Track and Field Blogs - RunDMC

A Week at Sea Level – Leg Limited

I went down to "The OC" for a week and a half to do some face time with clients and test out my new Red Blood Cells. The day we headed back I went for a 1:40 run with some strides in Mammoth. The next day at sea level I went for an easy run which turned into an hour because I felt so good. The next day was easy 40min, then a 2 hour run the next day. I could barely hurt myself.

Two days later I was on the track for 12x400m with 200m jog recovery. The times were not fast. My legs just would not go any faster, but I was recovering in about 35 seconds. It was a good feeling.

Saturday I ran the UC Riverside Cross Country 8k. It is a pretty fast course because it is relatively flat and on pretty hard packed dirt – but certainly not as fast as a road race or the track. There is one section with some loose sandy soil followed by a small hill. It is repeated twice in the 2^nd and 4^th miles. It was warm but not hot for the start.

We started off in a wide open dirt field and head about 200m to a small hill where the course narrows to a one lane dirt road through the orange groves. I started conservatively knowing that the funnel ahead would slow down the pack and I would be right back in there. The dust back in the pack was pretty heavy and the grit builds up in the teeth. I moved steadily and passed people who had gone out too hard getting to the mile in 5:27. The next mile was steady and smooth in 5:42 followed by 3 in 5:40.

A former teammate of mine who now runs for the Master’s team, Fluffy Bunny TC, passed me in the first mile and I kept him close. He made some distance in the 4^th mile as I ran 5:48. The last mile is open, sunny and hot and it seems closer than it is to the finish. I followed a college kid who passed me and caught another Fluffy Bunny guy thinking I was helping out my club team (Cal Coast) by picking up another club runner. I continued to follow the same college kid as we passed about 10 people in the last 600m. The last turn on the course reveals the finish line and it is less than 1min of running from there. Suddenly I was on top of my friend from Fluffy Bunny and blasted past him just before the finish line. It was the first time I have ever beaten him and may be the last since he is out of shape from being injured. But I’ll take it.

I finished in 28:10 in 179^th place. Chad Hall won in 24:13. Humbling. I was very happy though because I really have not done much turnover work and ran a good time for me almost purely on strength.

I went to breakfast with the Fluffy Bunny guys at Denny’s. They were amazed when I broke out the 20% off coupon. Nothing says “cheapskate” like taking a coupon to Denny’s. Of course I shared in the bounty.

Saturday night I met my Bro for some anti-inflammatory ingestion and to watch our Alma Mater Football teams on the tube at a local social club. His lost, mine won.

Sunday I got up early and did a 90min run. I was pretty worked at the end, but felt good about backing up the race with a solid long run. Tuesday I hit the track with Cal Coast and felt terrible at the start, but loosened up and ran well. After the workout I talked to Coach Sumner about training for the Cal International Marathon (Sacramento). He suggested focusing on longer intervals rather than shorter despite my lack of speed because I would not need much speed in the Marathon. My strength is strength. Make it even more of a strength.

Coach and my buddy Ryan made fun of my sideburns. Ryan suggested that it was a timeless look. I could have been a criminal in the 1860s, the 1960s, or today. Thanks for the compliment, I think…

Now I am back in Mammoth for another few weeks of hypoxia induced hallucination runs. I’m seeing stars and feeling confident that the training is working for me.