2014 year end stats from DailyMile, MovesCount and Athlinks

 I recently got an email from Dailymile.com with my 2014 stats in it. I record almost all of my workouts and definitely all of my runs on DailyMile. I also use a Suunto Quest HRM and record my workouts on their MovesCount website. Also, for those who are unfamiliar, Athlinks.com is a website aggregator that tracks all of your races. Go there and type in your name to see your racing history. It's interesting. Here's what these sites say I did in 2014 and my comparison to 2013.

Christmas themed runs in the Bay Area 2013

Christmas time is another unique time for the sport of running. Just like Thanksgiving, runners come out of the wood work to run and volunteer at the many, many runs offered all over the Bay Area. Our sport is cool that way. We raise a ton of money for charity and we dress up in whacky costumes. We have 15 runs available to us this year including costume runs an ugly sweater run (lol) and even an underwear run! Join in the fun and support our local charities by running or volunteering at one of the following holiday themed races.

2014 calendar here

My 2013 running stats

I recently got an email from Dailymile.com with my 2013 stats in it. I record almost all of my workouts and definetly all of my runs on DailyMile. I also use a Suunto Quest HRM and record my workouts on their MovesCount website. Here's what these sites say I did in 2013.


Total Mileage Run:

• DailyMile- 1566 miles
• MovesCount- 1543 miles
• Trail 880 miles
• Road 663 miles

Average Miles Per Week: DailyMile- 30 miles

Total # of workouts:

• DailyMile- 230
• MovesCount- 296

Lbs burned: DailyMile- 63
Calories burned: MovesCount- 227,583

MovesCount Data:

• Average Heart Rate: 155
• Total Duration: 290:15'45.2
• Max Speed:
• Trail- 22.2 MPH (I find this hard to believe, something has got to be wrong with this)
• Road- 14.5 MPH
• Time in Heart Rate Zones:
• EASY- 19:39
• MODERATE- 26:31
• HARD- 96:49
• VERY HARD- 123:55
• MAXIMAL- 17:13
• Average Cadence: 80 BPM

Trail Races in December around the Bay Area 2013

We have a lot of really great races taking place in the Bay Area in December. The downside is that; as of this posting quite a few of the events are sold out because they are just that popular. I've listed them all in this article and I have included all of the "Santa Runs" that I previously posted in an article here, which are not all trail runs. I may be a little biased in saying this, because it is in my back yard, but we have two opportunities to run in Huddart County Park this month. If you have never made the trip to Woodside (just outside of Redwood City) to do any runs.......  this is a must in my opinion. We truly are blessed to have runnable weather in the month of December. Most of the rest of the country is knee deep in cross training already and we are still racing! How awesome is that. Take a look at the calendar below and get out there and support our cold weather running scene.

Skyline to the Sea Marathon Review 2013

Saratoga Gap Parking Lot

What a perfect morning for a race. The sun was out bright and early burning off the fog as I made my way down Hwy 35 heading towards the Saratoga Gap. My wife and son were in the car with me and we talked about where they could possibly park to see me along the course. The course does have a few road crossings and passes through Big Basin Redwoods State Park so those would probably be her best option for catching a glimpse of me as I ran by. The parking lot at the corner of Hwy 9 & 35 was the start area of this race. Most people parked at the finish line area and took the shuttle bus up to the start. This was not an option for me. The finish line where the buses were lined up would add at least an hour to my morning and I was waking up at 6am as it was. Those buses were late to arrive at the starting area so by the time everyone unloaded and got their race bib, it was apparent that the race would not start on time. I hung out chatting with my wife and few 50k runners to pass the time and before we knew it we were gathering up for our pre-race announcements. A little more time was given to the racers who were desperately trying to get through the long restroom lines but within 10 minutes or so we were heading over to the start line which is a short walk away from the Saratoga Gap parking lot.

Thanksgiving Themed Runs in the Bay Area 2013

It's officially the holiday season as far as Im concerned. Halloween is the kick off and New Years is the wrap up. Food is always an issue this time of year. It seems like the best desserts are served and the most delicious dinner parties happen this time of year and it is hard to be health conscious about it all. Thank goodness for the holiday races. If you, like me, are looking to offset the Thanksgiving Day (weekend) feastapalooza or if you want to support the less fortunate and give back to the Bay Area Community sign up for (or volunteer at) one of these turkey themed events!

