Run for the Community 10K

Hayes, Sean, and Troy Ready Themselves for the Race

After the Jenkinson Lake Trail Race, work took over and I had to travel to London to give my first three-day training course, which went very well. After that, I went to visit my parents and some friends in Holland. I was able to get one nice run in around the Bosbaan in Amsterdam, but that was about it for training. I did, however, enjoy lots of the great food and drink that Europe has to offer...

Larry and Maxson Defeyter--Larry Placed 2nd in the 5K and Maxson Ran the Kids' Run

The Run for the Community 10K would be my first race after a few weeks off. Sean and Hayes ran the 5K as a training run for the upcoming Tahoe Relay. Troy came out to run the 5K as well. The race was, once again, organized superbly, with tons of volunteers helping out. This year also featured a delicious post-race barbeque for all the participants.

"Run Lake Tahoe" Spotted in Grass Valley...

It was a hot day and I was still recovering from jet lag. After some initial positioning, V "Neel" Neelakantan slowly pulled out of sight, and won the 10K. I started out conservatively, which paid off in the end, but I could not quite keep up with Neel. Surprisingly, I was still able to hang on to a second-place finish, just ahead of Mike Buzbee. In the 5K, Dominic Castro-Wehr won, just ahead of Larry Defeyter and Thomas McAtee.

Next Up: The Auburn Trails 50K

Turning on the Afterburners at the Spring Run 10K

On Saturday, Sean and I drove to Nevada City to run in the 23rd Annual Spring Run 5K and 10K. This was already the second race in the Gold Country Grand Prix. I had missed this year's first run--the Daffodil Run--last week, because I was running the River City Marathon that day.

Before the Start

One interesting thing about consistently recording data about training runs and races is that you can see trends and patterns. Something that I started noticing only this year is that I typically run a really fast 10K training run five to seven days after a long race (marathon or longer). For example, I ran some very fast 10K training runs exactly 6 days after the Pony Express 100K and the Rucky Chucky 50K earlier this year. Those runs were not supposed to be tempo runs or speedwork, but everything just felt good and I was able to easily handle the fast pace.

Larry Defeyter (4th in the 5K) Rounds the Final Turn in the Steep Uphill Finish

Since the Spring Run 10K was held just 6 days after the marathon, I could put this "afterburner" theory to the test in a real race setting. I felt recovered from the 2:59:50 marathon, but had not run that much yet, so it was hard to tell how everything would hold up at race pace. Either way, it was a gorgeous day and it was great to see all the familiar faces from our local running community and fun to catch up after a long winter.

Thomas McAtee Wins the 5K in 18:34

I warmed up with Larry Defeyter who was running the 5K. We caught up with Andy Harris, who has run every single one of the 23 Spring Runs. Wow! This was (only) my fourth straight year of running this race, but that was enough to know the hilly course pretty well (See elevation profile).

Steve Bond Powers Up the Final Hill to the Finish

Chris sat this race out to install a dining room floor, so I actually had a shot at winning the 10K overall. The race started out fast with a steep downhill and after a little more than half a mile I found myself in first place at the 5K/10K split. I ran the first mile in 5:45 and then hit mile 2 at exactly 12 minutes and mile 3 at 18 minutes, clocking 6-minute miles comfortably. At the turnaround, I saw that Neel was not too far behind me, followed by Nevada Union's XC coach Sarah Freitas.

Sean on His Way Back in the 5K.

Mile 4 came in 24 minutes (still running 6:00), but keeping that pace would not be possible due to the steep hills on the way back. I hit the 5-mile mark in 31:10. Hmm, it would be cool to run this course in sub-40, but then again, the last part was mostly uphill and there was nobody pushing from behind to give that little bit of extra motivation.

Mike Buzbee Picks Out a Tomato Plant, Included in the Race Entry--Very Cool!

When I hit the 6-mile mark in 38 minutes, I knew I really had a shot at breaking 40 minutes (according to Andy Harris, only about 20 people had broken 40 in the history of the race) and I started speeding up. Larry joined me for a few minutes and he kept an eye out for people coming from behind (Thanks Larry!). I crossed the line in first place in 39:58. I guess my afterburner theory of suddenly running fast a week after a long race is correct; I might just plan some more short races like that in the future!

