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Lon Freeman (interviewed here) was kind enough to let me post his write-up of his Western States experience below. As he said in his e-mail, "I would like to share my experiences in hopes that others can learn from them...that's the great thing about this sport - we're all in this together". Thanks, Lon!

Friends -

It was an awesome day for most of the day. Justine (girlfriend), Dave (crew chief), Terry (pacer), Mark (pacer), and Granger (Terry's friend) did a terrific job crewing and pacing and despite the really LONG day, it was a lot of fun. The course was perfect, there was no snow, and the weather hasn't been that cool in quite a few years on Western States day.

Before I go any further, I should say that I'm healthy and did not have to drop due to injury. If you want the punch line, at the end of this email are the main things that contributed to the drop. But, first a blow by blow of the race from my perspective.

5am – The start is very cool since it is barely daylight and 400 people charge up a ski slope out of Squaw Valley . We climb from 6200 ft to 8700 ft in the first 3.5 miles, which is an "interesting" way to start the day. My fears of getting boxed in were quickly dismissed when about 20 people separated from the large group about 100 yards up the first fire road. By the top of the climb, there were 5 of us who were out front by about 50 yards.

From here, we started a long rocky descent to the first aid station. The eventual winner, Hal, took off, never to be seen again. This guy is tall and has some serious downhill skills. Next were the guy from Korea , a guy from Switzerland , and me. After going through Lyon Ridge at M10.5, I knew we were all running a little fast for that early. Korean Dude took off and Swiss Dude stayed about 100 yards ahead of me.

Swiss Dude and I left the next aid station together and I basically got about 5 yards behind him and enjoyed his pace. We came into Duncan Canyon at M23.8. I got to see Justine and Dave for the first time (and got to change into my cropped shirt to keep cool) and that was a great mental boost since it had been over 3.5 hrs, and we were all wondering/hoping they wouldn't have car trouble.


Once again, Swiss Dude and I left close to each other and I was surprised when we ran up to Korean Dude. The three of us stayed within 25 yards of each other for the next hour to Robinson Flat. This was incredibly fun for me because I very rarely run with other folks on training runs, and since none of knew the other's native language, we didn't have to get out of breath talking about where we were from or how we were doing.

Robinson Flat is the first major at M29.7. Terry, Granger, and Mark were waiting for me at this station, and since Swiss Dude and Korean Dude did not have a crew here, they took a few extra minutes getting aid while I was able to grab fresh bottles and go. I felt really comfortable at the point because I was within 3 minutes of my projected time for this aid station and I had run the next 70 miles in two separate training runs earlier in June. I mean, I was basically in the home stretch at this point!

By the time I reached Justine and Dave a little over an hour later at Dusty Corner's, I was starting to have some cautionary thoughts. My quads were beginning to act up and say "Hold on, are you sure we agreed to do this?" I attributed the bad thoughts to altitude and counted on feeling better once I got down below 5,000 ft. After Dusty Corner's at M38, the course starts into a series of three difficult canyons. I was feeling quite good for the next hour because much of the trail was in the shade and slightly downhill. On the way into the bottom of the first canyon, it's kind of like running down steps with gravel on them…for a little over a mile.

Devil's Thumb is a 25% grade climb for close to 2 miles to get out of the canyon. It is gorgeous, but it is also very hot, and there were at least 10 photographers at various stages of the climb. It's when you're starting to overheat from the climb and trying to stay cool and you start thinking, "Great, I'm SO glad this is all being documented, I look just terrific right now". At the top of the climb, I took a good three minutes trying to cool off, pouring ice water over my head.


I also started drinking Pepsi (the caffeinated drink offered by the aid stations this year). The caffeine gave me a good boost, but it was really early to start using it at only 7hrs 40 minutes into the day. The next 8 miles involve a 5 mile descent as if you're running down an overpass with switchbacks and steep edges, for 5 miles. The 3 mile climb out of El Dorado Canyon is shaded and very difficult, but easier than Devil's Thumb, and thankfully had fewer photographers!

Coming into Michigan Bluff at M55.7 was great. Having been at this aid station 3 different times on race day as a crew member for other runners, I had always wanted to be running into the aid station to meet my crew. And, to be in second at that point in the day was icing on the cake.

(photo courtesy of Tom Riley, from the great photo journey he kept of his brother, Jeff, getting M9 this year)

I felt surprisingly good coming out of the canyon and getting to see everyone after 3 hours of being out of contact with them gave me a sense of "okay, we're moving into the afternoon now, but, we're still feeling good and the worst of the climbs are over".

