2009 Fat Ass 50 (Steatopygous Quinquamillia) Run Report

January 3, 2009 was the 25th running of the Fat Ass 50 (Steatopygous Quinquamillia), and my first running of it, or any other Fat Ass run for that matter. It was a fun run on a fabulous course. A 50 mile and a 50k option were offered, and I chose to run the 50k version. Glad I did, cause it got pretty damn cold out there the last couple hours.

Coolrunning.com has a little history of the Fat Ass, and it turns out this particular one evolved from the granddaddy of em all, which was originally run on Hwy. 1 from Santa Cruz to Half Moon Bay.

Chatting in the parking lot at Saratoga Gap before the start.

About 10 or so people showed up for the 8am start at Saratoga Gap. I had a chance to meet and run with a number of people including Brian Robinson, Adam Blum and Sean Lang. We headed north from the parking lot at Saratoga Gap, eventually crossing Hwy. 35 going west. We crossed through Portola State Park, Pescadero County Park, and Big Basin State Park eventually ending up back at Saratoga Gap.

I did my best to stay with Brian and a friend of his, Adam Blum, and Sean Lang on a long uphill section in Portola State Park, but ended up redlining my heart rate and dropping back. Actually, I hit a new maximum heart rate on that climb (gotta remember to reset my HR monitor)! I caught up with Sean a little later, which I couldn't believe, as he is really speedy. As we ran together for a while, he mentioned that he had taken December off, and had been nursing an injury, so my catching up to him made a lot more sense at that point. :-) We hit the lone aid station at China Grade and stopped for a few minutes to munch on some chips before hitting the trail again.

A little later we hit the Skyline to the Sea trail. I was feeling pretty good at that point, and picked up my pace. By Waterman Gap, though, I tired somewhat as the weather turned overcast and cold. With 7 miles to go, I pushed as hard as I could but still had to walk some of the uphill sections. With about 3 miles to go, I caught up to Adam Blum and we stayed together for a little while. He was struggling a bit, and stopped to rest at the overlook pullout on Hwy. 9 a couple miles from Saratoga Gap. I continued on, again, pushing it when I could but still walking some of the uphills.

At this point, I just wanted to get back so I could get my sweat soaked clothes off as I was pretty cold. The temperature had dropped noticeably as some cloud cover moved in and the wind picked up. I made it back to Saratoga Gap with a time of 5:44 to find Adam there. Turns out he got a few crackers from someone at the pull out and rebounded. He started out back on the trail, but ended up running part of the Saratoga Toll Rd. missing a turn off for the SttS trail, which is how he passed me.

In talking to Adam as we logged our runs on the sign-out sheet, he figured he was getting a bit hyponatremic, and the salt helped restore balance to his electrolytes. I had thought of it, but when I asked him if there was anything he needed, he said no he had water and food, and I just figured he had electrolytes too. Next time I come across a situation like that, I'll make certain to go through the laundry list to make certain. Lesson learned!

I had a great time, and felt pretty good throughout the run (except for getting really cold the last hour or so). The course is beautiful, and challenging, and I think it's one I'll have to get back out on in the future for general training, not to mention running the "official" Fat Ass run next year.

The North Face Endurance Challenge 50k (+)

Saturday, December 6th I had the pleasure of toeing the line at the North Face Endurance Challenge 50k being held up in the Marin Headlands area (this race turned out to be a 50k+, as they told us at the start line that the distance was somewhere between 33-34 miles, not the standard 31...ahh well, at least they didn't charge us extra for the bonus miles!!!). Actually, there were four distances available to runners - 50 miles, 50k, 1/2 marathon, and 10k. The 50 mile race was billed as the "championship," the final race in a series of events held across the country throughout the year. The top male and female finishers would take home $10,000 - the biggest payday in ultrarunning! As such, there were some fast folks lining up for the chance to get paid.

