rodbienblog

Is a 50K an "Ultramarathon"?

2011-09-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

ul·tra [uhl-truh]
adjective
1.
going beyond what is usual or ordinary; excessive; extreme.

I was having lunch with Jeff Browning today and talking about his upcoming 50K this weekend, which engaged me to make a quick "wise ass" remark. "Cmon, its just a 50K, its not even an ultra". And, this started our conversation.
Should a 50K be considered an ultramarathon? In short, my opinion is "no". I believe that a 50K should be in its own category, similar to half marathon or marathon but personally, I don't think it should be under the umbrella of "ultramarathon". Yes, I know that technically anything over 26.2 is considered an ultra. However, I don't consider a 27 mile race and ultra and I don't consider a 31 mile race to be an ultra.
Why? I think the skill set involved in a 50K (trail or road) is very equivalent to a marathon (trail or road). Racing these distances focus more primarily on pure, raw speed and being able to hold a hard but maintainable pace for 3:00+ hours. However, for me, when racing a 50K , all of the feelings, fueling, and strategy that I implement are pretty much the exact same as for a trail or road marathon. Okay, before anyone opens the flood gates on me, let me answer a few questions:
1. Do I think 50K's are easy? No.
2. Have I suffered mightily in many a 50K? Yes!
3. Do I think these are a less noble distance than say a 50 mile or 100 mile race? No.
4. Could you make a strong argument that this is the distance that I am the most competitive in? Yes.
5. Do I think they should be considered "ultramarathons"? No
6. Honestly, does it really matter? No. Not really. But its fun to talk about!
I think 10-15 years ago, there were not nearly as many "ultra" events. Therefore, it was natural to lump 50Ks with 50 and 100 mile races. However, now, there are hundreds of 50Ks each year and they can easily be put in their own category. However, again, to me, the difference between a 50K and a 50 mile race is two fold.
One is the mental side. It is fairly easy to train for the distance of a 50K. In fact, many people do 30 mile runs routinely every weekend as they are building up for their summer races. Therefore, the distance can usually be trained for and one can really know what to expect. With a 50 or 100 mile race, it is not something that is a normal distance training run (for most) and therefore, the body and mind are going to have obstacles that they haven't been able to tackle during training. Mentally, I always have mental hurdles to overcome in 50 and 100 mile races that I don't seem to experience in 50Ks. In 50Ks, it seems to be just much more physical.
On the physical side, in 50Ks, you can make mistakes and many times, you can ride them out with minimal consequence. In a 50 or 100 mile race, you simply cannot. If your legs, stomach, or anything else is shot at mile 25 of a 50 or 100 mile race... well, its going to be a long, long day.
Anyway, I'm not coming across to devalue the 50K. I simply think that it needs to be defined by its own distance and not to be "umbrellaed" by ultramarathon. That is just my own take. What do you think?

Cascade Crest 100 Mile Run

2011-08-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Glenn Tachiyama
Where to begin.... Cascade Crest 100 mile run was one that I was really looking forward to this year. In my heart, I always thought this was a race that really matched up with my strengths in running. Lots of great, runnable single track, long grinding climbs, and an equal portion of very technical trails. However, I'm glad that it takes out some of the surrounding "atmosphere" challenges that are hard to prepare for here in Bend: extreme heat and altitude. Cascade Crest is just a no frills, minimalist, tough nosed race with around 21,000 feet of both climbing and descents. It also has the added challenge of a 10 a.m. start time. This makes all the front runners run virtually all night long which is a change from most races.
Going into the race, I simply was in the best shape of my life. It was a great feeling. I wasn't stressed. I didn't think I needed that "one extra" long run. I was prepared. There was something comforting in knowing that no matter what happened, I had done my best to get ready for the event. Now, I just needed to execute my plan to the best of my ability.
Since San Diego 100, I kept straight through with my training. It started with pacing my good buddy, David Easa, at Western States and I just stayed on it. I had a great final test at the Haulin Aspen trail marathon. It is a tough little course with 2,500 feet of climbing and I ran that in 2:58 for a first place finish. I was proud of that one as it was right in the middle of a 100+ mile week. That helped my confidence knowing that I hadn't lost all my speed. But, more than that, I put in my time on the hills. I kept a steady diet of long, grinding climbs that I hoped would help me at Cascade Crest. Lastly, I had a plan. I had broken the course down and was prepared to run it in a way that compliments my strengths on the trail. I knew where I had to excel and I knew where I just needed to "hold serve".
Race week itself was awesome. One of my oldest and best friends, Chris Csordas, flew out from Boulder and visited Bend for the first time. We have an absolute blast together and make each other laugh constantly. It was a great way to go into the race. I wasn't stressed at all. Chris paced me at Leadville last year and he is a great combination of runner, motivator, and seems to know all the right things to say (or not say) when we are out there. I can feel the care that he has towards me and the satisfaction that he gets from truly knowing that he helps get me to the finish line faster than I would be able to do it alone. Secondly, I also had my good friend, Ken Sinclair drive in from Idaho. We have become great friends over the past few years and I had absolutely no doubts that he would push me hard as well to get me to the finish line.... oh, and he did!
Chris and I drove from Bend to Bainbridge Island on Thursday and spent the night at my mom's house. She was awesome and took care of our every need, cooked us great meals, and got the trip started on the right foot.
On Friday, I got a great "shakeout" run on Bainbridge Island and then we packed our bags and headed to a cabin that we rented in Easton. The only concern I had going into the race was really the taper. I did a good 2 week taper which kind of messes with your head a little bit. I've become so used to running lots of mileage that cutting it way back made me feel a bit lazy and lackadaisical.
Finally, we all met up in Easton, ate (thanks for sending Ken with a meal for us, Denise!), watched a movie and headed off to bed. The drama of the night occurred at 3 a.m. when ALL of the fire alarms in the house started wailing (for no reason). I stumbled around like an idiot not knowing what to do as Chris prodded at the alarms with a broom. Finally, I started calling the owner of the cabin at 3 a.m. when the alarms stopped as quickly as they started. Not a great omen but we headed back to bed.
The morning came and race day unfolded quickly. Breakfast was eaten, clothes were put on, and soon we were on the starting line. I knew I had some tough competition. Past champion Phil Shaw was there and Adam Hewey, Aaron Schwartzbard, and Brian Peterson all seemed like legit threats. I had several series of goals for the race. First and foremost, try my best to win. I have been 2nd place in 3 100 milers and I thought it would be darn nice to move up one spot and get that monkey off my back. Secondly, beat a very, very (in my opinion) stout course record that was laid out last year by my main training partner, Jeff Browning. I wasn't sure if this was within my ability level but I sure was willing to give it a try. I just wanted to make sure I didn't blow my race by chasing a time that was out of reach. So, the strategy? Start at a hard but maintainable pace (no matter what anyone did around me), run the rolling sections smooth, PUSH the uphills, and just maintain on the super technical stuff.

"Go!!!" Photo Courtesy of Mandy Kraus

We got the countdown and off we went! As I thought, Phil Shaw went out hard. My first mile was at 6:40 and he was already pulling away from me fast. 6:45 for a second mile and his lead increased. I settled in comfortably with Brian Peterson as we transitioned from dirt roads to the first nasty climb up to Goat Peak. However, once I got on the single track, I reeled Phil Shaw in pretty quickly. We chatted for a few minutes and he asked me if I was trying to break Jeff Browning's course record. I said I was sure going to try. With that, he said I was moving a little quick for him, and I assumed the lead in the race.
Right away, I knew that my taper was paying off. Climbing steep Goat Peak felt pretty trivial and other than a couple steps near the top, I ran almost the entire thing. It was great to see Glenn Tachiyama up there snapping photos and off I went, happy to have gotten the first big climb out of the way.

Nearing the top of Goat Peak. Photo courtesy of Glenn Tachiyama

The miles were ticking off pretty easily as I slid into the 11 mile aid station. My biggest concern of the day was whether I could use/maintain my strategy for fueling. Unlike other races, I decided to forgo using any gels. My stomach has constantly been one of my main "competitors" at 100 mile races and gels just don't treat me well. I used "Carbo Pro" for the last 50 miles of San Diego 100 and that worked well so I decided to roll with for the entire race. Carbo Pro is just pure Maltodextrin and I have no problem adding it to any drink or water as it dissolves instantly and has virtually no taste. But, it has 200 calories in each bottle. Anyway, on I went and was encouraged as I ran down a long, open road, and as I looked back, I saw no one.
The miles continued and I was getting excited about re-loading my Carbo Pro and Honey Stingers at Tacoma Pass. As I ran down the final hill into the aid station, I scanned the crowd for my crew. I yelled out "Chris" and "Ken"! Jamie Gifford quickly came up and told me that they weren't here. I was totally stunned. I was mostly stunned because my friend Chris is a legendary "stresser" (and I say that in a good way....) and I had to believe something was really wrong. A thousand thoughts circled my head. Did they get in a car crash? Was there a flat tire? It is 100% my fault for letting it mess with me but it really threw me off of my game. Somehow, I didn't grab anything at the aid station and just set off. Half way up the climb, I assessed what I did have with me. A few more Honey Stingers and one "emergency gel" that I kept in my water bottle. I let my mind wander and my pace really drop off as I climbed and ran erratically, tripping on rocks and getting upset with myself for how slow I felt. Randomly, I probably hit my low point of the race at the Snowshoe aid station. The High School kids were awesome and super pumped up as I arrived but I felt like a total downer. I was convinced that I would be caught at any moment and quickly had some bites of fruit and gagged my GU down the hatch.
I started completely stressing about whether my crew would be at Stampede pass but finally got my shit together a little bit and told myself to suck it up and that I could finish this race no matter what. I finally started pepping up and was thrilled to hear Chris hooting and hollering as I arrived at Stampede Pass. Phew! They had new, fresh bottles of Carbo Pro and off I went on the climb out of the aid station.

Respect the race stache. Stampede Pass, mile 33. Photo by Glenn Tachiyama

After Stampede Pass is one of my favorite sections of the course. Buttery singletrack as we entered the Cedar River Watershed. Then I bombed down, passed a small lake and started the climb up to Mirror Lakes. Mirror Lakes are super picturesque and the smell of campfires burning and small tents erected makes me momentarily want to stop this nonsense and spend the day by the lake. But, I kept on trucking and finally hit the famous pierogies from Scott McCoubrey and Brandon Sybrowsky. After they hazed me for a minute or two, I headed to a portion of the race that I had not done before. The "ropes" descents and the run through the tunnel. I had sort of laughed at the thought of the ropes section but it turned out to be a darn steep to climb down to the John Wayne trail and the ropes (for me) were definitely necessary in my navigation to the bottom of the descent. Once there, I headed towards another unique aspect of the race. The tunnel. The tunnel is from an old railroad track route and goes for over 2 miles in complete darkness! The crazy thing is that you can see the light from the other side the entire time! It was fun for a few minutes but quickly grew a little tiresome as I tried to run as hard and efficiently as I could without bouncing into the walls. I would look back every couple minutes to see if I could see any headlamps behind me. Nope. Good. My lead was looking pretty darn solid. Finally I emerged from the tunnel and headed across to the parking lot. I had some trouble finding course markers but finally found my way as we had to run on the highway for a 1/2 mile or so to the next aid station. In the middle of this section, I was convinced that I had gotten lost and was following random construction paint arrows. Finally I told myself I would run to the next "rise" in the road and if I did not see anything, I needed to start running back. Finally, I saw the aid station. Huge relief. Thank God.... I perked up and ran over to the Hyak (mile 53) aid station and picked up my first pacer, Chris. Chris seems to just "get" pacing me. We talk but not a ton and he does a nice job of keeping stride for stride with me and not pushing me out of my comfort range. I should also mention that I had been on Jeff Browning's Course Record pace all day. I would gain on him on some sections and lose it on others. When I hit Hyak aid station, I was informed that I was 3 minutes behind his splits from the year before. We then had about a 5 mile climb on a dirt road that gained a little more than 2,000 feet. I had mentally prepared myself for this climb all day. I knew this was a crux in the race and that I pretty much needed to run the whole thing. This is where I truly lost the race two years ago and I wasn't going to let it happen this year. While I didn't run every step, Chris and I ran pretty much the entire thing. Nothing spectacular but I knew that running was always going to be faster than anyone who was hiking it. When we hit the aid station at Keechelus Ridge, we were informed that we were 8 minutes ahead of Jeff Browning's record pace. Nice, I thought, we gained 11 minutes on the fastest guy who has run this course.
We arrived just in time to see the end of an amazing sunset over Mount Rainier. It was kind of cool to think that we were probably the first runners who have been able to see that before as the sun would be down just minutes later. Although my stomach was "okay", I was pretty burnt on drinking the same Carbo Pro/Nuun concoction for the last 10 hours and although I know it was a risk, I drank a cup of coke. Minutes after leaving the aid station, I was puking it all up. I didn't let it phase me at all and went right back to the Carbo Pro. We now had a 7 mile descent down the Lake Kachess and we just concentrated on running it smooth and steady. We were having a good time. Good conversations and we both knew this was a pretty sweet position to be in. First place in an awesome mountain 100 and enjoying good conversations and running well. It was also probably the last real "fun" that the course had to dish up..... The good news is that we heard that we were about 40 minutes ahead of the last runner at the last aid station.
At the bottom, we knew we were about to encounter the infamous 5 mile "Trail From Hell". I'm not really sure how to describe it without overdoing or underdoing it. It is a lake shore trail that basically is unmaintained. And, with all the severe winter weather, it was worse than I have ever seen it. You have to crawl over and under fallen trees and logs, traverse crumbling and sketchy trails, cross multiple small streams. In short, it is just slow. You eventually just have to take a lot of small risks and jump, duck, and run without fear of consequence. For reference, most of our mile splits were between 12:30-16:45 and I didn't feel like I could possibly run any faster. It is a frustrating place to be when you feel like everyone else MUST be running this section faster than you are. I actually enjoyed it for a while as it was nice not to have my heart rate so high but in the end, it got frustrating and the signs informing us that we were 2, 1.5, 1, and .5 miles from the next aid station )named "Heaven") seemed impossibly wrong as it took us so long to encounter each one. Kudos to my buddy Chris for tackling this with me. Triathlons are his main sport and I'm not sure bushwhacking in the middle of the night was what he had in mind! But, he was a gamer and we eventually made it to the next aid station. After hitting the aid station, I knew I probably had the last real "test" that stood as a serious challenge between myself and winning Cascade Crest. A seven mile, 3,000+ climb could easily help buoy my lead or, if reduced to a walk, could let someone behind me snatch up the lead. I was determined to run as much of it as I could and we slowly shuffled our way up the steep hill. It was hard to get fired up to run uphill a lot more and I was jealous that my friend Chris was going to be trading off with Ken to pace me 2 miles up the dirt road and I could tell he was definitely excited to be done with his tour of duty.... and I sure as hell didn't blame him. We finally hit the junction 2 miles up and Ken jumped into the game. Another great pacer. Ken quickly took the lead and pushed the pace up a notch or two. I was pretty much okay with it but did ask for a couple quick hike breaks during the climb. I felt more and more confident of winning the race as I just found it hard to believe that anyone else was doing my same pace up the hill ( I later found out Adam Hewey was!) We just grinded and grinded until we finally hit the top.
We quickly refueled and got ready for the Cardiac Needles. 5 fairly short but stout, stinger climbs that just had you huffing, puffing, and cursing. With my lead, I felt entitled to get a little sloppy in here and I wasn't running with quite as much purpose. We kept it rolling though and eventually made it to Thorpe Cabin. It is a picturesque cabin (although we couldn't see it as it was pitch black) where I had to run to the top, retrieve a chip, and bring it back to the aid station volunteers. The climb seemed much longer and steeper than I remembered but we got it done and knew we had only one more real climb left in the race. We continued on but the trail was choppy, tough, and steep and was putting a pretty good beating on my legs.
Another weird note. A couple times while I was descending, my entire upper body (head, arms, chest, well you know what upper body means) got completely numb like when your hand falls asleep. It was kind of creepy as I was not sure if it was electrolyte balance, just the jostling of the downhill, or whether something seriously was going wrong with me medically. In fact, I couldn't really talk normally when it happened and I sounded drunk. Anyone have ideas on that??? Anyway, once the trail leveled off again, it went away and we hit French cabin aid station and prepared for the long road home.

This was awesome. If we could have seen it. Near Thorpe Cabin. Photo by Glenn Tachiyama

The trail down to Silver Lake feels like you are in a time warp. They say it is only 7 miles and you only lose about 2,000 feet in elevation but it (and it did last time too) becomes one of the longest feeling sections that I have encountered in a race. It is just technical and choppy enough that you never get in a rhythm. And, once you get about half way down, the trail becomes dusty, tough, with multiple small stream crossing to soak your feet. Not exactly what you are looking for at mile 90 or so in the race. My Garmin watch had shut off so I had no idea how long I had been running for and that was messing with my head and I also got that crazy upper body numbness again. I don't think we ran this section particularly well and I felt downright desperate near the bottom. I was yelling at Ken, "where the hell is the bottom of this thing?". Of course, I was the one who had run the course before and this was his first time here so I don't know what I was hoping for.
By the time we finally hit the aid station, I was relieved but desperate to be done. My upper body was numb and I was panicked that somehow I could be caught even though I had a 40 minute lead. Race Director Charlie Crissman was there an assured me I had the win and informed me that I was 3 minutes off the Course Record. Shit. That almost seemed like bad news. I didn't want to have to bust my ass the 5 miles of the run. Ken did a great job of not forcing the issue. He started at a moderate pace and slowly cranked up the intensity. I pounded my second GU of the day and got a little renewed energy. Okay, lets go for it. I dropped my final bottle and got into the Carl Lewis position. I'm sure this looked ridiculous as I was running 7:30 miles and not sprinting but it felt like the 50 yard dash. Ken stayed an annoying ten yards ahead of me which was definitely motivating and pissed me off as I wanted to catch him! He kept yelling at me to keep pushing and man, was I. Finally we hit the final stretch and I could see the finish line. We bolted hard to the finish and made it in a time of 18:27:52. 3+ minutes faster than my buddy's seemingly invincible time that he laid out there last year. I was overwhelmed. Pure relief hit me and all the work of the day, week, and months this summer became worth it.
Its funny, I had wanted to win a 100 miler SO BAD but now that I have, it doesn't seem that crazy or even that much better to me than any of my 2nd place or even other times finishing an event. It kind of put things into perspective to me. What I really enjoy is the beautiful courses, the competition, and the tradition that I have put forth of having great friends in my life join me for part of the journey to the finish line. That is what I will end up remembering about this race. And of course, now the big, big, big THANK YOU's:
1. My wife, Katie. It goes without saying that I could not do this without her. With three kids, she constantly picks up the slack and puts her own athletic achievements on the backburner to let me do this. She realizes how important to me and who I am and has accepted this and encourages me to train hard and be the best that I can be. I read on Jeff Browning's blog about how he feels a responsibility to race really hard out of respect to his family and the sacrifices that they make for his running. I thought about that a lot before and during the race and he is totally right. If I'm going to take time away from my family, I do need to respect that and race to the best of my abilities out of respect for what they do for me.
2. My employees. It seems silly but without solid crews that I can trust and count on at the shops; I can't do this. They run the stores like they are their own and let me train and leave for races without me having to micro manage.
3. My pacers. Pacing is an intimate and great experience to have with someone. I will always cherish all the people who have paced me. It definitely creates a bond and I enjoy both being the pacer and racer. Both Chris and Ken were motivating, patient, funny, and definitely enhanced my experience.
4. The competition. It was an honor to share the trail with lots of great folks who all had to give it all they had to get to the finish line. Adam Hewey defines grit and toughness to me and I didn't feel comfortable about him not catching me until about mile 98......

I'll always look back on this race with great fondness. It exemplifies "old school" ultrarunning. A really tough course, pristine wilderness running, and a great, great group of folks who put on the race and all the aid stations. Thank you for all that you folks do to make this an amazing race.

San Diego 100 Miler

2011-06-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Takeoff! Photo by Brett Rivers
Why San Diego 100 miler? Well, it started selfishly enough. Last year I had run an extremely competitive racing season. And, while I did well in all the events that I entered, I was looking to do some new races against maybe slightly less stacked fields. As anyone knows, that mentality is a recipe for disaster. Usually this is because others seem to have the same thoughts and all of a sudden that “mellow” race becomes somewhat of a barn burner. That is what appears to have happened at San Diego. The event had caught my eye as I heard it was a tough, beautiful, but relatively fast race. I had noted that race veteran Guillermo Medina had won the race the year before in a time of 18:53. That seemed like a time that I was very capable of and could maybe rack up my 1st 100 mile win. However, after the event opened, it seemed like I wasn’t the only one with this idea. It quickly became one of the more competitive 100 mile races this summer. While the race didn’t feature any of the “top of the top” runners (Tony K, Geoff Roes, etc), it more than made up for in the next level of top trail runners in the country. Yassine Diboun (multiple ultra wins), Dylan Bowman (more wins, young, and 3rd at Leadville 100), Ben Hian, Topher Gaylord, Josh Brimhall, David James, Guillermo Medina, Krissy Moehl (uh, yeah, she can win any 100 miler she is in). Are you kidding me? Well, that’s what I get for cherry picking my events on trying to win…..
But, I was really excited to run this course. Tons of singletrack, sunny skies, some good climbs, and the fact that I was heading to the race with two of my good friends; Ken and Denise.
We flew into San Diego on Thursday and headed up to our cool little cabin at 6,000 feet. As usual, when you head up to altitude, the small towns become a little more eclectic and this was no exception at the Mount Laguna cabins. We settled in and Ken, Denise, and myself went out for a quick run on the course. The rest of the day was filled with watching movies and ESPN. I had grown a bit of a beard and as we watched “Smokey and the Bandit”, I got the idea to give myself a 70’s stache which proved to be the entertainment of the day. In fact, the next day, armed with my cowboy hat, friends Krissy Moehl and Topher Gaylord had to look at my pre-race name tag to know who I was! Classic.
Friday was filled lots of nervous energy, race meetings, and getting our drop bags ready. The day before the race always seems endless and it is usually a great relief to get to sleep. Luckily, the day was broken up as Ken and Denise had their pacers, Christian and Julie, fly in from Portland and add more energy to the mix. Soon enough it was race morning and the usual seriousness set in. As anyone who has done these races knows, you are not going to make it through a 100 miler unscathed. Knowing that you are willingly going to put yourself through something that 99.9% of the world would consider torture is still daunting.
At last we were at the starting line and it was time to get moving. It was 7 a.m. and off we went! A couple of the threatening contenders were not there which was a nice surprise! The front pack was formed quickly between Yassine Diboun, Dylan Bowman, and myself. Within a mile, Yassine had sprinted off at sub 7 minute pace. I heard uber veteran’s Roch Horton’s warning to me in the back of my head. “Yassine and that guy from Aspen are going to go shooting off. Let them go.” Within a couple miles I did. First, Yassine, and then Dylan. It felt good to be on my own and not trying to run anyone else’s race. The first 20 miles of the race are actually quite gentle as we ran through big open meadows speckled with wildflowers only to be interrupted by quick “stinger” climbs and the introduction to our toughest companion of the day: the rocks! Of course, during the early miles, our legs are fresh, nimble, and able to dart through the array of rocks strewn on the course.

Photo by Brett Rivers
While the course was undeniably beautiful, I found myself having a hard time getting into a rhythm. I wasn’t feeling particularly badly but I definitely wasn’t feeling like the run was coming to me easily. By mile 20, I was mildly worried about how my day was going to go. As we have had literally NO warm days in Central Oregon this summer, I was struggling with the heat already. But, onward I moved. Dylan Bowman had taken a wrong turn somewhere and caught back up to me and we ran together towards Noble Canyon. We both noted that the technical terrain had caught us off guard. The descent into the canyon felt tough and I was running slow downhill. As we hit mile 30, my race really felt like it was unraveling. I was hot and I really wasn’t enjoying myself. We were then to run a loop at the bottom of the canyon which pushed me further into the hole. It was hot and I was literally mugged by gnats, flies, I don’t know what they were but they were unbearable. They swarmed my head, ears, and made me want to scream. What do you do? Suck it up and keep moving. I looked back every couple of minutes amazed that no one had caught me yet as I felt like I couldn’t have been moving any slower. At that point, the course enters into one of the true “cruxes” of the race. A 2.3 mile, steep asphalt climb that then drops momentarily before an exposed, hot single track climb. It was miserable. Worse yet, I puked after 34 miles which is earlier than I ever had in a 100… and I’m a puker! I started going through the reasons why I should quit. “I’m slammed and stressed out at work. I haven’t trained enough. We have had no heat for training. Rod, you never DNF. Give yourself a break. Its not your day”. But upward I went. I looked back and finally I was being caught. Up and looking extremely strong, Topher Gaylord seemed to be feeling as good as I was bad. If I was going to be caught, I was glad it was Toph. One of my favorite folks to see at races, he gave me encouragement and took off. I did my best to keep him in my sights and use him to pull me around. When we hit the aid station at mile 44, life sucked. My vision was blurred and I was out of it. Catherine Horton, Kim Gaylord, and Devon Crosby-Helms were all great mother hens to me and tried their best to get me to eat and drink. I did and then predictably and violently puked it all out. Finally, they pushed me out and I scuffled my way along the next 7+ miles on the technical PCT. I could see Topher in the distance and did seem to be slightly gaining on him. I still felt like absolute shit but just kept moving forward thinking of the famous ultra mantra, “it never always gets worse”. At mile 51, I picked up my first pacer, Jason Hill. While we just met a couple weeks earlier, I felt an immediate connection to Jason. Maybe it was his uber cool South African accent or just his genuine personality shines right through. It was definitely very cool for him to jump in and run with me. At first, I still felt horrible and nauseous and within a few moments, I threw up again. As I have said in the past, if I do have any redeeming quality in my pukiness, it is that I seem to rally pretty well. At the last aid station, I had stopped taking gels, which were clearly not working for me. I started taking Carbo Pro which instantly seemed to have a good affect on me. I wasn’t moving real well but I did slowly seem to start moving better. As we entered an area of giant meadows and wide open views, life seemed ever so slightly better. Jason and I had some good conversations and slowly moved up the pace. By the time we hit the next aid station at mile 58, the sun was lowering in the sky and the relief helped me out. Topher and I were at the aid station together and both complained on what in the world we were doing willingly thrashing ourselves out here. I was however, clearly, feeling better. We were 45+ minutes behind Yassine and Dylan but that had very little concern to me. I again, and stupidly, tried to fill myself with chicken broth, coke, and ginger ale. Jason and I were just ahead of Topher and his pacer, Nathan when I again started projectile vomiting. “God damnit”, I yelled. Why didn’t I just stick to the Carbo Pro? The barfing pissed me off and put a little giddyup in my step. All of a sudden, I was running better. I put on the gas a little bit to see if I could get some breathing room from Topher and was able to do this. Next came a tough little climb up Stonewall Peak. We were now starting to move though. My legs were responding better and better as the sun eased up on us. Okay, I thought, I can do this. By the time we hit the next aid station, we didn’t have Topher in view. Again (yes, I am an idiot), I tried to get more liquids in my body and again, I puked several times within a ¼ mile after leaving the aid station. No more food. Jason ran back to get more carbo pro and I took off. The next few miles, my race drastically changed. We were running. Not only that, we were running well. The next section was my favorite on the course as we traversed a hillside that had a faint and awesome trail to run on. We had some great conversations and were moving!!! I was having fun again. Thank God….
When we hit mile 71, life was good. My great friend David Easa was there to pace me to the finish. A quick note on David. This was his 4th time pacing me at a 100 miler and is one of the closest people to my heart. We don’t talk daily or weekly but we have a lot of connections that go deep and I know I could call him for pretty much anything and he would be there. Jason and I entered the aid station whooping and hollering. Kim Gaylord was there and said that Yassine was only 8 minutes ahead of me. Are you kidding me??? I hadn’t even thought I had a chance of catching him. And, Dylan was only 15 minutes up on us. “David, you better be ready to run. I’m moving right now!”. I left him to fill my bottles as I ran down the trail. David caught up to me about a mile later and we settled into a groove. The next section was going to be tough but I was up for it. It was a definite “Rod style climb”. A grinder. I had David lead and we ran virtually the whole hill. Our headlamps were now on and we were on the hunt for Yassine. Finally, we hit the mile 80 aid station. The aid station was also the 50 mile aid station earlier in the day. I couldn’t believe how many people were just getting there…. 30 miles behind me. I really felt for them. They had one damn long adventure still ahead of them. As we hit the aid station, we heard that Yassine was just a couple minutes ahead of us. I felt strong but cold. The ridge we were entering had strong winds and my body temperature dropped fast. I didn’t have a drop bag at this aid station and had to borrow someone’s “sleeves” as my tank top was not going to do it. Finally, I was smart enough not to eat any food and just got more Carbo Pro and off we went. Again, we moved well. Both of us very focused. We starting seeing Yassine’s light ahead of us. Yes, we were going to catch him. We had several setbacks on this stretch. After a trip, my headlamp would not turn on. We also made a wrong turn that cost us several minutes. However, finally we reeled Yassine in. He had been my goal to catch for so long that it felt strange to go by him. I felt badly as I knew he had gotten off course earlier and looked to be hurting some. As we entered the aid station, we was only 25 yards or so behind. I knew I was in second place but I figured I would ask Yassine if he wanted to stay with us and finish together. I asked him and he seemed happy to have the companionship after a long day of running alone. I know I should have a stronger “killer instinct” but I don’t and I genuinely thought it would be cooler to finish tied for second rather than by myself. After Yassine latched on with us, the last 12 miles were tough. We were both tired and pretty beat up. The course eases in terms of vertical but the rocks and tough terrain just never eased up. We all took turns “pulling” as we grunted and swore our way to the last aid station. At the last aid station, we heard we were only 10 minutes or so behind Dylan. A bit too much of a gap to make up so we just suffered on and on. It was sweet relief to see the “1 mile to go” sign. We made our way through the campground and it was done. Yassine and I tied for 2nd place in 18:12... a PR for both of us.
So, the questions, right? I'm sure a lot of folks are curious why Yassine and I would want to link together after battling all day? I don't have a great answer other than, to me, 100 milers are bigger than winning and losing. They are testing your soul and your resolve as a man or woman. To me, to be able to share the end with a a runner that I respect, was a much better ending than trying (and he sure as heck may have still beat me!) to beat him out by a couple of minutes. It was a much more meaningful race to me because of the decision.
Did I have a chance of catching Dylan? I doubt it. I don't think that I necessarily slowed down much at all after Yassine and I linked up. I think it breathed some new into Yassine and he definitely picked up his pace. So, while I may have made slight gains on Dylan... I'm sure his place was secure. And, for the record, I think if Yassine had not gotten lost on the course for 10 minutes, I think he probably would have won. I think we all know the feeling of getting lost on a course and how it can truly take the steam out of the engine. He had been in the lead ALL day and to lose it late in the race, without a pacer, is certainly hard to overcome. Regardless, as I look back on the race, I'm proud that I persevered from having a very challenging first half, getting my 100 mile PR on a stout course, and gaining a good friend along the way. I'd call that a solid weekend.
I'd be remiss to bring up my one big disappointment of the weekend. It seems as if someone stole all four of my drop bags. Major bummer. Whoever it is, you better hope I don't see you with my stuff!!! I'll be looking!
I'd also like to thank my pacers: David Easa and Jason Hill. Without these guys, there is no doubt that I would not have achieved the time that I did out there. I'd also like to thank Kim Gaylord (Topher's wife) for genuinely helping me out at all the aid stations. I'd like to thank my sponsor, Patagonia. I've been on their team for a long time and I truly believe they make the best trail running clothing in the world and I am truly proud to represent them. Lastly, a big shout out to Yassine for being willing to run the last 12 miles with me. I had a blast... once it was over.

