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Hewlett-Packard has agreed to sell "Little Basin", their 534 acre property adjascent to the Big Basin Redwoods Park, to two non-profit land trusts, the Peninsula Open Space Trust and the Sempervirens Fund. These trusts will in turn lobby to have this property made a part of the Big Basin Redwoods Park. You can read the full story here at the San Jose Mercury News.

It's incredible what land trusts can do to help preserve local open space (you can read some research I did here), and much in thanks to the generosity of the folks at HP, the success continues. I can't wait to try out the new trails!

Here's an audio slideshow about the purchase, courtesy of the San Jose Mercury News.

- SD

Suddenly Peter can feel the ground.. He’s the only one able to walk on it, while everything else is falling.. He’s surprised..

Peter’s warped into some other time, but at the same place.. sees that everything is normal. Peter walks over to a shop and sees his mother. Peter walks in.. and his mother is not at all surprised to see him.

Angela.. “You’re right on time, Peter..”

Peter says.. “Mother, please help me.. I was with Sylar and all of a sudden.. these unusual things started happening to me..!”

Angela.. “Peter, Its time for me to tell you something.. I know that you are going to blow up new york.. I knew it all the way..”

Peter.. “How?”

Angela.. “Because I have seen it.”

Peter.. ”So, you can see the future?”

Angela.. “Not quite.... I see the world without time. I’ve also seen the future change a number of times.. every time somebody tries to make a change, which is done many times by a person named Hiro Nakamura, and of course me, a new timeline is created somehow.. And I can see through the events of every timeline..

Remember you saw a vision of yourself blowing up new york?

I saw it too.. and you’ve got that ability from me..”

Peter.. “But why are you telling me this now? Why didn’t u tell this to me before?”

Angela.. “Its difficult, Peter.. I am committed to some cause that is going to save the world. And now I want you to understand.. that the only way to save the world, is for that bomb to go off..

I know this is hard for you to understand.. Your father, me, Charles and Linderman had sought out a plan to save the world some years ago... Peter, I don’t know whether I should be telling you this, but there is a man, who brings with him destruction and countless deaths.. He wont stop.. I’ve tried to see him in the future.. but I simply cannot find him anywhere.. All I see is destruction and suffering.. But I see this suffering only in one timeline.. I don’t know how, but somehow, if the bomb dosent go off, he survives. It seems like the only way to kill him is for the bomb to blow off.. If you don’t understand this Peter, the world will face its doom… You have to go through with this..

I love you Peter, but if this tragedy dosent happen, all will be lost… If I had told you all of this, it would’ve never really happened.. and the future I am most afraid of would be a reality..

I also know that we wont be losing you after the bomb.. “Save the cheerleader.. save the world”.. isn’t it? After saving her, you have been given the invaluable gift of your life. You don’t die, I have seen it”

Both walk towards the counter…Angela keeps a pair of socks in her pocket.. She is caught by the guard.. who immediately arrests her for shoplifting…

Peter.. “Why?”

Angela.. “I just wanted to feel alive again” ..

Peter recollects these words..

As they take her away from Peter, she says.. “This is all meant to be.. I am counting on you..”

Peter remembers Angela’s words from the hospital..

“Its time you took a hard look at you’re life.. and if there are CHANGES to be made, I want to be here to help you…”

Peter closes his eyes, concentrating on his power and trying to return to the present time..

Claude stands behind Peter, who goes from invisible to visible..

Peter returns to the moment he’s holding Sylar with his freezing hands..

Peter immediately leaves Sylar’s throat.. He seems a bit dizzy by the time travel.. So Sylar takes charge and uproots a parking meter nearby, brings it to his hands using telekinesis, and begins hitting Peter very hard..

[he does this to provoke peter from blowing up]

Sylar.. “I thought you were like me.. But you are so pathetic.. You are so weak..”

Peter rages in anger.. “I a m not weak….”

Two cars parked on the opposite roads fly towards Sylar.. Sylar stops both of them in the air just before they hit him.. The cars fall on either side of him.. Sylar raises his hands and melts them to liquid metal.

Sylar.. “Try again Peter.. Is that all you’ve got?”

