L.A. Runner

Race Report: 2012 LA 13.1 Half Marathon

2012-01-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

My 1st race in over half a year. And it almost didn't happen.

I'll spare you too much of the details but the short of it was that I woke up Thursday morning with a bad bug in my stomach. I'm guessing it was either bad meat on the burger the night before or some kind of stomach flu but either way the following day I was slammed with nausea, stomach aches and fever. Fast forward to Saturday where I was definitely feeling better but still not 100%. I spent most of that day going to the bathroom while trying to desperately replace electrolytes by chugging Pedialyte to prep for Sunday morning. And even though a 2-mile test run on the treadmill went horribly, I set my alarm for 5am anyway and decided to make it a game time decision.

Please don't let me be this guy...

...or this gal.

After some second guessing the morning of I said to hell with it, popped an Immodium and hoped for the best. The new course for the race starts at the Venice Boardwalk and so I parked several blocks over and did a little jog to the start arriving with several minutes to spare. I initially jumped into the 1:40 area but when I spotted my friend Danica, I came back out and decided to start with her in the 2:00 corral. My goals were to get in a solid, honest longish road run without necessarily "racing" to kick off my LA Marathon training. After about 15 minutes after the scheduled start time of 7am, we were off.

It was nice to start off nice and slow as we headed south on the boardwalk. We took in the sights which were a blur of Venice bums, Vibram Five Fingers and yes, even the occasional Camelbaks. After about a mile and a half, I decided to run ahead and told Danica I'd see her at the finish. After leaving the boardwalk the runners wound around Venice down towards Marina Del Rey.

Mile 1 - 9:03
Mile 2 - 7:21
Mile 3 - 7:36

It was somewhere around mile 3+ when I saw a group huddled on a sidewalk to the left cheering the runners on. After closer inspection, it turned out to be a group of Coyotes including my buddy Dave. It was great to see them and definitely provided a boost. I continued on running at what felt like marathon effort more than half. We circled the Marina and then entered into the Ballona Creek bike path which leads out into the windy concrete path that runs along Dockweiler Beach.

Mile 4 - 7:28
Mile 5 - 7:36
Mile 6 - 7:43
Mile 7 - 7:52

The legs started feeling fatigued after the 10Kish mark so I slowed up a bit. The concrete wasn't doing my legs any favors either. We hit a bit of an incline to lead out to the out and back path along Vista Del Mar street that runs along the coast. This part was fun in that I got to see and cheer on several friends along the course. We also got a touch of drizzle that never amounted to anything more than that.

Mile 8 - 7:50
Mile 9 - 8:03
Mile 10 - 7:54

When I finally hit the turnaround before Manhattan Beach, I was still chugging along at a comfortable pace. While I could have picked up the pace a bit, my legs did feel genuinely fatigued and didn't want to thrash them for the sake up putting a slightly better time and also compromise future workouts.

Mile 11 - 8:00
Mile 12 - 7:49
Mile 13 - 7:21

Finish Time = 1:42:58

The finish had a nice little downhill and a throng of people gathered at the top of Vista Del Mar. No finish kick for me, I just simply finished with a smile on my face, grabbed my medal, said hi to some friends, cheered on a few other runners before heading back via a shuttle.

In the end, I'm glad I ended up doing this race. I got some nice miles in on a great, revised course. I didn't end up having any stomach issues during the race other than some pre-race nausea. And of course, got to see some friends I haven't seen in awhile.

Big thanks to the 13.1 Marathon series for hooking this blogga up!

My Interview w/ Meb Keflezighi

2012-01-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

So excited for the Olympic Trials in Houston this Saturday and seeing Meb go head-to-head with the likes of Ryan Hall, Dathan, Gotcher, et al.

May the best 3 win.

Hey, Wanna Run a Half Marathon for Free?

2011-12-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

I know some of you may have seen the same giveaway on other blogs. But here's why you should really enter on MY blog.

A) I do not believe in random selection. I'm all about favoritism.

B) I've never said "you're almost there" (except the one time I helped a lady give birth in an elevator).

C) I'm better looking than 79.2% of the other giveaway...ers.

D) I've gotten lost in an ultra once and dedicated an entire race report whining about it.

E) I don't listen to music while running so when you see me on the course and yell "looking good!", I'll be able to yell back "bullshit!".

So create your own fate and leave a comment telling me why you want to run the LA 13.1 Marathon. But make my sides tickle. Be creative. Say something nice about the kick-ass new course. Bet you'll smoke me by XX:XX. Tell me what costume you'll run in. Offer sexual favors (I'll politely decline). Offer money (no comment).

Something. Anything. And let's BOTH throw down come January 15, 2012.

Good luck.

VIDEO: PCTR Santa Monica Mountains Trail Race

2011-11-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had a pleasure of volunteering, shooting, hanging out at PCTR's Santa Monica Mountains trail event. It was rainy, cold, windy and muddy but I enjoyed every single second of it. Congratulations to all that showed up to run in the harsh and challenging elements mother nature threw your way.

I managed to piece together a little highlight video below. Hope you enjoy.

Congrats again runners!

Shoe Review: Brooks Pure Grit

2011-09-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

I rarely do "shoe reviews" on here but felt compelled to do one for the Brooks Pure Grit - the trail version of the PureConnect line. I've been looking forward to getting these shoes for awhile and thanks to the Brooks ID program, was able to procure a pair yesterday. Of course, I went right out and tested them on a 10 mile run in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Pure Grit.

Right out of the box, my first impression was very favorable. The upper of the shoe was form-fitting but not uncomfortably so. It was almost as if they were custom made for my feet. The laces are rugged and built for off-roading, reminding me of the laces on my NB MT101s. Overall, it was a very solidly constructed shoe.

As I made my ascent, I was a bit surprised by how heavy they felt. Now "heavy" is all relative but at 8.9 ounces, I felt every one of those ounces. When doing long, steady climbs the last thing I want is to notice the weight of my feet. Also, they felt a bit "foamy" on the sole - noticeably more so than my MT101s or Racer ST5's (my other two favorite trail shoes). On ascents especially, I like to be able to connect with the ground which ironically with their trail version of the "PureConnects" I wish I was able to do more of.

The Pure Grits really shined on the descent however. The padded soles really absorbed the pounding and rocks well and the "grip" of the soles were evident. I was able to rock the downhills (or about as much as I'm able to right now) without really thinking about feet protection and was instead able to focus on footing.

Overall, these are really solid trail shoes and I will definitely include them in my rotation. However, I think they will be better served for the longer stuff (20+ miles) than shorter jaunts in the dirt.

Catching Up

2011-09-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

Not much running = Not much to write about.

It's been a busy couple of months but very little of it involves running. Lately running's taken a backseat to some of life's priorities and without a target race to light a flame under my ass, a reason to push it up on the daily planner is just not there. After my last real race in South Africa, I was admittedly a little burnt out on all the running. Shortly after my return, I continued running in my backyard of the Santa Monica Mountains without any goals but to summit and return. I did jump into a 10K on the 4th of July just for shits-n-giggles at the last minute but haven't done any races since. I haven't even had time to run trails lately and instead resorted to short little jaunts out on the streets here and there. Sucks but ya take what you can get.

I have been following along some of your running stories and races and it's definitely giving me the itch to dive back into it. Just not quite yet.

VIDEO: The Coach

2011-08-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share a video I shot on behalf of Run Nation featuring Jimmy Dean Freeman - a Southern California based running coach talking about how he got his start and how he's now living the dream doing what he loves.

Hope it inspires you to strive to do the same - be it a career, a bucket list item or another misc personal goal(s).

Race Report: 2011 Comrades Marathon

2011-07-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

My race report is up here on the new site I launched today.

Please take a moment to read. Thanks.

Race Report: 2011 Palisades Will Rogers 10K

2011-07-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well, so much for taking time off from racing.

On pretty much a whim, I decided to make the early drive over to Pacific Palisades to take part in the Palisades-Will Rogers 10K. Why? I have no earthly idea. I guess part of the impetus was to support my buddy Christian who would be running in only his 2nd race ever. Another reason I suppose was to make the most of a rare day off for me and do something active that could justify the copious amount of food + drinks I planned on shoveling down later.

After taking almost two full weeks off since Comrades, all I've been doing has been some easy trail runs in my dirt backyard of the Santa Monica Mountains. Little to no road running and certainly no speedwork of any kind (I'm already making excuses for my run...can you tell?).

No but it was good to be in a race environment again. I rocked my USA singlet in the spirit of Independence Day and decided to run in my KSWISS Blade Lights. Saw many familiar and friendly faces after my girlfriend and I got there about an hour before the start to register. And after getting together with Christian, the two of us hopped over a gate and squeezed into the corral about 15 minutes before the horn sounded. It was already very warm out so I decided to run with a plastic water bottle that I could just chuck later.

The first mile of course was the usual clusterfuck of weaving, dodging, sidestepping, leaping on and off sidewalks, etc. And in a rookie mistake, I got swept up by the energy of the 5 & 10K runners (we all started together) and went out too fast. Of course the downhill start made that easy to do as well. As we meandered through the affluent neighborhood of Pacific Palisades once we spilled back out to Sunset Blvd, the 5K-ers made a U-turn towards the finish while we continued down Sunset towards the big climb up Will Rogers Park. I probably poured water over my head a couple of times by this point and both the legs and cardio system were red-lining.

Why do I keep running these 10Ks when I suck so hard at them? I wondered.

424' gain/417' loss

The climb up the switchback towards Will Rogers, while not as steep as I thought they'd be, still took a lot out of me and I was reduced to a slow trudge up to the top. Still, I managed to pass a couple of folks before beginning the swift descent down steep Will Rogers Rd. Once we rejoined Sunset Blvd however, we had another last bit of uphill awaiting us which reduced me to yet another slow crawl.

You didn't come out here to run a PR today so just suck it up and enjoy the run, I told myself.

With under a mile to go, the road finally leveled off and I slowly started to put more gas down. When I made the final turn towards the finish, I broke into an all-out sprint and clicked off my watch - 44:59 (44:57 officially). Pleasantly surprised to come so close to my PR - albeit somewhat soft to begin with - especially considering how unfit I felt to run a short road race like this.

I walked over to meet my girl, peeled off my soaked singlet and spent the next several minutes cheering in runners before Christian came through about 10 minutes later. It was good to get out there and run fast again (relatively speaking of course) but for now I think I'll retreat back into my hole and go back to enjoying the solitude and joy of running in the mountains again.

Me & JB

Me & Christian

Thanks as always for stopping by. Til next time.

LAtely

2011-06-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all. Sorry for the lack of updates. Things have been crazy busy these past few weeks. Of course, there was that little trip overseas to South Africa and the Comrades Marathon (more on that in a later post). But after that glorious 2 weeks away, I've done nothing but hit the ground running (figuratively speaking, mostly). It's good to be back in LA though.

Not a whole lot to say on the running front - and for a change, I'm actually happy to report that. Truth be told, I've started to feel a little burnt out on races leading up to Comrades. Not that I was logging a whole of mileage per se. I guess I was just feeling like I had to have the big race in mind each and every time I laced up. Add to it that almost 100% of my training was on roads and the real reason why I love to run was starting to get lost.

My new orange tires.

Now with no races in the future, I have the freedom to run in my favorite dirt-packed single track and fire roads of my backyard in the Santa Monica Mountains. As far as I want, as long as I want. I'm also in the process of breaking in my new Brooks Racer ST 5. Ugly as sin but flashy as hell and fun to run in. Still prefer my New Balance MT 101s for the shorter stuff but for longer distances, I think these 8.6 ounce shoes will come in handy.

Speaking of the longer stuff, I'm super excited about pacing my buddy Dave Chan in the Angeles Crest 100 in late July. From what little I saw last year, it's a very beautiful but challenging course and I look forward to seeing much more of it in person this year.

Finally, best of luck to all those running/pacing/crewing at Western States 100 this weekend. Gonna be fun to follow along and see the epic battle between Geoff Roes and Kilian Jornet go down. While Geoff is probably America's top ultrarunner right now and has yet to lose in a 100 mile race, something tells me it may be the Spainard's time. Just a hunch.

Either way, best of luck to both and everyone else. And as always, thanks for stopping by to read this.

South Africa + Comrades Marathon

2011-05-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's here already and I'm writing this from South Africa. A few months ago as I was planning this trip with my girlfriend and friends Colin + Kristin, it seemed so distant and forever away. And yet here I am writing from about 10,000 miles away about to embark on my longest road race yet of about 56 miles from Durban to Pietermaritzburg tomorrow morning.

After driving the course yesterday in a bus filled with other international runners, I can tell you that this course is no joke. Almost zero flat running and lots of unforgiving climbs including the "Big 5" which ends up at over 7,000 feet of elevation gain. Add to it that it is entirely on the man-made hard stuff and I can tell you that this race will chew me up and spit me out.

But from what I've heard, it will also be an experience like no other. Spectators pack this point-to-point run encouraging all runners all the way to the finish. And if that isn't enough, there will be many experienced Comrades runners I will no doubt encounter to aid us novices as well.

While I could definitely be better trained for this run (and that is of no fault other than my own), I should be able to crack the 12 hour cutoff limit and hopefully come in under 10-11 hours. It will not be easy. There will be a lot of walking. There will be a lot of self-pity. There will be a lot of self-doubt. But I will rely on the energy of the spectators and other runners to carry me to the finish. It will no doubt be a singular, amazing experience. And I can't wait to run it wearing our colors and with a smile on my face as long as my body will tolerate.

Me, Kristin + Colin at the course tour yesterday.

Wish us luck!

Race Report: 2011 American River 50-Mile Run

2011-04-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Lesson learned: there's no such thing as an "easy" 50 miler.

My foolish attempts to convince myself otherwise heading into the American River 50-mile race was in retrospect, quite laughable. With the 56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa looming a mere 7 weeks away, some friends and I were going to treat this as our longest "training run" to date. Not quite as hilly as my goal race but with enough asphalt to at least simulate how taxing the 100% man-made roads will be in South Africa.

I flew in Friday, the day before the race but not without some problems with my airline. After a couple of hours delay, I finally made it into Sacramento just in time to meet my roommates for the weekend Colin and Kristin at a nearby Italian place from our hotel for dinner. After carb-ing up a bit, we walked back to our room to get our stuff and dropbags ready before the early wakeup call.

After a fitful night of sleep, we finally rolled out of bed before 4am to meet a larger group downstairs in half an hour. We then piled into a few cars and drove to the start line. The morning was chilly - probably in the low 40s to begin - and so I started off with gloves and my cheapy Asics arm sleeves. I lost Kristin and Colin somewhere as we were walking to the start line in the still dark dawn of the morning but figured it would be better to run my race at my pace. At 6am the gun went off and we were off.

The overall race goal was the same as my pace goal - at least to start off with. I figured a 8 1/2 to 9 hour finish time was a safe conservative goal. And to start, my goal was to keep my paces at a 8:30-9:00 minute/mile pace. For the first 19 miles, the course follows the American River Parkway which consists of windy but mostly flat pavement roads. With no iPod or running companion to keep me company, I did my best to keep my mind occupied by focusing on running the tangents as efficiently as I could while trying to stay on the softer shoulder of the bike path when possible.

Trying to muster a smile on the pavement.

I hit the half marathon mark around 1:57. Even with the slower pace, the back of my legs started feeling sore and stiff and I constantly found myself trying to get myself refocused on the here and now instead of being overwhelmed by the sheer distance still left untraveled. Occasionally my thoughts drifted to my friend Colin's mother who is in the hospital dealing with complications from her bout with cancer and thought about how blessed I was to be physically fit enough to be out here. My fight continued.

After almost 19 miles of pavement, we then hit some mix of fire roads and single track trails for a few miles before rejoining the pavement at around the 22 mile mark. My legs were feeling a good amount of fatigue now in addition to pain from the chronic runner's knee and the inner arch of my foot...and I wasn't even halfway done yet. Eff.

I hit the marathon point in a little over 4 hours and came through our first major aid station where I'd have access to my drop bag at 26.8 miles. I couldn't believe how wrecked I was feeling this early on. My left knee was now screaming in pain and the mere thought of running another marathon with some rolling hills thrown in to boot almost made me nauseous. I chugged some Coke while biding my time before heading back out albeit somewhat reluctantly. I finally made my way out of there although it was more of a death march than anything resembling running.

Somehow shortly after hitting the dirt and single tracks, my legs began to feel better almost as if they were back in their element. Slowly but surely I began to run and run at a normal clip. Instead of feeling daunted by the miles left to cover, I focused on running from aid station to aid station and it definitely helped my psyche cope with it all.

Catching my 2nd wind.

I hit the 50K mark in a little over 5 hours. Around this point, I also hit a surge in positive energy and began passing people. I knew it'd be foolish to think I could ride this wave until the finish line but I rode it for as long as I could. This 2nd half section almost entirely consisted of single tracks: all beautiful scenery, largely narrow, many times muddy and technical here and there. I got by almost entirely on gels with some light grazing at the aid station and a Nuun mix or just straight water towards the end.

By mile 38ish, I started to fatigue again and was leapfrogging or getting leapfrogged by familiar faces. The day also started to warm up a bit so I removed my shirt and chugged lots of fluid. Hearing footsteps (or imagining them) helped keep my paces honest and constantly moving forward.

Relentless forward motion.

Finally at mile 47, we hit the dreaded 3-mile climb up a road to the finish I'd been hearing so much about. Thanks to the largely conservative paces I've been running, I apparently had some legs left. But according to my watch, I had 33 minutes to run it to get under 9 hours.

A cruel way to finish after 47 miles.

