On Hand and Hokas

Yesterday I wandered into the koa-uluhe forest on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, via the Willwillnue trail. I’ve been looking forward to exploring some of the densely covered trails of Oahu, home of the Hawaii H.U.R.T. 100. This day I got my wish.


I didn't know what to expect, but I should have. Like the run-in with a wild boar. Have you ever sauntered into one of these things on a training run? I did. I should have known. Because posted on the very same web-site with the directions to the trail was this: "Wild hogs can be very aggressive, so it's always important to have the appropriate protective gear on and to carry an emergency first aid kit." Protective gear? Emergency first aid kit? How about a pair of Hokas and a Camelback?

When I saw the beast it was about 100 feet from me. I instinctively looked for an escape route. It must have noticed my reaction, because the beast started towards me.  Call it instinct again, this time I stepped toward it and let loose a gutter-like growl in its direction. It turned and fled like a stray coyote. My heart rate? Elevated!

I then moved along in the dim light under the lush canopy. It was still dusk and very dark in this tropical forest. Holding a rock in each hand, I hiked up the fire road looking for a mountain top. At various points power lines drooped over my head. I passed under them and the wind began to move swiftly. So swiftly it began to create a loud, angry hum, as if I wasn't supposed to be there. I quickly marched further up the trail anxious for the sound to diminish behind me.

I emerged from under the forest canopy and onto a narrow ridge. The path was so narrow and high above that canyons below that the trail looked to be suspended in the air.  I stopped several times to look around. I peered over the edge to get a glimpse of the valleys below. As I leaned over I could feel my heart jump. Over a thousand feet was all that separated me from the lush valley floors. I continued and the higher I went the steeper the narrow path became. I grasped fixed ropes that were fastened above. At one point I was on all fours, climbing on hands and hokas, making my way up to an invisible summit.  

Then, just like that, I stood in the clouds and listened to the wind blow. 

Sometimes I wonder why I run. Then, like this day, I am reminded again.  

When Things Happen for a Reason

Just the other day I was reviewing my miles and training hours over the last several weeks. Things have been going very well, so well I think was feeling my oats a little too much too early in the season. I know this because I had to wobble home Monday night after a run from a sore groin. It flared up minutes after doing 10 x 100 yard surges and a few days after doing several mile repeats at threshold pace. I felt great during these runs and simply let loose a little too much. How do I know? Not only did I strain my groin, but I woke up Tuesday morning with a head cold. In the time its taken me to write this, I’ve blown through a half dozen tissues. 


Due to my sore groin and head cold I haven’t run in the last two days. But this is a good thing, because my body needs rest too, and it talks to me when it needs to. It tells me things happen for a reason. 

What does your body tell you?

Wasatch Front 100 or UTMB in France?

Wasatch course (photo Matt Galland)

Now its decision time. Do I run UTMB August 31 in Europe, or Wasatch Front 100 miler in Utah the first weekend in September? I just got accepted to run Wasatch. So now I'm in a predicament. Run UTMB, one of the hardest races in Europe if not the world with 31,000 feet of climbing, or Wasatch with a mere 26,882 feet of climbing but a much higher elevation? Why not run both? Keep an open mind, right? I would only have to run 203 miles and climb over 57,000 feet in one week. Why not just throw in another race the week after just for grins. Yea, right!

I'm not sure what to do, but I am sure I'll have to pick one or the other. I'm leaning towards Wasatch. UTMB sounds like an amazing event, but it also brings some serious logistics with travel and family. My kids will already be in school so that might mean I have to go solo. Wasatch is an hour flight from where I live. I've wanted to do this race since I started running ultras four years ago. Decisions, decisions!

What would you do?      

So Cal Ultra Series Award Picnic

Age Group And Overall Winners

This weekend I celebrated with many of my fellow ultra runners at the So Cal Ultra Grand Prix Awards picnic. What a great event! A culmination of a long season and a kick in my ass to get back in the saddle for 2012.

Gary Hilliard, the grand master of ceremonies, put out an awesome feast replete with tacos, refried beans, cookies apple pie and an ultra cake with its very own trail on the frosting. Before the ceremony we did  little morning run...12 miles up some 3,500 feet to Mt. Wilson. Nothing like a little run up 3,500 feet to get the appetite going. Probably best I didn’t eat this stuff before the run...