The start was near Rodeo Beach (actually, the start was from Fort Barry), and the 50k course took runners through Tennessee Valley, Muir Beach, and out to Pantoll before turning around and heading back on various trails, including a section of the Dipsea Trail. The views were gorgeous as the day was clear and sunny, though a bit windy in some areas. Cool temperatures made for ideal running conditions, and The North Face did a good job of marking the course and stocking the aid stations with supplies and volunteers.

I started out fairly conservatively, which was not typical of most of my races. About the nine mile mark we started on a long climb gaining about 1,500 feet over four miles. Up till then I was trading places with three friends running together, and just before the climb they passed me. I decided it was a good time to push my uphill pace a bit and attached myself to the back of their "train." They set a comfortable pace and before I knew it we were at the top, at the Pantoll aid station. A little bit before the top, though, I came up on a friend from the Santa Cruz Track Club, Diane Delucchi, who was looking strong. I found out later that she was having a tough time early on, but I would have never known from seeing her steady pace going up that hill. We exchanged cheers for one another – it’s always nice to get a little motivational bump from a friend on the trail.

Speaking of friends, I saw Carol Cuminale at a couple of the aid stations, and she always had a cheer for me as I came through. She was going to be pacing Diane later in her 50 mile quest, and was out meeting her at some aid stations to make sure she had what she needed in the early goings.

Just before arriving at the Pantoll aid station I was running alongside another guy and we started chatting. At one point he took a look at me and asked my age, which I was more than happy to share. He indicated we were in the same age group (40-49), and that he believed there was only one other person in our age group ahead of us. I was somewhat surprised at this, and figured he was being a bit optimistic. As we entered the aid station, I saw him veer off to the drop bag area, while I continued to the tables to get my water bottle filled and grab some food. I was back out on the trail within about a minute.

The next section was a blast, as we lost most of the elevation we had just gained (ain't it always like that?!?) running through the Steep Ravine section, next to a beautiful creek. This was a very technical section of trail, and you really had to pay attention here or you were bound to take a tumble and risk losing some teeth, or skin, or something! Before long, the trail headed back up, then down, then up, then down...there really wasn't much in the way of flat spots on this run - the overall elevation gain for the 50k was about 6,900'.

Winding around here and there, we eventually ended up back in Muir Beach and started a long, steep, grueling climb. This one kicked me in the stomach, so-to-speak. As I got to the top, I had a stitch under my ribcage that pestered me for a little while until it finally went away. I was getting a bit tired (imagine that). From here on out, I ran (if you can really call it that) the downs and what little flats there were, and walked as fast as I could muster on the ups. I passed a few people, and was passed by a few people, but managed to keep up steady forward progress. Hitting the last aid station, the final couple miles (except for the last half mile) were down hill. Though my stomach was a little sloshy, I ran as best my legs would let me, and sprinted the final 800. I crossed the finish line in 6:09, which I was quite pleased with, and immediately looked for a seat.

The North Face had a little "expo" at the finish area, with a nice spread of food. I spent some time chatting with people and sharing stories of the day before my appetite kicked in. After shoveling some food down, I wandered over to check the results, mainly to see who won the big prize in the 50 miler. To my utter amazement I finished in 19th place overall, and 2nd in my age division! I couldn't believe it. Now, I'm a decent runner, not really speedy, but I do posses pretty good endurance, determination and motivation - but 2nd?!? Then I realized why - most of the folks I would typically run against in my age division were in the 50 miler (and another 50k race being held in Woodside), so that left a little softer field. At any rate, I'll take a 2nd place finish any way I can get it, and am not only happy with it, but proud, too. I also got some extra stuff for the age division placement - thanks North Face!

As always, the ultra community was fun and supportive throughout the day. It was great to see all the spectators out along the course cheering the runners on. The North Face did a great job with this event, and if anyone is looking for a fun entry into trail running, or ultrarunning, this could be a good opportunity to give it a go. From what I understand, they will be having the championship event here again in 2009 around the same time. I think I may just have to run it again. Who knows, maybe I can improve my...time? ;-)

2008 Quad Dipsea

I first started trail running around 11 years ago, and my first trail race was The Dipsea Race. While training for it, I heard about the Double Dipsea and Quad Dipsea races. After running the Dipsea the first time I thought, man, I just don't know about running that beast two, much less four times! But it stuck in my head.

