365me

Mental Push Ups

2012-02-10T22:49:00.001-08:00

It's that time of the year - cold and sickness bugs! Last Saturday I got up feeling weak and funky, like I was coming down with something. I had a 26-mile run scheduled with friends and I thought of canceling but then I decided to go through with it. I figured if I was going to get sick I might as well get a long run in before if fully developed. Like getting a big run in before a storm. Sure

And I'm Back

2012-01-30T01:35:00.001-08:00

Miss me? Well I certainly didn't mean to be gone so long. I'm back though and not just in blogging but running as well. Those close to me know that I take Decembers off and this past December was no exception. In fact I lived it up a little too much. My girlfriend was visiting from London and we ate well and often. I promised her great food in San Francisco and San Francisco did not disappoint.

Cebu Summit 60k Challenge

2011-11-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

So that hurt a lot! A month later I think about the race with a lot of fondness and some cringing because of the suffering I went through. I'm talking about the race I referenced two posts back - the Cebu, Philippines Summit 60k Challenge. Oi! I survived the race only because of my experience in the longer stuff. I knew it would come down to that and frankly finishing as well as I did was a small

2011 So Far

2011-10-07T23:27:00.000-07:00

2011 So FarRACES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PCTR Chabot Trail RunFebruary 20, 2011Ran the 30k event, got real muddy and had a great time. It felt good to race again. Getting back into shape for the longer races!Race Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Booo!

2011-10-07T00:43:00.000-07:00

And I'm back! So I've been gone, yes I know that much has been obvious. What I mean is that I've been "gone, gone". I'm not in the country. I left for London early September and now I'm in the Philippines. Before anything else I'd like to send a big shout out to my man Scott Berge who is taking care of my place while I'm gone. Dude you are the best!I was in London to visit my girlfriend, she's in

Hometown 26.2

2011-08-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

Scott, my neighbor and weekday running partner.Jen and I crossing the Golden Gate Bridge back to San Francisco. We crossed over and crossed back. Here's something I've never done before, run the bridge on the road.Jen and I shortly after finishing the race.Devon at the finish. She took third, paced by her Nathan.I made out last weekend. Jen, a friend from my Thursday morning trail run group,

A Month Later

2011-07-29T23:45:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah, Brett Rivers, showing off his new Western States buckle. The dude ran a 17:38! This was at a wedding a couple weeks after WS.Okay maybe a little more than a month. Long time no see kids! There wasn't much to write, do you really want to hear me whine and bitch about the aches and pains and why the recovery is taking so long. Naw, you don't want that and there was a lot of bitching and

Western States The Short Version

2011-06-30T23:53:00.000-07:00

Kathleen Egan and I are on our way to Mosquito Ridge. Kathleen paced me at my last hundred - Pine to Palm. It was great running with her again. A Glenn Tachiyama original.Wow I got beat up on that run! Usually I'm able to go for an easy run by now, 4-5 days after a big race, but not this time. This is the best I've felt since Sunday, a good thing too because work was piling up. I have so much to

Crewing and Not Pacing San Diego 100

2011-06-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

Luis Velasquez and Janet Thompson, training and racing buds.Heather Van Ness and Marissa Walker. Heather is crewing for Marissa.Heather Van Ness and Marissa Walker. Heather is crewing for Marissa.Almost time to go. Rod Bien and Topher Gaylord pose for one more photo.WHY I THINK SAN DIEGO 100 IS ONE OF THE BESTScott Mills is a great race director who along with his staff and volunteers work very

Videos from the 2011 San Diego 100-Mile

2011-06-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hanging with the crew.This time last week, I was full of coffee and hanging with the crew at the San Diego 100-Mile. So many of us went to run, crew and pace that it felt like a San Francisco Bay Area race. We were also joined by friends from the Pacific Northwest who visit often. Really it kind of felt like Miwok except of course it was a 100-mile race. I have a soft spot for PNW runners.

More Catching Up!

2011-06-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

Ah finally, some room to breathe. Hello blog, hello to the one person still following:)I am in Southern, California, Corona to be exact. I've been here visiting my mom who celebrated her birthday on Wednesday and then it's off to the San Diego 100-mile early in the morning (4AM) to crew and pace my friend Randy Katz who is attempting his first 100 miler. It may be a rough day, Randy has food

Catching Up

2011-05-17T20:59:00.001-07:00

This is the longest stretch of time between posts since I started this blog 5 years ago. Wow. Well I did need the break but I'm happy to say it has been because of great things happening in my life, really good things. It has left me scrambling for time and having to forego some things but definitely good developments. Since this blog is about running after all I will say that April was a very

American River 50-Mile

2011-04-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Coming in for the finish! Photo courtesy of Drymax Socks.10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 , 4, 3, 2, 1 The sound of the Top Gun theme songs fades as Eminem's "Lose Yourself" takes over on the left earphone and we were off. I felt great and quickly fell in line with Bradley and Georgia and we joined Auburn runners Chris, Amy and Tony. The desire to bolt was overwhelming and it was a struggle to hold back. The

Finally Won Something!

