Oaxaca Renueva Half Marathon

What do us runners really want? The singular sensation of a great run, that's what! It comes in training runs here and there, delivering catharsis, endorphins, and the exhilarating feeling of running free and fast. It happens even less in races, and when it does it leaves you smiling all day, sometimes with the satisfaction of a newly-minted P.R.

So it is on Sunday February 28, as I run the 1st Oaxaca Renueva Half Marathon (there's also a full marathon option). I have one of these elusive great runs, the result of decent training and tapering, and a pinch of luck.

The two races start together a tick past 7:00 a.m. on Calle Independencia, adjacent to Oaxaca's Zocalo. It takes me 17 seconds to cross the starting line in the crush of the crowd, and I have to jog slowly for another couple hundred meters, but pretty soon I hit my pace and realize right away - I feel really good, effortlessly buzzing along.

The field un-bunches, stringing out a bit as we circle the center of town on the Perferico road, and I tell myself "don't make the mistake of going too fast too early." Running south towards the airport on Simbolos Patrios, I take some early sips of water and bide my time.

Forty minutes in we are headed back north by the Plaza Del Valle shopping center. I allow myself to pick it up a bit, I feel good and may as well put out some pace. I'm not too worried about time today. Afterall, the race is at 5000 feet plus, it's about energy flow, not adherence to an exacting pace.

I am amused as usual by the macho of many Oaxacan runners. Near every person I pass puts on a challenge, indeed some even surge ahead as I draw even. Decades of experience has taught me how reckless it is to race in the early stages of a long event, so I don't take the bait, but I do admire the strength and pluck of these runners, if not their overall race savvy.

We approach the hour mark and things get tough on Avenida Ferrocarril. I'm still in a good rhythm, but let's face it, running 13.1 miles as fast as you can is sort of, uh, taxing! Now we are weaving through the barrio of Santa Lucia del Camino, zig-zagging towards the main road called Ninos Heroes de Chapultepec. I'm working hard but doing OK. It dawns on me that I'll likely run a bit under 1:50. Not a P.R., but an improvement on my other altitude half marathon effort, one year back in Oaxaca's (1:50:08). I'm feeling upbeat and bouncy!

Now here's this stocky dude, really built like a fire plug, in front of me again. Clearly a strong, determined runner. Orange singlet and black shorts, maybe 35 or so. He's working it. I've pulled up on him maybe 3 times, and each time he instantly churns away. I'm just running my rhythm, not racing. But I admit, I'd like to beat him. I'm pretty sure he's made toooo many withdrawals from the energy bank, but who knows? He's certainly tough, and fit.

We get to Calle Ninos Heroes, also known as the Carretera Mexico Libro. It's a main east-west divider street between Oaxaca's downtown Centro neighborhood and Colonia Reforma, the upscale shopping district. I'm expecting to turn left into town towards the finish, but no, we must run a mini-loop away from town, then execute a hairpin turn. So we turn right.

Barreling down a short hill before the turn, I note I'm catching the feisty guy in the orange singlet once more. At first, I just think, "he'll sprint again". I catch him at the turn, and with no thought I burst by him and continue hard up the hill. Am I being foolish? No! Here we are, ten miles in, headed uphill for the next half mile, and I suddenly feel fantastic!

Riding a surge of energy, I rip off my bandana with a smile, tuck it into the waistband of my shorts, and blast up the hill with abandon! It's showtime. I'm passing multiple runners here, and suddenly my sometime training companion, the great ultra-runner Richard Stoutner, is in the crowd yelling "Go Lafler!" Well allright!

Now I'm coming down to earth a bit. A young runner easily strides by me and I'm hurting a bit from my burst, but still I'm able to keep up a much faster pace than before and continue to pass many runners. We turn down Calle Benito Juarez to wind our way through the town center to the finish, and things get real tough. Maybe a mile and a half to go. Now we're on cobblestones and the footing is tough when you are tired. A clueless volunteer directs me off the course! I catch the error but lose maybe 5 - 6 seconds with this foolishness.

I'm passed by a young women who I've seen throughout the race when I go off course. I stick with her as best I can, maybe 10 meters back. Focus on getting my mojo back! Onto Calle Morelos and it's feeling tough, but we're still passing others. A slight uphill hurts but gooooood, but I ease by her.