Between Michigan Bluff and Foresthill, something that has NEVER happened to me during a trail run, let alone a race…I was moving along enjoying some shade and saw a folded $10 bill on the trail. What? I stopped and got it, why not. Not 50 yards later, there was a folded $5 bill. Huh? I got that one, too. We later joked that Hal, the lead runner, had dropped these and was tipping aid station volunteers as he went along.

Foresthill at M62 is by far the biggest aid station because you can easily drive right up to it. Dave and Granger had fresh bottles and socks waiting for me and Justine, Terry, and Mark got to run with me for about a mile going into the aid station. It was so much fun being able to hear about their day so far and getting all these thoughts out of my head that had been piling up. It was like "Oh, I haven't seen you guys for so long, I have so much to tell you". I dunked my head in our water cooler and Justine, Terry, and Mark ran with us for another half mile until Terry and I left the main road.

Terry would pace me down to the River. And, the next 16 miles are essentially the make or break point in the race. They're primarily down hill and if your quads are sore, it hurts. But, if you can hold things together and get to the River crossing without too much damage, then things are looking good.

It was at this point that I started to hear my quads talking even louder. This was not a good sign. There are three aid stations on the descent, and the first one is run by a running club from Davis , CA (where I went to grad school) and there were a couple of familiar triathletes from the Davis Mad Cows Triathlon team working the aid station. It was a great surprise to see people I knew. I dunked my head in their sponge bucket and we headed out.

I felt like I was starting to overheat, so we slowed down quite a bit and at this point, I realized that my strategy of a liquid diet for the entire day was beginning to have, how should I put this, "ramifications". My stomach was slowly shutting down and nothing tasted good. Two runners went by and at the next aid station, we spent a good 5 minutes drinking more Pepsi and cooling off.


There is a steep 2 mile downhill stretch next and it's easier to run it hard than to gingerly step through it to avoid hurting the quads. Terry and I ran down very fast, but by the bottom of it, my quads were at Defcon 1 and I was beginning to question this "fun day" on the trails.

We made it to the river, after being passed by 2 more runners. I was slowly settling into a shuffle at this point and I was really looking forward to the River crossing which is a highlight of the race. The water felt great and I was really dreaming about doing a sprint triathlon right then, instead of going another 22 miles through the remaining canyons. On the climb up to Green Gate, the last bit of life oozed out of my quads. I took in about 24 oz of Mountain Dew on the 25 minute walk up the hill, but by the top, deep down, I knew things were bad.

However, in the spirit of this race, things get bad, and they usually get better, so it's best to ride out the bad patches. Mark took over pacing duties and told some great stories. Despite his best efforts to keep me cool and keep me moving, I was falling more and more behind on my calories and my stomach was almost locked up. I wasn't bloated, just not open for business. It was 5.4 miles to the next station and about midway, I started to feel really light headed.


Again, Mark was great telling me to keep moving and this would pass and we could re-evaluate everything and take some time at ALT. But, with about a mile to go, the last fumes were burned and I was starting to have visions of passing out and Mark having to carry me to ALT and that's just not fun at all.

So, back to my three goals, 1. Stay Healthy, 2. Have Fun, and 3. a top ten finish. With my place goal now out of reach and with the fun factor completely gone, I wasn't messing around with the stay healthy goal. It was a very easy decision to be totally done. The medics checked my blood pressure, pulse, and blood sugar and said basically, "Oh, you're fine, you just need to eat" OH, REALLY?!?

Fortunately, there was a massage therapist here that set up his table and worked on my quads for about 20 minutes while I got my blood sugar up and then we got a ride up to Cool where Justine, Dave, Terry, and Granger were waiting to head back to the finish line.

Overall, I'm not disappointed at all. I knew there was a significant chance this would happen given my very deep and strong effort output at Mi-Wok seven weeks ago. Basically, two major things came into play.

I race only with liquid nutrition whether it's fluid replacement drink, energy gels, or liquid meal replacement. But, in a 100 mile run at the intensity of Saturday's pace, some solid food would have been a good idea. At some point in the day, my system was full of liquid and stopped processing everything as efficiently. I had to slow down my intake, but kept my output at the same level. This put me at even greater risk of running out of gas….more a question of "when" instead of "if".

