Just like in any sport, technology is coming into play as an edge over your opponent or competitor. In endurance sports like long distance running/ultra marathon runs, technology plays on the runner’s kit (shoes and apparel), nutrition, and hydration. This is in addition with the technology devoted on the running form and body/physical structure of the runner; and other training-related “ways and means” in order to win in a certain race.
In the newly-concluded Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, interest had been focused on the training/preparation and the equipment/kit & nutrition that the Champion, Kilian Jornet, had used during the race. On the training/preparation, we all know that Kilian Jornet had been all around Europe and the world, so to speak, since his 3rd finish in last year’s Western States 100 to compete in ultra trail races and documenting his “Kilian Quest” as sponsored by Salomon. Last May, 5 weeks before the WS 100, he won and registered a course record for the TNF 100K in Australia.
Kilian's Shorts & Shirt (A close-up with my picture with him reveals its Gel pockets) Source: Competitor.com
In his attire during this year’s WS 100, we was wearing a loose “muscle shirt-type” upper attire which is colored white and combined with a loose trail shorts which has an inseam of about 3-4 inches. But if you noticed closely the upper white portion of his shorts, you could see a belt-type pocket all-around his waist where you can see GU Gels in it. It appears that the belt/waist portion of the shorts is lined-up with secret pockets where the runner can store/carry gels or powdered electrolytes. Wearing loose apparel was a way to solve the the hot temperature on the canyons along the route of the race.
I did not see Kilian using a hydration bottle when he reached the Placer Oval Track. He was not holding anything during his last 300 meters to the finish line. However, in his pre-interviews, he stated that Salomon had made a special hand glove water bottles for him which he can hold while running. Kilian was a victim of lack of hydration and electrolytes on the last quarter part of last year’s WS 100 as he experience muscle cramps. As you can see in his first attempt in the WS 100, he was not holding or wearing a hydration system during the race.
In an article at Competitor.com, the hand glove bottles were featured as shown below:
Hand Gloves With Water Bottles & Food Bars (Source: Competitor.com)
As for the running shoes, he used the lightest Salomon Trail Shoes which is considered as a prototype to be tested in the said race.
Salomon Trail Shoes (Source: Competitor.com)
And he was running without any socks!!!
Looking at the physical structure of Kilian, he was very light in weight. His height could be 5 feet and 6 inches with a weight of about 130-135 pounds. Using the lightest apparel and equipment and proper nutrition and hydration, could result to a well-trained and prepared athlete for the Championship in this race.
Of course, he has the Salomon Team on his “back and sides” to fully support and finance him just to be able to win the most prestigious 100-Mile Trail Run in Northern America.
This is an example and mark of what we call, “Sports Excellence”.
If you are wondering at what age he started to be trained and his exploits in the past, you can read his story and other related topics about him at www.kilianjornet.cat.
On the latest interview of Kilian Jornet after his win in the WS 100, you can read about his insights here at Running Times.
There were three reasons why I went to the US. First, to join/participate in the 2011 Miwok 100K Ultra Trail Run in Marin Headlands where I ended as one of the Volunteers. Second, to make a recon on the route and watch the top finishers of the prestigious 2011 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Race. And, third, to have a rest and vacation from running. It is a blessing in disguise that I was injured last March during my adventure from from “West to East”.
Looking Like A Lost Tourist At Foresthill
Last weekend, I drove from Los Angeles to Foresthill, California and later to Auburn’s Placer High School Oval Track where the finish line of the Western States 100-Mile Race is located. The distance I’ve traveled was about 450 miles which took me for about 10 hours to include my pit stops along the way. After not being able to locate the exact location of the Foresthill High School where one of the Aid Stations was located, I opted to finally wait at the Finish Line.
While Waiting At The Finish Line
After one hour of waiting, the 1st runner arrived and it was Spain’s Kilian Jornet in 15:34:23 hours. He was followed by Mike Wolfe after 4-5 minutes and then Nick Clark, Jez Bragg, and Tsuyoshi Kaburaki of Japan. I left the place after Kaburaki finished the race.