Peter concentrates hard.. and glasses from nearby buildings break and come charging towards Sylar from all four sides… This time Sylar is a hurt as many shards pierce him...

Sylar is down while Peter reads someone's mind.. “So this is the place where Peter blows… I have to take Sylar out of here.. Then I can....” Peter loses his mind communication from that person

Sylar gets angry and radiates radioactive energy.. Two radioactive globes are seen on Sylar’s hands and he fires them at Peter, hurting him badly.. But Peter regenerates.. However, as Peter is exposed to Sylar’s power, Peter gets a stimulus and his hands begin to glow.. Peter gets scared but tries to control it..

Suddenly, Molly sees a man in the dark.. standing some distance apart from molly... and is very scared and holds onto Mohinder.. She cries in fear..

Hiro teleports to the place.. after seeing a painting at Isaac’s loft about the Sylar-Peter showdown.. He calls Sylar. Sylar is surprised but not afraid.. Hiro slows down time to kill Sylar head on and forces his sword through him.. Sylar is shocked as Hiro stabs Sylar.. since Sylar regarded Hiro as a “silly little man”.

Sylar falls to the ground…. And flashes are seen in his eyes showing the moments till he’s down…

Suddenly, Hiro says in a changed tone.. “Come on Sylar.. get up.. we have to go now”. He touches Sylar and both of them vanish into thin air.

Peter slowly goes out of control…

Claire reaches the spot.. n looks at her dad.. Her dad has injuries, so he cannot get up and says… “ You should’ve gone out of the city..! what are you still doing here?”

Claire.. “I cannot leave you dad..”

Peter is about to explode.. Nathan comes looking for Peter and sees that he is exploding.. Nathan tries to come near him but is unable to face the strong radiation. HRG tells Claire to shoot Peter at point blank range so that the bullet goes through his brain. Claire takes out her gun and walks towards Peter. Her skin is ripped off completely as she goes near Peter but she regenerates and makes it close to him. She shoots him at point blank range and the bullet goes through his brain, making him unconscious.

All of them rush to the spot while Mohinder checks out the man in the dark.. The man is on the ground and has no pulse.. He’s dead.

Paramedics and Police arrive at the scene.. and Molly is absolutely terrified, as if someone bad is watching her.

Future spoilers [for my next part!!]

- of course, don’t read if u don’t want to spoil the fun! -

Yet there is no sign of Hiro or Sylar. The bomb is stopped, but two lives which were supposed to end with the bomb were spared.

One life was spared because of Peter’s travel to his past… another life was just spared by the bomb impact.

One of them being the one who possessed Hiro’s soul… who is as power hungry as Sylar and there is also someone else…

A phone rings…

The Haitian is in a motel in las vegas.. and picks the phone up..

Man on the phone… “Help me. please. It has gone beyond my control. You’re the only one who can help me!!”

There are sounds of tables and chairs banging against the walls..

Phone goes dead..

The Haitian : “Im on my way, Father Gray…”

END OF PART 2 SHOWDOWN

I'll write next part in about a week or more than that.. give me some time to think of the strangest things to show and the fiercest villians to create!

TO BE CONTINUED....

P.S. : I'd greatly appreciate ur comments and views.. Just click "Post comment" on this blog below!

Hi guys... I am a fan of the "Heroes" TV series.. After the season finale, I had decided to write my own finale of how it should've been done.. There are 2 parts that Iv written for the finale.. Now, Part one starts from a point in the show when at the end, both Peter and Sylar confront each other... I've tried to keep the no. of plotholes to a minimum.. In this version of the story, u'll have more action, more deadly heroes and villians.. Watch out as to how a new timeline takes birth when Peter makes a change obliviously... And how the world is in peril again when someone more powerful than Sylar takes over.. This series is named "Heroes - Armageddon"... Any comments appreciated.. Please report any plotholes that you think that this story may have and I'll clarify them for you.. If the script needs a change, please do tell me.. Enjoy!

SCRIPT :

Sylar and Peter confront each other..

Sylar : “Just like I saw it coming…..”

Sylar lifts peter up, making a scar on his face like that in the future episode.. just to stimulate him to blow up..

DL seems to be near to his death.. so Nikki and Micah cry and are supposedly saying their last lines to him..

