran.  After that, the masters men could cool down and cheer the other teams.  After our run, the sun came out and it was warmer for the others.  This 3.43 mile course runs around a reservoir lake, across the top of a couple of levees and has plenty of technical turns, rocks and roots.  The signature element is a reckless run down a gravel path off the top of one of the levees.  The course goes down this treacherous trail twice.  My time was slower than last year: 22:28 this year compared to 22:11 last.  That aside, the whole experience was much more enjoyable than the cold and wet of Santa Cruz.  The Pamakid seniors moved to third place, but that will not last when some of the other teams start to show for the closer races.  I moved to seventh.  That also will not last.  Above, Paul and I are again together on the course.  This was taken during the brief moment when I was ahead.  That, too, will not last.

Rebel Rebellion (Sacramento, 9/3):  As the name suggests, this was the first year for the 1st Annual Rebels Cross Country Challenge and it was Labor Day weekend.  With both a first time race and holiday, I thought the competition might be a little thin, leading to a good scoring opportunity.  It was a more competitive race than I had anticipated.  I barely finished in the top 40 in my race, but that was good enough to make the cut-off for a race t-shirt.  The 4.35 mile course is hard to describe.  The weather was hot and dry, making it dusty at the start. The course has plenty of turns and climbs.  Most of it is exposed to the sun.  There is a climb in the last half mile before descending to the finish.  I finished in 27:45.  This was probably my most satisfying run of the series.  The heat did not bother me and I ran well.  At the right/above, I am working to catch another runner in the middle of the race.  With the unexpected high level of competition, the Pamakids seniors dropped to fourth and I dropped to ninth.

Garin (Hayward, 9/24): I drove out of the San Francisco fog, but it did not break until I was most of the way through Oakland.  It was sunny, dry and hot in the East Bay for the 7th Annual Garin Park XC Challenge.  This course is in the East Bay hills.  I ran the course before the race and saw the spectacular vista looking back toward San Francisco and the peninsula across the bay.  During the race, I was watching the course and saw nothing.  I have heard people complain about race courses without scenery, but I seldom notice the scenery when racing.  The course was dustier and had more roll than Sacramento  I finished the 5K course in 20:42.  I skipped a race before Garin, which dropped me out of the top ten. 

Willow Hills (Folsom, 10/8): No legs.  That was the story for this race.  I thought I was holding my own for the first mile or so.  After that, the legs were shot.  This course had a number of short climbs.  Usually, I recover on the down hill.  Not in this race. I just tried to hang on to the end.  I finished in 20:53 for the 5K.  We had a full seniors team even though this was probably the longest drive for us.  At right, we are gathered before the start of the race.  There were only a couple of masters.  After looking at the standings, it looked like the greatest advantage for the team would be to score us as masters.  So, we did not count this one for seniors team scoring. 

I had originally signed-up for the 2nd Annual Ancil Hoffman Challenge (Sacramento, 11/5) near Sacramento, but had to cancel owing to a family emergency.  It was the sixth race and was not likely to make a significant difference in the standings for either me or the team.  As noted, typically these events are split into three races: women's, men's masters and men's open.  The women's race riled up a nest of wasps.  When the masters men went by, many of the men were stung.  A team mate who is usually a couple of steps ahead of me was stung eight times.  I was happy to miss that.  The wasps were even angrier when the open men went by.

The time came to make a decision on running the 26th Annual PA Cross Country Championships (San Francisco, 11/20).  My cross county season had been mediocre, at best.  In the standings, I  was sitting in the middle of the pack.  I was behind on my training for the California International Marathon (CIM).  My participation was not likely to make a significant difference.  I decided to cut my losses and skip the championship race.   As it turned out, it rained that day.  I hate running in the rain.  There was plenty of slipping, sliding and falling.  There were also a couple of injuries.  In the end, it would have made no difference for the team.  I might have gone from 26th to 24th in the standings - not worth a run in the rain. 

