As I've said several times before, I like this race because of its historic significance in my running habit. This is the first official race where J and I paired up, and is essentially what cemented us as the dynamic duo of crazy running people in our circle of friends. Sometimes all it takes is one random call saying, "You want to run this race in Flushing today?"
Normally, this race is scorching hot. Last year, I believe it was closing in on 95 degrees by race time, and we even were given lots of warnings to take it easy and get water along the way. This year, we didn't get anything close to that. Even though it was the hottest temperature of the day, we topped out at 76 degrees, and, although that's actually higher than it's been due to the odd colder temps we've been getting, it was a welcome reprieve. I also think it's usually on a Thursday, and had I known it was Wednesday (which we only found out the day before), we could have cancelled our usual Tuesday tempo run (which always leaves us a little sore the day after).
When we got there, registration was quick and easy, and, as we lined up to go, it seemed a little less crowded than usual. I'm not sure if it was actually less people or not. I'll have to check when the full race results are published. Anyway, we got going on time for once, and right off the bat I got clogged up behind a few people. J took off like a shot and was bobbing and weaving around everyone with ease (he can fit through tighter spaces). So right away, he had a HUGE lead on me. Not only that, he was cranking those legs hard. I didn't know if he was going that fast, or I was just going that slow, but I tried to keep up with him either way.
Once we got to the first mile marker, I knew the answer. The volunteer called out a 7:34 for me, and I knew it was a matter of him going that fast. As soon as I heard that I couldn't help but just immediately back off. I was frightened and confused about the time. I think it was probably my fastest mile ever, in my life. Maybe if I didn't hear the time I would have kept pushing, but I just almost immediately went slower. It didn't help that I totally missed my water grab, and only accomplished knocking over a Dixie cup of water onto the ground (I'm smooth like that)
It's tough to tell whether that was a better decision to slow down in the end or not, though. Despite the quick start, it seemed like I held my position pretty well. Sure I was passed here and there, but I also kept pulling up ahead of people in my general vicinity. Not only that, I was closing my gap on J (meaning, he didn't disappear whenever we weren't in a straight-away). We got to the two mile mark and I really started to make a push. "Only a mile to go? I got this."
Then we ran into a guy later saying, "This is the REAL 2 mile mark. The last one was mismarked." Son of a b*tch! Now my pacing was thrown off, and mentally that just screws with you. You think you have a mile to go (okay 1.1), you go another 1/4 mile, and suddenly, you still have a mile to go. I was actually pretty frustrated, but, you know, small races. What can you do?
I pulled up to water station #2 (which I believe is just #1 on the loop back), and ::drumroll please:: NAILED IT! I wanted to do the celebratory water station chugga chugga hydration shuffle, but there was no time. I would just have to do it mentally. I turned the corner toward the big downhill by the church, pushing hard to catch J, looking to my right to see if my mom and sister happened to be there in their usual spot for the parade (not this year), and caught him at precisely the same spot as last year. I'm sure, for that, he hates me. That's probably why, when he felt good yesterday, he dragged me through a much faster paced 7 miler than usual, staying 3 to 50 feet in front of me at all times (and it was much hotter then).
Anyway, I turned down Main toward the finish, putting in about all I had left to give, and just barely kept my lead, crossing at about 26:18 (26:04 official, a course best) and only being about 6 seconds ahead of J at the end. Immediately headed for the water, and then we began the long 2 mile walk back to the school (which is all uphill). We looked at our results, and got some more water. I was super hungry and settled for a couple cookies, even though I didn't want them (no fruit this year).
We met up with a friend at Gina's for some pizza, and then went over to his place for a drink. I'm pretty happy with the race, but I'm guessing I could have done a little better (especially with the first mile).
We both signed up for Volkslaufe. Stay tuned for that one. There is a big twist on what we're trying to do for that race this year. I'm sure anyone reading this will fall into one of two camps when they find out what we're doing. Those camps will be "That's hilarious." or "You guys are idiots." Maybe both at the same time for a few (and that's pretty much my assessment). We're going to have to really up the training next week.
This is essentially a motivational blog for myself to keep track of my renewed love for running. Well, maybe love is too strong of a word, but let's say I try to enjoy it, even when I loathe the very thought of it. I also hope it will serve as a motivator for others like me that aren't your typical sized athlete, but still have the grit to go out there and challenge their limits. A little motivation from anyone reading this couldn't hurt me too much either...
Friday, June 21, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
"Although I May Flirt With All Kinds of Dirt"
Yep, that lyric from Depeche Mode's "To Have and To Hold" pretty much owned my brain during a good chunk of the Flirt With Dirt run. It was impossible for it not to. I spent a lot of time with the "Music For The Masses" album in my day.
As far as the race itself, I do believe it's one of the more enjoyable experiences I've had. The parking situation was super easy. I got there about an hour early, which, for some races, can still be a nightmare. Not the case here. I paid $5, they waved me back several times, and eventually I was parked on top of a hill only about 200 yards from the start and packet pick-up. I really can't remember too many races I've traveled to that were this simple, and didn't have you waiting in a long line of cars to get parked.
This left me with a lot of time to stand around and talk to people. Unfortunately J was not with me due to the race selling out and him not signing up earlier. I did run into someone we know though, and he was doing the 5K (won the age group too). I even got to see him and a good chunk of the other 5Kers file on in, because we were starting 30 minutes after them. Pretty much half of the 10K runners were a cheering section for the 5K.
Shortly after watching some of the leaders come in, we lined up for our race. I lined up (optimistically) with the 10 minute people. I was hoping to stick with most of them and make a go at actually having a good trail race for once. In the end, this was probably a good decision.
