A Year of Running in Review

Gee, I sure put on the miles in 2011.  Besides traveling all over the world to run (Antarctica, Washington, Chile, New York, Colorado amongst other locations for work travel), I happened to look up how much I had actually ran or cycled this year - my main two cardiovascular activities.  And the total is a staggering:  2014 total miles.  And this doesn't count a perhaps last run or bike ride this afternoon. (I'm posting this at 2:30 on Dec 31.)  That's up 300 miles from 2010!  All told, I ran or biked for 240 hours - basically a week and a half.  Over 1700 of those were running miles.

Statistics are an easy way to talk about one's main hobby, and I suspect they wrap up the package nicely into something digestible.  So, let me try to put some prose against this year and highlight my 11 favorite running moments from 2011.


11. Two glorious runs in Bellevue, WA

From the I-90 Bike Path looking North over Lake Washington

For the first time in years, I spent a number of days in the Seattle area.  I've gotten good at finding local trails by searching online (more on how to do this in a future post), and Bellevue revealed a wonderful "Lake to Lake" urban trial that treks between Lake Washington to Lake Sammamish.  This path connects a series of parks including some fairly wooded areas.  While you go on and off of city sidewalks, the overall effect is great.  I ran to both lakes on different occasions.

Gobbling Up the Miles

If you run, you probably get basted with options for Turkey Day trots.  Many cities, community groups and schools conduct some sort of 5 or 10k family jaunt either on Thanksgiving itself or this weekend.  I even found a few marathons offered as pre-turkey activities.  For those not traveling near and far, the turkey runs offer a nice start to  a day of sitting around watching football (or better yet playing Skylanders or Call of Duty) and then gorging on stuffing and pumpkin pie.  I call it banking the calories as a way to alleviate any gluttonous tendencies.

But for us, the runners of the world, we do not need an organized event to celebrate Thanksgiving and set up our bodies to absorb a massive meal.  In recent years, I have found that picking my own special course is far more rewarding and engenders many more feelings of thanks.  If you love those turkey trots, by all means, keep running them.    But if you are bored with those and the logistics, cost and travel time associated with participating in a planned event, read on.

The NYC Marathon as told through illustration

I wanted to share this nifty live twitter/sketch of the NYC Marathon last Sunday.   Here's the blurb from the post and then follow the link to see the whole thing:

Hot Buzz

New York Times Cartoonist Live-Draws The NYC Marathon While Running It

Christoph Niemann, a cartoonist from the New York Times (remember this), live-drew and tweeted his entire NYC marathon run. 

The First Entry.  Follow the Link for the Rest. It's worth it.  If you like bananas.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/new-york-times-cartoonist-live-draws-the-nyc-marat

Credit for finding this goes to fellow Antarctica and NYC Runner (3:01!) Larry I.  Thanks Larry and well done in NYC!

Success! And some pictures too.

Hello all -

My race bib and finisher medal

Today (Sunday, November 6), I competed in my 2nd NYC Marathon.  Somewhere around 45,000 other runners did so as well on an absolutely gorgeous, sunny, cool day.  In fact, the conditions were so good that the male winner, Geoffrey Mutai, shattered the course record by 2 minutes.   Mutai accomplished a similar feat in the Boston Marathon last April.  The Kenyan must be considered a favorite for the London Olympic race next year - if he makes the team given how strong Kenya is in this sport.

I didn't run anywhere that fast, but that didn't stop me from running my second sub-3:40 marathon in 3 weeks.  The official result shows as 3:37:44.  On the course to support me were my parents, my son Justin, his girlfriend Rachel and friend Michael A.  So, I got to enjoy the experience with them.  I thought I would share some mostly "pre-race" photos.  After they publish the race photos, I'll be sure to put those online too.

Thanks to everyone who sent those wonderful messages and encouragement posts throughout the past few days.

A beautiful sunrise at JFK when I landed on Friday morning.

The NYC Marathon - 1 day to go

I was looking at the NYC Marathon app on my iPhone, and I saw it roll over from 1 day to go to 24:59:59 to go.  And I thought - wow, that's a weird bug.  25 hours to go.  But then I realized that indeed there are 25 hours since tonight we get that hour sleep back from the spring.  Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 AM.

And that's great, because Sunday at 6 AM, I will be aboard the Staten Island Ferry to shuttle across NY Harbor to the start of my 2nd NYC Marathon.  The race traverses across all five boroughs ending in Central Park in Manhattan.

Full course map:  http://www.nycmarathon.com/documents/INGNYCM11_Course_Map_ForWeb.pdf

When I was young, I remember seeing all those people starting the race on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Today you can watch it online at Universal Sports.  But, that's nothing compared to standing there - the helicopters circling above, the fireboats spouting plumes of water into the air.  And then Frank sings "New York, New York" and you are off.  The bridge shakes as the runners storm across the upper and lower decks.  Then you hit an amazing crowd of spectators in Brooklyn.  Tremendous!

From Shoes to Tunes

Hi all -

My friend, Ron Longo, and I return to the Podcast microphones to chat about the magical film music from John Williams.  Lito Velsaco joins us to talk Williams, Indiana Jones and scary movies in our Halloween special.

Please take a listen.

http://theindycast.com/john-williams-special-6-halloween-edition/

Also available via iTunes.  Search on IndyCast or The ForceCast.

CrossFIT and why you should try it

Just a quick post to end the weekend inspired by being the subject of a blog entry by my CrossFIT Malibu gym this past week.  Here's the link: http://runl.me/nW770l.

A bunch of CF regulars this past September

If you do not know what CrossFIT entails, then I urge you to research your area and try the entry level course.  In short, CF focuses on total fitness.  Core, strength, flexibility, stamina, burst power and sustainable energy.  Think of the most well rounded athlete you know, and you have the idea.

I'm fairly fit, but frankly mostly in one dimension - I do massive amounts of cardio work.  Ultimately, marathon running is intense aerobic activity.  You try to find a comfort zone.  When I'm comfortable doing a CF workout, something is wrong.

For over two years, I've been endeavoring to attend CF at least once per week.  This falls off during marathon races, but I try to get there twice per week during standard training.  We do everything from the obvious like pull ups and push ups to lifting, sprints, rowing, rope climbing, burpees, wall balls and more.  The workout typically covers about 30 minutes of technique or warm up or setting a PR for some activity.  Then a timed workout follows covering 3 to 4 different exercises.  The routines change daily.

