COC Cross Country Race #1; Race Report #9

     With just 48 hours of recovery, Robin and I made the drive down to Santa Clarita for the first of seven weekly Thursday night 3-mile cross country races at College of the Canyons, also known as COC. This year it's the 44th annual happening of the summer cross country series, and everyone from high schools to us masters runners look forward to this event. We drove down, paid our money, got our bibs and timing chips, and warmed up for the first race. I could tell right away warming up that my legs were still feeling the effects of Tuesday's 5k so I knew this would not be a night for a fast time. Unlike the Bakersfield races, COC only matters on the finals night as far as awards go so just getting used to the hills again was my plan for the evening. Keith and Ethan also showed up, as this has become our annual weekly get together to talk about old times, and catch up on family. The race is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM after the kid's race which began at 6:45. I'm not sure why, maybe it was the 4th of July holiday, but there was a very small crowd there for the first race.

Keith and Robin before the start of the start of the COC Summer Series Race #1

     We all line up on the COC baseball field listened to the instructions and took off at the sound of the gun. A lot of the people were complaining about the heat but after running in Bakersfield the temperature didn't seem too bad. It was 93 at the start. It was fun running along and chatting with some of my friends during the race. I hit the first mile in 7:26, and continued up the first big hill to the freeway downhill but had no leg strength. I guess I'm not as young as I once was. Soon enough the fun was over and killer hill loomed up in front of me.

The view up killer hill at the COC Summer Series

     I trudged up the hill, made the right turn and continued on up the hill. A quick down hill, and back uphill we went some more. It wasn't long before I hit the second-mile mark in 8:15, and it was downhill or flat to the finish. I cruised along at a 6:56 final mile. My official finishing time was 22:35.2. Not bad considering the hills and the fact that I had run hard just two days earlier. I saw Keith finish in a 29:33, and I jogged back to run in with Robin as a cool down. Robin crossed the line in 37:31. 

     With the race over there was only one thing left to do. As it has become a tradition for us we headed to Vincenzo's Pizza on Lyons for some post run nourishment.

Vincenzo's Pizza was the scene of our post race nourishment.

     We split a family meal deal and a pitcher of beer four ways. While we ate we relived the race and caught up on various family and friend issues from the past year. Next week it would be race #2, and back to Vincenzo's Pizza.

Santa Clarita Runners Independence Day 5K Classic; Race Report #8

     The morning of Tuesday, July 4th found Robin and I getting up early and heading down the I-5 to Santa Clarita for the Independence Day 5k put on by the Santa Clarita Runners. The only problem with this race is the parking, it's alway bad, and this year was worse because of construction going on at Hart High School. We arrived about 6:30 for the 8:00 AM start and had to park about 1.5 miles away. We walked to the check in, got our bibs and swag then walked back to the car to change our shoes, put on our patriotic gear, and head to the start finish area. Being a recent prostate cancer survivor, the first place I hit was the porta potty line to make sure my custom Depends wasn't going to be over filled during the race.

The view from the porta potty line prior to the Santa Clarita Independence Day 5k

     I did a short warm up, some strides, and got in line for the start about 5 rows from the front. As always, there were people that had no business lining up where they did in front of me. A girl did a fantastic job of singing the national anthem live before the start, and as soon as the timers were ready Martin sent us on our way. 

     When the horn sounded (I miss starting guns) we all took off. I settled into a nice pace and worked around the slow people who had no business starting where they did. When I felt my watch vibrate for the first mile I looked down at my watch and was shocked to see 6:30. I immediately slowed my pace as I felt I had gone out way too fast for my training thus far. Because there is a parade following our race, the course is lined with spectators that cheered us on the whole way. The local high school teams also came out and supplied support by manning water stations, and cheering us on with signs and cheers.