Peter screams, his hands begin to glow.. he seems helpless... but Peter finds his strength and recalls Hiro’s power and reverses time to the point where he meets sylar, his scar slowly vanishing..

Now peter is enraged and pulls sylar towards him [telekinesis], holding his neck by his hand and uses his ice power to freeze sylar's throat.. sylar is now helpless for few seconds.

Peter reads sylar's mind... “This is not what I saw.. what is happening? How are you doing this?”

Peter reads molly’s mind… “What do u want? Please do not hurt me..”

Peter turns over to Molly to see that she’s concentrating very hard but there is no one beside her except Mohinder, dl, micah and nikki.. Molly is very afraid..
peter gets distracted.. now when peter recalls his power [mind read], he gets unstable as he begins to read a lot of minds out there.. of all the characters..[this scene is same as the scene after claude throws peter on a cab]. In a flash, peter reads some random thoughts..

Then, the world pauses...everyone is frozen in time but peter. His eyes go white, he begins to see some flashes.. He sees a view of kirby plaza, in the morning. Peter sees Claire sitting near the Kirby plaza place [where Peter ends up fighting Sylar… She seems like “remembering” Peter] .. Claire is shocked to see him.. She says.. “You’re alive? Its so good to see you again! But how did this happen?”

Peter is confused.. He says “I don’t know. Why are u saying this. Did I really blow up?”...

. Suddenly, there is a loud thud..

Peter and Claire see something gruesome on the streets. Something invisible which is absorbing everything in its path. Every thing is absorbed into thin air.

Claire : “What is that?”

Now they feel something like an earthquake aftershock and suddenly everything starts falling towards the sky.. cars, people, buses... as if the world had been made devoid of gravity.. Peter gets hold of a pole while Claire is holding his other hand. He cannot hold her and she falls up into the sky like everyone else. Peter screams … “Claire!”

END OF PART ONE

Im a heroes fan so I took some time to develop my own story for the finale.. I’ll start this short storyline with the peter-sylar fight... this fight goes on for much longer than u expect and my whole story will be about about 2hrs+ on video.. everyone is at the same place as shown in the finale.. bennet and matt r down.. nikki is with dl, micah, molly and mohinder. claire n nathan have not arrived. SYLAR HAS NOTHING TO LOSE NOW.. HE WANTS EVERYONE TO BE DEAD.. AND FOR PETER TO BLAST.. HE ASSUMES THAT THE RADIATION FROM PETER WONT AFFECT HIM AS HE'LL BE IMMUNE TO HIS OWN POWER..AND HE WONT DIE ANYWAY [AND HE TRIES TO AVOID GETING BLOWED UP HIMSELF]

This is my 2^nd attempt at this.. So plz tell me what u think about it..

P.S. : Some story changed due to plotholes in my previous version of the story. And Ive added some revelations before ending this fight..

If you guys find any plotholes, plz tell me those! And if u want to post this somewhere, do credit me.

I’ll come straight to the action part…. Then some revelations and expositions.. I would've done the entire episode but i did this because I was completely disappointed by the finale...

Ultrarunner Lisa Conover from Appleton, WI, died unexpectedly last week at age 48. Here was a quote from an e-mail forwarded to me:

"Many of you may have known Lisa Conover -- ultrarunner from Appleton, WI. She has run everything from Western States to Old Pueblo to MiWok to many of our Midwest ultras. Lisa collapsed at home -- from the initial info I got, I think it was this morning -- and Gary (husband) called 911. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Lisa had not been feeling well the past week or so, but evidently her symptoms didn't seem too serious. Perhaps flu-like...I'll share further info when it is available. Of course, if someone else out there in ultraland has more information, please let us know."

I didn't have the pleasure of knowing her, but it's clear many of you did. My heart is out to her friends and family.

Another ultrarunner forwarded me this partial list of ultras she has run. One thing for sure, Lisa definitely lived life to the fullest.

