Skyline 50k: My Last Race of the Season?

I have not posted a new blog for awhile now because a running-related injury got the best of me and I have been moping instead of running.  This is the first running-related injury that has prevented me from maintaining my training and I have to say that it is the pits.  I am further upset that beautiful Fall weather has just arrived and I am missing out on cool, breezy runs.

It all started soon after the Skyline 50k in mid-August.  This was my third 50k race and I knew that it would be my fastest since there was just under 5k feet of climbing (compared with Ohlone containing almost 8k feet, and Golden Gate having over 6k feet.)  Burnout Bear and I were feeling positive and ready to set a challenging goal: run the 50k in under 5 hours.  The course was an out and back starting at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley and turning around at Skyline Gate in Oakland.  The morning of the race was cool (around 60 degrees) and the environment was very relaxed; so relaxed that we actually didn't hear the start and just saw the mass of people starting to run down the trail, so we joined in.  The aid stations had some of the most friendly volunteers I have ever experienced and they called us by name as we arrived.  (I guess they had a sheet with the names and numbers of all runners.)  This really added a personal, comforting touch to the race.  Burnout Bear took off fast from the start and I could not keep up with him.  I  kept as brisk a pace as I could, however, because I really wanted to break 5 hours.  I kept looking up at the sun to gauge what time it was since I don't wear a digital watch or GPS when I run.  There were some nasty climbs on the way out to Skyline Gate in Redwood Park, though.  I tried to keep a steady pace and jog as many of the climbs as possible, with the exception of a few steep ones which I speed hiked.  On the way back, as I was nearing Lake Chabot, the sun was almost directly overhead and I knew that 5 hours was approaching since we had started at 7am.  I pushed it as hard as I could along the windy trail leading back around Lake Chabot and I spotted Burnout Bear at the last aid station.  Apparently, he lived up to his name and went out a little too fast this time.  He was feeling beat and told me to run ahead, so I did.  I ended up not making my goal of under 5 hours and came in 5 minutes too late!  Burnout bear came in another few minutes after that.  It was disappointing to miss a goal by only 5 minutes after running for 5 hours, but I was content that at least I came close.  Plus, we managed to beat Dean Karnazes, who we didn't realize was running until we saw him cross the finish.  I was hoping to introduce myself and say hello, but unfortunately he left very soon after finishing.

Turtle crossing the finish.

Burnout Bear happily crossing the finish.

We were there to see Dean Karnazes cross the finish!

The week after the Skyline 50k, I was a bit sore but managed to jog/walk 3 or 4 miles a few times.  I had to get back into training for my biggest race of the year: the Firetrails 50 in October!  The following Saturday, I volunteered at Coastal Trail Runs' Cinderella race and that is where the pain began.  I was helping at an aid station for 5 hours and was standing the entire time.  Then, I had to sweep 11 miles of the course and for some reason I felt a sharp pain on the outside of my left knee about 6 miles into it.  I had to walk the rest of the way.  I think the combination of standing for an extended period of time and then running 11 hilly miles less than a week after the 50k really set something off, but I wasn't sure what it was at the time.

I went to the doctor and she said that she was certain it was Illiotibial band syndrome (ITBS).  She scheduled me for physical therapy and sent me home.  The physical therapist then confirmed that it was ITBS and sent me home with rolling and strengthening exercises.  The goal was to stretch out the ITB and strengthen my outer hip and thigh region.  I rolled and completed my exercises rigorously, determined to loosen my ITB as quickly as possible.  I had the biggest race of my season approaching!  I didn't have much time to prepare for 50 miles as it was, let alone with an injury in the way.

I became frustrated when my knee pain still appeared less than one mile into a run after a full week of resting; and this cycle continued for several weeks!  My knee pain was not improving at all.  I became frustrated and a friend from the Mission Peak Striders recommended a sports chiropractor.  Even though I had to pay out-of-pocket, it was definitely worth it because the chiropractor realized that my pain was not due to my ITB, but due to a strained, outer hamstring muscle.  This muscle lies right next to the ITB, so the tightness in that location can commonly be mistaken for ITBS.  I am now following a new regimen of exercises and stretches and should hopefully see improvement in a couple of weeks, according to my confident chiropractor... let's see!  I am also busy cycling at the gym and keeping my strength up with weights and ashtanga yoga so that I am prepared to run again when the injury finally subsides (soon, hopefully!)

Sadly, I won't be able to run my biggest race of the year: the Firetrails 50.  This also means that I won't be able to qualify for Western States in 2013.  I am very depressed about all of this, but am trying to keep my spirits up and look ahead to what's next... maybe the North Face Endurance Challenge in December?  I certainly wouldn't bet on it, but there's still a teeny tiny chance if I'm lucky...

