To Race or not to Race? How bout two Races?

2011 Redondo Beach Super Bowl 10k 

Free beer and a race or two sounds like the making of a good day.

I believe for the last 5 years now I have competed in the Redondo beach Super Bowl 10k.  This year marked the the 33 year of event that known to draw up to 10,000 people for its 5k and 10k combined.

Currently my focus  is on the Copper Canyons Ultra coming up March 6th.  My body is not a t full strength and I really wish to put forth good showing down in Mexico.  I wasn't  sure if I would be participating in the Redondo race until about Friday afternoon when I decided I would run the 5k.  Racing for just a few minutes was deffietely (well Hopfully) not gonna do my body any damage.

Both my nephews and my sister would be running the 5k. So since I'd be down there anyway I figured could hobble around the course and finish respectably especially if it meant I would recieve free beer afterwards.  (in years passed they gave out 2 Asahi's)

Saturday 

Luna Equus

My sister and nephew rode their bikes bikes down to the race to go pick up their numbers.  I was running late.  I jumped on my skate wearing My Luna Equus (you can't really skate in Flip Flop's but you can Luna's.)   trying out a different tape job for my foot that felt really comfortable.  I was flying at top speed and caught them about 1/2 way to the expo.  

The weather was perfect and made for a nice morning ride.

My sister has had this bike for over a year and it's the first time shes used it.  (perhaps  she will become a world class triathalete and we will look back to this day, when the gears were set in motion)

Superbowl 10k expo

My nephew scaled the wall twice as fast as the adult in front of him.  Probably because  his Uncle told him to take off his shoes.

Proud Mom

Southen California USTAF

Last year this event was the SoCal 10k Track and field Championship.  I ran both races in in 2010 (in Vibram Sprints) and couldn't get my calves to loosen  it time to run a decent 10k after the 5k.  

I found out that this year they switched it up and made the 5k  the Championship race.  Hmm maybe I' should try and run fast?  I hadn't yet renewed my dues for USTAF  ($30) I had planned on doing it online but forgot but  for once I got rewarded for my procrastination.  For signing up at the expo I scored a free dri fit track and field shirt

Enough with the boring prelude time for race day

Super Bowl Sunday

Smelliest person always has to sit in the back of the mini van

Guess who that is?

If you want good parking for the race you must show up well before the butt crack of dawn. (I haven't used that expression in a long time) We were parked and were ready to go by 6:30 a.m.

Gear

The gear I decided to use:  USTAF hat, Moeben Bamboo tank top, USTAF shorts, Moeben Black Sleves XS, Cep Calf Sleeves WS. On my wrist i used my trustyGarmin 310xt to track my progressI also taped both feet on my forefoot with a X pattern going over my plantar fascia and around my ankle.  

and of course I had on my Original Luna sandals with a leather top and leather laces

Eventually we crawled out of the mini van (because of the smelly dude in the back) to get ready for the race.

by the way check out my nifty Sweatshirt.  My sister got me some Bourbon Feet attire for my Birthday.  I've got a few Extra T-shirts black size large and XL.   If your interested shoot me an email and we can work something out.

Bourbonfeet@gmail.com

Close up of  T-shirt

I love that my nephews are still young enough to pose like a ballerina on command

While my family did some calistenics to warm up.  I began to size up my competition.

I cant tell if these guys are coming or going. They may be tough to beat.

Bud Man

He looks pretty strong.  Bud man may beat me in a steak eating contest 

(Perhaps this will be the first Microsoft paint  piece of art to hang in Louvre)

I call it

"Stone Gargoyle Running at the Redondo Beach 10k"
(clever tittle I know)

 But Bud Man doesn't stand a chance against a runner fueled on Stone Craft Beer.

Course map

I wished my family good luck before meandering to the front of the starting line.  I saw the usual array of local runners plus some dudes from out of town who looked pretty fast.  I think there was a $500 paycheck awaiting the winner which usually draws some good competition.  I did't  expect to win and really wasn't sure how my body was going to respond.  Because my body has not been 100% I have done very little training and almost no speed work.  I guess theres only one way to find out where you stand.

Time to Lace up my sandals and run.

