Notices tagged with trailrace

Tantek ()'s status on Monday, 09-Dec-2024 13:41:00 EST

Tantek

signed up for @brokenarrowskyrace.com (@BrokenArrowCA) 23k #skyRace on 2025-06-22!¹
This will be my third #BrokenArrow race.
Goals: finish strong, beat last year’s time.

The race sold out within 10-15minutes of opening this morning. Here’s how it went for me:

09:00 Pacific time registration opened (I had two laptops ready, reloading every second)
09:06 I completed registering but it redirected me to the home page (not a confirmation). I thought it had canceled my registration, so I kept trying. The #UltraSignup site flow was sufficiently broken that I didn't know I had successfully registered.
~9:15 I was able to check my online UltraSignup profile and see the 09:06 registration.
09:25 Received email confirmation of registration.

You can still register for the 23k waitlist: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=117118

More Broken Arrow races and distances (e.g. 46k, VK, 18k, 11k) registrations are opening the rest of this week, every morning December 10-13.

See the https://www.brokenarrowskyrace.com/ website for details for each.

Previously, previously:
* https://tantek.com/2024/176/t1/finished-broken-arrow-skyrace-23k
* https://tantek.com/2023/178/t1/june-trailrunner-ultrarunner

¹ https://www.brokenarrowskyrace.com/23k

#23k #trailRace #RingDasBell

Tantek ()'s status on Sunday, 04-Aug-2024 22:09:00 EDT

Tantek

finished the Skyline 21k (half marathon) trail race in 3:39:53!

Went out with the goal to have fun and try for sub-4, finished with smiles and a sub 3:40.

Superbly run event as always by @ScenaPerformance.com (@instagram.com/scenaperformance), race director Adam Ray, and all the great volunteers.

So many things went well. Race write-up to follow.

Previously:
* 2023: DNS Skyline 50k because of a bad fever from a blood bacteria infection caught in Wakefield MA (that’s whole other story, never going back there)
* 2022: 50k race PR at Skyline: https://tantek.com/2022/289/t1/hot-skyline50k-ultra-finish

#Skyline #21k #halfMarathon #trailRace #trailRun

Tantek ()'s status on Tuesday, 25-Jun-2024 00:31:00 EDT

Tantek

Finished my second Broken Arrow #Skyrace 23k¹ yesterday in 6:52:44! #RingDasBell

This year’s #BrokenArrowSkyrace² 23k was actually that distance! I ran 23.3km with 4557' vertical climb! In contrast, last year’s "23k" race³ was rerouted (due to weather conditions) last minute to two laps of the 11k course, where my actual distance was 18.87km with 4905' vert.

I have been looking forward to this all year, to climbing the infamous "Stairway to Heaven" ladder to the top of Washeshu Peak (8885'/2692m elevation) for the first time (since last years’s race had to skip it).

This year’s Broken Arrow is the start of the Mountain Running World Cup⁴. It’s a rare sports event opportunity to compete with the best in the sport, to literally run the same trails they do, on the same day, with the same start (there are no waves), and finish line.

Lots to write-up, for now, I’m grateful for the experience and accomplishment.

Super grateful for everyone who came out to cheer and especially my coach whose training and guidance got me here.

A few notes:

Great lining up with so many friends.

Hot day. Filled my ice bandana at the first aid station (Snow King) which made the rest possible.

Steady hydration & fueling.

Fueling timeline notes (times are my H:MM race clock times from the start)

0:00 start
1:45 ate Picky Bar
2:00 finished Tailwind in 500ml bottle
2:08 Snow King aid station, refilled bottles one with water and the other with mandarin Tailwind, filled ice bandana with ice, picked up a few Spring Energy gels
3:15 ate Awesome Sauce gel
3:45 ate Awesome Sauce gel
~4:30 left Siberia aid station with refilled ice bandana, bottles, a few Spring Snacks, ate potato chips, a watermelon slice, salt+nuun add to one water bottle, mandarin Tailwind in the other
5:05 ate Awesome Sauce gel
5:35 (-13:39) left Julia aid station with another Spring Energy gel
6:03 ate Awesome Sauce gel
6:52:44 finish

Lots of incredible views along the way. The air was clean and quite breathable even nearing 9000'. Felt a bit slower but kept going within my capacity.