Golden Gate 50k

Once again, life picked up its pace and I got behind on my blogging.  Between a work conference in Miami and then two weeks of following Olympics, it has now been over a month since I ran Coastal Trail Run's Golden Gate 50k!  Oops.  Despite the delay, I still want to report on the race because Coastal Trail Runs put out yet another great event and I look forward to running it again next year.

What is better than a cool, summer race with views of the Pacific coastline and the Golden Gate bridge?  Not much... unless you throw in Grape Nuun and peanut butter GUs. :)  (My new favorite.)  On July 14, Burnout Bear and I both ran in the Golden Gate event.  Burnout Bear ran the marathon and I decided to "splurge" and run the 50k in order to fit in more training.  This would be only my second 50k, but I figured that it would at least be slightly easier than the Ohlone 50k with "only" 6300 feet of climbing.  I knew that the views of Pirates Cove and the Golden Gate bridge would be outstanding, so I decided to go for it.

Since my cookies were a hit at the San Lorenzo Marathon, I decided to bake again for the Golden Gate event.  This time, I whipped up two batches of peanut butter cookies and iced an orange bridge on top of each one.  Maybe baking cookies would bring me good luck again?

Peanut Butter.  Yum.

Burnout Bear and Chris Jones at the Marathon start (courtesy of Chris Jones)

The morning was extremely cool, with temperatures starting only in the 50s.  While it made for a chilly wait for the start, it was perfectly comfortable for running.  The first 5 miles / orange loop up to Pirates Cove was a challenge and included some steep climbs and even stairs, but the the views of the ocean cliffs were worth the effort.  Then, it was off to two loops of the half-marathon course / pink loop.  I was taking it easy on the first loop to reserve energy for the second one and to make sure that I didn't go off-course.  While the trail marking was superb, I tend to zone out when I run...  I usually try to study the course beforehand and forgot this time.  Not good.  I actually missed a turn at one point and started running up a big hill.  Luckily, I heard another runner dressed in army garb and a backpack yell up to me, "Hey! Are you running this race?"  Good thing I wasn't wearing any headphones yet and came running back down.  Close call.

Golden Gate course map.

A glimpse of the shoreline (courtesy of CTR)

During the first 18 miles (orange loop and first pink loop), it was hard to tell what place I was in since there were a lot of 30k runners mixed in, as well.  Once I started the second and final pink loop, I was able to better gage where I stood.  There was another runner dressed in red not far ahead of me, and I was determined to catch her.  I plugged in my headphones now that I knew the course and stepped on the gas.  I caught up to her 3-4 miles later and was felling really good.  So, I kept up with the pace and told myself that I would not walk any hills for the rest of the course.  There was a chance that I could be in first place and I wanted to hold onto it.  Plus, I had peeked at the course record before the race and saw that it was 5:46; I thought that I might have a chance to break it.

Burnout Bear finishes his third marathon! (courtesy of CTR)

Six miles later, I reached the final aid station.  This time, I remembered to grab some soda before heading to the finish (unlike during the Ohlone 50k).  They didn't have any more Coke available, but they did have Sprite which I gladly drank.  It tasted amazing and I felt instantly re-energized.  Along with some electrolyte drink and Perpetuum, I was ready to jog it into the finish.

The final 1-2 miles of the course is on a paved road following the coastline.  Once I pulled onto the road and out of the woods, I saw that there was another female about 100 yards ahead of me - ack!  I could have sworn that she was running the 30k based on how fast she flew out at the start.  She saw me and sped up immediately.  My legs were feeling tired at this point (maybe I shouldn't have run all of those hills?) and I didn't have enough power left to break into a sprint and catch her.  I tried keeping a good clip to close the gap between us, but she just kept doing the same.  It was exciting to feel like I was truly racing the end of my second 50k, but it was exhausting.  She ran a great race and I never did catch her.  We both ended up breaking the old course record.  I crossed the finish at 5:32, only a minute and a half behind the first place female finisher and new course record holder.  I was disappointed, but now I have a new goal for next year. :)

Bear and Turtle after the races - I earned my first Coastal 50k coaster! (courtesy of Chris Jones)

Receiving my First Place Age Group award from Race Director Wendell Doman (courtesy of Chris Jones)

San Lorenzo River Marathon

On June 23, Burnout Bear and I ran the San Lorenzo River Marathon in Santa Cruz.  The race was organized by Coastal Trail Runs and there were also 10k, half marathon, 30k, and 50k races held that day, as well.  We signed up for this race only 2 days prior when we heard about the race via email. We couldn't pass up the unique opportunity to run through a river, as well as the last chance for Burnout Bear to complete a race before he entered the 30s age group (gasp!)

I wanted this to be a fun racing event, so I baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies the night before and drew squiggly blue river lines on each one with decorative icing.  (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture and they went fast after the race!)  I think that I will make a tradition of bringing special race-themed cookies to each event.  Baking the evening before a race really helped me to relax.