The crowd was great on both sides of the course

     My second mile was a 6:55, a little slow, but closer to what I thought I should be running based on my recent training. I still felt pretty good, so I began to pick up the pace, looking more at my watch to help me speed up and get into a faster rhythm. My third mile was a 6:44 which was more like what I was shooting for. When I turned the corner and could see the finish line I tried to lift my knees and work my arms. I'm sure I didn't look any different, but my watch says I sprinted to the finish in under a six-minute pace. My official time was 20:48. 

Me hitting the finish in my patriotic attire. My legs were the white part of the three colors. Photo by Captivating Sports Photos.

     I congratulated the runners that finished around me, grabbed a water, and headed out on the course to find Robin and finish with her. I didn't have to run far as Robin was scorching the course.

Robin working towards the finish

     I met up with Robin as she rounded the corner towards the finish. She looked good and sounded great. I'm sure the lack of hills on this course had something to do with that. A local high school cross country team was stationed just after the turn, and it was great that they were cheering for everyone like they were battling for the win.  

The high school cross country teams were awesome with their support.

     Robin strode out to the finish and I bailed over to the park so as not to create any timing issues by running across the mat twice. She broke the tape in 35:15 which was one of her fastest times in recent years. Her training for the Wild Wild West Trail Marathon next year is starting to pay off.

Robin hitting the line at the Independence Day Classic 5k. Photo by Captivating Sports Photos.

     Since it was too far to go back to the car for the ice chest and lawn chairs we stood around for the awards and raffle.

Robin and I waiting for the awards. Photo by Captivating Sports Photos.

     Neither of us won anything in the raffle, but I did get first in the 55-59 age group even though my time was a minute and a half slower than the last time I raced here. The lovely Paola Howard presented me with my medal. By now we were both hungry so we headed just down the street to the legendary Saugus Cafe for some food and adult beverages.

 Tuna Melt and a beer after my race.

The view from the bar at the Saugus Cafe.

     The iconic Saugus cafe hasn't changed since the 60's. we went straight to the bar where we were able to order both food and drinks. The beers were ice cold and the food was tasty. It was a great 4th of July. The race had close to 900 participants total. We devoured our food and headed home to recover so that we could attempt COC #1 just 48 hours later.

Bakersfield Track Club Summer Series Race #2; Race Report #7

     On Tuesday, June 20, we drove down to Bakersfield for the second race in the Bakersfield Track Club Summer Series. Since the weather forecast was for hot temperatures, I had hit Home Depot and bought both Robin and myself Enduracool hats and a new Enduracool neck wrap for Robin as well. The weather forecast turned out to be true as the temperature was 108 degrees at the start according to my Garmin app. We both made sure to hydrate extremely well all day long to prevent any medical issues from popping up, I know I did a good job as I had to use the toilet twice before the start of the race. I also froze our handheld water bottles we carry when we run about one-third full, laying on their side, so the cold bottle would be against our hands as we ran the race. When we arrived we found Trevor and Andrea already there, so I parked, changed my shoes, shirt, and shorts, and put on my bib number and custom Depends.
     I did manage about a mile and a half total warm-up before the race, and I felt pretty good despite the heat. As seven o'clock came up, we all gathered near the start line. Everyone was talking about running slower because of the heat, and the announcer kept reminding everyone to hydrate, carry water, and walk if you needed to. Robin was the first to take off, followed by Andrea, myself, then Trevor followed by all the fast runners. I felt that I had run the first race a little easy since I didn't know the course yet, so I went out faster on the downhill first mile this time. With the high temperatures, I was sipping and pouring water on myself starting at about a quarter mile into the race. It wasn't long before I passed Andrea, gave a wave, and was zeroing in on Robin. I went through the first mile in 6:48, and felt good. The heat didn't seem to be playing a factor, but I didn't want to push my luck, so I went to easy mode when I got to the hill. The water bottle was awesome. It felt great to be able to pour water onto my neck and head. The Enduracool products seemed to really help. My second mile, with the hill, was 7:15. The track club did an outstanding job placing five water stations along the course, one of which we ran by twice to make a total of six opportunities for water in a 3-mile race. this was in addition to the water and misters that were at the start-finish area. Most 5k runs provide one water station along the course if that. I continued along to the finish and got passed by a few of the faster runners that had started behind me. I finished the race in 22:05 which was about 35 seconds faster than the first race, and in 108-degree temperatures. I hung around and watched Shane, Joe, and Carl finish refilled my handheld water bottle and set off to find Robin and pace her back to the finish.

