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Wednesday, November 30, 2011
When the student is ready...
But he also has said that he wants to do that run next year.
The other guy is a diabetic, though not overweight at all, Vietnamese import who loves to glom onto ideas. Enthusiasm is his driver. He said this morning that he thought of that marathon during every step of his three miles (on a treadmill) last night.
The "interesting" part is listening to them compare their training. It usually starts with one asking the other if they ran last night or this morning. Then I cringe as I hear about the aches and pains, the training philosophy (seems to be equal parts "no pain no gain" and "just run farther than yesterday"), and the self-doubt (on one's part) and Pollyanna-esque "no problem" (on the other's part).
It makes me wonder about just how much (or how little) thought went into the planning for this undertaking. Sure, there was loads of inspiration, and that's awesome. But what about some research into just HOW to make it happen, in a sensible way? I do what I can to inject some sense into their training and progression, adding checkpoints along the path to a marathon that's more than 10 months away, but the next day I hear the same things, and it's apparent that it just isn't getting absorbed.
When the student is ready, the teacher appears.
I think I'm coming to understand that axiom more and more. Because I see it in action beside me on a daily basis -- the teacher was always there, but until the student is ready to hear it, the teaching is just so much background noise.
It's very apparent that these two aren't ready. Hopefully it doesn't take an injury derailing their training at some crucial point (like too close to the event to recover) before their ears open up.
So I keep shaking my head in bewilderment, and offer what I can.
Who knows, they may just be able to muscle their way through it.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Post-race gluttony
I was the guy with his eyes averted toward the floor.
Not for any sense of shyness. I was looking at peoples' shoes. I saw a lot more in the way of minimal-"ist" shoes than in past years, and a very few minimal shoes. No bare feet though (but there was one guy I did have to ask, as he was barefoot in the recovery area). I think I saw 5 pairs of Vibram FiveFingers, a few dozen of the Brooks Pure line, countless Saucony Kinvara's, two of the New Balance Minimus Trail and one of the Road, two Merell Trail Gloves, and two Vivobarefoot Neo's.
And while it was interesting looking at all the shoes, what really struck me was the gluttony.
I've always been impressed with the running and triathlon community at large, in just how... conscientious... every one is. I've done hundreds of events as a participant, and dozens on the other side of the start (and finish) line, and in the vast majority, people take some free fuel to start re-filling the tank, and go about their business -- they don't pick the carcass clean like a vulture. Sure, there always seems to be that One Guy (and yes, men, it always is a guy), the one who loads up on all the free food, enough to feed a small family, and carries it proudly, like a trophy buck, homeward.
What I saw today, though, just seemed to erode my faith in my fellow runners. People asking for bags, boxes, anything with which they could increase their haul of plundered booty. And it wasn't just the participants, but spouses, kids, grandmothers... All holding bagels, Gatorade, Refuel (by Darigold - yum), bananas, oranges, fruit cups, cookies... It was pervasive. The percentages were FAR higher than anything I've ever seen before. It was like half the crowd turned into that One Guy.
I can understand that maybe the run could deplete some one to the point of feeling a need to horde up some grub so that they didn't faint on the drive home (as if there weren't a dozen Safeways or Fred Meyer's along the route). But what is the excuse for the non-participants? Do they not get that the entry fee of the people that actually RAN is what paid for all that food?
And an interesting note: Those that ran the half-marathon (and those that accompanied them) were FAR worse than those that ran the full marathon. We had to hold back a significant amount of food and drink for the later finishers, and were reduced to telling some people (who had already been by a couple times) that we were out so that we'd have something to put out later.
Maybe it was just that this race takes place three days after Thanksgiving, the traditional holiday of gastrointestinal excess. Maybe it's that the race was in a major city. I don't know. And I don't get it.
Something to think about at our next post-race refueling station. Maybe be an example. A good example.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Giving thanks.
The morning was rainy, but not so bad as to be miserable. Light misting rain, a typical northwest happening this time of year. People in the midwest look at rainfall numbers and think it can't rain that much in the northwest -- total rainfall isn't that different. Well, it just doesn't fall as hard most of the time, just a constant drizzle. People around here really DO know the difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny.
