Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Feel Lucky, Punk? Good Times at the Baytrailrunners Whistle Punk Half (Feb '18)

Last Sunday, Race Director Robert Rhodes and the Baytrailrunners Crew hosted their 7th Whistle Punk Half, a trail half marathon through the gorgeous (and steep!) Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve near my home in Woodside, CA. It was a beautiful day, and we made the most of it! More pics than text for this one - just a great day in the forest.

(Robert gets the 80+ runners organized)
 It was a classic winter California day - a chilly 38 degrees in the shade, but pushing 50 degrees in the sun. Layers would be key!

(And we are off!)
(100 feet of flat, then miles of downhill)
The term "Whistle Punk" comes from the old logging days of the 1850's, where the person who sounded the horn when a tree was coming down was called the whistle punk. Robert gave us a blast of the horn as we fell down the hillside.

(We immediately plunge down the first half mile)
(Save those quads!)
(The canopy was chilly)
(Jim is looking forward to the sunny sections)

(Get that sun, Jim!)
(First peak nabbed!)
(And down we go...that's the Pacific Ocean to the right)
(Ahhh, there's that sun!) 
(On the fast Craig Britton Trail)
(Rollin'!)
(Moving fast on the Craig Britton Trail)
(Love this trail!)
(Dancing among the giants)
There was a lot of fast running on the descent to Grabtown Gulch (still my favorite part of Purisima), which quickly slowed most to a fast hike. This is a steep 2.5-mile pitch and you have to save yourself for an even bigger climb at the end, so worth saving up!

(Heading up Grabtown Gulch) 
(Derek is almost to the top!)
(Robert and his Dad manning the aid station)
I met Derek on the climb up (also representing A Runner's Mind in Burlingame, one of the race sponsors), and he was glad to see the aid station. I got a pic, then pushed forward to catch up to Jamil, who had come down from Sonoma County to enter his second trail race of all time, and the longest one yet. He was doing great!

(Jamil getting it done)

(Jamil says thanks to aid station volunteers...just four miles to go!)
Jamil and I chatted briefly into the last descent, and I learned about his amazing health journey where he did some good living in Hawaii, lost 30 lbs, then came back to be a chef. Despite the lively conversation, we almost broke his one mile PR as we came into the last aid station (mile 9). I let Jamil know it's the first third of this last climb that is a doozy, and he smartly paced himself while I recklessly went forward in search of Strava KOM's to no avail.

(The final climb!)
(Doing the climb, photo courtesy of Edmundo Pacheco)
(Into the sun, almost there!)
(Finish!)
I felt great on the last climb (1:55), but not quite enough to catch our winner, Lucas Shuman (1:47). Derek passed Jamil in the last mile to nab third, and Kim Beil, Jamie Fend, and Alyssa Dunlap (not related!) won the Women's division.

(Awesome finish medals/coasters)
(Derek brings it home!)
(Jamie Fend and Kim Beil take 2nd and 1st Woman)
My thanks to Robert and his crew for throwing a great party, and giving us all an excuse to play in the forest all morning. If you're looking for a chill race up in these here parts, this is a great one, as is the Whiskey Hill Redwood Run on March 25. Hope to see you there!


Monday, February 19, 2018

Tips on Downhill Running From Top Ultramarathon Coaches

Downhill running is a critical skill for ultramarathons. Although most runners focus their training on the more strenuous uphill sections, it's the downhill that is often the difference between a new PR or collapsing in a quad-crushed blob along the course.

I have some big mountain races this year, and one road marathon that has 5,000' net vertical descent (the Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon), so I reached out to some of the top coaches in our sport to share their secrets on training for big downhill runs. Here is the crew:

Ian Sharman is the Head Coach and founder of Sharman Ultra Endurance Coaching, and has raced mountains all over the world. He is a 4-time winner of the Leadville 100m, the record holder for the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (69 hrs, 45 min), and is also the defending champion at the Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon (2:21!).
Dr. Stephanie Howe Violett is a coach and winner of the 2014 Western States 100m Endurance Run and 2015 Lake Sonoma 50m, and is known for her fast descending skills.
Ian Torrence is a Coach for Sundog Running, and a long time ultramarathon competitor. He has competed in over 200 ultras, winning more than 50 of them. I've lost count how many times Ian has blown by me on a descent, so figured he would be a good coach to ask!


