Frostbite 5 miler Race Report (February 16, 2008)

A little late in getting this out this week due to work obligations but....

The extent I go to get content for this blog. PRESENTING......

The Frostbite 5 miler Race Report! (picture on the left is the start line and the two pictures after is at the finish)

This race couldn't have had a better name because it was COLD! 28 degrees at the start of the race with a slight wind blowing throughout.

All last week, I was wondering if I should enter this race. I'm still training as if I'm running a marathon in April so did it make sense to run a 5 miler instead? Kelly, from the Blue Dawg group, convinced me I should not run LONG runs every week while training for a marathon for a physical and mental break. But Saturday morning, I woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head and went out to do this run.

The first 400 entrants got a T-shirt. When I got there to sign up, they said they hit that number by Friday morning. Wow! I guess I wasn't the only one itching for a race! But, despite the cold, it was a beautiful, sunny day.

I went to the start line about 8:50, about 10 minutes before the gun was to go off. I get there and the start line wasn't even set up yet!!!! What gives???? So, it gave me some time to play with my mini-camera to possibly take some pictures along the way. It was so cold... (this is not an old Johnny Carson routine) but it was so cold, the camera would not turn on. As a matter of fact, I thought it was dead. But, after warming it up in my hand a bit, it did start to function. But, after I used it and put it back in my pocket, it would be 'dead' when I tried to use it again. So, this was not a race to take shots during the event (hence, the pictures of the start and finish line only).

I try not to be annoyed with races because mostly are run by volunteers. But, with the freezing cold temps, the 20 minute delay was not appreciated and I believe it was due to the setting up of the timekeeper. I really had no game plan for this race. I have been running well and had a lot of energy so I wanted to see what I would feel like in race conditions.

The course goes through the town of Ambler, starting on Butler Pike, which is the main street of town. The start of the race is at 217 feet elevation, the finish at 226 feet, with the highest elevation at 318 feet and the lowest at 195 feet. I never ran this course before so didn't know what to expect.

I usually start towards the back of any race but notice that I shouldn't do this anymore. Not that I should be upfront but I find myself getting caught in too much traffic lately. (ok, that's it for the complaints) I crossed the start about 20 seconds different than the gun time. The first half mile was flat and I was feeling good.

I will admit, I get intimidated by hills. So, when the first hill approached, I was apprehensive. But, much like my Wednesdsay runs, I was running up the hill at a good pace. I was even passing people! And, as I am finding, I had a quick recovery from the hill.

Most of the course is through residential area. There is a half mile in the middle on a trail through a park. Truthfully, it was a pretty scene and I thought about pulling out the camera. No time. I was feeling good.

By the time I hit the mile 4 sign, I was in a nice rhythm. Somebody before the race, mentioned about the 'evil' hill that you need to go up before finishing on a downhill. When I got there, I felt I was spent. One of the volunteers yelled out 'it's only a small hill then downhill towards the finish'. OK, it didn't feel like a small hill but that's my mantra going up.

I got to the top, turned right, caught my breath and started heading to the finish. I had targets on people's backs as I started to catch and pass them. I crossed the finish line in 42:23 (my watch time) or a 8:28/mile pace. I finished 350 with 783 finishers so I was in the top 50% overall.

It was a PR but I don't run that many 5 milers. I am usually so exhausted at the end of the race that I feel slightly nauseous. But, I didn't feel that in this race. And, I am pushing myself harder and harder this year.

To wrap it up, this was a good February race. It was different than my usual routine of starting in March with a 5k. I continue to push myself hard and I'm seeing dividends for my hard work. I'll keep this race in my mind for next year as well.

(Note: I am seeing the movie 'Spirit of the Marathon' tonight. I intend to write a review of it on my next blog. Weather-permitting, I plan on running 16 miles this weekend though not sure Saturday or Sunday. Weather in this area looks nasty tomorrow and Sunday looks to be a bit warmer but Saturday would be the better day if I can get out. )

Chilly Scenes of Winter

Last week, I went to an Agility class. No, I didn't learn how to walk on a teeter-totter or jump over small hurdles. It was a class about having the agility to face changes.

