Random videos I enjoy watching from time to time (sorry about the formatting - didn't know quite what to do about that).
This video's been posted ad nauseam by trail runners everywhere, but I can't seem to get tired of watching it.
Goggins.
Tony K and the Skagg Bros tearing up the trails in their NB MT100's (finally caved and bought a pair btw).
AJW demonstrating what a tough SOB he is.
13-year old MacKenzie runs 50 miles (JFK). From a couple years back but dang, what that girl did still impresses me.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Race Report: Rocky Road Marathon
Somewhat on a whim, I decided to get in one more long run in by way of a small local race down south near Mission Viejo. I had to drive to San Diego later anyway, so I figured why not. While it's a mere 2 weeks away before the PCT 50, I really wanted to dial in my fluids/nutrition intake for the big event.
A couple of things went wrong for me right from the onset however. For one, I came in ill-prepared. Thought I'd laid everything out the night before but I realized once I got there that I forgot to bring gels and band-aid for my nipples (already chafed from my Wednesday run). Secondly, the drive down was longer than I initially thought. When I finally got there, the marathoners and half-marathoners had long started but my friend Lori who was also running the marathon distance, was nice enough to wait for me. I stripped off my shirt, grabbed a handheld and we started off together.
Elevation profile of the first 20 miles
The course is approximately 6.55 miles out and back almost entirely on a horse trail in an enclosed residential area. Half-marathoners would do this out and back once, marathoners twice, and 50/100 milers did this plus additional lengths off-road for many loops (we passed each other frequently). Since Lori and I got a late start (over 15 minutes) and with neither one of us running for time, we went out on a comfortable pace for the first out. Other than not having much protection from the sun, I was feeling ok. We happily gabbed and trotting along the soft sand encouraging along all runners we ran by or passed.
We reached the turnaround after an hour of running, refilled our bottles and started back. For whatever reason though, my legs started feeling dead already. And it wasn't soon after that when my left hip/butt started hurting again (as it has been prone to do lately once I near double digits in a run). While I was trying to convince Lori I was fine, it became pretty evident that I was anything but. The sun and rising heat of the day was getting to me and my hip pain got worse as the miles clicked away.
When we got back to the start (a little over 2 hours), I didn't allow myself to leave quitting as an option. But I did allow myself to take my time to fuel up. After drinking and topping off my bottle, I ate a square of pre-cut PB & J I brought along and pocketed the rest. Also took in some salt, grabbed a visor and Lori and I started back out after several minutes. I was already feeling better mentally which I owe to the food but the hip continued to bother me and would until the end.
We trudged on while I'd sporadically take walk/stretching breaks. It was getting warmer and the shooting pain down my leg was unrelenting. And the soft surface of the horse trails was screwing up my already lazy gait. God bless that girl was sticking by me though. Feels stupid to say considering it was "only" a marathon distance, but I'm not sure I would have gone out for that 2nd out and back had it not been for my unintentional pacer. I'll spare you the rest of the details but the 2nd half took us considerably longer and it was a grind to say the least (even 50/100 milers were looking better than me). But we made it back in one piece and even managed to finish 2 and 3 out of the marathon distance runners (ok, there were only like 6 total).
To show my gratitude, I treated her to a 2+ hour long lunch at a nearby Thai restaurant where we shot the shit some more and loaded up on water and some delicious but spicy food. Good times. Finally felt human again.
Lessons learned from today: 1) horse trails SUCK 2) wear a shirt but DON'T wear cotton underwear - major chafage (I actually learned this last week during my 50K but forgot) 3) solid food like PB & J agrees with me for the most part 4) don't overdrink at aid stations 5) find a chiro for the sciatic nerve issue going on in my left leg!
Thanks for reading all. Time to taper down these next two weeks before May 8th.
A couple of things went wrong for me right from the onset however. For one, I came in ill-prepared. Thought I'd laid everything out the night before but I realized once I got there that I forgot to bring gels and band-aid for my nipples (already chafed from my Wednesday run). Secondly, the drive down was longer than I initially thought. When I finally got there, the marathoners and half-marathoners had long started but my friend Lori who was also running the marathon distance, was nice enough to wait for me. I stripped off my shirt, grabbed a handheld and we started off together.
