2008 AR50M

Sore throat. Runny nose. Drat this pesky cold.
A fool if you run they said. Want to die?
My big question - how will the race unfold?
Bit worried I was and that's not a lie.
The sore throat went away Friday evening.
The nose emptied out in the early miles.
Finally! Time to put in some racing!!
The future looks good! I'm all grins and smiles!
Wait! It's been a while since the last milepost
That shows my progress on the narrow trail!
Did I miss it? Have I been so engrossed?
There it is! My pace is that of a snail???
Is it not the jacket that enticed me?
Then have fun! From time goals set yourself free!!!!!!!

Date: April 05, 2008
Race: American River 50M
Location: Auburn, CA
Time: 11:22

So I gave myself the greatest gift. I liberated myself from the anxiety of finishing in or under a particular time. A wonderful gift indeed. It gave me time to appreciate my body and my mind and how they worked in unison to propel me forward.

Friday, April 4
I picked up Alan Geraldi from his place and we hit the road sometime around 12:30 p.m. We made it to the Fleet Feet store in Fair Oaks around 3 p.m. to pick up our bib numbers. We did a bit of shopping there since they were having a sale of mighty proportions.

After a stop in Target to pick up a few last minute things, we made our way to Norm and Helen Klein's home in Rancho Cordova. They are the most amazing individuals. They insisted that we stay for supper. Helen rustled up some amazing salad and pasta in a red sauce. We left their beautiful home just after 6 p.m. and checked into the Comfort Inn in Auburn (a few miles from the AR50 finish). After making our drop bags etc., we were asleep by 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 5
I got a good 4 hours of sleep and was up with the sound of the alarm. Alan hit the bathroom first while I shaved and brewed some coffee.

We left the hotel around 3:30 a.m. and were one of the first cars to park in the Finish area. The buses arrive just around 4 a.m. and we were soon on our way around 4:20 a.m. Alan and I were sitting in the back of the bus and most of the journey was spent huddling in order to avoid this very cold draft that was coming in from some opening that I could not see.

It's only after the bus stopped near the Start that we were able to move up to the front where it was toasty! The bus drive lady was kind enough to let us stay in the warm confines almost until the start of the race.


(Nice and warm in the bus, just before the start of the race)

The race started soon after. I spent the early miles socializing with a bunch of friends. I had set my watch timer to allow me to do a 10 min run followed by a 2 min walk. Since most of the first 31 miles were "flat" I could afford to do so.

The first 3rd of the race went by uneventfully. I reached 15 miles or so in a decent time. I had a plan of sorts for the race. The plan was to put some time in the "bank" before the course hit the single track after mile 31. It was in the last few miles leading up to the Hazel Bluff AS (mile 19) that I met up with and ran with a fellow ultraholic Martin Casado. He picked up pace just before that AS and went on to finish in a sub 9:45!


(Running up the slope to Hazel Bluff, mile 19)

I reached Beals Point (mile 27 or so) in 5:27. The 50K point (mile 31.5) came in 6:31. About 35 minutes slower than my 2007 race. Maybe I could pick up speed in the last 18 miles!

My blood sugar had dropped a lot around mile 24-25 and did not come back up until (a) I had started drinking Coke, and (b) ingested a few more gels. This happened around the Buzzard's Cove AS (mile 33). After that the race went by phenomenally well.

Just after that AS I fell in behind a runner named Diane and her pacer Marissa. It was around here that I met lovely Nancy Warren who was pacing Diane Vlach.

Our train went on for the next 7 miles together (until Rattlesnake Bar, mile 40.3). We parted ways after this until about a mile after that AS when Diane passed me with her next pacer in tow. I ran alone from that point on out except for a few mile before the next AS (mile 43.5), i.e. Manhattan Bar, with Roger Jensen.

Roger stopped in the Manhattan Bar AS to take something out of his waist pack and I continued on alone. I eventually reached the first of the final climbs. Amazingly the climb seemed even less steep this year than it had seemed last year and the year before. Before I knew it I was at the Last Gasp AS (mile 47.6). I only had 2.4 miles to go. I ran all the way to the Finish, hills and all, to end up doing the race in 11:22. The jacket was well earned!!!



I learned later that Alan had been on a blazing pace (50K in 4:15!) until he came down with stomach issues. He still finished in a superb 8:50. Chihping and Yuki too managed good race times.



I met Todd Anderson after the race. He is running WS later this year and is always an inspiration for me. So is Catra who finished 30 minutes or so before I did.

Greg and his superb team of volunteers put up a fantastic show as usual. Thank you all for volunteering and making it possible for us to run. The trail conditions were perfect as was the weather. Norm Klein had lost his voice earlier in the day so I had the honor and privilege of having my name announced by Dave Combs!

2008 Napa Valley Marathon

The Warrior
The body is like a child being led:
Doing all that it has been asked to do.
The truth is that we fight with our head,
Even more so when life starts to unglue.
The race is long, six miles after a score,
And it will take all you have to finish;
Much courage you will need, then a bit more,
For the demons of self-doubt you'll banish.
Trust in the training that got you this far,
And in that Rock that lives in all of us;
So believe in you as you go to war;
You are an Army of One: The Dauntless.
Look within you for courage and you'll find
It's limitless, much though it may be mined.

I wrote this poem a couple of years ago and it was so apropos this past weekend when the 6 people I coached through the winter either discovered the Rock within them or acquainted themselves again with their courageous Self.

Anu, Kshama, Bharti, Lily, Lila and Raj had braved rainy and chilly weekends while ramping up the miles en route to their tryst with the Napa Valley marathon. Race day had arrived and there was no place to hide. Not that they wanted to. Au contraire. A tad nervous, they champed at the bit all of race week.

Saturday, March 1
We left Saratoga around 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 1.


(Starting out from Anu's home)

On the way, the need to answer the call of nature saw us in the order line in Vik's Chaat cafe in Berkeley. After feasting on delicious Indian chai and falooda kulfi, we hit the road again and did not stop until we reached the Napa Marriott, around 3:30 p.m.

Rajeev Char, Shridhar and Madhu had reached much earlier, picked up their bib numbers and were ensconced in their hotel rooms by then.

The Expo was fun. I ran into Catra Corbett who was in the Atalanta running apparel booth. I also met Norm Klein and my ex-coach and friend Tom McGlynn (2nd place in last year's Napa marathon in a fantastic time of 2:21). I duly introduced Norm to Tom.

The original plan was to eat dinner in Pasta Prego at 6:30 p.m. I changed that reservation to 5:30 p.m. We all trooped into the pasta place and were soon imbibing (some of us) Pinot Noir and wolfing down delicious bruschettas and excellent pasta.


(Pasta dinner in Pasta Prego)

It was then back to the hotel where we checked into our rooms and then had a quick meeting before hitting the sack. Vinod Herur had come in just after I checked into my room and he and I watched TV until about 10:30 p.m. before falling asleep.

Sunday, March 2
The alarm went off at 3:50 p.m. I need almost 45-50 minutes on race morning before I am ready. Breakfast was a sesame bagel with peanut butter and jam accompanied by coffee.

I had settled on my fluorescent yellow Ohlone 50K shirt topped by a sleeveless cycling vest. I felt extremely cold until the race got underway but warmed up soon enough and the outfit proved to be just perfect.

We left the hotel at 5:15 a.m. and were in the Vintage School parking lot by 5:35 a.m. A walk of a few hundred yards brought us to the long line of runners waiting to board the shuttle. A few minutes later our own bus took off for the Start.

The ride was soporific. It felt good to doze for 30-40 minutes. The day was going to be long and every bit of rest before the race was welcome.

We all went and stood in a port-a-john line. I talked briefly with Brad Niess, a fellow ultrarunner. He is one of those cheerful runners you like instantly.

The race started soon after. I lost a glove right away while trying to take pictures of my team. I realized this almost a third of a mile into the race. I circled back to see if I could spot it but to no avail. I chucked the other glove into a pile of gloves and decided to suck it up in case my hands felt cold.

