San Francisco 50 Mile (by Coastal Trail Runs) 2015 Race Report

Having recently picked up my first DNF at the Canyons 100K (ugh) and with my focus on the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 mile (woohoo!) I wanted to run the San Francisco 50 miler pretty hard but still conservatively. I have never broken 10 hrs in a 50M before and I was thinking it may be possible here.

Going into the race, I was feeling strong and knew I was getting into pretty good shape. The DNF at the Canyons woke me up. I took hard look at my life, training and what I wanted to do running-wise this year vs fitting it into my life. I knew I was taking the TRT100 too lightly up until that point. I ultimately decided to bear down, work more vert into my training and get after that "hundo"! 

The San Francisco 50 Miler is in my backyard so I was able to get a good night sleep in my own bed and make my way to the race casually in the morning. Although, i might have been a bit too casual as I missed the start by about 1:30! Ha! Coastal Trail Runs are pretty relaxed so it wasn't a big deal and it actually was a nice feeling to start the race in last place and just focus on running based on effort. 

I settled into a comfortable pace for the first 7-10ish miles. I know this course very well so I had a pretty clear picture of where/when I wanted to crank down or let up on the pace. I caught up with a bunch of people pretty quickly and settled into the middle of the pack by mile 7. I started to push a little harder running down Marincello into Tennessee Valley but kept in mind the long way we still had to go. I was hoping to hang around this pace until the turn around at Stinson Beach.

From Tennessee Valley to Stinson Beach I caught quite a few people and felt great on the downhills. I was running based on effort which was still a comfortable push. I was a little discouraged at a few points just before descending Steep Ravine to Stinson Beach because I seemed to be on 10hr pace and I didn't think I would be able to speed up and remain comfortable.

My plan for the second half was to remain in control but push consistently harder than the first half. I noticed that my downhill running has greatly improved this year and I was able to push the pace a bit on all the downhills all the way into the finish. After the first big descent of the second half I was on sub 10 hour pace and feeling strong. I cruised into Muir Beach aid station ready for the steep climb and the awesome single track of Coastal! The climb up the stairs just past Pirate's Cove is always a grind but I was sure to keep pressing forward while conserving energy for the last very-runnable 8 or 9 miles. I was steadily picking people off until the finish and ended up in 12th in 9:37 (*interesting to see in the Strava deets below that I wasted 20 min+ in aid stations and 1 bathroom stop, i'll have to work on that!). A 50 mile PR!! I was running in Altra Lone Peak which are my favorite shoes (especially the 2.5's). I fueled mainly on GU Roctane Lemonade flavor, some Thermolyte MetaSalt tabs and a steadily-half-full hydration pack w h2o only. I also used a few bottles of Skratch in the bottle I carried along.

me at the finish...

SLS3 Allrounder Compression Sock Review

I was recently contacted by SLS3 Compression gear to review some compression socks. I try to only review items that I actually use and like and this was definitely the case with these socks. The ALLROUNDER COMPRESSION SOCKS are awesome!

I love compression socks not really for running in (unless I have a minor injury) but for recovery, travel and when I know i'll be sitting or standing for long periods of time. These socks are very basic which makes them comfortable and functional. The price seems right too at $45. Give 'em a try! 

Airia Running Shoes

Greetings runners! I was recently contacted by Airia to check out their shoes and write a review... These shoes are clearly different BUT don't let that scare you away! I am a big fan of consistently running in a variety of running shoe styles. Check these out!

When you first put these shoes on they feel strange and even when you start running in them they feel a bit odd at first. Keep running!! They start to feel pretty cool! They're definitely made to run fast. So the faster you go the more normal they feel. Notice in the photo above they look like track spikes.

Airia would be a great addition to anyones arsenal of running shoes (not a trail running shoes tho). 

Catching Up with Myself

….i fell off posting on Undefeated Running but at least my running didn't fall off :)

I completed Western States 100 (2013) in 26:52. What an amazing experience. I can't wait to do it again and no I did not get in this year. I need to give a huge thanks to my crew (Mom, Dad, Auntie Sue and Chrissy) and my pacer (Klas). After much research, training and building familiarity with the course (and it being my first 100) I went out with the goal simply to finish BUT if I felt good far enough into the race I would push for sub-24.

I took about a month off from running after the race. Next, I ran the Coastal 50K (headlands) in september and felt great. It was supposed to be a training run for Firetrails 50 which I ended up not running because  I wanted to feel great for my "A" race which was the NYC Marathon. I went to NY feeling ready and strong. The tricky thing about the NYC marathon is getting to the start. You end up standing around for quite a while in pretty cold weather. This did not help my pacing strategy. The original plan was to just plug 8 min miles pretty much the whole way (a very comfortable pace for me on the road). Well after standing around getting cold and bitter :) I did what any runner worth their salt would do… took off at 7 min miles. After a few of those the nerves calmed and I settled into my 8min/mile pace. Well, the last 6-8 miles were a bit tougher than expected. I finished in 3:41 which is a marathon PR for me and was pretty happy with since I hadn't ran a road marathon since 2011.

