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Posts from the ‘races’ Category

Apr 19

Boston Marathon The One Fund

Pledge to Run Boston Marathon 2014

If you sympathize with the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, please donate at The One Fund set up by Massachusetts Governor and Boston Mayor. The image of The One Fund is borrowed here to spread the word.

It’s been impossible to organize my thoughts about the tragic events happened and still happening in Boston this week and about the victims. Who would have thought such a horrible tragedy would begin at the Boston Marathon, where runners, volunteers and spectators were celebrating their love of running and witnessing fruits of their hard training. I feel sick to my stomach when I think the bombers were planning such an evil act when we, the runners, were getting to Boston, picking up their bib, and having a pre-race dinner with family and friends. Over 8,500 volunteers were working hard to make sure the second largest single day sporting event would go smoothly. Family and friends of the runners and supporters of the event were planning to be the loudest spectators the next day.

Just like many runners who aspire to run the Boston Marathon, I wanted to run the Boston Marathon, because it is the most prestigious marathon in the world. That was the main reason why I trained and ran the race for the first time. But then, I experienced the euphoria of running the 26.2 miles surrounded by a half-million spectators, and I was hooked. Past three years after my first Boston, I kept coming back, because I wanted to experience the same happiness, excitement, and joy of sharing the Boston tradition. Among the spectators, kids ask the runners for high-fives, the elderly on wheelchairs quietly watch the runners, girls at Wellesley College scream their lungs out, drunk shirtless guys at Boston College party on, and crowds on Boylston Street create thundering echoes of cheer among the city high-rise. But it is all violently erased by the perpetrators.

My boyfriend Christian’s father, Bob, was quite shaken by this tragic event, too. Bob has lived in Newton, a quiet Boston suburb, over 45 years. But nothing like this happened on the Marathon Day. Every year, he goes out to the near-by Commonwealth Avenue to watch the runners go by. As the uninterrupted flow of runners passes by, he watches them but also socializes with his friends and neighbors. It’s a peaceful Patriots’ Day routine he has come to enjoy. I assume many Bostonians have done the same every year. I assume many Bostonians were as shaken as Bob when they heard about the bombing at the finish line.

Run for Boston in San FranciscoI really don’t know what to do with this rage and sadness. Whatever the motive the perpetrators had, they took something pure from innocent people. This morning, I went to Run for Boston event organized by the San Francisco Marathon. There were quite a few people at Ferry Building at 7 am and we ran 4.5 miles along the waterfront. The run with them helped a bit. Many of them shared the same emotions as mine, and we all know we have to move on and be strong. We want to show we the runners are not going to succumb to this evil act staged by the perpetrators, whoever they are, wherever they came from, whatever their motive was. Many of us want to run the Boston Marathon next year to show we are stronger and we refuse to become victims. I’d better get a better BQ to make sure I get in.

My thoughts and prayers are with people who had to suffer this tragic event.

Apr 8

Rock n Roll Half Marathon San Francisco Medal
4 Comments

Not So Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon San Francisco

A tad over 5,800 runners took up on the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon after running the streets (and a bridge) of San Francisco on a cloudy Sunday morning. It was a classic San Francisco morning with a few drops of rain and fog over the Golden Gate Bridge. About 55°F. By the time I got to the Start area about 6:45 am, runners were already in the coral groups or in lines for a potty visit. I still wanted to check my bag in, so I walked over to Ghirardelli Square. Having dropped it off, on the jog over to the Start area, I heard the gun go off. I guess they started without an anthem or I totally missed it? I thought of visiting a toilet but there were still people lined up, so I just decided to hold and see what happens.

