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Eric Gould shows off his outdoor video prowess in this fun video. Those who run in Huddart Park should recognize those gorgeous trails!

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of joining 250 runners for the Crystal Springs 5-mile/11-mile/Marathon/50k in my hometown of Woodside, CA. The weather was brisk, the trails were ideal, and the volunteers were fantastic. Short of bonking at mile 22 like a complete rookie, it was a perfect run!

The Crystal Springs 50k takes place on my backyard trails, climbing up Huddart Park to intersect with the Skyline Trail (at my driveway!) and heading along the ridge to Wunderlich Park, where we do a big loop before coming back. I run these trails solo 300+ times a year, so it's always a pleasure to have some company who appreciate this hilly tour through second growth redwoods, creeks and canyons. If you're interested in checking it out, there will be six - count 'em six! - 50k's in Woodside this year between Pacific Coast Trail Runs and Coastal Trail Runs. I would love to see you out here!

The start line was socked with fog, and the other runners were pleased to hear that the temp would rise to a balmy 45 degrees once you broke through the clouds at mile 5. I got a chance to catch up with the trail running regulars, most of whom thought two weeks was plenty of off-time before jumping back in. So much better than me! I had been taking lots of time off, regrouping after a great and busy year. RD Wendell Doman gave us our instructions, and at 8:30am we were off!

(And we're off! This and many photos courtesy of Coastal Trail Runs)

The marathon and 50k started together, creating an abnormally fast pace. Racing madman Jason Reed, known to enter 40+ events a year, was taking the marathoners out quickly. I settled in with Ray Sanchez (getting ready for the Brazil 135, the first of four 135-milers he will tackle this year...again!), marathoner Penny Macphall (complete with rubber chicken strapped on her backpack), John Burton (barefootin' in his Vibrams), and Elliot Wright (not in the race, but happened to be headed in this direction). We hiked up Richards Road and began the long ascent to the top.

(Into the heavens)

Ray and I buddied up for most of the climb, trading off lead duties and sharing stories of our 2010 season. It wasn't hard to keep sight of Ray with his bright orange jacket...then again, my gloves glowed even more! The pace was aggressive, but comfortable. After all my short course racing in the previous two months, it was fun to have the "long haul" pace again.

(Ray leads us up the Crystal Springs Trail)

 We crested the top, stopping briefly at the aid station (mile 6) to drop off my camera (broken again, oy) and get a few goodies. I started cruising fast again, my legs unable to keep a conservative pace when they found the trails that host our weekly tempo runs. Soon Elliot and I were running together, and he told me all about canopy.org and his work planting and protecting urban forests. What success they have had! Very cool. Somehow in there he managed to fit in the Leadville 100 too.

(Elliot helps me climb up the final pitch)

At the Clara Lazarus bench (mile 9.2), Elliot gave me his best and headed back. I turned up the tunes (Black Keys, Taproot, and Toots and the Maytals) and got to Wunderlich far too quickly. The volunteers gave me a cheer, saying I was in first, with Ray, John Burton, Jed Tukman, and Kevin Rumon all within sight by the time I exited. It was a close race! I was a few calories short, but didn't worry too much about it.

Wait a minute, am I racing? This wasn't supposed to be a race day, but it's so hard to hold back when we're in the mix! I didn't see anyone behind me as I plunged into Wunderlich, but Jed Tukman, Ray Sanchez and Kevin Rumon were in sight on the climb back up. Jed and Kevin went by me soon after the aid station (mile 21), and I got on their tail to pace quickly.

(Self portrait as we get above the fog line again)

 At mile 22, I found my energy waining and heart rate unable to do anything but rest or redline. Sure, I was out of peak shape, but come on! Mile 22? I took a few walk breaks, but couldn't seem to shake the dizziness. Hmm, what was this all about? It felt familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I hooked onto marathoner Lina Arakat, doing her first trail marathon at age 21, and her even pace made for a good barometer. I would pass her, but soon be reduced to a walk and she would pass me back. If she got out of sight, I picked it up again.

(Gene Weddle finishes the final climb)

(Rebecca Yi takes 3rd Woman in the marathon)

Then it dawned on me - I'm bonking! Ah, that zombie state reached when your glycogen bottoms out and you just stop caring. I was short on calories for sure, but also hadn't been running aerobically and training my body correctly for months. This was a rude awakening about how important that is! I paced behind Lina, assuming I would either stop or drop at my driveway (mile 26) to end the suffering. I just hate this naseous energy void. Ray passed me up, offering an array of goodies to help out like a total gentleman. I did my best to just smile at the others and cheer them on.