Kept an eye on the time remaining before cut-off compared to my distance and vert climbing remaining and pushed steadily when I could.

Finished with just over 7 minutes to spare before the official cut-off, to friends cheering on all sides. Saw and hugged my coach after ringing the bell at the finish.

What an experience.

#BrokenArrowSkyrace #trailRace #trailRun #trailRunner #runner #running #trailRunning

¹ https://www.brokenarrowskyrace.com/23k
² https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=106489
³ https://tantek.com/2023/178/t1/june-trailrunner-ultrarunner
⁴ https://worldathletics.org/news/preview/mountain-running-world-cup-2024-opens-broken-arrow

Tantek ()'s status on Tuesday, 20-Feb-2024 03:38:00 EST

Tantek

This past Saturday: finished the #InsideTrail Redtail Ridge 30k #trailRace in 6:00:59.

A few notes:

This was my first trail race of 2024, and first in over 6 months, since last year’s Marin Ultra Challenge 50k and Broken Arrow 23k races in June¹. Saw pal Henri after changing into my trail shoes in the Lake Chabot Regional Park parking lot. The storms had scared many away, less than 100 showed up to the combined 30k & 50k start.

The muddy rainy adventure began when we veered off the initial paved trail around the lake and onto a rocky uphill stretch. It was mostly an out-and-back course, with a bit of a loop in the middle. On the second half of that loop there was one fork in the trail without race markings. After spending minutes taking a peek down both options, I guessed right. About a half mile later a wooden trail post validated my choice.

I kept a sustainable run/hike pace, with some sliding in the mud, stepping around many ruts and puddles of unknown depths. Slower finish than 5 years ago², yet this time with a negative split, and earned my first DLF award!

#30k #RedtailRidge #trailRun #trailRunner #runner #trailRunning #running #2024_048

¹ https://tantek.com/2023/178/t1/june-trailrunner-ultrarunner
² https://tantek.com/2019/048/t1/finshed-chabot-redtailridge-30k-pr

Tantek ()'s status on Sunday, 16-Oct-2022 23:42:00 EDT

Tantek

10w ago: 9:29:05 50k PR, hot #trailRace @ScenaPerform #Skyline50k

Thanks @bryanting @aeables @dtran320 @vivekgowri pics&support, @corrinemalcolm training me back to an ultra start+finish 3y after #ECSCA.

#run #trailRun #trailRunning #ultraRunning #trailRunner #ultraRunner #50k #50kTrailRace #50kFinish #50kFinisher #ultraMarathon #2022_219 #20220807 #WorkHardDreamBigDoCoolShit #latergram #nofilter

This was my second ultra race finish, and sixth ultra-distance run. Since last year’s Rodeo Valley 30k (https://tantek.com/t5E81), I signed-up for seven races, started six, and finished five (including this one). I’m behind on a year of race posting so for now here’s a mini-report and story of a 50k in 10 photos.

Mini race-report: decent fueling, very good hydration, hottest race I’ve ever run, first time using ice in a neck buff & under my cap, left knee-pain (IT band) struggle in the last 7-8mi, had to fast-walk the last 4mi. Thankful for Vivek Gowri crewing me at the Skyline Gate aid station (17.2mi) making sure I had/got what I needed (no sunburns!), Amanda’s so thoughtful mini cheer sign (📷5) she snuck into my dropbag, and the two of them plus David Tran for running me in the last mile-ish which helped push me to a sub-9h30m time. Thanks also to Bryan Ting for both recommending this race to me and being at so many spots on the course to take race photos. Seeing friends along the way turned a hot & hard race into a fun time.

Photos in time order:

📷2: There’s a certain calm in the ritual of arranging all your race gear & fuel the night before. This was my second race where I packed a drop bag, with extra water & gels I might need if temperatures rose higher, or I took longer than expected. Having trained with nearly everything in that pile at some point, and run the course trails over a couple of days a few weeks beforehand, I went to bed knowing I was prepared.

📷3 by Bryan: Knowing I’d be close to the course limit, I opted for the early start option, an hour before the normal start, just ineligible for any competitive medals. It was dark when we arrived, but you can see how much it lightened up (even with cloud cover) for the 6am early start.

