Mount Diablo Challenge ....... Base to Ranger Station

When I met my blogger friend, Paul, in person during the CIM expo, we talked about challenging Mount Diablo.
After the CIM event and on our way home, I discussed with my son about running from base to the summit of Mount Diablo.  My son is familiar with Mount Diablo as he had been to the summit on bike many times.

Mount Diablo as viewed from Berkeley

Historic claims that the mountain's viewshed is the largest in the world—or second largest after Mount Kilimanjaro—are unfounded. It does boast one of the largest viewsheds in the Western United States and it played a key role in California history. Countless peaks in the state are taller, but Mount Diablo has a remarkable visual prominence for a mountain of such modest elevation. Its highly recognizable form and looming presence over so much of the bay, delta, and Central Valley, and good visibility even from the Mother Lode, all key regions during the gold rush and early statehood, made it not just a well-known visual touchstone but one of the most important landmarks for mapping and navigation.


The summit is accessible by foot, bicycle, or motor vehicle. Road access is via North Gate Road or South Gate Road. The record time by bicycle from The Athenian School in the town of Danville to the summit is 43:33 minutes. No record time by running though.

My son and I agreed to run from base to the Ranger Station, a distance of 5.95 miles and back to base.  From base to summit which is about 10 miles and elevation of 3864 feet have to wait.
 
This morning at 10:30 am, the assault of Mount Diablo started.  I started ahead of my son as he had to make some business calls. From base to the South Gate which is about 3 miles and elevation of 1500 ft is very challenging.  My son caught up with me at elevation 1000 feet and mile 1.4 miles. Told him to go ahead and never saw him again until he was on his way down while I was about 1/2  mile to the Ranger Station(turn around point).  It was an awesome run. The view specially at elevation 2000 ft is fantastic. To the west I can see San Francisco and the bay and to the south, the windmills at Altamont Pass.  The drivers were nice (didn't overtake me at blind curves until it's safe. I should had stayed at the other side of the road. My bad.).  The cyclists were nice and courteous also.  Some  were surprised to see runner on the road. 



At 2000 Feet Elevation

   
Base to Ranger Station
Distance .............. 5.95 Miles
Elevation ............ 1941 Feet
Time .................... 1:22:44
Pace ....................  13:56
 
Ranger Station to Base
Distance ............... 5.95 Miles
Time ..................... 1:16:57
Pace ..................... 12:55
 
I could run faster from Ranger Station to Base, but saw no reason to put more stress on my knees.  I believe the run from base to the summit in 2 to 3 hrs is doable.  Have to ride back to the base though.

Meet My Idol ........ Joe Saley, 72 Years Old Runner!!!!

Joe Saley's name got my attention when I was scanning the race results of the Condura Skyway Half Marathon last February.  I thought  at age 68, I was the oldest runner to join the event and got pissed when I found that a 71 years old runner kicked my butt.

When I got back in California, I went on a mission. Searched the Internet to find out who is Joe Saley. What I found is an impressive resume of a  runner.

Joe grew up in Mountain Province, Philippines.  He joined the US navy after graduating from Baguio Tech. He is from New Jersey and  retired. Started running in 1994 and since then:
      1. Ran  NYCM 14 times.
      2. Qualified and ran Boston 5 times.

He was able to avoid major running injuries and recover quickly.  As a proof of how fast he recover, a week after this year NYCM, he ran a 10k race with a time of  54 minutes. Awesome!

Joe and I have a common dream ...... to run/join the Bataan Death March Ultra Marathon in the Philippines. Being born before the infamous march, we have relatives who were with USAFFE. It will be a great honor to be on it even if we don't finish, after all 20,000+ of the original marchers didn't make it.

Joe at the NYCM

Joe at the NYCM Finish Line

CIM ........ A Week After

Yesterday I did my 1st run on the road since CIM.  I set my garmin to virtual partner mode at the speed of 10:30.  I monitored closely my speed and made sure that it's not faster than 10 minutes/mile.  I ran at the bike path along the San Gabriel River and being Sunday had to be careful with the cyclists.

