Inaugural Rock n Roll Denver Marathon Recap

This is my 14th marathon this year and 70th marathon overall

Thursday 10-14-10

After my connecting flight out of Salt Lake City was canceled, they put us on a standby for the next flight to Denver, unfortunately, I wasnt able to get a seat in that flight since it was full. SO, I had to wait for the  NEXT available flight and hope I will get a seat then. So I waited by the ticket counter and hoping they will call my name, then finally that guy called my name and I was on my way to Denver, FINALLY!!

Friday 10-15-10

I decided to go check out Pikes Peak early in the morning and see how tough it is to hike up to the summit. It was only about an hour drive from where I stayed so it was a short drive.  I arrived at the bottom of the trailhead called Barr Trail at around 9am, I was carrying a water bottle and a sling bag with my jacket since they said it could get chilly up there above 10,000 feet..

After about 6 miles into the hike the elevation had reach 10,000 feet, it took me about 2 hours just to finished 6 miles hike, 7 more miles till to the top, it sounds like easy, but it isnt. Around 8 miles there was this campsite call Barr Camp where people could camp there, they have restroom and first aid station there also. I stopped to use the restroom and continued my journey. 

While I was hiking there were snow on the side of the trail, so I grabbed a handfull of snow and put them on my head, my neck, my knees to cool myself off, it felt REALLY good. Then around 9 miles, I came across this place call Timberline Shelter, a.k.a "A Frame", so I followed down the trail and check out this little A-Frame house.

The A-Frame at Timberline Shelter at 9 Miles

With 3 miles to go, it only got tougher and I was getting really tired, every steps felt like a dead man walking, I was breathing heavy, I stopped and sat at every shade that I could find and catch my breath, it was around mid afternoon but felt cool even when the sun was up. Then with 1 mile to go, the time was around 4pm, I knew I had to get back down to the trailhead before it gets dark, so after hiking for another 15 mins, I decided to  headed back down without getting to the top of the summit because I knew the sunset was around 6:30pm. =-(

There were even snows on trail.

When I was making my way down, I tried to make a short cut by just walking down the hills without following the trail, BIG MISTAKE!!! I ended up not knowing where I was because I couldnt find the trail!!! I made my way thru the tree branches and bushes and bamboo sticks and still couldnt find the trail, I was nervous and thought I would ended up spending the night in the bush if I couldnt find my way down. But I tried to stay calm and figured if I keep find my way down, I will eventually hit the trail, so I continued to make my way down thru the trees and rocks and everything, I FINALLY found the trail and decided to just stick with the trail and forget about making another short cuts. It was easier to run down the trial since the elevation started to drop, I was able to run a mile or two before I stop and catch my breath, then I continued the run and walk and get back down as soon as possible. With about 2 miles to go, the sunset was already set and I could BARELY see the trail, so I just took it slow and just walked till the bottom of the trail. When I got down to the trailhead, it was already 7:30pm. I spent pretty much the whole day on the trail, I guess that's the way to get used to the elevation 2 days before the marathon. =-)

It was about 13,000 ft but I decided to head back down, the milege was wrong

Saturday 10-16-10

I decided to take the light rail to the expo since the closest station was  only a few miles from where I stayed, plus it was only $2 each way, way cheaper than park in downtown.

The expo was a little bit smaller than a usual RNR expo, I only bought the RNR Denver Luggage Tag and the iFitness waist belt, which was a very good investment because it was very light weight and I didnt feel like I wasnt carry it while I was running, I was debating whether I should get the Splitbelt or iFitness, but I am glad I chose iFitness over Splitbelt since iFitness is sweatproof.

Carbo load Meal

I ordered the chicken alfredo pasta with cheesesticks and 10 pieces honey BBQ wings from Pizza Hut as my carbo load dinner, but of course I save the wings as my post race food.

Race Day - 10-17-10

The race starts at 6:55am , I decided to just take the 4:50am light rail again to downtown and just walk to the start, which was only half a mile. It was about 50 degree in the morning, a lot of runners were gathered at the staging area, I walked around and saw the runners were lining up for free coffee, so I got in line and got myself a cup to keep me warm and awake. Then I headed to drop my gear bag off nearby since they didnt have the UPS truck for this RNR event, they just put the bags in an open grass area by the concert stage. I bumped into my Maniac buddy Emil at the drop off table, he was wearing his Maniac shirt so I was easily recognize him from behind. We then made our way thru the  sea of runners to our starting Corral #4 and get ready for nice cool race.

me and Emil before the race.

My goal for the race was 4 hrs, so I was planning to follow the 4 hour pace group, but since the 4 hr pace group was in the corral behind me, I figured I would just run my own pace and jump on the pace group later on when they pass by me.

