Michael came through the 14 & 16 mi aid station in 2.5 hrs on pace for goal time of ~5 hrs. The sun is out, making for a warm run back to the start/finish. Michael’s in the shot below, the tiny creature with a green shirt, just to the upper right of the center of the photo.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: 50k
Aloha!
This morning we’re in the very beautiful but very cold Cleveland National Forest area, just east of San Diego. This is Michael’s third time running the Noble Canyon 50k, although the course today is different than years past due to recent fires. The course is an out and back. Team Garrison is crewing at miles 14 and 16 (same stop at the out and back) and will update close to the halfway point.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: 50k
Aloha,
Yesterday I hit the local trails for the Tantalus Triple Trek hosted by the HURT crew. Before I start with the race report, I want to explain the title of the post and the 2 steps forward, 1 step back since it accurately describes both the race and the past 3 weeks of training.
It has been 3 weeks since I last posted about the 15K and in the first 2 weeks, I was able to hit the trails several times, put in a nice long run and get my mileage up into the 60’s. After 2 solid weeks, I thought that I would be able to put in a solid weekend at the Tantalus Triple Trek and the Runner’s HI 20k. Then, in the beginning of week 3 (this past week) I started to feel not that great..congestion, sore throat, lethargic and this forced me to take the week off running heading into this busy weekend. On Friday morning, I could barely get out the door for a 4.5 mile struggle around Diamond Head. 2 solid weeks of training followed by a week of illness and junk….
The tantalus triple trek is a 3 lap course throughout the tantalus trail system here on Oahu. It is very tough terrain with plenty of roots, rocks, hills, mud, and amazing scenery. The total elevation gain per lap is around 2418 feet which means total climbing for the day wound up at 7254′. I had some Garmin issues early in the day so my mileage looked a little short and I also think that the race is just a bit shorter than the listed 30 miles. One thing is for sure, no matter the distance, this is a tough race and it gave me a tiny glimpse of what I hope to see if I make it off the wait list and into the HURT 100 in January.
The race started in the darkness at 5:30am and I was stoked to pull out my new headlamp for the first 30 minutes of racing. My plan was to just run even and conservative for all 3 laps. I was not trying to compete with anyone but myself, especially after the fun week of nose-blowing lethargy. I also did not want to dig myself into too big a hole after a week of illness. Over the past few weeks, Jeff and I met with the HURT group to run a few laps on the course and that practice certainly paid off. These trails can be a bit complicated (for me at least) and it was great knowing the loop. I must say that the course was also very, very well marked–Thanks HURT!
Lap 1 went very well and according to plan. I love my new headlamp and I had zero issues with footing. I had to use the lamp all the way thru the bamboo forest and until I crossed round top road to head up the Manoa Cliff trail. The trails were in great shape, unlike myself..I was huffing and puffing on the long climbs and sweating up a storm. I came thru the end of the first lap with no ankle turns, feeling decent in 10th place right under 2 hours. 2 hours was kinda the magic number for me. Heading into the race, I thought I could run 3 laps under 2:10 so I knew I was right on track.
Lap 2 started out well I hiked up the long climb at the beginning of the lap and it all felt like a new trail since it was completely dark the first time I ran up the hill. I was very aware of my pacing and I was starting to feel surprisingly good. I rolled over the top of the mountain, thru the 2 pig gates and onto the really fun downhill on the kalawahine trail. Then, the race changed a bit for me. I took a bit of a fall on one of the short straightaways and I took the brunt of the fall with my face. Yep, my hands were the last thing to hit the ground…Head, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee. I must say the fall caught me by surprise and it hurt pretty bad. As I laid on the trail, I did a quick mental scan to make sure nothing was broken, ran my tongue along my teeth to make sure they were all intact and then I got up to start running again. My adrenalin was really surging and I was feeling amazing!
On my way down the trail, I wiped some sweat out of my eyes and I noticed that my sweat looked an awful lot like blood. Yep, I bloodied up my face during the fall–nice job. I was a bit afraid to touch my face at that point since my hands were completely dirty and I decided to ride out the adrenalin rush and keep on running. I passed thru the aid station on tantalus road and the volunteers did not quite know what to think. I must have been a bit of a site. A few people coming up the trail also took notice of my bloody face and probably thought that I was a total idiot for still racing. Oh well…
I completed lap 2 still in 10th place right around 4 hours. HURT volunteers Heather and Mike refilled my bottle with Skratch and cleaned up my face a bit. They even made an impromptu little bandage to keep the blood out of my eyes—I probably should mention, the small gash is in the middle of my forehead about an inch above my eyes. The hole is a little smaller than a dime. Anyway, in my rush to get back out on the course, I ate nothing at the aid station..This would become a bit of an issue..
