Fall running- an up-date

It sure has been a long time since I wrote my last Blog. I guess like a lot of things, life gets in the way and time slips by, and before you know it it's been five months, and bang here we are.

Now it hasn't been all glum and doom. I've had some great runs this season. Ran the SF Marathon with my sweety Amy, and I also got in a few three 50k's and one 50miler, the Dick Collins fire trail 50. All were great runs, nothing to write home about, I didn't PR or anything.

Grizzly peak

Dick Collins

SF Marathon

50k

Angle Island

It was also a chance to run with my girl and just enjoy the trails and the out of doors. I think that this is a good time to transition over to something I've wanted to talk about for sometime now. That is the question of "What is the point?"

Perhaps that isn't even the right question. Maybe it's not a question as much as a bunch of rambling thoughts culminating into the "What's the point?" question.
I realized last year that I would never be able to qualify for the Boston Marathon, 3:38 is just way faster than I care to try and run, so Okay. Boston is out. Now in  the ultra world there's the Western State 100 mile race. To qualify you need to finish a 50 mile race in under 11 hours. Last year I qualified by running the "Last chance 50", however this year that race is not a qualifier. Which means I will not be qualifying for WS this year. That and the fact that I had two DNF'S this year, Miwok 100k and Mt Diablo 60k, I've started thinking, "What's the point?".  What am I running for? What do I want to achieve? What's my goal? Do I even really like running? I only started running two years ago, and I didn't start because I loved running. In fact I hated running, and at times I've wondered if I still do.

So what have I come up with?

Well here it is.

I hate running.   That said, I love to run. For example, I went on a picnic one day, with Amy. We ran 14 miles from Mill Valley, along the Dip Sea to Stinson beach, had lunch and then ran back. I mean that's a date. But it's much more. I'm an athlete now. I'm a ultra runner. I love that I can run all day long. I love that at 55 I'm able to do more than I could at 18. As I'm running, I ask myself what am I running for? I don't know that qualifying for anything is as important has I was thinking. Those runners at the head of the pack? I'll never run with them. And there is no point in trying to. So what am I running for? Well, I'm running for me. I like Paul Little the ultra runner. In my world, I am one bad ass Mother, I mean 50 miles is 50 miles. I don't have to run WS, I can run any 100 miler. I guess what I'm getting at is that I don't have to run. I don't have to prove myself, or qualify for anything. I push myself just because I can. My goal is to not hate running more than I've grown to love running. My goal is really to enjoy my time on the trails, to take advantage of  the time I have and to be a part of the whole.

Okay that said and done, I do have a big 50 mile run on Dec. 1st. The North Face Endurance Challenge. I have three goals:
                            1. Finish in the 14 hour time limit.
                            2. Finish in under 13 hours.
                            3. Finish in under 11 hours.
There are a few challenges I'll be facing. The Marin head lands are all hills. The whole race is about climbing up and breaking down. The other challenge is I won't have a support crew. Which means I'll be running all alone. I know.. ohhh poor baby..  But it's true I've found it harder to run alone. I should have my sweety at the end, though and that well give me someone to run to.

Anyway, I'll keep you up-date a little more often and I hope to see you all out on the trails. Peace.


Alameda at sunset



Mt. Diablo- The Devil Mountain

June 1st is my birthday. I turned 55 years old this year, and to celebrate, I decided to run the Mt. Diablo 60k ultra. Mt. Diablo is located in Livermore Ca. and is called "The Devil Mountain" for good reason. At this time of year the average temp is 85 to 90 degrees, and running on the western side of the beast you could add 5 or more degrees to that. The real Devil, however, is in the climb. And this race has over 10,000 foot of climb!

We started on the eastern side of  Mt. Diablo at 7am. The first 7 miles took me up, over single track trails, to the first aid station, at Juniper camp. I have to tell you all, I have run the halve marathon to the top and back down, but this was not the same route at all! It was all single track trails. Steep, technical, and very demanding, this was not the fire road of the year before, why at one point I had to climb down the trail! Still by the time I reached Juniper camp I was feeling pretty good, I had to hit the can and I had to change socks, the ones I had on were too small and were slipping down my foot. Luckily I had my trusty crew and sweety, Amy, to lend a hand, and get me on my way. I made it to the top at, 3750 feet. A little note here. There was a cut off time of 8 hours at mile 30. My fastest time at the 50k is 7:23. Did I really think I was going to make the cut off? Well I was trying. To that end, I have to say, I ran almost the entire way, from the start up to the very top. I was kicking ass, in my own little world, but still.

