Where Roads End Adventures Begin

Pre-Grand Canyon: Training in Yosemite

2011-10-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

On September 16-18 my brother, Bryan Lantz, my friend Megan Wong and my other friend Jeffrey Wong all went camping in Yosemite out of Tuolumne Meadows.

I was heading up there to train and get away from the city. I miss being in Yosemite, as its a great place to explore and although its far from the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area (and despite having 3 different cell carriers over my residency in SF I never get reception there) it still offers you some amenities we as hikers and runners appreciate. Like a good system of well maintained trails, a few places to grab fresh water, and dedicated places to camp if you aren't going out into the backcountry.

We were fortunate to snag an established spot inside of the Meadow at their main campground. Of course when we arrived there at 11PM we had a few unexpected guests squatting on our plot. I informed them they're welcome to stay the night, and if they could move their stuff in our Bear Locker we'd appreciate it. After setting things up and settling in we crashed for the night.

The next day, the two cooks Megan and my brother Bryan got to work on uncorking things, prepping stuff and deciding how the meals would work, since they both pre-cooked a few items for the trip separately. I spent time figuring out where they could hike to, so that I might get a chance to bump into them on a 21 mile run. I was heading down Lyell Canyon and then grabbing a side-trail up to Vogelsang High Sierra Camp and down via the Rafferty Creek Trail back to Tuolumne Meadows. I took along my camera to help me document the trip and score a few photos to share with the girl I was dating (Chelsea). She had thought about coming along on the trip and when I told here there wouldn't be a shower she got kind of squeamish. I tried telling her you could wash off in one of the freshwater creeks or lakes, but it didn't seem that appealing.

We decided Meg & Bry would hike up and back from Vogelsang along Rafferty Creek and I would just pass by on my return to the campsite. I figured we'd wind up passing each other around the time they stopped for a bite or soon thereafter. We stuck together for a bit on our way out, as I kept stopping to take a bunch of photos. Soon as the trailhead for Vogelsang came we parted ways and I was off running through series of Sierra meadows on my lonesome.

It was a fun, and the weather cooperated nicely. I got a lot of photos in of the vegetation, water, and surroundings as I made my way to the trail cut-off for Vogelsang. Once I arrived there I started heading up. Maybe 2,000 feet in the span of a mile or two. It was pretty interesting, as I only noticed the elevation gain when wound up having trouble moving over rocks on the trail and stumbling a few times.

Once I got up to around 10,600 feet I was able to see out over a great meadow and a lake off to the Southwest in the direction I was traveling. Around me the clouds looked about ready to burst for about 20 minutes, but fortunately scampered off somewhere to the west to intimidate some other hikers instead. I got to run near a bunch of snow drifts for a while, as I made my way down to the high meadow I caught sight of as soon as I summited.

As I meandered down a well cut trail through some rock slides and fir trees, I eventually leveled off alongside the lake I had seen earlier. Once there I cut through the meadow towards a rocky outcrop up a hill. I began climbing up some well cut stairs created by the park service by using some logs and back-filling them with trail dirt and sand. The path was so well manicured here that the photos were picking up a lot of great contrasts between the green grass, granite stones, wood and worn in trail sections. The fir trees, blue sky, and the puffy clouds every so often blocking out the suns rays offered plenty of great opportunities to record bright and color rich photos.

I started to descend down some stairs and along a wider path, wherein I noticed a Yosemite Trail Marker sign. It indicated that I had reached Vogelsang HSC. I talked with some hikers and told them about my trip at the camp area. They seemed pretty impressed and wished me well. I was hoping to see Megan and Bryan around, but I figured they were ahead of me so I began down the Rafferty Creek Trail to the Meadow. On the way I snapped some more photos of beautiful high sierra meadows and the flora abounding around them.

Eventually I figured out Bryan and Megan must have been behind me, for I was not coming across them on my run downhill into the Meadow. I started to get tired towards the end of the run, wondering how much longer it was going to take me. Eventually the trail let out back where Bryan, Megan and I had parted ways and I made for the creek. Once I got there I dipped my legs into the water to grab an "ice bath" (it was not comfortable to stand in the creek, even though the sun's rays were heating me up). While there I got to see a bunch of deer roaming around, it was probably about 5PM and they were just making their way out to grab a bite to eat.

I got back to camp and grabbed a nap in the tent to wait for Bryan and Megan. When they arrived they went about preparing dinner without waking me. When I got up, I just presided over the controlled chaos of all the cooking and we wound up having some great grub. Jeff got to camp that evening too, right around 10PM. By then, I was almost passed out and Bryan was on his way too. Megan and Jeff shared the same tent together that night and thereafter.

The next morning arrived and our group huddled around the fire while preparing our meals and bags for the day's journey. I decided Jeff and I would head down to Glen Aulin HSC and thereafter up to May Lake before descending back to Tioga Road to get swooped up by the shuttle. Megan and Bryan took my advice and grabbed a shuttle to head towards the Tenaya Lake Trail Heads and to hike towards Cloud's Rest.

It turns out their hike was arduous, but the pay off was worth their efforts. Here's an except from an e-mail Megan sent me about their Cloud's Rest hike:

"So glad you suggested this hike! I think it was my favorite hike EVER (beat out my Argentina Patagonia hike from Chalten to Fitz Roy). Amazing final stretch, better views than Half Dome, and we met a friendly hiker. :) I was having a hard time with the elevation towards the top and Bryan kept on talking about bank charges/credit unions, random things to distract me until I told him to stop because I couldn't concentrate on anything except for the fact that I couldn't breathe. LOL! 'What's your favorite SF restaurant, what's your favorite book, is there a music venue you want to travel to...?' Ummm, 'I'm not processing anything you're saying to me right now!' Haha!"

On the trip Jeff and I took we wound up heading down in elevation towards Glen Aulin, which was a really nice campsite nestled in close to a waterfall. Along the way we snapped a lot of photos of the water and enjoyed the ease at which we were running. When we finally go there, we realized our movement up to May Lake would be slow as we'd need to climb around 3,000 feet.

Fortunately much of the trail was well worn and the course was very runable. On the way up we passed through small forests, and ran along mountain lakes. We eventually reached a set of granite carved switchbacks that took us up some 1,000 feet in elevation gain before we came upon May Lake. As we ran towards the water, I snapped a few photos of Jeff and I in front of the lake. After passing through the camp, we came to a set of descending switchbacks and had a seat.

There Jeff and I talked about how rough that last ascent was, and how in a few weeks time we'd have to do a sustained climb some 6 times more challenging than that (because it would be a climb of 6,000 feet). It was a pretty scary thought, but Jeff said he wasn't going to worry about it. We enjoyed the views, and even caught a glimpse of Half Dome from our perch. After a few minutes of lawly-gagging we made our way down to Tenaya Lake. The trail got really chewed up closer to Tioga Road. At this point Jeff was well behind me running conservatively, but I was leaping from steady ground to shaky ground not dwelling on what was underfoot. Eventually I noticed the trail was about to end and I was starting to get nervous about my footing.

The trail was originally an old road that nature had decided to take back from man, and so mixed with the concrete were roots, rocks, pipes, it was pretty dicy. I eventually decided to slow down, not more than 40 feet from the end of the trail. Thinking to myself as I did this, "I just cracked my ribs on the left side of my torso about 3-4 weeks ago, I better slow down so I don't get hurt." Well right as I started to change my gait my right foot got stuck in a rock, and I fell over, landing with my hands on a rock and my right ribs on top of said rock as well. I wound up bruising my hands pretty bad and my ribs, as it was hard for me to stand up straight or move my arms forward and backwards without feeling pressure in chest. It sucked, but it was the last run of the weekend, so at least I didn't have to worry about tripping again on another run for a little while.

That night we had a good meal together and the next day we went on a march around the Meadow, following a deer trail, crossing a creek, and eventually climbing up Pot Hole Dome to take a picture of the Meadow before tramping back to our cars and heading to the city.

From Rim 2 Rim Back 2 Rim (PART 3)

2011-10-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

At about 11AM Graham and I were tramping up to the North Rim summit. We'd just traveled 21 miles across one of America's top tourist attractions. In fact nearly a quarter of all European tourists come to see the Canyon on their visit to the United States. Though from collecting commentary from my friends in the Bay Area I'd have to surmise that far less American's have ever laid eyes on Arizona's Earthen crevice.

Around noon Graham and I were back at it, heading South towards our starting point on the other side of the Canyon. We stopped only at Roaring Springs before reaching Phantom Ranch. We were making great time so far, and had high hopes for summiting the Southern Rim in nearly 13 hours. Along the way down, we came pass a few vantage points and I tried to gather where the trail lead off to in the distance. All I could see were dozens of turns and kinks in the trail as it lowered down into the base of the Canyon. And though I could see far into the distance, I could not pick out the trail on the other side of the "big dig". It seemed like the distance was just too far for my eyes to handle.

When we saddled up at Roaring Springs to grab some hydration, I hobbled over to the nearest bench and slowly slipped my backside down onto it. My legs were getting pummeled on the second decline into the base of the Canyon. My quads were nearly depleted, but Graham's slower tempo down the North Kaibab trail allowed me to save up a little energy for later. I sat and spoke with the SLUG runners who we passed on our way down. They were exuberant and seemed excited to share stories about different races I questioned them on. Graham grabbed a few photos of the area and I refilled my Camelback. Once it seemed like we were ready and Graham was tired of me wasting time, we got back out on the trail to head towards Phantom Ranch.

We passed a lot of hikers still completing their trip across the Canyon, there were even a few runners that looked like they got a late start on their Rim2Rim2Rim... Or perhaps they were smarter than we realized and would be heading back late into the night, during cooler temps, to save themselves for the final climb to the Southern Rim. Maybe they even figured sleeping in would offer them more energy to last under the gaze of the southern sun. Fortunately for all of the Canyon dwellers on this day the sun was only offering us intermittent bouts of glare, and the fall temperatures were hovering around the low-70s. This all made for a really enjoyable weekend in the Canyon, which was good because we gathered there must have been 14-20 runners doing the same thing we were accomplishing today, and countless other hikers completing just the Rim2Rim hike. It was a busy time in the Canyon, and one of the park employees at Phantom Ranch made mention of that, stating they'd never seen so many runners in one weekend. Something tells me that Runner's World article had something to do with this...

Off and running down the narrow canyon carved out of the rock by Bright Angel Creek from Roaring Springs my pace began to slow. Graham was doing a great job leading us down at an easy tempo, but unfortunately my hip abductors were giving out on me. This has happened a handful of other times when I've upped my distance to about 28 miles or more. My hips get tight from the lateral movements and start to seize up. The pain is immense and I let out a few F-bombs to highlight this to Graham. He slows for me a bit so I can grab some nutrition and gulp down some salt tabs. I tell him to keep going and I'd just catch him at Phantom Ranch, which he estimates must be 20 minutes away. I tell him I hope so, and we continue on.

I wind up fast-walking the final half mile or so praying the Ranch would come into view. I see Graham duck around a corner up ahead and when I get there I see a sign telling me I've hit the land of milk and honey (or so we thought). I stumble into the Canteen at Phantom Ranch hoping to grab a soda and a sandwich. Instead, peering up at the menu on the wall I see no soda, no sandwiches, a Steak dinner for $4 more than the price of 1 night's stay at Phantom Ranch ($44), and a few other offerings. I sit down at a table and ask Graham if he could grab me a Lemonade wherein soon upon having it handed to me I gulp it down. Refills are just a $1 more and Graham encourages me to grab a Snickers too. After consuming the aforementioned I start to feel my energy levels spike right back up. In addition to cramping I was getting a bit dehydrated and groggy so it was nice to reload with some semblance of real food and drink.

After about 20-30 minutes of chatting with the SLUG runners who arrived shortly after us, we sat alone on our own waiting for Jeff and Brian, wondering what might have happened to them. My worst fear was that they had to get helivaced ("heli-vac-ed") out of the Canyon at Roaring Springs or Cottonwood. I figured, more than likely though, they were making good time on the climb down to us after finishing the switchbacks at a slower pace. Upon the edge of a half-hour the rest of our crew arrived and told us how they really hit the path hard.

Making our way out of Phantom Ranch.

Apparently Jeff's legs weren't too bad on the downhills and Brian was able to set a 9-minute mile pace for the rest of the run back to Phantom Ranch. I guess the time spent at the Summit after we left did them some good. We waited for Jeff and Brian to grab some food and drink and refilled our hydration bladders at a nearby faucet. I grabbed an extra bottle out of my pack to fill as well, I'd been carrying it the whole time never needing it, and I figured with the 7 mile hike ahead of us (and no water until the top) now would be the best time to use it.

Heading away from the Kaibab bridge.

On our slow jog back to the Kaibab Bridge we threw on some warmer gear, but once at the Bridge we'd heated up again and started to peel back the layers. We started crossing the bridge around 3PM and peered up into the distance, we knew we had a heck of a climb ahead of us and hoped we could make it to the top before it got dark. I was glad we'd all decided to hike back up, for although Graham could probably run the rest of the way, I wanted to make sure we didn't push each other too hard. It would suck to get stuck on the climb in the dark and to be separated.

The view from our uphill climb away from the mighty Colorado River. Us, making our way, the only way we know how... Uphill!

On our way up it seemed like Brian was going to have the hardest time. He seemed to be pretty calorie deficient, or just plain tired. While taking up the rear he often threw up to us some fun little pieces of advice or commentary. In fact, if you have a Facebook Account you can probably see some of the fun commentary Brian had with us during the hike here.

Graham and I waited up for the gang a few times so we could stick together. While doing so he would take out his camera and grab a few shots of the light display mother nature was offering us. We enjoyed some really amazing moments and even saw some rain falling off in the North (later, on our flight home a hiker who was in Zion asked us if we got rained upon - I guess that's where the rain was landing when we saw it).

Our natural light show.

Only a few clicks away from the top the sun's light was extinguished. Thinking back I believe that was around 5:30PM and we still had about an hour before we reached the top. Every time I looked up I tried to figure out where the trail was leading us. It was tough to decipher, but I knew no matter what the trail was going to keep going up, until it got near the trees I could see peaking out from the rock above us. The trees, and people taking flash photos as it got darker were my finish line.

Climbing out of the Canyon.

Graham and I were starting to separate from Jeff and Brian, but they had each other so I wasn't entirely worried. I knew we must have been less than a mile or so from the top at this point anyway. Actually, looking ahead I could see the last set of switchbacks, rather headlamps moving up the last set of switchbacks (and even others head down). They looked steep, and when we got to the base I tried to figure out how many there might be. It turns out that there were not that many, or that I didn't notice it all too much because my clip had increased and I was right on Graham's heels at the top. We practically broke out into a run when we noticed the final few paces before the trail let out. We were overjoyed and threw up some high fives while marching over to the parking lot in the dark, flashing our headlamps around to find the path.

When we got to the parking lot, we huddled by the car, started to stretch and talk about the trek. We wondered how long it would be until Jeff & Brian made it up. After about 20 minutes or so we noticed a group coming out of the woods from the trail. Upon further inspection we saw it was our guys, and we rushed over to throw up some praise and grab a few hugs. Having us all complete the trip was a great feeling. We were stoked and relieved to say the least.

It had been a long day and honestly one of the most meaningful days I've had in a while. Despite traveling such a great distance on tired legs, it was nice to not have the countless distractions that the internet, cell phones and a job offer throughout the day. I felt mentally wiped, and physically sore, but better than I've ever felt after a hard day of work. It was good to be back on the Rim, back to civilization and not far from food, a shower, and a warm bed. We made our way to the hotel feeling probably like champions do after a title bout in which they dominated.

I was happy for the guys, and really happy I got to do this with them. It also might have been the first time ever that I was satisfied with own efforts as well. I didn't die, my hip issues eventually abated after a long pause in Phantom Ranch and I felt like I really accomplished something. I got to enjoy a lot of good emotions that night while also wallowing in a bunch of lower body soreness.

In the days that followed, and even now, I am still in awe of what we accomplished. Those sentiments are what prompted me to write so much about the endeavor. Don't expect this much detail if you ask me about the trek in person, I'll likely downplay its importance. I run with too many great people and tremendous athletes to ever thump my own chest. However, I feel like this blog offers me an outlet to share this experience with people that want to further the understanding of who I am, and what I'm up to. This is why I made everything so lengthy, so you could really understand what I saw, felt and experienced. I hope writing these passages offered you at least a taste of what this adventure was like. Thanks for reading, you're my #1 fan!

From Rim 2 Rim Back 2 Rim (PART 2)

2011-10-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

At roughly 5:30AM, if you were standing out at Yaki Point along the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon you would spot the beams of 3 headlamps weaving in and out of the darkness. And if you spotted those 3 minuscule headlamp beams, disappearing into the abyss, you might listen closely. And if you did, you would hear the faint, subtle sounds of one man's failed attempt to yodel (that'd be this guy).

Soon after we departed the parking lot we were off, barreling down into the heart of one of the Grandest of Canyon's the United States of Uh-merica has to offer. And out of the 4 of us there was 1 guy who was courageous enough to stare blankly into the darkness without a headlamp while navigating over unlevel ground, loose footing, and cutting around hairpin turns wearing minimalist footwear. This man's name is Brian Hannah.

Before we even got started on this trip we shared e-mails about what to bring, and now that we can look back on this event from a safe distance, Brian's actions are STILL funny! So about 2 weeks before we depart Brian sends an e-mail to each of us reminding us what to bring (gear, nutrition, etc.), and we all plan to pack things accordingly before our flight. Well, here comes Friday and 3 of us are waiting for Brian in the airport. This is the start of the hilarity. Brian misses the stop for the airport while riding the BART and gets there last, but with time to spare before we board. The thing of it is, we've all got bags and duffels that proved we've packed a considerate amount of gear for this endeavor. Meanwhile Brian shows up with a small running backpack and a tiny computer messenger bag. We look him up and down and one of us asked if he checked a bag, to which he responds to the negative, and declares he's all packed and ready to go.

Well, we arrive in Vegas and Brian's asking all kinds of questions, eh hem: Did you guys bring any extra headlamps? Do you think I'll need a jacket? Do you have gloves? Think I'll need a hat? So as it turns out Brian was a little unprepared for what was to come... Fortunately we hit up a Chipotle for lunch right in front of a Niketown Outlet. We head into Niketown and Brian scores a dope looking windbreaker, perfect for the endeavor, along with a pair of shorts and a hat (we didn't know he needed shorts too).

Brian sporting his flashy jacket, with Jeff and I on either side.

In all fairness Brian was pretty down the week before the trip with a malady which made him take a day off work. I actually work with Brian at the Bay Club, he's a Muscle Activation Therapist, and really knows the body quite well. He's a smart guy, with a lot on his plate now that he has a newborn son. You can't blame the guy for skimping on the details a bit, we were just glad that he made it to Vegas. Honestly if you went without any gear you could find it all in Vegas or Flagstaff before starting your trek, so he was fine.

The 3 of us, Graham, Brian and myself all know each other through racing PCTR events and because we're at the Bay Club quite a bit. Graham's actually a member there, and puts in a good amount of cross-training during the week at the club, before heading back across the Bay via BART. Both Brian and Graham are East Bay dwellers, and pretty solid trail runners (read: fast).

Anywhoser, back to the action! So Brian forgot to score a headlamp ahead of time, so he's meandering through the Canyon trying his best to use Graham's headlamp for guidance as Graham runs in-step behind him. Our pace into the Canyon is mellow, and we all start to feel the effects of 7 miles of downhill running. Despite our training there is nothing you can do to prepare for this kind of crushing descent in the Bay Area. You don't start a run by going downhill, on a 40 degree morning, for 7 miles with a net elevation loss of 4,800 feet. Where are you gonna find something like that... Bingo! The Grand Canyon and only the Grand Canyon. Your body won't warm up and you could really hurt yourself, but oh well, we were doing it anyway!

Following the trail was delightful at this time of day in my opinion. I think of it as a kid on Christmas morning, when you open presents. You know something is inside that wrapping you want, you just don't know what, and so you tear into the package to find out what splendid surprise awaits. Likewise we were tearing into the path at a modest clip, forced upon us by the thin strip of trail that kept veering off into the blackness, awaiting the surprises that the morning sun would soon reveal. Considering that only one side of the trail was connected with the Canyon wall you knew if you missed your footing you had a 50/50 chance of careening off into the void never to be seen alive again. Therefore we all did our best to step lively. I was thankful to have my headlamp and to be leading for a portion of the way, but found myself playing catch up once my body started to flush out all the meals from the day before.

Brian fussing around with some bandages for his feet, with me waiting in the corner.

I stopped to have a few conversations with a couple bushes before daylight came, and those stops were maybe 20 minutes apart. This frequent delay of our descent earned me the nickname "sir-sh*ts-a-lot", but I figured I was losing weight which could only benefit me during the climbs later. And about 2 miles into the run Brian had to stop due to some blisters developing on his toes from the downhill running and the friction inside his Vibram 5-Finger Shoes (essentially foot shaped slippers). This was the start to his foot woes.

Taking a photo somewhere on our downward spiral into the center of the Earth and the other shot is of the guys entering the tunnel of doom, er Kaibab Bridge Tunnel.

At the bottom of the Canyon we came upon the Black Bridge (Kaibab Bridge) strung out across the Colorado River, and hugging the cliffs. Honestly it looked like the bridge straight out of Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom. I made a crack about speeding up so we don't get overtaken by a giant rolling rock as we slipped through the tunnel and across the wooden planks. When we got close to a camp site that offered a toilet I made a dash inside. Another stop on the tour for me, and less then a quarter mile up the path we came upon the next camp, Phantom Ranch. There we stopped to get water and found that there was a lot of water available for us further up on the trail too. A welcome piece of news.

Hanging on the Kaibab bridge.

After the short pitstop we were off and moving again and we catch a sign that tells us the North Rim is just at the end of the North Kaibab trail, which just so happens to be 13.5 miles of ascent. Awesome we all say. This outta be fun!

Canteen and chow bell at Phantom Ranch.

Brian set the pace for a while, until he nicked a rock and had to peel off to mess with his feet. Thereafter Graham drove us ahead, or rather Graham hopped up the trail like a bunny and the rest of us trudged upwards after him like sloths. If you don't know Graham you're missing out, he's the epitome of fast. I'll tell you more about him later though.

Brian cutting across Bright Angel Creek on one of the many bridges.

We reached Cottonwood Camp further up the winding Bright Angel Creek that parallels the trail. There we stop for a moment to grab some more sustenance out of our bags and water, its a shorter stop and we're off and running up the narrow Canyon walls soon thereafter. We cut back and forth over the water on bridges a few times, and hug the walls of the narrow Canyon that was effortlessly carved by the rushing water alongside us.

The creek, meanwhile, butts its way into our conversations and our thoughts raising its audible pitch and splashing with approval of our endeavor. Water cascades over rock pitches to our left at one point as we slowly take on a slight climb, wherein we begin to hope that around the bend we'll find Graham sitting down on a rock waiting for us (unfortunately for us that was not the case). I know that the rushing water means we're getting closer to the switchbacks that will signal our final ascent out of the Canyon and up to the North Rim, but we just can't seem to reach those switchbacks.

For a good 8-9 miles we ascend steadily on a dusty trail that runs over sharp rocks on occasion (not much fun in Vibrams we find out) and which later dumps out into open washes where the sun beats down on us. We slip through overgrowth on the trail and keep our eyes on the ground in front of us, maintaining our footing and taking our minds off Graham somewhere in the distance in front of us.

Graham snaps a photo of me trucking up the trail on my way to the North Rim. And the other picture is of Jeff, Brian and I hanging near Roaring Springs.

Eventually we arrive at the bridge which will take us to the Roaring Springs water station. There I ask a hiker when the switchbacks will begin, and during a wordy reply I ascertain we're at the exact spot I was waiting for, and it was all uphill from here. Well, that is to say more uphill from there, as we probably rose 1,000 or so feet since leaving Phantom Ranch. At this point Jeff and Brian had started to pair off behind Graham and myself, and that gap got bigger and bigger as we rose out of the Canyon from Roaring Springs. Eventually I catch Graham about 2 switchbacks up from me and tell him to hold up. Once caught up we wait for Jeff and Brian to pop out from around a bend. We see them, but we waited longer than we thought for them to appear. I start to get a little worried that they won't make it up the whole North Rim, but Graham's already on the move, so I give chase... Rather, I take off hiking while he's springing from footfall to footfall like a gazelle.

The North Kaibab Trail.

We get up a ways, to a nice vantage point where there's a group of hikers stopped to take photos. Its really a great spot to enjoy the view so I suggest we wait up for Jeff and Brian. Well, we start to get worried when waiting there brought us no Brian and no Jeff. I tell a friendly hiker to let those guys know that Graham and I would take off up to the North Rim and we would come down and grab them soon after (this way if they wanted to turn back they could, and we'd be able to catch them). Eventually Brian and Jeff pop into view and I relay the message with a few yells, but it doesn't seem like the message is received or at least well received.

The vantage point with Graham in the foreground.

Graham's waiting for me soon after I enter Supai Tunnel about 2 miles from the top of the trail. There we bump into 4 groups of mule trains, carting tourists down to Supai Tunnel so they could take photos. We grab some food and water and continue on, navigating our way around divots in the trail from the mules, piles of manure and giant puddles in the middle of the trail that offer us a less than enjoyable scent and glisten gold in the sunlight. Its here that I notice, despite the fact that the trail has been going up for almost 14 miles I'm not dying. And better still the sun's intermittent rays haven't made it impossible to move.