Training all spring, tapering, and peaking specifically for Mi-Wok (which was only a 62 mile race), and then racing as fast as I did there took a huge toll on my system. It was rather foolish to think I could hold up to that standard of running over 100 miles only 7 weeks later. However, running that fast at Mi-Wok was the only way to get into Western States, so there was not much choice. This put a substantial risk on running out of gas at WS.

So, the good news is that we all had a great time and I have no regrets about the way I raced or dropping at ALT. I learned much more by racing the way I like to than by holding back to the point of being overly conservative and not competitive. And, it only took about 12 hours to start the "…hmm, next year, I think we could do blah blah blah differently". That's a good sign.

Lon

Good Thing We're All Adults Here!!!!!!
Well, chronologically, anyway. As a male, my definition of "Adult. Or Adult Behaviour" may differ with that of 50% of the population.

"This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

shit (25x) hell (14x) bastard (5x) zombie (4x) bastards (3x) dead (2x) shits (1x)"

They didn't even mention, "Fucknozzle", which is one of my favorites. 25 times for Shit is not surprising. It's one of the most useful words in the English Language and I use it frequently. I'd give examples of how useful it is, but it looks like all you have to do is look around a bit and see for yourself

And since when did "Zombie" become a bad word anyway? Well, the Zombies I know qualify as bad, so maybe that's why that word is flagged. You figure it out.

Rainy Day Motorcycle Ride ..............

I rode the BigBluePlasticMotorcycle into town today for my Doctor appointment. Like I said earlier, I've been using the bike for my basic mode of transportation for the last month and I just quit worrying to much if it's gonna rain or not.


Well, after I sat around in the waiting area for 45 minutes or so, I got in to see the Doc. He tells me that since the medicine didn't work at getting the Funk that's growing on my ear fixed up, he wants to "Remove it". In other words - Hack it out.


This is not a big surprise or anything, so some time next month he's gonna whack on my ear and take this Cancerous crap off.

OK. My only concern was - Am I gonna look like this?

Just wondering, ya know. That would be such a hassle.

He said since I wasn't doing the surgery myself, it would probably be a bit neater than Vincents'. He also said he could install a bolt in my head to hang my glasses onto. So that's cool.

When I left the place the sky was looking really funky, so I put my rain jacket on, just in case. Lucky I did.

Rained like crazy. Not a big deal, mind you. But it got me to thinking about all the years I rode around without any rain gear.

None. Zip. Nada. Just got wet.

It amazes me that for a couple of decades I just got wet when it rained. Why didn't I spend 20 or 30 bucks on a cheap rain suit? Beats the hell out of me. It wasn't like I couldn't have found a few bucks for a rain suit. Just never did.

Sometimes, we'd take a plastic garbage bag and cut a couple holes in it and that would help some. Till the wind ripped it to pieces. But mostly? We just sucked it up and kept riding. Just seemed like the thing to do.

I was laughing about this as I rode home in the downpour. Even with only part of the rain gear, I wasn't uncomfortable. Just a good helmet and jacket make a world of difference. I have no idea why I never had any rain gear when I was younger.

Friggin' Moron.

Seems I Should Have Been Watching ...........

The Paramus Post has a fun article about Randuz and Joaquin Romay, the founders of Injinji, my favorite trail running sock company. If you've ever wondered if the roots of the Injinji tsoks were connected to those rainbow colored socks of the 70's, you now know it's true!

It also gets to the root of the Injinji name:

"Randuz Romay said he had a chance, 10-minute meeting with a woman who was a musician. She was learning to play percussion instruments from a master African drummer. Randuz plays percussion instruments as well.

The master instructor told the woman that drummers like to achieve a certain level of performance he called injinji.

Said Randuz: "It's that pinnacle moment of a traditional drum circle where the dancers and the rhythm of the music become one. Like a trance or acrescendo. You're not thinking. You're in the moment."

Sweet. Now they just need to embrace the nut-tsak product idea, and sales will really fly!

- SD

Dean Karnazes was nominated for the ESPN ESPY Award for "Best Outdoor Athlete". If you're a Dean fan, you can go vote for him here. Just scroll down and select "Best Outdoor Athlete" to see the list.

And if you're not a Dean fan, perhaps you could be convinced that Dean winning an ESPY is better than having it go to a bass fisherman or musher? ;-)

- SD

CNN International's Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Maggie Lake covered "ultrarunning" in this story/video this weekend by

<-- (photo courtesy of CNN)

focusing on the Sri Chimnoy 6 & 10 day Transcendence Run in New York. It is the world's longest IAU recognized footrace at 3,100 miles - definitely one of the more extreme ultras! The story is worth a read, and the video has some good interviews.