2011-04-08T21:45:00.001-07:00

Check it out!

No Lake Sonoma 50-Mile but Lots of Sun

2011-04-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

Heading back towards San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.I should be getting ready for the Lake Sonoma 50-mile. Nope, no dice. The race was called off this past Monday. The recent heavy rains raised the level of the lake 14 feet. The creek crossings were inundated with water. Instead of ankle and waist deep crossings we were looking at swims with current. Um yeah,... I got out of triathlon

First 50k for 2011

2011-03-25T01:31:00.001-07:00

One of my first images of trail running was an LL Bean ad that showed a runner in a zipped up hoodie running through a forest in a light drizzle. When I saw that I thought to myself "yeah I want to do that one day". Well I feel like I've been living that ad over and over again this year. Except for those three weeks in January where we had summer like temperatures we have had a lot of rain, rain

Down and Up

2011-03-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

North of Mt. Tam at a spot called "Maker Maker". Photo courtesy of Carrie Sisk.Back down week this week and I needed it! Easy, shorter miles this week, nothing crazy, well except the usual too early Thursday morning run. I always run that workout on the hard side, it's difficult not to when I'm trying to keep up with the faster runners which is mostly everyone else in the group. It hasn't made a

PCTR Chabot

2011-02-24T23:48:00.000-08:00

"All, We have decided to postpone the 2011 Bike Kickoff ride that was schedule for this Saturday due to weather conditions. It's not often that we get forecast of snow in San Francisco."Smart move by our triathlon club bike director. I can't imagine trying to ride my bike if there was going to be snow on the roads. They actually said that it might be possible for this weekend. Last weekend Mt.

Roots

2011-02-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

I wanted to laugh this morning at 5:30 am. There we were at the parking lot on the Northeast side of the Golden Gate Bridge for our weekly early morning run in the Headlands, waiting to see who was going to get out of their car first. It was dark, raining, cold and windy. The walk to my carpool was with an umbrella, the drive to the bridge was with the heater on and I had three layers - the last

Coming Along

2011-02-11T22:49:00.000-08:00

Heck ya! Runners are sexy.Last week I was on my back down week which I desperately needed. I had been building for a few weeks and needed to pull back. Despite my efforts to pick up the training slowly for the month of January I still ended up feeling beat down the first week of February. I kept the long runs on the shorter side but I did a bunch of other stuff. So last week I rested more than I

Ridiculous

2011-02-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

I've been saying that word since this morning and it has become the word of the day. First because the weather here, while the Midwest and Northeast are still battling through a winter storm, has gotten even better. Another sunny day, quite warm and most important of all, no wind. I've seen some beautiful sunny days ruined by strong wind. I put in a short run with my friend Jason and we around

Somedays...

2011-02-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

Colin: Is your shorts on backwards? Me: No course not, wait...ah damnit! Photo courtesy of Colin Gardiner.I need more help than others. In my defense it was:• dark at 4:15 am when I got up• still dark when I put the shorts on• still dark when I left my apartment at 4:50 am• still dark when we started at 5:30 am• still dark halfway through our 2-hour run• the inner liner was also black so it was

The Long Grind Back

2011-01-23T23:46:00.000-08:00

Been gone awhile and I didn't even realize it. I've just been keeping my head down and churning out those training hours; gym, spin and lots of miles. It's been good, especially when I remember to stop thinking of where I was and where I wish to be. I get anxious and frustrated with my lack of speed and endurance. It's a constant struggle to keep in mind where I am now and train accordingly.

And Just Like That...

2011-01-02T18:03:00.001-08:00

Jennifer Dicus and Melissa Ownby at Coastal Trail Runs New Year's One Day 6/12/24 hour event.Wayne Plymale getting ready to start the 6-hour event. Wayne just recently ran his first 50k - in the Philippines! Loved it, back for more now that he's home.Amy Freund McCrea and Walter Edwards. Walter ran the 24 hour event and came in 3rd with a 108.22 miles. Amy was my ride over, the person who bought

The Christmas Relays

2010-12-16T23:10:00.000-08:00

I have been enjoying my off-season. Last Sunday at the Christmas Relays I attended for the sole purpose of socializing and eating after not running all week. Ah it's such a fun event to hang out in. It's a run around Lake Merced, 4 runners each running a loop and the loop is just over 4 miles long. My triathlon club attends every year, fielding a lot of runners. We generally have a great time and

