“All the memories make me want to go back there, back there – All the memories, how can we make it back there, back there – I want to be there again … “
-Weezer, “Memories” (video after post)
This year’s Firetrails 50 was all about memories, and paying back a couple of debts of gratitude.
Most importantly was the race itself, which has always held a special place in my heart. It was my very first 50-miler, and I was virtually intoxicated by all the joy, pain, and just plain craziness to be found in the world of ultrarunning. Two years later, it was also the site of an existential crisis about what I really wanted from this sport – and by extension, from myself – and whether or not I really had the inner fire to pursue the 100-mile ambition I had somehow latched onto several years earlier.
Since that debut Firetrails race pre-dated my website, and the existential struggle took place before I was accustomed to carrying a camera with me, I felt like I had never given this race the accolades it deserves. I have all kinds of great memories from this event, so I wanted to go back there again, giving it the proper R&R race report treatment this time around.
The second item of overdue appreciation involved the footwear I used: my VivoBarefoot Evos, which have been through the ultrarunning gauntlet with me quite a bit this year. I wore them for my ill-fated 100K this spring, and for my 50-mile night of pacing at Lake Tahoe this summer. However, each of those races had more compelling storylines than what shoes I happened to be wearing, so I purposely kept them out of the conversation – and Firetrails seemed like a great time to make up for those oversights.
So that’s how we’ll set the stage for our story: a somewhat seasoned ultrarunner revisiting one of the most meaningful events in his life, with minimal shoes and maximal gratitude. And … cue darkness:
Race Directors Carl Anderson (as usual, click any of these pictures to enlarge) and his wife, ultrarunning legend Ann Trason, know a thing or two about ultras, and there are several aspects of this race that simply couldn’t be designed any better. The first is apparent right off the bat: even though the race starts in darkness, most of the first two miles are on a wide, smooth, asphalt bike path. Some runners wear headlamps for this section, but they’re largely unnecessary.
The smooth bike path shortly gives way to equally smooth fire roads that wind their way up and up into the pink/orange sunrise …
… and by the time you see first daylight, you’re on top of the ridgeline to enjoy distant views of the lake you started from a few miles ago.
Firetrails is a race of patience; it’s easy to feel great on the long, gentle, tree-lined descents of the first 10 miles, but it’s also easy to get yourself into trouble if you’re not smartly conservative here. It’s best to just stay comfortable, enjoy the sights, and settle into a baseline effort you can sustain for several more hours. In fact …
… in my mind, Firetrails doesn’t even begin until you leave the Big Bear aid station at mile 11 and hit your first stretch of single track. A short, steep climb is followed by a longer, steeper descent where too many people try to be heroes by flying down at a pace that will tear their quads up. I always get passed by tons of runners on this stretch, and end up passing at least 75% of them back later in the race.
A couple of miles later, the single track bottoms out and expands into an extremely gentle path inside Redwood Regional Park. The air is cool, the morning is quiet, the trees are breathtaking, and it’s early enough in the race that you can still appreciate it all, even though you’re beginning a very slight climb. This is one of the most scenic stretches of the entire course, but not exactly the most accurately signed …
…take, for instance, this sign marking “Trail’s End” that you pass by with at least 35 more miles of trails still to run.
Then there’s this sign, instructing you not to exceed 5MPH. It’s at the base of a steep pitch of road, so I felt no shame about walking most of it …
… until I got to the Skyline Gate aid station at mile 15 and heard the volunteers yelling, Hey – pick it up! This is a running race! That’s not a knock against the volunteers, all of whom were amazing; it speaks more to the fact that many of the aid station personnel are veteran Bay Area ultrarunners themselves, so the bar for “hill sympathy” out here is set frighteningly high.
Leaving Skyline Gate you encounter the longest, prettiest section of single track on the course heading into Sibley Preserve, which one of my training partners accurately described as Jurassic Park on our muddy run here last spring. Eventually you pass a couple of patches where the canyon trail loses its tree cover …
… and you get a glimpse of a nearby hillside that strikes you as really beautiful – at least until you realize, “Wait – we have to go up and over that thing soon.”