Mule pack at Supai Tunnel, 2 miles from the North Rim trail terminus.

When we summit we come across the runners that passed us earlier in the morning. They hail from St. Louis and are members of the SLUGs (St. Louis Ultrarunner Group). We take photos of their group for them, and they grab a few of us too. We explain that this distance will be the furthest our group has ever run (42 miles, although Jeff has gone that far) and they offer congratulations, some words of wisdom and even some salt tablets. Soon after they leave and Graham and I have put on some warmer clothes, it was probably mid-40s on the North Rim, we head down North Kaibab for Phantom Ranch and no sooner than 100 yards down we bump into Jeff and Brian. We haul up with them to the summit, spirited and happy to have our friends make their way to the top.

Up at the summit on the North Rim, flexing like old school gangstas.

Upon the summit I snap off a few photos using Jeff's camera of the guys. They're beat and Jeff's having quad issues, which is obviously not a good thing when you have to make another dip down into the ditch. Brian will jokingly tell us later that it serves him right for running a marathon the weekend before and coming here to run the Grand Canyon right afterward. Its something we'll all laugh about later, but at this point in time we're each a bit concerned.

Jeff massaging his quads at the North Rim.

Brian's having issues with his feet and appears to be low on energy. He's glad that Jeff's there with him, and they've fallen in sync pretty well. With that in hand Graham mentions that maybe we should just head to the Ranch in separate parties, and I make it clear that we'll hold up at Roaring Springs for a bit and we'll wait indefinitely for the guys at Phantom Ranch so we can all head out together. I think I said something about doing our taxes to help us kill time.

And with that plan, the rest of our journey continues...

From Rim 2 Rim Back 2 Rim (PART 1)

2011-10-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

My affair with the Grand Canyon occurred long before I arrived to the Bay Area during a road trip across the country. While in the midst of my trip, and with little time to spare I tip-toed the Southern Rim and dilated my pupils. I was trying to figure out how to grasp all that spread out before me. The Earth's surface displayed a scar that spread so far off into the horizon my puny human eyeballs couldn't even embrace all that the light reflected into them. It was awe inspiring, and its grandeur slowly pulled at my restless and wandering soul.

I was a dirtbag, backseat-sleeping, bum on a solo search for meaning and adventure across the continent. I had zero bars on my cell, and a propensity to amble off on a trail whenever given the chance - this proved to be a near deadly combination on a few occasions (thankfully I never had a "127 Hours" moment). I wasn't that big of a runner yet though, so on this day I made up my mind to hike down and back out of the Canyon. I figured I'd only go so far, just far enough to say I got to the bottom of one of the natural wonders of the world.

the long way down Bright Angel

A man of my word, I did climb down into the Canyon, upon the Bright Angel Trail. Even then I was in good shape, the altitude didn't effect my breathing (having spent some time at altitude beforehand in New Mexico without even realizing) and the hike down didn't destroy my quads. I was likely helping myself out stopping every so often to take photos. All I had with me was a camera and a water bottle in a backpack. Once I got near the bottom, I snapped a few pics, and hiked back up. Even at this time in my life I was competitive; on my return trip I got behind a hiker with the most sculpted calves I'd ever seen. I mean even from afar you could see the definition in this man's legs. I picked up my cadence and started to sweat. By the time I reached the man, and neared the longest set of switchbacks I'd ever hiked I was coated in my own moisture. Clamoring out of the Canyon, ahead of the obviously more experienced/fit hiker, I made several stops. I didn't worry too much as the sun set, as it brought with it a subtle release from the sun's heat, and offered me a beautiful array of contrasting colors and hidden contours worth capturing repeatedly via digital memory card. Eventually I made it to the summit of the South Rim, near the Bright Angel Lodge and relished what I had just accomplished.

Such a lovely canvas to behold, thanks Mother Nature!

Honestly, had I not strung that trip into a smattering of other park visits throughout Southern Utah it would rank as one of the most meaningful moments during my entire voyage. At that point it certainly was, but I derived a lot of importance from the following trips to Zion, Bryce and areas around St. George, Salt Lake City, and Park City soon after that, so it lost some of its meaning on me until several years later.

Which brings us to March of this year wherein I shared my crazy notion to run Rim to Rim to flipping Rim with some friends of mine via e-mail. I hoped they'd jump at the chance, and offered a lot of background information, because I'm a super planner. They pretty much all did, and soon thereafter we had to make adjustments to the date and plans. After a few messages back and forth we fixed the date, and settled upon October 8th. The rest of the details I took upon myself, which is typically my style. We didn't come across any availability at the Canyon's lodges so we booked a hotel outside the canyon for 2 nights, got flights into Vegas, a rental car for the drive and shared thoughts on nutrition and hydration along the trail.

We were flying blind, and if we didn't train, plan and pack accordingly we could wind up in a really tight spot. I didn't want to raise any attention to that as the guys, Jeff, Brian and Graham, were all really stoked about the whole thing. We did much of our training on our own, although Brian and I got together once for a nice, long run through the Headlands and Mt. Tamalpias, and we all felt like we had gotten some good distance in ahead of time.

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!

I hoped my training would be enough, although I had a bit of a scare after grabbing 25 hilly miles with Colin Gardiner (Brian was with us until 21 miles or so). A few hours removed from the run I wound up pouring out of both ends for 2 days straight and couldn't ascertain why. I figured it was food poisoning from all the random Gels and nutrients I had on the run, but really had no clue and was worried that I might wind up getting sick on our Grand Canyon trip too. Before departing for the flight I decided to pack only gels and bars I was throughly accustomed too, and to not borrow from the other guys during the trip to avoid any GI issues. And thereafter, on October 7th, we were Grand Canyon bound.

Before we even started, while hanging out in the airport and on the flight, the guys got into a good rhythm and I was elated. All 3 of these dudes were great runners, and really good guys. To have each of them bouncing stories off each other, and getting psyched up for the run was a pleasure to witness and participate with. We were all stoked for what lay ahead, and after grabbing our rental car in Vegas we spared no horses as we set off for Arizona. The trip there was pretty uneventful, minus the moment wherein I changed a flat tire on the side of a highway being dominated by 18 wheel tractor trailers. Brian, our resident comedian during the trip, offered up a really great line during this moment; after Graham and Jeff told me they'd inform me if any trucks were getting too close Brian responded with "Eff that, if I see a truck coming I'm diving behind those bushes, you f**kers are on your own!"

After getting back on the road, making it to Flagstaff, and gorging on my 3rd humungous meal of the day before 6PM (8AM Gordon Biersch BBQ Chicken with French Fries, 11:30AM Chipotle Steak "Baby-Sized" Burrito, 5:30AM Chili's Appetizer Orgy, all while sitting on my arse the entire day) we hit up the hotel in Tusayan, about 10 miles outside of the Grand Canyon's Southern Entrance.

Our energy levels were still really high, and I took a few moments to reflect on what was about to happen. In only a few hours I was going to tackle a tremendous "right of passage" run, as this is what all the running media outlets are terming it these days (for the latest mention see "In Too Deep" in Octobers Runner's World), with some really great running buddies. The good thing was that the guys weren't being egotistical or setting their sights on breaking 12 hours or something. We were all of sound mind, and knew that we lacked a lot of the necessary details to really feel confident about what we were going to do the next day. To that end I did my best, in vain, to get in touch with my friend and coworker Larissa Polischuck who was completing the Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim run that day (Oct 7th) with her boyfriend Brett Rivers. I was hoping to get some good trail beta and use that to help the guys and I pack appropriately and know what to expect when we got down into the Canyon tomorrow.

I wasn't miffed when I finished packing and went to bed having not heard anything back from LP that night. I knew communication around the Canyon was difficult, and their run might have gone longer than they expected, so I paid it no mind. I hit the sack, after setting various alarms, hoping I would wake up on time. My body was tired from a difficult week of work and it needed rest. I knew I'd sleep soundly, and I did, aside from waking up at 3:30AM from a nightmare that I overslept and wound up starting the Rim2Rim2Rim run alone and at 9AM. Fortunately, or unfortunately, 15 minutes later Jeff's alarm went off, a full quarter hour before I thought we'd be getting up. Apparently the boy wonder (he was the youngest of the group) wanted to grab a shower before starting our dirty ultra-epic-run. I guess he realized there would be girls somewhere on the trail and he wanted to be clean as a whistle for when he passed by 'em.

Actually, before going on I gotta tell you a little bit about Jeff. First off he's a great guy and my go-to running buddy. I've dropped his name a lot on this blog because we've ran many an epic race or run together. He's easily one of my favorite people to run with as we're equally matched. And since we started running together he's really put his foot to the pedal and picked up his speed (and distance). He's now putting me in my place by busting out PR's I have yet to meet.

But I digress, there's something else you need to know about Jeff, he's into looking good. Case in point I've only seen Jeff without gel in his hair once, ONCE, in 3 years and it was on this trip. And when he walked out of that bathroom in Arizona at 4AM-ish I was thinking in my head "TA-DA!" The guy looked like a flipping Salomon ad. I mean he was laden head to toe in some of the flashiest stuff I'd ever seen him sport (and without going on a bigger tangent, lets just say the man likes his running duds). Of course he looked styling, so of course I was flipping jealous, but I guess I can't complain, almost everything I was wearing that day was given to me (shoes, compression socks - thanks Jeff, shorts, shirt, long sleeve, jacket). About the only thing I wore that I bought was my watch, hat, gloves and headlamp.

Jeff looking sharp in his Salomon duds, with Graham at the Trail Head. Also featured is a Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim hiker in the background.

Getting back to the important stuff, at 4:30AM as planned, we were ready. I knocked on Graham & Brian's door and they emerged fully regaled in their gear and ready to conquer the Canyon. We were definitely energized and made like bandits through the cold for our frost covered car. After squirming around talking about how cold it was and waiting for the car's windows to defrost for about 10 minutes, I got out and wiped the whole thing off enough for me to see. Thereafter I charged toward the Canyon's Southern Entrance. We got through without having to pay (since it was 5AM), and parked at the terminus of the South Kaibab Trail. When we got there we noticed some folks milling around. Graham, Jeff, Brian and myself all made our way in and out of the nearest bathroom and chatted it up with some hikers who were also going Rim to Rim to Rim. They had on some sweet insulated gear which would really benefit them since they'd likely be traveling a lot of their trip at night after ascending the North Rim and turning back.

Ready to Rock 'n' Roll at South Kaibab TH with (l to r): Brian, Graham, Jeff and yours truly.

The sky was black at that time and littered with millions of stars. While we were congregating near the parking lot I took a moment to stare up. I could see so many constellations, it was an awesome sight. I thought about how lucky I was only for an instant because as we were chatting a group of runners flew past, we yelled their way to ask if they were doing the R2R2R as well and without breaking stride one of their members offered us a "YEP!" Before they disappeared into the darkness we told 'em to have fun and maybe we'd see 'em on the way back. We were super jazzed after that, and took a few photos before taking off down a path that would lead to the South Kaibab Trail Head... And the rest, well the rest was a real adventure.

From Here to There (in as little time as possible)

2011-07-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I got off the phone with one of my friends today, currently he's up in the Northwest visiting his sister in Seattle for his birthday. We talked about this and that, nothing consequential really. He was actually just heading out the door to enjoy a hike with his brother-in-law, but he mentioned that he noticed how involved I've gotten with the trail running world. This is a guy who spent half a year hiking the Appalachian Trail, and from the pictures he's taken it looked epic. So I did my best, in as little time, to explain how trail running was somewhat similar to hiking.

We, hikers and runners, both do it because we love being outdoors and every so often, we love being outdoors with other similar minded people. There are differences from both hikers and runners though, and I figured I would explore the topic in this blog.

First and foremost the difference between hikers and runners is the amount of time we spend on the trail. Then it could be said that hikers get more enjoyment out of their time on the trail, because they can explore more off-trail opportunities. Trail races also play a factor, as runners are often outdoors training for a race, whereas hikers are just outside in the wild for the simple fact that they can be there. Finally, gear is a big limiting factor for runners, the more gear we carry the slower we go, and that's not always the case for hikers. Often the more gear the further they can go, however, maybe not as fast as a runner.

Hikers, if they're day-hiking or going on a long distance haul, like thru-hikers, tend to appreciate their time on the trail. Even if they're in a hurry, they're still cognizant of what's around them, and capable of appreciating more moments. Conversely, runners try to plot a course and stick to a pace when accomplishing a run in the wild, leaving us less opportunities to enjoy a rock quarry, or an interesting vista point.

Runners, unless offered a clear view or an idea of where a trail leads, try to avoid making route changes mid-journey. We're somewhat strict about sticking to a decided route, and if we're racing, we run with blinders on, neglecting beautiful landscapes and opportunities to explore. Speaking of racing, hikers and runners also differ because we have different goals.

Hikers are often out to appreciate and explore nature, at whatever pace they prefer in the moment, whereas runners can explore a new area that they may eventually race someday and blow through a plethora of chances to smell the roses, simply because they want to mimic a race-like scenario. We beat up paths as best we can to challenge our bodies to adapt to the trial and help us improve in our abilities.

Runners also fall into the habit of continually traversing the same segments of trails over and over. We create this habit because the trail is familiar, and we try to improve our times upon it, or just make certain parts of the trail easier than the last time we ran them. Hikers, being a bit more mellow when it comes to route planning (and often carrying a detailed trail map with them), can meander off the beaten path, and even blaze their own trail if they fancy orienteering.

While many experienced trail runners, with the wilderness at their door-step, do take advantage of opportunities to get lost most fit the descriptions I've offered. Every so often though, the spirited and competitive trail runner plans an adventure. They pack things along they would not normally like trekking poles, a map and a compass and become orienteersmen for a weekend fast-packing trip. However, typically hauling along superfluous gear like a compass, would be considered fool-hardy by most.

What's the point in weighing yourself down with trinkets like that, when you can just follow a well marked trail from point A to point B? If the plan is to run, then that plan calls for you to be light, and only loaded down with necessities like fuel, water, and perhaps a cell phone. A heavy backpack, or poles, would only slow you down. This is not true however for a hiker. A hiker sees those items as opportunities to go farther and perhaps faster in the case of the trekking poles.

The differences number beyond what I've offered I'm sure, and I'd be open to hearing someone else's take on this. Feel free to offer your opinions as comments to this post!

When the end of the day comes though, hikers and runners still appreciate the great outdoors in very similar ways. We both get out on trails and explore parts of parks many a day-tripper never get the chance to see. We get high into mountain ranges most average people wouldn't dream of exploring. We come back covered in dirt and dried up blood with big, silly grins on our faces, and share pints with one another, detailing the animals we saw along the trail. We talk about how it felt to be out there, how the weather fouled up our plans or made our journey all the more memorable. We mention parks we want to explore and hidden features to some local areas we've yet to find. We're cut from the same mold, and that's something everyone, hiker, runner, or outsider can agree upon.

At the very least, there are a few "normal" folks out there that would say any one of us is crazy at the drop of a hat.

Right Now at 1:11PM

2011-05-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

So right now I'm settling in to do some updating on Skimble.Com. My friend Maria Ly has roped me in on generating new components to their online/iTunes applications, like an audio trainer and audio workouts. Its fun, and its another avenue of employment for me, and it has got me totally stoked!

Also, earlier today, just down the street, I scarfed my face off at ROAM, my new favorite burger joint. I went there with Emilie Lincoln, after training her and my client Chelsea in Pac Heights earlier. Its right in my hood, and there was already a line at 11:45 to grab a meal there. I'm a fan. Below is a picture of my meal (I think I'll take a spin through their whole burger menu, as each choice sounded heavenly). Today I head the French & Fries (Gruyere Cheese, Watercress, Caramelized Onions, Truffle Parmesan Fries, and Dijion Mustard, and I added a Fried Egg), along with their Maple Chipotle French Fries. Both were awesome!

In other news, I'll soon have busy Friday's with a new round of classes at the TRX. Outdoor Circuit Classes in San Francisco. The first month is going to be free, check it out by clicking this LINK!

Finally, I got my VO2 Max taken the other day. It wasn't a true VO2 Max test, as I didn't work to my full capacity, and there was no catching harness. My buddy Carlos Teasdale, an exercise expert who works for TRX Training, informed me if it were a true test they would have had me work until I fell over (but the harness would have caught me). Anyway, with that in hand, I had a faux VO2 score of "56" which is far from where I want to be. Its not a clear indicator of my ability to run, but I'd still like to be closer to 70. Which is why I need to start training like a real athlete. I'm going to develop a 10 week training regime this weekend to accommodate me there. You can check out wikipedia for more on VO2 Max testing.

Big Blast at Big Basin

2011-05-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

I had a great time racing yesterday. I was really anxious at the start, as I got to the race just in time to snatch my bib and hear Michael Popov offer us a course description. I was thankful to be there on time, and to see a number of familiar faces in the crowd (you know who you are, because I obviously came up and said hello to you). Once the siren went off I felt a familiar "off to the races" sensation overtake me.

Typically whenever I get that feeling I punch it, and wind up paying for that later. Larissa Polischuk had told me not to let her boyfriend, "Hard Charging" Brett Rivers, beat me in the first 15km loop (because he was racing the 50km race), but I said "I'm gonna let all the 50k'ers beat me today, I just wanna finish with energy to spare!" So when we started climbing up, before our extended descent into Big Basin (roughly a 2-2.5 mile downhill stretch), I took it easy. I paced behind Todd Shipman and had Alistair Adams near me as well. I overtook them both, while chasing after Brett near the summit. By the time we reached the downhill, I gave out a "HEYAW!" and spun my wheels following after Brett, letting loose some energy to stay in the front.

I eventually passed Brett when Alistair overtook us both, deciding since he was entered into the 15km I would want to stay on him. I figured if anything, I could slowly try and pass him on the 6.5 miles uphill back to the start if I felt like I had the energy. Well, along the way, another familiar figure from the PCTR events came up and started pacing behind both Alistair and myself. It was none other then Alexander Gaber, who signed up the day of the race. He'd been nursing an injury, but was in the area visiting with family, so he figured he would partake. Well, he was running fast as always and shot past both Alistair and myself, offering me a line of encouragement before he left "Charles, catch up with me!" On any other day I might have trailed after him, but today I was going to be smart and conserve some of my energy. I know him to be a better runner than myself anyway, and figured he would have smoked me on the uphill section.

(We climbed up switchbacks with the "Hard Charging" Brett Rivers on our tails past this, not bad!)

So I stayed with Alistair, for much of the race actually. We bolted down towards some ascending switchbacks with Brett on our heels screaming out "YAAHOOO!" Once we reached the uphill climb, I let Brett scamper on by, and he did so, springing from foot-fall to foot-fall like a kangaroo on this short and steep uphill climb. Alistair mentioned being like that when he was younger, I mentioned never being like that and that I'll work to get there someday.

We ran together for much of the rest of the race, through the woods, under downed logs, over and around sketchy turns and bends on the wet trail (it was foggy in the morning and had rained the day before down in that area). We hit a steep set of stairs, which I remembered from when I last ran the race. I hobbled up them, thinking to myself that I really do need to do more hill work - since we were only starting our ascent and already I was thinking I needed to move faster. I stayed behind Alistair, using him as a pacer, until he had to tie his shoe. Then I was on my own, with Alistair pacing behind me the rest of the way. Slowly the gap increased though.

(Wet and slippery stairs next to a waterfall - Awesome for hikers, not so much for runners.)

We reached some ascending switchbacks, and I felt like we must have been getting close to the finish (because I was starting to get drained). Then, I veered left on the trail, looked up, and saw a sign that read "Pink Return". We were following pink ribbons for the 15km race, as they indicated which trails we were supposed to be on, and when to take turns onto new trails. When I saw that sign, I knew the end was near. I ran up the hill for the final descent down to the finish.

(If only the trails were this dry! Crossing the 20 or so wooden bridges that dotted the trail was always sketchy, as you never knew if you were gonna slip and fall.)

Once I reached the top, I remembered how much energy I had when I yelled out "HEYAW" earlier, and tried to channel the remaining life in body towards my legs as I scampered down as quickly as I could back towards the finish. I came across the bridge back to the Start/Finish area past LP, and through the chute towards Michael Popov and Sarah Spelt yelling out my bib number (because I didn't have time to put it on earlier, and just stuffed it into a pocket). I finished with a time of 1:25:52 I believe. Which made me feel content.

I hugged Sarah, thanked Michael, cheered Alistair into the finish and congratulated him for his efforts. Asked him what happened when I lost him on the trail, and thereafter thanked him for pacing me most of the way. I chatted it up with Alex, who ran a great race after an injury, and also got the 411 on Brett from LP. I told her that I thought he was really killing it out there, and had to have been in first (he was). Soon after thanking everyone again, I said goodbye to whom I could, and started my journey back to San Francisco. I had 2 classes that evening, and I wanted to rock 'em both... And sure enough, I did!

I was super pumped with the way things went, after last week I was worried I would be in for a long day on the trails. I completely fell apart in that race, and had nothing at the end of it. I think I did a good job this time around, and I don't have too much residual soreness. I fell once pretty bad in this race, but managed to save myself from any real damage, and aside from a few bruises I'm A-OK. I also realized that running on the ingrown toenail affected my overall quickness even more so than I had realized previously, as I couldn't muster up much speed on the downhills, an area that is usually my strength.

Hopefully with more training that will change now. I also need to incorporate more long hill training into my regime, not just short hill repeats. I'm gonna try and throw together a fully planned schedule, and post it up around my apartment, so I can remind myself what I need to do each day and which races I have on the docket. This way I can start improving even more until I eventually have to run my goal race. That's all for now!

Big, Bad Basin

2011-05-14T22:37:00.001-07:00

I'm running the 15km distance at the PCTR Big Basin Trail Run. I ran it previously, as a 25km, and on a day where the temperatures rose to 98 degrees Fahrenheit. It was brutal, and my pace per mile was something like a 11 minutes. The trial descends first down the Skyline to Sea Trail (which I'd like to run from start to finish one day, its 26 miles, and as the name indicates, it goes West from Skyline Drive down to the Sea, descending a few thousand feet on the way). Then we hit a water fall on Berry Creek, climb a set of steep stairs, and eventually regain all the descent on a long stretch of rolling uphill back to the start/finish area, which is also an aid station for the 25km and 50km options.

The year I ran it as a 25km I was totally motivated by fear of being past by my running partner at the race, Rebecca Schenk. She was also running the 25km (and not carrying a water), when the race started I drove to the front of the field. That was easy, much of what we covered was downhill for the first 3 miles.

However, by the time we climbed back to the start/finish area off the 15km course, to continue onto a smaller 10km loop course, I was depleted. I had drank a ton of fluid, and fallen twice, uphill... Totally zapped. I trudged upwards and onwards though, reaching several false summits with a few other 25km and 50km runners (overtaking a number of them actually). By the time we reached the top of this mountain, the few others near me where dying. The sun was out on the mountain summit, which we reached after maybe 4-5 false summits, and there was white rock baking underneath our feet. I suffered through the heat at the top, and finally turned around and trucked it home back along the Skyline to Sea Trail. I did my best to fly down this section, motivated by the fact that I thought Rebecca was bound to come up from behind me and finish the race before I would.

I got to the finish, after being passed a few times very near the end of the race. I wound up getting 14th overall, but feeling like I finished dead last. I was done. Anyway, as I rounded the bend towards the finish, and to end all my suffering, I saw Rebecca sitting there, cheering me on, in street clothes. I nearly fell over again!

(My friend Rebecca is in the orange tank, cruising right beside me at the Fresno Half a few years ago.)

I was totally blown away, but learned after finishing that she had bailed out of the 25km and just finished the 15km course instead, because she couldn't carry on any longer. In retrospect I should have thanked her for pushing me so hard, over the full course of the race, because there was no way I would have ever done that to myself just for fun. I think at the time I lamented not quitting earlier myself though.

Anyway, tomorrow it should be in the low-50's at the event, with a chance of rain I'm sure. So I have that going for me, which is nice? Probably. My goal is just to take it easier this time at the start, make sure I'm well fueled and do my best not to fall on my way out of the halfway point. I'm assuming the trail will be muddy, so I decided to grab my dirty Wildcats for the run. They're a bit heavy, but the tread and cushion will be good to have.

Anywho, my goal for this race is simply to have enough energy to sprint into the finish. If I can do that, then I think I will have ran a SMART race, something I haven't done in a while (possibly since the Marin Half last year - I'll have to think about it, which for me will be hard apparently). For now, and until the race start I'll just be crossing my fingers, rubbing my lucky penny, and counting up all my rabbits feet. I definitely don't wanna bonk or hurt as bad as I did last week tomorrow. We'll see how it goes!

Sequoia 21KM Follow Up Post

2011-05-08T19:40:00.001-07:00

OUCH! My legs are beat the heck up! That race destroyed me. Even mentally I was beaten, my confidence was almost ruined beyond repair, I'm glad I stuck it out though. I'll have a full recap here in about a day, I'm a bit tired and have a full day of training ahead of me, so I gotta rest for that (priorities)...

May 14th, 2011 Follow Up:
So the race was a doozy. It turns out that the day before the race the course needed be changed, adding on about 2km to the event. It seemed like a straightforward change, but there were a lot of fresh faces at the run. Later I would over hear many stories of wrong turns and being overwhelmed by the elevation fluctuations on the course. However, the unique thing about PCTR events, or maybe trail running races in general, were that people were in good spirits while retelling their misfortunes to their fellow runners. Which is actually great news, because it likely means they'll be back for more fun in the future.

