Round Hill 5k Race Results

We had a great turnout yesterday. A crowd of 151 runners finished despite the warm and humid weather. The race results are posted here.

If you ran the race and have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know.

Round Hill Hometown Festival 5K

I'll be directing this year's Round Hill Hometown Festival 5K, which is a bit daunting given how well-organized it's been over the years. The race starts and finishes at Round Hill Elementary School. Prizes will be awarded to the first overall male and female finishers. Awards will be given to the top two male and female finishers in each of the following age categories: 11 and under, 12–17, 18–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60 – 69, and over 70.

• When: 8:00 am / May 23, 2009. (Rain or Shine)
• Registration Fee: $18 by May 8 or $25 after May 8 and race day. T-shirt size and availability cannot be guaranteed for registrations made after May 8. Please register online at Active.com.

There's no better way to start off Memorial Day weekend than a quick run through the town. You can also catch a post-run breakfast at the diner and watch the festival parade at 10:30am.

December/January Summary

Here it is, just the facts. Not my most solid period, not my laziest, either.

The defining aspect of my training since Thanksgiving has been the run-walk approach, which is working out swell. It's keeping my legs fresh and my long runs are actually faster than they were without the walk breaks. I'm also breaking in a pair of Vibram FiveFingers. More on both things later.

Thanksgiving Running Summary

I'm feeling pretty good about the last 7 weeks. Just after Halloween, I had a cold that knocked me down a peg and between a busy work schedule and a lot going on at home, it took me a week to get back on my feet.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Long Runs with the Stroller: I found a win-win-win scenario by taking my daughter in the jogging stroller. My wife gets free time, I get my long run, and Emma gets a nice nap and the occasional dog bounding off a front porch to greet us.
• Windshield for the Stroller: A few weeks ago, my long run plans were seriously threatened because I it was raining off and on all day. The upside was that it was warm--65 degrees. I took my chances when there was a break in the rain, put my daughter in the stroller and covered her with a raincoat. Everything was fine for about 15 minutes, then dark clouds appeared out of nowhere, the temperature dropped at least 10 degrees, and it began to pour down rain and, for a while, SLEET. I was soaked, my daughter was halfway there, and I still had to get home. I had been putting off the wind/rainshield for a Christmas gift, but nixed that idea and ordered it right away. I've already put it to good use with a run in 32 degrees with high winds and today with mid-30s and rain. The winshield plus a "Baby Bag" by LL Bean ($2.50 from a thrift store) and my daughter is tugging off her hat because she gets too warm!
• Turkey Trot: I ran a neighborhood Turkey Trot at my parents house with the stroller and was proud to finish at 7:00 pace. I had no idea I was in that good of shape.
• Run/Walk: After years of being intrigued by Galloways run/walk approach, but being too proud to not gut out every run, I finally gave it a try. I'll elaborate in a later post, but so far I've managed to get faster, recover sooner, and not terribly sore after my long runs.

Staying Safe in the Dark

With the change in Daylight Savings Time, I'm now running in the dark after work. I'm not normally running in places with a lot of traffic, so when a car or bike comes up on me, I want to know they can see me. Some things like headlamps and red blinking lights help, but they aren't always as visible as you'd like them to be, especially if they are angled the wrong way. That's why I prefer reflective gear that picks up light from all directions and reflects back...making you much more obvious to a driver or cyclist. The problem is much of the reflective gear out there is ridiculously expensive, or if affordable looks like something you'd wear picking up litter along the roadside.

So I was pleased to find out about See-Me-Run. They offer a number of stylish reflective designs that you can iron onto your already-owned running clothes. I went with the Running Man (picture left). The hardest part about the whole thing was finding the iron buried in a long lost drawer. After that, the process was really easy.

Catch Up Running Summary

In mid-August, I started from scratch with base building as my only goal. My running goal now is to hit 25 miles per week and hold it there over the winter so I have a solid base to build from in the spring. The higher priority is to stay injury free. If I can manage that, I will set my sight on a race and increase my mileage. I've pretty much ruled out and speedwork for at least a year. Not that I ever enjoyed it anyway!

So far, I've been pretty diligent in keeping to my plan. Keeping my plan a simple 3-day commitment made it a lot easier. As my miles increase, I'll jump to four days, but that's where I'll stop. For me, going to 5+ days tends to boost my chances of injury due to the decreased recovery time.

Today's Inspiration: Dean Karnazes 50/50 Book

It's been a long time and a hard road. After my early runs with the jogging stroller, I had a awkward step off a tire at a local farm that caused my bad knee to buckle, but fortunately nothing dislocated. From there, I focused a lot more on strength training to build up the muscles that keep my kneecap in place. A few weeks ago, I took my first tentative steps, but a few weeks later I spent a night in the hospital for a virus that caused some pretty severe cramping...my first significant illness in over 7 years. Last week, I got back on track and ran 9 miles. This week, I hope to hit ten. Slowly, but surely, I plan on getting to 25 miles a week and hope to keep it there for a few months before making any race plans for the spring.

In getting back on my feet, I am deeply indebted to Dean Karnazes and his new book 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days. When I received a copy of the audiobook to review, I had no idea how much I needed motivation to get through the painful first steps of recovery. Dean an unusual ultrarunner in that he is both drawn to the isolation the sport demands and also serves as an extremely charming, informed, and inspiring voice for all runners. Therein lies the strength of this book: it's ability to make even the most daunting extremes of running seem human and possible. Even though I know there is no way I will ever run a 50/50, every extra mile I tack onto my long runs now feels that much easier.

