Last weekends trip to the canyons

Elevation Profile of 12 mile run from Foresthill to Michigan Bluff(and back) on WS


Last weekend I did the same post American River 50 workout as did the previous year. It was to help me understand where I am and need to be for June 2010. That said the course as the profile describes has some all the elements that will help me run better...lots of up and lots of down. Overall, I had a much better experience on the course than last year. I had set out with Rena, Kate and Karyn (they where headed all the way to Devils Thumb). It was cold as can be..must have been in the high 30's but as we started moving it turned out to be a glorious day. It was nice to be on this section of trail..so much history and less traffic, never a lot of day hikers etc..just folks training for Western States. After we crossed the creek at the bottom of Volcano I let the women go ahead and I wanted to focus on my own pace and see where things where at for me...They went ahead. I really enjoyed the stillness as I climbed up and out of the canyon..Per last year I took the one wrong turn as I headed to Michigan Bluff..dang. I ended up on the road to MB got to the small settlement of Michigan Bluff and no sign of the women... I thought that odd but hung out for a few minutes then went back on the correct path to Foresthill..Here I ran into Rena and company..they took a different wrong turn and doubled back. Seems we all do this on the first run in this section. John Nichols and Charley Jones came through as well. On the return I slowed down and my legs where feeling heavy.

This weekend I am planning on running from Michigan Bluff to Swinging Bridge or Last Chance and back..this will be about 6 hours of running. I am planning on going on my own but will surely see a few folks along the way.
Tony

A few images of American River 50mile

Still Kinda Fresh--About 13miles in along the American River..


About mile 37 finally on Trail..Just passed Buzzards Cove Aid Station..I soon would be running better...



The finish...Not Pretty but a Western States Qualifying Time...

What did I do the week after AR?

I will be posting some official photo's from AR soon. But I thought I would share a bit of what happend the following days after American River 50mile...

First, I was a total piece of toast on Sunday Morning and in fact all day. Saturday's post race victory dinner consisted of graham crackers and a large glass of milk! It was all I could really muster as I tried to focus on watching the ncaa semifinal game...It seems that my mind and body after a 50mile race have a tough time focusing on things..I had even planned to get my taxes completed on Sunday but that turned into a total NO..This began the typical two day period that has me feeling really tired and not moving well after being idile sitting down. Kinda like the marathon shuffle...by Monday I was ready to eat kinda normal again and enjoyed shoveling down some sushi and a ton of rice at lunch.
My overall feeling aside from a smashed toenail recovered well by the middle of the week and my weekly deep tissue massage actually felt pretty good. All the while during the week I had been reviewing my performance at AR and where and why I lost focus...It also afforded me to really think of the 1 year training cycle for Western States 2010 that will begin the Monday after WS...

Emails started to flow about this weekends training run from Foresthill to Last Chance and back...I am leaning towards FH to Michigan Bluff and back as my recovery run and intro to the canyons...Last year that same course the week after AR was really slow..I will see how I compare.
One last thought and important note to self: I need to convert my first floor home office to a full bedroom...prior to WS. I just can't handle those stairs..I have two empty bedrooms upstairs that easily can be my office...save my legs!

Tony

A tail of 3 races--American River 50Mile

A Little Tired after AR




Mark and Rena..Looking a heck of a lot better than I...


It really was a nice day to run along the river to Auburn yesterday. The day began way too early as I awoke at 2:45am and then catch the bus from the finish to the start at 6am in Sacramento. The course had a few changes with some additional trail and climbing..200 more runners on the course. The start was not so bad as I thought it would be and off we went. I saw Rena, Jenn Pheifer, Ernie and a cast of others as the sun began to rise.

In my prediction I wanted to keep things low and slow..that kinda happened for the first 19miles but it was a very uneven pace ranging from 8:50 to 10minute miles along the bike path. It felt easy and I was a bit concerned as I hit Nimbus 7minutes ahead of schedule. I had been taking 2 scaps per hour and one roctane every 45minutes...this seemed to work early on...As we hit the trai and the bluffs I took it down a bit and held that pace as I went through Negro Bar...I was a little bit uncomfortable as I hit Beals and here I started to take way too long at the Aid Station..nearly 7minutes as I filled my hip pack with more roctane etc.. At Beals I was right on the mark I predicted 4:50. But I was not feeling strong..This was the first third of my race..

As I left Beals to head to Granite Bay and Buzzards I started to have slower than expected times..the sun was full force and temps rising. I kind of lost focus past Granite Bay and wondered dam..is it a long way to Buzzards today...This was my low moment of the race. I was thinking I just want to stop running all the time..not run Western etc..Finally I was at Buzzards (20minutes behind schedule..) Yet as I stood at the Buzzards Aid Station and facing the toughest stretch of course things began to change...

