Saw the first of these signs a few days ago and couldn’t resist taking a little detour on my run on Sunday morning to snap a photo. You bet it’s a special event. I have to admit that when I first heard they were going to bring a marathon to Santa Barbara, I was a bit skeptical. When I found out that the plan was to run it the same day as CIM (Sacramento) and Las Vegas, my doubts continued. I put them on hold long enough to sign up, and actually forgot about them until I saw these signs beginning to pop up. All of a sudden I felt a little surge of relief that yes, indeed, this thing is going to happen and my long-forgotten doubts vanished completely away.

Based on the sign, though, the time frame of the event is a little open-ended.

6 days and except for a nagging little ankle tweak, everything is good to go. Probably ran a few too many miles over the last couple of days, but nothing scary. I’m going to shift the gears into neutral and coast on into Sunday. I’ll run a few miles tomorrow and Wednesday and maybe a sprinkling of miles through the rest of the week just to keep everything limbered up. I’ve got to remember to stretch, stretch, stretch this week. I’m convinced that it’s the between-run stretching that helps me prevent cramp-ups during the marathon.

Come 6:30am Sunday morning, I’ll be running marathon #5 in my own backyard. Sweet!

I’m going to follow the lead of others I’ve been reading lately and give voice to my race plan for the marathon (12 days!).

• I will not decide to see how fast I can run 6 miles on the Friday before the marathon (did that before Napa 2006 - bad idea).
• I will not try to cram yardwork into my day on Saturday
• I will forget nothing. My watch, my race bib, everything will be set up and ready to go Saturday night and there won’t be anything I’ve forgotten about come Sunday morning. (Can’t forget the sunglasses and the sun screen!).
• I’ll get up early on Sunday. I’ve been waiting months for this day and I’m going to milk every moment out of it and not rush any of it. I can afford one night of inadequate sleep as long as I’m rested well beforehand.
• I’ll get to the start line early. Very early. It will be dark.
• Sunrise on Dec 6^th is at 6:52. The race starts at 6:30. Pre-race activities will be pretty much in the dark, but the sun will be coming up right in front of us as we run east on Cathedral Oaks. It will be a magnificent sunrise!
• I will not run faster than a 9:00 average pace until around mile 22 (a long downhill) and/or around mile 24 1/2. I will not “push” any miles before then knowing that I’ll need every ounce of energy I have left for the last 3-4 miles of the race. This is especially true for the mile and a half beginning at mile 16 1/2. This is, for the most part, a long downhill. I will not try to “bank” time here. There’s a lot of race left and I don’t want to leave too much here.
• My family will show up somewhere along the race course to cheer me on. It doesn’t matter where or when. I won’t depend on them to be at any certain point at any certain time. When I do see them they will give me a huge boost of energy and encouragment.
• Chaffing and blistering will not be a problem.
• I will hydrate early and often.
• I will use my familiarity with the course to my advantage. I’ll always know where I am and I will never get discouraged when the miles seem to come slowly.
• I won’t forget that my training for this race was less than ideal. I will finish this race, and that is my ultimate goal. If I finish in over 4:00 I won’t be dissapointed, but only encouraged to continue training for future fitness.

I have spent the last few minutes going back over the race course. I have the course map and the photos I snapped of the course in front of me and I’ve been mentally running each mile. I have to admit taht I have not been as excited about this marathon as I have been for past races. I somehow got it stuck in my mind that this one is different somehow because it’s right here in Santa Barbara. It’s been less intimidating and that has erased many of the unknowns that exist for out-of-town marathons, but it has also erased some of the excitement.

Over the past couple of days, though, that excitement has been building. This race is going to happen and I am going to run it. In less than two weeks, hundreds, if not 1,000 +, people will be lining up in the pre-dawn chill to run around MY town. I’ll be right there in the midst of it. I can’t wait.

So on Friday I went out for a short 3 miler after being in bed for a day and a half. About a quarter mile in the lower half of my legs - calves, ankles, everything - just locked up. The muscles were hard as a rock and I could berely move my legs. They even felt numb. Wow, not a good sign. That’s what I get for not warming up at all after two completely sedentary days. So, I ended up walking much of the rest of the run and things loosened up eventually. I’ve never experienced such a complete and severe muscle freeze up. Just another example of the fact that the more sedentary I am between runs, the tighter everything gets. Gotta keep movin’, even on the off days and even on the sick days.

