I had fun racing the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Run Half Marathon (13.1 miles) this morning. The weather was good -- cool and overcast. I gave the race my best attempt, but I didn't quite go as fast as I was hoping to. I finished in 1 hour 23 minutes 31 seconds (6:22 / mile pace), but I was hoping to be 2 or 3 minutes faster. It was fun seeing so many friends on the course or volunteering. It was great seeing my wife (Jennifer) and sister (Jessica) at the finish and then walking over to the Pumpkin Festival afterwards. There were 131 finishers. I was 5th overall and 2nd in my age group.
I carpooled with my main running partner, Lauren. We warmed up together and it was fun seeing her during the race, as we crossed paths on the two out-and-backs.
Lauren and I met up with Jo and Joey.
There was a large contingent of Pacifica Runners, which is one of the running clubs that I'm a member of.
Soon enough, after warming up and using the porta-potty, we were off! it was fun seeing friends volunteering along the course, too. Some took photos of me during the race.
My friend Sean passed me during the race, which demoted me to 2nd place in our age group. Coming in 2nd to Sean is still an accomplishment -- he's fast! Lauren did great, and finished 2nd female. After the race, Lauren, Sean, and I got together for this photo:
I met up with Mor and Mandy after the race:
Details:
I woke up at 5am which was plenty of time to eat a light breakfast (English muffin and tea) and get to the start with time to pick up my bib and warm up. The race started at 7:15am.
I didn't see the paid parking this year on Kelly Ave., but I found street parking on Kelly Ave.
I drank two cups of sports drink during the race, once around mile 4 and again around mile 8.
I had a bit of a hard time knowing my real pace because of a discrepancy between the mile markers and my GPS watch. Sometimes my watch would be reporting a slower pace, like 6:22, but then when I crossed a mile marker, the elapsed time from the previous mile marker would be like 6:08.
It went well! I ran 18 miles, with 4170' of elevation gain, in 2 hours 44 minutes 18 seconds. That was good for 2nd place male.
Details
My friend Lauren found this race, Pacifica Summit put on by Urban Coyote, a month ago and shared it with my small group of regular running partners. It sounded fun! Three of us (me, Lauren, and Justin) quickly agreed to do the 30K (about 18 miles). This race would be like a good hard long training run on the way to our big goal of racing the California International Marathon in under 3 hours, this December.
It was nice to be able to sleep in a bit, until my alarm went off at 7am. I left the house a little after 8am and had plenty of time to get my bib and warm up and use the bathroom one last time. I met up with Justin, Lauren, and Jennifer K. (from Pacifica Runners).
Lauren, Nama, Justin, me
At 9am, the 30K and half-marathoners started! My goals were to run solidly on the uphills, perhaps literally running every step, and to cruise the downhills, but to focus more on the end of the race and to not fall apart and to treat this a bit more like a long hard training run.
Soon, Justin and I found ourselves running together with Lauren a short ways back. There were a few guys in front of me, but I didn't know which race they were in. We got to the Brooks Trail, which is single-track, and is a steep ascent to the peak of Montara Mountain. I passed "backpack guy" and Justin passed him, too. I thought there were still one or two runners ahead, but I wasn't completely sure and I didn't know which race they were in.
Justin soon pulled ahead, and he would stay far in front of me for the rest of the race. Lauren stuck with me on the ascent and we tagged the gate at the peak of Montara Mountain together. I suggested to her on the climb that she could use today's race as a way to gain more confidence and practice on the downhills. We are really well-matched but I tend to always pull ahead on steep rocky downhills because I'm more confident on downhill technical terrain. I pulled ahead on the first big downhill.
Justin
Myself
Lauren
I was carrying 20 oz of ice-cold sports drink from home, plus one energy gel. I ate the energy gel about halfway down the descent and I finished off my one handheld bottle as I neared the bottom of the mountain, close to where we started.
Mile 7
Soon, I was at the first aid station (mile 7 or so), and I refilled with sports drink. A minute later, I was climbing again, going up the Valley View Trail in Pacifica's San Pedro Valley Park. I ran every step. Then, it was back down to the valley again. I felt like I was cruising along pretty well. Then it was time to go up the long long set of switchbacks of the Hazelnut Trail.
Nearing the end of the Hazelnut Trail, after a long descent, I saw a runner out of the corner of my eye behind me. Lauren! Wow! She was doing great! After the aid station (mile 13 approximately), I slowed down a bit to let her catch up to me, since we were so close. She said that she had finished the half-marathon just now faster than when she raced just the half-marathon earlier this year. Awesome! She has really gotten stronger and faster. She led the way up the Valley View trail, on our 2nd and last loop of the valley. On the descent, she motioned me ahead, and I cruised downhill, a bit faster than she was yet comfortable with, I assume. I wouldn't see her again until the finish.
At the bottom of Valley View, as we make a sharp left turn onto the main valley trail, I heard my name being shouted from across the valley. Justin! He was so far ahead! Way to go! I shouted back. I wasn't sure how far ahead of me he was, but it seemed like a long ways (half mile?).
On the Hazelnut Trail, I slowly caught up to another runner who was clearly in the 30K. (He was moving way too fast to be a back-of-the-pack half-marathoner or 10K runner.) I said "hi". I was feeling pretty good and I made a move to pass him, but he picked up the pace, too. So, we stuck together, with me on his heels, most of the way up Hazelnut. I started feeling stronger and stronger and I felt like I could really push harder for the remaining switchbacks, so I said "I'm going to try to push harder. You're doing great. I'll probably see you again very soon!" And I pushed quite a bit harder for the next 5 minutes or so. I didn't see that guy again until the finish line. I didn't realize it yet, but I was now in 2nd place.
