We've sneaked off to San Agustinillo on the Oaxaca coast for an extended weekend. Sneaked I say, as we've developed a habit of coming here for a week in the winter, so this is an extra beach bump in late November. Actually, we got here just in time for Thanksgiving dinner on the beach after the six hour mountain drive from the city of Oaxaca.
I've loved running fast on the beach since I discovered the flat expanses of sandbar on the bay side of Cape Cod around Eastham and Orleans when I was a teenager. It is exhilarating to notch up the pace to a serious middle distance cadence, zipping across firm wet sand.
Last night we got here at 6:00--the tide was in and I blipped and blooped through soggy sand at a pitched angle and dutifully covered a stretch of beach, but I knew I'd have to catch low tide to really let loose.
This morning at 7:30 the tide was about the same, I warmed up for 14 minutes, again sloggin through wet sand on a sandy slope to the waves. A bit of breakfast and chill time, and I returned to the beach as the heat of the day came on around 10:00 am and it was go time. I peeled off 7 repeats of about 200 meters, slowing increasing the pace to roughly 800 meter race pace. Damn, it's fun to run fast! I felt relaxed and in control, breezing along the surface of flat, packed sand.
For once, I left it at a good point. I sometimes spend all my juice on too many intervals the first day at the beach. Today, I left some gas in the tank for another go at it tomorrow.
Friday, November 28, 2014
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Racing: Did I Fight For It?
Quick thought on racing.
OK, I'm 57 years old. I'm not gonna win races or get PRs at this stage of the game. Yet I still love to race and compete.
I suppose I'm mostly competing with myself; my basic idea is to pace myself wisely, put my best foot forward. Generally, I try to run negative splits in a race for the overall best result. If there are other runners around over the closing stages of the race, I do get competitive.
Bottom line, I want to walk away feeling like I fought for the best possible run I could have that day. It might mean surging to get away from a group of runners with a mile to go, or simply maintaining rhythm when my goose is clearly cooked. On a few glorious occasions, it means burning through the last few miles effortlessly, picking up the pace the whole time.
Should I get to the finish line having worked out how to parcel out my energy well, I'm pretty pumped. Never mind that my pace in a 10K race now would have been an easy day for me up until just a few years ago, a true blue runner never stops chasing that dream and never gives up. And that is plenty enough.
OK, I'm 57 years old. I'm not gonna win races or get PRs at this stage of the game. Yet I still love to race and compete.
I suppose I'm mostly competing with myself; my basic idea is to pace myself wisely, put my best foot forward. Generally, I try to run negative splits in a race for the overall best result. If there are other runners around over the closing stages of the race, I do get competitive.
Bottom line, I want to walk away feeling like I fought for the best possible run I could have that day. It might mean surging to get away from a group of runners with a mile to go, or simply maintaining rhythm when my goose is clearly cooked. On a few glorious occasions, it means burning through the last few miles effortlessly, picking up the pace the whole time.
Should I get to the finish line having worked out how to parcel out my energy well, I'm pretty pumped. Never mind that my pace in a 10K race now would have been an easy day for me up until just a few years ago, a true blue runner never stops chasing that dream and never gives up. And that is plenty enough.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Boston Running Mecca Redux
I came of age as a runner in the mid 70s in the greater Boston area, the heyday of Bill Rodgers.
Running for Lincoln Sudbury High School, some 19 miles west of Boston, I regularly lined up against a super skinny pit-bull runner from the next town over (Wayland), a kid a year younger than I (but I could never beat him,) Alberto Salazar.
I topped out at 5th in the state in the indoor 1000 yards, an event consigned to the dustbin of obscure running history.
Today I'm visiting the old country (a.k.a. Massachusetts), and I see that the the Boston Globe has an article about Boston once again emerging as a mecca for elite runners. The article sites the BAA (Boston Athletic Association, who run the Boston Marathon) and New Balance as spearheading Boston's running renaissance.
As an old Massachusetts running hand, I applaud this, but as a modern devotee of distance running, I say Show me the altitude! I mean, c'mon, Boston is a sea-level city!
Wait! I have a solution. All you elite Boston runners are hereby invited to the splendor of Oaxaca to train at terrain ranging from 5-7000 feet. C'mon down to my beautiful adopted city and feel the pain! Perfect weather from September to February beckons. You can enjoy the world renowned cuisine of Oaxaca while you run your guts out in the rugged hills. There's still plenty of time to put in significant altitude training blocks in preparation for the challenges of 2015!
Just a thought.
