Race Report: 2015 American River 50 Mile Endurance Run

I squatted near a tree at mile 45 of the 2015 American River 50 Mile Endurance Run, trying to expedite an emergency pit stop. I turned to my right and realized there was a Poison Oak bush hunkered next to the tree. Now, I have never had any symptoms of Poison Oak exposure, and as a result do not look for it before I, well, leap, so-to-speak. I didn't think I had touched it, but my arrival next to this tree had been somewhat rushed, given the circumstances, and I couldn't be sure. I did not have too much time to reflect, as I was chasing my 50 mile PR. I finished my business and got back on course, focusing on the final five miles ahead.

After last year's successful execution at Lake Sonoma, I wanted to go back to Healdsburg. Alas, the lottery gods only had enough energy to gift me Western States and Miwok this year. I had not run the new American River 50 Mile course yet. While it lacks the vertical I need as States training, it does offer an opportunity to practice leg turnover and sustained running. It feels like a really, really long marathon.

AR50 Course Map

AR50 Elevation Profile

My training in the previous weeks had been lukewarm. Twirly's birthday party the weekend prior ate into my volume, enhancing the taper. I had hoped to have more speed work under my belt, but it was all I could do to eek out two long runs of 20 and 26 miles after the Marin Ultra Challenge 50k. I hung my hopes on the fact that I was healthy and without serious niggles standing on the start line.

Taking a lesson from my experience in Marin, my strategy was to go out at nine-hour pace (10:49/mile) and try to negative split the race. Usually this is a great strategy, but the AR50 course has the technical trail and the bulk of the elevation gain coming in the latter half of the race. My "A" goal was to break nine hours, followed by my "B" goal of breaking my personal record of 9:49. As always, my "C" goal was to finish. As in 2013, I would go without lights. The crowd is thick enough in the early miles, a pool of light was never far away.

We stayed at the Larkspur Landing Folsom. Super easy. I had a suite for a hundred bucks and they gave us warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in. I caught the shuttle in the parking lot at 4:15 am. I sat in the back, hoping to see some of the lunar eclipse that was coinciding with the race start. I forgot how bouncy the back of the school bus can be. I balanced my tea while protecting my pack and bottles from the blast heater at my feet. Twenty five minutes later we arrived at the race start.

I much prefer the new course to the old, especially at the start. Gone are the days of crowding onto a levee bike path and running a two mile out and back to start the event. The parking lot at the Browns Ravine Marina was stellar in comparison. I braved the chilly breeze to watch the eclipse, which happened to be the shortest eclipse of this century. Five minutes! The parking lot was invisible. The phone lit faces of those huddled in their cars gave some depth, but I found it difficult to navigate between the warming tent and the porta potties. It turns out the light of a Garmin 910xt works in a pinch.

The warming tent buzzed with the nervous noise of hundreds and the parking lot began to swell with people. David found me standing in the lee of the tent just as the full eclipse was happening. He planned to go out quick to get some running room and settle in after he warmed up. He would go on to have a great day. I saw many other familiar faces in the crowd but focused internally as the clock wound down.

The race starts near the lake and climbs for about a mile before turning onto single track trail. I kept my effort easy and settled into the conga line, sticking near those with head lamps lighting the way. The waning eclipse hung over the steel grey lake surface, and the birds began signaling the impending dawn. At mile 5 a clover-leaf series of loops at Folsom Point provided a good look at those in front and behind me, and offered a few little hills to get the blood pumping.

Historic Walker Bridge (source)

Rucky, my 28 hour Cougar

By mile 6 I knew I had gone out about a minute per mile too fast. I felt great. The single track gave way to surface streets and sidewalk running for a few miles. I reigned in my effort and reminded myself to stay loose and relaxed. My nutrition was going well, and no niggles were speaking up. After crossing the American River near Folsom Dam the course joined the American River Parkway. A fellow runner began chatting me up about States, a common occurrence since the addition of "Rucky" to my left calf. Amidst the banter my pace crept below 9-minutes per mile. I kept trying to figure a way out of the conversation, as this guy was running faster than my plan. On the other hand, talking about States is a worthy distraction and reminds me of my goals for the season. We encountered a group containing some people he knew, and while he chatted them up, I drifted off the back, resuming my planned pace.

