Race Report: Tulip Run 5M

Sorry to hear that things have not been good for you.... and my condolences on your loss. As far as
the race goes, remember that stress of any kind can really suck the life out of what might have been
a good race performance. it was commendable that you even got out there to do the run anyway. it
probably did you some good... on some level. at least you were well enough to notice the Betties 🙂
Better luck next time.

BTW, that's still a decent time for 5 miles. that's about what i'd do on an excellent day, so if
that's how you fare on a BAD day.... man.

hang in there,

Cam

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Citizen Ted) said:

Last week was the worst week of my life. I buried my beloved mother, then contracted a nasty
flu. Since I've been far too busy coughing up phlegm and sneezing, I haven't been running at
all. Last Thursday I ran with my beginner students, an easy 20 minutes followed with some
strength moves. That's the only running I've done in the last 10 days.

But today was the Tulip Run, a popular race that I've run many times. The course is located
on my regular Lunch Run trails, so I feel I have a home court advantage there. It didn't
help.

Here's the stats:

Weather: cool, misty/rainy 45F Terrain: street and gravel trail Officiating: well-administered
and officiated, clear mile markers, fast registration, cheerful staff. Kudos to Skagit Runners.
Field: about 2000. Fashion: low budget. No Trixies or Chads. Dogs: a few puppies jumping around.
Very cute. Food: bananas, Nilla wafers, Krispy Kreme donuts, Cheeto's, Oreos and the most
godawful "Energy Drink" [censored] I've ever tasted. Hot Betties: LOTS. Many trim, healthy lassies.
Much flirting ensued.

I discovered today that without good training, I tend to suck the hairy goat ass. I thought
that maybe all my energy would be fresh and that I'd run well after my long rest. I was
wrong.

Mile 1 was a sloppy game of Dodge the Plodders. I passed the mile marker in 7:22. Mile 2
whizzed by a bit better at 14:30. Miles 3 and 4 found me floundering. I was coughing up
little yellow slugs and had to step up my breathing cadence beyond my usual 7min/mi 2-2 race
breathing pace. I caught myself looking down and feeling fatigued. I couldn't get into my
"zone" and began slowing around turns in the forest.

The last mile, which I've run a zillion times during lunch, saw little improvement. I just
couldn't get focused and I couldn't find the effort. This is a stretch of gravel that I
usually whip through on my lunch runs, but even though it was shortened into my last mile
(rather than my last 2 miles), I just couldn't get myself to excel.

I passed the clock in 38:27.

I have been shooting for a sub-37 min Tulip Run for months. This race was important to me,
but I just couldn't rise above this damnable chest cold.

It's still a huge improvement over my pathetic 50:11 last year, before I started training in
earnest. Typical newbie speed gain, but still something to be proud of, I guess.

Oh, well. I have an entire year to shave 90 seconds off my 5 mile time, so I guess my
training regimen is realistic.

I'll get 'em next time.

- TR
- feeling like [censored].

Quoted message said:

I tend to suck
the hairy goat ass.

Bill R.

=============> - -- - (_!_)
OO

Citizen Ted said:

Last week was the worst week of my life. I buried my beloved mother, then contracted a nasty
flu. Since I've been far too busy coughing up phlegm and sneezing, I haven't been running at
all. Last Thursday I ran with my beginner students, an easy 20 minutes followed with some
strength moves. That's the only running I've done in the last 10 days.

But today was the Tulip Run, a popular race that I've run many times. The course is located
on my regular Lunch Run trails, so I feel I have a home court advantage there. It didn't
help.

[]

Quoted message said:

I passed the clock in 38:27.

I have been shooting for a sub-37 min Tulip Run for months. This race was important to me,
but I just couldn't rise above this damnable chest cold.

It's still a huge improvement over my pathetic 50:11 last year, before I started training in
earnest. Typical newbie speed gain, but still something to be proud of, I guess.

Oh, well. I have an entire year to shave 90 seconds off my 5 mile time, so I guess my
training regimen is realistic.

I'll get 'em next time.

- TR
- feeling like [censored].

Don't beat yourself up, that was a great run. Given that you were recovering from illness that was a
GREAT run.

And my sympathy about your mother also. I know the experience.