I pushed the pace on the final downhill. I felt good! I flew by back-of-the-pack runners in the other racers. "On your left", I would call out. And I would cheer them on with a "good job" or "way to go" when I passed. I recognized the last couple of turns. Almost there! I poured on the speed to the finish. Woo hoo!
Justin was cheering for me at the finish. He had a great race, finishing over 3 minutes ahead of me. A friend in the Pacifica Runners, Kayla, was there, taking photos. Thank you, Kayla!
Soon, the 3rd place guy came through and then right behind him was Lauren! They finished only 3 minutes behind me. Way to go, Lauren!!!
A couple of other friends who happened to be doing a long run had stopped by to say "hi" -- Katie and Aaron. That was fun hanging out for a bit. I was given a to-go mug and a pint glass, as an age award. Lauren and Justin additionally received a nice blanket for their wins.
I had such a fun time and this race went surprisingly well! I ran very consistently and had a strong finish and no real problems. It felt a lot like a long coastal run with a friend at home. This was a very small race, with just 62 marathoners and 155 half-marathoners, but I happened to match paces with the first-place woman for 25 miles before pulling ahead of her for the last mile or so. I covered the 26.2 miles in 2 hours 56 minutes 41 seconds which is an average of 6 minutes 45 seconds per mile, which is really good for me. This was my 34th road marathon and my 3rd fastest. This was the first marathon where I ran every mile in faster than 7 minutes. I was only 49 seconds slower than my personal record -- 2:55:52 in the New York City Marathon way back in 2010. My recovery was the quickest ever and I felt completely normal two and a half days later and did a hard hilly 7 miles.
Details
My wife found this race for me, months ago, as part of a planned long-weekend get-away, to hike among coast redwoods in Avenue of the Giants and to go kayaking and to visit the Vichy Hot Springs. This race would be a fun experience but wasn't an important goal race. I didn't train specifically for this, but I did taper, so that I could be ready to run hard. My next big goal was to run the California International Marathon in under 3 hours.
I was traveling with my wife (Jennifer) and my sister (Jess). The day before the race was unusually active -- we kayaked for 2 hours and walked a lot and I did an easy 4 mile run. But I wasn't worried -- I wasn't taking this race too seriously. I slept somewhat poorly the night before, but I think it was muscle restlessness; I wasn't at all stressed about the race.
On race morning, I woke up with my alarm at 5am, ate a quick breakfast of a bagel and BBQ chips. It's easy for me to eat a lot of tasty chips, so I exceeded my 600 calorie goal for sure. I drank about 20 oz of water plus had a decaf coffee. I took a 15 minute nap and then did final preparations. The start area, Madaket Plaza, was just a 10 minute walk away, and Jennifer and I headed out at about 6:30am. That gave me just enough time to do a little warm-up jog and a couple of strides, take an energy gel at 6:45am, drink some more water (10 oz?) and use the porta-potty. The nice thing about a small race is that the logistics are pretty easy! It wasn't hard to line up or to hear instructions and 5 porta-potties were plenty for us 62 marathoners.
The disadvantage of a small casual race is that it's easy for there to be uncertainties or little bits of confusion. For example, the starting line wasn't real clear (there was a short white line on the ground) nor was the direction we were to run in real clear. One of the official pacers walked over to a map with me and pointed out where we were to run once the race started.
Soon, we were off! I had heard that one of the fast-looking guys was aiming for 2:20:00! He was soon pulling away from everyone. There were a couple more guys who were quite a bit faster than my goal pace of 6:51 / mile, and they pulled ahead, too. I found myself in a group of the fastest women. I think there were 5 or 6 of us for a bit.
The course consists of four out-and-backs, but the first out-and-back deviates a bit in order to visit the Carson Mansion. It's cool-looking, for sure, but it felt very artificial to run up to it and then do a quick turn-around. I commented about this, saying that this part of the course felt funky, to the runner behind me. The other women fell behind and from about the one mile mark, I was running with the first-place woman, Kimberly.
My pace was just a tiny bit faster than planned, by just a few seconds per mile, but I felt great and since there were no other runners around, it felt good to be able to chat with someone and to run with someone. Although it's common for runners to chat in marathons and longer races, it's uncommon in my experience to run nearly the whole race with a stranger. But that's what happened! The closest example I can think of was that I think I ran about 18 miles of the Las Vegas Marathon with a guy from Canada, but I ended up running 25 miles with Kimberly!
The weather was cool and the sky was overcast and I felt at ease. I said to Kimberly that I was aiming for a 3 hour finish time and I asked if that was her goal, too. She said she was running for fun and was pacing by feel, and that she didn't have a goal pace or goal time, and that she didn't want to know her pace. For me, I'm pretty sure I would start off too fast if I tried to do that.
She had recovered from some kind of bad accident that left her in a wheelchair for 6 months. She really just seemed to be very happy to be running, as I would, too, if I had gone through all that.
Around mile 6, I was pulling an energy gel out of my pocket and I didn't realize it, but I had accidentally paused my watch (Coros Apex Pro) by pressing a button against my shorts or shirt. This kind of messed up my distances and timing for the rest of the race, since it took me over a tenth of a mile before I discovered that the watch was paused.
The miles seemed to flow by easily. Much of the time we could run side-by-side, but when the paths got narrow, I ran a bit behind her. It really helped to be "pulled along" by her and her pace was very consistent. We didn't talk constantly, but we checked-in with each other that we were both OK with running together.