My Garmin screenshot from the Bakersfield Summer Series Race #2

     As I ran down the first hill, I stopped and chatted with some photographers and asked about using their pictures on this blog, which they said would be fine. Of course, I haven't been able to find them online yet. Soon enough I found Robin and Trevor running together, so I went back a little further to Andrea and paced her into the finish. 

Screenshot of the finish results showing our real times plus our handicap based on age.

     We all stood around and talked about the race, I was looking for someone from McFarland to ask about the upcoming Jim White Invitational. Naturally, I couldn't find him after the race. Everyone was talking about a runner that had a medical issue during the race. We changed into dry shirts and headed to Ethel's Old Corral Cafe for some food and cold adult beverages. 

My sandwich, salad, and beer at Ethel's after the race.

     Ethel's was a classic vintage roadhouse. I had never stopped in there in all my years of driving by. The food was great, service quick, and, most important when it's over 100, the beer was ice cold. It was definitely a welcome respite from the heat and sweat only an hour earlier.

     

     On a side note, I am sad to say that I found out the next morning that the runner who had the medical issue did not make it, and passed away at the hospital. My condolences go out to his family and friends in this tough time. I will touch more on this issue in a future blog post.

     

PSA Test

    I recently had my second PSA test since my surgery. I used the same lab, and again I passed. My number was .03. My doctor said that since it's the new ultrasensitive test, that it's basically a zero on the old test.

My second PSA test since my prostate surgery

   Back in February, I had my first PSA test, and it was .01. My doctor said not to worry about it being higher, but that's hard to do. I don't worry about the tests like I used to. Last year, when I was trying to figure out if I even had prostate cancer, I would awaken at night, start thinking about the PSA test, and not be able to go back to sleep. So much seems to ride on these simple numbers. I know the PSA test has become controversial because of the anxiety it causes, but it caught my cancer early, and hopefully, I continue to have low test results like this one. I don't worry that badly anymore, but when I do think about it, I still worry a little. I think it's human nature. My next test will be in November. I know that when I'm waiting for the results, I will get nervous. 

Bakersfield Track Club Summer Series Race #1; Race Report #6

     Since high school, I have raced a lot of different all-comer cross country meets held every summer. The first one that I ever ran in was at Pierce College on Tuesday nights back in the 70's.. We would run the 2-mile course, then stick around and run track events later in the evening. It was a blast, the track meet held every event from relays, walks, pole vault, to sprints, middle, and long distance. I also ran the High Desert Track Club cross country meets, which back in the day were held in Quartz Hill. Naturally, I have run many races and thoroughly enjoy the COC summer series.  

The start and finish line being set up before the start of the Bakersfield Track Club race #1

     One of the meets that I have never participated in is the Bakersfield Track Club Summer Cross Country Series. This year after my prostate cancer surgery, I decided to try to compete in both the Bakersfield races, as well as the COC races. The races in Bakersfield are different in that they use a handicap start system similar to the Dipsea Race in Northern California. The goal of the handicap start in Bakersfield is to have everyone finish as close to 7:30 PM as possible. I was at the course early, checked in and got the bibs for Robin, Trevor, Andrea, and myself. The race is chip timed, and we keep the same chip embedded bib for all of the races. The bib has our name and starts time on it. Next to the start line is a big clock with the time of day going so we knew when to approach the start line. I did a short warm up with Shane, a few strides, and felt ready to go.

