The Two R's

Tracktown Tuesdays In Eugene!

2012-01-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

So as we count down to the US Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, starting on June 22nd, the local organizers are holding Tracktown Tuesdays.

The first date, tomorrow on the 31st, sounds like a good one. You'll be able to rub shoulders with the likes of Jordan Hasay, Luke Puskedra, Cyrus Hostetler and Sam Chelanga. Plus music, food, drinks...sounds like a good time.

If you have a chance, head on down, or up, and check it out.

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New RaceCenter Article Out Now

2012-01-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, but there's finally a new article with the infamous R's byline at a Jamba Juice or running store near you!

Or if you're one of those crazy reading-your-news-on-the-web type people, you can head over here and read the whole stinking issue online. That's quality stuff right there.

So what awaits your prying eyes in this issue? Let's find out!

-First, we've got "Montana Destination Runs" and surprisingly enough, there's more than one. Just kidding there, Montana! No hard feelings, right? Don't send over any cows...or tumbleweeds...to rough me up. Joking! Again!

-Anyhoo, second is a bit on the Tri NW Rankings. Good, good...don't see my name on the list...moving on...

-Third, "Mud and Fire: the Rise of Obstacle Course Racing." Hey, that sounds like a interesting and well-written take on one of the most popular areas of running today! We should read this one immediately if not sooner.

-Fourth, a 2012 Multisport race preview.

-And of course, this is the 2012 Event Guide issue, so you've got pages and pages of race info. Sweet!

-Then you've got the usual stuff: gear guide, nutrition stuff, USATF stuff, Max King trying to outwrite me because apparently running twice as fast as me isn't enough, tri stuff from Chris Bagg, and so on.

Good, good issue. Check it out today. And tell them the R's sent ya!

173

Exactly One Week to Beaver Freezer Registration!

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, you say you'll remember, but you won't remember.

So here I am...again. Reminding you that the Beaver Freezer Tri will open up for registration at 8:00am on February 1st. That's next Wednesday.

And I'm telling you...again. It will sell out. Even though they're talking about expanding the field once again, it will sell out. And probably fast. Like a couple hours fast.

So get on it!

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Don't Be That Awkward Runner!

2012-01-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Flightless Bird rules. That's all I have to say.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6th TO FEBRUARY 12th

February 11th / Run to D.C. 5k / Albany, OR

February 11th / RainMan Sprint Triathlon / Issaquah, WA

February 11th / Heart and Sole 10k and 5k / Longview, WA

February 11th / Heart and Sole 5k / Pasco, WA

February 11th / Love 'em or Leave 'em Valentine Day Dash 5k / Seattle, WA

February 12th / Truffle Shuffle 4m and 2m / Eugene, OR

February 12th / Fragrance Lake 20k and 10k / Bellingham, WA

February 12th / Valentine Fanconi Anemia 12k, 8k and 5k / Portland, OR

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Best Running Song for January!

2012-01-22T08:35:00.000-08:00

Maybe saying "best band ever to come from Victoria" is faint praise, but I'm going to say it anyway.

Hot Hot Heat is truly the best band to ever come out of Victoria. Probably best band ever to come out of B.C. Canada? Well, I'll leave that to your judgement, but they are indeed a fantastic band.

Hot Hot Heat puts out jumpy, poppy, dance music that is perfect for running. My own personal favorite running song from HHH is "Bandages."

Check out the official version.
And a surprisingly good phone-recorded live version.

Hot Hot Heat has a bunch of other great running songs:

Talk to Me Dance with Me
Middle of Nowhere
Goodnight Goodnight

Time to bust out a new iTunes gift card!

Past Best Running Songs:
December: Camp Lo / "Luchini aka This Is It"
November: Wolfmother / "Joker and the Thief"
October: Phoenix / "1901"
September: Matt and Kim / "Daylight"
August: Collie Buddz / "Holiday"
July: Pretenders / "Tattooed Love Boys"
June: The Wombats / "Moving to New York"
May: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros / "40 Day Dream"
April: Foxy Shazam / "Unstoppable"
March: Pharrell / "Fun Fun Fun"
February: Puff Daddy / "Come With Me"
January: We Are Scientists / "The Great Escape"
December: Cee Lo Green / "F**k You"
November: Tokyo Police Club / "Breakneck Speed"
October: Two Door Cinema Club / "Something Good Can Work"
September: Stone Temple Pilots / "Cinnamon"
August: Louis XIV / "Guilt by Association"
July: Devo / "Fresh"
June: Saliva / "Your Disease"
May: Metric / "Gold Guns Girls"
April: OK Go / "This Too Shall Pass"
March: The Hours / "Ali In The Jungle"
February: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs / "El Matador"
January: White Rabbits / "Percussion Gun"
December: Deftones / "Knife Prty"
November: The Kooks / "Always Where I Need To Be"
October: At the Drive In / "One Armed Scissor"
September: Silversun Pickups / "Lazy Eye"
August: Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros / "Johnny Appleseed"
July: Deathray / "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)"
June: Raconteurs / "Salute Your Solution"
May: Tea Party / "Save Me"
April: Bloc Party / "Like Eating Glass"
Ever: The English Beat / "I Confess"

175

Running in Winter!

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

A very, very, timely article in the Seattle Times about cold weather running. As someone who suffered through a horrid run in the slush and the snow on Sunday, the R's heartily approves!

Let's Race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 30th TO FEBRUARY 5th

February 4th / Freedom for All 5k / Eugene, OR

February 4th / Game Day Rival Run 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

February 4th / Outback River Run 15k, 8k and 5k / Springfield, OR

February 4th / Friendship Run 5k / Olympia, WA

February 4th / Orcas Island 50k / Olga, WA

February 5th / Gridiron Downhill Run 1m / Redmond, WA

February 5th / Zena Road Runs 15k, 6m and 3m / Salem, OR (44th Annual!!!)

Great photo by Michael Penn at the Juneau Empire.

175

Take a Photo of Your Running Shoes!

2012-01-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

Now send them to my wife.

No, this isn't some weird foot fetish thing we've got going on here - she's actually going to use the photos in a painting.

No, really.

175

Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday!

2012-01-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

Big day for running this Saturday as US Olympic hopefuls will toe the line in Houston. Both men and women will have their Marathon Trials on the same course: men starting at 8:00 and women at 8:15.

Here are a few more links for the big event:
-A good preview of the men at Let's Run.
-And a good preview of the women at Let's Run.
-It will be on TV...but delayed, not live! If you can hold off, and not look at the internet all day, you can watch it on NBC.
-Let's Run discusses ten long shots on the men's side, including Oregon homeboy, Max King. I'd love to see Max in the top three, but there are just too many other guys that are slightly faster than him. Still, a top ten finish would be impressive for King. Go Max!
-Lots and lots and lots of Trials coverage at Runner's World.
-Great piece by Scott Douglas at Runner's World, knocking down the trend of everyone predicting a huge batch of PR times at the Trials. Really, this happens before every Trials, but when the actual race takes place, very few runners come away with PR's.
-Want to predict the winners? Let's Run has a contest going for just that.

Here are my predictions:

Men:
1)Ryan Hall
2)Dathan Ritzenhein
3)Brett Gotcher

I know Meb might be there, but I just have a feeling he'll be a step slow.

Women:
1)Desiree Davila
2)Kara Goucher
3)Shalane Flanagan

Also, throw out some big love to the Northwest Runners that have basically no chance, but are still in the Trials, which is a HUGE accomplishment...there are too many to name, but the NW is well represented. Check out a list here.

Like Meghan Arbogast, 50 years old, and running in her fourth straight trials. Meghan, you make Corvallis look good!

photo by Andy Cripe.

176

Triathlons and Duathlons...Already?

2012-01-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, there is a Tri and a Du on the schedule for January. Pretty early, I must say, but hey, no sense waiting around.

Let's Race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 23rd TO JANUARY 29th

January 28th / Willamette Mission Trail Challenge 10k and 5k / Salem, OR

January 28th / Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival 50k, 10m and 5m / Kirkland, WA

January 28th / Ft. Steilacoom Trail Duathlon / Lakewood, WA

January 28th / Sporty Diva's Half Marathon, 15k, 10k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

January 28th / Lake Youngs Nuts Run 50k, 19.2m and 9.6m / Renton, WA

January 28th / Orcas Island Trail Run 25k / Orcas Island, WA

January 28th / Madras Madass 50k and 25k / Madras, OR

January 29th / YMCA Haselwood RainMan Super Sprint Triathlon / Silverdale, WA

January 29th / Dash N Dine 15k and 5k / Eugene, OR

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Beaver Freezer 2012 Registration Coming Up!

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

Has it been a year already? Apparently so...

As I do every year, I'm making a concerted effort to warn R's readers and triathletes that:

a) the Beaver Freezer is a well-organized, fast, early-season, sprint triathlon that everyone should aim to race, and
b) it sells out faster than frigging hotcakes.

So on February 1st, at 8am, you must, MUST, head over to the Freezer website and sign up immediately. It will, I repeat, it will sell out within two hours. That is, by 10:00am on Feb 1st, if you're not signed up, you're not racing in the Freezer.

Don't forget!

Photo: yes, that's me at the 2011 Freezer...looking sort of chunky, I must say.

175

Drag My Dead Body Across the Finish Line!

2012-01-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

"I have left specific instructions that if I die on the course, my friends are supposed to drag my body down the rest of the course and across the finish line. And then lie about the results."

That's an absolutely awesome quote from R. Laurence Macon, a 67 year old Texan who ran 113 marathons last year. Yes, 113. That's more than two per week. I can't even imagine.

Anyway, check out the article. It's quite amazing.

A few more races this time around.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 16th TO JANUARY 22nd

January 21st / Freeze Your Fanny 5k / Lewiston, ID

January 21st / Roaring River Run Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Scio, OR

January 21st / No Sun Fun Run 5k / Puyallup, WA

January 21st / Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival 50k, 10m and 5m / Kirkland, WA

January 21st / Vancouver Lake Half Marathon / Vancouver, WA

January 21st / Capitol Peak Mega Fat Ass Trail Run 34m and 17m / Olympia, WA

January 21st / Winter Cross 5k and 3k / Tumwater, WA

January 21st / Resolution Run 10k and 5k / St. Paul, OR

January 21st / Winter Predictor 13k and 5k / Eugene, OR

175

The Road to Boston 2013!

2012-01-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

After a 2011 Year in Running that consisted of a huge, sweeping goal of running every race and tri in Corvallis, costing me more than a few dollars and eating up more than half the total weekends of the year, I've decided to go simple in 2012.

Qualify for the Boston Marathon.

OK, I said simple, not easy. Simple in that I have one goal and one goal only for this year: to make sure I'm qualified to toe the line in Boston in 2013.

Now, those of you that know my recent running history, and know my recent times, and have seen my performances at my two previous marathons, might be thinking, "what is the R's smoking? And how can I get some?"

And I wouldn't argue with you.

It's true I've only run two previous marathons. And my times at those marathons (Seattle and Eugene) weren't even in the BQ ballpark. If you want to know how close, or how far off I really am, just punch in one of my recent race results here and see how it adjusts to a marathon-length race.

If you're too busy, I'll just tell you. A 5k time from Fall of 2011 for me grades up to a 3:42:00 marathon. To qualify for Boston, I'll need to run under 3:25:00. Yeah, that's a pretty big difference.

Yet strangely, I feel I can do it.

Let me see if I can talk you into it, the way I've talked myself into it.

First, I'm here, starting the New Year, in the best January shape I've been in since, well...since I was in my early 30's probably. Which was, I hate to say, more than 10 years ago. Running 26 races over 2011 has at least given me a nice base to work with.

Second, I'm turning 45 this year. While the BQ times are tightening by five minutes this year, I'll also gain 10 minutes by jumping into the next age group. And I feel that this is the time - I feel pretty good for 45. I feel like I can still be fast. Will I feel this way at 50? Maybe, but who knows?

Third, I've got one of the best Boston Qualifying courses in the Nation, less than an hour from home, right here at the Newport Marathon in Newport, Oregon. Even Runner's World thinks so. I'm already signed up, but Newport always sells out, so if you want to join me, hurry up and register.

If for some reason, Newport doesn't work out, I'll regroup and work with the Skagit Flats Marathon in September, then the California International Marathon (CIM) in December, another Runner's World favorite (although this one would put me in Boston in 2014, not 2013).

Fourth, my last six weeks have already been focused on marathon training. I've been kicking up my mileage and tossing in some speed work. I've already seen my shape and times improve from the training. I think another five months of hard marathon-specific training will get me there.

So...yeah, not much really. I just think I can do it.

And what's more important than that?

Absolutely awesome photo from Dana Hursey Photography - check them out!

176

Super-Fast 2011 Year in Review!

2012-01-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

First, let me say, I hope you all had a Happy New Year. Second, let's make 2012 the best year yet for our new goals. PR's for everyone!

So, I just wanted to give a quick run-down of my running (and tri) year in 2011. I'm a big believer in keeping track of every workout and every race, comparing monthly totals, tracking what works and what doesn't, and trying to make improvements year after year.

So let's see how 2011 went...

First, you already know the numbers on the races, right?

Running Races: 24
Triathlons: 2

Total Miles Run (Workouts and Races): 994.65 miles
Best Month: December - 119.50 miles
Easiest Month: January - 62.10 miles

That definitely won't be the case this January, as I'm transitioning into my marathon training schedule.

Total Distance Bike (on roads and stationary): 1350 miles
Total Distance Swim (in the pool...and in the ocean in Hawaii): 90,000 yards (approx.)

My biking and swimming numbers started out very well, early in the year, but as I got in better running shape, these totals really fell off by the end of 2011. I just was running more and cross-training less.

By far the best swim of the year was a 60 min epic in a very rough surf off of Ka'anapali, Maui during our summer vacation. I was totally beaten and battered by big waves and wind during the entire swim. And I absolutely loved it. There's nothing better than swimming in warm ocean water. Ah Hawaii...

Beginning weight: 197.0 (January 3, 2011)
Ending weight: 176.4 (December 27, 2011)

And now, of course, comes the hard part. I'd like to drop about another 10-15 pounds by summer 2012. I'd really like to run my goal races this year at 165 lbs or less. We'll see...

I hope your 2011 went as well as mine. Only bigger and better goals for 2012...which we'll discuss very soon.

Photo: I've got to admit, I don't remember this movie at all (maybe a 25% at rottentomatoes.com would explain why), but 2011 was a good year, so it seemed appropriate.

176

Number 1 New Year's Resolution for Runners!

2011-12-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

If you're a loyal reader at the R's, you know we don't pull punches here. We say it like we mean it, and we mean it like we say it.

So here is what I have to say to you:

You're too fat.

Harsh, right? But I'm serious.

As we head into the New Year and think about our resolutions and goals for 2012, as runners are wont to do, we need to think about the most obvious one first. Again, here it is:

Skinny people run faster.

Look, I'm no runway model. I am, when dumb and happy, a big guy. Exactly six feet tall and right around 175 pounds. So I'm here to tell you, getting skinnier has made a difference in my running and health and it can do the same for you. Since the beginning of 2011, I've dropped over 10% of my body weight. I feel that single fact has allowed me to run basically injury free while running 26 road races in 2011.

But now I want to be healthy...and fast. So in 2012, I hope to drop another 5-10% of my total weight.

The common rule is this: runners will get two seconds per mile faster for every pound they drop (assuming you have extra weight to drop, and again, most of us do). I'm sure you've heard this before, but let's study it just a bit. Just a second, let me grab my calculator...OK, let's say you're trying to get ready for a marathon. Let's also say you could stand to drop ten pounds. That's almost nine minutes off your race time. Fifteen pounds would net you around 13 minutes. Just from dropping the weight. And we all know, once you do drop some weight, the training becomes easier and the times get even faster.

I know, I know, you love the chocolate. Hey, I love the chocolate.

But look at the scientific facts:

From Frank Horwill and George Sheehan.

A nice video from Runner's World and Joanna Golub.

Some good numbers to think about from Ben Greenfield at Trifuel.com.

So let's spend these first few boring months of the year eating better, working out more regularly, and dropping some weight. When we hit June, I want us all to be ready: lighter and faster!