- SD

51 Leona Divide 50 Mile Run and 28.4 Mile S 2007 50m 10:29:53
50 San Juan Trail 50K 2007 50k 07:25:37
49 Wild Wild West 50k 2007 50k 06:12:17
48 Angeles Creset 100 Miles Endurance Run 2006 100m 28:20:00
47 Kettle Moraine 100 mile (solo and relay) 2006 100k 14:09:53
46 Bandera 100km 50km 25km 2005 100k 13:56:45
45 Ice Age Trail 50 2005 50m 10:06:18
44 Rocky Raccon 50 Miles 2005 50m 09:22:24
43 McNaughton Park Trail Runs 2005 50m 10:09:35
42 MiWok 100k 2005 100k 13:01:35
41 Western States 100 Miles Endurance Run 2005 100m 27:12:00
40 Angeles Crest 100 Miles Endurance Run 2004 100m 29:21:00
39 Bandera 100km 50km 25km 2004 50k 06:39:40
38 Leona Divide 50 Mile Run and 28.4 Mile S 2004 50m 11:00:13
37 Ice Age Trail 50 2004 50m 10:22:41
36 Kettle Moraine 100 mile (solo and relay) 2004 100m 24:55:23
35 Afton Trail 50KM 2004 50k 06:00:45
34 Rocky Raccon 50 Miles 2004 50m 09:47:57
33 McNaughton Park Trail Runs 2004 50m 10:33:41
32 Grasslands Run 50 miles 2003 50m 09:26:42
31 Where's Waldo 100k 2003 100k 17:10:13
30 Kettle Moraine 100 mile (solo and relay) 2003 100k 13:47:31
29 Leona Divide 50 Mile Run and 28.4 Mile S 2002 50m 10:32:36
28 IronMan Wisconsin 2002 142m 14:06:09
27 John F. Kennedy 50 Mile 2002 10:11:10
26 MiWok 100k 2002 100k 13:40:59
25 Western States 100 Miles Endurance Run 2002 100m 27:24:12
24 Angeles Creset 100 Miles Endurance Run 2001 100m 28:20:12
23 Leona Divide 50 Mile Run and 28.4 Mile S 2001 50m 10:18:54
22 Ice Age Trail 50 2001 50m 09:27:22
21 San Diego 1 Day Run 2001 24h 104.2800
20 Vermont Trail 100 Miles Endurance Run 2001 100m 23:14:33
19 Squaw Peak 50 Mile Trail Run 2000 50m 12:22:00
18 Leona Divide 50 Mile Run and 28.4 Mile S 2000 50m 10:27:49
17 Ice Age Trail 50 2000 50m 09:44:37
16 Western States 100 Miles Endurance Run 2000 100m 26:33:10
15 Old Dominion 100 Mile One Day Endurance 1999 100m 23:32:14
14 Leona Divide 50 Mile Run and 28.4 Mile S 1999 50m 10:23:24
13 Ice Age Trail 50 1999 50m 09:43:42
12 Leadville Trail 100 Miles Endurance Run 1999 100m 28:39:37
11 Wasatch Front 100 Miles Endurance Run 1999 100m 32:47:00
10 Western States 100 Miles Endurance Run 1999 100m 28:03:44
9 Angeles Creset 100 Miles Endurance Run 1998 100m 30:09:56
8 Bulldog 50K Ultra Run 1998 50k 06:12:22
7 Ice Age Trail 50 1998 50m 10:25:49
6 Afton Trail 50KM 1998 50k 05:19:06
5 Ice Age Trail 50 1997 50m 10:18:20
4 Afton Trail 50KM 1997 50k 05:34:25
3 Afton Trail 50KM 1996 50k 05:53:29
2 John F. Kennedy 50 Mile 1996 11:32:50
1 John F. Kennedy 50 Mile 1995 11:47:26

Home, Home on the Range.............

Last Sunday, I joined 60,000 people for the freakfest known as the 2007 ING Bay to Breakers in San Francisco, CA. Our good friend Kristin "Kik" Armstrong was in town, and she wanted to see the meyhem up close! Although I was still sore from the Silver State 50-miler the day before, I figured I could make it through 7.49 miles and get some good pics. Kik and I donned our Tiki/Mai Tai costumes (complete with rasta and pink wig, respectively) and jumped into the start on a gorgeous San Francisco morning.