The handicap table for the Bakersfield Track Club Summer Series

     My start time was 7:08, so I got a 3-minute head start on the high school kids. The P.A. announcer was on top of everything calling us to the start line for our race. This is the first year competitors have been allowed to wear watches, as this is a no electronics race. That means if you are caught listening to music on the course during the race you will be disqualified. I love that aspect of the race. The reason for no music is safety. I ran up on some slower competitors pretty fast so I was glad they could hear me coming.
     After the race started, I came upon slower people pretty quickly. There are lots of families that do the race as a walk and jog for fun. I carried water as I did not know how the warmer air temperature would affect me. It was 97 when the race started, and the race organizers were well prepared, as they had four water stations along the 5k course. The course itself wasn't that difficult. We ran on pavement and dirt, there was one small hill, and a good amount of single track dirt. The heat makes up for the lack of hills. I managed negative splits in the race, 7:21, 7:17, and 7:15 for the 3 miles. The handicap start kept everything spread out, so there was never any crowds of runners that went out too fast for me to try to pass on narrow sections. I really enjoyed the race, and am looking forward to the next one.

My Garmin screen shot after the race. Note the temperature on the bottom right

     I finished the race in 22:39, Trevor 30:00, Andrea 38:42, and Robin did not race since she's in South Carolina playing with our grandson Henry. By the way, Henry was in his first 5k yesterday at the age of 11 days. Since scoring for the races is different than most, I cannot post the finished results since they have yet to be posted. The way I understand things, the race organizers take our run times, add it to our start time, and that will be our finish time. They will take the best 3 times for each runner, add them together, and that will determine winners at the conclusion of the series. The races will be held on every other Tuesdays, with the finals being a fun run, barbecue, and handing out of awards. Trevor, Andrea, and I finished the night at Tony's Pizza with some delicious pizza and beer.

Incontinence After Prostate Surgery

     It's been awhile since I updated my incontinence issues but things have been getting much better for me lately. Back on April fourth, I wrote about going to physical therapy for the first time, and how much harder the doctor wanted me to contact my pelvic floor muscles to help with my control. I went back for a second physical therapy appointment for my incontinence about three weeks after the first, and things were much better. I was able to hold my pelvic muscle contracted for about twenty seconds. That would be twenty seconds with the lights on the bio feedback in the red. All of this was helping. I was doing the Kegels harder, and I was doing fewer of them than before. My issues of peeing myself were becoming fewer and fewer. I was even able to drink some beers, and not go straight to the bathroom. Caffeine was still giving me problems, I'm not sure why. Since I was having fewer issues with my incontinence, I decided to try a different pad other than the Depends Ultra protection I was wearing. It also coincided with the first heat wave of spring. and the Depends weren't that comfortable in 100-degree weather. I purchased a container of Tena pads. I played it safe and went for the level 3 pad they sell, which is for moderate incontinence issues. The Tena pad is much more comfortable than the Depends pad. If anyone is going through something similar to this, buy different small containers of pads, and see which ones you like best. It was only a matter of about 10 days though, and I began to notice my pads were staying drier and drier as the days went by. A quick side note, make sure the pad is firmly attached to your underwear before you pull up the briefs around your waist. If the pad fall over as the underwear is pulled up, the sticky side of the pad comes into contact with the scrotum, and it hurts when the pad is pulled off. I found this out the hard way. Anyway, about a week and a half ago, I decided to try and work without wearing the pad. I'm only having issues when I sneeze or laugh too hard after drinking some beers. The experiment has worked, as I only need to currently wear a pad if I'm running.
     On May 20th, Robin and I went for a bike ride to celebrate our wedding anniversary, and I wore my custom made Depends pad for the ride. I was nervous, as I hadn't been biking yet. Not only did I survive the ride, but I was able to stop and pee after about an hour of riding. There was some liquid in my Depends, but I had been able to hold some inside me for a change and get rid of it like a normal person. This was a huge milestone for me. This past weekend Robin, Maggie and I went for an eight-mile hike and run that featured over 2000 feet of climbing, and lasted over 3 hours. At the turnaround point, i decided to change my pad since I could feel a little moisture between my legs. I had brought 2 extra pads, just to be safe. When I went into the bushes to change my pad I was surprised to find the pad mostly dry as the moisture I had been feeling was from sweat. Not only that, but I was able to stop and pee twice over the course of the three hours.
      I was ecstatic over the progress I had made suddenly, but it wasn't so sudden when I think about it. I have been consistently doing exercises and following directions of doctors for the past 4 months, and it is paying off. The hard part now will be to continue to do the exercises. My goal has to be running without a pad, and until then, I guess I'm still suffering incontinence after prostate surgery.

