(That Was Sort of Me on TV at) Rio del Lago 3.0

This was my 5th time running this race, but the last time I had run it was 5 years ago.  I missed all three races with Molly Sheridan directing.  I was looking forward to running these trails northeast of Sacramento after so long.  Julie Fingar of Norcal Ultras took over this year, moving the date to November, a much less impacted time on the Ultra calendar.  My older son had his Norcal State Cup soccer tournament nearby the same weekend, so I would be convenient to stick this run in.  I would still get to see him play the more important matches on Sunday.

Course Changes

To quote David Byrne,
You may ask yourself, well, "How did I get here?"
--at my 1st 100 mile run ever, Rio del Lago, September 2005
photo purchased from Joe McCladdie

The original route started at a Cavitt Middle School in Granite Bay, went up almost 30 miles to Cool for one loop, then returned to the school at mile 67.  The last third of the course went south, making a 16.5 mile fishhook around the southern part of Lake Natoma before returning to the school the same way.  Since my last running (I think at least some of these changes came in 2010), the butt-kicker climb up K2 to Cool was ditched.  The 8 mile loop at Cool this year was modified, the aid station on the loop ditched, and the loop repeated in the opposite direction.  There were some other changes to the aid stations too.  Finally the 33 mile southern route was replaced with a repeat out and back north two aid stations and 11 miles to Horseshoe Bar and back.

old course map (though 2008)

current course map

While I miss the southern 33 mile section, not minding running on pavement close to Interstate 50 (it often had a surreal quality to it), it was easy to get confused and off course.  Logistically, I can see the advantages of eliminating 5 extra aid stations.

I Probably Should Work on Improving My Speaking in Public About Running 100 Miles

* (Missed) Opportunity 1:

Pre-Race Meeting on Friday:  Whoever was speaking (I missed the introductions) asked the experienced 100-mile veterans for tips to give the newbies.  Ray Sanchez, Clyde "the Glide" Aker, Catra Corbett (this would be her 99th) gave their tips ("have fun" a common theme).  I think people were expecting me to volunteer since I've done more than a few of these, but I was feeling frazzled, having arrived late due to traffic after having to attend a long, often painful meeting all morning.  Where to begin?  My guardian angel was screaming in my ear "DON'T SAY ANYTHING-- YOU WON'T MAKE ANY SENSE, IT WON'T BE FUNNY!!!"  Fortunately, I listened.

but then I still manage to look like a dork, by Chris Jones

* (Forced) Opportunity 2:

At Rattlesnake Bar aid station, mile 13, and also the first drop bag location.

I come in knowing what I have to do, not just getting my bottle refilled, but also dropping my headlamp into my drop bag and taking out my hat.  Dasie Yamagata was there crewing for her husband Kuni, and offered to help.

Next thing you know, this guy was sticking a big camera into my face, and this woman

was asking me "So what it is like to run 100 miles?" Maybe I was thinking about it too much, but how the hell can anyone answer that question in a pithy sound bite?  I assumed she must be with the race or something, so I muttered something about how this is a bad habit I do too much.  Guess I didn't answer the question, so she asked me again, and I maybe I answered her question.

Only then did I happen to look down and saw the big 3 with the rainbow peacock logo on her microphone.  Crap, she's from the real media!

I muttered that my wife would kill me if she saw me wearing a bandana coming out the back of my cap.  She really hates that, regardless of the UV protection it might provide.

I had to spell my name to her-- twice.  I am pretty sure I spelled it correctly, but maybe something got lost in translation.  I guess she doesn't know Japanese....

by Tara Penders

As I fled the aid station, I looked back, the camera man still pointing his huge bazooka-camera at me.  "I love you Mom!"

There is no way they are using any of that, I thought to myself.

Click here to watch me on the news!   The best line:  "Keeping a healthy habit going for generations..."

If you don't wanna waste time with the video, brief written blurb:

Sacramento athletes take part in 100-mile run

Brief Conversations with Mr. and Ms. Victorious

Chris Wehan has been winning numerous Inside Trail races this past year.  Since he's so fast, I only recently met him.  Chris paced himself really smartly the first 10 miles, allowing me to chat with him some.  It was interesting to meet someone more wimpy with the cold than I-- he had a much thicker jacket and full length tights on.  Chris took off before Horseshoe Bar aid station (mile 11) and won the race with more than a 90 minute lead.  Awesome, job, Chris!