Saturday I started out thinking I’d do another easy 3 and felt so good that I ended up doing the 12 miles that were originally on my schedule for the day. There is nothing like eating a donut for breakfast and deciding on a whim to run 10+ miles. The run was good medicine.

Ran another easy 3 yesterday, so it looks like all systems are still “go.”

What’s the one thing that I should be trying to avoid during this taper?

Getting sick.

I’ve been in bed the last two days.

I feel like crap and can feel my muscles atrophy by the minute.

I very seldom write up any reviews, good or bad, for any particular products. I spend as little as possible on my running attire/equipment and when I find something I like I stick with it. My Asics 1100 series shoes rock, but I don’t necessarily recommend them to others because shoes that work for me might not work for you. I buy cheap non-cotton socks from Target or K-Mart when I can find them and, generally speaking, I don’t prefer a particular brand for anything.

There is one product that I have consistently sung the praises of, however, and from time to time I find it necessary to repeat earlier claims of its superiority.

Let me first explain why I’m writing this post. I ran 22 miles on Saturday. Whenever I gear up for these really long runs there are certain things that cannot be overlooked. Gotta put on the sunscreen. Gotta have the hat and sunglasses. Gotta have the toenails clipped. Gotta plan for fueling/hydration, etc. And, maybe most importantly, gotta protect against the chaffing.

I know that most of you use Body Glide. More power to yuh. I’ve used it and I don’t have anything in particular against it, but I think there’s a greatly superior product out there.

Saturday was a perfect opportunity to give a new product a try. I picked up a bottle of Mission Skincare High-Performance Anti-Friction Cream the other day at Sport-Mart. From what I can tell this is a relatively new product and the Mission Skincare line is endorsed by a lot of big-name folks. They are also a major sponsor for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon, and maybe a bunch of other events I don’t know about. This tube of cream set me back $12.99, but money is not necessarily a factor when it comes to chaffing. I’ve used it on some shorter runs and it has worked adequately, although I had some issues the other day when I was on the treadmill. Seemed that I sweated a LOT and it got a little uncomfortable between the thighs. I passed this off at the time as not having applied enough, etc.

Saturday morning I liberally applied the cream to my toes and my upper interior leg region before I left the house. I also dabbed on a bit more just after getting out of my truck before I started running. and decided at the last minute to throw it into my hydration pack just in case I needed it later. It’s a good thing I did, because before the run was through I had to re-apply it three more times. And guess what’s still red and sensitive two days later? Keep in mind that Saturday was nice and cool and clear with no humidity to speak of and no copious sweating. The stuff just didn’t hold up.

So, in this little blogger’s humble opinion, Mission Skincare High-Performance Anti-Friction Cream may have the longest name, highest price tag and biggest celebrity endorsements, but it doesn’t cut the mustard when it comes to keeping my thighs happy. It also comes in a squeeze tube that means you have have to apply it to your fingers and then rub it around. Not a huge issue, but I don’t have ANY chaffing problem on my hands. There’s no reason they should be covered with slippery goo.

So after many years and thousands of miles, I will continue to stick with my first love, Sports Shield. It comes in a roll-on applicator which means my hands don’t get slippery-gooey. It also comes in powder form for your socks if you have blister problems. In fact if you think you’ve tried everything to prevent blisters and haven’t tried this, do NOTHING until you go on line or to your local running store and purchased this stuff. I’ve never had anything but a minor lentil-sized blister after a marathon using this product. I ran in pouring rain in Napa in 2006 and didn’t have any chaffing problem anywhere because of Sports Shield. The standard disclaimers apply about not being affiliated in any way with the manufacturer of the product, and they’ve never given me any free samples.

The stuff just flat out works.

Well folks, the hay is in the barn, as they say. We watched “Young Frankenstein” for Halloween and the image of Terri Garr rolling around the hay in the back of the oxcart is still bouncing around my brain,so forgive the analogy stretching.

Anyway, the work has been completed. The only work left to do will be to keep whatever strength and endurance I’ve accumulated through the training program. The 22 mile run on Saturday was difficult and slow, but it is finished.

Below are some additional pics from the run. In my earlier report I did not include a 4+ mile stretch that I either didn’t run, or was before the beginning of the race. I wanted to start that one at the start line, even though I began running farther back on the course. Does that make sense?

Anyway, included below is the 4+ mile chunk that includes everything before the start. To keep track of it all, just insert the pictures below just after the 12^th picture in the earlier post which I’ve reposted here.

