Seafair Torchlight Run 5k Race Recap (Another PR + First Sub-18!)

The Seafair Torchlight Run is very popular local racing event as it is one of the main events of the Seattle Seafair Torchlight weekend and takes place right before the Torchlight Parade. The race starts/finishes in downtown Seattle at the Seattle Center and offers both a 5k and 8k race option. The turnout is always impressive, with 1,423 5k runners and 1,374 8k runners this year. The first mile of the race course actually runs along the same stretch of 4th Ave that the Torchlight Parade follows, so thousands of spectators line both sides of the street and cheer on runners as they wait for the Parade. All year, I have had my sights set on this race, knowing it would be a great target race to truly test how far a consistent season of training would allow me to push myself.

Seven of my Green Lake Track Club teammates were running in the event as well, and we decided to meet before the race and go through our warm-up routine together. Both the 5k and 8k were scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start, and we arrived at 5:30 p.m. to pick up any last minute race packets and begin our warm-up. I also quickly realized that everyone was wearing matching green GLTC racing singlets. I on the other hand was sporting my blue Seattle Running Club singlet and sticking out like a sore thumb (queue up some Eiffel 65 music anyone?). We began an easy warm-up run around the Seattle Center and our group was big enough that when we turned a corner, we elicited a ridiculously enthusiastic but cut-short cheer from some spectators who thought the race had started. It was actually quite synonymous with that cliché scenario where everyone is hiding in wait at a surprise party and go absolutely bats#!% crazy as someone walks in, only to find out it's not the right person. Anyways, we finished our pre-race warm-up run and headed over to the start line with 10 minutes to spare where I ran a couple of last minute strides on my own. One minute to go and the announcer began the final countdown. As per my usual race routine, I blocked out the noise around me, set my watch, and calmly recited my favorite Jasyoga "reset" mantra (Breathe in: "I am", Breathe out: "Here now").

Start of the 2014 Seafair Torchlight Run!

The race was under way and the time to test myself had arrived. I fell in stride with Zak as we set out at a solid 5:45 pace. With all the energy surrounding us, it felt like the pace was painfully slow. All those previous races of starting out too fast must have finally got through, because I managed to shut down my anxiety and let runner after runner pass me. As we traveled down 4th Ave, we were greeted by cheers from spectators lining the streets which added an almost (half) marathon type feel to the event. My watch signaled that I had cleared the first mile in a split of 5:37. Not only had I kept a consistent yet slightly faster pace than I set out at, but I felt strong. For the first time, instead of slowing down as I am so used to doing after the first mile, I felt confident enough to maintain the pace and see if I could keep up with a pack of Club Northwest runners right ahead of me.

As we turned onto Seneca Street I took advantage of the downhill as we flew toward the Viaduct. When we reached the bottom of the hill, 8k runners were directed left onto the Viaduct while the 5k runners were directed right. After running straight downhill, my legs did not want to make the sharp right turn onto the Viaduct. Then I remembered that a friend recently ran a race with two 180 degree turns and I stopped complaining and salvaged my remaining dignity. #FirstWorldRunnerProblems.

Turning onto the Viaduct.

As I transitioned onto the Viaduct, I realized that the majority of the pack I had been running with were running the 8k and had broken off at the turn. I suddenly found myself in a weird position where I was a ways behind the front pack but significantly ahead of the second wave. I was not completely alone however, as I had fallen in between the first and second place female runners Lana Lacey and Erica Pitman as well as a St. Olaf College cross country runner, who were in the same situation. We formed a small temporary pack and kept each others' paces honest. At that moment, in the middle of the race, it hit me how much fun I was having. This was so cool. I was racing next to some amazing runners and I had found that elusive feeling that running on the right day can bring. The feeling of flying. Of weightlessness. Of speed. My watch signaled I had cleared the second mile split in 5:40 placing me in a perfect striking position to hit a PR.

Feeling strong, I began to break away. Taking a chance and making a move!

