At Last, a Race Schedule

I know it’s standard practice to plan out the race schedule for the year in December, or at the latest, January. The planning, the dreaming…it’s all supposed to be part of the pleasure of the off-season. Well, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m the world’s worst procrastinator.

I had one great race already in February, but was still having trouble getting excited about the rest of my running plans for the year. One thing I did decide over the winter was that I do not plan on doing a hundred-miler this year. TRT was epic, and it was a great experience. However, it so dominated my every thought for the year, that when it was over, I didn’t have much running left in me. I was tired of training, and I didn’t know how to run without training for a race. So, this year a 100 miler is conspicuously absent from my schedule. (Don’t worry; they’re on the long term calendar.) You will notice instead, a number of shorter, local trail races that I think will be pretty fun, and will hopefully keep me motivated throughout the summer. My themes this year are “keep it local” (that’s standard for me—I can’t really afford to add travel expenses to all my race fees, plus there are so many great local races, why go somewhere else?) and “keep it fun.”

Today it is so beautiful, that I have moved the kitchen table and a chair out to the deck, and am currently typing this in short sleeves and sunshine. I didn’t bother hauling the deck furniture out of the basement since we are supposed to get a foot of snow tomorrow night, but for now, it truly does feel like the first day of spring! As such, I am feeling pretty excited about my race schedule. So without further ado, my 2009 race schedule:

Rucky Chucky 50K –March 21

This 50K is run on the Western States Trail near Foresthill. It should be a beautiful day, although there’s a chance of rain. The truth is, I am woefully out of shape after an illness following Surf City, and then a lot of “skiing instead of running” type of workouts. The two reasons I didn’t cross this one off my schedule are, number one: I am dying to get some dirt under my feet, and two: If I can’t finish this, then I’ll never be able to finish AR50 in two weeks.

American River 50 –April 4

This was my first 50 miler back in 2006. I like the course, and there will be a lot of runners. I had originally been hoping for a fast time when I signed up, but now I’m just hoping not to be a lot slower than my 2006 time of 9:28. How well I survive, and recover from, Rucky Chucky, will give me a good indication of how this race should go.

Billy Dutton Uphill –April 12

This is billed as the original “run what ‘ya brung” race. Athletes ascend 2000’ in 3.2 miles from the base of KT to High Camp at Squaw. You can use skate skis, striding skis, or snow shoes. This is sort of the winter equivalent of the Squaw Mountain Run. I will need to find some snow shoes to borrow for this. There is no way I am going to try skating it when I haven’t had my skate skis on all winter. Should be interesting, since I don’t really snow shoe.

Diablo Marathon –April 18

One of these years I will run the full 50 at Diablo. Since I am doing AR 50 just two weeks before, I decided to forgo it for the marathon again this year. Plus, after getting lost on this course last year, I need some redemption. I had also considered The River City Marathon for this day, but it’s a road race and, as stated earlier, I am just dying to get some dirt under my feet. Diablo was super fun last year, and I have no doubt that Sarah and Wendell will give us another great day!

Escape From Prison Hill Half Marathon –April 25

I have run this race for the last three years. I love the course! Typically I don’t race it because I go out for some additional training miles afterward. If I feel good, I’d like to race it this year. We’ll see.

Reno Rock ‘N River Marathon –May 3

This is a road race in Reno. I haven’t decided if I’m doing the half or the full marathon yet. I’ve never run it before, but I hear good things about it from people who ran it last year.

Silver State 50/50 –May 16

I have run this one for the last two years, and I like it. It’s a tough course, and it’s very close. That being said, I’m not totally committed to running it this year. If I do, I’ll probably go for the 50K option.

Auburn Trail 50K –June 6

Another event in the Ultrarunner.net race series. I had a great time at this one last year, and look forward to returning.

Burton Creek Trail Marathon –June 28

Last year I won the first Burton Creek Trail Run, so I feel a little pressure about returning to this one. They changed the distance this year from a 20 mile run to a full marathon. Hey, I guess I don’t have to worry about losing my course record! It was a beautiful course, and hopefully this event will get bigger every year.

Tahoe Rim Trail 50M –July 19

What can I say, I love this race. Scenic, challenging, and the best aid stations and volunteers imaginable! I suspect I’ll be back to the 100 eventually, but for this year, I think the 50M will be plenty.

Squaw Mountain Run –August 1

This classic Tahoe event is 3.6 miles to the top of Squaw. It has a pretty big field—over 500 runners, and it’s the first race in the Tahoe Mountain Trail Run Series. (Can you call it a series if there are only two races?) I can’t believe I’ve lived in Tahoe for over 8 years and have never run this race. This is my year! I’ll trash talk myself all day about how bad I suck at running downhill, but I have to confess, I consider myself a pretty decent hill climber. This will be my chance to prove it.

Northstar Nirvana Mountain Trail Run –August 15

This 10K trail run at Northstar Ski Resort is the second race in the Tahoe Mountain Series. I’m hoping this is a good one with big turnout. I am excited to run some short trail races!

Lake of the Sky 50K –Sept 12

This is a beautiful 50K on the Tahoe Rim Trail starting in Tahoe City. Part of the Ultrarunner.net series, it’s a beautiful and challenging course. (Notice that theme here in Tahoe?)

Emerald Bay Trail Run –Sept 20

Another short one (12K). It is also another new race for me.

Helen Klein 50M –October 31

This is a flat, fast 50 mile course. If I manage to avoid burnout by this point in the season, I really think I can run under 8 hours here. I somehow have this idea that if I can go sub-8, it will make me “fast.” Where do we get these strange definitions and standards that we like to apply to ourselves?

Run the River marathon –November 14

After running 3:28 in February, I decided that I should try to break my 10-year-old marathon PR of 3:26 this year. This is my only road marathon at low altitude, so this will be my chance. I love the American River Parkway, so it should be a nice course, and certainly a good chance to go fast.

