2010 Saddleback Marathon

I often ask myself, why do I punish myself with some of these races? So many questions go through my head when I am out there. Should I be playing with my kids? Am I going to have a heart-attack? Is this my mid-life crisis? That 60 year old lady just passed me like I was standing still! What is my heart rate? What will be my time if I do ____? Am I last? After every race I think two things:

• It feels so good to finish
• It is so much easier to lazy, but you really don't accomplish anything.

Maybe the answer to the first question that I am become addicted to accomplishment. People generally do get remembered for being lazy!

ABOUT THE MARATHON
The Saddleback Marathon is considered "The Toughest Marathon in California." It is put on by Big Baz, a very respected Brit who is one nicest man you will ever meet. You start at Blue Jay campground behind chalk start line. It includes 5100 feet of climbing and peaks at about 4500 feet.

GOING INTO THE RACE
Was I looking forward to this race? No I wasn't. I was very nervous about it and but knew I could finish. An ultra runner who I very much look up too as a person and a younger version of my father, Tony convinced me to attempt the mountain trail race.

Since I had never been there before, Tony wanted me to see the few of the hills before the race. This would include going up Horse Thief Trail. We decided to go up the weekend before. Friday comes up and the weather forecast is rain. I am up for the challenge. It rained all night. Once I get all my stuff together and get in my truck, Tony called. He wanted to double check with me about going. The trail we were going to go on was technical and there were some dangerous points on it. "Lets do it." I said. We started out and it was raining pretty hard. Then the first hill... "OMG" I thought. What have I got myself into. Needless to say I had tough time that day and we ended up not going up Horse Thief, but did get in over 11 miles.

THE RACE ITSELF

Race morning I was fairly clam. Tony was introducing me to all the people he knew who frequent Baz's races. One of the highlights of Baz's races is the pre-race meeting. He is such a genuine person. No matter who you are he will give you a hug. The race meeting is so fun. It is like watching a stand-up comic. Great stuff.

I broke down the race into sections

• Up San Juan Trail (don't go to fast and don't stop)
• Down Trabuco Trail (enjoy this as it should be)
• Holy Jim Trail (just make it up with out dying)
• Main Divide (run all downhills)
• Down San Juan Trail (use whats left in the tank)

Knowing I had a long day ahead of me, I really tried to take it easy at the start. I made up San Juan trail faster than the previous week without stopping. Made it to the first aid station, I was still very happy. Looking forward to the downhill of Trabuco, I tried to remember tips from Tony; "Keep you eyes on the trail and feet up." He forget to tell me to "watch your head." Being a tall guy you would think I would be use to that. Needless to say I hit my head twice going down the hill.

After almost running downhill on a technical trail for about 5 miles, I made it to the next aid station at the bottom of Trabuco. Refilled my water bottles, grabbed a hand full of cookies, then started up "The Grind" of Holy Jim Trail. This trail is 5 miles with about 2500 feet of climbing. This was the hardest physical thing I have ever done. A lot of emotions ran through me while hiking up that trail. I tried to think about my kids most of the time. I have learn the hard way that "switchbacks" are not cool.

Finally made it to the aid station at the top of Holy Jim. Once I left that station is where the emotions changed really fast. It went from happiness to anger to complete sadness in just minutes. I still have a few choice words for that trail. Now running again and taking it slow because there is another steep hill coming up.

The picture below is of Tony after leaving the aid station at the top of Holy Jim. At this time I was probably just start to go up it.

The of the race is a blur to me. The Main Divide was cool because there are many points if you look parallel to the left and to the right you only see blue sky. Very cool stuff. I was able to eat a little bit but could not get my legs going again. Don't know if I was just spent or it was the attitude which I am not use to. I had not seen anyone for quite a while except for some rangers. There was suppose to be a fourth aid station, but they had packed up and left. Thankfully I had enough water.

The last hill was nice because the race directory for Old Goats Trail Races, Steve Harvey was waiting for me. There was a couple of runners/walkers behind me and there was a gap between me and the runner in front of me. Steve walked up that last hill with me. It was nice to chat was him.

