Beside my crew and my coaches few knows what's going on with my injury and my plan for Angeles Crest 100. Here is what's going on.
In late April I went to get an MRI for my legs. It turned out that I have a stress fracture. It's one of those thing where I have a bone bruise from trauma but it does not show a hairline on the x-ray. My primary care physician Dr. Zamora knows that I am training for a 100 mile run and it was hard for him to deliver the news. I was disappointed and I almost broke down in tear. I asked him how long do I have to sit out for. He said 6-8 weeks. I said huh 4-6 weeks? No, he said 6-8 weeks. Dr Zamora told me that I have accomplished a lot over the last few years and there is no need to rush back and do this 100 miles. No one (including me) knows that I will go from hiking, to running marathon, to doing Ironman, and to finish a 50 miles run in a few short years. I agreed. Then ask him what can I do to keep my fitness up. I made it very clear to him that I want to attempt the Angeles Crest 100. Not to finish, but to participate. Since I already did my trail work and I ran my qualifying race, I want to at least try and drop when I know I need to drop. I want to at least get some experience after I am clear from my doctor.
I text my coaches, Vitapanda Kevin, and a few people about this. I wrote a few emails to my crew and told them what happen. They are all very supportive and will be here for me. I told them I felt like they were riding on a sinking ship and they told me to shut up. I have several theories in term of why this happened but I decided not to share them and just leave it behind. A few hours later I was actually fine with this injury because it is what it is and I know exactly what I need to do to get better (not running). Unlike some other stuff that I was dealing with, there is no unknown with this injury. I just need to move forward.
So for the next few weeks I am not running. I am just going to swim and bike to keep up my fitness, and see where this will take me. I have no expectation and I will drop if I feel pain.
Louis
Monday, May 14, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Leona '50mi' recap
So Leona Divide 50mi/50km run turned out to be a very interesting day.
It's my second 50 milers and it is supposed to be easier than Ray Miller (my first 50milers). I ran part of the course few months back but I did not run the whole thing like I did it with Ray Miller. I wanted the unknown so I can train my head to adopt.
I did my nutrition plan. one bottle an hour of nutrition. Food, Electrolytes. Where to refill...etc. I have a good plan.
And I am also using this race to try new things. It's a race for me to fine tune for AC100.
Sat morning definitely came fast. I got there at 4:45am and I was ready to go at 6pm. I started off easy. Hike the uphill, run the flat and on downhill. When I was running on the flat and downhill my leg felt a little funny. My thighs seem to be very tight. I thought to myself, maybe I am warming up. I have 50 miles to go. I need to be patience. As I was going down this long stretch of fire road (maybe mi 3-8) I feel a little slow. Again, I do not want to trash my leg early on so I let it go. I figure I can pick up my pace on the single track. By the way I discovered that I hate running on fire road! They are not steep so I can run it if I want to, but if I do, I get tired... so I am on a constant struggle.
After more fire road I finally got to the PCT trail single track. There were a few people before me and they were not fast. They were walking a lot so I figure I can catch them. I tried, but I did not. I guess my legs are still very tight. Patience young grasshopper as I told myself... ok I didn't actually said that... but you get the point. I figured maybe my leg will feel better when I get to the downhill section. Maybe my leg will open up because I am going to have a lot of quick turn around. I got to aid station #2 and refill a bottle (I attached an empty water bottle on my backpack) I should be at aid station 3 before 4 hours and I have 4 hours of liquid with me (3hr in reservoir and I just refilled my bottle).
I thought to myself. Yay it's the downhill section, this is where I am going to 'start' shinning. Nope, did not happen. In fact more people that are slower passed me and I gotten even slower. I wasn't even running the downhill, it was more like a shuffle. It was 3:15 into the race. I realized there were no sweat on my arm and on my head... and I was already finishing up that water bottle that I refilled. OK. Maybe it wasn't that my leg is tired. Maybe I am dehydrated going into the race. Which goes with the MO because when I am dehydrated I lost 'power'. After realizing that dehydration is probably the problem. I started drinking the liquid in my reservoir fast. Sure enough, It ran out soon after. I was drinking more than I normally would (to my defense Ray Miller was hot and my nutrition plan was the same)! Now my goal is to not get myself over heat by going crazy on the downhill and talk to Coach Jimmy at the next aid station. I did not have to worry about the first part because I was basically walking downhill. I saw two coyotes coming up behind me so I took pictures of them.
When I got to the aid station there is no Jimmy. I felt worst now (at 16.4mi) than when I finished Ray Miller after 50 miles. Actually I feel very good after I finished Ray Miller (I was just cold) so this is not even a comparison.
I wasn't thinking about making any cut off. I was thinking about fixing myself. During one of my Ironman training I was dying on the run (because I was so dehydrated) and I got out of it by drinking more, by drinking often, and by being patience. It happened on a few hikes too. And yes, it happened at Ironman Coeur d'alene where I was blacking out. From experience I know it takes 1-2... sometime 3 hours for me to get out of it, so that's what I am going to do. I was thinking about getting out of this situation as training.
I felt alienated at the aid station because I thought the Coyotes are going to be there. But it was over in a heart beat. I know I needed to stay focus. While I was refilling my reservoir. I drunk two bottles of water. I pull out the nutrition for the next 7 hours from my gear bag and pull out another water bottle from my gear bag (good thing I was prepared). I should of put my current running shoe in my bag (I thought about it the night before and I was like nah). A few minutes later I left the aid station with 3 bottles worth of nutrition in my reservoir and 2 handheld with water.
Within 30 minutes, I finished the two water bottles. People kept on passing me and disappearing in the distance. I tried not to have that affect me. I just kept on drinking and moving along... slowly. My focus is not to go fast, pass people, and to make all the cut off. My focus is to learn how to get out of my situation. I think it took me 1 hr and 40 min to get to the next aid station, which is 4 miles away. Yes, there is a big hill, but I should not take 1 hr 40 minutes.
When I got to this aid station (which is the 50km turned around point), there is no Coach Jimmy. Damn it they are at the next aid station. A friend i knew at this aid station and asked me if I want to turn around for the 50km finish. I thought the cut off is 1 hr (which was actually 2) and there is no way I can make the cut off. I said to myself I don't need to finish the race but I need to run to the Coyotes. I did not check my phone, but I figure if I were to drop I should at least let Coach Jimmy know. So I told the people at that aid station that I am just going to keep going and not make the cut off.
After that aid station (mi 20.4) I started to feel better. I am able to run a little bit, but not enough. But I know I am getting out of this situation. I started running a little and I bumped into Erin Maruoka (my pacer for AC) and Annie from the coyotes (they were just running around). They ran with me. I told Erin to pace me because that's what she is going to do in a few months. For a short few minutes I came back, then I have to stop and vomit (nothing came out). They ran with me for a while and asked me if I want them to be with me. I told them no because I want to work it out mentally. They left, I ran a little bit, and then I reduced back to walking again. the 3.3 mi took an hour.
