Race Across The West 2012 - Chris O'Keefe Crew Report

As a long time fan of the Race Across America, I jumped (a little cautiously, but it was a jump all the same) at the chance to crew for Chris O'Keefe in the Race Across the West, version 2012.  As the race progressed it became obvious that there were a lot of great stories to be told, so I decided to take on the role of guerilla correspondent for the O'Keefe team.  Below are some interviews I recorded throughout the event.  I wasn't planning to take on this role, so I wasn't fully prepared and made some rookie mistakes.  For example, I didn't realize that I needed to hold my iPhone horizontally while recording, and I didn't figure out how to improve the sound quality until late in the event.  Nevertheless, the thoughts of the subjects resonate despite the amateurism of the "film crew" and I hope you enjoy hearing from these folks who raced or supported the race.  Enjoy!

For those who don't know, Race Across the West is an 860 mile continuous bike race from Oceanside CA to Durango, CO.  Riders (and crew) deal with wind, heat, sleep deprivation and all sorts of other maladies in their quest to complete this race.  It follows the course of the Race Across America (RAAM), at the same time as that race.  When we're not racing, fetching drinks, fixing bikes or getting food,  the crew has the chance to enjoy the space, beauty, and quietude of the American West.  From the Pacific Ocean to the Mojave Desert, on to the Navajo Nation, the mountains of Flagstaff, Sodona, Monument Valley, the red rocks of Utah, and the lower rockies (7,000 feet), we get to experience some beautiful, if unforgiving, scenery.

First up, here is a short pre-race interview with "The Talent", Chris O'Keefe.  This was my first effort and I didn't realize the benefits of using the headphone/microphone, but I'm glad I got some thoughts from Chris before the race.  You'll also hear an insightul question from the well known "Germarican" reporter and O'Keefe crew member Martin Brooks towards the end:

That's it or pre-race! Wish I'd done some more stuff before the race, and I will next time.

Afterwards, inspired by the event, exhaustion, and a couple of beers at the final awards banquet, I interviewed a number of participants and got some great stuff.

First, I talked to Jim Ryan.  Jim won the over 50 division and gave Chris a run for his money for 3rd place male despite contracting a case of "Shermer's neck" a day into the race.  Jim give a great overview of the race, the malady, and his crew's MacGyver-like ingenuity:

The next interview is with Jim and Sandy Dannis, a husband (racer) and wife (crew chief)  team from Northern New Hampshire.  They describe the challenges of coming from the east coast to race in the desert, and they also do justice to the wedding vows they uttered a few years ago, which must have included a few additions beyond the standards: "through sickness and health, dehydration and saddles sores, flat tires and headwinds..." You get the picture.  Besides a great experience, Jim was the 3rd male finisher in his age group
(ed note: The wind gets really bad on this recording, but bear with it, it does die down)

Next up, we talked to Chris on the drive home.  Sitting at a booth in the Race Day Cafe on the outskirts of Las Vegas, reflecting on his 3rd place finish, Chris describes the physical, mental, and nutritional challenges he faced in RAW 2012.  He also gives a little praise to the crew, though I felt he short-changed us a bit as we were clearly exceptional ;). Seriously though, following Chris for 3 days gave me a deep appreciation for not only the physical challenge of this race, but more importantly the mental outlook that is required.  While it sounds cliche, the racer must understand and accept that quitting is not an option, not a thought to consider, and that the only thing on his or her mind needs to be: what's next?

The last racer I interviewed was Sarah Kay Carrell.  Sarah finished 2nd in her age group, 3rd female overall, and first recumbant.  If you don't know, her Bacchetta Recumbant looks something like this:

This was a big group to interview, and I realized afterwards that there are quite a few accomplished cyclists on Sarah Kay's crew. Hopefully someone reading this can give some details on the palmares of this talented bunch. (ed note: no, that is not Sarah Kay, I'm having trouble changing the thumbnail image on this one)



Finally, here is an interview with Jim Ryan's crew.  I couldn't get them to dish too hard on Jim, but "off-camera" it was great swapping stories with them and reminiscing about the crew life.  We leap-frogged them on the road for the last day or so.  Keep in touch guys, we may need to combine forces if/when one of "the talents" makes his RAAM assault! (ed note: I held the iPhone properly for this one!)

