Race Report: Peacock 100k 2014: Defending the title..

My heart pounded and my head was spinning. Sweat poured off the brim of my hat and into my eyes. My legs, usually springy and strong, were made of cement, and I willed them into a fast cadence. 'I WANT THIS!' I muttered under my breath, as my watch clicked off mile 55 and showed 15,000 feet of climbing accomplished. Just seven to go! A stark contrast to my mindset several hours earlier.. This year I've experienced some highs and some lows in my running. I've hit beautiful and amazing trails on the east coast, run NYC with my brother. I've stomped marathon distance training runs in the Australian Outback and New Zealand, hit my old haunts on Whidbey Island, run mountain trails in Colorado, and of course, thousands of miles right here on Oahu. I've also suffered a leg injury, and a strange bout with something like sciatica. After nailing a solid three day block in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park near San Diego six weeks prior to this race (65 miles total in those three days) I totally choked on my last key long run three weeks out. Also the birth of my fourth son recently has been such a blessing, but it's certainly fair to say that family life doesn't make it easy to carve out long training weeks!

The goal this year was to defend my title from last year. If that proved impossible, it was to put in a solid effort. I needed to come out uninjured in order to recover and start a good training block for HURT 100 in January. Oh, also, the goal was to have fun along the way!

Thanks to Kalani Pascual for taking this shot! I really enjoyed seeing many of my running friends, and sharing the lead through the first 35 miles with very strong Navy Seal runner Jake. We shared stories and motivation during the heat of the day. At 35 miles Jake felt stronger and surged ahead at a pace that I felt was not sustainable. I guessed that the day might not be mine. I managed a low spot and eventually got back to a happy place. It was all about accepting what the trail was giving me, and what my body was giving me. Music helped, as did high-fiving opposite direction runners. I started to focus. How far ahead could he be? A couple of hours after Jake pulled away, I allowed myself to start wondering if it was possible to catch him and maybe even still win... the gap had been at least five minutes, but someone mentioned two minutes with about 15 miles to go. Time to work. I knew my best bet would be the long and punishing paved descent and subsequent return down and back up Long Road. Running 7:00 miles down a 10% grade is easy enough on fresh legs, but with almost 50 miles down and little spring left in the pegs it becomes a challenge, and really felt harder than running that fast on flat road. I focused on solid form and amazingly Jake came into view just a minute ahead. Although I waved for him to come with me, the intent behind my pace was clear: You can't keep up, and don't even try! By the turnaround at the bottom he was a dot in the distance, but I left nothing to chance on the return trip. My earlier doubt was replaced with the realization that I had what it was going to take. The end result was 11:38, a three minute deficit on last years run. Since this year was much hotter, I felt that it was an equal or better performance, with a similar closing pace. It felt great to be done!

Thanks to Bob McAllaster for these pictures, his sage advice at the midpoint, and cheerfully volunteering his time! Thanks to Rob Lahoe and all the volunteers who gave up their weekends in order to make this wonderful race happen! I've heard of a few of his challenges; scorpions, damaged trucks, electrical equipment that didn't work as expected, sleepless nights, and much much more. Please keep it up Rob... I'm probably going to have to come back next year! Learning points: I got behind on my hydration early, and never caught up. On hot, difficult courses it's crucial to keep the flow of liquids coming in. 40oz of water was enough, but there were several times when I declined filling both, instead choosing to run to the next aid on just one. Next time I'd fill both and simply drain one. I went pretty light on calories, slurping approximately 12 oz of Hammer Gel from flasks, probably five bottles of diluted energy drink, and a few pieces of melon. Gel just isn't going down well these days, but I need to work on keeping a variety of easy to digest foods and drinks on hand in order to keep the flow of juice coming. I was riding a fine line just before bonking. Shoes: Hoka Huakas. Performed very well all day. I think the cush helped on the pounding downhills, and the traction was perfect for the dry conditions. Now to recover for a couple of weeks and it's time to sharpen up for HURT 100!

HURT 100 Mile Training Plan (take 2, part 1)!

Mike Wardian just raced two ultras this weekend on top of a 100 mile week. Anton probably logged 30,000 feet of vert and 24 hours of running in the last seven days, and I have no doubt that Killian jogged to the top of several peaks faster than anyone in history (while smiling and chatting with hikers and taking shots of tequila). I spent all day Monday flying commercial, then spent the week jet lagged in Texas running flat roads at night. Make no mistake about it, I want to be competitive at both the Peacock 100k coming up in six weeks, and at the HURT 100 in January. But my job takes time and takes me away from places conducive to training, and my family deserves as much time from me as possible. It's just not possible or fair for me to take the time away from them. Speaking of family, our fourth child is due in just three weeks. We area very blessed, and I can't wait to meet him! But there's no way that the little guy is going to help me improve, unless some new study shows that lack of sleep and less free time makes runners faster. Anyone else out there in a similar boat? I'm thinking yes... We mortals that sit behind a desk wishing we were able to run FKT's for a living! We mortals that run boring road loops over and over again because it's quicker than getting to a trail head. We mortals that sometimes would rather hang out with family (on a umm, tropical beach) rather than run for six hours on a Saturday! So what's the plan? Relax! This is only part 1! A road map if you will. A guideline I'm putting in writing in the hopes that I can actually heed my own advice. A plan has to solve a problem, so first I must identify the problem(s) accurately. The goal is to be truly competitive with some great runners coming to HURT. This year I proved I can do just that so it stands to reason that I could repeat. The problem is simply getting enough miles/vertical/quality/recovery in order to maximize my potential. This would be the same problem everyone has. Even the runners with tons of free time often mess themselves up by skimping on the recovery. So here's me talking to myself: -Written Training plan. For us people living in the real world, it's gotta be flexible. But a written training plan can help maximize your time, and keep you on track with important workouts. Without a plan I tend to run about the same amount, but end up doing less focused speed work in favor of tons of moderate miles. Also, I highlight really essential runs on my written plan. For ultra that will be the really long runs... it doesn't really matter if I miss the fartlek workout. Every week I do back to back 'medium-long' runs, and try to get runs in that last over two hours, but in the months leading up to a 100 I will accomplish several runs around the six hour mark. These are key, and something that just has to happen. This is why the plan has to be flexible. In my case I will make every effort to ensure that those runs happen while I'm on a work related trip, even if that particular weeks schedule didn't actually call for a 'long-long' run. Shuffle the deck, do the long run.. you may not get another chance! -Run when you can. Too many times I've delayed a run because I just wasn't feeling it right then. A few more minutes checking email or otherwise whiling away the time often has led to either no run, or a drastically shortened run when work or family duties end up popping up. Keep the eyes on the prize and get out that door! -Doubles. Along the same lines as the last one. If you can get out for a few miles now, then do it! Hit the road again later to up the training impulse. I like to take my oldest son out on his bike. He can ride sub 8min/mile for six miles, so that's perfect, and really is quality time. The double jogger works with the other two. -Include the family. Want to run some North Shore trails on Saturday? Maybe if you pack everything for the kids, but leave several hours early you can plan to meet up at the beach. Win-win! -Start going to bed earlier. I'm a night owl. It's time for my wife and I to talk and relax without a thousand requests and questions. But all too often the time is wasted in front of a screen. Earlier bed will make the early morning run more palatable, and/or improve that vital recovery! -Include upper body and resistance work. Hey, the goal is to be a machine that can last all day and all night in the mountains! I'm not talking about turning into a gym rat. I'm talking about dropping off the desk every few minutes to do pushups, bridges, dips, squats, lunges, pull-ups etc. I can't figure out why I'm so lazy when it comes to this obvious stuff, but I am. I suspect that many runners are the same. Time to keep the eye on that prize. The result will be a more capable body all around, and hopefully one that will feel more comfortable after the miles get long. A side benefit might even be improved work productivity, and improved motivation for the run. Nothing sucks the life out of me more than several hours at the desk. I barely feel like walking to the bathroom let alone trail running! -Force yourself out the door even when you don't want to go. Permission to quit after one mile! An oldie but goodie. If you plan on running on any given day, then make it happen. Many of my strongest runs happened when I least felt like heading out the door. That's all for now. I've got a few more floating around in my head, and I'll get another HURT training post up as we get a bit closer. Now off to bed so I can get up earlyish and run!

What the heck happened to the running?