Well, writing it all out there like that makes it look pretty ambitious. I have to remember that a lot of those races are fairly short, and some are really short. My biggest goals are to run 10:30 or faster at TRT, sub-8 at Helen Klein, and PR at Run the River marathon. That puts all my goals pretty late in the season, which is ideal. It also takes a lot of pressure off of Rucky Chucky and AR50, neither of which I am really prepared for.

I also feel the conspicuous absence of any triathlons. I really wanted to do the Olympic distance at Donner Lake this year, but unfortunately it is scheduled for the same weekend as TRT. I love that triathlon! I am considering a few of the local off-road tri’s in the area put on by Big Blue, as well as some of their adventure races. I’ll add them to my schedule in the sidebar as I decide.

Livin' the Local Lingo

Gus, Cap and I take a break on the way up to Castle Peak

This past week was a holiday that we in the mountains refer to as “ski-skate week.” It’s basically a week-long President’s Day holiday. I don’t really know where the 'skate' part comes in, but the slopes definitely get a little more crowded during this week. I was planning to use the extra time to boost my running miles, paint my living room, and get a few more chapters on to my book. Ah well, things never seem to work out exactly as planned for me.

Since living in Tahoe, I have become what one might refer to as a “powder snob.” In other words, if it’s not a powder day, I’ve got other things to do besides ski. Well, this winter there have not been many powder days that also coincided with my days off. This week, that all changed. Winter made a brilliant comeback with a series of storms that resulted in almost a week's worth of fresh powder. Running was happily put on hold while I got in six powder days in a row. I still haven’t quite wiped the grin off my face.

So, in celebration of the return of my inner ski-bum, I thought I’d share a little tutorial in the on-the-hill lingo you might get from skiers and boarders. As with many sports, one who is not part of the scene can often have trouble interpreting some of the basics. In the same way that your office buddies scratch their heads when you talk of tempo runs and fartleks, so too will the uninitiated skier find his eyes glaze over when the kids spew about getting first chair, schralping it, and sick freshies.

So, next time you’re in Tahoe, keep the following words and phrases handy, and you’ll be welcomed as a local.

bra n. a good buddy; friend; similar to “bro”

as in:
ski bum: “Hey Bra! What up?”
ski bum’s buddy: “Not much, bra!”

backcountry n. any area not within the boundaries of a ski resort

as in:
Shane: “You going backcountry today bra?”
Chris: “Nah, the avy danger is sketch out there man, we’re keepin’ in inbounds today.”

corn n. snow that develops after several days of a melt/freeze cycle; requiring cold nights and warm days, it usually forms in the spring; characterized by small pebbles or kernels of snow, it is fun and easy to ski; also known as “hero snow”

as in

Becky: “Where did you guys ski today?”

Gretchen: “We totally farmed the south face of Castle Peak. The corn was deep, and it was so warm, I was skiing in my tank top!”

Becky: “Sweet!”

face shot n. snow that flies up in your face as you are skiing powder; usually the result of deep and/or very light pow; face shots are a huge bragging right.

as in:

Andrea: “The pow was waist deep today!”

Gretchen: “No kidding! I got face shots all day!”

first chair n. the first chair that gets loaded on the ski lift. If you get first chair, you get fresh tracks. If you get on one of the first 5 chairs, you can legitimately claim that you got first chair

as in:
Gretchen: “I got first chair 5 days this week!”

Andrew: “Sick!”

freshies n. (usually plural) untracked powder

as in:

Brian: "I got some sick freshies this morning!"

Liz: (whining) "I had to work this morning! By the time I got there everything was tracked out!"

gaper n. someone from out of town whose not really down with the scene; frequently spotted skiing in jeans and using straight skis

as in:

Frank: “I thought I might go night skiing at Boreal tonight.”

Jason: “Seriously? You’re going to be hanging with all the gapers!

huck vb. to throw, launch or fly (usually one’s self) off a hit or cliff

as in:

Larry: “Did you check out Meghan in the park today?”

Andrew: “Yeah man, that girl can seriously huck her meat!”

pow n. powder

as in:

Andrew: “Sick pow today, eh bra?”

Courtney: “The sickest!”

schralping vb. (to schralp) skiing hard, with reckless abandon; frequently done in the pow

as in:

Steve: “You get out there today?”

Cicely: “Dude, I was schralping it!”

Andrew skins up Andesite Peak in the Tahoe backcountry

The Surf City Marathon

Back in November, when I chose the Surf City marathon as my “comeback race” (i.e. - something to get me motivated to run again) it looked attractive for a few reasons. Among these were the chance to visit family in Orange County, get away to somewhere warm in the midst of a snowy winter, and run a flat course at sea-level. All of these enticements came together to create a beautiful running vacation for me last weekend.

My training back in November started out well. I had a handful of excellent speed sessions on the track, in spite of a long illness that kept my mileage low. As soon as the snow fell in early December though, covering the melee of pot-holes, goose poop and mud puddles that Truckee High calls a track, my speed-work went to hell. I still managed the occasional fartlek and/or tempo run on days that the roads were ice-free, but they never had the quality of an interval session. My weekly mileage was moderate at best, hovering between 30-35. The one bright spot was that a few of my long runs were done down in Sacramento along the river, and I was able to keep about an 8 minute pace for those.

I decided to take an actual taper for this race because…well, because it was a good excuse to take some days off I guess. Which begs the question: how much does it help to taper when you were training like a slacker in the first place?

With all these factors, I wasn’t really sure what kind of shape I was in. Some things had gone well, but I had some major holes in my training. Upon signing up for the race, participants were asked for their projected finishing time. I had put 3:40 without giving it much thought. In the days before the race, I found myself feeling that my 3:40 prediction had been a bit arrogant. Wasn’t it? My PR, run nearly 11 years ago, was 3:26. Did I really think I could come within 14 minutes of my PR?