Chris after winning Dirty Dare 25k three weeks earlier

I thought the lead woman would be Kelly Lance, when I saw the name show up on the registered runner list, but didn't bother to notice the "M" by his name (he would finish 2nd overall).  Coming out of No Hands Bridge on the return from Cool, mile 50, the actual female leader, Erika Lindland, caught up with me as I caught up with John (Jack) Finn.  We lost John, and I chatted a bit with Erika (whom I'd never me before).   I left her behind at Auburn Dam aid station (about mile 54).  Erika would win the women's race decisively (and beat me by 8 minutes). 

Erika with Karl Hoagland
from Western States 2011 in fb
since I didn't manage to get a picture of her at Rio

I didn't run that long with either of them, but the take home point is that if you are fast and slow down and chat with me for a while, I may magically transfer to you the mojo that will help you win the race.

The End of Rechargeable Batteries for Headlamps

So, while I was with Chris earlier in the race, shortly after we left the 1st aid station, my Petzl Myo XP headlamp started flashing the low battery warning.  This made it very hard to run, and so I had to keep up with Chris to get a sense of what the terrain was like up ahead, but essentially I was running half in the dark.

I had another Petzl headlamp with 3 rechargeable AA batteries in them at Auburn Dam.  Just like that morning, these also started to go out after only 40 minutes.  Ugh!  Erika caught up with me, with her then pacer Bob Gilbert.  Bob felt pity for me and lent me his spare headlamp.  Thanks, Bob, you saved me!  Still, it was a smaller headlamp, so I was slightly vision impaired. I brought my Petzl Nao which uses a rechargeable USB charged unit, but it was at Beals Point.  Later I passed this guy with an orange shirt who was struggling a little, and in passing told him my story of my headlamp and being saved by the guy pacing the 1st place woman.  "Yeah, that was me," Bob Gilbert informed me.  Major Duh!  But at least I got to thank him again.

my 2009 McNaughton 150 mile report, documenting rechargeable battery problems several years ago (read near the end, loop 15), though they lasted a lot longer than 30 minutes back then....

Soccer Dads and Pacing Fails

As I mentioned, this same weekend was the Norcal State Cup soccer tournament, in which my older son's team was competing.  The dad of my son's teammate recently took up ultrarunning, so even though I normally don't go around looking for pacers, I figured I would invite him along.  I told him if I ran well, maybe I'd finish under 20 hours, so he figured he would show up at Beal's Point before the last out and back at mile 78 at 8:30 pm.  When it became apparent that I was going to most likely come in much earlier than that, I asked Dasie Yamagata at Cool to text my wife to tell him probably 7 to 7:30, as early as 630, but I think she punched in the number wrong since it never made it.

Meanwhile, my friend Ben was following the webcast anyway, and thinking the same thing-- better show up much earlier.  Unfortunately, my wife, who really doesn't really know how I run these things, told him-- "No, Ben, don't sweat it-- he's going to slow down, really, I'm sure.  I really wouldn't rush to get there so early."

So when I arrived at Beal's, a few volunteer's thought they had seen my potential pacer, but in reality it was probably Ultrarunning magazine's new editor Erika Lindland's boyfriend and end-of-race pacer, Karl Hoagland, who I'd asked to deliver some stuff I no longer needed on the trail and put it with my awesome Victor Ballesteros designed Victory Sportdesign drop bag.  The announcer called out Ben's name a few times, but no one showed up.  He ended up missing me by less than 10 minutes, and was quite crestfallen, apparently, since he was pumped up for his first 100-mile pacing stint.  My wife has since apologized to him for the misinformation. Well, next time....

Changing Goals

The only real race goal I had was finishing with enough time to nap if needed so I could safely drive back the half hour to Sacramento, take a shower, nap some more and be able to watch my son's soccer game at 8:30 am.   Once sub-20 (which would cover the above) became highly likely, I was hoping for sub-18, especially since I've never finished a race in the 17 to 18 hour range (one sub-17, two 18-19 hour finishes).  As that slipped the idea of finishing before midnight seemed intriguing.  Then I realized that thinking too much about that goal was decreasing the amount of FUN I was having, which both Ray and Catra told the newbies to make sure they had during the race.  Fun first!  Also, no one really cares or notices if you finish below or above 19 hours.  And for better or for worse, getting chicked really doesn't bother me much.  I guess if I hadn't gotten off course right after the last aid station (leading several others 22 miles behind me partially with me) and didn't have my light battery problem twice, I could've finished under 19 hours and also finished 5th overall and not just 5th male overall, but really, I'm so much less fixated on place than I was, say five years ago.

