US Half Marathon – San Francisco

One month later, we were back in it; Greg and I tackled another half marathon. We clicked the intensity up a notch and ran the US Half Marathon in San Francisco, known for its out-and-back course that crosses the Golden Gate Bridge with a few unforgiving hills sprinkled in.

The course starts with a moderate hill that leads to a mellow run along the marina. From the beginning, the views do not disappoint and kept us distracted enough to miss the first new mile markers.

The fun really starts after the third mile with the first set of hills. San Francisco did not mess around; runners head up from just above sea level to the top of the Presidio before a final climb to the Golden Gate Bridge.

After crossing the bridge came, in my opinion, the easiest and hardest parts of the race. A fast and thrilling downhill peeled runners down and under the bridge with world-class views of San Francisco. It’s immediately followed with what felt like the toughest hill all race, bringing us back up to the bridge to start our run back.

Nothing about this race is easy, yet nothing stopped us from having a blast and loving every mile. We felt strong  through the last few miles and over the last hill, a long, steady climb just after mile 12. My legs went full-jello on the unexpectedly steep downhill that leads runners to the final straight; I slowed my pace to keep stable until the bottom and then gave it my all to cross the finish strong.

Considering how much tougher this course was compared to Urban Cow, I was more than pleased with my finish time: 2:00:09. We’ll be back next year and I plan on getting that time under two hours.

For anyone interested in this race next year, the start/finish is close to Ghirardelli Square and countless attractions to make a great weekend trip. The close proximity to food, famous sights and the race itself means once parked, most people have no need to drive again until heading home.

We headed down the night before to make race morning a breeze and check out the expo. Runners got a one-time discount at Sports Basement and we made sure to stock up on Nuun, Clif Bars and other goodies. Shuttles between the race hotel made transportation carefree.

Put this race on your calendar for next year and I’ll see you there. If you’ve never been to San Francisco, this is an amazing way to see a world-class city. And, P.S. – the race shirt is pretty awesome too.

Urban Cow Half Marathon

As the summer of weddings came to a close, it was time to focus on running. I’m happy to say the early morning runs, now entirely before sunrise and becoming cold, paid off. The weekend long runs through rolling hills paid off and then some.

Early in the race, when one has the energy to be goofy.

The Urban Cow course is mostly flat, weaving through a popular Sacramento park, then near the state capitol and into Old Sacramento before sending runners on a painfully long stretch along the bike trail next to the Sacramento River.

It heads back through the city streets to the park where we started, making a few turns before finishing with a great crowd cheering us on. Race operations felt very smooth and professional, the course was well marked and water stations were well-staffed and moved fast.

This race, however, was more than just a half marathon. It was my first half marathon. It was me achieving a goal I set last New Year’s and better yet, I did it in the time I knew possible if I left it all on the road. It was a great day, a great race and an even greater amount of fun. After all, if this isn’t fun, then why bother?

I’m getting better at eating quality pre-race foods, timing the recovery drinks/meals and have learned the importance of foam rolling everyday. But I’ve also learned the joy and pride in training and running a race. It’s becoming addictive; the longing for the finishers medal pulling me in.

I’ve decided to push harder from here instead of taking my foot off the gas. Greg and I are running the US Half in San Francisco, hills galore, in two weeks. I don’t expect to beat my Urban Cow time (1:59:51 chip time) because this course looks significantly more challenging, but I hope to keep it under 2:10.

For those who might be wondering why my wife, Kari, didn’t run with me, there’s a good reason. Though we both registered, she’s 14 weeks pregnant and doctor’s orders said no long distance running. Thankfully I have a best friend who can, with two weeks notice, train and run with me. Greg’s support is a big reason why I crossed the finish with  nine seconds under the two-hour mark, sprinting with jello legs. Thanks dude.

To anyone with a used jogging stroller, I’m in the market. Let’s make a deal!

Speedy foot work

I’ve been working out the kinks in my new training routine. Without an immediate race or backpacking trip to train for, I’m working on increasing fitness and speed in less time. How, you ask? Upping the intensity in my runs and re-focusing my strength training.

I’m not a professional trainer but I’ve been tired, winded and sore. I’m pretty sure that means I’m doing a few things right. I scoured running forums to create a balanced plan that kicks it up a notch and still gives me time to cook breakfast before work.

Here’s the rough plan I’m experimenting with:

Day #1 – 4 mile tempo run, 8:30/mi tempo speed

Day #2 – full body circuit training, major muscle groups, 3 sets

Day #3 – 1 mile warm up & 3 miles speed intervals, 7:30/mi for 30 sec bursts, 45-60 sec recovery

Day #4 – legs strength training; you know the fun: squats, lunges, dead lifts, etc.

