Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Cool Trail Runs - 1st Place

Race Summary - Best Race Yet

The race was held on Saturday February 12th under near ideal conditions. We were fortunate to have a break in the rain and the trails were in good shape. Although it was cold at the start (low 40’s) the cold wasn’t too much of a bother after the first few miles. My hands were complaining in those early miles though despite gloves.

The worst part of the race for me occurred during the first 3 miles when I slipped on a rock while trying to avoid getting my feet wet when crossing a small stream. I managed to bang up my right leg pretty good but was able to keep moving. I think the adrenaline from the early stage of the race helped cover up the pain. I didn’t pay much attention to the damage until after the race when I was able to clean the wounds. There was actually a dime sized puncture wound on my lower leg. If the fall had happened later in the race it probably would have been more troubling.

Either way, I ran the first several downhill miles strong, crossed No Hands Bridge and headed up to Auburn Overlook. I ran these first 8 miles with Aaron Summerhays who, as he often does, marked the course the prior day. Marking the course entailed Aaron covering 21 miles the day before. The course marking were excellent which meant little chance that I would get lost today. Aaron performed a little better on the first uphill section but I managed to stay close and then took the lead at the Auburn Overlook aid station while Aaron took a minute to refuel.

I was now in the lead and had the luxury of seeing how close everyone was as we turned around at Auburn and headed back to No Hands Bridge. There were several people (including Ray Sanchez) in close pursuit so I pushed the downhills hard before arriving back at No Hands and heading up K2.

K2 is a beast of a hill (over 1,000 feet in 1 mile) and always takes some time. I managed to get up it in about 15-16 minutes and felt decent at the top and kept the pace up as I made my way over the Knickerbocker aid station and then over to Cool to complete the first lap (21 miles).

The next four miles after Cool are mostly downhill and I really tried to push the pace hard to keep and hopefully build the lead. The race consists of two laps with the difference between the two laps being the second lap doesn’t include the trip up and back to Auburn Overlook. So after reaching No Hands Bridge you proceed to turn back and head up K2 for the second time. This quick turnaround allowed me a chance to see who was in second and the lead I had. I was surprised to see I had only a 3-4 minute lead with about 9 miles to go. This meant trying to push up K2 as hard as possible. This stretch took about 18 minutes which was longer than I hoped but not too bad. Knowing I didn’t have a big lead helped motivate me to push hard after reaching the top of K2 and over to the Knickerbocker aid station.

Reaching Knickerbocker meant about 5 ½ miles to go with no significant hills remaining. I managed to exit Knickerbocker without seeing the second place runner which meant I had at least a couple minutes of lead time. This meant keeping up a good pace on the flat and rolling hills. Fortunately this last section has some long stretches which allow you to get a good look and see if there is anyone in your rearview mirror.

I managed through the next few miles without seeing the second place runner but then caught sight of him with about 1 ½ miles to go and maybe a minute or two lead. I was able to push hard to the finish and won the race by a minute in a time of 4:54:07. The second place runner (who I discovered was Tim Long from Boulder, CO) finished in 4:55:25.

Being able to hold on to the lead and finish 1st while knowing someone was in hot pursuit was hugely satisfying. Officially I was able to cut 50 minutes of my race time from last year (although my time last year included an extra mile due to getting lost and a shoe change). Comparatively I still probably cut 30-35 minutes from my time. I felt dialed in all day and was able to get in and out of aid stations quickly which really helped my overall time.

A couple weeks later and I am still feeling the high from this race. It’s amazing how a great effort can stick with you long after the race is over.

P.S. If you are interested, here are my splits, race map and elevation profile.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68233539
Official race results are here:
http://www.sntrailruns.com/2011cooltrailresults.html

Friday, January 28, 2011

2011 Schedule

I have pretty much settled on my race schedule for 2011. At the request of my wife, I am running less races this year (I ran a total of 11 last year). This means I will be focusing on some key races and not trying to repeat my win in the Ultrarunner.net race series. Trying to compete in a race series means running as many events as possible to accumulate points. Winning the Ultrarunner.net race series last year was a huge highlight for me - but racing takes a lot of time and money. I'm hoping to focus more on training and hopefully that will carry over to my race times. The only (planned) hiccup in my training is the two week family vacation to Scotland in March. Hopefully I will get a chance to run some hills in Scotland - how cool would that be. So hare are my planned races for 2011. Hope to see you on the trails!

