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Gary’s Long Beach Marathon Race Report Part II
To run my marathon under 3:30 you have to average 8 minute miles. So our plan was to run 7:45 minute miles. That way I would have a few minutes to spare if I slowed down the last few miles
My tendency is run the pace of my running partners. Whether that be the fast runners like Matt or the back of the pack runners. I like to hook up with someone and cruise at their speed. I have to admit, Matt is faster than me on the flats. So this could be a problem.
Matt and I fired off our first 10K in 47 minutes…a 7:38 pace. I know what you’re thinking…thats a bit fast. I agree. I tried to slow things down. But all the excitement, the adrenaline, the desire to run 3:30 kept us accelerating. It was like we would find a pace, my lean, then I’d relax, get into my breathing, then Matt’s alarm on his Garmin would beep beep beep indicating we were going too fast. So I’d back off my lean, and the whole cycle would repeat itself.
I’m eating goos. Drinking lots of water on the course. And drinking my Accelerade.
Then at mile 8 on the bike path. I saw a flock of hundreds of seagulls lift off from the beach. I smiled thinking of God. Thinking of Jonathan Livingston Seagull…
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If you have not read Jonathan Livingston Seagull, you must…especially if you practice ChiRunning.
Jonathan was a seagull who would rather practice new flying tricks than following the flock. See the flock had a regular routine of following the fishing boats around waiting for scraps of food. Then they’d come back to shore. And sleep.
The same life day after day. Just trying to get through the day.
Meanwhile Jonathan would be out over the ocean trying new techniques. He’d try to go faster and faster on his dives than any seagull before him.
“Most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight–how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight. More than anything else, Jonathan Livingston loved to fly.” (p.12)
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So Matt and I just flew along. Trying to pace. Enjoying this speed, like Jonathan, we had worked so hard to develop. “But the speed was power, and the speed was joy, and the speed was pure beauty.”
Then God had other plans for us.
At the halfway mark we were at 1:41. That works out to a 7:45 pace. Our speed was still cruising but I began to worry as hips began getting fatigued.
That’s where it always starts for me. The upper hips. Then the fatigue spreads like a virus through my body.
By the time we reached Studebaker (mile 17) Matt began pulling ahead and I began slowing down. Even though I was hydrated and had been eating GU’s, three at this point, drinking Accelerade, my legs were getting heavy and tired.
Dammit!!!!
Same thing happened to me the year before. Same point of the race. Why? Why? Why? My ChiRunning form was good. I felt relaxed. I’d trained for this pace.
Well, after speaking to Steve in detail after the race. The problem was that I’d not trained enough LONG RUNS AT THIS PACE. This is one of Steve’s key training precepts…you must train the same way that you will race.
So while I could run 7:45 miles in my sleep. And I could run 26 miles any day of the week…I had not been putting the two together. Matt had been doing his long runs fast. I had been hanging out coaching doing a more leisurely pace.
So my body by mile 20 gave out from exhaustion for about four miles. In other words, I BONKED. Pace at this point…10 minute miles?, though it felt much much much slower than that.
Absolute exhaustion. I even got some light leg cramps. When you bonk, it feels like you’re running in slow motion, like running through mud, you’re trying your very best and can only eek out a snails pace crawl.
I dug down deep. I breathed hard. I had to walk a little hill. I sent my heart out to every street corner ahead of me to keep me going forward. I prayed. I thought of Jonathan. I thought of my Grandfather. I didn’t give up.
There was no way I was going to give up.
My mile 25 mile I found my second wind and ran my ass off the last mile. Passed about 5 people in the last 200 yards.
Time 3:40. Ten minutes off my goal. No doubt due the bonk from miles 21-25. I felt the exhilaration from all the Beach Runners cheering me on.
Matt’s time…3:26. He kept the pace up. And experienced no bonk. Awesome, impressive time for a first time marathoner.
The next few runners to come across the finish line…Dave at 3:45, Kevin at 3:50, and Anna at 3:59.
FOUR out of the FIRST FIVE FINISHERS for Beach Runners were all avid TRAIL RUNNERS. All four Tuesday night Trail runners in Palos Verdes.
Our top male finisher, Matt, and our top female finisher, Anna, were both regular Tuesday night trail runners and would come to my POWER YOGA CLASS . I’ll let you come to your own conclusions on whether my trail running, yoga combination makes runners faster.
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In retrospect, when I look back at my race, I did the classic mistake of going out too fast for me. It was a good pace for Matt but not for me. I tend to overestimate my abilities, because of my ChiRunning skills, so I thought I could keep up an uncomfortable pace for 26 miles.
No, I’m human like everyone else.
I did make some deep realizations out there when I was BONKING.
Running that fast with a Garmin beeping every minute on city streets trying to speed up slow down speed up slow down trying to hit some arbitrary mark of 7:45 minute miles…WAS NOT FUN FOR ME.
Everything and I mean everything on this race was focused on breaking 3:30.
For what purpose? Would it really make me a better runner? Would it transform my life? Would I find God’s beauty in a sub 3:30 time?
Or is running 3:30 more a goal of my EGO. A way of me showing how fast I am to the rest of the Beach Runners and the world. I sense the pursuit of these numbers is the source of so much dissatisfaction in this society. We chase the ideal salary, the retirement number, the ideal body weight, chase chase chase instead of…relaxing, feeling, loving, enjoying the company of others.