Rock n Roll Half Marathon San Francisco StartI had run San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half before, so I knew what to expect. Local bands and cheerleaders. Banging and shouting loud, waking up the neighbors. They call it Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon for nothing. Spectators and funny signs were few. But I was fine with that. After a couple of miles, we past million-dollar homes of Marina and went into Presidio. I had guessed Marina well-to-do residents would not want any bands blasting music on a sleepy Sunday morning, so I thought this was where we started to see and hear music. We ran under a big inflated Rock ‘n’ Roll arch. I saw the first cheer group but still no music. I did see an Elvis but he wasn’t singing or playing the guitar… Maybe, they’d strategically position a band at the top of upcoming Presidio hill, so that runners could take their minds off from the agony of running up the hill? Huh, no bands there, either. 5 miles into the race, we were already on the bridge and all I heard there was the traffic noise and the wind. What did they call this race again? As I was approaching the end of the bridge, I finally started to hear some drum beat. The course took me under the bridge on a gravel trail around the base of vista point (btw, this is a super spectacular spot to see the bridge and the bay, up close with both), and the beat became louder. Up the hill again and there it was, a band… of three guys banging on some sort of drum. OK, I am sure the sound coming from the drum and the guys shouting had some sort of tune, and it was different from the sort of Journey or the theme song from Rocky. But I thought San Francisco offered much more interesting musical talent. I saw another Elvis at the very end of the bridge, directing and shouting ‘sharp corner coming up!’ Between there and Finish line, I saw two bands playing and that was it, as far as I can remember. I did not run for the music and I don’t follow local music scene or anything, but others might have been disappointed by the lack of rock ‘n’ roll in this race. Just sayin’.

Rock 'n' Roll Half San Francisco Finisher CertificateMy time was 1:38:40 and my goal was to finish in 1:40:00. This gave me a hope for next Monday’s race and finish it in a decent time. BQ for my age group is 3:25:00. With my longest run so far this year being 15 miles, once, I’d be crazy to go for a BQ and I had not been planning on it. But could I beat it if I tried? As of today, I don’t have any new injuries and I don’t even feel sore from yesterday. Should I try and see what happen? Even if I shouldn’t, it would be hard to resist the temptation of getting a BQ. I only live once. The 10-day weather forecast shows pretty good running condition for next Monday.

Mar 20

Rock 'n' Roll San Francisco Half Marathon
4 Comments

Inaugural Transamerica Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco Half Marathon

I am glad I signed up for this race back when it was first announced. Not because it had sold out quickly but because I decided not to run Oakland Half Marathon this weekend. I scheduled a trip to NYC without checking this weekend’s race schedule. Not that I am trained for either race, but I want to run a Half before Boston as a tune-up. Training for Boston is going OK, considering what I’ve gone through in the past few months. So far, my longest run this year is 15 miles (today!), and I actually felt like I could run a few more. My goal for the Half is to finish in 1:40. A little over 7:37 pace, so I should be able to, if I can keep the current fitness level and health.

Rock 'n' Roll San Francisco Half Marathon Official Promo PosterThe course looks like identical to US Half I ran back in 2006. That was my first distance race and I finished it in 1:53:39. I had a hard time walking to BART station after the race, because my legs were killing me. Anyway, the race starts near Fort Mason at 7am. Considering it is the first weekend of April in San Francisco, the weather should be really cool and favorable for racing. After the start, we’ll all head for Presidio through Crissy Field. The first three miles till Presidio are pretty flat, but we’ll climb about 300 feet over two miles after that. The steepest hill looks like 100 feet gain in 0.2 miles. I’ve run that hill a few times before, but it’s always been hard… That climb will bring us to the Golden Gate Bridge and we will run across it. In US Half, they did not close a car lane and we ran on the sidewalk, I think. Rock ‘n’ Roll will probably be the same. One way across the bridge is about 1.7 miles and we run back another 1.7 miles to come back into the city. On return, we will run down to Fort Point and head for the finish at Aquatic Park/Ghirardelli Square.

With all the attractions, I might have sounded like someone from San Francisco Visitors Bureau, but that’s the actual course. The race organizers highlight the scenic course as one of the perks, in addition to local bands playing along the course. If we have fog over the bridge, it will be a classic San Francisco morning! Cannot wait!