The circumnavigation of Lake Natomas on rolling bike path was meditative. The path is surrounded by piles of river rock, likely the remnants of gold prospectors dredging the river for a pay day. After crossing back to the North side of the river, the Hazel Bluffs provided another blood-pumping climb, albeit a short one. The trail felt more familiar now that we had rejoined the old course, and Mr. Mojo was in residence at the summit of the Bluff.

Nearing the 20 mile mark and the first time I would see Twirly, I took stock of my condition. My right hamstring was tight, but my gait was still symmetrical. My energy was good. I rolled into the Negro Bar Aid Station about 12 minutes ahead of my planned split and found Twirly. I dropped my pack and picked up two bottles of Tailwind, swapped my hat for a visor and popped a Vitamin I for good measure. I have been trying to avoid using it for runs less than 100k, but it felt like an appropriate action to mitigate my hamstring.

A few miles later, the Ibuprofen had kicked in and I fell into a nice rhythm. The trail wound up and down along the shore of Lake Natomas. I passed a few runners here and there and kept my pace fast enough not to get passed. The weather was heating up; I began craving ice water. These middle miles clicked by comfortably, but my hamstring was speaking up by the time I saw Twirly again at mile 29.

The Granite Bay Aid Station had buckets of ice water. I drank cup after cup while Twirly got ice in my replacement Tailwind bottles, and fellow hasher "Zucchini Bareback" provided some Motrin ointment to my hamstring. She was crewing for "Pussy Whisperer", who was running his first 50 miler.

I left the aid station feeling pretty good. A mile later I was back in the groove. The new course has a 2.5 mile loop on some pretty single track. I began picking up some carnage on the approach to the Meatgrinder section. These were my best miles of the race. I tackled the technical Meatgrinder section with determination. I would catch a conga line picking their way through the relentless rollers and do my best Kilian impersonation to pass them, using rocks and berms along the edges of the trail to leap around them. It took more energy than I should have spent, but it allowed me to continue at my own pace.

Rattlesnake Bar, photo by Jenny Lindberg

I got to Rattlesnake Bar in okay shape, but now about 15 minutes behind 9 hour pace. My feet felt confined in my Hoka Conquests, so I swapped shoes and socks. Hashers Bubble Boy and Edamame had joined Twirly and ZB. In the commotion one of my bottle tops fell into a patch of poison oak. While the crew was sorting that out, I took the MAP replacement baggie Twirly had handed me and put it into the bottle I was holding. Unfortunately, that bottle was empty and would exchanged for a fresh one. I got another application of pain relieving gel, and fueled up with some orange slices and potato. One of the volunteers told me that this was the last aid station to offer food. I had heard a similar falsehood in 2013 at Dowdins Post and told the volunteer I thought he was wrong. He argued that was the information he had, and we left it at that. I find it strange that this rumor about no food in the final miles persists, even though it has no truth.

The final 15k was a push. I missed having the MAP. I ran most of the rises in the rolling trail, and continued picking up some carnage. A few miles out of Rattlesnake Bar I felt a familiar rumbling in my gut, accompanied by gas pains. I began scouting the foliage for suitable leafy greens to facilitate a pit stop, but found none. Upon reaching Dowdins Post (they had plenty of food there) I asked if anyone had handi-wipes. I was in luck, as a volunteer provided me a couple from her personal stash. About a mile later, I found myself getting close and personal with the Poison Oak bush.

Folsom Lake is still pretty low from the epic drought we are mired in, and I figured that the riffles of the American River would begin to show sooner as a result. I knew from 2013 that the final three miles to the finish climbed out of the river canyon just above the lake, and the whitewater is a good landmark. Every time the trail rounded a bend I would expect to see the riffles; time slowed. Finally, the Auburn Dam excavation came into view and I could smell the barn.