Finally, I saw Jimmy at the mi 23.7 aid station. I told him I was done. He told me to turned around and finish. He said to work out my low point. He pour some water in my head, gave me a towel to freshen up, and I am on my way. panda Kevin was there but I did not have much interaction with him.
Walk Walk Walk, Run for a little bit... Walk Walk Walk (even on the downhill)... and I shuffle some...And I pee like every 10 minutes because I am just drinking away but my body cannot process all these water! Finally I am back to the gear drop aid station after 7.3 miles. I have 8 more miles to go with 3 hours left (up, around, down a mountain). I decidedm to drop the race and had someone drop me off back to the finish. I was done at hour 4 (mi 16), I kept going for 6 more hours and done at hour 10. 10 hours, 31mi. To give you a comparison, I finished a hard 50km, under rain and wind... in a little under 8:30 few months back. At Ray Miller, I was mi 37 in hour 10 and felt good. two hours later I backtrack for maybe 1/2 mi and ran in with my friend Alison who is doing her first 50 miles race. It was the first time I was able to run downhill like I normally would that day. On my way to find her I saw the older man that DNF at Ray Miller, I told him next time we will both finish a race together.
I am glad that this happened because it allow me to learn more for AC 100. First I know I hate running on flat or slight incline fire road so I'll pay more attention to the AC 100 course. I will not have a problem going downhill so I know I'll be fine. I notice I do not pour water on my head at the aid station. I do in marathon and triathlon, but not trail races. As I am writing this, I notice that I will pour water on my head from bottle but not directly from water cup. I think this is just in my head because when we hike we don't waste stuff, so pouring water over my head is something I don't do... but pouring water on my head from the water bottle is something that I do. Kind of weird, but now I know I need to pour water over my head at aid station lol.
There are a few more things that I know I can work on. So it is a DNF day, but I will not have it any other way =)
It's my second 50 milers and it is supposed to be easier than Ray Miller (my first 50milers). I ran part of the course few months back but I did not run the whole thing like I did it with Ray Miller. I wanted the unknown so I can train my head to adopt.
I did my nutrition plan. one bottle an hour of nutrition. Food, Electrolytes. Where to refill...etc. I have a good plan.
And I am also using this race to try new things. It's a race for me to fine tune for AC100.
Sat morning definitely came fast. I got there at 4:45am and I was ready to go at 6pm. I started off easy. Hike the uphill, run the flat and on downhill. When I was running on the flat and downhill my leg felt a little funny. My thighs seem to be very tight. I thought to myself, maybe I am warming up. I have 50 miles to go. I need to be patience. As I was going down this long stretch of fire road (maybe mi 3-8) I feel a little slow. Again, I do not want to trash my leg early on so I let it go. I figure I can pick up my pace on the single track. By the way I discovered that I hate running on fire road! They are not steep so I can run it if I want to, but if I do, I get tired... so I am on a constant struggle.
After more fire road I finally got to the PCT trail single track. There were a few people before me and they were not fast. They were walking a lot so I figure I can catch them. I tried, but I did not. I guess my legs are still very tight. Patience young grasshopper as I told myself... ok I didn't actually said that... but you get the point. I figured maybe my leg will feel better when I get to the downhill section. Maybe my leg will open up because I am going to have a lot of quick turn around. I got to aid station #2 and refill a bottle (I attached an empty water bottle on my backpack) I should be at aid station 3 before 4 hours and I have 4 hours of liquid with me (3hr in reservoir and I just refilled my bottle).
I thought to myself. Yay it's the downhill section, this is where I am going to 'start' shinning. Nope, did not happen. In fact more people that are slower passed me and I gotten even slower. I wasn't even running the downhill, it was more like a shuffle. It was 3:15 into the race. I realized there were no sweat on my arm and on my head... and I was already finishing up that water bottle that I refilled. OK. Maybe it wasn't that my leg is tired. Maybe I am dehydrated going into the race. Which goes with the MO because when I am dehydrated I lost 'power'. After realizing that dehydration is probably the problem. I started drinking the liquid in my reservoir fast. Sure enough, It ran out soon after. I was drinking more than I normally would (to my defense Ray Miller was hot and my nutrition plan was the same)! Now my goal is to not get myself over heat by going crazy on the downhill and talk to Coach Jimmy at the next aid station. I did not have to worry about the first part because I was basically walking downhill. I saw two coyotes coming up behind me so I took pictures of them.
When I got to the aid station there is no Jimmy. I felt worst now (at 16.4mi) than when I finished Ray Miller after 50 miles. Actually I feel very good after I finished Ray Miller (I was just cold) so this is not even a comparison.
I wasn't thinking about making any cut off. I was thinking about fixing myself. During one of my Ironman training I was dying on the run (because I was so dehydrated) and I got out of it by drinking more, by drinking often, and by being patience. It happened on a few hikes too. And yes, it happened at Ironman Coeur d'alene where I was blacking out. From experience I know it takes 1-2... sometime 3 hours for me to get out of it, so that's what I am going to do. I was thinking about getting out of this situation as training.
I felt alienated at the aid station because I thought the Coyotes are going to be there. But it was over in a heart beat. I know I needed to stay focus. While I was refilling my reservoir. I drunk two bottles of water. I pull out the nutrition for the next 7 hours from my gear bag and pull out another water bottle from my gear bag (good thing I was prepared). I should of put my current running shoe in my bag (I thought about it the night before and I was like nah). A few minutes later I left the aid station with 3 bottles worth of nutrition in my reservoir and 2 handheld with water.
Within 30 minutes, I finished the two water bottles. People kept on passing me and disappearing in the distance. I tried not to have that affect me. I just kept on drinking and moving along... slowly. My focus is not to go fast, pass people, and to make all the cut off. My focus is to learn how to get out of my situation. I think it took me 1 hr and 40 min to get to the next aid station, which is 4 miles away. Yes, there is a big hill, but I should not take 1 hr 40 minutes.
When I got to this aid station (which is the 50km turned around point), there is no Coach Jimmy. Damn it they are at the next aid station. A friend i knew at this aid station and asked me if I want to turn around for the 50km finish. I thought the cut off is 1 hr (which was actually 2) and there is no way I can make the cut off. I said to myself I don't need to finish the race but I need to run to the Coyotes. I did not check my phone, but I figure if I were to drop I should at least let Coach Jimmy know. So I told the people at that aid station that I am just going to keep going and not make the cut off.
After that aid station (mi 20.4) I started to feel better. I am able to run a little bit, but not enough. But I know I am getting out of this situation. I started running a little and I bumped into Erin Maruoka (my pacer for AC) and Annie from the coyotes (they were just running around). They ran with me. I told Erin to pace me because that's what she is going to do in a few months. For a short few minutes I came back, then I have to stop and vomit (nothing came out). They ran with me for a while and asked me if I want them to be with me. I told them no because I want to work it out mentally. They left, I ran a little bit, and then I reduced back to walking again. the 3.3 mi took an hour.
Finally, I saw Jimmy at the mi 23.7 aid station. I told him I was done. He told me to turned around and finish. He said to work out my low point. He pour some water in my head, gave me a towel to freshen up, and I am on my way. panda Kevin was there but I did not have much interaction with him.