I had a pretty mellow winter and slowly built my training back up in January. So far in 2014 I ran Way Too Cool 50K (5:13) and American River 50 Miler (9:44) and now my "A" race Miwok 100K is this coming weekend May 3rd. I'm great aside from the calf being a bit tweaked. Unfortunately, on my last run I saw someone I knew and as I was passing them and saying hello something pulled in my calf. Ah! Anyway, I've been resting it for the last 2 weeks so hopefully it will be all good for the start. Either way it should be a great weekend at Stinson Beach :)

Peace!

Adam   

LAKE SONOMA 50 Mile Race Review

What do I get out of running? I realized (or at least reaffirmed) the answer a couple weekends ago at the Lake Sonoma 50 Miler. I get mental strength. Sure the physical conditioning is great but the mental stamina and fortitude is what keeps me going. Lake Sonoma 50 is a TOUGH race. It's a rough course, w some major climbs and descents and lots of rolling hills. There is really no flat/gentle areas of the course. I ran it 10:20 but was really hoping and very confident that I would break 10. I made the biggest rookie mistake, I went out too fast. It was deliberate though but I'm not sure if that makes its more or less of a mistake. I had run the course in one direction, on very tired legs in a casual 5:15. With a 2 week taper I was certain that I could push it to the turn around (it's an out n back) and cruise back in 5/5:15. I didn't account for how relentless that course is.

I pushed way too hard for the first 12 miles. So much so that I actually started bonking around mile 15. By time I hit the turn around I was thinking about calling it a day (something I had never seriously considered in a race before). I collected myself at the turn around and set out slowly. I started cruising along the rollers as best I could before the steep descent down to lake level. I must have been passed by about 20 people through this section. I was moving but hurting from the turn around through about mile 34. Finally, life started to comeback to my body and mind. I thought this would be an eleven hour race leaving the turn around. I felt my energy reserves stocking up as a held a very conservative pace. As I pressed on I started to reel in a few people who had passed me.

As I neared the aid station around mile 38 mile, I decided I would kick in to gear after that. I got some good solid food down (side note: I was recently given some samples of Yaff Bars. I've been using them on training runs and they're pretty great. Quality ingredients and also awesome because you can share them w your dog! check 'em out: http://www.muddandwyeth.com/yaffbars.html), a bit of caffeine, mixed a Hammer Perpetuem into one of my bottle and turned the head phones way up. I immediately passed 4 or 5 more people and was moving at a good pace and passed up another 6 or 7 before the finish.

I think a big part of my problem was that I set my goal and focused on the (ridiculous) split too much. When I started to break down and realize that I wasn't going to get in under 10 it was a big mental bummer. As I pushed along in the later miles, I switched my thoughts to feeling really proud for staying in the race and tried to enjoy the small personal comeback I was experiencing.  As I crossed the finish line, I was elated to be finished but more importantly I realized why I love running ultras so much.

It took me a while to get this review out because of the Boston Marathon bombing a couple days after the Lake Sonoma race. Running has been my escape, the thing I do when I want to feel free and clear my head whether its a race or just a solo run. Now we have some f$&^%rs bombing the finish of a marathon!? This deeply affected me. The irony of people having just ran 26.2 miles and others losing there legs was terrible. I started to reflect on running, my race, what makes us runners and why we run. On a deeper level it was very strange for these b*&^hes to bomb a running event. Their cowardly weak act contrasting with the mental and physical strength of the runners and the positive vibes from all those who supported their runners and the event. If anything this bombing has driven me to live an even "free-er" life than i have been living, to run stronger than ever and most importantly to just keep running. 

Deeper into Training; Lake Sonoma 50 and Western States 100

This weekend I linked up with a running group from the Auburn, CA area and ran 36 miles on the Western States course (an Out and Back from Drivers Flat/River Crossing up to Foresthill and back). Last weekend I ran the Lake Sonoma 25 mile training run and the weekend before that I ran Way Too Cool 50K. I'm feeling really strong and loving all of the miles on the trails I've been able to get in. Feeling a little bit tired but not too bad. For the past 4 weeks I've been getting about 60-70 miles per week in.

This weekend's 36 miler concluded Phase I of my Western States training and also marked the peak for my Lake Sonoma 50 training. I'm beginning a mild taper which pretty much means I'll be running quite a bit but cutting the long weekend runs down a bit. The week before Lake Sonoma will be filled with a lot of rest. Phase I's focus was to build a really solid running foundation that would handle high mileage as well as speed work/hill repeats, a bit of cross training and allow me to be prep'd for Lake Sonoma.

I had incredible luck with Ultra lotteries this year and got into Way Too Cool 50k, Miwok 100k and Western States (I know, I should buy a real lottery ticket!). I decided to run a fast Way Too Cool but not really taper, race Lake Sonoma, use Miwok 100k as a training run and ultimately focus 100% on Western States. I'm looking forward to Lake Sonoma. It's a TOUGH course but I am eager to give it my best shot and hopefully break 10hrs. I'm looking to run a smart race and run the last 15/20 miles hard. This race will be mostly some mental training for Western States.

