Mt Hood PCT 50M
I’m finally a real ultramarathoner … maybe. I guess everyone has their own opinion of what the requisite distance that makes an ultramarthon an ultramarathon, but I’m pretty sure that 50 km is only barely maybe so. Regardless I’m really happy to have finally run my first 50 miler. The weather was great, the trail was awesome, and my body responded quite nicely to the task requested of it on Saturday on Cascade crest between Hood and Jefferson.
I started with a real slow pace. My goal on the first out and back was to try to stay below 155 bpm. I found the pace relaxing and somewhat tedious until, at the first turnaround (~ 14 mi), I counted runners and found myself in 110th place out of 115 people. Not to worry, my race plan had the field coming back to me in the second half of the race. Actually I was very worried. From Little Crater Lake back to the start/A.S./finish (mile 23 to 28), my legs didn’t feel as fresh as I thought they would have given my conservative pace, and doubts were beginning to creep up in my mind: did I start too slow, will I miss cutoff times, was my training adequate, can I even run this far at all, etc.
As I ran into Timothy Lake (the start/ A.S./ finish) my spirits began to rise. The scene was pretty hectic. People were dropping left and right. Olga (one of the RD’s) was taking down peoples numbers and saying things like “How do you feel? Oh you’re dropping, why? I just finished Hardrock, you can do this, its not so hard. Dont sit down. Why are you sitting? Get out of here.” The large congregation of runners and large number of runners dropping meant two things to me. One, I was catching up to the field and if I could keep a steady pace here I’d pass a larger number of people in a relatively short distance, and two, a lot of the folks ahead of me have probably gone out at a pace quicker than they are now able to maintain. I worked these mathematics in my head and prepared to drop some science by partaking in my secret weapon: the Starbucks double shot. Is this legal? For the last 2 AS now, nothing solid appealed to me. As a matter of fact, my stomach was making itself very clear to me that it did not want anything to eat besides melons. Spirits raised and caffeine ingested I headed merrily on my way hoping my race would come around and confident that I’d run the first half of the race to plan (sub 155 bpm, lots of salts, and enough water to pee a few times).
And then my day started to turn. Caffeine slowly took hold off my adled brain. Ibuprofen worked its way down to my aching hamstrings. I bumped the lasted Audio 1 mix as entire trains of runners came back to me. One by one, and by groups of 3 or 5, a significant chunk of the field (roughly 35 runners) came back to me on the next two sections. My race was coming together. I hit a short speedbump when I fell but fell a mile or two short on water up to the second turnaround. I clearly wasn’t the only one having water issues here. I saw a woman walking this entire section with a gallon jug of energy drink.
About this point it dawned on me that I was very close to finishing sub 10 hr. Great, so I’ve running for 7.5 hrs, am slightly tired, but I need to make tracks. I kept thinking ‘come on Craig, do you really want to run another just to get sub 10 … no, so do it right the first time!’. I’m overly caffeinated at this point but feeling OK about my melons only diet. The field is coming back to me slower now, but I’m trucking along steady and handling my stomach issues fine. By the last AS I realize I might actually finish. Melons and more melons get me through the last few downhill miles. I came in a few minutes ahead of the 10 hr mark. Sweet! Really really stoked. Way fun but also harder than I expected. Next time I’ll be better trained.
7/28/09
7/14/09
SOB 7/11
Siskiyou Out and Back (SOB) 7/11/09
The course is awesome. It’s a modified out and back with a lollipop at the end to prevent runners coming back on each other. Its mostly on the Crest Trail, which of course, is exceptionally well maintained, has great views of Mt Shasta and some neat wildflowers (like Bog Orchids and Quacking Aspen). The race started at 7, which is quite a few hours earlier than I usually like to run. This meant that I was a little late to get food into my stomach, which, come race time, was still sitting in there. I started the race with some stomach queasiness and ultimately never really got over it. I attribute this mostly to getting behind on my salt intake. Even during the entire next day my stomach felt queasy. Nonetheless it was a great shakedown for the 50 miler next weekend. I know I have got to take the hills super easy at 5000 ft altitude, despite my training, and I know I’ve got to take much more salt than I have been.
The course is awesome. It’s a modified out and back with a lollipop at the end to prevent runners coming back on each other. Its mostly on the Crest Trail, which of course, is exceptionally well maintained, has great views of Mt Shasta and some neat wildflowers (like Bog Orchids and Quacking Aspen). The race started at 7, which is quite a few hours earlier than I usually like to run. This meant that I was a little late to get food into my stomach, which, come race time, was still sitting in there. I started the race with some stomach queasiness and ultimately never really got over it. I attribute this mostly to getting behind on my salt intake. Even during the entire next day my stomach felt queasy. Nonetheless it was a great shakedown for the 50 miler next weekend. I know I have got to take the hills super easy at 5000 ft altitude, despite my training, and I know I’ve got to take much more salt than I have been.
6/17/09
Training update
June 16,
My hamstring is feeling quite well lately. The last two weeks (35 and 40 miles) I spent building up my mileage again, so I'm taking it easy this week to insure I dont overdo it. I did 2 consecutive 50+ mile weeks in February/March which, combined with speedwork, resulted in a hamstring injury which I've been nursing for a good 2 month. After adding a lot of stretching and lower body strength training i'm just about back to where my mileage was, but I have not been doing much speed work. I'm hoping to get back into that a little bit, maybe at the Test of Endurance this weekend where I'll be running the short course. 4 weeks till my next 50 km (S.O.B) and 6 weeks till my first 50 miler (PCT 50) near Mt Hood.