Anyway, I was trotting along a path that paralleled I-5, with a very large field separating the highway from the trail I was on. I looked over at the highway, people headed out for family gatherings, and just had this epiphany moment, thinking of how much we take for granted in this country, the birthplace of Thanksgiving.
The U. S. of A. has become so car-centric that it's oftentimes considered risking one's life to run or ride a bike on the roads. People in cars tend to have the highest degree of self-importance, insulated in their boxes from personal contact. "We" are trespassing on "their" roads.
Instead of being thankful for the privilege and responsibility of owning and operating an automobile on roads paid for by EVERYbody, they feel entitled to their share, and damned-be any one who slows down their forward progress.
And as I saw the throngs of people zipping by at the speed limit plus 5 (or 10, or...), I wondered... How many people are stressed about getting a dinner ready for SO MANY PEOPLE? How many are hoping that their crazy aunt doesn't start talking about that time when they...? How many people were telling their kids "we'll get there when we get there" with ever-rising blood pressure, dreading rest of the over-the-river-and-through-the-woods to grandmother's house? How many people are actually setting aside the day to actually DO what the holiday was made for? Giving of thanks.
It was Abraham Lincoln who made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, saying that we, as a nation, need to set aside a day to give thanks for the country we live in, the freedoms we enjoy, the resources we have at our disposal.
Enjoy the feasts of the day. Enjoy gathering of family and friends. Enjoy a run or ride, if you have time and opportunity. But also take a little time to give some thanks for being able to do these things.
I give thanks in this medium that I have the ability and resources to publish my thoughts, my health, at least enough that I can do the things I do, and that you all have given some time to indulge me.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Altra Lone Peak -- not exactly what I was expecting.
So when Altra had announced that the Lone Peak (see picture at right, from the Altra site) was finally hitting store shelves, I was on a mission to find them. I contacted Altra directly to see who in my area would have them in that first week. Turns out that shipping to this area was spotty, and when I called the particular stores, they didn't have them and didn't know when they'd arrive (one store thought that they wouldn't have them for quite some time).
So this past Saturday, when my wife and I stopped at the Born to Run store, my main objective was to try on the Lone Peak, Altra's zero-drop (as all Altra shoes are) trail shoe. It differs from the Instinct in the toe cap, lateral material, and sole. The toe cap is larger and more substantial to protect from toe-stubs on rocks and roots. The sole has a much more aggressive tread, better in sloppy conditions, and includes a "trail rudder" (okay, I really don't see the use for this, but at least it doesn't appear that it would cause issues). And the lateral material is there for protection against sticks and rocks.
The rearfoot area of the Lone Peak differs from the Instinct in that it doesn't have the rounded edge. With a forefoot or midfoot landing, this is really a non-issue, though.
Altra uses the same last for both shoes, so one would expect that they would fit the same. And while they do have equal toe room, the small differences in the uppers make all the difference in the fit.
When I first slipped on the Lone Peak, same size as the Instincts I've put over 350 miles on, I immediately felt like my foot was hanging over the lateral edge. I took it off and looked inside. I noticed that the insole looked almost exactly like the "support" insole that came with the Instinct (and which I replaced with the "strengthen" insole immediately), and that it said "offroad footbed" (or something to that effect). And there were no other insoles in the box. So the Lone Peak only comes with the contoured insole?
I put the shoe back on, and just tried to "feel". Yes, the toes had plenty of room, just as with the Instincts, but I just couldn't get over that feeling along the outer edge of my foot. I felt along the outside with my fingers to pinpoint where it was coming from, and found it right where the middle yellow strap crosses under the grey reinforcing material. I tried it again with no insole, and it felt the same -- a pressure point right at the aft head of the 5th metatarsal. I think the layering of the material in this area needs some re-thinking, both in location and firmness. That reinforcing material is quite stiff, and will tend to force anything underneath to be pressed into the foot.
I looked at the upper, and it did seem like it was leaning out over the edge of the midsole slightly. I don't know if this is a quality control issue, or something to do with the stiff reinforcing material that is used for protection.
So, I put them back in the box, a bit disappointed. Sure, I'll get another pair of Instincts when the ones I have are near the end of their life. But the Lone Peak won't be a part of my shoe rotation, at least in its current incarnation.
I would urge you, though, to try them on for yourself. Your feet are not my feet, and these shoes may fit you just fine.