There is one constant in life and, that is, life is always changing. Right now, my work is going through a lot of changes as well as our society in general (talk of recession, our presidental elections, etc). How do we handle this without being overwhelmed by it all?

The idea behind the class was to focus on the things I do have a handle on. I can't control decisions made by others but there ARE things, in my life, I can control. For instance, I can control my work ethic and attitude towards what I do. So, if I focus on those things, then I can possibly influence the decisions that are not in my control.

When you have classes like this, they typically don't teach you anything you don't know. It becomes a coaching tool to remind you that you already know the answers to these questions you just forgot the questions. So, Joe, you might ask, what does any of this have to do with running? Good question.

Last weekend, I decided to do my long run on Saturday instead of Sunday. The forecast for Sunday was windy and bitter cold for this area (and they were right). I was intent on doing 13 miles around Lake Galena. I could have run with Melissa for company but she had to start early and my old, aching bones couldn't hack it so started an hour later than her.

While going to the lake, it started to snow. Not flurries. But, snow. I ran into Melissa in the parking lot and she asked how far was I going that day? Thinking about it, I said, 'if this weather keeps up than I'm only doing 8 because I am wet and cold and not wanting to do 13.'

We said our good-byes and I ventured off. But, then I started thinking about my agility class. In this situation, what do I have control of? I don't have control of the weather. There wasn't a forecast for snow that day but, here I am, and I'm outside running in the snow. But, I do have control of my attitude towards this run.

After about 3 miles, my attitude changed. Instead of dreading the snow, I started looking at the beauty of it as it covered the cornfields and areas around the lake. My reluctance of having to run 8 miles suddenly became a obsession to make sure I ran 13 miles.

With only a stop at my car to re-hydrate along the way, I wound up doing the 13 miles in 2:07. Believe me when I say, most of my half-marathon races have been slower than this. Sometimes you can learn about yourself in a classroom afterall.

(Note: I'm beginning to slightly fall off the bandwagon on my exercise regime. Last week, I didn't do strength training and kicking myself for not do so (must have been an attitude thing). I'm still trying to eat healthier but, I seem to be starving all the time. Working at home is both a curse and a blessing as it always seems easier to go downstairs and munch then it is in the office.
Still haven't made up my mind about the Frostbite Five miler. A game time decision.
I have been having slight heel problems but nothing that has stopped me so far. I can't say there was any one thing that caused it but keeping an eye on it to see if it worsens under certain conditions.
Phillies' pitchers and catchers arrive in Florida tomorrow! Spring is not far behind!
Congratulations to Uno, the beagle for winning Westminster.)

Remembering the Blizzard of '78

I'm going off track a bit to reminisce about an event that happened to me and a lot of people in New England thirty years ago this week. It will always be known as the Blizzard of '78.

On February 6, 1978, I was in the Boston Garden attending my first Beanpot tournament with a few of my friends from college. The Beanpot is an annual ritual in the Boston area pitting Northeastern, Harvard, Boston College and Boston University hockey teams in a two-day tournament held on the first two Mondays in February. Being from the Philadelphia area, college hockey was something new and exciting to me.

A few weeks before, it had snowed about 16 inches. I loved it. I went to college in New England primarily for the snow. I was a skier at the time and just couldn't wait to get to the slopes in the area. There was forecast for snow that day when we ventured out to the Garden but only a few inches.

In the first game, Harvard defeated Northeastern in overtime by the score of 4-3. The forecast had turned a bit and the snow was getting heavier outside. Near the end of the first period of the second game, the Garden made the announcement: "Boston is under a state of emergency and anyone taking mass transit should make plans to leave early."

What? State of emergency? For a little snow? But BU was putting a thrashing on BC? Nah, we'll wait it out.

The final score was BU 12, BC 5. By that time, we were so giddy by our classmates victory. It was well after 11p when we got out and decided, who needs the T (Boston's public transportation) anyway? We'll just walk home. It was only around three miles to the dorm. It had to have been the longest walk in my life.