From the top I headed back to Juniper camp. Let me tell you, the thing about running Mt. Diablo is that every trail that goes up comes down, and every trail that goes down goes back up! So that was the run from Juniper camp to camel rock aid station, 4.2 miles all down hill, fellowed by a 5 mile loop over rolling hills and then the 5 mile return, via rock city. I had been running hard, pushing the hills and trying to take advantage the down grades. I was watching my salt intake drinking lots of water, trying to keep up my cliff shots, but still I pulled a cramp along the inside on my left thigh that stopped me in my tracks. It took a lot of effort on my part to work out the cramp. I was holding my leg, driving a thumb into the cramp, and breaking out two salt taps at the same time, man if anyone would have seen me, I wouldn't have blamed them for laughing. But it wasn't funny! This was also around the time that I threw-up for the first time. I don't understand why that happens, but it really kicks my butt, and made an already difficult run that much harder. I also had this dam cut off time facing me.I knew the numbers didn't look good, but I still managed to hold my head up and kept on running. I threw up two more times before I pulled into Rock City.

All I wanted when I got to Rock City aid station was ice. And I'll be dammed! None! I filled my pack and hand held with water and got out of there. I was not doing well at all. My tummy was not settling down and it was a steep 6.2 mile climb back to Juniper camp. At one point I found myself needing to sit down, but the clock was pushing me on. I wasn't going to make the cut off, but it was going to be close. I made it into Juniper Camp, but I was in bad shape.  I was told that I missed the cutoff, but that he wouldn't stop me, if I wanted to keep going. I said, "I don't know if I can make it. But I'd hate myself tomorrow if I don't try". And so I headed for the summit, but it wasn't good. I was getting sick every ten minuets, and by the time I made it to the summit, I was barely able to stand. Amy knew I wasn't looking good when I left her at Juniper Camp. She took it upon herself to drive to the summit "just in case". That's where she found me. Heaving-up, hands on my knees, shaking like a leaf. I just wasn't okay.

I'm 55 years old, and I'm not a fool. I had 8 miles of some very hard down hill with no aid stations until the finish line, left to go. I couldn't hold anything down, I was shanky and light headed, and the last thing I want to do is have a heart attact, or fall off the side of the trail and break my crown. No I was done. Amy put me in the car and I was finished. I'm okay with my decision. I know that I will come back and face all my DNF's. I ran my ass off. I got to the cut off at 3:45, that's a 50k on Mt. Diablo in 8.5 hours. Ohlone 50k was done in 9.5, and like I said, my best 50k was 7hours 23 minutes. This was a big improvement. I had to climb almost 10,000 feet of hard trails. It was a great day. I felt great, My shoes worked real well. I was strong, and I had one of the best runs I had ever had. Yet I did not finish. I guess if the finish line is what determines a winner, I lost. But if running your best, giving all you have, pushing to the end, is what determines a winner, well then I took first place.   So From where I stand I had a great birthday, There are many more run to come, and some, I'm sure, will be even harder then Mt Diablo. See you on the trails. 

Hard times running. A look inward, or have you ever asked why?

         May 2012. This was the month I would be running my first 100k. Miwok, along the Marin headlands, in Marin county, California. May was also the anniversary of my first 50k, the Ohlone Wilderness trail run. Which is a point to point run, starting in Fremont, Ca. and ending at Lake Del Val, in Livermore, Ca.. Either of these runs would be an achievement on their own, but I wanted to do both. Why not? I've been running for two years now. I'm only turning 55 in June, shhh No biggie. Well......

        Before I get to Miwok, let me just set the scene. I ran my first ultra last year, having only started running the year before. Prior to this, the farthest I had run was to the car, so I have felt pretty good about myself. I've run three 50 milers, qualified for Western States, run a bunch of trail runs, a bunch of marathons and have loved almost every moment of it.  I did not get picked, in the lottery, for WS., but I did get picked for Miwok. So Miwok would be my little WS. I started training, and I started getting hurt, shin splints, pain in the arch of my right foot, and dumb little colds, seem to plague me.

