Chiloé Island

We went to the town of Castro on Chiloé Island via bus and ferry. This is the second largest island in Chile and is home to a penguin colony and one of the worlds few temperate rain forests. Castro is the capitol of the Island, but still seems fairly quaint and touristy.


It definitely has the feel of a small fishing town especially down by the water where there are many seafood restaurants. We tried the local specialty called curanto which seemed to be basically just a bunch of different shellfish mixed in a bowl with some odd spongy dumpling like things that none of us were able to figure out.


The Island is famous for some of its small wooden churches which date back to the early Jesuit settlers. Unfortunately, we were unable to find many in Castro which is dominated by one very large church in the middle of the town square.


Once you have seen the town square, the houses on stilts down by the water and the district of town that seemed to be littered with drunken fishermen (it was Saturday and they need to get their weekend drinking in before before Church on Sunday), there isn't much else to do there. We did discover this very funky coffee shop/lounge that seemed like it would be more at home in San Francisco or London than a fishing Island off the coast of Chile.


The owner played this really cool mellow techno/house music that he mixed himself, brewed up real coffee (no nescafe!) and served homemade brownies. At night the music turned a little more upbeat and the drinks to Pisco Sours. It would be a really great club except for the fact that our group of northern hemisphere tourists seemed to be the only ones frequenting it.


We had hoped to go to the rain forest the next day, but it being Sunday and early in the season we were unable to find transport. Instead we visited the town of Ancud where some folks went to the penguin colony and the rest of us just hung out in town for a few hours. We then headed back for another night in Puerto Montt before preparing for our boat trip on the Navimag. Apparently, there was a concert to raise money for disabled children going on right outside my hotel window.


We stopped by for a little bit after dinner, but I think I was able to hear better from my hotel room. Unfortunately, this meant that I wasn't going to get a great night's sleep especially since they did the stage tear down at around 1am that night. Ah well...all part of the experience.

Next stop, Navimag!

Quick trip update

Here´s the breif view of the trip so far. Arrived in Buenos Aires and spent a day there before heading to San Martin de Los Andes. This was a cute little Alpinesque town. Got to know the group which was mostly composed of Brits. There is also one other American from Seattle, a German woman, a displaced and soon to be replaced Aussie living in London and a Swiss couple. All in all a great bunch.

In San Martin we took a day trip and hiked a Volcano. Here is the group early on in the hike.


The guy to my right is Robin, a 2:45 marathoner who pushed the front of the group with me and then we ran it down. We did stick around a bit before the run to enjoy the view, of course.


After San Martin, we headed to San Carlos de Bariloche. This was a much bigger town with lots more to do and lots more chocolate shops and steak restaurants. The Argentinians love their beef and I have eaten more in the past few days then I have in the past few months. At Bariloche, the group all split up and people did separate excursions according to their interests. Robin and I decided to do a hike that would allow us to put our runners fitness to good use. Before the hike, I ran with him in the morning where he had a nice easy run which gave me a really good tempo run. I paid him back on the trail by pushing it up the mountain. We hiked at the Catedral ski area up to the Frey Refuge. It is usually an 8 hour hike, but we knocked it off in less than 4 1/2. I think that it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.


After Bariloche we took a combination of 4 buses and 3 ferrys to cross the lakes and peeks of the Andes to go from Argentina into Chile.


The lakes were quite amazing and varied both in size and features. From small lakes such as the second one that took only 20 minutes to cross, to the final that took almost two hours and is bordered by three different volcanoes.




After the Cruce de Lagos, we drove to Peurto Montt with a short stop at an amazing waterfall along the way. You can see, I am already starting to sport my "Mountain Man" scrub.


Puerto Montt is a big city without really much exciting except the Port. Tonight we are on Chiloe Island which is a very cute little island resort area off the coast. We may head to the National Parque which is a "mild" rain forest before heading back to Puerto Montt. From Puerto Montt we will catch the Navimag cruise south through the fjords and down to Puerto Natales. From there it is on to Torres del Paine!!!

Feliz Thanksgiving

A short message from Patagonia (San Carlos de Bariloche to be specific). Below is an image of the place I hiked to this afternoon. It is called Frey Refuge. It doesn't even begin to capture the full beauty of the place, but you get the idea.

I hope your Thanksgiving was equally as inspiring!!!

Patagonia

A little over a year ago, my wife and I

attended our friends' wedding

in Ireland

My work was pretty much hell during that time
and I had to rush back home soon after.

Zane went on to take a little solo holiday, visiting Norway and Sweden.


We discussed that this year it was my turn to take a solo vacation. After considering various options, I decided that I'm going to Patagonia.
.

In order to take best advantage of the time (and not have to do much planning myself), I am going with an adventure tour company called Gap Adventures. They put together packages of "loosely guided" tours for small groups (4-12) that are targeted at active people.

There is a set itinerary

that includes some pre-planned excursions, but plenty of time to do your own thing if that's what you want. The particular trip I am taking is called Wild Patagonia and includes time in the Lake District, a 3-day boat cruise through the Fjords, 5 days of hiking in the Paine National Park and a visit to the Moreno Glacier. It starts and ends in Buenos Aires, Argentina so I will get to check out the city as well. It is mainly a sight-seeing and hiking trip, but I imagine I may sneak in a run or two. It will be three full weeks which is the longest vacation I have ever taken. I leave tomorrow morning and plan to take LOTS of pictures to post here when I return in my full-on "Mountain Man Steve" persona.

Of doctors and speed work

Finally went to see the podiatrist about my feets. Being very familiar with runners, I believe he has seen thousands of people with problems similar to mine. Since I am actually still able to run at all, he immediately ruled out injections. After looking at my feet, shoes and current inserts he recommended that I try a different "over the counter" insert before deciding on custom orthotics which can run around $400. He recommended the Superfeet (green) which are supposed to be pretty good about supporting the heel. Apparently, the ones I was using may be a bit stiff and there are sometimes issues with the ones that mold to your feet like this. I was told that a problem with them is that if you don't properly position your foot when they are cooling and molding, they can actually form in a way that will exasperate the problem rather than help. Also, they will mainly mold to the arch area which isn't always what is needed and be too much for people with medium to low arches. The Superfeet focus more on supporting the heel and area behind the arch rather than adding more arch to what your selected shoe provides. Also, the doctor recommended I try a different trail shoe. I'm going to try the Asics GelTrabucco IX and see how that feels. Brooks has a new trail version of my favorite Adrenaline shoe, but it is pretty difficult to find right now. Shoe fetish aside, the doctor also recommended I try using inserts in my soccer cleats as well. He said that sports like soccer and tennis with their side-to-side motion can be much tougher on the feet than the simple forward motion of running (of course, he hasn't seen me pound down a piece of technical single track trail :-)).

I've tried the new inserts on a couple of runs and they seem pretty good so far. Definitely feel good while running and I don't have that feeling of breaking in brand new shoes that I did with my other inserts. Both runs have been under an hour with the first a little over 6 miles and the second this morning doing a bit over 5. This mornings run was a sort of "simple speed work session" that I have started recently. Once a week, on a morning where I have limited time, I am incorporating around 8-9 pickups of 1 minute into a 5.3 mile run. I try to make the pace somewhat intense to the point that it is difficult to hold it for the last couple.

The basic routine is as follows:

• 15 minute warmup
• 2 x 1 min. pickups with 2 min. jogs after
• 3 x 1 min. pickups with 1.5 min jogs after
• 3-4 x 1 min. pickups with 1 min. jogs between
• a little under a mile cool down

Not super scientific, but good enough to give a nice buzz. I never find speedwork "fun" while I'm doing it and, in fact, it is the antitheses of everything I enjoy about my long runs. However, nothing compares to the intensity of the buzz that I get when it's over. Once I start serious training again I am going to try and keep weekly speedwork as a part of the program. Maybe build up to where I can push 10 x 1 min. pickups and then start lengthening the pickups and the overall distance of the sessions. We'll see when the time comes, perhaps in December. Next week is the start of vacation time and if I do get any running in amongst hiking in the Andes, boating through the fjords and exploring lakes and small villages, it will all be about fun.

2 Miles in 25 minutes

While this pace is really only around a minute/mile slower than my Mission Peak run last night, the problem is that I wasn't running, I was sitting behind the wheel of a car going north on 880 in rush hour traffic. Yesterday, I enjoyed some of the best of the bay, today, the worst. Ah well, I will run tomorrow.

