Vibram sweepstakes announcement

I have been lame lately at blog updates. Am getting ready for the Chimera 100 miler (not really) so here's something to chew over, courtesy of the good folks at Vibram:

"Vibram is getting psyched for the winter by partnering with Jackson Hole for the Grip Your World Giveaway sweepstakes from now through Dec. 10 to give away weekly prizes including Burton and K2 snowboard boots, and Vibram Five Fingers.

"One grand prize winner will also win a 5-day trip to Jackson Hole for two, including airfare, hotel and lift tickets. It’s also ridiculously easy to enter (no long forms or excessive fields, etc.), which is a big bonus. Check it out here: http://www.gripyourworld.com/.”

Saddleback Marathon

It's been a while. I have been too busy to keep my postings up to date, but plan to be better about it. Lots of stuff going on.

I have been slacking on the running, so I wasn't sure how I would fare as a first-time runner of Baz Hawley's "magical" Saddleback Trail Marathon. I had never run it before but have volunteered at the race, which starts and ends at Blue Jay Campground in the Santa Ana Mountains off Ortega Highway.

David Whiting and Bill Ramsey

The weather was perfect: sunny, but with the chill of autumn in the air. I also appreciated the relatively late 8 a.m. start, having gotten out of the habit lately of running at insanely early hours of the morning.

I told myself I would take it easy, given the daunting 5,100 feet of climbing (making this the toughest marathon in California, reportedly), but of course I didn't. Because I was feeling good at the start, I pushed myself up the steep, 3-mile climb up the Main Divide that marks the start of the marathon.

Charlie Nickell in his new shirt -- awesome!

From there, I blasted the four or so miles down the at-times treacherous Trabuco Trail -- but since my strength is uphills, I wasn't blasting fast enough and got passed on the downhill by four or five runners, including my buddy Martin "James Bond" Brooks. I am a conservative downhill runner -- I have fallen too many times LOL.

I swung into the Holy Jim Canyon aid station to be greeted by my great friend Keira, who was manning the station solo. It's always great to see the lovely and upbeat Keira during a race. She's a natural motivator and I needed motivation to get up the next stretch of the race -- the 4.8-mile Holy Jim trail, a steep climb with several punishing switchbacks. The Holy Jim trail is one of my favorites when I am out for a "fun" run, but not my favorite when it comes to races.

I ran some of Holy Jim and power-walked through other portions. By the time I got to the top of Holy Jim, also known as Bear Springs, I was in serious need of some fuel/motivation and got it in the form of seeing my buddy Kirk and his fiancee Stephanie, who plied me with some flat Coke and pretzels.

From this point on, I started to get my second wind and felt strong running the roller-coaster-like hills of the Main Divide for about 6 miles, looping back to the top of the Trabuco Trail before finishing the marathon by barreling down the 3-mile-long screaming downhill to the finish line at Blue Jay.

The amazing Tommy Nielsen

I finished in 4:14 and change, good enough for a top 20 finish (I was 16th) which always is my goal. I wasn't in the best of shape but was pleased with my performance. Funny, but I prefer 50-milers -- marathons and 50ks to me seem too much like races; I feel rushed. But as far as trail marathons go, Baz's Saddleback Trail Marathon is a stunner and should be on every ultrarunner's list of must-dos. Great fun, with a close-knit feel to it.

To read David Whiting's take on the race in the OC Register, click here.

Hi pam!

Chimera 100-miler

Unless somebody talks me out of this quickly, I am good to go for the first-ever running of the Chimera 100.

Why?

The race, the brainchild of sadistic Old Goats RD Steve Harvey, is in my backyard. Heck, one of the aid stations is 1.2 miles from my pad in Silverado Canyon.

There is a 100k option (62 miles), and if sanity prevails, I may opt for "only" that. But it's tough to turn down a 100-miler in Orange County.

Steve Harvey, sadist

This run, which goes around and over the two peaks of the Saddleback Mountains, certainly looks extremely daunting. Though I have run every inch of the course in portions, running it all at once certainly will be extremely brutal. This puppy has to rank as one of the toughest 100-milers in the United States.

Heck, the 100K version sounds insane: That 62-mile, figure-eight course has more than 32,000 feet of elevation change and is rated one of the toughest 100K trail races in the country.