After getting hurt at HURT I wanted to jump right back on the wagon. My head was hurt as much as my leg, and as soon as I was reasonably able I started back in, and made plans to run the Bighorn 100 in June. My ego said I needed to run that with the intention of being in it to win. It went well for a while, and I really jumped into training. I won a shorter trail race here, and had some epic runs in places like Australia and New Zealand. Then I developed a terrible condition in my other leg. Best I can tell it was some kind of pirformitis, or a nerve near my rear getting pressured and causing symptoms down the leg. Imagine an achy feeling down the thigh and terminating in the knee. Terminating with a vengeance like a spike in the inside of the knee! I'd run one mile feeling fine, then suddenly hardly able to walk. My knee even buckled while walking a couple of times! Shocking, kinda scary, and even more frustrating when I'd feel just fine 30 minutes later. I ran a 1/2 marathon in Guam. For some reason the knee held up (didn't seem to develop the same symptoms when starting a run at a higher intensity), but the flat run was a disaster that had me over 30 seconds per mile slower THAN MY TRAINING PACE! I was demoralized, and quit running for a couple of weeks. I decided there was no way that I could make Bighorn, and pulled out of that, leaving my schedule open for the summer. I bought a sweet mountain bike, and took the wind surfer out a few times... then... Well, it's difficult to manage an injury that doesn't manifest any symptoms until after one is already out running, but after a couple of weeks I just knew that I would have no trouble. My first run back in early May was on a treadmill in Canada. The next day a couple of hours on a beautiful trail in Maryland. Since then I've built back up to 60-70 miles per week. I'm on the trails, and I'm running a few fast miles on the roads. I've got new kicks in the form of Hoka Huaka's (love them), and I just found out I'm going to be running the HURT 100 against some seriously tough competition. Time to turn it on! Training is going to have to be smart though. We have a baby coming in September, and that is sure to be a limit. One that I'm happy for! I won't be running 100+ miles per week, but I'm going to show that I can run with the best at half that!

Junk Miles!

Truth is, I don't think there is such a thing as Junk Miles in the sense that is commonly referred to. Often speedsters seem to think that most any miles that aren't part of a 'workout' are junk. I disagree. I think any miles that take away from your objectives are potentially junk, but that could be a workout that lasts too long, or a long run that wears you out rather than builds you up. But sometimes those miles are good for the soul, and if that's the case, they're good enough for me! I've been running tons of Junk Miles for the last few months. And enjoying many of them! Five miles pushing a double jogger while my oldest son rides his bike beside me? Awesome! And that adventure run that turns into a hike on a barely passable ridge trail? Worth it! But I've been putting in some work too. Workouts, hills, trails and hot roads. I'm ready for my first serious race in months. Maunawili 22 mile. Tough trail, and lots of runners (for a HURT race). Some competition too. The win is not guaranteed by any means, but it's a stepping stone to defending the title at Peacock 100k.

Shoe Reviews! Hoka Conquest review, and Hoka Rapa Nui review.

I've done a bunch of running in these shoes this year.  After getting a killer HURT discount on the Hoka Rapa Nui and later the Conquest at Kailua's awesome little running store 'Be Fit Kailua' I'd say I've found two of my favorite shoes. I just picked up a pair of Huaka's, and they seem fantastic, but I have got to wait and see if they are durable enough for the kind of running I do.

First the Rapa Nui.  It's like a more svelt Stinson, and for me that's good, because I had trouble with the Stinson's large footprint and my narrow stride (too narrow?).  It's got less cushioning than the initial Hoka models (Mafte, Bondi, Stinson), a narrower footprint, and nice medium lugs that cover the entire outsole.  It also comes with speed laces and a set of traditional laces should you decide the speed system isn't for you.

My initial impression was of a nice trail shoe that seems pretty comfortable on the road, has good cushioning, and light weight.  After a while you get used to the cushioning, and it's never as obvious as with a new set of Bondi's.  Throwing on my Scott Kinabalu's told a different story though... the Hoka's have WAY more cush!  The tread seems to be a good compromise for most trail conditions and the occasional road section (important here in Hawaii as I'll often connect very technical and/or muddy trails with sections of road).  Uppers are not slipper-fit, but are comfortable with no obvious flaws.

My complaints with this shoe have a lot to do with the fact I have unique feet.  Very wide across the toes!  The shoes felt narrow from the start, and after the HURT 100 my toes were DAMAGED in a bad way.  This was partially my fault for choosing Injinji toe socks that actually serve to widen my feet slightly.
The second issue was that I found my feet sliding around to an unusual degree after my feet got wet (even just sweat).  This quickly causes 'bumper toe' blisters and lost toenails.  I took out the inserts and that seemed to create more friction and held my feet in place better without tightening the laces unfomfortably.  Speaking of which...
The speed lace system works ok, but when I really wanted to get the shoes tight (to alleviate the slipping in the uppers) and tried to cinch the laces down I found the plastic clip that the laces run through would abraid the laces and cause bulges that rendered the system almost inoperative.

Overall I love the Rapa Nui's.  I'm on my second pair, and feel like they serve as an excellent long distance trail shoe.  Small and light enough to feel fast and nimble, but with cushioning not available in shoes other than Hoka's!

On to the Hoka Conquest.  This seems to be a higher tech approach to the simple plush of the Bondi.  Still a large outsole, but not as obviously 'clown shoes' as the earlier Hoka models.  You can easily go elsewhere for the specific technologies; I'll just cover my impressions.

Initially it's clear that this is a road shoe as there are no significant tread lugs.  Same speed lace option as the Rapa Nui, similar midsole thickness as Bondi.

I found the upper to be tight across the toe box.  Disconcertingly so at first.  I quickly wore some blisters on my little toes, but after about 50 miles the shoes wore in enough that the problem all but disappeared.
The midsole cushioning is again not nearly as obvious as on the Bondi, despite the thickness.  The feeling is similar to a normal cushioned trainer from any of the big companies.  The difference seems to be in its longevity.  My Bondi's quickly showed compression of the midsole.  These Conquest's have run over 500 miles and the midsole looks... new!
There also seems to be some gentle stability control, and I feel less like my feet are rolling around in a pillow. 
The uppers fit well (other than the afore mentioned narrowness), but drain sweat poorly.  Not a problem in some areas, but here in Hawaii sweat accumulation will turn the shoes into heavy soggy like you've been running in the rain, and drying happens slowly.  Drainage ports work well for getting the slosh out after a deep puddle, but feet just seem to stay wet forever.

Conclusions:  I've enjoyed the Conquest, and they make a solid partner for all road running, and any dry/not slippery trails.  The fact is I prefer the the Bondi's plusher feel, but the Conquest feels more stable, and lasts way longer.. an important factor when you're dropping some serious dough on new kicks.

HURT 100 2014 Race Report

 

 

As I sit here a week after HURT I think I find myself in a pretty good place.  Sure, it didn't go as planned (more on that later), but I proved something to myself, and I find a renewed excitement for the sport, and more love than ever for the wonderful people involved!

Physically it's a mixed bag.  I got away with very little muscle soreness, which is surprising considering how far I ran, the elevation change, brutal terrain, and the pace that I was holding.  But I do have a calf injury, and I've never experienced such damage to my toes (even when I lost nine toenails at San Diego 100.

 

I talked a little about my training in a previous post, and I'm pretty sure I needed another month to really hit the sweet spot, but as I flew back to Oahu after a short trip to socal I felt a kind of confidence building.  A confidence that allowed me to feel excited for the race, mixed with healthy nerves.  After all, this is home, and it doesn't 'hurt' to have home field advantage.

 

These things creep up on you like Christmas.. ready or not!  Before you know it you're on a small concrete bridge leading into the jungle at 5:59am with 130 other excited runners.  I moved through the crowd until I was near the front, and in a flash we were off!  Pretty hard to stay nervous when the pace is an easy hike up Hogsback.  I've run these trails a lot, and frequently find it difficult to hit splits that would result in a good race time, even on ten mile runs.  I've been hoping that my GPS was simply reading the distances short due to switchbacks and poor reception in the forest (meaning my splits were actually better, and I was going faster than I thought).  I knew that if it was easy to keep up with Gary Robbins, even for a few miles, that I would stand a good chance at a good race.  Immediately that seemed to be the case.  We had a blast for those first few miles.  One runner off the front (don't worry about that little guy), and a group of five or six of us not far back.  The first major descent saw Gary speed ahead, and I ended up in fifth by the Paradise aid station (an awesome pirate themed party at the Manoa Falls trailhead!).  Right there it was obvious that the leader was hurting, and he quickly fell back (and out) putting me in fourth.  A very nice guy named Timo (from Germany, but currently residing in Japan) caught me, and we finished the loop in 3:41 basically tied for fourth.