(Sophie helps me with the Pop-Tarts and gets a smile back on my face)

Christi, Sophie, and our dog Martha were at the aid station with plenty of hugs, so I took a moment to catch my breath. I told the aid station volunteers I was likely going to drop, but they reminded me of the ultrarunning golden rule - just eat, drink, and take a 5-minute rest to see what happens. Sophie helped me down some Pop-Tarts, M&M's, Coke, and PB&J, and I hung out and watched the other runners go by. Sure enough, within 5 minutes I was feeling much better. Phew! Ah, the golden rule. Never give up.

I cruised down the hill until Lina was in sight again, then stepped off the trail to relieve myself, only to have her turn around and ask if we're on the right trail. Oops! A little embarrassing. I felt good enough to pick up the pace, and trucked it into the finish in 4:37:33 for 5th place. Jed Tukman (4:19) had held on for the win, and John Burton (4:22) finished a few seconds ahead of Kevin Rumon (4:22), with Ray Sanchez (4:37) getting 4th. Jill Homer (6:17) would come in behind us to win the Womens division. Jason Reed (3:47) won the marathon, and was kind enough to ease up enough to leave my squishy-soft 3:36 course record standing. Penny Macphall (3:49) had a killer close, setting a Womens course record with her marathon win.

(Yi Chang has a great finish in the 22 mile)

(Jed Tukman wins the 50k)

(Marathon winners Jason Reed and Penny Macphall with rubber chicken)

I gorged on the sandwiches left behind from the Coastal Trail Run Blazer Awards (and picked up 2nd for the Marathon category behind Mr. Golden Trails). We shared our favorite parts of the run, and agreed that the volunteers were the true champs to hang out for so long on in the chilly weather. It was great way to break in the new season, but I clearly have some work to do on my training! My thanks to Wendell and all the great volunteers for a fun race. Looking forward to seeing you again in my neighborhood (Woodside 50k on March 26th is the next one)!

Hope y'all are having a great weekend.

Sometimes you find races, and sometimes they find you. Yesterday I headed out for a long run (w/cruise intervals) in Huddart Park and saw the familiar pattern of ribbons marking the trail near my driveway. There must be a race! I followed the ribbons down to the start of the 19th running of the Envirosports Woodside Half Marathon and 5-mile Trail Run. I made it just in time to sign up! A perfect way to keep honest on my speedwork.

The crisp winter morning didn't hold back nearly 300 runners and hikers who where here to tackle the 5-mile and Half Marathon distances of this up-and-back course. I signed up for half marathon, which would run me right up Crystal Springs and the Chinquapin Trails to my driveway and back (and then run back home again!). It would be a pleasant double-trip up my favorite hill, with a 13.1 mile cruise interval in the middle.


Longtime Race Director Dave Horning stepped up on a rock and gathered the runners for some instructions, tips on getting titanium knee replacements (he has had two), and tales from their race in Death Valley last week (it rained 1.9" during the race, nearly the annual rainfall of the area). Dave introduced Jim Harrison, going strong at 83 years of age and here to tackle the 5-mile.




The excitement of the pack was familiar, but something about it felt different. Wait a minute - I didn't know anyone! Well, a few faces maybe. But many were road runners, track athletes, triathletes, and first-time trail runners that I don't usually see in the ultra crowd. They all shared a passion to come play outside, and I knew my home trails would dish out more than enough to stoke the soul and push the red line. The mud pit right before the aid station at the top would certainly leave no runner clean. ;-) I'm always excited to see so many people out on the trails.

Dave gave us the countdown, and we headed down Richards Road at full tilt. I hung on the back of a pack of 12 runners who pulled off the front. It was amazing how completely different the trails felt at this speed, shoulder to shoulder in a pack. By the time we hit the climb at mile 2, the front runners were already a good minute ahead, led by James Wanjiru (a 25-year-old student from Kenya) and Dan Feder (a 45-year-old new Woodside resident, enjoying the weather reprieve from his hometown of Princeton, NJ). Anthony Pelosi from Folsom, CA, was right behind them and his t-shirt flickered through the trees like the white tail of a leaping deer.

I parked my heart rate around my anaerobic threshold (~160'ish) and tore into the hills with a short but fast turnover. My Inov-8 xTalon's were a good choice for the day, and the flexible sole grabbed tons of dirt and mud with every step. It only took a mile for most to slow down, and soon William Newsem, Anthony Laglia and I were picking our way through the front pack. I was impressed with how these guys were charging the climbs but really making the most time on the flats and downhills. By the time we reached the base of the Chinquapin Trail (mile 3.5), we could see the only three ahead of us all within a minute.