Altra is a company I hope survives and thrives in the running shoe market. They've got a lot of good things going for them, and I like their philosophy. They've committed to zero-drop, natural running, and I think as one of the front-runners in the market niche, they've got a lot of good things going by not running head-long down the path of pure minimalism.
Monday, November 21, 2011
New Balance Minimus Road... WIDE!
A little about the Born to Run store: This store is a minimalist runners go-to place for low- to no-drop, lightweight, and sometimes a little goofy shoes. Merrel Barefoots, Vivobarefoot, and Vibram FiveFingers are prevalent. They also have several other lines including offerings from New Balance, Inov-8, and Altra.
Today I want to specifically talk about the New Balance Minimus Road, particularly the 2E wide version. [Note: The picture below was taken off the Born to Run site, and is of the standard width Road Minimus.]
I had tried on the Minimus Trail and Minimus Road when they first came out. As is the case with many shoes, I really like several of the things going on with it: low 4mm heel drop, light weight. I already had Merrell Trail Gloves, so the Minimus Trail wasn't really on my radar screen for purchase. The Minimus Road, though, offered some cushioning in the way of a firm EVA midsole, and the under-cut heel, much better for road running (for me). Holding the shoe in my hand, I really wanted this shoe to work for me.
And then I slipped it on my foot. The rearfoot felt much like the most comfortable of racing flats I'd ever had, flexible where is should be, not harsh at the collar, lacing up snugly without having to cramp up the arch. The forefoot, though, is where things fell apart. Similar to the issues I have with the Kinvara, the shape of the toe box just wasn't working for me. I know they say the toe box on the Minimus is wider than normal, and that may be true, but the TAPER of the toe box is what killed it -- the inward taper at the little toes came too early, and combined with taper at the bog toe, it just pressed my toes together. I NEED TOE SPLAY SPACE! These may work for Tony Krupika (who was instrumental in the design of the shoe), but apparently he has a foot shape different from mine.
I heard that New Balance was coming out with a wide (2E) version of the Minimus Road, and looked forward to being able to try them on. I've had decent luck with "formal" shoes, going wide, as long as the heel isn't significantly wider than the standard D width. I hoped that the Minimus wides wouldn't have a wide heel as well. The day I'd stopped at Road Runner Sports and tried on the Brooks PureProject line, I'd asked if they had the wide model. Nope.
BUT...! When I asked at the Born to Run store, they said that the only New Balance Minimus shoes they have are the wides. Um... really? Let me at 'em!
So I slipped on the Minimus Road 2E width, and I have to say that it eliminated EVERY complaint I had with the D width model. My toes had plenty of room to splay, and I didn't have to cinch up the laces any more than the standard to get the rearfoot to fit correctly. It seems that the width was added in all the right places -- along the lateral edge of the toe box. I trotted around the store a few times with them on, and they felt unobtrusive, light, and firm underfoot.
While we were there, my wife picked up a Silver Strider magazine (I'm not quite old enough to be their target audience, but she takes every opportunity to rib me about it), and in it was a coupon for 10% off in the store or online. I thought I'd take a look around the 'net to see where the best deals were...
Well, it turns out that, aside from the New Balance site, the Born to Run store is the only place where the 2E width is available. But... you can't get them online through them, only in the store. [sigh]
So a shoe that I had written off some time ago is back on my "to do" list. It'll wait a little while before I add them to my shoe rotation, as my "shoe and race" account needs to build up a bit after adding the Skechers GoRun so recently.
If any one out there has written off the New Balance Minimus Road due to the forefoot, I'd suggest taking a look at the wide model. It may well remedy what was ailing about the standard width model.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
A race, swimming, motorcycles, and shoes -- does it get any better than this?
It started with timing a race of a different kind -- a predictor race. Predict your time, run the course without watch, phone, music, or anything that would help you pace yourself, and the person that finishes closest to that prediction wins. The awesome part of this is that it isn't necessarily the fastest person that wins. ANYone can win. And in fact, it was an 11-year-old that won this morning, in her first-ever race. She was only 9 seconds off her predicted time. Amazing. And second place was only 9.4 seconds off.
