2012 Pirate's Cove 50k Recap

It’s been a little over a week since PCTR’s Pirate’s Cove 50k on Saturday, March 24th, so I thought I’d check-in with a report on a race that wasn’t initially on my radar. Coming off of the Way Too Cool 50k on March 10th, there was a 5 week gap of time until the Lake Sonoma 50 miler on April 14th. While I’m generally hesitant to put more than 1 race a month on the calendar for reasons such as time, travel and cost (except under certain circumstances), my training needed a bit of a jump start with too many 70-80 mile weeks lately instead of the more intense 100+ mileweeks I tend to seek out once every 4 weeks when trying to peak for racing season. While the race would only move the distance needle to 75 miles for the week (with Sunday left), it would providethe kind of intense, longer runs that are critical to getting my long-distance speed more finely tuned for Lake Sonoma, the Miwok 100k and ultimately Badwater.

When looking at all the races and weekends available on the calendar during this time period, the weekends of March 24th and March 31st stood out as the most logical to push hard while stillallowing for a proper 2-week taper leading up the Lake Sonoma 50. Then, on the weekend I didn’t race, I was planning a trip for my wife and I to visit friends in Los Angeles. Ultimately, I wanted a race where I had a familiarity with the course and where other top local ultrarunners had run so that the result could provide a better gauge for where I’m at physically in relation to my myself as well as the community at large. Of the races being offered, this one and one in Pacifica on the 31st were the best bets. While Pacifica packs a bigger punch as far as elevation gain is concerned, Pirate’s Cove (which uses the same course as the Rodeo Beach in December) has a more similar profile to Lake Sonoma.Going into the race, I was coming off the 3:53:59 at Way Too Cool with 2000 ft. less climbing. I felt fairly well recovered and ready to get close to that 4 hour 50k barrier once again.

I came into the race with a little more confidence in my abilities this year and the ability/desire to push a little bit more throughout the race. The PC50k course record was 3:59:23 by Victor Ballesteros, an accomplished ultrarunner and fellow Tamalpa teammate. While 4 hours sat in the back of my mind, I knew that would require a sub-2:25 opening 30k loop before entertaining that as apossibility. Based on training runs out there in admittedly drier conditions, I had a really good handle on a sustainable effort that I could hold that might bring me in under 2:25 for the first 30k. I ultimately geared my mind to shoot for a 4:00-4:10 time range with a “take it as it comes” approach for that final 20k. I just wanted something to gear my pacing towards in to gain more and more confidence and fine-tune the pre-race and in-race Paleo-adapted fueling strategy. The weather wasn’t really something I thought too much about before the race. But with skies opening up the night before the race and a constant drizzle coming down at Rodeo Beach, I knew the trails would be a bit muddy but didn’t really allow that to play into my race strategy which was just to go hard and not worry about things I can’t control. Besides, I always feel like bad weather on a familiar course is a good thing for me. Knowledge about where the tread is firmest on particular trails and the confidence to find the right lines to run on to push it is invaluable to me as a runner and competitor. I always want to put my best foot forward and expand the possibilities about what times are possible even in less than favorable conditions. The start was typical of PCTR races: Very mellow, easy-going and relaxed. As always, there’s always a familiar face to see with Kermit Cuff jokingly jockeying for position with me nearthe front and Rick snapping our picture before the start. Before we knew it, the 10 second countdown had begun and eventually, the starting siren blaring from the megaphone sent uson our way up the 1 ½ mile climb up to the WW2 era Bunker Hill. The climb has a mix of trail, road and stairs which provides a nice mix of running early on to engage the senses. I can usually push it fairly well on these trails in my Brooks Racer ST5 road shoes, so that’s what I went with for this race. I added a warm headband and gloves to my normal Headlands outfit to keep comfortable and leave me with little excuse for trying to push hard.

Early on, I went to the front with a couple of other runners trailing close behind. One of my big emphases this off-season has been to stay consistent on the climbs. Even if I wasn’t burning it up, I wanted to stay in constant motion and start to save those precious minutes that I’ve tended to lose in large quantities to the lighter folks that can’t be simply made up for on the downhills. Eventually, the gap grew to what looked like a good minute and I started to enjoy simply being in my own space. After treading gently down Wolf Ridge and powering down Old Springs, I scooted through Tennessee Valley at the 4ish mile mark in just under 33 minutes. This is about what I was thinking based on past races. The key for this first 30k loop, though, would be this next 6.6 mile loopback to Tennessee Valley along the Miwok trail, Coyote Ridge and Pirate’s Cove areas. There was plenty of hills that, although not extremely difficult, present great opportunities to work on staying in motion. I would have to be back in Tennessee Valley sometime around 1:26-1:28 in order to keep that 2:25in sight.

The initial mile long climb up the Miwok trail gave me a bit of a glimpse of what to expect: slick rock interspersed with a filthy, soft mud. However, the trail didn’t start getting really interesting until I crested Coyote Ridge over looking the Pacific Ocean. The ground here was just a big sloppy mess that in certain parts looked more like a big slip n’ slide than a runnable trail. While some sections where runnable with support from grassy roots, others forced me to mix in a bit of my skiing technique to keep up my pace. It didn’t diminish the joy of just being out there and running. Rather, it heightened my senses and made me aware that turning the throttle down on certain parts would be wise in order to avoid falling off the cliffs overlooking Pirate’s Cove and the Pacific Ocean. Coming back to Tennessee Valley from the Pacific Ocean along the Coastal Fireroad was a bit less eventful with a firm footing allowing me topush the pace a bit. I came to the aidstation at 1:28:15, getting a quick top-off of my water bottle and then leavingon my way. Now, returning to run thetrails run by the runners in the shorter distance events, I started to see theimpact of the wet weather and the well-worn trails on my footing. I wasn’t losing significant amounts of timeagainst what I do on these trails in training. But I think like Coyote Ridge and Pirate’s Cove, these trails werecausing me to work a little harder and not always move in a straight line inorder to find firm footing. Seconds hereand there eventually add up, but my focus was again on just moving along withthe pursuers out of sight now. There’s not too much to highlight about traversing theridgeline overlooking the San Francisco Bay, except to say that even in drearyweather the Golden Gate still looks as good as ever. I was able to start to get back into the 6:XXmin/mile pace on the flattest single-track and the eventual drop back down into Rodeo Valley and the Beach area.

I eventually cruised through the 30k mark at theStart/Finish area in 2:27:15, stopping for about 30 seconds to refill my bottle(thanks, Rick!) and go. I had prepared abottle with more GU Roctane, my fuel of choice, to get me through the rest ofthe race but could not locate it where I had left it. I just took off, knowing I had enough to getme through the next section but not enough for the final hour of the race.While a bit bummed about not finding my pre-prepped bottle,I just focused on my uphill stride and getting to Tennessee Valley sometimeshortly after the 3 hour mark. The trailhad sufficiently been torn up on the downhills here that I just relaxed and gotthrough it as expeditiously as possible.While a more ambitious approach might have been more desirable oncertain downhill sections, I still had plenty in the tank and looked forward tokeep pushing forward for the final 8 miles after TV.