We set out into the increasing heat for the second loop, determined to slow a bit and maintain a steady, but conservative pace.  This was a pretty uneventful loop, and I finished it in 4:10, having passed a runner and moving up to third place (still with Timo close behind), and right on pace.  If anything I found that I needed a bit more than 30oz of water I was carrying, and probably should have been forcing a few more calories because the sport drink they were serving seemed very diluted.

The third loop got interesting.  I simply tuned out the repetitive nature of the course, and zoned out.  Soon someone told me that the leader was only minutes ahead.  I knew that Gary was well up on me, so I assumed that they meant Yassine, and that was second place.  I put no thought into it, but by mile 45 I had caught and passed Yassine and was in second.  That played games with me.  In a perfect world that would happen way later in the race, and I wouldn't have to worry about defending the spot.  Whatever.  No change of plans.  Plug ahead.  Drink, run, hike, eat, repeat!  Loop three done in the daylight in 4:30, for a total time of 12:20ish.

Loop four.  Night settled on the forest quickly.  Roots that I easily vaulted became obstacles that slowed me to a walk as I clambered over and around.  Everything took on a slippery and dangerous sheen of moisture.  It seemed I was crawling around the loop, and Gary's increasing lead showed that I was indeed moving slowly, but the gap to those behind me remained the same or increased (except for Timo who stayed close, and Alex who seemed to be closing a bit about 30 minutes back).  Loop four done in 5:15.  New batteries in the light.. what a difference!

Off we go for loop five.  Timo close behind.  He mentions moving up Hogsback more quickly, but I can't, and he doesn't get by me.  Ah, good ole' Hogsback!  This section of trail pretty well sums up Oahu trail running, although it's harder than most.  Take a nice Pacific Northwest single track trail snaking up a seven hundred foot climb.  Now take out the switch backs and send it straight up on a 20%+ grade.  Make it fifty feet wide, but with no good route up.  Take away the buffed out pine needle track and replace it with literally millions of root steps up to three feet high.  By the fifth time up this nasty beast my heart was hammering in my chest just to maintain a walking pace.  Forget 'power hiking'!

 I start to feel better.  I'm smelling the barn a bit.  Time is melting together, and five hours out here really doesn't seem that bad at all!  I pick up the pace on the easier climbs, gapping Timo until I can no longer see his light.  22:30 looks like a possibility if these woods will let me pass!  I'm running scared though.  Alex isn't far back, and Timo is right there.  The truth is, fourth would be a bit of a let down after all this.  I power up to the top of Manoa Cliff trail, and then it popped.  I stepped off a root with full ankle flexion (as opposed to extension), and the pressure of full power in that position caused a sharp pain in my upper calf.  Even though I've never felt a cramp like that, I attempted to stretch it out, but soon realized I was dealing with a serious strain of the muscle.  Running was out of the question, as was any kind of powerful hike.  The only thing I could do was hobble forward without stressing that muscle at all.  Unable to believe what had happened to me, I continued down the trail towards Paradise instead of turning back to the start/finish.  But the truth became clear:  my race was O-V-E-R!  I gathered a small bamboo stick to take the strain, and wobbled on.  There is something to be said for overcoming adversity to finish, but I don't want to do that if it means damaging myself, and perhaps losing an entire season to injury.

The nice folks at Paradise helped me.  They wrapped my leg, gave me good physical therapy advice,  fed me soup, gave me blankets, and would have dried my tears if I'd been so inclined.  I called my wife, and a couple of hours later I was headed home.

This race proved to me that what I did at Peacock 100k was no aberration.  There is always self doubt.  Training is never perfect, and I'm not the fastest runner out there, but I can run with some of the best mountain runners out there and give a good accounting of myself.  All that said, 87 miles and 22000' climbed, but not getting to finish is a pretty hard pill to swallow.

What I did right:  Nutrition and hydration was probably a B+.  I needed a bit more than the 30oz I was carrying during the day, but I made up for it at the aid stations by chugging.  15oz containers of coconut water at Nu'uanu aid station was a great move.  100 calories, some electrolytes, and hydration allowing me to catch up.  Two gel's an hour worked for a long time, and when I got sick of it I switched to baby food pouches that held equivalent calories and taste way better!  Not much real food at the aid other than watermelon slices.
Pacing:  Not bad, say a B.  The first loop looks fast, but it felt controlled, and allowed me to rack up some miles before it got hot.  The second and third loops were in the range, but the fourth loop was too slow.  I need to practice running on that terrain at night in order to maximize my pace when I'm exhausted.  For what it's worth, I definitely felt like I was on track to run a faster last loop.

What I did wrong:  Body Glide!  I didn't use enough, and I didn't use any product on my feet.  I chaffed everywhere.  Even the gel's in my pockets wore my thighs raw!
Shoes/Socks:  Hoka Rapanui's are a bit narrow for me.  I foolishly combined them with Injinji toe socks that make my feet even wider.  I am paying the price!

Where to now?  I'm pumped to get back out there.  My calf is recovering nicely, although running is still out.  If I'm able to get in, I'm going to redo 2013 by running Cascade Crest 100 in late August, Peacock 100k in October, and HURT100 in 2015.  That means my season starts later than most, so the next couple of months will be pretty chill.  I'm going to get back in the weight room.  I'm going windsurfing.  I'm going hiking!  There's more things to do in Hawaii than there is time in our lives!  I'll pick up some easy running when I can, and when I get going more seriously in a couple of months I'm going to train for some speed.  I might even try for a marathon PR.  Then a couple of big months of mountain running prior to CCC.  June and July will be pretty hard, but I can't wait!

As always, thanks to my wonderful wife for caring so much!  Thanks to all my family for standing by me through thick and thin.  And thanks to the HURT Ohana.  Trail running is full of caring and humble individuals.  HURT seems to bring this to another level, and the truth is that makes one of the toughest mountain races so much easier!



How to train for a 100 mile race (HURT 100)

Well, I wanted to post something like that.  I wanted to come into HURT in the best shape and ready to run off the front, or at least give the front runners a race.  Instead I came into Cascade Crest 100 last August in great shape, underperformed, took some time off, did some unfocused running, miraculously won the Peacock 100k in record time, took more time off, did some jogging, felt ready to train for HURT, got sick, got interrupted by work, and finally got into training almost exactly one month ago.

Today I ran my last long run.  Almost five hours, 23ish miles, and 6500' of climbing in the Nature Center.  The goal was a nice steady '100 mile' pace, lots of climbing, no injuries, and a quick recovery.  As I sit here typing I'm amazed that I was able to do that run with not an ache or pain lingering.  Hopefully that's a good sign!

I've gotten a bit slower than my peak last summer, but since I got into training late I focused on consistent runs, getting some steeper climbs in, and some faster runs on trails to practice the agility needed to jump over wild boars or roosters that inhabit the trails around here.  No 100 mile weeks with insane vertical, but this week I topped out at 76ish miles and around 18500 feet of climbing.  That's going to be enough, it just kinda stinks that I'm just starting to really feel ready to train hard for another month, but times already up!

So some high points of my 'training':

1.  I love how living here in Kailua allows me to run to some very difficult and steep mountains right from my doorstep.  I just feel intuitively that there are gains to be had by running fast on the roads, hammering the legs up and down trails on mountains like Olomana, and then asking the ole' pins to deliver on the roads again to get back home.

2.  Exploration.  Every time I go somewhere new and get out to run I come away impressed with what I find.  When I was sent to Wilmington, Delaware for simulator training my reaction was 'ugh'.  I knew that there would be little of interest there, especially in early December.  I was wrong!  I got to enjoy a week of winter, a foot of fresh snow, and lots of miles on great trails in some beautiful state park areas.  Hawaii trails are more challenging, and certainly offer stunning scenery, but doing something new was a great way to get motivated for a month of hard running.

3.  When I'm sick of grinding out an hour or two on the roads or trails I've found that doing what I've termed an 'adventure run' fits the bill.  Usually this simply means I'm going to run and hike up something steep. 

