left to right: Chikara Omine, me trying to look fast by sitting next to him and sharing the same Japanese ethnicity, and my younger son, enjoying the post-race picnic at Quicksilver last Saturday
me:
First, congratulations again. Great runs earlier this year at Jed Smith 50k (3:08:44, winner) and American River 50 mile (6:12:46, 3rd overall). AR50 had an especially deep field this year and you finished only 33 seconds after the reknowned Dave Mackey-- did he pass you at the end or were you closing on him?
Chikara:
It was one of those painfully fun races. I started out quick and both (Maxwell) King (who won) and Mackey caught me around miles 28-29ish. I fell to 4th around mile 42-43ish but got a second wind and eventually saw Mackey again around mile 46. The last 4 miles was a brutal battle but I just couldn't close that gap. Mackey is tough!
Chikara heading up the final hill at the end of AR50 this April. photo by Jean Pommier.
me:
Strong performances, but a 6:15 on this much tougher, hillier Quicksilver course-- definitely more than 2 minutes harder than AR -- is, dude, phenomenal! Did you have any idea you would run this fast? Like, what were your goals or expectations for this race?
Chikara:
Training up to and after AR50 had been going well so I was fairly confident that I had a sub-6:30 in me as long as things went right. However; I was not expecting a sub-6:20 at all. My main focus was to start out conservative and hydrate well. Turned out that paid off. In the prior year when I ran 6:59, I hit the 50K mark just under 4 hours and felt like a train wreck. I knew I was doing well this year when I hit the 50K mark 7-8 minutes faster and the legs still felt light. There was a point where I thought I was in trouble when I found out that my salt tablets melted away in my pocket (from water I splashed on myself). Thankfully the aid stations were well stocked with potatoes with salt, Mountain Dew (gave a good caffeine boost), and great volunteers.
me:
I noticed after, to use Scott's words, exploding onto the ultrarunning scene the second half of 2005 into 2006, you didn't race a lot of ultras the next two years-- in fact, only two per year. Were you injured? Concentrating on shorter distances? Busy with school? What motivated you to race more this spring?
Chikara:
I was actually constantly injured the past 2 years. It started with an IT band injury that flared up during Miwok in 2006 and from there I dealt with a series of injuries from trying to get into shape too quickly or racing distance relays too hard (e.g. Calistoga to Santa Cruz or Hood to Coast). I only had short periods where I was injury-free. During the time I was dealing with injuries, I did more of the shorter distance races since it is much easier to run a 5K out of shape rather than something 10 to 20 times that distance. I was still eager to run the ultra distances and on trails, so I made sure to at least run a couple each year. After dealing with the constant injuries, I eventually decided to let myself fully recover. This decision came after my DNF at Rio Del Lago. When I resumed training, I decided to be more careful, train by feel, and back off whenever I feel a nagging pain. Now I feel much stronger and ready to return to ultrarunning. Also, it is interesting to note I got three of my bigger injuries after running distance relays. They are very fun events but I had been unlucky. I finally broke my relay curse this year. I ran the Santa Cruz to Davenport (Providian) Relay the week before Quicksilver and I seemed to be fine.
me:
I remember seeing you after the last road marathon I ran-- San Francisco 2006 and your white racing flats were soaked with blood. Are you still running road races in those or similar flats?
Chikara:
Almost all the time. I don't feel comfortable in heavy shoes (7 ounces or over) so I go with road flats. Plus I don't like to wear socks since they to insulate my feet too much. My feet can get cut up, but I feel much faster going sockless in flats. The only times I consider heavier shoes are when I expect the trails to be technical and I need better traction or when lighter shoes that I like are not available.
me:
I briefly heard but mostly missed the conversation while I was chasing my kids at the post-Quicksilver picnic-- my wife mentioned that your pre-race meal is the the 20-20 at In and Out, which I'd never heard of. Something about protein loading since you have a fast metabolism? Uh, should I start doing this?
the speedster in gastronomical action; this plate took him a little under 18 minutes. He admitted having entered eating contests, and dreams of some day winning one.
Chikara:
Actually the In-N-Out 20 x 20 (20 patty burger with 20 cheeses) is not a normal pre-race meal for me. That is something I ate a few days before AR 50 and I like to joke that it is my ideal meal since I ended up having a good race. But the part about how I like to load up on protein and fats (burgers/pizza/spam/other meat) the night before races is true. I used to carb-load since it seemed to be the normal thing to do prior to endurance events. But I realized that it had not been that effective for me. I've had my fair share of good races after carb-loading but there were many times where I felt sluggish and even hungry early into a race. I figure this happens since I metabolize fast and whatever carbs I eat the night before gets stored as body fat by race time. Fats and protein seem to satiate better and provide more energy race day. I save the carbs for race day. I wouldn't recommend my pre-race meal for everyone since every body is different (and some people already have a set meal that works), but it's something I've been experimenting with this year. Seems to be working well for me this year.
me:
To each his own. Thanks for your time and candor, and good luck at States and beyond!
