2016
Carlsbad 5000 Race Weekend
I
had wanted to run in the Carlsbad 5000 for a couple years, after first hearing
about it from friends and my sister, but never truly tried to make it happen.
I mistakenly believed that because the race was a world class competitive
event a runner could only participate through invitation or qualification (i.e.
The Boston Marathon), and I just wasn’t fast enough. Of course I was way
off the mark and I didn’t take the time to look into it: Everyone who can
run a 5k is welcome to participate (within the CGI rules and local laws).
They even have a variety of shorter races for children who are either too
young to safely run a 5k or cannot yet complete that distance and they offer a
multi-racing challenge in the All Day 20k for the adventurous runner (repeat
the 5k with each of the four non-elite age groupings). We’re all welcome.
This
year (2016) the race owners added a new Adult One-mile race for those of us wishing
to challenge ourselves at that level, it was originally the primary race
distance for youths between 7 and 12 years old. I was (and still am) very
happy they added the Adult One-mile race, it cemented my determination to
participate this year. I had intended to wait until feeling fully
recovered from hip surgery and to rebuild faith in my ability to run at a
competitive level again but I just couldn’t pass up on the chance for a timed
One-mile race. I’d spent all of 2014 training hard to achieve a sub
3-hour marathon using the Hanson’s Marathon Method training plan, that training
put me through weekly speed and endurance runs which naturally helped me become
faster (especially for the shorter races). As the weeks and months
progressed I found myself dipping to and below a 6 minute per mile pace rather
often. Eventually I managed a personal One-mile best during a training
run that was very exciting and made me want more. Thereafter I wanted to
run an “Official” One-mile race, something professionally timed that I could
call my “Personal Record”. It is very difficult to find a timed,
competitive, One-mile race unless you are an Olympic or a track athlete for a
school: Commercial One-mile events are typically dubbed “fun” runs and
aren’t measured or timed. When this official and timed One-mile race was
announced I truly felt that, because of the history and reputation of the
Carlsbad 5000 races, runners from all over would show up to compete and their
efforts would help me push beyond imagined boundaries to achieve my very best.
I was not disappointed and best of all, I learned things to help me be a
better runner in the future.
We
(my sister and I) signed up for the new One-mile race and the All Day 20k, to
experience as much as possible over the full race weekend. We chose the
20k instead of our individually categorized 5ks because it would allow us to
run our age group 5k races as best we could plus run at least one of the 5k
races together, and then we would could run the last one or two (depending on
how things worked out in the first two) at a comfortable pace to soak up the
special race atmosphere of the remaining group(s) pushing themselves to their
max. At least, that was the plan.
My
sister (Charlene) and I made the trip from Vegas to Oceanside, CA on the Friday
before the races, so we’d have a chance to relax and settle down after the 5+
hour drive. We could have decided to make the drive on Saturday morning,
as the adults One-mile race wasn’t scheduled to start until 9:26 am, but getting
a good night’s rest before a race of any distance is always preferable.
Getting a “good night’s rest” turned out to be a little difficult, the
hotel was well stocked with Ragnar teams and triathletes with their loved
ones: I wasn’t able to get to sleep until sometime around 11 pm but
thankfully the race’s start time allowed us to sleep in more than is typical on
race days. All the activity around the hotel did add an interesting vibe
to the atmosphere; triathletes checking over their bikes and gear, relay teams
sharing comradery and teasing competitors, and of course we runners excited for
Carlsbad.
Saturday
morning started off rather chilly, despite the sun being up and shining
brightly, when we left for the race (around 7 am) so we wore over-clothes for
the trip to Carlsbad Village, attending packet pick (for both race days), and
to wander around the outdoor expo. Charlene and I arrived at the expo
grounds before the crowds did so we stopped at the Glukos Energy booth for me
to pick up some fuel for my marathon training and so we could take advantage of
the opportunity to get in a quick Periscope video with one of the Glukos team
members. Please feel free to watch it here:
We
began our warmup exercises soon after leaving the expo and then dropping
everything (including our extra clothing and race packets) off at the car.
We used some of the blocked off streets near the start line to stretch
and run on, they made perfect traffic-free safe zones. The streets kept
us close enough to look in on the kids’ events now and then, to enjoy their
excitement and cheer on their efforts. We also got our first sight of the
special race planning that the Village of Carlsbad requires; the necessary
inclusion of the local commuter trains that cross through the town and the
event courses. The race officials and runners took the short delays in
stride, it was all just another part of the experience. Come to find out,
what seemed to be unusual start times for the races were actually the inclusion
of the train schedule with our own. In so many ways the Carlsbad 5000
race weekend felt as if it were a part of the village, not just a visiting
guest.