Walk Walk Walk, Run for a little bit... Walk Walk Walk (even on the downhill)... and I shuffle some...And I pee like every 10 minutes because I am just drinking away but my body cannot process all these water! Finally I am back to the gear drop aid station after 7.3 miles. I have 8 more miles to go with 3 hours left (up, around, down a mountain). I decidedm to drop the race and had someone drop me off back to the finish. I was done at hour 4 (mi 16), I kept going for 6 more hours and done at hour 10. 10 hours, 31mi. To give you a comparison, I finished a hard 50km, under rain and wind... in a little under 8:30 few months back. At Ray Miller, I was mi 37 in hour 10 and felt good. two hours later I backtrack for maybe 1/2 mi and ran in with my friend Alison who is doing her first 50 miles race. It was the first time I was able to run downhill like I normally would that day. On my way to find her I saw the older man that DNF at Ray Miller, I told him next time we will both finish a race together.
I am glad that this happened because it allow me to learn more for AC 100. First I know I hate running on flat or slight incline fire road so I'll pay more attention to the AC 100 course. I will not have a problem going downhill so I know I'll be fine. I notice I do not pour water on my head at the aid station. I do in marathon and triathlon, but not trail races. As I am writing this, I notice that I will pour water on my head from bottle but not directly from water cup. I think this is just in my head because when we hike we don't waste stuff, so pouring water over my head is something I don't do... but pouring water on my head from the water bottle is something that I do. Kind of weird, but now I know I need to pour water over my head at aid station lol.
There are a few more things that I know I can work on. So it is a DNF day, but I will not have it any other way =)
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Louis - AC 100 Trail Work
As part of the qualification for Angeles Crest 100, I am required to do 8 hours of trail work in the Angeles Crest Forest. I wanted to get this over so I can focus on training. I know my marathon coach Kiley will be there, so does my Coyotes friend David Chan, but I have no ideas who will show up. I packed my stuff early Sat morning and got to the meeting point at 6:15 for the 7:00am meet time.
So of course I have no clue who's who because I am new to this ultra community but everyone seem to know each other. Then it hits me, I am working with 24 others that will be running the AC 100 course. And guess what, of the 25 people we have yesterday, I think there are only a few first timers. That means I am standing next to like 20 100 miles finishers. I wasn't really scared or anything, but I am like @$#% this is for real, 91 more days.
The next thing I know I am standing next to the Dominic Grossman that won last year's race. Then I was standing next to Jorge Pacheco who won it a few times. Then Jussi Hamalainen who ran it every year and he also won a few times... and this guy is like 65 *_*. And then I recognized more people from the AC 100 race book. I didn't know their names, but I seen pictures.
I think this is one of the reason why I like to do trail running now because it's more low key. It's a small community and everyone know each other.
We gathered and carpool to the site. I was carpooling with Tony and realized I met him thru a mutual friend in my rock climbing days. I was just talking to people and they offered some advices. I heard great finish and I also heard about the drop out. Everyone said to slow down. I sure don't have that problem because I am slow. Again and again, nutrition (which I am good at) and being tough mentally are the key to finish this race.
The actual work itself was tiring. Only because my legs were trashed from the therapy sessions on Friday. Note to self, never go to therapy the day before trail work. Anyway, we drove to Mt Harvard, hiked a few miles in and worked on the Winter Creek Trail. We widen the trail and did various works. It was a good day.
I am fine toning my run this Sat at Leona Divide 50 milers. After that I will need to start planning on AC 100. I must get the nutrition right and my crew will make sure I eat and drink enough. AC 100 is my formula one race (or 24 hours of Le Mans). I am the driver and they are the pit crew. Without their support, I will not finish. I picked them because I know I can trust them.
So of course I have no clue who's who because I am new to this ultra community but everyone seem to know each other. Then it hits me, I am working with 24 others that will be running the AC 100 course. And guess what, of the 25 people we have yesterday, I think there are only a few first timers. That means I am standing next to like 20 100 miles finishers. I wasn't really scared or anything, but I am like @$#% this is for real, 91 more days.
The next thing I know I am standing next to the Dominic Grossman that won last year's race. Then I was standing next to Jorge Pacheco who won it a few times. Then Jussi Hamalainen who ran it every year and he also won a few times... and this guy is like 65 *_*. And then I recognized more people from the AC 100 race book. I didn't know their names, but I seen pictures.
I think this is one of the reason why I like to do trail running now because it's more low key. It's a small community and everyone know each other.
We gathered and carpool to the site. I was carpooling with Tony and realized I met him thru a mutual friend in my rock climbing days. I was just talking to people and they offered some advices. I heard great finish and I also heard about the drop out. Everyone said to slow down. I sure don't have that problem because I am slow. Again and again, nutrition (which I am good at) and being tough mentally are the key to finish this race.
The actual work itself was tiring. Only because my legs were trashed from the therapy sessions on Friday. Note to self, never go to therapy the day before trail work. Anyway, we drove to Mt Harvard, hiked a few miles in and worked on the Winter Creek Trail. We widen the trail and did various works. It was a good day.
I am fine toning my run this Sat at Leona Divide 50 milers. After that I will need to start planning on AC 100. I must get the nutrition right and my crew will make sure I eat and drink enough. AC 100 is my formula one race (or 24 hours of Le Mans). I am the driver and they are the pit crew. Without their support, I will not finish. I picked them because I know I can trust them.
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| How many people run a 100 miles for run? apparently a lot |
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| Pink Helmet with Love |
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| hustling |
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| rattlesnake |
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| 豬八戒 |
Monday, April 2, 2012
Nurtition Talk - a simple bike ride can be harder than a 50 miles run
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| 65 miles bike. 30 miles of it sucks. |
So on Sunday I decided to bike to give my leg a rest from running. I was thinking to go from Cerritos down to the Cemetery (to pay my respect to Renee, a girl that battered cancer and lost the battle right before she turned 30) and back, a route that I ride often. If I feel like it, I can ride to Angel Stadium as like a bonus.
As I was preparing my bike in Cerritos, I thought it was a good idea to take in less nutrition because I figured I have been eating a lot... if I only drink water, I'll be burning extra calories. The kicker is that I have everything in the car. I have Carbo Pro, Powerbar Endurance mix, and endless supply of rice krispie treats. I did carried 1 rice krispie (cause it was in my bento box) and I picked up a box of Hello Panda just because I saw it in my trunk... for a grand total of 50 grams of carbohydrate. To give you a comparison, I consume around 95grams of carbohydrate on the bike... PER HOUR! I don't remember the last time I carry just water on a bike ride that's longer than 6 miles.
Anyway, the first 20 miles or so was uneventful. I have tail wind so I was making good progress. I bought Renee flowers (there is this guy that sell it a block away from the cemetery, I think I am the only one that get flower from him on a bicycle) and stayed at the cemetery for around 20 minutes. I decided to ride to Angel Stadium for a longer workout. I know I will hit the headwind on my way back but I didn't really care cause I know I'll burn more calories!