Chatting with Neel and Sarah Freitas (2nd and 3rd in the 10K respectively)

Sean, who just started running again after a long snowboarding season, finished the 5K in about 30 minutes. After the race, we picked up the hardware and joined Steve Bond and Andy Harris and his girlfriend for a great breakfast at the South Pine Cafe (voted best breakfast in Nevada County for good reason!

Steve Bond and Andy Harris (Finished the Spring Run 12 and 23 times respectively)

All in all, it was a fun way to spend Saturday morning. Thanks to all Terry Boyer and the volunteers that made this race a success. I'll be back next year.
Next Up: The Jenkinson Lake 50K in two weeks.

Mission Accomplished!

Yesterday, on Thanksgiving Day, I joined hundreds of people for the 3rd annual Michael Bratton II Turkey Trot in Nevada City. My goal was to run my first-ever sub-40 10K (see previous post). With 1300' elevation gain as well as loss (per the Garmin, which may be a little on the high side) the course was far from a PR course. In previous years it had been a bit short, but this year they added extra out-and-back sections to make it a full 10K. (Fortunately, because I did not want to go all out only to realize I had run a sub-40 six-miler!)

This was the last race in the Gold Country Grand Prix series. I was in fourth place in the 30-39 AG, four points behind Mark Epperly. Since this was the biggest race in the entire Grand Prix (last year, there were over 1000 participants), I could still get enough points to sneak into third place, because only the first 5 finishers get extra points.

On top of the elevation gain, there were two more things to deal with, which would make this a tough course to PR on. A good portion of the race was run on single-track and double-track trails and it had rained the day before. It wasn't too slippery, but there were lots of wet leaves on the course.

Also, the 10K follows the 5K course and then makes an extra loop and finishes by joining the 5K course again. By the time the 10K joins the 5K course again there are tons of walkers that you have to zig-zag your way through. Some of them oblivious to the fact there is a race going on. On the single-track this can really slow you down.

Troy Finishes 3rd Overall, 4 Seconds Ahead of Zach Stoll

I went for a good, two-mile warmup. Not sure why, but my legs did not feel too springy and I started to get worried about breaking the magic 40-minute mark. I told myself that that's exactly why I was warming up and decided not to waste time worrying about it. Trust the training!

Zach Stoll Finishes Fourth Overall

The start was fast and furious. Everyone tried to get in a good position to avoid the single-track traffic jam and I settled in in about 10th place, right behind Larry Defeyer. Brandon Nied, Andrew Primrose, and Chris (last year's top-3 overall in the 5K) charged up the hills ahead. Chris was running the 5K today, because he was slowed down by a hip problem recently.

10K Winner Andrew Primrose (Left)

At the 5 and 10K split, most people ahead of me turned left onto the track to finish the 5K. As it turned out, Andrew Primrose was running the 10K, but by the time I hit the split, he was already out of sight, so I was not sure if I was in first or second place overall. I decided not to waste any time asking the course volunteers--just keep running!

Neel and Daffodil Run RD Joan Bumpus at the Finish

On several of the out-and-back sections, I could see I had a fairly comfortable lead on Zach and Troy, so I just kept pushing forward, trying to speed up on the flats and the downhills. On the final downhill, while zig-zagging through the walking crowd at high speed, In my quest to "shave" a few more seconds off the downhill time, I almost ran over my hairdresser, Julie from the Mane Event hair salon and rolfing magician Kona from Rolfing in the Sierras--not a great idea to take out those key members of the race support team!

Larry Defeyter , Me, and Some Crazy-Looking Guy Who Won This Year's Grand Prix's 30-39 AG

I hit the final uphill that leads to the track at 38:51. The race finishes with a about 200 meters on the track and I felt I had the sub-40 locked up, but just kept running as fast as I could. I finished in 39:51, second overall and first in my AG--mission accomplished!

Robert and Callan Warner after Callan's first 10K--great job!

We hung out at the finish for a while. Unlike the previous Grand Prix run, awards were handed to all top-three age group winners and I even received a delicious pumpkin pie for finishing in the top-three overall!