Before you do that, however, you have to climb out of the canyon you’re in, which is one of the steepest pitches on the course.
You also have to pass through the central portion of Sibley Preserve, where the footing is very technical with extensive root and rock exposure. This was the first time I became conscious of the Evos I was wearing, only because I had to pay more attention and “pick my line” through the trail like I would on a mountain bike. Speaking of my shoes …
… this is Bryon Powell, a blogger extraordinaire and super-fast ultrarunner who I heard approaching me from behind, because he kept telling the guy alongside him how overweight and out of shape he’s been lately. (There are some things I really wish I could unhear.) He eventually left me in the dust, but before he did, we spent several miles talking about minimalist footwear, barefoot running, and the prospects of this small niche finding long-term success in the ultrarunning community.
Our talk was actually very similar to discussions I had with at least 4 or 5 other runners on the course at Firetrails – and I noticed one major distinction between this race and my springtime ultra in moccasins. Back then, I was greeted almost unanimously with a, Whoa! What the heck are you wearing? Why are you doing that? reaction, but last weekend it was more like, How long have you been doing that? or, How do your races now compare to those in regular shoes?, or How hard is it to adjust your running style? In other words, the whole minimalist thing seems to have gone from a freak absurdity to an intellectual curiosity, at least in my limited opinion polling. But I have to think that’s a good sign.
(Meanwhile, back at the race …)
Mile 21 brings you to Tilden Park, up the face of the hill you stared at from the Sibley trails. This is where you’ll ultimately reach the high point of the course, with awesome views to the east …
… and the most beautiful city in the world in the distance to the west. The only thing that detracts from the view is knowing that you’ll be in this exact same spot about 8 miles from now …
… but only after going four miles downhill to the turnaround point of the course.
This stretch, with its steep downhill grade, large rocks, and loose footing, was one of the trickiest parts of the course for me in my Evos. I had to slow down a lot more than I wanted, and this section seemed to go on forever – and no, the fact that it’s all downhill doesn’t make that a good thing.
Eventually, though, you reach the Lone Oak aid station, which is a welcome sight because 1) it’s the turnaround point of the race, and 2) it’s actually at mile 26, so you’re already more than halfway done. Only by one mile, but trust me – it makes a huge mental difference.
Last time I was here, this section of the race nearly devastated me: the 4-mile climb back from the turnaround point, as the day becomes warm and the miles start to take their toll. Seeing it again a few years later – and with the mental strength gained from several more ultras under my belt – I saw it for what it is: just another long hill on another long journey on another long day. And this time around, it wasn’t nearly such a big deal.
I guess what I’ve learned over the years is that these places I fear in ultras are also the same ones I’m most thankful for later on. If the trails were flat, or gentle, or easier to conquer than I anticipated, they wouldn’t mean nearly as much afterward. So the best thing you can do is to embrace the suffering as well as the pleasure, and commit yourself to nothing other than fully experiencing the moment.
And if the climb doesn’t teach you that lesson, perhaps this Zen labyrinth can help you out. It’s right there at the top of the hill …
… so you can reflect on how far you’ve climbed again, while remembering that it’s all just a part of your longer journey.
(This is getting kinda deep for an ultra report, huh? And yes, it’s getting quite lengthy. I’ll try to stay focused from now on.)
The Zen climb to enlightenment rewards you with a long, steady downhill stretch back through Tilden Park …
… and into the refreshingly shaded single track of Sibley Preserve again. Remember when I said this course rewards patience? If you’ve paced yourself well, this is where you can really begin to reel people in …
… and even pick up your pace under the smooth, gently descending trails of Redwood Park. As beautiful as this area is on your first time through, it’s about 10 times as wonderful when you’re closing in on mile 40 while feeling good and keeping a steady pace. You can’t get too carried away, though …
... because there are still several challenging climbs that await you in the last six miles of the course. This one eventually tops out with a beautiful overlook …
… that initiates an extended downhill plunge into the Lake Chabot area.