I cruised into Tennessee Valley in 3:04:45 and made amistake I wish I hadn’t. My body lovescalories and when it’s fueled, it moves well.However, there is a small 20 second detour you have to take to get to theaid station table versus going straight up the steady grade of the Marincellotrail and the final 8 miles of the race. After refilling my water bottle from a spigot on the trail on the waydown to Tennessee Valley, I didn’t really feel like shopping and didn’t thinkthe lack of calories for the next 40+ minutes would do much to me.What happened over the next 4 ½ miles wasn’t what I wouldcall a meltdown or collapse; just more of a grind than anything else. I could chalk it up to the course being sloppier overall, but that certainly wouldn’t explain consciously easing into aslower pace on the downhill sections with firmer footing. I think it’s that little bit of extrastruggle and extra soreness in the legs that seems to let me know that I coulduse some calories. As the miles passed by and the possibility of being chased down waned, I just focused on maintaining a consistent pace and getting to the finish line to get warm.

I picked up a couple of chocolate chip cookies and some electrolyte fluid at the last aid station before cruising down the Coastal Trail and into Rodeo Valley to the finish.I ended up crossing the finish line in 4:13:59, looking for shelter atlast on this progressively wet and cold day in Marin. It was a good time overall considering I wasnever really threatened or pushed and can be looked at favorably by mosthistorical standards on that course. I’lltake the 1st place in a small overall field, with the medal and mug that comes with it. While it may not have been the best day to run for time, it was a great to run nonetheless as I look forward to the Lake Sonoma 50 on April 14th and the Miwok 100k on May 5th. Bigger challenges await……

2012 Way Too Cool 50k Recap

After finishing the Way Too Cool 50k on Saturday, I had an interesting conversation with another runner. This runner has been fairly proficient on the local Bay Area trail running scene for more than a few years and although he’s moved into his masters years, is still a rather proficient, strong competitor. Having just come off one of my more complete races (particularly the 50k races) in recent memory, he mentioned that this race seemed to be a bit of a breakthrough race for me. I agreed, having had one of those few races where I felt fully fueled and giving consistent effort from beginning to end. I even had enough leftover energy to push the pace down towards 6 minutes per mile on the last ¾ mile pleateau that ends the race. At this point post-race, my legs felt a bit sore but with plenty of energy to walk around and enjoy the post-race social atmosphere. While there were a couple places, in retrospect, where I could nitpick and lament not having pushed a little harder and possibly knocked more minutes off my time, that is neither here nor there. The point was that in the midst of this conversation, the topic of confidence came up.

Now, confidence is one of those tricky, hard to quantify factors in a race. Being overconfident or underconfident can lure one into a strategy not best suited for what someone has exhibited in training. Of course, there are those who thrive off of pushing their bodies to the limits from beginning to end and those who thrive off of running from the back only to strike hard in the later stages of a race. Very few of us truly know what’s gone into a runner’s training, so trying to extrapolate what actually happened from the race results can be tricky at best. That being said, I’d had my fair share of confidence-knocking races where things went wrong and the finishes have ended up feeling like a torture-fest. Even though I felt like coming under 4 hours was definitely more than doable from a fitness standpoint, I’d had enough poorly executed races to cause me to take a more measured approach. I’d really set up 2012 as something that I’d wanted to be another breakout, step up year. While I trained through Jed Smith and continued to tinker with the nutritional and fueling recommendations of the Paleo Diet for Athletes I had started at the beginning of the year, Way Too Cool was the first race of this year I had really set as a benchmark and wound down my miles over the two preceeding weeks to come into it fresh. Of course, winding down the miles was in part due to simply being sick with the flu for a week. Although I’ve still had some nagging congestion, I was much better during the last week before the race.

The goal coming in was to run under 4 hours (following 2011 splits of others) and I was going to stick to it with a re-evaluation half-way through the race. With 3,600 ft. of total elevation gain, it play faster than many of the trail 50k races out there. Realizing that the race’s flatter first 8 mile loop seems to bring out faster paces, my tactic was fairly simple. Hang in the back of that second tier of runners in the 15-20th position before opening it up in the middle miles of the race. I also kept an eye on the lead woman, Caitlin Smith. believing that based on past results would probably be shooting for a sub-4 time. Based on what I’d seen of her on the local Bay Area running scene, she never struck me as someone prone to going out too fast or too slowly. It seemed like a fairly sound way to put myself in a good position early on.

With my wife there to drive me up from San Francisco and provide support along with the folks from Injinji who were on-hand as a race sponsor, I ready to run. As the gun went off, people came storming out the gates early. With the first 1.5 miles run along a flattish, rolling road before turning onto the trails, it was a good opportunity to let the legs get warmed up early as well as position myself for the coming single-track trails. Even with the first mile ticking off at 6:15 pace, a lead pack as well as a secondary pack began to form. The lead pack must’ve had 6-8 runners in it with the secondary pack comprising at least 10-15 runners. I was at the back of this secondary pack, allowing the other guys to set the pace. With very little wind out on a mild, crisp morning in Cool, CA, the pack’s only function was to serve as a pacing mechanism. Once the race finally veered off-road, it became a bit congested making my positioning near the back a bit precarious on the downhills. Way Too Cool attracts a variety of road and newbie-trail runners, making technical downhills a bit of challenge for me in a group this big. While the pack stayed fairly close together, I found some of the runners in the group hesitated quite a bit on some of the more rutted, challenging downhills. I found myself stopping to prevent running into the guy in front of me. I would’ve loved to have simply scooted on by, but the 10-15 folks up ahead would’ve made the move somewhat pointless. The only move I made past a few folks was coming out of an uphill in order to keep within viewing distance of Caitlin who was at the very front of this group.

The plan was to come into the 8 mile mark at 56-58 minutes, so when I came through at 54:48 (chip time), I was pleasantly surprised. The distance came up 1/3 of a mile short on the Garmin, but no harm no foul with that. Just before the timing mat, there was the first aid station. While the others stopped, I scooted on through quickly and efficiently while picking up a pre-prepared bottle of NUUN water w/ extra gels for the rest of the race. After the congestion at the mile 8 aid station at the Start/Finish area, I found a nice little niche on the 3.1 mile somewhat flat fireroad and technical downhill to the American River. The field began to spread out somewhat, although I continued to peer ahead to sight Caitlin when the terrain opened up. The focus was solely on making sure I’d hit my next mark of 2:00 or under at the 16.7 mile aid station along the River.

Once along the river, the course opened up on an expansive dirt and gravel fire road that allowed runners to pass or drop back as they pleased. I tried not to drive too hard on the ups to maintain a pace or let loose too much on the downs to “regain time”. Caitlin remained just ahead as the miles seemed to tick away with ease. Even though I was shooting for an average time of 7:30 min/mile to the 23 mile mark, the pace seemed to fluctuate between 6:45 to 7:15 without a huge surge in effort at any one time. I picked up some more water quickly at Maine Bar (Mile 16.7) before dropping in another full NUUN tablet in my bottle on the way out. My watch indicated 1:44:XX, even though the watch was over a mile short of this posted distance. I didn’t really try to analyze it, but the time did bring a bit of a smile to my face. If I just kept moving even on the ups, I was going to be in good shape for the end. Beside, while the aid stations seemed to come a little quicker than the Garmin would indicate, I’d had a feeling it would all “average out” in the end as it seems to do in many races.