To all who view this and for those who followed my tweets, thanks for all the support and encouragement.  While this is a niche sport, there is something very appealing about witnessing someone endure such an experience.  It's exciting to watch, it's liberating to be on the road with the event, and it's ultimately inspiring for all of us as we realize we need to challenge ourselves daily, because, as Martin put it so succinctly, "our lives aren't hard enough."

HARDWARE, BABY!! Oakland Running Festival 2011

Yessir, the key isn't race tactics, it's picking the team and picking the race. Here is a recap of the 2011 Oakland Running Festival: We have had an informal running club at SanDisk for several years (“RunDisk”), and we like to think that we are building a nice tradition and running culture. We run together several times a week (well, at least some combination of us) and we also meet on weekend mornings to do longer runs and occasionally participate in races. The RunDisk idea was spawned by Craig Rotbert, Fred Valeriano and Jose as a way to train together for their first marathon, and as the group has grown we’ve continued getting together as a way of maintaining our motivation, keeping the runs interesting, and getting outside a few times a week. We welcome new runners: we don’t have a set schedule due to SanDisk work responsibilities, but we do stay in touch via e-mail and try to organize a group run several times a month. By getting together regularly, we’ve met many new people at the company, and have made great friends and also strengthened work relationships along the way. This is the second time a “RunDisk” team has participated in the ORF relay, but this year we decided to focus on getting a good result, both overall and in the SF Business Times Corporate Cup event. Speaking for myself, once we decided to “compete” there was certainly some pressure to represent the company and our running club respectably, and I would say that we all gave a solid effort. Luca (SanDisk’s fastest runner) lead us out, staying close to the leading marathon runners and giving us a little cushion. Next, Jose ran a strong leg through the hills of Oakland, ending with a glorious downhill mile. Gabe powered through a long, straight run while enjoying the occasional calls of “hey sweety!” from the women of West Oakland, and I finished the run by trying to hold off whatever teams were behind me. Luca joined me after his leg and paced me through to the finish, making sure I didn’t blow our lead, and helping me through a tough 7 miles. We were second overall, and first in the corporate division. As a result we were presented the cup from Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, and it was a kick to be called onstage in front of the assembled masses to receive the trophy while representing SanDisk. As Jose carried the trophy back to the car, we were impressed by how many female fans asked him which race he had won – lots of cheers and whistles! I tried carrying the cup for awhile too, but somehow I didn’t get the same effect! In any case, we left feeling like we’d accomplished what we’d intended to, and we hope to have a chance to defend our title next year.

Shingles

I'm looking at my 3 week anniversary of contracting shingles, which has been painful, uncomfortable, and ultimately a little disabling with respect to my training. The right side of my torso has been extremely sensitive to touch (and to any movement from my clothes, etc.) and my stomach and back muscles have started to contract as a result of me constantly clenching up. Sore back, painful stomach, painkiller haze, and too much wine to assist my sleep, and as a result I'm back out of training after being on pace for a 140 mile January... Done with this!

Summit Park Half Marathon and two months of racing

Hardest course I've ever done. 2 hours and 33 minutes, a PW by over 4o minutes (50?) running a 2:33, but it really was a great day to be in the Santa Cruz Mountains, running the Summit Rock Half Marathon.
First the good: these local mountains show very well on misty days. Under the redwood canopy, the greens are rich and vibrant. The trails themselves twist up alongside deep ravines and if you're brave enough to take your eyes off the trail you have a long look down into an area you don't want to end up.
The bad? Well, I was not in great condition after picking up my first sinus infection of the year. Running in the wet with enflamed sinuses makes me feel prett water-logged, and running downhill tends to jostle the painful area, so I was running more gingerly downhill, and with less energy uphill.
But adjusting for that, it was a great day: I met up with Murphy in Saratoga and we drove up to Sanborn park for the 9AM start. The race itself was very well organized and had a professional feel to it. Timing chips, a start/finish banner, really nice shirts, and lovely medals too.

The trail was mile-marked as well, a first for me on a trail run, and they also had 3 aid stations on the out and back route, which meant five opportunities to refuel.
A lot of runners competed, several hundred, which seemed like a good number for a trail run. The gun went off at nine, and we set off at an easy pace.
Long story short, I had intended to run easily given the course, but the whole field was walking the hills within a mile. For the first four miles I would guess we walked at least half the time, and getting to the top at Skyline took easilly 50 minutes (four miles). At three and a half miles, the course started to roll, and occasionally I could settle into a rhythm. Still and all though it was a super slow day, with even the downhill miles taking 9+ minutes.
After two and a half hours on the trail, Murph and I were pretty cooked and we grabbed some snacks (including and it's it!) and headed out. Was a very memorable day and a good race to finish out the year on.

