One of my goals for the month was to finally decide on running the LA Marathon. With two days left in the month, I still haven’t decided. Enter, the trusty pro/con list.

PROS

1. The LA Marathon was my first marathon last year and I loved it.
2. It’s local. I’m not interested in traveling for races next year. I need to save the extra travel/accommodations money I’d spend on a destination race.
3. I loved the Stadium to the Sea course. With the marathon potentially changing owners, I might not have opportunity to start a race at Dodger Stadium again.
4. My Long Beach Marathon experience sucked. I need to erase it with a good experience.
5. Spring is the only time I’d like to run a marathon next year. I don’t want to train for a marathon while worrying about the wedding in September.
6. I’d likely be able to get some long runs in with the SRLA kids and can do long runs on part of the course.
7. I’d have the guidance of my coach. So far while working with him, I’ve managed two PRs.
8. Since it’s local, family can come out like they did last year.
9. I’m not interested in other area marathons in the spring/early summer (e.g. OC, Pasadena, San Diego). Bay Area races are out of the question due to travel costs.

CONS

1. Frank McCourt currently owns the LAM. If I run, that will be padding his money grubbing pockets. I don’t like McCourt.
2. I’ve already run LA, maybe I should do another local spring marathon.
3. I can think of plenty of other things to do with $145 ($155 after January 15th).
4. I got injured in September at the end of the last training cycle.
5. I’m currently dealing with some IT band issues and have cut back on my running in the last few weeks.
6. Focusing on marathon training will give me less time to focus on other fitness goals, i.e. losing some weight, more strength training.
7. I’m lazy.
8. Training through the winter means runs after dark (I’m not a morning person) and sunny morning long runs. I prefer the marine layer cloud cover during the summer.

That’s all I got.

The pro list is obviously longer and reflects what I’ve been feeling for the last few months. I got two confidence boosts with my PRs at the Turkey Trot 10K and the Holiday Half Marathon. However, in the weeks after the Holiday Half, my IT band has been acting up. After my last long run (11 miles), I was in some pain. I felt as if I’d taken a fall on my hip. It’s gotten better with some icing, sticking/massaging and rest. I’ve kept recents runs <4.5 miles. At least I’m getting in my cross training and strength training.

The plan:
Begin training, have my coach write my training plans as if I do have a marathon to run on March 18th. I won’t register until I feel more confident that I can get through the cycle sans injury. I don’t want a Long Beach ’11 repeat nor do I want to back out later and possibly lose the $145/155 registration fee.

Count me in for LA 2012… unofficially.

I went in to the LA County Holiday Half Marathon unsure of what to expect and doubting my abilities. Could I best my PR? Would my one long run of 10 miles be enough? Could I sustain a 9 minute pace on a hilly course?

Less than two hours later, I had my answers.

Yes. I ran the half in 1:53:10 (8:38 pace), a 5+ minute PR.

I don’t think so. I struggled in miles 9-12.

And yes. I actually enjoyed the hills.

***

Sean and I arrived at the LA County Fairplex around seven. I had plenty of time to get my bib, do my business in the bathrooms (no port-a-potties), go back to my car to leave stuff there, and do a super short warmup.

While waiting for the bathroom, I bumped in to Marlene, a friend and Students Run LA coach.

“You gonna PR?” she asked.

“I don’t know. How hilly is it?”

“Pretty hilly. I actually tell my students to go out fast on the speedway. The course will tire your legs by the end.”

I kept her advice in mind as we lined up shortly before eight. I gave Sean my sweater. It was still cold, but I figured I’d be fine with my $1 gloves and makeshift arm warmers. They were just old Christmas socks. I was trying to be festive.

I felt good going out. Rather than worry about pacing, going out too fast, and the upcoming hills, I just listened to several songs from The Muppets soundtrack. That set the mood for a good morning and happy running.

I avoided checking my watch much. When I did, I wasn’t concerned that my pace was well under goal pace. I wanted to hang on as long as possible to mid-8 minute miles and take advantage of the relative flatness of the vast Fairplex parking lot and Pomona Raceway (running on that was pretty cool, you can see what it looks like here). Might as well bank some time.