Mike Anderson, who I have known for 3 years, opened CrossFit Malibu in September 2009.  It's a family/friendly affair with the focus on community and mutual support.  http://crossfitmalibu.blogspot.com/ for more info.  And if you don't live in this area, I am sure you will find a gym near where you reside.

Continent 7: The LA Marathon (South American Version)

(Click here to start at the beginning of this series)

Los Ángeles, Chile, October 16, 2011
The organizers, Olimpo.cl, do not actually call their mid-October running festival the LA Marathon.  But oh I wish they did.  Because how better to end my quest for 7 continents by running a LA Marathon having run the California version for my first marathon (and thus initial continent).

No, instead they label it based on the river that bisects the central growing region from the lake district.  The Rio Bío Bío lends its name to the Marathón del Bío Bío running festival.  Or as the director Rodrigo Salas stressed at the briefing and pasta dinner:  The INTERNATIONAL Marathón del Bío Bío for a handful of us were competitors from outside of Chile.  They even interviewed me twice for their video of the event and wanted to know why I had come all the way to LA Chile.

Continent 6: Antarctica: Return Doubtful?

(Click here to begin at the start of this 7 days to 7 continent series.)

King George Island, Antarctica, February 2011
What motivated me to start this blog?  Last month, 500 pages were viewed.  Certainly, the Google engineers do not sweat when I post a new entry.  Yet, capturing my thoughts and feelings, and hopefully entertaining and inspiring others, draws me onward.

I actually tried to start a training blog a few years ago, but I found neither the interest nor the time.  As I approached continent 6 - Antarctica - this past February, I knew I must start again.  My friends over at the www.indyintheclassroom.com invited me to write about the journey as well as be their inaugural adventure log contributor.  So, I already had a commitment to capture some amount of what I saw and experienced in words.  Armed additionally with my trusty Nikon, I ensured that I would go to Antarctica and try to bring back some part of that adventure.

Continent 5: Africa: But the others wait in Casablanca... and wait... and wait... and wait

(Click here to start at the beginning of this blog series on running 7 continents.)

Rick: I never make plans that far ahead. 
  - Humphrey Bogart as Rick in Casablanca

Casablanca, Morocco, October 2010
After an amazing 2010 summer of running, I felt I could tackle another marathon which would be my fourth in the year.  Besides the excellent August Adelaide race, I also set a PR in the 5k (19:21) and the half-marathon (1:29:43).  And to stay on schedule to finish the 7 continent goal in 2011, I really needed to complete continent 5 in 2010.  Leaving 3 to the next would be too risky.

So, I started to scan the calendar.  Since I was already working with two developers in England, Africa seemed the logical destination as I could work that into a trip to Europe.  Originally, I wanted to run in South Africa, but given a few recent events of people I knew getting mugged, that was off the table.  Then I stumbled on the Casablanca Marathon.  Only in its third year, the location and short flight from the UK (3 hours) made it the perfect weekend excursion from London.  I always had wanted to say I've been to Morocco, and while Casablanca wasn't reputed to be the best of the cities there, everything else seemed right.  Plus, Casablanca is Casablanca.

Don't believe what you hear in the movies.

Continent 4: The Australian Bight: Running Upwind Down Under

Click here to go to the start of this sereis:  7 days to 7

Adelaide Australia, August 2010
When I commenced the 7 continent quest, I set a goal of 2011 for finishing.  Maybe because I knew this would be a year of big events (Justin's graduation, Rebecca's 50th, a contract year at work).  But more, I just tried to guess a timeframe.  In fact, being at 3 continents in June 2009, I thought that 2010 might even see the completion of this nutty goal.  One thing that changed that plan was that the Antarctica trip had to move to 2011 due to logistics and revisions to the rules about tourism there.

But more importantly, I had to deal with my one major injury to date.  One aspect I love about running is that part of the skill is dealing with adverse conditions.  Often these are external:  Too hot; too cold; too windy; too flat; too hilly; too rainy; too sunny.  But how your body feels determines how you will run. Off days happen, and you just cannot push harder than your body will tolerate.  Perhaps shorter races can allow for that, but a long run cannot survive a balky body at top performance.

My main injury hit me in September 2008 but I didn't slow down enough, and it really got bad during the 2008 NYC Marathon.  And while I finished in sub 3:45, I was on pace for a 3:30 before I strained a muscle in my lower right leg.  I then took a month off and came back for Boston and Tromsø in April and June 2009.  But I knew I needed more time to heal, so I only ran shorter races until March 2010's LA Marathon.  Running that in less than 3:40 - my best time since Nagano - gave me the confidence to rev up the 7 continent plan.  I figured on doing 2 more in 2010 and 2 (including Antarctica) in 2011.

So, off I went to find a small Australia or New Zealand marathon (to count for "Oceana").  I picked Adelaide both for its time and that I could combine it with a planned business trip to Australia by extending for a few more days.

Continent 3: Europe all day long after a long flight or two

Click here to start at the beginning of the 7 days to 7 series

Tromsø, Norway, June 2009
I cannot really recall how I found the Midnight Sun Marathon.  I think I was searching on marathonguide.com which contains listings of marathons all around the world.  The site does not have them all, but they show a lot with reviews by runners.  I already knew I would be running Boston in April 2009, and I wanted to plan a summer vacation in Europe.  I found an email from October 21, 2008 confirming my entry into the race as of that date.

Regardless of how Tromsø, Norway entered into my consciousness, I knew this race would be amazing.  If you go to Google maps, you will see that Tromsø sits right on the arctic circle.  Oh wait, I'll just show you with a picture:

Yep, that picture was taken at 12:35 AM basically facing north.  That ship is going out for a pleasure cruise.  And I would say the photo makes the land feel darker than it really was.

Continent 2: Asian Surprises

(Read the start of this week's 7 Continent Quest Blog Series)

The second continent on the list, Asia, amazingly combines the Olympics (but not the season you think), your typical Japanese-Czech family and rice covered seaweed.  Throw in a towel for good measure and welcome to...

Nagano is pretty much in the middle of the main Japanese Island

Nagano, Japan, April 2008
After completing Los Angeles (read part 1 of this 7 blog series here), I planned and ran a second marathon in October 2007 (Marine Corps Marathon).  Shedding 25 minutes off my LA debut time of 4:01, I felt a lot more comfortable about qualifying for the Boston Marathon.  Prior to this year, I needed to run a 3:20 marathon based on my 40 year age.  (Now, I would need 3:15 and even that would not guarantee entry.  See this link for more about Boston's qualifying time changes.)  I do not think I really knew how audacious it would be to qualify for Boston so early in my marathon career.

