Tbone Runs's Weblog

Al Baldock is gone but not forgotten

tboneruns — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:00:53 +0000

Coach Baldock Died this past September at the age of 79, it is said that your life’s success is measured by the number of people that attend your funeral, I would say that it is measured by the number of people you touch along the way. Al Baldock was a pivotal person in my life and many other lives both a player and as a person. He was taking young adults, boys really and making them into men, not just men, quality men. How do you put into words the impact someone has had on you when so many of those qualities were unknown to you at the time.

The things I remember most about him was his unwavering attention to detail, being accountable for your actions (he would say carry yourself like your mother or your priest is watching you all the time) and being able to reconcile the roles of coach, mentor, father figure (for those who needed it) and role model. He was a great man and was essential in my development as a person. I thank him for supporting me, for leading us in the right direction and for being the person he was.

I am sad because I just found out the news yesterday; my heart goes out to those he left behind. I am also happy to have known him and to know that he had a positive impact on me and so many others.

Never ask a runner how they are doing…

tboneruns — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:18:32 +0000

Stop me if you have heard this one; really, it is an old joke. Never ask a runner how they are doing (drum roll), because they will tell you (rim shot, queue laughter from the audience). Interesting punch line I guess, but true. Ask a runner how they are doing; the topic goes in one of two directions and more than likely in both, first injuries, second training. Our running guru/coach expects to hear both when he asks, every once in a while I’ll throw in something none running related to throw him off. It’s like watching a fish out of water, kind of fun in a demented way, but I digress.

My running clan is genuinely interested in how I am doing (not really a surprise, they are good people). They actually check up on me if I am gone from a regular run to see how I am doing. Very cool, it’s like having a whole group of mothers and fathers who understand what it is like to train and what can happen during any given cycle. I had a tooth pulled a few weeks ago and haven’t had the easiest time recovering from it. It was a pretty evasive experience lots of pain, lots of pain pills and a host of complications, but I am starting to feel like me again; the pain is gone, the desire to get up early and run in the dark cold weather with my friends is coming back strong and I am getting optimistic about my near term race schedule. OK not really optimistic, but at least thinking about it in terms of not wanting to skip it altogether.

2 Years

tboneruns — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:28:24 +0000

A few years ago some friends and I had just finished a flurry of different marathons and had done our post recovery work, looking forward to the next adventure our running lives would bring us. We decided to run together on our mid-week long run, 12-17 miles alone on a cold dark morning is sometimes just no fun at all. Me, Kristin, Brooke and Tamara met at a local school on the border of Hope Ranch to run a route that a friend of ours had taken us on a month earlier on a long Saturday recovery run. In one word hills, in two words more hills.

The suggestion of running a mid week long hilly run appealed to us in a strange way, none of us had really been running hills, we had all heard about the benefits of running hills, so we rolled the dice. Those first days were tough; we stuck to it, got stronger, faster and closer.

Since those early days our group has grown in size and diversity, we have made many new friends, have re-kindled old friendships and have laughed and suffered together. The group looks forward to that run just as much as our Tuesday track work or our Saturday long tempo run, it is a chance to get together and chat, gossip, plan race strategies, swap recipes or seek advice about all things human or running. We have formed bonds that will last a lifetime.

Our two year anniversary just past recently, another milestone we have hit and will surpass as we have done like so many other things…together.

Rain

tboneruns — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:18:56 +0000

Running in the rain is extremely liberating; the feel of the rain drops dancing on your skin, the crispness in the air, the sense that you are alone even in a crowded environment. It is that time of year again in Santa Barbara, what passes for winter, 40 degree weather and rain (less often than not). It is a chance to get my feet wet, my mind clear and awaken my sense of purpose. A chance to feel the magic of mother nature.

I haven’t been here in a while, writting I mean. My purpose is renewed.

When training is not training

tboneruns — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:16:48 +0000

You might think it is when you “love” something…ya know like when someone says that they love there job so it doesn’t feel like work at all. I used to feel that way but that is a topic for another time. It is when you lose focus on your objectives and you slack off on the miles you are running.

Here’s my point. I have a specific goal in mind for this year, that is to get faster. That is to get faster and sustain the speed at which I am running. All of my races last year were massive personal records. Some would say that I am near my capacity for speed. I on the other hand feel like I still havea lot of room to drop my times. Realistically I think I can run under 21 minute 5K (which for me is fast). But there in lies the problem, I am working it out, but not pushing hard like I have for the past few years. I’m slacking big time.

I’m running but I’m not pushing hard.

It is beginng to worry me some.

And the winner is…

tboneruns — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:53:10 +0000

Well, not me but I feel like one for more than just showing up. December 7^th 2008 marks a turning point in my evolution as a runner. The day will be remembered far and wide as the day that I broke the four hour barrier on my way to a personal best time of 3 hours 48 minutes in the marathon. OK, ok, I guess I will share the day with the Pearl Harbor bombing, but it was really my day. For me it was akin to my first marathon, a trial of discovery and a new heightened awareness of all of me.

