Proud Dad

Son's first XC meet of the season: The race was fine, but this is more important: I am there barefoot, and intend to run cool-down with his high school team. Without prompting him to do this, I notice my son's XC flats are off and he is prepared to run the cool-down barefoot.  Now, as a good dad, I don't make a big deal out of this for fear of ruining it.  We're just chatting and being cool; and then spontaniously three other guys decide to run the cool-down barefoot!

Before we start the cool down, coach says something like, "Any of you guys cut your foot I'm gonna stick it in your eye," or something equally ridiculous.. .

We ran it barefoot, all grass. They guys liked it. All eyes and feet intact.

Training September 7 - 13, 2009

12 hours 21 minutes total time, 186.4 total distance = 168.5 cycling + 17.9 running. Ended the week today with 20:08 XC race, USATF-NJ 5K Championships, after a big workout day on Saturday of R5 & B44. Biked 43 miles after the race today. I need to do a duathlon!

While running today's race, I had little to no pain in my 3-week old broken toe. Wore Nike XC spikes. I can't complain about the time after so much cycling and so little running. I didn't feel aerobically challenged during the race, but I just could not run any faster. For example, a guy in my age group from Rose City Runners passed me in the last 100 yards, but I just could not notch up the speed to catch him. Our 50's team took 2nd, open won, and 40's were buried in 4th.

Workout summary below:

Summer Series XC #2 & My Birthday Party

I ran Summer Series #2 in my Nike XC spikes last night.  There were parts of the course where all the recent NJ rains have caused erosion and the exposure of random rocks and other scree.  I would have had to slow down a lot if I ran barefoot.  But it was very hot and humid last night and I am not acclimated because it just hasn't been hot this spring.  The spikes felt so heavy and hot I really wanted to stop and rip them off my feet.  I won my new age group, at least.

The greatest thing about last night was everyone in my running club that made it special for my birthday.  The race directors, Doug and Janice, gave me bib number 50.  They announced it at the start line and gave me a special start line about 10 yards ahead of everyone else.  It felt so unfair but it was humorous.  There was another former president, IronPete , that shares my birthday, but 10 years younger.  He got a head start too, as well as bib number 40.

After the race there was the singing of Happy Birthday and an absolutely wonderful birthday cake, made by Rebecca T.  It was an amazing work of art that is cheapened by text description: It was totally themed with icing as a plush mountain with a path to the top on one side.  The path had shoes cast aside and bare footprints passing milestones marked 35, 40, 45.  Over the top, the other downhill side had a gray rocky barren down-hill path with animal bones and skull exposed.  Rebeca spent like 10 hours creating that.  She should do that for a living!  And she cut it up herself.  (You might be able to see pics of it on Facebook.)

Finally, Chris L had people chip in for a gift last Saturday.  What a guy!  They got me Vibram Five Finger KSO shoes.  I had been wanting them for a long time but have been too cheap to buy them.  So that was wonderful.  Of course we hung out and drank some beers as always.  It was absolutely the best 50th birthday I could have ever wanted!

RVRR Summer Series XC #1 Barefoot - June 9, 2009

My last three races were marathons.  MARATHONS!  They were Philly in November of '08, The Watchung Winter Ultra in January '09 (in which I fell and broke my rib), and Boston in April '09.  The last time I ran a 5K it was the RVRR Summer Series #4 in August of '08.  So I have been mentally and physically prepared for nothing but big distance runs for more than 6 months!  I had two Tuesday track workouts in before this race, with two weeks of skipping them before this first XC race of '09.

So I ran this one on Tuesday night barefoot.  Finished in 20:17 for 4th in the 45-49 age group.  That time would have won 35-39 and 40-44!  Also note, this race comes just 3 days after the Towpath "Train"ing Run where I ran 27.3 miles.  (Perhaps I should not make an issue with that, because the winner of this XC race, Mike Dixon, ran the entire 34 miles of the D&R Towpath on that day.)  I didn't feel like being barefoot slowed me down at all!  I was surprised how I could run on the cinder path with no problem.  I did use the grass next to the cinder as much as possible.  My legs were definitely fatigued from the "Train"ing Run and my habitual lack of sleep.  I did not have much strength up old Red Barn Hill, but I felt I was cruising the flats very comfortably.

I am feeling a little Achilles strain on the left side after the race.  This may be because I have not done any fast running barefoot.  My track workouts were in spikes for the fast parts.  My average pace barefoot is 8:30-8:45 per mile.  My pace was 6:32 for the race.

I ran in Mizuno road race shoes last night to give my Achilles a little rest.  I need a day off.

The next RVRR Summer Series race is June 23rd, in two weeks, and it is my birthday party!

Genetics

My son was 4th man in his first high school cross-country meet.  Not too bad for a freshman, but his high school isn't exactly an XC power.  It was a double dual meet, and they lost against both teams.  He ran 22-something.  Better than he was running this summer at the summer series XC races.  There his best time was 24:57.  I ran about the course barefoot, taking photos of the team.  Any similarities in the photos below?

My Son, September 17, 2008

Me, H.S. Senior, Fall of 1976