Leaping Lizards

I just returned from the quad-annual(?) DCRRC Leap Year Tidal Basin 3K. I continued my very slow but steady recent improvement with a time of 18:32. Doesn't sound like much but when you consider I was somewhat pleased with a time of 18:59 just last week, I'll take it. I was speaking with Charlie Mercer before the race and he asked me what my goal for the day was. I told him 10 minute per mile pace, or about 18:36. He challenged me to break 18 minutes. I knew I couldn't do that today but his challenge did get me focused on breaking that 10 minute per mile barrier. So Charlie, if you are out there, thanks for the inspiration.


As always, I started the race too quickly. I find it difficult not too start too quickly in these small races (we had about 25 today) where just about everyone is at least good. I was running not far behind both Shirley Sameshima and Dee Nelson at about the 1/4 mile mark. They both usually run the 3K in the high 14's or low 15's so to be close to them given my current fitness level probably means I'm going out too fast. Sure enough, I was suffering as I ran across the first bridge and stopped for a quick walk break after getting across it.


I knew I had 1 runner behind me and if you know me you know I hate being in last place. So I started running again until just before the 2nd bridge. I walked for about a minute this time as I was having a tough time getting my breath. The trailing runner appeared right behind me so I was off and running again. I looked back for him about 2 minutes later and there was no sign of him so he must have stopped for a walk break himself.


I took my last walk break at the third and final bridge (are you detecting a theme?). It was a short break as I knew I was running very close to my goal pace and thus had no time to waste. That left about .36 miles to the finish. Fortunately, a decent wind was behind us at this point. I tried to maintain a steady pace coming in and then I increased my pace with about 80 yards to go. They called out 18:31 when I crossed the finish line but my watch actually showed 18:32 so I'm going with that.

I spoke to one of my favorite runners after the race, Peter Blank. After running in 163 races in 2007, he told me he was going to cut back in 2008. I had seen he had over 20 races completed for the year and I questioned his "cut back" plan. He said he had actually run 27 races but he was slowing down. I told him that didn't sound like someone cutting back but he explained that if he runs 3 races in a track meet on a Saturday, he is not running on Sunday. So I told him he was still crazy but at least it was a sensible crazy.

Next race is the Burke Lake 12K on Sunday. I have a love/hate relationship with that course...mostly hate. More on that next time.

I'm Back

No, I'm not quite dead. I just disappeared for awhile. seriously, I had no idea it had been so long since my last entry.

Here's where we stand as far as the running goals are concerned. Yesterday was the 58th day of the year and so far I have run about 76 1/2 miles. That's an average of about 1.32 miles per day...a far cry from my goal of 2 miles a day for the whole year. I am on pace for 50+ races for the year as I have completed 7 races so far and I have races planned for tomorrow and Friday.

I saw my orthopedics Dr. two weeks ago about the foot I broke back in October. It was still giving me trouble into February so I was concerned that it either wasn't healing correctly or perhaps there was more than just a break that resulted from my fall. After an examination he believes that I have the early stages of plantar fachitis. I am now wearing silicone heals in my shoes when I run to absorb some of the impact when I run. So far so good as I have run 4 straight days without pain. However, I took a lot of days off in January and February in attempt to let my foot heal so I have some ground to make up if I am to reach my initial goals.

On January 20th I ran the Tidal Basin 3K in 18:59, While significantly slower than where I believe I should be, it was my fastest 3K in several months. I am hopeful that I have turned the corner and that I'll start to see slow and steady improvement in my running going forwards. On a related note, I have also seen my weight drop about 8 pounds from it peak in mid January to about 202 pounds. Again, I have a long way to go here as well as I would like to get to about 185 pounds but it is a start. I have the DC Half Marathon in 4 weeks so I would like to be down to about 195 pounds when I run that. I think anything more than that will be very difficult to get around the course for 13.1 miles.

Finally, I am giving a great deal of thought to entering a sprint duathalon. There are several nearby that will be held in late April. I need to get on my bike and see if I have what it takes. More info on this to come later.

Until next time...