Finally, if you're serious about dropping 10-20, no matter how big you are, please talk to your doctor. That's a lot of weight, and we need to be smart about how we take it off.

Since it's been shown that consistent weigh-ins and making others aware of your plans and progress can help when trying to lose weight, I'm going to start writing down my most recent weight at the bottom of each blog post. If you see me going in the wrong direction, please tell me to get off my fat ass and chew on a head of lettuce or something!

Good luck!

176

Toughest Ultra in the World?

2011-12-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

If it's not the HURT 100, than I'm not sure what it is.

Since we're down to two, yes two, races in all of the Northwest this week, perhaps we should plan a road trip. Since it's winter, perhaps we should go to Hawaii. Since we're insane, perhaps we should run the HURT 100.

No, this isn't my heart rate after a speed workout, this is the elevation profile of the HURT 100.

Here's a more detailed version, but remember, this is only 20 miles. Then the course starts over. And you get to do it four more times!

The photo at the top is of awesome runner, triathlete, and blogger, Frayed Laces, otherwise known as FL, running the HURT 100 last year. Check out her account of the race here. Yes, she's a stud. So to speak.

I doubt that you can get in this year, as it looks to be sold out, but remember this for next year, when we're back in the doldrums of January. Instead of boring training runs through the rain and wind, you could be killing yourself in Hawaii!

Yay!

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 9th TO JANUARY 15th

January 14th / MLK Weekend Runs 15k, 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

January 15th / Cascade Half Marathon and 10k / Turner, OR

The Invention of Hugo Cabret...a Must Read!

2011-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

And a must see!

First, thanks to my brother, who presented The Invention of Hugo Cabret to my son a year ago for Christmas. The book is a wonder; a masterpiece concoction of writing and illustration.

I should have realized that it was ready-made for the transition to the big screen. Martin Scorsese, of all people, took his talents and applied them to this magnificent story and the result is easily the best film I've seen this year. And many critics agree.

The movie is powerful and touching. And the 3-D is fabulous - well worth the extra few dollars.

This is the movie you should be going to see with your entire family before the holidays are over. You won't regret it - and it just wouldn't be the same on the small TV screen at home.

Then, on your way home from the theater, with the glow of the movie still in you, don't forget to stop off and pick up the book.

EPIC 2011 Review!

2011-12-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

All good things must come to an end...and so it has come to pass that the EPIC 2011, Every Pursuit In Corvallis, has hit the finish line.

And even with the last race of the year canceled, EPIC 2011 consisted of a full 27 races (although I only ran 26 of them because of this one right here). So that's an average of a race every other week for a year. Of course, we know they were not actually lined up that nicely.

Let's check out the numbers:

Races Entered: 28
Races Canceled: 1
Races Skipped because of late start: 1
Races Run: 26

5k: 14
8k: 1
10k: 4
12k: 1
15k: 1
Half Marathon: 2
50k: 1
Triathlon: 2

Trail Runs Out of the 26 total: 4
Runs All By Myself Out of the 26 total: 1

A lot of shirts come along with 26 races. A lottttt of shirts. As you can see below. I've already tossed a couple and gave a away a couple, but I'm still wearing most of them. Let's take a closer look.

Best Cotton T-Shirt: Midsummer Nights Run (Basic Black and cool design)
Best Tech T-Shirt: Good Sam Challenge (Basic Red, cool design and nice fit, which definitely doesn't always happen with tech shirts - tech shirt sizing and fit is all over the board)
Worst T-Shirt: OSU Pet Day 5k (Sorry, but that lime green is horrid - my son wears it though)

Cost of Entry Fees for the Year: Over $800, and let's leave it at that

Busiest Month: October with SIX races
Next Busiest Month: April with five races
Slowest Month: January and August, the only months with no races scheduled (although December had a race scheduled, it was canceled, so I didn't actually run a race in December either)

Favorite Course: Habitat Run Half Marathon (a fantastic trail run, with a fun course: A+)
Least Favorite Course: Midsummer Night's Run 10k (up, down, up, down, up, down: brutal)

Race Numbers: One yellow, one blue, a whole bunch of white, one rubber bracelet, one with no ID of any kind, one with the timing chip attached to the back of the number, and almost every one of them sponsored by Five Star Sports.

Races Run, at least partly, on OSU Campus: 10

All Time PR's Set: 2
Masters PR's Set: 4 (although two were distances I'd never run before - sure PR's!)

Races planned for the first six months of 2012: 2

So there you go. It was a good time, no doubt. But we're moving on. I'm ready for my next challenge. And as you can see by the races I have planned, 2012 will be a whole new year and a whole new challenge. Don't worry, we'll discuss it soon.

Coming up soon: the Year in Review!

Seven Days of Freedom!

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Yikes, we're truly into the dead part of the running year now.

Three races this week. Count 'em...one, two, three. And one of those is a duathlon. So no, you don't have a lot of options, but hey, no one said this running thing was supposed to be easy!

I do appreciate the Resolution Run on January 8th. I mean, that basically gives you a full seven extra days to fool around with all your bad old habits before you have to let the resolutions kick in and be good. I like it!

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 2nd TO JANUARY 8th

January 7th / ORRC Y2k12 20.12k, 10k and 2m / Forest Grove, OR

January 7th / Ft. Steilacoom Trail Duathlon / Lakewood, WA

January 8th / Resolution Run 10k and 5k / Battle Ground, WA

Shamrock Run 2012 T-Shirt Design!

2011-12-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

This race always puts out a decent tech shirt - and this year is no exception.

Check out the official site here.

And then sign up! This one usually sells out.

Best Running Song for December!

2011-12-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

I don't listen to a lot of rap when I run, but there are a couple rap tunes that always make my long run playlists.

I've been running to this first song for the last 15 years! That's right - 15 years! Most songs wear out their welcome with a lot of repeat listens, especially when running, but this one has never lost a single bit of its power for me. It still pumps me up, still gets me moving faster, still works, every time.

The song is "Luchini aka This Is It" by Camp Lo. And let me tell you, this is the best rap you'll ever hear by a guy with a toothpick in his mouth. Really though, these guys had a bunch of quality songs on this album, "Uptown Saturday Night," but Luchini was only a minor hit and they never really hit it big. Which is a shame. This is a good one. Give it a listen on your next run.

As the backup song, we've got the all-time champion song when you absolutely, positively must get pumped up for a race.

Yep, Eminem with Lose Yourself. Accept no substitutes.

Whether you like Eminem or not, the lyrics just take this one over the top. I mean, a whole song about taking your one shot and giving it your all. What more do you want?

"Opportunity comes once in a lifetime. Go!"

Past Best Running Songs:
November: Wolfmother / "Joker and the Thief"
October: Phoenix / "1901"
September: Matt and Kim / "Daylight"
August: Collie Buddz / "Holiday"
July: Pretenders / "Tattooed Love Boys"
June: The Wombats / "Moving to New York"
May: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros / "40 Day Dream"
April: Foxy Shazam / "Unstoppable"
March: Pharrell / "Fun Fun Fun"
February: Puff Daddy / "Come With Me"
January: We Are Scientists / "The Great Escape"
December: Cee Lo Green / "F**k You"
November: Tokyo Police Club / "Breakneck Speed"
October: Two Door Cinema Club / "Something Good Can Work"
September: Stone Temple Pilots / "Cinnamon"
August: Louis XIV / "Guilt by Association"
July: Devo / "Fresh"
June: Saliva / "Your Disease"
May: Metric / "Gold Guns Girls"
April: OK Go / "This Too Shall Pass"
March: The Hours / "Ali In The Jungle"
February: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs / "El Matador"
January: White Rabbits / "Percussion Gun"
December: Deftones / "Knife Prty"
November: The Kooks / "Always Where I Need To Be"
October: At the Drive In / "One Armed Scissor"
September: Silversun Pickups / "Lazy Eye"
August: Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros / "Johnny Appleseed"
July: Deathray / "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)"
June: Raconteurs / "Salute Your Solution"
May: Tea Party / "Save Me"
April: Bloc Party / "Like Eating Glass"
Ever: The English Beat / "I Confess"

EPIC 2011 Goes Out with a Whimper

2011-12-15T21:48:00.000-08:00

That's right, the grand experiment that was EPIC 2011 is officially over, since race number 28 on the year, the OAC Holiday Multisport Classic, has been canceled.

Why the race website is still up and looking like there's a race? I couldn't tell you. I just know the OAC called me yesterday and said, "how do you want us to refund your money?"

Cash, please. Always cash.

Apparently, they canceled the race due to lack of participants. It's really too bad - I was sort of looking forward to this one. I mean, if I had to design a race for myself, it would pretty much be a sprint triathlon without that pesky bike leg getting in the way. Which is exactly what the OAC Aquathlon was going to be: a 5k run and a 400 meter swim.

That's money, baby!

Alas, it was not to be.

So, just like that, I'm done! No more races in Corvallis in 2011. Wow. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself.

Well, that's totally not true. I have big plans afoot for 2012. But that will have to wait for a little later.

So over the next couple weeks, look forward to:

-EPIC 2011 Review, Highlights and Lowlights!

-Year of 2011 look back: training, what went right, what went wrong, and where to go from here!

-Preview of the next huge goal the R's has on the block for 2012!

Thanks for taking the EPIC journey with me in 2011. It was good, clean fun!

Woodway Curve Treadmill Review

2011-12-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Before you ask...Yes, yes it is.

So I was at Dixon the other night, minding my own business, hitting the treadmill hard since it was in the upper 20's outside, and I noticed something very strange sitting over against the windows. Very, very strange. Why, it was a new treadmill! Two of them in fact! And it's...well, it's...not flat.

This crazy treadmill is actually curved at both ends! Why? Hell if I know. I assume it has something to do with the fact that this treadmill has no motor. That's correct. This thing is a George Jetson-style, let Astro take off after the cat, pull you under, self-powered treadmill.

Obviously, I had to try it.

So I hopped on and gave it a whirl. Hmmmm...

A couple of observations:

-I don't know if you can grease the bearings on these babies, but it seemed hard, as in difficult, as in Wow, I'm having to sprint to keep this thing going. I mean, you could walk on it OK, but if you wanted to run, you actually had to run. No kidding around - you had to move your legs to make it feel halfway like normal running. Also...

-It doesn't seem to work well if you run in the center of the treads (the dip). To keep it moving at a constant rate, you have to consistently be running up at the very front. So you're always running up a hill! It was a very strange feeling.

-If you're just trying to burn calories, I could see it working. But if you're trying to actually get in a workout, especially one where you want to move your speed around a bit (which, frankly, is one of the best reasons to use a treadmill), this just doesn't seem to work very well.

-Go ahead and check out the attached videos and you'll see what I mean. None of the folks they have running on the Curve in the videos look like they're running smoothly. They all seem a bit out of sorts and struggling.

Overall, a very odd experience. I mean, I only spent 15 minutes on the thing, so I'm hardly an expert, but it seems like you'd really need to work at this treadmill to get used to it.

I think I'll stick to the tried and true.

New Year and Resolution Runs 2012!

2011-12-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

Wow, quite a lineup of New Year's Eve Runs and New Year's Day Runs and Resolution Runs and Hangover Runs and Polar Bear Swims on the 31st and 1st!

Maybe not quite as many races as on Thanksgiving, but pretty close. You should be able to find something to run, that's for sure.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 26th TO JANUARY 1st

December 26th / Operation Jack Northwest Run 6 Hr. Run / Tigard, OR

December 31st / First Run 5k / Portland, OR

December 31st / Yukon Do It Marathon and Half Marathon / Port Orchard, WA

December 31st / Dash for Dance 5k / Auburn, WA

December 31st / Last Chance Marathon and Half Marathon / Bellingham, WA

December 31st / The Last Run 5k / Stevenson, WA

December 31st / Year to Year 5k / Longview, WA

December 31st / First Run 10k and 5k / Eugene, OR (Night Run!)

January 1st / Twenty12 Resolution Run 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

January 1st / Hangover Run 9m and 4m / Lewiston, ID

January 1st / First Run 10k and 5k / Eugene, OR (Day Run!)

January 1st / Hangover Trail Run 3k / Salem, OR

January 1st / Thunder Run 5k / Pasco, WA

January 1st / Hangover 5k / Vancouver, WA

January 1st / Capitol Mile / Salem, OR

January 1st / Lake Padden Run 2.6m / Bellingham, WA

January 1st / Resolution Run 5k / Seattle, WA

January 1st / Resolution Run 5m and 5k / Steilacoom, WA

Free Entry to Portland Shamrock Run!

2011-12-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

No, really.

If you're a member of LifeWise Health Plan, they'll pay for your entry to the Shamrock Run in March 2012! Hey, that's a good deal.

Do it fast, though. The LifeWise deal is for the first 500 to enter and the Shamrock Run as a whole always sells out.

So don't delay!

Ryan Bak Makes It Three in a Row!

2011-12-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a week for Northwest runners! To prove it, here's the third straight post about a Northwest runner hitting the big time.

Ryan Bak, from Bend, was just named the USA Track and Field Athlete of the Week after running a 2:14:17 at the CIM last week. Bak, who trains with the guy we just talked about yesterday, Max King, has always been fast at the shorter distances, but had never shown anything like this.

Bak easily qualified for the Olympic Trials with the time.

Go NW!

Photo of Ryan with a shoe that had a huge chunk cut out of it! by Billy Brown.

Max King Loves Hawaii, Dominates XTERRA!

2011-12-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

For the fourth straight year, Oregon's own Max King has won the XTERRA Trail Running World Championships.

Now we all know how stinking awesome Max King is, but look at the top five finishers overall...go ahead, look...I'll wait. That's right, three out of the top five were from Oregon! With the fourth place finisher also from Oregon, but listed from Hawaii because he's going to school there! Wow!

Northwest Trail Runners Rule!

Fantastic Max King photo, running the Mac50, by Andy Cripe of the Corvallis Gazette Times.

Jenn Shelton Qualifies for Olympic Trials!

2011-12-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

Hey, congrats to R's favorite Jenn Shelton, from Ashland, OR, for running a 2:45:01 at the California International Marathon last weekend.

The time qualifies Shelton for the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials!

Nice job!

Active.com...$6.65?!? Really?!?

2011-12-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

So I'm going to sign up for the Newport Marathon, a great Boston qualifier if you're interested (we'll discuss this more later). And I'm signing up online because that's just how I roll. I don't like it, but I'll usually pay a couple extra bucks for the convenience of online registration.

So the sign-up is through Active.com, and from past experience, I'm already getting a bad feeling. But nothing could prepare me for the the amount Active was trying to sneak on the bill for "processing." The amount was, seriously, $6.65. On an $80 registration fee. Almost 10% of the bill added on top. For "Processing."

Give me a break, Active.com. There's no way I'm paying $6.65 for you to "process" my registration.

I closed the window and mailed in my registration. Snail-Mail. With a .44 stamp, thanks very much.

I encourage you to do the same.

Streakers Wanted!

2011-12-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I need to speak to a few, good streakers. Don't worry, my interest is purely scientific!

Actually, I'm writing an article for an upcoming RaceCenter NW issue about runners who have long racing streaks. So if you have run, say, 15, 20, even 25 years in a row of the same race, please give me a shout! I want to talk to you!

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 19th TO DECEMBER 25th

December 24th / Christmas Marathon, Half Marathon, 10m, 5k and Duathlon / Littlerock, WA

December 24th / Jingle Bell Run 5k / Tacoma, WA

(I know it's hard to believe, but I can only find two races for this week. Two! I think this is what happens when you put Christmas Eve on a Saturday and Christmas Day on a Sunday. People don't seem to want to run on Christmas like they do on Thanksgiving, that's for sure!)

You're a Runner. Be Proud!

2011-11-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

Photo from Active at Altitude

As a runner, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the big picture. We're constantly chasing something: a new PR, qualifying for a big race such as Boston, trying to move up to a longer race like a marathon or a ultra. Always trying to grab the next gold ring.

I'm guilty of it as well. I mean, I love to talk about my own running exploits, but if I'm talking about other runners, it's usually someone like Max King, or Kara Goucher, or Shalane Flanagan. The NW runners that have made it big. Like most "average" runners, I like to look at the elites and think, "Wow, what would it be like to run that fast? How would it feel to hit the tape first?"

