Donald Buraglio and Michael Dove's Blog, page 8
June 5, 2012
CLIF Kit's Organic Bar Review and Giveaway
There's
no such thing as summer vacation for the CLIF Company – at least,
not if the procession of packages at my door over the past few weeks
is any indication.
First
up was Gary's Panforte, which I described and gave away a few weeks
ago. Those are still available on store shelves – I saw some at
REI just last week – and this week is another giveaway featuring
yet another new product. However, instead of commemorating company
founder Gary Erickson and his adventures in the Italian Alps, this product
spotlights the other half of CLIF's “dynamic duo”: Kit Crawford,
Gary's better half who also happens to be an organic farmer
extraordinaire.
Kit Crawford; photo courtesy CLIF Company
Last
summer (when I was reviewing their Family Wine, which still ranks as
one of the all-time coolest product reviews in R&R history) I
mentioned the CLIF Family Farm, founded in Northern California in
2003. Gary and Kit developed the farm as their commitment to
organics and sustainable farming, and to promote the larger vision of
family farming and local consumption.
The
newly released CLIF creation, called Kit’s Organic, is a fruit and
nut bar that reflects Kit’s lifelong passion for organic gardening and
simple food production. Each bar has 200 calories or less, and
they're all gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free – and they're
made with just a handful of 100% organic ingredients, in some cases
as few as four. They have a very soft, chewy texture, and come in
four flavors: Berry Almond, Cashew, Chocolate Almond Coconut, and
Peanut Butter.
Berry Almond flavor Kit's Organic bar
In
size, texture, and ingredient count, these new bars are very similar
to a product called the C Bar that was released a couple of years ago
… and now that I'm looking for them on the CLIF website, I realize
that C Bars must have been discontinued. My family and I really
liked the C Bars, and these Kit's Organic bars hit the spot as well,
although the flavors are more nut-based than the fruit-heavy
varieties (such as cherry pomegranate, apple, or blueberry) of C
Bars.
Each
of Kit's bars has a three-quarters serving of organic fruit, and it's
a good low glycemic index food that is also high in fiber. They also
prove the notion that simple combinations of ingredients can produce
wonderful tasting goodies, and they're a great representation of
Kit's passion for organic farming.
Kit’s
Organic bars are now available from the company website as well as select stores nationwide, but
thanks to the generosity of the CLIF Company, a few of my readers
will get to try them for free. Three winners will receive a sampler
box containing 2 bars of each flavor, or 8 total bars per winner.
Leave a comment in the box below to enter, and winners will be
announced this Saturday, June 9.
Special
thanks to Kit Crawford and the CLIF Company for sponsoring this
contest, and good luck to everybody!
*Products
provided by CLIF Bar and Company
**If
you have a product you'd like reviewed, contact me at
info@runningandrambling.com.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
June 3, 2012
Slacker By Numbers
Obviously we're not quite back to operational capacity
around Running and Rambling just yet; I could go into all the details, but I
suspect that would sound too much like complaining. Instead, I'll do a quick by-the-numbers
rundown as a status update of what's been going on, as well as a look ahead at
what's to come - and we may as well start with our customary Random Shot of
Beauty ...
5: number of weeks since I took this RSOB in Toro Park, a
place that used to be my training ground at least twice per week for the past
10 years.
0: number of times I've run in Toro Park since the above
photo was taken.
9: consecutive days I spent without running while dealing with
one of the most stubborn illnesses I've had in recent memory.
6: number of miles I was finally able to run one day last week ...
4 (and counting): number of days I haven't run since then. No, I'm not nearly healthy yet. Normally this wouldn't be such a lamentable situation,
if not for ...
11: weeks until I'll be on the start line of the Leadville
100. Yes, I'm beginning to panic. However, there's one bright spot ...
9: number of weeks that my kids are off school now, meaning
I have a bit more flexibility to squeeze in some extra mileage over the next
several weeks. Assuming I can get
healthy, that is.
See? It's easy for me
to get carried away with the kvetching. On to some better news ...
82: approximate number of seconds it took me to officially fell in love with the following skate video featuring Kilian Martin. I could tell you about the beauty and
artistry of the 4-minute clip - but trust me, it will be far better if I just
show you:
"Kilian Martin: Altered Route" (click to play):
2: number of skateboard videos I've shown here in the past 8
days. I don't think this reflects any
sort of trend ... although I'm still trying to spend a lot of time on a new pair
of Rollerblades that I'll be reviewing later this summer. I don't anticipate changing the masthead to Rolling and Rambling anytime soon,
though.
24: number of cool new CLIF Bars that will be awarded from my
website: 8 bars each to 3 winners after a new product review sometime next week. So hang in there with me; I promise there
are better times ahead.
Speaking of which ...
9: miles I hope to run tomorrow morning. Because Leadville doesn't really care if I've
lost my mojo lately - so I had better start building it back.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
May 29, 2012
VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra and Ultra Pure Review
Although I've reviewed
a lot of VIVOBAREFOOT shoes in the past, one notable model flew under my radar
- perhaps because I never knew what to make of it.
VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra
The company's Ultra is
the shoe equivalent of a Rorschach test: whatever you want to see in it, that's
what it can be. It was originally
released in 2011 as a beach or travel shoe, but it's equally suitable as a
casual shoe or a super-lightweight running shoe. Its modular construction allows you to
use the same pair for a variety of uses - and with a kids version released this
year, it can also be a very cool schoolyard shoe: bright and fashionable for wearing
in class, but athletic enough to sprint around the playground at recess.
In hindsight, I'm sort
of embarrassed that it took me so long to get around to reviewing them - so to
make up for it, this is a double review: I've been testing the modular men's
Ultra as a running shoe, and my daughter has been wearing the non-modular (I'll
explain shortly) Ultra Pure as an everyday kids shoe. There's also an Ultra Kids model which is
basically a scaled-down Ultra Pure with a Velcro strap. All
of the shoes are 100% vegan, and are constructed with the same injection
molding technique which creates the entire outer shell from EVA.
VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra Pure
Or, as my daughter put
it, "They're like fancy Crocs!" - which is the primary comparison
people make when they see or feel the Ultra for the first time. However, in my opinion they're WAY better than
crocs ...
... because they have all the features we love about VIVOBAREFOOT: completely flat,
completely flexible, and completely suitable for pretty much any activity you
can think of.
They're also very
impressively light: the standard Ultra weighs in at 5.5 oz, and the Ultra Pure
weighs a mere 3.7 oz. The difference
between the two models is the presence of a sock liner that snaps into place at
the heel and at the base of the lace area: the Ultra comes with the liner,
the Ultra Pure doesn't.
If you remove the sock
liner, there's a small pad that can snap into place underneath the laces on top
of the midfoot. All of this snapping
back and forth can be done in a matter of seconds.
One minor drawback I found
with the lacing system is that the clasp that holds the laces in place can be
very stiff when switching to the "unlock" position. Fortunately, you don't really need to adjust
the tension through the laces very much, and the shoe essentially functions
like a slip-on once you get the proper setting established the first time.
Since the primary
difference between the Ultra and the Ultra Pure is the presence of a sock liner,
if you happen to be mathematically gifted, you can deduce that the liner itself
weighs 1.8 oz. If you remove the liner
from the Ultra, it weighs the same as the Ultra Pure. Some users wear just the liner without the
shell as a protective second-skin sock, similar to a Sockwa or Moc3; the
advantage of VIVOBAREFOOT's sock over those others is that it has full puncture
protection underfoot.
This brings up another
distinction between the Ultra and the Ultra Pure: on the Ultra, the
puncture-resistant layer
resides on the bottom of the sock liner - so if you take the lining out and
wear just the shell, you don't have the same resistance that other VIVOBAREFOOT
shoes provide. However, on the Ultra
Pure, the inner lining on the footbed is fully puncture-resistant.
The
interior of the sock liner is very soft and comfortable against bare skin. I run in mine sockless for all road mileage,
but use a thin layer of socks for long trail outings.
With
the liner removed, the insole surface is lightly pebbled, which feels a bit odd
at first but quickly gets accommodated by a bare foot. This is the same insole pattern featured on
the Ultra Pure, which doesn't have the sock liner.
I
tend to keep the lining in my Ultra for road running for a couple of reasons:
1) I'm usually running in the early morning when my toes get cold, so I like
the insulation of the sock to keep my bare toes warmer, and 2) when your feet
start sweating, if you're not wearing the liner there can be a bit of movement
inside the upper as the EVA insole surface gets a little bit slick.
Back to the shell construction: all
Ultra shoes employ a modern EVA
injection molding technique which combines a softer density (and more flexible)
EVA in the uppers and a higher density (and more protective) EVA on the
outsole. The high-abrasion EVA upper is
highly durable but very soft, allowing the foot to flex and move naturally. The outsole portion is 7mm thick, but
according to the company specs can compress down to as much as 3mm with
long-term use.
The outsole EVA is also firmer than the
upper to enhance ground feedback.
Obviously, the primary drawback of an EVA outsole is the rate of
deterioration; my pair came with a disclaimer slip stating that with proper
running technique, they should last for up to 300 road miles. However, since I'm primarily running on
trails, I anticipate that they'll last significantly longer.
Traction isn't outstanding - in fact, it's
probably the worst of any VIVOBAREFOOT running shoe. On steep hills or gravel fire roads it's
definitely a limitation compared to something aggressive like the Breatho Trail
outsole. And interestingly, considering its original
marketing as a aqua shoe, I've found that traction on wet, rocky stream
crossings is pretty shaky. However, the
grip is perfectly adequate for road running in all but the slickest conditions,
as well as for groomed trails that aren't obnoxiously technical.