With an 8:00 start time, it was clear and cold, and never thawed out until well after we left. We'd spent the night in a hotel nearby, and didn't have to check out until after the race, so we took some time to take advantage of the pool and hot tub to warm up and get a little exercise.
Next stop was at Bellevue Kawasaki. I'm not a real motorcycle nut, at least not to the point of what I am with bicycles, but I do like them, like riding, and think often of my "next" motorcycle. Well, this shop is the only one in the state that carried MV Agusta. And let me tell you, those are some SWEET bikes. If only just the insurance wouldn't bankrupt me... I threw a leg over several bikes, MV's, Ducati's, and the more common Suzuki's and Kawasaki's. Sure, there were several that were drool-worthy, but none were bikes that I'd actually want in my garage. Ah me...
Lastly, we took a trip to the Born to Run store in Bellevue. I'll write more about this, as there were several revalations that came out of trying on the various models, eliminating one that I thought would be a great shoe, and putting one back on the list that I thought I'd turned away permanently. We stuck around for quite a while, and I got into several discussions with the people working there and some of the customers about the shoes in the store, and also discussing the Skechers GoRuns. Yup, my wife gave me free reign to get my shoe geek on.
Yeah, today was a good day full of some of the best things in life...
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Ahh... massage.
I scheduled my appointment online, and two hours later I was walking in the door. The building is a recently converted health club. Their facility is spacious, nicely laid out, quiet.
Samantha was my massage therapist, who ushered me into the room and asked for specifics on areas that I thought needed work. We talked by a bit, then she left me to get ready -- undress as much as I was comfortable with, and get onto the heated table and under a nice warm blanket. I could feel the relaxation happening already. In a few minutes she returned to start working out the kinks.
She worked on my neck and upper chest first, then lower legs, then moved up to my back. LOTS of "speed bumps" there, though happily they were symmetrical (an important thing to an engineer). She finished up with some hot rocks that felt WONDERFUL. The time went by quickly, and before I knew it, it was 5:00 (I had arrived at 3:30).
Getting up from the table, I felt like "a cooked noodle". A little disoriented and limp. Ultra-relaxed. Which is good.
Their prices are reasonable as massage goes, they're friendly, and it's a convenient location.
I can see myself going back. And I'd recommend them to any one.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Meb's shoes...
Much was made of the fact that Meb Keflezighi was wearing Skechers GoRun shoes in the New York Marathon just a week ago, where he placed 6th in a personal best time.
Then in the next breath, the nay-sayers would opine freely that these were custom Skechers, not the shoes that you and I can (and in my case, did) buy in the stores.
Hey, the guy is one of... two? sponsored pro runners, and likely their paid guinea pig for every prototype. Of course he's wearing custom shoes!
But what is different about Meb's shoe from what we have access to on the street?
Well, I watched a post-race interview that was posted on RunBlogger, and in it he flashes the shoes he wore in the race past the camera a few times, as well as talks about them a little bit.
Lastly, it looks from this third video shot that Meb's shoes have a heel counter. My GoRuns have none, much like the Nike Free line. I like this feature, but I can't say that it's more comfortable than other shoes I've had with a heel counter. Maybe this is in answer to pressure from Nike, and maybe Meb just likes to have heel counters in his shoes.
Note: Photos of stock Skechers GoRuns were taken from a Competitor Magazine article.
Monday, November 14, 2011
It's been YEARS.
This past weekend, my wife, daughter, and I took a trip to Chicago to visit with family. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip. There's never enough time on these trips to meet up with every one. But we also got to do a few fun things.
I ran Friday morning, 6.5 miles in freezing wind. I was under-dressed for what I'd normally wear. Weather forecasts... Never accurate enough. Anyway, it went well, but later in the day I noticed my left knee having some sensation, like clicking and popping, and it was starting to swell up a bit.
Runner's knee! Otherwise known as chondromalacia patella, or more recently known as patello-femoral syndrome.
Overnight, it got better, the swelling was down and the clicking wasn't there. I went out and ran again, shorter this time (not as much time available on Saturday morning), and it felt fine, but again, later in the day I could feel it. No swelling this time, but that same clicking feeling getting out of the car.