Overall I'm feeling solid and looking forward to going to deeper into the belly of the Western States training beast. Oh yeah, let's talk a little about gear... I've been running mostly in Hoka One One Stinson trail shoes (i have 2 pairs that I rotate) and Altra Superior shoes. The combo has been excellent so far. I've been trying to figure out my hydration technique for WS so I've been running w 2 20oz Amphipod handheld bottles and occasionally using my Salomon S-Lab Hydration Pack. I've also been using a hydration waist pack w my 2 handhelds which seems to be an ok combo as well.

Also, if you live in the Bay Area or are visiting the SF/Marin area be sure to stop by the San Francisco Running Company. It's an awesome new running store w great/knowledgable guys running the shop and excellent gear, shoes, fuel, etc. 

Back on the Trail

...to where? I don't think anyone knows but it's not about the destination... it is about the journey. Any true runner worth their salt (and we know how valuable salt is in running) will tell you the same. Signing up for races or having a running schedule that you can stick to is a beautiful part of running. Even on your way to a finish line you know it is not the end. It allows you to tune-in and subsequently tune-out (or maybe i should call it, "hit the zone") whether it is on a single run or extends through a stretch of time and multiple runs/races or training.

In November, I started thinking about races for 2013. I put my name in the lotteries for the Western States 100, Miwok 100k and Way to Cool 50k.  I also set my alarm and signed up for the Lake Sonoma 50 Miler when registration opened. The stars must have aligned for me for 2013 because I got picked in all 3 lotteries! Having all of these races on my race calendar for 2013 is electrifying. I have set long and short term goals and it provides fuel for every run.

One of my favorite long term goals for 2013 is to try to enjoy all of the training runs and workouts. Running is something that I love to do and in training for races in the past I have sometimes felt that "getting in workouts" has stressed me out. I believe that enjoying the process, the journey, and not getting stressed out over having to do certain workouts will allow me to be better prepared and actually train smarter and run harder than before.

Being back on the trail is more of a mental thing than anything else. I feel free, clear headed, strong and ready to tackle challenges.    

Dick Collins FIRETRAILS 50 MILER Race Review

On October 13, 2012 I ran the Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Miler (I fell off the blogging wagon for a bit so I'm writing this at a later date)... "Firetrails" is an awesome ultramarathon that is run on an out and back course through the East Bay Hills in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I live in San Francisco so I woke up at about 5am and sped out to the East Bay to check in and make the 6:30am start. It was totally dark out so the starting/parking area was a bit messy... I decided to go without a flashlight because dawn was breaking around that time and didn't want to carry the extra weight.  I didn't realize that this would limit my toilet options to one bathroom... the park has other port-o-potty style bathrooms but no lights. There was a huge line for restroom and luckily I got in and out just in time. A few unlucky runners started a bit late.

As I made my toward the start, I heard the count down and as I reached the start we were off! Oops... i forgot to tie my shoelaces :) ...ok now we were off. The first few miles are alongside the Lake Chabot bike trail before the course climbs up into the hills for a few rolling miles before dropping into the valley. "Firetrails" is one of those legendary races that attracts true ultrarunners; it is an ultra marathoners ultramarathon. Many seasoned runners made for a great day on the trails. People were friendly, competitive, respectful and working hard.

We pressed on through magnificent redwood groves in Redwood Regional Park and started back into the hills. The aid stations are great at this race. They are well stocked, manned by great volunteers and nice distances from each other. I ran w two 12 oz Amphipod handheld water bottles. One for h2o and one for GU sports drink. I also carried my own GU's and Picky Bars. I started fueling early and felt good through the first half of the race. I definitely felt like I had energy to burn. My race strategy was to pace myself through the first half, hit the turnaround somewhere between 4:30 and 5hrs and then go back hard for a negative split. I was hoping to finish as close to 9hrs30min as possible. I hit the turn around at 4:55 and started back up the long climb to Grizzly Peak. I felt very strong through the climb but once I got to the top indigestion hit (this was about mile 30 or so).... i need a port-o-potty something fierce! This slowed my roll for about 5 minutes coming into the aid station which had a restroom. Spent a few more minutes in there and then got back out on the trail but not feeling much better. I think I over did it with the Picky Bars early in the first half. They are solid food and have about 200 cal per bar. I pushed on at a slow pace trying to get my system right. Finally after another 8 miles or so I started to come back to life. I grabbed my headphones from my crew and started the descent into Redwood Regional Park. All of a sudden I was back! With about 12 miles to go I kicked into gear running about a 9 min/mile pace. I was feeling great. I motored on through the last 10 miles, rocking out and enjoying my comeback. I crossed the finish line in 10:03. I was pretty spent, a little bummed about the indigestion but feeling good about the comeback in the end.

Overall Dick Collins Firetrails 50 was an awesome race! Julie Fingar (race director) does a great job putting this one together. Thanks Julie and to everyone who volunteered their time.  

