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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (16 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ned
- Start date
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
MAC_32
Footballguy
So a buddy of mine was doing a 24 hour race last Saturday. It's just as it sounds, run as far as you can in 24 hours. It's a 1 mile loop, repeated. Over and over and over again. Everyone has tents setup stocked full of fuel, change of clothes, and of course spectators passing around bottles of whiskey rooting on their crazy friends for doing something as stupid as running the same loop on repeat for 24 straight hours. It was a blast.
Anyway, several of us took turns running with him. I took a one hour window about 9 pm after a few/several swigs of whiskey and a couple of beers, his 4 year old son did mile 50 with him then I took over miles 51-57. While we were out there, and I'm pissed that I forget her name, we met one of the people that got lost doing the Barkley and ended up doing the longest lap (2 1/2 days?) in that race's history. @SFBayDuck mentioned the small group during the race and they really did have a search team gathered to start looking for them when they finally found their way back to camp. She's not sure if she was (paraphrasing) 'more hungry or embarrassed, but it was something she will never forget but most importantly never do again.' Hell of a sense of humor on her though.
Anyway, several of us took turns running with him. I took a one hour window about 9 pm after a few/several swigs of whiskey and a couple of beers, his 4 year old son did mile 50 with him then I took over miles 51-57. While we were out there, and I'm pissed that I forget her name, we met one of the people that got lost doing the Barkley and ended up doing the longest lap (2 1/2 days?) in that race's history. @SFBayDuck mentioned the small group during the race and they really did have a search team gathered to start looking for them when they finally found their way back to camp. She's not sure if she was (paraphrasing) 'more hungry or embarrassed, but it was something she will never forget but most importantly never do again.' Hell of a sense of humor on her though.
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Thanks fellas! It's going to be a long day out there, but I've done what I can in a compressed training cycle to get ready for it. Even with the last week of the month in full taper mode, April was a good month for me with my 4th highest monthly mileage ever, second highest time on feet (over 37 hours - a lot of hiking in the mix), and 5th highest elevation gain in a month (23,297'). And I even threw in two short bike rides and a few sauna sessions for good measure.
Primary goal is just to finish in under 20 hours and get my Western States qualifier, and come out healthy(ish) so that I can kick off a 12 week training cycle for CC 100 at the beginning of June. But I do have splits for 16 and 18 hour finishes on the pace chart that I'll be carrying with me, and am really hoping for a 17ish hour finish.
I'm in SoCal for work this week, flying back tonight to get the Xterra packed and ready to head up to Foresthill tomorrow afternoon. The race starts and ends at a school and they have camping set up in the back, so I'll just be dirtbagging it in the car Friday and Saturday nights. Should be a hell of an adventure!
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
That's awesome you got to experience a 24-hour, still haven't gone to one of those yet. Can't imagine I'll ever run one, but never say never.....
Kimberly Durst is her name, here is her race report from Barkley.
Ned
Footballguy
OK, I'm fully aware and confess that I'm a hot mess... 
@pbm107 and @Juxtatarot got in my head on Saturday and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It's not the first time I've contemplated it, but hearing it from some of my ipeers did me in. Damn it all to hell, but I'm going to chase Boston again. Thanks a lot, guys. My hips already hate you both.
Going to be brutally honest with myself in front of you all for a minute... Thinking about this 5+ year journey makes me want to cry almost; which spoke volumes to me the other day. I let the disappointment of last year's marathon and subsequent Boston snubbing crush me; I was depressed about it for far too long. Watching Boston last month really woke me up and subsequently pissed me off - I feel cheated. It's pretty pathetic to let something like this get me down for 6+ months, but it's the truth.
My slow post-marathon recovery was a convenient excuse to throw in the towel. This winter gave me plenty of (extra) excuses since I fell out of shape: getting sick 3x, hurting my knee, a huge snow storm, etc. It just made it even easier to deflect the real problem: Me. I've been a big ##### - I'm now done with that.
I'm starting to feel good again... I'm so close to Boston, I'd be a fool to give up now. So..........#### it. I'm ready to go crush another big training cycle and get a real BQ this time.
All I have between me and Boston is about 1800mi and the Rehoboth Marathon on Dec 3rd. :thatwaseasy:
@Hang 10 - you coming with me to Boston 2018, GB?
@pbm107 and @Juxtatarot got in my head on Saturday and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It's not the first time I've contemplated it, but hearing it from some of my ipeers did me in. Damn it all to hell, but I'm going to chase Boston again. Thanks a lot, guys. My hips already hate you both.Going to be brutally honest with myself in front of you all for a minute... Thinking about this 5+ year journey makes me want to cry almost; which spoke volumes to me the other day. I let the disappointment of last year's marathon and subsequent Boston snubbing crush me; I was depressed about it for far too long. Watching Boston last month really woke me up and subsequently pissed me off - I feel cheated. It's pretty pathetic to let something like this get me down for 6+ months, but it's the truth.
