The No Show

Thank you butterfly,

Tiger striped and turquoise tailed,

For waving hello.

Thursday, June 2, 2022

 Rarely do I sign up for a race and not show up. I look forward to racing. They involve a lot of preparation and they’re expensive. But sometimes it happens. Sometimes in the past regrettably, it should’ve happened and I wasted even more money following through trying to compete when I should’ve just cut my losses and stayed home. Either way, there are always lessons to be learned when you don’t line up at the starting line.

 Physically I was well prepared for the Orange County Duathlon. Emotionally, I’ve been going through a few challenges and in the past, that’s caused me to DNF or no show. With very little sleep and a bunch of worry to work through, missing this race was for the best.

 Even if it had been just a running event this time round I wouldn’t have gone, but with a bike involved, the speed and lack of recent racing, that ups the ante substantially and I’m even more positive I made the right decision. It’s one thing to take the cost hit, but it would’ve just been throwing away more money to go and even more of a problem as the elevated risk getting injured or causing someone else to get hurt because you’re not focused enough to be safe made the decision to stay home easier.

 I was also a bit lackadaisical in equipment preparation as I didn’t realize I had a cassette/hub incompatibility issue. I was going to just race on my training wheels and next month give the racing wheels a go, but that’s just another indication that my head wasn’t where it should be as these details are usually taken care of well in advance.

 There’s also the challenge of racing from work to a race then racing back if I race on Sundays. Since I work a 56-hour straight weekend shift it’s far easier logistically to miss the beginning of my shift on Saturday morning then hassle with all the issues of a Sunday race. Possibly my last duathlon for a while will be in July and that will involve all the problems that go with a Sunday event. I’m hoping to shift to triathlons next year and with so many more of those on the calendar I’m hoping they’ll be enough on Saturdays to make gearing up for those worthwhile.

Next up in a couple of weeks is a short 10k on a Saturday that I can walk to from my house. It’ll be great to get back out there soon and put this no-show behind me.  

Dream Cars

Two winds together.

One rumbles through the canyon,

The other whispers.

Thursday, May 12, 2022

 Having just turned 64, I feel I’m approaching one, two cars at the most until I’m done driving. And who knows, with the pace of development of self-driving cars combined with the need to take measures against global warming, my driving days may be even shorter.

 Right now, I’m driving a Honda Fit. It’s a very good car and serves my purpose, but it doesn’t come close to any car that I dreamt about as a youth. In fact I’ve never come close to driving one of those with a very small exception which I'll mention shortly.

 My dream cars were the Alpha Romeo Spyder as seen in The Graduate and the Jaguar XKE as seen in Harold and Maude. Not sure there’s a car out there today that has the same panache or could rev my engine like those classics.

 The closest I ever got to sit and drive a car similar to one of those was my dad’s Austin Healy. But that I only got to drive back and forth in his driveway while he was away at work.

 Starting in my late teens I turned away from unaffordable cars to more bang for the buck motorcycles, but when a near dream bike, the BMW 1300RS tried to kill me I jumped ship and went back to four wheels.

 That was until last year when I got the itch to feel open on the open road again and got what seemed to be a compromise vehicle; the three wheeled Can-Am Spyder F3. This vehicle is a dream I never would’ve considered as a youngster, not even sure when they came into existence, but I’m loving it.

 Would I trade it for the shiny red two-seater that Dustin Hoffman looked so cool in, or the long-hooded Jag? Of course. But that’s not going to happen. Which may be all for the best because having a woman sitting behind you, touching you and not talking to you is much more of a dream scenario than having them sit beside you and telling you to slow down.

Small Changes; Small Gains

Out of the darkness

The brush of the rising sun

Sweeps across the sea.

Friday, April 22, 2022

 The splash that catches the eye centers around dramatic tales from those who lose a huge amount of weight in a short amount of time.

 But what if you don’t have that much weight to lose? Or even (pause for the gasps) aren’t all that concerned with weight loss, but instead are focused on performance gains?

 For example, I started the year at a svelte and healthy 145 lbs. The lowest weight I’ve ever started a year off in recent memory. Hey, but I’ll admit it, I still set a goal of losing a bit of weight this year. Though the weight loss is more of a by-product of my true aim, which is to gain/maintain muscle mass while losing body fat and thus increase my strength to weight ratio. This I regard as the best avenue to travel for an aging athlete like myself to improve performance.

 My results are not worthy of a soap opera headline. I’ve lost about 5 pounds in the first 5 months of this year. I doubt I have that much more to shed, at least not without jeopardizing my performance.

 What will be of more interest to me will be an upcoming accurate body fat measurement. I’ve been consistent with my workouts and feel I’ve made progress. But the cold hard facts are about to slap me with the truth, regardless of my feelings.

 I also have my first physical and doctor’s appointment coming up since returning to the states 5 years ago. With my Bod Pod results in hand an objective voice to council me, I’ll map out a plan of action to stay in the game for as long as I can or desire to.