I headed out on lap 3 with my adrenalin rush intact and I was ready to crank out another 2 hour lap. However, about 10 minutes into the lap I just totally crashed. I had nothing left in the tank. I think it was a combination of lack of eating, week of illness, and my fight or flight wearing off–All of which were totally my fault. Lap 3 turned into a solid hike and run. This lap gave me a nice bit of insight as to how I might feel while running the HURT 100.
I finished up around 19th place in 6:38. After the race, Heather cleaned the dirt out of the wound and I sat around for a bit with the HURT crew. They put on a great race and I hope to hook up again with them soon. I spent the rest of the afternoon laying around and listening to Pauline make “massive headwound Harry” jokes. The plan to race the 20k this morning was scrapped around 8:45pm when I decided that I could use the rest a little more than a slow 12 miler.
Next on the agenda….Noble Canyon 50K in San Diego on September 21. Hopefully, I can get in a few solid weeks of training and have a nice run. I always love going to San Diego and I hope to hang out with friends and family there.
P training update–Pauline is starting to run again and is happy to be out and about. She even went back to her favorite..Koko Head and cranked out a 20 minute effort on the climb!
Gear note..I picked up a pair of Hoka shoes..you know the ones with a double midsole that a bunch of ultra runners wear. They look funky and I was a bit skeptical but wow they are awesome. I have put a few runs in them, including the triple trek. They are my new ultra shoes of choice.
Happy Birthday Garrett and best of luck to Tyler McCandless today at the Kauai Marathon.
Happy Running
Michael
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Tantalus Triple Trek
Aloha,
This morning I ventured back into the vibrant road racing scene here on Oahu by running first race of the 5 race Honolulu Marathon Readiness Series. This series of races are super well organized and it signals the start of the Fall road racing season here on the island. Since Jeff and I are both coming off injuries, we decided that this would be a great opportunity for a nice training run.
We met up around 4:15 for my now-traditional warmup run around Diamond Head and I felt sooo much better than I had over the past few days. My hip is feeling better (not quite 100%) but I have been having difficulty finding my rhythm while I am out on the run. I am guessing that it has just been a while since I have been this out of shape. Good thing I know a few cures for my ailments…hard work and dedication. I was initially a little nervous heading over to the race but as soon as I got there, it was easy for me to just relax. Since it was just a nice training run, Jeff and I just chilled a few rows back from the crowded start line and we set a nice comfortable pace once the gun went off.
For about the first 5-6 miles, we chatted away just like it was one of our fun 21 milers out to Dog’s House and back. Life was feeling pretty good. Then, around mile 6 or so, the chatting slowed considerably, the pace picked up, and we had to focus a little more on the effort at hand. Neither one of us took mile splits, but we most certainly ran this race as a big negative split. Once we were quiet, we each took turns pressing a little bit and we both ran well up Kahala road and up Diamond Head. Once we rolled over the top of DH, that is when I started to suffer a little more than I am used to. Jeff moved away from me with about 1k to go and I felt like I was just trying to hold on. Jeff was 39th and I finished up in 42nd overall with a time of 1:06:08. This was a bit off my 5th place effort of 2011 when I ran 56:03 but I know that I am just getting started again and that I need to be patient. It was great to see Doc Florimonte at the finish line. He came over to say hi and check on my hip progress. He is now a member of the 40-44 age group and he took home the top prize for the bunch.
Now for some Ultra news and updates…
I just registered and made travel arrangements for the Javelina 100 miler Oct 26-27 in Arizona. I am pretty excited about this and I think training for this event will help me get myself back going in the right direction. So far, Pauline and her sister Katherine are planning on crewing and I am hopeful that a few others may come out to join us as well.
I also just found out that I am number 7 on the HURT wait list. I think that is a pretty nice spot and I am going to start wrapping my head back around 100 miles of HURT so I am ready when I get the call.
This week I ran 46 miles and the goal for the next week is 50-55 miles.
The next races on the calendar are the Tantalus Triple Trek 50k August 31 and the Marathon Readiness Series 20k on Sept 1. Lots of great training ahead!
Have a great week!
Aloha,
Michael
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: 15k, HURT
Aloha,
The last time I wrote on the blog, there was quite a bit of uncertainty about my running plans for the rest of 2013. My performance at the Ohlone 50k finally forced me to actively address the hip pain that I had been running with for several months. A quick trip to my GP Dr. Florimonte led me to the MRI machine for some excellent tests and evaluation. I then hooked up with Dr. Nick Crawford–an amazing orthopedic surgeon who happens to specialize in hips.
