2019 Zero Prostate Run

     Three weeks ago a big group of us headed to Cal State Bakersfield to participate in the second annual Zero Prostate Cancer Run to raise money to fight prostate cancer. Our team name was Just Do It and we were all about getting men checked for prostate cancer. We all met in the parking lot adjacent to the soccer fields near the CSUB amphitheater where the race would start and finish. The event featured great pre-race festivities including the national anthem by Nashville recording artist
Jimmy Charles. At most of the races I go to I usually skip all of the pre-race stuff to get properly warmed up but for this run I enjoyed hanging out, listening to the speakers and meeting fellow cancer survivors.

Pre-race photo op with Jimmy Charles

     With all of the pre-race ceremonies over the kids run went off and then we were all called to the starting line. We all posed for a starting line shot with Jimmy Charles and then we were given the go-ahead to run. Now I hadn't been training much over the prior couple of weeks since I had some skin cancer cut out of my right leg and it was infected. In fact even now, some three weeks later the spot has become infected again hampering my ability to go out and train. Even with my lack of fitness I was able to go out and run with the leaders for a while, joking and talking with them as I had run with some of them the previous year. I hit the first mile in 6:45 feeling good, mile two came and went in 6:41, and my third mile was run at a 6:55 pace but the course was short and I finished with a reasonable 19:24. I was fourth overall and first in the patient/survivor division. We all got custom finishers medals hand made by the local Zero race director Leonard Zasoski. The medals are hand-painted walnuts on a lanyard with the walnut symbolizing the prostate. I hung around the finisher's chute cheering everyone as they finished before the post-race festivities commenced. 

Team Just Do It trying to fit into the picture

     The event was hosted by Eytan Wallace of KGET-17 news and he was an awesome master of ceremonies. Jimmy Charles had all of the survivors and caretakers up on stage and sang his song Superman about fighting cancer. It definitely brought a tear to many eyes that were in attendance. After the different awards were handed out I was asked to give the survivors speech. I touched on my story and gave the names of famous people who had been taken from us early because of this disease. Early detection is key. 

Eytan Wallace introducing me before my survivor's speech

     After the awards and speeches, Jimmy Charles sang his song "We Are Warriors" before everyone headed out of the event. I would be remiss if I didn't mention a few of the hard-working people that helped put on this event. I already mentioned Leonard Zasoski, but his wife Betty and the company he works for, Colombo Construction in Bakersfield, were key to making the event a success. Zero Prostate's own Vanessa Peterson put in countless hours of work to ensure that things went as they should. Lastly, it was an honor to talk and run with fellow survivor Randall Kam(stage IV) who had just completed the New York Marathon six days earlier.

     Our team headed to the parking lot for a little post-run tailgating before heading to Lengthwise Brewing for some post-race burgers and beers and a celebration of our team member Melissa's birthday. The race was a lot of fun, my only issue was the course being short. Hopefully next year the numbers are even greater and they have to rent more portable toilets.

Celebrating a great run and Melissa's birthday

2018 Kern County Cancer Run 5k, Race Report #44

     On Saturday, October 13, 2018, Robin and I participated in the Kern County Cancer Run. The race is put on by the C.B.C.C. in Bakersfield, CA. I participated in the first Kern County Run but had to miss the 2017 version to attend a wedding and I really looked forward to returning. All of the proceeds from the race stay in Kern County and the event organizers do a fantastic job of putting on the race.
     We arrived early so that I could do a warm-up. I got in my miles and strides and waited around for the starter's gun.

 Race check-in prior to the start of the Kern County Cancer Run

     We all took off and I went out fairly hard, but behind all of the young guys who were either fast or would soon die shortly after the first mile. I hit the first mile in 6:20 and wasn't too far off the lead runners. Soon after the turn around I managed to get by the second-place runner and maintained the distance between myself and the leader. My second mile was a 6:18 as the adrenaline of passing people and chasing the leader kept me going. Soon enough I could feel myself tightening up and slowing down. In spite of this, I was slowly gaining on the leader. We rounded a corner on the bike path and as we were supposed to transition to the dirt trail to the finish the leader kept on going the wrong way on the bike path. I yelled out as best as I could but he didn't hear me. He kept on going the wrong way and I could now run easily in for the win. My third mile was 6:42, I knew I was slowing down. I finished in a 19:46 and won a pass to the movies. 