The Pamakids seniors (we prefer "super masters") ended the season seventh out of 12 teams.  Considering that we could not even field a full seniors team last year, that is a good start.  Based on the prior year's final results, I thought we might have a shot at third, but that was clearly not in the cards this year.  I was 26 out of 144 in the individual standings.  Although, the bottom half of the standings are made up predominantly of people who ran only one or two races.  Among the regulars, I was probably middle of the pack. 

The Pamakids went on to the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships in Seattle (12/10).  I ran CIM the weekend before and there was no chance I could run another race that soon.  By all reports, the team had a fantastic experience in Seattle and a solid close to a very active cross country season. 

Boston Marathon Registration - 2012 Race

THE BOSTON MARATHON considers itself an elite event.  They want to accommodate all the runners they can, but they do not want to be the biggest or to be the everyman race.  As some note, that is what the New York Marathon is for.  During the running boom of the 70's registration exploded to the point where some restriction was necessary.  Consistent with its culture, Boston went with qualifying standards. 

It used to be that all qualifying times were equal.  Registration opened and there was plenty of time for everyone to register, except maybe the most hardcore procrastinators.  We are in the midst of another running boom and Boston felt the effects last year.  The Internet was abuzz with stories of lesser marathons that never used to sell out reaching their maximums.  Speculation and frenzy built as registration for the 2011 Boston Marathon approached in the fall of 2010.  When registration opened, the surge overwhelmed Boston's computer.  The marathon filled in just eight hours.  I know one guy who tried to register intermittently from work every chance he had.  He was not able to get on the Boston Marathon computer all day.  (After registration closed he wrote a pleading e-mail to Boston explaining his plight.  To their credit, Boston accommodated him.)

Ultimately, Boston needed to update the rationing system.  They could go to a partial lottery, like many other races.  They could allow the luck of first-come-first-served based on computer access.  Looking to their roots, Boston decided to go to a tiered process that preserves the elite status of the race.  At the same time, it remains open to all who can qualify, whether amateur or professional.  It has always been rare that the truly casual runner could qualify.  Now it will be just a little more rare.

On Monday, September 12, 2011, 10:00 AM Eastern time, those who beat their qualifying time by at least 20 minutes could register.  Wednesday it went to ten minutes and Friday was five minutes.  Qualifying times are based on age and gender.  A runner must achieve the time standard in a race that adheres to USATF guidelines, or the foreign equivalent.  Friday at 5:00 PM registration closed.  With some space remaining, registration will reopen for a second week for everyone who meets or exceeds their qualifying time.  At the end of the second week, the remaining registrations are allocated to those with the best qualifying times, based on age and gender.  In theory, there could be a third week, but don't count on it. 

After the stories of last year's calamity, I was apprehensive.  My concern was unfounded.  Everything went smoothly for me in this year's registration.  For those looking for information on the process, here you go.  I connected to the Boston Marathon registration site at about 7:05 AM, Pacific time.  My browser connected immediately.  It is Boston's form, but similar to other computer race registration forms:  name, address, phone, date of birth, age on race day, gender, e-mail, additional informational questions and payment information. 

The only unique information needed for the registration form is the name of the qualifying race along with finish time and overall place.  I qualified at the California International Marathon, which was run the previous December.  It is one of the more common qualifying races.  I figure this is an automated process for most runners and that CIM results were already loaded into their computer.  I had a copy of my results from the CIM website printed out and in front of me.  I made sure to list my name exactly as it appeared in the results.  I used net (chip) time and place.  Although, my place was the same for gun and chip time.  The list of races on the pull-down menu seemed very long and probably includes all but the most obscure qualifying races.  The form also has a way to enter information for races not listed.

I received a receipt with a submission ID immediately after transmitting my application.  I received an e-mail about 20 minutes later acknowledging my entry had been received.  About four hours after that I received confirmation that my registration had been accepted:

"This is to notify you that your entry into the 116th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16, 2012 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate."

