Run Tampa

Jingle Bell 5k Plaza Run

Woohoo! This morning's Jingle Bell 5k Plaza Run for the Arthritis Foundation was a huge success. Approximately a thousand runners participated in either the 5k or one of several kids' races. Santa high-fived runners as they crossed the finish line; then everyone retired to Champps for the awards ceremony and an early lunch.

Click here to see many race photos.

St. Pete Times Turkey Trot

Thousands of people gathered in Clearwater yesterday to warm up for their Thanksgiving dinner by racing in the 31st Annual St. Pete Times Turkey Trot. What I like best about this race is seeing so many people decked out in costumes.

There were four events: The Wingding 5k, The 5k Walk/Jog/Stroller Roll, the 1 mi. Gobbler, and the main event the Turkey Trot 10k. Results here.

Clearly, it is an annual Thanksgiving event for many of the families in attendance. Click here to see photos.

Women's Half Marathon & 5k

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of running in the Inaugural Women's Half Marathon in St. Petersburg. Dawna Stone, founder, publisher, and president of Women's Running magazine, really knows how to put on an event. Over 4,000 women participated and a few brave - or very smart - men.

Christa Benton, 25, of St. Petersburg, one of the best known local runners, led the whole way and won the event easily in 1:20:02.

One of the things I liked about this course was that it doubled back on itself in a few places, making it possible for runners to get a quick glimpse of the leaders as they whizzed by.

We started at Albert Whitted Airport. Then the course took us along beautiful waterfront areas. We ran out around The Pier, over the bridge to Coffee Pot Bayou, around Mirror Lake, and eventually into Tropicana Field where we circled the bases before exiting and returning to finish where we began.

The weather was warm but lovely. Most of us had arrived before sunrise, and were rewarded by a spectacular sunrise, just the first of many breathtaking vistas.

Every finisher received a unique medal which had a charm dangling in the center. The charm could be removed to be worn on a bracelet or necklace.

One thing would have made the day better; that would have been if my daughter Wendy could have been running with me, but, she was in Riverview doing the Alafia X-Country Half Marathon, another outstanding race, and one that I have done the past few years. Next year I sure hope they aren't on the same day again because I would want to do both races.

Click the icon in the column to the right to see all the photos, and read the St. Petersburg Times story here.

Watch Out for that Baboon on your Run

In case you haven't heard, a monkey, most likely a baboon, has been spotted in the Citrus Park area of north Tampa several times in the last week.

As reported in the Tribune, a couple of days ago it ran across Lynn Road in front of a car near the Hindu temple, and yesterday it was spotted in the back yard of a man living in Indian Oaks, a neighborhood off Gunn Highway about a quarter mile east of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. Later, it was spotted just west of Sheldon Road.

So, this is not just some monkey tale; lots of different people have seen this creature. The couple that saw it near the temple identified it as a baboon because it had the characteristic large red patch on its back side.

It is possible this is the same monkey that was sited 13 miles away in East Tampa last week. That day a man called authorities when he spotted it high up in a tree. They tried to tell the man it was just a raccoon, but a helicopter soon confirmed that it was, indeed, some kind of monkey. In fact, they took video from the air which I watched on Channel 8 News. They were unable to capture the critter that day, and since that time officials have not been trying to catch it.

Just the same the Jewish Community Center, which backs up to Indian Oaks subdivision, kept their 200 children inside yesterday according to today's Tampa Tribune article.

I just googled baboons. They are omnivores, preferring vegetation; however, they will sometimes eat rodents and young mammals.

So, when you're out training in the next few days, be careful if you spy something furry, it might not be a dog or cat. Indian Oaks is about a quarter mile from the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, but then that's always an exciting place to run when you consider that 250 big cats - I mean like lions and tigers - are living just on the other side of the fence at Big Cat Rescue. They are completely hidden from view and pretty quiet; I've only heard roaring once, and I'm sure they are quite secure, but it's still exciting to know they are nearby.

Personally, as my friends know, I love any and all wildlife sightings when I am out running, but those usually consist of snakes, which I see all the time at Lake Rogers Park, deer, which I've seen at Flatwoods, the resident alligator in the pond along the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, a couple of foxes, and such as that. I would love to get a glimpse of that baboon. That would be a great running story.

Read the full article on TBO.com.

Florida Cities Dangerous for Runners, Walkers

Last week Washington, DC based Transportation for America, released a report that of 52 cities with populations over 1 million, Orlando was ranked #1 and Tampa/St. Pete was #2. Very bad news for runners but certainly no surprise.

The list of the ten most dangerous cities for pedestrians included four Florida cities. Miami was #3 and Jacksonville #4.