      The shin pain on my left leg really got bad. I was forced to concede that time off was needed. I rested for a week, then I got sick and lost another week. All to the good, right? Well back on the road after two weeks off and my shin still hurts! I'm pissed! I stop and loosen the laces on my left shoe and start running again, low and behold! the pain is not there. I loosened my laces as lose as I could and the pain went away. When the pain started, in the arch of my right foot, I did the same thing, and BANG! the pain went away. Dam shoes! I'll get into shoes later. Needless to say I was feeling much better, more hopeful that I would be ready for Miwok.  I trained hard, I ran the Dip Sea four or five times. I ran the start up and out of Stinson beach. I ran the trail from Bolinas to Stinson beach. I had run all the trails out of Muir beach and I really felt strong....  

        My son had a parent teacher conference on a Friday (The week before Miwok.), by Monday we were both sick. Miwok is Saturday, just five days away, and my son and I are 101 temp- flu- in bed- sick.  I don't do anything. No running, nothing. I can hardly get out of bed, and come race day, I'm not much better. But this is my WS. I tell myself I have to start. At the very least I have to line up and try.  This was really a big deal to me.  Saturday morning I'm up. I'm at the starting line and I'm as ready as I can be. We take off, and I can't believe I'm going to do this. I'm an old man now, but I still blow my own mind with the things I can do, or try to do.



2012 Miwok has started





Not my best looking photo.



 



                                                                                                       It was everything I thought it would be. The climb out of Stinson beach went just how it had during training. Only this time, I was looking down over a moon lit bay, it was 5:30 in the morning, "I'm up, I'm running and I am alive! "  I had to stop and try and take it all in. I had just climbed 1800 feet in two miles, it was clear as a bell out, the moon was full and a dark yellow/orange color. There was a trail of lights behind me and a fast fading trail of lights in front of me. It was time to run. The run to Bolinas went well. I knew I was not going to break any land speed records so I just settled into a nice easy pace. I started to see the "front of the packers" as they made their way back to Stinson beach. I always have mixed feelings when I see these guys and gals. I'm in ahh of their ability yet, I also feel like maybe there not even from this planet. Those are not normal people. I hate them. Not really, but you know what I mean.

I met my crew and sweetie at mile 13. Ate some melon, used the restroom, got my kiss and a "go get em" and I was off. I have to say the run back to Stinson beach is one of the nicest runs anywhere. Not a cake walk, but beautiful, and the trail dropping into Stinson beach is one of my favorites. It's fast, technical and breathtakingly beautiful.

Climbing out of Bolinas

                Then there's the climb up and over cardiac hill. I felt ok after my rest and refueling at Stinson beach, but as I started out, I knew I wasn't feeling my best. I had just run this trail the week before and now I was having a hard time walking it. The sun was starting to get warm, my tummy was not happy, my legs were heavy and then, the little voice started in on me. I was sick and everything was trying to work against me. On top of everything else I was sick. Did I mention I was sick? Well I have never had such a hard time running down hill as I did that day. The run down into Muir beach was killing me. I was done. I felt like I was on fire and my little legs were made of stone. As I made my way into Muir beach I knew my day was over. DNF at mile 31. It was ok. I knew this was not an "I quit" moment. This was I did my best and that's all I can do moment. I went home and slept.

Part II, The Ohlone Wliderness 50k

      May 20th was the date of the Ohlone Wilderness 50k. This was also the anniversary of my first ultra. I ran Ohlone last year and ran it in 8hrs 33min. I thought I would run it this year in under 8 hours. Boy was I wrong.



Me and my friend  Franco Soriano

The day started out to be beautiful and warm. I felt good and I knew I was going to have a great run. The bus ride from the finish line to the start is always a good time to meet and greet, to talk to FB friends and just shoot the shit.  Today was also going to be an experiment in running in "non-running shoes". I was going to be running in Converse.  Thats right. I'm tired of all the bull crap I have been going through with running shoes. Stabilization, arch support, heal cushion, on and on. It's crap. So I'm minimizing. A little at a time. I have my Vibram's but I wanted a little more sole underfoot, so Converse were the shoes I was going with.