My hamstring is feeling quite well lately. The last two weeks (35 and 40 miles) I spent building up my mileage again, so I'm taking it easy this week to insure I dont overdo it. I did 2 consecutive 50+ mile weeks in February/March which, combined with speedwork, resulted in a hamstring injury which I've been nursing for a good 2 month. After adding a lot of stretching and lower body strength training i'm just about back to where my mileage was, but I have not been doing much speed work. I'm hoping to get back into that a little bit, maybe at the Test of Endurance this weekend where I'll be running the short course. 4 weeks till my next 50 km (S.O.B) and 6 weeks till my first 50 miler (PCT 50) near Mt Hood.
5/26/09
I had a great day in Mcdonald Forest just outside of town on Saturday. Over the last two weeks I ran most of the course, timing all splits to what would be a 5:30 pace. Over the course of these runs, I realized that my pace goal was a bit optimistic, but I didn’t mind. It just made me want to run that much faster. My whole mindset was changed going in to my 6th 50k. I I no longer simply ‘run to finish’ 50km’s anymore. I race them.
April and I arrived early at the Forestry Club cabin early on race morning. Feeling confident, she changed her mind about the early start (to avoid missing cutoffs) and we got to help out and mill about for an hour. There was little to do to help out Scott and Ken. I can’t say enough about how well put together the race was. They had everything under control. As the cabin started to fill up with eager runners, their friends and families, the energy in the cabin became palpable. I ran into friends, made new ones, and generally relished in the culture of running. It’s always so nice to hang around with people who love running as much as I do. Finally the gong was struck and it was time to head off for Mac #3. The field spread slowly and I quickly found myself trading places on the climb up Section 36 loop. Interestingly, a woman ran very consistently and smoothly up this trail right at my pace as I alternated running and power walking according to gradient. All styles, all good. As we emerged onto Davies road the crowds had thinned out a bit.
The old growth trail was a blissful respite from the road just before we hit AS #1 (Aid Station), with about 5 minutes in the bank for my desired pace. I ate some fruit and headed down Alpha off into jaunt #1 in the Maze, starting with the ridiciously steep Lovely Rita. I got into a group of guys and ended up getting my HR (heart rate) a bit too high in places. No worries. I felt good, my knee and hamstring felt OK, so I just went with it. The run down Extendo was a fun as it always is, and at AS #2 I was still 1 minute ahead of my splits. I made an error in grabbing way too many pretzels leaving the AS, and by the time I managed to down them I was a minute out the AS and had only half a bottle of water left for the longest and hardest section of the course.
The climb up Uproute trail involved more walking that I had hoped for, planned for and budgeted for, and then fun really began. Jaunt # 2 thru the maze (Baker Creek area) is over the most technical portions of trail in the forest. Some of it is steep. There are trees to avoid around the curves, creeks to jump over, mud bogs which can not be avoided and the elevation changes are steep and of varied length. The trail dictates the pace much more than one might generally prefer. In short, its pretty much everything you could ask for on a Saturday morning. My pace suffered as the winding drew on and my bottle and gel packs quickly emptied. Upon emerging out of the maze we were greeted by a surprise water only pitstop manned by Dennis, quickly followed by a whole slew of Big Lebowski themed posters leading up to the always entertaining and themed Dimple Hill AS #3. These folks always represent at their AS, and this year was no exception. Someone was dressed like Jesus from said movie, and there were white Russians lined up all over one table. I was (and had been for a while) famished, so I filled up the tanks and grabbed a gel to go. Though all my banked time had disappeared and them some, I found myself in the exact situation that I had hoping for the last 6 months. 15 min off 5:30 pace at the top of dimple hill, past the torturous and slow maze sections in the first half of the race, and definitely within striking distance of my goals.
Gradual (mtn biking) switchback on Dans trail.
I run downs Dan’s Trail often, and pretty much every time for the last half a year I imagined myself racing the Mac in this position. I cranked the choonage and blissed out on the forest, the beautiful weather, what great shape the trail was in, and the awesome people I was sharing it with. I also (and according to plan) began passing people. The crowd at Chip Ross AS #4 was amazing, I had a double caffeine gel, got maximum boost from my people (thanks for coming out Alice and Rhett) and hastened along, having shaved 5 out of 15 minutes that needed shaving with two sections left.
The mud in Chip Ross was not as bad as I thought it would be, but I never found my groove on the long and varied climb up Horse trail back to the Saddle. I didn’t run as much of it as I wanted to, and as a result, not only didn’t I catch anyone on this ascent but I actually lost 5 minutes. Though my goal pace was no longer in contention, I was running as fast as I could and giving it all I could. No shame in my game today, I was going to leave it all out on the course and come in with nothing left. The caffeine from the gel finally kicked in as I stepped up my game. There was carnage on the trail to the left and the right. I pushed myself faster as wheels on the folks all around me came off. I must have passed a dozen people here, and just felt better and better as I went on. I could have run longer, but the turn off Nettleton road and quick ascent up Powderhouse meant that my day was inevitably coming to end. I ran down Powderhouse and crossed the finish in 5:41 (full results here). Totally stoked. Awesome day. Awesome race. 364 more days till the next one!
Course map: notice all the squiggles in the upper left.
April gets her first ever drop bag ready. Its all fashion choices.
