CIM 2023

December 3, 2023–a beautiful day from Folsom to the Capitol!

This was my second race (of 23 to date) where all the pieces came together for a strong, complete run and a BQ finish:

  • Full training build (again used the F.I.R.S.T. key runs plus easy runs instead of cross-training days, but missed several key runs early in the cycle while travelling), About 700 training miles total over 16 weeks, including 5×20 milers. No injury setbacks. Most speedwork and even some 20s on a treadmill.
  • Full leg work (32 sessions, mostly gym)–this is the key to “fixing the fade” in the 2nd half of the race, which had spoiled many other races. Nothing fancy: lunges, squats, hip hikes, planks, bridges, etc.
  • Good nutrition before and during the race; zero portapotty stops on course
  • Cooperative weather (was supposed to be solidly cloudy, so ran w/o a hat; was actually a bit sunny and a tad warm, but not unpleasantly so)
  • Good pacing: mostly stayed with the 3:45 pace group, which was solid and comfortable
  • A relatively fast course–the terrain itself is actually quite rolling in the first half and then a very mild downhill into the second half, for a total net drop of -340 feet, which is a tiny, 0.25% incline. But there are very few turns, and then a big, fast field of runners, which moves everyone along. My first BQ was at Revel Big Bear, which is a huge downhill (but ran it at a -9 min BQ; actually -24 min by the time the pandemic-delayed 2021 Boston was run and I had turned 60!).

Late in races, any change can trigger a cramp for me. At 35km, hitting the incline up the H Street Bridge, I felt some twinges, and gulped some HotShot. A couple of miles later, I tried to pick up the pace for a “leave it all on the course” finish and triggered calf cramps, bad enough to have to stop for a moment a few times and resume slowly thereafter. That cost me about 2.5 minutes overall. But did manage a 7:00 pace sprint the last few blocks, for a strong finish

The last turn before the finish goes past the Department of Rehabilitation building, which is where our California Citizens Redistricting Commission offices were, and where I had spent so much time 2021-22. Such good memories to stack together here!

CIM attracts a lot of fast runners. There’s a sizeable Elite crowd, enough to have special tables on the course for their personal fluid bottles. About a third of runners BQ (c. 3K of 10K) so the line for the BQ Bell at the end was super long.