SD100 2018: Hot as ever; I got by with a bit of help from my friend

I finished the SD100 on June 9 in 27:15;  it was a fantastic experience with lots of lessons.

My last 100 mile start had been the  SD100 in 2016.  Spring of 2016 was marked by cool weather right up until race week, and the temperature in Noble Canyon on race day hit 111F, according to my GPS track.  After 25 miles of cramping,  I had DNF'd that year at mile 55, totally blown from the heat and the dust; on top of a thermal meltdown, I'd had difficulty breathing with my vocal cords locked up  and me sounding like  Mickey Mouse from the dust carried by the dry wind.

This year the spring weather pattern was a near repeat of 2016: Temperatures in Pasadena had been very cool, with marine layer weather right up until the weekend before the race.  I did my best to run at lunch time to get some heat training in to no avail, the marine layer weather was chill!

"Heat training" at noon on the Mt Wilson Toll Road in the penultimate week before the SD100.  It was chill.

 It finally got warm on the Saturday before the race.   I decided to take advantage of the heat and did a longer than usual last weekend 22 miler  followed by an 8 miler the next day;  after that I chopped the throttle for a short taper leading up to the Friday June 8 race start.

My pal Greg Frye was running the race for his third finish and we had decided some time ago that we would run the race together as a team-- Greg is a good friend and we seldom get the chance to run together with our work and family schedules.  Honestly I think Greg's main goal for the race was to help me finish -- he had seen first hand the wheels come off my wagon in 2016 and knew that I had
 had to work through some injuries in 2017 and early 2018.

Race morning dawned cooler than in 2016, but temperatures were predicted to hit a 90F, hot but a good 10 degrees cooler than in 2016.   We planned our splits around Greg's sub-24 hour finish in 2016, but with more conservative splits planned in the first 44 miles to make sure we survived the crux of the race, the afternoon climb out of the dead air of the Noble canyon solar furnace.  We ran smooth and easy through the first leg, on into Chambers; as usual there was a lot of dust: The running surface in the first 10-15 miles of the course is often like flour and the scrum kicks a lot of it up.  I did my best to breath through my nose and I'd taken a 24 hour antihistamine this time; my breathing was better than in 2016.

Running near Paso Picacho, ~ mile 8 or 10.  The trail surface was like flour and a lot of dust got kicked up. Photo:  Ulysses Chan, Paksit

By Sunrise, Mile 21;  it was already quite warm but we were moving well and on split:

On the PCT with Greg:  Photo:  Ulysses Chan, Paksit

We cooled ourselves down with cold water towels at Pioneer Mail and picked up extra water for the 8 mile run to Pine Creek.  We hit the 37 mile aid station at about 1:15pm, about 25 minutes slower than Greg's 2017 split, but that was by plan:  We were conserving our energy for the climb up Noble Canyon.    Wetted down and with reloaded water bottles we set out for the climb.

We had decided that we would show Noble Canyon due respect and had budgeted 2 hours for the 7 mile climb out.  Our plan was to walk anything that was not flat or down-hill, to avoid a blow up in the heat.  My chest was a bit tight from the dust so I took a shot from an asthma inhaler but it didn't help!  I also took a guifenisin tablet --an expectorate, to help clear the gunk out of my chest --this also didn't help!  Despite the very conservative pace I started to have problems about half way up.  I was having difficulty getting enough air, and I was feeling dehydrated despite having taken 4 bottles leaving Pine Creek and having thoroughly rehydrated there.  We made it to Penney Pines-1, mile 44, at 3:34pm, reflecting a 2 hour 15 minute climb, slower than plan.  I had had to stop about a half mile out from Penny Pines as I was feeling a bit shocky, nauseous and dizzy.  When we got to the station, Dax's aid station crew was great.  I had to sit to sip fluids to get my system restarted as I was feeling like burnt toast:

PP-1, mile 44: Photo:  Ulysses Chan, Paksit

Greg was a big help, and  got me more diluted ginger ale and some melon and a lot of encouragement.

Greg helping me get myself together.  Photo:  Ulysses Chan, Paksit

After only 15 minutes I was feeling better, wetter, and able to get going:

Ready to get going again- Photo:  Ulysses Chan, Paksit

After walking a mile or so to allow the fluids I had consumed at Penny Pines to work there way into my blood I was feeling better, was starting to cough up some of the dust,  and we started running.  We moved pretty well and by the time we reached Meadows, Mile 49, I was feeling chipper.  My family was waiting for me at Meadows, which was lovely:

Into Meadows: Photo, SL

Meadows, mile 49, feeling good, and hungry for real food

At Meadows with pal Greg Frye

 We set out, recharged, and headed towards Red Tailed Roost, Mile 55. This leg is actually pretty hard as it has a significant amount of climb to the course's high point of around 6000ft.  We passed a number of runners that were struggling from the heat.  Greg started to feel iffy so he took point position and we continued on steadily and  made reasonable time to Red Tail.