After the race started, I wanted to keep my pace around 9:00 min/mile so I could finish around 4 hours, I didnt carry my usual water bottle with me because I knew they have aid stations every 2 miles or so, so I just carried my disposable bottle for the first half and throw away once I finished the bottle, I found out later I seems to run faster without the bottle with me. At around Mile 4, the volunteers at the aid stations were dressed in tuxedo with bow tie and fake mustache, kind of looks like waiter/ress outfit, very creative, too bad I didnt get a picture of them cuz I didnt want to stop. We ran thru a few local parks throughout the course and it was nice to see the Relay race happen at the same time, the full and the half ran together for the first 12 miles before we split up. There were a few turnarounds during the course, so I got to see the runners who were infront of me and behind me.

At about Mile 19, I started to slow down a bit and started to take a little walking break, then I found out the 4:00 pace group were not far behind me, so I just waited for them to pass by and jumped on the wagon and hopefully they will pull me thru. I followed them for about 2 miles and I couldnt catch up anymore, so I decided to slow down and run on my own from then on. I took at least 2 to 3 cups of water/cytomax at every aid stations, I think it was because of the altitude that made me even more thirsty, I even pour some on my head to cool myself down, it wasn't too hot but it was around the 70's I would say. After Mile 20, I knew my chance of finishing under 4 hours was out of the question, so I just hoping for a sub 4:15.

One mile to go

With 3 miles left to go, we have this out and back hill that we had to run thru, nobody likes hill at this late of the race, but I just tried to run/jogg whenever I could. Then with 1 mile to go, I was very excited that I was about to finish, so I just started to run the final mile, when I got to the corner and ready to make a left turn to the finish, I could see the finish line ahead of me, the people on either side were cheering for us, I started to run a little faster toward the finish line, then I raised my hands up and crossed the finish line at 4:09.45. A Sub 4:10 finish.

They had a lot of good food at the finish line, I was able to grab a box and just get whatever they have there, chips, oranges, Cytomax drink, etc.. I then went to grab my checked bag and changed and listen to Semisonic at the post race concert area with my delicious wings from Pizza Hut the night before. =-)

Overall I really like this race, it was pretty flat, not a lot of hills, the volunteers were awesome, I had a lot of fun,  I really like how they finish around the Stage Capitol. If the expo is bigger next time, I would love to return.

My Splits

Mile 1- 8:52          Mile 14 - 8:55
Mile 2 - 8:55         Mile 15 - 9:47
Mile 3 - 9:13         Mile 16 - 8:56
Mile 4 - 9:01         Mile 17 - 9:16
Mile 5 - 9:03         Mile 18 - 9:42
Mile 6 - 8:45         Mile 19 - 10:07
Mile 7 - 9:03         Mile 20 - 9:23
Mile 8 - 8:58         Mile 21 - 8:54
Mile 9 - 9:08         Mile 22 - 10:19
Mile 10 - 9:14       Mile 23 - 9:28
Mile 11 - 9:31       Mile 24 - 10:47
Mile 12 - 9:04       Mile 25 - 10:19
Mile 13 - 9:11       Mile 26 - 10:06

Next Race.................................Rock n Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon 10-24-2010

Mother Road Marathon Recap

This is my 13th marathon this year and 69th marathon overall

I signed up for the Mother Road Marathon just a few days after the registration was opened earlier this year, since they said it is their inagural race, I made no second thoughts about running this race. Still cant believe it was already here.

The Mother Road Marathon is located in Joplin, MO, I did a few researches and found out the best and cheaper way to get to Joplin was to fly to Kansas City, Mo and drive around 200 miles down to Joplin. I didnt mind the drive so I decided that will be my plan.

Thursday and Friday - 10/7 - 10/8/10

After catching a red eye flight from LAX to Minneapolis to Kansas City, I was in KC early morning, the first thing I wanted to do was drive over to this place in downtown KC call College Basketball Experience, it's a place where they have   everything about college basketball history from the begining to present, signed basketball, trophies were displayed in the lobby, plus they have a full court basketball upstair so people can play some pickup games. You could shoot free throws, 3-pointers, dunking a basketball on a lowered basketball. It was a basketball heaven for any basketball fan. I was there for almost 4 hrs playing basketball and make sure I play all the games there. Since it was an early weekday, I was pretty much the only one there so I felt like I got this basketball heaven all by myself.

I also went a few museums there and took some pics while I was there

Saturday - 10/9/10

I got up early and drove 3 1/2 hrs down to Joplin, MO to the packet pick up inside the Joplin Musuem, it was a nice smooth drive with no traffic on a 2 lanes highway, saw a lot of roadkills though.