8 Years

2011-04-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

One of very few memorials on public trails in Hawaii. My dad's bench being installed by Mike Garcia. Endless aloha towards the entire HURT crew and my wife, Katie, for making this a reality.
Its funny how normally we use 5 year blocks to keep track of important dates and events. For some reason, this year I feel a heavy weight of the events that took place on April 29th 8 years ago.
It was at that time, at the age of 30, that I opened the outdoor store "Pandora's Backpack" which is now called Patagonia@Bend. I'm very proud of the fact that I have been able to develop a successful retail store from scratch and that it is now a fixture in downtown Bend. I think a lot of folks think of retail stores as "easy" or "lucky". Unfortunately, that is not the case. It (for me) took years of hard work before I ever even pulled a cent out of the business. Yep, years of hard work, having great people involved with the shop, and lots of long, long hours. A lot more work than simply opening the doors each day. I am now lucky enough that I don't have to be there full time anymore but am reminded of the hard work as my second business, Fleet Feet, just turned three years old and I am still putting my heart and soul into it everyday.
However, thirty six hours before we opened Pandora's Backpack 8 years ago, the most traumatic event in my life happened. My dad, the Navy SEAL, the ultramarathon runner, who predicted he would live to be 113 years old, died of a heart attack at 59 years old while out on a training run by himself. It was, is, and will continue to be something that I struggle with on a reasonably regular basis. I had a complex relationship with my dad. Intense in many ways. My dad and I had major struggles in my late teens and early to mid twenties as he more or less left my mom and our family basically to run. Therein, running in itself will always be a complex love of mine as it has given and taken a reasonable amount away from me. However, in the end, my dad and I grew very close in the last 6 years of my life. He paced me to my first finish at Western States and I was in awe of his accomplishments of running the entire Appalachian trail and for him to be the first to run the entire California Costal trail. He did both completely self sufficiently and in one push in his late 50's.

The only time my dad got to meet a grandchild. Fisher, as a baby.
I'm truly sad that he did not really get to know his grandchildren, to see the success of the stores, or selfishly, see me go from a sub-mid pack runner to a contender in ultramarathons.
Anyway, I apologize if this is a bit heavy for the general public but being a pretty private guy, sometimes it feels good to get some stuff off the chest and made public.
In the end, a lot of people run for different reasons. There is no question that I still run to try and impress my dad. 8 years and man, how I miss him.
I'm off to run Capitol Peak 50 Miler this weekend and I'll run a little extra hard for him.
Lastly, I thought I would share my dad's favorite poem. It is a well known one but I had not heard it until he read it to Katie and myself at our Rehearsal Dinner the night before our wedding. I still read it regularly and always before a big event in my life.

The Invitation
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dreams
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after a night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

California Dreamin'

2011-04-05T21:44:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, my wife and I entertained the thought of if we wanted to stay in Bend, Oregon. We had been here for over 10 years and admittedly, both have lost a little enthusiasm with winter. Having grown up in Florida (my wife) and Hawaii (me), the novelty of winter had worn off a bit and with three kids, winter can get a bit long for both of us. We contemplated moving back home to Hawaii or to somewhere in California and went as far as to check out some towns that we thought we might be interested in. However, anywhere we went, it just didn't seem to compare to Bend. Yeah, the winters are long here but the access to mountain trails, the skiing, and all of the great people and relationships that we have made here just made the decision easy for us. However, we did both agree that we needed to get away several times each winter and act like lizards and warm our souls. We decided that a schedule that allowed us to leave in January and March seemed like a great combination. After a great trip to see family in Hawaii in January, we decided to visit another spot that we love; Palm Springs.
I used to have to travel to Palm Springs when I worked for The North Face and fell in love with the baking hot weather, the quaint downtown, and the wonderful trails that weave, rise, and descend through the canyons surrounding Palm Springs.
First we tackled the real endurance event: a few days at Legoland and Disney with the kids and then we headed to the heat of Palm Springs.
I know, you're thinking Pea skins (old folks), golf, and gated communities. Yeah, there is some truth to that. But, the trail running in Palm Spring and the surrounding areas are some of the real gems in my opinion.
In the past, when we have visited Palm Springs, I found myself running the same trail almost every day. Yeah, its a good one. The Lyken Trail is a nice 10 mile out n back with a great little climb and descent but I had grown tired of it. On the last day that we were there a few years back, I smartened up and bought a mountain biking book (hiking books always list trails that are too short). This opened up a new world to me. Not only were there amazing trails but there were tons of them. In fact, I now feel like I have found the absolute perfect Western States 100 training camp! The trails are technical and there is no doubt that the weather will absolutely bake you. While I was there, it was considered "cool" and we had weather in the 80's and 90's. It may be cool to them but it was a heat wave to me.
Now, this was no run-cation so most of my runs were all in the 10-18 mile variety but they were enough to let me know that the next time I'm in Western States, I'm going to do my best to convince the Bend boys to come out and bake in the sun on these glorious trails. Here is a run down of the trails that I did.

Day 1: Goat trails. We had arrived in Palm Springs around 4 PM so I settled the troops in and was given a hall pass to check out the Goat Trails. The pinnacle of this area is the very cool Murray Peak. It is a picturesque peak that offers a super fun and technical (running-wise) 2000 foot climb to its summit. Well, even though the peak was looming to me to come climb it, I was not sure on how long it would take to climb and did not have a headlamp. Therefore, I just checked out the surrounding trails and got a layout of my assault of the peak in the morning! 8.8 miles and 2100 feet of climbing. Great blend of dirt roads and technical trails.
Day 2: I had climbed Murray Peak one time before on my last visit. However, when I did, I made a wrong turn on a dirt trail and added a BUNCH of mileage on my run. I think my run turned out being about 20 miles so I wasn't really sure how long my run would be today. My wife and kids dropped me off and I hit the trails.

Me and Murray Peak in the distance
I found myself feeling giddy out on the trails. I've been slipping around on the snow and ice for months and it felt amazing to get on some technical singletrack and climbing on exposed ridges is one of my absolute favorite thing to do. The perma-grin was painted on. One of the funny things about the desert though is that without a lot of landmarks out there, mountains, ridge tops, etc look very far away to the naked eye but you run up to them relatively quickly. This was the case for my run to the peak. It only took me a surprising 5 miles to stand on the summit. But, man, it was awesome. Just a picturesque trail, tons of cactus and some of the best singletrack that I have run in a while. I made some small talk with a couple hikers on the summit, and headed down.

As Bronco would say, "smokin' singletrack, take me away"
Great run in the sun. 10.5 miles 3200 feet of climbing. I did add some more running in after the peak as I had a full two hours to burn until the fam was picking me up.
Day 3:Hopalong Trail. This was a new trail that I had never been on. It started at the same trailhead as the super popular "Bump N Grind" trail. I was slightly sad at how many people were hiking on the initial trail out but the crowds died out after my trail left the Bump N Grind trail intersection. Now, this is a tough trail to describe. It is 12 miles end to end (one way) and I was doing an out n back. It was like being in a crazy world of contrasting landscapes. I'd have miles where I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. Then, all of a sudden, I saw this giant cross in the distance.

Can you see it in the distance?
It was a nice magnet for me to pull me to the top. Once I got there, it was a CRAZY, Palm Springs style cross. Probably 30 feet high and lined with light bulbs. Totally cracked me up.

I'm going to say that the "Big Guy" in the sky might not call this his finest tribute....
Then it was back to more climbing and descending in the heat. It was a tough and rugged trail for sure and I was loving it. I will say, the biggest downfall with the trails out here is the lack of trail signs and how many trails there are. Between goat trails and lots of random trails, they need some direction out there. There is no shortage of hikers/runners/bikers in the area and a few signs at complex intersections (like near the cross) would be very helpful. Anyway, my biggest concern was water. There is (probably obviously) none out there. In fact, at one point the trail literally hugs this super fancy pants golf course and it was an amazing contrast between the uber lush golf course and the arid and craggy surrounding desert terrain. After about 8 miles out, I decided that I didn't want to push my luck with the water, and headed back. Once again, I was on my own, weaving my way through the amazingly rugged canyons.

My turnaround point and my 1 mile intersection for the next day
It was a smooth and fun trip back to the car minus one wrong turn. I took the trail that is apparently the "direct route" to the cross. I won't make that mistake again. Probably went by 25 hikers on the way up.
17.5 miles, 4325 in climbing.
Day 4: Art Smith Trail.(This guy has some great pictures of the trail)
The final day in Palm Springs unveiled my favorite run of the bunch. This trail offered a little bit of everything. Amazing climbs, rattlesnakes, beautiful cactus, rock outcroppings, hidden palm tree oasis', and a sandy final 1 mile climb to the end of the trail. As usual, the first 2 miles were littered with lots of folks who had apparently never seen someone run uphill before...;)
Every turn was filled with amazing views as I left the foothills and started to explore the beginning of the Santa Rosa mountains.

Palm Trees seemed very out of place in such a harsh environment of desert and granite
Once again, I was dodging in and out of climbs and descents of canyons and carefully monitoring my water supply. I have to admit that it would have been hard to turn me around. The book I bought had said that the finish of the hike was spectacular with a set of benches perched on the top of the last climb and offered 360 views of the surrounding San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains.
I continued to push until I hit the last "sandy mile" where I spun my wheels a bit until I hit the finish of the trail. So, my only disappointment of the entire trip was the final destination. Yeah, there were benches but they were tucked into a little valley with pretty uninspiring views (compared to the rest of the run) and a broken down front loader.

This is not the image that was conjured from the guidebook.....
After sipping some Nuun, it was time to head back to the car and end this great run. The weather was in the 90's and this definitely was the warmest I have been in a while. Although, it felt great to run without multiple layers and just "rock the shorties"!

All in all, a great trip and really got me excited about a new place to really prepare for some of the summer "hot" races. Its tough getting ready for the hot races here in Bend as it is cool until June.
16.25 miles, 3245 in elevation gain.
As always, thanks to my wife for allowing me to play in the mountains for a few hours each day.....
Bring on summer.....

Breaking the seal at Way Too Cool 50K

2011-03-13T18:17:00.001-07:00

There's more than a trace of truth in this sign. Better be ready to run.
photo courtesy http://fartherfaster.blogspot.com/
It had been a long time since I had been on a starting line; October to be exact. I can't say that I was nervous standing under the 6 min/mile banner at Way Too Cool 50K but I knew it would be constant hard effort from step #1 to the finish line and that is slightly daunting.....
This was my 4th time at Way Too Cool. Its a great but sudden way to get the season started. You need to be ready to run hard and I wasn't sure if I was. My training was a little bit off compared to last year. It wasn't bad but I felt that I missed a couple key workouts this year. But, since I made the 8 hour drive down to the race, I was definitely going to give it my all.
I arrived the day before and stopped by Auburn Running Company to pick up my packet and say hello to friends. I linked up with fellow Oregonian John Ticer and we headed out to meet some more folks to go for a quick run. We drove over to the infamous Robie Point and met Craig Thornley, Todd Braje, Ken Sinclair, Denise Bourassa, OD, and some others. We made the muddy run down to "No Hands Bridge" and back. It felt good to loosen up a bit and then it was time for dinner with Ken and Denise and back to the hotel.
I was excited to get to the hotel to find my new racing kit for the year from Patagonia. Even though I had not worn my new jersey, I could tell that the stretchy Cap 1 sleeveless was going to work great.
After an awesome and uninterrupted sleep, I gathered my gear and headed to the starting line.
As a side note, the Way Too Cool course was changed this year. A great call, as in the past, the front runners had to run back and meet the middle and back of the pack runners "head on" which was definitely frustrating to all parties involved. The new course was rumored to be faster than the old one as there was no "Ball Bearing Hill" this year which was a definite hiking hill and was replaced with a longish but very runnable hill. The last tough 10 miles promised to be the same however.

Ready. Set. Blast off!
photo courtesy http://fartherfaster.blogspot.com/
As the gun went off, the pace was predictably pretty intense. A lead pack of about 10 or 12 went out in front of us (including the new generation of Anton K wannabes who were shirtless with their flowing locks). I settled in with a group that I thought was perfect in terms of it would push me to race as well as I could. I linked up with Hal Koerner, Tim Olson, and Josh Wheeler. Some other dudes came and went but this pack stayed together for about the first 18 miles.
The pace was a bit jolting and we ran through the first mile in 5:57 before hitting the trail. Once there, we settled into a pace that seemed to range from about 6:15 to 6:40 depending on how the hills dictated the course. The pace felt comfortable enough. I figure that Tim would probably break free from us but I definitely anticipated a good run/race with Hal as our 50K pace is pretty similar (though he always ends up beating me by 2 minutes or so!). The new course was sweet with lots of single track but the mud was a definite factor and was quite deep and thick in a lot of spots during the first 8 miles. At 8 miles, we met up with the start/finish line area and I felt a slight bonk come on and dropped back from the other 3 by about 10 seconds. I was worried I'd get dropped but didn't panic, popped two gels and eventually caught them all again.

Hal, Josh, Tim, and me heading to first aid
photo courtesy http://fartherfaster.blogspot.com/
The next section led us to a 4X4 road next to the river. This is where the course was fast. It rolled a little up and down but it was pretty flat and fast and we were rolling along in the low 6 min/mile pace for quite a while. I again fell back a bit at the aid station and had to slowly reel in the fellas again. I rolled through the 13.1 mark in 1:26 which is obviously very fast for a trail race and is 9 minutes faster than I was on the old course at this point. At about mile 15 or so, the road started making some pushes upward and the quick climbs felt a bit treacherous on my legs. I did notice that I seemed to be rolling along the flatter parts a touch easier than Hal but he was climbing stronger... pretty good for a full figured dude :)

Me and Tim at mile 8. While he gave me a whooping, I will say I look a bit fresher at mile 8! :)
photo courtesy http://fartherfaster.blogspot.com/
Tim slowly started to peel away from us at this point as he was climbing very well. I had pulled ahead of Hal and Josh and felt pretty good. The first good hill started around mile 18 or so and I could tell that the hills would be my challenge for the day. Hal passed me and I struggled to find my rhythm. I should also mention that at the base of this climb, former Way Too Cool winner, Lewis Taylor joined the crew. This kind of shocked me as I knew we had been running 6:15s or so and I had looked behind several times before so Lewis must have been running the flats at 6 min/mile pace or faster. He stayed a little bit behind me and I slowly found a pace I was comfortable with going uphill but Hal was putting some time on me. At the top of the climb, he had me by probably 30 yards and I had Lewis behind me at about the same distance and we had dropped Josh for good. I could tell Hal was trying to shake me but I felt really solid on the rolling stuff and slowly was reeling him in. He was looking over his shoulder to see me at each turn so I knew that I had his attention. I dreaded getting to the base of Goat Hill but decided I would take a chance and just take it easy on the steep hill, let Hal go a little bit, and then hope that he pushed too hard and I would reel him in and overtake him from 26 to the finish. However, as I got to the "hiking" section of Goat Hill, my legs felt pretty worked and I started cramping up in my gigantic calves (enter sarcasm). I then looked behind me and Lewis Taylor caught me right at the top of Goat Hill and we entered the aid station together and Hal was nowhere in sight. I took a minute to gather my senses, fill my bottle and grab some gels. I figured at that point, Lewis would put the stake in my heart. I stayed right on his heels though on the initial descent figuring I would try to hang on as long as I could before he dropped me. I was in butt sniffing distance from him on the descent and he surprised me when he turned and said, "go ahead. I feel a little punch drunk on the downhills." I took the lead but he was running the uphills much stronger than me so I figured he would pass me again momentarily. We then stuck together through the part of the course that I like the least. Lots of quick little climbs and rocky descents. Then a moment later, I realized he was not right behind me anymore. I figured it was momentary and just kept clicking along. Finally I hit the final aid station at HWY 49 and again looked for Lewis as I figured at this point, we could run in together. I didn't see him though and pushed on, having the pipe dream that I would catch a fading Hal. Not to be. Hal obviously ran Goat Hill well and I never saw him again. I grunted, hiked, and ran my way to the top of HWY 49 and made my way to the finish. 2 minutes behind Hal and 1 minute in front of Lewis. And, that is just how Way Too Cool is. There are great runners in front and behind you at all times. I was 6th place in a field of 564 finishers with trail 50K PR of 3:43.
Julie Fingar puts on a great party afterwards. Tons of pizza, soup, cupcakes, and great prizes. There were also massage tables to loosen up my cable tight muscles. It is easy to see why this is the most competitive and well attended 50K in the country. Way to go, Julie!

Finishing my 4th Way Too Cool with a new PR!
Photo courtesy http://fartherfaster.blogspot.com/
The finish line atmosphere was great as the sun was shining and it was great to hang out with friends and reconnect with tons of folks that I just see several times per year.

photo courtesy Jean Pommier
Later in the evening it was time for dinner with the Oregon crew and I can't say my tired body was overly upset about Karaoke Night being cancelled.
All in all, I feel much better about my level of fitness after putting it to the test this weekend.
Oh, and I did have a good satisfying moment. After finishing, I saw Hal sitting on a rock across the road from me. I yelled for him to come over. "Hold on, man. I'm going to puke". I took a little satisfaction thinking I added to some of that discomfort ;)
Results are here

March: Ready To Start

2011-03-05T19:54:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was finishing off a 15 miler and had one of "those moments". I had done a long run the day before and had a hard time even getting out the door on this day. But, about 40 minutes into my run, everything clicked. I started running fast (for me) and it felt effortless. As I finished my run, there was an amazing sunset behind me framing the Three Sisters mountains and the song "Ready to Start" came on. Man, I felt electric out there and thought, I might even be able to "kick" at the end of a race if this comes on!

Anyway, now its March and I'm ready to start. March is the first month where I shake the winter blues of running and start to retire some bad habits. I start watching what I eat and cut out the crap that I've allowed myself to eat for the last few months. I'm not a big drinker anyway but that pretty much gets thrown out the window too.
My winter was pretty steady and consisted of mostly 50-70 mile weeks and I was pretty good about keeping some tempo stuff in there. I was supposed to kick off my season with Hagg Lake 50K a few weeks ago but a busy work weekend the date of the race kept me home which was probably smart as I've had a bad knee since a fall while pacing at HURT 100 miler in January.
I was also good on trying to strengthen the rest of my body by lifting weights three times per week and doing a good amount of "ab work". I think too many folks dismiss upper body strength but I for one feel just more solid and confident when I'm feeling overall fit and strong and not just from the waist down.
So, next week is Way Too Cool 50K which will now be my springboard into the season. I really enjoy WTC. Being a huge fan Western States 100, I always cherish being on the course and the rolling course very much suits my style of running. Plus, its a great time to reconnect with so many old friends and enjoy a night of Karaoke with the Eugene contingency.
However, WTC will really be the only run that I have run multiple times that I will again run this year. My line up for the year will be (drum roll):
* Way Too Cool 50K: March
* Leona Divide 50 Miler: April
* I have no idea: May
* San Diego 100: June
* Cascade Crest 100: August

Last year I ran about the most competitive line up that you can in ultrarunning: Way Too Cool, American River, Miwok, Western States, and Leadville. This year, I am looking forward to some smaller events and running against some new folks and I'm excited to check out some new scenery. San Diego has turned out (so far) to look like a competitive event and I'm guessing that course record is going to be shoved down. Cascade Crest is a race that I placed second at in 2009 and I'm looking forward to going back with more experience and course knowledge. My friend and training partner, Jeff Browning, smashed the course record and I'm excited to try and see if I have any chance of lowering it. I have great respect for him as a 100 mile runner and that course time so it will be a huge challenge but one that I am excited about.
I'm also excited to head out and pace my friends David Easa at Western States and Scott Wolfe at Wasatch. It will be a busy and fun summer for sure as long as everyone stays healthy.
Anyway, just thought I'd check in and to report that I'm ready to start.

Rain, Werewolves, and Whiskeytown 50K

2010-10-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

It was supposed to be summer's last "hurrah". A fun, tough, low key course. The Whiskeytown 50K. With usually scorching hot weather, it would be a good bookend to the 2010 racing season. I had planned on running the race for a while and thought bringing the family down would be a great time in the sun. We were armed with bathing suits, printed coupons for the water parks, well, you get the idea. But, about a week before the race, it looked like the whole west coast was going to be blanketed in a cold, wet storm. Coupled with some challenges at work, I pretty much mentally bagged the event. I was bummed as a couple of friends were supposed to be down there (Todd Chester and Jace Ives) but it just wasn't looking good. Then, at the last minute, my co-worker Monkeyboy hazed me a little bit and I decided to head down and see what I had.
I had run the race one time before when I was pretty new at ultrarunning and remembered liking the course and low- key post race atmosphere and BBQ.
Anyway, we packed up the three kids and headed down to Redding and packet pickup at Fleet Feet. I checked out the entry list and found my true nemesis (in a good way!), Victor Ballesteros was going to be running as well as Jace Ives from Ashland. A little background on Victor. The guy is one of the best "closers" out there. Now, I'm the first to admit that I don't have a lot of "kick" but I think I hold my own pretty well in 100K and lower courses. Yet, just this year, Victor caught me at mile 27 at Way Too Cool and mile 48.5 at American River. Both races that I ran solid times at. Would it happen again or would I break the curse? Stay tuned...
The alarm set off at the hotel and I truly almost bagged it. It was rainy, dark, and having a coffee and all-you-can eat brunch at the Hilton wasn't sounding like a horrible job. My wife prodded me to get moving and I reluctantly did so complaining that I was going to run slow. She did a good job of pepping me up and questioning my manhood which got the juices slightly rolling. We drove to the start, I did a little warm up and said a few hellos to the Abbs and some friends and it was time to get moving.
The Whiskeytown Lake course is a pretty tough one. Hal Koerner had the course record with a time of 4:12. And, with the event being around 10+ years, I remembered some tough little sections in the race. Here is the course profile, which boasts over 5,100 feet of climbing.
The first mile of the course is road and a group of about 6 of us headed off. I was curious if there was going to be any serious competition other than myself, Victor, and Jace. One other dude looked the part for a little while and even took the lead. Some other dude also zoomed to the front but I wasn't worried about him at all. Within about 1.5 miles, there was a guy in the 30K in the lead followed by the three amigos. We traded positions a few times and the pace was pretty strong but felt manageable. At around 3 miles, I pulled away on a downhill and put on the gas a bit. I figured I would just go for it and if I blew up, so be it. As we started the first big climb of the course, I felt pretty darn good and kept chugging along and even started to gain on the first place 30K runner. I looked over my shoulder several times and soon realized that I had some breathing room. I worked hard up the long dirt road but I love grinding climbs and felt good. There were more dirt roads than I would have liked and I knew that would favor Victor as I run better on technical singletrack and that seems to be where I have caught him in races in the past.
The rain was persistent all dang day but a lot of the course was canopied which helped not get us too soggy. I ran through the 13 mile mark in 1:40 and felt good and continued to push myself at all times. There was a lot of aid stations so I only would stop at every other station which was nice as the focal points were close but I didn't necessarily need them other than something to look forward to. At mile 20, I felt the mileage a bit (shouldn't be a surprise as I haven't been doing big mileage) and I got a view of the competition behind me. I was sad to see that Victor was a lot closer than I would have liked (maybe 2 minutes) but I also saw that I had almost a mile lead on Jace which seemed like unless I fell apart, I should be able to hold him off. He's 26 and has lots of chances to kick my ass but I decided at this point in the race, it wasn't going to be today. The next few miles are the toughest of the course. They are uphill and follow a gulch trail where there are probably 10+ real stream crossing where the water was from mid calf to knee deep each time. I slipped and tripped and struggled a bit in here and I started looking back expecting to see Victor breathing down my neck. Amazingly, I didn't see or hear him and I struggled more.
It was a relief to get back on a dirt road and find my legs again. I climbed back up and then started bombing down a dirt road heading towards the finish. I was hurting but not horribly... just feeling a slight lack of "A" fitness. However, seeing that I went through the 26 mile mark at around 3:30, I thought that unless I was forgetting something, I would be able to break the 11 year old course record! I jammed past the last aid station at mile 27.5 and they said, "just 3.5 miles to go". Shit, was I going to pull this off and win? My legs felt like lead on some of the last hills and I got mad as I had to walk for a minute and figured I would prepare for the final section.
Then..... yep, it happened. I looked back and Victor was in his "wide receiver mode" and looked like he was running uphill at mile 2 of the race. "You suck!", I think I said or something. I was joking.... kind of...:) Victor jammed by me, told me good job and headed off. I gave him a little slap on the ass and that was the last I saw of him. I kept clawing away, not thinking that I would catch him but wondering if my pace had fallen off enough that Jace would reel me in too. I hammered down the last hill and hit the asphalt with 1 mile to go. I was smelling the barn but my legs were pretty fried, I ran at about 7 min/mile pace and that was all I had left. I hit the finish line, breaking the old course record by 7 minutes... and coming in second place. 2 1/2 minutes behind Victor. Hell, it was a great race. If I didn't know Victor was on my tail all day, I wouldn't have been able to keep that pace and I KNOW I pushed him to that course record as well. Again, that's what I love about running races. No excuses, you go your hardest and the fastest guy wins.
Post race was pretty lame. The rain was pouring down and my legs locked up quickly as I struggled to get warm in the car. I waited to see Jace pull in about 11 minutes later in third place and a stellar time. I had some soup said goodbyes and hit the road.
The rest of the day was the real endurance event. Turtle Bay Museum (highly recommended) and Chucky Cheese's made the day equivalent to a 50 miler.
Anyway, I'm stoked to have run a 4:05 on a tough course with lots of climbing. It was well marked and had it been sunny and warm, it would have been great.
Oh yeah, the Werewolf thing. Man, I'm not sure. Victor has the scariest Facebook picture I've ever seen. Seriously, it really creeps me out. Then, he told me he had a some dream involving a werewolf and that he needed to tell me about it. Man, I think Victor is my trail running Werewolf. Except I'd be one of those dumb ass, blonde girls that gets murdered near the end of the horror movie. Until next time....

