Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
The North Face Endurance Challenge San Francisco 50 Mile
THE NORTH FACE
ENDURANCE CHALLENGE
GORE-TEX 50 MILE on
12/5/2015 at Marin Headlands
I've thought about returning to the Golden Gate National Recreational Area ever since my first endurance challenge. There is something about experiencing a park that was set aside as San Francisco was built that resonates with me. What's magical is coming upon the Golden Gate Bridge from a single track trail, experiencing what feels like a light rain but is really just drops from the coastal redwoods drinking the fog, or the clean pacific ocean air on your lungs. Those heightened senses when enduring a 50 mile run create memory impressions that run deep and I'm stoked to be going back for more!
In my life, running has transformed my perspective to live a life filled with limitless possibilities for growth. With running you can narrow your focus to control the controllables and set goals you yourself make individual progress on. You can choose something you care about with passion then apply energy to do something about it to improve. The accumulation of hard work adds up and on race day you bring the best version of yourself forward for the challenge.
While running, you can surrender your mind to focus all of your energy on this very moment and the struggle sharpens your body and your mind instead of avoiding it with modern day conveniences. If you've read my previous blogs, I put words into action and love a good mantra to think about as I chase my goals. My legs only take me so far and when they get tired its my mind that challenges me to believe in myself and my ability, do my very best and accomplish anything I set my mind to do.
At the starting line, the anticipation of what is going to happen is magical. Everyone here is seeking adventure and enjoying some of the best experiences life has to offer. This is not the part of society that plays a video game but rather steps into that video game character within themselves to seek adventure in real life. We are about to race through the Muir Woods, one of the most beautiful places on earth and when the struggle gets real the energy in those surroundings is something surreal to tap into.
So I'm lined up at the starting line and to my right is no other the author of the Field Guide to Ultrarunning, Hal Koerner. My friend Tyler who just did Pine to Palm 100 had a crazy idea for me to carry a GoPro for 50 miles today so as luck would have it, the opportunity just presented itself for an interview with Hal on the starting line. In this sport, I get to follow in the footsteps of my idols and see eye to eye at the very moment they look into the eye's of competition. Very real. So Hal says, "the wolves are coming out today". To hear the alpha wolf relay that mindset as the pack lines up put me right there in the moment. To witness what is humanly possible from the greats in our sport gives me perspective to push my own boundaries. I love the fact that I'll be running in Hal's foot steps on the trail today.
The race starts off fast and the momentum of the group carries me up the first hill effortlessly. I take a few moments to point the GoPro to the incredible views along the way. One of the views was a river of headlamps lighting up the trail behind me. The trail felt alive.
My day was going just like any long run out to Mt Tam, the half way point. I used Tailwind exclusively as my fuel. Arriving at each aid station was like clock work where I opened my handheld prior to arriving, handed it over to the volunteer to fill with water then pulled out a zip lock back of tailwind to refill and go. I felt perfect all day with this approach.
Arriving at the last aid station with drop bags, I had placed a Red Bull and iPod in my special needs bag to give me a boost to bring it home. This was a pivotal moment for my day to attempt digging deep for a sub 10 finish. I had assessed fellow runners I was next to at this point of the race and picked one runner to follow for dear life. He was fast on the down hills and picking people off so I jumped on his heels. What I can describe happened next was just like downhill skiing. I took risk, jumped over stairs, tried skipping & jumping on the tops of rocks, leaned into it and went crazy fast downhill. I took an epic fall going all out on tired legs and landed flat on my chest. Fortunately, I landed on good dirt and avoided falling on any rocks. I got right back up and kept on his heels. We ran on the flats, continuing to pick people off. It was the best part of the race, having the reserves to pace a fast runner home.
I finished with a 9:45, a one hour PR from last year. It felt amazing to tap into a state of all out 100% that has grown from my all out capabilities just one year ago. Its always an emotional finish to put it out there on the line and see what your body's capable of. Its a validation point for me to keep going with the momentum and see where this path will lead.
Strava Results
http://www.strava.com/running-races/2015-the-north-face-endurance-challenge-san-francisco-50-mile-championships
In my life, running has transformed my perspective to live a life filled with limitless possibilities for growth. With running you can narrow your focus to control the controllables and set goals you yourself make individual progress on. You can choose something you care about with passion then apply energy to do something about it to improve. The accumulation of hard work adds up and on race day you bring the best version of yourself forward for the challenge.
While running, you can surrender your mind to focus all of your energy on this very moment and the struggle sharpens your body and your mind instead of avoiding it with modern day conveniences. If you've read my previous blogs, I put words into action and love a good mantra to think about as I chase my goals. My legs only take me so far and when they get tired its my mind that challenges me to believe in myself and my ability, do my very best and accomplish anything I set my mind to do.
At the starting line, the anticipation of what is going to happen is magical. Everyone here is seeking adventure and enjoying some of the best experiences life has to offer. This is not the part of society that plays a video game but rather steps into that video game character within themselves to seek adventure in real life. We are about to race through the Muir Woods, one of the most beautiful places on earth and when the struggle gets real the energy in those surroundings is something surreal to tap into.
So I'm lined up at the starting line and to my right is no other the author of the Field Guide to Ultrarunning, Hal Koerner. My friend Tyler who just did Pine to Palm 100 had a crazy idea for me to carry a GoPro for 50 miles today so as luck would have it, the opportunity just presented itself for an interview with Hal on the starting line. In this sport, I get to follow in the footsteps of my idols and see eye to eye at the very moment they look into the eye's of competition. Very real. So Hal says, "the wolves are coming out today". To hear the alpha wolf relay that mindset as the pack lines up put me right there in the moment. To witness what is humanly possible from the greats in our sport gives me perspective to push my own boundaries. I love the fact that I'll be running in Hal's foot steps on the trail today.
The race starts off fast and the momentum of the group carries me up the first hill effortlessly. I take a few moments to point the GoPro to the incredible views along the way. One of the views was a river of headlamps lighting up the trail behind me. The trail felt alive.
My day was going just like any long run out to Mt Tam, the half way point. I used Tailwind exclusively as my fuel. Arriving at each aid station was like clock work where I opened my handheld prior to arriving, handed it over to the volunteer to fill with water then pulled out a zip lock back of tailwind to refill and go. I felt perfect all day with this approach.
Arriving at the last aid station with drop bags, I had placed a Red Bull and iPod in my special needs bag to give me a boost to bring it home. This was a pivotal moment for my day to attempt digging deep for a sub 10 finish. I had assessed fellow runners I was next to at this point of the race and picked one runner to follow for dear life. He was fast on the down hills and picking people off so I jumped on his heels. What I can describe happened next was just like downhill skiing. I took risk, jumped over stairs, tried skipping & jumping on the tops of rocks, leaned into it and went crazy fast downhill. I took an epic fall going all out on tired legs and landed flat on my chest. Fortunately, I landed on good dirt and avoided falling on any rocks. I got right back up and kept on his heels. We ran on the flats, continuing to pick people off. It was the best part of the race, having the reserves to pace a fast runner home.
I finished with a 9:45, a one hour PR from last year. It felt amazing to tap into a state of all out 100% that has grown from my all out capabilities just one year ago. Its always an emotional finish to put it out there on the line and see what your body's capable of. Its a validation point for me to keep going with the momentum and see where this path will lead.
Strava Results
http://www.strava.com/running-races/2015-the-north-face-endurance-challenge-san-francisco-50-mile-championships
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