Converse and injinji

So I'm sitting here thinking about my day and how I felt at mile 10 and the heat or how my tummy felt, but the truth is I had a long day. Ohlone has 7800 feet of climb, all going up hill. :) I felt like I was

always going up, and these hills are steep. The sun came out with highs in the 85 range, leaving me with a nice sun burn on the backs of my arms.

This run went from wanting to finish under 8 hours, to 9 hours, to "All I have to do is finish under 10 hours". I had to take it all in. I was out running on a beautiful day, on one of the most amazing trails in the bay area, on $55.00 Converse...  Yes my feet were sore, but they held up real well. (I'm still looking for that just right shoe, not to lit not to heavy.)

Looking back at the start.

Mission peak

Great volunteers at Rose Peak

I made it to Rose Peak

                That is the thing about running, about ultra running. You take things as they come. You deal with the trail and the sun, and your tummy, and you just keep going. I was in that state of mind through out the day. One foot in front of the other. Don't stop Paul, keep moving. This is my redemption run for DNFing at Miwok. I found myself asking if this is what I want to keep doing? Why the hell am I doing this? Where am I running to? Somewhere around mile 28 it started to come over me. You know that feeling when tears fill your eyes and your legs really hurt, and that feeling comes over you? That feeling that you are alive, one with, with the all. 

Okay. It maybe a little corny but that is really how I feel at those times. I just get over whelmed. I guess that is why I keep running. Nothing makes me feel that way. 

               May was a mixed month. I ran my races. I fell short of my goals. That's what happens if you aim for the stars. I learned that I do have it in me. When I crossed the finish line at Ohlone in 9:45 I asked myself if I would turn around and go back? The answer was yes. I'm an old man running and I can do amazing things.

A month of running.

March has been a busy month. The 17th and 18th, was a weekend filled with runs. Saturday I ran the Canyon Meadow 50k and Sunday my girl, Amy Rogers, ran her first "solo run", running  the half marathon, Rodeo Valley trail run. The 25th found me running the Oakland Marathon, and on the 31st, Amy and I will be running the 15 mile Ayala Cove race, out on Angel Inland.

It was also a month filled with set backs. Personally, financially, as well as physically. I guess it was a month of testing limits, practicing patience and tolerance, remembering to take it "one step at a time".  I have been troubled with anterior shin splints on my left leg. It got to the point that I couldn't run a mile without it killing me. After dealing with this problem for months I was forced to take time off the leg. I was going to take a week off, but a flu forced me off the trails for almost three weeks. Recovery has been slow. All my runs, this month, have been slowed down by this injury, and I have started to have real concerns about the up coming Miwok 100k race in May. 

But this is a blog about running, and that's what we did. Canyon Meadow was a muddy rain soaked run. We all missed the down pour of the night before, but the over flowed streams and slippery mud soaked trails were a constant reminder.

A nice turn out at the start.





7 hours 23 minutes later
 I arrive at the finish.





Just a little muddy.
         











 

                                                                                                                 
 Sunday was Amy's turn to run, and I would be her crew at the  Rodeo Valley trail run, along the Marin Headlands.  This was Amy's first solo run. Amy started running less than a year ago. Running the Sacramento Marathon, December 4th, after only 26 weeks of training. As part of her training we started running tails up in the Oakland hills. Amy and I have run all her races together, and before this she had crewed for me at my races. Well it was her turn to run a race with me has her crew, and her running the trails on her own, at her own pace, navigating the terrain and over coming obstacles- on her own.
Well she did great. She finished in 3 hours and 12 mins. Not only did she navigate the trails, but she encounter a bob cat! and had to let that little kitty run it's own race.

She's on the right.

Just before the last aid station

She's a winner!!!!!

I love this, throwing-up chicken soup at
then end. She's a real runner now!

2nd place in her age group!

The 25th found me at the Oakland Marathon. I had hope to break the 4:30 barrier but it was not to be. My shin started hurting me at mile 1 and did not stop hurting until mile 4. I also had a hamstring cramp threatening to go off at any moment. Still I ran a good race. I was finally able to let myself pee as I ran. LOL I know but I have not been able to pee my pants scene I started running.  I finished 4:42:30, and last year I finished at 4:42:44. I don't know how much time I saved by peeing on the run but I'm guessing I would have been much slower.