As we reached the peak and hit the final stretch to the mud, James Wanjiru and Dan Feder were on their way back. By my calculations, they were still a minute up but it was clear they were moving faster than I was. James was really flying, quickly in a league all by himself. We trudged through the mud, and I got a refill on my bottle before heading back down. Bye-bye house, so you in a bit!


The descent was fast and everyone was gracious enough to give us room to slide by on the single track. I worked on leaning forward and running as fast as I could without braking (if my toes are hitting the ends of my shoes, then I'm putting on the brakes). My footing slipped on one of the mossy bridges and I went down in the mud, but quickly got back up thanks to the soft landing. Anthony was right behind me, so there was no time to dilly dally!

Last Saturday I joined 250+ runners for PCTR’s Woodside 10k/17k/35k/50k on a cool winter day in Huddart Park in Woodside, CA. It’s always a pleasure to race on my home course (my driveway is aid station #1) and I was looking forward to my first ultra of the 2008 season. Sharing the course with other smiling runners reminds me how lucky I am to have this playground of redwoods and single track as my backyard, and seeing it through new eyes brings a freshness to the landscape and trails I often take for granted.

Lots of familiar faces were at the starting line of the 50k, including Bev and Alan Abbs, Rajeev Patel, Paul Charteris, Will Gotthardt, Chuck Wilson, Karyn Hoffman, Benjamin Muradyan, Tom Zinkle, Vance Roget, and many PCTR regulars. Eight were signed up for their first ultra, while another handful were trying their first trail run. So exciting to see the new faces! They probably could have picked an easier race to start with – this course has almost 5,000’ vertical, with a good chunk of it in the first five miles. Then again, it’s a heck of a way to christen a new sport!

RD’s Wendell and Sarah Doman sent us off at 8:30am, and we quickly whittled down to about eight folks rushing through the single track of lower Huddart. Tom Clarke (who had gone sub-5 hours a few weeks ago on the very tough Pacifica 50k) and 24-year-old Kevin Weil went right off the front, with Will Gotthardt, Bev and Alan, and a few others keeping them in sight. The weather was brisk, which made for good running conditions, but the clouds were threatening rain. All in all a classic winter day in Woodside!

I ran with Kevin as we zigged and zagged up Huddart Park, just 20 yards behind Tom. Kevin told me he was fairly new to ultra running, but had the advantage of living in Portola Valley (near Woodside) with Open Space trails right off his front yard. Proving that this is a small world indeed, we quickly figured out that he was in a technology start-up like me, and that his fiancée, Elizabeth McCleneghan (also in the 50k), was going to be in a meeting I had on Tuesday. How weird is that?


Tom set the pace for most of the uphill grind, showing his roots as a former 5k college track runner for Dartmouth. He stepped aside to let Kevin lead the last section, and Bev came right along with us. There was a fifth runner as well, already cranking heavy tunes and charging hard. Seems like only yesterday I learned at the Woodside 50k not to put too many metal songs on the BEGINNING of the playlist, lest you go too hard in the first part of the race. But he was doing great!

As we peaked near Skyline and headed towards AS #1 (mile 6), my watch read 47 minutes, which is a 4 hour finish pace for those who can keep it up. I was trying desperately to stay aerobic (since I have yet to incorporate speed/hill work into this years training), and watched Tom, Kevin, Bev, and the Rocker head off from AS #1 without me. They disappeared into the thick clouds that saturated the towering redwoods, floating like ghosts.


As I began the traverse over to Wunderlich Park, I popped a Nuun Kona Cola tablet into my water bottle and chugged. I had been introduced by Nuun through a friend just a month earlier, and really enjoyed how the electrolyte tablet added just enough flavor to the drink to quench my thirst. And with 360 grams of sodium, potassium, and magnesium, I was certainly going to keep up on my electrolytes! I brought along a few flavors for a change of pace, stashed in my shoulder pockets.

My legs found a fast and familiar rhythm on this trail. It was a bit fast for a 50k, but I’ve charged this trail so many times on regular 10-mile out-and-backs I couldn’t get myself to hold back. By mile 9, I caught Bev who was being careful not to stress her sore Achilles too much before Way Too Cool. Soon after, I caught the other three. The fog was as thick as gravy now, and it was fun to charge down the hills and see the moisture billowing behind me. A few downed trees made it more like a steeplechase in some sections, but volunteers had clearly done the heavy work to get the worst out of the way. Tom and Kevin let me by to lead, and my legs went berserker despite warnings from my brain that the pace was too fast. I found AS #2 (mile 12) in 1:31, and couldn’t see anyone behind me. Alas, it’s too late now!