We discovered a super-cool coincidence. I told her that I was once the course director of the Half Moon Bay International Marathon and she said that was her favorite race! Wow! And then I realized that I recognized her as the first overall finisher one year, who ran the entire course with her then-boyfriend (and now husband). I was thinking that the Half Moon Bay Marathon had a kind of funky course, with lots of turns, various out-and-backs, and a mix of surfaces, and so it felt similar to the Humboldt Bay Marathon, but she said she loved that course! So neat!
One of the benefits of a race course that has loops or multiple out-and-backs is that it is easier for spectators to cheer on the runners. It was great seeing Jennifer every time I came back through the start/finish area. That was super-nice of her to hang out there all morning. My sister Jess joined later and cheered me on. In another location, a guy I happened to meet at our hotel, Craig, cheered me on by name every time I ran by. (He was there to cheer on his wife, Stacy, who was running her first marathon in 12 years.)
The volunteers were great and Kimberly and I made it a point to always thank them. I think that gratitude works for us, too, and that somehow by smiling and being happy, we make our race more enjoyable and the miles go by faster. But funny enough, cursing when in pain also helps relieve pain. Kimberly and I discussed these bits of psychology, along with some theories about nutrition and hydration and the placebo effect. It was really fun to just have the miles flow easily by.
We finished the first half-marathon around 1 hour 28 minutes or so. I felt like I had had a good workout, but I also felt fine and that I seemed to have plenty of energy left. Jennifer! She was taking a video of us. Thank you, my love. "I'm half-way done but more than half-way spent" I think I said.
I ate an energy gel every 35 minutes or so, and drank a cup of water or sports drink every 2 to 4 miles. If I had a little water left in the cup, I dumped it on my head. The temperature was cool, but it still felt good to cool down a bit more.
In the 2nd half, we started passing lots of half-marathoners. This is always a little guilty morale booster for me, but I agreed with Kimberly when she said that what you tell yourself in your head is OK, if it gives you an ego boost, since we're not bringing anyone else down. True!
I was wondering if I might bonk or get cramps after about mile 18 or 20, when I have had problems in so many other marathons, but no, I felt good! We kept up our steady pace. Finally, at mile 25, I decided I could risk going faster and I pulled ahead of Kimberly. She encouraged me to take off and I said I was just going to push slightly harder. I saw the 3rd place guy in front of me. He seemed like he was struggling and I soon caught up to him. As I passed him, I tried to encourage him, "You got this! We're almost done!" I felt small twinges of cramps in my right calf and then left calf. I knew I was on the edge. Mile marker 26 went by. I was getting so close. I pushed harder. I recognized the finish area. I pushed hard to the finish. I heard Jennifer cheering me. Woo hoo! 3rd place! And I was well under 3 hours!
I wasn't sure about my finish time. I was so curious! I hugged Jennifer. Jess came over. Soon, there was lots more cheering. Kimberly finished just 39 seconds behind me.
The first-place guy received his award early, since he had to leave quickly. The awards ceremony would be at noon.
Kimberly asked me if I wanted to join her for a cool-down run. I've never done a cool-down run after any race longer than a 5K, but sure! Why not! I felt good! We were both really happy with how the race went and we thanked each other for the company. She was so happy that she didn't have to stop to use a porta-potty during the race. I joked that I was happy that my company provided an anti-laxative effect. She laughed. I hope we meet-up again after she and her husband move back to the Bay Area. We jogged around for less than a mile and then I walked the half-mile back to the hotel.
After meeting up with Jennifer and Jess, and taking a shower and checking out of our hotel, and getting a lunch to-go, we stopped by the start/finish area at Madaket Plaza again, to attend the award ceremony at noon. Lots of marathoners (and maybe some half-marathoners) were still out on the course. I chatted with some of the other finishers and met up with Kimberly again, too.
Chris, myself, and Paul (2nd place male)
I received my 1st place male masters award. I'm guessing that this is for being the fastest runner over the age of 40. Nice!
Wow! What a day!
Random Data
This was my first marathon where I ran every mile in under 7 minutes.
The race started at 7am. I set my alarm for 5am. That was enough time to eat some breakfast (a bagel and a bunch of BBQ chips; I probably exceeded my 600 calorie goal). During the race, I could taste the BBQ chips a couple of times.
I ate one energy gel, 15 minutes before the race started. I carried 5 with me from the start of the race. I ate 4 during the race, with one about every 35 minutes.
I got a cup of water or sports drink maybe every 4 miles.
My shoes, Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next%, felt amazing and gave a bounce to my stride.
I didn't have any urge to pee or poop during the race.
No chafing.
My energy levels seemed consistent and I had a strong finish.
My training for Western States, plus some recent speed work and shorter faster races (a half-marathon and a 5K) seemed to have prepared me just fine for a marathon.
I liked wearing this same white Lake Sonoma 50 Mile shirt that I used at Western States. It doesn't chafe but it also seems to stay damp and let me stay cool, more easily.
No injuries.
It was so random, but running with an interesting fellow-racer made the experience more enjoyable and probably helped me run faster, too.
Things to improve
I accidentally paused my watch for about 0.14 miles or so. I love many things about the Coros Apex Pro, but it's too easy to press this big bezel button and pause the workout when you don't want to. There's a lock feature to help prevent this, but then it takes several seconds to stop the workout when you cross the finish line. Maybe for marathons and longer, I'll just have to use the lock screen feature.