This long, sweeping downhill was something of a delight for me. Given that I was wearing my Evos, I couldn’t really hammer the pace and maintain proper form too well, but I was able to maintain the effort I had kept for the majority of the day – which is something a lot of other people were struggling with. Consequently, a ton of people came back to me on this stretch of fire road …
… and even more on this lush single track that seems to get prettier the closer it gets to the lake.
Of course, even when you see the water, you’re not quite out of the woods yet …
… as no fewer than 6 steep climbs await you in the last three miles that meander around the shoreline of the lake. By this time, your physical pain is quite real, but the mental pain starts floating away …
… because you know the finish line is nearby, complete with a full-service all-you-can-eat barbecue to enjoy alongside your fellow runners.
My final time was 8:57, which is virtually identical to my very first ultra here several years ago. It’s about 12 minutes slower than my PR on this course, a result that’s somewhat tough to attribute. I’m probably less fit than the last time I was here, and – although I refuse to officially acknowledge this - I’m a few years older now. You also might have noticed that I took a fair number of pictures along the way, which probably tacked on a few extra seconds here and there.
One thing I don’t attribute it to is my shoes. One of the most common questions I received on course was “Doesn’t that hurt?”, and honestly … yeah, OK, my feet hurt a little bit towards the end of the race. But it’s an ultra, for crying out loud – if there wasn’t any pain, it wouldn’t be worth the price of admission. And the discomfort I had in my feet wasn’t any more severe than the pain in the rest of my body, and it wasn’t the weak link in my race time being slower than past outings. I had to run differently, but as a result I was able to pace myself very consistently – which is always a great way to finish any endurance event.
What’s more noteworthy is that the pain that I feel with the Evos – primarily foot muscle soreness and mild impact tenderness – is far better than the pain I used to have in regular shoes. I don’t get blisters anymore, I don’t have hot spots where my feet are confined within the uppers, and I don’t have callouses that rub themselves raw over the course of several hours. All things considered, my feet feel better after an ultra in Evos than they ever did in traditional shoes.
(It’s also very likely that much of this comfort and protection is thanks to my Drymax socks, which go with my minimalist footwear like peanut butter and jelly: it's like they were just made to be together. They've become mandatory accessories for me in all my ultras.)
Whatever the case might be, you can be certain that I wasn’t too preoccupied with my overall finish time at that point. All I really wanted to do was sit in the grass and soak it all in for a while … so that’s exactly what I did.
There may some more things to say about this race at some point, but for the time being, I think I’ve said more than enough. I came back to Firetrails hoping to recapture some of the great memories I had from my early days of ultras, and to make some indelible new memories along the way. In that regard, I consider the day an overwhelming success – and I’d love to be there anytime again.
**
Weezer, "Memories" (click to play):
*See other race reports under tab at top of page
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Since I’ve got a full post lined up below, let’s get right to the giveaway winners: Julie, Michael, and Kovas – send me your address at info@runningandrambling.com – you’ve won the CLIF BLOKs giveaway! As usual, thanks to everyone who participated in the contest, and special thanks to CLIF for making it happen.
As for today’s post, our topic is something my co-author Mike and I thought deserved a lot more attention than we’ve noticed so far: this fall’s Athens Marathon, which happens to mark the 2500th anniversary of the historic occasion that inspired the modern-day event. Think about it: can you name another element of modern athletics that traces its roots so far back – it predates Christianity, for crying out loud - or has such deep historical significance?
Besides, the story of the first marathon is one of the most compelling in all of sports, and it’s one that I never get tired of telling. So that’s what we did for last week’s column.
**
Running Life 10/7/10 “2,500 Years”
Last spring we made a big fuss about the 25th running of the Big Sur Marathon. It’s a very impressive accomplishment, and our local running community was proud to celebrate the world-class event. Imagine, then, if there were a race that was 100 times older than Big Sur – that would be pretty amazing, right?
Such a race does indeed exist: the Athens Marathon on October 31st, honoring the 2500th anniversary of the world’s first recognized marathon, run by a messenger of the Athenian army in 490 B.C.
