The last mountaineering trip was Desolation High Traverse or the Desolation Death March. My post about this trip is in another journal. I took a break from hard mountaineering. So all I did really was bike and run. North Face event would not be happening until Dec 1.
View running pics here https://picasaweb.google.com/112364082721983243207/NorthFaceEndu2012#
Training Schedules
I had about 5 weeks of hard running left because a week prior to the race is tapering.
Three weeks before the race I ran 24 miles and road cycling for 50 miles without hills around Lake Natoma in Folsom. The whole activity was unsupported so each time I made a loop, I swung by my Escape to get some fueling.
Two weeks prior to the race, I ran Training Hill repeats 5.5 times (5500' elevation gain) in the heavy rain wearing also my boots and therefore I was running in my hiking boots. That was not an easy thing to do.
Fuel Strategy
It was 2nd week of July that I devoted 1 week of my time training at higher altitude (4000' to 14000'). I ran, cycle and climb. One of those nights, before returning to my camp, I bought groceries in Vons. I was surprised how many brands of Coco Water the store had in one lane. I asked another runner if he had taken Coco Water and according to him, there was not a day that he run without carrying Coco water. So I decided to give it a try and it worked.
Running North Face Endurance Challenge Series
The weather forecast for North Face event is supposed to be inclement weather. That's just the weather - muddy trail forecast was not included. As an experienced mountaineer, I expected the trail to be worse than any mud I ever saw and I was not wrong at all.
I ended up starting late during the race because there was no shuttle pick up in my parking area. I made sure though that I had everything: from potty break to having the right nutrition. I ate several bananas 2 hours before the race, GU gels, nutella sandwich, Coco Water 500ml in one drink.
My hydration bottles had coco-water mixed with Vit C supplements (2 packet each bottle). I wore the gtx pants ( mountaineers knew what that gear is ), gtx patagonia trail running shoes and wind/water resistent running jacket. I came prepared to do the race.
I passed the starting line along with late starters. I just kept on running. After mile 2, I started passing runners then came to a point where lots of runners were just power hiking the hill. I checked the ground, it was all mud.....very muddy. I thought my gear would protect from those plus I can run in icy slope so its not a worry of balancing.
I caught up with David Bieber (FTR member) and chatted a bit then I took off, trying to finish the earliest I could. After all, who would want to be stuck in mud, rain, cold and fog ?
By Mile 13 and 14 the trail got so muddy. I meant it was muddier than mud run or pig farm. The mud stick to the shoes or slippery going up or going down. Mile 18, my shoes started giving up. I did not anticipate that I would run into such issues. The insole of my shoes were coming off both sides. I had to keep adjusting my shoes. Each stop it was costing me over a minute and that was more than 12 stops.
Another issue I faced was that, even though I wore gtx, but it was cold outside that it created condensation within the walls of my gear that I still got wet from the sweat.
Mile 20 - I could no longer take the slipping and adjusting insole.. I tied my shoelace so tight, it felt no blood flow on my feet. I was scared of injury but if its going to last to Finish Line, I dont mind receiving the injury in the end.
The rain is supposed to come back around 3. I really hoped to be finished way before that. I honestly would not willing to take the cold and wind again.
Just after 2PM I completed the whole course and officially now an "ultra runner". I was given an official medal and my swag bag :)...
I dont go to races often but whenever I do, I have to ensure that its going to be a good race, not just the organizing part, but also the endurance part. San Francisco Marathon and North Face Endurance were by no means easy race. It had a lot of elevation gain and hills. The Auburn's Wildest Ride is another animal, it was a lot of climbing..
As a beginner, I could have chosen easy races but what is the point ? As a mountaineer, we dont make 4 hours of travel just to do one ascent of a peak. It has to be multi-peaks or 13er or 14er. So its the same goes with the races I choose, if Im going to attempt a race, it should also be epic :)
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