Chris, trying to keep Hannah off the Football Field

The results are not in yet, but with an extra 10 points and Chris and Larry finishing first and second in the 30-39 AG respectively, I think I have 3rd place in the GP locked up as well (Thanks guys!). Chris won the Gold Country Grand Prix 30-39 AG and Larry finished second. I believe Chris came in second overall in the Grand Prix (congrats, Chris!)

Troy Takes Home Some Hardware

Thanks to all the volunteers for making this such a succesful run in only the third annual running. It was a nice season finale. It would be interesting to see what the 39:51 would translate to on a fast and flat course, but I don't want to go too far out of my way to try it, so I think I'll wait for the (local) Daffodil Run next year to try it again.

Troy and I Enjoy a Well-Deserved Snack and "Hemp-Milk Latte" at the Broad Street Cafe

Next up: Well, that's basically it for this year in terms of racing. I am going to Europe for work next week and if there is a fun run somewhere I'll run it, but the next race goal is a sub-3 hour marathon in Redding on January 18th. I'll write another post about my other 2009 plans soon, but a fast Jed Smith 50M (you better get out of bed to start training, Michael Kanning!), a sub-19 hour Super Triple (Yes, Jon, you read that correctly!) and a very interesting mega-ultra are on the list, so stay tuned!

Sub-40 or Bust!

This Thursday, I'll be making another attempt at a sub-40 10K at the Michael Bratton II Turkey Trot 5 and 10K in Nevada City. Last year, I ran a 41:51 (9th overall) on this course , which has quite a few ups and downs in it.

Turkey Trot Elevation Profile

I have tried to break the sub-40 mark a few times over the past years, and I think I would have made it on various occasions if I had picked a flatter course. The problem around here is that there are hills everywhere. This time, however, I feel like I am ready for it despite the terrain.

I surprised myself at the Run through the Colors recently by running a 40:01 and I have been running Yasso-800 workouts weekly to improve my leg turnover for my upcoming sub-3 marathon attempt (planning on going for it at the Redding Marathon in January).

The speedwork is going really well. I started with four 800 meter repeats and have now built up to 10 of these speed workouts at about 2:46 average pace on the track and 2:58 on a flat trail close to my place. I have been adding one to two repeats every week and it has amazed me to see that an effort that feels almost seems impossible one week feels quite easy the next week. I tried to talk Michael into joining me at the Homewood track last week while I was in the Bay Area, but he opted to stay in bed instead--well, you snooze, you lose!

As far as the Grand Prix points go, we'll just have to see how it pans out, but I am still hopeful that a good place in the 10K will allow me to edge my way into the top-3 behind Chris and Larry in the 30-39 age group. I don't think I'll have a much better shot at GP points if I run the 5K, so trying to break the elusive 40-minute mark this year will be much more fun.

Interestingly, Turi will be shooting for his sub-45 10K on Thursday, so wish us luck!

Rain, Mud, and Elevation at the Monster Trail Run 10K

2960' of elevation gain and 2960' elevation loss in just 10 kilometers! That's what my Garmin Forerunner registered for the Monster Trail 10K Run last Saturday (Note: The Garmin readings tend to be on the high side). To top it off, torrential rain had turned the course into a giant mud-slide, making for some very treacherous descents and slow uphill running. Fun, but not fast!

Despite the rain, there were lots of die-hard Gold Country Grand Prix runners at the start. I decided to run the 10K, knowing that this would probably hurt my chances of getting a higher Age Group place (currently in fourth place, 3 points behind third) in the Grand Prix with just two races to go. Bottom line: I did not really intend to go for points in the GP this year, so why start now? It was better to run the maximum distance and enjoy the trails.

I knew Chris was running the 10K and Larry Defeyter was running the 5K, so an overall win was unlikely. Fortunately, the race flyer promised awards for the top three overall so I was pretty sure I would be able to go home with some hardware. Or would I...

Chris and I went for a two-mile warmup, which gave us a frightening sneak peek of the course's first major downhill. Some parts were like a sheer cliff, made of mud. You had to grab trees to slow down or risk an epic wipe-out.

