November, 7, 2009
25k - 18th/126 - 2:16:30
Generally I prioritize other races over the Envirosports series, mostly because they are similar (but not quite as good) to the PC Trail Runs and I’m still a little bitter over a poorly marked 18k course in the fog which I turned into a long 10k. However, there is 1 course they use for use 2 races that I enjoy running so I entered the Stinson Beach 25k. I have run the course 3 times in the spring when they call it the Muir Woods 25k but I had never run it in the fall when they call it the Stinson Beach 25k.
The course follows the Double Dipsea course (no shortcuts) to the bridge at the bottom of insult hill. There, instead of taking a right, it gets straight up Steep Ravine to Pan Toll station. It goes down the Old Mine Trail to the top of Cardiac, briefly follows the Dipsea trail toward Mill Valley before taking a left down a trail I don’t know well but ends up in Muir Woods. Then there is a long uphill through more trails I don’t know well up to Pan Toll and then down the Matt Davis Trail to Stinson Beach. Due to fast time and GPS discrepancies it has been suggested that the course is well short of 25k, but I haven’t seen anything conclusive enough to count this as anything else.
Before the start I talked with Will Gotthardt who was looking to break 2 hours and Kennet de Silva who I thought would be running the marathon. I would have liked to be under 2 hours but I didn’t expect it at this point in the season. The race advertises one start time which they then use for the marathon. The 25k runners start about 15 minutes later and then the 7 mile runners another 15 minutes later. You find this out when you get there. It sounded as though Will did not know this was customary at an Envirosports race (I like it this way because it gives me time to watch the marathon start and get ready for my own race).
When we finally started I started in the back of the lead back. The leaders pulled away like I expected but I knew I was in for a not so great race when a larger than normal number of people passed me going up the first hill. I got passed by several more going up Steep Ravine and I didn’t go by as many marathoners as I’m used to in that section.
The first aid station was at the top of Pan Toll. Sometimes there is food and water, sometimes water only. It was a rare occasion that I wanted food this early and inconvenient that this was one of the times where they had water only. I ran in a group toward cardiac and we caught up to some non-racers down the Dipsea trail. A bunch of us missed a left turn (our fault, just following the person in front) and we had to back track. I didn’t lose more than a minute. Because of this I (re)passed people going down to Muir Woods.
By the time I was climbing out of Muir Woods I lost the pack. The only people in back of me were 2 chatty women who didn’t at all know the course. I had earlier told them the layout of the 2nd half. I knew I wasn’t running as fast as normal but I felt like I was giving a solid effort.
Getting to Pan Toll the 2nd time is my favorite part of the race because it’s 4 miles downhill from there. There was food at the aid station this time but I wasn’t in the mood to eat and didn’t take any because I knew it is an easy finish. I didn’t leave the aid station running very fast but I started to pick it up as I looked across the hills and started to see runners in front of me. It was very difficult, if not impossible to tell the difference between 25k runners I was catching up to, marathoners I was catching up to (because I was picking up the pace), and 7 mile runners who I was catching up to. I decided to try to catch everyone.
After the marathon turnoff I could rule them out and it was easier to see. There is a large woods section with downhill switchbacks so and it’s easy to gauge if I was gaining ground. I ended up passing several more people although I still couldn’t tell what race they were in. I think only a couple of them were in the 25k. When I hit the road at the end I tried to catch the only guy in front of me. I ended up passing him after almost running into the back of him as we were turning off the road to the narrow finish.
I didn’t run with a watch so I had I was surprised to see how slow my time was. I expecting a little under 2:10 (my course PR is 2:02:25) but I ran 2:16:30 which was a personal worst by 5 minutes. I do know I could have gone faster if my legs felt better but I didn’t think I was almost a whole minute a mile slower.
At the end I talked with some people I didn’t know as well as a few I did. I saw Will who ran well under his goal time. I stayed until Kennet had finished his race. Also Dimitris Sklavopoulos was there who I gave a ride home to after he went swimming in the ocean and I took some pictures.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Race 09-101 Helen Klein 50 Mi.
October 31, 2009
50km - 38th/122 - 9:22:15
I broke from my rule of not running more than a marathon on the road and entered the Helen Klein 50 miler. Chikara and I made the trip up together. It also (hopefully) marks the last time I need to get up super early for a race in 2009. In addition to a 50 mile race they had a 50k and 30k which would start shortly after the 50 mile runners started. We left in the dark and got to the start in the dark. The first person I saw when we got there was Wally Raposo who was volunteering at the registration table.
I was optimistically hoping to be under 7 hours because I ran the AR50 in 7:20 and the HK50 does not have nearly as many or as difficult trails (or hills). I was realistically thinking anything around my AR time would be decent. There were many familiar faces there with optimistic hopes including Sean Lang, Jean Pommier, and Ray Sanchez. The course is an out and back, mostly on a paved bike trail along the American River. I had run on well over 50% of the course before.
I started near the front but was careful not to start too fast. Due to construction the first mile+ was on trails. I enjoyed this part although I was anxious to get on the road where I would be able to move faster. I was also eager to get the part of the trial that overlaps with the AR50 because I know that section. Once we got to the road I started to settle in although a few people passed me as the miles were still in the double digits. I thought that a couple of people that passed me may have been in the 50k because they were moving so fast.
I enjoyed the race until around mile 12 when I started to struggle. I had no reason for it, especially considering I had run a good 50k the previous week but for whatever reason the course seemed a lot harder than it should have. I was purposely running in the dirt shoulder to save my feet from the pounding. Adrian Jue who was in the 50k caught up to me shortly before his turnaround and I told him I felt like I had run 40 miles already.
I pushed on lowering my goal to just finish but I made no improvement. Around mile 21 I saw Chikara coming the other way – well on his way to winning the race. This was in a stretch where the aid stations were a mile more apart than was marked (the next 2 were a mile closer) so I had a difficult time not getting to an aid station when I expected. I got a second wind a little as I got to that aid station and Jonathan Bretan in his 50 mile debut catching up to me. We exchanged friendly waves as I left the aid station he was coming into.
I got to the turnaround under 4 hours much to my surprise. I felt like I was going a lot slower than that. My biggest problem was landing on the ground, not leg fatigue. I felt OK for the next couple of miles and ran with Jon as he closed the short gap between us. Eventually I let him go, mostly because I didn’t want to push that hard until I was at least at mile 40. I continued to slow down but pushed on. Some people passed me but not nearly as frequently as I thought would given how slow I felt I was going.
By mile 35 I was running quite alone. I didn’t see many other racers, the other runner traffic had died down a bit, and the bike traffic was more sporadic. About 1/3 of a mile before an aid station where we cross over the river I saw a rattlesnake in the middle of the trail. Chikara and I had had a couple conversations about what to do if that ever happened with the 3 main choices being 1)wait 2) try to go WAY around it 3) stand at considerable distance and throw a rock or stick to scare it away. It was in plain sight far enough away and it was moving from right to left so I briefly though about quickly running by when I got there it was already in the middle of the trail so I opted for choice #1. After about 10 seconds I went around it on the right in the space it had just vacated. I warned several cyclists approaching from the other way and moved on.