Week in review, 7/18

Sunday, 7/18: Bike, Home to Soda Springs, then up SS to weaver. About 20 miles total, not a ton but mostly uphill, including the Joseph trail (dirt)
Monday, 7/19: Run, 5 miles with Murphy at lunch. Hurrah! First solid outdoor run in a long time, and the achilles is feeling OK!
Tuesday, 7/20: Swim at Milpitas CC (lunchtime). 1780 yards... Did an interesting set, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, all repeats holding the same pace.
Wednesday, 7/21: outdoor run #2!! 5 miles. Ran with a few different folks including a fast half mile with ryan, Jose, Kris, and then finish with Fred:
Thursday, 7/22: Spinning Class
Friday, 7/23: 5 miles at lunch, sub 40!; 2400 yards with Masters swimming, finished with 5 x 50/25/25 doing a 34 second 50
Saturday: Another double day - ocean swim ~1000 yards, then 40 on the bike, Santa Cruz
Best week in awhile.

Week in Review, Week of July 11

Not a particularly heavy week, but a week where I decided to start increasing the workouts and stop being so lazy:

Sunday, 7/11: Nothin'
Monday, 7/12: 1500 yards swim
Tuesday, 7/13: 3 miles on the treadmill
Wednesday, 7/14: nothin'
Thursday, 7/15: nothin'
Friday, 7/16: Masters' swimming 2700 yards. Some stroke work, lots of fifties, finished with easy hard repeat 50s with my hard repeats at 34 seconds
Saturday, 7/17: 4 miles on the dreadmill

The big decision was to take the family to Hawaii in August, so this will be very good motivation for the next few weeks!

Tomatoes in

Soil:
potash: low
Nitrogen low
phosphorous OK
Alkaline OK

Hoping to improve on last year's hugely disappointing crop.

Tracking Progress, Barefoot Running, and a Bucket List

The achilles heel is still recovering, and it's taking time. I got through a 3.5 miler over the weekend, and today the plan was to do 4. But when I got to the gym I realized that i didn't have my running shoes. I did have my Vibram Five Fingers though, so I decided I try a short run on the treadmill with those.
This would be my first barefoot mileage, and I was interested in how it would go. It turned out to be pretty easy actually. My feet were perfectly comfortable, and I didn't notice a huge difference in my stride either. I put in 1 mile at a slow pace (9 min) and then shut it down.
It's now 4 hours later, and I can feel the effects of the run. My feet are starting to get sore, and I suspect they'll be more sore tomorrow. It's an exciting feeling though, as if I've discovered a new workout, a new way to strengthen and tax my running muscles, and I hope to lengthen the barefoot efforts over the next few weeks.
I'm in a huge motivational rut right now, and one of the ways I'll start getting out of it is creating my bucket list. What are the events I want to compete in, the things I want to accomplish and the experiences I want to have. I'm looking forward to creating and thinking about the list, and hoping that it will push me to explore some new territories.

Recovery

I have what seems like a minor injury in my achilles on the left side, but it has kept me from any decent running for over two weeks now. Hoping to get some resolution soon, I'll try to go 3 miles today, and hopefully 4 on the weekend.

