Canyons 100K -- 13:00:39

Summary

I successfully completed the Canyons Endurance Runs 100K, taking 13 hours to run and hike 59.3 miles from Auburn to Foresthill. This is an exceptionally difficult course, with lots of steep rocky trails and 14,900 feet of elevation gain. The weather was pretty good for running -- clear and cool, with a predicted high of 70F in Auburn, but I still felt quite warm in some sections. The race organization and course markings were excellent. I enjoyed chatting with a few fellow runners. The scenery was frequently gorgeous. The last 10 miles were the most difficult of the course, with the steepest descents and steepest climbs and the longest time between aid stations, and the last two miles consisted of practically nonstop snow, puddles, and mud.

I did well in my age group of 50-59 males. Out of 72 starters, I came in 3rd. There were 528 runners in total who started the 100K, which is a lot for a trail race!

Details

My main goal for the year is to do well at Western States Endurance Run 100 Mile, or "Western States", on June 25-26. Canyons 100K runs on most of the same trails as Western States, except in the opposite direction. And the timing of Canyons 100K works well too, being 9 weeks before Western States. Because Western States is so much more important, I considered Canyons 100K to be something in between a training run and a race; I didn't want to take any big risks!

Looking at results from past years, I thought that 12 hours at Canyons was an optimistic but achievable goal. So, I planned on pacing myself according to that.

Some friends from one of my running clubs, Tuesday Night Run Club, were volunteering at Canyons and one couple owned a house in Foresthill, right along the course! They kindly allowed me to stay there. Nice!

The view from the back deck

I set my alarm for 2:30am (ouch!) and was in bed around 9pm.

2:30am rolled around (yawn) and I tried to get breakfast and get ready as quickly and quietly (lots of people were in the house) as I could. I had 1.5 toasted bagels with peanut butter and a cup of coffee. Getting ready took a bit longer than expected and I was out the door at 3:30am. Somehow I thought to double-check that I had everything, and I was missing both water bottles! I had left them on the kitchen counter. Bottles recovered, I was soon on the road.

We had to park in a large parking lot about a mile away from the start line. There were shuttles buses going back and forth, to take us. I appeared to be the only one to wear a mask on the bus; I don't want to get Covid!

Soon, I was walking around the starting area. It was busy! I used a bathroom one last time and took off my warm clothes and put them into my finish line drop bag. I dropped off a 2nd drop bag for the Deadwood aid station, since some warm clothes were mandatory. (I wouldn't need anything from this drop bag.)

Soon, 5am was drawing near, I took some photos, got my Strava app recording along with a text message to Jennifer, and we were off!

The race starts in the streets of Auburn, which is good, because there were so many of us! There were huge inflatable course markers, stickers on the ground, volunteers, and police to guide us along. It was quite a production, like a big-city marathon! There were even a handful of spectators at this early hour!

After a little more than a mile we were on a dirt road, and then soon we got onto our first single-track trail. I felt cool and at ease. The trail was very runnable and was downhill. My first 4 miles: 9:25, 9:03, 8:29, and 8:01. It would be a long time before I had such easy running again!

It was shaping up to be a beautiful morning as the sun rose.

At the first significant bridge, which goes over the North Fork of the American River at mile 3.24, the entire center, from edge to edge, was a giant muddy puddle. 6 or 7 runners in front of me got onto a narrow curb and were shuffling sideways to avoid getting wet. I just leaped in and ran down the middle. It was fine!

I arrived at our first aid station, Mammoth Bar, at mile 7.3. There were plenty of volunteers and I had a quick refueling and was on my way.

Somewhere along here, I think, was when I first felt a sharp jab of pain on my big toe. I was wearing relatively new shoes, Hoka One One Speedgoat 5, that only had 9 miles on them. My feet were sliding around a bit too much and my big toe nail was catching or hitting on something inside the shoe. Hmm. Should I stop?

The scenery was pretty. We ran through this golden field.

At Driver's Flat, mile 15.3, I saw some of my friends! Jo! Brady! I quickly refueled and got going. Except a gradual feeling of pressure was building up. Crap. Oh well, it happens. So, at the next porta-potty I stopped and that was Unplanned Stop #1 for a #2.

After feeling more sharp jabs of pain on a big toenail, I stopped to tie my shoe tighter -- Unplanned Stop #2.

Soon, I had the sweetest fastest downhill miles of the race. Miles 16, 17, and 18 flew by in 8:30, 8:13, and 7:19.

At some point I was starting to feel warm, and I got out my bandana and soaked it in a river crossing. I soaked my hat, too. That felt good.

I joined up with a woman who had done this race before, and had completed Western States, and had done an Ironman triathlon (but she didn't like swimming!). We crossed a few rivers together, but I wasn't afraid to get my feet wet, whereas she was much more cautious. I started referring to her as "my river crossing buddy".

Eventually, I arrived at the next aid station, Cal 2, at mile 24.6. I was feeling pretty good all-in-all. I was starting to get warm, though.

I started getting big-toenail pain in my other foot. I stopped to re-tie my other shoe. Unplanned Stop #3.

In the next stretch, a fast moving runner caught up to me and passed me. He was the 1st place 50K runner! He had started an hour after me, but was moving so well.

A while later, the 2nd place 50K guy passed me. And then the 3rd.

I came across a runner walking back towards me, saying that she was confused about which way to go. There were maybe 4 of us in a group now, and I was the only one who had the course map on my phone. There was a sort-of fork in the trail, where a narrower trail branched off uphill to the left, but the more prominent trail continued straight. We were supposed to go straight. After a few minutes, I confirmed with everyone that we were on course. This was the only spot of confusion in the whole race, and if I had been by myself, I think I would have naturally gone the correct way without even checking my map. I didn't realize it at the time, but I apparently had accidentally paused my Strava workout on my phone, which led to confusion to my friends and family who were following my progress. I didn't catch the problem until a few miles later.

On a long uphill to Foresthill Aid Station, I was starting to feel hot and tired. I just kept on trying to eat and drink plenty. I came up to the 3rd place 50K runner who was walking. He turned around and asked me if I had any water! Oh oh! He had run too hard for too long without water. I took off the lid to my bottle and handed it to him. I had only 10 oz left. (I was carrying two 20oz bottles and I had finished off the other one already.) He was grateful and he was struggling. I told him he didn't have too long of a hike up this hill until the aid station. Maybe it was 2 miles? He drank half my water and I was on my way, leaving him behind. I soon finished off the bottle. It may have been more like 3 miles to the next aid station.

Foresthill! Mile 32.8! I was more than halfway done. It was exciting to be here, as this was the 50K finish line and there were lots of spectators. I quickly moved through the aid station, but then made Unplanned Stop #4 at a porta-potty; thankfully, this was my last bathroom break.