My slow post-marathon recovery was a convenient excuse to throw in the towel. This winter gave me plenty of (extra) excuses since I fell out of shape: getting sick 3x, hurting my knee, a huge snow storm, etc. It just made it even easier to deflect the real problem: Me. I've been a big ##### - I'm now done with that.
I'm starting to feel good again... I'm so close to Boston, I'd be a fool to give up now. So..........#### it. I'm ready to go crush another big training cycle and get a real BQ this time.
All I have between me and Boston is about 1800mi and the Rehoboth Marathon on Dec 3rd. :thatwaseasy:@Hang 10 - you coming with me to Boston 2018, GB?
pbm107
Footballguy
Good luck @SFBayDuck I can understand running a 100K but I don't know about this:
@Ned I love this time of year when you come out of retirement, but you're about a week late this year. That's okay at least this year you are racing in Dec. This is great news.
I would think you'd want a good night sleep the 2 nights beforehand.
@Ned I love this time of year when you come out of retirement, but you're about a week late this year. That's okay at least this year you are racing in Dec. This is great news.
Well, #### me. You guys were right; I'm weak. I talked it over with the wife - I am going to register for the Erie marathon or the Via marathon (Allentown, PA) in the hopes to better my BQ. They're both running the day before registration is most likely going to open for 2016. After sweating our boys in Boston and watching the coverage, it really fired me up. I didn't want to make a rash decision and sign up for a race that day, but that fire is still there today. I want 2016 Boston so friggin' bad.
So I lasted a whole 5 months.
I swear to god I'm done once I run Boston.
FUBAR
Footballguy
It's ON!!!OK, I'm fully aware and confess that I'm a hot mess...
Going to be brutally honest with myself in front of you all for a minute... Thinking about this 5+ year journey makes me want to cry almost; which spoke volumes to me the other day. I let the disappointment of last year's marathon and subsequent Boston snubbing crush me; I was depressed about it for far too long. Watching Boston last month really woke me up and subsequently pissed me off - I feel cheated. It's pretty pathetic to let something like this get me down for 6+ months, but it's the truth.
My slow post-marathon recovery was a convenient excuse to throw in the towel. This winter gave me plenty of (extra) excuses since I fell out of shape: getting sick 3x, hurting my knee, a huge snow storm, etc. It just made it even easier to deflect the real problem: Me. I've been a big ##### - I'm now done with that.
I'm starting to feel good again... I'm so close to Boston, I'd be a fool to give up now. So..........#### it. I'm ready to go crush another big training cycle and get a real BQ this time.
@Hang 10 - you coming with me to Boston 2018, GB?
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Race is Saturday, and yes I'm hoping to sleep well tonight at home (after a couple of poor night's sleep in a hotel this week). But I've never slept well the night before a big race, and figured being right at the start (instead of the closest hotel 30 minutes away) would at least give me the opportunity to get a little more rest. Maybe it'll even remove some of that anxiety around oversleeping that always seems to happen, fearing that Seinfeld marathon episode come to real life.
Now sleeping in the car after the race may turn out to be a bad idea......
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Ugh! I guess this means I have to run a spring 2017 marathon so I can re-qualify and join you all in Boston in '18!
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Nigel
Footballguy
Brony
Footballguy
Sorry for the hipple, but man this sucks to hear. Hopefully they can find some way to fix this. Which arthritis type do you have in your big toe? Usually that's where gout hits but doesn't seem to follow the typical presentation.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
@pbm107, since we were so successful with @Ned, I think we might need to team up again to use our persuasive powers for the greater good. Maybe if you fly out to Chicago and we have dinner with @tri-man 47 we would have a shot at convincing him to join Strava.
Ned
Footballguy
Has anyone ever told @tri-man 47 about the trophy case they have on strava for all of those challenges they have? #medalmongerer
FUBAR
Footballguy
I won't bore anyone with the story but I'm learning a lot about the Piriformis today. stopped a mile into a 5 mile run yesterday as it was bothering me; couldn't even do flip turns this morning. Hopefully a day or two of rest will fix the issue.
ChiefD
Footballguy
worrierking
Footballguy
Brony, your issues are much worse than mine. Thanks.
I have not seen the orthopedist yet, just my GP at the clinic at work who checked me for gout (Uric Acid levels are normal) and had my feet x-rayed for arthritis. The x-rays showed significant osteoarthritis in my left big toe in both the Big Joint (ball of the foot) and the small joint of the big toe. Also less significant arthritis in my right foot.
The last two years have been a reality check.
Good to see Ned back in the swing. Good luck to you. I can't wait to read the progress.
Great write-up PBM. Congrats.