Hmm, sounds like it was written by a lawyer.  No dishonor in that, but not the friendliest.

For the 2013 race, qualifying standards will be tightened a bit.  As the race director noted, more and more people are running and more are qualifying.  Boston is just responding to the market while striving to fulfill their goal and mission, "that is the pursuit of athletic excellence." 

Boston does not issue registration updates and will not say precisely how many applications they will accept.  Most reports list the race registration cap in the 25,000 to 27,000 area.  Somewhere around 20,000 of those come from the regular registration process.  (There is another process for charity runners and every major race has its elites, VIPs and other special accommodation.)  Going into the first Friday, speculation was that about half of the available space was already taken.  This was based on the submission ID numbers, which appear to be sequential.  On Sunday, BAA announced that registration will go into the second week.  It is certain to sell out during the second week.  

Congratulations to all who got in.  For those who qualified but did not get in, it is still an awesome achievement.  There are many who want to qualify but can't.  Some work hard and did not miss for lack of effort.  Others simply are not willing to put forth the effort.  It is a mix of luck and hard work. 

UPDATE:  The second week of registration closed at 5:00 PM on Friday, September 23, 2011.  By all accounts, everything went smoothly throughout the registration process.  BAA solved the problem of last year's chaos with the new tiered registration system.  Based on an Internet report, 14,918 runners qualified during the first week and another 8,596 applied in the second week, making a total of 23,514.  The report indicated that around 21,000 will be admitted through this process, leaving about 2,500 applications over the limit.  The final registrations will be accepted based on times, with the fastest runners, as compared to the applicable qualifying standard, being accepted.  Those who submitted registrations during the second week will start receiving notices on Monday.  BAA expects to finishing notifying runners by Wednesday.

UPDATE 2:  Forget the conjecture from the Internet, here is the official word from BAA:

September 26, 2011 -- The Boston Athletic Association today notified applicants of their acceptance into the 2012 Boston Marathon. This year and for the first time, the B.A.A. implemented a new registration process for eligible qualifiers whereby the fastest runners in relation to their qualifying times were able to submit their entry on a rolling basis. Acceptance was based on performance rather than on a first come, first served basis. The 116th Boston Marathon is on Patriots’ Day: Monday, April 16, 2012.

• 23,521 applications were received during the two weeks of registration.
• 20,081 applicants have been accepted or are in the process of being accepted, pending verification of qualifying performance (14,780 from Week One; 5301 from Week Two).
• 3,228 applicants were unable to be accepted due to the large number of eligible qualifiers who submitted an application for entry combined with field size limitations.
• An additional 277 qualifiers who had run 10 or more consecutive Boston Marathons were also accepted.

Those who had a verified qualifying performance of one minute, 14 seconds or faster than the eligible standard for their age group have been accepted into the race.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation: DSE Summer Race Series 2011 - 6/9/11 to 8/25/11

THIS WAS the fourth year of the DSE Summer Race Series at Lake Merced.  The series started with eight races in 2008 and has been a 12 race series since then.  In looking back over my times, I can see the history of my running following a my 2007 injury.  I have gradually improved since 2007, with 2010 a breakthrough year. 

    Year          Goal        Average    Best      Races
2008    Under 30:00     29:21     29:07         3
2009    Under 29:00     28:41     28:20       11
2010    Under 28:30     28:02     27:35         8
2011    Under 28:00     27:53     27:27       12

The summer started with several weeks of very pleasant weather.  For the second half of he series, we settled into the typical summer in The CITY: overcast, cold and windy.  We even had a little drizzle from heavy fog on a couple of nights. 

