Dec 17: addendum to Jeff Galloway 13.1

Today I saw the 5K splits posted for Sunday's half-marathon:

5K split:     28:07.3 (5:37 min per km)
10K split:   28:11.6 (5:38 min per km)
15K split:   29:28.3 (5:54 min per km)
21.1 split:  34:12.8 (5:37 min per km)

This adds up to precisely 2:00:00 (the record reads 2:00:00.1, so they must be picking up some 100ths of a second in the raw data) but they still have published my chip time as 1:59:48.  Of course the world has seen the photographic evidence of my clock time at 1:59:59!  

Here's the finish line photo again. 

One question that I've had for some time now: is the first timing mat at the finish line, or is it the second mat?  Even though I was obviously shouting with joy in the photo above, I was still running hard at that moment, just in case. 

December 13, 2015: Jeff Galloway 13.1, year 2

Goal D: To finish faster than last year's time of 2:19:36;

Goal C: To finish faster than my PR of 2:03:09;

Goal B: To finish in less than 2:00:00;

Goal A: To have a great half-marathon experience from start to finish!

A year ago, I completed my first half-marathon, in the inaugural year of the Jeff Galloway 13.1 (half marathon).  It was a real struggle, and while I successfully finished, I knew that I could have run it so much better.  Since then, I've run three more half-marathons, building my confidence with each race, starting with the Georgia Publix Half in March (2:05:36), the Teardrop Half in May (2:03:09), and the Hotlanta Half in August (2:05:49).  I set very conservative time goals for each race, focusing primarily on improving my pacing and tactics.  Today's race would be a test of a good year of training, and I worked out a plan to aim for the 2-hour barrier.  

The weather has become relatively warm for December, to the extent that the organizers of today's race sent an e-mail to participants on Friday urging us to hydrate carefully and to prepare to slow down if the temperature rose above 55 deg F.  The organizers were probably rightly spooked by the Savannah Rock 'n Roll Marathon in November, which was run in 80 deg F temperatures, with insufficient water at the stops for the conditions, and was even cut short for most participants.  Sadly two runners died in that race, one on the course and the other at home later in the day.  

At the start

When we arrived for the start, the conditions could not have been better!  48 deg F at the start, with scattered clouds, and no chance for rain for the next few hours.  I felt strong and well-prepared, and my confidence for today was undoubtably buoyed by last week's Eastside Beltline 10K run, at a PR pace of 8:30 minute / mile for that distance.  I chatted a bit with the 2:00 pace runner, who confirmed that he would be running with intervals of 2:00 running, 0:30 walking.  I was a little concerned that he didn't seem to be 100% committed to the program when he said "That's not what I would typically run" but took a position about 10 feet behind him, hoping that he would maintain the necessary 9:00 - 9:10 minute / mile pace.  After the National Anthem and a few encouraging comments from the emcee, Jeff Galloway wished us all well, led the countdown to the start and we were off! 

Only 13.09 miles to go!

The pace leader quickly took a lead in the first few blocks, but faithfully slowed to a walk at 2 minutes sharp, then returned to a run after the 30 second walk break.  However his run intervals were a bit too fast for me to follow.  I felt that he might be running too fast, confirmed when I finished the first mile in 8:42, even though I was about 100 feet behind him.  He didn't seem to slow down in the subsequent miles, but I was satisfied to run on my own, using my Garmin watch to keep me on a reasonable pace.  As I covered the second through fourth miles (8:49, 9:07, 9:07), I felt that I had started perfectly, whereas last year I was already beginning to feel some pain.  I reached the 5K marker at around 27 minutes even - extrapolating to 20 km in 1:48, adding 1.1 km in about 6 minutes, I was pleased that I was on track for 1:54, with a small cushion in the event that I slowed a bit in the later miles. 

I adopted a run : walk ratio of 4:30 : 0:30, occasionally adjusting to avoid taking a walk break immediately before or after water stations, which were consistently at or near the even-numbered mile markers.  In the fourth mile along Freedom Parkway, Rob and Amy Saunooke from Miami, friends of a close friend were there to cheer me on!  We had been at a party with them yesterday afternoon, and I was pleased that I had arrived exactly when I had hoped to pass the location that I had recommended for them. Shortly before making a hairpin turn from Freedom Parkway to the PATH walking trail paralleling the parkway, I heard someone call out to me from a couple of minutes ahead of me - Daniel, aka Kurokitty, author of the blog The Running Cat.  Thanks for the call-out, Daniel!  Daniel is considerably faster than me, so I was encouraged that I wasn't too far behind him.  As I watched the runners behind me on my own return trip, I was pleased to see the 2:10 pace team a few minutes behind me, and didn't spot the 2:30 pace team until I was nearly to the turnoff to the Eastside Beltline.  This was where I started thinking, "This is going so much better than last year!" 