Go Duck! GL.
I have been able to run three days in a row!
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Yuck ...that's a bugger of a muscle to access. I was fighting that for a few months last summer. Be careful with it!
@igbomb, I'm planning to return to Boston in 2021 (next change in age group). See you there? I'd love to use my qualification for next year, or even better, join a group in 2018. But it was awkward this year to cancel classes that I teach on Monday, and I'm not a fan of the winter training. [Start the pool, @beer 30]
comfortably numb
Footballguy
@Ned Training is overrated!@worrierking -pbm, juxt and I talked about you and your perseverance on Saturday. The way you just roll with the punches is admirable.
@tri-man 47 - Nice job! Looking forward to you breaking 20 this year.
@pbm107 & @Juxtatarot - I was glad I was able to slip away and come hang out for the night on Saturday! Looking forward to reading the RR's. I was thinking about you guys while I was moving foam critters around in the rain on Sunday AM. :X
----------------------
I had a super busy weekend. I ran the Trail Dawgs HM with @comfortably numb on Saturday. He came down Friday night to spend the night and then we hit the trails on Saturday AM. We didn't race it - just ran it for fun. The weather was perfect, trails were perfect..... just a great morning for a run. We finished in 2:23 and had a friggin' blast. I felt fantastic and was marveling at comfortably numb's grinding abilities. Dude never trains, but can lace up and run a HM whenever he wants.
I had to turn right around and head to the archery club since I stupidly signed myself up for a HM and a 10 miler on the same weekend as our club's state championship was running. Since I'm the tournament director, I couldn't cut out on it for the entire weekend. With that, I unfortunately had to bail on the Broad Street 10 miler with pbm and Juxt on Sunday. I still wanted to hang out with pbm and meet Juxt, so I met them at some fancy pants Italian place for dinner on Saturday night. It turned out being really nice and some good food (good call pbm!). It was cool to hang out with the guys and get to know Juxt a bit.
Had a really good time man. Those trails were awesome. I need to hit more trail runs. Soooo much enjoyment seeing nature and .....aid stations with muffins and bagels WTF????
Holy Aunt Jemima batman!!!
Would like to hit them again.Thanks for keeping me company. Those inclines got brutally demoralizing as the course went on.
Your strength and endurance was visibly obvious. You seemed like you hardly broke a sweat.
Thanks again for the hospitality...despite the Tom Brady bed sheets and huge fathead on the wall staring at me all night while trying to fall asleep.
Good job with Broad Street @pbm107 and @Juxtatarot
Some serious speedsters.
BTW, I was Ned's lifeline for your Saturday night date.
The plan was if it got awkward with you all, he was going to text me the code words "heart rate monitor"....at that point I would have gone with the plan and called in a bomb threat to the restaurant. A little bummed he didn't text me. I had been working on my middle eastern accent for weeks!
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tri-man 47
Footballguy
Well, the times keep getting easier ...the trick is to keep getting better (and to have the good fortune of staying healthy). But with cumulative training benefits and, as the kids get more independent, more time for quality training, there's always hope for continual improvement.
.'
beer 30
Footballguy
Hang 10
Footballguy
beer 30
Footballguy
Hang 10
Footballguy
tri-man 47
Footballguy
worrierking
Footballguy
Fantastic, Duck! I can't wait for the report.
phatdawg
Footballguy
Finished the Indianapolis Mini Marathon in 2:03.48 ... 1 second slower than last year. 
I saw Meb at the autograph/picture session at the Expo on Friday, but I never saw him on the course. He didn't pass me on the course because he started at the back of the pack of the 35,000 participants and ran a 1:41.18. That must have felt like walking to him.
I will probably post a report later today.
I saw Meb at the autograph/picture session at the Expo on Friday, but I never saw him on the course. He didn't pass me on the course because he started at the back of the pack of the 35,000 participants and ran a 1:41.18. That must have felt like walking to him.
I will probably post a report later today.
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FUBAR
Footballguy
Took Saturday off, except for the foam roller. Rode Sunday and today and thankfully it feels a lot better. Not completely done (of course) but better. I probably won't run at all this week, then it's one week to IM Choo 70.3. While I was hoping to break 5 there, at this point I'll settle for not blowing up.
FUBAR
Footballguy
Will 10,000 hours of running make you great? I mean, let's put in 15 hours a week on average over a year. That's 780 hours, so in 13 years we can be great! 
tri-man 47
Footballguy
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Canyons 100K Race Report (grab a drink and a GU or two, this is going to take awhile.....)
Pre-race
Work travel had me on the road Tuesday-Thursday, and my normal three or four days of obsessive packing, unpacking, repacking, all while referencing an extensive spreadsheet was reduced to five minute bursts of activity between work phone calls and emails on Friday. I had hoped to be on the road by 2:00 or so, but it was 3:30 by the time I finally had the gear put together and the Xterra packed and set up for sleeping and hit the road.