According to popular legend – it’s hard to verify how much is actually true – the mighty Persians, with the most formidable military force the world had ever seen, invaded Greece with more than 25,000 soldiers, and were met by the undermanned Athenian army on the plains near a town called Marathon. The 10,000 Athenian soldiers didn’t stand a chance.
However, Greek General Miltiades and his courageous troops had other ideas: they surprised the Persians by going on the offensive, and the Athenians ultimately scored one of the most shocking and decisive battles in world history. As military historian Edward Creasy explains, it “forever broke the spell of Persian invincibility…and secured for mankind the intellectual treasures of Athens, the growth of free institutions, and the liberal enlightenment of the Western World.”
In other words, it was kind of a big deal. But since civilization was more than 2490 years away from cell towers, texting, or Tweeting, news of the triumphant battle was communicated the VERY old-fashioned way: a messenger soldier was dispatched to run from Marathon to Athens to tell his countrymen about the great victory.
You’ve probably heard of the messenger, Pheidippides, whose name is now immortalized in Greek lore. You’re also probably familiar with the message he delivered: Nike, a one-word phrase meaning “victory”. There’s a little shoe company in Oregon that’s made quite a name for themselves with that word.
The end of the story, as you’d expect from the Greeks, isn’t nearly as pleasant: Pheidippides died in the town square immediately after delivering his famous message. And the whole incident would have been forgotten completely if not for the historian Lucian, who came along nearly 700 years later and thought the story deserved to be documented.
Most estimates of Pheidippides's fateful run place it around 24.85 miles, and that distance was used for the first “official” marathon event at the modern Olympic Games, held in Greece in 1896. The course ran from Marathon to Athens, re-tracing the famous messenger’s steps as closely as possible.
In the 1908 London Olympics, King Edward VII wanted the race to start in front of her Windsor Castle home, which was roughly an extra 2 miles from the stadium finish area. The resulting course was 26.2 miles, which is now the officially recognized distance – but the marathon is still recognized as a classically Greek event. In fact, runners from all over the world flock to Athens each year to run the city’s marathon in the footsteps of history.
The race sells out 12,000 entries each year, but a few Monterey County runners are lucky enough to be entered in the 2500th anniversary race later this month. But if you can’t make it this year, don’t worry: the 2501st anniversary will probably be cool as well. And it will be one year more historic.
So if you’re a runner who likes to travel – or a traveler who likes to run – make a point to put the oldest and most famous marathon in the world on your to-do list.
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One of the most wonderful sights in the world: the finish line of an ultra:
True story: When I stopped to take this picture, a guy at the finish line yelled out "It's the Running and Rambling guy!" I couldn't have asked for a better welcome.
Race report will be posted next week. In the meantime, you've got one more day to enter the CLIF BLOKs giveaway post; winners will be announced tomorrow night.
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A couple of administrative notes before we get rolling …
1) Today’s post is another CLIF giveaway, but I’m equally happy to report another philanthropic promotional effort the company is currently conducting. They recently grabbed their 10,000th Facebook fan, and for every new fan they get over the next three months (or 5,000 new fans, whichever comes first), they’ll contribute an additional dollar to their ongoing environmental initiatives through 1% for the Planet. Join CLIF’s Facebook page to help them out. I did it as well – and if you know my feelings about Facebook, you know that’s really saying something about how much I like this company.
2) This Saturday I’ll be running in the Firetrails 50, a classic Northern California ultra which holds a special place in my heart, as I’ll explain in more detail afterward. If you’re on course and see a mid-pack runner shuffling along in a Wilderness Running Company T-shirt and minimalist footwear, feel free to say something encouraging – I’ll probably need it.
Now on to the fun stuff! I’ve already described how my peek inside CLIF headquarters last spring involved a fair amount of secrecy about information I heard and products I saw in various stages of development. For the most part, all of the things we learned were cause for celebration, but there was one bit of news that dismayed me: the cola flavor of CLIF BLOKS had been discontinued. It’s no secret around here that I’m something of a cola junkie, so I immediately felt a pang of sorrow about the loss of my favorite flavor.