At the start getting ready to leave.

Mile 17-18

At the finish line. Another
 Marathon in the books.

March has been a wild month. Lots going on. Some painful, physically as well as personally.  But when thing get too hard on me, I go run. When things get too hard, I just take it one obstacle at a time. When things get too hard I know I have it in me to take one more step. And if it gets too, too hard, I have a crew standing by to help me, the moment I ask.  Running Marathons and ultras has showed me that I'm made of strong stuff. That down inside of me, there is a part of me that can do anything. That's the person who will show-up on May 5th, at the starting line of the Miwok 100k, and that's the person who will get through the rest of life's obstacles.  I hope this fines you all doing well, running and taking advantage of the fact that you are here. Give me a holler and I'll see some of you out on the  trails.

Heres a few more photos of our runs.

 

Old Man Running!: Runner In Training

Old Man Running!: Runner In Training: Well the new year is here and like so many other runners I've been looking up the qualifying runs for WS(Western State) and then looking to ...

Runner In Training

Well the new year is here and like so many other runners I've been looking up the qualifying runs for WS(Western State) and then looking to see which runs I think I could use, to Qualify for WS 2013. Of course, the run (Last chance 50 in Sac. Ca) which I used to qualify last year is no longer on the list. I hear the list is going to get shorter as the field of hopefuls continues to grow.

I was reading a fellow runners blog http://www.TheRunnersTrip.com in which Sarah Lavender was talking about how some of the more popular runs were filling-up faster than ever, due to all the new runners. I have to admit that I, too, am one of the newer runners on the scene. Although it was the Ultratrail runners Magazine that got me into running ultras.  Sarah mentioned a women who had qualified for WS five years in a row and was never pick in the lottery, and she did not make it into the Miwok 100k. I thought that really sucks, but Dam she qualified five years in a row! I'm not sure I can qualify again this year....

My training is in full swing. After running 72.1 miles in my first 24 hour run, on New Years eve, I took a week off. Then I fasted/cleansed for 10 day. Only lemon juice, maple syrup and pepper in an 8oz glass of water , every hour, for ten days, lost 15lbs. Anyway I began my diet a new, all organic home cooked meals, and I also began my training, to my first 100 miler, in earnest.  I'm running 5 days a week and x-training twice a week. I'm taking two days a week off, NO anything, well unless I have a race. 

Oh big news! My girl Amy Rogers, will be running her first solo trail run on the 11th of Feb. at the Golden Gate 13 mile run. By solo we mean she's running without me.  My first run is going to be Canyon Meadows 50k March 17th and then I will be trying to PR at the Oakland Marathon on the 25th of March.  OH! I have been talking to Carilyn Johnson http://carilynjohnson.com/ about pacing her at WS. I'm not sure if I'm up to her level. I was thinking I could pace her but after I checked out her history, I'm thinking she may run faster after 64 miles then I can fresh....LOL We'll see. Last thing I would want to do is slow her down, at any rate I'm hoping to be a part of WS in some small way.

Okay then, I guess it's time to go and get my run in for the day and then cook dinner for me and my son. I hope you all have a great season and I hope to see some of you out on the trails.

P.S. I should be writing a lot more in the coming months. So Please, pass me on to your friends and subscribe to my blog. Peace

2011/12 New Years Eve 24 Hour End of The Year Run.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Well, what a year it has been, or rather, I should say, what a year and a half. That would be the year and a half since I started running. So how about a quick look back.

I managed to run five marathons, a dozen shorter trail runs, as well as two 50k trail runs. I also finished three 50 mile runs, got my first DNF during a 50 mile run, at mile 40, and qualified for Western State! To top it all off I decided to run a 24 hour run New Years Eve Run, in San Fransisco.

That's where I started, at the beginning of this blog, with a New Years Eve Run. I have very mixed feeling about my first attempt at running for 24 hours. First off, I failed. I quit, I stopped. I got beat. At 5am I laid down and died.  Okay wait a minute.. This is not how it sounds. I am always a success. If you, somehow, find yourself at the starting line, make no mistake you are a winner. That said, I went into this 24 hour run with some trepidation. I knew it was going to be hard. I knew it was going to be farther and longer than I had ever run. I went into this run thinking it would be good practice for the 100 mile races I want to run in 2012. I knew I wasn't properly trained and that a jump from 50 miles to 100 miles was a big jump. Still I went into it thinking I could get real close. I had my splits all figured out and I was fairly confident that I could reach my goal.