I don't even want to think about the stats for the 100-miler.

But what the heck. If I can't finish it, I will walk home.

Educate thyself

These folks, my buds who are part of the "Dawn Patrol" group every Tuesday at El Moro, know how to run.

I am a renegade of sorts, doing my own thing when it comes to running and not paying much attention to the science of running and what I put in my body. And I absolutely hate to stretch.

In the interest of educating myself (boy, do I need to wake up), I am posting here a lengthy but very useful article, 100 Essential Health and Nutrition Tips for Avid Runners, that originally appeared on the Web site of the Online Nurse Practitioner Schools.

Portions of the article are reprinted here with the permission of Online Nurse Practitioner Schools.

I am listing here the first 14 tips -- because 14 is my favorite number, and because I do not have the time to list them all LOL.

Be sure to click on the links!

Enjoy!

100 Essential Health and Nutrition Tips for Avid Runners
Although running is a solo sport, preparing for it doesn’t have to be. Avid runners, as well as beginners, can find all sorts of help for health, nutrition, and more by stopping by these 100 top tips and sites made just for runners.

Best Stretches for Avid Runners
Because stretching is essential for runners to avoid sprains, soreness and other injuries, check out these leading stretches.

1. Stretching for Runners: The experts at "Runner's World" give you loads of help for preparing for that run. Get stretches for hamstring, calves, back, and more.

2. Calf and Ankle Stretching Routine: Coach Nicole is from SparkPeople and shows you how to do this in three short minutes. Also useful for those wearing shin splints.

3. Running Flexibility: Mark Coogan teaches you how to prevent injury and increase flexibility with sports stretches designed specifically for runners. A jump rope is used in this short clip.

4. Lower Body Stretching Routine: This video will help you stretch your lower body without any equipment. Coach Nicole will take you through one short set of six different stretches that target your thighs, quads, hamstrings, and calves.

5. Basketball Flexibility: Chip Schaefer, Director of Athletic Performance & Player Development for the L.A. Lakers, guides you through a fitness program to keep your muscles limber. In 13 minutes, you can stretch like the NBA players do.

6. Body Stretching Routine: This stretching routine is done by lying on a mat. Four stretches target your lower body.

7. Best Stretches-Running: Stay limber and prevent injury with this stretch routine. Purchase for $9.99 or preview for free.

8. Midrun Injuries: Another guide from Runner's World, it shows you the most common running issues and how to deal with them. Get information on cramps, blisters, stitches, sprains, and more.

Best Warm Ups for Avid Runners
Going into a run cold can be dangerous. Try these warm ups to get going like the pros do.

9. Running Active Warm Up: Mark Coogan shows you one of the most vital elements and routines before a run. In eight short minutes, you will learn both upper and lower body warm ups.

10. Yoga for Runners: Do these poses before, after or in between runs to de-stress. Choose from Strike A Pose or 3 Pre-Run Yoga Poses.

11. Yoga and Running: Similar to the above, this article shows you how to use yoga to stay limber for a run. Supplies and positions also are shown.

12. Tegankamp Core Warm Up: He is the American record holder for two miles. Here he shows you how he warms up for a run in this short video.

13. Mental Endurance Training: Because running is as much mental as it is physical, check out this article to see how to warm up your mind. These tips can also help you break barriers and run longer.

14. General Strength Exercises: These exercises will help make you a stronger, faster, more efficient runner who is less susceptible to injury. Five videos are included.

You get the picture.

Be sure to check out the complete list of 100 tips here.

Catalina running

Here are some images from a short (8-mile) but very sweet run this week while camping with the kids at Two Harbors. Most of these photos were taken near where the turnaround point is during the Avalon Benefit 50-Mile Run, held in January. Love it!

Ultra-airhead

After the damage was done.

The Mt. Disappointment 50-miler on Aug. 8. was my 10th 50-miler (and 19th official ultra race that I have completed; still no DNFs, knock on wood) since I ran my first race beyond marathon distance in January 2007.

Despite all this trail running, I still consider myself an ultra-idiot -- meaning, I don't know the answers to anything, really, when it comes to running ultras, except what works best for me.

I did well, finishing in 10:08. That time was much better than last year, when (according to my Garmin) I finished in 11:18, although my official time was 11:32 (the timekeeper admitted he failed to mark my time when I crossed the finish last year -- oh well, who cares, right?)