April and I arrived early at the Forestry Club cabin early on race morning. Feeling confident, she changed her mind about the early start (to avoid missing cutoffs) and we got to help out and mill about for an hour. There was little to do to help out Scott and Ken. I can’t say enough about how well put together the race was. They had everything under control. As the cabin started to fill up with eager runners, their friends and families, the energy in the cabin became palpable. I ran into friends, made new ones, and generally relished in the culture of running. It’s always so nice to hang around with people who love running as much as I do. Finally the gong was struck and it was time to head off for Mac #3. The field spread slowly and I quickly found myself trading places on the climb up Section 36 loop. Interestingly, a woman ran very consistently and smoothly up this trail right at my pace as I alternated running and power walking according to gradient. All styles, all good. As we emerged onto Davies road the crowds had thinned out a bit.
Trillium on the first leg of the course
The old growth trail was a blissful respite from the road just before we hit AS #1 (Aid Station), with about 5 minutes in the bank for my desired pace. I ate some fruit and headed down Alpha off into jaunt #1 in the Maze, starting with the ridiciously steep Lovely Rita. I got into a group of guys and ended up getting my HR (heart rate) a bit too high in places. No worries. I felt good, my knee and hamstring felt OK, so I just went with it. The run down Extendo was a fun as it always is, and at AS #2 I was still 1 minute ahead of my splits. I made an error in grabbing way too many pretzels leaving the AS, and by the time I managed to down them I was a minute out the AS and had only half a bottle of water left for the longest and hardest section of the course.
On the descent of Alpha trail.
Erythronium on the descent of Alpha trail
X amount of hills in the Maze.
The climb up Uproute trail involved more walking that I had hoped for, planned for and budgeted for, and then fun really began. Jaunt # 2 thru the maze (Baker Creek area) is over the most technical portions of trail in the forest. Some of it is steep. There are trees to avoid around the curves, creeks to jump over, mud bogs which can not be avoided and the elevation changes are steep and of varied length. The trail dictates the pace much more than one might generally prefer. In short, its pretty much everything you could ask for on a Saturday morning. My pace suffered as the winding drew on and my bottle and gel packs quickly emptied. Upon emerging out of the maze we were greeted by a surprise water only pitstop manned by Dennis, quickly followed by a whole slew of Big Lebowski themed posters leading up to the always entertaining and themed Dimple Hill AS #3. These folks always represent at their AS, and this year was no exception. Someone was dressed like Jesus from said movie, and there were white Russians lined up all over one table. I was (and had been for a while) famished, so I filled up the tanks and grabbed a gel to go. Though all my banked time had disappeared and them some, I found myself in the exact situation that I had hoping for the last 6 months. 15 min off 5:30 pace at the top of dimple hill, past the torturous and slow maze sections in the first half of the race, and definitely within striking distance of my goals.
Gradual (mtn biking) switchback on Dans trail.I run downs Dan’s Trail often, and pretty much every time for the last half a year I imagined myself racing the Mac in this position. I cranked the choonage and blissed out on the forest, the beautiful weather, what great shape the trail was in, and the awesome people I was sharing it with. I also (and according to plan) began passing people. The crowd at Chip Ross AS #4 was amazing, I had a double caffeine gel, got maximum boost from my people (thanks for coming out Alice and Rhett) and hastened along, having shaved 5 out of 15 minutes that needed shaving with two sections left.
Chip Ross AS. 2x caffeine gu in hand.
The mud in Chip Ross was not as bad as I thought it would be, but I never found my groove on the long and varied climb up Horse trail back to the Saddle. I didn’t run as much of it as I wanted to, and as a result, not only didn’t I catch anyone on this ascent but I actually lost 5 minutes. Though my goal pace was no longer in contention, I was running as fast as I could and giving it all I could. No shame in my game today, I was going to leave it all out on the course and come in with nothing left. The caffeine from the gel finally kicked in as I stepped up my game. There was carnage on the trail to the left and the right. I pushed myself faster as wheels on the folks all around me came off. I must have passed a dozen people here, and just felt better and better as I went on. I could have run longer, but the turn off Nettleton road and quick ascent up Powderhouse meant that my day was inevitably coming to end. I ran down Powderhouse and crossed the finish in 5:41 (full results here). Totally stoked. Awesome day. Awesome race. 364 more days till the next one!
April crosses the finish line
4/8/09
Peterson Ridge Rumble race report 4/7/09
I toed the line on Sunday morning with no small amount of trepidation. My hamstring has been intermittently bothering me for the last month or two and I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it. Since it only really hurts when I run fast (relatively speaking, that is), and it was pretty cold out, I started out nice and slow. I wanted to give myself some leeway to speed things up in the 2nd half of the race if my body felt up to it.
I toed the line on Sunday morning with no small amount of trepidation. My hamstring has been intermittently bothering me for the last month or two and I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it. Since it only really hurts when I run fast (relatively speaking, that is), and it was pretty cold out, I started out nice and slow. I wanted to give myself some leeway to speed things up in the 2nd half of the race if my body felt up to it.
Race morning temps were in the mid 20's
My strategy, as always, was simple:
1) start slow, keep some gas in the tank
2) assess and adjust, be patient
3) begin passing people in the last 1/3 of the race
Unfortunately #2 just didn’t work out the way it has in my last few races, so point #3 had to be revised radically
3 revised) welcome to sufferfest!