About my son-- after losing both games on Saturday, I got to see my son's team win both on Sunday, the second one in overtime penalty kicks.  Apparently, it was only the last game that determined whether they would advance to the next weekend, which still makes no sense to me.  

As soon as I came into the finish line, I must have been swerving (this happens when I push it to the finish), and I was ushered into the medical tent, where I happily laid down on a cot, put my feet up on a chair and was served an awesome vegetable soup and ginger ale by Dasie Yamagata.  Sarah Lavender Smith said hi and took this photo of me, catching all the crotch lube soaking though my shorts.  (Lube, not some gross bodily fluid!)

Regarding my shiny pants in the above photo-- I had forgotten to relube at Auburn Dam on the outbound, mile 24, and started to chafe going up to Cool.  And of course I didn't carry any lube on me.  I was literally grabbing my crotch to ease the friction.  So for the rest of the day, I was zealous about applying the Vaseline, which oozed all over my shorts.

race report on Massanutten 100, when I had my worst lube fail to date:

Stonewalled by My Scrotum at the Massanutten Mountain 100 Mile Run

At the finish area, a U2 concert video was playing on a large screen, so I half-dozed off for maybe 15-30 minutes listening to their great live music.  (There is nothing bad to hear "Bad" blaring loudly right after finishing a 100-mile race.)  The atmosphere at the finish area was indeed quite festive, a huge improvement over the fluorescent lighting of Cavitt Middle School the 4 times I ran the race from 2005 to 2008.  The award ceremonies were eventful, but it did make for a long weekend (we wouldn't leave Granite Bay until early afternoon).

picking up a Masters award from then RD and race founder Norm Klein, 2007

Schwag Old and New

I used to get 2 to 3 of these little statuettes every year when Norm Klein directed the race.  We didn't have any space at my old house to put them, so they stayed in a box.  Our new house we moved into last year has more outside patio and yard space, so I keep them out there now.

grouped together for photo:  a deer, a mountain lion and her cubs, two eagles and a bunch of bears
the print on two of them saying what the award was for faded in the sun-- whoops
I think there are two more not pictured.

If these weren't large enough, here is the Race Director herself six years ago with her humongous prize for winning the women's race.

This year: medal for all finishers.  RD Julie Fingar hadn't mentioned the buckle on the website, but she apparently had enough leftover from the previous year when Molly Sheridan still directed it, so we also got buckles too-- the buckle is a sub-24 hour one too.  Will Julie give out buckles next and following years too?

results - overall

results - by age group

GPS map--1st half+

GPS map--2nd half-

with the formidable & indefatigable Ray Sanchez, who finished 3rd overall

website 

official race video (I got into this one too!)

video by Ultra Sports Live TV

 by Ultra Sports Live.

Thanks, volunteers, and great job NorCal Ultras!

Angeles Crest Death March

Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run
Saturday-Sunday 21-22 July 2012

Having added bonus mileage the first time I ran AC100 and still (barely) finishing under 24 hours, I figured that I had another good shot at the under one-day buckle again, even if I ran an hour more slowly the second time.

drive down:
2010-- with Jon Gunderson, an AC veteran, his wife, Wilma and his friend who was going to help crew and pace him some.  race report
2012-- with Toshi Hosaka, an AC rookie, his wife Judy, and no additional friend

So the official drop bag deadline is noon.  I haven't yet encountered another 100 mile race that makes you drop your bags off so %*#$@! early.

What this means is that for those traveling, including those coming from the Bay Area, we have to leave early in the morning.  One I could try to preempt this by flying and renting a car, but besides cost, this is a point-to-point race, so that becomes logistically complicated since I would have to get someone to drive the car from start to finish. It is greener and more fun to carpool.