The 10 miles run that I intended to do was extended to 13.2 miles. Felt comfortable and strong at my set paced. It also gave me enough time to contemplate about my running plan for 2012.  Knowing I was fully recovered from CIM, I registered to my next events:

 January 7 ...... Southern California Half Marathon at Irvine.
 February 5 ... Surf City Marathon at Huntington Beach (Stage 4)
 March 18 ..... Los Angeles Marathon (Stage 5)

I am not decided yet if I am going to continue my journey for the next MM Criteria (8 marathons within 365 days). I already calendar the events, so the process will be in progress.  Also, I will run the Surf City at my new Age Group. The sweet 70 to 74 AG.


12/11/2011
Distance ........... 13.2 Miles
Time ................. 2:16:19
Pace ................. 10:17

CIM ...... Last Stage of My Journey To MM Bronze Level Membership

                                 Stage 1 ... 10/9 .... Long Beach Marathon ...... 4:48:00
                                 Stage 2 ... 11/6 .... Santa Clarita Marathon .... 5:07:05
                                 Stage 3 ... 12/4 .... Cal International ............... 4:53:15

Last Sunday, December 4, I ran my 3rd marathon within 90 days and qualified for the Maniac Marathon Bronze level membership.

Encouraged and motivated by the achievements of blogger friends, Paul (http://50-is-the-new-30.blogspot.com/) and Ed(http://runningscientist.blogspot.com/), I started my journey on October 9, 2011, after 3 months of training. Each stage of the journey had it's unique challenged and story to share.

Stage 3
December 4, 2011 ....... California International Marathon, Sacramento

The event was advertised as the fastest course where runners who want to qualify for the Boston Marathon or set Personal Record  register. The event sold out early and I was the last to register. My son had to register through the charity thing ($250 registration fee).  I was excited on this event and confident that I can set a PR.  It's also my passport to the MM bronze level membership. Things didn't turn out as expected. After the Santa Clarita Marathon wherein I ran in the rain, my Asthma came back. It's been under control for 4 years but stopped taking my daily medication about 4 months ago. My bad.  Didn't do any LSD run and started taking my medication again plus more (Advair, ProAir inhaler, cough syrup, ampicillin and benadryl).
My asthma was under control a week before the race and all set and ready for CIM.

On December 3, my son and I drove to Sacramento for the expo. Picked our bibs and race kits. The expo was small compared to Long Beach and San Francisco, but well organized.  The highlight of the day was went I met in person my blogger friend Paul.  I learned a lot from his blog and suggestions.

Paul is a silver level Marathon Maniac having ran 8 marathons within 365 days.

It's cold at the start line but after 2 hrs of running, the weather was perfect,  The course is flat and fast. Rolling hills and few turns and lined with spectators to cheers runners.  I ran as planned and at 10:30 pace. At the 20 miles marker, my split time of 3:31:48 was on target to beat my last year time of 4:42:00.  But after mile 20, I fell apart physically and mentally.  I was not tired nor hurt,  but something was wrong.  I spent more time in brisk walking than running/jogging. On the last mile where I usually do my old man sprint, I totally lost the will to run.  With head down, I walked toward the finish line. About 1/4 mile from the finish, my son who was waiting in front of Hyatt(he crossed the finish line an hour earlier) approached me and urged me to run. That there was still time to finish under 5 hours, that I should not gave up after getting this far. Finally, I gave in to his yukking and ran to the finish line.  My son and I walked back to the hotel, went straight to the bar, have a tequila shot, a glass of beer and nachos. Drove back to Walnut Creek, watched my grandson basketball game and have a late dinner.  What a Day!!!!!

I think, I need 3 days rest from running.  Will evaluate the situation and decide if running more full marathons will do more good  than bad to my health.

At the Finish Line... In agony but still looking good.

After Mile 20, when not walking.

Before Mile 20...Awesome!!!

Father and Son Priceless Moment.

Stage 2 
November 6, 2011 ...... Santa Clarita Marathon

For details click link.
http://arthur-seniorrunner.blogspot.com/2011/11/santa-clarita-marathon-perspective.html

Stage 3
October 9, 2011 ......... Long Beach Marathon

For details, click link.
http://arthur-seniorrunner.blogspot.com/2011/10/long-beach-international-bank-marathon.html

Family Run

Last Thanksgiving Day, my sons, daughter-in-law, grandson and I ran at the Long Beach Turkey Trot.  It's our first family run. 