Now a short downhill, scrambling by a pack of dudes. Back onto Independcia for the run for home. Very tough to run now, but I keep picking it up, and the other runners around me seem to really slow down. Five blocks to go, four blocks, passing one more guy here, another there. Three blocks and I pick it up again.

Can I sprint? Ha! Don't really want to! Only if someone comes up on me. But I know they won't. Half a block to go and I put on a burst. I'm only 80th or so overall out of about 400, but from the cheer of the crowd you'd have thought I'd won! Don't you just love Oaxaca?

Turns out I place 10th in the 50 - 59 male category. OK fine. Some 51 year old Kenyan, 2nd overall in the race, wins my division in 1:07:48. How is this possible? Crazy! I suspect he lied about his age for prize money, but it's for certain that he's fast for a geezer!

Me, I stop my clock at 1:45:41. I'm really pumped! I'd done a bit over a minute faster at sea level last summer, but clearly this is a superior run. I really blasted the last 3 miles, meeting out my energy quite nicely. This course was more hilly for sure, and at mile high altitude! I feel that it's worth maybe a 1:41 - 42 at sea level, who knows. It gives me the idea: boost the training and try to break 1:40 at sea level!

One thing for sure, it was a darn fine day of running! Certainly my best race in my 8 years in Oaxaca--My pace per 10K works out to about 49:57, and while I've run faster than that pace over 10K here, I've also gone slower.

I note that my official time in the results posts at 1:45:58, looks like they used gun time instead of chip time for everyone. Well, in truth, Mexican races are a bit less organized than stateside runs. No big deal. The toughest thing today? The damn port-a-potties arrived just minutes before race time! Damn, good thing too, I literally could not have run today without the all-important pre-race potty visit!

Seeking Nirvana via Beach Interval Training

It's the return of the Oaxaca beach run!
I'm back to my favorite kilometer of beach, facing due south form Oaxaca, in the magical beach puebla San Agustinillo.
I like to get out early. Coffee up a bit and hit the packed sand around 7:30 a.m.

SAT & SUN workouts

Saturday was a down & back warmup of a bit over six minutes. Then down the beach east into the sun over 2:19.
Back again in 2:16.
Down & back in 5:06, then again down & back in 4:56.
2 @ 100 or so stride, half mile race pace -- pretty fast! A looping, fast stride.
--
Sunday, again the down and up the beach warmup, this time I think 6:15.

Then a first easy interval, down the beach in 2:33 from my cabana.

Then I expanded the interval to the complete arc of beach, a point to point crescent, perhaps 900 meters in truth. A bit more. I busted up and down this stretch 3X over 9:44. Bopping between race pace for 5K - 10K.

Rest 7 - 8 minutes then the (shorter) down & back from my cabana that I marked the day before, this time 4:58.

Finish the workout with only one fast bit, @ 20. seconds. Maybe legs a bit tight from this business so I close it there.
----
I'll see if I can drag me booty out agin tomorrow AM to seek nirvana via intervals on the beach.
Running up and down my favorite beach in the world at a fast clip, doing a few intervals, is about as much fun as I can have with my pants on, but after a couple days of it, I know I have yet to get myself to that state where I have to whip myself to go on.

Prefontaine actually said that was his goal in a race. Take it out so hard, and stay on it until you have to whip yourself to go on. Jesus, how many runners really do that? Ever do that? Tomorrow morning, our last day here for now, I'll see if I even remember the concept!

I've pushed pretty hard in a couple of my races this year, but in honesty I haven't hit that crazy rubric of Pre's too much since I was a gung-ho kid, full of strength and foolhardy bravado.

OK, It's Monday morning and I'm wondering where the macho ideas about running like Prefontaine came from? I'll tell you exactly where it came from, that was the wine talking, folks. What the heck, I'm at the beach for a few days, of course I'm gonna sit there and look at the stars over the ocean at night, sip a glass or two of wine, pluck my guitar and fantasize about running my guts out.

The truth is, my geezer legs are not up to it today, they are barking at me. The previous two days have seen a total of 33:56 in middle distance intervals on the beach, not including the couple fast bursts even! So today I settle for 17:20 of a rhythm buildup, slowing increasing the pace, on sore legs. Good enuff.