📷1 by Bryan: I kept a steady pace up to the second aid station, stopping only briefly at mile 4 to use the bathroom at the golf course next to the first aid station which wasn’t set up yet. Right before the second aid station, Bryan Ting was camped out taking race photos, and captured me focused on my run.

📷5: From there on it was steady work making it up and down various trails as it warmed up in the first half of the race. Made it up to the Skyline Gate station where Vivek was waiting with my drop bag, and handed me a surprise race sign card that Amanda had made for me.

📷6 by Vivek: It was 85F+ at Skyline Gate, so I sat for a few minutes and took time to calmly hydrate some more. I grabbed a couple of spare gels from my drop bag, and after Vivek helped me re-apply sunscreen, I stood for a moment before jumping back on the trails.

📷7 by Bryan: The push up to the last aid station was a tough hike in the open sun. I saw Bryan again taking photos and focused on a steady run-shuffle up the trail.

📷8 by Vivek: Vivek, David Tran, and Amanda found me on the paved path around Lake Chabot with ~1.5mi to go and captured my determined struggle. Plenty of energy left, I was more annoyed by the pace-limiting knee-pain that started in mile 25 and became too painful to run at mile 28. They chatted with me to keep me distrated, and told me I looked good (amazing how much that helps). I kept a steady fast-walk, gently run-shuffling on the rolling downhills as pictured.

📷9 by David Tran: Running ahead, David took photos & video of me. With the finish area in sight, I swung my arms and pushed past the knee-pain into a run, first on the remaining asphalt then across the lawn through the orange cones toward the finish.

📷4 by Bryan: Stopping my watch as I lept over the finish line, eyes on the finisher’s medal offered by a volunteer. Happiness and relief as I completed my first ultramarathon race since 2019.

📷10 by Bryan: @ScenaPerform’s Skyline 50k brought friends & community together like no other race since @TheNorthFaceECS races. A bunch of us 50k finishers recalled our adventures during the race while rehydrating & snacking on Impossible burgers at the finish area picnic. Bryan saw us gathered and we lined up for a group photo which perfectly captured the moment.

I’ll be back to run this race again.

Tantek ()'s status on Monday, 09-Aug-2021 16:00:00 EDT

Tantek

Finished #RodeoValley 30k #trailRace in 5:10:43 on Saturday. In the photo I’m massaging a midsection cramp while power hiking uphill, and grinning because I knew I was almost at the top of the last big climb of the course.

First race post lockdown was exciting, fun, steady, strong, until a downhill trip (no fall) broke my momentum, strained the right leg/glute, and killed the appetite. Struggled and pushed thru remaining climbs to finish strong on the final downhill without injury, 26s longer than 2018.

Great starting with 50k runners Bryan & Eliza, and having pal Erika run me in the last 4 miles (also took this 📷) and share salty snacks, a needed boost.

Taking notes as memories resurface. Processing everything & how each section went, insights gained, and lessons learned.

#runner #running #instaRunner #trailRunner #ultraRunner #trailRace #grassRootsGear #NovemberProject #NPSF #Marin #MarinHeadlands #CoastalTrail #Hill88 #uphill #powerhike #50kTraining #50mileTraining #2021_219 #laterGram #noFilter

The night before: https://tantek.com/t5E51
2018 Rodeo Valley: https://tantek.com/2018/175/t1/finished-rodeovalley-my-first-30k

Tantek ()'s status on Saturday, 07-Aug-2021 00:58:00 EDT

Tantek

The pandemic is not over just because you’re over it. Wear a mask. Get vaxed. Get boosted with a different vax. Stop indoor dining/drinking. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights are human rights. Housing & healthcare for all. There’s no Planet B.

Also, running my first race tomorrow since lockdown, @insidetrail #RodeoValley 30k!

Longest training stretch between races since I started running. Huge thanks to coach @CorrineMalcolm’s guidance for almost a year now.

Carving out little deliberate pockets of the past in the ever-changing present.