I initially freaked out when the MRI report stated that I suffered a labral tear in my right hip. Yep, straight up freaked out! I read everything that I could online and I reached out to several of my super-smart friends to ask for advice. Of course, I did all this while I was waiting for my appointment with Dr. Crawford. When I finally talked with Dr. Crawford, he acknowledged my labral tear but he told me that the true concern was the tendonitis in my upper, deep hamstring. Bottom line, if I could get the hamstring back online, then I would be fine. That was July 3 and I have now completed 7 trips to my awesome physical therapists Cat & Seung at Jaco here in Honolulu. We are working to strengthen my core as well as my right glute. I think I may have been working thru this hip injury since February 2012 when I ran Rocky Raccoon 100 and I have been compensating with my gait ever since. My right glute has atrophied considerably and is much smaller than my left (funny how nobody has checked me out as I ran by and noticed the difference). Since this is the case, we have been working out the inflammation with deep tissue massage and working out the muscle with a great series of exercises. I am now growing closer to running and walking pain free. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
After that July 3 doctor visit, I started to slowly get back to running. I had missed several races on my calendar and I worked hard to not push myself to the point of re-injury. After putting in a few 30-40 mile weeks, I felt that I was ready for a nice, easy long run. As it happened, the HURT Run with the Pigs hit the calendar just right. The race was 22 trail miles out and back from the top of the Pali lookout to Waimanalo and back. I had never run on these trails before and I was excited. The best part was the starting configuration…. The race was run like the Dipsea race in the Bay Area, utilizing an elaborate handicapping system based on age and gender. Small groups were sent off from the start in 2-3 minute intervals and it was just what I needed. I did not think at all about racing, I was just out to get in a nice, long trail run to test my hip and hamstring. I know I am not in shape, but a nice experience would give me a great idea as to how I should proceed for the rest of 2013.
Overall, I am very happy with my run. On the way out, I met some pretty cool runners and after a while, I was able to get into a nice rhythm. I turned my head off and just ran. By the way, did I mention that my longest run over the past 4 weeks was 11 miles and that was on Thursday. Anyway, when I arrived at the turnaround, I was greeted by Pauline and the awesome HURT volunteers. One of those volunteers was an old friend from my Coffeehouse days at UC Davis—Johnny L. It was great to catch up and introduce him to Pauline. I see Johnny at races sometimes around the island but i was so happy to be back at a race, that I just hung out at the aid station chatting for way too long! Once I took off to head back to the start, things had started to stiffen up a little bit and my lack of fitness started to show itself. I was able to put in a mixture of running and hiking on the way back up the hill and I was happy to get the race finish under my belt. I was pretty sore the next day but i am attributing most of that to my lack of fitness and toughness. Totally fixable issues. Big thanks to Pauline, Johnny, and the great team at HURT for a fun Saturday morning.
A quick heads up for all of you Pauline fans out there… She is starting to get back to running this week. She has been working thru some knee pain since Poland and she went to see another amazing orthopedist on island who is also a friend of mine, Dr. Spencer Chang. Pauline is starting her rehab @Jaco this week and I am sure that she will be posting about her training as soon as she starts to string a few weeks together.
Speaking of HURT… A few weeks ago, my training partner and friend Jeff, and I decided to sign up for Sunday’s lottery for the 2014 HURT 100. The HURT 100 is one of the toughest races around and it is right in my backyard. It has grown in importance for me personally and I am now of the opinion that it is a “must race” for me. Unfortunately, 2014 will not be my year for HURTing. Neither Jeff nor I got in on the lottery…back to the drawing board and back to focusing on the rest of the 2013 calendar. A very full calendar as it is….. I had already signed up for my 2013 races prior to my injury so I am planning on using them to help build my fitness and to use them as benchmarks along the way. I am planning on adding one race to the calendar—the Javelina Jundred 100 miler in Arizona. The race takes place October 26-27 and I think I have enough time to get ready. I just need to make my accommodations, register for the race, and then I am all set. I think running another 100 will help me regain my swagger and set me up well for 2014. I will also need to start to put a crew together to hang out with me in the Arizona desert. Should be a fun time!
Next up is the first race in the Honolulu Marathon readiness series, the Norman Tamanaha 15k this Sunday at Kapiolani park. Jeff is coming off injury as well and is training for a November Ironman so we should have a fun time chillin out along the 15k course Sunday morning. I also have 3 more ultras planned heading into Javelina— the HURT Tantalus Triple Trek 50k here in early September, then the newly revamped (due to a nasty forest fire) Noble Canyon 50k in San Diego September 21 and the Dick Collins 50 mile in NorCal October 12. The big goals are just to improve fitness and gain more valuable experience. Of course, I will need to run a Western States qualifier at Dick Collins so I can have a shot at running the 2014 Grand Slam….
Ok, now I am getting excited!