This being my 5th ultra now, I have been expecting to have something other than the best race, or a PR (personal record) any race now. I finally got it at the Rumble. I started nice and slow, I met some nice folks, and got some good tips from ultra-awesome runner Linda. She kept a nice steady rhythm, and I decided to hang in there despite her assurance that she didn’t plan on seeing Ken again, who left us in his dust at about mile 2. Since his pre-race time estimate was similar to mine, my plans were otherwise. The course was meandering through some sweet sweet singletrack, weaving in and out of Ponderosa’s, but generally straying flat. I mean flat, really flat. I quickly became concerned about the lack of hills. Hills are what I need during a race. Actually let me revise that, justified walking breaks are what I need during a race. I simply do not excel at running flats for extended periods of time. Those sorts of training runs do not exist my neck of the woods. Case in point, the Mac course, where I do all my training, has 6700 ft of cumulative elevation gain. The Peterson Ridge course feels like it has less than 2000 ft. Irregardless (one of my favorite not word words), I still found places here and there to take it easy. I most definitely should have listened to the kind hearted volunteer at AS #3, who told me that then next stretch was icy. I hit the very first patch of ice on a downhill, promptly slipped and fell absolutely flat on my back. I banged up my ego, shoulder and forearm, but was otherwise OK. Shortly thereafter we hit the “grunt” climb and I felt as strong as I would feel all day. I like hills, but they were too few and too far in between for me to run a solid race on this course.
At and after AS #4, where the longer course again coincides with the shorter course, I started running into (not literally) a bunch of the Corvallis trail crew. Gaby, effervescent as always, looked strong, as did father and son team Dave and Eric. There was no sign of my trail bunny though, and nobody seemed to be quite as impressed with my new trail tattoo as I was. I chalked this up to my newbie status, this was the first course I had left a piece of myself out on. It felt nice though, I felt that the blood I left on the ice had somehow strengthened my bond with the course, and it felt strangely reassuring to know that I gone out to play in the woods, and was going to come back just a little worse for the wear, just like when I was a kid again.
By AS #5 I felt slow. A woman who I had beat at Hagg Lake flew by me like I was standing still. I found out afterwards that she was running the shorter race, but given how my body felt, mentally, I never even allowed for that possibility. I was running sans watch, so I didn’t really know if my splits were off or not, but I was cramping in my glutes and upper hamstrings, and that never happens to me. At this point I felt sort of cracked out. I was pretty sure that I had switched from water to energy drink too early in the race, and now my body just felt a bit weak. After failing to respond well to a few attempts at picking up the pace for any extended period of time, I stopped asking it for more, and was satisfied with any forward progress whatsoever. I was very glad to have a buddy to tackle hilly road up to AS #6 with. Thanks for the positive vibes Todd. From the top of AS #6, the course undulates slowly downhill on fantastic single track thru short manzanita stands. As my 2xcaffeine gel kicked in for real, view after view of crystal white Cascade mountains (Sisters, Broken Top, Washington, Jack, Jefferson, Black Butte, Belknap Crater) unfolded before me as I steadily, and finally gained the upper hand on Rod, whose black and white shirt I had been following from a few hundred yard back for roughly 15 miles or so. My elation at the awesome course was short lived however, because not a few minutes later, I heard John's voice 30 yards back. Not only was I barely passing people at this point, but I was about to get passed, and he sounded strong. This was not a position I have been in the second half a race for a long time. Panic filled my steps as I became the hunted. I was delaying the inevitable, desperately trying to hang on to the notion that I was having a good race, while John was slowly and inexorably closing the gap between us. It quickly became evident that he was killing the downhills, and I gladly stepped aside to let him by. Having done so, I felt much better. I let go of my notion of holding him off, and blissed out about how awesome the trail was, how crisp and clean the air felt, how much I like stands of Ponderosa pines, how the wistful notion of running flat trails seemed so attractive before I tackled this race.
My strategy, as always, was simple:
1) start slow, keep some gas in the tank
2) assess and adjust, be patient
3) begin passing people in the last 1/3 of the race
Unfortunately #2 just didn’t work out the way it has in my last few races, so point #3 had to be revised radically
3 revised) welcome to sufferfest!
This being my 5th ultra now, I have been expecting to have something other than the best race, or a PR (personal record) any race now. I finally got it at the Rumble. I started nice and slow, I met some nice folks, and got some good tips from ultra-awesome runner Linda. She kept a nice steady rhythm, and I decided to hang in there despite her assurance that she didn’t plan on seeing Ken again, who left us in his dust at about mile 2. Since his pre-race time estimate was similar to mine, my plans were otherwise. The course was meandering through some sweet sweet singletrack, weaving in and out of Ponderosa’s, but generally straying flat. I mean flat, really flat. I quickly became concerned about the lack of hills. Hills are what I need during a race. Actually let me revise that, justified walking breaks are what I need during a race. I simply do not excel at running flats for extended periods of time. Those sorts of training runs do not exist my neck of the woods. Case in point, the Mac course, where I do all my training, has 6700 ft of cumulative elevation gain. The Peterson Ridge course feels like it has less than 2000 ft. Irregardless (one of my favorite not word words), I still found places here and there to take it easy. I most definitely should have listened to the kind hearted volunteer at AS #3, who told me that then next stretch was icy. I hit the very first patch of ice on a downhill, promptly slipped and fell absolutely flat on my back. I banged up my ego, shoulder and forearm, but was otherwise OK. Shortly thereafter we hit the “grunt” climb and I felt as strong as I would feel all day. I like hills, but they were too few and too far in between for me to run a solid race on this course.
At and after AS #4, where the longer course again coincides with the shorter course, I started running into (not literally) a bunch of the Corvallis trail crew. Gaby, effervescent as always, looked strong, as did father and son team Dave and Eric. There was no sign of my trail bunny though, and nobody seemed to be quite as impressed with my new trail tattoo as I was. I chalked this up to my newbie status, this was the first course I had left a piece of myself out on. It felt nice though, I felt that the blood I left on the ice had somehow strengthened my bond with the course, and it felt strangely reassuring to know that I gone out to play in the woods, and was going to come back just a little worse for the wear, just like when I was a kid again.