So I did well, and I wonder why.

Certainly, it was cooler this year. Last year's temp hit 105 in the dreaded canyons, and it was at least 15 degrees cooler this year.

That helped a lot.

I also wore a hat, which kept the sun off my face. I absolutely hate hats, but will never run another race without one (thanks, Jane).

Thinking about why I did well, I think it may have had to do with my mindset .

When it comes to races, my head now is much less cluttered with crap, and my body less encumbered with crap, than it was when I was an ultra-newbie.

And when it comes to ultras, simplicity helps -- for me.

I no longer run races with a camera -- as much as I would love to document the experience.

I have ditched waist-packs and bladders on the back in favor of two hand-held bottles, relying on aid stations for most of my fueling.

I have discovered that music isn't a necessity (though it's a nice option).

I no longer wear a Garmin, finding that it won't change my finish time. Makes sense, eh?

He makes the girls swoon: Recently devirginized Badwater runner Dennis Koors signs his life away.

I have to pop electrolyte pills every hour, so I can't ditch a watch.

Watching how the fast runners do it, I've noticed that most of these super athletes keep things real simple.

They don't carry a lot of stuff, and thus seem to be...lighter, of the mind and spirit and body.

Yeah, I think lightness works, when it comes to ultras.

The Incredible Lightness of Running.

Lightness, as in air.

As in ultra-airhead.

The thing about Mt. Dis, in my opinion, is not to get too excited at the start -- and to save gas for two gnarly hills that can kill you (the 50k runners only have to worry about one bummer climb: the notorious 4.5-mile climb on the Kenyon Devore trail, to the finish at the summit.)

The race starts at the summit of Mt. Wilson, which is stabbed with pointy towers but from which an incredible view of the L.A. basin can be enjoyed. Runners plod downhill on a curvy, asphalt road (the one they drove up to the start) for a few miles before hitting dirt -- where the real work begins.

Lovely scenery atop the summit of Mt. Wilson

The number of miles on the beginning stretch of asphalt was extended this year, to about 5 miles from 2 miles, because RD Gary Hilliard could not get permits for the trail portion that starts at around mile 2 because of damage caused by rock slides.

I tried to hold myself back from running too fast down the pavement. Plus, I didn't feel great -- just felt sorta tired.

I had forgotten how rocky and technical some singletrack sections of Mt. Dis are -- so large do the hills loom in this race.

But yeah, Mt. Dis is a fairly technical course. Runners have to really watch their step in several sections, or risk falling down steep slopes.

Really, though, Mt. Dis is about those two hills: the 4.5-mile finish, and, for the 50-milers, the long, seemingly endless climb (four miles? Five?) on winding fireroad to the Shortcut aid station (mile 41). Something about this stretch is brutal. Gee, I don't know, maybe it's the heat. Also, the climb comes at 30-plus miles into the race. Yeah, that could be a factor.

This year, I loaded up on fluids and packed my two hand-helds with ice before tackling the stretch to Shortcut, which actually starts off with a nice, extended downhill on runnable fireroad.

The incomparable Jill Childers. Why didn't the boys get pink shirts, too?

Knowing, through experience, that the climb eventually does end, I power-walked up this beast, doing my best to scare away thoughts of dehyrdation -- or worse.

Mastering mental games is a key to finishing an ultra, assuming you have properly taken care of your body (fluids, food, electrolytes). And it's on climbs like this that the mental games really set in. I just concentrated on moving, and eventually the nightmarish climb ended.

You just tell yourself that the bad moments will pass, and you keep moving. Now look at me: I am writing this in an air-conditioned room.

See?

Eventually, things do get better. And to tackle Mt. Dis, that's the mindset one needs.

Mt. Dis truly is a fun, beautiful course. The problem is, so many runners suffer on the hills, and that misery tends to cloud out most other memories (including the wonderful conversations with fellow runners and the priceless interactions with the volunteers -- Gabor, you rule!).

The word "masochism" gets tossed around a lot when it comes to Mt. Dis.

Well, yeah, I guess one could make that argument. But I also think that sitting in front of a laptop is pretty masochistic, too -- and at work, I'm not allowed to pretty much pee wherever I want.

So gimme the "masochism" of Mt. Dis any day.

Let's keep thing simple.