The marathon course climbed over 4k feet and crossed the San Lorenzo river four times... yes, that's right - FOUR times.  I was anxious about having soggy shoes for 26 miles, but what's the worst that can happen?  Gigantic blisters?  We were willing to risk it for the sake of adventure.  Besides, the beautiful redwood forest would distract us from the fact that we are soaking wet.

Course map - Marathon in pink

The San Lorenzo River (courtesy of Coastal Trail runs)

I'm glad that I wore my Salomon hydration pack because when we arrived at the race, Coastal Trail Runs hung a ribbon showing the height of the river.  It was up to my waste!  The Salomon pack sits high on my back and chest, so luckily all of my nutrition was safe from the water... as long as I didn't slip and fall in, that is.

Well, it ended up being one of the most enjoyable races that we have ever run!  Coastal Trail Runs setup a rope across the river, making the crossings really easy.  And the camaraderie amongst runners was the best that I have ever seen.  Somehow, the challenge of doing something a little crazy ignited a common fellowship amongst the runners.   I met so many new faces, made small talk with quite a few of them while running along the trail, and exchanged countless smiles and words of encouragement.  The fact that the course was twice out-and-back ensured that all marathon runners saw one another more than once.  Other than feeling a bit tired and my knees aching towards the end, I almost forgot that I was running a marathon.  (And wading in the river felt wonderful on the knees.)

Running through the redwoods (courtesy of Coastal Trail runs)

Turtle going for a swim (courtesy of Coastal Trail runs)

I was feeling pretty good all the way to the finish, and when I crossed the line I was surprised by what the clock read: 4:34!  It was the first time that I ran a trail marathon under 5 hours.  And I ended up finishing only 40 seconds behind Burnout Bear...  Did I mention that he was running with me the entire time and sprinted ahead of me at the finish?  He tells a different story about falling in the bushes and me catching up to him blah, blah blah....  :)

It also ends up that I broke the female marathon course record, strange enough.  Not many females have run the marathon course previously for some reason, so someone was going to break the record that day and I ended up being the lucky one.

If you ever get the chance to run the San Lorenzo River race sponsored by Coastal Trail Runs, I recommend that you go for it!  It is a unique running adventure.

Burnout Bear running to the finish (courtesy of Coastal Trail runs)

The Ohlone Wilderness 50k: A Very Warm Welcome to Ultrarunning!

Well, I did it!  I completed my first 50k in the tough Ohlone wilderness this past Sunday in 6 hours and 46 minutes.  It was certainly an adventure, with cows and rattlesnakes on the course and the temperature rising 5 degrees per hour until it reached 90 F!  There were parts that I remember clearly, and others that I don't, high moments and low moments.  I definitely learned a few lessons along the way!  Overall, though, it was a wonderful first 50k experience and I can't wait to run my next ultra. :)

Race morning began very early, waking up at 4:45am in order to park our car at the finish line in Del Valle park.  The race provided school buses promptly at 6:30am from the finish to the start of the race at Mission Peak park in Fremont.  It was an hour long, nervous bus ride with newbies sitting quietly in their seats wide-eyed, and returnees rattling off stories about prior Ohlone race experiences.  I remember one quote from a guy in his 50s sitting behind us:

"Running Ohlone the first time is like hitting your hand accidentally with a hammer.  But running it again is like hitting your hand again on purpose!"

Need I say that Burnout Bear and I were becoming more nervous by the minute?  I could barely swallow down my breakfast of a Hammer bar and sports drink.

Luckily, when we arrived at the start, there was a large group of Mission Peak Striders already there.  Seeing familiar faces helped me to feel a bit better, especially knowing that they were about to endure the same challenge as myself.  Dave, our club president, was there to root us on even though he couldn't run due to an injury.  We all milled around and exchanged nervous smiles, anxious about what the day would bring. 

Mission Peak Striders at the start. (courtesy of Paul Ng)

It was the 25th anniversary of the race, and the race director had a special introduction.  There were several runners returning this year that had run the very first race 25 years ago!  Wow.

25th Anniversary celebration.  (courtesy of Paul Ng)

...And then we were off!

The course begins steeply and climbs 2000 feet in the first 4 miles.  Most smart runners speed hike large portions of this, knowing that there are still 27 miles remaining after reaching the top of Mission Peak, with the hardest climbs still to come.

Here we go! (courtesy of Paul Ng)

Climbing up Mission Peak. (courtesy of Paul Ng)

After reaching Mission Peak, we descended 2000 feet into Sunol regional park.  I had lost Burnout Bear shortly after Mission Peak and thought that I wouldn't see him until the end of the day.  But luckily I pushed it on the downhill and managed to catch up to him.  It is always more fun to run together!