Elevation profile of the first 20 miles
The course is approximately 6.55 miles out and back almost entirely on a horse trail in an enclosed residential area. Half-marathoners would do this out and back once, marathoners twice, and 50/100 milers did this plus additional lengths off-road for many loops (we passed each other frequently). Since Lori and I got a late start (over 15 minutes) and with neither one of us running for time, we went out on a comfortable pace for the first out. Other than not having much protection from the sun, I was feeling ok. We happily gabbed and trotting along the soft sand encouraging along all runners we ran by or passed.
We reached the turnaround after an hour of running, refilled our bottles and started back. For whatever reason though, my legs started feeling dead already. And it wasn't soon after that when my left hip/butt started hurting again (as it has been prone to do lately once I near double digits in a run). While I was trying to convince Lori I was fine, it became pretty evident that I was anything but. The sun and rising heat of the day was getting to me and my hip pain got worse as the miles clicked away.
When we got back to the start (a little over 2 hours), I didn't allow myself to leave quitting as an option. But I did allow myself to take my time to fuel up. After drinking and topping off my bottle, I ate a square of pre-cut PB & J I brought along and pocketed the rest. Also took in some salt, grabbed a visor and Lori and I started back out after several minutes. I was already feeling better mentally which I owe to the food but the hip continued to bother me and would until the end.
We trudged on while I'd sporadically take walk/stretching breaks. It was getting warmer and the shooting pain down my leg was unrelenting. And the soft surface of the horse trails was screwing up my already lazy gait. God bless that girl was sticking by me though. Feels stupid to say considering it was "only" a marathon distance, but I'm not sure I would have gone out for that 2nd out and back had it not been for my unintentional pacer. I'll spare you the rest of the details but the 2nd half took us considerably longer and it was a grind to say the least (even 50/100 milers were looking better than me). But we made it back in one piece and even managed to finish 2 and 3 out of the marathon distance runners (ok, there were only like 6 total).
To show my gratitude, I treated her to a 2+ hour long lunch at a nearby Thai restaurant where we shot the shit some more and loaded up on water and some delicious but spicy food. Good times. Finally felt human again.
Lessons learned from today: 1) horse trails SUCK 2) wear a shirt but DON'T wear cotton underwear - major chafage (I actually learned this last week during my 50K but forgot) 3) solid food like PB & J agrees with me for the most part 4) don't overdrink at aid stations 5) find a chiro for the sciatic nerve issue going on in my left leg!
Thanks for reading all. Time to taper down these next two weeks before May 8th.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Race Report: PCTR Skyline to the Sea 50K
Mission accomplished.
I set out for the Bay Area to run the 2010 edition of PCTR's Skyline to the Sea 50K race with two main objectives: 1) to serve as a 30+ mile training run for the PCT 50 coming up and 2) exact revenge on a course that chewed me up and spit me out last year.
Part II!
I arrived in San Francisco the Friday of race weekend and right from the get-go, it turned into an eating ultra event with my cousin Frank and I trying out all kinds of different fares and cuisines the Bay Area had to offer. We're talking noodles, ice cream, sandwiches, BBQ, beer, etc. By the time Sunday morning came around, I was starting to wonder if my stomach would start to rebel at my cavalier prep for a 31+ mile trail race. I stuffed a handful of toilet paper in my pocket just in case.
Hanging out with Gundy and Rick at the start.
Thanks to ultra studs Gundy and Rick, I was able to secure a ride to the start in Big Basin Redwood State Park. Having seen the course last year (okay, a little more than half of it) I can tell you it's hard to keep your eyes on the road ahead of you. To call it scenic would be an understatement. So it was hard to make the decision to leave the camera behind but that is precisely what I did. I wanted to work on running a strong, steady race without being distracted by things like, "ooo, gotta take a pic of that for the blog!". Selfish, I know.
Me with Johannes and Jen before the start.
Pretty much the coolest gal in the world, Sarah the RD.