I'd intended on running up until I was gassed but the switch that said "let's get this f#%@er over with!" got flipped on and I kept pumping my arms intent on running all the way to the finish. I can't lie, it felt pretty good to be passing anyone that had previously passed me on this climb. While many and their pacers were hiking, I was passing one after another. Of course, in the spirit of ultrarunning, many were cheering me on and encouraging me to finish strong.

Inside of course, I was dying. I couldn't acknowledge a single runner because I was too single-minded and breathing like a dog stuck in a car in the middle of July.

"HUH-HUH-HUH-HUH-HUH"

It seemingly took forever but one mile after another, I got closer to the finish and after getting some fluid that I so desperately needed at one last aid station with a couple of miles to go, I knew I'd finish strong. But could I get under 9 hours?

Finally I heard the crowd and MC. One more steep uphill section to tackle but aided with the cheers of spectators I ran up that one too before coming across the finish line. It was over. No sub-9 time for me but I took immense pride in finishing strong. 9:01:13. I'll take it.

The next couple of hours were spent hanging with friends, exchanging war stories and cheering others in.

At the finish w/ Rick, Colin and Kristin.

This race was extremely well run and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to run a first/fast/fun 50-mile race. Or like me and a few others, as a stepping stone to Comrades. Less than 7 weeks to go. Can't wait. Bring it on.

Thanks as always for reading.

Race Report: 2011 LA Marathon

2011-03-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Wow. Where do I begin?

The 2011 edition of LA Marathon's "Stadium to the Sea" will without a doubt go down as the most memorable marathon experience of my life - and this includes marathon #1 from 2007 (also the LA Marathon). In all my years of living in LA, can't recall a day quite as wet + windy as this one. Still didn't alter my plans to shoot for a sub-3:20 to earn a Corral A seeding at the 56-mile Comrades Marathon on May 29th in South Africa (where there is no chip timing). I knew I had the speed - the endurance however to keep it going for 26+ miles was in question - especially given my history of cramping in latter parts of races.

Stadium..

..to the Sea

The day before was a busy day with the expo, a KSWISS sponsored luncheon to shoot an interview, a carbo-load dinner with friends, some last minute laundry and I was finally home after 9pm with a 2:30am wakeup call. Yikes.

After going to bed shortly after 10pm, I awoke to the sound of my alarm along with rain coming from outside. I dutifully went through my routine while sipping on coffee and forcing down a couple of waffles topped with sliced bananas and maple syrup. After some deliberation, I decided to go with a hat, gloves, arm warmers and black singlet. I found street parking about 6 blocks away from the finish and shuttle area and started jogging over getting halfway before forgetting I left my gloves behind. After contemplating going back for a split second (I was already running late of my 4am shuttle time) I ran back to get them and glad I did. Thankfully I got on a bus that was about to leave around 4:15am and got to Dodgers Stadium a little after 4:30am.

Getting to the start over 3 hours before gun time may have been overkill. I walked into Dodgers Stadium wearing my race clothes underneath and a garbage bag over me and that wasn't enough. It wasn't raining when I got there (yet) but it was windy and plenty chilly. I hung out near the entrance and met up with some friends and acquaintances including my bud Sam a 3-hour marathoner who volunteered to run with me to hopefully a sub-3:20. I was tired, cold, hungry and couldn't wait to get moving.

A little before 7am, Sam and I decided to move into the corrals and we squeezed into the 'B' section reserved for sub-4 hour marathoners. After the national anthem and a little after 7:30am the runners were off!

Wouldn't you know it somewhere in the first mile as we were leaving Dodgers Stadium, we started getting hit with the first of the rain. I told Sam that I wanted to take the first 10K or so pretty easy since I knew that's where the majority of the elevation gains were and didn't want to trash my legs so early in the race. Somehow didn't quite work out that way but I was feeling good aerobically so I kept at it trying to keep paces steady. After running through parts of Chinatown and Downtown, we hit the biggest hill of the day going up to Walt Disney Concert Hall on 1st Street shortly after mile 4. I made a conscious effort to back off as we marched up to the sounds of Taiko drummers banging away furiously.

Mile 1 - 7:57
Mile 2 - 7:03
Mile 3 - 7:27
Mile 4 - 7:26
Mile 5 - 7:57

Running with Sam in Echo Park

We were running with or slightly behind the 3:20 pace group for the initial few miles. By now, the rain was a steady drizzle as we marched through parts of Silverlake and Echo Park. We hit the 10K mark a little after 47 minutes where I took my first gel. I recall my legs fighting fatigue and tightness early on due to the constant undulations and climbing/descending. But again, breathing and effort was pretty even so we pressed on into Hollywood.

Mile 6 - 7:43
Mile 7 - 7:24
Mile 8 - 7:28
Mile 9 - 7:44
Mile 10 - 7:25

Sam checked up on me every now and again and we traded quips here and there, but by and large I was pretty focused and paying attention to my body. We came upon a mutual friend who had just run a 3:11 marathon earlier this year and we traded places for the next few miles. The rain was coming down pretty good and I was still a bit concerned by how tight my legs felt. After going down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the course takes a left and another right into Sunset Blvd. I saw my friend Andee who was out cheering and it definitely provided a boost.

Rounding the corner to leave Hollywood Blvd

Mile 11 - 7:22
Mile 12 - 7:21
Mile 13 - 7:40

I don't recall seeing a half marathon mark or mat but I recall looking at my Garmin and seeing us a little past the 1:40 mark. Right on pace. Sam also let me know every now and again how we were doing based on a 3:20 band he had on too. The next few miles were certainly my favorite when the course takes you through the Sunset Strip, down Doheny into West Hollywood, down into Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, past "Cheer Alley" in Century City and towards the VA and Brentwood.

Soaked to the bone

I spotted our buddy Josh who was out supporting mutual friends of ours and running with them for a couple of miles here and there. It was good to see him and he hopped in with us for a few minutes as we wound our way into Beverly Hills.

Mile 14 - 7:43
Mile 15 - 7:13
Mile 16 - 7:30
Mile 17 - 7:48

However, this is also when it started to get difficult and doubts started creeping into my head. Also lost my one and only salt tablet when I reached for my 1st gel so I was concerned about my electrolytes despite the cold temps. I still routinely took in my gels approximately every 30-45 mins and made sure I got both water and Gatorade at the aid stations when I could.

Speaking of aid stations the volunteers that showed up to man them, anywhere from 5-to-50 year olds, were unbelievable. Even with the heavy rain and merciless winds, they were out there in full support and undying energy for 20,000+ strangers just to keep us going. I made sure to express my appreciation whenever I could but I wish I could have stopped to tell each and every one of them just how much they meant to us. If I'm completely honest, I'm not sure I would have done the same given the conditions.

Anyway despite my attempts to run as prudently as I could with as hard I was pushing, I got my 1st cramp twinge in my right calf around the 18.5 mile mark. I cursed out loud and when Sam gave me a quizzical look, told him what was up. Basically, I had to go into full-on "survival mode". Sure enough, about a mile later I felt a sharp cramp twinge in my left calf now. Paces started slowing while Sam - bless his heart - started running up and down to see if he could find me some salt (to no avail). I knew that wasn't the problem however given my extensive history in dealing with it. Basically I had to shorten up my stride, grit my teeth through the pain when they hit (more frequent as the miles wore on) and just get to the finish as fast as possible given the circumstances.

Mile 18 - 7:37
Mile 19 - 7:45
Mile 20 - 8:04

By the time we entered into the VA hospital grounds, the downpour was unrelenting and there were puddles that were ankle deep. I knew by this point that a sub-3:20 was out the window and thought even a sub-3:30 might be too.

"Just 6 measly miles" I'd think. "Just 5 measly miles" when the next mile clicked off. Still the cramps kept coming and with great frequency. I cursed each and every one out of frustration audibly. Sam slowed down and ran a bit ahead of me but there was certainly nothing he could do or say by this point. I kept the teeth gritted and marched forward the best I could down San Vicente Blvd.

Mile 21 - 8:22
Mile 22 - 8:15
Mile 23 - 8:29
Mile 24 - 8:13

Somewhere along the final stretch however, the cramps eased up a bit - in numbers anyway. I was still in a pretty good amount of pain however mostly in my left foot and knee. But with the cramps subsiding a bit, I felt more confidence in my stride and gradually picked it back up.

Mile 25 - 7:44

By the time I hit the base of San Vicente Blvd making that final left turn down the glorious home stretch of Ocean Ave, I must admit I got a bit choked up. The thoughts of my father, running through my hometown, the incredible spectators and volunteers that came out in support, overcoming the difficulty of previous 25 miles...all of it hit me at once and for a minute, I got pretty emotional.

The Finish.

However, I shook it off and kept my eyes fixated on the finish line more than a mile away. The persistent cramping came back in full force and by now, it felt like someone was turning my calf muscles into pretzels.

"Dammit!!...Motherf**kers!!...You pieces of sh*t!...etc, etc.

You name it and I directed every curse word in the English language at my failing calves pleading with them to cooperate with me. It got downright amusing. We ran into our buddy Chris who came out to support runners and he joined us for a bit before jumping back out. Sam asked if I had anything left for the final stretch and I told him I didn't. Stick a fork in me.

Mile 26 - 7:39

I crossed the line in 3:23:33.

I thanked Sam immediately for his help in keeping my paces honest and for pushing me all the way to the finish.

At the end, there was no triumphant sprint. There were no arms raised in victory. There will be no 'A' corral placement awaiting me at Comrades.

But through 26.2 miles in torrential downpour, I finished my fastest marathon by over 22 minutes. I saw the best in humanity in the harshest of conditions. And even in my near hypothermic state in sopping wet clothes covered only by a flimsy mylar blanket, I was brimming with pride and beaming from a tremendous sense of accomplishment. I left it all out there. And I had absolutely no regrets.

After running all the way from Dodgers Stadium, to the Sea off the coast of Santa Monica, it only reaffirmed my love for this city and the people in it. I love LA. Truly.

Thanks for reading.

Marathon Time

2011-03-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Marathons + Times.

As I've grown both as a person and runner over the years, I began weighing the overall experience of a race more of a barometer of "success" than something as arbitrary as the time it takes to cross from one time mat to another placed 26.2 miles away. The last marathon that I raced with the intention of running it hard and fast was CIM in Sacramento back in December of 2008. There I fell about 5-10 minutes shy of my time goal and felt dejected immediately after. In retrospect, it was a bit silly.

And yet, I find myself in a similar situation where I'll be gauging success on whether or not I am able to go from "Stadium to the Sea" in a certain time - this time running the LA Marathon (my 5th straight year) to qualify for 1st corral placement at the fast-approaching Comrades Marathon. I'd like to think I have a little more perspective now and whether or not I meet that time goal won't drastically affect my day one way or the other. In the grand scheme of things, it's just another stepping stone to the 56-mile monster that awaits in South Africa on May 29th.

In the meantime, bring on the rain, the gusts, the spectators and 25,000+ of my closest running friends!

Race Report: 2011 PCTR Malibu Creek 25K

2011-03-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

I'll try to keep this fairly short as I feel race reports should be proportional in length as the distance you ran.

With my focus on roads lately (running the LA Marathon two weeks from now), I've definitely missed my mountains, the clean air and dirty sock lines. So whenever PCTR rolls into town, I am almost always there in some capacity. But I am looking to run LA with some fresh legs so opted for "just" the 25K distance.

Morning and drive were uneventful. Got there about a half hour before start and after saying hi to my two favorite race director, I found a bush to water and lined up about 3 rows back from the lead runners and a little after 8:30am both the 25/50K-ers were off.

Got swept up in the usual excitement of racing so I had to keep making a conscious effort to reel in the early paces a bit. The first couple of miles consisted mostly of rollers, single-tracks and a thigh-deep stream crossing. After that we hit our first aid station before the big, long, continuous climb up the other side of the Bulldog trail (approximately 6 miles of climbing total).

I decided to nip the heels of a pair of runners and keep them in my sights. While we switched places on a couple of occasions, I mostly had them lead so I could just lock on to them but fall back to a speed hike if I felt the effort became too strenuous. Near the top, I spotted Luis Escobar snapping pics. After a quick word of encouragement and slap of hands, we arrived at aid station #2 where I bumped into Dom and stole a Salt Stick from someone else. Always good seeing familiar faces.

I continued up on the climb with my two compadres in sight and when I was sure we were at the zenith of the long torturous climb (at ~8.5 miles), I made my move to pass them. The descent was also long and torturous but after all that climbing, it was nice to let gravity share some of the work. I could have sworn I kept hearing the sounds of footsteps catching up to me but whoever it was never made the pass. And it wasn't too much longer that I spotted a runner ahead of me with a couple of miles to go. Unfortunately, I was doing my best to stave off cramping symptoms that hit around the 10 1/2 mile mark.

The hills, the hills.

The last couple of miles were mostly flat-ish fire roads that seemed to stretch forever. The runner in front of me had about a 25-50 yard lead that I could never seem to close. Once the finish was in view, I knew it was too little too late. I ended up finishing in an official time of 2:18:39, good for 10th overall. Happy with this effort but not happy with the chronic cramping issues.

I'll figure it out one of these days. Oh and big congrats to Chris Price for winning the 50K (and a new CR to boot). Thanks for reading folks.

Cold Sissy

2011-02-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure exactly when it happened. But somewhere in the past year plus, I became a total sissy when it comes to the cold. Partly because I get this strange arthritic pain in my left wrist when exposed to colder temps (usually 60 degrees or below). But also overall...I just get cold easier.

I have a theory that my loss in weight/body fat % can largely be attributed to this. At the tail end of my stress fracture recovery period in late 2009, my weight ballooned up to the low 190s. I was still trying to remain active by mountain biking and going to the gym but nothing could replace running. I'm sure it didn't help that I still ate like I was running 40-60 miles a week.

December 2009, in heavier times.

December 2010, in leaner times.

Fast forward to present day where I am about 20+ pounds lighter and body fat is right at or below 10%. These days I can't step outside without at least a pair of gloves, arm or long sleeves. A couple of nights ago with temps in the 50s, I went out on a double-digit run donning a pair of gloves and arm warmers thinking I'd ditch them at some point. They never came off.

Add to it that I find myself either scheduling runs based on the weather or skipping them entirely if conditions are too "cold". What the hell happened to me?

Ideal no more.

I know most runners relish running in cool temps like we're having but I increasingly and uncharacteristically find myself pining for summer-like temperatures in the 70-80s again.

Guess living in LA all these years finally caught up to me and is making me soft. That, or I need to start doubling up on my caloric intake.

Race Report: 2011 PCTR Montana De Oro 50K (DNF)

2011-02-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

D-N-F.

Those 3 dreaded letters no one wants attached to their race result. But it happened yesterday and now I have to live with it. For clarity, no I was not injured, no I was not sick. It was not out of necessity, it was a choice. My legs just failed me and while I probably could have kept trudging along, I chose to drop. They were done. I was done.

Kristin, Colin, Me + Evan at the race start.

I was running well through the 1st loop running 4th behind the female leader. I thought I was running within myself and running smart. Cardio-wise I felt great. Steady on the ups, fast but not out of control on the downs. I was drinking often (containing my calories + electrolytes) and taking my salt.

In spite of all of that, those all too familiar calf twinges hit me after about 10 miles into it. They started in my right calf, then it spread like a virus to my right hamstring, left calf, then both of my quads. On my descent down from the 2nd major summit, my legs were full-on seizing and I knew I had to throw in the towel.

I don't know how I could have expected any other result based on how little I've been running. I tried to go out again after coming through the halfway point at 25K (although it measured more like 17 miles) but only made it about ~3 miles out before I finally threw in the towel and walked back frustrated but not too dejected.

Colin and Kristin finishing together.

The trip itself was actually a blast as my girl and I along with our friends Colin and Kristin made the drive up the day before to make a weekend out of it. We had lunch in Santa Barbara, passed through some beautiful wine country, stayed at a charming bayside cottage in Los Osos and ate at my favorite steak joint Jocko's Steakhouse post-race. Also, I took immense pride in my friends who gutted out all 32-33 miles to go along with 6,400+ feet of climbing on a tough, sunny day.

Above Santa Barbara wine country.

Jocko's Steakhouse.

I will certainly be back. The course is too beautiful and too luring in the challenge it presents for me to not return. I will just be better prepared to deal with it next time.

Operation Jack: 61 Marathons Video

2011-02-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

On December 26, 2010 my buddy Sam Felsenfeld ran his 61st marathon that year to raise money and awareness for autism.

Here is the video of marathon #61 that our new sports film production company High Gear Films shot and edited of that day...hope you enjoy:

Race Report: HURT 100 (Pacer)

2011-01-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

Wow, where do I begin? Allow me to try.

The HURT 100 elevation profile. Yikes.

The runners saw a lot of this.

First off huge/mad/crazy respect to all the HURT 100 finishers and to those that dared to conquer all 5 x 20 mile loops. Let me tell you something, this course is no effing joke. Huge/steep seemingly unending climbs, nasty roots + mud littering the trails, high heat/humidity during the day and obstacles along the course that sometime force you to circumvent them on all fours. Needless to say, the attrition rate was high.

Last minute instructions by the RD.

The start of the race.

Ryan and Laura taking off into the night.

I flew to Hawaii to pace my buddy Ryan and his friend Laura (Frayed Laces to most of y'all) for the last two loops. I saw them start off on Saturday 6am and then helped out with some crewing duties while intermittently napping during Saturday. My crewing duties ended up starting at 2:40am early Sunday morning at the mile 60 mark for them. The 1st 20-mile loop was the first opportunity to really "see" the course for the first time (as much as you could at night). It was as advertised and more: tough, muddy, steep and treacherous.

One of our many climbs.