We started off down a hill, making a half loop around a soccer field, and then we were on a gravel road heading into the trail. It felt like a good pace off the start for me. Once we got into the deep woods, it was really calm and peaceful, almost to the point you could be lulled to sleep. Had it not been a little chilly, I could have seen stopping for a nap. Even the runners themselves were pretty quiet out there. Trail runs usually have a lot of loud, boisterous riff-raff, but everyone for this one (at least near me) seemed very subdued. You had to listen close to even hear a quiet "passing on your left" here and there throughout the race. I think the only yelling I heard was directed at someone that dropped something and a person behind them trying to get their attention to return it.
Like a lot of trail runs, you get parked behind someone you want to pass, and you kind of debate it for a while. I never really know when to do it or not, because I know I'm not the most steady-paced person. My miles vary so much that sometimes I'd be better off just staying behind someone to even out the pace. This time, though, I think I made all good decisions. Everyone I went by stayed back there, and the people I eventually pulled up behind for the last 2 miles were kind of towing me in to the finish.
The one thing that made this race more fluid, though, was the fact there aren't any real hills. Unlike the other two races in the series (Trail, Legend), this trail run is almost dead flat. Sure there are hills, but nothing that an average (or even below average) runner is going to get beat up by. Like any trail race there are a lot of roots, rocks, and uneven spots, so you do have to be careful of that. Also there are a few places with some quick drops in the path. So if you're following someone too close, you may not realize that nature put a step there for you. Sometimes your fellow runners will let you know, and sometimes you find out for yourself. All of those obstacles are a lot easier when you're only going a little over 6 miles. The feet never really get lazy on you for that distance.
I ended up pulling in with a time of 1:10:15 and a net time of 1:07:49, which was good enough for...well...nothing. After I finished, I grabbed a quick water and one of those blueberry muffins that I was hoping would still be there when I finished. That muffin was gooooooood! Just another reason to like this race. It was just a really laid back, relaxing, good time. I just wish it wasn't so early, because I realized when I left, it was only 9:30, and there is just no finding beer that early. So, because of that, I just went home, made some eggs and relaxed.
Yeah, I didn't exactly do this entry in a timely fashion. I've been swamped with life (in a good way). Flushing 5K tomorrow (and the post for it over a week later, I'm sure)
As far as the race itself, I do believe it's one of the more enjoyable experiences I've had. The parking situation was super easy. I got there about an hour early, which, for some races, can still be a nightmare. Not the case here. I paid $5, they waved me back several times, and eventually I was parked on top of a hill only about 200 yards from the start and packet pick-up. I really can't remember too many races I've traveled to that were this simple, and didn't have you waiting in a long line of cars to get parked.
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| You don't get much closer than this (no zoom) |
This left me with a lot of time to stand around and talk to people. Unfortunately J was not with me due to the race selling out and him not signing up earlier. I did run into someone we know though, and he was doing the 5K (won the age group too). I even got to see him and a good chunk of the other 5Kers file on in, because we were starting 30 minutes after them. Pretty much half of the 10K runners were a cheering section for the 5K.
Shortly after watching some of the leaders come in, we lined up for our race. I lined up (optimistically) with the 10 minute people. I was hoping to stick with most of them and make a go at actually having a good trail race for once. In the end, this was probably a good decision.
We started off down a hill, making a half loop around a soccer field, and then we were on a gravel road heading into the trail. It felt like a good pace off the start for me. Once we got into the deep woods, it was really calm and peaceful, almost to the point you could be lulled to sleep. Had it not been a little chilly, I could have seen stopping for a nap. Even the runners themselves were pretty quiet out there. Trail runs usually have a lot of loud, boisterous riff-raff, but everyone for this one (at least near me) seemed very subdued. You had to listen close to even hear a quiet "passing on your left" here and there throughout the race. I think the only yelling I heard was directed at someone that dropped something and a person behind them trying to get their attention to return it.
Like a lot of trail runs, you get parked behind someone you want to pass, and you kind of debate it for a while. I never really know when to do it or not, because I know I'm not the most steady-paced person. My miles vary so much that sometimes I'd be better off just staying behind someone to even out the pace. This time, though, I think I made all good decisions. Everyone I went by stayed back there, and the people I eventually pulled up behind for the last 2 miles were kind of towing me in to the finish.
The one thing that made this race more fluid, though, was the fact there aren't any real hills. Unlike the other two races in the series (Trail, Legend), this trail run is almost dead flat. Sure there are hills, but nothing that an average (or even below average) runner is going to get beat up by. Like any trail race there are a lot of roots, rocks, and uneven spots, so you do have to be careful of that. Also there are a few places with some quick drops in the path. So if you're following someone too close, you may not realize that nature put a step there for you. Sometimes your fellow runners will let you know, and sometimes you find out for yourself. All of those obstacles are a lot easier when you're only going a little over 6 miles. The feet never really get lazy on you for that distance.
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| Zonked, and have no idea why my tongue is out |
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| Muffin Deliciousness |
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| Shirt/Bib |
Friday, June 7, 2013
I Run For the Ice Cream
I know it's been a while. There hasn't been all that much worth reporting, though. To be honest, I did not do a single running race all of May. It was pretty unbelievable when I realized it, but the entire month had come and gone and the only event I did was the Tour de Crim. Sure there was that one awesome trail run where we found the links of the Genesee Trail to the Flint Trail system, but that wasn't organized. That was just J and I trying to get lost in the woods.
Yesterday was the Diplodash Ice Cream Bash. I believe this used to be the Retread, so we had to do it. That and completely undoing your exercise with ice cream is just something that's near and dear to my heart. The only drawback was they weren't taking old shoes with the soles worn down for that charity that resoles them and gives them to needy people, so I still have 3 pairs of old shoes in my back seat.
I didn't know what to expect. I haven't had a 5K since March, and that one was pretty slow. I haven't been able to gain any speed lately, even on short runs, so I didn't have very high expectations. Time-wise, I was thinking of shooting for a 27:somthing, but mainly I just wanted to go all out and push as hard as I could, for as long as I could, and give it everything I've got.