My sister had signed up for the 5K, and my mom had volunteered to drive us, making it a girls’ day at the beach. We left the house at 5:20 for the 6:50 am marathon start. Mom and Laura dropped me off at the finish line in the pre-dawn fog, and headed off in search of the 5K start.

I couldn’t recall the last time I’d actually warmed up and stretched for a race. I headed off along the bike path paralleling the sand for a mile or so, and was thrilled that I felt so excited about running. The first rays of light gave the ocean a serene glow, and the empty beach was beautiful. I spotted a few bathrooms that were far enough away that there were no lines, and they were miraculously unlocked. That was a definite score, and I made use of them several times before heading to drop my gear bag off and jog to the start.

The start area was cordoned off into two sections: those who expected to finish in under four hours, and those who would take longer. It was honor-system, and I had no compunction about heading to the under-four-hour section. Standing around with the other racers, I heard a woman talking about an expected finish time of 3:15 or 3:20. Then I noticed the guy standing in front of me was wearing the official 3:10 Pacer’s singlet. Hmm…maybe I was in the wrong place? I started to get a little nervous, but it was too crowded behind me to move back. Well, I thought, I’ll just be sure not to let the crowd take me out too fast.

They cranked up the official song over the loudspeakers, of course, “Surf City” by the Beach Boys. With that, we were off down Pacific Coast Highway. “Surf City, here we come!” (I'm pretty sure it wasn't "two to one," but whatever. Boys can dream.)

The morning was cool and foggy, but I felt perfectly comfortable in shorts and a tank top. My sunglasses stayed perched atop my head for the first 8 miles before the fog cleared to reveal a perfect, blue-bird day.

I had planned to run no faster than 8:20 pace for the first 10 miles, then try to pick it up from there if I felt good. Thus, I had to let streams of faster people go ahead in the first two miles or so. It took all the common sense I could muster, plus a lot of fear about crashing and burning later, to let them all go. Two girls passed me wearing red running skirts, matching red sports bras, red and white polka dot visors, and pigtails with red and white curly ribbons in their hair. The kicker? They carried red pom-poms. I thought about how much Claire would want me to kick these girls’ butts. I took a deep breath and calmly let them go. I was not going to let a couple of cheerleaders ruin my pace.

During the first couple miles we ran past the starting area for the 5K. I managed to spot Laura and my mom cheering as I ran by, while they waited for her race to begin.

When I saw the 3:30 pace group go by me around mile 3, I thought I was finally running with my people. I looked back to see the 3:40 pace group not far behind, and I settled comfortably into the less-crowded space between them.

Since I haven’t done a road marathon in a long time, the whole “pace group” thing is a new phenomenon to me. I found it hilarious how everyone wanted to be as close as possible to the person with the pace shirt on, yet 15 yards behind him/her, the crowd was much thinner and the running more comfortable. It was like they thought the closer they were to the pacer, the better chance they had of running that golden time.

Mile 4, and I made my first pit-stop in an outhouse. I allowed myself to run fast up the hill immediately afterwards so I wouldn’t lose too much time on that mile. To this point I’d been doing about 8:15 pace, and I still managed 8:40 for the mile with the pit-stop. Not too bad. Now I was a bit behind the 3:40 pace group, which I thought was fine.

We headed out for a loop through a big park. The paved trails were surrounded by eucalyptus trees, and a slew of local kids had been recruited to cheer throughout this 5-6 mile section. They were amazing! I don’t know who taught them how to cheer, but they were loud, enthusiastic, and sincere. They had me smiling the whole way.

I kept coming up on the 3:40 pace group, but told myself I shouldn’t be passing them until mile 10. It was so crowded right near them though, that I couldn’t stand it anymore, and I finally let myself pick it up a little and pass them at mile 9.

I felt totally relaxed, and until this point had been focusing primarily on not letting my pace get too fast. I picked it up to 8 minute pace, and it wasn’t until I started to hear myself breathe, that I realized I hadn’t been breathing hard at all in the first 9 miles.

By mile 13, 8 minute pace was still feeling easy, so I allowed myself to pick it up to whatever pace felt good. I started clicking of 7:40-7:50’s without much trouble. Now I was passing people with some consistency. The sun was shining and I was feeling fast.

Around mile 16 we turned onto the paved bike path that went along the beach. It was a beautiful day, and I was immediately captivated by the sight of the paddle boarders surfing out on the water. I was so caught up in the scenery in fact, that I missed 3 mile markers in a row, and I had no idea what pace I was running. I was still passing people like mad, and I felt good, but I was frustrated that I lacked some confirmation of my pace. When I finally saw another marker, it looked like I had averaged about 7:55 for those 4 miles. I was satisfied with that, considering I'd had to make use of another outhouse during that time.

Somewhere in this section I saw, and passed, the cheerleaders. They were walking. Somehow, that took all the pleasure out of passing them.

The bike path section was an out-and-back, so runners going the other way were actually some distance ahead of me on the course. I hit an aid station at about mile 19 and noticed it was unusually crowded. Where had all these people come from? A few yards later I hit the turn-around. As I came back through the same aid station, I realized who the crowd must have been: the 3:30 pace group!

I could see quite a ways down the beach ahead of me, but there were so many other people on the path—runners, bikers and families headed to the beach—that I couldn’t tell how far ahead the pace group was. One thing was for certain, I was gunnin’ for ‘em, and I was sure I could catch up.

With only 6 miles to go and feeling great, I knew there was nothing to hold back for now. I spent the rest of the race pushing things as much as I could, and wondering not ‘if’ I would pass the 3:30 pacer, but only how soon. My biggest hindrance seemed to be the increasing crowds on the bike path. With runners going in two directions, plus recreational users out on the path, I felt like kind of a jerk yelling “on your left” and trying to weave my way through the crowd.