The expo was really small, it was just inside a small room with only 2 vendors, I was out within 15mins, I bought a poster and 3 ROUTE 66 pins, each represent the state of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, since it runs thru 8 states, I need to collect 5 more to collect. =-)

So after I was done with the expo, I decided to drive to Wichita, KS, cuz I heard they have another marathon expo also happen on the same weekend. So I drove ANOTHER 3 1/2 hours east of Joplin and arrived at the expo just a little over an hour before it closes at 5pm.  The reason I wanted to drive to this expo was because I heard Dane Rauschenberg will be there at the pasta dinner, he also was the guy running 52 marathons in a year a few years back. So I got his book signed and he was kind enough to give me a few poster of him. I was able to listen to his speech at the pasta dinner at the Hyatt Hotel right across the parking lots from the expo, the speech alone was well worth the long hour drive, he was very entertaining talking about how he got into running and the ups and downs on his journey of his 52 marathons in a year.

I drove 3 1/2 hrs just to meet him again, he is an awesome runner.

You can follow Dane at http://danerunsalot.blogspot.com/

After the pasta dinner, I decided to drive BACK to Joplin to rest up for rest day, yup, that's ANOTHER 3 1/2 hours drive.

Race Day - 10/10/10

I actually slept in my rental car in the parking lot where the finish area was, which was a few blocks from the Joplin Museum at the Sports Complex, they told us we could park there and take the shuttle to the start. I was there early so when I got there, I realized there wasnt much cars there, I thought I was at a wrong spot, but later on the cars started to arrived. After a quick change and got everything ready, I was headed to the shuttle bus, since I parked at the finish line, I didnt have to bring any bag to be checked.

Around 6am I boarded the bus to the start, they actually have 2 buses, one for the full and one for the half. About half an hour into the drive, the driver actually got lost and couldnt find the way to the start, then one of the runner on the bus was offering some directions cuz he said he drove around the area a lot, that seems to helped a little, but they finally had to ask one of the officers on the street to guided us to the start. What a joy ride!! We got there about 45 mins till the 8am starts, so many of us were either sitting on the sidewalks killing time or sitting on the bleechers socializing or just taking pictures. The start was at Commerce, OK on Route 66 and run thru Kansas and ended in Joplin, MO

Before the start, they had a girl from local high school singing the national anthem, she can really sing, then with less than a few mins before the race starts, I was lining up at the front of the start with all those fast runners, because I knew the course infront  of me was pretty wide open so I dont think people behind me would have trouble passing me, plus I just wanted to get into the pics at the front. =-)

Early in the race while we were still in Commerce, OK, I found out we were running on Highway 69, how perfect would that be?? This is my 69th marathon and I get to run on Highway 69!! Could not have been any better.

Here are my splits for the first 9 miles before I felt a little discomfort to my right hip, I was pretty much struggling the rest of the way, but with stretching every once in awhile, I was able to run for a few mins before I had to stop and walk and stretch and run again.

Mile 1 - 7:44 - gone out way too fast!!

Mile 2 - 8:19

Mile 3 - 8:30

Mile 4 - 8:23

Mile 5 - 9:10

Mile 6 - 9:07

Mile 7 - 9:29

Mile 8 - 9:42

Mile 9 - 11:20 - I started to having some problem with my right hip, never felt this kind of sore before.

The volunteer and the crowds were awesome, plus the police were pretty helpful also, when we entering the start of Kansas, there was one officer standing on the side and welcome every runners "Welcome to Kansas", I think that was really cool. The race was very well organized, the mile markers were very visible since they were really high up, you can see it from the distance. The aid stations were every 2 miles so I didnt really need to carry my water bottle, I felt like I run better without my bottle with me.

At about Mile 13, we actually had make a right turn and run around the school parking lot, then ran back out on the Route 66 just to add some distances. We actually got to run on the OLD Route 66 for a few miles around Mile 20, that was a long stretch of boring course with few spectators, plus the warm temperature was helping me getting faster. Once we got back on the regular Route 66, they actually had a huge fan blowing cool air on the side, I stopped by there and just cool myself down a little before I moved on, that was a huge relief.

So after Mile 24, I have half an hour left if I wanted to finish under 5 hours, I wasnt really thinking about my time because I was kind of tired and sore, I just wanted to finish without further injury. So I kind of took it easy and just take it one step at a time. Then when I got to the home stretch to make a left turn to the finish, I saw a Maniac who I met earlier during the race greeting me on the side, she finished around 3:48 and I saw her medal around her neck, which was very nice. Then I could see the finish line ahead of me, luckily my hip felt better so I was able to run the final stretch without stopping and was able to pass by 3 other runners right before the finish, and I BARELY finished under 5 hours at  4:58.05

After I finished, I rested for about an hour and a half before I drove ANOTHER 3 + hours BACK to Kansas City to get back to my room and rest.