Just yesterday a prominent Boston cardiologist Dr. Kenneth Baughman, was struck and killed while running in Orlando. He was crossing a four way intersection at 6 a.m. Baughman was an avid triathlete and runner from Newton, one of the towns along the epic Boston Marathon path.

I don't know if we can put a finger on the reason why Florida is so dangerous for pedestrians, but I don't know any runners who would argue that fact. I experience this danger firsthand when I was hit by a car in the Citrus Park area just two years ago. Amazingly, the woman driving the SUV admitted that she had seen me, but she thought I would stop, despite the fact that she was pulling up to a stop sign on Cain Road, and I had the right of way on Gunn Hwy. As I ran up to the cross street, she looked right at me, approaching on the sidewalk on her right; then she looked to her left, and not seeing any oncoming traffic, proceeded to roll right through the stop sign, striking me. It was terribly frightening, but fortunately she was only rolling. I bounced off the hood, spun a couple of times in the air, and landed on my feet.

Florida has quite a few such dubious distinctions. Too bad.

In recent years I've had the opportunity to spend some time in both Palo Alto, CA, and Boulder, CO. Wow! now those two cities really make it safe for pedestrians. In Boulder, vehicle traffic is pretty much expected to move through the downtown area at idle speed. It is quite clear in both those cities that pedestrians have the right of way, and there is a huge population of happy, safe runners in both cities as well.

Runners in Tampa often run in the street because asphalt is softer than concrete sidewalks, but it's important to remember that those are the most dangerous streets in the country. It's unfortunate, but that's not the point.

Spinning More, Running Faster

Spinning is not exactly my favorite activity, but I am convinced that it's hugely helpful to my running. I absolutely believe that every runner will benefit from adding spinning as a means of cross-training. So, here are the benefits:

• Strengthens ankles, all the muscles, tendons, ligaments, the whole ankle, and it moves them in a natural rotational movement.
• Intense workout, yet easy on the joints when compared to running
• Develops faster cadence (turnover). I had my fastest 5k last summer, a few weeks after adding spinning to my workout regimen.
• Great prep for triathlons (helps to maintain bike fitness)
• Cardio workout (This is as intense as a speed workout; therefore, do not do it on an easy day. Let me say that again. DO NOT do it on an easy running day. Do it before or after your longer run - but not your longest weekly run - or after your speed work.)
• Weather (never a consideration)
• The rider is always completely in control of resistance (Oh, the instructor will tell you when to turn the knob to increase the resistance and how much, but, come on, we all know how to fake a turn. I'm not saying to go easy on yourself, but you are in control, and you never have to push yourself to a level beyond what you think is good for you.)
• Builds strength in all leg muscles (A variety of different hand positions change the angle of effort, but most of all, instructors will have you stand while pedaling for prolonged periods, a great way to build quad strength.)
• Burns LOTS of calories, so great for weight loss
• Builds endurance (Personally, I find running 6 miles in an hour much easier, but that's me. Spinning is intense; it pushes me, and that's always good.)
• Motivational instructor (Visit several different class, and find an instructor you like.)
• Camaraderie of group (It's always a group activity. When you find a class you like, you'll look forward to seeing the same people each week and suffering through - oops, I mean challenging yourselves during class.)
• Low impact, no pounding
• Very safe (Last week I tripped while running outdoors in the dark. That makes me appreciate the safety of spinning. It's hard to fall off that spinning bike, and even if I did, the floor is carpeted. That concrete was hard. I still have the skinned knees to prove it.)

If you haven't tried spinning, I'll tell you, that first class is tough, but, you'll improve with every week. I highly recommend a beginner class the first time, but even if you can't arrange that, most instructors will be a great help if you get to class early and tell them that it is your first class. It's very important to get the bike setup correctly, and the instructor will help with that.

Always make sure to bring a full water bottle and drink it all during class. Also, bring a towel; you'll need it.

Then enjoy faster times in your future races.

Marine Corps Marathon Part 2

I shot the video above on my iPod Nano, so I apologize for having my fingernail in the frame. It's hard to run and hold a Nano that's 1.5" x 3.5", tightly enough not to drop it, and still keep my fingers out of the picture. I took most of the video during the first couple of miles while I was still getting warmed up. Then I pulled it out again after crossing the finish line. Thanks to my husband David for editing all of my videos. He does it on his Mac much more easily and more effectively than I can with my meager tools - and non-existent video editing skills.

Anyway, here is a continuation of my comments about the race weekend.

I chatted at the Metro station with Minnie, a 20 something Marine stationed in Kansas. She had just returned from Kuwait where she had trained in temperatures over 100 degrees. 