That all said though, I did start to think I'd have a harder time coming in about 5 minutes before my time last year (which was my goal). I wound up with a time of 1:52:50, nearly 2 minutes behind my time of last year. The good news was that I walked most of the hills and still wound up with a fair placement and a decent time compared to my previous outings. The bad news was that I walked, a good amount than I normally ever would have (and have in the past) along the course. I rolled my right ankle badly a few miles in during a decent along some switchbacks, but that usually wouldn't have made me stop churning up the trails. I think it was really more my condition, how fast I went out, and the change to my gait due to an ingrown toe nail on my right foot.

I went out, chasing the lead runner, who I wouldn't have been able to beat even if I were in great shape, and I knew this. I was behind another runner for a while, that wasn't ascending that quickly, so I passed him and he started to fade within the first mile. I held onto my position, moving deftly along the easier portion of the course, heading towards Moon Gate. By the time I was about a half mile from Moon Gate though (roughly 2 miles into the course I'd guess) I figured I was going too hard as my muscles were stiff, and I could feel my hip abductors getting sore. I slowed and walked up the steep and short ascent to the Redwood Blvd and over to Moon Gate.

I was pretty disappointed, I didn't think I was killing it, and was frustrated to think I just bonked and ruined the race for myself. I should have had a bit more food about 20-3o minutes before the race, so I had something burning inside me at the start. I also should have decided to hold back more, I always hate finishing my races depleted. Unfortunately I was motivated by the fact I've had two good training weeks headed into this race and I really didn't know how I would preform in this race having not done much training in the East Bay since the winter.

Anyway, once I hit the East Rim Trail after Moon Gate 3 runners had passed by me. I nestled into a more reasonable pace and wound down French Trail from the East Rim trail. We would be oscillating out and in along this forested canyon trail, while also dealing with sudden descents and ascents for 6-7 miles before climbing out of the Canyon to join with the West Rim Trail. This was basically the hardest part of the race on your legs, and its definitely derailed quite a few runners over the years (including myself).

I fly on technical and steep descents, crushing my quads, which is something I haven't done enough of in training (because of my ingrown toe nail). This probably didn't help matters much, but its how I chose to race on the day. I passed the number 4 racer, who was nursing a wounded calf. We hit a steep section and I could see runners 2 and 3 above me, higher on the trail. They were not very far ahead, but moving much better than I was. I decided not to worry about playing catch up and just try to stay more consistent so I could try around the number 4-5 spot.

When I rose up and got to a section I could run I started overtaking 30km and 50km runners, who had gone out 30 minutes before my race started. One of the neat things about trail running is how community focused it is, everyone around you is not only a competitor, but a supporting friend. We wish each other well, push each other on, carry each other to the finish line or to aid stations. We're out there because we love running, and we love the outdoors, there's rarely money on the line, and for most of us, that's okay. We want to enjoy a race, and maybe better our personal times, but typically that's all we can ever hope for or achieve. Sunday's race was no different, I wish runners well, and kept moving in spurts up and down the trails inside the park.

I eventually hit a longer, technical and steep climb. I knew it well, and I've never been able to run it. Its not distinguishable at first glance, you drop 30-50 feet down the trail, then take a sharp left, start a short ascent, then you look up and realize it goes on for a while (maybe 60-70 feet up before hitting a turn), then the trail turns right. Well, I knew where I was by the point where I saw the trail rounded right and at that turn there were roots evident. Right at that turn, you climb for about another 150-250 feet (its hard to say, upon recollection, but its frustrating either way). I hiked up, with my hands on my hips, passing a few of the other 30 & 5okm runners who were walking. I reached the top and came across 2 friends of mine.

It turns out Jeff Wong was having a bad day (as was I, I had decided by this point in the race, about 2 miles away from when I started down French Trail). I tagged him on the back, he was being held up by our other friend Lindsay Mayfield on left side, with another female runner helping him on his right. I asked what happened, he said he fell and he thinks he broke something. They were going to keep moving to the 10km turnaround, which I told them was very far away from them (6-7 miles). I told them to turn around and go back to Moon Gate, knowing it was 2 miles away. They chose not to take my advice in the end, but Jeff still wound up getting medical attention eventually. I had to keep on, as I wanted to get some points from this race, so I trailed off after getting Jeff's assessment and right as the runner with the injured calf came up from behind me.

I took the lead heading down a twisting porting of switchback that descended down to trail and a downed log. Right at the end of the switchbacks I rolled my right ankle bad, and cursed out in pain. I kept running, but I was really favoring my left leg. At the top of a slight ascent I felt my left quadricep tense up, this just wasn't going to be my day. The runner behind me overtook me again, and I just tried slowing and walking more of the climbs.

When we climbed out of the canyon, I thought, maybe because I had ingested some gu's, and had a sufficient amount of Nuun (and because the rest of the trails were not very difficult, or steep) I could run better over the rest of the course and overtake a few of the runners ahead of me. Well, once I got going, even though we were only climbing up a few slight inclines, I realized I had emptied my tank out in the canyon. It sucked to know this, and I just tried to maintain some kind of tempo.

I struggled (and was honestly really struggling since my first ascent on the French Trail) to complete the rest of the course, and just before passing over the road to enter back onto the East Rim trail and hitch up with Moon Gate I was overtaken by 2 runners, a female and a male. They were moving smoothly, like they were biding their time to speed up later in the race. I kept a stern face as I rounded past Moon Gate and eventually crossed back over the road to enter into Joaquin Miller Park.

Two 30km runners (apparently the 1st and the 2nd place runners) overtook me and shot down a steep descent that I took after letting another 21km runner go ahead of me. I was on his heels the whole time and I shouldn't have let him go in front of me. Once we opened up to an easy grade, wide trail at the bottom of the ascent and took a left to go to the finish though he shuffled off ahead of me. I was dead, and mentally beaten. I knew how far away was, but I couldn't muster the energy to charge ahead. My legs hurt, my energy was zapped. I rose up a hill, and saw the meadow, where the start/finish location was, open in front of me. I couldn't even try to fake a sprint, and hobbled in for a 7th place finish.

I wound up taking first in my age group, but was listed as 8th overall. I think there was a lot of confusion on race day, as there was a women in her late 50's listed as 2nd in our race (which is completely ridiculous, as she was never out there with any of us on the course, but whatever). I'm not going to be winning the overall PCTR Trail Series at the end of the year anyway, and know I have an outside shot of taking 1st overall in my age group for the Trail Series too, so I'm letting it go.

Wound up having a good time chatting with a few coworkers and friends at the end of the race. Jeff Wong had to be taken to a nearby Hospital and is currently sporting a brace on his right leg. He got a bad sprain for the fall. Lindsay bailed out of her race to hang with Jeff, and reconvened with him at the hospital after chatting with our group at the finish. Thomas and Elaine finished the 21km together at the same time, Stacy and Mere finished later after explaining they had both gotten lost at points in the race.

All in all it was a tough race, not one I will forget, because the mental anguish was severe. It sucked to realize I got an okay time, but would have bettered that (and likely finished closer to 2nd) in this race if I had actually ran the whole darn thing. There's no doubt in my mind I would have at least finished 4th on the day if I had somehow shown up fresher, or better fueled, or if I had just started slower.

Another thing I've noticed, after visiting Dr. Melvin Mah (a terrific SF based Podiatrist), was that my gait has changed due to have that ingrown toe nail. Even though I've had the ingrown toe nail taken care of, I still feel funny running. I'm landing all wrong on my right leg, clearly favoring my left still. I will see how this plays out this Sunday, as I have another trial race down in Big Basin S.P. just north of Santa Cruz. Wish me luck!

Goal In Mind

2011-05-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm running the PCTR Sequoia 20km, and tonight I just looked back to see my past results. I can sometimes recall my times from a few races, but for these particular races I only remember my efforts, which were hard, and remembered that I could barely chug across the finish line. So, when I saw my times I was a bit disappointed. For this 19.6km race (or 12.2 miles) I managed a 1:56 a few years ago and a 1:51 within the last year, do the math and that comes out to about a 9:18 per mile pace for a course with less than 2,000 feet elevation gain.

I'm not saying that running in the Oakland Hills is easy, its pretty terrorizing for your quads and hips. The trails oscillate up and down, and any portions that are flat are really uphill portions that aren't too steep. Nonetheless, I think tomorrow I will have the opportunity to lower my overall average and grab a PR on this course. I'm not feeling 100%, and I wish I had foam rolled a few more times this week (or at all), but I still think I'm a smarter and perhaps more speedy trail runner than I used to be.

(The 20km course elevation chart for Sequoia, indicating all the ups and downs)

I've been trying to learn a lot more about training, recovery, the benefits of different kinds of cross-training and when to utilize every attribute that makes up a good training plan over the past year. Its been a fun experience, but I'm going to try and get serious about developing a plan and putting it into action. My goal race as of now is to run the Giant Race Half-Marathon on August 27th for a sub-1:20 overall time (about a 6:05 per mile pace). It seems like a reachable goal, but its still daunting for me to consider maintaining that kind of speed over 13 miles.

What's good, and sometimes humbling, is to know I have friends around me who have done that, and even out-done that, and stretched it out over greater distances. Its also nice to know I work within the fitness field, and will likely be overwhelmed with opportunities to cross-train and run with friends. The recovery part will be harder to come by though, and I'll really need to find a balance between my work schedule, my training schedule, and the time I need to rest over the course of the next few months. I think that could be one of my biggest challenges, aside from actually accomplishing my goal of course.

I look forward to sharing more about my journey here, including a few of my favorite workouts, things I've learned, what's working, along with just stories about my runs and what I'm up to. More to come in a few days, on Peru and on my racing & life.

I Got 2 Four Letter Words for YOU!

2011-05-06T12:10:00.001-07:00

PERU was EPIC!

I threw in a bonus 3 letter word, as my TRX clients will tell you, I love handing out bonuses... Seriously though,back to my initial comment about Peru; the people were phenomenal, the times had were educational, fun, funny, adventurous, and at times sweaty, the food was SCRUMPTIOUS (I probably gained 5 lbs in 10 days), and the memories are timeless.

I went down to Peru to celebrate the holy matrimony of Ryan Mohr and Fabiola Villar, the ladder of which is from Lima, Peru. A few months before the wedding, back in January Sarah Kornfeld, Hannah Kornfeld (her older sister), and Sarah Sommerfield threw together plans and booked arrangements for travel in Peru. Our plan was to hike the Inca Trail in 4 days. As this trip was dripping with sweet, sultry EPICNESS I decided I ought to recruit my favorite Partner In Crime ("PIC") Lauren McKissick to join in. Conveniently enough she was going to be in Ecuador around the same time dishing out awesomeness and taking names. She and two of her friends from Colorado were set to join in after a few weeks of back and forth correspondence. So heading into this trip everything was planned with limited to no decision making on my behalf, which was the case because I was swamped with random training opportunities.

(From L to R: Sarah K. myself and Hannah K., Ryan M. and Sarah S., and Fabiola all dolled up.)

Its pretty uncommon for me not to have my hands on my travel plans, but I trusted that these girls knew what they were doing and everything would work out well, as it usually does. Anyway, the trip started out kind of interesting. I wound up getting a whole aisle to myself on the flight down, which was sahweet and rarely ever happens. Then things got interesting...

So I was told before I went down to Lima to look up a photo of Fabi's younger brother, Tito on Facebook. He had long hair, and as best I could tell from Facebook, I would be okay picking him out in a crowd, of white people, in America... Not so in a crowd of Peruvians however. I got off the plane in Lima at about 12AM their time. Outside of the arrivals gate were HUNDREDS of Peruvians, carrying signs, looking for loved ones, just standing there. I had no way to discern which young kid was Fabi's brother, I spent the better part of an hour and half wandering back and forth, hoping he would be able to spot me... I had no cell reception, and couldn't get wifi to e-mail Fabi or anyone else down there. Cabbies asked me if I wanted rides, but I had NO clue where Fabi's parents lived in Lima. I was a man without a home.

At the tail end of that hour and a half the crowds began to peter out and I saw a tall, white guy with a mop of brown hair talking to an older Peruvian couple. I vaguely recognized the white guy from a party that Fabi had back in SF. I walked up and it turned out to be John Caldon, a family friend and guest at the wedding. The older couple were Fabi's parents. John had no idea they would be looking for me at the airport and were instead waiting for Cecilia, Fabi's sister. Fabi's dad, Ernestito realized who I was though, and was happy to have found me. It turns out little Ernestito was not so reliable (read: had the munchies and was in an airport cafe). There was a mix up and for some reason they thought myself and Cecilia were on the same flight, which is why they arrived well after I did to pick up Cecilia. Anyway, I was relieved to be found, and traveled willingly wherever they were going to take me...

John, little Tito, and myself climbed into the back of the family's windowless van, and sat on the floor (there were no seats) as we rode over bumpy roads. All the while John and I talked about Peruvian customs and my inability to speak Spanish. Eventually the van stopped, and I was stoked for the reason behind this. At 2AM Fabi's dad wanted to treat us to Pervuvian Rotisserie, something I hadn't had since I lived back in Virginia (sidenote: they basically have like a whole area in Arlington County filled with Peruvians, Chileans, Venezuelans and Argentinians, which is where you can grab good Peruvian Rotisserie).

(From L to R: Papa & Mama Villar on the left of the first photo, then Cecilia & little Ernestito in the other photo.)

The staff at "Roxy's" were closing up and not entirely happy with our late order, but we were able to grab the food and take it back to Fabi's parents place in Callao. Callao is near La Punta, this GIANT port in Lima with a small fortress situated on a jutting pier. It was one of the first developed parts of Lima before the Spanish came and rearranged the whole town. Anyway, we got back, unpacked the van, dished out the chicken, and got down to eating. At the end of all the binging, dessert was brought out, then discussions about tomorrow morning were raised, I mentioned getting up at 9AM, which prompted Cecilia to tell me to get settled for bed right away.

I was just laying down on little Ernestito's bed, and then all of a sudden it was 6AM, there was a stray dog outside barking like crazy (there are SH*T-tons of stray dogs all over South America, they run that continent), then there was the sound of loud banging going on through the walls. Eventually at about 6:30AM, Cecilia bounded in dropping off some papaya juice for me, she was covered in a fresh layer of moisture, after getting in a jog on a treadmill somewhere in their house. When she noticed I was worse for wear, she let herself out and I tried to grab a few more winks, only to be woken by Ernestito Senior, who wanted to see if I was awake (at 7:30AM). Do these people sleep!? I was completely baffled by their ability to operate on limited hours of rest, I mean they went to bed after I did at like 3:30AM, then somehow they were up and at it by like 6AM!? Insane.

I got up, ate a lite meal, and decided I need to get in a run, since I had been eating non-stop the day before on the plane and soon thereafter. I mentioned this idea to Cecilia, which was to run from Callao to Miraflores, which was where Ryan and Fabi, and the whole wedding party was staying. The looks and repetitive questions I got, from Fabi's mom, dad and Cecilia were laughable. It seemed like I was about to set off to explore some dangerous area in the cosmos... Apparently people in Peru don't really go on long runs, outside, on the street, and they certainly don't choose to do it in the Callo.

Once the confusion abated, there was still the issue of getting directions from the house to the hotel in Miraflores. Fabi's mother did her best to jot down directions on an old wedding invitation they had in the house. It really wasn't much, just penciled lines on paper with names scrawled on it, and no estimations on distance or time. I figured in my head it would be an 8 mile run at the least, 10 miles at the most. And yes, we tried Google maps, but that wasn't happening...

I walked downstairs with directions in hand and in my running clothes. It was humid out, sunny and hoovering around 85 degrees I estimated. I was going to go without a shirt on. This again caused much shock and awe, and even prompted Fabi's mom to tell me I might get raped. I was really starting to enjoy the idea of running in Lima, let me tell you! Regardless, Cecilia walked me out to the first penciled line on my "map". She gave me a hug and wished me well, making it seem like she'd never see me again. I had a few Soles (Peruvian currency), in case I needed a cab or to make a call, so I figured I'd be alright.

I ran off, got lost a few times, asked a few police officers for directions, ran dangerously close to a number of crazy Peruvian drivers, taxis and random buses, eventually getting into Miraflores with the help of the map and those I stopped along the way. There wasn't a chance I could ever figure it out again on my own, I mean I have a good sense of direction, but that town is one giant maze. Not even the cabbies know where they're going and often stop people on the street for directions.

(From L to R: Sarah S., Fabi, James, Kate and Anthony, and all the Bridesmaids in a row.)

Once at the hotel, which took me an additional half hour to locate, because it didn't have a sign out front that indicated its full title (Neuvo Monde Hotel, instead it just said NMLIMA or something like that). The place was top notch, and inside it was an anxious crew awaiting my arrival, it was like being a celebrity. Everyone wanted to meet me, hear how the run went, they were all surprised I made it there. I mean, seriously, it was like coming back from war or something! I was the man of the hour, it was a funny feeling. Fabi, Sarah and my new friend James propositioned me for a further run of 4 miles to the beach and back, and I said sure. We had a good time, got to know each other better and shared a few stories from the night before, when the wedding party went out on the town.

When we ran back towards the hotel we were approached by a police officer, while Fabi was not with us (she was inside a market getting some advil). He introduced himself and basically told us that the police were following me on their closed circuit cameras throughout Miraflores/San Isidro. Again, no one in Peru runs shirtless, outside, anywhere, so me doing it raised a lot of suspicions. He wanted to be sure I was alright, not a crazy person, and if I had a shirt I could put on. Fabi, once she got back to the group, told him I would do that once I got back to the hotel, but it was just the icing on the cake for that story. The first full day I was in Peru, I basically got EVERYONE'S attention, simply by running shirtless. The officer, when he heard where I ran over from was flabbergasted and wanted to know why... Because I'm a crazy gringo, Senior!

(This whole debacle with me and the police makes me think of a foreign film coming out, a true story about a runner who robs banks. View the trailer here.)

After showering up, the whole wedding crew went out to grab a big hearty lunch together. Soon thereafter we adjourned to the hotel to rest up and prepare for the rehearsal dinner, which was great fun, and I started taking photos at this point in the trip. After the rehearsal I crashed with the Kornfelds at the hotel and the next day went on a walk to see some Inca Ruins inside Miraflores with James and Sarah S. We snapped some photos and got ready for the wedding which was to take place that night...

(From L to R: Sarah, James & I walking to check out some Inca Ruins, Sarah & James reenacted a virgin sacrifice - they had to knock 'em unconscious first with a digital camera. They were a really advanced culture.)

The wedding was awesome, the festivities surrounding it, the people I met, seriously, I never felt so much love, ever. That's a fact. I wanted to get up and make a speech at the reception, but the mic never really got passed around for speeches, and only like 40% of the people there would be able to understand me, since 60%-70% of them were Peruvian.

I did my fare share of eating and dancing at the reception, and got to crash with the Kornfeld's at the hotel again, which was nice, even if I was sleeping on the floor, because I knew I wouldn't have to wake up at 6AM to the sound of a stray dog.

(From L to R: At the reception, La Hora Loco - Crazy Hour, which is like carnival, starts once the mood starts to dwindle, in order to keep the dancing going all night, then next to that, the roomies sharing a Pisco Sour, a signature Peruvian drink.)

The morning after the reception, Sarah, Hannah and Sarah Sommerfield got together to grab a cab at the hotel and head back to the Lima airport for our trip over to Cusco, and I'll tell you more about that in another entry.

Photo Gallery from Peru Trip: CLICK HERE!

Previously on W.R.E.A.B.

2011-05-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hey there faithful reader, sorry for leaving you hanging. I know the days have been long, the nights have been lonely, you've dedicated hours of checking and rechecking this website to no avail... REJOICE, the day is here, I'm updating the blog. Yes, I agree, FINALLY!

SO [rubs hands together] where'd I leave off!? I think its best to start with my wrap up of the big fitness trade show, IHRSA, which stands for the International Health, Racket and Sportsclub Association thingie. True, they do need a better name for it.

Anyway, TRX Training (formerly known as Fitness Anywhere, Inc.) always has a booth at the trade show, and this year the show happened to be here in San Francisco, at the Mascone Convention Center. I jumped at the chance to teach a class, run a few challenges, and work with other TRX Training employees at the booth during the show. It was a real blast, and pretty demanding. You're basically required to be as exhuburant as you can be, while helping educate people on the benefits of the TRX, and the many ways you can utilize it for all kinds of training. Not outwardly difficult whatsoever, I concur, but then you have to demo the exercises over and over and teach classes (yelling at the top of your lungs to be heard over the noise of the other booths and classes going on throughout the giant convention center). It can definitely leave you feeling a bit flat at the end of your day. Not a new experience for me at all.

(from L to R: Brian Wyatt and Will Gotthardt at the FreeMotion Fitness Treadmill Challenge Booth, Nathan Yanko & Matt Forsman working hard at the same contest, a TRX knock off booth, and me in front of the sign listing classes at the TRX Booth.)

Nonetheless, it was a fun time, and I really enjoyed trying out the new TRX Rip Trainer at the show. I'm secretly hoping Miguel or Nicole, whom manage the TRX Training Center, where I teach, will offer me one of those bad boys for free. Its a pretty great device, you can find out more for yourself, HERE! Its the perfect tool for athletes who want to get that edge where it counts, on training up your core exponentially doing a variety of functional movements. It makes sense to TRX introduced it, because their Suspension Straps are already a great tool for improving functional movements and increasing core strength and stability.

I think I've said enough about the convention, I will add that I had the opportunity to meet up with Tricia Fitzpatrick and Allison Ross, who basically run these types of shows almost 60 times a year. Its no joke the work they do. Pretty demanding to travel somewhere, and pull that kind of energy out of your had for 2 days straight, and also be responsible for tracking down leads, making sure things are all good with the trade show management, and getting the gear from one spot to the next. Hats off to them, especially Tricia, who's entirely hands on with the whole process.

Okay with that out of the way, onto the really good stuff, my PERU REVIEW. Well, more like a, um, retelling of the adventures had down there... Eh, it doesn't need a name. Anyway, check the next blog entry out for the Peru stories.

Where were you when you heard the news?

2011-05-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

Its May 1st, news has spread like a wildfire across a Californian meadow, Osama Bin Laden has been found, and is dead.

Its been roughly 10 years since he impacted all of our lives, shattered some, and ended others. Do you remember where you were during 9/11? How did your life change? How does it change now, if at all?

To paraphrase my friend Anna Ingenthron, this day, and this month, belongs to the enlisted men, women, servicemen, police officers, firemen and 9/11 victims who are no longer here to celebrate.

See That Line Where the Sky Begins...

2011-03-26T22:22:00.001-07:00

...That's where I'll go.

Who hasn't had a lust for travel after returning home from an "epic" adventure? Or how about when you read some beautifully illustrated and gritty tale in Outside magazine? Doesn't it inspire you? I can't help but feel envious of folks who can pick themselves up, dust off all their real world woes and escape into the wilderness almost uninhibited by modern technology (although sometimes that helps facilitate their travels).

Tomorrow I'm headed off on another guided run in the Headlands. I've been working as a coach with the Endurables alongside Larissa Polischuk since mid-January. We're taking our clients on an 8 miler at 8:30AM (although I may tack on 10 miles and run home from Rodeo Valley, I'm feeling kinda fat/lazy lately). I'm excited, I love the bucolic scenes that abound out there. I dig the rugged nature, the rocks sprouting up from the lush, green soil, the ocean hues, and the over-hanging clouds or fog you often come across at this time of year. Its a great place, and its always a good run, no matter the weather or intention of the run. I will say I'm excited to take my feet to higher heights at the week's end. By Sunday I'll be meandering through Cusco in the Southeastern corner of Peru. I really should have been excited for this trip far before this date.

I've salivated about treks at high elevation for the past 2 years. I've dreamt about traveling swiftly by foot over summits or mountain passes and deftly sailing by culture filled out-crops of stone and dirt. All that will encompass my hike for 4 days in Peru, every detail, I will try to savor and regurgitate for others to digest (whoa, gross...). In all seriousness, its going to be a trip worth retelling, that I am sure. I'm also quite sure my travel companions will keep my spirits lifted if the going gets tough - and with a semi-infected ingrown toenail, the going will be tough at times.

I'm also excited to stay there on the cheap, we scored several deals on transportation, on our tour, and on our lodging. The amazing thing, I wasn't even responsible for any of that. This might explain more of the "why" behind my lack of enthusiasm. I haven't had a lot of insight as to the details of our trip. Regardless I'm delightfully surprised that there are women out there who have a knack for being scrupulously detailed and thrifty. Its kind of refreshing.

In preparation for this trip I tried to snag myself a little prize, and that most recent purchase arrived via the US postal service the other week. This shiny, new toy being my Osprey Talon 33L backpack. I think this will be the perfect fit for a fast trek like this, wherein I'm asked to carry limited supplies and cover a lot of ground. I really think it'll suit me well later if I were to partake in a multi-stage race event or self-sustained fastpacking trip. I can't wait to test it out. Its light, flexible, breathable and seemingly rugged... Hopefully all those traits come in handy right away, I'm heading down to a country that's experiencing the tailend of their "rainy season" (as according to my guide book - which I'm just now reading).

