Plano Pacers Holiday Hustle

On the last day of 2011, I raced in the Plano Pacers Holiday Hustle 3K and 8K at Bob Woodruff Park in Plano Texas. This was one of the Plano Pacers' monthly races, open to club members and guests alike. It only costs $25.00 for an annual membership, and $10.00 per race for guests, which is a pretty good deal. Since I had never run a 3K race before, I decided to do the shorter 1.86 mile 3K. The temperature was about 37 degrees at the start of the race.  Both the 3K and 8K races started together at the same time. We ran a short distance around the pond in front of the closed pavilion that is being remodeled. Then, the 3K runners turned left, on to another trail that went out of park info area. I had never been to this part of the park before, so I took a look around while I raced. At this point, we ran to another pavilion then turned around toward the finish line which was on the trail by the starting pavilion.  I ran as fast as I could. My goal was to finish the race in under 14 minutes. Here's how I actually did: I ran the 1st mile in 7:29 according to my Garmin timer, and ran the last .86 miles at a 6:50 / mile pace. I crossed the finish line in a final time of 14:15.6, just narrowly missing my goal.  The finish was good enough to place 2 out of 6 in my age group, 22 out of 55 men, and 23 out of 81 overall 3K finishers. There were a total of 122 8K runners, and 10 clydesdale / athena finishers. There was also a Jr. Sprint race for the very young children, but I'm not sure how many competed.  Thinking back on this race, I remember that around this time I just lost about 5 lbs of the 10 I gained during the holidays. Basically, I started drinking more water and stopped eating the extra (healthy) snacks that I had been eating for my half marathon training.  We all say that we will start exercising and eating right at the beginning of every new year. However, most of us stop after a few weeks. When it comes down to it, every person has to decide for themselves to change the way they live. For me, the change came after I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007. The doctors and staff at USMD Prostate Cancer Center, where I was successfully treated, recommended that I excursive and eat healthier so that I could avoid a recurrence. I took their advice and decided to change my life. Since then, I ran my first competitive race ever in October of 2009, and I have finished 3 half marathons with a 4th one coming up soon.   Place  Bib#     Men    Overall     Time     Pace  Age Grade 2/6    2787  22/55   23/81   14:15.6   7:39    73.1 I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com

Carrollton Running Club 5K and 1 Mile

I ran in both races of the monthly Carrollton Running Club event, on Monday, December 26, 2011; the day after Christmas. As usual, the event took place at Mcinnish Park in Carrollton, Texas. After setting a new 5K personal record of 23:45 at the Jingle Bell Run, I wanted to try to break my club and personal record in the 1 mile race.  It was 38 degrees and cloudy on race day, which suited me fine. The 1 mile race started at 7:40 AM. I finished in the time of 7:17.66, a new record for me. I didn't have time to celebrate though since the 5K race started a few minutes later at 7:57 AM.  The park was closed for the Christmas holiday, and there was a closed road gate, so the race director, Ruben Sagyil, had to change our normal 5K course. Once the fastest runner ran the correct course, everyone else simply followed each other to the finish. Because of the new course, we actually ran 3.24 miles instead of 3.1 miles. However, Ruben graciously adjusted everyone's time. I finished the 5K in 25:40.  There were 19 first time sign ups at this event, which is excellent. The men's, and overall, winner was Tommy Brown of Florida. The women's winner was Kim Rogers-Tracy. There were no awards given out at this low cost race.  Registration is only $2.00, so that's kind of an award in itself. However, Ruben gave me a tote bag and water bottle from MOTOACTV for my 1 mile club PR. Kim, who ran with her family, received the same prize. The week after this event, I went back to my early speed training class at Run-On! The first day we run a magic mile, which helps the coach evaluate which training group will be best. As always, special thanks to Dr. Justin Lee and all of the staff at USMD Prostate Cancer Center in Arlington, Texas. None of this would be possible without their life changing surgery. 1 Mile Results: Place    Bib#    Men    Overall   Chip Time   Age Grade 1/2     7051   6/10     6/12      7:17.66        63.2% 5K Results: Place    Bib#     Men     Overall   Chip Time   Pace    Age Grade  1/3    7051   14/25    16/45       25:40       8:15      62.5% I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com