At the last aid station, while looking at the table it was moving in a circle. "Shit" thinking to myself, I needed to start moving again. Its all downhill from there. I made it just over 7 hours which I accept. I know I can do better, just need a little more focus and determination.

MY THOUGHTS AFTERWARDS

This a great achievement for me, but it did leave me with some questions

• Could I do this again? Maybe or maybe not.
• Should I do it again? Probably not in my current running shape.
• Will I do it again? Probably

This is a very hard race, but enjoy the people who do it. The only thing I don't like about Baz's races is that there is no finishing medals, which I value.

I want to do this race again, but I need to train up there. Its hard to find someone who likes my pace and is willing to go up there. You don't want to go up there by yourself. Especially if you don't want to be cougar food.

2010 Catalina Marathon

As one of my favorite weekend's of the year approached, I eagerly watched the weather forecast and ocean conditions to find everything looking good. This year, Jodeen and I were joined by my sister in-law, Amy, and niece, Blakely. It would be their first marathon. Blakely arrived on Thursday from a long drive after Arizona.

We took the 2:30 pm boat out of Dana Point. Usually we take the boat out of Long Beach, but the port was closed for dredging. While waiting to load, everyone was thoroughly entertained by a bird who had just caught his lunch. I have no idea what type of bird it was, but I am glad we were at a safe distance. There was a lot of fish that he did not feel like eating, which found its way in pieces to the ground.

The boat that goes out of Dana Point is a little smaller than the ones that go out of Long Beach and San Pedro. So, there was not much seating outside, which is where we like to sit. Luckily, though, we were able to find a bench up on top which fit all 4 of us and all of our gear.

Unlike the boat ride two weeks earlier, this one was very smooth. We only experienced 1-3 foot seas, which was great. It's about 35 miles from Dana Point to Avalon and takes about 75-90 minutes to get there.

After getting to Avalon, we walked to Sumner Street to grab a taxi to Hamilton Cove. We like staying at Hamilton Cove because it is quiet, and most of the time you get a golf cart to ride around in. It's a little more money than the hotels, but well worth it for us.
After having arrived at the condo and having a little trouble locating the golf cart, we found our way up to the expo to pick up our race packets. This is one of the times I am happy that we have a cart to get around. This is because of the hill to get to the hotel, where the expo is located, not much fun since you have to be climbing all of the next day. Walked up to the line and found it longer than previous years. We were supposed to meet Tony (Jodeen's co-worker) and his wife for dinner at El Galleon and we were late. But this year they were holding people at the door so it wasn't so crowded. It worked perfect and we were in and out of there quickly. After a wonderful dinner we headed back to the condo for a early bedtime. The alarm clocks/watches were set to 3:45 am. Got a great night sleep and everyone was up getting ready. Hurrying the girls along, I made sure everyone had their boat tickets and their i-pods. We meet Tony at 4:15 to go down to the dock for the 5:00 am boat from Avalon to Two Harbors. This boat ride is why I believe many people shy away from this marathon. Two years ago it was a very rough ride and a lot of people got sick. Last year and this year the seas were fairly calm. When we got to Two Harbors, we were just beat out to the dock by a boat from Marina Del Ray.

This was the only bummer of the whole weekend. When the Marina Del Ray boat was docking it sucked a rope up on its bow thruster. They could not leave until they removed that rope. It took them at least 45 minutes to remove it. Divers could not release the rope because it was too tightly wrapped. I know what this is like because I have gotten a rope wrapped on my boat, and what a PIA that is. They ended up just cutting the rope and leaving a stuck portion in the thruster. Everyone on our boat was pissed. I overheard one of the deck hands saying as the Marina Del Ray boat drove by that they were all laughing. The deck hands were pissed, rightfully.

