Published a Piece at RunGuides: Almost Five Decades of Running

I've always been a freelancer, working mostly in comics & illustration, as well as the printed T-Shirt trade. More recently, I've turned to writing, dashing off articles on subjects from personal finance and small business to constructing the perfect Halloween costume.

For several years I've been writing for the excellent RunGuides site, which helps runners locate races and prepare for them. The site is a perfect online companion for us runners, guiding us through many aspects of the running experience with race calendars, run club info, and articles on running. There are even coupon codes to get you discounts on races.

I was recently invited to pen an article at RunGuides that pulls on my looooooooong experience as a runner (beginning in 1972 as a high school freshman). I came up with a piece entitled What I've Learned In Almost 50 Years of Running. Here's an excerpt.

"Trust yourself. Get into a good rhythm. Relax and run hard. Those endorphins will flow, and you'll know just what to do."

Go ahead a click through the above link to check out the article. Also, be sure to take the time to have a look around the RunGuides site... a good way to start is to navigate to the run calendar for the big city nearest you.

Happy Running!

- Steve Lafler

Here I am finishing 3rd for Lincoln Sudbury High in a cross country meet in September 1974. It was a triple meet against Wayland and Acton Boxboro, perhaps my best XC run in high school. The guys who beat me that day were tough.

One Rick Smith of Acton, a brilliant power runner who won the indoor state mile championship that year, finished ahead of me in second. The race was won by a skinny kid named Alberto Salazar of Wayland high school.

Our Dual Couny League was a real powerhouse. This day, I beat out a stack of my close rivals, a good five runners who were accomplished at both the league and state level in cross country and indoor and outdoor track over distances from the half mile to the two-mile.
On my part, I came 2nd in the Dual County championships over the mile twice, and 2nd in the 1000-yard indoor championships. As a senior, I was 5th in the state in the 1,000-yard run.

Love a Training Route P.R.!

When we moved to Santa Rosa two years back, I started doing out & back runs on the Santa Rosa Creek Trail. It's pretty, it's flat and there's a lot of shade. Perfect flat & fast course for tempo runs!

I like to relax on the way out, cross the bridge to the other side of the trail, and run a negative split on the way back. With the various bridges and street crossings, I can run loops totaling 7 miles, 10.4 and 15 miles. Sometimes I run 6.55 miles out, and turn on a dime to cover the 13.1 mile half marathon distance.

Last winter, soon after turning 61, I set a workout P.R. of 1:19:54 on the 10.4 loop. A bit more than six months later, all indications are that I was set to go faster on this route. I felt relaxed on the way out this a.m. and figured I'd give it a shot.

 "Ouch!"

Cruisin' through the turnaround bridge at 41:15, I was pretty sure I had it in the tank to do it. I relaxed and stayed focused on the moment, not worrying about the distance left to run, and came back in 1:18:52. It was not easy! Hmmmmm... we did stay out dancing until past 1 a.m. three days back, I seem to recall, but only had 1.5 margaritas each. No prob! I love a workout P.R.!

Of course, it's not lost on me that in the late 70s I could run a 60 mile week at a substantially faster pace without too much sweat. But in truth, I am thrilled with running today, as I was then!

Roller Coaster Run at the Tiburon Half Marathon

Jogging? No, I'm shuffling at a 10 minute mile pace, half stumbling around in the pre-dawn in the pretty San Francisco Bay town of Tiburon, CA at 6:41 a.m. I remind myself: Have a positive attitude! The Tiburon Half Marathon starts in 19 minutes as I line up for the porta-potty. The early start time, and uncharacteristic butterflies in the gut have me a bit hyped-up! Let's R-e-l-a-x.

So I reflect. It's been a very good buildup for this run. I've enjoyed killer workouts! Some great negative split 13 and 15 mile runs, and an eye-popping 1:50 workout PR over my 7-mile tempo run course. Clearly I'm ready to bust open my half-marathon PR of 1:40:32! But (and it's a BIG BUT!) that half marathon best was set on a pancake-flat course at nearby Quarry Lake in Fremont. This Tiburon half marathon course starts and ends on the flat, but in between it's a hilly roller coaster ride.

At the start line, I'm looking for the 1:40 pace group, but today the fastest group leader holds a sign for 1:45 pace. A brief chat with the pacer works out great, he advises “I'm going to run 7:30s for the first few miles to make up for the hills”. Perfect! The starting horn blares and I relax into it. But I think the pacer is too slow, like 8:30 pace! Chill, I tell myself. We hit the mile in 7:35 and I'm appreciative of his pace judgement skills.