Tamalpa Runners HEADLANDS 50K Race Review

As I was running downhill to Stinson Beach on the Matt Davis Trail my foot caught an old steel peg that used to hold a wooden stair in place. I was airborne going head first towards a tree. Everything slowed down. Was this my life flashing before my eyes? If so, I wasn't seeing anything? I had time to contemplate how this was either going to end. Result A) me unconscious on the trail of the trail or B) couple broken bones. I somehow turned my body a bit and ended up giving the tree a body check (hockey style) with my left shoulder. Naturally, the tree did not budge and I let out a huge unintentional grunt as my body crumpled around the trunk of the tree. I hit the ground and began to slide down the hill. Luckily, I was still conscious and a pleasant fern lent me a hand to stop my downhill slide. I scrambled back up to the trail and up onto my feet. I ran a quick diagnostics test over my body and to my surprise everything felt in tact. I was able to carry on, amble along, hobble on downhill the hill. Eventually my hobble turned into a trot and into a real stride.

Now, let's rewind about 25 miles.... It was a fantastically foggy morning at Santos Meadow just up the road from Muir Beach. Great running weather. Everyone was shivering as they picked up their bibs, chatted it up with old and new running buddies and prepped for the 31.5 hilly (7,300' up and 7,300' down) miles that lay ahead... even Dean Karnazes was shivering. 

Off we went at 8am heading south towards San Francisco. We ran along alongside highway 1 until about where we started our first big climb out of Muir Beach. This section of trail is phenomenal. The views are exceptional and it is just flat out excellent single track along the coastal cliffs. The average pace was decent and people were cool with passing and sharing the trail. We wound our way up and down towards Rodeo Beach where we encountered the aid station 1. All of the aid stations were really well stocked and manned. The volunteers in this race were fantastic!! (Seriously, Thank you!) I was able to easily navigate each aid station which in some races can be harder than navigating the trail. Prior to the race, I armed myself with some GU Roctanes and my new favorite running fuel, PICKY BARS!!! These things are seriously awesome, dude (you'll get that joke later). They have a great carb to protein ratio (4:1 yo!), go down easily and taste good too (No Gluten sucka!). They provide excellent sustained energy (no highs and lows). I highly recommend them. I was really diligent about my fueling on this race and it paid off. I felt really good the whole time (well most of the time). 

(That's me running up out of Muir Beach.)

After the Rodeo aid station I pressed on up the Miwok trail (a trail that I train on a lot) heading north towards Mt. Tamalpais. It's always fun racing a course that you're familiar because among other things you know how to use every inch of it to your advantage. This stretch of trail is challenging but I know where I can really push myself but I tried to remember to save some energy for the last two steep technical sections. I loved flying down the Old Springs Trail into Tennessee Valley (always a fun one) where you could hear the cheers of the volunteers and spectators at the aid station. We climbed out of Tennessee Valley back on up the steep Miwok trail. For some reason this where I began to pass most of the people I passed during the race. After you make it up to the ridge it is sort of rolling hills that turn into downhill to Muir Woods where you connect with the Dipsea Trail to climb Cardiac Hill. I think knowing this part of the trail helped me push through the rolling and keep a solid but comfortable pace. Cardiac Hill took its toll on me and I was happy to reach the aid station at the top. I snagged a couple PB&J squares, chugged two cups of water, re-upped my GU brew supply and took off on this relatively flat couple of miles to the steep technical downhill section of the Matt Davis trail which takes you to Stinson Beach. I was eating my Picky Bars towards the top of most major climbs or during the rolling hill sections to recover from a climb and to fuel the larger muscles you use when going downhill. I waited to the half way point to have my first Roctane which gave me a great kick because I am not a regular coffee drinker (anymore). I had a very small cup of coffee the day before to get my digestive system used to the caffeine (this helps!). 

As I pressed on the rolling trail and was feeling really strong. I was pushing my pace, starting to play with that redline zone. The trail turned into its steep technical downhill through the trees towards Stinson Beach and I was moving with it well... or so I thought. I had a few passing conversations with fellow runners as we whipped through the turns and then BOOM! I hit the tree. I was back on my feet but moving along again at now a much slower pace. I tried to shake off the blow. I made it down to Stinson a bit rattled but moving ok. I turned back up the Dipsea trail to start the last steep technical stairy (with one 10ft ladder) ascent up Steep Ravine Trail. I really started to feel the mental affect of the crash on this part. My race mentality got knocked out of me and was laying there somewhere back up on the Matt Davis trail. With a little help from some motivating fellow ultrarunners I made it to the top of Steep Ravine in no kind of record time. At this point my back was tightening up a bit (something I have never really felt before while running so I attributed it to the "tree-check") and the feet were ready to stop. I cruised down the last 3 miles to the finish. 5:44 was my official time which I felt pretty good about considering the crash and I'm training through this race for the Dick Collins Firetrails 50. Overall, I had a fantastic day and really enjoyed running the Headlands 50K. I will be back to do it again! Thanks Tamalpa Runners!