Speaking of testing things out, as I mentioned above, I just bought my first pair of pure minimalist footwear, the New Balance Minimus Trail (or NB 10 Trail). I'm throwing "Yankz" on 'em tonight, so I can easily slip them on or off. These special bungy-cord like laces are also black and reflective, so they can be seen in case I'm riding my bike in these shoes at night. That's actually an intention of mine, I plan on utilizing these sock-less minimalists to train clients in as well as get in a few light runs or workouts for myself. I decided to make the switch because I've thrown on a pair of old running shoes lately when I wanted to take a break from wearing my running shoes, and they've just done a number on my biomechanics. I figured if I'm going to mess around, I might as well mess around with footwear that's going to strengthen my feet and improve my gait. We'll see how these work out, so far I'm liking the idea of saving myself from doing laundry containing piles of socks. Not sure how these will smell if I go throw with that plan of action though...

I'm going to add more to this blog in a bit, going over topics such as running barefoot, TRX and IHRSA, as well as how my jobs are going.

Sunday Theory & Pirate Booty

2011-03-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

Before I start, I just want to state that 1) I need to figure out my wireless network so I can stop sitting in uncomfortable chairs, and 2) I need a comfortable chair.

Now, my Sunday Theory. Its not a huge, Earth shattering idea, however, as far as I know almost every Sunday of my life has been pretty decent. I mean here and there they've sucked, but the weather has always been decent despite that. I feel like Sunday's are typically better weather days, and maybe some higher power has something to do with that. I don't know, my theory's really just about weather. Moving on...

I'm hoping to read up on Peru tonight or tomorrow, so when friends like Megan Wong as me about my vacation before I leave I'll actually be able to talk to her about it, instead of saying, "I haven't a clue what's about to happen, or what I'll see." I'll also throw down the recap for my most recent race, which didn't go as planned, but still wound up being okay.

So yesterday I ran the PCTR Pirates Cove 20km, my goal for the first half of the year is to build on my weaknesses, particularly speed and strength (so I can climb faster). I fell ill this week with the latest bug that's been circling about San Francisco, so I knew my running was going to struggle. I also compounded this issue by working IHRSA (an annual fitness showcase for club and business owners looking to buy products for their gyms). I worked the TRX booth and basically did workouts the entire time which stressed my system and muscles out a bit more. Also, unfortunately, I missed a massage on Friday night because I was just flipping beat.

Anyway, the conditions on Saturday were pretty horrid, not the best to try and run fast in a race. We probably had 15-20 mile per hour wind gusts, and pelting rain at the start. The rain dissipated soon after the start of the 20km, which was nice. It was okay having the wind, because although it was hitting me running up both climbs, and along parts of the route, I felt like it was probably helping out my breathing. I was having a hard time getting air in since my nose was dripping snot pretty steadily down my face and across my mouth. My hips and hamstrings felt worse for wear as soon as we started, but I didn't notice them until I was near the top of the first climb along Coastal.

The first portion of the race climbs from Rodeo Beach along Coastal and through some old WW2 bunkers and formations that the military setup for defense of San Francisco in case of a Japanese attack. Its pretty cool, and its hard to race this portion, due to some stairs and at least 1 technical scramble nearest the summit (photo of race start area at left on a typically overcast morning - not from our race, it would have looked like a monsoon). After that you bomb along Wolf Ridge, which is mostly downhill to Miwok. After climbing up most of Coastal solo, behind the eventual first place runner, I reeled it in at the 2 sets of stairs near the top, and along the technical scramble. I figured I was pushing myself too fast.

I caught up to 2 runners who had overtaken me on Wolf Ridge, then kept them at my 6 along Miwok, and then down Old Springs. Once upon Marincello I hunkered down into a steady pace I felt okay with. I didn't think I'd get passed during this section, but the 2 runners I passed earlier just jaunted up past me throwing a .10 mile buffer between myself and them. This is when I realized my lungs, legs, and body were not responding like they normally would. This was fine, I was okay grabbing 4th, so long as I kept running strong and steady. I actually had my doubts I'd be able to do that after Marincello. However, after taking the summit (in about 6-7 minutes - super fast) I was able to run well enough to keep the 2 runners in my vision and couldn't spot anyone behind me until reaching SCA and turning onto Coastal.

Running along SCA was fine, and I saw that the 2 guys in front of me had started to separate. I took it easy with the small climb up Coastal and then tried my best to bomb down the rest of Coastal to the flat section along Rodeo Valley. I figured I'd be gassed and unable to keep a steady tempo. I was listening to music on my mp3 player, which I rarely do, so once I hit the flat section I just tried to play some motivating music. I think that tactic worked, as I felt as if I was pushing myself and tapping out by the time I finished. I ran strong into the final stretch and wound up with a time of 1:32 (I think if everything in life were going my way I might have finished closer to 1:27 - good enough for 2nd). I suppose the 1 guy in front of me ran bandit, so officially I finished in 3rd and got 1st in my age group. The leader won it in 1:23, and I pretty much knew I'd never catch him after the first climb, but the 2 other guys I figured would never have caught me if I were fresher.

I felt happy with my time, and representing the PCTR Race Team, despite my placement. I'm getting closer to my goal, which is to finish first overall in one of the shorter distance events, and I performed well despite my condition and predicaments. I got to see a few other fellow racers out there, but I was pretty cold after the race and had to train clients back in the city. I helped set up the 50km aid station with Michael Popov, then huddled inside a bathroom until I could ride home with Ana Shapiro's friend Amanda (Ana's the one sporting the visor in the photo to the left). I was super thankful to get home, but pissed I had to run out and train right away. I really need to find a day to just relax during my week w/o any physical commitments. Hopefully I can figure that out soon!

In other news a few other friends ran really well this weekend, Larissa Polischuk got 2nd female in the 50km event on Saturday with Marla Moresi-Valdes finishing 3rd right behind her. Randy Katz grabbed a PR too (11th overall), Joel Lanz grabbed 2nd overall with Rick Gaston not far behind in 5th place! My friend Devon Crosby-Helms also qualified for the Olympic Trails this weekend running through a deluge in LA at the LA Marathon (with a time of 2:43, finishing 8th female, and 41st overall). It was a pretty crazy weekend weather wise, but we all had a lot of fun and success running regardless!

So the photo to the right is a lot of the Ninja gang during a Miwok training run the weekend before Pirates Cove. It was a good time running at an easy tempo along the ridges north of Mt. Tam out towards Bolinas. The trail is a very narrow single-track and it was doing a number on my glutes and hips having to weave in and out with 1 foot falling directly in front of the other. Nonetheless, its always nice to get to join in for a run with some of the best trail runners around.

Hopes & Dreams & Unicorns...

2011-03-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

How am I not excited for my trip to Peru yet? Its less than 2 weeks away and I'm not even contemplating it. I even got my sweet, new Osprey Talon 33L pack this morning (finally, had to visit the post office 3 times and waste 2 hours before that happened) for the trip, yet I'm still not that jazzed.

It promises to be an amazing experience, especially since I'm entirely unprepared for what to expect at this rate. This is all very unlike me. Did you see 1 of my first entries? It was a laid out plan for running a portion of the Via Alpina in Europe. I mean, that hasn't happened, but already I know exactly how it will go down. So hopefully, in a few days time I'll be more knowledgeable about this trip and aware of how to prepare

Beyond this amazing trip to Peru, wherein I'll trek the trail to Machu Picchu for 4 days, I've been considering a lot of other trips. I think I'll have to book one trip tonight, but I can't tell you about that one, its a secret. The other trips are interesting though, I got a sweet invitation to a wedding in Sayulita, Mexico. My client, Chelsea Bullen is getting married there and invited me to come, its in June, but I really should check into flights for it soon.

Another opportunity could occur for me to visit Mexico, specifically Cabo, in May. It would be great to go down there again, and it would not be that expensive of an endeavor since the host has a time share down there. Lets see, oh yeah, I'm also getting stoked off the idea of road tripping up to Oregon for the PCTR Forest Park Trail Run in Portland on May 29th (memorial day weekend). It could be fun to run that and visit Eugene, Ashland and Crater Lake in Oregon (the former being the home of Nike, Pre and much other run related excitement, with Ashland being a hotbed for trail running, and Crater Lake just being awesome). Its about a 12 hour drive, but it would take longer because you'd probably have to stop to take pictures of a few places and walk around.

Beyond that, later in the year I was considering another run up in Southern Oregon around Sunriver (listed in my upcoming race section). I'm also thinking of running the Dublin Marathon, and I guess I should get on top of that before the race sells out. Visiting Ireland during the ladder half of the year will be interesting, since I think that's their rainy season, its also a long way to go, without many direct flights. That doesn't bode well for a fast marathon in most cases, however I was thinking that maybe I could turn the race into good training for a 50 miler later in the year... That I should also sign up for pretty soon. That race being the JFK 50 Miler, which is one of the oldest ultra events and also one of the biggest (with around 1,000+ competitors yearly). It takes place back in Southwestern, Maryland only 45 minutes away from my hometown. I can only imagine how sweet the homemade recovery meal would be, and now I'm guaranteed to dream of schnitzel...

Back to the Dublin Marathon, my friends Jeff Wong and Thomas Kinsella have already signed up. Thomas is Irish, from Cork, and has a relative who lives in Dublin, so we'd have cheap lodging while visiting. It makes it seem really worth it. I was also contemplating a trek/staged run from Dublin down to Cork (I would guess that's around 180 miles), wherein I could run for portions of the day and crash in B&B's along the route. I've heard its been done before and that again would be good training leading into JFK in late November (the Marathon is on October 31st).

Oh yeah, and before all that I might unofficially run 50 miles trying to complete the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim run in Grand Canyon National Park. Its less than 50 miles, but its still a tough mother. You should really only attempt it during the shoulder seasons when there are less crowds and cooler temperatures, and since spring is almost out of the question now, that only leaves the fall.

Man, with all these trips I imagine my checking account could take quite a hit. Hopefully I can start training a lot more clients before I have to start worrying about my expenses.

If I had to put this all down on a timeline (in addition to my upcoming races schedule to the right) it might look like this:

April : Peru & Super Secret Trip
May : Cabo & Portland, OR
June : Sayulita, Mex, & Sunriver, OR
July : Tahoe
August : SF
September : Grand Canyon, AZ
October : Dublin, Ire
November : DC Area
December : SF/Tahoe

January 2011 at a Glance

2011-03-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

People in the trail running community test their mettle at the ultra-marathon distances, you get your few speed demons, but even they wind up running a few 50k's. You get used to hearing the question "What's your next race" asked a lot amongst your running buddies. Well for the new year, I do have aspirations of going long, but as usual my response to these questions are simply, running a few shorter PCTR races. I started off the new year doing just that, which was a tradition I started back in 2009.

No matter how I try, I can never get my act together in time for Pacific Coast Trail Run's Angel Island Trail Race, which is a bummer, cause it falls right around my birthday every year. Nonetheless, it was a fun outing, as it's always been. Sarah, Michael, Mike and the expanded PCTR RD crew has never let runners down, despite hang ups with Park Authorities or Ferry Scheduling, the Angel Island race is always a must run (and is featured at least twice a year). I highly recommend signing up in advance for this event, and then planning to spend time in Tiburon noshing afterward (my usual M.O.).

The race itself went okay for me, I finished in the top 10 (top 8 overall I think) for the distance I ran. I felt better towards the end, I just couldn't muster the speed needed on the uphill sections to run strong throughout the race. When the final downhill section came, I did my best to uncork my remaining energy. I may have passed 2 people on the way down, but I really didn't have much left, nor many people to chase down. The 16km option, which I ran, circumnavigates the perimeter of the entire island for 1 loop (the 25km takes 2 loops, one around the base and barracks of the old island fort before) climbing up to a perimeter fire road. This loop is pretty straightforward in that you climb to get to the fire road, then cruise around the island without much in your way. The 2nd little circuit is the summit loop. You climb to Mt. Livermore (circa 800') for a majority of the loop, before descending for about ~1.5 miles on switch backs.

While ascending to Mt. Livermore, I noticed a familiar runner on my heels, it was my friend Elaine Strauss. An up-and-coming trail runner, the sight of her sort of made me feel a bit of fear build up inside me. I knew I was off my game, but I was not going to get beat by Elaine in one of her first attempts on the trails. Fortunately once we hit the final turn to take the summit I noticed I had put some distance between the two of us, and saw her again on my way down the out-n-back summit trail. I wished her well with a high five and kept at it to finally make 8th out of however many. As I mentioned previously, not a tremendous performance, but I was not yet sporting my PCTR Racing Team kit, so I didn't feel terrible about it.

Afteward we hit up Sam's Cafe in Tiburon, there was a sizeable group, and we did a mini-birthday celebration. My friend Jackie spoiled me with a very nice, stylish measuring cup set. I had just moved into a new apartment at the advent of the new year and even now (its March 13th) I barely have a full ensemble of cutlery. That's another story though.

So during the week that followed the Angel Island trail race I celebrated my birthday with some friends at Tortilla Heights. I typically plan my own events, but have been so busy with my sporadic training schedule that my friend and fellow trainer Larissa Polischuk basically put it into place with some insights from me. There were a bunch of ladies there, shocker, and a few of my guy friends made an appearance too. Jeff Wong was pretty kind and grabbed me some sweet calf sleeves, so we can look like twins on the trail (which is kind of how we looked at the CIM race actually).

Come Thursday I took a trip to Seattle, I had a ton of mixed emotions heading into this trip. I shared a few on Wednesday night (in part due to my lack of sobriety, and because I was with good friends). I was flying there to visit Seattle for the second time of my life, because it was kind of an impromptu birthday celebration, and to see the girl I was dating at the time. The trip was okay, but not really how I envisioned it going. The girl and I were facing the beginning of the end.

After the trip to Seattle, not too many interesting things took place before February came. Although, I did attend the PCTR Awards Banquet and was surprised that my friend Jeff Wong and I had both taken home honors for our accomplishments during the year. It was a pretty cool surprise.

During the month I also got more comfortable working at the Bay Club during the week, trained a few clients, and tried to get back into the swing of things with my running. It was a turbulent month, but overall I felt pretty blessed.

2010 Ends, 2011 Begins!

2011-02-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

So I'm about 2 months behind on updating anything and everything relative to this blog. At this point I have like 2-3 gear reviews, my upcoming race is still CIM, and I haven't delved deep enough into who I am as a person.

Maybe I can change that in the coming weeks. I'd like to think so.

Lets start with what happened before 2011 kicked off. After CIM I took it easy, only running the Pacific Coast Trail Run Rodeo Beach 20km trail race finishing 7th overall (photo of Jeff Wong along Rodeo Beach wrapping up his 30km race). I was not really prepared for the hill climbing, which slowed me down and wore me out. Honestly, 2010 was just not a great running year for me, I plateaued in the first half of the year, did nothing to improve my speed, and only tried to moderately increase my distance in the ladder half of the year. It was kind of a fitting end for me, just placing okay, when, by this point I should be performing better than I did a year before.

I guess the adage is true, if you aren't speeding up, you're slowing down, at least in my case, cause that's how I feel. 2011 will involve me taking new measures to change my performances. My goals include the following:

Run a 2:50 Marathon
Run a sub-1:20 Half
Run a 50 Mile race
Run 2 50km races
Win 1 PCTR event out-right
Visit 2 foreign countries (Peru in April)
Get 2 more certifications (Spinning, one down)
Go camping 5 times

Looking back at 2011 further, before the holidays arrived, or about the time they were coming into sight, I met someone.

It wasn't at all surprising that it happened, as I feel whenever the holidays are near, and I've been single, I've generally started down the path towards a committed relationship. I don't really know if that stems from me being available and women wanting a man to care about them during the coldest and sometimes loneliest time of year. Or, maybe its due to me believing that the holidays are the "coldest and loneliest time of year". Either way its happened at least twice before.

The great part of this is that I felt something only somewhat familiar stirring inside me while I became more friendly with this woman. In retrospect I should have observed some warning signals, but I fell for her. It was nice to realize I'm not entirely jaded, and that I could feel that warm, fuzzy feeling inside again.

It started out intense and fast-paced, but, like most relationships that start out this way, it fizzled and faded out, with some steady turbulence along the route. I don't consider it a total loss, due to the way it made me feel during the tryst's debut, but it ended only recently, so I'm not all rainbows and kittens quite yet. I'm no longer looking back at the beginning, which so often occurs when something ends, and I've become entirely self-involved, so that helps (more on this in a later post).
While I was wrapped up in the bindings of my warm, fuzzy relations I also took a trip back home to be with the family for the holidays. The trip home was nice, but lately I've been savoring this fare city. When I flew in over parts of Northern Virginia and later rode around the suburbs of DC I yearned to be back within the San Francisco city limits. I guess I've adopted the snobbish arrogance that many people attribute to denizens of San Francisco, as I just feel like the Bay Area has really got it going on in comparison to my hometown.

It was great to be out in the city with my family though, and to have the chance to interact with my gal pal Lauren for a few hours as well (Lauren & I at the Newseum at Left). I was feverishly texting with my beau during all of this, which is kind of ridiculous because I think that's such a horrible thing for someone to do. I tried to make it discreet, but my own family came down on me pretty hard on more than 1 occasion.

While home we got to indulge in my father's charity by dining at Dan Guisti's restaurant, 1789 (mom & dad featured at right). A great meal was had and I felt compelled to indulge in some desert. I pretty much ate like I had never seen food before when I was home. That's actually a pretty typical affair I have; whenever I return home my lust for fat filled food returns with me. And, in kind, my gruesome fitness affair wakes with a start only a few minutes after deplaning at SFO.

Speaking of terrific meals, my mom was whipping up all kinds of delectable concoctions in her kitchen. I ate well, as I always do, while I was home. I even got to have my favorite comfort food, Spaetzel, Schnitzel and broccoli (dipped in mayo - oh yeah). I think in the future the only things I'd change is that I'd make Kase Spaetzel (mit zwiebel und champignons) to accompany the Schnitzel. Don't even ask me how many chocolate chip cookies I ate, I stopped keeping count.

When I got home from DC, I made plans to spend the new year taking my latest attraction out for a night on the town. We ate at SPQR, which is a venue I'd been interested in sampling for some time. The interior was pretty peculiar, the music selection seemed off, but the food was superb. My date and I both enjoyed our time there, then had to brace the cold to make it to our other engagements that night. We finished the evening struggling to stay up till midnight on the west coast and indulging in some ice cream before calling it a night.

Soon after the new year my 29th birthday came along, and I'll speak to that and to the other events of January in a subsequent post. That's it for now!

C-I-Man Alive That Smarts!

2010-12-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

So last weekend I ran the California International Marathon, or CIM, in Sacramento. Out of all the major road races I've done it seems to be the best organized. There was a ton of Porta-Johns (an oh-so-important feature to any race), the buses at all the hotels were on time, the expo was good, the aid stations were plentiful and well stocked (didn't see a lot of Gu stops though). Even the medals were nice, and apparently they served pancakes at the finish!? I wouldn't know...

Only a few sentences in and already this blog stinks.

One of my gripes was the electrolyte drink they offered. It tasted so bizarre. If you're going to offer runners something they've NEVER even heard of before, send them samples when they sign up or offer them a discount on the product ahead of time to get used to it. I would just steer clear of controversy altogether by going with one of the major brands, or at least picking a flavor that doesn't taste like a Gatorade concoction gone horribly awry! Seriously, was the desired effect of the beverage to get me to want to over-indulge in the water cups offered soon thereafter!? Mission accomplished, I was hydrating heavily after mistakenly grabbing whatever was in that cup.

My other issue was with regard to the finishing area. Its not really CIM's fault however. The park they chose in front of the State Capital building makes total sense for a race finish. Its just that that park is minuscule when you take into account 7,000 or so runners and their family members will be hording around it en masse on race day. Trying to figure out where the complimentary food was being offered, or where your sweat bags were was a major drag and took some doing. They could have earned back some credit by staging someone near the end of the finisher's chute helping to direct runners to their destinations. Heck, they could have just put a sign up and saved themselves a volunteer.

Okay, all that said, it was a very well put on point-to-point race. Still, its too bad there wasn't anything to see between the start and the finish. Also, in retrospect, I think I kind of prefer courses that weasel their way around from the start to the finish - and I'll tell you why in a second.

How'd the race go for me? Well not so good. How did it go for others!? Well, Michelle Meyer ran a PR and continues to amaze (her time was 2:53 I believe). Jeff Wong didn't reach his goal time but still ran a quick 3:12. Lindsay Mayfield reached a PR and broke 4 hours. Tor, Jeff's roommate, surpassed his expectations by coming in under 6 hours, while Mimi Ko did her best to enjoy the race and came in around 4.5 hours. I ran a 3:30ish time and had a good first half (1:29).

So I ran a poor race, things could have been worse, I could've crapped all over myself (apologies to those offended).

I started the race near the 3 hours pace group. I felt that my tempo runs and my long runs which I added some long tempo work into the middle of, made me feel somewhat confident I could run just under a 7 minute-per-mile pace. Hindsight is twenty/twenty though and if I could do it over again I would have strayed back and ran with the 3:15 pace leader. Even if everything fell apart regardless of my pace, I think I could have still kept myself together enough to almost reach the finish running at that speed.

Unfortunately I went out at a speed I knew I could maintain for a half and even further than that, but the hills got me. You see this race has an aggregate net loss of elevation, starting near Folsom Lake and descending towards the capital about 600 feet or so. The truth of the matter is you would never be able to tell due to the hills you interact with along the course. They aren't immense, most are a change in elevation of about 50 feet, but they are numerous. At first this can be seen as a good thing, it means different muscles in your legs are working hard, while the other muscles get more of a rest. However, if you want to run fast, flat is always the way to go, and hills can sabotage your race. I actually spied a number of elite runners walking the course near the end, choosing to DNF rather than damage their overall results for the year.

When I arrived at my first series of hills I ran up them with vigor and tenacity, trying to maintain overall effort/pace, and wound up just hurting myself in the end. I should have listened to my body, I should have pulled back and enjoyed the race. I noticed after mile 8 or 9 that my left heel wasn't landing that often. My Hyperspeed 4's were doing a number on my gait. (After the race I decided I'd relegate them to just my shorter distances on road, as I don't think they offer my feet enough cushion and support.) Because of this awkward stride my left calf cramped up, then my quad, and I wound up running one good leg. Well I knew relying on my right leg to get me through the race was foolish, but I was nearing the halfway mark and hadn't slowed down by much.

By mile 13 I had caught up with Jeff, who I had been tailing by a few blocks since the start. He had dropped the hammer early on in the race. He chose to go out hard and just see what happened, well, he was slowing down by the halfway point (we both were) and eventually the 3 hour pacer caught up to us. While this was happening is when I made the decision to back off and try to pace with the 3:10 group. When they reached me at about mile 17 I couldn't keep up. I figured I would stay between that group, run/walking between aid stations, and hope for the best.

Honestly though, by mile 14 I wanted to quit, to DNF/DQ myself. The issue here is that the course is point-to-point and they don't bring the meat wagons around until the 5 hour finishers come on through. I didn't really have that kind of time to kill, so I pressed on. Having said that, I have become a bigger fan of races that wind their ways, through a smaller area, to the finish. If you quit halfway at one of those races its feasible you could still walk to the finishing area (or take public transit if necessary) and it wouldn't kill your morning. Anyway, moving on...

When the 3:20 pace group caught up to me around mile 21 I was pretty pissed. The first year I ran CIM I ran it in 3:23 and it wasn't until mile 20 that the 3:20 pace group caught me. I was hitting the wall then, and when they passed me I felt so defeated. I wanted to run a 3:15 that year, so being caught by the 3:20 when I was hitting the wall was basically adding insult to injury. I pressed on in that race, I was filled with anger. I was still bitter over some of the events that had happened earlier in the year (the year was 2007, just FYI), and that rage spurred me on. I held it inside of me, and finished only 3 minutes after the pace group. However, on Sunday, December 5th, I was at a loss. My year has been turbulent, but I felt no hatred or anger towards anyone. Not enough to drive me home anyway.

No, the only thing I felt was pain and mental anguish when the 3:20 pace group crept up on me as we climbed over a bridge into the Sacramento city limits. I hung in, but once I reached the next aid stationed I slowed down to walk and grab some water. I must have looked wretched, as an EMS worker came up and asked if I needed attention. I told him to worry about someone else, and shuffled past. Eventually I got back to run/walking and rounded the bend after the 25 mile marker for the finish. I huffed it all the way into the finish, with my head hung low, while many runners around me held theirs up and listened to the cheers of the crowds around them.

I heard someone call my name out as I approached the finish. They told me to hurry up, but they were about 13 miles too late on that one. I finished the race, and stuck around the park trying to find other members of my posse. Eventually I came across Lindsay, but we lost each other soon thereafter. In all, I probably spent about an hour wandering around the park, cold, sweaty and in pain. I felt better after I got a hot shower at the hotel and ate a quick recovery meal in Davis.

I think I can easily say this race put me through some of the most mental stress I've ever had to deal with. I also had to deal with a decent amount of pain in my feet with this race, and some cramping, but I think some of my other races this year helped me deal with that. I'd say I was probably in more pain at the end of the Skyline 50km, though I was almost done when my hips cramped up then. Nonetheless, the pain I felt was piercing, and I never wanted to experience that again, and fortunately I haven't yet.

In a way its unfortunate for me that the world is so well connected and that all my running buds knew I was at this race. They knew the results as soon as I passed the line. I felt a pang, a demoralizing spasm to my ego when I checked Facebook to see that folks were posting on my status that they couldn't find my results yet, or that I had only ran a 3:33 (apparently, I haven't double checked that yet). It was my second "defeat" at the marathon distance this year. I hate having excuses to go with these results as well, but everyone wants to have a reason.

One of my favorite running ads of all time, click it, then read the print in the upper right corner.