Average out is exactly what the course did, with the next 4.3 mile section seeming to go on much longer than the posted distance. After the last section, I ended up passing Caitlin on the hills which she walked (which was puzzling at the time) but picking up a new running partner. The woman who passed her for 1st place, Tyler Stewart, ended up playing leap frog with me for quite a few miles. She would scoot along the flats at a fairly brisk pace, while I was climbing the inclines with a smoothness and consistent effort that would bring us back together. While the competitiveness aspect of running with another runner in a race does tend to creep in, my sole focus was on maintaining a good pace and keeping myself in position for that Sub-4 hour finish. I knew that Sub-4 was good enough for top 15 the year before, so keeping on target would allow the placing to take care of itself. The Garmin ended up posting close to 5 ¾ miles for the next section, and as I stopped to re-tie my shoes for a minute after my bottles were refilled with water, Tyler took off ahead. No matter, since I left the aid station in ~2:30:45 which was right between my target times of 2:26-2:36.

On the way out while popping another gel, I felt a gagging feeling coming on that had just surfaced on the last section. Feeling that the full NUUN tablets (360 mg sodium) w/ 2 gels (125 mg sodium per gel) per 20 oz. bottle were probably giving me too much sodium, I went with straight water for the rest of the race to help settle things down. It wasn’t debilitating per se, but it was still one of those things that makes you feel off-kilter and a little more tentative with pace. On the way out, I knew all I had to do was stay a little faster than 9:00 min/mile for the final 10 miles to finish under 4 hours. With a
couple of nice little climbs before and after Hwy 49, I just wanted to make sure I had enough of a cushion to absorb slowing down going uphill. Miles continued to rattle off with the average pace staying around 8:00/mile. About the only thing that seemed to phase me was a face-first spill just before a creekway with 3+ miles to go that left me a bit disoriented for the next couple
minutes. In the end, I didn’t need to burn the uphills, the flats or the downhills as long as I was moving. With no one within shouting distance of me, I just kept trying to relax and enjoy the comfortably cool weather while thinking about getting to the next aid station.

The next to last aid station, 26.3 miles in at Goat Hill, couldn’t not come fast enough. With 3:15:45 elapsed, I just needed to finish the last 4.7ish miles in 44 minutes. Every mile from then on out brought with it the satisfaction of being that much closer and putting that much more of a cushion between myself and an epic collapse. Even being passed just before the 29.63 mile mark at Hwy 49 couldn’t keep me from losing focus. Although, it did seem to light my competitive fire somewhat as I worked hard to track on the heels of the competitor in 14th place. After opening about a 30-40 second gap on me, I would close it to 50 ft. on the final ¾ of a mile before settling for finishing 11 seconds back in 3:53:59 for 15th place. Although it seems like the official D-tag timing from Capitol Road Race Management has this right, it appears UltraSignup has reverted back to gun times which added 4 seconds (not consequential) to my time but quite a bit of time to some other folks finishes. The tags are a necessity in a race with so many runners and a narrow starting line area.

Coming off the race at Jed Smith where I felt rather lethargic and unable to push hard when I needed to, most things about this race just felt right down to the surge at the end where my pace dropped close to 6 min/mile glancing at my watch. I didn’t so much as attack the hills as I took each of them methodically with very short steps which left me much more satisfied with my times on the flats/downs that would immediately follow. A little too much sodium at one point? No problem as I made the right adjustment to go to straight water.

That’s not to say there weren’t flats or downs over the last 10 miles in particular that I wish I had a little more confidence to push harder to shave more minutes. In the end, though, it’s a blessing to lay the right foundation and build confidence for future races. With the Lake Sonoma 50 and its stacked field on the horizon in 5 weeks, it’s safe to say that I’m going to need to raise my game to keep knocking down the doors in 2012.

2012- 1st Time at the Way Too Cool 50k

After a rather lethargic Jed Smith 50k, it feels good to get back in the saddle for the Way Too Cool 50k. I have always tended to avoid this race for a number of reasons, which includes being quite a bit more pricey than other 50ks and having a "big marathon" feel with its slick, streamlined organization. It's also a bit of a drive compared to the great number of 50ks taking place in the Bay Area at any time of the year. That said, its been many an ultrarunners 1st foray into ultrarunning as well as being the 2nd race in the PAUSATF ultra race series. With an extra emphasis on trying to help Tamalpa score in the PAUSATF series this year, I decided to put it back on the schedule.

Way Too Cool should be the 1st true test of fitness with 3 months of training and about 9 weeks of running-specific training under my belt now in this new "running" year. I trained right though the Brooks Falls Trail 1/2 Marathon as well as the Jed Smith 50k while in the midst of altering my diet based on the Paleo Diet for Athletes. While it felt great running the trail 1/2 marathon, I felt lethargic and unable to push the heart rate above 150 during the Jed Smith 50k. I'm hopeful that the dietary adjustments that I've made in addition to the added training (including a nice 200 mile, 2 week stretch) will yield the step up that I'm seeking in this race. While certainly not completely dissatisfied with Jed Smith (I'll take the 3:33 considering it all) run on the American River Parkway/Horse Trails, I am doing a full 2 week taper for Cool that should leave me fresh and ready to go on Saturday.

I'm still trying to figure out a proper goal time, but going sub-4 seems like a good plan to start from. Who knows, maybe I'll use the heart rate monitor and let my effort dictate my pace as the race goes on. Here's to great weather and a great race for all the 750+ participants!

Running Superfans - Ultramarathon

This video is always good for a laugh! I know it's been out for a little while, but now that I've been accepted for a 5th turn at the Badwater Ultramathon, it seems rather appropriate again. Enjoy!

Jed Smith 50k

I wonder what I should set as my goal for this race. Considering I'm starting to get my legs stronger this early in the season, I'll probably set a 2:45ish pace for the first marathon to see how I hold it compared with my recent training and then hold on at the end for the last 8k. I guess I'll find out how I'm doing this Saturday!

2012

2012! What a way to start it off.....2nd at the Brooks Fall Trail Run behind trail speedster Gary Gellin and off on Saturday to the Jed Smith 50k, a flat and fast road run to start the PAUSATF calender. Here's to a great season for us all! Go Tamalpa!

3rd Annual Running For The Wells

Here's the text of a run summary I put together for Injinji for a press release. Overall, it was a great, great day!

"The 3^rd Annual Running For The Wells 5k/11k took place on September 10^th, 2011 in the Presidio of San Francisco in the Community Area of the Sports Basement store. This charity fun run and BBQ benefitted the Uganda water well building projects of World Harvest Mission. Runners were taken along the trails and bike paths of the Presidio in a loop which eventually brought them back to Sports Basement. Over 100 people ran, ate or both on a perfect afternoon in San Francisco. Guests were also given the opportunity prior to the run to meet San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Jeremy Affeldt, who founded Generation Alive (www.generationalive.org) to help meet pressing global needs. Jeremy spoke to the group prior to the run about the importance of clean water and how he got involved in the movement to provide it around the world. All told, the event raised almost $5,500, which will be used towards the construction of 2 water wells in Uganda.