I had about 45 minutes to climb three miles and beat my PR of 9:49. I put on my best power hike for the steep ascent from river level, and ran whenever my heart rate dipped into zone 2. By the time I hit Last Gasp Aid Station I knew I had a PR in the bag. I had the station runner fill my bottle with ice water and ran through without stopping (they had food at this station too). I jockeyed with a "bro-team" for a while, both runner and pacer wearing identical kits, haircuts and beards. The runner was negotiating run/walk breaks with his pacer, which I found hilarious.

I shuffled up the final mile and into the finish line festival, ten minutes ahead of my PR (9:38). I felt pretty good as I collected my finishers jacket and swag bag. Twirly and David greeted me at the end of the chute. He finished in 8:2x! I signed up for a Monster Massage, got my grub and started re-hydrating.

The take home lesson from this race? I still go out too fast. I may not have been able to execute the negative split, given the trail and elevation in the later miles, but  my hamstring may have been in better shape. After my massage (I finally got one from the master, Ve Loyce), I felt a little stiff, but no significant niggles screamed at me. I had experienced some pain at the base of my neck, which has happened in the past. I think it is residual stress. I just need to relax my shoulders more.

Jesse Jay, Twirly and yours truly at the finish festival

As always, Julie Fingar and the rest of the NorCal Ultra team put on a stellar event. The hundreds of volunteers do a great job catering to the runners. Despite the red herrings that seem to have taken up permanent residence at the final few aid stations, the run is supported well. The new course is an improvement, in that it has more trail and less exposure in the early miles. I could do without the long, pavement pounding descent to Folsom Dam, but it is still much better than the half marathon of bike path they removed. I'll probably do it again. I have my sights set on that 9 hour mark. Besides, the jackets are cool ;)

I did end up with an itchy ass, by the way. It could have been worse! I set my sights on Miwok 100k as my next training race. The stakes are getting higher as the 2015 Western States 100 approaches. I am beginning to realize that a silver buckle will be... uncomfortable to attain.

Here are the deets from my race:

Western States Training Update: Weeks 13-18, Fits and Starts

"Fits and starts" best describes these six weeks of training. Venturing into uncharted territory has resulted in some set-backs. I have yet to execute the gradual, steady improvement that I know is prudent. My progress has reflected the blue line, not the red:

Tendinitis spooked me in late March (week 12) and I took three days off at the beginning of April to rest my foot. The tendinitis dissipated, and I was able to get in a solid block of training in the lead up to Lake Sonoma 50. A patient approach to the 50 miler resulted in a solid performance. I executed my plan perfectly and suffered few niggles.

Lake Sonoma

Accomplishing my goals at Lake Sonoma bolstered my confidence to an all time high and I kept training through week 15 with no rest. That week, a lingering niggle on the top of my left ankle began speaking up. I could still run comfortably, and headed out for a 20 miler on Saturday. By the end of the run I was hobbling, and immediately began R.I.C.E.. Symptoms persisted, resulting in another six days without running. Doubt abounded.

I eased back into running in week 16 hashing with the Cougars and enjoying a Sunday jog with Twirly on the Hirschman Trail in Nevada City.

I skipped The Canyons 50k in week 17. I actually felt pretty good by that weekend, but Ann and others reminded me that getting back to 100% was more important that another notch in my race belt. Those canyons are not going anywhere. I'll spend some quality time in there this weekend for the Memorial Day Training Camp. Twirly and I got in some quality miles together in Foresthill and camping at Ruck-a-Chucky campground after a brief stop at the Canyons finish line.

Cal St.

Ann has earned her keep on my team, preventing me from doing too much too soon after being sidelined. Her almost daily counsel enabled me to continue to prepare despite running low miles. I am extremely happy with her assistance thus far and look forward to quality work in the weeks to come.

Week 18 saw me return to a solid week (45+). Double workouts helped; aqua jogging or 2-3 miles in the morning followed by 5 or more in the evenings. This approach allowed me to ramp up quickly without fatiguing any weaknesses. Long runs were tempered by practicing 100 mile pace to keep things easy.

Weeks 13 - 18 on Strava View

Training in earnest resumed the following week. Despite all the fits and starts, I feel strong, confident and capable at this point. Training Camp weekend looms, and will contribute to 105 miles over seven days. Daunting but exciting, the upcoming weeks look to be some of the most rewarding of my running career thus far.

