A Silver Strider

Week 12 - Phase I - Build up - Core Workout: Hills
 07/16/12 - 07/22/12
 Week Total: 48.5

It was an honor for me to be selected as the "covergirl” for a Washington State running magazine in its July-August 2012 edition. Jerry and Betty Dietrich are the publisher/editor of this magazine which conveys the voice of runners and walkers above 50.

And some youngsters would say... "Fifty+? That's old."

Maybe.

Nowadays, runners older than 50 are running amazing distances, amazing mileage, and amazing times. As a fact of life, we are born, we age, and we die. As we age, our health deteriorates. This deterioration, depending on many variables, can be fast or slow.  There are variables that we can’t control, but this community of runners knows that for the variables that we can control, we control them with grace, discipline and perseverance... and a few running gadgets.

In many cases speed and level of fitness are not lost because of aging, but for lack of training, and for many of us old runners, racing long distances, running high mileage and/or running fast is not impossible, but a time-after-time accomplishment.

I am more than impressed and proud for what we "old" people are able to do, whether we run fast or slow, whether we have a 20-min or a 2-hour run, whether we run a 5K, a marathon, a 24-endurance run, or a 100-mile race. 

Running keeps us alive, gives us fuel, mental health, physical fitness, courage, satisfaction, and pride. The pride of being nothing but A Silver Strider. 

The Silver Strider - July-Aug 2012

Betty Dietrich (Left), The Silver Strider Editor - Judy Fisher (Center) - Lizzie Lee (Right)

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Week 12 - Phase I - Build up - Core Workout: Hills
 07/16/12 - 07/22/12
 Week Total: 48.5

Week Races:

Wed 07/18/12 - IRC Summer Series

5K Personal Record by 52 seconds. 23:08 - 7:27 min/mile. That puts me 35 seconds away of National Level. I went tonight to race the race with all my heart and I did. I got 1st place in the division and 3rd female overall. I was on the toes of a High School girl for the whole 2nd mile. She knew I was breathing on her neck. At mile 2.6 she sped up, I couldn't get her. At the finish line we shook hands and she said: You pushed me. I told her: You pulled me!

Mile 1 - 7:10 min/mile - HR 96%
Mile 2 - 7:41 min/mile - HR 97%
Mile 3.1 - 7:31 min/mile - HR 99%

Interurban Running Club Summer 5K - Age group winners

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Sat 07/21/12 Lakefair Olympia Half Marathon

I went for a PR, and I got it (not by much), 14 seconds for a 1:52:23 (8:35 pace). I ran hard. Perfect strategy, perfect course, decent weather (a bit warm/muggy – 59F). Great negative splits (next time 1st mile won't be 79%). Won the division, a nice beer mug.

Strategy Mile 1 – 80% / 2-6 - 80% – 85% / 7-10 – 86% – 90% / 11-12 – 90%-95% / Mile 13.1 – All out
1- 79% - 9:10
2- 85% - 8:56
3- 84% - 9:02
4- 85% - 8:59
5- 86% - 8:55
6- 86% - 8:40
7- 91% - 8:30
8- 92% - 8:30
9- 93% - 8:25
10- 91% - 8:37
11- 95% - 8:01
12- 95% - 8:00
13- 98% - 7:47
13.1- 99% - 0.47 (7:49)

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Sun 07/22/12 SummeRun 5K

My third race of the week. 5K SummeRun benefiting Marsha Rivkin Foundation for Ovarian Cancer. Race founded 18 years ago by my Doctor Saul Rivkin, the best oncologist and the most amazing doctor in Washington State, in memory of his wife Marsha and to fund-raise for the cause.

I ran strong, 23:32 - 7:35 min/mile pace. The race is run on one of Seattle's hills: First Hill. I got 2nd place in the division.

Mile 1- 93% - 7:39
Mile 2 - 95% - 7:40
Mile 3 -96% - 7:29
3.1 - 97% - 0:44 (7:29)

Dr. Saul Rivkin. The best oncologist in Washington State