I soon caught up with the rest of the team just before the Mile 1 marker.


(The first mile)

11:20 for the first mile. A bit too fast. I had decided to run with Raj all through the race. I would run between him and the others for as long as I could and then settle down with him. He had been suffering from ITB pain brought about by tight quads and his race was the one I was most worried about.


(Anu and Bharti)

The early miles flew by in a flash. Lisa Weiss approached me around mile 2 or 3 and we talked for a few minutes. She looked good. I had last seen her in the Lean Horse 100M in August, 2007. We talked about the races we were planning to do this year. I left her to speed up in order to reach Anu and Bharti. I ran back to Raj soon after.

Bharti and Anu disappeared from view. Lily and Lila vanished soon after. Raj was going great guns by now. Consistently churning out the miles in 11:00-12:00 minutes/mile pace. I had planned for him to go through the halfway mark in around 2:40. I wanted him to start slow and then pick up later if he could.

The first third of the race went by easy enough. Every 45 minutes I made sure he took a Power Gel (the one with 200+ mg Sodium) and had him alternate Gatorade with water at the aid stations.

His left ITB soon started bothering him. He decided to send his breath and energy to the affected area. We reached Kartik and Naren just after mile 9. I handed them my vest and Raj handed them his jacket etc. We asked them to round up some Advil and hand it to us the next time they met us.

Soon after I stopped by the side of the road to help a large German/Swiss/Austrian runner with his ITB pain. Raj took that opportunity to stretch before continuing on. I had already helped a Japanese runner with his ITB issues a few miles before this. A couple of women, from the San Francisco Running Club, passed by and asked if we needed Advil. I quickly asked for one, thanked them profusely and caught up with Raj who happily gulped it down.

The halfway point was reached in 2:40! Perfect. Now time to buckle down and execute some more.

Hao, another ultra running friend, was along the course encouraging Raj and me. That felt so good!

Madhu and Bonnie caught up with us. We ran together for a mile or so until they both made a beeline for the portable toilets lining the road. Madhu had been kind enough to give Raj another Advil before that.

Raj was feeling great by now. We were doing some fast splits - sub 12:00. Around mile 18 we passed an Indian runner (Kumar) who was cramping severely. I gave him a few salt tablets and he recovered soon after to finish well (I met him after the race).

The final climb in this race comes between mile 19 and 20.3 It's flat after that all the way to the Finish.

We caught up and passed Kshama soon. She was not doing well. She almost threw up by the side of the road. She had determination writ all over her face though so I knew she would be OK.

Just before we met her I had painted a scenario for Raj. This is what it was - I told him that I could possibly get him to the Finish area in just under 5:23. He could then wait until the race clock showed 5:23 before stepping across the Finish line. Anu, his wife, had finished her first marathon (Victoria, Oct 2003) in 5:23.

That is why I was torn between staying with Kshama or going ahead with Raj when we caught up with her. I chose the latter. I reasoned that he needed me more in the last 5 miles than did Kshama. She was doing her 5th marathon.

With a mile and a half to go, we passed the indomitable Helen Klein. She went on to break her own WR, set in CIM in Dec 2007, by a whopping 13 minutes (she finished in 5:46). Raj, in the meanwhile, had befriended a runner named Fiona. They both crossed the Finish line together in 5:23. Mission accomplished.

So what happened that my team had to dig deep?

Kshama's blood sugar dropped abysmally just after the halfway point and never recovered enough. Nausea compounded her difficulties.

Bharti, in spite of taking a salt tablet every hour, cramped up quite badly in the last 8-10 miles. She walked, ran a bit, walked, ran a bit and eventually finished in a wonderful 5:09.

Lila and Lily both felt tired around mile 20 and had to dig really deep to continue.

Anu, the Queen of handling pain (she has a very high pain threshold), came down with a urinary infection (blood in her urine etc.) around mile 18. Her neuroma pain also returned. The double attack did not defeat her though. She fought and fought and finished a couple of minutes behind Lila and Lily in 5:15.

Raj battled his ITB pain and emerged victorious too.

Lisa finished just behind Raj and looked good all along the course! Way to go my friend.


(Lisa finishing strong)

Vinod Herur ran a simply electric 3:31:27 (he missed qualifying for Boston by 28 seconds), a PR by 4 minutes. Rajeev Char also knocked off 7 minutes from his previous best to finish in 3:49.

Madhu bettered her previous best of 6:02 by running strongly all through to finish in 5:46. Shridhar finished in 6:25.

Warriors all!!!

Big thanks to Kartik and Naren for helping us all so much during the race. They were simply awesome.

Woodside 50K

(Wendell starting us off. Photo courtesy of Scott Dunlap)

Date: February 02, 2008
Race: PCTR Woodside 50K
Location: Woodside, CA
Time: 6:16:06

It was only a few days before this race that I really studied the course map. That's when I realized that the course was truly a known one!

It was during the few months leading up to my third marathon (CIM, Dec 2000) that I had come to know the 2 wonderful parks in Woodside - Huddart and Wunderlich. A few friends of mine from Oracle had invited me for a few runs there, including something they called The Loop where they would ascend Wunderlich, run over to Huddart along the 6 mile long Skyline Ridge Trail and then descend Huddart to come back to the Woodside Elementary School.

It was during one of these runs that I had gotten lost (I was carrying a small cheatsheet and the last few directions had me confused). I wound up running 22-23 miles instead of the 17-18 that the friends ran.

Knowing what the course looked like was a big comfort. I think it was then that the seeds of the idea that I would attempt to run the entire course were planted.

The day dawned cold and wet. A few showers accompanied me up King Mountain Road to the entrance to Huddart park and then down to the Werder Shelter parking lot.

The first lot was full by the time I rolled down into it and I went past it to the next one. Along the way I talked to Julian, a wonderful runner I had first met in the 2006 Miwok 100K. I got into my tights, my shoes and jammed 3 gels and one small bag of Perpetuem+Heed into my thin rain jacket pocket. I was wearing a thickish long-sleeved running top and thin black gloves.

I had decided to carry 2 hand bottles. The stretch from AS#2 back to AS#2 was a long 10 miles and I did not want to be caught unprepared. I met the usual wonderful people - Scott Dunlap, looking even thinner than usual (if that's possible), Christine Miller, Chuck Wilson, Harry Walther, Carol Cuminale and a few others.

Wendell started us off at 8:30 a.m. The first miles were a blessed downhill and I loved the feeling of my body getting warmed up. Julian and I talked about the races we had planned for the rest of the year.

Pretty soon Julian and his friend, Tiffany who was doing her first ultra, disappeared from sight. I settled into a conmfortable pace. I caught up with Chuck Wilson a couple of miles into the race and we ran for a bit together. I soon passed him and continued the climb up Huddart Park. My memories of this park had made it seem steeper than it actually felt. My breathing was fine and I was regularly sipping from my hand bottles.

The climb up Huddart went by in a flash and I was soon upon the slight descent down into AS#1 (9.7K or 6 miles). I reached it in 75 minutes (12:30 min/mile pace). I emptied my left shoe of gravel, had a few boiled potatoes and took off for the 6 mile jaunt across the Skyline Ridge trail to AS#2.

This trail was narrow with a few trees blocking the path, forcing the runners to stop and ford them gingerly. The first mile marked I saw was the 2 mile one. 23 minutes to cover those 2 miles or11:30 min/mile pace. Not bad I thought. The next one I saw was the 5 mile one. No idea how I missed 3 & 4! In the interim the first 2 35K runners had gone by me like the proverbial hares.

AS#2 soon came into sight. I had the hardy volunteers, braving the cold and the rain, top up my bottles with water and off I went with a few boiled potatoes in my hand.

The 2 50K leaders went by me in the opposite direction. Not far behind them was Scott Dunlap, looking smooth and relaxed. He finished 3rd bettering his Woodside 50K PR by 10 minutes!