Overall I really like this marathon, great support from everywhere, if I live in Kansas, I would run this one again, too bad I dont.

Next Race.................................Rock n Roll Denver - 10-17-2010

Tahoe Triple Marathons Recap

3 Marathons in 3 Days in 2 States ~ Mission Accomplished!!!!!

This is my 10th, 11th and 12th marathon this year, and 66th, 67th and 68th overall

This year I have been challenged myself to do some races that I have never done before, so I called this year the "Go Big or Go Home" year. And doing the Tahoe Triple was definately the one I was looking forward to it because not that many races you can do them on 3 straight days Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Plus being able to run around the Lake Tahoe was a thrill.

Thursday 9-23-10

I saved myself around $60 by taking the bus to the airport instead of driving there and park at their expensive rate parking lot, since I live close to the John Wayne Airport, taking the bus is way cheaper.

I flew out of John Wayne earlier morning to Salt Lake City, then to Reno, then I picked up my rental car and drove down about 50 miles to Super 8 in South Lake Tahoe, which was where I stayed, although the outside didnt look too fancy, but inside it looked pretty homey, it has microwave, a coffee maker, a small frig, plus a balcony, since I was on the 2nd floor, which you could see the pool. After I settled all my stuff in the room, I headed to the packet pick up at their host hotel, Horizon Hotel, which was only 2 miles down.

There were only a few tables set up in the hallway, I picked up my bib, a long sleeves tech shirt, a blue "Tahoe Triple" singlet, a gym bag and a finisher license plate. What a great swag!! I will be using the same bib for day 1, day 2 and day 3's race.

I met up with my friend Karen, whose mom will be supporting us for Day 1 and Day 2's race, since on these 2 days were total self supported, but they did have a few fixed aid stations along the course like every 7 miles or so. Then we all agreed to meet up at the buffet dinner at the restaurant right next to the expo at 5:30pm. The buffet was REALLY good, lots of great food, pastas, rice, pizza, salad, chickens, deserts, soups, etc... And while we were enjoying our dinner, the race directors were going thru the course with us, plus guest speaker Dick Beardsley was also there to share his stories with us. I have met Dick Beardsley 3 times previously at different races, but I am always looking forward to listen to his speech because he is such a great entertainer with his stories. Then after the dinner I headed back to my room and get everything set up for my Day 1 of 3 marathons adventures.

Friday 9/24/10 - Day 1 Marathon - from Emerald Bay to Spooner Lake

We took the shuttle bus at 6:15am at the Horizon Hotel parking lot to Emerald Bay, the bus was comfortable, it was one of those tour bus with restroom at the back, not the school bus. The race started at 7:15am, I was able to snapped a few pics of the beautiful lake before we started running, plus the race director gathered all of us together for a group pic before we started.

I got to meet Sam Felsenfeld, who is running a marathon or more every weekend to raise money for Austism Charities, you can follow his journey at www.operationjack.org

I decided to run this 1st day as easy as I could because I heard the 2nd day is a easier one so I wanted to have a negative split between these 2 races. I actually ran with my fellow Maniac "Quiksilver" Ed for most of the race, he was doing the Super Triple, which means a marathon on Fri and Sat, then a 72 miles around the lake on Sat night, so he just wanted to take the first day as his "warm up".

During the first few miles, we were running on the side of the road with no shoulder, so we had to be careful to stay inside the road because the road was open to traffic.

Running on the white line was definately not an option cuz we might slip and fall off the hill.

Once we got to around Mile 7, we saw this little aid station table set up at the street corner, all they had was water since we were encouraged to carry our own water bottle, I took a few cups and we continued to move on. We tried to run on the sidewalk on the bike path as much as possible, or just stay away from the traffic. We ran behind the host hotel Horizon and got to our second aid station at around Mile 13, this time they had water and cookies, I again took a few cup and pour one on my head since the weather started to get warm, but I didnt get any cookies though. Then Ed and I continued our way thru a next few miles until we arrived at the next aid station around Mile 17, this time they had water and 2 huge buckets oranges and few snacks for us, the aid station was unattended when we got there but who cares, as long as they have water and oranges. =-)

At Mile 17 aid station

Then at around Mile 19, we were about to go thru this tunnel on US 50, glad that they had half of the road blocked, or else it will be very dangerous to run on a narrow shoulder with cars coming at us.

We continued to run and walk the next few miles, it was really tough to run on the side of the road with some constant incline. But I was just taking my time and just enjoy myself. Then we got to the final aid station at around Mile 23. My friend Barefoot Todd was there volunteering and helping us with water, oranges, pretzels and everything, I chatted with him for awhile before I moved on, my friend Ed was already on his way cuz I think I was taking too long at the aid station so he couldnt wait.