My favorite quote was:

"At one level its admirable, at another it's ridiculous," says Phillip Hodson, Fellow of the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Yup, that's about right. ;-) Enjoy!

SD

They saved the cheerleader.. But did they really save the world?

Some thought that when Sylar and peter came face to face,

Peter began to explode…

Hiro killed Sylar….

Nathan took Peter flying to the sky causing him to blow up into the sky…

And that the world was saved…

But this is not what actually happened….

There was an accident.. Which caused Peter to create a new timeline, which was prophesied by his mother as the most gruesome timeline.. Now,

Peter traveled into the past and the future, where…. Something changed…

Peter tried to defeat Sylar.. But when Hiro came to the scene.. he was possessed by someone who wanted Sylar to escape… made Hiro teleport Sylar somewhere else.. but why??

scene 1..

sound of heartbeats...

A dark room... Sylar sees his vision clearing from a blurred view.. Sylar is slowly revovering.. He sees Hiro.

Sylar.... "Where am I? who are you?"...

Hiro.... "Sylar...hmmm.. Iv learnt a lot about u.. What a special ability.... "

Sylar... "You're not Hiro.. Who are you? And what have you done to him?"

Hiro... "I am the most special person there is...."

scene2..

The Haitian is shocked to see Peter.. He immediately closes his eyes in order to block Peter from absorbing his ability..

Scene 3…

Haitian.. “The bomb was supposed to go off…”

HRG.. “I don’t know who you’re working for… But what do you plan to do after blowing up the city? To me, you people are worse than Sylar..

Find out in tonight's episode…

on www.rahulphilip.co.nr

He closes the outer door and walks in, struggling desperately.. He starts saying prayers..

everything in this room shakes highly uncontrollably and all things go up and touch the ceiling.

He calls the Haitian…

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

His body keeps on shaking and he turns invisible. He begins absorbing nearby things into himself till everything is gone and keeps on trembling, trying to control it.. He slowly gains control over his power, becomes visible and falls unconscious…

INT. ST. PAUL CATHEDRAL, NY [daytime]

The Haitian walks in... goes towards the church chambers…

The door of a chamber reads “Reverend Gray”.. He sees that Gray is not inside..

He goes to the back of the church, opens up a latch showing up a secret door in the basement..

He pushes open the door to see that everything lies broken, a man lying down on the floor at the center.. He sees some pieces of furniture floating in the air around him, some pieces touching the ceiling... A phone line lies in the open with no handset attached to it….. The Haitian lifts his hand out.. concentrates.. the pieces fall to the ground.. He’s surprised that he has to put more concentration to block this man’s power, even though he’s knocked unconscious..

He tries to wake him up..

After a moment, the man gains consciousness.. He is James Gray…The Haitian is shocked to see him as he looks much older..

James.. “It has gone beyond my control.. Please.. You have to stay with me from now on.. Because you’re the only on who can stop me.. “

The Haitian.. “Don’t worry father gray, I’ll stay with you from now on.. But first, I have to talk to someone.. I’ll be back soon..”

James.. “No problem.. But please try to be back by tomorrow”

The Haitian.. “Alright”

The Haitian leaves..

The Haitian calls on Claire’s phone.. asking for HRG

She hands over the phone to HRG.. HRG tells him to come over to a hospital..

INT. HOSPITAL.RECEPTION, NY

The Haitian enters the hospital, and as he walks over to the reception, he sees Mohinder nikki, micah and molly.

He asks at the reception about Bennet, goes to his room.

Molly watches him go…

INT.HOSPITAL.BENNET’S ROOM, NY

Claire stands beside her father, who’s in bed, recovering.. The Haitian enters..

Haitian…”How are you? What happened?”

HRG.. ”What is more important is that the tragedy has been prevented. The bomb didn’t go off..

Haitian.. ”I’ve come here to tell you that I was told by someone I really believe in that this shouldn’t have happened.”

HRG.. “What?”

The Haitian asks Claire to leave the room, so that both hrg and him can talk in private.

Haitian.. “The bomb was supposed to go off…”

HRG.. “I don’t know who you’re working for… But what do you plan to do after blowing up the city? To me, you people are worse than Sylar….