Bev Anderson-Abbs was just behind him looking great too. Harry Walther too looked good as did Keith Blom behind him.

It was on this descent that a runner named Bettie White caught up with me. She and I talked briefly before she took off ahead of me. She is running WS later this year.

I soon came upon Julian and Tiffany. We ran together for a bit before Julian took off after Tiffany who was setting a pretty torrid pace. I had by now caught up with Bettie since the climb back up to the top had started. We played tag all race long. I would pass her on climbs. She would catch up on the descents!

I was approaching AS#2/3 when I saw what looked like an Indian, in a bright yellow vest and a helmet, waving to me. It was only when I was 20 feet or so from the AS that I realized it was Vinod Herur, out on a bike ride. The wonderful friend that he is, he had waited for me for the better part of an hour. I was so happy to see him! he really made my day!! Thank you, Vinod.

It was here that I realized that my dream of running the entire race, something I had not really doubted would happen, was about to come true. All I had were the 6 miles over to Huddart and the last 5 miles down to the Finish.

Bettie caught up with me again 4 miles or so after AS#3. My breathing had come apart just after AS#3 and my breath was rasping in my throat. I decided to suck it up and pick up my pace. I ket Bettie company until just before AS#4. I passed her a half mile or so before we reached it.

I did not stop at that AS. I had enough fluids in my bottle and I was eager to get to the final descent. I flew down the next couple of miles.

There was a small climb before we finally made a right onto the Richards Fire road. This last part, on asphalt, was a bit of a shock to the legs after almot 48K of soft trails.

Bettie caught up with me here again and she and I finished together in 6:16:06.

I had run an entire 50K. Every step of it!!! I was so proud of myself.

Wendell and Sarah's races are always fun. They are amazing people and their volunteers are no less. Thank you all for braving the cold and the rain and making it possible for me to run the Woodside 50K.

Tagged! You're it!!

I was tagged by Alan Geraldi a few days ago. The mission was to answer 6 questions.

Here are the questions:

1. Most memorable moment on the trails in 2007.
2. Best new trail discovered in 2007.
3. My best performance of 2007.
4. I don't know how I previously survived without...
5. The person I would most like to meet on the trails in 2008.
6. The race I am most excited about for 2008.

1. Most memorable moment on the trails in 2007
The most memorable moment in 2007 occurred in the water. 50 yards into my 1.86M swim (during the inaugural Tri One-O-One) I experienced acute panic. The immediate reaction was to quit the race. I had to stop swimming and fight that urge with all my might. I finally triumphed and continued to the end of the swim and then the end of my first ultra-distance triathlon.


(The Tri One-O-One swim course)

2. Best new trail discovered in 2007
I "discovered" the George Mickelson trail and fell in love with it. This trail forms the middle 68 miles of the Lean Horse 100M and is a result of the nationwide Rails-to-Trails project where old train tracks are being converted to trails.



3. My best performance of 2007
Unquestionable this has to be my 25:39 for the Lean Horse 100M in August. Specifically it was the 19:15 time for the first 80 miles.

4. I don't know how I previously survived without...
Hammer's Heed and Perpetuem. I use a mixture of the 2 and it has worked wonders for me during my last few ultra races.

5. The person I would most like to meet on the trails in 2008
I have met or seen a lot of leading lights of the ultra world but I would dearly love to meet Krissy Moehl, the 1st female and 3rd. place overall in the 2007 Hardrock race, in one of my 2008 races. She is an amazing runner.

6. The race I am most excited about for 2008
It has to be the Lean Horse 100M. My best chance to go under 24 hours. I love the course. It is scenic and one where I can pace myself beautifully.

2007 Silicon Valley Marathon

Date: November 04, 2007
Race: Silicon Valley Marathon
Location: San Jose, CA
Time: 3:52:13



Gosh! What a difference a year and 15 lbs. less makes!! This "fast" marathon felt a lot easier than some in recent memory.

Saturday, Nov 3
I had decided to skip the Helen Klein 50M run this year. It was my first 50M 2 years ago and I went back last year because it still remains a wonderful race to run. All of Norm Klein's races are great experiences. This year I wanted to attend my friend Mohan's first Hindustani vocal concert. It was in his sister, Anu's, home and there was no way I was going to miss it. Anu and I went to the Silicon Valley expo earlier in the day and picked up our bib numbers.

I was the only one running the full marathon. Anu's son, Nishad, was running his first official half marathon. His dad and Anu were to be his companions on the journey.

Lily and Lila planned to run together once again in another half marathon 3 weeks after the San Jose Rock'N'Roll Half.

My plan for this race was simple: use 3 hand bottles filed with Salt Stick and Coke. I would start with one bottle and exchange it for the next one in the 10-mile Team Asha race aid station. Sunil Shah had graciously offered to hand me the bottles on my way through.

Sunday, November 4
I showed up at the Start line at 5:30 a.m. Since 2004, I had been helping Doug Epstein and his Evolve Sports start off the walkers at 6:00 a.m. I showed up with turn instructions for the first 6 miles and the runners and walkers snapped them up in a hurry. I was very surprised at the number of early starters. I would not be wrong in guessing that there were more than 50 of them. I say this because I had to note their bib numbers on behalf of the organizers.

Anu, Nishad and Raj soon showed up along with Lily and Lila. Before I knew it, the gun went off and the race was on its way.

What a beautiful day it promised to be. The 7 a.m. start was actually 8 a.m. (DST in play here) and it had warmed up a bit since the 6 a.m. walkers/runners had taken off.

I found myself running soon with Anand. His Garmin showed us to be running at 8:05 min/mile pace. A bit too fast for my liking. I slowed down and asked him to carry on. I had bombed out around mile 8 last year on my way to a labored 4:19 finish and I was wondering if this year would be an encore performance.



The nice thing was that there was no discomfort in my left arch. My breathing too had settled into a nice rhythm and I could feel my muscles loosening up. The 2 mile marker went by in 16:47. Just the pace I had intended to settle into. The next mile marker my eyes spotted was the one at mile 7. It went by 58:44 into the race. Still on pace. In the interim miles, I had caught up with Anand who had wisely slowed down. I came upon him around mile 4. We ran the rest of the race together.

The Coke+salt mixture was working beautifully. I took a total of 3 gels in this race - at mile 6, mile 11 and the last one at mile 16. Sunil Shah dutifully handed me a new bottle of Coke and I sped through the mile 10 Aid Station after high fiving some of the familiar Asha runners. I was still on pace and, unlike last year, I had not blown up yet. A sign of good things to come?



My pre-race goal had been to try and go under 4 hours. My body was feeling great and if I could keep up the pace for as long as possible maybe an under-4 race was not improbable. The halfway point went by in 1:51. Perfect timing once again. I had reckoned on something between 1:50 and 1:55 before the race.

Anand kept pace beautifully and it was fun running together. We talked when we could and kept encouraging each other.

The mile 16 Asha aid station (mile 10 and mile 16 were the same aid station) in Vasona Park came up very fast and I took the last bottle of Coke from Shekhar Hemnani. I decided to run with both bottles in hand. I intended to save some Coke in one of the bottles for Anand for the last few miles.

The 20 mile marker went by in 2:53. We had 67 more minutes to cover 6.2 mile in if we were to go under 4 hours. Anand and I decided to hold our pace for as long as possible. The next few miles were spent in running with focus and sheer intent. We soon found ourselves past the 21 mile marker, into the neighborhood, running towards the finish in downtown San Jose. Anand and I walked 20-30 seconds in each of the last few aid stations to let our legs get a small breather.

The last mile went by in a flash. We took the final left turn from Vine St. onto Woz way and all we had was a right turn into Discovery Park. Anand and I sprinted onto and past the finish mat.

We had run the last 6.2 miles in just under 60 minutes. Not bad at all.

Nishad, a chip off the old block, finished his first Half in a superb 2:37. Way to go my young warrior!!

Lila finished in 2:26, shaving off 6 minutes from her previous best Half time from the Rock'N'Roll Half.