Only a few runners caught up to me after that and I tried to hang on with each of them. I felt a bit more confident after I got 47 miles in (“I can always run just a 5k”) so I tried to pick up the pace. I chatted with a guy who ran faster than me on downhill, slightly faster on flat ground, but could not stay with me going uphill. As we got closer to the end I pulled away. When we hit the trail for the last 1+ miles I caught several people. I felt like I got a second wind around mile 49 (nice time for it) and finished very strong.
I finished in 9:22:15 (yes, slower than Firetrails 50mi. and over a 1:00 slower per mile than Miwok 100k). I wasn’t really disappointed because I had been running too much this fall (6th week in a row with an ultra, 3 of them being 50mi.+) and the reason for going slow wasn’t due to fatigue. Jean Pommier took a picture of me covered in sweat which was solely a result of my effort in the last 1+ miles (and it was warm out). I learned Chikara won and didn’t set a course record but came within a minute of doing so (later found out he was :02 away). I got to formally meet both Helen and Norm Klein. Norm gave me a Bald Eagle finisher prize and Chikara and I discussed how we could fit the clock he won into my car – worse case would be put the roof down and sit it up in the back seat like a person but since the top half of the clock can be unscrewed we took it in 2 pieces. I enjoyed the race although the distance is farther than I will want to run on a road (and flat) again. I would consider doing the 50k next year.
50km - 38th/122 - 9:22:15
I broke from my rule of not running more than a marathon on the road and entered the Helen Klein 50 miler. Chikara and I made the trip up together. It also (hopefully) marks the last time I need to get up super early for a race in 2009. In addition to a 50 mile race they had a 50k and 30k which would start shortly after the 50 mile runners started. We left in the dark and got to the start in the dark. The first person I saw when we got there was Wally Raposo who was volunteering at the registration table.
I was optimistically hoping to be under 7 hours because I ran the AR50 in 7:20 and the HK50 does not have nearly as many or as difficult trails (or hills). I was realistically thinking anything around my AR time would be decent. There were many familiar faces there with optimistic hopes including Sean Lang, Jean Pommier, and Ray Sanchez. The course is an out and back, mostly on a paved bike trail along the American River. I had run on well over 50% of the course before.
I started near the front but was careful not to start too fast. Due to construction the first mile+ was on trails. I enjoyed this part although I was anxious to get on the road where I would be able to move faster. I was also eager to get the part of the trial that overlaps with the AR50 because I know that section. Once we got to the road I started to settle in although a few people passed me as the miles were still in the double digits. I thought that a couple of people that passed me may have been in the 50k because they were moving so fast.
I enjoyed the race until around mile 12 when I started to struggle. I had no reason for it, especially considering I had run a good 50k the previous week but for whatever reason the course seemed a lot harder than it should have. I was purposely running in the dirt shoulder to save my feet from the pounding. Adrian Jue who was in the 50k caught up to me shortly before his turnaround and I told him I felt like I had run 40 miles already.
I pushed on lowering my goal to just finish but I made no improvement. Around mile 21 I saw Chikara coming the other way – well on his way to winning the race. This was in a stretch where the aid stations were a mile more apart than was marked (the next 2 were a mile closer) so I had a difficult time not getting to an aid station when I expected. I got a second wind a little as I got to that aid station and Jonathan Bretan in his 50 mile debut catching up to me. We exchanged friendly waves as I left the aid station he was coming into.
I got to the turnaround under 4 hours much to my surprise. I felt like I was going a lot slower than that. My biggest problem was landing on the ground, not leg fatigue. I felt OK for the next couple of miles and ran with Jon as he closed the short gap between us. Eventually I let him go, mostly because I didn’t want to push that hard until I was at least at mile 40. I continued to slow down but pushed on. Some people passed me but not nearly as frequently as I thought would given how slow I felt I was going.
By mile 35 I was running quite alone. I didn’t see many other racers, the other runner traffic had died down a bit, and the bike traffic was more sporadic. About 1/3 of a mile before an aid station where we cross over the river I saw a rattlesnake in the middle of the trail. Chikara and I had had a couple conversations about what to do if that ever happened with the 3 main choices being 1)wait 2) try to go WAY around it 3) stand at considerable distance and throw a rock or stick to scare it away. It was in plain sight far enough away and it was moving from right to left so I briefly though about quickly running by when I got there it was already in the middle of the trail so I opted for choice #1. After about 10 seconds I went around it on the right in the space it had just vacated. I warned several cyclists approaching from the other way and moved on.
Only a few runners caught up to me after that and I tried to hang on with each of them. I felt a bit more confident after I got 47 miles in (“I can always run just a 5k”) so I tried to pick up the pace. I chatted with a guy who ran faster than me on downhill, slightly faster on flat ground, but could not stay with me going uphill. As we got closer to the end I pulled away. When we hit the trail for the last 1+ miles I caught several people. I felt like I got a second wind around mile 49 (nice time for it) and finished very strong.
I finished in 9:22:15 (yes, slower than Firetrails 50mi. and over a 1:00 slower per mile than Miwok 100k). I wasn’t really disappointed because I had been running too much this fall (6th week in a row with an ultra, 3 of them being 50mi.+) and the reason for going slow wasn’t due to fatigue. Jean Pommier took a picture of me covered in sweat which was solely a result of my effort in the last 1+ miles (and it was warm out). I learned Chikara won and didn’t set a course record but came within a minute of doing so (later found out he was :02 away). I got to formally meet both Helen and Norm Klein. Norm gave me a Bald Eagle finisher prize and Chikara and I discussed how we could fit the clock he won into my car – worse case would be put the roof down and sit it up in the back seat like a person but since the top half of the clock can be unscrewed we took it in 2 pieces. I enjoyed the race although the distance is farther than I will want to run on a road (and flat) again. I would consider doing the 50k next year.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Race 09-99 Whiskeytown 50k
October 24, 2009
50km - 1st-30 - 4:43:10
For the second year in a row I made the trip up to the Redding, CA area to run the Whiskeytown 50k. Since it’s a 4 hour drive it’s almost imperative to stay overnight. Ron G. and I carpooled together. Ron won the race the previous 2 years but wasn’t feeling 100% healthy this year. We stayed overnight in a Howard Johnson Express in Redding for only $60 total.
It was my first time staying anywhere overnight with Ron and it turned out to be easy as he went to bed as soon as we got to the hotel and apparently gets up in the morning ready to go straight for the car. I opted for a wakeup shower and then spent 7 minutes looking for a pair of socks I had in my hand before I took a shower. I didn’t find them so we left in order not to be late. With the exception of missing an exit and driving an extra 3 miles we made it there uneventfully with enough time to get ready at the race. I used this time to find the socks I was missing but then decided not to race in them because I liked the ones I was wearing.
