After the 48 miles on Saturday I wasn't feeling too bad on Monday morning but I can't say I was looking forward to lacing up the trail shoes for 22 miles. This is where it is so helpful to be running with a group. You can always find someone else who looks and feels worse than you! This usually works until that person passes you and asks if you are feeling okay!! Just kidding. You can feed off the energy from other folks which can pull you through rough spots on long runs.
This run was pretty sluggish for the first 10 miles. My legs just were not awake. Around mile six I followed a group of five runners and just tried to keep pace. At about mile 10 I started to feel a little better. This part was also tough because the first aid station was not until roughly mile 14. As I mentioned before, food really can make a difference in my running and as I was just coming into the aid station I was ready to grab some oranges and keep rolling. At the aid station was a gal who was a part of the crew that ran 50 on Saturday and the first thing she said was to try the sausages.
There was a guy cooking sausages on the bbq. My first thought was how cool it was they dragged this bbq onto the trail to cook for the runners. My second thought was how horrible sausage sounded at that point. The gal insisted I try the sausage and wouldn't you know it...they tasted incredible. It was really similar to my experience with eating oranges at the Quicksilver 50. It was as if this was the first sausage I had ever had. I proceeded to eat a few more pieces and then I stuffed a few more pieces in my pockets. Needless to say, the folks at the aid station were having a good laugh. I was laughing as well as I ran off up the trail. I couldn't help but think of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry stuffed the mutton in his pockets and then Elaine took his coat and dogs started chasing her down the road. I had a vision of a mountain lion chasing me for those sausages.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Memorial Day Weekend - Big Weekend of Training - Saturday - 48 miles
Memorial Day Weekend is the pinnacle of training for most runners in the WS 100. The race puts on three day training session that gives folks a chance to get out to different parts of the course with the additional benefit of having aid stations set up. The aid stations are huge when you start running more than six hours and don't want to be saddled down with a bunch of provisions.
Saturday is scheduled for 31 miles and usually starts around mile 30 (Robinson Flat) of the course and finishes up in Foresthill. This run is highly anticipated because it takes runners through the toughest part of the course ...The Canyons!! Earlier in the week the race folks sent out an email saying due to the still high snow levels and poor trail conditions (deep snow and downed trees) the course would be significantly changed. The changes were really unfortunate because we would not be going into two of the tougher canyons. I was disappointed to not get back into the canyons but I had been out there the previous two weeks so I was not shedding any tears about skipping the Devil's Thumb.
Another thing many runners will do for this weekend is to run 50 miles on Saturday, skip the Sunday run, and then run 22 on Monday. This was my plan. The run on Saturday went really well, for the first 37 miles. After finishing the organized 31 miler I connected with a group of four other runners and we added on 17 miles. It was amazing, as soon as I started down the road for the final 17 it started to rain. It would continue to rain off an on for the next four hours. The weather we have been having has been absolutely crazy. While it was raining on us it was snowing up in Lake Tahoe.
With doing so many long runs every weekend I have really begun to understand what I need in terms of food and hydration. In short, I need a lot of both. Being a little bit on the bigger side (just saw my weight get below 200 for the first time since, well, maybe 1989?) I just need a lot more than others. This tends to be problematic when I do long runs without any aid stations. This was my concern with the last 17 miles as there was no water and no food along the way. I figured it was on the cold side so maybe I could make it with my normal water and stuffed as much food as possible in my pak and pockets.
To be honest, this 17 miles was not fun at all. I got separated from the group for the first five miles. I was drinking my water way to fast. The rain picked up while the temperates began to drop quickly. with the rain I could not bust out my iPod for motivation especially since I ruined my last one in a rain/hail storm the previous Sunday. None of the food I brought with tasted good. At about mile 10 of 17 I knew I was going to need to slow down. The group I was running with were awesome. They hung with me and shared food with me when I was clearly struggling. Even when I fell behind they waited until I got to a point where they knew I was okay and continued on. I can't say enough about the trail running community. It is a fascinating combination of competitiveness and camaraderie that I have never seen in any other sport. Just one more aspect which makes trail running so much fun. You really want to see everyone do well while wanting to push yourself to compete with them.
Okay, back to the hell run or more like the soon to be freezing run. The last six miles the rain really picked up. The temps were getting lower which led me to put on my jacket. I only mention this as I never need to wear a jacket...remember the part about being bigger...this "size" usually keeps me plenty warm. The last three miles was straight up and I was probably cruising at a 20-25 minute a mile pace. Most people can walk backwards faster than this. As I made it to the parking lot everyone else was in their cars ready to role to Ikeda's in Auburn for burgers. I quickly jumped in and had one of the best burgers ever.