The race course follows a 4.5 mile paved path around the lake.  There is a dirt shoulder on the inside of the path for much of the route.  The only vehicle conflicts occur at the driveway to the Harding Park Golf Course.  The race starts in a parking lot at the North end, adjacent to Sunset Boulevard.  This year, the race alternated each week from clockwise (the traditional direction) to counter clockwise.  There is some roll to the course that you feel as you run, but no significant hills. 

Going the traditional direction, the first mile rolls, but is slightly net uphill.  My goal is to start about 3/4 of the way back in the staring pack, get up to speed and gradually pass people.  The second mile contains the only significant downhill in the race.  This is the place to open it up and let gravity take over. I generally pass a few more people.  The third mile has a gradual up hill.  Some races I pass the last of those I will pass in this mile.  The fourth mile is back to rolling.  The final half mile has a couple of small rises.  They may be small but you feel them at this point in the race.  This is the place to make sure you do not get passed by anyone who was hanging back. 

In the reverse direction, there is more gradual downhill between 1.5 and 2.5 miles.  At around 3 miles there is a steeper up hill.  I find the reverse direction more difficult because of the steeper uphill and a more difficult last mile.  My times vary, but are often about 10 seconds slower in the reverse direction.  Some people run faster in the reverse direction.

My goals for the series were to win my age group and to run all 12 races.  The challenge is to manage work conflicts.  I wanted to run as many races as I could below 28 minutes and have at least one race below 27:30 -- that would be a new personal record for the course.  Each week I arrived about an hour before race time and ran one loop as a warm up.  I wanted to treat each week as a fast training run and hoped to improve my speed over the 12 weeks.

As the season developed, Glen and Steve and I were close to each other in some races and had some fun competition.  Glen and Steve are Devil's Slide Track Club members from the last running of The Relay.  Peter was also in the pack for a couple of races.  Peter is normally enough faster than me that we are not together at the end.  He has been dealing with some injury issues.  Hugh was at a few of the early races and very competitive, but he also had injury issues later in the series.  Jerry was at a few races and in the mix with the rest of us for one of them.  Jerry was in an Ironman and climbed Mount Whitney during the series.  So, his performance in a race depends on his other activities and his stage of recovery.  Kenny was also at the races and it is always good to talk with him before each race.  Part of the fun of the series is chatting with everyone after the races and comparing our impressions.

Week 1: 28:03. Based on my recent race times I was hoping to start the season below 28, but it did not happen.  I was running on my own toward the end of the race, which also tends to encourage a cruise to the finish. 

Week 2: 28:25 (reverse).  I did not have it this week.  I was on my own at the end.  So, it probably did not matter.  The runner ahead was about half a minute ahead and the runner behind me was about a minute back. 

Week 3: 28:02.  The run of week one.  Still did not make the break to a time under 28.  On my own again.  The runner ahead about about a minute and half, the runner behind close to a minute.

Week 4: 27:58 (reverse).  First week below 28.  I was never above it again.  Hugh is a faster runner than me, but he was having some injury issues.  So, he shadowed me around the lake to make sure he did not go all out.  That probably helped to push me a little.  Glen was off his normal pace and finished a few seconds back.  This was the first week I was close to Glen.

Week 5: 27:51.  Steve and Jerry were ahead of me for a couple of miles and I thought I was toast for this race.  I was able pick up speed and pass them along with Glen in the second half.  I opened up enough of gap that no one was a threat to me at the end.

Week 6: 27:58 (reverse).  Glen was back on form this week and finished a couple of spots ahead of me.  Steve was continuing to cut his race times.  I had run the DSE Distance Classic the Sunday before and I decided I was going to make a good effort, but not push the pace.  I was pleased that I was still under 28.

