Trailmix....

A couple of days ago, I watched “Unbreakable”. I know the first thing that pops into everyone’s mind is the Bruce Willis and Samuel Jackson movie but this is far from it. Unbreakable the documentary is about the legendary trail race the Western States 100 and by 100 I mean a 100-mile trail race. The race hast been in existence for some time now but in 2010, there was this epic battle because the race had four of the top ultra runner’s running the race so the documentary gives you a little history on the race and these ultra running giants who have all signed up to run the race. If you are a geeks like and subscribe to trailrunner magazine then you would know I am talking about Anton Kuprica, Kilian Jornet, Hal Koerner and Geoff Roes. For those who are not aware, I may have run ten marathons total but my true passion has been on the trails.

It has been some time now but I remember taking the challenge of going up to the Los Liones trail in the Santa Monica mountains with Sandra who was a rep at Ortho-McNeil. Sandra bragged about how in shape she was and how she always did this hike before work. I just bragged. So we met up one day after work at the trail and away we went. I remember Sandra was walking at a blazing speed and I was feeling like I was going to die. We walked all the way to the top and though I was in agony, I refused to stop. To make matters worse for me, Sandra decided she wanted to run the whole 3.5 miles back which at the time was a distance that I was not use to. In the end, my legs were battered and beaten as well as my ego but something within me liked the challenge I had just went through. Something about the trails intrigued me. It was leg busting and backing breaking just to walk uphill but when running through the technical parts of the narrow trail I seemed to come alive. I felt like I could run forever. I knew from then on, I would be drawn to the trails and trail running.

My first trail running event was back in 2005 when I ran the 6k Xterra Malibu Creek Challenge. I had year of running under my belt and I just knew I was ready. The race might have had about 200 people so it was still new and unknown to many which was awesome. When the race started, I took off down a flat road. I thought I was golden until we made a turn and started winding gradually up a hill. That’s where my legs gradually burned and my lungs felt like they were on fire. What was going on here? All of a sudden I found myself walking and not only that, I was tired. We made it up the hill and the course turned up another climb. I gathered myself and started running but no sooner had I got about 50 feet I had to stop and being that we were on a single-track trail the proper thing to do is step to the side. The next thing I knew I was stepping aside more and more and it seemed as if the entire field of runners were going by me. After being a lame duck on the incline I caught a break with a fast downhill where I then encountered a new problem I had never experienced before. In a street race, you have plenty of road to run around people but on a trail if someone is in front of you especially on a downhill it is suicide to try going around them without possibly injuring them or yourself so you have to just be patient and that is what I did but I lost so much time and momentum. I tried sprinting the last mile and a half of the race and just burnt out with a ¼ of a mile left. That was the longest 6k of my life and it was only 36 minutes.

One would think that after that experience I would be discouraged but the race was exciting and it taught me that I knew nothing about trail running and that I obviously did not do enough hill running and spend nearly as much time on the trails in order to do well.

I think to date, I have run over 10 trail running events. Last was by far the most challenging and disappointing for me and running and the trails. Instead of running the normal Malibu Creek Challenge 6k I decided it was time to up the stakes and run the 22k race and challenge myself and boy did I. I sucked half of the race. I pretty much walked after mile 4 all the way up to mile 7 then woke up and finished strong the second half of the race. I was please overall because I got close to the time I predicted I would cross the finish line. I followed up that race with a painful and utterly disappointing performance at the Point Mugu 11k. In 2010, I ran Point Mugu for the first time with my friend Dave and I came in 4th in my age division and so in 2011 I had a goal to return and win my division or place in the top 3 but if you remember from some of my previous blogs the race was a disaster. I took a nasty fall training at Point Mugu two weeks before the race and my legs just did not recover in time for the race. I was mentally and physically out of that race within 5 minutes of the start. I made a great surge and tried to make a comeback towards the end of the race but several runners on the downhill refused to move out of my way and with only about .2 miles to go I literally stopped and walked to the end. I had never been do disgusted with myself but I knew that I had been running to hard and too much that year and it showed so I took some time off.

I started out the year running the Boney Mountain 21k which was the hardest race in the Xterra series. This race was a test of all test with a climb from mile 7 all the way up to mile 11. That is something no runner wants to see on an elevation chart but I gave myself a modest goal for the race and beat it by 4 minutes. So is there a 100 miler in my future? I am not sure but when I watched the documentary on the Western States 100, it started to excite me. These guys are out here pushing themselves to limits that few can comprehend but there’s something about nature that few understand. The trails are about enjoying the trees, the scenery, and the moment. Trail running is about freedom from the city, from people, and from all that, which seems harmful. I think you begin to develop as a runner because you constantly pay attention to your surroundings and environment and what is up ahead and around the corner. You develop instincts like jumping over rocks or slowing up on downhill turn or skipping over certain sections. You develop so many tactical skills and strength and resolve to continue to climb up winding inclines that never seem to end.

We are fortunate to be in a city with access to hundred of hiking trails and national parks and all I ever hear from people is how they need to escape. Well, next time you are feeling crowded and stressed by all that is going on in your life, escape 10 miles to the SM mountains and take a nice stroll on the trails. Who knows you might see a bear and then you’ll discover what trail running is all about!