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Tahoe Rim Trail Thru-Hike 2012; 165 Miles Around Lake Tahoe

This post is not about running. It is about endurance. June 30 - July 13th, 2012 my girlfriend and I thru-hiked the 165+ mile (29,500' +/- of elevation gain and descent) TAHOE RIM TRAIL. This is a truly sensational trail that weaves through the mountain peaks that surround Lake Tahoe. I have a background in endurance races particularly on trails. I am a runner that mostly runs trail races ranging in distance from 10 to 50 milers (hoping to throw down a few 100 milers in the future). My gf however is not a runner but she is tough! :)

The Tahoe Rim Trail is a true test of endurance. It was really tough; mentally and physically. First of all, this was my first real backpacking trip. Being a runner I am used to ticking off the miles fairly quick so it was a tough adjustment for me to get used to doing about 2-3 miles/hr. Physically, I live at sea level so adjusting to the altitude was a little tough and hiking above 9100' consistently seemed to slow our roll a bit... especially with a 40lb pack on.

We started out in Tahoe City and headed clock wise around the lake. Some of the highlights were camping at Martis Peak; hiking up to Relay Peak (10,300'); the whole eastern ridge area including Marlette Peak and Lake, South Camp Peak; Star Lake; Meiss Meadow; and of course Desolation Wilderness. The hike had its highs and lows but the highs were far and away greater than the lows. All of these pictures as you can probably guess do not do the trail justice.

GEAR!... I brought a Delorme Satellite Communicator with us for a bit of fun and additional safety. It allowed our friends and family to go to a webpage and track us and we were able to send pre-written messages from the device letting them know we were ok. It also comes equipped with a SOS button to contact rescue networks and send them our location if we were in an emergency situation. We enjoyed having it with us and I highly recommend it to anyone. It had service the whole time. You can also connect your iphone/smartphone to it and communicate via text w anyone no matter how far out you are.

(Marlette Lake w Lake Tahoe behind)

For our water filtration we used two different Sawyer Water Filters, the hanging gravity filter and the squeeze filter. Both were great and the squeeze filter was excellent at stream crossings to cut time.

I carried an Osprey Atmos 65 backpack. It was about 40lbs average the whole time... somehow my backpack got heavier as the trip went on and my gf's got lighter! Strange :) As far as food, our staple was definitely Clif Bars and Core Warrior Bars! I highly recommend the Core Warrior Bars but they only last 1 week without being refrigerated. For dinner we had a hot backpacker meal each night that was usually some sort of pasta dish which we mixed tuna or salmon into. I brought electrolyte pills which were very useful on the hotter days and at higher elevations.

The Tahoe Rim Trail was one of the best outings of my life. It was an amazing experience and one that makes you think deeply about how you're living your life. Here's a few additional photos...

SPEED WORK

Speed work, it's a grey area in running... but it sure as shit shouldn't be :) The track is more packed than ever these days but its mostly packed with training groups that are either just logging miles and cross training or skimming the surface of speed work. Don't get me wrong there are definitely some serious track clubs out there that some of the best non-professional runners belong to but at least at my track (Kezar Stadium in San Francisco) they are not the majority. So if you're a runner who is logging some serious miles, training for a race or just run for the seek of running, go hit the track and feel the immediate benefits of running as fast as you can.

When was the last time you flat out ran as fast as you could? I'm sure some of you are saying a couple of hours ago but most of you probably can't remember. The number one reason to go out and run as fast as you can is because it feels so good... you don't even need a track! The nice thing about the track is that it makes it easy for you to break your workout into different distances. This is useful if you're training for a particular race... half marathon: run mostly 400s and 800s, full marathon: run 400s, mostly 800s and some mile repeats, ultramarathon: try to stick to the mile repeats while incorporating 100s, 400s and 800s. Whatever you're training for always do the shorter "as fast as you can" distances which would be a 50, 100 or 200. Check this video of Bart Yasso explaining his legendary marathon timing training technique/theory called the Yasso 800s:

Running as fast as you can builds strength, improves running form, increases your VO2 Max and improves anaerobic capabilities (think fast twitch muscles). To learn more about that stuff go HERE.  

Quicksilver 25km Race Report

On May 12, 2012 I ran the QUICKSILVER 25 km race near San Jose in the Almaden Quicksilver State Park. This race is a small part of the well known Quicksilver 50 Mile Race which is also held on the same day. The race was well organized. There were about 100 people in the 25km.

It starts out with some steep climbs for the first couple miles on fire trails. Note that this part of the trail is pretty exposed to the sun. After those first couple miles you start to hit some downhills and then a steep long drop to the turn off onto the single track. This portion of the trail is rolling hills covered with oak trees.  This was a welcome respite from the sun especially since it was a warm day. I think by 9am it was almost 70. Being a San Francisco runner warm weather always beats me up a bit so I pulled the already drenched shirt off once we got into the shade and it remained off for most of the race. I felt a little off on this race because I had a pretty soar throat during the few days before. On race morning it was still bugging me a bit but not enough to stop me from running. Nevertheless, I never felt 100% and think I was feeling the effects of the heat a little more than usual because of this.