I felt immense satisfaction. The past 2 years of ultra running have given me unlimited confidence in my ability to go out and achieve a goal. I knew deep down inside me that a sub-4 was not unreasonable and that my year of cycling (for my first long distance triathlon back in June 2007) and fast ultra runs had given me enough leg speed to be able to run a road marathon reasonably fast.

One of my immediate goals is to try and qualify for Boston next year. My qualifying time is 3:30 and I know that I can do it with a few months of dedicated speed work.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Run safe wherever you are.

2007 Rio Del Lago 100M

'Twas naught but a journey into the mind:
Sights ugly and vistas magnificent.
Resolute steps leaving long miles behind:
A gift from a heart so very gallant.
Came first the pain in the early going,
Then a drooping of the happy spirits;
Will this race end because of this aching?
Thus roamed the mind in negative circuits.
And then the Rock within whispered "I WILL",
And then the faltering steps gained new life,
And then the race was now just a molehill,
And then came fun and games, gone was the strife.
This mind is a wondrous thing I confess:
It is most refulgent under duress!

Date: Sep 23-24, 2007
Race: Rio Del Lago 100M
Location: Granite Bay, CA
Time: 29:24




I went into this race with an injury I had suffered in the Lean Horse 100M. Two weeks after that race and the pain in my arch, under the navicular bone, had still not gone away. It did not hurt when walking, just when running. It had healed to the extent that the pain was not as sharp when running and, with every passing day, happened later on in a run.

Nevertheless, the pain had not gone completely. After a lot of research, I had come to the conclusion that it was not Plantar Fasciitis but a case of Posterior Tibialis tendonitis. This tendon originates behind the 2 calf muscles and attaches, after passing around the bony projection of the ankle, to the cuneiform, the navicular and a few other bones in the big arch of the foot. Tightness in this tendon was causing pain in the area where it attaches to the navicular.

I went to SMI (http://www. smiweb.org) the Tuesday before the race and Gary worked me over so bad that I was screaming in pain! I stood in their cryogenic tank (water at 53 degres F) after the massage. The masochist that I am, I went back for another session on Thursday.

Friday, Sep 22
Anu had offered not only to drive me to the race but to crew during the day on Saturday in the Auburn Overlook AS (miles 22 & 45) and pace me the last 10 miles (assuming I got to mile 90).
We picked up Nattu Natraj from his hotel in Emeryville and reached Cavitt Middle School, race HQ, around 4:45 p.m.

Norm had just started his briefing. I had myself weighed after the briefing as did Nattu. A whole bunch of us, part of a Yahoo group called the Ultraholics, were running the next day. Michael Kanning, a 15-year old Ultraholic, was running his first 100-miler! Alan Geraldi, Chihping Fu, Anil Rao, Nattu Natraj, Rashmi, Michael and his Dad and Anu and I went for dinner to Pasta Pomodoro and then retired to our respective rooms to try and get enough sleep for the long day and night ahead.

Saturday, Sep 23


(With Anil, Chihping, Nattu and Alan in the hotel parking lot at 5:30 a.m.)

Anu and Rashmi dropped us off to the start at 5:40 a.m. It was still dark but not very cold and we entered the school gym to hear Norm repeat his instructions from the evening before. I met Jennifer Griste here as well as a bunch of other friends. Scott Dunlap looked ready to roll in spite of his injury from the Tahoe 100. Pete Lubbers looked in great shape too. They were both running the Sierra Nevada 53.2 mile endurance run. This race turns around at the No Hands Bridge AS and returns to the school.

The race started in darkness. I trusted my normally poor eyesight to guide me up the incline leading to the levee and it did not fail me. The first 67 miles of the course mostly follow the last 18 miles of the AR50 race and then head towards Cool where the 100 milers run 7 miles on the Olmstead loop. This loop was the course for Nancy Warren's 12-Hours at Cool race earlier in the year (August).

My left arch was feeling good but I stuck to a slow pace. Anil disappeared from view, running with a friend named Todd. I enjoyed myself almost in the back of the pack taking pictures of the course (once the sun came up).


(Smiling John Rhodes, Terry Rhodes and Carol Cuminale)



The Twin Rocks AS came and went as did Horseshoe Bar. I caught up with Anil (he actually slowed down for me!) just after Horseshoe Bar. We made quick work of the 1.9 miles to Rattlesnake before heading out on the long 9 miles to Maidu. This stretch had just one AS (water bottles in the Power Plant, 2 miles from Rattlesnake) and the first of the 2 major climbs in this race - Cardiac Hill as Norm likes to call it.

I twisted my left ankle stepping on a hidden rock and suddenly there was the familiar pain that had haunted me since Lean Horse! All along until then I had been entertaining visions of a pain free race and those visions fled my mind as fast as rats deserting a sinking ship. My normally high spirits wilted. Here was the mother of tests in this race. What should I do? Quit? Walk? Could I walk 70+ miles and still manage not to exacerbate the injury?

The first thing that I felt after those depressing thoughts was the fact that I was going to slow down Anil. I first informed him about my pain and then repeatedly asked him to leave me and continue to run his race at his faster pace.

The amazing friend that he is, he refused. He refused to listen to my logic and insisted that we would do the race together even if it meant that he had to walk with me. I was so moved by his support that I stopped pressing him to run his own race.

The next few miles were spent (a) digging deep, (b) slightly changing my foot strike to minimize the pain and (c) sending positive energy to my ankle.

Approaching the Auburn AS we met Pete Lubbers going back to the school. He was in second place and looking strong.

Anu, in the Auburn Dam AS, learned of my pain and promptly promised to send me all her positive energy from there on out as did Sam (she had called just after the pain started to inquire about my race). Looking back I am sure that it was their love and caring, coupled with Anil's support and kindness, that helped the pain disappear. It did so a few miles out of the Auburn Dam AS going towards Cool.

We met Scott on our way to No Hands. After seeing Pete Lubbers outside the Auburn Dam AS, Anil and I had wondered about how Scott was doing. We soon found out. He was in first place coming into No Hands and had been directed to continue up K-2 and onto Cool by a volunteer. Instead of turning around poor Scott climbed the steep slope and went all the way to Cool before being turned back. Better luck next time Scott.

We did not linger long in the No Hands Bridge AS. We soon found ourselves climbing the dreaded K-2. This is one of the steepest climbs I have ever done in any race I have run in. It is 1.25 miles long and has 6-7 false flats. The flats do, though, give you some respite before the next steep section. Anil and I went up K-2 in the company of Carol Cuminale.

We met Alan about a mile before the Cool AS. He told us about his stomach problems in the first 15 miles of the race! We wished him good luck.

Rashmi, Arul and Abhijit had gotten us pizza from Mountain Mike's that we ate with relish and gusto when we came into the Cool AS at mile 29.

The Olmstead loop was so different this year. It had been hot and dusty last year. Much cooler weather made it a beautiful loop to traverse. It was very runnable and I did a lot of running in that section (mile 29-36). I spent the next 100 minutes with visions of more of the same tasty pizza at mile 36. Sure enough that pizza went down wonderfully well too!

We were back in the Auburn AS (mile 45) around 5:15 p.m. (45 minutes faster than I had reached there last year) and Anu, Sunil Shah and Shekhar Hemnani were their usual loving and helpful selves. We left from there after donning jackets and pciking up flashlight and gloves for the night part of the run.

We would have missed the descent down Cardiac had it not been for Christina Bronson and Diane Vlach who shouted out Anil's name when we overshot the turn. Thank you ladies.

The descent was uneventful. It was in the section towards the Power Plant that we passed Carol Cuminale and her pacer, Karen Hanke. We hugged each other and then continued past them. Anil used the port-a-john in the Power Plant AS and I refilled my water bottle. I had decided to stop drinking the Perpetuem+Heed mixture that I had been drinking all day and start on gels+water.