Sarah Lavender Smith is a seasoned ultrarunner and coach with a marathon PR of 3:05, and is the author of The Trail Runner’s Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras. I can vouch for her descending skills as well, having joined her the last 20 miles of the 2016 Western States 100m Endurance Run, where she nabbed a silver buckle (sub-24 hour finish).
1. Downhill running should be easy, but it's actually pretty hard. Why is it so hard?

[Stephanie] You’d think running with gravity on your side would be easy, but it can be tough on the legs. One of the biggest challenges is the extra mechanical damage your muscles encounter when running downhill. The eccentric contractions (lengthening of the muscle while under load) lead to greater damage, and that can lead to “blown quads”. It’s also difficult to run downhill because most runners tend to “sit back” and use their stride to break on the hill. Not only does this slow down cadence, but it also places more mechanical load with each heel strike. This requires greater energy and more muscle damage. Instead of using gravity to their advantage, improper down hill running can actually slow a runner down.

[Ian T] Running downhill can be likened to bowling without gutters — you can get away with anything. Proper technique and preparation can be neglected in favor of easy speed. However, for the unprepared, descending recklessly will return to haunt you in the following days. It’s very ballistic and can cause significant muscle damage and/or injury if the body isn’t adequately prepared for the slope, length or pace of the descent.

[Sarah] Downhill running is risky because it increases impact on your lower body, especially if you run with a less-ideal “hammering” form that involves leaning back and over-striding with the front leg fully extended and the foot striking the ground on the heel. Long stretches of downhill hammering can lead to the dreaded “blown quads” or knee pain. A lower-impact form of downhill running involves maintaining a slight forward lean and engaged core, and running as if you’re pedaling a bike with quick cadence. Your front leg should land with the knee slightly bent rather than straight, and your foot should land underneath you instead of way out front.

2. When preparing for a long downhill race, what do you recommend to add/adjust to your marathon training plan?

[Ian S] The main training adjustment I recommend for a downhill race is to include more hills, especially long downhills. Not everyone has this type of terrain locally so another good option is weight vest hiking (see this article I wrote for Ultra Running Magazine about this topic or the updated article I wrote about it for the January 2018 edition of Trail Runner Magazine), which helps to build more leg strength. This was a large part of my preparation for running a big PR [2:21] at Mt Charleston too. Also, watch your form - overstriding is very easy to do downhill, so a very slight forward lean helps to overcome this, plus a high cadence, but generally your running form should look the same as when running flat terrain and your feet should land directly beneath the body (the more practice you can do running gentle downhills, the more natural this will feel).

[Sarah] Downhill practice is important, but should be limited; in training, you should still prioritize flat and uphill work, because it’s most important to develop your cardiovascular fitness. When you run downhill, your heart rate drops, and consequently you don’t build your cardio fitness as well as you do while running on flat or uphill. If your marathon route features a long, steady downhill, then definitely practice a similar decline once a week; but, run the uphill first at a high level of effort, to give your lungs and heart the workout they need.

[Stephanie] Practice makes perfect. To get better at running downhills, one needs to run downhills. I’d probably advise focusing on running some downhill intervals (think 30-60 sec hard) at the end of workouts to prepare the quads. I think that’s one of the ways to get the most bang for your buck “Seasoning the quads” as I call it. I’d also say to not underestimate the effect running downhill will have on your legs. It sounds easy, but if you don’t prepare, death by quad failure is inevitable.

[Ian T] For a big descent like Mt. Charleston, both runners used to flat terrain and trail runners who are used to steep off-road descents must prepare specifically for the pounding they’ll receive over the course of 26 downhill road miles. All participants must practice for the hard street surfaces, unrelenting repetitive foot strike and speeds they’ll accumulate over the length of this net downhill marathon. They can prepare properly by adding incrementally increasing stretches of course-specific downhill road grades to their long runs. If the runner is local to the Vegas valley, they should incorporate a few training runs on the Revel course.