Week 7: 27:27.  Everyone was on this week.  My legs felt strong in both the warm up and race.  I ended up in the lead with a gap for the second half of the race.  I thought I was running alone when I got into the last half mile.  In the last quarter, I heard someone close to me spit and I knew someone was bearing down on me.  Then I could hear footsteps.  I did not know if it was one or two people.  I was having a good race and I was not going to voluntarily let someone pass me.  I pushed as hard as I could.  When we hit the parking lot just before the finish, I could hear the steps even closer.  I went into a sprint.  There was shouting and excitement as everyone at the finish line could see the unfolding competition.  I barely kept my lead at the finish line.  Glen was two seconds behind me. He had fought his way back in the last mile.  Steve had chopped nearly two minutes off his time from the first week and was only three seconds behind Glen.  Steve had tried to hold on when Glen passed him in the last half mile, but did not have enough to grab the last couple of seconds.  At the end I was doubled over trying to catch my breath.  It was the most intense race end I can ever remember running.  My left ankle was tender the next couple days, probably from the pounding.  This was my fastest race of the series and met my goal of having one race below 27:30.

Week 8:  27:52 (reverse).  Week 7 was too intense.  I was not doing that again.  Glen, Steve, Peter and I ended up running the race in a pack.  No one was willing to let anyone go and no one was willing to slow down.  So, we all ran a steady, hard pace.  I knew that when we reached the finish, it was going to be a sprint to the line.  All three of them have a stronger kick than I do.  Steve took the sprint with Glen one second behind, Peter three seconds back of Glen and I was one second back of Peter. 

Week 9: 27:42.  I wanted to push the pace this night to get a good time. I had a very difficult time getting started in the first mile.  It was probably the most painful opening mile in the series.  I finally got into rhythm and passed Glen and Steve in the second mile.  Glen was stronger and I could not match him in the third mile.  Glen pulled into the lead and kept it to the finish.  Steve was not able to catch back on after the second mile. 

Week 10: 27:52 (reverse).  Steve was with me for the first couple of miles.  He had run a 100K trail race the weekend before and two miles was all he had in his legs.  This was the week that I mathematically wrapped up the age group victory (50 - 59). 

Week 11: 27:42.  This was the final week going the regular direction and I wanted to finish strong.  In the end, the best I could do was to match week 9.  I think it was in the second mile that I passed Glen and Peter.  I was able to open up a gap in the third mile.  Glen was able to match me in the fourth mile.  I was convinced that Glen was on my heels and that helped me to keep pushing.  I was also concerned that Peter would hook onto Glen.  If the two of them were with me at the end, they would out kick me.  Glen gained ground just after I passed mile 4.  I kept telling myself Glen was shadowing me and I had to push.  I managed a surge with about a quarter mile to go.  Glen was closing the gap, but did not have enough race left to overtake me.  He was two seconds behind me.  After the race Glen said that he had let me get too much of a gap and he could not make it up at the end.

Week 12: 27:50.  I surged at the beginning in the hope of opening a gap I could maintain for the race.  At half a mile I was in a pack of about six (including me) and realized that Glen, Peter and Steve were not going to let me get away.  One of the unidentified runners was tall and I though he was a runner in my age group I had seen before the race.  I though "wow, that guy has picked up some speed in the year since I last saw him."  I wanted to stay ahead of him, but he seemed to be running comfortably in the pack. 

At about a mile there was a group of people around the path, probably waiting for the bus.  That caused confusion in our pack.  One runner almost stopped and I ran into him.  Emerging from this melee, I was at the front of the group, running into a strong wind.  It was not the position I wanted to be in, but I was not going to fall back for fear of losing momentum.  The runner who had stopped made a surge about 30 seconds later and was on his way.  He was not our concern and it was good to thin out the pack. 

Around mile two, Peter took the lead and I was happy to run just off of his shoulder.  Glen, Steve and the tall runner were just behind me.  Still thinking he was the runner in my age group, I could not believe the tall guy was still with us.  We came around the bottom of the lake and up the East side.  Somewhere around mile three the tall runner made a move and went ahead.  When he passed I saw that he was not the guy I was concerned about.  In fact, he was in his 30's and another guy who was not my concern.  He came over after the race to introduce himself.  He was new to the group and said someone had told him to stick near me because I tend to run an even paced race.  That was his strategy until he got far enough into the race to pull away. 