I pulled in to Foresthill School about 7:00 and got set up in the parking lot in the back. Tents were being pitched in the field, others were dirtbagging in their cars like I was, and a few lucky ones had RVs or Vanagons. I checked in and picked up my bib, and then set up my backpacking stove to heat up the rice and salmon I had managed to put together that morning, and cracked open a can of Pinot Noir – nothing but the finest! I wandered around a bit, talked to a few other runners, all while trying to relax but definitely feeling nervous energy. I ran into Tim Tollefson, who I had met briefly a few months back at SF Running Company’s premier of Billy Yang’s movie Mt. Blanc. Dude couldn’t have been nicer and we chatted for a good twenty minutes about our goals for the next day (he was running the 50K, which he won), our plans for the rest of the year, his experiences racing in Europe, and sleeping in our cars. I headed back to the car, put the Western States movie This is Your Day on the iPad and sipped on some wine trying to wind down. I finally settled in to the sleeping bag around 10:00 and set the alarm for 3:45, hoping to get a decent bit of sleep for a change.
Of course I woke up at about 1:45 AM, keeping intact my record of never getting any real sleep the night before a big race. I dozed off and on a bit before finally getting up at about 4:00 as the parking lot started to fill with runners that hadn’t gotten in the night before. I got dressed and headed up to race HQ for some coffee and to drop off the drop bags that would be waiting for me here at mile 31 and down at the river at mile 48. Nervous energy filled the room as runners milled about, chatting and staying warm. I got a big hug from and talked for a minute with Erika Lindland, who then headed out a few minutes early to line up in front, where she would remain throughout the race.
Lets Do this - First 50K
With the achilles injury I’d been dealing with through the winter, my training hasn’t been what I’d hoped for the race that was to be my 2017 Western States Lottery qualifier. I got in what I could, spent a lot of time hiking, running downhills, and actually had a decent April that gave me confidence that while this was going to be a long day I should be able to get it done under the twenty hour cutoff. I almost always start at the back and ease into a long race, but I took that even farther than usual for this one. At 5:00 AM the race started, and I did what I’ve been doing in training and walked for an entire mile to make sure to get the calves and achilles nice and warmed up (no point doing a pre-race warmup for a 63 mile race!). This fit in with my overall strategy for the race – take it really easy for the first 50K, hope to have enough life in my legs and quads to run much of the mostly downhill 15 mile section to the river, and then hike well back up the 15 miles to Foresthill.
Within about two minutes I was one of the last three people in the race. Running with the mayor, as they say (like how the mayor brings up the rear of a parade sitting in the convertible). But I was ok with that – at least I kept reminding myself that I needed to be. A mile in we hit the downhill section of Bath Rd, and I settled into a comfortable pace as we cruised down that and then onto the trail that would take us on our first two mile climb, and then down into Volcano Canyon. The conga line had started to spread out a bit, but then we came to a complete stop as people lined up to use a rope to tiptoe across some rocks in Volcano Creek. Once I had an opening I went around the line and plowed through the creek in knee deep water– the forecast called for rain most of the morning so my feet were getting wet one way or another!
We climbed up to Michigan Bluff and it was great to be in the spot where I’ve spent many hours waiting for runners at Western States, and where my pacing duties began in 2012 the first time I crewed/paced here. I had put together a pace chart with 16 hour, 18 hour, and 20 hour splits and I was right in front of the 16 hour split, exactly where I hoped to be at just 10K into this thing. After a quick pit stop on the side of the trail, it was onto the section of the course I had never experienced before as we dropped down into El Dorado Canyon. The rain started to pick up here, and there were a few sections of trail that were starting to get pretty sloppy with mud, made more so by the fact that about 250 other runners had already torn it up. I remember thinking that it was really going to be a mess on the way back, little did I know what was ahead….
The climb up to The Pump aid station was long, 2500’ over about 4 ½ miles, and I just kept comfortably power hiking and moving up the field a bit. Somewhere in this section the leaders started heading back toward Foresthill, including Erika in 2nd place yelling “SEAN GROVE” and high fiving me as she cruised on by. That gave me a big smile, and after a few more sloppy sections and continued off-and-on rain I hit that aid station at mile 13.5 in about 3:20, still right on that 16 hour split pace. Western States Board President John Trent was working the aid station, and he took my pack to refill the bladder with Tailwind, asked how I was feeling, and sent me off towards Devil’s Thumb.
