Heart Breaker Half

Heart Breaker Half

February 14, 2016

Cost - $40.00

I woke up on the morning of the fourth race to Oregon’s famous liquid sunshine (rain). This wasn’t so bad since the temperature outside was 50 degrees. Much more comfortable than the previous race where the temperature was below freezing. The fourth race of my 12 races in 12 months was the Heart Breaker Half. http://aasportsltd.com/event/heartbreaker/

The Heart Breaker Half is a race designed to promote heart health. The race offers several different distances such as a Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and a kid’s 1 mile dash. For this race I choose the 10k (6.2 miles). The race was located at Liberty High School in Hillsboro. Upon arrival I was immediately impressed with the setup of the interior of the school. There was a video screen with music videos pumping, booths with various running merchandise set up, and clearly defined packet pick up and t-shirt pick up areas marked. It was a very fun vibe and if they had of had a beer garden I may not have left for the rest of the day.

There were already a lot of runners there and they had warned about arriving early enough to get a good parking spot. They were right. I arrived at 7:15am for an 8:15 start time and I was lucky to find parking inside the school’s parking lot. I stood in line to get my race packet which only took 10 minutes. I arrived at a good time because the line behind me for packets was growing exponentially. I also picked up the obligatory race shirt. The shirt was a higher quality long sleeve T-shirt as compared to most of the other race shirts I’ve seen. So far everything about this race had me impressed.

As it got closer to race time I decided to make one last pit stop before running. I made my way to the men’s room and found a line of about 20 people before me. This wasn’t bad compared to the ladies line as there was probably double the number. The organizers of all the races need to keep in mind that no one wants to race with a full bladder. I have the solution, port-a-potties! I made my way through the line and had 5 minutes to spare to get to the starting line. I felt bad as there was still a line of at least 40 women hoping to lighten their load.

The race began right on time and the course started us out on paved roads. Police had the intersections shut down through the busier parts of town so we could run without fear of being hit by a car. I felt terrific as I started out which was a bonus because I hadn’t had much in the way of sleep from the two nights before. As we ran we encountered some rolling hills and the weather cooperated with the rain staying at bay. The course took us into the rural areas and we started to run on some gravel roads. Not a big deal but the stones under the feet didn’t feel quite as nice as the paved road. Most runners tried to stick to the ruts car tires would make.

When I lined up back at the starting line I took my usual stance about three quarters of the way back from the front runners. Two miles in I had passed many of the other runners but something in my head told me to slow down. I felt my pace was too fast even though I still felt strong physically. Around mile 3 I started to feel really fatigued. My pace became labored and my energy really started to deplete. Through miles 3 and 4 I started to see most of the people I had passed catch back up to me and eventually leave me in the dust.  During this section I walked for my first time. This was surprising to me because I didn’t think the course was nearly as challenging as some of the others. I’ve mentioned the hills and some unpaved roads but all in all the entire course didn’t have a really difficult section to it. In my practice runs leading up to this event I’ve run much further than the 6.2 miles this race was. I think it was a combination of being tired and a little dehydrated that affected me.

One thing that can’t be understated on these races is the effect of nutrition and getting your body prepared.  I knew I wasn’t as hydrated as I normally am for these events when I grabbed a glass of water from the first fluid station we came across. Speaking of fluid stations this course had many which was a nice benefit of running several different length races on the same course. I took advantage of every one I came across.

At mile 5 I started to feel much better. I don’t know if it was a mental thing knowing we only had a couple of miles left or because I had recovered from alternating running and walking two or three times. I started to really pick up my pace again. As I got closer to the finish line I could feel a surge and I finished in a time of 1:07. I was pretty happy with my time considering how much I struggled in the middle section. 

After the race was over the runners made their way back into the school. There was a food line set up with oranges, cookies, rolls, pretzels, and hot oatmeal. The music was still going and the crowd was in a great mood. I would highly recommend this race for all levels.

Up Next: Scott Firefighter Stair Climb

ORRC Y2K

ORRC Y2K

January 2, 2016

Cost - $35.00

The third race in my year of races was the Oregon Road Runners Club Y2k run. The event offered a half marathon, a 10k (6.2 miles) run, and a 10k walk. I decided to do the 10k run on this one. https://runsignup.com/Race/OR/ForestGrove/ORRCY2K

The race took place pretty close to where I live. I had worked the night before so I waited at my station until it got close to sign in time. I’d had a scratchy throat for a couple of days but I was happy to wake up and not have a full blown cold going on. When I left the station I immediately noticed how cold it was.

With it being 28 degrees outside I decided I didn’t want to push it too hard. I have asthma and the cold can sometimes be challenging.  I thought if I could finish in 75 minutes or a pace of 12 minute miles I’d be happy.