After Crossing The Finish Line, Kilian Turned Around To the Cheering Crowd
While Kilian Jornet was interviewed by the Race Director Greg Soderlund, I had a chance to have a conversation with a nice guy who was standing beside me on the gallery. I was surprised to know that he was the Champion runner in the 1989 Western States edition! I guess, we talked for about 30 minutes that I forgot to track down Kilian Jornet with the crowd. My conversation with this interesting guy will be reserved in a dedicated post in this blog.
Finally, I tried to locate Kilian by trying to find his support team’s vehicle at the parking lot and I thought I missed the opportunity to talk and have a picture with him. But I was surprised to find out that he was still inside the perimeter of the oval track. I was able to track him as he came out from the bathroom!
If I am 145 lbs, Kilian Must Be 135 lbs!!!
I talked to him and wished him with a big congratulations! And he replied positively and he was smiling. We had a brief conversation and he was still fresh and looked like he did not run for the past 15 1/2 hours for a distance of 100 miles in the mountain trails. I requested for a picture with him and he was very cooperative. We talked briefly after the shots and other people from the audience requested also for some pictures with him before he left the oval track compound.
Let me describe how he ran the last 50 yards to the finish line. He started to brisk walk and had “high fives” with the audience on the right side of the oval track. He was also congratulated with handshakes with the people before the finish line. After those handshakes and “high fives”, he simply walked and crossed the Finish Line and turned around and raised his hands towards the cheering audience on the track and on the grandstand. He was smiling and he was looking fresh!
Another Picture With The 2011 Western States 100-Mile Run Champion
After standing on the weighing scale to get his weight, he was awarded with his medal and congratulated by the Race Director. Immediately, he was interviewed by the RD and his answers were heard by the crowd. He was simply a humble and happy guy!
Looking at him within a distance of 5-7 meters, I could see that he is as tall or short like my elite runners with Team Bald Runner. It appears that the has the same size/built and height with Alquin Bolivar and Alley Quisay. I have the notion that our size as Asian has the potential to train and excel in this kind of race. Knowing that Kilian is considered as the youngest winner in this race at the age of 23 years old, it defies the odds that ultra runners are best when they are more matured or older in age.
As he left the oval track’s compound towards his support vehicle, I could see that he was walking normally without any sign of limping.
It was an amazing sight of a young, strong, and fast ultra mountain trail runner.
If you have read the book of Dean Karnazes, Ultramarathon Man, you would know that on the last Saturday of June of every year, the prestigious Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run from Squaw Valley, California near Lake Tahoe to Auburn, California is being conducted and lots of ultra trail running enthusiasts and runners are glued on the webcast and latest running news sources just to be able to know the activities before, during and after the run.
WS 100 Logo
A final count of 415 participants will be at the starting line as the race would start at 5:00 AM of Saturday. These participants had been picked up/selected through lottery as applicants should be qualified from their past ultra trail races in 100K, 50-mile, and 100-mile races. To give you an example of one of the qualifying standards to apply in this race, you must be able to finish a 50-mile trail run in less than 11 hours! However, if you are qualified in one of the qualifying races, it does not mean that you will be accepted as you have to go through the selection process which is called lottery.
The race has an international flavor and coverage as 52 of the runners are represented from 25 countries. It is worthy to note that there are 2 from China; 2 from Japan; 1 from South Korea and another 1 from Singapore. I would say that in two to three years, a local Filipino ultra runner would be able to qualify and participate in this prestigious 100-mile ultra trail race.
The race’s prestige goes with the price of joining it. The registration fee is $ 375.00 which is paid up front when you apply. However, if you are not selected in the lottery, your payment will not be charged in your credit card. Coming from the Philippines to join this race will entail a lot of fortune! I just hope that one of the outdoor brands or sports stores in the country would be able to sponsor one runner to represent the country in this prestigious trail running event.
So, if you browse the internet on the different blogs of ultra runners and other ultra running resources online, you would feel the hype and concentrated interest on this race. Foremost topic now is to who will win the men’s and/or women’s race. The 2010 edition of the race is still the “most talked” about event in the ultra trail running history as three of the top ultra trail runners in the world (Kilian Jornet of Spain, Anton Krupicka, and Geoff Roes) battled it out for the top finisher in the race. The race resulted in the breaking of the previous record time by Geoff Roes (Champion) and Anton Krupicka with a time of 15:07:04 hours and 15:13:52 hours, respectively.