When we started out, the snow was knee deep. Not just on the sidewalk. Everywhere. We looked at each other and tried to figure the best way home. People who lived in the suburbs attending the game were stuck in the Garden (and would be for three days). We talked about walking through the subway tunnels to get home. Afterall, it was closed. But, I didn't want to because who knows if they were moving trolley cars around. So, we walked.

I honestly can't tell you how long it took us to get back to the dorm that night. But, I do remember literally walking those 3 miles in knee deep snow or higher for most of the way.

The snow lasted well into the night. When it finally stopped, the storm dumped 29 inches in Boston. With the previous storm the month before, there was close to 40 inches of snow on the ground. Boston was literally closed for a week. You would be fined $500 for driving a car in town. They tried to clear the streets but there was no place to put the snow. So, they wound up dumping it in either the Charles River or the ocean.

We lost heat, hot water and electricity for three days. It was partying the first night and suffering after that. The dorm we lived in didn't have a cafeteria. We had to walk about a half mile to another dorm to their cafeteria. But, we couldn't get there. Luckily, there was a convenience store up the block. But, the lines were out the door just to get even a jar of peanut butter. Once there was a path cleared to go to the cafeteria, we were fed by the National Guard for the week.

The ironic part about that whole experience was, since I was a freshman, I thought this was just a typical New England winter. If you read articles about it, you will understand the devastation of that storm. People were stranded for days on the highway. The tides were so high from the winds of that storm that towns along the ocean were annihilated. And, as I recall, the snow that winter didn't fully melt until sometime in May.

There are a lot of great articles on boston.com commemorating the Blizzard of '78. Here is a link to one of them talking about being stuck in the Boston Garden that day. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/02/03/marooned_at_the_garden_memories_of_78/

I wished I had some pictures to show you. I did take pictures that week but they were lost to a flood I had in my house years ago. But, I will always have the stories and the memories of that storm now 30 years ago.

(Note: Finally, I remembered to take my mini-cam to the Delaware River this weekend. The pictures below are on the towpath on the New Jersey side around the Lambertville area. They are not great but gives you an idea of what the area is like. I'll take more.
I did 11 miles comfortably on Saturday though I wound up with a backache, of all things, for the next two days. I think it was because the towpath was very soft from the heavy rain from the previous day. It was a lot like running in firm sand (which, for some reason, winds up hurting my back).
Thank you all for participating in the recent poll. I won't be putting up a new one this week. (Don't want to put one up for the sake of putting one up) The final tally was 45% of people read my blog because they think its thought-provoking and insightful (and I thank you for that), 27% was surprised it wasn't Phedippations, 18% said that despite knowing me, they still read the blog (hmmm??? I guess that's good) and 9% said they were a friend of mine and I made them read it. Now, I can take this information two ways--most people I know read it because they want to or I don't have many friends. You decide! :-) )

Congratulations to the New York Giants on a great Super Bowl!

I hesitate to say anything!

I hesitate to share my successes because I firmly believe things even out in the end. But, the last two runs that I have done have been fabulous!

Last Wednesday night, when running with the Blue Dawgs around New Britain, I was out in front through most of the run and felt strong going up hills. And, I did nine miles on Sunday up on the Delaware River and felt really, really good. (This time I just plain forgot to bring my mini-camera. One of these days.) I wound up doing a 1:24 nine mile run. In actuality, I eased up the last 2 miles as my first 7 miles were in 1:04. I wasn't consciously pushing myself but only running what I felt.

In January, I'm usually a slug. I go out and do what I have to do to make it around the course just to get the miles in. But, I have felt strong once I start (starting is still the hardest part in the cold).

And, this is the part where I hesitate. As previously stated, I am doing a strength training regiment 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes at a time. The strength training is very basic stuff with some exercises using 5 pound weights. I've been doing for two weeks now. Is it possible that this has helped me this quickly? According to my wife (who is a scientist), yes, it is possible to show results this fast. But, is it just that or other contributing factors that are helping me? And, that's the thing that both frustrates me and intrigues me. Afterall, I'm still coughing my head off so I can't say I'm breathing better. And, I've been cheating a bit on my 'healthier' diet. (Though I have lost of my holiday weight gain)

Last May, I ran the 10 mile Broad Street Run in 1:22. That was an 8:16/mile pace. If you look on my running history, that was, by far, the fastest I ever ran a race that was over a 5k. In fact, there are lots of 5ks I didn't run THAT pace. I remember, at the start of the race, being cold and lethargic. But, something clicked that made me believe I could keep that pace that day. I still question myself what it was.