Running 7:35 pace during the last 4-5 miles in a marathon led me to wonder. Perhaps I should have run faster than 8:20 pace in the first 9 miles? It’s a difficult question to answer. If I had run faster earlier, maybe I would have just slowed down later, and felt worse. When I ran my marathon PR, at a somewhat similar pace but starting much faster, I felt like hell in the last three miles. By stark contrast, I felt absolutely great at the end of Surf City.

I finally passed the 3:30 pacers with 3 miles to go. My only question now was, how much time could I get on them? I knew that I wouldn’t hit the sub-3:26 I’d need for a PR, but I was pretty excited about the knowledge that I would be under 3:30.

My mom and sister were there to cheer in the last half-mile. I found myself passing the woman whom I’d overheard at the start discussing her plans for a 3:15 finish. She looked like she was in real pain, and I actually felt pretty bad for her. Maybe I had done the right thing after all by starting slow.

As we re-merged with the half-marathon runners on PCH, I was suddenly passing masses of people again. I felt as though I was running the 5K and they were the marathon runners. Fortunately, there was plenty of room on this road for passing, and I crossed the line in 3:28 something.

As I approached the finish, I heard the announcer call out my name. I started to raise my arms in excitement. Then I remembered that I was wearing a tank top and hadn’t shaved my pits in probably a week. I didn’t need hairy pits in my finish line photo, even though I knew I would never purchase it. I quickly put my arms back down and just smiled.

Near the finish. That's me on the far left with the orange bib number, sprinting past the sea of half-marathon runners with yellow bibs.

After the race, Mom, Laura and I chowed finish line food while sitting out on the beach and watching the surfers. It was a beautiful day, and Laura and I both basked in the post-race glow of a job well done.

Overall, Surf City was a wonderful race. Between the marathon, half-marathon and 5K, there were over 18,000 runners. The marathon itself had about 2,000. (They limit the marathon field because we run for much of the course on a narrow bike path.) Aid stations were plentiful, and in addition to water, they had some electrolyte drink, Lara Bars, and Sharkies. Yum! My only complaint is that some of the mile markers were pretty far off. In the last 5 miles my watch said I ran two 9:30ish miles followed immediately by a 4:10 mile. I laughed out loud at that one. (I think all three of those miles were about 7:45.) Many thanks to the race organizers and all the volunteers who gave water, cheered and made it happen!

Final stats: I finished in 3:28:50, averaging 7:58 per mile. I was 142nd out of 1943 overall, 14th out of 851 women, and 8th out of 138 in my age group.

In the days since this race, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how things went so right (and how I can duplicate that experience in the future). Although I'm still not really certain, a few thoughts come to mind. Here are some of the things I thing might have worked in my favor to bring about a good race:

I had no major goals for this race, so there was no pressure.
I had some excellent speed workouts (although they were a long time ago!)
I was well rested
The weather was perfect
The race was at sea-level, and I live a t 6000 feet
The course was flat

I remember exactly how hard I trained to run 3:26 though, and I still can’t believe I came so close to that time with so much less training. Maybe a few years of running ultras helped, rather than slowing me down like I would have thought? Maybe 35-year-olds are faster than 24-year-olds? (I was 24 when I ran my PR.) That makes no sense to me though. (What does make sense is that an 11-year-old PR needs to be taken down!)

Anyway, I still have a few ultras on the schedule for the spring and summer, but after Surf City, I think I’ll pick up at least one more road marathon and see what I can do. I like running fast!

"I got a '39 wagon and they call it a woody. (Surf City, here we come!)"

Surf City, Here we Come

Tomorrow I run the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, California, and I have to confess, I’m pretty excited about it. You’d think after running ultras, that a little marathon wouldn’t be much to get excited about, but I guess it just doesn’t work that way.

It’s not that I’m in great shape, or think I’m going to run a fast time. In fact, neither of those things is true. I think the excitement in the air is mostly due to the fact that this is my first race in….six months. Yeah, it’s been a long time.

I won’t go down the road of philosophical musings about exactly how this big gap in racing happened; it just did. It does, however, bring to mind something of which I am already aware: I love to race. Even when I’m not moving that fast, or near the front runners, there is just something so exciting about that racing atmosphere. I always find it hard to go into a race when I’m just trying to take it easy. It’s impossible not to get excited, and end up pushing things al least a little bit.

So, for a race time tomorrow, I really don’t know what to expect. I feel confident about going under four hours, but beyond that, I’m just not sure. I’d like to run 3:40: far from a PR, but still very respectable. Given my very-low-mileage training plan though, I’m not sure if it’s at all realistic, but I guess there’s only one way to find out.

And I have no doubt it will be a great day, running aside. I arrived in Orange County on Thursday, and the only sign that it’s January around here are the plethora of flowering trees in everyone’s yards. It’s beautiful!

I spent Friday with my parents and sister, chasing my two nephews around Disneyland. Today we went down to Surf City proper (that’s Huntington Beach to you folks) to pick up our race numbers at the expo. Playing out on the beach afterwards, I thought I should have brought my bathing suit. The sky was so clear, and the weather so warm. It was like summer, but without all the hordes of people. So peaceful.


For those who have asked about the book…well, I’m still plugging away. And I will be for quite some time at the rate I’m going. I have definitely not written a page a day. I managed to modify that goal to be: “write something each day.” Much more manageable. Still, I occasionally have productive days, and I’m having fun with it. Hmm…sounds a lot like my winter running regimen.

Big, Fun and Scary Adventures in 2009

It’s odd how I tend to take a hiatus from my blog in the winter. The cold sets in, and I retreat to hibernation and start baking things. I can only take comfort in the hope that this break is over, and the knowledge that it was shorter than those in years past. Sometimes I feel that if I’m not running, then I don’t have anything to say that’s appropriate to this blog. In reality that’s not true, and besides, I am running. Still, it’s winter, and I’ve been…distracted. Okay, maybe lazy is the more appropriate adjective, but whatever. I’m here now, and I can only be grateful that you, my friend, are still here as well.