The race started a little after 9am and for the first 10K or so, it is mostly downhill on a series of windy, rolling single tracks. I intentionally started a few rows back from the leaders and tucked in behind a half dozen or so guys running at a moderate pace. Focused on nothing but a few yards ahead of me, I shut my mind off and tried to stay zen during the early descent because I know it would be a mental game later in the day. Made it by the first aid station a little after the 10K mark at right under an hour. Saw my friend Johannes who was volunteering there, gave a quick hello and got out of there after a quick refill of the bottle.
(From 2009)
We encountered our first bit of climbing during the next stretch and not coincidentally, when I started feeling sluggish. It was only mile 8+ and already I was feeling tired. My ability to handle climbs has been shit lately. Thankfully, it did not last and within a couple of miles I started feeling normal again. Great even. Especially after aid station #2 (a little after mile 10) when my spirits were restored and I was having fun again. By then, the runners were pretty spaced apart and the few I encountered, I was able to pass. We did a bit of bouldering here before beginning another series of descent down to Gazos Creek.
(From 2009)
My fueling thus far has consistent. Thanks to the advice of Gundy and Rick, after the initial hour had passed, I stuck to taking in a gel every 25 minutes and a salt stick every other time. Hydration was Nuun in one handheld and regular water in the other. This strategy provided a steady stream of energy and I never felt like I was going to bonk.
Brief footage running the start of the trail from last year
Down in Gazos Creek, I did not see another runner for the longest time. Still feeling good, I was running at a good clip but there was that nagging voice in the back wondering if I was still on the right path. Once a ribbon appeared, that voice was quelled a bit but still, after going through what I went through last year, can ya blame me?
Finally, I hit the aid station #3 (which would also be #4 for us 50K-ers too after completing a hilly, exposed 7K loop). It was a little after this station where I missed the turn last time around so once I refilled my bottles and grabbed a couple of boiled potatoes dipped in salt, I started running up the fire road wide-eyed and attentive. Sure enough a little less than a mile up the road, there was the turn off to the right. It couldn't have been any louder or well-marked if it had neon lights pointing down to it. How I missed this last year is still beyond me. Chuckling to myself, I made the turn and took this time to hike a bit during the long exposed climb. It was the first time the trees cleared and the sun beat down on us. So I kept things nice and easy in this stretch and started back up running once we were back down in the shady Gazos Creek section.
Back on the Skyline trail, there were many runners (mostly the marathon distance runners) when I came back on this stretch so I had to make some passes to keep running. I diligently took my gels and salt and while I was still feeling relatively good, the legs were tiring. But I kept the arms pumping and although I slowed a bit, kept on running. I knew it would be awhile before we'd hit our next aid station (near the finish), but I didn't anticipate just how far. As we ran on rolling, muddy fire roads my fluids starting dwindling and at the 4-hour mark, took the last gel I had. C'mon aid station...where are you??
When I finally ran out of fluids, there was still no aid station in sight. My left foot and hip also started acting up and each step became painful. Told myself to just toughen up and keep the arms pumping and running no matter what. This was certainly the most difficult section and just to taunt me, we were running almost exclusively next to an inviting creek. Me and a couple of runners were leap-frogging one another with passes but at this point, my finishing time was less a factor and being able to quench my thirst was the priority.
Mercifully, after several miles, the final aid station appeared. Best of all...they had Coke! I probably spent a good 2-3 minutes here as I downed a couple of cups, had my bottles refilled and regained composure. I left feeling 100x's better and began the final stretch down the flat fire road to the finish. One by one, spectators emerged cheering us runners on and finally after 5+ hours of running and slogging through, the finish was in sight and sweet vindication was mine!
Sarah the race director and several other folks cheered me in and they were definitely a sight for sore eyes. Official time = 5:11:27. I'm sure with more miles and effort, I can drop that time but that was not the point of today.
Celebrating with my SttS shirt and Pepsi!
I made a beeline for the ice chest and after grabbing some more coke and chocolate milk, I also grabbed a handful of ice for my left foot. Sarah even had a can of Pepsi waiting for me (a joke carried over from last year's race that stuck til now). I saw Rick and Gundy, both of whom ran fantastic times (top 15 for both) and also Joahnnes who was finished with his volunteer duties and was waiting for his girl and my friend Jen to finish her first ultra. Once I finally got up, I put on some dry clothes and milled around the finish to talk to some folks and hang out.