Last year, when I decided I wanted to run an ultra, I remembered the Quad Dipsea and thought to myself that I would really like to give it a try someday. Well, this year I vowed to make that happen. I even emailed the race director early this year to inquire about when race registration would open so I would make sure I wouldn't miss it. I wanted in! And I got in. It wouldn't surprise me if I was one of the first to register, as I hit Active.com as soon as I got the notification from the RD that registration was open.

Gettin my stuff ready.

Hangin with Will Gotthardt before the start.

Race day dawned clear and unseasonably warm. As we gathered around the starting area in Mill Valley I ran into some friends and had a chance to chat. I ran into Kate Morejohn and her daughter Keturah (who just got engaged, congrats Keturah!), and her son Justin. If I remember correctly, this was Justin's first ultra, and he rocked it, finishing in under 5 hours!!! There are some running genes in that family. Justin's wife Sara was there rooting on her husband and dad-to-be, as Sara was about ready to give birth to their first child. In fact, her due date was the day of the race so all were ready to bail if necessary. Fortunately, their son held off a few days to make his grand entrance. Kate's husband, I recently found out, shot a few videos of the race and those have been posted on the Quad Dipsea website. Check em out if you get a chance.

Of course, Carol Cuminale was there. We were chatting as the starting horn sounded, and soon enough we were on our way...to the first set of stairs. The Dipsea Trail is notorious for its' stairs. 671 start the trail off on the Mill Valley side (no, I didn't count them, but someone did at some point). Up, up and away we went. After the stairs, the climbing doesn't end. You keep going up. But at some point you begin to go down - into Muir Woods. Only to go back up. Then down again. Finally ending up at Stinson Beach. At which point you turn around and head back to whence you came.

Carole Cuminale, my friend and ultra mentor. She is also taking me under her race directing wing, as I am going to help her with the Nisene Marks Marathon and Half Marathon this next June.

While everyone seems to mention the Mill Valley sides' stairs, and have counted them, in my opinion the Stinson Beach side is tougher going back up, and there just has to be more stairs. No doubt, it's tough going all along this course. The Dipsea Trail is 7.1 miles one way, so the Quad covers 28.4 miles and has over 9,200' of climbing. Which means 9,200' of quad busting descent. I think the name refers to this fact as much as the number of times one must traverse the course.

As is typical for me, I started out too fast, doing the first half in just over 2.5 hours. Towards the latter half of the third leg my stomach soured, and I slowed considerably. The final climb out of Stinson was very tough, and along the way I figured out my problem - too much sugary stuff and not enough plain water. GU's and sweet energy drink made my stomach feel bad, and I really had a craving for plain water, but with only one bottle, and it filled with the energy drink, I would have to wait until the aid station to remedy the situation.

I finally reached the aid station and chugged some water as I took a seat for a break. A very helpful volunteer filled my bottle and checked that I was ok. After a few minutes I felt much better and hit the trail, ready to finish. Amazing what a little water can do!

I was able to run most of the way to the finish, only slowing at a couple uphill sections and taking my time on the stairs going down into Mill Valley. I didn't want to do a header and tumble at that point, as my quads were feeling the burn by that point. I managed to finish in 5:51, coming in just shy of my expected target of 6 hours. My wife was volunteering at the finish line so it was nice to get a hug and a smile from her after I crossed the line. She was still "on the job" so I hung out, grabbed something to eat, and cheered in runners as they finished and chatted with some friends. I met another ultra blogger, Rick Gaston, who came up to me and introduced himself. I have seen him at a couple events, and have read his blog for a little while now. He is a pretty speedy guy, and really nice. The ultra community is just chock full 'o nice people - it's one of the things I really like about going to races.