Jan 8

Plantar Fasciitis
8 Comments

Belated New Year’s Resolution – Overcome Plantar Fasciitis

Who’s suffering from Plantar Fasciitis? I am! I’ve known I had foot pains for over a year now. In my both heels, I’ve had this persistent pain that almost feels like the heel bone (calcaneus) was cracking. It has been more painful right after I get out of my bed than the rest of the day. I suspected that it was PF and knew I had to do something about it. But I did not do much and let it develop to a full blown case of PF, at least in the right foot. Having the pain for over a year, I was pretty much discouraged about the prospect of future running. On this past Sunday, however, when the track team met for the first team practice, I decided that I’d treat the pain and put it behind as soon as possible. After all, I have already signed up (and paid) for three races before the spring ends. And then, the track season goes into the full gear. You might call it belated New Year’s resolution. I will try to document my treatment here, so you know I keep up with my resolution.

Disclaimer

Just so it’s clear, I am not consulting with professional about treatment. This has been my self-diagnosis and all the treatment I am planning is from online resources. This might sound silly and imprudent, but I don’t have a good track record with professionals. I am going to try available treatment while listening to my body, unless my body starts screaming I should do otherwise.

Here is the list of what I am going to try, not in any particular order:

  • Night splints
  • Shoe inserts
  • Epsom salt soak
  • Icing
  • Stretch calf muscles
  • Stretch plantar fascia
  • Massaging
  • Swimming

In the past two days, I’ve done everything but swimming. I bought night splints and inserts at Walgreens. The difference is rather impressive, especially the use of night splints. Yes, it’s uncomfortable to have to wear it in the bed, but I don’t have much time. Epsom salt soak in warm water seems ease the pain, although I ice my foot after the soak, so that plantar fascia is not left with inflammation. Stretching and massaging also make it feel better. I almost feel I can run without much pain. From tomorrow on, I will try to be more specific and document whatever I do in details.

Wish me luck!

 

Dec 20

NYC Marathon Resolution Update
4 Comments

NYC Marathon – Refund or Guaranteed Entry?

After almost 7 weeks, I finally received a mass email from NYRR about options for the cancelled 2012 marathon. My hope was to get the entry fee refund AND a guaranteed entry next year. But they were not that nice. NYRR’s offer is as below.

MARATHON RUNNERS

All 2012 Marathoners may choose one of the following three options:

• Option #1 – Refund. While NYRR has always had a no-refund policy for the Marathon, given these extraordinary circumstances, we are offering runners who were entered in the 2012 Marathon, and were unable to run due to the cancellation¹, the opportunity to obtain a full refund of their 2012 Marathon entry fee (excluding the $11 processing fee); OR
• Option #2 – Guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon for 2013, 2014, or 2015. Entrants in the 2012 Marathon who choose this option will be granted guaranteed entry to the Marathon for the year they choose. Runners will be required to pay all processing and entry fees at the time of application (in the given year), with fees maintained at the same rate as those paid in 2012; OR
• Option #3 – Guaranteed entry to the NYC Half 2013. Entrants in the 2012 Marathon who choose this option will be granted guaranteed entry to the NYC Half 2013, to be run on March 17, 2013. Runners will be required to pay all processing and entry fees at the time of application. Availability will be limited.

I don’t need to make a decision yet, as NYRR won’t accept marathon runners’ decision until Jan 13. So, I thought I’d try to get a guaranteed spot by running another half marathon, or they might accept my half marathon PR that is from March this year. Unfortunately, NYRR’s website about 2013 guaranteed spot is down (many of their pages are not available as of this writing). If I could get another guaranteed spot, I’d ask for the refund. So, I will check their 2013 qualifying standard when the website comes back. The decision can be made after that.

I’d be interested in hearing what other marathon runners are thinking.

Nov 7

New York City Marathon Expo
17 Comments

Will I Run NYC Marathon 2013

Having run over a dozen of races, one starts to develop opinions as to which races are his/her favorites and which are not. For example, I’d run Boston as long as I qualify. California International Marathon is also one of my favorites, too. On the other hand, I won’t run San Francisco Marathon or Disneyland Half again. There are various reasons for liking and not liking: Organizers, cost, timing, location, etc. After this weekend in New York City, NYC Marathon is on the verge of becoming one of my not-gonna-run marathons, even without running it.

