50k (minus two miles) done!

Woo hoo! Yet another lonnnngggg run completed! It was so much fun (Thanks Mike P.)!

Saturday morning I met up with awesome ultra folks at Clark Kerr Track in Berkeley. We headed out for a 50k journey through several East Bay parks. The first 2 miles was a 1300 ft vertical climb. Overall, the run had an estimate 7,000 ft of elevation gain. (And what comes up, must come down!) Since I was totally new to these trails and the trail markings weren't always left in place, I stuck with the main group of runners. My motivation for forward motion...if I get left behind, will I ever make it out? The other runners were great, lots of conversation and waiting for everyone at each water stop. Since this was a "fun run" and not an event, we had to be fairly self-sufficient, except there was one great aid station on the course. Matt (a friend of Mike's) had a great aid station waiting for us. Potatoes, gatorade, coke, pretzels...and chocolate sandwiches!
Near the end, with about 5 miles to go I had to go to the bathroom...and I mean "go" that involves toilet paper. I really slowed down, partly from my legs being tired of running so many hills and because I desperately needed a restroom. When I got near the end and had the option of turning left and finishing in 5 minutes (and where a port-a-pottie was waiting for me) or turning right and going another several minutes to round up to 50k. The call of nature won and I took a left. 29 miles in 6 hours and 17 minutes. Not bad considering I just ran a 50k 13 days before.
As with all of these new runs, there are new lessons to be learned.

*Know the course. Study the maps and run through the course in my head so I have a good understanding of it.

*When you got to go, you got to go. I did pass one restroom and didn't stop because the rest of group was still running. I should have asked someone to wait (though if I knew the course, this wouldn't have been an issue).

I'm looking at the possiblity of running a 50 miler in early October. I'll see how my training continues and how my body reacts to the longer distances.

Happy trails,
Brad

Another 50k??

Well, yesterday I received an email from one of the guys in one of my many running groups. He was gathering people to run a 50k trail run up and around the Berkeley hills. Well, after some thinking and talking it over with Johan, I will be attempting yet another 50k tomorrow morning!! Wooo Hooo!!!

This will be different because it's not a "race". Just people getting together to run. That also means no aid stations. Only water fountains along the paths. Will be a new experience to be self-sufficient for that long of a run. Good thing I have my Camelbak!

And looky here! http://www.pausatf.org/data/2006/umstandm2006.html
I'm #2 in the Open Men 29 and under group!! Ok, so there is only 3 of us, blah, blah, blah, but I think this is the coolest thing! I wanted to do another Ultra that is part of this series, but right now the next one is on the same day as my concert (http://www.oebgmc.org). Don't think running 50k then singing all night long mixes well. (Maybe next year!)

And here is a link to Pacific Striders (one of the groups I belong to) Ultra page. I'm in the photo gallery! This picture is from the Skyline 50k trail run from 12 days ago. (And I was worried about running 2 marathons within 5 weeks of each other!)

http://pacificstriders.org/Coppermine/displayimage.php?album=3&pos=4

My html skills, as you can see, are absent this afternoon.

Skyline 50k

I did it!! That's right, I can know call myself an ULTRARUNNER! Woo Hoo!

I'll have more of a post about it later, but wanted to let everyone know that I did it!

50k (about 31.5 miles) in 5 hours 48 minutes and ## seconds.

http://home.comcast.net/~skyline50k/img/compprof.gif

Had a little bit of up and down!! 4750' elevation gain!

A big THANK YOU to Tom W. of some town that starts with Orange that's near Sacramento (Orangevale?) He got me through to the end!

Oh that's why...

"A study from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Maryland, found that exercisers felt tired, irritable, sad, and self-critical after two weeks of forced inactivity. Those with the highest fitness levels had the biggest drop in mood. Source: Psychosomatic Medicine" - August Runners World (Thank you Angie for finding this!!)

So, that's why I've been moody and not always fun to be around for the past month! This Saturday will be the return to my "normal" running schedule. (Except for the possibility of running the 50k on Sunday.)

Wednesday was a fun 5 miles in the hills around my place. It felt really good to get out there do something. Time to get exercising again!!

Saturday is an easy 5 mile (recover week) with the AIDS marathon people.

Happy running!

Now to raise $3,800!

That's right, I'm now putting on my hat as a AIDS Marathoner!! Marathon #2 to raise money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (#4 for this year!).

Give! Give! Give!

http://www.aidsmarathon.com/participant.asp?runner=SF-4019&EventCode=FL06

(Please cut and paste, my brain isn't working this morning to get this to turn into a link!!)

So far... $600 out of $3,800 raised.

Running this week:
Last Saturday I did a 10 mile run with the AIDS Marathon people (We are in week 8 of training.) Develop a nice blister on the inside of my pinky toe. Ouchy!!

Tonight will be a few miles around the lake. Not sure how many yet.

Saturday will be an easy 5 miles with the AIDS Marathon folks. Possible hiking in the afternoon with Johan.

Sunday.....hmmm....looking at a possible 50k trail run. Does one just decide at the last moment that hey, 50k sounds like a lot of fun...and on trails with lots of ups & downs!! We'll see. I'll have to pay an extra $15, but it may be worth it since I'm not even 80% sure if I'll do it or not.

Happy trails!