The Jingle Bell Run 5K

It was a Wednesday night on December 21, 2011, that I ran in my third Jingle Bell Run 5K event. The race took place at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas Texas, and benefited the Trinity Strand trail and the Dallas Mavericks Foundation. This is one of the most sponsored races that I have attended, and I can't even begin to list them all. Check out the event website for a complete listing as well as results for the chip timed finishers.  There were over 6,000 walkers and runners attending this 7:00 PM night race, including 1,236 chip timed finishers (581 men and 655 women). The rest participated in the 1 mile fun walk and/or the non-chip timed 5K race. One thing I really liked about this event was that they had timing clocks at the 1 mile and 2 mile markers. This really helped, and I wish more events would do this. Another great thing about the race course was that there was no turnaround. Instead, we ran in through the historical arts district.  Champ, the Dallas Mavericks' mascot was at the starting line to greet everyone, just like he did last year. I started 6 rows back and got off to a fast start. I just kept running hard, following the big crowd of runners ahead of me. At the 1 mile marker, I saw the timer as I passed by. It read:  7:36. I felt great in this cool 40 degree weather. Breathing is easier for me in this type of cool temperature.  When I got to the 2 mile marker, my time was about 15:35 according to the timer. Usually, this is where I ry to increase my pace and give what I have left so that I can finish strong. That Wednesday night was no exception, and before long, I made it to the long straight-away to the finish line. As I approached the finish, I could see and hear all the relatives and friends cheering everyone, and the sound of the music.  As I crossed the finish line, I looked up at the timer, and saw that it was under 24 minutes. I was very tired, but was happy and satisfied when I crossed the finish line in the time of 23:45, a 7:40 / mile pace. When it was all said and done, I finished 220 out of 1236 overall finishers, 169 out of 581 men, and 2 out of 11 in my age division. I was also rewarded with my highest 5K age grade up to this point, 67.5%.  Peter Mullin of Houston won our age division in the annoyingly superb time of 18:22, for a 88% age grade. There are lots of teenagers that can't even run that fast! While we may not all achieve times like thats, we can all set our own personal goals… and achieve them with proper training. When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I set a goal to survive and live a healthier lifestyle. Thanks to Dr. Justin Lee of USMD Prostate Cancer I was able to achieve this goal, and many more.  To date, my personal best 5K time is 23:33. However, I'm certain that the course was a little short. So, instead, I will count this as my new PR (personal record). My final time at last years race was 25:52, so I improved quite a bit in the past year. It must be the great Run-On! training. Thanks. Place  Bib#  Men Overall  Overall   Chip Time   Pace   Age Grade 2/11   355     169/581    220/1236    23:45     7:40     67.5% I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com

The Jog'r Egg Nog'r 15K and 5K

Once again, I raced in the 2011 Jog'r Egg Nog'r 15K and 5K Run and Walk. The race took place on December 17, in White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas. Like last year, I chose to run in the 5K race. This was a www.whiterockracing.com race, so check out their site for the results and more photos. The event sponsors were Run-On!, Baylor Sports Care, Davis Creative, Costco, and others. Oak Farms Shepps Dairy generously donated the egg nog, which everyone enjoyed. The finish line was at Norbuck Park. I arrived at the event, and parked close to the finish line, then warmed up with a brief jog. After that, I walked up a trail to the starting line, which was about half a mile away at the corner of Peavy and Van Dyke. Both the 5K and 15K races started together at 9:00 AM. The starting line was overlooking the beautiful White Rock Lake at the majestic skyline of downtown Dallas; the view was amazing. I was excited to get started since there was a downhill right at the beginning. Everyone got off to a fast pace as we ran down the steep downhill. It was about 40 degrees at race time. This was the only race in the Dallas area, and so all of the top local runners ran. There were 930 registered runners. All participants received a free long sleeved technical shirt with registration. After the fast start, I just tried to keep it going. After the turnaround we ran on a trail and then continued on the sidewalk. Finally we made our way back on to the pavement and headed toward the finish line at Norbuck Park. I finished in the time of 24:36 (a 7:55 / mile pace) for a 4th place finish out of 11 in my age division, and 116 out of 511 men. Also running in the race were Nan Ross, who recently got married, and Nicole Vela, who I trained with in the Run-On 10:30 pace group for White Rock races. Both ladies finished at the top of their groups. This is the only race company that gives out awards to the 5 fastest runners in about half of the age groups. So I received a coffee cup mug as a 4th place finisher. Place     Bib#     Overall     Time      Pace                                                             4/11     5645  126/511    24:36    7:55/ mile I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com