And then I stumbled on a book.  The title was deceptively simple and at the same time expansively descriptive:  Running the Seven Continents by Clint Morrison.  Here's a link.  I think I saw the book advertised in the back of Runners World magazine.  My Amazon account reveals that I ordered my copy on December 30, 2007.

Continent 1: North America: The Dark Knight

(Read the start of this week's 7 Continent Quest Blog Series)

Los Angeles, March 2007
I don't know his name.  I barely even remember what he looked like, but certainly he was friendly.  Without him, this whole marathon thing I do might have evaporated on that hot March day.  I think he was black not that it matters.  Certainly, from what he did, he must have measured 5 or 6 inches more than my 5'8" height.  Whatever his name, whatever his profession or nationality (I think he was American), he came along at just the right time.  Let's call him The Dark Knight.

The day had started full of promise.  My first marathon, in my home town of Los Angeles, amongst 15,000 other runners.  My stepson Justin drove me to the start in Universal City.  I took pictures with Spider-man and Shrek (coincidental since I was working on games based on both characters), and my training felt solid.  My bib number was pinned to my running shirt, and my electronic timing chip affixed to my right shoe.  This was my big day.

After starting to run in February 2006 and loving my first 5k on July 4, 2006, I worked my way up to a half-marathon in November of the same year.  Encouraged by running friends (particularly friend, co-worker and fellow runner Kim), I decided I could attempt a marathon.  This had been on my bucket list although at the time I don't think I actually knew the term.  Initially, I had given some thought to running my first marathon in Fort Collins, Colorado in May 2007.  But not knowing how the altitude would effect me and having 4 months from the half-marathon to the LA Marathon, I decided to tackle the earlier but less logistically challenging race.

7 Days to 7

The map according to my marathons.  Click to enlarge.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
On my right, off some distance but still clearly visible, the statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) stands atop a granite promontory.  To my left stretches Ipanema Beach and a variety of small islands in this south facing bay.  The sky is overcast and the temperature moderate.  Later today I hope to go cycling around nearby Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, an inland salt lake.

Amazingly, for the second time this year, I find myself in South America.  Before I left California, someone asked me if this was a vacation or a running adventure.  I responded that I didn't know there was a difference.  And indeed, in one week's time, I plan to run the Maraton del Bio Bio in Chile.  Los Ángeles, Chile to be exact.

Should I complete the race as planned, I will have achieved my 2007 goal of running a marathon on all 7 continents by the end of 2011.

I call this year a "Nexus" year - meaning lots of changes, events and intersecting happenings.  The biggest and most important happened in May when Justin graduated Johns Hopkins University with Honors and election into the Phi Beta Kappa society.  Not two weeks later, Rebecca turned 50.  And she's had two back surgeries to address chronic pain problems.  I started teaching at USC, and I'm in the last 6 weeks of my contract at Activision with lots of educational projects coming together for my future work. Justin just started his medical school interviews and is working at Hopkins before entering a MD-PhD program in 2012.

After a few days here in what locals call Cidade Maravilhosa (Magnificent City), I fly to Santiago Chile and then head south to Los Ángeles to run on October 16 along the Rio Bio Bio.  26.2 miles (42.1 km) of marathon bliss.

Over the next 7 days, I plan to reminisce about the quest for 7.  In the end, the significance is more personal than anything.  While I will join under 2,000 people who have accomplished this goofy goal (the Antarctica part limits the number from growing by more than about 150 a year), I am most excited about setting out to do something fun, challenging and spectacularly rewarding.  Over this upcoming week, I hope to convey in writing the gratitude I feel from being able to get this far.

Continue onto Marathon 1: North America

Runners World Twitter Special Price!

Twitter Sale: Get 12 issues of Runner's World for $9.97! New and current subscribers in US. $14 for Canada. ow.ly/6mKia

Been a while since I've posted as I have been busy finishing Skylanders: Spyro's Adventures - my last game at Activision.

I have some outlines for some upcoming posts, so check back soon for some new running news.

Just 6 weeks until I attempt my 7th continent!

Happy Biathlon to Me, Happy Biathlon to Me...

A few weeks ago, I hit 44 on the birthday chart. I wanted to celebrate this year's milestone with a solid exercise goal. ("It is the years and the mileage!")

Many ultra marathoners commemorate their annual passage of time by running the equivalent in miles. Despite my many marathons and a couple of ultras, I had never gone further than 31.5 miles or run for longer than 5 hours. 44 miles should take me around 7 hours. Maybe a bit less. I did not envision bashing my body to see if I could find those further 13 miles without training anywhere near that amount. I knew I would be able to achieve the goal, but the quality of the run might likely end up at best subpar. (Subpar being the second S word that popped into my head. Got to keep this blog family friendly...)  At worst, it could end in me being a ball of sobbing goo.

Now I must admit that this whole idea is silly. But marathoning on all 7 continents certainly borders on ridiculous. In fact, many of you would suggest my short 7 mile jaunts qualify me for state supported mental care. Whatever! To rip off from a song, "It's my birthday, and I'll run I want to."

What about kilometers?  44 k's equates to around 27.5 miles. That might be a nice trick to keep one's age lower, but to me it seemed like a cheat. Good ol' Imperial units for me!  Those slacking Europeans can trot their age in k's.

Instead, I decided to combine cycling and running to create my own personal birthday biathlon. I cycle to cross train, and while I pretty much keep myself to the bike path, I have been able to extend my distance to 20 miles. And my current running distance training is in the 20 miles range as I build up for my fall marathons.  Pedaling 24 miles would set a distance and time best on the bike. 20 miles after riding 2 hours were enough of a challenge to satisfy me for the rest.

So Saturday, I busted out the bike and hit the path.  2:05 later, I had completed just over 24 miles. The weather was slightly overcast which helped keep me fairly comfortable. I paused to drink and eat some gels ever 30 minutes. As I started at 6:30 AM, the beach path had yet to fill with walkers which make for a more stressful and slower experience when present.

After the ride, I needed about 10 mins to store the bike in my car and change into running shorts. Other than my boxers, I switched everything including my socks. And without further adieu, I took off from the Marina to Culver City along the Ballona Creek trail. Because my whole 44 mile event started in the Marina for better access to the Beach Cities beach path, I hit areas of the westside that were new to me.

