How to Carry a Camera While Running (the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler)

Camera Carrying

I had an idea for Boston.  Why not carry a camera with me to photograph the race course from a runner's perspective?  While I certainly wasn't the first person to think of this, I also didn't know the best method for carrying a camera   I had a few ideas: using a spy-belt or fuel belt would work, but I don't really like having stuff tightened around my waste while running.  I could use my Nathan HPL 20 ultra/ hydration vest, but while that would be great for long trail runs its kind of overkill for a road race with drink support.

It also helps to have a cheap digital camera, as some would call a throw-a-way, just in case it takes on moisture and breaks, gets dropped and stepped on, or stolen, you aren't risking your preferred camera (or cell phone which would be equally devastating to lose).  By the way, my preferred camera at the moment is the Canon S95, but at around $400 I prefer to leave that one at home. I used my Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1, a cheapier I got off Woot! one day for around 50 bucks.  Lumix is a great line and it takes solid pictures as long as you aren't looking for anything too advanced.  I put it in a zip-loc bag to keep out any moisture, and then tucked it into my Zensah compression arm-sleeve to keep it in place (and within easy reach).  Worked like a charm!

So how did it turn out?  See for yourself - the 2013 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Pictures:

(Upper Left) Race is just about to start as the sun rises;
(Upper Right) runners heading toward Memorial bridge; (Lower Left)
after the turnaround on the Tidal Basin; and, (Lower Right) coming
back from Hains point toward the Washington Monument.

I love when races have the final 1600, 1200, & 400 meters
 marked off, really helps you time your finishing kick; the
final stretch to  the finish line; a "selfie" near the end;
 and, looking back at the finish.

I thought my running photography turned out pretty good!  Especially when you consider trying to keep your horizon lines even, account for decent lighting, and hold a steady enough camera to avoid blurry pictures - all this while running of course.

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler Race Recap

Finish Time: 1:14:27

Nothing too serious here, just a locals' favorite race to get the legs moving and usher in some Spring weather!  I started out in a mid-level corral which of course is filled with people who should be much further back.  This actually helped my plan on starting out very slow and not trying to "race".  Conditions were cold pre-race, felt like upper 30s but once the sun came up it warmed up quickly into the 40s, perfect running weather.

Out of DC across Memorial Bridge everything stayed calm in the air, and that continued on until the somewhat infamous Hains Point section, a run directly into the wind that seems to last forever (its almost 3 miles).  Once that was over with and we passed the tip of Hains Point things got easier (and warmer), now with a tail wind and on flat ground the final few miles were a good chance to kick things into overdrive.  The final mile also gave you a countdown of the final 1200, 800, and 400 meters to go, perfect for timing a finishing kick.

My time at the 5 mile (half way point) split was 39:03, which means I cut off about 3.5 minutes during the second half of the course.  This was consistent with my game plan of keeping it casual in the beginning and speeding up for a tempo run by the 2nd half.  I got some solid race pace practice in for Boston as well in the middle miles (guessing about 7:30ish miles for the Marathon).

Self Portrait Around mile 8.

While I was rethinking this race as I awoke at 5:15am (and proceeded to stand around in the dark, wearing a singlet in 30-something degree weather on the National Mall while thinking "hey, why didn't I sleep in and just run 10 miles on my own later?") it was definitely worth it - as was my post-race shower and nap.  Next stop: Boston.

New Shoes

I just bought a new pair of Hokas as my first pair are finally starting to wear out.  I got the update of the already great Hoka Bondi B road running shoe simply called the Bondi 2.  It was pretty much love at first run, just a few slight tweaks to the original design.  Things felt a little more cushioned in the forefoot, a tad lighter, and more ventilation all around.  I had also gotten my first pair of Bondi Bs in a size 13.5 (the largest size available at the time), which worked but I really should only stick with my standard shoe size (14).   My toes were able to spread out and relax in the slightly larger Bondi 2s.  Not to mention the color scheme is even more fashionable!

My only slight issue is that I like to have a bit of arch support in my shoes to accommodate my medium size foot arch.  The standard insole is very simple, soft, and mostly flat.  I mitigated this by inserting some blue Super Feet insoles.

My new Hoka Bondi 2 shoes.  First major trial for them
today.  Was it love at first run? YES!

At $160 a pair Hokas might seem expensive to some, but think again, I have logged about 550 miles on my first pair of Bondi Bs (some people even report over 700 miles on a pair), so compare that with the typical 250-300 miles you can expect out of a standard pair of running shoes valued at anywhere from $100-$130. The translates into about $0.29 per mile on the Hokas, and $0.41 from a typical running shoe.  So in the "long run" Hokas are actually about 30% cheaper!

Last Week in General

It was an excellent week in preparation for Boston.  I ran easy pace runs Tuesday and Wednesday, rested Thursday, then did the Crystal City 5k on Friday evening as a tempo run, shooting for an even 20 minutes.  Saturday morning did an easy hour and a half for 12ish miles, and with the 10 miler Sunday finished the week at around 42 miles.  I feel very solid at this point but just need to make sure to complete my taper with minimal miles this week, rest, and some easy cross training.