Into Red Tailed Roost, Mile 55

There I changed shirt and, fueled and with bottles reloaded we set out for Cibbets Flat.  The descent to Cibbets was fun and Greg took the descent aggressively, determined to get to Cibbet's, mile 64, before sundown.  It was gorgeous running, but again there was still a surprising amount of uphill on this "downhill" leg.  With my lungs feeling very sore I had a heck of a time with anything that wasn't flat or on a downhill grade and after about half way to Cibbets I was struggling to keep up, struggling to get my breath.   We got into Cibbets at 9:30pm, about an hour later than our most conservative plan.  This station required a bit more time:  I got a blister treated, and had to again slowly reset with fluids.  I had also gotten to the point that Tailwind, the drink being served up at the aid stations, was completely unpalatable, as was coke or anything sweet.  A/S caption Jeff and his crew got me some diluted broth;  this did the trick and after a while I was able to get going.  I carried diluted broth in my bottles to drink as it was only thing that seemed palatable to me.  Greg was incredibly patient and encouraged me;  I was having serious trouble getting my ahead around another 36 miles considering how I felt, but Greg's positive energy was irresistible and bucked me up.

We set out for the climb back up-  me in point position as I was struggling with my wind.  We finally topped out and reached Dale's for a needed re-set, and then off to Todd's Cabin.  At some point on this stretch Greg started to have trouble so we switched position again and he took point.  We clocked off the miles and reached Penney Pines-2, mile 80! Only 20 miles to go.  But we were both starting to stumble on our feet with sleepiness.  By the time we reached Pioneer Mail-2, mile 84, Greg seemed to be sleep walking, and after discussion we decided he should  take a cat nap.  I set a timer for 15 minutes and while Greg lay down I refueled in the amazing galley set up  by the A/S crew.  Someone offered me tomato soup, and for some odd reason the smell of it appealed to me.  It proved to be  a perfect elixir and I downed a couple cups of it along with some eggs of all things.  I couldn't get enough of it, and I felt much better with this sustenance in my system.  I woke Greg, who never really slept, and we got ourselves together to leave just as the sun was rising.

My GPS track gives the temperature stamp at around 5:30 am as 75F, it was quite warm.  Once the sun climbed over the horizon, it shifted to being positively hot.  We got a move on as we were very concerned about getting stuck in an second day of heat and we beat feet to Sunrise-1, mile 91. There I dropped my night pack  and we continued on, 9 miles to go!   We continued to move well as the heat built up, it was a scorcher.  A last, the lake rounded into sight, and shortly thereafter we were at the finish.

 My son Zack had waited patiently at the SD100 finish on Saturday morning for me and Greg Frye; man it was good to see him!!  We hung out for a bit with friends and I drank a full liter of ice cold soda water, ah.  My son drove out on course to get my drop bags, and then this lad scraped me up and got me off to a shower and to home. Thank you Son!

With my son at the finish

All in all it was a great race.  Finish time was 27:15; Greg and I  placed 43 and 44 out of 151 finishers;  there were 115 drops! Reportedly the heat index had topped 100F. While I was disappointed that Noble canyon had beaten me down again so thoroughly and that I had had breathing problems here again, it was still a solid finish and there was little soreness after a couple days post-race.  The following weekend Greg and I went out and did a 20 miler in the San Gabriels none the worse for wear.  This despite fairly low mileage race training on my part, mostly in the 50-60 mile per week range with one week at 85 in the penultimate week before the race.  So this was an important lesson for me -- despite training limitations due to work and family commitments, the race was positive and the physical aftermath  was very minimal, limited to a nagging cough that latest a couple weeks while I cleared out the dust from my lungs.

The experience of running the race as team with  Greg was unique and made the race more meaningful.  We  enjoyed sharing the good miles when  we both felt strong and we both had low spots where we were able to  help each other. In that  sense we ran to our lowest common denominator -- had we run separately, we probably each could have finished faster-- but it was worth sticking together  for the shared experience.  We don't do these things for the buckles, T-shirts or Ultrasign-up score after all.  In my case, Greg's encouragement was key to my finish, especially to get through my low point at Cibbet's.  At that point I was struggling to visualize another 36 miles;  Greg visualized it for me. That shared experience is worth  far more to me than a given time on the clock.

We both said immediately after the race "never again" to the heat and the dust, but that feeling already had changed by the time we ran out 20 miler the weekend after the race...we started planning to run Mt.D.

Dress rehearsal for SD100, heat at last!