Just after the mile-4 marker, on the PATH trail - thanks to Amy Saunooke for the photo!

Shortly after mile-5 marker

I picked up some speed on a long downhill spur to join the Beltline, and maintained a good pace in the first half-mile of the Beltline as we ran northward enjoying the gentle downhill section (8:35 for mile 5).  I passed Elisabeth, author of Running on E, who was running with a friend in the opposite direction on the Beltline, and she shouted some encouragement as we passed.  Then  I saw Bonnie up ahead, taking several photographs as I passed.  At this stage last year, the 2:10 pace team had caught up with me, but today I was still well ahead of them.  At the north end of the Beltline at the intersection with Monroe Drive, we made a sharp turn onto Kanuga Street, which I knew from last year would be a short but relatively steep uphill block.  Turning left on Virginia Avenue, I got back up to speed.  There were quite a few spectators in this area, and their cheers were very encouraging.  After a long block, we turned right (south) onto Ponce de Leon Place, where we started to make up some of the elevation that had dropped while we were on the Beltline, but I was pleased to reach the mile 6 marker in 9:21, and the 10K split at 56 minutes.  Last year I had reached the 1 hour mark before had completed 10K.  "So much better than last year!" I thought, as my run continued close to plan.  

Tucker Running Club star cheering group Linda Bode Phinney,
 Malisa Anderson-Strait, and Bonnie Youn

In the seventh mile I caught up to a runner named Mark, who had slowed to look for a family member who was behind him.  We ran together for about a mile, for several blocks on St. Charles Avenue as well as the entire stretch on Highland Avenue.  When we passed the 7-mile marker on St. Charles (9:54), I realized that I had slowed down a bit too much, mostly from a lapse in concentration in a gentle but steady uphill mile.  Thank goodness for a little cushion in the earlier miles!  I picked up a little speed on the level section of Highland Avenue, and passed another nice group of spectators at the intersection of Highland and Virginia Avenues.  I sped up a bit more running westward on Virginia Avenue, leaving Mark behind to find his family member.  I maintained good speed on the curve along Park Avenue, and made a strong left turn at the intersection of Park Avenue onto Monroe Drive.  This section was mostly and gently downhill, covering miles 8 and 9 in 9:20 and 8:46.  "So much better than last year!"

On 10th Street, just past mile-9 marker

Shortly after turning onto 10th Avenue, where the Park Tavern stands at the southeast entrance to Piedmont Park, we were greeted by the Phiddipides cheer group.  Phiddipides was established in the 1970's as the very first running store, founded by Jeff Galloway, who represented the United States in the 10,000 meters in the 1972 Olympic Games.  A couple of Tucker Running Club friends, Linda Bode Phinney and Malisa Anderson-Strait, began cheering vigorously when they saw me coming in the yellow Tucker Running Club shirt.  I managed to exchange high-fives with most of the spectators in that section, which gave me considerable strength as a long uphill stretch of the race route began at the mile-9 marker.  I passed the 15K split at 1:25, which was a PR for that distance, having run an Atlanta Track Club 15K in February in 1:27.  Bonnie was there to take photos and we exchanged hand slaps as I passed.  "So much better than last year!" I shouted to her as I passed.  

Hand slap with Bonnie! 

Beyond the 15K split, I took the full walk breaks in this section, which continued uphill as we turned right onto Piedmont Avenue.  The hill was tough, but when I finished mile 10 in 9:23, I was thrilled to be running so well at this stage, with 1:31:33 elapsed.  That happens to be only 20 seconds slower than my PR for the 10-mile distance, set in October 2014.   I quickly did a mental calculation and knew that I could break the 2-hour mark if I could run the last 5K in 28 minutes.  "So much better than last year!!"  I felt good and nothing was hurting, but I was becoming a bit fatigued.  Thankfully, the organizers had arranged for mile 11 to be a long downhill from Piedmont to the intersection with Monroe Drive, into the north end of Piedmont Park, which I flew down in 8:34.  With just over 1:40 elapsed and 2.1 miles to go, I calculated that two more 9-minute miles would get me to the finish line in less than 2 hours, but two miles at 9:30 would be too slow.  Unfortunately the rest of the race route would be net uphill, nothing severe but overall about 65 feet increase in elevation to the finish line.  Here is where the toughness developed from some hot summer runs paid off, as I just kept pushing myself.  As I ran by the dog park, Elisabeth and her friend passed again.   This was the first time that I dared to say "I'm on a PR pace!"  

Mile 12, done! 

As I reached the mile-12 marker, I saw that I had covered that mile in 9:32.  Uh oh, I had to speed up if I would have any chance of finishing in 2:00:00.  Bonnie was there to take photographs again, we exchanged hand slaps again, and I shouted again "I'm on a PR pace!!"  Then Malisa in the Tucker Running Club ran alongside for a moment to encourage me with the news that I was truly on a two hour pace.  

