Pete Vara III

Training- Race Update

2009-06-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

I was able to have a little breather this past week after my Holcomb 33 mile ultra run. This past week was a planned "Rest" prior to my Triathlon Fitness Assessment which starts tmr at Triathlica. Monday will be the Bike portion, Wednesday Swim, and Friday Run. The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate where I am at fitness wise in order to help plan my Triathlon Training program for the OC Triathlon in Sept.

The past 4 weekends have been really fun :)
I did my first 1/2 road marathon after 2 year or so layoff...
May 25th-Saddleback half (2:01:40).

Then I did my first Duathlon, May 30th in Lake Forest. It was really cool, it started with a 5k run, 24mile bike, 5k run. I came in 4th in my group, I considered it great practice for the OC Tri in sept. (2:08:41). The Bike portion of the course was very wet and slick. I was very familiar with the bike portion with the exception of the turn-around point... but other than that it did stress my hamstrings to the point where I felt them on the last 5k portion of the race. Both of my 5k times were at 27 min. I was pretty happy with my run times, considering my lack of training for this event.

The following week I entered the June 6th-Corona Del Mar 5k (26:42)- this was very hilly race but fun at the same time. I was able to run right along the Corona Del Mar Beach- where I will be doing my future ocean swims.

On June 14th, I completed my 2nd Ultra Marathon for the year at Holcomb Valley in Big Bear (8:13). This was my 3rd year in a row at Holcomb, the previous 2 years I had completed the 15mile trail run. This is a very well supported trail race in Big Bear. I highly recomend this run for either the 15 mile portion and even more so the 33miler. The course is like a figure 8 course so you get see many fantastic views of the lake and best of all you get to run parts of the Pacific Crest Trail. I plan to come back next year for sure.

Up next is the Breath of Life Triathlon, June 28th. Which is a special day for me personally, I am sure I will have mixed feelings throughout the race.

What was I thinking?

2009-05-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

I just finished the Saddleback Half Marathon (2:01) this past Monday. It was my first road half since 12/06(LA Half-1:57). It was a great course- I would do it again for sure...here is the line up for the next few weeks...

5/30- OC Duathlon
6/6- Corona Del Mar 5k
6/14-Holcomb Valley Ultra 33miler
6/28-Breath of Life Olympic Triathlon
7/4- 4th of July 5k in HB

I will update these race results with short stories as they happen...

Race on the Base- Results

2009-02-26T12:02:00.001-08:00

I am not sure what I was thinking when I registered for all 3 events back to back... but I am happy that things work out for the good on this day. The early morning started out at 5:15am when I left from Fountain Valley, to drive about 30min to the race site. I was 15min early, the guards did not let me in until 6am. I later arrived at 6am and they let me in- then it took at least 36min of waiting to in a long line to find parking. I still had to pick up all three bibs, go to the restroom and find my snails pace group. At this point I was way behind schedule it was at least 7:15am- I went looking for my group in the massive line. My plan was to start from the back then work my way up and help pace my group in as they needed it. I managed to find a few runners along the way and take a few pics. After I crossed the finish line, I had about 15min- to go to my car- get my bike and take it to the TRI area. TRI area did not open until 7:30am :), so with min's to spare - I jumped in line for the 10k start which started at 8:30am...
The 10K race was kinda long- I was expecting some company but they were sick and could not run. So I thru on the ipod tunes and tried to keep a steady pace and finish under 1hr :)
After I finished the 10K- I had to go back to my car because I forgot my stickers for my bike :( now I had to run all the way back to the TRI area to put on the stickers. The stickers are for security, the number on the bike should match your bib or the hand stamp. After dealing with the sticker issue- I had 2min's to jump in line for the 5K run- I tried my best to countdown the time and leave something in the tank for the bike. This 5k split was faster than my first 5k :), after the run, I could not wait to jump on my bike. The bike felt sooo good, I was passing alot of people- after 3 loops of the bike course, I jumped off the bike, and jumped in the pool- for the swim portion... it was really packed with bodies. I tried my best to not kick anyone :) but in the end- I was pleased with my effort on this long day. I would like to thank the folks at the Snails Pace Running shop for sponsoring me for this event. Also my students in my running 101 group have truly been a source of inspiration- they show up on time- and have strong desire to get fit and most importantly have fun... isn't this why we all do this?

my times...

Vara, Pete   36:08   710  442   44 5K Run
Vara, Pete   57:11   256  183   31 10K Run     
Vara,Pete    33:08   39:14    4:53 1:17:13.13

Dawn Patrol -dirt early edition runs at shady canyon

2009-02-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

Our start time this morning was 5:01 am for a brisk 8 mile out and back at shady canyon in irvine- this was a good follow-up run considering how much leg stress I had yesterday. The hills at shady were pretty easy and soft compact sand made it even move inviting to push a little faster. This small group of early risers is simply amazing, we are all improving in so many ways and are always encouraging each other.

Wednesday Early Morning Run-Bike Edition

2009-02-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

OMG- what an exhilarating training session I had this morning... It was one of sessions of what I call "confidence builder"- I started on the treadmill or dreadmill and ran for 25min at a easy 8min pace with my dear friend Camille.

We quickly transitioned to the bike. This is where the fun started, we warmed up for 5min, then we did 3 sets of 10min (build) increasing the tension every 2min, after each 10min session we quickly did 1min of rapid squats with 10lb weights, followed by a 45sec hold in the squat position. I never ever felt my legs on fire before. This was a great feeling- I am planning to really hammer on Saturday during the bike portion of the race. I just hope the winds are in my favor on the flat course. After our 45min bike session Camille said next time we'll incorporate squat jumps :)

Race on the Base Prep- 5k,10K,TRI all in one day...

2009-02-17T15:29:00.000-08:00

In just a few short days I am looking forward to comeback into the TRI world. I am not sure if it will be a permanent comeback or just something temporary. After some time off from TRI's (3years) and connecting with the Trail running community. I have found new things about myself and fostering new relationships with other runners.

For example- I love track workouts, i love doing hills, I used to hate running because I felt I was always slow. And in some ways I still feel like I am slow... but I feel the trail running community is very close and the sense of community is really felt. I feel the sport of triathlon has also prepared me to better balance my training by incorporating cross training, cycling and swimming. Both serve a tremendous catalyst to proper recovery and staying injury free.

So my goal this weekend is to have a positive experience and lead by example to my snails pace students that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I will pace my 5K beginning running group on their first 5k, then run the 10K, and then race the reverse tri- (well at least i will have a nice pool cool down after a long day)

ProWash Review

2009-02-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

I am pleased with my recent wash test with ProWash- as an ultra runner- and ironman triathlete, I have more technical gear than casual clothes proud to say :). I tend to run twice a day 2 times a week on the trails and roads. My technical gear does pile up very fast, and washing has become a ritual 2 times a week during my peak training period. I used ProWash thru the month of January, it has been very wet and muddy here in so. Cal so I wanted to make sure this product lived up to its reputation. Personal observations the liquid was very light and not as thick as some of the other detergents. The spout was unique in nature, but I did like the clear measuring line that showed how much liquid was left in the pouch.

I was very impressed on how the product brought back to life my technical gear- from the socks, shorts, shirts, hats, gloves, and arm warmers. My technical gear had this fresh feeling, and my body felt like it could breathe again. More important the odor was removed from the clothing which made me feel great. You can go to the ProWash website here. http://www.prowashdetergent.com

Back to Back Race Weekend

2009-01-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

There are NO Dummies Guide to running back-to-back races- believe me I checked :) I must say I could NOT have completed both races without the help of my close running friends. These close friends aka "Dawn Patrol" we complete most of our training runs during the week prior going to work or taking the kids to school. The Dawn Patrol shows up on time and most of runs are based on time- and always trying to mix things up based on our race schedule. We have a interesting cast of characters but at the end of day we all support each other.