Aris, Arthur, Amy, Drew, Arturo
Drew got a pumpkin pie.
Lucy and Payton at home chasing the turkey.



Arturo, Drew, Amy



The venue is portion of the Long Beach International Marathon route

Semi-minimalist Runner

Nice!!!!!


Family Performance

10K
Arturo ------- 49:23
Arthur ------- 55:57
Aris --------- 1:15:32

5K
Drew ------- 32:49
Amy -------- 33:02

Crossroad

 
On December 4, I will run at the California International Marathon. It's one of the oldest running events in California.  This will be my third marathons in 2 months and based on my training and how I feel, I  will nail this bitch!

My problem now is where do I go from here.  Will I go back running half marathon and mid distance races, OR will I continue running full marathon and attempt to do 8 smackers within 365 days. Soon, I will be 70 and these adventures will be physical and mentally challenging.  I will take a break from running come January and consult my trainer (wife), sponsors (2 sons) and my buddies(Cabo Wabo and Patron) about my plan.  If it's a go, the 4th one will be on February 5, 2012 at the Surf City Marathon.

Santa Clarita Marathon Perspective

6:00am  Sunday
As I came out of the hotel, the first word that came out of my mouth was S H I T.  It was raining hard and cold. Told my wife to go back to sleep. With  a wind breaker and a trash bag as a raincoat, I walked to the start line which was a block from the hotel.  Few brave souls were around at the start area and kept myself dry at the PA tent. At about 6:30 am, the rain stopped and runners started assembling. At 7:00 am, 2909 enthusiastic runners(398 FM, 1313 HM, 1198 5K) answered the start gun.  Then it starts raining again and didn't stop till I crossed mile 6. Then the sun came out and another sunny day in California, perfect for running 26.2 miles.

My goal was to run slow and save myself from further wear and tear and to be strong on my 3rd marathon in Sacramento on Dec 4.

 Split Times
 5.5 Miles ....... 0:53:34  ....... 9:45 pace
15.3 Miles ...... 2:44:07 ........ 10:44 pace
21:5 Miles ...... 4:03:48 ........ 11:21 pace
26.2 Miles .... 5:07:05 ........11:43 pace


At mile 22 to mile 24, I ran super slow as the numbness on my small toes got bad and blisters on both feet started to develop. Half mile before the finish line, I increased my pace to under 10 minutes. With the finish line just 50 feet ahead, I heard the announcer called my name and urged the spectators to cheers a 69 years runner who still have smile on his face after running 26.2 miles. I responded  by sprinting to the finish line.
My 5 seconds of fame ...... sweet !!!!!

Santa Clarita Marathon Training

On Sunday, I will run my 2nd Full Marathon within a month.  It will be first for me and I got no clue on how to train for it.  All I got is a big heart,  good health and determination.  Anyway, to prepare for the event, I went through this training which can be either not enough or too much.

Week 1
110/9 - Long Beach Marathon 26.2 miles
11/12 - 2 miles
11/13 - 5 miles
11/15 - 5 miles

Week 2
10/17 - 7 miles
10/18 - 5 miles
10/20 - 14 miles
10/23 - 8 miles

Week 3
10/25 - 6.5 miles
10/27 - 6 miles
10/30 - 7 miles

Week 4
11/01 - 5 miles
11/03 - 3.5 miles
11/06 - Santa Clarita Marathon


Also workout at the "Y" (stationary bike, elliptical machine, curl, leg extension and racquetball ).

Good luck to all  NYCM runners, specially those who came from the Philippines to join this spectacular running event.

Santa Clarita Marathon

The Marathon - Sunday, November 6, 2011

The Santa Clarita Marathon, which is an official qualifying race for the Boston Marathon, will test the physical boundaries of the human body on Sunday, November 6, 2011 . The day will include a full marathon, a half marathon, a 5K Run, the Mayor's Walk and a Kid K run. All races will begin at 7:00 a.m., with the exception of the Kid K, which will begin at 8:30 a.m.