See you on the trails!

Year in Review: 2013

2013 turned out to be a very satisfying year at Wanderplace, despite interrupted training by a mid-spring groin pull. I did not see the volume I set out to complete, but I did finish all of my races, and I ventured into new territory via a couple of fifty milers. Here are the numbers:

• Total miles run: 1499
• Average week: 28.8 miles
• Total miles raced: 300.25
• Elevation gained: 154,553'
• Avg HR: 139
• Total calories burned: 172,108 (about 49 pounds worth!)
• Longest run: 49.88miles
• Avg run: 8.56 miles

My total mileage for the year was a bit low (only 125 miles more than 2012) but within my goal of keeping it under 2000. Too much too fast has gotten me into hot water more than once, and upping the distance raced in lieu of total volume worked well for me in 2013. In fact, I doubled my total distance raced from 2012, despite participating in only 10 races, compared to 16 in 2012. Elevation gained increased 50% and my average run rose 33%. The numbers are trending in the right direction.

2012 provided me the opportunity to get to know my body and how it feels under exercise stress. My daily training impulse graph (TRaining IMPulse (TRIMP) = Avg HR zone * minutes) illustrates my progression from running Bizz Johnson 50k (Zone 2 * ~400 minutes) at a much lower TRIMP than CIM (Zone 5 * ~225 minutes), to fully realizing how hard I could push, and for how long, in the Tamalpa Headlands 50k and NFEC 50 Mile. Ironically, it was my Garmin that was holding me back. I raced Tamalpa Headlands 50k and NFEC 50 Mile without looking at anything but the time of day and using a heart rate alarm to let me know when I was nearing my lactate threshold, and my resulting effort was much higher. I was letting my watch tell me I was going too fast, when I actually had another gear (or two).

Daily TRIMP Chart

Finishing the year with a strong and comfortable day at the NFEC 50 Mile was the icing on my ultra cake for the year. All of my GI woes were mitigated by using Tailwind for calories and electrolytes. This simplified my fueling and allowed me to focus on my performance instead of reacting to my discomfort. Of course, just when you think you have everything figured out, everything changes.

2013 also brought Nevada County's first Hash House Harrier club, the Cougars. Twirly and I have really enjoyed getting out for fun runs with like minded beer drinkers. The hash runs are just the thing to break up my regimented training schedule. They remind me how fun it is to run with no expectations. Speaking of expectations, after employing Footfeathers as a coach for a little over a year, I had to let him go after NFEC 50; we just weren't aligning anymore. The feedback had become scarce, the support failed to materialize in my darker moments, and Tim held the opinion that States was "a lot to bite off" for someone in my position. Obviously, that attitude was not one I cared to have in my camp while preparing for my first hundo. Fortunately, Jorge and Laura at Mauka Running have stepped in to support the next six months of training.

Last but not least, 2013 brought me my first Western States 100 entry. This follows a rather smooth progression into longer distances, and despite feeling a deep-seated anxiety about the distance I am eager to experience such an epic and prestigious event.

Back to Back Beer Runs and a Bad Back



The theme of the weekend: beer near, photo courtesy of Makie Ohler

Following the Rock n Roll Half in San Jose, my lower back began giving me problems. Before I started running back pain was something I struggled with, occasionally requiring multiple visits to a chiropractor and daily yoga to alleviate the painful muscle spasms. Fortunately, the pain disappeared when I started running regularly, and I have been pain-free for over four years now. Imagine my concern when Monday morning's mild ache became Wednesday's reason to skip a workout. I went back to the chiropractor on Thursday morning, which enabled continued training over the weekend.

The first hash checkpoint, photo courtesy of Makie Ohler

I was bummed about Wednesday's missed workout (3 x 8:00 hill repeats at 5k effort), but I would have been downright melancholy about missing the weekend's planned activities: run a hilly 20 miles on Saturday immediately followed by the tenth Cougar Hash House Harriers run, and the inaugural Great Prospector Beer Run on Sunday.