But, never look a gift horse in the mouth. If it is my new training, great, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. It is great to have positive results so soon. It keeps me motivated to continue. But, as the optimist that I am, I expect my bubble to burst any day now.

(Note: Thank you for answering last week's poll. The results were: 33% would rather run in the cold, 41% would rather run when it's hot, 8% said weather didn't affect them, and 16% only ran when it was 40-75 degrees (F). I was intrigued by the comments and, in truth, was surprised that people do read this blog (the new poll reflects that sentiment).
Right now, I'm toying with the idea of doing the Frostbite Five Miler on February 16, 2008 in Ambler, PA. It's going to depend on a few things (weather being one of them) but I will put it down as my next race.
And, I will share this story with you. I'm going down to Florida for spring training in March to watch my Phillies. Well, the Phillies aren't playing in Clearwater (where we are staying) on Sunday so I decided to catch another game instead. I saw the Red Sox were playing at the Pirates and I thought that would be fun game to go see. But, the Pirates spring training tix didn't go on sale until last Saturday at 10a. I wanted two tickets. Just two tickets. I went on-line at precisely 10a. The game was already sold out. At the precise moment they went on sale. My only hope is that the tickets DID go to fans and not scalpers. I REALLY dislike scalpers. Consolation prize is that I am going to the Devil Rays-Tigers game. Still should be fun.)

The dog days of Winter

This week, actually, is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Why? Because when I drive home at night, I notice there is a bit more sunshine on my commute. I get to watch the Australian Open tennis matches where it looks so warm down under. So, spring is just around the corner. Having said that, the forecast this week is down-right cold. Very cold. Witches' t..., well, it's going to be cold.

Now, if you live in Green Bay, Wisconsin you are laughing at me when I say its cold out. But, this week is the coldest its been all season. The thermometer at our house this morning registered 14 degrees F. 14 degrees? What sane person lives in a climate like this? Plus, with the wind kicking up, even the dogs weren't too thrilled going outside for a long period of time.

But, this is gut-check time. I don't have a specific race in the spring that I'm aiming for at the moment. Yes, there is an outside chance for a Boston marathon entry and I am planning to do the Broad Street Run in May but that seems sooooooo far away from this January weather. But when is cold too cold?

I know, in summer, there is the 180 rule. That is, you shouldn't push yourself if the temperature and humidity add up to 180. Is there a similar rule in the winter?

As a runner, January and February are just tough months to endure. At least in summer, when its hot out, you know that it will be cooler as the sun goes down. Now? The forecast for the week are highs not much above freezing. There are treadmills but it's hard to do any long run on a treadmill. I guess I should be thankful that I'm not enduring the snow like our neighbors to the north and midwest are. Still, in times like this, you need to run with someone because you know they are freezing their tushes off as much as you are.

(Notes: I did pretty well on my training last week though I think I overdid it by just a bit as I was more sore than I thought I should have been. I did my long run on Saturday up by the Delaware River on an absolutely beautiful morning. No pictures as I have found out my mini-camera sucks the lifeblood of batteries very easily. I'm either going to have to carry extra batteries with me or pop out the battery from the camera when I'm not using it.

I also added some new things to the right side of blog if you haven't noticed. I now have included my race history from 2001 to the present. Even though I did Corporate Challenge 3.5 miles races back in the early 1990's, it was more of a one-off thing I did every year and never kept any kind of official records (though my 3.5m PR is 29:45).

I also added a poll for readers. Of course, this is a very scientific poll that will be used for as reference in upcoming articles in various running magazines. Or, maybe not. But, I thought I would try it out for a bit of fun and see what the responses are. Not sure if I'll do it every week but I'll be playing with it from time to time.