Sucking wind at Leadville 100 Miler

2010-08-26T20:04:00.001-07:00

Photo by Brett Rivers

Leadville 100 mile run was the first ultra that I remember wanting to do. I'm not even quite sure how I heard of it. I do remember when I first moved to Bend (and had not run a marathon yet), telling local runner Curt Ringstad that I was going to run Leadville. I remember the slight rolling of the eyes (rightfully so) and him telling me I had some work ahead of me. I also remember another local, Jason Moyer, had run Leadville in 26 hours or so and I thought he might as well have been the toughest and fastest dude in the world.
Well, now with well over 50 ultra marathons under my belt and nine 100 milers, I figured it was time to get it done. I had talked about doing it in the past but always had a reason I couldn't do it. But this year, I burned it in my brain to get it done at last. I didn't know how fast I would be able to go but I knew I would finish it up.
But, I digress.... more importantly, this race really brought me back to why I run these races. This spring, I put everything I had into Western States 100. I raced extremely well all spring which had a highlight of running Miwok in 8:29. I really thought I would kill it at Western States. I didn't. I did well but 18:19 was not my goal at the race and I suffered for many hours out there and really did not enjoy myself at all. It was a sufferfest and at the end, I felt a bit deflated and just kind of burnt out. In fact, I could never quite get in a rhythm of beating myself up with training between Western and Leadville.
However, a cool thing happened this spring. There were 3 other guys in Bend training for the race. None of them really had much experience at ultras and for some reason, a real bond was created between us. I'm not sure if it was the hazing on our training log (online) or their frequent visits asking questions at Fleet Feet. However, a common respect was built among myself and Dave Town, Todd Chester, and Mark Postle. I had met Mark and his wife Sierra a couple years ago as he was one of my guides when I went out to climb Grand Teton. I have so much respect for Mark and Sierra as they truly are some of the most generous, hospitable, and modest people I know. For that reason, by the time I toed the line of Leadville, I had three friends who shared a common goal and we will all be friends for a long time. Very cool.
The trip to Leadville also reunited me with two of my oldest and dearest friends. My buddies Chris Csordas and David Easa (who I grew up with in Hawaii) both took time off work, took planes, rental cars, etc. to come and help me fulfill a dream. We had an absolute blast both before, during, and after the event. And, really, for that, I felt like a lucky guy regardless of the outcome of the event and that made me feel at ease in the days leading up to the event.

pacers extraordinaire: "Big" Dave Easa and Chris Csordas
Okay, here we go... I arrived in Denver on Wednesday afternoon and quickly rented a car and headed to Denver to meet up with Chris Csordas. I got him and we had so much to catch up on that the night quickly passed with lots of great conversation, too much laughing, and probably staying up too late after a great meal at The Med in Boulder. In the morning, we headed over to visit the fine folks at Pearl Izumi which are truly some of the best guys in the shoe biz. They gave us a tour of the headquarters and I even walked away with a shoe being released this coming spring which is AWESOME!
We then headed out of town and stayed at my cousin's house in the mountains in Wolcott, CO. Other than the fact that I almost got eaten by their dog, Wiley, we had an amazing time soaking in the views from their house and preparing for the weekend. In the morning, we shot over to Leadville and did all the pre-race stuff. Had a great lunch with my friends Ken and Denise who were going to cheer me on in the morning before heading out to the Transrockies race. The day was wrapped up as we hung out with Mark and Sierra who BBQ'd us a great meal before we headed back to the hotel.

pre race meeting. Photo by Chris Csordas
We got in bed a bit later than I would have liked (as the race has a 4 a.m. start) and I then couldn't fall asleep because I knew my other pacer Dave was going to get there late. That was a slight bummer and after it was all said and done, I didn't fall asleep until about 11:45 and wake up was at 2:15 a.m. Not ideal but whatever......

the last supper. photo by Chris Csordas
O.k., its race time. So, what did I think I could do at Leadville. The truth is, I had no idea. The town of Leadville is at 10,200 feet and I could easily feel the effects of it even as I walked around town. Living at 3,600 feet is basically irrelevant for this race. I knew the altitude would effect me severely. You want proof? Just look at the results of Leadville during any year. Despite all the great runners, the top folks are always from Colorado. You can't fake being trained at over 10,000 feet. You are either acclimated or you ain't. And, I ain't. So, what could I run? Well, originally I looked at others in my "league". Andy Jones Wilkins and Garrett Graubins ran in the mid 19's last year and I thought that was a good area to shoot for. AJW runs 100s faster than me but had run Hardrock last year. I *might* edge Garrett out in some races outside of Colorado but I knew that he trained on this trail a good deal, had run the race, and I thought his splits would be great for me to try and hit. I think he had run a 19:38. However, my coach, Paul Dewitt thought I could run around 18:30. This surprised me but I felt like sometimes someone from the outside has a more objective view so this buoyed my thoughts that maybe I could shoot for a bit faster of a time. However, and I say this honestly, I wanted to enjoy this run. I didn't want this to be the mental and physical anguish that I had gone through two months before at Western States. I was going to do my best to enjoy this race regardless of the outcome. Part of that was going to need to be taking it easy from the start. This is hard for me to do. I'm a competitor and I want to go out with the big dogs. But, I knew with my lack of acclimating, the way that I would have a successful race was to ease into a consistent pace and hopefully pick off folks on the second half of the race. I haven't had that experience in the last couple of 100 milers, so I was determined to try this theory.
A bit of background on the course. It is an "out and back" course that goes 50 miles cresting the 12,600 foot Hope Pass twice before heading back to Leadville. It is thought to be a "runners course" as there are quite a bit of dirt roads in between some of the big climbs. We'll see. This year the field was the biggest it has ever been. The field has inflated to about 900 due to all the exaggerated adjectives that were used by Chris McDougall in "Born to Run". Think how many would come if McDougall was even slightly a legitimate runner. Oops, did I say that? There were even some rumors that they were shooting some footage for a "Born to Run" movie or documentary??? Lord, help us....
Anyway, off we go.....

Photo by Chris Csordas
Although it pained me, I held myself way back and just relaxed. I listened as folks around me were talking about running sub 25 hours (to get the big Finishers buckle) and questioned if I was running too slow. Unfortunately, it didn't feel too slow so I just went with it. We quickly left downtown Leadville and the cheering crowds and headed down the "Boulevard" which sounds much grander than it is, which is a long downhill dirt road that we would have to ascend to the finish. I definitely didn't pay enough attention to how long this was and that would haunt me about 19 hours later! We then circled beautiful Turquoise Lake. The lake at mile 5 is an awesome piece of trail. Its just technical enough and I remember feeling really great here. I felt light, well rested, and mentally excited to be out on the course where every step on the course was new to me and I was savoring it. At the first aid station at mile 13.5, I came in in 25th place which is the lowest I have been in any race at any time this year. I was okay with it though. I soon started running with Neal Gorman from D.C. After talking, we realized he had passed me with about 3 miles to go at Western States and then had finished 2nd at Vermont a few weeks before. This really settled me down that I wasn't going too slow and we settled in together for a long while. (Side note: Neal passed me for good at about mile 44 and went on to finish in 4th place overall and give me a good ass kicking). We ran up Sugarloaf Pass which is a nice run as it is not too steep and allowed us all to just get in a good groove and get the day really going. We got some nice downhill running into the Fish Hatchery aid station at mile 23.5 and I felt okay. As usual, you are not as fresh as you'd like to be but I was still rolling along okay and prepared myself for a pretty boring 8 mile section coming up. The next section has several miles of super flat road running and then some slightly rising dirt roads for another few. This section is boring and it made me realize there would be some long moments today. My pace stayed okay and I just paced myself alongside Neal and tried to keep my pace steady.

cruisin' through Fish Hatchery. Photo by Brett Rivers
More pretty boring dirt roads to Boxcar aid station on Pipeline road. You just feel like you are burning time though here. It would be cool if the race could tie in some more single track trail in this section as this just isn't that fun.... however, eventually we made our way to the Colorado Trail and my spirits instantly lifted. I started passing a few people and just being on single track was awesome. Lots of aspen trees and a trail that rolled up and then down got me totally pumped up. I let out a few hoots out as I ran slightly recklessly into Twin Lakes and caught a group of 4-5 people near the aid station. Mile 40 and I was right on pace with Garrett's splits. It was around this time that I had come to the conclusion that I didn't think I would run an 18:30. I felt great but I simply could not exert myself too much in the thin, Colorado air. I would get to a certain exertion point and then I just could not go any harder. But, still a lot of race to go so who knows?
I was stoked to see my crew at Twin Lakes and friends Ken and Denise were there and they were so fired up that it was contagious. They told me I was now in the top 15 out of the 800+ starters and I was really feeling like my strategy was paying off.

having a snack at Twin Lakes. Photo by Brett Rivers
The section after Twin Lakes is pretty cool. A few great meadows, several smaller stream crossings and the looming, big ass mountain are staring you down just a few miles away. "Bring it on", I thought. I think the mountains might have laughed at me for a minute before opening a serious can of whoop ass on me. Okay, before this point, sure, I felt the altitude a touch but really nothing too crazy other than not having a 5th gear. I remember Neal Gorman asking me, "Have you been on Hope Pass?". "No," I responded, "I haven't laid a foot on this course". "Man, are you in for something", he replied. I honestly wasn't at all stressed about Hope Pass. I figured its just a hike, what can happen. I can hike all day.... Well, yeah, Hope Pass just plain worked me over. It is about a 3,200 foot climb in about 5 miles and climbs to 12,600 feet. It is beautiful and unrelenting. I started getting passed by several folks on this section as I just could not seem to get in a rhythm. I pushed, huffed and puffed, and ran what I could but I just felt pathetic. By the time I hit the "Hopeless" aid station which is a several hundred feet below the pass, I was pretty worked. The scenery was amazing but I didn't care too much. At long last, I hit the top, took a few moments to look around at the view, and then started bombing down the other side of the pass. It felt great to be running downhill but I took my time and didn't overtax my body and legs as I knew there was a lot of racing ahead of me. It was great to see friend, Tony Krupicka solidly in 1st place and already blazing back up Hope Pass. That got me fired up and I continued on my way down. When I got to the road, I ran into "Bend" friends Jon and Karen Gnass who were also in the area to run Transrockies. Being the idiot I am, I thought that it was only a half mile or so to the aid station. When Karen told me I had over 2 miles, that really took the wind out of my sails. The next couple miles completely sucked. Lots of cars making their way to the 50 mile mark and spitting up tons of dust and some were coming very close to clipping me. I yelled at a few cars (reminded myself of my dad) and just tried to keep clicking along. By the time I hit Winfield aid station (mile 50), I felt like I had just, well, run 50 miles.

a face only a wife could love... maybe. Mile 50 and feeling the thin air. Photo by David Easa
I tried to eat a little extra food as I knew I had a long hike ahead of me. I was pumped to get my 3X pacer, David Easa and I gathered myself and off we went. It felt good and natural to run with Dave again and we hit the horrible, no good, very bad road back to the base of the climb to Hope Pass. I tried to lighten the mood as Dave and I are both HUGE San Diego Charger fans. I had my dad's "Charger Power" shirt from the 70's. Man, I forgot how much it sucks to run in a cotton T-Shirt!

Photo by Dave Easa
I was scared at how I would handle the climb up to Hope Pass and I was bummed to see on this "out and back" how close several other folks were to me... including the 1st place woman. Dang.
Well, I should have been worried. I'll lay this out there. Climbing Hope Pass the second time was the hardest thing I have done yet in an ultra. It just plain worked me. Yeah, now I felt the altitude. I had NO legs. They seriously were not moving. I tried to get going but I just couldn't. I got passed by 4 folks on this climb, including the top woman. (Don't worry, our hero will prevail and keep the 'un-chicked' streak alive). I struggled, struggled more, and then struggled.

struggling up Hope Pass. Photo by Dave Easa

But, what do you do? You keep plugging away. Near the top, I could tell that my savory Top Ramen lunch was looking to exit. I gave an entertaining show of liquid and sounds to some folks who were descending from the pass.

photos by Dave Easa
Finally, we crested the amazingly beautiful Hope Pass and even though I felt like dog shit, I then knew I was going to finish. The worst was over... let's head home. My downhill legs felt surprisingly sprite. We got down to the "Hopeless" aid station again and it was pretty much a scene out of MASH. Lots of folks still heading over Hope Pass for the first time (poor bastards) and many of them were suffering badly. I puked a few more times here as I tried to pop a gel. Finally, we got our stuff together and headed down. My downhill legs were good and we ended up passing a few more folks and struggled our way back to Twin Lakes. The next few miles were probably the roughest for me. I knew I needed calories and tried to eat a good amount at Twin Lakes. 20 yards out of the aid station and I was yelling at me shoes again and loudly puking all over the place. We had another stout climb ahead of us. It stunk but after Hope Pass, whatever, I just struggled my way up. Dave led the way and tried to motivate me as well as he could. I hung on just hoping that my legs would come back to me. It was nice to be on the beautiful Colorado trail again and we kept plugging away.

photo by Dave Easa
Once we hit the top of the climb and started heading down, things changed. Yeah, I was still puking ocassionally, but the legs were definitely coming back. We finally caught the first place woman again (whew) and wished her well as we pulled away. I wasn't really eating solids anymore and had switched to Carbo Pro which was working so-so. Definitely getting some calories. We started running the boring Pipeline trail again and then the interminable 4 mile paved road back to Fish Hatchery. We caught the last of the folks who had passed us on the climb. Fabrice Hardel of France had been battling us all day but was now walking the paved road and we sailed by him. Dave led us remarkably back to mile 76. In my opinion, he had seen the best and worst parts of the course by far. I now picked up my friend, Chris Csordas. Now, I'll be honest, I was a little worried about Chris pacing. He had never been to an ultra, let alone, paced before. He has 3 Ironman Hawaii finishes under his belt but I worried that he wouldn't know what to say or how to handle things if I went south. Straight up, Chris rocked. He gave me lots of mini goals to chew on and he kept me competitive and very into the race. I was pleasantly surprised and excited by what Chris brought to the table. At the last aid station, I had checked in in 10th place but was passed in the aid station as I sat down... bummer, 11th. So, we headed up the long climb up the Powerline trail. What Powerline trail does not offer in steepness, it more than makes up for with its plethora of false summits. Chris kept me running the smaller hills and complimented my downhill running which really helped keep me motivated. The 10th guy seemed out of reach as we saw him way, way above us on the climb. At the top of the climb, we noticed some guys were reeling us in. We kicked it in and ran the downhill hard, trying to put some distance on the guys behind us. It seemed to work and incredibly, we seemed to be catching the guys in front of us. This motivated us to keep hammering down the perfectly graded downhill. The guys ahead of us kept looking back which is a good sign as they were worried. We finally caught them right as the dirt road transitioned to singletrack. Once again, this motivated me and we started picking our way through the technical terrain. Though I didn't have a lot of speed left, my dexterity felt really good. I should mention that since Leadville allows muling, I had Chris holding ALL my stuff. So, he was wearing a small pack, my two bottles, and his waist pack, all while on terrain he is unfamiliar with and night running which he, well, never does. He handled it like a champ and stayed right behind me as I tried to pick up the pace. Now, that I was in 10th place, I wasn't going to give it up without a fight. We hit the last aid station a couple of minutes before the guys behind us and headed out. Okay, I'm not trying to be a wuss but seriously, having the last aid station 13.5 miles from the finish is a joke. That is just too long to be out there without any aid and without a goal. We ran along Torquoise Lake again and I think they made the lake about 5 X longer somehow during the day. Seriously, could that have felt longer? It is kinda technical and just bobs up and down as it follows the shores of the lake. You can see the lights of town far in the distance but you just never seem to move anywhere. Chris kept me motivated by complimenting my form. We finally hit some of the campgrounds which I knew was closer to the head of the lake. In fact, we were even greeted by a group of folks that included 4 topless girls cheering us on. They were actually helpful and filled our bottles! We tried not to linger too long and headed back out to finish off this dang lake. We finally (and I mean finally) got dumped off onto the road that would eventually take us home. The next few miles on a slightly uphill dirt road felt seriously torturous. I was pretty sure by that point that I would break 20 hours which seemed pretty darn good to me. I think this is the only point where I really was complaining a lot but again, Chris kept me on track and we ran, hiked, and walked until we finally could see the high school in the distance. At that point, we also noticed some headlamps behind us. Are you kidding me? This was not what I needed to see at mile 98.5. So, time to start busting ass. I'll be damned if I was going to be pushed out of the top 10 at mile 99. We ran as hard as we could and I asked Chris to look behind me about 50 times in the last mile. He dutifully did so and just told me we were okay but we had to keep running. Finally, we hit that beautiful, gorgeous, and almost mirage-like red carpet that leads to your hug by race director, Marilee. I heard that front runner Tony Krupicka had dropped and that I had finished in 9th place in 19:46:05. I'll take it.
So, what are my thoughts post-Leadville? I'm proud of this effort. Of the guys in front of me, every one of them is from Colorado except for Neal Gorman, and he had been out in Colorado training for a while. I think with my level of acclimating, I did pretty darn well. Sure, I now have a lot of "would've and could've" thoughts. If I trained out there, could I have been top 4 or 5? I'm guessing that everyone in front of me had been on the course before which, of course, is a huge advantage. Keeping that in mind, I'm very happy with my effort. Top 10 in the largest 100 mile trail race that has ever taken place by a bow legged 38 year old.... I'm proud of it.
This was the last year of the old race directors. I hope that the new folks will keep some traditions and maybe break a few too. There needs to be more aid stations. 11 is simply not enough for a trail 100 miler. It would also be cool to see if they could replace some of the road/dirt road sections with trail. Other than that, it was a great race.
I want to give a huge shout out to my crew of Dave and Chris. You guys are great friends and I truly appreciate your friendship and for pulling me through the rough sections. Also, a hearty congrats as 2 of the 3 Bend folks finished the race. Dave Town got in under 29 hours and Mark (as I knew he would) went sub 24. Solid. It wasn't Todd's perfect day and he pulled the plug. They'll be more races for him in the future. Thanks to my wife and kids for letting me chase my dreams.
Leadville is a classic. I'm glad I finished it up in a respectable time and I have the big ass belt buckle to prove it.

photo by some random old dude at the hotel

Western States 100 Miler

2010-06-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

At the start. Photo by Monkeyboy

So, 18 hours and 19 minutes to run 100 miles. I'm not supposed to say it...... but I'm pretty disappointed. This is not to say that I'm not proud of myself or that I don't think that my time is not pretty good. I think it would have been equivalent to running a 9:30 at Miwok this year when I ran a 8:29. I was trained, I was rested, and I made a few mistakes that I think cost me an hour or so. So, from the start...

The week before the race, I drove my family from Bend to San Diego for the Fleet Feet Conferences. Not ideal (the driving and the altitude) but its life, its my business, and it needed to be done and we had a great time down there working, doing the "Sea World" thing, and hanging out with some of the best people (other Fleet Feet owners and vendors) in the running industry. We made the long trek from San Diego to Tahoe on Thursday. We decided to take the longer and much more scenic route through Bishop and the Sierras. The drive was amazingly beautiful but it was really, really long. I don't want to sound like a wuss but I got a crazy, migraine style headache during the drive (probably because we had gone from 0 to 8000+ feet) and by the time we got to Tahoe, we we been driving for almost 11 hours and for the first time in my life, I thought I was going to be car sick. There was no need to be a little bitch about it but I was bummed. My wife, Katie, was awesome and tried to do everything to deflect any inconveniences from me but it was just a really f'n long drive before a really long race....
When we got to Tahoe, I hit the sack immediately and slept for 12 hours and felt much, much better in the morning.
Friday was the normal Western States stuff. Dropping off "drop bags", getting weighed, seeing old friends. It was a good time. Finally, I tore myself away and headed back to the room to chill out before dinner. Finally, a good pasta dinner with my pacer, Jamie Gifford and his wife Becky and off to bed. I slept well and did my normal routine in the morning. I felt bloated and fat so it was definitely time to race.
The morning was chaotic but I just found Rob Evans and we chilled out and waited until it was time to run up the hill.
Here we go... pretty much right up and over the Squaw Resort. When we got to the top, we were treated to about 5 miles of pure snow running. It was pretty fun. Slipping around, having small waterfalls stream down the single track. Feet were soaked but it was a good time. It was also evident that there were a LOT of really fast runners. I'll make the statement that I think this is probably the most competitive trail ultra marathon that has ever gone down. Lots of leap frogging was going on so it was hard to pinpoint where I was in the pecking order.
After about 7 miles, we got on the official "snow course" for about 12 miles (which was definitely easier than the standard route). We had a long downhill on a dirt road followed by several miles of just slogging along a dirt road that passed some campgrounds. Eventually, we hit a reservoir and got on a single track that just kind of rolled along. At this point I passed a few people (AJW, Justin Angle, and Erik Skaden) as we headed up towards Duncan Canyon. It was here we got our first taste of a little bit of heat. The new trail to Duncan was real awe inspiring. It had the feel of a brand new trail with lots of newly cut stumps and lots of dust.
At Robinson Flat. Photo by Jenny U.
I felt pretty good climbing out of Duncan and just basically leap frogged the entire time with Erik Skaden who I was determined to hang on with for a while and to hopefully lean on his experience on the course. When I got to Robinson Flat, I felt better than I usually do (29 miles in). I felt pretty fresh, my caloric intake seemed solid and I just kept trucking. The next section is probably my least favorite on the course. Going up and around Little Bald Mountain and then down, down, and more down on dirt roads. I just find it pretty boring and I got discouraged when AJW flew by me like I was standing still. I have learned that I am a MUCH better technical runner than just on the open road... not sure why. But, I just stayed steady and continued to leap frog with Erik Skaden. He would fly by me on the dirt roads.... (I mean, really dust me) and I would think he was gone forever but then I would reel him in again when we got back on single track sections. After what seemed like forever, we headed down into the infamous "Canyons". I never find the canyons that intimidating. Devil's Thumb is steep but its just a hike so I just settle in and trudge up. Sure, it sucks, but the trail is good and its just a long slog. I didn't seem that warm to me either. It was during this time that I seemed to put a little bit of distance on Mark Lantz but I was sure he would catch up soon... and he did. I took a little time at the top of Devil's Thumb and gathered myself for the run down. I got to Deadwood Cemetery and stopped, and meticulously retied my shoes for the descent to Eldorado Canyon. I'm bummed I did because I would like to know my true split on this section. I ran it really well and caught and passed Erik Skaden and even caught up to Glenn Redpath near the end but he didn't seem to want me to pass and I didn't really care so I just slowed down and finished the descent with him. In hindsight, I probably ran that section a bit too hard. I really hammered it as my quads still felt okay and I thought that was a good time to let 'er rip a little bit. Probably my first significant mistake.
I hit the bottom and headed up to Michigan Bluff. I felt solid on the long climb up to Michigan and shadowed Glenn Redpath as we ran probably about 1/2 of the climb up.
As far as fueling, things were feeling pretty good. I had been drinking 2 bottles of GUBrew between each aid station, taking 1 SCap per hour, and eating a GU every 30 minutes. In all, I was getting around 300 calories per hour. I was feeling a bit bloated though and that was kind of bumming me out.....
When I hit Michigan Bluff, I found that I had reeled in AJW which I was thrilled about since I figured the rest of the course really favored my running style and I knew I was running in a good position if he was around as he always runs very smart races out here. I had also pulled away from Erik Skaden and Mark Lantz again.
Now, for my big mistake of the day..... arriving at Michigan, I skipped an S cap in the excitement and a few minutes later felt that I wasn't as bloated. Hmm, maybe I've been taking in too much sodium? And, with my stupid ass theory, I decided to skip an S Cap or two and see if that continued to make me feel all right. In hindsight, I think I went about 2 hours without taking another salt and I went from drinking 2 GUBrew bottles to only 1 bottle and one water. So, less sodium and less calories. At the time, I thought it was okay as usually I have stopped taking GU's by now due to my stomach.
Anyway, I passed AJW, gave him some encouragement and headed to Foresthill. When I got there, I picked up my pacer and good friend, Jamie Gifford and headed out. At first, I felt pretty good. I didn't feel awesome, but shit, we had just run 62 miles so that seemed okay. AJW again gapped me a little bit but I had pulled ahead of Glenn Redpath. We just ran steady on Cal Street trail. I told myself that the real racing would begin on the other side... and it did... unfortunately, I would become the wounded target!!!