Receiving My Award From Gary H

It was good to see so many other runners I’ve shared the trail with this last year, and to meet many of them for the first time. Jack “attack” Cheng took home the Male Overall Mileage Award with 456 miles. Jack is an ultra machine and told me that he was already gearing up to run four hundred mile races to kick-off the new year. Yen Darcy took home the women’s Overall Mileage Award with 409.2 miles. I had a chance to chat with both Jack and Yen at the event. They are the real deal – true ultra runners with a commitment to their sport. They ran 19 races in 2011 between the two of them!

My bro Al and Age Group Winner Audry W

Diana Treister won the women’s overall title for the second year in a row. That is commitment. I won the men’s overall title. And to that, all I can say is YEAAAAA! I won’t deny it. It was a lot of work. But I enjoyed every mile. Well, maybe not every mile. There were some dark moments, sure, but I think they made the lighter moments shine a little brighter. Hanging out at the awards picnic with so many cool people that share a similar passion for running was a bright moment for me.

Hal W's 30 Year Buckle - Avalon 50 Mile

Congratulations to my friends Larry and Cherri Rich who both took home age group awards. They are the only father and mother ultra running duo that I know who run 100 milers together while raising three kids! And many, many thanks to the director of the grand prix Gary Hilliard and his crew Fred Pollard and Joe Magruder. These guys put in a lot of time to keep this southern California tradition alive and kicking. 

Holy Merde. Ultra Trail Mont Blanc - I'm In!

photo UTMB website

Its official. After stumbling upon the application deadline for Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) just two weeks ago, I submitted my application with only hours to spare. What the hell, I thought, it’s a lottery and I probably wont get in anyway. Like a traveler passing through Vegas and looking to get rid of loose change, I dumped all my coins in the UTMB slot machine and pulled the handle. Oh, my. Jackpot!

What I didn’t do before I submitted my application to UTMB was learn about UTMB. There was no time. No time to read the race description. No time to learn about the elevation gain and loss. No time to understand the type of course it is. No time to run and hide like a little boy on his first day of school.

No big deal. Now I have seven months to read up on UTMB. Well, I’ve started reading. And reading. And reading. Now I think I’m reading a Steven King novel. Every page seems to unfold with a subtle nuance that leads to someone getting bludgeoned. No heroes, only victims - strewn across a landscape of misery and self doubt. I’m not sure if I’m going to wet my pants or the bed.

But like any good novel, you never know what is going to happen...

Nine and a Half Ways To Keep Running Real

(published in Ultra Running Magazine March 2012)

1. Find new routes everyday. I mean everyday. Take them.

2. Cycle your training. Plan your peaks and valleys. From month to month, week to week, and day to day. There’s a time to push, and a time to pull back.

3. Don’t forget your posse. Run with them regularly. Swap stories. Talk about running. Talk about life. They keep you grounded. They remind you why you run.

4. Lay low every once in a while. I’m not talking about for a couple of days. Or even for a couple of weeks. I’m talking about for a couple of months. Find something else to do.

5. Commit. To a goal. To an event. Any event. Preferably one that inspires you. If you can’t, rest easy. It’s not the end of the world. If you can, smile, and enjoy the ride.

6. Tune in. To music. To audio books. To talk radio. Whatever entices you while you run. Stream music (vs download) and listen to anything, anytime, and be surprised.

7. Tune out. Don’t think, just do. Let your mind drift while you run. Like a tumbleweed in a warm desert wind.

8. Wander. Leave home with no particular place to go. No routine. No plan. Just run.

9. Stop regularly on a run. Look around. You will be amazed at the little things that look back at you.

9.5. Always remember this: Running is not a job. It’s not a duty.  It’s not an obligation. It is your life, at that moment. Keep it real. Embrace it.

I Love This Sport

Photo by Devon C

Running is difficult to describe. Ultra running is even harder. More so to non-runners. What usually comes from this conversation is a vague avoidance of what really matters to the ultra runner. The I-know-its-rediculous-what-I-do-but-I-do-it-anyway-and-don’t-bother-trying-to-understand-because-you-won’t-get-over-the-idea-that-people-actually-gain-a-really-deep-appreciation-for-making-it-100-miles-on-their-own-two-feet-through-mountain-passes-in-the-harshest-of-conditions-with-nothing-to-show-for-it-but-a-useless-belt-buckle-and-a-quiet-yet-forever-irreplaceable-feeling-of-accomplishment.