The Northface Endurance Challenge

2010-12-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

I ended up buying the photo, for those that commented, thank you for the input. I can look at it when I'm old and slow or give it to one of my fans <(my sister, mom).Anyway, so that Northface Endurance Challenge... wow, yeah, it was as promised - a rockin good time on Marin Headlands and Mt. Tam trails. The field was indeed quite competitive, probably the most competitive ever. I helped mark the

Muddy Wonderful

2010-12-03T00:38:00.000-08:00

I may buy this photograph. Don't I look fast in this picture? Look at that concentration. After seeing many race photos of myself I've learned to look better for the camera; suck in gut, check form, make it look effortless and wipe stupid smile off face. If I buy this photograph it will be the first time. I'll think about it. So after all that heehawing about minimal training, feeling tired, just

Shorter and Sweeter

2010-11-20T19:57:00.000-08:00

Boggs 50k and another 50k before that, Mt. Diablo, affirmed what I was feeling - tired, more mental than physical. I didn't do well in the training department this year and it shows. Not only did I have so-so results at the races but I am feeling worn before December. This is all, I believe, due to my lack of cross training - something I've bemoaned about before. I'm already looking forward to

Inaugural Boggs 50k

2010-11-12T23:09:00.000-08:00

Larissa, chilled and headed for registration.The start, photo courtesy of RD Leor Pantilat.Fresh from the warmth of Javelina, into the cold, misty fog of Boggs 50k. Boggs Mountain is about a 2.5 hour drive from San Francisco. Originally we had thought about camping the night before but the forecast of rain put a stop to those plans.It was cold but not overly so and the rain held off until the

Javelina Jundred 2010

2010-10-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it was another successful outing at the Javelina Jundred. My third consecutive appearance at this event. Tony did great. He has continued to progress as a runner - stronger, faster. I run with him only once or twice a year and I really notice the difference. All his hard work is paying off.It all went like clockwork and Tony notched another course PR, bettering last year's 23:42:11

Back in Javelina Jundred!

2010-10-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

My third consecutive year in Arizona for Javelina, crewing and pacing Tony again just like in the first two. This is a great race and I like being here. I may change my mind once I actually run it one of these years however:) I jump in at mile 60 and I'm looking forward to more night running by the full moon with the lights off. It is an even bigger crowd than last year, 300 registered entrants,

Tantalus 10-Mile

2010-10-14T00:36:00.000-07:00

10.10.10. - Ten miles, October 10, 2010Return to HonoluluThe last seven days I've been in Honolulu, Hawaii. I spent time growing up in the islands; junior high, high school and part of college - some pretty incredible years. This past june my step father passed away and my mom choose this time to return his ashes to Honolulu, the only place he called home. I may do a short post here about that,

The Pine to Palm 100-Mile

2010-09-26T18:31:00.001-07:00

The weather has been amazingly good, warm to hot, clear skies and no heavy fog in the evening. I read somewhere that we had the coldest summer since 1975 and I believe it. It also looked like we were not going to get our indian summer. I haven't run since the finish last Sunday but I've been walking around the city, popping into shops and even visited the museum briefly. Apparently indian summers

I'm Still Here

2010-09-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

In one piece, slightly the worse for wear but still here and with a shiny new buckle. It turned out to be quite the adventure, quite the adventure indeed and three days later I am already entertaining thoughts of returning. I finished it so I have the option of never returning and now I want to go back. With the most painful parts already forgotten I can honestly say that it was a grand time! It

Hello Oregon and Pine to Palm 100

2010-09-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

I love Oregon. I only have good memories from this state, from my first marathon to the Hood to Coast Relay. My mom lived in Portland for a year and it was great visiting here. Like all the greenery. We left early this morning, made the drive with Brett Rivers, Larissa Polischuk and David Wronski. David will be crewing for Brett and our designated driver. None of us plan on going home Sunday

Running and Driving

2010-09-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

Ah Thursdays, I'm always a little slower on Thursdays these days. Thursdays are when I get up early and join a group of friends for an early morning 12+ miler in the Marin Headlands. It's a great group and it has certainly made me stronger especially on the hills. I'm not a morning person though. I like being up late and getting up at 4 AM hurts me. I am good at functioning tired and there is

New Trails in the Usual Places

2010-09-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Like finding money in your pants. I run trails like the way I live in the city. San Francisco is a vibrant place with many unique neighborhoods but I've gotten used to my "usual" places, visiting the same places and areas over and over again. It makes for a nice surprise when I venture out. This past Saturday I caught a ride with Brett Rivers and Larissa Polischuk to Mt. Tam. After two weekends

A Moment of Reflection

2010-08-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

A short quiet moment to think about three friends who I knew were running the Leadville 100-Mile Run this weekend who all ended up with a DNF (Did not finish). What happened? What went wrong? No webcast for the race but the results were available this morning before I headed off to church, mighty quick of them. Why I was late for church! I Wish them the best in their recovery. I know they trained