62 miles, Foresthill. Photo by Rick Gaston
Running towards the river was a downer for me. My speed was not what I wanted it to be and I had lost contact with AJW and Glenn Redpath had passed me and I just was putzing along. However, the game changer happened about 2 miles from the river. I'm not sure what set it off... the heat, not getting enough sodium, calories, who knows. But, with about a mile and a half to go to the river, something was wrong. My entire upper body from about my chest all the way to the top of my head got this crazy tingling like when you sleep on your arm. In fact, I was poking my face and I could not feel it. I told Jamie that I had a serious issue. But, we were close to the river, and he urged me on... which he should have, but I didn't have anything right then. I felt like a ghost on the boat across the river and immediately got out and laid down in the river. That felt better and we made our way to the aid station. I was worried my day was going to be over... things did not feel right at all. I told him that I needed to re-load. I took several SCaps, a GU, some soup, a little bit of sandwich, and a little bit of potato chips. Damn, was this race close. While I sat there, 3 people passed me while all I could do was watch. I saw Erik Skaden, Ian Sharman, and someone else pass me. That really took the wind out of my sails....
But, we got up and kept going. However, each time I tried to run, my calves COMPLETELY seized up with cramps. I felt I had a *little* strength to run but literally, could not. Bummer. So, we just walked every step to Green Gate. I was equally bummed to see friend, Hal Koerner weaving up the road to Green Gate. It was evident that his day was done. We both wallowed in our misery for a moment and Jamie and I headed off. At the top of the climb, I was able to run again but it was liked the damage of the day settled in. I had deja vu as my quads were shot. I had no other gears other than a trudge. SHIT!!!!!!! I was frustrated but I just couldn't do anything about it. I popped some Advil but it only slightly dulled the pain. The pain was real and very sharp. I'm very frustrated that my quads just seem to get thrashed at this race. All of the other *harder* races I have done, this has never been an issue but for some reason, Western just beats me up. I'll keep trying though...
Anyway, we just kept moving along. We weren't running horribly but we certainly weren't going fast. "Just minimize the damage". That is what Jamie was telling me and I really was trying. We got to ALT and Ford's bar without incidence but we certainly weren't going to pick anyone off. There really isn't much more to say about the race except that I was hurting and wanting to be done. My time goals kept slipping away and I just kept struggling forward. It was truly a race where if you were slowing down, you were going to get passed. And I did. The most painful part was being passed 3 times from mile 96 to the finish. In truth, I was just over it and if I wasn't going to be in the top 10, it didn't mean too much to me but it still doesn't feel good to see people running strong at mile 97 when you are just struggling.

Good times, good times.....
Jamie just had me jog/hike the final climb until we hit the road. Even the last 1.1 mile on the roads felt VERY uphill and tough. I was so relieved to get on the track and get it done. I sprinted across the finish line with my son, Fisher, to get under 18:20, 15th place and a new PR for me on the course. As a side note, this time would have gotten me into the top 10 every other year this race has gone on. Bad luck on that one...
I felt pretty darn thrashed afterwards. My quads were absolutely ruined and I later learned that I had CPK levels of 66,000. Better than the 96,000 that I had in '07 but still very alarmingly high and frustrating since I felt like I did put in the work during my training.

At the finish with son, Fisher. Photo by Glenn Tachiyama
SO, what are my thoughts? I feel a bit of a letdown. I gave it my all and for that, I'm stoked. I ran 100 miles and for that, I'm stoked. I made more memories with my family and my good friends. And for that, I'm stoked.
I am now fired up for Leadville. My legs are still too sore to run but I'm excited to get back after it and look forward to challenging myself again. And, in the end, this exact story is the beauty of running 100 milers. There are guys that I am faster than that beat me. There are guys who are much faster than me, who I beat. That doesn't happen nearly as often in shorter races and I find some beauty in that. Go figure.

Top 20 Overall.. at least I didn't get chicked. Photo by Kim Gaylord.

Thanks so much to Jamie... I hope I didn't disappoint you. I sure wanted to give you a hell of a ride to the finish and I didn't do that. Thanks to my wife and family. They haven't seen me race a 100 in years and it was cool to get that back into the scene and I think my wife might have even enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.

All coming together at Miwok

2010-05-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

Top 3: Hal, Tony, and Biener (with RD Tia B) photo by Ted Knudsen

You know, I didn't really want to run Miwok again.
The last time I ran it was, at that time, my best race. It was a good field, I came in 4th and even had legendary Scott Jurek behind me. I have run it four times and just wasn't sure if I could improve on my time there. Plus, I just wasn't feeling recovered after American River 50 miler. I jumped right back into training and just did not feel like my legs were responding. I took it easy the next two weeks but still was worried that running a 100K three weeks after a hard effort at American River wasn't going to give me the results I wanted to achieve. But, after a massage and making myself get in a better head space, I gathered up the entire family and we headed south to spend the night in Redding. My wife was a total champ in taking all the pressure of "family duties" off of me and encouraged me to focus and get ready to race. We got into Mill Valley early on Friday, got some lunch and caught up with my sister and brother in-law and their family. Once getting to packet pickup, I was pretty freaked out at the field that was running. Once again, another stacked field. This could go on and on but the big guns were: Anton Krupicka, Hal Koerner, Michael Wardian, Nathan Yanko, Gary Robbins, Lewis Taylor, and Erik Skaden. ALL of those guys have won major races and there is another whole wave of guys who I'm sure could kick my butt on any given day. I had a hard time thinking how I was going to squeeze into the top 10. My wife asked me how I thought I would do. I said (honestly) that if I had a really good day, I would probably be somewhere between 6-9. If I had an average day, I would probably be somewhere between 10-15. So, I just decided to focus on NOT racing ANYONE and focusing on my splits. I had Scott Jurek splits for a 8:35 which I thought was pushing my ability level but what the hell, might as well go for it.
The race started hot and heavy of course with the contenders and the pretenders mingling together for a good 10 miles or so. I always have to settle myself down and not worry about some of the people in front of me. Once the initial pecking order was sorted out.... it was Michael Wardian and Zach Gingerich up front, Anton K was right behind, and then a chase group of Hal Koerner and Gary Robbins. I was in the next group back with Erik Skaden, Nathan Yanko, Lewis Taylor, and a guy who seemed pretty fit. I love seeing Skaden at races. Seriously, who is tougher then that guy? He cracks me up and truly is one of the toughest bastards at the races. Erik and I settled into a pretty good groove and he would pull ahead on the downhills and I would reel him in while heading uphill. I was also trading places with Nathan a lot. He definitely had more leg speed then I did on the steep, firetrails but I was able to catch back up when it got a little more technical so we kept swapping places which I actually enjoyed since he was hoping to run sub 8:30 which was 5 minutes faster then I was hoping for so I was hoping to keep him in sight for as long as I could.

Biener and Skaden. I'm sure Skaden was talking trash. Photo by Ted Knudsen

As we dropped down to Muir beach, Erik Skaden backed off for a bit and I tried to keep up with Nathan. As we headed through Redwood Creek trail, I could feel Nathan surge a bit and he put a few more seconds between us. I decided to save it up a little and get ready for the long climb that was approaching. I knew that my strength in running is in "grinder" uphills and I wanted to be ready for it. As we started up the hill, Nathan continued to be strong and maintained his distance from me. I was a little surprised that I couldn't keep up but I didn't stress about it at all as I realized he was a very strong climber. Soon enough though, we dropped the other guy who had been running with us and saw someone up ahead. This was Zach Gingerich who had been running up front but was now slowing way down. We passed him and I was surprised to see Gary Robbins come into view. Once again, I wasn't actively racing against anyone except for the clock so I just stayed steady until we hit the Pan Toll aid station. It was great to see Topher Gaylord cheering us on up there and I saw I had pulled pretty much even with Gary and Nathan. I have always felt that Miwok is won and lost on the two 7 mile sections on the costal trail. They are rollers and if you are running well, they can help you make up time. If you are hurting then they are some long ass miles... As soon as we jumped on the costal trail, Nathan had slowed down a touch and leap frogged him again and saw Gary about 15-20 seconds ahead. I caught up to him and tried to encourage him to keep battling out there. He is an amazing runner and I wanted him to have a kick ass day out there. I told him to hang on and he'd come back. Unfortunately, he ended up dropping at Pan Toll but was out cheering the rest of the day. Class act.
At that point, I realized I was all of a sudden doing pretty well, was hitting my splits, and a time of 8:35 seemed like it was in the cards. I even got some good glimpses of Anton running along the costal trail which made me think that I wasn't that far behind the top dogs which was cool. I kept on as I love the style that you need to have on the costal trail. I was comfortable with my pace and effort. Nearing the Bolinas Ridge aid station, something funny kind of happened. I saw I was reeling in a guy wearing a bright Green Brooks top. He looked very much like a guy that lives in Bend who I knew I would be racing against and he is a solid runner; Tim Monaco. But wait, I hadn't seen him all day and I had looked for him. Was it possible that I didn't see him and he had been ahead of me all day? I couldn't believe it but the closer I got I realized IT WAS Tim. WTF? I knew there was no way he could have been running the hills faster then me so this really got my heart charging and I put a little too much effort into reeling him in. "Tim", I yelled. "Where the hell did you come from?". He then explained that he had stayed in the hostel, slept through his alarm, started the race late, got lost again, and now was just out having a fun run. Man, that had my heart racing... but he did let me know that I was in 4th place now. He also let me know Hal Koerner was just about a minute up on me. As I dashed into the aid station, Hal was still there and I picked up some GU's and headed out. Hal kept his lead on me and kept me just out of reach. I figured I had covered a lot of ground on him at this point and that if I stayed patient, maybe I could secure 3rd place.
The rolling ups and downs along Bolinas Ridge are really pretty damn boring. They are kind of hard to get into a rhythm on and I was feeling a bit of the effort that I had just thrown down on the costal trail. I have a dumb little mantra that I say to myself to stay relaxed and try to feel as if I am floating and I tried to do that as I cruised along the ridge. After a while, I hit the gate that marked the downward freefall to the turnaround. I ran the downhill well and was surprised at how far I was towards the aid station when I finally saw Tony and Mike Wardian heading up. When I hit the aid station, Hal was just heading back up and I gave him a slap in the ass, filled my bottles, and sadly turned around up the big ole' hill. Well, I lost my race to Hal over the next 7 miles. I couldn't seem to get my mojo on the big hill out of Randall. I hiked more then I would have liked, especially when I saw that I had opened my lead up a little bit on Nathan. At the top, I had some crap in my shoe that I figured I should get out of there, so I did that and headed back towards Bolinas Ridge AS. I ran really lame here and just couldn't seem to bring it like I wanted. It wasn't horrible but I didn't run with much enthusiasm. As I got back to Bolinas, it was cool to have Jurek fill up my bottles and literally kick my butt out of the aid station! I picked up my pacer, Brian Wyatt, and we hit the trail. Straight up, Brian was an AWESOME pacer. He jumped right in and started timing my intervals between taking gels and salt tabs and did exactly what I asked him to do beforehand; push me on the hills! We got on the ridge trail and right ahead of us was Michael Wardian. Crazy. I told Brian we'd stay nice and mellow and then haul by him when we got close. We did that and tried to put some distance on him immediately. We made it back to mile 49.7 in 6 hours, 33 minutes which was almost 5 minutes faster then Jurek's split and I felt solid and strong and happy to be running. We bombed down the long hill running at about 6:30 pace which I was happy with having over 50 miles on my legs and headed towards Deer Park and where everyone misses the turn towards HWY 1. I totally would have missed it but Brian caught it and up we went. I told myself just to relax on the long, grinding climb and we didn't walk any of it. Brian kept reminding me that Nathan would be running everything and that I had to keep pressing. For some reason, I didn't think Nathan could be closing on me so I didn't stress too much about it at that point but did like the extra motivation. The next section is another that I could live without. Another long dirt road that grinds uphill. I saw Hal far in the distance and was discouraged by how much time he had put on me. That race was over unless he bonked. Now, my goal was to stay in 3rd place and break 8:35. As we began the brutal descent into Tennessee Valley (I call it the Western States killer), I tried to summon all I had left in my legs but one of my toes was blistering badly and was bugging me quite a bit. Well, suck it up princess, not much time left. The 1/2 mile on the roads to the Tennessee Valley aid station were hot, filled with tourists, and a great motivator to get moving. I also saw that Nathan was not that far behind me as I saw him bombing down the hill. Shit, just what I need. Now I needed to bust my ass to the finish. My wife was at the aid station and she and Gary Robbins were awesome support and "shooed" me out of there for the last climb. Brian and I pushed the last climbs pretty well. I made him look back for Nathan about, oh, I don't know, 50 times on that climb. The last couple grunts on Wolf Ridge are tough and reduced me to painfully slow hike as we finally crested the climb. Every other year, I have taken a moment to soak in this moment; the views, the fact that it is just a short 1.3 miles downhill to the finish, etc. Not this year, we busted our asses to the finish. I was bombing down the stairs on the brink of being out of control but not wanting to give back the lead at mile 61. No, if Nathan was going to pass me, I was sure as hell going to make him earn it. Finally with about a 1/4 mile to go, I realized that I was going to be in 3rd place at Miwok. Awesome.... Emotion hit me pretty hard. The anniversary of my dad's death was just a few days before and I had thought of him often during the run and asked him to help me out. I crossed the finish line in 8:29. Definitely one of my best performances and things are definitely clicking for me this year.

Hoping my dad was watching. Photo by Ted Knudsen

It was awesome to have my wife, my kids, and friends at the finish line. Another busy year with two businesses, three kids, 2 big dogs, and trying to believe I can compete with these young, fast dudes with tons of talent. I'm proud of my accomplishment and am already looking forward to the "big boy" races coming in June and August.
A huge thanks to my wife, Katie as she was such a help pre and post race and just for letting me do these races! Also a huge shout out to Brian Wyatt. He became a valued friend during this process and sub 8:30 would not have happened without him. And to my brother and sis-law, Matt and Hope for hosting us for an amazing meal at their pad in Mill Valley. On the way home, I was jonesin' for a nice steak and that was on the menu. Great weekend.

No Hot Tub Time Machine: It ain't 2004

2010-04-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

The start, all photos by Brett Rivers
I hadn't been to the American River 50 Miler since 2004. Although faster times keep occurring in cycling, triathlons, and other events, probably one of the sharpest curves has been in ultrarunning. The pedigree of runners who are entering the events are faster, more experienced, and younger. Times, even in established events, are falling faster and harder then almost anyone would be able to believe. American River is a great example. The last time I went to "AR", the winning time (by Erik Skaden) was 6:31. By comparison, that time this year would have put you in 10th place and a staggering 40 minutes behind this years' winner, Geoff Roes. I may have my facts mixed up, but I think in 2004, Sean Meissner was 1st place through the marathon in a time around 3:08 (again, I'm going off memory on this). This year, I went through the marathon in 2:56 and believe I was in 16th or 17th place at that point. Anyway... what I'm getting at is, this was the deepest field that has ever toed the starting line at AR and I'm sure at some point, these times will look slow!
I decided to fly into Sacramento this year instead of driving so that I could go to a school event at my daughters' school. I was kind of bummed not to get in until fairly late on Friday night but as always, I need to keep my priorities straight. However, by luck, as I entered the airport after my first flight (and was ready for my 3.5 hour layover), I heard a "last boarding" for a much earlier flight to Sacramento. I ran over, got on, and got to Sacramento about 4 hours earlier. Awesome! Everything moved seamlessly as I stayed at my friends' Dusty and Staci's house in Sacramento. We both had a good Cool 50K race, so they duplicated our pre-race meal as they bbq'd Salmon, stir fried some veggies, and cooked up some cous cous. Another awesome meal with friends and I headed to bed.
As I laid in bed, though I tried to talk myself into getting ready for a great race, I was realistic about how much I have had on my plate the last two weeks. Most recently, the last few days were spent re-modeling my "Patagonia" store which involved lots of long hours, some stress, and a good amount of manual labor. My training was pretty much non existent for the last week so either I was going to be very fresh or sluggish. We'll see.
After an early wake up call, Dusty and I headed to the race start where we did a short warm up run and waited for the run to start. A lot of my anxiety was on exactly how quickly to run the first 26 miles of the race. The first "marathon" is primarily on a paved bike path with just a couple of miles on trail. After this point, you transition to single track trails for the majority of the race. And, while the trails aren't particularly hard, they are fairly technical and you need to be able to run quickly.
My coach had set up a plan for me to run the first marathon in a relaxed pace of 7 minute miles where I could feel fairly fresh once I hit the trails. I struggled being able to process this info. That seemed too slow to me and I worried I would get so behind that I would never be able to catch back up.
So, I just decided to run on feel for the first few miles and stay relaxed. I know myself well and felt like I could monitor myself okay by doing this. It was soon time to go and 600+ participants lined up in the dawn light. So, the pace at the start was quick. I quickly settled into about a 6:20-6:25 pace with friend, Rob Evans. Rob recently won the "Masters" division at the Napa Marathon and one of my goals was not to let his head explode by having him beat me here! After a couple miles, this pace felt a little too much when looking at having another 47 miles ahead of me. I backed it down a little bit to about 6:30-6:35 miles and that felt just right. After a while, Rob backed off a bit and I was passed by several runners including Andy Henshaw and Phil Shaw (winner of Cascade Crest 100 miler). Phil and I actually ran together and I really enjoyed getting to know him as we had battled hard against each other at Cascade Crest but never conversed for the entire event. The miles kept adding up and I hit the first real "hill" at mile 18 up to Nimbus. The trail briefly turns to single track and I got to the top (mile 18) at exactly 2 hours. Then, it was a mixture of gravel roads, single track trails, and more bike path leading to mile 26. I hit the 26.2 (marathon) mark in 2:56 and was happy with that time as I didn't feel too taxed and I also saw I was reeling in Erik Skaden. Erik is an amazing runner and maybe, just maybe, even a better trash talker so it was fun to pass him, even if I was worried that he would get me later on the course. I think I passed around 4-5 runners at this time and Phil Shaw seemed to back off as well and I was running alone. It seemed like a lot of carnage at once. I soon went by Mike Buchanan who was first at the marathon point (running the marathon portion in 2:40) and he had his hands on his knees and wasn't looking hot. I made sure he was okay and kept trucking.

Rod and Rob hammering the roads.
It felt great to be on the trail. My "fueling" was good. I was taking 2-3 GU's per hour and making sure I was having 2 SCAPS per hour as well as at least a bottle of GU20 between aid stations. In fact, I felt awesome and slowly started reeling in the elusive Victor Ballesteros. Victor passes me in the last 3 or 4 miles in every ultra we are together in. He's a great racer and at first I thought I should just stay behind him. But, I was definitely running quicker and I passed him.... though he let me know there was a lot of miles ahead :)

Heading uphill at mile 18
Having Victor behind me made me push hard and I worked all of those quick technical ascents and descents hard. I was working but I felt good. The miles were starting to drag a bit but I could start smelling the barn. I had sort of remembered the last few miles before the last climb being downhill but it didn't feel like it on this day. I kept grinding out the trails and was running scared as I didn't want Victor or Rob to catch me!

Back on the trails. Yee haw!
Finally, I could see where we were going to start climbing and I was shocked to run in to Lewis Taylor. He looked a little ragged but was still moving alright. I passed him but told him just to latch on to me and we would do the last climb together. That definitely (I think) seemed to perk him up and we set into the last climb. We certainly didn't "hammer it" but besides the very bottom portion, we ran that whole thing. I started telling him that I was ready to have Victor catch us and I looked behind me... and, of course, there was Victor hauling up the road and passed us right at mile 48. Actually, it didn't bother me at all. That guy is such an amazing closer. So, we let him go and just kind of enjoyed the last climb. The miles rolled along well since we made it a social event but then I did notice that we had a shot to run sub 6:20 if we ran the last mile in under 10 minutes. We both stepped it up a bit and ran every step of that last horrible hill, cruised around the corner and both were very pleased with our final time of 6:18 and a tie for 8th place overall It was a satisfying finish and cool to finish it with a good guy like Lewis.
Post race was fun. Hung out and watched others cross the line including my good buddy, Dusty who finished his first 50 miler in a very solid 8:38.

Rod and Lew Dog crossing the finish line. Must be the shoes
My only regret was that I didn't see another friend, Bryan Wilhelm finish his first 50 miler in 9:03. So congrats to them both!
All in all, it was a great run. I'm very satisfied with my effort out there and when I look in past results of people who have run times similar to mine, I'm humbled by the company that I am joining there. Big thanks to my coach, Paul Dewitt for putting together a great training schedule and I'm excited to have a day of rest and then start building up again for Miwok. Another huge thanks to race director, Julie Fingar. She was as cool as a cucumber all day even though she was putting on one of the biggest and most competitive ultramarathons in the country.
Here are the results.

Better run fast at Way Too Cool!

2010-03-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

I love Way Too Cool 50K. There is no doubt, its a measuring stick. I have always liked doing races to know exactly where I stand. Sure, its cool to win races (not that I do that much) but I'd rather run against a stacked field of the best runners to see where my training and fitness is.
Way Too Cool is a race that just makes you want to be motivated. Year after year, it has the most competitive and is the deepest (field) 50K trail race in the country and you know if you don't have your "A" game, your name might be lower on the finisher list than some mid level marathons.
Last year, I felt I ran very well and finished at 4:00 on the new and longer course. I was chomping at the bit to see if I could break 4 hours. My training has felt solid with a great blend of long runs, speed work, and yes, even much more "easy" running then I have done in the past. So, I was excited to see where I was at!
The drive down was worth noting as the weather offered up just about everything but sunshine. It started snowing in South of Bend in Chemult and man, it just kept coming and was piling up some. Then, near Butte Valley, California, I got a police escort through a giant dust storm where you couldn't see more than 10 yards ahead. Then, more snow near Shasta which graduated to pouring rain through most of Northern California. The rain had settled down by the time I hit Sacramento but I heard that it had been raining all day and the course was going to be wet, muddy, and there would be multiple streams to slosh through.
I headed down to what I consider just about the best running store in the country, Fleet Feet Sacramento, where I met up with my friend Dusty Robinson. He and his wife, Stacey were nice enough to let me stay the night and cooked me an awesome pre-race dinner of salmon, rice, and veggies....mmmmmm. Had to pass on the Ben and Jerry's though before race day. WTC was going to be his first ultra so I was excited for him as well as we had a little bet on whether I would beat him by over/under an hour. He's a 3 hour marathoner so I thought it was a pretty even bet since he hadn't gone the full 31 yet....
I had a great night of sleep and woke up ready to get up to Cool! It was a perfect morning in Cool, Cali albeit a little chilly for a while. But, after dusty and I got a nice warmup on the trails, it had warmed up and before I knew it, we were lined up. I was a touch nervous as you know its going to be a fast and furious start but I was determined to not go out as fast as last year. But, same ol', same ol', as I went through the first mile in 6:02... well, it was three seconds better then last year. But, I felt very controlled and figured that I did need to put some money in the bank for the second half of the course.
The first seven miles are definitely fast and I found my place in the pecking order. I was behind the first two waves of dudes.. one included the top 3: Max King, Leor, and Geoff Roes and then there were a couple of other fast dudes that seemed to maintain about a 2-3 minute lead on me from mile 7 all the way to the finish. I felt solid for a long time on the course but did know that times would be slower. There was a lot of mud though most of it didn't effect me too much. Lots of small stream crossings (maybe 15???). I know my strength in running is on the rolling stuff and the grinder uphills so I tried to work that stuff hard. I went through 13.1 miles in 1:36 and had early thoughts that sub 4 hours was in the bag. I definitely ran scared though. You know HOW many great runners are there and if you falter, it will be a stream of people passing you. I tried to stay mentally focused for Ball Bearing Hill but it kicked my ass more than I would have liked and I hiked about 90% of it convincing myself to keep my heart rate in control and to make it up when it was more runnable. Once on rolling terrain again, I hammered myself to keep running the "runnable" stuff as hard as I could.
The out and back section is cool but slightly frustrating. Its awesome to give lots of "good jobs" and "keep it rollin'" comments to the people still heading out but running "head on" into about 50 people on singletrack trail gets a little old by the end. And, the trail was definitely in worse shape than the first time we went through. I went through the marathon distance at 3:15 and felt I shouldn't have too much of a problem getting through the last 5 miles in 45 minutes. Ahhh, I should have.... "Goat Hill" was tough and pretty much was a total hike. However, the part that always throws me off is the section from the top of Goat Hill to Highway 49. Its tough. You've gotten a hard climb in and you think you're at the top but it just keeps grinding away and this is where I always get a bit lazy. I walked a few sections and the downhill sections are choppy and rough. The mud was at its worst at this point but I did manage to pass a nice guy named Andy Anderson and very briefly, was in 6th place. However, as soon as I even processed that I was in 6th, I had the world's greatest closer, Victor Ballesteros pass me. That guy got me last year at about mile 16 and this year at about 29. Luckily, he's a super nice guy so I wasn't bummed at all when he passed me. It was the first time I had been passed all day and was back in my 7th place position. I hit Highway 49 and the last 1.3 miles was just a struggle. I sucked on the climb up and though I was giving it my all, I apparently am the worst in the world at smelling the barn, and hiked/ran up to the clearing leading into Cool. I looked back to make sure no one was going to catch me (especially not another great closer, Jeff Browning) and asked Prudence to yell like crazy if she saw Jeff coming!!! I had to laugh at myself as I saw the clock was at 4:00 as I turned the final corner. And, in the end, I finished 2 seconds slower than last year. Are you f'ing kidding me???? I will say, when I looked at results, I was the only one I found that ran the same time as the year before. Conditions were definitely tougher and I can sleep well (kind of) knowing that I would have broken 4 hours on a dry course. Anyway, 7th overall. I'm happy with my result and my legs were darn sore so I know I worked hard.

Rod and Dusty post race. Dusty, might need some "manscaping" before summertime

After the race, it is great to catch up with lots of folks. Jeff Browning, Karl Meltzer, Mark Gilligan, and Rob Evans all made an afternoon in the sun a great time. And, I beat my buddy Dusty by well over an hour but more than that, I was stoked that he finished his first ultra in an outstanding time of 5:20 and I think he now has the ultra bug. Good job, buddy.
Then, nothing was left but getting in the car, eating some Sizzler, and driving the loooooooooooooooong 8 hours back to Bend. Thanks so much to Julie Fingar for putting on the premier 50K in the country and congrats to everyone else who battled out there on Saturday. Summer is coming and I just can't wait!!
I do have to re-live my favorite moment of the day.... when Jeff Browning called home to talk to his wife and she asked, "Did you beat Rod?". "No.". "Don't come home then". That rocks. Ciao, baby!!
Here are the results.

Just plain fun at the Super Bowl Run

2010-02-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

I had seen the race registration form for the Prineville Superbowl Run at Fleet Feet for the last few years. I was semi-tempted to run it before but the idea of a very, very low key road race on Superbowl Sunday never got the juices flowing quite enough to make the drive out to P-Ville. But, when I woke up on Superbowl Sunday, I knew I wanted to get a long run in and the weather was grey and spitting out some rain. As I sipped through my second cup of coffee and thought, "why not?" So, I put on my shorts, stuffed a few GU's in my pockets and made my way to Norm's Extreme Fitness Gym in Prineville. They were offering a 5, 10, and 20 mile race. While it was very low key, there were more people than I expected to see.
After a little milling around, they shuttled all the participants up to Prineville Dam, where the race was going to weave its way in and out of the Canyon rising out of the Crooked River. All of a sudden, on the drive out, I realized that it was going to be an unbelievably beautiful run. I was all of a sudden very excited as I had zero expectations of the run other than getting in some miles at a quicker pace than I normally would push myself on. Once at the top, we all exited and it was pretty apparent to me that I was most likely going to be running by myself. Barely anyone chose to do the 20 mile run which was fine by me as I just wanted a good training run.
In short, this is an awesome run. Probably one of the prettier road runs I have ever done. You are right next to the Crooked River for about 13 miles, passing camp grounds, fly fishermen, and seeing some great wildlife. There was really no traffic and they had water available every 2.5 miles. They were all unmanned aid stations for the first 10 miles which was fine as I would just pour myself a quick cup of water and hit the road again.
My goal was just to run 6:30 pace and push but not kill myself with the pace as I had a good amount of miles on my legs already for the week. I felt pretty good the entire run and only the last 4 or 5 miles are a bit more boring as they are just along flat farm roads. But, if you are looking for something fun to do on Superbowl Sunday, this definitely exceeded my expectations. Beautiful, rolling course with some flats, downhills, and some good uphills to keep you honest. Upon finishing in 2:07, I had a nice bit bowl of chili and chips. Then, it was time to come home and watch the Superbowl. I want to thank Norm for putting on this fun run. I'll be back to do this one again!