Feb 12th - Cool Trail Runs 50k
Apr 9th - American River 50 Mile
May 7th - Miwok 100k
Jul 16th - Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Mile
Sep 24th - Sierra Nevada Endurance Double Marathon
Dec 3rd - North Face Endurance 50 Mile

Friday, October 22, 2010

Gold Country 34 Mile and Ultrarunner.net Race Series Championship

A couple weeks ago I clinched the 2010 Ultrarunner.net Race Series Championship by taking 1st in the Gold Country Trail Runs 34 mile race on October 2nd.

I wasn’t sure how this race would go since it was only 3 weeks after completing my first 100 mile race at Rio Del Lago on September 11th. My legs haven’t felt 100% since then and the last three weeks have been spent recovering from RDL including a lot of time icing my right knee. Fortunately everything felt ok at the start and I was ready to roll at race time. Another nice feature was that I was familiar with the trails as they are the same ones that are included in RDL and other races I ran earlier this year.

Even though I was familiar with the trails, I knew it would be a tough race as the course includes two trips up K2 and the final four miles are from No Hands Bridge back to Auburn Overlook which would make for a difficult finish.

The one thing I was determined to do during the race was increase my pace up K2. K2 is basically a mile of uphill climbing where you gain 1,000 feet of elevation. Typically I am forced to walk a good portion of this hill and it takes around 20 minutes. I was determined to run/jog as much as possible and reduce my time on this section. After the first 4 miles from the start at Auburn Overlook to No Hands Bridge you face the first trip up K2. Fortunately I was successful in my first attempt up the hill and reduced the time to around 15 minutes.

The next several miles are around the Olmstead Loop to the Cool Fire Station and then back to No Hands Bridge. I felt pretty good on this stretch, but my hamstrings were already getting tight, probably due to pushing the uphills.

The second attempt up K2 was a little more of a struggle. While I was still trying to push it and run/jog when possible I was forced to walk a little more than the first time. Fortunately I had some company during this stretch by climbing with Alan Barker who was completing his first Ultra race (Alan ending up finishing 3rd overall). While my time up K2 was a little slower, I was still fairly satisfied with my effort and was able to pick up the pace after reaching the top.

On my second trip over to Cool, I passed the runner in first place (didn’t catch his name). He was struggling with an injury and was walking it in. He would have won if not for his injury as he had built quite a lead. However, now I was in first place with about 12 miles to go. I figured if I could make it through Cool in first then I would be ok as the next several miles are downhill before the final four miles from No Hands up to Auburn Overlook.

After reaching No Hands I thought I would win assuming I was able to perform decently on the last few miles. If I didn’t drag too much, I didn’t think anyone would be able to make up enough time to catch me on these tough uphill miles.

I also wanted to focus on enjoying these last few miles. These miles were culmination of the 2009-2010 Ultrarunner.net race series. For me this included nine races starting with the Folsom Point 50k in November 2009. This year has been hugely satisfying for me as I have been able to increase my training and race times dramatically – including my first 100 mile race and winning the race series. These were two of my goals at the beginning of the year. Fortunately I have been able to stay healthy enough to complete these goals. There is a fine line between how much to increase your training and not get injured. I feel like I learned a lot about training, racing and pushing past self perceived limits over the past year.

Thanks to all those who have help support me and allowed me to pursue my goals in this extreme sport – especially my wife Rachel who is extremely understanding and supportive. It has been an adventure and something I hope I am lucky enough to be able to continue long into the future.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

First 100 Mile Race at Rio Del Lago 100

Rio Del Lago 100 Mile
On Saturday September 11th I attempted my first 100 mile race. This race had been in my sights as my first possible attempt at 100 miles, but I didn’t officially register for the race until a couple weeks ago. I wanted to make sure I would be healthy before committing the big bucks that it takes to register.

