La Sportiva C-Lite 2.0 Review

In what is becoming one of my all-time favorite running shoes, the La Sportiva C-lite 2.0 (formerly the “Crosslite 2.0″) just about has it all: great fit, comfort, cushion, traction, relative lightness, and a simplicity that even my old Montrail Highlanders would be proud of, all wrapped up in a stylish design that says, “I’m serious.  Accept it.”

I’ve now run them some 250 miles over every surface, including a half marathon with pavement, two 50ks with substantial climbs and descents, and general trail running.  Friends are likely tired of my constant praise of the 2.0.  This is my go-to shoe currently and unless the Vertical K shines brighter, I’ll be wearing the C-Lite for all my trail racing.

Sporting the C-Lite 2.0s for the first time at the New Year’s Half Marathon

The slip-last construction feels sock-like with no bulkiness or extra fabric to bunch up.  I’ve worn them with transparent thin socks and thicker wool socks; both of which left my feet unscathed and no worse for wear in these shoes.  I’m certain I could wear them barefoot with comfort if I wanted.  The fit is a little wider than other La Sportiva trail runners and I have to cinch down the lacing (hidden under the debris cover) to get them secure around my girly skinny foot (note: the Quantums and Electrons are much more narrow).  The only (small) problem I’ve found with the upper, and overall shoe, is a tear developed just where my foot bends at toe-off.  It seems to only affect the outer layer and the inner material is still intact.  It has absolutely no effect on the use of the shoe.

Moving on to the business end of the C-Lite 2.0, the sole is constructed of a flexible injected-molding EVA midsole with grippy outer lugs that bite into every condition the trail may throw at you.  LS does something special that facilitates energy transfer during foot strike and toe-off.  My guess is it’s a combination of the midsole molding and the 8 mm drop (26mm heel / 18mm forefoot).  Honestly, I don’t like to over think the process or mechanics of it; I just enjoy the hours I’m able to put on the shoes with comfort and lasting efficiency.  At the end of a 50k I raced last weekend, my feel were in perfect shape, no hot spots, no soreness, and all toenails in pedicure-perfect shape.  Ok, maybe not that pretty but definitely intact and the correct color (i.e. no bruising).  After wearing the Hokas for much of last season and having my ankles look like they were in iron shackles with bruises and sores, the low collar on the LS shoes is a welcome change.

Overall, you can’t go wrong with the C-Lite 2.0.  Even if the Vertical K turns out to be as amazing as I’m hoping, the 2.0 will continue to be my first choice in a trail running trainer.  Visit the Inside Trail Racing Store for more information and great deals on all the La Sportiva trail shoes.

Running the Grand Teton

The Tetons in the morning. Photo Tanae Nelson

Running mountains. There are lot of runners who enjoy getting out on the trails and running up to a high point before, turning back and returning to their busy lives. For many running a peak is more than just exercise, me included. I deeply enjoy running up mountains, it adds more to a run than simply traveling from point a to b, it adds a destination, a purpose.

I grew up climbing mountains, traveling at a much different pace than I do now. One of the first major peaks I climbed was the Grand Teton, which I summited when I was 13 years old. All through my youth I dreamt of becoming a professional alpinist, I figured there would be no better life than traveling the world climbing peaks. Unfortunately just before my 17th birthday I had a bad fall while sport climbing that resulted in a fractured skull and several weeks in the hospital with post concussive syndrome. After the fall I never really got back on the horse. The few times I tried to climb the events leading up to the fall would overwhelm me, halting any progress. Climbing wasn’t fun anymore, it was scary.

The desire to climb peaks, however didn’t go away, it grew. I found different ways to get to high points; skiing, hiking and in the last 5 years, running. Over time, as the line between climbing and running blurred, I got more comfortable with exposure, particularly when moving quickly. In October last year, on a weekend when I could have been racing, I chose to race the clock instead of people and try to set a new fastest known time car-to summit-to car record on Idaho’s highest peak, Mount Borah. At the time it looked as though I had clearly broken the record, only to find out that Michael Tobin, a professional adventure racer, had set a faster time, but no one really recorded it. Regardless I was hooked on technical mountain running.