We ran by Ultrarunner Podcast’s Eric Schranz and his Alpenhorn, and then dropped down Devil’s Thumb toward the Swinging Bridge. The rain had picked up and we were hitting the steepest part of the course, and that proved to be a tough combination. The mud was so slick and thick that we were sliding down the trail, grabbing at roots and branches trying to stay under control. At the same time the front of the pack is trying to make their way back up, and it became a tricky balance of trying not to lose control and mow people down like bowling pins. I did all I could to keep one of my favorite mantras in mind, “Embrace the Suck.” After maybe a half a mile or so the trail firmed up a bit, but there were a couple of other sections like that on the way down. We finally made it down to the Swinging Bridge, I paused for a quick picture, and then it was scrambling back up the Thumb through the mud and rain, at 24 and 25 minute/mile pace up the two mile, 1500’ sloppy climb. Every step up in some sections my foot would slide half way back down, and it was murder on the hip flexors. So much energy used. It was a big relief to finally get back to The Pump AS and get restocked by John again (“you look great!” he lyingly exclaimed to me). I was now behind the 16 hour pace, as expected after the climb up, but still feeling good about where I was and how I was moving. My fueling with Tailwind and gels (200-250 calories an hour) and hydration were good, and I was taking an S-cap every 60-90 minutes even in the cool temperatures.
Back down the five mile descent to El Dorado Creek, and as expected it was getting sloppier and sloppier through here as well. I was getting close to 16-hour pace again as I hit the AS there but that slipped away as I began the 2,000’ climb back up to Michigan Bluff, commenting to a runner near me that I now understood the death stare I’ve seen from many runners as they stumble into what is the 55-mile mark of Western States. A few more miles through Volcano Canyon and up Bath Rd, and I was back to the start area and the half way point of Foresthill in 9:07, just about right on the 18-hour pace.
I sat down for the first time and was brought my drop bag, and realized that in my haste to pack I’d put half of the stuff I had meant for my mile 48 drop bag in this one. That meant grabbing another headlamp, swapping out the rain shell, and stuffing a new long sleeve base layer onto my pack in case it got cold with night fall. I was pissed at myself for screwing something up so basic, but tried to stay positive. I took off my shoes and socks and my feet had the wrinkled, white look of having been encased in wet socks for 9 hours, so it was good to dry them off, re-lube, and get dry socks on. I found that one of my new socks had worn out in the back near the heel, another screw up of not checking all my gear beforehand! I had some KT tape in the bag, so stuck that to my foot, got the shoes back on and headed out down Foresthill Rd. to begin the 15 mile, mostly downhill Cal St. trail to the river.
Another 50K to go
My quads were sore but still working, but my old friend the right IT band had started to act up the last few miles and I knew this next section of trail would really test it. As we dropped down onto Cal St., that familiar stabbing pain in the outside of the knee had me yelping out loud, and I begin to just repeat “please hold up, please hold up, please hold up”, knowing 15 miles of downhill would test the hell out of it. But my energy remained great, my stomach was solid, and I knew I just had to keep moving at a steady pace and I was going to get this thing done. To my surprise, the IT band didn’t get worse, and really only caused issues during steep sections of descent. Down, down to the Cal 1 AS (and another “SEAN GROVE!” and hi five as Erika ran by up the hill), up a few short but challenging climbs to Cal 2, and then down the 7 mile descent and run along the river to the AS at mile 48. I sat down again, re-lubed my feet and changed socks, and headed back out along the river and then back up out of the canyon. I had passed a handful of runners during this section and anybody who had passed me I had caught again, so I was feeling really good about how I was moving. I was now 50 miles into a race and still able to shuffle along, and even if they were 14-ish minute miles I was still running much of it! My Fenix 3 with the supposed 20-hour battery life died at the 15 hour mark during this 7-mile stretch, leaving me running a little blind. But after hours of doing the math in my head, I knew I had built up plenty of cushion against the 20-hour cutoff so I was in good shape.
Nightfall hit during this section, and I shuffled along all by myself for a good hour or two. There was a woman not too far behind me that kept letting out a “Whoop! Whoop!” every few minutes, and I later heard her telling someone she thought something was following her through the tops of the trees! I started to let out a “Hey bear!” every once in a while, knowing that bears and cougars (not the good kind) are pretty common out here. I finally made it back up to Cal 2, and didn’t really realize how much energy that climb and running alone for so long had taken out of me. But Ann Trason did! Yes, the 11-time winner of Western States and the greatest ultrarunner of all time was now working that aid station, and greeted me as I came in with “whoa, you look like you need some Coke!” I had put off eating or drinking anything but Tailwind, gels, and a few cups of broth until that point, saving the sugary, caffeine-y goodness of Coke for nightfall. And it was so good. She got me a second cup, some broth, and two sections of quesadilla. We chatted for a few minutes about her coaching clients that were out there, how well Erika was doing (she ended up taking second!), and then she walked me out of the aid station and sent me on my way. So cool.