Entering the Foresthill Aid Station

I met up again with my river crossing buddy. We chatted as we continued through the streets of Foresthill and then we had a sweet dirt road downhill for a mile, crossed a river (I leapt into it, while she gingerly tried to keep her feet dry).  Then I hit a big 1000' climb.

Around mile 34, we had our toughest river crossing. The rapidly moving water reached to about my knees.

As I neared Michigan Bluff aid station, mile 38.7, I passed my friends' house that I had stayed at! What a great location! I don't recall now, but I think this aid station had only caffeinated sports drink.

The next leg from Michigan Bluff to Deadwood was frequently rough, rocky, and overgrown. I was dodging lots of poison oak, too. This was getting hard. I ran out of water again. After a 2090' 2.9 mile climb, there was a pretty scene.

I arrived at Deadwood. This is a loop and I saw a few very fit-looking women runners; I wondered if they were the leaders.

At the aid station, I asked for non-caffeinated sports drink, but they didn't have any. I refueled with what they had. Onward.

This was getting to be a slog. More climbing. But then I saw my first snow!

Back to Deadwood #2. I'm definitely getting tired. The air was getting cool. I refueled with more caffeine that I didn't want, but I thought it was best to have the calories with water. I grabbed a quesadilla quarter which tasted great.

On to the last leg! Unfortunately, it was 10 miles to the finish and this was the most difficult terrain. The downhill was so steep and rocky that it was hard to run. My big toenails hurt. There was this crazy damaged bridge we had to cross.

Then there was a big climb -- 1348' in 2.1 miles. Then more climbing. But I realized that I was going to finish this thing, eventually. Just keep moving.

I was wishing I had hiking poles. A guy passed me using two sticks as hiking poles! I picked up a stick that I thought would work, but it was too flexible and didn't work well. I soon tossed it. I ran out of water.

We turned off this dirt road into a single track trail. Stick-pole guy was going to miss this turn, but I pointed out the markers. He thanked me.

The final two miles were much flatter, but there was so much mud and snow, that it was tough going. Another runner was with me and we chatted for a while, which was helpful, because I was running on fumes and was getting desperate -- thanks, Joey, for the company! I was trying to figure out how far away we were from the finish, but that was tricky with my Strava workout messed up. I finally figured that we were about 15 minutes from the finish at our current pace. I told Joey this and that I wanted to pick up the pace; I wished him luck and left him behind.

There was a sharp left turn in the trail. I started hearing cheering. I was getting close! In a more open field, I heard my name called! Yay! I was focused on not slipping or tripping. Our bibs have our names in addition to our bib #s, so I didn't think that I necessarily knew who was cheering. But one of them sounded like Johanna. Hmm. Right as I was passing them, the guy reached out for a fist bump. Brady!!! Jo!!! I couldn't believe they were there; they had volunteered all day already!

The finish chute! Woo hoo! Hands in the air! Dana! (The owner of the house I stayed at also showed up; so nice!) Aaron was there, too! Nice!

I was so glad to finish, but I was quite depleted. I wanted to find Tecnu and wash my legs and arms and face as soon as I could, since I'm so sensitive to poison oak. Brady was able to find some for me. Thanks! I also needed something to drink; I got some soup from the finish line aid station.

Brady and Jo offered to give me a ride back to the house. This saved so much time. My original plan was to wait 45 minutes for the next shuttle, then take the ~45 minute shuttle ride to my car, then drive back to the house (another 40+ minutes). Instead, like 20 minutes later, we were at the house.

I didn't end up going to bed until about 2am. I was on such a natural high plus the nearly gallon of caffeinated sports drink probably had something to with this. What an epic day!

They gave a nice belt!

What went well

• Mostly, things went well. My leg muscles held up pretty well. I didn't get any chafing. No blisters. I didn't trip or fall or go off course. I'm not injured.

Things to improve

• I shouldn't have let my trail racing shoes get so worn down before replacing them. By the time I got the replacement, I didn't have much time to try them out, and I don't think I had the laces tied quite right.
• Carrying hiking poles probably would have been a big help towards the end of the race. On the one hand, they're kind of pain to put away and get out, and I would have had to use a different hydration pack to hold them. On the other hand, they would have helped on some of the big climbs. I got passed by multiple runners using poles.
• I somehow lost my little plastic bag with salt pills and ibuprofen. I keep this bag in a small pocket on my running vest. The pocket had a velcro seal, so I don't think it accidentally fell out on its own. I didn't find it in my luggage, so I probably lost it during the race, like if I had accidentally thrown it away. I probably would have taken an ibuprofen, but I don't think I would have taken a salt pill, since I had plenty of salt with my food and sports drink.

Race organization feedback

• The course markings, organization, and volunteers were excellent.
• Some of the aid stations, like Deadwood, only offered caffeinated sports drink. I ended up drinking at least 110 oz of caffeinated sports drink, which was way more caffeine than I wanted. This might have upset my stomach a bit and for sure made me feel jittery afterwards. I wish all the aid stations had primarily non-caffeinated beverages and foods.

Random data

• Results
• Strava workout

Pacifica Runners St. Patrick's Day 5K -- 1st Place

Summary

I ran this fun local 5K (3.1 mile) trail race this morning, put on by one of the running clubs that I'm a member of, Pacifica Runners. And I won! It was fun seeing a bunch of friends and to push myself hard for a short while, and it's extra fun that I happened to be the fastest guy that showed up.

I felt good and I think I paced myself well.

My official time was 19 minutes 23 seconds. Assuming the course was accurately measured, then my average pace was 6:15 per mile. My watch says there was 308 feet of elevation gain.

Details

This route was a bit hilly and even had some more technical single-track trail. I wasn't sure what pair of shoes to wear -- my fastest road-running shoes, Nike Vapor Fly Next%, or my fastest trail running shoes, Hoka One One Speedgoat 4? So, I brought both to the race start. My Vapor Fly shoes are basically the fastest shoes you can buy, but they don't have deep treads for dirt or mud. The ground was fairly dry and I did some strides in them and they seemed totally fine, so that's what I went with. They did great!

It was fun seeing some friends.

After warming up, I positioned myself close to the start line. I surveyed the runners and I saw Michal from the speed workout who I knew was fast but was very unlikely to beat me today. I motioned for Lauren to join me, since she was likely to be in the top 2 or 3.

We were given some instructions about the course, and then there was a quick countdown and we were off!

I led from the beginning and tried not to run too fast and I soon started pulling ahead. It was fun seeing everyone behind me on the main out-and-back, where we all were encouraging each other.

The finish is on a downhill and I really gave it my all. Whew!

Random Data

• Weight: 167.0 lbs
• Results
• Strava

Montara Mountain 50K -- 5:14:03

I survived! I ran the Montara Mountain 50K (31 miles) race today. This is a super hilly course, with 6,700’ of elevation gain, and it got warm, too. I was doing pretty well for about the first 20 miles, but then I started feeling the beginnings of cramps and I walked more and more of the uphills towards the end. It took me 5 hours 14 minutes. It was fun seeing so many friends. Jennifer did a hike and saw me during the race and at the finish, which was sweet.