Minimalism Footwear: All or nothing?

2010-02-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this, you probably run... and probably long distance. So, you've probably repeatedly gotten the question about barefoot running, the "Born to Run" book, etc. And, add the fact that I own a running store, it is a conversation that I deal with every day. So, what's my take on it, you ask? Okay, you didn't but a lot of people have been!
In general, as an "idea", I think it is a good one. We strengthen our minds with knowledge, we lift weights, so why not strengthen our feet as well? The problem that I see with it as that so many people look at it with an "all or nothing" viewpoint. It simply does not have to be like that.
I have actually been moving towards lightweight or more minimal shoes for the last couple of years. However, my journey had nothing to do with wanting to strengthen my feet, being more like my ancient "barefoot" ancestors, or to avoid the injuries that (gasp) will undoubtedly strike the soul of anyone who has ever worn a stability shoe.

No, I had two reasons for wanting to run in a minimal shoe:
1. I can run faster in a 7 oz shoe than I can run in a 13 oz shoe.
2. I have a "B" width foot and the shape of a racing shoe or flat is built on a narrower last and just plain fits my foot better.

Like I said, the transition for me was slow. I started by using LW trainers (still with a medial post) and slowly started using shoes more like the Adidas Adios and the Inov8 Talon series. I like the form fitting design and how light I feel running uphill. However, for myself, I have noticed that if I log too many runs in these shoes, I get more tired than I would in a standard training shoe. And... what happens when you continue to log hard miles on a body that is a bit more tired and beat up than usual? Well, injury sure is not out of the question.....
However, it seems like the "barefoot" or minimalistic approach that many runners are taking is that you either throw all your chips in or you don't do it at all. I disagree with that completely. There are days when I want to run in a minimal shoe and I love them. There are other days when I want to throw on my DS Trainers or Ravenna's and enjoy the extra "cush" and support that they provide. I don't feel like a traitor to either party and feel like more of a training shoe helps me on my cruiser or recovery runs.
However, I do see folks getting injured when they press on through hard training using minimal or barefoot techniques, thinking that there are "evils" with stability shoes. After all, look at all the injuries that occurred since stability shoes came into existence in the 70's! Never mind the fact that "jogging" wasn't a sport until the 70's! And, most "runners" who raced at that point in time probably had better than average biomechanics.
For the record, I thought "Born to Run" was an average book. It had some interesting ideas and I buy into some of them. Other parts I found to be too much of the "all or nothing" philosophy, especially when considering that the author is really not much of a runner at all. And, being in the inside of the sport, you realize how blown up or exaggerated many of his descriptions were- both of races and the people involved. But again, all and all an entertaining read.
So, anyway, I do think there are some interesting ideas provided in the book but I would encourage people to make sure they realize they can dabble in minimalism without having to go hook, line, and sinker. Just my two cents.....

Supplements

2009-12-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

So, for whatever reason, I've always been interested in supplements, vitamins, etc. I guess just looking for that extra edge. Anyway, I've tried some different stuff but on the vitamin side, I've never had any real concrete feelings that something truly works. "Recoverite" is probably the closest supplement that I know really works for me. I bought some cow brains or something from a guy a while ago but that seemed to pretty much just have a placebo effect. Anyway, so, I'm curious what you out there use and what you have had success with. Chime on in!

Cross Training

2009-12-10T20:30:00.001-08:00

It started innocently enough. It was the 2008 S.O.B. I ran into Jenn Shelton the day of the race. She said, "Erik (Skaggs) was right. You are grossly skinny!" What? This was coming from a guy who is about as skinny as a broom. "I" was grossly skinny? That and the jokes about having ice for lunch. Was I getting too skinny? I think I got about as low as about 135 lbs. I'm 5'10 and a runner.....
In my post college, "fat boy" days, I weighed about 180 pounds. Lots of lifting weights and drinking beers. I was never fat (I don't think..." but I definitely remember thinking that if I hadn't actively lifted weights for a few days, I did look a bit soft.
Where am I going with this? So, is there an ideal weight for ultrarunning? I don't think you can pigeon hole runners by their body types but I do think you can look for trends. Take the best 100 mile runners, they don't tend to be total waifs. Hal Koerner, AJW, Erik Skaden, and even Karl Meltzer don't look like the stereotypical "marathon runners". So, what does this all mean? Well, I think that overall strength and athleticism come into play in the "longer" ultra running events where the sprinters kind of flame out in events that go beyond 50K. Anyway, just another perspective. I'm sure you can make an equally compelling argument with amazingly talented 100 mile runners like Geoff Roes, Anton Krupicka, and others that are on the "leaner" side.
Anyway, this did all make me analyze (at least on a vanity standpoint) that I should add a bit more muscle and variety to my routine besides just logging the miles.
I started doing a few things that I do think have added to my overall ability as an athlete, if not as a runner. The most affective was P90x. Yep, the infomercial that you see at 2 a.m. on cable. Simply put, it totally changed how I looked at a "gym style" of training. In short, it is the most affective cross training program I have ever tried. It WILL kick your ass. It is a blend of weight lifting (much of it your own weigh ex: pull ups, push ups), yoga, plyometrics, kenpo, and core work. It is a 90 day program. Anyway, I felt I made great overall gains by just becoming stronger. It did bring my weight up a little bit but I am happy feeling stronger and as I am trying to transition more into making my emphasis on the longer races, I personally think that this will help. If nothing else, I really like mixing it up in the winter time and getting my exercise in more ways than just running. I'd be curiuos to hear what others do to mix it up in the winter or during summer training. And, do you think having a little extra poundage helps in the longer events???

Races as Training Runs?

2009-12-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

I was talking to AJW on a run a couple of weeks ago and after I was telling him how I was looking forward to giving him a can of "whoop ass" at Sonoma 50 Miler (after he left me off of his poll :), he said that he would probably just be doing that run as a "training run". Its funny, I have a hard time using races as training runs. Sure, sometimes I go into races with a lot of miles on my legs in peak season, but I always give everything I have at races. I feel if I am pinning on a number, I'm there to race. If not, I'll go out on my own. I found AJW's comment especially interesting as he will be a long way from home, probably have to pay for a hotel, race fees, etc.
Anyway, I was curious how many others like to use races as training runs or if they feel compelled to race when the gun goes off. For me, even if I'm on tired legs, I'm there to race. How about you?

Western States Memory #2

2009-12-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Everyone has their favorite moment at Western States. Okay, we all know that the track at Placer HS isn't too bad.... but there are some other great moments. Coming into Michigan Bluff? Climbing the Thumb? Hearing the hashers blaring music as you weave in and out the canyon walls. I know its generic but I sure love the river. Hitting the Ruck-A-Chucky junction is the best. At that point, you know you are about to embark on the last section of the course. Yeah, you still have 22 miles to go but if you can still run upright, you are probably going to make it. You also know that the REAL racing is about to come!
Since I have a broad range of finishing times, I've crossed the river at different times. In my first race, I hit it in pure darkness and it was not refreshing but cold! Yet, it was still an incredibly exciting moment for me as I had seen so many images and heard so many stories about that section of the course.
The second time I crossed the river was my first time breaking 24 hours on the course. Night had literally just set in and the buzz of breaking 24 hours was all around me. I wanted it SO badly that year and had run conservatively, so it was an exciting time for me.
In 2007, I hit the river when it was still hot out and the river felt wonderful on my beat up legs. Unfortunately, you only get to enjoy it momentarily as that little bitch of a climb up to Green Gate is coming.
I think there is something about that river crossing that makes the event epic. With so many photos of that moment, it is one that many non-runners are curious about and it gives the race that look that it is more than just a run on trails. Anyway, it is definitely my favorite moment.
Anyway, what's your favorite????

Western States Memory #3

2009-12-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

"100 miles is a really long way........"

I have to look back and laugh at my first Western States. I had only run three races of 50 miles or more when I first tackled Western States in 2002. It really wasn't until the Memorial Day training runs that I realized how unprepared I was. I had been running these super groomed mountain bike areas that really have no elevation gain (Phil's Trail). So, when I went to the training camp I was shocked at how much climbing and descending there was. I came back to Bend and did a cram session out at Smith Rock but Western States was a bit too close to change my destiny.
I had run the first 62 miles with my best friend, Steve King, and my running pal from Bend, Jeff Browning. It was the first 100 miler for all of us.
The first 62 miles went according to plan but when I picked up my dad at Foresthill, I think I had a mental letdown thinking that I would be coasting in from there. I wasn't eating or drinking properly and that really came back to haunt me as I headed down to the river. I was puking and had severe diarrhea. Although, the main thought I had in my mind was, "how in the world are 400 other people out here doing the same thing?" The mileage seemed absolutely and totally overwhelming to me. The run down to the river truly DID take forever. It was awesome having my dad with me. But, I definitely was losing my shit. I'll always remember this conversation.
Me: Dad, I need to ask you a question that might seem crazy.
Dad: What is it?
Me: Well, I'm f'n soooo bloated right now.
Dad: You need to take some salt.
Me: I can't. I'll just puke it up. So, I know this sounds crazy but can I just take off my pants and run naked?
Dad: Rodney, I want you to listen to me. You CANNOT take off your pants and run.......

I'm not sure why but that will always stick with me. My dad passed away before I ran another 100 miler. I think given that he was a Navy SEAL, I always wanted him to know I could be tough as well. I'm sometimes bummed that he never got to see me progress in the sport. He'd be stoked....
Anyway, that's my memory for the night.
The moral of the story. No matter what, when you first run a 100 miler, you will always get that "100 mile shock". Its part of the learning curve.

The Western States Countdown.....

2009-12-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

December 5th sort of feels like Christmas for me. Will I get to run Western States 100 via the lottery or will I get coal in my stocking and be left in the cold? Nothing to stress about though. It will happen or it won't. If I don't get in, I'll see if I can run sub 8:40 at Miwok and we'll see if that gets me any closer or not.
Anyway, with the lottery being in four days, I thought I'd give four of my most vivid memories of Western States (good and bad) to relive my time on the course.
First a quick step back. When I ran with AJW the other day, I was surprised that he had not known of just HOW slow I was when I started this sport and how truly blessed I feel to have made strides to run with guys that when I started, I thought were Gods of running!
I wasn't a runner growing up. In fact, I kind of despised running. My dad, who was a Navy SEAL, was an ultra runner and I thought there was nothing cool about it. He seemed like a novelty.... but not in a good way. He would at times run from Kailua to his work at Camp Smith on O'ahu, where I grew up (20+ miles away). He would run the main road (Pali HWY) and I remember friends teasing me about seeing my dad running amidst the cars and traffic and why he would possibly do that. No, I pretty much went out of my way NOT to run until after college. I can say for fact that I know I never ran once in college and would not have even considered it.
It wasn't until I tried to impress my wife (while dating her) that I took up some running. We trained for a marathon and I ran as hard as I could for a 3:58. Later, after running got into my blood, I started running ultras. My goal for the first few years was to finish in the top 1/2 of the race field.
The dream of running 100 miles came as "Chunky Rod" was in the steam room at Squaw Valley resort. I was there for a sales meeting while working for The North Face. I was alone in the steam room when Topher Gaylord and Dean Karnazes came in. Oblivious to me (minus the social "hello"), they went on talking about running Western States 100. They talked of 40 and 50 mile training runs. I soaked it all in and was instantly intrigued. Later, during the conference, The North Face played a promo video about Western States and man, I was hooked. The mileage, the suffering, THE BELT BUCKLE. Now, I needed to get myself one of those! I still remember sitting there watching the video and my heart was racing. I knew what I wanted to do......
Western States became a dream and then a reality. I finished my first one in 2004 in 26 hours and 5 minutes. So, that is how it started.
But, like I said, I am now going to rattle off some of my most distinct memories from the race.
Tonight, #4........
2007.....
I knew I was in trouble running down to the swinging bridge and the climb up Devil's Thumb. Moments earlier, I had heard the booming voice of Andy Jones Wilkins behind me and then passing me. That bummed me out but not as much as the trouble that I knew my legs were in. I love downhill running but now my legs literally seized with each step downhill. Just a few hours before, I was dreaming of running sub 18 hours and I was certainly on pace. I had Ann Trason's splits from her 18:40, and was already 40 minutes ahead of them at Red Star Ridge. But, I think the punishment had come by running hard from Robinson Flat with Jon Olsen on my tail (we had had some battles with each other earlier that summer) and I just "raced" too hard, too early on those "o so runnable" downhills early on the course.
So, what to do? Drop? Change my goal? I didn't know but just kept moving forward. My legs simply got worse and worse as the race progressed. I could run the flats and the uphills pretty decently but I just was losing tons of time by literally tip toeing down the downhills. I saw my place go from 6th early on and it just kept falling. I was damn lucky to have two solid pacers that day who knew my goals and pushed me hard. David Easa and Sean Meissner did their parts and didn't let myself slip out of the race despite my ailments. In the end, I battled as hard as I could and I laid it all on the line. I finished the race in 19 hours, 20 minutes and was the 11th place Male. If you had told me in 2002, that I would be in 11th place 5 years later, I would have never, ever believed it. But, after a summer of solid results and meeting some lofty goals... yeah, I was disappointed. I also spent the better part of the next two days in hospitals with CPK levels of 95,000 and that belt buckle cost me a couple thousand dollars in medical bills.
But, with a little hindsight, I was happy. You never know how 100 mile races will go. There is hard work, suffering, and yeah, some dumb luck. Maybe 19:20 wasn't my best time, but there are a lot of runners who are much more talented than me that haven't even run that fast there. And, maybe that is the allure of Western States and 100 mile running. You always think/know that you can improve. But, in the midst of the action, it is very real and very hard. So, sometimes you just have to be satisfied. And so, I am.
Of course, I want another shot. Can I run sub 18? Absolutely. I have no doubt in my mind that if I run a solid race, I will absolutely be in the 17 hour slots. Will I do it? Who knows? But, I sure want to try.

Tomorrow: Cal Street with my dad.

Plans for 2010

2009-11-15T17:29:00.001-08:00

Well, its time to start planning for 2010. Cascade Crest is a distant memory and being 37 years old, I realize my years of really "racing" are limited. My kids are getting older: 7, almost 5, and 1.5 and there will be more more soccer games, swimming meets, and days on Mt. Bachelor in the future.
So, I kind of look at this as a big year for me. In setting my sights on the year, I had to really ponder what are the events that I want to concentrate on and prepare for. I have tried to get myself psyched on running a marathon but they just don't excite me that much. In my heart, I want to run 100 milers. Why? You know, I'm not even sure. They kind of suck for the last 40 miles but I have realized that there are two things I love about 100 milers. That is the preparation leading up to the event and the feeling that I have after running a successful 100 miler.
Preparing for 100 milers are now kind of ritualistic and I enjoy that. You know you have to get the hill work in, the long distance stuff, and the tempo work. You know you mentally have to prepare for the miles when other people fold up shop and you have to hang in there. When the going gets tough and you start puking, are you going to quit, limp to the finish? Or are you going to suck it up, put one foot in front of the other and tough it out even when everything attached to your body says to let up. I love that. To me, 100 miler separate a lot of talent from toughness. I'm the first to admit that I will never, ever be a sub 2:30 marathoner but I like to think in a 100 miler, when guts come into play, that I can hold my own against guys with better leg speed than me.
And then, I love the feeling after running a successful 100 miler. I just feel content. And you know that you had to put in the work and mental discipline to make it happen.
That, and I want to run some new races. I'm looking forward to cutting back on 50K races and focusing in on 50 milers and above. There are a lot of races in that distance that intrigue me. I'd like to run Pocatello in Idaho and Sonoma 50 miler. I have put in for Western States 100 and that is where my heart really is. I'd love to run sub 18 there and know that I can do it on the right day and I look forward to the challenge. If I don't get in, I will focus in on running Vermont and Leadville 100 milers. Those are both races I have wanted to do for a while and that I think are good for my running style. So, that's the plan. Cut back on the 50Ks.. focus on the longer races and really try and make my mark on a few 100's this year.
So, what have I been up to lately. I kind of like this time of year. I literally do no runs over 15 miles. I'm running pretty much every day but am focusing in on my speed work. I think it is very important to have a mental break from all the summer racing and training. I am doing some road work, some rolling trail work, and working on speed on the treadmill as well. It leaves me hungry to run longer which is what I want but it will have to wait until January. Most of my weeks are in the 30-55 mile range lately and I am totally fine with that. My body feels super healthy and I'm enjoying lifting some weights and throwing in the weekly yoga class.
The other tool that I will do this year is to hire a coach for my prime month training. I have made huge steps in my running career by doing things my way but I'd like to mix it up and get some insight from someone else. I have always pretty much done all my training runs at tempo pace and would like to learn another perspective to see if I can go to another level. Anyway, just some rambling going on here. Hope everyone is feeling happy and content.

Cascade Crest 100 Miler

2009-09-16T19:56:00.001-07:00

Feeling good and cruising into Stampede Pass, mile33, photo by Glenn Tachiyama

Well, I'm not going to even pretend that I'm getting back to blogging on a regular basis but I did want to document my run so I can look back on it and try and gain some insight on what I did right and wrong heading into the race.
Its been a crazy year and nothing went smoothly with training, racing, or even planning what race I was going to take part in. I constantly have people ask me how I balance the running, 2 businesses, and my family. In short, its tough. When I'm training a lot, I feel like I am short changing work and family and when I'm not training enough... well, that is tough too!
My race results for the year were pretty solid. I had good runs at Hagg Lake 50K, Way Too Cool, and S.O.B. My only crappy race of the year was Silver State 50 miler when my body just kinda gave out on me in the last 25 miles and I struggled to a 5th place finish.
My volume of running was also kind of sketchy but I was pretty good on at least being consistent and most of my weeks were between 50-70 miles and I snuck in a few bigger weeks as well.
I also couldn't seem to decide on a race to run. I originally decided to race Wasatch but then I got bummed that I wouldn't be able to train on the course and I didn't want to spend all my time and a good deal of money on a course that I wasn't familiar with. Then, I thought I'd do Leadville. Easier course (at altitude of course) and more of a runner's course. But, then I had my mom and brother rolling into town and the timing just wasn't right. Finally, since I had signed up for Cascade Crest twice but had been forced to miss the race due to injuries, the R.D., Charlie Crissman gave me the green light to run the course.
I actually got very excited about the race due to the fact that it is a really tough course but it didn't have the heat or altitude factors of the other 100 milers that I have done.
Anyway, after a forced taper (family was in town), I loaded up the Eurovan (Ruby) and headed north to Seattle to run 100 miles in the Cascade mountains. I knew the course was tough as I had trained out there in the past years. With approximately 21,000 feet of climbing and the same in descent, I knew it would beat me up. I was okay with getting beat up though. I was hoping that my constant Achilles heel of running 100's wouldn't rear its ugly head. Yep, puking. I've tried lots of methods and I'm kind of convinced that I'm just a puker. I was a puker when I used to drink a lot in college and after... I'm a puker when I have the flu.... I'm just kind of a puker. I will say that if I have any good qualities is that I seem to be okay when I puke. It shuts some people down but I can keep on moving even though it is at a slower pace.

Okay, enough about puking.... I drove up to the race on Friday and, like an idiot, didn't make any plans at campsites and decided to figure it out when I got there. Bad call. I drove about 60 miles, up and down the pass, down dirt roads, trying to find a cool place to camp. All the campgrounds were full and the dirt roads were littered with motorcycles, etc. So, I just decided to camp right at the parking lot at the start. That actually turned out to be fine. I sleep in my van which is pretty darn plush but it would have been cool to have some better surroundings.
Anyway, one of the interesting things about the race is the 10 a.m. start. Its an interesting concept. On the plus side, you can sleep in and not stress that you are tossing and turning during the night. On the negative side, one reward you have as a "front runner" is usually you don't have to run too much at night. However, with the 10 a.m. start, I was forced to run all night and missed a lot of the true beauty of the course which was kind of a bummer.
So, goals for the race. Well, I wanted to win. Did I think it was possible? Yeah. There were definitely some very good runners in the field but I felt that if I ran well, I should be able to win. What would it take? The weather was supposed to be good so I thought a course record was going to be necessary to net the win. Sub 20 hours on that course was daunting but also seemed doable with the lack of heat. It was just going to take a very complete race... no big bonks or screw ups.
I did have a nice "ace in the hole". I had a hell of a pacer. Fellow Patagonia teammate, Justin Angle agreed to run the last 32 miles with me. Not only had he run the race twice but he had paced the winner the last two years! How could I screw that up??
Anyway, after milling around at the start with Justin and Walter (my other amazing crew person), it was business time.
We lined up and were off.....

Now, I'll totally admit it, I f'n hate to start conservatively. I like to go for it. It works for me in 50Ks and 50 milers but I seem to always have tough second halfs of 100 milers so I definitely held back a bit and started in about 7th place or so. The first couple miles are super mellow and follow a dirt road in a rural neighborhood. However, very quickly you are off the dirt road and on a pretty rugged climb. It is tough because while difficult and very rutted, it is also quite runnable on fresh legs and I had to make myself slow down hike sections that were very tempting to run. I noted that two people that I knew I had to keep in view were ahead of me. That was previous winner, Phil Shaw and Sam Thompson. I saw Phil as a serious threat as he has won the race before, always does well, and usually runs a pretty smart race. Sam Thompson was kind of a wild card. I wasn't overly worried about him but he had just placed well at Hardrock and has had some good results so who knows. But, I let them go and concentrated on my own race and tried to dial in my nutrition.
On the subject of nutrition, I'll digress for just a minute. I was feeling confident that I might have solved my stomach issues. In the past, I have eaten lots of energy gels during the race but have noted that after 40-60 miles, I just have not been able to tolerate them at all and either stop eating or start puking. So, I have been using a drink called "Carbo Pro". Great stuff. Pretty much no taste, 100 calories per scoop and I was really hoping it would help my stomach problems by drinking this and not having to eat as many gels.... we'll see, huh?
Anyway, as we got into the meat of the first climb, Goat Peak, I felt pretty good and was in a nice rhythm of running and hiking. I found myself annoyed by some of the people running around me who I knew shouldn't be around me. Guys wearing spandex short and crap like that. I started running with one guy who I gravitated towards since he was wearing a "Fleet Feet" shirt from Chicago. He was running some of the hill that I was walking and wasn't going any faster than me. I warned him that there is a lot of running ahead of us and to take it easy early (it was his first 100). He said he was a much better runner than hiker. Uh, yeah, me too but its mile 4..... Nice guy but I think the course got to him. I think he finished about 6 hours after me.
It felt good to get to the top of Goat Peak after a brief descent, there was plenty more climbing to be had. All in all, its about 3,000 feet of climbing in the first 8 miles. Nothing crazy but there is no doubt that it puts a little initial worry in your head of what is to come. Somewhere on the first descent, I was caught by Jesse Berwald of Bozeman, Montana. My thoughts going in the race was that this was the biggest threat in the race. He probably should have won the race last year but took a wrong turn about 75 miles into the race and lost the lead. I figured he had a real bone to pick on the course. I decided I would pretty much camp out on his heels and see how the race progressed. He turned out to be a cool guy and I enjoyed getting to know him and sharing some miles with him. At times he seemed to be pulling away from me and then I'd reel him in a bit. He seemed pretty strong though. I think since we were running together, we pushed the pace a bit and started reeling in a few more of the front runners. We passed Sam Thompson on a downhill and put some distance on him pretty quick. We caught another guy from Utah and we all hammered pretty hard ( I thought) into Tacoma Pass.
It was great to see Justin and Walter and a bunch of other friends there including Bend pals, Chris and Darla. I was also glad to see Jamie Giffords' wife Becky as she was giving my wife updates via phone which was super appreciated. I grabbed a sandwich and headed back out for another climb. At this point, I was pretty stoked with Carbo Pro. My stomach was feeling pretty darn solid, I felt good on calories, and I was only taking the occasional gel. I think leaving this aid station, I was now in 3rd place behind Phil Shaw and a good Belgian runner named, Wouter Hamelinck. I was surprised in the next few minutes that Jesse was not catching up to me but I figured he was taking his time and would be back soon.
I should mention that we had recently gotten on the Pacific Crest Trail and would be traveling on it for about 30 miles and most of them are amazing. Gone are the chewed up motorcycle trails and you are now on fricking pristine trails that were simply awesome to run. As I have read lots of other write ups of the race, almost everyone seems to be feeling they're best at this point on the race. The uphills are manageable and it was just sweet running. It was here that you do realize that although the running is sweet, its going to be a damn long day and you just kind of get in a groove. Somewhere in this section, I caught the second placed runner, Wouter, gave him some encouragement and headed off. He wasn't overly psyched that I was passing him so I tried to put the gas on to put some distance on him. I ran the hills to show him I was feeling good and was excited to be in second place.
My zen like focus was a bit broken a bit a few miles from the Stampede aid station (mile 33) as you run under these monstrous power lines that are making shocking and crackling sounds. It was so different from the quiet and beauty that we had been in that I felt a bit thrown off. Whatever. Keep on truckin, Rod. I came hooting and hollering into Stampede Pass. Phil Shaw had put some time on me but I wasn't overly worried as the race was young, I was in second place, and still felt pretty good. I was drinking carbo pro, eating some, and excited to be racing. I got some good advice from Justin and Walter and started up the fairly stout climb out of Stampede. I was kind of bummed to hear that I wouldn't see them for 14 miles though.
The next 14 miles are just kind of tough. Not sure what it is.... the trail gets a lot rockier and it is quite a while between aid stations. Lots of little ups and downs. I remember feeling a bit lonely in this section. You are still on the PCT (so they don't mark the trail) and I would have these little crisis' that I was off the trail. It was somewhere in this section that my stomach wasn't horrible but I also noticed I would not put it in the category of "great" either. I was definitely struggling a bit. Not horribly but miles weren't coming easy anymore. The trail was pretty wet, the rocks were tough and I was definitely feeling the mileage some. When I hit mile 40, I felt pretty beat up arriving at Meadow Mountain. I was glad to see Jim Kerby there but I felt down. He gave me some soup, a little pep talk, and sent me on my way. Bummer. About 2-3 minutes out of the aid station, I heard the next guy (Wouter) arriving. "Great", I thought. The next section of the course is probably the most beautiful but I was feeling crappy.
You enter an amazing watershed area. Lakes, small waterfalls, it is amazing.... unless you feel crappy. Yeah, I'm used to a shitty stomach in 100's but it sure doesn't mean that I like it. I just kept my focus, hiked as hard as I could and pushed up to Mirror Lakes. Beautiful. Lots of people camping. I was ready to join them and stop this nonsense! I thought this part was pretty tough. A lot of climbing, tough trails, and the mileage was adding up. I kept being surprised that I wasn't being caught by Jesse as I felt poker slow. Finally, I hit my crew at Oallie aid station, mile 47.
Before the race, I had been psyched to get to this aid station and eat some of the famous "pirogues". Of course, when I got there, I had no appetite and felt like shit. Phil Shaw had put a lot of time on me which at that point, I didn't care about. I now knew I had another tough section coming. After a few miles of descent, we would climb to Snoqualmie Pass. I felt okay on the downhill and tried to hike the uphills hard... which I doubt I did. We were on rough and tough ski roads. When we hit the top of the ski lifts, I was actually kind of shocked to see the route that we were taking down. It straight down the ski slopes and it was down a little game-like trail that was about as rocky as it possibly could be. I really struggled there and my legs felt absolutely pounded. I looked back and saw Wouter coming down the hill and knew he would inevitably catch me. Bummer. I tried to make him work for it and ran as hard as I could down the rest of the hill and onto some cross country ski trails. He eventually caught me as we got on some asphalt roads heading towards the half way point of the race, Hyak, mile 53. As I came into the aid station, I thought Walter was going to run the next 14 miles with me and I was excited about that. However, when I got there, he wasn't ready to go. "Walter, let's go!" But, he declined saying that he couldn't keep up with me. What a laugh! I was moving like a slug! But, as much as I tried, I couldn't talk him into it. I left the aid station with Wouter but there was no question that he was moving stronger than I was and he dropped me like a bad habit. After the aid station, you run 2.3 painful miles on asphalt and then head up for about 4.5 miles and gain 2,000 feet.
I'll spare you the drama here. I lost the race on this 7 mile section. My stomach hit the crapper. I started puking and I walked way to much of this trail while Wouter pulled way ahead of me. I ran about 1/2 the hill but probably should have run 80-90 percent of it. It was long. There were sections where there were no course markings for long periods of time which really freaked me out. It seriously felt like eternity before I hit the aid station. I was shocked to see Wouter still there. He bolted as soon as I got there and I ate some soup and drank some soda. Carbo pro, although very lightly flavored really started to bug me. I tried taking some GU20 but that didn't work either. In hindsight, I should have tried filling my bottle with some kind of juice or soda and mixing carbo pro with that. But, the brain wasn't all on cylinders anymore.
I then started the 7 mile descent. It is pretty easy running but I didn't feel great. The miles were coming but they were work. There were no real reference points so I just felt like I was on an endless journey into the dark. It finally ended and I got to the Kachess Lake aid station. I was psyched to have Justin pace me and immediately my spirits were raised.
We entered what many people think is the most frustrating part of the course. It is called the "trail from hell". It is pretty darn gnarly. I'm actually not sure how I would even describe it. Its kind of like a super rough, technical fishing trail or something. Lots of tough climbs, lots of downed trees to climb over, and some serious drop offs.
The nice thing was that Justin has been on this trail numerous times and knew every little turn and drop off. I was very lucky to have him here as this section probably would have taken me 20% longer without him and I think we had the fastest split of any person on this part of the course. But, it definitely takes a toll on you mentally as it is absolutely impossible to get in a groove on this part of the course and is much more similar to adventure racing than running.
Anyway, like all things, you eventually get there and get ready for the next challenge. It was great to see John Pearch and his crew out there as we were about to make our last "big" climb of the night. The next climb is called "No Name Ridge" and climbs 3,000 feet in 7 miles. It is definitely runnable but with over 70 miles on your legs, its definitely tough. I thought we ran this section pretty darn well. We could see the 2nd place runner, Wouter, in the distance and although neither of us said anything about it, we were ready to go get him. He was definitely walking the hill, and we started running pretty decent chunks and slowly reeled him in. Finally, once he was within striking distance, we put the hammer down (okay, it was a pretty small hammer :), and ran past him and just kept trucking. We put a lot of distance on him relatively quickly and I think we put about 15 minutes on him when we hit the next aid station. It was a long, tough climb but a fairly easy one to get a rhythm on. I should mention that I felt pretty crappy the whole climb and had a good puke or two along the way. That's just how it goes out there....
Once we hit the aid station, I felt my core temperature drop dramatically. I have never gotten cold in a race before but man, I was freezing. Justin gave me his jacket and gloves and we got moving. I wasn't moving well here at all. I had given my all on the last section and I hadn't gained any "real" time on Phil and realized that I wasn't going to win the race unless he totally collapsed. That and the fact that my stomach just would not cooperate... it made my outlook somewhat dazed and hard to shift gears to run really hard. Justin was awesome on staying on top of me to eat as I was trying anything I could to avoid it. Once Justin asked me to take a GU and I replied, "but I just took a big sip of carbo pro!". That made us both laugh as we knew that wasn't exactly much fuel over the last 45 minutes but man, when your stomach has gone south in a race, its hard to muster up the strength to put more in your body when you are sure you'll be puking it up.
Anyway, the next section is what most people find the most challenging of the course. It is called the "Cardiac Needles". It is about 5 really steep climbs over the course of a few miles. I would doubt any of them climb more than 500 feet but each one is pretty much straight up. I like hiking steep stuff but these are darn tough in the 80+ mile point in the race. I was also kind of bummed that I was in the most beautiful section of the course and it was still pitch black. I probably ran my worst through here but eventually climbed all the Needles as well as the cool climb (though is wasn't cool at the time) up to a fire lookout on Thorp mountain.
After that final climb, I knew we were on our way home. We hit the French cabin aid station where they were cooking bacon (which actually sounded good) but I was too early and they didn't have it ready. We left, hit the final climb and then started the 6 mile descent to Silver Creek. This was far and away my least favorite part of the course. Yeah, its downhill but it is just plain tough. The top is pretty cool with some nice stream crossings and meadows but the last few miles are on dusty trails and it just goes and goes and goes. Man, when would it end. Justin was great in giving me the play by play but I was just over it!
Finally, (and I mean, finally) we hit the final aid station and we ran straight through and kept going towards the finish. We could finally turn off our headlamps which felt great. I had really dreaded running on dirt roads and asphalt after 95 miles but it actually wasn't too bad. I had Justin continually look back over our shoulders as I sure didn't want to give up 2nd place with just a few miles to go. The coast was clear and we cruised back into Easton and headed to the finish.
Man, you want a low key finish, you'll get one at Cascade Crest. I guess since I was the second runner, barely anyone was there but I didn't care. It was great to be done. Another major and tough race accomplished. I didn't feel any flood of emotion or triumph. I was proud to finish in second place and I had the 4th fastest time in the 10+ years the race has been running (20 hours, 33 minutes), which I thought was cool. Here are the results.