3. Any specific workouts that you would recommend, or have worked for you personally?

[Stephanie] I normally try to get some sustained downhill running in many weeks before a race like WS or UTMB. I usually end up pretty sore after a run with a lot of descent, so I want to give my legs time to recover and adapt. I also do a couple downhill intervals to prepare my legs. During a hill workout or tempo run, I’ll finish with 1-2x running downhill hard. This does two things: 1) forces me to run hard down hill on already fatigued legs, and 2) gives me confidence that I can run downhill fast. I think it’s important to build confidence as well as physically prepare. I also try to prepare my quads by doing some strength training prior to these races. Stronger muscles take more to breakdown, and even though it’s not a direct training stimulus, I believe strength training helps prepare my body for races with lots of descent.

[Ian S] The couple of harder downhill sessions I included [in training for Mt. Charleston] were a 20-mile long run with 10 miles running uphill at about a 4% gradient, then running back down at marathon effort level (this Strava run) and downhill mile reps on a steeper gradient (this Strava run). But it’s important to be in great downhill shape by the time you try these types of work-outs - they’re the top end of the training cycle and are higher risk for injury, so may not be suitable for everyone.

[Ian T] Incorporating course-specific downhill miles to a few long runs and hill repeats (both up and down) will be key in improving race day success. Uphill running is one of the best all-around workouts. It challenges the heart and lungs, strengthens muscles, increases power to leg turnover and, depending on the length of the hill, it improves the ability to tolerate fatigue. These low impact workouts will leave you huffing and puffing, but chances of injury are relatively low. An uphill workout can consist of 6 to 12 times 60 to 90 second hard bursts up a 6-10% grade. Jog easily or walk back to the bottom as your recovery between hill charges. Downhill running also strengthens leg muscles and offers the opportunity to work on form, quicken leg turnover and improve neuromuscular coordination. Early in a training plan, a downhill workout might consist of 3 to 6 times 2 to 3 minutes of controlled running on a gradual downhill slope. As the runner’s legs get used to the pounding they can start to integrate long sessions of downhill running into their long runs — accumulating 3 to 9 downhill miles at their goal race day pace.

[Sarah] Hills generally come in two flavors: “ramps” and “walls.” “Ramps” are runnable, gradual climbs and descents; “walls” are hills so steep that you can’t see the summit under the brim of your hat when you look straight ahead. "Walls” may make your legs burn with lactic acid, and consequently it may be wise to downshift to hiking up them if they fall in the middle of a long run. For a high-intensity workout once a week that improves both speed and strength on hills, warm up on flat terrain at a comfortable pace for 10 to 20 minutes, then do a threshold-pace block of approximately 25 minutes or three miles on a route that features “ramps.” On the uphill of the ramp, push the pace past your ability to talk in complete sentences; your effort level should feel “sustainably hard,” as if you’re racing a 10K to half marathon. When you transition to the downhill, increase your speed and try to maintain an intensity that still keeps your breathing elevated. After this block of higher-intensity running on ramps, let yourself recover with easy running for about 10 minutes, and then find a very steep hill (a “wall”) on which to do repeats. Surge up this hill as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds, and jog or walk gently back down it to recover, four times. Finally, do downhill repeats: powerhike up the hill, then practice more aggressive, forward-leaning running down it. Do this four times, to get comfortable with running fast on steep downhills.
Stair repeats are excellent for hill practice too, improving both strength and form. Running up stairs encourages the kind of quick-footed, knee-lifting short stride that is most efficient on steep uphills. Running down stairs promotes agility. At a track with stadium stairs, run up and down the steps, then run an easy-pace lap for recovery, and repeat this combination as many times as you can.

Excellent advice, all! Thank you!