When we started, I realized that the race course was also the same as the Retread, and knowing where to go and how long until the next turn or until the race is over can mean a lot. I saw a few familiar people that I used to try to keep up with before (when I was better), and I though if I could try to keep up with them it would help too. J blew out in front of me, but I kept some of the familiars close in front of me.
That only lasted about halfway through though, and I started to drop ground to them. I don't think I was slowing down. They were just making their second half push, and I was huffing and puffing and already in top gear, so there was nothing I could do. Just after where the mile 2 marker used to be (no markings this year), I caught J and dragged him along for much of the rest of the race. He dropped back just behind me with a 1/2 mile to go, and pretty much stayed there about 20-40 feet behind me. The good thing about that is I probably kept him lined up ahead of some other people in his age group (he's not gone up out of mine), and he got a pretty nice award.
To tell the absolute truth, I don't think I've ever pushed myself harder in a 5K. I never let off the throttle and I was pushing myself to the point where I was considering doing the unthinkable and stopping to walk in a 5K. I was just being that hard on myself. My legs were on fire, my lungs were burning, every breath felt like it just wasn't enough to sustain me for the next one. I kept thinking to myself that this must be how the real runners push themselves to win races every single time they go out. I don't think that's something I could ever get used to.
I pulled in with the clock time just above 26 minutes and as soon as I stopped, I wanted to go lay down. The more dominant feeling, though, was that I felt like I was going to throw up and I even walked, half bent over, away from the finish just in case. Luckily that passed, I got some water, and then went over to get some ice cream (Mint Chocolate Chip!).
The run was sponsored, partially, by Baskin Robbins, and they were handing out coupons at the finish and by the YMCA. I think the universal sentiment was, "Where the heck is there a Baskin Robbins around here." To be honest, I didn't know we even had one, and I don't think anyone else did either. Now, mind you, this is also a crowd of running, healthy people, so it's not necessary a representative sample. The coupons didn't say where they're located, and I still haven't bothered to look. Also, I think I lost the coupons, but, Baskin Robbins, we'll always have the YMCA...
We popped in to check our official times and J age-grouped, as I mentioned. I came in about 7th with a 25:55, which fits in as my 3rd best 5K of all time (I'll take it!). I'm hoping this will get me going a bit with the speed. I've been trying to work some tempo runs in, but I think what will help most is just getting some more distance. It's been a little rougher this year with me being the pushy one, but I think we'll get there. I've also dropped about 10 pounds in the last two months, and kept it off. My wife is on this healthy kick and stopped bringing junk into the house. That makes things a lot easier. Although, I will admit I did bring in some Hostess substitutes this week because I miss the Twinkie. I couldn't help it. I give myself some credit for not deep frying any (yet).
We popped downtown for a bit for some beer. We went to the Torch and had a Short's Huma, and I followed that up with an Arcadia Whitsun. Then we went over to The Loft and shared a $10 pitcher of Fat Tire (and that was a big pitcher...almost 5 pints worth). There was a lot of talk of old memories and laughing there. That and we were watching this guy who some birthday girl in a nice dress was talking to (instead of her friends), and were rooting for him to successfully complete the process. Tall, weird-looking dude, I hope you at least got her number.
I've got Flirt With Dirt tomorrow, which I almost forgot about, because I thought it was July 8th, not June 8th. J was going to join, but it is "Sold Out," so I guess I'm going alone. We'll see how that goes. I've never really done a 10K on trail before, so how to pace that out will be interesting. Either way, it's an auto-PR.
I'm open to suggestions on where to go around that area. I haven't been down to bars in Novi in years and it was always in that strip-mall sorta place with the Post Bar and the Irish place (and The Library Bar across the street).
 |
| I love the logo |
Yesterday was the Diplodash Ice Cream Bash. I believe this used to be the Retread, so we had to do it. That and completely undoing your exercise with ice cream is just something that's near and dear to my heart. The only drawback was they weren't taking old shoes with the soles worn down for that charity that resoles them and gives them to needy people, so I still have 3 pairs of old shoes in my back seat.
I didn't know what to expect. I haven't had a 5K since March, and that one was pretty slow. I haven't been able to gain any speed lately, even on short runs, so I didn't have very high expectations. Time-wise, I was thinking of shooting for a 27:somthing, but mainly I just wanted to go all out and push as hard as I could, for as long as I could, and give it everything I've got.
When we started, I realized that the race course was also the same as the Retread, and knowing where to go and how long until the next turn or until the race is over can mean a lot. I saw a few familiar people that I used to try to keep up with before (when I was better), and I though if I could try to keep up with them it would help too. J blew out in front of me, but I kept some of the familiars close in front of me.
That only lasted about halfway through though, and I started to drop ground to them. I don't think I was slowing down. They were just making their second half push, and I was huffing and puffing and already in top gear, so there was nothing I could do. Just after where the mile 2 marker used to be (no markings this year), I caught J and dragged him along for much of the rest of the race. He dropped back just behind me with a 1/2 mile to go, and pretty much stayed there about 20-40 feet behind me. The good thing about that is I probably kept him lined up ahead of some other people in his age group (he's not gone up out of mine), and he got a pretty nice award.
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| Still love the logo |
I pulled in with the clock time just above 26 minutes and as soon as I stopped, I wanted to go lay down. The more dominant feeling, though, was that I felt like I was going to throw up and I even walked, half bent over, away from the finish just in case. Luckily that passed, I got some water, and then went over to get some ice cream (Mint Chocolate Chip!).
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| One of my favorites |
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| Thanks Baskin Robbins! |
We popped downtown for a bit for some beer. We went to the Torch and had a Short's Huma, and I followed that up with an Arcadia Whitsun. Then we went over to The Loft and shared a $10 pitcher of Fat Tire (and that was a big pitcher...almost 5 pints worth). There was a lot of talk of old memories and laughing there. That and we were watching this guy who some birthday girl in a nice dress was talking to (instead of her friends), and were rooting for him to successfully complete the process. Tall, weird-looking dude, I hope you at least got her number.