So, when the race started, I took the lead so I would be one of the first to go down the steep section of the slick trail (at least on the first of the two 5K loops). Once we arrived on a flatter part of the trail, Chris, Larry, and Zach passed me and I maintained 4th place for the rest of the otherwise uneventful run. I felt good most of the way and pushed it to the finish line to break 48 minutes, arriving in 47:54.

As usual, Chris won the 10K, despite having a back-ache (Check out his blog post with the race pictures here). the up-and-coming national class runner, Zach Stoll, who ran an incredibly good race took second (did I mention he is only 13?), and I came in third overall. Larry won the 5K easily. A quick dip in the nearby lake helped get all the mud of our clothes.

Chris and I Wash Off in the Lake After the Race (Photo courtesy of Abby Badolato)

Many thanks to the awesome volunteers that braved the storm to show us where to go. As for the awards, I received my age group ribbon, but I was surprised to find out that they were only giving awards to first overall male and female for each distance (not the top-3, as promised)!

When I raised the fact that the flyer, which I had unfortunately handed in when I registered, had said top-3, I was told that I was wrong and had misread it. Well, I went home and looked it up again and here is the exact text:

Shirts/awards:
Awards for top 3 overall, age groups, and additional prizes. Event shirts included if pre-registration received by 10/7/08; other registrants will receive shirts while supplies last.

Note the serial comma after "overall." So, you tell me. who is right...
Now, I don't do this for the hardware, but it's a matter of principal; you have to live up to your promises. I e-mailed the RD, so I hope this will be resolved somehow (Now a week later, I still have not heard back yet, but I'll post a comment if I do).

Motionbased Details:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7089510

Next up: I am skipping UltraCentric 24Hr in Texas this year. If you add up all the travel costs, it's just too much money for yet another weekend away.

Taking the Blue Planet 30-Mile Challenge to the Tahoe Rim Trail

I just signed up for the Blue Planet Run 30-Mile Challenge! As a "Team Blue" member, I will run 30 miles (approximately 50K) to raise awareness and help support a special project that needs immediate attention in Tanzania, East Africa.

Although this is not much of a "challenge" for any self-respecting ultrarunner, it is a great initiative and certainly one that makes you appreciate all the luxuries we have in our lives.

To reach the 30 miles, I will first run a 10K race (Run through the Colors 10K in Nevada City) on the 19th of October. After that I will run a 24-mile trail run on the Tahoe Rim Trail on the 26th of October (from Tahoe Meadows to Spooner Summit) with my friends Chris and Turi and anyone else that would like to join. Note: this is a self-supported run, so bring food and... water.

Check out the event details here.

Unsafe water is responsible for more sickness and death than AIDS, cancer and wars combined. Yet it is a simple problem for us to solve. My efforts will help bring safe drinking water to three schools in Tanzania which will provide 1,200 students with healthy water and allow them to attend school instead of walking long distances to collect water each day.

Part of the 24-Mile Course

Join me or create your own 30-mile challenge! It's easy. For more information on the program and the water project, visit http://blueplanetrun.org/30-mile. Remember, no effort is insignificant. This is an easy way to improve another person's life in big ways! Water is life. Pass it on.

Test Driving the Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3 at the Draft Horse Classic 10K

My new shoes, ready for another lap around Lake Tahoe

Every year, around this time, it becomes harder and harder to buy my favorite version of the Nike Air Zoom Vomero. Last year, just days before SNER, I finally gave up and switched from version 1 to version 2, not sure what to expect. Apart from the fact that I needed to get a half size smaller (version 2 was quite a bit bigger), I instantly fell in love with the new version!

Earlier this year, when version 3 came out, I was, once again, worried that my favorite shoe would soon be impossible to find. I stocked up and bought several pairs of the version 2s, but eventually decided to try version 3 and guess what? They are fantastic!

Nike hit it out of the park with this new edition. This super-comfortable lightweight shoe is even more smoother (and lighter!) than the previous versions. To quote my colleague Ric who also bought a pair, "its like running on a rubberized surface." I took the Air Zoom Vomeros to the Draft Horse Classic 10K race to see how they would perform in some fast miles and they did not disappoint!

My plan was to go out easy and save enough for a final kick on the mostly downhill and flat last mile to the finish. The real competition was in the 5K today (Chris Badolato won, followed by Austin Violette and Larry Defeyter), so I knew I had a shot at winning this race, if I could stay ahead of Neel (V. Neelakantan) and Robert Warner, who practically lives on this course.