This distance is such a lung-buster! It was fun seeing so many friends and I even managed to convince my daughter and her boyfriend to join. I tried to not start too fast and I held it together reasonably well. Surprisingly, I was the fastest guy this time, gradually pulling away from a fast high-schooler who was probably a third my age, lol. I managed to barely beat my all-time personal record for this distance, set on this course a year ago, by about 6 seconds.
This race unfolded in an unusual way. The kid who raced to the front slowed down suddenly at about the 0.5 mile point, in order to adjust his ear pods and his phone! I passed him at that point and took the lead. Another very fast-looking kid was on my heels. I checked my watch every minute or so, to glance at the average pace for the whole race so far. There is a bit of downhill at the beginning, but I didn't want to go under 5:32 or so, and that's about where I hit the first mile.
At the turn-around, 2nd place was maybe 10-15 seconds behind me. It's fun to see all of the other runners in the race, since the entire course is an out-and-back. We encouraged each other. Surprisingly, the kid who led us all at the beginning was walking! I shouted some words of encouragement like "You can do this, man!".
I was breathing really hard. At one bend in the course, I glanced behind me a bit, just to be sure no one was sneaking up on me. There was no one in sight. I had this. Finally, I could see the finish line and I pushed extra hard. Hands in the air! Woo hoo! 2nd-place was about a minute behind me.
I got to cheer on all of the finishers. My friend Lauren won the women's race. Congratulations, Lauren!
It took me 1 hour 48 minutes of hard running to complete this very hilly and rocky 13.3 mile course with 3,100' of elevation gain. That was good for 3rd place male and 1st in my age group. My running buddy Lauren kicked butt as usual and earned 2nd place female and 2nd place in her age group. Aaron and Ross are in my little group of regular running partners, too, and Aaron won the 30K and Ross came in 2nd place in the 30K.
It was fun seeing so many friends from the Coastside Running Club and Tuesday Night Run Club:
I saw friends from Pacifica Runners and Belmont Runners, too.
I felt like I ran well and that I gave it my all. I probably started a little fast, as I led the race for about 2/3rds of the way up the first ascent to the top of Montara Mountain. I felt very fast on the decent. On the Valley View loop, I felt like I was struggling a bit on the ascent and I could tell that 3rd place was catching up; he passed me by the time I finished this loop. I ran every step up the seemingly endless switchbacks of Hazelnut Trail, and then crushed the descent to the finish, staying in 3rd place. It was fun passing the 30K runners who had started 15 minutes before us. I carried 20 oz of sports drink which was just enough -- I didn't need to stop at the aid station.
I didn't trip or fall or have any problems navigating the course. I could have easily run the course without ribbons because I'm so familiar with these trails.
My official time was 1:49:53 but they seemed to have added a minute to everyone. My watch showed 1:48:40, from start to finish. Lauren reported a similar anomaly.
This was the experience of a lifetime. I'm so grateful to have been able to participate in this race, and for the incredible volunteers, and for the support and encouragement of friends and family, and for my training partners, and for a wonderful coach, and to my two pacers, Rachael and Lauren. I'm grateful that my wonderful wife supported my training and was my one-woman crew. I'm grateful to have been physically able to take on and overcome this epic challenge. And I earned that silver belt buckle, by finishing in under 24 hours! It took me 23 hours 19 minutes 17 seconds to cover the 100.2 miles, with 18,000' of gain, 23,000' of descent, rocky terrain, and near hundred degree heat. I didn't get injured or go off course or trip and fall. Mostly, the race went really well.
This was my 8th hundred miler, and 42nd ultramarathon. (I have also run 33 road marathons and many other shorter races.)
Why?!
Western States Endurance Run -- it's not just the oldest 100 mile foot race in the world. It's a prestigious, competitive, and incredibly well-supported event that covers beautiful and difficult trails, with steep ascents and steeper descents, and often very warm weather in the canyons, from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California. It has an incredibly loving running community that supports it, with 1,500 volunteers who do everything from clearing the trail in the months beforehand, to organizing aid stations, to ensuring our safety.
Getting into this race is difficult, as there are many more accomplished runners who wish to enter than are allowed. Only 369 runners, on average, are allowed and in the most recent lottery, there were 6,208 applicants. I managed to get into the race in 2013, but was injured when I started. It took years of qualifying and applying before I got in again. This was possibly the opportunity of a lifetime! So, I did everything I could think of to make this race a success.
Training is more fun with friends and a coach!
Considering the importance of this race to me, I hired a coach for the first time. I wanted to be as well-prepared as I could while still staying healthy. I happened to have four friends who have all used Maxx Antush as their coach. My friend Alan credited Maxx with preparing him for an amazing improvement in the hundred mile distance, and that pushed me to reach out to Maxx. Maxx is selective about taking on new clients and he asked mutual friends about me. I'm glad I passed the test! I felt highly-motivated, healthy, and with a good "base" of miles, having run my fastest hundred milers the year before, as well as my fastest 5 km races. Also, I had the time and family support to train hard. My daughter was off to college and I only work 30 hours a week from home, so I felt like I could give the training the priority that I wanted to.
Just as importantly, I had some friends who I convinced to join me for many of these runs. We started a WhatsApp group to coordinate the five of us -- me, Lauren, Ross, Justin, and Aaron. We were all of similar ability and could push each other. Between them and the coach, this was the most fun I've had training for a race, and I have run a lot of races! Thank you, all! And thank you for listening to weeks and weeks of talking about Western States -- if I was relieved to no longer need to talk about it, I can only imagine your relief!
