2017 Beginning of Season Update and Pre-Marin Ultra Challenge 50 Update
Posting Date: 3/19/17
Current Weight: 176 lbs
Total Miles Last Week: 37
Long Run This Past Weekend: 20 mile run w/ 14 mi tempo loop at Afton
It has been a long time since I've updated this blog, but I am making a goal to get back at it for this season. It is probably just as helpful for me to reflect and learn from as it is entertaining for the blog's followers to read. I enjoy taking the time to look back on training and racing, and I find that writing in the blog has helped me connect with people that I likely wouldn't have otherwise.
2016 was a great year for my running. I got my first top 10 ultra finish with a 5th place run at FANS (103.5 miles), completed my first 100 mile trail race at Zumbro 100, nabbed a personal best in the 50-mile distance at Voyageur with 9:16, and learned that I can hang with the fast guys at the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot in St. Paul, where I came in with a 6:40 pace average. I learned a lot about how my body responds to training and nutrition, as well. All this has set me up for what is primed to be a monster of a year in 2017.
Here is the Gameplan for the Year, so far:
3/11/17: Marin Ultra Challenge 50-miler (complete)
4/7/17: Zion 100-mile Endurance Run
7/2/17: Afton 50k
7/15/17: Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon
Fall - TBD (looking for a good destination 50-100 miler and maybe 1-2 shorter races)
Those close to me know I have dubbed this the year of "why the hell not?!" I took those words into consideration when I started looking into my race options in the first weeks of 2017. I wanted a spring 100 miler, and a late summer/fall 100-miler. I quickly came to the decision on Zion 100 for the spring, and entered the lottery for the Cascade Crest 100 in the late summer. I didn't make it into Cascade Crest, so If anyone has any good recommendations for 100's in the later summer or fall, let me know! About two weeks ago I realized that I'd really like to do a 50-mile race as a "tune-up" long training run before Zion. Turns out there isn't many options for late winter races in the midwest (not a surprise), but there is in Marin, CA! So after some poorly thought out and completely irrational logic two weeks before the race date, my wife and I are packed our bags for San Francisco (20 min from Marin) last week for me to enjoy some beautiful CA weather on the bay, and run an awesome 50 mile race - the Marin Ultra Challenge 50m.
We packed up on the Thursday before the race and flew out the rather scenic 3.5 hours from Minneapolis to San Francisco. As you go further west on the plane, you see more and more mountains and fun looking terrain. It was a pretty cool view from the remarkably clear sky. We landed and settled into our hotel in Chinatown on Thursday night to catch up on work. The next day, we ended up being lucky enough to get invited to stay with friends of Isabel's dad, Rick, who have a house in Marin. Wendy and Al were the best hosts we could have ever asked for for two nights, and they really played a big part in making our trip great. They showed us around their area in Inverness, Marin county, and I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is.
Saturday morning came quick, and after a rather frantic car ride to try to find the start line (the main road to Rodeo Beach was detoured), I made it there with about 10 minutes to spare. We lined up at the base of the Marin Headlands with the Golden Gate Bridge on one side of us, and a big climb towards Mount Tam on the other. The race began in the dark with thick fog that covered the bay, but as the day went on, the fog burned off and we got to experience incredible view of the bay, the Golden Gate, and of the whole Headlands area. The race is a nice challenge from an elevation change standpoint, with a pretty robust 10,500 ft of elevation gain and loss. While the elevation change didn't bother me much, the heat (which you can hardly call it that...I think it capped off at around 80 degrees) did a number on this MN boy that routinely sports short shorts in 25 degree weather. I had an almost magical feeling first 25 miles, and after 30 miles and the end of the biggest climb of the day, I still found myself on pace for a 9 hour finish. Things really fell apart between miles 30-40. I began to suffer from dehydration and my whole body started to revolt. First my stomach, second my muscles, and lastly my head. I worked hard at the aid stations to rehydrate, but never caught up for the rest of the race. Around mile 35, I tossed any time goals out the window, and reverted back to my original intention for doing the race; to get a good long training run in for Zion 100. After a battle of a last 15 miles, I jogged it in with a time of 11:20, over two hours slower than my 50 mile PR, but with a big smile on my face.
When Al (one of our hosts) asked how it went at the finish line, I replied "I've never had some much fun in my life while being in so much pain." That pretty much summed it up. The race was nothing short of an amazing experience. I got to run up Mount Tam, through Muir Woods, up an 1800ft climb from Stinson Beach, and along ridge lines on the famous Dipsea Trail (home of the legendary Quad Dipsea and Dipsea Trail Races). During the race I met some great people, including Chris DeNucci, who is a top ranked ultra runner who was volunteering at one of the Aid Stations. I'm also about 90% sure I ran past Dylan Bowman twice (going the opposite way, and much faster than I) doing some hill repeats in the Headlands.
