Thursday, May 29, 2008

Fire On The Track DVD - Loved It!

I recently picked up the DVD "Fire On The Track - The Steve Prefontaine Story" while at the Expo for the Eugene Marathon. I'm always looking for DVD's to watch while doing the early morning treadmill sessions, and if I can watch it five times in a row and still get inspired, it must be good! Well worth the $20 if you ask me.

My favorite part of the DVD has been the 3.5 hours of bonus interviews with competitors, teammates, and coaches. These include the likes of 10k champion David Bedford, marathon champ Frank Shorter, Ian Stewart, Bill Bowerman, Jeff Galloway, Dick Buerkle, world record holder Lasse Viren, Dana Carvey, Mac Wilkins, Kenny Moore, Dave Wottle, Alberto Salazar, and many more.

There are only a few endurance DVD's that I have been able to watch 5-10 times on the treadmill and still feel inspired (others include Breaking Away, Race For The Soul, On The Edge, and a few of the Ironman Championship DVD's). If any of you know of others, do let me know!

- SD

(PS - Training for States is going well. I clocked 28 miles on Sat in the hills of Santa Barbara, another 12 on Sun, and will be doing similar 30-40 mile weekends the next two weeks before starting to taper. So far, so good! )

Monday, May 19, 2008

The 2008 Bay to Breakers (aka, Bleeker Returns)

Last Sunday, I had the delight of joining ~80,000 revelers for the annual Bay to Breakers in San Francisco, CA. This 7.46-mile raging party through the streets of San Francisco bears it all (literally in some cases), making good on the race slogan “show me yours”. It did not disappoint!

I had a special running partner this year – my 21-month old daughter, Sophie. Her vocabulary is quite broad these days, and includes “balloon”, “dance”, “funny”, and “WANT IT!”, so I thought she might be ready for the sights and sounds of B2B. Mommy was out of town visiting friends, but encouraged me to don the Bleeker costume (from the Boston Marathon) once more and go have some fun.

I registered both of us, figuring Sophie might want a race bib for the scrapbook someday. My Dad recently stumbled upon a finisher certificate of mine for the 1979 Governor’s Run in Salem, OR (that would make me 10 years old at the time), complete with my hand-scrawled name in primary penmanship. Seeing it on the garage wall with other race numbers sparks fun memories of running down the streets of the State Capitol wondering if I could make it TWO WHOLE MILES. Especially since it’s right next to the Tahoe Rim Trail 100m race bib!

Sophie was in a great mood, considering I was waking her up at o-dark-thirty to ensure we parked the car at the end with enough time to get to the start. She was very excited to ride the bus, and launched right into “wheels on the bus go round and round” much to the other runners’ delight. The song turned into tears, however, when the bus shook and bounced across the SF hills. Sometimes those lyrics don’t translate well.

(The maids of B2B, complete with tortilla protectors)

(Sophie catches a flying tortilla - yummy!)

We packed into the start corral, where tortillas filled the air (throwing tortillas is one of many bizarre traditions at B2B). We were in the back corral with the walkers, floats, and centipedes (people running as one costume). The costumes were very impressive, from hula skirts to full-on Studio 54 dance platform with cage dancers. Bleeker was never going to stand out in this crowd. Sophie smiled and made friends, and hollered “MINE!” to any balloon that got within reach. The gun went off and the party moved forward!

(And we're off!)

Sophie smiled ear to ear as she took in all the sights. Her excitement was contagious, and I pulled her out of the stroller so we could watch it together. She clung tight, but kept oohing and aahing. It’s one of the great gifts of parenthood to see the world through a child’s eyes, making even the simple things all new and exciting. She even spotted a woman dressed as the painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Jan Vermeer, and said “Earring!”. I had forgotten this was in one of her favorite picture books, and she loved it!

(Artist Jan Vermeer adds a finishing touch on his masterpiece)

(Will work for beer)

At mile 1, I strapped her back in and picked up the pace a bit. I realized at a walking pace, we might not make the 11:15am cutoff at mile 6. How about that? Even in a fun run, I have to worry about cutoff times! We took the express lane on the left, passing bands, parties, the famous salmon running in the opposite direction, 13 naked people, a hoard of 20 Elvi (that’s plural for many Elvis), Oktoberfest, Vikings, a pack of pugs, and more. I even ran into a pack of Bleekers protecting their Juno! Great fun.