--
Ed Prochak running faqs.orgrunning faqOpen ↗ netiquette psg.comemily.htmlOpen ↗
--
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the
difference." robert frost

"Citizen Ted" <[email hidden]> wrote...

Quoted message said:

I have been shooting for a sub-37 min Tulip Run for months. This race was important to me, but I
just couldn't rise above this damnable chest cold.

Sorry to hear about your terrible week; my thoughts are with you.

But, Ted, how about: you decided to run, and you managed to finish, and for your circumstances, that
is quite an accomplishment. You can't expect to PR under whatever circumstances, and I think for
your situation, you ran a goddamn good race. I, for one, am very impressed. I mean I woulda stayed
home in bed.

get better soon. nina

I know this wasn't from you Edjew, but I just spotted it in your post quotes.

Quoted message said:

I passed the clock in 38:27.

Oh my god! Passing a clock must've hurt like hell, so 38 minutes isn't bad. The big question is how
did you swallow a clock in the first place? Was it a Timex, and was it still ticking after taking a
lic... a splash? You should write them, I'd betr they'd like to hear about it, and might even make
it into a commercial.

Bill R.

=============> - -- - (_!_)
OO

"Citizen Ted" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

'Tis the fate of most of us to outlive our parents. And, as a parent, I hope and pray I don't live
long enough to bury either of my kids. I'm sure your mother felt the same way. Nevertheless, you
have my sympathy.

Didn't anyone ever tell you that running when you're coughing up yellow stuff is unlikely to shorten
the duration of your illness, to say nothing of helping you to a distinctly sub-optimal race
performance? Ted, you'd have split your sides laughing at someone who did this three years ago, yet
now you get sucked into racing when you're ill. Once again, you demonstrate your somewhat addictive
tendencies.

Roger.

Commiserations on your loss, congratulations on your run.

Citizen Ted said:

Last week was the worst week of my life. I buried my beloved mother, then contracted a
nasty flu. Since I've been far too busy coughing up phlegm and sneezing, I haven't been
running at all. Last Thursday I ran with my beginner students, an easy 20 minutes followed
with some strength moves. That's the only running I've done in the last 10 days.

But today was the Tulip Run, a popular race that I've run many times. The course is
located on my regular Lunch Run trails, so I feel I have a home court advantage there. It
didn't help.

Here's the stats:

Weather: cool, misty/rainy 45F Terrain: street and gravel trail Officiating: well-administered
and officiated, clear mile markers, fast registration, cheerful staff. Kudos to Skagit Runners.
Field: about 2000. Fashion: low budget. No Trixies or Chads. Dogs: a few puppies jumping around.
Very cute. Food: bananas, Nilla wafers, Krispy Kreme donuts, Cheeto's, Oreos and the most
godawful "Energy Drink" [censored] I've ever tasted. Hot Betties: LOTS. Many trim, healthy lassies.
Much flirting ensued.

I discovered today that without good training, I tend to suck the hairy goat ass. I
thought that maybe all my energy would be fresh and that I'd run well after my long rest.
I was wrong.

Mile 1 was a sloppy game of Dodge the Plodders. I passed the mile marker in 7:22. Mile 2
whizzed by a bit better at 14:30. Miles 3 and 4 found me floundering. I was coughing up
little yellow slugs and had to step up my breathing cadence beyond my usual 7min/mi 2-2
race breathing pace. I caught myself looking down and feeling fatigued. I couldn't get
into my "zone" and began slowing around turns in the forest.

The last mile, which I've run a zillion times during lunch, saw little improvement. I just
couldn't get focused and I couldn't find the effort. This is a stretch of gravel that I
usually whip through on my lunch runs, but even though it was shortened into my last mile
(rather than my last 2 miles), I just couldn't get myself to excel.

I passed the clock in 38:27.

I have been shooting for a sub-37 min Tulip Run for months. This race was important to me,
but I just couldn't rise above this damnable chest cold.

It's still a huge improvement over my pathetic 50:11 last year, before I started training
in earnest. Typical newbie speed gain, but still something to be proud of, I guess.

Oh, well. I have an entire year to shave 90 seconds off my 5 mile time, so I guess my
training regimen is realistic.