This year the Santa Clarita Marathon Race Committee will be using the newly open trails along the San Francisquito Creek to be part of the 2011 Half Marathon and Marathon. The new trail system will be used for the majority of the race and will reduce the amount of street closure on McBean Parkway.

This will be my 2nd marathon in 30 days. 

Long Beach International City Bank Marathon Perspective!!!

Sunday 9, 2011

Perfect Sunday morning to run a marathon

Trained for this race for three months with a goal of finishing it without bonking.  Last year, I ran my first full marathon at the same Long Beach event and bonked at Mile 20. I almost gave up.

This time around, there was no doubt in my mind that I will finish my 2nd full marathon and I am not bonking.  I will run the race at the speed/pace as planned.  Finish Time is not a factor.

SPLIT TIMES:  
10 Km: 57:09   Pace: 9:12 - Enthusiastic runners and spectators got me distracted. Ran faster than planned.
12:5 Mile: 2:07:48  Pace: 10:19 - The most crowded portion of the course and few feets from the ocean.
18 Mile: 3:02:47  Pace: 10:10 - Got motivated by the cheers of LBSU students. Gave left and right high fives.
24 Mile: 4:20: 03 Pace: 10:51 - (Heat 80+) affected me. Drank lots of liquids but mouth still dry. Slow jogged.
26.2 Mile: 4:48: Pace: 11:00 - Speed up a little bit and crossed the Finish Line without Bonking  but _ _ _

Right after I received my finisher medal, I felt sick.  My legs and stomach cramped and had to be helped by my partner/wife walked to the car.  After resting for 30 minutes inside the car with the aircon on, I felt better. Had to sleep with wet towel on my forehead to lower my body temperature.  I think I got a mild case of heat stroke.  Oh well, the beauty of  running the full marathon _ _ _ Full of Surprises.

Race Details and Results:
Age: 69
Finish Time:           4:48:00 (5 minutes slower than my 1st marathon)
AG Place(65-69):  5 out 25
Overall Place:        1682 out of 3199 



The Fireboat



The Lighthouse



The Runners



The Corrals

The Finish Line

Post Race Celebration

The Bling

Long Beach Marathon - October 9, 2011

Three months of training, 450 miles logged  and  countless of hours spent running on trails/streets/parks alone,  will all come down this coming Sunday(10-09-12) at the Long Beach International Bank Marathon.  Whatever will be the result, I am already a winner. Never been healthier and stronger since, I started running four years ago.  That during my LSD run, it never crossed my mind that, I will soon be 70 years old.

Cheers to all  runners who will be at their event start line on Sunday.

Long Beach Internationa City Bank Marathon ------ Beach Bum!!!!

Run the Long Beach International City Bank Marathon or Half Marathon 3 years in a row and become a Beach Bum!

Come October 9, I will be a Beach Bum and as a reward for being a bum, I will get a shirt with a beach bum logo (same picture as above).

If, I run the Surf City Marathon(Huntington Beach) next year, I will get this beautiful Beach Cities Challenge Medal ......

Beach Cities Challenge Medal for running Orange, Long Beach & Surf City Marathons in a row.

Training Updates:

1. Will run my 2nd 20+ miles LSD run tomorrow to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
2. Taper run will start on Monday.

2011 Long Beach Marathon Training Update

Since I started my training last June 13, I have ran a total of  263 miles.  Raced in two 10K events and one Half Marathon.

As suggested by a blogger friend, my training is focused on distance and not on speed,  and to build up my endurance beyond 20 miles.  My progress is slow,  but I am happy as no need of recovery.  I was able to run a day after the long run. So far,  the farthest I ran was 18 miles at 3:11:57.

Last year, I trained at the Long Beach Marathon route (Beach front) but this year, training is mostly on the San Gabriel River Bike Path, home toward the the Ocean  and  home toward the San Gabriel Mountain . The San Gabriel bike path is more challenging than the LBM route because the path goes under bridges and freeways every mile. Also, the path follow the grading of the river bed( gradual decline toward the ocean and incline toward the mountain.. The real challenged, though, come from the peloton of cyclists. Have to watch for them. It's 20 to 30 feet down the river bed.