I haven't had this particular issue in some 27 years, ever since I went into triathlon training. Muscle imbalances in my quads were the culprit, with the vastus medialis (that tear-drop-shaped muscle that hangs just over and to the inside of the kneecap) being relatively weaker than the other three muscles and allowing the kneecap to track outward. Bicycling does wonders for keeping that vastus medialis strong, as long as you've got that bike fit right.
I haven't been riding as much as I used to, and coupling that with all the time sitting in the airport (we volunteered to get bumped 8 hours, which netted us $300 each in travel vouchers -- hello next vacation!), on the airplane, and in cars, and it was a minor perfect storm of circumstances.
Now, after a night at home and getting back into normal routines again, it feels okay. I'll run on it today and see how it goes.
I don't see this getting out of hand or knocking me out of training, but it's something I'll have to address and monitor. I'm doing my straight leg raises at my desk (no one can see me doing it), and dosing myself up on ibuprofen.
On another note, I'm closing in on 1000 miles running for the year. Considering that just two years ago I wasn't sure I'd be able to run again, I'm very happy with that. All I have to do is average 3.5 miles a day and I'll get there.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Altra Instinct, 350 miles later
I've had the Altra Instincts since early April, and they've become my go-to shoe for distance.
I've got 350 miles on them now (okay, 343 miles, but that's close enough), and it's been long enough that they've shown their long legs. I've rotated them with the Saucony Kinvara (now retired), the Merrell Trail Glove, and very recently the Skechers GoRun.
I surprised myself, as well as breaking every common-sense running rule, by taking them out on a 10-miler on my first wearing. My longest run in several years. Yes, they felt that good. And still today, they're the shoes that have the most toe room of any I own (including the TG).
Toe room has become THE yardstick by which I measure running shoes. Even shoes advertised as having a wider, roomier toe box have fallen far short of the better shape needed for real toe splay. The ball of the foot (where they seem to want to measure foot width via the Brannick device) is only one measure. And most shoes start tapering inward as soon as they pass the ball, squeezing the toes together. When I look at my weighted bare foot, my big toe goes out in a straight line from heel to ball to toe. It would seem that all these companies think the world suffers from bunions!
In any case, the Altra Instincts are, so far, the only running shoe I've tried on that truly solves that issue. My toes have full freedom in them.
[ NOTE: The only clean-up I did on these shoes was to scrape the dirt off the soles, as I'm getting ready to take them on a trip to Chicago.]
These shoes have worn very well. As you can see from this first photo, the uppers are showing little, if any, signs of wear. I've re-tied my shoes, tying a knot to isolate the lower eyelets (where I keep very little tension) from the upper eyelets (which keep the shoe on my foot just fine). I have always worn socks in these shoes. One time I wore socks that were short, sush that the top fell into the collar -- by the time the run was finished, I had a bloody spot on the back of my heel. The collar material is not so barefoot-friendly. However, it is robust.
I was initially concerned with the logevity of the sole. I've had issues with non-carbon-black soles wearing out quickly. I'm glad to say that is not the case with the Instincts. This photo of the bottom shows very little wear, and even that is only on, what is for me, the initial contact point of the shoe to the ground. In fairness, much of my running is offroad. My long runs are about 3/4 pavement (concrete and asphalt), so it's not like I've been doing all those miles on soft dirt and grass.
The insoles give a good idea of the amount of compression-set in the midsole. This is usually one of the weak points of any running shoe, where the balance is made between cushioning, weight, and endurance. Less give usually means longer life. I don't know what Altra uses for their midsoles, but it's holding up very well. I don't think I've had any other running shoe of this weight last as well. And many that were heavier in their midsole haven't lasted this long at all.
How long will they last? I have no idea, but they're not going to give up any time soon. Altra is an upstart company with a sound philosophy that has a hit on their hands, and I'd love to see them get a good foothold (haha) in the market.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Skechers GoRun, maiden voyage
The shoes felt great. My pace was consistent with my effort for the loop, and right in my normal range.
One of the biggest issues I've had with most shoes is the width of the toe box. As in the TOES, not the ball of my foot. These shoes have enough room, and the upper material is flexible enough that it doesn't inhibit toe movement. They also have a very light feel, both in the hand and on the feet.
I did notice on steeper downhills that when I shifted my foot strike to the heels, they felt like they were bottoming out. Heel strikers beware.
