Heat Exhaustion on the Head Land 100

This will be a short blog as I'm still not feeling very well. September 14th was my big 100 mile run- The Head Land 100. This was my Western State Qualifying race. I had high hopes of running a great run. My knee was not fully recovered but I was ready.

The race started on time and I was feeling really good. I had a race plan in place that had me starting the race with a small hand held water bottle, and picking-up two larger water bottles at Tennessee Valley.  It's only 4.5 miles to the first aid station and it's early in the day so I'm OK. I get to Tennessee Valley aid station, grab a few snacks to munch on fill my little water bottle and pull out. For some reason I did not grab my two larger water bottles.

The run to Muir beach was smooth and really uneventful. It was a great day to be running along the California coast. Cool yet warm. Perfect running weather. Got into Muir beach felt great, turned around and headed back up and over the hill back to Tennessee Valley. Got into Tennessee Valley and I was still feeling great. But this is where I think I made my biggest mistake. My race plan had me wearing my Hydration pack from this point on. There were some long climes ahead of me. A drop into and under the Golden Gate Bridge, and a 7 mile run from there until the next aid station. I don't know why I didn't put it on, but I left Tennessee Valley with the same little water bottle that I had started with.

The aid station under the Golden Gate Bridge was a welcome site. I was conserving water and really needed to refill my little bottle. I stopped and had a quarter of a bp&j and drank some water and electrolytes. Ate a blokes energy jell and started my clime out from under the bridge. By the time I reached the top of the hill I was already low on water. As I was running along the crest of the hill, with the Pacific Ocean on my left, the Sausalito bay on my right and the Golden Gate Bridge looming behind me, my thoughts were on water. I start thinking maybe I should ask one of the runners, heading down into the aid station, if I could borrow some of their water. But they were running hard, they were running fast and I don't ask.

From the top of the ridge it's a nice 5 mile down hill run all the way to Rodeo Beach. As I head down the trail I can feel it coming. My stomach is getting tight. I sip water but it's starting to make me feel like I have to throw-up. It's not long and I pull up and have dry heaves. I'm OK, I keep running, pull over again and heave- nothing. I'm really slowing down, I'm down to a sip of water in my little bottle, I pull over again only this time I need to take a knee, I'm dizzy and dry heaving. It was at this time my new friend, Wartin Sengo, running the marathon came running by. Like most runners he asked if I was OK and then noticed it was me and stopped to help. I asked if he had some extra water which he was only to willing to give me. After a few minuets I was up and walking and he walked with me for a while, once we started running again he made his way to the finish and I was making my way the best I could.

Having water now, I thought I'd be Ok, but that just seem to give me something to throw-up. I was F***ed! I found a shady place to sit down and took a break. At some point, as runners were heading back up the hill I had just come down, were passing me, my face book friend and inspirational runner, Janeth Siva, saw me and asked if I was Ok? I looked up and told her I was, we waved and I watch has she took off. After she left I felt so bad because she was off and running, and I knew she would finish this race and I was sitting on the side holding my head trying not to throw-up.

I was able to make it back to Rodeo Beach aid station and my car. I sat down, had some cold soda water and tried to take it easy. I threw-up some more and decided to lay down for a little while. After an hour of some serious self talk and few tears, I got myself out of that car and changed shirts. I was freezing so I got my wind breaker and buff, and my two water bottles. I checked in with the run coordinator, so that they knew I was still moving and I got myself out of that aid station. I was able to run a few miles but then it started again. I was throwing-up and dizzy and having to pull over and rest. I made it the 7.5 miles back down to the Golden Gate Bridge aid station but that was it. I sat in a chair, freezing under a blanket until I was able to get a ride back to my car.

I had weighed myself before I left for my run Saturday morning at 4:30 am. I weighed 175. I weighed myself this morning the 15th, I weigh 165. That is a 10lb loss in only 37 miles.  This is not the first time that I've had heat exhaustion on a run. The last time was during the Ohlone Wilderness run back in May of this year, at mile13 I had to pull out because of dizziness and dry heaves. I can remember as a teen driving with a friend and stopping at a gas station and getting real dizzy and feeling like I was going to pass-out. It was only after we got back on the road that I started feeling better. I'm guessing that was my first bout with heat exhaustion. I don't know what's going on with me but I guess it's time to go see a Dr. and see what's up. In the mean time I'm just out of it. I'm still light headed and having stomach pain. All I have to show for my run is 37 miles, another DNF, and for the second time I have been unable to reach my goal. I feel so depressed right now. I'm just going to end with this. Even as I sit here dejected and depressed I know I'm going to try again.

Head Lands 100 miler here I come!

Ultra running and injuries are a fact of life. It is what happens to the human body when it is pushed to its limits for hours upon hours.  Last month that is what happened to me. I was running the GG 100 mile race, along the Marin Head lands near SF Ca. when I felt a sharp pain along the lateral edge of the patella of my right knee. I knew this was not good. I have never had trouble with my right knee. And this was a very sharp pain that stopped me in my tracks. I was able to finish out 50 miles but I knew 100 miles was out of the question. I had a Western State qualifying 100 mile race coming up on the 14^th of September, just a month away, and I did not want to miss that race. Live to come back and race another day, as they say.  

The turn around at mile 25.