I finished 3rd place male, 2nd place age in my age group. There were 29 finishers.

Details

I carried two 20 ounce bottles. 15 minutes before the start of the race, I drank about 10 oz and ate one energy gel. I drank 20 oz the first loop. I felt good during the first big ascent to the peak of Montara Mountain and I ran practically every step.

I crossed paths with one of my running buddies, Ross, multiple times. He started ahead of me and I saw him returning from the top. I eventually passed him on the downhill and he started catching up to me on the Valley View uphill. I pulled ahead on the downhill and he caught up again towards the top of Hazelnut. I pulled ahead again and he caught up and then passed me on the 2nd ascent to North Peak. I passed him at the turn-around. He passed me on the Valley View ascent and stayed in front for the rest of the race. He had a great race, this being his first marathon, and he won it!

Otherwise, I mostly ran alone.

Jennifer and her sister Laurie were hiking during the race and we crossed paths. They saw me at the finish, too. Thank you, you two!

I'm not sure what I could have done better to prevent cramps. I did lose over 6 lbs during the race and I know that dehydration causes cramps. So, maybe I should have tried to drink more? And eat more? Or maybe I should have gone slower in the first ascent? I'm still not sure what causes muscle cramps. Anecdotally, it feels like they happen when I run too fast early on in long races, like in road marathons. It's a little hard to believe that I'm not eating enough, but I can't rule that out.

Random Data

• Weight after waking up: 170.0 lbs
• Weight after the race and after eating lunch: 164.0 lbs
• Breakfast: 2 pieces of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and jelly, big cup of coffee. Maybe I should have drank 20 oz of water?
• Alarm woke me up: 5:30am. The race started at 8am.
• Strava
• Results

Pacifica Runners New Years Eve 5K -- 19:06

I had fun running the Pacifica Runners New Years Eve 5 km (3.1 mile) race this morning. The cold clear air was great for racing. This out-and-back course has a pretty good hill in the middle (see the above photo) so I'm happy with my 19:06 time (6:10 per mile), which happened to be good enough for first place male. I led the race from beginning to end, gradually pulling away from the first place woman. I may be old, but I'm not always slow!

It was good seeing so many friends.

Me, Angelo, and Lauren (3rd place female)

The women's race was especially competitive. If I hadn't showed up, the top 3 overall finishers would have been female! I knew the first place woman, Thia Angelo from Excelsior Running Club, and she was quite a bit faster than me (2:56 something versus my 3:04:22) at California International Marathon a month ago. 2nd place female is my friend Ana's 14 year old daughter, Lara! Amazing! And 3rd place female was my regular running buddy and fellow Coastside Running Club and Pacifica Runners member, Lauren.

Me, Ana (4th female), Lara (2nd female)

I also got a $40 gift certificate to A Runner's Mind and a $25 gift certificate to Rosalind Bakery and a "Theragun Wave Solo" (massager?). Thank you, Pacifica Runners!

Happy New Year!

Results.

California International Marathon -- 3:04:22

Summary

I had a solid race! It got challenging towards the end but I held it together and had a strong finish. My time was 3:04:22 which I'm happy about and which will easily qualify me for the Boston Marathon in 2023, which I intend to run. It was great seeing so many friends.

This was my 8th time running this race and was my 33rd road marathon. (I’ve run about an equal number of ultramarathons.)

Details

I signed up for CIM because it’s always a well-organized not-too-large fast convenient marathon. Plus I had a bunch of friends doing it. Plus it would be nice to have a Boston Marathon qualifier for 2023. This was ambitious though, because this race was was exactly 4 weeks after Rio Del Lago 100 Miles, and so that gave me just two weeks to recover and perhaps get in one long run and then it would be time to taper for two weeks! Happily, it worked out!

Here's how my training went:

• 11/5 - 11/6 — 103 miles at Rio Del Lago
• 11/13 — first run after race. 7.5 miles.
• 11/14 — 8.9 miles. Felt good.
• 11/20 — 15.2 mile fast run with Lauren and Ross. Two weeks until race day. Time to taper!
• 11/27 — 13 mile fast run with Lauren and Ross.
• In the last week before CIM, I ran four times — 6.9, 7.1, 8, and 6.8 miles.

I wasn’t sure what time goal to aim for. The 3:09 I ran in Boston seemed to be right at my limits. But CIM was a slightly faster course and the weather would probably be a little bit better. I finally settled on aiming for 3:07 as a minimum but I told friends 3:05. I decided to try following (roughly) the Marco plan again, but to treat this as a minimum pace plan.

The plan was as follows, for my per-mile pace:

• 7:17 x2 miles
• 7:12 x7 miles
• 7:08 x8 miles
• 7:03 for remainder

This is how the race went for each mile. (I pressed the lap button on my watch as I passed each mile marker.)

• 7:22
• 7:19
• 7:04
• 7:05
• 7:14
• 7:09
• 7:05
• 7:10
• 7:09
• 6:59
• 7:07
• 7:06
• 7:00
• 7:11
• 7:04
• 6:57
• 6:57
• 6:54
• 6:51
• 6:58
• 6:58 (averaged with the previous mile; I missed a mile marker)
• 6:49
• 6:57
• 6:54
• 6:49
• 6:42
• 6:11 per mile pace for the last 0.2 miles.

I arrived to Sacramento on the afternoon before the race, to pick up my bib. I ran into a few friends, too.

Left to right: Kenny's wife, Kenny, Kevin, Mor, Justin, myself, Suki

I was able to stay with my friend Elise who lives near downtown Sacramento. Thank you, Elise! For race day morning, my plan was:

• 3:45am wake up. Eat breakfast (2 bagels w/ peanut butter, 20oz water, canned mocha), get dressed, skin care.
• 4:30am. Leave Elise’s.
• 4:40am. Try for street parking at P Street, between 13th and 10th.
• 4:45am to 5am: meet buses on Nth St, between 13th and 10th. Buses begin loading at 5am.
• Carry throw-away warm clothes for the start. (For the first time since I’ve done this race, the race didn’t offer drop bags that would be transported from the start to the finish.)
• 7am race start.

That worked out just fine. I found parking easily and had enough time to digest my food.

On the bus ride to the start, I sat next to a guy from Minnesota who said “the ratio of biffies to runners was really good at CIM”. “Biffy?” Oh, the portable restrooms. I told him that we usually call these “porta-potties” in the Bay Area. Funny!

I borrowed a pen from the bus driver to write my pace chart on my arm.

