Into the Mist

It started out as just another run. El Moro state park to Nix center and back. What emerged was surreal - a marine layer of clouds nestled in every canyon along the coast and across Irvine valley.

Another One for Our Little Roses

Another day full of fun and mischief with the peeps from Run for Our Little Roses.

Where Continents Collide | Mt. Whitney

Ranked up there with the best hikes in the world, including Salkantay Trek in Peru (Machu Piccu), and the Narrows in Utah, is the Whitney trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. It’s a hike to the summit of the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. I had the good fortune, thanks to my friend Jinii K, to hike this challenging trail with three friends last Friday.

Morning Moon - Sierra Nevada.

The Whitney trail requires a bit of planning and logistics. Carrying enough food, water and proper clothing is important to make it to the summit and back safely. If the 22 mile round trip and 6,000’ vertical gain doesn’t get the best of you, the 14,505’ elevation at the summit of Mt. Whitney most certainly will. At that altitude the air contains a mere 57% of the oxygen at sea level, which changes everything.

Rob M

Rob M and Scott M beginning the switchbacks

With Dennis G and Scott M

We began our trek just before 6 am under a virtual full moon. The weather at the summit was expected to be mild (low 40s) so I packed light, stowing a windbreaker, gloves and a beanie for the summit. I also brought my water pump/filter to take water from the streams which allowed me to carry less than 40 oz of water at the start.

The Whitney trail approaches the summit of Mt. Whitney from the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is here where you find the jagged, granite cliffs that rise thousands of feet into the sky, a stark contrast to the western slope which is a more gentile approach up to the snow capped summits of the range. As I read about the history of these mountains and how they were formed, the visions I captured on this trek began to meld into a tapestry of geologic wonder. I say wonder because I’m struggling to find the words to describe the setting.

Keeler Needle from the west

These mountains were created essentially by two pieces of the earth’s crust colliding. The North American Plate and the Pacific Plate, one moving north and the other south. What remains is the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, a massive, tilted block of the earth’s crust angling to the sky. Looking at Keeler Needle from the western side you get a sense of the tectonic scope of this place, where literally the crust of the earth points to the sky.

Approaching the summit plateau

Whitney Summit on the left

In all we spent around 9.5 hours on this hike not including roughly 40 minutes on the summit. The weather was perfect, as we avoided the big winds that were coming the next day and the snow and ice that will befall this trail in several weeks. The hardest part? Easily the altitude, especially from Sierra crest to the summit, which is 2.5 miles of climbing above 13,000’. Everything slowed down here which wasn’t so bad. It gave me more time to enjoy the views!

Dennis G and I at the Summit

Shuffleboard at Lone Pine’s Finest - Jakes Saloon

The Religion of Solitude

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Our Bio-Rivers of Serotonin

Have you ever been focused on a goal? A specific, measurable, time sensitive goal? One that is aligned with your plans to accomplish something big in life? If you are a runner, my guess is, yes, you have. If you are not a runner, my guess is, yes, you still have. As members of a “can do” American culture, like it or not, I believe, we are nurtured to think we are more worthy if we win, succeed, achieve, perform, or accomplish. From this neurosis, we grow extra hormone reserves, or little bio-rivers of serotonin. These rivers keep the process alive.

Stay with me people, this is you, too!

I started this post with the concept of chromosomes and DNA, thinking that we are somehow born with this neurosis. This need to succeed, for others. Then I quickly corrected myself.

Running ultra’s, like anything difficult in life, is all about motivation. You either have it, or you don’t. You either feel it, or you don’t. You either cross the finish line, or you don’t. And it all comes back to this one simple thing. Motivation.

Which leads me to the next question. Where does it come from? This thing called motivation? Is it really from the bio-rivers of serotonin in our own head? Or is it from somewhere else? Is it in our DNA?

I don’t have the answer. But I do have an insight that lends itself to what might be a way of thinking. It is from Lao Tzu himself, uttered centuries ago. It is simply this:

“Care about what other people think, and you will always be their prisoner.”

Just Stillness

When we came around a bend in the trail, I could see them in the distance, frozen in their tracks.  I reached for my camera. Would they move? Run away? I just keep reaching until I grabbed the camera and positioned it for the shot. Still, no movement. Just stillness. Click. 

Running in the mountains. Is there anything better?

I haven't found it.        

Like a Sharp Knife Into the Back of My Leg

Running In the Red Zone - Heart Race at Xterra race

Being a runner has its advantages. You can pretty much do it anywhere. City streets, mountain ridges, country roads. You can even do it on a cruise ship.