I think I did a fair job detailing my race above. My assessment is that I could have benefited from more speed drills, a better pair of racing shoes, and starting out slower the next time. After the race Jeff and I talked and I think I might run the LA Marathon with him at the end of March. It could be a good race, and I have decided to lower my target time down to a 2:50 marathon, since I have roughly 3.5 months to train for the race. I will need to prepare myself well for that endeavor while at the same time getting in enough trial and hill training so that I can perform adequately at the trial races I have coming in early 2011.

I'd love to get a PR at the Angel Island 25km race on January 9th. That's right around my birthday and I have a history of under-performing at that event. I even trained over the summer of 2009 on the island several times and ran faster practice runs better than I have ever ran in a race there. Maybe I can change all that soon.

My legs are still sore from the race right now, so running fast, while on my mind, isn't going to happen immediately. My next race is Rodeo Beach 20km on December 18th, which is another week away. Getting a PR on that course will be tough because I haven't done a ton of hill training due to CIM, but we'll see how it goes.

Here's hoping for great results in 2011!

Gratitude, I has it.

2010-11-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

Insert photo of cute, cuddly kitty... You know what, I think I will!

So yeah, I'm grateful for a lot of things these days. My current thankfulness extends back to the beginning of last year. I'm just gonna do it by the numbers, while the numbers are irrelevant, it just seems the fastest way to get everything out. I guess they kind of go in chronological order though. So, without further adieu, the things I'm thankful for...

1) The recession. What!? Yes, the recession. Without that I'd still be working at a law firm, a job I disliked. Sure the money was good, yes it afforded me to belong to a high-end gym, go on fancy trips, buy expensive clothes and live a life of... Wait a second!? No, I'm better off now living from paycheck to paycheck, I feel a lot more fulfilled by what I do. Seriously.

2) Working for lululemon athletica. Though my time with the company was relatively short, although the hours were kinda long... I got to reevaluate myself, my life goals, career goals and extracurricular goals. Its a good company to work for, and the reading I did as a result of my employment was worth it. The friends I made, and experiences I had because of the job were also cool. I got to meet a lot of runners, interact with the fitness community and even landed my next job from it.

3) Working with TRX. Its a great company, with great employees and I love teaching classes there. The clients are nice and the product we utilize everyday in class is top notch. Its a great brand that's generating a lot of buzz.

4) The friends I've made. Many of which are athletes, or folks who run. Its been fun making new acquaintances and friendships. I finally feel like I have a nitch here in the city. Back east I had my lacrosse buddies and my old high school friends and out here I have my running guys and girls. I probably still have WAY more girl friends than I do guy friends, but I've got my small crew and that works for me.

5) The opportunities I've gotten through running. I've gotten to run at the XTERRA National Championship simply because I ran okay at a few trail races. I made a terrific connection in Sarah Spelt, the Race Director/Co-Founder of Pacific Coast Trail Runs, she even threw me on their newly cemented racing team for 2011 (an honor that I'm super astounded by but entirely stoked for). Working with TNF in a voluntary role on Tuesday nights is also pretty cool. I've gotten to design routes in the city, entice other folks to try trail running and scored some stellar gear to boot. It seems like a couple of other great things might come out of my enthusiasm for running and coaching as well. We'll have to wait and see about that though.

6) Living in San Francisco. This one is out of order, but I just thought of it. I've never lived in a place that's made me feel more at home than San Francisco. I suppose I thought DC was the right place for me, but something changed all that. I escaped to San Francisco really, and I don't know, I guess I had no expectations for this city. I just wanted to live here for a bit, use it as a home base and then bounce to the next locale. Every year though my perception of this city changes, and it grows on me some more. Its DEFINITELY got its problems, the list is long, but the positives out-weigh the negatives in my mind. The year round climate, the gorgeous vistas and surroundings, the proximity to great destinations for almost any outdoor activity you can imagine... Yeah, its pretty hard to beat. Now if they would only lower the rent!

7) Being healthy. I'm very, very thankful for my good health. And now that I ride my bike, run or walk everywhere I get a little creeped out when I ride on the buses. Germs! Germs everywhere!

8) I'm grateful that I'm working in the industry that suits me and my strengths. My dad's a story teller and a teacher, he's observant, and a disciplinarian. My mom is sociable, direct and fascinated by culture and history. Due to all of that I'm very observant, insightful, sociable, direct, curious and can speak at length about a lot of subjects (even if I know very little about them, watch out for that). I feel excited when I'm working on game plans or lesson plans, when I'm trying to think of the best way to push people. So although now I'm just a fitness instructor and working to be a personal trainer, I'd like to take a few more steps to get back on the playing field or inside an athletic facility as a coach, even if its just a strength & conditioning coach. Although, I'd really enjoy being attached to a sports team, club or franchise in an ancillary or head coaching/manager role.

9) I'm thankful for all the people I've met over the course of this year. I don't know why, but I keep feeling like there are pieces of them I can borrow, or ways in which I can learn from them. I've been looking for those opportunities, whether these people are offering them or not. And it literally has been almost everyone I've seen on a semi-regular basis this year. I might not be changing drastically, but I am cataloging all the ways I can improve, and traits I can borrow from those I've met.

10) Lets finish with ten things, its a nice round number. I'm thankful, that even though I am living paycheck to paycheck, I've still got this great life. I haven't had to change the way I live drastically, I've still got some money in the bank, and I can still travel home to see my family over the holidays because of this. It could be a lot worse, and I'm grateful that its not. I'm happy with what I have, but I'm not satisfied yet.

2011 is around the corner, but there's still a few blogs left for 2010. Stay tuned, I've gotta fill you in on my recent race out in Sacramento. Can't wait!

Check out what I listened to while writing this blog by clicking here.

2010 is the Year of Weddings & Babies

2010-11-24T22:15:00.000-08:00

So after my trip to Utah I had to quickly turn around and pack for another jet-setting adventure to the most glorious of all exotic locales, Columbus, Ohio. Yes that's right, Ohio, the Buckeye State... What's a Buckeye? Some kind of nut. I think? Its not important.

My buddy John Pitts was getting married, and not only was I fortunate to be invited, I was also blessed because I got to be in the wedding. John, having known me for a number of years, decided my skills as an organizer would allow me to be one of the best Ushers north of the Mason Dixon Line. He handed over the reigns of his wedding day to me and I never let him down, in fact I totally rocked that mother... Well, no, I just walked a few older women to their seats for the most part and sat in the shade of a tree during the wedding. However, if that's your idea of rocking the socks off of something, then I NAILED IT!

(from L to R: John & I, the wedding party, ushering, the guys)

It was a lovely ceremony, and me and the old boys from Denison had ourselves a grand old time. The festivities at the reception were a sight, there was much Tomfoolery being had. I break dance fought a 5 year old and even danced with a flower goal... Basically I got to check off 2 of my life's goals.

(from L to R: Pre-Rehearsal Shots, Post-Rehearsal drinks and John figuring out his vows... Tsk, tsk)

The day after the wedding I just sat around for a while, musing over my thoughts. My flight wasn't until the afternoon, but almost everyone on Sunday had to be somewhere, doing something, of relative importance. So there I was, at Easton Mall, killing time in a world of consumption. I started to think about my life, I mean I went to school in Ohio oh so many years ago and a lot has changed since then.

(from L to R: John, Thomas & Doug, Tommy & Doug at the wedding throwing up gang signs)

For starters, my ex-girlfriend (the one I dated in college and afterward in VA) shot me a text message in mid-October telling me she's pregnant. And this was on the heels of 2 weddings and a few baby birthings. Oh yeah, and speaking of, all my friends outside of California are either getting married, soon to be married, having kids, or letting me know they're expecting. It really made my "life changes" seem pathetic when compared to my friends back east or from college and the transitions they were going through.

The text message was what really sent me over the edge though. Before that I was fine. I was just everyone's single buddy showing up stag to weddings, indulging in the open bars, and dancing the night away. After that point in time though I started to feel like the loser who didn't have any prospects.

(This pup knows what's up)

I've since come back to thinking my life is awesome for a number of reasons and I'm totally normal. After all, in the back of my head I'm telling myself I don't need to settle down with anyone until I'm at least somewhere around the age of 34. That leaves me a decent amount of time to get my life in order and find myself a suitable bride. Um, but, that doesn't mean all my lady friends need to stop setting me up with their single, normal, athletic and attractive friends...

Anyway, I think some moments in life hit you like a ton of bricks. But, sometimes those moments are just gut checks. You kind of get the wind knocked out of you, but you get back on your feet, scratch the back of your head and say to yourself, "what was that about?"

For a second there my world felt upside down, it took a day or two to realize everything happening in my friend's lives (at least outside of SF) had nothing to do with me, and their situations were much different than my own. I am happy pursuing the career path I'm embarking upon now, and its pretty normal for me to be single in San Francisco.
And really, when you boil it down, if I found out my girlfriend was pregnant and I was going to be a dad right now, well, lets just say that little gut check might feel more like Chuck Norris round-house kicking me in the face. At least at first, and then, who knows. Fortunately, I don't have to think about that. Oh, and I'm happy for Lindsey. She's really excited and it sounds like her relationship with her baby's daddy is wonderful. I'm sure she'll be a great mom.

YEEHAW UTAH!

2010-11-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

Perhaps this entry should be re-titled "high and dry in the desert" since Utah is up on the Colorado Plateau and southern Utah is a desert. Oh, and because my wheels came off during the St. George Marathon, more on that in a moment.

I wound up in Utah, for the second time, because I won a small contest offered by one of the St. George Marathon's principal sponsors, Clif Bar. They sent me some very nice food items, an entry into the St. George Marathon, and a hat to wear during the race (which I did). Its a popular race, and its considered a fast course, since it descends roughly 2600 feet over 26 miles from Capital Junction at 5,240 feet to St. George at 2,680 feet. I wanted to train for the race, but wound up sidetracked by all the fitness and traveling commitments I had during the month of September leading up to the race on October 2nd. So I just figured I'd wing it and see what happens.

I mentioned "for the second time" earlier because I am familiar with the St. George area of Utah. I visited there back in 2007 before I lived in San Francisco to see my friend Lauren McKissick. I was just finishing up this long road trip from Virginia through the southern USA on my way to California. I got to see Bryce National Park, Zion, St. George, Park City, the Great Salt Lake and Salt Lake City. It was a great trip, highlighted by the fact that I got to see it with my main partner in crime.

(from L to R: Near Kolob Canyon, Hiking into the Subway Slot Canyon, The Subway, Outside Park City)

Now that you're caught up, back to the trip I recently took. I flew into Vegas on a Friday morning and drove up to St. George in a rental car. It was amazing to see the transition as a drove from a bubbling sin-filled oasis to the desert itself and then up 4,000 feet to the Colorado Plateau in AZ before reaching St. George. It was a beautiful drive and I'd recommend it to anyone.

(from L to R: Expo, Pre-Race Planning, Drive into Snow Canyon SP, Campsite)

I wound up grabbing my gear at the expo then checking into my lodgings for the evening. I couldn't call anyone to tell them about my goings on because I realized soon after leaving Vegas that Metro PCS doesn't have any cell reception in the state of Utah. It was a bit like traveling back in time. Oh and when I mentioned "checking into my lodgings" I meant my campsite in Snow Canyon State Park just outside of St. George. I was going to have to get up at 4AM to grab a shuttle to the race start in Capital Junction, that would not be fun. You know what else is not fun, trying to pass out in 80 degree heat in the middle of the night, while sleeping in a bag rated for temperatures between 0-40 degrees. Needless to say I didn't sleep much, or at all, before the race.

I ended up making the shuttle, and leaving with the 3:10 pace group as the race let out in the morning. I was cruising, taking moments to check in with myself and see if this pace was one I could hold for an extended period of time. I felt that it was, but time would tell. I had to peel off the course about 11 miles in to hit the porta-john, then did my best to run up a mile long hill to get the pace group back in sight. I did that, but couldn't reel them in. I also finished my only gel back at mile 6 or 7 and was checking in at the aid stations for another one (I had brought that one with me). I found out quickly though that there were NO GELS at any of the stations, just orange slices, clif bar samples (the bars, not the gels) and lemon-lime Gatorade (which makes me puke, but I was doing my best to take it in anyway).

From there on out I was just doing my best to maintain form. Right around mile 14 we started a steep descent past Snow Canyon State Park. It was pretty, but I knew it was going to be hell on my legs so I grabbed some Icy Hot. They were handing out sticks of Vaseline and offering Icy Hot at some of the aid stations, so I said what the heck and tried it. It was nice at first, then the cooling effect wore off and my legs started to burn, that part was not cool (literally/figuratively).

Once we hit an incline up to mile 20 I felt my calves start to cramp. My hip flexors felt okay, which was terrific, but my calves cramping spelled the beginning of the end for me. I was doing the math, and I was still bound to finish under a 3:10 pace at the rate I was moving. Once mile 21 came up though, I had to walk and shuffle the rest of the way into St. George. I was in pain, it was getting really hot (at least 90 by this point in the AM), and all I wanted was to be in a tub of ice after grabbing a massage.

I got back to town, finished the marathon, stopped a volunteer who was trying to put a medal around my neck (I was far to sticky), trudged through a mister, posed for a requisite finisher's photo, and found a patch of grass to clump down upon after scoring some ice water, coke and a popsicle. I did not envy the other runners still on the course, and couldn't fathom why someone would pay to run that far, along that kind of surface, with that kind of descent. Clearly I was fatigued and feeling grumpy, but even now I don't think I'd put myself through that kind of course again. You can find my results here.

I wound up with some solid souvenirs from the race, in the form of humongous blisters. I was also really sore and scrambled to book a massage somewhere. I actually got one at 7PM at a massage place I had just randomly found while driving. Immediately after the race though I went back to the campground, showered, then drove to St. George to grub at Texas Roadhouse (I had been dreaming about chowing down on some Filet Mignon before the race), caught a movie and eventually got that massage.

(images from Zion National Park)

The following day I drove to Zion National Park. I was still tired from not getting much sleep the past 2 days and crushing my legs on some unforgiving surfaces for 26.2 miles, and took an easy hike through the valley on the first day. I setup camp just inside the park, and it wound up raining once I got there, which was fine, because it cooled everything off, but then it started to thunderstorm. This meant I'd again have issues sleeping, which was the case, although at least I wasn't baking in my tent all night long.

The following day there were some concerns as to whether or not I'd be able to hike the Narrows, my prime intention with this trip. I wanted to hike up from the park into the slot canyon and go as far as I felt comfortable traveling before circling back to the entrance into the narrow canyon from the park. When it rains in the park, it could mean its dropping buckets further up river which could translate into flash floods in the Narrows. I decided to risk it, and set off on the hike around 8AM. I posted a video in the Narrows, which I'll share below. Turns out the hike went swimmingly (figuratively).

I didn't have much energy to go on roughly an 8 mile hike up to Observation Point in the rain like I wanted, but I guess I'll just have to go back and give it another go sometime in the future. I decide to drive back to Nevada after scrubbing down and drying off from the hike.

(images from the Narrows)

The trip back to Vegas was uneventful, I felt sad leaving such a beautiful place, and felt completely out of place in Vegas. It was the complete antithesis of where I had just come from (the wilderness). There was neon, open-containers, drunks, noise and pollution. It just wasn't my scene at that point in time. Eventually I made it to the airport and flew back to SF feeling fatigued and looking forward to passing out in my own bed (after a hot shower). It was a tiring trip, and I had a short week lined up before I had to leave town again for another wedding, but I'll fill you in on that later.

(You can learn more about my hike on the 1st day and about my race by watching this vid.)

Wedding in Chico!

2010-11-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

(After traveling all morning to get to Chico I needed a nap. Here my sister is waking me up by body slamming me after she had just gotten out of the pool.)

My cousin Cian Moroso got married in Chico the week after we got back from Yosemite (September 25th). Getting to Chico was more of a chore than one would expect.

(all the A'Hearn cousins - there are even more not represented)

I rode in a cab to the Oakland Train Station then after riding in a train to Sacramento I grabbed a bus to Chico. All told the trip took me about 4.5 hours and roughly $75. It was worth it though, I got to see family and even scored some In & Out.

There's not much to say beyond what's been written; it was a beautiful outdoor wedding, with dancing, dinning and dishing. The only difference was this wedding was dry, so my A'Hearn relatives slipped in flasks and water bottles filled with booze to make matters merrier for us non-religious types. Also, it was sticky hot, even at night.

Yo-Sem-it-E!

2010-11-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

Or "Yo-sem-might!" as the Europeans say.
First things first, epic camera fail. I totally forgot to pack my point & shoot before I got outta dodge. I had to teach a TRX class Friday evening, the night we left, so I did my best to pack everything and load it into J-Wong's car the Thursday night beforehand, and totally botched it (capturing moments, it can be argued, is half the fun of a trip). Thankfully Jeff and my brother packed along a few items to snap photos with.

We drove out Friday night (September 17th) and crashed at the Diamond "O" Campground in Stanislaus National Forest, just outside Yosemite. It was free to us, cause A) we arrived SUPER late, and B) we got up SUPER early (and also because I have a National Park Pass, so typically that allows you to camp off-site, which we didn't do, for free in any national forest). So we sort of bent the rules, oh well.

We got into Yosem right around 7AM, and there wasn't anyone checking passes or taking fees, so we kept driving up towards Tuolomne Meadows, along the way I figured we could stop into Porcupine Flat Campground to see if we couldn't snag a spot. We stopped along the way to grab some gas, then perused around the campsite to find an open spot, eventually grabbing one. After making camp, and realizing how cold it still was outside (making whatever mental notes necessary) we drove down to the meadow.

We stopped at least 3 times to snap some photos, take a few group shots, and enjoy the sunshine. Eventually we got to the Visitors Lodge and Grocery Store, where we bought some supplies for later and talked about what we were going to do. Jeff & I were going to head off on a ~27 mile run and Anna Ingenthron and my brother, Bryan, were going to pursue a 5-hour hike.

We made tentative plans to meet back by the Visitor's Center 5-hours later and embarked in opposing directions. Bryan & Anna took a shuttle to the May Lake trail head and then hiked up to Glen Aulin before following the Tuolomne River back to the meadow.

Jeff & I had originally planned to run towards Merced Lake via the John Muir Trail and then circle back towards Vogelsang Lake and the meadows via Rafferty Creek, a route that would have us ascending about 11,000 feet at least 2 times. However, we had to scrap that plan early, because soon after Jeff and I ran up a 30 foot hill we were keeled over trying to catch our breath. We were somewhere around 8,600 feet and were just not yet conditioned enough to try and summit 11,000 feet.

We changed our route and decided we'd run around 16 miles towards Sunrise Lakes on the John Muir Trail and then cut down towards Tenaya Lake, staying underneath 10,000 feet and doing the best we could to run the whole way. Well, I'm not sure you could call our pace a run, but we did a good job huffing it the whole way. We saw some very cool granite domes, and some really picturesque high elevation meadows as well, its too bad all we had to snap photos with was Jeff's cell phone, but at least that's something. The scene's were definitely breathtaking, and if they didn't take your breath away the altitude would.

We stopped a few times to consume fuel and even take photos for passing groups of hikers. In fact there was a large group of hikers that were traveling together, and they besieged us to take photos of them with 10 (!10!) different cameras. That seemed like an excessive burden to place on a passerby, but we did so begrudgingly.

Eventually we got down to Tenaya Lake, along a steep switchbacking-stone-stairway. The downward grade of the trail and the uncompromising surface did a number on Jeff's knees, so we were both happy to wade into the lake and take a natural ice bath. While there at the lake, and waiting for the Yosemite Shuttle, we bumped into Jenn Pattee. She had just wrapped up her own run and was heading back to hang with the Basic Training clients she had brought up to camp with her that weekend.

We got back to T-Meadow and were standing around waiting for my brother and Anna to get back from their trek. I was a bit uneasy, because if we missed each other there was a very small chance we could reconnect without involving the National Park Service. Fortunately, Anna & Bryan came tramping into the Visitor's Center parking lot full of photos and stories to share from their journey.

We relaxed, had a fine feast that Bryan had prepared ahead of time, and tried to keep warm as the temperatures dropped down towards 30 degrees overnight. We clamored into our sleeping bags after devising how to clean our meals up and saying our goodnights. I'm a light sleeper so I packed ear plugs, but they fell out a few times, and I heard the loudest snoring I've ever heard because of that. My brother and Jeff heard it too, and we spoke about it the next morning. Apparently a guy in a tent site about 2 away from us had a pipe organ for lungs and was keeping our quadrant of the camp awake for half the night. How anyone could go camping with someone like that I'll never understand.

We sorted ourselves out in the AM, packed up Jeff's Civic, drove out to White Wolf Campground to get some fresh water and decided to do a quick 8-9 mile hike to North Dome from Porcupine Flat. The hike would offer us a look down into Yosemite Valley and a great vantage point to view Half Dome. We got there and back pretty quick, and were able to get into the city without any issue as well (we were totally flabbergasted when we made it through the Bay Bridge Toll without a wait).

All in all it was a great 2 night, 2 day trip. I definitely want to go back again to give my original route another try and perhaps a few others as well.

New Blogs Coming

2010-09-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Expect entries about my Yosemite trip, wedding in Chico, this Utah trip I'm taking and other odds and ends soon!

Terry Fox Night (or TNF Run)

2010-09-28T14:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight's about two things with the letters "T" "F" and "N" in them.

I'm leading The North Face runs now out of their downtown store location on Tuesday nights at 6:30PM. So far I'm still grappling with how much control I can have and who to go to for some kind of post-run food budget. Its a small group, and its my job to expand our community, which goes back to who do I need to suck up to in order to get some kind of budget. Tonight's routes will both be mellow, as the Rock 'n' Roll SJ Half is this weekend and most of the run club members are competing in that.
Also, I'm anxiously looking forward to watching Steve Nash's (of NBA fame) biopic regarding Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. Terry was an inspirational figure in the struggle to fight cancer, and is considered a national hero in Canada. Terry was stricken with bone marrow cancer, and lost his right leg, but that didn't stop him from trying to attempt to run across all of Canada to raise money and awareness to the fight against cancer. The feature, "Into The Wind" airs tonight on ESPN at 8PM and I hope I am back in time after tonight's run in order to watch it.

Also, after posting maybe another blog or 2 today, I intend to pack for my trip to Utah this weekend (probably my 2nd or 3rd trip in as many weekends - life's been crazy lately). I fly out on Friday and I'm only now returning to all the reservation confirmation e-mails I received about a month ago to figure out all the logistics. Going to be an interesting trip, that's for sure!

Motivation From Within

2010-09-06T21:25:00.001-07:00

Labor day just came and went, I worked for most of the weekend. Which was a blessing and a curse.

Lately my work entails not only teaching TRX classes, but also promoting the brand throughout the city as part of a Street Team. Basically myself and a cohort head out to different neighborhoods, setup 2 TRX straps and try to offer free demos to passersby. Every once and a while we give away free passes to try a class at the studio too.

Its a fun gig, but with the sun and heat, lately exercising outdoors on and off for about 3 hours has really worn me down. I get home from promoting and teaching a few classes and I am totally wiped out. I feel grimy from all the sunscreen I rub on, and after washing up a little, I typically plant my face on a pillow and zonk out.

Its been tough these past 3-4 days trying to build up the motivation to run. I keep looking at what I do as actual, physical exercise. And while, for the most part that's pretty accurate, I'm not working hard enough to forgo a run, especially since none of what I'm doing (pushups, bicep curls, squats, crunches) can substitute for the cardio I need.

I have a race in less than 1 month's time and I've been really slacking for the past 4-5 weeks, ever since finishing my 50k. I am starting to really hate myself. I'm making all kinds of excuses, and it has to stop. Tuesday, September 7th, I start kicking ass and taking names. I'm going to start running at least 5 days a week from here on out.

Flipping Wild Dreams of Utah

2010-09-04T22:45:00.000-07:00

I saw 2 new films recently, of different genre's, and one inspired the other.

About a week ago I got invited out by Malou Sana and Lin Pak to see the newest Rob Reiner film "Flipped" about a boy and a girl who fall in love. Its kind of sappy and not my cup of tea, but it was a free, sneak preview, so I had fun nonetheless (below is a video that I agreed to have recorded as part of a promotion for the film on YouTube). While in line I saw these rolled up maps of Everest. I went over and grabbed one, they were free, so I figured why not? Also, I love topographical maps, don't ask me why. Anyway, I unfurled the map and on the other side was the poster for "The Wildest Dream" a docu-flick about Conrad Anker's ascent of Everest and homage to George Mallory, one of the first men to ascend the mountain.