The day of Twin Peaks 50K was really cold there was another race that same day 50Miler race. At the end of the day I was happy with my 50k performance. Lisa K, Molly, and Kim F, pretty much stuck together for most of the race it was a great support system. As the we starting to go downhill with 7miles to go, Molly and Lisa had a surge of energy that I could not match. I decided to finish at my own pace knowing I had another trail race the next day. My main concern after crossing the finish line- was walking around for 15min or so, and have my recovery drink and stretch. I rushed home to shower as I was hosting a Pre-Race dinner at Pizza place within a 2hr time span. This pre-race dinner was with my 5K Begging running group that had their first 5k called Santa Run in Tustin. I wanted to share my story of the 50k, and get a chance to break break with their families. Many of the people were very excited about their first 5k, I tried to harness that energy to get me motivated for my 15K the next day. After dinner I went to bed at 7:30pm and set my alarm for 5:30am....
I felt pretty stiff in the morning and started my normal routine, which includes coffee :)
Then I made plans to meet with Julie at fashion island to carpool to the race site. It was freezing cold at the start, I told so many people about this race it seemed like everyone was there with fresh legs. BTW this was my first trail race with a timing chip. The first hill felt really bad, my legs were saying "STOP" but as soon as I started to get warmed up the pain went away- There was this 1 mile climb called "i think i can" and i went up slow and easy and started to pass many walkers. Passing people on the uphill gave me added incentive to keep running faster, the competitive juices were flowing. At this point my main goal was to reach Molly (dawn patrol member) she had promised to be at the ridge park and cheer us on. She was there with her kids and gave me a much need boost. With 3 miles to go it was all down hill. I finished strong went back home and crashed for the rest of the day.

2 days and counting

2008-12-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

What started out as some crazy idea several months ago is about 2 days away. I signed up for the twin peaks ultra 50k and xterra crystal cove 15k which takes place the day after twin peaks. My game plan is to be able to survive the weekend to blog about it next week. In the months leading up to this weekend. I have used hammer products as part of my training regime. Hammer has an extensive knowledge base and expert phone consultants to answer all of your questions. One of my main concerns going into this weekend is sleep and recovery. I posed a question a week ago to the hammer nutrition forum, the topic was my pre-race meal. Due to my early start on sat- my plan was to wake up at 2am and have my usual bowl of oatmeal and coffee. I had this routine down since my training for Ironman Brazil serveral years ago and it always worked. Why? beacuse I would swim for 90min first thing in the morning and it would be difficult to have food. I found that having a small serving of oatmeal worked for me for my long extended master swim workouts. I simply carried that routine over to my ultra running. I was told many years ago about the 3hr rule prior to your training or races, but never really understood why. Here is link to the article that explains in detail why. http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=ARTICLE&ARTICLE.ID=1279 So this past week- I went with the option of getting more sleep and skipping the oatmeal. My biggest fear was running starving with the empty stomach feeling. I must say I did not feel that all on Tuesday and today.
So here is my menu.

Pre-race-

3am- Wake up

Coffee
4 Hammer Endurolytes prior
3 Hammer race caps supreme
16oz of Hammer heed

Race Start at 5am
3 Hammer Endurolytes per hour for 7hrs
1 race cap per hour
1.5 liters of Heed in camel pack (refill with water at aid stations)
26oz of Hammer perpetuem batter- (14 scoops)
6 hammer gels

Post Race
2-3 scoops Hammer Recoverite mix (drink on my way home)

Repeat on Sunday

But modified for only a under 2hr race

I will post my evaluation of how everything went in my next post.

Dana Point Turkey Trot

2008-11-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

Part of the Snails Pace running program includes a kinda mid-term race practice. This year our mid-term race included the Dana Point Turkey Trot. We had several runners from our group that had interest in this race but some could not show up at the last min.

Believe it or not this photo is a pre-race photo :) Donna and I had carpooled to the race site- and as we were getting into Dana Point it just started to rain. We both love coffee so we went to a Local Peets in Dana Point, to keep warm. Then we ended up driving around for what seemed like 45 min to find parking. After we found parking like 1 mile away from the race site, it just started to pour rain. We were both soaked and I was nursing my coffee to every last drip. We finally made it to the Snails Pace running tent to find shelter- there we connected with our runners Christine and Beth. This was their first race ever, and it was pretty exciting to see there development come along. So after this photo we had about 30min to warm up, so we walked up this big hill to kinda get the blood flowing to the legs and hands. We managed to keep moving and feel right into line as the race started. Both Beth and Christine rocked the course- they kept and a good mental attitude throughout the race and both felt great coming across that finish line.

Coaching Update

2008-10-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken during week two of my coaching practice in Huntington Beach, during the sunset. I have been very blessed with runners from my group. They have demonstrated a strong commitment to their training program. I am sometimes a bit overwhelmed with many people in my group. Some of them want to move ahead quicker than the program, and others are dealing with old injuries. To balance the two extremes I am very thankful for our volunteer coach Donna. She has helped the program run much smoother and have been my eyes and ears as we try run with the whole group. I do my best to run with each runner to kinda cage how they are doing, and to share some common stories about training etc...

Taking 1 pitch at a time.

2008-09-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

It is kinda funny how life throws a curve ball every now and then. I have been recovering from a nagging IT band problem for the last 3-4 months. I have started to run track again with Orange County Track Club (OCTC) and started to feel better after a few good training runs. My best track running drill had to be “indian ladder drills” I think we had about 4-5 people in our group and we all knew each other. So pushing each other was easier and fun. We had to do 5 or 6 sets of 800, and on our last set, the coach challenged us to push it hard, and we all did, it was a real rewarding experience to share with fellow runners. I really enjoy while running if you tap into nice rhythm, and everything seems to flow. Meaning breathing is easy, nothing hurts, leg turn-over is fast and heart rate is right at zone and the weather is perfect. I have been really fortunate to find others that are around my same speed, work schedule, etc where we can always run together. Finding and encouraging others can sometimes be a bit difficult task to achieve even if everyone one has a different goal. A unique opportunity presented itself which involves coaching at A Snails Pace. Nattie informed me that she will not be able to continue to coaching running 101, and connected with Michelle the running director for the program. I just started my session in Oct which is Tues/Wed at 6pm, and Saturday at 7am in Huntington Beach. I have a big group of runners and seem eager to learn and run their first 5K.

A Trail Running Promo Video

2008-08-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

One of our club members put together this fantastic trail running video to share and get others involved in trail running. Please tell me your thoughts.

Holcomb Valley 15 mile Trail Race Redux

2008-06-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

This was my first race since Leona Divide about 6 weeks ago. Within those past 6 weeks I have been suffering from a IT Band issues. About 6 days prior to big bear I started to feel better. I had a aggressive treatment program, I guess my body just needed a rest.

Going into this 15mile race, I wanted to see if it was possible to run faster than I did last year. This year I finished at 3:17, last year I finished at 3:01. I must say I never really got into a running fluid while sucking wind. Yes the thin air did get to me this time, I had headaches and my legs felt tired. Once I figured out I would not come close to breaking my time from last year, I began to relax and stayed within the moment and enjoyed the awesome views of the lake and mountains. I will return next year to break the 3hr mark I promise.

Leona Divide Race Recap

2008-04-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Leona Divide 50 mile race report-

Background-
Where is Leona Divide 50miler?
It is located in Lake Hughes, CA. just about 30 or so minutes from Six Flags Magic Mountain.

The Course has about 34 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and about 16mile of fire roads.

Wow! what a long day  The day started or should I say the early hours of the morning started at 2:15am. I live 2 blocks away from a popular Irish Pub called Silky Sullivan’s here in Fountain Valley. I was awaken by rowdy passers, as I starred at my digital alarm clock awaiting to go off, I was staring and counting down the minutes to 2:30am (my expected wake-up time). Having packed 3 days prior including my drop bags  I managed to brew coffee, prep my Miso soup, and some oatmeal. I was out the door by 3:00am, making good time, I had plenty of time to take many restroom breaks. I arrived at the race start by 5:00am 1 full hour prior to race start. I was thrilled to see many familiar faces upon check-in, they include Robert B, Rob S, Dmitri, Jill C, Charlie, and Kirk.

My main objectives for this day included:
1. Finish the race
2. Start out easy
3. Finish Strong
4. Nutrition (I have a bad habit of not eating)
5. Have Fun and meet new people along the way.