Fin, finally! Now get me a chair.

Well, another challenge I've stuck in my craw for the future is to run all three in a calendar year. The hardest one to get into is The Dipsea Race, which fills most of the race positions through a lottery. Though if you write a good enough sob story, you may be "let in," from what I understand. I'll have to check into that.

This is a beautiful trail, and The Dipsea Race is the oldest trail race in the country - first run in 1905! While the Quad doesn't have quite the same history, it began in 1983, some history was made this year. The longstanding course record, set in 1992 by Carl Anderson, was broken this year by a young guy named Erik Skaggs, who finished in 3:52:16, beating Carl's record by about 13 seconds. Quite a day.

"Battle of the Network Stars" video clip

This video clip is hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. Very worth watching. AND...it's running related. It'll take about 10 minutes, but if you were around in the '70's and watched TV at all, you will appreciate this video clip (and even if you weren't around then, or didn't watch TV, you'll still appreciate it).

It's from the "Battle of the Network Stars" show. Telly Savalas, Gabe Kaplan, Farrah Fawcett(-Majors... :-( ), Robert Conrad, Howard Cosell, Lynda Carter(!!! :-) ), Penny Marshall, Ron Howard, Bruce Jenner...the list goes on. There is controversy. There is suspense. There is an exciting finish. There is Howard Cosell calling the whole thing.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3712343

I highly recommend reading the commentary, too. It's fantastic and will add some depth to the video. Read it before or after, doesn't really matter (unless you don't want to spoil the ending - then read it after).

I've watched it a couple times already. It's really a classic bit of TV from the '70's.

Terri Schneider and Racing the Planet: The Last Desert

A friend of mine, Terri Schneider, is participating in the Racing the Planet: The Last Desert run in Antarctica this upcoming November-December. And, she is raising money for The Conservation Alliance in conjunction with the race. It's a good cause, and Terri is a good person. Terri is a Santa Cruz, CA based triathlon and running coach, as well as an elite triathlete and adventure racer. Please consider supporting her in this endeavor. Here is a letter from Terri with details:

Most of my life I’ve sought adventure, physical duress and travel to far off wild places and the virtue that comes with these types of life choices. I’ve also witnessed the fragile relationship of human interaction with our planet. While the adventures I seek today seem to hold a much greater purpose, my time to give back is way, way, overdue. But the thought of running in 120 degree heat across the Sahara Desert is much more appealing to me than facing the terror of asking people to donate money for a cause…

Won’t you join me for my inaugural fundraising efforts and help dispel my fundraising fears! I’m raising money for The Conservation Alliance – an organization that directs their funding toward your community-based campaigns that protect threatened wild habitats. In this process we’ll embark on a big adventure – really big. I’ll be running 155 miles on one of the harshest continents on the planet – Antarctica. Join me! for Racing Antarctica, my fundraiser for The Conservation Alliance.

By supporting The Conservation Alliance, you will invest in an array of the most compelling conservation projects in North America—projects that support your favorite wild places and those of your children for years to come. The zeal of The Conservation Alliance and the outdoor industry companies who support this organization resonate highly with our lives and passions – like a cohesive family nurturing our planet. Help me in supporting your favorite wild places by joining me for Racing Antarctica. Contribute NOW!

The idea of running 155 miles in one of the most inaccessible spots on the planet for the cause of protecting your favorite places back home is a perfect fit. Scroll down for a bit more info about the cause, the adventure and what YOU get for joining our Team.

The Cause

Have you given back to the rivers, mountains and open spaces that move you? To the places that humble you and will nurture your children for years to come? The Conservation Alliance does just that. They defend North America’s last wild places by supporting grassroots conservation organizations. Since 1989 they have helped protect more than 39 million acres of land, stop or remove 26 dams, and preserve access to thousands of miles of rivers and several climbing areas. But their job is unceasing! NOW’S YOUR CHANCE to give back!