It also makes a great hybrid shoe for
high-mileage runs that shift from roads to trails, which is why they were on my
feet during my 20-mile Pebble Beach adventure a few weeks ago. You may recall that run had significant stretches
of running in deep sand, and since the Ultra's outer shell is completely
porous, I was curious to see how the sock liner protected my feet from sand
intrusion over the long haul.
I was pleasantly surprised, as this picture (click to enlarge for a better view) taken
after a long sandy stretch illustrates. Very
little sand made it through to my socks (Drymax hyper thin, if you're
interested), and most of the debris was either trapped by the sock liner or
fell to the bottom of the shell for easy removal.
Overall, the Ultra and
Ultra Pure turned out to be highly functional for both my daughter's and my needs. She loves the open look and summertime feel
of the Pure without a sock liner, and I'm impressed with the Ultra's performance as
a hybrid running shoe. (Of course, for
me or any other ultrarunners out there, the name of this shoe conjures
something that's better equipped for rugged trails than for tame roads, but that's just
semantics.) They're also very suitable for a
lot of cross-training activities, or simply as a funky-looking warm weather casual
shoe.
All of VIVOBAREFOOT's Ultra shoes
are quite affordably priced, and available from the company website at the links below:
The Ultra retails for $80.
The Ultra Pure retails for $50.
The Ultra Kids retails for $40.
*Products provided by
VIVOBAREFOOT
**See other product
reviews on sidebar at right. If you have
a product you'd like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
a lot of VIVOBAREFOOT shoes in the past, one notable model flew under my radar
- perhaps because I never knew what to make of it.
VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra
The company's Ultra is
the shoe equivalent of a Rorschach test: whatever you want to see in it, that's
what it can be. It was originally
released in 2011 as a beach or travel shoe, but it's equally suitable as a
casual shoe or a super-lightweight running shoe. Its modular construction allows you to
use the same pair for a variety of uses - and with a kids version released this
year, it can also be a very cool schoolyard shoe: bright and fashionable for wearing
in class, but athletic enough to sprint around the playground at recess.
In hindsight, I'm sort
of embarrassed that it took me so long to get around to reviewing them - so to
make up for it, this is a double review: I've been testing the modular men's
Ultra as a running shoe, and my daughter has been wearing the non-modular (I'll
explain shortly) Ultra Pure as an everyday kids shoe. There's also an Ultra Kids model which is
basically a scaled-down Ultra Pure with a Velcro strap. All
of the shoes are 100% vegan, and are constructed with the same injection
molding technique which creates the entire outer shell from EVA.
VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra Pure
Or, as my daughter put
it, "They're like fancy Crocs!" - which is the primary comparison
people make when they see or feel the Ultra for the first time. However, in my opinion they're WAY better than
crocs ...
... because they have all the features we love about VIVOBAREFOOT: completely flat,
completely flexible, and completely suitable for pretty much any activity you
can think of.
They're also very
impressively light: the standard Ultra weighs in at 5.5 oz, and the Ultra Pure
weighs a mere 3.7 oz. The difference
between the two models is the presence of a sock liner that snaps into place at
the heel and at the base of the lace area: the Ultra comes with the liner,
the Ultra Pure doesn't.
If you remove the sock
liner, there's a small pad that can snap into place underneath the laces on top
of the midfoot. All of this snapping
back and forth can be done in a matter of seconds.
One minor drawback I found
with the lacing system is that the clasp that holds the laces in place can be
very stiff when switching to the "unlock" position. Fortunately, you don't really need to adjust
the tension through the laces very much, and the shoe essentially functions
like a slip-on once you get the proper setting established the first time.
Since the primary
difference between the Ultra and the Ultra Pure is the presence of a sock liner,
if you happen to be mathematically gifted, you can deduce that the liner itself
weighs 1.8 oz. If you remove the liner
from the Ultra, it weighs the same as the Ultra Pure. Some users wear just the liner without the
shell as a protective second-skin sock, similar to a Sockwa or Moc3; the
advantage of VIVOBAREFOOT's sock over those others is that it has full puncture
protection underfoot.
This brings up another
distinction between the Ultra and the Ultra Pure: on the Ultra, the
puncture-resistant layer
resides on the bottom of the sock liner - so if you take the lining out and
wear just the shell, you don't have the same resistance that other VIVOBAREFOOT
shoes provide. However, on the Ultra
Pure, the inner lining on the footbed is fully puncture-resistant.
The
interior of the sock liner is very soft and comfortable against bare skin. I run in mine sockless for all road mileage,
but use a thin layer of socks for long trail outings.
With
the liner removed, the insole surface is lightly pebbled, which feels a bit odd
at first but quickly gets accommodated by a bare foot. This is the same insole pattern featured on
the Ultra Pure, which doesn't have the sock liner.
I
tend to keep the lining in my Ultra for road running for a couple of reasons:
1) I'm usually running in the early morning when my toes get cold, so I like
the insulation of the sock to keep my bare toes warmer, and 2) when your feet
start sweating, if you're not wearing the liner there can be a bit of movement
inside the upper as the EVA insole surface gets a little bit slick.
Back to the shell construction: all
Ultra shoes employ a modern EVA
injection molding technique which combines a softer density (and more flexible)
EVA in the uppers and a higher density (and more protective) EVA on the
outsole. The high-abrasion EVA upper is
highly durable but very soft, allowing the foot to flex and move naturally. The outsole portion is 7mm thick, but
according to the company specs can compress down to as much as 3mm with
long-term use.
The outsole EVA is also firmer than the
upper to enhance ground feedback.
Obviously, the primary drawback of an EVA outsole is the rate of
deterioration; my pair came with a disclaimer slip stating that with proper
running technique, they should last for up to 300 road miles. However, since I'm primarily running on
trails, I anticipate that they'll last significantly longer.
Traction isn't outstanding - in fact, it's
probably the worst of any VIVOBAREFOOT running shoe. On steep hills or gravel fire roads it's
definitely a limitation compared to something aggressive like the Breatho Trail
outsole. And interestingly, considering its original
marketing as a aqua shoe, I've found that traction on wet, rocky stream
crossings is pretty shaky. However, the
grip is perfectly adequate for road running in all but the slickest conditions,
as well as for groomed trails that aren't obnoxiously technical.
It also makes a great hybrid shoe for
high-mileage runs that shift from roads to trails, which is why they were on my
feet during my 20-mile Pebble Beach adventure a few weeks ago. You may recall that run had significant stretches
of running in deep sand, and since the Ultra's outer shell is completely
porous, I was curious to see how the sock liner protected my feet from sand
intrusion over the long haul.
I was pleasantly surprised, as this picture (click to enlarge for a better view) taken
after a long sandy stretch illustrates. Very
little sand made it through to my socks (Drymax hyper thin, if you're
interested), and most of the debris was either trapped by the sock liner or
fell to the bottom of the shell for easy removal.
Overall, the Ultra and
Ultra Pure turned out to be highly functional for both my daughter's and my needs. She loves the open look and summertime feel
of the Pure without a sock liner, and I'm impressed with the Ultra's performance as
a hybrid running shoe. (Of course, for
me or any other ultrarunners out there, the name of this shoe conjures
something that's better equipped for rugged trails than for tame roads, but that's just
semantics.) They're also very suitable for a
lot of cross-training activities, or simply as a funky-looking warm weather casual
shoe.
All of VIVOBAREFOOT's Ultra shoes
are quite affordably priced, and available from the company website at the links below:
The Ultra retails for $80.
The Ultra Pure retails for $50.
The Ultra Kids retails for $40.
*Products provided by
VIVOBAREFOOT
**See other product
reviews on sidebar at right. If you have
a product you'd like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
May 27, 2012
Weekend Ramblings
"Down, down,
down, down, it gets me so -
Down, down, down, down
..."
- Blink 182, "Down" (video after post)
You could say it's been something of a down week around this
little corner of the Internet.
I guess that's what you get when you combine the height of
training season, a frenzied end of the school year, exciting new work
opportunities, and a laptop-shaped void where my most familiar writing tool
used to reside. (That last one's a long
story I'd rather not re-tell.)
To top it all off, I got knocked on my tail by a nasty
illness this week - the kind that makes you want to crawl in a hole so the
world won't be bothered by your whimpering.
Consequently, I'm spending much of my holiday weekend
passively taking in the world around me - and over the past several days, a few
items seemed interesting enough to pass along.
I hope you appreciate them, as I'm probably infecting my wife's keyboard
in order to publish them here.
*
Coincidentally, the first item comes from my wife, who had the
privilege opportunity obligation to chaperone the final 8th grade dance that
doubled as a "So long, middle school!" party for all the kids heading
off to high school in the fall - one of who happens to be our son.
This story isn't about our son, though - it's about the
girls at the dance, about whom my wife commented afterward, You should have
seen the heels these girls were all wearing, before demonstrating by holding
her thumb and forefinger about 5 inches apart.
Considering that one of my top-5 father goals is to prevent my daughters from ever wearing high heels, this was certainly a discouraging report.
However, the next part of my wife's account cheered me up
immensely:
The funny thing was, right after the dance started, almost
all of them just took their shoes off and spent the whole night barefoot. The ones who didn't were walking around in
pain by the end of the night.
So maybe there's hope for me after all - and one day, females of the
world will come to their senses and outlaw those foolish contraptions once and
forever. For my part, I'll raise two
girls who are ready to join the crusade.
*
This one's a quick link, but a lengthy must-read: Caballo Blanco's Last Run, as seen in this week's New York Times. It's wonderfully written, and a fitting
tribute to a reluctant ultrarunning legend.
*
This one took me by surprise, as I initially dismissed it as
just another skater/shredder clip.
However, the piece stands out for a few reasons:
- It features Jeff Ament, who until this week I only knew as
the bass player for Pearl Jam.