Heading Out.  Photo Tanae Nelson

This last weekend I confronted 12 years of fear and attempted to break a 28 year old car-to summit-to car record on the Grand Teton. On Saturday, armed with lots a beta, a single bottle waist pack, and a pair of La Sportiva Raptors, I set out from the Lupine Meadows trailhead as fast as I felt I could maintain, headed for the summit of the Grand. I had some help on the upper mountain from Brian Harder. He knows the mountain very well, and since I hadn’t been up the Owen Spaulding Route, it was invaluable to have Brian showing me the route. More importantly I felt I needed Brian’s support on the technical and very exposed sections of the Grand in case I froze. We summited in 2:10:50, took a few pictures, and began the descent 50 seconds later.

Near the Upper Saddle.  Photo Brian Harder

On the Summit.  Photo Brian Harder

I wrote a detailed report of the the route including splits here. Brian showed me back to where I met him above the lower saddle, and then I again took off solo, moving as fast as I could. I met my wonderful wife in the parking lot 3:33:02 after I left. We took some pictures to verify the effort and waited for Brian to finish his descent. I was thrilled with the time I was able to post on my “first try” at the record on the Grand. The 28 year old 3:07:00 set by Bryce Thatcher still stands, but it will be something I continue to work on. For me things have come full circle, I was able to face and manage fears of falling while climbing on the mountain that was my first. It was a type of rebirth into the alpine. Even though I walked funny with sore legs for a few days, I can’t wait for the chance to get back up there. At a group run a few nights ago I was asked, ” is the Grand actuallyrunnable?” My response, ” depends on your definition of runnable”! I have found that at times running mountains involves walking, sometimes scrambling, at times even sliding on snow. Mountain running boils down to be moving quickly and efficiently in the mountains, which has it’s own challenges and rewards. For me the Grand Teton is the epitome of mountain running, a place I will go back to often.

Finished…and very happy.  Photo Tanae Nelson

Where Did The Summer Go?

Blogging is not one of my strong points. While I enjoy blog stalking, the time it takes to put something together that makes sense not only to me but the few that may read it is probably better served studying. That said, I started a post about three weeks ago knowing I would not finish it in a timely manner. That certainly held true because here I am attempting to finish it and basically having to rewrite because of the time gone by. This is a bit lengthy and there are no photos, so if your interested,  please read on.

With the onset of aging taking hold and failure of joints unavoidable, I’m not quite sure what each season is going to bring. It is a fine line between training smart in order to race well or getting carried away with the training miles and intensity only to get sidelined with joint issues. It has taken some time but I have learned some valuable lessons in regard to my training and racing. I have accepted the fact that marathoning may be my longest race distance and  that effort is saved for once a season, probably the fall because I know the recovery is going to be slow. I’m good with that plan. As fun as Ultras are, when one shifts from ultra distance training to shorter (submarathon distance) miles, you look back at the time commitment involved with ultras and wonder where you ever found the time. Not to mention the stress level is drastically reduced.

Going into this summer, my plan was to build up the race distance with Pikes Peak Ascent as a mid summer focus race then Xterra Half Marathon Trail Championships and maybe if the everything is still holding together, race the new Boise Foothills Frenzy 50K. Yes, I said ultras are probably a thing of the past, the great thing about 50K’s is that one can basically marathon train with some minor adjustments. The 50K would be my season ender for sure, so I’m not sure if that is the route I want to go or go back to Lithia Loop to defend my USATF Masters Trail Marathon Championship win from 2010.

The season has been going as planned, I raced the Dry Creek Half (a stop on the La Sportiva Mountain Cup) and finished third. A good early season effort on a not so dry trail – major mud! Even in the conditions, the top three men went under the previous CR. After Dry Creek, Pocatello 50 was next – no not the 50 for me, I was racing the 20 miler. Anyone that follows trail racing has heard of the near disaster of the 2010 Pocatello run, I was there running the first leg of a relay team and witnessed it first hand. Being so close to home, there was no way I was going to miss this year. Jared and Ryan delivered another amazing race with some course tweaks that proved rather difficult. Basically the 20 mile course (the third portion of the 50 mile course) went up, then descend, then went up again and then descended again to the finish. The route was measured by many to be closer to 22 miles. I ran for a second place finish, behind Pat Braggasa. Two “older” guys throwin’ down. For July, one cannot miss the 30-year-old Elephants Perch Backcountry Run. Taking place in my backyard and returning to try to defend my 2010 win this was going to be one tough race. The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation always puts nordic kids on the line – and they are tough runners. Last year I beat 25-year-old Mike Sinnott - Nordic phenom, this year he was ready to put it down. And that he did, the race unfolded exactly as 2010. I caught him at mile 10, he then dropped me on the final climb and I had no response. Mike would set a new course record for the 16.5 mile run, I would finish third. Top three seems to be my place for this race.