Dipseas

2010-08-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

The weekend of Headlands Hundred, that Sunday, we celebrated a birthday by doing a double on the Dipsea trail. What a way to kick-off a birthday celebration! Brian August was turning 40 and his girlfriend Dana and friends came up with the idea of doing the double since he had never run the trail. Brian's no slouch, he's a very fast triathlete but his triathlon training has kept him off the trails

Headlands Hundred

2010-08-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning I was up at 4:30 AM, gaahh I hate getting up while it's still dark outside but no way I was going to miss the start of the Headlands Hundred. I had a wedding to attend so I wasn't able to sign on as a crew/pacer. The wedding wasn't until later in the day however so I planned on being at the start to see friends off, hang out until it was time to go, then run home to get some

More Hanging Out at the Summer Ultras

2010-07-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

Sir Jovie, aka the BaldRunner, came all the way from the Philippines to run the Headlands 50-mile. BR is the RD for the Bataan102 Ultra, a race commemorating the Bataan Death March where 75,000 American and Filipino POWs were forced marched to prison camps. The race is on the original death march route.Pals from SoCal, Lori and Billy, running the 50-mile race at Headlands 50.Seven days later and

Another Big Weekend

2010-07-16T23:32:00.000-07:00

Logo for the new PCTR race by yours truly.It's another one of those weekends where there are multiple events going on and it's a bummer because I want to be a spectator/volunteer in all of them. It is the summer after all. The new PCTR Headlands 50-Mile and Marathon is this Saturday, the Vineman Half-Ironman is Sunday and the whole weekend is the Tahoe Rim Trail 100-Mile. I'm headed up to TRT. My

Spectating at Western States 100-Mile

2010-07-02T00:13:00.001-07:00

What a great trail party that Western States 100-Mile. Such a gathering of ultra-marathoners, volunteers, crew, pacers and spectators. Like last year I was just as amazed at the talent on the sidelines. I went up Saturday morning to spectate with a couple of friends. Got to Foresthill, mile 62, a little after 1PM. This was just before the leaders came through. It was neat seeing the elite of the

HaHaHa

2010-06-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was at Western States 100-mile this past Saturday, spectating, cheering, socializing - what I do best really, forget running. I wanted to stay for the whole weekend just like last year when I crewed and paced but there was work to do on Sunday. I did make the most of my one day though, stopping at three different points along the course taking photographs and video. I took a lot of photos which

San Diego 100-Mile

2010-06-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Back in the San Diego 100!You know what's great about a 100-mile race. After the first mile you are back down to the double digits. 100 is a daunting number but you are not there long, what I tell myself at the start of these long races.The San Diego 100-mile has gone through several course changes and they unveiled a new one for 2010. I ran last years race and while there are no "easy" hundreds

Home

2010-06-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

I like this picture. Mark Tanaka and I are flanked by Lora Lui and Billy Yang, a couple of southern California runners who were crewing and pacing friends. Don't we look like we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves? I like that smile on my face too, comes from deep down, truly happy and satisfied with my run. So I got a whole lot more race than I bargained for in San Diego; translation - got my

Ready to Roll!

2010-06-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

Sunset. Heading back to the motel after race registration and dinner."Are you still doing that running thing?" James Frederick Sr. - StepdadI'm actually here and ready to start the San Diego 100-mile! Until last weekend I wasn't sure if I would be able to do this race. Yeah there was the over-training thing and I'm coming in not feeling as sharp as I could be but that's not it. On my last post I

Spinout

2010-06-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

So I'm a closet video gamer of the pathetic kind. I have a bunch of old games and a decrepit Sony Playstation 2 that is at least a decade old and looks like it could stop functioning at any time. My favorite game of all time though is Gran Turismo 4, a car racing game. The physics of the game is as real to life as they could make it - meaning that no matter how wonderful your vehicle is you have

Late, Here and Long

2010-05-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

01 Great photos of the race from Craig Heinselman02 Another excellent race video from Katelyn Benton03 From the front pack: Antons Krupicka's report04 From the front pack: Rod Bien's report05 From the front pack: Devon Crosby-Helm's reportThis is long like the race but it could have been even longer had I written it right away. Late and long, here is my race report from the Miwok 100k or you can

Volunteering at PCTR's Redwood Creek 50k

2010-05-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

I've been oblivious to the weather since Miwok. I figured it's May, no more rain and it will be warm from here on out until June when San Francisco's summer begins. Those of you who have experienced it know what I mean. Hint: It's not warm.So imagine my surprise last Sunday when the heavens opened up with a full on downpour during PCTR's Redwood Creek 10, 20, 30 and 50k. Yeah, not fun. Fun for