After 45 minutes or so I made it to Angel Stadium. I was at around mile 32 and I did not consume a single calorie. I figured it was a good time to eat my Hello Panda. I put them in my bento box and started riding. I even managed to drop a few while I was eating them.
Things would of be fine if there is no head wind, but what's life without drama? Biking against a strong headwind is like biking on a hill. It sucks on a good day. It's totally suck when you didn't eat anything for the last few hours. I was running low of water (I bought 3 bottles... but I had like 5 in the car), I didn't eat, there was a headwind, my arm and my butt hurt because I haven't been riding, and I was chafing (of course I have a lot of one time used chamois butter in my car)! I pulled over and look for the one that I have in my bike bag. Nope, I guessed I must of used it during Ironman Canada... *_*
If you look at the map (my route is a 'V'), I could of easily cut across without going back down to Huntington Beach. But no, I want to finish the ride... all 60 something miles of it. So paddle I go. Sometime I go around 14mph, sometime I go around 12mph. At times I go around 10mph. But after a long time I got back to PCH. I was hoping a change of direction will make the bike easily. No, not really. In fact the wind picked up *_*. I now go from 12 to 10. By then I was very low on water, and I was hungry so I decided to bike along the beach so I can buy something off the beach stand... I would of... if they were open! I did eventually found a water fountain so I was able to fill out my bottles. I knew if I continue to ride I can get to downtown Huntington Beach and I am sure something is opened. I decided to just suck it up and bike back. I got back on PCH and continue inching my way back to my car... 10-12mph.
After an eternity I made it back to the San Gabriel River bike path. 7 more miles to go. I was making good time for like 1 1/2 mi averaging 23 miles per hour. Then the head wind hit again and I slow down to 12 mph.
Finally, finally, I made it. I was so done with the ride. I was kind of cold because of the wind chill. I packed my bike, drunk my recovery drink (laugh all you want), and drove to family dinner.
I felt worst in this bike ride than my 50 miles run. Like I told you guys previously, I actually felt awesome during my run LOL! Never again riding with no calories!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Louis - Ray Miller 50 Mile Trail Race
Note: did not take any pictures during the race. Pictures are from my training runs.
Before I talk about the actual race, I want to tell everyone that I am very thankful to see everyone at the aid stations and at the finish. I enjoy cheering so I know why people want to be there for me. But I still feel a little strange to be on the receiving end.
I would also love to hang out more at the finish line but I was very cold so I needed to go get warm. Sorry!
My Injury
I have been quite about Ray Miller 50 milers because I am injured since Boney Mountain Trail Race in January. My right calf hurts when I put weight on. I tried foam roller, ice bath, hot water bath, salonpas patch, resting... nothing works except Iburpofen. I thought this injury was something very bad but my doctor told me I have a trigger point (a knot in my muscle). Dr. Zamora told me I just need to get a good massage in and he also gave me an option for a local anesthetics injection to my leg. I hate needle, but I decided to do try the injection because I figured I may need that sooner or later so I wanted to see how my body react to the injection. Yes, the needle is long and big! Dr Zamora asked me if I felt the medication and I told him NO, I only felt the freaking needle. Nope, that didn't work. So I went to my usual massage places and it did not help. Because I did not actually have an injury (just a crazy knot), I decided to continue with my training. While I was trying to figure out how to fix my leg I continue to train but with less speed. I covered all but 2 mi (4 mi round trip) of the course.
A few weeks passed, it gotten a little better but nothing really improved. The Iburpofen works but I know I need to fix it because I don't like to take drugs if I don't have to. But if I don't take it, bad news! I am talking about running for 1/4 mile and I end up with a limp kind of bad news.
I also started acupuncture. I heard very good things about it but it didn't work on me.
Then come Chris Tosh the Active Release Technique guy. Coach Jimmy recommended me to check this guy out so I made an appointment with him. Long story short, he was able to bypass my calf and work on the muscle behind it. I felt way better and I was even able to run without Iburofen for the first time since January. My last therapy session was 2/20 and Chris told me I should be ready to go on Sat. I maybe a little sore but the pain should eventually go away. But then when I ran on Wed it was still bad news. I am running with burpofen. Ray Miller is not going to be a race, Ray Miller is going to be a training run.
My Preparation
I know I need to keep a 16:12 minute per mile to finish before the cut off. Not knowing how my right leg will reaction, my A goal is just to finish the race under the cut off so I can get my AC qualification.
I prepared a lot for this race. I ran most of the course (except 2 mi of it) during my training runs. I did the out and back section of the long climb just to see how I feel to climb up. I mapped the aid stations and see how much nutrition and liquid I need between aid stations and created a time chart just to see how fast I need to go for different finish time. I talked to my pharmacist friend about Iburofen work, how it release to your body, and of course the side effect! I also got a brighter headlamp to allow me to run at my capable pace when I run in the dark, especially on the down hill.
After I finished my homework, I went to Coach Jimmy war room and he went over his race plan with me with added strategies.
The Course
I broke down the course by aid stations and assigned some time based on the cut off pace just to see where I need to be at different point of the race. Because the course has 10,000 ft of gain I know my pace is going to be on and off. Eventually I need to be 16:12 with GPS adjustment.
Aid station #1 Hell Hill: Mile 6-full aid
Aid station #2 Hell Hill: Mile 11-full aid
Aid station #3 Water fountain/water only- mile 12.8
Aid station #4 Danielson Ranch: full aid/drop bags mile 19.3
Aid station #5 Yerba buena Road: Mile 28 full aid-drop bags
Aid station #6 Turn around: water only. Aid station name: Island View 31
Aid station #7 Yerba Buena: Full aid- Mile 34.3-drop bags
Aid station #8 Serrano Canyon/Sycamore fire road: Mile 45.4 Full aid
My Race
I got there one hour before the race and started to prepare away. The next thing I know I am running! I kept at an easy pace in the beginning even though I can go a lot faster. I let people passed me even though I know I can run faster. I need to run 50 miles and I don't need to burn myself out in the first 3 miles of the run. At around mile 5 Kim (one of my wonderful AC 100 crew) caught up to me and we chatted a little. I was at Kim's first Team In Training Marathon event and I was there when she finished her first Ironman. It's just so happened that I am also here at her first 50km event. I got to aid station one at 1:23 with a pace of 13min/mile. I gave myself a little high five.
When I got to Aid Station 2 at mi 11 I am still maintaining a 13 minutes per mile pace. I refilled my reservoir with my own mix (yes, I use my own nutrition for the whole race so I can keep track of my calorie intake) and I was happy with my nutrition because I was drinking on time and I was spot on with Coach Jimmy's nutrition advice. I did what I needed and left the aid station.
As I was approaching the Coyotes Trail near mile 13 I knew I need to stay in focus because the trail is steep. The descent was a bit too steep so I was breaking a lot. The cloud started to clear and it started to get hot. I regretted for not filling up my water bottle with water (I carried an empty water bottle and attach it on my pack just so I have more configuration). My downhill speed started to go decrease because my thigh is started to feel a little tight. I also needed a walk break here and there to keep my fluid in my stomach.