While I was tempted to stop after the initial 20, I looked over at my trail weary compadres who have been at it for a day and a half + 80 miles under them and I just couldn't live with myself if I bailed on them early. So we kept at it and after nearly 36 hours on her feet (Ryan ran ahead about halfway through our last loop), Laura finished her very 1st 100 mile race - and an extremely tough one at that - after nearly 36 hours (for her full account of the race, you can find it here on her blog...definitely worth a read).

Laura's big finish!

Following the race, the organizers threw a banquet to "honor" the runners (roast is probably more appropriate) in a light-hearted affair which was the perfect bookend to a phenomenal event. All in all, I had a great time in Hawaii.

So you might be wondering...will I ever throw my name into the lottery for a chance to run the event myself in the future? I can tell you with 99.9% certainty that I will most certainly NOT. This race is a beast and I would've tapped out a long time ago. All the more reason I admire those that completed the event.

And now I'll leave you with a few more pictures. Thanks for reading.

Last minute prep before the start.

With my bud Evan before the race. Tough day for him but he left it all out there (literally).

My runners looking fierce.

Hone, Tanaka, Garneau and other frontrunners before the ceremonial blowing of the conch

Not possible without these guys: the volunteers.

The team heading out for loop #2

Paradise Park aid station

Catra Corbett briefly taking a load off.

Looking over the city high atop the mountains.

..and some more of this.

The guys taking a break

Ryan negotiating through some gnarly terrain.

Manoa Falls

My muddy shoes/legs after one 20 mile loop.

Last year's winner (and CR holder) Gary Robbins temporarily shelved but in great spirits.

Pacing Laura through the final stretch.

At the finish w/ Ryan!

A trio of legs after 100 miles.

The few, the proud, the HURT 100 finishers.

The top 3 men/women finishers.

Finally a chance to relax...mahalo!

Change of Plans: Next Race

2011-01-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

So unfortunately due to some trail closures my next race Twin Peaks 50 had to be rescheduled to later in the year. Thank god I hadn't officially registered for it yet and been out my entry fee. Truth be told however, due to the difficulty of the course I honestly don't know if a month's worth of serious work would have been enough to net a satisfactory race. Either way, I began to look elsewhere right away upon catching wind of this and thankfully didn't take long to find an alternate race: PCTR Montana de Oro 50K up north (about 3 1/2 hour drive).

Elevation Gain = 6,400+ ft

I ran the 25K version of this race last August (when I was dealing with runner's knee) and really enjoyed the difficulty and scenery the course had to offer so I'm happy to be giving the longer version a go.

Just got back from Hawaii where I paced a couple of friends in the HURT 100 this past weekend. Full report of that coming up.

Getting excited about this race year!

Weaksauce.

2010-12-26T20:09:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Life and what not. You know how it goes. Here's what I would like to briefly go over though today. Consider:

27
31
30
24
25
27
31
38
26
25
23
14
20

What do these numbers mean? This has been my weekly mileage since sometime in late September. The 'why' is unimportant (I know why - and it's not really related to a running injury). I just need to kick things in gear and get it going again. Especially with insane pacing duties beckoning in Hawaii in a few weeks and another 50-mile race looming in February.

Will I be able to "cram" for these runs? We shall see. I fully realize I gotta start logging some serious mileage stat. There are some exciting things brewing in other aspects of my life that will probably be time-consuming as well but it's just a matter of prioritizing and at some point, I need to pound it into my thick noggin that you can't fake your way through certain distances/elevations.

So with that said...here's to a new year. And here's to (hopefully) getting my shit together!

Race Report: 2010 PCTR Santa Monica Mtns 30K

2010-11-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

For my money, there are only a handful of "can't miss" races per calendar year. Whenever the PCTR crew rolls into So Cal to put on 1 of their 4 races (for now), I make it a point to participate either as a volunteer or racer because their events embody everything I love about a race environment: beautiful courses, helpful volunteers and a chance to reconnect with my friends while making new ones. Last Sunday was certainly no exception. In fact after my 3+ hours on the trails, I probably spent even longer hanging out post-race at the finishers area.

With some great running friends at the start.

As far as the race itself, it went pretty well for me. While it had threatened to rain on race day all week long, when it came time to line up the runners were treated to mostly clear skies and cool ocean breezes. The race for the 30/50Kers started at 8:30am and my intentions going in were to stick with my friend Lori for the entire 30K. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of starting towards the mid-rear of the pack as the trail narrowed quickly and for the first 2-3 miles, we were caught in a frustratingly slow pace without much room to maneuver around the runners ahead.

4,400+ feet of elevation gain/loss.

We finally hit our first real ascent a couple of miles in and Lori tells me to just run ahead as she's not feeling it. Reluctant to leave but anxious to get my legs going, I wished her luck and started moving ahead. While I felt very strong early on (aided by the slow start), I wanted to stay grounded and temper thoughts of racing too hard after my cramping fiasco from last weekend's Catalina Eco-Marathon. Still I was able to steadily pass several runners as the beautiful course swept along the ridge overlooking miles and miles of beautiful Pacific Ocean before taking us into the grassy valley inland. Aesthetically speaking, just as magnificent as a course can get.

Single tracks + Coastal views = perfection (photo by Stuart)

La Jolla Valley (photo by Stuart)

I happily gabbed with fellow runners as I came upon them but I did keep making a few more passes here and there. Around mile 14 my fear started to come to light when my right hamstring started tightening up and I felt cramps coming on. Still I did my best to ignore it and whatever doubt crept in and kept shuffling along. When it came time for my final descent down Ray Miller, I decided to push the pace a bit more until I heard the whooping and hollering from friends and others at the finish.

Getting ready to finish.

I crossed the line with a big smile on my face with a final official time of 3:07:27 which was good for 12th overall and 3rd in my age group. After treating myself to a couple of post-race cokes, I changed into some warmer clothes and spent the next few hours hanging out, taking pics and cheering other runners in.

My idea of a perfect day. Congrats to all those that ran!

Looking Ahead: 2011

2010-11-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of blog updates lately. Reasons are a hybrid of lack of noteworthy events coupled with me battling a spate of minor-ish injuries leaving my mileage over the past few weeks pretty pathetically low.

Since the Long Beach Half Marathon in October, I've been dealing with soreness in my left foot (site of the old stress fracture late last year). That coupled with my lingering Runner's Knee and it's been a frustratingly unproductive month or so. I probably should have not run the Catalina Eco-Marathon last weekend (race report to come) but did so with the intentions of taking it easy...and it was still tough. The lesson as always: you have to respect the marathon distance - especially if there's 4,000+ ft of elevation gain involved!

Smiles after. Tough but beautiful race.

With that in mind, I decided to pull the plug on CIM which I had signed up for with the intentions of running a PR race. I am too undertrained to really give it my best effort and it's not really the most scenic course to justify flight + hotel expenses to run it for the hell of it. Will look forward to LA or Napa next spring.

In brighter news I am really, really excited about the first half of 2011 as far as races are concerned. I have already been enlisted to serve as pacer for my Hawaiian buddy Ryan at the HURT 100 in January, plan on running one of the toughest 50 milers California has to offer at Twin Peaks 50, then the LA Marathon and/or Napa in March, American River 50 in April (maybe) and that's bookended by two 'bucket list' races: the 56-Mile Comrades Marathon held in South Africa in May and - potentially - the Western States 100 in June (entered lottery). Chances aren't great, but hey - if I have to "settle" on Comrades alone, I'll take it.

Arguably the Super Bowl of ultras: the Western States 100.

In the short term, my focus will be on maintaining fitness, getting 100% healthy (or close to it) and finishing up the year with a couple more low key races without killing myself.

Race Report: 2010 Long Beach Half Marathon

2010-10-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

After a less than stellar 10K a couple of weeks ago, I was starting to doubt if I had the stones it takes to go balls out on race day. I was so certain going into it that I would PR and PR by a lot, but I'd underestimated that course (hilly) and the conditions (humid).

Fast forward to today and the Long Beach Half-Marathon. My 'A' goal coming into this race was to run a sub-1:35 but I was understandably apprehensive even though those paces felt do-able in training runs. Still, I told myself I'd put my best foot forward and take whatever the day netted from that effort. I felt pretty confident that I would at least take home a PR as long as the wheels didn't completely fall off.

The Expo:

I rode down with my buddy Charles late Saturday afternoon and after picking up my bib, I ran into Danica/Chic Runner soon thereafter. Given that she's part of the organization that puts on the race, she understandably had a million things going through her head in the day leading up to it.

We parted ways and we continued through the expo stopping again to pick up some Nuun and then to say hello to Peter who works for the LA Marathon. Can't wait to run this race again and I know several others are as well.

After the expo, I went to see Jackass 3D with some friends to forget about the race and laugh off some nerves. Following that I was taken to get some interesting Italian/Japanese fusion pasta somewhere in Gardena.

This was...interesting.

Once home, I laid out my gear and hit the sack a little after 11pm.

Race Day:

Alarm went off at 4:30am and after chewing on a Clif Bar while mowing down some coffee, I got all my gear together, got picked up by Charles and we made our way down to Long Beach shortly after 5am. We arrived in our designated pre-paid parking lot with several minutes to spare so we took our time getting our things together. I wore my flashy and fast 9.3 oz KSWISS Blade-Light Run's and they ended up working out great for me today. I also decided to run with a half-filled bottle of Nuun in my waistpack which also helped out tremendously.

Looking like a dork...but ready to go!

My sweet KSWISS Blade Light Run

Made my way to the middle of Wave 1 and after the National Anthem (to which I tear up to every single time) we were off! The weather by the way was near perfect: low 60s, tons of cloud cover, slight cool breeze coming in...very ideal running conditions.

No matter how clear the sign or how many admonishments given by race officials, folks can never seem to seed themselves correctly. Thankfully, there weren't too many people to dodge and I just did my best to get into a good rhythm in the opening mile. When the mile split of my Garmin went off and I saw that it was a sub-7 mile, I reeled back the pace a tad. Last thing I wanted to do was blow up early on and not have anything left for the latter miles. Next two miles were in the low 7's. Still a tad faster than I thought they'd be but I was feeling fluid and strong so I kept the pace right around that effort.

Came through the 5K mark right around 22 minutes and I noticed that I was sweating a good deal. Hmm...might have been slightly humid out but I was still feeling good at this point. I did however get stuck between two runners for awhile whose Garmins were beeping incessantly telling them they were either going too slow or too fast. Of course it didn't bother them since they both had their iPods on. Great.

Only significant hill came a little after mile 4 as you run up an overpass. Otherwise the first few miles are flat, fast with several turns to keep the mind engaged to run the tangents as best as possible. I hit the 10K right around 44:30 which is an unofficial PR time for me and a bit of doubt crept in: was I running too fast? At this point you passed the start/finish area on the way out to the concrete bike path for the big out and back loop. I took my first gel and kept on trucking.

Still smiles.

Around miles 7-8, fatigue was finally hitting me and I did my best to keep the legs turning over. There wasn't too much to keep the mind stimulated here so I just focused on running with certain packs of runners going at my pace. Right before mile 10, we made the last turn to loop back towards the finish. This was probably the most difficult stretch for me as I was pretty gassed and legs were feeling pretty dead. Good news thus far however was that my left knee didn't present any real problems, so there was that. I took in a 2nd gel and tried to talk my legs into bringing me in strong.

Around mile 11.5 I got my 1st cramp twinge in my right calf. It was right at the top where my calf compression sleeve ended so I actually stopped for a quick sec to hike it up to cover the affected area. Shortly after that, I felt twinges in both calves and my right hamstring. Only a little left to go and my 'A' goal of a sub-1:35 half was within reach...don't fail me now legs!

Running out of gas. Cramps. Desperately looking for a salt tab.

As soon as I hit mile 12, I put my head down and charged towards the finish as best I could. It ended up being my fastest mile but I was pretty spent by the last stretch and a few people ended up passing me. Whatever, I didn't care at that point. Finally crossed the mat absolutely spent but proud of my effort. Here's a breakdown of my mile splits:

Mile 1 - 6:57
Mile 2 - 7:09
Mile 3 - 7:03
Mile 4 - 7:07
Mile 5 - 7:02
Mile 6 - 7:06
Mile 7 - 7:07
Mile 8 - 7:09
Mile 9 - 7:16
Mile 10 - 7:18
Mile 11 - 7:34
Mile 12 - 7:20
Mile 13 - 6:52
Mile 13.1 - 1:32

Final time = 1:34:38

If I could have staved off the cramping, I would have been able to kick it in faster. But all in all, I don't think I could have given more than I did today and in the end, that's all I could have asked for.

While I greatly miss the smaller, intimate feel of my trail races, as far as road races go this was as well-organized and executed as possible. Got a nice bag of food that I actually ate (banana, Clif Bar, apple, etc) along with a chocolate milk for post-race protein. Big-time congrats for my gal Danica and the entire Run Racing team for pulling off a great race.

Knee Update

2010-09-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

So...the knee. The stupid, effing left knee.

As I alluded to in a previous post, it looks like I am currently suffering from patellofemoral syndrome (or -> PFS or -> Runner's Knee) since early August. I've now gone through a few physical therapy sessions to strengthen & stretch various muscles and tendons along my leg that could be causing this. In addition to the PT, my mileage has gone way down from about 50-70 miles/week, to about 20-30 currently. But hey, at least I can still run. I just can't do it very well (not that I ever could). The pain almost always flares up around mile 3 (or sooner) and just lingers until I stop, thus making going long not only difficult but stupid lest I want this problem to stick around forever.

Probably the biggest hit for me personally was the admonishment to stay off trails until further notice. Since the onset could be traced to downhill running (or overuse...or a combo of both) I was told if I had to run, I needed to stick to flat hard man-made surfaces. Ugh. Running on city streets and city streets alone has not been easy. I've been longing for car/traffic light/pedestrian/exhaust fume free runs high atop the city with nothing but a pair of shoes, shorts, water bottle and miles of dirt trails to keep me going. But if the alternative is no running at all, trust me - I'm happy to take morsels and scraps anywhere and anyway I can.

With that in mind, I'm focusing on primarily on road races this Fall/Winter. Figure now's a good a time as any to work on gaining a little more speed and in lowering some of my pathetic PRs a bit. We'll see how that goes and how long my knee can tolerate it.

Pacing at Angeles Crest 100

2010-09-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

After my buddy Ryan bowed out of Cascade Crest 100 where I was slated to pace, I directed my focus to finding someone to pace at the more local Angeles Crest 100 taking place on the same weekend. That someone turned out to be veteran ultrarunner Mark Tanaka.

I initially wanted to get a night run in prep for an upcoming race but once that was ruled out and my knee started bitching, I went from planning on pacing him from mile 75 to the finish, to miles 52-59. Lori would take over from there and pace from 59-75.

Since a few friends were also planning on fulfilling pacing duties and because I wanted to cheer on some of the other runners on the course, we decided to meet at the finish and carpool together to mile 52. Colin and Kristin took turns pacing our buddy Josh Spector from mile 52-75 and Evan did the last 48 miles (!) with Dean Dobberteen. All in all, it was a great time with all of our respective runners placing top 10 and coming in under 24 hours. Special shout out to Josh in particular who was running his 1st 100 and still came in 8th overall at a little over 23 hours. Wow.

Anyway, although I ended up walking away severely sleep deprived, I had a great weekend and a great time on the trails with some good friends while making new ones along the way. Some pics from the weekend:

Lori, Evan, Me, Kristin, Colin before pacing duties.

Sharing some yuks while waiting at Chilao (mile 52).

Evan heading out with his runner Dean.

Josh coming through Chilao with crew/entourage on hand.

Josh heading out for the next stretch with Kristin.

Mark coming into Chilao.

With Dr. Tanaka at the handoff at mile 59.

Lori and Mark heading out.

Taking a taco(s) break w/ Kristin while driving over to Chantry Flats.

Evan and Dean coming through Chantry Flats (mile 75).

Josh (and Colin) getting some just due applause at Chantry.

Killing some time with Colin on the trails in the wee morning hours.

Not a whole lotta sleeping was done here.

Josh with pacer Jimmy Dean on the final stretch.

Done in an incredible 23:14:11!

Mark cranking it on the final stretch.

Mark's finish in just under 24 hours!

Mark...

...and Keira.

Congrats again to everyone that participated and in particular to those that absolutely rocked it!

Running with Josh Cox

2010-08-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

On Monday evening, the good folks over at KSWISS organized a fun run with elite marathoner Josh Cox. While I have followed his career for a few years now and we have long been "friends" via Twitter/Facebook, I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting the guy.

Josh addressing the crowd pre-run.

I showed up right at 6:30pm on the dot and was greeted by Mr. KSWISS himself, Bryan who was kind enough to hook me up with a pair of Blade Light Run's a couple of weeks back (will talk about these in a later post). Finally, I shook Josh's hand after his pre-run speech and the group of 30-40+ took off towards the beach.

With Josh and Bryan early on.

A beautiful day on the bike path.

I started off running with Bryan and then with Josh. Once we hit the Santa Monica Bike Path, he ducked in for a quick bathroom break and said he'd "catch up". Sure enough, before we made the climb up out of the pier to Palisades Park, he sidled up next to me and we'd run together from there. He's an extremely personable guy and running with him was like running with a friend you're catching up with - albeit a really, really fast friend.

Palisades Park.

Our paces were hovering around 7 minutes per mile which is near tempo pace for me, but easy conversational pace for him. I feigned like I was holding my end of the conversation without any problems but I was definitely hurting throughout. So I kept lobbing questions so he could do most of the talking and thanked my lucky stars when we'd hit a red light.

Talking to a fan at a stoplight.

Matching Blade Light Runs.