Just after mile 4 you make a right-hand turn onto Los Carneros Rd. This begins the loop that will eventually bring you back to the start. When you hit this point the 2^nd time you’ll be somewhere between mile 12 and 13 and you’ll continue straight ahead.

Los Carneros is a nice gradual downhill until you get to the freeway overpass. This is the 2^nd freeway crossing, and the first that is a noticable uphill. It’s still a bit dark here, but don’t worry much about this “hill.” It’s early in the race and it’s nothing to be concerned about.

After the uphill, there is a nice downhill that takes you past a very familiar (to me) landmark. On the right you pass the building where I used to work. Many hundreds of noon-time runs have begun from this spot.

Eventually you begin moving ever so slightly uphill and make a right-hand turn onto Mesa Rd. At this point you are on or near the University of California Santa Barbara. Campus buildings are barely visable to your left as you make the turn.

In order to keep university traffic to a minimum, this gate is normally closed. It should be open on marathon morning. From what I understand this was one of the stickier issues to work out once the course route was decided upon. There is an opening to walk through, but this might have been a bottleneck/hazard if the gate had remained closed.

As I was typing this up I was looking at the course map and realized that I made a wrong turn on Saturday. There is a little dog-leg right and then left that I didn’t see before, but you’ll wind your way between some soccer/baseball fields and a shopping center, and eventually make your way back to Hollister Ave. which is where the race starts. Here’s Hollister looking toward the start (which can’t be seen in this photo) from the point you turn onto it. You’ll run about 1 mile on Hollister before reaching the start line for the 2^nd time.

Speaking of the start line, my previous shot may have been wrong. Below is Hollister Ave. about 130 yards before what I named as the start in the last post. This is just across from Hollister school, and is probably a more accurate shot of the start line. Be aware that just about all the streets will be closed near the start beginning at 4am. Don’t plan to park anywhere near the start that morning. Buses will carry runners from the finish area to the start (check the website for times), or you can get dropped off near the start, but there won’t be much, if any, parking.

So there you have it. An obviously incomplete run down of some of the course landmarks. Weather was picture perfect again on Saturday and will also be perfect Dec 6^th.

I ran a half marathon on Saturday. A half marathon that I felt good about and that went a long way toward convincing me that I was back on track after a long vacation from consistent running. It was a milestone, but could have turned out to be a plateau. As is so often the case, I came off a really good race/run milestone and somewhere in the depths of my brain a switch was flipped off on the mojo machine. I seem to go through brief periods of lethargy that threaten to knock me back down the steps of improvement I’ve been climbing. Yesterday I had 5 lunchtime miles planned. This plan was derailed when the opportunity for a company sponsored lunch came up and I jumped at the opportunity to not only get a nice juicy mushroom cheeseburger but to also skip a run I wasn’t completly excited about doing.

I don’t understand why or how this happens. If “nailing” a 1/2 marathon and the prospect of an upcoming marathon (23 days and counting) aren’t enough to keep me motivated, what is? Seriously! What is?

So I spent the afternoon trying to concentrate on work amid the background noise of working up the will and energy I knew I’d need to get out the door and run in the dark after dinner. I don’t like to run in the dark after dinner. I’ve done it, and I’ll continue to do it, but I don’t like it.

Fortunately a middle way presented itself. Instead of skipping the run or tripping through a black fall night, I threw on my shorts and ran 5 miles on the treadmill here at work. It made me late for dinner, but I was able to admire darkening day while I trotted along indoors. A nice smooth run with no broken sidewalk to trip me up, no oncomming headlights to blind me and no scurrying animals to be wary of.

Another 5 miler in the books, and a 22 miler on Saturday (crap, that’s tomorrow!). Then I can let the engine idle and coast until Dec 6th.

What happens after that?

This has been the premiere race here in Santa Barbara for a number of years with just under 2000 runners toeing the line and I’ve only managed to run it twice. In 2005 I was gearing up for my first marathon (New Las Vegas Marathon, which is now the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon) and I ran it in 1:57. I was very happy to run under 2 hours and felt at the time that I maybe could have run it harder, but I had no prior experience to relate to. I ended up running Las Vegas in 4:05. Yesterday I was again hoping to cross the line in under 2 hours and I had a sense that I wasn’t in quite the same shape as I was in 2005.

