Dave Delucchi, Rick Ferrell, and I all had motivation to start the year with this classic. Rick's done this race nearly every year for the past 20 years. But this year was special because he's just coming back from double meniscus tear surgeries in the past 15 months. He wanted to test his improved running form training on a demanding 10K course with plenty of past times to compare to. For Dave, he's put great focus on meticulous training this past year, planning to emphasize running over triathlon in 2011. Watching him at the Santa Cruz Track Club workout last Wednesday, it was hard for me to find any flaws in his form, he's fine-tuning from a pretty high level. For me, of course I'm still on the long road back from 10 years ('97-'07) of hardly being able to walk. 3 1/2 years now since my cementless hip resurfacing. My running form has come a long way, but still has a long ways to go. It's encouraging, actually, to discuss the complexities of running form with Dave, who's been very good about mentoring me on these issues that he too has been learning and incorporating. Encouraging, because I realize there is so much more that I can do to bring a natural and efficient form to my adventures on road and trail.
So, the fun started on New Year's Eve, as the Marin North Face Half Marathon team collected at Dave and Diane's for a night of socializing and movie watching to bring in '11. The partying went on past the usual 10pm Delucchi bedtime.... 2:30am! Yikes, that, and too many (delicious) brownies and stout ale, sushi, chips 'n salsa, more brownies... and I had a very tough time sleeping. Got about an hour of light sleep is all, when Dave jostled me awake at 7:15am; 15 minutes before Rick arrived to ferry us to Carmel. Raining, Dave and I pondered what to wear in a 10K downpour...
Driving down, Rick explains the leg bone is connected to the thigh bone and that's why his shoulder stoops when he runs, or something like that. |
Would it be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for Dave and Ferrell? At least the rain stopped |
Put the darn camera down, Nolthenius, we've got to get our race numbers |
Pre-race stretch of those psoases. |
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Poke the pin through the shirt, not the stomach, Rick |
Delucchi was the only one to actually like, read the instructions?, on affixing the chip. Ferrell and I just stuffed it into our laces. |
Still reading. But the bottom line is, he got it right. Me, I'm too busy taking this bogus picture. |
We begin the race by chasing the rainbow |
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A welcome downhill through the quiet streets of Carmel |
The course along the beach was beautiful (the background, I mean) |
Dave had a fast race, and was kind enough to double back and accompany me in for the last mile, getting some nice pictures |
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Major reconstruction is underway on my running form, so don't be alarmed |
Dave had a great race- 41:17 - taking 14th overall and 6th out of 56 in a tough age group. Rick did well too, 46:00 43rd place overall and 7th of 76 in our age group, which was excellent on a tough hilly course less than a year after two knee surgeries. I was just looking for improvement, which I got: 67:30 and 62nd out of 76 in my age group and 327 out of 452 overall. Although this course was much tougher and slightly longer than the flat Turkey Trot in November, I was 9 minutes faster. |
Buzz directed and timed the race - thanks Buzz, for the comps! There was some trouble with chip timing Ferrell and I who - alas - did NOT read the instructions on those chips. Buzz was a pro and sorted it all out for us. |
Race Results, from Buzz's company, by Age Group, and Overall.