Moonrise, Sunset

Well, I couldn't take it any longer. I had to get out on a "real" trail and return to the hills. I ran Mission Peak on a very beautiful Sunday evening. In fact, it was much warmer than I expected and my extra clothing (and the extra weight I've put on) were definitely felt going up the face. However, it was all worth it after running around the backside on my very favorite piece of trail. The Ridge Trail between Mission and Monument Peaks is about as isolated as one can feel so close to civilization. Running the section below Mt. Allison the view is all hills to the east and the only sound one hears is the occasional airplane overhead. You would never know that the sites and sounds of the greater Bay Area lurk just the other side of the peak. Also, the trail in this section is very runnable with a nice grade both downhill and up. I ran to just beyond the big TV tower below Monument and around to the front to enjoy the other view before turning back. By this time it was dusk and the run back was nice and cool. As I approached the ridge again running towards mission peak I looked back to the east to see a HUGE, full, harvest moon rising above the hills. Then minutes later as I crested the ridge, I was able to enjoy the sun setting in the west. I went up and over the peak on the return extending my view of both moon-rise and sunset.

The run back down was uneventful, but pretty dark. My feet did hurt a bit, but not too badly and I gave them immediate attention after returning home. The total time was a little less than 2 1/4 hours so I will call this my first successful long run since the 50 (my last one put me out for an entire week). Now I just have to keep myself from getting overzealous.

Very Little

That's how much I have been running lately. I've run less in the three weeks since my 50 miler than I ran in the race. I took the entire week off after the race and then did a few runs the following week all on roads (probably a mistake). Around one hour of running and my feet would start hurting again. After a two hour run I was having arch and ankle problems as well. So, another whole week with no running. It seemed like an eternity. Why is it called "taking it easy" when it is so damn hard to do?

I intensified my foot treatment. More ice, more self-message and wearing night splints every night. I started running again this week, but have arranged my schedule to hit up a flat gravel trail near my work. Asphalt is evil. I haven't tried running for longer than one hour at a shot, but feel like things are maintaining. I have finally made an orthopedist appointment with a guy in Palo Alto who is a running specialist. My appointment is a week from Monday. Unfortunately, I leave for my vacation on the following Saturday.

I will be spending three weeks in the Patagonia region of Chile and while there won't necessarily be any running I will be on my feet doing a lot of walking and hiking. Given that I need my feet to be in good shape for that, I should probably limit my running over the next few weeks. However, I can't seem to convince my appetite that I am no longer running 50+ miles/week and I don't want to start my vacation both fat and out of shape! I suppose I could bike or do some other form of cross-training, but I mentally still need to run. I have taken off entire weeks, but have not missed a whole month of running since 2001. Even in 2002 where I was sick for two full months, I still managed to get in one sickly, pitiful mile-long treadmill session. Patience has never been my strong suit.

DC Before and After

I thought I would post the two pictures that Miki so graciously took of me at my recent 50 miler. The first was in the early morning hours before the race. It was cold so I was tricked out in my favorite hoodie and wearing my signature day-glo gloves. My gnarled legs, which have been likened to tree stumps, are ready to go. The second picture is well after the race and even the post race feast. I have my hoodie back on and I'm sporting my nubby sandals which I consider one of the greatest inventions of mankind. I'm definitely cheezin' big time for the camera.

It's been over a week now and, other than a little soccer on Sunday, I really haven't run at all. It seems like its been a month and I imagine that I can feel the fitness seeping out of my legs! I've been self-messaging and trying to rehab my feet as much as possible. I'm gonna try an easy run tonight, I think, and see how it all feels. I'm pretty sure my trail shoes have been part of the problem and I'm finally deciding to go see a podiatrist to get things looked and to get a professional recommendation. I also received a massage gift certificate for my birthday so I am looking to cash that in as well and see if I can relieve some of the persistent tightness. Overall, however, I feel pretty good and want to start running again. However, I know that the bigger danger is for me to start pushing more than I should. I just gotta keep reminding myself to listen to my body.

Firetrails 50

I did it!
My first 50 miler! Sitting here 4 days later I feel better than I expected, but out there on the course it was definitely the most difficult physical feat I ever had to push myself through (so far).

Class Act
First, about the event. While it was my first time at this distance and I am still new to ultras, I have participated in a number of events in and around the Bay Area over the years. I have to say that the Dick Collins Firetrails 50 was far and away the most impressive one I have experienced. I was well aware of the beauty of the course, but the organization was as amazing as the scenery. I guess, its what one gets when the race directors are two of the greatest ultra runners ever to put foot to trail (or to road for that matter). The aid stations were extremely well stocked and almost too frequent if that is even possible! I usually carry two water bottles because I like to have the choice of either water or sport drink out on the trail, I also have rather high hydration needs and so I usually need them both. With aid stations rarely more than 4.5 miles apart and some as little as 2.5 miles between, I really could have done with just one. I imagine that some people could have gone with none and survived on the provided goods alone. These goods included the standard aid station fare, but also included a great deal of baked goods many of which were prepared by Ann Trason herself. The finish BBQ was also not simply your standard burgers and dogs either. There were gourmet sausages, turkey burgers, veggie burgers and even salmon patties! There was also homemade soup and again, those same famous name baked goods. Apparently, Ann claims she is not a very good cook, but after trying her chocolate cake I can say that the claim is about the equivalent of her claiming to be an average runner. To top all of this off, you get a real "Race Ready" technical shirt and a Firetrails 50 wine glass to take home. Now, I ask you, how classy is that?

The best laid plans...
OK, now for my race. I'd run this entire course in parts during training so I had a pretty good idea what to expect. I had some concerns about my recent foot problems, but felt confident that finishing wouldn't be an issue. I set a plan in my mind even though I probably shouldn't have a time goal on a new distance. I simply can't help it as it keeps me motivated. As I've noted before, I don't get bent about the goals and I always have backup goals with the ultimate goal of just finishing being the primary one. I'd run half the course distance a couple of times in training in around 4:40-4:45. So for the race, the plan was to do the first 26 miles to the turnaround in about 5 hours. This would allow me to slow down by as much as a minute per mile on the way back and still finish in the 10 hour zone. Well, the first part went almost exactly as planned. I hit the turnaround at almost 5 hours on the dot and felt physically pretty good with the unfortunately usual exception. My feet felt great for the first couple of hours, but around the 4-4.5 hour time frame the heals and arches started to hurt. As I left the turnaround and began slogging back up the hills, I could tell that they were going to be a fairly major problem. When I hit the first significant downhill, I realized how serious the problem was going to be.

Bad runner, no downhill for you!
Short and stocky with very muscular legs, I am built for the downhill. I also practice my downhill technique a lot and can normally run it as a recovery even when quite tired by simply relying on my big "thunder thighs" and letting gravity do most of the work. However, due to the condition of my feet, I was having difficulty moving downhill much faster than I was moving up and I was pretty much just scuttling along on the flats as well. I also realized that my North Face Radials were way to stiff and uncushioned for this much time on the hard-packed ground. I seriously regretted not putting my road shoes in my drop bag as I considered. One thing I did put in my drop bag, but, for some reason ignored, was Advil. I have only taken pain relievers once in a race previously and they really didn't help as my problem was more about cramping than simple pain. I kept thinking that I should grab some at the next aid station, but each time I arrived I would simply forget, distracted by all the marvelous food. As I accepted that I would just deal with the pain and adjust my 10 hour goal to something more like 10.5 and then 11, I discovered something very strange. While I couldn't run downhill anymore and could barely move on the flats, I was actually able to sort of run the uphills. This was very weird and garnered some surprised comments from those walking next to me (especially since they would just fly past me as soon as the hill was over). The other thing I discovered was that after "running" up a hill, my heel actually felt a little bit better and I was able to move somewhat faster until the next down hill did them in again. This was pretty much how the race went from around miles 30 to 45 or until I arrived at Bort Meadows.

Two people who saved me
There were many people I chatted with along the way. Old faces and new, names told and forgotten. However, there were two people who really helped me a lot at the end of this race. Both of whom I had met previously. After the Bort Meadows aid station I hooked up with a guy named Ofer who I had previously seen at the Big Basin 50K. He was doing a run/walk pattern and I was scuttling along so we weren't totally in pace together, but enough to chat a little. He mentioned that the Advil he had taken was really helping and when I remembered that I had intended to get some at the previous aid station, he offered me some of his. He was kind enough to even stop to get it out for me. While I am still a bit wary of taking pain killers during a run, I have to say that this was amazing. In a few short minutes I could suddenly run again. Actually run! I could still feel the pain in my feet, but it was much duller. I thanked Ofer profusely and once we hit the next downhill I bid him farewell until the finish (where I thanked him some more). I eventually caught up with Clem Choy whom I had met at my first ultra earlier this year. I think that anyone who has been around ultrarunning for a while must know Clem because he certainly seems to know everyone. He had come out to pace a friend, but she was having back trouble and decided to walk telling him to go on forward. He continued on picking up others and pacing them along. When I caught them, Clem was pacing another newbie named Hansel. I passed them on the downhill, but synced back up on the next hill and the three of us ran together for a while. Once we hit the final road section and only a couple of miles to go, Clem really started to push us. It became apparent that a sub 10:30 might be possible and so I kicked it in. With my new found miracle drug and the lack of running I had done in the middle of the race, I discovered that I had pretty good legs to go. It's hard to tell how fast I was going after such a distance, but with Clem's encouragement I felt like I was clocking off somewhere around 9 min./mile. I really have to offer him thanks (despite his numerous false predictions of "last hill") as he proved to me that I am capable of still running even after 48 very tough miles.
I came in at 10:30:39 a time with which I am extremely satisfied.