(A pack of Bleekers protect their Juno)

(Whoa! Nakedness prevails at B2B)

We took a small break at Hayes Hill (mile 2.5) for grapes, crackers, and water. Sophie loved the “Movin’ On Up” song playing at the top of the hill, and got out to get her groove on for a few minutes. A nice gentleman made her a balloon animal, and she was in heaven. A friend along the way had harassed me a bit for bringing her (“nice, Dunlap…good influence on the kids”), but it was like a circus. What could be bad? Just as the thought ran through my head, a naked man was showing a pack of people why it was important to have a cock ring linked to your Prince Albert hardware...and I mean a FULL demo. I’d show a picture, but that’s porno. The scary kind too. I will have nightmares for sure. ;-P

(Mini-Bleek dons her colors)

(Little Breaker sprints to the Conservatory)

With Sophie’s eyes averted (phew!), she jumped back in the stroller and we made our way towards Golden Gate park. We saw the most classic drinking booth (see video), and got some shave ice from the Hula Man.



Sophie wasn’t so sure about all the stopping, so I kicked it into gear and ran for 15 minutes. She locked eyes on the big inflatable Southwest Airlines plane and starting screaming “Airpane! Airpane!” at the top of her little lungs. We stopped so she could jump on the plane, play ball with some kids, meet Moose the Great Dane, and roll in the grass. Once she tuckered herself out, she crawled back into the stroller and promptly fell asleep for the rest of the race.

(Meshugga, the most hip orthodox jewish surf band ever)

I ran the last couple of miles, and we crossed the finish in 2:49:22, just a few minutes shy of my marathon time from two weeks ago. I figured Sophie could nap in the Beer Garden at Footstock (the end-of-race concert) while Daddy “rehydrated”, but no kids in the Garden this year. So we only stayed for a few minutes and made our way to the Cliff House for views, beer, and French toast. The place was packed with B2B runners doing the same. Gotta carb load, right? Or is that before a race…

(Post-race food at the Cliff House)

Sophie looked out the window at the ocean, pointed, and said “Daddy and Sophie go beach please” while tugging at my hand. Wha? Did I just hear that? I’m not sure what was more shocking – to hear her say a complete sentence like that, or the fact she said “please”. I packed up our stuff, and she pulled me to the beach with great fanfare.

(Sophie kickin' sand with her airpane)

As I watched her kick sand in the air and chase the seagulls, I got a lump in my throat that is becoming all too familiar lately. She is growing up so fast! I am constantly torn between wanting her to stay young and ever-curious, and excited for what she might say and do next as she progresses. On days like today, it feels like each minute is precious. I’m not sure if Sophie will remember any of it, but I have no doubt I will cherish it forever.

Monday, May 12, 2008

DNF at the Quicksilver 50m

Yup, you read it right. Despite a beautiful day and perfectly organized race at the 2008 Quicksilver 50k/50m last Saturday, I had my first ever DNF. In over 100 endurance events, that three letter acronym for “Did Not Finish” has never been next to my name in the results. Now there it is. And I’m feeling pretty damn good about it.

I had always wondered what it took to DNF, especially among the ultrarunner crowd. Like many endurance athletes, we share a collective “don’t quit” fortitude that gets us through all kinds of pain and misery. Isn’t DNF’ing a sign of weakness? Shouldn’t you just be able to power through anything the day dishes out and find that finish line? I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve seen people drop and say to myself “c’mon…you’ve got more than that”. Then again, I’ve also seen runners drop and think “that guy should have dropped 20 miles ago and will need an ambulance, stat”. Where is the line, and how is the decision made? I learned at Quicksilver that the decision sometimes comes easy.

The morning of the race, my body was trying to signal me that a 50-miler might not be a good idea. My resting heart rate was still 10% too high (which is the case when I’m recovering or overtrained), and my legs were still heavy from the Eugene Marathon six days ago. Usually I can slip back intro training 3-4 days after a marathon, but my speed test at the Eugene Marathon had taken a bigger toll than I suspected. But it didn’t “hurt”, so I packed my gear and hoped for a long run on tired legs for the upcoming Western States 100. Heat, hills, tired legs…sounds like a good simulation.

(Racers greet the sunrise)

At the start, I found I wasn’t the only one rubbing the soreness out of stiff legs.
Mark Lantz, Mark Tanaka, Jady Palko, and many others had done the Miwok 100k last weekend and were here to race the 50-miler. Sheesh! I only ran a marathon, so I guess I’m out of excuses. We lined up at the start with all the 50k and 25k runners and RD Paul Fick sent us off!