Dave somehow drove quickly over to Sunol after the start and was there to meet us on the downhill into the park!  It was such a surprise and so wonderful to see him there.  He ran with us down the hill, asking how we were feeling and shouted encouraging words to us.  He then turned back up the hill to wait for other Striders coming through.  Yup, that's our awesome running club president!

When I arrived at the Sunol aid station, I filled my Salomon pack with 50 ounces of water with the help of our friend Lori (another Mission Peak Strider!)  I instantly gained 10 pounds!  And then we had to begin the long climb up to Rose Peak...  mile after mile, it seemed that Burnout Bear was falling behind, though.  I kept looking down the hill to make sure that he was there, but something just didn't seem right.  I had a feeling that he was struggling with the heat which kept growing more intense after entering into Sunol.  There was no shade on the bald, steep hills.  I continued on, hoping that he would recover at the next aid station and then catch up to me.  Unfortunately, I did not see him again until the finish.

Mooove it, people! (courtesy of Paul Ng)

I tried to remember to take a salt capsule every hour, drink Perpetuum out of my flask routinely, and drink lots of water.  I felt strong all the way up to Rose Peak and one woman at the Maggie's Half Acre aid station mentioned that I was the 4th or 5th woman (not sure how accurate that was), which really surprised me.  Since there weren't many runners around me at that point and I only had 12 miles left to go, I turned on some upbeat tunes and continued running.

I think I pushed it a bit too hard on some of the following downhills, though - particularly the "Big Burn" trail.  Either that or the heat finally caught up with me because my stomach began to hurt and I experienced slight waves of nausea.  I wasn't sure if I needed more salt, or more fluids, so I decided to gulp down two large cups of Gu Brew at the aid station 5 miles before the finish.  It didn't help and only made my stomach start to slosh, but I managed to keep going.

Burnout Bear toughing it out at mile 29 (courtesy of Joseph Swenson)

Still running at mile 29... (courtesy of Joseph Swenson)

I saw Deanna and Marie (two more Mission Peak Striders!) at the final aid station 2 miles before the finish and they said that I looked great!  This surprised me because my stomach didn't feel great at all.  I quickly grabbed a glass of plain old water, and really regret this in hindsight.  I eyed the Coke but never drank it before while running (or at any time), so I stupidly veered away from it.  Lesson learned!  I think that the sugar and caffeine really would have helped at this point... it wasn't half a mile later that I started walking... on the downhill!  My legs suddenly lost the will to run and my feet felt like they were on fire.  My brain shut down completely and I didn't see any point to keep running.  It all happened so fast and I just wanted to be done.  Now.  I jog-walked to the finish from this point, walking most of the way and being passed by a handful of women.  I had worked so hard and was now losing the lead that I had gained!  Oh well.

Half a mile before the finish, I saw a runner laying on the ground unconscious.  Two volunteers were bent over him searching for vitals.  They shouted, "Stay to one side, there is an ambulance coming through very soon!"  This really scared me.  It was so insanely hot at this point (90 F) that I suddenly wondered if it was safe to run at all.  So, I continued to walk most of the way into the finish.

I was so happy to see the finish line that I almost started to cry!  I was so hot and tired and just wanted to sit down.  The clock read 6:46, which I wasn't overly happy about, but was fine for a first 50k on such a warm day.  At least I finished and was able to run MOST of the way!

As I crossed the finish, the race director held out a wooden plaque for me.  I took it, and in my confused state thought that it was an age group award since it was made of wood.  (I had heard that the "big" awards were wooden posts.)  "Wait, seriously??" I asked, surprised.  The race director frowned and said, "No, I'm sorry, that's just a finisher award."  Embarrassed, I replied, "Oooh, okay.  Thank you!  That makes more sense."  I knew that a lot of women passed me while I walked the last mile or so.  The race director turned away and then suddenly turned back after chatting with a man under a nearby tent.  "Wait!  Is this your first 50k?"  I smiled.  Yes it was!  I had earned myself the ZombieRunner Female Rookie of the Year Award!  He took back the wooden plaque and exchanged it with a large wooden trail post!

Burnout Bear crossed the finish about half an hour later, after having experienced painful leg cramps from mile 14 on!  He toughed it out, though, and completed all 31 miles under such brutal conditions.  What a trooper!  I thought for sure that our days training together were over, as he surely wouldn't want to go through all of this again!  Until he asked later that day, "So, when is the Skyline 50k again?"  Hooray!

And next time, I am definitely going to drink that Coke!

At the Finish: Striders in the Hood. (courtesy of Kelly Tarkowski)

Time to Face the Wilderness!