The weekend events began with the Friday afternoon race briefing. The new race directors, Molly Sheridan and Jimmy Gabany, gave a nice introduction to Norm Klein, the previous race director for this race and previous RD for Western States for 14 years. Norm started the proceedings with a reminder that the race was going to be run on September 11th and how fortunate all of us were to be able to participate in such an event. He then proceeded to tell us how he would kick our butts if we considered dropping from the race.

The race started at 6:00 am on Saturday. The sun had not yet risen which posed a little bit of a challenge for people like me that didn’t want to carry a flashlight during the first half of the race. Fortunately the trails during the early part of the race are pretty smooth and soon the sun began to rise. The sunrise provided several photo worthy opportunities, but in all my race preparation I never managed to pick up a disposable camera for photos. But take my word for it, the scenery on the trails and around Folsom Lake is stunning during the early morning sunrise. The early miles in the race seemed to pass by fairly easily and I maintained my plan of drinking water and taking a gel pack every 30 minutes.



Feeling good early in the race

The course starts to get more difficult as you approach mile 19 and Cardiac Hill. Cardiac is just under a mile long uphill climb that gains around 800 feet in elevation. It is mostly a walker, with just a few short runnable sections. While it takes its toll, I still felt decent at the top and made my way to the Auburn Overlook aid station at Mile 23, where Rachel met me for the first time. This first meeting was somewhat hectic, as I had taken a short detour from the course due to some vandalism to the course markings (which would happen several times during the race). Fortunately I knew this part of the course fairly well from the AR50 race and the detour wasn’t much of a distraction, except that Rachel didn’t see me as I approached the aid station. She had to run back and forth to the car for my various requests, but managed to get me in and out of the aid station in a few minutes. If you’re not careful, you can end up spending a lot of time at the aid stations which over the course of the race can significantly impact your final time.
From Auburn Overlook, the course descends over the next 4 miles to No Hands Bridge and then up K2, the second big hill on the course. K2 is about 1.25 miles with about 1,000 feet elevation. The climb up K2 took just under 20 minutes. It was nice to have these two big climbs early in the race. Once completed, you know there won’t be another climb like that during the remaining 70 miles of the race.

After K2 you make your way to the Cool Fire station and around the Olmstead Loop which is gently rolling terrain with a couple small hills thrown in. This part of the course is mostly exposed with little shade and this is where I started to notice the temperature starting to rise. The last few miles back to No Hands Bridge were maybe the easiest part of the course. It was a steady downhill which allowed for a good pace. My only pause during this part came when I needed to remove some of my duct tape from my left foot which was starting to rub the wrong way. After lots of trial and error, I now duct tape many of my toes (as a preventive measure) prior to the start because I know those are the areas that can give me problems. Unfortunately, sometimes the tape comes loose or rubs the wrong way becoming its own problem.

After these nice downhill miles, you then cross No Hands again and head back to Auburn Overlook. This is a particularly difficult part of the course with mostly steady uphill for around 4 miles. It is runnable, but by the time you reach the Overlook you can be drained, which is how I felt. I was fortunate to have Rachel there with the kids and her mom to help brighten my spirits. For as tired as I was arriving to the aid station, I recovered fairly well after getting some needed refreshment. Rachel was trying to get me to eat more, but there is only so much my stomach could handle. I did remember to grab an extra water bottle and filled one with Gatorade which helped as the next section of the course is during the hottest part of the day and where I ran out of water and crashed during last year’s Sierra Nevada Double Marathon. I was able to maintain a decent pace over the next 10+ miles and was feeling pretty good…..Until I wasn’t.