The start corral was sheer craziness, setting the stage for the whole run. Thousands of tortillas filled the air - I'm not sure how this tradition was started, but it's been there all three times I've done Bay2Break. Here's a video so you can get the idea:



Costumes were everywhere, some fun, some downright shocking. As the countdown to the start began, about a dozen people next to us stripped to their skivvies and donned their "Bare to Breakers" hats. Whoa! I hope they used sunscreen. Kik was very impressed with their display of freedom, and a bit jealous I think. (note to self - feed Kik about 10 beers before the race next year, get her a Bare to Breakers hat, and see what happens)


As the gun went off, runners and walkers made their way through downtown San Francisco. Residents were happy to blast their favorite music, and the whole thing felt like Carnivale. We lucked out on the weather - it was sunny and 60 degrees, meaning a comfortable run for us, and no "shinkage" for the streakers! We all knew that Footstock, the party at the end, was waiting just a short run away.


At mile 1, we passed about 20 Elvi (plural for more than one Elvis) blasting our Blue Suede Shoes and drinking enough to make the ghost of Vegas-Elvis proud.


The costumes were so impressive, Kik and I were constantly pointing out our favorites. Scooby Doo, a caveman couple, SpongeBob SquarePants, mustard and ketchup, Borat (complete with crazy swimsuit), six runners connected as a crewing boat - it was better than Halloween! Our tiki costumes didn't even stand out.


At mile three, we turned the corner and stared down the only big hill on the course, Hayes Hill. It's a tough little grind, but probably the most active party on the course. I was pleased that Kik had the bright pink hair and had no trouble tracking her through the crowd.


At the base of Hayes Hill, we ran into the "spawning salmon". These folks dress as salmon and run the course backwards, spawning their way against the stream. The visual effect is hilarious. The salmon took a short break from spawning to dance to a funk band at the base of the hill, and I caught them on video:



Kik led us up the hill, as "Movin' On Up" was blasting from one of the apartments. We turned a couple of corners and found ourselves on a nice downhill glide into Golden Gate Park. Kik and I were all smiles, but it was clear that this run was a challenge for some of the crowd. We did our best to cheer them on as we passed the rust colored de Young Museum.



There were many bands along the way, and some had the most classic names. There was a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover band called "Petty Theft", who was quite good. Soon we heard the surf tunes of "Meshugga - the Chosen Surfers".


We caught up with the Incredibles...


...and before we knew had reached the finish.


We grabbed some water and headed up to Footstock, where we were joined by Christi, Sophie, and our friends the Shepards. Christi wore a wig of her own to join in the fun. We shared some beers, met some crazy people, and enjoyed the sun.


Probably not the best numbers I have ever posted - 7.49 miles, 1 hour and 31 minutes. But we did count 43 naked people, and that's a number I will never forget! I'm glad I squeezed in one last crazy race before taking some time off to recover, and was able to share it with my good friend, Kik. Until next year...

- SD

[Below is a longer video if you're looking for more of the freakfest]

New Linkage on the Sidebar.......
Check out Mesablue and Wicked Pinto's place - Absolute Moral Authority.

No. This picture has nothing to do with anything. I was looking for a cool Pinto picture and couldn't find it. But this one made me laugh and that's what you get.


I have more goofy pictures saved in files than I know what to do with. Absolutely no organisation either. So I can never find shit when I do want it.



Oh well. That's my life in a nutshell.










Roger , had the picture below at his place the other day and it was so like the Zombies I deal with at work every day I just had to save it. Check out the nice way the editor slammed this idiot in the caption.


OK, that's it for today. We'll see if I find the motivation to come back here tomorrow.

Last Saturday I joined 120 ultrarunners for the 21st running of the Silver State 50k/50 mile just outside of Reno, NV. This race is known for its climbs (over 20,000 vertical feet of change for the 50 mile) and snow (9 miles of it last year), providing ideal training grounds for those tackling similar climates at the Western States 100 or the Tahoe Rim Trail 100. We lucked out with the weather and low snow levels this year, and thanks to a fantastic performance by the volunteers of the Silver State Striders, we all had an epic day!