The Finish area.
Jen finishing her first ultra!
New Course Records: Leor Pantilat (3:25:17) and Caitlin Smith (4:00:48)
Families were out in full force as many made signs and ran in some of their loved ones. While I didn't know many of these people, you couldn't help but cheer them in. Especially when you see their determination of crossing that line, and the immense self-satisfaction and raw joy when they realize what a monumental task they had just accomplished. I lingered for a few hours before finally heading back to the city with Johannes and Jen.
I'm glad I came back to run this race and I will no doubt be back to run it in the future. It was a great vibe, a great day. Bring on the PCT 50! (ok, actually, give me a sec..)
I set out for the Bay Area to run the 2010 edition of PCTR's Skyline to the Sea 50K race with two main objectives: 1) to serve as a 30+ mile training run for the PCT 50 coming up and 2) exact revenge on a course that chewed me up and spit me out last year.
Part II!
I arrived in San Francisco the Friday of race weekend and right from the get-go, it turned into an eating ultra event with my cousin Frank and I trying out all kinds of different fares and cuisines the Bay Area had to offer. We're talking noodles, ice cream, sandwiches, BBQ, beer, etc. By the time Sunday morning came around, I was starting to wonder if my stomach would start to rebel at my cavalier prep for a 31+ mile trail race. I stuffed a handful of toilet paper in my pocket just in case.
Hanging out with Gundy and Rick at the start.
Thanks to ultra studs Gundy and Rick, I was able to secure a ride to the start in Big Basin Redwood State Park. Having seen the course last year (okay, a little more than half of it) I can tell you it's hard to keep your eyes on the road ahead of you. To call it scenic would be an understatement. So it was hard to make the decision to leave the camera behind but that is precisely what I did. I wanted to work on running a strong, steady race without being distracted by things like, "ooo, gotta take a pic of that for the blog!". Selfish, I know.
Me with Johannes and Jen before the start.
Pretty much the coolest gal in the world, Sarah the RD.
The race started a little after 9am and for the first 10K or so, it is mostly downhill on a series of windy, rolling single tracks. I intentionally started a few rows back from the leaders and tucked in behind a half dozen or so guys running at a moderate pace. Focused on nothing but a few yards ahead of me, I shut my mind off and tried to stay zen during the early descent because I know it would be a mental game later in the day. Made it by the first aid station a little after the 10K mark at right under an hour. Saw my friend Johannes who was volunteering there, gave a quick hello and got out of there after a quick refill of the bottle.
(From 2009)
We encountered our first bit of climbing during the next stretch and not coincidentally, when I started feeling sluggish. It was only mile 8+ and already I was feeling tired. My ability to handle climbs has been shit lately. Thankfully, it did not last and within a couple of miles I started feeling normal again. Great even. Especially after aid station #2 (a little after mile 10) when my spirits were restored and I was having fun again. By then, the runners were pretty spaced apart and the few I encountered, I was able to pass. We did a bit of bouldering here before beginning another series of descent down to Gazos Creek.
(From 2009)
My fueling thus far has consistent. Thanks to the advice of Gundy and Rick, after the initial hour had passed, I stuck to taking in a gel every 25 minutes and a salt stick every other time. Hydration was Nuun in one handheld and regular water in the other. This strategy provided a steady stream of energy and I never felt like I was going to bonk.
Brief footage running the start of the trail from last year
Down in Gazos Creek, I did not see another runner for the longest time. Still feeling good, I was running at a good clip but there was that nagging voice in the back wondering if I was still on the right path. Once a ribbon appeared, that voice was quelled a bit but still, after going through what I went through last year, can ya blame me?
Finally, I hit the aid station #3 (which would also be #4 for us 50K-ers too after completing a hilly, exposed 7K loop). It was a little after this station where I missed the turn last time around so once I refilled my bottles and grabbed a couple of boiled potatoes dipped in salt, I started running up the fire road wide-eyed and attentive. Sure enough a little less than a mile up the road, there was the turn off to the right. It couldn't have been any louder or well-marked if it had neon lights pointing down to it. How I missed this last year is still beyond me. Chuckling to myself, I made the turn and took this time to hike a bit during the long exposed climb. It was the first time the trees cleared and the sun beat down on us. So I kept things nice and easy in this stretch and started back up running once we were back down in the shady Gazos Creek section.