The amazing thing about eating the burger, besides literally finishing it in less than three minutes, was my body went from uncontrollable shivering and feeling like crap to feeling perfectly warm and the aches kinda disappeared. This stuff is showing me when I begin to hurt a lot of the time it tracks back to my need to eat more. Yes, I need to eat burgers and fries during the race. Works for me!
Saturday is scheduled for 31 miles and usually starts around mile 30 (Robinson Flat) of the course and finishes up in Foresthill. This run is highly anticipated because it takes runners through the toughest part of the course ...The Canyons!! Earlier in the week the race folks sent out an email saying due to the still high snow levels and poor trail conditions (deep snow and downed trees) the course would be significantly changed. The changes were really unfortunate because we would not be going into two of the tougher canyons. I was disappointed to not get back into the canyons but I had been out there the previous two weeks so I was not shedding any tears about skipping the Devil's Thumb.
Another thing many runners will do for this weekend is to run 50 miles on Saturday, skip the Sunday run, and then run 22 on Monday. This was my plan. The run on Saturday went really well, for the first 37 miles. After finishing the organized 31 miler I connected with a group of four other runners and we added on 17 miles. It was amazing, as soon as I started down the road for the final 17 it started to rain. It would continue to rain off an on for the next four hours. The weather we have been having has been absolutely crazy. While it was raining on us it was snowing up in Lake Tahoe.
With doing so many long runs every weekend I have really begun to understand what I need in terms of food and hydration. In short, I need a lot of both. Being a little bit on the bigger side (just saw my weight get below 200 for the first time since, well, maybe 1989?) I just need a lot more than others. This tends to be problematic when I do long runs without any aid stations. This was my concern with the last 17 miles as there was no water and no food along the way. I figured it was on the cold side so maybe I could make it with my normal water and stuffed as much food as possible in my pak and pockets.
To be honest, this 17 miles was not fun at all. I got separated from the group for the first five miles. I was drinking my water way to fast. The rain picked up while the temperates began to drop quickly. with the rain I could not bust out my iPod for motivation especially since I ruined my last one in a rain/hail storm the previous Sunday. None of the food I brought with tasted good. At about mile 10 of 17 I knew I was going to need to slow down. The group I was running with were awesome. They hung with me and shared food with me when I was clearly struggling. Even when I fell behind they waited until I got to a point where they knew I was okay and continued on. I can't say enough about the trail running community. It is a fascinating combination of competitiveness and camaraderie that I have never seen in any other sport. Just one more aspect which makes trail running so much fun. You really want to see everyone do well while wanting to push yourself to compete with them.
Okay, back to the hell run or more like the soon to be freezing run. The last six miles the rain really picked up. The temps were getting lower which led me to put on my jacket. I only mention this as I never need to wear a jacket...remember the part about being bigger...this "size" usually keeps me plenty warm. The last three miles was straight up and I was probably cruising at a 20-25 minute a mile pace. Most people can walk backwards faster than this. As I made it to the parking lot everyone else was in their cars ready to role to Ikeda's in Auburn for burgers. I quickly jumped in and had one of the best burgers ever.
The amazing thing about eating the burger, besides literally finishing it in less than three minutes, was my body went from uncontrollable shivering and feeling like crap to feeling perfectly warm and the aches kinda disappeared. This stuff is showing me when I begin to hurt a lot of the time it tracks back to my need to eat more. Yes, I need to eat burgers and fries during the race. Works for me!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
May 21st - Triple Double in the Canyons
Today I am scheduled to run 38 miles in the canyons. At this distance, my plan is to run up and down three canyons and then turn around do the same thus the Triple Double.
Starting at 7AM I knew this was going to be a long slow day. I loaded up with water, gels, frozen oranges (my newly discovered favorite running food), and PB&J. Once again, starting in Foresthill, the group took off. The run was going great as I finished the first half in less than five hours. After filling up with water in Last Chance, we headed back.