The SS50 was a "serious" race for me in that I had some time goals I wanted to hit. I was targeting under 9 hours while still feeling comfortable at the end. This would require pushing waaaay harder than I have on any 50-miler to date, yet still having some juice at the finish line. Why the big goal? Well, lately I've been stressing out over the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 (my first 100-miler) in a big way. Both the TRT 50k and TRT 50m have brought me to me knees in the past (much in thanks to big climbs and altitude) and I wasn't feeling much comfort seeing the TRT 100 approaching on my race schedule. If I'm going to tackle the TRT 100 with confidence, it would be good to have a boost like doing well at SS50 (or in not doing well, learning where to focus). My legs were still a bit tired from Quicksilver last week, but I thought that would help even more to mimic the 100-mile madness. This is it, Scotty boy, time to step up and see if you got the chops.

I was coming off a busy week at home/work, so I packed my bags meticulously the day before, right down to every tablet, sunscreen sampler, and worst-case scenario. After hustling out of the house on Friday night to get to Reno, NV, I opened to car to realize I had forgotten one very important thing - to put the bag in the car! OMG, what a rookie move. Luckily I always have extra Inov-8's and Injinji tsoks in the back of the car, so I wasn't completely screwed. But I did need to find some water bottles, fanny pack, a camera (essential!), electrolyte pills, foot tape, sunscreen, gloves and a hat ASAP. REI was open for 10 more minutes, so I got most of it in a flurry of credit card swiping. I figured I would beg my fellow runners for anything I missed.

At the pre-race meeting, Race Director Stan Ostrom walked us through the course and let us know of the many course changes from the previous year. I had a chance to catch up with many runners, and meet some of my favorite runner/bloggers in person! Olga and Gretchen are as charming in person as they are in text, and Tom is always a pleasure to see. All of them were using this race as a checkpoint for future goals (such as Tom going for the Kettle Moraine 100 in a few weeks), as were many runners targeting the 2007 Western States such as Marty Hoffman, Robert Johnson, Carson Teasley, Troy Limb, Kathy D'Onforio, Betsy Nye, Dawn Infurna-Bean, and others.

There were some speed-demons here too, especially in the Men's division. Hal Koerner was here fresh off his win at the ZOld Pueblo 50, as well as TRT100 course record holder Jasper Helekas, ultra legend Paul Sweeney, Montrail racer (and fellow Injinji teammate) Scott Eppelman, and Mike Cook who has clocked a number of top finishes this year already. All were signed up for the 50-mile and ready to rumble!

At 6am Saturday morning, we gathered in a shopping mall on the edge of town, gazing up the first big hill. Rob Evans was my hero, and let me access his trunk of ultra goodies to stock up on S! Caps. As we counted down to the start, I realized I was head to toe in new gear and supplements that I hadn't tested in training, and wondered if it would be wise to revise my goals and go a bit more conservative. Then again, blowing up on the course is probably perfect training for a 100! Best to just go hard and see what happens.

The first mile cut through the last cul de sac of the local neighborhood, and soon enough we were on a fire road heading straight up the first mountain. This was a tough way to start - from 5,000 ft to 8,000 ft in the first 5 miles - and quickly sorted out the field. Hal, Jasper, and Mike Cook joined a few of the 50k front-runners at the lead, running the whole way. I paced along with Rob Evans, Kathy D'Onforio, Scott Eppleman, and Jenny Capel, and we alternated running and fast-walking. During the walks, I was able to chat a bit with Scott Eppelman, who had flown up from Texas to race here as part of a training schedule for the Hardrock 100. His 17-month-old twins were definitely the bulk of his training these days!

We hit the aid station at the top of the hill (mile 6), and Scott took off after Paul Sweeney while I ran a bit with Jenny Capel. The temperature was in the low 60's, but the aid station volunteers said to be ready for 80's. Jenny let me know it was her father who started this race 21 years ago, so she certainly knew the course! This was the last big race of her season as she was going to cover at home while her husband trained for Ironman Canada. Jenny was definitely going fast, and she and Rob Evans went blazing down the hill in front of me. I turned over my legs as fast as possible to keep them in sight.

It's a good thing I did - if Jenny hadn't pointed out the 50-mile turnoff for Rob and me just after the next aid station (mile 11.5), we would have missed it for sure. I remembered that there would be a turn about this point (it was one of the course changes from last year), but the chalk markings had arrows in all directions and there wasn't any volunteers to clarify which was for whom. Rob and I said thanks to the group of 50k ladies, and headed up the 12-mile "lollipop loop" just for the 50-milers.

