Forgive me if I'm still basking in the afterglow of last weekend's Miwok 100K just a bit - but my legs have been too blasted to to any legitimate training this week, and my mind is still in recuperation mode as well. But I think I've got something kind of cool to formally close the book on this year's edition before moving on.
But first, let's take care of some business by announcing our CLIF Bar Gary's Panforte winners. M. Louise Cunningham, Wes, and melodyfairitale: e-mail me your contact info - you've won the contest! Thanks to everyone else who entered, and try to grab these bars from stores before they vanish in the near future.
*
Predictably, this weekend's Random Shot of Beauty comes from the Miwok course:
A cove just up the coastline from Rodeo Beach, as seen on the long climb up Coastal Trail at roughly mile 48 of last weekend's race. Under different circumstances, I'd want to scale down the hillside and chill out on my own private beach for a while ... but on race day I had more pressing tasks to take care of. So I guess I'll just have to come back here sometime.
*
Finally, there's this: a very cool on-the-scene video from this year's Miwok 100K, which mainly spotlights the male frontrunners, but also gives you a great perspective of what it's like to actually be on the course. Videos like this have become a tradition for a group of hardcore Bay Area trail runners called The Endurables, who probably know these Marin County trails better than anyone - so well, in fact, that they're helping to stage what looks to be a killer new race there later this summer.
For now, enjoy the video, and the remainder of your weekend.
"Miwok 100K 2012" by The Endurables (click to play):
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"Getting good at
starting over every time that I return -
I'm learning to walk
again -
I believe I've waited
long enough -
Where do I begin?"
- Foo Fighters, "Walk" (video after post)
*
One of the reasons I look forward to racing season so much when
building up to a 100-miler is that it's very hard to simulate the feeling of
timelessness in routine training.
Virtually every other training run I do is governed by time
- or, more accurately, the lack thereof.
I'm constantly racing the clock to start my work day, or to get back to
family activities or chores waiting for me at home. And even though I can wake up crazy early
and knock out 50K before sitting down to my desk, I don't always seek out the
toughest routes for fear that the miles will put me too far behind schedule. It's not until I do races of 50 miles or more
that I really, fully dedicate myself to the trail, without regard for how many
hours it will take me.
Consequently, it's not until I'm in these races that I get
to practice my walking. Whether it's
going up a relentless climb, struggling to cope with extreme heat, or simply
shuffling my way through the inevitable low spots, long ultras give me an
opportunity to learn to walk again. While
that may sound strange to some, it's actually an important skill to develop in
preparation for 100-milers. Because
nobody runs a whole 100 - and if you want to be successful, you had better be
good at walking.
This year's Miwok 100K proved to be even more helpful than
usual in teaching me how to walk again.
The course was a almost a complete reboot from previous versions, with a
different start and finish area, steeper and more technical hills, and 20% more
climbing than last year's already daunting 10,000' of vertical. Oh, and it was another unseasonably warm day
in Marin County - all of which made for the "epicer" challenge I
mentioned in last weekend's post.
Across the board, race times were 1 to 2 hours slower than
previous editions. Race winner Dave
Mackey took more than 70 minutes longer than in 2011. Runners who normally broke 10 hours were
happy with sub-12s. And when I got to
the halfway point of the race and realized I was on pace to go nearly 2 hours
slower than last year, that's when I gave up concerning myself with time, and fully
embraced the notion that this was a perfect day for walking.
But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit - so let's get to the
race report, starting back at the beginning ...
... which was unlike any in Miwok history. In addition to being in the town of Stinson Beach
(instead of the customary Rodeo Beach), it was 45 minutes earlier than usual -
and the 5AM start ensured that we'd be running in the dark for more than an
hour.
Darkness might actually have been a blessing, because the
course climbs 1800' in less than 2 miles; if we had actually seen it, the hill
might have been completely demoralizing.
Instead, we kept rising into the dark, with only a stream of headlamps
in front and behind - that, and a supermoon overhead to give the trail a serene glow.
By daybreak we found ourselves on Miwok's infamous
"half-track" Coastal trail, where the side slope and narrowness make this stretch a
notorious ankle-twister. Between the
killer climb and the perilous descent, Miwok was swinging a big hammer before
we even reached the first aid station.
This stretch along Bolinas Ridge was a bit surreal, in that
it typically occurs during miles 26 to 40.
This year it was miles 7 to 20 ...