 

Winter in SF 


You could not ask for a better day to run 24 hours in San Fransisco, in December. Temp's were in the 50's low 60's, just a slight breeze blowing in off shore and we had the gang from Coastal trail runs to make sure everything was running smoothly. My sweety, Amy, was there to crew for me. (A BIG THANKS Amy) {A little side note. If you have a friend willing to crew for you during a 24 hour run, you  had better count your blessing, and a real nice sea food dinner after, doesn't hurt either.} We set-up our tent and got everything ready for a long day and night of running.




Home for the day.



This day would have three start times. There was a 24 hour group starting at 9am, a 12 hour group starting at 12 noon, and a 6 hour group starting at 6pm. Our race started right on time, 9am, and we had around 48 runners or so. I was very surprised how many people came from out of state to run this race, I met runners from Seattle, Iowa, Chicago and Canada. What's wrong with these folks? I thought it was a little crazy to just run 24 hours, but to travel hundreds of miles to do it????



Waiting for the start. Note:
 the woman in purple with black gloves,
 she ran 126 miles.



My plan for the day was to run the first 50 miles at a 12:45 minute pace, or about ten hours. Then I would run the next 20 miles at about a 15 min pace, and then finish off the last 30 miles at 18 min miles.
I started out great, I was feeling strong the course was easy and there was a great bunch of runners to run with. First thing I noticed was that the aid station was just a mile away and I guess it was just too easy to stop and get a drink of coffee or whatever, and next thing I know I'm needing to pee, a lot. Then I had to take a "sit down" and before I knew it I had fallen off pace. That lead to the " It's okay", which lead to the " You didn't really think you were going to run a 100 miles", which lead to the inevitable slow mental death. When 10 hours came and went and I didn't have my 50 miles, I tried to tell myself it was okay, but in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't. I was slowly beating myself.

Still looking good and knocking
down some miles

I hate to make sound like it was a terrible day, it really wasn't. There is the runner in me, and then there is the guy that knows better. The guy that knows better took time to enjoy the day. I was going to run into the New Year and that made everything okay. I was with my Honey, and she was running laps with me now and then. The weather was just beautiful and it was a great day to be alive.


The midnight hour was soon  upon us and Amy and I ran a lap,  into the New Year together. As the two of us ran down the coast line of Crissy Field, the City was lit-up with fire works, the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge were behinds us and we were running into the New Year! My God! what a way to bring in the New Year. Oh and don't forget the New Years Eve Kiss......

Golden Gate at midnight

The midnight hour brought in the New Year, but it was the end of the run for the 12 hour and 6 hour runners.That meant that things got real quite. The crowds of the day and two thirds of the runners were now gone. I had started to walk down wind and run up wind. It was getting colder and I did want to spend anymore time on the breezy side of the run then I had to. Still it was only and hour or two before I was power walking the whole course. I was down to three laps an hour and I had started to get blisters on both feet. I tried to change shoes and socks, and I had thought that my older running shoes would work but I guess they were too far gone, my feet went from bad to worst. It was around 5am when I finally gave in. I laid down and that was it. I was beat. Mentally and physically. At 7am we pulled up stakes, packed and called it a day. I had run 72.1 miles.

Epilogue:

Today is the day after. I've had time to think about the last 24 hours and about my run. And of course I would do things a little different. One thing I did not do was ask for help. It's so easy to ask for water or something to eat, but to ask for moral support is just as important. I never told anyone I was losing the mental battle. I never asked for help. I should have woke-up my friend and told her how low I was. I could have asked an aid worker to kick my ass and help me get back on track but I didn't. I will next time.
I also learned a lot about myself. I can run 72.1 miles! How many people can say that? I learned that with a little more training I will run a 100miles. I learned that old running shoes have no place in a race. I learned that even though I quit, I'm not a quitter.
I know I've been a little hard on myself, maybe that's what happens when you start running ultras. But I also know that there are many more miles out there with my name on them and I intend to run them all!

Amy and I hope you all have a great New Year and we're sure we'll see some of you out on the trails real soon.