I Like Running - Masters Runner
I like to run. I also like to reflect about my running while I run, and at times I am lucky enough to write those thoughts down and share them on this blog. Since it’s been far too long since my last post, and a lot has happened since my 100 miler, I thought it would be refreshing to revisit and share my reflections of the last few months of running.
Just recently I turned 40 in October, which has now catapulted me into the Master’s Age group category. It’s a fun group to be part of, as many of these runners have been racing competitively since college. Many of these runners at the top end I have raced over the years since college, post-college and on the USA circuit which included the Olympic Trials and various prestigious road races.
A few months ago I got to debut at the USA Cross Country 5k Masters Championships in Boulder. I had this race on my calendar for nearly a year, but I wasn’t training properly for it during that time period. So when the race came around in October, and only a week after I turned 40, it didn’t go as planned. I was hoping to place on the podium many months ago, but as I said, my training wasn’t up to par. I got smoked and felt many nagging injuries rise as a result of wearing spikes and not prepared for it. Lesson learned - train more and get some decent mileage in if you want to compete like you use to.
USATF Club Cross Country Championships
Fast forward to this past weekend and some 5 weeks of “okay” training will result in an actual result you would like to see. Despite the mess of the race organizing logistics and the weather, I was very satisfied with my results. I finished 50th place for the altered race in a time of 31:45. This time is a little irrelevant since it’s cross country and not to mention that it was closer to a 6 mile race than a 10k race distance. However, the thing that stood out was the 50th place out of 334 athletes. I know I have worked very hard in the past to run well, and to compare that to what I am doing as a masters runner isn’t at the same level. I have definitely been slacking a bit on the mileage and overall focus as a runner. However, life is more balanced as a husband, coach, teacher, friend, and socialite (which I dislike doing these days, because all I want to do is stay home with my wife and dogs relaxing…).
There are way more things to juggle around in life and Arlene and I don’t even have kids yet. Although, instead of complaining, I have found so much more structure in a routine to keep up with my training, and to train competitively. I still feel that I can post some decent times as a masters runner, and hope to continue my training while staying healthy. If this happens, I would like to break 2:30 in the marathon as a masters runner and complete at a few Masters Championships over the next few years.
It’s an exciting realm to be in, and after our San Francisco Club Championship race, I have high hopes for the future of my running. Paralleling my own training alongside my youth athletes will be an exciting challenge that I hope evokes the same passion for this sport as I have had.
