Thursday, March 27, 2008

More Pirates Cove


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Sassy (20k), Jessica (30k) and Sammy(30k), huddling in the car for warmth prior to the start. PCTR events are great because non-ultra friends can still join in the fun. Offering trail runners several distance options in their races have made PCTR a popular choice and combined with the laid back atmosphere and the warm welcoming community of trail running has made them a favorite with more of their races selling out now.



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Spamsiwan set for the 20k. Despite being a vegetarian, our first conversations as friends centered around "Spam" - thus the name I call her by. I also call her the Iron Knitter and the Iron Baker because she is as passionate about her knitting and baking as she is about her training. You can check her blog here.



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Jessica, Helen and Noreen, excited and ready. The hills in the background is our first climb. A @#*&% uphill start. I hate uphill starts!



GGTC Trail Running Ladies
Proud of the ladies, the gang hanging out at the finish. Except for Noreen and Jess (training for her first Ironman), all these guys have completed the Ironman triathlon distance. This year Spamsiwan is headed to Ironman Brazil at the end of April and Jess is planning on Ironman Coeur d'Alene in Idaho in June. Photo courtesy of Sammy.



Salty, Dusty, Happy 50k Finishers
Alright who's the short dude?! Finally me and the boys. Jon K (10th), Will Gotthardt (6th) and myself (11th) at the finish line. Jon and I were still catching our breath, Will on the other hand was relaxed and cool having finished 20+ minutes before us. Regulars at the PCTR scene especially Will who volunteers for the events when he's not racing - great runner, valuable community member. Photo courtesy of Sammy.



My camera was acting up so I had to ditch it at the start, thus the start and finish photos only. It turned out for the best anyway, I doubt I would have gotten under 5 hours had I been taking pictures. Except for my friend John B. (not pictured anywhere) It was me and the ladies again, the men of our gang were busy doing I don't know what. Hanging with the sistas yet again and I don't mind.

I am off to Florida today to visit the family. If I don't visit them now I won't be able to see them until the fall because of the race schedule. Might as well be now but not looking forward to hot, humid and FLAT Orlando, Florida. I can get used to the heat and the humidity but I'll never enjoy the flatness.

Before I go, the race report I promised on my last post:


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Race day found me feeling great and confident. I knew the course well, these are my training grounds after all. I've raced many times here, from the 50k to the 100-miler. I knew where I could push and where I could pull back to recover. I knew the terrain, from single track to fireroad. I was also in a great mood, came with a bunch of friends and giddy about the first race of the season.

The first 30k went like a blur, I was surprised to be back at the start line already and about to embark for the remaining 20k. The first hour I held back, slowly increased intensity in the second hour and went all out after that - as fast as I could muster. The last 20k was definitely harder but no less enjoyable. I ran the end of the 30k a bit too hard and was feeling it but I knew the rest of the field was feeling it too. I started catching up to some of the fast, hard looking guys and it was a psychological boost - I knew I was moving up the field. The last 10k I was chasing after Jon K. A healthy Jon would have already finished the race but he had just come back from illness and was not 100%. Chasing after him kept me firing on all cylinders and he's partially responsible for my sub-5 hour finish, him and the guy who was chasing me.

Nutrition, hydration all went like clockwork. I was quick at the aid stations, choked down my gels prior to arriving and only stopping long enough to get my H2O bottles topped off - something I picked up from Olga. Chatted with other runners but kept the conversations brief unless they were moving at my pace. All in all a well managed run on my part. I couldn't have asked for more.

Next up Mt. Diablo 50-miler. This one promises to be the exact opposite. Long, slow and arduous with 13,300 ft. of total elevation gain, same for the elevation loss. The uphills will be tough, the down hills will tenderize the quads. A good training race for the 100-mile runners.
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10 comments:

  1. Dang are you Ladies Man or something? Every time I come over here you've got pics of hot ladies. Nothing wrong with that ;-) LOL

    Awesome race report homie! You totally rock ;D ;D

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  2. Naw...those are all my sistas. Homies from the tri-club.

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  3. Anonymous5:53 AM

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  4. Looks like a ton of fun Rick!! Thanks for sharing the pics!

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  5. Love all the smiles and blue skies! Glad you did well and had fun. That's what it's all about! : )

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  6. Excellent photos, Rick. That looks like it was a beautiful day for racing! Congrats again on the great finish!

    Safe travels to you!

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  7. Broooooooooooooooo what's up great to meet up with you today in Flat ass FL--lol at that FANCY DINER--lmaooo

    Great Race Re-Cap & Pics Speedy... You go with your under 5 hour into Diablo and knock it out!!

    See ya in a few months! Keep up the good work, this is your year!

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  8. That's so funny that I clicked comments to find hot Marcy said what I was gonna sahy first--YOU DA LADIES' MAN. And, I was also going to start it with "Dang." Dang, maybe I'm not so old school (or whatever the current hip synonym for that is) after all. Congrats again, have fun at Diablo.

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  9. Rick, AWESOME! Congratulations! I can't wait to hear all about it in person this weekend! You are amazing, as is Will! Next time you see him, please tell him congratulations.

    I hope you are having a good visit with the family and I will see you this weekend! Get ready for some crazy treats! ; )

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  10. BTW Rick, maybe you should delete that barb michelen comment-- I admit to being dumb enough to click the link and it took forever to close the windows, probably got a virus on my computer. Duh.

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