By AS #5 I felt slow. A woman who I had beat at Hagg Lake flew by me like I was standing still. I found out afterwards that she was running the shorter race, but given how my body felt, mentally, I never even allowed for that possibility. I was running sans watch, so I didn’t really know if my splits were off or not, but I was cramping in my glutes and upper hamstrings, and that never happens to me. At this point I felt sort of cracked out. I was pretty sure that I had switched from water to energy drink too early in the race, and now my body just felt a bit weak. After failing to respond well to a few attempts at picking up the pace for any extended period of time, I stopped asking it for more, and was satisfied with any forward progress whatsoever. I was very glad to have a buddy to tackle hilly road up to AS #6 with. Thanks for the positive vibes Todd. From the top of AS #6, the course undulates slowly downhill on fantastic single track thru short manzanita stands. As my 2xcaffeine gel kicked in for real, view after view of crystal white Cascade mountains (Sisters, Broken Top, Washington, Jack, Jefferson, Black Butte, Belknap Crater) unfolded before me as I steadily, and finally gained the upper hand on Rod, whose black and white shirt I had been following from a few hundred yard back for roughly 15 miles or so. My elation at the awesome course was short lived however, because not a few minutes later, I heard John's voice 30 yards back. Not only was I barely passing people at this point, but I was about to get passed, and he sounded strong. This was not a position I have been in the second half a race for a long time. Panic filled my steps as I became the hunted. I was delaying the inevitable, desperately trying to hang on to the notion that I was having a good race, while John was slowly and inexorably closing the gap between us. It quickly became evident that he was killing the downhills, and I gladly stepped aside to let him by. Having done so, I felt much better. I let go of my notion of holding him off, and blissed out about how awesome the trail was, how crisp and clean the air felt, how much I like stands of Ponderosa pines, how the wistful notion of running flat trails seemed so attractive before I tackled this race.
At the last AS I was greeted by none other than last years Oregon trail series champ, William Swint, who treated me like a champ and promptly sent my on my way. Thanks to all the volunteers out there, your help was very much appreciated! I couldnt bear to drink any more Nuun, my body had been rebelling against it for hours, so I went with a gel, thinking that nothing else would be digested before the finish. Promptly Ken came into view, and I realized that I was happy at seeing him, since his pre-race time goal was very similar to mine and it meant that my race might not quite as off time-wise and I was expecting. Evidently these guys have been running together for quite some time, because Ken had some strong words of encouragement for me to catch up. I took one last quick walking break for a hundred yards, and finally willed myself over the last few undulations, across the road and around the track to the finish line (full results here). It was not pretty, but I finished. Timewise, I was only 5 minutes off my goal pace (in a 5:45 race time thats a pretty legimate estimate), but pacewise, I didnt feel as good as I did at at Hagg Lake two months ago. I’m not sure if that means I had a good day at Hagg Lake, or if had just an OK day at the Rumble, but anyways I had a fun race on a really sweet course , and can’t wait for the Mac next month.
Rod, John, Ken and I, post race
My trail tattoo is legit, right?
Rod, John, Ken and I, post race
My trail tattoo is legit, right?
Mile
Tues 3/17
Ran a 5:34 mile the other day. My last mile in the fall was 6 min flat, so I'm pretty stoked that the track sessions have been working, unfortunately a bit too well, since now my hamstring pretty much hurts. Time to get my taper on for Peterson Ridge Rumble.
Ran a 5:34 mile the other day. My last mile in the fall was 6 min flat, so I'm pretty stoked that the track sessions have been working, unfortunately a bit too well, since now my hamstring pretty much hurts. Time to get my taper on for Peterson Ridge Rumble.
3/15/09
2/25/09
Do I alway run like that?
Do I always run like that - Hagg Lake race report
Hagg Lake 50k was an absolute blast. The conditions were great: not too much mud on the trail, the temperature was nice and cool, and the sun was shining. The run went really well, actually it was my first sub 5hr 50 km. In light of my new PR (personal record) I'll list the positive aspects of the race for me.
its go timeThings I did well on Saturday
1) Run slowly. I ran a faster second lap than I did the first. Negative splits are great because they generally allow one to pass people in the second half of the race as opposed to getting passed in the second half of the race. In this case I passed about 5 or 10 people on the 2nd lap (not counting the early starters).
1) Run slowly. I ran a faster second lap than I did the first. Negative splits are great because they generally allow one to pass people in the second half of the race as opposed to getting passed in the second half of the race. In this case I passed about 5 or 10 people on the 2nd lap (not counting the early starters).
whos the maniac now?
I should also mention some other aspects of this race… Take a look at the last three pictures here (ignore for a moment that I’m basically just walking in the first few). Am I a weirdo or what? What in the world is that grimace on my face? Do I always run like that? In light of this I think that I should probably alter my training plan to include a weekly run where I pull the treadmill in front of the mirror and practice making normal people facial expressions for a few hours.