Crewing and Pacing at Quicksilver 50-Mile

2010-05-11T23:52:00.000-07:00

So Saturday I was on crewing and pacing duty again. I'm a sucker for this sport, I love all aspects of it. It was an early start though. When the alarm woke me up at 3AM I thought I had traveled back in time to the weekend of Miwok, that too was a 3AM rise. A little after 5AM, Zack, his girlfriend Geri, Larissa and I were already at Quicksilver park in San Jose and the race started shortly after

A Full Weekend on the Trails

2010-05-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the weekend out on the trails at two races. I find, at least for myself, that training and racing makes me focus on myself too much, way too much time spent thinking about what I need and what I need to be doing - like I don't do enough of that already. Hanging out at the races; volunteering, crewing, pacing or just plain spectating is a great antidote. I'll expound more about the

Happy and Humbled

2010-05-04T00:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't even started to write the race report. It was... it was such an emotionally filled, event filled weekend that I've needed the time to just live with it and process it all. It was great, wonderful in fact but dense and packed. One moment I want to talk about every single thing and then nothing. I may need the whole week to let it all simmer down.That race rocked me. I went in there

Today is a 100k Day

2010-05-01T03:34:00.001-07:00

My good friend Dana sent me this yesterday and I thought it the neatest thing. She was just in China, running the Great Wall. Did you see, they changed the Miwok website copy:The Miwok 100K is very hilly (approximately 10,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain which will prove to be no problem for Ironcalves, Rick Gaston) with spectacular views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, Mt.

Wells in Uganda

2010-04-29T01:01:00.000-07:00

Posting for my buddy Jonathan Gunderson who is raising money for wells in Uganda. He has been involved in this work for several years now, has even taken the opportunity to visit, meet people and see the work being done. The logo was my contribution to his cause for 2010.2010 Western States Challenge to benefit World Harvest Mission's well-building in Uganda sponsored by Injinji, Brooks, Josh

Skyline to the Sea 50k

2010-04-20T23:06:00.001-07:00

00:00 Butterflies.00:30 Holding it steady.00:45 Still holding.01:00 Being Patient.01:15 Itching to go faster.01:30 Finally. Bombs away!01:45 Enjoying downhill on slick rocks.02:00 Approaching half-way point to start 4+ mile loop.02:15 Glad to see the halfway point.02:30 Steady climbing to the top of the ridge.02:45 Sweet, soft downhill singletrack back.03:00 Loop almost done.03:15 Back on the

Crewing and Pacing at the American River 50-Mile

2010-04-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

Dana and Kara at the start.This past weekend I was part of a crew of five who were at the American River 50-mile crewing and pacing for a couple of friends, Kara Teklinski and Dana Katz, who were running in their first 50-mile ultra. These two training partners has been training their butts off. Last December they ran the "Northface 50k" together and in March the "Way Too Cool 50k. The ladies

Crewing and Pacing at Umstead 100

2010-04-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

I had never been to North Carolina let alone Umstead state park. I regret that after four days I still didn't know much about the state but at least I now know one part really well. It all went like clockwork for us. I had a runner who was in peak physical condition, had his pacing and nutrition plan nailed down and executed perfectly. The advertised rainy weather didn't arrive until the day

Uno Momento

2010-03-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

br>Resting in one of the cabins situated along the course while Tony was doing one of his loops. Not much sleep was had the entire weekend I was in North Carolina. I'd do it all over again though.Still here. Made it back home safely. Just catching up on sleep and plowing through the work that has piled up. I've already written the first draft and some of you will wish it was this short. I have to

Hello North Carolina

2010-03-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

This whole running thing has taken me to places I've never thought of visiting before. North Carolina is one of them and here I am, crewing and pacing for the Umstead 100-mile. Tony has big goals for this one. I think he has a shot but everything has to go right, no mistakes and he has to run his best race ever. Can he do it? Well I am here to help him. He's already asleep and it ain't even 10pm

Never Gets Old

2010-03-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

View from the top of Mt. Tam looking back towards San Francisco.Mt. Diablo in the distance. Taller by a 1000 ft. or so, hot during the summer and less tree cover. Races there have left me depleted for days. Much respect for that mountain and those trails.One of my favorite places and the view from here never gets old. Sometimes there is no view and that's good too. In the early days of my

Running with Greyhounds

2010-03-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

Fellow ultra-marathoner Luis Velasquez sends me a note via Facebook saying something about how fast I was like a rabbit. I sent him back a note saying that I sure was a rabbit but among Greyhounds."Way Too Cool 50k" was Way Too much Fun, well organized with amazing volunteers. In a nutshell I ran hard, gambled, lost but was able to keep it together and finished in 4:58 smiling and in very good

Primed and Ready

2010-03-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

And here we are, the day before my first event of the year. Exciting stuff. I'm glad that after so many races I still get excited about 50ks, wasn't always the case. When I started running 50-milers, 100ks and 100-milers, I turned my nose at 50ks. I was like "why would I pay money for the barely ultra distance?". Thankfully I grew out of that idiocy. Speed hurts at any distance.Many trail running

