Hope for the Hungry 5K

This morning, since I was at my parents' house in Salado, I decided to head over to Belton for the Hope for the Hungry 5K.  Hope has started these trail runs at their headquarters to raise funds for their ministry among the poor around the world.  I was not familiar with the organization until recently, when Danny Davis, an associate pastor at my parents' church in Salado and a long-time family friend, left his church position to go to work for Hope.  Check out their web site for details of their work: http://www.hopeforthehungry.org/.

I've known Danny since he was a baby.  I know I am on the short side, but we're on a slope here, so I'm not as short as it looks.

You may be wondering, "Paul doesn't run 5Ks, does he?  He only runs long trail races!"  True.  So I decided that to get my long run in, I would run to the race site.  The run there was nice.  I did hit a snag when my google map directions let me down.  That "bridge out" sign meant it!  So I had to backtrack and find my way there.  The run there was about 12.3, home was about 10.8, hot and slow.  Total mileage for the day, 26.3.  An ultramarathon!  (Barely!)

The race was a fun, 2-loop 5K through grassy fields, winding single track, and a little bit of dirt road.  Even with an 8 a.m. start, it was getting hot.  It would have been nice to have more shade, but we all need our vitamin D, right?  My goal was to come in under 30 minutes; I finished in 28:25.  I figure I could have run harder without my 12 mile warm-up.  I also thought I'd better hold back a bit so I wouldn't have to crawl home.  Still, I felt good about my pace and ended up second in my age group.

I met some nice folks.  Christian came out for his first 5K.  He's a sprinter, he said, so this longer distance was a challenge for him.  He did great, though, finishing a minute or so behind me, also second in his age group.

Christian, a fast 11 year old, ran a great first 5K.

Another runner had on a t-shirt that read "World Record Holder," so I had to ask what his record was.  Turns out he holds the record for most miles on a treadmill in 24 hours, over 160.  Sounds painful.  He also said he's getting ready to run Leadville and is training to qualify for the Olympics in the marathon.  More power to him!  (Here's an article about his treadmill record.)

I'll be watching for John's results at the Olympic trials!

I was home by lunchtime, was greeted by my kids and my nieces pelting me with water balloons, took the kids for a swim at the neighbors', and got to hang out with my parents and my sister and her girls.  All in all, a good day!

My cheering section on the way home.

Check out this awesome cactus tree!

Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel

Seeing this book and the subtitle, I was intrigued, yet skeptical.  If I follow my mind and run by feel, I will usually sleep in instead of run, and quit when I get tired.  I have a hard enough time meeting my goals without giving into laziness!  But Matt Fitzgerald offers up a slightly different way of thinking about training and running.

Reading Run made me realize that, while I have enjoyed reading many running books, the ones I enjoy most are the stories about people running, not so much the training or coaching books.  Run fits the latter category.  This book is directed at the serious runner, preferably one who has trained with a coach or a team.  Fitzgerald does give a nod to the casual runner at times, but the target audience seems to be the more serious running crowd.

That's not to say a back-of-the-packer like me can't benefit from his teaching.  To run by feel, run happy and confident.  Fitzgerald gives the example of Dean Karnazes, who loves to run long distances more than just about anyone, running for hours and hours just for fun (as well as to raise money and awareness as he did in his recent coast-to-coast run).  Then there's Haile Gebreselassie, who always runs with a smile.  (I reviewed a movie about him here.)  Confidence, Fitzgerald writes, comes from experience and training.  So, for instance, if my training runs have been at a certain pace, I have more confidence that I can run that pace in a race.

Fitzgerald seems not to be a fan of training plans, those schedules that tell you weeks ahead of time what you'll run on a particular date in preparation for a race.  However, unless a runner has a strong foundation from systematic training or coaching, or is one of that fraction of a fraction of a percent of us who is gifted with unusual speed or endurance, the running by feel plan will not get the runner race ready.  When we train with a plan or a coach, Fitzgerald would say that every day we need to be willing to alter or even eliminate that day's plan, depending on how we feel.

