Interview with Ultra Runner Podcast

I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by the ultrarunnerpodcast.com guys, Eric and Scott.  Want to hear about the ins and outs of race directing from permitting to boiled potatoes and how to finish a 100 miler?  Give it a listen!

http://ultrarunnerpodcast.com/archives/1350

El Diablo and the Stairway to Heaven

Training is rolling strong and picking up momentum.  Took it easy last week, running some light milage (just one hard stair/hill workout).  With this long four week break until our next Inside Trail event, I'm going to jack up the training to get ready for the onslaught of races beginning with Way Too Cool on March 10th.

Today's Mt. Diablo Run elevation profile (from Brett's GPS)

Yesterday I got out to do my new favorite, sadistic workout on the Gilligan Stairs (introduced to me by Mark Gilligan).  Brett Welborn was in town this week for business and wanted to meet for a run, so we decided on Mt Diablo.  Being from South Carolina's coast, today was probably more climbing than he does in a month but he handled it like a veteran, holding pace well to the summit and then we spilled back down to the bottom.  4,500 ft of climb, 20 miles.  Sunny and 60s (chillier on top).  Great to finally meet Brett and really made the run zip by.

Saturday's Way Too Cool training run will help push me over 80 miles for the week with roughly 15,000 feet of climb.  Just need to trim a few (5-ish) lbs and I'll be ready for a big season, hopefully.

Looking into the Santa Barbara Endurance Race 100k on April 14th.  I wanted to be sharp for the Diablo 50k on Apr 21 but feel the added race will help me prepare more with my real goals of the pending 100s.

Brooks Falls Trail Run

Ken Michal running the aid station with purpose.

The Brooks Falls Trail Run went about as well as an event can.  Thank you all for coming out to run and/or help.  We had a great time and truly appreciate your participation.

New ITR Team Member - Brownie

"We're proud to have such a positive influential representative on the team." -ITR's co-owner, Tim Long.

After extensive negotiations, Inside Trail Racing and UltraDrinkerRunner, JT (Brownie), have inked an athlete endorsement agreement for 2012.  JT will be representing ITR as somewhat of the black sheep variety.  ITR's co-owner and race director, Tim Long, confirms, "After pacing me at Hardrock and Leadville last year, I didn't have much choice but to bring JT aboard."  Long went on, in a quiet, mumbling voice, "I just hope La Sportiva and the other sponsor partners don't find out."

With accomplishments like 114th at the Pikes Peak Marathon and 138th at Leadville (back when there were only like 200 finishers), Brownie has proven two things:  Beer drinking is an intrinsic part of our beloved sport and beer drinking does not always equal success.

Inside Trail had to order a custom uniform for the Colorado Springs speedster and, at $5.38 a pop, it's well worth it.  When offered a standard gold Patagonia technical team shirt, JT quipped, "the pump cheese on my fries won't show up on it as well if dribbled."  ITR concurred with that sound logic and signed the agreement with sweaty palms.

Inside Trail's other owner, Tim Stahler was unavailable for comment.  We later learned he was unaware of the acquisition and is filing a suit to block the agreement.

So, if you see JT out on the trails and he's not wearing his La Sportivas or (God forbid) his ITR Team shirt, follow the example of the bar-top woman in the above photo and kick him in the balls.

Megaphones and Stairs

Clearly, the neighbors must think we're home shopping network hermits.  This week has seen a near-constant stream of UPS and FedEx deliveries to the house.  For an ultrarunner-slash-race director, it's been like Christmas.

So far this week we've received our:

Business Cards:

Car magnet signs, custom finish line banner, wall signage (promo, promo promo):

Headsweat hats and visors (best running hats on the market)!:

La Sportiva 2012 sponsor package - Watch for raffles and other opportunities to win all the LS shoes we'll have this year to give away!:

Crosslite 2.0 - My race shoe of choice this year.

Quantum - fits so comfy that you'll want to sleep in them.