Haitian.. “It is too complicated for me to tell you. But I’ll only tell you that the world you’re about to see, will be something so ugly, it’ll bring more destruction than a nuclear bomb can bring.. and it wont stop.. The people I work for had tried to avert that.. But now, It’ll be very hard for all of us..”

The Haitian feels that someone is behind him.. Its Peter..

The Haitian is shocked to see him.. He immediately closes his eyes in order to block Peter from absorbing his ability.. Too late…

Haitian.. “I have to go”…

He leaves..

Peter knows exactly what the Haitian was talking about and who had told him all this.. But he keeps silent, not to disturb HRG..

HRG.. “As soon as im ok, I’ll investigate on who he’s working with, because these people have to be stopped soon..

Peter.. “but now you need to rest..”

HRG nods and Peter goes out and talks to Claire..

INT.HOSPITAL.RECEPTION, NY

A doctor comes out to talk to nikki and mohinder.

He tells her that DL’s state is critical in the intensive care and that Parkman has also survived. Nikki is apprehensive about her husband, who had sacrificed his life for her.. She holds Micah closely.

INT. SOME SORT OF MEDICAL CHAMBER, NEVADA

[background music of the exorcist]

sound of heartbeats...

Sylar sees his vision clearing from a blurred view.. Sylar is slowly recovering.. He sees Hiro. The room has some medical equipment.

Sylar.... "Where am I? who are you?"...

Hiro looks serious.. his voice being the same, but a very serious tone.. But this time he speaks fluent English.

Hiro.... "Sylar...hmmm..

They make good watches.. I used to have one of them…..”

Sylar... "You're not Hiro.. Who are you? And what have you done to him?"

Hiro... "I am the most special person there is...."

INT. ST. PAUL CATHEDRAL, NY

The Haitian returns to the church. James is relieved to see him.

James looks quite old, in his 50’s with white hair and shriveled skin. He has like a very old Gabriel.

James.. “You have helped me from turning into a monster many times. I owe you my life. And I am very grateful that you’ve agreed to stay with me.

Haitian.. “You have helped me too, during my dark times…”

James.. “I am growing more and more older and weaker.. It will be soon that I’ll die, due to this curse. So I wish to meet my mother one last time… Its been a long time I didn’t go out …

of the fear that what would I do.. “

Haitian.. “Alright.. I’ll take you to her.”

INT. SOME SORT OF MEDICAL CHAMBER, NEVADA

[background music of the exorcist]

Sylar finds himself in restrains.. He cannot get up.. And he cannot use his powers due to some drug injections..

Sylar.. “why did u save me?”

Hiro.. “Because of your ability.. I don’t know how you use your god-gifted ability to capture other abilities.. Either way, I’m going to find out, whether you want to tell me… or not”.

Sylar is confused.. but he knows that the man possessing Hiro wants to possess his body..

Hiro.. “Yes, I’m going to possess your soul… I’ll bereave you of your body …once you’re in a good condition, I will… So I’ll wait until your wounds are healed.”

Sylar feels like killing him with whatever he can lay his hands on, but his body is completely incapable.

Hiro… “Don’t be so hard on yourself..”

Sylar.. “Who are you? And what do you want?

Hiro.. “I am Michael.. You have a very special gift, so do I.. difference is, yours is no match against me.. I can take over other people’s bodies.. their “souls” to be appropriate… And when I do, I gain all of that person’s life-long memories.. I am aware of every moment of that person’s life.. Also, when I got into this host, I’ve even learnt Japanese now.. And I’ve also learnt how to use his powers, in seconds after I took over his body.. It took me so many years to develop and control this potential.. but there’s still one thing that I cannot control…. When I leave a host’s body, sometimes the person dies...“

Sylar feels helpless and continues struggling..

Hiro.. “Soon there’ll be one day when there’s a thin line between me and god… When I saw your potential, I figured that you’ll be my LAST HOST…..”

The camera zooms into Hiro’s [Michael’s] eyes into a scene showing one of the pivotal moments of his life………

[black and white video]

CLAUDE IS WALKING ACROSS THE HALLS OF PRIMATECH PAPER COMPANY WITH A CHILD HOLDING HIS HAND.. Other people are walking past them, not noticing them at all.. Claude smiles at the child and the child smiles back….

TO BE CONTINUED....

In the Next chapter....

The story of Michael.. More truths about his ability.. Peter, for the first time, gets more involved with his powers, realizing his abilities.. Peter meets an old friend...


If you really liked my story, Plz comment to this article...I'd love to hear some feedback...