Now some have questioned just how much he puts himself out there, but the dude is making it happen. He's been making a living out of doing what he loves for 10+ years and inspiring others to do the same. Not to mention his charitable efforts to help children in need in Africa. I have tremendous respect for that. We talked about everything from races he has coming up, his experience at Comrades Marathon earlier this year, the Olympic Trials and ultrarunning among many other things (he's won a 50-miler and paced David Horton for almost 50 miles at arguably one of the hardest 100's out there, Hardrock 100).

At the turnaround.

Back at the KSWISS store.

We did the 2.5+ miles to the totem pole before turning around and added a little when I took him on a wrong turn down Main St. Once we were back, Josh spoke for a few minutes about Comrades, his charity efforts through Team Worldvision and fielded some questions from the crowd.

It's not often you get to run side-by-side with a 2:13 marathoner/50K American record holder. And I relished every second of it, burning legs/lungs and all. Thanks for taking it easy on me Josh - nice to finally meet ya!

NB and AC

2010-08-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

A great new ad featuring Anton Krupicka and the upcoming New Balance Minimus shoe (due out in Spring 2011):

And wishing the best of luck to local (and beyond) trail running friends out to conquer the Angeles Crest 100 Mile race tomorrow. I will be out there pacing veteran ultra doc (and stud) Mark Tanaka. Was originally supposed to go from mile 75 to the finish, but my well-documented knee problems (diagnosed as PFS or "runner's knee" by my doc yesterday) will prevent me from doing so. As such, will only do a short stretch from miles 52 to 59ish. No matter. As long as I'm out there. Wouldn't wanna miss this.

Run long, run strong friends. Should be a hell of a weekend!

Race Report: 2010 PCTR Montana de Oro 25K

2010-08-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, this race has long been on my "to do" list and it certainly did not disappoint.

The journey to get there and back however, was no easy feat. It involved getting up at 3:30am the morning of to make the approximately 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive up near the San Luis Obispo area to Montana de Oro state park on very little sleep (actually had to pull over at one point to close my eyes for 10 minutes or so). And on the drive back, had to fight traffic many times over with the total commute coming to 5+ hours.

Ultimately, it was a small price to pay for having fun on new and beautiful (albeit challenging) terrain. I got to the race with plenty of time to spare before the 8:30am start time. After picking up my bib, saying hi to the RDs in Sarah and Michael, I just used the rest of the time to get in my head a little bit and shake out any apprehension and anxiety I had about my knee coming into it. I had originally wanted to do the 50K distance but I knew even the 25K might be pushing it. My plan was to just take what it would give me, run smart and take it easy on the descents - steep ones at that.

Runners checking in at the start on an overcast day.

When it was time to line up at Spooner's Cove, I settled in somewhere among the front 1/3. The 8, 12, 25 and 50km runners would all be starting together so I didn't want to get swept up by the pace of the shorter distance racers. After final instructions from Michael, the runners were off.

The course started on fairly flat, windy sandy paths above the bluffs. I fell into a pretty comfortable pace for the first couple of miles averaging about 8 minute/mile before the gradual climbing began. After a couple of up and downs, the steeper climbing hit us after mile 4 to Valencia Peak. The course became more technical and rocky and at times so I took turns alternating between power hiking and running. The day was pretty overcast so you couldn't see too far below you but given my slight fear of heights, it turned out to be a good thing for me. Nearing the peak, the first of the frontrunners were making their way back so we yielded what little space there was to make room to pass for them.

View from Valencia Peak on a clear day (that was not this day).

I finally hit the peak after about 51+ minutes, rounded the summit before I too made my way down the tricky, rocky descent. Thankfully, the path we shared with the out and backers didn't last too long as we veered right down a narrow dirt road back towards the start of the race (our one and only aid station). Frustratingly though, given that I was babying my left knee on the downhills, I got passed by about half a dozen runners who I'd easily beat to the summit. Finally, I said "eff it" and when I heard the footsteps of more runners coming up on my tail I just let loose and sped up, knee be damned.

Elevation profile of the 25K.

I cruised into the aid station completing the ~12K Valencia loop in about 1:12+. Since I was carrying my 26oz of Malto/Nuun mix, I just grabbed a cup of water to chase down a Salt Stick pill before heading out to run the longer (~14K) Hazard Peak loop. Since most of the shorter distance runners were done, I ran alone for awhile. The next section started on fireroads that gradually climbed for a couple of miles. After running solo for several minutes, I caught sight of a runner up ahead who I could tell was struggling a bit. He was walking by the time I made my way up to him and as he was letting out a "good job", I urged him on to run with me. He obliged and we ran together for a short bit and chatted a little about the race.

Signs then pointed us up towards our next big climb of the day up a series of switchbacks. I dropped my new friend somewhere along here and was again running and hiking solo. Except a new unwelcomed friend veered its ugly old head in the form of leg cramps. That all-too-familiar feeling started in my right hamstring and I knew it would only get worse as the race went on. I decided to pull out another Salt Stick pill and focused on the climb ahead of me instead of obsessing over it. One good thing was: it made me forget about my left knee altogether.

I started gaining on a pair of runners ahead of me and focused on that. There were about 2-3 "false summits" in that once you think you made it to the top and the road started dropping, it would start to climb again. The marine layer and clouds certainly didn't help one gain perspective of where they were exactly. By the time we began the final descent, I was running behind a 50K guy and a gal who later turned out to be 1st female of the 25K. Given the narrow single-tracks, he was running ahead flanked by the gal and me on the rear. By now, I could feel tightening on my right calf too and started altering my stride to keep them shorter.

While they were running at a pretty brisk pace, I felt that it was slow enough to let whoever might be coming up behind me to make up ground. Their chatting was a telltale sign of that. Finally, I had to break up the party and asked them if I could pass. The gal knowing that I too was running the 25K, took off ahead of me with me on her heels. Her setting the pace was fine by me and together we ran off down the long descent. After running together for a bit, I felt I could take it up a notch so I wished her luck and ran by her.

Once I did that, I could feel that my right leg was absolutely on the cusp of full-blown cramping. But still, I kept the currently pace going as best I could knowing I was gaining ground the gal behind me and the guy in front of me. I narrowed the gap between me and him from about a 100 yards to about 50. However, one little misstep on a turn on the switchback almost caused my right calf to seize up entirely. With that reminder, I said screw it and decided to just keep a manageable pace to not pass or get passed. Last 2 miles were 7:19 and 6:51.

I made the final turn into Spooner's Cove where the finish lied and crossed at an official time of 2:31:18 or about 16 seconds behind the guy ahead and 54 seconds ahead of the first female finisher. It was good enough for 11th overall. The race measured out to 16+ miles and over 3,000+ ft of elevation gain. A little bummed about not placing top 10, but quickly got over it considering my low mileage in the past couple of weeks and my bum left knee.

My rebelling legs getting their due punishment.

Post-race, I made a beeline into the cold ocean Pacific where I proceeded to "ice" my legs for about 15 minutes. Then after changing into warmer clothes and downing a couple of Cokes and chicken noodle soup, I hung out with Sarah and the other finishers exchanging war stories and lent her a hand working the t-shirt tent.

With one of my favorite people in the world, Sarah the RD of PCTR.

I stuck around long enough to see the first 50K guy finish but then it was time to buckle down for the long...LONG drive down.

1st 50K finisher crossing the line...his 1st trail race!

The knee was definitely sore at the finish and had some achiness in both feet, but otherwise I'm pretty happy with the outcome. Still, my race yesterday taught me that my knee needs more resting and that some upcoming races will have to be sacrificed if I want to finish out the fall/winter schedule strong.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Knee. How. (Oh) My.

2010-08-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

It was inevitable I suppose. A mere days removed from this post where I brag about mileage and running injury-free...then BAM. My left knee decides to rebel and pain/swelling sets in after a couple of miles on my next few runs.

I believe I can pinpoint it back to a Thursday afternoon trail run a couple of weeks back when my new buddy Graham and I went on a 10+ mile trail run in Temescal. After running leisurely for a few miles, we decided to take the final long descent pretty hard. And while I didn't feel anything specific at the time, I felt a sting in my knee the following day when I ran downhill on surface streets.

Graham at Temescal Peak.

Me at Temescal Peak, still happy & unaware of what fate had laid out before me.

After a couple of days off, I tested it again only to find the same pain emerge after a few miles. 3 more days off after that and it's still there. Grrr...

My left knee, post-run.

The timing of this injury sucks but then again, when is a running related injury ever convenient? My suspicion based on what I've been reading online is leaning towards "runner's knee" (and we all know how accurate self-diagnosis can be). But I do fear that this can be something more long term and detrimental such as a torn meniscus (or worse). Hopefully something will be confirmed by my sports doc when I see her in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I plan on running on it albeit a little more conservatively. I have been diligently icing, elevating, compressing, heating...the whole 9 (or 10). I have some big races coming up including one this Sunday in what was supposed to be a 50K, that has been downgraded to a 25K, that will be downgraded to a 12K should the pain become really pronounced and unbearable.

Sucks to be me, but at least I'm still running a little bit. For now.

Video: Zach Gingerich's 1st Place Finish, Badwater Ultramarathon 2010

2010-08-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

What can I say...the dude's a badass.

(Thanks to T.o.K. for the link.)

In other news, just found out that my runner has to drop out of Cascade Crest 100 in which I was slated to pace him. Bummed about this but life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. Looking at Angeles Crest 100 as a possibility to crew/pace now. To be continued...

Run, Eat, Recover, Repeat

2010-07-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd pop by and provide a quick training update. By and large, I feel like my running's going pretty well. I've been mostly injury-free, can feel myself getting fitter with each passing day and running decent volume for the past few weeks (~50-70 miles per, most likely my 2nd back-to-back 250+ mile month) save for a cutback last week. For me, this is pretty substantial - especially considering the fact it was less than a year ago I was laid out for weeks with a stress fracture.

Two drawbacks from focusing on mostly running and training all the time is that: a) it doesn't leave time for much else (work, run, rest has been the order of most days) and b) I am always hungry. Like, ravenous.

I know what you're thinking...if you're eating that much and still not gaining (or losing) weight, what's the big deal? Well the main problem with this is that it adds up. I'd cook more for myself except these days I crave very specific things: Texas BBQ, bone-in ribeye steaks, In-N-Out burgers, Korean BBQ, carne asada burritos, etc. See a theme there? Yeah, meat ain't cheap.

But diet plays a crucial role in recovery so I'm allowing myself to splurge in that area. I also make sure I get my post-run protein/carbs immediately and trying to squeeze in sleep wherever I can, mostly by way of afternoon naps a couple of times a week. I really should sleep more than the 5-6 hours I average nightly and I'm working on that.

So that's about it. With that, I leave with you some random pics from the past couple of weeks:

Lori at Pirate's Cove during Headlands 50.

My turn.

Jamming down the final stretch.

Hanging with Michael at the finish.

Oooo...it's a snake!

Shacky, Rachel and I before the start of our 100+ degree desert jaunt in Anza-Borrego.

Continued health and success in your running endeavors. Happy running y'all.

Race Report: 2010 PCTR Headlands 50

2010-07-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

When I decided to run PCTR's Headlands 50 Mile trail race a couple of months back, I was able to successfully recruit my friend Lori into joining in on the shenanigans. The only stipulation was that we needed to stick together for the duration of the run. Fine, no problem there as all I was looking for was a scenic, supported training run in the famed trails of Marin Headlands and time on my feet.

The course itself, which was altered a bit due to some construction, had us the 50-mile runners doing a ~25 mile clover-like loop 2 times (with marathoners covering it once). After picking up Lori in my rental at 5:45am, we made the surprisingly short drive over the bridge to the start at Rodeo Beach with plenty of time to spare. After taking care of the normal pre-race stuff, we lined up among the chilled huddled mass that gathered at the base of the trail and right at 7am, we were off.

We began climbing almost immediately up a variety of terrain, footing and obstacles. Lori and I were content to start off easy so we took our time going up. I was surprised to find myself feeling good right from the start as it seemed lately like it has usually taken me several miles before I felt "warmed up". We chatted and trotted along contently following the herd up to the summit before the steep descent down towards the Tennessee Valley aid station which served as the 'hub' of this loop course as 50-milers would pass this one station a total of 6 times. Thankfully, we also had access to drop bags here so I could easily fill up on the maltodextrin/Nuun mix I'd packed as needed before heading out for the next section (carried 2 x 26 oz bottles, 1 had the water, the other my malto mix).

After the first Tennessee Valley aid station pass, we began what was arguably the most scenic part of the course. The next portion looped along the scenic coast of Pirate's Cove down into the Muir Beach aid station. Lori and I actually decided to stop and snap some pics here before merrily trotting along into said aid station, feasting on some boiled potatoes dipped in salt and coke. Other than my malto drink, this is how I'd get my other calories throughout the day. Once we left, we started on another hefty climb up Coyote Ridge, down through the Miwok trail before passing through Tennessee Valley once again and then up and down the L-O-O-O-NG Bobcat fire road to do an out-and-back at the Rodeo Valley aid station.

The weather itself was near perfect throughout the day. I was actually expecting warmer weather (ahem, Lori) but instead, we were treated to mostly foggy skies with a strong but welcomed bay breeze for most of the race.

Passing through Tennessee Valley aid station.

After the long out and back, we passed Tennessee Valley yet again. This time when we came through, our friend Rick was there waiting for us to cheer us on. He was definitely a welcomed sight and after walking with us and chatting for a couple of minutes, we began the big up and down Wolf Ridge back towards the start to complete loop #1. Lori and I sort of kidded about dropping and ending the day early (which I wouldn't have minded one bit had I not traveled all this way and shelled out the $$ for hotel, rental car, etc). We arrived back at the start to complete the first loop in something like 5:05. Lori's Garmin actually measured the loop a bit long at almost exactly 26.2 miles.

Where the 1st loop was all about fun and camaraderie, the 2nd loop was mostly about business and surviving the last 26+ miles. Lori began having issues with her calf and it started to hinder her progress. Still, she was a trooper and we pushed through some difficult times together. As we ran towards Pirate's Cove again, I encouraged her to start focusing on passing the next person we'd see on the trail and sure enough, summoned up enough moxie and strength to pass 3-4 runners along this stretch. We even doled out jovial words of encouragement as we passed to at least appear that we were still going strong (they never passed us again). On the hills, we alternated between running/walking and just kept moving forward.

I gave myself a 'systems check' every so often and other than the sciatic nerve on my left butt/hip flaring up occasionally and a blister on my right foot, I was still feeling relatively strong. Lori was continually feeling bad during one stretch and kept telling me to go ahead without her. After repeatedly turning that down, I finally had to tell her to "shut the fuck up" to quell that argument. That took care of that for good.

Lori probably hit her lowest stretch down the long Bobcat fireroad (our last 'out' before we finally started heading towards the finish). For probably 15 or so minutes, she launched into a profanity-laced tirade that could make roughneck Marines blush. After trying to make her feel better, I decided it was pointless at that moment and just decided to ride out the storm. Her mood lifted a bit once we hit the turnaround at Rodeo Valley and for the long road up, we focused on running to various marks followed by brief power walking, picking out another mark up on the trail to run towards, and so on. While we were almost certain we'd get passed based on how far the chase group was behind us at the turn, the only runners we'd encounter for awhile were the ones we'd pass that were still heading down. It was still nothing but words of encouragement with frequent exchanges of "good job", "keep it going" or something of the like.

Once we crested the hill, we jammed down the road (that was for you Lori) towards Tennessee Valley. It was up to us to stop or continue on and after looking at our fluid level, decided to just keep going and get this race over with. We were seemingly gaining strength the closer we got to the finish and after running up for awhile, we spotted another runner up the hill. It was actually a runner we passed briefly earlier in the race until he re-passed us and put in some good distance between us after that, so I was surprised to see him. But I could see that he was walking while Lori and I were still running and running strong. Feeling a little bad but determined to keep going, we made the decisive pass, exchanged words of encouragement and kept pressing.

We hit the summit and had mostly downhill to look forward to from then on. Unbeknownst to me, there were still a small pack of runners up ahead and we started to reel them in one by one. With Lori right on my heels, we passed around 4-5 more runners, avoided near disaster when I temporarily made a wrong turn and ended up kicking hard to finishing together after a little over 10:47 on the trails (final distance measured 52.2 miles on Lori's Garmin).

I am happy with this result because I felt like I did well from a nutrition/hydration standpoint, peeing frequently and running with sustained energy for most of the race (the cool weather certainly helped). The feeling of being able to finish a 50-miler strong gives me confidence in my ability for future endurance endeavors. Mucho thanks to my favorite trail partner Lori for her companionship and unfailing positivity (just a twinge of sarcasm there) and for the good times post-race.

Oh, and hope you feel better Sarah...these events just aren't the same without you there!

Race Report: 2010 Harding Hustle 30K

2010-07-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

This morning, I participated in the inaugural Harding Hustle 30K down in the Cleveland National Forest. With PCTR's Headlands 50 looming on the horizon next weekend (along with some other big races down the line), I wanted to gauge my fitness and see the fruits of my training on a timed course. I have been running at least 55+ miles for the past 5-6 weeks and save for some lingering respiratory issues, feeling about as fit as I ever have.

I made the approximately 1-hour drive down south, running a bit late so instead of parking in the big lot and taking a shuttle with the other runners, opted to drive straight to the trailhead. Thankfully, made it with about 5 minutes to spare before the race started at 6:30am. After saying a quick hello to my friends Kayla and Lori, I lined up and off we went.

Runners gathered at the start (thanks Lauren).

The course is a 15K out-and-back which immediately begins with a climb and save for a bit of downhill after mile 1, it's all climbing to the top (4,500 ft) on rocky fireroads. Had I arrived earlier (ahem) I would have tried to get a warm up in. Instead, I was relegated to trying to use the first mile or so. I never really felt 'right' from the get-go...breathing was harder than it should be at the pace I was running and I had a tough go of trying to get my legs to respond to the ups. After about 2 miles of this, I was already starting to power hike portions while slowly getting passed in the process.

