Michael came through 61.2 mi just before 7:30 putting him at under 14 hours so far. He’s on pace to finish under 24 hours and feeling strong. Thanks again to the Bennetts for making the time fly by. You guys are always welcome in our crewing ohana!
Posted by: runwithgarrison | October 26, 2013
Javelina jundred…61.2
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Posted by: runwithgarrison | October 26, 2013
Javelina jundred …. 45.9
Aloha everyone
Michael came through 45.9 mi at 3:07 pm still ahead of a 21 hour finish. We did a complete change of clothes, refreshed water bottles, ate taters, took a hit of naproxen and he went on his way. We’ll update again at 61.2…!
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Posted by: runwithgarrison | October 26, 2013
Javelina jundred…30.6 mi
Aloha everyone
Michael just started his third loop completing 30.6 mi so far. He’s ahead of his planned time, averaging 2.75 hr loops. The mercury is up in the desert but we have plenty of water and sponges to keep him cool and hydrated. Next update @ mi 45.9!
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Posted by: runwithgarrison | October 26, 2013
Javelina Jundred start!
Aloha everyone
It’s a crisp morning out in the desert and we’re hoping the heat later today doesn’t inflict too much pain. Michael got off to a great start this morning right at 6 am. Next update @ 15.3 mi.
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Posted by: runwithgarrison | October 25, 2013
Pre Race Javelina Jundred
Aloha,
We are getting ready to hit the sack early tonight in anticipation of tomorrow’s Javelina Jundred 100 miler. All the bags are packed, a few bottles are filled, and we are as acclimated to the desert heat as we can be in 2 days.
The race format consists of 6 15 mile laps and a 7th/final lap around 11 miles long. The laps are run in a “washing machine” style with runners alternating direction every lap. It should be a fun race to watch because there are some seriously fast people running and there also seem to be a big bunch of super fun people to be around–I hope I qualify as one of those runners tomorrow!
Pauline will be joined by 2008 Olympian April Steiner-Bennett and a few of her friends/family. I am already grateful for all their help and support. It is such a great feeling to run into an aid station and recognize familiar and friendly faces. April has never seen anything like this before and I am certain that her and Pauline will have a blast @ Javelina Jeadquarters.
The race is also being broadcast online @ http://www.aravaiparunning.com/ultracast
They will also post a webcam at the finish line in case you want to check in. My race number is 110.
The race plan is pretty simple–Be patient, stay within myself, be consistent with my Skratch Labs hydration and potato intake.
Goals for this race:
Run consistent, stay level with minimal highs and lows
Have fun and really enjoy myself and my time with my team
Run sub 24 hours
Finish up the race as healthy as possible so I can consider this an excellent training effort for the 2014 HURT–I am now #3 on the wait list:)
Thanks for checking in! Pauline will be posting regularly with updates and photos. As usual, she will also read me any comments that you post when she sees me.
Thanks and I will see you on the other side!
Michael
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Posted by: runwithgarrison | October 13, 2013
Dick Collins 50 mile race report
Aloha everyone,
Yesterday I ran the Dick Collins 50 Mile race for the 3rd time. Those of you that read this blog regularly know that I am still recovering from a hamstring injury that greatly limited almost all of my summer running. That being said, when I first started dealing with the injury, I knew that I needed to get in a qualifying run to be eligible for 2014 Western States 100 lottery.
One of my major, unmet goals with my running is to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning. In order to accomplish this goal, I first need to get into the Western States 100 thru their lottery process. In order to qualify for the lottery, I needed to run sub 11 hours for 50 miles or complete a 100 miler under the time cut prior to the December lottery date. I then decided to run the Dick Collins 50 Miler and the Javelina 100 in October to give myself 2 chances to knock out a qualifier. Once I hit a qualifier, I can then focus on getting 100% healthy and train for the HURT (I am currently 5th on the waitlist).
The plan heading into the Dick Collins race was to run to achieve 2 goals.
1) complete the run under 11 hours
2) not injure myself further–feel solid afterwards
In the days prior to the race, Pauline kept reminding me to keep my ego in check early and not go out too fast. Jeff was also sending me a funny series of text messages including Pulp Fiction quotes regarding that little sting and my pride…..
I am very happy to say that I accomplished both goals. I finished up in 10:29 (a bit slower than last year’s 8:08) and I am feeling pretty good today–less than 24 hours post finish. I have some stiffness and soreness behind my right knee but other than that–I feel like I am moving in the right direction.
Dan headed to the race start with me in the morning and I was able to ditch all my sweats/arm warmers/gloves before the start because the temperature was perfect. I set out at a very conservative pace and only used my handheld for my Skratch labs. Spirits were high and we were excited to get the long day started.
From the start, I was determined to follow the chill race plan. All along the way I kept checking myself to make sure I was not running too fast. The last time I ran past 31 miles was at the Dick Collins 50 last year. I knew I just needed to be patient. Starting at the 3rd aid station, I made sure to eat a few big chunks of potato at every opportunity. I also just drank to thirst and I feel like with this strategy I was able to keep my energy levels at a solid level throughout the day.
Blaine arrived on the scene at the first stop thru Steam Trains Aid station and he was with me at every aid station after that. Steam trains is around 22 miles into the race and the last one before the turnaround at Tilden. I hit the turnaround at 4:30 into the race and I was feeling pretty confident that sub 11 hours was in the bag.