Savanah waiting at Auburn Overlook

And helping me into the aid station

That was at mile 57 at the Horseshoe Bar aid station. I was doing pretty well until literally a quarter mile to the aid station where I really hit a wall. Upon completing the short climb to the aid station, I sank into the chair and felt completely wiped out. I think I was probably low on calories at this point (rather than being dehydrated) because I was drinking fluid fairly well. It could also have been the heat, which would approach 90° on the day. I slowly ate what I could (PB&J, mellon) and doused my head with the cold water sponges. After a few minutes I decided I had to get out of the chair. I walked around in circles around the aid station to make sure I was ok and then proceeded to sit back down. While this didn’t help mentally, it was what I needed physically at this point. After another short stint in the chair, I decided “I can’t sit in this chair all day” and got up. I was feeling a little better and took another PB&J for the road. It was “only” another 10 miles back to Cavitt School where I would meet my brothers who would be pacing me the last 30 miles, and my pit stop at Horeshoe helped me refuel enough for this push. There are some technical rocky sections after you leave Horeshoe which forced me to slow my pace which was probably a good thing. This part also included my wildlife sighting as I spotted too small bobcats on the trail. They were not too interested in me and quickly moved on. I did take pause to make sure there was not a momma bobcat lurking nearby. I am familiar with this part of the course and managed to run the last few miles before Cavitt at a decent pace. I arrived back at Cavitt (mile 67) around 6:00 pm, almost exactly on pace with my predicted time.

At Cavitt, Aaron was there with Rachel and the kids. I proceeded to change socks and get the needed supplies for the last 30 miles out to Fair Oaks and back. My weight was up a couple pounds from what I weighed at Auburn Overlook, so my slower pace and pit stop probably helped me recover a bit from my low point at Horeshoe. I grabbed some soup and sprite and refilled the water bottles and was off. The next several miles Aaron and I proceeded across the levies, later to learn that we had missed a detour onto the trails. I thought we might have made a wrong turn at one point and waited while Aaron ran back a ways on the course to check for markings. After he didn’t see anything we pressed forward. I was pretty sure we were going the right general direction, based on what I remember from reading the course description and it turns out I was right because we soon saw the intersection with the trail and bike path.

We continued on through the Hazel Bluffs and bike trail and at one point passed the race director out checking the course markings and putting up glow sticks for the night section of the course. My only frustration on the day was that I wish the director was out a little further ahead of us, because he would have caught some of the vandalism with the course markings that cost Aaron and I some time as we made some wrong turns and had to double back. Overall, we made decent time during this part of the course which had some downhill which helped. However, I was constantly worrying that we were missing course markings and taking wrong turns, which didn’t help my focus on actually running. It was good Aaron was there because he knew this part of the trail better than I did and was gracious in putting up with my requests to double check our direction.

Once we reached the Hazel Bluff aid station (mile 77) Dave and Aaron switched spots and Dave and I ran the next 6.5 miles out to the turnaround at Mountain Lion Knoll (83.6). The markings on this part of the course were much better (including glow sticks) and Dave helped push the pace. Everything was getting to be a blur for me at this point and I found myself focusing on how long it seemed between aid stations, even though I felt like we were moving at a decent pace. That decent pace was probably between 11 and 12 minute miles, but at least we were “running” and not walking (aside from my short breaks). This would definitely be a nice trail to run during the day where you could see the surroundings. After being in 4th place since around mile 20, this part of the course allowed us to see the leaders and how far back I was. There was clearly no way I would catch the leader (Greg Bomhoff) which I knew, but I held out hope that I could catch #3. However, he was well ahead of me as we crossed paths around mile 80 and was moving well. I also saw the runner directly behind me and figured I had a 20-30 minute lead. This helped motivate me to maintain my position over the remainder of the race.