In 50/50, Dean provides a day-by-day journal of the marathons he ran and the people he met. Along the way, he uses the various obstacles and inspirations he encounters to present a number of running tips. I've heard nearly all his running tips before. If you've read Runner's World for an entire year, you probably know them, too. What you get from Dean that you won't get from your beloved magazine subscription is context. He presents the tips when the moment is right. While you're following him on a marathon in Alaska and someone offers him pizza, he takes the time to talk a little about his diet. When he meets a mother who joins him on marathon (her first) only to run back to the car and hurry off to her kid's birthday party, he can talk about how to fit running into a busy schedule. He's able to draw on real life examples from his experience and those around him in the 50/50 event to give the rest of us a better clue about:

• Marathon Race Day Preparation
• Fueling/Snacks
• Hydration
• Jet Lag
• Sleep
• Diet
• Visualization
• Music
• Mindgames
• Shoes
• Strength Training
• The Wider Running Community

Most of these subjects are not dealt with exhaustively, but Dean does provide great introductions to a lot of ideas that you can easily research further on the Internet. Often times, being introduced to a concept is the major hurdle or information gap. After that, I'm off and running. (Note: the audiobook provides a PDF file with all the running tips, so you don't have to write them down as you listen.) All these things aside, Dean has a extremely positive outlook on running and life that will have you finishing a chapter with a smile on your face and a few good reasons to lace up your shoes. At the end of the day, that's what all runners need.

Running with a Jogging Stroller

When my daughter, Emma, was just shy of 6 months old, I put her in the jogging stroller and went out for our first run together--about 3.5 miles. She seemed to enjoy it, though she reached back the same handle my mother reached for in the car when I rounded a corner way too fast as a teenage driver. We both finished the first run with a smile on our face.

When I started looking for a stroller, I learned that there is a wide variety and while many of them look the same, they don't all perform the same. Which one I would pick depended largely on what my personal criteria were. There is a difference between needing a stroller that will simply allow you to traverse a grass field at a wine festival and a stroller that will allow you to run fast. And everything in between.

I went with the Baby Jogger Performance Series. As a brand, they've been targeting runners for a long time and still have a great product. The stroller comes with 20-inch wheels, which make all the bumps in the road that much smaller and popping over a curb that much faster. The canopy can shift all the way to my Emma's feet, allowing me to keep the direct sun off her fair skin. Running with it is extremely smooth. I feel as though I'm simply pushing the weight of the stroller, not fighting against friction in the wheels.

Assembling and breaking down the stroller are also quick and easy after doing it a couple times (all the wheels are quick release). The best part is it fits in both of our cars--Toyota Matrix and Corolla. With my Corolla, it fits in either the trunk or the back seat. So you don't need a minivan to own a jogging stroller.

Other features include:

• Reclining Seat: Okay, but not all that important since the seat in it's upright position is fairly reclined anyway.
• Handleash: Definitely a must to prevent the stroller from getting away from me in case of an accident or lapse of attention.
• Handbrake: Sounds like it would be really useful, but I found I never used it while running. I actually disengaged it because it was required a good deal of fussing to make sure it didn't rub against the tire and slow me down. I haven't missed it.
• Parking Brake: There are two: one through the handbrake and the other at the base of the wheels like conventional strollers. So even though I got rid of the handbrake, I can still part the stroller when I'm not running.
• Storage:
• Zipper pocket at the back/top where I put a little money and my cell phone.
• Bigger net on the back where I can put a hat, gloves, water bottle, etc...
• Cargo net on bottom, which is almost useless. Small items will slip out, but for now the diaper bag is a good fit (though I don't take the bag when I go for a run).

Other things I've learned:

• When going over bumps, pushing down on the handlebar prevents the front wheel from bouncing up--much more comfortable for the passenger.
• Run with the dog (leashed) or the stroller, not both.
• I've heard starting early with your kids helps. So if you wait until Johnny is three years old, you may find Johnny is fussy with the whole thing. Starting at the right time makes it seem like a normal thing, so they can ease into it. (I'll have to see if this is right in a couple years.)

On Sunday, I started out on our usual route and decided to try out the gravel roads I always run on when I'm alone. After about 10 minutes, I stopped and check in on Emma. She smiled and started kicking her feet--a sign that I was to keep on moving. I stopped after we'd put in about 6 miles. She was asleep! Looks like running on gravel roads isn't a problem.

Checking In

Well, running has been tough lately. When my running suffers, so does this blog. My left knee continues to bother me. I know the main way back from this problem is strength training, but I've been predisposed to hang out with my daughter. She's almost 6 months old, which means she's getting more active and increasingly more fun to play with. So I'm much more motivated to get home as soon as possible. Tie that in with the fact that finding time for my other passion--reading--and I've had a difficult time lacing up. With the weather warming up and more daylight (during my waking hours, at least), there is a little more time to play with. For starters, I made it out yesterday for a short 3-miler and today I'm going to do some biking.

Also, I've received a number of emails from folks reading this blog...I sincerely hope to respond to them this week.

December Running Summary

Wow. Free time is really scarce these days. I have little or no slack time during my work day and get home as soon as possible to help my wife with our baby daughter. In between, I have time to fit in a run outside or crosstraining at the gym, but not much else. That includes writing posts. It didn't help that I didn't really want to talk about December and how my running dropped off a bit. I had a case of "runner's knee" that started at the tail end of the 5k training...probably from the increased speedwork. I really began running again in earnest on New Year's Day, which will show up in the January summary.