I didn’t drink any water since breakfast, because I wanted to minimize the risk of needing to use a porta-potty during the race. That strategy worked well and I was comfortable bathroom-wise for the whole race. However, I was getting thirsty and I wanted some water or sports drink 15 minutes prior to the race start, to drink with my energy gel. In spite of the many many porta-potties at the start, it was still a long wait (15-20 minutes) to go one more time before the race start, so I only had a few minutes to find water. The announcer and signage said there was a water station but when I got there, the attendant asked me, “Do you have an appointment?”. What?!? It looked as if the water station was owned or sponsored by a hotel, so maybe it was a VIP thing. So, no water for me. No one was even in this water station and there were plenty of cups and coolers. Oh well.

I lined up behind the 3:15 pace group, as it was crowded and I couldn’t easily get closer. That’s fine; I was planning on starting slower anyways. And soon, we were off!

I tried to stay calm and feel at ease, but not too slow. There’s a bit of a hill in the first mile, so I was fine with my 7 minutes 22 seconds for my first mile. I felt good! Exciting!

I saw a blind runner up ahead and I thought I recognized his guide. As I passed them, I glanced over. Yes, it was Scott Jurek, a famous ultrarunner, leading a blind runner. Cool!

I started speeding up a bit after mile 2, according to plan. I crossed the 5K (3.1 mile) mark in 22 minutes 29 seconds (7:14 / mile pace).

I passed the 3:15 pace group around mile 8. This was a pretty big group.

At around the half-way point, I was looking for the relay runner hand-off area, but I didn’t quite see it. I was looking for my friend Ross who was running the 2nd leg of the 2-person relay.

I crossed the half-way point at 1 hour 33 minutes 35 seconds, according to the race results. 13.1 miles down, 13.1 miles to go. Average pace: 7:03 per mile. I did a mental review of how things were going. I was feeling the effort, but I was doing OK.

I passed a runner at about the 16 mile mark with the loudest breathing I think I’ve ever heard; it was like he was grunting and shouting at the same time. We had a long ways to go, so it was weird to me that he was pushing so hard at this point. He was wearing ear buds, so maybe he couldn’t hear how loud he was.

The cups at the aid stations were on the small side and sometimes there would be congestion or a runner would be walking in front of the volunteers who were handing out cups. So I wasn’t drinking as much as I would like. At around mile 18, a spectator was offering small bottles of Gatorade. I grabbed one. Score! I had all I wanted to drink and I skipped the next three (?) aid stations.

I was starting to get desperate as the last few miles remained. I was more and more focused on finishing while also trying to continue speeding up. I was passing lots of runners. For the last 1.2 miles, I averaged 6:36 per mile, according to the race results. By my watch, I ran the last 0.2 miles at a 6:11 pace. Whew! That was a good strong finish!

I quickly became very sore as my muscles stiffened and cooled down. I slowly walked to my car and decided to walk back to the race finish area to see if I could find some friends.

It was fun hanging out in the beer garden for a bit. I had so many friends and acquaintances who ran this race!

• Hyun Suk Jang ("Suki") 3:37:00
• Ana Grijalvo 3:37:36
• Kevin Reese 3:14:55
• Kenny Crampton 4:02:32
• Margaret Branick-Abilla 4:38:58
• Jim Abilla 6:08:54
• Brandon Heiken 2:57:09
• Omar Droubi 4:33:41
• Justin Riis -- 3:01:25
• Mor Hirsh and Ross Ellison -- 3:12:24 for the 2-person relay
• Katie Debski — 3:52:21
• Paul Taylor — 3:30:45
• Kevin Chow — 3:59:35
• Terri Choe — 4:27:54

What a day!

And as a special treat, I got to have lunch with my daughter in Davis on my way home!

Rio Del Lago 100 Mile -- 22:30:10

Feeling good at mile 40

Summary

I ran well and had decent execution except for one colossal mistake, where I made the wrong choice at a confusingly-marked intersection (in my opinion) at around mile 70, and followed course markers the wrong way, mostly downhill, for 20 minutes. In total, this mistake cost me at least 40 minutes. Otherwise, I finished uninjured and earned my Western States Endurance Run qualifier, and my time of 22:30:10 was a personal record for a trail hundred miler. This was my 7th hundred miler.

Details

Since Tahoe 200 was cancelled due to forest fires, I needed a qualifying race for the Western States Endurance Run, a historic and prestigious 100 mile trail race. I have run Rio Del Lago once before, in 2018, and I was impressed by the race organization and the vibe of the volunteers and participants. There are some pretty forests and views of rivers and lakes, too. Plus, it was only 2.5 hours from home.

I felt like it was too much of an imposition to ask my wife to meet me at aid stations or to help drive pacers around. So, I decided to not pressure anyone to help me during the race. I always enjoy running with friends and seeing family, but it’s just a lot to ask, and I guess I felt like it wasn’t necessary. In hindsight, perhaps that was a huge mistake! Maybe having a pacer who could think clearly could have kept me on course at mile 70!

Since I wasn’t going to have a crew or pacer, I carried my phone, which is unusual for me for a race. This would allow me to broadcast my position to Jennifer using the Strava app’s Beacon feature.

Anyway, I was looking forward to the challenge and I felt like I was in decent shape. My training for Tahoe 200 had gone well and I had run a 50K race and the Boston Marathon recently.

I also got to see my daughter at UC Davis on the drive to Folsom and have lunch with her. (She’s a sophomore there.)

I was able to stay with a friend in Sacramento (thank you so much, Elise!). After a tasty Indian food dinner, of naan, rice, and a kind of vegetarian dumpling, I took two Benadryls and a melatonin, and went to bed like at 9pm and set my alarm for 2:30am. I slept well and woke up before the alarm and felt a little sleepy but not too bad.

After a quick breakfast (canned mocha, 1.5 toasted bagels with peanut butter), I was soon on my way! Exciting! As I was getting near Beals Point, in Granite Bay, I saw a road closure with a bunch of police. Oh oh. They weren’t telling people how to get to the race. Everyone had to turn around. Did I miss an important race announcement? I soon pulled over and checked Google Maps. I figured that I just needed to drive around the closed intersection and that surely the race start / finish hadn’t changed! I was slightly panicked, but it worked out fine for me. Unfortunately, the road closure was due to a bad car accident. The race director announced that the race would be delayed 15 minutes.

I dropped off my two drop bags. For Overlook, at mile 45, I would pick up my nighttime gear (Kogalla chest light, a 3rd water bottle, and two battery packs). For Rattlesnake Bar, at mile 86, I would have a warm puffy jacket and a canned latte. The predicted low temperature was 41F. I heard an announcement about needing a parking pass, so I picked one up.

Walking back to my car, I noticed a familiar set of race stickers on a car. Rebekah! She was the only other runner that I knew in the race. Two other friends, Norm and Jo, had changed plans or were injured and couldn’t start the race. Rebekah was hoping to escape her stressful life for the weekend, and relax by running 100 miles. Funny, I know, but it makes sense! Unfortunately, reality reached her during the race via her phone and she reported that her mind just “wasn’t in the right place”, and she dropped at mile 69. You’re super tough, Rebekah!

With everything apparently in order, 5:15am came around, and we were off!