Well, back up for a moment. Take a look at what you've accomplished. Yes, you. Not the elite runners in the magazines, but you. And me. The normal runners out there.

Around 13 million of us finished a road race of some distance in 2010. Yes, 13 million. Are you thinking, "why should I be proud to be one of 13 million?" Well, remember that there are over 310,000,000 people living in the United States. And only 13 million ran a race last year. You're one of the 4% of Americans that ran a race. Be proud!

You're out there training. Daily? Maybe. Weekly? Definitely. Are you in shape? I'm guessing you're in better shape than most. Almost 70% of Americans are overweight and/or obese. Yes, 70 freaking percent! You're out there running, biking, swimming, doing whatever you can to be the other 30%. Be proud!

So you didn't get a PR at your last race? So what? Did you finish? Did you beat someone? My daughter did her first 5k last week on Thanksgiving day. She didn't break any age-group records. But she was out there running. And she finished in front of quite a few people. And she's nine years old. Nine. Be proud!

Ignore the individual trees once in a while. Step back and check out the whole forest. It's beautiful. You're a runner; maybe not elite on the clock, but definitely elite in a bunch of other ways.

Be proud.

Cross Training at Wings and Waves

2011-11-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

Did a little cross training workout yesterday at Wings and Waves Water Park in McMinnville. If you're looking for a good workout, just grab your children (borrow some, if you don't have any of your own) and hit the waterslides. According to the signage at the park, it's exactly 111 steps to the 747 sitting on top of the building where you jump into the four main slides. I went up those stairs 13 times. Yes, 13 times. If you don't have your abacus sitting next to you, that's 1443 steps.

That's a workout.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 12th TO DECEMBER 18th

December 17th / YMCA Christmas Run 6.1m and 2.5m / Boise, ID

December 17th / OAC Holiday Multisport Classic 5k, Aquathlon and Swim Meet / Corvallis, OR

December 17th / Frozen Trail Runfest 50k, 13m, 8m, 6m and 5k / Eugene, OR

December 17th / Holiday Fun Run 15k, 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

December 17th / Santa Runs Tacoma 10k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

December 17th / Cable Bridge Run 10k and 5k / Pasco, WA

December 18th / 12k's of Christmas Holiday Run 12k and 5k / Kirkland, WA

December 18th / Winter Solstice Run 5k / Eugene, OR

OAC Turkey Trot 5k Race Review and Results!

2011-11-24T22:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow, I'm impressed, Corvallis. On a cold, but not raining, Thanksgiving morning, at the early hour of 8am, over 500 runners braved the elements and toed the line for the OAC Turkey Trot 5k and 10k. Nice work!

Let's get right to the action!

So the entire R's family ran this one. Everyone decided to run the 5k. Payton and I wanted to see how fast we could go and Carson and Jen and Jen's Knees wanted to see if they could finish in front of someone.

Missions accomplished!

The 10k was supposed to take off at 8am sharp, but because of the huge crowds (unexpected?), they started about 10 minutes late. Only about 75 or so people in that race. Check out the results right here.

And the 5k. A whopping 446 runners for this one. Nice.

Somehow, this little Corvallis 5k was the first race I've done with the disposable chips that are attached to the race number itself. Seemed to work well. My online results looked to be correct and they got them up super-fast. I like it.

So my last words to Payton before the start gun were, "don't go out too fast. I'll check my watch and let you know how we're doing." Holy moly, can you say "foreshadowing?"

You'd think after 25 years of running competitive road races, I would know how to pace myself in a race. That I would know how to NOT go out too fast in any length race, even a 5k.

You'd be wrong.

See, I have this new problem. I'm actually in decent shape. Not amazing shape, but decent. I can run fast for short bursts and not pass out. And that's a problem. After we had gone around the first two corners (and there are a lot of corners on this course), I knew we were going sort of fast, but I didn't check my watch because I didn't feel that bad. When I did check my watch after about a half-mile and we were well under a 7:00/mile pace, I knew we were just being silly. There's no way Payton or I can keep up that pace for even a 5k. I told him to slow down and tried to notch it back myself, but we still hit the first mile at 7:17. Not that much faster than I was hoping for the first mile, but it was only because we had slowed up considerably after the first half-mile. I knew there would be a price to pay later.

The second mile was at about the pace I was looking for, 7:26, but by the end of that mile, I was starting to feel a bit tired. And my stomach. Oof. If there had been a Honey Bucket sitting around, I would have been in there without a second thought. That's not a good thing in a short, little 5k, but something was just not sitting right. The second mile was also where I got a reminder that runners are horrible at paying attention while they're racing. We were coming up to an intersection. We were clearly turning left. There were runners just in front of us turning left. You could see them going around the corner. There were also 10k runners coming from the left and turning left up ahead of us on the same street we were currently on. It was all pretty clear.

The two runners just in front of me didn't turn left. Didn't even think about it. They just kept going straight, right into the back end of the 10k pack. I yelled, "Turn! Turn!" and they got it back around fairly quickly. It always amazes me. People just get locked in and don't look around at what's going on.

So, mile three. Stomach not right. Lungs feeling that first half-mile a bit. Definitely slowing down a bit: 7:41. Still, I headed into the Linus Pauling Middle School track looking like I had a pretty fair shot at breaking my Master's 5k PR of 23:11. Just had to get around one lap of the track to the finish. No problem.

Holy crap, that was a long lap. As Maxwell Smart would say, "missed it by that much." A 23:18 - seven seconds off the PR. I wish I had felt a bit better in the second half of that race, because you won't find a flatter 5k in Corvallis. An total elevation gain of six feet for the race. Shoot-fire. Check the results here. I did manage to snag 8th place in Masters and 29th overall in a slow T-Day crowd, so that's not too bad. Payton did quite well with a 3rd place out of 33 runners in his age group, and 67th overall. And Carson and Jen did, in fact, beat a few people, so it's all good!

Ah well. I guess the 5k record will have to wait for number 28 in the EPIC schedule: the OAC Holiday Multisport Reverse Aquathlon. Pow! See you there.

Here's the shirt. Like most Turkey Trot races, it has a cute cartoon Turkey. I mean, that's almost a guarantee, right? And it's white, so I've got no issues with it.

One left. See you on December 17th.

Draft Legal Triathlon? In the Northwest?

2011-11-22T18:00:00.000-08:00

Apparently so. Check it out right here.

The Tri Monroe, in Monroe, WA, on June 12, 2012. It's got a pretty small limit capped on the race, so if you're interested in a draft-legal tri, get on it fast.

I'm not sure if this would help sub-par bikers, like me, or help the elite bikers. I think it would probably bring big groups to T2 together, then it would just be a running race.

Interesting...

Best Running Song for November!

2011-11-21T22:28:00.000-08:00

I've been taking it way too easy on you guys lately. It's time for some good old-fashioned rock! Some rock that will get your feet moving. Some rock that will get your legs pumping. Some rock that will give you an bitchin-awesome white guy afro like the main guy in this band!

When you name your band Wolfmother, really, what can you do but rock...and rock hard. This song is called Joker and the Thief. Just turn it up.

Here's a great live version.

Here's another great live version.

And here's one put to the Joker from the Batman cartoon!

It's amazing that this song can rock so hard with just three guys playing, and no bass, but hearing is believing! Strap this one on the iPod for your next run - you won't be disappointed.

Past Best Running Songs:
October: Phoenix / "1901"
September: Matt and Kim / "Daylight"
August: Collie Buddz / "Holiday"
July: Pretenders / "Tattooed Love Boys"
June: The Wombats / "Moving to New York"
May: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros / "40 Day Dream"
April: Foxy Shazam / "Unstoppable"
March: Pharrell / "Fun Fun Fun"
February: Puff Daddy / "Come With Me"
January: We Are Scientists / "The Great Escape"
December: Cee Lo Green / "F**k You"
November: Tokyo Police Club / "Breakneck Speed"
October: Two Door Cinema Club / "Something Good Can Work"
September: Stone Temple Pilots / "Cinnamon"
August: Louis XIV / "Guilt by Association"
July: Devo / "Fresh"
June: Saliva / "Your Disease"
May: Metric / "Gold Guns Girls"
April: OK Go / "This Too Shall Pass"
March: The Hours / "Ali In The Jungle"
February: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs / "El Matador"
January: White Rabbits / "Percussion Gun"
December: Deftones / "Knife Prty"
November: The Kooks / "Always Where I Need To Be"
October: At the Drive In / "One Armed Scissor"
September: Silversun Pickups / "Lazy Eye"
August: Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros / "Johnny Appleseed"
July: Deathray / "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)"
June: Raconteurs / "Salute Your Solution"
May: Tea Party / "Save Me"
April: Bloc Party / "Like Eating Glass"
Ever: The English Beat / "I Confess"

Clif Bar Seasonal Flavor - Peppermint Stick

2011-11-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

It's energy bar review time!

First, let's start off with the two Clif Bar seasonal flavors that I'm not reviewing this time around: Spiced Pumpkin Pie and Iced Gingerbread. I'm really not a Pumpkin Pie type person, so I wouldn't be crazy about that one anyway, but the fact remains that all three of these seasonal flavors are acquired tastes. And barely energy bars. They're really more like a slightly healthy dessert than a pre-race snack.

But let's take a taste of the new guy - the Peppermint Stick Clif Bar. Pow! It's really peppermint-y! This has a super strong Peppermint taste. If you like candy canes, you'll absolutely love this Clif Bar. If you don't enjoy candy canes, then don't even bother with this one. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed that there was no hint of chocolate in this guy. I mean, who doesn't love peppermint bark? Even a few chocolate chips thrown into this one would have made quite a difference. For the better. I believe it does have white chocolate chips in it, but as we all know "white chocolate" is just another word for "not chocolate."

Good, but not great. A tad boring. If you're looking for a mint fix, I'd stick with the Cool Mint Chocolate. You know, this one right here.

Peppermint Stick Clif Bar: 6 Bonkers

Get Out That Ugly Christmas Sweater!

2011-11-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, break out the ugly holiday sweaters and hit the Ugly Holiday Sweater Dash in West Linn. Yikes!

Let's Race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 5th TO DECEMBER 11th

December 10th / Jingle Bells Run 8k and 5k / Eugene, OR

December 10th / Puddle Scuttle 8k and 5k / West Linn, OR

December 10th / Ugly Holiday Sweater Dash 1m / West Linn, OR

December 10th / Mac's Run 10k and 5k / Charleston, OR

December 10th / Solstice Run 5k / Bainbridge Island, WA

December 10th / Christmas Rush Fun Run 10k and 5k / Kent, WA

December 10th / Deception Pass 50k and 25k / Oak Harbor, WA

December 10th / Birch Bay Ghost Marathon / Birch Bay, WA

December 11th / Holiday Half Marathon and 5k / Portland, OR

December 11th / Ho Ho 5k / Tigard, OR (Free Hostess Ho Ho's and Snowballs - Woot!)

Race Ryan Hall...Virtually

2011-11-14T21:58:00.000-08:00

Yeah...he's fast.

December Destination Marathons!

2011-11-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for a December marathon? Preferably in a warmer climate? The R's is here for you.

First up, The CIM. Otherwise known as the California International Marathon. December 4th. Super-flat course in Sacramento, CA and well known as a great course to try to qualify for Boston. Usually dry and mild weather. Road trip!

Same date, just across the desert, we've got the Las Vegas Marathon. At night. On the strip. Cool.

Then on the next weekend, December 11th, 2500 miles away, we've got the Honolulu Marathon. Ah, Hawaii. How can you go wrong? This one can be muggy, but it starts early, 5:00am early, to get you out and back before it heats up too much. And it's Hawaii, how much are you going to complain, really?

If you're really looking to escape the cool Northwest weather, there's always the Panama City International Marathon on Dec. 4th. Yeah, not Florida...Panama! Trust me, you won't be cold...the average temps, year-round, are highs of around 90F, with 80% humidity. Woot!

And you thought you wouldn't get a hot, dry run until next July...

Marathon Training Plans!

2011-11-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

Perhaps everyone in the world knows this already, but I just realized it, so pretend to be interested...

If you're like me, and why wouldn't you be, and love to run, but are basically broke at all times, you may need to get creative when trying to find decent training plans. You can always just Google "Marathon Training Plans" or "Half Marathon Training Plans" or "Marathon Training Schedule" or whatever, but that usually gives you a million links that are a)hard to sort through to find what you want, and b)often have a price tag attached to them.

But wait!

If you enter in those terms and then craftily click on the "Images" button...

BLAM!

Hundreds and hundreds of free training schedules.

Now I'm not saying they're all quality schedules, or really, even mostly quality schedules, but they are easy to browse and pick out one or two that might work for you. And of course, it works for any distance, or sport, just replace "Marathon" with "5k" or "Olympic Triathlon" and there you go.

Give it a try. Like this.

Plan up top brought to you by Elizathon's Blog!

Lucky Number 7

2011-11-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

Yep, only seven races for this race calendar. We're getting deep into the Winter Running Season now, and the races are dwindling quickly.

Time to bundle up, strap on your jingle bells and hit the trails! Or the road. This time of year, they're both just about equally hard, so whichever you prefer...

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 28th TO DECEMBER 4th

December 3rd / Jingle Bell Run 5k / Bend, OR

December 3rd / Shellburg Falls Trail Run 10k / Lyons, OR

December 3rd / Reindeer Run Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / St. Helens, OR

December 3rd / Holiday Fun Run 10k and 5k / Ridgefield, WA

December 3rd / Minuteman 10 and 2 Run 10k / Eugene, OR

December 4th / Red Stocking Run 5k / Seattle, WA

December 4th / Jingle Bell Run 5k / Portland, OR

Awesome "Lucky Number 7" artwork from jayve1 - a homeboy from the homeland. Check out his cool stuff here.

Christopher McDougall and Barefoot Running

2011-11-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

So Christopher McDougall, the Born to Run guy, has a new article in the New York Times about barefoot running.

Titled, with great restraint and understatement, The Once and Future Way to Run, McDougall rambles off five pages of anecdotes and questionable facts about why barefoot running is the only way to run. Ever. Period.

Again, before you hit the "comment" button and yell at me, let me say this: I'm not against barefoot running! I am against people that say barefoot running is for everyone and is the end-all for running injuries.

I have to show a couple passages:

So how did one of our greatest strengths become such a liability? “The data suggests up to 79 percent of all runners are injured every year,” says Stephen Messier, the director of the J. B. Snow Biomechanics Laboratory at Wake Forest University. “What’s more, those figures have been consistent since the 1970s.” Messier is currently 11 months into a study for the U.S. Army and estimates that 40 percent of his 200 subjects will be hurt within a year. “It’s become a serious public health crisis.”

Oh boy. First, 79 percent? Wow. I don't buy it, but OK. Second, why does it say a couple lines down that only 40% of his subjects will be hurt? I thought we just said it was around 80%? That's a pretty big difference. And finally, running injuries = public health crisis? Somebody is looking for more grant funding.

And this beauty:

Nigg now believes mistakes were made. “Initial results were often overinterpreted and were partly responsible for a few ‘blunders’ in sport-shoe construction,” he said in a speech to the International Society of Biomechanics in 2005. The belief in the need for cushioning and pronation control, he told me, was, in retrospect, “completely wrong thinking.” His stance was seconded in June 2010, when The British Journal of Sports Medicine reported that a study of 105 women enrolled in a 13-week half-marathon training program found that every single runner who was given motion-control shoes to control excess foot pronation was injured. “You don’t need any protection at all except for cold and, like, gravel,” Nigg now says.

I'd like to see this study's methodology. First, were all 105 given the motion-control shoes? And if not, how many? And were the motion-control shoes only given to women that had problems...such as previous injuries?

The comments section is actually more interesting than the article itself, and has better information, both for and against barefoot running.

Here's the APMA's position statement on barefoot running, in case you're curious.

Look, I don't care if you run barefoot or not (I don't have a book to sell), but if you're going to proselytize barefoot running like there's no other conceivable way, please do it away from me.

Flame on!

A New Corvallis Race? In December? Really?

2011-11-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently, EPIC 2011 will not be finished on Thanksgiving Day, after all.

A new race, a first year debut, has appeared. And it's a "Reverse Aquathlon" of all things! Check it out here. Officially, they're calling this event the Holiday Multisport Classic and it takes place on December 17th.