This is the fantastic group that greeted runners after the mile 12 marker!

Malisa Anderson-Strait is telling me that my pace is just ahead of a 2:00 finish!

Linda was cheering like crazy as I approached a friendly gauntlet of employees and supporters from the Phiddipides running store, exchanging handclaps with the entire group as I passed through.  Those supporters were the charge that I needed to tap a reservoir of speed.  Keenly aware of the minutes ticking by, we ran a hairpin along Charles Allan Drive in the park.  Around 1:56 elapsed, we turned right to head to the path along the south side of Lake Clara Meer.  I passed a few other runners in this section, determined to do my best to the finish.  "So much better than last year!!!"  

The last turn was at the Boathouse, heading for the finish.  Last year I was barely conscious at this stage, limping badly and just trying to get to the end of the ordeal.  Today I passed a young woman, accelerating as we turned the corner.  The elapsed time was 1:58 and it seemed like such a long pathway around the south side of the Active Oval.  I could hear the announcer at the finish line and just tried to keep running as fast as I could.  Last year I was walking in this area, determined to return to a jog right before the spectators at the finish line could see me.  This year I was thinking only of beating the clock.  I was starting to believe that I would finish just under the 2 hour mark by "chip time", but hardly dared to wonder if I might finish in less than the 2 hour mark by "clock time".  When I first saw the finish line clock, I could see that the first number was still 1, then as I came nearer, I read 1:59:40!  I thought "Oh my gosh, I might just do it, but I will have to really work hard for it!"  I put every last bit of energy into speeding up as the seconds ticked past 1:59:50, then somehow found even more speed, seeing 1:59:58 as the last number as I entered the finish chute - I did it, I DID IT!!  I celebrated madly as I crossed the second timing mat - I did it  I DID IT  I DID IT!!!

You would think that I just won an Olympic Gold Medal!
Or the Super Bowl! Or both!!

With Jeff Galloway, a few minutes after the finish

And best of all, I didn't feel too badly!  I accepted a medal, bottle of water, box of recovery food, and a light cool-down jacket, and wobbled to the Active Oval where Jeff Galloway was taking photographs with finishers.  I told him that this was my first sub-2-hour half marathon, to which he replied "That's fantastic! And are you joining us next year?" "Absolutely, I will sign up today!" (remembering the $49 discount for registration within the next few weeks).  

Goal D: To finish faster than last year's time of 2:19:36; Achieved, although that wasn't really in doubt.

Goal C: To finish faster than my PR of 2:03:09; Achieved!

Goal B: To finish in less than 2:00:00; Achieved, on the fifth try!!  Chip time: 1:59:48

Goal A: To have a great half-marathon experience from start to finish!  Achieved!!!  This was truly the most important goal.  I knew that I couldn't break the 2 hour barrier unless my attitude was positive for the entire race. 

After the finish, with speedsters Anna Calcaterra and Daniel Yee

Mile splits with relative elevation changes:
Mile 1: 8:42, -4 feet
Mile 2: 8:49, -9 feet
Mile 3: 9:07, +30 feet
Mile 4: 9:07, +28 feet
Mile 5: 8:35, -75 feet
Mile 6: 9:21, -1 feet
Mile 7: 9:54, +75 feet
Mile 8: 9:20, -24 feet
Mile 9: 8:46, -101 feet
Mile 10: 9:23, +65 feet
Mile 11: 8:34, -107 feet
Mile 12: 9:32, +33 feet
Mile 13: 9:00, +32 feet
final 0.16 mile, 1:14 on level ground, at 7:54 minute/mile pace
At first glance, a range of splits from 8:34 - 9:54 doesn't seem very consistent, but when compared with the elevation changes, the fastest split had the greatest net downhill, and the slowest split had the greatest net uphill, so I think that it was a successful execution. I checked my pulse rate during most of the walk breaks.  During the race I was pleased to see that I never exceeded 165 beats per minute in the first nine miles, dropping to 150-155 beats per minute in each walk break.  After mile 9, my range was 174 - 158 bpm, and for last mile, was steadily at or above 170 bpm with the exception of a short walk break in the middle of the last mile, hitting 180 bpm as I crossed the finish line. 