We could hear the Rattlesnake Bar AS approaching from 400 yards away. Cowbells? It was none other than the 2006-2007 Asha runners who had come out, all 9-10 of them, to crew in Rattlesnake and Cavitt. They too had brought pizza with them and those 3 slices I ate were some of the sweetest tasting slices ever. Thank you CK, Mouli, Chakri, Arpana, Anurag, Gayathri, Vivek, Veena, Divya and Raman. I apologize if I missed someone. You are in my heart and I am eternally grateful for your support and kindness.

We left the AS to find ourselves in Horsehoe Bar not soon afterwards. The next 6 miles had been very tough for me last year. They were no different this time around. It took a lot out of both Anil and me. Vinod, our friend and pacer from TRT, had joined us in the Rattlesnake Bar AS and he too found the going tough.

We finally made it out of there and into Twin Rocks. We did not linger long in Twin Rocks. The road back to the school was all rolling hills. About 0.25 miles from the turnoff leading down to the school, we met Gary Friedle and Rajeev Char heading in the direction we had come from! They were supposed to go south (in the opposite direction) but had missed seeing the signs pointing them that way. We had them on their right way promptly. Apparently Gary had been lost FOR 4 HOURS after the Rattlesnake Bar AS and had come into the school only 30 minutes before us!

The Asha party continued in the Cavitt School AS (mile 67). There were pizza slices galore. I changed into warmer clothing and tights and picked up my first pacer for the rest of the run. Chandramouli who ran his first marathon with Team Asha in 2006. Like Vinod, Chakri and Anu after him, he was an amazing pacer. Ever helpful and concerned about our needs.


(The ever smiling Chandramouli escorting me into the Cavitt Middle School AS, mile 67)

We left the school at 12:15 a.m. 33 miles to go. How long could they take? 10-11 hours tops. They were way flatter than the first 67. They took us another 12 hours and 9 minutes!

Sunday, Sep 24
The section from the school to the Folsom Dam AS and then to Negro Bar was fun. Mouli had run 20 miles earlier (he is running the Marine Corps marathon a month from now) and was now going to cover 10 mile scant 12 hours later. That prompted Anil to urge him to give a 50K race a shot!

We ran some and walked more. The Hazel Bluff AS (mile 77) came surprisingly later than we had counted on. We left it at 3:45 a.m. The Asha crew was there too with the ubiquitous pizza! Mouli handed the pacing duties to Chakri, a 2005 Asha runner. Chakri looked out for all of us. He would make sure that we were together and would slow down for me and wait for me to catch up. We met Alan about a mile after the AS. He had missed checking into Hazel Bluff on his way out to the turnaround. Besides that, his stomach had gone south again and he could not keep anything down. We learned later that he walked the rest of the way to the Finish. Tough, tough man.

The turnaround at Mountain Lion Knoll took an interminably long time to arrive. Along the way there we met Gary and Rajeev Char going back to Hazel Bluff as well as Michael Kanning (he finished a minute behind Alan) and Chihping who looked the worst of the lot. I have never seen him in such a bad state in some of the other races we have run. He was very tired, very sleepy and very hurt. Apparently the new day brought him renewed energy and determination and he finished a few minutes ahead of us.

We crawled our way back to Willow Creek (mile 86) and then in sight of Hazel Bluff. This is where I decided that I had had enough of walking. I ran all the way up the bridge, down the other side and then up the trail that leads into Hazel Bluff. Anil Vaidya, the giving soul that he is, had finished his crewing duties in Cavitt and had come to Hazel Bluff to drop Anu and take pictures of us.


(Running up the incline leading to Hazel Bluff, mile 89)

Anu and the 3 of us (Vinod, Anil and I) left the AS after Anil and I had handed over our night running stuff to Anil Vidya to take back to the Finish. After walking a half mile, we started running. I ran really fast (7:00-7:30 min/mile) the next 1.2 miles just so I could reach the port-a-john and use it as soon as possible. That's how bad my condition was!

The last 8 miles were spent walking slowly from one AS to the next. Our only running was done during the last 0.4 miles leading down to the Finish.

Norm's races are wonderful parties. The volunteers are superb and he and Helen make everyone feel special. Thank you all for this wonderful race.

Congratulations to Carol Cuminale, Alan Geraldi, Michael Kanning, Anil Rao, Chihping Fu, Gary Friedle, Nattu Natraj, Jennifer Griste, Nancy Warren, Wini Jebian, Scott Dunlap and Pete Lubbers for finishing their respective races.

Anil and I are ever grateful to Vinod Vishwanath, Chakri and Chandramouli for pacing us.

What can I say about our crew? They were the most fantastic crew in the world.

Our heartfelt thanks to Anu, Sunil Shah, Shekhar, Rashmi, Arul, Abhijit, CK, Arpana, Anurag, Mouli, Chakri, Gayathri, Vivek, Veena, Raman, Divya, Renuka and Anil Vaidya for their unstinting and ever generous help.

Lean Horse 100

Then Nike frowned. Running was done.
Pain came to end the steady run.
Ares, though, refused to give up.
On my side he fought, past sunup,
Until the race was nearly done.

Cold hands warmed by a rising sun,
So the heart by views on the run.
So 'twas all day - walk then speed up.
Then Nike frowned.

Ah! She's mean, this capricious one!
First her strident call to action,
Then glimpses of the Victory cup.
Could I have seen 'twas a setup?
My mind's eye sought the play's curtain.
Then Nike frowned.

Date: Aug 25-26, 2007
Race: Lean Horse 100M
Location: Hot Springs, SD
Time: 25:39

What a fantastic race this was. I had one of the best races of my life, the last 22 miles notwithstanding. I got to meet a lot of amazing people and ran a race out of my comfort zone i.e. without friends, pacers or crew.

Thursday, Aug 23
I flew out of Oakland airport on the 2:00 p.m. flight. I had a connection to make in Denver, to Rapid City (South Dakota), at 9:45 p.m. and so had a few hours to kill in the airport there. I ate dinner (veggie burger) and had a tall beer that went down really well.

The 9:45 United Express flight did not board till 10:45 (they had over fueled the plane!). Don Lundell (http://www.zombierunner.com/) was on the same flight. As soon as we had buckled up, the pilot announced that we would be spending time on the tarmac since the landing lights in Rapid City had failed. One could hear the collective groan that went through the small plane.

The flight eventually took off at 11:30 p.m. and landed, without any further problems, at 12:15 a.m. The Hertz agent offered me a choice between a Suburban and a Toyota Sienna van. I chose the latter. I hit the road promptly and got on the phone to talk to my Mom in India. Hardly had the conversation started that the connection dropped. No signal. I found out later in Hot Springs that the only provider in that area is Verizon. Other cell phone users were out of luck.

I stopped a few miles outside Rapid City to buy some chocolate milk and potato chips (baked, naturally!) to quell the hunger pangs. I reached the Best Western Sundowner Inn in Hot Springs around 1:30 a.m. I saw 5 vehicles only during that 55 mile journey from Rapid City to Hot Springs. Some would call it the boonies. I call it wide open beautiful country.

I fell asleep at 2:15 a.m. after taking a quick shower and setting the alarm for 9:00 a.m.

Friday, Aug 24
I woke up promptly at 9 a.m. and went and ate a quick breakfast in the hotel. After that it was time to make the drop bags. Unfortunately I had forgotten to note the salt content of Heed and Perpetuem that I use these days for my races. Fortunately there was a computer in the lobby for public use that I promptly logged into.

After getting the information I wanted, I sent out an e-mail to my friends about the lack of cell phone coverage. Instead, I asked them to call the hotel room in case they wanted to wish me luck.

I deposited the drop bags in the Mueller Center (next door to the hotel) around noon and then went across the street to Pizza Hut. I ate a small veggie pizza and drank 2 small beers (needed to hydrate!!). I had them pack me, in foil, a small cheese pizza that I promptly went and deposited in my 50 mile drop bag.