Some notes on the running front: I have managed to do some training in spite of the snow, ice, and, oh yeah, laziness. My mileage has consistently fallen short of weekly goals. (Let’s hear it for consistency!) Quality has been good though, and I am enjoying myself. That’s about all I ask of my running in the winter. Mix in some incredible backcountry skiing, and I’m calling it a good season so far.

This generally seems to be a time of year for reflection and goal setting. Well, I don’t plan to shake up the paradigm too much here. I’ll save reflection for next week, since this post is all about goal setting.

I have to start my goal-setting pontification with a little background. Several years ago, my friend Charlie called me with a proposition that we should embark upon this project called NaNoWriMo, whereupon we would write an entire novel in 30 days.

Sound scary? What about big, or fun? Okay, if it sounds nuts, you may fall into the majority, but I thought it was brilliant.

NaNoWriMo, the better-known name for the National Novel Writer’s Month, dares participants to complete a novel of at least 50,000 words in 30 days. The main premise is that we, as writers, want to write a book, but we lack sufficient motivation to actually finish this seemingly enormous task. Apparently many writers are like me: procrastinators. I loved the idea of NaNoWriMo because it operates on the principle that we just need motivation, in the form of a deadline, to get out that first draft. We can beautify it later, we just need to keep going for now. Don’t worry about being brilliant, just keep writing. Don’t stop! Constant forward motion! Sound familiar?

In my first attempt at NaNoWriMo, I wrote about 18,000 words before I gave up. It was a valiant attempt, and although the book is complete tripe, it was a great experience and it's still the single longest piece of writing I've done since college. (Wrimo'ers believe in art for art's sake. Yay!)

In my second attempt, this past November, I basically gave up before I even started. I knew I wouldn’t finish in 30 days, but I wanted to participate anyway. I wanted that motivation that comes from being part of a large group of people all working towards the same goal. The NaNoWriMo website has some great support features, and I got encouraging emails all month long from famous authors. Pretty cool, actually.

So this brings me to my point, and the explanation for the title of this post. The creators of NaNoWriMo also sponsor a challange called Big, Fun, and Scary Adventures. If you choose to participate, you can take whatever goal you have for the year, share it, and basically let others track your progress. You choose what you want to do—hike the Pacific Crest Trail, build a house, run your first 100 miler, start a business, go back to school, propose marriage, whatever! Let me just emphasize that it should be Big, Fun and Scary to you! So I don’t want to hear anything like “get organized” or “lose 10 pounds.” Those are resolutions, and those are fine. But for this project, I want you to dream BIG!

I’m not overly fond of the discussion forum for this project, found here, but you can take a look and choose to post your goal if you’d like. What I’m really asking you to do is to share your goal with us here on my blog! Please post a comment, and if you’d like, you can write your own blog post about what you plan to do with your year. Post it on your website, update your Facebook status, and plaster it to the front door for all your neighbors to see. If you share it with the world, you’re so much more likely to actually do it! We will be here along the way to check in with you and offer as much (or as little) support, advice, help and distraction as you may need. So tell me, what is that thing you’ve been dreaming of, the one that is a little bit scary, that you keep putting off because it’s just not the right time?

As you may have guessed, I already have my big adventure planned. I’m going to finish the book I started this November. I have a paltry 2600 words at the moment, but I am also armed with a stack of character sketches and plot outlines and the like, and that has to count for something, right? Anyway, I figure writing a book is much like running an ultra. You don’t want to spend too much time thinking about exactly how far you have to go or you’ll scare yourself out of doing it. You want to break it into smaller, more manageable goals.

Therefore, my goal for now through the end of March is to write at least one page per day, every day. I followed this plan for approximately one week in November. While it’s not actually as easy as it sounds, it is still certainly manageable. (Again, let’s hear it for consistency!) After that, I will set the next goal that seems necessary to getting through a first draft. I’m hoping to have a first draft done by May.

Well, I’ve declared myself. (It’s a little scary, yup.)

I'd like to leave you with a quote from one of the final emails sent to writers by Chris Baty of NaNoWriMo. I think he says it very well. And then, I ask you to declare your dreams.

“Each of us has a wealth of talents spread broadly over domains both marketable and deliciously impractical. The tricky part is that we tend to develop the former at the expense of the latter. Passions become hobbies. Hobbies become something we swear we'll get back to when we have more time. Or when the kids are grown. Or when the stock market recovers.

Which means we leave unexplored many of those paths that ultimately make us feel most alive—the moments of creating, building, playing, and doing that lead to extraordinary and unexpected things.

Like writing a book.

Or, more loosely, postponing the must-dos of the real world to spend 30 days [or a year] exploring an attractive, improbable dream.

Giving ourselves that time is so important. Because the world can wait. It's what the world does best, in fact. It was hanging out for 4.5 billion years before we arrived, and it'll be waiting around for another few billion after we're gone.

Our dreams, however, have much shorter shelf-lives.

If there's one thing I've learned from running NaNoWriMo, it's this: Whatever you think you are, you are more than that. You possess a fearsome array of skills and abilities, and the most satisfying of these may be completely unknown to you now. Your curiosity is a dependable guide; follow it. Put yourself in unfamiliar places. Kindle passions. Savor the raw joy of making things, and then remake the best of those things until they take someone's breath away. Wrestle bears.

Actually, skip the bear-wrestling.

But do keep trying big things, okay? Sometimes we can wait so long for a clear sign that it's time to begin, that the opportunity sails right past us.

Life is so short. Adventures beckon. Let's get packed and head out on a new one today.

I think it's time.”

Speed Work

This post was supposed to be about Girls on the Run, an awesome running program for girls where I volunteered this fall. That post is coming. Eventually.

