Summer Training: By The Numbers

If you've been able to follow along through my sporadic posting this summer, you already know decided to take a few months to get faster at shorter distance racing. In the past, my only goal for 5Ks was to hit the gas and hold on as long as I could. It was miserable and while I still occasionally ran a PR, I never could get rid of the alarm bells in my head telling me that I was going to, quite literally, die if I didn't slow down. This training block was about trying to quiet that voice just a little through exposure therapy and getting used to the pain. I can definitively say that I have achieved that.

Pain snarl en route to a new PR

Let's start at the beginning. What was my PR going into this season? I admit that many of my previous bests have been on courses of questionable length. Around here, there are just two certified courses. Others that have not been certified either measure long (3.25) or short (3.09). For purposes here, I'm going to consider my best time to be one that Garmin measured at least 3.11 miles. In that case, my best was 22:10 at the 2016 Fortuna Rodeo, which also happens to be the only local certified course I've ever run.

Speed Workouts
When I train for a summer ultra, speed work all but disappears. I replace fast runs with hilly ones. When approaching 5K training I kept two speed workouts a week, one was some sort of interval, either on a track running 1,000m repeats or on the road with fartlek runs. The second workout was either a progression run down to 5K pace or a tempo run at 5-10K pace. Poison oak threw a bit of a wrench into this and I missed a solid two weeks of workouts in June.

Long Run Mileage

Since I no longer had a need for weekly twenty milers in June and July, I limited my long runs to 15 miles. Most sat in the 10-12 mile range, with a few exceptions to go play in the woods with my trail friends. I made sure each run had a purpose so if 20 miles on a Tuesday didn't make sense, I ran part of the run with friends and bailed out on the remainder.

Monthly Mileage

As a result of the shorter long runs, my overall mileage was greatly reduced. At first, my ego got in the way and it was hard to see the lower numbers, but once I noticed an increase in my overall pace, I didn't mind as much. In fact, I was surprised to notice I enjoyed that extra spring in my step. My moderate effort runs shifted from about an 8:30/mi pace to 8:10/mi pace.

Racing History

My local area has three 5K races each summer. Hammond Hill is the one with the 150 ft. dirt hill in it; Arcata Marsh is the local cross country course, and Fortuna Rodeo is the flat, fast certified course.  When setting my goals for the summer, I used my racing history at each event to help me decide at which pace to start. For example, I haven't been able to better my time from Hammond Hill to Arcata Marsh. This year, I assumed I could break 22 minutes, but wasn't at all expecting a PR. Then from there, I thought it reasonable to assume I could drop another forty seconds at Fortuna Rodeo. I know I shouldn't be surprised, but it's cool how consistent this formula seems to be for me.

Performance Analysis
When I first started the season, my target was the low 20 minute range. Since I have no specific short distance training to base this goal off of, it was essentially a guess.

It was my plan to break 21 minutes at the first 5K of the season, on Father's Day, but that wasn't meant to be. I started to wonder if this summertime goal was a mistake. Part of that is due to the poison oak rash (which was oozing like crazy on that first race morning) and the other was the weather. Consolation prize: a big fat trophy. :)

Arcata Marsh was a surprise. I didn't think I'd PR there at all. There has only been one other year where my trail PR was faster than my road one and that was years ago during a period of huge improvement when I ran faster at each and every race I ran.

The effort at Fortuna Rodeo was definitely there. My training had indicated something in the 20:40s, so I wasn't too far off there with my 20:53. I'm still struggling to iron out my pacing and not have the second mile take twenty seconds longer than the other two, but I got really good at ignoring that voice in my head telling me to slow down. I didn't give up, it was agony, and I was sore for days and days afterward. An additional bonus was being the overall female champion. That was pretty awesome. Dropping almost eighty seconds from my PR didn't suck either. :)

My first Fortuna Rodeo 5K in 2013: 22:25

Now what?
My next target is a half marathon on September 17th. After a brief pause in formal training in late July, I began training for The Rogue Run. Matt found a training plan for the half whose first six weeks looked a lot like my 5K training, so it's been a pretty smooth transition so far. There have been two rough workouts where I have had to modify the goal, but those have been due to wildfire smoke angering my asthma. Things could certainly be worse.