My prediction is that Geoff Roes will get the top honors, followed by Kilian Jornet of Spain, Ian Sharman of Great Britain, Nick Clark of Great Britain, Hal Koerner (WS 2009 & 2007 Champion), Dave Mackey, and Mike Wolfe, in that order.
As for the ladies, I am predicting Ellie Greenwood for the Lady Champion, followed by Nikki Kimball, Anita Ortiz, Aliza Lapierre, Pam Smith (2011 Miwok 100 Champion), and the following lady runners—Tracy Garneau, Amy Sproston, Meghan Arbogast, and ARC’s Maggie Beach.
As for most of the runners, their aim is to get the Western States 100-Mile Silver Belt Buckle for finishing in 24 hours or less. And the rest would aim to finish the race within the cut-off time of 30 hours and bring home the Bronze Belt Buckle.
WS 100 Silver Buckle
You can google the names of the above elite runners to find out their training, strategy, and expectations on the said race. If you want to know more about the activities in this race, you can visit the event’s website at http://ws100.com
In a related ultra running event, there is a multi-day stage “Run Across America Race” that started last Sunday, June 19, 2011 in Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, California and it will end in New York in 70 days, covering a distance of 3,200+ miles. There are 16 participants in this race and I am reading the blog of one of the participants, James Adams from Great Britain, about his daily experiences along the route and the race. If you are interested to read his blog, you can click Running And Stuff (RAM) on my Blogroll.
I am surprised that this Race is very organized and well-planned. There is a Race Organizer Group that really administer and supervise the runners as they progress through the race. I am going to attach this year’s LA-NY Roadbook to prove that a registration fee of $ 6,500 is worth the experience if you are interested in this kind of road race. However, the race’s Racebook compilation of detailed directions and maps is already a treasure to keep! I hope my Pinoy Ultra Runners who have plans of doing their Run Across America would be happy to have a copy of this Roadbook as their reference.
If ever some of the Pinoys who pronounced and relayed to us that they ran across America (in the past) would read this post, I would ask them (again!) to show us their detailed directions, maps of route they have taken, and their daily stories and experiences on the road. If you happen to know them, please relay this information.
This picture says it all about my present condition. I’ve been hiking, sometimes jogging, for the past weeks.
During my dull moments, I’ve been making a lot of research about hiking the wilderness and the art of “fast and light” backpacking and its techniques which are abundant in printed references, journals, and through the Internet. We will see what this activity will offer us in the future as an incoming “senior citizen”.
By the way, do we have a national government office in the Philippines that administers all the National Parks and Wilderness Areas in the country?
It could be friendly and humble. These two words simply describe a person whom I’ve met during the Miwok 100K Run at the Marin Headlands where I served as one of the volunteers.
He is Jorge Maravilla, pronounced Hor-He. I mentioned his name (first name only) in my post about my experience as spectator and volunteer during the said run. He was with another guy whose first name is Rich but I later identified him as Rich Conder. As we were doing the things we were instructed/requested to do at the Finish Line Area, Jorge was the one who was starting all the conversation among us while Rich was always silent. So, while the three of us were doing the same job, Jorge was the one who was very much engaged with some conversation with me.
As far as I can remember, these were some of the salient points about our conversation:
Jorge: You said your name is Jovenal, how will I call you? Call me Jorge (Hor-he)
Bald Runner: Call me Jovie, that’s my nickname!
Jorge: Where do you stay here?
BR: I am from Manila, Philippines. I came here to run the Miwok 100.
Jorge: What happened?
BR: I had an injury in the middle of March while doing a 7-day adventure run covering a distance of 270 kilometers and it got worse during one of my practice runs here.
Jorge: Oh, I am sorry. How is ultra marathon in the Philippines?
BR: We are trying to expose our runners in ultra distance runs. We started with a race which is called the “Bataan Death March 102K Ultra Marathon Race” three years ago but the race is done on paved roads. The race is done on the exact place where history happened during World War II.
Jorge: Great! Philippines is hot and humid, right?
BR: Yes, we train our runners as if they are running the Badwater! I am glad we don’t have any cases of “heatstroke” in our ultra races.