The third mile of a 5k hurts. There is no escaping this fact. With the splits I was pushing in the first two miles, I knew it was going to be especially brutal this time. All you can do is accept this truth and try to hold on. As we moved off of the Viaduct onto Western Ave, I let all hesitation go. It was no longer about strategy. It was about trusting that the hard work and the miles I put in this season and the confidence gained little by little from previous races would carry me through to the finish. It was about taking a chance and putting everything I had into one last mile. I accepted the hurt and embraced the final uphill section of the course up Broad Street. With about 200 meters left to go, I turned the final corner and the finish line came into view. My eyes immediately zeroed in on the official race clock with anticipation and excitement.

[17:31] Wait, what?! Not only could I run a PR, but I had a shot at breaking 18:00 as well!

[17:35] I switched gears into 200 meter repeat mode and thought of the path that brought me to this point. 

[17:37] Learning from other runners, running blogs, friends, coaches.

[17:38] Learning from past races. Discovering race by race what works for me and what doesn't.

[17:40] The long runs. 

[17:42] The track workouts.

[17:45] The pre-race warm-up. 

[17:47] The 5:37 first mile. 

[17:48] The 5:40 second mile.

[17:50] The pain I felt from running a hard race, loudly reminding me just how alive I was and in the moment.

[17:51] And most importantly: knowing I was exactly where I should be, doing what I love to do. Run.

[17:53] I made it.

'I look up to the sky, and now the world is mine, I've known it all my life. I made it. I made it.'

I flew through the finish line coming in 15th overall with a new PR and first sub-18 5k in an official time of 17:53! There were no trumpets or bells or fanclub groupies cheering my name. There was just an overwhelming sense of accomplishment of breaking a significant barrier and gratitude that I was healthy and able to give it my all that day on that 5k stretch of road. As Oiselle runner Lauren Fleshman stated in my favorite article from the June 2014 issue of Runner's World: "The 5-k is freaking awesome!". I couldn't agree more.

Post Race Comments/Fanboy news:

1. I ran into a number of TMNR friends who appeared to have had great races as well. Congrats to everyone!

2. Neil - Yes, I ran a glorious "Old Man PR B-Standard"!

3. So Brooks Beast Jamie Cheever totally complimented me on my running shirt during the last TMNR (probably made my week). Sadly, I admitted I totally stole the look of her teammate Riley Masters from an Instagram photo of him during a track workout. Maybe the Brooks Beasts should try to add a modeling clause into their contracts.

4. It was awesome having so many from the GLTC show up. It has been forever since I have been in a team setting and definitely drew strength from knowing my team was there with me.

Green Lake Track Club at our home track field.
Photo credit thanks to Janelle.

Things that have helped me achieve my racing goals this year: 

1. Jasyoga. I kid you not, this has become a staple in my recovery and injury prevention routine. I will be the first to admit that I am definitely not the model yogi. Downward dog? No no, but I can do this awesome rigid tree pose. Reclining hero? No no, rigid tree pose. Standing forward fold? No no, awkward bendy rigid tree pose. Like running, yoga has taken a lot of consistent work and patience but it has overcome all odds and turned this runner from a rigid tree into a respectably pliable tree.

There I am in the back (where nobody can see me) managing a pitiful 3 inch lift on the single leg balance (the bane of my yoga existence). #KillingItOutdoorStudioStyle
Photo credit thanks to Jasyoga.

2. This past year I have tried to connect and surround myself with other runners who inspire me. There is  so much running talent in Seattle that it has felt overwhelming at times. I have also tried to do everything in my power to stay motivated and not burn myself out. During any down points throughout the season, I always tried to step back and look at the bigger picture. Key races I was working toward. Goals I was hoping to achieve. Team members and friends there supporting me.

To summarize this in a very sage and philosophical way:

Surround yourself with inspiration, compliment it with motivation, and support it with determination.

Firecracker 5000 5k Race Recap (and new 5k PR!)

For many, July 4th meant enjoying simple endeavors such as holding barbecues in the back yard or going out with friends and family to watch fireworks. Pathetic mortals. For 685 Seattle runners (myself included), July 4th meant showing up at the Seattle Center at midnight to run a 5k. The Firecracker 5000 is hosted by Club Northwest and so it always tends to attract a lot of fast local running talent. Having recently finished the Fremont 5k in 18:46, I was excited to see if I could push myself even further on this tougher downtown Seattle course and also see how much I could improve on my time of 19:42 from the previous year's Firecracker 5000. 