... and at the Randall Trail aid station, instead of having
28 miles to go, we had 48. Go ahead and
add psychological punishment to the list of challenges at this year's race.
On the long climb away from Randall, I started what would become
a recurring theme: catching up to scores of runners who had blown me away on
the previous downhill. I wasn't pushing
particularly hard, just walking and jogging in baby steps, but under the
circumstances, it was enough to make up a lot of ground.
Eventually we made our way back across the half-track, this
time in the sunlight ...
... where we got our first great views of the coastline,
such as this one toward Point Reyes that was shrouded in darkness the first
time through.
The descent to Stinson Beach featured another new route: the
absolutely beautiful and absolutely treacherous Matt Davis Trail. If the low branches didn't take you out ...
... the rocky footing, irregular steps, or twisty
switchbacks probably would. The most
common description I heard of this trail afterward was an obstacle course, but
I considered it more like parkour - complete with the occasional rolling on the
ground.
After giving back all the elevation we gained in the dark,
the Matt Davis Trail eventually dropped us back down to Stinson Beach ...
... where we immediately faced a 1400' climb up the
first few miles of the Dipsea Trail.
Bay Area trail runners know this legendary trail for two
things: a historic race, and a crazy amount of stairs. I'm very familiar with the trail, so I knew
what I was in for ...
And when I asked some hikers to take my picture, they
probably figured I was just enjoying the scenery. What they didn't realize is that I was
looking for any excuse to catch my breath for a few minutes ...
... before continuing the long slog of railroad tie stairs through
the steep ravine.
The Dipsea also passes through one of the most beautiful
redwood groves you'll ever see, which is almost enough to take your mind off
the fact you're still climbing. Almost.
Of course, as soon as we gained all that elevation, we gave
it right back again on a long descent back to sea level ...
... and the mile 33 aid station at Muir Beach. Honestly, the climb and descent to get here
were my worst section of the race: the day was getting warm, I was starting to
feel the miles on my legs, and the finish was still too distant to even contemplate. Not to mention, a ton of runners
passed me on the long downhill to the beach.
Fortunately, this was where I had my previously described epiphany about
savoring the full day out on the trails, which motivated me to keep plugging
along ...
... although the sight of beachgoers frolicking in the surf as
I labored in the heat was just one more slap from a course that had been doling
out punishment all day.
Once upon a time, I made the climb from Muir Beach three times
in 24 hours, so I was familiar with this long grind that opened the second half
of the race. Unfortunately, that didn't
make the current situation any easier ...
... but the first glimpses of the city in the distance from
the top of the hill helped make it worth the effort.
Following yet another long descent (to Tennessee Valley) and
climb back up to another summit, the city views became more breathtaking ...
... and the trail that rolled along the ridgeline was
relatively gentle for a change, which was a welcome relief on the farthest
outbound stretch of the course.
This doesn't have anything to do with my race report, but I
have to tell you how cool it is that there's a ridge named after me in the
Marin Headlands. Truly, it's an
honor. I'll be remembered for
generations in this part of the world. I
couldn't ask for a better tribute.
(Meanwhile, back at the race ... )
I rather appreciated this sign, made by the Coastside
Running Club who manned the Rodeo Valley aid station. It says, "Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever." - which seemed like a nice little reminder at
mile 43.
By the way, what's better than an aid station at the
turnaround point of a killer ultra on a hot day? ...
An aid station at a killer ultra on a hot day with POPSICLES! In a related story, I fell completely in love
with the Coastside Running Club ...
... and at that moment, I was one very happy ultrarunner. But then a strange thing happened ...
These buildings are the Marin Youth Hostel - which in itself
isn't so unusual. The strange part is
that I wasn't supposed to be here; somewhere in my post-popsicle delirium, I
managed to miss a turn and go off course with a couple of other runners. We backtracked about a half mile, and I ended
up going down another wrong road by myself, which led me past these buildings. I eventually found my way back onto the course
markings ...
... but it wasn't until I arrived at Rodeo Beach with this
guy (who I had yo-yo'd with almost all day) before I realized we hadn't taken the same route to get there.
(Incidentally, after the race I tried to disqualify myself for
re-entering the course at a different point than I left it, but the RD graciously
declined my recommendation. She figured
I probably ran more than the original distance to end up where I did - and in
the understatement of the day told me, "Besides, it's not like you were in the top
three." I'm pretty sure that last part was meant to
reassure me. Either way, I was grateful
for her ruling.)