Jorge: That’s good.
I was trying to think of a question to ask why he is volunteering for the race with Rich but I concentrated on the task requested us to do. Jorge was later requested by Tia Bodington, the Race Director to get some stuff inside the U-Haul truck. After few minutes, Jorge was back and he started another conversation with me.
Jorge: Jovie, you must be popular in the Philippines!
BR: What? (And I just smiled. I assumed he saw the FrontRunner Magazine placed on the Driver’s Panel Board of the truck)
Jorge: I saw a Running Magazine with you as the Cover Page and I saw you autographed it for Tia.
BR: Oh..The publisher of the magazine is also an ultra runner and a friend of mine. Both of us are promoting ultra running in the country.
Jorge: Maybe, I’ll get to know you some more. Do you have a Business Card?
BR: Yes, I have. They are in my car. I will give you one later. I’ll give one also to Rich.
Jorge: Thanks!
After we finished the task requested of us to do, Jorge and Rich left the place and acted as Marshals in an intersection 500 meters away from the Finish Line.
I was not able to give my Business Card to Jorge and Rich as I left the area after the 10th overall runner crossed the Finish Line.
After one week, I read a blog of Mark Tanaka about his Race Report on the Diablo 60K Trail Run. I was surprised to find out that Jorge was the Champion in that race which was held on May 1, one week before the Miwok 100. I can conclude that he was there at the Miwok 100 as a volunteer and not as an injured participant like me! Rich Conder was also one of the top 10 finishers in the said race where Jorge won. At Athlinks.com, Jorge has a PR Marathon of 2:49+ hours which he got on the 1st quarter of this year.
What surprises me more is their voluntary act of helping another race to make it a success. Instead of resting and recovering from a previous race, Jorge and Rich, upcoming elite runners in ultra trail runs, were there at the Marin Headlands for the whole day as volunteers! I am sure these guys offered their time and services to the Race Director without any “strings attached” or renumeration. Simply, they were there to help!
Last weekend, I found out from the Race Result of the Bishop High Sierra 100K Trail Run that Jorge Maravilla won again in the said distance, breaking the course record by 55 minutes! By being humble, Jorge does not even have a blog where he can, at least, brag about his accomplishment. I wonder why.
As I gathered from reading the blogs of ultra runners, I found out that Jorge will be running his first 100-mile run at the Tahoe Rim Trail next month. I am sure this guy will make it to the top 10 in this race.
As I recall my brief meeting and conversation with Jorge and my brief conversation with the top elite runners in the Miwok 100 last month, I came to my personal conclusion that these runners are simply friendly, humble, kind, accommodating, and simple/”low-profile”. They also find time to help one another as race volunteers, pacers and support crew to other runners. Ultra running is simply a good community of runners.
How I wish some of the Pinoy ultra runners will be offering their services as volunteers in my races.
Jorge Maravilla & Mark Tanaka (Source: Mark Tanaka's Blog)Mark Tanaka & Rich Conder (Source: Mark Tanaka's Blog)
The following is an article that I copied from a trail running book which I want to share to my readers, whether you are a newbie runner or an accomplished/competitive ultra runner. You can share also your answer to the said question on the title.
Do We Love Pain?
Not long ago, I posted the question on a blog site: “Are we endurance athletes driven by the solipsistic need for self-validation, as in, ‘we hurt, therefore we are’; or is it that we love the pain and exertion and, therefore, more is better?”
The answers were quite edifying so I thought I’d share them:
–Personally, I love it–the pain, I mean. But most importantly, I view the pain as the engine to drive me to reach my goals. In other words, I know I’m hurting because I’m on hour four of a six-hour effort and that I’m that much closer to seeing nature in full effect. Or, that the pain is getting me through a technical uphill section. The pain is an indication that I’m do-ing!
–I train so I don’t hurt any more.
–I tend to agree; when I was most prepared to race, pain wasn’t much of a factor. The validation came in competing against others.
–I was getting massage last night, and the therapist asked, “You do work your body hard, don’t you? What is your motivation?” I didn’t know what to say, mainly because my face was being shoved into the hole as he stretched my calf and it was hard to talk anyway…but he made me think. I don’t know that I have a good answer, but I agree that training is to avoid future pain, I also know that I absolutely love being out in the wilderness, and the harder I train, the more time I am able to spend in that environment.