Since I became a marathoner, I’ve always wanted to run New York City Marathon, because it is the largest marathon on earth. Because it is one of the Majors. Because it is in New York City! So, I got myself qualified earlier this year and registered to run. Last Friday, I traveled to NYC, across the country, amid controversies the marathon should not be run when so many storm victims were still trying to recover from the disaster, only to find out that the marathon was just canceled after minutes of my arrival at JFK. I had mixed feelings about the cancellation; thus, I did not react to the news emotionally.

The marathon Sunday’s come and gone. After the cancellation was announced, I’ve read a few articles about how runners reacted to the cancellation and what New York Road Runners (NYRR) was doing. I even sympathized with NYRR for having such a bad luck coinciding with Sandy and having so many people pointing fingers at it even though the decision was primarily made by the NYC Mayor. But such sympathy quickly disolved when I read a New York Times article this morning. According to the article, it is waiting to hear from its insurer before deciding to give entrants the refund, even though, I am understanding, its financial position would not be endangered if it refunded the entry fee to all entrants.

About a month ago, I had read another New York Times article that reported how big NYC Marathon became and how NYRR’s President and CEO, Mary Wittenberg, might have changed culture of the running club by bringing big corporate sponsors and expanding its programs beyond needs of local members. I don’t live in NYC or not a member of NYRR, so I did not come to any conclusions as to whether I believe the accusations made by some, then. Now? I am still not drawing any conclusions yet, but I am finding the criticism valid.

I understand there might have been a clause somewhere in the waiver/disclaimer we all signed that the entry fee is not refundable, whatsoever, period. But I’d like NYRR to give us the entry fee back and show NYRR is a decent organization and puts the runners first before its other agendas. According to its web site, NYRR strives “to give everyone on the planet both a reason to run and the means and opportunity to keep running and never stop.” It would make a good gesture and would make me want to run the marathon next year if it refunded. Sure, NYRR may say the demand for running NYC Marathon is so much stronger that it can get away with not refunding and lose my support. Sad if that is the case. But again, there are so many choices when it comes to running a marathon. It does not have to be a NYC Marathon if the organizer, a non-profit organization, does not listen to and is out of touch with its supporters and participants.

As I finish this post, I received an email from NYRR saying it is addressing our concerns and needs more time to answer our questions. NYRR, don’t disappoint me. Give me a reason to run NYC Marathon next year!

Oct 31

NYC marathon badge
3 Comments

NYC – To Go Or Not To Go

I’ve been watching the situations closely to determine whether I should go or not. This morning, I started to see reports about JFK airport re-opening but traffic still tightly controlled. I see my hotel not affected by the storm and in operation. If my flight Friday morning is not cancelled, should I still go?

It would be an easy decision to cancel the trip, because of obvious reasons. NYC and its surrounding areas, as we all know, sustained devastation from a disastrous storm Sandy and just starting the recovery efforts. Images from media are shocking and heartbreaking, and various agencies are making it their top priority to restore the areas. While neither New York Road Runners (NYRR) nor the NYC Mayor has said the race would be canceled, those images are discouraging in believing the race would be held, at least from this side of the country. If it was held, deploying various agencies and volunteers would shift invaluable and scarce resources away from the recovery efforts and might delay the recovery. A flood of visitors might be the last thing the areas need. If I went, maneuvering the city before and after the race would certainly be difficult. No subway, no mobile phone coverage, few places to eat, etc. I don’t think I would be able to have a good time. With so many unknowns and expected difficulties, why would I go to NYC? Wouldn’t that be a display of selfishness and irresponsibility if I went?

In the past few months, injuries have kept me from training properly, so I won’t be running for a PR or anywhere near it. So, that’s not an incentive to go. I am certainly not a type who must witness a disaster or people’s misfortune. I am not committed to being a volunteer for the recovery efforts that could take weeks. I should be able to get credits back for the flight, and hotel reservation can be canceled. I could defer my race qualification to next year’s race, though I won’t get the registration fee back.