Ron decided as late as possible (i.e. as the race was beginning) to change from the 50k to the 30k. Since we couldn’t get a third Excelsior team member to make the trip this didn’t affect team scoring. I took an immediate lead and I didn’t know Ron had switched so I was wondering how long it would take him to go by me. I wasn’t feeling 100% because I had been running an ultra every weekend for several weeks, including a couple 50 milers. Ron had finished 15 minutes in front of me last year and I was thinking it would be a successful race if I could keep that distance.
The first mile is on the road but then we immediately hit a fire road and it’s trails for quite a long way. We went up a good size hill and then back down toward the lake to the first aid station. As I was leaving the aid station I saw a pair of legs from the knee down approaching (I think it was Ron – the 30k is an out and back over the first 15k of the 50k race). This was the last time I saw a person for a while.
The course is a double lollipop. We run to a Y shaped intersection, run 2 different loops, then run back to the start/finish. The first loop goes out and uphill to the left, then comes back from the same direction. There is a stretch of road on this loop. The second loop goes out to the right and near the end hooks up with the first loop so we again come back from the left. There is an aid station at the Y intersection as well as in the middle of each of the loops.
I ran the uphill from the first aid station to the second and took the left to keep going uphill. I was real curious as to when Ron would go by. I almost ran the whole way up but near the top there is a very steep section and I felt like I might pay for it so I walked a short stretch. I ran down the other side to the road and ran fast on the short road section to the aid station. On my way out of the aid station another runner (not Ron) got there from the opposite direction. I thought he was lost so I didn’t think I was in danger of losing the lead Turns out he only missed a short turn although it turned out he missed a turn just before the aid station so he was right on my heels.
I left the aid station and tried to cross the river. They had a rope to hold onto although the volunteers told us we were free to find another way if we wanted. I held the rope the whole way and that was the only thing that kept me from falling in as I slipped in an awkward way and it’s a good thing I was able to hold up my body weight. The river wasn’t too deep but it was moving a little and the area is full of rocks. I pushed on through the river and as I ran the dry land (and easier but scenic terrain) to the Y intersection I thought I might have a chance to hold on for the win.
They were very excited to see me at the aid station and I took some time to get the food I wanted. The next stretch was long steep fire road downhill. It was the kind of hill that a more daring runner with a quicker leg turnover would fly down. I approached it a little conservatively not wanted to beat up my legs. The second place runner closed within eyesight. I could see him a couple hundred yards in back of me. I figured he was a much better downhill runner which might not work out given the last part from the Y intersection to the end is mostly downhill so I planned on moving fast up the hill after the next aid station.
I came to a right turn followed by a short out and back before hitting a small loop with an aid station on it. As I was on the small loop after the aid station I looked across the meadow and saw a couple other runners. I hoped second place was in there. When I got through the short out and back (way back) I asked a volunteer who was there giving directions how far and back second place was and she said 4 minutes. I was gaining and planned on continuing up the next hill which contained over a dozen river/stream crossings.
The river crossing section is the most distinctive part of the course. At the first major crossing I slipped on a wet rock and fell sideways getting the entire right side of my body submerged in the river. From there I decided not to try to stay dry which sped up my crossing time since I no longer was concerned with balancing on the rocks. The section is also difficult because the trail is very hard to see and a few of the crossings are diagonal with the exit out of the river a bit farther up than the entrance in. I lost 3 minutes on one of these as I overshot the trail by maybe 40 yards and had to backtrack. Since, despite that, I didn’t see 2nd place I figured I was still gaining ground.
I got back on track and continued up the river with the only other notable event being a huge salamander looking thing that I almost stepped on. It was brown, about 7 inches long, and had what looked like a small fin down the length of its back. I tried to find a picture of one online and could not find anything, although a (large) salamander is the closest I could find.
I spend little time at the Y aid station and got going down the long gradual hill toward the last aid station and ultimately the finish. I would have liked to run faster but the terrain was a little rocky (with soft pine forest dirt in some sections) and my feet were a little sore. I made decent time to the last aid station which is about 5k from the end but really started to slow down. I walked up the last uphill but could see no one was close so I just tried to get to the road where I turned it on to the finish.
My finish time was 4:43:10 which was an improvement over last year’s 4:51:58 so I was very happy with that. It was at that time I learned Ron had run the 30k and eventually second place came in around 4:59. The second guy said he pulled a hamstring at the bottom of the big hill he almost caught me. It’s too bad that happened, but one of the reasons I went slowly there was to prevent injury. The food after was very good although someone had put M&Ms in the skittles bag and vice versa so I had to eat the one at a time (the mixing food thing – some things I just can’t mix). Last year soaked my legs in the lake up to my waist but this year it was a big colder so I only got in knee deep.
The ride back was good – I got to see Mt. Shasta (the south side) for the first time. It’s tall and gray and reminded me of Pikes Peak. I was surprised not to see any snow on it although I only got as glimpse because I was driving. I did see a lot of snow to the east on a volcano that must have been in Lassen Park. We stopped on the way home at the Olive Pit at my request. It’s a store with many locally grown products. The jar I got last year only lasted a couple months so this time I bought 2 big jars of beer style olives. Ron was happy that they had burgers. We made it back to SF around 6:30 that night, plenty of time to get a good night’s rest before Sunday’s DSE race.
50km - 1st-30 - 4:43:10
For the second year in a row I made the trip up to the Redding, CA area to run the Whiskeytown 50k. Since it’s a 4 hour drive it’s almost imperative to stay overnight. Ron G. and I carpooled together. Ron won the race the previous 2 years but wasn’t feeling 100% healthy this year. We stayed overnight in a Howard Johnson Express in Redding for only $60 total.
It was my first time staying anywhere overnight with Ron and it turned out to be easy as he went to bed as soon as we got to the hotel and apparently gets up in the morning ready to go straight for the car. I opted for a wakeup shower and then spent 7 minutes looking for a pair of socks I had in my hand before I took a shower. I didn’t find them so we left in order not to be late. With the exception of missing an exit and driving an extra 3 miles we made it there uneventfully with enough time to get ready at the race. I used this time to find the socks I was missing but then decided not to race in them because I liked the ones I was wearing.
Ron decided as late as possible (i.e. as the race was beginning) to change from the 50k to the 30k. Since we couldn’t get a third Excelsior team member to make the trip this didn’t affect team scoring. I took an immediate lead and I didn’t know Ron had switched so I was wondering how long it would take him to go by me. I wasn’t feeling 100% because I had been running an ultra every weekend for several weeks, including a couple 50 milers. Ron had finished 15 minutes in front of me last year and I was thinking it would be a successful race if I could keep that distance.