Up the East side hill, the four of us left in the pack marked each other.  Everyone still had enough to stay with the others.  Near the start of the final mile Glen made his move.  The rest of us were not willing to go with him that early.  He opened up about a 20 second gap.  In the end, that was enough that it was not worth it for anyone to try to bridge it.  Peter, Steve and I were still together and no one could shed the others.  I knew that I was toast if we came to the finish together.  I would not have the kick to beat the others.  Knowing it does not mean I can change it and that is the way it played out.  Steve made the first surge and then Peter went.  Even after Glen cruised in and the rest of us surged, Glen still had eight seconds over Steve who had three over Peter who had three over me.  After the race I told Glen I thought it was the best pace and strategy race he had run in the series.  He did not go out fast and fade, he stayed with the pack.  He made his move at the right time and opened up enough of a gap that no one challenged him at the end. 

After the final race there was thanks for Janet who was the race director.  There were also thanks for George and Bobby, who were regular race volunteers.  Sandy, who handled registration at many of the races, too.  I was one of four runners who had attended all 12 races.  We all received certificates. 

I won my age group.  Juan, another Devil's Slide Track Club/The Relay alumni, was second.  Kenny tied for third.  He might have gotten second except that he ran the San Francisco Marathon in the middle of the series and had to take a week off. 

Great fun, but I am glad it is over.  Now, I move on on to PA/USATF Cross Country for the fall.

The Fall 2011 Schedule

THIS YEAR the fall schedule will be dedicated to the PA/USATF Cross Country Grand Prix series.  With the relentless advance of time and some new runners, the Pamakids may now have enough runners age 50 and over to field a seniors team.  These are shorter races, mostly on trails.  Some people love the trail running and the short distances.  For me, the attraction is team competition over a race series.  Just as the longer race distances moderate the impact of raw speed by recognizing endurance and pacing, a series rewards commitment and consistency. 

The PA Cross Country Grand Prix is ten races at various locations in Northern California plus the championship in The CITY.  A team scores its best five races plus the championship.  I have signed up for six of the ten regular season races.  The final races of the DSE Summer Race Series are August 18 and 25. I will need to balance the conclusion of one series with the opening of the next. The goal is not to get hurt by over racing.

• The Santa Cruz XC Challenge is August 20 at the University of California Santa Cruz.  It is four miles of fire trails on an undeveloped and partially wooded section of the property.  It is a beautiful run. 
• The Phil Widener Empire Open is August 27 at Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa.  It is 3.43 miles around a reservoir lake and through the woods. 
• The Rebels XC Challenge is a brand new 3.1 mile event on September 3 at a park in Sacramento.  After this race I will skip the Golden Gate Park Open.  The races in The CITY tend to be crowded and are less likely to present good scoring opportunities.
• The Garin Park XC Challenge is September 24 in Hayward.  Another 3.1 mile run.  I have not run it before, but understand it is one of the less desirable locations.  Hopefully, that produces the silver lining of better scoring opportunities.  After Garin, I will skip the Presidio Challenge.
• The Willow Hills XC Open is 3.1 miles on October 8 in Folsom.  After that, I will skip two races which will help with recovery from Humboldt (see below).
• The Ancil Hoffman Challenge ends the regular season with 3.7 miles on November 5 in Sacramento.  I know nothing about it. 
• The PA Cross Country Championships end the PA season on November 20 in The CITY. 

Monday, September 12 is the opening of registration for the Boston Marathon.  Based on my run at last year's California International Marathon, I have a Boston qualifying time.  With the new registration system for the Boston Marathon, I should not have any trouble registering.  The race is Patriots' Day, Monday, April 16, 2012.  The main field of the race starts in three waves.  I should slot into the first wave at 10:00 a.m.  Assuming I am able to register, Boston will be the spring goal and a sensible lead-up to Boston will be the undercurrent for fall and winter running. 