The heroic volunteers of AS #2 were braving the winds and some fresh rain, and still had me outta there in less than 20 seconds. I charged solo down the hill into lower Wunderlich Park, enjoying the sounds of rushing creeks that usually are as dry as a desert all year long. This is a wonderful section of trail that cleanses the spirit as it draws you deeper and deeper into the park, and the rain helped wash away any day-to-day stresses. I felt like a kid as mud splattered in all directions with each step, soaking my Inov-8 320’s and Injinji socks and speckling my legs and face with rusty dirt freckles. It was a full rejuvenation of the soul.


I broke out into a clearing around mile 16, and the dark grey clouds signaled that more rain was a-comin’. But so far, the cool weather and mist was perfect running conditions. My scenery-stealing glance got the best of me when I caught a toe on a fallen branch and went down around Salamander Flat (mile 17). Luckily the handheld water bottles kept my hands safe, but I pulled something in my hip that required some walking to get back on track. Nothing too devastating, so I caught up on hydration and calories while I walked.


Kevin soon caught me on the uphill Oak Trail, and he had an aggressive pace heading back up to the top of Wunderlich. As luck would have it, he soon saw Elizabeth and gave her a high five and she headed into the loop. Tom was about 100 yards behind, as calm as a mountain lion stalking his prey. We had a chance to cheer on the other 50k runners coming down this out-and-back section, and everyone was in great spirits despite the rain coming down harder. Rajeev, in his bright orange rain gear, was the best prepared of everyone for sure!


When I found AS #2 again (mile 20), they let me know that Tom and Kevin had gapped me by about 3 minutes in the last two miles. I was feeling unusually tired, to the point I stopped on the trail for a few minutes to collect my breath. Not sure what was happening here, but I suspected it was just proof that I hadn’t done many 20+ mile runs in the last few months, and certainly not as hard as I just did the last 20. Perhaps it was the fast-charging downhills catching up to me. I pocketed a handful of M&M’s, had some Coke, and took it easy over the next few miles.

Within 20 minutes, I had my groove back albeit a bit slower than my starting pace. I was still fast-walking some of the uphills to keep the exhaustion at bay, but it felt like a decent pace. 35k runners were heading in both directions on the single track and had plenty of words of encouragement for me and each other, and their smiles kept me motivated to keep moving.


I exchanged a few words with Charles Wickersham, a 35-year-old runner from Modesto, CA, who was trying his first trail run with the 35k. He had a few flat marathons under his belt in the last six months, and I was really impressed with how well he was doing on the technical section on his way back. He definitely has the trail bug now!

One last stop at my driveway aid station for some Coke and water (mile 27, 3:40), and I took the final plunge down the Chinquapin Trail. The rain was coming down in sheets now, filling the air with fresh energy. The skies exclaimed “this ain’t nothin’ yet”, and it was obvious this was going to be a more challenging run for anyone over 6 hours. I thought of the chili waiting for me at the end, and kept up the pace.


Before I knew it, the finish line was in site and I crossed the line in 4:14, good enough for third place. Despite the rest/walking, this was 10 minutes faster than I have ever done this course! Still not enough to catch Tom (who won in 4:02) or Kevin (second in 4:09), but just enough to come in ahead of Bev Abbs (first female, course record 4:15), Ryan Commons and course record holder Mike Buchanan (4:20), and Will Gotthardt (4:22) who all proved to be a lot closer than I thought. Elizabeth (Kevin’s fiancée) held on for second Woman in an impressive 4:55, just a few minutes ahead of the super-fast Karyn Hoffman. 61-year-old Carl Maes from Oakland, CA, broke 6 hours in an incredible run (5:56), just behind Kathleen Stabler who had come all the way from Albuquerque, NM. Everyone was crossing the finish line with ear-to-ear smiles.


In the 35k, 23-year-old Leor Pantilat set a course record 2:38:45, while Monica Erdosh from Foresthill, CA, claimed the Women’s title in 3:27:55 (other results can be found here). We ate chili and soup to ward off the cold, and cheered on the finishers as they came in. Mother Nature dished out a good one for us today, but she was no match for the collective spirit of the ultra community breaking in a new ultra season. Reconnecting with nature and friends, enjoying a challenging race…my heart was overflowing with anticipation and optimism for the year to come. With a few hugs and congratulations, we headed out, our sore bodies already looking forward to the next race.



Thanks so much to Wendell, Sarah, and Aaron Doman and the fabulous volunteers who braved the weather to put on a fantastic race. It is days like today that I understand you are the backbone of this great sport, and set the standard for the tenacity and positive spirit that encompasses these races.