The Year of Lasts

 A pod of dolphins

Casually swim near the coast

Enjoying the tide.

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Next month I’ll be 64. I figure realistically I have maybe 10, on the outside if I get extraordinarily fortunate, 15 energetic years left. And that’s if I feel like competing. Maybe I’ll have the energy but might want to travel instead, or just hang out and surf. Who knows?

But I do know my years are numbered and that more than likely means many of the events I’ll be doing this year and the next few will be the last time I participate in those events.

The Bull Dog 50k is coming up in August. I might not have done it this year except I got a discount from previous cancelled races. I’ve done it many times and it’s a challenge. But enough is enough. I hold the 25k course record and I’m going to aim for the 50k. But either way, I doubt I’ll be back.

This will also most likely be my last year competing in duathlons. I’ve been doing those for over thirty years and I enjoy the run-bike-run format. But it’s time to seek new challenges and finally give swimming a go. I want to take up surfing again anyway so I at least ought to become a proficient swimmer even if I never do a triathlon. But the plan is to give those a go next year.

Triathlons are expensive but at least there’s more of them around so they afford the opportunity to cut down on travel expenses and offer more opportunities to compete.

Really not sure what itches I’ll want to scratch going forward. But I like keeping myself in good shape and for all my life competitions have been one of the large driving factors motivating me. Whether that holds true for much longer I can’t say. Either way, it’s been a great ride and for as long as I feel like driving as fast as I can, I’m going to keep the old car tuned up and ready to go.

Better Late

 We breathe the spring air,

Clean and crisp with the promise

Of vibrant new life.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

My first 50k post pandemic, outside of a few glitches by both me and the race organization, went pretty well.

First, what went well.

My goals were to not walk and to run under 5 hours. Again, just slightly over-reaching. Within the last two miles I power walked two short climbs. I also finished in 5:14.

Yet, although I fell short of those goals, I felt my plan, hydration, nutrition, equipment, pace and effort were spot on.

The plan was to get by using only a Simple Hydration bottle and four gels supplementing with aid station supplies as necessary. I only wanted to stop every six miles to start with more stops if necessary if I got caught out in the heat or was just starting to drag for whatever reason. Perfecto!

What made that plan possible was training with SIS Beta Fuel mix and their high sugar and caffeine content gels. So while other racers either used vest packs or stopped more often, I was sailing along light as feather. This will definitely be my plan A going forward.

Equipment that worked well but will possibly change under different conditions will be the use of the Track Smith trail shorts and shirt. They worked great under mild to hot temperatures but would swap out or supplement in cold conditions. The shorts, with the two pockets in the liner and two mesh pockets in back were just about flawless. My only concern, and this may not be related directly to the shorts, is that I did experience a little irritation post-race on my nasty bits. This could be from having to drive so long to/from the race and just having sweat and grime pressed in areas that, with a little attention, wouldn’t have been a concern. Next time out I’ll use a little Nut Butter pre-race and change into clean underwear post event.

My Salomon Ultra Glides also worked well. Often I’ll experience mild to very painful heel pain which I believe is rooted in Plantar Fasciitis tendencies. But no problems. I’ll stick to these for future long events unless the new Salomon Pulsar Trail Pros or the Saucony Edges end up wowing me. Regardless, the Ultra Glides are great and if not always in the race rotation, will be in the training and fastpack line up for the near future.

Now to the glitches. I started three minutes late. Why? Because when it’s cold out I don’t like to leave the car until absolutely necessary. The race was scheduled to start at first light at 6:25 a.m. But because of the heat they must’ve decided to up it to 6:15. I did hear an announcement to gather at the start in 15 minutes at 6, but I thought they were going to go over race stuff, so I’d make my way over then.

Wrong. When I got out of the car at 6:15 I heard a countdown. Shit! I started jogging over and asked if the 50k had started and yes it had. 3 minutes late out of the blocks. Tried to not let it throw me too much and just work my way through the crowd without too much expenditure of additional energy. Actually turned out to be kind of fun.

Another glitch was a change in course that ended up causing many competitors to inadvertently cut the race short. Now if they had taken their time to go over this at the start instead of rushing to get people out on course pre-morning light, I would’ve been in a win-win situation; starting on time and getting a true finishing place. But hey, it’s been two years and everybody’s a little over antsy right now.

The course change was late in the race when what normally would’ve been only a single out and back section was changed to double out and back because they decided to cut a mile loop section at the far point of the course off. Many competitors understandably and largely unknowingly blew through the second turn around.

The only reason I didn’t is because for some strange reason when I got to that point and saw a competitor I was closing in on not make the turn, I asked a volunteer if we were suppose to do the out and back again. He said yes. So I pointed to the dude ahead and asked why that dude didn’t. He said he told him to, but what can you do? I then asked if I needed to tear off another page from the book they had at the bottom to prove I’d hit the turn around spot, he said no, he trusted me. But when I got to the bottom a volunteer said on the second loop I needed to pick up a red wrist ban. I did.