The reasons why I am still considering going are to support the commitment NYRR has made and the resilience New Yorkers are known to have. My New York friend told me, “New Yorkers take pride in being resilient, and I think there is extra commitment to this race as evidence of that resilience.” If that is the case, if my visit and running the race could encourage New Yorkers and contribute to their recovery efforts from an emotional side, I would be happy to go. I know not all New Yorkers will feel the same, and I suspect the famous 2 million plus spectators won’t be there this time. But if what my friend says is true, I’d rather be in NYC than staying home watching CNN. What do you all think?

 

Jun 1

The 5th Annual Western States International Invitational #trackandfield

My next track meet is Western States Invitational at UC Davis on June 29 and 30. This is going to be my first time competing at this meet. I heard a good thing about it and UC Davis is my Alma mater, so I am looking forward to going there. Because it gets pretty warm during summer in that region, they are scheduling events in the mornings and evenings only. So my 800m is scheduled at 6:30 pm on Friday, June 29, and Mile is at 9:00 am on Saturday. From the meet results last year, the level of competition is similar to the one this past weekend.

Not like other track meets, the proceeds from this track meet go to a children’s charity, Sierra Forever Families. At this time, I don’t know of any other team mates competing in this meet, so I could be alone there, which sucks.

In terms of training, it’ll be a little tricky, because I am running Jubilee Marathon Stockholm on July 14. I need to get a few long runs in, as well as track training. A good thing I am not racing the marathon. This one is going to be a sightseeing marathon with my camera. My running mate, Randy, is running, too. His time is around 3:40, so I might run with him. One potential problem is the heat. The race starts at 1:38 pm, so we could be running in the high heat. Well, more on the marathon later.

My goal at the track meet is to better my PR on both events. I don’t know how much training I can do in a month but I am looking forward to testing my potential and not injuring at the same time!

May 29

USATF PA medals
5 Comments

Two PRs and Two Medals

The first track meet of the year! As I wrote in the earlier post about this USATF Pacific Association Championships, I was to assess my fitness level in today’s events, 1,500m and 800m, and use it as benchmark to train for the rest of the summer. As it turned out, I ran both events in PR and could not be happier at this early stage in the track season. Excellent start! The meet itself was a little slow, due to its size (500 competitors) and the organizer’s willingness to accommodate elite athletes’ requests, who were trying to qualify for the upcoming Olympic Trials. There was one World Record for women’s masters 10,000m. A 70-year old Marie-Louise Michelsohn ran 46:38.5 and bettered the previous record by over 30 seconds. Also, there was an Olympian Stephanie Brown Trafton who competed in Discus and threw 208′ 2″, which looked ridiculously far from where I was sitting. So, it was a fantastic meet to be part of, from my own competition perspective, but also was a great opportunity to witness some of the world-class athletes’ performance.

USATF PA Championships checkinThe first event was 1,500m at 11:30 am. I arrived at the track with some of the team members at around 10:00 am. We all picked up our bibs and sat down with the team. The track meet was already in progress with steeple chasers tackling the distance, hurdles and the water pit. It was a great running weather for them, but for us sitting and waiting, it was a bit too cool without the sun keeping us warm. I went to check in for 1,500m and headed to warm up at 10:30 with a teammate, Thomas Setser, who was also running 1,500m and 800m, but in the Open division. After the usual warm-up and drills, I went to bathroom and I was ready.

I did not know any of the competitors. After a few pleasantries, all 18 runners lined up for one big heat. I tried to remind myself of sticking with the pace, 77-78 seconds a quarter for as long as I can, and see what happens. On your mark. Bang! A couple of runners jumped out fast and I started to follow, quickly realizing it was too fast for my pace. I slowed down and settled into a comfortable breathing. First quarter 73 seconds. I slowed down even more. I was in the third place then, but shortly someone else passed me. With my breathing rapidly becoming heavier, I tried to focus on my running. 78 seconds the second quarter. Good. Just keep it up. Less than 2 laps to go. Look ahead and keep the pace. In the distance, not sure where I was, I hear the bell. The leader started the bell lap. As I passed the 1,200m, gasping for oxygen, I did not bother getting my split on my Garmin but looked ahead to close the gap with the third place runner. I saw my team mates calling my name and taking photos, but this was not the time or place to try looking good! I swung my arms to lift my legs, being filled with lactic acid with every stride, and strode into the home stretch. No way to catch the guy and I finished fourth, but in 4:44.50. That’s a PR by smashing four seconds! Woo-Hoo!!