- In the piece, he speaks about the ways that skating
satisfies his soul in much the same way I often talk to people about trail
running.
- It portrays how Ament was able to spread his passion in a heartfelt act of generosity that could have positive ramifications on an entire
community.
The clip is a bit on the long side, but you'll be glad you
watched.
"Pass the Bucket With Jeff Ament" (click to play):
And hopefully we'll resume regular programming in the next few
days, assuming I can get myself up from being so down.
*
Blink 182, "Down" (click to play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
down, down, it gets me so -
Down, down, down, down
..."
- Blink 182, "Down" (video after post)
You could say it's been something of a down week around this
little corner of the Internet.
I guess that's what you get when you combine the height of
training season, a frenzied end of the school year, exciting new work
opportunities, and a laptop-shaped void where my most familiar writing tool
used to reside. (That last one's a long
story I'd rather not re-tell.)
To top it all off, I got knocked on my tail by a nasty
illness this week - the kind that makes you want to crawl in a hole so the
world won't be bothered by your whimpering.
Consequently, I'm spending much of my holiday weekend
passively taking in the world around me - and over the past several days, a few
items seemed interesting enough to pass along.
I hope you appreciate them, as I'm probably infecting my wife's keyboard
in order to publish them here.
*
Coincidentally, the first item comes from my wife, who had the
privilege opportunity obligation to chaperone the final 8th grade dance that
doubled as a "So long, middle school!" party for all the kids heading
off to high school in the fall - one of who happens to be our son.
This story isn't about our son, though - it's about the
girls at the dance, about whom my wife commented afterward, You should have
seen the heels these girls were all wearing, before demonstrating by holding
her thumb and forefinger about 5 inches apart.
Considering that one of my top-5 father goals is to prevent my daughters from ever wearing high heels, this was certainly a discouraging report.
However, the next part of my wife's account cheered me up
immensely:
The funny thing was, right after the dance started, almost
all of them just took their shoes off and spent the whole night barefoot. The ones who didn't were walking around in
pain by the end of the night.
So maybe there's hope for me after all - and one day, females of the
world will come to their senses and outlaw those foolish contraptions once and
forever. For my part, I'll raise two
girls who are ready to join the crusade.
*
This one's a quick link, but a lengthy must-read: Caballo Blanco's Last Run, as seen in this week's New York Times. It's wonderfully written, and a fitting
tribute to a reluctant ultrarunning legend.
*
This one took me by surprise, as I initially dismissed it as
just another skater/shredder clip.
However, the piece stands out for a few reasons:
- It features Jeff Ament, who until this week I only knew as
the bass player for Pearl Jam.
- In the piece, he speaks about the ways that skating
satisfies his soul in much the same way I often talk to people about trail
running.
- It portrays how Ament was able to spread his passion in a heartfelt act of generosity that could have positive ramifications on an entire
community.
The clip is a bit on the long side, but you'll be glad you
watched.
"Pass the Bucket With Jeff Ament" (click to play):
And hopefully we'll resume regular programming in the next few
days, assuming I can get myself up from being so down.
*
Blink 182, "Down" (click to play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
May 22, 2012
Train Like a Champion
In the first 24 years of the Big Sur Marathon, no Monterey County resident won the men's race*. In the past three years, Monterey men have won three in a row.
(*That statement is sometimes disputed in that 6-time winner and course record holder Brad Hawthorne, whom the men's trophy is now named after, actually lived in Monterey County for a brief period - but when he sent in his race applications, his primary residence was listed as Danville. It's one of those local runner-geek arguments around here.)
Big Sur isn't some podunk race that any random slacker can win just by showing up on the right day; it usually attracts a decent crowd of high-caliber runners, and racing successfully there requires sound strategy and strong mental fortitude. So when we suddenly found ourselves awash in recent winners, my friend Mike decided to hit one of them up for training advice that he could pass along to the rest of our running community.
The result is the Monterey Herald column that follows below, which is just as applicable to the greater marathon community outside Monterey County.
**
Running Life 05/17/12 "Train Like a Champion"
" Champions are made when no one is watching." - Author unknown.
When Adam Roach of Pacific Grove crossed the finish line first at this year's Big Sur Marathon, the entire community shared and celebrated his accomplishment. What none of us saw, however, were the months of hard work he put in while no one was watching in order to make his triumphant day possible.
Adam Roach winning the BSIM; photo from Monterey Herald
We spoke with Adam recently to ask about his training for this year's race. His responses highlighted some lessons that anyone can benefit from - even those of us who finish many minutes (or hours) behind him.
Adam is 28 and works full time, so he fits running around his work schedule and family time just like the rest of us. He usually runs after work each week day and on weekend mornings, averaging about 80 miles per week in the springtime - a volume that is far lower than the 100-120 miles that many professional runners log.
A typical week includes a Sunday 20-miler in the Fort Ord/Toro Park area with Daniel Tapia (2010 Big Sur Marathon winner) at about 6:00 per mile pace. Mondays are 10 miles at a "comfortably fast" pace of 6:15-7:00/mile. Tuesdays include 10 miles of trails in Garland Ranch or Del Monte Forest
On Wednesdays, Adam hits the Pacific Grove High School track to run intervals at race pace. Sometimes the intervals are long, such as 4 x 2 miles at marathon pace, and other times they're short, such as his favorite workout of fifty 400-meter repeats at half marathon speed. Thursday is another "comfortably fast" run, Friday is a 10-mile tempo (slightly slower than race pace) run, and Sunday has 12 more "comfortably fast" miles.
What did we learn from all this? Here are some key themes:
Consistent long runs are critical: Adam didn't have any runs over 20 miles, but he did a 20-miler nearly every week from February through April. He calls these, "The bread and butter of my training ... and the long runs over hilly terrain gave me endurance to be able to run hard for a full 26 miles on race day." These runs were bolstered by the long interval and tempo run workouts, which helped him to stay comfortable while running at race pace.
Discipline and toughness: Did any of those track workouts sound difficult to anyone? How about a weekly 20-miler? Or running every day for a minimum of 10 miles? You can't do these things without enormous self-discipline - and each progressive session builds increased confidence, toughness, and mental strength that will be needed to race off the front of the pack on race day.
Focus on the goal: Adam's race schedule was minimal, and his entire training program was designed solely to prepare him for Big Sur. He ran the Mission 10-Miler in San Juan Bautista in January and the Santa Cruz Half-Marathon in March, and otherwise stayed focused on his one major goal race.
Just run, baby: Adam does minimal cross training, weights, or stretching, because he'd rather spend his limited workout time exclusively running. Once a week he'll do a short abs/core workout, "But nothing too crazy." Specificity of training pays enormous benefits in learning to run more efficiently.
Obviously, successful training plans differ for everybody, but Adam has clearly found a system that works well for him. If you take some cues from his training regimen, you still might not win the Big Sur Marathon, but you'll almost certainly become a better runner.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
(*That statement is sometimes disputed in that 6-time winner and course record holder Brad Hawthorne, whom the men's trophy is now named after, actually lived in Monterey County for a brief period - but when he sent in his race applications, his primary residence was listed as Danville. It's one of those local runner-geek arguments around here.)
Big Sur isn't some podunk race that any random slacker can win just by showing up on the right day; it usually attracts a decent crowd of high-caliber runners, and racing successfully there requires sound strategy and strong mental fortitude. So when we suddenly found ourselves awash in recent winners, my friend Mike decided to hit one of them up for training advice that he could pass along to the rest of our running community.
The result is the Monterey Herald column that follows below, which is just as applicable to the greater marathon community outside Monterey County.
**
Running Life 05/17/12 "Train Like a Champion"
" Champions are made when no one is watching." - Author unknown.
When Adam Roach of Pacific Grove crossed the finish line first at this year's Big Sur Marathon, the entire community shared and celebrated his accomplishment. What none of us saw, however, were the months of hard work he put in while no one was watching in order to make his triumphant day possible.
Adam Roach winning the BSIM; photo from Monterey Herald
We spoke with Adam recently to ask about his training for this year's race. His responses highlighted some lessons that anyone can benefit from - even those of us who finish many minutes (or hours) behind him.
Adam is 28 and works full time, so he fits running around his work schedule and family time just like the rest of us. He usually runs after work each week day and on weekend mornings, averaging about 80 miles per week in the springtime - a volume that is far lower than the 100-120 miles that many professional runners log.
A typical week includes a Sunday 20-miler in the Fort Ord/Toro Park area with Daniel Tapia (2010 Big Sur Marathon winner) at about 6:00 per mile pace. Mondays are 10 miles at a "comfortably fast" pace of 6:15-7:00/mile. Tuesdays include 10 miles of trails in Garland Ranch or Del Monte Forest
On Wednesdays, Adam hits the Pacific Grove High School track to run intervals at race pace. Sometimes the intervals are long, such as 4 x 2 miles at marathon pace, and other times they're short, such as his favorite workout of fifty 400-meter repeats at half marathon speed. Thursday is another "comfortably fast" run, Friday is a 10-mile tempo (slightly slower than race pace) run, and Sunday has 12 more "comfortably fast" miles.
What did we learn from all this? Here are some key themes:
Consistent long runs are critical: Adam didn't have any runs over 20 miles, but he did a 20-miler nearly every week from February through April. He calls these, "The bread and butter of my training ... and the long runs over hilly terrain gave me endurance to be able to run hard for a full 26 miles on race day." These runs were bolstered by the long interval and tempo run workouts, which helped him to stay comfortable while running at race pace.
Discipline and toughness: Did any of those track workouts sound difficult to anyone? How about a weekly 20-miler? Or running every day for a minimum of 10 miles? You can't do these things without enormous self-discipline - and each progressive session builds increased confidence, toughness, and mental strength that will be needed to race off the front of the pack on race day.