Zak (the Green Lake Track Club coach) informed me that he would also be running in the Firecracker 5000 and asked if I wanted to join him in warm-up drills and run the first mile together. I jumped at the opportunity, knowing that he would do a good job holding me back at the start so that I could avoid my recurring bad habit of going out too fast. The race start/finish was located at Memorial Stadium and I arrived at 11:00 p.m. to pick up my race bib and chip timer. Zak arrived about 15 minutes later and we began our warm-up with an easy loop along part of the course around the Seattle Center. With about 10 minutes remaining, we headed to the starting line and I ran a couple of stride drills along the length of the Memorial Stadium field until I realized I was managing to catch every astroturf pebble in my shoes. One minute to go and the announcer began the final countdown. I blocked out the noise around me, set my watch, and calmly recited a simple mantra I learned from Erin of Jasyoga which helped clear my pre-race jitters and reset my mental focus (Breathe in: "I am", Breathe out: "Here now").

Start of the 2014 Firecracker5000 5k!

The race started and I immediately moved into position beside Zak. My body screamed at me to pick up the pace as about 60 - 70 runners flew ahead of us, but Zak assured me we were on a solid 5:45 pace and that we would be seeing many of those runners again "real soon". Trusting his instinct and advice, I settled into the pace and realized how familiar the situation felt and how easily I could mistake the moment for just another one of our weekly tempo workout runs. Sure enough, we started catching up with a lot of runners who had clearly started out too fast and my watch alerted me that I had just cleared the first mile in a solid split of 5:46. 

At that point, Zak broke away and sped up his pace while I felt just strong enough to maintain it. The second mile brought the first major hill and it hurt. I was not joking when I said this course was tougher than the Fremont 5k. Downtown Seattle can be an unforgivable bi-...g pain. Maybe those pathetic mortal endeavors of barbecues and watching fireworks might not have been such a bad idea after all... If I had run the first mile any faster I probably would have crashed towards the end of the second mile. Instead, I was able to hold on and clear the second mile split in 6:05.

Section of the race course along the Seattle Center. The entire course was surprisingly well lit.

The third mile was just as tough. The section along 1st Ave consisted of a half mile of pure joy uphill. Fantastic. I was about to hit the 2.4 mile mark when my journey up Mt. Everest 1st Ave was interrupted by a group of college students driving by in the adjacent lane which was still open to traffic. A young woman leaned out the window as they passed and yelled "YA! you go guy with the short shorts!" Now, hold on here a second ladies and gentlemen. You don't even understand how badly I wanted to respond with something like "Am I rocking these short shorts or what?!" or "They should probably put me on the cover of the next Runner's World!" or even "Excuse me but the full politically correct term is Aerodynamic Short Shorts (ASS)!". However, with my lungs busy inhaling sweet precious life and exhaling death and misery plus the fact that they probably wouldn't have appreciated the magazine or bodonk reference, I only managed a polite smile and wave. With about a quarter mile left to go, I switched gears into 400-meter repeat mode and flew into memorial stadium and across the finish line with my first sub-6:00 average pace and an official time of 18:33 (5:59/mile) for a new 5k PR. Double score!

This is about all the external happiness I was able to convey that late at night. Trust me, I was a lot happier than I look.
Photo credit thanks to Brenda Alvarez.

At the finish area, I met back up with Zak and thanked him for pacing me the first mile. I was also able to catch up with Brenda and Nick (two more Monday Night Runners) who also had good races!

Hanging out with Monday Night Run friends after the race!
Photo credit thanks to Brenda Alvarez.

Before heading out, I managed to hear that brother and sister Brian and Andrea Masterson were the winners of the overall Men and Women divisions. I was also able to catch a glimpse of this year's costume winners.

FireCracker5000 2014 costume winners. 'Murica!
Photo credit thanks to official Firecracker5000 website.

 
Post race thoughts/comments:

1. Thanks again Zak for pacing me to a new 5k PR!

2. I am still building up my mileage with the Green Lake Track Club. It is so awesome to see the improvement I have been feeling reflected in actual race performance. It has delivered a confidence boost and at the same time has helped reassure me that the training and miles I am putting in each week is working. With that said, staying healthy is the highest priority for me. No amount of improvement is worth the risk of seriously injuring myself and I have already had to adjust and even skip a number of runs over these past couple weeks after listening to my body.