(Not only that, but I immediately started hoarding my remaining supply at home, and became WAY too analytical about when to use them; it was like I had to assess whether a particular workout was “cola-worthy” before dipping into the dwindling reserves. Yes, I get far too attached to things sometimes.)
Fortunately, CLIF had a pretty strong new flavor lined up: tropical punch, which I was able to sample on my spring visit, and which I’ve been using in training for the past few weeks. The taste reminds me of the old Hawaiian Punch drink I used to love as a kid, but the sweetness is much more subdued. It’s not quite cola-good, but it’s a pretty strong entry – in fact, I’d probably rank it as my third-favorite BLOK flavor currently offered.
And before you ask, here’s my completely subjective rankings of all eight flavors:
Black Cherry: This flavor rocks: awesome cherry taste, a full shot of caffeine, and best of all, no pit! Strawberry:I love strawberries; you know this already. Tropical Punch: Like Hawaiian Punch for grown-ups, plus a half-shot of caffeine Margarita: For obvious reasons. This flavor also has 3X the sodium of other flavors, like salt on the rim of your glass. Mountain Berry: Like a berry smoothie, except not frozen … or smooth, for that matter. Orange: Nothing against this flavor and the one below, but I don’t like gel or block flavors that remind me of old-school Gatorade. Call it a quirk. Lemon Lime: Ditto. Cran-Razz: I’m not a big cranberry guy. Just one of those things.
Numbers 1 through 8, top to bottom
As indicated above, the new tropical punch flavor gives you 25mg of caffeine in addition to the calories and electrolytes you need for sustained endurance. CLIF calls this a “half-shot”, equivalent to a half-cup of coffee; two flavors (tropical punch and orange) have the 25mg dose, while black cherry has 50mg. The others are caffeine-free.
Like other CLIF BLOKS, I’ve found the tropical punch flavor fairly easy to chew in relation to other blocks on the market, and they don’t stick to my teeth very much at all while on the run. I use them in combination with energy gels on long training days; the BLOK packets are nice to carry because each one contains the caloric and electrolyte equivalent of two gel packets, and they’re much easier to consume without getting your fingers all sticky. Switching back and forth from BLOKS to gels also helps break the monotony of putting the exact same thing in your system every 40 minutes.
CLIF BLOK love!
Clearly, BLOKS are effective for fueling your long run; that’s exactly what they’re made for. However, another practical benefit was pointed out to me by my wife shortly after our kids got the flu last winter: if you’ve got a kid with an upset stomach who is unable to keep any food down and starts getting progressively weaker from one day to the next because she doesn’t have any appetite, try offering her some CLIF BLOKS. The texture is rapidly digestible, the sodium helps with fluid retention, the calories are enough to provide bare-bones sustenance for a while, and the whole notion of getting to eat something from Dad’s protected stash of goodies is enough to stimulate a hunger drive for a while.
(My wife should really have her own blog, to talk about all the obvious things in life that pass me by, the frustrations of having to point out basic parenting skills to her co-parent, or simply the peculiarities of living with an obsessive-compulsive cola addict. Come to think of it … maybe a wife blog isn’t such a great idea.)
So apparently there’s more than one use for these things … and for a few lucky readers, you’ll get an opportunity to try them however you’d like. Place a comment below, and I’ll randomly pick three winners to receive a sampler box of CLIF BLOKS, which will be heavy on the new tropical punch flavor. Hopefully you’ll get to use them for training rather than sick children, but at least you’ll be prepared for either contingency. Enter the contest by Sunday, October 10 at 5PM PDT, and I’ll announce winners on Sunday night. Good luck!
*Products provided by CLIF Bar and Company
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One of my favorite things about doing product reviews is that I have lots of opportunities to give stuff away.
I’m very fortunate to receive more gear than I could possibly use, and I love to pay that generosity forward as much as possible. However, since most of the things I give away have been worn for about 100 miles of trail running, I tend to shy away from handing them out online. Consequently, my training partners are the biggest beneficiaries of this policy, which also allows me to keep the very best gear for my own personal use.