Shortly before our first aid station at about mile 4.5, my friend Lori caught up with me and we ran together briefly. At the aid station, we both filled up but she ran ahead while I bid my time a bit. A little before an hour into it, I finally decided to tear into a gel (around mile 5) and maybe not too coincidentally, started to feel better and stronger. In my haste this morning (I hit the snooze one too many times), my breakfast consisted of coffee and a 1/4 of a Clif Bar.

Pretty much our view going up.

I also decided to ditch the shirt and use my bandana to shield me from the sun and from the flies by wearing it on top of my head with a visor snug over it. My burst of energy lasted a couple of miles as I overtook a few runners on the run up, but started fading a bit with about a mile to go to the top. By this point, the leaders were already headed back down and I'd eventually see Lori running down when I was about a couple of hundred yards from the turn-around aid station. I quickly grabbed a couple more gels and topped off my water bottle before blasting downhill. I was determined to make up some time on the descent so I leaned forward and took it on as fast as my legs and quads would let me.

I passed a couple of guys before we were all spread out so far that I couldn't really see a person in front or behind me. At approximately the 10.5 mile mark, I felt a cramp twinge in my right calf and without panicking too much, took my 2nd and last salt tab of the day and tried to shorten up my stride a bit. I focused on the running the tangents on the windy fire road as best I could, although rocks and shrubs made it difficult at times. After a couple of miles, I decided to pull over to the side to water the bushes when I spot a runner coming down the hill. I finish just as he passes me and I quickly continue running right on his heels. I sort of let him set the pace and figure I'll try to make a move closer to the finish.

We hit the last aid station with about 4+ miles to go and I doused my bandana covered head in water one last time and topped off my 26-ounce bottle before running again. The calf twinges hit a couple more times and the downhill pounding were brutal on my legs. I just kept my fingers crossed that I'd make it to the end without the legs blowing up. With about a mile left to go before the finish, we hit the last up (which we obviously ran down when we were running the out) and my legs were toast. I saw the guy who ran past me lightly running it but I could tell he was fading. So I power hiked up the hill as briskly as my legs would allow and once it flattened out, I jammed down once again for all I was worth, passing him with a quick word of encouragement.

What I didn't see was that there were a couple of other runners quickly gaining chase behind me and didn't spot until I rounded the switchback. And that was all I needed to see to really start booking it without looking back any further. If they ended up passing me on the final stretch, they'd pass me. But I would go down swinging to make sure no one was gonna pass me with less than a mile to go. Mercifully, I spot Lori who'd come out a bit on the trail to cheer me in and after confirming no one was immediately behind my tail, I made the quick right and finished in an official time of 2:55:13, good for 22nd overall (out of 80+ finishers). Not DFL, but not great.

The Finish.

All smiles for Kayla crossing the line.

After hunching over for awhile to catch my breath, I finally made my way over to grab a cold Coke and try to walk off the painful lactic acid coursing through both my legs. The half dozen or so masseuses that were set up at the finish area were very tempting, but I just opted for my recovery tights instead.

It was a pretty decent effort overall but I was a little disappointed in how I ran the first 1/3 of the race. I need to do better on the climbs. Hopefully it goes a little better next Saturday for my 2nd 50-mile challenge.

In the meantime, my eternal thanks once again to Jessica the RD and to the volunteers (Catra, Andy, Lauren, et al) for taking care of us out there. Next stop, San Francisco.

Oh, and best of luck Badwater runners/pacers/crew on Monday - be rooting for ya!

Training Update

2010-06-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

No race this past weekend. No pacing duties either. What the hell do I write about?

Well, I suppose I can talk about training. Mileage wise, I have already gone 200+ miles for the month of June, which I think I have done only one other time (this past April). They're not forced mileage either as in, "must run XX miles this weekend". I've just been enjoying running for the sake of running. As such, I've mostly been adhering to trails because that's my love and passion. Nothing makes me happier than looking back down at the view of a climb I just tackled. And it just so happens to be the terrain I'll be running on in upcoming races (see sidebar).

They're not all quality miles though. And I'm working on changing that since I have some big races upcoming. I'll probably be ramping up mileage in the coming weeks before winding down to tackle my 2nd 50 up in the Bay Area.

Above all else - knock on wood - I've been relatively healthy. And rarely a day goes by when I'm not grateful for the opportunity to be able to lace up and run (mostly) painfree. Being laid up for months (stress fracture late last year) will do that to a fella. Now I've got my share of niggles and aches but a big difference now is that I won't try to run through something I know is not your run-of-the-mill soreness. Honing in on what my body's telling me and paying extra careful attention to the recovery process has been key.

I've also been dealing with this chronic respiratory issue that's been some cause for concern but for the most part, I can run through it.

That's about it for now. Oh, I did put in an order for the new Garmin Forerunner 110 that I'm pretty stoked about. My 305 crapped out a few days ago and I'm finally tiring of the bulkiness of it. Taking forever to ship though - it better not backorder!

Anyway, that's it. Best of luck to those racing Western States 100 this weekend. Hope Tony/Geoff/Hal and boys can hold off Kilian Jornet for top place.

Race Report: 2010 San Diego 100 (Pacing)

2010-06-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

My first time pacing in a 100-miler at the San Diego 100 and it was a great, great experience. This report won't be too detailed as the experience was mostly a blur and I am still sleep-deprived even after a solid 8 hours last night.

My friends Ryan and Rachel decided to run it together for the first half (his 2nd 100, her 1st) and then Lori and I would start pacing from miles 51.3 on. We'd decide as the run wore on whether to continue to run as a foursome or split up into pairs. Lori and I met up in San Diego and then drove about an hour east toward the mountains.

We first caught a glimpse of our pair around the mile 44 mark. We met up with Alan, Rachel's kick ass boyfriend who crewed us from start to finish, and our friend Shacky from San Diego who came to lend a hand. They just got through climbing out of Noble Canyon which sounded like a bear based on their initial reactions. But still - they were still in good spirits for the most part:

Also got word here that my trail buddies Evan and Mieko had dropped. The former came into the start dealing with a painful bout of shingles. I know he was extremely disappointed but kudos to him for even making it to mile 44 under those conditions. It was unclear why exactly Mieko dropped but one look at her slumped in the passenger seat of her pacer's car said it all. They'll be back kicking ass in no time, that I know.

A Krissy Moehl sighting as she paced her friend (photo by Shacky)

Lori and I lingered for a bit after they left before deciding to move on to mile 51.3 where we would officially begin our pacing duties until the finish. It was a beautiful scene over there with a hustling and bustling aid station, anxious pacers ready to get going and a throng of volunteers/cheerleaders waiting to cheer in the weary runners. I knew I had to do my part and make sure I was 100% ready, so I went through my checklist for myself: get food in, wear layers for the evening quickly approaching, use the bathroom, etc.

Getting our runners ready for the 2nd half.

Just after sunset, Ryan and Rachel rolled in and Alan, Lori, Shacky and I spent the next 10-15 getting them ready for the long evening ahead. Finally after we were all sufficiently bundled up and fed, the 4 of us tore through the night with nothing but headlamps and flashlights guiding the way.

Team Sanchez (don't ask) before departing.

These are the parts that I don't recall too clearly as we had the darkness and sleep deprivation to contend with in addition to the distance and climbing. As I recount it, the 4 of us tried sticking together initially but too many variables prevented that from happening. Thankfully, Lori and I predetermined that I'd go with Rachel and she would pair up with Ryan if this happened. But the 4 of us did manage to run together through a couple of aid stations. Rachel was concerned about putting time in the bank to ensure we make the cut-off times so we ran ahead after the 2nd or 3rd one.

Goofing around on the course.

I pretty much ran/walked ahead a couple of yards per her request and would try to take the path of least resistance, pointing out rocks and technical sections with vocal admonishments and by using the beam of my flashlight. Otherwise, I'd check to see that she was taking in a steady stream of nutrition and hydration and just basically kept her company, making small talk as we went along.

Rock stars manning the aid station.

When daylight finally broke, it definitely gave us the mental boost that I'd always heard about. We were clicking along pretty good but by that point, we were positively unstoppable. We made it back to Sunrise (appropriately named, at mile 80.3) after that nearly 30 mile loop, where my journey as pacer began. We finally got to ditch our lights and a few layers which I was very happy to do. Still feeling good, I again led her out and continued on to the next aid station.

Sunrise!

Definitely hard to get tired of this.

Fellow Coyotes Kate and Daniel waiting for their runner.

In pain but still managing a smile for the camera.

Coming into the 2nd to last aid station.

This next stretch is when the knee pain that was creeping up on her became too much for her to bear. Running became very painful so we stuck to speed walking for awhile. It was here that we had the pleasure of walking/hiking with the incomparable Monica Schulz for a good stretch. This race was her 99th (!) 100 mile race and we got to hear some good stories before she passed us and continued running. Rachel was suffering pretty good because I knew she wanted so very badly to run, but the screaming knees just wouldn't let that happen anymore. So we just kept marching from aid station to aid station as fast as we could.

Ryan and Lori before passing us around mile 93.

She did awesome though based on the number of runners we ended up passing throughout the night and through part of the morning - especially on the climbs. Rachel's speedwalking left me in the dust many times and there were sections I'd have to break into a run just to stay ahead of her. She went through her share of ups and downs, battling nausea, fatigue and various physical ailments along the way, but never lost her drive and determination. And it was that, more than any prodding I did, that got her to the finish in a great time.

When we were about a half a mile away, I ran ahead of her to the end yelling out to spectators to help me cheer her in, screaming out her name and that it was her first 100 miler. And boy, did the crowd ever let her hear it. I was positively beaming with pride as she jammed home to the finish in tears and letting out an ecstatic yell as she crossed the finish line in a time of 28 hours and 24 minutes to a throng of whooping and hollering from the ultra masses.

A very happy Rachel at the finish. 1st 100 in the books!

At the finish area, I saw Lori and Ryan who crossed the line a little under 20 minutes ahead of us and a bunch of other familiar faces and staples at these events. We hung out for a bit pulling from a celebratory IPA and shooting the shit with others before taking off. We were all elated but dead-tired by then and had a long drive back up to LA to look forward to.

Lori, Rick Gaston, Mark Tanaka and some pasty dude.

Fellow Coyote Katelyn and her support/pace crew finishing it up in style!

Ryan, Shacky, Rachel, Lori and me hanging out at the finish.

The course - what can I say? One of the first things I did after crossing the line was shake the race director's hand (Scott Mills) for impeccably marking this course. Especially at night when most all runners were fatigued and not very coherent. It was challenging yes, especially on the climbs near the end. But it was very beautiful for the most part and had some truly wonderful volunteers, with many helping out through the night. Can't say enough about 'em.

Thanks once again to Alan for being an awesome one-man crew, Rachel for putting up with me for 14-15+ hours, Shacky for lending a hand/taking pics/providing moral support, Old Goat partners & 2 MVPs of Team Sanchez Lori and Ryan, Deidre for volunteering, and everyone else that had a hand in making this experience a truly memorable one. If/when I decide to do 100s, this will no doubt be on my list in 2011.

Thanks for reading...happy trails!

Race Report: 2010 Blue Canyon 50K

2010-06-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

I am going to try to keep this one short because: a) I never truly treated this as a "race" and b) it was literally nothing to write home about. My performance anyway.

As I indicated in my previous post, I scrapped my plans of running a road half-marathon in favor of the Blue Canyon 50K to get some extended time on hilly trails and dial in my nutrition for upcoming races. The main test for this race?: maltodextrin. The idea initially came from Willis, a marathon-turned-triathlete friend who used this stuff as a cheaper alternative on his longer bike rides to some of the more expensive liquid fuels out there. More on that later.

The morning started off with a 3am wakeup call and after taking care of the usual pre-race prep, I left my place at 4am to pick up my buddy Evan in Thousand Oaks which is on the way towards Santa Barbara. He would go on to win the 50K while smashing the course record by 1 hour 20+ minutes as his last long run before the San Diego 100 next weekend. Damn gifted mountain runner that guy.

From his place, it was about another 1+ hour plus to the race start and after hitting a couple of patches of fog along the way, a part of me entertained the possibility of having a cool race day (contrary to forecasts). I was wrong. It was as advertised and more. Once the sun came up, it warmed up quickly and I knew we would be in a world of hurt.

Evan "spritzing" himself down before the start.

We met up with my gal Lori and her "male friend" Nick who would be running his first ultra. Her (bad/good?) influence, no doubt. Finally around 7am, the relatively small group of us crazies going out for either the 50K/50 Mile races huddled up and we were off.

Me, Lori and Evan before the race.

The race started by snaking through a narrow and at times sandy, single-track through the lush base of the mountain before it started climbing. Evan and a 2:30 marathon guy led the charge while I hung back about 5 runners back. Then I started running with the 1st female right on my heels and kept insisting she move up since I wasn't going for time. It took her about another mile of running that it really would benefit her to pass me. And that was the case for most of today - since it wasn't a goal race, when I heard someone coming up behind I'd step aside on the trail and let them pass. Hard at times for the ego, but definitely the right thing to do.

The elevation profile for the 50K.

The ascent peaked at 3,000+ ft and about 3.5 miles before we wound down a fire road with beautiful vista views of the Santa Ynez mountain ranges. Since I would be running in my New Balance MT100s until the turnaround point (a pretty minimalist shoe), I kept my stride length short and kept it to an easy trot down the mountain. Probably got passed by about 5 runners here. Hit aid station #1 where I refilled my 26 oz water bottle (the other contained the maltodextrin) and I was in and out of there in <1 minute. Then we jumped back on to a single track that ran through a series of grassy hillsides before beginning our next major climb a few miles later.

Los Padres National Forest (photo courtesy of Luis Escobar).

This time, it was steeper and gnarlier than the first and I don't recall running a single step of it. It was an agonizing, booty-busting steep climb up a narrow sandy ridge before cresting out at 3,000+ ft. Thankfully, aid station #2 awaited us and this time, I took a bit of time to get myself together. Topped off one of my handhelds with ice water, pulled out a baggy containing a cup of maltodextrin + 1 1/2 Nuun tablets to mix into the other bottle (which was extremely messy) and downed 3/4 of a Gatorade bottle they had in the ice chest. From here, it was about a <5 mile run down a fire road to the 50K turnaround point and then back up.

Around mile 15 or so, I saw the first runners heading back up and wouldn't you know it, it's Evan and the fast marathon guy. After giving him a shout out and exchanging some words of encouragement I kept my pace steady down the road until I finally hit the turnaround at around mile 17 and a half. One of the volunteers (Scott) recognized me from this blog and we exchange some pleasantries while he helps out with my bottles and I look for my drop bag. I'm still feeling relatively good while changing out of my MT100s and into my beefier Cascadias for the last stretch. I also grab my last ziploc bag containing the 3rd and last malto/Nuun mix before thanking the volunteers and leaving for the brutal stretch back up the fire road.

I hike a good portion of this before getting sick of it and start running again. It is roasting pretty good by now and I have to keep dumping the occasional water on my now bandana covered head to stay cool. Somewhere into this climb, I hear a "Billy Burger!!" and I see that it's my friend Lori running down with Nick flanking her. They still look good and in good spirits when we pass each other.

By the way - the worst part of today besides the weather? The flies. They were constantly buzzing and circling my melon from the get-go and had it not been for my bandana to shade/cover me from both the sun and the flies, I would have seriously lost it.

Anyway, I finally reach the top at around mile 22+, refill my bottles, dunk my bandana into some cold water before climbing back down the steep ridge. This is when the wheels would come apart. Several mistakes were made on my end, not the least of which being: 1) somehow, I had it in my head that the next aid station would come at 4+ miles 2) I had no idea just how hot this next stretch would be and 3) I forced myself to pee shortly after leaving this aid station when I should have tried to have gone before.

You see, I hadn't had to pee since before the start of the race in spite of what I thought was adequate hydrating up to this point. But when I finally went (and just a few ounces at that), the color of my urine was a very dark color, like watered down coffee. So what did I do? I started to drink from my water bottle more frequently as I descended down. I even used some of it to douse my head with as the temperatures began rising the further I ran into the heart of the exposed valley. To make matters worse, there was no aid station where I thought I'd see one and pretty soon the running stopped and the stumbling started.

By that point, it was all I could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other - especially when I passed through one of the few shady spots along the trails. I kept telling myself the more you move, the quicker you can get some much-needed water to pass your lips. But alas, no aid station in sight and by now, the sun was at its apex and the full force of the heat just radiated off the ground with only an occasional breeze to cool you off.

Fortunately for me, I came upon a gal who was sitting on the side of the trail. I figured she was out too, but she told me she was merely trying to regroup. When I explained my plight to her, she graciously offered me a small water bottle she was carrying in her hydration pack. I was beyond grateful and thanked her profusely before continuing on and pulled from it as I kept willing myself to march forward.

Not too long after, I was out of water and still feeling dehydrated and weak. But I did spot the blue tent of the aid station finally. Only problem was a large ascent separated me from getting my hands on some more much-needed liquids there. However, I caught another break when a pair of gals volunteering at the station saw how much runners coming through were suffering during that brutal 6-7 mile stretch between aid stations where the temps were in the 90-100s. Once they realized I was out of fluids, they reached into their pack and produced a 16 ounce Gatorade bottle for me to have. If I was at full strength (and smelled a little better), I probably would have bear-hugged the two of them on the spot. Instead, I thanked them for their generous and giving spirit and was able to muster the final half mile or so to the top where the last aid station was. I was prepared to DNF once I got there even though from that point, the finish was a "mere" 2.5 miles away.