The Dallas White Rock Half Marathon

For my third half marathon I chose the the 42nd Metro PCS Dallas White Rock Half Marathon. The event took place on Sunday December 4, 2011. 8:00 AM at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. I know, I'm just a little late in posting the results here, but I will try to be more timely in the future. In any case, the event benefitted the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for children, with 1 million dollars being donated to the worthy cause.  There were 13,000 registered half marathon runners and 6,000 registered for the full marathon. There were also 5,000 five-person relay teams that pre-registered for the event. As a bit of motivation, there was a $25,000 total marathon purse, with $5,000 awarded to the overall men and women's marathon winners respectively.  The race was covered and televised by the ABC affiliate, WFAA channel 8 from 8 - 11 AM. Something interesting happened when I picked up my bib #, chip timer, and shirt on Friday morning at the sponsors expo at the automobile building in Fair Park. Many of us runners were asked to write a message on a sign with the title "Why I Run the Rock". Additionally, we were recorded on video saying a few words about why we run. Channel 8 ran our videos on a few big screens along the race course, as well as a selection on the live broadcast.  I had recorded the video on my DVR, so after the race I looked at the recording and was surprised to see my video on TV. This video was later included in a series of YouTube videos. My brief video is on video #3. Check it out here. There were just too many sponsors at the event to mention here. Check out their web-site: www.runtherock.com for the full list. You can also view the race results too. Arlington High School student, Virgilio Martinez, who ran the last 2 miles of a 16 member boy and girl high school relay team, passed and defeated the Kenyan marathon winner. There were over 300,000 spectators along the race course, cheering the runners as we ran. It was great.  I arrived early and parked behind the automobile building. This is where I, and other runners, gathered together before the race. This was the first race that I've run where we were assigned a corral to line-up before the race.  Because there were so many runners, it took me about 8 minutes just to reach the starting line. If you think that sounds bad, just keep in mind that the last runner crossed over the starting line in 38 minutes. At this point it wasn't raining, but that would change soon enough. The race-time temperature was about 42 degrees. It was basically impossible to pass the other because of the thousands of runners on the course.  At about 1 1/2 miles into the race, Teresa Nichols ran up beside me for a minute. Teresa is a member of the awesome Run-On training group that I run with (10:30 pace). I told her to go on ahead of me. I was doing my best, but wanted to pace myself for this long race. My favorite racing store and training location, Run-On!, had several tent locations along the course handing out towels to everyone. Thank you Run-On! There were also several bands playing music while we raced.  At about 3 miles into the race, it started raining. But thanks to a suggestion from my son John, I was prepared. I brought a bottle of Rain-X at AutoZone and put it on my glasses. It worked very well, keeping the rain off my glasses. Thanks John. From mile 5.5 to about 9, I had to face my worst enemy, hills. This is where I slowed down my pace. A little past the 8th mile, the marathon runners turned left, and I followed the other half marathon runners to the right. The good news is that the rest of the course was pretty flat except a few spots. My plan was to increase my pace at the 9th mile (after clearing the hills).  There were timing mats placed at the 5K, 10K, and 15K marks. My 5K time didn't register, but my 10K time was 54:08 and my 15K time was 1:23:47. I crossed the finish line the time of 1:57:16, a 8:57 / mile pace, and a new half marathon PR! I finished 1993 out of 9,675 half finishers, and 1371 out of 4057 men. There were an impressive 5616 women finishers. Great job ladies. I placed 15 out of 90 in 60-64 age division with my coach Tom Mason. This was amazing race to run in.  With all my health problems, I never thought I could run long distance races like this half marathon. Thanks to Run-On!'s training for the past year, I feel like I am able to run at my best potential. Special thanks goes to Jennifer Kimble and all the Run-On! coaches for keeping me in great physical shape, as well as USMD Prostate Cancer Center in Arlington, TX for keeping me healthy and cancer free.  I trained and ran my races the best I could. I wanted my little brother Jimmy to be proud of me and hoped he would try and exercise a little. He was a diabetic like me and our father, and he had several minor strokes and other severe health problems. In April of 2011, he passed away just 6 days after his 54th birthday. I believe that I am blessed to be able to run. Do yourself a favor and make today the day you begin your love of walking and running for your better health. If I can do this, you can too. Just start slow, and anything is possible. Place   Bib       Overall      Men Overall  Chip Time   Pace 15/90  20795  1989/9667    1369/4051      1:57:16      8:57 I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com