The first mile is on the road but then we immediately hit a fire road and it’s trails for quite a long way. We went up a good size hill and then back down toward the lake to the first aid station. As I was leaving the aid station I saw a pair of legs from the knee down approaching (I think it was Ron – the 30k is an out and back over the first 15k of the 50k race). This was the last time I saw a person for a while.
The course is a double lollipop. We run to a Y shaped intersection, run 2 different loops, then run back to the start/finish. The first loop goes out and uphill to the left, then comes back from the same direction. There is a stretch of road on this loop. The second loop goes out to the right and near the end hooks up with the first loop so we again come back from the left. There is an aid station at the Y intersection as well as in the middle of each of the loops.
I ran the uphill from the first aid station to the second and took the left to keep going uphill. I was real curious as to when Ron would go by. I almost ran the whole way up but near the top there is a very steep section and I felt like I might pay for it so I walked a short stretch. I ran down the other side to the road and ran fast on the short road section to the aid station. On my way out of the aid station another runner (not Ron) got there from the opposite direction. I thought he was lost so I didn’t think I was in danger of losing the lead Turns out he only missed a short turn although it turned out he missed a turn just before the aid station so he was right on my heels.
I left the aid station and tried to cross the river. They had a rope to hold onto although the volunteers told us we were free to find another way if we wanted. I held the rope the whole way and that was the only thing that kept me from falling in as I slipped in an awkward way and it’s a good thing I was able to hold up my body weight. The river wasn’t too deep but it was moving a little and the area is full of rocks. I pushed on through the river and as I ran the dry land (and easier but scenic terrain) to the Y intersection I thought I might have a chance to hold on for the win.
They were very excited to see me at the aid station and I took some time to get the food I wanted. The next stretch was long steep fire road downhill. It was the kind of hill that a more daring runner with a quicker leg turnover would fly down. I approached it a little conservatively not wanted to beat up my legs. The second place runner closed within eyesight. I could see him a couple hundred yards in back of me. I figured he was a much better downhill runner which might not work out given the last part from the Y intersection to the end is mostly downhill so I planned on moving fast up the hill after the next aid station.
I came to a right turn followed by a short out and back before hitting a small loop with an aid station on it. As I was on the small loop after the aid station I looked across the meadow and saw a couple other runners. I hoped second place was in there. When I got through the short out and back (way back) I asked a volunteer who was there giving directions how far and back second place was and she said 4 minutes. I was gaining and planned on continuing up the next hill which contained over a dozen river/stream crossings.
The river crossing section is the most distinctive part of the course. At the first major crossing I slipped on a wet rock and fell sideways getting the entire right side of my body submerged in the river. From there I decided not to try to stay dry which sped up my crossing time since I no longer was concerned with balancing on the rocks. The section is also difficult because the trail is very hard to see and a few of the crossings are diagonal with the exit out of the river a bit farther up than the entrance in. I lost 3 minutes on one of these as I overshot the trail by maybe 40 yards and had to backtrack. Since, despite that, I didn’t see 2nd place I figured I was still gaining ground.
I got back on track and continued up the river with the only other notable event being a huge salamander looking thing that I almost stepped on. It was brown, about 7 inches long, and had what looked like a small fin down the length of its back. I tried to find a picture of one online and could not find anything, although a (large) salamander is the closest I could find.
I spend little time at the Y aid station and got going down the long gradual hill toward the last aid station and ultimately the finish. I would have liked to run faster but the terrain was a little rocky (with soft pine forest dirt in some sections) and my feet were a little sore. I made decent time to the last aid station which is about 5k from the end but really started to slow down. I walked up the last uphill but could see no one was close so I just tried to get to the road where I turned it on to the finish.
My finish time was 4:43:10 which was an improvement over last year’s 4:51:58 so I was very happy with that. It was at that time I learned Ron had run the 30k and eventually second place came in around 4:59. The second guy said he pulled a hamstring at the bottom of the big hill he almost caught me. It’s too bad that happened, but one of the reasons I went slowly there was to prevent injury. The food after was very good although someone had put M&Ms in the skittles bag and vice versa so I had to eat the one at a time (the mixing food thing – some things I just can’t mix). Last year soaked my legs in the lake up to my waist but this year it was a big colder so I only got in knee deep.
The ride back was good – I got to see Mt. Shasta (the south side) for the first time. It’s tall and gray and reminded me of Pikes Peak. I was surprised not to see any snow on it although I only got as glimpse because I was driving. I did see a lot of snow to the east on a volcano that must have been in Lassen Park. We stopped on the way home at the Olive Pit at my request. It’s a store with many locally grown products. The jar I got last year only lasted a couple months so this time I bought 2 big jars of beer style olives. Ron was happy that they had burgers. We made it back to SF around 6:30 that night, plenty of time to get a good night’s rest before Sunday’s DSE race.
Race 09-108, 09-109 DSE Lake Merced, PA XC Championship
November 22, 2009
4.5 mi. - 1st/74 - 26:14
6.09 mi. - -
This past Sunday I ran the DSE Lake Merced race. DSE offered a single loop and double loop race. I ran the single loop race because my feet weren’t feeling 100% during the Turkey Trot Saturday and I wanted to be as competitive as possible during the PA Champs race later in the day. The weather was very cool and there was a heavy mist, almost rain.
I considered the possibility of winning the race before I got there because I knew many faster runners, including some regulars, would be at the XC race in Golden Gate Park. The fastest person I recognized before the race was Ian Macnider and we the exchanged information that we were both running the single loop before the race. Ian and I go back and forth during races as well as week to week because we run about the same pace. The eventual winner is usually the one of us who is more rested from our higher priority events, me – Saturday Ultras and him – prep and racing his first marathon (Chicago).
Both events started simultaneously and Ian and I found ourselves in 5th and 6th places. There were 2 guys out in front, then 2 young kids strung out, then Ian and me. We were both surprised that so many people started out that fast. Around a half mile in I sped up hoping to at least catch the high school kids. I passed the first quickly but didn’t get the second one until a little over a mile in, just after we started the longest downhill of the race. At that time I noticed I had closed on the lead 2 guys so I made a move to try and catch them.
I overtook 1st place just before the 2 mile mark but gave it up a little after the 2 mile mark as we started up the longest uphill of the race. The person that passed me was Will, one of the high school kids that started faster. I thought it was odd that I went by him on a downhill and he went by on an uphill. Usually the opposite happens when I race high schoolers. As we got to the op of the hill near the 3 mile mark Will began to fade and I went by him. I was hoping to have it easy from there but I looked over my shoulder at the 4 mile mark and saw one of the 2 early lead guys 10 yards in back of me.
