Overview: Reaching my 2008 goal of completing both a 100-mile ultra marathon and an iron-distance triathlon has left me searching for an answer to the question everyone (including myself) keeps asking: “What’s next?”

2008 Review: Before sharing my intentions for 2009, let’s take a look back at the 2008 season. The year started with the Avalon 50 Mile Benefit Run in January where I learned important lessons about footwear and hyponatremia. During my recovery it was announced that the SD100 was bumped up from October to June, so I designed a periodized training plan to peak in both the spring and fall with a rest in the summer.

Just as I kicked off training in February, I was hit by car while riding my bike. As I recovered from the accident, I became more focused on my goal and after getting cleared to resume activity, I raced the Ironman 70.3 California in March. Then I went on to log serious mileage to prepare for the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run in June. Successfully completing the SD100 remains my proudest moment as an endurance athlete.

After a short break in the summer, I started in with triathlon training and used the Accenture Chicago Triathlon in August as a tune-up race, put in serious work on the bike and then finished off the season with the Silverman 140.6 in November.

2009 Preview: My intention is to continue to explore my potential and redefine my limits in 2009 as an individual and endurance athlete. I am registering for the 2009 Southern California Ultra Runners Grand Prix Series which features races of 50K, 50M, 100K and 100M in various state park and national forest systems in Southern California. There are typically 20 races throughout the year and the Gran Prix points are awarded for one’s top 6 performances. In addition to racing 6 of these events, there are a few other events that have caught my eye but you’ll have to stay tuned to learn more about these

Recap: It’s hard to believe I have been keeping the Active Toby's Adventure Blog for well over a year now. Looking back on previous entries is a helpful reminder of what progress looks like. I have learned so many valuable lessons from these experiences, met incredible people, visited amazing places and took in absolutely beautiful scenery. I cannot thank you enough for believing in me and joining me as I pursue my dreams.

Yours in adventure,

Toby Guillette

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Read my 2007 Review - 2008 Preview

My ultimate fitness goal for 2008 is to complete the San Diego 100-mile endurance run (SD100) on the third weekend of October. With some guidance, I’ve outlined a series of incremental goals, races and periods of rest over the course of the year that will gradually prepare me for this main event.

After finishing 2007 with a 52-mile training run and beginning 2008 with a 50-mile race, I’ve decided to use the sport of triathlon to build my fitness while taking a small yet strategic break from ultra running. My first half-Ironman distance triathlon is on March 29 in beautiful Oceanside, California. To prepare for this particular 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run, I’ve broken my training schedule into three phases and the first phase began Monday.

Bike course:   

For the next 16 days, I’ll be training in all three triathlon disciplines, a variety of cross-training exercises, plus racing a Triathlon Club of San Diego (TCSD) Duathlon on February 2. My next break is President’s Day weekend, where I’ll use a long-weekend of backcountry skiing in the Sierra Nevada as active recovery before beginning the second training phase.

The focus of phase two is “brick” training or the combination of two triathlon workouts into one and less of a focus on cross-training. For instance, upon arriving home from cycle-commuting, I will immediately go for a run. The purpose of this is to train my legs to learn how to make this transition and get used to the switch so on race day, I can jump off the bike and break out into a fast half-marathon. During this phase, I will bump up the weekend mileage on the bike and race in another TCSD Duathlon on March 3.

Phase three includes brick training, a long training ride, plus a trail race in San Luis Obispo called the Mountain of Gold on March 16. I plan on running the 25km option and Marie will run the 50km race. This way, I can fit one last long run in before my event and I will be able to pace Marie for the first two loops of her four-loop course.

I’m nervous about the half-Ironman since it is an unknown but I like the pressure since it is rapidly approaching. I need to focus right away and get to work. Having confidence in my base fitness helps, but I’m honest with myself and admit that my swimming needs work, my cycling needs work and I must include plenty of brick workouts between now and March 29 to have a decent race.

Now that I have my sights set on the SD100 in October, I’m excited to get into triathlon shape and to roll over the fitness into the next event on the list: The Leona Divide 50 on April 19. This year is off to a great start and I plan on checking in with you all along the way. Let's make thisa fun and exciting year. All the best to you and your 2008 goals!

Yours in Adventure,

~Toby

The Avalon 50 was a tougher race than I expected, but it still went really well and I learned an important lesson. It was a hot day, mid-70s, and the race wasn’t on trails—it was on fire roads and paved roads. The hard-packed terrain punished my feet and joints since I primarily train on trails that offer more natural cushioning.

Special thanks to San Diego ultra-runner Jerry Armstrong, who ran the race last year. He advised me to wear my road shoes for the race, so I ended up packing them in my drop bag, which was accessible at mile 18.9. As beautiful as the sunrise was from the highest ridge on the island, all I could think about was changing out of my trail shoes and into my lightweight road shoes.