No Crew No Pacer

2010-03-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

So it's confirmed, no crew no pacer for this years 100s. I just got back from "wine night" with my best friend Jessica and she's busy getting her shiz together for her mountain bike races, which includes a multi-day ride adventure. She was my crew chief for both San Diego 100 and Headlands Hundred last year. All cool. I, like many people, is happy to see her rebound from double knee surgeries to

Season 2010

2010-03-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

It's already March so I figured it was time to put an event schedule up. I call it an event schedule because I included the races I 'm planning to volunteer, crew and pace at. When I first started blogging in 06 it was a lot of fun planning and putting up a schedule and because it was such a public declaration it gave me extra motivation to follow through. These last couple of years however I've

Hola

2010-02-22T11:17:00.001-08:00

Well, it has been awhile since I posted, my longest break from blogging yet. Where have I been? Nowhere really. I've simply been putting my head down and cranking through training. I'm on my 8th year in the world of ultra-marathons and I can honestly say I've never worked so hard on my training this early in the year, a level I hope to keep for the entire season. I took that break in December

A-OK

2010-02-05T23:02:00.001-08:00

Well after last week's big back down on the miles and intensity I've been more than fine this week. It was a scheduled back down week anyway but more backing down than I wanted and that was just a result of too many miles too soon. This week though the ol bod has been super. It got beat down, recovered and cranking harder than before. Been racking up the miles again and everything feels smooth

The Spirit is Willing but the Flesh is Weak

2010-01-29T21:12:00.000-08:00

What it has been like all January.Last Saturday's run was another big jump for me mileage wise. Jon Gunderson and I had planned on 25 miles but we ended up with 32 and this was all trail, all wet and muddy goodness after the recent rains. At our original turnaround point for the 25 we made the decision to keep on going for 30+. It took awhile and Jon had to wait for me many times since it was my

Dear Sara(h) of PurityOrganic

2010-01-23T23:39:00.001-08:00

Thank you for your help this afternoon. You let us use your phone at Tennessee Valley, because ours could not get reception. You waited patiently with us in the cold while AAA kept us on hold for a long time. You gave us free samples of your product so we could rehydrate ourselves after our run. No water at Tennessee Valley and we couldn't get to our reserves that was locked in the car. Then you

So Far So Good

2010-01-15T13:17:00.001-08:00

I had a dream last night that I had planned a long run with friends - all the way to Canada. Haha, yep we were going to start in San Francisco, run across the Golden Gate Bridge and keep haulin' north until we reached Vancouver. Craziness. The dream just probably reflects how good I'm feeling about my first two weeks back into training. I haven't posted the last two weeks because I've just been

Diving in to 2010

2010-01-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

My goals for 2010 is quite simple. Faster, Stronger and Lighter. Special emphasis on "lighter" since I want to run in a weight lighter than what I have been the last two years. Kicked off January 1st with a swim in the bay. Our triathlon club held it's third annual New Year's Day swim and it seemed like a great way to kick-off the year. The water I was told, was around 52 degrees. It felt like

Counting Down

2009-12-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

I am still in Southern California. Still plowing through calories, traffic in the comfort of a car, not running and doing a good job of being a couch potato. The week before I left I had spent some time with an old buddy of mine, Jason Arth, and we were laughing at how easily and quickly I can transition from being a long mileage runner to a sloth. It's quite a feat requiring talent and skill I

Volunteering at the Rodeo Beach 50k

2009-12-23T01:17:00.000-08:00

Man that was a cold one, brrr... I should have had more layers. When I left my house Saturday morning it was still dark, cool but not cold and not at all windy so I thought I was okay. We get to Rodeo beach and it was windy and many degrees colder. It was so windy that one of the tents broke. Sandbags held the supports in place but one of them buckled and bent so we it took it down as well as the

Steady... Steady... Keep it on Idle

2009-12-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

Post-event photo. Courtesy of Geoff FarrellAfter the Northface 50-mile two Saturdays ago I've have done, nothing, zilch. This past Saturday was our triathlon club's holiday party and the dancing Saturday night was the most exercise I've had all week. The next day I showed up early to the Christmas Relays at Lake Merced. Our club had 7 teams. Each team had 4 runners and each member had to do a lap

2009 Northface Endurance Challenge

2009-12-10T23:37:00.000-08:00

What a freakin fantastic day that was on one of the best race courses I've ever been fortunate to run in.The day started out early enough, 3:30AM pick-up at my place and I carpooled to the start with friends John Brandershorst, Preston McCaskill and Scott Nesbett. All three were running their first 50-mile, for John and Preston, their first ultra. In addition there were several more friends