Toshi suggested 3:30 AM originally as a pick-up time at my (old) house, 15 minutes from where I live. I bargain-texted him to 4 AM.  They were running late, during which time I moved touch up paint cans that I had been using around the house to the garage.

I slept a little on the way down.

stayed at the same place
cheap and convenient-- blocks from the start

random pre-race meeting shots:
Matt Schmidt on left
mystery guy on right

with Catra Corbett and Andy Kumeda (no longer a pair)

We ate Mexican for dinner.

It is always dark at the start.  Having finished 10th two years ago despite major bonus mileage, I felt hanging near the front with the fast boys and girls at least for the pictures was appropriate...

Okay, after all those pre-race pictures, almost none of me on the course, since I didn't carry a camera.

My race in a few paragraphs:

I paced things, made sure I didn't go out too fast, remembered the spots where I second-guessed myself the year before and added bonus backtracking mileage.  I was maybe 30 minutes off last year's pace around the half way mark.  I ran out of water twice, first during the 12 mile stretch from mile 14 (Vincent Gap) to 26 (Islip Saddle), which took me almost three hours. I should have planted a hydration pack, but I guess I was lucky enough to have noticed the length of the stretch the previous day when drop bags were due-- at least I planted another bottle the last minute.  Duh-- do your prerace homework!)   The other was the Eagle's Roost to Cloudburst Summit split in the 30's that was two miles longer than I had expected-- I stupidly chose not to stop at a water fountain at the campground about a 1/3 into the split.

I was already starting to decelerate the latter part of the 3rd quarter, dropping from 31st place at mile 59 (Shortcut Saddle) to 47th place by mile 75 (Chantry Flat).

At Chantry I was approached by this guy I had never met before, looking to pace someone.  After last years navigational problems and knowing that I would have to work hard to maybe beat 24 hours, I gladly accepted, though I did warn him I had been slowing down.  His name is really long, but he told me to call him Von.

Soon after we started running, I started to get the sleepies.  I believe I downed whatever caffeinated gels or blocks I had on me.  But things started getting worse.  During the climb up to Mt. Wilson during the first few miles after the aid station), I started swerving and faltering.  By the time we finally reached the summit, I was so out of it, I had to lie down on a bench.

• Mark Tanaka Hey, Von, I'm going to write up my 2012 AC100 report. Gonna keep it short and focus on the interesting part. I can't remember-- were you going to pace someone else and they dropped? or you just came to Chantry looking to pace someone? I can't remember. In fact, it's all a big blur. What was the story? I started to fade really fast, correct, like before we even started the big climb?

  14 hours ago · Like · 1
• 

  Von Borstel J. Armando Dude you were falling over! lol! falling a sleep left and right. Taking naps , 5 minute naps every mile. it was a long night. I went to chantry falls to help anyone who needed it. and i picked you up at 330am there at Chantry

I must have apologized a million times-- although Von was altruistically looking to help a runner get to the finish, I also knew he was also planning on getting a decent nighttime workout.  Flashback to my first Headlands Hundred, when Jonathan Gunderson impromptu started pacing me at mile 75, and then I soon crumped.   I kept telling Von he could go ahead or find someone else to pace if I was moving too slowly, but he stuck with me.  Let's be superstitious-- maybe it is a curse.  Either I need to actively seek pacing help ahead of time, or, if you want to ever offer to pace me, I suggest we start anywhere EXCEPT mile 75, or do so at your own risk....

The one thing nice about my falling apart like that-- we got to see that whole final section of the course in the daylight.  Two years earlier I ran it all in the dark.  There is some sweet, kick-ass scenery we enjoyed.  It did get hot too.  So Von, if he didn't get to practice running in the dark, did get some heat training.

By the way, Von is running his first AC100 this weekend.  Buena suerte, amigo!

I was able to pick up the pace a bit and pass several runners for a net gain of 9 places during the last 10 miles, but still almost 7 hours slower than my first time.