(My usual view when running with Devon and Tanaka)

The pace was brisk at the start, much in thanks to the short course folks taking off like banshees. Graham Cooper (QS50 course record holder), Victor Ballesteros, and Chikara Omine were setting a wicked pace for the 50-mile race, with Mark Lantz, Ian Torrence and Mark Tanaka not too far off. I settled in with Inov-8/Nuun Teammate Devon Crosby-Helms who was first among the women. Devon and I ran the 50k here last year, where she “took it easy” due to a health issue and still managed to win Women’s overall. This year she was kicking up to the 50-miler as part of her Western States 100 training, but was getting over the flu and was taking it easy again. Hmm, perhaps another win?

We hit the first few climbs along with Mark Tanaka, Jon Kroll (training for Western States), Sean Lang (training for the Cascade Crest 100), and Martin Spierings (just a month past Ironman Arizona, tackling his first 50k). Mark is good at pacing early and slowly turning up the heat, and his recent romp at Miwok hadn’t changed his tactics. We stuck with him for about a mile before he broke out on the single track and was out of sight.

(Jon Kroll and Sean Lang)

We hit the first aid station (mile 6) and soon spread out onto the fire trail. The weather was perfect, and Jon Kroll, Sean Lang, Marty Spierings and I kept a swift pace to make the most of the morning. My energy level was at about 80% and my legs felt heavy, but the chirping birds and Spring flowers lifted my spirits up enough to keep chugging along. It was great to chat with Sean, Jon, and Marty too, all of whom are having stellar seasons.

Jon and I hit the next aid station and stocked up before tackling a long, grueling hill. There was a lot of silence on this stretch as we each pulled/pushed each other to keep an strong pace. We caught up to Adam Rays (doing the 50m) and 30-year-old Toshikazu Hosaka who was tackling his first 50k, and began the first long descent to the Dam Overlook aid station (mile 18).

(Toshi and Jon start into the downhill)

The downhills felt unusually uncomfortable to me. That’s too bad, because the downhills at Quicksilver are super-fast and you can make up a lot of time. But I felt this odd soreness in my hip flexors and at the base of my hamstrings when I fully extended my legs. I promised myself that I would take a short walk break on the next uphill section if it continued. It subsided after filling up at the Dam Overlook Aid Station, so I picked up the pace again.

Toshi, Jon and I pushed the rolling hills and caught up with Mark Tanaka right near the bottom of the hill. I couldn’t believe Mark was doing so well so shortly after Miwok, and he had no trouble pulling away as soon as we got on his shoulder. I surged to keep up, but my hip flexors and hamstrings started having that deep, dull ache again. Something was definitely not right, so I slowed to walk up the hills and drank my water. I popped an ibuprofen and marked my watch for a 5 minute walk, as Jon, Mark and Toshi all ran off in the distance.

(Almost to Dam Overlook)

Getting back into a run stride was proving difficult. By the time I got back to the Dam Overlook (23.6), the deep pain was still there and literally “cramping my style”. I was doing the mile 60 shuffle, and I wasn’t even half way through a 50-miler! The reason was obvious – I hadn’t given my body enough time after the fast marathon in Eugene, and now all of the parts I overstretched at that race were coming back to haunt me. Why wasn’t I ready to race again?

Then I realized my mistake. I had changed my race goal at Eugene! It was supposed to be a long, slow run, but I decided to go fast once I found out I would be running solo. I didn’t even think about the ramifications for Quicksilver, and now I was deep in it. Darn. I hate it when the culprit turns out to be my own bad judgment. ;-)

I took my time up the long climb back, sharing smiles with the runners heading down and snapping a few pictures. As I topped the peak and started heading down the next valley, my hip flexors gave me a choice – either take 4 more ibuprofen and grit through it, or you better be dropping soon. My instinct said to tough it out and do the distance, but my brain started playing out the six weeks between now and Western States. Tough it out, and you risk showing up at States injured. DNF, and you can stick to your training. Lord knows I can’t wait another three years to get into Western States. When you put it that way, a DNF doesn’t sound so bad.

(A perfect day in the shade)

(Chihping Fu and I trade pictures)

(Everybody smiles on the downhill)

So I made up my mind to drop at 50k, had a big snack at Englishtown (mile 27), and kept my running to a controlled shuffle. Suzanna Bon came flying by me on the downhill, well ahead in the Women’s division for the 50-miler. Not much later, Graham Cooper was heading back out for part II, a few minutes ahead of his course record pace and with Victor Ballesteros and Chikara Omine right on his tail. Chikara always has some kick and Victor usually pounces at the end, so this was certain to be a crazy finish!