The course wound its way up and down through Grass Valley, partially on roads and partially on trails. A lot of runners were worried about proper course marking, but course designer Ron Gross had done a fantastic job of marking the course with chalk and signs. On top of that there were volunteers at all the major turns.

I stuck with my plan and just cruised for the first two miles. At that point the 10K course split off from the 5K and only Neel was close, about 40 yards behind me. Between mile 2 and 4, I just kept running a steady pace, but I could not shake Neel, even though this was his first race back after an injury--a great comeback!

There was a major climb between mile 4 and 5 and this is where Neel came closest, but I knew that I could put it in high gear on the downhill, and so, with lots of looking over my shoulder, I ran to the finish line. I came in first overall in 41 minutes and change (forgot to stop my watch) and Neel took second. I won a nice $25 Mountain Recreation gift card and picked up medals for overall and age group. Most importantly, I am back in the game now to get a top-three age group place in the Gold Country Grand Prix!

Troy, who was not feeling well himself, had given me a ride to the race and he brought some of my favorite, iced hibiscus tea that his wife had prepared. That made a great post-race refreshment drink (lots of vitamin C)--wow!

Summary of the Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3 Experience

• Fit: Excellent. The shoe fits like the version 2 model and feels super smooth from the start. It also has great breathability.
  
• Toughness: Good. The shoe is not super-protective, but the cushioning protects the bottom of your feet really well.
  
• Flexibility: Excellent. The almost pillow-like cushioning is also very flexible.
  
• Side-to-side Stability: Excellent. The shoe is very light but still provides the excellent side-to-side stability you can expect in a road shoe.
• Grip: Good. The shoes handled great on the roads. I have yet to try them on some gnarly trails, but I am trying to keep the two pairs I own clean for the Super Triple next week.
  
• Switchback Handling: OK. They handled fine on the small trail sections on today's course, but I have not taken this out on the trail yet. If they are half as good as the v2 on which I ran the entire 168-mile Tahoe Rim Trail in one go, it should be fine.
  
• Weight: Excellent. This is the lightest shoe in my arsenal and lighter than version 2.
  
• Price: OK. Normally $125, but I was able to pick up two pairs in my size (12.5) for $89 each at the Nike Outlet Store in Vacaville.
  
• Overall: This is a fantastic shoe and a great update to previous versions.

Next up:
The Tahoe Super Triple--(26.2+26.2+72.2=124.6) miles in 3 days next week. This is my favorite race. After I ran my first triple in 2004, I was hooked. The big question this year is whether I will be able to pull off a hat-trick or not. My training has been good; no lingering pain from TRT and some solid road work with lots of 8% grade paved climbs in the last four weeks.
Wish me luck!

Reno Runs Away With It at the Run for the Community

Photo from Last Year's Race Start -- My camera is (still) under repair at "Worst Buy" (Photo Courtesy of the Twin Cities Church)

Today, I joined over two hundred runners and walkers for the second running of the Run for the Community 5K/10K Run. It was, once again, an extremely well organized event. I won this event last year in 44:19 but this year Reno's Chris Badolato and Brandon Nied, who had come in second and first respectively in last year's 5K run, were running the 10K so I knew my "course record" was about to be disintegrated. Hey, at least I had my 15 minutes of fame, because the race poster had me listed as one of last year's winners.

I actually did not expect much coming in, because I had not run more than 10 miles since the Silver State 50-Miler two weeks ago. That's mainly because... I switched jobs! Yes, after more than eight years at Oracle, I joined Kaazing, a Mountain View-based startup specializing in technology that enables real-time web applications. I am really excited about this new job, but needless to say it's been a bit hectic just getting started and set up with everything.

I was not 100% sure if I would run this race, but then on Friday, I received my Wasatch Speedgoat Mountain Racing Team team shirts and other gear (Thanks Scott!), so I felt inspired to put on my new shirt and "represent."

Before the race, Chris and I took a quick two-mile warmup run down the hill with Ryan from the Fleet Feet Racing Team in Sacramento. After that, we lined up at the start.