The loop went right into a gradual 500 ft climb that gave us a view of the course a mile or so ahead. There wasn't a soul in sight! I was moving at a pretty good clip while Rob's lingering chest cold did battle with the altitude. He decided to take it easy on the uphills, and I continued on solo. I saw four sets of footprints in the silt-like sand, so I figured I was somewhere around 5th place. As I reached the next aid station (mile 15.5), they informed me I was 7th. So much for my tracking skills!

As I loaded up on water, I realized I was drinking A LOT. Part of my plan was to really "push" the liquids this time, taking in about 35-40 ounces per hour (with one S! Cap). This felt like a lot, but 2 and 1/2 hours into the race, I hadn't felt the urge to pee and was still chugging. I noticed is was easier to keep track of hydration without my iPod, and I was attentive to sounds and sights I wouldn't normally catch. At mile 17, I ran through a troop of Boy Scouts out camping, and they cheered me on Tour de France style, hovering just one step away from me in a deafening roar. Ten seconds later, back to absolute silence in the expansive high desert. Truly a race of extremes!

At mile 22, I was still feeling good and trucking along. I entered an oasis near a creek, which was full of hungry rabbits, butterflies drafting behind me, and bear prints in the mud. This was definitely a popular spot with the locals! The mountains were drowning me in beauty, so I stopped and took a short video (please disregard the audio - I panned so fast it got a little 'Blair Witch' on me, so I slowed it down to half speed). The climb ahead was steep, but I knew the aid station was right on the other side with Coke and ice.



The family at the the Dog Valley aid station (mile 23.5) had me in and out in 10 seconds and let me know some steep climbs were ahead. How can this course be uphill both ways? (ha, ha) They said that I was in 5th place, which was a bit confusing since I hadn't passed anyone. Not that it mattered - I wasn't even half way yet! I did my best to fast-walk the climbs and run anything runnable, all while pushing fluids.

Before too long, I was exiting the loop and saw my first runner in hours. Jason had been running with the front pack before having some back issues and slowing to a walk until the ibuprofen kicked in. He solved the mystery for me on my race place with a tough tale of wrong turns. Hal Koerner had missed the loop cutoff and was presumably doing the 50k now. Paul Sweeney and Scott Eppelman had followed the old course route (which Paul had followed instinctually from his previous races here), and had improvised some backtracking to make up the skipped mileage (and then some, most likely). So I was either in 3rd place behind Jasper and Mike Cook, or in 5th place depending on if Paul and Scott would be DQ'd. For a fleeting moment I felt like a SUPER ELITE being mentioned in the same sentence with those guys! But honestly, they were probably a good 40 minutes ahead already, and my race was against the clock. I wished Jason well, and took a right down the valley to Boomtown (mile 29.3).


The single track to Boomtown was great fun, as it weaved back and forth in a steep downhill grade. My mile pace was around 6:50/mile on these downhills and I felt like I was making good time. The only struggle was the increasing heat (now at 70 degrees) and the water bottles that I drank empty. The Truckee River tempted me for a swim at the bottom of the valley, but I kept pushing the pace to the Boomtown aid station and loaded up on Coke, water, PB&J, and m&m's. Sarah asked how it was going and I had to answer honestly - so far, I was having the race of my life! She said good...take a look at that hill.


Oh yes, THAT hill. 4,800 vertical feet straight up over 7 miles, peaking out at 9,800 feet. This was the big test. I gave the mountain a moment of silence out of respect and crossed the I-80 highway to begin the climb. I started with a wrong turn - damn! - but got back on course after a few minutes. A couple of miles later I realized I had also missed the first "short cut" and had inadvertently added a 1/2 mile to the run. Shoot! This is not the way to get under 9 hours! Alas, what can you do. I put my frustrations aside, knowing I would make it to the top one way or another.


About half way up the climb I began to run into some of the 50k runners/hikers. A few of them gave great advice, letting me know how to read the mile markers to gauge my distance from the top (mile marker 20.7), and where to expect the short cuts. When I finally hit a short cut, I wasn't so sure if it was making the race any shorter. It went straight up! My hamstrings groaned with each step, but I was thankful the whole mountain wasn't covered in snow like last year.


