2016 in Review

Wow, what can I say!? 2016 was a big year for me in every way as a runner. New milestones and PRs to the brim- so many I don’t believe I can cover them all. From my first year of being coached, to the number of races, to the number of miles and new PRs in every distance, 2016 was one for the books and one that I hope is the foundation for bigger things to come.

First off I must dedicate this year to the two most instrumental people that not only allowed this year to unfold in the way that it did but utterly facilitated it’s unfolding. First and foremost my amazing wife who took a lot of hits for Team McLearan this year allowing me to do countless daily runs, Wednesday night speed workouts, half days away for long runs, and a record number of races. Without her patience and support I would not have had the time to train nor the bright faces of my family at the end of races to look forward to. While my sacrifices were physical, hers were of the soul and were dearly bought.

Secondarily but not second in importance:  Coach Chad Worthen. It was his knowledge, structure, and rigorous training schedule and workouts that helped my unlock the potential I knew I had in me. His calm,yet positive demeanor puts every runner he works with at ease as it is evident were are in good hands. He knows how to get the best out of his runners and it is shown time and time again in the number of PRs and age group placings that tally up with each subsequent race.

With that let’s take a look back at last years goals and even add a few more milestones that were met along the way that were unforeseen yet did not go uncelebrated.

 

Goal 1: Check off some Bucket List Items.

Last year I said…”One is already on the books- to marathon with Mikey Z. Perhaps I can get a team together to tackle the Ragnar Trail relay in Tahoe in June.”

Result: Two (and a half) Bucket List items = check! Mikey Z and I did, indeed, run a marathon together (See “Surfer’s Path Redemption! blog post) and I’m pretty sure “Z” has run two more since then! Also, I did run my first Ultra- the “Skyline to Sea 50K” (See that race report blog post) and when one runs a race for the first time…automatic PR at that distance. Now, I would love to get that leisurely 6:30ish 50k time down a bit, but I’m in no hurry to do so. The half a Bucket List item is that I ran in Hawaii, but not a race, and…it was after New Years.

 

Goal 2: Redemption at the Surfer’s Path Marathon.

Last year I said…”Last year my heart (nor legs nor lungs) were in for an under four hour marathon. With Mikey Z at my side and a reasonable 8:30-9 min. pace a sub four is surely doable. Hey, all I need to do is get under 4:23:00 for redemption.”

Result: Redemption was reached! 4:23:00 down to 3:54:06 on that course. I love that course but I also hate it.

 

Goal 3: Let’s keep on workin’ on that mile time.

Last year I said…”As I outlined in my previous post- I’ll work on this a couple of weeks into a new training schedule instead of right at the beginning when I’m at my slowest.”

Result: Like so many PRs this year I wasn’t really actively working on this one but it just happened…one night at the trach during a speed workout I ended up putting up and new mile PR during training and in my new PR 5k of 20:35, I ended up putting up a new fastest mile of 6:26 in the first mile of the race. At some point I’ll actually go out and try to run a mile flat out and see what kind of PR I can put up.

 

Goal 4: 1000 miles in 2016.

Last year I said…”By running between two to six days a week (with I thing maybe two weeks off) I was right on schedule to hit 1K in December 2015. Shouldn’t be too difficult to hit this again.”

Result:  1,583 mi. Boom. Done.

 

Goal 5: 8 races this year.

Last year I said…”Already paid for and on the calendar are the Shamrockin’ Half in March and the Surfer’s Path Marathon in May. I’d like to hit some old favorites like the  Zoo Zoom (either 5K or 10K) in April, and a new favorite, Blood Sweat and Beers in July. Perhaps I’ll and a trail race or two like the Dirty Secret Run or Run on the Sly (hopefully that Ragnar). I would love to break my hiatus and do the CIM again which would put Urban Cow in my schedule as well. What to put in the eighth slot?”

Result: I hit the oldies and goodies I usually run plus added a couple more (especially a couple new 5Ks) to make a total of 11 races for the year.

 

Goal 6: Pace wife in her first Half Marathon.

Last year I said…”This one too is already on the books for the Shamrockin’ Half in March. She’ll be doing the whole Fleet Feet training program and everything so pacing her should be a piece of cake and a pleasure.”