Here are my split times (clock time) and overall place.
link from my split page from the live webcast site

CHECKPOINT DATA

Checkpoint	Time In	Time Out	Place
Wrightwood		05:00
Inspiration Point	06:57	06:57	30
Vincent Gap	07:44	07:48	33
Islip Saddle	10:42	10:47	39
Eagles Roost	11:49	11:57	38
Cloudburst Summit	14:00	14:06	34
Three Points	15:08	15:14	33
Mount Hillyer Trail	16:37	16:47	31
Chilao	17:50	18:08	32
Shortcut Saddle	19:56	20:15	31
Newcomb Pass	22:46	23:36	44
Chantry Flat	01:33	02:06	47
Idlehour Trail	06:14	06:20	54
Sam Merrill Trail	08:36	09:02	62
Millard Canyon	10:40	10:45	58
Finish	11:44:42		53

With my loyal pacer, Von Borstel J. Armando, from the San Diego area.  Gracias otra vez!

The other advantage of running crappily the second time around-- I get a different buckle for my collection.

sub-24 buckle from 2010
the regular finisher's buckle from 2012
not yet earned: 2nd Sunrise buckle, though hard to time

Hey, I guess I DID get the bighorn sheep on a buckle that they don't give you at Bighorn 100.  Nonetheless, I will put my name in for Hardrock 100 again this winter.

drive back:
2010: brunch with Billy Yang, who dropped me off at Burbank Airport, flew into Sacramento, picked up by wife, week with friends at Tahoe (race by the way, was at the end of August that year.  dates keep getting moved)
2012: family in the Midwest for the month, so no rush to get back.  drove back with Toshi and Judy.

Toshi and Judy wanted to catch some dumplings so we ended up going to a Taiwanese/Shanghainese place in Arcadia, Din Tai Fung.  Toshi had killed his AC100 debut, despite not being able to keep ANYTHING down for the last 25 mile, still coming in 6th (literally holding hands with Jimmy Dean Freeman, wearing black cap in photo below.)

woman looking at you-- Keira Henninger, women's winner
her man, Jesse Haynes bottom right

This most awesome effort took its toll.  Toshi was still feeling sick and nauseated as we sat down.

As the 53rd finisher (30:44), I told him to toughen up and smile for the damn camera and eat something.   The food was awesome!  Really hit the spot.

GPS recordings (didn't try to do record the 3rd quarter, battery ran out during the last quarter)

miles 0-55

miles 76-92

results (125 starters, 75 finishers)

splits

website 

2010 race report

Thanks to all the volunteers-- you were all great!

Paced and Almost Self-Disgraced at the 2010 Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run

My kids have gone to Disneyland twice.  Both times the excuse to go down there didn't happen.

The first was for a medical conference, the costs for which I could partially offset with my modest annual continuing medical education allowance.  The conference got cancelled, but I had been granted the week off my work schedule, the tickets were purchased, and the hotel booked.  So we went to Disneyland anyways.  We had fun.

The second trip came when I first mentioned the Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run to wife about 30 months prior ago, as something we could do when the kids were older.  But she was all over it.  "Sure, sign up, let's go!  I loved Disneyland!"

So last year (2009), I did my trail work, paid my fees and was all ready to go.  It would have been my 3rd straight 100 mile run, each 3 weeks apart, after doing Vineman a week before the first (Headlands).  However, the Station Fire cancelled Angeles Crest.  But we did go to Disneyland, which is now not just about the Mice, Ducks and Mutant Dog.  We had fun.  (The first trip was a bit pricey, so this time we drove instead of flew down and stayed at a hotel outside rather inside the park.  I got some running by dropping my family off at the park, driving back to the hotel and then running back to the park, reversing the process at the end of each day.)

The race directors were very generous for not requiring us 2009 cancelled race entrants to pay again for entry to the 2010 race, scheduled earlier during the last weekend of August.  My kids' preschool was out the following week (leading up to Labor Day), so we planned a vacation with friends to Donner Lake near Tahoe.  So I decided to go down to SoCal the last weekend of August without my family, and booked a return flight from Burbank back to Sacramento arriving at 4:15pm, where my family would pick me up on way to the rental house.

Jonathan Gunderson was driving down, so I asked to get a ride with him.  He was going to arrive at my house before 4 am, but luckily he didn't show up until 4:20ish.  I managed to dump work hours so I could end at 7 pm, but with getting the kids down, I wasn't in bed very early.  The race directors quoted a noon cutoff for drop bags, insanely early.  During the ride, I dozed on and off, but enjoyed talking to him, his wife Wilma and their friend and pacer Peter, who is here taking my suitcase out of the trunk.  (Maybe I was supposed to tip him, dang, I'm so rude.)