So what does this have to do with a shoe review? Well, before I reviewed New Balance’s MT100 last December, I thought to myself, there's no way I’m giving these things away. The concept – a super-lightweight, super-high-performance trail runner inspired by the shoe-carving tactics of ultrarunning stud Anton Krupicka - was fantastic. The development of the shoe, incorporating feedback from top ultrarunners and hundreds of hours of biomechanical analysis, was impeccable. And the final specs – such as its 7.8 oz weight, midsole heights of 18mm (heel) and 8mm (forefoot), and aggressive outsole pattern with Rock Stop plating – had me drooling.
The more I heard about the MT100, the more enthralled I became; by the time the box arrived at my house, I was like one of those girls on The Bachelor who’s convinced she’s in love with the guy before she even steps out of the limo. I simply knew this was a shoe I was meant to be with.
But then a funny thing happened: on our first few dates, I noticed a couple of quirks that soon became red flags – and as we started spending more time together, those quirks became legitimate problem areas. Before I knew it, the relationship soured, and finally I did the unthinkable: I gave them away to a friend of mine. (Who loves them, naturally. And I pretend to be happy for them. You know how these things go.)
New Balance MT101
Needless to say, I was somewhat disappointed in how it all turned out – but when I learned that New Balance was updating the shoe this year, I jumped at the opportunity to test the MT101. I took a second chance on love, and it was the best decision I ever made – because this time around, everything has come up roses. The MT101 keeps everything about the MT100 that I adored, and updates the character flaws that were deal-breakers for me the first time around.
Aggressive outsole with scooped-out sections to decrease weight
For more extensive background about how the shoe was developed, check out my MT100 review from last year. You can also refer to that post for details on the midsole and outsole specs of the 101, because they’re essentially unchanged. From the midsole down, all the features of the 100 are carried over: the aggressive outsole with directional heel lugs for downhill braking; the 18mm/8mm midsole with ACTEVA cushioning; the Rock Stop forefoot protection. Even the overall weight of the shoe is identical at 7.8 oz.
The MT101 also maintains New Balance’s RL-3 racing last, which I find runs a bit small and short. One of my big problems with the MT100 was that my toes hit the front of the toebox on steep downhills, a condition partially attributable to the short cut of the last. I took the cautious route and sized up one-half size for the MT101, and I’ve had no issues with toe contact at all.
Lightweight mesh supported by gray EVA heel collar
Another contributing factor to my toe-mashing problem in the 100 was the upper itself, which is super-thin and framed only by a skeleton of EVA around the heel collar. It was fantastic for being lightweight and providing ventilation, but allowed a lot of foot movement on top of the midsole. One major improvement on the 101 is the addition of stability overlays on the upper (see first photo), which hold the foot more securely and prevent slippage towards the front of the toebox on downhills. (Just to be safe, though, I’d still recommend sizing up one-half size for these.)
Fabric and padding around heel collar - Hallelujah!
Without question, the biggest and most welcome revision to the MT101 is found on the heel collar, which is now lined with very thin fabric on the inside instead of placing the EVA in direct contact with the Achilles tendon. You’ll recall from my 100 review that this “ankle-biting” problem was persistent, and it proved to be the deciding factor in my giving the shoes away. In addition to adding the fabric, New Balance tinkered with the lip of the heel collar to make it smoother against the skin – and I’m thrilled to report that as a result of both of these modifications, I haven’t had any problem with heel pain whatsoever on the 101.
Lightweight tongue, Sure Laces, ventilated mesh upper with protective toe cap
A similar comfort revision is present on the tongue of the 101, which has a tiny bit of padding to eliminate the discomfort that some users felt when lacing the shoes tightly. (I never had this problem myself.) The tongue is still very thin and lightweight, and is secured by the same sausage-link Sure Lace system found on other NB racing models. One final tweak to the upper is a more durable and slightly wider toe-protection bumper at the front of the toebox.