The hare lays out the plan, photo courtesy of Makie Ohler

On On! The language of the hash, photo courtesy of Makie Ohler

For the first 10k on Saturday, I had to firm up my core muscles to prevent my lower back from collapsing when my left foot struck the ground. Once I was sufficiently warmed up, I felt relatively normal again and rounded out my run with a trip up Banner Mountain. Twirly was actually manning an aid station for a road bike event, and I availed her of a banana before trucking back down the mountain to hook up with the Cougar Hash at Jernigan's Tap House. Deschutes Brewery was sponsoring the run, and I wanted to get in on free beer and a pint glass.

I made it in the nick of time, and enjoyed even more elevation as we ran up and down the hills of Nevada City. I got a down-down for running the furthest, although Mark Ericson, co-owner of Trkac, was planning to run 15 more later that day in preparation for The North Face 50k, which will be his first ultra (outside of pacing for 30+ miles).

  



Pinky Sorbet won an honorable mention and finally added some bling to the medal rack!

Speaking of firsts, the Great Prospector Beer Run took place for the first time on Sunday, and Twirly and I made sure we were part of the festivities at Ol Republic Brewery. I had her at "there's a costume contest", and they me at "free beer". Win-win. I was feeling pretty stiff from Saturday's effort, so we walk/ran the 2.9 mile course. The event was casual; no bibs or prizes outside of the costume contest. Ol Republic's beer is worth any amount of driving or running. If Budweiser tasted like their Helles, I could save an awful lot of money... We ran into Mark, who was volunteering, and he recounted his misery after the Hash, running 15 hilly trail miles from Foresthill to Rucky Chucky and back with a few beers in his belly.

 Video courtesy of Ol Republic Brewery

Here are the garmin details from the Beer Run:

Over a week later, and my back is still giving me problems, especially in the mornings. I'm used to niggles speaking the loudest when my feet hit the cabin sole in the morning, but I never expected my back to become another niggle. Tomorrow, I try out a new massage therapist, Andrew Ezer. He was the team masseur for Artemis Racing during the America's Cup, so he's got the chops. One more trip to the chiro next week before Stinson Beach will hopefully have me race-ready. 



Nevada City's fall colors coming out during the Hash, photo courtesy of Makie Ohler

Tamalpa Headlands 50K Training Week Ten: Western States 100 and a Hash House Run

After two and a half months of fitful training, week ten brought the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. Always inspriational, volunteering at mile 55 of the WS100 led to some of my biggest volume weeks of 2012. Hopefully my physical therapy and strength work will allow me to springboard back into a worthy training volume. With eight weeks to Tamalpa Headlands 50K, I have some serious work to do.
 

Here's the week:

Tuesday: easy 30 minutes

Thursday: 10K with David in the heat of Mountain View

Sunday: Hash House run with Twirly

Totals: 13.10 miles, avg HR 149, weight 197.2 lbs

 

The mileage is still embarassingly low, and my heart rate reflects a significant loss of fitness. My weight is stable, but hovering 25 pounds over my desired race weight of 172. If I look at body fat % instead, which is a better indicator of health, the math says I'm headed in the wrong direction. I need more miles.

On the positive side, the runs are becoming more tolerable. I even felt good on the Hash! The pain of my injury is slowly replaced with what I would call "feeling weak". Armed with more stretches and strength exercises, I hope to put in a training effort at the 50K, with my focus shifting towards TNFEC 50 Miler in December.

Cougar Hash House Harriers, Run #5

The many symbols of the hash house harriers

Twirly and I were invited to run with the Cougar Hash House Harriers in Nevada City the day after Run For Your Lives Zombie 5K. We met Cougar HHH founders, Makie and Peter Ohler, at a craft beer dinner at Matteos last winter. Upon learning I was running, they excitedly invited us to join them for a hash. I had heard the term before, used to describe what I would have called a relaxed, cross country beer mile. And in essence, that's a hash. Running, with beer. Sometimes during, always after. Throw in some symbols and a vocabulary for fun. If you become a regular, you'll eventually get a nickname (or, hash name).