The race started promptly at 6:00am, the weather forecast called for a chilly 42-58 degrees, and winds in the 8-15mph. The winds served to be crucial factor in my efforts, before the start I opted to leave my gloves in my trunk (very bad move). As the race started up the first hill, I made a conscious decision to take it easy, my legs felt strong and well rested. I chatted for a while with Jill’s, friend Jennifer, she seemed pretty cool and knew that Jill will be waiting for her at the finish line after the race. About Jill, she is a amazing runner and Ironman athlete. I was privileged enough to meet her last year at my 2nd Ultra at Lake Hodges 50K. We both were part of Team Aquaphor, we exchanged contact info and since remained good e-pals. Jill provided some fantastic tips on eating on a long distance race. Prior to the race on my long training runs, I would always have major dips in energy levels between 18-20miles and 27-30miles. I always knew that it was because I did not eat and preferred liquids. Jill was gracious enough to share some wisdom that proved to be helpful in this long day. After chatting with Jennifer, I noticed that it was freaking cold. My left hand felt like a cold rock, I could NOT make fist, or bend my fingers. Normally I am a huge fan of running in the shade to remain cool and avoid the sun at all costs. But I was searching for patches of Sun just to stay warm. Please bare in mind this was just 8 miles into the race. I was thinking this is NOT good, I could NOT feel my finger tips. I was making a sarcastic remarks to a woman wearing a coat how HOT it was, we both chuckled because we both left our gloves in the car. Then like a Angel from the sky came Shannon Farar-Griefer, Shannon was the first woman that doubled badwater back in 2001, she also happens to be the person that created Moeben Sleeves. Shannon heard my whining and without thinking twice, she took the sleeves off her arms and told me to try her New Prototype Sleeve made from HEMP. I promised her that I would not smoke them . But promised to return them after the race, it was her only prototype. For the record she had several layers of clothing so she was not left cold.

We began a rather lengthy conversation and between Aid Station 2-3 we kept a great pace. Then at Aid Station #3 (Mile 20.3) became my pitfall…Aid Station #3 was the 1st of 3 drop bag locations. I had placed a 1.3liter of Pedialyte bottle in my drop bag, the challenge was to quickly empty the bottle into my hydration bladder. I failed miserably, I was trying to do 3 things at once. All three included drinking 1 bottle of ensure, refilling my 27oz bottle of water with Powder, and refill of my bladder. Shannon the veteran couldn’t wait (rightly so) pressed on, but I did have her on my sights to catch back up to her. But my hydration bladder started to leak, I felt this soggy drip run down my shorts. I knew this was not good. I started to rapidly drink the pedialyte instead of it going down my leg, I had the sensation that I just had a full meal, that was a good thing. I had no energy dips between Aid station #2-4 (Miles 13-24). I was really stoked at this point this meant I my nutrition plan was working (Major breakthrough) and I could feel my fingers.

When I arrived at Aid Station #5 (Mile 28), the fun began. This was the major climb I dreaded in my sleep. I knew it was coming but I just had to muscle thru it, it was brutal. I had to power walk this section, I did NOT have enough power in my legs to even attempt running. I simply strapped on my ipod shuffle and began the hike. I am not a huge music fan, I tend to listen to talk radio. For some reason I find it more stimulating and funny. I loaded my ishuffle with Howard Stern 100 best funny prank calls. OMG this was the some of the funniest stuff, I was in tears laughing the whole way up. I think I was having too much fun. (I will include a small of audio clip in the video below) Time became a major factor in terms of Cut off times. After arriving at Aid Station #7 (Mile 35), the volunteers told me I was flirting with cut-off times. The adrenaline started to kick in and I was determined to finish the 50 mile run. My goal was to bolt down the hill taking many risky moves, and to hit Aid Station #9 Mile 42 before 5pm, I made it by 4:50pm. I gathered myself to climb yet another hill (800 foot climb), this was pure torture at this point. I knew there were some down hill sections coming and I had plenty of time completing 8 miles before the 13hr cut-off. After the last Aid Station #10, the gracious volunteers told me there was only 4 miles left, 1.5 miles uphill climb then a 2.5 mile downhill finish. This last uphill was torture, to the right I could see the main hwy so I knew I was getting closer, once I reached the peak it was all down hill, I had a moment of clarity and coasted down to the finish.

Overall this was a great learning experience of testing what is inside when things are tough and building yourself back-up. I am very pleased to have finished and I would do this course again without a doubt. Also, I am energized to have completed all 5 of my main objectives. Getting to this point would not have been possible without some very important relationships. Having reliable consistent running partners was very crucial to my training program; with this individuals this would have a big flop. These running Angels, include: Lisa K, KK, Lisa N, Sid, Cyrus, Natasha, Julie V., if it was 1 loop or 3 loops of El Moro at 5:01am they all pitched in with pacing support. As I wind down and look forward to returning to the Sport of Triathlon, trail running will remain a constant part of my training. I am looking forward to other running adventures that include local or abroad, and will welcome any of your ideas.

3 Days and Counting...

2008-04-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day back from this awful head cold, last night I was able to sneak out to the track for a modified version workout with the OC track club. I was able to soak in some good race stories from a fellow runner named Robert J. Baird. He had a wealth of information on Leona and other Ultra Races in California. Robert was able to ease alot of nerves concerning this daunting task. I am looking forward running some portion of the race with him on Saturday.

Today I was able to make it to a 6am spin class, my first in months, I was surprised the instructor still noticed me. It was a good class and I was able to maintain my old cadence of 95 :) After spin, I completed a 45min of resistant training...I was pretty much pooped by 8:30am.

Tmr is the real test, I plan on running a very easy 6-7mile trail in El Moro, just to make sure the legs still work.

4 Days and Counting...

2008-04-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have been battling a head cold for almost 1 week now, I have been forced to rest a blessing to say the least considering how hot it was this past weekend. With local temperatures going into the low 90's I was on active bed rest :) I am now just dealing with the hangover effects of having several shots NyQuil. I plan to test my legs 1 last time before my first 50mile race (Leona Divide) this weekend.

My training started back in Mid December, and I have been pretty consistent with my weekly miles averaging about 40-60 per week. I have managed to develop some close personal relationships along the way. It is amazing the range of topics that a person can talk about during a 8hr training run... In preparation for this weekend I have already started to fill my 3 drop bags with my goodies. What's in the drop bag? 1 bottle of Ensure,1 packet of GU,Sports Beans,1 liter of grape Pedialyte. Any other suggestions?

New Balance 790 Trail Running Shoe

2008-03-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

New Balance Men 790 Trail Running Shoe
has the men's New Balance 790 Trail Running Shoe for almost half-off the $74.99 retail price at only $39.97. Better yet, take 10% off via code 141705 (exp. 4/30) to drop the price to $35.97. The shoe is available in most sizes and in two different color schemes. If you're spending over $60, use coupon code 140387 to take an additional 15% off. Finish Line shipping is $6.99, plus $1.99 for each additional pair. Taxes vary by location.

Instructions:

1. Go to Finish Line via this New Balance Men 790 Trail Running Shoe

and add the item(s) to your cart.
2. Enter this coupon code during checkout: 141705 (10% off) OR Enter this coupon code during checkout: 140387 (15% off $60)
3. Confirm that the discount has been applied prior to purchase.

My Personal Review. (March 16th)
I purchased this trail runner shoe mainly due to the fact I have been averaging over 200+ miles a month in training. I think I know have a stock pile of used trail shoes!
I tend to primarily run on soft dirt trails and single track and found that this shoes holds up very well. I typically used the Go-Lite for rocky trails, but I found these 790's felt like track shoes!

33 San Mateo Group Run

2008-03-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

This endeavor started towards the end of Dec of last year, after we learned that there would be no local trail races due to the fires. Charlie from the rundown.net organized this underground Group Supported run (unknown 50K) in San Mateo.
The weather was perfect for running and as you can see from the pictures the views were just amazing. The course was mainly single track and very technical, I managed to only lose 1 toe nail this time. There were several creek crossing where our feet got wet, but they managed to dry very fast. Because the was not a "official race" we relied on print out maps, the course was unmarked, so there was alot of second guessing if you were on the right trail. Overall I had a fantastic time, I was able to see a part of the wilderness that alot of people can't see.