After that it was back to the hotel for some more rest and then back to the Mueller Center for the RD, Jerry Dunn's, briefing. The 100 mile course was a new one this year. Instead of starting and ending at the George Mickelson trail head, the race was to start and end in town, right there behind the Mueller Center.

I sat with Don during this briefing. It was back to the room for more rest before heading to downtown Hot Springs to a restaurant called Flat Iron for the pasta feed. The food was good, especially the chocolate chip cookies. Don had come to Lean Horse to run with Lynn Newton and help him finish a 100 miler. Lynn, who wound up suffering debilitating back pain between miles 70 and 80 in previous attempts, was giving it another go. Such courage!!

I got back to the hotel soon after dinner and decided to hit the sack as soon as I could. I had spoken to Anu earlier in the day. The hotel phone rang for only the second time that day. It was Pallavi calling me to wish me good luck. Such wonderful friends I have!!

Saturday, Aug 25
Race day dawned nice and clear. There was a bit of a fog around but it was not cold. I started the race in a sleeveless orange running top with gray piping and gray shorts. A Cool Off bandana around the neck, an orange visor atop my head, Julbo sun glasses, orange Dirty Girl gaiters and 2 Amphipod bottles completed the picture. The "best dressed runner on the course today" was the remark by a passing runner 5 minutes into the race!

I spent the first 12 minutes walking. I wound up striking up a conversation with Lisa Weiss who spoke of her pelvic pain that might hamper her running that day. We had met in the Miwok 100K earlier this year in May. I wished her good luck and started running.

I espied a familiar figure ahead. Nattu Natraj, the only Indian to finish Badwater, two years in a row that too, had come up to me just before the start and introduced himself. He was in his trademark outfit - cap with cloth in the back that covered his neck, long sleeved shirt underneath a short sleeved one, double bottle waist pack and loose shorts. We struck up a conversation about his Badwater runs and wound our way to the first aid station. We soon made a left turn onto Argyle Road soon after the AS and it was a climb after that for the next many miles. Rolling hills, some with a decent grade, that caught most runners by surprise (I think). I had stopped to answer Nature's call and met a runner named Joe, from Salida (near Denver), who stated that I had sent him some information about ITB on the Ultra mailing list. We ran/walked for the next couple of miles in companionable conversation. He was doing his first 50 miler that day.

The views along this road were magnificent! Rolling hills going off into the distance. Small farmhouses, some yellow, some red, here and there with cattle dominating the landscape. It was a sight to warm the heart.

(Photo courtesy Don Lundell)

I passed Nattu on one of the climbs and he caught up with me on the next one. We rolled into the Argyle at Mickelson Trail AS (mile 16) together. I had been experiencing some irritation under my right foot for some miles now and Nattu was kind enough to give me some of his Hydropel cream. We continued running together after the AS.

The trail was flat and the surface just amazing. Crushed limestone made for wonderful footing. The trail was a result of the Rails To Trails project - unused railroad beds converted to trails.



We were in the Black Hills. This is where gold had been discovered more than a hundred and twenty years ago.The countryside was green wherever we looked. Nattu was using a 3 min run followed by a 2 min walk strategy. Not having any strategy of my own, I decided to go with him. He has run many more 100s than I have and if he was using it, it must work! It sure did as I found out later.

We breezed through the Pringle AS (mile 24), where I drank some more Ensure from my drop bag, and then on towards the Harbach one (mile 35.5).

(Approaching the Pringle AS. Photo courtesy Don Lundell)

I asked him to go ahead right after this AS as I wanted to walk 6 minutes straight to give my legs a break. I took the opportunity during that walk to set my own watch to a 3 min run+2 min walk timer.

The Harbach AS was another place where I availed of Ensure. I had been replenishing my hand bottle with the Heed+Perpetuem mixture in the aid stations with drop bags and that mixture proved to be the best thing for my nutrition, along with the Ensures.

The section after Harbach was really hot. It was nearing 3 p.m. and there was no shade along the route. I changed my timer to a slightly longer walk, i.e. 2.5 minutes, and used this to power my way to the 40 mile AS. I met 2 runners here. TJ and Stephanie. Stephanie looked worse for the wear. I gave her a few of my salt tablets since her face and shoulders had salt crystals aplenty. We soon came upon the part of the trail that winds its way past the Crazy Horse monument. That was one of the best sights in this beautiful race.

The trail, except for the slight climb to the 43 mile mark, the highest point in the race at 5800 feet, was quite flat. The run+walk strategy was still paying off so I decided to ride it for as long as I could.

The 50 mile turnaround came up at 11:31. I had planned for not more than 12 hours so I was making good time. I met TJ and Stephanie again at this AS. Nattu had left the AS. He was a mile or so ahead of me (I met him just before the turnaround). I spent 20 minutes at the aid station changing into warmer clothes and eating pizza.

I left at 12:06 into the race and promptly walked for 9 minutes. I had been meticulously following a 6-9 minutes walk every hour. I continued to use it. It seemed to help my legs recover and made the run+walk part much more enjoyable and easier.

I met Gene and Fahmida going the other way (towards the turnaround) and then Don and Lynn a little later. By now I had picked up my pace during the run part. I was flying! The race was beautifully marked with large mileage signs every 5 miles. 55 miles went by in a flash. As did mile markers 60 and 65. At the Harbach AS I used a kind volunteer's phone to call Anu and give her an update on my race. She was overjoyed and promptly sent out an e-mail to all our friends (I saw the e-mail later). I changed into slightly warmer clothing and left the AS as soon as I could.

Mile 70 was near an aid station and I did not linger long there.

I finally caught up with Nattu around mile 75. He was doing OK (as he stated). I wished him good luck and continued to run on into the Pringle AS at mile 76. The Ensure I downed there tasted a bit funny and I started feeling queasy a mile out of the AS. My left arch suddenly started hurting around mile 78 and I was forced to abandon the timer and resort to walking the rest of the way.

All along the race I had been trying to estimate a finish time for the race. The fast pace between 50 and 75 had given me visions of 24:30 or 24:40. The walking now changed the equation. I had somehow settled on 25:43. That figure had been repeatedly popping into my mind throughout the day. This was 3 hours faster than my previous best of 28:43, achieved in my first 100 miler, the 2006 Rio Del Lago race.

Ask the Universe for something and it delivers - my eventual finish time was 25:39!

The walking was now being done, despite the pain, at 16-17 minutes per mile pace. The mile markers were still rolling by albeit slower. I had not been able to eat anything since mile 76 owing to the queasiness.

Mile 80 went by in 19:18.

(Photo courtesy Don Lundell)

The 85 mile marker, after the Argyle Road at Mickelson Trail aid station (mile 84), took the longest in coming. I had taken a couple of No Doz pills by now in addition to a couple of Tylenols. I finally rolled into the 92 mile AS at 4:50 a.m. feeling a bit sleepy. I decided to take a 15 minute nap and asked the AS volunteer to wake me up. I could not sleep at all.

I decided to get off the lounge chair at 5:06 a.m. which is when Nattu came into the AS. He was down to walking too and we decided to walk it home together. Nattu is a fantastic runner. I am in awe of his achievements. In spite of all of his accomplishments, he is an extremely humble person. He rarely talks about himself. I, on the other hand, did nothing but talk about me! [ :) ].

We made it past the 96 mile AS and then into the last part through town. The only part we ran was the last 50 feet. We finished together in 25:39.

The volunteers were as good as any I've met in other races. They were always willing to go the extra yards to help the runners. Kudos to Jerry and his crew for putting up such a superb race. I hope this race becomes ever more popular.

I promptly went back to the hotel to sleep a few hours. Got up at noon, went back to the Pizza Hut for a quick beer and pizza before making my way back to the Mueller Center for the awards ceremony.

The belt buckle was superb!

It was back to the hotel for more sleep. Dinner was in the only Chinese restaurant in Hot Springs. I came back and packed my suitcases before hitting the sack.

I left Hot Springs at 7:30 a.m. to make it to the 10:00 a.m. flight out of Rapid City. The journey back was uneventful.