Around mile 3 we entered Bonelli Regional Park, also known as the hilly part of the course. I loved this portion of the race. Bonelli reminded me of Schabarum Park in Rowland Heights, near my family’s home. It’s also an LA County regional park. It’s hilly and large like Bonelli, but doesn’t have a lake in the middle. We ran alongside Puddingstone Reservoir and through picnic areas on the shady paved footpaths.

The lovely scenery distracted me from the hills. I liked the rollers and didn’t find them too taxing — at least initially — like the hills in my neighborhood. They were short and not too steep. I slowed down a little through Bonelli, but was still comfortably under sub-9 pace. For the first time ever, I ran 7 miles in an hour flat. I was pretty proud of myself. I definitely can’t run sub-9 around the hilly park in my neighborhood.

The toughest part of the course was through miles 6-9, a big loop south of the reservoir. It was less hilly than previous sections, but it wasn’t as shady and it was starting to get warmer. Plus, I was starting to get passed up by speedy teenagers. The SRLA kids, about 3,000 of them, started in a 2nd wave 15 minutes after everyone else. As I saw the guys (mainly) in white t-shirts or neon yellow singlets pass me up I felt a little discouraged. They were flying past me, and I had a 15 minute head start. (I even got passed up by SRLA kids at the finish line.)

I threw away my arm warmers (I had already tucked my gloves in to my waist band at mile 3) and made sure to stay hydrated with water or Powerade from every aid station. I grabbed an orange from an SRLA parent volunteer too for some extra sugar since I only took one gel at mile 5.

Shortly after mile 10 we approached the steepest hill on the course, at least it seemed that way. I wanted to walk, but told myself to run it since it was still short. As soon as I crested, I tried to pick it up on the final downhill, but my legs were spent after seven hilly miles. Plus, I was getting side stitches despite drinking water and Powerade at each aid station.

I slowed down a little and ran my slowest miles in the last section through the park and back on the streets leading back to the Fairplex. If not for The Muppets’ “Life’s A Happy Song” and Matt & Kim’s “Don’t Slow Down”, I would have slowed down more. There’s a reason that song is on my running mix.

Even though I was slowing down, I knew I was well within reach of a PR, even if my last 5K was very slow. As we entered the raceway again, I got excited. I was on pace to finish under 1:55 and pushed through the discomfort of side stitches and tiredness in my legs to get it.

A few minutes later as I neared mile 12, I realized I had miscalculated. I could actually finish under 1:53. That motivated me even more and I kicked with everything I had left. I felt energized by the spectators nearing the finish line and King Changó’s “I Don’t Care” and a mariachi version of “Las Bodas de Luis Alonso”. I also thought about the chocolate milk Sean was saving for me at the finish line. Instant motivation. Mile 13 was my fastest mile.

As I turned a corner and caught sight of the finish line, I could see the clock: 1:52:5X. I was about 100 meters out. I knew I wasn’t within reach, but that was okay.

I crossed the finish line and turned off my Garmin.

1:53:10, an 8:38 pace. I’d just run a 5 minute PR and shattered my goal. A volunteer gave me a heat blanket (so necessary as it was still chilly), another gave me the cute snowflake medal. I walked ahead and got water, a banana and some granola bars.

And then I told myself not to cry. I felt a little emotional. Did I just do that?

Yes. Crazy. My running legs really had returned.

***

I loved this race. I came off of it with a runner’s high and gushed to Sean about running through the park. I’m not sure I could have asked for a better race experience.

Even if I hadn’t PRed, I’d still recommend this race to other Southern California runners. The Holiday Half is small and well-organized. Run Racing, the same company that organizes the Long Beach Marathon, offers same day pick-up for bibs and t-shirts so there’s no need to drive out to Pomona twice. They have a small expo on Saturday too. The expo also serves as a donation site for used running shoes and Toys for Tots. Many runners get in the holiday spirit and wear a costume or festive socks. There’s water every two miles and Powerade (or another electrolyte drink) at a few stations. I saw 3 medical tents and EMTs (I think) driving golf carts from the local sponsoring hospital. I don’t know how many carts were on the course, but I saw them twice around mile 3.5 and 10. There are few spectators on the course except at the start/finish. However, the scenic views make up for that. You might even forget about the hills.