Ross, Lauren, and me
Lauren and me
Justin, Lauren, and me
Tuesday Night Run Club, shirtless division
Race Week
I stayed in South Lake Tahoe for 8 days prior to the race, to help acclimate to the altitude, but mostly because I had a credit at an Airbnb and I love Lake Tahoe in the summer.
The view near Tahoe City
Jennifer (my wife) joined me two days before the race, taking a bus from Sacramento, so that we would only have one car in the area.
The day before the race is exciting, with so many accomplished runners checking-in and getting their bibs. I felt like a VIP! I met with the organizers of two medical studies that I was participating in, and had a detailed heart analysis done. Everything is fine and I show heart adaptations of a typical endurance athlete. My resting heart rate was 46 beats per minute, which I think is good.
We grabbed some food for dinner at a grocery store. Bran muffins looked appealing, so I had 3 of those plus a handful of Pringles for dinner. I had been trying to avoid fiber for the two days prior to the race, in order to reduce the likelihood of needing to poop during the race. I've been informed that bran muffins have lots of fiber, but somehow it all worked out!
3 water bottles or a hydration pack? This was the last big decision, the night before the race. I asked Jennifer to please help me go over the pros and cons. I ended up choosing to take a lighter-weight running vest (Ultimate Direction AK) because it covered less of my back and I thought it might breathe better, and the 3 bottles would be enough for the longest two sections between aid stations -- 10.3 miles from the start to Lyon Ridge, and 8.6 miles between Red Star Ridge and Duncan Canyon. This proved to be a life-saver of a choice, but not for the reasons I thought!
2:45am, the alarm went off. I was sleepy. I had tossed and turned it seemed, most of the night. I wasn't anxious, but my legs were restless and had been for 4 or 5 days. I suspect that the taper was responsible and that my legs were complaining that they were not getting beat-up enough!
I quickly ate breakfast -- 8 oz instant coffee (sweetened), small bowl of oatmeal, large chunk of bread, and maybe 5-6 Pringles chips.
Soon, I was at the start area in Olympic Valley! It was hard to believe that the race was finally really happening! After one last bathroom break, and a last couple of photos, an announcer started the countdown.
I positioned myself about in the middle of the pack. I didn't want to start too fast! But then I saw that my watch had timed-out, waiting for me to start recording the run. So, in the final seconds before starting the race, I had to quickly get my watch to sync with the GPS satellites and select the Western States course (so that I would automatically be alerted if I went off course), and start recording my position with GPS. Crisis averted. I jogged across the start line and the race was on!
The Race
The first four miles are a steep climb underneath ski lifts, mostly on a gravel road. Artificial lights lit our path until the pre-dawn light appeared. Headlamps were not necessary. Towards the top we got onto a single-track trail that had the steepest climb of the whole race, with the possible exception of the knotted rope at mile 78. This trail was as steep as the steepest trail I normally run or hike on at home, the Alta Vista Trail. This was quite the warm-up!
Wow, it was so beautiful in the dawn light. I glanced back at Lake Tahoe and took in the vistas. But the bright sunlight foretold of a very warm day ahead.
My pacing strategy was to feel at ease and to focus on getting towards the end in reasonably good shape. I wanted to address problems like blisters or chafing early on, and to do my best to stay hydrated and fueled. I had an aggressive 22 hour finish time break-down taped to two water bottles, that I could check when I entered aid stations. I used the site Ultra Pacer to do the predictions because their modeling seems very accurate and it worked well for me at Rio Del Lago the previous November.
Lyon Ridge aid station, mile 10.3 -- I was feeling good! I quickly got refueled. I was about 15 minutes ahead of schedule. The bright sunlight occasionally made my head feel warm. I thought about a race report I had read recently where a friend (Janeth Siva) had used a bottle of ice cold water to drip onto her head. Well, I had three 20oz bottles, maybe I should use one of them just for keeping my head cool? Sounds good!
Red Star Ridge aid station, mile 15.8 -- all systems "go"! I got one bottle just for cold water. I grabbed some food, too, like a handful of potato chips.
To help me remember to eat regularly, I pressed the lap timer on my watch each time I left the aid station. Since I always grab some food at the aid stations, I could easily check when 30 minutes had passed and then it was time for another 100 calories or so. I would drink sports drink almost exclusively.
Duncan Canyon aid station, mile 24.4 -- I was 36 minutes ahead of schedule, but I felt good. I think I got a sponge bath here and ice packed around my neck. They were so helpful and efficient! This is where I dropped out of the race in 2013, unable to run and unable even to walk without bad pain. Every step beyond this aid station was an accomplishment! I was so grateful to be healthy!
Robinson Flat, mile 30.3 -- I was getting warm. I was soaked from sweat and from the ice melting in my bandana around my neck and from dripping water on my head. Somewhere around here, I was starting to feel the beginning of blisters and I re-applied RunGoo on my toes. I would end up taking my shoes off a total of four times. I was 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
I think my watch alerted me to going off course at the Robinson Flat aid station. When this happens, the watch (Coros Apex Pro) shows the course with my position along the course. Apparently, the aid station position deviated just a bit from the race course GPX file that I had downloaded onto the watch. This was reassuring, that my watch was not going to let me silently run off course! There would be maybe 10 other alerts throughout the race, but in each case I was obviously on course.
Miller's Defeat, mile 34.4 -- I was 38 minutes ahead of schedule.
Dusty Corners, mile 38 -- 35 minutes ahead of schedule. I heard my name being called. Alex!!! He lives near me and was here to pace a friend.