Amazingly, I ran a blistering 8:00 min per mile first hour. I attribute this to a combination of being warmed up from the cycling and really enjoying myself. The total run took 2:51, and I felt a bit of a wall around mile 16. Happily, I do not usually hit the wall, but I can often feel me slowing and tiring. Around mile 18, my speed picked up again and I even ran parts of the 20th mile faster than 8 mph.  Still, my body was very appreciative to be done.

All told - 5 hours, 6 minutes total exercise (my longest by 5 mins) and 44 miles in aggregate (my longest by over 12 miles).

Next year? 45 miles running and 45 miles cycling. (But likely on different days!)

------------------

Follow up question as to why I didn't swim too?  I thought about starting with a 1 mile swim. However, since that would have taken me about an hour, I just couldn't fathom basically trading 5 minutes of cycling for 60 minutes in the water. People have asked me why I have not done a tri of any length, and my only answer is that it doesn't really excite me.

Still, I know I could do one. But I would want to aim ultimately for an Iron Man.

Spring Fling Planned!

This past year, I ran three marathons during the spring over 6 weeks - Antarctica, LA and an ultra in Seattle.  I had so much fun that I decided to do that again.

So, on March 18, 2012, I'll be running the LA Marathon for the 4th time overall and 3rd time on the Stadium to the Sea course.  The course winds from Dodger Stadium, east to downtown and then west through Echo Park, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood, The VA Center, Brentwood and Santa Monica finishing above the Pacific Ocean.  I cannot recommend this course more highly; I would even say traveling to LA to run it makes sense.  I plan to run it every year, and I'm happy that I like my hometown race.

A discount code (HLAM2012) saves $20 off the normal price between now and until noon this Thursday, July 21.  Head to www.lamarathon.com for more details.  Once again, I'll be co-chairing the efforts of The Alliance of Children's Rights to raise money as an official local charity of the event.  Please consider running this or the 5K the day before if you are local here in LA or even planning a spring break trip to the Coast.  (I'm running both races of course.)

Then, 5 weeks later, you can find me slamming through grand ole London, England in the 2012 Virgin London Marathon.  So, April 22, I'll take off on a 26.2 mile adventure across a city I lived near for a year and happen to still enjoy visiting.  Thanks to meeting the head of the organization on a plane last year, I'll be supporting Rays of Sunshine which is like Make-a-Wish.  I have specific fund raising goals and my British friends should be putting my email on their spam list to avoid my pestering pleas for donations.  The 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be in London, and this event promises to be special.  In fact, the official 26.2 mile distance of all marathons was established at the 1908 Olympic Games.  Previously, the distance ranged from 24 to 28 miles.


And 2 weeks further on, I return to Fort Collins, Colorado to run in their racing event on May 6, 2012.  After 3 half-marathons in the past 5 years, I'm taking on the full marathon this time.  Registration is open for this too at the 5k, 10k half and full distances.  My cousins live in Fort Collins, and the amazing course winds out of Poudre Canyon before finishing in Old Town, Fort Collins.

I can't wait!

(Oh yeah, I am running at least two marathons this fall, so I better keep training.)

Light Traffic Equals a Nice Long Run

Well Carmaggedon appears to be over and done. You may read about the closure of the 405 in Los Angeles all over the net. For those not exposed to our freeway craziness, you would therefore not know that CalTrans has embarked on a multiyear plan to widen 10 miles of very busy interstate. The ultimate goals include a carpool lane and better on and off ramps. A bridge in the Sepulveda Pass needed to be demolished (well half of it), and for safety, the workers shut a huge stretch connecting West LA and the San Fernando Valley. As I stated, google the whole thing for more info.

With warnings of mass traffic snarls from the 500k drivers who would be diverted this weekend, superstars and politicians urged Angelenos to stay at home. And golly, most everyone did. But they said nothing about runners, so how could I pass up a chance to see the 405 completely empty? Here are my images from this morning's run. (And traffic was so light that I decided to run from the 405 to the beach along famed hilly and twisty Sunset Blvd. Overall, 20.7 miles today. Way fun!)

Looking North - Not a car in sight

Yep, empty to the South too

Looking north from the Sunset Blvd. overpass. One car is heading south (the ramps were open part of the way south) and some crew cars (stopped) on the north side).

A biker was taking pictures too, and he snapped this one of me, again looking north from Sunset Blvd.

Next week, I'll run back to the same spots and post some normal traffic photos.

Run 1. Sleep 0. I Win.

July 14th, I spent the day in the charming city of Quebec Canada. No, this had nothing to do with Bastille Day nor an attempt to practice my lingua Française [sic]. Bastille Day happens in France, not French Canada, and while I did try some phrases in French, most people responded to me in English.

Quebec at night - phone by Djof

Work required my visit to the only walled city in the Americas north of Mexico. Situated on the western bank of the St. Laurence River, Quebec features an old quarter high on a hill at the edge of the Plains of Abraham and guarding Cap-Diamant (Cape Diamond). The city holds the honor of the first permanent settlement in the non-Spanish Americas having been founded with the purpose of long term occupation as compared to the more short term goals of older towns like Jamestown. This strategic location effectively protected French and British Canada from attack. (The city traded hands a number of times.) Quebec saw a number of battles in the Seven Years War and later Colonial American troops tried to take the city from the British during the American War of Independence. The British won that battle, and Canada remained loyal to London. (Additionally, circumnavigator James Cook made a name for himself mapping the various rivers around the city.) The town survived all of these trials, and in 2008, it celebrated its 400th anniversary. Then as now, work brought me to the city during the celebrations which were quite impressive.

During that 2008 visit, our local development studio head, Dominique, and I ran a half-marathon from the eastern shore of the river (Levis), over the Quebec Bridge and then back down the Quebec riverside into the main part of the city. For Dee, it was his first race at this distance; for me it was the first when I ran with a friend. We both really enjoyed the experience. Dee competed again in 2009 and significantly improved his time.

I remembered how much I liked running along the river, so I packed my Asics for this trip and planned to hit the pavement to run part of the race's course.

But I nearly missed out on a glorious morning and fantastic jaunt. For those of you out there that might think about skipping a run, please know that this occurs more often with me than my reputation might suggest.

Arriving late Wednesday night, I accidentally messed up setting my alarm; I had left it on Taipei time - exactly 12 hours later than Eastern Daylight Time. Oops. At 8:30 AM, plans called for breakfast with my team before we visited our developer. So, to be safe, I really wanted to arise by 5:30 AM. (2:30 AM in California. Yikes.) Even without the alarm, I awoke at 5:50. Not bad for no auditory summons. Still plenty of time to run 13 miles.

