2017 Rowdycon 5k; Race Report #20

     Ever since I did the SAR Bigfoot Race in Shaver Lake I had intermittent pain in the bottom of my feet. At first, I thought it was from the shoes I wore that day as I have not put too many miles in them. It soon became obvious that I was suffering from plantar fasciitis. I did a 10 mile run by myself up and down Mt. Pinos a week after the Howlin at the Moon race, and I had pretty good pain afterward. I took ten days off, then did a 4 mile run just a couple of days before a small 5k race in Bakersfield. I also started taping my feet with kinesiology tape and wearing some tight arch supports.

     The race I went to was called the Rowdycon 5k and was held at Cal State Bakersfield. It was a small race put on by the kinesiology department. I love the course as it was a big loop around the campus. Robin had other commitments so I made the drive down to the race by myself. I did meet David and Aden there so there were three of us from up on the mountain. 

     I did a couple of miles for a warm-up, and my feet felt okay. When the gun went off I stayed back for awhile trying not to go out hard and put too much of a strain on the bottom of my feet. I hit the first mile in 6:35. Since I hadn't done much running over the past three weeks I knew I would suffer towards the end of the race. My second mile was 6:53, and mile last mile was 7:00 flat. I finished 9th overall with a time of 21:12. The time was good enough for first in my age group. Aden and David also placed in their age groups so we all three got cool medals that actually turned in the middle.

Results from the Rowdycon 5k in Bakersfield, CA on September 30, 2017

     After the race, we hit Lengthwise Brewing for some burgers and beers, then we headed over to Sole to Soul Sports to purchase some more running goodies while we were down in town.

My post-race chili size from Lengthwise Brewing

Howlin at the Moon 5k; Race Report #19

     On Saturday night, September 9th, we headed down to Riverwalk Park in Bakersfield for the Howlin at the Moon 5 and 10k runs. This event is put on by the Bakersfield Police Department and is one of my favorite races every year. Robin and I met Trevor and Andrea there, along with Stan, Lisa, Aden, and David for a night of running fun. I did my usual warm-ups and strides. My feet were still hurting a little, and that soon subsided. The temperature was rather hot for a night time race, as the thermometer said it was a balmy 88 out, just dipping below the magic 90 number. We all had headlamps on for the race. The race was being chipped timed by the Bakersfield Track Club and post race meals were catered by Dickies Barbecue. We got all of this plus more for our 25.00 pre-entry.  This race is easily one of the best things going, yet there could be a lot more runners entered.
     The course was out and back on the Kern River bike path, and it was flat and fast. The lead vehicle is a police Quad with light strobes going. All of the runners are given glow in the dark bracelets and necklaces which makes everything look really cool when out on the course. The police put portable strobe lights on the ground at the 5k turnaround, along with a portable set of stadium lights and the aid station. It was impossible to miss.
     I didn't take off too fast at the gun, but I did settle into a quick pace, hoping to go sub 20:30. My first mile was a 6:21. I could see Aden not too far ahead of me still. It wasn't long before the turnaround point came into view. It was a bright beacon on the dark Bakersfield landscape. I watched in astonishment as Aden, who had already run a high school race earlier in the day, kept on going at the 5k turnaround, he just followed the runner ahead of him who happened to be running the 10k.
     I did the turnaround and headed back the other way, now running at people with their bobbing headlamps and glow in the dark accessories. The view is cool, but it was tough to concentrate on the people and ground while trying to maintain my pace. I saw Robin and our friends heading out as I headed back. I passed the only guy I was close to, as the other 5k runner was too far ahead for me to catch. When I went under the road and passed California Pizza Kitchen I knew the race had only a half mile to go. Stan was there cheering me on, but I knew I had lost too much time to still be able to break 20:30.
     I finished in 20:46. It wasn't under my goal time but it was my fastest 5k this year. I finished in second overall, and first in the 50-59 age group. It wasn't long before all my friends finished the 5k. I told David his son missed the turnaround and was now doing the 10k. Aden ended up finishing second overall in the 10k and received some grief from everyone for missing the well-marked turnaround.

Results from the Howlin at the Moon 5k

      The awards in this race are great. They are beverage glasses. Some would call them beer mugs, or pints. They have the race logo and finishing place on them. Remember, this race was only 25.00 to pre-register for. We got our awards and gave our meal tickets to David and Aden before heading to BJ's for some more fun, food, and drinks.