So, ignited by my newest map of Everest, as well as my interest in seeing a documentary climbing film, and because a movie night with my favorite gal-pal Lindsay Mayfield was long overdue, I went and saw that film a few nights later. All things considered it was a good movie, especially if you're into Everest, mountaineering, the history of climbing, or if you just like to see a lot snow and mountains. If you aren't into any of those things, skip it, its not worth your time.
I definitely think it could have been better, I thought they'd summit the entire mountain wearing what Mallory and his associates wore back in 1923 (before the creation of synthetic fabrics like windproof nylon and down insulation). They wore the antiquated clothing and equipment a few times in the film, and displayed a lot of distaste after removing the gear, but it wasn't a substantial focus. I left feeling a little cheated, based on the previews I had seen I figured there would be more danger, and more insight into George Mallory's fabled ascent, but that was not the case.
As of late I've been trying to balance my time with my own training and all the TRX classes I've been teaching. I've recently been promoting TRX as well as part of a Street Team for Fitness Anywhere, Inc. Its been going well, but half the time I'm actually exercising out in the sun while promoting, it can be really draining. As a result of the extra classes and promoting my running has been suffering.
I recently got a free entry into the St. George Marathon, on October 2nd, courtesy of Clif Bar (big fan of their chocolate brownie flavored bars, as wells their fruit flavored Shot Gels and Bloks). Anyway, the idea is t0 speed up a bit so I can run a 3:10-3:15 marathon. It could still happen, I have about a month left to train and the race is considered a fast course. Its mostly downhill, starting outside St. George, Utah near Central Junction, Utah at an elevation of 5,240 feet and descending to 2,680 feet in St. George, 26.2 miles later (for a net loss of 2,560').
Once I found out that Clif Bar was giving me a free entry to a highly sought after race in Southern Utah, I decided a grand road trip was in order. But, after careful consideration and planning out a few different ideas, I realized the time spent away from work would directly impact my financing moving towards the holiday season. If I wanted to fly home for Christmas and see family and friends around Thanksgiving (outside of SF), then I'd have to be wise about this trip.
So, I came up with a compromise; I'm going to fly to Vegas on Friday, October 1st where I will obtain a rental car and thereafter drive to St. George. I will camp outside of the city in Snow Canyon State Park for two days (Friday and Saturday) so I can attend the expo and run the race. After the race on Saturday I'll just lay low around St. George and maybe hit up the Chuck-A-Rama Buffet (I mean its basically named after me). Sunday, October 3rd, I'll drive northeast and set up camp outside Zion National Park at the Watchman Campground. From there I'll hike the Narrows inside Zion, and maybe go on a run from the canyon floor to either trails on the East or West Rim. I'll camp just outside Zion for 2 days and 2 nights, which should give me enough time to relax, and also explore much of what I missed out on the last time I visited Zion.
On Tuesday, October 5th, I'll head back to Vegas, drop off the rental car and fly home. It would be cool to catch a show in Vegas, I've always wanted to see one of the Cirque du Soleil events, but Vegas will always be there in case I miss out. Visiting with my cousin Jim A'Hearn would be cool too, but he's pretty hard to get a hold of usually, so I'm not going to sweat it too much.
Anyway, before I head out to Nevada and Utah, I've got another camping trip headed my way. Right around the middle of September (17th-19th), I'm going to head to Yosemite National Park with 2-3 friends to run and hike around the Tuolomne Meadows area. More on that later, as a few e-mails still need to be sent to make sure everything's on the right track.

Tahoe Adventures (Continued)!

2010-08-31T17:46:00.001-07:00

Whew, rough week so far and its only Tuesday!

I went for a trail run with Brett, Larissa, Rick Gaston and Meredith Terranova (who was in town visiting) on Sunday, then taught TRX Monday morning and thereafter went downtown to promote TRX and the TRX Training Center near the Ferry Building (photo at left is of Laura promoting TRX with me). I got a lot of sun and a bunch of workouts in doing that, so when I finally made it home I had no energy to even attempt an evening run.

I'm still feeling the effects of yesterday's sun exposure and fatigue Today. I got up early to teach a class at the TRX studio, but found out due to a scheduling mix up, I wouldn't be needed. I was up anyway, so I took the class, and when I got home I zonked out for at least 2 hours. Since then I've just been running errands and decided to wrap up this little Tahoe trip I've been blogging about.

So I left off mentioning that Sunday's run through Squaw Valley reminded me of a similar experience I had in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its true, there are a bunch of similarities, please allow me to digress...
So while planning to visit 2 friends in "Vancity" during of March of 2009 I found out about a popular local hike called the "Grouse Grind" which lies just north of Vancouver proper (photo above was taken in Stanley Park, Janice & Sophia featured). This roughly 2 mile, 2,799 foot hike climbs several stairs and steep grades, with the average grade being 30 degrees, to the foot of a mountain resort. There aren't any scenic vistas, just the challenge of ascending the trail without keeling over halfway through it. There are even signs along the way indicating your distance along the trail, and warning hikers early on about attempting the hike.
When I saw and read all that I could about the Grouse, I called the local BC parks department to see if the trail would be open when I visited. It turns out it was still "closed for the season" - it was still covered in snow during mid-March, I was bummed. Nonetheless, I was looking forward to visiting with Janice & Sophia (my friends in BC), and getting to see the sights.

Well as luck would have it, during my visit 2 of their college friends, Mark McCoy & Andy Nguyen, heard about my interest in hiking the Grouse and were totally game for the experience. So the following morning I got up early and trekked to Mark's parent's house in North Vancouver to stage our ascent. It turns out Mark and his dad hike the Grind several times throughout the year, in every season. They explained to me that you just have to bypass the fencing at the base, and plan to wear crampons or use trekking poles to deal with the snow higher on the mountain. I suited up in a borrowed rain fly and gloves and we drove to the base of the trail.

After locating the trail a few meters past the main entrance (which was fenced off), we began our hike. It took us roughly an hour to make it up the whole thing, we stopped a few times to put on crampons, take pictures and rest. It was everything I imagined it would be, and during our hike it began to snow, adding to the cool and unique experience. I thought it was pretty funny that halfway up the trail I had unzipped my rain fly (which earlier on wasn't keeping me warm enough), was carrying my gloves, beanie and was thankful I was sporting shorts, which were soaked in sweat and snow. At the top of the trail, maybe 200 feet from the ski lodge Mark challenged me to a foot race and bore off running towards the building. I gave chase and slowed up near the stairwell that would take us up inside the main lodge.
Inside the mountain lodge we gathered to ride the gondola back down to the parking lot. We must have been a funny sight for others to see; 4 guys (Mark's dad, pictured left with Andy & I, had taken off ahead of us, but had joined the crew inside the resort) drenched in sweat, sporting next to nothing on their person, waiting in line next to skiers and snowboarders to ride the gondola back down to the base of a snowy mountain. After the hike Mark & his dad allowed Andy & myself to shower at their place, but not before enjoying a nice, relaxing sweat in their homemade sauna. It was a really neat bonus to the hike, and we toasted to ourselves and the hike with a beer inside the sauna. It was quite an adventure, and I felt somewhat inspired to try and recreate a similar experience in Tahoe with Jeff and Rebecca.

After getting ourselves ready to leave Granite Flat we drove towards Squaw Valley, a place the 3 of us had never been, when we reached the proper intersection we turned right into the valley. We passed by the Olympic sign at the main entrance and drove past a roving golf course sculpted into the valley floor, and once at the base of the principle mountains we came upon a small village. Some of Squaw Village was an embellishment to what was built there for the Olympics, other parts were entirely modern. We ambled out of Jeff's car and grabbed some coffee at the Starbucks in the village, and thereafter we consulted the map to find out where the trail head would be for today's run.

We decided to sling together a trail that hikes up toward Springer Lake, then peel off towards the north and eventually southwest to Granite Chief and hike down from there towards Squaw Valley's "High Camp" to grab the gondola down. Unfortunately the trails along Squaw Creek, that leads to Springer Lake, we not very well marked and we wound up missing a turn somewhere along the way for Granite Chief. However, the route we did take was challenging in and of itself, despite the decrease in distance from our original plan.

Heading up Squaw Creek, we meandered from rocky out-crops to rocky gullies, boulder fields, screes and sheer, smooth granite surfaces layered one on top of the other. Somewhere along the trail we started to notice blue strips of paint on the rocks, which I used to help us find our way up the trail. I felt pretty great after we got going, especially since hoping from rock to rock, or over trees and scrambling upwards along smooth rock faces is my kind of fun. It brought back memories of hopping from rock to rock through an arroyo just outside Zion National Park (a place I'll soon be revisiting) as I made my way down to the Subway slot canyon. Even though I was enjoying myself, the group was splitting off from one another. There were several ways to cross obstacles, and while I figured we'd just play follow the leader, I guess some of what I was doing could be considered dangerous (or at least look risky). Therefore, I had to stop a few times to jog or walk so we could all rejoin one another on a few occasions where objects prevented some of us from moving forward on the path together.

We came upon Springer Lake after roughly 3 miles. Springer is a tiny little alpine lake that likely freezes solid in the winter, as there was a gondola situated almost in the lake itself. After a few photos Jeff, Rebecca and myself made our way west of the lake towards a supposed trail to the High Camp. Along the way our little group got separated, Jeff was close behind me, but after waiting for a while on the trail, we saw no sign of Rebecca. I feared the worst, we were surrounded by rocks and boulders after all, maybe she tripped and hurt herself. I had Jeff run back to the lake after climbing on a crop of boulders to get a better view of the upper-valley we were in. I called out her name, and eventually heard her call back to me. I got Jeff to rejoin me below the boulders on the trail, and we reconvened with Rebecca.
After figuring out which direction to take, we made our way to a wide fire road that climbed up towards the High Camp. The grades looked like they were too steep to run for most of the way, and the sun's rays were grating on my motivation, so I didn't try. We each hiked at our own pace up the backside of the mountain towards the summit. Once there, we took a photo (and I tried to take a video of us running), and we made our way to the High Camp, passing a sign that pointed in the direction of the famed Western States trail.

Once at the High Camp, we peered in at the mountain top pool (taking a dip sounded like a wonderful idea, just before our sweat began to dry and we each got the chills). We stopped inside the restaurant for a quick, expensive lunch (side of fries $7) and once we felt too cold to stand it, we got in line for the gondola. So long as you catch the lift at the top you don't have to pay to ride it down, although I'm sure they encourage you to do so. We rode down the mountain, taking pictures and videos and found ourselves back inside Squaw Village (after riding inside of a HUGE elevator). At the car, we decided the idea of a swim did sound nice, but it would be even better experienced some place hot, like Davis.

During our drive to Davis we experienced some DREADFUL traffic, we were moving inches under the guise of the sun's powerful rays. I wanted to get out of the car so bad, but we still had a few miles to go before we reached Davis. Once we were there though I began to relax, the pool's cool water was a nice touch considering none of us had showered for a few days. We rubbed the dirt off our limbs and caught up with a few of Rebecca's friends before loading back into the car.

The traffic after Davis was no better than when we left it in our rear view. I got to work with Jeff's navigational device and eventually got us back outside Davis driving towards Lake Berryessa (photo to right of Aviva and Anna at Berryessa during a recent trip) and eventually into Napa. We'd take 37 West to 101 South and try to get back into the city via Golden Gate Bridge. It wound up probably being a better option, but the whole trip from Davis took us 3 hours. It sure felt better than sitting in traffic all the way to the Bay Bridge to me.

The trip, in retrospect, really left me wanting more. Not that I didn't get a lot out of our runs. There were a lot of highlights and good times, but I want to go back and do it again. I want to run on some more trails out there and camp a few more days. I likely won't get the chance during this summer, but maybe in the fall? We'll see. Although I will not be in Tahoe anytime soon, I will still get another chance to experience the high sierra's and to go camping soon when I visit Yosemite in September with friends. I'm eagerly look forward to that trip.

More photos of Tahoe can be found here.

More photos from Vancouver can be found here, as well as here, and here (there are 3 different albums).

Tahoe Adventures

2010-08-29T17:02:00.001-07:00

Lake Tahoe can feel like a magical place. Whenever you go, when you're there you usually feel inspired to explore the rustic world around you, enjoy a scenic vista or indulge in some invigorating outdoor activity. Its the 2nd deepest lake in North America, and its 72 mile coast line is surrounded by many palatial homes, ski resorts and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Its a land where the smell of pine needles drying under the sun permeates your nostrils in summer, while the scent of wood burning fires escape chimney stacks in winter. At times, it can feel just like home, or the kind of wild and wonderful place you wish you hailed from.

All those thoughts and settings bounced around in my brain as the days dwindled down towards my eventual departure for Tahoe. On Friday, August 2oth, I hopped into Jeff's car after wrapping up my 5:30PM Circuit Training class at the TRX Training Center, and we made our way out of the cold city for a warmer and dryer climate. That night we stayed with my college friend Rebecca Schenck in Davis and sampled some of the night life before hitting the hay (photo to the left was taken at Sophia's, a local hot spot in Davis).

On Saturday morning, after getting our bearings, the crew loaded up into Jeff's car and drove for about 2 hours to Tahoe. We drove past our campground at Granite Flat and circled the northern edge of the lake, making our way to Tunnel Creek (link to Tunnel Creek Webcam) to tip-toe a trail slicing through the mountains. The Flume Trail is wildly popular with experienced (and not-so-experienced) mountain bikers that flock to the trails of Tahoe. There's even a local bike shop that charters shuttles throughout the spring, summer and fall, capitalizing on this spectacular and scenery spoiled stretch of sand, stone and dirt.
We knew we were at the foot of the Tunnel Creek trail (a 2.6 mile trail that basically heads upwards the entire time from roughly ~6000' to ~7200') when we noticed the surplus of parked vehicles on either side of the roadway. We pulled the car over, prepped ourselves for the run, soaked ourselves in sunscreen and began the first trek of the weekend. We figured we'd cover roughly 17 miles, judging from the map I had with us.

I knew going into the run what to expect, due in part to some beta I gathered from Larissa Polischuk and Brett Rivers during a run in San Francisco, so I took my time cruising up Tunnel Creek. I knew the footing on a lot of trails around Tahoe would be pretty smooth and non-technical, but I didn't think it would be almost like running in sand. I wore road shoes (Asics Speedstars) in preparation for the run, but the sand on Tunnel Creek slowed me down regardless. Despite the fact that we were running at altitude I actually didn't feel too bogged down by the thin air.

Both Rebecca and Jeff had mentioned they were a little out of form, and climbed up Tunnel Creek behind me most of the way. However, when we finally reached the intersection with the Flume Trail Rebecca sallied forth and Jeff followed right behind her, leaving me to take up the rear. I was fine running caboose for our little train, but was hoping we wouldn't maintain the pace we were at the entire time (for potentially another 14 miles) as my heart was beginning to pound in my ears.

We cut around bends, through pine pricked woods, and right along the edge of cliffs studded with windswept boulders reflecting the suns light off their white, jagged edges. It was a pretty awesome experience, and I tried to grab a few videos of the group running to commemorate our adventure along the Flume.

During our run we slowed a few times to refuel and because of the multitude of mountain bikers churning around the tight corners and small swatches of trail in front of us. There just wasn't enough room for both runner and biker to occupy at once, so we soon became accustomed to stopping in order to avoid dropping off the edge of the trail or worse, sending some small, inexperienced girl to her doom as she tried to keep pace with her more experienced mountain man of a father. For me, it was just what the doctor ordered, as it offered me the chance to snap a few photos and rest for a few moments.

We knew we were close to the turn-around point, Lake Marietta (~7800'), after passing some European's balancing on their bicycles who mentioned the distance by bike was 10 minutes. Sooner than later we were climbing the final switchback to a beach set right in front of a beautiful and serene alpine lake. We traveled along the lake shore trail towards its opposite shore and set down to fuel up and relax for a moment. I snapped a few more photos and poured over the map to guestimate our return mileage (and elevation loss).

Once we were ready to go I felt a renewed sense of energy, I ran up next to Rebecca, who was still leading our posse along the side of the lake. When we dumped down onto the Flume again for our homeward bound journey I settled up in front of our gang. I kept consciously trying to settle into an even tempo, like the one we set out on, and felt I was closely mimicking it. However, looking back several times during our run I noticed that was not the case, as I couldn't see Jeff or Rebecca behind me, or on the opposing bend in the mountains.

I slowed to a walk a few times, until Jeff and Rebecca closed in on me and, based on our mileage, would decide to either stop for a refuel or continue at an easier clip to keep us together. Unfortunately, either I was running too fast, or the group was just feeling depleted or fatigued from our initial run to the lake, and we did not do a terrific job staying together while on the Flume.

When we exited the Flume for Tunnel Creek we assessed our respective situations. Rebecca felt some tenderness in her achilles and Jeff's calves were cramping, but they both felt somewhat relieved by the fact the rest of our run was about 3 miles of downhill. We bent forward over Tunnel Creek and tore down it in a frenzy at first, and eventually spread out into our own respective paces as we wound our way back to the car at the base of the trail below.

I felt pretty good, all said and done, my left heel bothered me a little bit and has been bothering me since training for Skyline. Nothing much I can do about the issue, besides take time off my feet or purchase a heel insert (or something to that affect). I got to Jeff's car first and moved it closer to the trail. When Jeff & Rebecca got back to the car, we changed and made plans to eat in Tahoe City.

I ate my weight in carbs that night at Rosie's in Tahoe City. Rebecca's stomach was giving her issues, so she sipped from her soup while watching Jeff & I eat like pigs at a trough during our meal together. I felt bad for her, but that wasn't going to stop me from eating like a kid who just broke outta fat camp (photo to the right depicts what Jeff & I must have looked like to Rebecca that night - I'm the kid asking her if she's gonna finish her soup). In case you were wondering I had a generous quesadilla and individual sized combo pizza, and Jeff had an overflowing Texas Burger (there was chile smothered all over the top of it). After our meal we caught "The Other Guys" at a rinky-dink theater in Kings Beach.

We made our way to Granite Flat under a full moon at 9 o'clock. A constant theme during the trip was how "city folk" Jeff and I both are, or at least were acting. We couldn't get over how dark it was at night in Davis when we were there, and then again in Tahoe making our way into Granite Flats for the night. We quickly made camp and hit the hay. I had just purchased a new sleeping pad for the trip (and a few subsequent ones this fall) and slept pretty good in my sleeping bag that night, as far as sleeping outdoors goes. Jeff said he had a less stellar slumber. He was borrowing my fast & light pad, which is like .05 cm's thick, so mentioning "he had it rough" almost goes without saying.

I awoke ready for the next day's adventure, which at that point in time was just getting out of my sleeping bag to pee. It was like 40 degrees outside and I had been fighting the urge for a while, not wanting to suffer the cold as I made my way over to the facilities. Eventually I got up, did the deed, started to pack things up, and ate a Clif Bar. When everyone was moving around, we decided we'd go for a run in Squaw Valley, which we would end by grabbing a meal at High Camp and taking a ride down the Gondola. I thought that sounded like a fun experience, and it made me reminisce about a similar experience I had in Vancouver back in March of 2009 (more coming soon)...

Hiking & Shucking

2010-08-25T15:32:00.001-07:00

The weekend after Skyline I got some friends together for a hike and shuck-fest out near Point Reyes National Seashore. We wound up having a great crew and the whole event (although a bit behind schedule) went off without a hitch!

I really enjoyed the hike in Pt. Reyes, I never knew how cool the forest was up there (or even that there were any real hills to climb there). We took the Sky Trail, which was featured in a recent issue of Backpacker Magazine, and boy was I glad we did that. It was like stepping into another world. This contrast was highlighted by the fact that it was foggy and wet in the forest along the Sky Trail and hot, dry and sunny in the valleys elsewhere around Pt. Reyes.

After the 8-9 mile hike we huffed it up HWY 1 to the Tomales Bay Oyster Company (which was PACKED), reaching that destination almost 2 hours behind schedule. The rest of our gang was there waiting for us, these folks decided to forgo hiking in the morning, and we were able to grab a table sooner than expected.

Once we got our benches/tables I went right to work on purchasing a boat-load of medium sized oysters and Brian, Andres and Jordan went to work on shucking me some oysters (sometimes to my chagrin, as I wound up with more than a few chunks of shell in my mouth). I wasn't bothered much though, as shortly after downing a Carona I felt pretty mellow.

We stayed at T.B.O.C. for the rest of the afternoon, threw frisbees, tossed lacrosse balls, chatted, drank, ate and savored the sun for as long as we could before heading back to the land of cold and fog.

More photos from Hiking & Shucking can be found here.

Its About Time for Skyline.

2010-08-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

So I'm about 16 days removed from running Skyline 50k, It was a nightmare, but I think I'm ready to tell the story... Nah, it was pretty mundane, I ran the full distance and had 2 good friends along for the ride. It was also enjoyable bumping into familiar faces at the aid stations too and learning more about my weaknesses as a runner.

The day started around 4AM for me. I got up 2 hours before I was going to be picked up by Jeff Wong, my volunteer crew person for this race, so I could eat and get my motor going. After chowing down on some fruit, yogurt, and cereal, I usually drink a bunch of water and 1 Red Bull. The goal is to get stuff moving through my system and use the restroom a few times, so that I don't have to go during the race. I also use the extra time to catch up on news in the endurance sports world or listen to interviews/podcasts. This practice typically helps me focus and appreciate the races I'm committing myself to a few hours later.

Right around 6AM Jeff and I made our way over to Lake Chabot. Near the start we met up with our friend Lindsay Mayfield, who was also running her first ultramarathon. Soon after a few photos Linds and I were off, and Jeff wasn't going to catch us again until the Big Bear Aid Station (to the left is a pic of Linds & I at the start).

I ran the first portion of the race to Big Bear aid station somewhat conservatively. I say somewhat because I felt really good, but I figured that I was probably still running a bit too fast and just couldn't tell. I was wearing my Garmin, and according to that I was moving below my average mile pace, and I knew once I got into Redwood Park I could pull back a bit (I chose to walk up all of the Canyon Trail to East Ridge).

I ran into Big Bear and Jeff met me by the trunk of his car. I didn't need much, but I grabbed another gel and some shot blocks to carry with me, and asked that when I see him again I get a new water bottle, my Mp3 player, and another batch of cliff blocks. After getting everything set I crossed Redwood Rd. climbed up on Toyon and then Golden Spike before running up the Redwood Park road to Canyon Meadow. Once I turned up the Canyon Trail I slowed down to a walk and just took my time heading up the hill.

While at the Big Bear aid station (featured right) and during the hill climb at least 12 people must have passed me. I was able to reel in about 6-7 of them though while still cruising through Redwood Park. I wasn't overtly concerned with my placement, but it was interesting to see people gauge things poorly and burn out too soon while only halfway into the race.

I made it to Skyline Gate, basically the halfway point in the race, and Jeff was there with some goodies. I loaded up and then hung out at the aid station for a bit, messing with my Mp3 player until I found the right song and digesting my shot blocks. I asked Jeff to have some ibprofen ready for me at the next aid station along with another water bottle and more shot blocks. I finally got going again and ran along the ridge and down into the canyon towards Stream Trail before linking up with French Trail soon thereafter. French is a rolling trail that's entirely shaded by the forest, so its a nice respite from the sun and heat, fortunately for much of the race till this point there was fog and the temperatures were still low.

While on the trail I caught up with a few folks who had passed me at the aid stations and along the Canyon Trail climb earlier. I hiked the last climb on French to West Ridge trail, then cruised down Toyon to Big Bear Aid Station once more. Unfortunately just before emerging from the woods I ran into some hip issues, my hip flexors were cramping (as they have before during a long run), and when I got to Big Bear I talked to Brian Wyatt about this nuisance. He told me I may be electrolyte deficient and I should catch up by downing a few salt capsules at each aid station before the finish. I took his advice, and tried to ignore the fact that it was probably coming a little too late to help me fend off the pain. Fortunately I got some ibprofen from Jeff, and walked up the big hill back to Bort Meadow.

I tried to take my mind off the pain whenever my hip flexors decided to tense or cramp up, and kept thinking about how much of what I had left to run would be flat or downhill for the last 6-7 miles. I got to the summit of the hill and ran downhill on sore feet to the Bort Meadow Aid Station and my last hangout with Jeff before the finish.

I rolled in, grabbed some stuff at the aid station, then sat in Jeff's trunk and drank a Red Bull, Chocolate Milk had a gel and got a new water bottle. I took my time digesting before leaving, put together a bandana with some ice in it (it was heating up and sunny by this point in the race) and told him I'd likely see him in another 45 minutes and he could just hang out if he wanted to see Lindsay running. Apparently she came into the aid station 30 minutes after me and almost missed Jeff.

I ran down from Bort towards Grass Valley and then joined the Brandon Trail, which was exposed to the sun, but very flat. I kind of lost myself in solitude, while also listening to my tunes, and was shocked out of this lull when a younger, female runner came out of nowhere on me. I felt a surge of adrenaline and shot out of that scenario about 2 minutes under the pace I was cruising at and bombed down the first portion of the Cascade Trail before pulling back at the Columbine Trail.

Once on Columbine I started to calculate my remaining mileage, I figured at the next trail intersection I'd have 3.5 miles left to go. I got to the intersection and noticed I had a bit more than that ahead of me and some of that mileage was going to be uphill. While on my first ascent I passed a struggling runner and told him we didn't have much more to deal with (words I'd replay in my head later when my hip flexors were cramping up like crazy).

I had to slow down and walk a portion of the climb away from the Lake, and tried to run again portions of the trail, usually having to put up with sharp pains in my groin region. I pulled into the Honker's Bay Aid Station, feeling overheated, and dumped my water bottle out and had the aid station folks reload it with water.

The aid station volunteers were being super helpful, asking what they could give me and if I wanted to stretch. You see, right before I pulled into the aid station my hip flexors cramped up on me and I practically fell over and let out a yelp in front of them. I asked for some ibprofen or salt tabs and they told me they had neither, so I just went on my marry way after I got my water bottle back, thanking them for their help before I left.

I got down to the lakeside and could see the rest of the trail I would have to run under the sun before reaching the road on the other side of the lake about a mile and a half away from the finish. I had another agony-induced-groin-freakshow-pout-fest on the trail and had to walk for a bit. I put my hands on my hips while walking and surveying the course, as 2 runners passed me, and thought to myself, all I want to do is cry right now. I wasn't tired, I felt fine stamina wise, it was just that my hip flexors were acting like 2 little, annoying b*tches. I was disgustingly frustrated with this issue, as I would expect anyone would be nearing the end of a 31ish mile trail race.

