It was a good day for racing in San Juan Bautista, California.  The town that was made famous by Alfred Hitchcock when he filmed his famous Bell Tower seen in Vertigo.  The race starts just 100 yards from the Bell Tower (Photo below).  Race number Five - Mission Ten and 5k.

I had not run that many times over ten miles since my fall.  I was not sure what was going to happen.  My hamstring were feeling a little weird and I knew this course has a tough hill.  I ask Dan Anderson (no relation but a runner I have known for many years) at the start how he was going to run.  He thought around 70 minutes.  He has beaten me by about a minute in my second race of the seaon in Stockton.  He ran under 69 minutes there.  I told him I don't run up hills good.  I had never beaten him before.  He will be 60 in April. 

The first three miles of this course is fast.  I hit the mile (the marker and the Garmin were right on) at 6:13 and the three mile at 19:28.   (This would have given me almost a sub 20 minute 5k.)  Then there was the hill.  My next mile was 8:04.  I was able to bring mile seven back down to 6:33.  That is when I was closing on Dan.  I caught him with two miles to go.

I finished in 1:10:09.  My goal was sub 70 and I am pleased with this...

We were racing it in the last mile.  The two of us needed to work harder together.  If so, we both would have been under 70.

The Bergholz is a running family.  Annie (514) won the 5k and their 8-year-old son (434) ran a 6:58 mile in the kids one mile race.  They are the type of story we are looking for...

Mike getting some good footage for the film.

Always nice talking to runners at the races. All photo by Catherine Cross Ujena Fit Club

We got some good footage before the start of the race at the hotel.

Mike and Crystal setting up a shot before the start of the 10 Miler.

The famous Bell Tower just 100 yards from the start and finish.

With second place finisher in the 60-69 division.  I pulled out ahead of Francisco in the first three miles but then we kept me in sight for the last seven.

The race announcer did a good job offering encouragement to the runners.  Thanks Phillip for mentioning my 50 race challenge.  I really like this race.  Wished there wasn't the hill but there is.  It has been there for 29 years and they are not moving it.   I would think runners could take off at least a minute because of it.

However, I was speaking with Monica who was the second woman overall and she told me the hills don't bother her at all.  She trains in the hills regularly on trails.  She ran 65 mintues.

The courtyard in front of the Mission and the Bell Tower.  All Photos by Catherine Cross Ujena Fit Club

 Some runners handle hills better than others.  I asked Monica (2nd place women finishing 65:47) about the hills and she didn't think they were bad at all.  She trains on the hills regularly.  I was with her at three miles...

Bob - I just came across this blog this morning. Very inspirational!!! I quite enjoyed reading your blog entries. And wow, what a nasty cut!! I was checking out your planned races. We will have to try and see if we can run in one of the races that you are entered in..... Kauai or the San Jose Half sounds intriguing.... Any chance you are doing a race in BC, Canada?
Shari Mernett 2/3/12 5:51 am

Thanks Shari...this is going to be an exciting adventure...six of my races will be the Ujena races...hope you will be back with us in Cabo...I would like to do a race in BC...it would be good to include you in our film...
Bob Anderson 2/3/12 8:28 am

We are 99% sure that we will be in Cabo again this year, and will of course run in the Ujena race!
Shari Mernett 2/4/12 8:24 am

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The white tape around my hamstring really helped me get through this one.   I worked all week on my hamstring.  I really wanted to race 10 miles but this is just not going to happen.  I was afraid my hamstring would tighten up again.  I ran the 5k.  It held up and I fnished in 20:49.  My best 5k of the year.  Things are coming together.  What I did during the week all worked.  Will I be ready to race 10 miles next Saturday? Glad it was only 5k today.

After the race we had the chance to speak with a lot of other runners.  We got some great footage and we hope to include much of it in our film.  So many great stories.

This famly of four run together.  They have a good story.

Last week this runner came flying past me the last quarter mile and beat me by ten seconds.  I don't remember seeing her on New Years Day.  But today I beat Kate by twenty seconds or so.  We met and I told her about our film and my 50 races.  She wants to do 50 races also.  I also found out that she had only gotten a few hours of sleep the night before this race.  She has two small kids.  Good footage for the film...

Kate at the finish of the 5k...feeling that moment when  you know you ran hard...

John has just turned 60.  He ran the 10 mile today in a great time of 64:48 or something like this.  He was telling us that he gets up around 4:30am and runs 14 miles hard three days a week through the streets of San Francisco.  He had some good stories including being hassled by the police and protitutes early in the morning talking about that they know a better exercise.   - from Bob Anderson

I am glad I thought through this race and so far my hamstring is holding up. Now my right one is feeling a little odd but I am doing hip swings. Ceci Hopp St. Geme, a top master runner told me about them...
Bob Anderson 1/25/12 12:16 pm

4 down, 46 to go!
Justin Wall 1/26/12 2:33 pm

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