Once I made the switch, another issue surfaced--but not so obvious. I had slowly become hyponatremic because I was not taking in enough sodium to counter-balance my water intake. I was still thirsty as I took in more and more water. I developed a headache and I couldn’t think clearly so it became increasingly difficult for self-diagnosis. I finally figured out what was going on when I recalled Joe Decker’s story from his first Badwater 135 experience. He told me that he literally had to drink salt out of a Morton’s salt container to counter-balance his over-hydration symptoms, which were very similar to mine.

At the next three aid stations, I used potato wedges to scoop-up and ingest heaping piles of salt. I finally began to feel better around mile 38 which was over 7 hours into the race. As crazy as it sounds, I felt my best for the final 10 miles. My head was clear, I had positive self-talk, my run-walk intervals up hills were pain-free and I had solid momentum. I finished with a personal record of 10 hours, 21 minutes, which is almost five hours faster than my last 50-mile race. It sounds like a significant improvement but it’s relative to the terrain differences. Mt. Disappointment was all above 5,500 feet of elevation, through rugged mountainous terrain. The Avalon 50 never climbed above 1,400 feet on hard-packed fire roads.

It was a learning experience to say the least. I have a much better understanding of my hydration needs and I’m just thankful I was able to hold it together and finish on a positive note. Now I’m excited to start training for the Ironman-70.3 in Oceanside on March 29. I’ll be taking a break from long runs to concentrate on swimming and cycling, but I’ll get into those specifics in my next series of blog posts.

I want to be sure to mention the outstanding performance of my girlfriend in her debut 50-mile race this weekend. Marie made the giant leap from 50-km races to the 50-mile distance on Saturday and finished close on my heels with a time of 10 hours, 55 minutes. I’m so proud of her and thankful that we had such a great experience together on Catalina Island.

I couldn’t do this stuff without your support--thank you all so much for believing in me.

Before things get too crazy around here with holiday travel, I’ve decided now would be the best time to check in with you all and let you know what I’ve been up to and what the next few weeks have in store.

That said, I want to introduce the latest addition to the team: Active Expert, Joe Decker Joe is a fitness expert who lives and breathes endurance. He lives here in San Diego and I’ve been training with him and his Gut Check Workout Group on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Joe holds class every day of the week, twice a day and his workouts are always challenging and offer a diverse combination of speed work, calisthenics, plyometrics and strength training—all outdoors from 6 a.m. until 7:15 a.m. I leave these group workouts feeling fulfilled because I pushed it to the max and started my day off as well as I possibly could. I feel that this style of workout has been missing until now. I encourage you to get in touch with Joe to learn more.

Then there is ActiveX Training which you may or may not have caught glimpse of here in the community. ActiveX is very similar to Joe Decker’s workouts but it’s even more concentrated, rarely lasting more than 40 minutes. These workouts are held Tuesday and Friday mornings at 11:30 a.m. I’ve been doing both Joe’s workouts and ActiveX Tuesday workouts all month.

I’ve also been quite consistent with my Friday morning yoga class which helps me recover from the high intensity, back-to-back workouts throughout the week. Yoga has been my sanctuary and has kept me balanced and injury free. I encourage you all to give yoga a try for your first time. I’m still usually one of the only guys in the class and often the least flexible out of everyone but that never discourages me because I can feel the benefits of each class and seem to learn more and take more away from each session.

This new level of training was put to the test on Sunday when I successfully ran four, 13-mile loops through Los Penasquitos Canyon. The double marathon distance run lasted just over 12 hours which breaks down to a 14-minute mile pace. This is right on par with where I need to be for the Avalon 50 on Catalina Island, January 12. The run was smooth and I felt strong from sunrise to sunset. My nutrition plan was spot-on and my recovery has been quick and with minimal soreness. I'm excited to end the year on such a positive note!

I’ll be training on the east coast for the remainder of the year. They have two feet of snow where I’ll be and I can’t stop picturing the Rocky IV training montage from the barn in Russia.

This weekend was “domestic” in the sense that I actually slept in my bed in the house that I pay rent to live in and not in a tent or bivouacked on the side of a mountain or in the desert.  I got caught up on chores around the house and managed to fit in 25 minutes of hill running on Saturday. I played some hoops on Sunday before an hour-long beach run--which reminded me of the training I must do to prepare for the Avalon 50 on January 12.

This 50-mile race on Catalina Island has a 12-hour time limit which translates to a 14-minute-per-mile pace, minimum, just to finish in time. This is a great deal faster than the 18-minute miles I averaged in the Mount Disappointment 50, but the course itself it much easier. This time I won’t be at elevation and the temperatures will be mild. This makes it easier to fathom improving my time by over 3 hours. It’s going to take plenty of work to get there and I plan to include you all on my recipe for success. Speaking of recipes, check out Melissa’s latest blog post. I was lucky enough to sample her tasty Sweet Potato, Corn, Kale and Squash Chowder today and I give it two thumbs up.

