A sore Achilles tendon had me lay off running this week, but I'm heading out today (Thursday, March 29) for a brief warm-up prior to the next "Running in 50 States" challenge. This one takes place on Sunday, April 1 in the streets and by-ways of San Francisco, where I'm heading this weekend to take in the once-in-a-life time chance to see the restored silent film epic 'Napoleon' (1927) in a theater with a live orchestra.
While I'm there, why not cross California off the running list? And so I will, I hope. I've mapped out an 8-mile route that follows the perimeter of San Francisco International Aiport, which is near where I'll be staying. The plan is to rise early on Sunday and get out on the streets before traffic materializes. Some of the roads look like they don't have sidewalks or even a lot of room for running, so Sunday morning is probably the best time to tackle this route.
If I complete the loop and stay out on the roads for at least 90 minutes, then I'll be able to count California as State #3! Only 47 left to go...
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Saturday, March 24: Epping 5K (#131)
The 2012 running season opened today with a strange one: the "2nd Annual Pursuit of the Holy Grail," a 5K that winds through the streets of Epping, N.H., ending in the parking lot of the Holy Grail, a local restaurant and pub. We've just come off a week of record-breaking heat (temps in the 80s!) so this morning's mroe seasonal weather seemed cool, which meant a good day for running.
The unusual part of this race (besides some runners costumed as if they were part of King Arthur's quest) was that it was point-to-point, a rarity in New Hampshire. I didn't know this, so drove to the starting line way out in rural Epping only to be told that registration was back in town at the Holy Grail, after which you take a school bus shuttle to the starting line.
Sheesh! So, with 15 minutes to go, I jogged back to the car and then sped to the Holy Grail, where I registered ($28, a steep entry fee) and caught the very last school bus to the start.
Although I was hoping for a strong time after being able to keep running all winter, a few things worked against that. For starters, I didn't have time to stretch out very much, and in doing what I could prior to the start, I stepped off the road and into a cold wet patch of ground that soaked one foot. Once we got running, this put something of a crimp in my style, and then my right Achilles tendon felt a little sore, so throughout the race I felt like I wasn't able to loosen up.
And then the lace on my left shoe came undone no less than three times! Bad karma.
End result was that I finished at 30:17, or a 9:45 pace, slower than I'd hoped after a whole winter of continuous running. Not sure where I was in the pack but I'll add that when results come in. For now, the 2012 season has begun!
P.S. Posted results have me placing 298 out of 463, a huge field!
The unusual part of this race (besides some runners costumed as if they were part of King Arthur's quest) was that it was point-to-point, a rarity in New Hampshire. I didn't know this, so drove to the starting line way out in rural Epping only to be told that registration was back in town at the Holy Grail, after which you take a school bus shuttle to the starting line.
Sheesh! So, with 15 minutes to go, I jogged back to the car and then sped to the Holy Grail, where I registered ($28, a steep entry fee) and caught the very last school bus to the start.
Although I was hoping for a strong time after being able to keep running all winter, a few things worked against that. For starters, I didn't have time to stretch out very much, and in doing what I could prior to the start, I stepped off the road and into a cold wet patch of ground that soaked one foot. Once we got running, this put something of a crimp in my style, and then my right Achilles tendon felt a little sore, so throughout the race I felt like I wasn't able to loosen up.
And then the lace on my left shoe came undone no less than three times! Bad karma.
End result was that I finished at 30:17, or a 9:45 pace, slower than I'd hoped after a whole winter of continuous running. Not sure where I was in the pack but I'll add that when results come in. For now, the 2012 season has begun!
P.S. Posted results have me placing 298 out of 463, a huge field!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Another state, and another season
This year's race season starts tomorrow for me with a 5K in Epping, one of the closer towns (about 30 minutes from my front door) that I've yet to complete a race in. Thanks to the winter without snow, I'm in a pretty good place, I think. We'll see tomorrow.But last Sunday I did an 8.3-mile run in Syracuse, New York, which makes the Empire State No. 2 in my quest to log a minimum 90-minute run in all 50 states. (The first was Kansas, which I got last month.)