I'll be back to San Agustinillo for the last week of January and we'll see how it goes then. Could be interesting, especially if I finally try a marathon in Oaxaca City a month after that! For sure, I'm running a flat, fast 10K on my old home course (Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA) in four weeks. That will be fun. So this weekend's speedy bits are money in the bank for that one.

Zip me an email about running, or if you want to book a Oaxaca running tour!

Steve, the grumpy runner

Eyeing a First Marathon

An inagural marathon for my adopted city of Oaxaca has been announced for this Feb 28th, about 3.5 months from now. So, should this be my first marathon?

I'd like to tackle the marathon, but it is a bit daunting to do your first one at mile-high altitude. And, this being Oaxaca, it's bound to be a hilly course. The goal would be to finish. Later on I can entertain thoughts of a Boston qualifier, likely on a flat course in a state-side race.

I'm in decent shape, and I've run my first two half marathons this year. There is just enough time for me to do a marathon buildup. But, I've had a sore achilles tendon on my right leg. I ran some stellar workouts in October but just took a week off and partied my way through Dia De Muertos and feel like a slug just now! And I'm back on coffee. Big deal you say, but I have an electrical heart issue, coffee can give me an irregular beat and slow my running right down.

The achilles tendon. I can do alternating hot/ice treatment to get the circulation going and bring the swelling down. I can warm up better and rotate my running shoes, and I can eat pineapple and berries, the nutritional recommendation for this problem. So I think I have it covered.

Honestly, I'll have a tougher time quitting coffee (again!). Also, I'm in a band and mezcal lurks around the band. I'll need to motivate myself to back off these beloved poisons if I wanna do a marathon!

Finally, there's my history as a runner. I'm a miler at heart, running the event in earnest for about six years as a kids. I managed to get my head around the half marathon this year. Can I do the same for the full 26.2 mile run?

We'll see. I'm thinking on it here. More thinking to come. But, I will hit the Oaxaca hills this week and log the miles, starting a provisional marathon training program, keeping my options open.

Note: Here it is a few days later. Just ran an 11 mile hilly run to see what a relatively long run feels like off current fitness. I can say, ouch! I'll just have to keep going long and see where it leads.

Steve, aka the Grumpy Runner

Email me to book a Oaxaca running tour

Oaxaca Running Tours - Menu Choices

Greetings, Steve Lafler here, the "Grumpy Runner". I lead running tours in and around the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. Let me know when you'll be in town and we can schedule a run. Just zip me an email and we'll set it up.

Oaxaca Run Menu

1. Runs in the hills to the north of the city. Enjoy vistas of the Oaxaca valley from the ridges of San Felipe Del Agua and Ejido Guadalupe Victoria. We start on the "Libramiento", a paved road (mostly) closed to traffic. We continue on mountain trails. These runs can be as short as 3 miles, or as long as two hours.

2. Flat-lander runs at Parque Tequio, south of the city center near the airport. Parque Tequio is a green oasis in the city, with a flat 5Kish loop. Good for those who want to avoid hills! Run as short or as far as you want, in 5K increments.

3. Interval training. If you want to train hard and fast, let's do it. There is a 400 meter track near the airport, or better yet there is a great flat stretch of road with no traffic in the hills, about 600 meters. We can run intervals as per your needs, and I can time you & call splits.

4. Interval training in the hills. If you're a glutton for punishment, we can do hill repeats until you drop.

My running tour fee is $250 pesos per hour, including driving. Drop me an email to book!

Best regards,
Steve Lafler

Finishing a 10K just before Xmas 2015. Yup, I ran too hard in the middle of the race again!

Tilting Against Cows Above the Irish Sea

A quick report tonight, with an invigorating 10K romp fresh in mind. We're on vacation in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I find out there is a set of runs at the famed “Giants Causeway” (wacky coastal rock formations) for Saturday, on the north coast of Ireland, just over an hour from Belfast city!

We rent a car and set out, getting lost in Belfast while my father-in-law announces his internal dialog about where I should drive. Thanks! We suss it out and soon we're on our way pushing north through the emerald green countryside on a sparkling fall day—brisk, but hardly cold. Perfect running weather!