I got onto the pavement on the other side of the lake, and settled into a slow trod as I wound around towards the finish line. I started to hear the crowds and could see the finishers and family members waiting near the finish area, and started to speed up. As I got going an older woman said something like, "way to go, you're doing great!" Right as she said this though my hip flexors cramped up again and I yelled out in pain and almost fell over... Needless to say she was pretty taken aback. I crossed the line, grabbed my finishers bag and found Jeff near a picnic bench.

I just sat there for a while, asked Jeff if he got to see Linds, and heard his report. I asked him if he could grab me a water and a coke, and then I just got back to sitting. Hunched over, slightly upset with my result (cramped hips, overall time of 5hr10mins <- although that's right about what I predicted I'd get if I ran easy), but happy that I finally ran a 50k and got to have a great crew person there waiting on me the whole time. I was also pretty happy with the day in general, the weather really cooperated nicely and the race was managed well. The volunteers knew there stuff, and were super helpful along the course. I was stoked I got to see so many familiar faces before and after the race was over too. And, best of all, was having Lindsay there. She came through all smiles at the finish, and was, as usual, pretty peppy. She did a great job and I was pretty happy that she could make it the whole way without any issues.

After celebrating with a toast of Carona, we ate a bit and vamoosed back to Fog City to relax for the rest of our afternoon. As a thank you to Jeff later in the week I took him out for a Fish & Farm for their semi-famous burger.

Competitor Magazine Blurb

2010-08-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

I was recently mentioned in the July issue of Competitor Magazine NorCal under the "Starting Lines: Faces" section, which features local competitors and highlights a few of their latest accomplishments. I took a photo of the article, which is posted below.

28 Miles, Then Skyline

2010-08-14T14:51:00.001-07:00

On July 17th I dusted off my trainers, rented a Zipcar for roughly 6 hours and high-tailed it to Anthony Chabot Regional Park. I was setting up to run the farthest I have ever tread on trail to date with a 28 miler along most of the Skyline 50k course. Its funny, that last thought hadn't occurred to me until the day of the Skyline 50k race. I tried to think of the longest run I'd ever pulled off before that date, and it was only 2 weeks prior to that very point in time.
I parked off Redwood Rd outside Lake Chabot and started jogging into the park and onto the West Shore Trail past a large group of Team in Training runners, who were training for the Skyline 50k as well it turns out. I found this out on the day of the race, but could tell there was something going on when all major turns along my way were already marked with flour and with an arrow pointing in the right direction. I tried to think during the first part of the run what would be a comfortable pace to maintain the whole 1st half of the race, and kept trying to slow down so that I could concentrate on having reserves for later in the race.

I reached Redwood Regional after about 9 miles feeling good and surveying the first part of the course. It was pretty gradual, and as previous runners of the race had pointed out to me, very runnable. Any climbs during the first half could be surmounted without much thought in part due to nervous energy, which I would try to temper as best I could during the race.

I climbed into Redwood Regional on Toyon Trail and then Golden Spike before approaching the first major climb of the race up the Canyon Trail to the East Ridge Trail. I decided during this training run that'd just hike up this trail, and would do the same thing come race day. I strode along East Ridge to Skyline Gate (roughly 13ish miles) and instead of following Tres Sendas to the Stream Trail and following the French Trail until popping out onto the West Ridge Trail and dropping back into Toyon (the race course), I just stayed on the ridge and followed East Ridge to West Ridge. No point working too hard during a training run, I'd ran those trails before and would be prepared come August 1st.

After popping back onto Redwood Road and into Anthony Chabot Regional, I trudged up my 2nd major climb, that I also decided I would walk on race day. However, I decided I would run up parts of it during the training run and had to take a breather at the top. The temperatures had risen at that point in the day and the sun was out. I was running low on water, but knew that the rest of the run was downhill or flat until I reached the shores of Lake Chabot.

When I finally got onto Cascade and then Columbine Trail I wasn't feeling so terrific. My feet were tender, and my hips were bugging me. I've had this issue for a while, and need to figure out how to remedy that ongoing situation (wherein my hip flexors cramp up). I decided to just take the West Shore Trail back and skip the last 3-4 miles of the race course around Honker Bay.

I ran-walked the final miles back to the car, grabbed some water and hosed myself off a bit in the bathroom at the Lake Chabot Marina before hopping in the car. I was pretty much starving at this point too, so I decided even though I only had 30 minutes to get the car back to SF that I'd grab some fast food.

I knew there was a McDonald's nearby, and figured I'd just grab some food in the drive-thru (sidenote: I hadn't eaten McDonald's before this point in time for at least a year). Unfortunately there was no drive-thru and all nearby parking was metered. I popped a few coins into the meter, which only gave me about 15 minutes. I hobbled down into the restaurant, purchased my meal and tried to wolf it down as best I could. That was a poor move on part, and my lower esophagus muscles started to spaz out causing me to regurgitate my food. I felt awful and I kind of caused a scene.

I left the restaurant, got back to my car, tried to ingest some water and regurgitated again onto the street. I finally got things in control and drove back into city, making it with enough time so as not to incur a late charge on the Zipcar. I tried again to eat something, purchasing a milkshake from a nearby fast-food business in Hayes Valley. Success, I was able to keep it down. When I made it home, I had some yogurt and passed out.

Later in the day I would try to eat again, and the results would not be pretty. It wasn't until roughly 24 hours later that I would be able to ingest my food normally (having consumed only water, gatorade, a milkshake and a few things of yogurt after that 28 mile run). Needless to say I rejoiced by eating till my stomach could no longer handle it, my body felt pretty beaten from the run and lack of nutrients post-run, but I survived.

40km in Redwood Regional

2010-08-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

On July 10th I rented a zipcar for a few hours and drove over to Redwood Regional Park so that I could try and get in some distance and heat training in preparation for Skyline 50km. The Skyline course actually runs through portions of Redwood Regional Park during the race, so this would give me the opportunity to train on the course in race like conditions.
I followed the Redwood course that Pacific Coast Trail Runs uses in their race, slightly different than the course for Skyline, but at least its accurately measured. Having an accurately measured course that I was already familiar with meant I wouldn't have to think much about it and could let my mind wander. This course was also not too punishing on my legs, although my feet did start to hurt towards the end of my run.
Rather than go over the run moment by moment, I figure I'd just leave this post short and share a photo or two.

Running with the Pacific in View

2010-08-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

When I first moved to California in 2007 I wanted to live by the beach, swim in the ocean, hang out in my board shorts all day and savor the nights eating great Mexican and sipping on bottles of Carona. You know, relive flashy moments featured in movies day in and day out. I realized however that even in LA the beaches could get cold when the valley's were steaming hot, that the ocean water was frigid year-round, and that continuous days without rain meant forest/wild fires in the surrounding hills.
When I moved up to Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area I found out that not only were the beaches windy and cold and the water frigid, but that the luke-warm temps and fog year round weren't very inviting. Where did those sunny, golden California days go!? Where were my buxom blondes and beach combers? It took time, but I finally got over those falsified beach scenes from all those Baywatch episodes and stylized Hollywood action flicks. I came to grips with being an SF urbanite and having to deal with fog and sometimes frigid weather during the middle of summer.
I still, whenever I get the chance, go on runs to the beach and gaze out at the ocean. Some of my favorite spots include the "boardwalk" along Ocean Beach and Immigrant Point Overlook in the Presidio. I'm also growing fonder of the views from the beaches and piers off of Chrissy Field.

So, even though the jaunt didn't feel terrific for me, my run with Jeff Wong on July 3rd from Muir Beach out along the Coastal Trail towards Bolinas Ridge and back offered me several of those views that I savor and have begun to grow accustomed to. We took the Coast View Trail back towards Muir Beach, based on a tip from my friends Larissa Polischuk and Brett Rivers, and were brushed over by cool breezes of ocean air and lingering sea spray (which was a welcomed sensation when compared to heat and steaming white rock along portions of the Dip Sea Trail & Deer Park Fire Road).

The total mileage of our run was set to be roughly 24 miles all said and done, unfortunately not all things in life go according to plan. After bushwhacking our way through Redwood Creek Trail, where we got nailed by countless unrecognizable plants who's malevolent intentions were either to cover us in their seed, poison oils or spiny needles, we finally popped out on Muir Woods Road across the street from the Deer Park Fire Road. This was to be our single greatest ascent of the whole run and it was set to last for about 2 miles (if memory serves me correctly).

We got going at an even tempo (maybe 10 min mile pace), which may have been too fast, but it was hard to tell since we were both struggling against the heat of the day. For those unaware, the city of San Francisco is typically shrouded in fog and lower temperatures nearly year-round whereas the surrounding mainland receives a wealth of sunshine and the temps varies between 65 and 105 during the summer. The temperature on the day wasn't entirely overwhelming (maybe upper 80's) but the sun beating down on the dry, off-white rocks along the fire roads and trails around Mt. Tam made our environment a bit more difficult to deal with. This situation really took its toll on Jeff, who had to slow down and started to take issue with the way our run was going (bushwhacking, heat, endless hill climbing).

Eventually we reached the Pantoll Ranger Station, and got to cool off in the shade, top off our water-bottles and relax for a second. The smells of the pine trees refreshed my senses and after a few minutes refueling we got back out on the Matt Davis Trail. We journeyed up and down along Matt Davis and then veered off on the Coastal Trail to continue our run with Bolinas in sight off to our left along the Pacific Ocean.

We were running high above the beaches along the Golden Hills of Northern California (which are golden and dry in the summer, but green and lush in the winter - which still seems cool/interesting to me), running close to each hillside so as not to go tumbling down into the woods, canyons and valleys below. Each rolling hill brought us out in the sun and usually allowed us the chance to run between its folds, where the occasional spot of shade was offered to us by a few trees and large, wild bushes. On one occasion I almost bit the big one; running tired and overheated, I tried to pass a hiker in one of these hill folds. My foot hit loose earth on the left side of the trail and I went flying forward and out into the abyss. I was able to stop myself with both hands, but the situation could have wound up being so much worse. I got up, dusted myself off, relaxed for a few seconds and got back in front of Jeff leading our way along the trail.

We turned around early, cutting our run down to maybe 17 miles, and along the way back I tripped a few times, mostly because I had to change my running gait. My left heel, more precisely my left plantar fascia was throbbing in pain, so I was trying to avoid striking it against the ground. I got back to Pantoll without killing myself and on the way back down Old Mine, we grabbed the Coast View Trail, which winded down towards Muir Beach and where Jeff's car was parked.

Along the way we got to see birds of prey glide through the air, hanging overhead on thermals waiting for the right moment to swoop down on an unsuspecting lizard or mouse. We felt the wind sweep up and over the hills, brushing our hair back and cool us off with the chill ocean air. Then, when we arrived at Heather Cut-Off, we got to deal with more bushwhacking, and we knew more was headed our way when we got back on Redwood Creek.

All the downhill running was punishing my feet and I felt totally spent, when we got down to Frank Valley I had to walk for a bit. I let Jeff take the lead away from me, and he sped back to the car, we decided after cruising on Redwood Creek that enough was enough and dumped out onto Muir Woods Road for the final mile back to Muir Beach.

We finished our run in the Pacific Ocean, neatly hiking through the sand on tired legs, plopping down on the beach, coating ourselves up in Tecnu, and gingerly, high-stepping our way deeper into the ocean's waves. I tried to keep myself submerged from the waist down for about 10 minutes, and I think I was able to stand it for about 5 minutes. I guess in retrospect I should have been more impressed by all those Baywatch actors that put up with the frigid ocean temperatures when they were pretending to drown.

Muir Beach through Tamalpais, the Headlands and Back.

2010-08-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

On June 26 myself, Jeff Wong and Robin Flynn all got together to run along 2 great area trail systems, those that occupy Mt. Tamalpais State Park and the trails in the Headlands (part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). Originally I was thinking the run would last somewhere around 22-23 miles for Jeff and myself and a bit less for Robin, more like 17.

We got going out of Muir Beach towards Dias Ridge and the group quickly separated, Jeff and I in the front, and Robin in pursuit. When we hit the Ridge trail the first grouping would tackle the trail without much issue, but Robin would probably slow a bit in order to handle the whole run.

Robin's actually from New York City and is visiting and performing with the SF Opera for a few months. She works and performs as an Opera singer by day, and supplements all her vocal training with tough endurance feats throughout the year. If you can, click the link attached to her name in order to read through her exploits as a singer and athlete. She was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.

After climbing up Dias Ridge we took a right and bushwhacked our way along the Miwok connection trail, crossing the Shoreline Hwy and entering the Headlands. The trail opens up into a wider, fire road and is pretty exposed to the elements typically. When we started our run it was sunny by the beach, but once we got up in altitude (especially in the Headlands) we encountered thick fog and clouds, as well as some cold winds.

We didn't feel terrific at first, getting blown about on Miwok by the winds and hugging the hillside for protection, but after we dropped into Tennesse Valley on the Miwok Cutoff and started climbing Marincello we didn't mind it so much. Marincello is roughly a mile climb to the summit of a ~900 foot hill, it typically takes me 10-14 minutes to climb during a training run, so it was nice to have the temperatures be a bit cooler. For a few moments at the top, running along Bobcat Trail, we caught glimpses of the sun.

Once we reached SCA, after climbing up the Alta Trail, we were afforded some vignettes of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco in the distance, before climbing another minor summit and plunging down the Coastal Trail (over Conzelman Rd) towards Rodeo Valley. Jeff was running behind me mostly, letting me set the pace (which has its perks and its drawbacks), he lost focus and stumbled pretty badly down the trail. He got a gash along his left arm, but aside from that and being a bit shaken up, he was able to proceed.

We crossed into Rodeo Valley and turned to climb out of Miwok (instead of along Coastal by Muir Beach, cutting off a few miles from our run). As we climbed up, I felt Jeff push the tempo. Sure enough he was alongside me running after only about a quarter mile into the climb. I kept pace, but eventually I felt my heart rate spike after regaining the lead and had to stop. He waited up for me, and we stopped at least once more before cresting along Miwok and dropping down towards the Old Springs trailhead.

I felt bad holding us up, and I realized Jeff has a lot more in his tank these days than I do. I felt pretty envious of his stamina and speed, but I guess it is his time to shine now. I used to lead our runs and win out in our races, but he's really done well to improve his fitness over the past few months (racing distances from 13.1 miles to 26.2), whereas I was starting to lose some of my running fitness because of my instruction schedule. Training early in the morning, then often again in the evening can really suck the energy out of you. To top it off I am no longer taking part in Tuesday speed drills with Run2Become, and often can't make it to the lululemon Thursday night runs, all formerly sources of speed work for me. I thought this over some more as we plowed down Old Springs.

During our run to Old Springs the sun had come back out and was drenching the valley below in its rays. When we made it to the Miwok Liverly Stables Jeff stopped at a hose and was able to wash up his wounds. By this point I was starting to feel a little run down and dehydrated. We probably had about 5 miles to go before we wound up back at Muir Beach, and we would not be passing by any sources of fresh water until we reached Jeff's car. So we huffed it out of the valley taking our time up Coastal towards Pirates Cove (below is a picture of Jeff in front of Pirates Cove). Then, upon the top of another ~900 ft summit, we treacherously made our way down into Pirates Cove and began a vacillating through various coves and darting in and out of seaside cliffs before rejoining a fire road (still part of the Coastal Trail) about 1 mile away from the Muir Beach parking lot.
Jeff had sped off before I actually reached this portion of the trail, and knowing I only had about a mile ago, I let all inhibitions fly and set myself into a race pace descent. It was pretty fun, the wind had picked up off the ocean and was tossing me to and fro along the trail. My feet were not loving me, but there was no real way to avoid causing myself pain, as the trail was pretty steep. Upon reaching the parking lot, I met back up with Jeff and we started to voice our concerns over Robin.

If she was following the actual route I gave her, it could be hours before she reemerged out of the clouds (most of which were burning off at that point). We decided to wait for her at the Pelican Inn, since neither of us had cell reception, and I believe we said something about that being a rendezvous point earlier. And low and behold, once we arrived to the bar inside we saw Robin there sipping on tea, or rather she saw Jeff and I (looking all disheveled and worse for wear). It turns out she had cut her run short by about 6 miles as she felt pretty winded after the first portion of her run.

We grabbed some English food, and I drank my weight in Root Beer, then we were off. It was a good day for a run, and we got in and out of there just before the heat started to pick up and the tourists started to clog the beach, trails and roadways.

PCTR Angel Island 25km

2010-08-04T20:10:00.001-07:00

So the 1st weekend back in the "City by the Bay" was the date of the Pacific Coast Trail Run's Angel Island trail race (June 19th). Myself and a group of friends had registered for this race, and made plans to caravan over and thereafter have brunch at Sam's Cafe in Tiburon before disembarking in SF to face the rest of our respective weekend plans. I had a bit of an exciting time on my way to the race...

My friend Kira and I had left my place on time, but then realized that Kira's tank was dangerously low on fuel, and we still needed to grab our other friend Robin Flynn (who was literally fresh off the plan from NYC). We were able to have her come meet us at a gas station. When we finally gathered together at the station we had a handful of minutes to spare before our Ferry departed from Tiburon for Angel Island in the Bay. I got behind the wheel and let my lead foot fall on the pedal (thanks again to Kira for allowing me the pleasure of driving). We wound up regaining a lot of time lost on our commute over to Tuburon, unfortunately I noticed a cop on the side of the road and was just a bit too late to slam on the breaks.

After he got us over to the side of the road, on Tiburon Blvd (so close to safety), I got my license out and the officer asked Kira for her registration. While he was looking at our documents by the side of the car, I told to the girls that I would drop them off at the ferry dock, park the car and take a later ferry to see them race. The officer overheard us making plans, and asked what it was in reference too. Once we explained ourselves he decided to let me off the hook (sidenote: I think I was driving at least 30 mph over the posted speed limit). We very slowly progressed towards Tiburon after that, I dropped the girls off, and was able to park and make it over there in time for the first Ferry, which was awesome.

The race itself was pretty mediocre for me, I was running the 25km distance, as I have many times before, and figured I could probably beat out my previous times on the island, but would not have a record day beyond that. I kept pace with the front pack, and ran alongside Jeff Wong for a portion of the 1st loop, but stopped to grab fuel before the 2nd loop and quickly lost him. I was able to catch back up towards the ladder half of the loop, but once I did he quickened his cadence and I couldn't keep chase. I decided to just settle into a slower tempo and save myself for the last descent.

Coming into the 3rd loop, and passing the start/finish area at Ayala Cove (the site of the only aid station), I stopped to grab some more fuel. Our group was pretty diverse, most of the crew was running the 25km race, but a few were running the 16km option. I scanned the crowd, but didn't see any of them yet, so I quickly thanked the volunteers and kept on my way. I was able to gain on a few runners during the final climb to the summit of Angel Island, but also got passed by a few smart runners along the way as well.

By the time I reached the final quarter mile to the summit I saw Jeff careening past me on his way down to the finish. I figured in my head he must have been about 5-6 minutes ahead of me, I then told myself I didn't want to finish more than 10 minutes behind him. Once I reached the summit I turned and started hurling my body down the hill like a rag doll. It was roughly 2 miles to the Finish and I knew my quads could take the thrashing. I gained on 2 guys, passed them at the base of the sharp summit ascent, cruised on the Sunset Trail, and turned down into the woods.

I passed a few 8km and 16km runners as I made my way to the finish, I may have passed perhaps 1 more 25km runner before I finally turned towards the Angel Island Visitor Center and Ayala Cove for the last 100 foot straight-away. I picked up my speed and finished fast, right around 2:12 I believe. Good enough to tie some of my previous times on the island, but not break any PR's for myself (PR on that course is 2:04). I wasn't too upset with my performance, as I was able to come in closely behind Jeff (2:06 finishing time), and I hadn't been training very hard for this shorter race, rather going long and slow more often than short and fast (likely as Jeff had been doing).

While at the finish line area I got to see Larissa Polischuk and Amy McCrae in the midst of their 50km run, they were having a great time together, and I later found out that they dominated the race (coming in 1st and 2nd for the ladies). It really seemed as though everyone had a great run, and it was fun to have a crew there to cheer for each other as we finished our respective races.

I was pretty surprised with Emilie Lincoln's finish, as she had been nursing an ankle injury and not really running before the race. She said it was the hardest race she's ever ran, but she really kicked butt, surging in at the end of her race to finish well. Robin had a fun time, and really enjoyed the scenery along the course, apparently stopping often to take photos. Meredith Leach was overjoyed, as was and is to be expected. I swear she sh*ts rainbows, she's just all smiles all the time that one. Jeff seemed pretty satisfied with his performance, as was Thomas Kinsella, who's usually pretty stoked after his races. Listening to everyone's excited chatter really made my lackluster performance less of a big deal to me.

I had to depart before Robin finished, in order to see Kira off, and grab a table for the group at Sam's. However, once we were all back together we quickly regaled each other in stories and praise, while taking breaks to dig into our food heartily. Shortly after our meal we took a walk past a classic car show in Tiburon and departed back to SF to face the rest of our weekend.

East Coast Trip (Part 3)

2010-08-04T18:39:00.001-07:00

After departing NYC via turbo-prop, I found myself in Nantucket, overcast, gloomy, COLD Nantucket. I thought I'd be prepared, but found myself shivering most of my first day on the island. The subsequent days were a little easier for me to bear, but the weather really didn't cooperate during the whole trip, aside from the day of the wedding thankfully.

Speaking of the wedding, the service was awesome! It was really high-class through and through and I was overjoyed for my buddy Matt and his new wife Jamie. Also, I had some of the best seafood I've EVER had on the island, and it really left me wanting more... I still daydream about it (to the left are Mike, Jaime and Sean, friends from Ohio at the Sankaty Golf Club, the site for the wedding reception).

Back to the point of this post. While I was over there my hostess and date to the wedding, Elizabeth, informed me that there was a pretty easy paved trail I could follow out and back in order to get in a nice long run, if I wanted to. The only thing really stopping me from barging out the door right away after receiving that beta was the amount of alcohol I imbibed each night.

I'm no pansy, but I realize now as runner I can't really handle my booze. It didn't help matters much that drinking is like a sport on Nantucket Island. So the day I decided I was going to get a long run in I had to go about it pretty methodically. I really had to take time going through the motions in the AM before I could summon the interest to grab a run. However, once I got out there I was happy I decided to give it a shot.

I went out and back on the same trail, then through pleasant and quaint 'Sconset, resting by the beach for a little while, before heading back to the house in order to prepare for Matt's wedding that evening. I think I managed to only run 14 miles while in Nantucket, but that was fine by me. It brought my weekly mileage total to ~42, which wasn't bad for a week when I was out of town on vacation (visiting no less than 5 different locales).

East Coast Trip (Part 2)

2010-08-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

After my 20 mile run in the DC summer's heat (well mild heat, but at any rate), I traveled up the eastern seaboard, first to Villanova with family, then up to NYC to see some old friends. I stayed with my close friend Steph, who lives on the northwestern tip of Central Park. After enjoying my first evening in the city, I made plans to meet with my other close friend Maddie for a run through Central Park. (Below is an image from the "Annual Underwear Run" through Central Park in NYC. How come SF doesn't have a run like this!? Oh wait, we do, Bay to Breakers, my bad!)
On the day of our run it was sprinkling, nothing new to me (its either drizzling or misty in SF half the summer), so I just decided to run shirtless. I met up with Maddie and we took a 10k loop around the park at her speed. I probably pushed her a little harder than she might have gone on her own in retrospect. It was nice to be out in the park, especially in the middle of a rainy day when there are less people out. Maddie works long, irregular hours as a Physician's Assistant, so she often has time during the day to run and cross-train for her triathlon endeavors.

After completing our loop together we grabbed a little respite back at her apartment in the Upper East Side before I ran back to Steph's place in the Upper West Side. On my way back I happened upon a woman I swear I'd seen before. Someone I knew from San Francisco, but I wasn't sure of it until she had passed me, and then it struck me, it was Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (featured in the middle of the photo on the right)! What was she doing there!? Well, as it turns out the New York Road Runners club (one of the most prosperous chapters of the Road Runner Clubs of America) was hosting a big 10km race through the park that weekend. I thought the whole experience of passing her on my run was pretty cool, but a few of the people I told soon afterward just couldn't relate... I guess I should have put it in more applicable terms (for example, "say you were jogging and past by Tom Brady going the opposite direction" or something to that effect).

All in all, my second run was pretty fulfilling, even if I wasn't pushing the tempo the entire time. My next run wouldn't be for another 2 days after that in Nantucket.

East Coast Trip (part 1)

2010-08-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

EAfter my abysmal performance at the Redwood 50km race back in May, I came home nursing a few injuries and some wounded pride. I felt capable of running a 31 mile trail race along that course, but during the race my hip flexors completely gave up on me, forcing me to forfeit and settle for a 30km finish instead (To the left is a photo from Redwood Regional Park one morning).

In retrospect I probably came up lame for 3 specific reasons, 1) I have weak hip flexors when compared to my glutes, 2) My glutes were sore and tight during the week, forcing my hip flexors to become stretched, thus when I overused my hips to climb up the inclines in the race they quickly started cramping, and 3) the slippery course caused my legs to slide in and out from my normal alignment causing my groin muscles to get pulled.

