uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI
On Saturday, April 6, Redrum, DW, DD1, and I ran in the 20th Annual Santa Anita Derby Day 5k at the Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia, CA. It was loads of fun and here my brief account.
Short version:
20:43
AG: 7/182
Men: 76/1892
OA: 92/4475
Longer version:
DW and I ran this race last year and it was fun so we did it again. I knew from previous PMs that Redrum lived in the area so I told him about it. We tried to meet up for a Halloween 10k last year but his knee problem prevented it. This year DD1 also ran with us and we signed her up before the race.
Redrum found us in the parking lot close to the start. I knew it was him because his shirt had the intensity of 1,000 suns, just as he described.
Now, DW and I are training for a marathon at the end of May and we had a 15 mile run scheduled for today. I remember Brrrr just ran a 5k and is training for a marathon, so I wanted to do what he did for a warm up and adding miles. However, I didn't have time to run 10 miles before the race. (I remembered that hilarious video, "I am a marathon runner, it is 5 am, I must run). DD and I did a two mile easy jog after we signed her up. The parking lot at the track is enormous so it was not hard getting two miles in. Other than some strides and mile intervals I have done no speed in the last several months or more so I had no clue how I would run today.
Mile 1 ------------> After running through a real starting gate, it took a while to find my rhythm. I am no speed demon but it never ceases to amaze my that "slow" people have to line up in the front. There were people walking a half mile after the start. Really? It is a pain to avoid them. I saw Redrum and yelled to him (no, he was not walking) as I passed. Speaking of a half mile, this is where I got a side stitch. Good news, it went away in about two minutes. We raced uphill on Baldwin Ave and the street was nice and wide. Now I got comfortable, sort of. We turned into the arboretum botanical gardens and I remembered the words of the great LRB, "A 5k is twenty minutes of torture." Even though I can run 20 miles without breathing hard (huffing and puffing), I was already breathing hard after one mile. 6:38.
Mile 2 -----------> This mile was uneventful. More hard breathing, more torture. One thing I learned at races long ago is to not judge people. I noticed a guy at the start who looked like the Crypt Keeper. Guess who was running with me? He looked 110 but was probably closer to 65. His breathing was loud and labored and it reminded me of the kids when they used to get whooping cough. He was next to me for about two minutes, his breathing continued to annoy me, and then he took off. Man, that guy was fast! Mile 2 in 6:37.
Mile 3 ----------> Thankfully, much of this was downhill, and it made me feel better. I was still hurting, but I felt like I was running easier. Looking at my watch I knew a PR would be tough at this point. When we got out on the race track for the finish, the dirt was very wet and soft. It was like wet sand. At this point, with a quarter mile to go, I was done. No, I didn't quit, but I didn't have that kick that I usually do. A guy passed me on the straightaway to the finish and I didn't even care. Usually it would be like "No, sorry, there is no way you are passing me," but I didn't have it today. That's ok. Mile 3 in 6:27 and finish time of 20:43.
After the race, I met up with Redrum, DW, and some other friends who were running. DW finished in 23:23 which was good for a one minute PR. I am super proud of her and I think she will go great in her debut marathon. DD finished in a slow 23:04. A friend of ours who was running had there little girl and asked DD if she could run with her for the first mile. Being the sweetheart she is, she couldn't say no. I think her first mile was 9:00 with the little one and she pulled of two 6:10s. I think she could have been around an 18:20 if she didn't have to babysit. Redrum ran a 24:40 or so, which is right what he predicted. I was happy for him because, considering all the knee issues he has been going through, he ran a smart race and did not try to do too much. Well done.
We went to the beer garden and, well, drank beer. There was a lot of good stuff provided: Beer, Clif bars, granola bars, beer, fruit, more Clif bars, protein bars, beer, etc... Redrum fit right in with us and we probably sat around for an hour or more talking. It was fun and we hope that we can meet up again sometime for some more races in the future. That was a quality FE.
After we got home, DW and I took our other DD to her swim meet (see my avatar?). Swim meets are like track meets, lots of sitting around and little action. Between her events, DW and I ran another five miles. I wanted to for for eight or ten, like Brrrr, but my legs were more tired that I thought they would be and it was getting hot again, close to 90. After our little run, I took a nap in the chair under the canopy and cheered for DD when she swam. Overall, a great day.
Redrum and me (he's the good looking one) DD and me during our warm up. It's been
forever since she has got out of bed at 6.
This was our multi-purpose medal. It is a medal, key ring (see the little ring?), and bottle opener (see the little ridge thingy over the 20th?)
Thanks for reading.
Now that is a useful medal! But could you imagine carrying it around to open your bottles? Or bringing it with you as a key ring?
Loved your report and your story of the Crypt Keeper. Maybe he got to looking like that because he has been running for decades with no suncreen or something?
It's too funny that DD had to babysit and still finished in that time!
Congrats on another great race, especially without any distance-specific training!
Great RR.. Felt like I have heard it before.. :P
Your DW will do great on her first Marathon.
2015 Races
2XU HM - 29 Mar
Mmmmm...beer
Great job!! Nothing better than a cold beer after a race...except maybe a cold beer with (new) friends!
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
Congratulations, Jack! Fabulous finish time! And congrats to your DW as well, she did great. She will have an amazing first marathon. Your DD really is a sweetheart, what she did was really kind. Loved the pictures and RR, thanks!
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Congrats to all. Sounds like a nice race I wish I could have been there. Maybe in Oct. if I get back out there.
I have a hard enough time just walking on the track, never tried to run on it,
Are we there, yet?
Now see how much fun 5Ks can be. Congrats to the whole family.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K, 9:11:09 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
elevenses
That's one speedy family you have there! Congrats to all of you! I'm glad you and Redrum got to FE. Looked like a great time.
Smaller By The Day
Those splits look great, and your wife ran a great race (beat my PR). Being a great human being must run in the family. That was awesome of your daughter to do that. We're going to get one of these relays together, and I can't wait. Great job Jack!
Improvements
Weight 100 pounds lost
5K 31:02 Sept. 2012 / 23:36 Sept. 2013 (Same Course)
10K 48:59 April 2013
HM 2:03:56 Nov. 2012 / 1:46:50 March 2013
MARATHON 3:57:33 Nov. 2013
Former Bad Ass
Nice job and FE!
Damaris
fun report and descriptions...congrats, all of you did great!
marathon pr - 3:16
Congrats to the entire faimly! Very nice. Way to represent M.R.T.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
Awesome job, Jack! The pictures are beautiful! I love that y'all were able to do this as a family! Keep up the awesome work - I know you've got more PRs in you!
But The Smile That I Sent Out Returned With You.
Barking Mad To Run
I am no speed demon - uh huh...at 20 minute finish, you ARE a speed demon from my perspective, lol.
DW finished in 23:23....DD finished in a slow 23:04.. What...SLOW? Both those times would be speedwork for me, lol. And they would have to have a stretcher at the finish line for me cuz I'd collapse after that!
Congrats to you and the family, way to go! Nice medal bling too! Fe sounds like it was a lot of fun.
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
Congratulations to all of you. Your slow times aren't even my dream times. You did well. Thanks for the RR. Sounds like a fun event and an excellent FE.