This goal..this obsession I’ve had for four years now. Has cost me. It’s taken me away from enjoying the very thing I was doing on Sunday…RUNNING. Because you see, I love the movement of running. I love to do my yoga breathing. I LOVE ChiRunning…the soft feet, the relaxed legs, the solid core, the opening of my hips. I love cheering on people I pass. I love cheering to the crowd. I love finding God on my runs in the smile of young child or the sight of a flock of seagulls.
And it came to me Sunday…I will no longer try to break 3:30. My attachment to this goal…my ego being all wrapped up in this goal…this thought of numbers numbers numbers every mile…was not me. Was not what I believe in. Not what I teach.
So there will be a different goal for me my next race. An internal goal. A goal based more on running well, of doing my ChiRunning, of actually getting faster each mile instead of slowing down like I did on Sunday.
Even if I finish 3:50 or 4:00 or 4:30. The time doesn’t matter. The way I run, the way I feel, the person I am on the run, is much much more important.
And what really mattered to me Sunday happened after the finish line. When I saw all you come across the finish line. My feelings of pride my love for you the tears in your eyes were worth more to me than any time I could have run my race in.
Joy came up to Steve and I with God’s tears in her eyes hugging us telling us how much a difference this experience had meant to her. Hugging her, looking around our booth, feeling this very special moment we shared together this year put my race in perspective.
And I released that goal of 3:30 to the universe with love.
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So Jonathan being the fast Seagull that he is…finds a teacher named Chiang in the story.
They fly together. Jonathan following Chiang’s every exquisite beautiful movement. Just two seagulls flying side by side practicing moves over and over again to they get it right.
And they’re sitting on the shore discussing the days lesson and Chiang says…
“You’re a very fast flier, aren’t you?”
“I…enjoy speed,” Jonathan said, taken aback but proud the Elder had noticed.
“You will begin to touch Heaven, Jonathan, in the moment that you touch perfect speed. And that isn’t flying a thousand miles an hour, or a million, or flying at the speed of light. Because any number is a limit, and perfection doesn’t have limits. Perfect speed, my son, is being there.”
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Being There
Being There
Being There
Little did I know how 3:30 became not a goal for me, but a limitation.
Gary’s Long Beach Marathon Race Report Part I
“You have to set goals that are almost out of reach. If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought, you are stuck with something below your true talent and potential.”
Steve Garvey
This season of Long Beach Beach Runners has been another growing experience as usual.
The seasons of my life now coincide with my marathons. I can think back to every marathon I’ve done (10 now), and see what phase I was going through in my life.
I’ve seen relationships come and go. I’ve gained new friends. I’ve lost 40 pounds. I changed into a yoga teacher and chirunning instructor. I deepened my connection with God. I traveled in exotic countries…all the while training for a 26.2 mile run.
Fascinating isn’t it? How much life happens in training for one race.
This season was no different.
I began the season fast after a stellar performance at the Catalina Marathon (sub 4 hours). I quickly found a running partner in Matt Brown aka Jackass.
We decided we would try to break 3:30. A goal I have been trying to accomplish for years. Why? Really not sure. Its just one of those running things. I’ve finished sub four hours in 5 of the 9 marathons I’ve run. But never sub 3:30. It is a stepping stone to me qualifying for Boston. Which God willing, I will qualify for one day.
That goal of breaking 3:30 has made me run more marathons than I planned to. I think I was going to quit running marathons after I did five. This was my tenth. That goal of breaking 3:30 has made me learn to run fast and efficiently. That goal of 3:30 motivates me to not give up and keep TRYING TRYING TRYING. I know I can do it.
Training went well this summer. I got strong from Tuesday night trail running followed by my power yoga class. New muscles popped out of my core that I never knew I even had.
I even ran an ultramarathon in training…33 miles…hoping that it would give me the endurance to pop 3:30. Training two amazing women Sandy and Sindy for that race was a highlight of the year for me. Your strong spirits continue to inspire me daily.
Now some of you won’t believe this but I even quit drinking. I usually don’t drink for 2 weeks before a race. But this year some drinking incidents prompted me to give it up all together. It hasn’t been easy. I’m learning to live life on life’s terms on a daily basis. Can’t say I miss it. Like my birthday evening I was able to talk to all of you with my full attention and love. I didn’t need a drink to share your company. In fact, I don’t need a drink for anything or anybody. Life is beautiful enough as is. That’s what I’m realizing.
Some Saturdays I ran with Matt. Other Saturdays I started in the back of the pack and worked my way up through the legions of Beach Runners trying to catch him…never could unless I started with him. But these were my favorite days…running with all of you…sharing stories…giving each other encouraging words…running on the beach together…buying cold Gatorades. Its always the little things that stand out on those runs isn’t it?
Matt ran 26 miles THREE TIMES on the Saturdays. All at close to race pace. Go ahead I told him. That’s a testament to his character. Certainly he is one of the hardest working runners I’ve ever met. This was his first marathon and HE WAS READY!
The last few weeks Matt and I did lots of pacing work together. We’d try to run at a consistent pace of 7:45 minutes a mile…but we never could…as we both are soooo much faster than that at shorter distances.
I ate well the week before the marathon. I had a nagging cold though for about two weeks. Maybe some of you had that nasty little chest cold going around also.