Ok, now that I've got THAT off my chest, let me move on to something more timely. I failed to get into the this year's Angeles Crest 100 miler. I waited too long to apply, and the race filled up. Just like that. I tried to plead my case to the race director. But he slapped me down before I could even begin to get my hopes up.

His reply:

“...i cannot take anymore runners

last year i filled in February
this year in December
so maybe a good idea (if u want to run the race) to enter little bit earlier”

My reply:

Can I get on the waiting list?

His reply:

“i dont keep a waiting list
just one more thing to deal with

thats it for 2012 race
if u entered coupla weeks earlier!!”

Ok, message delivered. I’m not one to brood over little mishaps, so I turned my attention to what other (100 mile) options might be out there. Several ideas popped into my head. One that has been lurking for a while is UTMB in France. I don't know much about it but the little I do know is that it is the ultimate race in Europe, if not the world. And guess what? The deadline for applications is today! My application? Sent.

But UTMB is a lottery, and chances are I won’t get in. Other options? Well, yes. Wasatch 100. Deadline for application is today. My application? Sent.

So here is my only concern, other than I’m still not in either race, UTMB has 31,000 feet of elevation gain. Wasatch 28,300 feet.

I guess the only thing left to do is wait with hope and fear.

I love this sport. 

Happy New Year Ultra Runners!

I’m not usually one to look back, but this time of year brings out the nostalgia in me. Why not? I don’t have any new year’s resolutions neatly typed up. In fact I don’t have any new year’s resolutions period. I don’t even have a goal for 2012! Oh my!

More to come on that topic. In the mean time I’m happy to be putting my feet up and celebrating the end of 2011 tonight with my wife, sans kids. This last year was particularly gratifying to me because I think I finally learned how to listen to my body and better understand its peculiar ways. Yes, its taken me 48 years to do this, but progress is all I’m looking for. Relentless forward progress.

And the simple things. They matter the most. It really is true. This year I discovered this on my way through the Southern California Ultra Grand Prix. Racing every 3 weeks when I could barely walk the week before. It made me see why the journey is better than the destination. The journey brings a cup of coffee before a race. A laugh with friend on a long climb. The dancing glimmer of headlamps strewn across a canyon below. What does the destination bring? Pain! Self doubt. Can I do this again in three weeks? Ouch. This stuff hurts! 

Keep the faith ultra runners!

And have a happy, happy, new year! 

The Longest Night

Good news northern hemisphere runners! We have, as of today, finally reached the shortest day of the year (and the longest night!). The northern hemisphere is at its most extreme angle -23.5 degrees - away from the sun. Now each day will be a little longer than the last, for a few months anyway.  Don't forget your flashlight for after work runs. I've been running under the stars lately, and enjoying switching between Radiohead's music and the audio book the Shining by Steven King on my Iphone. If I can survive this morose combo I'm sure to have nothing but sunshine to look forward to.

As for you southern hemisphere runners, enjoy the summer while you can...it will soon be ours again!


   

Saltwater 2011 - A Video Post

This is a short video album of the 8th annual Saltwater 5000. Another great year with great friends running from the ocean to the top of Saddleback Mountain! Push play then click on the expander to get a full size viewing...


Saltwater 2011 from Will C on Vimeo.

Go Angels!

Finally, ESPN turns its attention to the west coast, at least for a day or two! And why not, when a baseball's most valuable player moves to a new team for $250 million, and that team is on the west coast,  all of a sudden the eastern sports network takes notice!

Ok, back to running. I'm looking forward to a great run this weekend, with lots of climbing!

Take...me...out...to...the...ball...game!! 

A Place Oddity

One moment I am flying through the cosmos, alone in a spaceship, destine for greatness on some other world years away. Will I reach my destination?  Mind and spirit intact? Bouncing from galaxy to galaxy, I prune the edges of planets as I drop down to observe each ecosystem and extra terrestrial being. Entire worlds and life forms that I never dreamed of lay below me. Am I really here? Is this really happening? Life takes on new meaning. Along my journey obstacles want to destroy me, yet I avoid getting marooned inside these black holes that lay waiting like minefields along my cosmic pilgrimage. Is it destiny or my own free will that guides me? Oddly I’m able to use energy from these dark places to slingshot me deeper into space. Further into the abyss. 