RIP--Allen Melvin. )

Running around the lake

My new year goals 'officially' kicked off this week as I was still under the weather last week. I did manage to start setting up my 'program' by reading 'Runner's World Guide to Cross-Training' by Matt Fitzgerald. As stated previously, I want to strength train and stretch more and this book gives me some guidance. I was going to go up to the Delaware River on Sunday but decided to go to the lake for a few reasons. 1) Having 'sat out' last week, I didn't know how much I would be able to do comfortably. 2) The lake is closer to my house and I had to get home on time to get on-line to purchase Phillies spring training tickets (I did. Phils-Twins on March 15. 20 rows behind home plate).

I did six on Sunday though I had trouble breathing in the beginning. It was one of those days that you can't get comfortable. I started towards the dam which is the windy part of the course. I was freezing and thought I should have dressed warmer. After about three miles and deeper in the woods, I was very warm and thought I shouldn't have worn so much clothing. I think everyone out there felt the same way. After the run, I took the time to stretch more than I've had previously. Monday, I followed some of the exercises in the book on strength training. And, tonight, I will be playing racquetball for other cross-training.

Around here, I have two favorite areas for my long runs--either going up to the Delaware River and run on the paths on either the New Jersey or Pennsylvania side (or both to do a loop) or go up to Lake Galena. Today, I want to talk about and give a little history of Lake Galena.

(The picture at the very top is 'our' starting/finishing point when running around the lake. The water fountain is very important landmark as, when you see it, 'you're almost there!' The picture right above is the lake from the nature center area. )

Lake Galena is part of Peace Valley Park in New Britain Township, Pennsylvania. There is an approximately six mile path (the inner loop) for walking, bicycles and running that goes around the lake. Part of the path uses Creek Road on the south side of the lake. There is an approximately 8 mile run (the outer loop) which encompasses the path but also takes you outside of the park and in the neighborhood. There are various races through the year held here, as it is a natural 10k course, but, I'm most involved with the 'Friends of the Dove' 10k held each September.

On the east side of the lake, you run through part of the Peace Valley Nature Center. The nature center offers 14 miles of nature trails in the woods and meadows. More than 250 species of birds have been sighted in this area and the park is designated as an Important Birding Area (IBA) by the PA Audubon Society. The Solar Building, Sunflower shop and Bird Seed Sale Barn are open from 9a to 5p Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, go to peacevalleynaturecenter.org.

The lake itself is a man-made lake constructed in the 1970's. The area was a mining area from the 1860's to the 1930's. The lake covers the largest mine pit that was made during that time. The area was mined for various minerals not just one. Besides uranium, gold, silver and copper, it was especially noted to have a substantial amount of zinc and lead ore (also known as 'galena').

There is evidence that the Lenni Lenape tribe, who lived in these parts, fashioned implements from lead in the local creek beds. It is known that the lead ore found in the area was smelted to make musket balls for George Washington's army when they were camped at Valley Forge in 1777/78. And, cannonballs were made for the Union army during the United States Civil War from the ore mined here.

You would think running around the lake would be flat. For the most part it is, but, around the nature center, three miles into the run from either direction, is a fairly steep hill that goes for about 3/4 mile.

So, if you are out this way on a Sunday morning, chances are you will not be alone as it is one of the most popular areas to run in central Bucks county.

(Below is the picture of the dam, which I've mentioned quite a few times on this blog. It is on the west side of the lake. Note: The pictures were taken with my new mini-camera I bought which easily fits in my pocket for my run. Tell me what you think.)

Goals for the Year 2008!

Happy New Year to All!

Before I start, I just wanted to mention that my new year started off great as I ran 2 miles last Sunday (Dec 30), 8 miles on New Year's Eve and 5 miles on Jan 2. I was off to a flying start for the year when the dreaded sinus infection shot me down on Thursday and I've been sick ever since. I'm starting to feel better and I shouldn't be down as long as I was last summer.

December was a nice break but now I'm ready to go again. I've made up my mind that there are certain things I want to achieve this year. Resolutions? Maybe. And, some of them are on everyone's list for the new year. But, now it's on paper (virtual paper?), I can look back and see what was far-reaching and was achievable and examine why I didn't achieve it. Work? Probably. Laziness? I hope not. Time? (see work). So, ta-da, the goals for this blogger in 2008.