November trail racing in the Bay Area for 2013

My new race calendar format has arrived. This is actually Cathryn's idea. She is the author of the blog  My Hearts Content. She suggested that I list the races by the weekend rather than by the company putting on the event. Why I didn't think of this is beyond me. People don't sign up for races solely based on who is holding the event.  This is the first month I have implemented her advice so think of what weekend day you have free, scan down the list until you get to that day and sign up for the race that sounds best to you.

Nike Womans Marathon Bib For Sale

 A friend of mine from my running group can no longer participate in the NWM on October 20th. The event is sold out to my knowledge so if you want to run the full marathon leave a comment below. She is picking up the bib this coming weekend and will sell it at a 50% discount ($100). Tell a friend and help out a fellow runner!

Trail racing in the Bay Area for October 2013

Trail racing in the bay area is at its best in  October in my opinion. The heat of summer is mostly behind us replaced by the crisp, cool autumn weather. A little rain starts to creep in and the dry dusty hardpack gives way to a softer more forgiving trail. The colors are changing and the trees are really begging to be looked at. If your not out in the woods in October you may want to check your status as a trail runner. Check out the upcoming races around the bay and do yourself a solid, sign up for an awesome race.

My picks for the fall/ winter trail races of 2013

Fall trail racing is the best!

 My racing so far this year started out with a marathon and two 50k races in the late winter & early spring. After a lot of high mileage training and racing I needed to back off for a while. My high mileage racing was followed by a 10k and three trail half marathons in the late spring & early summer. Now that this lower mileage cycle is done and my life outside of running has calmed down a bit, I am excited to get back to the longer trail races that focus more on strategy than speed. I have three races I have picked out for the fall trail racing season in the Bay Area this year and the first one is fast approaching.

Trail racing in the SF Bay area in September

Fall trail racing is on it's way!

September is one of my favorite running months. To me it signifies the entrance of fall like weather and although we still have plenty of really hot days before the cooler weather settles in you will notice the mornings and evenings are a bit cooler starting sometime in September. In other words, perfect running weather. We have some great races to choose from in September and a wide variety of distances. If you are looking for scenery you need to sign up for the Big Sur Trail Marathon and if you are looking for a challenge, trust me when I tell you to sign up for the Drag-N-Fly half marathon. It is crazy difficult, at least it was in last years sweltering heat. If you prefer your races to be a bit more manageable look to the Zoom Running events, they are targeted at the more casual runner's. Take a look at the upcoming races and get yourself signed up and I will see you in the woods!

August Trail Racing in the Bay Area

 If you look up the origin of the word August you will see that it is an ancient word meaning "awesome running choices", no kidding. We have several races that I would love to run this month including the sold out Tamalpa Headlands 50k. I might show up to that one anyway just to cheer on the elite runners. I have committed to the Crystal Springs Trail run on the 10th and now I am doing a rock, paper, scissors thing with myself to see what other event I can run in August. We have every distance imaginable to choose from this month including 100 miles, 50 miles and some odd ball distances like 6k, 12k, 18k, 25k, 30k. We even have a 100 yd dash for the youngsters and a 5 yd "diaper dash" for the crawlers!!! Every weekend has a race for you this month but the weekend of the 3rd/4th is stacked and so is the weekend of the 24th/25th. Choose wisely!

Western States 100 Mile Run 2012 & 2013, Champion Timothy Olson

2 X Western States Champ Timothy Olson is an amazing runner with an amazing back story. I could post videos all day long selling you on how "cool" this dude is but watch these two videos and pay attention to the finish line. He loves his wife and his family and for that alone he earns big credibility as not only a great runner but a great role model for us all! Enjoy the videos.

 

2012 was Timothy's first win. It was a bit of a surprise but the fact that he broke the course record was a major surprise. This sent shock waves through the ultra running community and launched his career into the stratosphere.

 

 

2013 was the 2nd hottest year ever recorded on the Western States Trail Run and the 2nd time Timothy crushed the competition. The ultra running community wondered if he could win it again and prove that 2012 was no fluke. He did and in an amazingly fast time given the 100+ degree  temps that day.

 

June trail races in the Bay Area

An explosion of races fall out of the sky in the month of June! Eleven "one off" events (events that are not part of a regular race companies schedule) and four events from Coastal Trail Runs help thicken the selection. ITR and TCTR are both holding 50 milers. Not to be out done PCTR is holding a 6 hour and a 12 hour event. Every distance imaginable is available including the odd ball 8k, 15k, 25k & 30k distances. The world famous Dipsea & Double Dipsea is taking place in June as it does every year. It really doesn't matter which side of the bay you live on, chances are that a race is being held in your neck of the woods this weekend. We have races as far flung as Vallejo & Brentwood to Santa Cruz and all points in between. If you cant find a race with a distance you want that is close to home in the month of June you are one tough customer to satisfy. Get out there and enjoy the trail season!