I decided to run the first mile a little slower this year and clocked it at six minutes (vs. 5:38 last year). I wanted to have enough gas left in the tank for the tough hills at the end of this race. I finished the first 2.75 miles in third place and I was feeling good.

The next mile was basically all downhill, so it was time to turn it up. I bombed down the hill at an even faster pace than last year (speeds up to 16 mph per the Garmin) and blasted past Chris and Brandon who were already on their way back up the hill. At the turnaround, I noticed that Robert Warner was not far behind me. In fact, he would have me looking over my shoulder for the rest of the race.

The steep hill was broken up by a nice one-mile stretch of trail parallel to an irrigation and the last part of the course went back up the hill and then flattened out for the last quarter mile on the road to the finish.

I came in third overall (still first among non-Reno residents) in 44:01 (yes, next year I'll have to break 44 minutes!) -- 18 seconds faster than last year and, given the circumstances, I was very happy with that. Robert Warner came in about 30 seconds behind me and Austin Violette and Ryan from Sacramento also finished not too far behind. Sean and Rocky had a birthday party to attend, so I was by myself.

Chris Badolato had won the race in an incredible 37 minutes and change, followed closely by Brandon (also in the 37-minute range). It looked like Chris and Brandon had already showered and eaten lunch by the time I rolled in ;-). Chris's young daughter was very happy to accept his ribbons and the winning trophy. In fact, it was a great day for the Badolatos, because Chris's wife took third in her age group in the 5K. Reno's Joe Parker won the 5K. Way to go!

Next Up: The Auburn 50K

Racing the Salmon Run 11K

The Sierra Friends Center, Salmon Run 10K Race HQ

Today, I joined about a hundred+ runners and walkers to run the 9th annual Salmon Run 10K. The run is actually an 11K run and is definitely the toughest race in the Gold Country Grand Prix Series. Traditionally this run was held on Mother's Day, but this year it was, by popular demand, held the day before, which was certainly appreciated!

Some Grand Prix runners chose to sit this one out, because it has a reputation for causing injuries that can ruin the rest of the running season, but this is actually my favorite run of the series, because it is one of just a few local trail runs. The Salmon Run is sometimes referred to as the "ECO Challenge" of the Grand Prix. Take a look at the elevation profile and you'll understand:

Salmon Run Elevation Profile

There's only one way to do well in this race (I think) and that is to go super hard in the beginning to build up a good lead, hold on to the lead on the flat part, and then crawl back up the hill hoping the rest of the pack won't be able to pass you, because it is simply too tough to speed up on the final steep uphill section.

Knowing that Reno's Chris Badolato was running, this was going to be a fight for second place, unless something unexpected happened. My main goal was to break 50 minutes, and I wanted to at least break last year's 2nd place time of 50:42. I felt ready and even tapered by taking a day off (including a rolfing treatment at Rolfing in the Sierras in Nevada City).

Rocky had an earache and did not run, but Sean and Hayes were ready to go. I warmed up by running from the Sierra Friends Center to the race start (approximately a mile) with Chris, who told me that he had been feeling a little under the weather this past week. Either he was going to be extremely well tapered or I might find him somewhere on the side of the trail -- we would soon find out.

I had looked at last year's splits for the first 5 miles (5:15, 5:30, 10:02, 7:05, and7:05) and figured that the easiest place for shaving off time might be the downhill section a the beginning. My downhill running has greatly improved by all the recent hill training and I felt ready to go even harder than last year. Chris's plan was to shave off a few minutes on the flat part between mile 3 and 5.

The race started promptly at 9 a.m. without too much fanfare and I immediately tucked in behind Chris and after about a half mile of road, we took a right turn onto the steep 2+mile downhill section. We flew down the hill and the sound of the footsteps I heard right behind me was slowly becoming more and more faint. Miles 1 and 2 flew by in 5:01 and 5:13 -- on track for the sub-50 if I could run the same exact pace as last year on the rest of the trail.

The cliff-like steep part called the Salmon Ladder forced everyone to walk, but that only lasted for about a third of a mile. After that, a couple of miles of flat flume trail took us back on the rocky road that we descended in the beginning. Chris had been out of sight since the Salmon Ladder. I looked back a few times, but could not see anybody behind me. When I finally reached the top, it looked like sub-50 was in the bag. I crossed the finish line in 49:16, good for second overall.

