Race Review: Golden Key 5k

Well, still not the results I’ve been looking for, but a race I feel better about. Not a PR, not even in the “new era” (not HS). But better than I’ve run this year, and for at least 2k I raced a really strong runner.

Lining up for the race I was beginning to think I might have trouble competing. I had been sick most of the week, only getting 1 real run in (Tuesday’s track workout) and I was still feeling stuffy. I saw several Runner Depot jerseys and at least 1 Footworks jersey (local running stores that host race teams.) Remembering the last 5k when the Runner Depot runner ran away from me I was hoping to at least be able to race a little closer. Then I saw, and was introduced to Bryan Huberty, one of the better distance runners in the area, and I knew I’d have to have a great day to even think about being competitive. Bryan isn’t really a 5k runner, he’s usually at or near the front in marathon and half marathons in the area, but I had seen that he’d posted a 16:45 or so early this year.

Naked Tour 2011 - Update

An update from a previous post about the Naked Tour 2011 (http://runnerreborn.blogspot.com/2011/04/naked-tour-2011.html)

Looks like Eric Orton, Christopher McDougall's running coach, will be teaching a barefoot workshop at 12pm before a 4 mile group run.  Then at 2pm there will be a talk and book signing, feature "Ultra God" Scott Jurek!  Very excited!  Should be an awesome running afternoon if you're in Miami!

All the glorious details:

April 30, 2011 – Naked Miami

• Naked Run
Curious about Vibram Fivefingers and all the other exciting new barefoot-style shoes? Want to learn firsthand how to run lightly and joyfully? At Naked Miami, we’ll be joined by Eric Orton, the coach who transformed me into a barefoot runner, and the experts from Footworks. Orton will lead a barefoot running workshop, while Footworks will display the best new minimalist footwear and answer your questions. Then we’ll set out for a 4-mile group run, with shorter options available.
When: 12:00 p.m.
Where: Books and Books, Coral Gables (305.442.4408)


• Talk & Booksigning
When: 2:00 p.m.
Where: Books and Books, Coral Gables (305.442.4408)
Featuring…
Ultra-god Scott Jurek.
Check out this excellent CNN/Dr. Sanjay Gupta interview with Scott

Race Review: FICPA 1040 10k

Much like my taxes were this year, the tax day 10k was disappointing, the only real highlight being the free beer after the race.  This seems to be becoming a South Florida race trend for me – disappointing times accompanying race wins…  I need to start figuring out how to push myself without competition.  That and some race specific training might help…

The race in general was extremely slow this year.  In 2008, the only year I could find race results for this race, 6 runners broke 36 minutes – my target time.  This year I was the only runner to break 38 minutes – pretty sad really.  The only excuse I can think of was the heat – an uncomfortable 80 degrees with 90% humidity.  That and the course might have been a bit long – my GPS showing 10.2k, but my 10k time was still sad.

Change of Plans

We’ve all had that time when we had to change our running plans. Sometimes this change is forced by injury or schedule, sometimes it’s allowed by opportunity. When we’re not in the final weeks of an important training cycle, change presented by opportunity should be welcomed – a new trail, a new training partner, an interesting running opportunity – these changes keep running interesting.

I had a change forced on me last week by opportunity. I say forced because the opportunity was so great I couldn’t turn it down. I was traveling in Arizona for work, staying at a resort hotel with the Tucson Mountain Park just out the back door. Mountain trail running was an opportunity a Miami runner just couldn’t pass up, 10k on Friday be damned. 

Marathon World Record Set at Boston - Sort Of

Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya managed to run the Boston Marathon faster than the 26.2 mile distance has ever been run - 2:03:02 - 57 seconds faster than the world record set by Haile Gebrselassie in Berlin in 2008, yet his efforts won't be recognized as a world record in part because of a strong tail wind, and in part because Boston is not a "flat course".

How can a time set at Boston not be a record because of the course?  Don't we certify Marathon Courses?  Especially the biggest ones that draw the best competition?  One that you have to run a pretty decent time to even qualify for?  The Gold standard of Marathons is off limits for records because it's not flat...  Makes sense to me...

Oh, and Boston, despite always having a loaded field, barely made the top 10 in the fastest of the major Marathon Courses...  Berlin was 1st.