3. We have moved on to long interval speed work phase with the GLTC. Our next workout will consist of 2x 400-800-1200 repeats. I have never actually incorporated long interval distances into my training before so I am looking forward to (surviving) this learning experience.

3. The next race on my schedule is the Seafair 5k on 7/26/2014.

4. I highly recommend trying out this race. Just be prepared for an erratic sleep schedule throughout the rest of your Fourth of July weekend.

Fremont 5k and Briefcase Relay Race Recap

Fremont is a place of bridge trolls, chocolate, naked bicyclist parades, and the new Brooks Running Company HQ. It is also where one of my favorite annual 5k races takes place, the Fremont 5k and Briefcase Relay. The briefcase relay option is also a 5k distance, with teams consisting of five runners wearing office/business attire from the waist up. Each team member runs one kilometer, passing off a briefcase filled with canned food that is donated to charity afterwards. I personally judge the relay teams not upon their time, but by their team name. This year's winner for me was the "Brooks Boxers or Brief(case)s".

The Fremont 5k is different than most other local 5k events in that it is an evening race, starting at 7:00 pm on a Friday. I love it. I usually go out for my daily training runs in the evenings after work and so my body is especially synced and ready to go at that time. I arrived at 5:30 p.m. and headed over to the gear check tent where I met up with a runner who I had met at the Cougar Mountain 5 Mile race a couple weeks prior. He asked if I wanted to join him for a warm-up run and we headed off along a section of the Burke Gilman Trail, towards Gasworks Park. With about 30 minutes left we arrived back at the general event area and I ran a couple strides before making my way to the starting line.

Start of the Fremont 5k!

I took a moment to look around and was happy to catch sight of Lulu and Chris (fellow Monday Night Run friends) in the crowd. I also noticed Uli Steidl (10-time Seattle Marathon winner and winner of the Boston Marathon Masters Division for two consecutive years) and Brooks Beast Coach Danny Mackey (with a 15:50 finish he apparently doesn't just talk the talk, but runs the walk...) lining up at the front, along with an assortment of other Club Northwest and Seattle Running Club representatives. Hooooo boy. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love competitive fields, but it has one unavoidable side effect that I bet you guessed coming a mile away (pun intended). Yes ladies and gentlemen, I went out too fast. Not just too fast, 5:12 first mile split too fast. Here is more or less an elapsed time internal play-by-play of the first mile:

00:00 - Breathe in "I am", Breathe out "Here now". -Thanks Erin!

00:01 - I got this!

.

.

.

05:00 - I got this!

05:05 - Hey, is that Kristi Houk from Club Northwest right next to me? The Kristi Houk that always finishes ahead of me by a full minute or two at EVERY race?

05:12 - Watch beeps signaling that I have passed the first mile.

05:13 - ABORT! I don't got this!

At that point, I slowed way down knowing that in about six minutes I would be in for a world of hurt. I slowed down to about 6:00/mile pace and fell into a solid pack of runners. A little past the mile mark, a group of young adults were cheering for their friend Lauren. There were two women right ahead of me (they ended up with 2nd and 3rd overall in the women's division) who were both named Lauren so I am not sure exactly which Lauren they were cheering for. Maybe both? Maybe they call everyone Lauren. Maybe they were also cheering for me too! See? Mental tricks aren't just for kids! Small moral boost achieved, I hit the halfway mark and was turning around when all of a sudden I heard a "LOOKING STRONG, CARL!". At first I thought maybe I had taken the mind games too seriously, but I looked back and noticed my friend (assistant coach for the Nathan Hale High School Cross Country and Track teams) standing there in a volunteer vest. These two moral boosts in the second mile pushed me through with a 6:05 split.

The third mile hurt. A lot. I was about halfway through the third mile when I passed Lauren's fanclub once again. I was just thinking how imaginary cheering just wasn't the same when I caught sight of another friend and fellow Greenlake Track Club member, Pablo, who had come down to cheer Chris and I along the course and snap a couple race photos. When you are exhausted and hurting at the end of a race, words can't describe the real effect of having a friend genuinely cheering/encouraging you has on your entire outlook at that moment. I finished the third mile in 6:02 and crossed the finish line a little later with an official chip time of 18:46, securing a solid sub-19:00 finish!