Barefoot Todd at Mile 23 aid station

The last 3 miles uphill were ROUGH!! It was a slowly climb all the way up for about 3 miles before making a left turn at US 28 to Spooner Lake at the parking lot. I finished at 5:32.42.

Imagine running on this narrow shoulder for 3 miles against traffic!! Fun huh??

Karen and her mom were waiting for me in their car, she finished the race about an hour before me. We then headed back to Horizon Hotel to pick up my car and see each other again for Day 2.

Saturday 9/25/10 - Day 2 Marathon - from Spooner Lake to Tahoe City

Well, how could I ever forget about this marathon, I actually MISSED the shuttle bus to the start on race morning!!

I woke up at 6am and thought that the shuttle bus leaves at 7:15am, since the race starts at 7:45am. So I was taking my time and getting my stuff ready. I stopped by McDonalds on my way to the Horizon Hotel and got myself 2 sauage mcmuffin with egg and a small coffee, then I texted my friend Karen and asked what time does the bus leave, and she said they've already LEFT!!!! I started to panic since I wasnt sure where was the start at, but she told me it was where we finished from the previous day and she gave me the direction how to get there. So I just drove there within 15 mins, I really thought I wasn't gonna make it and not getting my Triple.

I didnt have the tradition pasta the night before, instead I drove 25 miles to get my In N Out burger, Animal Fries and a chocolate shake!! I gotta get my In N Out fix on!!

So I arrived at the start area and saw bunch of runners there so I knew I was at the right spot. I saw Karen, Quiksilver Runner Ed, Yolanda, Jen, and some of the runner from the day before all getting ready for Day 2. I told myself I wont be taking any pictures for this one because I just wanted to concentrate on the run and hopefully get a faster time since I heard this one is a downhill course for the first half. So I just left my iPhone in my car, finished my coffee and get ready for the start, I didnt even have time to eat my sandwiches.

Race started at 7:45am, my legs werent too tight, I was able to run at a comfortable pace, but since I TOTALLY FORGOT my Garmin, I wont know how fast I was going and how far I have gone, but I did have my regular watch though, so I was just going by how I feel and just go from there. It was nice to see the sun start to shine early morning on our right side while we run on the left side against traffic in single file.

The first 11 miles were mostly downhill, with aid stations every 6 or 7 miles or so, I remembered I was just following this guy infront of me as my pacer, when I get a little closer to him, I will back off a little bit either by run a little slower or just take a short walking break, then when he was a little further away, I will start running again and try to keep up with him. I used this strategy for most of the first 13 miles until I had to stop at the aid station and refill my bottle. Because the aid station at Mile 13 is for both the runner AND the cyclists, so I saw a few a lot of cyclists passing by that spot, plus lots of water bottles on the ground since after they finish their water, they will just toss the bottles away.

The first half was done and it was fun with the downhill, the second half wasnt as fun though. At one point I was running on this narrow shoulder on this highway when a few of the cyclists were coming at me, I actually had to stop and let them pass thru before I could move on. I did a lot of running and walking at that point, well mostly walking since my legs were really tired, I had to stop and stretch every now and then.

When I got to the aid station at Mile 20, Barefoot Todd was there again volunteering, he got oranges, watermelon, pretzels and water in his little bins, no table though. I chatted with him a little bit before I moved on, all I knew at that point was I only have 10k to go!!!

The next few miles has a few rolling hills, I remember before I had to go up to this hill, there was this one guy helping out giving out water to us runners, I dont think that was the planned aid station but I was glad he was there helping out. I was either on the bike path or the side of the road, whichever I thought it was safer or faster. Then I saw sign that made me want to start running again, and it was a sign that said "25" on the sidewalk, since there werent any mile markers on the course, that was a nice one to see and a important one. So I continue to run/walk and made my way into Tahoe City, I saw lots of stores and restaurants everywhere and I knew I was close to finish, but I just didnt know where, they didnt have any direction or anything so I just kept running straight ahead, then I ask this lady on the sidewalk where is the finish at, she told me it was just straight ahead, so I just kept running and saw lots of people waiting at the finish area. I finished at 4:47.23, about 45 mins faster than the day before.

At the finish they have free beers, soda and cookies, I didnt take the beers, just root beers. I waited there for awhile for this married couple to take me back to the start to get my car back since Karen and her mom were having a get gather with their friend so they couldnt take me back. I finally got the chance to eat my sandwiches when I went back to my car. =-)

Day 3 Marathon will be up soon, I promise. =-)

Sunday - 9/26/10 - Day 3 Marathon - from Tahoe City to Emerald Bay


I didnt have pasta the night before, I settles for pizza and wings at the nearby pizza joint. Was gonna go do some sightseeing, but was too tired so I just stayed in for night and ready for Day 3.

