LSJ Blogs: Kick Asphalt

The confessional

I'm not Catholic, so I don't really know how a confessional works ... but I've got a big one for you.

Today, I put my swimsuit, goggles and swim cap on today and swam. Laps. In a pool. 

That's not the confession, however. This is: The last time I wore any of those three items was August 9 at the Lansing Legislator Triathlon.

According to my math, that's nearly four months ago. Gulp.

The swim actually went pretty OK. It felt good to be back in the pool ... until speed demon Beth Homan joined my lane. She said, "Hey, haven't seen you in a while!" I sheepishly replied, "Uh, yeah, it's been a few months, I guess." She took off like a fish swimming with the current. And I carried on, reacquainting myself with the pool. This time, I intend for a couple DAYS to pass before my next swim -- not a couple MONTHS.

Tradition

 Last year, my husband and I had our inaugural Renkas family turkey trot. Our first Thanksgiving spent away from our large families, we figured a tradition was in order.

This year, we made good on keeping that tradition. And, as the race director, I am proud to announce that the registration DOUBLED in just one year! I think that speaks to how well the race is organized ... but one could also argue we convinced our dogs to participate with a little Milkbone bribery.

Regardless, we had fun and didn't even come CLOSE to burning the amount of calories we consumed later that day. Regrets? Heck no: Every last bite of it was delicious!

Be safe out there

Reading the story out of Williamston of the assault at the high school track did two things to me:

1- It gave me the shivers.
2- It immediately brought my parents' voices to my mind, warning me to be careful as I headed out for a run.

Don't tell them I told you, but parents are right more often than not. Especially in this case.

Inside the mind

I've mentioned it before, and now (after reading it cover-to-cover) I can give you a glimpse into local artist/author/triathlete Jef Mallett's "Trizophrenia: Inside the Minds of a Triathlete."

First, let me just say that reading this book is a lot like listening to Jef tell a story. I recall a sunny July day when he and I were riding side-by-side on a 50-miler as he told me about the book he was wrapping up. He said, "there are a lot of footnotes in it. A lot." this led me to believe (inaccurately) that it was all science-y and technical (I tend to start daydreaming when numbers and theories are introduced. Don't pretend you're shocked). Anyone who attended the book launch party at Schuler Books last week, however, learned that the book is anything BUT a detailed look at triathlon nutrition or energy output. It's a downright fun read that attempts to dissect what goes on in the delightfully obsessive-compulsive mind of a multi-sport athlete.

I bookmarked a few of my favorite excerpts. I'll post them here:

Excerpt 1

Scene-setter: Jef is having the race of his life ... he blew through the bike portion. He breezed through the transition ... and then he hit his run:

"The meltdown was instant and complete, like flipping a switch, and in the remaining 3 or 4 miles I squandered twice what I had gained during 28 miles of magic. I remember this race well because it has taken place a good 8 or 10 times."

Excerpt 2

Scene-setter: Jef is explaining how, sure, we might spend a lot of money on the sport ... but it's worth it!

"Good Lord, you can spend a lot of money in the sport (FOOTNOTE: Why the other day I had to have all my nice pants taken in at the waist yet again, which isn't technically a triathlon expense, but I'm logging it as one.) The good news is, it levels off. You can tell the sport is starting to get a grip on you when you get inordinately excited about going shopping for shiny new triathlon gear. You can tell the sport truly has a grip on you when your stuff is getting a little ragged because you'd rather spend your time using it than shopping for new stuff.

Excerpt 3

Scene-setter: Jef is explaining the concept of a rest day, and how we can get dependent on the release of our workouts.

"If you're looking for a triathlon -- or life -- mission statement, you could do much worse than "Oh, for God's sake, just GO."

Excerpt 3

Scene-setter: This is the piece Jef read at his book launch party, and I think it's such an accurate portrayal of the beginning of a triathlon. It's perfect, really:

"In the moments before the race begins, I'm a Saint Elmo's fireball of escalating stress, fear and uncertainty; then somebody issues a command there is a burst of intense discomfort and everything is different. The temperature changes, I don't weigh anything, sounds are muffled, there's an odd feeling of peace amid the fury, and I wonder if this is what it's like to die. And if it is, then it doesn't sound too bad if when I die, the next thing I do is go for a bike ride. (FOOTNOTE: Major religions have been founded on shakier premises.)

Excerpt 4

Scene-setter: Again with the financial elements ... discussing how to find the right balance between too frivolous and just right.

"You don't want to blow the kid's college tuition on a $6,000 bike. But getting every last cent's worth out of a $2,000 bike and being able to walk effortlessly across campus at her graduation whispers "bargain" all over again.

At Schuler's, before dozens of folks lined up to get their copies of "Trizophrenia" signed, Jef said this to the crowd: "It's a little bit of useful information, a lot of useless information, but hopefully you find there's a lot of enthusiasm in it, too."

Yep, that facet of Jef's personality comes across loud and clear.

I'd lend you my copy of the book, but Jef drew me a cute little cartoon along with some encouraging words, so you'll just have to get your own copy!

In the beginning, every race is a PR. You start slow ... and you keep adding fitness and speed. It's exhilarating and, yes, even a little addicting.

You shave eight minutes off your half-marathon time and rejoice. You whittle 35 second off your 5K and wonder, 'How low can I go?'

And then it happens: You plateau. The standard recipe of moderate paced workouts no longer yields improvements in your finish times. That's the spot at which I have arrived. It hit me in a conversation with a friend, in which he asked how I did at the Grand Rapids Marathon. My reply, "Eh, not my best and not my worst." He said that if my thoughts on a 26.2-mile race included the utterance 'eh,' then I had joined the ranks of the crazy runner people.

