Hagg Lake 50K and back to blogging

Photo by Tom Riley













Okay, its time I get back on this blogging thing. I just kept feeling backlogged about all the things I wasn't blogging about so I just... well, stopped blogging.
ANYWAY, my first semi race of the season (minus some fat ass runs) was at Hagg Lake. This was my 7th time running Hagg Lake. Its one of those races that I always think I will skip but then decide that it is good to get the dust off and hit the trails with a little competition to see where my fitness is. My mileage has been pretty lame and has hovered between 40-70 miles per week. Since I'm running Wasatch 100 in September, I have thought it would be fine to keep the mileage low. But, I get kind of stressed working with Meissner as he constantly runs 100+ mile weeks and makes me feel like an old slug!
Anyway, I headed over to Forest Grove on Friday night. I was going to camp in my van near Hagg Lake but RD, Rhonda, scared me that my skinny butt might be in trouble by the locals up there (enter Deliverance music) So, I parked the van at the very cool McMenamins hotel and decided to "camp" in their parking lot. I'm kind of a "play by the rules" guy so I kind of stressed that some security dude was going to boot me out in the middle of the night but that never happened. I actually didn't seem to know many people at the hotel so I ate some dinner and hit the sack around 8PM. All was good minus being a little cold and doing a lot of pissing in Gatorade bottles.
I got a nice warm up in and as I have done six times before this... started the out and back up the hill.
After a few minutes, I got into a nice rhythm with a guy named Lanny and we pretty quickly put some pace between ourselves and the rest of the field. He was pretty cool to talk with and we cruised along at a good clip. He had quite the crew with him... two on bikes and one dude in a car. Seemed like a bit of overkill for Hagg Lake but whatever. About 3/4 of the way through the first loop, I had to piss and tie my shoe and did so and Lanny took off. I wasn't too worried about it and although, of course, I would like to win, I wasn't really all that concerned either way. Actually, in my ideal world, since this is sort of a low key event, I would have liked to run with him and finish together if I could catch up.
However, pretty soon I noticed that he (and mostly his crew) seemed to be taking this race a lot more seriously than me. His "pace" car and bikes would crew him and then stick around and use walkie talkies to give updates on exactly where I was on the course. I didn't care at first... but the updates started becoming pretty darn frequent and that started to get a little old. In fact, for part of the time, the "bike guy" was behind me on the trail on his cross bike, giving updates. Totally against race rules by the way. Really, I just wanted to be left alone to get my run in. Whatever, it was lame but if Hagg Lake is the dream win.... I'm glad he got it!
I felt solid all day and just tried to get steady running in on my feet. I had run a good amount that week so I just tried to keep my head straight and my form (I know its horrible) consistent.

These crazy ass bow legs have been "affectionately" named "Sea Biscuit" Photo by Tom Riley
Anyway, I rolled on in to finish in the same place I did last year; 2nd. My time was the best I have run there; 3:50. All in all, I was pretty surprised by my run. My volume has been relatively low but I felt solid and was definitely happy with my time. After hanging out with friends, it was time to put on the very, very beloved compression socks...mmmmm and head home.
Recovery has been easy and I'm looking forward to loading up the van again this coming Friday and heading down to a WAY more competitive race down at Way Too Cool 50K. Should be a blast and will continue to progress of getting in race shape.
Photo by Tom Riley
Here are the results

Race Picking!