I tried to stick with an easy effort of about 10 minutes per mile on average. I enjoyed the sights and felt at ease. Soon, the first aid station, Willow Creek came around. I tried to be very efficient at each aid station, thinking in advance of what I had on me, how far it was to the next aid station, and what I needed to pick up. I got any trash out of my “trash pocket” in my running pack before I arrived.

The horizon grew lighter with the beginning of a beautiful sunrise.

American River, at mile 12

I finally neared Beal's Point again, where we had started, thus completing the easiest fastest part of the course. I would return here for the finish, many hours and many miles later.

Lake Folsom, mile 21

Many parts of this route are very runnable and very pretty, with great well-maintained trails.

Mile 33.5

There were some funny "inspirational" signs. I don't remember these being there before.

Mile 35

Leaving Rattlesnake Bar aid station, at mile 36, my pace chart that was attached to my bottle said I only had 4 miles to the next aid station. But then I saw a sign that said the next aid station was 6 miles away and was “water only”. Hmm. I wasn’t sure what caused the discrepancy or what to believe.

Somewhere between mile 36 and 42, I started feeling the very beginnings of cramps. I ate an extra energy gel. Generally, I was trying to eat one energy gel every 50 minutes or so, or every time I finished 20oz of sports drink. This ratio seemed to work well for some long virtual races in the last year.

Mile 41.3

I noticed that my pack was missing two velcro straps on the front that would hold my super-bright chest light (Kogalla brand). That was worrying. I figured I could carry it in my hand if need be.

I ran out of sports drink. Finally, I got to Cardiac aid station at mile 41.8. Turns out, my pace chart had a typo of 2 miles. The totals worked out, but I had just run 6 miles instead of 4 for this leg, and had run out of water. And the “water only” aid station was exactly that — lots of jugs of water. No food. No sports drink. No volunteers. That was different from 3 years ago. Doh. I got some water and attacked the steep climb up to Overlook.

Mile 42.7

There were lots of course markers, including pine cones on the ground with flags wrapped around them. A three-legged dog was carrying one of these pine cones in its mouth.

Some young speedsters passed me, by running up this hill. I thought that was nuts, considering how much effort that was and how long we had to go. I would pass them later, even after my epic detour.

Overlook! Mile 45. I was feeling kind of tired. This was going to be a longer stop. I needed to get my night gear and do some skin care, and try to catch up on my hydration.

I promptly forgot to do skin care, by applying RunGoo to my toes and nipples and anywhere else where I felt chafing. I decided I didn’t really need 3 water bottles for the upcoming longest legs (10 and 9.6 miles, consecutively) since the cool weather allowed me to drink less. I grabbed a battery pack for my phone.

Time to get going! I remember being at this huge busy aid station previously for my friends Mike and Rebekah. As I was exiting, I felt the chafing and that reminded me that I hadn’t done skin care. I sat down on some grass and took care of that. Onward!

I arrived at the No Hands Bridge at mile 49.2. I had been running or fast-hiking for 9 hours 16 minutes. I was still ahead of my 21.5 hour aggressive pace. I was feeling tired, for sure. I had just taken my first caffeinated energy gel, to help stay alert. But mostly, I felt pretty good. My muscles seemed to be in good shape. I hadn’t experienced any more cramps.

I quickly refueled and headed up a steep trail which soon descended to the Hwy 49 crossing. I should have paid very careful attention to this little bit. I knew that I was beginning the northern loop and that I would rejoin this trail at some point and re-enter No Hands Bridge.

This next leg was the longest between aid stations, at just over 10 miles. It seemed to go by quickly. Before I knew it, I came across some very familiar ground — Auburn Lake Trails aid station! This is where I volunteer each year for Western States Endurance Run. As usual, I was very quick through the aid station, dumping trash, grabbing a couple energy gels, and refueling. Onward!

Auburn Lake Trails aid station for Western States, June 2021

The shadows were getting longer and finally I stopped to get out my headlamp. I really wanted to use my chest light too, and I figured I could slip it between my chest and the chest straps of my pack. That seemed to work OK. I had to tighten the pack down and my skin was complaining. I also could no longer put anything in my right front chest pocket, as my right nipple was getting irritated. I was feeling tired, but was running well.

The Cool Fire Station aid station is new to me; they didn’t have it three years ago. There was a very well marked 3-way intersection that had us go downhill to the aid station, then return back the same way, and then continue in the same direction (a big clockwise loop) that I had just been running on. I was happy to arrive at Cool. The longest legs were now behind me. I was at mile 69. I very quickly got what I needed, and was heading out again when I saw a fellow Coastside Running Club member, Paula! I gave her a quick hug (sorry, I know I was stinky) and headed out.

I was definitely tired. I was a little confused about where the timing mat was. Did I miss it? I stopped and looked around. Someone told me that no, it was still ahead. Right!

Next stop — No Hands Bridge again. It was only 3.6 miles away but there were some good climbs. I had just one water bottle filled.

I eventually came to an intersection that was very confusing to me. It was a 3-way intersection with an A-frame sign that was just an arrow to the left. Well, there was no trail to the left. I could go straight or turn right and go downhill to Hwy 49. I remembered crossing there earlier, but I was pretty tired and couldn't remember exactly how this intersection worked when I was there over 5 hours ago in the daylight. What did the left arrow mean? I decided that it meant that runners who had come up the hill had to turn left to go outbound to begin their loop. I just wasn't thinking clearly. I went down the hill a bit and had serious doubts. I stopped. I walked back up to the intersection again. I looked at the sign again. I looked past the sign, but didn’t see any course markings.

What that left arrow really meant was "go straight, on the left side of this sign". Come on! That should've been an up arrow! It really deserved a note, saying something like “No Hands Bridge ahead” or something. I couldn't see any flags except for the right turn. So, I made the right turn, crossed Hwy 49 and I'm feeling nervous and confused about the course but then I recognized another runner from earlier. He said yeah we're good and to continue down this path and follow the ribbons. So, I followed the ribbons! If my brain had been working better, I would have checked the course map on my phone. Or I would have remembered how to get to No Hands Bridge from here. But no. I was running well and soon left this other runner behind.

Then came mistake #2. I passed a back-of-the-pack runner (who was walking) who said she was at mile 50. I didn't really get why she was telling me that. "Wow. Well, good luck." I quickly realized that that might have sounded unkind but I wasn't sure what response she was expecting. I started to worry about why we were heading in the same direction! I just couldn’t make sense of it all. I passed another back-of-the-pack runner. I remembered the scenery, but I wasn’t sure if I was going in the same direction as before or in the opposite direction. Finally, I came across a 3rd slow runner and I asked him if I, at mile 71 or so, was in the right place. No. “No Hands Bridge is back the way you came.” I got out my phone. My heart sank when Strava said mile 42 on the course I was following. (That wasn’t correct either; it should have been like mile 51.) I had no idea how far I had run. I was really tired. Had I gone an extra 2 miles? 4 miles? 6 miles? I couldn’t tell! Looking at my GPS data afterwards, it was around 1.5 miles one way, taking 20 minutes one way, with all the confusion and stopping.