When I got to the tent, I slumped into a chair (something I've never done before during a race) and grabbed another bottle of Gatorade out of an ice chest, dunked my bandana into some cold water and put it on my roasting head. I sat this way for like 15-20 minutes to regroup and talk myself into finishing. Told myself the only way I would DNF is if I was seriously injured or unable to go on due to a medical reason. And I was neither of those things. So I thanked the volunteers and marched on.

On a couple of occasions, I tried running but the legs were officially dead. By sitting for several minutes, my legs must have thought we were done so they just shut down. So I ended up walking in the last 2.5 miles as well as the 2-3 miles leading up to it. Any hope of finishing at a decent time went out the window a long time ago. A couple of folks cheered me in and all I could offer up was a meek smile and hand wave of appreciation after about 7 hours and 40+ minutes on that hot, hilly course.

Evan had gotten picked up by his wife a couple of hours before so I just went back to my truck, grabbed a cold coke out of my mini-cooler, changed and propped myself by the finish to cheer in other runners. I overheard many folks were suffering and/or had DNF'd out there as word was slowly trickling into the race officials nearby. I held out hope that Lori and her friend Nick weren't among the casualties. But I started to have my doubts the longer I waited.

Lori coming down the final stretch.

Finally, I saw Nick running into the finish followed closely by Lori. The look on her face said it all and she just made a beeline into race headquarters after crossing the finish and sat on a chair with a thousand yard stare looking absolutely spent. It took her a few minutes before she could tell me what a rough go of it she had out there. Surprisingly so since she's such a strong runner, usually placing among the top 3 females at these ultra distances. Unfortunately, the heat and the course got the better of her that day, along with a lot of other folks out there (including yours truly).

Last note on the maltodextrin: it worked to pretty decent success. I mixed in 1 cup/serving of it into one of my 26 ounce bottles (approx 300-400 calories), mixing in about a tablet and a half for electrolytes. The flavor was a little too overwhelming at times (think about a single tablet of Nuun will suffice next time) and the drink mix did make me feel a little bloated at times. However, I was able to get through the 50K on 3 servings with just a single gel taken at the 2 hour mark and a couple of chips/cookies at aid stations. Also took in about 4-6 Salt Stick capsules.

Anyway, when it was all said and done, it was a challenging course and a real test to put myself through those rough conditions. But I was able to finish on my own two feet which always makes for a good day. And the volunteers were tremendous with a couple of them going above and beyond the call of duty. My eternal thanks to them and to the race organizers.

Major congrats to Evan also for winning and setting the course record at the 50K, Lori for HTFU and finishing her (and my) most difficult ultra to date, and to all the other fearless souls for braving the hot conditions to tackle the 15K/25K/50K/50Mile/100K distances out there.

Next up: pacing duties at the San Diego 100.

So much for keeping this report short, huh? Thanks for reading.

Change of Plans

2010-06-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Another last minute change/addition.

As some of you may already know via Twitter/Facebook, I decided to scrap my original plans to run the San Diego Rock and Roll Half Marathon on Sunday and instead opt for the Blue Canyon 50K up near Santa Barbara.

Why I thought it would behoove me more to run this race will be divulged at a later date. For now, let me say that there is some method to my madness. Some.

Speaking of madness, this run tomorrow promises to be hot (high temps 90+ degrees) and hilly (elevation gain 10,000+ feet according to a source).

Not going for time. Just time on my feet, tweaking my nutrition/hydration and some unplanned heat training.

Hope I survive.

Race Report: 2010 Brentwood Run 10K

2010-05-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

So quite literally I decided yesterday to run the Brentwood 10K Run instead of a longish trail run. While I do have another 50 miler coming up, it's not until mid-July and next weekend I will be running the San Diego RnR 1/2 Marathon (where I am attempting to PR). So I thought a 10K might be more appropriate.

The route is a double loop down the rolling, wide streets of the famous San Vicente Blvd. I parked a few blocks away about 15 minutes before the gun, so I used that time to warm up on my shuffle to the start. After saying hello to a couple of people, I positioned myself in the crowd probably about 15-20 yards from the start and right around 7:30am, we were off!

After the usual dodging and weaving near the start, I finally broke free from the main herd and focused on running an even-paced 1st 5K and attempt to pick it up and negative split the 2nd half. I seriously don't know how to run these things and figured that was a good a plan as any. That was the plan anyway.

Mile 1 - 7:05
Mile 2 - 7:09
Mile 3 - 7:08

After making the turn to go out for the 2nd 5K loop, I was started to fatigue. My breathing, which was fairly easy for the initial 5K was now more rapid and shallow. My effort definitely dropped here and while I never focused on pace, I knew intuitively it had slowed some. A whole barrage of 'fight words' crossed my head but nothing really seemed to work. So instead, I just kept focus on form and breathing. I did some picking off and was never really passed myself until around the last .2 miles. When I saw the 5 mile mark, I picked up the intensity with the needle already red-lined.

Mile 4 - 7:22
Mile 5 - 7:21
Mile 6 - 7:08

Thankfully and mercifully, the race came to an end and when I stopped my Garmin, I was pleasantly surprised at my time of 44:50 knowing my PR was somewhere in the 44:XX (looked it up later and saw that it was 44:42 - 8 seconds! Rats!).

Giving my little medal a kiss post-race.

These races will never be my thing as I was never blessed with speed, but the mental fortitude that comes from being able to push yourself when every part of your body is screaming to stop is something I can look back and reflect positively on. In other words, I left it all out there.

I'm sure if I actually bothered to do speed work in my workouts, I'd net better results. But right now, I enjoy running for the sake of running and these races are always a good excuse to meet up with friends and do some hard breathing for as long as you're out there.

Grand Canyon: Rim-to-Rim Run

2010-05-24T14:07:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, a few members of the Trail Runners Club and I embarked on an epic run across the Grand Canyon. This is commonly referred to as 'Rim-to-Rim' run, as in the North Rim to the South Rim, or vice versa.

In our case, we did the former starting at approximately 8,250 ft of the North Rim trail (where it was chilly with still a bit of snow), descending rapidly down a series of switchbacks and warming up a bit more the further we dropped. We passed a lot of hikers along this route (not to mention throughout the day) and most were kind enough to let us pass. All smiles and unable to put our cameras away, we spent a good deal of time snapping away the more our path came into view from the bay of the canyon we were climbing down and out from.

At the start.

Still some snow at the top.

Taking a pitstop for photos.

A fella can get used to this.

On the descent down.

Still dropping.

A stop at Roaring Springs to top off our bottles and grab a quick bite, we again continued on North Kaibab Trail as the canyon continued to open up for us. It was further along this trail when my right foot caught a rock and I took a less-than-graceful spill. Fortunately, my water bottle absorbed the brunt of the fall and the only damage were these tiny, dried thorny leaves that covered the left side of my body.

Flattening out a bit.

Glancing back at the North Kaibab Trail.

Adam and Liz.

We were still descending but at a much more gradual rate and after passing through Cottonwood Campground, we hit a short detour in the road that led us to Ribbon Falls. Spent a bit of time hanging out, taking pics and then we came back out to the main trail and waited for others.

Ribbon Falls.

Once we took off again, fellow runner Art and I broke ahead from the pack and picked up the pace a bit. With him leading and me right on this heels, we ran in unison and mostly in silence as we entered a windy gorge where we ran alongside a small river, crossing a few bridges from one side to another.

After about 13-14 miles of running, we came upon Phantom Ranch where we ended up breaking for close to an hour waiting for others to catch up and to down some freshly made lemonade that the store there was selling. While I was eager to get going after a few minutes, I relished the camaraderie and the realization that it could be awhile before I end up where I was again. So I just took everything in, took my time refueling and mingled with some other hikers/runners before it was time to hit the trail again.

Taking a break at Phantom Ranch.

This final stretch (about 10 miles) to our end destination - the South Rim - I mostly stuck to myself as I wanted to mentally get myself engaged on the hardest part of our day. The thousands of feet of climbing as I'd come to find out, was no joke and probably the hardest stretch of trail I've ever run/climbed.

After Phantom Ranch, we hit the Colorado River and the huge suspension bridge to get us to the other side. This would be the lowest point of the rim-to-rim run at approximately 2,400 ft and all that remained were miles of up. There are two ways to get up to the South Rim: 1) Bright Angel Trail and 2) South Kaibab. We took the first one as it had more water stops along the way, although I believe it's the longer of the two.

The Colorado River.

The last significant rest stop was at Indian Gardens Campground at 3,800 ft and from here, it is 4.5 miles and 3,000+ ft of climbing up to the top of South Rim. And I'm not gonna lie - this part was hell. Pure hell.

Temperature at Indian Gardens.

3,000+ ft of climbing to look forward to.

The switchbacks became steeper and steeper and were seemingly unending. There was little to no running from here on out and it was just one foot in front of the other and sucking air during the death march. I saw many casualties (hikers and runners alike) sitting off on various shady parts of the trail trying to regroup and find strength to keep going.

Feeling strong early on in the climb (it didn't last).

Evil, steep, unending switchbacks.

A full view of the trail up to the South Rim.

Thankfully on Bright Angel Trail, there were several points to stop and fill up with water. I have to say, mentally I wasn't quite prepared for just how much climbing there would be. I ended up joining the list of weary hikers along the side of the trail at a couple of points to get my wits about me before proceeding. Finally/mercifully, I reached the top (after some 24+ miles) where it was windy and cold once again. I immediately went to the shuttle area to go to my lodge where all I wanted to do was eat, shower and sleep.

But all in all, it was a great day and truly an experience I'd recommend to any adventurous soul who wants to do an epic run in one of the most beautiful places on earth. And who knows, maybe I'll come back to do a Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim one day. Maybe.

Weekend to Weekend, Rim to Rim

2010-05-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of running with Jose (or 'J-man') in his very first ever race, the Santa Monica Classic 5K (and 10K). J-man and I have known each other since he turned 6 back in 2006 and when I officially became his 'Big' through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

We'd mostly just hang out and go on outings during the times we'd meet up, but on occasion, he'd come with me on some of my runs riding beside me on his bicycle. Never wanted to pressure him into running with me, but after making the suggestion of running a race together one day, he lit up and definitely wanted in. So last Sunday, we found ourselves toeing the line of his first race.

The kid did a great job. The 1st mile went by without a hitch but he definitely struggled some as the race wore on and in the last mile and half, I had to push him a little (our longest training run was a 2 miler). We ended up crossing the line together with both of us beaming with pride. Our official time was a very pedestrian 38:06, but more importantly I wanted to instill in him the will and fortitude it takes to finish a difficult task and that the payoff is worth it in the end.

Crossing the finish! (photo courtesy of Rich Cruse)

Not sure if the running thing will take with him, but my hope more importantly were the indirect lessons that come from crossing that finish line in spite of the blood, sweat and tears you shed to get there. Ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic for a 5K...but you get the picture.

Anyway, damn proud of that kid. He did good.

________________________

This upcoming weekend, I'm setting out on a whole different kind of venture. Thanks to the coordination of a couple of members of the Trail Runners Club, about a dozen or so of us will be embarking on a 'Rim to Rim' (approx ~21 miles) run of the Grand Canyon on Saturday.

Reading about this experience through others, including many who've done the Rim to Rim to Rim - or approximately 42 (!) miles - only fueled my desire to embark on this once in a lifetime adventure. It promises to be difficult, hot (think 80-90s in the canyon) and an absolute blast. I will no doubt be carrying lots of fluid (my Nathan pack + a couple of bottles), food + gels and of course, my camera.

Full report if/when I make it back.

Race Report: 2010 PCT 50

2010-05-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Wow. What an amazing experience.

First of all, thanks to all of you who via text/blog/Twitter/Facebook/RWOL/e-mail wished me luck...meant a lot to me and helped keep me going during dark spots. Secondly, a big thank you to the RD of the PCT 50 John Martinez for: a) letting me into the race after it had sold out and b) for putting on a well-organized race in the beautiful trails of the world famous Pacific Crest Trail.

Last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to my friends (Josh, Colin, Kristin, Andrea) for coming all the way out to support, pace, crew me in my first 50-miler. It would not have been the same without them out there.

I have friends who race this distance (and beyond) quite regularly. Probably as often as some run half and full marathons. And they race it competitively. Having finally endured my first, I have so much more appreciation for what they do week in and week out. I was taken back to my first experience of doing my first half marathon, marathon, etc. I had no idea how my body would respond when I reached miles I've never ventured to run before (in this instance, beyond 31+). So the goal first and foremost, was to finish.

I made the late afternoon drive down towards the San Diego area on Friday, making a quick stop in Irvine to grab an early dinner with my friend Rachel. Then I went straight to the motel I was staying at in Pine Valley Village, a few miles from the start of the race. I managed to snag 6 hours of sleep before my 4am wakeup call. For the next hour or so, it was all race prep - coffee, bathroom, taping nipples, bodygliding feet, bathroom again, etc. When I stepped outside, I ran into two other people who were also heading to the race. We decided to caravan together which was great, because I wasn't exactly sure how to get there.

The race elevation started at ~4,000 ft and would climb to above 6,000 ft on a 25 mile out and back. The starting area was a buzz with nervous energy and chatter when I arrived. I had my game face on, just grabbing my bib and going back to my car, exchanging last minute texts/tweets before grabbing my bottles and gathering at the start again. The race started promptly at 6am without much hoopla or fanfare. The RD sent us off and I settled in mid-pack content to start off as slow and as easy as possible. We started immediately on the PCT single-track which would be the case for almost the entirety of the race. The switchbacks took us up our first gradual climb. I kept my head down and just followed the folks up the road.

Around mile 4, we came to a road crossing before jumping back on the PCT. This time, the road continued along a mountain ridge with a sweeping, awe-inspiring view of the valley. I joined up and started running with a gal named Sally shortly thereafter. She was coming off a great run at AR50 a few weeks back AND was planning on running the Bishop High Sierra 100K NEXT weekend. We chatted and ran together for a couple of miles before I let her go ahead. We hit our one and only fire road around mile 7-8 that ran down into our first aid station at a camp site. I filled up my bottles, grabbed a couple of boiled potatoes before heading back up the fire road. As I was hiking up and taking a draw from one of my bottles, I actually had a dizzy spell and stumbled a bit. I shook it off and kept hiking up before rejoining the single track once again.

The next aid station would be another 8 or so miles. During this stretch, there were some up and down rollers and then some steady climbing on the narrow, sandy, rocky single tracks. I don't remember too much except I was passed a couple of times, walked all the ups and generally felt crappy. My footing was lazy too as I tripped and stumbled on more than a few rocks. I heard my friend Lori's voice repeating in my head, "lift those feet up Burger" so I tried to concentrate on my footing some more. I knew there would be highs and lows during the course of the race, but I basically just felt low. I was still a little light-headed and mentally couldn't flip the switch on. Still, I kept prodding along trying to enjoy the scenery (it was magnificent) and looking forward to seeing my friends who were awaiting me shortly before mile 20.

Aid station #2 finally arrived around mile 15ish as we were entering the forest part of the run and one of the few areas that offered some relief from the sun. Not a huge deal now, but would be of assistance on the return trip. I got in and out as quickly as possible, grabbing some more gels and continuing on the PCT. My nutrition plan (reinforced by some experienced advice from Rick) was to just take in 100 calorie gels every half hour (200 = 1 hour) with some salt tabs every other time. In one of my 26 oz handhelds I used Nuun, in the other water. I occasionally grabbed some more boiled potatoes and soda when they were available at the tables.

The view from 6,000 ft

After some more running/climbing, I finally saw the sign for Todd's Cabin which was near mile 20 and also where I knew my friends were. I turned left and scrambled down the switch backs where I saw the next aid station and Andrea, Josh and Kristin (nature was calling for Colin at the time). Immediately, my spirits were lifted and gabbed happily while my bottles were again refilled by wonderful volunteers. Josh then joined me and the two of us continued on to the 25 mile turnaround. I felt a renewed sense of energy in spite of my sciatic pain acting up since around mile 8 and a blister on right pinkie toe from around mile 14. We were at or around the highest point (6,000+ ft) and the views were that much more remarkable. We passed a few runners coming back from the turnaround and a lot of quick words of encouragement were exchanged.

Finally starting to feel good.

Josh and I doing some climbing.

Coming into the halfway point.

We finally hit the halfway point to some whooping and hollering by volunteers and friends/family and while my bottles were getting filled, I found my drop bag (only time I'd have access to it) to apply more sunscreen and more Vaseline to my right foot. Before we left, Colin caught up to us and the three of us started back together chatting and taking some photos along the way.

Colin joining me as I begin to tackle the last 25 miles.

Since Josh had parked at the turnaround, he left us after a couple of miles on the return. Colin and I continued on back to Todd's Cabin where I was treated to a wonderful, icy sponge down and after grabbing some more gels, climbed back up to the main road with Colin in tow. He would join me until around mile 30 where he would turn back around and along with Kristin and Andrea, meet me at the finish. I vigorously thanked him for his pacing duties and company and he wished me luck as I continued down the road.

Further along, I hit the 2nd to last aid station and knew with about 8 miles separating this one from the next, took a couple of minutes to ice down and mentally prepare myself. After a couple of cups of coke, some potatoes and grabbing some more gels, I buckled down and left for the next long stretch of road that lay ahead.

This next section (miles ~32-38) was no doubt the most difficult. With the sun now high in the sky and very little cover from it, I felt strength being sapped from my body with each mile. Not to mention the nausea I started to feel from a diet consisting primarily on gels (Hammer and Gu) every half hour. It came to a point that the mere thought of it would make me gag. While most of the return trip was downhill, it was incredibly rocky and technical and I felt my toes getting bashed in by my Cascadias. So I walked/trotted for what seemed like an eternity, getting passed by about 3-4 runners in the process. At one point, I had to stop under a small patch of shade for a minute from the beatdown the sun was laying down. I was of clear mind to keep hydrating and even though I didn't have to, stopped to pee a bit to check the color.