4.  I enjoyed spending some time on my new (to me) windsurfer while I was taking it easy after Peacock.  I could almost feel myself getting smarter and more athletic as I tried to teach myself this fun sport.  I am really looking forward to getting back out there after HURT!

What am I expecting to happen on the infamous five loops of HURT?

Gary Robbins had a down month in November and early December, but he's put in some quality work since, and is clearly the favorite to win again.  He's simply world class, and understands how to run a course like this better than anyone.  Yassine Diboun has also been training hard, and I'm pretty sure he'll be near the front.  There are a few other runners that will come in ready to throw down, notably Tracy Garneau.  She's the female course record holder at just a tad over 24 hours, and she's shooting for sub 24 this year.  I hope she has a great run!

The best bet for me will be to take it out easy and controlled, inside the top ten, and wait for people to come back to me.  We'll all be slowing down, but for everyone except Gary it's going to be a game of who slows the least... it's going to get ugly!  I know I haven't trained as much as some of these guys, so it just makes sense to conserve what I have, eat a lot, and hopefully maintain a positive outlook that will allow some magic a-la Peacock to occur.  Let's see if I can stick to the strategy!  My backup plan is to run right at lactate threshold for as long as possible...

What's next?

After HURT I'm taking a few weeks completely off running, and after that it will be short fun runs only for a few more weeks.  I want to spend more time windsurfing, more time on the mat at our wonderful Jiu Jitsu school, and more time with the family doing things like hikes or kayaking in Kailua bay.  After that I'm not sure.  The plan is to try to get into Cascade Crest 100 again though, so if that happens I'll be trying for a breakout run there, and that means several months of hard training.

Peacock 100k Race Report



I kinda mentioned this in my pre-race thoughts, but the week after Cascade I ran six miles, the next week 35, then 45, a couple of weeks at around 50-55, and then just 20 this week.  I didn't feel ready.  This is super low mileage. Would my summer fitness hold me over, or was it fading, leaving me with a long tough day in the hot mountains of the North Shore?  Would the IT band flare up and leave me limping back down the hill?  62 miles and 17,500' of climbing should answer the questions!
Of course, I went into this thing with a very minor head cold, and few expectations.  I knew the course record was 13h09m, which speaks to a very tough trail.  I knew Tracy Garneau was coming, and she is  a world class elite from Canada.  I figured I'd just run and see how things played out.  My excitement to really throw down had been lacking since Cascade Crest.  The day prior my wife asked me if I was even excited to do this race.  My answer was... uhhh, I guess yes?
An easy drive to the North Shore for the 6am start, and before I blinked I was cruising up the first big climb.  The course roughly goes like this:  A very big climb, right turn onto a counterclockwise loop that brings you back to near the top of the first climb, then a jeep trail (Crossover Road) that leads to a paved road off the mountain all the way back to sea level (Long Road).  Back up Long Road, back over Crossover, and back down the first climb.  That's 30 miles.  Repeat for the 100k (with a small and very tough twist known as Are's loop to make the mileage right).  Anyway, I quickly found myself in the lead of the 100k, and right behind two guys running the 50k.  I knew there were a bunch of 100k'ers breathing down my neck, but I kept a nice steady pace and enjoyed the run all the way around to the bottom of Long Road (19 miles).  I made sure to smile a lot!  Temps were reasonable due to showers moving through, and even though that made the jeep roads really slick, I was thankful for the lack of serious heat. 
The return trip up Long Road was the first opportunity to see the competition, as they were coming down.  Local fast guy Alex was about .5 miles behind me, and Tracy was about a mile back.  Close!  I powered up Long Road, but near the top I started to become light headed and dizzy.  My mental power drained away, and I cursed the slippery Crossover road.  I started thinking that just one loop was smart.  My IT band was bothering me, and why push it?  By this time I was leading everyone including all runners in the 'short' 50k race.  This mental funk was ridiculous!  Could you imagine dropping out from the lead with a healthy body?  The pressure of running off the front was hurting my head.  I started to question if I even had the strong mind required to be competitive at this sort of thing!  This is called a 'low spot', and it happens a lot in really long races.  Easy to see that sitting here, but when I'm out there experiencing the thing it feels different.  Nevertheless, I finished the loop, and started the second, knowing that hanging around the start/finish/midpoint aid station could spell disaster.  My competition was coming down, and the gap seemed about the same.  The climb was awful, but my mental power started to come back.  I hit Are's loop and started to think about racing.  A little to early for that, but I came up with a mantra:  DON'T LET THEM HAVE THIS SECTION OF TRAIL!  I'd look at the climb ahead, and determine to cover it as fast as I could (with respect to distance remaining).  Anyone behind me was going to have to take this lead from me.  I must have repeated some variation of that mantra about 1000 times... I wasn't going to surrender!  At the bottom of Long Road again (51 miles in), I felt comfortable... for about a second.  It was then that I realized that Alex was less than a quarter mile away.  Three minutes behind including his stop to refill the bottles.  I just knew he was going to pass me, but I regrouped and determined to give him a fight, and hauled back up Long.  I had become emotionally invested in winning this thing, and couldn't bear to lose it in the last hour or so. I hiked the steep stuff faster than I've ever hiked before (let's just say hiking isn't my specialty).  No kidding, I blasted Highway To Hell on my iPod.  Every tedious steep climb on Crossover I repeated my mantra, running faster splits than I had 40 miles before.  I hit the last aid and left in a big hurry.  I sacrificed my legs on the brutal descent back off the mountain.  As much as it would have depressed me to lose the lead at the bottom of Long at 51 miles, I sure couldn't lose it with three to go!  I hammered the switchbacks, tried my best to float over the rocks, and finally flew through the finish in 11:35.  Good for the win, and a Course Record of 1h35m.  Alex had faded some, but finished in a very solid 12:10, also below the old CR.  I wouldn't have run nearly as fast without him!  At the finish aid station I overheard him asking about vegan food.  Sure enough, another vegan runner.  This day we went 1-2!
I'm very proud of this performance.  Sure, different competition could have beaten me, or the same competition with different training, but I'm proud that I found the mental power to come back from a big rut and run hard when my physical power was diminishing.  It was a special feeling.  I learned a few things.  Take care of the body and it will bounce back from a low.  Mental power is worth more than physical power (sometimes).  And don't underestimate how much time you can make up (or lose) in the last few miles.  I put three minutes per mile on Alex from the bottom of Long to the finish (11 miles).  My high point coincided with his low, and that just goes to show you that it isn't over until it's over!  Now for another break, and then begins HURT 100 training!
Peacock is an outstanding event.  It's an 'old school' ultra.  Hard nosed, but with super friendly staff and volunteers.  Incredible views of awesome terrain, the pacific ocean, and beaches cap this thing off.  To all the mainlanders:  It's worth the trip out to HI to run this one!
Thanks to everyone involved in this event, and huge thanks to my wife for carrying the family while I took off and ran for the day! 

Peacock 100k Ultramarathon plans

Well, here we are again!  As I write this its been over seven weeks since Cascade Crest 100, and with less just two days to go until Peacock 100k, I'd have to say the hay is in the barn!

What hay?  I sure don't feel like I've been training like a professional (good thing I'm not)!  Hopefully taking it kinda easy was actually the smartest move I could make.  With HURT 100 coming up in January I just didn't have it in me to train seriously for that long, so that'll start after Peacock recovery!  My general plan after Cascade Crest 100 was to try not to lose too much fitness, get a couple of fast runs in, a few runs in the three hour range, and one in the five hour range.  I accomplished all those goals, and I also got to run in some pretty special places (more on that in a bit), but I've been hampered by this issue with my right leg.  First I feel a tight and achy feeling in my hip/glute, quickly my quad gets involved, and then the knee starts to hurt.  Once it starts it can bring me to a standstill.  Going uphill irritates it, but going downhill really pisses it off.  My knee seizes up, and in seconds I can't bend my leg... on some runs.  The day after a bad 'episode' I'll have a pain free run.  Speed doesn't seem to bother it.  This has kinda slowed my momentum, and is killing my motivation to really get after it.  All I can do is hope that this doesn't bother me on race day!  Enough about this... now I've put it out there, I'm going to try to forget it!

The training:  Well, like I said, it's been pretty hodge-podge.  But... I've visited and run in FOUR countries other than the US (plus Guam) in the last six weeks.  The highlights were running in the world class botanical gardens in Singapore, and everything about Sydney Australia.  Check out my pics!