31-year-old Hal Koerner from Ashland, OR, led from the start to win the 2007 Western States in 16:12:16 this evening in unusually optimal weather. Eric Skaden was second (second year in a row) in 16:36:11, and last year's winner Graham Cooper finished third in 17:11:41. Andy Jones-Wilkins was just a few minutes behind to finish fourth in 17:20:29. Glen Redpath from Brooklyn, NY, won the Master's Division with his 6th place finish (18:05:33), earning yet another top 10 return invitation.

Nikki Kimball from Bozeman, MT, added another States win to her roster by finishing in 18:12:38.

Some of the top contenders had a tough day. Brian Morrison dropped at Dusty Corners (mile 38), Greg Crowther dropped at Foresthill (mile 62), and Korea's Jae-duk Sim slipped out of the top 10 after being in the top 6 for most of the race. I guess you never know...

The race is still going at the time of this post (keep going everyone!), but I've got to hit the sack. You can get the latest updates at the WS100 Webcast here, and soon after can get video at the YouTube site here.

Best of luck to everyone running Western States tomorrow. It looks like the weather will be good (predicted 40 degrees in Squaw Valley, 83-92 in Auburn) and the field will be stacked according to the Tahoe Daily Tribune.

For those wanting to follow along, you can catch the live Webcast here. I'll be checking in around 8pm to see catch the finish!

- SD

Happy Summer!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peerless Pulchritude by ~latent-talent on deviantART

i had designed a level in the best game of all, Max Payne.... during my 2nd year of college.. it was rendered on my poor P3 machine so its not that good in terms of texture.. Iv re-rendered it and will post the link as soon as i upload it again.. Available for download here is the previous version.. Its on the verge of hitting 2000 downloads..
Unfortunately I couldn't render more levels on my machine.. so the mod is quite small.. but iv tried to make it a challenge to complete it at hard level..

Here's the loading screen for it..















The version available now is a low-quality version.. but have fun anyways!

Link :
http://maxpayne2.levels4you.com/downloads.l4y?review=11342&cat=159

MAX PAYNE 2

























































NFS MOST WANTED!

My 1st bike design.. made using graphite pencils and then moded on paintshop..


SteyrAug... by ~rahulphilips on deviantART

The fall of spiderman.... by ~latent-talent on deviantART

Splash.... by ~latent-talent on deviantART

Made using the sketch called "Broken" made originally by Brian Duey..


broken bulb by ~rahulphilips on deviantART

Allure....... by ~latent-talent on deviantART

Bend, OR’s Rod Bien has always been fast, often placing in the top 5 of nearly every ultra he has entered. But lately, he’s been getting REALLY fast in some of the world’s most competitive races. In 2007, Rod has battled with the elites at Miwok 100k (8:43:17, 4th overall), Way Too Cool 50k (3:53:15, 7th overall), and the Peterson Ridge Rumble 60k (4:42, 1st overall by nearly 30 minutes). In nearly all of these, the few folks who could out-kick Rod reads like the who’s who of ultrarunning (50k/100k national champ Greg Crowther, Lon Freeman, sometimes Eric Skaden, but not Scott Jurek, Andy Jones Wilkins, and a long list of others). His results are showing that his impressive run at the 2006 Tahoe Rim Trail 100m (21:30, 2nd overall), only his fifth 100-miler, was not a fluke and that we can expect even more from this 34-year-old Hawaii transplant.

Rod is tapering down for Western States this week, so I caught with him to see if he had some insight to share on how he has brought his “A” game for this season.

1) First, congratulations on such a tremendous season so far! Have you been happy with your performances to date?

Thanks so much, Scott! Yes, I’ve been really excited about my season so far. I’ve really tried to pick up both the mileage and the intensity of my workouts this year so it has been rewarding to have some stronger results. I will say, it has been a bit intimidating to run with some of the guys at the front of the pack who I have looked up to for a long time, but very gratifying as well.

2) You have picked some competitive races to prove your mettle, and I understand Western States is coming up. What else do you have on the agenda for this year?

Yes, I really like to run the races where the best runners are going to be there. For me, it actually helps me to relax knowing that I am really a “nobody” in the running world and that I can just worry about competing with the goals I have for myself and not having to stress about what place I am in. Running in a lot of the “big” ultras also allows me not to put too much emphasis on just one race. For instance, if I didn’t have a perfect race at States, I would be very comforted looking back at my performances at Way Too Cool, Peterson Ridge, and Miwok and still be really excited about my season.