Its a fun time of the year. Almost everyone has their summer races in the books. We've recovered and only remember the joy of finishing, amazing trails we have run, and people we have met. We fortunately forget about the seemingly endless miles late in a race, the puking, the falls, etc.
Its about this time that I open up Stan Jensen's Run 100's website and start planning out my next season. Do I want to do tough mountain races? How many one hundred milers do I want to run? Do I want to travel to the East Coast? It is so far in advance that I can fantasize that I won't need to be overseeing businesses or busy raising kids. The options are endless!
So what am I thinking? Well, I always base my "shorter" races on whatever 100 miler I am thinking about. Soooo, here is what I am pondering:
Option 1: San Diego 100 Miler in June and Cascade Crest 100 Miler in September. I like this option because it is almost always still kind of cold in Bend in the beginning of June and we are thinking of taking the Eurovan down and camping along the way to San Diego. The 100 miler looks like it is pretty mellow so I won't feel like I have to be in "peak" shape and can try and just enjoy it.
I have entered Cascade Crest 100 two times in the past and have not been on the starting line yet. One year I had a stress fracture and another I had a a stress fracture and an inguinal hernia. Fun stuff. So, I feel like I have some unfinished business there and would like to run a 100 miler without the altitude and without hot weather. That would be a change.....
Okay, option #2..... Vermont 100 or Leadville 100 miler. As these races are more of a destination, I would probably only be able to run one of these as the cost of getting to them, the time away from home, and leaving my stores. Leadville was the first 100 miler I ever heard about and maybe the first ultra I ever heard of. It has a definite attraction to me and I have a good amount of friends and relatives in Colorado so housing and crewing would probably be pretty easy to take care of. The negatives are mainly the altitude. I have the great fear of training my ass off and then just getting there and realizing that either: a. the altitude is kicking my butt and I won't be able to compete at the front of the pack or B. I'm just plain sick all day. If you look at the finishing results, it is packed full of folks from Colorado who live at a higher elevation and can be ready for 100 miles at 9,000-11,000 feet.
Vermont: Positives: When I'm really honest about my running style, I think this is a good course for me. It is hilly but not mountainous and I am pretty good at grinding out hills. I'm alright at hiking in the mountains but I'm a better hill runner than mountain hiker. If I ever have a chance to try and win a "Grand Slam" race, this is hand's down my best shot. I'm a very steady runner and this course would help me out with that. Negatives: Would I get bored without any "major" obstacles to look forward to on the course? How would the humidity affect me when I live in a high desert climate? It is a pain and expensive to get out there.
Option 3: Wasatch. This is a course I need to run as I really want that cool Crimson Cheetah buckle. I'm intimidated by how hard the course is and wonder if I'll be able to get enough rugged miles in to really be ready to compete near the top there. But, it would be a great goal and a race that I will do at some point....
Advice? Also, I'd love to know what other runners are thinking about doing. Its fun to have a good group at whatever 100 I choose. Anyway, other than that, life is good.
Or, I could bypass this silly long running stuff and hang out on the beach where I grew up, Kailua, Hawaii.
Well, not yet..... ;)

Mixed Emotions at Angeles Crest 100

Hmmm... Where to begin? 100 milers seem to take so much out of me both mentally and physically that sometimes I have a hard time even looking back and writing about them objectively. But, here it goes!
Going into Angeles Crest 100, I was as excited about this race as I had been for a while. I was the first to admit that although I got some good long runs in, my overall volume was definitely a bit down. When I voiced my concern over my running miles to my wife, Katie, she put it in perspective for me. "Well, look at it this way. It was definitely the most miles you could have run without having a divorce!". Kidding, I hope, but to some respect it was true. With both of my stores and my three kids needing to have my focus, running has definitely shifted to a distant third for the moment. That said, my training has been steady. No injuries, solid results in races, so I was still feeling ready to give it a go!
My strategy was rather simple. I knew I needed to take it much easier at the start of the race compared to Western States or even HURT. I was not going to "race" until mile 60. Let the people come, let them go. I also had been focusing on taking the downhills much easier and just being efficient.
I got some great feedback on the course and strategy from AJW. I really focused in on being mentally prepared for the day and the 21,000 feet of climbing and 26,000 of descent on the course.
I flew into Ontario with Oregonians Tom Riley and Ken Ward.
We made our way to a, let me be kind, "rustic" cabin in Wrightwood. There, we were eventually joined by Mark Gilligan, Jasper Halekas (one of my pacers), and Rob Evans. We really had a good time on Thursday and Friday and it was nice to have a loose vibe there. We all just cracked on each other and played stupid psych out games with each other.
Check in on Friday really cracked me up. Talk about an old school race. I don't think anything ever changes at AC. If you want to have a really level playing field on a course that has been around for a while, run AC. I felt like I was walking into a "Starsky and Hutch" time warp. It had that 70's vibe going on.
Saturday morning came and we headed to the start line. You know its old school when the race director asks you to move some heavy ass dumpsters 15 minutes before the start. Cracked me up......
Anyway, off we went. A few miles of climbing on steep asphalt roads before heading up on the acorn trail and ascending the PCT. Pace felt great. The lead group of runners was very strong... Hal and Jorge surged ahead and I was with Guillermo, Justin Angle, Troy Howard, Brian Polley, Tom Nielsen, etc. The morning running was fun and my taper felt like it had done me well. I felt fresh and excited to be running.
The day progressed and I continued to feel good heading up over Baden Powell and continued to take it easy on the way down. My crew was great. Jasper and David Easa were taking good care of me at the aid stations. I was trading out bottles and water packs depending on the distance between aid stations and that worked great. My first moments (here they come) were heading into Cooper Canyon. My stomach started to rebel a bit and I just had that queasy feeling come over me. I was bummed but didn't let it get me down. I took some ginger chews and continued to push down the gels every 30 minutes.
I started falling apart a bit at Three Points. Stomach was junk and the heat was getting to me a bit. The fun had stopped and the guys I was running with, Justin Angle and Troy Howard, had left me behind. I just continued to grind it out but I had fallen behind my splits for a sub 20 hour run. More concerning was that I knew I would have to really run strong from 50 to the finish to have a strong run. That was looking dubious at best.