Salmon Mountain: Higher than Everyone in Humboldt

In the coastal mountains here, the window for summertime hiking is short. One has to plan carefully between the roads opening up after winter storms and wildfire season. Every year, that period seems to get shorter and shorter.

Admittedly, I haven't done a lot of hiking in the Six Rivers National Forest. While it's certainly the nearest, rumors of illegal grow sites staffed by armed drug cartels, rugged forest roads, and triple digit heat have always kept me away. I don't want to run into any of that. But the lure of visiting Humboldt County's high point has always left me intrigued.

When Matt and his coworker Jonathan both had the same day off, we decided to go for it. Finally with a pickup truck to carry us high into the hills, we woke up extra early to get to the trail at a reasonable morning hour. Like most of the mountainous hikes near the coast, much of the adventure is in the drive there. Just sixty miles away as the crow flies, it takes over three hours to get there by car. Ugh. I can get most anywhere in the Trinity Alps, the wilderness to the east, in that same amount of time.

Matt and I take turns riding in the back seat of the pickup truck. By the time we hit the ranger station in Orleans to inquire about the state of the road, we're both sufficiently nauseated. I often start hikes this way unless I'm the one piloting the car. Then it's another hour on the forest roads. Thankfully, the road does much of the climbing for us. By the time we arrive at the trailhead, I've eaten my lunch sandwich and am ready for a  nap.

Previous research clued us into the state of the trail: unmaintained and hard to follow in places. Then our bid for the summit would be off trail, whatever that means.

Just one half mile into the hike, our trail disappears. We look around for almost twenty minutes until I've convinced the boys to wing it and follow the ridge south, like the map says we're supposed to do. Not one minute after we head off on our own, the trail reappears behind a gigantic downed tree. From here, it's pretty smooth sailing. We trace the spine of the ridge, passing through forested areas lush with wildflowers, and dry rocky open areas. Matt and Jonathan stop to take in the view. Each gust of wind wafts up the smell of this area's most famous cash crop.

We climb higher, through sections of overgrown brush. Finally the summit comes into view. We break off from the trail and head up through the rocks and wildflowers.

While we eat lunch, we take in the view. I peer over the edge of the mountain to a familiar landscape. Just east of here lies the Trinity Alps Wilderness, the place where I often take my mountain trips. It all makes sense, seeing as we are sitting on the western boundary.

We return the way we came and with nothing more than a long downhill back, it's a pretty quick trip. As we head down with tummies rumbling, we discuss where we should stop for dinner. All I can think of is a blackberry milkshake from a hole in the wall place in Willow Creek. Matt agrees, adding that a cheeseburger would hit the spot. By the time we've got our plans worked out, we're back at the truck, reunited with our watermelon. Today has been warm and sweaty enough that the three of us polish off the whole thing before we head down the mountain. Summertime perfection.

Then we get to our burgers. Matt orders the chili cheeseburger, which is more like a burger drowning in a vat of chili. Jonathan orders the chili cheese fries. I'm noshing happily on my bacon cheeseburger and blackberry shake.

It was everything I wanted in a day adventure: summer sun, PB and J, pretty mountain views, and a delicious diner feast at the end. It's not every day you can call yourself the highest person in Humboldt County!

Details:
Elevation, 6,956 ft. Humboldt County high point
9 miles hiked, 2,011 ft climbing
206 miles driven. Bleh.

Short Distance Summer, the finale: Fortuna Rodeo 5K

Still humming along on the steady stream of caffeine he's poured into himself on an overnight shift, Matt is busy coordinating volunteers when I arrive at the race with the remaining supplies. In February, this previous director of this race resigned. The club had yet to find a replacement until Matt volunteered to take it over this summer only. He agreed that my summer of short races should peak at this, the flattest of our club 5Ks and the only one that is USATF certified. I know he was doing the club a big favor by taking over this year, but the biggest favor of all was done just for me. :)

I make a quick survey of the course, setting out the mile marker cones and counting the stoplights until the turnaround. This race course is "L" shaped and comes with one really long straightaway. I'm sure to note where the slight incline and declines are. I run through the course in my head as I drive along. I take a long warmup by myself to gather my thoughts. I lace up my racing flats, shake out my legs one more time, and then take my place in the pack.

Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

Matt makes a quick morning announcement, including something we've been talking about all week: "the turn around is farther than you think it should be". The police chief begins the race and everyone takes off in a sprint. I count the girls up ahead. About half a mile in, I catch the lead female, a small girl who can't be more than ten or eleven years old. The thought of possibly winning this race passes through my mind but I'm so fixated on running a faster time today that it doesn't last long. I cruise up to the first mile cone to realize I've tied my one mile PR.

Mile 1: 6:29

Up ahead, I can spot Yoshi. Just as at the last race, I try to close the gap. You got him last time, you can do it again, Karen, I coach myself. I focus my gaze down the street. I can only see two stoplights off in the distance. The turn around is near the third one. It's too far away to see. Sometimes I wonder if a course with more than one turn each mile would be easier to handle.

I catch up and pass Yoshi just before the only hill on the course. The roadway loses elevation just before the turnaround cone. It isn't until now that I realize my super speedy training buddy Dave is the next person ahead of me.

A complete u-turn around the cone followed by an uphill throws off any and all momentum I had going. I throw myself up the hill, probably in the ugliest form I've ever had, while friends going downhill get to watch. I always try to fake my strength on 180 turns like this, but today there's nothing. If anyone wanted to boost their confidence and think they can catch me, my effort here today would be a good opportunity. Ugh.

By the time I try to recover from the uphill and am facing into the headwind, the pain-o-meter is still stuck firmly in the red zone. I know I'm slowing but try to remain positive.

Mile 2: 6:53

With a speedy first mile and a second mile just barely under PR 5K pace, I tell myself there's still room to PR. I try to coax out any remaining energy I have left. I know it's too early to kick, but the entire third mile feels like a sprint kick. My lungs are on fire, my heart wants to explode, my quads are begging for mercy.

I try to stick with Dave. He's only ten seconds ahead right now. You're hanging with him. Stay there.  After an eternity, we make the final turn and I know the are only two more blocks to go until I get a slight downhill for the final two.

This final portion is into the wind. My lungs have gone from a hard effort to wondering if I'm about to have an asthma attack. I feel my lips curling into a snarl to try and make more room for air to pass in. It's the strangest sensation and I can feel I'm on the verge of collapse. For a moment, I wonder if I should stop so I don't actually fall to the ground, but just as quickly as it appeared, I push it aside. Traffic control on this course is all police officers. I'll pass two more en route. If I collapse, they'll save me.

Mile 3: 6:52

I hit the slight downhill I've been waiting for but it feels like a mountain. Friends who have finished ahead of me are cheering. All summer long, they have been asking what my next race is, meaning what am I training specifically to run. They all knew this was my goal today.

At the trail 5K two weeks before, I thought I had finished with no kick left. I was wrong. If I had no kick then, I was actually dying at the end of this one. I see Dave begin to pull away and it feels like I've slowed to a crawl as I pass by Yoon. I have no time to look down at my watch to see how fast I'm going. MUST STOP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!

Mile 3 to finish: 0:37 (5:37/mi pace) <---uumm ....not="" a="" after="" all="" br="" fade="" quite="">

Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

20:53
6:43/mi.
Female champion
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I plan to discuss this more in my next post, but I couldn't have asked for a better end to my season. Not only did I come away with another PR by shaving almost forty seconds from my road best, but I had my first victory in almost two years. Yay! So. much. yay!