I'll add a few comments as a review for the race.  Strengths:
1) The race was professionally run for the serious runners, yet inclusive enough to encourage slower runners and walkers, staying open for 4-1/2 hours.  
2) The course length was true as far as I could tell, as my Garmin signaled miles within a few feet of every mile marker.  I covered 13.16 miles, but didn't turn off my watch until I was clear of the finish chute (due to my exuberant celebration!)
3) One of the best things about the course is that it avoided some of the biggest hills in town - no Cardiac Hill, no North Avenue hills.  There were some long but gently uphill sections, but they were doable with reasonable pacing.  The finish was about 100 feet net downhill from the start. 
4) Water stations were well-stocked and placed where advertised, which helped with planning walk breaks.  I carried my own bottle of water but could have safely relied on the official water stations.  There were several garbage cans well beyond the water stations, so there was no need to drop the used cups on the roadway, which I really appreciated. 
5) The running surfaces were excellent throughout, with minimal potholes or other road hazards.  The mile-plus section on the Eastside Beltline was great, and the asphalt running surface for the last two miles in Piedmont Park was perfect.  The race route was well-protected by police, especially as we passed through quite a few intersections that are normally quite busy.  
6) Timing mats at the 5K, 10K, and 15K marks gave me a good sense of how I was doing with the official gun time. 
7) The cheering sections organized by Phiddipides at miles 9 and 12 were fantastic!  By mile 9, most runners were probably beginning to feel some significant fatigue, certainly I did, and the cheers and support were fantastic for maintaining my positive attitude.  Even more critically, when I passed the group again at mile 12, they gave me the boost that I needed to keep up the speed necessary to reach my 2-hour goal.  Otherwise I'm sure that I would have let up a bit, just because I was really tired, and then I would not have finished before the 2:00:00 mark. 
8) The weather couldn't have been better!  It was 48 deg F at the start, probably around 60 deg F at the end.  Of course that is a matter of luck, but the mid-December date is probably ideal in catching a good range of temperatures and conditions.  The only downside is that there are many running events around town on the same weekend.  For instance, another half-marathon was run today in Kennesaw, about 20 miles away.

Concern:
The 2:00 lead pacer covered the first several miles much too quickly, as far as I was concerned.  When I saw his chip time posted later in the day, I saw that he finished at 1:58:18, which I suppose isn't too far off overall.  However I spotted him in the final mile on the return leg of a hairpin, and only two runners were still hanging with him at the end.  On the other hand, tracking with my own Garmin, I felt that I was maintaining very close to a consistent 2:00 pace from start to finish, and I think that my final result shows it.  At the start, there was a second pacer who fell behind me early on.  I was wondering if he was "bracketing" the group, but I never looked back to check.  I was surprised to see that he finished in 2:00:17, just about 30 seconds on the clock time after me, so perhaps that had been his role, but remarkably he never caught up to or passed me during any of my walk breaks. 

Weakness:
The expo wasn't anything special.  Although it was nice to see Elisabeth at the Running with Donna 26.2 table, I didn't see any products that I wanted to purchase. 

Overall my review is very highly positive, 9.5 on a 10 point scale.  This is a race that I plan to commit to run every year, for as long as I can manage it.  I definitely encourage others to participate in future years, whether you're new to the distance or a seasoned long-distance runner.  

December 5, 2015: The Eastside Beltline 10K, year 3

Goal C: To better last year's time of 56:48

Goal B: To beat my course record from 2013, of 55:45

Goal A: To best my 10K PR of 53:50

I ran my first 10K race in December 2013 on the Eastside Beltline, greatly exceeding my hopes to finish in less than an hour.  Since that time, I've focused on improving my performances in the 10K distance, even setting a year 2015 resolution to complete a 10K in less than 54 minutes, which I managed for the first time in March 2015.  The 2014 Eastside Beltline race was a big disappointment: heavy rain before the race may have led to me twisting an ankle in the unimproved part of the course.  I finished about one minute slower than the previous year, but then could hardly walk from the finish line to the car.  The ankle took about a month to fully heal.  For that reason, I waited to sign up for the 2015 Eastside Beltline until less than 24 hours before the registration deadline.  I had resolved to skip the race if the weather was likely to be rainy.  Happily our last rain was Wednesday morning and the forecast was firmly in the 0% chance of rain, with cool temperature but sunny skies forecast for today.

Second breakfast at 8 am with Atlanta Track Club.  Look at the healthy and tasty options!

Before the relatively late 10 am start for today's race, Bonnie and I joined several hundred members of the Atlanta Track Club for the Grand Prix Award Breakfast.  The participants celebrated the work of all-star volunteers by running 1.3 mile laps around the new headquarters building of the Track Club, followed by a tour of the impressive facility and a complementary breakfast.  We left a few minutes before the awards ceremony so that we could park near the start of the Beltline Race, but in addition to joining some of our running friends at the Track Club breakfast, I also managed about 3 warmup miles at a gentle pace before today's big race.  I was also well-nourished with two small breakfasts eaten over a few hours, so my preparation and attitude were ideal for a good performance this morning.  Moreover the sunny skies and 45 deg temperatures were ideal for running this morning.  