2/12/09
Wed 02/11 – Speed work is hard
Wed 02/11 – Speed work is hard
Speed work is hard. Maybe that’s why its not good to do it all the time. Myself, I do it as much as I can, which is to say, as much as my body will let me. Today, it didn’t. The combination of a few consecutive weeks of speed work, plus 25 milers on back to back weekends did not treat me very well, so I cut my session of 6x800s short today. The bigger picture is Hagg Lake next Saturday, so I didn’t feel bad about easing off. Sometimes running (for me at least) is mostly about staying healthy and injury free. I should know, my first marathon (Newport) put me out of commission with shin splints for months. I’m a bit smarter than that now. Rather than get really excited about some race that I want to run fast or that is longer than I’ve ever done before (like Mt Hood in July) and go out and train until I’m hurt, now I’m Mr. gradual progression. The last 3 months of speedwork have seen my 800s drop from 3:20 to 3:00, and my 1600s drop from 6:40 to 6:10. Neither of those time are fast, but relatively speaking, they are faster. That’s the key. In March I’m running a local 10K, 5K and 1 miler, to check and see how these times have changed since the fall.
Speed work is hard. Maybe that’s why its not good to do it all the time. Myself, I do it as much as I can, which is to say, as much as my body will let me. Today, it didn’t. The combination of a few consecutive weeks of speed work, plus 25 milers on back to back weekends did not treat me very well, so I cut my session of 6x800s short today. The bigger picture is Hagg Lake next Saturday, so I didn’t feel bad about easing off. Sometimes running (for me at least) is mostly about staying healthy and injury free. I should know, my first marathon (Newport) put me out of commission with shin splints for months. I’m a bit smarter than that now. Rather than get really excited about some race that I want to run fast or that is longer than I’ve ever done before (like Mt Hood in July) and go out and train until I’m hurt, now I’m Mr. gradual progression. The last 3 months of speedwork have seen my 800s drop from 3:20 to 3:00, and my 1600s drop from 6:40 to 6:10. Neither of those time are fast, but relatively speaking, they are faster. That’s the key. In March I’m running a local 10K, 5K and 1 miler, to check and see how these times have changed since the fall.
Sun 02/08 - Pick yourself up and dust yourself off
Sun 02/08 - Pick yourself up and dust yourself off
Not every run is great, and not every run is incredibly fun. Some days, like yesterday, I never really get into a groove. I didn’t really feel strong until I hit the 3:30 hr mark yesterday, and by then my body and mind had already agreed that it was time to head back to the car. I spent the first 10 miles trying to assess why I felt like I was running in slow motion, especially in light of the speed work that felt really good earlier in the week (3x1600 @ 6:10). At this point I came to bridge over a creek on the Old Growth Trail in the Mac Forest. I came down to it, turning to the right, both feet to the left of my center of gravity, hit a wet spot with my foot strike on the bridge, and ended up completely sprawled out, face an inch above the ground, with my left foot hanging over the edge of the bridge, and a nice bruise on my right shin. After a few minutes of walking to ease the pain in my shin, I was no worse for the wear, but my ego had taken a big hit. It was just that kind of day. I continued on in the best way I knew how. This being three weeks from Hagg Lake, I had to get some miles in, so I ran as far away from my car as quickly as possible (thru the Maze over to the bottom of extendo) so that by the time I actually acknowledged that I wasn’t going the full 28 today that I wanted, I had already signed up for 25 just to get back to my car. It was good enough. It's good for me to get in miles when I feel a bit off. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and made more tracks. Not every run is perfect, and there are and will be days when I question my motivation and my fitness, but in the grand scheme of things, one mediocre long run is not the end of the world. Anyways I've ended laid out on the trail two of the last three weekends, and given a choice, a hard landing on a bridge is better than in the brambles. It's ok to fall, and its ok to cut short a run when I feel off. Hagg Lake is in two weeks, 10k, 5k and 1mile runs sometime in the month thereafter.
Not every run is great, and not every run is incredibly fun. Some days, like yesterday, I never really get into a groove. I didn’t really feel strong until I hit the 3:30 hr mark yesterday, and by then my body and mind had already agreed that it was time to head back to the car. I spent the first 10 miles trying to assess why I felt like I was running in slow motion, especially in light of the speed work that felt really good earlier in the week (3x1600 @ 6:10). At this point I came to bridge over a creek on the Old Growth Trail in the Mac Forest. I came down to it, turning to the right, both feet to the left of my center of gravity, hit a wet spot with my foot strike on the bridge, and ended up completely sprawled out, face an inch above the ground, with my left foot hanging over the edge of the bridge, and a nice bruise on my right shin. After a few minutes of walking to ease the pain in my shin, I was no worse for the wear, but my ego had taken a big hit. It was just that kind of day. I continued on in the best way I knew how. This being three weeks from Hagg Lake, I had to get some miles in, so I ran as far away from my car as quickly as possible (thru the Maze over to the bottom of extendo) so that by the time I actually acknowledged that I wasn’t going the full 28 today that I wanted, I had already signed up for 25 just to get back to my car. It was good enough. It's good for me to get in miles when I feel a bit off. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and made more tracks. Not every run is perfect, and there are and will be days when I question my motivation and my fitness, but in the grand scheme of things, one mediocre long run is not the end of the world. Anyways I've ended laid out on the trail two of the last three weekends, and given a choice, a hard landing on a bridge is better than in the brambles. It's ok to fall, and its ok to cut short a run when I feel off. Hagg Lake is in two weeks, 10k, 5k and 1mile runs sometime in the month thereafter.
Sun 01/11 Cascade Half marathon
It felt nice to be racing again, it feels even nicer to know that more races are just around the corner (like Hagg Lake). I had not forgotten how exciting is to be surrounded by people who as excited about running as I am. The excitement was palpable and contagious. In the time before a race starts I like to relax by people watching and trying to pick out which folks might beat me (which is a lot) and the ones whom I might race close to. The main fashion related indicator of speed is generally is the length of someone's running shorts, unless that person happens to be on the local high school cross country team, in which case all bets are off.