Best thing I did though, was staying OFF my feet at the Expo for two days. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you Beach Runners for volunteering and sharing your enthusiasm with everyone at that event.
I ate well the night before. I got adequate sleep. I even had some deep body work done the week before (Rolfing…another story for another day).
I was ready. Right? 3:30 should be no problem. And I had better run 3:30 because I told everyone that was my goal. I’d be embarrassed to not do 3:30.
But God had other plans for me race day…
To be continued…
“Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars..”
Les Brown
Larry’s San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon Experience!
A picture that we can all relate too from the SF 2nd Half by Larry
Thinking it might be an opportunity for me to meet-up with my nephew and his girlfriend (she’s currently working on her master’s in the Bay Area while he’s preparing to join her from Chicago), I, in mid-June, registered for the San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon.
To clarify, this wasn’t my second half marathon overall; nor was it the second time I ran the San Francisco Half Marathon. What the San Francisco Marathon folk have created are two half marathons within the full marathon so when it comes time to register, runners choose to run either the first half or second half of the full marathon course (well, more like weave in and out of it; at least that’s what we 2nd halfers did).
Beach Runners and SoCalRunning.com Members Take Home Medals
L-R Janet, Uncle Sam (Jim), Steve and Gary
Sunday was the best race day ever for Beach Runners on the podium at the Pacific Open Water Challenge 5K.
Congratulations to the whole Beach Runners and SoCalRunning.com crew who came out and raced or supported the racers.
It was a historic day with 8, yes 8 medals!!!! And 2 top ten finishes.
Steve wins 1st in age group and 10th overall. (20:42)
Pat 1st in age group – Beach Runner
Uncle Sam (Jim) 2nd in age group – Beach Runner
Jennifer 2nd in age group – Beach Runner
Janet 2nd in age group- – Beach Runner
Jorge 2nd in age group – Beach Runner
Nichole 1st in age group -SoCalRunning.com Member
And Finally…….
Gary 2nd in age group and 6th overall! Time (20:02)
I am so stoked today. This was one of my big big goals this year to stand on the podium with a medal.
Notice that all six people on the podium are serious practicing ChiRunners.
Who says ChiRunning is slow?
Congratulations team.
I love you,
Gary
Beach Runner Jennifer Takes 2nd in Her AG and PR’s
Janet’s Gardena 5000 5K Race Report
Janet (Chi Beach Runner) with her AG medal and trophy
A little history
I’m actually a tennis player that happens to run for endurance. I’m not a fast runner, just your average middle of the pack plodder. Two years ago, I tore a muscle in my playing arm. I was sidelined, I couldn’t play, what was I going to do? I ran. So, I decided, why not take this running a little more seriously and started to enter in some long distance races. I didn’t become a ChiRunner till November of last year.
Okay, here’s the report
On Sunday, June 10th, while the 4 Beach Runners warriors did the Ultra marathon, I did a wimpy little 5K, the Gardena 5000. I’ve been running this race for years. I PR’d it once in my younger days. But, as time marched on, I was never able to match or break that time of 27:18. A torn synovial tissue in the ankle and knee surgery didn’t help matters either. I didn’t know what kind of running I was doing, I just ran. All I remembered was by the time I got to mile 2 I was tired. I had to walk, my knees hurt, and I struggled to get to the finish line. Even when I actually saw the finish line, I couldn’t muster any energy to get me there any faster. And I ached for days.
Now armed, or legged, with a couple of months of ChiRunning, I now know how to run efficiently. I went into this 5K race with no expectations, just wanted to finish in a decent time. I really didn’t train for this. I just did what was on our marathon training schedule, run on Tuesday, Thursday and the long run on Saturday.
And we’re off
With my meditation and body looseners done, I visualized what I wanted to do: finish under 30 minutes, do negative split around the mile and a half point.
So, with my plan and focused attention, I headed towards the start area and found my position in the middle somewhere. After the Boy Scout’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, we were off. With the crowd and congestion, and no where to go, I had to keep a slow pace.
By mile 1, I was able to get into my stride. I had to keep reminding myself to relax the shoulders (Gary’s tip) and to keep my posture up, no slouching (yes, Steve). Soooo much to think about, and that’s why I don’t wear my headphones anymore.
Heading into 1.5 mile mark, it was time to put my plan into action, do a negative split, our favorite words. I leaned a bit more, relaxed the hips and just felt my feet fly off the ground. What a sensation! I peeked at my Garmin and it showed that I was doing 7-8 minute miles. Wow, I only go that fast when I’m running downhill.
Home stretch
As I approach the last mile, I kept up with the pace and focused a lot on relaxing and letting gravity do its thing. I was actually passing other runners.
With only 10 feet to go, 2 runners, darn teenagers, don’t they respect their elders, passed me. Did I make it less than 30 minutes? Yes. But the biggest surprise is that I placed 2nd in my age division. I was so jazzed. My first trophy in running. I’m still smiling. Had I known 1st place was within ONE minute, I would have planted myself on the start line.
But, I’m totally happy with what I accomplished. Last year I placed 7th. So to come back this strong is really a great feeling plus I’m not sore like I was last year.
I did it even after running 8.5 miles the day before. It’s really a humbling experience.
