Race PostMortem : 2nd attempt at UTMB/OCC and request for advice

In 2016 I attempted OCC for the first time and made a couple of newbie mistakes that probably lead to my first DNF on this course:

• I arrived the night before the race and didn’t account for jet lag and elevation difference
• I treated race as a fun run and took many amazing pictures and video on course whilst not paying attending to cut off times
• I didn’t make the cutoff at Trient and was (very nicely) pulled off the course by the Sweeper Sisters.  

Race Report : Baldy Marathons - 04/28/2018

Baldy Marathons Madness

It all started months ago when a fast ultra runner friend of mine heard I was planning to do Barkleys Fall Classic and/or UTMB/OCC this year.  Jake Dinardi said if you are really series about training for those then I know a race director that has put together a course with a fairly high ‘suffer index’. That conversation lead to friending the RD on FB, some messages exchanged and ultimately Aaron Sorensen added me to the ‘closed’ FB groups after I registered on ultra signup even tho technically the race was closed. Thanks Aaron … I thought at the time!  Thus began my training for my first ‘off trail, self supported mountain orienteering’ race.

Race Reflection : UTMB/OCC 2016

I'm in for UTMB/OCC 2018!  I'm both excited and terrified at the same time.  Two years ago I also got in, was all prepared, took many photos and videos before during and after the and and got cut.  You have no idea how it feels to be on top of the world - literally - then hear you are being cut because you didn't make the aid station cutoff time.  I'm going back much wiser from not only being cut but because I knew one of the factors was not giving myself enough time to recover from jetlag.  I'll be trained, have the cutoffs stamped on my arm and won't be taking any videos nor photos on course!

Here is my post from Aug 28, 2016 a day after I was cut from OCC because I wasn't paying attention to cutoffs.

Enjoy the photos at the end and can't wait to see everyone in Chamonix in a few months!!

Race Report : Under Armour Mountain Running : Copper Mountain, CO - Sep 9, 2017

My Execute Director called me into her office and informed me that we'd be traveling to Denver, CO for mandatory managers all hands to go over 2018 initiatives, etc.  Internally I groaned since the last thing I needed as we enter the busiest time of the year for us is to be distracted by what might be coming next year!  But a thought struck me. "What IF by some small miracle there was a cool trail race around the time I happen to be in Colorado?"  It as in mile high county home of famous cycling and trail running territory.  So, I hit halfmarathon dot net and several other well known race calendars and I came across an odd race a bit far from Denver in a funky place called "Copper Mountain".  I hit the race director's summary of the race that it starts at 9745 ft and peaks at 12,040 ft. See link here.  OMG - this was not your everyday run along the beach or local state park in California. Not even by Tahoe standards.  This was a Rocky Mountain race at an average 10k ft. Oh heck yeah where is the registration page cuz I'm in!

Race Report : Wente Classic Cycling Road Race : Men 45+ Cat 4/5: April 30, 2017

Subtitle : "Runner survives first bike race!"

For years my favorite recovery activity besides walking the family dog has been cycling.  Immediately after a trail race or road marathon you just want to pass the finish line, high five friends and family then lay down with a beer in your hands.  Your legs are normally toast and you just want to not move for awhile.  Then there is the day after stiffness.

I found that if I walk the dog then go for a bike ride the day after and get all that blood pumping thought my body that I immediately feel much better and can start training again sooner.  This foot race / bike recovery pattern has repeated itself over and over again till I started doing weekend hill work outs on the bike just for fun.  Locally, my favorite ride in East Bay Area is the ~30 mile/~2200 ft Palomaras Loop (Strava Link).

Last year I did my first Duathlon (5k run, 20 mile bike ride, 5k run) and loved it. See Wolf Pack Events if interested. Started doing bike/run 'Brick' work outs to fine tune transition times and work on my cycling skills. One note is that per USAT rules you cannot draft other cyclists and have to leave a safe distance (7 meters x 2 meters).  And, if you pass you have to pass within several seconds or give up. Otherwise you could earn a '5.1 Position Foul' and be penalized time or DQ'ed.

Last month I participated in my first Triathlon. Loved the bike and run, barely survived the open water swim in 55 deg F water (27 deg F ambient).  I spent a far amount of time in the transition area checking out peoples tri bikes. Man I could have spent hours just looking at bike setups and asking questions.  Follow this link to learn more about HITS Napa.

Race Report : HITS Napa Sprint Triathlon - April 9th, 2017

50th birthday goals

To celebrate my 50th birthday, I decided on two birthday month events.  First was held just yesterday (Sunday April 9th) and was my first ever triathlon which happened to be hosted by HITS at Lake Berryessa in Napa County. The second will be my first bike Century rescheduled for later this year due to Primevera being canceled due to course closures and will report on that later in the year.