The next moment I am running down a mountain trail, lost in my thoughts, locked into a feeling that I’m getting stronger with every step. Is this possible? To gain strength with a single step? Thousands of steps? Running from ridgeline to ridgeline, I peer down into the canyons below and notice the clear streams and steep canyon walls. The hot sun on my neck tells me this is real. My eyes move back to the trail, and I realize now many more rocks lay maliciously under my feet. I go down hard. Thud!! The wind leaves my lungs. My knee bleeds. Startled, I get up and begin to catch my breath. Then something inside begins to stir. Its an odd feeling, energy from another place. One I didn’t know about, until now. Despite a searing pain in my hip, I’m running again. Deeper into the wilderness.

Alcohol - Good or Bad?

Seems every time I pick up a newspaper, log on to the internet, or find an interesting news show, the topic of alcohol and health seem to appear. Is the stuff good or bad for you? Seems there are so many opinions that I'm left with nothing more than a wilted view on what is fact or fiction. Maybe it's one of those subjects that you believe what you want to believe.

I found this link to an article that sheds some light on the matter.

Happy holidays

Man's Best Friend?

I’d like to say for the record that if dogs are man’s best friend, they can be a turd in the punchbowl for us runners. Actually, it’s not the dogs that spoil the party, it’s a select group of their “clueless” owners. Hey, I’m all for pets, including those of the canine variety. But as a runner, I’ve learned to grow weary if not downright resentful of some dog owners. Hear me out on this one.

Last night I was on the back leg of a 6 mile out and back run I’ve completed dozens of times. As I ran along the dirt trail on the UCI Eco Reserve I could see a couple with a dog walking toward me about a half a mile away. It was dusk and the sun light was diming. As I approached the trio a long fence with a narrow opening stood between us. I could see that the dog, like most I come across when running on trail, was not on a leash.

Ok, here we go, I thought to myself, “the random dog encounter.” There are two types of dogs encountered on trail. Those that trod along with their head down that never notice you.   These are the whimsical ones, either too old and tired to give a shit about you, or smart enough to understand that their business is keeping their snout to the ground seeking scents from the orifices of their four legged brethren.

Then there are the other makes. These are the direct descendants of Jack London’s Buck from The Call of the Wild. The kind with instincts that, if crossed on the wrong day or in the wrong mood, would be threatened by mother Teresa dancing a two-step. Ok, I’m oversimplifying here, but you get the message. To a runner there are dogs that are “friendlies” and the less preferred “un-friendlies.”

As I made my way through the narrow gap, I noticed this couple was immersed in deep conversation. No glance, nod, nor eye contact came my way. As one who has run thousands of miles and come across hundreds of dogs on trail, I always look at the owner of the unleashed dog to determine what my next move should be. If the owner makes a move to grab the pet as I approach, I always slow to a walk to give them the time to do so. If the owner makes no move at all, which is most common, my eyes quickly move from the owner to the pet, then I proceed with caution.

As my eyes moved away from the couple, their pet was already passing on my left a few feet away. I had slowed to a walk, sensing something was amiss about the situation. Then the dog, a youngish black and white shepherd, turned and lunged toward me, growling and barking like a rabid Rin Tin Tin. A standoff that lasted a few seconds ensued, until I heard the owner yelling at the dog as if she had never seen her little guy perform such an act. Hello? Dog owner, this just in: get a clue! Your dog should be on a leash! If you want Fido to roam free on your watch, call for him. He’s not a “friendly” and a stranger is approaching.

It amazes me time and time again when dogs turn aggressive and their owners seem so damned surprised. Again, I’m not a dog hater, in fact the opposite. I grew up with a dog named licorice that literally adopted our family one day when I was in first grade. He waited at the end of the driveway until we took him in as our own. We kids used to rub his stomach until he went crazy and ran around the house like a wild pig. He once got sprayed by a skunk and we had to give him a bath in tomato juice. He was a great dog.

To all dog owners out there, let's keep the turd out of the punchbowl, eh? 

Once in a While

Once in a while. Not often. During a long run. I carry a few bucks with me. And stop. To indulge. Only during a long run. That is the rule.