I was happy to arrive at the Danielson Aid Station because I was a little toasted from the heat. I got to the aid station around 4 hours and 30 minutes into the race. I knew the Coyotes is running the aid station but I wasn't sure who is going to be there except Kevin. When I got there my friends started jumping around and taking pictures of me. I wanted to have more interaction with my friends but I was also in my Louis's zone. I don't know if I thanks them for being there but the first thing I said was "don't tell me where everyone is" because I did not want this information to screw with my head. Then I took off to the restroom, then I went to the water fountain to cool myself down, then Chan Chan (Chandra) said don't take a bath and I got back to the table, then I told Kevin and Chan Chan my thigh was a little tight, then I applied sunscreen while Chan Chan refilled my reservoir with my mix and filled up my water bottle with water. I remembered Kevin told me I have nice charms on my running pack, I remembered taking a picture with the guys. I actually don't remember if I thank them (oops). I think I wasn't as interactive with my friends because I was just focused. For the last 4 1/2 hours I was just focused. I wasn't as fast as some of my crazy friends but I was definitely focused. I was focused on my pace, my nutrition, and my form. I was paying attention to my body especially my right leg. I was keeping track of my time and 'trying' to calculate when I will make the first cut off at 1:40pm. I was going over my aid station plan and make any adjustment before actually going to the aid station. So when I got to Danielson, I executed my plan and left.
Now come the biggest climb of the course. This is an out and back section so I'll see the faster people as I am making my way to the turn around point. Being a hiker I am not too concern about the elevation gain. 2000 ft of gain and 4000 ft of gain doesn't really make a difference to me, my only concern was the cut off. Will I make the mi 28 cut off at 1:40pm? I stayed focus and started the ascent. Sometime during ascent I started to develop a little bit of cramping. I increased my endurolytes intake and tried to flush out the waste in my leg by taking quick steps whenever there is a small flat section on the trail. It took a while but it worked. It was nice to see Coach Jimmy and others Coyotes coming down the trail. I gave a high five to Jimmy and continue moving forward.
After I ascent for about 1 1/2 hour after the last aid station I got to the flat part of the trail. I kept up with my pace because I am cutting a little close to the cut off. Around mile 25 I saw Marshall and the first thing he asked me is if I needed water. Thanks for the Coyotes love Marshall. After more ascent I am at the 1.5 miles downhill section before the mile 28 aid station. As I am making my way I seen two return runners sitting on the side on the trails. They overheated =( Then the runner in front of me fell (Illwoo Suh) and cramped. There were hikers attending him so I told them to take care of Illwoo and continue (otherwise I would of drag his ass to the aid station)
Made it to mile 28 aid station at 1:20pm. 20 minutes before the cut off. I saw Coach Kiley, Matthew Seng, and Jeff Biddle all at the aid station. Matt and Jeff were just chilling at the aid station before heading to the finishing line while Coach Kiley and I were heading to the turn around. I was kind of toasted so I pour water over my head and started to refill my nutrition from my checked bag. A piece of paper was inside my pack. It was a good luck note from my friend Jeff Sperber! Initially I was going pick up the extra bottle in my gear bag to go for a 2 bottles configuration to lose some weight, but because of how hot it is I refilled my part of my reservoir and go out with a bottle of water. My Ironman Coach Paul Ruggiero tell us that if we over heated we are done so I rather carried extra weight than not have enough water to cool myself down.
I left the aid station for this 3 mi out and back section. The trail is not that steep but I struggled... a lot. It was nice to see my AC 100 pacer Erin during this section of the course. After a long time (too long) I got to the turn around point and I saw more Coyotes! I got my water filled up and headed back. I was faster on the returning leg but this 6 miles was slow (also found out there are 2 runners behind me)! Got back to the mi 28 aid station (now mi 34) and refill my liquid. While I was doing my thing I notice the girl that was at least 5-10 minutes ahead of me was sitting at the aid station. We both left the aid station at the same time and she disappeared on the uphill. I called her the Runner's Circle girl. 16 miles to go.
I lost a lot of time from that out and back but I cannot beat myself over it. I was limping 3 days ago and I just ran 34 miles. I needed to pad myself on the shoulder. I knew I need to stay focus on that 1000 ft of climb and keep running as I am cutting pretty close to the cut off.
On the big downhill section I caught up to the Runner Circle girl. Her name is Shangrila and she did Ironman Arizona in 2011. I told her I did Ironman Arizona in 2010 and we chatted a little bit. Around mile 42 I saw Kiley down on the valley and I passed this older lady Susan Kang on the downhill. After I got to the flat Shangrila took off and I passed her during the more technical section of the trail before the mile 45 aid station. By then I did not think that I will have time to finish because I only have around 1hr 15-20 mins to cover 5 miles... with a hill! I put on the headlamp that I started to carry at mi 34, I also put on a jacket from the drop bag and left the aid station. At this point I thought I will not make the cut off but I wanted to give it my best. I divided the last 5 miles in 3 different sections so I can re-evaluate my time after each section.
I did not have another gear, but I did develop a better way to tackle the uphill. I 'suddenly' figured out a way where I am semi running up a slight uphill. I kept at that until I hit the steep section of the climb. I kept it up with my hiking steps and I was able to got to the fire road in 30 minutes. I have 50 more minutes. Wait... I have a good chances. The fire road is 0.7 miles long and consists of a uphill and a flat session. The fire road section took 11 minutes. With 40 minutes left, I know I can make it. I took off the jacket and start making my way down the Ray Miller trail.
As soon as I get to the top of the trail I saw Simren and we started to run down. Then VitaPanda Kevin and Coach Kate joined me shortly after. Love the new headlamp because I was able to see the trail and not lose time! I kept a good pace and be careful at the same time because I did not want to fall and hurt myself. That would suck! As I got closed to the finish line I saw a lot of people cheering. I am assuming it was for me because there wasn't anyone around. At 13:22:56 I crossed the finish line. Official Result is 13:25.
After I crossed the finish line I started to walk away because I wanted to do my cool down. Coach Jimmy told me to come back and people started to go up and congratulate me. Honestly I could of pay attention to the surrounding because my mind was still focused. I was still in my little tunnel vision so I wasn't processing any information unless they were in front of me. There were just so many people and they were a lot more excited than me =P. I knew I can finish the race (not necessarily making the cut off) at mi 35 so I wasn't super excited when I crossed the finish line. I was like that with my Ironman too. I definitely need to slow down, chill, and enjoy the finish line. Smell the flower Louis, smell the flower =P
Everything was kind of a blur for me. But Coach Kiley was there. We both did it. We both now have our 50 miles qualification for AC 100. My SGV family was there. Coach Jimmy and Coach Kate were there. VitaPanda Kevin was there. My AC 100 pacer Erin C was there. K Robot was there. The rest of the Coyotes was there. There was just a lot of people =) And then there was Kim, my AC 100 medical support. Kim did the 50km in under 7 hours. She had been working a lot so I did not expect her to be there for Kiley and I. She told me she waited because she is one of my crew. That was the sweetest thing I heard! I know I picked the perfect crew for Angeles Crest 100: Kevin, the two Erins, Coach Paul, Sarah, Saveria, Stephen, and Kim. Kim just reinforced the idea that I have a wonderful crew =)
By this time I gotten very cold so I said bye to everyone, and went to my car to get warm. Panda Kevin was carpooling with Chandra so I asked Kevin to see if he can drive my car to Santa Monica to have dinner with the Coyotes. After dinner I drove home and slept.
