Golden Gate Dirty Thirty

The race went well. I was a bit surprised how well it went, but then again, I didn't know what to expect.

Adrienne and I got up at 4:30 in the morning, ate a bit and made some coffee. Got our stuff together, loaded up Guinness, and headed out to Golden Gate Canyon State Park. The drive was nice, and we arrived at around 6:00. My race took off at 7 and Adrienne's at 8, so we had some time to get our stuff together, drop off my drop bag, and mill around for a short time. Come race time, I lined up and took off. I wore a Nathan backpack, and it was a good idea. It had all the nutrition I needed for the race packed in it, including, a Cliffbar (I will not bring this again), 12 Gu's, and 2 liters of Gatorade. The race started out and I thought, "What the hell, I'm going for broke." I decided then and there that I would do my best to win the thing, knowing that I would probably have to deal with a good amount of suffering. There were about 4 of us that took off up front, and we started climbing. We crossed this beautiful little creek about 10-11 times and each time was over a little log, or a quasi-bridge made out of fallen trees and branches. It was pretty neat. I was feeling the climbing already! I have noticed that I do not do well racing over 7000' and this race shot up above 8000'-8500' right away. I wore my HR monitor so that I had some accountability, but it didn't really matter. I was at 165 HR the whole first climb and I walked most of it. I let a few people go, and tried to keep the HR below 165. We finally crested the first climb and I took off down the hill. I looked down one time and was going 5:15 pace :) Needless to say, I caught the group quickly and decided to keep up the pace down the hills and pulled a little gap. We hit the next climb (around 2 miles long) and I walked/jogged most of it trying to keep the HR down. Two people caught me at the top of the hill, but then I pulled some distance on the next downhill. This was the strategy that I would keep for the rest of the day. There were many hills that I was walking up with a HR over 170!!!! Geeze! I was good on the nutrition taking a Gu about every 30-40 mins and keeping the hydration going. I was passed going up a hill around mile 8, and just kept true to my new strategy. We hit a very technical trail at about mile 10-12 and I went off trail many times. Interestingly enough, I came out of the trail in the lead. I guess the guy that passed me leading into the trail got lost worse than I did. I came to the drop bag check point (mile 17) in the lead and was feeling pretty good. I did not take anything from my drop back and just kept on going. There was an 1100' climb out of this aid station and I felt this hill. I started cramping a good amount while going up. First my quads, then my calves, and finally my hamstrings. I downed a Gu, and it took care of the cramping. I decided to slow my walking down up the hills and maintain a good pace on the flats and downs. I was passed at the top of the hill after the aid station and wished the guy good luck. He was climbing strong and I did not think that I could keep up for the remaining 10 miles. Surprisingly, around mile 22 I started feeling pretty good again. I was cruising at 7min pace on the flats and downs, running at around 160HR, and just walking the hills. I got to the final aid station somewhere around mile 25 and they said I was a few minutes behind. I thought, what the heck, I will keep the strategy and hit the downhills a little harder. You never know, right!?! I actually climbed the next hill fairly efficiently and started a screaming downhill!!! I was moving well and feeling smooth. Next thing I knew there was the finish line. The only problem, I had only run about 28 miles :( I missed a turnoff at the top of the last hill and missed the final climb. I headed back up the last mile I descended (around 800' gain)! and saw the trail I missed. I was hurting at this point. I decided to call it a day, disappointed, but also very pleased. It was a great learning experience, and a beautiful day. I was told that I was about 1 minute back right around the trail head that I missed. Either way I would have been happy with the finish. This was the first time I have run over 20 miles in as long as I can remember, and it was a pretty comfortable run. I think I will train specifically for the distance for awhile and see what I can do. If my aerobic fitness was a bit better, I think that I could have held a much more efficient pace up the hills. I still got in 30 good miles of running and over 12,000' of climbing with the addition of my detour. I have to look at my watch readout, but I was on pace for around 5:30. That is a long time running, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The hills took up most of that time, and the elevation was another nice challenge. I think I averaged 164HR! That was the biggest surprise of the day. I am on the edge of aerobic at this HR and probably a bit over the line, but it did not seem to have too much of a negative effect. I felt really good from mile 22 on, and with a bit different nutrition, I think I could have minimized or negated the cramping. I think the hills were the biggest culprit of the cramping, but some more electrolytes could have made the difference.