When I arrived at the event I noticed that there wasn’t as much diversity in runners as there had been at other races. There were still a few people in I’m guessing their 50’s and 60’s and a couple of children but noting close to the numbers I’d seen at the previous two races. The sign in was held inside Tom McCall school in Forest Grove which offered some shelter from the weather outside. The school seemed pretty packed and as usual a huge line up for bathrooms before the race started. One thing that stood out was the cafeteria was open serving hot food before and after the race. A real perk compared to other races. It was really nice to stay warm until the starting time.

The race started promptly at 9:00 am. I was bundled in layers but I have to say I was freezing. I wore leggings and running pants on the bottom and a top layer consisting of compression tank, compression long sleeve, t-shirt, and a hoodie. I had a Buff neck warmer along with a beanie and running gloves. Once the race got started I noticed that my feet and legs were fine but my upper body and hands were very cold. It took the first two miles of the race before my hands started to thaw out and that was due to the sun starting to come out.

With this being my third race and having a little experience in the past I felt more comfortable starting near the front third of the pack. I figured most people would use a slower pace. I soon found out that wasn’t the case. I was passed by what seemed to be everyone! I realized that the lack of diversity in runners I noticed earlier should have clued me into the fact this event was for more serious racers. I fell into a pace and didn’t struggle as much with breathing the cold air as what I thought I might.  

The path of the race had us run through the neighborhoods around Tom McCall and led us out to running beside Highway 47. We turned off the highway and started to run through the rural area with a few rolling hills. Nothing that really stood out as a tough obstacle to overcome and the hills were actually a nice change from the flat ground that was the majority of the race. Luckily we hadn’t had any recent rain and the roads and paths were not slick or slippery even with the below freezing temperature.

As we wound back around behind the school I was caught by a woman who asked me if we’d passed mile 4 yet. I laughed because we were less than half a mile from the end. It’s funny because some people (including myself) try to ignore how far we’ve come so the rest doesn’t seem so daunting but I can almost never do it. In this person’s case she was able to remove herself from how long she’d run for at least a couple miles. I’d like to know her secret.

I crossed the finish line at 1:09. I was pretty happy with the results. I was well under the 1:15 timeframe I had set as my goal. I checked my run keeper and saw I was able to keep my pace under 11 minutes until the last mile of the race. Even with these results I’m not going to lie, this race was more difficult than I expected. It was the combination of added miles and the cold that showed me that I’m made for warmer weather running. 

I would consider this one again next year. Even though the weather can be unpredictable I know a little more of how to prepare. The race was well organized and using the school for shelter and cafeteria was a huge bonus as compared to other races.

Up next: Heart Breaker Half

Ho Ho Ho 5K

Ho Ho Ho 5K

December 6, 2015

Cost - $20.00

My next race was the Ho Ho Ho 5k in Tigard Oregon. http://www.xdogevents.com/hoho.html. Any donations and collected items would go to the Union Gospel Mission and the Oregon Humane Society. I'm a big animal lover so supporting the Humane Society was right up my alley. I sent an email to the contact address for the race because I had considered bringing my dogs to this one. I never received a reply. I decided to leave the dogs at home since I didn't want to have to leave them in the car too long if they couldn't come with me. When I showed up I noticed several people who were obviously going to race with their furbabies.

As I said in an earlier post I work as a firefighter a we work 24 hours on and 48 hours off. I worked the night before this race and had a slight sinus thing happening so I was pretty tired that morning. I decided to go without the turnouts this time thinking this course might be a little slicker and colder than the last race since we were in December.

I learned from my workout runs that layering and wearing running specific gear helps a lot. I showed up wearing running pants and a few layers up top. For a December day it wasn't considerably cold but thought that I may not have layered up enough. I showed up around 9:00am for a 10:00am race and found very few people had arrived before me. I got my race bib within a few minutes and decided I would head back to the car to keep warm until the race started. I noticed a lot of people in festive costumes including reindeer, elves, and even a Mrs. Claus. The crowd for this one was more subdued and it looked like more couples and families in attendance.

The course for this race started with a slight incline. This was no where near the hill we battled with in the first race I described. It seems any race done to the south of Portland is going to have some hill climbing involved. We made our way through some neighborhoods. I noticed there wasn't very many people staffing the course although it was marked with cones. As we winded through the course we moved to a trail around the river and park areas. This course would be beautiful in the summer time but for this time of year the path was very wet, with large pools of standing water, and slippery vegetation. 

I finished this one in just over 30 minutes. It was a solid pace but it was somewhat anti-climatic. When the race was completed there wasn't any covered area to gather. There were some seasonal snacks provided but no music and no beer. Once I finished the race I walked around for about ten minutes and decided to head home. I probably wouldn't consider this one again. I should mention this race was half the price of the previous one and there was still a t-shirt so you might be able to see past some of the short comings .