Goal -- Finish the race without bonking.

San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon
July 31, 2011

San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon
July 31, 2011

San Francisco Marathon Top Finisher Resting Heart Rate

When my son and I got home after running the San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon, I logged in to my computer to check the race results and some news about the event.  I came across an article about the overall winner, Mr Michael Wardian.  That he had severe food poisoning, and spent the rest of the day and night vomiting but early Sunday morning, the 37-year-old elite runner from Arlington, Va., smiled as he crossed the finish line and won the San Francisco Marathon, coming in unofficially at 2 hours, 27 minutes and 6 seconds - more than 7 minutes ahead of the second-place finisher. 

What caught my attention though, is his resting heart rate of 31 bpm. Three years ago, while at the office of a pulmonary specialist for my asthma problem, the nurse monitoring my heart rate stepped out of the room in a hurry. She came back with the Doctor. Upon entering the room he saw me with my Long Beach Marathon shirt and without looking at the monitor or listening to my heat beat, he told the nurse, I was good. Turned out the nurse freaked out because of my heart 44 bpm.

When I got home, I searched  from the computer about low resting heart rate.  I came across an article about athletes having resting heart rate as low as 40 bpm.  Average heart rate is from 60 to 100.  I am no athlete and never played in a team sport before so, I was worried.

When I saw my regular Doctor the following day, I told him about the incident at the Specialist office. Asked
him if my low bpm is normal.  He told me it's not normal but not to worry about it because of my running activities. That he will be worried if I am obese, can't walk a mile and smoker.  He also told me that my blood pressure medicine (beta blocker) might be affecting my bpm. Changed the dosage of my medication and my resting heart rate is now 49 bpm.

Still not clear to me how low resting heart rate affect the performance of an athletes.



Notes:
Mr. Michael Wardian  recently placed third in the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, where temperatures reached 130 degrees. But he had never won the San Francisco Marathon, finishing second twice.


2nd Half Marathon Result:
Time: 2:05:20
AG Place(65-69) - 3rd out of 20

City of Cypress 5K & 10K Run/Walk Photos

July 23, 2011
 
Detailed Race Features
• All-American, small town certified race course
• $3500 prize money for 10K
• Chip timing
• Age division awards
• Race t-shirts (guaranteed for pre-registration only)
• Post-race awards at the finish line
• Big Stick popsicles for all finishers to help cool down!
• Beer garden located at the Community Festival
• $4.00 Kiwanis pancake breakfast
• Good ol’ fashioned summertime fun!

This is one of the three (3) popular City sponsored running events near Long Beach. The other two are Seal Beach 10K and Los Alamitos Run on the Base (runway is the course).

Cypress event attract some of the best LA and OC Counties runners because of the $3500 prize money, unusual for a local event.

This will be my 1st Cypress 10K run and last training/race stop before the San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon which will be held on July 31, 2011.

Race Day Update:

Event was well organized, lots of volunteers and good support/cheers from the community. Lots of bottled waters, Popsicles, banana and bagels at the post race area.  My only negative comment is on the 10 years increment on the age group. 

My Race Result:
Finish Time: ------------- 54:09
AG Place (60 - 69): ----- 13/29
Overall Place: ----------- 210/527

Hot, Humid and Busy Month of July 2011

A month ago, I only had  one scheduled race.  Then,  a week into the month things got busy. I also started  training for my 2nd full marathon.  The hot and humid weather make things tougher.  To adjust to my busy schedule, I cut down on my work out at the "Y" and  play racquet ball 2 times a week, instead of the usual 5.

July 4th
La Palma 10K

Cat Run
July 7 - July 14
Run 10K everyday for 7 days to feed my son's cats.

Cypress 10K
July 23, 2011

July 31
San Francisco 2nd  Half Marathon

2011 La Palma Fitness Run For Fun


A healthy way to kick off your Fourth of July Festivities! La Palma's Fitness Run for Fun is more than just another run: it's an opportunity to experience that small town/hometown sense of community; to share quality time with your family, neighbors, and friends; and to focus on health and wellness while participating in a quality running, walking, or strolling experience.