Long story short, I ran 1:55 yesterday and couldn’t feel better about the race and my prospects for the full marathon in December. My quads are continually reminding me that I did have to push it a bit harder, but my confidence for the marathon has taken a noticable jump.

The first thing I’ll do after posting this is change my new 1/2 marathon PR on my home page which is ALWAYS fun!

I’m going to run the Santa Barbara News Press Half Marathon on Saturday. That means I’m sandwiching a 1/2 marathon between two 20+ mile runs. Why, you may ask, would I do something stupid like that? Why would I run harder than necessary during a cut-back week when my body is recuperating from a long run?

I’ll tell you why, because I want to and because it has worked for me in the past. I did this exact same thing 4 years ago and I ran a great marathon in December. So, why mess with what works?

Also, if you glanced at the photos from last week, a good chunk of the 1/2 marathon course is run on what will also be the last few miles of the marathon course which is gorgeous. Running there last week whet (yes, that’s how it’s spelled) my appetite for running near the ocean.

And finally, what better way to see where I am fitness-wise in comparison to 4 years ago. I’ll be in great shape to try and estimate a finish time for the marathon based on what I do on Saturday. Don’t think I need any more reasons that than.

There is one difference this year, though. The deadline to signup was Nov. 1. I blew it so I’ll have to do it at the packet pick-up tomorrow. No biggy, but that’s an additional $10 I could have put toward something else, I guess. There’s also no guarantee that they’ll have enough shirts. My shirt from 4 years ago is wearing thin and I could use an updated one, even though I think the logo’s cheesy.

So, a quick recap. I last participated in a race on July 4^th 2007. I had zero base miles under my belt when I started ramping up for the SB marathon in August. 3 months after starting the whole running engine up again I’m running a 20 miler, a half marathon, and then a 22 miler on consecutive weekends.

Looks like things are picking up. And if they come crashing right back down again, you’ll be the first to hear about it.

Knocked out my 20 mile run on Saturday morning. If you read my last post you know that because of a loop at the beginning of the Santa Barbara International Marathon, I was able to run the entire course, minus a 2 mile stretch. I promised a pictoral run-through, and here it is. Each thumnail image is linked to a larger version.

Pictured at left is the start of the course. The full sized image contains a red line where I believe the actual start line will be. As you can see, it’s a nice wide street and there is parking nearby. Not sure about shuttles from the start, but I would recommend checking out the online course map on the SBIM site. Even thought this race is billed as the “Santa Barbara” International Marathon, you’re not actually running in the city of Santa Barbara until about mile 21 of the course. The start is well west of the city, and if you’re staying anywhere near downtown you’ll need to arrange transportation to the start.

Visable from the start is what’s left of an old gas station and restaurant. Oil was discovered in this area in 1928 and some active driling continues offshore to this day. The gas station and restaurant served the oilfield workers in the ’30s and the restaurant that used to stand at this spot was used in the Jack Nicholson/Jessica Lange remake of “The Postman Always Rings Twice.” I’ve included a shot of the sign that marks the spot. You probably won’t have time to read it as you race past.

Just past the gas station is Sandpiper Golf Course. It’s a great view, and should be spectacular on race morning, but NOT on the first lap. Sunrise on Dec 6^th is at 6:53 and the race starts at 6:30. It shouldn’t be completely dark, but the view I had on Saturday was spectacular. You might be able to pick out the ocean in the background of the full image. An interesting historical incident occurred here on February 23,1942. Kozo Nishino, captain of Japanese submarine I-17 ordered his crew to surface and shell the coastline. This was the first direct attack on American soil since the War of 1812! Apparently this same Kozo Nishino had fallen into some prickly pear cactus near what is now the hole 11 fairway of this golf course some years before, and decided that this was as good a place as any to open fire! True story.

Just down the road and before you’ve finished the first mile you’ll cross the 101 freeway for the first time and turn toward the east.

This is what I’m calling hill # 1. It’s short, but a bit steep. Remember this little beauty because it’s also what I’m calling hill # 4 because of the “Goleta” loop.

This is just beyond mile 1. I took this picture to show what much of the next few miles will look like. When I ran this on Saturday I wasn’t sure whether the course would be on this bike path or on the road. Apparently it’ll be on the right-hand side of the road.

You’ll notice that I’ve posted 7 photos and we’re only at the first mile. Don’t worry, things spead along from this point!

My son will attend this high school next year. Go Dos Pueblos Chargers!