On the true trail, photo by Makie Ohler

Along the ditch trail, photo by Makie Ohler

 

The hash house harrier concept began in 1938 when a group of British ex-patriots organized a Monday night run to rid themselves of the "weekend's excesses". From wikipedia:

"At a hash, one or more members ("hares") lay a trail, which is then followed by the remainder of the group (the "pack" or "hounds"). The trail periodically ends at a "check" and the pack must find where it begins again; often the trail includes false trails, short cuts, dead ends, back checks and splits. These features are designed to keep the pack together despite differences in fitness level or running speed, as front-runners are forced to slow down to find the "true" trail, allowing stragglers to catch up."

 

The true trail

I have no idea, maybe turn yourself around?

 

Also described as a drinking club with a running problem, hash house harriers are now found across the globe. The Cougar HHH was founded this year, and we were excited to finally have a local club.

The split

My legs were toast from chasing 5K runners at the Zombie run the day before, so Twirly and I opted for the shorter "Turkey" course instead of the full length "Eagle" course (~3 miles vs 5+ miles). After the run, we enjoyed snacks and beer in the shade and discussed Hash history and protocols. As it was Mother's Day, Twirly and I had to "fuck off" early, and we were ceremoniously dispatched. And then we were dispatched again because we couldn't take a cue.

 

We're looking forward to the next time our schedules allow for another hash. This is definitely a club that would have us as members! 

The best symbol of them all

 

Tamapla Headlands 50K Training Week Three: Zombies and the Cougar Hash House Harriers

Twirly joined me for a Hash on Sunday

Week three of my training for August's Tamapla Headlands 50K was the most novel chunk of training I've had this year. I managed to bike to work twice (Thursday was "Bike to Work" day in the East Bay), and volunteered at an obstacle 5K where I was part of an obstacle: the Zombie Horde. It was a cross between a three hour game of flag football and a fartlek session. I felt like a kid again; the next day I felt ninety years old. The week wrapped up with a hobbled hash house harrier (HHH) run with the Nevada City based Cougar Hash House Harriers. Lot's of variety, lots of new niggles.

Here's the week:

 

Tuesday: 60 minute tempo

Wednesday: 60 minutes at 9:00 effort

Saturday: Run For Your Lives 5K (3 hours as a Zombie)

Sunday: 45 minutes with Twirly and the Cougar Hash House Harriers

Totals: 21.79 miles, avg HR 137, weight 202.8

Two weeks into my weight loss attempt, and I have gained MORE THAN SIX FUCKING POUNDS.

 

Ridic.

 

Severe measures have been tabled, amongst them the infamous beer exclusion. It is a little-known fact that for every beer considered but not consumed, a fat cell is sacrificed on the altar of the liver. So after Sunday's HHH run I decided it was time to kill some fat cells and take a hiatus from the suds. Other items on the table include salads for lunch everyday, and more activity. I'm considering a standing desk at work, but I need a doctor's recommendation in order to request one.

Feeling undead and old

Speaking of doctors, my zombie horde duties at Saturday's Run For Your Lives 5K left me needing a refill on my ibuprofen prescription. My right hip adductor and psoas, which have been speaking out of turn since March, were not happy in the car ride home, and on Sunday morning I was not sure I would ever run again. My knees ached, my feet hurt. My IT bands were pissed off, and my back and arms were sore in places I'd forgotten about years ago. I implored my coach for a reprieve in next week's plan, and he provided an option I think I can pull off. He also said, with a wink, that I was too old to be running round like a kid. He is right, of course, but even running 50 miles hadn't left me feeling old. So, I have a new goal/aspiration: cross train my way into a level of overall fitness capable of helping me fight this aging feeling. I want to be able to pick up a basketball game without going to pieces the next day. More biking and strength training is in the docket.

Twirly helped me get up the motivation to participate in the Hash, and we both enjoyed meeting some new people and  stretching the legs, although after about a mile and a half I was toast. My legs loosened up a little at the start of the run, but began revolting at the amount of downhill the hare had put at the beginning of the run. My quads were simply shot after all the cutting, juking and jiving on Saturday. We took the three mile option and beat most of the runners back to the beer...

I'll post reports on both Run For Your Lives 5K and the Hash in the next few days.