Shortly before the start with Tucker Running Club buddy, Linda Bode Phinney

After joining the starting group for stretches and warmups and the National Anthem, our race began a couple of minutes before the 10 am starting time.  I didn't see a timing mat at the start, so I may have started my Garmin watch a few seconds late, but the race started smoothly.  As we made the first turn from the Krog Street Market area to approach the southern terminus of the Beltline, we had to run between a cement truck and a utility truck, but somehow we made it onto the Beltline without any real hindrance. 

Bonnie found me shortly after the first mile!

I had resolved to run splits of 5:00 running with 30 second walk breaks, and managed the discipline to take every walk break in today's race, even if some of the walk breaks were a little short, 15 - 20 seconds especially in the early stages.  From the runs in 2013 and 2014, I knew that I had to save energy for a short but severe uphill stage at the northern terminus of Piedmont Park, shortly before the 3 mile mark, and was hoping that my fourth walk break would coincide with that uphill section.  The plan was then to maintain a decent speed on the return trip, and try to kick into high gear at the Highland Avenue underpass, about a half-mile from the finish line.  

Midway through the second mile - feeling strong and fast!

The first two miles were slightly and steadily downhill, and I covered the distance in 8:03 and 8:22 respectively, even though I could have run a bit faster.  The third mile was the treacherous strength along the unpaved section of the Beltline, working carefully on the gravel sections while speeding up a bit more where the route was smooth dirt.  To my surprise and delight, when we reached the northern terminus, the "hill of death" was omitted from this year's race route, and we immediately turned into the northern part of Piedmont Park.  We were all buzzing about the change, and I started thinking about the possibility of running a personal record as I passed the 3-mile sign in the middle of the 25th minute, with the Garmin alert shortly afterwards recording 8:40.  I slowed down a bit more through the park, which was net uphill, completing the fourth mile in 9:04, but I was feeling strong as we returned to the paved Beltline for the return trip.  The route was clearly uphill, but I was feeling strong enough to keep up with the fastest runners in view and passed a fair number of other runners.  Here I was careful to take 25 - 30 seconds for each walk break, letting my heart rate drop, and rewarded with a burst of speed each time I returned to running.  The fifth mile was covered in 8:54, which was a little slower than I had hoped for, but at 43 minutes elapsed, I felt that I had the energy to run the last 1.22 miles in 10 minutes or so, needing only slightly under 11 minutes to match my 10K PR.  

Running through Piedmont Park - somewhere in mile 4

 Here the physical and mental strength acquired over some difficult summer runs paid off in a big way!  Everytime I started to flag a bit, I just had to concentrate and make a small adjustment in my gait and I surged forward more strongly.  This is probably the best that I have ever felt in the sixth mile of a 10K race, feeling strong and confident.  I was able to put aside the sense of some slight tiredness knowing that I didn't have much further to run.  Although the only mile marker that I saw along the route was at mile 3, I remembered that the 6 mile marker was near the southern end of the Beltline, which later I saw was reached in 7:53, 50:56 elapsed. 

As we reached the end of the Beltline, the road leveled out - in fact I felt that we were heading downhill.  I was closing ground on a young woman but she was also speeding up going into the finish.  As I turned onto Krog Street for the final dash, I could see Bonnie standing on the right side of the road just past the finish line, and then saw the amazing number of 51 minutes on the clock!  At that moment I heard footsteps rapidly closing on me and a young man shot past at incredibly high speed, but I maintained a good pace into the end.  I finished just a few steps behind the young woman but didn't care that much about catching her, incredibly pleased to finish before 52 minutes had passed on the clock!  As I crossed the finish line I raised both arms in victory and shouted "PR!!" 

About 100 feet before the finish, the man in blue rocketed past us!

Celebrating a new PR for 10K, at 51:45 on the clock!

Then I checked my watch, and saw recorded 51:37 but a distance of only 6.07 miles!  Even if I started the watch a few seconds late, it certainly appeared that the route was short.  I was hoping that maybe my watch wasn't recording accurately - it's the third race in a row when the distance has been a little short - but the other finishers confirmed that their recorded distances were also short.  My official time appeared online within a couple of hours, at 51:44.  In any case, any disappointment was quickly dispelled when I realized that I had run the 6.07 miles at an average pace of 8:30 minute / mile, which is a personal record for that distance.  Best of all, I didn't get injured, and wasn't even terribly winded despite having run pretty hard through the last half-mile.  

Celebrating after the race with Bonnie!

Tucker Running Club finishers! with Linda Bode Phinney and Becky Caldwell

Notes: 

1) I forgot to drink beet juice beforehand, didn't even think about beet juice until a couple of hours after the race had ended!  I do think that the additional light breakfast didn't hurt. 

2) The warmup miles over a few hours earlier this morning probably also helped. 

3) The weather conditions could hardly have been better for a fast race, 45 deg F with low humidity. 

4) And, I will credit the conditioning that I've gained this year. It's really nice to see some tangible improvement.

Today's race was a great confidence builder in advance of next week's half marathon on Sunday December 13!