Congrats
I want to pass on congratulations to some others, especially those who also finished this as their first 50. I met Harmut Frenzel at a 50K earlier this year. He told me that when I flew past him on a downhill late in the race it inspired him to work on his own downhill ability. Now it is my turn to be inspired. He finished his first 50 miler in 9:47:34. Wow! I want to pass on some major congrats to Miki Higuchi who I met through blogging and have seen at one other event. She also finished her first 50 in the WS100 qualifying time of 10:49:52. Way to go "short angry" one! Congrats to Brad Niess on his first 50 in the awesome time of 10:28. If I'd realized that was you sitting next to me at the end of the race, I would have been more social. I want to congratulate Hansel Lynn on his first and thank him for letting me steal Clem from him. I also want to congratulate and thank (again) Ofer Ohel for saving me with his gift of Advil. To Matt, I want to say that even though you didn't finish, I think you know you will be back. You continue to inspire others even when you DNF. I had never met Chikara Omine before, but had heard about him from Scott's blog. I also knew of his obliteration of the rookie record last year running his first 50 miler in 7:04 and taking 2nd place. If I were to bet at the beginning, he would have had my money to win it this year. At the 4 hour mark of my race, Chikara came literally flying past me in the other direction. His nearest competitor didn't pass for another 16 minutes. He apparently opened that lead up even more finishing the race in a blazing 6:54:55. Another age group record (he's only 24!) and the 5th fastest time on this course. This is a kid to watch! I spoke to him breifly after the race and he is considering his first 24hr event later this month at the SF One Day. On the women's side this race once again showcased another amazing rookie feat with Caren Spore winning the event, her first 50, in 7:55:24. The full results can be found here.

Now what?
Well, my original goal for the year was just to do my first ultra. This 50 makes four. I think I am going to call the year done. I need to take it easy and figure out my feet. I also have a big trip down to South America planned for the end of November and I will need my feet to be in good condition for hiking in Patagonia. I technically just qualified for Western States, though I certainly don't feel ready to take that on. Part of me thinks I should enter the lottery whether I plan to do it or not. If nothing else, I can always wish to be a loser so I have a guarantee in a couple of years. I definitely have my eye on Miwok for next year and there are some other races that have their own appeal. My main goal is to complete a 100 before I hit 40 which is now only 2 years away. Right now I am going to simply look back over the past year and enjoy my accomplishments. I am also going to focusmy energies on some of the the non-running stuff in my life that I have ignored recently and that really needs my attention.

Pre-race checklist

Two nights before the race and I am quelling my nerves by getting all my gear together. It kind of reminds me of sorting gear before a trip back in my climbing days. Aside from my standard race stuff, I am also doing my very first drop bag. The following is my checklist of stuff that will go on my person as well as in my bag.

On me:

• Brooks Element Shorts (black)
• Race number folded and pinned to right leg
• Succeed Caps cellophane wrapped in left hip pocket
• Brooks Pulse T Top (yellow)
• Asics MCT Liner Gloves (day-glo yellow for style)
• The North Face Radial trail running shoes
• Sole custom footbed insoles
• Ultimax X-static socks (black)
• Two Toms Blister Shield Anti-friction Skin Guard Powder (in socks)
• Ultimate Direction Fastdraw Plus handheld (26oz bottle) for sports drink
• Nuun hydration tablets cellophane wrapped in zip pocket
• Ultimate Direction Solitaire waist-mounted bottle holder
• Ultimate Direction Sport Bottle (20oz) for water
• Pack of Sharkies Energy Chews (w/ Electrolytes)
• Clif Shot Gel (chocolate)
• Gu Gel (banana)
• Ginger People Ginger Chews (3)
• Two Toms Sport Shield Anti-friction Skin Guard Towelette
• Biofreeze Pain Gel
• Blister Pads
• TP
• Two Toms Sport Shield Anti-friction Skin Guard Roll-on (applied pre-race)

Drop bag:

• Ultimax X-static socks (black)
• Injinji Toe socks (tan)
• Brooks Running Top (blue)
• Package of sharkies
• Clif Shot Gel (chocolate)
  
• Clif Bar (Oatmeal Raisin)
• Nuun Hydration Tablets
• Two Toms Blister Shield Anti-friction Skin Guard Powder
• Two Toms Sport Shield Anti-friction Skin Guard Roll-on
• Java Juice Pure Coffee Extract
• Ibuprofen
  
• Britanne Microfiber Towel

Pre/Post-race gym bag

• Bull Frog Spray-on Sunscreen
• Microfiber Towel
• Two Toms Sport Shield Anti-friction Skin Guard Roll-on
• Aquaphor Healing Ointment
• Tecnu Skin Cleanser
• Sierra Designs ultra-light breathable rain jacket
  
• New Balance water resistant running pants
• Nike Dri-fit Sport Hoodie
• Adidas "nubbie" Sport Sandals
  

OK, that's everything that the anal-retentive side of my personality can think of right now. I will make sure to continue obsessing over this tomorrow as race day approaches.

Am I ready?

As of this morning it had been almost an entire week with no running. The last two weeks have been more of a cliff than a taper. However, I think that my feet and legs are much better for the rest and I know I am not loosing fitness as fast as my psyche imagines. I had to get at least one run in before hitting the start line this weekend at minimum to see how everything feels. I decided to just do an easy four miles this morning. Right from the get go, I could tell that no matter what my feet may think, my legs are ready to go. I hit the first mile and glanced at my watch to see that I was under 8min/mile. Whoa, Nellie! That may be an easy run pace for some people, but I am certainly not one of them. I slowed it down a bit in the second mile to hit the half-way around 16:20. Still a bit faster than I wanted to go so I stopped and made myself stretch for a while. Since this was supposed to be about mental preparation on the way back I tried to put my mind into "long run" mode; slow, relaxed, "run forever" pace, imagining that I am running the first part of the course prepping for the initial hill. While the run was barely enough to warm up, it did let me do a check over all my foot/leg issues and it made me feel like I was still a runner. The hard part now is resisting the temptation to start putting in a bunch more runs before the race. I keep reminding myself that with the 50 miler, I only need a few extra miles for the week to keep it within my "normal" training mileage.

Mentally, I am working on running the course over in my mind. I am a big fan of visualization as I think it helps with mental preparation as well as helps keep my nerves calm. I can "see" the course pretty clearly through Redwood and even have a basic plan for how I will run it. Beyond that is a little bit murky as I have only run the section out to Tildon once. I know in my head that if I can get back to Redwood feeling OK, I should be set. Even though at that point I will be running longer than I ever have before, I can see pretty much every mile in my head from there to the finish. Actually, the last few miles aren't very clear since I've only run them in the dark, but I know that the finish line will pull me towards it once I get close enough.

Now I just need to obsess about my gear and I'll be ready to go.

Dogs

Miki's recent post on the subject got me thinking about dogs. Mind you, I am definitely more of a cat person both in terms of my pet preferences and in my own personality. However, having a father who was a veterinarian meant that we had lots of pets: cats, dogs, rabbits, chickens, horses. We even had a couple of adopted pigeons named Fred and Wilma once that, for reasons I can no longer recall, my dad had hatch a chicken egg. I had lots of cats over the years, but only one dog, an unclipped pincher (she had long tail and floppy ears) who I remember having some sort of brain problem. My sister had a number of dogs. She was always attracted to those high-strung, yelping, car-chasing cattle breads. Personally, I've always had a thing for the northern dogs such as Siberian Huskys, Alaskan Malamutes or Norwegian Elkhounds. I like the more mellow, obedient temperament that these breeds tend to have. I've always thought that when I eventually have a house with land again, I want one of these dogs to raise as a running companion.

I think my love of northern dogs goes back to the first family dog we ever had. Kippy was a big fluffy white Samoyed and the most gentle dog on earth. My parents had him before they had us kids. My dad eventually had to put him to sleep when he got old. I still remember him telling me that it was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. It may be the first time I ever saw my dad cry. The one story about Kippy that is always told by my family is when I was still a toddler and we lived in Davis. We lived on a small cul-de-sac and a neighbor's pet rabbit got loose. My dad heard a scratching at the front door and when he answered it, there was Kippy with the rabbit in his mouth. He put the rabbit down on the doorstep and my father immediately picked it up to see if it was OK. Not only was the rabbit still alive, but there was not a single scratch on it. There are other Kippy stories including how protective he was of us kids and even one where, I think, he lied down in front of my sister stopping her from tumbling down a hill. But, the story of the rabbit has always seemed to capture his kind gentle nature the best. There will never be another dog like Kippy.

