Santa Barbara 100 Mile - July 2015

      Here's a quick report and a few photos from the 2015 Santa Barbara 100 Miler. 

      Tiffany and I crewed Marshall, and I paced the past 30 miles. Working with Tiffany and Marshall is about as easy as it gets when it comes to ultras.  They really know what they are doing, and there is never a complaint to be heard.

      It is a tough course, with about 24,000 feet of climbing.  It was a small field, with about 40 to 50 runners starting the 100 miler, and less than that in the 100k.  The 100 miler started at 6pm Friday, so all the running in the dark is towards the beginning of the race.   Unfortunately, it also meant that the technical downhills were mostly in the dark, while the big climbs were in the heat of the day.

     Marshall ran a strong race.  He was in third place much of the way, dropped back to fifth at one point in the heat on Saturday afternoon, then came back and finished fourth.  The one runner we lost was the first woman, and she ran a great race, finishing strong the last 40 miles or so.  Marshall ran - not shuffled - almost the entire last five miles.  His final time was 25:43, two hours faster than he ran last year at the same race.  A successful and fun weekend all around.

Coming into the Mile 10 Aid Station,
with Dean Karnazas in the foreground

Mile 57 Aid Station

At the Mile 70 Aid Station in the morning

Leaving the Aid Station at Mile 70

Leaving the Aid Station at Mile 83.  We were running with a fellow named Matt, whose son was yelling "go dad!" as we left

The Finish Line

Tiffany, Marshall and Me 

Lake Sonoma 50M

The Lake Sonoma 50M is a classic ultra running event, with first class race organization and a first class field.  The beautiful course may not have any major climbs, but neither does it have any flat ground.  Instead, it rolls up and down, around the lake, for 50 miles.  I rate the course about an hour slower than the Avalon 50M course.

I had a tough day at Lake Sonoma.  I finished in 10:38, more than two and one half hours slower than I ran in Avalon this January. Nevertheless, that performance was probably as good as I could have done on that day. 

I will take home two lessons from Lake Sonoma.  First, my stress level is the most important factor in how I perform on race day.  I have been dealing with some stressful stuff recently; hopefully, it is finally going to end soon, and I will not have another race like this. Of course, there will always be stress in my life, and I have to work harder to address how I react to it.

Second, it is ok to have days like that.  I got myself out there, and ran as best as I could under the circumstances, even though I felt lousy and would have rather stayed home.  I need to learn to accept that, and not worry so much about my times.  The next race, West Highland Way, will be much better.

The Finish Line: It's good to have a friend on a tough day

San Gorgonio March 28, 2015

      At 11,503 feet, San Gorgonio is higher and more rugged than Mt. Baldy.   The trail from Vivian Creek to the summit was hard to follow in a few places, when scattered snow covered the route. That being said, the majority of the trail itself is more or less runnable, not too rocky and not too steep.  The first two miles are probably the steepest. Permits are required, and the ranger checked ours half way up the trail.  You can get your permit by fax here: http://www.sgwa.org/trails2.htm

Entering the National Park

In the Forrest

     It was 47 degrees under a clear blue sky at 8am when we set off, and I decided not to bring anything other than a hydration pack -- no gloves and no jacket.  That was probably a mistake.  While we had excellent weather, the ranger pointed out that the low temperature at the summit had been 20 degrees the night before, and that the weather can change quickly at higher altitudes.  The cold can combine with wind to make things very unpleasant.  Next time, I will take my trash bag jacket, even if the weather seems perfect.  But this time, we had no troubles at all.

     All that being said, we had a great day in the mountains.  The views were wonderful.  We didn't push too hard, and it took just under four hours to get to the Summit, just over two hours to get back down to the car.

Dave looks way too fresh at 10,000 feet

Snow Field at the Summit

Summit Sign

The Summit

Looking East from the Summit

Avalon 50M 2015

      On October 11, 2014, I ran 10:06 for 50 miles at Dick Collins Fire Trails.  I gave it my all that day.  I did not go out too fast, forget to eat, nor make any other obvious mistakes.  That was just the best I was able to do on that particular day this past October. On January 10, 2015, I ran 8:06:45 at the Avalon 50, a new personal best.  

       I wish I could fully explain how I improved my time by two hour, in just three months.  The main factor was probably stress. I've been able to reduce my stress level progressively over the past six months or so, and stress is apparently a major factor in how my heart performs. Less stress equals better heart performance equals better running performance.  It is difficult to believe a drop in stress levels could make that much difference, but I have no other explanation for the bulk of that improvement.

      I also ran a smart race.  Last year at Avalon, I didn't have much training behind me, went out too fast and got in trouble around 35 miles.  I distinctly remember walking on several miles of flat ground around mile 40. One of my main goals this year was to be strong enough to take advantage of all that runnable ground late in the race.  

     This year, I made a concerted effort to control the pace early on. I walked the uphills every time I felt like I was straining, and I made sure I was taking full advantage of all the downhills.  I'm used to passing other runners on the uphills, only to watch them pass me back on the downs.  This was the first time I can remember being passed by other runners on the uphills, then passing them going down.  

      I also stuck to a simple nutrition plan, taking a plain Gu every half an hour, and drinking a few cups of Coke or ginger ale at every aid station.  Thank you Ryan for the plan; thank you to David for pushing me to get a nutrition plan and follow it.
   