Result: I want to pace more often! How awesome it is  to support someone during their race- as one is so often ensconced in one’s own goals. My wife did great! She ran a sub 2 hour half (1:50 something) on her first try- much better than I did on my own first half (having no idea what the heck I was doing).

 

Goal 7: 50 mile week.

Last year I said…”My current highest mileage week stands at 42 miles. Not sure when I’ll be able to fit this in with perhaps two marathons this year (when you usually hit your highest mileage right before a proper taper and I don’t want to risk over-training) and this is definitely a goal I may want to leave by the wayside.” (Met)

Result: Well, training for the marathon (twice) and ultra (once) distances- one can put up some high mileage weeks. This year I ended up running three over 50 mile weeks with the new weekly distance PR of 53 miles in a week.

…and last but not least- those PRs

This is in no way gloating (many of these times are simply slightly above average for a man of my age- but hey I’d be a pretty speedy 50 year old woman!) but listing these PRs is more of a record keeping function for me. It reminds me of that whole “If a tree falls in the forest…: saying- “If PRs are not blogged about- did they even happen?”

Here they are (Improvements are simply improvements from the last PR and not necessarily an improvement from 2016- for instance I improved my 5k twice this year):

400 m: 1:21 (-10 sec)

1k: 3:56 (-4 sec)

1 mi: 6:26 (-2 sec.)

2 mi. 12:59 (-36 sec)

5k: 20:35 (-1:06)

10k: 46:12 (-1:03)

15K: 1:10:31 (-4:09)

10 mi: 1:15:40 (-4:30)

20k: 1:34:23 (-6:23)

Half Marathon: 1:40:31 (-4:53)

30k: 2:27:14 (-13:09)

Marathon: 3:33:06 (-17:35)

50k: 6:34:29 (First race)

Surfer’s Path REDEMPTION!

When you read this blog title out loud, you must shout the last part- got it- it’s very important- that’s what I did when I hit that finish line and what good is a race report if the reader can’t put themselves in the race with the runner? Surfer’s (normal volume)…Path (a little louder)…RE-DEMP-TION (at full volume, a bit of growl in the voice, and both hands in the air as if hoisting a heavy two-handed sword)!

Last year at the 2015 Surfer’s Path- well, it was a difficult path. It was marathon #2 and it was one of the most disappointing race days I’ve had. I had run the first half with two great friends and was on top of the world. I headed into the second half alone, became bored, and lacking motivation to set a good time- and so the doldrums set in and I struggled from mile 16 on. Ten miles is a long time to struggle- putting one foot in front of another becomes a seemingly insurmountable chore. With my two friends done about two and a half hours previous they walked out onto the course to help me run in and they found me walking, defeated, and with little drive to finish strong. Like all good friends to remind you of your lowest points, Tim reminded me this year of, “remember when you sat down on the course with a half mile left and didn’t want to get up!” (Ha- I had completely blocked that from my memory!) So I ended that day and race less than my best but perhaps it was a race that was put there as a lesson to learn from- a speed-bump to overcome. I had no drive, no direction, no impetus, no good REASONS for running that race well. This year would be different. This year I would run strong. Last year would be made the anomaly- now I have a REASON.

I went into Surfer’s Path 2016 much better trained, mentally stronger, and the reason of redemption firmly set in my mind. I also headed into the race with the ally of Michael Zozos (whose Surfer’s Path 2015 had been his first half-marathon and would make SP2016 his first full- what a year!) whose boundless enthusiasm and first timer’s cautious jitters fueled my own race. As with last year, we set out at a conservative pace to not overextend ourselves in the first half. We head out east from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk which kicks of the start, serves as the half-marathon finish, marathon half-way point, and ultimate marathon finish, towards Capitola Village. Luckily this bow-tie course easily divides itself into four quarters- out to Capitola and back- then out to Wilder Ranch and back- This serves as a great way to break up the miles and hours.