Somewhere around mile 38ish on the ridge back before the highway, I decided that I had had enough and started hammering. I wanted to be done. I chased down a pair of runners down the road ahead. The legs amazingly didn't hurt that much any more so I kept charging. The ridge was narrow and technical however and somewhere around mile 39, I stepped into a shrub when I saw a tail flail up followed by a loud rattle. Holy shit - I almost stepped on a rattlesnake! Fazed for a sec, I pressed on, descended down the highway crossing and kept on charging.

The single track spilled out to an opening where I would turn right down the fire road once again, turn back up and march up where I came before continuing along the PCT. I once again doused myself with some water, took a couple of cups of coke and hiked back up the long fire road. I passed my friends Sarah and BK who were heading down and finally after about a mile of this death march, reconnected to the PCT where the final 7-8 miles lay ahead before the finish.

Summoning the same energy and determination I ran with before hitting the final aid station, I again started pumping my arms and again was pleasantly surprised to find responsive legs to get me to the finish. I looked back near the start of the road and see a guy giving chase about 50 yards behind me. So I started hauling and running scared. I passed another runner down this stretch but never looked behind me again.

I just wanted to hurry the hell up and a) finish and b) not get passed. I stomached my last gel down around the 9:30 mark and kept willing myself to finish strong. I saw the start on Old Highway 80 off in the faint distance but it looked so damn far away. While my legs were still feeling strong, my breathing was getting more and more labored the harder I pushed. Around the 10 hour mark where I would have taken another gel, I said screw it and just kept pressing.

After a few minutes of this with still no finish in sight, I actually started getting pissed. How far was it exactly? Where the hell was the finish? Shortly thereafter, I was spent and bonked. I was so done and so weak but I somehow mustered down the final switchback roads that we started on before finally hearing the faint distant sounds of people.

At the finish...finally!

Mercifully, the finish comes into sight and I am beyond overjoyed. A small crowd (which includes Colin, Kristin and Andrea) begins cheering me in loudly and I let out an ecstatic scream. Officially came in at 10:19:44 and utterly spent.

After some congrats and getting a medal around my neck, the only thing I want is an ice cold coke. So I shuffle over to a tent where some other finishers have already gathered, slump to the ground (where I sat for about the next half an hour or so) and slowly pull from a Diet Pepsi trying to come back to my senses. They were out of regular - blah.

Kristin, Colin, Andrea and me at the finish. Much love for these guys.

After a couple of cans of soda and getting some post-race food in me, I finally start to feel human again. So I gather and lift myself up from the crumpled, dirty heap I was in, thank John the RD and the 4 of us drive a little east to a BJ's for some beer and calories (think nachos, pulled pork sandwiches, pizza, ice cream, etc).

The aftermath...other than a sore backside, a blood blister on my pinkie toe and sore shoulders from lugging around two big bottles, I feel like I came away relatively unscathed. Foot never really bothered me and I felt like I did a good job with nutrition/hydration for the 10+ hours I was out there.

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better day. I had familiar faces out there, the volunteers were superb and I got to run through some historic and scenic paths I've always dreamt of running on. The run itself could have gone better, but my goal was to finish and finish in under 11 hours so I feel like I can walk away with my head held up high.

Thanks again to all of those who were cheering me (either in person or in spirit). I can honestly and truly say you had some part in getting me across the finish.

Going Long

2010-05-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it's here already. In a mere two days, I will be on my way to running my first 50 miler in the lovely PCT trails near San Diego. Worried? A bit. Mostly about the unknowns: running at altitude (6,000+ ft at the highest points), how my piriformis/sciatic pain will hold up in my left hip/butt, chest pains (experience this from time to time), potential foot issues in the latter miles, etc.

Strategy-wise, I think I'm set. I will be running with two 26 ounce handhelds so I can stay hydrated (from what I hear, the trail's pretty exposed), will take in a gel every half hour + food at aid stations, a salt tab with every other gel and do my best to temper any fraction of competitiveness that may arise on race day and run a nice, easy, consistent pace.

I'm fairly confident that a sub-11 is doable. But at this point, I'm hoping to just finish under cut-off and not have to DNF due to my nerve pain flaring up.

Here goes nothing.

Race Report: 2010 OC Half Marathon

2010-05-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

Yet another race I sort of jumped into at the last minute. Since I had a few friends running this race (including Andrea running her first full marathon), my initial intentions were to drive down there and pace them in the latter miles while getting some running in myself. Then the opportunity to actually run in the race presented itself when my buddy Bill opted to do Alcatraz instead of the OC Half Marathon. With some last minute scrambling, I was able to get the bib that he would not be using anyway and get some running in (thanks again Bill).

With the PCT 50 looming a mere 6 days away now (gulp), I just wanted to get in a good workout without overtaxing my legs and body in a meaningless race that would not count anyway. Preliminary plan was to run 5K-ish of the start and end at half-marathon pace with some slower miles in between.

Got up at 3am on less than 4 hours of sleep and cursed under my breath as I discovered I was out of coffee on top of everything else. A quick run to 7-11, back home to go through race prep and then it was time to make the 40+ mile drive to Costa Mesa. Parked, hopped on shuttle and rendezvoused with Andrea at her hotel to get the bib she was kind enough to pick up for me the day before. For a gal who was about to run her first marathon, she was as cool as a cucumber the morning of.

A huge throng of runners raring to go.

Made my way to the start and got situated several rows back from the start. Shortly after the national anthem, the marathoners and half-marathoners were off. Took me a couple of minutes to cross the mat and then for about the first couple of miles, it was a lot of dodging and weaving. Felt surprisingly good though so I kept pushing the pace without too much effort. I hit the 5K mark and just could not get myself to slow down, so I told myself another mile at a faster pace before slowing down. I passed a few friends along the way and just relished running at a faster pace on the roads for a change (virtually zero speedwork in the past few weeks).

The 3:40/1:50 pace group I ran with for a bit.

I was running at about 1:37 pace (which would be a PR with a couple of minutes to spare) and felt like I could at least go to mile 10 feeling like this. Instead, I did the prudent thing. I caught up to the 3:40/1:50 pace group after about 4.5 miles of hard running and decided to slow things way down and run with them for awhile. We passed a Ecological Reserve stretch for a fairly long stretch on a wide bike path so I tried to get lost in the scenery for a bit. My legs kept wanting to go fast however and I constantly had to reel myself back.

Finally, after about 9.5 miles of running (5 with the pace group) I just allowed myself to take off again. Not soon after though, my nagging and recurring sciatic pain in my left hip/butt decided to show up which compromised my speed a bit. Still I kept pushing, picking several runners off along the way. At the 12 mile mark, the half-marathoners split from the full and smelling the finish, I picked it up even more. I was pleasantly surprised that my kick held and I crossed the line with big cheers and a smile on my face at 1:43:45 (unofficially, of course) - a little over 3 minutes slower than my PR time.

I hurried through the finish area and went on the hunt for my parked truck (which took awhile to find), pulled the stashed mountain bike out, got my bearings and starting pedaling, working my back from the full marathon course until I saw some familiar faces.

Running with Lori for a bit.

First person I recognized was Sam who looked strong and would go on to a 3:06 finish. Then I kept riding against the increasing wave of runners (very carefully of course) until I came upon my gal Lori. She was hurting and all business but agreed to let me run with her for awhile. So I rode ahead, locked up the bike and ran about a mile or so with her before wishing her luck and heading back. I mounted again, set out down the long stretch of road on the bike path, saw some more familiar faces before I finally found Andrea around mile 20ish.

Andrea and her beau Pete who took over pacing duties to the finish.

She was looking good and was still running strong so I joined her for a little while too. After a mile or two, I wished her luck and ran back to meet up with some friends at the finish (she ended up finishing in about 4:50 - awesome job again Andrea!).

I was absolutely starving by then as it was approaching noon so I arranged to meet up with Lori, Emil, Sam and Rachel over at the Omlette Parlor in Costa Mesa where I tore into a ribeye steak and eggs brunch while sharing some laughs with my dear running friends.

This baby was gone in about 10 minutes.

The race itself was a positive experience for the most part. There are several turns so you have to focus on running the tangents. And aside for a couple of minor hills, the race felt mostly flat. The day definitely warmed up towards the end and for the marathoners, had to deal with some angry cyclists on the bike path during miles 20+. Other than that, it was a well-organized race and an ideal one to shoot for a PR I would say.

As for me, going to rest my hip some more and hope it doesn't become a nagging problem come Saturday. Also experiencing a little runners knee in my left leg which I hope doesn't get any worse. Otherwise, feeling good about my effort today and think another (official) shot is in order either in June for San Diego or Long Beach in October.

Before any of that though, have to focus on surviving 50 miles next week. Thanks for reading folks.

Achieve.

2010-04-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

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.

Race Report: Rocky Road Marathon

2010-04-25T16:04:00.001-07:00

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.

Race Report: PCTR Skyline to the Sea 50K

2010-04-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

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..)

Excorsing Demons

2010-04-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

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!

Long Run Sunday: Palos Verdes

2010-04-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

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.

Race Report: PCTR Sycamore Canyon - 30K

2010-04-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

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.

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 :)

Trail Run: Temescal to Will Rogers Loop

2010-03-28T16:30:00.001-07:00

With Easter nearing and with fond memories of our run last year, I decided to e-mail my effervescent and dear friend Lori to see if she wanted to do a longish trail run again this year and make it an annual thing. Because she would be leaving for Fiji tonight for a couple of weeks on a medical trip (she's a med school grad), we decided to bump up our "Easterpalooza/Crucifixion on the Trails/etc" a week early (yeah, the name's still a work in progress).

Anyway, I decided to replicate this run our trail club did a few weeks back. Scenic, challenging at the start and at the end, but otherwise pretty smooth sailing through some gorgeous single tracks. We got started around 9am and already, we could feel the heat of the day coming on (forecast called for temps in the 80's). We snapped this pic at the start while we were still smiling:

Hello stray pink ribbon. Where to now?

The first 4 miles is essentially all uphill so we kept our paces reasonable while we rose out of the brush and above the skyline. With not a cloud in the sky, it made for beautiful scenery and for the moment, dealing with the sun bearable.

The large clockwise loop itself connects a couple of parks together so we got a whole variety of terrain and trail. My favorite part was when we started on the single track down the Backbone Trail leading to Will Rogers but really on this particular loop, there really isn't a "bad" or "boring" section.

On Backbone...and in shade!

Ok, I take it back - once we exited Will Rogers and dipped into Rivas Canyon, this part really stunk. I'm sure me being partially dehydrated, baking in the sun and caked in salt had something to do with it. Whatever the case, my jovial self was reduced to a struggling mess from about mile 12 on.

We finally made it back to Temescal Canyon and to our cars after about 15 miles. First order of business was cracking open an ice-cold Coke out of my mini-cooler. Oh man, did it taste sweet. From there, we grabbed some lunch and replenished carbs/protein before parting ways.

Great day for a run...if you went out early enough. Next time, I'm carrying 4 handhelds instead of 2. Hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Big plans racing wise coming up for yours truly...stay tuned.

Race Report: LA Marathon '10 - Stadium to the Sea

2010-03-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Full disclosure: I am a native Angeleno. This is my home and has been for many years. I bleed Purple & Gold and Dodger Blue. I have zero patience to those that think it's OK to criticize my city. So while I'm partial to all things LA, even a native like myself can't hide that we've been lacking a marathon deserving of a city as great as ours. Not even close.

The Los Angeles Marathon was my very first marathon back in 2007 when I decided to kick my smoking habit of over 12 years and run it in honor of my late father. I have run it every year since. While I have been proud of those races, I haven't exactly been proud of the course.

2007

2008

2009

So yes, I have been pining for marathon organizers to put together a world-class destination race. But in years past, it has fallen short and has been anything but. Until this year.

Thanks to the great effort of Peter Abraham, Russ Pillar and crew (along with a crucial vote of city council), the race was once again moved back to take place on a Sunday in March (it was held in Memorial Day Monday last year due to political reasons) but more importantly, the route was changed to a far more scenic and runner/spectator friendly "Stadium to the Sea" route that began at Dodger Stadium and finished near the Pier in Santa Monica Beach. And 25,000 runners later, the 25th running of the LA Marathon had its first sell-out event and a once struggling race was now all the buzz in the running community.

Only question remained: could the race deliver?

The Race:

Dodger Stadium: Mile 1

With an e-mail coming from race organizers the day before stressing that we arrive early to the start, Ryan, Danica and I heeded the admonishment and carpooled w/ a couple of others to the start leaving our Santa Monica location at 5:15am. We hit a bit of gridlock at the off-ramp to Dodger Stadium but we arrived and were dropped off with plenty of time to spare (thanks again Sarah and David!).

Lori, Me, Danica, Ryan

Once we were there, we ran into a few other friends, diligently stood in line at the port-a-potties and watched impatient folks scale the dirt hills behind to do their business. Quite entertaining actually. And as is our new custom, I once again caught Danica emerging out of the port-a-pottie:

I of course, resorted to my own personal, portable bathroom - the details of which will be revealed in a later post.

With Danica at the start.

After the bathroom and gear bag check, Danica, Ryan, Page, Lori and I walked over to the corrals which were already filled to capacity and had us waiting just outside of the entrance. While waiting, we encountered a very LA moment when "Goonies" actor and fellow runner Sean Astin came over to ask our group a question about how the corrals worked.

Don't forget your inhaler Sean.

After the national anthem and a slightly delayed start, the air horn went off, Randy Newman's "I Love LA" blared from the loudspeakers and our shuffle to cross the starting mat of the 25th Los Angeles Marathon was underway!

26.2 miles down to the Sea - let's do this!

I ran the first mile or so with Page, Lori and Danica but lost Lori somewhere along the way and Page was shooting for a faster time so Danica and I let her go. The first mile wound around the Stadium lot before finally spilling out towards the Downtown/Silver Lake area. There was a lot of dodging and side-stepping going on in that initial mile since we started so far behind the front of the pack but things got a little better after that initial section.

Danica running out of Dodger Stadium lot.

Downtown LA: Miles 2-5

One of the great things about this race were the abundance of water stops. Seemingly one every mile, not to mention the occasional spectators who set up and handed out their own. Still, I carried my own mix bottle of Nuun - especially to avoid the bottle neck that comes with the first few water stops.

The first few miles were a bit unremarkable from a scenic standpoint until we hit our first and biggest climb of the day between miles 3 and 4 approaching the Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA. Danica took this hill really hard (against my pleas not to) and I just let her go and would catch her up top. I was very glad to see and hear the Taiko Drummers however placed very strategically near the top of the hill.

Echo Park: Miles 5-6

After rejoining her up top where mile 4 was, the course again dipped and climbed a little as we ran up Temple into Echo Park. Still feeling good around this time, I even coaxed her into slapping hands with a motorcycle cop.

Running by Echo Park

We both took our energy stuff (PowerBar Gel for me, some blocks for her) and kept getting by with fuel from the crowds too. Loving the block party thus far.

Silverlake: Miles 7-8

Danica and some firemen.

Runners holding steady before Mile 8

She started complaining about getting tired early on, but I was hoping it was just a bad period she was going through. Even after taking some energy blocks, she seemed to be struggling along at times. I tried encouraging her by saying the real show was coming up from miles 9/10 on when we hit Hollywood Blvd and beyond.

Hollywood: Miles 9-11

Coming into Hollywood

With Danica still struggling a bit, I tried to get her to focus on all the cool Hollywood landmarks: the Pantages theater, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theater, etc. I was still feeling pretty good in the meantime. I was really apprehensive about what this day held in store for me since I was coming off a pretty significant injury, running mostly on softer, packed dirt roads and not much mileage. But so far, so good!

Tired, but still smiling

Hollywood and Highland

Sunset Strip: Miles 12-14

Danica crossing Mile 12

A little after mile 13, we began our stop into the Sunset Strip. She was really struggling after mile 12 and it was the first time I began to wonder whether she might be able to finish or not. But one good thing that came from this was that it took all my focus off of me and any self-pitying I might feel. Instead, I focused in on getting her across that finish line with me.

Subtlety, thy name is Sunset

That girl sure can perk up for the camera

West Hollywood: Mile 15

This pic of Danica stretching out her hip cracks me up for some reason

We began incorporating walking breaks here and there but they started becoming more and more frequent. Her hip and feet were starting to bother her on top of just general fatigue. Tried stretching out her hip here and there too. Also tried giving her a couple of my salt pills to see if they would help.

Only in West Hollywood/Santa Monica Blvd

Digging the equal opportunity dance party!

Beverly Hills: Miles 16-17

We ran into our friend Emil just as we were heading into Beverly Hills. He too was struggling but they gamely put on a smile for the first photo...

...although this second photo showed how they really felt:

We made our turn down to Rodeo Drive where she met someone she knew, so I took a short break from being her annoying cheerleader to taking in the sights.

Running down Rodeo Dr.

Folks at Niketown Beverly Hills representing!

Century City: Mile 18-19

Danica's still hurting but gutting her way through the pain. I was starting to feel really bad for her, but knew taking pity would be the wrong course of action for sure. Instead, after grabbing a little hand towel from someone passing them out, I went to a water station to dowse it and see if putting it around her neck would help any.

After leaving Beverly Hills, we took a turn down little Santa Monica Blvd where it turns into a wide, multiple lane road into Century City. Off in the distance, I hear screaming and ruckus and this is when I realized we were coming upon the "Cheer Alley" I heard rumors about. Sure enough, a cheer squad from what must have been from a dozen or more different schools were out in full force cheering on the runners!

This part absolutely blew me away and I felt positively rejuvenated from going through this section.