The only other issue was that the sole picked up a couple little rocks, and when I got onto (wet) pavement, my left shoe sounded like a frog croaking with each footfall, until I popped the rock out of there.
In the longer term I'll be able to evaluate how the shoes wear, and also will give them a go sockless. They're seamless inside, but with the temps at 40 degrees with some rain, I didn't feel like going there yet.
These shoes will definitely have a place in my rotation, along with the Altra Instinct and Merrell Trail Glove.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Sold on Skechers, thanks to my wife
Last night, we went out for dinner and drinks at Duke’s Chowder House. It was a benefit night for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is supported by BuDu Racing. A fun time, good food (lobster chowder,mahi mahi tacos), and 3 rounds of trivia (we got 2nd in the first round, then basically sucked from that point on).
After dinner, we looked at jewelry, then decided to make our way back to the car inside the mall (it had started raining -- a lot -- while we were in the restaurant). And what would be right there at the intersection of the walkways? A Skechers store. I'd used the store locator on the Skechers site (which needs a LOT of help), and Googled store locations, and got two Kohl's stores and one JC Penney, which I figured wouldn't have the GoRun model. And I got some info from some one on the "inside" that the model wasn't available until the 6th... Yeah, only 4 days away.
Here's the thing -- I'd never thought of Skechers as a serious athletic shoe company. Come on, Shape-Ups? But then a couple months ago they announced that Meb Keflezighi was their new shill for this GoRun model. Then I heard Deana Kastor was getting pulled in. I heard that they'd lured in some designers from Nike. Wow...
Anyway, my wife encouraged me to go in and look. I didn't mention to her that I wanted to check them out, she just knew... Okay, she reads my blog. She must really love me.
So we walk in, and there are multiple color variations of the GoRun model sitting on the display. I'm amazed. I pick one up... and it's LIGHT. Racing flat light. I ask to try some on.
Now the toe box on these shoes has a bit of the shape of the New Balance Minimus, where the big toe sweeps inward past the ball of the foot. I was a bit worried. I slipped on a size 10.5, and it felt good. The upper is very flexible, so it doesn't push on my toes. Plenty of room at the little toes, and just enough at the big toe with the material flexing. As I'd read in other reviews, standing in them felt strange -- they're built with a rocker midsole, so there was the feeling of falling back on my heels. This strangeness went away immediately when I started running in place in the shoes, and felt completely natural once I got moving, even at a slow pace and the limited distance I could put on them in the store.
Just to be sure, I tried on an 11, thinking that it would just give me more forefoot room. What I found was that it didn't feel more roomy in the toes, but felt kind of sloppy in other areas. I went back to the 10.5, and it still felt great.
The sole looks much like a combination of a next-generation Nike Free coupled with the New Balance Minimus Trail. Any judgements on longevity will have to wait until I've got some miles on them.
The tongue is sewn up both sides, so that's one less entry point for dirt/debris when running off road. And there's no heel counter at all, which is good.
I was sold. At $80 before tax, they slip in nicely at the bottom of the price range for the "more minimal" running shoes. My wife's first choice of color was out in my size, so I went with the charcoal grey with orange midsole color combination. There was also cobalt/white, red/white, black/white, blue/black (my wife's first choice), and light grey/white. The only color combination I didn't see was the yellow/black that I posted earlier.
Oh, and each pair comes with two sets of laces so you can match either color on the shoe.
I mentioned to the salesperson that I really wasn't expecting them to have the shoes because of the availability date I'd been given. He was surprised, and said they'd had them for some three weeks already. Apparently they're part of a select few store in the nation that are in the test market.
My maiden voyage in them will likely be tomorrow, as today is slated for a bike ride.
As we made our way to the car, I remarked at how my wife understood my running shoe obsession. Her reply? "It's not so much that I understand it, just that I accept and encourage it."
Yup, that's love.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Dawn of the Dead Dash
I'll get back to that later.
First, my wife and I decided to spend our Halloween a little differently this year. Instead of staying home and handing out candy (or going out with my daughter while she collected variations of the SAME candy from the neighborhood), we went into Tacoma dressed as zombies to do the Dawn of the Dead Dash.