I will run the Humboldt Redwoods Half Marathon on October 16.  The race takes place at the Humboldt Redwoods State Park through the old growth redwoods in rural Humboldt County.  I ran the race last year and loved it so much I want to do it again.  My support crew will accompany me for the weekend.  At the left, I am finishing last year's race.  Whether I compete at the November 13 Clarksburg Country Run Half Marathon will depend on how cross country is going and how I feel after Humboldt.  

December presents a conflict. At the end of the cross country season, the Pamakids are going to the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships in Seattle on December 10. The California International Marathon is the Sunday before, December 4. I cannot do both. Since it is likely I will run Boston, it is likely I will run CIM as a tune-up.

DSE 6-Hour Distance Classic - 07/10/11

MOST RACES have a set distance with time as the competitive variable.  The DSE 6-Hour Distance Classic flips the common race format by using a set time and treating distance as the variable.  DSE traditionally held a timed race every year.  It was either a 6-hour or 12-hour race in September on the dirt track at the polo field in Golden Gate Park.  After several years of decline, only 28 participants actually ran for distance in 2006 and the race was retired.  Considering the time and number of volunteers needed for a six-hour event (much less a 12-hour), it was not worth it.

This year, thanks to the efforts of race directors Fred & Yong H., the race was revived.  Fred insists that many people supported and had a hand in reviving the Distance Classic.  That is true, but Fred was the strongest proponent and agreed to serve as Race Director. 

The race was moved to a 1.061 mile loop around the lagoon at Crissy Field.  It is about 60% dirt and 40% paved.  It has views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay.  All of the park facilities are readily available.  On the calendar, the race was positioned three weeks before the San Francisco Marathon, making it a good long run option for marathon training.  As in the past, a companion 5K was held for those wanting a shorter event. 

DSE prides itself on producing low-key, informal races.  This has to be the most casual of all the races they produce.  Officially, it starts at 8:00 AM and ends at 2:00 PM.  A little before 8:00, Fred called everyone over, made a few comments and gave a low-key "Go."  The racers sauntered from the start line.  With six hours to run, there is no need to sprint from the start.  This race is the epitome of the DSE motto: "Start slow and taper." 

Consistent with the informality, runners can enter the race "in progress" during the set hours.  Runners can temporarily leave the race to visit, eat, rest or anything else.  Some runners left the race at 9:00 AM to do the companion 5K and then resumed the 6-Hour afterwards.  Runners can also stop any time they want.  So, if the goal is do a certain distance or a certain time, it all works. 

Sunday is normally the day for my long run.  A couple of weeks before the race, I saw a race reminder and decided it would be a good way to do a supported long run.  I thought my pace should be slower than my normal 7:45 to 8:00 long run pace -- maybe 9:00 to 10:00.  I also thought I should be prepared to eat and drink throughout the event. At the reduced pace, it is possible to eat on the run.  Otherwise, I did not have a clear idea of what I wanted to accomplish.  I was thinking I might run three to four hours.  The longest I have ever run at one time is the marathon distance of 26.2 miles.  I thought about setting a new personal distance record.  I also thought that if I felt good at 26.2 miles, I might go for 50K.  Any event over the marathon distance is an ultra.  Although, there is some debate in the ultra community as to whether 50K or 50M should be considered the shortest standard ultra distance.

Several people expressed dread at the idea of running a 1.06 mile loop for hours on end.  One way to deal with that is to break the task into smaller parts -- loop by loop, hour by hour.  Every loop you go by the start line where the lap is tallied and people cheer.  Immediately after that, you pass the aid station with food and drinks.  The outbound leg is on a paved bike path along Old Mason Street.  The return is on dirt paths through Crissy Field.  For much of the event there were pink breast cancer event walkers to watch and dodge along Crissy Field.  I also decided to stop every hour for a break, drinks and food.  Finally, I decided this should be a social event, running and chatting with people I know.  This is not plodding loops in isolation.  In the end, I did not find the repetitive loops to be an issue.  To a certain extent they are a comfort because you are never more than half a mile away from the aid station.

