Run with Brian

04/09/2018

Marathon 100: It was bound to happen.

This weekend we traveled to Yakima for the Yakima Canyon River Marathon. Jason, Derek, Tom, Conrad, and Zac came with us to to run. It was great to have the Agony Racing team at my side. As a team we rallied together to increased our training. I was very motivated and can't thank them enough.

Heavy rain greeted us at the start of the race. Thank you Days Inn Ellensburg for the trash bags! I pulled the trash bag at mile 3.5 once the rain let up a little.

It wasn't long before the leader (last years winner) pulled away and by mile 7, he was out of sight. However my teammates were breathing down my neck! My run/walk strategy kept me in sight for nearly the entire race. It also helped me prepare for the final miles. After a last walk at mile 21, I pushed up the final hill with a 30 second lead. Once I hit mile 23 it was all downhill to the finish. I opened up my stride and was able to gap Derek by 3 minutes, solidifying my 2nd place finish!

Already on cloud 9 at the finish, I heard my name from the side lines. It was my Mom! She and Hienz had driven over from Tacoma to surprise me. I couldn't' have wished for a greater way to celebrate the moment.

Soooo there it is. 100 Marathons, I turn 50 next month, I got 2nd overall, tied my PR of 2:55:59, got to run with my best friends and Tiedji (also "bestest" friend), and had my Mom and Hienz there to cap it all off. I AM SOOOO BLESSED!

Made the newspaper too! https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/news_watch/rainy-repeat-okabe-wins-second-straight-yakima-river-canyon-marathon/article_ad805d1c-3ade-11e8-afa5-dfe6778a0a65.html

A couple of "thank yous". Bob & Lenore Dolphin are amazing and have assembled the best volunteer crew on the planet. There is a reason so many veteran runners return to Yakima year after year. .

Also I picked up a new pair of New Balance 890s just before the race. They were untested by me at that distance and got soaking wet, yet the performed flawlessly! !

12/31/2017

What a great week! We had traveled to LA to see my sister, and my Mom came down from Tacoma too.

We often try to squeeze a race in while traveling and found "Operation Jack" marathon in Los Angeles the day after Christmas. A nice little run along the coast to benefit Autism causes. Plus I needed marathon #99.

I wasn't feeling too spunky and ran pretty conservative. Trading places and chatting with a nice kid named Kevin. We had a pack of 4 or 5 guys about a minute behind us. I do 'run/walk' so we went back and forth a lot. At mile 18 he says to me, "not sure if I can hold on much longer." At mile 20 I gave a push and was able to pull away. Although I faded a little on pace I managed a 3+ minute gap on the field and took the win!

The best part was having my Mom, Sister and their hubby's at the finish. It's really special that they can share in my love for running.

Yes, Tiedji was there too (she's always a special part of this journey). She ran the half.

So the final time was 3:08 (again, last 3 have been exactly the same.)

Now we have 3 months to train for number 100!

10/30/2017

Thank you feet... I don't give you guys enough credit for what you do for me. I slammed you into the ground over 17,000 times today with 3x my body weight.. EACH FOOT! Marathon #98. Done.

10/09/2017

#96 and #97 Done!

Salmon Marathon was a beast this year, proving that 'racing' a marathon is much harder than running one. After going back and forth in the 1-2 position up to the hill at 14, I tried to focus on closing the gap. As I approached mile 24 I noticed the gap was in fact shrinking, and with it, the sound of conversation behind me!

That conversation was 2 brothers from Indiana, one was going for a 3:03 PR and the other (a solid sub 3:00 runner) pacing him. I was in trouble. That's when fast brother took off, crushed me and reeled in the first place guy in less than one mile! I did my best to hold of his brother, but all the pain of the marathon was coming to a head. As I got caught at 25.5, I started to stagger, get dizzy and dry heave. Lucky me! Now in 4th, I just gathered up myself and 'jogged' in for a 3:03. At which time I shut down, dry heaved and locked up for the next 30 minutes.

Sooooo, on to City of Trees Marathon, and you may be asking why I do this?!?!

#97 Was more fun. I started out at a normal 'race pace' but realized by mile 7 I really didn't have all the energy I needed to keep it up. Backing off, I let 3rd run away, and 4th and 5th passed me.

Going slower can make for a better race later.

Sure enough, at mile 15, I passed 5th who was hurting pretty bad. Soon I saw 4th and he appeared reachable. I caught him at mile 20. At mile 24 I came across third, he had stopped, unsure of the direction of the course (runner brain error, second guessing the course). I got him back on track, but he could not hold the pace. I managed to out run him by 2 minutes and took 3rd.

The City of Trees marathon has been going since 2002 and I have done every one of them. Thanks Jeff!

Now I have to recover to run #98 in just 3 weeks.

09/12/2017

09/12/2017

Congrats to Kimberly Olsen for getting her BQ +20!

08/24/2017

Shout out to "Run with Brian" athletes. Kim won the Wine Half Marathon. Dru doubled, winning the half marathon in the morning and returned for a 10k win that night. Anita placed 7th out of over 700 women in an 8k race overseas and Tiedji placed 16th in her age group at the Duathlon World Championships.