Chris Badolato + Daughter After the Race

In the meantime, Chris had demolished the old (47+ minute) course record by running sub-44! The downside for him in setting course records left and right: you get stiff while you wait (ages) for your friends to show up for your cool-down run!

Austin After the Race

Austin Violette came in in exactly 50:00 (he'll need to shave off at least one second next year) and he was followed by Greg Ngo and V Neelakantan. Zach Stoll finished in 7th place.

Hayes came in third in his AG in 1:13, about 4 minutes faster than last year and Sean finished strong in 1:18 -- a whopping 15 minutes faster than his time last year.

Sean and Hayes Relax After the Race

The race was followed by a nice vegetarian curry lunch and they had some great awards. For example, I picked out a $100 gift certificate for a stay in Nevada City's Outside Inn, which will be a nice addition to tomorrow's Mother's Day gifts ;-)
Many thanks to the Sierra Friends Center and all the volunteers that made this race a success.
Next up: The Silver State 50-Miler next Saturday! Austin Violette is also running it and so is fellow Wasatch Speedgoat Mountain Racing team-mate Scott Mason. It should be a blast.

A Great Day at the Spring Run 10K

Today, I joined a large group of local runners (not sure how many, but it was the largest group ever for this run) for the 22nd running of the Spring Run 5K and 10K. I won this race last year in 42:27 after a 41:40 Daffodil Run (Chris Badolato was running the 5K last year) and with Chris running the 10K this year and Larry Defeyter in the 5K, it was going be a fight for second or third place. The course was a lot hillier than the Daffodil Run, which was in my favor, because I have been running lots of hills recently.

Sean and Hayes Before the Start

On the other hand, I did not taper for this race (again) in an effort to keep running 10 miles a day for the entire month of April. (I did miss one day this last week though). There was going to be quite a bit of competition up front, with familiar faces like Greg Ngo, Austin Violette, V. Neelakantan, Troy Vahidi, and some other fast-looking contenders.

The Steep, Uphill Finish

The weather was fantastic and Chris, Larry, and I enjoyed an easy two-mile warmup run. Chris was aiming to go under 36 minutes on the course and Larry was ready to go hard for another 5K overall win. The race started with the ringing of the church bells. After a real steep downhill start (we had to climb back up that hill on the way back!), I settled into a steady pace, which took me to the first mile mark in 5:45 -- ten seconds faster than last year. Too fast? It felt comfortable, but I knew this course can really do you in on the way back if you go out too hard. Chris was already disappearing into the distance and I ran for a few miles with Greg and Austin. Both of them were looking fresh and strong. I knew V was not far behind us, so it looked like it might be a repeat of the Daffodil Run.

Sean, With One Mile To Go in the 10K

After the turnaround, which was slightly farther than last year's turnaround (but ultimately correct per my Garmin 205), Greg started pulling away. After another half mile, I pulled past Austin. By mile five I basically had third place locked up and I started speeding up to see if I could still catch Greg, but he was already out of sight. At the bottom of the last hill, I looked at my watch and noticed that I could match my time from Daffodil on this much hillier course, so I "sprinted" up the hill and arrived in third overall and third in my age group in (per my own watch -- the official times have not yet been posted) 41:42 -- almost a minute faster than last year and one second slower than Daffodil.

Zach Stoll Takes Second in His Age Group

Larry won the 5K easily and Chris had won the 10K within his goal time. I went for a cool-down run with Austin and Chris and we cheered on the other runners as they were heading for the finish. Hayes came in second in his age group and Sean took third. We hung around for the awards, had some coffee at the Broad Street Cafe (formerly Wisdom Cafe), and headed home. Many thanks to Mr. Boyer for organizing the race and to all the wonderful volunteers. We had a great time.

Chris Wins the 10K Overall

V. Bags Another Age Group Win

Chris With Joan Bumpus (Daffodil Run RD)

V and Steve Bond After the Race

Sean Takes Third in his Age Group (Hayes 2nd)

MotionBased Race Details:

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=5501413


Next Up: The Salmon Run 11K -- Time for some serious mountain running!