The Gay / Happy Race 5K

My race this week was The Gay / Happy Race 5K and 1 mile run and walk on Saturday, February 19 at Elm Grove Pavilion, River Legacy Park in Arlington TX. The event benefited Girls Inc of Tarrant County. I arrived early and jogged a bit to loosen up before I started my stretching routine. After the volunteers arrived I got my bib number, and took a few pictures. The starting line of the 5K was in front of the Pavilion, on the pavement. The race started at 9:00AM and the 1 mile started at 9:30AM.   I'd like to take a moment and thank USMD Prostate Cancer Center in Arlington TX (www.usmdpcc.com) for their great treatment of me. As most of you know, in September of 2007 Dr. Justin Lee performed robotic surgery on me, and cancer has been undetectable ever since. I also want to thank them for providing me with the opportunity to train and run races every week. I am now in the best shape of my life and feel like a new man.   I started on the first row for this non chip timed race. The timing is done the old fashion way, manually, as you cross the finish line. The race director, Jeph, writes down the winners in each age division before the award ceremony. I took off fast. After only 1/4 of a mile, we moved on to the trail for the rest of the race. The temperature was about 70 degrees when the race started, so I began to warm up fast. To my surprise, my time at the 1 mile marker was 7:54. Wow, what a start! I came to the 2 mile in the time of 16:06 (8:11 / mile pace). I didn't know if I could keep up this pace, but I figured I'd do my best. This was a fast flat course, which was perfect for me. I just told myself to run as fast as I could. My time at the 3 mile was 24:19 (8:13 / mile pace).   With no hills to climb up this time, I ran as fast as I could to the finish line, and even passed a few runners up before crossing the finish line with a new personal best time of 25:25 (an overall pace of 8:11 / mile). I ran the last .1 mile in 1:06 this time, and I finished second place in my age group. At the award ceremony there was a drawing for about 10 sponsor gifts including sunglasses, gift certificates, and some cases of drinks from Muscle Milk and Honest Tea. The Honest Tea guys also handed out bottles of their great drink after the race. A nice lady took a picture of me getting my 2nd place award. There were 47 female and 41 male finishers in the 5K and about 8 in the 1 mile.   Results can be seen here.   Place    Bib#     Men      Overall     Finish Time    Pace                                    2/4      3688    20/41      25/88         25:55        8:11/m I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com

Heart and Sole 5K

I took an involuntary week off of running because of the ice and snow. I wanted to run last week in a Dallas Running Club race, but it was canceled. This week, I decided to run in the Heart and Sole 5K on February 12, 2011 at Winfrey Point, White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas. This was the first race I've run since the end of my Run-On training program, and I was eager to see the results. This race took place just two days after my younger son Edward got married at Walt Disney World in Florida. The race was started by (ASC) Attorney's Serving the Community, and benefited Avance - Dallas, which is a nonprofit organization that provides foundational education to at-risk children and their parents.   Lear J., Race Director of Run-On Racing Systems, did a great job with the race. On February 22, Run-On will start a new 6 weeks training program. Special thanks to Jennifer Kimble, training class coordinator and RRCA certified running coach, and Mitch Hayes, the 101-201 speed class coordinator, who made it possible for me to train at Run-On!. My coach, Daniel Hagelberg, does a great job and is also the Assistant Manager at Run-On Richardson. I've decided to take the early speed development class again, and build on what I've already learned. They had a 1 mile fun run that started at 8:30 AM with children and their parents; it seemed like they enjoyed it very much. I cheered them on and gave the runners high fives after they crossed the finish line. They all had big smiles on their faces.   The 5k race started at 9:00 AM. I lined up on the first row ready to go down the hill. This was the same location as the Texas Half and 5k a couple of week ago, but they changed the turnaround spot for this race. I took a few pictures before and after the race including one with Gregg Gomes who a few months ago moved up to the 60 age group. I will be their soon myself. He has been very supportive of me and I enjoy talking with him at many of the races we run together. He runs a 5k in under 23 minutes most of the time and usually picks up an award. He always tells me that I am looking slimmer and running better now, which always makes me feel good. Another friend of mine, Ryan Smith, who is in my Run-On early training group, had a personal best time at the race. Congratulations Ryan. I also spoke to Earl Henly who is a trainer and works at the Dallas store.   Knowing this course pretty good, I started real fast down the hill, then moved on a trail for a little while, eventually making my way to the pavement. The first turnaround was less than a mile into the race. I arrived at the first mile marker in the time of 8:09. With all the ice and snow I could not train like I normally do. My Thursday morning Run-On class was canceled and rescheduled for Friday morning. I never run on Friday before a race on Saturday, so that may have affected my time. I came to the 2 mile in 16:48 (8:38 pace). There was another turnaround after crossing the bridge, then I moved to the other higher side of the trail. I started to push hard because I knew I had that hill to climb up to get to the finish. My bad hips really slowed me down on that hill. When I got to the 3 mile marker, my time was 24:55 (8:06 pace) . A little further was the hill that lead to the finish line. 2 or 3 people passed me up going up the hill and my finishing time was 26:14 (1:18 for that final .1 mile), which is 4 tenth of a second slower going up the hill than the last race here. I always pick a race where age groups are awarded for every 5 years, but this race awarded had age groups separated every 10 years. I was the oldest runner in the 50 to 59 age group.   Results can be sen here.   Place   Bib#   Men Overall   Overall    Chip Time    Gun Time    Pace 6/18     323        30/121       41/303     26:14:00    26:114:00     8:27 I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com