Guests who ran and donated took home a pair of Injinji Performance Toe Socks. In addition, all donors were entered into a raffle with prizes supplied by our other sponsors. The prizes included Brooks shoes, Brooks bags, a Diakadi Body of San Francisco gift certificate, and San Francisco Giants tickets. Our presenting sponsor for the event was Injinji with additional sponsor support from Brooks Running, Diakadi Body, Foods Co., and Sports Basement."

Event Info Address: http://seegundyrun.com/Running_For_The_Wells.html

2011 Miwok 100k- The Recap and Looking Towards a Breakout SD 100

There’s now over a week separating me from the 2011 Miwok 100k and I’ve actually had time to think about what did or didn’t happen out there. First off, it was an absolutely incredible day to be outside running. It was mostly clear along the coast and even with the wind kicking in ferociously in certain spots, it made for a rather enjoyable view of the Pacific Ocean. That said, I didn’t spend too much time looking at the Pacific with the twisting and rapidly shrinking trail along the ridgeline often taking the bulk of my attention.

Don’t get me wrong; Miwok was good about 90% of the time. That percentage will probably go up over time largely due to where this race leads me this year, but for now, I’m comfortable with 90%. Going into this race, I had done quite a bit of work running each section of the course individually and/or part of much longer runs in order to try to find sustainable paces. While I first was thinking about 8:45-8:55 overall as a goal, I really wanted to see how this unfolded in training with each individual section to see if it was sustainable based on current fitness.

I would run the old course to give me a good standard of my current fitness as well as the portions of the course which had changed to give my fitness a context within the 2011 course. The middle 34.2 miles had stayed the exact same while the beginning 16.9 miles and the closing 11.5 miles had been flip-flopped with a more difficult, steep climb up Conzelman Road added to the opening 7 mile loop back to Rodeo Beach. All in all, the outbound/inbound portions registered 33.9 miles (-1.7 miles compared to 2010) and 28.7 miles respectively for a total distance of 62.6 miles. I felt comfortable enough with the runs I had done, the overall and individual section goals, and my knowledge of the terrain on that course by the time race day came around.

In the end, I even ditched the trusty Garmin in favor of a simple stopwatch. The trails that make up the Golden Gate National Recreation Area are often so well marked that you are constantly getting feedback on whether you’re going too fast or too slow. I had splits on a homemade band on my right wrist not only by aid station, but by various key points in between such as the top or bottom of a hill, turn point, geographical feature (like a particular tree) or even a particular trail distance marker. I knew exactly what to expect, when to expect it and how to attack it. Although my homemade pacing band called for a 8:58 finish, I left what I considered to be time buffers on the final ¼ of the race that I thought I had could definitely hit for that 8:50ish finish.

Having endured the cancellation of the Lake Sonoma 50 and having not raced since February 28^th, the race start itself couldn’t come soon enough. The one nagging injury that had recently been plaguing me for the past 3 weeks was a calf strain that limited the types and frequency of my running. With most of the hard training in the bag, I worried less about my overall fitness than I did about how the injury would affect my ability to race hard. Still, I was very satisfied after a couple of short, quick runs on the course during the last week before the race that I would, at the very least, be able to maintain a comfortable pace and rythym without causing injury.

Although I’m not one for early race starts, I had plenty of energy for this 5:40 am start and felt calm and relaxed as the Rodeo Beach “Grunion Run” began with nearly 400 runners scurrying the first 150 ft. to make it to the Lagoon trail before the bottleneck began. I had my crew (Wilma, Uncle Andy, Mambo Jose) all set with their aid assignments, a couple of Tylenol already making their way through my system and nothing to worry about except putting one foot in front of the other. Let the race begin.

Start to Tennessee Valley – 11.1 miles - 1.29:00 split

I settled into the race early with Victor Ballesteros, who would later drop, by my side and Nathan Yanko just behind me in the distance. The climb up to the top of Conzelman Rd. has an 18% grade at its steepest, which I thought would be enough early to create separation between the runners up front. However, it seemed all the front runners (13-14) seemed content with allowing the pack to move along at a healthy, solid pace. I continued to sit right behind the lead pack with Scott Jaime and Phil Kochik just ahead of me.

I cruised back across the beach and towards the Rodeo Beach parking lot a minute slower than I expected at 56 minutes flat. At that point, I fully expected to take it easy going up Coastal Trail to the top of the hill (900’+ elevation), so I had built in a little extra time to get to Tennessee Valley. With the course in reverse, we did this extra climb early before heading down to Tennessee Valley rather than a climb up the Rodeo Valley Trail which overall was about 2/3 of the total climbing.

In some previous PCTR races which use this section up to Wolf Ridge and eventually to Tennessee Valley, I had generally timed out at 32-33 minutes at a decent effort which was exactly what I ended up doing this day. At this point, I strolled into TV in 11^th position with Scott and Phil right behind me and the rest of lead pack about a minute ahead. I was a minute ahead of schedule, which was just fine by me and fairly consistent with previous training efforts.

Tennessee Valley to Pantoll 20.0 miles - 2.52:00 (1.23:00 split)

At this point, I was fairly comfortable being passed by Scott and Phil since I was continuing to hit my splits for each climb and descent fairly consistently. For me personally, this is where I felt like I had a huge advantage coming in

I knew based on my experience and relative strengths that the top guys would put gaps of time on me on the climbs but that the key to my race would be whether I would be able to hammer the new downhills and flats at the end. I didn’t allow myself to get pulled into anyone else’s race, instead just focusing on getting to each turn and trail sign as I had mapped out on my homemade wrist band.

There are two major climbs in this section: After the initial ~0.3 mile paved downhill on the asphalt, there is a steep 500-600 ft., 1.2 mile climb up Fox Trail. This is followed by 2.2 miles of meandering fire road on the ridgeline towards the Miwok Trail and Hwy 1. I hit the top of the hill in 14+ minutes, the Miwok trail in 20 minutes and Hwy 1 in 32+ minutes at the 2:02 mark which was again 1 minute ahead of when I wanted to be there. While Scott and Phil moved off into the distance and Nathan continued to move well behind me, I kept the focus on getting through each sub-section quickly and efficiently.

After crossing the Hwy and dropping down 2.2 miles back towards sea level at Muir Woods Rd., there is a long 3 mile, 1500 ft. climb to Pantoll Ranger Station. With the introduction of sizable portions of single-track trail and winding uphill fire roads in the lush Muir Woods section of the course, you can’t see too far in front of you like the more open expanses of the first ¼ of the race.

At this point, I really began to feel alone out there with time and space to keep moving at my own pace. Without much of a struggle here in the early going, it was the perfect opportunity to simple focus on the task at hand without pushing too hard on these early climbs. Once again, course knowledge had helped me remain relaxed as I came into Pantoll once again 1 minute ahead of schedule. It was definitely slower than what I was capable of, but very manageable and sustainable with an eye towards keeping my calf discomfort at bay. If I simply kept in motion at a reasonable pace, I could keep turning this into a shorter and shorter race to the finish.