I made sure I woke up on time this time for the shuttle bus, so I got up early and arrived at the Horizon Hotel by 6:15am, there wasn't much runners were there that time, only a few of us, so we just chatted for awhile before the bus came. After an hour bus ride, we finally arrived at the start area, the Common Beach in Tahoe City, which was where we ended the day before. I was able to stop by the nearby restaurant Rosie's Cafe to get some coffee before the start.

ET Full Moon Midnight 51K Recap

This is my 4th Ultra Marathon and 2nd Ultra this year

Photo by Casey

This is my second time running this ET race, last year I was running my 51st marathon so I had requested my bib number to be 51 and Joyce, race director, was kind enough to give me the number 51. So last year I was running my 51st in Area 51 with bib number 51. My friend told me I should have done the 51K instead, but I count my Marathons and Ultra separately so I rather want to do the 51K this year.

Saturday - 8-21-10

I left my house at 2am and started to drive to Vegas, and after 4 hours of driving in the middle of the night, I arrived in Vegas around 6am. Then I drove to this Motel 6 right across the street from MGM Grand to check in, yes even at 6am in the morning, you can still check in, I always love Motel 6, plus after I found out that they have remodeled some of their rooms here, I had to try it out, and I was really impressed with their new look.

Because it was so freaking hot outside, like above 100 degree, I decided to stay inside my room and just chill out, I was gonna go check out this place called Omelette House, but I just dont want to deal with heat. So I just hung out in my room, watching TV, getting online and enjoy the AC.

At around 12pm, I decided to call Pizza Hut and ordered my pasta for my carbo load, since the race start at midnight I want to get my carbs in no less than 12 hours from race start, that's the advice I got from Dick Beardsley.

I only ate the pasta, saved the breadstick after the race

Then around 4pm, I headed my way to the Hard Rock Casino, which was only around 2 miles drive, to pick up my packet. The expo was small, typical Calico Racing's expo, while I was in line waiting to get my stuff, I bumped into Emil, he just finished getting his stuff and was ready to leave, we chatted a little bit before we saw Don with his friend, they are gethering a dinner at the nearby PF Chang's in an hour but me and Emil decided to skip since we have already eaten.

This is the COOLEST bib EVER!!!

After I got my packet, I ran into Vince, who also ran the Devil race 2 months ago, we actually walked together for a few miles during the that race and we met up again after the race in my room cuz I was really really sick and he was able to provide some help that I needed to recover from that hot race. We exchanged conversation a little bit, then he told me to meet up with him, his family, and the 2 guys that I met during the Devil race, Brian and Jake, at a restaurant inside the Hard Rock Casino. They had rented a RV so they wont have to take the shuttle bus to the start, they invited me to their RV and I couldnt say No since I never ridden on a RV before, although I have bought the BUS ticket, but if I can get to the start early, I am ok with that.

So they decided to leave in an hour so I quickly drove back to my room and grab my stuff and meet them back at the lobby by 5:30pm. We didnt actually leave until around 6:30pm cuz we were waiting for Brian to show up, although he actually stays at Hard Rock, wonder why took him so long? overslept?? =-)

We made one pit stop at the LOVES gas station to get gas and grab some food on the road, then we were ready to hit the road and head to the starting area.

We arrived at the start area around 9:30pm, there were only a few cars parked along side the dirt road by the start, we saw one of the runner all decorated himself with glowsticks all over his body, too bad I didnt get a pic of it. He told me he bought like 10 packs of glow sticks.

By 11pm, we saw the shuttle buses started to arrive, there were like around 10 or so of them, we were just hanging out infront of our RV, watching runners getting ready for the race.

Brian, me and Jake hanging out before the start.

By around 11:45pm, 15mins until race start, we started to head to the start area, there were lots of people have their glowstick around their necks, its look like a rave party, everyone has their headlights on and everything.

Brian, me, Jake and Vince getting ready for our 51k.

The race start at midnight, we were near the front of the group, since everyone is going by clock time, so we want to get out there early. We decided to go out on a slow pace together early on and just enjoy the camaraderie. Within for the first few miles, I noticed a Maniac running pass me on my right side, and it was Ron, we exchanged hellos, then a moment later, I heard someone called my name from behind, and when I turned around, they were Maniacs Ward and Casey, I was glad they recognize me cuz it was tough to pit point ANYBODY in the dark!! Ward wasnt sure he was gonna run this race , but I am glad he made it. And Casey was running her 1ST Ultra!! She couldnt have picked a better ultra to run!! Then a few mins later, I heard ANOTHER person calling my name from the back, and this time it was Jasmin, who was also running her 1ST ultra marathon. So I was kind of glad I didnt go out fast cuz if I did I wouldnt have caught up with my Maniacs friends!!