So, some final thoughts. Great race. Tough. Real tough. Its got mountains, rough terrain, and great trails. Its definitely a "low key" race so don't expect a lot of hoopla. If you want a tough test, its a good one. Would I do it again? Yeah. I think I can run it a bit better now that I know the course a bit more.
Lots o' thanks: Justin Angle. I would have been over an hour slower without him and not in second place. Great guy.. salt of the earth style. Walter, amazing crew member and next time WILL pace me! :) Chris and Darla, Jamie Gifford, James Kerby, John Pearch, Tate Kelley, and everyone who encouraged and inspired me. I'm proud of my accomplishment especially with all I have to balance in my life.
I feel lucky to have a sport that challenges me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I'm unbelievably lucky to have a wife that lets me do this and realizes how much it means to me. Its now hibernation time. See you all this spring. Love and aloha.....

Hagg Lake 50K and back to blogging

2009-03-08T20:15:00.001-07:00

Photo by Tom Riley

Okay, its time I get back on this blogging thing. I just kept feeling backlogged about all the things I wasn't blogging about so I just... well, stopped blogging.
ANYWAY, my first semi race of the season (minus some fat ass runs) was at Hagg Lake. This was my 7th time running Hagg Lake. Its one of those races that I always think I will skip but then decide that it is good to get the dust off and hit the trails with a little competition to see where my fitness is. My mileage has been pretty lame and has hovered between 40-70 miles per week. Since I'm running Wasatch 100 in September, I have thought it would be fine to keep the mileage low. But, I get kind of stressed working with Meissner as he constantly runs 100+ mile weeks and makes me feel like an old slug!
Anyway, I headed over to Forest Grove on Friday night. I was going to camp in my van near Hagg Lake but RD, Rhonda, scared me that my skinny butt might be in trouble by the locals up there (enter Deliverance music) So, I parked the van at the very cool McMenamins hotel and decided to "camp" in their parking lot. I'm kind of a "play by the rules" guy so I kind of stressed that some security dude was going to boot me out in the middle of the night but that never happened. I actually didn't seem to know many people at the hotel so I ate some dinner and hit the sack around 8PM. All was good minus being a little cold and doing a lot of pissing in Gatorade bottles.
I got a nice warm up in and as I have done six times before this... started the out and back up the hill.
After a few minutes, I got into a nice rhythm with a guy named Lanny and we pretty quickly put some pace between ourselves and the rest of the field. He was pretty cool to talk with and we cruised along at a good clip. He had quite the crew with him... two on bikes and one dude in a car. Seemed like a bit of overkill for Hagg Lake but whatever. About 3/4 of the way through the first loop, I had to piss and tie my shoe and did so and Lanny took off. I wasn't too worried about it and although, of course, I would like to win, I wasn't really all that concerned either way. Actually, in my ideal world, since this is sort of a low key event, I would have liked to run with him and finish together if I could catch up.
However, pretty soon I noticed that he (and mostly his crew) seemed to be taking this race a lot more seriously than me. His "pace" car and bikes would crew him and then stick around and use walkie talkies to give updates on exactly where I was on the course. I didn't care at first... but the updates started becoming pretty darn frequent and that started to get a little old. In fact, for part of the time, the "bike guy" was behind me on the trail on his cross bike, giving updates. Totally against race rules by the way. Really, I just wanted to be left alone to get my run in. Whatever, it was lame but if Hagg Lake is the dream win.... I'm glad he got it!
I felt solid all day and just tried to get steady running in on my feet. I had run a good amount that week so I just tried to keep my head straight and my form (I know its horrible) consistent.

These crazy ass bow legs have been "affectionately" named "Sea Biscuit" Photo by Tom Riley
Anyway, I rolled on in to finish in the same place I did last year; 2nd. My time was the best I have run there; 3:50. All in all, I was pretty surprised by my run. My volume has been relatively low but I felt solid and was definitely happy with my time. After hanging out with friends, it was time to put on the very, very beloved compression socks...mmmmm and head home.
Recovery has been easy and I'm looking forward to loading up the van again this coming Friday and heading down to a WAY more competitive race down at Way Too Cool 50K. Should be a blast and will continue to progress of getting in race shape.
Photo by Tom Riley
Here are the results

Race Picking!

2008-10-07T08:42:00.001-07:00

Its a fun time of the year. Almost everyone has their summer races in the books. We've recovered and only remember the joy of finishing, amazing trails we have run, and people we have met. We fortunately forget about the seemingly endless miles late in a race, the puking, the falls, etc.
Its about this time that I open up Stan Jensen's Run 100's website and start planning out my next season. Do I want to do tough mountain races? How many one hundred milers do I want to run? Do I want to travel to the East Coast? It is so far in advance that I can fantasize that I won't need to be overseeing businesses or busy raising kids. The options are endless!
So what am I thinking? Well, I always base my "shorter" races on whatever 100 miler I am thinking about. Soooo, here is what I am pondering:
Option 1: San Diego 100 Miler in June and Cascade Crest 100 Miler in September. I like this option because it is almost always still kind of cold in Bend in the beginning of June and we are thinking of taking the Eurovan down and camping along the way to San Diego. The 100 miler looks like it is pretty mellow so I won't feel like I have to be in "peak" shape and can try and just enjoy it.
I have entered Cascade Crest 100 two times in the past and have not been on the starting line yet. One year I had a stress fracture and another I had a a stress fracture and an inguinal hernia. Fun stuff. So, I feel like I have some unfinished business there and would like to run a 100 miler without the altitude and without hot weather. That would be a change.....
Okay, option #2..... Vermont 100 or Leadville 100 miler. As these races are more of a destination, I would probably only be able to run one of these as the cost of getting to them, the time away from home, and leaving my stores. Leadville was the first 100 miler I ever heard about and maybe the first ultra I ever heard of. It has a definite attraction to me and I have a good amount of friends and relatives in Colorado so housing and crewing would probably be pretty easy to take care of. The negatives are mainly the altitude. I have the great fear of training my ass off and then just getting there and realizing that either: a. the altitude is kicking my butt and I won't be able to compete at the front of the pack or B. I'm just plain sick all day. If you look at the finishing results, it is packed full of folks from Colorado who live at a higher elevation and can be ready for 100 miles at 9,000-11,000 feet.
Vermont: Positives: When I'm really honest about my running style, I think this is a good course for me. It is hilly but not mountainous and I am pretty good at grinding out hills. I'm alright at hiking in the mountains but I'm a better hill runner than mountain hiker. If I ever have a chance to try and win a "Grand Slam" race, this is hand's down my best shot. I'm a very steady runner and this course would help me out with that. Negatives: Would I get bored without any "major" obstacles to look forward to on the course? How would the humidity affect me when I live in a high desert climate? It is a pain and expensive to get out there.
Option 3: Wasatch. This is a course I need to run as I really want that cool Crimson Cheetah buckle. I'm intimidated by how hard the course is and wonder if I'll be able to get enough rugged miles in to really be ready to compete near the top there. But, it would be a great goal and a race that I will do at some point....
Advice? Also, I'd love to know what other runners are thinking about doing. Its fun to have a good group at whatever 100 I choose. Anyway, other than that, life is good.
Or, I could bypass this silly long running stuff and hang out on the beach where I grew up, Kailua, Hawaii.
Well, not yet..... ;)

Mixed Emotions at Angeles Crest 100

2008-09-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... Where to begin? 100 milers seem to take so much out of me both mentally and physically that sometimes I have a hard time even looking back and writing about them objectively. But, here it goes!
Going into Angeles Crest 100, I was as excited about this race as I had been for a while. I was the first to admit that although I got some good long runs in, my overall volume was definitely a bit down. When I voiced my concern over my running miles to my wife, Katie, she put it in perspective for me. "Well, look at it this way. It was definitely the most miles you could have run without having a divorce!". Kidding, I hope, but to some respect it was true. With both of my stores and my three kids needing to have my focus, running has definitely shifted to a distant third for the moment. That said, my training has been steady. No injuries, solid results in races, so I was still feeling ready to give it a go!
My strategy was rather simple. I knew I needed to take it much easier at the start of the race compared to Western States or even HURT. I was not going to "race" until mile 60. Let the people come, let them go. I also had been focusing on taking the downhills much easier and just being efficient.
I got some great feedback on the course and strategy from AJW. I really focused in on being mentally prepared for the day and the 21,000 feet of climbing and 26,000 of descent on the course.
I flew into Ontario with Oregonians Tom Riley and Ken Ward.
We made our way to a, let me be kind, "rustic" cabin in Wrightwood. There, we were eventually joined by Mark Gilligan, Jasper Halekas (one of my pacers), and Rob Evans. We really had a good time on Thursday and Friday and it was nice to have a loose vibe there. We all just cracked on each other and played stupid psych out games with each other.
Check in on Friday really cracked me up. Talk about an old school race. I don't think anything ever changes at AC. If you want to have a really level playing field on a course that has been around for a while, run AC. I felt like I was walking into a "Starsky and Hutch" time warp. It had that 70's vibe going on.
Saturday morning came and we headed to the start line. You know its old school when the race director asks you to move some heavy ass dumpsters 15 minutes before the start. Cracked me up......
Anyway, off we went. A few miles of climbing on steep asphalt roads before heading up on the acorn trail and ascending the PCT. Pace felt great. The lead group of runners was very strong... Hal and Jorge surged ahead and I was with Guillermo, Justin Angle, Troy Howard, Brian Polley, Tom Nielsen, etc. The morning running was fun and my taper felt like it had done me well. I felt fresh and excited to be running.
The day progressed and I continued to feel good heading up over Baden Powell and continued to take it easy on the way down. My crew was great. Jasper and David Easa were taking good care of me at the aid stations. I was trading out bottles and water packs depending on the distance between aid stations and that worked great. My first moments (here they come) were heading into Cooper Canyon. My stomach started to rebel a bit and I just had that queasy feeling come over me. I was bummed but didn't let it get me down. I took some ginger chews and continued to push down the gels every 30 minutes.
I started falling apart a bit at Three Points. Stomach was junk and the heat was getting to me a bit. The fun had stopped and the guys I was running with, Justin Angle and Troy Howard, had left me behind. I just continued to grind it out but I had fallen behind my splits for a sub 20 hour run. More concerning was that I knew I would have to really run strong from 50 to the finish to have a strong run. That was looking dubious at best.

I fueled up at Mt. Hillyer and hoped that would help as well as picking up my first pacer, David Easa, at mile 52. I picked up David and felt alright. Being nauseous and running just sucks. I've gotten kind of used to it but it really bums me out. We were moving alright but nothing spectacular. My low point really came as I left Shortcut Saddle and headed down (the road to China) and then up to Newcomb Saddle. For some reason, I really discounted this part of the course. I had been so focused on climbing well in the last 25 up Mt. Wilson and Sam Merrill that I forgot about this descent and climb. They really discouraged me and I gave up a lot of time as I climbed up to Newcombs. I felt like crap and hated being on the dirt road. The climb went on forever and I really let it get to me which is a big, big mistake in 100s. I hit the aid station and was determined to do a good job of fueling up. I ate some soup, drank some coke, and had a few bites of chicken. I then puked all over the place while sitting at the aid station. Hmmmm, that is trouble with 42 miles to go. So, I stuck some crackers in my pocket and headed back on the trail. I felt pretty good on this section but looking at my splits, I wasn't running it so well...... But, it felt better to empty the stomach and start again. I continued to puke a few more times but kept moving on. Soon, and very unfortunately, we passed Jorge Pacheco who also had problems with his stomach and was about to drop. Bummer. A great guy and fantastic runner who has had his problems at this race the last few years.
David was a great and patient pacer and we kept clicking off the miles and eventually made it to Chantry Flats were I CONTINUED to feel crappy in the gut with the occasional puke. Jasper took over the pacing reigns and quickly let me know that I had a LOT of runners right on my heels. We climbed Mt Wilson very well and I actually kind of enjoyed the climb. We hiked hard and ran the flatter sections well. I was running scared as I was worried I might get "chicked" by Bend runner and eventual winner, Prudence L'Heureux. I also knew Mark Gilligan was right behind me and the hazing would be great if he passed me as well. I was amazed to hear footsteps behind me near the top of Mt. Wilson as I felt pretty darn strong. I figured it was Mark and that the ribbing would begin. However, it was Osbaldo Lopez, and man, was he moving. His hiking was simply amazing as he passed me like I was standing still.
Once we hit the top of Wilson, we ran down hard. The feet and legs hurt but it didn't matter if I ran it hard or slow so we tried to push it. We did and got to the bottom in 30 minutes which is pretty good. I even took a good fall along the way down. Not super fun.....
We hit the morgue known Idlehour and once again, tried to get food back in my system. It worked for a minute but I found myself puking again minutes later. Sheesh! Now, the mindf*** known as Sam Merrill. As AJW puts it, this is where ultra runners go to die. You have to run along a horrible dried creek bed filled with poison oak for a few miles before the long, boring, and demoralizing climb up to Sam Merrill. If you don't curse this climb during the race, you are not human. It stinks. It climbs, descends, winds, climbs, descends, winds, well, you get the picture. I tried to run the flats but my time was still well behind AJW's split and he claims to walk every step (hmmmmm.....:)
FInally, we got to the top and again, took a little time to TRY and refuel before the brutal descent to the park. Once again, it sat for a few minutes and then I was puking again. My time was slipping away quickly and I wish I could say that I cared more but with my stomach on the fritz, just finishing was my main concern. I knew I would not break 20 and I knew there wasn't another goal that I cared that much about. I know, weak mentally, but it was what it was....
The next section may have been my second least favorite. The 4,000 foot descent at mile 90 seems a bit cruel. Especially since it is technical. But, we just kept chipping away at it. We had a few good vantage points where I knew we probably would not be passed again.
We FINALLY hit the final aid and once again, I had a little coke and found myself puking it out (last time) a few minutes later. The last 5 miles was a death march. Both Jasper and my head lamps were almost out and this definitely slowed us down as we moved through the last sections of trail.
Finally, we got out of the park and hit the road (thank the Lord!) and made our way down the last few blocks to the finish. You want to talk old school finish line, go to AC. There were not many people there and it was a bit of a letdown. I felt very relieved and exhausted. I didn't have the flood of emotions that sometimes hits me at the end of a race. I ended in 21:14 which was good for 5th place. I didn't care one way or another on my placing but was a bit disappointed at how far away I was from 19:59. But, that's how it goes. Its a 100, stuff happens. I'm proud that I didn't ever think of dropping even when things got bad. 42 miles is a long way to go with no fuel in the system. You hate to ever proclaim about yourself that you "toughed it out". But, I'm going to say that. It would have been easy and justifiable to drop given my circumstances. But, I finished with a time that I can be satisfied with and don't feel the need to redeem myself on.
So, what did I learn? I don't know. I'm frustrated with my stomach in 100 milers. I have never not puked and that sucks. I'm going to do some listening to what AJW has to say as I know he has battled a lot of these same demons. I feel like I am "gelled out" by mile 50 in races. I know lots of people can take GU's for 100 miles but that just doesn't seem to sit well with me. I'm thinking about trying solid food for 50 miles or seeing if there are other solutions that I can try earlier in races and maybe switch to gels later in the race. We'll see.
So what now? Well, I'm going to relax some. I haven't run in a week and I'll probably finally head out today for few miles. I miss running already. I'm going to slow it down now though and will probably just run 30-40 miles per week for the next few months. I also want to get back in the gym and hit the weights again. I haven't lifted in months and would like to add a few pounds in muscle as I feel a bit too scrawny at the moment. Its also time to put some time in the family bank and be home and just hanging out a bit more.

Don't worry, Ma, I used to look worse than this every Saturday night in college! Photo by Dave Easa
Okay, here are my MVPs for AC:
1. Hal. Damn, you just never know what that boy will do. Running the 2nd fastest time on the course with an injury and no pacers is very impressive.
2. Prudence L'Herueux from Bend. Her first 100 miler and she had a real chance to break the CR.
3. All the runners who finished after being out for over 30 hours. That's a long time to be out there and I was impressed and motivated to see them finishing in the heat of a second day. Great job!
4. To the top 4 in front of me. They all ran tough, strong races. Nice job, gentlemen.
5. My wife and family. Its no secret that it is hard to juggle 3 kids, 2 businesses, and 2 big dogs! My wife does not (well minimal) complain on my training and realizes how important it is to my life. Thank you.
6. Roch Horton. Man, is anyone more solid at age 50. This guy is a stud. The guy cracks 24 hours on some of the toughest courses in the U.S.... and quite a few of them each summer.
7. My pacers: Jasper and Dave. I feel lucky and honored to have you guys pace me. Thanks so much.
8. Mark Gilligan. Yeah, he dropped but look out for this guy. His 100 miler at Tahoe is no fluke. If he is trained and healthy, he has the ability to ruin the race plans of some top dudes.
Lastly, if anyone wants to give me stomach advice...... I'm all ears.
Full results are here.
Big Fat Aloha,
Rod B.

Outdoor Retailer, Humbled at Jupiter Peak, and no Waldo

2008-08-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

Biener, taking it to Meissner even when he doesn't realize it..
Are there ever months that just AREN'T completely busy? Not in my world...

Lots of fun stuff going on though. Last week I headed out to Outdoor Retailer to check out some new great gear for the Fleet Feet store. Mostly just did some looking at the little stuff for the store. Any surprises? One pretty big one. Darn, The North Face stuff really, really impressed me. I didn't know what to think as everyone seems to have a definite strong opinion on The North Face. Well, I thought their clothing line and shoes looked solid. Obviously they are getting some great feedback from athletes like Kami Semick Nikki Kimball. I'm very excited to see what they come out with in the next year or so. Someone needs to push the boundaries by putting forth some new ideas and technology and I do think they are on to something.
For a sentimental favorite, I'm really pulling for Montrail but they really need to "right" the ship. Their line is really stripped down and from my view, it just doesn't seem like a lot of new ideas are heading into their footwear. The Streak is still solid and they will have a posted version of the streak called the Mountain Masochist this coming spring. I thought they had made good strides by making some dramatic changes to the Hardrock. However, I was just told that they changed their mind and are keeping the Hardrock super stiff. Anyway, my hopes is that they can really put some hard effort into the line and take the brand back to being the innovative one that they have been in the past. Anyway, just some random OR thoughts......

So, we also had a family reunion in Park City with Katie's family at Deer Valley. It was a total blast. 7 kids, 6 years old or younger. It was pretty cool as my oldest is 6 and we finally hit the age when the kids play by themselves and just love being with their cousins. Very cool. Also great to catch up with my wife's mom and dad and my brother and sister in laws. What could top that? Well, a close second was when I wandered into our back yard (in Park City) and saw a rough single track heading straight up.
This was probably a gift and a curse. For the next four days, each time when I stepped out the door, the first four miles of my run were a 2,000 foot gain up the slopes of Deer Valley. Wonderful single track and there were some kick ass bike riders out there as well. The runs were great but I could definitely feel myself getting kind of whooped from the climbing and the altitude.
Bring on the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase run. This was a 16 mile run that leaves from Park City, climbs over 3,200 feet to the top of Jupiter Peak (10,000 feet), does one more climb, then bombs back to the finish. I figured this was a race I could do pretty well at as I am a pretty balanced racer on climbs and descents. Yeah, I had some concerns about the climbing I had been doing but I felt pretty good and was excited to race.
I had a feeling that the competition could be stiff with Outdoor Retailer in town and some great athletes were in town. When I got to the race start, I noticed one thing right off the bat. A whole bunch of yellow "La Sportiva Running Team" tops. Uh oh. I was in their world now.... Not a 50 miler where I could reel people back in. This was going to be tough. This was confirmed as the race director gave his race day instructions. "Do you see the guys in the yellow jerseys. They are some of the best mountain runners in the world. If you come in 5th today, you probably would normally win". Great.....
Off we went. I was breathing hard from the start but managed to stay in the top 10. After a mile or two, I felt a bit more settled in and passed 4 runners and was in 4th place. Hmm, I thought. I usually do better as the race continues. Maybe I'll do pretty well. However, I was about to realize my biggest mistake.... not bringing water. Its just 16 miles I thought, I don't need any water. Well, the problem was that the top 15 in this race were sticking together like glue and as I looked around, I was one of the only ones I saw without water. As we hit the first aid station, I took half a sip of water, gulped a GU, and choked the rest out.
After 4 or 5 miles, it started getting ugly. I slowed down. No problem, I'll just get my head together. The minute I slowed, I was passed by 5 people. Then 2 more, then probably 1 or two after that. Wow, that was crazy! I wasn't going THAT slow.
As we neared the summit, I was flabbergasted at how steep the final climb was. Straight up a scree mountain. Shit, I wasn't ready for that! I hiked (slowly) to the top and finally headed down. I did catch some people on the downhill but was too scared to stop for water and started bonking pretty well for the final three or four miles. Anyway, I putzed in, not even able to catch some dude right in front of me out of sheer exhaustion or laziness. I was 11th out of about 250 people with a time of 2:15. Humbled. I drank about 9 cups of water and laughed at how exhausted I was from the effort. So, in short, I'm not a mountain runner. That stuff sucks! As I've said, I'd rather suffer a little for a real long time rather than suffering horribly for a short amount of time.
Anyway, the only thing I knew for sure: I was not going to want to run a 100K the next weekend. I hemmed and hawed as I really wanted to compete in the Where's Waldo 100K. However, Angeles Crest is my main goal and that is only 4 weeks away. I just did not feel like I would be mentally prepared to race hard at Waldo and do it again in 4 weeks. It was a tough decision but the right one. I'm glad that I didn't have to taper and then recover. I ran 45 miles on Saturday and was able to run again Sunday and will put in a big week this week. I would not have been able to do that if I had run Waldo.
Anyway, other than that, life is crazy but good. I feel so thankful for my life and my family. They sacrifice a lot to let me run so much. A few more years of this stuff and then I'll be able to look back, enjoy it, and relax a bit.