I fueled up at Mt. Hillyer and hoped that would help as well as picking up my first pacer, David Easa, at mile 52. I picked up David and felt alright. Being nauseous and running just sucks. I've gotten kind of used to it but it really bums me out. We were moving alright but nothing spectacular. My low point really came as I left Shortcut Saddle and headed down (the road to China) and then up to Newcomb Saddle. For some reason, I really discounted this part of the course. I had been so focused on climbing well in the last 25 up Mt. Wilson and Sam Merrill that I forgot about this descent and climb. They really discouraged me and I gave up a lot of time as I climbed up to Newcombs. I felt like crap and hated being on the dirt road. The climb went on forever and I really let it get to me which is a big, big mistake in 100s. I hit the aid station and was determined to do a good job of fueling up. I ate some soup, drank some coke, and had a few bites of chicken. I then puked all over the place while sitting at the aid station. Hmmmm, that is trouble with 42 miles to go. So, I stuck some crackers in my pocket and headed back on the trail. I felt pretty good on this section but looking at my splits, I wasn't running it so well...... But, it felt better to empty the stomach and start again. I continued to puke a few more times but kept moving on. Soon, and very unfortunately, we passed Jorge Pacheco who also had problems with his stomach and was about to drop. Bummer. A great guy and fantastic runner who has had his problems at this race the last few years.
David was a great and patient pacer and we kept clicking off the miles and eventually made it to Chantry Flats were I CONTINUED to feel crappy in the gut with the occasional puke. Jasper took over the pacing reigns and quickly let me know that I had a LOT of runners right on my heels. We climbed Mt Wilson very well and I actually kind of enjoyed the climb. We hiked hard and ran the flatter sections well. I was running scared as I was worried I might get "chicked" by Bend runner and eventual winner, Prudence L'Heureux. I also knew Mark Gilligan was right behind me and the hazing would be great if he passed me as well. I was amazed to hear footsteps behind me near the top of Mt. Wilson as I felt pretty darn strong. I figured it was Mark and that the ribbing would begin. However, it was Osbaldo Lopez, and man, was he moving. His hiking was simply amazing as he passed me like I was standing still.
Once we hit the top of Wilson, we ran down hard. The feet and legs hurt but it didn't matter if I ran it hard or slow so we tried to push it. We did and got to the bottom in 30 minutes which is pretty good. I even took a good fall along the way down. Not super fun.....
We hit the morgue known Idlehour and once again, tried to get food back in my system. It worked for a minute but I found myself puking again minutes later. Sheesh! Now, the mindf*** known as Sam Merrill. As AJW puts it, this is where ultra runners go to die. You have to run along a horrible dried creek bed filled with poison oak for a few miles before the long, boring, and demoralizing climb up to Sam Merrill. If you don't curse this climb during the race, you are not human. It stinks. It climbs, descends, winds, climbs, descends, winds, well, you get the picture. I tried to run the flats but my time was still well behind AJW's split and he claims to walk every step (hmmmmm.....:)
FInally, we got to the top and again, took a little time to TRY and refuel before the brutal descent to the park. Once again, it sat for a few minutes and then I was puking again. My time was slipping away quickly and I wish I could say that I cared more but with my stomach on the fritz, just finishing was my main concern. I knew I would not break 20 and I knew there wasn't another goal that I cared that much about. I know, weak mentally, but it was what it was....
The next section may have been my second least favorite. The 4,000 foot descent at mile 90 seems a bit cruel. Especially since it is technical. But, we just kept chipping away at it. We had a few good vantage points where I knew we probably would not be passed again.
We FINALLY hit the final aid and once again, I had a little coke and found myself puking it out (last time) a few minutes later. The last 5 miles was a death march. Both Jasper and my head lamps were almost out and this definitely slowed us down as we moved through the last sections of trail.
Finally, we got out of the park and hit the road (thank the Lord!) and made our way down the last few blocks to the finish. You want to talk old school finish line, go to AC. There were not many people there and it was a bit of a letdown. I felt very relieved and exhausted. I didn't have the flood of emotions that sometimes hits me at the end of a race. I ended in 21:14 which was good for 5th place. I didn't care one way or another on my placing but was a bit disappointed at how far away I was from 19:59. But, that's how it goes. Its a 100, stuff happens. I'm proud that I didn't ever think of dropping even when things got bad. 42 miles is a long way to go with no fuel in the system. You hate to ever proclaim about yourself that you "toughed it out". But, I'm going to say that. It would have been easy and justifiable to drop given my circumstances. But, I finished with a time that I can be satisfied with and don't feel the need to redeem myself on.
So, what did I learn? I don't know. I'm frustrated with my stomach in 100 milers. I have never not puked and that sucks. I'm going to do some listening to what AJW has to say as I know he has battled a lot of these same demons. I feel like I am "gelled out" by mile 50 in races. I know lots of people can take GU's for 100 miles but that just doesn't seem to sit well with me. I'm thinking about trying solid food for 50 miles or seeing if there are other solutions that I can try earlier in races and maybe switch to gels later in the race. We'll see.
So what now? Well, I'm going to relax some. I haven't run in a week and I'll probably finally head out today for few miles. I miss running already. I'm going to slow it down now though and will probably just run 30-40 miles per week for the next few months. I also want to get back in the gym and hit the weights again. I haven't lifted in months and would like to add a few pounds in muscle as I feel a bit too scrawny at the moment. Its also time to put some time in the family bank and be home and just hanging out a bit more.