Crashes, Injuries, and a Re-Introduction

Dear readers - are there any left? When you don't write, who'd bother reading? My achilles has been hurting lately, - no running really possible - so this weekend was to be my "triumphant"(?) return to the bike. I had done rides the past two weekends. A 50 miler to Uvas and back, and then a wind-whipped mountain bike ride up over Los Gatos and Sierra Azul (nothing like getting pushed uphill by the "breeze"). So I felt pretty good about jumping into the 60+ mile Tierra Bella, riding with my lovely wife and her friends for awhile, and then sending them off to complete their century. Unfortunately it didn't play out as planned. Mile 1, we shove off with myself and about 5 of justine's friends from her riding group. mile 2.5, heading down an easy slope. It's early, we're cruising along single file down a moderate grade - waking up. I'm riding point, see a crack a little late, point it out but hear some commotion and look back to see a crash taking place behind me. two of the women are falling, one hits the road head first, another, Justine's friend Chris, is falling as well. Shit! We stop, nancy is literally laying on the ground, not moving, starting straight up at the sky. Chris is sitting holding her shoulder, looking pale as a ghost. Fuck, are they okay? just a month after our friend Gayle broke her neck, this is a little too much.
Slowly, Nancy shakes it off and sits up. I'm worried for her, but this is a big relief knowing she's mobile and going to be OK. she'll need a new helmet, but otherwise OK. Chris is in a lot of pain with her shoulder. I assume it's a broken collar bone but eventually I learn from the paramedics (and later get the confirm from Chris) that nothing's broken. A bit of relief but a lot of sadness for the ladies, after going through this a month ago, and with falls being really pretty rare, it's traumatizing for everyone to have this happen again. Justine's Death Ride Group is in a bit of chaos right now too, and we hope that the ladies get their health back (a) and can resume training (b).
Justine cuts her ride short to go with chris. We have separate cars, and as unchivalrous as it sounds I do the 60(+) miler. The legs feel good, the route is very nice, but it was impossible to shake off the crash.
Ride safe! If you're riding point, don't relax, point out everything!

Stats for 2010

over 50 miles so far this month, and running comfortably again after a month or so lay-off to deal with my back. the goal is to ramp up for Eugene Marathon in May.

Broke

With a week to go before CIM, I broke myself playing with the kids on a trampoline over thanksgiving. As such, the racing year ended with kind of a thud rather than a bang. I haven't quite wrapped my head around my feelings about this: I was entering CIM with a lot of ambivalence, knowing that I wasn't as fit as I could be to do the race. On the other hand, not being able to excercise for a couple weeks has not been the greatest thing for me, as I find myself a little lost without the routine of a long workout on the weekend. I love the extra time, but since endurance training has really become my "hobby" along with a chance to see some friends, I've noticed the void. On top of that, I launched myself into the non-excercise regime and have quickly gained five pounds in two weeks... holidays, eh?

That said, my back is on the mend and my mind is racing with ideas for goals in the coming year. There are a lot of options, and I need to think it through and focus. The short list includes:

1) Spring marathon, fall event (half iron or marathon)
2) Spring triathlon, fall event (half-iron or marathon)
3) two marathongs
4) more short races and more trail runs
5) cycling centuries

So, we'll see.

Soft Hardware: 2nd place at Troy's Trail Runs Quicksilver 20.8 Miler

Choose the right races and you may end up on the podium! Yesterday I had an 18+ mile training run on my schedule, so I decided to jump into the "Troy's Trail Run Quicksilver Challenge" 20.8 mile trail run.

My goal for the day was to spend a long time on my feet (accomplished) and the idea of a supported run through Quicksilver was strangely appealing. It was a last minute decision, so I had no time to research the race or get nervous, I just showed up, paid my $45 and shoved off.

In short, the run was a lot of fun. The course started from the Mockingbird entrance, which I've never run before, and I was stunned to find a 15% grade for the first mile. I took it slow, "ultra-walking" up the path with the knowledge that the course would level out at the top. Once I got past that first hill though it was a really glorious run for about the next 10 miles. As you can see from the map, the organizer strung together nearly 21 miles with very little overlap on the trails. In addition, the run was well supported, with at least 5 stocked aid stations with GU, coke, nuts, and other snacks and sports drinks.

The field stretched out and I had no idea how I was doing relatively, but I was enjoying some scenic running and a great playlist on the iPod, and for a while the miles clicked off. When I pulled into the mile 10 aid station, I was surprised to hear that I was the first 20.8 runner through (the folks in front of me were apparently all running the 8 or 13 mile courses) and with that inspiration I started focusing a bit more. Towards the end of the race the climbs and downhills were starting to hurt, but I had not been passed and from the last aid station home I ran pretty strongly along a flat to mild downhill path.

I finished to a smattering of applause from the race support crew, but alas they told me I was the second finisher, not the first. Ah well, the podium is the podium and I will treasure my red ribbon for a very long time, or until I lose it, whichever comes first.

Overall I covered the 21 miles in ~ 4:37 which is probably 1:40 or so longer than a 20 mile training run would've lasted, so it's clear how the hills impact a runner like me. But hopefully it's good strength training for the rolling downhill course at CIM.