It is already the final evening before the Ohlone Wilderness 50k!  I can't believe it.  My mind is doing its pre-race running now, setting up my nutrition and filling the pockets of my Salomon S-Lab (which I had to modify with velcro in one spot for my small frame):

• Hammer Perpetuum w/flask
• Extra Hammer Perpetuum tabs
• Enduralytes
• 2 GUs
• iPod shuffle (in case of a motivation emergency)

I have laid out my clothes and planned my breakfast.  Set the clock for 4:45am.  I think that's it!

The last three weeks have been a long, slow taper and I should be physically rested by now.  Work was unusually busy this past week, however, so I unfortunately can't say that I am mentally rested.  I will just have to wait and see how everything goes tomorrow... I am sure that the 50k is going to be an adventure. There is even going to be a 90% solar eclipse at 6:30pm PDT following the race.  That's definitely a unique way to wrap up my first "ultra"!

Go, Vertical Turtle, go!

Nutritious Humble Pie

It has been a couple weeks since my last post, so I figured that I would catch up while I sit icing my knees at the end of my last long run weekend before the Ohlone 50k.  It has been a busy couple of weeks full of humbling experiences.

Burnout Bear (middle) runs through a shady stretch.

Two weekends ago, Burnout Bear and I ran Brazen Racing's Diablo Trails Challenge Half Marathon.  We knew that it was going to a tough race when the high temperature for the day was predicted to reach the upper 80s.  Mount Diablo can feel scorching on warm days due to its exposed trails, and this day was no exception.  Luckily, there were 25 creek crossings on the course.  Normally, I wouldn't have been psyched about running 13 miles with soaked shoes and socks, but it actually felt refreshing that day and I looked forward to splashing around in each upcoming creek.  Burnout Bear had a tough time with the heat and I managed to catch up to him at mile 9.  We ran the rest of the course together and even crossed the finish line hand-in-hand.  I was hoping to find a Brazen volunteer taking pictures at the finish since Burnout Bear and I don't usually cross the line together, but no such luck.  We knew that it was not a spectacular performance, but we were further disappointed when the clock at the finish read 2:16.  We had worked as hard as we could and only ran a 10:25 pace!  To make matters worse, the top 3 females finished within seconds of one another (and over 10 minutes before we reached the finish), all breaking the course record.  So, obviously the conditions were not that bad and their success only amplified our feelings of defeat.

Trying to stay ahead...

The "Grizzly Peak Bear" cools off in a Diablo creek.

So, since then, Burnout Bear and I have tried to keep our chins up and focus on our Ohlone 50k training.  The humbling Diablo race experience served as motivation to get stronger.  Our final long training run was approaching and we had to figure out where to run 26 hilly miles on our own since we couldn't find a local trail marathon to participate in.  At the last minute, we decided that it was best to run the race course itself since the temperatures and trail conditions would probably be similar on race day.  To make sure that we would complete all 26 miles without quitting, we planned to run the entire Ohlone trail from the Stanford entrance at Mission Peak in Fremont all the way to Del Valle Lake in Livermore.  This, of course, required some vehicle coordination, parking one car in Del Valle Park early in the morning and then having to retrieve the other car in Fremont at the end of the day.  We ran into some of our friends from the Mission Peak Striders running club on the other side of Mission Peak, and it was a nice treat to catch up with them for a few minutes.  (They must have began running super early in the morning as they were running over the peak and back and were already on the return stretch.)  Burnout Bear and I continued running down into Sunol and stopped to fill up on water.  I looked into my Salomon pack and the bladder read over 40 oz.  I was surprised to find so much water remaining and decided not to fill it up any further.  This was a big mistake.  Apparently, you need to remove the bladder from the pack to acquire an accurate volume.  I ended up having less than 30 oz remaining and this is not enough to reach Rose Peak on a warm day.  We were both dry 3 miles before the peak - and that's 3 miles left of climbing.  So, I swallowed my pride, walked up to a group of hikers and asked if they could refill one of Burnout Bear's bottles for us.  Luckily, they were loaded with fresh water that they just filtered from a nearby pond, saving us from dehydration.  We were so incredibly thankful.  It was not long after Rose Peak, however, when both Burnout Bear and myself began to tire.  The trail bumps along for about 4 miles after the peak, which is very fatiguing after just having climbed both Mission and Rose Peaks.  From then on, we started walking each climb, feeling more and more discouraged.  We had hoped to hold a 12 minute pace as I did during the Grizzly Peak marathon, but we were much, much slower than that at this point.  Our enthusiasm was crushed, increasing our respect for anyone who has ever completed the Ohlone 50k.  We completed 26.5 miles and can only hope to finish all 31 miles of the course on race day!  Our goals for the race are:

• Finish!
• Carry enough water and nutrition.
• Enjoy our first 50k as much as possible.

There is going to be a new moon the evening before the race and a solar eclipse during the late afternoon on race day, so there are already signs that this will be a memorable day!