Encouragement

2008-02-14T15:08:00.001-08:00

Last weekend 2/10/08 a week after my Surfcity Marathon, I scheduled a 28mile trail training run. The run consisted looping El Moro 3 times. I was really impressed with the turnout of company. We had various level of athletes out for a good run. I was pretty much DONE by Loop 3, it was really hot and felt like it was 90 degrees.

While still in Recovery mode, I still wanted to attend our track workout on Tuesday. Not feeling 100%, I told the coach what I have been doing for the last 2 weeks, and he asked what I have been smoking.... He recommended that I do easy pace 4-1mile repeats. I recruited a fellow runner to run with with me, this runner usually runs with our group but sometimes has a hard time of keeping up. Like many new runners, he usually would start the race too fast and quickly fades at the end. I Encouraged him to run with me at a consistent running pace. I could tell he was pushing it, by his rapid breathing I gave him some tips as we were running talking to him about his running form, moving his arms etc... he found a new love of running. He was able to maintain a good pace for the entire workout without bonking... I believe it was a win/win I was able to recover and he was able to Re-Energize his running confidence. More importantly I felt good all around helping another runner and not focusing on myself.

Surf City Marathon

2008-02-05T13:07:00.001-08:00

Chance of showers in Southern California?
Well I can't complain I normally thrive in raining weather, but when you add 15-20mph winds the fun rapidly goes away.

This was to be my big party weekend, with back-to-back races. A 50K ultra Twin Peaks (Currently Postponed) followed by a Road Marathon the next day. So instead of running 31miles the day prior I opted to run only 12miles out in the Saddleback mountains. I went into this road marathon with alot of hesitation because it was not my main focus. I was privilege enough to have a running partner (pacer) to keep me company for most of the race. I honestly just wanted to finish without getting injured. I am convinced that my body type is just not made for running on the streets. I feel I can handle 13miles or less without any significant damage. But running a fully road marathon? Those days are over unless I am doing a Ironman. My Body does not ache after a long trail run, for that reason I will continue to explore and run long on the trails. Finish time 4:58 :)

Happy New Year

2008-01-11T10:24:00.000-08:00

Things are starting to take shape now in the new year. For the last 3 months I have working with a fellow runner train for a road marathon. I trained with her because I had a marathon myself in Feb. The endless road miles did begin to wear me down. At times I was running trails on Saturday, then running long road runs on Sunday. Now that my friend is off to Arizona for the Rock in Roll marathon this weekend, I can charge ahead, and really focus on whats ahead.

I have a small trail race on Saturday (21K), then on Sunday I managed to have others join me in a early 5am trail run out in El Moro, we will be using our headlamps for about 90min. With this large of a turnout I expect to have a blast.

The Art of Doing Nothing

2007-12-14T10:19:00.001-08:00

Over the past 3 weeks have been well Kinda Mixed. After months of considering doing back-to-back events. I was informed that Twin Peaks would be post-phoned due to the recent fires here in OC. So I have been doing pretty much doing nothing... my main focus for 2008 is still Leona Divide for my first 50miler. I have researched plenty training bibles to help me have a positive experience for my first 50. Official training begins on Monday Dec 17th, I will continue to get in the proper training for the Surfcity Marathon, but will consider that a Low Priority Event. If anyone knows of some cool 50K's that I can use as training run I would like to do one in early March.

Weekend Recap-Part 2

2007-11-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

After my marathon I was trying to figure out how and the heck am I going to get ready for 18miles on Sunday. To be honest the only aches and pains that I was experiencing was very sore shoulders, and a good workout on the lungs. I made a effort to fall asleep by 8:30pm for my early start the next day. I met with Lisa at 5:00am, and started our journey for 18miles. I felt pretty good, the body was not too stiff as I thought it was going to be. We kept the pace fairly consistent in the first half, then we were able to take it up a notch on the way back. I started to feel the body rejecting the fast leg turnover at mile 17. For that last mile I decided to use that as a recovery or cool down mile :)- The rest of my Sunday included alot of NOTHING, I was entertained with watching the Packers, Cowboys, and Colts. However, Monday was the wake up call that I was expecting, I had sore calves and quads. I somehow made it to my local gym and jumped in the pool for kickboard workout. I felt refreshed but still sore- and contemplated if I should sign up for Surfcity. 20min later I registered - my plan is to take it easy this week for recovery and get on my bike again. I really miss the camaraderie with my road buddies, I have a lot of making up to do.

Weekend Recap-Part 1

2007-11-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

Saddleback Marathon
It is the toughest marathon in California.

I am not sure what I was thinking when I decided to undertake a challenging course so early in the season. I somehow convinced myself it would be a good indicator of where my fitness/insanity level.
I have been toying with this idea of doing long distance races back to back since August. So after the race, I was preparing for my long 18mile training run in Huntington Beach. (more on that later)

On Saturday morning I had the chance to carpool with my race buddy Kim. The last time I saw her was at Bulldog in August. I feel very fortunate to have easy going training partners. Kim made the race very entertaining, we even had a chance to sing and dance a along a christmas tree that was decorated along the course.

We the opportunity to start early to help mark the course, I was very please with the early start. It gave us the some time to clear alot of broken tree branches along the course. Kim and I started with 2 other people but we got separated going down hill. We waited for about 15min at the first aid station, and we left a message with the volunteers to tell the others that we waited and decided to keep pushing forward. Going towards the top of Holy Jim we were finally passed by the lead runners :(. Overall it was very well supported by having all the right goodies at each aid station. My finish time was 6:15 and again it was a blast out there. Here goes the a race profile picture of the course.

Sunday Foggy Run

2007-11-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

This past week has been a big challenge getting back into the swing of training. After our local fires I pretty much had no training for the past 7-8 days. Yesterdays trail run was cut short in terms of getting access to El Moro, due to a Red Flag warning the park ranger told us not to run inside the park. Instead we ran along Crystal Cove.
Today with the time change I was able to squeeze in 16 miles. The body felt better and I felt like I was back in rhythm. The fog along the beach kept me cool enough to finish strong.
This week is a big for me, I have a trail marathon on Saturday, then I plan to run 18 miles of the Surfcity Marathon course. So hopefully this will be good indicator to see where I am in terms if I can pull off this back to back 50K Ultra (TwinPeaks), and Surfcity race Superbowl weekend. I plan to be a good boy all week now that Halloween is over, I promise to eat all my fruits and veggies and drink plenty of water. By 10:00am next week I should be pulling out my credit card for my official entry in Surfcity. I will keep my fingers crossed. ;-)

Quick Update

2007-10-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

I am still recovering from the Long Beach Half marathon believe it or not...
After last years horrible experience of trying to beat 4hrs. I swore I would never do this course again. I somehow convinced myself to run the half with a few friends, I finished the race with an very sore ankles, hamstring issues. At one point during the race I opted to run on the beach sand. There is something to be said about concrete, basically I come to accept that concrete and my size 13 feet don't mix well.

Today I am waiting for my 3pm 1hr massage, I can't wait. I hope for a speedy recovery and I am looking forward to a easy 9 mile trail run this Saturday, followed by a 18-20 mile road run in Huntington beach on Sunday. My plan is to train on most of the Surf City Marathon Course.