Course

Competitive Events: USATF sanctioned and certified flat and fast course on asphalt streets, well-marked and with ample water stations. Traffic will be controlled by the La Palma Police Department. 5K races are 1 loop (3.1 miles), 10K race is 2 loops (6.2 miles);
 
This is my third 4th of July La Palma's Fitness Run.
 
July 4, 2009  ---  0:57:18 ---- 3rd place /65-69
July 4, 2010  ---  0:55:00 ---- 1st place / 65-69
July 4, 2011  ---  0:55:33 ---- 1st place / 65-69 
 
I think age is slowly catching up with me.
 
Today is also the first time  I ran with my youngest son, Aris.  While it is true that he can ride his bike downhill from some of the highest downhill venue in U.S and Canada and ride his motorcycle 200mph at Fontana Nascar Raceway, he is no match to the old man running speed and endurance.
 
Today is also my 40th wedding anniversary.



July 4, 1971
Paco Cemetery Park
Manila, Philippines



August 25, 2011

Old Ranch Country Club

Seal Beach, CA

Long Beach Marathon - Training

Today's run is the start of my 2nd full marathon training.  My goal is to run the 26.2 miles without bonking/stopping/walking.  

My training program will be:
            a. Pace range of 10:30 to 12 minute per miles.
            b. 2 - 15 miles run at 10:30 pace
            c. 2 - 18 miles run at 10:45 pace
            d. 1 - 20 miles run at 11:00 pace
            e. 1 - 26 miles run at 12:00 pace (September 11)

6/13/2011
           Distance:  12 miles
           Time:        2:03:26
            Pace:       10:17



Long Beach Marathon
October 9, 2011



Long Beach Marathon
October 2010
Time: 4:42:49

Ojai 2 Ocean Half Marathon - A fun Run

This is the inaugural run of Ojai 2 Ocean Marathon and Half Marathon,  limited to 600 total participants.

It's a no frills event but full of fun:
   1. Bib Pick Up - No health expo, pictured I.D not required and no freebies except 2 packets of chewable stuff. Out of there in 2 minutes with my bib#, timing chip & shirt.

    2. Start Line (Half Marathon) - Stay on the trail, go south by about 1/4 mile and you will find     a surf board planted on the sand with Start painted on it.  No banner, no cones, no balloons.
 
    3. Hydration Stations - I left the comment(s)  to the expert(s).  I always run with my hydration     belt.

    4. Finish Line - Look at the picture: You can't get simpler than this.  



My Perspective of the Race -  Fun started at 5:15am.  I left the hotel on foot(still dark) and walked toward the fairground where I thought the HM starts. My bad, had to turnaround when told the start line was near the historic pier. Together with a couple, a female runner and her companion on a bike,  we got a simple direction from the event staff near the pier.  Stay on the trail,  keep walking till you find a surf board with Start painted on it. After walking 1/2 mile, we reached the start line. That was fun and a good  warm up. 

The race started on time. The trail was crowded with runners and had to run slowly for almost a mile. At the bike trail the crowd thin out and now on my normal HM pace.  As usual, I look for  a  pacer and stayed with him/her till I lost them and had to look for another one.  Majority of the participants are young men and women, serious runners and from the look of their appearance,  lead a healthy and active lifestyle. At age 69, I thought I was the oldest participant(the results listed another participant at age 72).

At mile 6, I was still running strong and at paced to set a PR. On the 2nd loop, the crowd really thin out and  there were times, I can not see a  runner ahead of me. At mile 10, this is where I usually get tired, I found a pacer that motivated me to run behind her all the way to the finish line. 



Almost there!!



Crossed the finish line strong and when I looked at my Garmin watch I was shocked.  I finally reached my ultimate goal ----- to finish the 1/2 marathon under 2 hrs.  Unbelievable, awesome, it's a miracle were  the words that can described my feelings.  Unfortunately, a further looked at my Garmin watch, the course distance is only 12.62 miles. Short by about 1/2 mile. 

     Official Time :            1:56:54

    Overall Place :             95/268

    AG(65/74)      :             1st Place

It's a PR for me even if I add a conservative time of 5 minutes to my official time to run the other 1/2 mile.

I had fun at the race and above all, my wife and I enjoyed our weekend in Ventura.