I've got Flirt With Dirt tomorrow, which I almost forgot about, because I thought it was July 8th, not June 8th. J was going to join, but it is "Sold Out," so I guess I'm going alone. We'll see how that goes. I've never really done a 10K on trail before, so how to pace that out will be interesting. Either way, it's an auto-PR.
I'm open to suggestions on where to go around that area. I haven't been down to bars in Novi in years and it was always in that strip-mall sorta place with the Post Bar and the Irish place (and The Library Bar across the street).
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Tour de Crim
Excited for my first biking event, and also staying up and watching too many early 70s Doctor Who episodes, I didn't get much sleep Friday night. Basically, I got none. I think I crawled into bed at maybe 7am and woke back up about 9.
I gathered up my water bottle, my camera, my bike helmet, and some money and I.D. (for the bar after), and headed out on my bike toward downtown about 10:30. The ride started at 11:00, but I live close. I dressed how I would for a run in the weather we had (shorts and long sleeves), which, as I rode through the biting wind, realized it was probably too cold, but not cold enough that I was going to turn back and change. I found J, and we met up in the big flat lot downtown with everyone else. I saw a ton of bikes and even 2 of those "Elliptigo" (eliptical and bike in one) things.
We lined up to go as one of the organizers talked about some of the things to expect, told us to be careful, and talked about the sponsors. Then Riley (a.k.a. The Drubbler) led us through the national anthem. I said hello to one of my neighbors and friends, who had a big hand in getting this whole thing together, and we were off.
Eventually I gave up, and figured he must have blown right by me at some point. I headed out of the obstacle corral and booked it down University to the Chevrolet turn and remembered that I was supposed to be enjoying this, it's not timed, and I slowed down again before heading into Mott Park Neighborhood. There was a guy in his lawn chair just enjoying the race with a bottle of champagne, welcoming us to "Champagne Corner." Yes, I turned back immediately to get a good picture of him.
Halfway through Mott Park was obstacle 2. It's amazing how much adults love it when the bounce houses are actually for them. Grown men and women just don't have enough opportunities in this life to play inside giant inflatables. Something must be done about that. As I got to the front, two guys wanted me to cut so they could race each other through the obstacle. So I went with a nice girl about my age who asked me if I wanted to race. I said "alright," and that sh*t was on! So when the volunteer said go, I booked through the hole, between the rollers, through the hoop, down the gauntlet, and up the inflatable peg wall. I had a huge lead so I hung up on top to look down on my beaten opponent before eventually sliding down the other end.
We were finally at the Bradley Hills area, which is pretty tough to run. Biking them proved a pretty good challenge as well. I really had to drop gears and I was still cruising past a lot of people. It was a tough climb. I can't imagine the Elliptigo people and what they had to go through for that. I honestly think they might be tougher to bike than run, because you have to maintain at least some speed on a bike or you start rolling back or slow down enough to where the bike is tipping over. A lot of people walked up them, and I can't say I blamed them. I was happy to have an 18 speeder.
About mile 6 1/2 we detoured just a small bit off from the Crim route to Sarginson Park for obstacle 3, which was some nets at different heights off the ground that you had to military crawl through. I picked the lowest, hardest one, and was told I went through backwards and had to go again. That volunteer was just screwing with me. It worked, she totally got me. I'm not sure there was a backwards, because I saw people going every which way through them
After Obstacle 4 they gave me a free Tour de Crim water bottle. There was no place for me to put it because I did not come with packs strapped to my bike like a few of those prepared people. I thought I was doing good having the water bottle holder and properly inflated tires. I just ended up putting the extra bottle in my waistband and hoped it would stay there.
I killed the last 2 miles off quick and turned back down Saginaw to finish. I got my finisher medal, pulled into the flat lot, parked my bike, and locked it up. I didn't see J, so I thought maybe he hadn't finished, so I went back and watched for him for a while. I didn't see him, so I went back down to the tent to get my free beer with my bib ticket. It was Shorts Local's Light, which is probably the best light beer ever made. It's actually pretty citrusy and really reminds me of some summer ales, even if it is a lager style. They also had some bread from this place called crust that was fantastic. I wanted to steal a giant loaf Seinfeld marble rye style and go running down the street.
I found J, and we watched this band of kids playing cover songs for a while. They were pretty young, but actually really fairly decent for their age. They'll all be pretty talented if they keep with it.
I gathered up my water bottle, my camera, my bike helmet, and some money and I.D. (for the bar after), and headed out on my bike toward downtown about 10:30. The ride started at 11:00, but I live close. I dressed how I would for a run in the weather we had (shorts and long sleeves), which, as I rode through the biting wind, realized it was probably too cold, but not cold enough that I was going to turn back and change. I found J, and we met up in the big flat lot downtown with everyone else. I saw a ton of bikes and even 2 of those "Elliptigo" (eliptical and bike in one) things.
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| They're crazy ass expensive too! |
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| Look at all the bikes! |
J and I rode side by side from the start. The plan (for me anyway) was just to stick together and enjoy it. Then he had a pedal issue, and fell a little behind. At about 2 miles in, he was still in view behind just over my left shoulder. Then just about 2 1/2, I remembered to turn on my Garmin, and pulled off to get that started up and going (it wasn't even on). I didn't see J pass me, and figured he was still behind and having pedal issues as I pulled into obstacle 1 (not to be confused with the Interpol song). I parked my bike, and I ran through some tires, limboed (it's a verb now) under the PVC crossbars and walked back toward my bike. Then I saw the good folks at Good Beans were giving out coffee, and because I love them (and because I love coffee) I decided to get a mini cup and just hang out and enjoy it to see if I could find J again.
