A Trip to the American River

This past weekend was a whole lot of fun! The 2.5 days in Cali felt like a week of warm sunshine refreshment. I'm really pleased with the race and fond of all the positive memories that highlighted the trip. I flew out to the race on Friday with my PI brothers- one the clean cut and self-proclaimed "Deano Latino" and the other wooly mammoth known to AJW as "Big Boy." After arriving in Sacramento we cruised the 5 in a Prius...not that this has any significance other than the fact it took us a few trys to figure out how to turn the darn thing on! More like riding in a space shuttle in the early going accompanied by a crazy sounding GPS navigational voice...

That night we got fueled up at the pre race meal. The cheese tortellini was amazing; probably a little too amazing...more on that in the race report. Anyhow, during the day the three of us talked race strategy and pacing and overanalyzed too many factors when thinking about the 50 miles we were to cover the next day. While MC'ing the panel during the dinner AJW brought it all back into perspective, "Tomorrow you're gonna run from Sacramento to Auburn." It's sound advice- SIMPLIFY!

Race day started a little after 3AM on Saturday morn. We hopped on the bus and arrived in Sacramento 1 hour before the start. A big thank you to RD Julie Fingar who kept us and some others warm before the start in a nearby office. On our way I was convinced we were looking for a warming hut...it was early...

As predicted the race started faster than any ultra I've been a part of. I did my best to find the fastest pace that wouldn't create any blood lactate in the muscles. For whatever reason my Garmin battery magically died the night before even after a full charge before the trip. This turned out to be a good thing- I simply ran by intuition. I ran in a mini peloton of 5 guys- one of which was Jacob Rydman. I found this out as the local received many GO JACOB encouragements along the beginning stretches of bike path.

Around mile 13 Jacob picked up the pace. The other 3 guys followed while I stayed at the same pace and began to find myself in No Man's Land. In many ways I like running by myself in a race so this turned out to be a good thing as well. I watched as the pack of 4 started falling off Jacob's pace one by one. Two hours in and that cheese tortellini caught up with me. A quick stop and I was back in rhythm. I then began to pass the other runners in the peloton that had been separated by Jacob. Around mile 20 I was surprised to pass Jacob who had looked so smooth on the pavement. Evidently his quads had burned out.

I went through the marathon 10 ticks before 2:55. This is the 3rd fastest marathon I've ran in my extensive road marathoning career :) Finally I hit dirt! Once I was on the trail I felt like a new man! On the pavement I built up plenty of aches, tightness, and yearning for a natural forgiving surface. American River is like eating a lot of mashed potatoes followed by a grand dessert! The bike path miles were bland and consistent. You knew you had to clean your plate though to get dessert. It was tasty! I loved changing up the muscle groups, going uphill, going downhill, and cruising along the rolling sections. At the AS at 35 I passed Deano Latino who said Senor was just a few minutes ahead. 15 miles to go and I was feeling good. For some reason the gels went down better during this race than any other. It was by far the most gels I've had in a 50M. It was solid and consistent energy all day! I pressed on wondering if I'd see the backs of any more runners.

When I got to the last AS at 48.5 I did a triple take as I thought I saw two Tony K's hanging out together. It was funny how closely they resembled him; the hair, beards, tan, and shoes were spot on! I was really psyched to see the last two mile markers come and go with relative ease. A glance at the watch and I kicked it into gear to go under 6:10.

The post race was also exceptional! Veggie burgers, music, and good people helped recharge the battery. It was fun to meet and chat with many of the Montrail Team for the first time. Congrats to Greenwood, Skaden, and Perry for their impressive finishes! Dinner that night brought together good laughs, good people, and good food! The next morning we got out on the WS100 course. Ran out to No Hands Bridge and back from the track with Perry as I wasn't feeling as spry as my older counterparts...fun to watch FastEd drop the hammer down the home stretch on Clark! Prophetic? We'll soon find out. Ladies and Gentlemen the time is now!

1st Quarter Review and Grey Rock Summit

Wow! 2011 is flying by... here's a quick look at the numbers:

March YTD

Miles: 337.1 1067.8
Miles/Day: 10.9 11.8
Days Off: 3 3
Meat: 0 0
Alcohol: 0 0
Stretch/Roll: 23/31 79/90
Race Miles: 26 81
Race Reg: $40. $216.25
Pushups: 400 2300
Pullups: 128 497
Crunches: 900 4330

Tidbits for March: 3 long runs above 26.2- 1. Chubby Cheeks 50K with Clark. 2. Salida Marathon. 3. 26.7 tour of Lory/HTMP with 2009 Leadman Corey Hanson. BTW- Corey did all the bike events on a stiff frame single speed! Dipped under 31 for a Towers Road PR of 30:58.