I'll get 'em next time.

- TR
- feeling like [censored].

Roger Hunter said:

"Citizen Ted" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

'Tis the fate of most of us to outlive our parents. And, as a parent, I hope and pray I don't live
long enough to bury either of my kids. I'm sure your mother felt the same way. Nevertheless, you
have my sympathy.

Thanks, RH. Being a doc, I'm sure you've seen a mill of death or two. Having been a
gravedigger in my youth, I've seen some, too. Ain't pretty.

Quoted message said:

Didn't anyone ever tell you that running when you're coughing up yellow stuff is unlikely to
shorten the duration of your illness, to say nothing of helping you to a distinctly sub-optimal
race performance? Ted, you'd have split your sides laughing at someone who did this three years
ago, yet now you get sucked into racing when you're ill. Once again, you demonstrate your somewhat
addictive tendencies.

Yes, I am an addictive personality. And I'm sure most runners here stupidly run through
injuries and illness because they just can't take a break from their daily endorphin rush
- they're addicts, too. While I have railed about that kind of stupidity here in this
forum, I'd like to defend myself by stating that I *did* take a 10-day break from running,
and the only symptom I had left from my cold was a bit of lung butter. Other than that, my
head was clear and I felt OK overall. Today, I'm just about fully recovered. I can take
deep breaths without causing a rustle of gunk to fire forth from my trachea. I'm ready to
return to my trails.

- TR
- better.

In article (Citizen Ted) said:

Last week was the worst week of my life. I buried my beloved mother, then contracted a nasty
flu. Since I've been far too busy coughing up phlegm and sneezing, I haven't been running at
all. Last Thursday I ran with my beginner students, an easy 20 minutes followed with some
strength moves. That's the only running I've done in the last 10 days.

But today was the Tulip Run, a popular race that I've run many times. The course is located
on my regular Lunch Run trails, so I feel I have a home court advantage there. It didn't
help.

I passed the clock in 38:27.

It's still a huge improvement over my pathetic 50:11 last year, before I started training in
earnest. Typical newbie speed gain, but still something to be proud of, I guess.

I'll get 'em next time.

- TR

Yep, you will. You can't really expect to do your best coughing up slimeballs. But still was one
huge improvement over last year, so I'm sure you'll make goal next time with your health intact. So
sorry to hear about your mother, that's a huge load of stress to have to bear. Concentrate on
getting well, and I know you'll reach goal next race!

Teresa in AZ

(Teresa Plymate) said:

Yep, you will. You can't really expect to do your best coughing up slimeballs. But still was one
huge improvement over last year, so I'm sure you'll make goal next time with your health intact. So
sorry to hear about your mother, that's a huge load of stress to have to bear. Concentrate on
getting well, and I know you'll reach goal next race!

Thanks, Teresa.

And thanks to everyone else - even Roger - for the words of encouragement. I'm healthy now
and plan to return to my training schedule. Tomorrow is a 6 mile Lunch Run with the fast guy
in Marketing (almost as fast as me!). Wednesday is speed training with the running club on
the track. I'll take an easy 3 miles on Thursday, take Friday off for drinking and
misbehaving, then do an LSD on Saturday.

Spring has sprung here in Bellingham, and the trail running is prime. I'm almost dreading
the dog days of summer, even though they aren't that bad up here. May sound crazy, but I
will soon be pining away for the wet, windy days of last winter. I pushed hard and, despite
the weather, ran 5 days a week and made huge improvements.

- TR
- rainy days and Mondays never get me down.

"Citizen Ted" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm sure you've seen a mill of death or two. Having been a gravedigger in my youth, I've seen
some, too. Ain't pretty.

No, it isn't. I've always felt that as part of our societies coming-of-age ritual we should be taken
to a hospital and exposed to the realities of death. I'm not suggesting we stand by and watch
*exactly* what happens when you turn off a life support system, merely that we observe and 'be
there' when someone leaves this life. I've never known anyone NOT to be profoundly changed by this
experience, and as we're all going to pass this way it makes sense to witness the event. It sure as
hell changes your ideas on how you'll spend the years before it's your turn.

On a more cheerful note, glad to hear you're fully recovered. Run, Ted, run.

Roger.