I was now re-energized, and after another 30-45 minutes of shuffling along (I’m still running!), I finally caught up to a group of 5-6 runners. I moved up to the front of them, and another guy and I pulled away while everyone else hiked. We ran along for several miles, hiking up the hills and shuffling the short flat sections, until he finally stopped and bent over, grabbing his knees. I shined my headlamp up ahead and saw a really steep section, said goodbye to him, and kept on going. With my Garmin dead I really didn’t know how far I had left or what time it was, but I knew it was only a few more miles. I finally started seeing lights of the houses of Foresthill, and heard music from a house party somewhere. “Let’s go, finish this thing!” I kept telling myself. Finally, it was up onto the paved road of town, and damn that road was way shorter on the way out than on the way back up. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, I’m gonna run this thing in.
And run it in I did, crossing the line at 18:04:29. 181st out of 221 finishers and around 270 starters.
Post-race thoughts
I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of a race, especially in terms of executing my plan. I know I left some time on the course with my conservative start, but it was what made sense to do given my goal and my training. I’ve run better and finished much higher at some 50Ks, but every race 50M and up (and this was my 6th) I’ve had serious issues that left me wondering what could have been and absolutely miserable at times. IT bands, stomach, blisters, puking, light headedness, all sorts of things. And yes, my IT did act up again, but it didn’t get worse and it didn’t keep me from running. My stomach was solid. My energy was good for most of the race. My feet held up, only one tiny blister which I didn’t even notice until the next day. I had some low spots, but I was able to problem solve and get myself out of them. The second half of the race I moved up 17 spots and was only passed by one runner that entire time. I’ve never moved that well (yes, relatively) for that long. And I ran a negative split of 9:07:45/8:56:44! Unlike other races where I’ve been a wreck at the end, I was eating tacos and drinking beer within 15 minutes of finishing. No doubt the cool temperatures played a part in all of that, but it was the closest I’ve come to “nailing” a long race. And for the fourth year in a row, my name will be in the Western States Lottery come December!
Pre-race
Work travel had me on the road Tuesday-Thursday, and my normal three or four days of obsessive packing, unpacking, repacking, all while referencing an extensive spreadsheet was reduced to five minute bursts of activity between work phone calls and emails on Friday. I had hoped to be on the road by 2:00 or so, but it was 3:30 by the time I finally had the gear put together and the Xterra packed and set up for sleeping and hit the road.
I pulled in to Foresthill School about 7:00 and got set up in the parking lot in the back. Tents were being pitched in the field, others were dirtbagging in their cars like I was, and a few lucky ones had RVs or Vanagons. I checked in and picked up my bib, and then set up my backpacking stove to heat up the rice and salmon I had managed to put together that morning, and cracked open a can of Pinot Noir – nothing but the finest! I wandered around a bit, talked to a few other runners, all while trying to relax but definitely feeling nervous energy. I ran into Tim Tollefson, who I had met briefly a few months back at SF Running Company’s premier of Billy Yang’s movie Mt. Blanc. Dude couldn’t have been nicer and we chatted for a good twenty minutes about our goals for the next day (he was running the 50K, which he won), our plans for the rest of the year, his experiences racing in Europe, and sleeping in our cars. I headed back to the car, put the Western States movie This is Your Day on the iPad and sipped on some wine trying to wind down. I finally settled in to the sleeping bag around 10:00 and set the alarm for 3:45, hoping to get a decent bit of sleep for a change.
Of course I woke up at about 1:45 AM, keeping intact my record of never getting any real sleep the night before a big race. I dozed off and on a bit before finally getting up at about 4:00 as the parking lot started to fill with runners that hadn’t gotten in the night before. I got dressed and headed up to race HQ for some coffee and to drop off the drop bags that would be waiting for me here at mile 31 and down at the river at mile 48. Nervous energy filled the room as runners milled about, chatting and staying warm. I got a big hug from and talked for a minute with Erika Lindland, who then headed out a few minutes early to line up in front, where she would remain throughout the race.
Lets Do this - First 50K
With the achilles injury I’d been dealing with through the winter, my training hasn’t been what I’d hoped for the race that was to be my 2017 Western States Lottery qualifier. I got in what I could, spent a lot of time hiking, running downhills, and actually had a decent April that gave me confidence that while this was going to be a long day I should be able to get it done under the twenty hour cutoff. I almost always start at the back and ease into a long race, but I took that even farther than usual for this one. At 5:00 AM the race started, and I did what I’ve been doing in training and walked for an entire mile to make sure to get the calves and achilles nice and warmed up (no point doing a pre-race warmup for a 63 mile race!). This fit in with my overall strategy for the race – take it really easy for the first 50K, hope to have enough life in my legs and quads to run much of the mostly downhill 15 mile section to the river, and then hike well back up the 15 miles to Foresthill.