The Adventure

I am one of 30 invited athletes who will participate in Racing the Planet: The Last Desert, November 24-December 4, 2008. As the windiest, driest and most frigid continent, Antarctica is the largest desert in the world. The Last Desert adventure will begin in Ushuaia, Argentina where we will travel two days by ship across the perilous Drake Passage. For 6 days and a total of 155 miles we will run at several locations on Antarctica and its outlying islands. I will be running to raise money for The Conservation Alliance – the folks who help preserve your favorite wild places.

Our goal is $5,000 (but I’d love to raise much much more)!

Your tax deductible contribution:

As a Racing Antarctica team member you’ll receive the following:

- You’ll come along to Antarctica! Your name (or company’s name) will be placed on a shirt that I’ll wear during my Last Desert adventure. (orca and polar bear levels get top billing)

- Invitation to a Team Racing Antarctica post event slide show and party!

- Regular updates on my training as well as live dispatches from the event.

- All contributors will get well deserved recognition on my website, on my donation site, as well as in all PR materials.

Suggested contributions:

- Orca Level: $1000
- Polar Bear Level: $500
- Leopard Seal Level: $100
- Weddell Seal Level: $50
- Emperor Penguin Level: $25
- Other: Whatever amount you wish!

1. Online donation site: To donate quickly and easily CLICK HERE. Go to www.terrischneider.net for more info.

2. Via email: To avoid an online fee, email terri@terrischneider.net – your contribution can be taken via visa/mastercard

3. Via mail: Send your check to Terri Schneider – Racing Antarctica, PO Box 1826, Aptos, CA 95001

I’m psyched at the prospect of running in inhospitable Antarctica to raise funds to support the wild places YOU love back home! Help me support this critical cause (and get a well deserved tax deduction…)!

Heartfelt thanks for your time in this,

Terri Schneider

Also, Terri is hosting an endurance event movie night. Details below:

This November I will embark on a 6 day, 155 mile running stage race in Antarctica, one of the harshest environments on the planet. I'll be competing as a fundraiser for The Conservation Alliance - the folks who give back to your favorite wild places in North America. Support me in this quest - Racing Antarctica for The Conservation Alliance - at an upcoming movie night!

My first fundraising effort has been both challenging and hugely rewarding and I am thus far astonished at the generosity of so many friends. Having passion for what the people at The Conservation Alliance are accomplishing keeps me motivated. But their job is unceasing - as is mine to gain funding for their cause.

So to add some fun to this fundraising process I've decided to host an "Endurance Madness" Movie Night. I'll show film clips from Hawaii Ironman, Eco Challenge and an excellent documentary on Western States 100 and I'm certain that unless you have watched these with me you have never seen them - all "never been seen on TV footage!"

This will be a night of fun, films and raffle prizes. Plan to be inspired!

"Endurance Madness" Movie Night - Long Marine Lab, Santa Cruz, CA. Thursday, November 6th 7:00 PM. Donations accepted at the door. Refreshments will be served.

Headlands Hundred 50 Mile Endurance Run Race Report

After running my first 50 mile race this past May, I was looking for another to run this summer and having heard good things about the Headlands Hundred course, decided to sign up for the 50 mile option. The race is put on by Pacific Coast Trail Runs, so it was assured to be a fun group, well organized, and a tough course - the 50 miler has a little under 8,200' of elevation gain with some pretty tough climbs. The race was scheduled for August 9th, which gave me plenty of time to recover from the Quicksilver 50 miler, and get my training back up for Headlands.

My training was going well and I was on track, until about a month before the race when inexplicably, towards the end of a long run, I felt a sharp pain deep in my right calf. Having felt this before, I knew immediately I had pulled a muscle and would probably be out of commission for at least a couple weeks. When this happened previously, I had tried to come back too quickly and re injured it even worse, necessitating even more recovery time. This time I was determined to not let that happen, so took my rehab seriously and with a different approach. I decided to give myself 3 weeks of no running, start swimming and deep water running, redouble my strength training efforts, lay off the bike, and do some self massage to try to speed healing.