Photo by Jared Thompson

Against this field my racing strategy was not going to hold up well but I went for it anyway. Jump out in front and when people start to catch me try and run faster.  That I did and i was going at a sub 5:00 min pace for the first half mile.  My legs felt more lethargic than I hoped.  I expected the competition to be faster but Nobody had yet asserted themselves as the front runner.  Right before making the turn up Herondo a a familiar face passed by.  It was the dude who beat me a The Conquer the Bridge race over the summer.

Photo by Jared Thompson

My legs were slowing fast and I think I finished the first mile at about 5:22.  Other runners began to pass me, My lack of adiquite training was starting to show and I felt like my body was carrying too much weight about 148 lbs.(maybe I've gotten to carried away with my Vegan Debauchery blog lol)

I had hopes of finishing around 16:30 and if everything came together maybe sub 16:00 but by the time I finished my second in 5:40 both of those desires became nothing more than wishful thinking.

As much as I though I wanted to push my body my competitive drive was not there. Perhaps my sub-contious was making me run cautious. I wasn't experiencing pain or injury  I felt soft.  Today listening to my my body was more important than giving it my fastest effort.

I took this pic later in the day, it was way foggier at the end of the 5k.

Sometimes these little 5k feel like they take forever and this was the case today.  I hype it up in my mind to be  over in an instant but when I am actually out there time seems to slow down.  During the  third mile I caught a little bit of tail wind finishing it in  5:28  and through the finishline in 9th place out of 3,308 with a time of 17:20

I was bummed at how slow I was and a little out of it when I crossed the finishline  after about a 5 second personal pitty party,  I got my act together, Inspired by the prospect of free beer awaiting  me.  I quickly ripped off my timing chip (possibly breaking it, whoops) and sprinted out of the finishers coral past the people hunched over who beat me (including that dude who won the bridge race who won this one as well)

Along my path volunteer armed forces tried to hand me water.  Why would I spoil my thirst on h20 when I could have beer?

Beer, Beer, Beer, Jiggly Beer Beer, Beer

Into the empty beer garden I ran to claim my prize, sadly instead of 2 beers they were only giving out 1 and it was Michelob Ultra (Kind of a beer water hybrid) About 4 seconds later it was gone and stopped my watch

18:55 3.4 miles.

I'm not sure how many people sprint to the beer but I was deferentially first and it was about another 10 minutes before the next person got there.  I wanted  a few more drinks but since I was the first one there the volunteers were sticking to their game plan.  Oh well.

Garmin data for 5k Plus beer drinking

I stuck around the beer garden for a few minutes talking to the local media, and signing autographs on girls boobs (maybe I'm getting a little carried away here). I had to return to the finish line to cheer on my family.

Nice Form

I got back just in time to catch my nephew Thomas finish his first real 5k.

He's like half the size of everyone surrounding him.

Finishing in 29:46

And he ran the race wearing Van's slip ons.

Both my my nephews have been members of the 100 mile club since they start of the school year.  They have been running a few times a week before school and will hit the 100 mile mark sometime in the next month or two.  They look forward racing are both getting stronger very quickly and really have a love for running.

Thank you

to 

Kara Lubin and the 100 mile club for helping make a difference in nephews lives.

I was really proud of my nephew and felt very privileged to be the first one to congratulate him at the finish line  He had ran so fast his glasses had fogged up.  

Having finished just one beer and one race.  My legs and feet felt pretty decent .  In a spur of the moment decision I decided I would earn my second beer the hard way and run the 10K that was going to start in less than 20 minutes.  I really din't think I was going to do both races but just in case I brought  a filled out entry form along with a blank check. As I have siad before (I rarely listen to myself).  I sprinted over to registration and signed up with just minutes to spare.

Lucas and my sister blissfully approaching the finish

I had to get to the starting line so I didn't get to see them finish but thankfully my good buddy Justin took my camera and snapped a few photo's for me

Congratulations Lucas.  I love the smile.

I know my sister would have liked to have gone a little faster but there's no way she would trade the experience running with here son for personal accolades.  They came in at 46:44 and I think thats pretty damn respectable for a 6 year old.

So I says to the Burke.

Since I got to the starting line a little late I really had to bob and weave my way to the front.
 I ran into my good buddy Mr. Hermosa 24 himself Christian Burke, as well as Danny Westergaard Annie Seawright and Allison Atkinson

I'm only about 1/4 second off the leaders 8 seconds into the race.  Unfortunately I kept close to that ratio through out the entire race.



