Dream On

A 15-miler race that reminded me that the amount of runners that are nice and kind are the majority; that while I let a mean and rude runner I met in the lockers to screw up my race, I let another great woman to show me that I can do what I believe in and that she was there to help me.

Weekly runs in the dark, cold, and wet mornings, that are nothing but fantastic, with a more fantastic company.

A Friday long run, an 11-miler, to relieve all accumulated emotions from the Memorial of slain Trooper Tony Radulescu. I stopped the run only because I had to go to work; I wanted to continue kicking the asphalt because today we are here, tomorrow we don’t know.

A Half Marathon on Saturday, running the first half of the race with an adorable young woman. An unexpected PR of 2:06:03 in very windy conditions - up to 50mph, and with supposed tired leg.

Sing with me, sing for the year, sing for the laughter and sing for the tear. Sing with me, I’m just for today; maybe tomorrow the Good Lord will take you away. Dream On.

Bremerton 557. Out of Service. Gone But Not Forgotten

15-miler Ft. Steilacoom

With Ginger who rabitted me the last 3/4 of mile at 8 min/mile

Run For The Honeywagon Half Marathon. With my niece Angie, who falls into the perfect definition of A True Person

There Is Nothing Left, There Is Nothing Lost

I changed radically my way of training. Reason is that Big Sur is a hard course, hilly and windy, so I decided to add more mileage to my week, meaning I need to run more (duh). My races routine continues being the same, and honestly, I don’t think I will ever abandon it unless I am physically forced to. But, my week routine is very different. 

I am doing David Holt’s plan. He has 4 phases for a marathon, and each phase has a key work out. Instead of working a 7-day plan, the key work out is done every 4-5 days. Hills, for example, are the key work-out for phase I. So if I did Hills on Monday, I should do it again, on Fri or Sat. Then I rotate my days accordingly. This have added a lot of variety to my training and had diminished the boredom that I have had week after week, year after year: Tue: Speed, Thu: Tempo, Weekend: Long run.

I am also running at odd hours, rains, snows, or hails (never shines) an additional couple of 5-milers per week with Michelle, a new running partner. Michelle and I met 4 years ago through the blogging world, and though both of us live in Western WA, we never had the opportunity to meet in a race. We lived one hour far from each other, and she was more of an ultra runner and a well-deserved Marathon Maniac, so, there was not much of a common ground. But now she moved 3 miles from my home and she is not “ultra-ing” for now, so we have found that running together is an enjoyable thing, to the point, that waking up so early, and running in the rainy, cold, and windy darkness is pretty much unnoticeable. The only thing we notice in every run is that we are seizing the moment, thanking for the moon reflection over the sound, the smell of bark, or the salty smell that comes from the water. At the end, of the run, I only feel that sense of happiness for having done so.

As part of last week’s training, I did an anaerobic threshold workout in a 5K. It was a fantastic Saturday in Magnuson Park, at 39F/7C, felt like 31F/-1C with the windchill factor, and gusts of 40 mph. Lake Washington was very choppy, the cold was into our bones, but nothing deterred 400 Washingtonian runners. I ran very well with wind and all. My time was 26:32 for an 8:33 min/mile (My current PR is 26:19).

With this race I set my legs for a couple of back-to-back Half Marathons. Sunday at Birch Bay and Monday at Bothell for First Call President’s Day. Per David Holt you don’t need fresh legs for an easy long run, so an AT or VO2 max run could be done the day before, but not the other way around. The purpose of this back-to-back-to-back races was to tire my legs. I would run the Half slower than my regular pace, as I am not planning on getting injured. For those that follow Furman (Run Faster, Run Less), it is not recommended to back to back a speed workout with a long run. Reason is that Furman’s long runs are done at a hard pace. That’s why he has always a rest day between these workouts. Holt’s long runs are at easier pace.

I carpooled with Mike, a former boss. He and I have run several 5K together including Fremont Briefcase Relay. Mike is a great overall athlete: very good swimmer, biker, and runner. He’s done several sprint and Olympic triathlons and is currently training for Ironman Canada (Aug 2012). This was his first marathon ever. We drove very early and the 1h 45 min-drive passed by without much notice as we were catching up. Our races would start at the same time, and I would wait for him (his goal was 3:30). We wished each other well, and at 8 am we went into our adventure. I had a good run, letting my HR to dictate the pace. I certainly felt my legs, especially going down the long hill (mile 8ish), where my quads were pounding. It was cold and windy. At mile 10 my arms and hands were two pieces of ice stalactites. I clocked 2:17:11 for a 10:28 pace. My splits:

1-     10:16 – 143

2-     10:18 – 139

3-     10:31 – 148

4-     10:20 – 141

5-     9:53 – 142

6-     10:23 – 153

7-     10:40 – 160 (long uphill)

8-     10:28 – 155 (my quads couldn’t collaborate)

9-     10:33 – 143

10- 10:34 – 148

11- 10:51 – 146

12- 10:45 – 153

13-  9:37 – 166

I changed my upper clothes, dressed very warm, wool hat and all, and soaked my legs in coldy 46F/7C Birch Bay for 10 min. I don’t know how I could do it, but obediently I did. I was advised to do that to feel good for another Half the following day. After the soak I felt good already. Dried and changed, I talked to some volunteers while waiting for Mike. At 3:25 I was camera in hand to catch his first marathon finish. He crossed it in 3:29:02, and I was SO lucky (or good) that caught the image of Mike crossing the line with the clock and his official finish time.

He followed my advice of soaking his legs, though he didn’t feel like doing it for 10 min. We ate stuff we had for our trip and drove back to close Sunday with another fantastic race in our pockets.