Steve Lafler
Book a Oaxaca Running Tour
Running for Lincoln Sudbury High School, some 19 miles west of Boston, I regularly lined up against a super skinny pit-bull runner from the next town over (Wayland), a kid a year younger than I (but I could never beat him,) Alberto Salazar.
I topped out at 5th in the state in the indoor 1000 yards, an event consigned to the dustbin of obscure running history.
Today I'm visiting the old country (a.k.a. Massachusetts), and I see that the the Boston Globe has an article about Boston once again emerging as a mecca for elite runners. The article sites the BAA (Boston Athletic Association, who run the Boston Marathon) and New Balance as spearheading Boston's running renaissance.
As an old Massachusetts running hand, I applaud this, but as a modern devotee of distance running, I say Show me the altitude! I mean, c'mon, Boston is a sea-level city!
Wait! I have a solution. All you elite Boston runners are hereby invited to the splendor of Oaxaca to train at terrain ranging from 5-7000 feet. C'mon down to my beautiful adopted city and feel the pain! Perfect weather from September to February beckons. You can enjoy the world renowned cuisine of Oaxaca while you run your guts out in the rugged hills. There's still plenty of time to put in significant altitude training blocks in preparation for the challenges of 2015!
Just a thought.
Steve Lafler
Book a Oaxaca Running Tour
Sunday, August 24, 2014
A Super Fun Trail Race
Had a fantastic experience today at a trail race in Oaxaca. It was called the Sanfe trail run (Sanfe, as in Colonia San Felipe.)
Near the La Salle school in the San Felipe Del Agua neighborhood of Oaxaca, the race started where the paved road gave way to dirt, and headed straight up the mountains to the north of Oaxaca.
Perhaps a bit over 200 runners lined up for their choice of an out-and-back course over 8K, 12K or 18K, all run simultaneously. I chose 8K, and started near the back of the pack.
The mob of runners bumped over rolling terrain for the first kilometer or so, then the serious climb from about 5300 feet to 6000 feet began in earnest. I focused on keeping a relaxed rhythm, and was amused to note that many runners were already "racing" on the way up the hill. Why waste the energy, thought I?
As the one of the very few non-Mexicans in the race, I may have provoked some local pride, such as, "here's how you run our hills, guero!". Indeed, the overall level of distance running and racing in Oaxaca is impressive, stacking up well against the fields in Portland, Oregon where I lived prior to Oaxaca.
I took roughly 30 minutes to hit the turnaround point, give or take, quite a slog. As I turned around, I found myself at the back of a pack of 5 runners, young guys gunning the downhill, full of race.
Normally I'd keep my own council, maintain rhythm, run my own race. Today, I got caught up in the fun of competing and went with the pack. We barreled down that hill like no one's business, passing and re-passing each other. I felt full of run, totally into the chase. it was exhilarating! The view of the city of Oaxaca was spectacular from our vantage point, but we kept our eyes on the trail as a spill would mean serious bruising.
I'd moved from 10th up to 7th place before faltering on some minor hills close to the finish. With a couple hundred meters to go, a guy came up on me to battle for 9th place. I could not sprint, but managed to out kick the dude.
I finished in 49 minutes and change. Right around ten minutes per mile. Quite a varied pace in truth, with some uphill portions passing in more like 15 minutes per mile, and no doubt some of the down hill bits in well under 5 minutes per mile.
The day's experience was running and racing at it's best, underlining the thrill of participation for it's own sake.
Steve Lafler
Email me if you'd like to book a running tour in Oaxaca.
Near the La Salle school in the San Felipe Del Agua neighborhood of Oaxaca, the race started where the paved road gave way to dirt, and headed straight up the mountains to the north of Oaxaca.
Perhaps a bit over 200 runners lined up for their choice of an out-and-back course over 8K, 12K or 18K, all run simultaneously. I chose 8K, and started near the back of the pack.
The mob of runners bumped over rolling terrain for the first kilometer or so, then the serious climb from about 5300 feet to 6000 feet began in earnest. I focused on keeping a relaxed rhythm, and was amused to note that many runners were already "racing" on the way up the hill. Why waste the energy, thought I?
As the one of the very few non-Mexicans in the race, I may have provoked some local pride, such as, "here's how you run our hills, guero!". Indeed, the overall level of distance running and racing in Oaxaca is impressive, stacking up well against the fields in Portland, Oregon where I lived prior to Oaxaca.
I took roughly 30 minutes to hit the turnaround point, give or take, quite a slog. As I turned around, I found myself at the back of a pack of 5 runners, young guys gunning the downhill, full of race.