Then there are the disadvantages. One being the lingering tendency toward obsessive compulsive disorder. Like the need to monitor everything possible under the sun. You know, like distance run, elevation gained, resting heart rate, max heart rate, calories, hydration, cadence, weight, pace and sleep, among other meaningless metrics.

A couple weeks ago I kind of threw all this in the toilet and went out a ran in a 15k (9.3 mile) Xterra race in San Diego. I was supposed to do a 50 mile race on the east coast the same weekend but cancelled on account of a snow storm in the forecast. As I was driving to the race I started to think about how fast I could run it, given I only needed to run 18.6% of the 50 mile distance I was supposed to run. Fast I remember thinking.

I started in the front of the pack and quickly found myself running at a pace I haven’t run since...uhm….high school? But it felt so awesome! I was flying down this single track trail with all these young speedsters. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins like nitro glycerin into a dragster. Sparks were surely flying behind me. Then I glanced at heart rate. 178 bpm!

I don’t think I’ve run over 170 bpm in several years, the last time being when I injured my Achilles tendon and spent months on the road to recovery. But this was different, I thought, as I pounded down the trail. This was a race! So after a couple of miles battling it out with other runners I simply stopped looking at my heart rate.

Around mile 6 and 7 things were going amazing and I started passing other runners. Then it happened. It was like a knife going into the back of my leg. Sharp, sudden and serious. I immediately started walking, preying it was just a simple cramp.

No such luck. Oh, well, I thought as I walked the next two miles. Sometimes things happen for a reason. Especially when being a bonehead.  

Running Through the Ups and Downs - Repost

(Original post March 2012. Still 100% relevant) 

The last couple weeks I stumbled upon a certain realization about running, maybe even about life. Whether you are a runner or not, take heart, because you might see some parallels in your own world.

There are days when I feel invincible. The miles, the hours, the hills I put in week after week, make me feel strong. They build me up, encourage me to push the envelope a little further. They give me the confidence to reach a little higher.

And there are days when I feel beaten down. The miles, the hours and hills, they cut right through my strength, they make me feel weak. They break me down, entice me to give up. They take away my passion to persevere through the challenges I face.

It’s not like this is a big epiphany. Maybe the opposite, kind of an unwritten rule that we store in the back of our mind and don’t pay attention to. A rule that says don’t get too comfortable when you feel you’re on top of the world, because it won’t be long until you will feel the world on your shoulders.

I suppose it’s as simple as the yin and yang. Opposing states, like any contrary forces in the natural world, are not only interdependent, they need each other to exist. Hot and cold, fire and water, female and male. Strong and weak. Can I feel strong if I have not felt weak? Can I be strong if I am never weak?

Training is a big part of being a runner. At its core training breaks you down, then it builds you back up, stronger than before. Week after week, month after month. The cycle continues. Some people naturally wonder, why submit yourself to such a rigor? Isn’t there more to life? Sometimes I ask myself that question, usually when I feel broken down.

In writing this I’m reminded of a lecture Master Kan gave his young disciple in the television series Kung Fu. Addressing the young student, the master explains the purpose of the hardship the student must endure to be a Shaolin priest.

Master Kan:

"You must prepare yourself for what lies ahead
in your chosen role as priest.
The nature of wind, and fire, and ice.
The frailty of the human condition in hunger, and thirst and fatigue.
The predatory instincts of living things.
The greed and vanity buried in the hearts of men.
You must be prepared to survive through all of this.
These graceful movements you now perform,
along with all the rigors and disciplines your masters impose upon you,
will help you develop the inner strength, that which we call Chi.
And when you come to meet your greatest test, your highest challenges,
when you call upon your chi, it will not desert you."

The more I learn, the more I’ve come to realize that running through the ups and downs is, in itself, the ultimate test of endurance, the real challenge that stands between me and inner strength.

Fair Weather Runner

Ok. I'm putting it out there. For the first time I chose NOT to run a race due to forecasted weather conditions. I admit it. I'm falling on my sword now...and feeling its sharp edge puncture my weakened resolve...yet kind of enjoying it.

I was signed up for the Bull Run Run this weekend in Virginia of all places. Plane tickets were purchased, rental car booked. But as the day fast approached, I wasn't feeling it. Then I looked at the weather forecast. 20 to 30 degrees, rain and snow on race day. Wait, isn't it spring time? There was a time when the thought of flying across the country to run in the rain and snow would have had some appeal. Not anymore. I've done my fair share of races in rain and snow, and I have to say it kind of sucks to run in either. This would be a perspective firmly solidified after last years Bighorn 100, UTMB, or even final assault.