Lunch at the Evergreen Cafe, ran into Brian Myers and his wife Ysa.  She saved my ass (or rather my feet by providing a nail clipper when I realized I had forgotten to trim them.   To give myself credit, I realized this BEFORE getting to the start line.)

Ysa Myers, Wilma Yun, Jon Gunderson, Peter MysteryLastName

Jorge Pacheco who would win the race, was sitting at the next table.  I thought of saying hi to him, but was too shy.  I am a shy guy.

After lunch, still sleepy, so laid down on my bed for an hour in my cheap but clean enough hotel around the corner...

...before the pre-race meeting, which apparently wasn't as long as in the past.

But some people still couldn't stay awake.

Ysa and Brian Myers

I opted for the official pre-race dinner, a fund-raiser for some nearby girls' organization that buys books to read to poor kids, and every member is a princess.  Yeah, I know what some of you are thinking...

For the night before a big race, I didn't sleep too badly.

Finally--since I'll never get into Western States, the less-hyped SoCal point-to-point equivalent!

photo by Ysa Meyers

On the ascent in the dark up to Inspiration Point, I heard numerous conversations.  Tried to engage in a few, but other than a few minutes talking with  Donna Utakis from Amherst, was too out of breath on the ascent to talk much.  At the top I was moved by Blake and Heather Wood, a veteran father (who had been leisurely snapping photos when I caught up) and his rookie 24--year-old daughter from Los Alamos, New Mexico, running together.  (Moved in that it would be so cool to run with my daughter when she turns 24 in her first 100 mile run, but I don't have a daughter.)

Blake in green, Heather (I think) in pink.

At the first aid station at Inspiration Point (mile 9.3) I ate a potato, grabbed some Chex Mix and pretzels and stuck them in my pocket.  No gels, no blocks.  There was only water at the start, luckily I had brought a couple gels, but I wanted salt.  "Any salt caps?" I asked loudly a few times.  Apparently not.  I complained about the sparseness of the station fare to Jeff Lang, and he shared a lyte cap.  At successive aid stations I would look for protein-- turkey, PBnJ, but none of those would show up until halfway through the race, which I and many others running found disappointing-- we weren't expecting this from such a long-running race.

Passed Scott Mills, San Diego 100 race director.  Catching up to him was initially disturbing since he's 16 years older than me.  He was concerned about Keira Henninger, who directs Leona Divide, and with whom he had been running.  Apparently some hikers gave her wrong directions, so she added some serious bonus miles.

Keira  on some fun run with Eric Wickland, stolen from her facebook profile

Ran also a while with David La Duc, pictured in action below at the princess dinner giving the peace sign with Jeff Lang on left (they drove down from Oakland together) and Roger Jensen in the shades at right.  We both agreed the scenery was much better here than the 100-miler we did in Oregon last (2009) year as a last-replacement for the cancelled AC race.

Slowly the course descends from that early high point, so was feeling slowly a little better.

Ysa Meyers

coming into Islip Saddle mile 25, photo by Ben Jones

Ysa Meyers

Eagle's Roost (mile 30) to Coudburst Summit (mile 37.5) started with a stretch of highway.  Yellow ribbons were on the right side, but I sidetracked when I saw a bunch of yellow ribbons on the left.  Only after getting close did I figure out they were non-race "DO NOT ENTER" ribbons.

As the course finally went back to trail, I caught up with John Rutherford, and we had good chat, largely about some altitude sensitization device by AltoLab, and his experience on the U.S. National Cycling Team when he was in high school.  I told him I was amazed I was running with him, but he told me the biking thing doesn't carry over to running.  Maybe.  As the course started going back uphill, I suddenly noticed that I had been overexerting myself.  John sped off ahead, and I started feeling nauseated and bad.  Also, I think the lack of nutritional choices at the aid stations was starting to catch up with me.

The final ascent was on a fire road.  I started seeing blue ribbons, and no official yellow race ribbons, which made me nervous.  I pulled out a copy of map of that section, and recognized a hairpin turn that wasn't on the course.  After some nervous deliberation, I decided to head back down the hill, rather than possibly cut the course.  Luckily I hadn't run more than a quarter mile when a couple other runners came up, and one of them knew the course, and assured me we were on.  Had these guys not been close behind, it could have been much worse.  I thought that whoever was marking the course could've placed a few yellow ribbons to counter whatever the blue ones were there for.  I had to spend extra time at the aid station to fuel up.  Charles Wickersham (in white shirt below) from Modesto gave me a caffeinated gel, and I started having ice put under my cap.