Don't worry, Ma, I used to look worse than this every Saturday night in college! Photo by Dave Easa
Okay, here are my MVPs for AC:
1. Hal. Damn, you just never know what that boy will do. Running the 2nd fastest time on the course with an injury and no pacers is very impressive.
2. Prudence L'Herueux from Bend. Her first 100 miler and she had a real chance to break the CR.
3. All the runners who finished after being out for over 30 hours. That's a long time to be out there and I was impressed and motivated to see them finishing in the heat of a second day. Great job!
4. To the top 4 in front of me. They all ran tough, strong races. Nice job, gentlemen.
5. My wife and family. Its no secret that it is hard to juggle 3 kids, 2 businesses, and 2 big dogs! My wife does not (well minimal) complain on my training and realizes how important it is to my life. Thank you.
6. Roch Horton. Man, is anyone more solid at age 50. This guy is a stud. The guy cracks 24 hours on some of the toughest courses in the U.S.... and quite a few of them each summer.
7. My pacers: Jasper and Dave. I feel lucky and honored to have you guys pace me. Thanks so much.
8. Mark Gilligan. Yeah, he dropped but look out for this guy. His 100 miler at Tahoe is no fluke. If he is trained and healthy, he has the ability to ruin the race plans of some top dudes.
Lastly, if anyone wants to give me stomach advice...... I'm all ears.
Full results are here.
Big Fat Aloha,
Rod B.

Outdoor Retailer, Humbled at Jupiter Peak, and no Waldo

Biener, taking it to Meissner even when he doesn't realize it..
Are there ever months that just AREN'T completely busy? Not in my world...

Lots of fun stuff going on though. Last week I headed out to Outdoor Retailer to check out some new great gear for the Fleet Feet store. Mostly just did some looking at the little stuff for the store. Any surprises? One pretty big one. Darn, The North Face stuff really, really impressed me. I didn't know what to think as everyone seems to have a definite strong opinion on The North Face. Well, I thought their clothing line and shoes looked solid. Obviously they are getting some great feedback from athletes like Kami Semick Nikki Kimball. I'm very excited to see what they come out with in the next year or so. Someone needs to push the boundaries by putting forth some new ideas and technology and I do think they are on to something.
For a sentimental favorite, I'm really pulling for Montrail but they really need to "right" the ship. Their line is really stripped down and from my view, it just doesn't seem like a lot of new ideas are heading into their footwear. The Streak is still solid and they will have a posted version of the streak called the Mountain Masochist this coming spring. I thought they had made good strides by making some dramatic changes to the Hardrock. However, I was just told that they changed their mind and are keeping the Hardrock super stiff. Anyway, my hopes is that they can really put some hard effort into the line and take the brand back to being the innovative one that they have been in the past. Anyway, just some random OR thoughts......