After returning to Hazel Bluff, there were only 10 miles remaining. I was 90% finished! Dave and Aaron both wanted to run the last section and I could use all the help I could get. The race director had finished marking this part of the course which made it much easier to find our way back. We tried to provide encouragement to the runners heading out as we worked our way back to the school but I couldn’t help feel for these runners knowing they had several more hours (up to 10+ for some) of running ahead of them. Hopefully they were enjoying the experience. My main focus on this part was not falling, as my legs became very heavy. Dave and Aaron were running ahead of me and my only focus was keeping them in sight and making sure I didn’t fall and hurt myself. It would have been hugely disappointing to not finish due to a sprained ankle or knee after running 90+ miles. Our main excitement came when Aaron suddenly had a skunk running at him. We all stopped and thankfully the skunk moved off trail without spraying us.
As we approached the last few miles, I knew I was in reach of finishing within my original goal of 19 hours. I had taken off my watch earlier in the race and was therefore asking Aaron for a time check every 10 minutes or so. While we thought we would make it with time to spare, the course seemed to drag on longer than expected. A nice part of the course came when we reached the levies because we could all run side by side. This might have been the most enjoyable part of the race for me. The finish line was near, I was pushing to meet my goal but also able to enjoy the great weather (which was perfect for night running) and the company of my brothers. At several points Aaron or Dave would bust out a song or throw in a short sprint just for competitions sake. I didn’t have much energy to join in the singing but it was certainly entertaining.
Finally, we saw the school and had just a couple of minutes to spare. As I rounded the corner, I saw the clock and crossed the finish line in 18 hours and 59 minutes! It was pretty amazing to spend all that time running, go through the ups and downs physically and mentally, and cross the line with less than a minute to spare from my original goal. Not having ever ran a 100 miles before, the goal was really just a rough guess of what time I might finish in and I would have been happy finishing in 20 hours or even at all, but it added a nice touch of excitement to the whole experience.

After finishing, all I could do was sit. I was too tired to eat, drink, or stand. I managed to finish in 4th place and 1st in my age group - see full results here: http://www.desertskyadventures.com/rdl/

This definitely exceeded all my expectations. After several days of extreme soreness which prevented me from getting decent sleep, my legs are returning to normal. Thanks to the race directors and volunteers for making the event possible. I now understand what a huge production it is putting on one of these events.
Thanks to my brothers for spending their weekend keeping me safe and on course. You definitely provided a huge boost and helped make it a special event. Maybe I’ll be able to repay the favor some day :)

And special thanks to my wife Rachel for being my crew, support and putting up with all the training time it takes to prepare for such an event. I am very fortunate to have a wife so understanding.

A week later and I’m still in a bit of shock over the whole experience. I feel like I accomplished something I never knew I could do. Would I do it again? Definitely, without a doubt. Just not anytime soon.

At the Finish! Too tired to stand

Up next…Hopefully my legs will be recovered enough for the Gold Country 34M run on 10/2/10. This is the 12th race in the www.ultrarunner.net race series and will by 9th race of the series. A decent showing and I will clinch 1st place overall for the year.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Exceeding Expectations at Hotter Than Hell 12 Hour Run in Cameron Park

Saturday August 14th was the Hotter Than Hell 12 Hour Run in Cameron Park, CA. It was the 10th race in the Ultrarunner.net race series and the 8th that I have participated in. This race was different than all the others. The race course was around the Cameron Park Lake, a 1.25 mile flat loop course, repeated for 12 hours. Ugh.




Runners Gathering at the Start - Cameron Park Lake


Despite the title of the race, it was actually a fairly mild day with the temp at the start mid 60’s and the high expected to be high 80’s or 90. Knowing it would be a long (even tedious at times) day, I didn’t want to go out too hard and burn myself out. I also didn’t want to start too slow either. Therefore, I tried to set a comfortable pace that I could maintain. I started running around 7:30 miles, which didn’t feel too trying until around mile 20. At this point my pace fell of a bit to around 8:30 per mile and my marathon time was just around 3:30.

Fortunately, just as I was slowing down, Rachel and the kids showed up at the race. It was a pleasant distraction from how I was starting to feel. Along with my stomach starting to feel a little queasy, I was starting to develop a blister on my right pinkie toe and my feet were starting to hurt. Developing issues this early in the race was a sure recipe for problems. The good thing about this course was that you have a chance to get aid every 1.25 miles. On most trail races the aid stations are only every 4-5 miles. I changed shoes and socks around mile 27 which helped a bit.

