Running Ruminations

My in-laws stayed with us for the past two weeks, hence my not wanting to spend a bunch of time inside, on my computer. Between seeing much of my side of the family in June and then getting to see my in-laws later in the month/early in July, life has begun to feel more normal now than it has for the past 18 months. It was amazing. 

And! Adding to the “everything is slowly beginning to feel normal” list is that I got to run a race on July 3rd, my first since December 2019! It was hard and glorious and lovely and honestly, just … great.

Sometimes it is difficult to convey how much we can miss an experience like racing — an occasion that by and large, isn’t a very comfortable place to be in — but I’m telling you, all of it felt so new and so familiar at the same time. 

Again: it was amazing.  

For I don’t know how long, I’ve been aware of the parkrun in Crissy Field, in SF, but I’ve never partaken because let’s be honest: I love SF, but I don’t want to drive all the way there for a 5k, if I can help it. I had never participated in parkrun before but knew from Strava buddies elsewhere how it works: it’s local, free, and after registering in their online system once, you pretty much just show up with your printed-out barcode in hand to get an official time. There aren’t any fees, bibs, chips, swag, corrals, seeded starts, water stations, nada. 

You show up to the designated spot, line up along the literal line in the dirt, and run as fast or as slow as you want between the start line and the finish line. That’s it. 

It’s a race, yes, and it’s a time trial with a bunch of strangers, and it’s whatever you want or need it to be. 

For as much as I loved doing all the PA XC races a couple years ago for the “primacy” of that type of running — the no frills, just-hard-work variety of you running against the land — parkrun, too, has that same type of appeal.

It’s a wonderful reminder that running is as complicated as we make it, and sometimes, less is much, much more. 

The parkrun at Byxbee Park, in the Palo Alto baylands, was a short drive from home (shorter than SF, for sure!), and I arrived with ample time to park, use the bathrooms a million times, and do a couple-mile warm-up along the course to check things out. Byxbee is pretty much pancake flat and completely exposed to the elements, but luckily, last Saturday was thick with cloud cover, so we weren’t getting roasted while trying to run fast. 

The Byxbee parkrun is two out-and-backs on the measured gravel-y path (that’s open to other trail-goers) in the baylands, and it has three hairpin turns from the two OABs. Last weekend’s race was only their second time back post-COVID, and I guess organizers had to alter the original course due to some construction on the trail.

I’m really glad I learned about this when I did because I was in the market for a 5k to do a TT, since I’d be missing the Morgan Hill PA race on the fourth of July, with my in-laws visiting and all (and us going to Monterey and Santa Cruz that day). I was definitely nervous going in, after not racing for so long, and because, well, 5ks are brutal! I slept poorly the night before the race, I barely had enough watch battery to last for the ~10 miles I’d run that morning — you’d think I was new at this stuff, ha! 

Having my first go back at parkrun was an excellent way to transition “back” to racing, and honestly, the vibe was just great. Other participants were super welcoming, the volunteers (who run the show at parkrun) were all lovely, and it was just a really nice morning of running. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone to do, and I plan to return as both a runner and as a volunteer in the future. It is fantastic to know that it’s always going to be there on Saturday mornings. 

And as for my race? Well, 5ks are brutal. They’re also pretty satisfying and fun. Coach Lisa predicted around 6:45s, and that’s about what I did. For maybe the first time in my life, I didn’t go out blazing, like a maniac, and felt really good and in control. The small field (~35) meant that I didn’t have to jockey for position very much, and I quickly settled in around 5th/6th OA in the field/F1 among a group of high schoolers and a couple guys with whom I leapfrogged a few times. 

I went 6:39-6:44-6:56-6:10 for .18, about a 21:25, and admittedly felt a bit annoyed that it wasn’t faster given how I felt. I tried to find a higher gear in the second part of the race, and I couldn’t. It happens. That said, I had that really intense throat-burning sensation for about 12 hours post-race, so I think I may have done as best as I could on the day. I feel like I have faster in me — there, perhaps, but also on roads and/or the track eventually — but hyping myself up to suffer is a tough bargain, ha! 

It’s so good to have finally done something that I’ve missed so very much.