As a runner I have been humbled by the long run. I have been humbled by the old guy trotting by me as I furiously try to run “fast”. I have been humbled by the grace and beauty of so many women, young and old that have bounded by me as I am unable to look my best (suck in the gut, breath slow, look cool), I have been humbled by my lack of race IQ and too much ego (not a good mix).

For this race I truly wanted to succeed in my goals. Our running Zen master and coach Rusty Snow and I agreed (translation he told me) that my goal should not be to do anything but break 4 hours. He would say “you have not yet broken the wall, you need to do this first in order to set a new goal” or something similar to that, it’s the fortune cookie wisdom thing he does. “grasshopper you can only truly see the light when the light switch is turned on” I said to myself in my best attempt at a Chinese accent.

Zen master Snow repeated his mantra at every opportunity until I myself was repeating it, much to the surprise of my close running pals (they know me too well, I’m the one with insanely, outrageous expectations and a love of beating my head against the endless wall of pain and suffering that marathon brings). When anyone would ask what my goal time for the race would be I would repeat like it was coming from a little whisper on the breeze from my mentor “my goal is to break four hours”. My running pals would all say that “you can do that now, the race should be a breeze” or something more poetic such as “Wow, you’re really sticking to your story”. I wanted to believe, I needed to believe, but was it possible?

It sounds ridiculous but after having not done it and knowing it was possible, I was a bit nervous. What would be my reason this time? My knee was giving me issues, my foot was in disarray, my body did not feel recovered. I felt unfocused and rushed on my trip to Sacramento for the race. But in my ear I could hear Rusty say as he did numerous times during my training that he was “excited” for me, yes he used the “E” word. Was this my race? The one I had been preparing for? Or was it going to be another failure to go the distance?

The race itself was a blur for me. I remember a few things vividly, the cold crisp air at the start and seeing throngs of people. I remember my good friend and pace pal Tamara and I working our way through the mass of people. I remember running by a guy at 11 and him declaring out loud that he would see me later. What a bold statement to make! That is not something polite runner’s do, that is a statement that egotistical runner’s do. My response, I slowed down looked at him, smiled and said “not today, it is my day and I am a machine” then I dropped him like a bad habit (the ego felt good right then). I remember seeing my wife at 13 with a sign proclaiming her love for me, dropping Tamara at 15 seeing the 3:50 pace group at 18 and passing them just before 20. I remember hitting 21-23 at 8:20 or faster and feeling like I could run that pace the rest of the way. I remember the pain in my knee that grow from a slight distraction at mile 4 to a ragging, mind numbing, stride altering all consuming race focus losing limp by mile 24. I remember being passed by the 3:50 pace group at 25 and shortly their after the cute blonde in the yellow shorts that I focused on staying with until the finish. I remember choking back tears at the mile markers as they flew by. I remember putting to rest old ideas, old memories and looking forward to my next running me journey. But most of all I remember the same feeling of accomplishment that I felt when I crossed the finish line the first time I ran one.

Runner me is far from complete, just like writer me, dad me and husband me. But I’ve hit the next milestone and have the momentum to carry me forward to the next one. My ego won’t let me signoff without telling you that I finished in the top third of all runners and 18^th in my division. Who knows if I listen and work hard what may come of it. At the very least I will have stories to tell.

Yes I have finally made it…

tboneruns — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:50:46 +0000

10+ years of running and I can finally call myself a runner or at least part of me. Recently I was running and I got a pain in my right knee. It was a strange sensation to me since I have rock solid knees. I hobbled to my car certain that I had some awful career ending injury sustained running endless miles. In my mind I was looking forward to this badge of honor…the guy who had to give up running because he wore out his parts.

Tough guy came to mind when I would tell the story of my untimely demise, a cane in one hand and me patting myself on the back with the other. The sheer sorrow my compadres would greet me with when they saw me around town, the sobs, the hugs, the memories of good times embellished and retold over and over again. Yeah it was going to be great, my post running life as a local folk hero, a symbol for all to behold.

As short lived as my post running life was it was sweet. I talked to my mentors, explained my precarious predicament fully expecting to hear the awful truth that I would never ever be able to run again and then they told me the news; I have runner’s knee. A very common aliment among runner’s (by the name who would have guessed)

But, very cloud has a silver lining and mine is this; a part of me is finally a runner (me shouting from the roof top of the very tallest building). I have Runner’s knee! Finally after 10+ years a part of me is actually a runner of some kind. Watch out world I think the next part to go is the big toe on my left foot! If that happens I’m sure that the right toe will follow very quickly, it doesn’t like being left out; then maybe who knows…maybe the entire right foot will join in.