One gripe: you have to pay $9 for parking at the Fairplex.

I’m running the LA County Holiday Half Marathon this Sunday. My A goal: PR and finish in less than 1:58 (~9 minute pace). I’m unsure if I can do it. I might just decide to run easy and enjoy the views when I encounter the hills around the Puddingstone Reservoir and Bonelli Park. If I don’t PR, I won’t cry and it won’t ruin the rest of the day. The B goal is to not go over 2:03.

In other running news, I finished Meb Keflezighi’s (with Dick Patrick) autobiography Run to Overcome earlier this week. It’s a good, quick read that’ll both inspire you to get out and run and make you thankful for the opportunities you’ve been afforded (even if you haven’t done as much with them as Eritrean refugees). The way Meb talks about his family’s faith reminded me a lot of my parents and grandparents. I often hear my mother say “si Dios quiere” (God willing) in reference to future plans. I also love that Meb is very humble about his impressive accomplishments and gives credit to everyone who has helped him in his career since he was a teenager just learning that people ran for sport. According to Meb, “it takes a village to raise a runner.” That’s even more true for him as he lived in a village with no running water or electricity as a boy. Last, I knew Meb was a Bruin, but didn’t realize that his younger brother/now agent, Merhawi, was a classmate. As I was reading, the name sounded familiar. I think we were in the same summer program.

Last, and less inspiring but more troubling, I watched Marathon Boy recently. The NY Times’ synopsis:

The film recounts the story, already extensively reported, of Budhia Singh, a child from the slums who became a sensation for his ability to run long distances at very young ages — half-marathons at 3, marathons and, in the most famous instance, more than 40 miles nonstop at 4. He and the coach-guru who adopted him, Biranchi Das, became the stars of a years-long national soap opera involving accusations of child abuse and fraud, standoffs with police and government officials, imprisonment and forced separation.

It’s a tough film to watch, but there were some moments that made me laugh given that minus the distance running thing, Budhia isn’t too different from other 6 year olds and says what’s on his mind.

I’m much more polite when I encounter people on the running path or sidewalk and follow the “share the road/path” approach. However, the folks walking towards me taking up the entire sidewalk who refuse to move thus making me run around them makes me think I might be too polite. If I took Budhia’s approach, I’m sure they’d move.

As for the second screen shot, I’m sure many runners can relate.

Meb photo and screenshots by Sean.

I finally got around to reading an article in December’s Runner’s World entitled Why Is Running So White?.

It’s an interesting question, especially for someone interested in issues of race and ethnicity in all facets of life. However, the author, Jay Jennings, doesn’t really answer the question in the headline. He’s answering another question: why are there so few African Americans in the running community nationwide?

I got through the article, which discussed issues of safe communities for running, a dearth of US-born black distance runners to look up to, high school coaches’ insistence that young black kids interested in running become sprinters and not distance runners, hair, and black running groups.

It’s a good read, but at the end I felt like something was missing. While the article mentions minorities and people of color interchangeably, it’ really only about African Americans. While Latinos are the largest minority group in the US, we’re mentioned a few times in the 6,000 word article. There’s no discussions about issues that might affect Latino participation, which likely overlap a lot with black runners. Instead, the only time we’re mentioned is for statistics about running and health issues (for reference, comparison to blacks and whites, maybe). Examples:

Still, the numbers, compiled between January and May 2011 from nearly 12,000 respondents, are eye-opening: “Core runners” (who tend to enter running events and train year-round) are 90 percent Caucasian, 5.1 percent Hispanic, 3.9 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, and, in perhaps the most startling figure, only 1.6 percent African-American. (The sample adds up to more than 100 percent because respondents could mark more than one choice.) Those numbers are consistent with ones from other surveys, such as Runner’s World’s, and have remained low even as the number of runners has grown by 56 percent in the past decade, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. (The overall population, from the 2010 U.S. census, is 72 percent white, 16 percent Hispanic or Latino, 13 percent black or African-American, 5 percent Asian, and 1 percent American Indian or Alaska native.)