Focus on the goal: Adam's race schedule was minimal, and his entire training program was designed solely to prepare him for Big Sur. He ran the Mission 10-Miler in San Juan Bautista in January and the Santa Cruz Half-Marathon in March, and otherwise stayed focused on his one major goal race.
Just run, baby: Adam does minimal cross training, weights, or stretching, because he'd rather spend his limited workout time exclusively running. Once a week he'll do a short abs/core workout, "But nothing too crazy." Specificity of training pays enormous benefits in learning to run more efficiently.
Obviously, successful training plans differ for everybody, but Adam has clearly found a system that works well for him. If you take some cues from his training regimen, you still might not win the Big Sur Marathon, but you'll almost certainly become a better runner.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
May 19, 2012
Monkey Shake Winner; GoLite Spring Blowout Sale; Soft Star "Princess" RunAmocs; Random Shots of Beauty
A few business notes of interest before our customary
weekend RSOB ..
First, let's announce our Monkey Shake winner! Mike Dixon: e-mail me your contact info - you've won! In case anyone's curious, Mike's winning entry was the famous "I'll stir fry you in my wok!" line from the classic "Intergalactic" - which, just as a final MCA tribute, I've decide to embed below. Interestingly, considering that this is a running blog, nobody picked the "I run the marathon to the very last mile" line from the same song. Anyway, congrats to Mike, and thanks to everyone else who entered - that one was kind of fun.
*
I used to do a number of product reviews for GoLite - but that
stopped roughly one year ago as the company laid the groundwork for a somewhat
radical new business model. Basically,
they're dramatically downsizing their marketing and completely eliminating
their relationships with third party outdoor retailers.
The upside of this from a customer's standpoint is that their
product margins aren't impacted by those additional costs, so they pass the
savings - in many cases, up to 50% of the previous MSRP - on to customers via
direct website sales at GoLite.com. It's
a model that's driven by discounts and word of mouth marketing, and depends
upon returning customers who have strong loyalty for the brand.
Of course, the model won't work unless the products are high
quality - and in the case of GoLite, that's exactly what they offer. Their Rush pack is still my favorite for day
hiking, and their 9" Mesa Trail shorts are a top choice for chilly winter
mornings that aren't quite cold enough for tights. And right now you can get those items as well
as anything else at the GoLite site at deep discounts while the company blows
out their Spring 2012 inventory - for example, the Rush pack I linked above is only $45, and the Mesa shorts are $22.50. Click here to check out the sale, and it will be interesting to see how GoLite's new
business model fares in the months and years to come.
**
I'm not exactly sure whether this next item pertains to any
of my readers, but you never know, so here goes: Soft Star shoes is now able to
make shiny, starry varieties of your running moccasins if that's something
you're into.
Black suede with white stars (middle), cream leather with gold stars (right); photo from Soft Star website
The company has recently sourced some decorative suede hides
with star patterns that can be used for adult RunAmocs. They also have a cream and gold star leather
that can be used for decorative accents.
So if you want to get carried away with shiny leather and starry
accents, you could potentially create a spectacularly princess-y version of the
RunAmoc Dash like this one:
Like I said, I'm not sure who might bite on this one, but hey
- feel free to go wild.
*
Finally, out Random Shot of Beauty is leftover from my Pebble Beach trail run report. It's hard to see
at first, because the subject is camouflaged so well among the trees and brush
- but if you click to enlarge, you'll see her in there:
That's another thing Pebble Beach is known for: a whole lot
of native deer. Sometimes I wonder if
they realize what a remarkable place they happen to inhabit - or at least on some level understand that they contribute to making
the place more remarkable for me. I doubt it, but I hope I'm wrong.
*
Beastie Boys, "Intergalactic" (click to play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
weekend RSOB ..
First, let's announce our Monkey Shake winner! Mike Dixon: e-mail me your contact info - you've won! In case anyone's curious, Mike's winning entry was the famous "I'll stir fry you in my wok!" line from the classic "Intergalactic" - which, just as a final MCA tribute, I've decide to embed below. Interestingly, considering that this is a running blog, nobody picked the "I run the marathon to the very last mile" line from the same song. Anyway, congrats to Mike, and thanks to everyone else who entered - that one was kind of fun.
*
I used to do a number of product reviews for GoLite - but that
stopped roughly one year ago as the company laid the groundwork for a somewhat
radical new business model. Basically,
they're dramatically downsizing their marketing and completely eliminating
their relationships with third party outdoor retailers.
The upside of this from a customer's standpoint is that their
product margins aren't impacted by those additional costs, so they pass the
savings - in many cases, up to 50% of the previous MSRP - on to customers via
direct website sales at GoLite.com. It's
a model that's driven by discounts and word of mouth marketing, and depends
upon returning customers who have strong loyalty for the brand.
Of course, the model won't work unless the products are high
quality - and in the case of GoLite, that's exactly what they offer. Their Rush pack is still my favorite for day
hiking, and their 9" Mesa Trail shorts are a top choice for chilly winter
mornings that aren't quite cold enough for tights. And right now you can get those items as well
as anything else at the GoLite site at deep discounts while the company blows
out their Spring 2012 inventory - for example, the Rush pack I linked above is only $45, and the Mesa shorts are $22.50. Click here to check out the sale, and it will be interesting to see how GoLite's new
business model fares in the months and years to come.
**
I'm not exactly sure whether this next item pertains to any
of my readers, but you never know, so here goes: Soft Star shoes is now able to
make shiny, starry varieties of your running moccasins if that's something
you're into.
Black suede with white stars (middle), cream leather with gold stars (right); photo from Soft Star website
The company has recently sourced some decorative suede hides
with star patterns that can be used for adult RunAmocs. They also have a cream and gold star leather
that can be used for decorative accents.
So if you want to get carried away with shiny leather and starry
accents, you could potentially create a spectacularly princess-y version of the
RunAmoc Dash like this one:
Like I said, I'm not sure who might bite on this one, but hey
- feel free to go wild.
*
Finally, out Random Shot of Beauty is leftover from my Pebble Beach trail run report. It's hard to see
at first, because the subject is camouflaged so well among the trees and brush
- but if you click to enlarge, you'll see her in there:
That's another thing Pebble Beach is known for: a whole lot
of native deer. Sometimes I wonder if
they realize what a remarkable place they happen to inhabit - or at least on some level understand that they contribute to making
the place more remarkable for me. I doubt it, but I hope I'm wrong.
*
Beastie Boys, "Intergalactic" (click to play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
May 16, 2012
Backyard Adventures: Pebble Beach / Del Monte Forest Trail Running
*Before today's post, a reminder to give me your best Beastie Boys lyric for a chance to win a 30-serving bag of Monkey Shakes. The winner will be announced Saturday, so get going!
*
When most people hear the name Pebble Beach, they most
likely conjure up the following things:
1) Golf courses
2) Mansions
3) Luxury cars, or
4) Conspicuous consumption
What they don't think of very often is "trail running
adventure", but that's part of the beauty of running in Pebble Beach:
almost nobody knows how to do it.
Even longtime residents sometimes struggle with running in
Pebble Beach - often shortened to "Pebble" by locals - as many trails
are unmarked, unmapped, or oftentimes both.
Paths are frequently interrupted by a road or house or fairway without
any clue as to where they continue - if they indeed continue at all. Even though the Del Monte Forest that
dominates the region is only 10 square miles, it's easy to get disoriented,
causing planned 5-mile runs to become 2-hour explorations.
I've lived in this area for almost 20 years, and I still get
turned around in the forest sometimes ... but the more miles I spend there, the
more amazed I am that this place exists, and the more awestruck I am at the
glory of creation. Which sounds like enough
reason to do a photo tour, right? I
thought so ... and took my camera with me one day for a 20-miler that
highlights the best (and strangest) of what the area has to offer.
(As usual, click any photo to enlarge ...)
For most locals, a run into Pebble Beach actually starts
outside the area, in the parking lot at Carmel Beach - which is a natural
wonder in its own right. The reason we
park here instead of going into Pebble Beach proper ...
... is this gated entrance.
All road access points into Pebble Beach pass by manned gatehouses,
where visiting cars - classified as anything without a resident medallion on the
front grill - are charged $9.75 to enter.
On the other hand, if you pass through on foot, bike, or rollerblades,
there's no charge. Running in Pebble is
wonderful, but it's not 10-dollars-a-pop wonderful - so adding an extra mile or
two onto either side of your run to avoid the fee is pretty much a no-brainer.
You encounter your first trail less than a quarter mile past
the gate - a restored remnant of a historic horse path that used to circle the
perimeter of Del Monte Forest. Many of
the trails here were built or maintained by the local equestrian community; in
a related story, mountain bikes are pretty much outlawed in Pebble Beach - but
that's a discussion for another time.
Trails also pass remarkably close to multi-million-dollar
homes, many of which sit vacant for most of the year, because they're the
vacation homes of people who have an equally (or more) expensive house
somewhere else. To say Pebble belongs to
people with money is quite the understatement.
Here's the most remarkable thing about Pebble Beach, though:
for long stretches of trail, there's no sign of any civilization or
development, and it looks and feels almost exactly like running through the Sierra
Nevadas. It would be easy to completely
forget where you are ...
... except that every now and then you skirt a lush green
fairway, which reminds you that no matter what the surroundings look like, in
these parts, golf is king.
Many of the trails are marked by signposts with colored
stripes to distinguish one from another.
The green posts mark a popular route that climbs towards the top of the
forest ...
... and back down to another swanky fairway near the Pebble
Beach lodge.
This is a polo field near the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center.
It's nothing special, really - probably just like the polo fields in
your own neighborhood. Let's move on.
One long stretch of the green trail turns into a deep sandy
path that rises up and over a large dune ...
