Relentless rain has dropped between 2-4 inches of the wet stuff all over the Bay Area during the past 24-36 hours. The hills are getting soaked and the trails are the muddiest they have been all winter. They were muddy, of course, only when they hadn't turned into a creeks.
A solid 20 miler allowed me to enjoy me plenty of single and double-track, which I had all to myself on this soggy Presidents Day. By the end, a quarter-inch thick layer of muddy goodness was caked on my calves. SPLENDID!
If you haven't already, go enjoy the rain!!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Working Hard at the Woodside 35k
On Saturday, I had the great joy of finally lining up for a trail race again. It had been two months since Muir Beach. Despite quite a bit of travel over the holidays (two countries in Europe, close to 2000 miles of driving up and down the West Coast, etc.), I had been putting in quite a bit of work in the off-season with high hopes to return to 50k shape this spring.
The lush trails at Woodside (all photos in this report courtesy of the Blogfather, Scott Dunlap)
In addition to racking up the mileage, I had been eating healthier and started to incorporate sit-ups and push-ups in my daily routine. Needless to say, I was eager to hit the trails and see whether all that work had paid off (eating less Gelato is very difficult for me, you know).
Partying Like You're 90!
As with with the Muir Beach race, Will was happy to tag along. He's training hard to set a new marathon PR in Los Angeles later this spring, a 2:30-something time well within the realm of possibilities. The drive over to Woodside started with the obligatory stop at Pete's coffee. Some guy was celebrating his 90th birthday at 6:45 a.m. with about a dozen friends and a giant cake. That man was living life to the fullest!
Runners would start in waves today depending on race distances. Us 35k folks would be starting last at 9:15 a.m. along with the 17k runners. You don't see those kind of start times in the South.
The Race
Sarah and Wendell gave their usual instructions and we were off right on time. Even though it was sunny, we would be covered majestic Redwood trees the whole way. Spectacular stuff (and somehting else you don't see in the South). The race started with the biggest and only major climb of the day up to Kings Mountain aid station. The idea was to take it easy here and then see what I could do after that on top of the Ridge. Well, once I got to the aid, I was hungry and tired. Oooops!
front loaded elevation profile
Three cookies, an orange slice and a half potato later, I was moving again. I would only see one person over the next 30 minutes and wonder where everybody was. Swaths of fog would engulf the trail in certain sections and my mind was drifting off. It felt like I was running through a dream scene the way they depict them in the movies. The Redwood trees were magnificent, the birds were chirping and I was lost somewhere in the middle. Was this a race?
This section was an out and back, so it was just a matter of time until the race leader would pass. And sure enough, Will was flying towards me. We exchanged high fives and shouted words of encouragement. I checked my watch to time his lead. 3 minutes later three very determined looking runners working as a team rushed by me like a high-speed train. Would Will be able to hold on? I better hurry to find out!
At the turn-around, I was in 13th or 14th place. That was much better than any of my previous finishes here in California (20th, 31st, 44th...in reverse order). Now, I was determined to push. The run back to Kings Mountain seemed to take forever, but the many "good jobs" by the other runners helped tremendously. I tried to return the favor as best I could, but often all I could was "gschschawb".
At Kings Mountain, I was spent. Two runners were right ahead of me and I could barely run anymore. However, once we hit the final downhill, I called up my good friend Newton. My strides were painful but efficient, and I would catch up to both of them. The final mile, this guy and I had separated from the third runner and were pushing each other to the limit. I could not pass him for the life of me.......until I saw the cars of the parking lot. Somehow I found another gear (Where were you before, Another Gear? This is a race, not a vacation!) and I flew towards the finish line. 3:14 flat, good enough for 12th place.
Cal v. Stanford
Will found me and told me he won (I had to ask him. He is ever so modest). After some yummy chili we were checking out the impressive results across the board. Previous course records were posted as well, and it turns out that Will had set a new one for the 35k distance! Leor Pantilat of Stanford, CA had set the previous one last year. I just couldn't resist saying something like "Once again Cal beats Stanford" earning me a very disapproving look from some lady standing next to us (sorry!).
Here is my take on the whole Cal-Stanford rivalry: I'm a HUGE Cal fan. The Play is the greatest moment in sports. I can tell you how the women's lacrosse team did last weekend (19-0 win) or how we fared on college football signing day. Our cat even sleeps on a Cal blanket. Clearly, I enjoy every time we beat the Cardinal whether it is in football, swimming or a science fair.
