The half-ironman workout last weekend and recovering to run 28 miles on Saturday was crucialI've broke through a mental/physical barrier. I've dialed in the remaining 60 days of my training and I no longer have any lingering doubt about my abilities. My level of preparedness was more so evident when I started and finished Sunday's 8-mile recovery hill run with no soreness. Monday was a rest day and I was strong and ready for an extended cycle-commute totaling 3 hours yesterday, run-commute today, Friday and then back to the mountains Saturday for a 43-mile training run at altitude. I'm going to couple that with a 9-mile recovery run on Sunday for a grand total of 66 miles in 3 days and 80 for the weekmy most ever.

Sunday night, Marie and I sat down and sketched out what weekend training distances need to look like for the next two months. I’ve included 14 miles of running each Friday so I start Saturday long runs on semi-fatigued legs. This way, I’ll be even stronger on fresh legs at the start of the SD100. The following schedule the basic weekend mileage until June.

4/11: 14M

4/12: 24+19= 43M Cuyamaca State Park

4/13: 9M Mission Trails Regional Park

4/18: 14M

4/19: 30M Pacific Crest Trail

4/20: 9M Mission Trails Regional Park

4/25: 14M

4/26: 26+24= 50M Cuyamaca State Park

4/27: 4M (Marie--La Jolla 13.1)

5/2: 14M

5/3: 33M Noble Canyon Trail

5/4: 20M Lake Hodges

5/9: 14M

5/10: 52M Peñasquitos Canyon (PCT?)

5/11: 18M Mission Trails Regional Park

5/16: 14M

5/17: 30M Cuyamaca State Park

5/18: 20M Lake Hodges

5/23: 14M

5/24: 24M Pacific Crest Trail

5/25: 13M Peñasquitos Canyon

5/30: 14M

5/31: 9M

6/1: 0! (Marie--Rock 'n' Roll Marathon)

6/2: Memorial Day

6/5: Steve arrives

6/7: SD100

6/8: SD100

Here are a couple snaps from Saturday in Cuyamaca State Park, home of the SD100:

Saturday morning, Marie and I made our third-straight weekend pilgrimage to Cuyamaca State Park for our last long trail run this month. We got on the second portion of the SD100 race course for seven hours. There are still lots of downed trees blocking the trail from last year’s firestorm. No way will these be removed before the race which will be quite the surprise for runners who haven’t previewed the course. They got the best of Marie on several occasions. Her sexy legs still look sexy, but were badly scraped by the end of our 27-miler—ouch!

We’ve now scouted the entire race course and I’m feeling optimistic. I’m confident in my support crew, even more so now that it includes my brother—making a guest appearance from the east coast. Secondly, I’m stoked because my fitness level is right where it needs to be. This became more evident when the alarm sounded at 6:30 am Sunday--my legs were fresh and I crushed an 8-mile recovery run, followed by 2.5 hours on the bike like it was nothing. Training at altitude is amazing!

Monday, I spontaneously took the day off from work to capitalize on a mountain bike trip with my good friend Tim. He got us full suspension bikes for the day because he is scouting trails out near Idyllwild for a trail running event he is directing in October. The route we took was by no means suitable for this type of running event but we still had blast.

Training for my first 100-mile run is exciting and throwing a half-ironman in the mix has made it even more fun. The Ford Ironman California 70.3 on 3/29 is almost here. I’m going to hold off on any more long runs until April. Once April hits, I’m going to peak with some serious mountain running sessions (including night running sessions) into the beginning of May and then taper down to harness the energy for 6/7-6/8.

While Marie and I were traveling to Catalina earlier this month for the Avalon 50, we were discussing my race calendar for the year that I’ve since settled on and shared with you Tuesday. I use the expression “settled on” because I felt as though something was missing from my schedule. More specifically, I wanted to attempt an Ironman-distance triathlon in 2008.

Yesterday, my wish was granted. I received the news that the SD100 has been moved up four months from October to June. Not only will I be faced with the challenge of preparing for a 100-mile run with 4-months less time, but I’ll now add an Ironman-distance event to 2008, the Silverman full-distance triathlon. I’m not sure what to say except thank you. Is that sick? In no way is this meant to discredit the difficulty of the SD100 but it seemed like the year was very spread out and I feared burnout with my peak race so late in the season.

Adjustments to my racing calendar will be minor. The major change leading up to the SD100 will be an increase in training volume with attention to the long runs. Since the race will be in Cuyamaca State Park, and not on the Pacific Crest Trail, I’ll be sure to get out there as often as possible between now and June 7.