–It’s all about the balance. You feel so good afterwards because you suffered through the pain during it. The sweetness of completing something wouldn’t be the same if it was easy to do. Being in pain, working through it, and finishing bring the accomplishment more meaning.
–I say it’s like most things in life: combo platter.
–I don’t love pain…but it makes me stronger, and in that way it helps me achieve my goals. I think the key to the answer lies within our personal goals.
–Balance. For me it’s all about the three-part teeter totter: sport, family, work. Each causes (good) pain the harder you try at it, and all must be in balance to make each truly meaningful.
–Maybe we like the pain. Maybe we’re wired that way. Because without it, I don’t know, maybe we just wouldn’t feel real. What’s that saying? “Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop.” I can’t take credit for the qoute, but it seems somewhat appropriate.
–I love it and think that more is fun but moderation is the key to longevity and health. I’m enjoying my Boston Marathon hangover. Pain is relative. I just wish I could recover quicker!
–If pain feels good, if pain = pleasure, then is it really pain? But I am proud to be one of the finish-line crossers so maybe pain = proud.
–It’s not the pain that’s enjoyable, it’s the feeling of accomplishment and daily reinforcement that your body is adapting—getting stronger and/or faster. Pain is a reminder that you pushed hard. We need to be more aware about the weakest point in our body, as that seems to break first. Strengthen the weakest part to keep the rest in balance.
–So many times I’ve been asked if I love pain. Or, why do I put myself through all this “insane training and criminal early (very early) morning runs?” And I have questioned myself, too: why? I love pain, I do, it make me feel alive! It makes me feel I trained, I paid my dues, I have a right to be where I am. Too crazy? Maybe.
(Source: The Ultimate Guide To Trail Running: 2nd Edition by Adam Chase & Nancy Hobbs. Guilford, Connecticut: 2010; pages 71-73)
I have created and organized the Philippine Association of Ultrarunners (PAU) as the official sports federation on ultrarunning (road races, trail races, 6/12/24/48-hour endurance races and multi-day stage races) in the Philippines which is under the umbrella and approval of the PATAFA. PAU had been an accredited member of the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU), the world’s governing body of ultrarunning.
Don’t be confused with that simple arithmetic. I am now 59 years old, 3 years after my retirement from the military service and 4 years after I have renewed my dedication and time in serious running and be the Bald Runner.
To celebrate the day, I would have to run 59 kilometers but with my recovery from injury, I would be committing a “suicide” and make my condition worse.
It was a choice of running 59 minutes or 59 seconds or walking 59 steps or 59 meters or running 5 + 9 = 14 kilometers.
And finally…
To make the day significant, I had to run without any pit stop. I added the two numbers in my age and I was able to run 14…miles, not kilometers! That is equivalent to 22.4 kilometers with some additional yards & feet as change. I finished the distance in 2:35:20 hours with an average pace of 11:02 minutes per mile (6:51 minutes per km) and an elevation gain of 1,120 feet (342 meters). It was a slow and easy run but it was worth every pace and stride of it.
One year more and I will be a dual-citizen…Filipino + Senior Citizen. I was able to get a “tip” from Sir Amado Castro Jr aka Reinier6666 that the Senior Citizens have a lot of privileges to include free movies on Mondays; free admission at the ULTRA Oval Track; 20% discount on meals in restaurants and purchase of medicines in drugstores; and if I declare my residence in Makati City, I would be receiving medical privileges in their hospitals and one sack of rice (?) and birthday cake every time I celebrate my succeeding birthdays. Sir Amado and I made a deal to be meeting every Monday for meals and movies after “race walking” with him at the ULTRA Oval Track as soon as I will get my Senior Citizen’s Card next year!
I would like to express my sincerest thanks to those who greeted me at Facebook (400+ friends out of 1,125), through e-mail, SMS, and personal greetings. It took me hours to reply each greetings from my Wall which I truly enjoyed. As usual, Jonel aka FrontRunner was the first to greet me and Sir Amado had the longest message. Thanks, Jonel & Sir Amado and to everybody.