If the sight of Muir Beach earlier in the day was a slap,
the sights and sounds of Rodeo Beach at mile 45 in the hot mid-afternoon felt
closer to a stomach punch - especially when yet another long climb awaited us.
One highlight of this section was that there were a ton of hikers enjoying a beautiful Marin County afternoon, and most of them were clued
into the fact that there was some sort of race going on. Some people clapped, others asked how far we
were going ... and when I passed by, nearly all of them whispered some variety of
Did you see what that guy's wearing on his feet? It was a nice psychological boost just as we
were making our return back to the finish area - and from that point on, I was
in great spirits the whole rest of the way.
After another brutal climb, Rodeo Beach faded into the
distance below, and another long descent led us to the Tennessee Valley aid
station at mile 51 ...
... where signs leading to the aid
station were a little more pointed - but even more appreciated than the
earlier ones.
Stop me if you've heard this already - but after the aid
station we made another long climb. This
time, it was to the top of Pirate's Cove ...
... which is one of my favorite sections of the Marin County
coastline. In fact, I pretended that I
wanted my picture taken here because I love the view so much ...
... when I was actually just buying some time before the
very steep, technical downhill that leads to the shore. Between the tricky footing in my RunAmocs and
the fact that I was still reeling people in on every climb, I reached a point
where I was looking forward to the uphills far more than the descents. Ultras can do strange things to your head
sometimes.
The climb out of Pirates Cove isn't too extreme, and before
you know it you're glancing over your shoulder for a final glimpse of the coast
to the south ...
... and then turning forward to see the Muir Beach aid
station in front of you to the north.
From here, there were only 8 miles left in the race, and I was still
keeping a remarkably steady pace; all that was left was to grind it out to the
finish.
This is Willie. He
bombed past me at roughly mile 31, but not before stopping to chat for a few
minutes. He introduced himself by
saying, "I'm a big fan of the blog!" and was also wearing minimalist
shoes (Merrell Road Gloves); needless to say, we hit it off right away. All of which made me feel bad to pass him back
at mile 55 - or sort of bad, at least.
I'm pretty sure I felt a little bit bad.
For some reason, that part is fuzzy now.
(But for the record, this was his first 100K, and he toughed
it out and finished even after things unraveled on him on a brutal day. Kudos, Willie.)
The final stretch of the new Miowk course is primarily on
the Dipsea Trail, in the same direction as the namesake event. Dipsea veterans know that the course is 7.3
miles long and ends at Stinson Beach, so when you see rock markers like this
from the Dipsea Race, you know exactly how far you have to go.
On our way back, the same sun that spilled through these
redwoods on us from the east now split the trees from the west on our
return. Which is really just my roundabout way of saying it had been a very long day.
But all that remained was one last swoop down the Dipsea
stairs ...
... before a glimpse across "The Moors" (as this
section of the Dipsea Trail is called) brought Stinson Beach back into view, and
the finish line called us home.
I finally arrived there 13 and a half hours after I left,
which was nearly two full hours longer than this race has taken me in years
past. Despite that - or maybe because of
it - this year's Miwok just might rate as my favorite one ever. I managed the race well, never had a major
crisis aside from mild depression going up Dipsea the first time, and re-taught
myself the power of completely losing yourself in the moment, regardless of how
much time you spend there. I feel like
I'm finding my place in the realm of 100-milers again - now all I have to do is
keep growing stronger between now and August.
*
"I think I found
my place -
Can't you feel it growing stronger, little conquerors?"
- Foo Fighters,
"Walk" (Live on Letterman video - click to play):
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Considering
that the CLIF Bar company stepped up so significantly to aid my ultrarunning
exploits last year, I guess it shouldn't have surprised me too much when an
unexpected box arrived on my doorstep a few weekends ago.
What surprised
me, however, was the goodies inside - because they were something I had never
seen before:
I was fortunate
enough to receive a pre-release sampling of a special bar to commemorate CLIF
Bar's 20th anniversary. It's now
available in limited quantities, similar to what the company does with its
holiday flavors - in other words, once they're gone, they're gone. But a few lucky readers will get a chance to
try them without having to search; that's right, we're doing a giveaway!
(Also, I'm
including a little bit of CLIF trail running mojo for everybody at the end of
the post - that way, everybody wins a little.
I aim to please.)