Road to first ever Triathlon

I first started running regularly in 2012 and have slowly added distance and/or speed every year since then.  Then to cross train I added road cycling which I found I also greatly enjoyed and have participated in several Duathlons and fun rides since 2015.  December last year was particularly wet which dramatically reduced my interest in outdoor cycling and trail running so I took the plunge and starting swimming at the locally (heated) outdoor public swimming pool.  First swim was exhausting and lasted maybe four 25m laps.  Three months later I’m still a slow plodder but can swim nonstop 800 m in ~25 min.  Finally mustered enough courage to try swimming same distance in local lake with tri-suite and cap and survived.  I had trouble navigating a straight line face down in water that had nearly zero visibility and would frequently pop my head up to take bearings.  The suite worked very well and I never felt cold. My face on the other hand had a hard time getting used to 55 deg F cool water.

Race Report : Sonoma County Back Country Challenge (60 mile), May 22, 2016

What's cycling 60 miles of cool morning air plus BBQ and beer?  A good time!

This was my first time cycling the non-competitive Back Country Challenge in PennGrove, CA (near Petaluma) and it was a blast!

My cousin Sam gave me a list of local rides to ease my way back into cycling and he knew that if the finish featured a beer garden that he'd have my attention.  And he did.

There are three distances to choose from : 35 miles ($70), metric 100 (62 miles - $80) and 100 mile ride ($90).  I originally signed up for the 100 but knowing that my wife and kids would probably be waiting for me downgraded to the 60.  Registration fees benefit The Petaluma Sunrise Rotary Club and the many groups they in turn support.  The ride is extremely well organized with very clear turn markers, Aid Stations every 10 miles or so, and the best chicken BBQ and beer I've had in while.  Additional perks include three twins ice cream cones.

Race Report : Taiwan Beast Runners, deLoop, April 16, 2016

I’ve run a couple races in Taiwan before. Both road races in June. A 12k and half marathon (22k).  I could only get two weeks of vacation from work because of commitments but really wanted to find a trail race amongst the lush rain forest like conditions.  To my surprise, the Taiwan Beast Runners(TBR) had a UTMB, UTMF certified ‘loop’ race in just the environment I sought after – or so I thought.

Pre-race day Period: April 10^th-April 15^th

April in Taiwan has generally speaking for a sub-tropical island ‘nice’ weather in that there aren’t any monsoons nor is the weather too hot nor humid.  However, I knew that the humidity and timezone difference were different enough that I would need a few training runs to acclimate. So, I started the very next morning with a 10k then added 10k per day for three total workouts (10k, 20k, 30k*).  My last workout was cut short because what was supposed to be a dry day turned into torrential rains so only got 15k in.  I must say that my first work out the day after I arrived was tough. I mean a 10k should have been easy to knock out but I had to push my legs to finish. However, by the second day I ran a 20k with ease.

The 3AM bus pickup area.  I located the pickup area which was Taipei Main Train station East exit 3 and minutes from my mother in law’s house on Google Maps and thought easy.  I showed the map to my wife, then mother in law which promped a family walk using mom’s route to the train station. Mom’s route was most efficient of course because the MRT underground would be closed at that time, had to use surface streets and was easy enough to cross ‘no crossing area’ at 2:45AM provided you were not picked off my early morning race car drivers.

Race Report (with video) : V3 Hopfest 60 mile ride : Sept 19, 2015

A friend of mine knew I started cycling again and was looking for a good local race to 'break in my saddle'.  Dennis recommended a local race called Veteran's Victory Velo (v3) that combines 30/60/100 mile routes that tour the beautiful rolling San Ramon, Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton hills with beer garden finish!  Earnings from the race primarily benefit the Sentinels of Freedom fund which helps severely injured veterans pursuit of higher education and integration into private-sector life.  Fun tour of the tri-county area, beer and benefit of local veterans group?  I was in!

Ride Stats: distance, start time, elevation gain, expected completion time...

Distance	Start Time	Elevation Gain	Rough Completion Time
30	9:30AM	1,131ft	2 Hours
60	8:00AM	2,500ft	4 Hours
100	7:30AM	6,867ft	7 Hours

Race Report : First ever Duathlon : 3.6 M Run/22 M Bike/1.8 M Run

A couple months back I decided for no reason to train and race in a Duathlon.  I knew I wanted to do a muli-sport, knew I wasn't a competitive swimmer, and settled on a Duathlon.  A duathlon is a two-sport race hence the name where you run, bike then run again.  Not to be confused with a bi-ahtlon that combines cross country skiing and shooting things with a rifle!  There are various distances just like in a Triathlon from sprint, Olympic to full. Read official distances here.