Normally I'd keep my own council, maintain rhythm, run my own race. Today, I got caught up in the fun of competing and went with the pack. We barreled down that hill like no one's business, passing and re-passing each other. I felt full of run, totally into the chase. it was exhilarating! The view of the city of Oaxaca was spectacular from our vantage point, but we kept our eyes on the trail as a spill would mean serious bruising.
I'd moved from 10th up to 7th place before faltering on some minor hills close to the finish. With a couple hundred meters to go, a guy came up on me to battle for 9th place. I could not sprint, but managed to out kick the dude.
I finished in 49 minutes and change. Right around ten minutes per mile. Quite a varied pace in truth, with some uphill portions passing in more like 15 minutes per mile, and no doubt some of the down hill bits in well under 5 minutes per mile.
The day's experience was running and racing at it's best, underlining the thrill of participation for it's own sake.
Steve Lafler
Email me if you'd like to book a running tour in Oaxaca.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Oaxaca Running Tours
For those lucky runners who visit the splendid highland city of
Oaxaca in southern Mexico, the array of running and training experiences
await you.
First (and perhaps foremost), you can enjoy long runs on the roads and trails on the mountainside north of the city proper, enjoying spectacular vistas while running between 5-6000 feet in altitude. Truly hearty souls can opt for longer runs, steeper hills and higher altitudes by simply running further up the mountainside.
For the 5K/10K racer, the Parque El Tequio offers a flat 5K loop with distance markers every 500 meters, ideal for time trials and interval training.
Oaxaca also boasts a lively racing scene, with races from 5K to the half marathon available most weekends. Prize money is often awarded in all age categories, but a word of warning--some darn good runners show up and it's not easy to get on the podium for a payday! The races with the best prize money attract the local contingent of Kenyans who train and race in Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico.
I offer my services as a running guide in Oaxaca at a fee of $300 pesos per hour, plus gas. Drop me an email or call me via my Skype number at 503-213-3671.
Best Regards,
Steve Lafler
First (and perhaps foremost), you can enjoy long runs on the roads and trails on the mountainside north of the city proper, enjoying spectacular vistas while running between 5-6000 feet in altitude. Truly hearty souls can opt for longer runs, steeper hills and higher altitudes by simply running further up the mountainside.
For the 5K/10K racer, the Parque El Tequio offers a flat 5K loop with distance markers every 500 meters, ideal for time trials and interval training.
The author tries his luck at a Oaxaca 5K trail race--6000 feet, here we come!
Oaxaca also boasts a lively racing scene, with races from 5K to the half marathon available most weekends. Prize money is often awarded in all age categories, but a word of warning--some darn good runners show up and it's not easy to get on the podium for a payday! The races with the best prize money attract the local contingent of Kenyans who train and race in Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico.
I offer my services as a running guide in Oaxaca at a fee of $300 pesos per hour, plus gas. Drop me an email or call me via my Skype number at 503-213-3671.
Best Regards,
Steve Lafler
Monday, July 28, 2014
Oaxaca Bound!
Time for a Grumpy Runner heads up!
I'm on the road, heading back to Oaxaca. We have a few stops and adventures planned on the way, but I'll be back in town ready to run on August 9th.
I'm looking forward to leading more running tours above and around my fantastic adopted city.
If you'd like to book a running tour, email me here or call 503-213-3671 (my US based Skype phone number.)
Happy Trails,
Steve Lafler
I'm on the road, heading back to Oaxaca. We have a few stops and adventures planned on the way, but I'll be back in town ready to run on August 9th.
I'm looking forward to leading more running tours above and around my fantastic adopted city.
If you'd like to book a running tour, email me here or call 503-213-3671 (my US based Skype phone number.)
Happy Trails,
Steve Lafler
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Los Muertos de Oaxaca, New T-Shirt Design
Here's my new Los Muertos De Oaxaca T-Shirt design, the companion T with my new comic book Death in Oaxaca.
It's available at my Redbubble T-Shirt shop here.
I'm stateside just now. While I can't lead Oaxaca running tours at present, I can put you in touch with professional tour guides/runners who can lead fantastic runs in the Oaxaca hills.
Email Steve or call 503-213-3671
It's available at my Redbubble T-Shirt shop here.
I'm stateside just now. While I can't lead Oaxaca running tours at present, I can put you in touch with professional tour guides/runners who can lead fantastic runs in the Oaxaca hills.
Email Steve or call 503-213-3671
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