World record centipede

Every year there is a centipede division and I always see that baby black poncho out on the course.  This year they went sub 35mins and set a world record.  You can see them pass yours truly at the 25 second mark

The year prior my calves were really locked up going into the second race but today they felt pretty decent.  A pack of runners jumped way out in front.  Catching them was out of the question.  The first 2 miles of the course are exactly the same as the 5k.  I was feeling good but running slow 5:51 and 6:02 about 50 seconds slower than the in the 5k.

 Interestingly the race was going by fast (unlike the 5k)  I felt like I could grind out this pace all day long if I had to.  I thought I was running in about 40th place and sometime during the 3rd mile this guy that looked like he was 100 years old cruised effortlessly passed me.  ("What the hells going on here.") My Ego was wounded but as much as I tried I couldn't overtake dude.  At one point he got as far as about 400 in front of me.  I finished the 3rd mile in 5:58

As the race progressed I tried to trick myself into running faster.  When I approached a hill I told myself "Pat your climber you better pass those guys."  When I hit the downhill "Pat you got long legs start spinning them, damn it." The strategy was working and I began to pass a few people but still couldn't catch the old man. I finished the forth mile in 5:53

I kept for some of my friends to catch me but they never did.  During the 5th mile out of nowhere I was passed by this absolutely gorgeous girl. (I had just been Chicked) But instead of damaging my Ego it inspired my labito :)  (i was more than happy to follow this girl all the way to the end of the Earth.  I now had tunnel vision and my sights were not on the finish line. :) I finished the 5th mile in 5:50 my fastest one of the race.

The body was holding up good and I started to enjoy myself.  I caught up to the old guy sailed passed him finishing  mile 6 in 5:51

A few more steps and I was through the finish line directly behind the first place woman in 23rd place out of 3,686 in 36:38.

Strangely the beautiful girl who beat me does not show up in the
 officially results.  Was she some kind of guardian angel? Was she a figment of my imagination?
If she was a figment of my imagination I sure hope I can conjure up that image at every race I run in the future.

The Luna Sandals felt great on my feet and the tape did it's job.

 "Dude the race is over."  Not for me it wasn't.

Once again time sprint through expo passed the soldiers and into the beer garden.  This time however the place was packed with 5k runners.  Doing my best emulation of a football player I dodged my way through the crowd and into the End Zone (I mean Beer Zone).   I was the first runner to the beers and this time I scored 2 before stopping my watch.

38.20 and 6.41 miles

I even had a few fans.  Perhaps they thought I was one of them

Total for the day

57:15  for 9.61 miles

+

3beers

Compared to last year my 5k was slower and my 10k was faster.

Garmin Data 10k
Official results

I got a few in the paper
Easy reader article

Somehow I found another beer in my hand which disappeared as faster than it had arrived.  I headed over to the track and field booth to see I how I finished in the which I had not checked yet.

Sweet

I scored a silver medal for 2nd place among USTAF members in my age group 

I saw my family at the finish line but since that's not where my race ended It was time to go find them

Along the way I ran into Christian Burke who finished a few minutes behind me

There they are

They were jumping for joy when they saw me approach.  Maybe they should run the 10k if they had this much energy left.

They are getting way to big for my scrawny arms, 

but

 I still love them.

2010 Vs 2011

It was a great morning although my speed was not as fast as I had hoped things are going in the right direction  and I am optimistic about the future.  

I came home for about about an hour before hitting the gym for a light work out and an hour in the sauna.  I wanted to stay longer but I had to get ready for the big game

Pic from summer Same Limo

I've been going to this same Super Bowl Party for years and always had a fun time.  Great food lots of booze  and I suppose a Television set.  No need to worry about drinking and driving Because my buddy was picking me up in his Limo.

The party had everytype of meat you could imagine. And about 10 types of light beer.
Pretty much the opposite of what I consume.  I made the best of it eating about 2lbs of fruit salad and countless wussy beers. Not surprisingly the one vegan was the skinniest  guy at the party.

Super Slow Pat from about 2004

Epilogue:
If you follow this blog closely you will notice that if I am serous about a race I usually have a really bad short hair cut.  I am the complete opposite of Sampson.  The longer my hair is the slower I run.  Right now my hair is about the longest it's been in 3 years.

 I have another 5k race this coming weekend down in San Diego County  sponsored by Stone Brewing Co.  I expect my hair will be a little shorter and my time to be faster.
and
This time I'll have real beer waiting for me and it's all you can drink.