But I felt dead tired.

"I can run in California on Friday," I told myself. "I really need my sleep," I intoned in my head. The runner in me countered, "But you laid out your running stuff and schlepped your shoes all the way across the continent. And your GPS watch; don't forget you brought that too and made sure to charge it overnight." So, I did what any sane person would do to shut up this pre-caffeine debate. I negotiated. With myself.

The deal? I got to go back to sleep, but if after 10 minutes snoozing eluded me, then out of bed I would bound. I set my alarm (correctly) for 7:30 so that I wouldn't miss breakfast and closed my eyes.

Ten minutes later, still conscious, I stumbled off the mattress.

Ten minutes after that, and my shoes seemingly laced themselves. (I'm not even sure how I got ready so quickly.)

Ten minutes more and I was bounding down Rue St. Joseph. I already knew I wanted to run along the river, and I recalled that a bike path adorned the road near the Cap-Diamant area. Spotting a bike route near my hotel, I figured that it would lead me in the right direction. I've been to Quebec six times, so I do vaguely know its geography. My hunch proved correct, and I picked up the path I sought along the St. Laurence.

The Quebec Flag

Given my normal weekly plan only involves running three days per week, I want each run of a decent length and quality. Thursday's goal held 13 miles for me - basically a half. I intended to run outbound 6.5 miles and then reverse my steps in returning to the hotel. Probably I could have planned more of a circuit, but that would have taken me away from the river. Yet at the same time, I also recalled that I might have to run some of the course on either a narrow sidewalk or actually abandon my route as I didn't think the bike pavement stretched the entire distance. The key to this workout clearly involved staying flexible.

My runs vary in how much I enjoy them. Mostly, I have fun, but some earn the title of "a slug." At other times, I know early on that the run is a winner. Today, within two miles, my ten minute insomnia deal proved the correct call.

As I came around the Cap, I spied a hot air balloon rising out of the old city. I slammed on the brakes and grabbed my iPhone to snap a picture. What a real treat! And consider the randomness of the event. What if my tired fingers had manipulated my iPod alarm clock correctly? I would have passed the spot I saw the balloon 30 minutes too early. Plus, if I had slept to 7:30, then the magical sight would only have been spotted by the dock workers who I noticed watching while I snapped the image.

Morning over Quebec

Just a scosh further, I passed a berthed Canadian Coast Guard ship. The name was Amundsen, the famous polar explorer who graced some of my Antarctica entries from February. Happy serendipity.

Click for a larger image to read the boat's name

The last bit of good fortune concerned the bike path. I found it now extended all the way along Boulevard Champlain - the major road next to the river and named for the city's founder Samuel de Champlain.

So, I had a smooth trail beneath my feet as I passed through a number of charming river side parks. The 55 (14 Celsius) degree weather mixed with the beautiful blue sky and river inspired me to a 1:50 time for 13.5 miles. (I was so enjoying myself that I turned around later than expected.) I clocked the 2nd half 10 seconds per minute faster than the first half. Not bad for a sleepy body which I learned needed to run more than to sleep.

Will Rogers 10K results

Happy 4th of July everyone!

For the 6th straight year, I participated in the Pacific Palisades local event: The Will Rogers 5k/10K. This was the 34th running of the event, and I selected the 10k. About 1000 people competed in the event, and I came in 90th overall and 9th in my age group. This is pretty much on track for me.

One interesting stat is what is called Age Grade. Basically, they look at the world record time for the distance and then factor in your age. I performed at 64% which is good. The highest I've been in any event is about 70% and usually I'm more around 60%.

Two aspects of the race that pleased me. The course features 600 feet of elevation climb. I attacked the hills employing a very fast turn over of my feet in short steps. That kept my pace around 7:30 - 8:00 on the step parts. Overall, I clocked in at 7:14.

Here's a link to my results. I ran a minute faster in 2007 and 3 minutes slower last year. (The other 3 times I ran in the Palisades, I ran the 5k.) This year, I also ran 5.8 miles prior to the race as I wanted to go 12 today in total.

And because it is a community event, I ran into a couple of friends after I finished which was nice.

All in all, this was a great start to a wonder July 4 here in 90272.

Running Nowhere

Running in Circles

Recently, I've written about destination runs both near and far. Today's entry comes around full circle literally.

My wife just had a successful medical procedure. However, the recovery timing stretches in the months range. During the first few weeks of healing, leaving her without help in the house is not what the doctor has ordered. Fortunately, we have some great people helping her and me during this period of being house-bound.

Yet what is a serial runner like me to do when it comes to my various long distance training runs? Of course, Rebecca's safety and support takes priority, and I would not run if that was what I had to do. Yet, I decided to find a solution that works for both of us.

Normally on a weekend, I will disappear from 2-4 hours on long jaunts. I do huge loops around Santa Monica, Brentwood, Venice and the Marina. Sometimes I go into the Santa Monica mountains onto the fire roads. Regardless of the destination, my goals are about miles covered, the fresh air and a complete change from my normal computer-based life style. All of these paths take me miles - sometimes up to 13 miles - away from home.

So, I've come up with a variety of routes right in my neighborhood. Fortunately, we live in an area that has a lot of smaller sections attached to one another as the homes weave around the bluffs of Pacific Palisades. I have a 5 mile route that basically is a figure-8 with our house at the center. This course never leads me more than 1.5 miles from my front door. As I have a nice belt clip case for my iPhone, I can be summoned and am always within 12 minutes of getting home - and on average less than 8 minutes. I can run to my hearts content and not shirk my responsibilities at home. I don't get anywhere but at least I'm still running.




Here are some tips and tricks I've developed:

5 miles can easily be repeated. The course is long enough to not get too boring. Sometimes I'll go out clockwise and then go counterclockwise on the next loop. Or I can go one way on the lower half of the figure-8 loop and the other on the upper half. What if I want to put in 12 miles? Well, that's 2 full rotations and then just one portion of the figure-8. Because I pass home 3 times, many combinations exist for variety. My course has about 150 feet of elevation change, so I can also do hill repeats mid-way through. The key is to find a nice few mile circuit and loop it back and forth around your front door.

If you live near a running track, that is another great way to get in good runs without venturing too far. (If you do use a high school track, be sure to check their hours for public use. Also, most tracks prefer you to run on the outer lanes to preserve the inner (faster) lane surfaces. Some tracks alternate directions of running on various days as well. Again, check local signs and websites or ask the usually present security staff.)