Surprisingly
enough I didn’t have any nervousness or “butterflies” as we toed the One-mile
start line, partly because I had no self-imposed pressure to try winning the
race (I anticipated there would be plenty of 4-minute mile racers there).
I also truly felt ready to put all of my effort into that single mile, a
5-minute burst of power and running form. I can still remember a lot of
the things that went through my head during the race despite it being so quick;
seeing other runners in my peripheral vision and those ahead of me; mentally
noting how interesting the village looked despite my limited view. My
strongest memory (beyond the effort) is of seeing the finish line as we rounded
the final corner: It was an inviting, clear view from the top of a mild
slope straight toward to the awaiting finish line (roughly 1/10th of
a mile from the turn). I leaned into the gentle downhill, hoping I had
some kick left, and gave it all I had as the clock ticked towards 5 and ½
minutes (my official finish time was 5:28). I think one of the coolest
things about this One-mile race was the high energy and big smiles of the
finish line volunteers, our announcer, and the cheering spectators. This
was a big deal to them too, a highly competitive and exciting race that they
could see us giving everything we had. I never once got the feeling from
anyone that this was “just a one mile run” and therefore unimportant; everyone
there was fully engaged and seemed excited.
After
Charlene and I had a chance to cool down from the hard run and stretch (I also
put in a couple more training miles) we visited a few local shops that I had
noticed. First we went into a cool looking place called Warm Waters Surf
Shop; I wanted a better look at some interesting Star Wars clothing they had (a
gift for my brother in-law). We then went into the Carlsbad Chocolate Bar
next door to get sis a latte, and to see if it was as interesting as a
chocolate bar should be. We finished walking along the row of buildings
and ended up stopping in the Viz Art Ink Gallery; the window display caught our
attention as we both really enjoy hand-crafted art. The only things we
bought were a pair of socks and a latte but sis and I both felt it was time
well spent, learning a little of Carlsbad. I can easily say that I would
be very interested in exploring Carlsbad Village in and of itself, the feel and
look of what little we saw sparked my imagination (to me that is very
important).
Charlene
and I continued our mini-adventure of exploring new places by wandering around
a little of Oceanside a little after returning from the One-mile race: We
found a pretty cool “mom & pop” type store near the hotel that specialized
in antiques and vintage knickknacks but not really much more in that
area. Perhaps the two most interesting things that night were seeing some
skydivers landing in a nearby lot and a wedding being held in a conference room
that shared our hotel’s building. Neither was exciting enough to keep us
up through the night, thankfully. heh
I
didn’t have the calm start to race day as the day before, when the alarm woke
me on Sunday morning, my excitement levels started to climb quickly. I
was eager to test myself on the Master's Men 5k specifically, almost as much as
I had wanted to push myself the day before during the One-mile race.
During my training for the coming Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon (in June) I
found that my pre-surgery speed was starting to return, much quicker than
anticipated. My endurance wasn’t coming back so quickly but the shorter
distances (5 and 10k) were within my range of capability. This race was
my chance to feel like I was firmly on the road to recovery, being that much
closer to where I had been such a short time ago (relatively speaking).
My injury and subsequent surgery had prevented me from establishing new
personal bests in the 5k and Half Marathon distances while I was at my peak
after the 2015 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon and I'm ashamed to admit that I
kept thinking and referring to that peak as my "Glory Days" (as if I
were a retired pro-sport star). With some of my speed and capabilities returning
I truly hoped to best my 2014 times and shut that lamenting thought/attitude
down.
Sunday
morning weather was almost night and day different from the previous morning;
where Saturday had started off very bright but quite chilly, Sunday was overcast
and warm. It was also more humid than the day before but thankfully not
so much that it made either Charlene or I worry about our race effort levels.
The short trip to Carlsbad and super easy access to parking helped keep
us both as “relaxed” as could be expected before an event like this: One
way to make sure your big race starts out on the best foot (pun intended) is to
get the VIP package when available, especially the VIP parking. This
special parking was a huge boon to us especially considering there were more
than 7000 participants expected that morning (race day parking can be a massive
headache especially for such popular events), even with ride sharing that’s a
lot of cars. We also knew ahead of time that post race care was already taken
care of by getting the VIP package: for me specifically that VIP access was
important because this 20k would be a big challenge during my recovery.