Hydrapak E-Lite Vests and Products (soft flasks, gel-bots, etc) Hottest vest on the market:

My personal race vest - nothing lighter or more innovative out there in my opinion.

All this gear and more will be available at sweet prices in our squeaky-clean new Inside Trail online store opening tomorrow! (if our lazy web guy can swing it).

My new bullhorn (Tim S. seems enamored with it but he's the quiet one and likely won't use it outside of his livingroom):

Kickass new bullhorn.

My affinity for megaphones is well documented (Firecracker 5k - 2004)

It's eco-friendly.  Converted to run on PBR.

The weather forecast is improving for this Sunday's Brooks Falls Trail Run in Pacifica.  Now they're calling for partly cloudy skies and a high near 60!  We're rockin' and ready to roll out a great race.  Everything's packed, in place and ready to be loaded in our massive dully truck…

Plenty of room still left in the race, so register today to save $$.  We have very special 50k finisher awards that will undoubtedly become collectors' items.  Scott Dunlap will be running with his sweet Nikon camera, snapping photos of everything and everyone for FREE download post race.  

My training is going well.  Did a leg-destroying stair workout day before yesterday that Mark Gilligan (ultrasignup.com) introduce me to (the jerk).  400 steps up the side of a "hill" in Oakland.  I ran 2.5 miles there, did ten repeats (4,000 up / 4,000 down = ouch) and limped, quivery-legged home.  Followed that up with a less than inspiring 9 miler with Tim S. yesterday on our Inside Trail Lake Chabot half marathon course.  Then I headed out for some beer and sushi (best-recovery-food-ever…  the sushi was good too).  

Hope to see a bunch of you out on the trails in Pacifica this weekend!

Pacing Duties at Western States 100

Brandon (short shorts) and me (goatee and visor)

So, I didn't get into Western States this year but now I get to do the next best thing: watch someone else go into the pain cave while I jog along and chat.

Brandon Fuller is in for a ride now that he's announced my pacing obligation on his BLOG.

A Rare Day in Pacifica

Amazing day.  Brooks Falls (currently dry)
above my left shoulder.

Whenever I hear the name Pacifica, I immediately think, "fog".  In fact, in the few times I've been there, I don't think I've seen any part of the city or area because the fog was so thick.  Yesterday was a contrast that would make a manic-depresive proud.

Inside Trail's other smarter, though less handsome, half, Tim Stahler, and I headed over to San Pedro Valley Park in Pacifica to get in a training run and do a little scouting of the trails on which our Brooks Falls Trail Run event takes place next Sunday (Jan 22) [Registration still open!!!].  We were greeted with brilliant blue skies, warm temperatures, and views even a couch potato would appreciate.  After discussing the organization of the staging start/finish area and fiddling with our hydration packs, we got underway by tackling Valley View Trail, a solid, though mildly steady, climb.  This loop is a soft prelude to the featured loop up to the summit of Montara Mountain, where the views span from San Francisco's skyline to Mt. Tamalpais that appears to be floating in the Pacific.  For the most part the trail is smooth with scattered sections of technical rocky terrain and much appreciated switch backs until you spill onto a wide fire road that leads you to the summit.  Cinch down your shoe laces and pull your hat down tight because you're in for a sustained three mile descent, dropping roughly 1,600 feet with constant views of Pacifica and the ocean lapping up against it.

We bumped into several trail runners, including the ever bubbly Janeth Siva.  I was left with a new appreciation for the trails here.  Our run was 20 miles with over 4,200 feet of climb, capping an 82 mile seven day stretch for me.  Post run treats of burgers and milkshakes (yes, we act like 8 year olds occasionally).  The participants at our Brooks Falls event are in for a treat.  Let's hope for the gift of weather we enjoyed this weekend.

More photos:

Pacifica and the ocean as seen from the Montara Mtn Trail.

A look back at the trails that carried us up.

Can't go wrong when mountains meet ocean.

Fire road trail leading to the summit of Montara Mtn.

Finish line spectators.

Stahler's Banana milkshake (aak).