Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run

After further consideration, the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 mile run is now in the lead and putting distance on the other 100's I have had on my summer running radar. I will be making a final decision soon but have to say that this will most likely be the one if/when I get around to making up my mind. It's tough for sure with an elevation low of 6,800 feet / high of 9,214 feet and 19,788 feet of climb/descent...maybe a little too tough? I can do it.

My training has been going well mixing hill work, tempo and long slow distance pretty regularly. I took a quick break at the beginning of February to let myself rest a little and now am back at it. If I continue at this level of intensity, my fitness shouldn't be a question so really it boils down to logistics and money. Crew for TRT would be optional. A pacer, however, would be nice to have so that is another question mark. There's not exactly a long line of runners forming yet, chomping at the bit to spend the night stumbling around the Sierra Nevada high country with a 100 mile rookie. Not just any idiot can pace in a 100...gonna need a special idiot. Luckily I know a few.

Revised Plans.....

I have had the Cascade Crest 100 (photo by Glenn Tachiyama..thanks G!) on my wish list for 2009 for the past couple months thinking that if everything fell into place, it would make a nice first 100 mile finish. Plenty of elevation gain/loss..a challenging course...and a chance to reconnect with some friends and acquaintances from the Pacific Northwest. Your chances for entrance into this race are greatly improved by getting your postmarked entry in the mail on Feb. 9th as the race director fills spots on a first come, first served basis and the 9th is the earliest date allowed to send in your application.


The best laid plans...


After speaking with Kourey (my level headed wife of almost 21 years) about the race, she reminded me that my physical conditioning is in better shape than our bank account and that while running 100 miles is a a worthy endeavor to be sure, it could make life financially difficult come late summer. Ahh, I hate reasonable thinking sometimes. A sound argument...I acquiesced. She's right and I will pick another 100 closer to home. The Cascade Mountain Range and my PacNW friends will have to wait for another time. Headlands, TRT, San Diego??? Lots to think about in the coming weeks...


BBB

Hello, my name is Bill and I'm an Ultraholic.

Last week, while cruising the Internet for a bit of running information, I stumbled across a post from a gentleman by the name of Chihping Fu (Ultraholics from left Anil Rao, Chihping, Peter Lubbers, Alan Geraldi and Rajeev Patel at TRT) asking if anyone would be interested in doing all night, mid week Mission Peak (Fremont CA) repeats. To the innocent bystander, I'm sure the thought of running up and down a remote peak, all night, in the dark, with a group of strangers must sound questionable. However, for me, the idea pushed all the right buttons. The Mission Peak Repeater would begin to satisfy several of my prerequisites as I make my way towards the eventual late summer, early fall 100 mile trail ultra. Exact race is still to be determined.

Those buttons - Button 1) Night Run - A chance to practice the use of my lights and help get accustomed to running at night with limited visibility and without the fear of being consumed by a large, hungry cat. Button 2) Elevation Gain/Loss - Each out and back to the top of Mission Peak is about 2500 feet of gain/loss in 6.5 miles. Pretty damn steep.




















And Button 3) New Ultra Friends. My main goal for 2009 is to step out of my comfort zone socially. I have a habit of keeping to myself and avoiding unfamiliar social situations. If I don't know someone, I usually avoid them initially and hope to be introduced sometime down the road. Lame, I know, but that's just the way I'm wired. I'm going to fix that this year and the Mission Peak Repeater will be a big step in the right direction.

I emailed Chihping asking if he thought it would be ok if I joined his group for the run. He replied quickly and told me to figure it. He also invited me to join the Ultraholics! Information on the Ultraholics (taken from their Yahoo Groups website) here:

"The Ultraholics are a loose-knit group of trail runners, ultramarathoners, triathletes and runners. We are based mostly around the San Francisco Bay Area, but our members live all around the country. Many of our members have run competed in some of the hardest ultramarathons and other endurance events such as the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, the Badwater 135 Mile Endurance Run, Ironman Triathlons, and ultramarathoning "slam" events. In addition to our Yahoo Groups site, many of our members also publish blogs to update the endurance community on our events, training and lives. We try to get together for social gatherings as well as races and training runs. Many of our members use their love of their sports to help raise money for charities and other worthy causes."

For you East Coasters or Ultra Roadies that are ok with a bit of travel, check this race out. The Keyes 100 is directed by Ultraholic Bob Becker and will be a great way to see the Florida Keyes, support a very worthy cause, and soak up the Florida ultra vibe. On my radar for next season.

So there you go. I have a good feeling about 2009.