Sis and I met up with a mutual friend of ours, Joe, after we parked to
give him a VIP wristband and hang out with him for the races, he too was
running the All Day 20k. Charlene and I walked through the outdoor expo
again to see if it had any additional booths/tents as compared to what we saw
on Saturday while Joe took care of his packet pick up and received his official
race shirt. I pointed out, and kept a mental note of, where the engraving
tent was located. I wanted to get my official One-mile PR engraved on the
medal from Saturday, and if I were able to PR on the 5k then I would get it
done as well. The three of us then walked over to the PAON restaurant
(the VIP hosts and lounge) to see if we could go in. We were too early at
that point, to get access, but it was a very nice looking place with a real
comfortable Bistro quality to it (in my opinion). We chatted with the
person posted at the front gate for a few minutes, she was even nice enough to
take a picture of us with the sign so we could share it and the location.
My
excitement quickly approached the “butterfly” level when the race announcer
called for the runners to approach the start line of the first race, the
Master’s Men 5k: I was completely surrounded by runners from all over the
world who were mostly my peers in age and capabilities, with a few exceptions
(both plus and minus in either direction of both). Our start had to be
unexpectedly delayed by a few minutes due to the scheduled trains being late to
cross our route but that turned out to be a little bit of a relief. The
extra few minutes gave me a chance to do a few more strides and other quick
warmup runs to keep ready (and dispel some of the nervous energy I felt
building). By the time the start gun sent us on our way I was completely
focused and in the moment. I really enjoyed how the 5k course was laid
out; though it had two 90 degree left turns and two U-turns it was very fast on
the straight always and overall easy to run. I had no problems controlling
my pace and giving the race everything I had (the cloudy and cooling weather
helped too). The final turn (the second 90 degree left) was a real
special moment for us, it was the "big reveal" of the final
stretch/sprint to the finish line. It was the same finish sprint we had
for the One Mile race but it felt utterly new. I gave the run what kick I
had leftover and finally established a new personal record for the 5k.
The effort left me completely winded in the finish zone but elated too:
I left everything on the course, finished strong, and made a good showing
(even managed to finish in that race's top 10% overall, AG, and sex). Joe
and I were also fortunate enough to be one of the first 250 runners in this age
group to finish the race and received a special finisher’s medal for being
among those numbers.
I’m
sure there are people who look at the race options on the Carlsbad 5000 website
and think that the 20k would be boring or monotonous for running the same 5k
course 4 times in a row. I’m here to tell you (and them) that it’s not at
all the case, so long as you don’t enter the challenge with that kind thought
process or expectation. Each of the races meant something different to me
and each had a different atmosphere: The first being Master’s Men (mine
to race hard), the second was the Master’s Women (Charlene’s race opportunity,
and my chance to help by pacing her – she too received the top 250 medal), the
third was for Women and Men between 30-39 (Sis and I ran it together as an easy
recovery run), and the fourth was for Men and Women 29 and under plus the
People’s Walk 5k (we ran that with Joe and used as our chance to really look
around and visually soak up Carlsbad). Each race meant something
different to everyone on the road and we could feel it from them. For the
most part every 5k was primarily peopled by single event runners so there was
no lack of focused and intense attitudes at the start line and there was always
a lot of first time racers buzzing with excitement. To me; each run was
brand new in some way, I saw or experienced something stimulating each
time. Perhaps one of the more interesting things for each race this year
was that the weather was different for each and every race. I’m used to
fluctuating weather patterns, being a desert dweller, but that morning was
entertaining enough to make me laugh at times. We started out a little
warm but cloudy, thankfully it wasn’t warm enough to effect the run. The
weather shifted towards being nice and sunny, and a little cool, but then a fog
bank moved in from the ocean to make things ghostly and mysterious. That
didn’t last more than one race (if I remember correctly) but it lasted long
enough for me to get a chuckle out of a building at the distant end of the
first straightaway appearing out of nowhere between races. Charlene and I
joked about how the building could have been moved in or built in such a short
time. By the time we completed our series of races and gathered to watch
the elites run the clouds had taken over the sky; it made for a nice mellow and
cooler run for them (in my opinion anyway).