Locked in with the 1:45 group, I am relaxed and conserving energy. We cruise the first 4 miles just above 7:40 pace. Right on. The first medium-sized hill comes along, the group strings out a bit on the way up. Drifting ahead of the group on the next flat stretch, I've moved out front of the pacer without giving it much thought. OK, just stay relaxed.

Cruisin' early on

The undulating hills start coming at us, as we run through neighborhoods approaching Mt. Tam, the 2000-foot hill at the center of Marin County. Nothing too drastic pace-wise, I keep rhythm, stay relaxed, but it ain't lost on me that I am steadily passing other runners, including some who were striding out quickly in the first couple miles.

The elevation map of the course showed a steep climb about halfway on the course, and BOOM, here it is! I keep rhythm as before, feeling jaunty. Don't push too hard, cowboy! Truth is, I'm really pleased with how I'm feeling on these hills. The flow is there. Not so sure I'm going to get under 1:40 due to these inclines, but the run is going swell.

Indeed, I'm well prepared for a hilly run. Four weeks back, I had a fine race at the Annadel Loop 7-mile trail race up in Santa Rosa, nailing down 4^th out of about 100 runners. OK, so it's a handicap run, but heck I'm 61 years young, I'll take it! Did I mention the first mile is straight up? Basically, up a mountain, down a mountain, and finish, that's the Annadel Loop.

My real secret weapon, two months back I spent a couple weeks in the mountain town of Oaxaca Mexico, running from the 5000-foot city floor to the 6000-foot mountain ridge just to the north, and back. Ready for hills !

This pitched Tiburon hill is a quarter mile at a steep incline, very Oaxaca. Only Tiburon is not at altitude! Done. Sliding down the other side, I press a bit. Why not? It's been all relaxation up to now, but the competitive former miler in me wants to race. We get on the flat and I open it up a bit.

Then some kid (I mean a 40-year old, of course) slips by, really the only person who has passed me since mile 4. Go ahead young man, I'm in my own pace. I'm feeling good, six miles to go, maybe I'll dip under 1:40 today after all! Rolling!

But wait-a-minit. There are more hills coming at me! Long hills. I was ready for maybe one more, but nope, the course continues to be a roller coaster. I'm still doing OK up the inclines, but at this stage of the race I can only go so fast without depleting the tank. At least I'm still passing people.

The course finally flattens out with a little over 3 miles to run. I find a bit of pace in my legs, even if I'm starting to feel ragged. Then, inside three to go, I think, let's throw it down. Go for broke! Does this really hurt so much? Nah.

...and done. Whew!

Now I'm rolling, but maybe a bit too much too soon. With a mile and a quarter to go, I'm struggling to maintain pace. Trying to work the rhythm and relaxation as well as I can, but fact is I'm hungry for the finish! There's suddenly a lot of slow stragglers from the concurrent 5k and 10k runs, and I'm obliged to make the effort to run around them.

I hear the race announcer's voice floating from the finish line, and see the finish gate as I round a bend in the path. Maybe 300 to go I really pick it up, and manage a near sprint over the last 150 or so, let's milk it for an extra few seconds if I can! I come under the finish line gate in 1:41:08, very pleased with my effort on the day.

I missed my PR by 36 seconds, but in truth I consider this my best half marathon, given those pesky and persistent rolling hills!

The Tiburon Half was well organized. I had a very positive on course experience, and collected the usual medal and t-shirt. There was plenty of convivial good cheer to go around. I note that the registration fee was a bit higher than the going rate. Although it was a fantastic experience, I'd probably try another local half before returning here, as I could find a flatter course at a better price. I'll save my hill racing for other distances than the half, where I'm rather keen to work on the PR.

Going For It at Sixty

I'm having a great time running at age 60. I've run three half marathon P.R.s over the past year, and I'm going for another just past my upcoming 61st birthday. As stated before, I never ran a half marathon until age 58, so it's the event I can still set a P.R. with. Certainly I'll no longer run faster than the 4:01.0 1500-meter as I did at age 20, but I'm excited to try and break 1:40:00 next month at the Oakland Running festival in the half marathon.

Recently I completed a 62-mile week in the buildup to my next half marathon. This is the most I've run in a week since I was a kid on the UMass Amherst track team. Now, with the next half marathon race 3.5 weeks away, I'm a week into doing faster than race pace workouts.