I consulted with a talented triathlete I know named 'Jim' who recommended a local race held by 'Wolf' in the San Pablo Dam area, Orinda, CA.  I knew the area was hilly,  beautiful and given the next race was a month away jumped at the chance to race it.

International Marathons : When there's not enough crazy locally

Tired of your local marathons and want to trick the significant other into a runner destination race?  Then here are some international marathons for you to consider, their ballot dates and fees to consider.  Three of these are all part of the World Marathon Majors (WMM). Link here.

Race Report : ITR Running 35k at Folsom Lake : Hydration Test #3

My friend and mentor, Dave, knew I wanted a longer sweat test time of 3-4 hours so being the thoughtful and clever runner he is suggested we run the Inside Trail Racing (ITR) Folsom Lake 35k (20 mile) race.  Dave was spot on and was one of the most pleasant trail runs I've enjoyed in some time. [Dave also had a good run but was suffering the aftermath of a questionable Ragu recipe from the night before]

I had completed the 50K twice before, knew the course, and how variable the weather could be this time of year in the area.  Two years ago the temperature had soared to 85 but last year was similar but more lush.  Race weekend it had rained all Friday night the night before. But, luckily it didn't rain on us and given the crushed granite composition of most of the trail there were very few muddy spots.

The weather race weekend in a word was 'perfect'!

Race Report : EPIC AR50 DNF at mile 40 with hydration rate discussion

I learned alot about running while completing four 50k trail races and three marathons last year (2014) and was able to apply tweaks, tips and lessons learned on AR50. Many things worked just perfectly on Saturday, April 4th.  However, near mile 37 nausea started in and by mile 40 I was done. Not "ohh you're just uncomfortable you just need to push through it" but done done. Not being able to hold down any water for 30 min sucks.

Illustration by Daniel Yagmin

Race Report : Way Too Cool (WTC) 50k, March 7, 2015

There are many race reports on one of California's most popular 50ks - Way Too Cool.  I'm not going review the reviews or review all the reasons why folks like the course.  I'm simply going to discuss what worked for this first timer and what I'm going to do differently next year.

Race Report : Part 3 - Running the 6th World Major, Tokyo Marathon, Feb 22, 2015, Three Days in Tokyo/Hakone

This is the third and final part of the 'Running Tokyo' series which will cover post race time activities. 

• Part1 : How to get to the race and reflections on the race itself
• Part2 : The two weeks we spent in Taiwan prior to the race
• (This Post) : The three days we spent after the race in Tokyo/Hakone (Hot Springs Area) 

We only had the rest of race Sunday through Tuesday and were scheduled to leave that Wed night back to the States - so not a lot of time. If we had more time we would have stayed longer in Hakone and toured more of the Lake, Mt Fuji, taken the tram ride, etc.

Those three days can be broker down this way:

• [Saturday] : Tokyo Afternoon Tour
• Sunday : Recovery walk and shopping in Ginza shopping district
• Monday : Train ride to Hokone, tour of Venetian glass museum, hot springs
• Tuesday : Tour of park, stay at local business hotel

Race Report : Part 2 - Running the 6th World Major, Tokyo Marathon, Feb 22, 2015, Two Weeks In Taiwan

This is Part2 (of three total parts) detailing some interesting runs I had the pleasure of doing in Taiwan to prepare for the Tokyo marathon.  The three parts are:

• Part1 : How to got to the race and reflections on the race itself
• (This Part) : The two weeks we spent in Taiwan prior to the race
• Part3 : The three days we spent after the race in Tokyo/Hakone (Hot Springs Area) 

 Knowing that jetlag would be an issue for any traveler crossing the international date line and sleeping in different beds, etc we planned on a couple of weeks first in Taiwan, ROC; which is only 1.5 hours by flight from Japan and only off by 1 hour in timezone.  This excuse also provided us with more vacation abroad, time to visit my wife's family and for me to try some new beers and hookup with hard-core trail runners in Taiwan!

I had the great pleasure of finding the informative blog (Taipei Runner) and connecting with its author Amber.  She also has a Facebook page you can find here.

Here are three fun runs you can do while in Taipei.  I'll provide links to other running groups also in Taipei that I didn't get a chance this time to run with but want to next time I'm in Taiwan.