November 26, 2015: The Bay Area Turkey Run 10K

Goal C: To better last year's time of 55:59.9

Goal B: To celebrate Thanksgiving holiday with family

Goal A: To celebrate my mother's birthday

In the United States, the fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving Day.  We usually get together with my mother and other family members, not only because of the holiday but also because Thanksgiving always falls near her birthday.  This year Thanksgiving actually falls on Mom's birthday, and we're celebrating a round-numbered year as well.  She is a role model for me in so many ways, including taking good care of her health, although she probably has a bit of luck with genes as well.  I've inherited her genes for hair color and I think that I look a lot like my maternal grandfather - other than the male pattern baldness that I inherited from my own father - and hopefully I've inherited her healthy genes as well! 

My aunt prepared a delicious applesauce cake for her sister's birthday!  

In this time when the plight of refugees is in the news, I think of my Mom's family at the end of World War II.  My grandparents were born in the first decade of the twentieth century in the Austrian Empire.  After World War I, their region became part of the new country of Yugoslavia.  As ethnic Austrians, they were in the minority, but became Yugoslav citizens, and my grandfather even served in the Yugoslav army during peacetime in the mid-1920's.  That may have saved them when civil war came to Yugoslavia in the early 1940's, sparked by the anarchy of the German-Italian invasion and occupation.  In approximately 1943, a group of Partisan soldiers demanded entry into their home in Sarajevo, but the group's commander ordered the soldiers to leave after he realized that my grandfather had served in the Yugoslav army.  However, my grandparents felt that the next group might not spare them, so they decided to leave to join relatives in Austria, only to be picked up by the German army and sent to a labor camp, as they weren't officially Austrian citizens.   

Family photo from ca. 1948, from left-to-right:
My mother, Cecilie Kefer; my grandfather, Rudolf Kefer;
my grandmother, Elizabeth Zamola Kefer; and my aunt, Mira Kefer.
They sat for this photo to send to great-uncle Ed Zamola,
when they wrote asking him to sponsor them for immigration
to the United States. 

They were fortunate to survive the war, but found themselves among millions of other displaced persons when the war in Europe ended in May 1945.  My mother was only 9 years old.  Although the Yalta agreement required displaced persons to return to their countries of origin, some of the first groups of non-Slavic people to return to Yugoslavia were murdered shortly after crossing the border, so my mother's family desperately needed to stay out of Yugoslavia, even though they were living in Austria as undocumented aliens.  They were spared when Eleanor Roosevelt, the widow of the U.S. president, gave a speech at the new United Nations in 1945, insisting that the victorious Allies must not demand the return of displaced persons if their lives might be in danger.  My grandparents, my mother, and her older sister lived discreetly in Linz, Austria while they tried to find a country that might accept them.  It turns out that my grandmother's older brother, great-uncle Ed Zamola, had come to the United States in the early 1900's, under dubious circumstances, possibly without visa.  At some point Uncle Ed was offered a path to citizenship, and by the late 1940's, he was eligible to sponsor his younger sister and her family for immigration to the United States.  They arrived in Port Arthur, Texas in summer 1950, when my mother was 14 years old.  My mother along with her sister and parents proudly became United States citizens after the 5-year waiting period, and built new lives in the country that welcomed them. 

Family photo, ca. 1970:
in front center, my mother, Cecilie Kefer McDonald;
on the left, my brother, Will McDonald;
on the right, my father, Frank McDonald Sr.;
and I'm in the back center.

My mother and brother came out early this morning to watch Bonnie and I run the Bay Area Turkey Run, Bonnie running the 5K and me taking on the 10K.  My goal was to run faster than last year's time, which was 55:59.9 on a flat course.  However, it was relatively warm and quite humid this morning.  Even though I grew up accustomed to constant heat and humidity near the Gulf of Mexico coast, I had quickly lost my tolerance after moving away, so I wasn't sure how well I might run today.  

Bonnie, me and Mom shortly before the race

It took me awhile to work out some stiffness in my legs but fortunately we arrived early enough for me to warm up thoroughly in the parking lot.  After jogging for 15 - 20 minutes, my legs felt good and I was ready to run.  The children's 1K race started around 7:30 am, and after they were done, the 5K and 10K runners began together, around 7:45 am.  I started a bit too quickly in the first mile (8:02) and slowed down a bit in the subsequent miles (8:22, 8:45, 9:00, 9:17, 9:01), but was able to speed up in the final stretch, and ran my third-best 10K time at 53:59, only 9 seconds slower than my PR.  

Goal C: To better last year's time of 55:59.9; Achieved 2 minutes faster!

Goal B: To celebrate Thanksgiving holiday with family; Achieved, with a dozen family members around the dinner table!