Pantoll to Bolinas Ridge 26.7 miles - 3.49:00 (56:00 split)

After a half a minute to walk out of the aid station and compose myself, it was off along the ridgeline. This is by far the most picturesque portion of the course with the view of the Pacific Ocean unobstructed and a steep drop off to our left. Of course, the trail also narrows considerably which means the eyes are often focused downward. About a quarter of the way through, Nathan came up and passed me from behind. I sent him on his way, just trying to stay within that 8-9 minute per mile range. Eventually I would be passed by one other, but my stride was looking smooth at that point and there was little need to press the pace too hard. I let the momentum take me on the downs and kept the legs moving on the ups. Before I knew it, I was at the aid station, once again 1 minute ahead of schedule. Even though I was pleased with nailing the early splits, I kept a business-like approach and flew right through the aid station after another effortless bottle/supply exchange with my wife Wilma. Socializing could wait until afterwards and apart from a little soreness in my quads and calves, I had a good rhythm going so far and taking the GU Roctanes religiously every 20 minutes seemed to be going well.

Bolinas Ridge to Randall 33.9 miles - 4.44:00 (55:00 split)

Everything about this section is about the anticipation of the quad busting 1100’, less than 2 mile drop down to the turnaround. If you get there in good shape, the downhill is 12-14 minutes of just letting the legs go before hitting the aid station right at Hwy 1 on the way to Point Reyes.

I kept moving along much as I had done in the previous section, stopping only once on a particularly steep portion to walk as a bit of mental break. You start wondering at this point when you’ll see the leaders coming back from the turnaround, but as I made it gate which marks the beginning of the westward downhill jaunt, I still hadn’t seen anyone yet. In fact, I was a bit surprised as the lead pack along with a few stragglers finally started appearing in small groups of 2 to 3 about 10 minutes before I hit the turnaround. Another seemless exchange with Uncle Andy and Uncle Jose to get two new ¾ full water bottles with NUUN got me on my way. At this point, I thought about taking an Aleve to deal with the current soreness in the quads and calves, but decide against it in my hastiness to keep moving.

Randall to Bolinas Ridge 41.1 miles - 5.54:00 (1.10:00 split)

After starting on my way, I took a minute pit stop to take care of nature’s call before continuing on up the hill. In training, I felt like I needed to hit 20 minutes going up the hill to give me a reasonable chance and wrapping this section up in 1:05:00. On my timing schedule, I gave myself 1:08:00 in order to take some of the pressure off to really try and hammer it at this point. Again, I was waiting for the return to Pantoll from Bolinas to try to amp up the effort and pace. With the break and a couple of well-timed power hiking breaks, I hit the top of the hill in 22+ minutes and was off again to Bolinas. I was starting to wear a bit, but I was very pleased that I kept in perpetual motion on the ups and the time seemed to go by quickly. I even got a kick out of Ian Sharman, dressed as Elvis, passing me just before the aid station. I was 1 minute behind schedule into Bolinas, but still knew that if I could get into Pantoll in just under 7 hours, the ability to run the downhills and flats which have been a hallmark of my good races might just help me once again.

Bolinas Ridge to Pantoll 47.8 miles - 7.00:00 (1.06:00 split)

I left Bolinas alone with no one within sight ahead of or behind me. It would eventually stay that way until the final leg of the race, which left me in a bit of deficit for that extra push I felt I needed. I power hiked up a tiny hill to help get my legs going again, but let the momentum get me started on the first downhill down into a wooded abyss before the ridgeline. While I generally enjoy interacting and encouraging the other runners coming outbound, it did seem to take a bit of my steam away when a few people seemed to react to my presence suddenly which caused me to stop on more than a few occasions. This is really the most problematic part of the course as far as runner traffic is concerned with the ridgeline barely big enough for two feet side by side let alone two runners moving in opposite directions.

It quickly became apparent that I would not hit my 1 hour flat goal for this section, but I didn’t panic and tried to keep moving to get in under 7 hours. While I now wish I had added a pacer at Bolinas to help mentally push me out of this mental rut I was falling into, I simply pushed onward with the expectation that a big 3 mile downhill after Pantoll and the addition of my pacer would help kick it into gear. My legs definitely felt a bit heavier, but my energy and stomach continued to cooperate beautifully. I was banking on the momentum out of Pantoll to help return the spring and authority with which I was running with earlier to my legs. A late surge into Pantoll over the final mile only got me in there at 7 hours flat.

Pantoll to Muir Beach 53.5 miles – 7:50:00 (50:00 split)

Still in 16^th place, the stop in Pantoll revealed major muscle soreness in quads, but again my mind got lost in thinking about my pacer, Pete, who had gotten caught in traffic as well as trying to screw my head back on straight to make a final push. I spent a minute walking through Pantoll and talking through a couple things with Uncle Andy and Uncle Jose before finally heading out onto the trail. After a slow 9 min/mile pace heading down the trail to start out, I tried to really let loose on the 2.2 mile long Deer Park fire road. I was hoping to catch some momentum to get into Muir Beach a little after 7:40:00. Having run this section as part of training runs, 40 minutes seemed very, very doable when my training runs had clocked it in the mid to upper 30s.

However, the quads didn’t seem to want to cooperate and every downhill stride brought with it a measure of pain. This brought with it the unforunate reaction to slow down and decrease my stride, which made me feel slow and lethargic on a section of the course that seemed to bring out the best in me in 2010 when I felt like I was flying effortlessly. Even the 2.2 mile mostly flat single track before hitting the pavement to Muir beach couldn’t cheer me up even though I could feel myself begin to run with a little more authority. I knew I needed some pain relief and Muir Beach couldn’t come fast enough, even if my average pace still hit 8:40ish/mile for the 5.7 mile section.

Muir Beach to Tennessee Valley 57.6 miles - 8.36:00 (46:00 split)

Once again, another section in 16^th place without a soul in sight. I finally picked up my pacer, Pete, who was fresh from navigating some major San Francisco traffic to meet me at Muir Beach. A combination of running and walking helped my body recover after taking an Aleve at Muir Beach. The flats and downhills provided good opportunities to get my legs turning over again and extend my stride. While exiting Pirates Cove and descending into Tennessee Valley, I remember starting to feel stronger again and opening up my stride more and more while ascending the final gradual paved uphill from Tennessee Valley to the parking lot. The Aleve was kicking in and although I lamented not taking it earlier, I felt good going into the final section.

Tennessee Valley to Finish 62.6 miles - 9.20:10 16th place, 8:56/mile pace overall

I made another seemless exchange for fresh handhelds with the uncles and gave my parents a quick wave while ascending the first of the last two climbs up Old Springs trail southward towards the finish at Pt. Bonita. The winds began to kick up in the early afternoon, providing a nice cooling effect. This had to be the part of the race I was most proud of, considering that my goal of sub-9 hours was out of reach. Based on a budgeted 43 minutes for this final section, I refocused and reset my goal for sub-9:20.