According to a 2006–2008 study by the Centers for Disease Control, blacks in the United States had a 51 percent higher prevalence of obesity and Hispanics a 21 percent higher prevalence, compared with whites. As for diabetes, these groups fare even worse: Compared with non-Hispanic white adults, the risk was 77 percent higher among non-Hispanic blacks, 66 percent higher among Hispanics, and 18 percent higher among Asian-Americans.

What gives, Runner’s World? Last time I checked, Latinos were people of color too. It’s 2011, articles about race in ______ or people of color in ______ shouldn’t be so black/white.

I had another issue with the article. There’s little about socioeconomic issues or costs associated with running. Poverty rates are higher amongst blacks and Latinos. The recession hit both groups hard and unemployment rates are higher. As someone who is middle class and employed, running isn’t something I consider expensive. I can afford to buy $100 running shoes every few months, pay for $30-$130 for race fees, and buy new running clothes when needed. If I was one of the many un- or underemployed in the nation, I wouldn’t be so willing to spend what little discretionary income I had on a hobby. A lot of people say running is a relatively inexpensive hobby, but my guess is that the “core running” community is also fairly middle class. I’m pretty sure poor people don’t think it’s inexpensive.

My aim going in to the Puente Hills Family YMCA Turkey Trot — phew, what a long title — was to finish the 10K in 53 minutes. That would be a 45 second PR and I’d be running at an 8:31 pace.

It seemed doable even though I haven’t run anything under 9 minute pace in a long time. I’ve kept most of my recent workouts easy and relaxed. I was banking on adrenaline, running with Lori and a flat, fast course to get me to a PR.

Seems like it worked.

Sean and I arrived at the Puente Hills Mall parking lot to find many more runners than last year. Although rain was in the forecast, there was none and it was perfect running weather. I registered, got a free bib thanks to another runner and waited for my sister. I left Sean and went off for the a quick mile warm-up and returned to find Lori just arriving. We watched the kids 1K fun run and then lined up about 4 people deep.

When the gun went off, I knew I was starting out too fast, but I didn’t want to get caught behind slower runners. The start wasn’t too crowded, so that was easy. I watched the speedy cross country kids go and stayed (far) behind them. I knew I had started too fast, but didn’t bother checking my watch for pace or slowing down even though I knew I couldn’t keep going so fast. I ran the first mile in 7:50. I think that might be my fastest mile. Lori stayed with me through the first loop and we slowed down a little, but still well under my goal 8:31 pace. We ran the first 5K in ~25:25. If I was running a 5K, that would’ve been a PR too.

Once we started the second loop, the course was pretty lonely. The race is pretty small, just over 300 runners. All except 60 or so were doing the 5K. Although I could only see one woman who looked about my age up ahead, I knew I wasn’t likely to win a turkey. Still, I knew I was comfortably within reach of a PR.

During the second loop, I drank more water as I felt side stitches forming. I really need to drink more water. I lost Lori somewhere in the 4th mile. I think her foot was bugging her.

I felt tired as I entered the last half mile which goes through the mall parking lot and past the new Buffalo Wild Wings, department stores and movie theater. The parking lot is on a slight incline which made me want to slow down, but I fought it as I knew I could finish under 52:00.

As I came in to the finish line, I ran through walkers finishing the 5K and saw the clock ticking down to 52 minutes and then crossed. I met my goal and finished in an official 51:32. I don’t know why the official time was slightly faster than the finish line clock and my Garmin. Either way, I’ll take the ~2:15 minute PR.

I got some water and talked to Sean and we waited for Lori. She came in about 30 seconds after me. Then I went off for a quick cool down run and returned for the awards.

I placed 2nd in my age group (1st finished in 42 minutes… not even close!). Lori placed 3rd, sorta. She used the free bib from the generous runner whose friend didn’t show and went up an age group. She would have been 2nd in her actual age group, 20-29.

After the race, we changed in to jeans and met up with my cousins for brunch. We spent the rest of the day being lazy, napping and avoiding the rain.

I feel a little sore today, but I don’t mind.