As
far as race event amenities went, the All Day 20k Lounge was a godsend the
entire morning; it gave us a comfortable place to prepare for each race, recover
from them after each one, and grab a little fuel between races. We made
good use of the opportunity it provided after each race by retrieving our gear
bags and digging out necessities; sunscreen, foam rollers, water, and of course
some good stretching space. I also used the opportunity to test out the
Glukos Energy Bars since I could divide it up evenly for each rest period and
keep them stored with my gear, leaving me free to race without carrying extra
stuff with me. One of the best things available to us in the lounge was a
big table full of Glukos Energy Gel packets and bottles of Gatorade (both of
which they kept stocked). Truly we had access to just about everything a
runner needs (except fresh legs). Maybe the only thing missing was a clock
or something to keep track of the next start time, which would have been
nice. The next time I do the 20k challenge I have to remember to set
alarms on my phone for the start of each race; we pushed our luck a couple
times before the end of the day, barely making the gun for the final two
races. The 20k Lounge was also where our finisher’s medals were given
out, which we happily picked up while retrieving our gear bags.
We
could have hung around the lounge after finishing the final race but all three
of us were eager to get to the VIP lounge we’d tried to visit first in the
morning; it was time for some comfort and ease.
Charlene
and I (with Joe in tow – heh) picked up a special pint glass for having run the
One-mile race on Saturday and then running again on Sunday, as we all made our
way from the 20k Lounge to the VIP Lounge at the PAON Restaurant (the VIP
Lounge host). The outer area we’d seen in the morning, which I previously
said had a nice bistro look, was the front dining patio. It still had
that kind of “old country” feel/look to it but now it was alive with
runners. The three of us made our way inside the restaurant to look
around, stake out a place to sit, and find some food. We were lucky
enough to grab a nice comfortable booth under a window looking out at the
patio. The food they had for us was set out buffet style (like the
corporate Christmas party buffet not a casino one) and all looked high
quality. Charlene and Joe enjoyed the lunch (I confess I didn’t eat
anything they offered, the buffet fare didn’t suit my needs) while I took a few
minutes to return to the car for a couple of “treats” Charlene and I had picked
up before leaving home; just something that she had thought of which would go
well with our challenge medals and the expected food (it amused us).
I
also used the few moments away to get my One-mile and All Day 20k finisher
medals engraved with the newly established Personal Records.
The
nice soft booth and comfortable atmosphere of the VIP Lounge was exactly what
we needed after all of the running that morning. We got a chance to talk
about our experiences, our impressions of the event and weekend, and most
importantly we were able to wind down and relax. While we were talking
about how tiring a 4x5k run is compared to running a half marathon (the All Day
20k wins) sis got a funny idea:
After
all, VIPs can sleep anywhere they please right? Heh
We
stayed in PAON right up to the final few minutes before the last two races of
the day, the races all three of us were excited to see: The Women’s Elite 5k
and the Men’s Elite. I never thought I’d actually get the chance to watch
world class runners (including 2016 Olympic hopefuls) live and actively
competing. I’ve run in the same races as some of professional racers, at
other Rock ‘n’ Roll events across the country (Half and full Marathons) and a
few other big races but they weren’t competing against their peers for a shot
at improving their status in the higher tiers of the Track and Field world,
they were there to make a living at what they do best. The exception to
this was the one and only Marathon Major I’ve run, the 2014 Boston Marathon won
by Meb Keflezighi: even then I never saw the marathon elites only read about
them after. To me this year’s Carlsbad 5000 (with the 2016 Summer
Olympics just around the bend) kind of had a playoff feeling to it, like the
more typical televised professional sports, and I was watching them live.
This race always has the possibility of seeing a new 5k world record
established but the big “O” does add extra incentive.
We
positioned ourselves at the finish line to see the final excitement and because
we were still much too tired to walk to a more central point of the
course. We also hoped to catch the finish on Periscope, to share what
excitement we could with anyone watching. I failed pretty badly in my
video attempt (messed up the audio, and poor positioning), Charlene did a
better job (as she annoyingly tends to do). The entire finish stretch was
packed with highly excited spectators, as was the finish area where we
were. When the first race started (the Women’s Elite) everyone around
began to get excited, the anticipation was palpable even though we didn’t
expect the first runner for at least 12 or 13 minutes. We saw the racers
a couple times in the distance as they made two loops on Carlsbad Blvd; part of
the new route created by the Executive Race Director designed to give the elite
an opportunity to be even faster, and to give us (the fans/spectators) the best
cheering and viewing experience. Everything shifted into high gear around
us when the leaders turned on to Carlsbad Village Drive and made their final
kick toward the finish: the race staff started to scramble around the finish line
to position the ceremonial tape and photographers, the lead vehicles and the
ElliptiGo Pacer exited the course just ahead of the finish line, Ethiopian
National flags were raised as the lead racer (Meseret Defar) was recognized,
and of course the entire crowd cheered for her and all of the runners. I
tried yelling myself hoarse as the winner came in, and for her trailing
competitors, but the hoarse turned into a frog after second place crossed so I
had to settle for whooping. Haha I was happy to be caught up in the
excitement of seeing some of the best at my craft work their magic, especially
since I just ran that same road (and had better weather in my opinion).