#runner #running #instarunner #trailrunner #ultrarunner #trailrace #grassrootsgear #novemberproject #NPSF #letsdothis #LFG #Marin #50ktraining #50mileTraining #nofilter

Tantek ()'s status on Friday, 22-Nov-2019 17:45:00 EST

Tantek

🏅🏅🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️We did it. 3:22:19 @thenorthfaceECS #TNFECS #ECSCA #halfmarathon #Sunday

Dad’s first #halfmarathon #trailrace. My first the day after a 50k.

Clear sky, sunrise start(2). My dad and I jumped into start wave 8. We started in the middle of the pack, passed through the arch, and the struggle began. After a brief jog out of the field and part way up the Marin City suburb street, my legs dropped to a walk before even reaching the first trail.

I power-hiked off to the right as best as I could, letting all the eager runners pass. My dad started to pull ahead. I encouraged him, just reminded him to look behind him every 30 seconds or so and keep me in sight.

Pacing dad become chasing dad.

We reached the Alta Bobcat intersection and saw a friendly group cheering us. Among them one of them recognized me from yesterday, and asked didn’t she see me yesterday, I said yeah I did the 50k, and am pacing my dad today, motioning in front of me with a grin. This seemed to catch her attention, and she ran up to catch us.

She ran up ahead to my dad and asked if she could interview him. He had just taken a photo of me(3). After her interview she ran back to me and introduced herself, Brianna (who I’d later find out was @brisacksy from LA, mutual friends with @jussnessinaround! Small world indeed).

The race leaders, having finished their down-and-up loop, passed us on the way to the first aid station. We reached the shady forest at the top of Alta trail and I almost caught my dad again.

At the Alta station we topped off our waters, and headed down the moderately steep Rodeo trail. Memories came flashing back from ECSCA 2014 where this very trail was the long downhill of the marathon relay, my first 10k trail race.

Passed a few runners on the way down. Started to close the gap with my dad a few times, yet he kept pulling away. Finally caught up at the second aid station at the bottom of the downhill, and we started power hiking our way up the Bobcat trail.

I hadn’t felt hungry until then, and since this was the last big uphill I tore open a Simple Energy packet and ate it.

Finished our Rodeo Bobcat trails loop, once again hiking up to the top of Alta trail and down through its shady forest. My dad once again turned to take a photo of me(4).
Topped off my water at the Alta aid station where one of the station volunteers warned us that we were behind pace for the cut-off.

Even though technically we were about 5 minutes behind that cut-off checkpoint, I was a little annoyed at being told (hoping my dad didn’t hear it and get discouraged), as having just ran the mostly downhill subsequent six miles the day before, I knew we would easily make it to the finish before the four hour cut-off.

Onto SCA trail we went. Single-track and a bit rocky, it’s the most technical part of the ECSCA half marathon course. Being more familiar I took the lead and my dad followed, til he caught up to me on the brief uphill where you get a great view of San Francisco, the bridge, the bay, and the 101 Freeway. Back to the rocky descent I started to close in on him again.

A race volunteer directed him down the left turn towards the bridge. I’d almost caught up and he took off down those stairs, opening up a bit of a lead again. This was it, my last chance to actually catch him before the Golden Gate Bridge. I focused as I had the day before and started leaping downward as quickly and deftly I could, passing others in pursuit of my dad who had somehow also picked up speed. Caught him on the last switch back, and we crossed the road together onto the brief bit of trail before the bridge.

Apparently there were enough of us running the half marathon that The North Face was able to reserve the West side sidewalk on the bridge just for racers. It was pleasantly warmer than the day before, with a nicer Pacific Ocean view. Once again the concrete path was no fun to run on, so dropped down to a power-walk, swinging my arms forcefully for extra forward momentum. My dad pulled away again, and took another photo(5).

Only near the end of the bridge did I start running with another racer who wasn’t sure where she was going. We realized we needed to cloverleaf under the bridge back towards the finish. Race volunteers where there to direct us yet again. I had my whistle ready, the warm sun had really brought out the toursts.

No need to use the whistle, we were able to get past the tourists with some kind requests or yelling out “on your left!”. I saw my dad enter the sweeping downhill path toward The Warming Hut. Last chance to catch him, so I pushed extra hard. He paused briefly and whistled for me, seeing me approaching he kept going. By the time he reached the steps I was mere feet behind him. As he hestitated for the tourists, I launched down them as I had the day before.

