Bulldog 25K Trail Race - Hills, Heat, and Humility

I participated in the RRCA State Championship  Bulldog 25/50K this morning held up in the Santa Monica Mountains at Malibu Creek State Park.  I didn't win ... but then again I didn't know before entering that is was a RRCA State Championship Event.  What I did do was have a blast, meet some great people, including a board member of FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes.... more on that later.

The day was gorgeous although it got very HOT early hitting the upper 80s by 10am and (I was told) 94 degrees at the finish.  It was also very HILLY with, per my Garmin, 3,587 of vertical climb.  Included in that climbing was the namesake ascent up Bull Dog Trail which climbs from sea level up to 2,487 feet in just under 4 miles.  Let's just say that was a tough section and not for the faint of heart.  In fact, I hit my exploding the chest HR max of 195 bpm at one point before I had to back off and moderate my pace a bit.

Now for the HUMILITY... Time in trail races is the ultimate measure of 'relativity'.  After all, in a 25K race (15.85mi per the Garmin for this one) you would expect a winning time like in the 1:20 range right?   Hardly.... in fact the winning time was just short of 2:00 which equates to slightly sub 8 min per mile pace.  It gives you a great idea of how tough the course was for sure.  For me, I had a really solid race maintaining a steady push through all the uphills and moderating some of the very technical descents to finish in 2:29:19, good enough for 32nd overall our of 336 finishers.  I am always amazed at the way some of these skinny folks simply fly downhill.

I mentioned I met a board member of FCA who called me out since I was wearing the "colors" with my FCA Endurance tech race tee.  We chatted while running together for a few miles and I found out she is on her way to the Ironman World Championships in 6 weeks with 4 other FCA Teammates.  If you happen to be participating this year look for the FCA Booth at the expo and say hello!  GO Sierra and stay safe in Kona.

Napa Valley 1/2 Ironman Triathlon

It was a great day in Napa for the 300 or so triathletes ready to brave the 60 degree waters of Lake Berryessa this past Saturday.  It was nice to be at a smaller race, very comfortable and just right for meeting new people and great conversations.... at least pre-race.  It reminded of me of the reason why I got into the sport now more than 23 years (am I THAT old!) ago.   It was always about the people and the conversations and relationships that are formed around this mutual love for pushing our bodies to see what God made us capable of doing.

The race itself went like a dream day for me as it set up perfectly for my skills (and lack-thereof).  The 1.2 mi swim was calm and with a staggered start had minimal body carnage involvement; the 56 mi bike was incredibly hard with virtually no flat road, continuous up and down with some steep pitches and about 2750 vertical feet; and finally the 13.1 mi run was also up and down with no flat roads and a double loop.  The hard bike really helps me and drove the results.

I came out of the water in 77th place, had the 3rd fastest bike split of the race to exit T2 in 8th place overall, and ended up finishing in 9th place overall managing 1st place in both the 40-44 age group and Clydesdale categories.  As said earlier, it was a great day full of blessings for me for sure.

Keep smiling and keep rolling!

Romans 12:1 "Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God." CEV

Mullholland KOM Challenge

A fantastic day participating in the Mullholland King of the Mountains Challenge event in Agoura Hills.  What is that you ask - According to my Garmin it was 7 hours 42 minutes in the saddle with 14,286 ft of ascent over a 116.2 mile course going back and forth across the Malibu Creek State Park, Mullholland Hwy, Stunt Rd, and many other crazy steep winding and somewhat maintained roads.

What made the day best is meeting new people as always, sharing stories and having a blast.   I met a number of great people and got lots of comments on my FCA Endurance cycling kit and struck up conversations about MDC 2010 and the Challenged Athletes Foundation - hopefully recruiting a couple potential riders.  Had great conversations with new friends Rob, Andy, and Scott about why we do these things!

Had to lend support briefly for one fallen cyclist but all in all it was a safe and wonderfully supported event.  Planet Ultra really does these things well.

Another good training day leading up to the Napa Valley Vintage 1/2 Ironman on May 1st.

God Bless! Keep riding and keep smiling!

Back from Time Off the Blog

It's been a while since MDC 2009 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation and while I haven't posted I've continued being active.
Just a couple weeks after completing the 620 mile ride from SF to SD I competed in the toughest trail Marathon in CA in the Saddleback mountains on November 7th. I enjoyed about 6500ft of vertical climbing over the course and came through without injury which was a blessing for sure.

After conquering that feat I proceeded to continue training doing a small trail half marathon in mid-December, recover and rehab my shoulder a bit more, and enjoy the holidays with family.

One of the nice things during training was seeing my fellow 2009 MDC compadres out cycing up and down the coast over the winter. Each time I saw someone out there it was like a warm greeting from friends and a good time to recall the ride down the coast. Since MDC 2009 my wife, sister, and her family have gotten into cycling a bit and we all had fun in the rain with so many others in the Gran Fondo San Diego in Little Italy. I managed to find a way to swim on the bike completing the century in the torrential rain in ... yes ... 'normally sunny' San Diego.

After receiving additional medical opinions for my shoulder I started swimming again in early 2010 and went ahead and 'dove in' for the Ironman CA 70.3 race in Oceanside on March 27th. I'm glad to report that it went off without a hitch and I managed an "over 40" PR for this course and distance at 5:00:15.

It was a great day with Candi, my wife, and friends volunteering at the event and cheering me on in transition as they were working. All in all a nice beginning to the racing season for me and a nice lead in to the CAF MDC 2010 coming soon.

Next up will be the Mullholland KOM Challenge cycling event on Saturday 4/11 with 12,600 ft of climbing over 116 miles. I look forward to making it through that and posting some great pics and follow-up here.

Thanks for checking out the post and many blessings to you and yours.