So, we also had a family reunion in Park City with Katie's family at Deer Valley. It was a total blast. 7 kids, 6 years old or younger. It was pretty cool as my oldest is 6 and we finally hit the age when the kids play by themselves and just love being with their cousins. Very cool. Also great to catch up with my wife's mom and dad and my brother and sister in laws. What could top that? Well, a close second was when I wandered into our back yard (in Park City) and saw a rough single track heading straight up.
This was probably a gift and a curse. For the next four days, each time when I stepped out the door, the first four miles of my run were a 2,000 foot gain up the slopes of Deer Valley. Wonderful single track and there were some kick ass bike riders out there as well. The runs were great but I could definitely feel myself getting kind of whooped from the climbing and the altitude.
Bring on the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase run. This was a 16 mile run that leaves from Park City, climbs over 3,200 feet to the top of Jupiter Peak (10,000 feet), does one more climb, then bombs back to the finish. I figured this was a race I could do pretty well at as I am a pretty balanced racer on climbs and descents. Yeah, I had some concerns about the climbing I had been doing but I felt pretty good and was excited to race.
I had a feeling that the competition could be stiff with Outdoor Retailer in town and some great athletes were in town. When I got to the race start, I noticed one thing right off the bat. A whole bunch of yellow "La Sportiva Running Team" tops. Uh oh. I was in their world now.... Not a 50 miler where I could reel people back in. This was going to be tough. This was confirmed as the race director gave his race day instructions. "Do you see the guys in the yellow jerseys. They are some of the best mountain runners in the world. If you come in 5th today, you probably would normally win". Great.....
Off we went. I was breathing hard from the start but managed to stay in the top 10. After a mile or two, I felt a bit more settled in and passed 4 runners and was in 4th place. Hmm, I thought. I usually do better as the race continues. Maybe I'll do pretty well. However, I was about to realize my biggest mistake.... not bringing water. Its just 16 miles I thought, I don't need any water. Well, the problem was that the top 15 in this race were sticking together like glue and as I looked around, I was one of the only ones I saw without water. As we hit the first aid station, I took half a sip of water, gulped a GU, and choked the rest out.
After 4 or 5 miles, it started getting ugly. I slowed down. No problem, I'll just get my head together. The minute I slowed, I was passed by 5 people. Then 2 more, then probably 1 or two after that. Wow, that was crazy! I wasn't going THAT slow.
As we neared the summit, I was flabbergasted at how steep the final climb was. Straight up a scree mountain. Shit, I wasn't ready for that! I hiked (slowly) to the top and finally headed down. I did catch some people on the downhill but was too scared to stop for water and started bonking pretty well for the final three or four miles. Anyway, I putzed in, not even able to catch some dude right in front of me out of sheer exhaustion or laziness. I was 11th out of about 250 people with a time of 2:15. Humbled. I drank about 9 cups of water and laughed at how exhausted I was from the effort. So, in short, I'm not a mountain runner. That stuff sucks! As I've said, I'd rather suffer a little for a real long time rather than suffering horribly for a short amount of time.
Anyway, the only thing I knew for sure: I was not going to want to run a 100K the next weekend. I hemmed and hawed as I really wanted to compete in the Where's Waldo 100K. However, Angeles Crest is my main goal and that is only 4 weeks away. I just did not feel like I would be mentally prepared to race hard at Waldo and do it again in 4 weeks. It was a tough decision but the right one. I'm glad that I didn't have to taper and then recover. I ran 45 miles on Saturday and was able to run again Sunday and will put in a big week this week. I would not have been able to do that if I had run Waldo.
Anyway, other than that, life is crazy but good. I feel so thankful for my life and my family. They sacrifice a lot to let me run so much. A few more years of this stuff and then I'll be able to look back, enjoy it, and relax a bit.