Isabel and I enjoyed the company of several other friends in the Bay Area for the remainder of the trip in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkley. We had some great food, fun hikes, scenic views, and a trip that we will remember fondly for many years to come. I plan on getting back to this race, possibly even next year, to give it another go with a proper taper and a little better knowledge of how to train for the courses demands.
Current Weight: 176 lbs
Total Miles Last Week: 37
Long Run This Past Weekend: 20 mile run w/ 14 mi tempo loop at Afton
 |
| @MUC 50 mile, (Picture courtesy of ChasquiRunner) |
2016 was a great year for my running. I got my first top 10 ultra finish with a 5th place run at FANS (103.5 miles), completed my first 100 mile trail race at Zumbro 100, nabbed a personal best in the 50-mile distance at Voyageur with 9:16, and learned that I can hang with the fast guys at the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot in St. Paul, where I came in with a 6:40 pace average. I learned a lot about how my body responds to training and nutrition, as well. All this has set me up for what is primed to be a monster of a year in 2017.
Here is the Gameplan for the Year, so far:
3/11/17: Marin Ultra Challenge 50-miler (complete)
4/7/17: Zion 100-mile Endurance Run
7/2/17: Afton 50k
7/15/17: Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon
Fall - TBD (looking for a good destination 50-100 miler and maybe 1-2 shorter races)
Those close to me know I have dubbed this the year of "why the hell not?!" I took those words into consideration when I started looking into my race options in the first weeks of 2017. I wanted a spring 100 miler, and a late summer/fall 100-miler. I quickly came to the decision on Zion 100 for the spring, and entered the lottery for the Cascade Crest 100 in the late summer. I didn't make it into Cascade Crest, so If anyone has any good recommendations for 100's in the later summer or fall, let me know! About two weeks ago I realized that I'd really like to do a 50-mile race as a "tune-up" long training run before Zion. Turns out there isn't many options for late winter races in the midwest (not a surprise), but there is in Marin, CA! So after some poorly thought out and completely irrational logic two weeks before the race date, my wife and I are packed our bags for San Francisco (20 min from Marin) last week for me to enjoy some beautiful CA weather on the bay, and run an awesome 50 mile race - the Marin Ultra Challenge 50m.
We packed up on the Thursday before the race and flew out the rather scenic 3.5 hours from Minneapolis to San Francisco. As you go further west on the plane, you see more and more mountains and fun looking terrain. It was a pretty cool view from the remarkably clear sky. We landed and settled into our hotel in Chinatown on Thursday night to catch up on work. The next day, we ended up being lucky enough to get invited to stay with friends of Isabel's dad, Rick, who have a house in Marin. Wendy and Al were the best hosts we could have ever asked for for two nights, and they really played a big part in making our trip great. They showed us around their area in Inverness, Marin county, and I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is.
Saturday morning came quick, and after a rather frantic car ride to try to find the start line (the main road to Rodeo Beach was detoured), I made it there with about 10 minutes to spare. We lined up at the base of the Marin Headlands with the Golden Gate Bridge on one side of us, and a big climb towards Mount Tam on the other. The race began in the dark with thick fog that covered the bay, but as the day went on, the fog burned off and we got to experience incredible view of the bay, the Golden Gate, and of the whole Headlands area. The race is a nice challenge from an elevation change standpoint, with a pretty robust 10,500 ft of elevation gain and loss. While the elevation change didn't bother me much, the heat (which you can hardly call it that...I think it capped off at around 80 degrees) did a number on this MN boy that routinely sports short shorts in 25 degree weather. I had an almost magical feeling first 25 miles, and after 30 miles and the end of the biggest climb of the day, I still found myself on pace for a 9 hour finish. Things really fell apart between miles 30-40. I began to suffer from dehydration and my whole body started to revolt. First my stomach, second my muscles, and lastly my head. I worked hard at the aid stations to rehydrate, but never caught up for the rest of the race. Around mile 35, I tossed any time goals out the window, and reverted back to my original intention for doing the race; to get a good long training run in for Zion 100. After a battle of a last 15 miles, I jogged it in with a time of 11:20, over two hours slower than my 50 mile PR, but with a big smile on my face.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of ChasquiRunner |
Isabel and I enjoyed the company of several other friends in the Bay Area for the remainder of the trip in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkley. We had some great food, fun hikes, scenic views, and a trip that we will remember fondly for many years to come. I plan on getting back to this race, possibly even next year, to give it another go with a proper taper and a little better knowledge of how to train for the courses demands.
This week I took it easy for the most part. I felt remarkably good following the 50m, and did put in one sight seeing half marathon run from Chinatown to Fort Point, under the Golden Gate on Tuesday. After taking the rest of the week off I got back at it this weekend with some eccentric plyometric strength training (getting my quads ready for a beating at Zion), and a tempo effort at Afton. Since I have laid such a great base this winter, my plan in the three weeks leading up to Zion is to reduce miles to the 40-50 range, and focus on quality. The final week before the race will be a taper, with very few miles and no harder efforts.
More to come as 2017 progresses!
Comments
Post a Comment