HurdlesCooled down with Thomas who did not run too well. We talked about switching our focus and relaxing for 800m. The subsequent events, namely hurdles, delayed the schedules quite a bit. They decided to switch directions to get favorable wind for the elite hurdlers. While I waited, I walked around with my camera, trying to find interesting subjects and actions. I found it a good way to relax and keep my legs loose. My team mates were running 400m and 100m. Also, long jump. It is difficult to take a good photo when the subject is moving very fast. Sometimes I get lucky, but a lot of times I end up with photos with the subject out of focus. I would love to learn how to take great action shots.

Since I had already warmed up earlier for 1,500m, I did not waste my energy warming up too much for 800m. I did a few laps and some dynamic stretch and striders. They divided Masters runners in two heats. I was in the first heat. When we were called, I saw the guy who took the third place in 1,500m, Greg Hales, but did not see the first or second place finishers. Instead, I saw a tall, fast-looking guy with more of a sprinter’s build. I bet he was a good half miler. The officials went over the rules and put us in dedicated lanes. I was in Lane Five. Three steps behind the green line. On your mark. Bang! Confident from the earlier race, I upped my pacing a little bit but no particular time in mind. After cutting in, I was leading the pack until the third corner. Two guys, the tall fast-looking one, Steve Yatson and Greg, passed me. Fine. I followed them behind 6 feet or so. On the homestretch, there was a wind. So, I drafted behind the two guys. Perfect. I did not look at my Garmin or the official watch but heard the announcer saying the leader ran 63 seconds the first lap. Bell rang. The race starts now. I closed the gap a little bit and was at the foot of Greg who was just behind Steve. In the backstretch, I felt strong and decided to be patient until the homestretch. I hung with the leaders around the third corner and just as soon as I finished the last corner, I let it rip. 90m to go. 800m final kickI passed both of them. I am now big time sprinting. I felt the wind pushing my upper body back against my formidable effort, and I resisted it by exerting even harder. 60m to go. I heard the crowd going wild. I saw Steve in the corner of eye, to my left. I don’t remember if I was breathing or what I was looking at. My lungs were hurting. My legs, heavy. O2 debt. 30m. Steve passed me. I hung on. 20m. I am losing balance. 10m. Barely sprinting, but acceleration just carried me through the finish line. Both hands on my shaky knees, now I’m definitely breathing, gasping for air. 2:15.32. Second place. Another PR! I shook hands with Steve, Greg, and others, all still breathing heavily but relieved that the race was over.

College of San Mateo

Overall, it was a great day for me. No complaints whatsoever, other than the big delay in the schedule. Even the sun came out. Now that I have benchmark for these two events, I can set target for the next two meets and train for them. Rick, VP of the team congratulated me for the perfect strategy in 800m. Strategy… Yeah, I can call it that. After the race, I stuck around a while and photographed other events my team mates were competing in. Around 5pm, though, I picked up my age-group medals and I was ready to go home and enjoy the rest of the evening, off the track.

May 24

7 Comments

Busted!

I just read this morning – 45 opted to defer their Boston Marathon qualification to 2013, but they actually ran in 2012! CBS Boston reports:

About 2,200 runners were on the original (deferment) list, but 45 were identified in photographs as running the race after all.

From this article, it seems those 45 people are no longer on the deferment list and will not be able to register in August. Great finds, BAA! I wonder if they will be qualified if they run a qualifying time, or banned from 2013 race. I guess there will always be dishonest people like them, so I am not super surprised but rather disappointed. I believe running keeps me sane and makes me a better person, but apparently that does not work for everyone. What do you think about these 45?

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