Soon after recovering from the race though, while sitting in front of my computer on my bed one night, I loaded up the Ultrasignup.com webpage. After performing a quick search I had the Skyline 50k sign up page up and softly glowing back at me. I clicked through a few pages, entered my information, and after selecting my payment option, I was entered. I felt like I had enough time to train and could have a lot of fun at this very popular Bay Area ultra race when it came to pass. My only major concern was running in the heat.

I decided my approach for Skyline would be to get in some good long runs along similar courses, if not along a majority of the actual race course, at a slower tempo so I could prepare myself to be on my feet for a long stretch of time. I also felt running slow, and getting adjusted to the distance, would save me from getting injured and help me pull back from wanting to drop into a faster pace on race day.

After a few runs with my training partner Jeff Wong I left the Bay Area for a well over-due trip to the east coast to visit family, friends and attend a wedding (my former college roommate Matthew Roberts was getting married in Nantucket, a pic of the happy couple is to the right). I brought along with me my Garmin, a pair of road running shoes and an Mp3 player, I was gonna hit the streets/paths of NoVA (Northern Virginia) as well as NYC and Nantucket in order to get some of my Skyline training done. I figured the heat and humidity would be good for me, and I could run trail in my road shoes if necessary.

So, on June 7th, after a few relaxing moments at home in Falls Church, VA with my folks and my aunt, I grabbed my mom's Volvo and drove over to Theodore Roosevelt Island off the GW Parkway. At the Roosevelt Island parking lot was the start of the Mount Vernon Trail, part of which I intended to tackle during my run. My plan originally was to run 30 miles along the paved trail, which follows the parkway from Roosevelt Island all the way to Mount Vernon, George Washington's home.

I hit the path somewhere around 10AM after dosing myself with copious amounts of sunscreen everywhere on my bod (in case I decided to run shirtless, which I eventually did). Plugging into my Mp3 player, I settled down into what I thought was an easy cadence at the time and got going. The trail is super popular with bikers, rollerbladers, runners and walkers around the DC area. It follows the Potomac River, runs past Rosslyn, Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon, Crystal City, Old Town Alexandria, and a few parks and suburban neighborhoods before ending right in front of Mount Vernon. Its basically one of the nation's longest and most historic driveways, and everyone loves to get out on it somewhere when the weather is nice. I used to travel along it a lot when I first got into running, especially at night, when the DC's summer heat and humidity abates just enough to let you enjoy your long runs.

One thing I've still yet to do is run the full length of the Mount Vernon trail, and that thought weighed on my mind during my run. I felt pretty good, and thought my speed might have been perfect for what I decided I was going to attempt partway into my run, a full out and back trek along the trail (34 miles). Unfortunately for me the heat was just too much, I started to get dehydrated and lose electrolytes. I could only stop about 12 miles into the run in order to reload my bottle with water, which by that point would not help me greatly, but I pressed on. At mile 14 I started to make deals with myself, and I figured I should turn around and settle for a 28 mile jaunt.

Along my way back though, I kept stopping to sit or lean forward. The heat and sunlight was just too much for me, and truth be told it was a pretty nice day out. I wound up back on the white pavement of Old Town Alexandria at about 17-18 miles and felt half blinded, by the pain in my knees from running on the hard surface of the path and because of the glare from the sun bouncing off the pavement. I slowed down at mile 20, and decided I'd stop to see if an old girlfriend was home. I thought I'd say hello, catch up a bit, and then proposition her for a ride back to Roosevelt Island. After doing a loop around her block I noticed she wasn't home (but her current on-and-off again boyfriend pulled onto her block as I was leaving), so I got back on the Parkway and hailed a cab.

The cabby was pretty shocked to hear that I was trying to run roughly 30 miles, especially in the middle of the day. He quickly started retelling stories to me about how he trained to be in the Indian Paratroopers, and all the sweating, running and crazy workouts he did at the time. It was nice of him to pick me up, and I offered him a solid tip when we got back to my car. I was totally dehydrated and starving at that point.

All in all, the run was good, I got in 20 miles in the heat, and I learned I was pretty far away from being fit enough to complete 30 miles. My next run wasn't going to be for another 2 days, my knees felt pretty horrible running on the pavement for 20 miles, and since I was on vacation, I figured I ought to relax a little bit.

More on the next run in another post (this one ran pretty long). If you ever find yourself in DC, I highly recommend running along the Mount Vernon trail, its great for sightseeing on a bike as well. Another 2 trail systems I'd recommend (that are either partially paved, or not paved at all) are the C&O Canal Towpath Trail (the NPS C&O webpage can be found here) and the Rock Creek Trail (the NPS Rock Creek Park webpage can be found here). You can also tie in a lot of trails, streets and sidewalks and run along the National Mall. All the museums on the Mall are free to visit, so you could also stop and get some water as well as some culture on your run(s). Let me know if you need any tips next time you head out that way, I love helping people plan what to see when they visit both San Francisco and the Nation's Capital.

Upcoming Posts!

2010-06-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I've updated this blog. I have some free time this upcoming week and plan to post up blogs from these past 2 weekends of running and racing, as well as a few races from a couple months back. Stay tuned.

Today's thoughts while in the grocery store this AM:
"You've been standing in the aisle trying to find a bag of popcorn for about 10 minutes now, think back for a second, did they really hand you that college degree?"
"Man, its really nice outside, why did I decide to study today?"

North Bay Trail Adventures (May 22nd & 23rd)

2010-05-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

So its been a while since the last post. Since my failure to complete the Redwood 50km course much as happened....

I got a little belated gift from the course at Redwood in the form of a Poison Oak outbreak across most of my body (you can see some of it on my arm below). I had a few good weeks of running and cross-training, followed up with some mighty fun and interesting weekend runs. I even signed myself up for my next 50km attempt, which won't be until August 1st (Skyline 50k <- link to the entrants list on Ultra Signup).

Lets start with this past weekend's adventures shall we (May 22nd and 23rd)!? On Saturday Jeff Wong and I drove along some winding, puke-inducing roads to Muir Beach. Our intent was to link together 2 great area parks and trail systems; Tamalpais State Park and The Headlands in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. I have to say our mission was a complete success and resulted in a really quick, sun-drenched 11 mile jaunt.

We first started out along the roadway out of Muir Beach past the Pelican Inn to the Dias Ridge Trailhead. From there we rose out of the valley for about 2.5 miles to the top of the ridge. It was a lot of fun, the trail was really well groomed and the windy conditions helped keep us cool as we drove upward. We were probably moving a bit too quickly, but I just felt good being out there, so I set the pace and Jeff kept pursuit.

When we crested onto the ridge, we sped right, passing by groups of Mountain Bikers and Trail Runners on Dias Ridge before linking up with some single track that would eventually connect us with Miwok in the Headlands. Upon crossing a roadway we came upon the Miwok Trail marker and some signage that indicated how far it would be until Tennessee Valley along our route. We slowed our pace a bit, as the heat and sun started to play more of a factor. Had the wind not been sweeping all around us I'm pretty sure the sun's rays, reflecting off the rocks that made up the wide Fire Road that is Miwok in the Headlands, would have made us drag a bit more.

We grabbed the Miwok Cut-Off route and then plummeted down the rest of Miwok towards Tennessee Valley. We kept on down the Tennessee Valley trail, then grabbed our toughest climb of the day along the Coastal Trail. We were rewarded for our efforts trucking up Coastal with a punishing descent into Pirates Cove. We knew the end was near however, and kept a pretty strong tempo going (racing up the final climb even) towards our final descent back into Muir Beach, almost 10 miles later. From that point on it was all about maintaining balance and trying to enjoy yourself as the wind knocked us all over the trail.

All in all it was a pretty great run, we got out there at a great hour to really keep our body's cool during the entire course. The only drawback was having to drive back out of the valley on an empty stomach (because the road out is so full of twists and turns). Fortunately, for me at least, there were bikers on the roadway and that kept our speed down until we reached Mill Valley.

We wrapped up our Saturday together trading tips (and prescription meds) for getting rid of or dealing with Poison Oak. We also managed to scrub up and catch the 2nd half of the UEFA Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan at Tommy's Joynt.

This past Sunday, May 23rd, was the DSE Practice Dipsea Run, and I ran that with Matt Dixon and the run2become crew. I was fortunate to grab a ride at the last moment with Diane Henry and Colleen Brown over to Old Mill Park in the morning on Sunday.

After we arrived at the park and registered I made a bee-line for the restroom. I was a bit dismayed to learn that there was only 1 available restroom (for both men and women). I got in and out, but the line behind me wasn't pretty.

Members of the group got a warmup in before the race was to be let out, and a few of us meandered towards the front of the horde that had assembled to run this open course. Remember that term, open course, for later.

At 8:30AM the timer started and the group was off, racing through Old Mill Park to our first set of stairs. I had resigned myself to run/walking most of the stair sections. I knew my quads were a bit depleted from Saturday's run, and was surprised to learn a couple staircases into the race that my calves were also pretty sore.

I kept pace with Matt for the first ascent and descent, but once we reached our 2nd climb I had to relinquish my aspirations of keeping chase. I slowed to a hike and tried to stretch my calves out when I could. I wound up probably hiking 70% of the 2nd climb and figured I'd just give it everything I had left on the final downhill portion towards Stinson Beach.

Once I reached the final summit at 47 minutes in I tore out into a quick run, I was sucking air in and pushing it back out loudly as I cut around bends in the trail. I probably caught 5-6 people during the first half-mile before reaching the woods.
Once under the canopy of the coastal redwoods I found myself alone and not entirely confident I was heading the right way. I began to slow down a bit until I began to hear footsteps behind me. I therein maintained pace and climbed up Insult Hill, and once I reached the summit I could see the Dipsea trail split to the left, while the Panorama Trail continued straight and intersected with the Panorama Roadway. As I followed the Dipsea I could see 3 chasers peel off and run towards the roadway.

I shouted after them asking where they were going, they informed me, in one word, of their intent; "SHORTCUT!" I made up my mind in a split second that I should chase after them and quickly turned around in pursuit. I passed the 3 runners, but kept myself close, listening for their cues on where to turn from thereon in. I wound up benefiting from doing this and was able to take 3-4 solid shortcuts over the course of the descent towards Stinson Beach.

It was pretty neat and invigorating to run along an open course, wherein you not only benefited from your skill and speed, but also for your knowledge of the various trails that intersected with the main course. Its a bit like trying to beat rush our traffic, or racing to beat a traffic light.

I first realized something was amiss with this race when I would be in front of a few runners, then lose them, only to have them pop out of the woods in front of me during some of the climbs out of Muir Woods (on the 2nd ascent). I wasn't fully cognizant of what was taking place until I happened upon those 3 races near the very end of the race however.

All in all Sunday's run was a beast, especially after running 11 miles in the Headlands on Saturday, but it was pretty fast and entertaining, so I can't really complain. The group certainly had fun, and we were all able to enjoy some sun by the beach afterward together. My final time wound up being 68 minutes, had I been a bit fresher who knows what could have happened. I guess I could find out soon enough on my own.

Lake Chabot Trail Run

2010-05-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

So here's the scenario: Jeff had been running a bunch of official races and leaving me high and dry, which was fine, because I had a few races on my schedule to tend to as well. Post-Redwood though we both had a free weekend, and since I had recently decided to sign up for another 50 km trail race in August, I figured I should preview some of the course.

So on Saturday (May 15th) Jeff and I got together later in the day to run along some of the trails out by Lake Chabot. We met up around noon because the day before I went to a friend's going away party, which was held on a boat and themed. It was a come as your favorite SF stereotype party and I dressed as a Marina/Marin ass-hat. It was a fun time, except for the moment when I twisted my left knee into an awkward position. That set me up for an uncomfortable run on Saturday, but I did my best to press through it...

As I mentioned we met up on Saturday at noon to drive over to Castro Valley/Lake Chabot, it was overcast in the city, but super bright and sunny in the East Bay, in fact it was hovering right around 80 degrees at the lake. My intention was to have us run 20 miles plus, but we were just going to have to see how things played out.

We started out along the East Shore Trail, not really knowing when to make our eventual left turn. I had written down trail by trail directions, but the first turn wasn't supposed to be obvious... And it wasn't. We passed some mountain bikers and I asked them if Live Oak Trail was nearby, but they didn't know and tried to give us some input on which way to head. We wound up taking a slight detour up a steep hill, but eventually circled around to take a pretty cool bridge over to the Live Oak Trail head (pictured below).

After crossing the bridge we started about a 2 mile climb out of the valley floor towards Brandon Trail, which we'd take for a while before circling back on primarily Golden Rod. The climb was slow going in part because of the sun and the heat out in there on the trails. We also both realized this run was gonna be difficult because so far none of the trails we were taking had any offering of shade. They were all wide, non-technical double or fire road trails. They would afford us many opportunities to take in the view, but not much respite from the sun. Still, it was nice when we reached the summit because there was a bit more wind available to help cool us down.

We reached Brandon Trail, and I was able to concern myself more on setting a steady pace rather than peer at each passing trail sign and back at my little cheat sheet. It was easy going along Brandon, which made the first half of the run pretty fun. However we had what felt like a near death experience halfway through Brandon on our way out to Golden Rod.

We didn't realize it right away, but I started to hear the faint sound of either stone being smashed on stone, or someone dumping metal cans on cement through the trees. As we rounded a bend in the trail the sounds seemed to get more intense, and more defined. It soon became clear that we were approaching what could only be described as a shoot-out. As we got further along on Brandon Trail we saw the trail split into two, with Brandon continuing to the left and another trail heading right towards the "Firing Range." The firing range in this case being the Chabot Gun Club (aerial view of the range featured on the right). Despite the fact that it was a sanctioned rifle range, Jeff and I still quickened our pace by a few minutes per mile to vamoose away from any potential threats or danger. Also, I don't know what kind of guns they allow on their premises, but one of the guns being fired sounded like an old civil war cannon. I think a few times I visibly flinched and I was definitely scoping out areas I could duck for cover.

Eventually we reached the point where Brandon Trial turned down towards the valley floor and we continued going straight along the Grass Valley Trail, through Bort Meadow and Ranch Valley onto Golden Rod for our return route. Once we reached Grass Valley we started going through a series of livestock gates. Each one was somewhat unique in their design and it made the run more interesting for me (we didn't seen any cows though, sort of a let down).

Running through Bort Meadow, Grass Valley and Ranch Valley was pretty cool though. The trails were being overtaken by the grass, and it felt like we were running through a scene in the Sound of Music or something. I wasn't inspired to break into song at this point though, because both Jeff and I were pretty low on water/fluids and the sun was giving us a run for our money. When we hit Golden Rod we were pretty relieved at first, since we were finally getting some shade from the sun. The picture on the right is a view from Golden Rod towards the east.

We cruised right along, climbing out of the valley and along the rolling trail until we finally struck an oasis in the form of a horse stable. There we happened upon a bathroom, pay phone and the Holy Grail... Not really, but there was a water fountain. This was definitely one of the highlights from our run. I loaded up my water bottle, downed half of it, and reloaded again. I think at this point too my left knee had started to throb and I was feeling pretty thrashed during each descent we came across. I knew we didn't have much more distance to cover until we reached the lake again though, so that helped keep my spirits up.

On our way back to the lake we passed through some high meadows on the hillsides that began to drain us of all the fluids we had just consumed back at the stables, fortunately for us we happened across another sweet trial-side commodity. Some genius park rangers, engineers, or little elfish folk had constructed a water fountain about a mile or so away from where we passed by the stables. I quickly used it to hydrate, reload my bottle, and shower myself off. It was refreshing to say the least.

We soon came across a golf course, and at that point the trail turned from rough dirt and rock into cement, signifying to me that we must be back at Lake Chabot. Following the trail, begrudgingly (my knee was not having this), downward towards the lake we came across some signage. It was our moment of truth, would we press on and take the long way home, tackling 20+ miles, or would we pack it up and race home the last 2 miles on the West Shore cement trail towards the Lake Chabot Marina? We chose the ladder, having put up with enough heat and dehydration for one day. The last 2 miles were a drag, I stopped us a few times so I could walk portions of the road (which is basically what it was... It sort of pissed me off that they paved the trail around the lake). There were some neat historical markers though, which made stopping somewhat productive at least. Jeff wasn't complaining, and we huffed it the last mile (I broke out into a sprint for the last quarter-mile). Once we reached the marina we walked up up Jeff's car and proceeded to hydrate some more before making plans to grab some BBQ at Everett & Jones back in Oakland. E&J wound up being a good call, and I was nursing an extra few pounds of meat in my stomach the rest of the weekend after that.

Wet Trail, Muddy Tail and Total Fail...

2010-05-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

So today was supposed to be the day that I conquered 50km worth of trails. I finally get that ultra monkey off my back. Unfortunately the race didn't go as planned...
I feel miserable saying this, but I probably did the right thing by quitting after only covering 30 kilometers. I felt bad (especially after broadcasting on this website and Facebook that I was setting out to run 50km) for giving up, but I think I could have inflicted more harm if I had kept going.

Before the start of the race, as I loaded my stuff and myself into Jeff's civic coupe, I realized applying sunscreen before leaving the house was wishful thinking. The sky looked ominous with dense cloud cover, but I figured maybe things would clear up. Another wishful thought. Once the race was about 10 minutes away from starting the heaven's opened up and showered us in water.

All the exposed trail along the west and east ridge trails, as well as along quick descending and ascending single track through Redwood Regional Park was soaked. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depends on how you look at things) the trails only got so wet, the rain eventually stopped and the sun came out here and there. That's technically a good thing, except that now the water that would have eventually pushed the dirt and mud off of the trail was sitting stagnant in the middle of the trail. Our shoes and legs were getting caked in thick brown goo, and while it wasn't so bad, I later realized it was what did me in.

Right around 28km into my race my hip adductors started to cramp up each time I tried to run uphill. It was super painful, I would practically lose my balance and fall over, even when I tried hiking at a brisk pace uphill they'd set off. I was getting frustrated, but figured maybe that would subside after a while. It didn't seem like that was going to be the case though, and I really didn't like the idea of hurting myself before a week of training bootcamps and fitness classes.

So with 20km's left to go, as I came trotting into the aid station near the finish, I decided to give into the pain and call it quits. As I ran by Joel Lanz I made an "I'm calling it quits gesture" before tramping up to the finisher's tent to get my time recorded for running the 30km. It was such a let down.

I felt like I was running smart and within myself, I was enjoying the day and the park, I was chatting with a few folks here and there... All in all it seemed like this was going to happen for me, and then bang, out of nowhere my hips crap out on me.

I have to assume that took place because of all the slipping and sliding I was doing all over the trails thanks to the mud. Mark, one of the 50ker's that also bowed out of the race with me for the same reason, also made that assumption. Its upsetting, but I think by skipping out on the last 20km I saved myself more embarrassment. I was going to be in pain, and I might have quit halfway into that final loop. Its better to at least get my time recorded for the 30km then to DNF, and wind up hurting myself in the process.

I'll live to race another day, I just really hope to get this flipping distance notched onto my belt soon. Credit Rick Gaston for the photo... Here I am explaining my performance on the day at the finishing area of the PCTR Redwood Park Trail Race.

1st Ultra Tomorrow

2010-05-08T14:47:00.001-07:00

So I'm on the verge of running my first official 50km tomorrow at the PCTR Redwood Park 50km in Oakland, CA. I'm excited more than anything, not very nervous cause my only intent is to finish the race...

Okay maybe I want to finish the race in about 5 hours, but if I miss that goal who cares. None of the guys and girls I know and run with will be there, so I'm not too worried about maintaining appearances... If I have to cry, I guarantee the water works will be flowing folks!

Nah, but I will certainly embrace the pain. I'm just gonna listen to my body for those 31 miles and take it all a few feet at a time. After I get this one under my belt maybe I'll get a bit more macho and set up time goals and such for myself.

In other news, I just wrapped up on my first week of TRX instruction at the TRX Training Center in San Francisco. It was a lot of fun, and I'm excited for Monday already (I taught 3 classes this week). Typically I co-teach a Bootcamp style class on Mondays and Wednsedays at 7:30AM, and I'm also subbing whenever I'm offered the chance. I've been a fan of TRX for the past 10 months, I got to know them first while working for lululemon and have been a regular over there ever since.

The TRX Suspension System is a great product and Fitness Anywhere, Inc. (the brand which owns and produces them) is a great company with a lot of fun employees. I'm looking forward to working more with them.

I've also been missing out on my Thursday AM Headlands runs, and hope to get back out there with the rest of the gang. A number of the runners from that group participate in many of the big Adventure and Ultra races across the country. Its been fun hearing their stories and getting tips from them. Its definitely tough getting up at 4AM to join them, but its totally worth it to watch the sun rise over the Bay in the morning from the SCA Trail and to catch up with each one of the regular runners (like Nathan Yanko, Brett Rivers, Devon Crosby-Helms, Larissa Polischuk, Rick Gaston, Joel Lanz, Zach Landman, Brian Schmitz and others).

The weather outside is awesome, and I'm just gonna grab a short, quick run under the sun before taking a shower and busting out the NASM textbook. My goal is to get this darn test outta the way in the next 2 weeks (May 20th). It'll be nice to have that off my back, and to get out into the fitness community so I can start lining up private clients to train.

Marin County Half

2010-04-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

So last week was the Marin County Half, I have to say I had my reservations leading up to the race. The website was a mess, completely incomplete and in disarray. They posted a map, then mentioned off-hand that there would be 1500 feet gain, but offered no elevation chart. The race also had a steep buy in fee, and I think the fact that it came across as a big time race, but would be traveling on a hybrid course (half road/half trail) was a bit off-putting to first time racers (not to mention the elevation change).

There was also the issue of race day logistics, you had to either purchase a parking spot at McNear State Beach Park, for something around $20-30, or grab a shuttle to the race if you parked outside of the park. This was due to the fact that half the roadway leading into and around the park was closed for the race. Sort of a hassle, especially since you had to get there before 7AM, because at that time the entire roadway would be closed off to all traffic.

However, when I finally got to McNear State Beach Park on the day of the race (after a very early wake-up call on a Sunday), I was kind of impressed. I should point out I got into this race for free, thanks to my wicked fast friend Michelle Meyer (pictured on the right), who recently won the Oakland Marathon. She got 2 free entries to the race from Mark, the race director, for her performance at the Rivals 10km last year.

I was impressed because of the level of organization and professionalism of the staff at the race start/finish area. The organization around the finishers chute was great, and the expo space had some cool participants. The event being staged as an earth friendly venture, by Sustainable Sports Foundation, was also a neat concept. They actually had a staff member there who was responsible for picking items out of the trash that could be recycled and adding them into the recycling bins (he used a special tool and wore gloves of course).

I will say that they could have offered more post-race food, but it didn't take away too much from the event because they did have some food/recovery fuel vendors on hand to help out. Since I finished early I didn't notice the lack of food as to much of a drawback, but that might have been different for the runners who finished a little later on in the day. Another area in which they should focus next year is timing.

The Half started only 10 minutes after the full marathon. The other distance (10km and 5km) seemed better spaced out, as the 10k'ers were finishing just a little before the half-marathoners, as were the 5k'ers. The marathon participants, though few as this was the marathon distance's first year in existence, were the last to finish. During the period of time that folks were waiting they were also raffling off prizes, which seemed pointless as many racers had either already left or not yet finished (because they were still racing the half or full marathon distance).

So next year they might want to figure out what time is best to send the marathoner's out, and then when to start the awards ceremony/raffle in relation to that change, so that all the participants get rub shoulders at the end of the race.

Okay, as per MY PERFORMANCE... I did okay, I actually finished right around where I wanted to for this race (1:32), and placed in the Top 10 (3rd in my age group). If the day was perfect I would've 1) ran the race just under 1:30 and 2) I would have had a negative split.

Negative splits are SO elusive to me, but they are even more difficult when the return path of your race is primarily along trails. So I knew that would be difficult, if not impossible to attain heading into this race. Nonetheless my focus at the beginning of the race (even though I noticed another runner whom I knew, and would've savored beating) was to coast and then speed it up a smidge on my trip back to the finish line. I think that's really what helped me feel satisfied with my result and efforts on the day when I entered the finisher's chute back at McNear Beach.

My friend Michelle Meyer ran a great race, another winning performance for her, she's kicking ass and taking names at all her races (typically placing first for the women). We both saw Magdelena Lewy-Boulet at the start and let out of little sigh of relief when we noticed she was just going to coast through this race. She still managed to clinch 2nd female with ease however.

All in all, a good race and a great morning/afternoon.

Tidings

2010-04-17T20:48:00.001-07:00

Our top story tonight I still hate cigarette smoke. Most kind of smoke or smoking annoys me actually.

I also have a half marathon coming up, the Marin County Half-Marathon on April 25th. There's reportedly 1500 feet of elevation gain and I guess its going to be on half road and half trail or some combination of the two (maybe not an even 50/50). Should be interesting and a good tune up for PCTR's Redwood Trail Race in early May and the EX2 Off-Road Half in early June. I'm taking a more laid back (less costly approach) to my racing this year and aiming for just 1-2 races a month.

My focus for the first half of the year is just to get faster at the Half-Marathon distance. So aside from working on technique, strength and speed with a few midweek workouts, I'll likely also incorporate a few short DSE races to tune up for a few more major events.

I'm thinking with the ladder half of my year I'll just spend it sort of fooling around, running an ultra or two, and racing a marathon or two. The last marathon I raced was about 2 years ago I guess, and I'm much faster now, so it'll be interesting to see what my times will wind up being.

Anyway, that's what is in my head right now. Wish it was more interesting for you, but its not.