HOWEVER, I think there is nothing greater than having two such outstanding universities here in the Bay Area. A lot of successful companies have been founded, scientific discoveries have been made and world leaders have emerged on these campuses. The universities feed this hotbed of innovation that is the SF Bay Area. There is a lot of collaboration going on between the two schools. We push each other to be better, and we work together on many projects (including one that I'm involved with). I think it's a blessing to have Stanford on the other side of the Bay. I really do. OK, time to move on.
Will and I actually ended up talking to Leor for a while. He is a great talent and a good kid. I look forward to seeing him again at Sequoia, and I'm sure he'll be kicking some serious butt there and at Way Too Cool. That man is fast.
And Thank You!
Finally, thank you to Sarah, Wendell and all the volunteers for a once again perfectly organized race. See you in a few weeks!
The lush trails at Woodside (all photos in this report courtesy of the Blogfather, Scott Dunlap)In addition to racking up the mileage, I had been eating healthier and started to incorporate sit-ups and push-ups in my daily routine. Needless to say, I was eager to hit the trails and see whether all that work had paid off (eating less Gelato is very difficult for me, you know).
Partying Like You're 90!
As with with the Muir Beach race, Will was happy to tag along. He's training hard to set a new marathon PR in Los Angeles later this spring, a 2:30-something time well within the realm of possibilities. The drive over to Woodside started with the obligatory stop at Pete's coffee. Some guy was celebrating his 90th birthday at 6:45 a.m. with about a dozen friends and a giant cake. That man was living life to the fullest!
Runners would start in waves today depending on race distances. Us 35k folks would be starting last at 9:15 a.m. along with the 17k runners. You don't see those kind of start times in the South.
The Race
Sarah and Wendell gave their usual instructions and we were off right on time. Even though it was sunny, we would be covered majestic Redwood trees the whole way. Spectacular stuff (and somehting else you don't see in the South). The race started with the biggest and only major climb of the day up to Kings Mountain aid station. The idea was to take it easy here and then see what I could do after that on top of the Ridge. Well, once I got to the aid, I was hungry and tired. Oooops!
front loaded elevation profileThree cookies, an orange slice and a half potato later, I was moving again. I would only see one person over the next 30 minutes and wonder where everybody was. Swaths of fog would engulf the trail in certain sections and my mind was drifting off. It felt like I was running through a dream scene the way they depict them in the movies. The Redwood trees were magnificent, the birds were chirping and I was lost somewhere in the middle. Was this a race?
This section was an out and back, so it was just a matter of time until the race leader would pass. And sure enough, Will was flying towards me. We exchanged high fives and shouted words of encouragement. I checked my watch to time his lead. 3 minutes later three very determined looking runners working as a team rushed by me like a high-speed train. Would Will be able to hold on? I better hurry to find out!
At the turn-around, I was in 13th or 14th place. That was much better than any of my previous finishes here in California (20th, 31st, 44th...in reverse order). Now, I was determined to push. The run back to Kings Mountain seemed to take forever, but the many "good jobs" by the other runners helped tremendously. I tried to return the favor as best I could, but often all I could was "gschschawb".
At Kings Mountain, I was spent. Two runners were right ahead of me and I could barely run anymore. However, once we hit the final downhill, I called up my good friend Newton. My strides were painful but efficient, and I would catch up to both of them. The final mile, this guy and I had separated from the third runner and were pushing each other to the limit. I could not pass him for the life of me.......until I saw the cars of the parking lot. Somehow I found another gear (Where were you before, Another Gear? This is a race, not a vacation!) and I flew towards the finish line. 3:14 flat, good enough for 12th place.
Cal v. Stanford
Will found me and told me he won (I had to ask him. He is ever so modest). After some yummy chili we were checking out the impressive results across the board. Previous course records were posted as well, and it turns out that Will had set a new one for the 35k distance! Leor Pantilat of Stanford, CA had set the previous one last year. I just couldn't resist saying something like "Once again Cal beats Stanford" earning me a very disapproving look from some lady standing next to us (sorry!).
Here is my take on the whole Cal-Stanford rivalry: I'm a HUGE Cal fan. The Play is the greatest moment in sports. I can tell you how the women's lacrosse team did last weekend (19-0 win) or how we fared on college football signing day. Our cat even sleeps on a Cal blanket. Clearly, I enjoy every time we beat the Cardinal whether it is in football, swimming or a science fair.
HOWEVER, I think there is nothing greater than having two such outstanding universities here in the Bay Area. A lot of successful companies have been founded, scientific discoveries have been made and world leaders have emerged on these campuses. The universities feed this hotbed of innovation that is the SF Bay Area. There is a lot of collaboration going on between the two schools. We push each other to be better, and we work together on many projects (including one that I'm involved with). I think it's a blessing to have Stanford on the other side of the Bay. I really do. OK, time to move on.