If they would have required that this be shown either at the return aid station or at the finish, I’m guessing I would’ve finished in either fourth or fifth place instead of the 14^th they had me in. Not sure what the final results will show as they claim they’ll look into the glitch.

I’m not optimistic but I don’t care all that much either. I ran another strong race over a distance I haven’t run in years. I’m now very optimistic I’ll get the age group record at Bull Dog later this year and will then hold both the 25/50 records for 60–69-year-olds. That’s been on my hit list for a few years now.

Final Race Prep

 Whispers to a child;

The night doesn’t play with time

The way the sun does.

Friday, March 25, 2022

 I hate to use the term balance, particularly when it comes to races, as those are supposed to be above and beyond efforts. But I’m not one just to throw caution completely to the wind.

First off, I do look at the layout of the course to get a sketch of where I’m going and to plot out a basic fueling strategy.

Given that the furthest distance any aid station is from another is four miles I shouldn’t have to carry much. I’ll start with a full 18 oz. Simple Hydration bottle filled with Beta Fuel from SIS, one or two Beta Fuel gels, and one SIS Go gel (mega dose of caffeine for near the end of the race). That should take me through the first few hours of racing with only getting water or electrolytes from aid stations.

After that I’ll rely on the fuel provided at the race, which is from Gnarly nutrition, which seems very similar to Beta Fuel. However, as this will come from large container mixes from volunteers, it’s quite possible that their ratio of mixing won’t be up to either Gnarly’s or my standards. So a bit of risk, but hey it’s a race and by then I’ll have most of the race under my belt and my stomach should be settled in.

So pretty stripped down; just a bottle and a few gels. No race vest or belt needed for this one.

It's also worth looking at the forecast which is tending toward the warm side, into the 80s, if things go long. I’m anticipating finishing in about 5 hours. The race starts at 6:30. That puts me at 11:30. It’s just about 10 now and still very comfortable out, so not a major concern so long as I don’t walk or slow significantly.

I didn’t look at my competitors or past time on the course. I vaguely remember the course, from I believe 4 years ago, and it does have a grueling uphill start. After that it’s a blur. I’m sure it’ll come back to me as I move along. I know many feel there’s an advantage in doing practice runs on courses but I like the mental aspect of approaching things without any baggage.

One area where I believe I may overdo it compared to some others is with my kit. I hate cold. Last time I ran this event I remember starting with a jacket that I quickly took off and had to carry the rest of the way. With this still not being April yet, you’d think a jacket might be in the cards, but definitely warm enough even for a pansy like me.

But I do believe that too many racers start off underdressed and waste valuable energy fighting to stay warm that could’ve been used later when fatigue starts to creep in. For that reason I’ll start with very light-weight arm warmers and sun protective gloves. I always use gloves in training and at least for the beginning of races. Once it warms up they’ll easily stash in a pocket. That also is a mental signal to me that I’m in the home stretch and it’s time to give it all I’ve got until I get to the finish line.

I’m sure there’s a few thoughts that should’ve come my way as I’ll be reminded of either during the race or after. But I think I’ve got the basics down. Now it’s time to relax.

Topanga

A light touch of sun

Blankets us as we daydream

To the gentle tide.

Friday, March 18, 2022

 There was no master plan, but I feel as if I’m living in just about the perfect place for me at this point in my life.

 Why’s that?

Because I am a trail runner/cyclist and right out the door I can access multiple challenging and scenic trails and isolated undulating long canyon roads that are usable all year round.

 The weather, despite what many will say about Southern California, is not the best there is. We lived in Panama in a small town near the Costa Rica border at 5,000 ft. that has as perfect of weather that I can imagine the world can provide. Never below 55 never above 85. A decent but predictable rainy and wind season, but otherwise nearly ideal.

 Downside was there wasn’t much competition and many of the trails required a decent bus ride. But if I spoke decent Spanish and was rich enough to afford a second place to live I’d be in Volcan, Panama a good amount of time during the year. People in the states talk about the Rockies as the place to be for altitude training but that’s because they don’t know any better.

 The downsides of Topanga are that it’s a shade colder in the canyon than I’m use to; often in the low 30s in winter, but tolerable with the right layering.

 Also, since we’re renters, our stay here is at the discretion of our landlords. They’re in their 70s and though I can’t imagine them leaving, they may at any moment decide they’re sick of having tenants then out of Topanga we go.

 And this being Southern California, it’s expensive to live here. Our rent is doable with full time employment, but I struggle with how much full time work I want to continue to do. Granted with my two-and-a-half-day schedule I’m living the good life, but the itch to look elsewhere where I wouldn’t have to work at all creeps up every now and then.

 The absolute best part of where we’re at is that it’s extremely quiet. That means the world to me and I can’t believe how fortunate I am that it’s been so peaceful here. But that’s also a precarious proposition as we do have people moving around us occasionally and you just never know how new neighbors will be.

 But for now this is the spot. We’re here and I’m doing my best to make the most of it.