I was thinking about the Elkhound recently. A neighbor of ours had one when we lived up on Mt. Diablo. He also had a very gentle nature. I looked up the breed on the American Kennel Club website. It had the following to say about them. "As a hunter, the Norwegian Elkhound has the courage, agility and stamina to hold moose and other big game at bay by barking and dodging attack, and the endurance to track for long hours in all weather over rough and varied terrain." While I don't plan to do any moose hunting anytime soon. That last bit certainly seems to describe the perfect trail running companion.

Cutting back

I only did 30 miles last week on 3 days running. I was planning on doing a couple short-mid distance runs this weekend to keep my overall mileage up until my official taper start this week. However, after a 14.5 miler on Friday night I realized that my feet need more healing time than I have been giving them. I have been managing a recurring case of Plantar Faciitis. The new insoles I am using in my trail shoes have helped in the sense that my feet generally feel no worse at the end of my runs. However, I realized that they aren't really healing enough between runs even with the icing and stuff. I had already committed to playing soccer Sunday morning and I know that is as bad or worse for my heel pain than running so that was it for the weekend.

I am going to continue to do my icing with the frozen water bottle, taking ibuprofen, stretching and doing strengthening work. However, I recently read about "trigger point therapy" in an article called "Heal Pain Be Gone" by Twyla Carolan posted to John Vonhof's site. I tried the rubber ball exercises described in the article and all I can say is YOWCH!!! There are a couple of spots on my right foot that feel like needles being poked into them. Who would have thought that so much pain could come from a little rubber ball. They don't exactly feel like they release, but 15-20 minutes after working them, my feet seem to feel generally better. We'll see how it goes. I ordered the book from Amazon to read up further.

The plan between now and DC is as follows. I'm going to take the next two days off working to heal my feet. If things feel good I will do a short run on Wednesday. I will follow it up on Thursday, playing the distance by ear. I'm taking Friday off and then starting my "count down" runs of 5mi, 4mi, 3mi, 2mi starting Saturday. Sort of a mental game I play before entering new distances. I am planning to take 3 full days off before the race. I am also trying to force myself to wake by 5am and do a little walking in the morning. Trying to get used to waking up and moving my body at that gawd awful time of the day in prep for the 6:30am start time.

Last Long

I think that I will make yesterday my Last Long run before Dick Collins in three weeks. Next week I will keep my overall distance up and maybe do a couple medium distance runs on the weekend before starting to slow things down for the last 2 weeks. I have a lot of little nagging twinges and tweaky pains around my ankles and feet that I need to fully heal up before attempting 50 miles.

Yesterday's plan was to run the "back" part of the out-and-back course. It was, for the most part, a success. My wife VERY kindly dropped me off at Berkeley's Tilden Park at the Lone Oak picnic area which is the turnaround spot. It was a bit of a late start at about 3:15pm since my son had a football game in the morning and, it turned out, so did Cal causing lots of traffic getting to the park. The climb started right away with the Meadows Canyon trail makes a fairly steep ascent up to the ridge to meet with the East Bay Skyline National Recreation Trail. This trail is essentially followed all the way through to Redwood Regional Park, though it occasionally changes name to either Seaview Trail or Bay Area Ridge Trail as you head out of Tilden and through Robert Sibley Volcanic Preserve and Huckleberry Botanic Park. It is a beautiful trail and about the best the east bay has to offer in my opinion with views of the entire area that are only rivaled at the top of either Mt. Diablo or Mt. Tam. At the top of the ridge the entire bay was visible to the west including the Bay, Golden Gate and Richmond bridges with Tam to the north. The city itself was exceedingly clear and I could see well into the ocean beyond. Looking east was Diablo and the foothills with views of the delta beyond that. Truly a panoramic display.

The trail itself is wide fireroad up to Sibley where it heads downward and becomes one of the choicest pieces of single track you could ask for. It dips down and back up through redwoods and then continues along the ridge with thick bushes lining both sides before opening up into a nice meadow. There are a few road crossings on the way, the last of which is just before heading into Redwood Park. In Redwood, a short trip along the Ridge Trail leads to the Stream Trail which heads straight down into the canyon and across the park. At least, it used to do this. I was about two hours into my run at this point which is where I usually go into auto-pilot. This is why I went right past the sign saying that the Stream Trail was closed up ahead. I didn't even pay much attention to the sign at the bottom since someone had pushed it to the side. However, I couldn't ignore the closed bridge which was completely blocked off and under construction. Well, what to do now? I had to head back a bit and head up the path to Prince Road. I wasn't really looking for more climbing, but there wasn't much choice. This took me back up to the Ridge Trail which I followed until the Canyon Trail took me back down into the canyon. I was under a time constraint with both my wife and darkness looking to meet me at Chabot. To save some time, I decided not to backtrack and pick up the Bridle Trail, but instead ran along the road to meet the Golden Spike Trail about 1/3 mile up. I had already added about a mile and a half to my planned run.

I was wondering what the race would do and when I checked today I saw that, aside from the Bridle Trail, I pretty much followed the new path of the Dick Collins Firetrails 50. Those of you planning to do this race should take note. This definitely adds some elevation gain/loss within Redwood park, but eliminates the grind down to and back up from Lone Oak. I believe the overall up and down will be about the same. Anyway, I continued on Golden Spike and on towards the climb up the MacDonald Trail. I knew what to expect for this one having run it a couple of weeks ago so I just put my head down and did the "RFP" mantra. In fact, the climb was not nearly as daunting as I remembered. Familiarity definitely helps. I arrived at Bort Meadows just as dusk was setting in and a bunch of horse trailers were heading out. There was apparently a ride earlier in the day which explained both the pink ribbons and plethora of droppings along some of my course. Over focused on the setting sun and the fact that I would soon be running on unfamiliar trail in the dark, I took a wrong turn. Luckily I quickly discovered the mistake, but the negative thoughts that lingered were not what I needed.

I tried to keep my spirits up running the last familiar section of the trail down the Brandon Trail to the Stone Bridge. I didn't pause at all, but proceeded directly to the Cascade Trail and the Columbine beyond. Both of these are supposed to be quite beautiful, but with the sun now down and the deep tree cover overhead, I was pretty much doing all that I could just to see the narrow trail beneath my feet. I was glad to have done so much night running recently. I made it to the Bass Cove Trail and the relative safety of fireroad which was good since it was now about 7:45pm and visible light was going fast. I managed to find my way to the dam and the West Shore Trail where I called my wife to let her know I was almost done. Luckily, the remainder was on paved road as I could not longer see anything on the dark and tree lined path. While it was a unique experience and the lake is pretty cool at night, I can't really say that I acquired any familiarity with this last part of the trail. Unless, that is, things go horribly wrong and I end up taking 13+ hours to finish the race.

Well, that's it, I'm about as ready as I'm going to be. I still can't quite fathom repeating most of the run I just did after running a full marathon. I just hope that with a fully rested body and that illusive "race day magic" I can Last Long enough to go the distance.

On Sundays I play soccer

Soccer was the only team sport I really enjoyed (or, quite frankly, was any good at) as a kid. I played it all through my youth until the end of high school when I stopped all exercise and then became very fat by my second year of college. I played again at the end of college after loosing 50 lbs. And then again for a short while after I first entered the workforce. However, I hadn't played for about a decade before joining a men's 35 and over team a couple years ago. We're basically a bunch of whiny middle-aged men who meet on Sunday mornings to run around on a field kicking at a ball, yelling at each other, cursing about the refs and almost getting into fights with other whiny middle-aged men wearing different colored shirts. Truth be told, I love it. I guess it takes care of my latent aggressive/competitive streak that I leave behind while running.

Some people think I'm crazy to continue playing while training for ultras. I stopped for a month before my first one, but have continued through the rest of the summer and only skipped the two Sundays of my 50K races. I am still trying to decide when to shut it down before my 50M attempt. It's not exactly ultra-specific training, but it is my only form of speedwork and it does help maintain my leg strength which I think is my main asset for running. Also, doing a middle distance run after a 90-minute game is definitely practice for running on tired legs. There is of course the risk of injury, but being a defender, I tend to give more than I receive. However, this past weekend while tangling with the other teams striker for the ball I took a hard knee to the thigh causing a pretty decent "charlie horse" to set in. I was still able to run so I finished out the match.

