San Diego 100 Miler 06-08-2013

San Diego 100 Video

On June 8th, 2013 I set out to for redemption.  It was one year ago at the 2012 San Diego 100 miler that I received my very first, and so far only, DNF (did not finish) 

Last year around mile 12, my friend Kyle and I missed a course marker and went off trail.  We desperately tried to regain our whereabouts, and after about 90 mins of being lost, we got back on trail.  Kyle was able to make up for lost time, but I wasn't as mentally strong as him on this day and I completely fell apart.  At mile 31 I missed the time cutoff by 20 mins and was pulled from the course.  Luckily, Kyle was strong enough to push himself and avoid course cutoffs and he finished the race.  Since I was no longer racing after being pulled from the course, I caught back up with Kyle at mile 51 and ended up pacing him for most of the second half of the 100 mile race.

One year later I found myself back in San Diego, waiting to run 100 miles.  Since the DNF in 2012 I had been determined to go back and get some payback at this race.  I was unhappy about the DNF and felt like I needed to redeem myself. 

I trained my ass off specifically for this race.  In the 3 months leading up to the race I only missed 2 of my scheduled workouts due to a work trip.  I was determined to be in shape and ready to kick some ass on this run.

I asked my friend Chris to come crew for me (Chris crewed for Kyle and I last year), and my wife Lori managed to get the weekend off from work so she was able to help crew the race for me as well.

Once again, Kyle was toeing the start line with me at the San Diego 100.  Kyle’s girlfriend Christina and their friend AJ were crewing for Kyle.

The day of the race the weather was pretty hot.  According to the thermometer that I was carrying during the race, the temperature was somewhere around 95 degrees for most of the day.

Kyle and I did our best to stay hydrated and to eat whenever we could.  I was making sure to pace my fluid intake and to drink plenty of water and Fluid sports drink.  The heat was getting to both of us.  Kyle and I were both throwing up a lot, but we also were not giving up.  There’s a fine line of knowing when you need to stop and if you’re safe to continue a race… and there were points where we were straddling that line. 

After running races like the Sierra Nevada Endurance Run in 2010 and 2011, and this years Leona Divide, I wasn't a stranger toughing it out and run through a little bit a discomfort and heat.

I made sure to monitor my hydration regularly.  I could tell I was getting a little behind and I did my best to keep on top of it.

Kyle and I were able to stay with each other for most of the race.  We would randomly separate by a ¼ mile, but we kept managing to sync up with each other.

We were both worried about going off trail again this year so we were very cautious at any spot on the course were the track split.

At mile 12 (where we went off trail last year) we noticed that the course was marked just a bad as it was the previous year.  We actually saw a runner going about 50 feet in the wrong direction.  He just happened to be going off trail in the same exact spot Kyle and I went off trail the previous year.  We yelled at him and luckily got his attention, and got him back on course.

The heat was slowly getting to the two of us.  I started randomly throwing up from time to time because of the heat, and I was also having a hard time wanting to eat.  The one thing I was able to stick with was my water intake.  

Around mile 29 we came upon a runner who was taking a rest and trying to get some shade by a very small tree.  We asked him if he was ok.  He told us he had ran out of water, and we were still a couple miles away from the aid station.  I had four ounces of water left in my bottle, and I knew that even-though it was hot out, I was doing ok at this point on my hydration.  I gave him what water I had and he was very thankful.

Kyle and I got to the mile 31 aid station, filled up with water, and were on our way!!! 

We were off on a 5 mile loop, and the heat was starting to pick up.  I made sure to keep up on my hydration as best as I could.  The first half of the loop was very slow going and hot.  Luckily the second half was more forgiving with mainly rolling hills and a lot of down hill sections.

Before we knew it, we were done with the loop and back at the aid station.  We filled up once again with water and food and set off to the next aid station.  I was getting very anxious to get to the mile 44.1 aid station since we hadn't seen our crew since mile 13.8.  All the aid stations between mile 13.8 and 44.1 were not crew accessible.