I was still going on a slow pace since the elevation started to affect me, it was around 4500 feet, so I was just enjoying myself on the run with the guys. Then a few miles later, I heard ANOTHER person calling my name from behind!! And this time, it was another Maniac Morgan Cumming, she is on her quest to become the youngest person to ever finish 50 marathons in all 50 states, current record holder is Laura Skladzinski, she just recently finished her quest in June at the Minneapolis Marathon at the age of 24.

Morgan is a true warrior, she recently finished a marathon ON CRUTCHES because of her injury on her left foot!! We ran for a few miles together before she had to stop at the aid station, I wished her good luck since I had my water bottle so I didnt have to refill just yet.

Then around Mile 10, I caught up with Casey, she was taking her walking break so I decided to chat up with her since I was in no hurry. She was telling me that she was looking for me all over at the expo and before the race, but since I was with my Devil's friends, I was MIA until earlier during the race when she finally found me. As we were walking, we saw Maniac Ed "Fancypants", he was wearing this spacesuit with helmet on his head. See the pics below.

Casey and "Fancypants" Ed

The backside of Ed

The after Mile 13, I decided to start running again, but my stomach was acting up, I wasnt feeling hungry, I wasn't feeling like throwing up, I felt like I have a cold stomach feeling, which I have never felt before in a race, so I quickly put my left forearm infront of my stomach and tried to keep it warm, which helped a little but I wasn't able to run on it, everytime I tried to run, it bothers me. So I pretty much just started to walk in discomfort. I was really in a bad mood cuz I felt like I wasn't having any fun walking, plus my shoes werent comfortable, I was really thinking about quitting, or just finish the marathon distance instead of 51K.

Then around Mile 18, I can see the Finish Line ahead of me at Mile 20, but for us marathon/ultra runners, we STILL have to go for an out and back to complete our distance before we return to the finish line. So I was at the aid station at mile 20, I FINALLY decided to try the Hammer Gel to see if it help relieve my stomach pain, and it took me by surprise that it actually helped!! the cold stomach feeling was gone!!! I felt an instance relief, but I STILL have 12 more miles to go!!! My first plan was just get to the next aid station(Mile 23), then if I feel a little better, I will continue up with the 51k, if not, I will head back to complete the marathon distance.

I finally got to aid station at Mile 23, then I asked the volunteer to refill my water bottle when I sat down in the chair to take my Hammer Gel, I sat there for a min then I felt better and decided to complete the 51K. It was around 5:30am in the morning and the sun just barely came out and I could see the road pretty clear, sometimes I think it's better to run when you are actually see the course instead of almost totally darkness.

The Mile 26 point turnaround for our 51K runners was just ahead of me, I found a few familiar faces coming back, including Ed, Casey(gave her a high five as she ran by) and Jake. I felt alot better than earlier after I started taking the Hammer Gel, I was able to pass a lot of runners after the turnaround, it was pretty nice running on the highway when the sun is coming up, I got the perfect view of the sun slowing rising above the mountains.

Then with less than 1 mile to go, I could see the A'Le"Inn, the finish line, ahead of me, plus I also saw my friend Jake was a little bit ahead of me, so I tried to catch up with him a little as possible, when he started to walk, I start to run just to close up the gap between him and I, I continue to do that until I finally caught up with him, we talked for a little bit before I started to sprint to the finish line, I crossed the finish line in 7:10.21. It was a tough race, I was glad I survived without dropping out.

Thanks Don for taking this pic.

Next Race...........................Tahoe Triple Marathon, Sept 24th,25th and 26th, 2010.

Rock n Roll San Diego Marathon

This is 8th marathon this year and 64th overall

I have ran Rock n Roll San Diego since 2005 and this year happened to be the most differcult one I've ran in San Diego, mostly because of the new course change and everything involve within. But I also had a great time in San Diego, such as the expo and the pasta dinner with fellow Maniacs.

Friday - 6-4-10

9am - Picked up rental car, then drove 80+ miles to San Diego for the expo just to meet Kara Coucher

10:30am - arrived outside the expo, there was a long line of people waiting for the expo to open at 11am

11am - 1pm - got my bib, tech shirt, and a so-called "goodie bag" cuz there arent anything good in the bag. But most importantly, I got to meet Kara Coucher, she is currently 6 months pregnant and she said the baby boy is due by September.

Kara Goucher and I at the expo

1pm - 2:30pm - drove 80+ miles back home so I could get to work by 3pm

Saturday 6-5-10

8am- 12pm - working

1pm - 3pm - drove down to San Diego again to see if I could meet Ryan Hall, his appearance was at 3pm, then at 4pm he will sign autographs and take pictures. After I checked in the Motel 6 in Chula Vista, I decided to skip the expo and rested for a little bit before the dinner party with my fellow Maniacs.