It sounded like a lot of fun -- run a 5K at night through an urban area, with a loosely defined "course", checking in at a few must-stop check points to get a card punched, all while avoiding getting tagged by a various and growing "zombie horde" along the way. Almost like an adult version of tag, except that when you tagged some one and they became "it", you were still "it".
Seems simple enough. The zombies weren't to be released until 10 minutes after the start, we weren't required to follow the most direct course (it's an urban scramble, after all)...
It tuned into the biggest disappointment of the year for us. Basically, if you read the website, just turn everything on it upside down and you'd have what the event actually was.
But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. We got our zombie get-ups done, and left the house before even the first kid came to the door begging for "trick or treat" (smell my feet). We left a large bowl of candy outside the door, and the front lights on. Getting to the race site at about 6:20, we waited in the car 'til 6:30 for the 7:00 start.
We got checked in, got our punch cards (complete with our thumb print -- I joked that it was so they could identify the body, should some whacko decide we were REAL zombies and shoot us in the head), got course maps, programmed in the checkpoints into our cell phones, and waited. And waited. Then we went outside and waited. And waited some more.
Start line instructions... Once you were tagged, you surrendered your glow stick necklace to the one who tagged you, and then your "only" job was to tag as many people as you could and collect their glow stick necklaces. Oh, but you still had to hit all the checkpoints. Are we seeing a problem yet? Oh, and we had to obey all traffic laws.
The actual start was around 7:35, which in itself wasn't SO bad, as they had over 100 people register at the event. Didn't help that they didn't even open up registration until 6:40. Anyway, the first checkpoint was only .2 miles into the course. Since the zombies weren't going to be released for another 10 minutes, we could get there and punched and be on our way safely.
And this is where things started to really fall apart. Just past half-way to the first checkpoint, I saw people sprinting into the street, crossing the road in front of cars. Yup, the first zombie had appeared at the only point of the course where you had nowhere to go (except the road). We managed to get by this first one, and dodge another just into the checkpoint, which was a major bottle neck (as I knew it would be). As we left this checkpoint, my wife was tagged immediately. She told me to go on ahead.
I had one guy whip me with his glow stick and declare me tagged. I just kept running. A couple blocks later, two guys split and covered the entire way. I tried to rush them, but still got tagged. Oh well. I handed over my necklace and looked around. Not many people around me, and they'd all been tagged already. So I knew my "job" was pointless, and just ran anyway. At least I could get a nice fast run in tonight.
Most of the people then had no idea where they were going. One guy saw my phone and decided to follow me. Unfortunately (for him) it didn't last long as I left him behind.
Checkpoint two, and I had to tell two other people I'd already been tagged.
Checkpoint three was an out-and-back that would have made ambush all but a certainty.
Checkpoint four was along a waterfront trail, again ambush would have been easy, had there been any one else nearby.
The fifth and final checkpoint was on a hill. A steep hill. A reduce-your-pace-to-almost-walking hill. And it was surrounded by about 8 zombies. One of whom tagged me in the stomach with a big bloody handprint. I almost turned around and gave her a good "tag" myself, as it was clear that the event was meant to insure no one made it through the course "alive".
The last half-mile continued up the same (eternal) hill, then turned a corner and finished where we started.
In the "first after-race party" we were treated to a beer (which I gave to my wife -- I hate beer), and the RD was there at the tap. We discussed some of the issues we had with the event, and I'm not so sure any of it soaked in. He had a "well, we had to..." for everything. Partially, I don't think he had a clue. But the highlight of the evening was seeing Jesus (Nathan) drinking a beer. Apparently he's done several events dressed this way, including Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash. He had to be fast to keep warm last night.
All the way home, we were discussing the event. I think almost the entire race budget was spent on the website, which is actually quite well done.
This event could have been a lot of fun. If any one there is listening, try this: Actually use the rules that you publish. And maybe only have your "staff" zombies out on the course, and not make it into an ever-increasing horde. Make it at least possible that one could make it to the finish line "alive".
Oh, and that bowl of candy that we put out before we left? My wife and I made a bet about it on the way home. I figured that it wouldn't even be there. She said it would, and would still have candy in it (I figured the candy wouldn't last 5 minutes). So the break-point was whether the bowl was there, even if it was empty. And the loser makes dinner tonight.
I'm making dinner tonight. What's with kids these days?