Merrell Trail Glove Review

Finally my Merrell Trail Glove Review!

Merrell Trail Glove

STATS

Weight: 6.2 ozs
List Price: $110
Drop: 0 mm

Training Log & Training Blog

With the idea of keeping this blog more on general running stuff, and not on my personal training, I've started a training blog to record more of my training regimen - Train Harder.  Not much going on there right now, but I'll start keeping it more updated when I start my Chicago Marathon training in a couple of months.  Race reviews will still be in this blog, but workouts and schedules will be in Train Harder.

Training Blog - http://trainrunwin.blogspot.com/

Training Log - http://www.runningahead.com/logs/548f943ad0804a56b0044684c73a855c

The Naked Tour 2011

As naked as you want to be, from the ankle down.

Veronica alerted me to this opportunity just the other day. Christopher McDougall is doing a promotional tour for the release of Born To Run in paper back, The Naked Tour 2011.

You weren’t born broken.

Running isn’t a perilous punishment-for-pizza.

Everything you need, you had the day you were born.

That’s the inspiration behind The Naked Tour, a nationwide celebration of running’s bare essentials to coincide with the paperback release of Born to Run.

Chris will be touring with the likes of Scott Jurek (AWESOME! Ultra runner superman...), Lee Saxby (expert barefoot coach), Eric Orton (Chris' coach from Born to Run), Dr. Daniel Lieberman and Dr. Irene Davis (experts in 'natural running'), Luis “El Coyote” Escobar (ultra running photographer, also in Born to Run), and more.

The tour starts today in Boise Idaho, making multiple stops around the country, before making it to my backyard in Miami on April 30th (work schedule has already been rearranged to accommodate...) Each stop will offer a slightly different program, but sounds like a can't be missed opportunity. It looks like Miami's stop will be a little abbreviated, only boasting the naked run and a talk/book signing, but I'm still hoping Jurek stops by!

If you get a chance catch the tour at one of these locations:

• April 7, 2011 – Boise, ID
• April 8-9, 2011 – San Francisco, CA
• April 10, 2011 – Los Angeles, CA
• April 15, 2011 – Cambridge, MA
• April 16, 2011 – Boston, MA
• April 26, 2011 – Fairhope, AL
• April 27, 2011 – Hattiesburg, MS
• April 29, 2011 – Asheville, NC
• April 30, 2011 – Miami, FL
• May 1, 2011 – Boulder, CO
• May 3, 2011 – Salt Lake City, UT
• June 4, 2011 – Wayzata/Long Lake, MN
• June 10 & 11, 2011 – New York, NY

For more information check out the Naked Tour 2011 website:  http://www.chrismcdougall.com/blog/naked-tour/

Race Review: Heal the Stride 5K (4/3) – Double Header Part 2

The day after the Run to Stop MS I headed up to Miami Shores with Veronica to race another local 5K. This time I felt awake after claiming a full 8 hours of sleep the night before (mainly because I’d been unable to keep my eyes open at 10PM). This time I was hopeful I could pull off a much better time.

Sitting around before the start I saw one guy I thought my give me a race today – he was wearing a Runner Depot Race Team shirt so I knew he was serious. The Runner Depot Race team always has guys placing at the top of races in Miami, taking 1-2 in the 13.1 race not long ago, but they typically represent at long distance events – maybe I could compete in a 5K.

Race Review: Run to Stop MS 5K (4/2/11) – Double Header Part 1

Well, I guess the most apparent part of this race review is that I’ve returned to short distance races at least temporarily. I should have known when I said I was giving them up for longer races that it wouldn’t last. They’re just so much fun… And easy. Sort of. Less than 18 minutes of pain, unfortunately I’m quickly learning I don’t have the same ability to push through that pain that I used to – something I really have to work on as I prep for the Chicago this fall.

I had decided that I was going to use April and perhaps part of May as speed work months before / as I begin my first distance build up during my base build up for Chicago marathon training. I figured a fun and easy way to do that would be racing my way into shape… I put about 8 5K & 10K races on the calendar, not expecting to be able to do half of them with my busy work schedule. Since I’m not in serious training at the moment, running is fun and not interfering with my life. This means I’m not doing many hard miles, no real tempo or interval workouts, and, well, I have a life…