Horseshoe Lake Trail Run Review

May 19th 2013-  We had the most excellent weather for running this race. Sunny and mild in the morning and gradually warming as the day went on. Not too hot or too cold. The location of this race is super convenient for me. The race was held at the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve on Hwy 35 just west of Palo Alto in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It took about 35 minutes for me to make it up there from Redwood City simply because those mountain roads are slow winding climbers. My wife and I got on the road around 6:30 am and made it to the parking lot just past 7:00.

Trail racing in the bay for the month of May

Brazen Racing has 2 offerings in the month of May:

• Western Pacific Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k & 5k- May 4th- Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area- Fremont
• Wildcat Half Marathon, 10k & 5k- May 18th- Wildcat Canyon RegionalPark- El Sobrante

Coastal Trail Runs has 2 races in May as well:

• Cinderella Trail Run- 50k, Marathon, 30k, Half Marathon, 10k- May 11th- Joaquin Miller Park- Oakland
• Horseshoe Lake Trail Run- 50k, Marathon, Half Marathon, 5mi- May 18th- Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve- Palo Alto

Enviro Sports has 1 trail event in May for us:

• Wild Boar Half Marathon & 10k- May 11th- Mt Tamalpais State Park- Mill Valley

West Coast Trail Runs also has 1 run in May

• Coyote Lakes- Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k & 5k- May 18th- Harvey Bear entrance on San Martin Ave

Pacific Coast Trail Runs has 1 event early in the month of May:

• Armstrong Redwoods- 50k, 30k, 17k & 9k- May 4th- Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and Austin Creek State Recreation Area- Guerneville

Inside Trail Racing has 1 event late in the month of May:

• China Camp- Half Marathon, 10k & 5k- May 25th- China Camp State Park- San Rafael

The Mermaid Series has one of their events in May with a new distance:

• Mermaid Run East Bay- Sirena 18 mi, Half Marathon, 10k & 5k- May 11th, Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area- Fremont

Wolf Pack Events has a brand new May event:

• Mothers Day Run- Half Marathon, 5mi & 5k- May 11th- San Pablo Dam Resevoir- El Sobrante

One off events in the month of May:

• Quicksilver 50mi, 50k & 25k- May 11th- Almaden Quicksilver County Park- San Jose
• Miwok 100k- May 4th- Stinson Beach
• TCRS#5 - 5 mile- May 12th- Bahia Vista- Novato
• Ohlone Wilderness 50k Trail Run- May 19th- Ohlone Wilderness- Fremont

My journey to and through the Way Too Cool 50k

Way Too Cool 50k 2013

 The Way Too Cool 50k was held on March 9 in Auburn, CA, "The Endurance Capital of the World". To get into this very popular race you need to register for the lottery in December and within a few weeks they draw the names and if chosen your credit card will be charged and you're in. Apparently this race is so popular that the current race director, Julie Fingar, had to implement the lottery system because the race was selling out within minutes of opening the registration. I signed up to run the Napa Valley Marathon earlier in the year and when this came around I threw my hat in the ring figuring I wouldn't get chosen anyway. Well I did get chosen and my excitement to be running with some of the sports best quickly subsided when I remembered that Napa was a week prior! I flip flopped back & forth on which one to train for? Which one to race for a PR and which one to "just enjoy the atmosphere"?

Napa Valley Marathon race report 2013

What an incredibly well organized event this is. I was really impressed from the expo all the way to the post race amenities. This race has been run for 35 years and the organizers of this race have taken all of the wisdom they have gathered over those years and produced the absolute best race I have ever run. Bay to Breakers has been run 3x longer but doesn't even come close to Napa in terms of runner amenities. The SF Marathon is a hugely popular race and very well run but again, not as good as Napa. Let me explain why I feel this way.

Upcoming races for the weekend of 3/2 & 3/3

 3 more great trail races are scheduled for this coming weekend and they are all on Saturday. No Sunday trail races for this weekend. Woodside runs are always a favorite of mine and I am quite disappointed that I'm not able to run it this weekends Huddart Park offering. The King's Mountain Half is a great run put on by a great organization and it is currently the course that holds my trail half PR!!! I think I will plot out next years late winter races a little more carefully. In any case, If you're not running the Napa Valley Marathon (like me) you may want to register for one of these 3 upcoming races....