All of this couldn’t have happened without the ChiRunning techniques and the coaching. As I mentioned before, I attended Steve and Gary’s retreat in Palos Verdes in November and again in April of this year. These retreats rock! If you are thinking about signing up for the retreats, do it. No, the coaches didn’t pay me to advertise for them. It really does help. It’s helped me in all of my half marathons; I’ve been shaving minutes off of each race I finish. Steve videotapes you and sits down with you and points out what improvement you need. I especially liked the wine, cheese and crackers afterwards.
Now, I’m an official Beach Runners, training for the Long Beach Marathon. This will be my first full marathon. I’ve met a lot of great people in this group, so supportive and upbeat. I am hoping to use all these experiences not only to finish the Long Beach marathon but to also finish the 2008 Goofy Race and Half challenge in Orlando. For those of you who are wondering what it is, it’s a half marathon on Saturday, and the full marathon on Sunday. I may be crazy enough to do the 5K on Friday also. I’ll really be goofy by then.
Janet, A humble Chi Beach Runners disciple
Ultramarathon Race Report with Gary
He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.
Muhammad Ali
The word courage comes from the old French word corage meaning what is in your heart. It has taken on a modern meaning of bravery or toughness, but its older meaning points to something more richer. That our courage sometimes is not brave, but very emotional, but its always a strong faith in our direction.
I took three runners up to the mountains on Sunday to run 33 miles in Big Bear at the Holcomb Valley Trail Run. 33 difficult miles in the mountains with 7200 feet elevation gain in altitude on challenging terrain that would be exhausting to hike let along run.
Beach Runners Sandy and Sindy both trained with us during the winter and ran the Catalina Marathon for their first marathon. This was an impressive athletic accomplishment because the Catalina Marathon is one of the hardest marathons in the United States: 18/26 miles are uphill with 4100 feet elevation gain. Both these strong women found that they loved running on the natural surfaces of trails.
So when I threw out the idea of training for an ultramarathon, these were the only two Beach Runners who had the courage to attempt something this difficult. Training would mean a significant commitment of trail running for hours and hours every weekend. And power yoga. And our secret nutrition plans.
We ended up spending many weekends together up in the hills of Palos Verdes. We even climbed a mountain (San Jacinto).
And in this time, we became really good friends. I now consider these two remarkable women two of my closest friends.
Coaching is still a learning process for me, and I did what I could to develop training routines, motivational messages, and nutritional guidelines. All the while these two with beautiful beginners minds, followed along to all my training suggestions with strong determination and discipline.
I signed Steve up for the ultramarathon despite his wishes. I knew deep down inside Steve needed a new challenge. He has overcome so much this year by self healing his back injury. Steve has a ton of courage, and has been doing lots of trail running and power yoga this year also, and with a 4:32 at Catalina, I figured he had the ability to do this ultra with no specific training due to his ChiRunning skills.
Overall, my fitness was excellent. I am in the best running shape of my life. My endurance base is off the charts. I’m strong from Power Yoga and hard trail running. Ate extremely well the week before the race. But unfortunately, did not get enough rest.
The five days leading up to the race I did a hard trail run, power yoga, hatha yoga with my teacher, and trained Beach Runners including two yoga sessions. I cannot stress this enough to take it easy the week before race day. I didn’t follow this advice and it affected my race.
The Race
The race started with a five and a half mile climb to a mountain pass. Steve forged ahead of me suggesting I run with him. But I was torn. A dilemna I’ve been thinking about for days now. With me was Sandy, who I had done so many training sessions with, who I had done so much coaching. I reflected back to my prayers that morning with God and my prayer had finished with asking God for the opportunity to help another finish this ultramarathon rather than asking for a fast performance from myself.
Those of you that know me know how important that is for me to help others finish.
The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.
Robert Cushing
So I chose to run with Sandy for a while. Enjoying her efficient pace on a very difficult, rocky, mountainous, and high altitude course, I took my time and conserved my energy. Steve was ahead somewhere and I figured he was taking it easy also. My plan was to run with Sandy to the high point of the course at mile 8 then run hard on the down hills and catch Steve.
I left Sandy at mile 8 after wishing her good luck and began running hard for the next 6 miles. When I passed mile 14, I began slowing down, bogging and couldn’t figure out why.
Then another runner, Lorraine came up behind me, and asked, “How are you doing?”
“Feeling a little tired.”
“Do you have a Goo? You need to eat right away. In fact, you should have been eating this whole course.”
I sucked down my only Goo, and began eating my Garden of Life bar. The fact was, I hadn’t been eating much for the first two hours of the run. Just nibbling at the rest stations. That was insufficient calories for the difficulty of the race I was doing. I needed to be eating every 30 minutes. I thought I could eat every hour. But not on a course this difficult.
So I bonked. Yes it does even happen to coaches. After eating my Goo and Garden of Life bar, I felt a little better and had the energy for a very challenging and rocky downhill section to mile 20. It took 100% concentration to not trip on all the rocks. I almost tripped numerous times, and the one time I did let my mind drift, I ate it, landed on my knee and rolled into a bush. Nothing too serious, brushed myself off, and kept running.
Miles 20-23 were a steep steep fireroad, and so I walked most of it. Lorraine who was faster than me on the uphills, caught up to me and we chatted. I was so amazed on that course that day because everyone I spoke to was the most incredible athlete. Lorraine had done over 70 ultramarathons and had qualified for Boston like 20 times in a row. This is one reason I like doing hard races, because I get to meet amazing athletes who motivate me to accomplish more than what I’m doing.