Feeling that third mile!
Photo credit thanks to Pablo Cabrera.

Fellow Monday Night Runner Chris looking strong near the finish.
Photo credit thanks to Pablo Cabrera.

Post race thoughts/comments:

1. Thanks for coming down and cheering on your TC team, Pablo. You helped me survive that awful final mile!

2. I have been continuing to get my long runs and track workouts in with the Green Lake TC and can really feel my fitness improving. We have been running about 10 miles on our Sunday long runs and our latest Wednesday track workouts have consisted of tempo runs, hill work, and 3 x 200/300/400 ladder repeats.

A snapshot from my GPS watch of our latest Green Lake TC Sunday long run, starting and ending at Gasworks Park.

3. I was able to volunteer the following weekend at the Cougar Mountain Trail Series #2 event. I ran into fellow TMNRer Brenda, who placed in the women's division of the 5k!

Brenda and I at the registration/packet pick-up booth I was helping with.
Photo credit thanks to Brenda.

4. The next races I plan to run are the Firecracker 5000 (July 3rd  midnight run at the Seattle Center) and the Seafair 5k.

TMNR with the Brooks Beasts TC (6/2/2014)

The Monday Night Run this week was simply awesome! Seattle's very own Brooks Beasts Track Club came out to run with our group and just hang out while answering any questions we might have. Before we set out on our run around Green Lake, the Brooks Beasts coach Danny Mackey lead our group through their daily activation exercise routine. These activation exercises only take a few minutes and are used to get key muscle groups firing before you set out on a run.

Coach Danny Mackey explaining the Brooks Beasts pre-run activation exercises.
Photo credit thanks to Daniel Julian.

We split up into smaller groups to practice. Above, group being lead by Brooks Beast Katie Mackey.
Photo credit thanks to Daniel Julian.

After completing these exercises we set out on an easy 4-mile "Soapbox Loop" run around Green Lake. I fell in stride with the two Brooks Beasts runners Riley Masters and Cas Loxom. They both recently won their respective heats at the Payton Jordan Invite at Stanford University in early May. Cas ran the 800 Meter Section 1 event in a time of 1:48.38 while Riley ran in the 1500 Meter Section 1 event with a time of 3:38.42. A couple of my fellow Green Lake Track Club friends joined up with our group and the miles flew by as the two professionals talked to us about racing advice and strategy.

Throughout the run, while talking with Riley and Cas, I also paid attention to their running form and stride. It was impressive. They made the 6:40 pace we were holding look absolutely easy (which of course it was for them), as if they were simply floating across the ground. They had the running form that comes out of putting in a lot of quality miles day to day.

Was able to take a picture with Brooks Beasts Cas Loxom, Katie Mackey, and Erica Moore.
Photo credit thanks to Daniel Julian.

In what seemed like no time at all, we finished up the run and was able to pick up a Brooks Beast t-shirt and take a couple photos with some of the Beasts and fellow TMNR/GLTC friends!

Photo with TMNR + Green Lake Track Club friends.
Photo credit thanks to Daniel Julian.

The Brooks Beasts t-shirts ran out quickly but Karsten (a Super Jock n' Jill employee) said he knew the Beasts and graciously gave me the one he snagged. It was even in my size too! Thanks man!

Brooks Beasts t-shirt!

Definitely a fun night and I am looking forward to running with them again. 

You can find out more about the Brooks Beasts at:

http://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/brooks-beasts-track-club

You can also follow them as they compete at events throughout the year on Flotrack.

Cougar Mountain 5 Mile Race Recap

The 2014 Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series has started! I absolutely love these races and appreciate the opportunity to balance out my road racing and get out on the trails. My boss at work originally introduced me to this series back in 2012 and it has turned into a definite favorite of mine that I look forward to each year.

The series is jointly hosted by the Seattle Running Club and Northwest Trail Runs and takes place on the second Saturday of every month between May and August. Each month offers a number of distances runners can choose from.

May: 5 Mile or 10 Mile
June: 8 Mile, 14 Mile, or 5k
July: 10 Mile, 20 Mile, or 5k
August: 14 Mile, 26 Mile, or 5k

To start off this series, I chose the 5 Mile distance with the hope of improving on my time from last two years. A little history recap of my previous two Cougar Mountain 5 Mile performances:

2012: 41:02 (42nd Overall)
2013: 38:45.2 (10th Overall)
2014: You will have to read on to find out.