After Thought
Again, I like to thank all the people that help me get to where I am at. My Wilderness Travel Course Instructors, my first marathon Coach Kiley, my first Ironman Coach Paul and Rad, my ultra marathon coaches Coach Jimmy, Coach Kate, and Coach Bev. My hiking friends, my SGV friends, the Coyotes, VitaPanda Kevin, My circle of friends that helped me get back on my feet when I was (still) lost. There are just too many people that I want to say thank to. Ultimately I did everything on my own. But my interaction with different people help shape me into who I am today.
In turn of the actual race I am happy with my performance. I run the course without having that leg pain so I cannot ask for more. I felt like I did a great job with my nutrition. I carried most of my nutrition for the first 28 miles and that paid off big time. This is not a race, this is a training run. The purpose of this race is to try different things and see what work and what doesn't work. I want to see how my body react when I run for 13 hours. I played it smart and I played it safe, perhaps too safe. I maintain an all day pace and that allow me to keep my energy level though out the whole race. I felt so good at the end I felt like I can run for another 10-15 miles. That also means that I need to run harder next time. Now that I know how it feel to run a 50 miles, I can push more next time.
I also learned a lot about what I want and what I want my crew to help me with at each crew access point. But I'll save that for my crew digest that I send to my crew.
With Ray Miller out of the way, I can really focus on my healing. I need a healthy mind and a healthy body to train. This recovery period will allow me to get ready for my Angeles Crest 100 training.. Ray Miller is a warm up before I start really getting into Angeles Crest training. I am getting ready to ph commit start my AC 100 training.
Ray Miller is a business trip, and I got it done.
What's Harder? Ironman or a 50 miles run?
They are both very hard if you do them fast. With a slow poke like me, they are both very durable. I had some major issues at each of my last 3 Ironman and I was able to build a cushion and finish the race. With this ultra marathon I did not really have much issues. The only hard thing was that I needed to keep up with my pace to make the cut off. I stayed focus, my nutrition went well, and I did not burn myself up. I did a few training run on the course and I studied the course so I have a very good race plan. And honestly, I gotten a lot stronger since I started running with the Coyotes. More importantly, I follow Coach Jimmy nutrition advices. Otherwise I will probably stop at mi 28. My NCAL Ironteam buddy Anna told me ultra is tougher on your mind because you don't see a lot of people the whole day. Fortunately I am used to being by myself on the mountain so that does not bother me one bit.
So what's harder? Ironman or 50 mi run? In turn of suffering, doing the mountaineering trip up to Mt Shasta is still the toughest thing I ever done. That will change when I do AC 100, that's why I am training the hell for it. I think I need to do Mt Shasta again so I can have a better comparison. But then again, the most challenging in life is often not measurable by any physical mean.
Before I talk about the actual race, I want to tell everyone that I am very thankful to see everyone at the aid stations and at the finish. I enjoy cheering so I know why people want to be there for me. But I still feel a little strange to be on the receiving end.
I would also love to hang out more at the finish line but I was very cold so I needed to go get warm. Sorry!
My Injury
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| Dying at Boney Mountain Half Marathon |
A few weeks passed, it gotten a little better but nothing really improved. The Iburpofen works but I know I need to fix it because I don't like to take drugs if I don't have to. But if I don't take it, bad news! I am talking about running for 1/4 mile and I end up with a limp kind of bad news.
I also started acupuncture. I heard very good things about it but it didn't work on me.
Then come Chris Tosh the Active Release Technique guy. Coach Jimmy recommended me to check this guy out so I made an appointment with him. Long story short, he was able to bypass my calf and work on the muscle behind it. I felt way better and I was even able to run without Iburofen for the first time since January. My last therapy session was 2/20 and Chris told me I should be ready to go on Sat. I maybe a little sore but the pain should eventually go away. But then when I ran on Wed it was still bad news. I am running with burpofen. Ray Miller is not going to be a race, Ray Miller is going to be a training run.
My Preparation
I know I need to keep a 16:12 minute per mile to finish before the cut off. Not knowing how my right leg will reaction, my A goal is just to finish the race under the cut off so I can get my AC qualification.
I prepared a lot for this race. I ran most of the course (except 2 mi of it) during my training runs. I did the out and back section of the long climb just to see how I feel to climb up. I mapped the aid stations and see how much nutrition and liquid I need between aid stations and created a time chart just to see how fast I need to go for different finish time. I talked to my pharmacist friend about Iburofen work, how it release to your body, and of course the side effect! I also got a brighter headlamp to allow me to run at my capable pace when I run in the dark, especially on the down hill.
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| Marking my own route for Ray Miller training run |
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| My estimate pace/time chart |
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| My nutrition plan. Nutrition can make or break your race |
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| Going over my race plan with Coach Jimmy |
The Course
I broke down the course by aid stations and assigned some time based on the cut off pace just to see where I need to be at different point of the race. Because the course has 10,000 ft of gain I know my pace is going to be on and off. Eventually I need to be 16:12 with GPS adjustment.
Aid station #1 Hell Hill: Mile 6-full aid
Aid station #2 Hell Hill: Mile 11-full aid
Aid station #3 Water fountain/water only- mile 12.8
Aid station #4 Danielson Ranch: full aid/drop bags mile 19.3
Aid station #5 Yerba buena Road: Mile 28 full aid-drop bags
Aid station #6 Turn around: water only. Aid station name: Island View 31
Aid station #7 Yerba Buena: Full aid- Mile 34.3-drop bags
Aid station #8 Serrano Canyon/Sycamore fire road: Mile 45.4 Full aid
My Race
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| My friend Amy volunteering at the starting lin |
When I got to Aid Station 2 at mi 11 I am still maintaining a 13 minutes per mile pace. I refilled my reservoir with my own mix (yes, I use my own nutrition for the whole race so I can keep track of my calorie intake) and I was happy with my nutrition because I was drinking on time and I was spot on with Coach Jimmy's nutrition advice. I did what I needed and left the aid station.