We head out East Cliff Drive on the most “urban” part of the course starting at sea level then climbing up 50-70 feet up to cliff level in a pretty regular climb-dip-climb repetition. While the climbs are not the least bit difficult- the variety of the course does result in slower overall times for both the half and full marathons (The marathon winner only put up a 2:54 marathon time). In addition the the rolling nature of the first half- many of the roads have a steep camber that makes smooth running a bit challenging. As per usual I had to make a relatively early bathroom stop to expunge the morning coffee and let Zozos run ahead.  I kicked it up a bit to catch up with him and put up my fastest splits of the race in the first quarter (not sound strategy) but I made sure that even though they were faster splits that they were comfortable and would not dip too far into my energy reserves. Instead of hitting the gas and attempting to catch him in a mile or two, I crept up on him over the course of about four miles, meeting up with him again at the bottom of the descent into Capitola Village and the first turn around. Eagle eyed Zozos spotted out buddy Tim at the turnaround with his young son Connor in a Baby Bjorn- Tim jogged along with us for 100 yards or son cheering us on. Later he would tell us that in typical Santa Cruz fashion- some ‘holier than thou’ mom had chided him for letting Connor’s head bounce around too much and that he could have seriously hurt Connor. Tim’s ‘mind your own business’ response: “Second Kid- what can you do?” First quarter of the race done.

Heading back to the mid-point was fairly uneventful. Now it was Zozos’ turn to hit the head around the famous surf spot of Pleasure Point.  I did my best to keep a steady pace for him and he caught up in fewer miles allowing us to run together into the half way point back at the Boardwalk. He we saw Tim again (evidently he is either a telweporter or there was no traffic) and my family along with another friend who’s now a local Santa Cruzer. Seeing so many supporters at the midpoint really fueled my fire and sent me off into the tougher second half with supportive fuel for my fire!

The third quarter of the race is my favorite part. After the half, the two thousand and change participants drops down to only over three hundred marathoners. It runs to the west along West Cliff drive- a two and a half mile stretch that I used to run in college and then out past Natural Bridges State Beach to the bluffs of Wilder Ranch. There, the race actually goes off road and becomes a pseudo trail race. Miles 19-21 snake along dirt trails overlooking the cliffs and inaccessible beaches- one small section even does a strange little loop around a horse pasture (maybe that’s the .2). In this section is where Zozos left me to run ahead. Younger, springier, and honestly naturally more talented he began to run his own race and actually to my relief I was now able to run my own. Severing our first half tie, allowed us to settle into our own races at on our own terms. Now on my own I head into the section where my race fell apart at mile 16. Last year I was deep in the dark parts of my soul while this year this is where my strong pace started to drop off a bit. The ruts of the trail that I had to navigate or twist an ankle really put a cramp in my pace- and once it drops it’s hard to get back. Still though I felt much stronger through this section than last year and soaked in the beauty.

The home stretch retraces section three back along West Cliff. Back on the roads and path I started to do the math of whether I could PR. Mile 23 and 24 I was able to kick it back into gear and get my pace back under a nine minute mile that it had dropped to out on the dirt and larger hills. I guess the effort at the tail end of the race plus struggling with nutrition (I could barely down my last gel at mile 20 or so) I began to feel a bit dizzy and sick. I soldiered on until the dizzyness overtook me. Out on this part of the course the path alongside the cliffs is open to the public so marathoners and sea gazing walkers coexist alongside each other. In my haze I past by two elderly folks speed walking with trekking poles (a bit of an odd sight). I veered in front of them and heaved over the railing the last bit of water/sports drink I had taken in at the last aid station. I must have surprised the couple as they passed me as the woman let out a surprised “Oh my!” Sometimes puking makes one feel better- and while the hurl helped a bit, really the willpower to finish was what propelled me forward. And that will did propel me past that surprised couple again (“Is that the man who was ‘watering the flowers’!”) and on towards the finish.

I keep saying this- but what a difference a year makes. From literally sitting down on the course and not wanting to move to puking on the course and pushing on- the difference was made through will. Even though the body couldn’t keep up as fast as I would have liked, the spirit was willing. No PR was in the cards in the end but I still revel in the huge improvement on last year’s performance with a course best of 3:54:06 (Compared to last year’s 4:23:11- about a 30 minute improvement!) Ultimately, the main goal was met: If you can’t PR, you can still fulfill your reasons for running a race- and that reason of REDEMPTION echoed off the sand, surf, and cliffs at the finish line.