As you’ve probably gathered, I’m extremely impressed with the MT101. It’s not a true minimalist shoe - that New Balance offering is coming soon – but it’s an ideal combination of the lightweight, low profile benefits of minimalism with a little bit of cushioning and protection so you can run like a maniac over any kind of terrain. These are my shoe of choice for our weekly 12-mile trail run where we often hammer the downhills at 6-minute pace, and it’s a perfect choice if you’re looking to PR at your local trail race. They’re durable enough to handle the most demanding ultras – in fact, Krupicka wore these for both Western States and Leadville this year – and comfortable enough that they haven’t given me any issues with blisters or hot spots, even right out of the box. I have more than 250 miles on my pair already, and they’ve shown no indication of wearing out yet.
In other words, this shoe is a keeper, and my training partners will just have to buy their own. Fortunately for their sake, as well as yours, the shoe is pretty affordable as well. The New Balance MT101 retails for $75 from TravelCountry.com and other online retailers.
*Product provided by New Balance USA **See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.
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Ostensibly, the purpose of this post is to debut the cover of my upcoming book – but it also happens to be a nice little story about the importance of being prepared.
About three years ago in December, my friend Mike and I were approached to write an article about starting an exercise program for a magazine supplement to the Monterey Herald that would be published the following January. “New Year, New You” – that sort of thing.
Shortly after submitting our article, the editor asked if she could send a photographer to take pictures of us that would accompany the article. Since the two of us are accustomed to our head shots occupying a meager 1” x 1” square above our column each week, we were obviously flattered by this request. The editor told us the photographer would be in touch to set up a time and location for the shoot.
Several days went by without hearing from the photographer, we burned a few more days exchanging phone messages suggesting various meeting points, and our first target date ended up being a last-minute cancellation. All the while, the deadline for publication was drawing closer, and we were running out of opportunities to get the shoot done.
So it probably shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did when I got a call from Mike at work one morning that went something like this: The photographer needs to meet with us at Toro Park this afternoon. It’s the only day he can do it before the deadline, and you’ll have to come straight over from work so we have enough daylight left to take the pictures. It didn’t sound like much of a crisis until I remembered one thing: I didn’t have any running clothes in my car.
Fortunately, my car is something of a locker room on wheels, so on my way to the photo shoot I was able to scrounge a pair of beat-up athletic shoes, an old t-shirt, and a sweaty vest that was tucked behind the passenger seat because I forgot to bring it in the house after a 2-hour run from a few mornings ago. The final piece of the puzzle was my Speedo jammers that could pass as a pair of compression shorts – and with that, I managed to look something like a runner. Even though I felt like a complete moron.
The photographer turned out to be awesome, the photo shoot played out quite well in the fading light, and the pictures ultimately turned out much better than we expected. One of them was used on the cover of the magazine, and a couple more accompanied our article inside. Several people made comments to us about the cover photo, but no one specifically teased me about wearing a swim suit for a running photo. The moment came and went, and I figured that was the last I had to be embarrassed about it.
And then we went and wrote a book.
In the three years that have passed since that photo shoot, Mike and I really haven’t been photographed together for any promotional purposes; needless to say, being running columnists for a small-town newspaper doesn’t exactly make us Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. So when we started to consider a photo for the cover of our book, and remembered that we already had a series of high-res images of us running together that were taken by a professional photographer, Mike figured that was a slam-dunk choice to use. As you can imagine, I wasn’t quite as sure.
However, without any convenient or financially feasible alternative, I didn’t have any grounds for rebuttal – so the picture that graces our book about running is one I’m ashamed to admit I wasn’t even remotely prepared for. My only reassurance is that the picture is fairly small, and – unlike the digital master that it was taken from – you can’t zoom in close enough to see all the, um, "details" of my outfit from the waist down. Thank goodness for minor blessings.
So that’s your lesson for today, kids: always have the right clothes available when you need them - because you never know when you might end up in your swim suit on someone else’s bookshelf.
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One of my favorite trees in Carmel Valley sits about two-tenths of a mile below the southern ridgeline of Garland Ranch Regional Park, nestled into a bend in a path called the Sky Trail:
The tree's dynamic colors at this time of year remind me of a large, slowly expanding firework. Right now the tree is mostly green and yellow, but will progress to brilliant reds and oranges as the season progresses.
Bring on autumn.
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