A little further down, we spot our Twitter friend Andrea cheering on Santa Monica Blvd which was great to see:

VA Grounds: Mile 20

Danica also knew she had her special fireman friend Brian waiting for her around mile 19, so she kept repeating that she needed to make it at least that far. When we didn't see him around mile 19, I could tell that she was a little disappointed. But then shortly before mile 20, she spots him and instantly lights up. We took a couple of minutes there, took some pictures before we once again embarked, this time into the VA Grounds of Westwood.

This is where we would encounter our last hill as well as see a lot of people struggling. I've always went by the rule that the first half of the marathon takes place during miles 1-20 and the second half, miles 20-26.2 because you're just going on pure will and determination at this point.

Danica again, gamely hung on and ran as much as possible on throbbing hips and on feet that were killing her and of which one was bleeding (a recurring problem she's had).

I also did my own quick assessment damage, which thankfully was minimal. My foot started aching ever so slightly but not enough to have me worried. My left piriformis nerve was bothering as it has been as of late on longer runs. And legs were still holding strong given the relatively slow pace we were traveling at.

(*also, the battery on my camera ran out around this point - resorted to shooting with iPhone)

Brentwood: Miles 21-24

Personally speaking, I was really looking forward to this section. It is an athlete's mecca for all things running, bicycling, etc. And right off the bat, they did not disappoint.

The good folks of the Hirshberg (?) Foundation that supports pancreatic research were out in full force on that first turn down famed San Vicente Blvd and let me tell you, they were LOUD. In a sea of purple, all I heard were cheering and support that instantly energized me and those around me.

That had me in even greater spirits the rest of the way. Probably annoyingly so to Danica. But man, was that girl pushing through pain. I know this because from about mile 12 on, I would hear the occasional whimper coming out of her. And they grew more frequent in the latter miles.

She would also offer up an, "I'm sorry" a handful of times which made me feel that much worse for her, but something I would not hear. I don't care how slow it took us, I promised I'd stick with her leading up to this race and that's how we would finish.

In spite of all of this, it just wouldn't be us without injecting some levity and humor into the situation:

I did thoroughly enjoy this section however. It was one long block party from the top of San Vicente til the bottom. Families were out handing out orange slices/pretzels/candy, plenty of other supporters were also hanging out in beach chairs by the route...it was nothing but positive energy as we descended down towards the beach during that final 10K.

Can you tell I was going through a little runner's high at that moment?

Ocean Avenue: Miles 26-Finish

Right at the base of San Vicente was mile marker 25 and at the point when we rounded the corner onto Ocean Ave - home stretch!

Sometimes though, this can be a hardest section. Especially when all your body wants to do is finish and your mind is telling you the end is near. Yet, the last 1.2 miles can seem like the longest 1.2 miles of your life. This is something Danica was grappling with down this long straightaway.

Still, she pulled up her boot straps, put her head down and kept charging. I kept telling her to soak this moment in and take in the energy of the crowd instead of focusing on the distant finish line, but I think all she wanted to do was strangle me (too bad she lacked the energy to do so).

I took my own advice though and really took everything in. The closer you got to the finish, the bigger the crowd and louder the cheer. Finally...the finish! Danica and I didn't do anything stupid like sprint it in, instead we kept even paces throughout the last mile or so.

Final stretch on Ocean Ave!

Right before crossing the line, I spot Frank McCourt (owner of the LA Marathon and the Dodgers) on the platform adjacent to it. I yelled out to grab his attention, pointed downwards with both fingers and screamed, "Keep! This! Course!!!". Haha...he kind of smiled and nodded with approval. Loved it.

And with that, 26.2 miles on the inaugural "Stadium to the Sea" course came to an end, and I felt very proud to have been able to participate in it. Danica and I finished in something like 4:41 and change, a personal worst time for her - but damn it, if I wasn't the proudest I've ever been of her. That kid seriously used every fiber of her being to get her hobbling butt across that line and that definitely says something about her character.

Congrats Danica, and congratulations to all the 20,000+ finishers on what turned out to be a great day for a marathon!

Peter getting some love from us runners - all smiles at the finish!

Finally: thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to the race organizers for listening to us runners and working tirelessly til the final minute to put on a great race! I know it wasn't without its problems, but it's impossible to bat .1000 with so many variables involved. All I know is what I experienced first-hand - and that was an awesome and challenging course, filled with great volunteers, spectators and sights. My visor cap is tipped.

Thank again...let's do this again next year!

LA Marathon: 2 Days Before

2010-03-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Before I proceed, please note that these are things you DON'T wanna do leading up to a marathon.

With the LA Marathon 2 days away and my buddy Ryan in town from Hawaii, there was a lot to cram in the 48 hours leading up to the big race. I picked him up late Thursday night from the airport and while it was nearing midnight, first order of business was to make a stop at In-N-Out for some double doubles (animal style w/ chopped peppers!).

The next day, my friend Rachel and I got off work early so that the trio of us could get in a quick afternoon trail run. Since our agenda for the day was jam packed, we went to the most accessible trail which was Temescal Canyon. We dedicated about an hour or so to running the trails and actually got some good climbs in.

Ryan the Hawaiian

Rachel and Ryan climbing up Temescal

View from the top

While it initially looked like we would be in for overcast skies, the sun quickly broke out less than a mile into our run and we were already drenched with sweat. Since Ryan and I would be doing the 26.2 on Sunday (Rachel wasn't), we kept it easy, took some pictures and just enjoyed the company.

After we got back to the car, we quickly made our way back to my place, cleaned up and then fought Friday drive time traffic towards Dodger Stadium for the expo. There, we met up with some other friends and mostly hung out around Danica's Long Beach Marathon booth. I meandered around to check out this and that but just ended up purchasing some PowerGel.

Miss Long Beach herself, Danica

The gang at the expo in front of Dodger Stadium

Once it got towards 7pm, we drove to nearby Silverlake to grab some dinner. Once Danica was relieved of her expo duties, she joined us shortly thereafter. After a long dinner of sharing yuks and some good "hipster Vietnamese food", a few of us kept the night going by walking to a nearby German tavern.

Full and all smiles post-meal

First order of business was to purchase some Irish Car Bombs (Irish whiskey/Baileys/Guiness) for the willing (4 partook, including yours truly), and then we settled into a booth in this dark, eccentric bar sharing some more stories and laughs while pounding beer and sharing a sausage platter until close to midnight.

Before the carnage

All in all, it was busy but super fun day. Seeing my running friends is always a guaranteed good time. Today, the plan is to take it easy (no running I promise!), take care of some lingering blisters (from Thursday), carbo load a bit and then God willing - get some rest before the BIG DAY.

I am very excited about tomorrow - it's going to be awesome. Can't wait to share the best that this city has to offer with 24,999 of my closest friends...and with the rest of you!

Taper Schmaper...Bring on the Trails!

2010-03-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

With my foot still not feeling a 100% and the LA Marathon coming up on Sunday, my intentions were to take it real easy this week. Those were my intentions anyway.

After successfully testing out the foot on the treadmill earlier in the week with a meager 5 miles, I was going to follow that up with a couple more single digit runs. Then, my friend Evan and Dave told me that they were gonna do the 25K loop of Malibu Creek that I'd just raced in a week and a half ago. Aw...crap.

I knew it was gonna be a gorgeous spring day (albeit a bit warm out) and I have hard time turning down an invite to run the trails. They assured me they'd take it easy. So...what the hell. 15 or so miles with 3,000+ feet of climbing? Bring it on.

We met up around 8:30am outside the park, and ran the loop easy, taking it nice and slow on the climb as well as the descent down the other end. There was not a cloud in the sky and while it was nice out, the temps quickly climbed and near the end, we were out of fluids (I was carrying 2 handhelds).

Dave getting his feet wet

Evan at the creek cross

Dave and Evan chatting during our 4+ mile climb

Dave and Evan coming down Bulldog

So per Evan's idea (who's a crazy strong runner and won the 50K here a couple of weeks back), we took a plunge into the creek near the finish and man oh man, was it exactly what the doctor ordered (the heat was starting to kill me). After submerging ourselves and "icing" our legs for about 10 minutes or so, we got out and walked back to our cars where my ice cold coke and chocolate milk awaited me. And let me tell ya...it tasted SWEET!

"Icing" in the cold ass creek.

We then drove up to a nearby Subway, shot the shit some more before finally parting ways. Evan's got a 50-miler coming up as does Dave when he attempts his first go at it next weekend at Old Goat (crazy hilly).

In hindsight, I'm glad I did it since I'm not shooting to PR or anything in LA anyway. LA will be a training run more or less to get the time on my feet and a chance to run through my city. Plus, how can you turn down a morning on the beautiful trails of the Santa Monica Mountains with some friends?

Looking forward to LA now and perhaps sneak in one more trail run tomorrow with other friends (I know, I know...get off my back). It's gonna be a great weekend!

My Heart Runneth Over

2010-03-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you friends and faithful readers. I can't begin to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for taking the time to offer me your support, thoughts and prayers.

I held fast to your words whenever the nervousness and negativity set in as I awaited word from both appointments. But I am very happy to report that both MRI's came back negative and with good news.

In my foot, no signs of recurring fracture/adema. And in my brain, no lesions or anything out of the ordinary to report. While I still have to undergo some additional tests to diagnose what is going on in my left hand, it does not appear to be neurological or anything too serious.

I could not have imagined going through this day without your support. My heart is truly full and I feel very blessed to have you all in my life, however direct/indirect that may be.

After hearing the news, I celebrated with a gorgeous trail run on the hills. It appears that there will be many more of these to come. Thank you all once again.

Friday: Judgement Day

2010-03-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

I have two big doctors appointment tomorrow.

Well, let me qualify that: one is big, the other is relatively minor when compared to the other.

Appointment #1:

It is with my sports doc. I had a 2nd MRI of my foot done earlier in the week because of persistent problems in my left foot. While I have been running on it, I've been keeping it very conservative. Frustrating to say the least, but I need answers. Is it the development of another stress reaction/fracture? Or is it muscular/tendon related?

Either way, she's going to give me the green or red light for the LA Marathon. And beyond.

I don't wanna sit on the sidelines any longer. There are big things I'd like to do running-wise this year. That I NEED to do. And I may only have a small window to do it. Because of the following..

Appointment #2:

A few posts back, I alluded to having some health scares. Long story short, for the past few months I've been experiencing involuntary twitching in my left pinkie. At first, I thought it was pretty innocuous. But it never went away. The symptoms persisted. So I did the thing no hypochondriac should ever do - I Google-d it.

What pops up? A whole host of potential neurological disorders: ALS, Parkinson's, Brain Tumor, etc, etc.

Ok - sufficiently freaked out. Then exacerbated when I told my older brother over the holidays and he cavalierly informs me that our aunt in Korea is suffering from Parkinson's. (WHAT?!?)

I Google some more and look up the story of the most well-recognized figure with Parkinson's outside of Ali in Michael J. Fox. The first symptoms he experienced leading up to his official diagnosis? Yup, a twitchy left pinkie finger.

After allowing myself to freak out a little bit, I decided to regain control of the situation and do what was within my means to get answers. I consulted with a neurologist. Underwent a nerve study/test on my arm. Got an MRI for my brain done. So now I wait.

I don't know what they'll come back with. At this point, I just want answers. I hate not knowing. I'm prepared for the worst, but guardedly optimistic for good news. Whatever happens next, I just hope I come out this a better person.

To be continued...

Race Report: Malibu Creek 25K

2010-03-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

Two concerns I had about this race coming into it:

1) My Foot (yes, I'm sure you're sick of hearing about it by now)

-and-

2) If I finished, this would be my longest run going into the LA Marathon a mere two weeks (!) from now. A hilly 25K hardly mimics what it's like to run 26.2 miles through LA streets. But I digress...

Blessed with great weather!

One concern I did NOT have however was the fear of rain. During the week leading up to it, we had rain in the forecast for the weekend. I had mentally prepared myself to run in the rain (and actually, kind of looked forward to it) but alas the rain subsided by Saturday night and today, we were treated to partly cloudy skies, clear views of the ocean/valleys and...mud, mud, MUD.

Got to the park about an hour before the gun so I could say hi to some familiar faces. First person I gave a great big hug to was Sarah the co-race director. Then I milled around the start and shot the shit with people like Danica and Emil, both of whom were volunteering. I also saw more friends in Rachel, Evan, Dave and a few others. Gotta love the trail/ultra events. It's always one big reunion of sorts. (My race report of last year's race can be found here.)

My plan coming into this race was to go out conservative and not risk injury. But I also knew there were some single tracks during the first part of the race, so that if you get too far back of the pack, you could potentially get stuck in the bottle neck at places like the stream crossing (learned this last year). So I positioned myself near the front. The 25/50K folks got started at 8:30am sharp. After some exchanges of "good lucks" with friends, off we went!

I'm in there somewhere (photo courtesy of Rachel)

So much for taking it easy. Getting swept up in the excitement of the moment, I went out a lot faster than I'd originally intended. We rounded the flat, paved lot before heading into the woods. I ended up running near Kristin - a fast girl who is training for the Comrades Marathon along with her husband, and decided to stick behind her. I followed her for the first couple of miles, through the river crossing, before making the long, steep ascent up the muddy, rocky fire road for the next 6+ miles.

My friend Kristin and I right before the long climb up.

A lot of up, a lot of down.

The climb was just as brutal as I remembered it. Seemingly endless stretches of uphill after uphill. You ran where you could but unless you are in phenomenal shape, the prudent and smart thing to do is to walk (briskly) the steeper sections. And there was a lot of that. A few around me found partners to pair with to chat and make the time go by a little faster I guess. I kept to myself for the most part though since I wanted to focus on breathing and not expend any more energy than necessary.

Coming through aid station #2

I finally hit the 2nd (and last) aid station of the day where my buddy Emil was manning it along with another gal. It was good to see a familiar face and I definitely needed a refill on my Nuun + chia mix I had. But instead of the sports drink, I opted for straight water. Emil also had a bottle of Pepsi waiting for me (inside joke a few of you my dear readers are privy to) and after a quick swig, I hurried on out of there with a handful of chips. Another mile of climbing awaited the runners before - mercifully, we finally began the long road down.

The ONLY beverage of choice for lost, thirsty trail runners!

I managed to pass a couple of runners but the rocky descent was not easy by any means. After the long uphill, my legs and quads were screaming. Add to it the loose rocks and uneven roads and you had to be sure you paid attention to each and every step. I definitely took time to appreciate the views on the climb up in spite of how painful it was, so I really focused in on the 5 feet that lied in front of me and running the tangents on the windy road down.

Once the ground leveled off around mile 10.5 or so, my legs were done. Both my right calf and hamstring started cramping and I was reduced to a hobble. I started to wonder if it was the lack of endurance in my legs before realizing that I had been sweating and losing more sodium/electrolytes than I'd thought and wasn't doing much to replenish my body. I took one GU Roctane with me (taken at mile 7) and not a lot else. Thankfully, a couple of runners coming up behind were more than happy to provide some salt and pretzels to aid my ailing legs.

The rest of the road back to the finish was mostly flat and while fatigued and reduced to a hobble, I managed to finish with a smile on my face and cross the line in 2:43:XX.

After making a beeline to the ice chest to ice my foot and grab a coke, I meandered over to the finish area to sprawl out with some friends under the sun and cheer in the rest of the 25K-ers and cheer along the 50K-ers going back for loop #2.

At the finish: me, Emil, Shacky, Rachel

I also caught Evan Hone come through at 4:20-something to shatter the course record which previously stood at 4:50:XX. Great job buddy, and great job to rest of the runners who ran today!

New course record and 50K win - congrats dude!

Next up...the LA Marathon! (gulp.)

Trail Run: Temescal to Will Rogers

2010-02-28T18:44:00.001-08:00

Serious runner's high from today's run. The kind of run where you just shake your head, smile at everything and nothing in particular and count your blessings to be where you are at that given moment.

Today, the Trail Runners Club had a route that I had not done yet (surprise!) - a looping, clockwise 14+ mile route that takes you up from Temescal Park past flowing streams and rocky ascents, to the lush and muddy downhill on the Backbone Trail in Will Rogers Park.

I was very apprehensive going into it as my foot is still not feeling a 100% and 14+ miles would be the most I've done since my injury. But I told myself I could just turn back around if I felt the foot acting up. Thankfully, it didn't.

With Josh near the start (thanks for the photos!)

It had rained most of the day yesterday so today, we were greeted to clear skies, crisp and clean air, and plenty of mud. My kinda day. Once the club had assembled and was about to begin, we saw a smallish Coyote wandering up the trail ahead of us. Shortly after we began, we saw another Coyote in Jimmy Dean and his friend. I ran with them and Josh for a little bit, before letting them proceed. The first couple of miles were a bit rough as I felt heavy, slow and out of shape. Then I eased into the run and the miles clicked away effortlessly. As I mentioned, the scenery and beauty of the day definitely helped.

Will Rogers State Park

Save for the initial mile or so, I ran solo the rest of the day. I had random hares, a trio of deers and the rest of the wildlife of the park as my running compadres. When I got closer to the more heavily populated and visited Will Rogers Park, I greeted each and every person I passed with a friendly hello and even a couple of ahnnyunghaseo's for a few Korean hikers I ran past. We had one last ascent near the end climbing out of Rivas Canyon up a series of switchbacks before running back into Temescal to rendezvous with the rest of the crew.

It was also a fairwell gathering of sorts as fellow club member Kai was leaving for New York in the upcoming weeks. So we surprised him with some cake, food and all kinds of other goodies at the finish. Best of luck buddy.

Legs were definitely sore but the foot held up fairly well. Very happy with how the day turned out.

Next week, Malibu Creek 25K!