A Pirate Looks at 40 ~ The Birthday Post

Yup, it’s my 40th birthday. Not sure how that happened. Seems like it was just the other day when I was a kid in a party store looking at all the “over-the-hill” gag items. I remember thinking that that was like a million years away. Haha, it’s a lot closer now.

Thoughts from this morning’s run. I only received a few complaints form neighbors.

I was reading an article recently about how people tend to make major life decisions as they approach the end of a decade. For example, they said as you reach the age of 30, 40, 50, etc. you have a higher rate of suicide, or signing up for a marathon.

Well, I’d kind of like to keep on livin. So I guess I’ll choose the running option. Even though I’ve run some marathons, I’d like to run more…only faster!

One of this week’s runs. It’s like an upsidedown deflating birthday party balloon.

And yes, my birthday does fall the day after St. Pats. Which sounds cool, but in reality everyone is too worn to want to do any more partying. That’s ok though, I can kind of combine them.

Limited edition Guinness in my personalized PirateBobcat pint glass.

We’ll be celebrating later, but I’m not exactly sure what the party plans are yet. But I do know this, I need a cake hat like the boy had at his birthday.

We’re just a group of mouth-breathers.

The good news is that I’m now in a new racing age group! Hopefully I can be competitive!

In addition, it was pointed out that my Boston Qualifying Standard is a little slower now! Woo hoo! Now I only need to run a 3:15 marathon! That means I just have to run my 10k pace for for 42k…….er, uh, wait. I guess I have some work to do!

You have to be fast as a bearded unicorn to qualify.

I’ll leave you now with this. It’s some lyrics from the song that’s been stuck in my head all week:

Yes, I am a pirate two hundred years too late
Cannons don’t thunder there’s nothin’ to plunder
I’m an over forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late

-Jimmy Buffett from “A Pirate Looks at 40”

How bout you? Any milestone birthdays coming up/just passed? Did you get me anything? Ever run in your birthday suit on your birthday?

-Scott

Liberty 5k 2013 Recap

I did alright in this race.  I ran it last year and did ok, but it was really hot then.  I ran this race about 40 seconds faster in “cooler” weather.  I say cooler cause earlier in the week we had morning temps in the 60’s.  It was a heavenly break from the 104 we had the week before.  I was hoping for those same temps at this race.  It didn’t hold.  It was still cooler than normal, but at the race start is was in the upper 70’s and very very humid.  In fact, after my warm up run and drills I got in line for the race and saw some friends who asked if I had just poured water on myself.  No, it was sweat.  Uh oh, they said.  But like I said, it was still cooler than normal, so the heat wasn’t as much of a factor.

I forced my way to close to to the starting line for the gun.  That helped me avoid some of the typical clogs of slower runners, walkers, etc. who usually congest the start of a race.  That said, there were tons of youngins in this race.  Lots of cross country teams ranging from children to high school.  I got boxed in the first half mile behind some kiddos.  But no matter, I was able to hit my stride as the race thinned as the people who made the mistake of going out too fast quickly faded.

The race took us through a neighborhood.  I was able to pick other runners off one at a time.  I’d just pick someone up ahead and keep going till I caught them and eventually passed them.  That helped me keep my pace.  A few hundred yards from the finish I passed my final runner – a poor guy pushing a jogging stroller…up a hill.  I felt for him, but didn’t want to lose to a guy pushing a stroller…up a hill.  I kicked it in and finished at 21:51.  Basically my current PR.  Sure, back in the day I could run 18-19 minute 5k’s, but that was a while back.  Maybe I’ll get back there some day.  I’m certainly getting closer rather than further.

Posing with a patriotic trash can.

My 7:03 per mile pace felt good.  I was never out of breath, never felt like I was over doing it.  Sure, at the end my legs were burning a little, but nothing too bad.  It was good enough for 39th out of about 700 runners.  I came in 5th in my age group.  I hate my age group.  Why is my age group so competitive?  My buddy, in the same AG, finished with a PR in the mid 19’s…..he got 3rd in our group.

And can I just say, like I’ve said before, that last .1 of the 3.1 mile race is a punk.  You look at your finishing pace and think your finishing time should be 21:09, but no, that .1 added 43 seconds to the overall time.  Stupid metric system.

Anyway, it was a fun 4th of July race.  Saw LOTS of my running friends – many of whom won medals.  They once again had free beerskis after the race so we took advantage of that and sat on the North Texas version of a beach and chilled for a hot minute.  Good times.

Abby’s Run For Dandy-Walker Review

So last week I wrote a preview of this 5k race.  Now I’m writing the review.  As I said in the preview, my friend was the race director and the race benefits Dandy-Walker Syndrome.  The race is named for a little girl with the condition, coincidentally named Abby.  She was at the race, that was cool.

At the start. In a crowd.