The course itself was great: there was a lot of single-track, some technically challenging running, and enough fire roads to let me run uninhibited for long distances. It's tough to get into a rhythm when trail running, but there is sure a lot more to distract me from thinking about my tired legs all the time.

Big Kahuna 1/2 Ironman - Unfinished Business

Let's cut to the chase shall we?

1) I didn't complete a 1/2 ironman yesterday

and

2) I bonked

DNF you say? Not so quick. I finished the event and I got my medal. I finished slowly, and painfully, but I finished. I just didn't start it.

(cut to 4:30 AM, race day)

Up with the first alarm, didn't need the second. As usual, there was enough chaos in the bedroom to keep me from that perfect pre-race sleep: a restless dog, a sleepwalking child. But I slept well enough. I stumble into the hallway, into the bathroom, and find that the restless dog was restless for a reason. He had peed on the bathroom floor, which he does very rarely (and credit to him for using the bathroom right?). So, race day is off to an inauspicious start, I'm cleaning the bathroom floor while my coffee brews. And sadly for you readers, that isn't the last tale of an improvised bathroom that you'll read about today, but I digress.

I enjoy my banana, bagel with PB&J, and coffee, and soon enough I'm in the car for the drive over to Santa Cruz. Everything goes well at the transition area, I have a decent spot, I set up the gear I think I'll need, I get my body-markings, and I start to pull on the wet-suit. I head to the beach with 45 minutes to spare, and begin the search for friends, no easy task when everyone is in a wet-suit and cap.

Eventually I hook up with a few familiar faces: Monique, Russ, Pat, and we catch up on our recent activities as we wait for the race to start. Monique is regularly reaching the podium in her age group triathlons, Pat became an Ironman this year in Idaho, and Russ is keeping his calendar full with 4AM workouts and races. I share my Death Ride stories and am met with disbelief when I tell them of the 50+ MPH descents: I guess going that fast downhill is hard to imagine on a tri-bike. We continue to wait for the start.

And we wait.

Well, apparently the race officials don't feel safe getting the race underway, what with all the fog and the risk of losing a few swimmers, so after an hour of standing on the beach they officially cancel the swim leg, and the race gets started from the "swim out" area. The triathlon has quickly become a duathlon. I don't think any of us feel relieved at this point, and for me it just means I'm not going to complete a half-ironman. I'll be coming up just a mile short, but not just any mile...

My inner competitor knows this is not ideal, since my friends are faster on the bike and my only hope of beating them is to leave the water first and hold them off. But heck, this is just a race against the clock right? Bragging rights don't matter do they?

So the race starts and we run from the beach to transition and get started on the bike. I have actually been pretty anxious about the bike leg. When I pre-rode the course a month ago, it took me 3 hours 15 minutes, which seemed at least 15 minutes too long, so I was curious how the race day environment would affect the ride. thankfully, it's positive. I ride to the turnaround in a quick time of ~1:24 and am surprised to be so far ahead of my last pace. 20MPH average, nice! Russ and Pat are up the road, as expected, as is Monique who started with an earlier group. I learn later that Russ and Pat finish the bike a full nine minutes in front of me - I start building a mental case for buying a tri-bike next year.

On the return trip I get slower as I progress, and I assume I am losing power from a quick start. It's a little discouraging to get passed by so many in the last 10 miles and I'm blaming my training as I get off the bike, but I do a quick check of my wheel and realize my rear brake has been rubbing. Doh! Hard to say what this cost me, a few minutes a few calories, whatever. It was fine when the ride started and I think I may have knocked my wheel out of alignment with about 15 miles to go.

And now to the run. I get off the bike and feel some cramping immediately, but it seems manageable. I start conservatively and settle into a mid-to-low 8 minutes/mile pace about 4 miles into the run, hoping that I can keep this up and start pushing after mile 7 or 8. Alas, my stomach has other ideas.

I had fueled as much as possible on the bike, and apparently I had over-fueled. There's a lot of "stuff" sloshing around in there, and I am feeling more and more nauseous with every step. I slow and eventually walk to try to let the feeling pass, however it doesn't help. I still feel some hope at mile 7, having passed the half-way point at about 55 minutes, so I decide to skip the porta-potty and gut it out, but with another half mile it becomes clear to me that something's gonna have to give. I look desperately for the next aid station, but with nothing in site it's clear I'll have to improvise - time for what Phil Liggett tastefully terms a "natural break", in some well covered bushes separating the course from the artichoke fields.