Near the top of Olomana, Kailua HI... a classic 1500' climb in a smidge over a mile!  This is my home... still can't believe it!

Part of the Coastal Trail, New South Wales, Australia.  This was an awesome 26++ mile run, even though I ran out of water for the last two hours!

More views from the Coastal Trail.  Pretty tough to run fast when always stopping to take in the views!

Botanical gardens, Sydney, AUS

Sydney Harbor

 

Botanical gardens, Singapore!

 

So what are the plans for Peacock?  NOTHING!!  I understand there may be some really fast elite level women coming to town.  I hope they kill this race!  I'm going out there hoping to pace myself properly, eat and drink well, and have something left at the end.  I'm not going to pin my hopes on a win or anything else.   I feel like my training may have left my endurance lacking a bit, but I hope to make up for that by taking in lots of calories and keeping my brain happy.  It's going to be furnace hot up there.  Exposed trails and no trade winds will cause carnage I'm guessing.  I'm going to take it easy in the heat, and really dial the effort back. 

 

Well, that's about it!  I'll check back in after the race and let everyone know how it went!



Cascade Crest 100 Race Report!

When I run a really tough mountain 100 in under 21 hours, near the front of the pack, with no injuries or even lingering soreness, well, the truth is that I'd be a brat to complain!

I've given it a month to let the emotions stabilize.  For me there are such a plethora of feelings flowing through my body after these things that I'm liable to throw it all down here, and the result of that is a long boring blog post!

Hey, this race didn't go the way I had hoped.  Let it go right?  We had a great Pacific Northwest vacation, but the week prior to the race I suffered a pretty significant head cold.  Additionally I just couldn't find the right mental attitude.  Perhaps I was trying too hard, but there were almost no nerves, not enough excitement, and too much worry about what other runners were going to bring to the trails.  I knew this was wrong, but I couldn't seem to change it.

Race day dawned beautiful, and I had the best night of sleep prior to a 100 ever.  My head was pounding from the lingering cold, but a vitamin I and coffee killed it.  After checking in and hanging out with friends and family for a while we were off.

I ran at the front for a few miles, and then deliberately dropped back just a bit.  The weather was great, and the pace felt easy, even though I was gaining on my splits from last year.  I still couldn't find the right head space though.  Way too much worrying, and not enough smiling.  Strange!

Hey, this course is fantastic!  Amazing alpine views, great trails, great organization and people.  There are millions of reasons to smile.  I even stopped to pick blueberries at one point (and judging by the piles of bear scat, I wasn't the only one in the mountains with that idea)!

I really enjoyed a bunch of miles with Jon Robinson.  I learned a lot about positive attitude from Jon, and I'm committed to carrying that with me to my next long run (in four weeks)!  Prior to the Tunnel (which has no light and is well over two miles long) I realized my small flashlight was dead.  I pushed the pace a bit and easily caught Jon.  We ran the tunnel at a low seven minute per mile pace (felt easy) and rolled into Hyak aid (mile 53).  The highlight of the race waited for me there.  My beautiful wife and three sons, mother in law, grand mother in law, sister, and her daughter!!  I was SO proud, and grateful that I got to see their beautiful faces.  Any evil thoughts of calling it a day there were banished, and I rolled out in third place overall.  I didn't know that second place was mere minutes ahead. 

I felt smooth running out of Hyak, but I'd gradually stopped taking in calories due to an iffy stomach.  The next big climb didn't happen quickly.  Although I descended rapidly, after the 'Trail From Hell' I was back on my splits from last year (I had been 30 minutes up).  I dropped to fourth, fifth, and eventually sixth place.  I told Terry (my pacer from 73 to the finish) that I wasn't close to the lead, so I didn't want to race for fifth.  I just didn't want to push it at all.  The Needles were steep as hell, and the descents were loose and sketchy.  I left the last aid running strong and smelling the barn, but a wrong turn a bit later destroyed the momentum again (and lost us ten minutes), and I just mustered enough to finish under 21 hours.

My family was at the finish.  They had been waiting for a couple of hours just in case I had a great day.  What a wonderful thing to hug my kids and wife after such a rollercoaster ride!

It was also great to see that Brian Rusiecki ran a solid 18:45 for the win, and Jon Robinson came in an hour later in second.  Jon put on a clinic on finishing strong.

My post race analysis goes like this:  21 hours on such a tough course isn't bad!  Many others finish ten hours later.  My training was good.  Strong legs and great cardio.  The missing links were mental and nutrition.  The two might be linked.  Lack of calories leads to listless mental performance.  Also, lack of recent experience at the distance.  You just can't train your mind for how you're going to feel after 15 or so hours running in the mountains.  You gotta do it, and my head wasn't ready to fight back after night fell and my body requested a slow down.  Recovery happened in a flash.  Within a couple of days I was barely sore.  That's all good, because I'm running Peacock Flats 100 kilometers on the North Shore on October 19th.  A graduate level ultra with over 17000 feet of climbing, and strong competition to boot.  I'm back running again, and plan to try for a good run there.  Most important lesson I'm bringing to Peacock is to SMILE even when the feet are hurting after all day running.

As always, thanks to my family for supporting this whole craziness!

Dreaming Big! Pre Cascade Crest 100 Thoughts

Dreaming big is part of my journey to a Well-Balanced Life!

It's a tradition of mine to try to write my thoughts down regarding my preparations prior to any significant race. To be honest, this entry might read very similar to last years at about this time. Cascade Crest 100 will be my fourth 100 mile race, and second time toeing the line at Easton, WA (Cascade race headquarters). I'm no expert at the distance, and I'm not an exceptional runner, but I've had relative success. Third at my first 100, fifth at my second, and third again at Cascade last year. Although clearly among the faster runners at that distance, I've never had a break out 'Zen' like day in the mountains. Each time it's been a challenge, and each time I felt like I left plenty on the table.

Running 100 miles is a pretty arbitrary distance (why not 110?), but it fits pretty nicely into a full day on most trail courses. 24 hours is considered a very respectable finish time, so in that respect the distance makes some sort of sense. Running all day over tough terrain certainly can wreck the body (if only temporarily). Everything screams stop. Blistered feet, sore legs, sleep deprivation, nausea, and more all lurk around the corner. So why do this? I treat the race as an adventure, and as a celebration of athletic achievement. This isn't meant to sound arrogant. Every person that starts a race of this nature has sacrificed, and each person has trained to his or her ability. Each person is lining up knowing that the race might be their (again, temporary) undoing. Each starter is an athlete of supreme accomplishment no matter what finish times they have accrued in the past. I KNOW I can finish a marathon, most likely in under three hours. There is no way to know that a finish awaits anyone who starts a 100. My first 100 mile race finished only one third of the starters! And often those DNF's aren't pretty. The toughest runners and people in the world are stripped bare and left shivering and in tears on the top of a mountain at night. No one wants to quit. I want to see if I have what it takes. But I also want to celebrate natures beauty, my families love, and my love for them. I want to move with grace and respect for nature, my fellow competitors, and myself.

So with just two weeks to go my training is done. They hay is in the barn! I'm still running, but just to keep the legs sharp and preserve my fitness while allowing my body to fully rest and heal. Since Cascade Crest has some pretty long and fast descents I ran a hard downhill workout this week. Despite recent fast runs this workout left my calves very sore. I made sure to keep the effort level the next few days low to avoid injuring the sore muscles, and several days later I followed up with an easy morning run and then an afternoon hike up Stairway to Heaven here on Oahu. Again, the effort was easy, but the 3000' climb seemed to kick the funk out of the legs, and I'm ready to hit one last 'tempo' effort 15 miler this weekend.

Last year I had already run one 100, one 50, and several 30+ mile races. This left me with more recent experience, and perhaps more overall endurance. It also left me a little beaten up and tired! This year I've been training over 60 miles per week since the end of February. I've peaked over 80 miles per week, and I've done countless 'doubles' on the weekends, and several five to six hour runs. I'm ready, and I'll be more rested and recovered than last year. I'm hoping to beat last year's awesome (for me) 20:14 finish time, and I've got a split sheet with Rod Beins course record times on it (Rod finished in 18:26 in 2011). I think I have a good shot at beating my time from last year, and at least an outside chance to break out and run close to CR. We'll see. I fully respect the fact that the weather or my body might preclude such a run, and that my training or overall talent may not be enough to come close. The real goal is to run smart and have fun!