Will and I actually ended up talking to Leor for a while. He is a great talent and a good kid. I look forward to seeing him again at Sequoia, and I'm sure he'll be kicking some serious butt there and at Way Too Cool. That man is fast.
And Thank You!
Finally, thank you to Sarah, Wendell and all the volunteers for a once again perfectly organized race. See you in a few weeks!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Anybody Have Experience in Running in Santiago de Chile?
Because of a wonderful program here at UC Berkeley, I will be traveling to and working in Santiago de Chile for close to a month in the May/June time frame. The majority of my time there will be spent working on a clean tech project, but hopefully I will have a little bit of time to explore and go running. Needless to say I'm beyond excited!
Knowing that Santiago is one of most developed cities in South America, I am still a bit unsure as to what running is like (weather, safety, etc.) down there. I was hoping to participate in a six hour race only a week or so after my return. If you've visited and can share you're experience with me, please send me an e-mail.
joy!
Knowing that Santiago is one of most developed cities in South America, I am still a bit unsure as to what running is like (weather, safety, etc.) down there. I was hoping to participate in a six hour race only a week or so after my return. If you've visited and can share you're experience with me, please send me an e-mail.
joy!Saturday, January 24, 2009
Race Discount/Free Race Number for My Friends in Georgia
Unfortunately, I can't take advantage of this anymore, but if you're planning on running the Granite Grinder in April, you can either do it for free (!) or register with a $10 discount. Here's how it works:Free: Go to Subaru of South Atlanta on January 31st from 1 - 6 pm, test drive one of their cars and get a free race number AND a free VO2 max test.
$10 off: When you register on active.com, use the code "gogrinder"
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Effects of Walking on Mileage
Atlanta is a driving city. It is nearly impossible to live in the ATL (I'm hip like that) without having access to a car. Berkeley is sort of the opposite of that. I got rid of my car the second day after I got here (not an exaggeration). Between the lady and I we share one vehicle that I drive on average about once a week (grocery shopping or trail running/racing). Everywhere else I walk. And I LOVE it!
There are several factors that make this possible. Incredible weather. Proximity of campus and key stores, restaurants, etc. to our home. Decent public transportation system into the city. With all that, I sat down and tried to figure out much I expect to walk in 2009.
Round trip to and from campus (Haas): 2.2 miles
Trips per week: ~5
Additional mileage per week (shopping, getting coffee, etc.): 2.5
Total weeks of school: about 30 (accounts for some miscellaneous events)
Total miles walked per week during non school weeks: ~5
(This number is higher, because I often combine walking to and from schools with running errands. Five miles per week is a good approximation of how much I have walked during break).
Total weeks without school: 22
Total expected walking mileage: ~515 miles
Wow! Walking is certainly not a substitute for running, but it does qualify for cross-training doesn't it? (This may also explain why I lost quite a bit of weight last fall despite running less).
There are several factors that make this possible. Incredible weather. Proximity of campus and key stores, restaurants, etc. to our home. Decent public transportation system into the city. With all that, I sat down and tried to figure out much I expect to walk in 2009.
Round trip to and from campus (Haas): 2.2 miles
Trips per week: ~5
Additional mileage per week (shopping, getting coffee, etc.): 2.5
Total weeks of school: about 30 (accounts for some miscellaneous events)
Total miles walked per week during non school weeks: ~5
(This number is higher, because I often combine walking to and from schools with running errands. Five miles per week is a good approximation of how much I have walked during break).
Total weeks without school: 22
Total expected walking mileage: ~515 miles
Wow! Walking is certainly not a substitute for running, but it does qualify for cross-training doesn't it? (This may also explain why I lost quite a bit of weight last fall despite running less).
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Inspiration
2009 is off to a great start! My mileage is up despite extensive travel, and I'm in the final stages of putting together my spring schedule. I am committed to making 2009 my strongest running year yet.
One major reason of why running has been going so well is my fellow bloggers. They are setting an example and inspire me every day. Thank you all (you know who you are) for being awesome!
One major reason of why running has been going so well is my fellow bloggers. They are setting an example and inspire me every day. Thank you all (you know who you are) for being awesome!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
1243.59
That's my total mileage for 2008. Honestly, it's not something I'm excited about, as it falls way below my expectations. There were way too many 8, 10, 14 mile weeks during summer/early fall when my training was taking a backseat to other things in life. (1245 miles will get you from Berkeley to Estes Park, CO, gateway to the great Rocky Mountain National Park and one of my playgrounds this past summer).Alas, it's a new year! My minimum goal for this year is 1,500 miles (4.1/day, 28.8/week) and my dream goal is right at 2009 (5.5/day, 38.6/week). We'll see how 2009 shapes up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