The really cool awards at the Howlin at the Moon 5 and 10k

     The race also holds a raffle after the awards. Every entry gets a raffle ticket which you place in the container for the item you hope to win. There's everything from bikes and T.V.s to spa getaways. You have the option to purchase more tickets. Did I mention the race was only 25.00 to pre-register for? The best part is all of the proceeds go the Bakersfield Police Department K-9 Department.

College of the Canyons 2017 Cross Country Series Finale; Race Report #18

     After six weeks of running every Thursday night at College of the Canyons, the big race was finally here. Unlike the Bakersfield Cross Country Series where points were earned every race, College of the Canyons came down to one race for all the marbles. It was August 17, 2017, and it was time to put up or shut up.
     This race was all about age group bragging rights, and a guy named Angel Guzman had dominated the 55-59 age group all year. He had run over a minute faster than I had to this point. This being a finals night I knew my SCR buddy Nigel Toates would be tough to beat as he always seems to run well at finals. One runner in our age group that had been fast early in the series, Greg Garmin, did not participate due to an automobile accident, but we're all looking forward to racing with him next year.
     I decided to go old school as far as shoes go for this race and I brought out my brand new pair of green Nike waffle racers. The shoes I have are actually replicas of the shoes I wore in high school and college. They even have 1977 on the insole. I don't think they are made for running, but I decided to bring them out and got a lot of great comments on the vintage nylon shoes.

My green Nike waffle racers

     I went through my normal warm-up, my legs didn't feel too tired from all of the racing I had done this summer, but the bottom of my feet hurt a little bit. That pain went away as I loosened up before the start. Robin, Keith, and Ethan also were there to finish off another COC summer series. It was nice to see some of the Frazier Mountain runners besides Aden show up for this race as well. The weather was fairly mild for August, only about 86 degrees out when we lined up on the baseball field for the start.

     I did some extra strides and lined up close to the front. I got a great start at the sound of the gun and went out fairly hard to beat some of the high school kids to the first turn. I felt good as we wound our way out and around the baseball fields.

Heading towards the center of campus early in the College of the Canyons Summer Series finale.

 Photo by Margaret Bates

     I tried to settle in at a decent pace but not hard enough that I would die when we got to the big hills during mile two. It always amazes me at how many runners don't hit the tangents or set themselves up for an upcoming turn so as not to lose momentum. The College of the Canyons course is fairly tight during the first 3/4 of a mile and some runners have no clue as to how to properly negotiate that type of a course. I have learned that when running this course, my best times come when I hit the first mile at a fairly good pace and I did a good job of that running a 6:28 for mile number one, by far my fastest time of the year. 

Feeling good rounding the turn to head up to the first-mile marker

Photo by Margaret Bates

     Now came the fun part, trying to maintain speed in the hills. I didn't try to go hard up the hill at mile one, just maintaining a nice steady pace. I was using my usual short strides and concentrated on the ground as I went. When we got to the freeway portion I was in a good place and floated along trying to miss the soft spots. Soon enough we were at killer hill. I started my usual short easy steps up the hill and got passed by people walking. I figured what the heck, and I went into the power walk mode. I'm still not sure what's better for me, but I passed those guys back as we topped the second half of killer hill. Little did I know that this was Angel Guzman, and we were actually battling for the age group title. In fact, we had been together since about mile one, I just didn't know who he was. I pushed myself down the hill towards the small hills on the top of the course. This is the hardest part of the race because your legs are fried from the steep uphills. My second mile split was a 7:35, by far my fastest of the year. From this point to the finish it was downhill to the track. No more uphills. When I got to the pavement Greg Garmin shouted at me to lean forward. I was just trying to maintain form and turnover to the track. When we got to the track I started pumping my arms as hard as I could and I got back around Angel Guzman that had passed me as we entered the stadium. I could feel him behind me and gave it everything I had, drifting out a little in the final turn, but still protecting the inside of the track. I held on to beat him to the line. My third mile was 6:14 but my pace on the track running to the finish was 4:48. 

I won my age group by a tenth of a second

     This was the most fun I've had actually racing since college. Most runs or races we do turn out to be time trials, not actually racing against another person. It was my fastest time at College of the Canyons by over a minute this year and I had a blister on each heel from my replica waffle racers for my effort. I quickly downed some waters and went out in search of Robin and whomever else I could find to cheer on to the finish. I ran and walked uphill backward on the course, cheering on the FMHS runners, some SCR's, and then there was Robin. She was looking great and powered her way to the finish with her best time of the season and a third-place finish in her age group.  