Experience has its benefits. 

Overcoming Monotony

As published in UltraRunning Magazine Online

Runners, beware, you are about to enter the twilight zone.  This is the dimension that exposes long-held beliefs that cause of chronic burn-out. It is a journey into a wondrous land that defies dogma and disposes of the monotonous. A place where mindless, boring exercise goes to die.

Running can be boring. Especially when you do it a lot, and for a long time. There are days when I can’t bring myself to go for a run. Ever have one of those? You know, when the thought of going for a run makes you want to clean the kitchen, take out the trash or work on a project, like any project? It’s a quandary, especially if you’re trying to prepare for something like a half-marathon, an ultra marathon or whatever.

The solution? Try this out: reading. That’s right. Reading while training. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but it’s really not. Read on.

I’ve been putting a healthy amount of my weekly training in while reading the Wall Street Journal, the LA Times and the New York Times. I’m even adding in a regular dose of the Weekly Standard, Backpacker Magazine and an occasional book (usually non-fiction). I’m in the middle of Getting to US, a profile of some of the greatest coaches in sports by Seth Davis, and What Unites Us, reflections on patriotism by ousted CBS anchor Dan Rather.

The question of course is how is it possible to read and run at the same time. It isn’t. I don’t run while I read. And I don’t have to because I incorporate a lot of cross training into my schedule. The elliptical machine is one of my favorites, as is hiking at a steep grade on the treadmill wearing a 10 lbs weight vest. Another is simply riding a stationary bike. Each of these workouts can get my heart rate to an aerobic level. They also give my body a chance to rebuild after long and/or difficult workouts, all while catching up with what’s happening in DC, Pyongyang or Pennsylvania’s 18^th district.

I’ve come to look forward to my reads during training. In fact, I truly believe I would have given up running ultras a long time ago if I hadn’t started incorporating reading into my training regimen several years back. What’s more is I’m usually blasting my thumbprint radio on Pandora while I’m checking the sports page or the latest Op-Ed. Did you note the juxtaposition of the WSJ NY Times? (Trying to stay balanced my friends).

In addition to rewarding my neurons, reading while training forces me to stay in a recovery zone. That is because pushing into the red zone makes it impossible to focus - on text, paragraphs or even titles. Everything becomes a blur.  Staying in my recovery zone allows me to build a solid base of fitness, the foundation for running strong at any distance.

Keep it real runners!

Altitude is Everything

From Modjeska Peak

Six Cities Run (in the rain)

Six Cities Run

It wasn't until mile 3 or 4 when decided what I was doing. And even then I really didn't know. It was starting to rain and the trails near my house were turning to mud, so I decided to hit the roads for a longer run. As I started to run, I kept thinking, how can I make this interesting? After all, outside of avoiding life threatening vehicular traffic, running on the roads for more than a couple of hours can be quite humdrum, even (sorry road runners) boring. 

So I tried to come up with something to keep things interesting. Nothing came to mind, except running to a particular destination, then catching a Lift back home. I've done this a couple times before with decent luck. Once I did a solo run to Swallows Bar and a couple of group runs to Cooks Corner for birthday celebrations. I started thinking about how many cities I could possibly run through on one run. I started with seven, but soon realized that was more than I could chew. I settled for six.

So there you have it. Starting in Newport Beach, I proceeded to Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and finished up in Huntington Beach. Twenty one miles of pure bliss. LOL.

Ok, not the most glamorous of journeys, but still a good day at the office.

Keep it real runners.

It’s All in the Head - A Tribute To Roger Bannister

To achieve a personal record at something you’ve put your heart and soul into is, as any runner will tell you, an incredible feeling. To achieve something that no other human being has ever achieved is, well, monumental. Roger Bannister did this in 1954 when he broke, for the very first time, the 4 minute mile. Roger Bannister died March 3. He was 88 years old.

What makes Bannister’s feat monumental in the running world and the world at large is the wide held belief in those days that it was impossible for a human to run a mile in under 4 minutes. But Bannister did it. And others followed. And they followed in droves. Over 500 US runners alone have broken the 4 minute barrier,  and many weren’t out of high school when they did it.

The question that must be asked is how many of these runners would have run sub 4 minutes if no one had ever done it before them? My point is this: what we think is impossible might be impossible only in our heads, but very possible outside of our heads.

What are you capable of that is impossible? Here’s a clue. There is only one way to find out.