Last chance to build up a lead before he’d catch me again on the flats. At the bottom of the steps, race volunteers were once again stopping traffic so we could crass. Dad caught up to me on the gravel path to the field, and we stuck together for the remainder. Tight right turn from the gravel onto the Crissy field green to the finishing chute. Told my dad to step carefully and look out for the gopher holes.

With mere yards to go we grabbed hands and raised them up as we crossed the finish line(6) under bright blue skies.

We finished in 3:22:19 with almost 13 miles, and just over 2000' climbed. Easily beat the four hour time limit. Walk in the park. Like a typical Saturday morning SFRC run. Sore feet but otherwise I felt fine. Nothing else hurt.

My #50miletraining has begun.

Epilogue: Afterwards we walked around, loosening up our legs. My dad grabbed a seat and elevated his legs. I walked a bit more to round up my total distance to an actual 13.1 miles half marathon (We’d only ran ~12.8 miles at the finish line), and also just to savor a moment reflecting on back-to-back race days(7).

We picked up our drop bag with clean clothes and extra layers, though we’d already dried off in the warm sunshine. I decided to check The North Face merchandise tent, felt I’d achieved enough of a feat to pick up something to commemorate. They had a nice “coordinates shirt” with the latitude longitude of the race finish, however were out of medium and large sizes.

I found a plain medium blue sports shirt and asked them to add the coordinates, as well as 50k & 13.1 Finisher heat decals on it. While they were preparing it I pulled out my second red ECSCA t-shirt from packet pick-up and asked for the same double finisher decals. Took a shot the next morning with my #ECSCA2019 #medals for #medalmonday(8).

Still feels surreal that I finished both races, and felt fine. I can only imagine how unfamiliar it might feel in the future, when the memories fade.

I know I have a long hard training cycle ahead for my first 50 miler, with its own ups and downs. When I'm feeling down or having doubts, I’ll be putting on one of these shirts to remind myself of what’s possible.

#runner #WorkHardDreamBigDoCoolShit #InstaRunner #TrailRunner #UltraRunner #GrassRootsGear #NovemberProject #NPSF #LetsDoThis #2019_321 #20191117 #latergram #nofilter

Tantek ()'s status on Saturday, 16-Nov-2019 00:30:00 EST

Tantek

⛰🏃🏻♂️ This is it. #50ktraining & waiting just under a year for tomorrow’s 2nd chance @thenorthfaceECS #ECSCA 50k #trailrace. Good luck to everyone #trailrunning #TNFECS 50mi 50k marathon & relay!

Canceled last year due to smoke, I ran the course a week later (https://tantek.com/t4xf1 after rains cleaned the air) unsupported and it was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

Fitter & a bit lighter this year, I feel trained, though not as much as I’d like to be (September & October travel made it tough). Yet I know these trails, and I know my body. The air is clean this year, and the weather is looking good.

I’m focusing on finishing healthy in the course time limit to make it official. Going for smoothness over speed. Looking forward to starting with so many friends from near & far and seeing even more at Crissy field.

#ultra #ultramarathon #runner #running #workharddreambigdocoolshit #instarunner #trailrunner #ultrarunner #grassrootsgear #novemberproject #NPSF #letsdothis #nofilter

Previoulsy: my most recent (22 mile) long run: https://tantek.com/2019/307/t1/sunbeams-glitter-fern-creek-footbridge

Tantek ()'s status on Monday, 28-Jan-2019 01:20:00 EST

Tantek

signed up for@insidetrailChabot Trail Run 30k 2019-02-16!http://insidetrail.com/calendar/chabot-trail-run/

This will be my second 30k #trailrace; ran #RodeoValley30k last year:tantek.com/2018/175/t1/finished-rodeovalley-my-first-30k

Reading past Chabot 30k race reports by@Amy_Leedham @kineticfix @sarahrunning @dine_and_dash:

*https://amythepunisher.com/2016/02/22/race-report-inside-trail-racing-lake-chabot-30k/
*https://kineticfix.com/2014/02/22/race-recap-chabot-trail-run-30k/
*https://www.therunnerstrip.com/2014/02/inside-trails-3rd-annual-lake-chabot-race/
*https://jensrunningblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/race-recap-chabot-30k/

#2019_025

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Notices tagged with trailrace