Just enough at Mount Hood 50 Miler

2008-08-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

photo borrowed from Tom Riley

I ran the Mount Hood 50 Miler on July 26th, 2008. It was a race I was looking forward to since it was my first 50 miler back in 2001. I had memories of how hard a 50 miler was back then and how my wife, Katie had to pace me in the last six miles as I complained and stumbled my way in to a mid-pack finish. I wasn't sure what to expect from this race as I had run S.O.B 50K two weeks earlier and I then put in a very intense training week that very next week. Not much time for a taper at all but that was fine since Hood is really just a training run for Angeles Crest 100 Miler in September. I drove to the course on Friday evening and had fun checking in seeing Olga (race director) and lots of familiar faces. I then linked up with one of my favorite people in the ultra world, Jamie Gifford and his wife Becky. We headed up to Timberline Lodge at Mt Hood to grab some dinner. We got a great view of Mt. Hood but food wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. Pretty much all heavy bar food. But, skipped the beer, talked story, and had a great dinner with some fabulous friends.
Then, it was time to head to Little Crater campground and camp in the trusty Eurovan, Ruby.
Before I knew it, it was time to wake up, tape the feet and eat a PB&J. It was a chilly morning as I drove back towards Timothy Lake and the start of the race.
PCT 50 Miler is a funky course to race and does require some strategy. The first 25 miles are uphill as you head from Timothy Lakes all the way to the base of Mt Hood and Timberline Lodge. You climb about 4,000 feet in the first 25 miles. On the return trip, you are mostly downhill (though it doesn't seem like it) and only climb about an additional 1,500 feet. So, the moral of the race is that you need to have some legs when you hit the 50K point and start heading home as the next 19 miles are mostly rolling and you need to be able to run.

photo borrowed from Olga
I didn't really know what to expect from this race. I had put in a hard week after S.O.B and did not feel rested but Hood was really just a hard training race so I was cool with it. I also wasn't quite sure about the competition. I thought that I was probably the favorite but there were some dark horses in there that I wanted to keep an eye on. Most notably, Ian Mcllvenna who had been second place here the previous year and Matt Daniels who has put up some impressive times in the past. Well, time to race...
I took the lead from the first step and wanted to keep it that way so I could dictate the pace hitting the single track. I didn't want to go out too fast and wanted to make sure that I ran a good, hard, yet conservative pace. We did a .4 mile out and back on the roads and then were going to have 49 miles of singletrack!

photo borrowed from Olga!
The one thing I noticed after the first few miles was that I didn't feel that great. I didn't feel bad necessarily but I didn't have the "pep" that I did at S.O.B. I kind of figured that I was just warming up and that I would eventually feel better but that just didn't seem to ever really happen all day. I was chased in hot pursuit by Ian and another nice guy, Adrien. We ran together and at that point I think Ian must have hit the porta potty because we left him and I was alone running with Adrien for the next mile or so. He eventually faded back and I was running on my own up the hills towards Mt. Hood. Once again, never feeling either great or horrible. I switched gears and really just tried to focus in on my splits which were to run a time of just under 7 hours. I thought this might be on the threshold of my ability as only 2 people have broken 7 hours in the race's history but I figured I would still be stoked even if I was fairly close.
The race became more interesting as I headed up the steep ascent towards Mt. Hood at about mile 20. The initial uphill running was pretty easy but got tougher as we hit some substantial drifts of snow. Also, near the top, there are the dreaded sand sections. These sections really are crazy. The course literally becomes sand dunes and running gets really difficult. I had read my friend Matt Hart's blog saying how he ran all of these but I disagreed with his theory as it was very energy consuming to be running uphill in the sand. So, I power hiked some of the sections and made my way to the turnaround at mile 25. I don't know what gave me the false sense of security that I had a pretty darn big lead, but I had it! I hit the turnaround at 3:34 and took my time getting stuff together. I grabbed my ipod from my drop bag, ate half a PB&J and putzed around for a minute before heading back. Immediately after leaving the aid station, I saw Ian coming right towards me! Shit! I looked at my watch and estimated I had about a 2 1/2 minute lead on him. I was REALLY surprised as I can usually gap people on long, grinding uphills so I didn't think I was going to see him for a while. I also knew he had run a 7:24 the year before and I knew I was well ahead of that kind of pace. Well, I guess it was going to be a race.
I ran aggressively but not recklessly down hill for the next 6 miles. I tried to keep my pace at just under 6:30 minute miles which seemed nice and wasn't overly taxing on my body.
I knew the next 19 are where the race are either won or lost. Its rolling hills both up and down need to be run. As I had felt all day, I just didn't seem to have the energy to really bring it. So, I just kept grinding away and making sure I was hitting my splits. I was thrilled to see my wife, Katie, at about mile 40. She knew second place wasn't far behind and encouraged me to push which I tried in vain to do. Well, my new goal was, if I'm going to be getting passed, I'm going to make sure that they run sub 7!
The griding continued and Katie again met me at mile 44 and told me I had a 6 minute lead. Again, not exactly what I wanted to hear but I felt I sort of would have to bonk to have him gain 1 min/mile at this point. I was prepared for the dreaded final 6 miles. This time, they actually weren't that bad. I guess I was "smelling the barn" and knew I should be able to run on in under 7 hours. After running alongside Timmothy Lakes (forever!), I hit the road and boy did that feel good! I crossed the finish line backwards (out of respect for Scott Mcqueeney) with two of my kids, Fisher and Ava. The time of 6:53 felt good and is the second fastest time ever on the course behind John Ticer who has run a 6:45. I'd like to give that record a "go" on fresher legs but it is a pretty impressive one.
Second place finisher Ian Mcllvenna kept up his pace and ran an impressive 7:03, which would win the race on most years. Congrats to him and all the finishers!

Photo of the family by Olga
The finish line was fun and great to see my family and lots of friends.
Results from the race are here
My big tnanks to Monika and Olga for putting on a wonderful and fun race!
Next race: Mt Jupiter Hill climb in Park City next weekend!

Nice and Smooth at S.O.B.

2008-07-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

chillin' with the big cat, Hal K.

Okay, I've got to update this damn blog.......
July 12th I ran the S.O.B 50K in Ashland, Oregon. I hadn't been to this race since 2001. I think it was my second ultra ever. I was excited to get back. For one, it really was the kick off to my race season. I hadn't raced since April and Peterson Ridge was not my best race ever. I definitely gave it my all but I just didn't have the mileage under my legs yet. I had just opened up Fleet Feet two weeks earlier.
I also have not wanted to peak too early this year as my key race is Angeles Crest 100 in September. So, I've basically tried to run a three week schedule of 100 miles per week, then 85, and then 75. This has worked well and kept me feeling pretty peppy.
I didn't really put major pressure on myself at all for S.O.B. Looking at results reminded me (on a much, much smaller scale) of Wasatch. Results were very inconsistent in regards to the runner. Results seemed to be much slower than I would have thought of on that course. No one had ever broken 4 hours and not a ton of people had seemed to break 4:10. My goal going in was to run around a 4:15 which I hoped would set me in the top 5. It was a tough field consisting of Max King (fresh off Olympic trials), Erik Skaggs (top 5 ultrarunner in the country), Hal Koerner (Western States champ), and Lewis Taylor (winner of Way too Cool 50K). I really like fields like this. Running against great runners is a great test. Running races with little competition just doesn't get my blood pumping. Its great training but not real satisfying.
I headed to Ashland on Friday afternoon and got to check Hal Koerner's running shop, Rogue Valley Runners. His shop looks great and it was great talking shop with him and trading ideas on shoes and the running biz.
I got some dinner with Tate Hall (manager of my Patagonia store), her husband Mike, and Stan and Maura.
After that, we headed up to Mt. Ashland to camp at over 6,500 ft. We had a fun night camping and it was fun to hang out with the Central Oregon crowd (Stan and Maura, Chris and Darla, and Tate and Mike). I got the feet taped and headed off to sleep.
It was nice not having Sean Meissner there because we didn't have to wake up about 3 hours early and I slept in until 6 a.m. I got up and had a horrible warm up (a good sign) and was huffing and puffing at the altitiude.
At 7 a.m. the gun went off and we headed out the PCT. Max King, Erik Skaggs, and Cameron Haynes set the pace and Hal and I settled into 4th and 5th place. I liked my pace. I had decided early on that I was going to start more conservative and just run a nice smooth race. I went out too hard at Peterson Ridge and ended up slogging in the last ten miles and well, that kind of sucked. A more moderate approach was sounding good. I didn't even really even feel like I was racing and I was okay with it. Within a few miles, Hal pulled away from me and I just settled into my groove. I had forgotten how much I loved this course. It reminds me a lot of the first 30 miles of Western States and is just plain breathtaking. I have to say that it is the best 50K I have ever run. The wildflowers, views, and trail were so much fun. The miles just slid by effortlessly and I was worried that I was taking it too easy. We hit a dirt road that headed up a few hundred feet at mile 8 and I could tell it was going to be a good day. I just felt smooth and was loving running. However, at the turnaround (mile 15 or so), I was disappointed to hear that 4th place (now Cameron Haynes) was about 8 minutes ahead of me. He had run a very strong 4:06 the year before and was obviously going for it. I thought he had left the gates a little fast and I was surprised I wasn't reeling him in. But, good for him.
However, as happens in long races (even short long races :), I saw him a few miles later on a dirt road and guessed he had about three minutes on me. At that point, I knew I would catch him. At mile 18, we got on a frickin' sweet ridge trail that had a nice long grinding uphill and then a screaming downhill and I reeled Cameron in. I tried to pep him up and have him run with me but I could quickly tell he wasn't in the mood to make conversation so I surged ahead. The next few miles were my favorite on the course. A technical downhill with sharp turns and great wildflowers. I hit an aid station with a fiddler and asked how far up Hal was ahead. 5-10 minutes I heard. I knew we had a BIG hill ahead and I thought it was my best chance to catch Hal. He is a much better downhill runner than me (and I'm sure uphill too) but I know running up is my strength and that this was my best shot. I ran every step of the hill and though I felt pathetic, I knew lots of people would be walking. At the top of the hill I saw a volunteer who informed me Hal was 8 minutes ahead. Bummer. He was running every step too! Man, I wanted to catch that cat! But, I knew it was over now....
After that, I just continued to stay smooth. After an aid station at mile 27 or so, I looked back and saw Lewis Taylor coming on strong. Man, I hate when I have to run hard. Luckily, I hadn't run too hard early so I felt I had another gear to pick it up and I hustled on in. At the last aid station I thought I had a shot of breaking 4 hours but nope, too slow. I crossed the finish line in 4th place with a time of 4:04. I was pretty happy all in all. I literally did not have one bad minute in this race. It showed me that running smooth and not taking off too hard really can work. What a great run. Results here.
Here is how I really would list the top 5:
1. Max King. Part alien. Broke the course record by 18 minutes or something. In a 50K! Are you kidding me? If you run in the Olympic trials, you shouldn't be allowed in this sport!
2. Erik Skaggs. One of best ultrarunners in the country and 24 years old..... uh, he's fast.
3. Hal Koerner. Western States 100 champ... enough said.
Top 3 all broke the old course record... just my luck!
4. Rod B.... First normal dude with no running talent. Also, I will say, I have three more kids than all the guys above me combined.
5. Lewis Taylor. Way faster than me but at least he has one kid.
So, I'm flattered with my placing. As seems to happen to me a lot lately.... a 4:04 would have won this race more time than not in the past. Why are all these fast new ultrarunners coming on? Why don't you guys run some fast road races? :)
Anyway, here are my highlights of the weekend:
Chris (too cool to pose), Darla, Old Man Bien, and fast Tate!

1. Darla Brader running 4:47 and second chick. She is having a break though year and it has been cool to watch.
2. Kami Semick crushing the women's course record, and first chick.
3. Tate Kelley running a great 5:45 and finishing well within the top half of the race! Way to go Tate!
4. Making everyone jealous with my sleeping set up in the Eurovan.

What went right:
1. Good eating plan. Gus every :40. Went from S! Caps back to Endurolytes.
2. Completely enjoyed 31 miles of running.
3. Crushing Meissner's PR at S.O.B. :)

What went wrong:
1. Lingering thoughts; should I have broken 4 hours????

Lots of fun. Next race: Hood 50 Miler in a week!

The best way to train???

2008-05-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well, after a bit of a sabbatical and getting the Fleet Feet store up and running, its been time to step up the training. It was nice, but not as easy as I thought to "just" run in the 60-75 mile a week range? Why? Well, over the past few years, my method of training is really to run hard (by my standards :) I don't do much "time on my feet" training. When I run, I go out there and go for it. Sometimes I have good juice in my legs and I'm peppy. Sometimes I'm tired and my times suck. But, the consistent factor is that I am always going pretty darn hard effort wise. I just feel that if you train at a slow pace, you'll race slow. If you train hard, you won't have as difficult of a time racing hard.
Soooo, this week I decided to throw in a 100 mile week, my first in a while. I cut back on the amount of intensity and ran 5 moderate runs and 2 tempo style runs. To my surprise, it felt very, very easy. In fact, my 70 mile weeks busting ass seemed much more difficult than this week.
It just made me really wonder what is more valuable? Less mileage and more intensity or more mileage and less intensity? Both have their advantages. My guess is that for the 100 milers, I would be better off keeping up with the 100+ mile weeks so that is what I'll try for a while as I want to do well later in the summer for AC 100. Anyway, just some rambling but I thought it was interesting to ponder anyway.....

Rumblin', Stumblin', Bumblin'

2008-04-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

photo by Glenn Tachiyama
Wow. This is one of those weeks when I look back and sort of can't believe that I made it through it. We had our first full week at Fleet Feet Bend which was awesome to finally get up and going but I have felt so behind on paperwork and the little stuff that I find myself feeling easily overwhelmed by the magnitude of all the work still ahead. On top of that, I was going to run the Peterson Ridge Rumble. To be honest, I was really dreading it. I just wasn't getting in the miles to run this race hard. I had won the race last year and really didn't want to embarrass myself with some J.V. performance. I honestly would not have run it but Sean was offering some super sweet arm warmers to the 5 year vets of the race on top of his always sweet Rumble socks. Okay, that tipped the scale and I got to pin on the #1 Bib for the starting line. I had no grand illusions of a repeat. It was a stacked Rumble field. Dan Olmstead, Scott Wolfe, Justin Angle, Billy Barnett, and Paul Saladino were all in the mix. I was thinking it was not going to be a piece of cake to break the top 10. Sheesh, isn't this the low key Rumble???!

Milling around at the start, photo by Glenn Tachiyama

On top of that, we had a crazy day before the race. I had woken up early to volunteer at USA fit, which is a program that is getting people "off the couch" and training to run a marathon. So, I got there early and signed people up and took them on a nice training run. I then headed straight to Fleet Feet for packet pickup. It was awesome to have all my friends come to the store. Lots of shoes were sold... some, even if they weren't even needed but just to support the shop. I felt very lucky to be surrounded by so many friends that night. After a long day of work, it was time to clean up the shop and get some rest. Morning came all too soon as we had a restless night with the new baby, Noah. I woke up early, had some breakfast, and headed to the starting line with Kevin from Eugene.
After a warm up, it was "go" time. Man, the pace was hot and heavy from the start (for me anyway). I fell into a pack with Scott Wolfe, Billy Barnett, Dan Olmstead, and Paul Saladino. I knew I was in the worst shape out of the 5 of us as I have been concentrating hard on getting the new store open and with my new baby. We ran the first 8 miles uphill in the mid to high 6 min/mile pace. The pace was quick but I didn't feel overwhelmed. After about 8 miles, Billy (who had run 6:30 at AR the weekend before) took off and Dan Olmstead followed. Scott Wolfe and I decided to take a simultaneous piss and let those speedsters have some space. We slowly reeled in Paul Saladino and we all ran as a pack during the "grunt loop". I could feel the pace as we finished the grunt loop and I could tell I just didn't have my sea legs yet this season. Wolfe pulled away from me and I ran with Saladino downhill. I felt unbelievably slow on the downhills but just couldn't do a darn thing about it. Hitting the aid station at about mile 20, I realized that is would just be a matter of staying steady as I didn't have another gear to shift into which was definitely disappointing. Paul and I worked together but the fact that he stayed with me on the downhills definitely told me I was running out of gas and it might be a long afternoon. The next few miles were on a straight, flat dirt road and Scott maintained about a 1/2 mile lead on us. As we neared the long gravel climb in the mid 20's, my legs were toast and I just concentrated on shuffling up and not hiking.

The Wolfe Man, pulling it back together with some terrible scenery :)
photo by Glenn Tachiyama
It was good to have Paul around as he is a solid uphill runner and he left me on the climb up. As we reached the aid station, we heard Scott was just ahead and the leaders were about 8 minutes up. Paul took off and I just did my best to keep steady and keep chugging, sure that I had at least secured 5th place and didn't humiliate myself horribly. However, after a few minutes, I noticed Scott up ahead and guessed he too had run out of gas. I passed him and encouraged him to hang on but he seemed a little burnt out at that point. A few minutes later I also caught up to Billy Barnett. Apparently, his AR 50 the weekend before had caught up to him and he had also run out of gas. I think he would have had a good shot of winning the race had he not raced the weekend before. He is so darn strong and has many, many wins ahead of him in the coming years so I won't feel too bad for him. With that, I was now in 3rd place and just kept chugging along, feeling incredibly slow and making my way to the finish.

wait, hold on, am I really bow legged? Photo by Glenn Tachiyama
It was nice to see the HS stadium and my only regret was that Scott finished about a minute behind me. Apparently, he had pepped up. If I had known he was so close I would have much rather finished with my Patagonia Teammate and shared 3rd place. My bad.....
All in all, it was a fun run. I ran the 55K in 4:04. My pace was definitely slower than last year but I just don't have the miles under my belt yet. I'm looking forward to gearing up training next month and getting in a little bit better of shape.

Kami, making it look easy. Photo by Tyson Semick-Pardue-Semick-Semick-Semick (sorry inside joke)
Sean puts on an amazing event. He always orders up amazing weather (mid 70's this year), a great venue, trails, and a kick ass BBQ afterwards. I'm proud of him for pulling it off because I've had him working a ton at Fleet Feet but he seemed to pull it off again and the event was better (and bigger than ever). If you haven't run this event, it is one of the premier races in the Northwest. Mellow, runnable course and great people.
Congrats to Dan Olmstead and Kami Semick for their hard earned victories.

Urban PR

2008-04-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I have a beautiful baby boy born and open a Fleet Feet store and my first post in a month is "urban PR". Well, this is my goof off, nerdy running site so, yes, that's the title. Everyone has "their" route. You know, its that run you do when you just have to get out of the house. You know every nook and cranny of the run; every hill, roller, and almost every tree. Mine is called the Awbrey loop and its a kick ass daily run. It is somewhere between 8-9 miles... I call it 8 because I'd always rather think I am going slower rather than thinking I'm faster than I really am. It starts with a 1/2 mile of roads and then dips onto the "first street rapids trail".. not really a trail but a wood chip path that is mostly flat but has a few quick grunt sections. At about 4.5 miles, I hit what is my version of "Green Gate" which is about 1/2 way time wise. I then back track close to a mile and hit the crux of the run. Its about a 750 foot climb through a drainage and dang if it isn't always tough no matter what shape I'm in. At the top (whew), I catch my breath and head over and through a park, get on another wood chip path that connects to another road. On the road for a bit, down, and onto a rough trail until I connect to another 3/4 mile of road that leads home.

Why the lengthy explanation of my daily run? Well, I've been doing this darn run for years and years.. probably 2 to 3 times per week. Its a tough daily run. When I first moved into my house, I think the loop used to take me about a 1 hr 10 min. Slowly, I edged the time down. I finally started breaking 1 hr 5 minutes two years ago, and last year in the prime of my training, I ran it once in 1:01.

Once I got close, I really wanted to break 1 hour. Last summer I thought I'd do it. I'd race it almost every time out. I was always happy with a time of under 1 hour and 5 minutes but was always thrilled with sub 63 minutes.

This summer I took a page out of youngsters Billy Barnett's book and have stopped using a hand held water bottle as much. I immediately noticed that my speed on routes improved. I started running the loop faster and faster and finally broke 61 minutes. So now, I knew it could be done.

But, today, I finally did it. 59 minutes and 58 seconds. It kicked my ass. It was funny though. As soon as I finished, I felt a little deflated. I've wanted this time for so long and now I got it. I'll never beat it by much more. Its funny to hit a little silly goal like that that you work so hard on breaking. I'm so glad I finally did it but do feel a little deflated.

Funny huh?

Anyway, I also had another beautiful, beautiful son, Noah. I also opened my second business; Fleet Feet Bend. www.fleetfeetbend.com. I'm exhausted but feel very blessed with my life and the people in it.

Okay, time to race (well, at least run) Peterson Ridge Rumble this weekend.

Big Aloha,

Rod B.

Small Kine bummed...

2008-03-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I certainly try to never get too bogged down or attached to material possessions. I think it was a Fugazi song that said, "you aren't what you own". However, what I do have tremendous attachment to is my online running log. For the last few years, I have religiously logged every run, time, and emotions that went along with the run. I used it ALL the time. I checked my times from previous routes, could look back at the weather from the year before, and could see how many miles I was getting from each pair of shoes.

However, as I logged on the other day, after not being able to sign on for several days, the webmaster said that the site had crashed and all the records were gone. I kind of let it roll off my back at first but the more I thought about it, the more bummed I got. I had driven routes for mileage, busted out my ruler to get mileage to the 1/4 mile on maps and had put a lot of care into that thing. I couldn't really bitch as the site was free but, well, I'm bummed!

The only good news was I was referred to a cool new site that is much more in depth and fancy than the one I used. But, its still hard for me to have lost all that hard work.... anyways...

in other news, the store is coming along great. I'm working my butt off on all angles but am really enjoying all of it... the building coming together, the ordering of product that I believe in, and reaching out to the community. I'm finding it all very fulfilling. I'll post some pics of the store over the next few days. However, I'm putting together a really stellar staff of great runners and people that I think will really mesh well. Anyways, just a mini update and bitch session. I hope everyone is happy and healthy.

Aloha,

Rod Bien

Sandwich artist

Hagg Mud?

2008-02-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

A good weekend! Sean and I had a great couple of days on Friday and Saturday. We've been spending so much time together that we have seemed to develop our own language and go back and forth like the odd couple (and we've been questioned about three times lately on whether we are gay or
Atta girl Darla, 5:01!

not).... "not that there's anything wrong with it".. Seinfeld!

Friday, we loaded up in the Eurovan, Ruby, and headed off to Portland to go see the Fall lines from Montrail and Nike for the Fleet Feet Bend store we are opening in April.

After that was all accomplished we headed over to the Mcmenamin's Grand Lodge for a night's rest. We searched and found Jon and Karen Gnass as well as Dan Harshburger for dinner. After that, I headed off to bed and Sean went solo to the movie.

It sure was nice to be able to sleep in a little bit for the leisurely 8 a.m. start, but of course, the Colonel had to be there super early to set up some shoes for his sponsor, Montrail.

At 8 a.m., we were off into morning! That first darn hill is always longer and steeper than I remember and I'm always huffing and puffing by the time I got to the top. But, it was fun to catch up with Stan Holman as he encouraged me to shoot for his course record since the mud was very manageable this year. I knew I wasn't in shape to do it but I would give it all I had... There were two young bucks ahead of us pushing the pace and I wondered who they were and if they were for real or not. Ah, not to worry, as I always say, I'll be ahead of those who run slower than me and behind those who are faster than me :)... not much I can do about my slowish DNA.... I was surprised that Neal Olsen wasn't around me and I wondered if he had decided to bag out on the event (wishful thinking).

I ran for a while with Stan which was fun as he pushed the pace and I just tried to hang on. After we hit the road though, he said he was going to peel off a bit. Since the Colonel wasn't catching me on the road, I figured his cold was really for real and he wasn't just sandbagging :) So, I just settled into a groove and tried to rope in the young bucks. It seemed I could start pulling them in and then they would look back and start dusting me again. See, that's the problem when you have no leg speed like me, you just have to hope they slow down! As I looked back I saw someone gaining on me on the road as we approached the first real aid station at mile 8. I had some reasonable tummy issues going on though so I ripped open the door to the porta potty to the shriek of a young lady....oops! So, back onto the trail and a jump in the bushes several minutes later (thank god for that soft moss). As I jumped back on the trail, that quick road guy caught me. I asked his name and he said, "Neal". Bummer, I thought.... he is way faster than me at this distance (as he was the winner last year)! So, he tucked in behind me and we ran the next few miles together and had some good conversations and time passed pretty quickly. However, when we hit the next aid station around mile 13, he flew out of there like a bat out of hell! I had no chance of responding and didn't see him again until the finish. The young bucks were holding me off at arm's length as well. As I would gain, they kept surging. Dang! Those youngsters were tough! I finally reeled in the first of them... a nice new transplant from Austin. He hung with me for a while and then faded back, moving me into third place.

I was trying to be good with nutrition but dinner was not sitting well with me and my stomach was sad with each GU I was chucking down every 1/2 hour. As we hit the start/finish area (mile 17), I had pretty much reeled in that last youngster but he had a lot of fight and I wasn't sure who was going to have more left on the last lap. It was good to get the encouragement of my new teamate on Patagonia Ultra Running team (and super fast dude), Scott Wolfe. He told me to just run smooth and relax. That was good to hear and I tried to do that except for another big ole storm that was brewing in the stomach. So, rather than pass and then be passed by the young buck (okay, his name is really Ruben Galbraith and seemed like a good guy), I pulled off into the bushes again for another fun "sit" in the leaves....

I felt better afterwards and set off to see if I could move into 2nd. I finally caught up to the young buck and surged by as I knew I did seem a bit quicker on the technical terrain than he did. I gapped him rather quickly but he never faded far away. I felt great for the next few miles until about mile 23. Man, then I just plain died. I'm not sure if I haven't gotten in enough long runs lately or if I am still somehow a bit fatigued from HURT 100 but I just felt as slow as a toad. I just made myself run every hill and give it all I had. I was reasonably sure I would be passed back but in each clearing, when I looked back, my lead over 3rd seemed about the same. I finally put on the ipod and hoped that would juice me a bit. Nope. It really was quite a struggle to the finish. My min/mile definitely slipped into the 8's and that felt really slow. But, what can you do, just battle on and try to be stubborn and not lose too much ground. Finally, I saw that 1 mile to go sign and life felt okay again. I stumbled and bumbled into the finish in 3:56, which was good for second.

Overall, I was pleased but not ecstatic on my performance. I lost a lot of time the last 1/4 of the race. Between that and my pit stops, I really felt I lost a good opportunity. Let me be clear that I had NO CHANCE of overtaking new course record holder Neal Olsen. But, I think I could have pulled off a time in the high 3:40's but that's how it goes! 31 miles is "ultra lite" but is still 31 miles and some stuff can happen.....

Anyway, the best part of these short ultras is catching up with all the regulars and we're not too beat up. I was definitely feeling the love from all the folks wearing their Fleet Feet Bend shirts!!! Thanks for the love!

My other favorite moments from the race:

Bendite Chris Askew running 4:33! Chris is really picking it up and becoming a solid runner!

Hanging out with Jon and Karen Gnass

Seeing how stoked ex-Bendite Ryan Ness was finishing his first 50K in stellar time... sub 4:30, wow!
Seeing Mr. Petersen (I know I can call him Steve but traditions are traditions)... I only am bummed that I didn't get to watch him open a beer with his teeth. After all these years, I am just as impressed with that as ever!
Seeing the Colonel get his 5 year buckle.... and as he says, he thinks he has the fastest five year average time in the field.... what do you say, Holman????
Also, props to Meissner for pulling in a 4th place finish despite not having his "A" game due to sickness.

Anyway, great seeing everyone and hope everyone gets a chance to check out our new digs at Fleet Feet when they come down for the rumble!

Mr Petersen and the Colonel have a chubby tummy contest.

Sadly, Ryan Ness and I discovered that
the Colonel took the cake... literally.