My main competition appears to be Brian Rusiecki. Brian is an elite level ultra marathoner with fast times at all distances, and a low 14 hour finish at the 2012 Vermont 100. He's raced a lot this year, so that could be bad for me or good for me. Race day will tell the tale! As always there are numerous runners new to the distance that have the potential to surprise anyone. Here's to remembering to run my own race for the first 12 hours (at least)...

For the Gear Geeks:
• Hydration will be via my Ultimate Direction AK pack. I almost chose to carry handheld water bottles, but this pack allows me to carry two bottles in my hands or to store them on my chest. The pack itself weighs only six ounces, so I'm sacrificing nothing. I like options!
• Nutrition will be primarily Gu energy gels. I try to get at least 300 calories an hour, plus whatever I can take in at aid stations. Backup energy will be Vega gels (primarily date paste), and a maltodextrin powder to dissolve in my water bottles. I'm also considering several applesauce packs in my drop bags. I have been able to stomach Gu for about 14 hours in the past, but the stomach begins to rebel, and it is crucial to keep calories coming in late in the race. Succeed S-caps will be my go-to salt supplement, but I don't expect to use many. I never supplement with salt in training, but it's better to have it and not need it!
• Shoes. I have foot problems. I can't seem to keep 10 toenails on at any given time! My feet are wide, and my middle toes seem to be slightly longer than normal. I have also suffered from Plantar Fasciitis, and some ligament/nerve problems in my ankles. Hoka Bondi B road shoes have become my go-to foot pillows. They look goofy, but the extra cushion makes up for the fashion faux pas. But the slow pace of 100's reduces impact, and the high stack height of Hokas sometimes causes me to roll my ankle where I wouldn't otherwise. I've ordered a pair of Scott Kinabalu trail shoes to check out. It's down to the wire, but the footwear is TBD!
• Shorts are going to be Patagonia's. I found a pair of 5" shorts that have side pouches that can hold four gels in each, and also a zipper back pocket.
• Lighting will be a Fenix LD22 flashlight and a Black Diamond Icon headlamp. The flashlight is bright enough to function by itself (just in case), but the combination gives incredible illumination, and the multiple angles really increases depth perception and highlights trip hazards. You can't have too much light!

I'm looking forward to our family vacation back to the incomparable Pacific Northwest, and I can't thank my wife enough for supporting me every step of the way. In a few weeks I'll let you guys know how it all went down!

You can follow along on race day at www.cascadecrest100.com on August 24-25. Race kicks off at 10am Pacific time.

The Afternoon Trail Run

Do I have to? Senses are dulled by several hours in front of a monitor. Today is a hard progressive workout. Can I put it off until tomorrow? Can I just run a shorter route? The temperature hovers near 90, but feels much hotter in the direct sunlight. The humidity hangs like a blanket. I drag myself to the car and bake on the short drive to the mountain. Thankfully the five mile loop is mostly shaded, but it’s difficult terrain, and climbs and descends over 1000 feet (2000 feet total elevation change). I lack spring in my step as I jog up the first incline. The following muddy descent feels slippery, and with a maze of rocks and large roots covering the ground every step is an opportunity for bodily harm. The trail tilts upwards for a couple of miles, and every step I lose time on my personal record around this loop. I even stop to eat some delicious Strawberry Guava near the trail (WELL worth it!). The descent back to the bottom is enjoyable and smooth, but my 46:20 is well over six minutes slower than my best. Time to ditch the excuses; time for loop two! I force myself to pump my arms hard up that first little climb, gaining almost a minute on my first attempt. I'm not flowing yet, but I ignore the slippery descent, landing lightly and stepping off before a slip can become a fall. I know that magic can happen if I push the pace long enough. I lean into the long climb with force, gauging my effort on my racing heart. Every time I think I can’t hold the pace any longer the trail levels slightly, just long enough to recover slightly and power up the next steeper section. I’m jumping the downed trees that I climbed over last loop, and as the trail turns down for the final two mile stretch I feel like a race car driver. Every bend in the trail is attacked at an angle that allows maximum exit speed without falling off the trail down the almost vertical hillside. The Guavas that I couldn’t resist on the last loop aren’t even noticed as I’m concentrating on foot placement. I’m leaping right over difficult sections of trail that I normally stumble through. I’m in this zen where I’m feeling the flow of the trail, and the signals from my body. I could do this all day! But it’s over. 38:20 for a 1 minute 34 second personal best. I cool down with short hill repeats, and then head back to work. A little over ten total miles, and just a tiny part of the several thousand I'm logging as I prepare for Cascade Crest 100, but it's an important little part, and that feeling of wellness is a large part of the reason I do this crazy sport!

Mango Madness, and Finding Balance

Kinda a lot in that header huh?  I often feel this inspiration to write, but then I find myself so busy, and there ends up so much to catch up on that the end result isn't quite what I had in mind!  End result, well, I haven't posted here for a while.  I was not in the best running form this winter, and the move to Hawaii really shuffled the old norms around. 

We arrived on the beautiful windward side of Oahu in February.  It was surreal.  I've visited Hawaii a few times, but the fact we were actually living here just seemed impossible.  The running though... My feet hurt, my right knee hurt, and I was just felt depleted.  I took a few steps back and resolved to spend February and even into March just exploring some trails and running just for fun.  It's important to remember the ultimate goal is long term health both physically and mentally.  My diet is designed for health, we pay attention to what cleaners and chemicals we use, but for some reason it's easy to fall into the trap of running myself into the ground instead of to greater fitness .  I think when I see top runners hitting long weeks time and time again I feel like a failure if I can't get at least 60 miles.  The truth is that moving a household involves a ton of stress, and I think even my modest training level might have been pushing my body over the edge as it tried to deal with all the other factors.

But Hawaii running:  Man, what a place!  I can access jungle trails that are impossible to run, steep ridgelines that will make you pay a very steep price for a stumble (but reward with stunning views!), and miles of great single track.  With an infusion of vitamin D, growing enthusiasm, and slowly healing injuries I set about creating a training plan for the Cascade Crest 100 on August 24th.  See my earlier blog post on last years race there.  It's an amazing mountain trail 100 miler!

I'm just an average guy.  I came into the running scene rather late (not counting one season of high school cross country and track), I don't run 100 mile weeks, I don't climb 20,000 feet a week, I get tired, and I question myself; 'Why would anyone want to do this?'.  In spite of those factors my goal is to win Cascade.  I had a great race there last year, running 20:14 for third place, but I feel I can do better.  Winning for me will mean simply doing the best I can, handling the guaranteed tough times, and recreating the magic.  I think that will give me a chance for a great time (and possibly the overall win), but if it's 10th place and I was able to run well and have fun, then I'll be happy with that and it will be a 'win' for me.

So my focus has been on consistent running, lots of trails, some speed work, and plenty of back to back runs in the two to three hour range.  I've been extending the long run every few weeks, recently doing 30 miles of trail (and 8000' climbing) in five hours.  That's not much compared to some ultra runners, but I feel like too many really long runs can be counterproductive, running me down instead of building me up.  Anyway, let's talk about Mango Madness! 