... before cresting the dune to get your first breathtaking
glimpse of the coastline below.
Remember that multi-million-dollar home earlier? This futuristic one with beach access would
be in the multi-multi-million dollar range.
This is Bird Rock - a name that become obvious if you click
to enlarge and check out all the little black dots on top of the white surface
in the distance. It's a popular stopping point for auto tourists
on 17-Mile Drive, and a popular rest stop for cyclists and runners ...
... mainly because it's got one of the only public restrooms
and drinking fountains in Pebble Beach.
You can refill your bottles, catch your breath ...
... and gaze down the coastline at the flat stretch of trail
ahead. You know - just like the view at
the public bathroom near your house, I'm sure.
The trail continues for about two flat miles along the
coast, where the sound of crashing waves and the sight of rocks and surf is
almost mesmerizing. Not coincidentally,
this is the section where you're most likely to see fellow runners or cyclists
who are lucky enough to be there too.
Soon enough you leave the beach behind and start back up the
hill, crossing over more sand dunes until you re-enter the heart of Del Monte
Forest.
Here's one of the challenges I mentioned at the top:
occasionally, trails just emerge upon a road or intersection, and unless you
happen to know which way to go from here, it's very tough to figure out where they continue on the other side. In many
cases, the continuation is a quarter-mile or more down the road from where you
first hit the asphalt.
Sometimes the trail is marked on the trunks of trees on the
periphery of a golf course, and you know if you stay to one side of the fairway
you're in the general vicinity of the trail ...
... and other times the golf course IS the trail as you make
your way along cart paths down the length of one fairway and up another. If you thought it was easy to get turned
around on trails, try telling one immaculately groomed fairway from another
sometime. I've gone back and forth on
golf courses more than a few times ...
... before popping out on the road somewhere and thinking,
"Wait - how did I end up at the Poppy Hills clubhouse?". Fortunately, if you know the road system here
- which is no small challenge either - you can at least point yourself back in
the right direction back into the forest ...
... where the trails eventually turn back into secluded
Sierra-like fire roads ...
... and quiet single track as you climb to the apex of the
forest.
The trails stay quiet all the way down a long descent back
toward sea level ...
... and within a couple more miles you exit the Pebble gate
and return to Carmel Beach. In the space
of a few hours, you've gone from seascape to forest and back, from sea level to hilltop, from civilization
to seclusion, from the gaudy excesses of humanity to the simplest joys of
natural existence. It probably offers
the largest environmental variability of any run I know of - and the more time
I spend here, the more thankful I am for every opportunity to explore it.
*See other photo tours under tab at top of page.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
*
When most people hear the name Pebble Beach, they most
likely conjure up the following things:
1) Golf courses
2) Mansions
3) Luxury cars, or
4) Conspicuous consumption
What they don't think of very often is "trail running
adventure", but that's part of the beauty of running in Pebble Beach:
almost nobody knows how to do it.
Even longtime residents sometimes struggle with running in
Pebble Beach - often shortened to "Pebble" by locals - as many trails
are unmarked, unmapped, or oftentimes both.
Paths are frequently interrupted by a road or house or fairway without
any clue as to where they continue - if they indeed continue at all. Even though the Del Monte Forest that
dominates the region is only 10 square miles, it's easy to get disoriented,
causing planned 5-mile runs to become 2-hour explorations.
I've lived in this area for almost 20 years, and I still get
turned around in the forest sometimes ... but the more miles I spend there, the
more amazed I am that this place exists, and the more awestruck I am at the
glory of creation. Which sounds like enough
reason to do a photo tour, right? I
thought so ... and took my camera with me one day for a 20-miler that
highlights the best (and strangest) of what the area has to offer.
(As usual, click any photo to enlarge ...)
For most locals, a run into Pebble Beach actually starts
outside the area, in the parking lot at Carmel Beach - which is a natural
wonder in its own right. The reason we
park here instead of going into Pebble Beach proper ...
... is this gated entrance.
All road access points into Pebble Beach pass by manned gatehouses,
where visiting cars - classified as anything without a resident medallion on the
front grill - are charged $9.75 to enter.
On the other hand, if you pass through on foot, bike, or rollerblades,
there's no charge. Running in Pebble is
wonderful, but it's not 10-dollars-a-pop wonderful - so adding an extra mile or
two onto either side of your run to avoid the fee is pretty much a no-brainer.
You encounter your first trail less than a quarter mile past
the gate - a restored remnant of a historic horse path that used to circle the
perimeter of Del Monte Forest. Many of
the trails here were built or maintained by the local equestrian community; in
a related story, mountain bikes are pretty much outlawed in Pebble Beach - but
that's a discussion for another time.
Trails also pass remarkably close to multi-million-dollar
homes, many of which sit vacant for most of the year, because they're the
vacation homes of people who have an equally (or more) expensive house
somewhere else. To say Pebble belongs to
people with money is quite the understatement.
Here's the most remarkable thing about Pebble Beach, though:
for long stretches of trail, there's no sign of any civilization or
development, and it looks and feels almost exactly like running through the Sierra
Nevadas. It would be easy to completely
forget where you are ...
... except that every now and then you skirt a lush green
fairway, which reminds you that no matter what the surroundings look like, in
these parts, golf is king.
Many of the trails are marked by signposts with colored
stripes to distinguish one from another.
The green posts mark a popular route that climbs towards the top of the
forest ...
... and back down to another swanky fairway near the Pebble
Beach lodge.
This is a polo field near the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center.
It's nothing special, really - probably just like the polo fields in
your own neighborhood. Let's move on.
One long stretch of the green trail turns into a deep sandy
path that rises up and over a large dune ...
... before cresting the dune to get your first breathtaking
glimpse of the coastline below.
Remember that multi-million-dollar home earlier? This futuristic one with beach access would
be in the multi-multi-million dollar range.
This is Bird Rock - a name that become obvious if you click
to enlarge and check out all the little black dots on top of the white surface
in the distance. It's a popular stopping point for auto tourists
on 17-Mile Drive, and a popular rest stop for cyclists and runners ...
... mainly because it's got one of the only public restrooms
and drinking fountains in Pebble Beach.
You can refill your bottles, catch your breath ...
... and gaze down the coastline at the flat stretch of trail
ahead. You know - just like the view at
the public bathroom near your house, I'm sure.
The trail continues for about two flat miles along the
coast, where the sound of crashing waves and the sight of rocks and surf is
almost mesmerizing. Not coincidentally,
this is the section where you're most likely to see fellow runners or cyclists
who are lucky enough to be there too.
Soon enough you leave the beach behind and start back up the
hill, crossing over more sand dunes until you re-enter the heart of Del Monte
Forest.
Here's one of the challenges I mentioned at the top:
occasionally, trails just emerge upon a road or intersection, and unless you
happen to know which way to go from here, it's very tough to figure out where they continue on the other side. In many
cases, the continuation is a quarter-mile or more down the road from where you
first hit the asphalt.
Sometimes the trail is marked on the trunks of trees on the
periphery of a golf course, and you know if you stay to one side of the fairway
you're in the general vicinity of the trail ...
... and other times the golf course IS the trail as you make
your way along cart paths down the length of one fairway and up another. If you thought it was easy to get turned
around on trails, try telling one immaculately groomed fairway from another
sometime. I've gone back and forth on
golf courses more than a few times ...
... before popping out on the road somewhere and thinking,
"Wait - how did I end up at the Poppy Hills clubhouse?". Fortunately, if you know the road system here
- which is no small challenge either - you can at least point yourself back in
the right direction back into the forest ...
... where the trails eventually turn back into secluded
Sierra-like fire roads ...
... and quiet single track as you climb to the apex of the
forest.
The trails stay quiet all the way down a long descent back
toward sea level ...
... and within a couple more miles you exit the Pebble gate
and return to Carmel Beach. In the space
of a few hours, you've gone from seascape to forest and back, from sea level to hilltop, from civilization
to seclusion, from the gaudy excesses of humanity to the simplest joys of
natural existence. It probably offers
the largest environmental variability of any run I know of - and the more time
I spend here, the more thankful I am for every opportunity to explore it.
*See other photo tours under tab at top of page.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
May 14, 2012
The MCA Memorial Monkey Shake Promotion and 30-Bag Giveaway!
"Monkey tastes def
when you pour it on ice -
Come on y'all it's
time to get nice ... "
- Beastie Boys, "Brass Monkey" (video after post)
Two quite unrelated topics today - one sad, one happy - that
I'll try to combine in some sensible manner by the time we're done ...
*
First, the sad part, which is belated news from earlier his
month: RIP, Adam Yauch. And most likely, RIP Beastie Boys. I'm almost ashamed to admit how profoundly sorrowful
I was to hear about MCA's passing, but I can't tell you how many hours I spent memorizing lyrics from Licensed To Ill, or how many times the Beasties'
distinctive combination of humor and hip-hop brought a smile to my face in the
years since their debut album.
Anybody remember the flip side of this cover?
Intellectually, it doesn't make sense that I'd be sad about
a rap singer who died too soon - an occurrence that happens so often as to be cliché. Perhaps there's something about being
obsessed with a band at a formative age that makes the attachment more
heartfelt than it would later in life; if that's the case, my 15-year-old self
spinning Licensed to Ill over and over again would make me the perfect
candidate.
However, I think there's another element of
Yauch's death that hits closer to home: mainly, he had become just a regular
guy. As he grew older, Yauch left the
insane hip-hop miscreant persona of his youth behind, and became a family man
concerned with providing for his loved ones and doing his part to serve the greater
societal good. And it wasn't a rap squabble that brought him
down - it was cancer, which cuts the lives of most victims far too short, usually for no reason at all. So maybe there was something in his transformation
from basic idiot to respectable, vulnerable person that I identified with.