And... DJ Money and I ran up Grey Rock last Sunday. Grey Rock is a short, steep, and technical trail northwest of Fort Collins. It offers 2300 ft. of climbing in 4.5 miles via the Meadows Trail or via the Summit Trail in 3.1 miles. It is a classic training ground for Fort Collins runners putting in the miles for Hardrock. Look for Pete Stevenson who probably holds the record for Grey Rock laps in one run...

Salida Run Through Time: Version 6.0

Timmy bags a turkey! That's 3-in-a-row at Salida for Mr. Parr. I think I got him super focused for this race after I took it to him in 2008...fortunately my blood trail led him to the finish :)

Salida brings back many fond memories for me. 6 years ago this was the longest trail race I had ever run. As an ankle biter Tenderfoot Mtn was the first peak I ever climbed and it was always fun to chuck rocks in the Arkansas...those were the days...when life was uber simple and I was a lil' hellion on my Big Wheel- one of the best child transport devices ever!

Now I'm 6 for 6 at one of the best low key trail events that draws solid competition year in year out. Regionally, there isn't a better longer distance trail race you can run in March...in the mountains. At $40 you won't find a cheaper marathon. I highly encourage you readers to put this one on your schedule for next year. I am really hoping for another EPIC snow year at this race next year and I would also love to see someone go under the 3 hour mark...Timmy needs someone to push him/chase after...who will it be? Is there none among you? I must have the movie Troy on my mind...

To the race...after warming up for 1.5 miles I made my way to the start to catch up and banter with friends. I was pleasantly surprised to see the UROY toeing the line. It would have been fun to see Geoff and Timmy race each other at a shorter distance...but it wouldn't be this past weekend as Geoff was using the race as a training run before the showdown at Chuckanut.

In the beginning miles I ran with Tim, Senor, Marco Peinado, and Dan Vega. Soon enough Tim gapped Nick who gapped Dan who gapped Marco who gapped me. Around 6 miles I chatted briefly with Marco and from here on I essentially ran by myself. At the 10.5 mile turnaround the leaders had about 5 minutes on me. The plan was to turn it up for the second half and see if I could reel in any fish. I was solid all day but the extra gear decided to take this race off. At the mile 20 AS I decided to roll the dice. I ran through this AS hoping the extra 5-10 seconds might help me bridge the gap if Nick or Dan began to slow. Not this year! So I ran the last 16 miles of the race on 22 oz. of banana nuun Needless to say I was thirsty when I finished. And for whatever reason I didn't want to eat much either and only put down two expresso Clif shots for a whopping total of 200 cals and 44 oz. of nuun.

In regards to the course changes- the more singletrack the better- even if it "slows" the course a bit. Comparatively my best time on the old was 3:11 while the new came in at 3:14. From memory I think Tim's best was 3:02 on the old with a 3:05 on the new. However, I heard there may be a newer/different course for next year as well...

The post race was great to chat with all the homeys and continue the gathering at my Aunt Pat's for the annual Irish feast! Mmmm....Good times had by all, see you in 2012!

Police Report II: Guilty!

Earlier this week one Dakota Jones was sentenced by Larimer County authorities for abandoning his principles regarding the sport of Ultrarunning. Full Police Report here. Shortly after the report was filed I received a phone call from the DA. My assignment: Observe and report upon the lifestyle of the accused. After reviewing the case I realized that the accused had been misunderstood. However, after the past two court appointed intervention sessions my views have changed after new evidence was exposed.

03/02, 40 degrees, 4 PM: During my under cover observation I witnessed the accused running shirtless on the Foothills Trail. I began to doubt his credibility given the conditions. However, after conversing with the accused I believed he simply needed some support. As part of his witness protection program I knew he needed a brief respite from the local trails. The accused needed a place to run in total anonymity. That led to our second intervention session of the week.

03/03, 35 degrees, 6:45 AM: The accused reported to my house on time and ready to run. After my initial intake we arrived where ultrarunners are rarely seen, on the track! This would be his first time on the oval de cush in 2011. The workload was straight forward: 5X1 mile with 400 recovery jog. The results were shocking.

Mile 1: 5:36
Mile 2: 5:30
Mile 3: 5:25
Mile 4: 5:20
After the 4th mile the accused "felt pretty good" and wanted to try to beat his 5:02 mile PR. The light turned green.
Mile 5: *5:00*

The Accused: Dakota Jones
The Verdict: Guilty
The Reason: Killin' it on the track

Young Money, run for and with your heart!