Arriving in the quaint tourist village of Portballintrae, I find race director Lucy, a harried but friendly (shortish) gal. She'd told me earlier in the week the race was full, but upon noticing my email signature (cartoonist), I'm in! Maybe I'll do the design for the race shirt next year! Meanwhile, I squeak a race entry at the last minute. Thank you, Lucy!

The race finishes at Portballintrae village center, so we'll be bused downwind to the starting line. Runners load up on a few double decker buses for the short drive out to the start at a coastal trail. We exit the buses and take a charming walk, a good kilometer down a country lane through pastures to the start perched above the sea.

The 10K run begins on a small bit of flat, grassy ground next to a coastal trail, perched a couple hundred feet up a cliff above the ocean. I note there is scarce room for the 250 or so runners! To complicate things, Half Marathoners, Marathoners and Ultra runners already en route are on the trail. Did I mention it's generally a one-person-wide trail?! This could get interesting.

And of course it is, right away, as the field bolts from the start for a hill less than 100 meters away, said hill having room for but a single file. So, it's a dash, then a walk. Once over the hill and on the flat, I scramble by runners as I'm able, landing in a hole by the trail, right leg disappearing up to my knee, and going down. At least I fall on long grass, no problem, bounce right up and keep going.

It's a breathtakingly gorgeous day, and spectacular course. We scramble up and down hills on the muddy path above the ocean. Sometimes there are steps to climb. I continue to bolt past other runners when I can. To complicate things, there are plenty of Half Marathoners and Ultra runners who are either walking or running at a crawl, and I whoosh by them as cleanly as possible, often bushwacking through long grass and brambles.

Usually I don't get caught up in racing until the second half of a 10K, but this crazy course on a narrow path has me scrambling and jockeying for position from the get-go. And guess what, it's crazy fun! And I'm ready for it. I've been in Belfast for a few days, not running. So I guess you could say I tapered for the race! And, despite the hills and rough terrain, I've been training at Oaxaca's (Mexico) altitude in mountains, I'm used to keeping a rhythm on crazy terrain, so I can do it today.

Oh, did I mention the cow gates? Four or five times in the race, we run up 3 steps and jump over cow gates. It's fun! Who knew? I get into it. Sort of like a steeplechase. There is a ton of starting/stopping, climbing, rushing by slower runners, it's like a race where you make moves constantly. Man, I'm used to maybe 3 moves tops in a distance race. So I embrace it and focus on rhythm, and it works!

Throughout the run, I manage to keep passing other runners. Most are super slow, running the longer events, they are not in the 10K run group. But I can tell when I catch a 10K participant, they are going a heck of a lot faster. And, some of them fight me off. But today, I am in the groove – not one runner I pass is able to re-pass me!

This makes me bold, giddy, and I take off after one tough looking guy, blue shirt, tall dude. Then we hit the one water station on the course. It's clogged! Stand-abouts everywhere, get the hell offa the course! What a mess! I drink my water and realize there's nowhere to throw the cup out, so I retrace a few steps and hit the trash can. A bit of frustration, we've been implored to not litter. Maybe there shoulda been one more trashcan a few meters after the drink station (minor complaint)?

The blue shirt guy is now 30 meters up on me, and I can't dent his lead too much. Well, we hit a killer downhill. I'm like, WTF, let's go. I bolt down the hill and pull up on him. I'm exhausted, but still full of adrenaline. My altitude training helps me rhythm up. I roll by blue shirt dude. He doesn't fight and I eye the next guy, a good 40 meters up, white shirt, teen dude.

I catch him at the bottom of a hill, another kilometer on, but then he flies up the hill before I can pass. Go kid. Don't let the old guy getcha! We turn at the top and the finish is 50 meters on. Aw hell, no wonder white shirt teenage dude took off! I sprint those last few meters and forget to turn my watch off at the finish. What an exhilarating run! Total fun! I guess I was a couple seconds over 50 minutes, not bad for such a shit-kicking trail run. I'll look up the results when they are posted. I think I was top 15, we'll see.

OK, here I am three weeks later, finally the results were posted. I finished 12th out of 220 runners in 50:27, decent time considering the terrain, fences and scores of slow runners on the one-person-wide path!

I'll be back again for the Causeway Coast races if I can! What a blast!