Top: sister-in-law Sara Werland McDonald, cousin Rudy Noble, Rudy's father-in-law John Combi,
Christine Combi Noble, Rudy and Christine's son Patrick Noble, cousin Paul Noble,
and uncle Don Noble.  Bottom: uncle Don Noble, aunt Mira Kefer Noble, mom Cecilie Kefer McDonald,
me, Bonnie Youn, brother Will McDonald, and sister-in-law Sara Werland McDonald.

 

Goal A: To celebrate my mother's birthday; Achieved! My aunt prepared a delicious applesauce cake for her sister's birthday cake.  

Happy Birthday to you, Mom, as you prepare to blow out the candles! 

November 21, 2015: The Hill Country Trail Race, a k a the Serenbe Mud Run (15 K)

Goal C: To enjoy a nice run in the forest on a pleasant fall day

Goal B: To pace myself better in a challenging trail race

Goal A: To finish 9.33 miles in less than 1:50

I first learned about the Hill Country Trail Race a bit more than a year ago, but was training for my first half-marathon at the time and decided not to risk my training with an unknown type of race.  However this year I registered a few months in advance and was looking forward to a nice run in the forest, in the "New Urban" community of Serenbe.  I had visited the Inn and Farmhouse at Serenbe on a few occasions for farm-to-table dinners, but had never seen the growing community just a mile or so off of the main road.  

The fall foliage has been particularly nice in Georgia this year.  A couple of weeks ago, I joined a couple members of the Emory chemistry faculty on a 12-mile hike through the forest to the top of Brasstown Bald, the tallest hill in Georgia, and enjoyed the trek through the fallen leaves.  A few days ago I looked up a bit of the chemistry behind the changes in leaf color with the season, and learned from a news article in Nature that green leaves contain both chlorophyll and carotenoids, and when the chlorophyll is not replenished with waning sunlight as autumn progresses, the yellow - orange carotenoids are no longer masked and show up as the dominant color in many leaves.  But the striking red leaves on some trees are colored by another compound that is generated only in autumn, known as anthocyanin.  Anthocyanins are also produced in the tissues of many flowers, and appear as different colors depending on the pH of the tissue, with red arising at acidic pH. 

Chemical structures of some representative compounds responsible for leaf colors

It took only about an hour to drive from my home to Serenbe, without any traffic early on Saturday morning.  I had not run at all since Monday, due to a combination of a busy schedule at work and heavy thunderstorms causing the cancellation of the usual Tucker Running Club group run on Wednesday evening.  However the weather has been beautiful for the past few days and I assumed that the ground would have mostly dried out by now. The temperature at the start was around 50 deg F with some warmth from the sun. 

Shortly before the 15K start.  I wore orange for a reason!  Read on...

The race began on the main street of the Serenbe community.  The 5K runners departed first, getting about a 10-minute head start, and then the hard core 15K runners lined up.  With a few casual announcements about a "mountain" shortly before the 3-mile mark and some mud along the route "but you're trail runners", the airhorn sounded and we started.  The first mile was on asphalt and I easily ran a 9-minute mile without exerting myself.  Then we turned onto the first trail and immediately had to navigate through some muddy rutted trails!  We had not gone more than a few hundred feet before a runner in front of me tripped over a tree root, hidden by a layer of leaves!  Fortunately he wasn't hurt and was making a joke about scoring a "9" for his flip - and then it was my turn right before the 2-mile mark.  I decided not to fight to stay on my feet and rolled into a soft bed of leaves, quickly getting back up and running again hardly losing a beat!  Fortunately I wasn't injured, but it took a full mile of running before the big toe that I had stubbed on a tree root stopped throbbing.  

The race route.  The mile markers measured on my Garmin are not accurate,
probably due to elevation changes and switchbacks. The mile markers do
provide general information where I was at the beginning, middle, and end of the race.
The Garmin recorded a distance of 8.87 miles, whereas a 15K route is 9.33 miles.

We crossed a wooden bridge over a creek, and saw some of the faster runners returning in our direction.  Then our path took a left turn, and there it was, the "mountain"!  Conserving energy, everyone slowed to a walk as we marched up a rather steep slope.  Climbing about 100 feet, each runner began to speed up to a jog as s/he crested the top, only to slow down to safely navigate a trail downhill that was just as steep as the one that we had just climbed!  That was definitely a slow mile, yet I passed the 3-mile marker before 30 minutes had passed on my Garmin.  Upon making a turn at the 4-mile marker, an older man in front of me fell, but quickly got back to his feet.  We chatted for a moment as we jogged together.  He was trying his first trail race and was just hoping to finish.  I tried to console him by telling him that I had also fallen earlier in the race. 