There's also a plain old 5k, if you'd rather. Personally, I'm all about the swimming, thanks.

So...the pain train rolls on! Event number 28 on the EPIC 2011 list.

Holy schmoly.

Running! Acting! Be a Movie Star!

2011-11-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of. An advertising agency is looking for female runners for a video shoot. They'll pay you $100 and give you running swag! That's all good, right?

If you're in Portland, check it out, and let the R's know how it turned out. I mean, free running stuff! How can you go wrong?

Of course, if it's some kind of Craigslist scam and you end up selling knives door to door, please don't blame me.

Thanksgiving Day Runs and Races!

2011-11-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! I know Turkey Day runs have been popular for a while, but I've never seen anything like this year!

When did Thanksgiving Day runs get so HUGE?

I mean, huge-massive.

I mean, massive-large.

Large-gigantic.

Gigantic-ample.

Ample-fat.

Fat-Turkey Day.

Hmmm...

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21st TO NOVEMBER 27th

November 24th / Huffing for Stuffing 10k and 5k / Bozeman, MT

November 24th / Oregon Mid Valley Road Race 5.2m and 3.75m / Albany, OR

November 24th / Benton-Franklin Turkey Trot 5k / Kennewick, WA

November 24th / Bend Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Bend, OR

November 24th / Bainbridge Island Turkey Trot 5k / Bainbridge Island, WA

November 24th / OAC Turkey Trot 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

November 24th / Turkey Trot Eugene 4m / Eugene, OR

November 24th / Turkeython 10k and 5k / Tigard, OR

November 24th / Seattle Turkey Trot 5k / Seattle, WA

November 24th / Turkey Trot 5k / Stevenson, WA

November 24th / Southern Oregon Turkey Trot 12k / Medford, OR

November 24th / The Oly Trot 4m / Olympia, WA

November 24th / Norpoint Turkey Trot 5k / Tacoma, WA

November 24th / Twin Tunnels Turkey Trot 8k / Hood River, OR

November 24th / ORRC Turkey Trot at the Zoo 4m / Portland, OR

November 24th / Turkey Trot Clark County 10k and 5k / Vancouver, WA

November 24th / Holmes Turkey Trot / Gig Harbor, WA

November 24th / Turkey Trot 3.5m / Longview, WA

November 24th / Turkey Trot 3m / Cheney, WA

November 24th / Gateway's Run for the Hungry 5k / Washougal, WA

November 26th / Seattle Marathon 5k / Seattle, WA

November 26th / Winter Wonderland of Lights Run 6m, 4m and 2m / Portland, OR

November 27th / After Turkey Day Trot 15k, 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

November 27th / Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon / Seattle, WA

November 27th / Hot Buttered Run 12k and 5k / Vancouver, WA

November 27th / Methow Valley Off-Road Duathlon / Winthrop, WA

McDonald Forest 15k Trail Run Review!

2011-11-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

So after missing out on running the Corvallis 5k earlier in the morning, I had to quickly clear my head, and my irritation, and get ready to run a tough trail 15k at the McDonald Forest Trail Run.

We arrived at McDonald Forest with the rain coming down pretty good and the promise of mud awaiting us on the course. Which was fine by me. Really, I haven't had a muddy race all year and with only this race and one more to the end of EPIC 2011, I was sort of hoping for a little mud!

This race was looking like it would start right on time, so a quick trip to the Honey Bucket, then I lined up in the starting chute.

And POW! Off we went. The 5k runners quickly went left, around the lake, and the 15k runners went right, around the other side of the lake, and that was the last I saw of the 5k folks. The first two or three miles of this one is pretty nice. Mostly flat or downhill, with nothing too steep up or down. But as soon as you hit that three mile mark...OOF. This race goes up.

This is an interesting course in that there are a couple spots where you can see the runners ahead of you, but then you take a quick turn and don't end up back where you just saw the other runners for a number of minutes. Tease!

At one point, just past four miles, and going up a nasty hill, my Garmin told me that it lost satellite reception. That's the first time its ever done that to me. It was very cloudy and raining, and we were deep in the middle of McDonald Forest, but it's still annoying to know that your trusty Garmin isn't keeping track of where you're going any more! And if you look at the pace chart above, you can see where it loses it - right where my pace goes to a spiffy one minute per mile pace!

Eventually the Garmin came back online and we were finally nearing the top of the brutal, never ending climb. And then came the part that feels so good the day of...and so bad the next day. The screaming steep downhill section. It's all you can do to keep up with your feet through miles six and seven. You're just flying through the woods! And strangely, even though it was still raining, there were very few patches of mud. The course was actually pretty solid.

So after one last uphill at the nine-mile mark, we were back to the lake and then downhill to the finish. Yes!

I crossed the line with a 1:24:21 time. Not stellar, but hey, that's one steep course. Over 2900 feet of elevation gain, according to my Garmin. I finished dead on in 100th place. Woot! Check the results here.

You might notice that World Champion Mountain runner Max King finished in second place. What?! I know, right? One Chris Reed beat him to the finish line, in an upset for the ages. But as you can read here, young Mr. Reed does in fact know how to run. Still, that's quite an upset. Congrats to Chris!

Also, note the winner of the 5k: Case Regan, a 7th grader from the cross country squad at Linus Pauling. Go LP!

And of course, we've got the always cool McDonald Forest 15k shirt. This year, it was a quality tech tee in a sweet purple color!

And the back, as usual, shows the pain!

Well, as far as I can tell, the EPIC 2011 train has but one race left. Oh noes! And that would be the OAC Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving morning. Be there!

Corvallis 5 Race Review!

2011-11-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Or not, as the case may be...

So this was the first of a race double header for me on the 30th. The Corvallis 5k, at 9:00am, was to be my 25th race of the year and the McDonald Forest 15k Trail Run, at 10:00am, was to be my 26th.

Didn't happen.

Hey, I was ready and willing, but the Corvallis 5k wasn't.

All of the runners were literally lined up in the starting chute, at about 8:55am, when the race director announced, "Looks like we'll be a couple of minutes late. The 5 mile race will start a few minutes after nine, and the 5k will start at 9:15."

What?

I mean, WHAT?!?

Hey, it said in the flyer that the race started at 9:00. It said at the website that the race started at 9:00. I was on a tight schedule, with no room for error. I had to start at 9:00!

So I stood there and talked it over with my manager, otherwise known as my wife. Even if the 5k started right at 9:15, which was debatable, it would only leave me about 15 minutes to drive from downtown Corvallis to McDonald Forest and find a parking spot and get to the start line. Too tight. We came to the conclusion that I had no choice but to call this one and take off for the McDonald Forest 15k.

Not happy about that. I'll probably run the course later this week just to make myself feel better, but it's not the same. Here are the results. Yeah, I'm not in there.

Shirt is pretty boring, except for the fact that the back says, and I quote, "Spread the love like you spread butter! Mad Love!" Um, ok.

On to the McDonald Forest 15k!

Nanowrimo Starts Tomorrow!

2011-10-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, tomorrow.

Well, I have my page all up, but I have to admit...I'd be shocked if I get much written this year.

Never say never...yet. Hmmm, sounds like a James Bond movie.

C'mon Spokane! Really!?!?

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, I know we're all excited for Christmas, but this is just taking it a bit too far...the Spokane Jingle Bell Run is on November 20th.

Yes, November 20th.

That's before most of the turkey trot runs. It's before Thanksgiving.

It's just wrong.

Now maybe they have some kind of scheduling difficulties, although I don't see a whole lot of races in Spokane in December, but still...

What's wrong with having Jingle Bell Runs in December?

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 14th TO NOVEMBER 20th

November 19th / A Very Poplar Run 10k and 5k / Boardman, OR

November 19th / Grand Ridge 50k, Marathon, Half Marathon and 5m Trail Runs / Issaquah, WA

November 19th / Turkey Trot 4m / Lewiston, ID

November 19th / Turkey Trot 5k / Vancouver, WA

November 19th / GBRC Turkey Trot 5k / Bellingham, WA

November 19th / Jingle Bell Run 5k / Spokane, WA

November 19th / Poultry Predictor 4m / Redmond, WA

November 20th / Fall BEAST Adventure Race Trail Run and Mt. Bike / Snoqualmie, WA

November 20th / Run To Drums 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

November 20th / Green Lake Gobble 5k / Seattle, WA

November 20th / EWEB Run to Stay Warm / Eugene, OR

Epic Leadman Triathlon Debuts in Bend!

2011-10-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

In a few short days, November 6th to be exact, you'll be able to sign up for the absolutely brutal Leadman Triathlon...in Bend, Oregon!

Last year, the first ever Leadman was held in Vegas. This year, they're rolling one out in both Vegas and Bend.

If you're interested, here are the totals. Read them and weep:

Swim: 5k
Bike: 223k ("OOF!")
Run: 22k

Yeah, that's a 139 mile bike ride. Clearly, with a short swim, fairly short run and horribly long bike, this is a race made for bikers. If you're not a star on the bike, I'm not sure why you'd even want to try this one.

Should be interesting. Pencil it in for next September.

Nanowrimo in five days!?!

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Whaaaaaaa?

Holy Happy Crappy, Nanowrimo really snuck (sneak, snake, snuck) up on me this year. Where does the time go?

So are you writing a novel during November this year? I have not decided. I'm really not ready. The wife and I were thinking about RE-writing our novels from last year's Nanowrimo. Well...certain people that shall remain nameless (yeah, the wife) would have to finish first, then rewrite. But whatever...

What a dilemma. Somebody talk me into it. Or out of it. Not sure what I want here...

So are you writing this year?

Kara Goucher Sticks With Oregon

2011-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yay!

Oregon's sweetheart, Kara Goucher, has indeed switched coaches, but will remain in Oregon, according to her latest blog post.

So apparently many of the recent rumors about Kara's plans were just that, rumors. Kara will remain in Oregon to help keep the Northwest as the hottest hotspot for pro and amateur runners alike.

Go Kara! Go Oregon!

Best Running Song for October!

2011-10-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

Phoenix rising!

Usually I have no problem picking one awesome song for the Best Running Song of the Month, and then finding one or two by the same band that are also good but not equal to the original pick.

Can't do that here. These two songs from Phoenix - also known as the best thing to ever come out of France - are both incredible songs to run to...I can't pick just one.

1a:
1901: Official Video
1901: Even more awesome live version from Letterman

1b:
Lisztomania: Official Video
Lisztomania: A HD live version from Glastonbury in 2010

Enjoy.

Past Best Running Songs:
September: Matt and Kim / "Daylight"
August: Collie Buddz / "Holiday"
July: Pretenders / "Tattooed Love Boys"
June: The Wombats / "Moving to New York"
May: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros / "40 Day Dream"
April: Foxy Shazam / "Unstoppable"
March: Pharrell / "Fun Fun Fun"
February: Puff Daddy / "Come With Me"
January: We Are Scientists / "The Great Escape"
December: Cee Lo Green / "F**k You"
November: Tokyo Police Club / "Breakneck Speed"
October: Two Door Cinema Club / "Something Good Can Work"
September: Stone Temple Pilots / "Cinnamon"
August: Louis XIV / "Guilt by Association"
July: Devo / "Fresh"
June: Saliva / "Your Disease"
May: Metric / "Gold Guns Girls"
April: OK Go / "This Too Shall Pass"
March: The Hours / "Ali In The Jungle"
February: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs / "El Matador"
January: White Rabbits / "Percussion Gun"
December: Deftones / "Knife Prty"
November: The Kooks / "Always Where I Need To Be"
October: At the Drive In / "One Armed Scissor"
September: Silversun Pickups / "Lazy Eye"
August: Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros / "Johnny Appleseed"
July: Deathray / "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)"
June: Raconteurs / "Salute Your Solution"
May: Tea Party / "Save Me"
April: Bloc Party / "Like Eating Glass"
Ever: The English Beat / "I Confess"

Unlucky Number 13

2011-10-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, usually I put together a schedule of the Northwest races for a weekend, sometimes, mostly during the summer, even a race here and there during the week...

But this one is a schedule for one, single, lonely day. November 12th.

Apparently, there isn't a single race in the NW on the 13th. Not that I could find anyway.

Maybe people were worried about the bad luck. Although it's not a Friday...

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 7th TO NOVEMBER 13th

November 12th / Cheadle Challenge Adventure Run 3.6m / Lebanon, OR

November 12th / Run for Kyron 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

November 12th / Stumptown Cross Series #4 / Portland, OR

November 12th / Fowl Fun Run 10m / Mount Vernon, WA

November 12th / Winter Pineapple Classic 5k / North Bend, WA

November 12th / Columbia River Classic 10m / Richland, WA

November 12th / Carkeek Park Trail Run 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

November 12th / Snoqualmie Ridge Turkey Trot 5k / Snoqualmie, WA

November 12th / Kevin's Cup XX Trail Run 8k / West Linn, OR

November 12th / Pioneer Run 15k and 5k / Phoenix, OR

November 12th / Veteran's Day Run 5k / Salem, OR

Lauren Fleshman's Abs Squeeze Coal Into Diamonds, Feed the Hungry, Then Take Break By Solving US Budget Woes

2011-10-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

No, really.

Check out the post by Lauren right here, on her completely awesome and fun running blog. If you send her a copy of the latest Runner's World, with none other than Lauren herself on the cover, she'll sign it and send it back to you!

What a sweet girl!

Personally, I'm going to send her my copy and request that she not write anything that might cover up those awesome abs. Rowr!

Mighty Oaks Acorn Run 5k Race Review!

2011-10-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

We're getting close now - on Sunday the 16th, we had the Mighty Oaks Acorn Run 5k, the 23rd race on the EPIC 2011 schedule. And a fine race it was. The race was a benefit to raise funds for the Mighty Oaks Children's Therapy Center.

So we lined up at Willamette Park in Corvallis on a foggy, cool morning. No wind at all and it didn't look like rain - perfect running weather. We started out north, toward the baseball fields, for just under a mile. I had a lot of kids around me for the first few hundred yards (more on that later), but got by most of them before the turn-around. I still had one boy in front of me, setting a decent pace, at the turn-around.

These out and back courses at Willamette Park are always interesting, because the bike/running trail really isn't wide enough for a lot of passing, and when you've got people, and strollers, going both ways, it gets tricky. A little boy, around four years old maybe, totally took out a kid running beside me with a nice, no-look, swerve across the entire path on his little bike! Good times.

But my pace after the first mile was good, 7:16, and I felt all right. Of course, the first half of this course is as flat as it gets. The second half is a touch hillier, so I knew I would have to save just a bit. We made it back past all the walkers and strollers, and the girl on stilts (no, really), and passed the start/finish line heading the other way. Clear sailing. At about mile two, I got past the only female in front of me, but couldn't quite catch the kid that was just in front of me the entire way so far (one Nick Graham, 14 years old, according to the results). I would reel him in on the flats and downhills, then he would just toast me going up the hills.

I actually could have went by him at the second turnaround, as Nick kept going (to touch the fence, about 20 feet away?), instead of just going around the tree, as we were supposed to do. But who does that? I yelled at him to turn around and get going, then waited for him to get just by me and started the chase again (see the pace chart - that steep down spike into the 12:00 area is me waiting).

So we headed back, and I thought I could maybe get by him, as it's mostly downhill back to the finish line at the park...but I forgot there was one last, steep uphill. My man Nick just left me in the dust, as you can see clearly on the pace chart. Ah well, nice run, Nick.

Check the results on this one. Very, very weird. It was like an invitational for Masters and runners under 18. Note that there isn't a single runner in the top 28 finishers that was between the ages of 17-37! That's just bizarre. And there were some decent times. A 51 year old running an 18:11. A 16 year old running an 18:24. But not a single runner from the prime age groups at the front of the run. Just strange.

Personally, I was happy with my time. At 23:15, it was my fastest 5k of 2011, although if I had looked at my watch just a little before the end, I could have taken off five seconds and had a Master's PR of 23:10. Doh!

Interesting shirt. The colors and butterfly design were in honor of Cassie-Jo Robinson, an 11 year old that passed away earlier this year. Her family was at the start of the run and gave a moving tribute. Read an article about the race and the cause in the Gazette Times. Thanks for a nice shirt, Cassie-Jo.