So, what is next?
I will still be running but more on ultra marathon (and marathon training for a Boston Qualifier and as LSD workout) and this blog will be featuring more on ultra marathon training and activities. And I will be adding “hiking and backpacking” as my other cross-training sports activity (not necessarily posting my journal here in this blog).
I want to be like this (excluding the hair!)….
Hiker/Backpacker (Source: Google Images)
Watch out for the Bald Packer or Bald Hiker or Bald Backpacker or Bald Ultra Walker! Any suggestion?
I have been making a research in running books and running resources on the Internet on the basis of cut-off times of Marathon and Ultra Marathon Races. It seems that I could not see any “authority” or “regulation” in the IAAF or IAU Manuals and Protocols as to what is the accepted formula in the declaration of cut-off times in every race.
Without any basis, I have the impression that this “rule & regulation” in a running race, whether road or trail, on the prescribed cut-off time is arbitrary and based on the decision of the Race Organizer/Race Director.
On the part of a Race Organizer in a busy City Marathon Race, a six-hour cut-off time is a standard period for a 42K distance. This will minimize the time for the closure of main streets from vehicular traffic. The lesser time for the roads and streets are closed, the better for the riding public and commuters. It will also lessen the time of exposure and involvement of security, medical, marshals, and volunteers and other administrative and logistic supports for the race.
Obviously, this is true also to ultra marathon distance races but with longer and extended period of cut-off times.
Comrades Marathon (90K), the oldest ultra marathon, had an 11-hour cut-off time for so many years until it was extended to 12 hours since 2003. Aside from being the largest ultra road race, it is also the hardest in terms of elevation profile and with a very restrictive cut-off time.
The North Face Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), 166K ultra trail race, has a cut-off time of 46 hours.
Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, also a ultra trail race, has a cut-off time of 30 hours.
Jeju International Ultra Marathon 100K Race, a road ultra, has a cut-off time of 16 hours.
Miwok 100K Ultra Trail Run has a cut-off time of 16 1/2 hours. Most of the 100K ultra trail distance races in the USA has a cut-off time of 16 hours.
Singapore’s Sundowm Ultra Marathon 100K Race, a road ultra, has a cut-off time of 16 hours.
Bulldog 50K, an ultra trail race, has a cut off-time of 9 hours. Most of the 50K ultra trail races in the USA have a cut-off times of 9 hours.
Headlands 50-Mile Trail Run has a cut-off time of 14 hours and this is true to almost all the 50-milers except for the JFK 50-Mile Endurance Run which has a cut-off time of 18 hours ( based from tradition and history).
The Hardrock Ultra Marathon, the officially dubbed as the hardest ultra trail race in the USA, has a cut-off time of 48 hours.
The Barkley Marathons (100-mile trail race), the unofficial hardest ultra trail race in the USA, has a cut-off time of 60 hours, however, each loop which has a distance of 20 miles must be completed in 12 hours. It is a “lucky” year’s edition if there is a “survivor-finisher” for this race. Since its first edition in 1986, only nine (9) had finished the race up to this year.
Surprisingly for this year, the Badwater Ultramarathon has reduced the cut-off time from 60 hours to 48 hours! There was no reason in its website for the said dramatic change, however, its registration fee had increased from $ 850 to $ 995.
In my opinion, the cut-off times give an impression on the degree of difficulty of the race to the participants and at the same time provide a status of distinction for the said race.
For the runners, cut-off times serve as their lowest target time to finish. They should not be satisfied to finish the race way beyond the prescribed cut-off time. Finishing any Road or Trail Race must be defined strictly as Finishing the required Distance within the prescribed Cut-Off time. A runner is fooling himself or herself if he/she brags about finishing a race way beyond the cut-off time. For the Race Director, runners who finish the distance beyond the cut-off time are considered as DNF (Did Not Finish).
Simply stated, a runner must train and prepare to finish a race within the cut-off time.