Carrollton Runners Mile and 5K

After my 15K Plano Pacer race I raced the next morning, Sunday November 27, in the Carrollton Runners Mile and 5K at McInnish Park in Carrollton, TX. I ran in both of the races. The 1 mile started at 7:37 AM and the 5K started at 7:48. It was about 39 degrees with 16 mph cold wind blowing. When I tried my slow jog to warm up like I always do before a race, I knew it was not going to be one of my better race days. I was very sore from my 9.3 mile 15K race the day before. MOTOACTV, a music and fitness company, gave us a free tote bag at the starting line. I left mine tied to a tree by the curb, so I could run without the extra weight. Usually, on Sunday, I run with my Run-On! 10:30 pace group for our long runs, but I knew I couldn't do another 9 miles the day after that 15K. I finish the 1 mile race in the time of 8:22 / mile pace.  Place   Men     Overall   Time   Age Grade 2/2     10/13     12/15     8:22      55.0% After the 1 mile, I went back to retrieve my tote bag and by the time I had turned around, they had already started the 5K race. I just took my time, walked to my car to put bag up, then started the race in last place. Since this was a chip timed race, my start time didn't matter; the clock started when I actually crossed the start line. I passed my 80 year old running friend Robert Cunningham and a few others. My other running friend, 63 year old Scott McKissik, also raced in the two events. He finished ahead of me in the 1 mile race. Also running the race was Dallas morning News online blogger and runner, 65 year old Spareribs LaMothe, who mentioned the Carrollton Runner Club and its Race Director Ruben Saguil on his site. My 1 mile time was 9:07. I passed the turnaround shortly after, and my halfway time was 14:17. I always try to have a negative split during the second half of the race. My 2 mile time was 18:08 (a 9:00 / mile pace), which was about 2 1/2 minutes slower than my normal 5K pace. At abut 2.5 miles I finally started to loosen up my sore muscles. My 3 mile time was 26:39 (a 8:31 / mile pace). I started to run faster the closer I got to the finish line. I finished the second half in the time of 13:18, which was a 59 second negative split. I finished the event in the time of 27:34. My friend Scott also ran a 5K at Plano the day before. I assumed he had a better time than me. There were no awards given at this very small race. The fee was only $2.00 for member and $3.00 to new members on race day. Anyways, I was suprized when I looked at the results in the Dallas Morning News paper the next morning. I had actually finished a few seconds ahead of Scott. Next, I'm going to write about my the White Rock Half Marathon which I ran early in December. Still trying to catch up on my posts. Apologies for the delays. Place    Men      Overall    Time    Pace   Age Grade 1/2       15/26      21/47    27:34     8:52      58.2 I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com

Plano Pacer's Turkey Runoff 15K

On Saturday November 26, 2011 I ran in a 15K race at the Plano Pacers Turkey Runoff 5K, 15K and Jr Sprint at Bob Woodruff Park in Plano TX. The race was free to yearly members and only $10 to guests. It was raining when I left to go to Plano and didn't stop until right before 6:00 AM. The temperature was just under 70 degrees for the start of the 15K and 5K which started at together at 8:00 AM. I started about 15 rows from the front and waited for the race to get started. After the first mile I looked at my Garmin to check my time. I had run it in 8:04, which was pretty fast for a first mile in a 15K race. I told myself to slow down. This was a 9.3 mile race, basically three 5K in one, so I needed to reserve some energy for the finish. I actually ran this race earlier in the year in February, so I went back to read what I had written on my blog so I could "study" the course. Because of that bit of research, I already knew there were a few small hills, and mentally prepared myself for them. My 3 mile time was 25:01 (a 8:25 / mile pace). Around the 6th mile is where the hills were, and so my pace slowed down a bit at that point with a time of 51:11 (a 9:13 / mile pace). A little farther on from the 6th mile marker was the turnaround, just past the 10K marker. There were only 2 water stops on the course, but they were set up in a way that you passed them twice. Great idea, the problem is that the cups of water were very small. I took a few of them all along the way for energy. With only 2 miles to go, I ran as fast as I could. At mile 8, my time was 1:08:20 (8:16 / mile pace) and I ran the same pace for mile 9 with a time of 1:16:36. We had to circle the pond and finish in front of the pavilion, and I finished in the time of 1:19:47 (7:48 / mile pace). They gave out nice trophies to all the award winners including the Jr. Sprint kids. I placed 2nd out of 6 in my new 60 - 64 age division; 32 out of 50 men and 37 out of 77 overall 15K finishers. For the first time ever, I scored above 70 in my age grade with 73.1. To compare, my time on this same course in February was 1:26:01, so this is a new personal record in a 15K race. Like most runners, I run faster when the weather is cooler.  Place     Men      Overall    Chip Time    Pace     Age Grade  2/6      32/50      37/77       1:19:47       8:34        73.1 I run to raise awareness for prostate cancer and to benefit my community. www.runningforacause.tumblr.com