So Lorraine and I ran together for a while, swapping stories, laughing, enjoying this climb. After another rest station where I should have been eating more, I grinded out a long flat fireroad through the valley from miles 24-27.5. This fireroad seemed to go on forever and forever. I tuned into my metronome shifted into a ChiRunning 1st gear and found my focuses again. Thats the beauty of learning ChiRunning–even when you are tired, you can use your form to keep propelling yourself along.
At the last rest station, I ate one of Sandy’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and nibbled on some Pringles. And was relieved to hear that there were only 5.5 miles to go.
A little delirious, I forgot to fill the water bottles on my fuel belt. So was thirsty for the last section. After a two mile climb, the rest of the course was downhill. It was very rocky so I had to completely concentrate, but for me, like Steve and Sandy, it was the most enjoyable part of the course. Especially with this fantastic scenic view of Big Bear Lake.
I came up to the finish line to have Steve and Sindy (you’ll have to hear her story from her) cheering me on across the finish line.
I was passed by a runner the last 50 yards. I simply did not have the energy to race him. Afterwords, he said his race was slow because he had done a 100 mile bike race the day before!!!!! Yikes.
Other than him, I had passed many runners from mile 8 onwards, about 10-15 runners. And no runner had passed me other than my guardian angel Lorraine. So I run according to my plan of taking the first 8 miles easy, then running hard the remainder. That just was not enough to stay up with uber runner Steve that day.
My time: 7 hours 9 minutes. Steve came in 19 minutes ahead of me. So he had an awesome run. I am so proud of him.
About an hour after I came in, Sandy ran to the finish line smiling with tears in her eyes.
Sindy ran a courageous 21 miles but was unable to finish this day. I’ll let her tell her story. But all I want to say is that there is no failure in attempting to do anything as difficult as an ultramarathon, marathon, or half marathon. Less than 1% of the American public ever complete a marathon. So to train for an ultramarathon and run most of a very very difficult course up in the mountains earns my deepest deepest respect and admiration.
Some reflections…
Race Mindset: Not tough enough for me. I spent too much time running with Sandy trying to help her along when she didn’t need my help. I needed to let her run her own race. She was well prepared from my training program, and needed to let her go once the race started.
Also I spent too much time walking hills. Now if you are a first time marathoner or ultramarathoner, you should walk hills. But I had the fitness and the skills from ChiRunning to run many that day that I walked. Read Steve’s race report on how he ran most of the hills that I walked.
In addition, I cannot ever ever give Steve a head start. He is too good a runner to be caught from behind. Lesson learned for Baldy.
A bigger issue for me is to get more courage on race day, a competitive gear, to be able to run hard even when tired. I still need to get tougher. This is something I can work on during my training runs during the week. In fact, this last Tuesday night, I pushed myself hard up three tough PV hills and passed my training partner Matt despite my whole body being fatigued from the ultramarathon. I will need this ability to laser focus on my form even when tired for Baldy. I have the skills from ChiRunning. I have the breathing practice. I just need the mental toughness.
My ChiRunning was essential for finishing this race. I had a lot of speed on the down hills. Using my metronome and taking short strides was essential for keeping my momentum even when I bonked from lack of race day nutrition. I had no pain during the run from any part of my body, fatigue, yes, but no pain. I felt great after the run, walking around like normal. Thats the real benefit of ChiRunning: you can run a 33 mile ultramarathon in the mountains with no injuries, and no pain. As a competitor, I have to keep this in mind sometimes, what a miracle this running system is.
Overall, this was a fantastic weekend for me. I got to spend time with three people I really love. I met new friends. And I helped others finish the race by signing up Steve, and coaching Sandy and Sindy.
The course was beautiful. We saw mountains, valleys, meadows, songbirds, Big Bear Lake, with clean air, and friendly volunteers at every rest station that would even fill our water bottles. We want to think Pam and Gary Kalina for putting this race on for the 11th year in a row. Put your application in early for next year because it fills quickly.
Courage is the first of human qualities, because it is the quality which guarantees all others.
Winston Churchill
Steve, Sandy, and Sindy are such amazing examples of courage to attempt a race as difficult as this one. All three were not afraid to fail. That’s the meaning of courage for me. They trust themselves, their coaches, ChiRunning, Yoga, and God. They know in their hearts that by just coming to the starting line of a hard race is a success.
I can’t wait to go running with them again. They are wonderful inspirational people that I’m lucky enough in this life to get to run with.
God Bless you,
Gary
The Beach Runners Ultra Team- Gary, Sindy, Steve, and Sandy
Sandy’s Ultra Marathon Race Report
Sandy enthusiastically tackles largest hill on 33 mile course
I started with Beach Runners last winter and I have been having the time of my life ever since. I’ll start by giving a brief history on my running. Like many other runners, I started running as a way to cope with life’s many challenges. I considered myself to be a walker and had no aspirations to run. It took a major heartbreak 3 years ago to get this lifetime walker to get out and run.
I started running on a treadmill and was only able to last 5 minutes before I had to stop and take a break. Mind you, I wasn’t even running very fast. Slowly, I progressed to 10 minutes, then 15 minutes and I was super stoked when I got up to 30 minutes. I know. I’m easily excited.