In addition to Rachel and the kids, I was also fortunate to have my brother Aaron come out to the race to run with me. Aaron came out after I was about 35 miles into my day and my pace felt pretty slow (between 9 and 10 mins per mile). Aaron provided a great distraction over the next 10+ miles. It was nice to not focus on how slow I was going and just continue plugging away at my goal. It seemed like we talked the whole time and it was a huge boost during the day. Originally I planned on completing 50 laps which is equivalent to 100k (62 miles). While this would be the longest I have ever run, it seemed reasonable considering the course and conditions. However, between laps 30 and 35 (around 40-45 miles) I would have been happy completing 40 laps (50 miles).

After having completed three 50 mile races, I have learned that there are big peaks and valleys during the course of the race. There are times when you feel like you have no energy and just need to sit down, and other times when you get an energy burst (running high?) and can suddenly run 8 min miles again. Fortunately, just as Aaron was just getting ready to leave, I started to feel that runners high that would carry me through my 40th lap (50 miles) in just under 8 hours.

Aaron & me after about 47 miles
Notice Aaron is quite a bit cleaner than I am

At this point, while tired and slow, I felt like I could keep going. A big boost was that I decided to use my backup mp3 player for some music. My IPod had died earlier in the week so I didn’t have any tunes for the first part of the race. However, this was another cool learning experience because the music seemed to provide another jolt of energy (tip: don’t start using your music until later in the race when you really need it). I couldn’t remember how to use my old mp3 player so I was just listening to the radio. I got a good string of songs that helped propel me over the next several miles. Some of the songs included Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb (which seemed to resonate at this point in the race), Green Day – Time of Your Life, and Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give it Away.

The final surprise energy boost came when I was approaching my 50th lap (100k) which was my original goal. I was definitely excited to reach this goal considering how unlikely it seemed earlier in the day. This energy carried through my 50th lap and past lap 52. Rachel came back out with the kids at the finish. It was great to be able to share my excitement with her after a long day. Ultimately I completed 54 laps, equal to 67.5 miles. I finished in first place, running farther than anyone else on the day.

Thanks to the Ultrarunner.net crew for hosting a great day. Special thanks to Rachel and Aaron for their support and help. The great part about ultra-marathons is the huge range of emotions you experience in a single day and I was fortunate to experience that unbelievable feeling from meeting and exceeding my goals.

Next up is the Rio Del Lago 100 mile race on September 11th. I just officially registered for the race. No turning back now. Hopefully it will be another unbelievable event.



At the Finish


Friday, July 23, 2010

Surviving the Heat at Cool 12 Hour Run

Hello Heat! I guess summer has finally arrived in Northern California. And just in time for the Ultrarunner.net event held last Saturday in Cool.

For those of you who don’t know where Cool is, it is about 5 miles east of Auburn on Highway 49. I joined 30 other runners who participated in either the 12 hour day run, 12 hour night run, or full 24 hour event. I signed up for the day run before realizing that it was going to reach close to 100°F.

The race consisted of an approximately 9 mile loop on the Olmstead Loop trail. With a timed event, there is no finish line, so you just run as long as you can for the duration of the event. The day started at 8 AM and you could tell right away it was going to be hot. I think it was just under 80° at the start. I ran the first few miles with Aaron Summerhays and Brad Lael. Aaron had marked the course the day before (thanks Aaron), so he gave us early pointers on directions. I soon decided that I wanted to pick up the pace to get in as many miles as possible before it really started to heat up. I completed the first lap in 1:11 and had completed two laps in 2:32 – which was just about my goal for the first two loops.

I began to feel the strain of the heat and hills during the third lap. At the end of lap #3 (completed in 4:12) it was just after 12pm and I could tell already that I was dehydrated and my stomach was not feeling great. It is nearly impossible to drink enough fluids to stay fully hydrated and drinking all those fluids takes a toll on your stomach. I spent more time at the aid station before loop #4 trying to get refueled and recover. I put on the homemade ice wrap that Rachel helped me create the night before using an old pair of her tights. Rachel cutoff the leg of a pair of tights and I then stuffed it with ice and wrapped it around my neck. Some people use bandanas for the same purpose, but I think the tights work better (lighter weight and doesn’t hold the water). Needless to say, lap #4 was a struggle – a lot of walking and slow jogging. There were 3 significant hills on the course (with many smaller rolling hills) and I was definitely walking up those. I was able to jog the downhills and most of the flat sections. I completed loop #4 (36 miles) in 6:20.