The race was set to start at 9:00 a.m. so I arrived a little before 8:00 a.m. I grabbed my racing bib and timing chip and set out along a gravel road called "Clay Pit Road" adjacent to the starting area and began to warm up. At first I felt miserable but after about 20 minutes I started feeling pretty good. By the time I started in on some strides I felt ready to fly. I headed to the starting line with about five minutes remaining and met up with my boss and another coworker who were also running the race. I asked my boss about the trail conditions as he runs the Cougar Mountain trails frequently. It had been raining pretty heavily the days leading up to the race and he confirmed that the trails were super muddy. I set my watch and recited a mantra I learned from Erin of Jasyoga: (Breathe in: I am, breathe out: Here now).

5 mile and 10 mile course routes.

As you can see from the above map, the race started with a 400 meter sprint around a grass field. Well, that morning it was no longer a grass field but rather a marsh swamp ground. My feet were sinking about 6 inches and I hadn't even reached the first corner before my feet were soaked and I had added what felt like a pound of water weight to my feet. So, for the next mile or so I was kept company by the consistent rhythmic companion: slosh-y slosh-y slosh-y slosh-y. I did not let this slow me down. Both the stretch of Clay Pit Road and the last mile and a half were wide and dry, so I planned on making the most of those sections. My road racing and track workouts kicked into gear and my body responded easily as I picked up the pace and flew past a large number of runners who I didn't attempt to pass in the field. I flew through the first mile in a pace of 6:50, knowing that the first and most significant climb of the course (Lost Beagle Trail) would be coming up in another half mile. 

Starting off the race with a 400 meter run around a marsh!

Lost Beagle. The climb. The pain. The badonk. I definitely was reminded how much hills require the badonk. I was also reminded how weak and lacking mine was by the 8:35 second mile split. Mental note: add more hill workouts to weekly routine... check! As bad as that sounds, it was far worse for most of those around me and  track workouts has started to help teach my body to recover faster and transition between gears more smoothly. I was able to push the pace immediately after cresting Lost Beagle Trail, transitioning from a 10:00 pace to a 6:46 pace in a matter of seconds. At this point, there were two distinct front waves. I had kept track of four runners in the lead group who had pulled ahead of us and I was left with a pack of about 8 runners.

The section between the 2.5 and 3.5 mile mark was definitely the most frustrating part of the race for me. I felt like I was in an aerobic running state. My breathing wasn't labored even at the 6:46 pace I was holding, and my legs felt light. The problem was the trails. As promised, every couple meters there would be a mud pit which promised to provide a one-way ticket onto my ass. This wasn't exactly a problem on the flat and straight sections, but proved to be a nightmare when combined with a switchback turn or a steep downhill gradient. I will be the first to admit that trail racing is completely different game from racing on the streets and that I just don't have the trail running experience to handle the turns and downhills in those conditions. This held me back to the point where about four runners pushed past me. When I crested the second and final uphill climb on Mine Shaft Trail, I once transitioned into 6:05 pace and passed a runner who had overtaken me in the previous mile. As I said, I knew the last mile and a half was more or less flat and dry and oh did I stick to my strategy and take advantage of that. I sped up to a freaking 5:55 pace and flew past yet another runner. I passed a small fence which told me I had about 800 meters to go and my mind went into my track workout state. Just another 800 meter repeat. I cleared the last 800 meters in 2:35 and flew past the last two runners who had passed me earlier in the third mile. My final mile split came out at 5:50 which clocked me in at an official time of 37:10 which put me 5th overall!

I bet the camera guy's boss told him to take a picture of the runner with the most painful expression. Job accomplished sir.

Race Results: http://www.seattlerunningclub.org/Events/Cougar/cougar5-10mi14.html

Post Race lessons and updates:

1. Work on the badonk.

2. Track workouts are freaking amazing. Adding track workouts to my weekly routine has proven invaluable. Seriously. With all the speeding up and slowing down throughout the race, it actually felt like a 37 minute track workout session of repeats. With hills though...