A week before Headlands my wife Lori and I were signed up for the 12 Hours at Cool night race. We planned to run together and originally I planned on this being a nice, easy training run, thinking I would do maybe 4 or 5 loops. Part of me really wanted to see how I would respond with back-to-back long run weekends. Well, with the calf injury, I had to throw that plan out the window. By race day my calf felt pretty good - I had done no running, and as little walking as possible so my plan was to walk a couple loops, maybe jog a little to see how it felt, and call it good. Lori was hoping to do more, so I would crash in the back of my truck while she pushed on. About halfway through the first loop we met up with some friends and stayed with them for the rest of the night. I did my two loops and felt good, even with the light running we did, so was pleased with my prospects of toeing the line at Headlands. Lori, Michelle and her husband Morgan ended up completing 3 loops (9 mile loops = 27 miles...way to go!).

Even with the positive experience at the Cool race the week before, I was still nervous about running the Headlands 50, and my calf, while feeling good, was not 100%. I didn't want to re injure it and end up having to take another month or so off from running. The past month had been bad enough (though all the cross training, I must say, was great and quite beneficial). I was determined to run this race very conservatively, especially in the early stages. Additionally, I acquired a compression sleeve for my calf, recommended by another runner I talked to at the Cool race who said it had helped him previously. I think that played a big part in my day.

So race day I got up very early and made the drive up to Rodeo Beach. As is typical for summer in the SF Bay area, it was foggy and cool - great for a long run. I checked in and got my bib, then went back to my car for final preparations. My friend from the Santa Cruz Track Club, Carole Cuminale, was a couple cars over getting ready to run the 100 miler so I went over to chat with her for a few minutes. Another friend from the club, Howard Wood, stopped by and we caught up for a few minutes as well. Howard was running the 50, and he ended up placing 5th! He is pretty damn fast, though funny enough, he was sandbagging a bit as we spoke, saying he hadn't done all that much running lately due to work travel so was looking at this as a nice easy "training" run in preparation for his Trans Rockies adventure coming up in a couple weeks. Yeah, nice "training" run Howard!

Me at the start.
A few minutes before 7am the runners assembled in the road by the beach where Wendell gave us our instructions. Standing right in front of me was someone I thought I recognized, so I introduced myself to Becky, a frequent contributor to the Runners World Online Discussion Forum. She introduced me to a couple other forumites, Nancy and Danni. Becky and Nancy were running the 50, and Danni running her first 100 miler. She was actually supposed to run the Western States 100, but unfortunately that was canceled due to all the crazy fires. Just then, Wendell sent us off and the four of us took off together.

The course started on pavement for a very short time, then crossed over a small marshy/creek area to Rodeo Beach, then up a hill to more pavement. Getting back on dirt, we wound our way up, down and around until I could hear cars below and to the right. While the fog kept the temps good for running, it really messed up the views, as I was looking forward to the view of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco from the hill immediately to the west of the Marin side of the bridge. Oh well, it gives me a good reason to go back and run those trails again some time.

The inevitable first hill traffic jam!
I stayed with Becky, Nancy, and Danni for a little while, but at a turn off pavement to a trail, I had to make a pit stop (good sign I was well hydrated), and after that I ran solo for a little while, but not too long. On a slight hill section that I decided to run I ended up behind a woman who struck up a conversation. Turned out she was a frequent poster to PCTR's online discussion forum and recognized my name, as I did hers. Kate was running with her daughter Keturah (Keturah's blog), who was running her first 50 miler. We stuck together for a little while, and ended up leap-frogging a bit, seeing each other at various aid stations and throughout the first half of the course. They always had a smile and encouraging words for me when we crossed paths. I really do love the people I meet in the trail and ultra community - they are the nicest and most supportive people!