As for today, I had to complete my final 10 mile "recovery" jog around Brushy Peak.  It was another warm day and Burnout Bear couldn't join me due to work obligations.  So, I was on my own to push through the miles.  I felt embarrassed when bikers passed, or when I had to shuffle past hikers and wished that I could wear a sign reading "I just ran a marathon yesterday!" to explain my sad state.  My goal was to reach Brushy Peak without walking.  This was a tough challenge on tired legs, but I managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other until I successfully reached the peak.  I celebrated by stopping to look out over the town of Livermore for a few minutes and sucked down a warm gel that tasted like raspberry pie.  I realized that this is why I am a trail runner: every day has its own unique challenge (weather, terrain, fatigue) and this keeps the sport interesting; some days you succeed, and some days you just have to eat a slice of humble pie.

Now, taper time!...

Coastal Trail Runs Grizzly Peak Marathon: Bearly Reachable!

When Burnout Bear and I first looked at our 50k training schedule at the start of the year, we knew that the two longest 26 mile runs would be tough to accomplish.  Not only would they demand a lot of time and effort, but a lot of planning and incentive, as well.  We decided that the easiest way to complete them was to sign up for a race.  This way, there would be greater encouragement to start, finish and run strong until the end.  So, for the first 26 mile run, we signed up for the Coastal Trail Runs Grizzly Peak Marathon in Tilden Regional Park located in the Berkeley Hills.  And this was Burnout Bear's first marathon ever!

The week leading up to the marathon, I had the hardest time figuring out what water system and nutrition to use.  Burnout Bear already knew that he was going to stick with his traditional hand-held Amphipod.   He encouraged me to stick with what I have been using in training, as well, (either a Fuel Belt or my Camelback "shirt") and this was sound advice.  The night prior, I finally decided to go with the Camelback "shirt" (the bladder is worn inside of a special shirt pocket) and fill it up so that I wouldn't have to rely on the aid stations too much, if at all.  I would then use my Spibelt to hold all of my other stuff, including salt tabs and additional nutrition.

Based on my prior training pace and the difficultly of the course, I set a goal to finish with a sub-12 minute pace.  This was going to be a challenge, but not impossible.  I would definitely have to work hard, but that's the purpose of a goal, right?

Poison Ivy on the trail.

And what a doozy of a marathon it was!  Not only did it have over 5700 ft of climbing, but the trail was surprisingly technical and was covered with rocks, roots, and mud the entire way.  It didn't help that we were stuck in the bathroom line for 15 minutes (there was only one stall in the men's room) and started the race 3 minutes late.  We were caught behind the slower runners who were walking every incline, including many 5k and 10k runners wearing headphones on a single track trail (grrr!)  (Note: there were 5k, 10k, half-marathon, 30k, marathon and 50k races run on the same course at the same time.)  We had to carefully run off-trail to get around most of these runners, which resulted in a lot of frustration and poison ivy rashes on our arms (!) and legs, unfortunately.

Burnout Bear finishing strong!

The marathon route consisted of 2 half-marathon loops.  Both Burnout Bear and myself ran the first half much faster than we probably should have due to the mental game of running alongside the half-marathoners.  Hearing other runners at your heals is a great way to run faster, but it is tough to block out of your mind if you are trying to reserve energy for a second lap.  The toughest part of the course was the steep descent and ascent (both ways on both loops) on the Lupine trail up to Vollmer Peak which was basically a narrow rock slide.  I saw several runners trip and even one runner at an aid station icing her arm and blue, broken fingers before heading out to complete the final 13 mile loop of the 50k (!).  I managed to complete the first loop in 2:22 and knew that I had a good chance of meeting my goal of a sub-12 minute pace if I could keep it up.  This was a great motivator to conquer the hills a second time!  The final climb to Vollmer Peak was one of the most painful experiences, but I knew that the rest was mostly downhill after that.  When I saw the yellow ribbons indicating that I was back on the 10k course with only 3 miles remaining, I ate a gu that I stashed in my shorts (Cliff Vanilla, my favorite) and it helped me run strong all the way to the finish.  I was ecstatic to see 5:01 on the clock as I ran in.  I had reached my goal!

Finishing with the Grizzly Peak Bear in the background.

Burnout Bear was waiting at the finish as I crossed, looking a bit tired but holding up a medal!  He completed the marathon in 4:47 (clock time; 4:44 running time), earning himself 1st place in his age group.  What a spectacular first-marathon performance!  Burnout Bear certainly conquered Grizzly Peak!

As for me, I managed to place as 3rd female and 1st in my age group, as well.  Somehow, the third female that was in front of me at mile 14 disappeared.  Hmm.  I never saw her again and she didn't finish by the time we left the race...  Hopefully she didn't encounter the Grizzly!

A sample of the trail

An outstanding view of San Francisco from one of the peaks.