I ran hard to the finish and only then found out that both guys that took an early lead were in the double loop race. Also, Ian had passed Will near the end and took 2nd. The lead guy in the double loop race came with a group from Finland and Germany (explains why I didn’t recognize him). After the race I had big purple grapes and Fred’s homemade cookies. I only stayed until 10:20 because I had to leave to go to the PA Cross Country Championship Race.
I arrived at the XC race almost 20 minutes before race time. I had to enter the race but was already warmed up. Tyler Abbot found me just before the race and announced me to be the #5 guy. I’m not sure if he meant the 5th Excelsior runner to arrive there or the eventual 5th place guy on our team. Either one would have been correct.
The misty air started to clear as the race began and eventually gave way to a partly sunny sky. The course is 3 laps with each lap being slightly over 2 miles. It is mostly dirt path with a significant potion of grass and one small log jump.
I started on the back row as usual and tried to make a push to be in the middle pack. I held on to the middle for a while before getting passed by a couple people as the middle pack started to split up and gain ground on me. I was asked by a runner who I couldn’t identify if I was running the Quad next weekend to which I replied “yes”. I don’t know many runners that would run both the Quad Dipsea and a XC race a week apart but he must have been one of them.
I finished the first lap in about 12:16 and thought that was good. As the weather started to get better I felt better although my running time didn’t get faster. Sina (Excelsior teammate was cheering me on by saying to catch a Pamakid runner right in front of me. Not only did I not catch him, but another Pamakid passed me on the 2nd loop which I finished in about 26:20. I tried to stay with both of them on the third loop. I passed one of them before the 5 mile mark, passed another runner after that, and passed the other Pamakid at about 5.75mi. He made a last minute push to the finish and I saw his feet next to me in the sprint at the end but I held him off. After the race we both agreed that we had our sights set on a guy in orange one place in front of me but it just wasn’t happening. I must have sped up on the last lap because my finishing time was about 39:42 (official results not in yet).
I always get my butt kicked in these Cross Country races but I like them because they are short and they are some of the handful of races that I go in without any possibility of getting top placing overall or in my age group. I was also pleasantly surprised that they had warm shrimp pasta salad by the time I finished. It was prepared by Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and it tasted very good. I also got to have a good XC conversation with Russ Kiernan after the race. It’s always great to talk to Russ because he can give you stories and perspectives that you can’t get anywhere else.
I considered the possibility of winning the race before I got there because I knew many faster runners, including some regulars, would be at the XC race in Golden Gate Park. The fastest person I recognized before the race was Ian Macnider and we the exchanged information that we were both running the single loop before the race. Ian and I go back and forth during races as well as week to week because we run about the same pace. The eventual winner is usually the one of us who is more rested from our higher priority events, me – Saturday Ultras and him – prep and racing his first marathon (Chicago).
Both events started simultaneously and Ian and I found ourselves in 5th and 6th places. There were 2 guys out in front, then 2 young kids strung out, then Ian and me. We were both surprised that so many people started out that fast. Around a half mile in I sped up hoping to at least catch the high school kids. I passed the first quickly but didn’t get the second one until a little over a mile in, just after we started the longest downhill of the race. At that time I noticed I had closed on the lead 2 guys so I made a move to try and catch them.
I overtook 1st place just before the 2 mile mark but gave it up a little after the 2 mile mark as we started up the longest uphill of the race. The person that passed me was Will, one of the high school kids that started faster. I thought it was odd that I went by him on a downhill and he went by on an uphill. Usually the opposite happens when I race high schoolers. As we got to the op of the hill near the 3 mile mark Will began to fade and I went by him. I was hoping to have it easy from there but I looked over my shoulder at the 4 mile mark and saw one of the 2 early lead guys 10 yards in back of me.
I ran hard to the finish and only then found out that both guys that took an early lead were in the double loop race. Also, Ian had passed Will near the end and took 2nd. The lead guy in the double loop race came with a group from Finland and Germany (explains why I didn’t recognize him). After the race I had big purple grapes and Fred’s homemade cookies. I only stayed until 10:20 because I had to leave to go to the PA Cross Country Championship Race.
I arrived at the XC race almost 20 minutes before race time. I had to enter the race but was already warmed up. Tyler Abbot found me just before the race and announced me to be the #5 guy. I’m not sure if he meant the 5th Excelsior runner to arrive there or the eventual 5th place guy on our team. Either one would have been correct.
The misty air started to clear as the race began and eventually gave way to a partly sunny sky. The course is 3 laps with each lap being slightly over 2 miles. It is mostly dirt path with a significant potion of grass and one small log jump.
I started on the back row as usual and tried to make a push to be in the middle pack. I held on to the middle for a while before getting passed by a couple people as the middle pack started to split up and gain ground on me. I was asked by a runner who I couldn’t identify if I was running the Quad next weekend to which I replied “yes”. I don’t know many runners that would run both the Quad Dipsea and a XC race a week apart but he must have been one of them.
I finished the first lap in about 12:16 and thought that was good. As the weather started to get better I felt better although my running time didn’t get faster. Sina (Excelsior teammate was cheering me on by saying to catch a Pamakid runner right in front of me. Not only did I not catch him, but another Pamakid passed me on the 2nd loop which I finished in about 26:20. I tried to stay with both of them on the third loop. I passed one of them before the 5 mile mark, passed another runner after that, and passed the other Pamakid at about 5.75mi. He made a last minute push to the finish and I saw his feet next to me in the sprint at the end but I held him off. After the race we both agreed that we had our sights set on a guy in orange one place in front of me but it just wasn’t happening. I must have sped up on the last lap because my finishing time was about 39:42 (official results not in yet).
I always get my butt kicked in these Cross Country races but I like them because they are short and they are some of the handful of races that I go in without any possibility of getting top placing overall or in my age group. I was also pleasantly surprised that they had warm shrimp pasta salad by the time I finished. It was prepared by Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and it tasted very good. I also got to have a good XC conversation with Russ Kiernan after the race. It’s always great to talk to Russ because he can give you stories and perspectives that you can’t get anywhere else.
Race 09-107 Santa Cruz Track Club Turkey Trot 10k
November 21, 2009
10k - 5th/197 - 38:20
On Saturday for the 2nd year in a row I ran the Santa Cruz Track Club Turkey Trot 10k. They have a 5k at 8AM and a 10k at 8:45AM. I considered running both races but given the long drive (and therefore earlier wake-up time) and double race day Sunday I decided not to run the 5k. Race Day entry fee was $25 and instead of a shirt they give out socks with turkeys on them. Last year’s socks were black and red and this year’s were bright yellow.
The weather was clear, sunny, and cold. I ran in my purple Firetrails shirt hoping I would be warm enough. The course is an out and back with the first kilometer going from the start to the ocean and the next 4km along the ocean on the cliff just north of the boardwalk. The turnaround is close to the Santa Cruz wharf.