Over the course of the day, I walked a lot of the long climbs and kept up a nice pace on the flat and downhills. I figured that was a solid recipe for hitting the time and setting myself up to not dig myself into too big of a hole heading into Javelina in 2 weeks. Every time I saw Blaine, he was checking up to make sure I was feeling solid. Once he decided to join in and pace me home, we almost walked the entire way home. It was great to catch up along the way. Even though my Garmin went dead around 7:30 into the race, I worked out the time calculations and knew that we could walk/jog our way home and make the sub 11 hour mark. In my head, 9 hours was just as useful as 10:59.
Overall, I am happy that we achieved the goals for the day. Of course, it would have been great to run faster and come into the race healthier and fitter…Oh well…The back of my right knee is already starting to feel better and I am already looking forward to a fun trip to Arizona in a few weeks. I have no delusions about running fast at Javelina. I will simply be running to work on my fitness and experience levels as we prepare for a fun 2014.
Pauline will be on site in Arizona to crew and we have locked down a great crew, including 2008 Olympian April Steiner Bennett. I am sure they will send out some entertaining updates as they hang out at Javelina Jeadquarters.
Happy running and I hope to see you on the trails!
Michael
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Dick Collins 50M
Posted by: runwithgarrison | October 12, 2013
Dick Collins finish
Michael finished the 50 miler in 10 hr 29 min. He’ll post his post race report soon. This was a big race for Michael as its his 20th ultra and a qualifier for Western States lottery!
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Posted by: runwithgarrison | October 12, 2013
Dick Collins 50 mi
Aloha everyone
Michael is running the DC 50 mi in Northern California today and has completed 37 mi thus far. Here are some great photos from Blaine and Dan, our extended ohana in NorCal.
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Posted by: runwithgarrison | October 2, 2013
Quick Noble Canyon 50k race report
Aloha everyone,
A week and a half ago, Pauline and I headed to San Diego for my 3rd crack at the Noble Canyon 50k. I have always enjoyed this race partially because San Diego is such a cool place and partially because the members of the ultra running community in San Diego are just so cool and friendly. The trip this year was no exception.
The course for this edition of the race changed due to a fire this summer so the race was just an out and back up Noble Canyon. The way out was uphill and relatively cool and the way back was downhill and hot. My training for the weeks heading into the race was pretty much just mileage running with a small bout of a summer cold/sinus infection. My weekly mileage has been living in the 50-65 mpw range and the running has been pretty relaxed with no big workout efforts. I have hit the local trails a few times in an effort to keep familiarizing myself with the HURT 100 trails.
Anyway, I wish I could provide you with some cool elevation and caloric numbers from the race except my Garmin 610 lost all charge after about 45 minutes… Totally not cool since it was fully charged. The good news was that the entire race plan revolved around getting used to my hydration pack again and spending 5-6 hours on the trails. I know I am not in shape enough to really run fast yet, so these 3 Fall ultras are more about fun, training, and experience.
As the race started, I found myself with a really cool little group of local guys and we made our way up the canyon. I was feeling pretty good but I was feeling a little annoyed with the Nathan vest. It still fits great and is super functional, it has just been a while since I used it. Pauline met me at the mile 14/16 aid station. I ran thru all of the aid stations prior to 16 since I had all my fluids on my back and I did not feel any need for food. At the mile 15ish turnaround, I think I was in around 15th place and I was feeling like I was getting a bit of a 2nd wind. I felt like I was still running conservatively but I also felt that I would have an issue keeping up for 31 miles.
As I met Pauline at 16, I swapped the Nathan pack for a hand held bottle with Skratch and I started to feel better. It is always a treat to see her out on the trails :). Over the course of the next 5-6 miles, I started to pass a few people and I got into a pretty solid rhythm. Since the race was an out/back, I got to see all the tough runners still heading to the turnaround. Their toughness and friendliness also gave me a nice lift!
As I worked my way down the canyon, I paired up with one of the awesome locals and he helped keep me on track while I was struggling until around 26 miles or so. Once he broke me off, I really started to struggle and I spent a solid amount of time walking. At the time, I just felt like I was tired but I now think it was a combination of lack of fitness, being tired, and lack of eating. I need to get back in the groove of eating my potatoes at the aid stations to keep a few more calories coming in. I am planning on making this change at the Dick Collins 50 miler next weekend.
I finished up the race just under 5:30 and in 31st place. A bit slower and farther down the standings than in previous years, but coming off my recent hip and hamstring issues, I am ok with the effort. I made it thru the race healthy overall pretty healthy with just a mild chafing issue. I ran in my Hokas and they felt pretty nice.
Most of my training/ racing thoughts are now revolved around the hopes of running the HURT 100 in January (I am now #6 on the wait list) and running the Grand Slam next summer. That being said, the primary goals of the DC50 next weekend and the Javelina 100 2 weeks later are to make sure I finish the 50 under 11 hours and have a nice learning experience at the 100 while completing the run under 24 hours. These will get me my qualifier for the Western States 100 lottery held in December. More on all that later…
Things that I need to focus on the next 4 months…
More long runs and time on the trails
Get back to tantalus to up my toughness
Do a better job listening to my body and resting
Drop some LBs prior to the HURT
I am giving some thought to heading back to Crossfit Oahu and inserting that back into my routine. It has been awhile but I think it could be helpful to up my overall strength.
I hope everyone is well and I look forward to seeing you all out on the trails, roads or at the many aid stations that are in my future
Much Aloha
Michael
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: 50k, Noble Canyon
Posted by: runwithgarrison | September 21, 2013
The end
Michael finished the 50k just under 5.5 hrs and paid his respects to the rat. Thanks for tuning in!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: 50k
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