A view of Tilden Regional Park.  (All of the pictures above have been provided by Coastal Trail Runs - thank you!)

    

  

Long Island Kings Park 15k: The Fierceness (and Speed!) of Road Racing

Last weekend, I was in Long Island, NY and needed to squeeze in a run.  My Dad was taking a brief running hiatus and I wasn't psyched about pounding the pavement alone (no, there are no good trails), so we asked our local running friend Javier if there were any weekend races.  It ended up that I was in luck, and the "hilly" Kings Park 15k was being held the next morning by the Greater Long Island Running Club and USA Track & Field Long Island.  A dinner of New York cheese pizza and wine would have to do (and was delicious!)

Javier, Mom, and me: staying warm before the start.

My last road race was a 2-person CIM relay with Burnout Bear in December, so, in addition to getting in some much needed mileage, I was curious how my legs would perform on the road again.  Upon arriving at the elementary school where the race started and finished, I immediately noticed an intensity amongst the runners.  I could barely find the race registration desk in the gym amongst all of the clustered teams.  Most of the racers were showed their running club loyalty by wearing matching singlets and shorts.  I began feeling stomach butterflies.  I felt silly standing around while runners warmed up and stretched in high tech compression fabric and neon racing shoes.  My warm-up consists of bouncing up and down to keep warm in the early morning, at most.

As it grew nearer to the start time, I begrudgingly stripped down to my shorts and t-shirt and we headed outside of the school.  It was a chilling 40 degrees or so, making it a tough wait... and then the horn went off!  The first mile was slightly downhill and I was enjoying the fast start a little too much when I heard "6:30" (!) at the first mile marker.  I instantly backed off of the gas because I knew that I would soon burn out if I kept that up.  My goal was to strive for a sub-8 minute pace, but I didn't want to blow it.  So, I slowed down and held on to a sustainable pace the rest of the race.

Waiting with Javier at the start.

This was the first road race (over 5k) that I have run without headphones.  Doing so allowed me to overhear remarks made by road runners and spectators:

Around mile 4, I was running uphill alongside a man who suddenly shouted, "You can do it, Joe!  You can do it!"  I didn't see anyone around respond, but perhaps Joe was really pushing hard.  Then, 2 minutes later, I heard the man shout somewhere behind me, "Go, Joe, go!"  Apparently, Joe was his own cheerleader.  Interesting strategy.

Then, just after the 10k mark, there were several coaches with clipboards along the grassy median of an out-and-back stretch of the coarse (uphill one way, down the other).   They positioned themselves there in order to shout at their team members while running by - both ways.  One coach in green was particularly fierce.  There was a young man directly in front of me who appeared to be struggling.  It sounded like he was wheezing.  But his coach was not concerned in the slightest and yelled gruffly, "COME on, Robby!  You're NOT gonna die!  PUSH the uphill and WORK the downhill!!"  Yikes.  Poor Robby.  You just don't see things like this at trail races.

And off we go!

From about the 6 mile mark until the end of the race, I was running off and on with another woman.  Sometimes she passed me on the downhill, then I would pass her on the uphill.  (Note: these were Long Island "hills" and were often not much more than low-grade inclines.)  I enjoyed this unspoken game of tag, and I tried to keep in front of her for the remainder of the race.  This, unfortunately, did not happen as she sprinted past me up the final hill to the finish!  I have to say that she ran a great finish, and I didn't think that I had anything left... until I saw that the time on the clock read 1:09:45 and I finally pulled a final sprint from my legs, finishing in 1:09:52 and a pace of 7:30!  Woohoo!  Hill training must certainly be speed training in disguise, as they say.  I definitely could not have run this pace even 6 months ago.

My sweet Mom supporting us crazy runners.

As we headed back into the elementary school for post-race refreshments, there was a desk just inside the front door.  A lady at a computer and what looked like a receipt machine printed out a handy race result "receipt" for each runner that walked in.  The slip of paper showed each runner's race statistics and times, including the first 10k time and last 5k times, paces and places.  I had never received immediate, printed results like this before.  I usually write my results on the back of my bib days after a race when they are finally posted online, and now I didn't need to worry about that.  What a great idea... leave it to those intense road racers!

Special thanks to my Mom, Dad, and Javier for waking up early on a Saturday morning and being so supportive!  It was a memorable race and it was wonderful to have you all there. :)

Brazen Racing Badger Cove Half Marathon

Well, the dedicated training is starting to pay off!...  On St. Patricks Day, I ran the Brazen Racing Badger Cove Half Marathon in Del Valle Regional Park with Burnout Bear and some friends from the Mission Peak Striders.  I grew nervous about the weather during the week leading up to the race... rain, showers, rain, rain... and the largest downpour occured the night before the race.  This caused for a VERY muddy course, and, in fact, Brazen Racing had to alter the original course at the last minute because the support vehicle couldn't access the far aid station.  Instead of a single loop with a long out and back on the North side, the course was now two loops (and now two big hills) with a short out-and-back tail on the South side.