Up next: ORRC Y2K 10K

The Mustache Dache

The Mustache Dache

November 14, 2015

Cost - $40.00

The first race I signed up for was the Mustache Dache http://mustachedache.com/ . This was a fun looking 5K with the proceeds going toward ending prostate cancer. Knowing that I had a year of races coming up I had already started running. 5k = 3.1 miles. I felt pretty comfortable I could finish this race without too much trouble. So I decided that it might not be challenging enough since I wanted to do these races to get in better overall shape. I work as firefighter and thought maybe I should try to do this race in my firefighting turnouts. Then I thought, "Why should I be the only person that suffers in those damn turnouts?" So after sending out a few texts and emails I found a partner for the race.

The race started at 10:00 so RJ (on the left) and I showed up around 8:30. There were many booths set up, music pumping, and lot's of people in costumes. The weather was conducive to two crazy guys running in turnouts. The race started on time and we were off with a large crowd of friendly runners. The race began ascending what I thought would be a short hill. That hill was short but unfortunately it was closely followed by another steeper and taller hill. At this point I thought the turnouts were a terrifyingly bad idea. As we crested the next hill my body started to adapt and things weren't too bad as the terrain started to level out. I actually started to have fun with the race when we encountered the next hill. As we started to ascend a very steep hill I noticed no one, and I mean no one, was running. Who plans a running race with a section that no one can run? Seriously, I'm tired. We disappointingly had to walk about a tenth of a mile up to get to the top.

Once at the top however we picked the pace back up. Luckily these hills took up the first half of the race. Basically after the halfway mark it was all downhill. We had a pretty good pace going and the turnouts didn't really slow us down too much. I had a great time laughing at some of the costumes and just enjoying the day.

We crossed the finish line after about 30 minutes. The event was set up really well with lots for the crowd to see and do. The event was held at Big Al's which is a huge bar/game/bowling place. They must have had sponsorship because when we finished we received a free margarita and free warm cider. Yes, exactly what I want when I've run a race is a nice warm cup of cider. Okay, sarcasm aside it was nice to get some free drinks after.  Just a good vibe and a fun event to be a part of. I'd do this one again.

Up next: Ho Ho Ho 5k

12 Races in 12 Months

12 Races in 12 Months

Background

I'm not what I would consider a "runner". I'm not tall and lean. I don't relish the idea of getting up at 6:00am to get in "a few miles". But I wanted to make a change in my like style. I've played hockey for years, trained with a personal trainer, practiced some kickboxing, and played some other sports. I noticed as I was getting "slightly" older I wasn't able to compete like I once could. It was time to look for something else I could get involved in.

I'm a first time blogger so go easy on me.I decided I wanted to document my decision to try to complete 12 races in 12 months.  First a little about me. I turned 44 years old in October. I've always been in relatively good shape but wanted to change things up a little. I could easily keep doing what I was doing to stay in the same shape but I wanted to see what changes I could make in my fitness level  if I had a race as a goal every month for a year. I wasn't disappointed with my fitness level but I've never felt like I made that next step. I also thought about the definition of insanity, "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." So I decided I would compete in some sort of race every month. This way I couldn't allow myself to get to far away from being in good shape around the holidays and other down times.

So why am I creating a blog? Well I've always avoided running races because I thought they were for elite runners. I've run on and off over the years to keep in shape but I don't love running and I thought I wouldn't ever want to part of the various races that are ran throughout Oregon. However, I enjoy competition even if that competition is with myself. So I thought I might document my experiences and allow you to see what I went through in case you were on the fence about doing a race or had advice to offer.

As I said I've run off and on over the years to keep in shape. About four years ago I thought "How far could I run?" I started out running a couple of miles. I learned that pace is the key. I can run a few miles with a solid pace, or run a solid distance at a much slower pace, but I can't do both. After spending the summer of 2011 practicing I ran my furthest distance ever of 11 miles. I was thrilled that I got that far and essentially put running on the back burner after that.

In 2015 I started to get that bug again. When I ran 11 miles it was by myself and not in a race. I decided to put a little pressure on myself and do a once in a lifetime half marathon. I figured if I signed up and paid for the entrance fee I would stick to a plan of running on a regular basis.  In April of 2015 I finished my first half marathon and was pleased with my time of 2:38, or a pace of 12 minute miles. After this race, running reverted back to a once in while thing.

Maybe I had some weird midlife crisis on my birthday in October but I decided I wanted to kick up the activity level, change up the routine, and let's see what's out there for someone of my age to compete in.

Up next: My first race