As far as for the rest of the season, I will really plan it after I run Western States. I will probably run Leadville later in the summer. I say probably because if I do hit my “goal time” for Western States, I may just take the majority of the summer off and play with my two kids, Fisher and Ava, and get some gardening in. Other than that, Sean Meissner and I are going to try and get a few long adventure runs in as well.

3) In your opinion, what have been the contributing elements to you having such a stellar season? Have you made any dramatic training changes?

As far as training goes, I just seem to find a few building blocks to improve on each year. I have been running ultras for a little while now since my first (McDonald Forest in 2000). I came from not having a running background AT ALL. When I started running I weighed 180 pounds and was thrilled to just run in the top half of races I entered. Each year I have gotten more comfortable with the distances and have been able to really race the events rather than just finish.

This year, I think the biggest changes that I have made fall into several categories. First, I definitely increased the mileage. I used to peak my mileage at about 80 miles per week. Now, I try to get my mileage in the 80-110 miles per week range. Secondly, I really increased the intensity of my workouts. I never do “time on my feet” training. I try and always push when I am out. I think it is especially important on longer runs. I just feel like you will race how you train. If on all your long runs, you are used to a mellow pace; that is either how you will race or you will be semi-shocked going into race mode. I have very little leg speed so I just try and get used to running a fairly hard pace for me all the time. I also do one treadmill workout per week where I run 7 miles at a 6 min/mile pace. Though, admittedly not very exciting, it does help on my turnover. I have about 8 running videos that help me through this torture. And, by the way, I still get teary about 9 out of every 10 times that the woman doesn’t get her buckle at the end of the “Race for the Soul” video!

Lastly, figuring out nutrition has been huge for me. I have found that in ultras, it really works for me to keep it simple; Water, gels, and a little fruit and potatoes. My motto is that if I don’t normally eat it (candy, chips, etc), probably the time to put it in my system is not in a race when my body is under a lot of stress!

4) What is a typical training week for you? Any cross-training?

As I said earlier, a typical peak training week for me is around 100 miles per week. I try to run two 8-10 milers, 2 12-15 milers, 2 longer runs of 18-30 miles, and one treadmill workout. As far as cross training goes, I don’t really do much. Early in the season I do lift some weights and I am always pretty religious about going to a 30-minute abs workout class at my gym three times per week. Nothing like getting your butt (or abs) kicked by the soccer moms! I really only cross train when I am injured. I have had several smaller injuries this year and have done spin classes and the elliptical machine to keep myself from going bonkers.


5) I understand that you grew up in Hawaii. Have you always been a runner? When did you start doing ultras?

I did grow up in Hawaii! However, I was not a runner. Interestingly, my father was a Navy SEAL and an incredibly tough runner. He ran the entire Appalachian Trail completely self sufficiently and was the first person to run the entire California Costal Trail completely self sufficiently—both in his late 50’s. However, growing up, I just thought running was ridiculous. My dad would run the 15 miles to work each way over the Pali Highway. My friends would give me a hard time about it and I was quite embarrassed about it! At the time, I just wished my dad did a mainstream sport like surfing!

Later in life, my dad really became my hero as I came to admire what an amazing runner he was and how humble he was of his accomplishments. And, since I have the soapbox of your amazing blog, may I also add that my dad (who did not drink or smoke) tragically died of heart disease while out on a run a few years ago. He was only 59 years old. So, if I can get anything across to the people reading your blog, it would be this: even though we are all running lots of mileage and thinking we are very healthy, it is so important that we also are checking our hearts by having the occasional EBT heart scan and blood tests. We are not invincible and sometimes heredity is more of a factor than we would like to accept.

6) What led you to Bend, OR? It seems like it is quite a mecca for endurance training. Do you run with other ultra-elites in your area like Sean Messiner, Jeff Browning, Kami Semick, etc?

I have been living in Bend for about 10 years now. Bend is becoming quite the mecca for trail running on the west coast. The network of trails can almost be intimidating as there are so many trails and so little time! It is one of those towns where you don’t want to drink one too many beers and start spouting off. There are so many great athletes here that you never know who is on the next bar stool but they are probably elite at something!

I also feel lucky to have such a high quality of people to work out with. I am lucky enough to train with the likes of Kami Semick, Jeff Browning, Sean Meissner and Rob Edde among others. Sean Meissner is probably my main training partner and whom I admire the most among runners. He is truly a great steward to ultra running. He is supportive, modest, and really just truly loves to run. He has a great sense of being competitive but never takes himself or the sport too seriously, which is what I try to emulate.