A quick glance back at Tennessee Valley about a quarter mile into the climb revealed that I would have company if I didn’t start to kick it into gear. A strong push up the 1.4 mile climb created the separation I needed to leave the man in white out of my rear view mirror. Descending down the Miwok trail on the 8 and ½ minute decent into Rodeo Valley, I finally caught sight of another runner who seemed to be coming closer and closer into view. He seemed to be moving well, but I set him out there as a target to catch to keep me hungry and motivated.

Once across Bunker Road and into the final 0.5 mile, couple hundred foot climb up the single track Coastal Trail, I felt myself closing in on the runner in blue and his pacer with my body responding well to my hunger to pick up the feet faster and faster. Pete encouraged me to keep pushing harder to catch him. With the runner’s pacer looking back at me periodically, about the only thing that kept me from catching him on the climb was the overgrowth of foliage on the narrow trail that kept whacking me and slowing me down. Once on Conzelman Rd., he was no more than 50 ft. in front.

While I tried to hammer on the road and take the shortest line on the road to close the gap, the strong ocean gusts seemed to sap my energy and keep me at bay. The runner’s pacer kept looking back to gauge the gap, but the pursuit became more and more just two guys on treadmills with one treadmill set out just a little further. I kept trying to close but as the end drew near, I couldn’t seem to get closer. The runner in blue, Topher Gaylord, would end up finishing in 9:19:44, 26 seconds before I did in 9:20:10. A valiant way to end the race, in 16^th place, just like I left Bolinas when passing a couple runners who stoppped there.

We did a lot of things right, which I think reflected the training and preparation which was supported heavily by Wilma and Uncle Andy among others. The pace overall was very sustainable (even for a longer effort) and the nutrition and electrolytes were spot on. The ability to sustain also leads me to believe that this is something that I could do in a longer race and gives me a wealth of confidence in what I’m putting together for the San Diego 100 in 3.5 weeks.

A couple of key errors I need to respond better to was the discomfort in my quads and pushing myself better when in my own space. The discomfort, in particular, really came into play on the flats and downhills between Pantoll and Tennessee Valley where a strong push through the pain in my quads would have gotten me very, very close to my 9 hour goal. It will be something that I need to respond to better particularly as I move to the 100 mile distance shortly. Getting the right amount of Tylenol or Aleve when I need it will help keep me pushing through all the way to the end. While the effort overall tells me there are great races to come as my calf gets back to 100%, I am thankful to God for the opportunity be out there doing what I do with great friends and family. The preparation helped me to really keep my head clear overall and just enjoy the experience making me hopeful that I can hit a top finish in San Diego to keep the ball rolling in 2011.

2011 Miwok 100k- T-minus 10 days

On May 7, the long wait will be over and the first goal race of 2011 will begin. For what feels like an eternity, I’ve been training for the 2011 Miwok 100k with little reward beyond the post-long run trips to In-N-Out. With the Lake Sonoma 50 cancelled and the first 2 months of the year yielding a few opportunities to train by running some shorter distance races (3 half marathons, 25k trail race, 50k trail race), most of my training has been alone without much more than my thoughts, my prayers, my music and the sound of silence. And yes, every once in awhile, the sounds of wildlife rustling in the bushes. The races yielded a mixed bag early in winter training; the trail races were steady and crisp while the road races seemed more erratic and lacking in consistent rhythm/speed. This was a bit of conundrum, especially since it would seem more difficult on the ever changing terrain in trails races to develop a rhythym than the flatter, faster road races.

All the while, I simply kept making my re-acquaintance with the Miwok course (http://www.run100s.com/miwok/), using it for all my long runs in order to brand its twists, turns, ups and downs into my mind. Like a NASCAR driver at a race course, I’ve seen every angle and hopefully understand where to accelerate and where to lay off the gas. I ran the old course to help benchmark my fitness against previous racers and ran the new sections (most of which are the old sections in reverse) to help benchmark the time and effort difference. To say I ran out of gas last year after reaching the turnaround would be an understatement. What felt so promising over the first half of the race to finish around 9 hours ultimately became a grind. My legs became heavy on the returning climbs with only the finish line helping to spur me on in the last segment. The encouragement from runners still marching towards the turnaround and the views of Pacific Ocean expanding limitlessly on my right just weren’t inspiring enough.

In setting my goals for 2011, I shied away from predicting placing or time. This doesn’t mean I don’t have a time in mind for this race, but it does shift the focus to the process of building a foundation and that if I did that, good things would happen in biggest races. I wanted to put together a string of quality runs and quality weeks that reflected an honest attempt at developing consistent excellence while digging deeper into the core of who I am. I want this race to serve as a benchmark to come back to one of the principle reasons I started this crazy running adventure; engage God.

Maybe in recognition of this and simply the need to block out things which tend to distract me, I’ve tended to shun running with other runners this year in favor of running solo. While I’ve had company on a couple occasions and had a couple folks come out to crew some runs to simulate the race, I’ve spent significant amounts of time just being by myself. I rarely carry my phone with me on the run, so there have been no running pictorials to show. I’ve put few blog posts about the substance of my training, apart from the occasional Facebook status update. I think the only true record about my training miles is in a small Memopad file on my Blackberry. It was a time to still my mind and find peace in a world surrounded by chaos and uncertainty, much like it was back in 2001 running in the darkness on the perimeter road around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.

I think in the midst of all this goal setting and experiencing the ups and downs of racing last year, I sort of lost track and kept focusing on what a clock or results sheet had to say about me. In the quest for faster times, I changed my focus. It showed up in ways that go unnoticed to most; the music I loaded into my iPod, the emotional swings during races and even in how I viewed the other racers. The things that I was using to focus myself were slowly pulling me away from reason I started this journey in the first place.

Sure, there are other reasons why I enjoy this long distance running, but none are as important to me as this one. In the Old Testament, I imagine what it must have felt like for Jacob wrestling with God and I see my own struggles with him played out in my everyday life as well on those select race days throughout the year. In my desire to engage God, there’s a desire to see the best in myself and the best in God played out on the landscape before me. All runners have their own reasons for taking on challenges like running 100 kilometers through hills of Marin County. Some want to see what their best effort yields, others may be wrestling with their own internal struggles and yet others may be simply seeing what’s out on the horizon. The answers to the questions may be coming soon.....followed by new questions, new journeys and new adventures. :) Godspeed.

Heading to the 2011 Lake Sonoma 50

With the 2011 Lake Sonoma 50 only 9 days away, it seemed like an appropriate time to take a look at what a month March has been and where it all seems to be heading this year. While I haven’t raced since the Redwood Park 50k, I have taken the opportunity to continue to heal from my arm contusion suffered in February and put in some quality miles. I have also done a number of track workouts and tempo/long runs on the Miwok 100k course in Marin, which have yielded promising results. As my weight has crept back down to 166-167, my stamina and resolve to maintain consistency in my running has improved. While the end goal for my weight is still 162ish, I can feel that as the season kicks into gear that a lighter body has meant an easier time going up hills such as the Rodeo Valley trail or Coastal trail. While I may never be 140 lb., I believe that I can still fly right around 160 lb. The improved strength in my core and toned down body that I’ve worked harder to develop for this season will hopefully lay the foundation to take the next steps in my running career much as I did between Dec ’07 and Dec ‘09.