As we left the aid station at mile 36 we started on a long ascent up a paved road, and the heat started getting to us.  Kyle and I were both vomiting and walking up the road.  It was getting pretty bad.  Then finally my stomach was empty and I was just dry heaving.  There comes a point in every 100 mile event that I ask myself, “Why are you doing this?”  This was going through my head for the last 20 miles… but somehow I managed to pull myself together.  After I composed myself, I was able to get my head back in the game.  I was here to finish the race, and nothing was going to stop me.

Around mile 44.1 Kyle and I saw our crew.  We both weren't feeling too good, but we were still doing ok.  We started hearing reports that a lot of people were dropping out of the race. 

After a short rest we left our crew and went back out to tackle a few more miles.

Kyle and I were pushing through the miles.  Kyle was starting to have a very hard time.  He was getting bad muscle cramps and was still vomiting a lot.  I was doing my best to keep him going, but he was slowly fading off.  Finally with about a half mile to the mile 51 aid station, I took of up ahead so I could tell the crew what was going on.

I came up to the aid station and found everyone.  I told them Kyle was coming in right behind me, but he wasn't looking good.  The crew got some drinks and food ready for him.

As I was changing my socks and getting fresh batteries in my headlamp, I was growing concerned about Kyle.  He was sitting in a chair next to me and not looking good.

After I was prepared to head out I walked over to Kyle to check on him.  He had just made a very hard, but wise decision… he was dropping out of the race.

I was sad to hear his decision, but I knew it was for the best.  Chris told me he had brought running shoes with him and that he could pace and keep me company.  AJ also told me he would run a few miles if I needed him too.

I told Chris to get ready and that I would do this next leg solo, I would then pick up with him at the next aid station.

As I left the aid station I couldn't help but feel bad for leaving Kyle there, but I knew our crew was taking care of him.

I ran the next leg pretty strong. At this point it was dark and the temperature was finally cooling off.  I knew that since the sun was no longer out I would be able to push a little harder and not worry about the heat as much.  

It was a strange feeling being in the middle of the nowhere running all alone.  Before I knew it I was at the next aid station.  I was getting into my groove!!!  I asked Chris to give me one more section to fly solo and that I would pick him up at the next aid station.  He understood, and as soon as my crew got my water bottles filled I headed off.

At mile 64.2 I picked up with Chris and the rest of the crew. Chris was able to push me through the 8.1 miles to the next aid station in about 2 hours.  I was surprised at how much energy I had, and I wasn't getting sleepy like I normally do at night.  I also wasn't taking caffeine pills like I normally do at night, so I was really surprised at how alert I was feeling.

At mile 72.3 AJ picked up with me for the next 15.2 miles.  We pushed through the night and into the morning.

Chris decided to run the last 12.5 miles with me.  It was cool having Chris out with us crewing again, and even cooler to have him assist me with pacing.  Last year when Chris agreed to crew for us he had no interest in running at all.  After hanging out at the finish line last year and seeing everyone finish the event Chris developed an interest in running.  In the last year Chris has completed two half marathons, and will hopefully soon complete his first full marathon.

In 29 hours and 40 mins I crossed the finish line.  It was nice to able to go back and finish this event.  Over the last year this race has been on my mind a lot.  All I wanted to do was come back and finish this race.  In 2012 was my first, and so far only, DNF that I've ever received. 

I’m happy to get this race done.  I feel like this is a chapter in my running book that I can finally close… unless Kyle feels like returning next year.

It was also good to see our friend Dave Lehman complete his very first 100 mile event.

Until next time…

KEEP RUNNING!!!!

Keeping Pace

On May 19th I ran the California Classic Half-Marathon.  This was the third year in a a row that this event was held here in Fresno, Ca.  This was also my third year in a row running it.  Originally I planned on skipping it, but when I was offered a chance to run the event as a pacer I couldn't pass it up.

I really enjoy pacing.  I've paced the Fresno Marathon for the last 2 years in a row, and I have another upcoming Half-Marathon that I'll be pacing at this coming September.