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| refilling my reservoir at mi 11 (Race Day Photo) |
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| On the Coyote Trail looking at Boney Mountain (Yes, I am going down to the valley and climb over that mountain you are looking at) |
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| Mi 19 Aid Station - Chanchan (She got #1 female at a 50km just last week!) posting next to me while I was refilling, reapplying sunscreen, etc. |
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| VitaPanda Kevin checking on me to make sure I am good to go |
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| Group picture with the Coyotes - Panthea, Sonya, Sarah, Chandrasekar, Kevin, and Jack |
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| The split between 50km and 50mi. 10 mi of out, and 10 mi of back! |
After I ascent for about 1 1/2 hour after the last aid station I got to the flat part of the trail. I kept up with my pace because I am cutting a little close to the cut off. Around mile 25 I saw Marshall and the first thing he asked me is if I needed water. Thanks for the Coyotes love Marshall. After more ascent I am at the 1.5 miles downhill section before the mile 28 aid station. As I am making my way I seen two return runners sitting on the side on the trails. They overheated =( Then the runner in front of me fell (Illwoo Suh) and cramped. There were hikers attending him so I told them to take care of Illwoo and continue (otherwise I would of drag his ass to the aid station)
Made it to mile 28 aid station at 1:20pm. 20 minutes before the cut off. I saw Coach Kiley, Matthew Seng, and Jeff Biddle all at the aid station. Matt and Jeff were just chilling at the aid station before heading to the finishing line while Coach Kiley and I were heading to the turn around. I was kind of toasted so I pour water over my head and started to refill my nutrition from my checked bag. A piece of paper was inside my pack. It was a good luck note from my friend Jeff Sperber! Initially I was going pick up the extra bottle in my gear bag to go for a 2 bottles configuration to lose some weight, but because of how hot it is I refilled my part of my reservoir and go out with a bottle of water. My Ironman Coach Paul Ruggiero tell us that if we over heated we are done so I rather carried extra weight than not have enough water to cool myself down.
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| Mi 28 Aid Station - Toasted Louis... trying to cool down |
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| at mi 34 aid station (it's the same aid station at mi 28). Still eating and drinking. Trying to keep myself cool. |
On the big downhill section I caught up to the Runner Circle girl. Her name is Shangrila and she did Ironman Arizona in 2011. I told her I did Ironman Arizona in 2010 and we chatted a little bit. Around mile 42 I saw Kiley down on the valley and I passed this older lady Susan Kang on the downhill. After I got to the flat Shangrila took off and I passed her during the more technical section of the trail before the mile 45 aid station. By then I did not think that I will have time to finish because I only have around 1hr 15-20 mins to cover 5 miles... with a hill! I put on the headlamp that I started to carry at mi 34, I also put on a jacket from the drop bag and left the aid station. At this point I thought I will not make the cut off but I wanted to give it my best. I divided the last 5 miles in 3 different sections so I can re-evaluate my time after each section.
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| descending on the backbone trail. around mi 38 looking at the valley at mi 43. Refer to the picture below |
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| around mi 43. This area is very pretty |
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| around mi 44.5. Lot of tree, some stream crossing, uneven terrain. |
As soon as I get to the top of the trail I saw Simren and we started to run down. Then VitaPanda Kevin and Coach Kate joined me shortly after. Love the new headlamp because I was able to see the trail and not lose time! I kept a good pace and be careful at the same time because I did not want to fall and hurt myself. That would suck! As I got closed to the finish line I saw a lot of people cheering. I am assuming it was for me because there wasn't anyone around. At 13:22:56 I crossed the finish line. Official Result is 13:25.
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| My First Marathon Coach Kiley, My AC 100 Medical Crew Kim (she finished her first 50km at Ray Miller), and me... ok and little Emmy |
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| 4 Coaches 1 student (from our left to right) - Coach Kate, Coach Jimmy, Coach Kiley, and Coach Juan. My friend Janna and Emmy next to Kiley |
Everything was kind of a blur for me. But Coach Kiley was there. We both did it. We both now have our 50 miles qualification for AC 100. My SGV family was there. Coach Jimmy and Coach Kate were there. VitaPanda Kevin was there. My AC 100 pacer Erin C was there. K Robot was there. The rest of the Coyotes was there. There was just a lot of people =) And then there was Kim, my AC 100 medical support. Kim did the 50km in under 7 hours. She had been working a lot so I did not expect her to be there for Kiley and I. She told me she waited because she is one of my crew. That was the sweetest thing I heard! I know I picked the perfect crew for Angeles Crest 100: Kevin, the two Erins, Coach Paul, Sarah, Saveria, Stephen, and Kim. Kim just reinforced the idea that I have a wonderful crew =)
By this time I gotten very cold so I said bye to everyone, and went to my car to get warm. Panda Kevin was carpooling with Chandra so I asked Kevin to see if he can drive my car to Santa Monica to have dinner with the Coyotes. After dinner I drove home and slept.
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| Coyotes at dinner |
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| Honored Teammate Virgina and I at LA Marathon 2011 - She taught me courage. |
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| Ray Miller Preview Run: Me and my AC 100 pacers - Kevin, Erin C, Erin M |
After Thought
Again, I like to thank all the people that help me get to where I am at. My Wilderness Travel Course Instructors, my first marathon Coach Kiley, my first Ironman Coach Paul and Rad, my ultra marathon coaches Coach Jimmy, Coach Kate, and Coach Bev. My hiking friends, my SGV friends, the Coyotes, VitaPanda Kevin, My circle of friends that helped me get back on my feet when I was (still) lost. There are just too many people that I want to say thank to. Ultimately I did everything on my own. But my interaction with different people help shape me into who I am today.
In turn of the actual race I am happy with my performance. I run the course without having that leg pain so I cannot ask for more. I felt like I did a great job with my nutrition. I carried most of my nutrition for the first 28 miles and that paid off big time. This is not a race, this is a training run. The purpose of this race is to try different things and see what work and what doesn't work. I want to see how my body react when I run for 13 hours. I played it smart and I played it safe, perhaps too safe. I maintain an all day pace and that allow me to keep my energy level though out the whole race. I felt so good at the end I felt like I can run for another 10-15 miles. That also means that I need to run harder next time. Now that I know how it feel to run a 50 miles, I can push more next time.
I also learned a lot about what I want and what I want my crew to help me with at each crew access point. But I'll save that for my crew digest that I send to my crew.
With Ray Miller out of the way, I can really focus on my healing. I need a healthy mind and a healthy body to train. This recovery period will allow me to get ready for my Angeles Crest 100 training.. Ray Miller is a warm up before I start really getting into Angeles Crest training. I am getting ready to ph commit start my AC 100 training.
Ray Miller is a business trip, and I got it done.
What's Harder? Ironman or a 50 miles run?
They are both very hard if you do them fast. With a slow poke like me, they are both very durable. I had some major issues at each of my last 3 Ironman and I was able to build a cushion and finish the race. With this ultra marathon I did not really have much issues. The only hard thing was that I needed to keep up with my pace to make the cut off. I stayed focus, my nutrition went well, and I did not burn myself up. I did a few training run on the course and I studied the course so I have a very good race plan. And honestly, I gotten a lot stronger since I started running with the Coyotes. More importantly, I follow Coach Jimmy nutrition advices. Otherwise I will probably stop at mi 28. My NCAL Ironteam buddy Anna told me ultra is tougher on your mind because you don't see a lot of people the whole day. Fortunately I am used to being by myself on the mountain so that does not bother me one bit.
So what's harder? Ironman or 50 mi run? In turn of suffering, doing the mountaineering trip up to Mt Shasta is still the toughest thing I ever done. That will change when I do AC 100, that's why I am training the hell for it. I think I need to do Mt Shasta again so I can have a better comparison. But then again, the most challenging in life is often not measurable by any physical mean.