Running with Keturah and Kate - they ran a great race and were great company.
A little while later, I caught up to my friend Carol and we ended up running together for quite some time. She is an amazing runner, and has taught me a lot in the short time I have known her. She is actually going to take me under her wing in the race directing arena, as she has directed the Nisene Marks Marathon and Half Marathon, and needed someone to take over after she moves to Washington after next years' event. I am excited about learning all about the ins and outs of directing a race from someone so nice and experienced!

Coming it to Muir Beach.
Carol and I split up after the Pantoll aid station, as she needed to walk a little after fueling up there. I was feeling pretty good at that point - my calf was not bugging me, though my legs and feet were a little more sore than they typically were at 22 miles. Guess that's what happens when you don't run for a month. Since I was doing pretty well, I decided to try to run more over the next section, which would take me to the turnaround point at Bolinas Ridge, almost 29 miles into the race. This section was on a beautiful section of single track, but really exposed. The fog had burned off, and it was getting pretty warm. Since I had run very conservatively to this point, it put me on this section at around 12:30 or so, just getting into the hottest part of the day. The next 13 miles proved to be some pretty warm miles. I hit the turnaround at about 2pm. I figured that was pretty good, considering I was running conservatively, and my calf still felt good.

The views here are drop dead gorgeous, but you have to keep an eye on the trail or you'll do a faceplant. It also got pretty hot in this section, as I was running it in the hottest part of the day.
Heading back, I started feeling quite a bit more soreness in my legs, especially on the downhill sections. Additionally, the big toe on my left foot started to hurt. At this point uphills became my friend as they were easier to deal with than downs. Even with the discomfort in my quads and toe I still managed to run a pretty consistent pace and made good time, I even passed a number of runners along the way.

A little before passing through the Muir Beach aid station for the second time I caught up to Catra Corbett on an uphill section. Catra is one hell of a runner, and many know her, as I do, through her very popular blog. We struck up a conversation and ended up running together to the start/finish area at Rodeo Beach for my finish and her halfway point, as she was doing the 100 mile option. She really helped keep my mind off my barkin quads and increasingly painful Sgt. Hulka (big toe, for those of you who either have not seen, or don't remember the movie "Stripes").

The finish line is down there...somewhere...so close, yet so far down. My quads were not happy at this point.
I finished in 11:59:57, my longest run time-wise to date. My calf held up well, and while not yet fully recovered it certainly didn't get re injured from this run. I am very pleased with the whole day, as the course was just fantastic. Tough, certainly, but plenty of very runnable sections and drop dead gorgeous. This is an area I really want to get back to and run some more. And this race is at the top of my list as a contender for my first 100 miler next year. I also met and ran with some great people, and the volunteers, as always at PCTR races, were helpful, friendly and supportive. AND, they had PIZZA at the finish line!!! You can't ask for more (well, maybe a beer, but realistically, they can't supply everything!).

One final word about the calf compression sleeve I wore. It's from a company named Zensah. I really do think it helped quite a bit to keep my calf supported and blood flowing effectively in the muscle. A couple times I did feel a slight twinge in the calf, but it was because of an odd foot strike. I'll continue to wear it until I am confident my calf is fully recovered, even when not running. If you ever get a calf injury, do yourself a favor and try one of these compression sleeves.

The Zensah Compression Sleeves saved my bacon...err...calves! Give em a try, they feel really good.
Thanks again to Sarah, Wendell, Aaron, Marissa and the rest of the PCTR crew, all the volunteers and other supporters for a great day!

Summer Running and New Stuff

Lots going on lately, and I hope to catch up on all of it here in the near future. A couple races, an injury, new training methods and gear, and...a new puppy! I'm working on my most recent race report, and should have that up in a few days. Meanwhile, here is a picture of our newest family member - Murphy the Murphinator:



Murphy is a border collie/lab mix that we picked up from the Santa Cruz SPCA. He is a pretty smart guy, about 4 months old and 30 lbs. I'm guessing he'll go about 60 lbs. or so when fully grown. Our other dog, Maggie, gets a little jealous and possessive of some toys occasionally, but all-in-all they get along pretty well. It's really fun to watch them chase each other in the backyard.