Photo by Alex Conrad
I was feeling pretty good, but the miles were taking their toll. "Keep it together for Rachael. Finish strong with Lauren." This was my mantra, to remind myself to try to stay strong for the fastest easiest terrain of the race, for the last 38 miles, which I would run with my two pacers.
Last Chance, mile 43.3 -- 32 minutes ahead of schedule. The heat was severe, but thanks to being wet, my shirt was cool to the touch. I wasn't suffering.
The next climb up to Devil's Thumb was going to be the toughest in the race. It's super-steep, long, exposed, and hot. Right at the base of the climb, another runner and I recognized each other. Greg Miller!!! "Oh oh," I thought to myself, "if I'm seeing him here, he is not having a good day." Greg is a much faster runner than I am, but he had developed an ankle problem. I hiked past him on the uphill but I could sense that this climb was taking a lot out of me. My heart rate was getting high and I was probably getting dehydrated and depleted. Greg and I walked into this next aid station together.
Devil's Thumb, mile 47.8 -- I was 27 minutes ahead of schedule (when entering, I think). But I was not doing well. I decided to sit down just to try to recover somewhat and get some fluids in me and some food. I got moving again and left Greg behind in the aid station; I wouldn't see him for the remainder of the race.
Somewhere along the way I tried to fix up my feet again, by re-applying RunGoo anti-chafing cream.
El Dorado Creek, mile 52.9 -- I was about 14 minutes ahead of schedule. But I had another huge climb ahead.
Michigan Bluff, mile 55.7 -- I was about 12 minutes ahead of schedule. Coming into the aid station, I heard my name being called. Jo! Brady! Two friends from the Tuesday Night Run Club were there! Awesome!
Photo by Jo Ohm
I met up and ran with Allen, the very last person off the waitlist. He booked flights and flew from Santa Fe, NM, to Oakland to Reno, without knowing if he would get into the race! He found out when he landed in Oakland that he was accepted! My friend Brady was apparently the 2nd-to-last runner off of the waitlist but he declined the entry since his training had not been sufficient. So, Allen was here running next to me because Brady had declined. When the race director told this story in the pre-race meeting, the whole crowd cheered for Allen.
I had a decent climb and a nice descent with good views and one more big climb. I was getting close to having my first pacer! Exciting! I thought I recognized a voice. Is that Rachael? Yes!!! At the top of this big climb that empties on to Bath Road, there she was! I think I was 4 minutes ahead of schedule.
Rachael is all official and ready to go, as pacer #1!
I caught her up on how I was doing -- feeling OK, but getting dehydrated. We reiterated the goal for our time together -- to stay strong for Lauren who would bring me into the finish. I needed my drop bag at the Foresthill aid station which would have my headlamp and waist lamp.
Foresthill, mile 62 -- I was 7 minutes ahead of that aggressive 22 hour schedule. Not bad! As we approached the aid station, I recognized Kevin! Kelsey! Jon! Erika! The Belmont Runners were here! That was so awesome to see friends here. I think I got a little exuberant with my pace as we ran together into the aid station.
Only my pacer was allowed with me in the aid station and I tried to quickly get refueled. Then we all jogged to Jennifer at the car. I patched up my feet, drank a coffee drink (Starbucks mocha in a glass jar), said "hi" to my dad on the phone, re-applied sunscreen (wasn't necessary), and got going. My friends ran with me for as long as they were allowed, which is when the road ended in a trail.
I felt good, but was probably pushing the pace too hard. Rachael quickly did her job of getting in front of me and slowed me down. Soon, I would be the one slowing us down.
Cal-1, mile 65.7 -- I didn't need anything, so I kept moving.
Somewhere in the next section, I started falling apart. My heart rate was high and my breathing labored. I just couldn't keep up the same level of effort. I started walking gentle uphills. I kept eating and drinking, but at some point I had to pee, and my urine was a rather solid yellow.
Cal-2, mile 70.7 -- I was 18 minutes behind schedule. I grabbed some potatoes dipped in salt. Wow, I was falling apart. The shadows were long and it was getting harder to see in the forests. We turned on our headlights. Rachael played some music which was fun. She says:
🎶
So...we also listened to Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Maroon Five, and Britney Spears. Uptown Funk and Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars. Stay Stay Stay, Love Story, and Shake It Off by Taylor Swift. Born this Way by Lady Gaga. Moves Like Jagger by Maroon Five. Work B*tch by Britney Spears. Rise by Katy Perry.
🎶
Cal-3, mile 73 -- struggling. But we were getting it done! I grabbed some tater tots -- mmm! Rachael was very encouraging. Next stop was Lauren!
Rucky Chucky (near), mile 78 -- I was 33 minutes behind schedule. Jennifer! Lauren! Angelo! (Angelo is Lauren's husband and is also a runner.) I got refueled (quarter of a grilled cheese sandwich) and then it was time for the exciting challenging river crossing!
Lauren and Jennifer
Jennifer and me
A volunteer put a glow light around my neck, in case I got washed down the river, I think.
A volunteer warned me to put away any electronics around my waist. At first, I thought my waist light would be fine, but the connection to the battery pack isn't waterproof, so I'm glad I put that in my pack.
I was instructed to hold on the rope with two hands. Here we go, across the Middle Fork of the American River, at night!
Wow, the water was cold. Ouch, as I discovered some chafing on my thighs. The water was frequently waist-high and the boulders were slippery. There were glow sticks next to the rocks and holes.
Then we used a knotted rope to climb out of the river about 20'. Then I took care of chafing and changed out my headlamp batteries.
Lauren asked if I had dry socks in my drop bag. No, I did not. "I'm a minimalist!" I cheerfully replied.