As a practitioner of minimalist running, I was heartened by Fitzgerald's embrace of minimalism.  He did dismiss the various stride training programs out there, like pose running and Chirunning, endorsing a simple change of footwear as a means to change stride:

The only common running technique flaw that exists at the level of gross motor coordination is that of overstriding, which is cause by the wearing of shoes and is best corrected primarily by addressing footwear, not by learning an entirely new way to run.  Indeed, I believe that if all runners ran barefoot, the various running technique systems would not exist. . . . Practicing running barefoot on grass, on sand, and/or on an at-home treadmill will get your neuromuscular system accustomed to making ground contact with a flat foot underneath the body's center of gravity.  Wearing the lightest, least cushioned running shoes in which you are comfortable in your everyday training will help you transfer your barefoot running form over to your shod running.

He claims that shifting to minimalist shoes changed his stride from heel strike to mid-foot strike and solved his runner's knee problem.  In fact, for running maladies in general, "eschewing pavement in favor of dirt is perhaps the most proven means of reducing injuries by reducing impact."

There's a lot of common sense in his book, and a lot of science.  But beginner runners need not apply.

My new running buddy. Not.

Last year we got a new dog.  He's a hyperactive poodle mix.  He runs around the house like a lightning bolt, jumps like he has springs in his legs, and always has tons of energy.  For grins, I decided to take him on a run.  I knew he wouldn't be able to make it for my usual 10K route, so I just set out for a mile around the lake.

Turns out he's more of a sprinter than a long distance runner.  He did OK for a few minutes, but began to slow significantly in less than a quarter of a mile.  I let him rest a moment, then proceeded to drag him while I ran a few hundred more yards.  He was trying to stop, so I picked him up and ran with him for a few steps before figuring out that was uncomfortable for both of us.  I put him back down and we continued around the lake, walking at a brisk pace.  Finally, after about 3/4 of a mile, he stopped.  Sat on the sidewalk and refused to move.  I picked him up and carried him the rest of the way home.  Oh, well.

Coco doesn't really get into posing for pictures.

Vibram Five Fingers Treks

I have been remiss not to give an update on my experience with my VFF Treks!  Short review: I love them!

You may recall that I had some not so great experiences with my VFF Trek Sports (read here).  I bought a pair of Trek Sports, and split a seam in less than 30 miles, got a replacement, and split the seam again in less than 30 miles.  I was pretty put out, but due to Vibram's generous return policy, I got my money back both times.  I finally found a pair of Treks and couldn't be happier with them.  Treks have the same sole as the Trek Sports and the same basic design, but they have a leather upper instead of the nylon mesh of the Sports.

So far, I have run a trail marathon (Cross Timbers) and a trail 50K (Toughest in Texas) in the Treks, plus a bunch of training runs on trails.  I don't know the total mileage, but they have held up well through it all.  I still love running in them, I just have to decide whether they will be sufficient for longer runs on rockier trails.  At the TnT 50K, when I was running with Joe P., I mentioned that I had met one of his Austin runners who was running in one of Joe's races in VFFs.  Joe's comment was, Yeah, but he hasn't finished those runs!  As comfortable as they are, they do lack the foot protection that many trail running shoes offer.  I may need to try another shoe for some of the runs on my calendar, but for shorter runs, and runs on trails that are less rocky, VFFs are the shoes for me.

A Quest for Adventure, by David Horton

Last year I wrote about the documentary The Runner, which followed Davd Horton's record-setting run of the Pacific Crest trail (my review here).  A few years before this effort, Horton set out to break the speed record on the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine.  A Quest for Adventure tells the story of his 1991 A.T. run, as well as his 3rd place finish in the 1994 Trans America race.  With daily dispatches from both runs, Horton and his co-author Rebekah Trittipoe give us a detailed account of what it took to finish both of these feats.

After watching The Runner, I was ready to lace up my shoes (or Velco up my VFFs) and follow Horton's footsteps on the trail.  The DVD has the benefit of both the visual element--the scenery was spectacular--and the time element--you get the whole experience in less than 80 minutes.  By contrast, after reading A Quest for Adventure, I was convinced that if I ever run or hike the Appalachian Trail, I will do it nice and slow, preferably in chunks.  And I don't think I ever want to run across the U.S. 