In the meantime, there is something much more pressing on my mind: Speed work! I just finished my first track workout in...I-don't-know-how-long. Years.

Oh. My. God. You know how I feel right now? Awesome!!!!

Here's how my morning began: I got up at 7:00, even though it's a holiday and I didn't have to work. (Yay!) I walked the dogs, ate breakfast, and drank an entire pot of coffee. It was cold and rainy out, and I thought, gosh, what a great day to take Cap (my dog) out for a run on the JP trail.

Since I hadn't met my mileage quota last week, largely due to the fact that I forgot to look at my schedule and just ran, I thought I should check to see what I was supposed to be running today. Here's what my workout said:

8 miles, speed work: 2X(12,8,6,4)

Fuck!! Who put that on the freaking schedule?? (Oh yeah, me.) And why on earth would I need to run a workout that included 400's when I was training for a marathon?? Then again, the workout could have read: 2X(4X12) which would have been infinitely worse. I refuse to run mile repeats on the track, relegating them to the road only, but 1200's on the track is painfully close to to mile repeats on the track.

Anyway, with a huge, pitying, self-absorbed sigh, I got dressed and headed down to the track. Getting in the 8 miles turned out to be no problem, since I had 1.5 miles each way to the track, plus I planned a 200 meter jog between reps, and a 400 meter jog between sets.

I'll spare you the blow-by-blow account, but for a few details. First, I was slow. Slow as molasses. Slow as Sarah Palin searching for an intelligent answer to a question from Katie Couric. Slow as a decathelete in a 1500. This is what my wach told me, anyway. I wasn't too discouraged because it was to be expected, even though I was definitely pushing myself for these slow times.

Second, I didn't slow down much in my second set of reps. Okay, the 1200 was way off, but overall my times were basically the same. So I'm slow, but at least I still know how to pace myself somewhat. I was certainly laying it all out there by the last two reps, so I know I wasn't just slacking.

My slow jog home felt brilliant. I was exhausted. Maybe I was slow, but running on the track felt incredible. It still felt like home. And I felt so powerful that I am pretty sure my next order of business after this blog post is to go out and save the world.

A workout that had me trembling with fearful anticipation this morning, went beautifully. Somewhere, way down in the dark, scary places of my soul, that runner that loves to go fast just got a swift kick to jolt her from her long slumber. She's still held back by the allure of hibernation, but I have no doubt that in a few weeks time, she'll be out on the track in all her glory.

Lamentations of a TTL

It’s a funny thing, that fleeting feeling that is desire. It is currently fighting a tough battle with inertia, but I know that eventually desire will win out. It just needs something to cling to. Yes, I am still musing on my dedication (or lack thereof) to running.

Earlier this month I realized that long term running goals were dancing around inside my head. Instead of trying to motivate myself to get back into things right then, I kept thinking about next year. Apparently my transformation into an ultrarunner is complete; I am only able to think long-term.

So I clicked around on some of my favorite running sites and blogs, as I was apt to do back when I was actually running and stuff. I wanted to peruse the latest news on the Western States site, and I ran across the Two Time Loser list.

Now I have to admit, it’s pretty exciting to see your name listed on the Western States site, for whatever reason. Sure, it wasn’t nearly like being listed as a winner in the lottery, but seeing my name on the screen definitely got my brain firing and my latent running muscles twitching.

Suddenly, I was writing training plans in my head, scanning the list for familiar names and wondering how the winter weather would treat my long runs. Apparently a goal race that is 9 months away, and requires as much time spent training, is exactly what I need for motivation.

To be sure, I knew my chances of getting into Western States in 2009 were pretty close to zero. On the other hand, there were essentially two lists of people who could be on the line next June: The 2008 start list, and the TTL list. For almost anyone else, your chances really were zero. That did make me feel kind of special.

If you’re scratching your head right now and asking, what the heck is a TTL, and why would anyone want to be one? don’t worry too much about it. TTL’s are a dying breed. In the past, if a runner qualified for Western States and failed to get selected in the lottery for two years in a row (making you a Two Time Loser) then you were granted automatic entry into the following year’s race. However, the race committee announced last year that they were abandoning the rule because, well, there were just too many of us. In fact, the TTL list right now is 252 names long. After the 2008 runners notified the RD of their intention to run, (or not to run) there were only 54 spots left for TTL’s for 2009.




I'm a TTL! Are you a TTL too?

Last week, winning TTL's (is that an oxymoron?) were sent an email, and It hardly came as a shock when I didn't get one. Like many of you, I’m getting used to losing the WS lottery. I’m still a TTL, it just stands for Three Time Loser now.

The current rules state that I am guaranteed an entry into the race in either 2010 or 2011. I will just have to continue to extend that ultra mindset of thinking long term.

In the meantime, I’m looking at some shorter term goals, including pondering my race schedule for next season. I’m definitely interested in the 100K distance, and I’m pretty sure I am not going to run a 100 mile race this year. I’m thinking about a few shorter races (like marathons) and maybe a couple triathlons. The only thing I’ve committed to so far is the Surf City Marathon in February.

Several years ago I swore off road marathons (with the exception of Tahoe) so it is a wonder to me why this race interests me. Maybe I just needed a change of pace—literally. This course is flat and at sea level, so it stands to reason that I should run a decent time. I’m not yet sure exactly what that time should be; I want to see how my training goes. I do, however, plan to push the speed work in my training. I hope to have an established time goal by Christmas.

The “enter a race” method of motivating myself seems to have done the trick anyway. I somehow managed to run 6 days this week! I’m also taking the wise approach and incorporating strength training, which I have been too lazy to do in the last several years. It feels good to be sore though!

As far as other races, I’m considering many of the standard NorCal ultras for the spring and summer. If you have any race suggestions, please post them! Also, if you have links to your race reports for those races, post those too!