Fortunately, the slow pace during loop #4 allowed my stomach to recover, and I was definitely feeling better toward the end of the loop. I was still taking a decent amount of time at the aid stations to recover – including refilling the water bottles, refilling the ice wrap, and using the sponges to dump ice water on my head – but it was much needed. It was amazing how quickly the ice melted after leaving the aid stations. I probably didn’t make it 30 minutes before all the ice in my bottles and around my neck had melted. Although I felt better during most of loop #5, my pace didn’t greatly improve and I completed the loop #5 (45 miles) in 8:22.

After loop #5 it was just after 4:00 and I was close to being done (or cooked). I had planned on completing at least six loops, but had underestimated the effect the heat takes on your body. I decided to go out for another loop, but asked the race director if I could cut the loop short if necessary. He agreed to this request and I set off one last time. I actually felt ok at the start of the loop. There is a decent amount of downhill during the first part of the loop and I was moving ok – until I came to the biggest hill of the course. I managed to drag myself up that hill for the sixth and last time. At this point though I had checked out of the race knowing I would only be doing half the loop. I ended up completing just under 50 miles in 9:44.

The most interesting aspect of this event for me was that there was no finish line. With a set finish line you know how much further to go. For me, once I checked out on that last loop, that was it. I was done. After the race was over, I realized that physically I could have gone several more miles. But mentally I was done and that was it.

I was fairly satisfied with my effort on the day, even if I didn’t complete my sixth loop. It was a good day on the trails and good practice running in the heat. The good part about not being completely satisfied is that it leaves you wanting more. I can’t wait for the next race, which will be another 12-hour run. The name of the race is the Hotter than Hell in Cameron Park on August 14th!



After the race




















Thursday, July 15, 2010

First Post!

After reading and being inspired by the running blogs of other ultra-runners, I have decided to create my own blog to chronicle my running adventures and post other running and ultra-running information.

About Me
I started running about 10 years ago after I graduated from college. I played basketball at American River College and San Francisco State University and needed a way to stay in shape. At the time I didn’t envision running marathons and hadn’t even heard of an ultra-marathon. Running for me started very casually and I wasn’t running any races. This is how my running progressed for several years. At some point (2005 or 2006) I decided to try and run a marathon. Not surprisingly, the training was quite difficult. I didn’t have success getting past 9-10 miles and also experienced some injuries (IT band). With these struggles, my marathon goal was put off for a while. After recovering from these injuries and trying some new training ideas (including lifting weights to help prevent injuries) I became dedicated to the idea again. In preparation, I completed my first half-marathon at the SF Marathon in July 2007. Next was the Lake Tahoe half-marathon in September 2007 and I finished 10th out of approximately 700 runners. The California Int’l Marathon (December 2007) in Sacramento was my first attempt at a marathon. While it was a struggle and I definitely hit the wall around mile 20, it was a great experience and left me wanting to run more.

Current Running
Since completing my first marathon in December 2007, I have now completed a total of 5 marathons and 10 ultra-marathons. Of my ultra-marathons, 3 have been 50 milers and the rest 50k (approximately 31 miles). My running and racing have taken huge leaps forward this year and have completed 6 races so far in 2010 including my first race win at the Ultrarunner.net Jenkinson Lake 50k in May.

Future Races
In 2010 my focus has been to compete in the Ultrarunner.net race series and see how I do. My next two races will be 12-hour runs. Next up is the 12-hour run in Cool on July 17th and after that is the 12-hour “Hotter than Hell” run in Cameron Park on August 14th. For those of you familiar with Northern California in the summertime, both of these should be difficult with 90+ degree temps.

First 100 Mile Race?
My other goal is to run my first 100 mile race. My target is the Rio Del Lago 100 Mile race in Granite Bay on September 11th. We’ll see how the training progresses over the next couple months and if I can get myself to the starting line.

Thanks for checking out my blog. Hopefully I will post interesting stories that will keep you coming back.

Brian