When I shared the news with Marie, she responded by asking, “What do we need to do to make it happen?” (Isn’t she amazing?) She even suggested we replace the Mountain of Gold race on March 16 for a training run in Cuyamaca SP. Plus she had already recruited her coworker/training buddy, Rebekah, to be a part of my crew team for the race. Marie and Rebekah crewed for Joe Decker and his girlfriend Nicole in the 2007 SD100 so they already have experience crewing in Cuyamaca SP. I’m honored to have them in my corner and that much more confident things are going to workout.

Are you guys in my corner too!?

Last night, I installed aero bars and a forward angled seat post to convert my road bike to a triathlon setup. I received some helpful tips from folks in the discussion boards so if you’re ever looking to make the switch, check out our dialogue: Road to Tri bike conversions.

Tomorrow morning, I’m meeting Airey and jesse@active for a 50-mile ride to test this new positioning. It’s going to be important to pay close-attention to my biomechanics because new muscles will be activated. There will be more stress on my neck, lower-back and hamstrings. I’m looking forward to the change in my training to prepare for the Ford Ironman 70.3 California.

I'm going to hit the lap pool on Sunday morning and enjoy another non-impact active recover/triathlon training session. Carrie Smith has kindly provided the following swim workout:

500 swim

8x50

300 swim

2x100

100 swim

The Avalon 50 took a lot out of me both physically and mentally. I’ve been resting all week, eating healthy and getting to sleep early each night. I’ve used the muscle stick for massage and a yoga class to salvage flexibility so my body has recovered from the soreness and my hips are no longer tight. Along with the physical repercussions, mentally, I’ve been in a slump all week and I’m finally beginning to come out of it. It’s hard to explain the way I’ve felt, but it’s actually been pretty depressing. It’s kind of scary for me because I am always so positive, no matter what, and this week has been a challenged to keep an upbeat attitude.

Despite the “runner’s low,” each day has been better than the last and I’ve used this time to reflect on my accomplishments in 2007 and also plan out 2008. This past year has been a dream--just look at this list of activities!

2008 is going to be a big year and I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with you all. Over the course of this year, I am going to train and compete in effort to build my endurance for the main event in October: The San Diego 100.

Please join me for another awesome year in adventure!!!

2008 race preview:

Before my first 50-mile ultra marathon in August, my spirit was resolute but I lacked proper physical conditioning for such high mileage and rugged terrain. It was irresponsible of me to have entered that race, but I would not trade that experience for anything. What ensued was a 15-hour odyssey through which I discovered my hidden potential. I ventured into the unknown, miles beyond my comfort zone. It broke me physically, but my spirit never faltered.

This weekend, I will attempt another 50-mile race and do so with confidence because of my commitment to conditioning my body and mind with greater care during the last four months. My training volume has increased significantly while continuing to diversify and intensify.

San Diego Track Club coach Paul Greer, who I trained under only briefly at the beginning of 2007, had a saying that has helped me focus on my goals. He would use a bullhorn to lead his practices and repeat this quote at the beginning and end of each workout, The will to succeed means nothing without the will to prepare.

Here is the elevation profile of the Avalon 50 on January 12:

Stay tuned for a post-race report. Thank you all for your continued support!

I covered somewhere around 18-miles on Saturday in Joshua Tree National Park. It took me over five hours because I lost the trail and continued to scramble my way over a mountain pass in effort to make it a looping out-and-back route. I guess I lost the correct trail pretty early on. This might have been because of how absorbed I was in listening to Into the Wild on audiobook.

Despite the lack of water and calories, I still finished feeling good and now I'm confident that Sunday's 50-mile training run in Penasquitos Canyon will go well. I'm teaming up with Joe Decker's group for four, 13-mile loops. With the support of these awesome folks, Sunday should be a breeze. Stay tuned for how it all works out. Thanks for reading!

The inaugural Noble Canyon 50K ultra marathon started at 7 a.m. Saturday morning. The event headquarters were based in the small town of Pine Valley, California, which sits at 3,000 feet above sea level and 45 minutes east of San Diego. The air was much cooler compared to earlier in the week, and the forecast called for temperatures to reach the mid-70s by 2 p.m.

My preparations for this race consisted of a month and a half of various outdoor activities, including a 50-mile ultra marathon, a 27-mile high-altitude trek, 33 miles of backpacking in Yosemite National Park and a high-alpine mountaineering expedition to the summit of Mount Russell.These outings were coupled with a series of diverse workouts, including open-water swims, bike-commuting, yoga, trail running, and an hour and half outdoor fitness workout consisting of cardio, calisthenics, plyometrics and flexibility.