I felt good as I came to the bottom of the Devil's Thumb. Earlier in the run I had commented to another runner that I thought the Devil's Thumb was not too bad. She was obviously surprised by my comment but let it go. This week was warmer than the previous week and I was starting back up the Devil's Thumb later in the day. I saved one of my frozen oranges for the climb and was purposely conserving water for this portion of the run. Well, groundhog day it was. The orange tasted great and did give me a good boost but I was once again chugging my water as if I had a spare water cooler behind me. The Devil's Thumb crushed me this time. As I made it to the water pump at the top, the gal I had made my comment to asked me if it was easier this time...I could only laugh...as did everyone else!
I had another 2.5 mile climb heading into Michigan Bluff and the only thing I was thinking about for the more than 60 minutes of walkign uphill was asking for a ride to Foresthill to skip the final 6+ miles. I was the last runner in our group to come in and promptly collapsed on a bench. A few of the other runners planned to stop so I had my ride lined up. After a few minutes of drinking Gatorade and water as well as an awesome chocolate chip cookie I felt a little better but when asked if I wanted to go on I quickly said no thanks! One person said to me, "if you don't get sick you aren't working hard emough." I smiled and walked around the corner and had a short bout of dry heaves.
One of the gals running with us looked at me and said, "if a bone ain't showin', keep on going." We all laughed but eventually I got up and continued on.
This was by far the toughest run I have ever done. Someone was wearing a GPS watch and said the run was about 12,000 feet in elevation gain and loss...brutal!!!
I know it will pay off for the race but come on!
Starting at 7AM I knew this was going to be a long slow day. I loaded up with water, gels, frozen oranges (my newly discovered favorite running food), and PB&J. Once again, starting in Foresthill, the group took off. The run was going great as I finished the first half in less than five hours. After filling up with water in Last Chance, we headed back.
I felt good as I came to the bottom of the Devil's Thumb. Earlier in the run I had commented to another runner that I thought the Devil's Thumb was not too bad. She was obviously surprised by my comment but let it go. This week was warmer than the previous week and I was starting back up the Devil's Thumb later in the day. I saved one of my frozen oranges for the climb and was purposely conserving water for this portion of the run. Well, groundhog day it was. The orange tasted great and did give me a good boost but I was once again chugging my water as if I had a spare water cooler behind me. The Devil's Thumb crushed me this time. As I made it to the water pump at the top, the gal I had made my comment to asked me if it was easier this time...I could only laugh...as did everyone else!
I had another 2.5 mile climb heading into Michigan Bluff and the only thing I was thinking about for the more than 60 minutes of walkign uphill was asking for a ride to Foresthill to skip the final 6+ miles. I was the last runner in our group to come in and promptly collapsed on a bench. A few of the other runners planned to stop so I had my ride lined up. After a few minutes of drinking Gatorade and water as well as an awesome chocolate chip cookie I felt a little better but when asked if I wanted to go on I quickly said no thanks! One person said to me, "if you don't get sick you aren't working hard emough." I smiled and walked around the corner and had a short bout of dry heaves.
One of the gals running with us looked at me and said, "if a bone ain't showin', keep on going." We all laughed but eventually I got up and continued on.
This was by far the toughest run I have ever done. Someone was wearing a GPS watch and said the run was about 12,000 feet in elevation gain and loss...brutal!!!
I know it will pay off for the race but come on!
May 14th - Face to Face With the Devil's Thumb
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Mo Bartley has been helping me with my training and she said one of the most important parts of my training would be getting into the canyons. The canyons are the most difficult part of the Western States course and it would be critical to get familiar with these parts of the course.
The part of the course I had the most about was a hill referred to as "The Devil's Thumb". This is a hill that is less than two miles long and climbs more than 1700 feet. To add to the intensity, for most runners, they reach The Devil's Thumb in the late afternoon when race day temperatures can reach over 100 degrees. There are 32 switchbacks on the hill and it has been known to thoroughly destroy runners.
I hooked up with a great group of other runners at 7AM for a 30 mile run into the canyons. I was a little nervous at the start as I had no idea what to expect. The weather was perfect and the other runners were all fired up for the run. Many of the other runners were also training for WS 100.
Starting in Foresthill, the run went the opposite way of the WS 100 course which took me through Volcano Canyon and into Michigan Bluff. This stretch was not too bad in terms of steepness. The next stretch took me down to El Dorado Creek and once across the creek I climbed up for almost five miles to the top of Devil's Thumb. This would be a good way to see this highly feared stretch going downhill first. Someone quickly pointed out the rock formation named The Devil's Thumb. It was really steep going down but I have always liked the downhill runs so it really did not seem to bad. Once at the bottom the group quickly turned around and headed back up. The return trip of 15 miles would be the same direction I will be heading on race day.