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| I was trying to look excited about coffee. Slight expression failure. |
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| ...And now a fine glass of a "Sham-pahn-ya" |
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| Nothing like a go in the bouncy castle to take your mind off of things |
Coming out of the second obstacle I heard that some woman had her shoes taken. I'm sure it was one of those innocent things where another woman, who has those exact shoes but wore another pair that day, just happened to pick them up on accident. She probably won't even realize the mistake until she gets home and places them down right next to her pair of shoes that looks identical and will have a nice "Oh my, I'm a shoe klepto!" moment. Somehow they hooked her up with some shoes to finish, but that does kind of stink. I'm not sure what you can do about it though, because you can't have shoes in an inflatable, it's just not cricket.
We were finally at the Bradley Hills area, which is pretty tough to run. Biking them proved a pretty good challenge as well. I really had to drop gears and I was still cruising past a lot of people. It was a tough climb. I can't imagine the Elliptigo people and what they had to go through for that. I honestly think they might be tougher to bike than run, because you have to maintain at least some speed on a bike or you start rolling back or slow down enough to where the bike is tipping over. A lot of people walked up them, and I can't say I blamed them. I was happy to have an 18 speeder.
About mile 6 1/2 we detoured just a small bit off from the Crim route to Sarginson Park for obstacle 3, which was some nets at different heights off the ground that you had to military crawl through. I picked the lowest, hardest one, and was told I went through backwards and had to go again. That volunteer was just screwing with me. It worked, she totally got me. I'm not sure there was a backwards, because I saw people going every which way through them
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| Obstacle 3 |
After obstacle 3, I was feeling pretty energetic. It was time to pump hard and get this race done. I'd enjoyed myself, and I wanted to get back for a brew. So I booked through 7 and 8 and pulled off for obstacle 4. There you were supposed to climb through raised hula hoops, then tiptoe through a ladder on the ground, and come back jumping some mini-hurdles. I nearly wiped out not taking enough steps between hurdles and jumping too soon before one. Luckily I had just enough air to clear it. I still slipped and almost wiped out, but, again, managed to save myself from grass stain doom.
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| Not a camera trick. Those hoops were tiny. |
After Obstacle 4 they gave me a free Tour de Crim water bottle. There was no place for me to put it because I did not come with packs strapped to my bike like a few of those prepared people. I thought I was doing good having the water bottle holder and properly inflated tires. I just ended up putting the extra bottle in my waistband and hoped it would stay there.
I killed the last 2 miles off quick and turned back down Saginaw to finish. I got my finisher medal, pulled into the flat lot, parked my bike, and locked it up. I didn't see J, so I thought maybe he hadn't finished, so I went back and watched for him for a while. I didn't see him, so I went back down to the tent to get my free beer with my bib ticket. It was Shorts Local's Light, which is probably the best light beer ever made. It's actually pretty citrusy and really reminds me of some summer ales, even if it is a lager style. They also had some bread from this place called crust that was fantastic. I wanted to steal a giant loaf Seinfeld marble rye style and go running down the street.
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| Look at that stuff! |
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| These kids are awesome |
After watching the kids play for a bit, and watching the raffle where it seemed like 90% of the winner had bibs in the 100s, we had a beer over at the Churchill's, and called it a day. It was a great event, and I had a lot of fun. Sometimes it's nice to do untimed events where you can just kick back and enjoy it. For a first time event, everything seemed to go very smooth. There were absolutely no instances where I felt the bikers were in danger, which was especially important. We had lanes blocked off nicely, and all crosses were manned by police officers that traffic will actually stop for and listen to.
I was really impressed, because I've seen some 1st time events be a bit of a mess, and I've heard about some real bad ones. The Tour de Crim was just a really fun, safe, family-friendly time, and I'm sure almost everyone walked (or rode) away saying how much they enjoyed it. If it's around again next year, which I'm sure it will, I plan on returning. Hopefully it becomes a big staple in this town and grows. I'll do what I can to promote it, just as I did this year.
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| Medal and Bottle |
Friday, May 10, 2013
First Biking Event Ever
We'll see how it goes. I'm breaking out the purple Mongoose bike. I'm going to see if it needs a new tube for the front tire tomorrow (I'm guessing yes). Also, I have now equipped myself with a water bottle holder and helmet for my biking needs. Certainly these are things that bikers do, but, you see, I'm not officially one of you until after tomorrow.
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| Shirt, Bibs, Tie Thingies, and 10% off Churchills (score!) |
In the meantime, the non-biker in me wants to know, what's up with this "bike bib" thing? Where does it go? I know some of you are triathlon people. There's like 3 bread twist tie things that came with it, but I know as much about how to use them as I know about how to use the 3 seashells in "Demolition Man."
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| What the H? |
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Pontiac Lake Trail Run
J and I went to Pontiac to join up with the Stay In The Shade group for a 10ish mile trail run on the Pontiac Lake Trail. I heard about it the day before from another guy we both know, and he said he was coming out as well. So I got up early Saturday, after going out to the bar with my wife and friend and former roommate. I didn't feel particularly good, and this I blame on the Arnold Palmer Hard Iced Tea and Lemonade. I only had 1/4 of one, and it is quite possibly the worst alcoholic beverage I've ever had, and because I've rolled the dice several times when it's come to alcohol limbo (how low can you go?) that is saying a lot. It says even more when you consider how much I like the regular non-alki Palmers
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| Not Intended For Human Consumption |
Anyway, I threw on some running gear and grabbed the water backpack (and forgot the Garmin as usual). J came over bearing gifts of old Flint maps and Head East's "Flat As A Pancake." All things I enjoy (history, Flint, 70s rock, and pancakes).
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| Score! |
We drive down the Pontiac Lake State Park. We find part of it, and after sitting and observing, realized that this park station was not where runners were convening. So we went back out to find the parking that was closer to this alleged beach, and eventually thought we had found it. Of course we were a little unsure at first, given that it was also where some dog agility training was going on.