Within about two minutes I was one of the last three people in the race. Running with the mayor, as they say (like how the mayor brings up the rear of a parade sitting in the convertible). But I was ok with that – at least I kept reminding myself that I needed to be. A mile in we hit the downhill section of Bath Rd, and I settled into a comfortable pace as we cruised down that and then onto the trail that would take us on our first two mile climb, and then down into Volcano Canyon. The conga line had started to spread out a bit, but then we came to a complete stop as people lined up to use a rope to tiptoe across some rocks in Volcano Creek. Once I had an opening I went around the line and plowed through the creek in knee deep water– the forecast called for rain most of the morning so my feet were getting wet one way or another!
We climbed up to Michigan Bluff and it was great to be in the spot where I’ve spent many hours waiting for runners at Western States, and where my pacing duties began in 2012 the first time I crewed/paced here. I had put together a pace chart with 16 hour, 18 hour, and 20 hour splits and I was right in front of the 16 hour split, exactly where I hoped to be at just 10K into this thing. After a quick pit stop on the side of the trail, it was onto the section of the course I had never experienced before as we dropped down into El Dorado Canyon. The rain started to pick up here, and there were a few sections of trail that were starting to get pretty sloppy with mud, made more so by the fact that about 250 other runners had already torn it up. I remember thinking that it was really going to be a mess on the way back, little did I know what was ahead….
The climb up to The Pump aid station was long, 2500’ over about 4 ½ miles, and I just kept comfortably power hiking and moving up the field a bit. Somewhere in this section the leaders started heading back toward Foresthill, including Erika in 2nd place yelling “SEAN GROVE” and high fiving me as she cruised on by. That gave me a big smile, and after a few more sloppy sections and continued off-and-on rain I hit that aid station at mile 13.5 in about 3:20, still right on that 16 hour split pace. Western States Board President John Trent was working the aid station, and he took my pack to refill the bladder with Tailwind, asked how I was feeling, and sent me off towards Devil’s Thumb.
We ran by Ultrarunner Podcast’s Eric Schranz and his Alpenhorn, and then dropped down Devil’s Thumb toward the Swinging Bridge. The rain had picked up and we were hitting the steepest part of the course, and that proved to be a tough combination. The mud was so slick and thick that we were sliding down the trail, grabbing at roots and branches trying to stay under control. At the same time the front of the pack is trying to make their way back up, and it became a tricky balance of trying not to lose control and mow people down like bowling pins. I did all I could to keep one of my favorite mantras in mind, “Embrace the Suck.” After maybe a half a mile or so the trail firmed up a bit, but there were a couple of other sections like that on the way down. We finally made it down to the Swinging Bridge, I paused for a quick picture, and then it was scrambling back up the Thumb through the mud and rain, at 24 and 25 minute/mile pace up the two mile, 1500’ sloppy climb. Every step up in some sections my foot would slide half way back down, and it was murder on the hip flexors. So much energy used. It was a big relief to finally get back to The Pump AS and get restocked by John again (“you look great!” he lyingly exclaimed to me). I was now behind the 16 hour pace, as expected after the climb up, but still feeling good about where I was and how I was moving. My fueling with Tailwind and gels (200-250 calories an hour) and hydration were good, and I was taking an S-cap every 60-90 minutes even in the cool temperatures.
Back down the five mile descent to El Dorado Creek, and as expected it was getting sloppier and sloppier through here as well. I was getting close to 16-hour pace again as I hit the AS there but that slipped away as I began the 2,000’ climb back up to Michigan Bluff, commenting to a runner near me that I now understood the death stare I’ve seen from many runners as they stumble into what is the 55-mile mark of Western States. A few more miles through Volcano Canyon and up Bath Rd, and I was back to the start area and the half way point of Foresthill in 9:07, just about right on the 18-hour pace.
I sat down for the first time and was brought my drop bag, and realized that in my haste to pack I’d put half of the stuff I had meant for my mile 48 drop bag in this one. That meant grabbing another headlamp, swapping out the rain shell, and stuffing a new long sleeve base layer onto my pack in case it got cold with night fall. I was pissed at myself for screwing something up so basic, but tried to stay positive. I took off my shoes and socks and my feet had the wrinkled, white look of having been encased in wet socks for 9 hours, so it was good to dry them off, re-lube, and get dry socks on. I found that one of my new socks had worn out in the back near the heel, another screw up of not checking all my gear beforehand! I had some KT tape in the bag, so stuck that to my foot, got the shoes back on and headed out down Foresthill Rd. to begin the 15 mile, mostly downhill Cal St. trail to the river.