At the California Classic I was the pacer for the 2 hour 10 min pace group.  I ran each mile at as even of a split as I could during the entire race.  I was trying to come in as close as I could to my targeted time, but I ended up finishing about 30 seconds early.  I think the clock read 2:09:30 when I crossed the finish line.

One of the things that made pacing this event a little tricky was the fact that someone forgot to put out the mile markers on the course.  Luckily I knew from running the event last year that the course was a little long. Last year my Garmin read 13.22 miles from the start line to the finish line.  This year it read about the same.  When I paced the race I knew ahead of time that I needed to pace a 13.2 mile race at a 2:10 finish, not a 13.1 mile race.

It's always nice to run events like these as a pacer.  I love meeting new people, helping others get a new PR, crossing the finish line with people I've helped out during the event.  To me, pacing is an awesome way to give back to the running community.  I will never turn down an opportunity to pace... unless it's a pace that's too fast for me.  I'll never be the guy pacing a sub 3 hour marathon.

I'm keeping this post short because it's late, and I need to be up in 6 hours to drive to San Diego so I can run the San Diego 100 miler this weekend.  I ran this event last year and unfortunately went off trail for a few miles.  This ended up leading to me missing the time cutoff around mile 31ish by 20 mins.  My Garmin showed that I had actually ran 37 miles when I hit the mile 31 aid station.

So, this weekend I'm taking another crack at the San Diego 100.  If all goes good, on Sunday morning I'll have completed my seventh 100 mile race.

I'm headed to bed now so I can get some well needed sleep.


until next time...

KEEP RUNNING!!!

Morning Hill Repeats

My goal today was to get up and start hitting some hill repeats around 5:00am, but I was having a hard time waking up.  Before I knew it the time was 5:50am and I was still in bed.

Instead of skipping my workout entirely, I decided it was better to get a late start instead of no start at all.

I was still feeling a little sore from Saturday and Sunday's run, so I took it nice and easy today.

Hopefully on Thursday night I'll be able to go out and run a decent distance and pace.  I'm going to start hitting some late night evening runs now to get prepared for next months San Diego 100.  I'm really looking forward to this next race.

Until next time...

KEEP RUNNING!!!

I just ran 4.6 miles! Check it out on #strava: http://app.strava.com/activities/54146361

Leona Divide 50 Miler 04-27-2013

 Leona Divide 50 Miler 2013 Video

On April 27th I ventured out with a few friends and took on the Leona Divide 50 mile ultra marathon.

It's pretty typical for me to drive up to these races the morning of the event and run on a total lack of sleep. I'll usually get up at 2:00am, then drive for about 3 hours, run a 50k or 50 mile race, then drive home.

This race was different. My aunt lives 30 mins away from where the event was being held. As soon as I got off from work on Friday my parents and I drove 3 hours so we could get a good night sleep at my aunts house.

On Saturday morning I got up an hour before the race, drove over to the start line, and was well rested and ready to go.

I was running this race with my friends Kyle and Nathaniel.

This was the first race since Kyle and I did together sense the San Diego 100 last year.

Kyle and I ran most of the beginning of the race together. Up until mile 24ish we were either right by each other, or within a quarter mile from each other.

The day became really warm really fast. Before I knew it the temperature would reach a high of 92 degrees.

Around mile 22 I filled up the bladder of my hydration pack with ice and water. The one huge mistake I made was filling up my pack with a lot of ice. Apparently I didn't leave much room for water. At mile 24 I ran out of water and was running with a pack of ice. This wasn't good since it was hot and the next aid station was still 5 more miles away.

At this point I eased off on my pace and let Kyle get ahead of me.

The last 2.75ish miles before I got to the mile 29 aid station were all downhill and exposed with little to no shade.

When I arrived at the aid station I was thirsty as hell. I saw Kyle and he told me he was heading back up the hill I had just ran down, and that he wasn't feeling very good.

