On race day, my leg was in perfect condition, although I did notice that my opposite leg was becoming tight as a result of over compensating, they would even out during the race. As the race started, I had my mile-by-mile breakdown of where I needed to be pace-wise. Like every other race, I began too fast out of the gate, but unlike every other race I was unable to manage the throttle. The first couple of miles were predominantly downhill. As a result, I broke my prior 5k time by an entire minute and beat my personal best by 27 seconds. My best 5k was 21 minutes, set years ago in the military.

Personal best 5k to date

Basically the first four miles did me in. Due to the fact that I did not stick close to my pace strategy, I exerted way too much energy early on, which I would pay for near the end of the race. At mile five, we were graced with a steady incline for about a mile and a quarter. This was followed by some rolling hills where I was able to make up some time. Once we got to mile 11, there was another pretty steady incline. By that time, I was more tired that I usually am at that point of the race. After a really poor mile split, I was able to make up some time and get back on track with too little distance left.

Initially I was pretty disappointed. I was looking to PR but had no idea how difficult the course would be. Overall, I am pleased with my performance, but I am always looking at what I can do to improve. Having run the course the week prior was a definite benefit, but I wish I had done a better job of pace management. With that said, the stage set for L.A. and the nostalgia around the race for me, there is definitely a lesson to be learned for that race and my energy consumption.

Nice to see familiar faces on the course!

The silver lining to this whole experience is that I have more hill training in for the Los Angeles Marathon and I was able to maintain my pace below goal marathon pace through those hills. Knocking out runs like this make me less nervous for my first 26.2.

Happy running!

In preparation for the race, I have done much of the same as the previous races. As I run more and more races, it seems that the advice that I receive in regards to preparation remains the same, “Do as you have always done.” As far as the carb loading two to three days in advanced, I did do that again. Another practice that I have carried over from the last few races is my sleep modification technique. For reminder’s sake, basically I will make myself tired the day before the race so that I can go to sleep early without a problem and wake up early and be completely rested.

The only new item that I did take on is a more thorough analysis of my past split times, the course elevations and where I would like to be for my goal. Based on the information that I have looked at so far, I have been able to determine where I need to be in order to accomplish my time goal. I have even made sure that the goal splits coincide with the elevation on the course. This is something new that I have done so we will see how it works out but it may be more accurate than shooting for the same average pace for each split.

I am not sure if I will be taping something to my watch, writing on my arm or wrapping something around my wrist, but I am going to be sure to do my best to manage my pace to each individual split.

Is it the fact the Bird in Space artist Constantin Brancusi, had passed 52 years ago and could not have possibly been okay with it? Or was it the fact that he was paid such a large sum of money to give it to the city? Don’t get me wrong, I have done my fair share of parody logos (see the site logo) but, have never sought financial reward without either seeking permission or paying for rights. Maybe it will grow on me but, I like to think that I can appreciate art and this doesn’t resonate well with me right now.

In case you can’t tell. I am really having a hard time with this. Check it out. It’s massive.

“Constantin Brancusi: Bird in Space (1996.403.7ab)”. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/11/euwf/ho_1996.403.7ab.htm (October 2008)

Learn more on www.metmuseum.org

See more works of art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of European Paintings and Modern Art.

The reason why I question the article is that there is no supporting evidence that the population is not spreading to some of the other outlying areas and we are experiencing more room and home sharing. I would be interested to learn if places like Gilbert, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria and Surprise are continuing to experience growth.

Let’s circle back to the article for a second… It does say “The City” and it is indeed referencing city statistics which means that the population is not necessarily leaving the State of Arizona. However, one item of note is that they estimate there are a few hundred to several thousand people that may have left the City of Phoenix. In the grand scheme of things,  with over 1.5 million residents (as of the last U.S. Census) several thousand may be a drop in the bucket.

For those of you that have left, you are always welcome back, and those of you that have moved to places like Gilbert, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria and Surprise, be proud that our metro area is 4.1 million strong; making this the second largest metro area to Los Angeles, California.

Phoenix Light Rail Grand Opening Celebration

Originally uploaded by phxwebguy

The grand opening of the Phoenix Metro Light Rail was a pretty good time. I had a lot of fun going across town, meeting friends and discovering new parts of the cities. In my eyes, the event was a success. There have been some interesting comments in regards to how people are judging success due to the fact that the trains we simply packed with people. At some stops it was hard to get off at times and other stations were pretty much vacant.

It was awesome to see such a great turnout and it remains to be seen how the new light rail will benefit the Valley transportation. I believe that the Light Rail is a great addition to the Metro area and I am excited to see how it evolves.

This video contains some clips that I was able to get before my battery quit on me. There are additional pictures that can be found on my Flickr photostream. Feel free to give those a browse.