The fact that this was a road race did little to curb my enthusiasm. Road races are fun in their own way. I enjoy trying to keep an even pace throughout, especially when all the miles are marked. I started with a 6:40, and averaged 7:09 min miles. The last few miles were into a headwind, so I know I slowed down there, but other than the last few and the first, almost all my miles were 7:10 to 7:15. Unfortunately I could not catch up to they guy running in long cargo pants, whom I was eyeing from a few hundred meters back for almost the whole race. (As a side note: There always seems to be one guy in some ridiculous outfit that puts me to shame at every race. In the Turkey Trot 5 km, which I took 8th, I was destroyed by a man who was 15 years older, 50 pounds heavier, and ran in long sleeved striped and collared cotton polo shirt. So much for spandex.) The course was an out and back, and on the way back, I passed 5 people, and was passed by 1 person, which I think speaks well to my pacing. Its always interesting to me to see how the die is cast so early in these races, despite so much internal struggle on whether to come out fast or slow and then speed up or down. One thing to note about this race: I am pretty sure than I don’t enjoy drinking coffee and running distance anymore. I just felt like the caffeine was wearing off before I finished. For now on I'm not drinking coffee before any race over an hour long.
The fact that this was a road race did little to curb my enthusiasm. Road races are fun in their own way. I enjoy trying to keep an even pace throughout, especially when all the miles are marked. I started with a 6:40, and averaged 7:09 min miles. The last few miles were into a headwind, so I know I slowed down there, but other than the last few and the first, almost all my miles were 7:10 to 7:15. Unfortunately I could not catch up to they guy running in long cargo pants, whom I was eyeing from a few hundred meters back for almost the whole race. (As a side note: There always seems to be one guy in some ridiculous outfit that puts me to shame at every race. In the Turkey Trot 5 km, which I took 8th, I was destroyed by a man who was 15 years older, 50 pounds heavier, and ran in long sleeved striped and collared cotton polo shirt. So much for spandex.) The course was an out and back, and on the way back, I passed 5 people, and was passed by 1 person, which I think speaks well to my pacing. Its always interesting to me to see how the die is cast so early in these races, despite so much internal struggle on whether to come out fast or slow and then speed up or down. One thing to note about this race: I am pretty sure than I don’t enjoy drinking coffee and running distance anymore. I just felt like the caffeine was wearing off before I finished. For now on I'm not drinking coffee before any race over an hour long.
Sun 01/04 Bay Area point to point
Sun 01/04 Bay Area point to point
Definitions of adventure running
1) Should involve a heathly degree of the unknown. Distinct possibility of getting lost, found, hungry, or thirsty.
Definitions of adventure running
1) Should involve a heathly degree of the unknown. Distinct possibility of getting lost, found, hungry, or thirsty.
trails ... where we're going we dont need any trails
2) Should involve a reasonable chance of losing one’s
sometimes trails will just appear where you need them to
3) Bonus points are included for the following: Filtering water from the trail along the way, longer distances unsupported (unless one stops in to buy some food item that is not normally associated with running at all, say for example, a slice of pizza, a burrito, or an espresso), point to point routes (as opposed to loops), especially those that end at a bar, a house, or in another county.
How far was the run? It started back there and went over there.
4) Should involve at least an hours worth of pouring over topographical maps, and the creation of at least one contingency plan. In the pantheon of fun things to do that are not running itself, I would rate talking about running and planning routes very highly.
5) Perhaps most importantly, an adventure run is one which captures the imagination and rekindles our enthusiasm for life and for running.
wintertime in California
With these thoughts in mind I ran a little point to point with Mike the other day. We started in the Marin headlands and ended up in San Francisco, mostly just sort of heading the in direction we felt proper rather than following any map (or official trail for that matter). It’s really nice to get out in the sun …
Sat 12/27 New Years Resolutions
Sat 12/27 New Years Resolutions – I’m still working on my resolutions … make that resolution. So far the only one that I’ve come up is ‘This year I resolve to be a bad ass’. I just haven’t quite figured out what that means. Allow me list some thoughts I have toward achieving my resolution …
1) Race the Mac well in May. Get a seat at the big boys table in May. Not quite sure who the big boys are, but I would like to race with them at the Mac. What does that mean? Sub 5:30.
2) Get back to post PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) weight. Picture hiking all day for 5 months. Now picture hiking all for 5 months with access to a grocery store/quickie mart only once every 5 days. I’d like to get back to the weight that I was when I finished the PCT in Fall 05, minus the giardia of course. This seems like such a ridiculous proposition on its face, but my experience on the weight scale at Dixon over the past year suggests that its almost inevitable. It probably doesn’t matter a single bit what I put in there … as long I stay injury free and keep running, my body’s going to burn it off.
3) Run a 5 minute mile. Actually that sounds pretty hard. Lets make that a 5:30 mile.
4) Make up half the difference between my last marathon time and Boston qualifying time (and qualify in 2010). That’s a 3:23, since I ran 3:36 in Portland in October, and need a 3:10 for Boston’s imprimatur. I read that only 10% off all marathoners ever qualify. Guess how many who run in Boston, having already qualified in the previous year, qualify for Boston the next year. Less than 40%. In case this sounds stupid, I admit it, I crave acceptance from the only marathon that currently excludes me. I’m no Katie Holmes, but I’m cool enough, let me in the club.
5) Run my first 50 miler. Mt Hood in late July. Its go time, period.