After the game, I had planned a 10+ mile run. I decided to go forward with it despite the pain in my right leg. I was hoping that the knots might subside or loosen up as I ran. I'm not sure why I believed this; maybe excess residual testosterone clouded my thinking. It was mostly manageable, but downhills were particularly difficult. I was able to complete the run. However, I am now taking an extra rest day and reviewing the wisdom of my decision. It's starting to loosen up so I will try to run tonight. Lessons learned? No, I'll probably still play next weekend. It's far too much fun. Besides, I now know that should someone decide to give me a swift kick to the leg at mile 40 of the Dick Collins race, I should be able to forge on for the remaining 10 miles. How many others can say that with confidence? >-)

Just gimme the night...

Another beautiful Wednesday night and another run up Mission Peak. More perfect weather, clear skies and a very bright moon. It was a nearly full moon (aka a waxing gibbous moon). In fact, the moon was so bright going up the face that it almost seemed like daytime. This was definitely a "no headlamp" run. As seen above, it is also the first time I remembered to bring the camera.

I started the run off at a good clip and was pushing up the hills as I have been doing lately on my middle distance (10-15mile) runs. My thinking is that if I can improve my uphill speed than my normal slow shuffle/run in my long races should feel easier. In this run I felt strong and the air temp was just right for pushing it a bit. I decided to hit the peak from the front side (as apposed to going around back first) to see if I could make a PR to the top. I did. I made it from out my door in Warm Springs to the peak in just over 1:22, slightly over 48 minutes from the Stanford Dr. parking lot. I'm sure there are those who can really speed it up to the peak, but for me going sub-50 is an accomplishment. Pushing up those last rocky sections was tough and probably helps explain why my photos came out so shaky. Well, that and the facts that my camera isn't so good at night and I am not so good with a camera. Anyway, I took a few shots from the top, but most look like the Bay Area is on fire.


I continued over the peak and down to the Eagle Trail. I decided that, with the good time I was making, I would reward myself with some bonus miles. I detoured down the Laurel Loop trail to the Ohlone Wilderness sign in to leave a little message. I did have to use my headlamp a bit there as even I am not crazy enough to run blind beneath the tree cover. The Laurel Loop is also where I had a legitimate scary animal encounter. No, not a mountain lion. Something much more frightening. Luckily as it ran away ahead of my, its big puffy black and white tail in the air was not pointed directly in my direction. I can just imagine coming home from my run reeking of skunk spray. ("Honey, your sleeping in the backyard tonight.")

The rest of the run was pretty uneventful except for once again meeting the grazing deer out on the trail as well as at the bottom near the parking lot. I took one more picture before heading down. I debated whether to post the cheezy, grinning, sweat-covered image of myself. However, given the background I seem to be laughing as the Silicon Valley goes down in flames and sometimes I kinda feel that way.

Accidental Marathon

This past Sunday I decided to do my long run on the trails of the Dick Collins Firetrails 50. My plan was to do 21-22 miles by covering the first part of the course out-and-back. I arrived at Lake Chabot to perfect, cool running weather. In fact it was cold enough at the start that I wore my gloves for the first part of the run. I was determined to stay on course this time as the previous time I attempted to run this route I missed numerous turn-offs including the very first one. I ended up doing about 23 miles on that run, but covered less than 7 miles of the actual course. I wasn't going to let that happen this time.

I finally had the chance to experience the first hill up the Live Oak trail which is a pretty decent climb, but not horrendous especially in cool weather. As I crested this climb the sun broke the clouds and my gloves went back into my pack. I was familiar with the next section, reaching the Brandon Trail which I would follow for a little over 4.6 miles. However, there was one bit of familiarity that I was not looking forward to... Pop! Pop! Pop! I simply can not get used to running next to a rifle range. Call me a wimpy Californian, but it stresses me out. Even knowing it is coming, I am still unable to keep the heartrate from raising and the adrenaline from surging. It definitely uses up psychological energy that I would prefer to reserve for later in my run. I can't imagine how absolutely terrifying it must be to experience an actual firefight, but running through the woods next to a gun range is about as close as I ever want to be.

Eventually the sound of gunfire fades and the trail heads down to the stone bridge. This is a fairly significant trail junction where my previous run went very wrong. The Brandon Trail continues to the right alongside a creek (there is even a sign if you bother to read it). This is one of the most beautiful parts of the trail for those that like the woods. The eucalyptus thins out and the redwoods start to take over. The trail follow a creekbed so it is a much more lush area. This trail leads to Bort Meadows and then on to the group camp where there is water and facilities. This is where I eventually found my way to during my previous run, in desperate need of water. I returned to the group camp again on this run before realizing that it was not part of my route and that I had passed the turnoff to the MacDonald Trail. I decided not to stop for water and just turned back around to find the trail head I had missed. It probably only added about half a mile total so not a big deal.

The MacDonald Trail is found up a short hill on the other side of a parking lot. Not very obvious on the map. Once on the trail it begins a nice gradual climb along the ridge that provides some decent views of the east hills. The sun was shining, but a nice cool breeze kept it comfortable. Just about every biker and hiker I saw on the trail commented on how perfect the weather was. MacDonald has only one real intersection about a mile and a half in, where a spur trail leads to a residential area off of Parkridge Drive. I wish I could afford to live there! At this point it heads downhill for another mile and a third to the MacDonald Staging Area which is where Anthony Chabot ends and Redwood Regional Park begins. This is where I had originally planned to turn around, but now I realized I had made a mistake. There was no water here nor at the Big Bear Staging Area a little futher down. I probably could have made it back to the group camp, but that was a pretty steep hill I had just come down. I knew that a couple more miles down the trail there would be a good water and bathroom stop in the park. This would also allow me to check out the single-track of the Golden Spike trail. I must say, it is a sweet trail, though fairly heavy with poison oak (don't forget your technu). Finish that, trot down the Bridle Trail fireroad and you are in Redwood Park central. I had some eats here (PB&J tortilla...yum), filled the pack with water, dropped in a few NUUN tablets and was back on my way for the return trip.

I was glad to have the fresh drink as it was a bit warmer going up the hill with the wind no longer at my face. I made another stop at the group camp on the way back as I was craving some plain water (and needed to do an intestinal check). Then it was back down the Brandon towards the last climb of the day. Another runner (the first I'd seen that day) was starting his run here as I past. While my pace was starting to slow, I did manage to hold him off ;-). Then, from the other direction, came yet another runner (why all in this spot?). This guy looked serious and was hauling some serious butt, carrying the classic two water bottles. I didn't recognize him, but figured he was an ultra runner. It made me think about all the good runners I've heard about recently from Oakland. If you have wondered about this, as I have, you need only to come check out the choice running in their backyard. Maybe I'd get faster if I moved a few miles further north :-).

Anyway, I finished back on the same route I went out on instead of by following the race route return. I'll have to check out the West Shore return route another time. I also plan to do a run on the remainder of the route from Redwood Park out to Lone Oak and back. The whole run took a little under 4 3/4 hours to complete which was more than I had planned for the day. I apologized to my wife for being late by stopping to pick up Chipotle on the way home (mmm...burritos). Upon completion, I was quite pleased to do the math and discover that I had done pretty close to a marathon distance considering the 10.5 planned turnaround plus 2 miles and the double trips out-and-back to the group camp. It felt good to be able to do an unplanned marathon as a Sunday long run.

Night fever, night fever...

Another amazing night run up Mission Peak. Same route, run from home to Stanford Ave. trailhead, up main fireroad, around the back side then up and over the peak. Headed out after dinner around 8:30pm or so. It was a warm evening in Fremont, but you never know what the temps will be like on the peak. I wore a long sleeve running shirt (sleeves rolled up) and carried a vest and gloves in my waist pack. Turns out that I didn't need any of it as the weather was as perfect as perfect can be. I didn't even roll my sleeves down the entire time. It's unfortunate that I didn't know this beforehand as I could have left room for a camera in my pack. The air was cool, but not cold and completely clear. The moon, while not even half full, was shining very brightly in the western sky above the trail. It didn't even feel like night going up the face. While I brought my tiny little Petzl Zipka headlight, I decided that I would attempt the entire run without it. I certainly didn't need it on the front side. However, once over the ridge the moon was blocked by the peak and it became much more challenging. Running while barely being able to see the trail is an interesting sensation. I told myself it would improve my balance and train me to lift my feet more. This is relatively smooth fireroad that had been recently re-grated and I have it pretty much wired so I don't think it was really dangerous. However, every time there was a significant dip in the trail my stomach would sink momentarily before my foot discovered the ground a few inches lower than expected. There were also a couple of near misses snagging my toe on invisible rocks or lumps of dirt.

the entire way up, the view of the valley and bay were so clear that I kept wanting to stop and look, but told myself it would be even better from the top. It was. It's hard to describe how perfect the view was. I could see all the shimmering lights down through San Jose to the south. The water on the bay reflecting the light of the moon. The peninsula hills, the east bay and all the way up north all perfectly visible. I just sat there looking. I felt as though I could stay all night reflecting on my life here in the bay. I looked north-east to where Mt. Diablo should be. My childhood home from age 9-18. Not really visible, but I could imagine its shadowy outline. I looked to the bottom of the bay where I work and thought about all the craziness that my team and I have endured this past year. Then, my eyes and mind returned back to the base of the hill. To Fremont. I looked to the lights where my house should be and thought of Zane and Freddy who, at just after 10pm, would be gettng ready for bed. Then I thought I should probably get going. I told Zane that she was allowed to worry if I wasn't back by midnight. The last thing I wanted to do was cause her more stress after all she's been through lately. I wanted to reach down from on high and give her a kiss on the forehead before heading off.

