Oregon and Alabama

Oregon and Alabama

States #33 and #34

Both of these races were on the smaller side.  Some of the races have had 20,000 or 30,000 runners.  The race in Oregon had 185 finishers and the Alabama race had 601 finishers.  Both races had other runners for the 5k and 10k or the marathon, but the numbers I quoted are for the half only.

There are some benefits to having a smaller number of racers.  I was happy to place 2nd in my age group in Oregon and 3rd in my age group in Alabama.  It is good for the ego.

Oregon -- Uberthon's Oregon Winter Half Marathon Saturday 1/19/19.  I had a trip scheduled to teach in Seattle for the week of Jan 21-25th, so a little stop in Oregon seemed like a good idea.  I looked for any race that weekend so I could minimize my travel time, and Oregon was the only one of the states that I still needed that met my time frame.  I was scheduled to work Friday 1/18, but I got an afternoon flight through Atlanta that got me in to Oregon at 10:30pm PST which was 1:30am to my body.  I rented a car and drove to the Aloha/Beaverton area.  I had a room booked at the Quality Inn in Beaverton.  It was actually a decent room.  It was clean and the bed and pillows were all comfortable.  The race did not start until 8:00am, so I got some sleep and had plenty of time to get to the race start and pick up my race packet.  All of the stores were closed when I drove in, so I did not have any good opportunities to get anything to eat or drink.  My "pre-race meal" was at the Atlanta airport.  I had Chinese lo mein and General Tso's chicken.  I drank water from the bathroom sink in my room to remain hydrated, but I did not have any breakfast.  I figured my airport Chinese would be plenty of "nutrition" for the race.

The race venue was at the Reserve Vinyards and Golf Club.  I had never run a race at a golf course before, so I did not know exactly what to expect, but they stated that the course was entirely pavement... and it was.  The race was run on the cart path of the golf course.  It was a windy path in and around the golf course with two loops.  It had rained all day the day before the race, so there were a few puddles, but otherwise it was a fine course.  Oh yeah... note to self:  Always stay on the cart path.  There are two reasons I say this.  One was while avoiding a large puddle in the path I went into the grass and squished into the mud and soaked my sock.  The bad part is.. I did it both times.  The second reason is while cutting the corner of a sharp turn I stepped into the mud and slipped and went down to a knee.  I was not injured, but this method will slow you down.  

Race day temp was about 40ºF.  There were propane powered space heaters in a tent where the packet pickup was located and I hung out there until the start of the race.  I had no gloves, pants, or jacket.  

Anyway, I was doing very well for the first 8 miles.  I was running 7:12, 7:05, 7:06, 7:21, 7:15, 7:31, 7:28.. then started to struggle a bit.  I could not maintain that pace for the rest of the race.  I finished with 1:39:23 an avg pace of 7:35 per mile.  Not too bad.  Still sub 1:40, but I was doing so well and just petered out.  

After the race there was a soup line and an awards ceremony in a tent with three space heaters.  It was cold, but not terrible.  As I mentioned, I placed 2nd in my age group -- 2nd of 14.  So, I got my 2nd place pin and left.  I had to get back to the room to get warm and cleaned up and head back to the airport.

I enjoy Seattle.   The weather was fairly cold and cloudy and a little bit of rain... pretty well normal for this time of year.  When I am there, I run every morning.  Often I run around Lake Union as it is 6.22 miles.  So, I got my miles in each morning.  It was raining one morning, so I just ran on the dreadmill.  I made an effort to stay on East Coast time because I knew I would be racing in Alabama right after.  What I did not know is Gulf Shores Alabama is on Central time.  No big deal.  I would go to bed about 9:00pm and wake at 4:00am the entire week... so, I did not have to adjust when I got to Alabama.

Gulf Shores, Alabama  The Big Beach Half Marathon

I arrived in Alabama on Saturday evening Jan 26th.  I had plenty of time to get to the Expo and get my race packet, and then go get some dinner.  There were lots of places around, like fish restaurant/bars and fast food places.  I was really looking for some flapjacks, but ended up settling for Waffle House.  I don't really think that was the best choice, but I got a nice waffle and a biscuit and grits and a bonus side of fried eggs and bacon.  I wasn't amazing, but it was not terrible.  I realized after dinner that I had not yet run my mile for the day due to all the traveling.  So, I set out for a nice, easy and chilly mile.  It was not so bad.  I was able to wear my jacket that I got in Oregon the week before.