6) Run a lot of 50 km’s. At least half a dozen. Preferably more.
7) Run with some folks who are slower than me. Its time to give back to the folks who’ve inspired me, kicked by butt, supported me, blasted by me etc … The best inspiration for running faster is peer pressure, right? Its time to pay it forward.
1) Race the Mac well in May. Get a seat at the big boys table in May. Not quite sure who the big boys are, but I would like to race with them at the Mac. What does that mean? Sub 5:30.
2) Get back to post PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) weight. Picture hiking all day for 5 months. Now picture hiking all for 5 months with access to a grocery store/quickie mart only once every 5 days. I’d like to get back to the weight that I was when I finished the PCT in Fall 05, minus the giardia of course. This seems like such a ridiculous proposition on its face, but my experience on the weight scale at Dixon over the past year suggests that its almost inevitable. It probably doesn’t matter a single bit what I put in there … as long I stay injury free and keep running, my body’s going to burn it off.
3) Run a 5 minute mile. Actually that sounds pretty hard. Lets make that a 5:30 mile.
4) Make up half the difference between my last marathon time and Boston qualifying time (and qualify in 2010). That’s a 3:23, since I ran 3:36 in Portland in October, and need a 3:10 for Boston’s imprimatur. I read that only 10% off all marathoners ever qualify. Guess how many who run in Boston, having already qualified in the previous year, qualify for Boston the next year. Less than 40%. In case this sounds stupid, I admit it, I crave acceptance from the only marathon that currently excludes me. I’m no Katie Holmes, but I’m cool enough, let me in the club.
5) Run my first 50 miler. Mt Hood in late July. Its go time, period.
6) Run a lot of 50 km’s. At least half a dozen. Preferably more.
7) Run with some folks who are slower than me. Its time to give back to the folks who’ve inspired me, kicked by butt, supported me, blasted by me etc … The best inspiration for running faster is peer pressure, right? Its time to pay it forward.
Sat 12/27 Pre-Cascade ½ marathon time trail
Sat 12/27 Pre-Cascade ½ marathon time trail
I ran a 12 mile time trial today. I was hoping to see a nice jump in pace from all the speed work I’ve been doing, but my 12 mile pace predicted at marathon time that was pretty much the same as I got in Portland in October. Maybe running alone is a bunch slower than actually racing. I didn’t feel like I came in with a bunch of gas still in the tank. I’ve got 1 minute per mile to shave off my road marathon pace to qualify for Boston. I had taken some time off of speed work to save my hamstrings and my ego, but I guess its time to head back to the track from some more 1600’s.
I ran a 12 mile time trial today. I was hoping to see a nice jump in pace from all the speed work I’ve been doing, but my 12 mile pace predicted at marathon time that was pretty much the same as I got in Portland in October. Maybe running alone is a bunch slower than actually racing. I didn’t feel like I came in with a bunch of gas still in the tank. I’ve got 1 minute per mile to shave off my road marathon pace to qualify for Boston. I had taken some time off of speed work to save my hamstrings and my ego, but I guess its time to head back to the track from some more 1600’s.
2/8/09
Sat 10/05 Portland marathon recap
Sat 10/05 Portland marathon recap
With no small amount of trepidation, I set out to run another road marathon the other day.
With no small amount of trepidation, I set out to run another road marathon the other day.
Hi, I'm running right now.
Given that road races are so very terrible on my feet and lower legs, I was apprehensive about how the road miles would feel. It turns out that not much has changed since I ran Newport in 2006. Road miles are fairly boring, monotonous, and challenging (if you want them to be, that is). The one thing I can say for road races is that they attract a lot of people. In certain circumstances this can be a good thing, in other cases not so much. I can’t recall the number of walls of soccer moms, almost completely blocking the road from one side to the other, almost sometimes completely walking too I might add, during the course of this race. A significant portion of this was wholly my fault. I should have gotten to the race much earlier to line up in an appropriate spot. Instead I lined up in about 6000th place and proceeded to pass literally about 5000 or about people, finishing 896 out of 7862. A back of the envelope calculation shows a passing rate of about 1 person every 3 seconds. Lame. Totally lame. I wasted too much energy getting around people. Next time I’ll wake up ½ hour earlier, start up where I should, or better yet, avoid the LA freeway traffic jam like numbers in this marathon. After running this race, I can really appreciate a race like Newport’s so much better. Having said all that, I definitely enjoyed finishing this race in a time that was much quicker than expected.
someone is clearly glad to be done
By the numbers
6 – approximate number of Voodoo donuts eaten post-race.
5,265 – number of people that I passed in the race
34 – number of people that passed me in the race
34 – number of Voodoo dolls that I made when I got back home.
3 – number of terrible tasting goos that I ate during the race. These things tasted like honey with crushed up Flinstones vitamins in them. Blecchhhh!!!!
8:13 – average pace per mile, 1 minute per mile slower than a Boston qualifying time.
1 – number of useless and self-congratulatory medals I received at the finishing line.
someone is clearly glad to be done
By the numbers
6 – approximate number of Voodoo donuts eaten post-race.
5,265 – number of people that I passed in the race
34 – number of people that passed me in the race
34 – number of Voodoo dolls that I made when I got back home.
3 – number of terrible tasting goos that I ate during the race. These things tasted like honey with crushed up Flinstones vitamins in them. Blecchhhh!!!!
8:13 – average pace per mile, 1 minute per mile slower than a Boston qualifying time.
1 – number of useless and self-congratulatory medals I received at the finishing line.
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