Hayatz's Northface 50-Mile Race Video

2009-12-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

Introducing my good friend John Hayato Branderhorst. This past summer we were at track together and he told me that he was going to train for the Chicago Marathon and the Northface 50K. I told him he should do the 50-mile instead. I said, "Look John, you are an Ironman athlete, a Boston marathoner and you are doing the Chicago Marathon beforehand. Why not aim for a goal that you can grow into,

Done

2009-12-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of an ultra you are not the same person that started. You are slower and fatigued but you keep on putting one foot in front of the other and shoulder on. You take stock of what you have left and use that to push forward at the best possible speed towards the finish. The last three events of my season feels a bit like the end of a long race. The person finishing the year is not the

Redlining it at Quad Dipsea...Again!

2009-12-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Quad pretty much rocked again this year, what a freakin good time that was. Going hard, blowing gaskets and having a super time.Race morning I was dawdling around, talking to folks and taking my sweet time getting ready. I thought I wanted to use the bathroom, lined up (there is only one toilet for the men at the start), then decided after 10 minutes that I really didn't need to go at all.

Here We Go Again!

2009-11-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the year, on one of my weekly road runs, I was stopped at a light next to an idling sports car. It was beautiful and the engine was growling throatily under the hood. One of them sleek Italian super cars, you know the type. A voice inside of me said "that's you man, picture that in your mind". These days the soft hum of a Toyota Camry comes to mind, haha. Oh c'mon it's not too far

Why I Love Mt. Tam

2009-11-10T23:01:00.000-08:00

Well that was some October! It was a lot of work but so much fun I wish it wasn't already over. First it was racing the Dick Collin's Firetrails 50-miler followed by volunteering at the Nike Women's Marathon and PCTR's SF One Day 12/24 Hour Run and finally ending with crewing and pacing at Javelina Jundred in Arizona. This past weekend I was glad to be home but three birthday celebrations, one of

Javelina Jundred

2009-11-04T17:39:00.001-08:00

Blake Wood with his daughter Heather who was running her first 100 mile ultra. Don't they look super?So imagine this. It is close to midnight, there's a full moon and you are running in the Arizona desert in a 100-mile ultra marathon race. You have fresh legs and a clear mind because you are a pacer. Your runner is still running strong after 60 miles and indeed your first lap with him (miles 60-

Guess Where I Am?

2009-10-31T03:54:00.000-07:00

It's 4AM and I am excited, excited to enjoy seeing another sunrise over the Arizona Desert over Mc Dowell Mountain Regional Park, home of the Javelina Jundred. Last year I met my friend Tony Portera here. I crewed and paced him from 60 miles to the finish. I will be doing the same thing this weekend. Last year I had an amazing time, met a lot of great folks, was blown away by the sunrises and

SF One Day

2009-10-29T00:30:00.001-07:00

He already started breaking down emotionally before he even crossed the finish line, crying like a kid on his first breakup. The end of a very long day of running for Brian Krogmann. Tears of victory from a runner who just 6 hours before, thought his goals were going to slip away. He would charge back, run the most miles he has ever run in one time, break the course record by 10-miles and win

SF One Day Course Walk-Through

2009-10-29T00:28:00.000-07:00

Join me for a lap on the 1.06 mile loop of PCTR's San Francisco One Day 12 & 24 hour run. Runners with the most miles wins! Running past the time mat by the start/finish tent. What is not seen is the new large screen tv displaying the names of runners and the laps they have completed. Pace, miles completed and overall standings is also displayed.Coming into the aid station. The dry erase board

Nike Women's Marathon

2009-10-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

From our aid station we had a clear view down the highway and we could see the pace car heading our way. Our spot was out in a place they call the Great Highway by the Pacific Ocean. Marathoners emerge out of Golden Gate Park and head towards the finish line at Ocean Beach with the half-marathon runners but right before the finish they turn left and head our way. On the way out they hit us at

Awwww Really?!

2009-10-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Around mile 35 or so I passed a group with kids on narrow single track. Everyone stepped to the side and the kids yelled "runner!" Right after passing them there was a tiny hill, totally runnable but I needed a breather and walked. As I stopped running I heard one of the kids yell behind me "awww really?!" Haha you brat, thanks for the push. You have a future as a crew and pacer. She pretty much

Loving the Taper

2009-10-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy the taper. I like that extra time on my schedule that allows me to do other things. Take for example this past weekend. Sunday several friends from our triathlon club were running a PCTR event, the Skyline Ridge 50k, and I thought it would be a great idea to come out and just hang at the finish line. To go just to go and be outside since I had the opportunity. Saturday was a good,

East Bay Training Day

2009-10-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

So after the beating that I got the day before, I got up early to join the triathlon club for our East Bay Training Day at Tilden Park, Berkeley. I knew I was going to be okay. As sore and exhausted as I was on Saturday (the subject of my previous post) it was the heat that took me down. I knew that with some good food and a lot of liquids, not the beer kind, and a good night's sleep I was going