Weekend Results

2007-10-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

Weekend of fun in the sun. I went into the trail race about 70%, I have been bothered by some IT band issues along my left leg. It started with a short 6 mile tempo run on Thursday. I was on the foam roller for the last 18hrs trying to iron out all the kinks. Going into this weekend was a big test. I wanted to see how my body would recover from back to back runs. Saturday Trail race included a 18K (2:06 finish time)run thru point mugu. I had alot of fun on Saturday, both during the race and after. A group of us from OCTRAILRunners carpooled, and opted for a post race dip into the ocean at Zuma Beach. The water was icy cold, but I think it did wonders for my ankles, and quads.
On Sunday, I went out for a long 17 mile road run in Huntington Beach, I tried doing much as possible of the Surf City Marathon course. I started out super early at 5:30am, I wanted to be done before 9am, I was finished by 8:30am. I kept a pretty easy pace for the first 10miles, and started to push what I had left in the tank for the last 7 miles. After the run, I felt like I just ran 17miles, and I couldn't wait to get home to veg out all day. I made a point of setting my alarm early for Monday for my recovery swim. Trust me it works! If you don't consider yourself a swimmer, just get a kickboard and do about 4-6 laps of kicking, it really helps flush out all of that nasty stuff in the legs. I am looking forward for my early trail run tmr, followed by a track workout tmr night. Next Sunday is the Long Beach City Half Marathon, I am debating on what to do on Saturdy, go for a 14mile trail run with the group or go for a 60+ mile bike ride?

Thursday Update

2007-09-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

I am using the next few days to rest up for a long month of racing.
Oct 6th Xterra Trail Race
Oct 14th Long Beach Half
Oct 27th Xterra Trail Race
Nov 10th Saddleback Marathon

These races should get me fully prepared for the Back-to-Back races in Feb, Twin Peaks 50K and Pacific Shoreline Marathon.

OK I jumped on the YouTube Band Wagon which clip do you like?

2007-09-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Our Education System at its finest...

2007-09-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

25K Bulldog Trail Race Report

2007-08-26T05:52:00.000-07:00

This local trail race was really easy to get to, it turned out to be about 1hr15min drive from my house. The race started in Malibu Creek State Park, the course offered great views of the ocean, and some interesting rock formation. I was also told parts of the TV Series M*A*S*H where filmed here... Although that Hit TV show series was before my time, I took their word for it.
I had a fantastic time with my race running partner Kim French. We have not ran together since Lake Hodges. She has been plagued with some foot problems and took several months off. But we pretty much picked up where we left off... I feel real fortunate to have running partner like Kim, I think we are a great team, it really felt like we were in synch... our breathing patterns were the same, and other aches and pains. I officially signed up for the 25K, and Kim registered for the 50K, which is a second loop of the first loop. Months ago when I signed up I knew Aug was typically a very Hot month, so I wimped out and just delt with the first loop. My Finish time was 3hr 8min.
Both Kim and I agreed to sign up for Leona Divide 50Miler in April of next year :)

Picture of the day

2007-08-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

by ansel adams

Wild West Part II

2007-08-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

More about the race, I personally had great time. I was fortunate enough to have a pit support crew of Jennifer and Alexa. Both are great people and were gracious enough to make a running vacation out of the trip. As of 5 weeks prior to the race we were a strong team of 6 runners. And after 2 people dropped our team quickly dwindled to 3-4 runners. We collectively decided to drop out of the race as a team. But Jennifer, Alexa, and I had non-refundable airline tickets so we were going regardless. I found a 12 person team that was looking for 1 runner. I joined the team, and added that 2 fantastic runners from OC wanted to get in some extra miles and would pace the others at night. The night prior to the race, I was informed that I would be needed in Van #1, because they needed a runner to run a 10mile leg, and also the runner that I switched with was about 2 weeks pregnant. I was a little bummed at first, because I had wanted to get to Anca a little bit more in her van #2. But it turned out things went very smooth in Van #1. The crew treatment in Van#1 was first class. I found out that one of the runners Monique, was a doctor. I have never witness such a classy group of individuals. The way we organized transportation was a little spread out. Since we had Jennifer, Alexa following in another minivan, I was trying to keep both groups entertained. But I think in the End, I had a bit more leg room to stretch out, and Van #1 had minus 1 runner, and had a little extra leg room.

Jennifer and Alexa were able to really bond with the runners from Van#1 and they got the feeling towards the end that they really enjoyed the extra company while running together.
Jennifer, Alexa and I did not get much rest- while Van#1 was resting for 5hrs we continued to run run and run. We kinda got little hints that Van#2 did not want much pacer support, but we went ahead and ran anyway especially at night. Night running was the BEST. I have never seen so many stars, and shooting stars. However, as day came around. Van#1 was well rested and it was time to set it up notch to complete the relay under 34hours. After our 6 legs, we were all pretty much toasted and smelly. We had a window of 5hrs before Van #2 would finish. We quickly drove into Steamboat, checked into the hotel, showered and ate food. I kinda dosed off, and soon realized that our team finished. I felt kinda bad that I was not there to close out the race. I was not sure what the group plan was to celebrate and with limited cell phone coverage in steamboat, Jennifer + her daughter and I went to a Hot Springs located in the mtns. That was icing on the cake, I did not realize how sore I was while soaking in the hot water. 2hrs later I was fast asleep. :)

Wild West Relay Recap

2007-08-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Fort Collins. on Thursday. I met Stephanie from the group who is currently on summer break from school. Her and I agreed to met up for easy 5mile run, also to run many errands. The picture above is a photo of directions to the Car Rental place as well as the directions to Anca (team captain) office. I never seen directions posted on a paper towel before...
The day past very fast, after dropped off the Vans, and went shopping for food and other last minute supplies.

Race Morning consisted of alot of moaning and groaning due to the early wake-up call at 5:15am.

Before the start of the race, our first runner of leg #1, was nervous that she would get lost, so she decided to write directions on her hands.

The banana guy custom was short lived, about 3miles into the run, half of his suite was peeling off....

My Trip to Denver

2007-08-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Denver on Aug 1st, and my good friend and old college roommate Mike, picked me up at that airport. Mike had just moved from the bay area to live with his brother in Denver. Mike and I stayed at nearby Marriott Courtyard in the city center.
We walked around strip mall to find somewhere to eat. I noticed the Coytote Ugly bar, I had only watched portions of the movie but was interested in checking it out after dinner. We went to a local Italian restaurant and had a few cocktails, after dinner we headed to Saloon and noticed that the bartenders putting on a show. It was still early in the night, I would assume the place gets really busy during the weekend. I wanted to head back to the room, because I knew I had a full day of activities lined up. More on that later...

Wild West Pre-Recap Post

2007-08-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Ok I am lagging in my updating my blog, but here is a quick teaser that I put together for the team in Colorado. Enjoy!

The Hottest Ass on the pass

Quick Update

2007-07-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

After my race in Big Bear, I was feeling fairly confident on my race pace strategy. However, I still felt a nagging knee pain especially going down hill. I sent in my registration for the Camp Pendleton Tri, and started to train on my bike again. Then on June 20^th I received my check back from the race organizer stating that the race has been closed. That really put me through a tail spin, because my strategy was to run a super fast 10K, recover then race the camp Pendleton and beat my time from last year. End result I canceled both races and decided to rest the knee and take a mini vacation in Las Vegas. I don’t remember the last time I took off 10 days without any activity.

After Vegas my focus was on ramping up a two workshop for work, and getting ready for the Wild West relay in Colorado.

We had a team of 6 runners from the club, 2 dropped out, and our team captain couldn’t join because of work obligations. Which left us with kinda unorganized, to make a long story short collectively we decided not to run the race as a team. I joined a 12 person team called Hot Asses on the Pass. Jennifer and Alexa have non-refundable airline tickets and will shadow our team and treat this as a running vacation. We hope to get in some additional trail training while in Steamboat,CO, we all hear it is a fantastic area to hangout in. I am looking forward to meeting this new group they seem to have a good spirit about them.

Holcomb Valley Recap

2007-06-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

Holcomb valley 15 mile trail race.

I had originally signed up for the 33mile race, but at the last minute, changed my mind to race the 15mile option. I am happy I did.

After running the Shadow of the Giants, I thought it would be wise to not overdo it and run a good solid race with the 15mile option. Between the shadow of the giants and Holcomb I only ran once. I went to big bear on Saturday, and stayed at a local hotel. Other club members from the OCTRAIL club also stayed at the same hotel. I felt well rested going into the race.

Race morning, I set the alarm for 5am, and went to the local am/pm for a hot cup of coffee. Wow I did not realize how cold it was outside, I had the shakes… I noticed there no cloud cover, which told me that will be very clear and hot.