Want to book a Oaxaca, Mexico running tour? Email Steve!

Outkick The Cheater!

Today was the fourth annual (Insert race name here) 10K in Oaxaca's Parque Llano. Why don't I know the name of this race??? I ran unofficially to get a workout, as I'm in the early stages of the next Half Marathon buildup. As the Grumpy Runner, do I have to know the name of every damn race?! Heck no.

It's yet another Sunday morning 10K in Parque Llano, Oaxaca's premiere venue for such events. This is a gorgeous park in the Centro neighborhood of my adopted city. I love these Sunday a.m. runs, they are convivial, boisterous and fun. The field is always pretty good, this mile high city is a real running town. An extra strong field is on hand today, with prize money on offer. A couple of the local Kenyans who live and train around here show up, sniffing a payday, and even chubby grandmother runners put their best foot forward when there is prize money on the line.

Me, I'm looking for a workout. I'd had a 24 hour bug earlier this week and I was happy just to be there. I do not pay the 200 peso entry fee so I am not in the money hunt. As an aside, it's perfectly acceptable here to run with no number. No race official or announcer hassles you on the course or at the finish.

I believe this is how it should be! I grew up racing in New England small town runs where this was acceptable. I almost always ran with a number, but no one bothered me when I didn't. Sometimes I just plain could not afford it. No big deal. But back to the subject at hand...

The gun goes off and we settle in. A pretty clean start for a Oaxacan race, things can get messy/chaotic here--runners bunching at the start line, pouring over, group false starts that never come back, but not today.

I settle in at a modest clip and I'm pleased to feel half decent! An honest pace, but not pushing my luck. Maybe 5:00 per kilometer. I'm coming off a PR 1:44:35 half marathon a month back (yup, a sea level race), but I've taken time off. No rush today.

But here's a dude with a shock of wavy gray hair, he wants to race. You go for it pal, I'm just minding my own groove. But every time I inch up on Mr. Hair, he takes off. I guess he figures we're competing for the 50+ division payday, fair enough. I pay no mind, looking to relax and hit a good rhythm.

Now we're rolling pretty good, not great, through 2, 3, 4K. It's an out-and-back course, I'm inching up on hair guy again at the turnaround. My middle distance past pops out of nowhere, I take the turn and put on a burst to get by Mr. Hair and another dude. Why not keep pressing? I like the idea of running a bit faster than my comfort level in a race, and manage a good kilometer surge. Pass a couple-few runners.

Coming back to earth, I hit a mild rough patch as we dip under an overpass and then climb up from it. One or two short, stocky Oaxacans ease by me on the uphill. We run by a big 7K marker (the only distance marker in the race?!) and I see 35:20 on my watch. OK, good workout in hand. Just want to finish in good order.

I'm working a bit to keep pace with the folks around me. We're running city blocks and taking 90 degree turns here and there, we don't run on Calle Calzada de Republica, a diagonal street that would be the quickest return to Parque Llano, gotta get in those 10 kilometers, yes we do!

With maybe 2K to go, two guys come up from behind, going pretty good. Without thought, I settle in with them and hitch a ride. This hurts, but it's do-able. After 5 - 600 meters, I have to let go but now we can sniff the finish.

I'm back to trying to keep pace with runners around me--I look up and to my great surprise... it's Mr. Hair! He's unmistakable, a skinny dude in running tights (amongst stocky Oaxacans in their shorts). When the heck did he pass me??? Answer: He didn't!

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Yes! Hair guy is so intent on a run for the prize money, he cut across the course on the diagonal street and shaved off a goodly chunk of meters, emerging in better position. There are very few course monitors out there, so it's do-able. I see it all in a flash, there's no way this guy passed me.

We're 800 meters to go and hair guy is right in front of me. I'm hurting pretty good from my two surges, but I stalk him. Seems I can hold on, working the rhythm. We're around the penultimate bend, and those who have something still in the tank pick it up. I'm next to Hairball now as the pace increases. I think, "I own you, dude". Yes, I was a miler in college, these instincts never go away, really. I'm 58 years old and nowhere's near as fast as I used to be, but I'm a bit pissed just now and I'm thinking, "What would Mo do?".