But what if you need to stay even closer - you don't feel that 12 minutes is an acceptable response time? Even a couple long blocks can form a nice circuit. You could be home in a walk in less than 5 minutes. I would try to map out at least a quarter mile circle; anything shorter will quickly wear thin. This highly repetitive course sometimes require one to listen to music, podcasts (I recommend the IndyCast since I contribute to that) or audiobooks to break up the boredom. Since you have your phone with you (so you can get called in an emergency), you can use that as a player and still hear the phone ring. And again, switching directions can spice the cycle a bit.

Back in April, I prepared for an Ultra by running 28 miles over about a four mile course in Santa Monica. That day I didn't need to be close to home, but it rained all day and I wanted to practice on grass and dirt. So, between the grass median on San Vincente and the dirt Palisades Park path, I found my solution. Without the rain, I probably would have gone in the Santa Monica mountains.

Take advantage of continually passing your home base. You can stash water and snacks for those long runs, and of course a toilet is easy to get to.

Lastly, work on your stride and form. The home circuit will get tiring as you know the scenery already. So, use the run for other parts of your training. Runnersworld.com has a lot of running exercises you can try. You could even add in push ups and sit ups every lap.

Oh yeah, don't worry about those odd stares from your neighbors. They already know you are crazy. Running in circles will just add another confirmation data point.

Origin Story

Five years ago this month, I decided to run my first race. That idea leapt into my head in Boston. Let me set the scene by relating my latest run.

On Friday, I took to the pavement of Cambridge and Boston on one of my favorite runs. Lining both sides of the Charles River basins, bike and running paths link the various bridges spanning the river boundary between the two cities. The paths wind past MIT, Harvard, Boston University and the famous Boston Half-Shell (where the Pops play on Independence Day each year). Depending on which portion you run, you might also pass by the Boston Science Museum, Harvard Stadium and even some awesome old common areas. Back in 2009, I ran about 22 miles (11 out and 11 back) which gives you an idea of how far you c

an venture.

Today's run measured a more bite sized 8.5. Departing from my hotel in Kendall Square, I headed west next to Memorial Drive. I passed the Mass Ave bridge, waved hello to my college dormitory, swept past the old Polaroid headquarters and continued on to Harvard. There, I turned left onto and over the Harvard St. Bridge, and then another left to head back east. This side borders Storrow Dr. I past through BU and then around the Half-Shell. I took the bridge back towards Kendall Square, the Red Line T trains rattling past as I crested the incline up and over the river. I rejoined the Memorial Drive bike path back to Mass Ave, turning right and finishing at 77 Mass Ave, MIT's front door. I then walked down the Infinite Corridor as my post-run cool down and a chance to enjoy being on campus.

Yet I made one stop during those 76 minutes. You see, the birth of my running races occurred almost exactly five years ago on the Boston side of this same track. That seemed like a worthwhile event to commemorate with a few photos. So many of my ways of thinking developed in my years at MIT that I find the notion refreshing that my racing career started here too.

Let me wind the clock back and tell you exactly what happened (well as best as my mind can remember). I started running in February 2006. My nutritionist told me I needed to get more (ahem "any") cardiovascular exercise. While

a change in diet had proved successful in shedding some pounds, only an addition of exercise would fully help me maintain good cholesterol levels and long term health. My genetics do not bode well with heart disease, so my defense requires multiple preventative treatments. A friend in HR suggested I try running, and despite my misgivings that my knees could not take it, I laced up and tried it. I barely could go half a mile. Yet, I persisted and built up over the next few months to a couple of miles each time out the door.

Up to this point, the notion of running for anything more than exercise did not occur to me. I knew things like marathons existed; I had even been an actor in film school in a farce shot in and around the 6th LA Marathon. While at MIT, I spent a night in Hoptinkton MA and saw the start of the Boston Marathon. As a kid, I marveled while watching ABC's Wide W

orld of Sports at the multitudes crossing the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to start the New York City Marathon. Yet, I did not connect those events and myself.

One reason I could even start running in February 2006 related to my stepson Justin who factors into this month's anniversary as well. Justin developed a passion for outdoor activities like rock climbing and hiking. His high school offered a chance to spend a semester at a program high in the Rocky Mountains in Leadville, CO. Elevation: 10,000 feet above sea level. With Justin out of town starting in late January, I no longer needed to take him to school before I went to work. And I knew when he got home that he would obtain his driver's license. So, my morning carpool days ended for good when Justin departed.

Now flash forward to June of that year. Justin, fresh from conquering the passes at 14,000 above Leadville, has met me in Boston. We commence a 5 day North East and Southern college tour. Wanting to run around the Charles, I announce I am going out to do so on our first morning. When not hiking around those peaks, the school in Colorado required the kids to run for physical fitness. So, Justin and I both started running at the same time - but he did so in thinner air and with a 16-year old

body. Justin asks if he can go with me on the , and of course I eagerly agree.

We run down Mass Ave and turn right at the bike path. Our goal that day consisted of just a lap to BU and back. Heading west, we cross over the BU bridge to Boston. Another left and Storrow Drive slides under our feet. At about the half-way mark, all of sudden something happens.

Justin asks - can we walk a bit? Of course, I agree to, and we drop to a fast stroll. I had no sense of besting Justin - happily we are not competitive

with each other in that way. In fact, I would say we both have a much stronger desire to collaborate and share. Yet all of a sudden, I start wondering about my running abilities. Had we even run 1.5 miles? How could a nearly 40 year old be in better shape than a mid-teen with more miles under his belt - and miles in very thin air up in the mountains? Could I actually be good at running?

That little piece of pavement in Boston changed my thinking about my running. I gained confidence immediately in my abilities. And I don't know why, but I wondered if I could run a 5k. I knew the Palisades Will Rogers race was that upcoming weekend on July 4. I did not know if they would take a registration that late (but I found out with a quick web search that they did). That short run and then walk changed my view of myself and inspired me to try something new. 14 marathons later, I am still appreciative of this new found passion.

And to be fair to Justin, we did resume running shortly after we stopped and made it all the way back to the hotel.

Would I have tried racing eventually? I am fairly sure I would have. But regardless of perhaps an eventuality, the origin of my racing story all began on a warm June morning along the backs of the Charles River. Five years ago this month.

Destination Running

Destination Running.

Destination Running? What exactly do I mean by that?

Well, I find two forms exist. Both have merit and often the local variant is a subset of the larger version.