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| Not For Human Running |
Eventually we figured out we were in the right place as runners started to file in. After saying hello to a few people and eavesdropping on a few conversations, I realized that most of these guys and gals were what I call the "A-Squad" of runners. There were a lot of ultra people talking about things that frightened and confused me.
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| I'm just a fat man. Your "Ultra-Marathoning" frightens and confuses me |
Me, I'm like a C- runner, which is why, when we headed out, I tried to hang at the back (where I'd naturally be anyway). J went out a little faster than I wanted, but that evened out shortly after and we ran together for the rest of the way.
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| Action Shot. I'm not looking at the camera because that's a good way to not see a rock or stick and fall on your face. |
Here are some photos from the day....
The three of us at the back of the pack had a decent chat after finishing, where the girl just ahead of us informed us of a run near us that is predominantly women that has something to do with wine or something (mostly women at a wine thing?...shocker, I know). Anyway, I have no need for such things (see my wonderful shirt below that says so), but I told J that would be a good one for him to do. In the end, we never saw our friend that told us about the run in the first place. He was a no show, and just ran on his own that day.
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| For the record, this shirt is meant to be silly, not sad and true. |
After the run, Jason was starving, so I introduced him to Qdoba (it was really about the only thing around that sounded good), and we went back. I spent the rest of the day doing awesome things like drinking Oberon and watching the Brentford (I also adopted them) game. Then, like what usually happens these days, I got bored of watching sports after 30 minutes and headed out to see what was what for Free Comic Book Day (which was also Star Wars Day).
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| Had to get the Star Wars. Grabbed Atomic Robo b/c something with a robot and dinosaur has to be decent, and I grabbed the other one because, even if it's for kids, I think Owly is cute and it had a Corgi on the cover. |
After a quick stop at the Farmer's Market, a walk with the dog, rescuing a starling that somehow ended up in our fireplace (then the house and finally out a window), finishing my long George Washington book by Ron Chernow, and a walk around Flint trying to capture Genesee Towers and the Citizen's Bank weather ball before one gets imploded and one changes, I found a friend downtown and I was at a sports bar I'd never been to before with a $5, 32oz Summer Shandy in front of me.
Meanwhile, in the present, I'm off again with my wife for another bar/karaoke night (something about $3 margaritas b/c it's Cinco de Mayo). I'm down for that, but I'm really hoping to be home by midnight. It's been a busy, awesome weekend. Also want to point out, that if he were still around, this would be my Dad's 70th. It's too bad I don't get to take him out and tease him about being a super old man.
Meanwhile, in the present, I'm off again with my wife for another bar/karaoke night (something about $3 margaritas b/c it's Cinco de Mayo). I'm down for that, but I'm really hoping to be home by midnight. It's been a busy, awesome weekend. Also want to point out, that if he were still around, this would be my Dad's 70th. It's too bad I don't get to take him out and tease him about being a super old man.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Trail Half-Marathon Recap
Saturday just started out being one of those day where your brain is a total piece of crap. I had everything put out the night before for my trail half. Experience has taught me that trying to get everything together in the morning is a sure way to forget things or end up screaming, "Where the *expletive deleted* is my *expletive deleted* noun. *expletive deleted*!!!!!!! So you learn to put things out for you like your mother did in elementary school. Admittedly, my brain in the morning is lucky if it's as good as it was back then, when, like every child, I was actually a morning person. So after the show Friday night, I went through the usual checklist. I put it all out there in nice little piles and/or bags.
The alarm goes off, my wife nudges me awake. It's 5am, and I'm 100% prepared. The run isn't until 8am and it's only a 50 minute drive, so plenty o' time. I take my time getting ready, and I'm about to head out. I fill up the water bottle, pop an English muffin in the toaster, and then start considering which horrible pair of shoes I want to use. Right now, I literally despise every pair of shoes I'm wearing to run. To put it in perspective, the Nikes I hated from the March Madness of Shoes over a year ago that I never wore before are currently the best ones. So that's inevitably what I ended up choosing.
I gave the wife a kiss, headed out the door, stopped by the Speedway to fill up and realized I forgot my water bottle. Oh well, as Kumar would say....
I could just buy a water with the gas, and all would be fine. So I did, along with a gatorade, and headed off onto the E-way, only to discover I left my phone. To say that it was too late and I'd gone too far then would have truly been the Kumar moment, but, nope, I went back for that. You never know. The one time I forget it, my car craps out on me. That would be typical. So I went back, grabbed the phone, grabbed the extra water bottle, but still managed to leave that English muffin, that I had completely forgot about, in the toaster (saves pastries, but not the British pastries).
About 5 or 6 miles before I get to the state park, I realize that I drank a lot of freaking gatorade. I also realize that I'm heading to a run where there are usually swarms of people waiting for the bathrooms. I also realize that I'm on the border of making it to the park, and either way, this is going off outside. So, despite valiant efforts to contain, my 8 year streak of no roadside urination has met its end. Why am I sharing this? I honestly don't know.
Anyway, I made it to the park about 15 minutes before race start. After getting parked and picking up my packet, it was already 8am, and the waves were going off. I didn't bother rushing myself, and made another trip back to the car to pin on the bib and throw the shirt in the car. I figured as out of sync as I was today, I wasn't in any hurry to get things moving. So by the time I got back down to the start, the last wave was heading off, and I just kind of blended in to the back of them. I didn't really care about my pace, and figured the trail would have me completely subdued to nothingness by mile 10 (like usual) so I didn't try passing too many people and just kind of settled in with them. Sure it was slower than I wanted to go, but I was fine with it.
After about mile 4 or 5, I woke up a little bit. Just now realizing I forgot my english muffin (damnit!), I popped a Gu to get some energy and at least give the tummy something. I'm not sure about everyone else, but the second I have one of those, I feel like I want to die. My energy and muscles have a mini-collapse right after taking one. Now, it only lasts for a moment, and if I fight that off, I'll feel generally better with the stuff over the long term, but right away, it's like I lose half of my body's system power. Maybe there's an actual scientific explanation (initial sugar crash?), or maybe it's just psychosomatic. I don't know.