It took about two minutes for me to begin to appreciate the horror stories of this stretch. I was sucking air and guzzling water at a pace which had me worried about not only how long it would take me to get to the top but also how I would be able to make it the next 13 miles back to the car. After nearly an hour, I made it to the top of the less than a mile Devil's Thumb. As I passed the rock formation on the way back I could only think it should be renamed..."The Devil's Middle Finger".
There was a water pump a mile from the top where I took a break and got some friendly harassment on my first experience. Memorable but scary considering it was only 70 degrees.
Slugged out the rest of the run and finished 30 miles in a little more than eight hours. I was really happy with the run and can't help but feel stronger about the upcoming big race!!
The part of the course I had the most about was a hill referred to as "The Devil's Thumb". This is a hill that is less than two miles long and climbs more than 1700 feet. To add to the intensity, for most runners, they reach The Devil's Thumb in the late afternoon when race day temperatures can reach over 100 degrees. There are 32 switchbacks on the hill and it has been known to thoroughly destroy runners.
I hooked up with a great group of other runners at 7AM for a 30 mile run into the canyons. I was a little nervous at the start as I had no idea what to expect. The weather was perfect and the other runners were all fired up for the run. Many of the other runners were also training for WS 100.
Starting in Foresthill, the run went the opposite way of the WS 100 course which took me through Volcano Canyon and into Michigan Bluff. This stretch was not too bad in terms of steepness. The next stretch took me down to El Dorado Creek and once across the creek I climbed up for almost five miles to the top of Devil's Thumb. This would be a good way to see this highly feared stretch going downhill first. Someone quickly pointed out the rock formation named The Devil's Thumb. It was really steep going down but I have always liked the downhill runs so it really did not seem to bad. Once at the bottom the group quickly turned around and headed back up. The return trip of 15 miles would be the same direction I will be heading on race day.
It took about two minutes for me to begin to appreciate the horror stories of this stretch. I was sucking air and guzzling water at a pace which had me worried about not only how long it would take me to get to the top but also how I would be able to make it the next 13 miles back to the car. After nearly an hour, I made it to the top of the less than a mile Devil's Thumb. As I passed the rock formation on the way back I could only think it should be renamed..."The Devil's Middle Finger".
There was a water pump a mile from the top where I took a break and got some friendly harassment on my first experience. Memorable but scary considering it was only 70 degrees.
Slugged out the rest of the run and finished 30 miles in a little more than eight hours. I was really happy with the run and can't help but feel stronger about the upcoming big race!!
May 7th - Marin Headlands Run
My legs were still a little tired from last week's 50 mile run and to be honest it was tough to motivate to get out and hit the road. Jen and the kids all came down to the Bay area for the weekend and the plan was to drop me off in Marin for my run and they would go play with friends in the area. I was shooting to do 25 - 30 miles cruising around the Marin Headlands and then head into San Francisco.
I had a hard time finding the right trail head to get started so Jen and the kids dropped me off on the hill above the Golden Gate Bridge. The wind was blowing about 30 mph with a slight chill. I sat in the car for a moment and Jen "politely" said..."okay, have a good time." I jumped out and Jen and the kids said a quick good bye and took off.
My hesitations on starting the run were quickly erased once I got to the top of the hill and had a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco in one direction and the rolling hills loaded with spring flowers with a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean in the other direction. My run took me on six or seven different trails around the Marin Headlands which led me to Tennessee Valley, Muir Beach, and Rodeo Beach. The trails were absolutely amazing and this is one of the most scenic runs I have ever been on. Saw a few more snakes but no rattlesnakes!
As I made my way to the Golden Gate Bridge I was really running out of steam. The run across the bridge brought back some fun memories of living in SF and running with Jen. It was close to 3PM and the fog was starting to roll in making it really chilly. For the last five miles all I could think about was how I could catch a cab to take me to the hotel in SF. Did not find any empty cabs running through the Marina so I jumped on the 45 Muni bus. After running for 6+ hours I was smelling particularly fresh and I noticed no one wanting to sit next to me. Can't say I blame them!!
The run was very hilly which is what I needed but my legs still felt "heavy" from last week's run. I am getting the impression my legs are just going to feel tired for the next few months.
I had a hard time finding the right trail head to get started so Jen and the kids dropped me off on the hill above the Golden Gate Bridge. The wind was blowing about 30 mph with a slight chill. I sat in the car for a moment and Jen "politely" said..."okay, have a good time." I jumped out and Jen and the kids said a quick good bye and took off.