I arrived at the race site, and chatted with the other runners that were doing the 33mile race. 30min later our 15 mile race started. This was my first trail race where they put us in waves. I was of course in the last wave. The race course was very rocky or technical at the start which reminded me of one of my local training runs at Modjeska canyon trail.

At the 4 or 5mile mark it opened up onto a smooth rolling fire road. I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. I tried to maintain a constant pace throughout, I noticed plenty of free range horses out on the field and I forgot where I was for a while. The course was well marked if you follow the arrows. Towards the end I realized I could break my 3hr goal. I couldn’t open into full stride going down a rocky single track, just too risky. I was using this lady way ahead to help me pace myself in…Then I passed here, BUT now I was in the front with about 1/2mile left I was lost track of the arrows and orange ribbons. Going into the parking lot of the finish I was supposed to make a hard right, well I went straight. They lady I passed said I was going the wrong way, at this point I was way off track. I finished at 3:01, now knowing the course next year, I should shatter that time. This particular race was very well supported with volunteers and post race goodies. I recommend this race to anyone considering do a short trail race in the mountains.

Shadow of the Giants Recap

2007-06-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

Shadow of the Giants is not to be confused with Ave of the Giants that was my mistake when opting out of running a marathon in May. For other reasons besides not having any desire to run on the road, I thought running inside the forest would be fantastic opportunity to explore. After several dozen of emails going back and forth Charlie on how long it would take to drive to the race site. I soon discovered my assumption of the race he was talking about was about 450 miles in a different direction. Shadow of the Giants was held in a small town called Fish Camp, CA which is located 60miles away from Fresno, CA or about 2 miles away from the entrance of Yosemite Park.

Fast Forwarding to a few days before the event and again several dozen back and forth messages on our group board at OCTRAILRUNNERS.ORG someone that should remain nameless but resides in Riverside, suggested we take totally different route that would have added about the same time it would taken me to complete my journey at the race 8hr 29min. Nonetheless we managed to trim the drive time considerably by almost the same time it took iMichelle to complete the race.

Our carpool consisted of 3 outstanding athletes Eric, Jennifer, and Paul. When we arrived at our meeting destination in Irvine @ 8:28am, I believe none us read the memo on 1 piece carry on.

After taking off on the freeway I thought there was something very strange with the car, I thought to myself that the aliment was off because we kept swerving in and out the lanes or that Paul had too much of his “special brownies”.

On the drive up most of the conversation was centered on upcoming races etc… Once we arrived at Fish Camp, we quickly unpack and settled into our cabins. About the cabins, I had flashbacks to 6^th grade camp. But for $12 bucks a person I am not going to complain. I recommend this race to the group all the way, I think next year we all should sign up early and have a strong presence on the course. We all checked in and I had the privilege of meeting #!O BAZ for the first time. I heard so much about him, he is very knowledgeable and likeable guy. I would like to have a beer with him and hear his stories. After receiving our race materials we were all very hungry and headed back to town for a bite to eat, haircut, and accessory shopping. After we ate at Round Table, we had some time to spare, Paul took the opportunity to get his haircut, this would help in aero-dynamics on the trails, and Eric passing time decided get some sandals. Being the metro-sexual males that we are- I was considering a pedicure next to hair place. I think Jennifer was wondering how and heck did I connect with these FREAKS! Jennifer handled it pretty well and went with the flow.

We arrived back at our cabin, and started to settle into our pre-race routine. BUT then came “Charlie and the Caffeine factory” I can only imagine how Charlie managed to drive x amount of hours with 3 children in the car. Being bottled up they had a tremendous amount of energy to unleash. Nonetheless, we decided to change cabins that way the whole group can sleep under the same roof. Time went by pretty quickly as we all were preparing for the race, my normal bed time is around 8:45pm, and I think our group was used to 10 or 11pm. I tried to go with the flow but couldn’t resist counting sheep.

Race morning went as planned, the air was crisp and cool. We all awaited last min instructions from the RD. Then we were off at 7:08am, the first 4-5 miles was a very steady climb. I wanted to conserve my energy and use it towards the end of the race but that will serve as futile. As I approached the first aid station, the volunteer told me there was no more water, huh? Apparently the big jug fell over; more water was on its way. I continued to run to the next aid station at mile 9. At this point I felt “FLAT” my legs lacked that extra pep maybe it’s the altitude? I found myself walking sections that I would normally run, and down sections that I would normally hull butt. Between the 2^nd aid station and 3^rd aid station is where I think I had a mental challenge. During this 7mile stretch, I left my fanny pack upon. I lost all of my “goodies”; these were goodies that I needed to finish the race. I stopped several times to look back and hoped that people behind me would pick it up. Finally I saw a small group they told me your stuff is about 2miles away.

I had no concept mileage at this point because my garmin was not picking up a signal due to the tall trees. I continued to trot to the 3^rd aid station and there was Charlie, I briefed him on my empty fanny pack. He told me he would put something together, while I had to run a 1 mile loop. 11mins later, Charlie had gathered some goodies together and I was well on my way to the next aid station. At this point I was pretty tired, my legs were sore & I was tired of listening to my iPod. Mentally I think I checked out of the race when I lost my stuff, I just wanted to finish and enjoy the views. I finally reached the last aid station and it seemed like an eternity to reach the finish. When I finally finished I saw Jennifer, Eric, Charlie and iMichelle. It was great feeling to complete another ultra.

Post Race consisted of a lot of eating and laughing on our long trip back home. We made several stops at some very smelly gas station stops. There was one restroom were I think they had the heater on, and I paid $2.18 for a 16oz water. The ride home was very hilarious; Paul the driver was hesitant to ride in the carpool lane because it was too narrow. He also informed us that he had slight night blindness.

Overall I had a great experience, I was able to strengthen relationships, experience fantastic views, and learned how to deal with adverse situations. I will put this race on my race calendar for 2008.

Edited by Paul Nguyen

6 “weird” things about me

2007-06-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

Since E-Rod tagged me, It's my turn to join in on the fun :)

“Each player of this game starts with 6 weird things about himself or herself. People who get tagged need to write a blog entry of their own as well as state the rule clearly. In the end, you need to tag 6 people as well and list their names. Don’t forget to let them know they’ve been tagged!”

1. I voted for the first time on American Idol this year.
2. I enjoy watching Dancing with the stars, House, Travel channel, and food network (Rachel Ray rocks)
3. I am a picky eater everything has to be customized. I am allergic to garlic, onion, green peppers etc..
4. On my iPod I have Justin's Sexy Back, and other yoga related music.
5. I am always late to work, but on time for training runs.
6. I associate myself with a cult running group.

So, I'm tagging Jon, Jeff,

Short Bike Recap in Temecula

2007-04-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

I received a email last week to join in on a challenging bike ride in Temecula, CA.
This attached photo of Floyd Landis, was part of the email.

This was a very challenging course without a doubt, I had no idea what to expect. I would like to thank Johnnie and Tiffany for providing SAG support, during the ride. Below is the ride profile from that day.

Below is a ride profile of Santiago Canyon, our usually route for training. I usually do pretty well on this course. As you can see from comparing the two, the course in Temecula makes the canyon look like a speed bump. Overall I was humbled from this accomplishment, it was a big character builder ride for many reasons. One reason is because I have not been on bike in 2months, another reason was after that first climb, my legs felt like jello, I had to dig deep to finish out the ride. Thank Johnnie I owe you one :)

Lake Hodges Ultra 50K and some change...

2007-04-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Quick Race Overview-

Lake Hodges (this is a musical slide show by one of club members) is located about 1 hour south of Orange County.

Morning lows was in the 40’s and quickly reached to the upper 80’s with no cloud cover. The terrain was mixed with some single track and wide trail roads. The total elevation climbing was close to 5,000 feet. My finish time was 7hr10min, not necessary the time I was aiming for but read below to see how the day unfolded.