Woo Hoo! Congrats to all of you!

08/01/2017

Marathon #95 Jack & Jill Marathon through the Snoqualmie tunnel to North Bend, Wa

This is a "downhill" course, however at 1% grade it's tough to equate that to a faster time. I had a deal with Jason Hudson (Agony Racing teammate) that we would both "race" this one 'head to head' for "Personal Record" bragging rights.

I went hard and was on pace for a record time, but in the end the course won. 26.2 Miles of dirt/gravel took it's toll on my lose/flexible legs and feet. I really felt like I gave it enough effort, and 3 days later I am still sore (quads feel jello-like). Although I didn't get the time I wanted, I still ran 2:59 and got first in my age group (Old Man).

Although I am a little discouraged to have given so much and not received my reward of a PR time, I am encouraged to know I can run this hard again, on a more stable surface, and a faster time is still in reach.



Oh, and 'yes', I beat Jason :)

06/29/2017

#94 Pacific Crest Marathon. One can not expect greatness when running multiple marathons. However, I will take "5 seconds faster than last year" as a small victory! I managed to pull off 3rd OA, also one place better than last year. One month to recover, pretend I am training for a day or two and start tapering for the next one. Whew...

05/22/2017

#93 "They don't call it a marathon because it's easy."

Ran the Famous Potato Marathon this weekend. Hats off to Tim Severa, Mike Carlson and anyone else who helped pull it off! Due to river flooding the course and finish were nearly all new. They did a great job rerouting and got it certified as a Boston Qualifier too.

I only wish I ran it as well. lol. Two weeks is a short time to reload for a marathon. I have done it a few times, but I am not as young (nor naive) and don't plan on doing it again anytime soon.

The race started off okay, but it didn't take long to realize I was still recovering and my 'tanks' weren't topped off. I felt like my body was just absorbing too much energy and I didn't have any 'snap' in my step. I purposely slowed down so I wouldn't hurt myself, but then my body slowed me down a little more. I managed to hold my 7th place spot from the half on and finished in 3:10. Not bad for a guy looking to turn 50 soon.

Hopefully my memory doesn't leave me short on that promise to "not race two in two weeks." I have decided to rearrange my marathon schedule to make sure I don't hurt myself this summer. Hmmmm, what will be the new race to replace the one I dumped?

Next stop Pacific Crest....

05/09/2017

So the last post was a year ago and 'wow' has time flown. We did in fact finish the house, and I am back to coaching again.

I have a new challenge for which will culminate in 12 months. Run my 100th marathon before my 50th birthday!

Last weekend we went to Eugene for their marathon. They did a great job. A smaller town that can pull off the feel of a big city race is a rare thing. Well done Eugene Marathon!

Unfortunately a pinched nerve in my neck nearly derailed the whole goal. I could barely turn my head or move my shoulder. Turns out running was easier than not moving. I managed to finish well and accomplished a rare feat in the process. "The perfect split." The first and second halves were both 1:32:01, for a final time of 3:04:02. Not my best time, but I'm pretty proud.

Thanks to all my Agony Racing friends for being there and racing with me.

05/22/2016

Oh man... It's been forever since I last posted. Still focused on house building. However I coined a new word today at the Famous Potato Marathon "POOMA." Let's hope I get back to a normal routine because, at my age, I can only "pull one..." so many times without killing myself.

Be Well.

02/27/2016

John 'the Penguin' Bingham: March 3rd, 6:30 at Shu's! Great guy and a great speaker for runners new and seasoned.

I have had the pleasure of hearing him a couple of times and he always leaves me laughing.

See you there.

02/22/2016

Thanks Dave and Melissa for cheering us on at the LA Marathon! Great day and managed the sub 3, despite not being able to get a normal training cycle in. Life happens, but you have to race right to make the training you have work for you. Thanks to Galloway run/walk.

01/21/2016

Freezeout challenge in Emmett this weekend. Won't be frozen but it should be a great day to race!

This is one of Jeff's Blue Circ!e Sports races. I got to make the awards and they make chilli to reward all the runners. Yum!

01/02/2016

Oh wow... It's 2016. Hopefully I can do something great this year.

10/28/2015

http://www.bluecirclesports.com/EventDetail_Master.aspx?meid=2013

One of my favorite races is now open for registration! The Salmon Marathon.
Send me a message and I'll send you a discount code :)

10/25/2015

I just might have outdone myself... These are the awards for Boise VeloWomen CROOKED CROSS at Crooked Flats.

Even if you never race cyclocross, I would enter just for one of these... I'm just sayin' ;)

10/10/2015

Tomorrow is "City of Trees Marathon". I got to make more awards to share with our running friends. It's great to be so immersed in the sport I love. I get to play at Shu's, teach and share my passion for running via "Run with Brian", help Jeff at Blue Circle Sports with courses, race and make awards too.

Fortunate,
Brian

P.S. Who's going to get this one this year? (and it's not me. lol).