While every one of the Elite Women were faster than I am, by far, I could put
myself in their place: I ran my best (no matter the speed difference), I tried
to execute my race plan successfully, I felt that same stretch of road under
me, I also knew well the rush of feelings and thoughts that came with seeing
the finish line from the final turn. I didn’t run with them physically
but I was there again, in the moment. It really was a crazy experience
and wicked fun.
Charlene,
Joe, and I decided to reposition ourselves to the opposite side of the road for
the Men’s Elite race, to hopefully get a closer and clearer view of the final
stretch. I really expected the crowd to quiet down and more or less reset
themselves between races but they kept a constant and energetic buzz going the
entire time. When the Men’s Elite was kicked off I remember thinking to
myself: “This race could be over in just 12 minutes (plus some seconds)”.
That just seemed crazy to me but it really was within these racer’s
capabilities. I don’t remember much at all about the short time from gun
to final stretch, it went by too fast to absorb. I know we had the two
bursts of excitement from the crowd in our area when the racers crossed our
view as they made their loops, and I distinctly remember hearing Charlene
talking excitedly when she began her Periscope session for the finish.
Me, I was lost again in the memory and sensation of racing the same streets
just hours before. The Elite route was considerably different from the
“People’s Route” but their course was actually contained entirely within ours,
so we really had run the same roads. I failed again in my attempt to
create a Periscope video of the race (for the Elite Men this time) but it was
actually a good thing, I rambled more than actually giving any good information
or coverage. When the lead vehicles and ElliptiGo pacer turned onto our
street everything around us kicked into high gear, again. I snapped out
of my “race reverie” (imagining/remembering running the 5k) once I could see
the lead runner, I wanted to see the finish clearly. I mentally gave
leader his due, thinking (I may have said it out loud too): “Man, he’s
fast”. He had a strong lead over the second place runner and third
wouldn’t come into view for quite a while (in race time). I had hoped I’d
get to see some of his form and technique, to pick up a few pointers, but from
where I stood the only thing I got out of his race to help mine is “Run real
fast”. Haha Seeing Joshua Cheptegei get wrapped in his national Ugandan
flag just after the finish was very cool: it was a not-so-subtle reminder that
I witnessed a world class event. I was also fortunate enough to catch a
nice example of sportsmanship/comradery a few seconds after Joshua won and some
of his competitors finished, I always appreciate seeing such things. The
gentlemen who placed fourth and fifth were so winded from the race that they
doubled over shortly after crossing the finish line, side by side. The
two saw each other’s condition and cared enough to check how the other felt,
congratulate each other, and then they walked off together: Maybe they
were friends, maybe strangers, but they were certainly friendly competitors
after all was said and done. What a great way to wrap up a hard
competition.
Charlene, Joe, and I stayed at the finish line long enough
to see all of the racers cross and then made our way back toward our cars to
head home. We stopped by the famous Pizza Port restaurant and considered
going in (They were one of the race Event Partners and had supplied the pint
glass given to those of us who completed the two days of racing) but the line
was so long at that point it would have put us on a bad schedule for the very
long drive. Next time we come to Carlsbad, for racing or just to explore,
it’ll definitely be one of the places to look into.
My sister and I said that we’re
very interested in experiencing more of Carlsbad, after exploring a little
piece of it post One-mile race on Saturday, and our experiences Sunday added to
the feeling and desire to return. I want to race this again, and I want
to experience more of the Village.
I want thank the Competitor Group (Rock ‘n’ Roll) for opportunity
to participate in this marvelous race and experience, the wonderful life
memories that the Carlsbad 5000 has given my sister and I will always be
cherished.
*Disclaimer: I was an invited guest to the
Carlsbad 5000 race weekend, the views, reviews and opinions expressed are my
own and not influenced by the organizers nor sponsors or any other
company/individual affiliated with the event.