The ho/motel that I stayed in was super cheap and it super showed it.  It had a funky smell, kinda like sour milk and or puke covered up by a fresh coat of paint.  There were stains on the ceilings and hairs in the shower.  There were three beds and a full sized refrigerator in the room.  It was a bit strange and "sketchy", although the bed linens were clean and the bed was fairly comfortable and I got a great night's sleep.  

The next morning at 7:30am I walked to the race start.  It was about 3/4 of a mile.  The race started at 8:00am.  I had enough to time stretch a little, hear the national anthem and get lined up for the start.  One minute... 30 seconds... 3... 2... 1....GO!.  I was right in the front and headed out behind the first pacer who was a 1:45 pacer.  He took off and ran the first half of a mile at about a 6:20 pace.  Then he checked his watch and realized he had bolted out at the start way too fast.  I decided to pass him and keep my own pace.  My intent for this race was to run right at 7:20 for each mile.  Steady, steady, steady.  I ended up running 7:23, 7:15, 7:16, 7:21, 7:19, 7:21, 7:27 7:26, 7:26, 7:20, 7:21, 7:33, 7:26... then 6:40 for the final .1.  Not too far off my goal.  average 7:22.

The race was on a paved trail. There were a couple of confusing places where there was a short out and back part and also where the marathon split off from the half.  At one of the turn around portions, the first one, I was able to see the few people that were ahead of me come around the turn.  One of them was a child, a child... like 7 or 8 years old... HE WAS AHEAD OF ME at the turn around which was somewhere between mile 3 and 4... .a child!!!  Anyway, he was not wearing a bid, so I am thinking that he was not even in the race.  No one under the age of 20 beat me... so there is that... but I was floored when I first saw him.  A few portions of the race were run on boardwalks, with wood planks.  There were a few times in there where I got a little dizzy because of the wood planks, something like highway hypnosis where watching the dotted lines on the highway puts you 

"in a trance" and you run off the road.  I had to force myself to look up and look away from the boardwalk.  

Most of the race I spent running alone.  The first three miles were kind of congested with people hanging on to your pace, kind of getting in your way, passing you, cutting you off a bit, and then slowing down.  You know, the same thing happens to you while driving to work.  After those few miles it thinned out pretty good.  I had to let two guys go.  I was trying to maintain a 7:20 pace and they were fast, slow, fast, slow, but net faster than my 7:20.  About mile a guy passed me and was struggling a bit, but pushed through for about 4 miles that way, then I passed him, but he was none to happy about it.  He started huffing and puffing and stayed on my hip for 2.5 miles before he could not keep pace anymore, then I did not see him again until after the finish.  He stopped me and said, "Sir!  Thank you for dragging me along for those few miles.  I just did not have it today and you really helped me."  Perception is a funny animal.  

About mile 10.5 a guy came up behind me and had some music playing on his phone that was strapped to his arm.  He announced, "I brought the music!"  It was not GOOD music, but I responded, "GREAT, Thanks".  He said something about his race goal about what he was trying to do.  I said, "Yeah, I am just trying to finish."  He said, "Well you are keeping a great pace."  Then we hit mile 11 and my watch beeped and showed me my split time 7:20.  I told him "7:20" because I did not think he had a watch that showed him his split times, so I wanted him to know how he was doing.  About that time HIS watch beeped and he announced, "7:02!"  Jerk!, I thought.  I SAID, "Yeah, that is because you came flying up from behind me."  He said he was running with the 1:45 pacer for a while and then left him.  Then he started to pull away a bit, but before getting out of earshot, he turned and said, "I am four months onto IRONMAN training... so....."  Jerk!.  Then he pulled away.  Truth is, he only finished 1 minute ahead of me, and he is only 31 years old.  Jerk!  :)  I am just kidding.  He was just being friendly.

I ended up just 5 seconds shy of my PR and placed 3rd in my age group.  I was pretty happy with my race.   I was happy to maintain a nice even pace.  I went back to the roach motel, got a shower and headed back to the airport.  Post race meal was Red Robin... YUMMMMMM...

In all it was a good week, or 10 days.  I am pleased with my performances... for the most part and felt pretty good... mostly.  I do not have another race until March.  One in Virginia on the 18th and one in Kansas on the 30th.

Valerie and I started Orange Theory Fitness, which can be a butt kicker.  I am hoping it makes me fitter and faster.  I also got my Christmas present from Valerie.  A Trek Speed Concept 2019.  I have ridden a few times and am remarkably faster on that than my old mountain bike.  This should be fun.  We shall see what happens.