This Sunday past I had an exhilirating experience running fartlek from Miwok Meadows over the trails of China Camp State Park in San Rafael CA. Heck, I was going to go easy that day, on the out-and-back 8-mile run I'd scheduled. But coming back, I found myself just throwing it down and blasting through the woods! Running fast and free, it felt effortless!

Was I thinking of mountain lions??? Maybe! But I conclude that increasing my training volume over the past several months has paid off. I can reach deep into a reserve of strength I've developed and sustain a quick pace at will. I can't wait to test myself over upcoming races! I'll be sure to report here at The Grumpy Runner on the results.

New Years Eve Half Marathon - Another PR!

The volunteer from Diablo Valley Runners leading the 1:40 pace group is going too fast! I've targeted the Brazen New Year's Eve half marathon at Quarry Lakes in Fremont for a crack at breaking 1:40, and I know from painful experience that going out fast is sure death.

I'm backing off the pace after 2 miles in 15:03 -- we should be more like 15:16. Bear in mind, at 60 years old this is a jaunty pace for me. If I have any hope of reaching my 1:40 goal, I should run negative splits.  Translation - I want to run the second half of the race faster than the first half.

 Ready to fall off the back of the pack at 2 miles

 - on purpose!

It's not that the pace feels hard - yet. But there is 11 miles to go!
The 1:40 group slowly gains a few yards on me, but after a mile or so I'm keeping the gap even and feeling relaxed.

At the turnaround on this segment of the course, I gulp some gatorade, pretty clumsy and jerky I am, but I get a couple good swigs down. Thinking only relaxation/rhythm, I notice the 1:45 pace group approaching the turnaround. Huh? Why are they this close?! I ratchet my speed up a notch, renewing my commitment to 1:40 pace.

I'd trained really well, averaging just over 40 miles / wk in my buildup, topping out at 54 miles one week. I knew I could dip under 1:40 on a good day, but it would take a smart race. The fly in the ointment, one week prior to race day I come down with a cold and a nasty throat. I rested up, drank ginger tea and gulped Airborne supplements and quelled the cold just in time.

Looking up between the six and seven mile mark, I see that I'm catching the 1:40 group, indeed my pace will lift me past them, but here's another aid station. Again a rather clumsly grab and glug of sports drink, but hell I know I need the fuel to keep my train rolling. I'd run first few half marathons on just water. I do better late in the race drinking eletrolyte beverages.

I re-focus on rhythm and settle in with the pace group, content to draft on them for now.

Feeling cheeky, I pop in front of the 1:40 pace group during mile 9. Maybe I'm ready to make a break! Nope, the pace leader reels me in and I settle back into drafting off the group. He asks how I'm doing, "not bad" says I, but the strain is showing. He allows that anyone who wants to break away might go at the next turnaround, but I'm dubious now!

The asphault trail dips under bridges at points, creating a small downhill/uphill. These tiny uphills are beginning to get difficult. We hit the final turnaround, I down my final gulp of gatorade and get plenty of it all over my shirt.

Now I work hard to keep rhythm. With about 3 miles to go, I reckon I have the strength to maintain pace without cratering. How do I know this? Last year I went out too fast, attempting to run 1:40 and I ran the last 3 miles almost backwards! I crashed and burned. Today, I feel much better. Better training, better pacing, and sports drink!

Meanwhile, the pace group drifts ahead of me again - 40, 50 yards. I work to keep it even with them from there, with some success. But now 1.5 miles to go, they are pulling away.  I'm not falling apart, but I can't pick it up either. I figure, the pace so far insures I have a crack at 1:40, but maybe plus a few seconds rather than breaking it? We cross the bridge over the river to the final loop and I'm pretty toasted.

About 100 yards to go, I gave it everything I had. I sure hope that is a 5k straggler in back of me, not another half marathoner!

The last 3/4 mile or so to the finish, I'm looking for a bit of pace but can't find too much. I keep the rhythm going and man I'm happy to hit the finish line! I cross in 1:40:32. Well hell, I am happy with it. It's a PR by 1:26! 

What the hell? Who's complaining. Also, after feeling pretty sick the prior week, I'm super pumped to have run a fairly smart race and kept my head in it the whole way.

What next? I'm thinking rest a bit, then do another build up with a bit more volume, and have another go at it at the Oakland Half Marathon this March 25th, just after my 61st birthday. I'll run under 1:40 yet!