So we're definitely getting close to the end now. A small, on campus, 5k this Friday afternoon. Then a twofer, yes a twofer, on October 30th, with a 5k and a 15k Trail Run.

Rollin' on!

100 Year Old Man Finishes Marathon!

2011-10-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

This week, it's a 100 year old man finishing a marathon.

Last week, it was the woman who ran a marathon and then gave birth later in the day.

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling like I need to get off my lazy ass and do something already.

Run a 5k for Andrew Moritz!

2011-10-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

As most R's readers know, I live in Corvallis, work at OSU, and support the Beavs at all times...except when they play my alma mater, the University of Washington Huskies.

So I was shocked to read this article in the Seattle Times today about former Dawgs basketball player Andrew Moritz. Moritz is only 33, but has a rare form of cancer that has no known cure. In fact, his doctor basically told him there's nothing else to do.

Moritz doesn't want to give up so easily, wants to fight until the very end, and doesn't see any reason to quit now when he's never quit on anything before. I love his attitude.

To support Moritz, head over here or here and sign up for the MVP 5k Challenge. It's a benefit run in Seattle to help his cause.

And it's a cause well worth helping.

Let's race!

Ironman Marathon Not An Actual Marathon?

2011-10-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Maybe some of you already knew this, but it's news to me. Some Ironman Triathlons, by rule, can have their Marathon run course be as much as 10% short (or long) and still be good to go! No, really. That's a 23.6 mile marathon, in case you were curious.

See a decent write-up of the whole thing here at Track and Field News.

Wow. There's a lot to wonder about here. First, I don't think, even a little, that this diminishes how difficult an Ironman tri is, and how impressive the athletes are that finish them. But does it matter?

Absolutely.

Now anyone that has done a trail run knows that one 50k is not equal to all 50k's. Some are brutal, with over 7000 feet of climbing, while others have less than 2000 feet of climbing. But a 50k record is a 50k record. No matter what. And a marathon record is a marathon record, whether you're running in hilly Seattle or flat Eugene. It shouldn't matter.

And I feel the same way about Ironman races. They should all have 26.2 runs. No question. How can anyone compare one time to another?

Now it's one thing to be "certified." I don't care if a course is certified, necessarily, as long as it's been measured honestly as the correct length. But I don't want a race director consciously making a course where every mile is actually nine-tenths of a mile.

Now apparently the Ironman Championships in Kona is run on a certified course. It's legit. If you're wondering what other courses might or might not be legit, just check this list over at the USATF.

This is one I hope gets changed soon. Let's make an Ironman and Ironman.

Dawgs Vs. Ducks

2011-10-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

In a running race?

Yep, it's true. Before the football game in Seattle on November 5th, you can challenge those dreaded Ducks. So get on your purple and gold and run like a Husky!

I also like how you can register as a Duck or a Husky in this race and your fee benefits either the UofO Alumni Association or Seattle area non-profits, respectively. That's a great idea.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 31st TO NOVEMBER 6th

November 5th / Zeitgeist Half Marathon / Boise, ID

November 5th / Lord's Acre 10k and 5k / Powell Butte, OR

November 5th / Silver Falls Trail Half Marathon / Silverton, OR

November 5th / Healthy Hearts 5k / Ridgefield, WA

November 5th / Dawgs Ducks Tailgate Run 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

November 5th / Fircrest Watch Your Speed 5k / Fircrest, WA

November 5th / Mud and Chocolate Trail 4.5m / Redmond, WA

November 5th / Puddle Jump 10k and 5k / Olympia, WA

November 5th / Ron Herzog 50k / Granite Falls, WA

November 5th / No Hills 10k and 5k / Rickreall, OR

November 5th / Strides for Diabetes Awareness Trail 10k and 5k / Springfield, OR

November 5th / Lithia Loop Trail Marathon / Ashland, OR

November 6th / Anything is Possible 5k / Seattle, WA

November 6th / SamFit Heroes Run 5k / Lebanon, OR

November 6th / Turn Back the Clock 10k and 5k / Lacey, WA

November 6th / Padden Mudfest Trail 6m / Bellingham, WA

November 6th / Mud and Chocolate Trail Half Marathon / Redmond, WA

November 6th / Get Your Rear In Gear 5k / Bothell, WA

Great Pumpkin Run Race Review!

2011-10-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

And number 22 on the EPIC 2011 countdown was the 21st Annual Great Pumpkin Run, 10k or 5k, depending on your state of mind. And although I didn't come away with a new 10k PR (Doh!), I did pick up a first place in my age division...yeah, there weren't a whole lot of runners in this race.

So anyway, as we huddled in one of the buildings at the Benton County Fairgrounds, the rain came down and down and down. It wasn't a heavy rainfall, but it was a steady mist, to be sure. I lined up next to Payton's former 5th grade teacher, Mr. Joseph Williams, while we listened to some quick instructions from the Race Director. Basically, he only had one: finish in the correct chute! There was a 5k finish chute and a 10k finish chute; he was very clear on which was which, and said they'd be yelling out the same at the finish (this is called foreshadowing - please pay attention!)

Ready, set, go! And Mr. Williams was off like a shot. I mean, I knew he was fast, but about half the time, he runs pushing his daughter in a stroller, which brings him back closer to my pace. Not today. We ran out of the Fairgrounds, out to the road, then right back in on the Midge Cramer path toward Bald Hill.

The group spread out fairly quickly, which was good, because the first part of the Midge Cramer is a bit narrow. No issues though and we quickly got into the rolling hills, which we would have for the first five miles of this one. I probably went out a bit too fast. I was shooting for around a 7:45 pace in the first mile or two, then wanted to hang on in miles three and four and speed up to around 7:30 for miles five and six. Except for the "hanging on" part, that's pretty much what I did. But I looked at my watch a little before a mile and noticed that I was hitting a 7:10 pace - way too fast for me in a 10k. I pulled back a touch, but who knows, that may have been the start of my troubles, right there.

Coming out of the other side of Midge Cramer, we headed west on Oak Creek Drive. Now, there really wasn't any issues with traffic, but this just is not my favorite road to run on. First, it's got some serious rollers. Nothing steep, but constantly up and down. Second, and worse in my opinion, this is a 50mph speed limit road, and as such, the corners are canted. I absolutely hate running on sloped roads. If there's one thing that can mentally take me out of a race, that's it. I don't know why, but it just throws me. So needless to say, miles three and four were really tough for me.

So my pace coming out of mile four was not good. I knew I was really going to have to pick it up on the last two miles to have a shot at my PR of 48:57. And I felt like maybe I could do it. After the turnaround, I started to feel a little better mentally, and once I got past the rollers for the second time, I thought maybe I had a chance. Coming back by the Midge Cramer path, we 10k'ers got mixed in with the back end of the 5k race. Even though most of those people were walking, there's still a slight energy boost when you're passing up a bunch of people, no matter how slow they're going!

So swinging back onto 53rd, I took a quick glance at my watch, knowing I would either have to make an all-out sprint for it or just forget about it...and I just forgot about it. I eased up just a touch and came in at 49:39. The Garmin measured the course a little long at 6.28, but we were crossing roads and paths back and forth, so maybe I just didn't take the right line on everything. The awesomely named Seven Richmond took the win. Check the results right here. And here's Seven himself.

Oh yeah, the foreshadowing. This guy right here, one Thomas Weller, did not beat me. Although the race results would tell you otherwise.

I didn't see Mr. Weller at any point in the race until about 10 feet from the finish line. Yeah, I'm guessing he's one of those folks that the Race Director was warning us about. So Jay, yes, Jay Sexton, I believe you actually took second in your division, not third. Hope you didn't lose out on a bunch of prize money.

And the shirt!

No time for resting. Up next Sunday, as the EPIC train rolls on, is the Mighty Oaks Acorn Run 5k.

See you there!

Ironman Kona World Championships!

2011-10-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

They're racing...right NOW!

Go check it out live at Ironman.com.

Also, check out Universal Sports for a live feed.

And cheer on Corvallis homeboy Nate Smith! He's got bib number 1238. Go Nate!

Kara and Meb to Pitch for Skechers Running Shoes?!?

2011-10-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

That's the rumor anyway.

And the Skechers site for their new GOrun running shoes does indeed have a "testimonial" from Meb Keflezighi. But there's nothing on there about Kara. Yet.

It's possible, I guess, considering all the other news/rumors about Kara Goucher lately: leaving Nike, leaving Oregon, leaving Salazar.

The shoes themselves look like any other minimalist shoe that's come out in the last year. I'm sure they're fine, but I doubt they're revolutionary. Kara could still run faster than 99% of the population wearing the box the shoes came in, so it's not a huge deal either way.

Hey, Oregon still loves you Kara! Even in Skechers!

New OSU Track Under Construction!

2011-10-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we've talked about it before, but they're actually working on the thing now!

Yep, it's true, they're actually building a track at Oregon State University. It's a good day.

Here's the whole story.

Watch them build it live on this here webcam.

They haven't announced the name for the new track complex yet, but it's got to be Fosbury Field, right?

The Oatmeal Runs an Ultra!

2011-10-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how I missed this, but the writer of The Oatmeal site recently ran the White River 50 miler.

If you don't know The Oatmeal, well, you clearly don't get out enough and probably lead a joyless, pathetic existence, so...yeah, sorry about that. But read it already!

All you need to know about the greatness of his race review is this line right here: "After you've been running for 8+ hours every little thing becomes an incredible luxury; at mile 21 I drank a cup of flat Mountain Dew and I swear it tasted like unicorn tears. At mile 43 I ate a PB&J sandwich and it was like eating the entrails of a fallen angel."

Oh, and if it's your first day on the internet, included in his race report is swearing and other naughty stuff that may offend your delicate ears. And that should send all my middle school readers running right over... For my middle-age, male readers...LOOK, BOOBIES!

Oh, and if you're curious, here are the results of the White River 50. Yes, Mr. Oatmeal, Matthew Inman, did indeed finish, with a 11:29:25.

Congrats Matt!

Start Streaking with the Runaway Pumpkin Half!

2011-10-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

The toughest part about starting a really good racing streak is getting in on the first race. I mean, if you started on the 2nd, or the 4th, or the 16th race, you can't look with disdain at the runner lined up next to you and say "Yeah, I've run every single one of these races. How about you, Loser?"

I've already gotten in on one prime opportunity this year, the inaugural Corvallis Half Marathon back in April.

And here's another perfect chance: the inaugural Runaway Pumpkin Half Marathon in Lebabon, OR on the 29th. You know you want to...it's your chance to get in on the ground floor. When they're running the Runaway Half in 2036, you'll be able to say, "Yeah, I've run all 25 of these babies...and boy, are my feet tired."

Rimshot!

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 24th TO OCTOBER 30th

October 29th / Runaway Pumpkin Half Marathon / Lebanon, OR

October 29th / Doc Sears Fall Classic 5m / Lewiston, ID

October 29th / Multnomah Falls Trail Run 5.6m / Corbett, OR

October 29th / Zombie Apocalypse Trail Run 5k / Tualatin, OR

October 29th / Pumpkin Run 6.5k / Leavenworth, WA

October 29th / Monroe YMCA Fall Classic 5k / Monroe, WA

October 29th / Pumpkin Push 5k / Seattle, WA

October 29th / ORRC Autumn Leaves Ultra 50m, 50k and 10k / Champoeg Park, OR

October 29th / Pumpkin Run 5m / North Bonneville, WA

October 29th / Halloween Run 5k / Echo, OR

October 30th / Run Scared 5k / Seattle, WA

October 30th / Tri Cities Marathon / Richland, WA

October 30th / Cougar Mountain Trail Run 50k / Bellevue, WA

October 30th / Monster Mash 10k and 5k / Eugene, OR

October 30th / Corvallis 5m and 5k / Corvallis, OR

Beavers Building Haiti 5k Race Review!

2011-10-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well, 5k plus...

First, this is a good cause, building a school in Haiti, and unfortunately the turnout at this fundraiser 5k was really poor. Maybe 50 runners, and most of those were students. Check out the organizations right here that are working to build the school in Haiti and help out already!

OK, now to the race itself. The Beavers Building Haiti 5k started at Kearney Hall, right on the OSU campus. When I picked up my race number before the race, they had a course map printed out that you could take. It looked like they had made it on MapMyRun.com or something similar and I noticed something right away...that last tenth of a mile after the Mile 3 marker looked really long. Really, really long.

So the route was quite familiar, since it basically followed most of the Fall Festival route from last week, except it cut out the long trip out and back to 53rd. Fast course, pretty much completely flat, except for the small hill in front of Dixon. Another one of those races where people quickly ended up on their own. I passed a guy right around the one mile marker, then that was it. Never got very close to the guy in front of me and no one caught me. Forever alone, right?

Coming up to the turn to the final straightaway, which was right at the 3-mile mark, my fears were confirmed. The finish line wasn't even in sight - it was way down there. The Garmin said the course was actually about 3.30 miles long. Which, as it turns out, was ok, because I was hoping to run a 23:11, but I wasn't going to make it anyway. I figure, if the course was correct and actually 5k, I would have run about a 23:39, so I was bound to be disappointed either way. On the positive side, it's my fastest 5k of 2011, so at least my speed is still going in the right direction.

The shirt is all good. Cute design, not too many ads on the back, and it's white. They should pass a law that all race shirts have to be white, black or grey. Lime green or pink race shirts get you six months probation with an ankle monitor. And I noticed the shirts were made in Haiti. Nice touch.

So, that's it for EPIC # 21. We're moving right on next week with #22 - the Great Pumpkin Run on the 9th. See you there!

The New Cross Article is Out!

2011-09-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, occasionally we at the R's still venture into the Writing side of the equation...even if the writing is usually about running.

But not this time! Because the new RaceCenter article is about biking! Ha!

Anyhoo, check out the online version of the new issue right over here.

So let's take a little look-see, shall we?

On the cover, we've got Max King. That guy gets around.

Then, ad, ad, ad, ad, ad, and editorial. Don't usually read those...

Some small tartlets about the Stumptown Series, Jinglebell Runs in the NW, how frackin' huge Bloomsday is, Tri stuff and Cross stuff. All interesting. Very quick, very informative, very USA Today.

Then we've got an article about cross country running written by Max King. WHAAAA?? It's not enough that the guy wins every race he's in, now he's trying to take my job too?!? Moving on...

Nutrition stuff...USATF stuff...Chris Bagg Tri stuff...Trail Running stuff...

OK, then our first feature article, about all the past finisher medals from the Portland Marathon. OOOH, look...shiny!

Another shoe guide. I don't know if you find value in these. I usually read them, but how often do you see a shoe in there that you actually wear or want to wear? I don't know, they don't do much for me.

Then, an insightful, professionally-written article on Cyclocross called "Tailgate Party on Wheels." That's good stuff there. That writer needs a raise...or a cookie...or something.

Next, a nice article on cross-country skiing. Too cold - don't care.

Then the race calendar, ad, ad, ad, ad, and the Funny Page.

Hey, nice issue. Check it out online or pick up a copy at your favorite sporting goods supplier.

Fall: When the Races Fly South...

2011-09-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we're really getting into the new season now. Every week, there are fewer and fewer races on the schedule. Still enough to choose from, but pretty soon, pickings will be slim. But hey, it's the off-season. Time to get into the off-season training mode. Hit the pool. Reacquaint yourself with the treadmill. Find one of those new stationary bikes at Dixon that has a cable TV built right into the bike (but no rack for holding a book or magazine - there's just something wrong with that scenario).

Embrace the leaves, wind and rain. While you can...Winter will be here sooner than you think.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 17th TO OCTOBER 23rd

October 21st and 22nd / Fall Sprint Triathlon / Boise, ID (Swim on Friday, Bike and Run on Saturday...Really!)

October 22nd / Columbia River Power Marathon, Half Marathon and 8k / Umatilla, OR

October 22nd / Uberthon PIR Invitational Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

October 22nd / Stumptown Cross Series 8k and 6k / Portland, OR

October 22nd / Regatta Run 5k / Tualatin, OR

October 22nd / Lake Padden Classic Trail Half Marathon / Bellingham, WA

October 22nd / Black Cat 5m / Tacoma, WA

October 22nd / Howl and Scream Scram 10k and 5k / Richland, WA

October 22nd / Beaver Classic Cross Country 8k and 6k / Corvallis, OR

October 23rd / Race for the Cure 5k / Eugene, OR

October 23rd / Dawg Dash 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

October 23rd / Ft. Steilacoom Trail 50k, Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Lakewood, WA

October 23rd / Sellwood 5k / Portland, OR

October 23rd / Run Like Hell Portland Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

October 23rd / Columbia Gorge Marathon and Half Marathon / Hood River, OR

Thanks to Alderroots for the photo.