Just beyond the high school is hill # 2/5. Not a significant hill, but long enough to be given a name and a picture. This is approximately mile 3 (and 11.5 on the 2nd loop).

This is probably my favorite part of the first half of the course. On the right is a panoramic view that includes the offshore islands if the day is clear (these are barely visible beyond the treeline in the full version of the photo). To the left are orchards and coastal range. Nearly every square inch of our “mountains” were burned this past year, but with the recent rains they’ve begun greening up. This is the least developed portion of the course and a beautiful place to be on a Saturday morning.

Just after mile 4, the course turns to the right on Los Carneros Rd. Notice the sign in the picture on the left. It says “City of Goleta Museum.” Just another subtle reminder that you are not in Santa Barbara yet.

Pictured to the right is a shot down the road you’ll travel on the first loop. This is the section I didn’t run on Saturday. I’ll run it in two weeks and give a full account.

Pictured here is probably the most important landmark on the entire course. Just before mile 15 you reach the intersection of Cathedral Oaks (by now a familiar road due to the number of miles you’ll have run on it) and Cambridge Rd. My house is exactly two blocks down this road to the right. Pretty cool having a marathon that is almost literally in your back yard.

You’ll reach hill # 6 just before the 16 mile mark. This might be the first hill you’ll actually begin to feel. There’s a nice downhill stretch once you get to the top.

And finally at about 16.5 miles you’ll turn off of Cathedral Oaks. You’re no longer in the city of Goleta this point, but you’re still not in Santa Barbara. Enjoy the nice downhill glide once you’ve turned right here.

At the bottom of a nice downhill stretch you’ll cross the 101 for the 4th time! The hill up isn’t so bad, and there’s an In-’N'-Out burger on the right if you’re feeling hungry! What hill # is this? I’ve kind of lost track at this point. Some people won’t even notice the hills I’ve named. Some will wonder why I didn’t name other hills. Be prepared for rolling hills, hopefully the pictures and descriptions have give you and indication of what you’re up against.

The other side of the overpass is a long, relatively steep downhill to mile 18. Don’t blow out your quads here.This is a busier, more developed area. Auto traffic will be heavier here, but at the end of this road lies a nice little quiet portion of the course that is entirely on a bike path, the beginning of which is marked by this palm tree. I run parts of this path almost daily.

The bike path section is interuppted by a short stint in a nice little neighborhood. I’m looking forward to this section because the smaller, quieter streets may be a good place for some nice crowd support.

Once you leave the bike path for good you turn onto a 2 mile section of Modoc Rd. And yes, there are some additional rolling hills here. This is the point of the course where you’ll actually enter Santa Barbara city limits. The last of the Modoc Road hills is pictured on the right. Once you reach the top, you’ll turn onto Las Positas and enjoy a very nice, gradual downhill that brings you to the bottom of the monster.

And here you have it. The hill on Cliff Drive. It begins near Hendrys Beach (which you won’t be able to see) and follows along the edge of the Douglas Family Preserve, named after the Kirk/Michael Douglas’s who donated money to help keep the tract an open space. You won’t know it, but the ocean is just on the other side of these bluffs. Here’s where you run from essentially sea level to the top of the bluffs. At approximately mile 24, this is a hill you may give yourself permission to walk up. I ran up on Saturday, and hope to do the same in December. Be prepared for this!

Once you crest the biggest hill of the course, you’ll enjoy a mostly downhill run all the way to the finish. Parts of this section are absolutely gorgeous. Pictured to the right is the ocean and the elusive islands that have been peeking up from the offshore haze from time to time throughout the course. Enjoy yourself here. Your nearly at mile 25.

At about mile 25.5 you’ll hit Shoreline Park. Another great view of the ocean, and at the end of this long greenbelt you’ll hit mile 26 and a view of the harbor and the finish at Santa Barbara City College’s La Playa stadium. Keep in mind the fact that I took this picture on Saturday morning. It’s not a postcard. Can’t beat this for the last .2 miles of a marathon, can you?

And finally, the finish. Here’s where you’ll end up at the end of your Santa Barbara International Marathon journey.

I’ll be posting the missing 4 miles of the course in two weeks, but hopefully you now have a better feel for what the course is like.

I didn’t mention the fact that the run went well, and all systems remain “go”. I did get a nice little blister on my left foot from my newish shoes, but all in all it was a very successful run. See you in December!