I was so disappointed in myself. I started walking then jogging back. I really wanted to finish this race. I felt like my time goal was shot. But I could still finish. I had lots of time.

I got back to Hwy 49. I talked with the police officer who was controlling traffic there. He didn’t know what the course was, but he did know that No Hands Bridge was just down the road and he pointed to some runners coming down the trail above us, going straight (instead of making the turn like I did). OK. Onward.

I took my time at No Hands Bridge and told a volunteer there that I had gone far off course, and another runner had made the same mistake. She said she would go take a look at it.

I eventually got back to Overlook, mile 77. Then Cardiac again, mile 80. I thought of how I had run with Claire  (my daughter) here three years ago. There were a lot of stars out. It was a clear night. I was struggling more with my energy levels. My urine was a pretty dark yellow. My heart rate was high. My stomach started to feel uneasy, and I couldn’t seem to drink or eat much. 

Another runner passed me but then soon I caught up to him again. He asked if I wanted to pass, and I said “no, I’m really struggling, and I’ll have to slow down again soon.” He asked if I wanted some company. Wow, that was thoughtful. “Sure!” We chatted for a few miles. At our relatively slow pace, this was probably 45 minutes. His name is Mosi (pronounced “mossy”) and he’s quite an accomplished runner, having completed Badwater twice out of three attempts, along with many hundred milers, and lots of road marathons, too. It was super helpful, mentally, to be with him as I was trying to regroup. He didn’t have a pacer either. Finally, we arrived at Rattlesnake Bar, mile 86. I needed my drop bag and I was going to use the porta-potty and get some food. Mosi bid me farewell. He went on to finish in 22:03:03. Awesome!

I got my drop bag, drank a cold latte drink that I had stashed in it, grabbed my lightweight puffy jacket, took care of business at the porta-potty (yes, my first and only poop of the race), and finally got going again.

The next 7 miles were the slowest and most difficult of the race. It seemed like just endless rocks and short steep descents or climbs. I still couldn’t get my energy back. I was still dehydrated. My feet were getting sore. I could feel blisters, too. There was cursing involved. I took a salt pill, the only one I consumed in this race, in the hopes that it would settle my stomach and trigger a thirst, so that I could drink more. It might have helped. There were some more confusing intersections and I got my phone out a couple of times. Another runner passed me, with his pacer, but twice I caught up to them because they were confused about the course, too. At some point, I took a look at my pace chart but forgot or misread which leg I was on, and I thought I had like an extra 10 miles. That was depressing. But then I felt relieved when I realized there was just one more aid station!

Granite Beach! The last aid station! Mile 95.8 of the race! I told the volunteers I was so happy to be there. I could have cried. The remaining 4 miles were relatively flat and smooth. I was going to finish. I grabbed a quesadilla. Yum. I noticed a bottle of whisky and remarked, “Cool!”. They offered me a shot, but I said I shouldn’t. Then they offered me a tiny travel-size bottle. Hah! Fun! I took it and thanked them.

With that warm food and easier terrain and my stomach calmed, my energy levels were returning. My heart rate and breathing were back to a normal easy effort. I was running a bit faster. I saw the lights of the finish line. I picked up the pace. As I was on the final section of the levy, I ran faster. I could hear the announcer saying that a runner was coming in fast. Something caught my eye and I checked behind me, and there were two headlamps like a few hundred feet behind me! What?! I was not going to get passed in the last quarter mile! I picked up the pace more. I felt like I was practically sprinting, but it was probably closer to 8 minutes a mile. Left turn. Finish line in sight. Tried not to trip and fall in the bumpy grass. I did it! Whew. 22 hours 30 minutes 10 seconds. 

Whatever those lights were behind me, they weren’t in the race. I got my belt buckle and medal. I got a text from Jennifer. I called her. I got some hot soup. I felt pretty unsettled and had a hard time sleeping in my car. I also was frequently urinating. (I’m not sure why this happens towards the ends of very long races, but I’ve experienced this before.) I told myself to try to remember that I was quite miserable and uncomfortable. Yeah, if this were easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing.

I want to thank my family and friends for their support, and the hundreds of volunteers who did such a great job supporting us runners. Thank you!

This race is also pretty generous with the schwag:

What went well

• I finished! I was also 31 minutes faster than the previous time I ran this race, although I had cooler temperatures than in 2018. If I hadn’t gone off course, I probably would have finished at least another 40 minutes earlier, in around 21 hours 50 minutes.
• I didn’t get injured. I didn’t fall.
• My muscles never got extremely sore. I could walk OK afterwards and go up and down steps OK, for example.
• I was mostly comfortable for like 70% of the race.
• It was fun running well and seeing the natural beauty and meeting other runners and volunteers.
• I did some problem solving during the race, that worked out. I figured out a way to sort-of attach my chest light to my pack. I addressed skin care problems. I got over my upset stomach.
• I think I paced myself well? It’s hard to say. I had an aggressive goal, for sure, to finish in 22 hours or maybe even 21 hours. I learned about the ultraPacer website and I compared its results to my rough estimate and it seemed worth trying. I put in a very optimistic goal time of 21:30, with 1 minute 30 seconds of breaks for each aid station, and a 10% reduction in speed over the course of the race. That website claims to take into account day versus night running, and the difficulty of the terrain, for the many races that it has data for. I was mostly ahead of that goal during the race and if I hadn’t one off course, who knows, maybe I could have held on to that pace?

Things to improve

• It’s hard to say, “be smarter”, but I was definitely tired around mile 70 and having a hard time thinking carefully. Still, I should have paid better attention to that critical 3-way intersection at mile 50 and 70, near No Hands Bridge. I count 4 such 3-way intersections in this race, where there is a choice of two trails, and both of them are part of the course. Unlike the other hundreds of intersections, where a wrong turn heads down an unmarked trail, these critical intersections have course markings no matter which way you go! So, it might take much longer to realize the error! I also should have trusted my doubts and taken the moment to check my map or slow down and talk with the runner at mile 50 who I was passing.
• I’m not sure how I could have stayed hydrated better. I think I went at least 30 minutes without water due to going off course. It can take a while to catch up when you’re behind on hydration. It was also hard to just force myself to drink a lot. Maybe if I had taken a salt pill sooner? Not sure.
• I didn’t notice that my velcro strips holding my chest light to my running pack had disappeared. Somehow, probably early in the morning on the drive to the start, they got stuck to my car’s carpet and detached from my running pack. So, I had no way of securely attaching my chest light to my pack. Maybe I should have sewed them on?
• I didn’t get much chafing, but the worst was in my armpits! This is the 2nd time that this has happened. Did my shirts shrink? haha.  I guess I need to start using anti-chafing cream there, or run shirtless!
• I made a mistake when copying the distances that each aid station is at, when creating my pace chart. I had even double-checked it. But I had one typo, that moved an aid station 2 miles. This caused me to not quite plan correctly during the race. I also didn’t catch that Cardiac was water only and that this literally meant water only!
• My pace chart was taped to a water bottle, which I have done many times before. For the first time, the tape didn’t stick well and completely detached from the bottle at some point during the night. Was it the bottle? It was the first time I had taped a pace chart to this particular bottle. I also pinched my lip pretty hard on the nozzle once, while trying to close it, giving me a blister on my lower lip. I don’t think I’ll use this bottle again in a race.