After that I started passing a few people here and there. There were also about 5 or 6 folks that I kept playing leapfrog with for a good chunk of the race. They seemed to be stronger than me when things flattened out, and I seemed to take the ups and downs a lot better. This included one girl with her headphones in the whole time that obviously had no idea when people were right dead behind her, and she'd slow down unexpectedly and caused a lot of near misses (one with me where I brushed her arm just a bit and she looked at me like I'm the jerk).
Listen, it's just proper etiquette not to have your stupid headphones on for trail runs. This goes especially for trail runs that specifically request on the race's site that you ditch them. Besides, with them in, you can't hear how many people are calling you a blooming idiot (not on the Outback Steakhouse menu), and are hoping aloud for you to wipe out. To be honest, I'm not sure I would have helped her up if she did. I probably just would have kick-rolled her down into a gully, finishing the job that nature started, to the sound of applause from fellow trail runners (I'm kidding...I think). So the back and forths with these people went on pretty much the entire race until about mile 10, when I just decided I'd had enough and it was time to kick it in gear and get this stupid thing over with.
Then I felt my right calf nearly pull (invoking thoughts of Rod Marinelli's "he had a calf" press conference), so I backed off. After favoring that for a mile, I could feel the other one starting to go. I slowed down, and ran a little more stiff, babying both calves (get it, baby...calves?...wakka wakka). I was just hoping to get this thing over without yanking either of them and having to Tin Man my way two more miles to a finish. Besides, I have a heart, it was really the brain part that was in question on Saturday.
After some careful striding through the last couple miles, I could see this finish, and started heading in. I was pretty much focused on the finish, and not really paying attention to anything else, when I heard my name being yelled by a small group of people to my right as I was passing them. I turned to look over my shoulder, wondering who the hell I knew there. I didn't really have a clue, thinking it might have been the one guy that went to high school with us that runs a lot of these races and maybe his wife and some other people. I really wasn't sure.
I finished, grabbed a water, and started heading back to see who was back there just before the end line, and it turned out to be Spike and Red. So after many of times not crossing paths at races, I finally ran into them. They were spectating for some friends, since they're both OOC right now. One doesn't generally think of running as a spectator sport, but don't tell these two. If there is anyone out there that can turn it into one, it's probably them. So if suddenly there is talk on the news of EPL-style hooliganism being brought to the running community, take it from me, it will be spawned from them (and you'll agree if you see their Lansing Marathon Spectating Recap). Both signs were explained to me, I'm not quite sure I got either of them completely, but I was amused by Spike's conversation with an older woman regarding the existence of 200 lb prehistoric beavers and Red's talk of photoshopping Jesus's feet out of photoboming their precious wedding photo moments. I'm sure he'll understand. Pretty much, they're the same personable living sillyness you'd expect from reading their blogs, which is a....
After a couple long series of stretching out my calves, I realized my feet also hurt in the two usual places. They weren't as bad as usual, which makes me think I'd much rather do trail than road right now. Sure it's harder, but it's better on my feet, and right now I'll take that. To numb the pain down a bit, I went down to the water and soaked them in for a bit. The water was pretty cold, so it did the trick. I took a short barefoot walk up the hill, put on the shoes again, and decided to head home.
It was time for some homebrew, a spinach omelette, and, yes, a twice toasted English muffin.
As far as aftermath, I don't think I've ever been this sore. Part of it's a product of just not having mileage and the rest of it is going after a trail run this early in the year. I'm supposed to run with J today, but I don't expect much. Be on the look-out for a 1.5 mile run at 14 minute pace, and talk of more sampling of my pale ale on dailymile. That's probably what's going to happen.
All pain aside, though, this is a really enjoyable run. There's a lot of good shade to be had. There are some parts with wood bridges going over waters and gullies that, if you time it right with other runners, you can get some nice positive interference to bounce you along on your way. Starting and finishing by Silver Lake is pretty nice too. Honestly, it wouldn't be a bad place to just hang out if you weren't running. I guess I just never bothered to take this one up before for the simple fact that it's just called the "Trail Marathon." The name just didn't do it for me. Yeah, I know, that's a stupid reason.
The trail is also cut back a lot better than in Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg, where The Legend is, and you don't have to worry about stray branches coming back at you. So, I didn't have to go with the sunglasses, which protect the eyes, but may make you miss something sticking out of the ground that will wipe you out. I didn't have as many near misses out there as I usually do. I only really had two trip ups, and they were easy to recover from. They also did a really good job of making up for some of the extra rain we've been getting by putting sand down in some of the low spots. I was really impressed by how little muck running I had to do out there. It was a really enjoyable experience. I definitely want to come back for this one.
The alarm goes off, my wife nudges me awake. It's 5am, and I'm 100% prepared. The run isn't until 8am and it's only a 50 minute drive, so plenty o' time. I take my time getting ready, and I'm about to head out. I fill up the water bottle, pop an English muffin in the toaster, and then start considering which horrible pair of shoes I want to use. Right now, I literally despise every pair of shoes I'm wearing to run. To put it in perspective, the Nikes I hated from the March Madness of Shoes over a year ago that I never wore before are currently the best ones. So that's inevitably what I ended up choosing.
I gave the wife a kiss, headed out the door, stopped by the Speedway to fill up and realized I forgot my water bottle. Oh well, as Kumar would say....
 |
| ...No, we've gone too far |
About 5 or 6 miles before I get to the state park, I realize that I drank a lot of freaking gatorade. I also realize that I'm heading to a run where there are usually swarms of people waiting for the bathrooms. I also realize that I'm on the border of making it to the park, and either way, this is going off outside. So, despite valiant efforts to contain, my 8 year streak of no roadside urination has met its end. Why am I sharing this? I honestly don't know.