Pasta Dinner

I met up with my fellow Maniacs at this little authentic Italian restaurant in Hillcrest at 5:30pm, there were 12 of us, thanks for my new Maniac friend Dana who helped organized the dinner, I met her from my other Maniac friend Sherry, too bad Sherry couldnt join us cuz she was having dinner with her TNT group. The food there was amazing, I ordered the Fettucine Cleopatra, which got beans, mushrooms in it, the pasta was perfectly cooked, very delicious. Mostly all the people who works there are Italians.

After the dinner us Maniacs decided to have a group picture taken before we say goodbye to each other

I drove back to my motel and decided to call it a night, went to bed like around 11pm

Race Day

Before I left my motel around 2:45am, I found out that I couldnt find my D-Tag for my shoe, I had my bib, but not D-Tag!! I looked through EVERYWHERE and no luck!! So I figure that I totally left it at home since I went back home after the expo on Friday. I just knew my day would be ruined and my time wont be recorded. So I drove to the Qualcomm Stadium to take the shuttle to the start, I wanted to get to the start early so maybe I could get a replacement D-Tag from the volunteers.

So as soon as I got off the shuttle bus, I quickly walked my way to their solution tent just to see if I could get a replacement. Fortunately, they were able to get me a new one for additional $5, and fortunately I brought my $20 with me so the problem was solved. I was very relief and cant wait to start the race!!

Originally I was assigned in Corral 9 with my old bib, but with my NEW bib, I was assigned in Corral 3, which was perfect for me since I was going to sneak it that corral had I not lost my D-tag. I hung around in Corral 3 with my Maniacs until the race starts.

me, James, Marcia and Howard before the start

The race started at 6:15am, it only took a few mins for me to cross the start line. I was starting at a 8:14min/mile, which was way too fast for me if I want to finish under 4 hours. I knew I was going too fast but for some reason I cant slow down my pace, below are my split times:

Mile 1 - 8:14

Mile 2 - 8:17

Mile 3 - 8:21

Mile 4 - 8:16

Mile 5 - 8:13 (got the chance to run thru Petco Park, tons of cheerleaders, awesome band playing while runners run thru)

Mile 6 - 8:38

Mile 7- 8:46

Mile 8 - 8:53

Mile 9 - 9:08 (started to run on the 163 Freeway, very crowded with the half marathoners)

Mile 10 - 9:40

Mile 11 - 10:41

Mile 12 - 8:48

Mile 13 - 10:15

Mile 14 - 11:47 (started to slow down as the day gets warmer, walked a lot from this point on.

Mile 15- 10:24

Mile 16 - 12:12

Mile 17 - 12:32 (started to run on this narrow bike path at Mission Bay Park for 4 miles, way too crowded!!)

Mile 18 - 13:08

Mile 19 - 13:22

Mile 20 - 14:09

Mile 21 - 10:52

Mile 22 - 13:24

Mile 23 - 9:18 (started to picked up my pace but only lasted for a mile)

Mile 24 - 12:26

Mile 25 - 11:41 (could see the Finish Line ACROSS the bay, although it look more than a mile.)

Mile 26 - 10:48 (when they said the finish line was around the corner, I still didnt see it, the path was too narrow, it could barely fit 3 people)

I normally dont start to sprint until I could see the finish line ahead of me, so with around .1 mile to go, I sprinted as fast as I can and crossed the finish line at 4:35.52. I wasnt too happy with my time, probably because of the warm weather and the humidity. They did offer us wet towel at the end, which was a life saver.

After I picked up my gear from the UPS truck, I tried to find the shuttle line, but when I saw the line of the shuttle, I was shocked how LONG was it, it happened that the shuttles are for EVERYBODY, not just for runners only, which they should have done. So I was in line for like half an hour or so before I got on the bus, I lost track of time, it seems like forever though.

Once the shuttle dropped us off at the nearby Trolley Station, we STILL have to wait in line for God knows how long to get on the Trolley to get to the Qualcomm Stadium, where we park our car. I just felt like I was stuck there forever and forever. So I finally got onto the Trolley and 15 mins or so later I FINALLY got to the parking lot and to my rental car. I made a trip to the port a john before I head home, I was planning to stay for the Lakers Game but I know I could make it back home and watch it there.

I dont think I will ever run RNR San Diego again until they change the course setting and better organize the shuttle situations. The Finish Line wasn't as exciting as before when they finished at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot.

This pic was taken from the San Diego's website :

http://www.signonsandiego.com/photos/galleries/2010/jun/06/rock-n-roll-marathon-2010/10897/#photo

Next Race.................Running with the Devils- 6/26/2010