Whatever the case, he'll definitely be missed. Like a lemon without a lime, a lime without a
lemon.
*
On to our good news for the day, which is courtesy of the
Monkey Shake company I've endorsed a few times in the past. They have a cool promotion going on this
month, and they're also offering a killer contest prize for one of my readers.
Here's the promotion, which we'll call the Tuesday Special:
for the rest of the month May, if you buy any two items in the Monkey Shake store on a Tuesday, you'll get a third item for free. All you have to do is put three items in your
shopping cart, and if it's a Tuesday, the discount will automatically be applied.
And if you'd rather take your chances with a contest entry, we've
got a tempting one: this weekend, I'll award a huge 30-serving bag of Monkey
Shake original mix to one lucky reader chosen from the comments section below.
Monkey love!
The company was kind enough to provide me with one of these
bags a few weeks back, and it's been one of my key refueling strategies during
the high-volume training weeks of my early season ultras. If there's a better post-20-miler recovery
drink than Monkey Shake with yogurt, banana, frozen berries, honey, and orange
juice, I haven't tasted it. Like the
Beasties said, Monkey tastes def when you pour it on ice ... or on frozen
berries, as the case may be.
The ground rules for this one are that I'm making the
contest entry process a Beastie Boys / MCA memorial. To enter, leave your favorite Beastie Boys
lyric in the box below - and you'll get two entries if it's a line by MCA. I'll announce the winner next Saturday, May
19th - but remember to shop at the Monkey Shake store on Tuesdays throughout
the month as well, because there's only one winner for this thing.
Special thanks to the Monkey Shake company for this contest,
and good luck to everybody. I think you
know what time it is - it's time to get ill in the comments!
*
Beastie Boys, "Brass Monkey" (click to play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
when you pour it on ice -
Come on y'all it's
time to get nice ... "
- Beastie Boys, "Brass Monkey" (video after post)
Two quite unrelated topics today - one sad, one happy - that
I'll try to combine in some sensible manner by the time we're done ...
*
First, the sad part, which is belated news from earlier his
month: RIP, Adam Yauch. And most likely, RIP Beastie Boys. I'm almost ashamed to admit how profoundly sorrowful
I was to hear about MCA's passing, but I can't tell you how many hours I spent memorizing lyrics from Licensed To Ill, or how many times the Beasties'
distinctive combination of humor and hip-hop brought a smile to my face in the
years since their debut album.
Anybody remember the flip side of this cover?
Intellectually, it doesn't make sense that I'd be sad about
a rap singer who died too soon - an occurrence that happens so often as to be cliché. Perhaps there's something about being
obsessed with a band at a formative age that makes the attachment more
heartfelt than it would later in life; if that's the case, my 15-year-old self
spinning Licensed to Ill over and over again would make me the perfect
candidate.
However, I think there's another element of
Yauch's death that hits closer to home: mainly, he had become just a regular
guy. As he grew older, Yauch left the
insane hip-hop miscreant persona of his youth behind, and became a family man
concerned with providing for his loved ones and doing his part to serve the greater
societal good. And it wasn't a rap squabble that brought him
down - it was cancer, which cuts the lives of most victims far too short, usually for no reason at all. So maybe there was something in his transformation
from basic idiot to respectable, vulnerable person that I identified with.
Whatever the case, he'll definitely be missed. Like a lemon without a lime, a lime without a
lemon.
*
On to our good news for the day, which is courtesy of the
Monkey Shake company I've endorsed a few times in the past. They have a cool promotion going on this
month, and they're also offering a killer contest prize for one of my readers.
Here's the promotion, which we'll call the Tuesday Special:
for the rest of the month May, if you buy any two items in the Monkey Shake store on a Tuesday, you'll get a third item for free. All you have to do is put three items in your
shopping cart, and if it's a Tuesday, the discount will automatically be applied.
And if you'd rather take your chances with a contest entry, we've
got a tempting one: this weekend, I'll award a huge 30-serving bag of Monkey
Shake original mix to one lucky reader chosen from the comments section below.
Monkey love!
The company was kind enough to provide me with one of these
bags a few weeks back, and it's been one of my key refueling strategies during
the high-volume training weeks of my early season ultras. If there's a better post-20-miler recovery
drink than Monkey Shake with yogurt, banana, frozen berries, honey, and orange
juice, I haven't tasted it. Like the
Beasties said, Monkey tastes def when you pour it on ice ... or on frozen
berries, as the case may be.
The ground rules for this one are that I'm making the
contest entry process a Beastie Boys / MCA memorial. To enter, leave your favorite Beastie Boys
lyric in the box below - and you'll get two entries if it's a line by MCA. I'll announce the winner next Saturday, May
19th - but remember to shop at the Monkey Shake store on Tuesdays throughout
the month as well, because there's only one winner for this thing.
Special thanks to the Monkey Shake company for this contest,
and good luck to everybody. I think you
know what time it is - it's time to get ill in the comments!
*
Beastie Boys, "Brass Monkey" (click to play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
May 12, 2012
CLIF Bar Gary's Panforte Winners; Miwok 100K Video; Random Shots of Beauty
Forgive me if I'm still basking in the afterglow of last weekend's Miwok 100K just a bit - but my legs have been too blasted to to any legitimate training this week, and my mind is still in recuperation mode as well. But I think I've got something kind of cool to formally close the book on this year's edition before moving on.
But first, let's take care of some business by announcing our CLIF Bar Gary's Panforte winners. M. Louise Cunningham, Wes, and melodyfairitale: e-mail me your contact info - you've won the contest! Thanks to everyone else who entered, and try to grab these bars from stores before they vanish in the near future.
*
Predictably, this weekend's Random Shot of Beauty comes from the Miwok course:
A cove just up the coastline from Rodeo Beach, as seen on the long climb up Coastal Trail at roughly mile 48 of last weekend's race. Under different circumstances, I'd want to scale down the hillside and chill out on my own private beach for a while ... but on race day I had more pressing tasks to take care of. So I guess I'll just have to come back here sometime.
*
Finally, there's this: a very cool on-the-scene video from this year's Miwok 100K, which mainly spotlights the male frontrunners, but also gives you a great perspective of what it's like to actually be on the course. Videos like this have become a tradition for a group of hardcore Bay Area trail runners called The Endurables, who probably know these Marin County trails better than anyone - so well, in fact, that they're helping to stage what looks to be a killer new race there later this summer.
For now, enjoy the video, and the remainder of your weekend.
"Miwok 100K 2012" by The Endurables (click to play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
But first, let's take care of some business by announcing our CLIF Bar Gary's Panforte winners. M. Louise Cunningham, Wes, and melodyfairitale: e-mail me your contact info - you've won the contest! Thanks to everyone else who entered, and try to grab these bars from stores before they vanish in the near future.
*
Predictably, this weekend's Random Shot of Beauty comes from the Miwok course:
A cove just up the coastline from Rodeo Beach, as seen on the long climb up Coastal Trail at roughly mile 48 of last weekend's race. Under different circumstances, I'd want to scale down the hillside and chill out on my own private beach for a while ... but on race day I had more pressing tasks to take care of. So I guess I'll just have to come back here sometime.
*
Finally, there's this: a very cool on-the-scene video from this year's Miwok 100K, which mainly spotlights the male frontrunners, but also gives you a great perspective of what it's like to actually be on the course. Videos like this have become a tradition for a group of hardcore Bay Area trail runners called The Endurables, who probably know these Marin County trails better than anyone - so well, in fact, that they're helping to stage what looks to be a killer new race there later this summer.
For now, enjoy the video, and the remainder of your weekend.
"Miwok 100K 2012" by The Endurables (click to play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
May 9, 2012
Learning to Walk: Miwok 100K Race Report
"Getting good at
starting over every time that I return -
I'm learning to walk
again -
I believe I've waited
long enough -
Where do I begin?"
- Foo Fighters, "Walk" (video after post)
*
One of the reasons I look forward to racing season so much when
building up to a 100-miler is that it's very hard to simulate the feeling of
timelessness in routine training.
Virtually every other training run I do is governed by time
- or, more accurately, the lack thereof.
I'm constantly racing the clock to start my work day, or to get back to
family activities or chores waiting for me at home. And even though I can wake up crazy early
and knock out 50K before sitting down to my desk, I don't always seek out the
toughest routes for fear that the miles will put me too far behind schedule. It's not until I do races of 50 miles or more
that I really, fully dedicate myself to the trail, without regard for how many
hours it will take me.
Consequently, it's not until I'm in these races that I get
to practice my walking. Whether it's
going up a relentless climb, struggling to cope with extreme heat, or simply
shuffling my way through the inevitable low spots, long ultras give me an
opportunity to learn to walk again. While
that may sound strange to some, it's actually an important skill to develop in
preparation for 100-milers. Because
nobody runs a whole 100 - and if you want to be successful, you had better be
good at walking.
This year's Miwok 100K proved to be even more helpful than
usual in teaching me how to walk again.
The course was a almost a complete reboot from previous versions, with a
different start and finish area, steeper and more technical hills, and 20% more
climbing than last year's already daunting 10,000' of vertical. Oh, and it was another unseasonably warm day
in Marin County - all of which made for the "epicer" challenge I
mentioned in last weekend's post.
Across the board, race times were 1 to 2 hours slower than
previous editions. Race winner Dave
Mackey took more than 70 minutes longer than in 2011. Runners who normally broke 10 hours were
happy with sub-12s. And when I got to
the halfway point of the race and realized I was on pace to go nearly 2 hours
slower than last year, that's when I gave up concerning myself with time, and fully
embraced the notion that this was a perfect day for walking.
But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit - so let's get to the
race report, starting back at the beginning ...