      My patience paid off.  Last year, it took me 5:13 to get to the Little Harbor Aid Station at mile 33.2, and I was in 13th place overall.  I finished at 8:22, 25th place.  In other words, I lost 12 spots in 16.8 miles.  Not so great.    

2014 Partial Results

        This year, it took me 5:27 to get to Little Harbor, so 14 minutes behind last year, and I was in about 25th place.  But, this year, I ran the final 16.8 miles 28 minutes faster, picking up about seven spots and finishing 18th overall in 8:06:45.  I was able to run almost all of the flat ground, and most of the uphills in the last ten miles of the race.

2015 Final Results

      Obviously, I am thrilled with the result.  It was worlds better than Dick Collins three months ago, and substantially better than Avalon last year.  

       But, as those who know me can easily predict, my next question is: How much faster can I run?  Time to get to work on that.  



________________________________________________

John came along with me to Avalon.  He woke up before the 5am start to get this video of the start:

And he waited around the finish line to get this one at the finish line:

      Here are a few more photos from the weekend (can't recall who took which ones):

Naomi, Amy, Anton and Me

Avalon Harbor

One More Shot of Avalon Harbor

New Year's Day on Mt. Wilson

A great start to 2015: a morning run up Mt. Wilson with Anton and Marshall.   

From now on, if Marshall insists on hamming it up in photos,
I'm going to play along

It was cold, but not too cold.  We saw some snow, but not too much snow.  No need for micro spikes.  

Moderately Snowy Trail

The water fountains at the top were frozen, though, so it was a good thing we brought our own water.

Me and Anton at the Top

We saw the airplanes sky-writing for the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade crowds, far below us in Pasadena.

Much Snowier Trail:
This is as snowy as it got

What a Difference a Season Makes: Three Ts in the Snow

On September 28, I ran the Three Ts with Dave and Matt.  I did it again, solo, on November 16.  Those two runs were similar, cold but no snow.  Marshall and I ran the same route again on December 21, and it was a completely different course, almost entirely covered in snow. 

We reached the snow a mile or two up Ice House Canyon.  We put on our micro spikes there, and kept them on until we reached the Notch five hours later.

We lost the trail almost immediately after leaving the saddle at about mile 4.5, reaching Timber by way of our own private route.  From there on, we kept losing the trail under the snow, and we did almost no running until we reached Thunder and headed down the fire road.  At times, our feet fell through the snow up to our knees.

At one point, before Telegraph, we ended up climbing directly up the side of the mountain on all fours.  It was noon, we were at least 3.5 hours into the run, and we were only about half way done.  I have to admit that I was a bit scared.  But, we found the trail again at the ridge line (and we were never truly lost).

The rickety old ski lift was running when we reached Thunder, and skiers passed us as we ran down the fire road back to the Notch.

In all, we spent 6.5 hours tramping through the snow on a beautiful day.  Exhausting, to say the least, but worth it.

Cactus to Clouds

I'd planned on spending this past weekend in the Grand Canyon with a group of friends, but had to cancel because of a scheduling conflict that required me to be in town Saturday.  So, I made last minute plans to run the Cactus to Clouds route solo on Sunday.  It turned out to be a beautiful day, and a great experience.

Cactus to Clouds starts in the parking lot of the Desert Museum  in Palms Springs. The trail head feels a bit like Platform 9 3/4, a portal to a magical realm hiding in plain view in a public space.  I started around 6:20 am, just before sunrise.  I saw a few sets of headlamps above me on the trail, hikers who had started before me.

The Sign Marking the Start of the Skyline Ridge Trail

The well-marked trail climbs steeply out of the parking lot, and the first two miles or so are arguably the toughest.  It does not take long to reach views like this:

Palm Springs Just Before Sunrise

The first mile or so are steep, and very difficult to run.  After the picnic benches, however, the trail starts to moderate and there are a few spots that are more runnable.  I took advantage of some of them, but did not push too hard.

Around 8am

About four miles in, the trail becomes harder to follow, with lots of intersecting shortcuts.  Fortunately, they all seem lead to the same place, and it is difficult to get lost.  

The majority Skyline Ridge Trail offers views over the desert, much like the photo above.  The trail enters the forest in the final mile or so, and becomes steep again for the final climb into Long Valley, the location of the upper tram terminal.

Near the top of the Skyline Ridge Trail

The Skyline Ridge Trail ends in Long Valley, having climbed approximately 8,000 in about nine miles.  After that, the landscape changes drastically, mostly forest.

Entry to Long Valley, Top of the Skyline Ridge Trail

I exhausted my hydration pack just as I entered Long Valley, perfect timing.  I filled up at the Ranger Station, got some advice from a friendly ranger and had a quick lunch before heading for the summit of San Jacinto.  

2.3 Miles from the Top

The five and a half miles from the Long Valley to the Summit are much more runnable, although the final approach to the actual Summit requires some bouldering.

The Summit

I ran down almost the entire way from the Summit to the tram station, grabbed a quick beer at the bar and then took the tram down back to Palm Springs.

The Bar at the Upper Tram Terminal

In all, it took me eight hours and forty minutes to run about 20 miles, with roughly 10,000 of climbing.  I felt great almost the entire way, although I am quite tired today.  All in, it was a wonderful day.