Very interesting race, I went into the race feeling pretty good. My left hamstring pull went away after some aggressive therapy and the application of the STICK. After talking to several other athletes about the hamstring, I came to the conclusion it was due to my weekly track workouts and running in the same direction. However, my 5 year old decided to get sick (excessive coughing) on Wednesday and me being the hypochondriac that I am started to freak out…I started using Germ X etc… so I wake up Saturday Morning at 2:30am for my pre-race meal, and I have a scratching throat L. I tried to keep a positive spirit about it, but just a few races ago at the LA 5K, I just remember feeling like crap for the 5K let alone a 50K. Moving forward, I ran a couple of errands prior to meeting Kim at 4:15am. I decide to refill my doctor prescribed “Vitamin I” IBUPROFEN, I am so happy I did (more on that later).

Kim and I started our trek down south to San Diego, then she mentions she forgot her handheld bottles which is kind of ironic because on her pre-race list on her blog, that is the first thing on her list…hmmm. We arrive in plenty of time, and I told her to park in the area where the RD tells us NOT to park. After figuring out that we were not supposed to park there we opted to park at the entrance of the START/Finish area. This was the best spot, we decided to organize the back of her vehicle to spread out our extra nutrition/lubes etc…I went into Triathlon mode of setting up my transition area. Kim had mentioned how cold it was, I had no clue what she was talking about, I had on my full on Fleece jacket and pants on. She mentioned it was 43 degrees out, and started to kind of worry because all she had was a tang top and no long sleeve. So we walk over to the start to pick up our bag, and who do we see CHAZ man. He sees Kim and mentions that he has a long sleeve technical shirt from the OC Marathon, that has been sitting in his car for a couple of months. I had no idea Charlie had a mobile Self Storage? (If I remember correctly he had 8-10 5Gallon water jugs from the last ULTRA in Twin Peaks.) I have never seen Kim so happy to hear such great news, Funky smell or not she was pumped. After picking up our packets, I noticed someone from my sponsor Aquaphor. We were a little surprised to see each other; we both didn’t think there were many ultra runners in our sponsored team. She kind of got me to think about doing a 50mile race. We exchanged each others personal info, and I am sure we will become great friends. Jill had mentioned she had signed up for

SJ50K, please send her some LOVE if you see her on the trails. I was really impressed to see a lot of familiar faces at the race from our club OCTR.

More on the race, the RD started to shout out last min instructions at 7am, race started a little bit after 7:20am. About a 1.5miles in I hit my right big toe on a rock in a weird funky way. I started to feel a throbbing sensation due to the friction of my top foot, where my big bone meets the big toe bone. It was really swelling, I remember

having this feeling, last year when I was breaking inn a new pair of shoes, and it actually rubbed so bad it ripped off the skin. I did not want to say anything to Kim, at that time, I was just happy to be walking up the hill. On our way back, on the first leg, she had bent her ankle in a weird way, and we both started to walk and jog. I finally spilled my beans and told her I was in bad shape. My goal was to get to the drop bag zone, we finally made it, and I

quickly rushed to see the damage. It was clearly getting bad, bright cherry red, I quickly got a tube of aquaphor and put about 3 table spoons on that area. I also took in 3 nice “Vitamin I” tablets; Kim had one as well for her ankle. I also had some packed some extra goodies for backup. I included some samples of Bonkbreaker which I sampled at my recent 10K. I wanted to see how they would hold up in the heat pressed between my shorts. They rocked! The consistency was there and the Peanut butter and jelly as very tasty. I also packed ROBO

espresso cookies; the cookies packed a nice jolt high. We both quickly went and continued our journey to the east side of the course. After about 20 mins we were both feeling very loose…I had forgot about toe area and

her ankle was feeling better. We arrive to the first aid station as iMichelle is on her return. Oh yeah quick up date on the temperature it was 85 degrees bright and sunny it felt like 90. I started to scream out to Kim it is freezing out here! We both started to chuckle hoping in some weird way we would get cooler. The volunteers were fantastic at each aid station, very informative and kind. Both Kim and I were very surprised at the 2^nd aid station, we were told that the turnaround point is another .5miles away… I think I almost lost it…that was the longest .5miles, we reached the final turnaround, I took the liberty of having several servings of HEED. Then we

ran into fellow group members Paul, and Nattie. I was surprised to see Paul without his Photo Tripod. He had mentioned he had a sore ankle and was not feeling too good. Nattie, looked fresh like she just started the race. The four of us start to chat a bit and walk as a group. Both Paul and I were struggling to keep up with Nattie and Kim while they were walking. Kim was a life saver during the run, turns out she does shoulder massages. I was in bad shape after holding 1.5 lb water weights for over 6.5hours. Both shoulders were in KNOTS, I asked Kim

to use her elbow to apply pressure to the knots for relief, and to squeeze my shoulders. God Bless her, she is strong.

So we arrive to the last aid station, I turned about and Paul took off like he stole something, and Nattie as right

there with him. Perhaps I was at the aid station too long sucking down more HEED. Kim and I continued to

pace each other, we had noticed that there one other athlete that would pass us, then we would pass her. This battle would continue for the last 3.5 miles. Kim gave me the orders run ahead to catch her, it was a small victory in a very long hot day. Kim had her sister waiting at the finish line, they were kind enough to get a us big gulp

coke at the extra mile. I quickly took off my shoes to inspect the damage. It was still swollen and tender, I think it will be good to take it easy for a while. I am not sure what race to tackle next, but I know it will involve running.

My focus this season is to improve my running performance. Thank you for reading, and see you at the races…

Spirit Run 10K/Kids Run March 25th

2007-04-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

I have participated in this 10K now 2 times, last year my time was 55:10. This year I finished at 50:25. I felt pretty strong, going into the race. I figured with all the trail running I have been doing my times would be faster. Also, for about 1 month I have had this nagging left hamstring that just has NOT gone away. I have been taking yoga classes for the last 3-4 weeks which have helped, but I think with the countless miles I’ve been putting on my body things are starting creep up. Overall the experience at this years 10K race was very pleasant, the weather was ideal, it was overcast and slightly windy. Pre-race was fun I ran into my sponsor aquaphore team-mates, and other running partners for the orange country tri club. Post race there was plenty of water support, and a nice spread of booths offering samples. I feel in love with this one product called Bonk Breaker. They offered samples of their Peanut butter & Jelly, it was packaged like a cliff bar, the rep assured me that the bar would not break down in extreme heat or in wet conditions. (more on this later). Having this information I asked for several samples J. After my rounds thru the booth maze, I had about 1hr to wait for the rest of the family to stop by for the Kids Run which started at 10:45am. I had originally signed up Lorraine, my 5year old, but she was “injured” earlier in the week she had participated in her schools jog-a-thon. She completed 13laps, after her event she was complaining about her shine splints…She is now on the inured reserved list. I recruited 2year old Gracie to step up. She was very up beat about the whole event, but when it came time to toe the line with others in her group she FROZE. She finished the 25yrd dash and received her first medal.

My Little Monkey Gracie Santa Ana Zoo

2007-03-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Just testing out the publishing features from Picasa, from my new Casio camera.

Los Angeles 5K Race Report

2007-03-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

Recap:

LA 5K

March 4, 2007

Leading up to the race, was an interesting week. First the whole family had the flu, leading up to the race I was in my third day of recovery. Nonetheless I still felt like it was in my chest.

On Friday March 2^nd, I was invited to attend a group dinner at Lucianos in Dana Point. The guest speaker was Dave Scott. Dave Scott is a 6 time Ironman Champion, he is an engaging speaker. He had a little talk on Success in sports, I found it to be very informative and motivating. Dave was in down for the weekend for a triathlon clinic for the Orange County Triathlon Club.

On Saturday March 3^rd, I participated in a group trail run with my fellow Orange County Trail Runners. The run was located in Aliso Woods which included a 11mile loop. We had a great turn out, 17 trail runners were in attendance. The purpose of the trail run for me was to get a good idea of how the legs felt. The leg turnover was not there, and my coughing persisted turning the run.

