Hey, they tried... (my first and maybe last UltraRunnerPodcast interview)

http://ultrarunnerpodcast.com/

During my interview on UltraRunnerPodcast yesterday (that aired today), I was reminded that I haven't posted on my blog here for quite a while.  Kind of like the projected El Niño this winter and the California drought, even if I blog ten race reports in the next month, I'll still be hopelessly behind on telling all the goofy stories worth telling (if not reading about).  Despite the futility of it all, I thought I should at least make a little post about the interview.

It reminded me of a typical ultrarunning race:

1. Several times I failed to answer the question (...which is sort of like coming into an aid station thinking "I must apply more lube to my crotch....I must apply more lube to my crotch...."  Some friends say hi, take a few pics, good stuff to eat, but I'm offered this quesadilla which I don't really want but it kind of looks good even with the flies buzzing around it, and then I almost forget my bottle, and then decided I should have cool water teeming with bacteria squeezed onto my head cause it feels soooo good.  And I leave without having applied lube to my crotch....)

2. I went off on all these tangents, that led nowhere (...which is like getting off course and then you have to find your way back-- bonus!)

3. I answered many questions badly, especially the ones I should have anticipated, like the ER doc questions, especially the grossest thing I've seen one, which we emergency physicians get all the fricking time, so I should've had a pithier, funnier answer (...which is like coming to a race that I've already run, completely clueless and unprepared, having no idea how far between two aid stations, and then bonking due my preventable ignorance....)

4. Eventually, though, we got there, and as messily and inefficiently and it went, it was still fun!  (... = I got my damn buckle, oh yeah, it was all so worth it!)

My worst gaffe though, was when Sarah kept tried to cue me to say how awesome my wife is for letting me run these races, and to thank her publicly on the web-- I totally blew it!

Honey, thanks so much, love you lots!!!

Thanks, Sarah and Eric, good times!

http://ultrarunnerpodcast.com/mark-tanaka-interview/

Not Pacing Kaburaki at Western States

Apparently last year's 2nd place finisher at Western States, Tsuyoshi Kaburaki from Japan, is not running again this year.  He reportedly aggravated his hurting Achilles tendon while winning the North Face Global Challenge 100k in China last month.  This photo from that race explains how this might have happened.

(Aside note:  I was unable to get a course map, results or any other up to date course information on this race from their website, just flashy graphics, funky music, and info on their other races.  If anyone figures this out, please send me the link.)

I was going to pace Kaburaki from Foresthill (mile 62) to the Rucky Chucky river crossing (mile 78).  I was feeling apprehensive of my ability to do this two weeks after finishing the San Diego 100 mile, but a two hour run today confirms I would be up to the task.

I could still go up and join all the excitement and pace some other random person from the list, but Friday night is girls' night out for my wife, and early Sunday morning I have this male-bonding event at the shooting range with some of the other founding dad of the public charter school I helped found, and then have to work 10 hours starting that afternoon.  So not sure I'd want to be running all Saturday night   Plus, there is the domestic political capital expediture that maybe I should save for the 100 milers I'm running this summer (up to three races in six weeks, still deciding.)

Maybe I've learned to value my unsullied Western States virginity...  For the rest of you getting knocked up this weekend, good luck and have fun!