A brave volunteer helps me with my feet
I looked over, as I was sitting down, and there was elite ultrarunner Kaci Lickteig! She had won the race before. She got going before I did and I never saw her again. Maybe I should have ran with her early on and then I would be in better shape?
Green Gate, mile 79.8 -- I was a whopping 56 minutes behind schedule.
I was struggling with a high heart rate which I attributed to dehydration. My urine was a dark yellow. I was struggling with eating. I held a quarter of a grilled cheese sandwich for like 10 minutes and I just couldn't finish it.
Lauren started running quite a bit ahead of me, to encourage me to move faster. That helped! As we were getting closer to the finish, I could push harder, but 20 miles still felt like a very long ways to go.
Auburn Lake Trails, mile 85.2 -- Coastside Running Club's aid station! I was so happy to finally be here. I have so many friends who were volunteering. Jennifer was here, too!
Suki handed me some chicken broth soup with rice which tasted great and which I easily ate, and which settled my stomach. She also gave me a shoulder massage! Talk about service!
Onwards! Maybe it was my imagination, but I think I was running a little more frequently. I checked in with Lauren occasionally about our projected finish time; she assured me that we were on target for finishing in under 24 hours. I wanted that silver belt buckle! (A bronze belt buckle is awarded for finishers after 24 hours but within the 30 hour limit.)
Quarry Road, mile 90.7 -- 1 hour 15 minutes behind schedule. Scott Jurek was working this aid station! He's a 7 time winner of Western States and a popular author. He's great and very kind. I thanked him for his books.
Somewhere along the way, my Kogalla waist lamp died; the battery was unexpectedly dead. It was supposed to have lasted 6 hours. I realized later that I had put the light on "high" instead of "low" during the race because I had forgotten which setting to use for 6 hours. Oops. I still had my excellent headlamp, but I missed the wide bright light around the trail in front of me, to help see the rocks.
Pointed Rocks, mile 94.3 -- It's 3:01am. I was 1 hour 23 minutes behind schedule. I was tired and sleepy. This was getting really hard. Just keep up with Lauren.
My urine was a dark brown, like Coca Cola. I've never seen this before. Not good. I told Lauren this, and that I should stop by the medical tent after finishing. She agreed.
I picked up the pace a bit and passed a couple of runners. I was digging deep.
Robie Point, mile 98.9 -- 4:04am. It took over an hour for me to run and walk just 4.6 miles. Angelo! Lauren's husband had taken the time to get here super-early in the morning in order to run the last 1+ mile with me. It was very very likely that I would finish, but I was starting to feel the twinges of cramps.
I got some water and then we jogged / hiked up the last gentle uphill on the roads of Auburn and then we had a nice downhill descent. It was really happening! I was going to finish, and in under 24 hours! There was the high school! And there was the entrance to the track! Angelo pointed out the little step we had to cross, in case I tripped. That was very thoughtful, but I thought to myself, "I've probably encountered ten thousand tripping hazards in this race; I'm very accustomed to looking at the ground ahead of me!" Then we were on the track!
Jennifer! She was on the infield, taking photos and video.
I tried to run faster. In my mind, I was practically sprinting, but it was probably around 8 minutes a mile. The announcer called out my name and said that Jennifer was my crew and that I was a video game programmer and that Lauren was my pacer. The finish line is in sight!
Woo hoo! Hands in the air! I was so happy and relieved. I could hardly believe we had done it. I got my medal. The photographer motioned us to take a photo and I waived Lauren and Angelo over to me. Incredible!!!
I felt quite unsettled and then dizzy and so I lay down in the medical tent for like 30 minutes. Drinking a couple cups of chicken broth was very tasty and helpful and then Jennifer drove us to our hotel for a nap.
We came back a short while later, like at 11:30am, for the awards ceremony and so that I could get my Rucky Chucky Far drop bag and most importantly, so I could pick up my silver belt buckle!
Each belt buckle is hand-made (see here for how they're made). The bronze buckles are for finishing by 30 hours, and they say "100 miles". The silver belt buckles are for finishing in under 24 hours, and they say "100 miles" and "one day". Between us finishing and the awards ceremony, our names are engraved on the back, along with the year.
I happened to sit next to Crispin, who I had met the week before. We had both volunteered at the same Tahoe 200 aid station.
Post Race
In the hours and days after the race, I felt immense happiness and gratitude and a sense of accomplishment. I think I basically executed the race as best as I know how. My training was excellent. This felt like an accomplishment of a lifetime.
It's a little scary how dehydrated I was. I've never seen my urine so brown/dark. After recovering and rehydrating for 48 hours, I was down 5.2 lbs from the week prior, and down 13.4 lbs since when I started training in earnest! The Tuesday morning after the race, at 154.0 lbs, was my lowest weight in my adult life!
What went well
I successfully finished this race, in very hot weather, and ran about as well as I know how to.
I didn't fall or go off course.
I didn't get injured.
I handled the heat surprisingly well. In training, I never ran in 90+ F weather, and my heat training consisted of warm baths, one hot car ride, and one hot nap in a tent in the afternoon sun. Yet I managed to keep myself cool enough in the race by staying wet and having ice in a bandana.
Rachael, my first pacer, got me to slow down, which probably helped me from getting too depleted too quickly. She entertained me with conversation and music.
Lauren, my second pacer, got me to speed up, which was probably a good strategy as I was nearing the finish, since taking risks then was safer. She ran a ways ahead of me which naturally pulled me along faster.
