Jimmy Freeman Pre-Badwater

Observe Jimmy Freeman, briefly, here and there in the official Badwater video, 10 AM (Monday) start. Watch for a tall, smiling fellow in a yellow Coyote runners shirt at :10, 3:53, 7:14, and 8:40. Note: He finished 16th overall and held off two other runners at the finish. Impressive, I think.

via AdventureCORPS

Jimmy Freeman Nails Badwater

And that's that. Congrats to Jimmy Dean Freeman, Badwater finisher.

And more than that: 16th overall and Jimmy held off three other runners at the finish, beating one by 4 seconds and another by 10. A-maze-ing.

Freeman at Badwater

While we slept Jimmy Dean Freeman was running the Badwater Ultra-Marathon, starting from the floor of Death Valley and ending at the portals of Mount Whitney: 135 miles. He's been running since 10:00 AM yesterday. In just under 22 hours, he's covered 90 miles. An outstanding feat from a man who is never dull.

Meanwhile, I wrote all day, had supper, arose after 7 hours of sleep, ran 3 miles, and had breakfast. But no awards are given for these things. (Though I am pretty darn happy to run 3 miles in whatever time it takes.)

Another July 4 5K

Back in business as I finished the Santa Clarita 5K this morning. Unlike 2007, the day was perfect, cool with cloud cover until well after the finish.

Part of Chi Running involves keeping cadence with a metronome. Running uphill, I shorten my stride; downhill I lengthen it out behind me; and to speed up on the flats, I lean forward from my ankles ala a ski jumper only not so extreme or I would be badly hurt in a different way.

But the cadence is always the same.

I really noticed this going uphill today. My heart rate didn't spike, my breath stayed constant and I steadily passed huffing runners.

My goal was to have a fun, injury-free race, though I did pick it up on the last straightaway to the finish line. An old guy passed me. I am an old guy, but this runner made me look like Justin Beiber. (If Justin's nose was all funny from skin cancer.) I leaned from the ankles, sped up and passed him. The old codger put on the gas and passed me again. Leaning further, I sped up, dropped the codger, passed a teenage girl and finished in an unofficial time of 29:37. (Santa Clarita is old school - tear the tag off your race bib and hand it to the kid at the end of the chute.)

In an interesting decision, the race directors choose not to display mile signs or have anyone calling out splits. I guess they figured its a 5K, not Boston. ("Next thing ya know, they'll want race videos.") However, they made up for it with a nice technical tee-shirt in a color I don't have.

Oddly enough, the 2007 event was my first race back after tearing a calf muscle that spring. Santa Clarita appears to be my rehab 5K of choice.

An enjoyable run that showed me the potential of chi running. More importantly, no pain or soreness in my knee.

Happy July 4th to all! Cook! Blow something up! Sleep in! The Founding Fathers would've done all those things, but John Adams yelled at them so they declared Independence instead.

My Own Private Badwater

Jimmy Freeman prepares to run the real thing July 12 to 14 - 135 miles from the floor of Death Valley to Mount Whitney across terrain the temperature and contour of the planet Mercury.

Meanwhile I will be running a 5k in Santa Clarita. All things are relative and this is a big deal for a guy who wasn't supposed to run anymore. I'm still trying to master this Chi running stuff and have advanced to the point where I can pass people tying their shoes or eating a snack. My Sunday goal is a fun run without injury, plus a technical tee-shirt in my goodie bag. I think free Smoothies afterward, but that may be wishful thinking.

SD Marathoners Run Away!

That's what they're doing right now: Ernesto, Emil, Rouman, C.J., Mindy, Caroline, Lindsey, aided by coaches Dave, Karla, Chris, Elizabeth and walk coach extraordinaire Kim Possible. They're running away at the new and improved San Diego Marathon. Adding a half-marathon (for the general public) and changing the course to end at Sea World has pumped up race attendance by thousands. Best of luck to all and here's hoping the marine layer lasts 'till afternoon.

Link to Race Time Weather Woes

Alas, the weather had the final word at Emil's most recent marathon.