The gang at the the Fuller Flat aid station (mile 33.5) had the tunes cranked and gave me the blow-by-blow of previous runners as they filled my water bottles. Hal Koerner had just caught the 50k leader and was flying up the hill, leaving everyone else to fight for second. Jasper was leading the 50-mile with Mike Cook on his tail, and Paul Sweeney in third but pacing faster than the leaders. A guy named Drake was in fourth a few minutes ahead of Scott Eppelman, leaving me in 6th. I thanked them for the info, and went heads down to get up this darn hill.

Coming out of the last "short cut", I caught up to Scott Eppelman, who had gone the long way on this one (he thought I was going to the bathroom). When I told him, he just shook his head and let me know of his make-up miles that easily added more than his share. Scott was still looking strong, and I found pacing behind him to be very educational - he has a gift for picking a fast line with minimal body motion, especially on the loose rocks. We hit the top of the mountain together, refueled at the aid station (mile 36.8), and meandered through about two miles of trails before heading downhill. We took a wrong turn at one point, but caught ourselves before heading too far - talk about off-track conversation!


The downhill was a welcome blessing, although the temperature had climbed into the 80's. The loose gravel was perfect for the motorcycles and jeeps we were passing, but tough footing for us runners. Scott led the way, crossing Hunter Lake and taking us into the aid station (mile 43). I downed a ton of Coke and picked up the pace on the last section of downhill. My watch read 8:35, but I wasn't sure what was ahead. I was surprised to find out how much energy I had, so I kept going as hard as I could.


Turns out, the loose footing made it difficult to pick up the pace too much. My quads were burning, and I was slipping all over. I could see Scott and a couple other runners not too far behind, so there wasn't much room for error. I heard the voice of Norm Klein calling out finishers, so it had to be close! My legs were shaky, and when I caught a toe on a large rock, I wasn't able to catch myself and went down in the dirt. My head bounced off the ground, and I could taste the pain (which I'm convinced tastes like a warm milkshake made with bloody mary mix and tin foil). It took me a few seconds to gather my senses.

Scott E. was a total gentleman, and stopped to make sure I was okay even while competitors were coming down the hill. If it was hydration issues he would walk with me, but I said I was okay so he took off. As I gathered my senses, Karalee Morris went flying by, stopping for no one on her way to winning the Women's division. I paced safely behind them both to the finish in 7th place in 9:05:31.

Despite loosing a few places in the last half mile and just missing a sub-9 hour finish, I was extremely pleased with my performance. It was like that line out of The Producers - where did I go right?!? Jasper Helekas (who won in 7:49:07) knew it when I crossed the line, offering congrats, and immediately wondering how I would have done if I hadn't taken so many damn pictures. The real catch was this though - I felt strong, and could have easily gone another 20 miles at this pace.

Jasper played back his race, which was largely him running as fast as possible waiting for super-Hal to overtake him. When Hal never showed, Jasper locked in like a missle and finished 40 minutes ahead of Paul Sweeney (8:32:18, Master's winner), Michael Cook (8:34:49), and Oregon's Drake Tollenaar (9:03:35). Karalee Morris did win the Women's division (9:05:18), with Tina Ure (9:17:54, Master's winner) and Kathy D'Onforio (9:40:30) rounding out the top 3. Hal Koerner turned his misfortune into a solid 50k win (4:53:11), with Nick Bingham (5:16:26) and Peter Fain (5:38:11) filling out the podium. 22-year-old Rory Bosio (5:41:36) beat out Jenny Capel (5:42:38) and Julie Young (5:49:06, Master's winner) for a close race among the Women.

We ate picnic goodies and got massages, cheering on fellow runners as they crossed the finish line and laid out in the park. The hills had certainly demanded everyone's best, and the smiles at the end showed that everyone delivered.


My thanks to the Silver Striders for putting on a great race. I hope the new course for next year can still hit all the glorious spots that made this so memorable. I certainly learned a lot here - if you run from your heart and have some faith in your training, your gear doesn't matter so much. I'm still a bit timid out about TRT 100, but now feel like it is a challenge that can be conquered rather than a mysterious abyss.

- SD