... which was unlike any in Miwok history. In addition to being in the town of Stinson Beach
(instead of the customary Rodeo Beach), it was 45 minutes earlier than usual -
and the 5AM start ensured that we'd be running in the dark for more than an
hour.
Darkness might actually have been a blessing, because the
course climbs 1800' in less than 2 miles; if we had actually seen it, the hill
might have been completely demoralizing.
Instead, we kept rising into the dark, with only a stream of headlamps
in front and behind - that, and a supermoon overhead to give the trail a serene glow.
By daybreak we found ourselves on Miwok's infamous
"half-track" Coastal trail, where the side slope and narrowness make this stretch a
notorious ankle-twister. Between the
killer climb and the perilous descent, Miwok was swinging a big hammer before
we even reached the first aid station.
This stretch along Bolinas Ridge was a bit surreal, in that
it typically occurs during miles 26 to 40.
This year it was miles 7 to 20 ...
... and at the Randall Trail aid station, instead of having
28 miles to go, we had 48. Go ahead and
add psychological punishment to the list of challenges at this year's race.
On the long climb away from Randall, I started what would become
a recurring theme: catching up to scores of runners who had blown me away on
the previous downhill. I wasn't pushing
particularly hard, just walking and jogging in baby steps, but under the
circumstances, it was enough to make up a lot of ground.
Eventually we made our way back across the half-track, this
time in the sunlight ...
... where we got our first great views of the coastline,
such as this one toward Point Reyes that was shrouded in darkness the first
time through.
The descent to Stinson Beach featured another new route: the
absolutely beautiful and absolutely treacherous Matt Davis Trail. If the low branches didn't take you out ...
... the rocky footing, irregular steps, or twisty
switchbacks probably would. The most
common description I heard of this trail afterward was an obstacle course, but
I considered it more like parkour - complete with the occasional rolling on the
ground.
After giving back all the elevation we gained in the dark,
the Matt Davis Trail eventually dropped us back down to Stinson Beach ...
... where we immediately faced a 1400' climb up the
first few miles of the Dipsea Trail.
Bay Area trail runners know this legendary trail for two
things: a historic race, and a crazy amount of stairs. I'm very familiar with the trail, so I knew
what I was in for ...
And when I asked some hikers to take my picture, they
probably figured I was just enjoying the scenery. What they didn't realize is that I was
looking for any excuse to catch my breath for a few minutes ...
... before continuing the long slog of railroad tie stairs through
the steep ravine.
The Dipsea also passes through one of the most beautiful
redwood groves you'll ever see, which is almost enough to take your mind off
the fact you're still climbing. Almost.
Of course, as soon as we gained all that elevation, we gave
it right back again on a long descent back to sea level ...
... and the mile 33 aid station at Muir Beach. Honestly, the climb and descent to get here
were my worst section of the race: the day was getting warm, I was starting to
feel the miles on my legs, and the finish was still too distant to even contemplate. Not to mention, a ton of runners
passed me on the long downhill to the beach.
Fortunately, this was where I had my previously described epiphany about
savoring the full day out on the trails, which motivated me to keep plugging
along ...
... although the sight of beachgoers frolicking in the surf as
I labored in the heat was just one more slap from a course that had been doling
out punishment all day.
Once upon a time, I made the climb from Muir Beach three times
in 24 hours, so I was familiar with this long grind that opened the second half
of the race. Unfortunately, that didn't
make the current situation any easier ...
... but the first glimpses of the city in the distance from
the top of the hill helped make it worth the effort.
Following yet another long descent (to Tennessee Valley) and
climb back up to another summit, the city views became more breathtaking ...
... and the trail that rolled along the ridgeline was
relatively gentle for a change, which was a welcome relief on the farthest
outbound stretch of the course.
This doesn't have anything to do with my race report, but I
have to tell you how cool it is that there's a ridge named after me in the
Marin Headlands. Truly, it's an
honor. I'll be remembered for
generations in this part of the world. I
couldn't ask for a better tribute.
(Meanwhile, back at the race ... )
I rather appreciated this sign, made by the Coastside
Running Club who manned the Rodeo Valley aid station. It says, "Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever." - which seemed like a nice little reminder at
mile 43.
By the way, what's better than an aid station at the
turnaround point of a killer ultra on a hot day? ...
An aid station at a killer ultra on a hot day with POPSICLES! In a related story, I fell completely in love
with the Coastside Running Club ...
... and at that moment, I was one very happy ultrarunner. But then a strange thing happened ...
These buildings are the Marin Youth Hostel - which in itself
isn't so unusual. The strange part is
that I wasn't supposed to be here; somewhere in my post-popsicle delirium, I
managed to miss a turn and go off course with a couple of other runners. We backtracked about a half mile, and I ended
up going down another wrong road by myself, which led me past these buildings. I eventually found my way back onto the course
markings ...
... but it wasn't until I arrived at Rodeo Beach with this
guy (who I had yo-yo'd with almost all day) before I realized we hadn't taken the same route to get there.
(Incidentally, after the race I tried to disqualify myself for
re-entering the course at a different point than I left it, but the RD graciously
declined my recommendation. She figured
I probably ran more than the original distance to end up where I did - and in
the understatement of the day told me, "Besides, it's not like you were in the top
three." I'm pretty sure that last part was meant to
reassure me. Either way, I was grateful
for her ruling.)
If the sight of Muir Beach earlier in the day was a slap,
the sights and sounds of Rodeo Beach at mile 45 in the hot mid-afternoon felt
closer to a stomach punch - especially when yet another long climb awaited us.
One highlight of this section was that there were a ton of hikers enjoying a beautiful Marin County afternoon, and most of them were clued
into the fact that there was some sort of race going on. Some people clapped, others asked how far we
were going ... and when I passed by, nearly all of them whispered some variety of
Did you see what that guy's wearing on his feet? It was a nice psychological boost just as we
were making our return back to the finish area - and from that point on, I was
in great spirits the whole rest of the way.
After another brutal climb, Rodeo Beach faded into the
distance below, and another long descent led us to the Tennessee Valley aid
station at mile 51 ...
... where signs leading to the aid
station were a little more pointed - but even more appreciated than the
earlier ones.
Stop me if you've heard this already - but after the aid
station we made another long climb. This
time, it was to the top of Pirate's Cove ...
... which is one of my favorite sections of the Marin County
coastline. In fact, I pretended that I
wanted my picture taken here because I love the view so much ...
... when I was actually just buying some time before the
very steep, technical downhill that leads to the shore. Between the tricky footing in my RunAmocs and
the fact that I was still reeling people in on every climb, I reached a point
where I was looking forward to the uphills far more than the descents. Ultras can do strange things to your head
sometimes.
The climb out of Pirates Cove isn't too extreme, and before
you know it you're glancing over your shoulder for a final glimpse of the coast
to the south ...
... and then turning forward to see the Muir Beach aid
station in front of you to the north.
From here, there were only 8 miles left in the race, and I was still
keeping a remarkably steady pace; all that was left was to grind it out to the
finish.
This is Willie. He
bombed past me at roughly mile 31, but not before stopping to chat for a few
minutes. He introduced himself by
saying, "I'm a big fan of the blog!" and was also wearing minimalist
shoes (Merrell Road Gloves); needless to say, we hit it off right away. All of which made me feel bad to pass him back
at mile 55 - or sort of bad, at least.
I'm pretty sure I felt a little bit bad.
For some reason, that part is fuzzy now.
(But for the record, this was his first 100K, and he toughed
it out and finished even after things unraveled on him on a brutal day. Kudos, Willie.)
The final stretch of the new Miowk course is primarily on
the Dipsea Trail, in the same direction as the namesake event. Dipsea veterans know that the course is 7.3
miles long and ends at Stinson Beach, so when you see rock markers like this
from the Dipsea Race, you know exactly how far you have to go.
On our way back, the same sun that spilled through these
redwoods on us from the east now split the trees from the west on our
return. Which is really just my roundabout way of saying it had been a very long day.
But all that remained was one last swoop down the Dipsea
stairs ...
... before a glimpse across "The Moors" (as this
section of the Dipsea Trail is called) brought Stinson Beach back into view, and
the finish line called us home.
I finally arrived there 13 and a half hours after I left,
which was nearly two full hours longer than this race has taken me in years
past. Despite that - or maybe because of
it - this year's Miwok just might rate as my favorite one ever. I managed the race well, never had a major
crisis aside from mild depression going up Dipsea the first time, and re-taught
myself the power of completely losing yourself in the moment, regardless of how
much time you spend there. I feel like
I'm finding my place in the realm of 100-milers again - now all I have to do is
keep growing stronger between now and August.
*
"I think I found
my place -
Can't you feel it growing stronger, little conquerors?"
- Foo Fighters,
"Walk" (Live on Letterman video - click to play):
See other race reports under tab at top of page.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
starting over every time that I return -
I'm learning to walk
again -
I believe I've waited
long enough -
Where do I begin?"
- Foo Fighters, "Walk" (video after post)
*
One of the reasons I look forward to racing season so much when
building up to a 100-miler is that it's very hard to simulate the feeling of
timelessness in routine training.
Virtually every other training run I do is governed by time
- or, more accurately, the lack thereof.
I'm constantly racing the clock to start my work day, or to get back to
family activities or chores waiting for me at home. And even though I can wake up crazy early
and knock out 50K before sitting down to my desk, I don't always seek out the
toughest routes for fear that the miles will put me too far behind schedule. It's not until I do races of 50 miles or more
that I really, fully dedicate myself to the trail, without regard for how many
hours it will take me.
Consequently, it's not until I'm in these races that I get
to practice my walking. Whether it's
going up a relentless climb, struggling to cope with extreme heat, or simply
shuffling my way through the inevitable low spots, long ultras give me an
opportunity to learn to walk again. While
that may sound strange to some, it's actually an important skill to develop in
preparation for 100-milers. Because
nobody runs a whole 100 - and if you want to be successful, you had better be
good at walking.