- Scott

Thursday, February 01, 2018

Planning My 2018 Season, Old Guy Style

Somewhere in 2017, I think I officially became an “old guy” of trail and ultra running. The online odometers hit new digits, with my Ultrasignup profile hitting 100 races, and Strava ticking past 10,000 miles. Instagram photos are proof that my salt and pepper beard is officially now more saline than spice. Young runners in my local park don’t ask for advice on how to run fast anymore, but still love to comment that some of my race shirts are older than they are (which is true). Yet my love of the sport remains young, and as 2018 kicks off, I find myself motivated to stack up another full schedule of racing, riding, and epic adventures. It could be that training and racing keeps me young at heart, or that being young at heart keeps me training and racing…either way, I am grateful for the infinite source of optimism, gratitude, life balance, and good friendships.

I feel methodical in my annual race planning. I choose some new races to keep it fresh, some favorites to keep it fun and check in with friends, and generally have a larger theme for the year. But when Christi (my wife) explains it from her point of view, the pattern is honestly comical. She says “your racing ends in November, you are a melancholy wreck through December with ‘no direction, no motivation, yada, yada’, then you blow thousands of dollars on entry fees and Airbnb’s on New Years Eve, and it always includes 4-5 races in April and May.” Ha! She’s wise, that one.

So here’s how the drunk dialing equivalent of sign ups panned out for 2018:



Spring Hill Marathon, 1/7. I was in Florida for work, but rather than hit the predictable Disney World Marathon, I headed out to Spring Hill, FL, to visit the more rural, blue collar section of the State. My Silicon Valley-sheltered ass needs to meet more of America, and Airbnb is a great way to dive right in. In fact, I’ll be Airbnb’ing all year for this same reason.



Whistle Punk Half, 2/25. It’s the fastest half in the Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve, right in my backyard of Woodside, CA, and Robert Rhodes and his crew always put on a great race. A fantastic excuse to come see the best route through this redwood slice of heaven - if you've got the time, come join us!



Marin Ultra Challenge 50k, 3/10. One of my favorite courses through the Marin Headlands is Inside Trail Racing’s MUC. The pictures I take at this race each year continue to be the biggest Google requests of the year, so I will come cameras loaded once again.


Boston Marathon, 4/16. We all have that one race we just can’t stop doing, and for me, it’s Boston. The excitement of the first time runners, the elites, the history…it’s so much fun! This will be #14 in my streak, well into "old guy" territory now.



Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon, 4/28. How fast can you run a marathon if there is 5,100’ vertical net descent? I’m wondering if a little gravity assist might lower my PR into the 2:30’s before the inevitable speed decline of middle age kicks in. I might have to put an asterisk by that claim (and low Boston bib #) for the vertical doping though. It’s also a birthday weekend in Vegas…sprint down a hill, party all night, what could possibly go wrong? ;-)



Quicksilver 100k, 5/12. Last year was the first lottery for Western States in 15 years that I didn’t have a qualifier, and I miss it! I’m also eyeing UTMB/CCC for 2019 to celebrate my 50th birthday. Quicksilver is always a great time, and a qualifier for both.


Tour of the Unknown Coast Gran Fondo 100m, 5/19. A century ride with my “boys” along the wild coastline of Northern California, and a chance to hang in the redwoods again. Plus it seals Christi’s forecast of having too many races in April/May, so I have to do it.



Mount Fuji Ascent, 6/24. My family is headed to Japan for a long trip this summer, and we will be in the Five Lakes area long enough for me to do a solo run/hike to the top. Should be epic!


Castle Peak 100k, 8/18. I’ve been eyeing this beast of a run in the Truckee/Tahoe area since it was established a few years back. A new course has it pushing more than 15,000’ of climbing, including the Pinnacles. It has as many UTMB points as a 100-miler, so you know its going to be crazy. I’m in! 

Rest of the year, TBD. My life calendar is also quite booked, so best to leave some of the year flexible. I'm turning my Strava feed into a meme feed of fun, and cutting back on all other social feeds. Also more water, more stretching, more meditation, more gratitude. And learning some Japanese. I would also say "have more fun", but I'm not sure if that is possible.

Are you going to any of these races? Let me know where I’ll find you! Let’s get some “old runner” pictures together...I promise that no matter how good my Photoshop skills, I'll always look older than you. ;-)

And I hope your 2018 is off to a great start!

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