Maybe even someday I’ll be a complete runner, yeah what a legend that will make. The self made runner who did it one body part at a time. Wow I can see it all now, the accolades, the book deal, the talk shows (I wonder if Oprah stills runs marathons). Yeah that will be great. Well enough day dreaming I need to get back to running.

SB Half Marathon 4, Tony 1

tboneruns — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:10:02 +0000

I had the race on my schedule to run as a 13.1 mile long tempo run in training for my up coming marathon in December at Sacramento. I finally beat the course! It was a big boost, I am happy and proud to say that I smoked that course for the first time ever. My time? 1:48. Yeah, a PR of almost 20 minutes on that course, a PR of 5 minutes on the half.

All things considered I have a lot more confidence going into the Marathon in December. My training is still going well, although I am very tired these days. I have run 23 out of the last 24 days. The taper cannot come too soon.

All I need to do now is stay healthy and make it to the race.

Marathon Training is making me nervous

tboneruns — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:10:06 +0000

I am training for the Sacramento International Marathon or CIM December 7^th. I am hoping it will be a day to be remembered for more than just the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My training started 11 weeks ago and it has been the best training cycle I have ever had; no bad days in the bunch. Honest to god, not a bad day yet; I struggle to understand the reason why.

I could be any number of factors; I changed my nutrition and lost 16 pounds (thanks Ilana Katz), or that I added and stuck to a cross training regimen, or it could even be that I am listening more and not brut forcing my way through training. I might even be the combination of the three. But then again it could be just plain good luck.

This weekend I am running a 13.1 mile marathon pace tempo run on very tired legs in our local half marathon. The course and I have never gotten along. My best time is so much slower than it should be. Understandably I am nervous about this latest attempt since it is the only race I will do between now and the Marathon. If I blow up as I usually do on this course what does it mean? Am I somehow an inadequate runner, or is the course inferior. Am I doomed to failure in my marathon?

Anyway those questions will be answered Saturday morning along with a million others for a sea of half marathons hopefuls. I am looking for a strong performance to tell me where I am at with my training and to get some insight into what my marathon may be like. Beyond that it’s all good.

Wish me luck

Age and youth collide

tboneruns — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:51:29 +0000

The other morning I was running along and my mind wandered which it does sometimes on runs. I was reminiscing about a race I had run some time ago and laughing to myself about it. It was the Law Day 5K here in Santa Barbara, it was probably the second or third 5K I had ever run and on this particular day there was a small field for the race. I hadn’t been running very long, but consistently for about 7-8 months so I thought I was in great shape but slow. Back then I was one of those newbie runner’s who decided that”someone older than me should be slower than me”. As we started out I went out too fast and was sucking wind by mile one, this old guy, I mean really old, must have been 90, trots by me without breaking a sweat. I told myself that I wouldn’t let an old man beat me “a young in shape runner” in this race. After all I was young he was old, I was in “great” shape and he was old, I was well, I was me and he was OLD darn it!

So I started running harder. Mile two flew by although I didn’t notice it because by then my heart was pounding so hard that it was blurring my vision, I was sweating so profusely that I literally was creating my own rain storm (for the folks behind me anyway, gross I know) and on my right side this old guy comes trotting by…again… not breaking a sweat or his stride, just focused on the run.

I was consumed by besting my opponent…even though I’m sure he never knew. My rival on the road was about to be road kill I told myself. We hit the bike path, I straightened up stiff and ran harder, arms pumping, legs churning, heart pounding. I felt glorious, I felt victorious as I pulled away from him yet again. Yeah, I’m the man, less than a mile to go; surely he can’t catch me now I thought. I can’t hear his foot steps behind me, but over the pounding of my heart in my ears I couldn’t heard anything anyway.

I can see the finish line “almost there” I thought, I look to my right he’s not there, I look left, and he’s right next to me… again…trotting along, not breaking a sweat or his stride. I had nothing left…only 50 yards to the right turn then the finish line. We hit the turn in unison; I turn right he keeps going straight. Wait he went straight not right what does that mean? Am I running the right course? No matter I’m in the lead I think. I push hard to the finish pump my arms as I cross the finish line, and then quickly double over to catch my breath; looking around for the paramedics, I must be close to dying. When my vision came back and my heart stopped pounding I began looking for my worthy opponent in the crowd, I see faces but not his. I spy him on the bike path heading back towards us, he must have recognized his folly, and I will console him…after all I am the victor. Then I notice he is not wearing a race number!

I was so weary, beat and embarrassed after that race I didn’t stay for the food, the camaraderie or the medals. A short time later a friend of mine dropped by my house and gave me a medal. Turns out I won second place in my age group. I owe it all the 90 year old man, wherever you are thank you.