Fast forward. You may have already figured out that I am not a natural runner. With that said, instead of training for a 10k, I decided to go for the half marathon instead. I was training on my own using a training plan off the internet. I got up to 8 miles and found that my knees were way too sore and there was no way I was going to run the half marathon without some help.
I remembered reading about the Beach Runners and Chi-Running. The idea of running injury free seemed too good to be true. By this time, I had fallen in love with running and its many benefits, so I emailed Steve and here I am today. I started running with the group in the winter 2006 season and was running pain free within weeks. I read Danny Dreyer’s book religiously and practiced my form constantly. I was even focusing on my posture at work. I didn’t care that I looked like a dork leaning up against the copy machine, while waiting for my job to finish.
Long story short, I have finished two half marathons, a marathon and now my first ultra marathon. I can’t believe that this has all happened within 7 months of starting to train with the Beach Runners.
I felt a bit lost after the Catalina Marathon. I no longer had a race to train for. I’m not quite sure when I decided to do the Ultra Marathon, but next thing I know; Gary, Sindy and I were training again. I logged in many a miles with and without my training partners in the PV hills. The training I got from Gary when we did run together was priceless. I also took Gary’s Power Yoga class every chance I got. He truly did wonders for my mental preparation for this race.
I won’t go into too much detail about the ultra marathon course. Steve described it well in his race report. It was a lot tougher than I had imagined. Many parts of the course were rocky and super technical. Our PV trail runs were great training for this course. I trained hard and I was ready to accept whatever came my way.
I knew going into this race that it was going to be a mental run for me. There was a point on the course where I focused on just putting one foot in front of the other. Miles 21 to 25 were the toughest miles for me. That part of the course almost brought me to tears. I began to debate whether I wanted to continue the race.
I ate every half hour. I sipped on Cytomax and water every 10-15 minutes. I also made sure to grab a few bites at every aid station, even if I didn’t feel all that hungry. The elevation was a concern for me. Luckily, I had no serious reaction to the elevation. I did have some blurred vision at about mile 15. I made sure to hydrate as much as possible at the next aid station and my vision seemed to go back to normal.
I have found that my ability to body sense helped me to run a really fun and safe race. This is definitely one of my favorite aspects of Chi-Running. I ran with several things going on in my head at all times. I focused on having soft feet, relaxed legs, picking up my feet, not pulling and running with my heart out. I also focused on keeping my knees together while running, which helps me to keep my knees down. Thanks Gary for this invaluable tip.
I had a little tinge of pain in my right knee, but I kept my focus on picking up my feet. I have a strong tendency to power run once I get warmed up. I am happy to say that I finished the race strong and with no pain whatsoever. I ran the last 3 miles of downhill with a smile on my face. Chi-Running is the only reason that I was able to run the last three miles of a 33 mile course.
Thanks for letting me share my experience. This has been a spiritual journey for me in so many ways. Little did I know that joining the beach runners would change my life forever? I am thankful for Gary, Steve and all the Beach Runners. I have yet to run with someone in the group that did not have a smile on their face and an enthusiasm for a sport that has turned into an activity that I hope to be doing for the rest of my life.
Truly grateful beach runner,
Sandy
Sandy comes up on finish line filled with Joy
Steve’s First Ultra Marathon – Race Report
Laury, Sindy, Sandy, Steve, and Gary at Finish Line of Ultramarathon
The truth is that I really didn’t want to do this race. It wasn’t planned, going back to my 2007 race goals. Yet, Gary took the liberty of signing me up and what the heck, I could be spending a Sunday in the mountains or in LA; I’ll take the mountain chi.
I didn’t research the course by looking at maps and elevation gain charts. I tried not to think about it and “just show up.” I did know that it was a up and down 33-mile race, with over 7,000 ft of climbing at altitude. Sunday, I just showed up without expectations. I followed Coach Ilg’s pre-race meditation of remaining relaxed and empty, ready to experience.
Going in all I knew it was going to be a long day, in fact the longest day of racing I have ever put in. Armed with this knowledge I decided to use a different strategy, go easy on the uphills, fly downhill and race the first 20 miles pretty hard. I figured when I hit the wall I could at least walk it home and still be able to add an Ultra Marathon to my resume.
Since I’ll be editing a Runumentry – RunCast this week, I’ll keep this short and you can watch the movie.
This race was technical trail running, rocks everywhere. I almost went down numerous times. This race was absolutely beautiful, pine trees, lakes, mountain meadows and scenic views toward the desert. You get to see a lot over the course of 33 miles. Ultra marathoners are a cool group of friendly people, the volunteers were awesome and race was well organized.
6:50 hours went by at a decent pace. I worked on picking my spots to attack this course. I took a long time at the aid stations, like I would in a century bike ride. I ate about 250 calories an hour along with Enduralytes®. Our MaraYoga training system was key. I used every ChiRunning® technique I teach. I used my metronome most of the day, especially during those miles between 21-27. The last 6 miles were tough and I had a difficult time maintaining even an 85 cadence. Miles 30-33 were harder than I expected, even being downhill. Crossing the finish line felt like a real accomplishment. I ran well enough to finish ahead of Gary, which I didn’t think was possible. Learning to train easy on easy days and harder on hard days this year paid off. And, my base training this year (the best of my life) carried me through without the normal specific training for a race like this. My fitness is strong and I was able to run most of the 33 miles. I figured I only walked about 4 miles total.