Miracle Miles for Kids Rock to Pier 10k; Race Report #5

     On Friday, May 12, 2017, we headed north from Lebec, through Bakersfield to Highway 46, where we headed west towards the coast and the Miracle Miles for Kids 10k run on the sand from Morro Rock to Cayucos Pier. On this trip, we were joined by Trevor, Andrea, Mark and Joan. Since Robin and I got an early start, we decided to stop for lunch at the historic Jack Ranch cafe. This cafe is world renowned because it sits next to the tree that James Dean hit, resulting in his death. The cafe is also a Hearst Winery tasting room. We opted for lunch and skipped the wine tasting this trip.

The tree that James Dean hit that resulted in his death.

     We finished up our lunch and continued our trip to Cayucos. We stay in a little motel near the beach and the finish line. We got ourselves checked into room 5(Robin correctly guessed the room number before we got it) and headed out to take some pictures of the town, flowers, and beach. It wasn't long before our friends arrived, and we all headed to the Cayucos Saloon. 

The Cayucos Saloon and Dining Hall has been around for awhile.

     The saloon is another place with pool, shuffleboard, jukebox, drinks, and signed dollar bills all over the ceiling. There seems to be a pattern of me frequenting these kinds of establishments. We all had a few beers, listened to Spike and Clint play, bought their shirts and koozies, before heading to dinner. Well, maybe we had more than a few beers, anyway, a good time was had by all. First, we hit the Italian restaurant in town, they were full. Next, we tried Duckies chowder house, they were closing. We ended up at Schooners, where our waiter Isaac took good care of us, especially Mark. Now one of the reasons we drank a little more than we should have was the weather. There was a steady 20 mph headwind blowing along the beach and it was supposed to continue through race day on Saturday. We finished off our dinner and were blown back towards our motel. We all agreed to meet around 7 AM in front of the motels to head to the race no later than 7:10 for the 8:00 AM start. The drive would take no more than 10-15 minutes. 

     Race day morning, the sky was clear and blue, and the wind had completely stopped for the moment. Robin and I ate our Picky Bars, and I laced up mu Nike Zoom Streak Cross Country racing flats. I knew we were going to cross rivers, rocks, and run through some surf so I chose a light shoe that would drain easily.

The Nike Zoom Streak Cross Country shoe that I wore in the Miracle Miles for Kids 10k race.

     Apparently, some of the other 2000 runners had the same idea about arriving at the race at the same time because traffic was horrible. Lucky for us, Joan volunteered to drive us instead of running the race, so we just had to get close to the start line to be dropped off. Unlike most races, we only got our bib numbers prior to the start. The t-shirts and swag would be handed out after going to the finish chute. I like this, the crowds would be much thinner at the finish, than at the start. We all got our bibs, the timing chip for our shoes, and headed to the start area on the beach. Some of the runners participated in the jazzercize warm up, I chose to run to the bathroom, change my custom Depends Pad, and then do a short run on the beach. I opted not to take any chances with the pad, but it was dry when I ripped it out. I did a short run to warm up, still no wind, but the tide was pretty high so we all knew we would get wet.