Michael Buchanan (50k) walked with me for a bit in the last mile and shared stories of his own marathon recoveries. He is no stranger to fast marathons (he’s a sub-2:30 marathoner), so I felt much better after talking to him. He took off to squeeze under 4:40 for the 50k, and I came in around 4:42 and let them know I was dropping. The RD’s were great to make sure I wasn’t just wimping out (since I was still smiling), but also let me know I was the first DNF. Double ouch.

Any issues I had about DNF’ing were soon relieved by the next group of 50-milers who all dropped. Devon Crosby-Helms felt her flu dropping into her lungs, so she stopped instantly. Sean Lang was also saving up for a full weekend of training, and Jady Palko dropped to make sure he recovered from Miwok. These folks are all smart runners and dropping for similar reasons, so I felt like I was in good company. In talking with them all afterwards, most of us knew there was a fair chance we wouldn’t make it, but stubbornly didn’t step down to the 50k. (note – you don’t get 50k credit at Quicksilver for dropping, but you can opt up, so I would suggest to anyone contemplating a 50k drop to race the 50k and move up to the 50-miler if you feel good at the end) But we still got to enjoy the BBQ and beer, and we were all feeling good about our decisions. I only felt bad for Devon, whose 50k split would have been enough to win the Women’s 50k by 10 minutes. ;-)

(DNF'ing can be fun!)

In the end, Graham Cooper won the QS50 for the third time, taking three minutes off his course record for a 6:35:28. Chikara Omine snuck under 7 hours with 6:59:36, while Ian Torrence got third (7:19:18) and Mark Tanaka toughed it out for fourth and winning the Masters division (7:22:20). Jon Kroll did an amazing time of 7:42, so he’s well on his way for States. Suzanna Bon won the Women’s division in 7:45, nearly an hour ahead of Francesca Conte (8:39:44) and Kelly Cronin (8:45:12). In the 50k, first time ultrarunner Scott McClennan crushed the competition in 3:51:58, with Nate Bowen (3:58:03) and the ever-fast Ron Guiterrez (4:14:21, Masters winner) rounding out the top 3. Florencia Gascon-Amyx won the Women’s division in 5:03:06.

I should have known better than to race so soon after a marathon PR, and should really know better than to change my training plan. But given the circumstances, I am pleased with my decision to stop. The day was not a failure by any means – a great run in the mountains, catching up with good friends, and enough time left in the day to get Mother’s Day planned. For me, DNF means “Did Not Fail” to see the big objective, despite the lure of another ultra finish. I have a newfound respect for those three letter next to anyone’s name.

Cheers, SD

Ultramarathons gaining in popularity, competitors (Sacramento Bee)

John Schumacher at the Sac Bee wrote a great article about the lure and popularity of ultrarunning, with commentary from ultrarunners/RD's Greg Soderlund, John Medinger, Jamie Frink, Chad Long and Patrick DellaPace. Some of my favorite quotes:
And great people. "I've met a lot of friends on the trail who would do anything for you out there," said Long, who is married and has a 1 1/2-year-old daughter. "If you hurt yourself, they would stop their race to help you."

DellaPace said he'll never forget the day he finished the Woodside 50K last December and someone showed him the results of the Western States lottery: He was in. "It was an incredible moment," he said. "It was a dream come true."
Click here to read the full article.

- SD

PS - Getting the photos ready from the Quicksilver 50m on Sat, which turned out to be my first ever DNF. The Eugene Marathon took more out of me than I thought and I figured it was best to drop at 50k rather than risk injury. Still an awesome day!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Running with Legends at the Eugene Marathon

On Sunday, I had the honor of joining 5,500 runners for the recently reincarnated Eugene Marathon/Half Marathon in my hometown of Eugene, OR. Many came to “race in the footsteps of legends” of Eugene track and running stars like Steve Prefontaine, Alberto Salazar, Marla Runyan, and Mary Decker Slaney. For me, it was a chance to do some speed work up and down memory lane and join my father in our first marathon together.

My Dad, Dr. Larry Dunlap, had run a few marathons back in the 70’s. In fact, his last marathon was the former Eugene Marathon (then called the Nike Marathon) over 30 years ago! Just long enough to forget his dehydration-cursed experience and sign up for another. I thought for sure he would come to his senses and kick down to the also-challenging half marathon, but come race day he was ready to take on the full 26.2, complete with some new eating and hydration strategies. I offered to run with him, but he preferred a solo attempt. I threw in an incentive and offered to fly him to Boston should he beat the 65-69 age group qualifying time of 4 hours and 15 minutes, but he was wisely focused on finishing with grace and no staple-gunned-to-the-toilet episodes on his home turf.