At Three Points (mile 42.7), I pulled out my spare Garmin Forerunner.  Maybe right after leaving did I see race director Hal Winton, and told him I was enjoying myself.  Sometime during this split I caught up with and overtook John Rutherford, who might have been behind on his calories.

At Chilao (mile 52.8) I met up with my pacers, Billy and Lori.  Billy was going to pace at Cascade Crest, but his friend had to pull out, so he posted a little blurb on facebook asking if anyone doing AC wanted a pacer.  Billy's knee had been bothering him though, so in the end he decided to run only 7 miles to Shortcut Saddle (mile 59) and Lori would take me two splits and 16 miles through Newcomb's Saddle to Chantry Flats (mile 74.6).

Both of them admitted to being nervous they wouldn't be able to keep up with me, but of course that wasn't the case.  I told them that I needed to not talk on the uphills, a rule I often violated.  It was good talking and running, and I enjoyed getting to know them both better.

As the evening approached and we hit some nice views (not as stunning as those at the beginning of the race, but beautiful enough).  Billy was extra pained that he had dropped his pocket camera and broke the lens.  The scenery shots lost, but really, how many photos do you all really need to see of me?

check out our Moeben sleeves!

Don't tell my wife I am being chased by pretty younger women in shorts!

It helped that Lori had an extra light after it got dark.  Pacing is light muling!  This time I could benefit for a change, though I was telling her whenever she stumbled if she fell and maimed herself, I would feel bad and have the ethical dilemma of whether to leave her on the trail or stay with her to administer aid.

No crew access from mile 75 to the end, so I had to be sure I had everything I needed.  But I was pretty disorganized, not sure what I needed, and had to ask my two pacers to shlep the suitcase they got from Jon's crew.  And somewhere there I must have lost my white Marmot running shade hat.

LAST QUARTER

The last 25 miles involved:

• two large ascents, including the largest of the race up Mount Wilson
• two even longer descents
• no crew access
• no pacers
• the dark

I started to really focus on the split times from a chart in the race booklet for Fabian, who finished one year in 23:55.  (I also had splits for Suzanna Bon (22 hour finish), but with the altitude and my two 100 mile runs in the previous six weeks, gave up on staying with her early in the race.)  His Chantry Flats (mile 74.6) time was 9:55 pm; I left at 10:03.  Being a split chart, I had no idea how he had been feeling, or how smoothly he had been running.  I assumed he had been paced, and I was on my own.  I was already lagging behind him, and I needed to make up time, as well as build up a cushion.

The split started as rolling ups and downs, but more up than down.  I wanted the big ascent, which I felt was my 24-hour make or break stretch, to come. Finally a volunteer doing some last minute course marking told me the turn-off was up ahead.  "The signs say four miles, but it's actually three."

I worked that late climb like no other.  I could feel the air grow thinner and my head lighter again as I approached 6000 feet, but kept pushing.  Finally I summitted. Arrows pointed me at an angle down a very nontechnical, wide fire road.

I loosened up, let gravity pull me down, and started cranking down the road.  If the course stayed like this, I calculated I was going to gain at least 15 minutes on Fabian.

After a few minutes, I noticed I wasn't seeing any yellow ribbons-- just reflective strips that were part of the road.  Some doubt.  Was I paying close enough attention at the top?  Did I miss a turnoff?  Oh, shit.  The thought of stopping to make my way back up was already unappealing, and each stride further downhill made it smell even more so.  I saw an isolated randon pink ribbon.  Great! ....  Or not.  Crap! Finally, I thought to pull out the map.  I reached in my shorts pockets.  Then my black Sportiva black pockets.  Then my mostly empty pack.  No luck.

Finally, I made the call.  Shouldn't I see the next peak or the next aid station?  I decided to stop and go back up, saying bye to that 24-hour buckle.  Sigh.  That one's out, I'll cut my losses.  At least there's a 2nd Sunrise buckle, which was still well within my reach-- as long as I didn't get off course again.