Pikes Peak would fall in line next. Pikes had been the focus for most of the summer, the other races serving as tests. I tweaked my training from last year in prep for the grueling half marathon race that requires a marathon effort. More volume, more concentrated hill work and less time peak bagging. The Sun Valley area doesn’t have great high elevation running, you are either on the valley floor (6000′ feet) or going up only to reach the high points and have nowhere to go. Last year I did a large amount of run-ins and then peak bagging, this year I’m focusing more on finding difficult hilly terrain with consistent higher elevation (8,000′-10,000′ ) running. It has been tough to put together but I feel has been working well. My taper plan called for ten to 14 days. The taper went well, although doing 18 in the backcountry the weekend before with AJW, Hank, and Travis may not have been the best idea, it was still fun and an outing I wasn’t going to miss. I traveled to Pikes on the Thursday before unlike last year which I spent the week prior in RMNP. I was anxious for the race and felt confident in my training. I arrived at the start in plenty of time to get my head straight and get warmed up. I moved into my position in wave one, keeping back from the line about ten feet. I do this so I don’t get caught up in the crazy pace.

My goal was a 2:35:00 finish. I had my splits for the popular landmarks on my arm. As the race progressed, I nailed every spilt within a few seconds. Feeling good! The feelings quickly changed. Just like last year and just like all the warnings, the mountain had its way starting above the A-Frame shelter. My 2:35 quickly disappeared as mile 11 to 12 took me 15:22 and the last mile took me 20:39!  I finished 2:47:44 – completely wasted and somewhat bummed with the final miles. I was pleased with the effort, just not happy with the results. I now have two runnings of the Ascent and two different training plans. I will return to the Ascent next year with the combination of both training plans under my belt.

The rest of the summer? Well, this week has turned into a recovery week, which I didn’t plan on. I was hoping to take a day or two post Pikes then jump right into a final cycle for Xterra and Boise Fiithills Frenzy. That plan has had to change. The stresses of Pikes has somewhat taken a toll and I need a few more days to come around. Hoping to nail a good LSD backcountry run this weekend to kickstart the next cycle. This cycle will most likely be the last of the season. I’m already excited for Xterra Trail Run Nationals and really hoping to keep the body together for Boise but I know if I can pull Boise off, it will end my season. But what a great way to wrap it up. The Boise foothills in October, perfect season ender.

It has been a great season so far. Good backcountry training with friends, fun racing with top results and not too much joint pain. Once again, the sponsors have been great – The La Sportiva Mountain Running Team, First Endurance nutrition, GreenLayer apparel, Ultimate Direction hydration products,  Headsweats for the best hats to keep the sun off my bean and the sweat out of my eyes and Petzl headlamps for the o’dark – thirty morning runs! Now be sure to get out and do something!

Hats and Handhelds

Here is something we don’t talk much about but as runners the two items are an essential part of our daily grind. Maybe hats aren’t for everyone and maybe a waistpack better suits you than a handheld but for me I typically don’t go on a run without both. What can be said about two very simple items? Probably not much, but here is my take.

With the lack of hair protecting my dome from the damaging rays of the sun as well as acting as a sponge for my pouring sweat and having the ability to dip it into a cold stream to cool my bean, a running hat is a must! I have worn a hat while running for as long as I can remember, it’s a part of my outfit. But not all hats are created equal and through the years I have tried plenty only to determine that hands down, HEADSWEATS take the top honor. I have always worn the race hat  model (below left), but this year the La Sportiva team was issued a newer model. I was a little skeptical because of the material but was pleasantly proven wrong in the first outing. The hat breathes well, keeps my dome from burning, and absorbs the sweat like a sponge. I’m not crazy about the fit, it’s just not as form-fitting as the race hat, but it works.

 

 

 

 

 

Handhelds – yes there are a few different models on the market, but they are all essentially the same item; a cinchable harness to carry a bottle and an outer pocket for a key and two gels. These carriers are the no-excuse-not-to- hydrate item. No bouncing on the hips or causing stomach discomfort as is the case for some when wearing a waist pack. Shorter distance runs not requiring a hydration pack are easily handled with a handheld or two.  I have been using ULTIMATE DIRECTION handhelds for a few years now. Before that, I was using another brand. The Ultimate Direction handhelds have been bombproof. I have taken many diggers on the trail, falling on the carrier and bottles, and they are still going strong.  A notable characteristic of the UD models is there ability to cinch snuggly on the hand without causing any discomfort. Nor does the top opening (where the top of the bottle is held and where the top of the cinch strap typically connects) deform and stretch when being cinched. I would like to see the outer pocket with an expanded bellow or a stretch material in order to fit three gels. I seem to be able to get two in the pocket, three is a no-go. For cool weather or winter use, UD also makes a neoprene version which wraps the entire bottle in a bottie keeps your fluids and hands insulated.