My crew (my wife) did great with the driving and helping me get around and meeting me at Foresthill and Rucky Chucky Near, and the finish.
Friends surprised me at several places along the course, which was a great morale booster.
I never had to poop during the race! For one of the two medical studies I participated in for this race, one was a microbiome study and I asked the researcher how to avoid pooping in a race and he suggested avoiding fiber for the two days prior to the race. That seemed to have worked!
Things to improve
I became dehydrated in the afternoon. I still felt the need to urinate every couple of hours, but my urine became a solid yellow and then a dark yellow and then brown. I felt forced to slow down, by labored breathing and a high heart rate. I started walking a lot of gentle uphills. I don't know how I could have handled this better. I took 3 salt pills throughout the day, to try to trigger a thirst response, but I was also getting a lot of salt by drinking sports drink almost exclusively plus eating salty foods. I was never thirsty.
I lost my appetite for about 5 miles, between mile 80 and 85. I'm not sure why. After eating a cup of rice and broth at mile 85, I was able to eat regularly again.
I accidentally set my Kogalla waist light to "high" mode at mile 78 (Rucky Chucky Far) and used up that battery much faster than expected, like in 3 hours instead of 6. So, running over rocks later on became more difficult. I still had a good headlamp.
I should have changed socks at Foresthill (mile 62) and at Rucky Chuck Far (mile 78). I hadn't anticipated that my feet would be wet for almost the whole race, not because of river crossings, but because of all the water and sweat pouring down my body. My feet made it to the end, but they had big white patches of skin on the bottom from the skin being soaked for too long. I would have been more comfortable if I had changed socks. Also, perhaps I should have applied some kind of anti-chafing water repellant product to the bottoms of my feet; I've never done that before, I know that this is a technique that other runners have used successfully. A guy I volunteered with at Tahoe 200, Crispin, also ran Western States, and his feet were in much better shape than mine -- he told me he applied some kind of Squirrel Nut Butter to the entirety of his feet, plus he changed shoes and socks 2 (or 3?) times.
I felt somewhat sleepy for a lot of the race. It's difficult to get a good night's sleep the night before, but I struggled somewhat the whole previous week because my legs were frequently restless.
Sleep notes
For the week leading up to the race:
Monday night: slept well. I was exhausted from the Tahoe 200 aid station and slept for about 10 hours.
Tuesday night: Slept well
Wednesday night: terrible night's sleep. Tossed and turned it seemed for a couple of hours. Took a shower at 2:30am.
Thursday night: Took 2 Benadryl and 1 Melatonin? Or was it 2 Melatonin and 1 Benadryl? My legs were restless and I had a hard time falling asleep. Woke up with the alarm at 7am, ate breakfast, got dressed for a run, but instead went back to sleep for an hour. I postponed my 10am morning science study appointment until 1pm.
Friday night: Took 2 GABA, 1 Benadryl. Tossed and turned and slept poorly.
Gear
Shoes: Hoka Tecton X. I wore these the entire time. It might have been wiser to swap out shoes once or twice, but I hadn't anticipated that my feet would be wet for almost the entire race. The shoes felt good and performed well. I wish they had a better grip, like the Speedgoat 5, but I liked how lightweight and springy they were. I imagined that the carbon fiber plates helped me with the uphills.
Watch: Coros Apex Pro. I love this watch! For the first time, I had a GPS watch that could last for the whole hundred miles. My Garmin Fenix 3 can last only about 16 hours. I still had a lot of battery life left (50%?) after the race. It's also very lightweight and it charges very quickly and it has a faster processor than my Garmin. It latches on to the GPS satellites much faster. I love the course navigation feature which alerts me when I'm off-course. My main gripe with the Coros is how easy it is to accidentally press the main control knob, so I have to use the lock-screen feature, which then makes starting/stopping workouts more cumbersome.
Socks: Injinji toe socks. They don't prevent blisters for me, but I think they reduce the chances of blisters, especially between toes.
A small tube of RunGoo anti-chafing cream. I carried this with me the entire time and was a big win. I didn't have any nipple chafing, for example. I took care of other chafing problems early on, so that they never became a problem.
A bandana, folded into a triangle, sewed with a terry-cloth inside and openings at two corners. This allowed ice to be easily added and then I tied it around my neck with a square not. The ice would last for over an hour and this kept me cool in 90+F heat, as the water slowly dripped down on to my shirt and evaporated. My shirt on my torso was cool to the touch, even in the warmest part of the day. I wish I had an easier way of fastening the two ends around my neck, like a velcro strip; it was sometimes a pain to untie and re-tie this knot.
Headlamp: Zebralight H600w Mk IV. This has the best power-to-weight ratio I could find in a headlamp. It's easy to use, rugged, comfortable, light weight, and water-proof. It can output 264 lumens for over 6.3 hours, with a peak brightness of an incredible 1400 lumens for 2.8 hours in cool weather. (At the highest output, the lamp can overheat which causes the brightness to automatically dim.) Its magic ingredient is that it uses high-energy-density rechargeable 18650 Lithium-ion batteries. I bought these Sanyo batteries. I bought this headlamp and battery combo for Lauren and Rachael, too, and they used this while pacing me. This is the charger we all have.
Kogalla RA light strip. I wore this on a very lightweight fanny pack. It's wonderful for seeing the rocky terrain in front of you and catching sight of flags on the sides of the trail or road. The battery connection is not waterproof, so be careful when crossing waist-deep rivers in the night! My main complaint with this light is that it's difficult to precisely set the light level so that the battery lasts a predetermined amount of time.