Throughout the past month, I’ve experimented with many different energy gels, bars and fuels to devise a strategy for an efficient endurance nutrition plan. I trained with these products to make sure they were right for my body for these high-output activities. During the race on Saturday, my nutrition plan proved fantastic as I felt sufficiently fueled for the entire 33-mile effort.

The course set out in a 16-mile climb to the 6,000-foot summit of the Laguna Mountains. My pace during this steady climb was influenced by a fellow ultra-runner who I met during the Mt. Disappointment 50-miler in August. We ran together for the first dozen miles of Mt. D at a 10-minute mile pace, which proved to be too ambitious for my first 50-mile effort. As I slowed down, she maintained the same pace for the entire 50 miles to finish 15th overall. Saturday was different, as I was able to stick with her at this pace for the most difficult section of the race course. At the 16.2-mile aid station, it was brought to our attention by a race official that we were among the top-30 runners.

Having completed the most difficult section of the course, I knew I needed to settle in and focus on the next 10-mile portion of the race. As I slowed my pace down to ingest an energy-gel packet, my ultra-running buddy pulled ahead and continued her consistent pace (She went on to finish 16th overall). I would only see fleeting glimpses of her as this section of the trail flowed on spectacular single-track, working its way in and out of a forest through beautiful meadows. The field of runners had spreadout and I was alone on the trail. I felt confident and knew that all I had to do was maintain this pace until mile 21, where the trail reconnected to the first portion of the course and began the final descent back into Pine Valley.

After arriving at aid station four (21.6 miles) I was thrilled to begin the steady elevation drop because I had completed the two most difficult sections of the race and this section would pass much faster than the climb that started the day. The descent of the Noble Canyon trail varies greatly in terrain. This is the top mountain biking trail in San Diego County, so there are tightly-packed sections that build speed mixed with highly technical rock sections that slow running to a cautious walk. This continued for the next hour as the sun began to heat up and the finish line gradually approached. I hit the last aid station and took down two small cups of soda to regain mental clarity from the caffeine. I thanked the group of high school cross country runners who volunteered to spend their Saturday in the middle of the woods to help with this aid station and set off in the final section of the race.

The downhill speed was tough on my tired legs but I was in the zone and concentrating on carefully choosing each step to maximize the efficiency of my stride. I emerged from the trail into the parking lot 20 minutes shy of the six-hour mark. The last stretch of the course felt like a dream. I felt like I was floating and could no longer feel my legs as I made my way along the side of the road toward the finish line. The heat radiated from the asphalt surface as I thought about my first 50K in March, which I completed in 6 hours, 15 minutes. That course was much less technical, so crossing the finish line and finishing this race in 5:49 was a major accomplishment. Out of the 134 runners who started the race, 123 finished and I was 27th.

Being one of the youngest in the top 30 and shaving 25 minutes off of my time made me feel really good about my training and the progress I’ve made since the Lake Hodges 50K in March. My recovery time has also improved as I have already begun to feel better. I’m excited for the next adventure, which will take place in two weeks. Stay tuned for more info on the Palisade Traverse, where I will climb five, 14,000-foot mountains in one weekend. Thank you all for your support. If you have any questions about nutrition products, training strategies or trip planning, feel free to post a comment or send me an email.

I ventured out to the Noble Canyon trail for an 18-mile run this weekend despite the serious brush-fire in Pine Valley that made headlines early last week. There were no issues gaining access to the trail--considered one of the finest mountain biking trails in all of San Diego County. It’s also the site of the inaugural Noble Canyon 50K on September 29, my final ultra-marathon of 2007.

The trail conditions varied from hard-packed and fast to rugged and cautious during the nine-mile climb from 3000 feet to the 6000-foot summit of Mt. Laguna. It’s part of my pre-race strategy to check out the course before the race so I can know what to expect of the terrain and practice visualization techniques. I felt good during the run even though I could have ingested a few more calories during my four-hour effort.

My training between now and the race is quite diverse. Tonight, I am training with my relay team for the La Jolla 10-Mile Relay Swim. We’ll probably get out for a quick mile swim in preparation for Sunday’s event.

Tomorrow is a recovery day on the bike and Thursday night my relay team is going to do the SportsQuest Direct Aquathon with the Triathlon Club of San Diego. This is a 1000-meter swim followed by a 5K run on the beach. Friday is yoga and a rest day to prepare for an outdoor fitness class on Saturday morning with The World’s Fittest Man, Joe Decker. The hour and a half workout incorporates various cardio, calisthenics, plyometrics and flexibility exercises.

I plan to keep you all posted with results from the aforementioned events as well as my training leading up to race-day. I’m feeling optimistic about my current level of conditioning which will make for an exciting performance in the Noble Canyon 50K.