The anniversary
bar is called Gary's Panforte, and harkens back to the days of the company's
origins. Or, as founder Gary Erickson explains
on the wrapper: It was cycling that ultimately led me to create CLIF Bar. Now, it's 20 years later and I'd like to
share with you a wonderful new limited edition CLIF Bar inspired by my earliest
cycling adventure up and over the Passo di Govia in Northern Italy.
Apparently on
one of Erickson's early cycling treks through the Italian Alps, some locals
introduced him to an old-world dessert called panforte, which is primarily made
from fruit and nuts. Fast forward 20 years, and Erickson challenged his chefs
to recreate the taste in CLIF format - which doesn't just mean bar shaped, but has
to consist of only organic and all-natural ingredients - to recreate the treat he enjoyed back in the
old days.
The resulting 260-calorie
bar resembles a fruitcake in both appearance and taste - which makes sense, I
guess, seeing as how the most literal translation of the Italian word panforte is
"fruitcake." The nuts and
fruit are chunky and prominent, and there's an essence of cloves and ginger
that, in our family at least, triggered thoughts of the holidays as much as the
Alps. As my youngest daughter described
it, "They taste like Christmas."
That can't be such a bad thing,
right?
However, unlike
a holiday fruitcake, these bars won't be regifted too often. My family's supply vanished
quickly, and I anticipate you'll want to keep yours for yourself, too. The bars are available in stores now until
supplies are gone - and who knows, it might be another 20 years before we see
them again. I hope not, because they're
a truly distinctive taste among energy bars, and a very cool tribute to the
spirit of adventure that the CLIF company was founded on.
With that,
let's get to the giveaway: three winners selected randomly from the comments
section below will receive the exact same 4-pack sampler of Gary's Panforte
that I tested. One entry per reader, and
the winners will be announced this Saturday night, May 12. Obviously a very special thanks go to the
CLIF Bar company for including us in their anniversary celebration.
*
As for your ultra
mojo: the latest installment of CLIF's "Stories From Team CLIF Bar"
features Scott Jurek, the Tarahumaras of the Copper Canyons, and interview footage
of the late Caballo Blanco. If there's a
video out there that better captures the true spirit of ultrarunning, I haven't
seen it.
"Stories
From Team CLIF Bar: Scott Jurek" (click to play):
One of the strangest things about being on Team Soft Star is
this: I have to be careful what I write, because I never know when an elf may
be reading.
I'm reminded of this every now and then when an unexpected
package shows up on my doorstep, as happened again this week. But before I explain what was in it, here's a
quick back story:
And included this comment: The
outsole features one of the most aggressive tread patterns I've seen on
minimalist footwear - I wish my RunAmocs used this.
This week, a new pair of RunAmocs
arrived at my house - but they weren't the customary trail models I'm
accustomed to. When I looked closely,
there was something about the outsole that seemed vaguely familiar ...
RunAmoc on top, Leadville on bottom
... because it's the exact
same Vibram tread used on the Luna Leadvilles!
Inside the box, there was a note from the Soft Star Elves that included
the following:
This is a test pair to see
how you like the Vibram Newflex. You wrote
on your Luna Sandal review that you wished your RunAmocs used this - your wish
is our command!
I mean ... how cool is
that? I have Elves who tend to my every
wish. Remember when I said I'd rather be
sponsored by Soft Star than Montrail or The North Face? I was 100% serious about that.
What's more, from a
minimalist standpoint the Soft Star version of this particular outsole is even
better than the one I tested on my Luna Sandals, because it's significantly
thinner. Soft Star's Newflex outsole is
5mm thick, which is the same as their standard RunAmoc trail outsole, but half
as thick as the Luna Leadville. The Elves
not only answered my wish - they actually managed to improve it.
To be truthful, this wasn't exactly
a magic wand situation, as Soft Star has been considering alternate tread
patterns to their trail running outsoles for a little while now, and this
particular pattern was one they happened to have in the workshop at the time I
wrote about it. The timing works
perfectly, because I have sort of a big run scheduled for this Saturday. I'll give the outsoles a pretty good beating
there, and provide updates as to their availability as a RunAmoc option if that
becomes a reality at some point.
And finally, just to dispel
any absurd notions, one more note on this weekend's race: there's absolutely ZERO chance that Team Soft Star is going to win. I'm back to my ordinary self this time around
- running just to make myself happy, and hopefully to make the Elves proud.
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