I loaded my hydration pack with water and no ice. I hung out for a little bit at the aid station drinking water and eating. Then I headed back up the hill to catch up to Kyle.

One mile up the hill my stomach started to not feel very good. I eventually ended up throwing up along the side of the trail. All the food I loaded up on was now on the trail... but I felt way better now.

I got to the top of the hill and then ran a really solid 4-5 miles back to the aid station.

When I ran into the next aid station I was feeling good. Then I saw Kyle. He told me he was having a really hard time and asked me if I would run in the rest of the race with him.

I could tell he was hurting, dehydrated, and just not wanting to be on the trail anymore.

So... from about mile 35 all the way to the finish line I pushed my friend at a safe pace along the trail. The trail was hot and dry, and people were feeling it. Even at our slower than normal pace we were passing people.

Kyle and I pushed up the hills, we ran most of the downhill sections, and tried to cool off in what little shade we could find.

After a long day of running and walking we eventually crossed the finish line at 11 hours and 45 mins.

I still consider myself very new to the sport of ultra running. I learn something new every time I hit the trail.

There were many times during this run that my normal thoughts of "why are you doing this" and "maybe this should be the last ultra I ever do" came into my mind.

It's funny how horrible a race can be while I'm running it, then on the drive home I'm sad it's over.

I already plan on running this race again next year and shooting for a sub 10 hour finish. I know what mistakes I made along the run, and most importantly I know what I need to do to correct those mistakes.

Until next time...

KEEP RUNNING!!!!

My New Goal... The Boston Marathon!!!!

There's one race that's always been on my "bucket list" of things to do.  That race is The Boston Marathon.

I ran my first marathon back in the summer of 2009 at the Rock N' Roll San Diego Marathon.  Later that year I would run my hometown marathon here in Fresno and set my pr of 3:28:27 in November, and then I would run the Sacramento California International Marathon (CIM) just a few weeks after the Fresno marathon in December of 2009.

In February of 2010 I ran the Woodside 50k.  This was my first ultra and also my first introduction to trail running.  After this event "Marathon Running" took a far backseat to trail running and ultra distances.  I started running 50 mile and 100 mile races very shortly after that first 50k in February 2010.

As much as marathons took a backseat, there's always one that has been in the back of my mind.  That race is the Boston Marathon.

 

The Boston Marathon... our nations most prestigious marathon.  Full and rich in history, it's race that every marathon runner wants to run. 

Getting into Boston isn't easy.  First you have to qualify.  For me this requires a finishing time of under 3 hours and 10 mins for my gender and age group. This means I have to run a marathon on a course that is deemed "Boston Certified" and run a 3:10 marathon, or better.  Then I will have qualified to run the Boston Marathon... if I'm even able to still get in. Boston is very popular and sells out fast.  Simply qualifying doesn't guarantee you'll get in.

After yesterday's events I now feel even more compelled to run the Boston Marathon.

When I woke up yesterday I was very excited.  I had 4 friends running the Boston marathon.  I sent some of them text messages asking them to let me know how they did once the race was over.  

I received a text from my friend Rudy.  He had a good race finishing in 2:58:03, and later I received a text from Mark saying he didn't run the race he wanted to, but he was done. 

After hearing from Rudy and Mark about their successful day at Boston I decided to go about my normal day.  My daughter and I went to Costco to get some stuff for the house.  I ran into my friend Travis at Costco and we started talking about local runs coming up, my pr last week at AR50, other running plans for the year, and just general running stuff.

While I was talking to Travis my cellphone started going off like crazy.  I didn't want to be rude while I was talking to Travis so I let my calls go to voice mail.  When I got to my car I checked my phone. 3 missed calls and 8 text messages, all about the tragedy that was going on in Boston.  At this time I had no clue about the devastation that had happened at the finish line of the event.

I couldn't believe it.  I got home and turned on the news.  The images were horrifying.

"How could someone do this?"  That's all I could keep asking myself.