The most important of these Miwok course runs could very well be this weekend as I lace them up for a run from Muir Beach to the Turnaround Point and back to Pantoll Ranger Station. For those not familiar with the race, this equates to almost 27 miles and encompasses the two most important climbs of the race: up Deer Park Fire Road and 1.5 miles up from the turnaround at the highway (from Stinson to Pt. Reyes) to the Bolinas ridgeline. Deer Park Fire Road and that climb back up to the ridgeline represent the two key points where people’s races turn due to their relative taxing nature. People seem to either finish them feeling renewed with confidence and strength or lethargic and beaten down as they get back onto the quicker, rolling landscape that characterizes the ridgeline. While there’s still a possibility that this training run will get moved to after the LS50 due to the weather conditions, the most likely scenario has me doing this training run once before and once afterwards. While it could potentially have a residual effect on my race at Lake Sonoma, I anticipate that an abbreviated taper period should be sufficient to keep me fresh for the race. I plan on using Lake Sonoma as a checkpoint for Miwok, so a full 2-week taper period is probably not appropriate until before Miwok. At this point, my Uncle and I have gone over the general race plan and are in the process of developing a more definitive goal; we are definitely eyeing sub-8 hours, but I’m going to let these last training workouts play a role in swinging it one way or another.

Also on a side note, I just wanted to thank the individuals who have helped make this year a success so far. Although it’s hard to see since I’ve been patiently taking the time to train, 2011 couldn’t be a year for breakthrough without the efforts of my wife Wilma and Uncle Andy who have sacrificed time and energy to help me get ready for this year. My wife gives me the time and space to put in my evening and long runs because she knows how much this year means to me. Uncle Andy has been putting in time to help make my weekly track workouts at Kezar Stadium a success by watching my form as well as keeping me honest to the clock. While keeping motivated is always a challenge, it makes it a lot easier when I know I’ve got two people who can give me the proverbial swift kick to the arse when I need it. Sometimes recognizing the commitment and sacrifice of others is a powerful reminder that there is always more at stake than one’s own ego.

I also wanted to thank those organizations and companies who have put their faith in me to represent their brands this year. To Brooks, Diakadi Body, Injinji, GU and NUUN, I hope that my running reflects well upon you as my successes are a direct result of not only your products and services, but of the personal relationships that have been cultivated with folks behind these companies over the years. Thanks again and cheers!

God bless everyone and happy trails,

Gundy

Redwood Park 50k and the first 2 months of 2011

Snow? Mud? Rain? Freezing Cold? While weathermen and weatherwomen around the Bay Area had everyone on edge with predictions of a local cold weather armageddon this past Saturday morning, reality wasn’t quite as dramatic. The Redwood Park 50k in the Oakland hills this past Saturday was a cold one with frost and a couple of ice patches on the ground. In spite of large residual pools of rain and muddy hills along the course, the sky was blue and the air was crisp for a great day of running. There would be some downhill sections where I would need to show caution instead of the reckless abandon that I love, but overall it was a good step towards a successful 2011.

I didn’t want to try and torch the first 20k loop; rather, I wanted to keep it steady throughout the entire run and most importantly finish the race healthy. I’ve torched the first half of 50ks before when my body wasn’t trained up enough, only to be plagued by serious fatigue later in the race. I was targeting between 4:15-4:20, cognizant of the fact that I need to dial down some of the descents to stay healthy and that there would be significant wet patches, particularly on the climbs. In my head, I was thinking 1:37:30 (20k), 2:32:30 (30k) and sub-4:20 finish would be a decent training race and be a good steady effort.

Cruising in to the main aid station in 1:38:30, I took a minute to reload before taking on the 10k loop. At this point, I started to see a number of other runners from the other distances out on the trail, particularly the slower 10k runners coming back to finish. As I try to slow things down and stay consistent, I continue to make it a point to encourage the other runners in their own races with a simple “Keep moving” or “Good job”. Sometimes, pulling myself out of my own competitive vortex is a great way to simply enjoy what I’m doing as well as focus on running this race the way it was intended to augment my training.

It’s also on this 10k loop that I was noticing an increase in the number and size of the pools of rainwater along the course. Surrounded by redwoods on the floor of the park, the moisture simply doesn’t evaporate as well after a storm as the open ridge trails which make up the bulk of the 20k loop. I was constantly checking to make sure that as my shoes dryed out, the mud wasn’t becoming a dried cake that would add weight. After a sluggish climb up to the Ridge trail due to the mud, I picked it up coming back down from Skyline Gate through the Redwoods to ease in to the main aid station in 2:31:30 at the 30k mark. This was a minute ahead of the basic race plan I had come into the race with, which was just fine by me.

Again, I spent 2 minutes getting my gels out of my box setup on a table next to the trail, which would be way to long for a really competitive race but was just fine for this race. Heading out on the initial half mile climb, I finally felt some real sluggish in my legs. Since bruising my right forearm and scraping up my leg and hands 2 weeks ago in a fall out on the Coastal Trail, the one element of my training that suffered most were the intermediate tempo runs of 15-20 miles. It was already a hole in my training that I needed to fill, but the fall seemed to delay that training further. As I closed in on the 20 mile mark of the race, it became obvious that this is one hole that will need to filled in March.

I kept trudging along and at times moved quite fluidly. I looked back occasionly to wonder if I would see any other runner with 1^st place firmly in front. With about 3 +/- miles to go as I turned onto the Toyon Trail down toward the park floor, I was scheduled to finish 3 minutes slower than that 4:20 target assuming I finish the last section in the same time as the first 20k loop. After picking up some steam on the downhill and not seeing anyone within sight, I turned it back onto cruise control to finish the final loop in 1:53 and the race in 4:26, 2^nd overall. It wasn’t a dynamite race perse, but it was effective enough considering my health not being 100% and the conditions being as they were. The results this year are slowly taking care of themselves with a 5^th place finish at the Angel Island 25k (1:53) and now this 2^nd place finish here. At least I know that I’m on the right track as far as getting effective training to start the year. Besides, it’s always nice to see running friends out there like Mark Tanaka, who is also dealing with health issues but had enough to finish 3^rd overall.

The first two months of the year have seen me keep to my oft-stated goal to do 2-3 quality runs a week. Around those runs, I generally try to keep it easier in order to maximize my effort on the quality days of training. My wife has also been giving me the time and space to train properly, which has been a key factor in getting a good start to 2011 running-wise. I'm back down to 167 and continuing to trim down for the big races. It’s also been a really good thing for me and having my Uncle out with me at the track to keep my honest in my effort. This is just one step in the process, although I will look to a healthy Lake Sonoma 50 during the first week of April as a more serious gauge of what I should be able to do at Miwok. Hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to update some of my Miwok training here in the next couple weeks and give a more honest assessment for how I see the big race in May shaping up for me personally. For now, it’s back to training. :)

Cheers and God bless,

Gundy

Welcome to 2011

Goals for 2011

1) Raise $14,000 for development programs with WHM in Uganda
2) Speedwork or tempo runs twice a week

3) No less than 50 miles per week, including recovery weeks
4) Get weight down to 163 lb.
5) Finish well

6) Kick butt

Setting running goals for the year is often just an extension of the natural human desire to want to aspire to something. Even then, setting running goals is often a crap shoot. 12 months is light years away, making goals set in January seem rather outdated in April. Last year, I had a number of result-oriented goals that made good sense when I made them, but often failed to take into account current health and other conditions necessary to turn them into reality.