Another great handheld I like to use for those distances when a full 20oz bottle is too much yet going dry may have some adverse effects is the 10oz hanheld flask. I use this item for the 2 hour race and it has served me well. The pouch is large enough for two gels and the cinch strap holds the flask comfortably in the hand. What I don’t really care for is the hard plastic cap. It can be difficult to open when hammering down the trail. A minor issue, but not one that keeps me from using the item.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on the the above mentioned items go to Headsweats or Ultimate Direction.

1 month after San Diego 100

It’s amazing to me to think a month has already passed since San Diego 100. I have an under 24 hour belt buckle laying on my dresser as a reminder of the 20:20 spent traversing the spectacular trails of the PCT, Anza-Borrega desert, Cuyamacas, and mt. Laguna.

San Diego holds a special place in my heart, having gone to college at USD. I knew I would eventually run this race and what better time than the present. Driving out of what most people know as San Diego–the palms and ocean–we (my hubby steve, and friends Colin and Miriam) began our trek towards the high desert and Mt. Laguna. The temperature was warming. Manzanita, sage, and pines were becoming a focal point. I never knew this terrain existed so close to the city 17 years ago, but then again that’s when I thought lying on the beach with a drink in hand was a sport! We pulled into the Al Bahr Shrine, which would be the start/finish of the journey. Looking around, I felt right at home: this terrain reminded me of Reno/Tahoe! Scott Mills provided us with our pre-race briefing, emphasizing that this race is more difficult than what appears on paper. I had also heard the same from Julie Fingar, who ran the race last year. The main advice I took away was to go out conservatively because it only became more difficult. Luckily I listened.

One nice thing about this race is the 7am start. Not many races allow you to awaken with the sun already rising. I felt unusually calm. Maybe it was the comfort of the surroundings, the later start, the low-key feel of the race….whatever it was it was what I needed. I hadn’t completed a 100 in 2 years, with my last attempt at WS100 2010 ending in a DNF. I just wanted to finish without any mishaps (OK…more like ones that I could handle!). Steve and I arrived at the start about 45 minutes early. People were milling around with the nervousness penetrable. A friend from college, who I hadn’t seen in 15 years, surprised me at the start. He was a great distraction from my constant clock watching. At the start line, I recognized a few other yellow jerseys standing around. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, “Go”….the journey began. The first 30 miles were known to be fast and I heeded the advice to be conservative in this section. I let people go as I set into a pace that was comfortable, almost too comfortable. I found myself running solo between 2 groups, the lead pack and mid-pack. I enjoyed this position as I felt like I was on a training run, enjoying the scenery of meadows, wildflowers, forest animals. Next thing I knew my foot caught a rock and I ate a little dirt. I just laughed, looked down at my bloody knee and thought “what a great day”.

By the time I hit mile 23, the temp was climbing. It was supposed to get to the low to mid 70s. It doesn’t sound warm, but there had been cold weather up until then in Reno. So, yes, it felt warm! I absolutely loved the section from here, paralleling a creek. It was lush and a little shaded with LOTS of bugs thanks to the humidity. I remember thinking to myself “this must be what horses feel like in pasture”. I caught up to a fellow runner as he was dousing himself in a creek, and holding a broken branch in his hand. I thought this was strange until I asked him what he was using it for…to shoo the bugs away! Good idea, but I decided just to get some bug spray at the next AS.

At 31 miles (Pine Creek), you do a 4.7 mile loop. I had hit the desert section of the race so it was very exposed with sandy like footing. Since it was getting warmer and the ice had started being placed in the jog bra, I decided it best to take both my bottles rather than leaving 1 behind as some others were doing. Good choice! By the time I returned, both bottles had been gone for 5 minutes. Chugged some more fluids, more ice in the jog bra, and a promise from Angela Shartel that there were popsicles “up the 2 mile asphalt hill”. At least there was a “little” shade. I saw a female up ahead and realized it was Denise Bourassa. it was her 1st 100 and she was having problems with cramps. She was still moving though. I told her anything can happen in a 100, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw her later. Next thing I knew, we were getting our popsicles…it was like heaven. Wow, only a few more miles and I get to see my crew. Truth be told, I kind of liked this section. It was one of the tougher climbs in the race but it was easily walk/run. I was able to pass a few people on this section which of course is a motivator in and of itself, then getting to see my crew…even better.