     College of the Canyons gives everyone who ran the series a free dinner on the finals night. Robin, Ethan, Keith and I elect to go to Loves Sushi and forego the dinner and awards ceremony. We gave our meal tickets to some high school runners and headed out. Our friends picked up our medals for us and we went out for a quick bite before our respective long drives home. 

Our post-race treats at Loves Sushi

     I survived the finals race without any Depends issues. I was still having leakage but nothing like the one race earlier in the season. My only issues were the bottom of my feet hurt and blisters on the back of my heels from the shoes. This also was the first time in years we had run all of the races. We are already looking forward to next year, but it's going to get tougher for me as I will be in the last year of my age group.

     

     

SAR Bigfoot Race, Shaver Lake, CA: Race Report #17

    On August 12, 2017, Robin and I headed North to Clovis, CA to check in for the Search and Rescue Bigfoot Runs to be held the following day at beautiful Shaver Lake. We were meeting our friends Trevor, Andrea, Mark, and Joan at the Fleet Feet Fresno store across the street from the famed Woodward Park cross country course. We arrived, checked in, got our bibs, shirts, and swag. We did purchase some nice socks from the store that were on sale while we waited a few minutes for everyone else to show up. We left there and headed out for a quick bite for lunch before settling in at Mark and Joan's house for the night.

Everyone enjoying an awesome lunch at Westwoods Barbecue

     Mark and Joan's house was headquarters for everyone getting ready for the race the following morning. Robin and I were treated to locally grown Fresno State corn from Gibson's market that was fantastic. After dinner and a few beers, we all got a good nights sleep before getting up and heading out in the dark for Shaver Lake. Most of the drive was on rural two-lane roads culminating in a steep climb into the western Sierra Nevada mountains. I hadn't been here since my high school days in the 70's and the roads haven't changed in 40 years. 

     We paid extra for "preferred parking" at the race. Most of the runners parked miles away and were brought in by buses. The preferred parking got us close enough that we only had to walk about 3/4 of a mile to the start/finish area. The race seemed to be held at a logging site. We parked around logging equipment, and the start/finish was just a wide spot on some logging trail where the organizers did a great job of erecting tents, porta-potties, and everything else necessary for putting on a great race. 

The starting line one hour prior to race time

There was plenty of cold water for everyone after the race

Krei brought out portable changing rooms for anyone that had to change before or after the race

     The race started on time. I was doing the 10k. There was also a 5k, 1/2 marathon, and 2-mile family walk. The races all used the same starting point, but when we got to the bottom of the starting hill, each race went a different direction. The course was mostly on soft dirt for the first mile or so. 

The downhill start at the SAR Bigfoot Race

    The first mile was downhill, then we hit some steep short uphills, before heading downhill even more. Unfortunately, all this downhill at the start only meant one thing. It would be uphill going back to the finish.

The turns were well marked when one was faced with a fork in the road

I was glad I wore my Nike Wildhorse Trail Shoes

    I had no problem walking some of the steep parts. My hike and running format combined with the fact I ran the downhill in the soft stuff early at an easy pace found me passing people that had gone out too hard during the early portions of the race. I also found the trail full of runners from the 5k and the 2-mile family hike as I pushed towards the finish.   

The view of the uphill finish at the SAR Bigfoot Race

  The race featured 645 feet of climbing. There were search and rescue personnel stationed around the course in case there were any issues. We were all given whistles before the race which we were supposed to carry in case we got lost. The races were sold out, and I was lucky enough to finish 14th overall, and 1st in the 50-59 age group. The races were really fun, and I would really like to go back, maybe try a different distance next time.

My brass Moscow mule 1st place cup and Bigfoot

    The post-race party was great. Tioga Sequoia Brewing had some tasty beers along with Michelob Ultras. We also got some burgers and ice cream. Everyone had a really good time, even those that ran the 1/2 marathon. Now I had to recover quickly as the COC finals were just four days away. 

College of the Canyons Summer Series Race #6; Race Report #16

     The sixth race of the College of the Canyons Summer Series was my first race of three in a weeks period. My goal was to run easy, get a workout in, and make sure I didn't get too tired as I had a trail race at Shaver Lake the following Sunday, and the COC Finals in just one weeks time. The temperature was a balmy 91 as I went through my warm ups and drills.