(Two classic Eugene characters)

(Thousands fill up Agate St.)

My goal for this race was to do some speed work. I figured I would start out at an aggressive pace just under my anaerobic threshold (around 160 bps) and see how long I could keep my form (which is usually about 10-12 miles), then slow down to retain my legs for the upcoming Quicksilver 50m. This is the first year that I’ve been serious about speed and tempo work, so I was curious to see if there would be any proof in the pudding. Lord knows those sessions hurt the most. If there’s no proof in the pudding, I’m going back to just eating the pudding. ;-)

We gathered outside of Hayward Field for the start around 7am, and the memories already started rolling. I recalled watching the Prefontaine Classic as a young boy, doing endless stair workouts in the grandstands with my high school ski team, and falling asleep in the field while pretending to study during my college years at the University of Oregon. Yep, I’ve spent some time in this town! The historic Hayward Field has never looked so good, thanks to recent upgrades to host the Olympic Trials in a few weeks. Perhaps a few more local names will join the list of Eugene legends.

My early morning breakfast of oatmeal, Vespa, OptygenHP, and Kaboom Energy Drink hit the spot and had my legs jumping, so I only packed a few more gels for the race. The early morning was a chilly 48 degrees, but we knew it would warm up so I opted for a tank top and sleeves (oh so sexy). I found my way up to the 6:30/mile pace group among the 1,700 marathon starters and snapped a few pics before local hero/US Olympic Marathon team runner Dathan Ritzenhein sent us off.

(Lining up with the gazelles up front, Hayward Field in the background)

The crowds were awesome right out of the gate, cheering on every corner and ringing their cowbells. What a great running town! I didn’t stress too much about my pace this early and just tried to keep up with all the gazelles around me. My mind was easily preoccupied with rekindled memories at every corner. The house where the Women’s college rugby team lived (easily the best college parties in town), the church where my boy scout troop would meet, the soccer field where I lost my virginity (ha, ha, just kidding). So many distant memories that feel like yesterday…memory lane has a weird way of making you feel young and old at the same time.

Each mile marker on the course had the name of one of the Eugene running legends, which usually sparked a conversation among the runners. When we passed Marla Runyan (mile 4), I glanced at my watch for the first time and we were just under 25 minutes. Whoa! I definitely found a fast pack of runners. But my heart rate was still in the right zone, so I kept cruising along.

(Cruising down Hilyard St.)

The turn at Kathy Hayes (mile 5) brought a chilly headwind, so four of us took turns working as a pack the best we could. I could pick out the track runners among the group, for they got faster every time we hit a corner. We shared some verbal encouragement with the masses headed in the other direction before jumping on a bike path and working towards Amazon Park (where I drank my first beer, natch). I was keeping an eye out for Bobby Lee, a college friend who was taking on the Eugene Marathon for the second time. Bobby had found out last year that when you spend 5-6 hours in a race, you get mighty hungry. This year he asked Christi to bring some chicken wings out near the halfway point (she overcame her vegetarian gag reflex enough to have a bucket ready at mile 17).

The crowd near Bill McChesney Jr (mile 7) was at least a hundred people, putting on a great show of support as we rounded South Eugene High (my alma mater 21 years ago…gulp!). As we headed up into the hills again, we passed the leading group of women who were all within a minute of each other. I stuck close to Tim Knox, a 48-year-old member of Portland’s Red Lizard Racing Team, who set a solid pace up and down the hill and into the UofO campus. Tim kept checking his watch and saying “this is awfully fast”, sharing with me that his marathon PR was 2:48. He asked what my goal was, and I said a 2:55 would be nice so that I could get a guaranteed entry into the NYC marathon. He just laughed and said “you can start walking now”.

(Tim takes us over the footbridge, one of three river crossings)

I didn’t quite get the joke until we hit mile 10 in 1:02:11. Holy cow, this was fast for me! Tim passed the spot where he had cramped the previous year (and had to drop) and picked up the pace with his renewed confidence. I just stuck with him, trading off the lead as we ran in the focused silence of our pace.

(Rejoining the half marathoners on the bike path)

We entered Springfield, where Tim got a water bottle from his wife and the “look of confidence” that renewed Tim’s faith that he must be doing fine. We hit the halfway point in 1:21 and change, and turned onto the rolling river bike path that would be the terrain for the remainder of the run. Tim had a big smile on his face…”new half marathon PR”. Sweet! Either that, or we both rooked it big time.