Horton does love to run, that's clear.  Unfortunately, the tone of Quest leans more toward pain, loneliness, and suffering.  Horton's wife was reluctant to send him away for the months the AT run would take.  He frequently speaks of how he missed her, of crying on the trail, of longing for home.  Some days he had someone running with him, but much of his time was spent running alone.  I'm sure the scenery was great, and the trails were great, but that paled in the misery of the long days (30-40 miles or more) day after day after day.  Even his finish in Maine seemed anticlimactic. 

OK, I've run the whole trail and set a new record.  Can I go home now?

At least the AT run was on nice trails and had a view.  The Trans America race was pretty much all pavement, with some nice views, at times, I'm sure (we live in a vast and varied nation with some beautiful sights to see), but running on the road all that time had to be a drag.  Some was on the shoulder of the interstate, some was even on highways with no shoulders, with 18 wheelers blasting by!  Plus, there was very little drama here.  After the first few weeks, the top spots were separated enough that the best the runners could do was to maintain their place.

Please don't hear me saying that I minimize or belittle the accomplishment of running across the U.S. or setting the AT record.  But I'm left asking, Why?  Horton, a Christian who teaches at a Christian university, speaks frequently about glorifying God in his accomplishments and relying on God's strength and provision.  He said he felt the prayers of his many friends and acquaintances who were praying for him, and he sensed God's answers to his prayers along the way.  I was reminded of the time I was deep into a 50 miler and asked God for his help to finish strong.  I clearly heard God laugh at me and say, "I never asked you to sign up for this race!  You're on your own, buddy!"  (OK, so maybe that wasn't really the voice of God. . . .)

During the Trans American run, David paused at the crossroads of the AT and the Trans America course.

Horton did give an idea of what a production each of these runs was.  In both the AT and the Trans Am, he had dozens and dozens of people crewing for him at one time or another.  And he doesn't go into a lot of detail about the expense, but it sounds like it definitely took some careful planning and budgeting to make these happen.  On the AT, he even washed dishes and cleaned to pay for some of his lodging!

The other striking thing is that he grew stronger through each run.  Rather than wearing him down, the daily runs built up his conditioning, so that he was running as strong, if not stronger, near the end as at the beginning!  Clearly, this type of feat is nor for everyone, but it seems to agree with Horton.

A Quest for Adventure may not be the most beautifully written or profound book you've ever read, but as a journal of 2 remarkable runs, and as a resource for those who want to take on such a challenge, it's worth a read.

More info on the book here: http://www.extremeultrarunning.com/quest.htm.

Justice Run done

Saturday I ran in the Justice Run at church, which I mentioned here.  I did a poor job of recruiting pledges, overestimated my readiness to put in big miles, and underestimated the heat factor.  In spite of that, we had a good time and raised some money to rescue young girls from the sex slave industry.

I started the day early, rising before 5 to leave the house and run to church.  I took an indirect route and got in about 15.5 miles before I got to church.  I took it slow and easy, maintaining a 10:30-11:00 pace, so I would have plenty in the tank for the run itself.  I got to the church with a half an hour to spare to get registered and rehydrated for the run, which was scheduled to start at 8:30.  I was waiting around for the start before I realized there wasn't really a start, just an open invitation to run whenever you want, so I took off a few minutes after 8:30.

I still ran pretty slowly, taking time to visit with friends who were running and to tarry at the aid station.  This was certainly more social than competitive, and many of the participants weren't runners, so there was a variety of paces and a lot of walking on the course.  It was nice meeting a new friend from NTTR, who came with 2 of her friends and her daughter.

After a few one mile loops, I realized I did not want to keep running in the heat to hit my 50K goal, nor did I think I could finish before 11:30, the stated stop time.  So I quit at 11:30 after having run 11 1-mile laps, bringing my day total to about 26.75 miles.  It wasn't a certified course, but using my Garmin mileage I'm putting it down as a marathon-distance run--a very slow marathon run!

Sorry, no pictures.  I should have at least taken a couple.  Many thanks to David Moore who organized the run, and especially to Kelly's parents for sending me my one and only pledge--and a generous one at that!  (If you still want to contribute, you can!  There are plenty of slaves needing redemption!)

Happy National Running Day!

What is national running day?  I don't really know. Here's a web site:
http://www.runningday.org/site/

Any excuse to encourage running is OK with me.  So go run!