PART DEUX: The Bien and Colonel go head to head with Gert Boyle (CEO of Columbia!) I'll write it tomorrow... must get sleep!!! And, Tom, all I'm saying is.... that ain't right.

Aloha HURT, hello Mad Ass

2008-01-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

Time to move on.

But, first, I again wanted to say a big ole "mahalo" to my friends and family who came out and supported me at HURT. Whether it was coming out and seeing me on the course, sending me good thoughts or prayers during the race, or just seeing when I'd blow up on that darn course.... thanks for being there.

I wasn't sure how I would feel when looking back at my race. But, I really woke up with no regrets and no soreness which was nice. I got to go for a run on the beach I grew up on, Kailua Beach, and just soak it all in. So, what did I learn from all

this? Well, I learned that it is okay to bow out o

Fueling up before puking it all out with my brother

of a situation that is just not going to be fun. Whether I was in second or fiftieth, it didn't matter... I just didn't have the desire to be on the course in those conditions. I also realized that I need to be more "fired up" before a race. I won't deny it, I dreaded going out to HURT. I never was wanting it bad. Big John said he could tell in my eyes that I wasn't up for it and in truth, I wasn't. So, I'll take the win in the 100K and walk away with my tail between my legs.

Favorite moments? Well, as usual, I'm always floored by how cool the people are in this sport. I got to spend some time with Mark Gilligan, Suzanne Bon, Jeffrey Rogers (Sam), etc. Just quality folks.

Anyway, on Friday I hemmed and hawed about whether I should run a 50K fat ass called the "Mad Ass" out here in Central Oregon. I finally decided I'd give it a go even though I knew I'd be pathetic after running HURT the week before. It ended up being pretty fun, though I'll admit, I've been on more scenic courses. Mostly dirt roads, pretty flat with some winding uphills in the foothills of Madras, Oregon. I got to run a good chunk of the day with Sean Meissner and Jenn Shelton. I felt pretty pathetic but was able to stay with them and not get dropped.....

I was pretty much done when we hit the finish together in 4:12 (I think) and were the first ones in. There was a great food spread put out by Stan and Maura. It was great to catch up with the normal ultra geeks of Central Oregon and to toss back a home brew made by Maura before heading home to take my wife and kids to the pool. All in all, a good day!

Thanks again for all who gave me support after HURT. The ego is intact as ever and I'm looking forward to the next adventure.

Big aloha.

DNF

2008-01-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been doing these for about 8 years and I finally got my big black asterisk next to a race. After 67 miles at HURT, I said "no mas". I'm too sore to sleep at the moment and its a bit fresh to get into the nitty gritty but I'll at least give out my thought process. I was in 2nd place virtually all day and really I thought I would catch #1 and win the race. However, on lap #3 the rain just started dumping (yes, it was dumping on everyone in the race!). The trails became streams and my feet simply got thrashed. On top of that, the stomach was tweaking and really it just came down to the fact that I was not having one ounce of fun. I had SO much fricking support out there. Friends; Corey Kincaid, his fiance, Josh Cole, Jamie Gifford, my brother Adam and his wife Domi. I had a lot at stake in terms of the time and money it took to get out here, leaving my family, etc, but I just did not want to run the last 33 miles on underwater, crazily muddy trails, feeling like crap. I just simply did not have it in me today. I give crazy "props" to the people who are out there right now sticking it out. It will be the craziest conditions that have ever been at HURT. Its an amazingly hard and great race. However, 67 was just plain enough for me today. I feel like I let Team HURT down (they have done so much for me) as well as everyone who came out and supported me, both online and in person. But, again, it just came down to personal happiness for me on this day and my feet and my head were just not up to the crazy conditions that were out there. I'll write more later but I thought I'd post something right now just so it was out there.

Unbelievably, even though I did the 67, I think I still have the winning time for the 100K. Yippee. Not.

Get ready to HURT again!!!

2008-01-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm hijacking Rod's blog to post my race report from the LAST time he ran HURT. Remember that? The time he said he was NEVER EVER doing this race again? Two years ago?

I'm hoping that reading the report from last time will remind Rod to start slow.

Rod doesn't have everything going for him this time around. He has a cold (thank you, kids) and his training has been of the 60 m per week, 4 day per week in snow variety instead of the 100m per week that he logged before Western. But he is the only runner who DOES now have a bench on the course in his dad's honor. And the course is a loop. So he'll get to see it five times. Not many runners there can claim a source of inspiration like that.

Run strong. Run safe. Run smart.

End up in the hospital and you can hang up your 100 mile shoes. :)

just kidding - sort of.

xoxo
Katie

2006 Race Report Hurt 100 Mile Race (long) - crew perspective

Thought I’d update those of you who are curious about Rod’s race this past weekend. He ran in the Hurt 100 mile race in Manoa, Hawaii, on the Tantalus trail, one of the toughest 100 mile races out there with 25000 feet of elevation gain and loss (the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest from sea level) spread out over 5 20 mile loops in which you climb and descend the ridgeline 3 times per lap. Typically, 80% of participants do not complete the 100 miles – only 4 women over the previous 5 years had completed the course. Rod’s dad, Kent Bien, had paced on this course and was good friends with many of the people involved with the race. It is the only race that he had told Rod he really wanted him to run.

Race day started with the race director, John Salmonson, saying a few words about Kent to the 100 runners: that Kent was such an unassuming looking guy, you would never guess that he was a Navy Seal, that he could climb a ridgeline faster than anyone he knew and that he was one of the toughest men he had ever met.

That was definitely good inspiration for Rod as he started the day.

EVERYONE told Rod to go slow at the beginning. So I was happy when I saw Rod after the first lap (mile 20) – he was in 30th place and looked very comfortable. Said he was actually enjoying the course. (That’s the last time I heard him say that.) Before he started, Rod knew there were about 10-12 runners who could beat him so he was not trying to run this competitively as much as he really wanted to finish the race, a huge task, obviously. At this aid station, he ate a chicken musubi, a Hawaiian snack that we were carrying around for him in coolers. Although, he didn't need to plan ahead so much. The aid stations were completely stocked with everything you could think of from scrambled eggs, to vegetarian chili to sushi to hot dogs, sandwiches, etc. And the really nice part of a loop course was that each aid station was full of volunteers and spectators at all hours of the day and night.

At the end of lap two (mile 40), Rod still looked good but definitely had some wear and tear. He quietly told me that he was going to finish but it was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done. Other runners looked worse for the wear and were slowing down. Rod had moved into 14th place but his legs were definitely hurting.

In the middle of lap three (mile 47, less than halfway, already 6PM, 12 hours after the race start), Rod looked a little worse and was definitely getting a little sick. He was asking for chicken broth: a sign that he had stopped taking his salt pills as regularly as he should have been. His friend Jeff Borne started pacing him here.

End of lap three, (mile 60) 10pm, Rod switched pacers and Curt Ringstadt started pacing him. He was exactly on target for his goal with this race, which was to break 30 hours, something that only 2 runners accomplished last year. But he had to do the next two laps in less than 7 hours each to accomplish that.

Curt helped him through this lap, which was definitely the hardest of the race. Partway through this lap (mile 67), trouble hit. Rod started throwing up. He was now in 7th place but he saw Adam and told him he wanted to quit. He says he genuinely did. This is a really tempting place to quit because from this point on, you can drop out of the race and be credited with a 100k (62 mile) finish. So you don’t feel like it was all for nothing. But Adam and Curt were there to keep him on course.

At the next aid station (mile 72) I saw him and he was feeling much better. He looked fantastic and coherent - quite a bit better than the other runners that I saw coming through. (I helped a runner in front of Rod into a chair where he didn’t get up for the next several hours, moving Rod into 6th place.) Rod was still wanting chicken broth, so he was probably still low on salt.

End of lap 4, (mile 80), he was on a lower swing. It had taken him 7:40 to finish that lap, much longer than he planned. He was now on track to finish in 31:30 hours (around 1:30 pm) if his last lap was the same and it seemed impossible to make the 20 mile loop one more time. It was now about 5:40 in the morning.

Akabill then started pacing him. At the next aid station (87 miles), the sun had come up and Rod had pepped up a bit. He looked better and was focused on finishing. He was in 5th place.

At the last aid station (92 miles), Rod looked exhausted but happy. He was going to finish. He had until 6pm to finish the race and it was 9:40 am. The next runner ahead of him had passed through more than 30 minutes before and the runners right behind him had dropped so he could feel pretty secure with a 5th place finish. I expected this last leg to take about 3 hours. I told him that if he pushed like hell, he could finish in less than 30 hours but he would have to push hard and run whenever he could. He had 2 hours and 20 minutes to finish in 30 hours. The winner of the race (Karl Melzer, one of the best ultra runners out there that we know of) had run this last leg in 2 hours and 10 minutes so I was not optimistic. Rod said he did not want to try to break 30 hours. He really didn’t care. He just wanted to finish the race in one piece. Akabill turned to me and said “he’ll break 30 hours. I’ll take care of it.”

I expected him in sometime between noon and 1:40 (noon or sooner would be thirty hours). So I told Adam, Domi, Curt, Barb, Lucy, Jeff and family to come just before noon just in case he pulled out a miracle…. Most people coming through at this point were finishing their 4th lap and were hobbling in. I got there early and sat letting Ava and Fisher play, talking to people, when I saw someone RUNNING to the finish at 11:20. Wearing a Pandora’s Backpack shirt. I thought what a crazy coincidence it was that someone else was wearing that shirt. Then, obviously, I clued in and realized that Rod had somehow found it in him to run like greased lightening. It had taken him 1:45 for the last leg and he was finishing the course in 29:25. Third place man, 4th overall. I was so surprised, as was everyone else that no one cheered, no one took pictures and none of his friends were there…

Fortunately, that didn’t bother him much. He was very, very happy.

Last night, we went to a dinner for the entire race where they honored Kent again. And the race director told us that he will help us establish a plaque or a bench for Kent on the course in his honor. Kent would be so proud.

Good job, Rod!

A'ole Makou E Ho' ohikiwale Kela!

2007-12-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

The title from the post is the theme for the HURT 100 Mile Endurance Run. In haole terms (white guys), it means, "we wouldn't want it to be easy". In my opinion, HURT 100 miler is the 2nd toughest "mainstream" race behind Hardrock. You do not have nearly as much climbing at HURT as you do at Hardrock and you don't have to worry a lick about altitude. However, it also has some elements that are tougher than Hardrock. 1st, it is 5 loops. Sure, you get to see the course and know what is coming.... which is an advantage. However, you also have to keep running the same really freaking hard loop over and over. Loop 4 is just brutal. You have 60 miles under your belt and you know you have not just one more loop but two in front of you. It is very easy to say, "screw it" and run the 100K mile option. "Kissing your sister" is what they affectionately call it. That mud and the roots can make anyone see birdies circling over their head!

Secondly, and I say this since I grew up in Hawaii, HURT is not the most scenic course out there. When I was in High School and College, I was constantly hiking with my dad all over O'ahu. One place we never went was the trails of Makiki. Not many views, a stifling jungle, and just not the most fun place to hike! So, you have to keep yourself focused and try not to focus on the tricks your mind is playing on you. I for one, felt like a gerbil there my first time.

Lastly, and to me the absolute hardest part is getting your training in during the harshest part of the winter. This is where I have had problems. I have had a real hard time getting my mileage out of the 6o mpw range. Its just tough.... cold, icy, snowing, and I own a retail store. So, training in December isn't that fun when I'm working a ton, its cold, and making sure I have lots of time for the family. Man, it is really tough.

Last week seemed like a particularly tough spot. First of all, I have been stressed that my Adidas Trail Supernova shoes are just not "enough shoe" for HURT. So, I had Sean Meissner order me a pair of Continental Divide shoes. They just seemed like they would have some more support and better tread for that beast of a course. I decided to do a night run with a guy named Paul Saladino. We ran together for a while in the TNF challenge in San Francisco but this was our first time training together. We decided to do a 18 mile loop out at Horse Ridge. It was only my second time wearing the Continental Divide shoes and first on a "hilly" run. After a few miles of going up, I noticed my heel was really bothering me. I stopped, tightened my shoes, and started again. By the time I was at the high point of the run, it was pretty unbearable. To make it worse, the batteries in my headlamp had burned out and I was pretty much in the dark relying on Paul's light. My leg was hurting more and more but I wasn't sure if it was really bad or if I was just being a puss as Paul pulled away from me on the last climb..... However, when I got back to the Eurovan and took off my shoe..... it wasn't pretty.

This picture is taken 4 days after I got the blister!!!!

Anyway, I survived the run. The next day I thought I would do a nice 15 miler out at Phil's Trail. However, after 4 miles of running, I spent the next 3.5 miles hiking in snow up past my knees..... about 20 minute miles... uh, real fun. Okay, you get it, its just not coming easy right now. Its not just throwing on the shoes and heading to the mountains. The mountains are covered in snow and my options are either flat runs or getting in the car for 45 minutes. Yeah, "they wouldn't want it to be easy is right".

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting a few more tough runs in and then just going for it. Its all I can do.....

Anyway, hope everyone else is having more fun eating and getting ready for some fat ass runs. Anyone want to kiss my boo boo?

Holiday Blessings...

2007-12-16T16:19:00.005-08:00

The Holiday season is crazy and this one seems even more so. Busy, busy. Buying presents, squeezing in runs, working (yeah, gotta do that this time of year), and just plain trying to keep it all together. However, sometimes I just have to take a deep breath and realize what I have. My family and health are really all the mean anything. We had a slight medical scare with one of our kids last week and sometimes maybe that is a blessing. You realize all the other stuff; money, racing, your possesions all just don't mean anything without your family.

So, I hope everyone out there has a wonderful holiday season and don't lose sight of the big picture; just how much your family and friends mean to you. That's all that really matters.

Me and Katie(baby #3 under the dress.) at the Husband's Ball

Right before Breakfast with Santa

I think its a prerequisite for kids to have this smile at age 5

Check out Ms. Claus. Oh wait, my wife's just 6 months pregnant

Anyway, Happy Holidays. Have fun. Run hard.

I ran 50 miles and all I got was a sprained ankle...

2007-12-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Last year, upon finishing Miwok 100K in 8:43, I knew that it was the best race I had ever put together. I was fit, I had dialed my nutrition in, and I was ready to race. In the long races (at least for me), perfect days are hard to come by. Even in the late stages of that race, I never truly struggled. After I finished, I realized I was done with that course. It’s a great race and a great course but it was my 4th time on it and it was time to do something new.

However, after deciding I was going to run HURT 100 miler in January, I felt like I needed at least one 50 miler as a tune up for that beast of a race. A lot of races aren’t offered this time of year and the ones that are pretty much 50K’s. Finally I stumbled on The North Face Series. It was kind of cheesy. There were 4 races across the country and the winner of each won $1000 and an invitation to come to the “championship” race in Marin, along many of the same trails as Miwok. It seemed like a good opportunity to race a hilly 50-mile race (10,500 in elevation gain). The other interesting draw was that the race was offering a $10,000 purse to the winner with nothing going to second place. Crazy! This race therefore, brought forth a very impressive field. I’d go as far to say as that I’ve never seen such a “top heavy” participant list in my life. My guess is that about 100 people started and I would guess that at least 20 people in the race have won some type of ultra in their career.

The North Face did a little press release that announced the Top 10 “contenders” of each race, both men and women’s. Easily the most highly regarded speedsters were here which included Uli Steidl (2:12ish marathoner who has NEVER not won an ultra he was in) and legendary Matt Carpenter (winner of Pikes Peak Ascent, Marathon, tons of course records including Leadville 100 miler). I was slightly disheartened to see that I hadn’t made the list but again, who cares, the proving ground will be on the course. I really thought it would be a struggle for me to make the top 10 as my mileage is pathetic (about 60 miles per week) and I was injured for a month and a half. I had really only been running again for about a month and a half. I was admittedly in “winter shape”. I told myself just to treat this as a training run but it’s hard to strap on the number (as Craig T says), run with great runners, and just finish. Lots of people can do it and I do NEED to learn to do that but its tough…

I flew into the race on Friday evening and arrived and drove to the hostel in Marin at about 8:00. There were lots of good runners in the event and 3 other solid runners just from Bend! Jenn Shelton, Billy, (who actually decided not to run), and Paul Saladino (who had recently won the Haulin Aspen Marathon) and has showed some great leg speed. I knew that VERY easily I could become in 4th place just out of the Bend crowd.
Anyway, the night of the hostel was fine as we talked about the race, prepared for the morning, and got into our bunks! I felt like I was in 4th grade again or something with our group living.

After some initial trouble falling asleep, I awoke at 3:30 (darn race started at 5:00 a.m.), downed the pre-race PB&J and Pop tart and changed into my clothes. As usual, on the morning of the race I felt fat, unfit, and crazily tired. I was also semi-worried as I wasn’t sure quite where the race was supposed to start. But, as we walked out the front door, the race was right down on the front lawn… a nice perk!

The scene kind of cracked me up. Very The North Face (I say this fondly as I worked for them for 6 years). A huge production… tents, trailers, sponsors’ tents, DJ’s, and not that many runners. The race definitely had a different flavor to it. Maybe because it is brand new and very grand and shiny. But, it did not have at all the family feel that I have come to expect at Ultra races. Whatever.

At 5:00, we were off. I ran with Bend runner Paul Saldino. We probably hovered around 10-12th place or so and it felt like we were going really friggin’ fast. It was also VERY dark and VERY cold for the Bay area. Lots of frost and I was having a real hard time warming up. I felt stiff and clumsy. We started noticing immediately a major early problem.. the course markings. First, they were white, as was the frost, and they were very infrequent. We were second-guessing ourselves from the start and I ran into dead ends 2-3 times in the first 8 miles. Very frustrating. I was glad that I had been on the Miwok course so much and knew a lot of the trails in the early going. We started passing a few people, a few of which I knew; Guillermo Medina and Joe Kulak are ones that stick in my mind. At the second aid station, Paul stayed, maybe to go to the bathroom and I ran pretty much right through. I started running with a young buck named Taylor Neal. 21 year old, great form, and runner for Boise State. I knew he had some pedigree from his form. He told me he had recently run a 2:42 marathon but this was his first ultra. I kind of thought he might blow up later but seemed like a good companion for the early going and he seemed to enjoy my pacing so he tagged along. There were some nice stretches along the coast where you could see quite a while behind and I commented that we had really gapped the people behind us, as there were no lights for a while. So, we got into the groove and tried to avoid falling as we ran along the steep ups and downs on the cliffs above Muir Beach. As we hit the beach, we finally no longer needed our lights but there was no place to drop them for another 7 or 8 miles. Bummer. I will note that there had already been a LOT of sketchy course markings. Quick turns with one or two ribbons, it was dark, etc. Just a note for things to come!

After Muir Beach, Taylor and I cruised the easy trails and headed towards the flanks of MT Tamalpais. I knew this climb really well as I have done it numerous times for Miwok and I have always thought this is one of the cruxes of the race. I try not to walk a step of this climb and I was successful in doing that again. About half way up, Taylor said he was going to stop and take a GU. I kept going and that was really the last I saw of him until the turnaround. As I neared the top, I noticed I was reeling someone in. I was pretty sure it was The North Face runner Sam Thompson and I thought, wow, he’s really been moving! I hit the aid station and saw someone leaving. It then occurred to me that who I thought was Sam, was Paul, who I had passed about 8 miles ago and knew I had gapped. I called out to him, “hey, when did you pass me?!”. He didn’t break stride and said he didn’t know. For some reason, that bugged me a little that he didn’t stop to talk to me and that put a fire under my ass to go catch him. I ran down the Steep Ravine trail with purpose and finally caught him. He asked if I had gone to the bathroom. I said no and that I knew I had been on the correct trail the entire time. He said he didn’t know what to do—I didn’t either but I wasn’t stoked with the situation. I pulled away quickly and ran my ass fast down the trail towards Stinson Beach.

Down at Stinson Beach (mile 20), my best friend Steve was waiting for me. Steve kicked ass at Quad Dipsea last week (4:43), which was his first ultra since Western States 02’, where he is the guy that you now read about in your WS guide, about the person who had hyponatremia, blacked out, and had convulsions! He had a busy morning but came out to run with me for 9 miles.

As soon as he picked me up, we noticed some of the worst course markings on the course. The route sent you down a road (no markings) and then you were supposed to go behind a firehouse (no markings) and finally get on the Matt Davis trail. There is no question that I would have gotten lost except that Steve knew right where the trail was. We agreed that almost everyone was going to get lost at this point until they fixed it. Once on the Matt Davis trail, I was having a good time. It’s a nice 1,600 foot climb, great grade, and cool scenery. We soon got on the trail of Lizzy Hawker. She is the 100K World Champion and came over from the U.K. for the $10,000 mile purse. Wow, she is a great runner. Talking to Nikki Kimball after (who paced her) who said that there is no way any woman was going to beat her (Lizzy) on this course, as it is very runnable. I believe it! After we passed her, she stayed on our heels and we couldn’t seem to shake her. We climbed up to the Coastal trail again (my least favorite part of course) for essentially the same out and back as you do at Miwok, except shorter. On our way to the turnaround, we found that Matt Carpenter, Uli Steidl, and William Emerson were all within seconds of each other (and about 20 minutes ahead of me!!). I also noticed at the turnaround that I was in sixth place…. About 2 places higher than I knew I should be. Hal Koerner, who had a 7-minute lead on me at Stinson, was nowhere to be seen. I knew exactly where he had been, running on the streets, looking around the fire station!! Also, I noticed that Phil Kochick, who was also ahead of me, was not around… though I ulitimately heard he was in the bushes (tummy issues) and not lost. Within a few minutes, I bumped into Hal on the way out. I told him that I was sorry… He was in good spirits as always and flashed his Cheshire grin and was off running. That was motivation for me to get my butt moving, as I knew he’d want to catch back up to me. Unfortunately, he later dropped, as did Phil Kochick.

At 29 miles, I dropped Steve off and Lizzy and pacer Nikki Kimball passed me and Steve yelled, “there’s your new pacer!” So, I followed Nikki and Lizzy into a fun technical descent. I eventually passed them and tried to pick up the pace when “pop” my leg landed on my side of my foot. I’ve never had a sprained ankle until then but I was sure of what it was immediately. I hopped around for several seconds; while they passed me again until determining I could still run on it, although it became more and more sore (and huge) throughout the day. I didn’t know what to think but I could feel the pain and decided to pop some Advil and hope for the best… it worked fine for the short term.

I then followed, then led, and then followed Nikki and Lizzy down a steep descent and up another climb. Things were going fairly smoothly until we hit yet another, really poorly marked junction. We ran up the trail 50 yards at a horribly marked junction. Nope, then headed down the trail about 1/8 of a mile but very steep (dipsea trail.) When we got there we hit the road and no markings! We were all freaking out a little bit and I felt horrible for Lizzy who had $10,000 at stake! Nikki ran frantically around looking for markers but could find nothing. We finally decided to head up the trail again. Once we got there, we hit a bunch of 50K runners we had passed several miles back.

One of the 50K women said she lived in the area and that we were supposed to head down the trail and then take the road for a mile or so. It didn’t seem right but she said she was sure so we followed. We got unbelievably lucky with this one as there was not ONE marker heading down the trail or on the road. Eventually the road intersected another trail where there was a race volunteer. We informed him of the problem and apparently it did get fixed for those behind us.
However, after that little drama, I just felt a bit deflated. Maybe it was the big surge of adrenaline and then knowing I still had another 18 miles to go or so. But, I felt my pace really slack off and watched as Lizzy and Nikki pulled away from me. The next 10 miles really became a struggle (as I sometimes do in the 30’s). I wasn’t real motivated and I guess got caught a little unprepared at the difficulty of the trails at this point of the race. The trails were steep and exposed and much tougher than Miwok, with its rolling fire roads. I did manage to pass William Emerson who was struggling after running with the big boys for the first 25 miles. As always, he was positive and gave me a lot of encouragement when I went past. Ronald Stowers passed me on one of the climbs as he ran by and as I staggered around inefficiently.

Finally, as happens, I just seemed to snap out of my funk and got running again. Maybe I could smell the barn but I had lost a ton of ground towards Ronald Stowers and Lizzy. But, I began running the hills again and Coke in the system from the aid station seemed to be doing its thing, so I went with it. Around mile 43, I reeled in Lizzy at the aid station but she quickly pulled away from me on the hill (again). But, I was getting stronger and could definitely sense a finishing beer and that sounded darn good. The last couple hills were similar to the Miwok course and helped me know what I still had in front of me. Again, I caught Lizzy at the last aid station and just ran through it as she stayed. The last 4 miles were all down hill and I was sure she would stay behind me. I ran the last downhill well and the road to the finish was manageable as well. I crossed the finish line in 5th place (1st Uli, 2nd Matt Carpenter, 3rd Leigh Schmidt, 4th Ronald Stowers), and ended up being pretty close on the heels of #4 and #3.
Looking back, it was an all right race. Not an “A” race, as I wasn’t in “A” shape. Probably not a great thing since I’m running a 100 miler in a little over a month. :0 But, everyone has problems this time of year so whatever. It was a good, tough course. Quite a bit tougher than Miwok and definitely more technical. The course markings were just plain bad and TNF needs to improve that if they want to continue to have the race.

It was a funny vibe after the race. Once again, very The North Face. Lots of tents, DJ’s, announcer for the event, etc. It was a scene much more fitting for a marathon and not a first year ultra. But, they forked out $10,000 each for the men and women’s winner, which was cool to see for the sport. With a little tweaking, they could earn some market share.
Post race it was great to see my best friend, Steve and his kids, Calla and Logan. Also, my sister-in-Law Hope, her husband, Matt, and kids Gray and Ryan were there too. I only wish I could have spent more time with all of them as I had the usual post race, “I’m thrashed” mentality and couldn’t focus really well.

All in all, a good event. Would I do it again? I don’t know. Right now I need to nurse a sprained ankle back to health and get back on the trails to get ready for HURT.

Good job to everyone who went for it out there.

Big Aloha,
Rod

Bring on Fleet Feet!!!

2007-11-29T13:19:00.002-08:00

Well, we just closed on the building that we have bought for our new store-- Fleet Feet Bend! Man, it was a lot of work just to get to this point. I am pretty conservative with money so this was a big stretch for us. But, the idea of spending $70,000 a year towards someone ELSE'S mortgage was a bit too much to swallow. Now, I know, it doesn't look like much now.... but we are going to basically gut, expand, and make this look very retail. We have a great location and I have Sean Meissner, one of my best friends, running the store with me. He is an accomplished runner, trustworthy, and knows a ton about the in's and out's of running, etc. I can't wait to work with him on it!

Other than that, I am getting excited to head to San Francisco tomorrow to run in the North Face challenge. I really am using this as a training run for HURT 100 Miler which I will really try and bring my "A" game to. It will be tough to lay back a little and watch the race take place in front of me (well not counting Carpenter and Uli) who will be way, way ahead no matter what I tried to do!

From there, it is off to North Carolina for a few days of training with Fleet Feet. Not looking forward to leaving the family but I'm excited to really get moving with training and getting ready to fit feet!

Blog Away!

2007-11-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I had to sign up for a blog account for our new Patagonia Ultra Running Team's blog. So, even though I'm about the most computer illiterate person out there, I thought I'd try and make my own. While, it is not breaking any new ground in the blogger world, I was happy with how easy it was to set one up. I've always been very diligent about using my online training log for tracking my miles on the trails. I'm hoping this will make me use my camera more and document the crazy year I have coming up which entails: a third child, starting a second business, and trying to run 50 and 100 mile distances faster and faster! Anyway, I think I'll be pretty good on using this consistently so....."bookmark me" and come by and visit and comment anytime! I'll be heading down to Marin this weekend to race The North Face 50 miler and will try and post my report after the race. Tune in, fellow bloggers!!!!