In the process of setting running goals for 2011, I realized that in order to get to where I want to go with this running experiment, I needed to do things differently. While the desire to compete well is still strong, there comes a point where you know that you can only compete well if you train well. I need my body to be at its peak condition, which means taking care to run for quality as much as it is to run for quantity this year.

Goal 1 is a given; it keeps me grounded so that whether I come in 1^st or last, my passions stretch far beyond the race course.

Goals 2 & 3 are measures of consistency and quality in my training. I want to make sure that I put in quality runs every week and that every week has the quantity necessary to sustain an excellent performance from mile 1 through mile X. I want to limit those gaps where I am losing focus and losing ground.

Goal 4 is a measure of discipline and a recognition that being excellent at one thing (running) requires discipline in all things. Diet has never been a huge issue, but the goal is really to tighten the reins on what I need to do off the course to support what I do on the course. I am a whole person and although I still need to enjoy myself, I also have to be smart if running is something that I place as a priority at this stage in my life.

Goals 5 is there to remind me that the hardest thing is life is to finish well. That last 10% of any endeavor is always the hardest to do because of the temptation to be satisfied with the first 90% and not push the pain/discomfort threshold. It is the point where there is the most to gain and the most to lose. This year, I want to be most satisfied with the last 10% of each and every race because the race doesn’t end until I break the tape. Goal 6 is just one of goals that we all want to do in each and every area of our life. There’s no secret to it, although it really preceeds from the other 5 goals on my list.

As far as my race calender for 2011, I’ve streamlined it down trying to focus on a few key goal races for the year. I needed to stremline and prioritize if I wanted to expect peak performance at those goal races. I also needed to provide ample time between races to recover (minimum 5 weeks) and get back to 100%. As of now, my goal races for 2011 are the Miwok 100k, San Diego 100, Angeles Crest 100, Firetrails 50 and an as-of-yet unidentified marathon. Although Leadville is still pending depending on the timing of a mission trip to Uganda with my wife, it’s a reasonable healthy list of races. Miwok and Firetrails are especially good tests because I get to run the trails used in these two races all the time here in the Bay Area. Other than that, I am just looking forward to reconnecting with all my running friends again out on the trails and roads and wish everyone the best for 2011. The season is upon me fast and the Redwood Park 50k is 3 short weeks away....it’s just about “go” time.

Cheers,

Gundy

The Perfect Race

Once again, it's been a little while. With the Angeles Crest 100 coming up and Western States behind me, I wanted to reprint the article/race report of mine that showed up in Ultrarunning Magazine. There's a lot I could post about my race and a lot of details there left to share, but with my current writer's block, this should give you a nice overview of what just happened.

The Perfect Race

When Roy Jones Jr. won a silver medal in boxing in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, it was certainly not the result that he had hoped for or even earned. I had seen a documentary about the circumstances surrounding it on television a week or two before. I hadn’t thought about it since, but at the time I remember it touching a nerve in me by how much Jones had out boxed the Korean boxer and how utterly stunned the result had left everyone on television. He had clearly given a performance worthy of the gold medal, yet in the end the record books do not read “Olympic Champion”. It was a sad irony that seemed to illustrate one of life’s enduring truths: you never get exactly what you deserve.

In the middle of the Western States 100 out on that lonely, isolated trail down to Volcano Creek from Michigan Bluff, it hit me that even if I had done everything that I thought I needed to do in this race, nothing was guaranteed. Roy Jones Jr. had fought the perfect fight and in the end it was not enough to guarantee him the result that he desired or deserved. This thought started a rather deep, internal discussion on the meaning of perfection.

At the time, I was a literal and figurative mess out there. I was being punished by a badly sprained left ankle early on going downhills and fits of nausea on the uphills. In fact, the ankle had grown so troublesome that I was intentionally avoiding pivoting on the left foot all together on downhills. A race that began with a disciplined beginning and a major ramp up from miles 32 through 44 was now cracking at the seams. The level of disgust with which I felt with myself was clearly evident to all around me, even as I strained to put my race back together again. It didn’t matter to me whether I failed at every race in 2010. After succumbing to elevation-induced sickness and general exhaustion in 2007, I was doing a poor job make amends for it here in 2010.

I had just seen my wife and a friend at Michigan Bluff, beaten down and in need of some inspiration along with a couple of new body parts. Coming away from the aid station, I steadily meandered down the trail, not concerned with much else other than trying to feel a little bit better. As the trail got steeper and more rocky near bottom of Volcano Creek, I tried to steady feet with each foot strike when Roy Jones Jr. entered my consciousness and with it a streaming internal discussion on expectation and perfection.

I had been acting like a pestilent child, not getting what I desired out of the race and choosing to wallow in my own self pity. Children lament when things don’t turn out exactly they imagine because they see things in black and white. To them, there is no acceptable outcome other than the one which they were expecting. It reminded me of times as a child watching the San Francisco 49ers play in the Super Bowl when I came close to tears more than a few times fearing possible defeat. A child sees no other outcome more important than the one they were expecting.

Maturity, in many respects, allows us to see the shades of grey in a black and white world. It sees beauty in unimagined possibilities. It also allows us to see that rarely is there a 1 to 1 correlation between the effort we put in and the results we receive. Nothing in my training or previous racing guaranteed an outcome; rather, it could only feed the internal hope for a given race.

The truth was that my family and friends who had come out to support me didn’t come just to see my post a particular time or come in a particular place. In my disappointment and disgust, I lost sight of the fact that those most important to me were there for no other reason than to support me because they loved me. I could’ve stopped right there, in my disappointment and disgust, and they would’ve loved me regardless.

We expect perfection of our imperfect selves in an imperfect world. I wanted perfection, but only the kind of perfection measured by results. I had expected the improvement in my running over the past year as well as the training and comeback from injury over the past 7 months to be rewarded with results. However, life doesn’t all of the sudden become perfect simply because we are participating in this “perfect” race. The race only magnifies the imperfections which are all around us and within us. In my moment of weakness, I had made it about myself.

I would go on to continue experiencing the nausea and the ankle instability the rest of the race, but from that moment on, it did not matter. I would continue to pursue perfection even if the results didn’t reflect it. In my struggles, there was something refreshing about knowing that I did everything I could to run the race well. Coming in second, whether that be to a competitor or to our own expectations of self, is never easy. Someone else sees the race you had while you see the race you should have or could have had. But in that final moment sprinting around the track at Placer High School Stadium, coming in 114^th never felt so good. 23 hours and 47 minutes after I started, my journey was coming to an end. I was not accepting mediocrity, but rather embracing the highest standards of sport which demand that we empty ourselves in mind, body and spirit in the pursuit of excellence. Others may be more celebrated or publicly lauded, but this was special to me because this was the day I found perfection. On that day, I had run the perfect race. Never before has taking home the silver felt so satisfying.