Random data

• I took 3 ibuprofen during the race, to help reduce soreness. I took the first somewhere around mile 35 or 40, I think. I took the last one at about mile 70. Later on, I was worried about taking any more while I was dehydrated. (My urine was a dark yellow.)
• I took one salt pill, maybe around mile 90, to try to help my stomach and allow me to drink more water. I think it helped.
• RunGoo anti-chafing cream worked well, I think, and protected my nipples and thighs and other spots. But notably, I still got blisters.
• I wore Injini toe socks. I still got blisters.
• Two water bottles (20 oz each) was enough for the cool weather conditions.
• Race results
• GPS recording

[Update on April 1, 2022] I'm in a photo in a Facebook ad. Fun!

Boston Marathon #8 -- 3:09:00

Summary

I ran my 8th Boston Marathon yesterday, finishing in 3 hours 9 minutes. This was my 4th fastest Boston Marathon and my 32nd road marathon.

I'm really pleased with the race. I probably went a bit too fast in miles 18-23, though, because I had some cramps (left hamstring, both calves) in mile 25. But otherwise the race went pretty smoothly. I was aiming for 3:10 and my official time is 3:09:00. The weather was good -- cool and overcast. The volunteers and organizers and spectators were fantastic as usual.

Details

I had been looking forward to my first big in-person race since the pandemic. And the Boston Marathon is always a rewarding experience. This was the first Boston Marathon that my wife was able (and willing?) to come to with me. We made a nice trip out of it, spending three nights in New Hampshire and three nights in Boston. I only did two short runs, but we did two rather strenuous hikes, including going to the top of Liberty Mountain. The fall colors of New Hampshire were gorgeous.

Once in Boston, we made our way to the covid vaccine check; it was smooth and quick. Thankfully, almost all of the runners were fully vaccinated, as the line for the covid test, for the unvaccinated, had just one person in it. The Expo was far less crowded and was much more spacious, with many fewer vendors, than in past years. My wife convinced me to buy the Boston Marathon 2021 jacket which I think looks pretty smart!

The next morning, Sunday, the day before the race, I got in an easy 4 mile run and then we walked for a few hours, getting lunch, going to a science museum, and then finding dinner. (I had a tasty spicy Moroccan rice and tofu dish.) The weather was pretty good, being mostly overcast and in the high 60s in the middle of the day, but rather humid. That’s still a little warmer than the ideal running conditions, but I’ve run in much worse in Boston. It was fun seeing all of the fit runners everywhere.

I worked on my pacing plan that night, which is rather last-minute. I wanted to do well, but I also wanted to have a good experience, and I guess I wasn’t super-concerned about doing my absolute best. For example, in the preceding weeks, I always chose running with friends rather than doing fine-tuned race-specific workouts. I still preferred hills and trails, versus flat paved roads, too. And in the months prior, my focus was on getting ready for Tahoe 200 which ended up being cancelled due to forest fires. So, my training and mindset were not focused on this race.

I tried to memorize my pace plan, but it’s a little bit complicated, so I wrote it on a cheat-sheet that I took with me, to memorize while on the bus to Hopkinton. I had four goal paces for four different sections of the race, starting off a little slower and finishing faster, with a goal time of 3 hours 10 minutes. I figured that I was in about as good shape as I was two years ago when I ran CIM in 3:09:43. The pace plan came from this Marco marathon calculator which I have used a few times before, and I have the breakdown in a spreadsheet that I adjust for each race. For this race, the plan was as follows:

• 7:24 per-mile for miles 1-2.
• 7:19 per-mile for the next 7 miles.
• 7:15 per mile for the next 8 miles.
• 7:10 per mile for the final 9.2 miles.

For elite athletes making word-record attempts, it’s better to run the same pace throughout. But I think it’s a safer strategy to start off a little slower because the cost of going too fast too early can be very high later in the race, if you “bonk” (run low on glycogen in your body) or get cramps.

I had a terrible night’s sleep before the race, just tossing and turning all night. It didn’t help that the hotel room was a bit warm and that big cities are typically noisy, especially sports cars and motorcycles with extra-loud exhaust pipes. My calves were sore, perhaps from this serious hike a few days earlier, and my legs were generally restless, too. I had forgotten to take any kind of sleep aid. Being on a computer late at night probably didn’t help either.

Finally, I fell asleep at some point but the 6:30am alarm woke me up and I was quite sleepy. Jennifer kindly made me a cup of instant coffee and I ate a light breakfast (1.5 bagels with peanut butter) and got ready for the day! Exciting!

It was a 15 minute walk to Boston Common and the endless line of buses was quite a sight. I wish I had my phone to take photos, but I didn’t want to take the time or to walk the extra distance to have a drop bag. The boarding process was quick and efficient. Excitement was in the air! We were allowed to board by our bib colors. There were 6 colors for the 6 groups, sorted from fastest to slowest, based on our qualifying times.

I rested my eyes occasionally on the bus ride, as did the guy who I sat next to. We were tired, I guess! Most people were chatting. I did notice that a few buses in front of us on the freeway started to exit while our bus continued on the freeway. They were taking the wrong exit! Oops! I’m glad our bus driver knew the route well!

We arrived in Hopkinton! There were some spectators waving at the buses as we drove in! Neat! I just love how the local residents, from Hopkinton to Boston, really embrace the marathon. I thanked the bus driver as we exited and we runners started walking towards the start line.

This was the first year of using what the race called a “rolling start”. In the previous seven times I ran this race, going back to 2007, there was always an “athlete’s village” set up where we stayed underneath giant canopy tents and waited for an hour or so before moving towards the starting corrals. But not this time! We just kept walking towards the start. There was a large group of porta-potties for us, and most of us took advantage of one last stop. I ditched my thermal blanket and did some warm-up exercises. It was only when I got within sight of the starting line did I realize what a “rolling start” really meant. There were no corrals, no national anthem (at least not for me, being 15-20 minutes after the race started for the fastest runners). We just walked straight from the bus to the start line and then started running when we were ready! This was a great innovation! There was no particular crowding or anxiety about not getting to the porta-potty in time before the race started. There was no lengthy wait in the cold. And from the organizer’s point of view, they didn’t need to do nearly as much set-up and could have hundreds of fewer porta-potties and no giant tents and everything else required to keep us comfortable for an hour+. I hope they stick with the rolling start!