Next Friday I will be running the SD100, and it looks like the weather pattern this year is repeating what we experienced in 2016.  As in 2016, this spring has been very cool and wet; but  as of today, race week, the weather has turned hot!

In 2016, I ran SD100, well trained, but owing to the cool weather, I was NOT heat-trained... and I  failed to adjust my race plan to the reality of the 100+F temperatures on race day... I took it out hard and was incinerated and cramping from mile 25 until I dropped at mile 55.

This year, my training is not as deep as it has been in past years when I've run 100  milers.  Partly this is because I needed to work through a chronic achilles injury in the fall and early winter, and so I kept the mileage conservatively bounded;  and partly it was due to a demanding work schedule culminating in an intense work  trip to Zurich  in the third week of May.

Still, I got in some good mileage, with a major milestone being the Leona Divide 50 in mid-April; and while in Zurich I got in  a flat fast 30 miler, in 4:50,  along the Zurichsee On May 19:

Last week I ramped the mileage and got in 80 miles;  the Memorial day weekend mileage was 20/10/29, all mountain running, but it was wet and cold! I felt pretty good about the 29 miler, which I did in about 5:20, with about 6000 ft of climb and descent.  

 This week I got in some fast 10-milers on the Mt Wilson Toll Road, but there was no prospect of heat training with the marine layer and rain:

But yesterday the weather has changed!  I took yesterday off as my quads were pretty wrecked from all the fast downhill running last week;  instead I took a hike with my son, and then  rolled my quads (excruciating) to get the knots out.   Today's run plan was to  take an afternoon heat run up Mt Brown and cut the run to 14 miles if the quads were still flakey; and go longer if they were solid.  No worries, the knots were gone;  I focussed on practicing "sustainable" running, pushing the fluids and keeping both uphill and downhill pace in bounds of what I plan to do at SD100.  The run was lovely and I ended up extending to mileage to 22 with a dog-leg out to Oakwilde on the Gabrielino Trail. I finished feeling strong despite having eaten nothing;  in the course of the run I drank 10 bottles ~ 12-13 pounds of water and came home 6 pounds down;  but I felt like I could continue when I was done.

I'm looking forward to this year's SD100, I'll be running it with my pal Greg Frye and I consider it an experiment in heat and race management.

Jan 31, 2018: Dawn patrol on Mt. Wilson, with a blood-red blue super moon

This morning I got up a little earlier than usual to hit the Mt. Wilson Toll Road trail before 6am, in order to see the total lunar eclipse away from Pasadena's street lights.  Given that this was the second full moon of the month (therefore a blue moon), occurring at lunar perigee (hence  a super moon) and that the moon would be in total eclipse between 5am and 6am here is California (thus a blood-red moon) the folks at NPR had called it a blood red blue super moon.

It was worth seeing.

 The family had gotten up with me, the kids had taken a look and pretty quickly headed back to bed.  It was a bit hard to see it well with the street lights.  I downed some espresso, laced up my shoes and drive up to Altadena.  I was on the trail by 5:45.  The view from the shoulder of Mt Wilson was much better that from my home in Pasadena  but I couldn't get my aging iPhone 4s camera to focus given the lack of light.  By 6:20   the moon was out of totality and I was able to get a semi-decent image:

Lunar eclipse, 6:20 am , past totality

I continued fast hiking up, passing a lot of other folks who had gotten up early to hike the Toll Road to see the eclipse.  By 6:40 the dawn had progressed enough that the sky was turning light - I took this picture as I approached Henninger Flat:

Moon coming out of totality, 6:40am

From Henninger I ran up to the turn off to Idlehour, stopped and stretched, and ran back down at a  brisk pace.  It was a great way to start the day.

June 2017 update

I have not written in the blog in some time. I last wrote in February at  a time where I was increasing my mileage in preparation for the summer racing season, focussing on SD100,  but encountering niggling little strains, and achilles issues.

I worked though the strains but really hurt my achilles on a run at the end of February.  I had to stop running altogether as it hurt quite a bit just to walk.  I let it rest and did a lot of heel drop exercises in March, and then some little runs, but it was still painful.  So I dropped from SD100 realizing that there was no way that I could get the proper mileage in to run SD100 right,  given the injury.

Mid-April I did a hike/jog around the Burton loop with my pal Greg.  It seemed to make the achilles feel better for a few days.  I repeated this a few times, doing hike/runs of up to 20 miles:  hike the ups, run the downs (slowly).  No daily runs, just these long hike/runs on the weekends.