Happy Running
Michael
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: HURT, rehab
Michael finished the 22 miler with some soreness but in good spirits. Stay tuned for his race report and a recap of the last couple months! Happy running!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Maunawili 22 miler
Michael came through the half about 9:45 and should be done in two hours. Though hilly throughout, the trail ascends more on the way back so he’ll be in for a climb heading to the finish. No pig sightings on the course (the trails are known to be a favorite amongst wild pigs) but there were some horses grabbing a bite at the aid station. Thanks to the HURT community for the volunteering efforts and for being genuinely great people.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: HURT, Maunawili 22 miler
Aloha everyone!
Apologies for the brief disappearance from the blogosphere. Michael has been recovering from an injury which he will report on soon. Luckily he’s been managing it well with physical therapy and is making a comeback to the trails this morning. He’s just started a 22 mile out and back from the Pali lookout to Waimanalo. It’s rainy in the hills this morning so we’re praying to the solid footing gods for no slips or spills.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Maunawili 22 miler
Aloha,
This past weekend I ventured back to the San Francisco Bay Area for the Ohlone 50k. The course is super hilly with 7800 feet of climbing and 7400 feet of descending trails traveling from Fremont to Livermore. The course was absolutely amazing and the race organizers did a top notch job! I am seriously impressed by everyone involved in this race. Big thanks to the race director, staff, and amazing volunteers!!
The morning started with Blaine and I heading over to the race start. I was feeling ok, with my hip being just a bit sore. I have been fighting off some hip/pelvis pain over the past 4-5 weeks and I have limited my training over that period of time. However, I have still been putting in long races 5 of the last 7 weekends. I have been hoping that the bits of rest would help with the hip discomfort and I had only run 3-4 times since our return from Europe. The plan for the race was to just run even, smart, and stay within myself. I really wanted to see where I stood heading into the San Diego 100 in a few weeks and work out any final kinks. Before the race, I was mentally scattered. I actually forgot where my racing sunglasses were! Unreal! I was glad Blaine was there to help me out of my haze and keep me laughing.
The race starts out around 400 feet elevation and travels up to the top of Mission Peak during the first 4-5 miles. This is about 2100 feet of climbing right out of the gate. I felt nice and controlled, but a little tight. (Yes, I lost my right shoe in a mud bog along some single track on the climb–nothing like blocking about 10 runners on the trail while I went back into the bog to retrieve said shoe). After the climb, it was a beautiful, long descent into Sunol—around 9 miles into the race. This would be the only time I would be able to see Blaine along the course since this was the only crew accessible spot on the route. I was feeling ok and it was nice to catch up with old friend Suzie Lister at the aid station. I filled up with Skratch labs secret drink mix and made my way onto the really long part of the day. We would spend the next hours climbing to the top of Rose Peak–around 3800 feet. Along this next bit of the course, I found myself walking more than normal and I was feeling increasing pain in my right hip/pelvis area. The entire course was either up or down and as the day went on, things felt worse and worse. Miles 12-20 felt like–Well I just started feeling awful. I could feel my hip getting worse and my spirits were heading that way as well. I was no longer competing. Heck, I was walking so much–I was hiking more than running.
After about 20 miles, I mentally hunkered down and decided to just focus on getting home to the finish line. I knew Blaine would be worried about me after about 5:30-6 hours. That meant that Pauline would be worried about me from Oahu, since her and Blaine were texting during the race. I tried to not think that I was letting anybody down with such a rough day.
I finally made it to the finish line in 7:40–This is funny because that is the goal time I set for myself at the Dick Collins 50 MILER coming up this October. This was by far the toughest 50k I have ever run and it was also my slowest. At the finish, my hip/pelvis felt pretty bad and we just jumped in the van and headed back home. Blaine, Pauline, and Dan all did a great job talking me through a tough afternoon and night and I am completely grateful to have such an amazing support system!
As for the future racing plans—I am heading in to see Doc Florimonte here on Oahu Wednesday morning to see what our next steps are…Rest? PT? Orthopedist? MRI? We will see. I am very open and I just want to run and train pain free again. I am 90% certain that I will not race the Hibiscus Half Marathon this weekend here in town and I am starting to wonder about the logic behind racing the San Diego 100 in a few weeks. I don’t have to make that decision quite yet, but I want to be smart and make the right decision. I don’t want to show up in San Diego if I am not healthy and ready to compete.
I will keep you all informed as I know more!
Thanks for reading..The next few blogposts may be more like corewithgarrison.com or yogawithgarrison.com or eatbetterwithgarrison.com
Also, please check out these sites–Amazing products that really help make my journey more enjoyable and successful
http://www.iruninternational.com Amazing headphones, socks, laces, and more
http://www.skratchlabs.com The best drink mix in the business!
Mahalo
Michael
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Ohlone 50k
Aloha everyone
Apologies for the late update. Michael finished the Ohlone in ~7 hours (will post official time when it come in) on a brutal course with 8k feet of climbing. Michael will post a race report when he gets back to the islands. Thanks all for tuning in!
Posted in Uncategorized
Run With Garrison 