It was a great experience with a bummer of an ending. I was not too disappointed, but it would have been nice to see how the day would have ended had I taken the right path. I think I will have fun training for this distance and I think it is a good fit physiologically.

Adrienne ran a great 12 mile race with 5,000' of climbing! She took it out conservative, and ended up passing a lot of people over the second half of the race. She has only been training for 4-6 week consistently, and has come a long way. I have not seen her result yet, but she had a great time and is really loving the new challenge. She is training for a 50k in December, but we may find one before that. It is great to be able to train and race these races "together". It is fun to be able to relate to the highs and lows together as well. We are enjoying it quite a bit. I think it is great for Adrienne because she was a very competitive sprinter, jumper, and soccer player. It is great for her to have something new to be competitive in, set goals for, and to have fun doing. I am excited to see how far she is going to come and I know she is going to enjoy the journey!

Until next time...

~Finch

50k-12,000' gain, Why Not?

So, I am going to jump in the Golden Gate Dirty Thrity this weekend. It is a 50k race out here in CO that I came across last Thursday. I don't think I have ever run 31 miles before, but I think I can get through it alright. I will take it easy and see what happens. There is 12000' of climbing and 12000' of descending. I am not a big fan of downhills, but I will have to deal in this race. I assume I will just go out with whoever is willing to lead and see how I feel at 20. I know I can run 20 and fell alright, so that should be a good place to take stock. Then we will see what happens. Until then, I will be thinking about the race and figuring out what I am going to eat. I assume I need to eat, and I saw something that said I have to carry 40oz of water. That sounds heavy, but I will make it work. I'm going to have to wear one of those silly belts :( I am sure that thing will be of great importance during the race. I will probably eat gels, Cliff Bars, and gummy worms (if they sound good)! They sound good right now and I assume they will sound good 25 miles into the race :) I love climbing and I love Golden Gate Canyon State Park. It is very pretty!!! I'll let you know how it goes!

Racers or trainers? Hmmmmm...

Finch

Miles and Pools in my Basement

This weekend was alright. Had a nice 14 miler at Bear Creek on Saturday, took Sunday off from running and planted the garden with Adrienne, and then got in 20 on Monday. The 20 was a nice loop. Mt. Falcon parking lot, Morrison, up the highway to Lair O' the Bear, up to Parmalee Gulch Rd., climb up to Mt. Falcon, and then down the hill to finish up. Lots of up, and a long down at the end. I felt good and all that I felt this morning were my knees. I think they just need to get used to the pounding for that distance. I had a nice 5.5 miler at lunch today and will take it easy for the rest of the day.

On another note, our basement flooded last night! Damn! As far as I can tell, the water came up from under the foundation, and found whatever cracks it could between the foundation and the walls to come up into our house :( We are so close to finishing up our house and this is such a bummer! If insurance does not cover it, I will have to tear out the drywall in the room downstairs, and all the wood flooring that we installed. I am rather depressed about the whole situation! Well, that is part of owning an old house, I guess?!

Ugh!!!

Finch

A New Challenge?

So, I am still a bit bummed about 9 Trails, but I know it is not happening, and I have to consider what I want to focus on. I have a hard time getting amped about running 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, etc... I know I can run well, but not fast enough to be pleased with the sacrifice it takes to get there. Talking with Adrienne and others, it seems I can go fast, but a bit slower than many of the elite and pro racers. This lack of desire to run for second will most likely change as I continue to get older and slower, but it has not yet changed. So, what's the answer?

A New Challenge!

I am curious how I will do over 50 miles. Once upon a time I ran 30 at about 6:10 pace. I would not have made it one more mile, but I did not have food or water on that run. I crawled into my bed and slept for 14 hours. It seems that I am genetically predisposed to handle a good pace for a long long distance, but I am not sure my body will hold up to the miles. I think it is time to find out! I am going to build from now until August and get my miles up up up! Then I will jump into a 50k (I am thinking about doing the 50k championships in San Francisco). After that, if I am healthy, racing well, and not back on the mile train :), I will enter The North Face 50 Mile Championship race in San Francisco in December. I will race throughout this time, but focus on the miles, and training that will support fat burning and energy conservation over that distance.