Day#5 – rest

Day #6 – long run, 9-10 mi. I’ll switch in a bike ride here occasionally, using a 1:4 ratio to plan against runs.

Day #7 – rest

I’d love to get feedback from runners. If anyone has ideas to improve things (read: make my workouts harder), I’m all ears.

It would be great to get in more bike miles, so if time is on my side (yea, like that’ll happen) I might squeeze in a recovery ride now and then. A guy can dream right?

On the flip side: I’ve got my fingers crossed for a fast melt in the mountains so we can find ourselves in the forests, dipping our toes in a lake.

Until next time.

Rest is for the weak-ish

In my last post, I mentioned how this was my first time tapering for a race. I didn’t go for the exaggerated, three week taper because the race was only 10 miles. Long for me, but relatively short compared to tapering for a marathon.

Heading into the taper week, my body was giving off signs that a week of post-race rest was on tap. Tapering worked like a charm and I ran a great race. However, the rest week is here and all I can think about is running. Not too long or too fast, simply running. Getting on the road and putting shoes to pavement.

Maybe I wasn’t in as rough of shape as I thought? Or maybe I planned my training just right, peaked when I needed to and rested before the big day. I’m still  new to this so the only way to find out will be signing up for another race and seeing if this was beginners luck. Sadly our next race is a ways off, as in October. Oh well.

Either way, I want to run. The roads call to me.

I’m still taking a few days off to plan my next move. Our next race is Urban Cow (it’ll be our first half marathon!) so I have time to experiment before training starts up. I’m going to start focusing on interval and tempo runs, new TRX routines and alternating weekends with long bike rides and long runs. What does this look like in reality? Not sure. That’s what the workout-free mornings will be for.

I’m also transitioning into a pair of Merrill zero-drops. My current shoes are half-way through their life, so why not try something different while I run through the other pairs? I’ve been enjoying the 4 mm drop Kinvara for a while, but when I tested the Merrill’s I thought they’d be worth the price of admission. Reviews to come later.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

SacTown Ten-Mile Run 2013

The clouds broke and the temperatures stayed cool; perfect for a race. With the blast of the horn, more than a thousand runners took off for ten miles in downtown Sacramento.

Shortly after our 10k in February, Kari got runners knee. After weeks without relief, Gregor stepped up to run with her bib number. Why let the bib and money go to waste when you can run with your best friend? Especially when your best friend can jump into training last minute.

We took the first mile to let the crowd spread and our legs get some heat. Between miles three and seven, the course wound its way through parts of town I had never seen and the miles seemed to fly as I looked around.

Greg and I kicked things up a few notches at mile seven, another few notches at eight and emptied the tank after nine. I had just enough left to sprint the final blocks, gather my legs around the last corner and get to the finish line at full speed. We crossed the line with red-hot lungs, legs churning and an overwhelming sense of pride.

This was my first race with a taper week leading to the big day. The extra rest and foam rolling was amazing; I was stronger than I’ve felt in weeks. Also, having a few trial runs to test fueling strategies paid off. I decided on Clif Bar’s gel packs (strawberry for the race), eating half at the fifth mile and half at the seventh.

We finished in 1:33:49 at a 9:31/mile pace, just a bit faster than expected. A big thanks to Kari and Greg’s fiance, Leilani, who kept pace on bikes to snap photos.

The walk home from downtown has never been so satisfying.

Who wears short shorts?

Runners are a picky bunch, even neurotic. These shoes, those socks, that energy gel, this much protein powder. I tried to resist the over-the-top obsession but resistance is futile. The more I run, the more I realize why we’re so picky. It was only a matter of time before I crossed the line into obsession.

I ran in board shorts and crummy cotton socks last summer. I switched to synthetic shirts a few months ago. I still run in the same crusty, dirty trucker hat to keep the sweat off my face. I’ve come a long way since I started, taking the leap from jogger to runner.

Last week, things hit a new level. Not a faster time, longer distance or anything like that. I started wearing running shorts. The real-deal, built-in boxer brief, short runner’s shorts. The Brooks Infiniti Notch II. They’re not Daisy Duke short, but let’s say this: I need to work on my mid-thigh tan.

Verdict? Oh, the comfort. Light, breezy, flowing, not bouncing all over the place like board shorts. They’re awesome. I plan on buying a second pair to keep the smell-factor more moderate (with 3-4 runs a week, they smell bad by Friday). The liners don’t ride up into my…business…and they have little pockets for gel packs and a car key. Though I don’t run in the dark, they have reflective features to keep you noticed.

I’ll be rockin’ them at the Sac Town 10 Mile Run in two weeks. Wish me luck!