Every Monday I go for a 6 mile run before I head out to train with all my Jiu Jitsu buddies. Normally I'll just head out the door and have a peaceful meditative run, but today wasn't your normal day.

All I could think about was Boston.  The images of the finish line, the innocent runners and spectators who's lives would now be changed forever.

As I ran I decided it was time to do something that I have been putting off... and that very thing is toeing the start line at the Boston Marathon.

There are so many reasons to run this amazing race, but the main reasons now are to support the community of Boston, my fellow runners, and those hurt in yesterdays tragedy.

Running has always been a very inspirational thing to me.  It's about pushing yourself to become a better you.  Almost every runner I know can tell you their personal best time at any given distance, I don't care if it's a 5k or a 100 mile race, we all know our personal best times.  I know that when I finish a race I'm happy if I get a medal,  but I would prefer to have a new PR over a medal any day of the week. When it comes down to it, the only person I'm really racing is myself.

The Boston Marathon is now a run, in my mind, that will be forever changed.  As a runner I will always remember what happened yesterday.

Runners are a very interesting group of people.  We all have different backgrounds, political views, religions, etc... but we're always there for each other, cheering each other on, and pushing each other.  I've made very close friends with people that I've met while running races.  I've ran out of food in the middle of nowhere during trail races and had complete strangers help me out, and I've done the same for other people.  Runners have a way of looking at a bad situation and going head first into it.  Let's face it, when you go into a marathon or an ultra, you expect to eventually "hit the wall" but you also know it's no big deal because it's something that you will overcome and push through.

Running teaches us to push when you normally wouldn't... to not give up... to dig deep... to keep moving forward... and to not give up, no matter what life throws at you.

Until next time...

Keep Running!!!!

American River Run 50 Miler 2013 (AR50)

On April 6th, 2013 I ran the America River 50 mile ultra marathon (AR50) for the fourth year in a row.  I've managed to cut around 30 minutes off my time every year.  This year my goal was to run the race in under 9 hours.

Going into the event I was a little nervous.  I was driving up from Fresno to Sacramento the day of the race.  This meant that I had to leave Fresno around 2:30a.m. on Saturday morning to get to the start area of the race on time to pick up my race bib.  Like usual I procrastinated on packing my gear and found myself doing a lot of last min running around.  I ended up getting about 2 hours of sleep Friday night, then another 90 mins of sleep while my wife Lori drove my niece Samantha, my parents, and I to the race.

My previous finishing times were 10 hours 54 mins in 2010, 10 hours 25 mins in 2011, and a 9 hour 55 mins last year in 2012.  I knew I could run an even faster race if I kept my stops at the aid stations shorter and if I just moved faster.   My event schedule for 2012 was light at the end of the year, and the start of 2013 was looking pretty empty as well.  I decided that this year I would do my best to train for the AR50 and once again finish a little faster than my previous years efforts.

This year at AR50 I wanted to cut down on wasted time.  The one spot at this race I tend to waste a lot of time is at the Beals Point aid station.  The first half of the AR50 is pretty much a road race.  There's a few short trail sections, but it's mainly road up until the Beals Point aid station at mile 26.53 of the race.  After Beals Point the race is all beautiful trails until right before mile 47 where the race goes uphill to the finish line.  

The reason I tend to waste time at Beals Point is because when I ran the race in 2010, 2011, and 2012 I wore road shoes for the first section up to Beals Point, then I changed into my trail shoes for the second part of the race.  Changing shoes always takes me a long time.  Once I sit down to change shoes I usually don't want to get back up.  I sit there and talk to my crew, I eat, and I lose my drive to run after awhile.

This year I decided to eliminate the wasted time changing shoes at Beals Point by running the entire race in my trail shoes and not wearing road shoes at all.  The beginning part of the race is on a paved road, but there is a nice compacted dirt shoulder along the road for most of this section and I decided I would just run on that with my trail shoes this year.

I wanted to hit Beals Point just before the 4 hour mark, pick up my friend Leigh who graciously accepted the job of pacing me, and then be back on the course running asap.