Texas Half and 5K

My race this week was the Texas Half and 5K. After I running my first 15K last week, I decided to run in the 5K race. The even took place at Winfrey Point in White Rock Lake, Dallas, TX on January 29, 2011. The great event was run by Lewis George who runs Mellow Productions (www.mellow.com) and is the man who started Dadfest in 2004. Dadfest is a prostate cancer race I volunteer for and run. Last year, I ran as a prostate cancer survivor with my two sons. You can see pictures of us on the www.dadfest.com site. The sponsors of the race were Run-On!, Jerry Glover Photography (who did a great job of taking beautiful racing picture of this event as he does at all the races he covers), American Laser Centers, Chirosport Chiropractor and Massage (who also sponsors all of the Dallas Running Club Races), Sweet Tomatoes, and Dole who furnished alot of bananas to the runners.   Instead of starting together, there were 2 different race times for the event. the Texas Half (13.1 miles with 737 finishers) stared at 8:00 and the 5K (with 258 finishers) started 15 minutes later. The race was started by Cliff Couch, who also announced the runners names as we finish the race and was also the awards announcer. He always does a great job making events fun. I took a few pictures before race, stretched, and took a few warm up laps. I ran in the 5K last year and finished 3rd place. There was a downhill at the start, but you have to climb that same hill to cross the finish line at the end of the race. The weather was a little cool but nice. I've been running with a pair of 3/4 IsoArch foot supports lately, because I had heel pain and tendonitous several months ago. I decided not to run with them this time and took them out of my shoes before the race.   I started on the first row. Lewis George led the first runners as he rode on a bike around the 5K route. After Cliff started the race, I took off as fast as I could. Since I didn't have those foot supports, it seemed like my feet felt a bit lighter. About 3/4 of a mile into the race, I looked at my watch and was amazed to discover that I was running a pace under 8:00. When I arrived at the 1 mile marker my time was 7:53. That fired me up. I kept pushing hard, but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it up for the whole race. My 2 mile time was 16:31 (8:37/m). I was still feeling good when I made it past the turnaround and headed back toward the finish. I knew I was going to lose some time going up that hill to the finish line so I kept pushing it hard as I could.   Before I got to the 3 mile marker, a lady running next to me told me "you are making me keep my pace up." I said "I am only doing my best." We were side to side until the hill then she passed me up. At the 3 mile marker my time was 24:37 (8:16/m). I tried my best to climb that hill as fast as I could. The last 1/10th of a mile took me 1:17. Normally I can run it in about 55 seconds, but that hill was a challenge. My finishing time was 25:54, just over my PR time of 25:49.   They posted results by total finishing time with no age breakdown so you couldn't figure where you placed in your age group. At the award ceremony Cliff called my name out for second place in my age group. I was very happy. I took a picture with two other Run-On runners sporting my brand new red Run-On cap. The cap was given to me by a nice lady named Genevieve that I've been training with at Run-On! lately. Now I can get my picture taken and put on the Run-On! after race picture site with other runners.   After my race I stayed to congratulated the finisher of the Texas Half for their great effort. I talked to some of them about my story and they were very proud of me also. All half finishers received a finisher award medal which was very nice.   Results can be seen here. Pictures can be seen here.   Place    Bib #     Men Overall     Overall     Chip Time     Gun Time  2/9        11           37/113         57/258        25:54           25:56   I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com