I'm less nauseous now, but I'm heading into full bonk territory unable to take in any more nutrition, so the last few miles are a painful death march. It's a very frustrating feeling for me, knowing that I can't test my fitness and resolve at the end of this race, have missed any time goals I set out, and have to suck it up. But I've watched enough of those Ironman Kona recaps to understand that I must respect the race and bring it home, knowing that the karma points may come back sometime down the road. Plus there are no taxis in sight. So I keep moving, half walking half jogging. Russ catches me at mile twelve (I'd passed him at mile 5 on the run) and we silently push each other to keep running to the end (he is "one big cramp" at this point he tells me). The Big Kahuna race ends cruelly, with a half mile run on the beach to the finishing chute.

Justine is there at the finish and I'm happy to see her, but pretty wrecked, frustrated and disappointed too, so I spend the next few minutes stumbling around, saying nothing, pounding some sports drink, acting emotional, but I slowly start to feel reasonable again. I had hoped that with the walk-run pace at the end my legs would feel OK, but they're in bad shape as well.

Final stats:
Bike: 2:54
Run: 2:20
Transition 1: NA
Transition 2: really?

So there it is. A bad race, they happen. I'm doing some post-mortem and I think I have a handle on some of the major issues/mistakes I made: basically, I treated each leg as a discrete event, eating as I normally would on a bike ride, and expecting to eat as I normally would on a run. What I came to realize though is that you can eat plenty on the bike, but if you come off with a fairly full stomach you'll not be able to finish the food absorption while running. Duh! Ironically, by eating too much, I blocked absorption and ran out of fuel halfway through the run (or more accurately, the fuel ran out of me...).

The last time I had a bad race was Big Sur Marathon in 2006, and I wallowed for awhile, but no time for that this year. I signed up for Cal International Marathon in December, and have to crank out a few long runs between now and then. Once that's done, I'll figure out the plan to recover my bruised ego and solve this triathlon distance. For now though I'll dwell on a good bike ride and the good feeling I had in my legs for a short while before things went south.

As always, thanks for your indulgence.

on the eve of big kahuna

It's been a long week of waiting and wondering what I'm in for. It's been a year + since my last triathlon, and I've never gone this distance, so suffice it to say I'm a little anxious. My general feeling is that I'm gonna be fine in the water, and I've trained adequately for the run, so I'll need to get through the bike portion fast enough but without too much energy depletion. The basic plan is to swim at about 75%, go out easy on the bike, hope for a tail wind, and then ease into the run, see how I feel, and work hard the final 6 miles.

Race Day Lessons Learned - The Marathon

Several of the "RunDisk" group are running their first 26.2 this weekend. This is an exciting event for me since I've been running with this group for the last couple of years and have seen first hand the progress from a few lunch time five milers every week to toeing the starting line of 26.2. Wish I could be there but I have my own event to deal with. Best of luck guys! I wanted to pass along a few tips that I've garnered from the races I've done:

Race Week: Rest and relaxation is the key this week. Eat well but don't overeat. Prioritize sleep over low-value activities like watching TV, cleaning the kitchen, checking the kids homework (wait, scratch that one... check the homework). Remember, BEER IS NOT A HYDRATING BEVERAGE. Those of us who partake (we know who we are ;)) should hold off until Sunday afternoon.

Mental Aspects: If you're like me you will feel a little sluggish and have some doubts about your race prep. You're worrying that this taper is costing you some fitness. Don't sweat it, you've put the work in, you're fine. You may lose a trace of fitness, but you'll gain a lot of form - your legs will be fresh for the race. "You're fit enough, you're fast enough, and gosh darn it you're gonna do great." My best practice for countering this feeling is ...

Final Week Running: Don't run a lot of miles this week - 50% of normal max. but do go ahead and do a few miles (2 or 3 on Tuesday/Thursday) at a good pace. You'll notice the effects of rest combined with months of training. It helps calm the doubts and it's good for the legs. Don't overdo it of course, but don't underdo it either.

Race Weekend: Friday night is the night that matters, sleep wise. Eat some protein for dinner, and get to bed at a reasonable time. Odds are you will not sleep Saturday night. Carbs for dinner on Saturday are always good, but do what you've been doing. Just make sure you are hydrating, and drink some sports drink during the day. Get your gear together before Friday if possible: pick out your shoes, socks, shirt, nutrition, etc. and get it organized. One less thing to keep you awake Friday night...