The run down was uneventful with the exception of a deer and me scaring each other in the dark. I gasped and it bounced swiftly away up the hill. The moon continued to illuminate the trail brightly for my return trip. In fact, it was almost too bright at times making the trail details difficult to see. As I descended, I watched as the moon dropped lower in the sky to the west. Like a sunset turning from yellow to orange to an almost crimson color. A perfect ending to an almost perfect night. Almost...


NOTE TO SELF: No matter how yummy your homemade chicken enchiladas are, save them for after the run.

...night heaver, night heaver...

Log blog

I've been running at least semi-regularly since about 1992 (not including a couple of years being a sprinter on the track team in high school and lots of running around on the soccer pitch). However, I have only gotten serious about my running since around 2000. As an engineer by trade this means that I have been tracking it in a log. As a software engineer, it means I keep an electronic running log. I like to review my log entries, see how I have progressed over the years, re-live some of my more memorable runs and, of course, look at the stats. The log program I use (called "Runner's Log" of all things) is very old and no longer maintained. I've thought about upgrading to something newer, using one of the many web-based logs or actually writing my own program. However, it is so much simpler to just use what has been working for over 6 years.

The program generates a reasonable amount of statistics (distance, time, calories, pace, etc.) with pretty bar graphs that I can view on a weekly, monthly or overall basis. I try not to pay attention to pace except to note when it averages around 9:00 min/mile or lower which usually indicates that I have not been getting in enough serious trail runs (need to hit them hills). In general, I try not to obsess on it, but continue to enjoy looking at and reviewing various statistics and milestones. Aside from my races, the following milestones are one's I have recently reviewed or started looking forward to:

7 miles - Some time in 2000 I logged my first "long run" greater than this length. This is now about the shortest run I do in any given week.
2 hours - In 2001, I ran for nearly 2 hours on a 12 miler training for my first half marathon. I now consider 2 hours the start of a long run.
20 miles - My first 20 miler was run from Fremont to Pleasanton where I met my wife at her work. After a brief rest and change of clothes we went out for a burritos at El Balazo (mmm...).
Peaks - Runs up Mt. Tam, Mt. Diablo and my Big Loop run (from home, up and over Mission Peak, down to Ed Levin Park in Milpitas then back home) are all recorded. These runs were training targets as much as any of my races.
Destinations - Other memorable destination runs include running from Pleasanton to my parent's house in Concord (one day I want to do if from my house in Fremont), running from the middle of Yosemite Valley to the top of Vernal Falls on the 4th of July (eventually I plan to do the run all the way to Half Dome and back) and running from the south rim of the Grand Canyon to Phantom Ranch and half way back up before the temps reached triple digits forcing me to walk (R2R2R is definitely among my long-term goals).
6,000 miles - While my lifetime miles are probably 1-2 thousand longer, this is what I have recorded in the log. It was crossed at around mile 8 during the Big Basin Redwoods 50K race recently.
6,200 miles - The approximate distance across the US and back. Should be hit sometime in September.
1,000 runs - This milestone will also be hit sometime in the next few weeks.
1,000 hours - This one should be passed before the end of the year.
1,000,000 calories - If I keep on target this extremely important milestone will be crossed in the middle of next year. I have yet to decide what sort of crazy gluttonous feast I am going to celebrate with :-).

Non-run instead of long run

I knew I wasn't going to have time for a really long run this weekend, but the plan was to do three mid-distance runs with a soccer game Sunday morning to make the Sunday run feel a bit longer. This worked well two weeks ago doing 14.5 on Friday, 10.6 Saturday and then 13.5 miles on Sunday on Mount Diablo after a full 90 minute soccer game in the morning. Those Diablo miles felt as tough as any long run I've done. The plan this weekend was similar. I'd done 10.6 on Friday, 14.25 yesterday up Mission Peak from home. The game this morning was easy with lots of subs so I had plenty of juice for whatever distance I felt up for this afternoon. However by the time I got home and had something to eat (PB&J on rice cake...mmm), I just didn't feel like running. Physically I felt fine. I thought about pushing myself to just go out for a training run, but then I thought "what for?" I'm not feeling it. I am technically in a bit of a recovery week after the 50K last weekend and I just can't get jazzed about an uninteresting training run on Sunday afternoon. Training is for the weekdays, weekends are for challenge and adventure. So, I decided to bail. Only 30 short miles this week. Considering that just a few years ago, I celebrated my first 30 mile week, it still makes me smile.

I decided that I will make next week a "big" week. I am going to plan a night run up Mission mid week and some decent training runs spread around. Saturday will be spent watching my son play football and with no soccer on Sunday, I am going to plan a good long run on the DC Firetrails course. A plan I can definitely be excited about.

Mind the gap

The results are in from the Big Basin Redwoods Trail Run and I came in 10th. Something about it just doesn't seem right to me. Another top-10 result? I mean, the last time I finished top-10 in a race was when I sprinted in track my sophomore year in high school. But, there were only about 10 people in the race back then. Just so people don't start thinking that I've become some sort of really "good" runner (or worse, I start thinking it myself), it should be kept in mind that these 50K races each only had a little over 30 finishers. I known, I know, fnishing in the top 1/3 is till nothing to sneeze at regardless of race size. I certainly would have been ecstatic to get such a result at a bigger race like Ohlone where I was already overjoyed that I managed to finish near the middle of the pack.

I suspect that at a larger race, with a deeper talent pool, a top 50% result is probably a more reasonable goal for me to shoot for. Looking at the results of these last two races, I've noticed a very interesting trend. At Santa Cruz there were six people in front of me. Aside from the winner who pretty much tore the course apart, all of the front runners finished within 10 minutes of each other. Then there is about a 20 minute gap and then me. Behind me are people every 3-7 minutes with no really big gaps until around 7 hours. Then, again when I look at the results from this past weekend, there is a sizeable gap between me and the group in front of me and a nice sized clump of people coming in relatively close behind me. I'm not sure where I'm going with all this or if there are any real conclusions to draw. I do know that when I compare these to the results of Ohlone, there are not any obvious big gaps other than between those first three, inhuman, running machines who ran that course in under 5 hours and the rest of us mortals. I guess that I just keep thinking that at a bigger race there would be a group of people filling that gap between me and the front runners and my placing would seem much more "real" to me.

I think part of my over-focus on this is that I am starting to look forward to my 50 miler which will be a much bigger race and my first at that distance. I've started to feel comfortable with the 50K distance and seem to be developing a sense of how I should be running and where I should be in the field. All of that will be going away when there is an extra 19 miles to run. It's so much bigger of a jump than going from the marathon to 50K. But, I think that's what makes it exciting. What awaits me on the other side of 31 miles? How will my body respond pushing past the 7 hour mark? Will I make early mistakes and pay dearly for them in the end? Will I finish wondering if I could have pushed harder? I should really put such thoughts out of my mind as none of it means anything until I am out there on the course. My real hope is just that I am able to continue pushing forward and enjoying as much of that very long course as my body will allow.

Pain

I've heard it said that running ultras is an exercise in pain management. Well, I did the Big Basin Redwoods 50K this past weekend and I guess it went well, but getting up this morning I was made aware of how much pain I had been managing. This was partly due to the three stupid things I did before this race, but that is getting ahead of myself.

First, the race. There are few places more beautiful to run in the Bay Area than the redwoods north of Santa Cruz. The scenery and terrain were awesome and made the course seem easier than it was. I remember on the last uphills thinking that this course didn't seem that tough and wondering why I was struggling so much and why my time was so much further back than my last race. I think the extra few hundred feet that was added due to a last-minute course change took more of a toll than I realized. That and the beautiful setting distracted me from the pain developing in my feet. Don't get me wrong. I can't really complain. I finished fairly strong at 6:23 and was able to run the final downhill section despite the pain. It's just that the pain seemed much worse than in previous races from what I could recall. However, I am learning that, just like when I used to rock climb, the brain has a way of making the painful aspects of an event fade from memory as time passes. Maybe it is an evolutionary throwback from when our existence depended on not shying away from repeating previously painful events.