Heat

2009-09-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

So on my last post I said something about the weather being a bit schizophrenic and how it seemed like it was always cold when I was running, well not Saturday. I was up North again where I usually am on the weekend and yeow it got warm out there. I headed out with Jon and Jochen, Jon turned back early after two hours because he needed to attend to his own birthday lunch but Jochen and I kept

Cold Runs, Warm Company

2009-09-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

No shortage of good people to run with this fall season. Good company for the cold and foggy days. Seems like more and more folk are taking to the trails, short and long distances. In fact I had just gotten back from a 2 hour with Jochen Horn who lives only a few blocks away. We started late (7:30) and ran towards the bridge and the trails of the Presidio before heading back. It was cold, dark,

Running for the Wells 11k

2009-09-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning around 3AM I woke up momentarily from the sounds of thunder and rain. When I got up for good at 5AM I thought it was all just a dream - we don't have thunderstorms in San Francisco. Wrong. Even though they are rare we do have them from time to time. It didn't look good but by 6AM I was in the car with Jon and his wife Wilma headed north to the Marin Headlands.Thankfully it wasn't

From the Unpublished Archive

2009-09-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

One of my computers has a folder called "stuff" and inside is all these miscellaneous notes, files, pictures, screenshots and unpublished blog drafts. Periodically I go in there and clean it out a bit. It's like a digital attic or storage closet. I usually find interesting stuff in there that I've forgotten about. This time around I found a couple. One was a folder of images of Madison, Wisconsin

Shuffling Along

2009-09-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

Not much moving on my end which is why I've been somewhat quiet on the blogosphere. Just been recovering. I'm having a prolonged recovery from the Headlands Hundred because I suspect I rushed the recovery or I was just really worn out after two summer 100s - going all out in both of them. Maybe it's both. I don't know how Brian Krogmann or Mark Tanaka does it. I don't know how these other

Running For the Wells 11k

2009-08-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Gunderson has been raising money for the building of wells in Uganda. Last year he raised $12,000 for 4 wells and this year he is aiming higher - $18,000 for 6 wells that affects approximately 7,500 people.On our last run together, a couple of weeks before the Headlands Hundred, he told me about his plan to put on an 11k to help his fundraising efforts. He had been planning it for

Headlands Hundred Race Report

2009-08-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

01. Summary and Pictures 02. Results03. Course Flyover04. Nathan Yanko's Race Report05. Shan Rigg's Race ReportThat was one great race! Liked the new course, couldn't be happier with my performance and was treated like a rockstar by friends - the ones who came down to crew, pace and cheer but also the ones running, volunteering, crewing and pacing for other runners. Every time I think about it,

A Quick Report on the Headlands Hundred

2009-08-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

I'm particularly exhausted after this race, must have really emptied myself - so the report will take a few days. I do have some photos though. I didn't run with a camera so most of these are from friends or shots I took at the start. Speaking of friends, before I say anything else, I want to shout a BIG THANK YOU! to everyone who made this race a huge success and I mean everyone; my crew was on

Almost Time for Headlands Hundred

2009-08-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well I'm as ready as I'm going to be. I think I gained a pound this week from nervous eating though. It'll be alright, will burn off in the first quarter of the race. My friend Paulette and her boyfriend John, who is crewing for her, are staying with me for the weekend. This morning we picked up Brian Krogmann to do a quick preview of the course. Brian was putting in miles on his feet just

Flyin High on the Taper

2009-08-04T00:01:00.001-07:00

Some folks I know hate the taper. Drives crazy them crazy running less miles. Not me, I freakin love it. I get the rest that I need, I get more time to do other things and while I feel sluggish the first 8-10 days of a taper I always emerge feeling strong and fast. Rest and recovery, so under-rated.This past weekend couldn't have been better timing to be on taper. Saturday, pals Samantha (pacer

Last Weekend in Pictures

2009-07-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

I've spent a good amount of my free time this week reading the stories to have come out of the recent running of the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 and the Vermont 100. So I've decided to keep the text down on my end and do a picture post instead. Last weekend was a great one at Lake Tahoe. Enjoy the pictures. Oh and TGIF.George "Squirrel" Ruiz, Assistant Race Director for the Tahoe Rim Trail 100. Stopped

A Day on the Lake

2009-07-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Just wrapped up a day in the Lake with good friends. Sunrise on a sailboat in the middle of the lake was quite an experience, new to me and freakin beautiful. The video and pictures don't do it justice but words alone is even more lacking. As the 100-mile runners of the Tahoe Rim Trail 100-Mile Ultra-Marathon was making their way to their first aid station and the 50k / 50-mile runners are