Numeros de Febrero

February

319.4 Miles
11.4 Miles/Day
0 Days Off
0 Meat
0 Alcohol
25/28 Days- Stretch or rollout
40 Race Miles
$120. Race Registrations
700 Pushups
130 Pullups
1155 Crunches

YTD

730.7 Miles
12.3 Miles/Day
0 Days Off
0 Meat
0 Alcohol
56/59 Days- Stretch or rollout
55 Race Miles
$176.25 Race Registrations
1900 Pushups
369 Pullups
3430 Crunches

***** March 1st *****

Just a quick update to check out the following on March 1st:

1. Montrail will be launching their new website! Be sure to check this out- it will feature an e-commerce platform that will allow a direct sales channel from Montrail to the customer online. http://www.montrail.com/ You can also browse the new and improved product pages, and find a plethora of info regarding Montrail, its athletes, and much more.

2. Registration for the 5th Annual Run Rabbit Run Steamboat 50M will open at 7 AM MST. I anticipate it to fill very quickly and there is only 190 spots. I will make it 5 for 5 and toe the start line once again this September 17!

Red Hot Thoughts

The Podium: Parr (2), Jones (1), Burch (3)

DC & RB

Results,just in case you haven't seen them yet.
At noon last Friday I hit the road with my neighbor for our date with the desert. Seven hours and a few thousand calories later we arrived! This year I was to be treated with some wonderful local hospitality as Mrs. Jones welcomed myself and a few other runners and their kin to share a roof and some time with her favorite son. 2011 was my 5th time to the Red Hot; 4 as a racer, and 1 as a supporter. This however was the first time that I slept indoors before the race. Needless to say, the comfort of a bed and a regulated heating system made me feel quite pampered.

After a solid night of rest it was off to the race. As I drove to the start my in car thermometer read 50 degrees. It was warm and windy. Once the car was parked, the precip set in. A mix of graupel, rain, and other related water derivatives made their way to the sandy, red, desert floor. I needed to put on the tough face as I thought about stripping down to shorts, t-shirt, arm warmers, and gloves. After discussing "best" clothing options with half a dozen friends I chose to also put on the Geist Jacket which turned out to be a wise decision.

The race began and the excitement was palpable. The gun went off and the thundering herd began its journey. A large pack stormed forward. On the first descent I put in a mini surge to see who would follow. After about 2 seconds in the lead I triggered what can only be described as pissing off a bunch of bees that instantly began to swarm and overtake me. As the grade turned flat, Mike Smith (2:15? marathoner) made one of the most convincing moves I have ever witnessed in a race and put a sizable gap on the rest of the field. Parr and Jones cautiously reacted and the chase was on.

Until about mile 8 I found myself in the eight spot. I began to chip away at the fast start that propelled Jason Koop, Dylan Bowman, and two other guys I didn't recognize. It was nice to chat a bit with Jason and Dylan and recognize that a marathon was still in front of us. Koop was looking solid after an early season CR win at Ghost Town but would later have to drop due to a knee injury. D-Bow and I kept at it and reeled in the last two guys that trailed Jones. The fun began with the first of many twisty descents that allow the turnover to rapidly increase. At this point I still had a visual on Dakota but his red coat was beginning to disappear as the slickrock drew nigh.

Up until mile 24 Dylan was anywhere from 1-45 seconds behind me. I knew I would have to push the remaining descents fast as he would gain ground on the flats. I would steal a glimpse back every 15 minutes or so hoping he would be out of view as the race dropped into some of the slickrock washes. As I began to pass some of the 33K runners they said I was in third. How could that be? They must have just miscounted...However in the back of my mind I remembered that this course is not often kind to first timers. Many fast and accomplished runners have gone wrong on this course. Parr and Jones know the route, that left Mike.

During the last few miles I let the pull of gravity guide me to the finish line. 4:12, a 4 minute PR for me at this race. I then got the update from Parr that Mike had dropped after taking a left turn instead of going straight, thus repeating the first initial loop. Had he gone straight a new CR would most likely have occurred. This is trail running and these things happen. I have been off course enough times to know.

Post race was good times as usual. Great to catch up with my long lost brothers from Gunnison and so many enthusiastic, fun loving folks. Fun to see Young Money aka Hollywood aka H-Dub (my personal favorite) win one in his backyard with the support of his mom, aunt, uncle, and many friends to cheer him on and heckle him a bit later that evening..:)

Points for reflection:

1. Would the race outcome have changed if Parr brought a bottle and ate more than 350 calories? This is one area that I am working on improving as I look towards 100's. You can fake it in a 50K and a 50M- but that won't work for 100M. DC has witnessed the caloric deprived monster I turned into at GM 100 last year. On Saturday I ate 500 cals and drank 2+ liters of water. I need to eat more.

2. If there were no 15-20 MPH headwinds would the course record have been broken?

3. If Mike Smith ran the course clean what would his time have been?

Later that evening, back at the ranch, I chatted it up with Bryon Powell. Always fun to talk about ultrarunning with other runners who are passionate about the sport!

The next morning after a hearty breakfast and a mellow 4.5M jog H-Dub and I got back in the car. 7 hours and a few thousand calories later we arrived back at the Fort.