During this bonus/punishment climb, I couldn't keep up the intense pace of my original climb.  Despite trying to keep a positive attitude, I was inevitably dejected.  Also, the already long 9 mile split was going to be 10.5 to 11, and my body was anticipating the nutritional penalty, my bottle already dry.

I didn't have to kill myself to make that fall-back buckle. I reflected on the race so far-- I ran well, and this mishap really wasn't my fault-- the markings really were too sparse quite often-- though having that map would have allowed me to figure out if I was on course or not.  I enjoyed beautiful scenery.  I met some cool people.  No one really cares if I sub-24ed all my 100 mile races this year, or missed this one.

Almost back to the summit, I ran into a runner and his pacer coming down and asked them, "Is this the course?"   Most definitely yes was their definitive reply.  They obviously knew the course.  Relief and remorse.  I ended up tagging along with them all the way down the non-technical fire road to the Idle Hour aid station.  In contrast to all the chatting I did with Billy and Lori, they never talked to each other, so I wasn't about to try to talk with them.  Appreciated my Nano.

At Idle Hour (mile 83.75, though I had already run well over 85 miles), the runner and pacer I never formally met took off pretty fast. I went wussy, and in response to a volunteer's "you're looking great!" replied something like "thanks, but I just added at least a mile and a half bonus thinking I was off course when I wasn't.... which sucks because I had a great shot at sub-24ing."  To which they replied that there was plenty of time. I countered with 100% certainty "No, I've been following the splits of this guy who finished in 24 hours, and I've been struggling to keep up with him. There's NO WAY."  After which I spent a couple more minutes waiting for a more reliable answer to my question regarding when sunrise was scheduled in Pasadena.  We decided I was good for that Second Sunrise buckle.  I finally went on my way, 9 minutes after coming in.

It was hard to push the final ascent (1960' in 3.77 miles) to Sam Merrill aid station, but figuring I shouldn't jeopardize my consolation buckle, wasn't too lazy.  I noted that without really trying I had gained 5 minutes on Fabian coming in at 2:35 (he came in at 2:22).

Oops, guess I wussied out prematurely.  Big time.  Crap, maybe I CAN make this.  I was out of Merrill in 2 minutes.

And ran like hell.  Some parts were a little technical, but twisting an ankle or falling off a cliff seemed like reasonably risks for the resuscitated goal of finishing under 24 hours.

Was getting hot, but didn't want to waste time taking off my jacket.  So I was not only crazed, but really sweaty too.

Ran into another runner going the opposite way, lost, who didn't seem to trust me when I told him definitively the way I was heading was the right way.

Unchicked myself by passing 1st place woman Keira Henninger, who had passed me when I was running with Lori.  She did more bonus miles that I had, so in reality, she still chicked me.

Billy met me shortly before I left the woods.  He and Lori could see my splits from the finish, and they had been convinced I wouldn't make it under 24.  Little had they known that my pace was great, it's just that I was running bonus miles.  So Billy was surprised to see me this soon.  As he guided me, he kept telling me I would make 24 hours easily, but aside from suspecting I was 10th place overall, regarding the more important 24-hour goal, decided that I would not trust him, and wanted to punish myself for being such a wussy earlier, so I kept pushing it hard as I could, my sweat capture by Billy's photos.

I could not believe I made it!

No, sitting in this chair, I wasn't feeling like I had to throw up.

This is just how dorky I look when I get emotional and cry.

See, I'm really feeling good and happy when Larry Gassan asked me to step aside so he could take my pic.  Have seen these awesome finishers photos before--finally I was getting one!

Although David La Duc beat me soundly without my detours (5th overall, and our age group award trophy), apparently he was lying in the recovery tent not feeling nearly as good.  Had I known I wouldn't taken another action photo of him.

After napping at Billy's house somewhere in LA, we had brunch, and then he drove me to Burbank Airport, for my flight to Sac and vacation with my family and friends.

A happy ending, with a valuable lesson about adjusting expectations.

finishers photos by Larry Gassan

race results
race results with splits
race website

Garmin Forerunner recorded maps of run
first half (map data got erased, whoops/sorry)
third quarter
fourth quarter

shorter race report ("NOW he tells me!") on the La Sportiva Mountain Running Team blog, 2nd half narrating great recovery runs I did around Donner Lake northwest of Lake Tahoe