Tahoe Rim Trail 100M

Fifty long miles and then again,
Struggling with sleep and intense pain.
This is the story of a run:
A Taste of Hell, Glimpse of Heaven!
Many months for it we did train.

Labored breathing, lungs under strain,
The distance preying on the brain.
From Sun to Night and again Sun:
Fifty long miles.

We are tough, we cannot complain
If this goal we are to attain!
Determined, incessant action,
Living from station to station.
Doing them twice, that was the game.
Fifty long miles.

Date: Jul 21-22, 2007
Race: Tahoe Rim Trail 100M

Location: Spooner Lake State Park, Carson City, NV

Time: 34:11:30

Photos of this race: http://public.fotki.com/rajeevtherunner/2007trt100m/

What a tough, tough race this one was. The lowest point in this course was 6800' and the highest was 9214'. Anil and I took almost all of the allotted time of 35 hours.

Thursday, July 19

Anil, Rashmi and I left the South Bay around 2 p.m. Rashmi drove and we had a great time listening to music or just talking. We stopped for some food in Placerville. Pizza and beer!!

We reached the race hotel (Plaza Hotel) after 7 p.m. The 2 adjacent suites were great. Each suite had a living room with a pullout bed and a bedroom with a King bed.

Anil and I went to a few places to pick up fruits and other last minute things. We then decided to finish the drop bags since we had to turn them in before 2 p.m. the next day. Anil even helped bandage up my big toes in order to prevent blisters from forming on the underside. The skin there had become kind of sensitive the past few weeks.

We hit the sack early though I spent the next hour or so watching TV.

Friday, July 20
We woke up after 8 a.m. and first went to eat breakfast in the hotel. We met up with Alan Geraldi who, like Anil, was attempting his first 100-miler. We went over to his room to help him with his drop bags.

After I showered, Anil and I made a quick trip to Lowe's for a few lithium batteries and strips of Velcro to attach our gaiters with.

Rashmi, Anil and I ate in a Subway before heading to the grounds of the Capitol where the weighing in and the 2:15 p.m. race briefing were to be held.

The first thing we did was to get weighed and get our bib numbers. We deposited the drop bags and then waited for the briefing to start.


(Race central)

(Alan Geraldi weighing in)

(Clowning around during my weighing in)

The race briefing by RDs David Cotter and Kevin Bigley was preceded by short speeches by people from various groups affiliated to Carson City, RRCA etc.

(Attentive audience)

(Pete Lubbers & Scott Dunlap)

David and Kevin briefed us so thoroughly that there were no questions at the end. At least not in public!

Pete, Anil, Alan and I had signed up for the pasta dinner. We went back to the hotel to rest for a bit before heading out to the dinner around 5 p.m.

(The pasta dinner)

Finally it was time to go back and contemplate on the nature of the Universe before the 5 a.m. start! I contemplated until 11 p.m. before closing my eyes for a few hours of shuteye.

Saturday, July 21

The alarm went off at 2:15 a.m. I could not bear to get up right away so stole another 15 minutes of much needed sleep. I finally swung my legs off the bed for the start of a long day, a long night and an even longer day after the night!

After a quick shower and a breakfast of a bottle of Ensure and a large bagel, Anil and I were ready to have Rashmi drop us to the Start. Alan rode with us. It was not very cold. That was good news. Maybe the night would not be cold either.

We found Chihping and Pete in the start area. Anil and I got our bibs and pinned them on. I also had a cup of much needed coffee while waiting for the race to start. I was carrying 2 hand bottles filled with Heed+Perpetuem+Salt Stick. Around my waist was a bag containing my phone, my camera, a few gels, some salt tablets and a cutoff chart.

(From L: Anil, Chihping, Pete, Geraldi and I)

All that stuff caused a backache that persisted for almost the entire race. I will have to find another way to carry the camera during next month's Lean Horse 100M in South Dakota.

5 a.m. and we were off! The first few miles were a climb and Anil and I were determined to walk all the way to the top. The both of us stopped almost every 15-20 minutes to pee. The climb soon turned into a descent all the down to lake level - small Lake Marlette with its giant cousin just over the mountains on its west shore.

(On the climb up from the Start)

(A happy Anil. He was happy throughout)

(Marlette Lake)

(Hobart AS at 6:50 a.m.)

The trail started a gradual rolling climb all the way to the Hobart Aid Station. In the Aid Station, I quickly downed a bottle of Ensure and topped up my hand bottles. Anil and I were soon on our way. The trail wound its way up to Marlette Peak.

The views were starting to get more and more stunning. Marlette Peak tops out at 8780'. What a way to start a race and the day!

(Marlette Lake with Lake Tahoe behind it)

We quickly found ourselves in the Tunnel Creek AS. This was the most important AS in the race. We would pass through it 6 times, 3 times per loop. Anil and I had our bottle of Ensure and refilled our bottles before heading down the Red House loop. People seem to dread this loop. I personally believe that it is overrated. Similar to the climb up to Hurricane Point in the Big Sur marathon.

We saw a lot of some of the middle of the pack runners come up the slope while we were starting out.

(Pete Lubbers at the end of the Red House loop)

(The ever smiling Scott Dunlap)

We ran the downhill and then power walked our way up the slope all the way back to the Tunnel Creek AS. We had a bottle of Ensure again and did not linger long here. It was on to the long 9 mile trudge to Mt. Rose. Anil had asked for Subway sandwiches for the both of us. It would be nice to see Rashmi, Arul and Gayathri there.

We met Eric Blumenau, a friend of Nicole Whiting, just after Diamond Peak. He looked in good shape.

(Eric Blumenau on his way back to Tunnel Creek from Mt. Rose)

We made it to Mt. Rose around 12:40 p.m. i.e. 7:40 into the race. We were happy with the time. Nicole Whiting was there. She, along with Arul, Gayathri and Rashmi, helped us with whetever we needed. Thank you Nicole.

I quickly wolfed down part of the sandwich, had another bottle of Ensure and headed back out on the trail for the return trip to the Start.

We reached Tunnel Creek after the pit stop in Diamond Peak.

Norm and Helen were part of the Tunnel Creek band of volunteers and it was wonderful to see their smiling faces. Helen was amazingly helpful.

(Norm & Helen Klein in the Tunnel Creek AS)

We met so many of the 50M/100M front runners along the course. Garrett Graubins and Tim Twietmeyer to name a few in the 50M. Jasper Halekas, the eventual 100M winner, passed us, going the other way, just after the Tunnel Creek AS. He finished in 18:16. Our second 50-mile loop took us 18:11!!!

We were on our way up the climb from Tunnel Creek to Hobart when the eventual 2nd place runner, Mark Gilligan, blew by accompanied by his pacer Michael Hayden. These lads are fast!!

We stopped Wendell Doman, part of Jasper Halekas' crew, and talked with him for about 3-4 minutes.

(Wendell Doman)

Keith Blom passed us too. He was following up his sub-24 finish in Western States with another 100.

(Keith Blom)

We grabbed some water in the Diamond Creek AS and then ran at a steady clip down the descent from there. Once the trail leveled out, Anil and I ran a bit and mostly walked back to Tunnel Creek. It was more Ensure again for us.

The climb out of Tunnel Creek was long and we eventually made it into Hobart. Anil and I picked up our thin running jackets in case it was windy up by the Snow Valley AS. We started the 2.6 mile trek up to that AS. That climb went by quite fast and uneventfully. My weight, like Anil's had not fluctuated by more than 0.6 lbs. during those 40+ miles. AS was no exception. Since we did not have drop bags there, we were out quickly.

The last 7 miles down to the Start/Finish felt really long last year during our 50M. The same this year too!

We rolled into the 50M point at 8:30 p.m. (15:30 for the 50M). The entire crew was there to greet and help us - Anu, Bharti, Deepu, Aruna, Rashmi, Arul & Gayathri. Vinod Vishwanath was waiting to pace us.

Anil and I spent 30 minues eating pizza and changing into warmer clothes fro the night section.