Hawaii Ultra Running Team (HURT) is a wonderful grassroots group here, and they run a stellar series of trail races that range all the way up to the fames HURT 100.  Unfortunately schedule conflicts have prevented me from running many of their races, but I came back from a trip just in time to line up at the Nature Center just east of Waikiki for Mango Madness 10+ mile trail race.  The atmosphere was wonderful, the folks were very well organized and super friendly, and the race was sold out, and I can see why these things draw runners!  There were at least a dozen guys who looked like gazelles, and I decided to really push and see if I could hang near the front.  No water bottle, no calories, no shirt.  RACE ON!  The first mile I traded the lead among several fast guys and then hit Hogs Back climb.  Most people would only consider hiking up this beast, but I ran ever step.  Unfortunately Killian Jornet's brother, 16 year old Makai, bounced up that trail in front of me along with local fast guy Jimmy.  They were soon out of sight and I was in third with a runner right on my back.  All was lost!  Until I hit a quick descent and caught right up (since Killian is world renowned for his descending, must not be Killian's brother!).  This happened a few times.  Every climb they would pull away, and I'd reel them in on the descent.  Eventually we popped out on the road (Tantalus) and then ran up the paved drive known as Concrete to the top of Round Top.  This 15% climb was something the Race Director challenged us to run up without walking a step, so it was just a matter of finding that pace that didn't blow up my engine.  Makai slipped ahead (jeez, how do you get that strong at 16?), but Jimmy slipped behind (cool, maybe I can hang on to second).  Then the Madness part kicked in.  The reason it's 10+ miles is that the front runners were directed down a steep and slippery trail all the way to the bottom of that particular climb, routed down the road back to the beginning of Concrete, and pointed up again (bringing the total for us closer to 12)!  I was prepared for it and warned Makai that this is what was happening.  He again pulled ahead on the climb back up, but I was on his tail on the descent down the back side.  After a few minutes of easy conversation I felt I was capable of running faster and took the lead, telling him to stay right with me.  I really wanted him to keep up, but I wasn't going to make that an easy task, and took off hard.  Makai stayed right with me.  My mind was playing tricks.  How much left in the tank?  How far to go?  Finally I pulled out of sight, only to have to stop at an intersection to ensure I was going the right way.  Makai was back.  I pulled away again down a steep and dangerous descent (wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't taking risks running a six minute mile!).  Young Makia may not be related to Killian, but he seemed to be improving over the rough terrain on jus this one run.  I hit every little climb as hard as I could, knowing my only chance was to maintain my slim lead.  As I came close to the finish I was able to see about a hundred yards back and no one was back there.  I cruised down the road to the finish at a fast pace, but relaxed a bit knowing there was no way anyone could catch me.  The final trick was balancing a mango in a spoon for the final hundred yards.  I dropped the mango once, and I could see Makai close behind now (should've hammered that last bit of road), I dropped it again and couldn't believe how clumsy I was being.. I was going to lose this thing right at the finish because I couldn't balance a darn fruit!  I hung on for the win though, and I couldn't be happier.  Makai earned King of the Mountain for hitting the top of Concrete first (twice).  Makai is a great young runner, and his performance was amazing, especially when considering the fact that this was his first trail race!  As for me, some of the hardest (fastest as well as toughest trails) running I've done in a long time, great competition, great organization.  I feel like my training is being validated.  I've got some speed, some technical ability, and some endurance (not even sore after that 30 mile run a couple of weeks ago). 

The recipe for the future is going to be more of the same.  Flying (work), hanging with the family, lots of beach time, eating good food, and of course plenty of time running the roads and trails.  I need to hit a couple more 30 milers, and I'll shoot for an eight hour/40-50 mile effort some time in July.  By the end of next month the hay will be in the barn, and it will be all about resting, recovering, and keeping the legs sharp. 

Thanks to Wily Woo for this shot of me and Makai!

Great view of Lanikai and the shore from a favorite nearby trail.

Olomana. 

Honolulu/Waikiki and Diamond Head from Round Top drive.

Just a taste of jungle 'trail'!

Flying down the trail with about 1.5 downhill miles to go at Mango Madness.  Out of the shot it gets steeper.  You gotta pay attention on these trails... I don't even remember seeing Augusto taking this picture.

Race Reports! The awesome Deception Pass 50k, Orcas Island 50k, and training interrupted!

So what's been up with the running blog?  Fall of 2012 involved recovering from a sore knee, and then some ok training leading up to Deception Pass 50k in early December.  Stress had been slowly building regarding our move to Hawaii, but I was able to hit several pretty good long trail runs.

Deception Pass was won last year by Yassine Diboun in 4:16 or so.  I came in a miserable bonking 4:50+, so I knew I could improve my time simply by ensuring I took in enough calories.  Competition was stronger this year though, so I was hoping for top five, and to run somewhere near Adam Hewey, Adam Lint, and several other fast Seattle area ultra runners.  As we lined up I noticed Canadian running star Gary Robbins.  I knew Gary was fast, but I had just managed to out run him at Sun Mt earlier in the year, so I figured it might be close between us.  As we headed off Adam Hewey, Gary, and I made a little group running conservatively.  Conversation was good, and mostly involved the best trails in Oahu to run on. Imagine the surprise when Gary jumps ahead, and then sprints down this little steep dangerous section of trail.  I gave chase, but it was immediately hopeless, and I settled into some good solo running.  I was very happy to run much stronger than last year, and was able to run most all the climbs. The second time around the Hoypus loop area was depressing, I got passed and dropped by Adam Lint, almost threw up on my favorite snack (strawberry banana gu), and dropped and retrieved four empty gel packs!  I cruised into the finish in 4:23 in sixth place. Overall a success, and a really fun day. The best part?  The last hundred feet with my little sons Ryan and Dylan!

After Deception things fell apart a bit.  Plantar Fasciitis in my left foot hurt so much I could barely walk. The house needed packing, I needed to spend lots of time in the garage getting a car running prior to shipping to Oahu (talk about pressure!), Christmas, New Years, checking out of my squadron, and then spending most of January in Savannah (very flat) training on the Gulfstream GV. I decided not to run Orcas.  Ridiculous to even try considering I would get back to Washington the day prior, and leave to HI a week later right?  I spent a week lifting weights, then got out in a local park for a few road miles.  Savannah is a beautiful and historic town and area.  I would recommend a vacation there to anyone, and if you go, I've got some places to run.. Just ask me!  Well, after talking with my lovely wife Mishelle, we decided to go to Orcas and run the race!  My training plan consisted of a couple of medium paced long runs, and several short runs on the treadmill at 15%.

So, Orcas. What a beautiful place!  Every time we go I wonder why it's been so long since we've made the trip. The weather was fantastic, and the competition was the best ever.  31 miles is a short race right?  Immediately I could tell we (I) had started way too fast!  I enjoyed about 10 miles running a steady pace with Adam Hewey before he eased ahead.  Still, I felt in control through 22 miles and the beginning of the infamous (and improved/steepened) Powerline Climb. I was dizzy and suddenly depressed and feeling just awful. Jen Shelton ran passed and up that hill like it was a medium hill on a five mile training run.  I sat down for five minutes and washed my face in a stream!  As I was feeling sorry for myself, (dreaming of quitting) a guy with a camera came down the hill and started taking pictures.. That was it, I picked myself up and staggered up the hill, not caring who passed me, or how long it took.  I didn't run unless the trail actually went DOWN hill.  Pathetic, but I was out of gas.  All I could do was remember that it was a beautiful day, beautiful trails, and my choice to be out there.  And then a surprising thing happened.. I was able to run again, not fast, but easily. After another tough hike to the top of Mt Constitution (and amazing views that rival an mountain ultra) it was five miles all downhill to the finish.  I did get a little competitive spirit back and actually started to race a couple of people running near me.  5:43, and another finish with my beautiful family.  This run was a wake up call.  It's not possible for me to run competitively without training seriously, and I wasn't ready for this.  Nevertheless I'm glad we made the trip, the memories are great, and I think the lessons and experience are valuable for my future as a trail runner.

Here's to Hawaii. I can't wait to get out on new and wonderful trails, build my strength, and come back strong to the Cascade Crest 100 in August!
Thanks to my family for enduring my ups and downs, my sore feet, and my creaky knees!
Thanks to Rainshadow Running for every wonderful event they put on. Your events are always on my radar!