Anyway, yesterday was painful. Some of it was pain that I started with and some of it was acquired along the way. I started with pain because of my own stupidity ("the three stupid things"). My son was playing basketball with a friend and his friend's father and so I decided to jump in despite only having flip-flops on my feet. At first, I went barefoot (stupid thing #1). When running around on pavement without shoes started to hurt, did I stop? No, of course not. I decided to just put my flip-flops back on (stupid thing #2). This lasted about 5 minutes before I smashed my big toe into the ground and removed most of the flesh from the tip. My question is: "who does this the day before running an ultra?" I told myself at the start of the race that this was good training for my 50 miler. I was just simulating what my feet might feel like after the first 20 miles (yeah, right). Well, all this focus on my feet made me forget my training run the previous weekend where I had tried out my new shoes (The North Face Radials if anyone is interested). The shoes were great, but caused some irritation on my Achilles going downhill. I was supposed to remember this and do something about it before the race, but didn't (stupid thing #3) and ended up with two nice raw spots on the back of my ankles.

Apparently, these self-induced foot pains (combined with the normal pains of running 31 miles on hilly terrain) were not enough according to some local Big Basin residents. The native hornets decided that a few well placed stings (I got three) would help all these crazy runners test their minds ability to manage (and then try to forget) the pain of the day's event. Well, getting up this morning, my memorywas pretty fresh. Especially once I tried to stand up and walk on my still very sore feet. I think the frustrating thing is that my legs actually feel just fine (aside from the location of the stings which now itch) My legs feel just like after a long training run. I've suspected for a while that my feet are my limiting factor in these races. I'm just not sure if they are actually getting any stronger or if I am just putting up with more pain. Maybe that's all there is to it and I simply need to continue to learn better pain management. I guess we'll see come October. If you hear reports of a runner crawling the last 10 miles of the Dick Collins Firetrails 50 on his hands and knees, you'll know that my feet got the best of me.

Good Morning Fremont

Well, fall is fast approaching and that means I need to start converting back to running in the morning (yuck). Now that my average run is around 10 miles, lunchtime is no longer an option and with Frederick about to start high school my evenings will be getting busy (picking up from football, making dinner, making sure homework is done, etc.) This morning, with much help and prodding from my wife, I managed to wake up around 6am and get out the door in another half hour or so. Not really early by some people's standards, but I am more of a night owl than a morning person. So, up in the morning running on the roads around the neighborhood it is. I guess I could technically drive to the trail, but between getting up early, getting all my stuff together and into the car and then faced with the prospect of ~2000ft of climbing in the first few miles, I would probably end up at Starbucks rather than the trailhead ("Grande quad-shot americano, please").

Truth be told, it's actually not so bad running in the morning. Since I tend to generate a lot of heat when I run, I enjoy the crisp morning air. Also, I do kind of enjoy all the morning types that populate our neighborhood. There aren't too many runners, but living in south Fremont there is are many families from Taiwan, China and Hong Kong and I am always impressed with how many of the elderly people from these cultures are up and active every morning. Many of these people appear to be at least in their 70's, some walk very slowly, some with canes, some stretch or practice Tai Chi in the park. There is one guy who I have seen almost every morning I have gone running, rain or shine, in the baptist church parking lot performing his routine which seems to consist of a lot of walking in tight circles and walking backwards. Hopefully this is one of the positive values that others in our culturally diverse area can learn to emulate. I know I always think of it as a reminder that I want to remain as active as I can throughout my life.

I run to the trailhead as my turnaround, rather than starting, point and head back home. About half way back I remember another benefit of running in the morning: hot, post-run coffee!!! I love hot coffee after a run and have even been known to drink it in the middle of a warm day. However, after a cold (or at least cool) morning run, the thought of that steaming, hot goodness is what will assure I get up for my morning run again tomorrow.

More animal attacks

Well, I finally have proof of something I have always suspected. Seagulls are scheming, vengeful birds who take aim with deliberation! On Friday evening I did an after work run around the salt ponds in the San Francisco Wildlife Refuge. I decided to do the full double loop including the levees on both sides of the railroad tracks for a total 14.5 miles. The section on the other side of the tracks from the Alviso Marina is very empty in the evening since the visitor center is closed.

Running along this section I noticed a sort of "sea of white" up ahead on the path. As I got closer I realized that there were probably a couple of hundred seagulls sitting on the levee in front of me. It was a pretty breezy day and as I came upon them they would fly up and into the wind and just sort of hover there above the left side of the trail. I thought this was kind of neat until I heard this sort of soft "thpt" sound hitting the trail along side of me. I looked up and quickly realized that about every 4th or 5th one of these gulls was letting loose. I was running right in the middle of a veritable seagull bombing raid! Lucky for me (and my exposed head), I was able to find a safe shelter from the onslaught by keeping to the far right side of the trail. While these birds definitely appeared to have the determination and desire, their mastery of ballistics was a bit lacking and they were only able to strafe about 2/3 of the trail.

I escaped thise incident unharmed, but a wee bit wiser. Perhaps I should reconsider the idea of wearing a hat while I run. It may offer protection from more than just the sun.

Getting eaten in gator country

Well, we are here in Orlando Florida for a youth basketball tournament. I did a couple of arm and humid morning road runs doing circles around the vacation villas complex where we are staying (yuck). Having dropped my wife at the airport early this morning, I decide that a long day would give me an oportunity to find some sort of trail in this land of amuzement parks and vacation rentals. I looked one up on the internet and intended to run at Disney Wilderness Preserve. No, it isn't part of Disney, it is named after them because they had to pay for the wetland replacement due to the land taken up by their park. It is managed by the Nature Conservancy.

Well, I basically missed the turnoff due to the fact that the area around this conservancy is growing like crazy with new housing and retail development. I guess only big, well-known, companies have to replace their wetlands not housing developers and local governments ;-). Anyway, after driving for another 15-20 minutes I saw a sign with the universal symbol for hikers on it (imagine my excitement). Pulling into the pull-off and reading the map it showed a trail that went out for about 5.5 miles. I guess a good 11 miles would be OK even though I was planning on more like 14. I could always go out again after returning to the car after the first out-and-back.

The trail is basically an overgrown 4x4 trail near Lake Marion used by hunters. However, the sign said it was also for hiking and I met two other runners coming off just as I pulled up. They said that the trail was pretty good, but gets kinda thick. They hadn't gone all the way to the end so I would have to see for myself. The runners were southerners so I figured they knew more about when hunting season was than I did (is that prejudice?). Anyway, I figured there would be signs up if it was hunting season so I felt fairly safe heading out in this lush, jungle-like environ.

It was very different than anyplace else I had run. The trail was completely flat, but the thick grasses that grew thicker the deeper I went made it feel more like a typical trail run pace. There are lots of great noises from flying bugs, beetles, birds and other animals. The plant life is so dense and lush that I felt again like I was running in pre-historic times. However, this was as far from the desert climate (where I last felt that way) as one can get. It does share the heat, but the humidity is quite stiffling.

Running along, I was enjoying the scenary thinking that it was nice (like in the desert) to be running a fairly remote trail without thinking about mountain lions or other predetors. Then, I saw it. A simple little sign on the side of the trail. It said, "Alligator area, do not harrass or feed". I thought to myself, "what am I going to feed them, my foot?" Then I thought there should be a sign facing away from the trail saying "Human area, do not harass or EAT!" Well, just as I was thinking these thoughts, I ran by a little mucky swampy pond and heard a very lowed "KERPLUNK!!" Needless to say, this startled me quite a bit. I realized that Alligators don't chase people, but I still picked up my pace. About a mile later I was forced to stop and get my heart in check. The pace was not something I could keep up in the growing heat and humidity. If I thought my little Big Basin run would prepare me for Florida humidity then I am an idiot. This stuff is serious! I ended up having to take my shirt off because the wicking fabric was less than useless. It did much better over my head and flopping about my shoulders.

I put the thought of alligators behind me and just tried to enjoy the trail. It really was beautiful and I wished I'd brought the camera along. The dense parts look something like this.

Well, going along all was good and alligators were out of my thoughts when I heard another loud "KERSPLASH!" This time I stopped and looked. I couldn't see anything, but something had definitely just dove under the water. I assured myself that the chance of a full grown man being eaten by an alligator along a trail was small. However, I was out of my element and really knew nothing about these beasts. I shortly came to the dead-end of the trail. Here there was another nice little swamp-pool so I stood and looked to see if anything was moving underneath the surface. Just then, a sound came from the bushes and I started. Then I laughed as I saw the absolute cutest little black pig I have ever seen in my life.

It was about the size of one of our black cats and about the same color. I watched it for a bit before continuing on. I now felt no fear of alligators. With these tasty little pork morsels roaming around, no alligator could possibly be tempted by me. On the way back I saw more wildlife included many birds, a racoon and a deer.