3. I have been steadily increasing my mileage with my sights set on the Seattle Half Marathon in the fall. For the past month I have been increasing my mileage with quality miles in long runs and speed work/tempo sessions with the Green Lake Track Club. As a result, I have had to skip a number of 5k races that were on my calendar to allow my body to safely adjust to the increased intensity. As of writing this, the next race I plan to run is the Fremont 5k on June 6th.

Top Pot Doughnut Dash 5k Race Recap

Oh Top Pot Doughnuts how I love you! They also host an annual 5k race at Green Lake with a $500 prize purse to the male and female winners. Now many of you may have read about the prize purse of the Boston Marathon or the NYC Marathon, but remember that the winner of this small 5k event is usually finishing around 15 minutes... $500 for 15 minutes is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. Well this results in a lot of fast local runners (especially Club Northwest) competing at this event and provides a great opportunity to see some serious running talent from around the Seattle area. 

After my experience with the Seahawks 5k, it was nice to return to a smaller race of 1,446 runners. The start line for this race is right in front of my favorite running store Super Jock 'n Jill and is the same starting location for a lot of my weekly running routes. The race started at 8:30 and I arrived an hour before and started warming up. I recognized a number of runners from The Monday Night Run group and a few Super Jock n' Jill employees warming up as well. I stepped up to the starting with a little time to spare and repeated the following in my head for the next few minutes: "DON'T GO OUT TOO FAST!"

Guess who went out too fast? I don't understand it. I can mentally come to terms with this deceptively simple plan, but my body has the hardest time following it. It's like adrenaline and race nerves hooked up and produced a 5:41 first mile split love child and named it Pacing Strategy Disaster.

I found my "running pack" in the second mile, and held on for dear life as the adrenaline wore off. There were a few breakaways and a few who fell off but for the most part it felt like the majority of the pack was content to ride the second mile together at a steady 6:17 pace.

Two miles down and my watch showed an elapsed time of 11:58. I figure I had a shot at breaking 19:00 and turned up the pace ever so slightly (please remember I was kind of dying). I managed to pass a couple of runners from the pack I was in and I held a 6:13ish pace. I turned the final corner and flew past the finish line with an official time of 19:32.

Ugh. I really wanted to break 19:00. I am not quite sure why this race was harder for me than the Green Lake Gobble 5k or the Valentine's Day Dash 5k, but I will take this race with a serving of humble pie. I will remind myself that it is still about 30 seconds faster than when I ran this race last year and look ahead to the next race.

Jonathan Lafler and Megan Heuer win the 2014 Top Pot Doughnut Dash 5k!

Also thought I would include a snapshot of my GPS watch summary of the race. That first mile though...

Post race thoughts:

1. If I had a nickel for every time I circle back to that first mile... 
    ...I'd probably hire a pacer to keep me in check :).

2. Ran into a friend who coaches cross country/track at Nathan Hale High School and he was saying how hard it was to break his 5k PR from high school. Well folks, we talked a bit more and took the concept of the Master's division and Olympic B-Standard qualifying time and combined them to produce what I call the "old man PR B-standard". This beauty wipes the slate clean at 25 and allows you to go for personal PR glory once again. Awesome, right?

Seahawks 12k Race Recap (The 12th Man)

This weekend I ran in the Seahawks 12k (as you probably have guessed, I opted for the 5k event) and oh what an event it was. Let me start off by providing a little scope and perspective. Last year, the 2013 event had 1,998 5k finishers and 2,090 12k finishers for a total of 4,088 timed runners. This year’s 2014 event had 4,017 5k finishers and 4,044 12k finishers for a total of 8,061 timed runners. I am also pretty sure there were a number of individuals who didn’t wear their timing chips, and even more who ran as bandits. Basically, Seattle ran a race this weekend.

The 12k event was set to start at 9:00 a.m. and the 5k was set to follow at 9:20 a.m. Between the highway backup and parking a half mile away from the start area, it was 8:45 by the time I picked up my racing bib. Realizing I had about half the time I would like to warm up and prepare myself, I ran over to the gear check station to check my first bag. As I was walking toward the station, Suzanne (a woman I met waiting in the start line at the Mercer Island 5k) ran up to me. We briefly reminisced about the pain and glory of the Mercer Island 5k (she managed to grab 3^rd place in the women’s division) and we bonded over the mutual delight experience of getting beaten by 14 year old runners in that race. Before leaving, she imparted a word of advice to cut my warm-up shorter than usual and grab a spot at the front of the start line. Words I should have heeded more carefully.