I had a nice run today with Peter Vail, and we were discussing the difference in a 50k and a 50 mile race. It is clear in the results that they are far from the same thing (much much slower)!, but I think a new challenge is in order, and it is something that feels a bit over my head. There are few things in life that I love more than running! I am looking forward to slowing the pace down, and running a lot more. I think Adrienne is in as well! I believe she will handle the distance better than I will, and it will be a fun challenge to embark upon together.

Finch

Bummer!

9 Trails is cancelled for this year :( I completely understand! Due to the fires in Santa Barbara, the trails are wrecked and they are going to have some serious errosion issues this Winter. Hopefully the trail crews can set up some structure to help prevent some of this. Two years and no 9 Trails is a bit of a bummer, but it forces me to find something else to look forward to. I do not know what that will be yet, but I will find some race that is way over my head.

Enjoying the miles lately. Took a bit of a break last week because we completely redid our yard. Tore out over 30 tons of stuff and put in new sod after grading both the back and front yards. It was a lot of work. I am currently building a walk-in closet in our master bedroom, and should have that done this weekend. I will get in a long run this weekend and I have a couple of nice runs with Peter Vail and Steve Cavalli today and tomorrow.

What to race?

Finch

Very Nice!

The running has been going great. The leg seems much stronger after an easy week, and I am now dealing with tird legs. It is interesting how fast you can get used to miles, but it does not mean that the legs will not be heavy. Last week was a nice week with three days in a row with 14, 16, and 13. That was a good amount of miles considering what I have been doing, and most of them were under 6:30 pace. So, I am trying to take it easier on the normal runs, but my HR is very low cruising around 6:45. I will have to see if my legs can handle that pace, and then go from there. I have been enjoying the miles, and am looking forward to getting used to the hot weather. It was about 80 out today when I was running, and it felt HOT. It takes a few runs to get used to the heat. The key right now is to not let the speed work slip away. That is the difference maker in my running, and what makes me smooth and fast. So, this week has been two 7 milers so far, and I have been feeling a bit heavy. I am sure it is from the long week last week, but I felt better today than yesterday. It is a busy week, and will be difficult to get in 2x days, but we will see. Guinness has his first hunt test this weekend, and he is being a bit weird in the field right now. So, we will see how he competes :)

Finch

Enjoying the Miles

I have learned many lessons through my time running, and that does not appear to be stopping any time soon. I think I bumped my miles too quickly. My soleus started cramping on runs and it was difficult to run. It was fine until about 6-8 miles in, and it would just say, "enough is enough." So, I backed off the miles for a week logging somewhere around 35, and am upped it 10-15 the following week. I decided to run twice a day, most days, and get in runs ranging from 5-8 miles each run. This allows me to keep up speed a bit better and get in great miles that will pay off later!!! I think the main problem is accepting the altitue. I can run around 6:15 -6:30 pace right now and (last time I checked) be running around 145HR. That is a very easy, reasonable effort, but it does not seem that my muscles recover as well as I would hope. So, I can go 5-6 miles at lunch now, run 5:45-6:00 pace and hold a more honest effort while not needing as much recovery. I don't yet know if it equates to cheating the system, but I'll take it! The bummer for me is that I HAVE to slow down on the long runs. I love getting out there and just going how I feel. 6min pace, 6:30 pace, whatever. Now, if I am going over 10 or so, it seems I need to slow it down a bit and just get the distance in the legs. This is a bummer!!! I can run 20 right now at that pace and feel like I was just out for a casual jaunt. The hope is that I will continue to get stronger and the pace can come down for the longer runs.

Adrienne is training well and will be upping her long run here in a couple weeks. It is nice that we have a lot of time before our long race, and I think it will benefit her body to be on this longer slower training schedule. She is enjoying the running and we have already been on some fun adventures together. Crossing Bear Creek on the 3 creek run in the middle of run-off season can get a bit crazy!!! :)

I feel it is easier to take the lessons I have learned in running and apply them to other people's schedules. That is probably where pride comes into the equation for me. I have learned that lesson quite a few times, it just never sticks :/

Finch