10/10/2015

Thanks "Camp River Run" for putting on a fun 5k. What a great charity and nice people. Plus they let me make some awards to share with friends! :)

09/17/2015

Fast, fun and despite being one of the smallest marathons in the country, it is hands down one of the best organized! Thank you Salmon Marathon 2015.

Planning on a marathon next year? Put September 10th 2016 on your calendar as "Salmon Marathon Weekend." See you there!

2nd Photo is from Sunday morning at the Syringa Lodge.

09/17/2015

I get to do another 'talk' at the FitOne expo on Friday the 25th. We'll be talking about walking vs. running, the efficiency of each and using that info to 'move forward'.

09/09/2015

Working on awards for two great races! Salmon Marathon and City of Trees Marathon.

I cut some gorgeous juniper for the bases of some of the awards. Come out to the races and RUN FAST! They're worth the effort ;)

09/02/2015

All tapered up and no where to run? Freakin' Fast Marathon is cancelled for road work. Salmon Marathon is offering $20 off to registered FF runners.

Salmon is also downhill and my PR course so I know it's FAST!

08/06/2015

Hello Running Friends!

It's been a while since I posted anything and I think an update is in order.

Of course we have been running and racing. Some of the great races we have done were the Fit 4 Life 10k (5k and Half too), with it's famous home plate finish in Hawk Stadium, the "Freakin' Fast" half marathon (literally runs down Bogus Basin Rd for 13.1 miles), and the New York Life 10k (5k and half too).

Training this time of year is often summed up as 'racing'. It's a great opportunity to get some threshold efforts in and it pays off too! I managed first place at both 10k runs and second at the half. It was hands down my fastest half ever (1:14) and I hurt for days after. The recovery time was quite a bit longer than usual. A friend also race ran the race and his Achilles ruptured the next day! Word of the month... 'Recovery'.

Up next... Hood to Coast Relay. This is a special race as it started me running back in 1994. Not only will this be my 22nd H2C in a row, I get to run with my buddy Chris Labuhn who I ran with our first year and also hasn't missed a Hood to Coast since. So excited!

After that, a few more favorite races. Payette Lake runs (30k, 8.6mi and 5k) up in McCall. It's a fantastic race around the lake and you can register at www.BlueCircleSports.com. A must for any Idaho runner.

And then it's only one week to the Salmon Marathon. It's another great race up in Salmon, ID. They also have a half marathon. Let me know if you are racing and we might be able to rustle up some accommodations.

Run hard, recover harder!
Brian

05/11/2015

Oh wow, I forgot about this fun race. Volition half marathon. New race to Boise. It had an odd start which turned out to be a great 1 mile warm up. My running buddy Dave Faught led us out, killed it and then finished first crossing the line at 5:40 pace and a new PR. I thought I could catch him but he destroyed me by 4 over minutes!

Oddly another guy started 7 minutes after us, and his chip time took the OA by a mere 7 seconds. Dave got 2nd, I got 3rd. D'OH!

The food was awesome at the finish and it was nice to be indoors at the Barber Park event building.

P.S. I love to rock the Shu's gear because Mike does sooooooo much for the running community.

05/11/2015

Hi!
Running update... This weekend was "race for the cure" and the conclusion of my 47th trip around the sun. New PR 17:17. I know my days are numbered but to set a 5k PR at 47 is pretty cool.

I gotta thank Tom Lloyd and the kids ahead of us who pushed the pace. Run hard, hold on and embrace the pain... It's actually good fun.

The sun is out and it seems like every weekend is a run or ride.

Next weekend I get to volunteer for the Coyote Classic mountain bike race (Broken Spoke Racing). Then it's a Running clinic for Team in Training, followed by the LP200 bike race, and then the 9 to 5 mountain bike race at Jug Mountain (think 8 hours, 2 people, one bike) and then Sawtooth relay. UHG!

When will the fun stop? Never!

I know I will eventually slow down, but it will be no less entertaining
:)

04/19/2015

So today was Robie Creek. It was pretty warm and windy. I really wanted a PR and I wanted to beat a few people too. Missed the PR by 20 seconds, but I beat those I needed to, for 2nd 45-49.

What I was most proud of was the moment I found inspiration to push. I went into the race knowing I was going to have to hurt to get what I wanted. When I thought I was 'spent' around mile 6. I thought of little Martin Richard, the youngest to lose his life at the Boston Marathon bombing.

"I am here. I get to race. This isn't going to kill me. I can hurt a little more for those who can't."

Peace.

04/07/2015

Movie and Benefit for Rachel Corey tomorrow at the Power House at 7:00. Tickets are $5 and available at Shu's or at the door.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvsPU8LiVhk
See you there.

The Long Haul - John Muir Trail A New Short Film by Journeyfilm Mike Wolfe and Hal Koerner are both experienced world class UltraMarathoners as well as soon ...

03/16/2015

While I am on a roll (I really should post more). My 9th grade Athlete/Client just ran his first High School meet at Donna Larson Park (big time!) His 400m splits 1:18, 1:18, 1:18 and 1:11. Who does that!?!? Even I am impressed :)