I started in 5th place and made my way up to 3rd by the first mile. The section along the ocean had a headwind and I wasn’t feeling great. First mile was 5:59 but the next 2 were well over 6 (around 6:20) and I got passed by several runners. I hit mile 2 in 7th place at 18:48 (projects to a 19:26 split). At that point I was thinking I’d be happy finishing under 39 minutes. I could tell first woman was right on my shoulder from miles 2 to 3 as her cheering squad indicated as they drove the course and parked every half mile.
At the turnaround it didn’t appear 6th place was within striking distance and other than the 1st woman no one was close in back of me. I thought about hanging on to the place I was in but at mile 4 it appeared I had closed on 5th and 6th place who were running close to each other. I thought I might have a chance to catch them. It didn’t make me happy that the guys in 5th and 6th cut through a small parking lot instead of staying on the bike trail which gave me more reason to try to pass them.
I passed both guys with a little more than a mile to go. I tried to do it quickly so neither would be inclined to stay with me. One of them tried to stay with me (I think) because I heard footsteps for a while but eventually they went away. I ran hard until the end hoping I wouldn’t have to end in a sprint out (it was too cold for that). My finishing time was 38:20 meant 18:54 for the way back and a negative split by 32 seconds.
The post race spread was decent. Whole Foods was a sponsor so there were tons of bananas and they also had some packaged granola snacks and some big cookies. I entered a random draw raffle and guess how many skittles are in this jar competition – I guessed 1196 but not word yet if I won either. They gave turkeys to the overall winners and medals to top 3 in 5 year age groups. I was 2nd out of 11 in my age group.
10k - 5th/197 - 38:20
On Saturday for the 2nd year in a row I ran the Santa Cruz Track Club Turkey Trot 10k. They have a 5k at 8AM and a 10k at 8:45AM. I considered running both races but given the long drive (and therefore earlier wake-up time) and double race day Sunday I decided not to run the 5k. Race Day entry fee was $25 and instead of a shirt they give out socks with turkeys on them. Last year’s socks were black and red and this year’s were bright yellow.
The weather was clear, sunny, and cold. I ran in my purple Firetrails shirt hoping I would be warm enough. The course is an out and back with the first kilometer going from the start to the ocean and the next 4km along the ocean on the cliff just north of the boardwalk. The turnaround is close to the Santa Cruz wharf.
I started in 5th place and made my way up to 3rd by the first mile. The section along the ocean had a headwind and I wasn’t feeling great. First mile was 5:59 but the next 2 were well over 6 (around 6:20) and I got passed by several runners. I hit mile 2 in 7th place at 18:48 (projects to a 19:26 split). At that point I was thinking I’d be happy finishing under 39 minutes. I could tell first woman was right on my shoulder from miles 2 to 3 as her cheering squad indicated as they drove the course and parked every half mile.
At the turnaround it didn’t appear 6th place was within striking distance and other than the 1st woman no one was close in back of me. I thought about hanging on to the place I was in but at mile 4 it appeared I had closed on 5th and 6th place who were running close to each other. I thought I might have a chance to catch them. It didn’t make me happy that the guys in 5th and 6th cut through a small parking lot instead of staying on the bike trail which gave me more reason to try to pass them.
I passed both guys with a little more than a mile to go. I tried to do it quickly so neither would be inclined to stay with me. One of them tried to stay with me (I think) because I heard footsteps for a while but eventually they went away. I ran hard until the end hoping I wouldn’t have to end in a sprint out (it was too cold for that). My finishing time was 38:20 meant 18:54 for the way back and a negative split by 32 seconds.
The post race spread was decent. Whole Foods was a sponsor so there were tons of bananas and they also had some packaged granola snacks and some big cookies. I entered a random draw raffle and guess how many skittles are in this jar competition – I guessed 1196 but not word yet if I won either. They gave turkeys to the overall winners and medals to top 3 in 5 year age groups. I was 2nd out of 11 in my age group.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Race 09-77 Pikes Peak Marathon
August 16, 2009
Marathon (26.2mi.) - 73rd/711 - 5:23:18
One of my long time goals has been to run the Pikes Peak Marathon. This year I was able to get into the race by taking an early lunch at work and coming home to try over and over again as soon as the registration opened. So I got in and then waited 5 months until race weekend.
For the Sunday race I took a flight landing in Denver on Friday morning. The big goal for Friday was to drive up the mountain to get a feel of how the atmosphere would be. There's a park entry fee at the bottom and then a long winding road to the top which got a little scary in a few spots but the views were amazing.
The weather at the top was decent, a little cold, and almost foggy. There is a big souvenir store with freshly made doughnuts there. I looked around, had a doughnut and took some pictures. I could definitely tell I was at significant elevation although not at all close to being sick. Of course, that's a lot easier to say after driving instead of running. I spent the rest of the day as well as most of Saturday exploring the area, taking pictures, and spending time around the race site.
The expo on Saturday was not very impressive, but it was sufficient. It consisted of the standard number pickup with a tent containing running apparel and shoes for sale by the store from Colorado Springs that seemed to be a sponsor. I had planned in running in the road shoes I raced the Miwok 100k in but the expo had a pair of New Balance 904 Trail shoes that I liked so I bought them to race in. They were probably a little overpriced but I had run with success in 2 pairs of 904 Road shoes before and the Trail version felt the same. I thought I would be able to race more aggressively in trail shoes as well so I went for it.
The morning of the race went well. I got up with plenty of time, got to the race in plenty of time, and the weather looked excellent. I couldn't decide what to wear. The it was clear and cool. I expected the top to be around 38 degree and the bottom to be in the 70's by the time I got done. I wanted to go in shorts and a T shirt but opted to tie a jacket around my waist as runners had warned that flash storms can appear at the top and start snowing.
The race starts in downtown Manitou Springs which is at elevation of 6412'. The first mile of the course is all road, through downtown Manitou Springs, slightly uphill. I held about a 6:45 pace and was breathing hard (a rarity for me) after a couple minutes. I thought if I kept that effort up I would be in trouble real fast. I backed off pace just as we hit the trail which didn't really reduce my effort because the first 3 miles of trail had a significant slope to them. I dropped my goal of top 20 to top 50 as the 20th person went by. I didn't see the point in racing for place that early. I maintained my goal of 3:00 up and 5:00 total time.
After about 3 miles of climbing with some nice scenery we went into the woods a bit and the land leveled off. There was a long stretch of several miles running through a forest with little climbing. As we ran through I wondered where the cog railway was and how we could run up the entire mountain without crossing it or the road.
The aid stations were well stocked and frequent. I didn't have much to eat on the way up but I took careful notice of how frequently they occurred in case I needed one on the way down. After the thick forest and as we got up to 10,000' the land started to get steeper and rockier and the forest became less dense. For a couple miles before passing the treeline we were running up rocky ground. The ground did not get any more forgiving after that and I wondered how fast I would be able to run down. I was going through periodic phases of feeling good and bad, but nothing that made me think I couldn't make it.