I'm waiting, I don't go too soon. Lay down your cards hair guy, let's see what your cheating butt has left in it! He tries to take off with about 180 to go and I cover that. OK, my turn, and I'm away. Take the last turn and hit the gas. Take it up to a good middle distance cruise if not an actual sprint. Through the line and I don't look back. I like to chat with fellow runners after the race, but what am I going to say? "Did you plan ahead to cut the course, or was it spur of the moment?"

OK, I freely admit, Mr. Hair might have somehow slipped by unnoticed. It happens. But I was pretty aware over this run, and noticed a couple very stocky Oaxacans in shorts going by in the second half, but nary a skinny dudes in tights. In the end, it pulled me to a 1/2 decent race. I was surprised to check my watch and see 49:57. Not that fast, but for today I'll take it.

Want to schedule a Oaxaca hill/trail running tour? Email Steve

Summer Breeze Half Marathon, San Leandro CA

Ran the Summer Breeze Half Marathon this past Saturday (Aug. 1), in the "East Bay" right near Oakland, CA, staged by Brazen Racing. What a well-run event it was! Since I'm a grumpy old bastard, I really enjoy a race with a well-marked course, ample porta-potties, an organized start and competent timing/results. All this happened!

And, I got a spectacularly ugly finishers medal, what a score! Note the olde New England type whale in there, hard to beat.

The course is near perfect - a gravel and paved bike/hiking trail along the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay. Mostly flat with a few rises and a couple foot bridges. Only one tight turn, not including the hair-pin turnaround on the out and back course.

There are mile markers along the way to gauge your progress if you like that kinda thing. As the race name promises, there is a bit of wind off the bay, but it mostly keeps things pleasant, it's only a minor battle into the wind for a few brief moments on the course.

All this is ideal for me-- this being my second half marathon, on a flat, fast sea-level course. Having run a 1:50:08 over a hilly course at the mile-high altitude of Oaxaca some few months back, I have my eye on improving my time here.

I'd trained decently in the weeks and months prior to this run, and tapered a bit in the days before the race. I have the confidence instilled by running mountainous courses in the altitude of Oaxaca. Feeling good after a couple miles just under 16 minutes, I relax and bend into the run. I am going for it. At first, a good number of runners pass me. The further I run, fewer runners get by, and I start picking people off. I mainly keep my own council on pace.

At 5 miles, I'm full of run, but recognize this is serious work. Again, reflecting on months of preparation, I know I can power through. I ride the rhythm through strong patches alternating with tough patches. I consistently hit mile markers at less than 8 minute pace overall, but my actual pace varies from about 7:45 to 8:15.

Passing the 7 and 8 mile markers, I work hard, it feels like a long way to go. A guy drafts up on me and stays behind me. It's a narrow path with runners in both directions, he's keeping the path clear and pressing me from behind.

Finally he draws even and asks "want to work together?" It takes me a few minutes, but I adjust to the tandem run and we help each other a lot, steadily passing stragglers who fall off the pace. I relax and focus on rhythm.

So this guy Duane and I roll on, battling a bit of wind with a mile to go. A third runner glues himself to us. I kick with 300 to go and Duane is there, we cross the line together in 1:44:35. I am pleased! It is nice to keep my own rhythm most of the way, but the cooperation of the final part of the race is a great positive experience. Thanks Duane!

I win my division (55 - 59) and place 42nd out of just over 407 runners. Last year I think they had 700, participation may have been affected by last weekends San Francisco Marathon. Too soon to race so far again in the local scene, I guess.

Enjoyed some good fruit, water and snacks after the race, and I was on my merry way. My only complaint? Where the hell was the promised technical T-Shirt??? I paid 60 clams and didn't get my damn shirt! Nowhere to be found. Oh well, I still loved the event. Well done, Brazen racing!

The Summer Breeze 1/2 caps off a successful visit to El Norte (aka the U.S. of A.) for me in running terms. As part of my training, I throw in a 5000 on the track (no taper!) in 21:39 back on July 7. Modest by most standards, for this vintage runner it's the fastest in 5 - 6 years.

Oh, and I almost forgot to say Happy Birthday Jerry! The run was on Aug. 1, afterall.

Email Steve -- especially if you'd like to set up a Oaxaca running tour!