Just enough at Mount Hood 50 Miler

photo borrowed from Tom Riley


I ran the Mount Hood 50 Miler on July 26th, 2008. It was a race I was looking forward to since it was my first 50 miler back in 2001. I had memories of how hard a 50 miler was back then and how my wife, Katie had to pace me in the last six miles as I complained and stumbled my way in to a mid-pack finish. I wasn't sure what to expect from this race as I had run S.O.B 50K two weeks earlier and I then put in a very intense training week that very next week. Not much time for a taper at all but that was fine since Hood is really just a training run for Angeles Crest 100 Miler in September. I drove to the course on Friday evening and had fun checking in seeing Olga (race director) and lots of familiar faces. I then linked up with one of my favorite people in the ultra world, Jamie Gifford and his wife Becky. We headed up to Timberline Lodge at Mt Hood to grab some dinner. We got a great view of Mt. Hood but food wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. Pretty much all heavy bar food. But, skipped the beer, talked story, and had a great dinner with some fabulous friends.
Then, it was time to head to Little Crater campground and camp in the trusty Eurovan, Ruby.
Before I knew it, it was time to wake up, tape the feet and eat a PB&J. It was a chilly morning as I drove back towards Timothy Lake and the start of the race.
PCT 50 Miler is a funky course to race and does require some strategy. The first 25 miles are uphill as you head from Timothy Lakes all the way to the base of Mt Hood and Timberline Lodge. You climb about 4,000 feet in the first 25 miles. On the return trip, you are mostly downhill (though it doesn't seem like it) and only climb about an additional 1,500 feet. So, the moral of the race is that you need to have some legs when you hit the 50K point and start heading home as the next 19 miles are mostly rolling and you need to be able to run.

photo borrowed from Olga
I didn't really know what to expect from this race. I had put in a hard week after S.O.B and did not feel rested but Hood was really just a hard training race so I was cool with it. I also wasn't quite sure about the competition. I thought that I was probably the favorite but there were some dark horses in there that I wanted to keep an eye on. Most notably, Ian Mcllvenna who had been second place here the previous year and Matt Daniels who has put up some impressive times in the past. Well, time to race...
I took the lead from the first step and wanted to keep it that way so I could dictate the pace hitting the single track. I didn't want to go out too fast and wanted to make sure that I ran a good, hard, yet conservative pace. We did a .4 mile out and back on the roads and then were going to have 49 miles of singletrack!

photo borrowed from Olga!
The one thing I noticed after the first few miles was that I didn't feel that great. I didn't feel bad necessarily but I didn't have the "pep" that I did at S.O.B. I kind of figured that I was just warming up and that I would eventually feel better but that just didn't seem to ever really happen all day. I was chased in hot pursuit by Ian and another nice guy, Adrien. We ran together and at that point I think Ian must have hit the porta potty because we left him and I was alone running with Adrien for the next mile or so. He eventually faded back and I was running on my own up the hills towards Mt. Hood. Once again, never feeling either great or horrible. I switched gears and really just tried to focus in on my splits which were to run a time of just under 7 hours. I thought this might be on the threshold of my ability as only 2 people have broken 7 hours in the race's history but I figured I would still be stoked even if I was fairly close.
The race became more interesting as I headed up the steep ascent towards Mt. Hood at about mile 20. The initial uphill running was pretty easy but got tougher as we hit some substantial drifts of snow. Also, near the top, there are the dreaded sand sections. These sections really are crazy. The course literally becomes sand dunes and running gets really difficult. I had read my friend Matt Hart's blog saying how he ran all of these but I disagreed with his theory as it was very energy consuming to be running uphill in the sand. So, I power hiked some of the sections and made my way to the turnaround at mile 25. I don't know what gave me the false sense of security that I had a pretty darn big lead, but I had it! I hit the turnaround at 3:34 and took my time getting stuff together. I grabbed my ipod from my drop bag, ate half a PB&J and putzed around for a minute before heading back. Immediately after leaving the aid station, I saw Ian coming right towards me! Shit! I looked at my watch and estimated I had about a 2 1/2 minute lead on him. I was REALLY surprised as I can usually gap people on long, grinding uphills so I didn't think I was going to see him for a while. I also knew he had run a 7:24 the year before and I knew I was well ahead of that kind of pace. Well, I guess it was going to be a race.
I ran aggressively but not recklessly down hill for the next 6 miles. I tried to keep my pace at just under 6:30 minute miles which seemed nice and wasn't overly taxing on my body.
I knew the next 19 are where the race are either won or lost. Its rolling hills both up and down need to be run. As I had felt all day, I just didn't seem to have the energy to really bring it. So, I just kept grinding away and making sure I was hitting my splits. I was thrilled to see my wife, Katie, at about mile 40. She knew second place wasn't far behind and encouraged me to push which I tried in vain to do. Well, my new goal was, if I'm going to be getting passed, I'm going to make sure that they run sub 7!
The griding continued and Katie again met me at mile 44 and told me I had a 6 minute lead. Again, not exactly what I wanted to hear but I felt I sort of would have to bonk to have him gain 1 min/mile at this point. I was prepared for the dreaded final 6 miles. This time, they actually weren't that bad. I guess I was "smelling the barn" and knew I should be able to run on in under 7 hours. After running alongside Timmothy Lakes (forever!), I hit the road and boy did that feel good! I crossed the finish line backwards (out of respect for Scott Mcqueeney) with two of my kids, Fisher and Ava. The time of 6:53 felt good and is the second fastest time ever on the course behind John Ticer who has run a 6:45. I'd like to give that record a "go" on fresher legs but it is a pretty impressive one.
Second place finisher Ian Mcllvenna kept up his pace and ran an impressive 7:03, which would win the race on most years. Congrats to him and all the finishers!

