PCTR Chabot

"All, We have decided to postpone the 2011 Bike Kickoff ride that was schedule for this Saturday due to weather conditions. It's not often that we get forecast of snow in San Francisco."

Smart move by our triathlon club bike director. I can't imagine trying to ride my bike if there was going to be snow on the roads. They actually said that it might be possible for this weekend. Last weekend Mt. Tam got some snow, something that doesn't happen very often either. I didn't get to run on it but I saw photos from members of the Endurables who posted their run pictures on Facebook. I was jealous. I've always wanted to run on Mt. Tam when there was snow for the novelty of it. I opted to stay in San Francisco for a not so hilly 18 miles that Saturday since I was going to be in the East Bay Sunday to run the 30k race of PCTR's Chabot Event. It's all for training anyway but I didn't want really tired legs for Sunday. I was at least able to see the snow on Mt. Tam's hills from a distance when I ran out to the coast and back. I had never seen anything like it in my years in San Francisco.

Lake Chabot Sunday morning.

The Chabot race was quite nice, muddy but great fun. The race venue is similar to the Dick Collin's Firetrails 50-miler which I've run a few times and my favorite 50-mile race in the Bay Area. The early miles is the same and the last several miles is also the same as Firetrails. PCTR offered a 10k, 20k, 30k and 50k race, the 50k runners just ran the 30k and 20k loops. It had rained for most of the week but Sunday it was dry and the sun came out. The trails were fine until we hit a pasture where the mud was shoe sucking soft. It was quite a slog but it was what it was, I smiled and cursed my way through. I finished the 30k in 2:52. My energy and pace was all over the place on the first half and I had to hit the restroom twice but on the second half I settled down and really got going. I felt great and was able to really push those last 9 miles. Great run and I was happy with the way I felt. These sub ultra distances have been a lot fun, short but more intense. The training is going like clockwork, the only area I'm struggling at is my weight. I need to drop weight and it's coming off too slowly. I have it to lose. Anyway enjoy the pictures from the race. A young kid won the 50k in an amazing time but shredded his feet since he didn't wear socks. He said he always ran sockless but probably not in muddy conditions for so long. A lot of crap probably got in there between his feet and shoes. Also because of the suction of the mud I bet there was more play on the shoes than usual despite being tied on tightly. All conjecture on my part of course. I'm sure it stung in the shower but he seemed unfazed about the whole thing.

Lots of mud!

Marla Moresi-Valdes and Ian Sharman. Marla was the one who talked me into running the event and Ian was manning the shirt tent.

Speaking of shirts, here's one of my new designs - a collaborative effort between PCTR and I. I gave them a big duck they said they wanted trees and here is the result.

The 50k champ, that's not mud on his shoes.

Gaahhh!

The toes must not have looked all that better.

Zach Landman coming in second for the 50k.

Look who's back - Caitlin Smith.

Peter Duyan, another fast runner I've recently gotten to know.