A Good A$$ Kicking
Once again I’m signed up for an ultra, the Ray Miller 50k. And once again my training hasn’t been what I’ve wanted it to be. I thought about dropping down to the 30k race but you know, sometimes one needs a good ass kicking.
Two Mountains and A Hill
I got a note from my doctor and he said “no long runs” before my next test. He later clarified in his online note and said to keep runs “under 5k.” This was a major bummer because I’ve been working a lot of weekends lately but this weekend I had a nice juicy three-day weekend and was already planning out a great long run for Saturday. So I decided to do the funnest short runs I could over the weekend. Kind of like a snack pack of running as I continue to train for the Ray Miller 50k in November.
Ventura Marathon’s Half Race Report 2015
I originally signed up for the Ventura Marathon to join my nephew on his first 26.2 run. But after my nephew got injured and my lackluster training post-Bulldog 50k/25k I decided to drop down to do the half marathon.
To get ready for the half I hit the roads again but my muscles and breath asked “where’s the steep stuff and the nice power walk breaks?” Unfortunately that question came up again during my race.
Bulldog Ultra 2015 Race Report
After my flameout at Leona Divide and my partial redemption at the XTERRA Malibu Creek 22k I got up the courage to try a long shot – the Bulldog 50k trail race in Agoura Hills.
Ventura Fathers Day 5k/10k Race Report 2015
I ran my first 10k race this past weekend at the Fathers Day 5k/10k race in Ventura, CA on Sunday, June 14, 2015. Last year I ran the 5k and had a great day with a 5k PR.
XTERRA Malibu Creek 22k Trail Race 2015 Report
After my crash and burn at the Leona Divide 50/50 race I thought I’d take some time to carefully pick the next race. It was between the Born To Run 50k (30 miler) and the XTERRA Malibu Creek 22k which I had run the year before. The BTR race looked like fun but I finally decided to focus on a course I’ve already run and to shoot for a PR on the XTERRA race.
Leona Divide 50k 2015 Race Report – DNF
I ran the Leona Divide 50k race yesterday with about 500 other trail running fanatics. Unfortunately my race ended around mile 21 when I chose to drop. It was a tough race and thoughts and emotions are still swirling but wanted to put things down in writing although I’m sure my thoughts and judgments will change over the next few days and weeks.
Bandit Ultra Trail Race 2015 – Volunteering and Photos O’ Plenty
Last year I signed up for the Bandit Ultra Trail Race 30k and the days leading up to the race I got sicker and sicker. The day before the race I thought I could pull it off even though I had massive body aches and felt like death warmed over. I picked up my bib …
Bandit Ultra Trail Race 2015 – Volunteering and Photos O’ Plenty Read More »
Sean O’Brien 50 50 100 Marathon Race Report 2015
I got a little crazy in December and decided to sign up for my first ultra race. After some training I figured it made more sense to do a trail marathon so with that I changed my registration for the Sean O’Brien 50K to the Marathon race on February 7, 2015.
If you’re not familiar with the Sean O’Brien races, this is the second year for the races, held at Malibu Creek State Park in Agoura Hills. Last year runners could sign up for the Marathon, 50K or the 50 miler. The 50 miler turned into a playground for elite runners seeking to qualify for a coveted Western States 100 spot. This year, a 100K race was added and it is part of the Montrail Ultra Cup Series. Top two men and women would get the golden ticket to Western States.
The Marathon race wasn’t a qualifier of any kind but it was a ticket to 5,000+ feet of elevation gain going up and down segments of the beautiful Backbone Trail. I chose to do the Sean O’Brien race because I had already competed in two races on part of the course in 2014 – the XTERRA Malibu Creek Challenge and the Bulldog 25K race.
Santa To The Sea Half Marathon and 2014 Recap
Over the past year I’ve run over 800 miles and raced three half marathons, three challenging trail races over 11 miles long and in several 5ks. I also dedicated a lot of training time to increasing my climbing and logged over 24,000 feet in elevation gain. I trained on several mountain ranges in Southern California and feel like I can knock out a half marathon run at any time, so I did.
It’s been a couple of weeks since running the Santa To The Sea Half Marathon in Oxnard on Dec. 18. I was excited to tackle the course and try to set a PR for the half. The flat as a pancake course would be the perfect opportunity to run fast.