Back on the Skyline trail, there were many runners (mostly the marathon distance runners) when I came back on this stretch so I had to make some passes to keep running. I diligently took my gels and salt and while I was still feeling relatively good, the legs were tiring. But I kept the arms pumping and although I slowed a bit, kept on running. I knew it would be awhile before we'd hit our next aid station (near the finish), but I didn't anticipate just how far. As we ran on rolling, muddy fire roads my fluids starting dwindling and at the 4-hour mark, took the last gel I had. C'mon aid station...where are you??
When I finally ran out of fluids, there was still no aid station in sight. My left foot and hip also started acting up and each step became painful. Told myself to just toughen up and keep the arms pumping and running no matter what. This was certainly the most difficult section and just to taunt me, we were running almost exclusively next to an inviting creek. Me and a couple of runners were leap-frogging one another with passes but at this point, my finishing time was less a factor and being able to quench my thirst was the priority.
Mercifully, after several miles, the final aid station appeared. Best of all...they had Coke! I probably spent a good 2-3 minutes here as I downed a couple of cups, had my bottles refilled and regained composure. I left feeling 100x's better and began the final stretch down the flat fire road to the finish. One by one, spectators emerged cheering us runners on and finally after 5+ hours of running and slogging through, the finish was in sight and sweet vindication was mine!
Sarah the race director and several other folks cheered me in and they were definitely a sight for sore eyes. Official time = 5:11:27. I'm sure with more miles and effort, I can drop that time but that was not the point of today.
Celebrating with my SttS shirt and Pepsi!
I made a beeline for the ice chest and after grabbing some more coke and chocolate milk, I also grabbed a handful of ice for my left foot. Sarah even had a can of Pepsi waiting for me (a joke carried over from last year's race that stuck til now). I saw Rick and Gundy, both of whom ran fantastic times (top 15 for both) and also Joahnnes who was finished with his volunteer duties and was waiting for his girl and my friend Jen to finish her first ultra. Once I finally got up, I put on some dry clothes and milled around the finish to talk to some folks and hang out.
The Finish area.
Jen finishing her first ultra!
New Course Records: Leor Pantilat (3:25:17) and Caitlin Smith (4:00:48)
Families were out in full force as many made signs and ran in some of their loved ones. While I didn't know many of these people, you couldn't help but cheer them in. Especially when you see their determination of crossing that line, and the immense self-satisfaction and raw joy when they realize what a monumental task they had just accomplished. I lingered for a few hours before finally heading back to the city with Johannes and Jen.
I'm glad I came back to run this race and I will no doubt be back to run it in the future. It was a great vibe, a great day. Bring on the PCT 50! (ok, actually, give me a sec..)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Excorsing Demons
A couple of months ago, I never thought I'd be in this situation. Fresh off the heels of a stress fracture late last year, my weekly mileage was unremarkable, speed even more so. But here I am, prepping for my next ultra several weeks later. Certainly, a recent health scare pressed the issue for me and I started stressing the urgency of living for today a bit more. Whether this is all too much too soon, remains to be seen.
As far as this Sunday's concerned, my main goals are to finish obviously, and come out of it healthy. Foot's been having good days and bad and unfortunately, yesterday was a bad day. Hope taking it easy for the couple of days leading up to the race helps.
As far as the "finishing" part, my misadventures in this race has been well-documented. So yes, there is some payback in order. But "payback" for me in this instance will be dished just by crossing the finish line. I have no expectations other than to cross the line in under 6 hours and treat this as a 31+ mile training run in prep for the PCT50 in a few weeks.
So with that, I bid you adieu and wish all my friends luck that are running Boston on Monday!
As far as this Sunday's concerned, my main goals are to finish obviously, and come out of it healthy. Foot's been having good days and bad and unfortunately, yesterday was a bad day. Hope taking it easy for the couple of days leading up to the race helps.