After passing the treeline the summit and perspective of the entire landscape became more visible. The trail zigzagged up the mountain and it didn't appear so far away although it turned out to be. When I was only a couple miles from the top, perennial winner Matt Carpenter came running down. I didn't see the next place runner for quite a while - he already had the win in the bag. I struggled a bit more as I continued climbing. By about 13,000' I was feeling lightheaded off an on. From the drive up 2 days prior I learned eating helped me cope with that so I began eating at the aid stations. My head was not totally focused like it usually is, but my legs kept running and I don't think the elevation slowed them down. Fortunately (and this is probably due to all the races I do in the Headlands and on Diablo) my legs were only very mildly sore from all the climbing. The most limiting factor was the difficult terrain - hard rocky surfaces, single track with many turns.
The last aid station is only about a mile and a half from the top. By the time I got through there runners were starting to come down. I knew I would make it but I was hoping that I just didn't crash. It became difficult because the trail ("trail") was very narrow and the people coming down were quite fast and apparently much more nimble on their feet than me. They call the last section near the top The Golden Stairs. I saw a sign but did not at all see to what it was referring. It seemed like I had been climbing stairs for the last hour. Just before the top someone was calling out places. I was in the low 50's. I made a point to pass enough people to make it to the top in 50th place or better. I was in either 49th or 50th, I couldn't tell which number they told me as there were a few of us in a row. The top is just a turnaround and I thought I could stay a while, look at the scenery, and take in the view. I was wrong. I made it in 3:12 which was over my goal time but I was happy enough with it. The race officials allowed us to take food but hurried us down to the next aid station. It seemed they wanted to get people down to lower elevation as quickly as possible. The temperature was low 40's I think and very clear. No need for a jacket at all although I saw a couple patches of ice that hadn't frozen from last night.
I had a hard time descending. I got passed by almost 20 people within the first couple miles. I wasn't prepared to take quick steps over rocks, make quick turns, or navigate around people still climbing. I went a lot slower than I should have and I looked forward to the mostly flat forest in the middle so I could go full speed. The forest didn't help as much as I wanted, I actually walked up a tiny hill on the way down. I had been running over 4 hours so it kind of made sense because 50k is about as far as I can run in mountains with any kind of speed. I hit that time where I am usually finishing a 50k so I didn't have much left. I took more time at aid stations to get food (candy) and drink. I felt I had some energy but couldn't descend quite fast enough. As a couple runners started to catch me I tried to hold them off while catching a couple of runners that I caught up to. I was successful in holding off some and was happy to get to the road. The road section at the end is only about 1km and I ran it real fast. I had plenty of energy left to fast on easy terrain. I finished in 5:23 which was short of my goal and 10 minutes slower than I wanted to running down but in hindsight I think I could go down even faster than 2 hours with some more experience.
The finish area was much more exciting than the expo. Downtown Manitou Springs had the same atmosphere that Mill Valley has for the Dipsea race. There was a finisher tent with food and chairs. They gave finisher jackets and had plenty of food in the pavilion. Many of us soaked our legs in the river that ran through town. It felt good to be back at a normal elevation of 6000'+. I spent most of the rest of the day in the town satisfied that I did OK and especially made it up without crashing.
By Tuesday I had heard about the Manitou Incline. This is a 1.01 mile stretch of hill that has an average grade of 41%. The steepest section is 68%. The bottom is at an elevation of 6574' and the top is 8585'. I had heard that Matt Carpenter could run it in 18 minutes so I thought 27 minutes would be reasonable for me. There are wooden railroad planks spaced out on it which are visible for quite a distance. It looks like these really help to reduce erosion. I was able to run up in 28 minutes. I haven't ever run a more difficult section of trail. It's about as difficult as the top quarter mile of Mt. Tam (the direct way - up the rocks). There were no rocks on the Incline, but it is a considerable climb which I walked quite a bit of. From the top there was a nice view of downtown Manitou Springs.
On Saturday for a short hike through The Garden of the Gods where there were stunning rock formations. Pictures below.
Also, Seven Falls:
Marathon (26.2mi.) - 73rd/711 - 5:23:18
One of my long time goals has been to run the Pikes Peak Marathon. This year I was able to get into the race by taking an early lunch at work and coming home to try over and over again as soon as the registration opened. So I got in and then waited 5 months until race weekend.
For the Sunday race I took a flight landing in Denver on Friday morning. The big goal for Friday was to drive up the mountain to get a feel of how the atmosphere would be. There's a park entry fee at the bottom and then a long winding road to the top which got a little scary in a few spots but the views were amazing.
The weather at the top was decent, a little cold, and almost foggy. There is a big souvenir store with freshly made doughnuts there. I looked around, had a doughnut and took some pictures. I could definitely tell I was at significant elevation although not at all close to being sick. Of course, that's a lot easier to say after driving instead of running. I spent the rest of the day as well as most of Saturday exploring the area, taking pictures, and spending time around the race site.
The expo on Saturday was not very impressive, but it was sufficient. It consisted of the standard number pickup with a tent containing running apparel and shoes for sale by the store from Colorado Springs that seemed to be a sponsor. I had planned in running in the road shoes I raced the Miwok 100k in but the expo had a pair of New Balance 904 Trail shoes that I liked so I bought them to race in. They were probably a little overpriced but I had run with success in 2 pairs of 904 Road shoes before and the Trail version felt the same. I thought I would be able to race more aggressively in trail shoes as well so I went for it.
The morning of the race went well. I got up with plenty of time, got to the race in plenty of time, and the weather looked excellent. I couldn't decide what to wear. The it was clear and cool. I expected the top to be around 38 degree and the bottom to be in the 70's by the time I got done. I wanted to go in shorts and a T shirt but opted to tie a jacket around my waist as runners had warned that flash storms can appear at the top and start snowing.The race starts in downtown Manitou Springs which is at elevation of 6412'. The first mile of the course is all road, through downtown Manitou Springs, slightly uphill. I held about a 6:45 pace and was breathing hard (a rarity for me) after a couple minutes. I thought if I kept that effort up I would be in trouble real fast. I backed off pace just as we hit the trail which didn't really reduce my effort because the first 3 miles of trail had a significant slope to them. I dropped my goal of top 20 to top 50 as the 20th person went by. I didn't see the point in racing for place that early. I maintained my goal of 3:00 up and 5:00 total time.
After about 3 miles of climbing with some nice scenery we went into the woods a bit and the land leveled off. There was a long stretch of several miles running through a forest with little climbing. As we ran through I wondered where the cog railway was and how we could run up the entire mountain without crossing it or the road.