I was very nervous when I woke up on Monday. I had never ran a Half Marathon two days in a row and I didn’t know what could happen. After socializing a bit, I started my new adventure, and let again my heart rate to dictate the pace. Guess what? Smart heart. It didn’t go to 80% as it always goes at the start of a 13.1 race. It settled in 70%, like telling me, you know what, there is no much power here, so let’s take it really easy. It was fantastic. I went along, and felt good. I wasn’t tired, or sore, or in pain. I just felt like in low gear. True that my HR couldn’t even go beyond 90% at the end when I always have some energy, but I never had that feeling “I want to end this”. I indeed felt good. I clocked 2:24:04 for an 11 min/mile. 

The song that played last on my iPod before finishing this run said it all:  “There Is Nothing Left, [but] There Is Nothing Lost".

1-     10:21 – 131

2-     10:43 – 132

3-     11:05 – 132

4-     10:53 – 135

5-     10:56 – 141

6-     10:56 - 139

7-     11:12 – 139

8-     10:54 – 145

9-     10:55 – 144

10- 10:48 – 151

11- 10:45 – 152

12- 11:07 – 162

13- 10:46 – 166

02/18/12 - 5K Magnuson Park - Presidents' Day

Soaking my legs in Birch Bay cold waters

Mike crossing the finish line.

Mike's turn to soak his legs

02/19/12 Mike and I with our corresponding bling

02/20/12 - First Call President's Day Half Marathon 02/20/12

With Stephanie at First Call - Presidents' Day

Million Inch Run With The Company Of Your Beautiful Soul

When February knocks my door, the anxiety swells up and overflows; dreams pile up, and I can see you, talk to you, and even touch you. My soul is blissful because you are there. Then, when the dawn breaks, the anxiety is still there, but the dreams are gone, and the soul is saddened.

From the 1^st of the month, every clip of your life’s picture is rolled before me, like a stream in slow motion. Every second repeats itself. And, then the 11^th comes, and the same punch I received that day, is felt again, with the same intensity, the same pain, and the same uncertainty on what the impact would be.

A Million Inch Race, almost 16 miles/26K, are ahead of me. I will do a solo within a race; a solo with you and Serrat in the background; a solo to memorialize the third anniversary of your unexpected departure. Serrat will be there describing you in each of his songs, reminding me the past days, the joy, the smiles, the sharing, and our Locos Bajitos, that are neither locos, nor bajitos. I think about the race and divide it in 4 segments of 4 miles each. Low heart rate the first four, and increase it each four miles.

Serrat is sweet as always has been. I remember the tape with his music that I gave you back in early 1982, and that our beloved Ale keeps close to her heart; and the tape that we recorded to listen during Ale’s birth.  I transposed to the Teresa Carreño back when we went to see him. The final ovation was out of this world. Serrat closed again, and again, and again, to finally end his concert with Cantares in Catalan. Our hearts were swollen by that sentiment that only Serrat could produce in our lives, because Serrat was an important part of our lives. But nothing like the Locos Bajitos, your tears when you heard it for the first time. And I think of our kids, and I know  you gave them all the love and teachings you could give them. And they treasure, and will always treasure what they received from you through “the lukewarm milk and each song”. And the race continues, and my body feels good, though my heart is crying.

I am in the second phase of the race. I increase the pace and adjust the heart rate when Elegia plays. With each lyric, my heart cracks. Tears come streaming down my face along the Green River Trail. The time passes and with the inches of the race, the memories continue flowing one after another. It’s a good run. I hit the turn around and adjust the HR for the third phase. My system is in harmony.

Serrat talks to me, and tells me beautiful things. I elevate the HR and start passing people now. The HR strategy is working, again.  I am full of memories from a beautiful past. Señora… you wanted to sing that so much to my mom, and in your own and unique way you did. And your forever image is present: Un Soñador de Pelo Largo, a Long Hair Dreamer that departed too soon, but will forever be in the hearts of those that loved you.

4^th phase of the race, and I crank up the HR. The run is fantastic. 2 miles from the finish line I see two guys in the distance that were way ahead of me. I am getting closer and closer in no time. My HR is at 176 and I can't believe I am so strong at the end. I assume they are hearing my steps because one of them keeps looking over his shoulder. The distance between us is rapidly shortening. I pass them and my legs are in total control; it’s only a matter of keeping the HR also in control. I am now one mile away from the finish line. I passed another guy half a mile to go. I am strong as I can be. Serrat sings “Who will close my diary when the last day of my calendar arrives?” And my answer is: I won’t do it, because your calendar will stay open forever and ever in my heart.

I see the finish line, and successfully cross it for a 10:12 min/mile pace.

It was a race full of emotions, memories, and love; eternal and the purest of the loves. It was a Million Inch Run With The Company Of Your Beautiful Soul.

Rest in peace, my beloved Luis.

Your beautiful smile

With your loco bajito David

With your loco bajito Diego

With your loca bajita Ale

With all your locos bajitos, David, Diego, Ale, and Camila

________________________________________________________________

Mile Splits

1- 10:15 – 144

2- 10:30 – 143
3- 10:20 – 149
4- 10:15 – 152
5- 9:52 – 155
6- 10:16 – 158 (Gatorade stop)
7- 10:08 – 156
8- 10:10 – 155
9- 9:56 – 160
10- 10:07 – 162
11- 10:24 – 162 (Gatorade stop)
12- 10:04 – 166
13- 10:03 – 160
14- 10:16 – 166
15- 9:23 – 174
15.78 - 8:50 - 171