I was in Syracuse for a Cinfest, a vintage film convention (see www.jeffrapsis.com about that) and took advantage of freakily warm and dry weather on Saturday, March 17 to go on a long steady run from my hotel out the Syracuse Airport and back.
Airport action: Kinda quiet on a Saturday afternoon. A couple jets on final approach, that's all.
A big loop, several bad intersections, but nothing terrible. Surprisingly strong late afternoon sun for St. Patrick's Day. Kind of nice to plod around the outer edges of a strange town with only my hotel key and a hand-drawn reference map to guide me. But it worked.
Which state will be next? Well, a quick trip to San Francisco next weekend will provide an opportunity. And if I do one a month, I can pick up the six New England states this summer...
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Few new towns on this year's calendar
It's March, and two of our dogs are about to take me on a four-mile run around our neighborhood. First, a few notes.
It's getting to be mid-March, and I'm surprised at how few races are scheduled in towns I haven't run. In prior years, by now I'd be sorting through a list of 15 or 20 communities for the coming season. This year -- just a handful. And that's out of six pages of listings on www.coolrunning.com.
So I really have entered a new phase of this quest. If I'm going to finish it by May 14, 2016 (see below), this is the year to start systematically setting up my "do-it-yourself" 5K courses. The goal: a minimum of 30 communities this year.
To do this, I need to make 15 trips, as my method will actually be to run a minimum 10K, only half in one town and half in another. To do this is quite easy: all you have to do is find where the border is marked between two towns (New Hampshire is pretty good at that), then measure off 2.5K (or 1.6 miles) in each direction.
So then, starting right at the border, you go into Town A a distance of 2.5K, then turn around and come back. That gives you a solid 5K in Town A. But then you cross the border and keep going into Town B, into which you run 2.5K, then turn around and head back. When you reach the border, hey presto -- another 5K done! And you're standing right next to your car.
Two advantages to this method: I can start any time I want, and no registration fees! So I can squeeze them in quite early, say, and still have most of the day free. (Plus I can take the dogs along.) And there being no races this weekend, and the weather being fairly nice, I might start early tomorrow with two towns, Brookline and Mason, and see how it goes.
Running in every state: Next up is New York State, which will happen while I'm roistering in Syracuse from Wednesday, March 14 through Monday, March 19. This will bring my total up to two out of 50. Well, you've got to start somewhere, and if the goal is to motivate me to workout while staying in a comfy hotel room, well, then it seems to be working, right?
It's getting to be mid-March, and I'm surprised at how few races are scheduled in towns I haven't run. In prior years, by now I'd be sorting through a list of 15 or 20 communities for the coming season. This year -- just a handful. And that's out of six pages of listings on www.coolrunning.com.
So I really have entered a new phase of this quest. If I'm going to finish it by May 14, 2016 (see below), this is the year to start systematically setting up my "do-it-yourself" 5K courses. The goal: a minimum of 30 communities this year.
To do this, I need to make 15 trips, as my method will actually be to run a minimum 10K, only half in one town and half in another. To do this is quite easy: all you have to do is find where the border is marked between two towns (New Hampshire is pretty good at that), then measure off 2.5K (or 1.6 miles) in each direction.
So then, starting right at the border, you go into Town A a distance of 2.5K, then turn around and come back. That gives you a solid 5K in Town A. But then you cross the border and keep going into Town B, into which you run 2.5K, then turn around and head back. When you reach the border, hey presto -- another 5K done! And you're standing right next to your car.
Two advantages to this method: I can start any time I want, and no registration fees! So I can squeeze them in quite early, say, and still have most of the day free. (Plus I can take the dogs along.) And there being no races this weekend, and the weather being fairly nice, I might start early tomorrow with two towns, Brookline and Mason, and see how it goes.
Running in every state: Next up is New York State, which will happen while I'm roistering in Syracuse from Wednesday, March 14 through Monday, March 19. This will bring my total up to two out of 50. Well, you've got to start somewhere, and if the goal is to motivate me to workout while staying in a comfy hotel room, well, then it seems to be working, right?
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