7) Where do you work in Bend, OR?

I am fortunate enough to own a “Patagonia” concept store called Patagonia by Pandora’s Backpack. That means that we are basically a Patagonia store but I am the owner. There are only a handful of these stores in the country.

Patagonia is truly an inspiring company to be affiliated with. Both from the standpoint that they are still privately owned to their environmental influence in the world, I feel lucky and privileged to be able to work there everyday. It also allows me to surround myself with other people who are as attracted to the outdoors as I am.


8) What does your family think of your hobby? Is your wife an ultra-runner as well?

Man, I need to word this delicately! Luckily my wife, Katie, is a runner too. Though she has not run any ultras, she does boast a sub 3:30 marathon time and runs 40-50 miles per week. It is all a balance and running really keeps life pretty simple to me. My priorities are always: family, running, and work. I’m nothing without my family but my health really keeps my balance in the world. Without it, I wouldn’t be as good a father, husband, or as happy of a person. So, running in some ways is a very integral part of my life. I know sometimes that the traveling and training gets a bit old, but my wife and kids are good sports about it!

9) What is it that keeps you motivated to train? What do you enjoy the most about ultrarunning?

I really just love to run. I love that we can run a normal persons’ backpacking trip as a morning run. I love the mountains and I love being on sweet single track! I get a peace out there that I don’t get from anything else. I am always so excited to see a new view, a new stream, I’m always stoked out there! If I was the last person on earth, I’d still be running. And, as you say, I love to eat! I’m a huge sushi man! I love big portions and feel that I can eat large portions
and still weigh in at a wimpy 140 lbs!

10) What are your favorite distances to race? I saw you ran a 2:51 at the CIM Marathon this year. Do you have a favorite race distance?

Its probably cliché, but I really do enjoy the challenge of all of the distances. There’s no doubt that the high (and low) I get from a 100 miler is the most powerful. I can live on the bliss from that for quite some time. But, while I’m running a 100, I always swear that I’ll never run another. Running a 100 is definitely the biggest goal of each season.

11) You have run Western States twice before (find Rod’s '04 write-up here); what goals do you have for 2007?

Well, I was quite a bit slower the last time I ran Western States so I’m hoping my time will be dramatically faster and in accord with the improvement I’ve had at other races I did in 2004. Just so I don’t jinx myself, my goal is to be “comfortably” under 20 hours. However, I’ve never put too much pressure on myself to hit a certain goal or time.

Running 100 miles is such an amazing accomplishment. Whether I run 18 or 29 hours, I will be thrilled at my accomplishment. When you lose perspective of that, you might as well go back to running marathons where every second counts!

12) Any tips you would like to share for those of us tackling the TRT 100?

Ah, the TRT. I really enjoyed that race. Probably the two biggest obstacles I would warn you of is: 1. Loop courses are tough for me. It’s hard to run 50 miles and then start over again. You need to be mentally prepared to look at the 50-mile aid station as “just another aid station” and not get bogged down by the thought of doing another lap. Get out of that aid station fast! 2. The altitude bothered me a bit more than I thought it would. Since Bend is at a bit of altitude, most of the runs I do start out at about 4,500 feet and head up. However, just being in the 7,000-9,000 range for a long time just saps some energy from you. I didn’t ever feel horrible but I never felt great. So, if you can get some time running at altitude, it definitely wouldn’t hurt! Oh, and hope that Jasper isn’t there!

13) Rumor has it that Jasper will be back, faster than ever. Alas! Last question - what else would you and Katie like to achieve in the next few years of ultrarunning?

Keep having fun! There is no real prize money (and I wouldn’t win any when there is) and I’m no poster child for ultra running. So, I just try and keep having fun out there and am trying to improve my times from previous years. I love meeting new people and making new friends on the trail. One thing I have always vowed to do is whenever I catch someone in the last mile (and they’re not completely dying) is to offer to finish with them. It’s such a cool feeling to finish a tough race with someone else. No one will ever remember who was 4th at Miwok this year (well, I might….) but they will remember someone who is just a good person. We’ll all get slow eventually and I’d like to have some great friends I’ve made on the journey of these trails rather than being thought of as just being a little fast at one point in time.

Thanks, Rod. Best of luck at States this weekend!

- SD