I’m enjoying this time filled with possibility: Letting my brain explore all the potential races and allowing all these thoughts to fill me with excitement about running. After an extended break, I'm finally sick of being lazy.

Happy Fall, and here’s wishing everyone the best of race dreams for 2009.

Definitions of a Winner: Nike Women's Marathon Changes Results After Bad Publicity

Last Sunday, the Nike Women's Marathon took place in San Francisco, California. With about 20,000 women participating, they raised more than $18 million for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. They also raised a lot of eyebrows when they awarded first place to a runner who did not run the fastest time.

As with many big road races, the Nike event had a separate category for the elite women racers, and they started 20 minutes ahead of the rest of the runners. As it turned out, the fastest time (2:55) was run by Arien O'Connell, who was not registered in the elite category. She ran a 12 minute PR, to beat the fastest elite woman by about 11 minutes. You can read a detailed article in the San Francisco Chronicle here.

In the wake of all the bad publicity, Nike has since changed their tune, and decided to award O'Connell with the same prize received by the elite winner. There are some good articles on this here and here. She still is not the winner, and it strikes me as very odd. 2:55 is frankly not that fast for a wining time in a large road race. I'm assuming it was a somewhat slow course, but still, it makes perfect sense to me that a runner who has never broken 3 hours before would not register herself as an elite.

The original argument was that the elite women couldn't adjust their race plan to truly compete against O'Connell, since she was farther back in the race. I can see the point, but I can't imagine that the "winner," who ran 3:06, was really going to run 12 minutes faster. Who knows. Clearly the way this race is set up needs to be changed. Maybe the categories defining "elite" should be made clear. Maybe there should not be a 20 minute head start for these runners.

In its odd attempt to award two winners, Nike still looks like the corporate bad guy, and USATF looks like the road racing bureaucracy that it really is.

Lynryd Skynrod: An Interview with "The Real Deal" from Reno

One of my favorite things about running (and blogging) in recent years has been all of the wonderful people I have met. Most running events, and ultras in particular, are imbued with friendly positive vibes and the runners who radiate them. We runners can be competitive, sometimes that’s part of the fun, but after the race everyone seems quick to offer each other a heartfelt “good job.” Smack-talking is frowned upon, and even elite racers can often be seen near the finish line long after their own race is done, cheering for the mid-packers. Race reports on blogs extol the virtues of fellow runners, race directors, volunteers, course markings, scenery, race schwag, you name it.

And then there’s Lynyrd Skynrod.

Proudly hailing from Reno, NV, Skynrod burst on to the local racing scene in 2007 with impressive finishes at the Squaw Mtn. Run and Reno Journal Jog as well as a win at the Tahoe Triple. Sporting slicked black hair, a handlebar moustache and a Marlboro dangling from his lip, Skynrod is anything but your typical runner. Although he’d look more at home among a pack of Hell’s Angles or NASCAR fans than on a marathon starting line, looks can be deceiving.

Lynyrd Skynrod on his home turf (photo courtesy of coach Jackson Fairbanks)

Skynrod can claim bragging rights to a marathon PR of 2:39, although he claims that will drop following this Sunday’s Tahoe Marathon. His best posting in the half-marathon distance came last spring when he won the Rockin’ River Half Marathon in Reno with a time of 1:12:52. Last fall, he also claimed victory in the Tahoe Triple, with a cumulative time of 8:33 for the three marathons.

Clearly Skynrod is more than just a one-hit-wonder on the racing scene, but what can we learn from this elusive character? I tracked him down at the Gold Dust West casino after last Saturday’s Reno Journal Jog to find out.

I have to admit, I was initially intimidated about approaching Lynyrd Skynrod. A friend of mine, who is a speedy local runner himself, recently confided to me, “That Skynrod guy is a total ass!” Nonetheless, I was intrigued by this aberration among runners. I knew enough to ply him generously with Jim Bean, and after enough shots and a few beers, the words were flowing like the sewers through Reno after a summer storm.

It only took 3 shots to convince Lynryd that I was not actually Emma Garrard of the Sierra Sun, and to start talking

When did you start running? Have you always been athletic?

Course I’ve always been athletic. I been racin’ since I was 11, dirt bikes that is. I kicked ass ’til that one time I endo’ed onto some razor wire fencing and ripped open the tendons in my left wrist. Didn’t heal right. Never used them breaks much for dirt bikin’ anyway but once the circuit hears you don’t got no stoppin’ power, you end up blacklisted from all their events for liability reasons. I heard you also get blacklisted if you’re suspected of substance abuse.

Do you prefer roads or trails?

The hippies can have their trails. Motorcycles, cars, and people all go faster on fresh, clean, asphalt. I’m a big fan of all things fast and a marathon on the dirt is just never gonna be as fast as a marathon on pavement. Maybe I’ll change my mind if they ever move NASCAR onto a dirt track. That’s not a bad idea, but as it is there ain’t a monster truck driver who stands a chance against Dale Jr. and I’m pretty sure that’s cause it’s a dirt sport.

What do you do with your time besides training and racing?

Yer lookin’ at it. I prefer a cold one and a smoke to any kind of work or hobby. Of course I’ve got a few business ventures on the side to supplement the race winnin's but my associates don’t appreciate me talkin' about ‘em in public. Don’t need to bring the dang Feds sniffin’ around again.
.
How do your friends and family feel about your running? Are they supportive and do they come to races?

I'm gonna be honest with you. I don’t like reporters and questions and such and you ain’t a reporter I guess so you got that goin’ for you, but why does everybody gotta ask me about my family? Do I look like a family man to you? I gave some square fella that story once and I don’t feel like repeatin’ it, but I will tell you this: you won’t see any blood relative of mine at any races. Friends? I haven’t been able to lure any of them out to any races yet and I can tell you exactly why. No incentives. Not one of these races have a damn beer garden at the finish. The entry fees are so high at some of these things that you could buy a keg with the money collected from one runner, but instead the organizers are blowin’ it on charities and pocketin’ the rest from what I can tell.