We left at 9:00 p.m., 16:00 on the race clock.

The 3 of us soon settled into a good rhythm. The initial climb seemed interminably long the second time around. Anil took his first NoDoz tablet on this climb. I followed soon after. Vinod was running a 50M (the last 50M of our race) a week after running an unsupported 50M in Montana!

We reached the Hobart AS soon enough and were grateful for the bottles of Ensure waiting for us there. My new Fenix seemed to relish the batteries I was feeding it - it went through them like a hot knife through butter!! I then resorted to using only the headlamp and turining on the Fenix only when the headlamp fell a bit short.

Tunnel Creek came along soon too. I chugged down a bottle of Ensure and it tasted a bit weird. I felt like throwing up almost as soon as I left the AS and had to quell the urge. I did not know it then but that would be the last bit of nutrition (except for the mix in my hand bottles) that I would have for the next 24 miles!

Anil had struggled with sleep almost all night long. He had napped for 5 minutes in the wee hours of the night before taking a full blown 10-minute nap around 5:15 a.m. Nancy Warren, on her way back to Tunnel Creek, looked at him and remarked "He looks so cute sleeping there!".

We met Chuck Wilson soon after (5:45 a.m.) and he impressed upon us the need to pick it up and make it to the Mt. Rose AS as soon as we could. That lit a fire under our butts and we covered the next 3 miles or so in real good time. We reached the AS at 6:30 a.m.! We were out, after coffee and a quick change of clothes, at 6:48 a.m. We had built up a buffer of 1 hour.

The last 24 miles went by slowly. Anil slept for another 10 minutes in Tunnel Creek. I used that break to hit the toilet. We left Tunnel Creek at 9:55 a.m. determined to not stop anymore. The climb out of Tunnel Creek seemed much longer this time around. Hobart finally swam into view and we were out of there in less than a minute - we just refilled our bottles with the Coke we had switched to in Tunnel Creek.

The 2.6 miles up to Snow Valley Creek were long, hot, sweaty and full of large flies that seemed to have a predilection for my face and neck. My weight at that AS was down to 131 lbs. (from a starting weight of 135 lbs.) but the volunteer remarked that I would be OK once I finished and started hydrating and eating.

Those last 7 miles were some of the longest 7 miles that Anil and I have ever run. The last aid station, 1.7 miles from the Finish, never seemed to come. We reached it finally at 2:43 p.m. I promptly called Anu and told her that we would be rolling into the Finish around 3:15 p.m.

Anil, Vinod and I ran the last 100 yards and crossed the Finish line 34:11 into the race.

We were quickly whisked off to the hotel for a shower and then to the award ceremony that commenced promptly at 5:30 p.m.

Bharti, driving Anu's van, was tireless. She drove all the way back. She not only made a detour to drop off Chihping in Fremont but drove Michael Hayden all the way to his sister's place in Santa Cruz. I finally fell asleep, after eating delicious food that Raj (Anu's husband) had made for us, at 2:00 a.m.

My heartfelt thanks to our fantastic crew: Deepak, Aruna, Arul, Gayathri, Rashmi, Bharti and Anu. Anu juggled a bunch of things, including a 50 mile bike ride on Saturday, just so she and Bharti could make it to the race.

The race volunteers were absolutely fantastic! This race was made all the better because of their ever helping nature and cheerful attitudes.

Congratulations to all of you who finished. Scott, Pete, Alan, Eric, Chihping, Anil, Chuck, Tom Kaisersatt (50M), Christine (50M), Karen (50m), Marissa (50M), Norbert, Fred, Keith & Kay Blom ... The list goes on.

Pacifica 50K

Date: June 30, 2007

Race: PC Trail Runs Pacifica 50K

Location: Pacifica, CA

Time: 7:43

It was the Monday after returning from the Western States 100M Safety Patrol and Pacing when I decided that I wanted to do a 50K 5 days later. PCTR has races almost every other weekend and this one was almost in my backyard so to speak. In Pacifica - over the mountains from Hillsborough. I signed up online and Anil did the same the day after. He was looking at 31 miles after a long 62 miles in WS!

Saturday, June 30

I picked him up from his place around 6:45 a.m. and we quickly got onto 280N. The ride was uneventful and we were in the parking lot, just outside the San Pedro Valley Park entrance, by 8:00 a.m. We quickly got our stuff together. Anil had been smart enough to bring one of my long sleeved shirts I had forgotten in his bag during our WS run and that was a heaven sent! It was a tad chilly and I had, rather unwisely, opted to leave home dressed in a singlet. The shirt was swiftly donned and the singlet went over it. That's how I ran the entire race!

The course was unusual, even by PCTR standards. Sarah and Wendell like loops rather than out and back courses. This race had us go through the Start/Finish no less than 4 times! I'm becoming a fan of such courses. The reason is that they allow me to get to my drop bag quite often. My drop bag usually contains spare bottles filled with my sports drink of choice plus the ubiquitous bottle of Ensure.

The loops went in the following manner: 12K, 9K, 9K loop in reverse, 12K and then our choice of the 9K direction.

The 12K loop was a constant climb all the way to 1800 feet and a descent down to the start along a slightly different route the last 2 miles. The last middle 2 miles of the climb were very rocky. I deemed this good training for the TRT 100M on July 21.

The 9K loop, in my humble opinion, was a lot better. I felt it had more variation in terrain and trail than the 12K one.

Since this race had a 9K, a 21K and a 30K in addition to the 50K, the trails were crowded in the beginning. The 9K runners went off a few minutes early. The 21K, 30K and 50K runners shared the trail.

The climb up to 1800' in the 12K was crowded. The narrow trail and treacherous footing made for a slow pace. It opened out a bit during the descent and we were back to the Start for our first dip into the drop bags. Anil and I quickly replaced our bottles with fresh ones, chugged down a bottle of Ensure each and started on the 9K loop.

Again this loop was uneventful. We met up with a runner name Kimberly who had moved to San Francisco from St. Louis. She, Anil and I ran together for about a mile before she took off to finish, eventually, in 7:01.

Anil and I had decided to go easy and enjoy ourselves. Our aim was to get 6+ hours on a trail as a last really long run before TRT. Chuck Wilson was also doing the 50K as was Tom Kaisersatt.

This loop ended soon enough and we filled up our bottles with our respective powders. I was trying Heed+Perpetuem along with Salt Stick. I have found that Succeed gives me way more salt than I need and it tends to make me feel nauseous. Salt Stick is perfect for me. The Heed+Perpetuem combo was extremely tasty and this was the first race in a long time that I ran without even a sip of Coke!

Stan Jensen was helping out at the Start aid station. He is one amazing person. I love how much he gives back to the ultra community. He is there in so many races. Ruth Anderson, Quicksilver etc. Thank you Stan.

The thing that Anil and I noticed about the 2 loops was that the 12K one felt way different from the 9K one in terms of weather. The 12K one was definitely a bit cooler.

The reverse 9K loop was wonderful too. We met up with a dehydrated 30K runner about 1.5 miles from the end and quickly gave him some of our water. Further up we met a girl whose stomach was hurting. Anil promptly gave her ginger chews and that seemed to help her. Another runner further up was out of water too! I let him have a few swigs from my bottle.

The 12K loop was a bit slower than the first one. It seemed like the climb went on forever. We were both glad when the summit came into sight. Knowing that all that was left in the race was a 3.5 mile descent followed by the nice 9K loop made it easier.

We decided to do the 9K loop in reverse i.e. the direction we had taken for the 2nd 9K loop. Most of the other runners had chosen the opposite direction. I believe Anil and I were right in our opinion that our direction had less climbing than the one the others took.

The Finish finally came 7:43 into the race. This was a deceptive race. It was hilly with just under 7100' of elevation gain.

We hung around and chatted with Sarah and Wendell for 10-15 minutes before heading back to the South Bay. They are wonderful RDs and this race was perfectly managed as usual. Thank to both of them.