We then re-entered the community, with the race organizer encouraging us to enjoy a run about the lake, taking a gravel trail past the back yards of several lakeside houses.  After returning to the dirt trail through the forest, we climbed a hill to reach the 5-mile marker.  During some of the walk breaks, I pulled out my cellphone and took a few photos.  Other runners streamed past, but my attitude was that I wasn't going to win anything, and part of enjoying my run through the forest was to take a few photos to share on this blog.  From time to time I heard what sounded like gunshots.  As I think that November may be hunting season, that was the primary reason for wearing orange this morning!  Then I thought, morbidly, of the cannon shots in "The Hunger Games" announcing when a contestant had died.  And some of "The Hunger Games" movies were filmed in north Georgia....

Some time after the 5-mile marker, we briefly ran on a road.  It was really nice to run on asphalt, even though it was only about 100 yards.  We reached the first water stop, where virtually everyone stopped or slowed for a half-cup of water.  At the last minute I had decided to carry my own water bottle, out of an abundance of caution, although most of the other runners relied completely on the water stop.  Then we plunged into the forest again, leaping across some crossings of little creeks, struggling to avoid soaking our feet.  In a flat section of the route, passing by a structure that looked like a giant treehouse, a runner about 100 feet ahead of me went down.  A few of the other runners helped her to her feet, but she stood still for a long moment, hands on knees, apparently catching her breath.  I was concerned that she might have been injured, but shortly before I caught up to her, she began running again.  

Before long we had passed the 6-mile mark (59 minutes elapsed) and reached a road.  It was evident that a right turn would have taken us to the finish - which apparently was the 5K route - but we took a left turn.  The road went up a relatively gentle hill, so I took another photo of a horse surrounded by a flock of ducks.  

I can hardly see the ducks and horse in this photo, but they are at the horizon, looking uphill. 

A race volunteer directed us into the forest, saying "just a loop and then run back to the finish".  I thought that the loop wouldn't be that long, but in fact it was a full two miles.  My legs were starting to ache from the changes in elevation, and I was thinking of how well this would strengthen me for an upcoming 10K in a flat community on Thanksgiving.  In the meantime, my legs were feeling a bit rubbery, but I just kept moving forward as best as I could.  After the 7-mile marker, we passed a waterfall that was a featured attraction of the race route.  I stopped to take a photo, and had just safely returned my phone to a pocket when I fell again, this time sprawling forward on my stomach into the mud.  Fortunately I wasn't injured but now my right hand and wrist were quite muddy, with mud even caked into the wristband of my Fitbit.  The sudden stop also caused my left gluteus to ache with a slight muscle cramp and that really slowed me down, as several other runners passed me in this section. 

There is a waterfall in the background of the photo.  This might have turned out better if I had stopped moving before I snapped the photo. 

It took a long time to reach the 8-mile marker, and now my elapsed time was substantially beyond 80 minutes, but I hadn't expected to run a 10 minute / mile pace in this race.  We were scrambling up and down trails of red Georgia mud, leaping over the occasional little creek.  In the last one, I didn't get enough speed before jumping and nearly slid backward into the creek, but grabbed a little tree with my left hand and pulled myself forward.  Finally, we reached the volunteer at the road once again, and he cheered us on with promises that the finish line wouldn't be too far.  I estimated that it was about a mile to the finish, and tried to speed up.  It took awhile for my legs to respond, but gradually I did find the higher gear.  I had managed to conserve some energy on the slower miles on the trail, and now that we were on asphalt, I was running fairly well.  Going up a gentle hill, I managed the occasional pass.  Spotting the photographer ahead, I sped up a bit more as I passed a couple.  Then there was the 9-mile sign!  Only 3 minutes to go (or less), as I glanced at my watch to see 1:35 elapsed.  I continued running strongly, passing some of the people that had earlier passed me in the last two miles on the trail.  Then as we approached the first buildings of the community, the road turned gently downhill and I went into high gear.  It seemed that no one around me was able to speed up, whereas I kept passing other runners even as the finish line came into view.  I saw 1:38 on the clock, and nearly caught up to another finisher who managed to cross just a split second ahead of me. I was tired but didn't feel badly.  I stepped into the clearing to get some sport drink, then went back to the finish area to watch a few of the others cross the line while I also tried to stretch a bit.

Conclusion: I'm not much of a trail runner.  I'm so much more comfortable running on asphalt.  It's not only the difficulty of the climbs and descents that concern me, but I really don't like falling in a race, and am grateful that I had soft landings in both instances.  Nonetheless, I suppose I will continue to occasionally run a trail race once or twice a year, as I like being in the forest, but it's unlikely to become my major running activity.  In any case, I wasn't disappointed at all in my result: today I ran a substantially faster overall pace than in my first trail race in August. 

Goal C: To enjoy a nice run in the forest on a pleasant fall day; Achieved! 

Goal B: To pace myself better in a challenging trail race; Achieved (probably)!

Goal A: To finish 9.33 miles in less than 1:50; Achieved with a chip time of 1:38:34!!

http://hillcountrytrailrace.com