Wendy got in a lot of hot water - couldn't resist that pun - for stealing . . . wait for it . . . a cup of hot water. The hotel had provided teabags and one of those coffeemakers that makes one cup of coffee at a time. We couldn't figure out how to get just hot water. Anyway, she went downstairs, thinking that most hotels provide free coffee and hot water for tea. Not this one, but she did see where they were setting up coffee and hot water for an event in a meeting room. She borrowed one of the hotel cups and filled it with hot water just in time to incur the wrath of a hotel employee. He loudly admonished her, saying, "You have to pay for EVERYTHING here!" Then another lady came over flashing a name tag as if it was a police shield, saying, "Is there a problem?" Wendy sheepishly retreated, cup in hand, only to determine when she got a good look that the cup was dirty, and she would be unable to use the water for tea anyway.

I'll always remember what seemed like a magical hour - or two - we spent at the National Cathedral. We took a trolley tour Saturday afternoon, deciding to get off whenever we felt the urge, but keeping in mind that I needed to save my legs for the race. On seeing the cathedral, we were both drawn to it and decided to get off. That may have been the best decision we made all weekend. The whole thing was magnificent, from the lovely sound of the carillon to the Bishop's Garden to the a vivid stained glass window built around an actual moon rock. It was drizzling off and on, and that added to the impact. It was, indeed, a spiritual experience that I hope never to forget. I can still hear the overwhelming peacefulness of the sanctuary.

We discovered they're big on cupcakes in DC. We visited Red Velvet Cupcakes and The Cupcakery. Wendy gave both high marks.

The only bad part of the whole experience, and it absolutely would not deter me from doing the race again - was that after the marathon, there were just far too many people to disburse efficiently to their various hotels. Too few cabs, not enough room on the Metro, etc. All the coffeeshops, restaurants, and cafes were full, and after you run 26 miles, you really want to just relax on your bed in your comfy hotel and EAT something.

When we could see that it would take a while to wait in line for the Metro, we decided to walk a couple of blocks in the hope of hailing a cab. Then we spotted the line for taxis. There were about a hundred people waiting already. I wanted a cup of coffee almost more than I wanted to SIT. Of course, Starbucks was full, but Wendy spotted a Marriott and speculated that there was probably a Starbucks inside. Brilliant! She was right. I rested while she got us drinks and we settled in for a comfortable hour in the Marriott's bar.

By the time we returned to the Metro station the line had only gone down slightly; after all, many people were still finishing. No choice, we would have to wait in line. It didn't take too long, but it felt longer on my weary legs. That's when we met Bob.

Bob was about my age and really tall, like 6'5ish. As we waited on the platform for the Metro, he asked Wendy for directions. When we discovered he was staying at our hotel, Wendy said he could just follow us, and, relieved, he agreed. We boarded the Metro, and moments later, Bob collapsed. Fortunately, medics were nearby, and he came to, but moments later, he passed out again. As soon as we reached the next stop, we went running for a Metro official while someone else called 911. It was kind of scary, especially after hearing about the deaths in the Detroit Marathon the week before. This story has a happy ending, though. We got word later that night that Bob would be fine but would be kept overnight in the hospital.

The day after the race we took another trolley tour, stopping at the Museum of Natural History, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Viet Nam War Memorial. I got to stand on the spot where Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech,  and I watched a Marine stand on a ladder to do a rubbing of a name high on the Viet Nam War Memorial. I had never been to DC before and I am immensely glad I went. Thanks Velma and Diane for encouraging me to choose this race. You raved about it, and now I will rave about it.

 
 

The Great West Chase: 3 Videos

Scroll down to see all three videos.

Great, Great, Great West Chase 5K!

The Great West Chase just seems to get better and better, and it seems that everybody recognizes that fact because the numbers have grown amazingly. This year over 700 people finished the 5k race, and there appeared to be another hundred in the fun run.

Matt Altimari was the first finisher with a time of 17:17, followed by Michael Rivera 2nd, and Larry Smart 3rd.

Jacki Wachtel was the first female with a time of 18:49, followed by Kristina Brendzel, 2nd, and Amy McClenathan, 3rd.

I didn't run this year because I just ran the Marine Corps Marathon last week, but I did take photos and lots of video. If you are looking for that video, please be patient. I had downloaded new video editing software, which promised to be 'easy to use' and offered lots of bells and whistles. Well, needless to say, it did not live up to its promises; therefore, it is taking longer than expected, BUT, I will have it posted before the day is out. Please bear with me. I did get most of the race on video, and I must say, you all looked awesome!