Anyway, I made it to the park about 15 minutes before race start. After getting parked and picking up my packet, it was already 8am, and the waves were going off. I didn't bother rushing myself, and made another trip back to the car to pin on the bib and throw the shirt in the car. I figured as out of sync as I was today, I wasn't in any hurry to get things moving. So by the time I got back down to the start, the last wave was heading off, and I just kind of blended in to the back of them. I didn't really care about my pace, and figured the trail would have me completely subdued to nothingness by mile 10 (like usual) so I didn't try passing too many people and just kind of settled in with them. Sure it was slower than I wanted to go, but I was fine with it.
After about mile 4 or 5, I woke up a little bit. Just now realizing I forgot my english muffin (damnit!), I popped a Gu to get some energy and at least give the tummy something. I'm not sure about everyone else, but the second I have one of those, I feel like I want to die. My energy and muscles have a mini-collapse right after taking one. Now, it only lasts for a moment, and if I fight that off, I'll feel generally better with the stuff over the long term, but right away, it's like I lose half of my body's system power. Maybe there's an actual scientific explanation (initial sugar crash?), or maybe it's just psychosomatic. I don't know.
After that I started passing a few people here and there. There were also about 5 or 6 folks that I kept playing leapfrog with for a good chunk of the race. They seemed to be stronger than me when things flattened out, and I seemed to take the ups and downs a lot better. This included one girl with her headphones in the whole time that obviously had no idea when people were right dead behind her, and she'd slow down unexpectedly and caused a lot of near misses (one with me where I brushed her arm just a bit and she looked at me like I'm the jerk).
Listen, it's just proper etiquette not to have your stupid headphones on for trail runs. This goes especially for trail runs that specifically request on the race's site that you ditch them. Besides, with them in, you can't hear how many people are calling you a blooming idiot (not on the Outback Steakhouse menu), and are hoping aloud for you to wipe out. To be honest, I'm not sure I would have helped her up if she did. I probably just would have kick-rolled her down into a gully, finishing the job that nature started, to the sound of applause from fellow trail runners (I'm kidding...I think). So the back and forths with these people went on pretty much the entire race until about mile 10, when I just decided I'd had enough and it was time to kick it in gear and get this stupid thing over with.
Then I felt my right calf nearly pull (invoking thoughts of Rod Marinelli's "he had a calf" press conference), so I backed off. After favoring that for a mile, I could feel the other one starting to go. I slowed down, and ran a little more stiff, babying both calves (get it, baby...calves?...wakka wakka). I was just hoping to get this thing over without yanking either of them and having to Tin Man my way two more miles to a finish. Besides, I have a heart, it was really the brain part that was in question on Saturday.
After some careful striding through the last couple miles, I could see this finish, and started heading in. I was pretty much focused on the finish, and not really paying attention to anything else, when I heard my name being yelled by a small group of people to my right as I was passing them. I turned to look over my shoulder, wondering who the hell I knew there. I didn't really have a clue, thinking it might have been the one guy that went to high school with us that runs a lot of these races and maybe his wife and some other people. I really wasn't sure.
I finished, grabbed a water, and started heading back to see who was back there just before the end line, and it turned out to be Spike and Red. So after many of times not crossing paths at races, I finally ran into them. They were spectating for some friends, since they're both OOC right now. One doesn't generally think of running as a spectator sport, but don't tell these two. If there is anyone out there that can turn it into one, it's probably them. So if suddenly there is talk on the news of EPL-style hooliganism being brought to the running community, take it from me, it will be spawned from them (and you'll agree if you see their Lansing Marathon Spectating Recap). Both signs were explained to me, I'm not quite sure I got either of them completely, but I was amused by Spike's conversation with an older woman regarding the existence of 200 lb prehistoric beavers and Red's talk of photoshopping Jesus's feet out of photoboming their precious wedding photo moments. I'm sure he'll understand. Pretty much, they're the same personable living sillyness you'd expect from reading their blogs, which is a....
After a couple long series of stretching out my calves, I realized my feet also hurt in the two usual places. They weren't as bad as usual, which makes me think I'd much rather do trail than road right now. Sure it's harder, but it's better on my feet, and right now I'll take that. To numb the pain down a bit, I went down to the water and soaked them in for a bit. The water was pretty cold, so it did the trick. I took a short barefoot walk up the hill, put on the shoes again, and decided to head home.
It was time for some homebrew, a spinach omelette, and, yes, a twice toasted English muffin.
As far as aftermath, I don't think I've ever been this sore. Part of it's a product of just not having mileage and the rest of it is going after a trail run this early in the year. I'm supposed to run with J today, but I don't expect much. Be on the look-out for a 1.5 mile run at 14 minute pace, and talk of more sampling of my pale ale on dailymile. That's probably what's going to happen.
All pain aside, though, this is a really enjoyable run. There's a lot of good shade to be had. There are some parts with wood bridges going over waters and gullies that, if you time it right with other runners, you can get some nice positive interference to bounce you along on your way. Starting and finishing by Silver Lake is pretty nice too. Honestly, it wouldn't be a bad place to just hang out if you weren't running. I guess I just never bothered to take this one up before for the simple fact that it's just called the "Trail Marathon." The name just didn't do it for me. Yeah, I know, that's a stupid reason.
The trail is also cut back a lot better than in Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg, where The Legend is, and you don't have to worry about stray branches coming back at you. So, I didn't have to go with the sunglasses, which protect the eyes, but may make you miss something sticking out of the ground that will wipe you out. I didn't have as many near misses out there as I usually do. I only really had two trip ups, and they were easy to recover from. They also did a really good job of making up for some of the extra rain we've been getting by putting sand down in some of the low spots. I was really impressed by how little muck running I had to do out there. It was a really enjoyable experience. I definitely want to come back for this one.
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| Shirt |
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| Medal Front |
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| Medal Back |
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| My Beer :) |
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