Eat healthier--OK, why I don't just add lose weight and more exercise and it will be like a thousand other bloggers as well. True. But, I'm trying to be realistic here. I don't mean suddenly I'm eating nothing but salads for lunch and dinner everyday including Thanksgiving and Christmas. No, I mean cutting back. There are only a few things that I can eat (stomach) for breakfast, for instance. I tried oatmeal but I just can't get into it. But, I did discover Quaker Oats Whole Grain Cereal with some blueberries thrown in tastes great and can last me through the morning. Every day? I'll be sick of it by the end of the month. A few times a week to start.
I can cut back on those chips and desserts at lunch too. If I get a craving in the afternoon, try going back to having herbal tea instead. I used to do that but fell out of the habit. Doing this should help me in losing the weight.

Smarter exercise--I do cardio work. I run, I play racquetball, I bike. I don't have strength. I'm not flexible. And, I don't do enough of the cardio work (enough miles, for example) to hide my lack of strength and flexibility. I need to work on my core. I need to exercise with weights. I don't have to look like Arnold. But, I think that's part of what hurts me in running a marathon. And, I think exercising smarter will help me with my back problems as well.

Beat my 5k PR--For the past few years, I have come so close to doing this. But, year after year, I've been doing the same routine to try to beat it. Have you ever been unemployed and keep on getting rejection letters? What do you do? Obviously, you keep on sending out the same e-mails and don't change anything because it can't be you. No, at some point, you have to change things up to see if it is you. So, with the goals mentioned above, I want to do more sprint work. I've read, and truer words have never been spoken before, that, unless you can run the pace in training, it won't just magically appear on race day. I need to pick up the pace once in awhile in my training runs.

Concentrate on Falmouth--Steve has me beat in mileage. I'm not going to get close to the mileage he puts in. So, I have to find another advantage. Smarter exercise will help. Using Lake Galena for my training will certainly help because it reminds me of how the Falmouth course is laid out. I'm going to read up on how to best run in the heat. That's the thing that will always get me.

A better blog--Where did this come from? I'm going to try some different things through the upcoming months to make this blog more appealing. The one I can tell you is that I've bought a cheap, palm-size camera that I want to take with me to every race. So, I'm hoping to take pictures at the start, during races, crossing the finish, etc. The camera is not great for indoor pictures but I think it will work for outdoor shots.

Continue to have fun with running--If I didn't, I wouldn't do it. But, I have officially joined the rest of the world and have picked up an iPod over Christmas. And, I have downloaded iTunes and started combing through podcasts and other downloads (the BBC has some great shows to listen to) to listen while running. I have also picked up a copy of 'First Marathons', which is a book of essays on the famous and not so famous people talking about their experiences in leading up to and running their first marathons. I've just started the book and already I'm relating to what the writer's are saying.

Get new running shoes--This looks like an easy one, doesn't it? Just go out to the neighborhood running store and get a new pair of running shoes, right? It took me a few years to find the right fit. I would go into a store and put them on, walk around a bit, even run on a treadmill with them. Then I would go out and use them on the road and eventually I would develop problems with my feet. Until I found the Brooks GT5. They were perfect for me. The next year, they stopped making the GT5 so naturally I would go to the GT6. Nope. They were uncomfortable (I HATE when shoe companies do that. They say it's about 'innovation'. Errrr!) So, for the next few years I would buy GT5s on the internet and have them around. But, all good things come to an end, and I can't find them in my size anymore. So, I have one more pair of GT5s left for 2008, but I need to look for a replacement for those this year. Now, I have to admit, I did try on a pair of GT7s and they didn't seem so bad. So, they are the leading contender at the moment. (I'm sure in 2008 the GT8s will be out. Double Errr!)

Follow through--This strictly isn't a running one but I want it written down. I want to write down in my journal about my running AT THE END OF THE RUN not 5 days later. After I've taken something out of a drawer, put it back where I got it, not just put it down. Follow through to the end and not convince myself to just stop and I'll get back to it. With the time off I had, I noticed I do that a lot. Take the time to finish.

Not an earth-shattering list. But, I think I can achieve. I think every 3 months, I'll look at this list and do a status update.