Another 50K to go
My quads were sore but still working, but my old friend the right IT band had started to act up the last few miles and I knew this next section of trail would really test it. As we dropped down onto Cal St., that familiar stabbing pain in the outside of the knee had me yelping out loud, and I begin to just repeat “please hold up, please hold up, please hold up”, knowing 15 miles of downhill would test the hell out of it. But my energy remained great, my stomach was solid, and I knew I just had to keep moving at a steady pace and I was going to get this thing done. To my surprise, the IT band didn’t get worse, and really only caused issues during steep sections of descent. Down, down to the Cal 1 AS (and another “SEAN GROVE!” and hi five as Erika ran by up the hill), up a few short but challenging climbs to Cal 2, and then down the 7 mile descent and run along the river to the AS at mile 48. I sat down again, re-lubed my feet and changed socks, and headed back out along the river and then back up out of the canyon. I had passed a handful of runners during this section and anybody who had passed me I had caught again, so I was feeling really good about how I was moving. I was now 50 miles into a race and still able to shuffle along, and even if they were 14-ish minute miles I was still running much of it! My Fenix 3 with the supposed 20-hour battery life died at the 15 hour mark during this 7-mile stretch, leaving me running a little blind. But after hours of doing the math in my head, I knew I had built up plenty of cushion against the 20-hour cutoff so I was in good shape.
Nightfall hit during this section, and I shuffled along all by myself for a good hour or two. There was a woman not too far behind me that kept letting out a “Whoop! Whoop!” every few minutes, and I later heard her telling someone she thought something was following her through the tops of the trees! I started to let out a “Hey bear!” every once in a while, knowing that bears and cougars (not the good kind) are pretty common out here. I finally made it back up to Cal 2, and didn’t really realize how much energy that climb and running alone for so long had taken out of me. But Ann Trason did! Yes, the 11-time winner of Western States and the greatest ultrarunner of all time was now working that aid station, and greeted me as I came in with “whoa, you look like you need some Coke!” I had put off eating or drinking anything but Tailwind, gels, and a few cups of broth until that point, saving the sugary, caffeine-y goodness of Coke for nightfall. And it was so good. She got me a second cup, some broth, and two sections of quesadilla. We chatted for a few minutes about her coaching clients that were out there, how well Erika was doing (she ended up taking second!), and then she walked me out of the aid station and sent me on my way. So cool.
I was now re-energized, and after another 30-45 minutes of shuffling along (I’m still running!), I finally caught up to a group of 5-6 runners. I moved up to the front of them, and another guy and I pulled away while everyone else hiked. We ran along for several miles, hiking up the hills and shuffling the short flat sections, until he finally stopped and bent over, grabbing his knees. I shined my headlamp up ahead and saw a really steep section, said goodbye to him, and kept on going. With my Garmin dead I really didn’t know how far I had left or what time it was, but I knew it was only a few more miles. I finally started seeing lights of the houses of Foresthill, and heard music from a house party somewhere. “Let’s go, finish this thing!” I kept telling myself. Finally, it was up onto the paved road of town, and damn that road was way shorter on the way out than on the way back up. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, I’m gonna run this thing in.
And run it in I did, crossing the line at 18:04:29. 181st out of 221 finishers and around 270 starters.
Post-race thoughts
I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of a race, especially in terms of executing my plan. I know I left some time on the course with my conservative start, but it was what made sense to do given my goal and my training. I’ve run better and finished much higher at some 50Ks, but every race 50M and up (and this was my 6th) I’ve had serious issues that left me wondering what could have been and absolutely miserable at times. IT bands, stomach, blisters, puking, light headedness, all sorts of things. And yes, my IT did act up again, but it didn’t get worse and it didn’t keep me from running. My stomach was solid. My energy was good for most of the race. My feet held up, only one tiny blister which I didn’t even notice until the next day. I had some low spots, but I was able to problem solve and get myself out of them. The second half of the race I moved up 17 spots and was only passed by one runner that entire time. I’ve never moved that well (yes, relatively) for that long. And I ran a negative split of 9:07:45/8:56:44! Unlike other races where I’ve been a wreck at the end, I was eating tacos and drinking beer within 15 minutes of finishing. No doubt the cool temperatures played a part in all of that, but it was the closest I’ve come to “nailing” a long race. And for the fourth year in a row, my name will be in the Western States Lottery come December!
Sand
Footballguy
Great race! Did you take pictures along the way? Congrats on the lottery entry (fingers crossed!)
And +10 pts for working in "dirtbagging" into your report. I had to look that one up.
ChiefD
Footballguy
Duck, one hell of a read as usual. I am in constant awe of you and your accomplishments. I honestly use your races as motivation through the dog days of training (i.e. I am a ##### worried about this piddly 8 mile run compared to what Duck does).
Great race, and congrats on qualifying again for Western States. Here's to hoping you get in. Rooting for you.
Great race, and congrats on qualifying again for Western States. Here's to hoping you get in. Rooting for you.
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