I don't know if I'm truly one of "those" people, but I do know it sort of delivers you to a bit of a fork in the road. I've got two options: Run as I have been, with the end purpose being overall enjoyment and fitness ... or alter my training to keep improving on my times.

For all you seasoned runners out there, which route did you take?

Mid-Michigan Girls on the Run program dissipates

Last fall, around this time, 475 third through fifth graders participated in a celebration 5K at Hawk Island County Park. It was the culmination of a couple-month-long program called Girls on the Run, held at elementary schools across mid-Michigan.

For me, it was a chance to run alongside 13 sweet girls whom I coached through everything from learning to run continuously through an entire mile ... to cheering on their friends. The national program is more focused on fostering self-respect and teaching healthy lifestyles than crafting fine-tuned runners. And I was thrilled to be a part of it.

The program, run through the Sparrow Health System, went on hiatus this year, in what would have been the fourth year the program was offered locally. Coaches and participants were hopeful the program would be re-offered in 2010. But it sounds like we'll be without a Girls on the Run program for at least another year.

"It's a great program, but it's incredibly time intensive," said Beth Spyke, who had previously run the program through Sparrow's Community Health Education program. "You have to be able to hire people to run it like it should be run. In addition to the problem (of funding) staffing, we were handing out 70 scholarships each year. That's $150 per girl. We just couldn't fund-raise enough to keep it moving."

The local Girls on the Run steering committee decided to to terminate their contract with the organization.

For a while, it sounded like Playmakers might be interested in picking up where Sparrow left off. But Brian Jones, co-owner of the Okemos fitness store, said, "We planned to relaunch Girls on the Run in  2010 as a spring program, but we've kind of put it on the backburner."

The biggest obstacle for Playmakers, Jones said, is creating a non-profit organization. He said the store is looking in to a Playmakers Fitness Foundation, but the paperwork alone is a heavy undertaking.

This party is BYOG

(That's Bring Your Own Gu)

Friend of Kick Asphalt (and local super-triathlete/Frazz comic author) Jef Mallett is set to release his book, Trizphrenia, with a local reception.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. for a Eastwood Schuler Books release party. He'll talk a bit about the book, sign copies and host a reception for the book that's a celebration of the triathlon lifestyle. I'll be there, and I hope you can make time for it, too!

Detroit Marathon revisited

The Detroit Free Press has a story online about Laingsburg runner Dan Langdon. Read it here. Langdon, 36, was one of three men who died at the Oct. 18 half-marathon.

The Free Press, sponsor of the marathon and half-marathon, reported that tissue samples from all three men have been submitted for various tests, including toxicology. Results could take weeks.

Langdon's funeral was held last week. He left behind a wife and three children. A memorial fund has been established to benefit Langdon's children at Citizens Bank, 5503 Round Lake Road, Laingsburg 48848.

5K entry winners

Thanks to those who participated in the Junior Achievement 5K entry giveaway! I've just sent an e-mail to all of the "winners." But, to be honest, eight people entered for the eight positions ... so if you left a comment on this post, you get a free entry to Saturday's race!
If, for some reason, you left a comment and don't see my e-mail in your inbox, please feel free to call me at 517-267-1392. I need to get the details to the folks at Junior Achievement as soon as possible.

'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams'

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Don't forget: You've got until Thursday to win a free entry into the Junior Achievement 5K happening this Saturday. Click here to participate.

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'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams' - Henry David Thoreau

That was my mantra for the Grand Rapids Marathon. Finding a quote to help me through the tough times seemed to work well at the Bayshore Marathon in spring, so I figured I'd try it again with a new phrase. I had put in the training, and was ready to see how it would pay-off.

I started the race with my awesome friends Krista and Lena. We slowly separated, each eventually running our own races. And I hung onto the coattails of the 3:56 pace group* until mile 16 or so. Then, I dropped back a bit. I was feeling pretty strong through the first half, though surprisingly the pace felt a bit speedy. If anything, it should've felt slow, compared to my training runs. In retrospect, the beginning stages of a cold had been lingering for at least a week, and I think that played a part.

I stayed strong until about mile 21. Then, I started to tango with a bit of stomach trouble. I knew at that point, I wasn't going to PR. It was a disappointment (this is my first time I didn't improve on the previous marathon). But I accepted the hand I was dealt and kept moving forward.

The course was lovely, much of it lining the Grand River. The abundant foliage was ablaze, perfect timing for a beautiful color spectrum. Everything, from the aid stations to the pre-marathon e-mails from race director Don Kern (what a cool guy!) was top notch. But in the end, all that really matters is if you finish feeling proud.

I did not.

 

In fact, as I crossed the finish line in 4:07, I shed a couple of self-pity tears (you can see one on my cheek in the photo above), then gave myself a reality check: I did not get a personal record. But I made the attempt. I put myself on the line and had a bit of an off day. Big deal. I still ran a marathon. And a 4:07, while not earth shattering, is still something to be proud of. 

And then, I got myself a serving of post-race Culver's frozen custard. That always makes things better!

_________________

* The Grand Rapids Marathon has celebrity pace groups, based in the times celebrities have clocked at various marathons. There was the Lance Armstrong group at 2:59, Pi at 3:14, Billy Baldwin at 3:29, George W. at 3:44, Will Ferrell at 3:56, P. Diddy at 4:14, Oprah at 4:29, the Penguine Brigade at 4:44 and Al Gore at 4:58.