On Sunday March 4^th, I met with Lisa K, at Snails pace in Fountain Valley. We carpooled to LA for her LA Marathon. I was her pacer for miles 20-26.2, since I registered for the 5K, what was an extra 6miles? Lisa informed me she had fallen ill and was resting 2 days prior. We coordinated a estimated time at mile 20. After we parked and went to our starting areas, I had to warm up and run 2miles to the start of the 5K. The legs felt kinda tired and did not have that quick bounce like I feel when I am 100%. The lingering coughing persisted during the warm-up and up to the start of the 5K. After the gun went off the energy of the crowd propelled me for the first mile, soon after that my coughing and breathing was way off, I tried to push it, but the mojo just was not there. I throttled back and kept a brisk pace to the finish. My finish time was 28:06 not my best time, but it will just have to get better next time.

After the race completed my main focus was to recover quickly and prepare for another 6mile run in 2hrs. I found a local restaurant for coffee, and a cliff bar. I just took my time drinking 3 cups of coffee and reading the morning paper. Before I knew it was time to pace Lisa. I finally saw her at mile 20, she was not having a good day. Lisa’s legs were feeling heavy and started to resort to walking. We started to jog a bit and then got into a nice rhythm. We continued and it seemed like the miles markers were very close together. We continued to push through mile 26, and finally finished. It was a long hot day in Los Angeles for all of us. I started to look forward getting home, and resting for the rest of the day. And now my focus is on my 10k in Fashion Island March 25^th, I will try to beat last years time of 55min. Bye for now.

Recap 50K

2007-02-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

Recap:

Fast Race Facts:

1^st ultra distance trail run in Orange County. Read About the Twin Peaks 50/50 in the Paper.

For the 50K (31miler) there were no potty restrooms, and only 2 aid stations. First Aid station was located at mile 9, then at the turn around at mile 15, then as you came back down the mtn. at mile 22.

Total Elevation: 6,000 feet (1.8KM)

Temp: Low 70’s felt like 80 in direct sun.

Buildup:

The buildup prior to the twinpeaks ultra was very mixed with highs and lows throughout the day. Saturday Feb 3^rd, started with a easy 20mile bike ride with all of my tri-buddies, I have missed countless bike rides with the group due to trail running training. Saturdays were replaced with 14-29mile trail training runs, followed by running with my Sunday Snails group for 10-18mile runs. Why? Good question continuing on with my day after the bike ride, was having the great pleasure of hear Dean Karnazes speak at Fleet Feet. It was around 1:30pm and I realized I am way behind on my nutrition intake for the day. I was pretty much starving at this point. I went with Janai Pitts and George to a Romos in San Juan a very nice restaurant that sits next to train station. After lunch we decided that we would head over to a local pub called “Swallows” to meet Lar Dog at 2:30pm. This bar is a very popular hangout for Harley-Davidson bikers, the bar was filled with Bras-and panties and loud music. This was not my normal hangout on the weekend, I left the bar saying good bye-to Janai and George as they waited for Larry.

I rushed home to do a weeks worth of laundry and to have a early dinner. I went to the local super market for my sweat potato, white rice, and chicken noodle soup. I finished my super by 4:45pm, now I had rush back across town to pick up my race material in Mission Viejo, I decided to recruit my daughter Lorraine, for this event, by the time we went on the freeway she was fast asleep. As I finally reached my destination, there was a large crowed of 60+ people lots of familiar faces, but what I thought was strange was they had clothes on, I still find it somewhat odd of how people look so different from training to a social setting. I meet with Lisa, to coordinate the carpool schedule the pickup time was 5:15am. Now realizing it was 6:45pm, I made a gracious exit and headed home to prepare the next morning. I set my alarm for 3:30am.

Race Morning:

I was awake at 2:00am, I went to bed at 9:30pm. As I tossed and turned there was no way I was going back to sleep. I had my usual long race-pre meal, that consisted of a bagel, oatmeal, ensure, and Peets Coffee. I left my place at 4:30am and headed to Rancho Santa Margarita, I was a bit early, so I decided to make a restroom stop break.

It was 5:16am and Lisa was already calling me wanting to know where was I? I was driving kinda slow in the neighborhood because I could not see the address numbers.

Anyhow she packed her gear in my car and we headed to Starbucks for Restroom break #2. We had to wait 3min before starbucks opened, after we finished, as we pulled out from the parking lot waiting for the light to turn green, there was this Honda car, driving down Portola with 3 Tires! Yes Three Tires, and 1 rim, sparks were flying all over the place, I though it was the 4^th of July. We headed to the Oakley parking lot, this was the meeting spot for the shuttles that would take us to the start. Our bus left at 6am, we met with Kim French, and Eric and others at the start. With 20min prior to the start, I was 2^nd guessing my attire, I packed a race singlet just in case it blazing hot. It was still a bit cool, so I decided to stick with my white technical shirt.

Race Start:

At the start, I carried over 88oz of fluid, 2 hand bottles, and 2 bottles on my race belt. Pack away in my bag included my ipod nano for the trip down, a half a bottle of redbull for the trip down, 6 powerbar gels (thank you Julie) 3 cliff bars, and travel size toilet paper just in case. After mile one, my gloves came off, as we trekked up hill we encountered strange hot pockets of air. Lisa, Kim and I tried to stick together, as much as possible. Lisa is a stronger runner going up, and I was trying to follow her lead, she had a quicker step this morning. Kim and I looked at each other and said I guess it will be just the two of us. I tried my best to keep Lisa in my radar, that way I could eventually catch her. 3 weeks prior to the race both Lisa and I, did a training run of the course we completed 29miles on a day I think was the coldest day of the year, I was told at the top it was a 19 degrees. Knowing the course helped, I knew what to expect, Kim on the other hand did not know, she had missed the course preview runs. I tried my best to encourage her to stick with me to the top, we shared a few stories, and planed some future trail runs together. We made it to Mile 9 and it only took 2:09mins, we had

shade going all the way up, that meant to me that we would not have any shade going down. Knowing this I kept hydrating, and took plenty of salt tablets. At mile 15.5 the top of Santiago Peak (towers), both Kim and I made to the top together. Lisa just started to trek down, and I shouted I am right behind you. I think I was about 2min behind. I was determined to catch her on the downhill. Kim wanted to take the opportunity and have a Kodak moment. I refueled with more water, and Endurance Formula, powered up my ipod nano started with the Stones (Start Me Up), She had encouraged me to don’t wait for her, she stated that she was going to take it easy on the way down. I encouraged her to keep a nice even pace, we stayed together for about 2miles, I fell into an nice rhythm,

The leg turnover, was quick and short, at mile 22, Kim was not insight. I asked for a quick refuel of water, was out within 15seconds. I realized I was ahead of schedule of my projected time. The body felt good, at about mile 28, I felt the nagging little rocks in my shoes, I decided to take off my shoe to empty the contents. But no rocks feel out, and I kept rubbing my sock to find the pebbles, all I felt was two extra large balloons pockets. Yikes I felt this before, BLISTERS, I

sucked it up and tried to change my landing of my foot position. As I was making my way towards the finish line, I took the time to reflect on the days journey and huge accomplishment, and my sore feet. I met Lisa at the picnic table she finished 22min ahead of me, Kim followed 10min later.

Lisa’s husband Jeff took me back to my car at Oakley, I had to take off my sock to see the damage because it was on my right foot, I needed my food to press on the case and brake. Oh yeah, I realized I had to sterilize my safety pin, and I had to quickly drain my blisters, and make the 3:30pm kick off start for the super bowl.

At home I was able to consume, ribs, potato salad, 3 cokes, 4 bottles of water, 8 oreo cookies, and 800mg of Ibuprofen.

My race time was 6hr 36min.

The person that won had a time of 4:54, the last person finished 8:55.

I was 5^th in my age group, finally I found a sport that I place within the single digits. J

Would I do this again? You bet.

Upcoming races will include a 195mile run across Denver(altitude) within 48hrs. (Relay race). I will most likely find some long distance trail in Big bear to help prepare for Denver. Also on the list is a marathon up north called Ave of Giants which is a area of the huge Redwood forest. I think that will be a very scenic course.

I will try my best to include a 50mile trail run sometime before the end of the year, hopefully on a much cooler day.

Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you at the races soon.