Guessing this is what gets hunted, I made a point to scare it off the trail. No point in it getting in the habit of being in such an easily accessible area only to be shot. Hmmm...venison, pork, so many options for these gators. I can't imagine that human meat could even be tempting. I arrived back where I heard the first splash and decided to see if I could find the beast. Looking closely, I guess he (once again) saw me first. I caught a glimpse of him as he jumped off a low tree branch into the water....wait...tree branch? That bugger was only about a foot and a half long!!! These gators on this trail would have difficulty with those hogs let along a full sized human being. Silly Californian!

The rest of the run went fairly well, though the heat and humidity got the best of me. I ended up feeling like I did at the end of my Lake Meade run where I couldn't cool down even though I was drinking. I had to stop a few times and find shade and also got a nasty side cramp. My shorts were as wet as if I had jumped in a pool and my shirt that I alternated between carrying and wearing on my head must have weighed five pounds with all the moisture it was holding on to. Finally, I realized that there was a real danger of being eaten out here. With my shirt off in this humid jungle I was a veritable feast for the Florida bugs.

Coming up 5's in Santa Cruz

I ran the Santa Cruz Mountains 50K this past weekend as my second race at that distance. Everything sorta came together: great course, inspiring trail companions and great weather. I actually went sub-6 hours and had a top-10 finish! OK, so there were only 33 people in the race including a number of first timers, but it still felt good to have a single digit result (7th place). Two of the first timers were a couple named Eric and April Lehman whom I had met earlier in the year at the Muir Woods Marathon. I was training for my first 50K there and they said they were considering doing one some time in the future. I guess they decided the future was upon them. Congrats to them both! Another first timer was Matt Baumgardner who was out there for a full 9+ hours. Congrats Matt! In an ultra, the real warriors are at the back. I wanted to stick around and cheer you in, but family duties and the Sunday night-Hwy17 traffic beckoned me home.

Oh yes, as for the fives. For the 50K my race number was 550 and my finish time was exactly 5:55:00. I wanted to try and finish on my race number, but just couldn't push it much more those last few miles. I swear the downhill came sooner during the first out-and-back section and what's with time moving faster in the final 3-4 miles?!? Oh well, I'm not about to complain. It was a great race and a great day.

Fast as road

...only softer on the knees, better scenery and with a nice cool bay breeze. What am I talking about? Running on the levees along the San Francisco Bay. The San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex includes a number of different refuges around the bay including the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge in the east and south bay. I have run numerous times in the east bay section starting from the visitor center and connecting with Coyote Hills near the Dumbarton Bridge. However, I have recently discovered another part of the same wildlife refuge that is down near my work in north San Jose. Actually, it is in Alviso just north of 237.

Yes, Alviso. Famous for great mexican food and the "great" smell from the nearby landfill. Well, it also includes a beautiful wildlife refuge that has an environmental education center. This section has a set of levees that connect up with the levees above the old Alviso Marina to make for a great dirt running path. It is flat, soft dirt, circling salt ponds and bay marshes. There are more species of birds in the area than I can count and (most importantly) it is upwind from the landfill. This is also a part of the Bay Trail that is a planned path around the entire bay. There are usually people riding bikes on the trails and a few walkers, but mostly it is pretty empty. The entire network perimeter is about the length of a half-marathon (hmmm...would be a good place for a race). The section near the marina is between 8.5 and 9 miles, but you can cross the railroad tracks to get over to the section near the environmental education center.

Truth be told it probably isn't quite as fast as running on the roads since you are almost guaranteed a headwind for part of the run. But, with recent weather here in California, that's a good thing!

Waddell-Beach-to-Big-Basin via Skyline-to-the-Sea

I decided to try to avoid running in the triple-digit heat today by driving up Route 1 and doing a run in the woods above the coast. If your not familiar with this trail, it is an absolutely gorgeous backpacking trail through the Big Basin Redwoods. The full trail covers about 33 miles one way, but I did just the last 11 out-and-back for a 22 miler. I didn't take a camera with me but this site has some very nice pictures.

I chose to do the trail starting from the normal end point at Waddell Beach and turning around at the Big Basin Park HQ. I did this so it would be mostly downhill on the way back and also so I would end my run at the beach allowing for the end of run, Pacific Ocean, ice bath. As I said, I picked this trail thinking that the shade of the woods would help avoid the heat. Well, what I discovered once I got into the dense cover was that I not only had not managed to avoid the heat, I had added a significant amount of humidity to my running weather. By the time I was half-way to the park I could already feel my shorts drenched. Luckily, I had my hydration pack (refilled before heading down) and my S!Caps to keep me from safe. On the way down the heat was getting to me and I ended up draining my pack. Luckily there is a nice cool creek that parallels this trail. I took a couple opportunities to dunk my head and even drink some of the water (I know, I know).

On a more moderate day, this trail would be an absolute pleasure. It is very moderately graded. It starts on fireroad that is shared with bikes and horses, but after 5 miles it is all hikers and it narrows down and becomes much more interesting. I ran part of this a number of years ago in the Big Basin Half Marathon. I am considering doing the Big Basin 50K in August which also includes this trail We'll see. I have to get through the Santa Cruz Mountains 50K (my 2nd) next weekend first!

Fear and tranquility in the dead of night

Inspired by resent blog postings from Catra and Miki, I decided that I wanted to do a night run up Mission Peak. Besides, I hadn't been sleeping well lately with the heat and too many thoughts roaming around in my head. I was a little worried about how my legs would feel given that I had done a longer-than-planned run in the heat the day before while undernourished and carrying too little fluid. I decided I would head out from my house and run the 3.6 miles to the start to see how I felt and decide how far I would plan to go.

I headed out around 9:30pm and couldn't help but keep glancing up towards the peak; my excitement growing the closer I got. By the time I arrived at the Stanford Avenue parking lot there was little question in my mind. I would do my normal route up the main trail (Hidden Valley) then around the back side along Eagle Trail to connect with the Peak Trail going up and over the top then connecting back to Hidden Valley. I find this route is the most runnable and easy to follow path to the peak. It measures just over 7 miles making the total round trip around 14 1/4 miles door-to-door.

I brought a headlamp along, but the first part of the trail was fairly well lit from the glow of city lights and I decided not to use it. This running in the dark on a lonely trail was a wonderful sensation. I expected to have a little fear being out on the trail at night by myself, but really what I felt was a sense of tranquility and being at peace. It reminded me of the times when I was growing up living on Mt. Diablo and decided to wander around in the woods at night. I thought I would scare myself, but what I found was more a feeling of wonder and fascination. I had no problem with footing and was able to keep a fairly good pace thanks to the cool night air. Going up and over "the saddle" it became significantly darker and I knew I would need the headlamp with some slightly rockier trail up ahead.

It took a little while to get used to the headlamp. I've only run with one once before during The Relay but that was on roads. Ive also mountain biked and climbed with lamps, but it is very different. On the bike the light is pretty well fixed on the bike and climbing is such a slower paced activity. It took a bit to get the angle right and I found myself much more likely to look around at the random noises along the trail. I think this caused me to experience a little more fear than when I didn't have the light on. Of course, I was also on the slightly more remote section of trail and there was definitely something moving around in the trees near Laurel Loop :-). At any rate, I reached the peak in a little under 1:05 and stopped to take in the scene. And what a scene it was! The view up there is always good, but this was something else. Like sitting alone in an empty theatre watching your favorite movie, but it seems completely new because of the unique perspective. The air was probably in the mid-70s and clear as can be. I really wanted to stay up there, just sit and hang out, but it was now after 11pm and I thought I should head home. A brief snack and then down the mountain we go.

Running downhill in the dark definitely slowed my normal tendency to charge down with reckless abandon. You can't look very far ahead and plan your flight path. I noticed that I tend to lift my feet a lot more while running in the dark. Perhaps this is good training for me as I tend to sort of scuttle sometimes, especially on the flat parts. After arriving back on the front portion of the trail down, I decided that I was tired of the little circle of light again. I turned it off and headed down the fireroad. It probably wasn't the safest way to go, but it is pretty smooth trail and I know it like the back of my hand. I think I was even able to move a little better with it off, cruising down at an enjoyable pace with a big smile. It startled me when an owl took off from a nearby tree with a screetch, but then I told myself that we were both just two creatures of the night enjoying a beautiful summer evening. There really is something magical about running in the dark like that. I definitely want to return and do a run up here without any lights during a full moon.

Running the road home was obviously not nearly as satisfying, but it did give me an opportunity to let my thoughts wander a bit more. I planned a track workout for my son's basketball team, talked with my wife in my head telling her how much I love her and miss her and promised myself that the two of us would do a night hike together when she returns from NY. Once home, I decided to cap off this near perfect evening with a midnight dip in the pool.

I definitely enjoyed the night running, the solitude, the sense of adventure and the feeling of newness that it adds to a familiar trail.