Photo of the family by Olga
The finish line was fun and great to see my family and lots of friends.
Results from the race are here
My big tnanks to Monika and Olga for putting on a wonderful and fun race!
Next race: Mt Jupiter Hill climb in Park City next weekend!

Nice and Smooth at S.O.B.

chillin' with the big cat, Hal K.

Okay, I've got to update this damn blog.......
July 12th I ran the S.O.B 50K in Ashland, Oregon. I hadn't been to this race since 2001. I think it was my second ultra ever. I was excited to get back. For one, it really was the kick off to my race season. I hadn't raced since April and Peterson Ridge was not my best race ever. I definitely gave it my all but I just didn't have the mileage under my legs yet. I had just opened up Fleet Feet two weeks earlier.
I also have not wanted to peak too early this year as my key race is Angeles Crest 100 in September. So, I've basically tried to run a three week schedule of 100 miles per week, then 85, and then 75. This has worked well and kept me feeling pretty peppy.
I didn't really put major pressure on myself at all for S.O.B. Looking at results reminded me (on a much, much smaller scale) of Wasatch. Results were very inconsistent in regards to the runner. Results seemed to be much slower than I would have thought of on that course. No one had ever broken 4 hours and not a ton of people had seemed to break 4:10. My goal going in was to run around a 4:15 which I hoped would set me in the top 5. It was a tough field consisting of Max King (fresh off Olympic trials), Erik Skaggs (top 5 ultrarunner in the country), Hal Koerner (Western States champ), and Lewis Taylor (winner of Way too Cool 50K). I really like fields like this. Running against great runners is a great test. Running races with little competition just doesn't get my blood pumping. Its great training but not real satisfying.
I headed to Ashland on Friday afternoon and got to check Hal Koerner's running shop, Rogue Valley Runners. His shop looks great and it was great talking shop with him and trading ideas on shoes and the running biz.
I got some dinner with Tate Hall (manager of my Patagonia store), her husband Mike, and Stan and Maura.
After that, we headed up to Mt. Ashland to camp at over 6,500 ft. We had a fun night camping and it was fun to hang out with the Central Oregon crowd (Stan and Maura, Chris and Darla, and Tate and Mike). I got the feet taped and headed off to sleep.
It was nice not having Sean Meissner there because we didn't have to wake up about 3 hours early and I slept in until 6 a.m. I got up and had a horrible warm up (a good sign) and was huffing and puffing at the altitiude.
At 7 a.m. the gun went off and we headed out the PCT. Max King, Erik Skaggs, and Cameron Haynes set the pace and Hal and I settled into 4th and 5th place. I liked my pace. I had decided early on that I was going to start more conservative and just run a nice smooth race. I went out too hard at Peterson Ridge and ended up slogging in the last ten miles and well, that kind of sucked. A more moderate approach was sounding good. I didn't even really even feel like I was racing and I was okay with it. Within a few miles, Hal pulled away from me and I just settled into my groove. I had forgotten how much I loved this course. It reminds me a lot of the first 30 miles of Western States and is just plain breathtaking. I have to say that it is the best 50K I have ever run. The wildflowers, views, and trail were so much fun. The miles just slid by effortlessly and I was worried that I was taking it too easy. We hit a dirt road that headed up a few hundred feet at mile 8 and I could tell it was going to be a good day. I just felt smooth and was loving running. However, at the turnaround (mile 15 or so), I was disappointed to hear that 4th place (now Cameron Haynes) was about 8 minutes ahead of me. He had run a very strong 4:06 the year before and was obviously going for it. I thought he had left the gates a little fast and I was surprised I wasn't reeling him in. But, good for him.
However, as happens in long races (even short long races :), I saw him a few miles later on a dirt road and guessed he had about three minutes on me. At that point, I knew I would catch him. At mile 18, we got on a frickin' sweet ridge trail that had a nice long grinding uphill and then a screaming downhill and I reeled Cameron in. I tried to pep him up and have him run with me but I could quickly tell he wasn't in the mood to make conversation so I surged ahead. The next few miles were my favorite on the course. A technical downhill with sharp turns and great wildflowers. I hit an aid station with a fiddler and asked how far up Hal was ahead. 5-10 minutes I heard. I knew we had a BIG hill ahead and I thought it was my best chance to catch Hal. He is a much better downhill runner than me (and I'm sure uphill too) but I know running up is my strength and that this was my best shot. I ran every step of the hill and though I felt pathetic, I knew lots of people would be walking. At the top of the hill I saw a volunteer who informed me Hal was 8 minutes ahead. Bummer. He was running every step too! Man, I wanted to catch that cat! But, I knew it was over now....
After that, I just continued to stay smooth. After an aid station at mile 27 or so, I looked back and saw Lewis Taylor coming on strong. Man, I hate when I have to run hard. Luckily, I hadn't run too hard early so I felt I had another gear to pick it up and I hustled on in. At the last aid station I thought I had a shot of breaking 4 hours but nope, too slow. I crossed the finish line in 4th place with a time of 4:04. I was pretty happy all in all. I literally did not have one bad minute in this race. It showed me that running smooth and not taking off too hard really can work. What a great run. Results here.
Here is how I really would list the top 5:
1. Max King. Part alien. Broke the course record by 18 minutes or something. In a 50K! Are you kidding me? If you run in the Olympic trials, you shouldn't be allowed in this sport!
2. Erik Skaggs. One of best ultrarunners in the country and 24 years old..... uh, he's fast.
3. Hal Koerner. Western States 100 champ... enough said.
Top 3 all broke the old course record... just my luck!
4. Rod B.... First normal dude with no running talent. Also, I will say, I have three more kids than all the guys above me combined.
5. Lewis Taylor. Way faster than me but at least he has one kid.
So, I'm flattered with my placing. As seems to happen to me a lot lately.... a 4:04 would have won this race more time than not in the past. Why are all these fast new ultrarunners coming on? Why don't you guys run some fast road races? :)
Anyway, here are my highlights of the weekend:
Chris (too cool to pose), Darla, Old Man Bien, and fast Tate!