Cheruiyots of Fire

Speaking of running, the 114th Boston Marathon wrapped up with Kenyan (really?) Robert Cheruiyot finishing in a course record 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 52 seconds. Americans Ryan Hall and Meb Keflezighi ran 4th and 5th. Woman's champ Teyba Erkesso edged a Russki dame to finish in 2:26:11. Top Yank Female was Paige Higgins, finishing in 13th place.

Congrats to all who trained, qualified and ran. Huzzah to you, I say.

UPDATE: Biggest cause of marathon injuries: Bad Gatorade? Cheerleader mayhem? CNN has the big surprise.

5Ks All Day

Emil gives the run-down on Carlsbad.

Breaking Down

Emil finds his running limits.

Link to TNT Spring Team Photos

Coach Kiley's marathon tribute.

Link to LA Marathon Race Report

Emil details his bum luck at yesterday's marathon.

LA Marathon Notes

Team in Training assistant coach Elizabeth Thomen ran 5:00:13, just missing a sub-5 hour marathon. (I volunteered to get better by 2011 and run her in the last three miles.) Ernesto slogged in around 7 hours, hanging out with an injured rookie marathoner. Former TNT coach Kate Freeman zipped home in 3 hours and 23 minutes, finishing her first marathon in almost a year. Emil, "Race Machine" Cheng hobbled in at 5 hours and 18 minutes. Many others ran and walked today. Kiley Akers coached. Congrats to all!

Marathon News: Courage, Ernesto!

Struggling along between miles 15 and 18, way under pace with the toughest stretch ahead. (Physically and psychologically.) Send him a visualization of a cold beer, beckoning him across the finish line with a trollop's smile.

Link to Jimmy Freeman Running Interview

My former TNT coach, Jimmy Dean Freeman, clocks some face time on the news talking his passions: running and eating.
h/t: Jimmy Dean Freeman via Facebook

LA Marathon Race Expo

I accompanied Ernesto to the LA Marathon Expo at Dodger Stadium so he could grab his bib and goodie bag for this Sunday's race. Goodie bag pickup was a crush of humanity, but Ernesto wove through the crowd, spotting a short line. Going to a marathon expo when you can't run is like visiting your old high school - awash with memories but you're an outsider, especially if you show up at gym class. Afterward, we swung by the Team in Training booth to chat with our former teammates, and blood cancer survivors extraordinaire, Van and Virginia. Apparently, the streets reopen after six hours and anyone slower than a 13 min. per mile pace will be shunted onto the sidewalks and required to obey all traffic signals, even the ones they disagree with. And while the finish line stays open for 8 hours, there's a question whether water stations will also close at the 6-hour mark. Sunday promises to be warm and sunny. Slower runners and walkers could find themselves thirsty and adrift, waiting for traffic lights and hoping to finish before they run out of medals. Whatever the outcome, all the best to Sunday's participants. I'll be Tivoing the race avidly.

Kiley Talks Trail

Race report from the San Juan Trail 50K.

In Addition

to the growing list of people I know competing in the rain this weekend, Ernesto ran 16 miles in preparation for the LA Marathon, looming on the running horizon - provided he avoids pneumonia.

Tri and Ultra Marathon

Physical therapist Glenn, who has kneaded me fiercely, braves the stormy elements tomorrow at the UCLA IronBruin triathlon. He likes the short tris — half-mile swim, 12 miles on the bike and a 5K run. Mayhap the current downpour will pass. Good luck Glenn!

Others have no meteorological hope, only today's heavy slanting rain. Kiley Akers battles such elements in the Cleveland National Forest, running 31, elevation-packed miles at the San Juan Trail 50K. As much as I've written about Team in Training, Kiley's written more in this essay, chronicling his journey from recreational runner to TNT coach to ultra-marathoner along with his gains and losses in the fight against blood cancer. A moving account, blending sorrow and hope, heavy on the hope.

Pasadena Marathon Morning

Not for me, but for other, fitter types. Could be rain on the course again this year. Best of luck to all marathon runners and walkers.

Physical therapy yesterday really hurt. I can't swim, row or do certain other exercises until these knots in the lats and pecs are softened up. So I continue my pt homework until the next time I'm kneaded.

Haven't written anything in about three weeks. Zero drive. Looks like Ten-in-Six will end up Eight-in-Six, with one of those a 69 page novelette. I should add up the total number of pages out of sheer bureaucratic curiosity.