Elevation profile of the modified course: 2 loops

During the early morning drive to Del Valle, the car read that the temperature was 40 degrees outside.  I hoped that there would be no more rain that morning because running in cold rain would make the race extremely rough.  Anyhow, we arrived 10 minutes before the start of the race and luckily the sky was appearing clearer.  Brazen Racing put up their usual impressive staging area, including the large, balloon arch over the start/finish line.  We quickly gathered behind the large group of half marathoners (185 participants!) and off we went to conquer the mud!



Half Marathoners toe the line...

 I don't know if there are special shoes for running in mud, but I certainly could have used them.  The rugged treads on my trail shoes liked to gather clumps, which would grow larger and larger in size until I thought that my shoes were going to be pulled off.  Then, the mud bricks would become too heavy and fly off (hitting any runners around me) and the process would start over again.  I eventually got in the habit of scooting my feet every few strides to knock off the mud.  The steep uphills and downhills became tricky, slippery mud slides.  I had to walk a few of these just to prevent from falling (and, yes, it was nice to catch my breath!)

 With 2k feet of climbing, the course was already a challenge and the mud turned it into an obstacle course.  I have never run one of those "Muddy Buddy" races, but I imagine that this is what it would be like.  Fortunately, no one fell in the mud (that I am aware of) or twisted an ankle and the rain held off until after we finished.  I was tiring by the end of the second loop and was grateful to see the final downhill.  I started picking up speed and noticed that there was a group of 5k-ers in front of me, filling the width of the trail.  "On your left!" I called to them, and they curteously shifted to the right, looking over at me saying "Hey! You are the second female!"  What?!?  I thought they had to be mistaken, so I smiled and kept running for the finish.

Burnout Bear completes the race... quickly!



The 5k-ers were, in fact, correct, and I was shocked to hear my name followed by "second place female" over the loud speaker as I crossed the finish.  I thought I was dreaming.  I had only won sparse age group awards in the past, usually barely grabbing 3rd amongst small fields of less than 10 runners.  This was no dream, but just a hard-earned second place win mixed with some Irish luck.  Perhaps the rain and mud scared some competitors from showing up, or others were scared of falling on the muddy trail.  But, regardless, it was an adventurous, muddy race that I will never forget! 

 I hope to run this race again next year and highly recommend any of the Brazen Racing Half Marathon series races.  The courses are more challenging than the "usual" Brazen Races... especially Rocky Ridge!  Check them out if you enjoy running hilly half marathons.

 

Tim approaches the finish looking strong!



Great run, Dan!



Rida crosses the finish with a smile.

 

An exciting finish.

 

Envirosports 2012 Woodside King's Mountain Half Marathon

This past weekend, Burnout Bear and I ran our first race of the year: Envirosports 2012 Woodside King's Mountain Half Marathon.  We signed up for this race over a month ago because we love running in Huddard Park and wanted to spice up our training.  The course has 1900 feet of climbing over 13 miles, so it is hilly enough to fit into our training but was not overly taxing (since it is our "off" weekend.)  I have yet to run a Woodside race that I did not enjoy, and this event helped continue that tradition!

The trails in Huddard Park are extremely soft, covered with tree and fern leaves, and the dense woods help make for a cool run.  The only technical aspect of running there is the numerous switch-backs, which, when combined with a layer of dry leaves on the trail can cause for some downhill sliding and ankle-turning.

There were several positive aspects of this race that made it enjoyable and unique (note: this was our first time running Envirosports):

• A vibrant, funny welcome speech by the race director followed by a group singing of "America the Beautiful" helped dissipate my pre-race butterflies;
• The first place male and female finishers received a rubber chicken and a bottle of wine;
• The racing environment was very low-key and did not even have a post-race awards ceremony; finisher awards are mailed out after the event.

As with most races, there were areas that could have been improved:

• Trail marking!  Twice I encountered a long stretch without a marker and turned back thinking I had missed a turn (once on the uphill, once on the downhill - probably was the same spot each time!)  Not only did I lose time doing this, but the temporary sense of panic zapped me out of the "zone";
• The post-race nutrition was not super healthy.  There was water, Gatorade, trail mix, bananas, peanut butter pretzels, Twizzlers, and Chex mix.  For example, I like how Coastal Trail Runs serves hot lentil soup and Cliff products... :)

Overall, we really enjoyed the race and ran well.  The weather was perfectly cool with temperatures in the upper 50s and both Burnout Bear and myself achieved half marathon PRs (on a hilly trail course.)  Woohoo!

post race: Burnout Bear, myself, and our friend Rida

The relaxed, post race spread.

A no-frills finish.  (Your time is called to you as you cross.)