I rambled on through the rolling hills and popped out to another fire road. This fire road featured a steady and unwelcome climb with some additional hot spots near the ridges. There is a major cross roads of the 50 miler, 50km and 25km at the Western States Aid Station which was extremely well stocked. This was sort of a cool junction to see the other runners out there on different races. A nice lady pointed me in the right direction and I was off again more fire roads. These next few miles were the hottest of the race and it really took its toll on me. My pace dropped significantly and I just flat out didn't feel very good. I finally popped out to another aid station 1 mile from the finish. I still took some time here and filled up the bottle again and noted to put some ice in this time. I took off on the last mile which is some very steep downhill straight to the finish. I finished slower than I expected in 2:40. After reviewing the race results from prior years it seemed like the warm weather took its toll on everyone.... that mad me feel a little better :) Here's me crossing the finish line, done but stoked to be there! It should be noted that my soar throat did not survive the race... when it doubt run it out.

The Dot Com Death Run

I've been making it a point to get outta the city and hit the beautiful hilly trails that surround us in the San Francisco Bay Area. This time of year the weather is great, wild flowers are popping and the trails aren't quite so saturated with the summer crowds.

Last weekend I embarked on what I have since dubbed "The Dot Com Death Run", a 15 mile run with 4200' of elevation gain and descent.  Don't steal that name race directors! I might use it and start my own race with that one day. I picked the MONTE BELLO OPEN SPACE PRESERVE (photo above)... I was actually on my way to Portola Redwoods State Park but I saw the Monte Bello parking area and decided to check it out. I had a map of the area in my hiking book so I felt comfortable to get out there and explore. Once I parked I realized I had only brought one large bottle of water and only two 12oz Amphipod Bottles and there was nowhere to fill up on the run or in the parking lot. Shit. The last store I saw was about 30 minutes earlier. I had some salt tabs, 3 GUs and figured I would just tough it out. As you can see in the pic, there is quite a lot of exposed ridge there and it was about 75 that day. You can also see in the pic that it drops down 2000' to Stevens Creek. I took off along that ridge for a couple miles and came to a crossroads. I decided to drop down to the creek which was an extremely steep 1.5 miles. Then I hung a left at another trail intersection and ran along the creek for a few miles. At this point, I hadn't seen anyone for a while and running in completely new territory I was starting to feel kinda "out there"... especially being a dude who lives in the city :) Was I going to be able to remember the turns I made on the way back? Was a mountain lion going to try and make me dinner? All of this analysis was taxing my running and then I remembered some wise running wisdom I once heard (or read) "take what the trail offers you". This is good advice for life as well, so I carried on. 5 minutes later I ran up to the creek crossing and one of the most amazing Redwoods groves I have ever seen. I crossed Stevens Creek and ran the 2 miles and 1800 ft up to the ridge at Skyline Blvd. My water conservation was going as best it could which meant I drank most of it already.

I turned around and bombed back down through the redwoods across the creek (forcing myself not to drink any creek water... it was so cold and tempting though) and pushed back up the gently rolling creek side trail to the base of.... the death climb. I saved about 4 ounces of water to drink when I got to the top. I was parched at this point. I started up the hill into the sun trying to run every 50ft or so. Damn that hill was steep. As I was about 2/3 of the way up a turkey vulture started circling me... I yelled up to him (or her), "I'm not dead yet!" and I mustered up some energy to run another five feet :) Deep in thought on the ascent of the death climb I started thinking back to the views of Silicon Valley from the ridge above and then I started thinking of that turkey vulture thinking about how close my proximity to death looked and then it dawned on me, this run would forever be known as The Dot Com Death Run. 

Pacific Coast Trail Runs WOODSIDE 17KM Race Report

A couple Saturday's ago (4/14/2012) I had the good fortune to run in Pacific Coast Trail Run's Woodside 17km Race. For those who do not know, Woodside is a beautiful small town located about 30 minutes south of San Francisco. It's nestled up against the Coastal Range (I think generally it's the Santa Cruz Mountains) with some horse ranches, vineyards, Redwoods and some bad-ass-hilly-windy trails.

It rained Wed to Thurs last week so the trails were a bit muddy but the weather cleared and it was a beautiful Saturday morning for the race. "PCTR" offered 10km, 17km, 35km and 50km distances. Working my way back from injury I chose the 17km and having a quick recovery I was looking forward to a faster race.

The race started at 915am which was mellow. There was a slight bottle neck as all of the runners moved from the start line on a field onto the single track. After about a half mile of pretty flat trail we started climbing... We climbed up about 10 or 11km to Skyline Boulevard. It was a challenging but not to technical climb with a lot of switch backs. Once we hit the (well-stocked) aid station at Skyline Blvd we turned around and started our descent.... This part of the race was awesome! I spent it bombing down the trail winding through the Redwoods. I made up for my slower than anticipated climb, passed some people and ended up finishing 6th place in my age group (30-39) and 19th place overall.

I noticed that most of 17Kers did not carry h2o or electrolyte drink. I carried a small 12oz bottle of Cytomax (see pic below)... i found it helped me quite a bit to push on up the hill and continue pushing on a hard downhill run. I wasn't wearing my Garmin that day but I know I was getting into mid 6 min/mile pace on the way down.