Results from the 2018 Kern County Cancer Run.

     After the race was over Robin and I headed to BJ's for some post-race nourishment and an adult beverage before heading home for the night.

Bison Burger and Fries from BJ's

2018 Howlin' at the Moon 5 and 10k, Race Report #43

     On September 22, 2018, we headed to Bakersfield for the Howlin' at the Moon 5 and 10k races held at Riverwalk Park. The fantastic event is a fundraiser for the Bakersfield Police Department K-9 Division. The race was a night race and I thought the race started at 7. We got there at 6, met up with Trevor and Andrea and found up the race didn't start until 8. I had already warmed up before I found out that I was really early. Needless to say, I took some grief for this. The good thing about this is it let Tamara arrive on time for the race since she was lost and running late.
     I did my second warm-up of the night and finished it off with some drills and strides. I was wearing my Nike Zoom Fly shoes for this race along with a headlamp attached to the bill of my hat. Since I had done this race in the past I knew there were some pretty dark spots along the course.
     The pre-race pageantry is always special at the events put on by the Bakersfield Police Department and this one was no different. After the singing of the national anthem, I continued with some strides to stay loose until the race began.
     I'm glad the race didn't start until 8 as that let the temperature cool down to a balmy 88 with no sun. A little warm but the fact that it was dark helped with the heat.
     When the gun went off I went out fairly quick but soon settled down into a nice pace, slowly passing the runners that had gone out way too fast. I hit the first mile in a 6:17. I'm not sure what place I was in because there were a few of the fast 10k people running with us. As we neared the turnaround for the 5k I would be able to see what spot I was in. I counted 3 people ahead of me as I made the turn. I passed one fairly quickly after the turn and started chasing the guy in second place. It wasn't long after this that I had to deal with all of the traffic of the runners still heading out as I was heading back to the finish. My second mile was a 6:20, so pretty much the same pace since I had to slow for the turnaround. I gave high fives as I ran back past Robin and my friends. Soon enough I was passed the masses and concentrated on reeling in the second place runner. I caught him and with just over a half mile to go and pushed towards the finish. I could feel my legs beginning to tire and I had nothing left to catch the leader. My third mile was 6:24 and I pushed to the finish at a 6-minute flat pace. I ended up second overall with a time of 19:20, more than a minute faster than the previous year.

My Garmin screenshot after the Howlin" at the Moon 5k.

     It wasn't long after I finished that Trevor, Andrea, and Robin finished. There was one problem, we couldn't find Tamara anywhere. We figured that she should have been done before Robin but we couldn't find her anywhere. We checked both the finish and the area with free Dickie's BBQ Sandwiches but no Tamara. Trevor and I headed back to the parking lot, grabbed our lawn chairs and we settled down to wait for awards, Tamara, and the raffle drawing.  It wasn't long before Tamara showed up. Somehow she missed the bright lights and aid station at the 5k turnaround and ran the 10k. This would prove to be funny when awards time came along.

Everyone enjoying the festivities and showing off their mugs.

     When the awards for the 5k were announced, Andrea ended up 3rd in her age group and got a mug. This was only possible because Tamara had run the wrong race thus moving Andrea up a spot. When everything was done I got first in my age group, Andrea got third in her age group, and Robin also got a mug for first in her age group. We think Trevor should have won an award too, but there were some issues with timing. None of us won anything in the raffle drawing so we headed to BJ's for some food and beers.

Enjoying our post-race beverages at BJ's.

     I don't know why more people don't do this race. The course is flat and fast. The entry fee is 25.00. We get a shirt, awesome age group awards in the form of beer glasses, free BBQ sandwiches from Dickey's, and great raffle prizes. I give this race a 6 lager rating. 