     I went out a little easier than I normally do trying to keep the pace slow. the down side of this is getting stuck behind slower high school runners that go out too fast and seem to like to run three wide and chit chat during the race. I ran a comfortable 7:13 first mile, talking to people as I went. The second mile was as tough as always, and I hit it in 7:52. Even though the final mile was downhill, I didn't push it too hard with two more races coming up in the next seven days. 

Following Nigel in the first mile of the College of the Canyons Cross Country Series Race

     My final time was 22:56, a minute and a half slower than the previous week, but hopefully I saved enough of myself for the 10k trail race at Shaver Lake and the finals at College of the Canyons in one weeks time. 

     For the last time we hit Vincenzo's for our post race meal. Next week being finals we will be having sushi to celebrate completing all seven of the College of the Canyons Summer Series races. 

College of the Canyons Summer Series Race #5; Race Report #15

     On August 3, 2017, we went back to College of the Canyons for the fifth race of the annual cross-country summer series. The weather was warm for Santa Clarita being 95 at race time. I was tired from Tuesday night's race in Bakersfield but decided to give it my all since I had peed myself to a stop the week previous.
     I did my normal warm-up and drills and made sure to hit the bathroom multiple times before the start. I think part of my problem is I'm consuming lots of liquids due to the heat, maybe too much liquids. I think I would rather have incontinence issues than risk being dehydrated so I 'm back to wearing a bigger pad.
     When the gun finally went off I took off at a decent clip but my legs felt tired from the effort in Bakersfield. I hit the first mile in 6:54, not great but fast enough on this night with the heat. The second mile is always the toughest at COC and this night was no different. My second mile with the big hill was 7:51. I strode through the downhill last mile in 6:26 feeling surprisingly strong for all of the racing that I have been doing. My time was 21:13 for the race. It was my fastest time of the year and came just 48 hours after pushing myself really hard in 100-degree heat in Bakersfield.
     With two weeks before the finals, I was pretty happy and confident that I may be able to place in the top three again this year even though I have been through a lot physically and mentally with my prostate cancer issues.
     Robin, Keith, Ethan and I headed to Vincenzo's Pizza for our weekly pizza and beer recovery meal, then we hit I-5 north for the 45-minute drive home, reliving our respective races as we went to keep ourselves awake. 

Bakersfield Track Club 2017 Summer Series Final Race; Race Report #14

     On August 1st, Robin and I headed to Bakersfield for the Bakersfield Track Club Summer Series finale. The weather wasn't the worst we had run in, but it was still 100 degrees at race time. We arrived at Hart Park, and soon Trevor and Andrea showed up to complete the summer season with us. I did my usual warm-up and drills while Trevor watched in amazement. The club again had brought out multiple cooling misters, had the music playing, and everyone was amped up to run hard one last time. My race was scheduled to start at 7:08, Robin and Andrea took off minutes earlier for their head start based on the handicap system. I lined up with everyone else old like me and some pretty fast 14-year-olds. I can't wait for some of them to age up. Anyways, when the starter said go, we all went.
     In spite of the heat, I went out on the downhill first mile fairly hard. I was wearing my watered down hat, cooling bandana, and carried my frozen water bottle which I moved from hand to hand to help keep my body cool. Occasionally I squirted some cold water on the back of my neck to assist with the cooling. Being as how it was only a three-mile race there was really no need to drink much so I skipped all of the water stations.
     My first mile was a 6:39 and I caught Andrea before we got there. I felt pretty good. The second mile, which has the only real hill was a 7:08. I didn't work the hill too hard but just tried to be consistent as I chugged up to the water station before turning back onto dirt and a short downhill. The third mile is mostly flat with a slight incline in some softer dirt so to keep the same pace it does require some effort. My third mile was a 6:52 and I sped up to 6:25 pace as I ran to the finish. My final time was a 21:25. It wasn't long before Carl and Joe finished in my age group. I grabbed some watermelon then went back to finish with Robin. Trevor finished in 30:19, Andrea in 37:00, and Robin in 38:54. My finish was good enough to give me 7th overall in the final standings of the summer series.

Yes, it was hot in Bakersfield for the final race of the Bakersfield Track Club Summer Series

The final standings after four races of the Bakersfield Track Club Summer Series

     The top ten got awards, and unlike most races, we got gift certificates to local businesses. My award for seventh place was a 10.00 gift certificate to Sole to Sole, a local running store, and a gel to use on my next long run.

     Since it has become a custom for us to eat and socialize somewhere after we run we headed to Tony's Pizza this time for the all-around runner's favorite of pizza and beer.