It was an excellent, fun race and I would highly recommend it to all runners. Here's me coming into the finish...

  

Running Exercises and Conditioning

I don't often write posts about running advice but after coming back from an injury I have been focused on what makes my running engine run smooth. I think one of the most important things about being a successful runner (successful = healthy and running as much as possible) is to keep as versatile a training schedule as possible. Mixing up the terrain that you run on, the shoes that you wear, the time of day you run (that's a tough one!), doing cross training exercises and STRETCHING with a focus on alignment will help you grow as a runner.

The foundation consists of building up mileage slowly while simultaneously building up strength (this can translate to whatever level of running you're at). You need your whole body to be strong but strong in the right way. Building your mileage slowly while strength training a few times per week will build up your endurance muscles quickly and effectively. I find that lunges (make sure you keep your knee directly above your ankle through the whole movement and I find that reverse lunges, the ones where you step back are best to maintain focus on your quads, balance and butt muscles) are great foundation builders. I am also a firm believer in calf raises, lighter squats, pull ups (or muscle ups if you can do them), flys, slow push ups and a lot of core work... not ab work but core work: Planks (see video below) are crucial to running long distances, Toe Taps (see video below).

After you've built your foundation (never stop doing those exercises, I dedicate 2 solid days per week to strength training and throw in bits and pieces of strength training throughout the week), you can start ramping up the mileage and switching up the terrain that you run on. A serious runner, or a runner who wants to become stronger, faster and run farther should run all types of terrain: trails, track and hills. If you can stay off of concrete and/or pavement completely you'll be better off. Hills are exceptional running tools. Short workouts on hills (up and down) are great for building running strength and stamina. Same with speed work at the track.

Stretching: It is crucial to stretch everyday, even on your off/rest days. The most important stretches to do are: calf stretches, quad stretches and hamstrings. Ok, hamstrings are probably the most important of all and you should do them with a rope laying on your back. See video below. If you're having running related injuries from Plantar Fasciitis to lower back pain to calf pain to knee pain the few minutes you spend on your hamstrings per day might just fix you!

Good luck out there! Run like water flows.

Planks:

Toe Taps:

Hamstring Stretches (sorry about the music and cheesy yoga style):

Brooks Cascadia 7 Review

Best. Shoe. Ever. I have loved the Brooks Cascadia since the 4th edition. There is something about these shoes that makes them stand out. Maybe its the combination of simplicity and durability or maybe its the light weight, non-bulky-ness that allows you to be nimble on ANY type of trail. That is something a lot of trail running shoes cannot lay claim to. I have reviewed the cascadias before, here's my review of last years CASCADIA 6 REVIEW so you have idea of what the shoes were like before if you don't know...

This year Brooks brought back the classic outer-tread of earlier Cascadias... they changed it on the 6s. I was happy to see this. They also changed the center tread to a cleat style. That combo has created a very sticky feel on trails whether they are muddy or rocky. The 6s were great but not as great as the 4s and the 7s are a HUGE step up. Brooks seriously raised the bar this year. They also come equipped with a curved lacing system and meshy yet durable fabric that wraps your foot which yields a feeling of agility. Brooks kept their "pivot" point system which for turning on a dime at high speeds. And one of the best things about them, they still dry quickly after crossing a stream or stepping in a puddle.

I have thrown down some epic runs over the past few weeks in these guys and like I did on the 4s, I am already thinking about stock piling a couple pairs of these guys. Check 'em out and scoop a pair from BROOKS. or Support the Blog and use the link below!

IRON WAR: Book Review

This is a running blog but, like myself I imagine most runners have some level of an interest in triathlons. The common element of endurance is what draws me to it, especially to IRONMAN. So when I heard about this new book coming out, IRON WAR written by Matt Fitzgerald I was excited to get my hands on a copy to review. This is the story of the legendary 1989 Ironman World Championship race between Dave Scott and Mark Allen.

The book opens up with great detail about Dave and Mark's lives from birth to familial relations to the entrance into the sport as well as great detail about the history of Ironman and triathlon. This part of the book was a bumpy ride for me. Some parts were interesting and I turned the pages quickly while other seemed to be too much info that dragged out. I enjoyed reading about their training anecdotes, individual paths into triathlon and some of the history of the sport.

The meat of the book which begins with each athletes arrival and preparation in Kona, Hawaii for the epic race is excellent and the pages started turning quickly. Matt Fitzgerald does an excellent job of bringing to life the scene and vibe in Kona during the Ironman. He connects us with all levels of participants, spectators, race officials, locals and volunteers. I have been to Kona but never during Ironman but I feel as though I have experience it (not the ironman just the race week festivities!). If you have ever been in a race you will connect with this portion of the book.

From pre-race Kona, Fitzgerald takes us into the science lab with a surprisingly great chapter, Iron Will, which is focused on exercise science. I had an "uh-oh" feeling as I moved into this chapter thinking that things were about to slow down (reading wise) again but alas they did not. Being a long distance runner, I found this chapter very interesting and enjoyed deepening my knowledge of the body and mind.