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| Mt Shasta - 2007 |
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Louis - The Super Saiya Vita Panda
This last weekend was full of PRs. Almost everyone I know PR. I did not really look at any result because I am focusing on my own race. I am focusing on Ray Miller 50 miles trail race, my first 50 miles race. If anything, I need to stick with my plan and not get too excited about my friends' PR. In fact I did not even go to people's facebook profile to look at their results.
But I do have to say something about Kevin my fellow Vita Panda. He told me Bandit 50km was a training run for him and he got 3rd place overall. No, not 3rd place in his age group. Third Place Overall. And yes, while I am focusing about my race, I can't help but write something.
Most of you don't know, but I was there when he got 3rd place in his age group at the 2007 South Pasadena Tiger Run. This is the before picture. I am telling you, we have no idea what we each accomplished in a few short years. Not to mention the amazing people we met along the way.
And even though I did like 5 Ironman, it was Kevin that did it first. A few months prior to the Tiger Run I went to the Bonelli Olympic Triathlon to cheer for him...
Not knowing Team In Training back then, this is actually the first time I see them. Well, I didn't know how fast is a fast swim, but Kevin was fast...
And I waited like at the bike-in for 1 1/2 hour because I didn't know how fast people bike. We didn't really know anything about nutrition, so he was kind of running out of fuel on the run. No way I am doing a triathlon.
Fast Forward a few years. We are now both accomplished athletes and we created the Vita Panda Blog to document our journey - Western States for Kevin and Ironman Couer d'Alene for me.
And the next thing I know, Kevin got third place over all in Bandit 50km... WHAT! But not surprised.
With his determination, he is going to win a race some day!
I think it's a good thing that I don't run as fast as him nor do I want to get fast (yet). I like to challenge myself in my own way and speed is usually not in the equation. It's not an excuse, it's my personality. And I know if I am try to go fast for the wrong reason, it is not going to be healthy for me and I will hurt myself. I ran fast for the wrong reason at Boney Mountain and I am still paying for it =P One day, when I am mentally ready, I will chase after Kevin. Right now we are Super Saiya Vita Panda with two different goals in mind.
That it, I just want to write a blog to congratulate Kevin. Now I am going for a little run to keep myself loose for Ray Miller.
But I do have to say something about Kevin my fellow Vita Panda. He told me Bandit 50km was a training run for him and he got 3rd place overall. No, not 3rd place in his age group. Third Place Overall. And yes, while I am focusing about my race, I can't help but write something.
Most of you don't know, but I was there when he got 3rd place in his age group at the 2007 South Pasadena Tiger Run. This is the before picture. I am telling you, we have no idea what we each accomplished in a few short years. Not to mention the amazing people we met along the way.
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| South Pasadena Tiger Run - Dec 1, 2007 |
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| too lazy to look up the time, but yes. Kevin got 3rd place in his age group (Yes, that's his pic but it hasn't develop yet lol) |
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| Yes, he did not get the wet suit memo |
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| hmm... I think he is very fast... |
Fast Forward a few years. We are now both accomplished athletes and we created the Vita Panda Blog to document our journey - Western States for Kevin and Ironman Couer d'Alene for me.
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| I have to add flame... because we are turning into Super Saiya Vita Panda |
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| Bandit 50km |
I think it's a good thing that I don't run as fast as him nor do I want to get fast (yet). I like to challenge myself in my own way and speed is usually not in the equation. It's not an excuse, it's my personality. And I know if I am try to go fast for the wrong reason, it is not going to be healthy for me and I will hurt myself. I ran fast for the wrong reason at Boney Mountain and I am still paying for it =P One day, when I am mentally ready, I will chase after Kevin. Right now we are Super Saiya Vita Panda with two different goals in mind.
That it, I just want to write a blog to congratulate Kevin. Now I am going for a little run to keep myself loose for Ray Miller.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Enter The Dragon... As A Monkey - Kevin
Here is my unfiltered verbiage for going into 2012. Call me a scatter brain if you will. 2012 is the year of Dragon according to Chinese zodiac. While the symbol can be significant, it is just another year of life. As much as it is down played, each year of life can be significant, if that makes any sense. 2011 no doubt is a big year for myself in many ways. Depending on how I choose to look at my year, I can say that it's either a year of roller coaster or a year for digging deep into life. But I would like to choose the latter.
Although my personal life had been affected in 2011, the result from the affect eventually became my encouragement and motivation to drive toward my journey to find the meaning of life. It also allowed me to seek out for happiness and my new desires. Whether it meant hitting the lows of the year and getting out there to focus on how lucky I was to be selected to run Western States 100 or simply visiting my family in Hong Kong, I embraced and enjoyed every moment of it.
Did I mention that it has been two years since I've met the Coyotes? Since then, the New Year holiday became a holiday close to my heart. On New Year's Eve of 2009 moving on to 2010, the other Vita Panda, Louis Kwan, introduced me to the SoCal Coyotes. The group has been a blessing to my life. It has given me dreams I had never dreamed of (i.e. WS100). It has taught me lessons for life and for running, which I'm sooo thankful for.
Although the Coyotes New Years Eve run is only on it's third year, it is already feeling like a tradition for myself. As a group, we question each other and learn about each other for what we each experienced in that very year before moving on to the next. What is that one thing that you have failed to accomplish in 2011? What is one of the proudest thing you've done in the year 2011? What is that one thing that if you were to have accomplished, it will fulfill the year 2012? Often times, it's nice to share these feelings and experiences of our past, present and hope for the best for our future.
There are many things that I truly embrace from the year 2011. Most of which has nothing to do with running. Although Western State was definitely a feat I'll never forget and that I'm forever grateful for. What I learned in 2011 is that whether we fail or succeed, we should embrace it all. Yes, even at the lowest of the low. In the end, there will always be someone that's going through a tougher time than you are. Make the best out of every situation. Try your best to never take anything for granted because nothing is forever. Many of these bases were discovered while I spend my time running throughout the year. Sometimes, one needs to take a step back and look at the big picture. In my case, take many many steps forward relentlessly. That is why I'm so grateful for running and to have found myself enjoying all this at this day and age (mind you that I used to hate running).
As far as my running career goes, I'm pretty happy with what I have accomplished in 2011. Western States 100 sure enough was an epic experience. Miwok 100K was probably one of my favorite / most enjoyable race of the year. That may or may not have anything to do with my huge bonker at The North Face Endurance Challenge San Francisco back in December of 2010, which overlaps a great portion of Miwok 100K's course. I'm also pretty stoked about getting faster. It was great to PR at Santa Monica Boardwalk 5K followed by my very first DNF at Los Pinos 50K.
2012 is going to be a great year. Now that it's 3 weeks deep into 2012 and I've raced two half marathons. One on trail, the other on road (my first road 1/2). It certainly feels great to train hard again entering the new year. 2011 have prepped me for a more aggressive 2012. The way I see it is, let's not take my gift for granted. Go big or go home. Live like you mean it. So long Bunny. Hello Dragon.
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