The aid stations were well stocked and frequent. I didn't have much to eat on the way up but I took careful notice of how frequently they occurred in case I needed one on the way down. After the thick forest and as we got up to 10,000' the land started to get steeper and rockier and the forest became less dense. For a couple miles before passing the treeline we were running up rocky ground. The ground did not get any more forgiving after that and I wondered how fast I would be able to run down. I was going through periodic phases of feeling good and bad, but nothing that made me think I couldn't make it.
After passing the treeline the summit and perspective of the entire landscape became more visible. The trail zigzagged up the mountain and it didn't appear so far away although it turned out to be. When I was only a couple miles from the top, perennial winner Matt Carpenter came running down. I didn't see the next place runner for quite a while - he already had the win in the bag. I struggled a bit more as I continued climbing. By about 13,000' I was feeling lightheaded off an on. From the drive up 2 days prior I learned eating helped me cope with that so I began eating at the aid stations. My head was not totally focused like it usually is, but my legs kept running and I don't think the elevation slowed them down. Fortunately (and this is probably due to all the races I do in the Headlands and on Diablo) my legs were only very mildly sore from all the climbing. The most limiting factor was the difficult terrain - hard rocky surfaces, single track with many turns.
The last aid station is only about a mile and a half from the top. By the time I got through there runners were starting to come down. I knew I would make it but I was hoping that I just didn't crash. It became difficult because the trail ("trail") was very narrow and the people coming down were quite fast and apparently much more nimble on their feet than me. They call the last section near the top The Golden Stairs. I saw a sign but did not at all see to what it was referring. It seemed like I had been climbing stairs for the last hour. Just before the top someone was calling out places. I was in the low 50's. I made a point to pass enough people to make it to the top in 50th place or better. I was in either 49th or 50th, I couldn't tell which number they told me as there were a few of us in a row. The top is just a turnaround and I thought I could stay a while, look at the scenery, and take in the view. I was wrong. I made it in 3:12 which was over my goal time but I was happy enough with it. The race officials allowed us to take food but hurried us down to the next aid station. It seemed they wanted to get people down to lower elevation as quickly as possible. The temperature was low 40's I think and very clear. No need for a jacket at all although I saw a couple patches of ice that hadn't frozen from last night.
I had a hard time descending. I got passed by almost 20 people within the first couple miles. I wasn't prepared to take quick steps over rocks, make quick turns, or navigate around people still climbing. I went a lot slower than I should have and I looked forward to the mostly flat forest in the middle so I could go full speed. The forest didn't help as much as I wanted, I actually walked up a tiny hill on the way down. I had been running over 4 hours so it kind of made sense because 50k is about as far as I can run in mountains with any kind of speed. I hit that time where I am usually finishing a 50k so I didn't have much left. I took more time at aid stations to get food (candy) and drink. I felt I had some energy but couldn't descend quite fast enough. As a couple runners started to catch me I tried to hold them off while catching a couple of runners that I caught up to. I was successful in holding off some and was happy to get to the road. The road section at the end is only about 1km and I ran it real fast. I had plenty of energy left to fast on easy terrain. I finished in 5:23 which was short of my goal and 10 minutes slower than I wanted to running down but in hindsight I think I could go down even faster than 2 hours with some more experience.
The finish area was much more exciting than the expo. Downtown Manitou Springs had the same atmosphere that Mill Valley has for the Dipsea race. There was a finisher tent with food and chairs. They gave finisher jackets and had plenty of food in the pavilion. Many of us soaked our legs in the river that ran through town. It felt good to be back at a normal elevation of 6000'+. I spent most of the rest of the day in the town satisfied that I did OK and especially made it up without crashing.
By Tuesday I had heard about the Manitou Incline. This is a 1.01 mile stretch of hill that has an average grade of 41%. The steepest section is 68%. The bottom is at an elevation of 6574' and the top is 8585'. I had heard that Matt Carpenter could run it in 18 minutes so I thought 27 minutes would be reasonable for me. There are wooden railroad planks spaced out on it which are visible for quite a distance. It looks like these really help to reduce erosion. I was able to run up in 28 minutes. I haven't ever run a more difficult section of trail. It's about as difficult as the top quarter mile of Mt. Tam (the direct way - up the rocks). There were no rocks on the Incline, but it is a considerable climb which I walked quite a bit of. From the top there was a nice view of downtown Manitou Springs.
On Saturday for a short hike through The Garden of the Gods where there were stunning rock formations. Pictures below.
Also, Seven Falls:
Updates Coming Soon (with pictures!)
Pikes Peak Marathon, Whiskeytown 50k. New resolution - since I obviouslycan't keep updating this every time I race, I'll just update it for significant races (which still happen every couple weeks anyway). In the mean time, who are these visitors from Hawaii, Canada, Ireland, and Norway?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Races 09-(06-07) DSE Sawyer Camp 5k, 10k
February 8, 2009
5k - 6th/173 - 18:54
10k - 11th/103 - 41:47
For the first time, DSE scheduled the Sawyer Camp 5k and 10k in sequence, instead of concurrently so runners could race in both races. The race fee went up this year from $3 for members to $5 for members, although the fee for 2 races was a deal at $8.
Taking only 8 minutes to get to the race I got there plenty early enough but had to park far down the road as usual. The weather was cool and cloudy, with mist in the air at time. Still sore from yesterday I decided to give my best effort and not worry about the time. Of the people at Jed Smith yesterday, both Eduardo and I did both races, and Chikara and Noe ran the 10k.
Before the 5k I was guessing I could run 19 minutes but I wasn't really sure. I didn't start too fast but I kept a good pace for a while. I ran the first mile with Ian and we hit it in around 6 minutes. I then started to slow down. i slowed down more as the race ewnt on, ultimately finishing in 18:47 which was 6th place.
The 10k was next and I was not feeling nearly as optimistic about having a good race although I would try my best. As the race went on I didn't hold a consistent pace well so I finished in 41:47, which was still 11th place.
5k - 6th/173 - 18:54
10k - 11th/103 - 41:47
For the first time, DSE scheduled the Sawyer Camp 5k and 10k in sequence, instead of concurrently so runners could race in both races. The race fee went up this year from $3 for members to $5 for members, although the fee for 2 races was a deal at $8.
Taking only 8 minutes to get to the race I got there plenty early enough but had to park far down the road as usual. The weather was cool and cloudy, with mist in the air at time. Still sore from yesterday I decided to give my best effort and not worry about the time. Of the people at Jed Smith yesterday, both Eduardo and I did both races, and Chikara and Noe ran the 10k.
Before the 5k I was guessing I could run 19 minutes but I wasn't really sure. I didn't start too fast but I kept a good pace for a while. I ran the first mile with Ian and we hit it in around 6 minutes. I then started to slow down. i slowed down more as the race ewnt on, ultimately finishing in 18:47 which was 6th place.
The 10k was next and I was not feeling nearly as optimistic about having a good race although I would try my best. As the race went on I didn't hold a consistent pace well so I finished in 41:47, which was still 11th place.
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