As far as the "finishing" part, my misadventures in this race has been well-documented. So yes, there is some payback in order. But "payback" for me in this instance will be dished just by crossing the finish line. I have no expectations other than to cross the line in under 6 hours and treat this as a 31+ mile training run in prep for the PCT50 in a few weeks.
So with that, I bid you adieu and wish all my friends luck that are running Boston on Monday!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Long Run Sunday: Palos Verdes
With a 50K upcoming next weekend (yes, THE infamous one where I got lost in last year), you would think the last thing I would be doing is running significant mileage leading up to it. However, there are bigger fish to fry. I am talking about my first 50 miler in less a month (!) from now: the PCT50 to be held on the Pacific Coast Trail about an hour east of San Diego.
So the training continues as I got in a 20+ miler today. With a little help of my friends.
The whole gang before the start. How dorky are my compression socks?
Colin and Kristin (who are training for the Comrades Marabthon) suggested running in the hilly but incredibly scenic beachside town of Palos Verdes. We rallied Josh, Nina and Jimmy Dean to come along for the ride. And you couldn't ask for better running weather: 60s, overcast, perfect.
Jimmy and Kristin leading the group early on down the horse trail.
PV loves them some horses.
A random stray peacock.
Taking a quick breather after our major climb of the day.
We all met up around 9am and got started soon thereafter. The 20+ miles we covered in Palos Verdes had a variety of terrain (and elevation): horse trails, dirt fire roads, dirt single tracks, streets, gravel...etc. Nina (and her husband) came along for about 10+ miles of it and then it was the 5 of us for the rest. We took it pretty easy at the beginning portion of the run where it was mostly trails, then picked up the pace when we hit the rolling coastline streets of Palos Verdes Drive.
Yup. We were spoiled today.
Not coincidentally, this is also where it became painfully obvious that I was still nowhere close to the league of those speedy foursome. While I kept up for a couple of miles, they were still in conversational/chatty mode as I was struggling for air. Thinking about my race next weekend (and to prevent a heart attack), I eased back on the throttle and was content to let the Fantastic Four run ahead.
We rendezvoused back at our cars where we headed over to a nearby cafe and spent the next 2 1/2 hours eating, talking and laughing. A great, great day.
So the training continues as I got in a 20+ miler today. With a little help of my friends.
The whole gang before the start. How dorky are my compression socks?
Colin and Kristin (who are training for the Comrades Marabthon) suggested running in the hilly but incredibly scenic beachside town of Palos Verdes. We rallied Josh, Nina and Jimmy Dean to come along for the ride. And you couldn't ask for better running weather: 60s, overcast, perfect.
Jimmy and Kristin leading the group early on down the horse trail.
PV loves them some horses.
A random stray peacock.
Taking a quick breather after our major climb of the day.
We all met up around 9am and got started soon thereafter. The 20+ miles we covered in Palos Verdes had a variety of terrain (and elevation): horse trails, dirt fire roads, dirt single tracks, streets, gravel...etc. Nina (and her husband) came along for about 10+ miles of it and then it was the 5 of us for the rest. We took it pretty easy at the beginning portion of the run where it was mostly trails, then picked up the pace when we hit the rolling coastline streets of Palos Verdes Drive.
Yup. We were spoiled today.
Not coincidentally, this is also where it became painfully obvious that I was still nowhere close to the league of those speedy foursome. While I kept up for a couple of miles, they were still in conversational/chatty mode as I was struggling for air. Thinking about my race next weekend (and to prevent a heart attack), I eased back on the throttle and was content to let the Fantastic Four run ahead.
We rendezvoused back at our cars where we headed over to a nearby cafe and spent the next 2 1/2 hours eating, talking and laughing. A great, great day.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Race Report: PCTR Sycamore Canyon - 30K
I'm going to keep this report relatively short since it's wasn't much to write home about. In short from a performance standpoint, it was a not a good race for me. I finished in something like 3:3X when I secretly held out hope of running a sub-3 hour time. What was I basing this on? Not a whole lot apparently. But the day itself turned out great and I still got to enjoy running through one of the most beautiful parks during my favorite time of the year to run.
My race morning started with a 45 minute or so drive up the coastline to Sycamore Canyon. When I got to the start, it was a bit windy and cold with plenty of cloud cover above us. I quickly saw several familiar faces so we kind of shot the shit while I went through my pre-race prep.