The next few sections were uneventful. It was the time of day where things start to run together and time seems to fly by, but you just can’t get to the next AS fast enough. I will tell you that the 51 mile AS, Sunrise, had been dubbed by myself and crew “the Burning Man of ultras”. This place was a conglomerate of trailers we had seen the day before just driving around. There were flags raised, tons of music and food, and people having a good time (not sure what kind, but they were happy!). The best part was I got to see this place twice. The second time would be around mile 80 and in the dark. Hmmm…when would they burn the man?!

I finally picked my pacer up at mile 59. During the day, I never wanted to know where I was in relation to Krissy Moehl. Too early to push and I just wanted to focus on staying relaxed. Well, as we were leaving I was told I was about 6 minutes behind. Wow, who would have thunk! OK, OK…focus. Just kept running the same, chatting with Miriam about my day, and focusing on hydration and nutrition. In the back of my head, the memories of WS100 were sneaking in….when would the nausea/puking come? I tried to push this out but it always lingered. I was trying to really focus on caring for myself so it wouldn’t happen again, but those thoughts were still there.

We reached an 8 mile stretch that was to be technical. I figured I had about 2 hours before it got dark so I wouldn’t need a light. I now kick myself! I started slowing down, having some difficulty running down the rocks and having fatigue begin setting in. I watched as the sun was setting thinking to myself “please let us almost be there”. I was worried. I now knew I had made a huge mistake. Always plan for the worst case scenario. I should have taken a light! Thankfully Miriam had packed a small headlamp “just in case”. It wasn’t great and I still had some trouble negotiating the terrain, but it was way better than being in pitch black. Then we saw it…a bright light coming up from behind. It was Shawna Tompkins. Ugh, but then again, yeah because the light allowed me to see better! Finally, the we came upon the AS. Steve and Colin had us in and out of there in a flash and I remember telling Miriam I need to run. We made some good time in that next section because the adrenaline had woken me up and it was a fairly runnable section. Plus, I knew we were headed back to the “ultra-style Black Rock City”. The AS was definitely quieter and again my crew was rushing us out. Steve told me they gave Shawna a ride back to the finish. I was somewhat relieved but also felt for her. I know what that DNF feels like.

I began the countdown to the finish. We reached 87 miles and now my crew was telling me start the push. Krissy was only 15 minutes ahead. I ran for the 1st 1/2 mile, then Mr. Sandman decided it was time for me to take a snooze. It was like someone had given me a sleeping pill. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. There was one point that I stopped to go pee. I was in the squat position when I heard Miriam’s voice from what seemed far away. “Are you going pee?” I had fallen asleep. Those 4 miles were the longest of the day. Espresso Gus weren’t helping. What I needed was a good cup of coffee. Steve and Colin were standing there as I trudged into the AS. Steve said” You were falling asleep, weren’t you?” That easy 4 mile stretch took me over an hour to complete! Now I was way behind Krissy, but I was in single digits. I got my cup of coffee and Steve handed me a Jolly Rancher, which I later found out a volunteer had to get from his car since there was no hard candy at the AS. Thanks!!

The last 9 miles were memorable for me because I began to reflect on the day. I ran a smart race…took it out conservatively. I ate early on…turkey and avocado is the best! I kept hydrated…a cup of water at the AS does make a difference. Kept myself as cool as possible…ice down jog bra, wet bandana. Electrolytes in balance…S!caps every 1/2 hour and EFS in the bottles. Never felt nauseated or bonky…all the above plus the addition of Vespa to my repertoire. I ran the race with the goal in mind to finish strong with no remarkable downs. I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face. I had accomplished my goal! I couldn’t have done it without my crew and pacer. They kept me on track. Hopefully they will be willing to do it again next year!!

Shoes: Wildcats
Socks: Defeet trail 19
Drink: fruit punch EFS
Gels: GU and Vespa
Electolytes: S!Caps

Sheep Don’t Care

This is a long post, but it’s worth it… maybe.  Our moms will read it… maybe.  Anyway my race recap, then Alison’s.  It has sheep in it, but they don’t care.