1. Darla Brader running 4:47 and second chick. She is having a break though year and it has been cool to watch.
2. Kami Semick crushing the women's course record, and first chick.
3. Tate Kelley running a great 5:45 and finishing well within the top half of the race! Way to go Tate!
4. Making everyone jealous with my sleeping set up in the Eurovan.

What went right:
1. Good eating plan. Gus every :40. Went from S! Caps back to Endurolytes.
2. Completely enjoyed 31 miles of running.
3. Crushing Meissner's PR at S.O.B. :)

What went wrong:
1. Lingering thoughts; should I have broken 4 hours????

Lots of fun. Next race: Hood 50 Miler in a week!

The best way to train???

Well, after a bit of a sabbatical and getting the Fleet Feet store up and running, its been time to step up the training. It was nice, but not as easy as I thought to "just" run in the 60-75 mile a week range? Why? Well, over the past few years, my method of training is really to run hard (by my standards :) I don't do much "time on my feet" training. When I run, I go out there and go for it. Sometimes I have good juice in my legs and I'm peppy. Sometimes I'm tired and my times suck. But, the consistent factor is that I am always going pretty darn hard effort wise. I just feel that if you train at a slow pace, you'll race slow. If you train hard, you won't have as difficult of a time racing hard.
Soooo, this week I decided to throw in a 100 mile week, my first in a while. I cut back on the amount of intensity and ran 5 moderate runs and 2 tempo style runs. To my surprise, it felt very, very easy. In fact, my 70 mile weeks busting ass seemed much more difficult than this week.
It just made me really wonder what is more valuable? Less mileage and more intensity or more mileage and less intensity? Both have their advantages. My guess is that for the 100 milers, I would be better off keeping up with the 100+ mile weeks so that is what I'll try for a while as I want to do well later in the summer for AC 100. Anyway, just some rambling but I thought it was interesting to ponder anyway.....