2018 SAR Bigfoot Trail Races, Race Report #42

     On Saturday, August 11th robin and I loaded up the Subaru and headed north to the Fresno-Clovis area to check in for the following day's SAR Bigfoot Trail race. The check-in was held at Fleet Feet Fresno and we timed it so we would arrive around lunchtime so we could sample a local brewpub after we picked up everyone's stuff at check-in. By everyone I mean we got not only ours but Mark, Joan, Andrea, and Trevor's. Those four were busy at a family function in San Jose so we helped out by picking up their bibs and shirts. Before we headed to Mark and Joan's we headed to the local Sequoia Brewing Company for a craft beer and some lunch. We ordered a couple of beers and some fried pickles while we looked over the lunch menu.

Fried Pickles from the Sequoia Brewing Company

Robin had a half of a sandwich and salad at the Sequoia Brewing Company.

     After we had finished lunch we headed over to Mark and Joan's house where we would meet up with everyone, eat some Mexican food, and go to bed early for the big day on Sunday.

     At sometime around zero dark thirty the alarm went off and we got up and made our usual Dave's Epic Everything Bagels with avocado before piling in the Subaru and heading into the western High Sierra's for a date with a trail half-marathon later that morning. 

     Since I was the only one who opted to buy the V.I.P. parking pass we dropped off Mark and Joan's car at the shuttle point then all six of us piled into our Subaru for the five-mile drive to race parking. Once we arrived the kind gentleman pointing out where we should park determined that since I had an all-wheel drive I could make it up a steep hill and over rocks to park in the 4-wheel drive lot. We made it, only bottoming out once. We all unfolded ourselves out of the car, grabbed our gear and ice chests, and headed for the 3/4 mile walk to the starting area. 

     The half-marathon would start first, and there was a roped off area for faster runners to be in so I headed for that. It's important at this race to start out fairly quickly because of the amount of dust that is kicked up by the runners and I wanted to make sure I breathed as little as possible of the stuff as we got going. 

The start of the 2018 SAR Bigfoot Half-Marathon

     The first two miles were mostly downhill and it was relatively easy. I tried to hold back knowing that what lay ahead would be tough going. Right about the start of mile 3, we went up a trail that was almost vertical. This was one of the steepest hills that I have ever seen as part of a race. After this, the course mellowed out with the usual ups and downs associated with trail races. 

One of the many uphill sections of the race

     Soon enough we also were joined by runners of the 5 and 10k races at various parts of the race as the course snaked in and out of the coves around Shaver Lake. It was during this point that I tripped and fell while in a crowded section of the race. I went down in soft dirt and rolled before popping up. I was lucky, nothing felt broken, and there was no bleeding. A couple of people asked if I was alright but no one stopped to check me out. I re-pinned my number back on and tried to get back into a rhythm. The fall happened just before a split in the course so within a hundred yards I was running alone again. When I arrived at the next aid station some volunteers helped me wash some of the dirt out of my water bottle lid and off of my face. I continued in the race but my confidence was lacking from there on to the finish. I hiked the uphills and ran the downhills just wanting to be done. 

Elevation Chart of the 2018 SAR Bigfoot Half-Marathon

     The course was about four-tenths of a mile short of a half-marathon according to my Garmin. My time was 2:17:19 and I was second in my age group. The race featured 1600 feet of climbing.  

I'm heading to the finish covered in dirt

     A little over an hour later Robin finished in 3:38, good for second in her age group, and not far behind her was Andrea in  3:39. Robin and I got engraved Swiss Army Knives for our age group awards. Trevor ran the 5k, and Mark and Joan finished the 10k. After everyone had finished, we all headed to the picnic area for free burgers, hot dogs, beers, and ice cream. The race organizers really do put on a top-notch event. There's a DJ with music, great shirts, medals, food, awards, and beer for the participants.

Our finishers medals from the 2018 SAR Bigfoot Races

Andrea and Robin posing at the Bigfoot Statue with their medals after the race

Pre-race selfie, everyone was clean and still smiling

     We all hiked back to the four-wheel drive parking lot where we had parked. It had been an awesome day but we all had to head home and get ready for work on Monday. This race is definitely a 6 IPA race. We are all looking forward to the next edition of the SAR Bigfoot races.