1. Registration—Every runner must apply and register at Ultra SignUp, at least 8 months before Race Day. The deadline of application is approximately 6 months before Race Day. (Note: It is a good motivation to follow a 24-week training program for this ultra trail event). The last day of application was on December 1, 2010. All runner-applicants must go through a lottery to be able to cover the maximum number of runners allowed for the race to 446 only. The final list of accepted runners (through lottery) are published at Ultra SignUp effective on December 10, 2010. The registration fee of $ 155.00 is immediately credited from the runner’s Credit Card once he/she is accepted . Few weeks from race day, each runner is designated with a Race Number. Most of the runners can redeem their Race Packet/Bib within the period of at least one hour before the Start of the race.
2. Maturity of the Race—The 2011 Race is the 16th edition of the event as it started in 1996. I am sure through the years, the Race Management, to include the Prizes and “give-aways”/schwag, had improved with the presence of corporate sponsors. According to Rick Gaston, Miwok 100 had built its reputation as the “prime” ultra trail run at the Marin Headlands during the spring season. The other trail race that is also popular and has one of the best reputation in terms of race management and attendance of top elite athletes in the Marin Headlands is the TNF 50-Mile Championship on the 1st weekend of December every year. Maturity goes with the proper planning and preparation of the event as seen by the favorable feedback from the runners after the race. As one of the volunteers, I was impressed on the cooperation and unity among the members of the group.
3. Volunteer System—The involvement of the volunteers was impressive. The leadership of the Race Director in orchestrating all the jobs of all the committees involved speaks well of the excellent organization, planning, and professionalism of everybody. I was able to feel the “bayanihan” atmosphere among the volunteers. Each of the volunteers had specific job to perform and they are expert and knowledgeable of what to do. I am not surprised about this because all the volunteers are ultra marathoners themselves! The volunteers at the different Aid Stations made sure that each runner was attended through all their needs, from cheering, filling their hydration bottles, serving them with food and even locating and giving them their drop bags.
4. Prizes, Schwag, and Montrail Cup Series—If I joined the race, finishing the distance within the prescribed cut-off time would be the most defining “prize” for me. Those schwag/give-aways are just souvenirs or evidence to prove that I was part of the race. However, for the top elite runners, what is important to them was to earn points as this race was part of the annual Montrail Cup Series where a runner joins at least four (4) ultra trail races of the said series and the runner with the highest points will be awarded a cash prize of $ 5,000.00. For this year, the Miwok Race started to award $ 500.00 for the Champion.
5. Simplicity—Trail Running events are not evaluated in terms of bright lights, lots of tarpaulins and banners, loud speakers with blaring disco music, Emcees with nice English pronunciation, leading a prayer and singing the National Anthem, arches, marshals and security personnel at the Start/Assembly Area. They are evaluated by the simplicity of the event. Trail running is the purest form of running event where the scenery, degree of difficulty, and the camaraderie of the participants and the volunteers count most. The event lacked the things that I mentioned previously. Also, there are no distance markers along the route as the location of the Aid Stations serves as the distance markers for everybody. I did not even see water cups filled with water or sports drinks on the tables available in the different aid stations. What I saw were water pitchers being used to fill-up the hydration bladders and bottles of runners who need water or sports drinks. The route was marked with pink-colored ribbons tied on the shrubs, trees, grasses, and trail posts; and the paved road had pink-colored adhesive tape with an arrow-directional sign. What impressed me most was the fact that the race started on time!
On the Runners
1. Hydration System—Out of the top ten finishers whom I personally observed at the Starting Line up to the Pan Toll Aid Station and at the finish line, it was only Ian Sharman aka Elvis Presley (#10) who was running with a shoulder hydration pack (TNF Enduro BOA Hydration Tack). I did not see Hal Koerner holding or sporting a hydration system throughout the race. All the remaining top 8 runners were holding a hydration bottle on either one of their hands during the race. On the mid-pack and the sweeper groups, most of them use hydration backpacks (Camelbak & Nathan) and some with hydration belts with at least two bottles of 20-ounces each in liquid capacity.
2. Running Shorts—It was only Hal Koerner who was using a compression shorts and the rest of the top 8 runners were using the regular running shorts which are the split and v-notch type. I would suspect that their running shorts must have a lot of pockets where they can stow their gels, endurance powders, Vitamin I, and Clif Bloks. Or else, they have their respective support crew waiting for them in every Aid Station to provide them with their necessary nutrition and hydration needs. I did not recall if I saw any of the men among the participants using long compression tights.