Max King Climbs Empire State Building, Swats Other Runners Like Flies

2011-09-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Our own homeboy from Bend, Max King, is just taking no prisoners lately.

His most recent chest-thumper was a twofer:

-First up was the USATF 50k National Trail Championship in Bend. Max took care of that in 3:27:54. Check it here and here.

-Next, Max took on all-comers at the XTERRA Trail Run National Championship in Ogden, Utah...THE NEXT DAY! Check it here and here. That one was a 21k, which Max spiked in 1:17:59.

Awesome. Congrats to Max...sorry, Mr. King...or, just the King, if he prefers.

Thanks to the Deseret News, and Tom Smart, for the great photo.

Another Stupid IAAF Rule!

2011-09-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

So apparently it's not bad enough that the IAAF is making dumb rules about women running with male pacers, as we discussed a couple of days ago.

The latest idiocy is right here: not only was the World Record just broken in the men's marathon using two pacers (you know, the exact same thing that women can't do), but one of the pacers broke the 30k world record during the run...

But doesn't get the world record because he didn't finish the marathon.

Wait. What?

Yeah, he stopped before the end of the marathon, so the 30k record doesn't count. Even though he ran 30k. With a world record time.

Look, either you allow runners to break shorter distance records while running a longer race or you don't. But don't say "sure, it's fine to break a 30k record, but only if you finish the race you're entered in."

The guy ran the 30k! Why isn't it a record?!?

%$%#^^%&&^*$!@#$$ IAAF...

Fall Festival 10k Race Review!

2011-09-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

So we roll into the first official Fall run, the appropriately named Fall Festival 10k and 5k, and what's there to greet us? Yeah, wind and rain. It's Fall, baby!

Of course, the first problem with early fall runs is what to wear. You can check the skies heading out the door, but that doesn't mean you'll get that weather during the actual race. And indeed, during the 10k, we had sun, overcast, rain, wind, then finally overcast again.

I played it somewhat conservatively and just wore a light, long-sleeve tech tee and my sunglasses. Good enough!

I believe this is the first time I've run the Fall Festival 10k since I've been in Corvallis and right away I realized that the start times were not well-designed. The 5k runners go first, at 9:10, then the 10k runners go five minutes later, at 9:15. Hmmmm...five minutes is not enough of a gap to get slow runners, and walkers, out of the way. I'm not sure why they don't make it 10 or 15 minutes in between the two starts to at least get the bulk of the 5k runners out of the way, but...oh well.

So off we went at 9:15 and immediately crossed the never-ending 9th street construction. Hey, nothing like a little gravel and dirt road to start off - man, they've been working on that street for months! Let's go!

We quickly moved onto the OSU campus and then across and onto the Campus Way bike path that goes out to the covered bridge. It was about there that the wind really picked up. And the rain. It was ugly for about two minutes and I was struggling against the wind. I thought for a second that my PR try could be in trouble if it didn't let up.

But then, as it's wont to do in the Pac NW in the Fall, the rain went away, we turned around at 53rd to get the wind at our backs and I stopped complaining!

The third mile split was the only one that worried me - my only split over 8:00 on the day - but I hit the mile 4 marker back under my pace, so I relaxed a bit as we came back onto campus. A nice downhill section on 30th all the way down to Reser Stadium and then around and back up the hill in front of Dixon. Crested that little hill and then I knew we were flat or downhill for about the last half mile.

Right about then, some Five Fingers-wearing guy asked me three times over a quarter mile how much farther we had to go - he must have seen the awesome Garmin 110 on my wrist - after the third time, I almost told him to go buy a stinking Garmin for himself, but hey, it's all good. I just don't have a lot of oxygen left for talking when I'm trying to set a PR here!

I knew about there that I was going to have a PR, it was just a matter of how much I could beat it by. I was shooting to beat 50:41 and I brought it in at 48:57, so I'm very pleased with that. Slowly but surely, I'm getting some speed back. Maybe I can go after that old 5k PR next year after all.

But I didn't have nearly as much speed as the first female finisher, one Helen Rarick from Beaverton, who ran an absolutely smoking 35:43, for a 5:45 pace! That was good for fourth overall! Wow, nice run, Helen. Check all the results here.

Here's a view of the Fall Festival Run shirt. Hey, it's not art by the famous Fall Festival poster artist Jen Lommers, but it's not bad.

So that's two PR's in two weeks. Do I have another PR in me for 2011? You bet your sweet bippy! Because in a couple weeks, I have the McDonald Forest 15k, and I far as I know, I've never run a 15k in my life. PR, baby!

See you next week at the Beavers Building Haiti 5k.

Women's World Records Taken Off The Books!

2011-09-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

In what surely is one of the most idiotic decisions in the history of sport, the world governing body of Track and Field, the I.A.A.F., has declared all women's running races with men ineligible for records!

And not just henceforth...retroactively!

So the World Record in the Marathon, set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003, of 2:15:25 - World Record for the last eight years, right? Wrong. Not anymore, according to the IAAF. Because that race had men and women running together. Now the World Record is 2:17:42, again by Radcliffe, in 2005. The women started ahead of the men in that one.

This is wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to begin!

Here's what Mary Wittenberg of the IAAF says of their reasoning: "The IAAF wanted to show that women can stand on their own two feet, that they don't need guys to help them get to world records."

Wait. What?

So if a woman runs a faster time with a man "pacing" her, that means she didn't actually run it? Isn't she still running on her own two feet? I mean, this isn't biking, where you can draft off of someone for miles.

And where does that leave men? Don't men use "pacers," official or not, in pretty much every race? Why is it ok for men but not for women?

The most unbelievable thing about this whole crazy rule change is that it would take the American marathon record away from Deena Kastor, and give it back to...gulp...Joan Benoit Samuelson...from her 1984 Olympic race!

Read the whole New York Times article right here. Please. Maybe you can make some sense of it.

I sure can't.

EPIC 2011 Turns Six!

2011-09-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

As in, six straight weeks of racing.

Yes, I'll be running the Mighty Oaks Acorn 5k this weekend to notch six races in six straight weeks. And it will be the second time in 2011 that I've run races in six straight weeks!

Then one weekend off...and on the weekend of the 30th, I've got two races in one day!

But then, sadly, the EPIC train will just about be ready to pull into the station. After October 30th, it looks like there's just one more race in Corvallis in 2011 - the OAC Turkey Trot - unless there a late addition.

EPIC 2011...it's like I barely got to know you! I'll miss you! No matter how long it takes, I will find you!

OK, got a little carried away there...

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 10th TO OCTOBER 16th

October 12th / Uberthons Heron Lake 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

October 15th / Uberthons Mt. Tabor Park 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

October 15th / Blue Lake Runs 15k and 5k / Troutdale, OR

October 15th / Sekani Trail Run 10k and 5k / Spokane, WA

October 15th / Lewis - Clark Half Marathon and 5k / Clarkston, WA

October 15th / Maryhill Loops 4m / Maryhill, WA

October 15th / Chelan Chase 5k / Chelan, WA

October 15th / Leavenworth Oktoberfest Marathon and Half Marathon / Leavenworth, WA

October 15th / Harvest Maze Gallop and Graze 10k and 5k / Salem, OR

October 15th / Defiance 50k, 25k and 15k / Tacoma, WA

October 16th / Mighty Oaks Acorn Run 5k / Corvallis, OR

October 16th / Poulsbo Marathon and Half Marathon / Poulsbo, WA

October 16th / Beat the Burn 5k / West Seattle, WA

October 16th / Walla Walla Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k / Walla Walla, WA

October 16th / Girlfriends Half Marathon / Vancouver, WA

October 16th / Race for a Soldier Half Marathon / Gig Harbor, WA

October 16th / West Linn Wild 10m and 5m / West Linn, OR

Best Running Song for September!

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

You don't usually get much from two-person bands - just not enough firepower - but here's the exception to the rule.

Matt and Kim just bring the keyboards and the drums, that's all, and somehow make amazing music from it. This song, Daylight, is perky, peppy, fast, bouncy, choppy, and fantastic to slap into the iPod for running. This one can bring you back after a brutal uphill, and trust me, I've had a few uphills lately!

Here's a nice live version. And a wacky version with De La Soul providing guest vocals.

Enjoy!

Past Best Running Songs:
August: Collie Buddz / "Holiday"
July: Pretenders / "Tattooed Love Boys"
June: The Wombats / "Moving to New York"
May: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros / "40 Day Dream"
April: Foxy Shazam / "Unstoppable"
March: Pharrell / "Fun Fun Fun"
February: Puff Daddy / "Come With Me"
January: We Are Scientists / "The Great Escape"
December: Cee Lo Green / "F**k You"
November: Tokyo Police Club / "Breakneck Speed"
October: Two Door Cinema Club / "Something Good Can Work"
September: Stone Temple Pilots / "Cinnamon"
August: Louis XIV / "Guilt by Association"
July: Devo / "Fresh"
June: Saliva / "Your Disease"
May: Metric / "Gold Guns Girls"
April: OK Go / "This Too Shall Pass"
March: The Hours / "Ali In The Jungle"
February: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs / "El Matador"
January: White Rabbits / "Percussion Gun"
December: Deftones / "Knife Prty"
November: The Kooks / "Always Where I Need To Be"
October: At the Drive In / "One Armed Scissor"
September: Silversun Pickups / "Lazy Eye"
August: Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros / "Johnny Appleseed"
July: Deathray / "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)"
June: Raconteurs / "Salute Your Solution"
May: Tea Party / "Save Me"
April: Bloc Party / "Like Eating Glass"
Ever: The English Beat / "I Confess"

HUGE Marathon Weekend in the Northwest!

2011-09-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

We've got the big boys this weekend:

Portland, Boise, Victoria, and Spokane all have Marathons, and all on Sunday. So strap on the kicks and go!

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 3rd TO OCTOBER 9th

October 8th / Missoula All Women's 5k / Missoula, MT

October 8th / Albany Two Rivers Run 5k / Albany, OR

October 8th / Stagecoach Run 10k and 5k / Jacksonville, OR

October 8th / Domestic Violence Awareness 10k and 5k / Salem, OR

October 8th / Run Wild 8k and 5k / Eatonville, WA

October 8th / Panther Pride 5k / Portland, OR

October 8th / Columbus Day Marathon, Half Marathon, 10m, 10k, 5k, Sprint Tri and Du / Portland, OR

October 8th / Wright Trail Run 5k / Puyallup, WA

October 8th / Mt. Spokane 50k and 25k / Spokane, WA

October 8th / Dash for Disabilities 10k and 5k / University Place, WA

October 9th / Portland Marathon, Half Marathon / Portland, OR

October 9th / City of Trees Marathon and Half Marathon / Boise, ID

October 9th / Last Chance Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon / Albany, OR

October 9th / Runningshoes.com MBT Sprint Duathlon / Bellingham, WA

October 9th / Free Flight Run 10k and 5k / Newport, OR

October 9th / Spokane Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k / Spokane, WA

October 9th / The Great Pumpkin Run 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

October 9th / Victoria Marathon, Half Marathon and 8k / Victoria, BC

Good Samaritan Challenge Race Review!

2011-09-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

And PR, baby!

OK, so stop number 19 on the EPIC 2011 quest for greatness, or at least, goodness! The Good Samaritan Challenge 12k and 5k. I've been trying hard to man-up and take the longer distance whenever possible, which meant I'd be running the 12k for this one.

And for the first time in four years, the race started with no rain in the recent past or future. So under dry skies, about 30 or 40 of us lined up in Sunset Park and toed the start line. The course had a slightly different start than when I last ran it two years ago. This year, we ran what has to be the oddest starting quarter mile I've ever done in a race. From the paved path in Sunset Park that heads out to the softball fields, we ran out toward the parking lot, took a quick right after about 100 yards, turned another sharp right after about 30 more seconds, moved past the playground and waiting 5k'ers, and circled back onto the path that we just left minutes before.

Yes, the first two minutes of the race was the herd running in a small circle! Odd.

But then we were out and on the course that I remember from 2009.

This race is tough in that there are so few runners, it's difficult to find someone, anyone, to run with, especially if you're looking for someone with a similar pace. By mile two, I had passed a couple of people that went out too fast and fell behind a woman about 15 seconds in front of me. I would eventually pass her, but that's it. I wouldn't get by anyone else, and no one passed me. It's just that kind of race.

So after the 6H Trail Half Marathon from last week, you could hardly call this one hilly, but it does have some ups and downs and one short, but very steep, hill in Philomath.

I knew that if I could slog up that hill without stopping to walk, I'd have a good chance to PR. Since I had one previous 12k finish in my entire life, that's not saying much, but at 44, you take any PR you can get. I caught the woman in front of me just before the top of the hill and tried to put a little quick distance between us going down the other side - there's nothing worse than getting re-passed just after making a good pass.

It's nice coming out of Philomath on this course because then we get on the bike path that goes right by my house, which I've run, literally, hundreds of times, and I know exactly what's coming the rest of the way.

I could see from my splits that I was going to be close to pulling it off in under an hour, but I just didn't quite make it. Still, I hit the finish line in 1:01:17, over six minutes faster than I ran the same race two years ago. So that's a PR I'm very proud of. Plus, I got the first place blue ribbon in my age group. Of course, I may well have been the only one in my age group, but hardware is hardware. You never turn it down!

Next week, the EPIC train rolls on at the Corvallis Fall Festival 10k and 5k. I'm running the 10k there and I'll be looking for my second PR in as many weeks! I need to bring it in under 50:41, so if you see me out there, cheer me on!

Dark Chocolate is a Better Workout than Running!

2011-09-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Or not.

Lots of articles out the past day or two about how dark chocolate can "boost muscle growth" and lead to "improved fitness."

Guess what? You can't believe everything you read on the internet, kids!

Good article from NHS here about what the Dark Chocolate Study really found.

Age Graded Pace Calculator!

2011-09-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, you young pups out there are all like, "what's the old guy talking about now? Is this math class or something?"

Sure, funny guy, now GET OFF MY LAWN!

OK, back to the calculator. Once you're a crusty old runner like me, you have to start focusing on times that aren't quite so far back in the rear view mirror. I mean, do I really expect to run a 5k as fast as I did 20 years ago? It would be fantastic, but I'm not sure it's going to happen.

But there is a way to compare the times you're running, at any age, to the times you ran, say, way back when.

It's called a Age Graded Pace Calculator. Here's one at Runner's World. Here's one from the Heartbreak Hill Striders. Here's one from Marathon Guide.

It doesn't really matter which one you use - they all do the same thing. Namely, they handicap running times by age and gender. So you can compare yourself to that college kid that just sprinted by you or just compare yourself to yourself...when you were younger.

It's a fun tool. The Runner's World version also shows what kind of time you need to be World-Class, National-Class, Regional-Class and Local-Class. Personally, I'm hovering at Local Class in most distances - need to pick it up a bit.

Hopefully, these will be some use for you. Let's face it, we ain't getting any younger!

I love that photo of the old school Puma...that damn thing runs on a Commodore 64! That's what I'm talkin' about!

Forgetting a Bad Race

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's better not to remember.

For instance, this weekend is the Good Samaritan Challenge 12k. I ran this race once before, back in 2009, and vaguely remembered it as "sort of hilly, but not too bad." Yeah, I should have stopped there. Instead, I thought, "Hmmm...," yes, I actually thought "Hmmmm..." Then I went back and checked if I had written a post on the R's about the race. And indeed I had.

And lo, it seems the race was much more hillier than I thought. Much, much more hillierer.

Here, read it for yourself...

So, the Good Samaritan Challenge 12k. Well, that's what I ran...there was also a 5k.