This third portion of the race from Buzzards to the Finish was the bomb! My pace quickened, I started to really focus as I pushed through the rocky sections between buzzards and Rattle Snake..I was back! Running well. I was only passing people and not being passed. This sure was not the case last year and I was happy...Hitting Rattle I was ready to tackle the final section to the river and that was met with conistant steady focused running..I kept passing folks from 41 to the river..I recall a women that was on the trail running and not wanting me to pass her..she wanted to talk and all I could think of was get the heck out of my way...I was not polite but after being on the trail all day it was time to finish and get to the final 3.2 mile climb from the river...As I hit the river I was HUNGRY..or at least my stomach thought so..I had not had anything from Buzzards except water and a SCAP here I looked at my watch and thought I am behind my goal pace but well under my Qualifying time so might as well enjoy it a bit..I talked a little on the steep climb with someone then ran to last gasp and from there it was walk/run...As I approached the finish..I thought it was slower than last year but I ran a much stronger final 19miles than I have ever run..I was feeling good about that..I did spend too much time at Aid Stations past beals..The watch stopped at a turtle pace of 10:35. Western States Qualifier now complete..The real work begins now..

Mark and Rena stuck around the whole time..they hade finished 4 and 2 hours prior but it was nice to see them at the finish..This years finishers jacket is super sweet!
Post Race..I had tough time eating/or wanting to after the race...and did manage breakfast this morning. Legs did not let me sleep too well last night either..it goes with the territory of ultras. Will take a slow recovery run on Tuesday and see what the weekend brings...

Tony

20mile Taper, Prediction AR50

Often a week prior to a marathon I would run 10k to shake the legs out...This past Saturday I planned to run a version of that for a 50mile..20miles. This 20 in my head was to be slow out to RattleSnake on the AR Trail then return at race pace to the finish. That seemed to go out the window when we had two additional runners join us for the day. Both fast they said it was going to be easy. As we took off the pace was fast for me..but I did not back off. Gad! I made comments but the group dynamic was to keep at that pace...I thought why not and took it to the river 5minutes faster than normal. Here I did just say the heck with that pace and dropped back. Yet the legs where on that pace and kept on moving faster than normal. So at the 6mile mark 3minutes faster than normal pace...At Avery Pond...8minutes faster. By the time I got to Rattle and the turn the fast group where there waiting but I was 9minutes faster! I felt good but said that was it..My return I recovered some sanity and took it real easy back..My legs however where tired on Saturday, Sunday. I got to remember to keep my eye on the prize....Western States 2010.

That said...American River 50mile is this Saturday. This years addition has a new race director who increased the field from 500 to 650...Last I saw on the runner list 700bib numbers where released! This could be a bit too large for the course and the middle runner like me. Weather...Has been very windy and forecast for weekend could bring some of that. If the winds are strong and from the north we are running into headwinds..Will wait and see.

Goal 1---Run Qualifying Time for Western States----Anything less than 11 hours!

Goal 2-Run slow controlled pace for the first 19miles.
This is bike path and relatively easy.
Previous I have run some fast splits here.
Which left me little once I got to Buzzads.
Projected time to Nimbus Dam:3hr 12 minutes.

Goal 2-Beals Point Aid--This is the major aid station.
Last before it goes single track. Here I look
at a time ~10minutes slower than average runner
predicated pace.Still alot of race to go!
Projected Time to Beals----4hr 50minutes

Goal 3-Beals to Buzzards:This section has a new addition
of trail. This will add some time. Here, I maintain
concentration and keep the legs moving. Again, about 10min.
slower than average runner pace.
Buzzards Goal Time:6hr 20minutes

Goal 4-Buzzards to RattleSnake:This is it! The toughest section
on the course. Rocky, narrow. I expect a trains of
runners. I am not going to get into their game.
Push through. This will be much faster than last year.
Buzz to Rattle Goal Time--7hr 45minutes.

Goal 5--Rattlesnake to the Barn!---My nemisis is the really the
2.6mile stretch prior prior to the climb from the river.
I plan on enjoying this section! Climb from the river just
smile.
Goal Time to the Barn...I project to finish
between 9:45 and 10:10..Its not fast! Qtime in pocket
and enjoy the late afternoon in Auburn.

Things to remember to do on the course..

1)Drink 1 water bottle between each aid station (at beals I may carry two bottles)
2)One SCAP every half hour since we are hitting some heat and it will be warm.
3)One Gel every hour. If things bonk..then two per hour
4)No lagging at aid stations--I can cut time off from last year..

Thats it...Tony

noon time run location

Just a short note...Here is where I run most often...When I work from home this is a my lunch time view as I set out to run the stagecoach loop....

American River at the Coffer Dam Location...Notice the hillsides cleared of trees and the start of a coffer dam. Construction Stopped(thank god!) and river returned to natural stream bed with a rapids built for rafters and kayaks as seen below...

Two Weeks Till AR50

With a little less than two weeks to AR50 I had my last longer running weekend. With that I ran one last time from the Overlook to Rattle with tack on including Stagecoach loop on Sat. And a miserable run through cold and rain Sunday to finish the cycle. The run Saturday I had really fresh legs with limited mileage on them (business travel cut down on that). It was really quite since I started just before sunrise..I enjoyed the stillness. I thought of the big cats and it being their time to feed so I kept a bit more focused on my surroundings. Other than that the day was pretty uneventful with a stronger run on my climb from the river.

Sunday was cold and rain. But the last longer run had to be done. It took nearly 1 hour for my legs to start feeling good with the rain coming down and me freezing I turned back to finish shortly after. As I returned to the overlook. I had a chance to reflect on this winters training...Much better than last year. More 30-45 mile weekends. The last month had less running on weekdays leaving me feeling a bit apprehensive for AR. I will post my prediction splits and finish time later this week....Tony