I started off the work week by cycle-commuting with Jesse@Active. We ended up riding the train with our bikes so it was only 18 miles round trip and not the full 42 miles that we usually ride. My Tuesday-morning workout was with JoeDecker, who happens to be the Guinness Book of World Records World Fittest Man title holder. The workout itself is a fantastic combination of cardio, calisthenics, plyometrics and flexibility that lasts just over an hour. There are an average of twelve people who meet every morning and some are training for the Avalon 50 as well. Working out with a great group of people and having an enthusiastic coach has left me feeling stronger and stronger after each workout. You’ll definitely be hearing more about these workouts as I attend both Tuesday and Thursday sessions leading up to race day in January. Plus, Joe has recently joined the Active Community--check out his blog, Get Fit with the World's Fittest Man.

I’m looking forward to a return trip to Joshua Tree National Park on Friday. I had initially planned to explore the small mountain town of Idyllwild, California, this weekend but I learned that their forests remain closed due to fire threat. Southern California has plenty of options for the weekend getaway and Joshua Tree remains my favorite. If my calculations are correct, this will be my eighth trip during the two years that I’ve lived in San Diego. It’s a holiday weekend for some so the park is expected to be busy. I’m very much looking forward to a long trail run through the desert.

Stay tuned for more details on my Thanksgiving Grand Canyon trip. I hope you all have a great active week.

Active Toby

Active Video:

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Photo by Gill Weiss

For a detailed course description, read my 50-Mile Ultra Marathon Preview Blog

A half-marathon distance separated me from the finish line when the elevation, fatigue and high temperatures of the exposed terrain finally attacked the little energy I had left. It was 5 p.m. on Saturday and I was 37 miles into the Mt. Disappointment 50-Mile Ultra Marathon. It was then that every muscle in both legs contracted and remained locked-up as I literally collapsed to the ground.

As anyone who’s experienced a foot cramp can tell you, the involuntary nature of the contraction is quite uncomfortable. Now imagine this happening to all of your legs muscles; calves, quads, groin and hamstrings simultaneously causing both feet to turn inwards as you stumble and collapse on the hot, dry fire road over four-miles from the next aid station.   

I had just completed a three-mile descent and was one, maybe two, miles into the six-mile ascent before the next aid station. I had to beat the 6:30 p.m. cut-off time and I knew I had to regain my strength if I wanted to continue. After collapsing, I crawled across the trail and took refuge from the sun under the shade of a yucca plant. Here, I desperately rummaged through my pack to find my endurance fuels. I ingested a pair of electrolyte capsules and an energy gel, then chased them down with a mouthful of warm water and sports-drink mixture.

As I lay there, the muscles spasms were firing at random and causing me to bellow in pain. I tried to remain calm and relax my muscles as I waited for the endurance fuels to work. Within minutes, two race officials stood over me and asked, “Are you OK?” Wondering if they were real or if I had begun to hallucinate, I asked the race official to take a picture of me using my camera. Attached is a photo of me taken by one of the officials, who laughed at my strange request. In the background, you can see the top of Mount Wilson where the finish line was located.

I got up under my own power and completed the five miles and 2,800 feet of elevation gain to the second-to-last aid station with only 15 minutes to spare. I was out of the aid station by the 6:30 p.m. cut-off and on my way to the last aid station, located 1,650 feet below on a four-mile descent. This section took me just over an hour and I was the last racer to make it in time to be allowed to continue on to the final stage. Everyone left on the course behind me would be transported to the finish line once they arrived at this final aid station.

So there I was, alone, the only runner left for the final six miles. 2,600 feet of climbing switchbacks up the east side of the mountain separated me from the goal I had been pursuing for the last 13 hours. Within a half-hour darkness closed in. I was switched on my headlamp to illuminate the single-track trail. My physical and mental condition was worsening by the minute as the elevation increased with each step. My vision was blurred, my eyes burned and I could only see one step ahead--for three hours. Step by step I continued, digging deeper into my heart than I have ever had to in my life.

This symbolized the true beginning of the race. I figured most runners, families and volunteers were already home. They had already showered, had dinner and some were probably sleeping.

Sleep. All I could think about was sleep. I wanted to sleep and to wake up in my own bed. I tried to sit down to rest but it was too painful. The muscles in my legs began to cramp again and I got up and pressed on. If only I could take a nap, I thought. Then this reasoning was challenged with the fact that even if I did sleep, I would still have to finish the race when I woke up and it would be harder to finish after stopping than if I just kept going.

So I kept going until I found a rock that stuck out about head level. I turned off my head lamp, folded my arms over the rock and rested my head upon my arms. Less than two minutes later, my eyes were open, my headlamp was on again and I was in forward pursuit of the finish line.

These mental and physical games of resting, stretching and battling from within my head and my heart continued for three hours until I could see the radio towers at the summit of Mount Wilson through the thick canopy of trees above. I set foot on the pavement with a sigh of relief as I emerged from the darkness and into the final 100 yards of my journey. My friends and remaining race volunteers all dropped what they were doing to congratulate me on my 15-hour, 15-minute finish. I was recipient of the “Get-to-the Finish” award, which is given to the runner who shows true determination. After a 45-minute rest in a chair, I had consumed a caffeinated soft-drink and my muscle spasms subsided. I was finally ready for the drive back to San Diego and to sleep in my own bed (not on a rock!).