Meanwhile, Greg entered the SD100  shortly after I pulled out.  Its great that Scotty keeps a wait list.  I think Greg got my spot!  So we decided I should  pace him.  Greg and I went to the SD course a couple of weeks ago and ran the Noble canyon section of the course out of Pioneer Mail, a 20 mile loop to Penny Pines and back.  Greg barely broke a sweat but I was worked!    I decided I had better increase my mileage.  So: Last weekend I ran 24 honest miles  up Mt. Wilson via the Sam Merrill and My Lowe railway, an old standby.  I did this routinely in just over 4 hours in 2015.  It took me 5 hours that day.  Today I did the same route but added a 2 mile out and back down the Toll road at the top to bring the miles to 28.   I felt fine up to the turnaround, file 14.    Heading back to the top of Wilson, I just couldn't get my breath. I walked the upper part, very steep, and refilled my bottles at the top.   Drank 3 bottles and sat for a while to collect myself.  The bad thing about  an Out and Back courses is that what goes out must come back!  Very committing.  So with no choice really and feeling like scat, I headed  down.  The run back was progressively more unpleasant as the heat and smog built up.  Ultimately I walked the last mile and a half as I was feeling dizzy and nauseous.  A good reminder that its good to actually TRAIN before running 28 milers in the mountains.

Crossing the "surf-zone" from rest to high mileage running

I've found that the most dangerous time for me with respect to running injury is while  transitioning from a rest phase to high mileage training.  Resting doesn't entail injury, and when I'm running high mileage I rarely get injured, but in the ramp transition  I have to be careful and watch for signs of incipient muscle strains, knee soreness, tendonitis etc.  I've come to think of this transition as the "crossing the surf-zone": Once I get the milage up above 50 miles/week I'm in "deep water" so to speak  and I don't get tossed on my ass by the breakers.  The body seems to have accelerated healing and strength which keeps injury at bay.

My mileage log since the start of the year shows this.  I've learned to back off when problems flair up and I've gotten in a few weeks in the 4-50 miles per week range...  with occasional rest days or a pair of rest days thrown in when hot spots develop.   I am just about out of the surf zone now,  but not quite.  The latest issue has been a flair up of my achilles of the left leg, which last bothered me after I got off crutches after my accident in 2014.  Lat week I ran in to my Pal Joe on the trail on my lunchtime run;  we added a few miles and ran a bit faster than I've been used to in my "surf-zone" training ramp.  Toward the end of the run the achilles let me know it was unhappy.  That evening it was sore and so I took a couple days off.  It was still iffy on Friday so I walked on Saturday;  this morning I elected to do a long walk up/ run down workout on the Mt. Wilson Toll Road to get some mileage in without overly stressing the tendon.   It seems to have worked, the achilles has felt fine all day since.

It does help to have various tools for the job at hand.  For todays run I donned a pair  of Hokas leftover from my 2015 season.  "I don't always heel strike, but when I do, I wear Hoka's".

2016 final thoughts

Its new year's eve, 2016;  Today I ran for the first time in about two weeks, having gotten hit by a flu or cold that progressed into bronchitis.   I was laid out for a good two weeks.  I felt well enough today to give running a try despite the rain and I felt surprisingly good.  The run helped me clear out my chest I think;  I felt good enough to do a much needed core workout afterwords.

Looking back on my running in 2016, I certainly had some great runs training for SD100 and learned a lot working through the issues last spring associated with my hip injury.  Unfortunately SD100 was a DNF for me, the short explanation for which was that I disrespected  the course:  I went into a race with record 100+F heat with a fixation on time.  The mountains get the last laugh always;  it was a good lesson for me.

Later in the summer I took an extended break to allow things to heal up from about 4 years of pretty solid training.  I took the time saved to spend with my family, and I worked, a lot, on some theoretical physics problems that an old friend and research collaborator had asked me to look at.  It was fantastic, rewarding work, of a kind I haven't done for fifteen or so years and I'd forgotten how much I loved that sort of  work.  It was also as difficult and consuming as ultra running and just as rewarding, if in a different way.

Having started running again the last few months the break seems to have paid dividends;  I am running in the minimalist Merrells again without any toe issues and the achilles and hip are solid.
I'm looking forward to 2017 and I plan to enter the SD100 lottery for a shot at correcting the mistakes I made last year.

Happy new year to you, reader, and best wishes that you achieve the goals you set for yourself in this new year!

Bear encounter in Monrovia Canyon Park

Today on my lunch time run I had to cut my run short due to a bear encounter.  Having just entered Monrovia Canyon Park from the Sawpit Wash  trail, there were two bear cubs walking up the road about 50 feet in front of me.  Just ahead of me, maybe 20 feet, there was a gap in a chainlink fence through which mama bear was just ambling...I stopped, backed up slowly, then more quickly, then I turned around and ran back the way I had come.

Just yesterday I had read an article on a bear attack in New Mexico on the iRunFar website.   A runner had the bad luck to get between two cubs and their mother bear.   Good timing.  I'm glad I was slow today as it kept me from winding up between the mama and her cubs.