Race Day: It's gonna be chilly on race morning. Bring a throw-away shirt that you can run in for a little while. I actually take a pair of my wife's thick hose (knee-high) cut the ends off, and turn them into disposable arm-warmers. Those worked great at the Napa Valley Marathon. Don't overdress, don't wear a jacket, any extra clothing besides your shirt and shorts should be DISPOSABLE .Put band-aids or body glide on your nipples, don't be this guy. I use body glide on my inner thighs as well to eliminate "chub-rub". Vaseline works for this too.

The Race: Have a plan, and stick to it. For first-timers you can be aggressive or conservative, just know that the more aggressive your first 15 miles, the more you'll suffer in the last 6. There are a lot of water stops, but it's harder to hydrate appropriately than it seems. Make sure to get a full cup of sports drink at least at each water stop. A lot of times I'll find myself drinking maybe 4 ounces every 2 or 3 miles, which really isn't enough. Walk through the first few stops if necessary.... my eating plan is to eat one GU just prior to the start, one GU after 45 minutes, and one every 30 minutes thereafter.

Mistakes I've Made:

1) Spicy noodles and a micro-brew the night before the Big Sur Marathon. Nuff said, I think I spent 20 minutes in the porta-potties that day and had my slowest day ever

2) Spending Energy on non-running related activities: OK, so this was New York Marathon, and there were so many people I couldn't resist giving high-fives to as many as I could. I probably ran an extra half-mile that day. IMPORTANT: run the inside of every turn. Marathon courses are measure from the inside of each turn, so run as close to the curb as possible to minimize your distance.

3) Starting too fast: Truth be told, this wasn't necessarily a mistake. At CIM in 1999 I ran the second half 8 minutes slower than the first, and I still PR'd. But those last few miles were painful!

4) Listening to my body in the final 6 miles: when you're on the doorstep of the finish line, you have to stop feeling the pain and just push through to the end, unless you're legitimately injured. Everybody feels it at the end of the race, but that's where the race is made.

5) Stressing: The marathon is a big deal, but you guys are ready for it. Pain is temporary, the medal lasts forever.

Post Race: Don't forget, what you do Sunday after the race helps determine how you feel the following week. 2 words, ice bath. Suck it up, you just finished a marathon. Eat right after the race, and make sure you eat some protein within the first hour.

Perspective, Part I

This is part I of a yet to be determined epic series.

Wow. So much has changed in the last month for me, and in many ways it makes me realize I have a lot to be thankful for. From november until July 20, I was unemployed. It's hard to even write that term in describing myself: I spend a lot of energy in my work, and a lot of my pride is wrapped up in my job, so not working was definitely jarring. But finding an identity apart from work was important, having more time for my family was great, and realizing that a job and a paycheck are not a given was eye-opening.

First Brick of the Year

As my plans start to gel, I'm having to focus my training accordingly. For the past few Saturdays I've been building my long runs back up, now at 13 miles. But this week I decided a decent brick would be a good status check for the Big Kahuna Half Ironman, and accordingly that's what I did. In short, I did 30 on the bike followed by a 7.6 mile run. Happily, it went very well. I am still dialing in my bike position, and so I stopped twice to tweak my seat height and position as well as my bar position. It's tough to stay down in the aero position for so long, but by the second tweak I was feeling pretty comfortable. For 13 miles, including a gradual 10 mile climb
(pretty flat but gaining elevation) a 1 mile climb over Bailey, and then the race back home, I maintained 18.7 MPH. When I got home, I took about 8 minutes to transition, and then ran my local loop up a short climb and then around into Los Gatos. Surprisingly I really hit my stride on the way back, and covered the last 3.5 at a pace of ~7:35.

good confidence builder, just what I needed. It's tougher now to be regular about my workouts, so knowing I have a decent run in me is a good motivator to make a push in the next month.

New Goals

Time to put it in writing:

Big Kahuna Half-Ironman, October 25

Santa Barbara Marathon, December 5

Still here!

The Blog has been quiet, but life has not been. I am back to bike commuting once or twice a week, mainly because I have a job to commute to. I'm setting my sights on a half-ironman in October, more to come on that. And I'm back to running 25+ per week and getting about 2 miles of swimming in at least every week. So the transition off the bike, out of the house, and etc. is in full swing. Missing my old, short-lived life, but embracing my new one.