The 12k started on time at 9:00 a.m., but had to be divided into three waves of about 1,500 runners. The first wave took a fair amount of time to clear and I figured it would take at least another 10 minutes before the 5k runners could start to line up and when I looked over at the start line at 9:10, I saw a huge crowd still there and figured the last wave of the 12k still had to get under way. Nope. That was the 5k line.  I tried to get to the front but the volunteers directed me to the back of the line. I knew I had to be over half way back and I tried to see if I could somehow squeeze my way closer to the front. Nope. I looked around and realized I was surrounded by people with dogs, baby strollers and a dude with a giant 12^th Man flag. Nice! Well at this point I was thinking to myself that I pretty much had two choices. I could forget about time and just go with the flow of the people around me and join in on this middle pack “Seahawks Spirit Parade”… or I could attempt some sort of improvisational Matrix-meets-Fast-and-Furious dodging and weaving experience that would forever go down in the history books of Carl’s racing legacy. For all time. My decision came down to what Canadian rapper Drake so eloquently describes as: YOLO?...

Note the flag guy.

The race clock shows I started almost 28 minutes after the start of the 12k at 9:00 a.m.

So there I was, starting off at the front of wave three behind about 2,500 people. I had about 100 meters of open start space until I reached the back of wave two. And I met the wall. Zig-Zag, swerve, sidestep, speed up and slow down. I counted three times in the first mile that I actually had to stop for a couple seconds because the entire road was blocked by a line of people. I honestly don’t even remember looking at my watch or the scenery once in the first mile. I didn't think of pacing or plan my strategy for the second mile. I just focused on staying alive. After what seemed like eternity, my watch beeped signaling I had just cleared the first mile. When I looking down at my watch it read a 6:02 pace. What?! Not only had I kept a faster pace than I thought possible with all the shenanigans in the first mile, but it was at the pace I WISH I could hit at other races. I have mentioned in previous race recap blog posts that I have a recurring problem of going out too fast at races. Well ladies and gentlemen, after a year of searching and experimenting I have finally found the solution. Have your football team win the Superbowl and then seek out the guy holding the most ridiculously impractical flag standing next to the other runner with that multi-seat baby stroller! Lesson noted.

Found it!

Even though my first mile split was where I wanted it to be, the fact that I was never able to get my mind in the zone and plan how I wanted to attack the next mile took its toll in mile two. At about the the halfway mark, I reached the "eye of the storm" and found a 400 meter stretch of open space that had developed between the first and second waves. I used that opportunity to increase my pace to bring my second mile split in at 6:11.

Mile three was a down-and-back along a narrow two lane road. There were orange cones placed every 8-10 feet along the center median to help make sure runners stayed on their side of the lane (to the left of the cones) each way. At this point I had caught up with the majority of the first wave and the road was crowded in both lanes. The only open route was practically on top of the center line with the cones. When I was about halfway to the turnaround point I had a runner on my left and another right behind me. In other words, I had to either move straight ahead or to the right into oncoming runners. To my joy disbelief, some lovely oncoming individual decides she wants to "high five" the runner directly to my left across the orange cones. If you have been able to set up the mental image of this scenario correctly, you have probably realized this meant the equivalent to she was about to clothesline the s*** out of me. Awesome. Well she must have noticed my look of horror because she changed her mind at the last second. Second degree manslaughter charges avoided.

12th Man!

I looked down at my watch which showed I clocked in at 19:42. I grabbed some water and a banana from the finish area and stayed a little longer to watch some of the 12k runners come in. The results were posted online later that day and when I saw my name I couldn't stop smiling. No, I didn't get into the top 10 and no, it obviously wasn't a PR for me, but I did get 12th overall! That's right folks, I kid you not, I am literally the Seahawks 5k 12th Man! Coincidence or fate? For me, it was just another fun (if a bit crazy) race!

Post-Race thoughts/reminders:

1) Pretty happy to finally solve the problem of starting the race too fast.

2) PLEASE be careful when you high-five another runner...

3) Finally, most important of all: Good luck to all you running the Boston Marathon on Monday! Have an amazing race! Boston Strong!