Let's see what the brochure has to say: "The 5k and 12k courses start and finish on 45th Street between Sunset and Starker Arts Park. The 5k course is mostly flat with one short but steep hill challenge about half way. The 12k covers the same route as the 5k for approximately two miles, before continuing on toward Philomath where the 12k participants will be challenged by Neabeack Hill."

Now I've been around, and I realize most race directors would tell you that a race up Mt. Hood would be "short, but steep" and a race up Mt. Everest would be "challenging," so I felt prepared for what was ahead of me at the start line.

Still, about 3/4 through the race, I realized, "Wow, this mother is challenging!"

But back to the start...

A brave and hardy 20 or so people lined up for the start of the 12k in Starker Arts Park. That's what happens to a small race when there's a driving rain coming down an hour before the start time - you don't get many day of race registrations. The weather at the start was nice though; overcast and cool, but not raining. Better yet, Starker Arts Park is about two minutes from the apartment - I walked over to the start line!

Since there was a very small crowd of runners and a 5k that started right after the 12k, I knew that everyone in the 12k would be a "real" runner and I'd be finishing toward the back of the pack. No problem there. I really just wanted to have a good, strong race as I barrel toward the Cowtown Half-Marathon that I'm not nearly prepared for...if I ran anything under a 1:15, I would be happy enough. Slow but steady was the order of the day.

And we're off!

I immediately drifted to the back of a very short line of runners as we headed off down Country Club Drive. There were maybe one or two runners behind me and a few in front of me that were only going slightly faster than me, so I settled in to my pace and waited for the first mile marker, so I could adjust if needed.

The clouds were making it pretty humid, but the lack of sun was actually nice and the first mile-marker came up fast: 8:30. Hmmm, not bad, but I was looking more for nines. I wasn't sure I could hang with 8:30 on a "challenging" course. I throttled back just a touch and came to the first hill. Ah, this must be the "short, but steep" guy here. I hit it pretty good and the top came up fast. That wasn't so bad. I was feeling good about that first uphill - I was right over that baby.

I came around the next corner and realized why I felt so good...there was the "short, but steep" hill still coming up! Yep, that's why you should always run the course beforehand. Ah well...

Oof, that one was "steep," and I'll reserve judgement on the "short" until I see the rest of the hills on the course. After we split from the 5k course at mile two, we hit a nice, long flat stretch as we headed into Philomath. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Yowza, where did these hills come from!?! I thought these Philomath people liked the flat country so their cows could wander around without getting tired.

Coming up to the top of the first part of a very long hill, I looked over to my right and checked out my plot if I couldn't make it to the top. Nice spot for a cemetery - nothing like pondering your morality while you're struggling up a steep hill. Then we hit a few switchbacks on our way up a very steep road through a nice neighborhood of Philomath. Made it to the summit and the mile five marker and water station, where a volunteer told me "you're almost there!" Yeah, well unfortunately, I know my metric system and five miles sure isn't almost there for a 12k.

Nice view of the church steeple as we came back down from the highlands into Philomath and then suddenly we were on the paved running trail that goes between Corvallis and Philomath. Hey, this is the trail I run all the time - it goes right by our apartment. Suddenly in familiar territory and knowing exactly that we had two small hills left, then a nice flat stretch to the finish, I nuzzled behind the only two runners in my view. After getting over the the hills, I gave a slight (very slight) burst and moved in front of the two and tried to remember how to close to the finish.

I somehow stayed ahead of them and hit the line at 1:07:51 for a 9:05 pace.

Hey, that's about what I was looking for and I felt pretty good the whole way through, even though I could have used a Sherpa at the four-mile marker...

At least it's something to build on as I head to Sacramento for what looks to be an extremely flat Half.

Oh yeah, I took 2nd place in my age-group...but for all I know there may have only been two of us.

OK, I know you're thinking, "that doesn't look cloudy and overcast to me - that looks like Phoenix!" Hey, I didn't stop during the run to take photos! Those were taken the day after - not a cloud in the sky.

So now I haven't forgotten how hilly the race was. Now I remember.

I should have left well enough alone.

See you at the race!

Kapowza! EPIC 2011 Rolls On!

2011-09-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

Our first slow week in a long, long time.

But the EPIC 2011 train shows no sign of slowing down! I just found another race that I hadn't seen advertised before - the Great Pumpkin Run, to be exact - and added it to the list.

And we're now up to 27 races! Woot...or...Yikes! Depending if you're you or me... So now we've got more than a race every other week of 2011. Kapowza!

Oh well, let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 26th TO OCTOBER 2nd

October 1st / Bend Marathon and Half Marathon / Bend, OR

October 1st / Oktoberfest Brewskidaddle 5k / Vancouver, BC

October 1st / Run for the Hills Half Marathon and 5k / Fruitland, ID

October 1st / Soroptimist Run for the Cause 5k / Albany, OR

October 1st / Forest Park Marathon and Half Marathon / Portland, OR

October 1st / Echo Valley 50m, 50k, Half Marathon and 10k / Chelan, WA

October 1st / 5K-9 Fun Run 5k / Everett, WA

October 1st / Rock the Beach 10k and 5k / Cannon Beach, OR

October 2nd / Set the Pace 10k and 5k / Kirkland, WA

October 2nd / Dirty 2nd Half Half Marathon / Bend, OR

Heart Health Home Classic Half Race Review

2011-09-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, a second Corvallis Half Marathon! And to think, last year, there were none.

So the Habitat for Humanity Heart Heath Home Half Marathon (the 6H for short) was held on Saturday, a day that was predicted to be one of the warmest of the year in Corvallis. And indeed, even waiting around the start line at 7:30am, it was plenty warm. No doubt, it was going to be a hot one.

We hit the start line at Crescent Valley High School at 8:00am sharp, with the 10k and 5k following us, at 8:30 and 9:00, respectively. Around 80 runners lined up for the 6H and zip pow, we were off! We went right around the school, up Jackson Creek Road, and were in McDonald Forest in no time.

And although we started climbing immediately once we were into the Forest, at least we were mostly in the shade and out of the blazing sun. This one did have some nice, stiff climbs. About 1946 feet worth of nice, stiff climbs, according to my trusty Garmin. But what goes up, must come down, yes?

And the down was well worth the wait. Somehow, after running a good part of the race in and around other runners, but never really staying together with anyone at the same pace, I found myself in a group of five runners coming down the hill! And we were motoring pretty good. I was smelling the barn for sure, with my last few mile splits coming in at 8:35, 8:15, 8:07, and 8:21. Man, I love running trails when you're going down.

Finally, we bottomed out and, unfortunately, came back out into the sun for the last mile-plus. I managed to shake three of our little group, but one guy stayed out in front of me and I never caught him. They pulled a late-race, mind-crusher by letting the 5k runners turn off into the high school at the back drive, while sending the Half Marathoners all the way around to the front of the school, about another mile. It's always painful to see the finish, and then have to go on by it.

All in all, a very enjoyable run. It was very, very hot out at the end, but all the racing in McDonald Forest was comfortable enough. Lots of water stops, which made it so I didn't even have to carry a bottle. That was nice.

The shirts? Well, let us not mince words...they're pink. Sure, you could argue shades...but those shirts are pink! Ah well, it's a decent tech shirt; pink or not, I'll wear it.

Check the full results from all three races here. And some nice photos of the event here. Why they took a picture of my butt going through the finish line, I don't know...

And the EPIC 2011 rolls on! Next up: the Good Samaritan Challenge 12k...in five days!

Hood to Coast 2011 Results Finally Up!

2011-09-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it took a while, but all the results are finally posted.

Check them out right here at the source.

That is a really tall guy in that photo...

Habitat Half Marathon Elevation!

2011-09-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

OK, the 6H Half is coming up fast - this Saturday to be exact - so I hope you've got your hill training in.

Here's the elevation chart if you're a glutton for punishment. At least the second half goes down nicely. The first half will be a haul.

Oh, and by the by, they're predicting almost triple-digit temps for race day. Yikes.

See you on the 10th!

Ah, the Old Homestead...

2011-09-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, that would be Bellingham. We lived in the area for about 10 years and it's a beautiful place. And coming up on September 25th is the Bellingham Bay Marathon and Half Marathon. The Finisher's Medal and Race Shirt are awesome! Sign up for this baby immediately.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19th TO SEPTEMBER 25th

September 23rd / The Bear 100m / Fish Haven, ID

September 24th / Priest Lake Trail 50k, Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5k / Priest Lake, ID

September 24th / Run for the Roof 5k / Snohomish, WA

September 24th / Black Diamond Half-Iron Triathlon and Duathlon / Enumclaw, WA

September 24th / Flagline Trail Fest 50k / Bend, OR

September 24th / Dash for Southern Sudan 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 24th / Run for Honor 5k / Lincoln City, OR

September 24th / Reed College 5k Odyssey / Portland, OR

September 24th / SEE Kids Run 8k and 5k / Suquamish, WA

September 24th / Epic Grind 10k and 5k / Gaston, OR

September 24th / Lafayette Fire Department Chief's Run 5k / Lafayette, OR

September 24th / Friends of the Poor 5k / Redmond, OR

September 24th / Richard's Run 5k / Bellevue, WA

September 24th / Middle Fork Trail 50k and 20m / North Bend, WA

September 24th / Indian Summer Half Marathon and 5k / Richland, WA

September 24th / Independence Hop and Heritage 5k / Independence, OR

September 24th / Wild Moose Chase 25k, 10k and 5k / Spokane, WA

September 24th / Erik Anderson Community 5k / Spokane Valley, WA

September 24th / Road to Recovery 5k / Eugene, OR

September 24th / St. Luke's Fitness Celebration 5k / Boise, ID

September 24th / Freedom 5k / Bainbridge Island, WA

September 24th / Valleyfest Run for Diabetes 10k and 5k / Spokane Valley, WA

September 25th / Winthrop Marathon and Half Marathon / Winthrop, WA

September 25th / ORRC Best Dam Run 10k / Estacada, OR

September 25th / K-Rod 10k and 5k / Vancouver, WA

September 25th / Puget Sound Classic 10k and 5k / Olympia, WA

September 25th / Wilsonville 10k and 5k / Wilsonville, OR

September 25th / The Rouge Run Half Marathon / Medford, OR

September 25th / Bellingham Bay Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5k / Bellingham, WA

September 25th / Fall Celebration 8k and 5k / Eugene, OR

September 25th / Black Diamond Half Marathon, Olympic Triathlon and Duathlon / Enumclaw, WA

September 25th / Run of Hope 5k / Seattle, WA

September 25th / Fremont Oktoberfest Brew HA-HA 5k / Seattle, WA

September 25th / Corvallis Fall Festival 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

Serious Crowding at Hood to Coast

2011-08-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

The Hood to Coast Relay expanded by 250 extra teams this year. That's 3000 extra runners on the course! And 500 extra vans!

Now, you would think that someone would have thought to think, "Hmmm, maybe this could cause some congestion problems..."

You think?

Oh boy, here comes the pain:

First, the Oregonian talks about the main issue: too many runners. I give HTC spokesperson Jude Hubber credit here; he seems to realize they made a mistake. And it sounds like they're going to drop the number of teams back down next year.

The Oregonian Running Bloggers get into the discussion here and here and here. They make some good points, but man, the reader comments are just brutal at times.

Hey, let's face it, the HTC seems to have overstepped the team limit, that's clear. But enough with the "they're just in it for the money!" crap. A race like this is hugely expensive to run and find me another race that donates $500,000 to their charity. Go ahead, find one.

There isn't another one. HTC gives a lot of money to a good cause. People need to hold that up in front. It's a touch more important than the "all those HTC runners are so entitled and rude" comments.

Let's hope Hood to Coast shrinks it up a bit next year and we get a more positive light shining on the running community once again.

One Day Left for a Sweet Tech Tee!

2011-08-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, if you're running the Health Heart Home Classic, you've got to sign up by Sept. 1st to guarantee yourself a sweet tech tee. So get on it!

Let's Race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 12th TO SEPTEMBER 18th

September 17th / Bainbridge Island Sprint Triathlon / Bainbridge Island, WA

September 17th / Kirkland Sprint Triathlon / Kirkland, WA

September 17th / Prefontaine Memorial 10k / Coos Bay, OR

September 17th / Seek Justice Challenge 10k / Sammamish, WA

September 17th / Cle Elum Ridge Run Ultra 50k and 25k / Cle Elum, WA

September 17th / Ranger Run 4m / Quilcene, WA

September 17th / Pine to Palm Ultra 100m / Ashland, OR

September 17th / Dickey Prairie Strut 5k / Molalla, OR

September 17th / Believe in Heroes 8k / Tacoma, WA

September 17th / YMCA Hidden Springs Road and Mtn. Duathlon / Boise, ID

September 17th / Harvest Classic 8k / Nampa, ID

September 17th / Joint Base Half Marathon and 5k / Fort Lewis, WA

September 17th / Oly Run 10k and 5k / Bremerton, WA

September 17th / Project Fit Kid 5k / Beaverton, OR

September 17th / Ignite Change 10k and 5k / Bend, OR

September 17th / Good Samaritan Challenge 12k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

September 17th / Airport Run for Hope 10k and 5k / Arlington, WA

September 17th / Wallowa Lake Sprint Triathlon / Joseph, OR

September 17th / Oktoberfest Road Race 10k and 5k / Mount Angel, OR

September 17th / Puffer Butte Huff and Puff Trail 5m / Clarkston, WA

September 17th / Newport Trail Half Marathon / Newport, OR

September 17th / Army Base Race Half Marathon / Selah, WA

September 17th / RiverBend 5k / Springfield, OR

September 17th / Palouse Days 7k / Palouse, WA

September 17th / Fitness Friends 5k / North Bonneville, WA

September 17th / Grand Columbian Iron, Half-Iron, Olympic Triathlon and Full, and Half Aquabike / Grand Coulee, WA

September 17th / Last Gasp of Summer 2m and 1m Swims / SeaTac, WA

September 17th / UPS Logger 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 17th / River Run Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Wenatchee, WA

September 17th / Run Like a Pirate 10k and 5k / Yakima, WA

September 18th / Summer's End 10k and 5k / Covington, WA

September 18th / Elephant Stampede 5k / Seattle, WA

September 18th / You Go Girl! Half Marathon and 10k / Tacoma, WA

September 18th / Cedar Creek Beach Challenge 10k and 5k / Pacific City, OR

September 18th / Komen Race for the Cure 5k / Portland, OR

September 18th / Oktoberfest Sprint Triathlon / Mt. Angel, OR

September 18th / Run for Wellbriety 5k / Siletz, OR

September 18th / iRun for Kids 10k and 5k / Albany, OR

September 18th / Champoeg Half Marathon and 5k / Champoeg State Park, OR

September 18th / Scenic Half Marathon, 10k, and 5k / Sandpoint, ID

Hood to Coast 2011 Results

2011-08-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Made you look!

Yeah, they take forever to post the results over at the official Hood to Coast site, but there is a decent article over at the Oregonian.

I can tell you that the hometown Bowerman Athletic Club team won the HTC...and then didn't win...because they received a time penalty for missing an exchange and having the same runner run two consecutive legs. Man, that's a big mistake right there - how's that happen?

So anyway, the Knoxville Track Club, which finished a mere 21 seconds behind anyway, takes the official victory.

There you have it.

Two Weeks to the 6H Half Marathon

2011-08-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Last long run before the 6H Half Marathon on Sept. 10th. Well, not quite as long as I wanted because it was in the low 90s and I ran out of water after about an hour. Ah well...

So to prepare for the oh-so-hilly 6H Half, I took, not one, not two, but THREE trips up and down Bald Hill. Probably not a big wonder that I ran out of water.

You can see on the map that I took the first loop up the front side of Bald Hill, then down the back side. It was sunny and HOT on that side, so I didn't do that again. Just went both up and down the front side for the next two trips.

Have fun running in the heat out there. Take water!

Hot Wet Female Triathletes...and Beer

2011-08-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

From left to right, on the podium at the Women's ITU World Championships: Emma Jackson, Emma Moffatt and Emma Snowsill. The Aussies swept the medals in Hamburg, Germany in July.

Just a couple comments here:

-I want to visit Australia.

-Beer is cold.

-Athletes are hot.

-Are all women in Australia named Emma?

Yeah, that should bring the hits back up...

Sometimes a run is just a run...