Alison and I started this saying in Ireland while we were running “Irish trails”daysbefore the IAU World Trail Championships. “Sheep don’t care.” Out running the “trails” along Slieve League, the highest sea cliffs in Europe, we observed the sheep out on the mountains. I should probably explain “Irish trails,” then I’ll stop putting it in quotes. Many of the Irish trails were not like trails in the US, there wasn’t any distinguishable trail. Just walk from where you are currently to the top of the mountain, or other destination, however you feel is the best route. If a run is getting long, then just turn and cut cross country, it’s not like you were on a real trail most of the time anyway. If you pass though any gates, close them behind you. In some places there are posts with a hiking guy on it to direct you in a generally direction toward a landmark or to help you avoid large holes or bogs. Sometimes there are four inch wide sheep trails to follow, but those generally go wherever the sheep have need to travel. I quite enjoyed the Irish trails, they suited my personality. So back to my “Sheep don’t care” story, Alison and I were discussing the thinking of sheep. Do they really think about being on the side of a mountain? Do they think it is hard going up and down the mountain? Does the mud, wind, rain bother them? They certainly don’t seem to be concerned about any of these, sheep don’t care. They just walk around looking for food, even if it is along a cliff, high on a mountain. Both Alison and I used the “sheep don’t care” thought during our race.

Proper Irish Trail

So about the race, it was run in the Connemara region of Ireland, a beautiful area of large mountains with plenty of Irish trails. The Europeans were taking this Trail Championship seriously. There were 20 countries represented and 13 full men’s teams. A helicopter covered the race and guys with cameras were all over the course. A Championship race show will be broadcast all over Europe. That was definitely different from my average trail race. The start was at the doors of Kylemore Abbey, an old castle. We traversed the road for about 5K to Letterfrack, where we turned up to summit Diamond Hill. We were to run the loop up and down Diamond Hill twice, then head out for a long out and back section. Being a guy without much leg speed, a fast easy start on the road, and a lot of talented runners, I would guess that I was in about 80^th place early on. Diamond Hill would be considered a significant, difficult climb and descent in the US. I knew we were running the easy stuff. I did pass about 30 runners on the first ascent and continued to move up on the technical descent. Then more easy running back to Letterfrack and losing places again, ending up in 47^th at the bottom. Again back up and down Diamond Hill where I again gained positioning. Now it was time to start having some fun, we hit the first section of proper Irish trails, 2k of open ground. I was telling Josh Brimhall and some other runner that we were not in the bog yet. Yea, it’s wet and you’re sinking up over the top of your shoes, this is just open ground. By the way open ground in Ireland, and the UK, is not a golf course or park grass fields. It is clumpy grass, heather, holes, drop offs, mud, rocks. As the RD, Richard Donovan said at the technical meeting, “The course will have any range of technical and difficulty you can imagine.” Richard Donovan is the RD for the North Pole and South Pole Marathons, that should tell you something about the course.

One Man's Pass - Slieve League (Not Race)

After gaining several more places on the open ground, I lost several places on the road section to the bog. Now it was 2k of bog, a playground of fun, if you had the right mindset. Boggy areas are wet and muddy, but when you step in an actual bog it’s not like being in mud really. Nor is a bog like falling in a hole or a pool of water. It’s more like stepping into a tub of oatmeal. On the surface it looks like it might be solid, but once you step in the bog you sink to some random depth, completely surrounded by some type of earth. You’ll have to use your bog muscle someday to understand. I laughed out loud some at this point. I had run Three Peaks a few years ago and knew what to expect from the bog and the whole experience. Other runners were in a little shock I believe. Most everyone was buried to their waist at some point. Dave James said he followed the runner in front of him in and they were both up to the chest or neck. Dave pushed him out, then he pulled Dave out. If you were thinking like a kid, you had some fun. If you were too serious, you most definitely were not having fun. We left the bog and returned to a road section going over to Benbaun Mountain. On the way we passed through the second aid station at 28k. I was in 30 something place. I knew it was about 2k more to the base on Benbaun Mountain and then the race would actually start.