Let me start with the larger version which a search of the internet will return

various articles and blog entry search results. Destination Running quite simply involves traveling some place to run. In my case, these trips tend to include actual races - primarily marathons. Like a destination wedding, an event defines the reason for traveling. This year I went to Antarctica on a cruise designed around the notion of running a marathon on the Southern Continent.

However, I have certainly taken advantage of traveling to run races. Last year, I had meetings in Chicago, IL on a Friday and in Albany, NY on a Monday with our CCO and Studio EVP. Not relishing 10 hours and three flights from the Windy City to LA to upstate New York, I instead made a loop through South Dakota and Minnesota to run a half marathon and a 10k. Total flying time was about 5 hours (still three flights), and I ran my personal best in the half marathon (1:29:45). That time allowed me to qualify automatically for this year's New York City Marathon. One destination apparently leads to another.

Destination Running in many ways throws challenges at the runner. He must contend with a foreign (sometimes literally) environment, a strange bed, different food and time zone adjustments. Running at peak form requires everything to be aligned, so other than for pampered elite competitors, we mass runners need to absorb these changes on our own and in stride (again sometimes literally).

Yet the rewards, at least for me, outweigh the downsides. Seeing a new place can be magical. In fact, with the right race or even fun run, you can find hidden nooks and crannies the locals cannot fathom exist. Because the speed of even the fastest runner allows for some pretty nice sightseeing, this form of exploring beats most others. Cars and bikes - way too fast. Walking - too little distance per hour. Running is a Goldilocks middle ground.

This brings me to the minor form of destination running. The beauty of the lowercase cousin involves no planes or intricate plans. A map may be involved and possibly a short car ride. Yet the benefits exceed the minimal planning because so little planning is needed.

What I am talking about is a local destination run. Have you ever run to your best friend's house? If not, lace up and do so. Your best friend will likely let you shower and give you a ride home (if you don't want to make the round trip on foot). Too close? Have your best friend drive you 10 miles away and run back to her house? Or maybe run to a park you played in as a kid? Or find some neat path an hour outside of your city and run that. Any town, large or small, will have interesting places to run and see.

One destination run I often do is called the "Home Run." The course starts at my current home and winds itself east through Santa Monica, Brentwood, West LA, Cheviot Hills and back through Ocean Park. On the course, I pass a house we rented briefly in 2004, the apartment where my parents lived when I was born in 1967, the first house we owned and my current office. It's 23.5 miles and a perfect tune up for a marathon. I even get 1000 feet of up and down elevation. Yum.

Whether your ambitions are short or long, for sure, don't be a slave to the running. Stop and take pictures or just enjoy the view. Smell the roses if they don't turn away after smelling you. Smile. Say hi to people. Look for paths that may be hard - hilly or narrow. Be safe though.

Some tips

Take a cell phone that has mapping and stash enough money to get a cab back if you get lost. On hot days, take a few bottles of water. With a minimal of planning, you can make your own destination running adventure to reinvigorate your runs, take your mind off those 22 milers or just find a new hidden gem around the corner.

5k Race Report

I believe any race that starts within 3/10ths of a mile of your house requires you to run it. How much more convenient can that be?

So, to stay true to my philosophy, today I ran the Dr. Susan Love Annual Love Walk/Run 5k. In it's 4th year of existence, the event circles the Huntington area of Pacific Palisades. Dr. Love added the run to the previous walk only event. Starting at 10 AM feels late to most people who run, but the event ends with a number of lunch trucks serving free food. If I thought eating a hot dog at 10:30 AM seems strange, I cannot imagine one at 8:30 AM. (Actually, I did not partake of the lunch trucks at all.)

So, how did I do? Well, if they keep the field small enough (as this was), I can win my age group (40-49), which I did. Even better, I finished third overall with a time of 20:30. Not my fastest 5k, but since I had no chance to catch the 1 and 2 guys who lazy ran in 17 minutes, I sort of coasted the back half.

Sadly, Dr. Love mispronounced my name at the ribbon ceremony, but for a race I didn't know about until 10 days ago and ran sort of on a last minute basis, not bad at all. And all for a good cause promoting Breast Cancer research locally in the Palisades and Santa Monica. (Dr. Love resides down the street from the race's start.)

And we're back

Well, after two weeks of no running (but lots of cycling, swimming and CrossFitting), I hit the road Tuesday and Today to resume my weekly routine.

Tuesday's run was a short 4 miles that I did as part of the Japan Day Run for Hope. This event is a combination run in NYC and a virtual run. The virtual run means that participants can bang out the required 4 miles anytime between May 1 and May 22. The NY Road Runners Association set up the event. This is the group that runs the NYC Marathon everyone November.

So, on a very rainy (what else is new - see the post on March 20 about the LA Marathon) Tuesday morning, I took part here in the Palisades. So far, about 700 people have completed their virtual runs. I think I'm the only one from the LA area although I did some two women from Mammoth Lakes. There is a guy from Limerick Ireland. And I saw one from Cold Spring Harbor which made me think of Billy Joel. Most everyone hails from New York or New Jersey.

The rain really didn't bother me, and I was happy to get back to running. Today was sunny and I did 7.1 miles. This weekend I will cover 11-12 or so.

How do I feel? Certainly, I feel fine. I kind of wonder if the two weeks off produced any change. At times, my pace was quick both days, and I found keeping in the 7:30 range to be easy when I wanted. That's good since my next real race is the Palisades 5K on July 4 with hopes of coming under 19 minutes. I have to believe the time off can only be a benefit. Let's see how I feel after the long run in a few days.

Two Weeks Off

On Sunday, May 1, I completed what I have entitled my spring 2011 season. 2 marathons, 1 ultra and 1 half spread evenly over 63 days - one event every 21 days on days 1, 21, 42 and 63.

The half run in Fort Collins on Sunday concluded the series in a sort of denouement closing statement. Instead of just building to the 50K ultra and then falling off like a stone, the series gracefully concluded with a shorter run than most of my "long" weekend runs. I'm glad I tacked this on not only because it took me to my cousins' in Colorado but also because I felt a better sense of closure. However, doing such a "short" distance left me sort of scratching my head why I didn't just runt he full. Probably next year I will.

As part of this spring season, I planned in two weeks of no running. So, after a short 3 mile run this past tuesday in Central Park (sort of a recovery run from the half) , the shoes get a break from the street pounding. More importantly, my feet and legs take that time off too.