• Fun Run 1 : Riverside Park (JiLong aka KeeLung River)
• Fun Run 2 : Da-An Forest Park
• Fun Run 3 : YangMing Park:  QiXing Mountain Summit- aka Amber's Run

Race Report : Running the 6th World Major, Tokyo Marathon, Feb 22, 2015 - Part 1

It's 2:48AM, Saturday Feb 28th, six days after completing the Tokyo Marathon, and I'm wide awake sitting on my couch in sunny northern California wondering why did take a nap after landing at noon in the States!  Yes, major jet lag.

Since, I have nothing better to do on an early Saturday morning let's talk about participating in the 6th World Major Marathon as well as logistics of getting to the marathon and faux pah for the foreign traveler to be aware of.  Let's break this up into three parts:

1. (This Post): This part about how to get to the race and reflections on the race itself
2. Part2 : The two weeks we spent in Taiwan prior to the race
3. Part3 : The three days we spent after the race in Tokyo/Hakone (Hot Springs Area)

If you have never heard of the World Marathon Major Races then you should read about each of them here as each has a rich history of their own.  Tokyo was the last marathon to be added and is the largest marathon in Asia.  Each year more than 300,000 people apply to get in and only about 35,000 are accepted.  It's even harder for local Japanese to get in.

Race Report : Kaiser Permanente (KP) SF HM 02/01/2015 (3rd year running)

This is the third year I've run the KP San Francisco Golden Gate Half Marathon and probably the most fun for three reasons:

• The weather was stunning perfect
• PR'ed by nearly six minutes over last year
• Was able to encourage more fellow KP-IT employees to run this year

Last year (2014) was a HM PR for me but under challenging conditions.  If you want to read about the storm conditions we ran in and my slip on a manhole cover read the gory details here.

Strava has a nice feature that once you name a run a 'route' then it will automatically compare them.  Here Strava compares my last three races.  You can clearly see a nice ~7 min improvement from 2013->2014, then a nice ~6 min improvement from 2014->2015.  I'd sure like to think if I continued to train and improve that I could knock off another ~5 off for a 1:42 next year!  Clearly not linear and it is going to be fun to see over time how fast I can become on the same course. If I had not been suffering from that dang cough that has been going around for the last four weeks I think I could have nailed my ~7:45min/mile average I was actually shooting for (not the 8:03 I measured with my Garmin 310xt).  However, I'm not unhappy.  In fact, I was downright giddy passing the finish with the clock showing a 1:47!

Race Report : Pleasanton Double (10K + 5K) 12/21/2014

I had joined Bob Anderson's, co-founder of Runners World Magazine, UjENA Fit Club some time ago but never ran a 'Double' because of race conflicts.  That is until I signed my 13 year-old son and I up for the Pleasanton Double December 21, 2014 for some father/son bonding!

Group shot with Bob after race. Bob doesn't even look tired!

Race Report : North Face Endurance Challenge (#NFEC), SF 50k, Dec 6,2014

I enjoy reading race reports. And, in most race reports where the runner runs in a race with the word 'Endurance', 'Challenge' or both 'Endurance Challenge' you get to read along as the runner suffers all that makes up the endurance challenge and the usual conclusion that if you are going to attempt it you better be prepared. The North Face Endurance Challenge is no exception to this classification of race and this years race on Dec 6th, 2014 enjoyed a deluge of rain the night before promising to make the challenging course even more so. Here are my results with muddy details to follow.

• Distance = 32.10 mi
• Avg Pace  = 15:56 min/mi
• Time = 8:31:39
• Elev Gain = 5,909 ft
• Elev Loss = 5,915 ft
• Avg HR = 156 bpm, 84 % of Max, 3.8z
• Max HR = 174 bpm, 94 % of Max, 5.2z

One of my favorite race reports was from Ginger Runner (#trainracebeer) after he attempted his first NFEC 50k back in 2012 and many of his observations and tips came true for us in 2014!

The 50 milers started out first 2 hours before us 50kers and were broken into waves (1-4).  By the time I started 50k/wave 4 the trail was turned up mud and later just like GingerRunner noted as a slower runner you get to encounter the elite 50 milers coming back at you on the out-and-backs in a very physical way (more on that later).

One advantage of being in wave 4 was that I was very relaxed and got to take pics before wave 1 went out at 7AM.

Below are two super runners, Sunny to the left,  who eventually finished 1st in her Age Group and 7th overall female (5:10); and Veronica on the right who finished 100 miler Rio Del Largo (RDL) in 26:17 hours Nov 7th and was running NFEC 50k as a recovery run (6:35).

Super fast, super fly runners Sunny and Veronica