After getting of the boat at 6:45 am, the girls who were registered as walkers (walkers were scheduled to leave at 6:30 am) changed and got ready as fast as they could. They were out and going by 7:00 am. The runners were scheduled to take off at 7:00 am but the race director delayed the start until 7:15 am.Tony and I were a little rushed but not too bad. It's 7:14 am and Tony turns to me, shakes my hand and says "Jeremy, good luck and have fun." Tony is an ultra marathoner and is going to make a good effort today. The race starts and I see Tony for the last time until the finish.

I started up the first hill, and not realizing how beautiful the day was going to be. We were in for a real treat.

A lot of these pictures were taken by Amy, especially during the race. We are very glad she brought her camera along. Catalina Island is so beautiful to run and walk, the pictures do not do it justice. Most times if you are not with a tour, you can not get to some of the places we run through. At about mile 21 you reach the highest point on the island.

So, how did the race go you ask? I love it so much, I already can not wait until next year. I had a goal of breaking the 6 hour mark this year, but was only able to get in at 6:15. I feel I did great. I was having knee issues about mile 11 which cleared up within a mile. At mile 18 at the top of Pumphouse Hill, I started to run again and got a softball size knot in my hamstring. That stopped me in my tracks. It took about a quarter mile to work that cramp out along with a couple of others. Pumphouse Hill is a killer, which I really tried to push up.

I got to mile 21 and wanted to run the rest of the way. I told Jack, who is the race director, I was going to run the rest of the way in. He is a friend of ours so he followed me for about 4 miles to keep pushing me. I skipped the aid station at mile 23 which was a mistake. Doing really well, everything started to slow down. Jack passed me up and I said, "I am hurting." He said, "You look it, but you are not going to stop." It was hard, but I pushed through. DONE.

What is so amazing, not just the views and the experience itself, it's the crowd, no matter if you are first or last, everyone is cheering. Its such a cool feeling. I tell people who have never done a marathon, the feeling that you have after you finish is such an awesome high. It's addicting.

Blakely finished just under the 7 hour mark. I passed Blakely at about mile 13 and she was looking really tired. I tried to push her a little, but had to continue running my own race. I saw Jodeen and Amy just before mile 8 and they seemed to be having a great time. Jodeen and Amy finished at 7:15. Tony finished at 4:46. They say for most to add a half hour to an hour to your best flat marathon. Next year my goal will be 5:30. Bold goal, but the training for it has already started.

One note I finished first in my division of the American Trail Championship. My division is super-buffalo which is racers over 220 as well as my age group. Also I am very proud of Amy and Blakley who finished their first marathon and a tough one at that. Great job!

After finishing, we went back and took showers. Then we headed back out for an early dinner at Coyote Joes. Great hole-in-the-wall mexican food. After dinner, we went back to the condo for a nap. Jodeen and I then met up with some friends to watch really bad Karaoke at El Galleons that evening.

Here some more photos of our trip:

The goodies I got:

Garmin Details:
2010 Catalina Marathon Video
Finish line (split frames)
- Jeremy: 15:43
- Blakely: 15:56
- Jodeen/Amy: 16:03
- Jeremy Interview: 16:22

The Catalina Marathon is such a great event. We have been lucky to get great weather and everyone had great races. I never thought I was capable of doing a marathon, but I can't wait for the next one. Next race is the SoCal RAGNAR Relay, a 200-mile relay race from Ventura to Dana Point.

2010 Buffalo Run - Catalina Half Marathon

On Saturday, February 27, 2010, I made my second attempt at the Buffalo Run on Catalina Island. This day turned out to be more of an adventure than just running or in my case jogging/walking a half marathon.

I look at this event as training for the Catalina Marathon which is usually St Patrick's Day weekend. Training for this event has been going very well. After starting to get a handle on how my legs will do while keeping my heart rate in check, I was expecting to beat my time from last year of 3:15. Like last year, the weather was predicting rain, and a lot of it.