This was called the mountain section of the course. Diamond Hill was just that, a hill. Just traversing the open ground of Irish trails is difficult. It is wet, mud, uneven, just plain bad footing. Now put that footing on 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% grades, plus add a few rocks or all rocks at the top. That was Benbaun Mountain. Think broken arms, grown men wincing and complaining, bloody foreheads, elite women crying. Quite a few DNFs. Asking if you fell is not the right question, it is more how good are you at falling and maintaining speed. I made friends with a Dutch runner who went down on his butt, pushing himself with his hands the second time down Benbaun. He said that he passed two runners that way, asking them how do you like my technique as he went by. The Dutch runner said the other two did not seem amused. As I said earlier, some of us were on a huge playground, some of us were in some Irish hell. Personally, I did quite well here and had moved up to 21^st by the bottom of Benbaun on the way out. Then another dreaded easy section of disused road, but road like none the less. I lost ground here. I saw Ben Nephew here, he was running great in 7^th. I met Dave, Josh, and then Alison on my way back. It was great to see teammates and trade encouragement. Dave James was so positive and encouraging as I went by, that was inspiring. My second climb up Benbaun was not as good as I’d like, I’m still not 100% with my climbing from last years back difficulties. The final grass section going up was cruel. It had to be 40% or more, it was steeper and longer than Whernside at Three Peaks Race. It was a literal ¼ to ½ mile crawl, grabbing grass and pulling yourself up. Think huge green wall, think bigger unless you were there. Then a final rocky section to the summit. I had lost a few spots and hit the top around 25^th place. I was a little concerned about how I’d descend now, but once at the top my back released and I was tumbling down once more. I am really encouraged about about my work on improving my descending. I got all the way back to 21^st by the bottom and hoped that I could hold that or move up more. That was foolish thinking.

The guys around me were equally tough, they wouldn’t give up and they were faster. So I slipped back to 24^th on the road and could see several guys coming into the last aid station as I left. Finally off the road and back into the bog, but going uphill now. Yes an uphill bog??? I seemed to be about the only one running most of it and did some serious damage catching a couple guys and pulling away from the rest. One more long road section to the open ground. Two Italian runners passed me again here. I had gone back and forth with one of them since the 20k mark. Finally, we hit the 2k of open ground with less than 3k to the finish. I caught one Italian quickly, then the next. In trying to gain any time for our team that I could squeeze out, I caught one more guy to end up back at 21^st.

Back:Roy, Gabe, jb, Dave, Ben, Josh Front:Liza, Alison, Perla

The Connemara race was definitely an experience of pushing back limits. There is nothing like it that I know of in the US. Josh Brimhall, two time winner of Zane Grey 50 Mile, commented, “This made Zane Grey look like a freeway.” Interestingly, Richard Donovan was convinced to change his original course because it was too hard. I spoke to a couple of fellows who said the original course was much harder. Richard was concerned the revised course that we ran would be a track meet! It was great competing as a team with Ben Nephew, Dave James, Josh Brimhall, Gabriel Rodriguez, Roy Pirrung, Perla Rodriquez, and Alison. Thanks guys. Our mens team finished 6^th out of 13 teams and Ben was a sweet 6^th overall. Thanks to Gabriel for getting us great singlets from Under Armour. We all hated that Liza Howard couldn’t run, but appreciated her and Eliot working the aid station for us. My La Sportiva Crosslite 2.0 were awesome. Shoes with grip were a precious commodity on this course. The Crosslite 2.0 has quickly become a favorite shoe for any off road running and I’ve put them on about everything this summer. A final interesting note, I still averaged a faster pace on this “insane” 43 mile ultra than I did at my 23 mile Slovenian mountain race by 7 seconds/mile. Difficult courses has certainly been redefined by my last two races. But hey, sheep don’t care.

Alison’s calumniations,

For those who don’t know us well, for all that Jason and I have in common, we are also very different personalities. Jason is fearless, adventurous, and thrill-seeking, and I, well, am not. Luckily he has been working on transferring a little of his personality to me.

Alison on some Irish trails

We spent our first 3 days in Ireland running on Slieve League, up and down mountains, and through bogs. So at least I had a little of an idea what to expect from the race and I had my head set on being positive.