                                          The five of us that ran before the start of the Miracle Miles for Kids Rock to Pier

                                                      The start line with the runners being dwarfed by Morro Rock.

                                                                     The view heading to get our bib numbers.

     The race started promptly at 8, and I took off trailing Trevor. There was still no wind. I quickly settled into my 7:30 goal pace and tried not to run too quickly at the start. I knew from past experience that if I went out to quickly I would suffer after running through the rocks. My first mile was a little quick at 7:18, but my feet were mostly dry still as someone had fabricated a bridge across the first river, and there was no backup as the runners navigated the homemade bridge. The race mile markers were way off as we continued along the course, One split seemed to be no more than a 1/2 mile, then the next was over a mile. My second mile was 7:07. I felt pretty good, still no wind, but I was a little bloated from the beer the day before. It wasn't long before we came upon the first rock crossing. There were volunteers stationed there to point us in the right directions as we tried not to lose too much time in the soft sand and wet rocks. I made it through without falling or losing too much ground on the people around me. A couple of younger runners passed me in the rocks, but I was able to pass them back after we got back out on the flat sand. 

The view as we headed up the first rock crossing.

The traction wasn't very good through here, but at least it was flat.

Rocks and more rocks.

     After we cleared the first rock crossing, I settled back into my 7:30 pace. By now my feet were very wet, but I was over half way done, and soon the pier would be in sight. There weren't very many runners around me, I could see two women ahead, and they were the first two women in the race. I tried to maintain my rhythm and form as we headed towards the finish at Cayucos Pier. 

The views while running this race were spectacular.

     There were one more set of rocks to cross, and they were with just under a mile to go, and not as bad as the first set. As soon as I came out of the second rock crossing, the winds hit. I guess I was lucky they held off as long as they did, but it was the dreaded headwind all the way to the finish.  I finished in a time of 45:24. It was good enough for 21st overall, and 2nd in the 50-59 age group. I collected my t-shirt and swag and set about waiting for everyone else.  A quick shout out to Cody Draa from Pine Mountain who came out and ran the race for the first time and finished 3rd overall. Way to go Cody. It wasn't long before Trevor finished in 59:14. and Robin, Andrea, and Mark somehow found each other on the course and finished together in 1:21.

                                            Mark and Robin running together as Andrea snapped the quick photo.

     The race had breakfast burritos for everyone that ran, along with fresh strawberries and bananas. We had our choice of veggie burritos, or sausage and egg. It was really well organized, as the lines for food moved quickly, and we hastily consumed our free breakfast before heading back for showers.

 Trevor, myself, and Mark showing off our Happy Hour shorts and Running with Prostate Cancer shirts after the race.

     For lunch after the showers, we all headed back to Duckies and got our fix of seafood that we were too late for the night before. the food was quick and delicious. Trevor and opted to spend a couple of more hours at the saloon as the others hit the local antique stores that are everywhere in Cayucos. Our dinner reservations were at 7, so after a few beers, we all headed back to our rooms for naps. For dinner, we were at Schooners again, and Isaac was our waiter again. We ate more than we should have, headed back to the saloon, but it wasn't near as much fun as the night before, there was no band, so we had a night cap, and headed off to our rooms again. We all said goodbye, as some were leaving early the next morning, and I wanted to sleep in. 

     Robin and I chose the free breakfast the motel provided in the morning, checked out, and headed home. We stopped in Bakersfield, had some Sushi, shopped at Winco, picked up a very excited Maggie, and headed home. The weekend was great. I'm lucky to have friends that are willing to travel and run with me as I recover from my prostate cancer. 

Robin and I sitting on a rock off of Highway 46 with the beach that we ran on in the background.

     I'm not sure what my next race will be, but I'm looking for a 5k to do to help me build some more speed. I plan on putting up results and schedule links soon. Hopefully, in 2 weeks my daughter Torri will give birth and I will be a grandpa for the first time. Also, I have my second post surgery blood test coming up to check my PSA levels. Anxiety time again.