3. Body Structure—Dave Mackey, Mike Wolfe, Hal Koerner, and Dakota Jones are tall and have muscular bodies. Which is translated to longer legs and ultimately, longer strides when they run. Their longer and strong legs could withstand their momentum in maintaining a running form on the inclines/uphills of the route. With such body structures, you could just imagine how fast these guys would run on the downhills. As for Ian Sharman, he has an average body size of a runner who happens to be an inch or two taller than me and leaner than the top 4 runners but I was able to discover why he was able to beat Tony Krupicka at this year’s Rocky Raccoon—he has a very fast, quick and light leg turn-over in an ultra race! Personally, I can predict that Ian Sharman will be this year’s Champion in the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run even with the presence of Kilian Jornet Burgada.
4. Running Shoes—I was surprised to see Dave Mackey using a weird-looking trail shoes (Hoka One One) which he used in his past 1st place trail running events. This is an opposite view of the minimalist approach of some of the elite trail running athletes. I was more surprised when I saw Mike Wolfe, a TNF model & endorser, to be using a New Balance MT 101 Trail Shoes! On the other hand, Hal Koerner was using a NIKE Lunaracer which is considered a road racing flat shoes!
5. Stop or Pass On Aid Stations—Elite athletes do not stop at Aid Stations if they have support crew waiting for them to hand them what they need from one Aid Station to another. For those who who don’t have any support crew, they stop to refill their hydration bottle/s or packs with the needed fluids and grab some gels or foods offered on the tables. A few yards from the Aid Station, the runners would remove the lid/cover of their bottles and as soon as they reach the Aid Station, the runner would simply extend his/her arm to the volunteers who would refill such bottle using a water pitcher. Sometimes, they just grab canned soda drinks and drink the contents while they are running. You will be surprised how they would stow their empty cans and empty gel packs in their running shorts up to the next aid station where trash bins are located. Runners are strictly following the rule of not littering their trash on the trails or else they will be disqualified. As for the mid-pack and sweepers, stopping on the Aid Station is a must for re-supply and rest purposes as long as they are within the cut-off time of arrival on such Aid Station.
Runners With Open Bottles Few Yards From the Aid StationVolunteers With Water Pitcher Refilling Hand-Held Bottles @ Aid Station
6. “Fanny” Packs or Belt Bags—These bags worn as belt could be seen on the picture above where the two lady runners are using. If a runner is using hand-held water bottles and using running shorts with small pockets, these “fanny” belt packs which are light, flat and snugged to the body are good running accessory for an ultra trail runner where he/she could stow a cellphone/camera, cash, keys, sports gels, sports mix, salt tablets, Vitamin I, and sports bars/food.
7. Arm Sleeves & Calf Sleeves—It is reasonable that the runners would use arm sleeves because of the cold temperature but I could see that most of the runners were using calf sleeves, to include the lady runners. In my experience, I believe in the use of these calf sleeves during my workout and during my recovery. I am presently using the Zensha Compression Calf Sleeves during my long runs while a tighter 2XU Compression Calf Sleeves are used during my recovery periods.
One of the top runners (Freedman) with Arm & Calf Sleeves
8. Using of “Wires”—The top 4 male and female runners were not using any “wires” to their ears. I believe that these elite runners are well-focused and sharp on the task at hand during the race. In the Race Reports of these elite athletes, they could hear the steps, breathing, and sounds of the environment. These top runners would maintain conversation among themselves on wider trails. Instead of listening to music, these runners listen to their footsteps on the trails; they listen how their competitors’ breathing in order to find out if they are still strong or exhausted; and listen to the steps of the runner ahead and behind them. On single-track trails, there is a need to communicate to the runner ahead of you if you intend to pass and it would be inappropriate if a runner to be passed is using some “wires” with some loud music being played on his earphones and could hardly hear the verbal warning from the runner behind him.
Lastly, Tia Bodington (RD) sent me an e-mail 2 days after the event expressing her thanks for being a part of the Volunteer Group of the event. She called me as one of the members of the “Miwok 100 Traffic Czars”. Sweet!
Bald Runner 
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