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The next thing I knew, it was a couple of minutes til the start of the 30/50K runners and a little while later, we were off! I went out fairly fast and tucked in with the 2nd group of runners while keeping the leaders in our sights. About a mile in, we began our first climb up switchback roads and it slowly became evident that today was not going to be my day.
The incomparable Ray Miller Trail (photo by Stuart)
The days leading up to this race, I've been suffering from some kind of upper respiratory cold/congestion thing. Guess I was naive to think it wasn't going to bother me. I had a hard time regulating my breathing from the onset and within a couple of minutes into my first climb, I was getting light-headed while feeling like someone had a heavy boot planted firmly on my chest. One by one, runners started passing me and by the time I reached the aid station #1 (~10K in), I contemplated dropping out. Hate making excuses but it's what happened out there.
The very beautiful La Jolla Valley (photo by Stuart)
After successfully talking myself into plodding on, I decided to just finish the darn thing no matter how long it took me. I still had problems breathing for the first 10 miles or so and took several walk breaks. Little by little, the tight chest feeling went away and my breathing started to feel better but the legs were starting to feel beat up now. I shortened my stride up a bit and just took it easy the rest of the way in and finally managed to finish. Then, as per usual, I lingered around the finish, talked to my friends while eating chili and cheering folks in.
Special shout out to my buddy Josh for taking 2nd overall in the 30K and to power couple Kristin and Colin, for finishing their first ultra while prepping for the Comrades Marathon on May 30th.
Kristin and Colin at the finish of their 1st official 50K!
Major kudos to race director and friend Sarah by the way for pulling off her first race without her partner (she is now sole owner). As always the organization, the markings, and the post-race party were all top notch. It's no secret that I love PCTR races and so I always look forward to either racing or volunteering any time they come down to So Cal.
All in all, it was a great day. Like I said, I was disappointed in my time but wouldn't change the experience for the world. Besides, it's nice to get humbled every now and again :)
My race morning started with a 45 minute or so drive up the coastline to Sycamore Canyon. When I got to the start, it was a bit windy and cold with plenty of cloud cover above us. I quickly saw several familiar faces so we kind of shot the shit while I went through my pre-race prep.
.jpg)
The next thing I knew, it was a couple of minutes til the start of the 30/50K runners and a little while later, we were off! I went out fairly fast and tucked in with the 2nd group of runners while keeping the leaders in our sights. About a mile in, we began our first climb up switchback roads and it slowly became evident that today was not going to be my day.
The incomparable Ray Miller Trail (photo by Stuart)
The days leading up to this race, I've been suffering from some kind of upper respiratory cold/congestion thing. Guess I was naive to think it wasn't going to bother me. I had a hard time regulating my breathing from the onset and within a couple of minutes into my first climb, I was getting light-headed while feeling like someone had a heavy boot planted firmly on my chest. One by one, runners started passing me and by the time I reached the aid station #1 (~10K in), I contemplated dropping out. Hate making excuses but it's what happened out there.
The very beautiful La Jolla Valley (photo by Stuart)
After successfully talking myself into plodding on, I decided to just finish the darn thing no matter how long it took me. I still had problems breathing for the first 10 miles or so and took several walk breaks. Little by little, the tight chest feeling went away and my breathing started to feel better but the legs were starting to feel beat up now. I shortened my stride up a bit and just took it easy the rest of the way in and finally managed to finish. Then, as per usual, I lingered around the finish, talked to my friends while eating chili and cheering folks in.
Special shout out to my buddy Josh for taking 2nd overall in the 30K and to power couple Kristin and Colin, for finishing their first ultra while prepping for the Comrades Marathon on May 30th.
Kristin and Colin at the finish of their 1st official 50K!
Major kudos to race director and friend Sarah by the way for pulling off her first race without her partner (she is now sole owner). As always the organization, the markings, and the post-race party were all top notch. It's no secret that I love PCTR races and so I always look forward to either racing or volunteering any time they come down to So Cal.
All in all, it was a great day. Like I said, I was disappointed in my time but wouldn't change the experience for the world. Besides, it's nice to get humbled every now and again :)
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