The Mental Race
I stayed in the moment as well as I ever have in a race. I didn’t look too far ahead, just step by step over the technical terrain. I thought of almost everyone in my life, carried them with me and received their support. In this Ultra I ended up running miles with no one in sight or to be heard. It truly was my church, alone in nature with God. I prayed, and gave thanks for all the gifts in my life. I ran my race without expectation. I didn’t even wear a watch. Most of the time I had no idea of how long I’d been out or how far I had run. I ran with an attitude of gratitude. I ran with a smile. I ran with an open heart and I ran one of the best races in my life.
No rush to get my next one in. I’ll (in)joy the summer training with the Beach Runners and my friends. Look out Mt. Baldy, I’m feeling good.
Thank all of you for all your kind thoughts.
Namaste and Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Beach Runners Head Coach
Catalina Marathon Race Report – Special Wedding Proposal Edition
Doug proposing to Mina at mile 23 of the Catalina Marathon
March 17th 2007, St Patrick’s Day, the Catalina Marathon. Sounds like enough for one day, doesn’t it? When I woke up at 4AM to catch the ferry that would take me to the start line of the Catalina Marathon, I had no idea how much more meaningful this day would become.
When my boyfriend and fellow Beach Runner proposed that we run the Catalina Marathon, I thought he was crazy. 26 miles of grueling trail with 4,300 feet total elevation gain?!? But after doing several runs through the mountains of Palos Verdes with the Beach Runners, I actually got kind of excited for the beautiful scenery and the chance of running into a buffalo during my race.
4 AM is very, very early in the morning. But seeing friends and sharing the excitement and anticipation of the race motivated me to shake off the morning grogginess. The ferry left Avalon at 5AM and took us to the start line at Two Harbors. It was still so dark as we waited in the long lines for the bathroom. We were actually lucky enough to have a little surprise at the start line. A big, brown buffalo was grazing near the start line to wish us all good luck. Then a few minutes later, I heard a little ruckus behind me and saw the buffalo charging across the path toward some runners. Wouldn’t you know it was Steve that was right in the middle of the trouble! (I still wonder what he did to provoke the peaceful creature!)
The race was just as beautiful as I envisioned it would be. It was overcast for a good part of the morning which actually made some of the steep uphills a little easier since you could never really see how much further you still had to ascend. It was amazing to feel like you were running deep into the clouds above you. I saw runner after runner ahead of me disappear into the thick white haze.
After reaching the top of the first peak and back down to sea level, the slow ascent to the final peak was a challenge. A long 15 mile, 1600 foot uphill challenge. But luckily, I still had my Doug (and another good friend Tucker) by my side to keep my spirits up and make me giggle as we pushed onward and upward. As we started approaching the highest peak, the clouds began to clear and show us a view that made you forget the fatigue, tired muscles, and leg cramps. At Mile 23, we had reached the highest point of the marathon. What a feeling of accomplishment to look out from the top of the mountain and see the boats of Avalon Bay and the ever expansive Pacific Ocean. And in the far distance, I could see the Casino, a beautiful historic ballroom from the 1920’s, which meant the end was in sight. The finish line was still teeny from my vantage point, but so much closer than where we were hours ago.
As Doug and I enjoyed the view from the top of our conquered mountain, we decided to take a picture. My friend Tucker was ready for the heroic shot. Off comes Doug’s hat, his Halo headband, and even the Fuel Belt! Wondering why he cared to look nice for a picture in the middle of a marathon, I also shed the Fuel Belt and smiled for the camera. Then the next thing I see is Doug down on one knee, saying something to me, and holding something in his hand. I couldn’t understand his words, all I could do was cry. And cry, and cry. And apparently, I ran away a little too. (I blame it on dehydration and delirium from the preceding 23 miles!) Eventually, Doug caught up to me, got back down on his knee again, and proposed a second time. I still didn’t understand the words that were coming out of his mouth, but I didn’t run away this time. As he put the ring on my finger, it all suddenly became clear. I was at Mile 23, in the middle of the Catalina Marathon, with a view of the vast blue ocean behind me, and the love of my life is asking me to marry him. It was surreal. And I even had an audience of runners that stopped and cheered and shared their joy for us.
Little did I know I had another surprise waiting for me a little further down the mountain. A Beach Runners cheering squad at Mile 24! Kristin, Alexis, Lani, and John (who all had run the 10K race) hiked up the mountain to share their hugs and congratulations. (Apparently, I was the last to know about Doug’s special plans…)
The last three miles were all downhill—very fast, even faster for me since I had a renewed burst of energy from the shiny bling on my finger! Finally, I could see the glorious vision that I waited 26 miles to see. The big banner that bears the words ‘Finish Line’. As I inched nearer and nearer, I heard Steve yelling from the crowd, “Are you engaged?” So excited to be able to share my happy news again, I ran toward Steve and Gary, yelling “Yes! Yes!” while pointing at the ring. Onlookers and fans waiting at the finish line must have caught onto the engagement news because I felt like the crowd erupted into joyful Congratulations! What an unbelievable feeling! Hand in hand with my new fiancée, I triumphantly crossed the Finish Line. No more tears—just a big smile.