Cascade Crest 100 Race Report

That's a Glenn Tachiama photo!  I'm in the green shirt with the white hat.
Wow.. This was a weekend I hope to never forget!  My third 100 mile race, and the most difficult as far as terrain and elevation.  Why?
This is a good opportunity to bring some of you up to speed on how 'Ultra' running started in the first place, how it keeps going, and why people like me keep subjecting ourselves to the punishment.
Well, of course, running messangers ran distances up to hundreds of miles for thousands of years.  Life has gotten a lot easier in the last couple of centuries, and gradually a few paper pushing office workers have just gotten fed up with the lack of physical punishment dealt by modern life.  And so it happened:  A few decades ago, a group of friends were looking for ways to stay healthy and started jogging.  Complete with super tiny shorts and striped tube socks they started pounding the pavement.  5k races led to 10k races, then eventually the impossible... full marathons!  Typical conversation involved the most risky place to take care of the inevitable gastrointestinal distress, and areas of the body most suceptible to severe chaffing.  But still they yearned for more!  One evening, after several too many 'refreshments' one friend we'll call ' Bob' mentioned that he'd like to see if he was even capable of running after not sleeping all night, 'Mike' excitedly added that he'd always wondered if it was possible to run after his big toes had blistered and were the size of golf balls.  'Joe' explained that regular running was just too much fun, and he wanted to see how he liked it after everything in his body ached and screamed for him to stop.  'Kevin' opined that women loved a sweaty, exhausted, delerious guy, and the scent of a man after running for hours was like a pheremone that would attract hundreds.  A plan was put in place:  To run 100 miles on country roads.  All the discomfort and much more was properly enjoyed, and the concept was added to.  If 100 miles on roads was so awesome, why not do it on trails?  10,000' of climbing not enough?  Let's try 20,000!  A normal mountain trail not keeping your blood pressure up?  Let's run that trail right on the edge of a massive cliff.. you know, the one that any hiker straight out of REI would think twice about?!  Now let's do that at night, after legs are wobbly from 80 miles of toiling hopelessly.  Sound like a plan?  That's basically what a 100 mile race is.  It's an absurd distance, difficult to imagine doing, even if you've done it before.  Challenges are guaranteed, and that's part of the attraction.  Life these days is sometimes too easy, and some of us look for serious physical challenges, just to 'see if we can'.  That explains doing one of these things.  Why do we keep coming back for more?  Fame and glory of course!  But mostly because our memories are so short.  Those five hours spent stumbling around the mountains at night swearing you'd never do one of these things again?  Forgotten.  The fact the feet were so wrecked that shoes barely slipped on, and walking was a painful process for a week?  Covered up by dreams of hitting it rich as Americas New Ultra Sensation!
Cascade Crest 100 is a tough race.  You can see that on paper.  100 miles, 20,400' of climbing, and trails that have earned nicknames like 'Trail From Hell'.  Training was slightly substandard due to a recently tweaked knee, confidence was a little low due to a not-so-smooth White River 50mile run, but I figured I could give this one a good shot.  Typical times were about two hours slower than those at the San Diego 100 I ran in June, so I figured a top 10, and time of about 22 hours was probably a good bet.  I built a 'pace chart' based on some faster runners time at the various aid stations, and when I added up it came to 20:15 for a really best case scenario (6:15am finish).  I figured I'd run smoothly but not necessarily slowly, accept the parts that were slow by necessity, and hit it hard in several key areas.  Hey, what better way to spend a four day weekend than being nervous, packing, and driving on Friday, running all day Saturday, all night, and into Sunday morning, and then spending the rest of the time curled into the fetal position whimpering in agony!  Can you believe my wife puts up with this nonsense?  Game on!
Even though we stayed in a really nice condo, the fact it was my kids first time in a bunk bed conspired to guarantee a night that lacked restfull sleep.  Who needs it anyway?  Saturday dawned beautiful and warm, and I thanked the Race Director for the 10am start, even if that guaranteed I would run all night.  An hour or so of nervous hanging around near the start, the national anthems of the US and Canada, and all of a sudden we were off.  An adventure had begun!
I put myself in a small chase group that held positions 6-9, and we worked together during the first big climbs up Goat Peak and beyond.  As you can imagine, the views were absolutely spectacular, and I paused a few times to take in the panoramas.  Eventually I pulled ahead of our group and firmed up a grip on sixth place.  After about 20 miles of steep climbs and descents we entered an amazing forrest with smooth cushy downhill single track.  I was riding a high and running fast as I heard the clicking of Glenn's camera:

Many more miles of amazing single track followed (Pacific Crest Trail from mile 17 to mile 40-something).  A lot of this was slow going, and I fell about 15 minutes behind my split chart.   I did pass the fifth place runner at mile 28.  He was complaining of stomach problems, and he quickly disappeared behind me.  After a tough descent that included a section of ropes going straight down the side of the mountain the course popped out on a smooth gravel road, that led into a 2-3 mile old train tunnel.  This section was flat, and it was one of my pre-planned 'go fast' parts.  I hammered down.  A flicker of light ahead in the tunnel.  And again.. I was catching up to fourth place!  A tiny figure exiting the tunnel 1/4 mile ahead.  I passed Josh Arthur soon after, and he was complaining of achilles pain.  Fourth into the 53 mile aid.  I grabbed my powerful lights and my night time mountain ultra gear (jacket shell, hat, gloves), and Shawna Tompkins (who had dropped due to lack of interest and to crew for her husband, Joe, who was running his fifth CCC) helped me out with some good advice on the next section.
After a long gravel road climb I topped out at 60 miles.  On the way up some campers asked how far I had come.  I think the fact I was smiling and in good spirits as I yelled back '60 miles!' was dumbfounding to them as they immediately went back to their cigarettes and Ranier Light.  The third place runner was shivering in a chair at the aid station just around the next corner.  Nothing I could say could convince him to get up, so I was outta there after a cup of delicious vegan soup made by Adam Hewey!  Now for eight miles downhill.  Another key section.  I cranked the tunes and cruised downhill.  At one point I was sure I saw a light behind me and I hammered down the hill.  Later I figured it was the moon shining through the trees, but the result was I got back on my splits and ran an amazing eight miles in one hour (ok, it was downhill, but I couldn't believe how my body responded).  Coke (the drink) and more soup at mile 68 and it was off to the 'Trail From Hell'!  Apparently this part has been cleaned up some, and is a bit faster than in years past, but it is a five mile section of difficult and sometimes dangerous trail, and I took Jeff Brownings plan from a couple of years ago, and vowed to run everything I could.  Best case through this section was 1:30.  I happened to hit that exactly.  It was fun running, and this trail was marked exceptionally well with reflective tape.  People had gotten imaginative and stapled reflective tape in the shape of smiley faces and other things.  Doesn't take much to keep a runner interested after 14 hours and 70 miles!  I finally saw a light ahead and quickly caught and passed Phil Shaw (a previous winner on this course, and on his ninth running).  Second place into Mineral Creek Aid at 73 miles.  Terry Sentinella  and crew were surprised to see me so soon (12:15am), but we got refuelled and Terry (who had agreed to run with me as a pacer) and I pushed out for the final 'marathon'.  I knew this last part would probably take me seven hours, and I knew it would be the hardest part of the course.  Terry helped to keep me on point, even after my stomach finally 'rejected' Gu after I tried to cram my 50th down the hatch.  We even took a minute to turn our lights off and gaze at the amazing stars in a night sky devoid of light pollution.  You gotta take moments to appreciate the amazing places you're moving through.. otherwise what's the point!?
Steep climbs followed by steep descents, and then finally up Thorpe Mountain for a little 'out and back'.  At the bottom of the 'back' section we passed a pair of runners going up and figured we had a 15 minute lead on third.  They looked motivated though, and I tried to put a bit more pep in the step.  More climbs, and then we began a long descent.  I had hoped that I might be able to make time on this section, but it just seemed so difficult, and I couldn't get much momentum going.  We began crossing little streams, and the trail remained hazardous in parts.  Terry kept crashing to the ground behind me, his legs tired from a good effort at Trans Rockies the week before.  What a crew!  Suddenly Josh (from earlier) came zooming by with his pacer.  Apparently the achilles was fixed, and there was no keeping up with them.  Bummer!  The final flat miles went by quickly, and pretty soon we were on roads leading through Easton to the finish.  My family drove up at the exact time as I approached the finish line.. talk about icing on the cake!  Third place in 20:13:54.  Tenth fastest time ever run at Cascade Crest (in 14 years).  One minute faster than my predicted 'best possible' finish.
Props go to Jeremy Humphrey, who won in 18:31.  He was well ahead of course record pace all day, but someone took course markings down near the end and he ended up getting a little lost, missing CR by five minutes.  Amazing run from a guy who has nothing in his record to suggest he could do it, and who had never set foot on the course (the previous and current course record holders had extensive experience on course).  Also great work to Josh Arthur, who credits Vitimin I for taking his achilles pain away and allowing him to pull ahead of me by just under six minutes and claim second place. 
I couldn't have done this without the support of my family.  Huge thanks go to my amazing and beautiful wife!  There is NOTHING better than seeing them at the finish line!  Although I do my best to minimize the negative impact running has on our family time, there are certainly times that I have to do a long run on a weekend, and she is left with the kids (again).  That's the harder job no doubt about it.  I do hope that this crazy stuff teaches my kids something about the value hard work and determination (although I never expect them to run Ultras).
What's next?  I have to run the 3:15 pace group for the Skagit Flats Marathon... update... that's done.  Then take a bit of time off, and head into a couple of Fall/Winter 50k type races.  No more 100's until next year.  I sure would like to crack 20 at Cascade Crest though, and I believe I can do that now!