The 5k took place in Frisco, Texas.  I’ve run quite a few races in Frisco, and I’ve spoken to quite a few of the race directors from those races.  From what I gather, the City isn’t always too cooperative with the race organizers and don’t like closing roads.  That’s the reason why so many of the races in town include multiple laps, 180 degree switchbacks, etc.  I’m assuming that’s why this race was a two lapper with one switchback.  I normally don’t like it when you have to run multiple laps because that means halfway through the race you have to pass by the finish line.  That always seems like such a tease!  But this race I hardly noticed it because at that point two people had caught me and I was trying to hold them off (I did!).  And I didn’t mind the switchback because it let me see how close the runners behind me were.

At the finish. All alone.

Why did it matter how close they were and why did I want to fight off other runners?  Because I wanted to do well in this race since I knew so many people involved with it and because I had lots of friends and families there.  I was lucky enough to finish officially 3rd overall and 1st in my age group!  Technically there was a friend of mine who beat me, but he was wearing another injured friend’s bib, so I guess his time didn’t count cause he’s not listed on the official results?  I still count it as finishing 4th for me.

Abby’s Run with Scott’s Finish places.

To be fair, it wasn’t an extremely competitive field.  This is only the second year for this race, and they’re still trying to make it grow, but talking to some of the organizers, they said they were very pleased with the turnout as it was waaaay more than they had last year.  I hope it can continue to grow!

And I was glad I ran a smart race.  I didn’t go out too fast like some others did who I later passed.  And I was able to be smart when we were running face first into the extremely windy wind!  I had done a warm up with my friend Brian, who won the race, and we previewed the course and strategized where to conserve energy and where to let it fly.  I stuck to the plan and it paid off!

Some of our group. We brought home some hardware!

I think they did a great job with the whole event.  It started with a one mile fun run.  And they had some trainers out there warming people up.  They also had a whole village set up with sponsors tents and activities for kids!  That was a cool thing that you don’t see much – a whole section devoted to keeping kids entertained.

But the coolest thing was how this race benefits a great cause.  And I was VERY proud to accept my medal for winning my age group because they were hand made by some of the children who are affected by Dandy-Walker.

I’ll treasure this one fo shizzle.

Each medal is unique and mine had a cool painting design on it.  I wish I knew who the kid was who made it so I could thank him/her.  Maybe next year!

 

Dallas Cup 5K #blog

This is the race that made me want to race…again.  For the past year I had been focusing on longer distances like full and half marathons.  My goal with those was to try to run fast, yes, but mostly to be in an upright position at the finish line.  After 3 halfs and 1 full in four months, I was ready for a break.  So I took one.  But then a month or two later, I ran the Dallas Cup 5K.

I ran it for a few reasons:  1) Some friends were. 2) It was close to my house.  3) It benefited a soccer organization (me heart soccer).  4) I don’t remember what 4) was.

But after months of mostly cruising along in my races, I was in for a shorter faster distance.  And there was a guy running who I find kind of creepy and I wanted to beat him.  And some of my elite friends (one of whom is going for the 2016 Olympics) were running, and that kind of inspired me.  And there were a TON of kids running.  OK, I don’t know how much they all really weighed, but there was a bunch, let’s say.  And the thing about kids, they don’t like to lose.  They take off like meatloaf out of hell at the start.  Can’t keep it up, so they walk.  But as soon as they hear your footsteps behind them they take off on a sprint….until they stop and walk.  Repeat.  I want to trip those little cuties.

But anywhoodle, all that inspiration made me push it.  I did not bad for not having done a lick of speed work.  22:28, 7th in age group.

I should have been holding up seven fingers.

With that little bit of limited success on limited training, the competitive bug re-bit me.  Since then I’ve been really getting into running.  I won’t ever be as fast as I was in high school.  And I won’t be elite.  But I can compete in my age group (and with creepy people from other age groups).  So it’s good to have that fire.

Peace out homeys!

Lovejoy Country Run 5K #blog

Going into this race I had one goal: To run under 22 minutes.  I hadn’t done that in a few years, and since I was taking a break from longer distances, wanted to work on my speed.  After doing track workouts for the past month plus, I hoped I could.  Spoiler alert: I did!  21:53.

Love, peace, and running grease.

It pleased me to reach my goal.  But I have a couple post race notes.

One – When I previously thought of a 5K, I always thought of it as a 3 mile race.  I never gave the last .1 miles much thought.  But then I looked at my average pace of 7:03 per mile.  In my mind I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t add up to a 21 minute TRT.  But then it clicked…that last .1 miles is  not a gimme.  It added almost a minute to my overall time.  Drats!  I don’t forget that in my races now.  13.1, 26.2, 6.2, etc. I’m not taking that last decibel for granted!

Two – I had looked up the previous year’s results for this race and I would’ve easily won my age group.  This year I finished 7th.  I was 41st overall.  That means in the top 40, 6 were from my age group.  That’s a tough age group.  That tells me two things.

One – You never know who is going to show up to any given race.  So results are never to be assumed.

Two – My theory is that my age group is one of the most competitive.  I think that in their 30’s people start to get into running to combat a slowing metabolism.  They start hitting their stride a little later on.  Keep in mind I don’t have any stats to prove this, it’s just what I’ve noticed.  So notice that.

All for now.  Love for all.  I’m out!