This year's Miwok 100K proved to be even more helpful than
usual in teaching me how to walk again.
The course was a almost a complete reboot from previous versions, with a
different start and finish area, steeper and more technical hills, and 20% more
climbing than last year's already daunting 10,000' of vertical. Oh, and it was another unseasonably warm day
in Marin County - all of which made for the "epicer" challenge I
mentioned in last weekend's post.
Across the board, race times were 1 to 2 hours slower than
previous editions. Race winner Dave
Mackey took more than 70 minutes longer than in 2011. Runners who normally broke 10 hours were
happy with sub-12s. And when I got to
the halfway point of the race and realized I was on pace to go nearly 2 hours
slower than last year, that's when I gave up concerning myself with time, and fully
embraced the notion that this was a perfect day for walking.
But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit - so let's get to the
race report, starting back at the beginning ...
... which was unlike any in Miwok history. In addition to being in the town of Stinson Beach
(instead of the customary Rodeo Beach), it was 45 minutes earlier than usual -
and the 5AM start ensured that we'd be running in the dark for more than an
hour.
Darkness might actually have been a blessing, because the
course climbs 1800' in less than 2 miles; if we had actually seen it, the hill
might have been completely demoralizing.
Instead, we kept rising into the dark, with only a stream of headlamps
in front and behind - that, and a supermoon overhead to give the trail a serene glow.
By daybreak we found ourselves on Miwok's infamous
"half-track" Coastal trail, where the side slope and narrowness make this stretch a
notorious ankle-twister. Between the
killer climb and the perilous descent, Miwok was swinging a big hammer before
we even reached the first aid station.
This stretch along Bolinas Ridge was a bit surreal, in that
it typically occurs during miles 26 to 40.
This year it was miles 7 to 20 ...
... and at the Randall Trail aid station, instead of having
28 miles to go, we had 48. Go ahead and
add psychological punishment to the list of challenges at this year's race.
On the long climb away from Randall, I started what would become
a recurring theme: catching up to scores of runners who had blown me away on
the previous downhill. I wasn't pushing
particularly hard, just walking and jogging in baby steps, but under the
circumstances, it was enough to make up a lot of ground.
Eventually we made our way back across the half-track, this
time in the sunlight ...
... where we got our first great views of the coastline,
such as this one toward Point Reyes that was shrouded in darkness the first
time through.
The descent to Stinson Beach featured another new route: the
absolutely beautiful and absolutely treacherous Matt Davis Trail. If the low branches didn't take you out ...
... the rocky footing, irregular steps, or twisty
switchbacks probably would. The most
common description I heard of this trail afterward was an obstacle course, but
I considered it more like parkour - complete with the occasional rolling on the
ground.
After giving back all the elevation we gained in the dark,
the Matt Davis Trail eventually dropped us back down to Stinson Beach ...
... where we immediately faced a 1400' climb up the
first few miles of the Dipsea Trail.
Bay Area trail runners know this legendary trail for two
things: a historic race, and a crazy amount of stairs. I'm very familiar with the trail, so I knew
what I was in for ...
And when I asked some hikers to take my picture, they
probably figured I was just enjoying the scenery. What they didn't realize is that I was
looking for any excuse to catch my breath for a few minutes ...
... before continuing the long slog of railroad tie stairs through
the steep ravine.
The Dipsea also passes through one of the most beautiful
redwood groves you'll ever see, which is almost enough to take your mind off
the fact you're still climbing. Almost.
Of course, as soon as we gained all that elevation, we gave
it right back again on a long descent back to sea level ...
... and the mile 33 aid station at Muir Beach. Honestly, the climb and descent to get here
were my worst section of the race: the day was getting warm, I was starting to
feel the miles on my legs, and the finish was still too distant to even contemplate. Not to mention, a ton of runners
passed me on the long downhill to the beach.
Fortunately, this was where I had my previously described epiphany about
savoring the full day out on the trails, which motivated me to keep plugging
along ...
... although the sight of beachgoers frolicking in the surf as
I labored in the heat was just one more slap from a course that had been doling
out punishment all day.
Once upon a time, I made the climb from Muir Beach three times
in 24 hours, so I was familiar with this long grind that opened the second half
of the race. Unfortunately, that didn't
make the current situation any easier ...
... but the first glimpses of the city in the distance from
the top of the hill helped make it worth the effort.
Following yet another long descent (to Tennessee Valley) and
climb back up to another summit, the city views became more breathtaking ...
... and the trail that rolled along the ridgeline was
relatively gentle for a change, which was a welcome relief on the farthest
outbound stretch of the course.
This doesn't have anything to do with my race report, but I
have to tell you how cool it is that there's a ridge named after me in the
Marin Headlands. Truly, it's an
honor. I'll be remembered for
generations in this part of the world. I
couldn't ask for a better tribute.
(Meanwhile, back at the race ... )
I rather appreciated this sign, made by the Coastside
Running Club who manned the Rodeo Valley aid station. It says, "Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever." - which seemed like a nice little reminder at
mile 43.
By the way, what's better than an aid station at the
turnaround point of a killer ultra on a hot day? ...
An aid station at a killer ultra on a hot day with POPSICLES! In a related story, I fell completely in love
with the Coastside Running Club ...
... and at that moment, I was one very happy ultrarunner. But then a strange thing happened ...
These buildings are the Marin Youth Hostel - which in itself
isn't so unusual. The strange part is
that I wasn't supposed to be here; somewhere in my post-popsicle delirium, I
managed to miss a turn and go off course with a couple of other runners. We backtracked about a half mile, and I ended
up going down another wrong road by myself, which led me past these buildings. I eventually found my way back onto the course
markings ...
... but it wasn't until I arrived at Rodeo Beach with this
guy (who I had yo-yo'd with almost all day) before I realized we hadn't taken the same route to get there.
(Incidentally, after the race I tried to disqualify myself for
re-entering the course at a different point than I left it, but the RD graciously
declined my recommendation. She figured
I probably ran more than the original distance to end up where I did - and in
the understatement of the day told me, "Besides, it's not like you were in the top
three." I'm pretty sure that last part was meant to
reassure me. Either way, I was grateful
for her ruling.)
If the sight of Muir Beach earlier in the day was a slap,
the sights and sounds of Rodeo Beach at mile 45 in the hot mid-afternoon felt
closer to a stomach punch - especially when yet another long climb awaited us.
One highlight of this section was that there were a ton of hikers enjoying a beautiful Marin County afternoon, and most of them were clued
into the fact that there was some sort of race going on. Some people clapped, others asked how far we
were going ... and when I passed by, nearly all of them whispered some variety of
Did you see what that guy's wearing on his feet? It was a nice psychological boost just as we
were making our return back to the finish area - and from that point on, I was
in great spirits the whole rest of the way.
After another brutal climb, Rodeo Beach faded into the
distance below, and another long descent led us to the Tennessee Valley aid
station at mile 51 ...
... where signs leading to the aid
station were a little more pointed - but even more appreciated than the
earlier ones.
Stop me if you've heard this already - but after the aid
station we made another long climb. This
time, it was to the top of Pirate's Cove ...
... which is one of my favorite sections of the Marin County
coastline. In fact, I pretended that I
wanted my picture taken here because I love the view so much ...
... when I was actually just buying some time before the
very steep, technical downhill that leads to the shore. Between the tricky footing in my RunAmocs and
the fact that I was still reeling people in on every climb, I reached a point
where I was looking forward to the uphills far more than the descents. Ultras can do strange things to your head
sometimes.
The climb out of Pirates Cove isn't too extreme, and before
you know it you're glancing over your shoulder for a final glimpse of the coast
to the south ...
... and then turning forward to see the Muir Beach aid
station in front of you to the north.
From here, there were only 8 miles left in the race, and I was still
keeping a remarkably steady pace; all that was left was to grind it out to the
finish.
This is Willie. He
bombed past me at roughly mile 31, but not before stopping to chat for a few
minutes. He introduced himself by
saying, "I'm a big fan of the blog!" and was also wearing minimalist
shoes (Merrell Road Gloves); needless to say, we hit it off right away. All of which made me feel bad to pass him back
at mile 55 - or sort of bad, at least.
I'm pretty sure I felt a little bit bad.
For some reason, that part is fuzzy now.
(But for the record, this was his first 100K, and he toughed
it out and finished even after things unraveled on him on a brutal day. Kudos, Willie.)
The final stretch of the new Miowk course is primarily on
the Dipsea Trail, in the same direction as the namesake event. Dipsea veterans know that the course is 7.3
miles long and ends at Stinson Beach, so when you see rock markers like this
from the Dipsea Race, you know exactly how far you have to go.
On our way back, the same sun that spilled through these
redwoods on us from the east now split the trees from the west on our
return. Which is really just my roundabout way of saying it had been a very long day.
But all that remained was one last swoop down the Dipsea
stairs ...
... before a glimpse across "The Moors" (as this
section of the Dipsea Trail is called) brought Stinson Beach back into view, and
the finish line called us home.
I finally arrived there 13 and a half hours after I left,
which was nearly two full hours longer than this race has taken me in years
past. Despite that - or maybe because of
it - this year's Miwok just might rate as my favorite one ever. I managed the race well, never had a major
crisis aside from mild depression going up Dipsea the first time, and re-taught
myself the power of completely losing yourself in the moment, regardless of how
much time you spend there. I feel like
I'm finding my place in the realm of 100-milers again - now all I have to do is
keep growing stronger between now and August.
*
"I think I found
my place -
Can't you feel it growing stronger, little conquerors?"
- Foo Fighters,
"Walk" (Live on Letterman video - click to play):
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