Why? Well, prudence plays into the idea. I have just done the most intense running of my 5 year career. While I do not feel that bad - some nicks and tight spots - I do not want to find out if I am close to breaking down. The two weeks should give me sore muscles time to relax and recover. I will still be exercising (cycling, CrossFit and swimming), but I will not lace up until Tuesday, May 17. And when I do, my focus is going to be on the July 4 5K I have coming up. I will probably do another 5k and maybe a 10K before returning to the Marathon in the fall.

Another aspect of this time off is to also get me a bit starved to run. Honestly, I have no fatigue of running. I do not feel burned out or bored. However, I think I will enjoy anticipating coming back to it as well. Maybe this is my version of abstinence for lent? Wrong time of the year and wrong religion, but what do I know anyway? And anyway, I read a book on a guy who ran across the country at the age of 57, so it's not like I am taking time off thinking about running.

More about the book in a future post.

Fort Collins Colorado Half-Marathon Results

1:37:22 official time. (My 6th fastest half and fastest Fort Collins which is at 5000 feet elevation.)

From the official email:

Congratulations LAIRD MALAMED!

Here are your results for the 2011 Colorado Marathon:

Your final time is 01:37:22 at a 00:07:26 pace.

You finished 61 out of 1241 in the HALF MARATHON.

You finished 6 out of 67 in your class M40-44.

My cousin Jen took this awesome photo just before I crossed the finish line.

It's official. I am a (Marathon) Maniac

Should I feel worried that being part of an online club confirms what many of you already know?

Many of my friends and co-workers continually point out that my sanity cannot be confirmed due to the number of marathons I run. The past 2 months which found me doing three in six weeks certainly convinced people to evaluate admitting me to a medical clinic. And now, thanks to the power of the internet, my confirmation has arrived.

Marathon Maniacs is a site run out of Washington that is a club of sorts for people who run a lot of marathons - particularly in great volume. My 3 marathons in 42 days scraped me into the lowest level - Bronze. (2 Marathons within a 16 day time frame OR 3 Marathons within a 90 day time frame.) In fact, we have 10 levels with Gold being third (4 Marathons within 37 days OR 12 - 18 Marathons within 365 days OR 4 Marathons in 4 different US states, Countries or Canadian Provinces in 51 days) and Titanium being tenth (52 Marathons OR more within 365 days OR 30 Marathons in 30 US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces within 365 days OR 20 Countries within 365 days). The complete list of qualifications can be found here.

Besides the cool bragging rights, why would anyone start such a club or even join one. Well, for one, the site contains a list of upcoming races. Members can lodge their planned events as a way to connect with others; people who run a lot of marathons tend to travel and knowing people at a race is much more fun than being completely solo. Second, by creating criteria for various running accomplishments, a standard of marathon achievement can be followed. Besides running 3 marathons in 42 days, I also did that in three different locales (2 US states and Antarctica - three areas). Is that nuts? Yes, but not Maniac nuts. (If I had run a 4th marathon in a different state or country within 51 days, I would have made it to Gold level. Maybe next year.) Third, one thing that runners like to do is to talk about races they have run. I would say this is more than just bragging. Runners talk about the bad races as much as the good ones. So, I think the community aspect of having a forum to post in is another lure.

Of course, all good clubs have dues. Mine were $35 to join and I am on the hook for $10 per year. Show me a psychiatric ward that provides better rates!

Here's My Maniac page: http://www.marathonmaniacsdb.com/Maniacs/MyProfile.asp?maniac=3714

I aM haPPily InSanE!

Thoughts on the Boston Marathon

If you do not follow Olympic Sports, you may not have heard about the spectacular 115th Boston Marathon this past Monday.

Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest marathon of all time - a blistering 2:03:02. That beats the previous record of 2:03:59. You can see the second place finisher just seconds slower in the above picture. Technically, the run does not count as a world record because the Boston course is point-to-point with a net elevation decrease. Plus, the day featured a strong tail wind. However, I will tell you as someone who has had the honor to run Boston, the course is not easy. That downhill slope can sap your quads long before the Newton Hills play tricks with your hamstrings.

But I think the whole debate on the world record misses the point. This race and its heritage deserves to have memorable runs. The women's race equaled the excitement of the men's, and I know my two friends who ran (one sub 3 hour and the other at 3:15) enjoyed it as if they had actually won it.

I did not actually view the finish live. When I got to work, the race was about 10 minutes from completing. Universal Sports Online offered it but only for $4.99 - not for free. Being somewhat of a cheapskate for online videos, I declined to pay that for ten minutes of viewing. Instead, I "watched" the finish via Twitter. How did I do that? Well, I follow a number of runners and running sites on Twitter. Every few seconds, one of them would post an update on the race. Believe it or not, this was actually very exciting to experience. In some ways, this parallels how people "listened" to baseball and other big events prior to radio. Fans would gather at bars and barber shops that had telegraphs. They would receive updates and then post scores and stats on big chalk boards for everyone to see.

However, after "hearing" the race, I decided that I wanted to watch the whole thing from the start. So, in the end, I dropped the $4.99 to buy the replay broadcast. Funny, I still wouldn't have traded watching it live for my Twitter experience because it was more like having people I know tell me about the race than strangers on TV. And $4.99 for 3 hours of total content doesn't feel like a big rip off.

Antarctica Log Last Chapter Posted

Although the big news today was the super fast 3:04:40 at the London Marathon and the big news tomorrow is the Boston Marathon, this evening I'm promoting my big news. I've finally finished my adventure log for Indiana Jones in the Classroom. That was a great ride, and I hope to use the writing to put together a photo book of my adventures later this year.

In the meantime, enjoy: Chapter 18

Mt Si 50k ultramarathon in the books

I ran under my target today in a strong 4:39:21 for the 31.1 miles. The day started rainy but abated about halfway through the race. I negative split the course with 2:23 out and 2:16 back.

More thoughts and feelings to follow but I wanted to share the good news.

State 13 (10k or longer) completed. Updated list:

ST: Longest Race (year)

AZ: Pemberton Trail 50k (2010)

CA: LA Marathon (2007)

CO: Fort Collins Mini-Marathon 15M (2007)

ID: Zeitgeist Half-Marathon (2009)

MD: Nike+ 10k (2008)

MA: Boston Marathon (2009)

MN: Suburban Challenge 10k (2010)

NY: New York City Marathon (2008)

SD: Spearfish Canyon Half-Marathon (2010)

TX: Bold in the Cold 15k (2007)

VA: Marine Corps Marathon (2007)

WA: Mt. Si 50k Ultramarathon (2011)

WI: Kini River Trout Trot 19M (2007)