My hesitations on starting the run were quickly erased once I got to the top of the hill and had a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco in one direction and the rolling hills loaded with spring flowers with a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean in the other direction. My run took me on six or seven different trails around the Marin Headlands which led me to Tennessee Valley, Muir Beach, and Rodeo Beach. The trails were absolutely amazing and this is one of the most scenic runs I have ever been on. Saw a few more snakes but no rattlesnakes!
As I made my way to the Golden Gate Bridge I was really running out of steam. The run across the bridge brought back some fun memories of living in SF and running with Jen. It was close to 3PM and the fog was starting to roll in making it really chilly. For the last five miles all I could think about was how I could catch a cab to take me to the hotel in SF. Did not find any empty cabs running through the Marina so I jumped on the 45 Muni bus. After running for 6+ hours I was smelling particularly fresh and I noticed no one wanting to sit next to me. Can't say I blame them!!
The run was very hilly which is what I needed but my legs still felt "heavy" from last week's run. I am getting the impression my legs are just going to feel tired for the next few months.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Saturday April 30th - Quicksilver 50 mile run
Starting at 6AM in the foothills south of San Jose, I toed the start line for the Quicksilver 50 mile run. There were around 300 people either doing the 25k, 50k, or 50 mile run. I knew this course would be challenging as the elevation profile showed a gain of more than 8,500 feet for the 50 mile portion. This would be my second 50 mile run after finishing the American River 50 last year.
The course was tough with steep climbs and sharp descents. The descents are usually where I can make up for the extra time it takes me to do the climbs but a few of the descents were so steep you needed to go slower or risk stumbling down the hill. Things were going good as I came down to the 31 mile mark which was the finish for the 50k runners. While they took a quick right to finish to cheers and an awaiting BBQ with beers on ice I stopped to fill my water. The guy who helped me get water was drinking an ice cold Guinness smiling and telling me I only had another 19 miles to go. What he did not tell me was the next four miles were mostly straight up.
With the temps rising as it got past 1PM I quickly ran out of water only two miles in. I walked most of the remaining two miles and had my first wildlife encounter. With my head down staggering up the hill I heard a rattle. Five feet in front of me was a three foot rattlesnake. The rattler stopped and I swear it looked right at me, shook its rattle, and was waiting for me to make a move. I froze and told the snake that I saw him, he shook his rattle again and slowly moved off the path but not before I was able to snap off a few pictures.
Once I got to mile 41 I started to work through my funk and finished the race feeling strong.
May is when the training really ramps up. I will be running a minimum of 40 miles each Saturday for the next six weeks...
The course was tough with steep climbs and sharp descents. The descents are usually where I can make up for the extra time it takes me to do the climbs but a few of the descents were so steep you needed to go slower or risk stumbling down the hill. Things were going good as I came down to the 31 mile mark which was the finish for the 50k runners. While they took a quick right to finish to cheers and an awaiting BBQ with beers on ice I stopped to fill my water. The guy who helped me get water was drinking an ice cold Guinness smiling and telling me I only had another 19 miles to go. What he did not tell me was the next four miles were mostly straight up.
With the temps rising as it got past 1PM I quickly ran out of water only two miles in. I walked most of the remaining two miles and had my first wildlife encounter. With my head down staggering up the hill I heard a rattle. Five feet in front of me was a three foot rattlesnake. The rattler stopped and I swear it looked right at me, shook its rattle, and was waiting for me to make a move. I froze and told the snake that I saw him, he shook his rattle again and slowly moved off the path but not before I was able to snap off a few pictures.
Once I got to mile 41 I started to work through my funk and finished the race feeling strong.May is when the training really ramps up. I will be running a minimum of 40 miles each Saturday for the next six weeks...
Monday, May 2, 2011
4/16/2011
I am on vacation with the family over on Lanai, a small island near Maui . It has been hot and the island is all hills. I had a great run today. The run took me from the beach to the top of the island. Saw some deer and a family of wild turkeys. Views were amazing with Maui and Molokai in plain view. Went 25+ miles and probably climbed around 3,000 feet and descended the same amount. After my previous “setback” with the heat and hydration I was well prepared for the heat. No issues with hydration or with the stomach.
For more information or to make a donation,
please visit http://www.jennaandpatrick.org
For more information or to make a donation,
please visit http://www.jennaandpatrick.org
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