The race started out very easy on a road. I thought that I had gone through 5k a little too fast, however once I got to Diamond Hill I realized that there was going to be enough slow “running” in this race that the fast start would not hurt me. The loop around Diamond Hill had the options of running down slippery wet rocks or slick mud. I tried a little of each, falling in the same spot on each loop in the mud. Once we got off Diamond Hill, I started passing people. The race organizers had soldiers out on the course to “reassure” us that we were still on the “Irish trail.” As I crossed over a fence into the bog, one of the soldiers said, “Don’t fall.” I responded “It’s okay, I already fell three times.” I then promptly fell in a big hole in the bog. The woman from Great Britain decided that she would let me lead the way after that. Back on the road, I continued to steadily pass people. Then came the big mountain, Ben Baun. This mountain was steep and slick. Going up I was still passing people, one woman even commented that I was “going fast,” although that was definitely relative. I should probably mention at this point that I am afraid of large steep drop offs. And this mountain was definitely high and steep. I just told myself to get up the mountain and not to worry about getting down at that point. I never let myself look down the mountain too far, since that would only cause anxiety. I got up to the top and started down. I promptly fell, then fell again. Each time I would slide 3 to 5 feet down the mountain. My feet slipped out from under me so much that I thought multiple times I would be better off just sliding down the whole mountain on my butt. Finally I reached the bottom, and already saw the top men coming back up the mountain. The out and back was fun to see the American men. It was energizing to see Ben and Jason running so well. Then it was back up the mountain and down again. I realized at the top of the mountain that I was hyperventilating when my hands and lips started tingling, so I had to consciously calm myself down. I was passed at the top of the

"None Shall Pass"

mountain by another woman. On the way down I saw her get down in a crab crawl and figured that that was probably the best way for me to get down the mountain as well. Finally I reached the bottom. Once I was down the mountain, it was back to passing people again. I finished the race still feeling strong and running, while many others had been reduced to walking. I also finished the race very muddy and covered in bog, which took multiple showers to fully remove. Overall, I really enjoyed the race and the opportunity to participate in a big event like this.

TRT 100 – The final countdown, 5 days to go…..

TRT 100 – The final countdown, 5 days to go…..this is it.

The big day is almost here. It is Monday evening. I got up here to Incline Village in Lake Tahoe on Saturday afternoon. Did my last longish run yesterday with my friend Heeva from the SLO Trail Runner’s. Checked out the course and ran the first 5 and last 7 miles of the course. A lot of snow melted since my last visit 2 weeks ago. The consistent heat made it happen. Also a lot of the downed trees have been cut and removed. At least on the parts of the course that we went on. All great news.

A Glimpse of Heaven

All the work is done. No I just have to sit and wait and go run 100 miles on Saturday. The weather should be great, a tad on the hot side but that’s better then rain and cold. Still plenty of snow on the course but not as bad as I was afraid of. I am healthy and feel good. Now let’s see if the 1224 miles in the 12 week prep cycle are helpful or not. Many things can happen in a 100 miles, let’s hope most of them will be good and the bad ones are not to bad.

As I mentioned in a post earlier, this is my highlight race of 2011, I put all my eggs in one basket – TRT100. I have been training harder then ever before with my lifetime highest mileage week of 139 miles and my goals are set pretty high:

Breaking 24 is a must, but my goal is really to win the Masters division and take the course record (currently at 20:46:50). If things go well I would like to break 20 hours. I think physically I am in shape to go sub 20 but we will see how the day unfolds. I feel at home on the course having won the 50 miler twice and holding the course record (7:52:09), that sure gives me a lot of confidence. My crew (Larisa, fresh of a great finish at SD100) and pacers (Brett and Victor) are all set. My wife and kids are excited and everyone is looking forward to race day. A bunch of our San Luis Obispo Trail Runners Club Members are racing as well. It should be a great weekend.

If you want to follow the race you can do so at:

http://www.trtlive.com/

My Sportiva Crosslites are ready to go, I will also be using 2 Ultimate Direction handhelds, and wearing our Sportiva Green Layer uniform. At night I will light the trails up using my awesome Petzl headlamp. I will try and consume about 250 calories an hour between GUs, Boost+ some aid station junk and maybe a Twix candy bar if my pacer does not eat it in front of me like he did at Leadville! I am hoping to put about 20-25 ounces of mostly water per hour into my system. In addition to that one S-Cap per hour (in the heat of the day maybe 2) plus some Amino HP for the 1st two bottles of the race and later in the race (mile 80). I will also start drinking flat Coke at mile 80 or so.
At this point I would already like to thank some special people in my life for getting me here. First of all my wonderful wife that always motivates and supports me. My two great kids Dylan and Luke, they are ready to go with me for the last mile. My coach Karl King, thanks for all the great advice and keeping me on track. All my friends from SLO Trail Runner’s, especially Heeva for all the hours shared on the trails. And of course my 2 superstar pacers, Brett Rivers and Victor Ballesteros as well as my crew chief Larisa Polischuk. Thank you very much.

Now let’s go and run some.