It was a good move on my part to stop running when I did. I had torn the tendon along the lateral edge of the patella. Six months to heal. I don’t have six months. I have a 100 mile race on the 14^th of September. What to do? Well, what I did was train injured. I took a week off. Hot ebsom salt baths everyday, along with massages and DMSO rubs.

The next week I was training with 3 short 6 mile runs with a neoprene sleeve over my knee to keep it warm and stable, as well as keeping up with my baths and massage.  The following week I cut my long back to back runs in half and took a day off in between. I ran 10, 15, and 20 miles runs instead of 15, 25, and 30. Baths and massage! 

Well my knee has been feeling good and this is the week before my race. I just ran one 6 mile run without a brace and my knee felt good. So am I ready?

To tell the truth my knee is still there. Better but not healed by any means. Still that said. My knee is as good as it could be. I have been able to train and not further injure myself, which is a very good sign. I feel that I am physically ready to run 100 miles. I believe that by running in my Vibram I will be able to better control my body mechanics and thereby not further injure myself over the course of 30 plus hours of running, but we will have to see.

As far as the race goes?! I’m ready. I am going to do this, this time. No matter what happens I am going to finish this race. When I drive home Sunday evening I will have a 100 mile belt buckle in my hand.  Three years ago I started running and tomorrow the 14^th of September at 7 am I will take off on my second attempt to run 100 miles. I will tape my knee or wear a brace or both. I’ll run smart, smooth and easy. I’ll take it one aid station at a time, walk the up hills, run the flats and not beat myself up on the down hills. Salt, eat, eat and drink. Stay hydrated during the day and dress warm for the night. Move forward, move forward, move forward, move forward, move forward.  See you all on the other side.  

Race day race face. Do I look like I eat little babies?

Old man running is writing again!

Well hello everyone. It really, really, has been a long time since I wrote my last blog. In fact, I had written a race report on my 50 mile SF. North Face Endurance Race, back in Dec of 2012, which never was posted. The entire report was some how deleted, I blamed Google, still do. Anywho that was my last…. I stopped writing.

      

My finish at NFER 2012

But Hey! Here I am now. Back at the key board ready to WOW you with my words of wisdom and candid observations of the word as I see it, but mostly to talk about running.

A lot of things have been going on and I’m not going to try and condense a year of running into a few paragraphs, however, I am going to talk about the biggest thing I’ve done since the last time I wrote my blog.  That is…… drum roll please!

First! Let me give you a little back ground. I have always worked with my hands, as a carpenter, a wielder, a machinist, artist. I’ve been to collage, studied art and architecture, later I went to school and became a CMT, which is the work I do now.  The point is I understand how things are constructed, the kinesiology of the body and how it functions. Why is this important? because, three years ago I started running.  I started running and like all new runners I went and bought running shoes. Arch support; heal cushioning, stabilization, cool. I’ve got $135.00 dollar running shoes!  But as I was leaving that store something in my head was not liking something. Arch support?

Fast forward a year. I have really bad shin pain on my left leg. It hurts to run for the first three miles. I take three weeks off. The day I start running again, at mile one, my shin starts hurting. I’m so pissed off! I stop and loosen the shoe lace, on my left shoe, as lose as I can and still keep my shoe on, then I start running again. I’ll be dammed! The pain went away. So what happened when I loosened my shoelaces?   Well in a nut shell what I did was release the tension that was preventing the tendons along the top of my foot from doing their job.  The tendons along the top of our foot are meant to move, much like a cable on you ten speed bike.  Shoe laces bind the foot and the tendons, preventing them from moving freely. As a result the muscle along the shin is pulled and in time it tears. Muscle expands and contracts, tendons slide back and forth. Something is very wrong.

Okay so here it comes. “Born to Run”.  Yes I read the book and I, for one, will not apologize for it.  I read the book and I saw the light. All the thoughts I had about my shoes and arch support. How laces bind the foot. Blisters and lost toe nails. It was all right there. I knew it! I liken the reading of this book to Plato's Allegory of The Cave.  I have seen the light and there is no going back.

Okay. I’m not going to get all into the science of the foot and all that. I will, however, tell you that I put things to the test. If running in shoes under $50 bucks has shown statistically to have fewer injuries then let’s try running in converse. I did. I ran the Ohlone Wilderness Trail 50k, in $50 dollar converse. I did great. My shin was fine, I was fine but more importantly the book was on to something.

So let’s have that drum roll again please!    

YES! I am running barefoot. 

 My one and only barefoot-barefoot 5 mile run.

                                                                  

Well I’m running in Vibram. But I have been running Vibram for a little over a year now and I am finally use to running on any terrain. It took awhile to get use to running barefooted but now that I am use to it I can’t go back. And I mean I literally can’t go back. I tried to wear shoes a few weeks back and my toes blow-up. The shape of my foot has changed. This is what I want everyone to do. Think back. Have you ever seen, in nature, or in architecture, an arch that was supported from underneath? Arch support is an oxymoron. There is NO such thing!

Mugging for the photo at the GG 100 sporting my Vibram

Anyway that is where I’m at. As for my up coming runs I have the “Head land 100 miler on Sept 14^th and 15^th. I have been nursing a torn patella tendon on my right knee, which I injured at my last 100 mile attempt this past Aug.  I’m counting on my running barefooted to keep me from hurting myself further. I have sooo much to say about my journey into barefoot running, but not today.  For now I’m going to post this and get back on the blog horse. I’ll be writing more soon and I hope to see you all out on the trails. ~Paul  

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.