Woke up at 4:35 am, got my gear and headed outside to pick of my neighbor, Kris. This was Kris' first attempt at the Catalina Buffalo Run and she was just as eager to go as I was. We started our drive to Long Beach and got to the Catalina Landing port just before 6 am. Jumped on the boat with about 50-100 other runners for a 6:15 am departure. I checked the ocean conditions when I got up and it look to be very mild. Well, that was completely WRONG! After about 30 minutes of 4 knots and not even getting past the break jetties, the captain turned around declaring the seas to be too rough.

Kris and I got back to the ticket counter and got our refunds. We figured that we were not going to be able to get to the island. They had said the next boat was going to be canceled as well. We waited a little bit to see what other runners were going to do. Most had decided to just go home. I really wanted to get my training run in. Just as we were getting ready to leave, they said they were going to try again at 8:30. A race official also said they are going to have a second start for us, which I thought was really cool of them. So needless to say, we were in line again and ready to go for it again.

Being a boating person, I wasn't really worry about the boat ride. I just wanted to get there. The captain came on and said we were looking at 8'-10' seas with the swell shifting. This meant we were going into a big bathtub. Got a little nervous at this point. Kris and I met up with some other runners while waiting at the Catalina Landing. Cool peeps who had kids similar in age to mine.

After about 30 minutes of up/down and side to side, everyone stopped talking. Having a few layers I started to feel hot. I noticed myself sweating like I just finished a good run. I thought to myself, oh no. It's time to get more air. After heading to the back of the boat, I started to cool down and feel a bit better. People started turning colors, and my mind just could not control it anymore. For the first time in my life, as embarrassing as it is, I got sea sick.

It was about 10:15 and we headed up to the check in and thought we were getting a 11:00 start. Nope, "you guys are starting at 10:30." The panic starts. The lockers are back at the dock about a quarter mile away. Sweats off.. bib on.. shuffle and headphones.. water bottles.. shoes tight.. rain poncho.. throw everything else into a locker. By this time it is pouring rain, we have no idea if the second start has begun. Well it did. Kris and I were a little rattled by this time because of all the rushing, and me trying to rehydrate and get a banana down. Kris says to me, "We forgot our garmins." Anyone who uses a garmin watch knows what that means. We were late and wanted to get started. I think we were second to last to start, but were off and running.

The rain was still coming down hard and passing by us were some of the runners from the 9 am start. After pushing the banana down and getting a couple of GUs in me, I was feeling good. I knew what was ahead of me, about 5 miles of climbing. Actually it's walking for me.

I got to the top of the rig at around mile 5, the rain had stopped and life was good. This is where I feel you will find the best views on Catalina. With the rain stopped and sun peaking out, I was able to see San Clemente Island. This was very similiar to last year's race weather. The difference this year was that I felt good at the top, unlike last year when I had used up most of my energy.



A little tired, but I was able to start running again. The course was just as muddy as it was last year. But this year, I was all by myself. Kris, who is a runner, was about 15 minutes ahead of me and was with a few other late starts. By mile 8, I had caught up with my first walker from the 9 am start, which made me feel great. In this part of the course, there are some really steep parts, and everyone crosses this path twice, so it was really muddy by this point. Multiple times I found myself sideways and sliding all over the place. You really need to be careful, otherwise you will become very friendly with Catalina mud.

The last 4-5 miles is all downhill. I was able to run all of it with a slow but steady pace. It's like the horse seeing the stable. With my legs & shoes all muddy and wet, I got the natural high that you get from accomplishing something great.

If you have never done something like this, I highly suggest you try. No matter if you are first or last, everyone cheers for you. It is sooo cool.

Two weeks and then the my third bar for the Catalina Marathon

Shoes before and after


The goodies we got from competing



Couple of people I would like to thank:

• Jodeen for watching the kids and allowing me to do these fun things.
• Kris for going on this adventure with me. Let's get Larry out there next year.
• Tony for the great words of encouragement.
  
• Jack at Pacific Sports for having the second start time. Also excellent job on the aid stations despitethe bad weather.
• Steve Mackel at SoCalRunning.com, who does not know me, for having videos that get me pumped up for these events.