The rest of the day was one big party. All day, I had random people hug me and tell me that they ran by me during the proposal and were so excited for us. It was like a whole island of people that were happy to be part of my special moment. The after-race partying began with burritos with Lani, Kristin, and John. Then another burrito (and tequila shots!) with my friends Tucker and Elizabeth. Then over to Steve and Gary’s house for champagne (and gossip!) with Beach Runners Sandy, AJ, Sindy, and Sindy’s fabulous daughter. I never would have thought that after a marathon, I would be out until 1:30 AM, but our Beach Runners group had such a close family feeling to it, that it felt so natural to be sharing my engagement evening with these happy faces. We did a mini bar crawl (Sandy’s first!) complete with kamakazi shots, green beer (St Patrick’s Day, remember?), and dancing until the wee hours of the morning.
I will admit that for months, I was secretly frightened that the mountains of Catalina would kick my butt and that I would suffer through every uphill step of the 26 mile course. But truthfully, we were all so well trained (especially for the downhills!) that the marathon was not nearly as painful as I had originally feared. When I look back on March 17th 2007, I don’t think about the calf cramps, sweat, and sore toes. I remember my friends at Mile 24, Steve and Gary at the finish line, giggling about territorial garibaldi fish, laughing at Steve leaping into every picture, and dancing at the Chi Chi Club until my quads burned. And of course, I remember an extraordinary man kneeling on bended knee with a ring in his hand, wanting to spend the rest of his life with me.
Mina Oh, Beach Runner
Catalina Marathon Results
(First time marathoner Sindy powers her way to the finish.
Notice the smile.)
Tremendous Beach Runner success stories at Catalina Marathon.
Gary goes under 4 hours (3:56). WOW. 7th in Age Group (35-39), 2nd in The American Trail Championship for age (Buffalo Half Marathon and Catalina Marathon combined), 12th place OVERALL in trail championship, and has best race of life. “I trained hard for this race, and peaked at just the right time. The Power Yoga practice has made me much much stronger for races. ”
Steve makes remarkable comeback from back injury, does a 4:32, 7th in American Trail Championship (age group 40-44), and has best marathon of his life. Steve has his running mojo working again.
Doug and Mina come in with impressive times of 5:07, but more importantly, get engaged on the course at mile 23 🙂 Mina has a gorgeous ring which many runners got to enjoy the last the three miles. Our first Beach Runners engagement and we wish them the very best for their future.
Sandy finishes her first marathon ever with an impressive 5:16. Made huge strides in hill running, downhill running, and trail speed. Just ran her first half marathon this year so has a bright bright running future ahead.
SoCalRunning.com member Mark overcomes a rough start to finish with a 5:34. Already run three marathons this year including Miami, Los Angeles, and Catalina. Mark is like the energizer bunny.
Keith completes his 26th marathon with a strong comeback time of 5:35. First trail marathon. Keith had given up marathoning due to injuries but has returned in strong form with the help of ChiRunning and yoga.
Bill finishes with a 5:54 (Age group 60-64). Loved the course and views but got a little beaten up on the downhills. Still, I’m so impressed with guys his age running courses this hard. He said he would finish under 6 hours and thats what he did. Two watches help.
Sindy finishes her first marathon with a time of 6:12. Sindy had the support of her daughter and best friend at the finish. Sindy has been such a big believer in the Beach Runner training program, is so supportive of everyone, has so much youthful energy and passion for yoga and running. We love you so much Sindy.
Long time Beach Runner Rubi has a smile across her face loving the course, the training, the coaching, everything with a time of 6:17. Rubi always has the best attitude and smile every time I speak to her about running. She has now completed four marathons.
A.J comes strong to the finish line with a 7:19. Got to really talk to A.J. for the first time and adored your humor, your toughness, and determination. You ran that last mile with amazing gusto.
I want to congratulate Kristin for reaching the podium on the 10K. Thanks to Loni, John, Dave, Caroline, Laura for coming out to do the 10K and support us. It made a big difference for us out on the course.
Thank you Beach Runners for making this weekend one of the best times of my life. I’m so proud of all of you. This was a true pleasure to coach you on the trails of Palos Verdes/San Pedro in our training. Thanks for believing in yourselves enough to sign up for this difficult marathon. Now you’ve done it, you see why we were so excited about this race. I think this marathon was a life changing experience for you like it was for me last year.
The best part of the marathon was making a whole weekend of it. Like hanging out with everyone the night before, watching everyone cross the finish line, celebrating at our house, celebrating out on the town, going dancing. We did a lot. That was so much fun.
Catalina might be the best marathon and certainly one of the toughest in the United States. To finish that marathon was quite the accomplishment. I’m so proud of everyone.
Now you see why Steve and I love doing this type of race.
“Hard Races in Beautiful places.” We want to make this our race philosophy.
I’ll post my full race report up later this week. Sorry but no Runcast from me about the marathon. I was in full race mode that day. So didn’t have the time to mess around with a camera. I was aiming for a fast time, which I did accomplish…to finish under four hours at Catalina is a gratifying running accomplishment. I’m proud of myself for taking this race so seriously.
Steve is busy editing his first RunCast. So you will all see the first Steve Mackel RunCast in the next few days. We’re hoping for many other run reports from everyone that ran.
So check back the next few days. For more good Catalina reports, pictures, movies…
you know how we roll around here.
Gary
Founder – Coach Steve
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