2011-08-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just don't get a chance to do an exciting run. Trees, trails, sunsets, ocean, beaches, vistas...nope, sometimes you get none of it.

Case in point, my run last night. Dixon is closed for two weeks. The wife is out of town at an art show. I'm in charge of the kids. It's hotter than Hades outside.

Sometimes, things just conspire against you. So last night, at about 10:00 pm, after the kids and grandparents were finally in bed, I went for my run.

And then we have Problem Number Two... Although we have an awesome bike/running path right by my house, it's totally dark. No lights on the trail at all. There are also very few lights and/or sidewalks around my house - it's just not the type of neighborhood where you can go on a long run. It's a newer development; not like living in downtown Corvallis. So...

I ended up doing the Safeway - Bi-Mart - Burger King loop! Multiple times! Hey, it's lit, and it's fairly flat, and it doesn't have a whole lot of traffic coming in and out of the driveways at ten at night. Not too exciting, that's for sure, but...

Sometimes you've just got to do what you've got to do.

If you're a runner.

Enough with the Mud Already...

2011-08-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

OK, it's probably just me...it usually is...but I don't get the huge number of "adventure" races all over the place all the sudden. You know the ones: there's mud, there's climbing, there's falling, there's bare chested guys with tattoos drinking a beer with a race number stapled onto their chests.

Yeah, that kind of adventure race.

As an example, we've got the Warrior Dash coming up soon.

Now, for all I know, since I've never done one of these types of races, these adventure races really are the cat's pajamas, so to speak. Maybe if I did one, I'd never go back. I'd get a tattoo. I'd lose my shirts. I'd suddenly enjoy mud up my nose.

Or not.

But hey, to each their own, right? Right? Moving on...

Just an unbelievable number of races this weekend.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6th TO SEPTEMBER 11th

September 10th / Aluminum Man Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / The Dalles, OR

September 10th / Run Fido Run 5k / Eagle, ID

September 10th / McKenzie River Trail Run 50k / Blue River, OR

September 10th / Kelso Highlander Festival 5k / Kelso, WA

September 10th / Palouse Sprint Triathlon / Moscow, ID

September 10th / Free to Breathe 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 10th / The Patriot Run 5k / Clackamas, OR

September 10th / Plain Trail 100m / Plain, WA

September 10th / Salmon Marathon / Salmon, ID

September 10th / Health Heart Home Classic Trail Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

September 10th / Talent Harvest Festival 10k and 5k / Talent, OR

September 10th / Newcastle Days 5k / Newcastle, WA

September 10th / Dayton Fiesta Run 10k and 5k / Dayton, OR

September 10th / Warrior Dash / North Plains, OR

September 10th / Brooks Runner's Soul XC Fest 5k / Hermiston, OR

September 10th / N.A.M.E.S. Foundation 5k / Bothell, WA

September 10th / Master of Faster 10k and 5k / Olympia, WA

September 10th / MAC Dash Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon / Madras, OR

September 10th / Walk, Roll 'n Run for UCP 8k / Portland, OR

September 10th / Survive the Burn 10k and 5k / Salem, OR

September 10th / Uberthons Champoeg 10k and 5k / St. Paul, OR

September 10th / Sublimity Harvest Festival Road Run 10k and 5k / Sublimity, OR

September 10th / Best in the West Half Iron and Sprint Triathlon / Sweet Home, OR

September 10th / Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15k / Bellingham, WA

September 10th / Shore to Shore Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Chelan, WA

September 10th / Lake Stevens Olympic and Sprint Triathlons / Lake Stevens, WA

September 10th / Columbia Crossing Swim 1.5m / Pasco, WA

September 10th / Seattle Swim Across America 2m and .5m / Seattle, WA

September 10th / Dash Point Trail Half Marathon and 10k / Tacoma, WA

September 10th / Harmon Tap Room Hustle 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 10th / Sporty Diva's Half Marathon, 15k, 10k, and 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 10th / Cottage Lake Tri and Tri Again Sprint Triathlon / Woodinville, WA

September 11th / Pints to Pasta 10k / Portland, OR

September 11th / Rainier 5m / Ashford, WA

September 11th / Lincoln City Sprint Triathlon / Lincoln City, OR

September 11th / Max Muscle Vancouver Olympic and Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon / Vancouver, WA

September 11th / Skagit Flats Marathon and Half Marathon / Burlington, WA

September 11th / Run to Remember 5k / Salem, OR

September 11th / Iron Girl 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

September 11th / Moscow Mountain Madness Half Marathon / Moscow, ID

September 11th / Seattle Escape from the Rock Sprint Triathlon / Mercer Island, WA

September 11th / Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5k / Ferndale, WA

September 11th / Bandon Lions Cranberry Run 10k and 5k / Bandon, OR

September 11th / Best in the West Olympic Triathlon / Sweet Home, OR

Where's Waldo 100k 2011 Results!

2011-08-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

And Dave Mackey brings it home in 9:06:51. Wow. That's an 8:48 pace over 60 miles...going over three different peaks above 7000 feet. That's impressive.

Aliza Lapierre, all the way from Vermont, takes the women's crown, in 10:33:24.

Check all the results here and/or here.

The PR List!

2011-08-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

So maybe all of you "real" runners out there already have this...but I just spent some time working up my "PR" list. Of course, I'm not a spring chicken anymore, so I actually made two lists: one for "All-Time PR's" and one for "Masters PR's."

So obviously, not many of the Masters PR's are present among the All-Time PR's, but there are a few. One is the marathon, mainly because I've only run two marathons in my life, one before I was 40 and one after. Let me tell you, neither time is anything worth bragging about, but hey, when you're 44, any All-Time PR you can set is an accomplishment.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Anyway, I'd love to crack a few more of those All-Time PR's. The 5k and 8k times will be tough. Respectively, they're 14% and 20% faster than my best time as a Master. That's a lot. But the 10k and up are all very achievable. Well, I may never run a 50k again in my life, but considering that the one I ran in May (the Mac 50) had about 8000 feet of climbing, I'm thinking it may not be that hard to best that one.

Oh, and the Olympic Tri PR, which I already hold as a Master, looks like a good bet to be lowered as well.

This should be fun...

And 84 Days After the Mac 50...

2011-08-17T15:27:00.001-07:00

...the toenail finally fell off.

It's now floating in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Maui. Unless some lucky tourist found it and took it home as a souvenir. Let me tell you, that baby is better than a stinking seashell any day of the week!

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 29th TO SEPTEMBER 5th (Labor Day!)

September 3rd / Stumptown Long-Course Triathlon and Duathlon / Fairview, OR

September 3rd / Umpqua Ultimate Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / Sutherlin, OR

September 3rd / Sole 2 Soul Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Delco, ID

September 3rd / Garden City Olympic Triathlon / Missoula, MT

September 3rd / Sunriver 5k for a Cause 5k / Sunriver, OR

September 3rd / Bonney Lake Labor of Love Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / Bonney Lake, WA

September 3rd / Over the Narrows 10m / Gig Harbor, WA

September 3rd / North Bend Multicross Sprint Triathlon / North Bend, WA

September 3rd / Titanium Man Olympic Triathlon / Richland, WA

September 3rd / Parkland Pace or Race 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 3rd / Lake Padden 10.35m Run / Bellingham, WA

September 3rd / Harbor Days 6m / Olympia, WA

September 3rd / Run the Dam Loop 1/3 Marathon and 5k / Cottage Grove, OR

September 3rd / Pocatello Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Pocatello, ID

September 3rd / Soaring Eagle Park 50k, Marathon, 15k and 8k / Sammamish, WA

September 3rd / PCT Bunker to Bonneville 50k Trail Run / Bonneville Hot Springs, WA

September 4th / Port Townsend Trail Run 4m / Port Townsend, WA

September 4th / Steve Braun Memorial Sprint Triathlon / Orcas Island, WA

September 4th / Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon / Carlton, OR

September 4th / Eugene Women's Half Marathon / Eugene, OR

September 4th / Sunriver Marathon for a Cause Marathon and Half Marathon / Sunriver, OR

September 4th / Stumptown Olympic Triathlon and Duathlon and Sprint Triathlon / Fairview, OR

September 5th / Labor Day 5k / Tigard, OR

September 5th / Labor Day Half Marathon and 4m / Woodinville, WA

September 5th / Little Cross Trail 5k / Pasco, WA

September 5th / ORRC Wildwood Trail Trial 10k / Portland, OR

September 5th / Sagebrush Skedaddle 10k / Redmond, OR

Why Is Running So Damn White?

2011-08-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

Very interesting article, from the Anniston Star, of all places (it's in Alabama, I checked), about how the sport of running is very...white. And also educated and wealthy, but mostly white.

Now, if you're a regular reader of the R's, you know how I feel about the way the sport of triathlon is heading. It's becoming a rich, white-man sport, much like golf or skiing. I absolutely hate it, but that's the way I see it going. When you have to spend $5000 just to compete with the rest of the crowd, there's something wrong with the sport.

But running? The writer at the Star, Tim Lockette, actually does a pretty nice job of trying to check all the angles. It's not easy to understand. I mean, running isn't triathlon. Running isn't pricing anyone out. If you've got a pair of running shoes, you can run. Another $25 will get you into most races. That's pretty good.

So why is running so white? I mean, 90% white. The running community is under 2% African-American. That's sad.

And it's a harder fix than triathlon. With tri, you can almost write the whole sport off. If you don't have money, choose another sport. Period. But that's not the case with running. There's no money issue. So...how do you fix the problem?

And I do think it's a problem. I love running. I want other people to love running. I don't want barriers to keep people from enjoying my favorite sport. If America is made up of 64% white people, 13% African-American people, 8% Hispanic people...then those are the numbers that should make up American running crowds! If not, why?

I don't know. But if you've got a great idea, let's hear it.

Well, you'd think I would have expected it, but...just try to find a decent picture of a distance run with a runners from a bunch of different races. Good luck. The front-runners at Boston, yes. A picture of the other 99% of the races run in America, not so much. I finally gave up...as you can see.

Strap Your Melon In!

2011-08-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

Good article here by Joseph Rose at the Oregonian. A lot of people have been hit, and yesterday, killed, by cars while riding bikes in Portland lately. And frankly, everywhere. It's always going to be a bit of a challenge for bikers and drivers to share the road - I don't know if that will ever change. But one thing we can change is the practice of wearing a helmet. It's pretty simple: wear one. Every time.

I don't know about where you live, but Corvallis only makes kids wear helmets - adults do not have to wear a helmet. Dumb. I say make it a law that everyone on a bike has to wear a helmet, stop the arguments, save some lives. But that doesn't seem to be the trend these days. So don't be an idiot - wear your helmet.

Oh, and if you want to go make fun of the goober from Rose's article with the "No Helmet Manifesto," please do so. His name is Dave Feucht and his baseless generalizations and hopeless rationalizations would be funny except that they could lead people to kill themselves on a bike.

Fight the good fight.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 22nd TO AUGUST 28th

August 25 / Sternwheeler Days 10k and 5k / Cascade Locks, OR (Thursday Race!)

August 26th / Run the Fair 5k / Salem, OR (Friday Race!)

August 27th / Priest Lake Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / Priest Lake, ID

August 27th / Aumsville Corn Festival Fun Run 5k / Aumsville, OR

August 27th / Cutthroat Classic Trail Run 11.1m / Winthrop, WA

August 27th / Mesa Falls Marathon and Half Marathon / Ashton, ID

August 27th / The Dirty DASH Boise 10k / Boise, ID

August 27th / Run Like a Dog 5k / Olympia, WA

August 27th / Quest for the Capitol Olympic Triathlon / Boise, ID

August 27th / Kitsap County Fair and Stampede 5k / Bremerton, WA

August 27th / Hells Gate Sprint Duathlon / Lewiston, ID

August 27th / Beaverton Fun Run 5k / Beaverton, OR

August 27th / Run a Muk 10k and 5k / Mukilteo, WA

August 27th / Canby Charity Half Marathon and 10k / Canby, OR

August 27th / Camano View Dash 10k and 5k / Camano Island, WA

August 27th / Eugene Celebration Mile / Eugene, OR

August 27th / Brave 5k / Seattle, WA

August 27th / Highway to Well Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Pendleton, OR

August 27th / Bellingham Youth Sprint Triathlon / Bellingham, WA

August 27th / Lake Sammamish Sprint Triathlon / Issaquah, WA

August 27th / La Center Our Days 5k / La Center, WA

August 27th / Seattle Marathon 10k / Seattle, WA

August 27th / Dwight Dash 10k and 5k / Spokane, WA

August 28th / Raise the Bar Lake Meridian Olympic, Sprint and Super Sprint Triathlon / Kent, WA

August 28th / Alki Beach 5k / West Seattle, WA

August 28th / Art and Air Festival 10k and 5k / Albany, OR

August 28th / Triathlon Eugene Olympic+ and Sprint+ Triathlon / Eugene, OR

Photo by The Oregonian.

Best Running Song for August!

2011-08-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Now personally, I listen to fast, uptempo music pretty much 100% of the time when I run. Slower stuff just doesn't do it for me. It basically just reminds me about how much pain I'm in.

But that's me. I know other running type people folks actually enjoy a slower song once in a while, especially on a long run.

So, thinking of you, as I always do, and because it was one of our favorite songs while in Hawaii, here's a running tune that's just a bit slower, but still ohsogood.

So here's Collie Buddz and his super-smooth "Holiday." Collie is from Bermuda, and the proximity to Jamaica definitely paid off.

Man, this song is just so, so good. If you're feeling a bit down, this one will totally perk you back up. It's also a great song to put on the speakers if work is getting just a little stressful. This one puts your mood right back on the islands.

Enjoy!

Past Best Running Songs:
July: Pretenders / "Tattooed Love Boys"
June: The Wombats / "Moving to New York"
May: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros / "40 Day Dream"
April: Foxy Shazam / "Unstoppable"
March: Pharrell / "Fun Fun Fun"
February: Puff Daddy / "Come With Me"
January: We Are Scientists / "The Great Escape"
December: Cee Lo Green / "F**k You"
November: Tokyo Police Club / "Breakneck Speed"
October: Two Door Cinema Club / "Something Good Can Work"
September: Stone Temple Pilots / "Cinnamon"
August: Louis XIV / "Guilt by Association"
July: Devo / "Fresh"
June: Saliva / "Your Disease"
May: Metric / "Gold Guns Girls"
April: OK Go / "This Too Shall Pass"
March: The Hours / "Ali In The Jungle"
February: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs / "El Matador"
January: White Rabbits / "Percussion Gun"
December: Deftones / "Knife Prty"
November: The Kooks / "Always Where I Need To Be"
October: At the Drive In / "One Armed Scissor"
September: Silversun Pickups / "Lazy Eye"
August: Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros / "Johnny Appleseed"
July: Deathray / "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)"
June: Raconteurs / "Salute Your Solution"
May: Tea Party / "Save Me"
April: Bloc Party / "Like Eating Glass"
Ever: The English Beat / "I Confess"

Triathlon is Like Russian Roulette?

2011-08-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Holy moly, Loretta! You've got to be kidding! Russian Roulette?

Yes, it is, according to one Scott Stringer, who apparently is something called a Manhattan Borough President.

If you haven't heard, two athletes died during the Nautica New York City Triathlon last weekend (article here). Now there's no doubt that's a horrible tragedy. But can we have just a little perspective here?

Meth is like Russian Roulette.

Smoking is like Russian Roulette.

Hell, even driving is a bit like Russian Roulette.

But triathlon is absolutely, positively, nothing like Russian Roulette.

Yes, that's a photo of Mr. Stringer himself...in all his glory.

Habitat Half Marathon Coming Fast!

2011-08-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we've got quite a gap here between races in the EPIC 2011 series: almost six weeks between the Out to the Ballgame 5k and the Habit for Humanity Health Heart Home Half Marathon Trail Run (yeah...let's just call that one the 6H Half). But this is no time to slack off on the training! The 6H Half (or 10k or 5k if you wish), is a beast of a trail run. It's basically just about half of the Mac 50 course, so yeah, it's tough!

With that in mind, the R's hit the Bald Hill trails today for a little hill work. It was a good hard 11 miler, two trips up Bald Hill, with about 1000 feet of climbing. Good for what ails ya!

You've got about four weeks of training left before the 6H Half - get on those hills!