What’s so great about living and running in Reno?

What’s so great? Best damned city in America’s all. I like to think of it as one of the last great waterin' holes in all the US of A, where the danged government and stupid liberals haven’t yet taken away all our freedoms. Yep, an oasis of freedoms is what it is. Course they did come over and started taken away smokin' indoors couple years ago, and technically prostitution isn’t legal in this county either, but you can see what I’m gettin' at.

Um, okay, and the running?

Nope, they haven’t taken that away yet.

What are some of your favorite races and places to run?

Shoot, in Reno? I can’t think of anywhere that’s not good for runnin'. You got Virginia St, McCarran Blvd, 4th street, and there’s probably 15 miles of paved river trail, which is not only good for runnin' but there’s sections that are ideal for squattin’ if you’re down on your luck. You also got easy access to Glendale Blvd and that spot where contractors’ll pick you up and pay you cash for carrying their heavy crap. You hear what I’m sayin’? Cash, and then Uncle Sam can’t get his dirty mitts on it. That’s right.

What is your preferred distance?

That’d be the one with the cash prize. 'Round here I suppose that'd be the marathon and the half marathon. Jackson says “I cater your training to the marathon” so I s’pose that’s what I prefer. Mostly I just prefer to earn some extra money to keep me livin’ the good life.
.
What is atypical training week like? Do you cross train, or just run?

Yeah, Jackson’s got me on a runnin' schedule and I stick to it when he’s around. Usually there’s a few days of speed work, where he chases me around on a damn bike with a taser for when I fall off pace. Then we do pain threshold drills on those days too. There’s board drills, bamboo drills, badger snare drills, and some others. I’m pretty sure he got the idea for those while he was a P.O.W. Do drills count as cross training? Then I get to recover the rest of the week and do what Jackson calls the “unnecessary and overly common long run on pavement” on Sunday.

Tell us about your diet. What are your favorite foods for training and racing?

I think Dog n' a Draft is the official meal of Reno these days, and the price is right. You know what’s hot now, though? Energy bars. I could go a whole day on just one of them things. These damn scientists are gonna have us eatin' outta tubes next thing you know. That’s what I’d invest in, if I were you. Tubes.

You had an impressive performance at the Tahoe Triple in 2007. What type of training did you do for the race and how did this differ from what you have done for marathon training in the past?

That season Jackson told me “We’re doin’ less speed and more endurance and pain threshold drills.” Oh man. I remember runnin' further and on pavement more often and somehow that bastard Fairbanks got a hold of one of them electric cattle prods. He called it the “whiphammer” and that damned thing would knock me flat on my back. Training like that’ll make a man grateful to only have to do three marathons in a row.

I noticed there are photos on the Tahoe Triple website of most of the champions from the past three years except you. Why do you think that is?

That’s probably cause I like to keep a low profile. Hell just the other day some bald guy comes up to me and says "You Lynyrd Skynrod? You’re like the Kaiser Soze of runnin’. I got the RGJ callin’ me trying to get a hold of you." Now, I didn't know who that bald man was and I’m not positive about who this Kaiser Soze fella was, but I’m pretty sure he led the German army in WWI. And that’s exactly what I’m sayin’ to you. I’m in your face like a blitzkrieg.

In an article last spring in the Sierra Sun, Emma Garrard suggested you could be the alter ego of a local runner from Truckee. How do you respond to such allegations?

I get that kinda crap all the time, and now they’re callin’ me a Californian. When you’re in the spotlight you gotta be ready to get slammed with the lowest of insults. Like Jackson says, “Lynyrd, you gotta rise above,” and that’s what I plan to do.

So, d’ya know where she lives?

What goals do you have for the Tahoe Marathon this weekend?

Let’s see, I got’em on a piece of paper here somewhere. Okay, 5:55 per mile for the first 5 miles and then pick it up from there. Jackson says that pace should win it and if I’m feelin’ spry, I could go for the course record. Course record’s 2:28 I believe.

What’s next for you? What races are on your list and what are your goals?

I know Jackson has plans for me. He talks about havin' me set that world record in the Triple Marathon and havin' me qualify for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. This year isn’t the year for either of those things though. Right now just this Tahoe marathon and then maybe a few more half marathons in the spring. I figure marathoning’ll be our focus for the next few years. Fairbanks knows I’m not fond of leaving this state so I don’t know why he thinks I’m willin’ to go to any of those other marathons. Lake Tahoe is plenty far into California and hell will freeze over before I cross those damn mountains to the west. He keeps sayin’ “what about the Vegas marathon?” and I keep tellin’ him everybody knows Vegas is really just Los Angeles sprawl. Then he says “What about St. George? That one’s fast and it's only about as far out of Nevada as Tahoe,” and I keep tellin’ ‘im any state tha’s known for religion makes me nervous and that town's even named for a saint.

Well, that’s all Lynyrd would give me before he became more interested in smacking the cocktail waitress on the ass, but I was pretty pleased with our interview overall. (Especially considering Lynyrd rarely speaks to the press.)

I will always prefer the elite runner who wants to stick around the race and cheer for others over guys like Lynyrd, but I can appreciate that he is shaking up the scene a bit. It goes against the mindset of most ultra-runners, but in Lynyrd’s world, nice guys really do finish last, and there’s no prize money for second place. (Most of the time there's none for first either, but I didn't want to point that out to Lynryd.)

One other thing I learned: watch out if you’re going to spend an afternoon in a casino with Lynyrd Skynrod. To my chagrin, I was incapable of driving myself home after the interview and I had gambled away all of my cash for cab fare. Andrew was not pleased when he had to drive to Reno to pick me up, and it didn’t go a long way toward convincing him that running is not a crazy stupid sport.

Lynryd enjoys a typical post-race meal after the Reno Journal Jog