(The open stretch to Springfield)

As we ran past Alton Baker Park (where I used to jump my BMX bike into the man-made lake…don’t laugh, BMX is an Olympic sport now!) and the McMenamin’s Mile (mile 17), we finally started pulling in 50-year-old Joe Sheeran whom we had been chasing for miles. Joe is like Tim, an impossibly fit Masters runner, and he was glad to have some company. He said he hadn’t seen anyone in nearly six miles! We all ran together for about a mile before Tim surged again, and I stuck with him.

(Another pic of the back of Tim's head...a common theme for the day!)

At this point, I wasn’t doing my fair share of pulling from the front of our pack of two. Tim was really running strong, and even a new headwind didn’t slow him down much. I kept focusing on my form and keeping my turnover going as fast as I could. At Cathie Twomey Bellamy (mile 20), I let myself check my watch again….2:04:28. I had to do the math in my head a few times to figure out we were on a 2:42 pace. I checked with Tim, and he confirmed – we were killing it!

(Sorry for the blurry picture, but take a look at these guys!)

We crossed the bridge and started heading back, and at Maria Mutola (mile 22) I began battling a side stitch and hamstrings that were burning like hot lava. I could push hard to the end, but I wanted to stick to my training goal and save something for next weekend. 22 miles at this pace, wow! I eased up to 7:00/mile and walked a few steps at the remaining aid stations to get in lots of water, while Tim pressed on at full speed. I still managed to catch a few runners on the last section, but a few caught me as well. I crossed the finish line in 2:47:22, good enough for 21st place. Ten minutes off my marathon PR, and I felt great at the finish. I think I can officially say that the training is paying off. ;-)

(Scott joins the sub-2:50 club)

Tim had finished in 2:44, winning the Masters division and setting a new PR. I thanked him for his help as we watched Joe finish right behind me in 2:47. I got some food, changed my clothes, and targeted 4 hours to go back and watch for my Dad. By the time we got back, we missed him…because he finished in 3:48!!! That's a 2:55 when WAVA age-adjusted. What a rock star! When I told him he was ready for Boston, he said “I don’t have to run another one, do I?”. Spoken like a champ who gave it his all. Bobby Lee also came in strong at 4:59 (a new PR), and he didn’t even need the chicken wings.

(Posing with my Dad, the real rock star of the day)

We snapped a few pics and hit the beer garden for a pint of the Eugene Marathon Ale brewed up by McMenamins. My Dad must be doing just fine if he can take down a beer! We caught up with local Erik Petersen and his friend Lonn Robertson, who both had stellar races and would be heading to Boston in ’09. In general, that’s the theme we were hearing – wonderful weather, a great course, and awesome spectators had pulled many to personal records. As I sipped my beer, I tried to piece together what went right today (it's so much easier to figure out what went wrong, eh?). Good aerobic base, faith in my speedwork, knowledge of the course, great weather, and the speedy Tim Knox whom I was lucky enough to pace with on a breakout day of his own. Gotta be happy with that.

(Ah...brewskies!)

(Tasting the McMenamins Eugene Marathon Ale)

My thanks to the volunteers and Race Directors who put on a spectacular race. I can chalk up one more fond memory of Eugene, and this one will certainly make me feel younger. Next up, the Quicksilver 50m…

- SD

Monday, May 05, 2008

Dave Mackey wins Miwok 100k, joins the fun at Western States

Dave Mackey set a new course record (7:53:19) with his win at the Miwok 100k this weekend, earning a slot for Western States along with frequent States-frontrunner Jon Olsen (8:24:13) and Geoff Roes from Douglas, AK (8:34:02). Mackey won Miwok back in 2005, so it isn't his first time to break the tape at that course. He has also logged a 16:30 finish at States in 2004, so he is certainly a contender. (Update - the rumor mill says that neither Mackey nor Roes can attend States this year, so just Olsen will be joining in)

Kami Semick won for the third straight year in 9:15:50, with Bev Abbs placing second (and first Women's Masters) in 9:42:55 and Prudence L'Heureux in 9:47:23. Mark Lantz took 10 minutes off his course PR to win the Men's Masters in 9:10:23, 8th overall.

Brief story can be found here. It's going to be quite a field at States this year!

- SD

(photo courtesy of Jeff Vendsel, IJ photo - more here)

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