Finally, BOOM! The cannon goes off and we are racing. I couldn't put the book down from here on out. Similar to an endurance race, this book was filled with highs and lows... and similar to a great race the highs outweighed the lows. Whether you are a runner, a couch potato, a rookie to all of this racing stuff, this book will inspire you to train hard and race harder. Bravo Iron War and Matt Fitzgerald!
Here's a photo of Dave Scott and Mark Allen from that epic race...

Running Brings Inspiration

2011 was a hot and cold year for me running wise. I ran a 50 miler (my first ultra) and no other race due to injury. My blogging suffered as well and over the years I've started to notice a direct correlation between blog post frequency and running consistently. I finally enlisted the help of a physical therapist and was healed enough start running again within 3 weeks. That was about a month and a half ago. After rebuilding a mileage base I have been able to do some real running and it has felt fantastic. It feels as though my mind has been reawakened and it was plugged back into my body. I've got some new shoes and I've been taking to the trails again. More to come...

UNBREAKABLE Review; 2010 Western States 100 Miler Documentary

I was fortunate enough (and smart enough to buy a ticket early) to attend the world premier screening of Unbreakable, the documentary of the 2010 Western States Endurance Run. Unbreakable follows (literally) 4 of the worlds top Ultrarunners during what turned out to be one of the most epic ultrarunning races we've seen yet; the 2010 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run.

In 2010, Geoff Roes, Anton Krupicka, Killian Jornet and Hal Koerner were the talk of the ultrarunning community for their individual accomplishments. Geoff Roes was crushing 100 milers like they were half marathons including the Hurt 100 and Wasatch Front 100. Anton Krupicka was becoming the "poster-runner" of ultrarunning and was undefeated in all of his races including the Leadville 100 and the Miwok 100K. Hal Koerner was the two time defending champ of the race, long time ultrarunner and well known as the owner of Rogue Valley Runners in Ashland, OR. Killian Jornet at the time, was emerging as somewhat of an urban legend type of runner (at least in the US). He had won the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc twice but hadn't made much of a mark in the US... yet. He was known for being young and fast, really really fast. I think he seemed to be the scariest competitor because he was somewhat of an unknown. If you followed ultrarunning at the time, you knew these guys were going to push themselves to their breaking points. I remember staying home that day and following the race updates online.

I'm grateful that the Director, JB Benna decided to make this film and I hope there will be more films and live coverage of these ultramarathon races in the future. At the screening on Friday, JB had a great quote, he said he made this film because he wanted to see it. The screening was sold out and packed with 300 people, a keg of sierra nevada, a nice crew of recognizable ultrarunners many of whom were competing in the North Face Endurance Challenge Championship the next day and 3 of the four featured runners in the film, Geoff, Anton and Hal who did a Q&A with JB at the end.

The film was excellent. It captured the emotions, high points, low points and beauty of ultrarunning. JB and his crew did a great job of showing how these guys live day-to-day which was interesting as most of us just know them as the guys who are winning races. The cinematography of the race was a fantastic composition of long range shots, running along with the runners (which was surprisingly smooth) and scenic shots which painted a portrait of the environment of the race. The story of Gordy Ainsleigh, the founder of the race, as told by Gordy himself while standing shirtless over the American River Canyon, was woven throughout the film and provided a great background to the race and it's grueling conditions.

Check out the trailer! Here's a link to the screening SCHEDULE.

Running to Strained Calf to Biking to Swimming to Triathlons

Since pulling my calf in June I have sadly not been able to run much. I am somewhat of a (well actually a big) self "diagnoser" and I definitely made my strain worse than it was when it happened. Numerous times I thought it was healed and I tried to run it out only to limp back home. I tried to find respite in heavy rides on the spin bike and strength training, including my legs, figuring that I could rehab the injury as long as I wasn't running... another bad idea. Finally, I dove into some reading and found that compression and rest would be the best options. So for two solid weeks, I wrapped my calf very tightly and did nothing. That sucked. BUT it worked. Now I am wearing a compression sleeve, swimming and and just started doing some light rehab leg exercises. The unintentional additional exposure to swimming and biking has helped me build a training base to take on some triathlons. I have always had my eye on the Ironman.  

Being a runner, triathlons have long been on my radar. My endurance on the bike is pretty solid (for a non-cyclist) and the only struggle is usually with comfort after being on the bike for a long time. So, biking basics, check! ...Meaning, I feel that I have a solid base on the bike from which I can train up from. Since I have been (effectively) rehabbing my calf, I have found swimming... I've been in the pool a few times before but was never able to put the pieces together and really enjoy or get into it. Swimming has always been difficult... most likely because I have never done it consistently until now. Just breathing was tough let alone coordinate the strokes and feeling like I was actually moving properly through the water. Being a self-diagnoser, I am also a self-teacher, so naturally I just struggled my way through the water for the first couple weeks and learned by trial and error and watching others. A few days ago, I found this video:     

That video helped me tremendously and now I have the feeling as though I am gliding through the water. I am now more focused than ever on maintaining my swimming and biking endurance and building up to an ironman.