When I hit Beals Point I was right on schedule.  I saw the clock when I came running into the aid station.  I was around 3 hours and 55 mins into the race.  I found my crew (my wife Lori, my niece Samantha, and my parents) along with my pacer. We changed out my water bottles, they handed me some food, and Leigh and I were off on the second section of the race.

I was feeling really good and Leigh was making sure I kept pushing along at a decent pace.  I looked down at my watch at the 50k point (mile 31) and was happy to see my time of 4 hours and 45 mins.  My 50k pr was 5 hours and 28 mins, and I had just broken it while running a 50 mile race.

Leigh and I were pushing through the miles.  When we came to the aid stations we filled up on water and left as fast as we could.

At mile 40.9 we saw my crew at at the Rattle Snake Bar aid station. They filled one of my bottles up with ice and Dr. Pepper, and it was the most amazing thing I had all day.  I often drink Dr. Pepper during ultras.  I like it at the end of most events.  Sometimes I just need something other than water or a sports drink.  It's also an easy way for me to get some extra calories.

We came up to mile 46 I knew a sub 9 hours finish was possible, but I was cutting it close.  I told Leigh I was getting a little worried about the time and that we were going to have to do the uphill climb ahead of us at a decent pace in order to hit sub 9 hours.

Leigh pushed me through the last few uphill miles and when I saw the sign telling me I had 1 mile left I was incredibly happy because I looked at my watch and saw that my current time was 8 hours and 45 mins... and my legs still felt pretty good.

I ran that last mile knowing that I was on the course of beating my previous 50 mile pr by one hour.

As we turned the last corner I could see the finish line.  Leigh told me to take off and run it in.  I ran across the finish line feeling really good.  I found my crew, gave my wife a kiss, and everyone else a hug.  I was happy to see my long time friend Patrick had come out to see me finish the race.

It was a very awesome day.  I can honestly say I ran that race as fast as I could that day thanks to the help of my crew and my pacer.   They all did an amazing job of pushing me, keeping me moving, making my aid station stops smooth, and encouraging me to keep up my pace.

It's amazing to me that the older I'm getting, the better and stronger I'm feeling.

Five years ago would have never imagined running a marathon, 50k, 50 mile, or 100 mile race.  I guess you never know what the next day will bring.


Until next time...

KEEP RUNNING!!!!

Nutrition

About 2 months before I ran the American River I decided that I needed to start eating healthy again.  My diet is never really been "clean" when it comes down to it.

Around February I decided to clean up my diet.  I started eating vegetables and less meat.  I started eating meat only 3 meals a week.  Most of my coworkers were surprised to see me bring salads to work.  I typically eat a lot of meat... and by a lot of meat, I mean that I eat mostly meat.

Since I changed my diet to a mainly vegetarian diet I noticed that I generally feel really good.  When I eat meat it is usually fish.  I've started eating a lot of salads, nuts, fruit, and whatever non meat things I can get my hands on.

Well, after I ran the American River Run 50 miler last weekend I went off my pretty clean diet and I started eating a ton of junk food, fast food, and meat.  Right now I'm feeling slugish and I'm changing my diet as of right now.

Now, I'm not one of those "I can't eat junk food" types of people.  I'm a big believer in moderation.  I don't eliminate junk food, but I'll look at my calorie intake and ask myself if a candy bar is something I want to add to my diet on whatever particular day.  If it's a high mileage running day, I'm a little more liberal with my diet than non running and non workout days.

So, tomorrow morning I'll have my bowl of cereal for breakfast, some carrots and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, and for dinner a baked potato and a salad.

I had a good run at AR50 last week (I will have the blog post with video of that run up by tomorrow morning) and when I run the Leona Divide 50 Miler on April 27th I want to have a good race.  So, healthy diet and exercise are high on my list of priorities once again.

Well... it's getting late, so I'm heading to bed now. 

Until next time,

KEEP RUNNING!!!!