I normally eat an energy gel 15 minutes before starting a marathon, but I only waited a few minutes before walking to the start line, and then I was off! Woo hoo!

The steepest part of the whole course is right at the beginning, with a fast smooth downhill. I took it easy and ran at what I thought was a very comfortable effort that approximated a 7:24 pace on flat ground. I felt good!

I had a few minor random pains in the first 6 miles or so. Both calves felt kind of tight or sore and my left knee’s patella-femoral tendon was sore. I tried not to worry. I gave a thumbs-up to many cheering spectators. It was fun seeing the communities and terrain. I kept an eye on my pace and picked up my effort a tad after the first two miles.

I thought of friends and family who were probably following me online when I crossed the 5K checkpoint.

I finished off my 20oz of Tailwind at about the 6 mile mark and tossed my old water bottle. I usually eat an energy gel every 35 minutes or so in a road marathon, but because I was getting so much sports drink, I held off until almost an hour had passed. Still after all these years, I’m not sure about the right amount of water to take for the calories I’m getting. Through trial-and-error, ~24 ounces an hour of sports drink plus 100 calories of something else seems to work for me for long races (marathons and longer) in cool weather.

The aid stations are every mile, starting at mile 2. They were not too crowded and getting a drink was easy. There are *so* many volunteers. Thank you, volunteers! It’s really amazing how many people donate their time to make this race such a wonderful event.

The miles flowed by smoothly. My breathing was steady and easy. In-in-out-out, in-in-out-out was my cadence with my breathing and strides in sync. I enjoyed the spectators. I noticed a couple of other runners who were always nearby and at about the same pace. Whatever minor aches or sorenesses I had disappeared as I warmed up.

Around mile 13, I heard a roar up ahead. Wellesley College! This women’s college is always super-supportive of the race, with hundreds or maybe even thousands of young women cheering and screaming encouragement. The signage felt different this time. There were a couple of “kiss me” type signs, including one that stood out to me as being especially funny — “If you don’t kiss me, my boyfriend will be mad”. But many more signs were advocacy-type signs, like about climate change and social justice. I smiled and gave a thumbs up or an occasional cheer myself, but I didn’t stop.

There was a Santa Claus spectator. And a sign that said something like “Fear the fart” which made me chuckle. I passed a couple of single-leg amputees. I passed one runner who was a triple amputee — both legs below the knee had those blade-style prosthetics and he was missing most of his right arm, too. I wonder if those were war injuries.

I was running well and started passing people more frequently and was rarely getting passed. I started seeing runners who were struggling. In the town of Newton, at around mile 18, I actually looked forward to the hills, as a sign that I was getting closer to the finish and for the change of pace (literally). I passed a lot of people on these uphills. I was feeling good but tried to remind myself that I still had a long ways to go.

Miles 22, 23, and 24 were my fastest miles of the whole race. I was feeling good! But then I sensed problems. My calves, hamstrings, and thighs were getting twinges of cramps. I was very close to the limit. When I passed the mile 23 marker, that means I had just over 3.2 miles remaining which felt like a long time under these circumstances. “Just hold on. Keep it together for just a bit longer.” I told myself. I became more focused on the task at hand and was interacting with the crowds less. I was still steadily passing most runners, many of whom were struggling worse than me.

Somewhere in mile 25, the cramping got much worse, seemingly over just a few seconds. I slowed down. Tried to speed up. Boom. My left hamstring froze, clenched and not releasing. I didn’t stop but I had to hobble. “No no no no” I think I said out loud. “#%$@!” I had less than 2 miles to go, but I could see this going very badly. My hamstring unclenched, probably after just a few strides, although it felt longer. I ate my last energy gel, just in the the hope that it might help keep the cramps away. Breathing-wise, I was in good shape. I probably had plenty of energy, too. But some of my leg muscles just couldn’t do any more. I slowed down for a bit to try to recover.

The mile 25 marker went by. The “one mile to go” marker went by. I pushed harder. So close. Just hold on. Right on Hereford! Left on Boylston! The finish line is in sight, just 3.5 long blocks away. Another runner was standing in the road at the corner, leaning over. He vomited as I passed. Faster. Almost there. Faster. I heard my name! I glanced to my left and it was Jennifer! Woo hoo! Keep it together. Faster. I was going to come in under my 3:10 goal time! Finish!!! Whew! What a relief!

The volunteers again were so wonderful and the amount of effort that goes in to supporting us runners is just incredible. I got water, a bag of food, a thermal “space blanket”, and of course my medal. Whew! I felt good! I was sore, for sure, but didn’t have any cramps. I exited the finish area and went looking for Jennifer, but it was too crowded, so I made my way back to our hotel. She had gotten there a couple minutes before me and had bought Chipotle burritos for us! Nice! Thank you, my love!

What a day! I wanted to rest and take a nap, but my phone was buzzing quite a bit. Thank you, my friends and family, for thinking of me. I texted my daughter and called my parents. I learned of my finish time — 3:09:00. Nice! I’ll take it! :-)

A bit later, we had a wonderful group dinner at Legal Sea Foods, with my friend Ned and his wife Leslie and a bunch of Ned's running friends from the San Francisco Road Running Club. I felt pretty good and could walk up and down stairs just fine. I was sore, for sure, but I had been much more sore after other marathons.

What went well

• I think I paced myself pretty well on the whole, but maybe was a bit too enthusiastic in miles 22-24.
• No blisters or bad chafing. I had used RunGoo on all the usual spots that can get chafing, like my toenails, nipples, and thighs. I was getting a spot of chafing on the top of both feet and a touch around both armpits, which is unusual, but otherwise, my skin was in good shape.
• No bathroom problems. I didn’t eat much fiber the day before, and I woke up at 6:30am for an anticipated 9:30am to 10am start. I ate and drank plenty (1.5 bagels with peanut butter, coffee, water) shortly after waking up, but then I didn’t drink or eat anything else until about 5 minutes before I began running.

Things to improve

• For the first time, I carried a handheld water bottle in a road marathon and this wasn’t necessary at all for this race. l was slightly worried about aid station crowding, but between the rolling start and about 10,000 fewer runners than in previous years (due to Covid-19), it was easy to get sports drink at every aid station. I finished off the 20oz of Tailwind by around mile 6 and I threw away this old water bottle.
• I had a really hard time sleeping the night before. My legs were restless more than my mind, it seemed. I had forgotten to take a Benadryl or melatonin or any sleep aid. I was also on my computer, watching an episode of Squid Game on Netflix, right before going to sleep.

Random data

• I ate 5 energy gels during the race, plus 1 right before the start. 2 of them were caffeinated. One of the energy gels I got during the race. Although I had brought enough with me from home, one of them got punctured somehow. Because I had Tailwind (200 calories), I didn’t eat my first energy gel until about the 1 hour mark.
• My Strava activity.