Special thank you to my husband Matt for making this race possible. He's always my biggest cheerleader and I definitely could not have gotten to where I am now without him. :)

Short Distance Summer, Race 2: Arcata Marsh 5K

When I pull up to the little peninsula sticking out into Arcata Bay, I'm the first runner to arrive. I make my way to the registration tent, sign my name at the top of the list and grab my bib number. I have about an hour until race time and spend much of it hunkered down in the car trying to stay warm. When it's finally warmup time, I set off on my own. Usually I travel with an entourage, but both Matt and Rachel are out of town so I'm all alone with my thoughts.

Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

Earlier in the week, I made the trek to Arcata to survey the course. They had to change the route a little and I wanted to check out the new course. The footing was still tricky in some spots, but it seemed doable. While I made my warmup loop through the first mile of the race course, I tried not to think about what my goal would be. When I first made summer plans, I thought it unreasonable to try and PR here. The course is one of the high school cross country routes, almost entirely dirt, and has some spots where I really have to watch where I put my feet. I decided that breaking my course PR of 22:39 would be a solid goal.

I line up next to Kenny, one of the club regulars. "What's your goal today?" he asks. "To make it hurt," I reply.  That's the main goal I have for all 5Ks. If it isn't agony, I'm probably not pushing hard enough.

Finally we're off. Zero to pain in less than ten seconds. I go out far too fast only because I know this stretch of two lane road squeezes down to singletrack within less than a quarter of a mile. I need to get ahead of all the little kids who go out too fast, I reason to myself.

Somewhere in mile 1, taken a few days before the race.

This race typically has mile marker cones so I've turned off my watch's auto lap feature but they were missing this year. While I'm running, I have a vague idea of my pace from the overall pace data field on my watch, but my splits are a mystery. It isn't until I get back home that Strava will tell me if I'm pacing well or not.

Mile 1: 6:38

We round another series of corners, passing through the first loop of this roughly figure-eight course. There's finally a straightaway and I can see more than one person ahead of me. Two people ahead is Yoshi, one of our club's superstars. He's one of the most decorated runners in our club's circuit history and I'm honestly surprised that I'm closing in on him like I am and it helps to fuel my speed. Each section of tricky footing slows me down a bit but I'm focusing on taking light and frequent steps and so far I haven't hit the ground.

Mile 2: 6:49

I pull alongside Yoshi and even though he's slowing a fair amount, he's still got enough energy to cheer me on, "Wow Karen! You are flying today!" as I pass. The surprise in his voice and his kind words echo in my head as I pick up the pace. I glance down at my watch and my overall pace registers a 6:49/mi, well below both my course and paved road PRs are.

There's a father-son team up ahead and I try my best to close the gap. I reach them just as we repeat another section of the figure-eight course from the beginning of the race. After another couple of turns, I'm finally on the long straightaway to the finish line. I'm hurting pretty badly but I try to close the gap on the next two guys ahead of me. From the pace on my watch, I might be close to breaking 21 minutes!

Those trees in the background are where the finish line is. Approximately mile 2.75.

Mile 3: 6:50

Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

I'm trying with all my might but there's absolutely no kick left. I cruise back into the parking lot and head for the finish line as quickly as I can. The clock is a little further away than it usually is and I arrive to see it ticking well over the 21 minute mark. I know I'm very close to running a new overall PR so I squeeze out any energy I have left in my legs.

Almost done!

Mile 3 to finish: 1:03 (7:06/mi)

I make 5Ks look fun, don't I?  Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

21:27
6:54/mi.
3rd Female

It takes a few moments to collect myself in the finishing chute. Then I grab a popsicle from the cooler and amble over to a few friends who have been running well this year. I ask Clay how he did who I can tell by his huge grin that he had a good day. He's been steadily improving this year, shaving minutes from his PRs just about every time he races. He's been working to break 20 minutes and finally did here! When we realize both of us now have a faster trail 5K PR than road, we high five. How awesome! :)

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After the miserable day at a 5K in June, I started to doubt my training. It was so nice to set a course PR by over a minute here and beat my road PR by five seconds to really bolster my confidence. One more race, a nice flat one on the road, would be just the ticket to dropping a little more time before the end of the season. The question remained: How fast can I go?