I ran the first two hours with Steve P. and visited.  Steve is leading at the left, headed to the tally board, above.  During the first hour I grabbed a cup of water and, later, a cup of Cytomax.  At one hour, we took a break.  I went to my car, left a jacket and retrieved a sandwich and Gatorade.  After a certain point in long events I get tired of sweet energy foods and I had a couple of sandwiches to balance off the sweet.  Edward H. (yellow shirt, below) joined during the second hour and we ran a few laps together before I took my second break.  This time the food was a Clif Bar and more Gatorade.  Edward and I figured we would meet-up again, but we must have stayed at opposite ends of the loop.  During the third hour I ran a few loops with Vince F. before stopping for the three hour break.  I think I grabbed more Gatorade at this point.  I also ran a few loops with Jerry F. (white shirt, second photo, below).  I don't recall when the fourth break came, but I think it was short of four hours.  I retrieved the second sandwich.  As I passed the aid station, I saw that they had peanut M&M's.  I grabbed a handful on the next loop.  After that, I was focused on finishing and did not take any more breaks.

At the start, I tried to record each loop on my watch, but kept forgetting to hit the button.  So, I gave up.  As the event developed, I realized that the 50K was practical.  I knew that a 50K was a little over 31 miles.  I figured 31 one-mile loops would do it with those little .06's adding up to whatever I needed past 31 miles.  I completed the marathon distance of 26.2 miles at around four hours.  I started checking my splits in the last hour to see how I was doing.  They were 9:15 to 9:30.  With the extra .06 that is very roughly a 9:00 minute per mile pace.  The runners on the course were thinning out, but I was still saw people I know.  Several times during the second half I saw Hugh B.  We would chat for a quarter to half mile and then resume our own paces. 

I finished 31 loops a few minutes before five hours.  I figure it was about 4:56.  I had not realized the extent to which those little .06's add up over 31 loops.  I actually ran about 32.9 miles and overshot the 50K distance of 31.07 miles by a lot.  I could have stopped at 30 loops and still made it.  After the race I went back to the aid station.  I had two cookies, a brownie and a cup and a half of coffee.  My total for the race was two sandwiches, one Clif Bar, 52 ounces (three bottles) of Gatorade, a handful of M&M's and a couple more cups of liquid.  I took in about 2,400 calories but expended 3,540 during the race.  The two cookies and brownie after the race probably evened it out.   

Hugh B. won the race with a total of 42 laps (about 44.6 miles) over the full 6 hours.  Steve P. came is third in the men's race with 32 laps (just short of 34 miles).  I was fourth.  Noriko B. won the women's race with 36 laps (about 38 miles).  My average pace calculated to 9:00 minute miles including the breaks.  So, my actual running pace must have been a little faster, especially at the start and along the paved portion on Old Mason, at the right.

I reduced my training miles on the week after the race and was back to normal after that.  I ended up with a blister on my left big toe and a bruise on my right big toe.  Other than being stiff and sore afterward, that was the extent of the damage  I was still able to make the next Thursday night race and posted a respectable time. 

Other than finishing out the DSE Summer Race Series, that is it for the summer.  I will figure out my fall next month.  Although, the Humboldt Redwoods Half Marathon is definitely on the schedule. 

Good Bye

PHOTO CREDITS

1.  PUBLIC DOMAIN (STOP WATCH)
2, 4 & 9.  NOE CASTANON
3.  PROPERTY OF DOLPHIN SOUTH END RUNNERS CLUB (DSE LOGO)
5, 6, 8 & 10.  PAUL MOSEL (c) 2011
7.  JOE CONNELLY