An Unexpected PR at the Ruth Anderson 50k

Last Saturday, I had the great pleasure of joining 75 ultrarunners for the annual Ruth Anderson 50k/50m/100k in San Francisco, CA, put on by Rajeev Patel and the Bay Area Ultrarunners. Although I was supposed to be taking it easy to save some for the Boston Marathon two days later, the perfect blend of great running weather and flawless volunteer support pulled me to an unexpected PR for the 50k! It was a great day for all.

(Dragon boats out on the lake)

The Ruth Anderson 50k/50m/100k honors ultrarunning veteran Ruth Anderson, a true pioneer for ultrarunning and masters sports both on and off the field (see my backgrounder from 2006). It's a 4.47-mile loop course where you can pick your distance as you go. I was here for the 50k, in hopes to get a checkpoint on my aerobic training and perhaps pick up a few PA/USATF points. The Boston Marathon was just two days away, so I hoped to retain the sense to stick to the 50k!

(RD Rajeev Patel gives us some words of wisdom)

(Gary Cohen, Jimmy O'Neil, Buddy Pohl, Wayne Miles, and Jean Pommier await the start)

A foggy morning greeted 75 of us as we walked down to the starting line, but none of us were cold thanks to the awesome RA-emblazed Moeben sleeves in the shwag bag. Race Director Rajeev Patel propped himself up on a fence and rallied us together, giving special kudos to the volunteers who make this event so special. With a few last words of encouragement, he sent us off into the fog to make our first of 7, 11, or 15 loops (aka, the longest right hand turn you'll ever make).

(Lots of smiles at the start, and some reflective fog particles)

(Donning my WTC sleeves while Rajeev leads a cheer)

Two runners went off like banshees, including course record holder Tim O'Rourke hot on the tails of his 3:19 from 2003. I paced with Jean Pommier and Michael Kanning, both of whom were going for the 100k today. Jean was representing the RhoMobile team, who had a strong showing at this race. 17-year-old Michael Kanning was eager to better his age group record at the 100k distance, and enjoying the fact that 13-year-old Jodie Huerta was making him feel like an old timer. It was good to catch up with these guys and see how their season was going. We passed though the halfway aid station, then ran three abreast on the empty bike lane. Before we knew it, we had finished the first loop (the first loop is a bit short) in 29 minutes.

(Jean Pommier shows the proper way to run the path)

I took a cup of water and picked up the pace, leaving the wise-pacing 100k runners behind. My goal for this race was to warm up on the first lap, then see how long I could hold a 7 minute/mile pace while keeping my heart rate under 150 beats per minute. I had been training a lot in this range, thanks to the work up at the Stanford Performance Lab a few months ago that let me know this was the top end of my aerobic pace. I have spent many-a-morning locked into this pace/heart rate while Netflix movies kept my attention. If I was on track with my training, I should be able to hold this pace for 20 miles without a spike in my heart rate.

(Robert Greenhouse makes the rounds)

The air was nice and cool on this lap, and neighborhood dogs were out everywhere walking their people. I stuck to water at the aid stations, knowing my Vespa was working its magic and keeping my caloric needs low. I ran along with Michael Roberts (training for the Seattle Marathon), and then with Todd Hayes for a bit. My stride found cruise control quickly, and I finished lap 2 in just over 30 minutes (a bit ahead of 7 min/mile). Def Leppard's "Animal" was stuck in my head, so no need for an iPod. That is, until I've sung the chorus 100 times and need a change. ;-)

(Todd Hayes, who went on to set an age group course record)

On lap 3, I began to catch some of the other runners. One of the best things about a loop course is you get to see everyone - those faster than you, those slower than you - and cheer them on. There was a consensus of fun, particularly as the dragon boats came out onto the lake and started their cheering and racing. I kept the cruise control on, finishing lap 3 in 30 minutes and change again. Right on time, and my heart rate still hanging in the mid-140's.

(The always smiling Jeanette Quintana)

On lap 4, I shed my sleeves and gloves and grabbed my iPod for some relief from Def Leppard (thank you, Bob Marley!). The crowds were out in full force now, filling the bike path with dogs, bikes, and friends. They left us to the dirt trail along the side, which was the softest and safest route. I sucked down a Hammer Gel on this lap, sticking to water at each of the aid stations. I finished the lap in 30 minutes and change once again, just on a 7 min/mile pace. I guess that treadmill work has been helpful!

(The sun broke out a few hours later)

(The aid stations were amazing and plentiful)

On lap 5, I saw a ton of runners having a good day. I passed Grant Carboni, who I suspect will be an age group contender for PA/USATF because he can go longer than most of us weekend after weekend. His lovely wife, Leslie, was also cruising along. Sean Lang was doing his part for RhoMobile in the 100k, going fast with his trademark smile and saying I was going fast! Joe Sweeney was shirtless and enjoying every minute, with Charles Blakeney not too far behind. Chikara Omine came by the other way, out for a jog in his neighborhood before hitting a 5k on Sunday. Reshu Jain and Vivek Kumar were sharing stories and laughing aloud while cranking out 50 miles. The ever-smiling Chihping Fu, the only guy taking more pictures than me (and better ones at that!). Each one gave me a smile as I went by, and I finished the lap in 31 minutes with a heart rate of 145 bps. Still on track!

(Joe Swenson on his way to winning the 100k)

Lap 6 was where I figured I would slow down, being that it's around mile 21-25. But a quick shot of Hammer Gel, some sunscreen, and a little 80's funk music kept me cruising right along. As I came around the first corner, Tim O'Rourke was walking on his way back saying something about calf cramps. I slowed to make sure he was okay, but he just waved me on and said to keep charging. I drank some extra water at the aid station, and my bladder was giving me the 10-minute warning. I kept an eye out for a port-o-potty with a short line, but didn't see one. What I did see was the #2 guy blowing up and walking to the side of the road. It looked like something right out of NASCAR, with steam pouring off of him as he slowed to a stop. I gave him a pat on the back as I went by, wondering if that meant I was in first place. I finished the lap in 30 minutes and change, and the heart rate was...142 bps?!? Wow! Then let's keep it up!

(Singh Anurahda and a fellow runner enjoy the sun)

Rajeev shouted out "Dunlap! You're gonna win this thing!", confirming I was in first as I went into the last lap. I let Stan Jensen and the others know where #2 was, and soon saw Tim O'Rourke who was hollering and cheering me on. What a great guy! I switched the tunes to some Sevendust, and leaned forward to increase my pace a bit, knowing I was going to have to stop for a bio-break. I did my best to go quickly, then eased into the 7-min miles again. Just when I started to break down a bit, I caught up to Adam Blum, RhoMobile Team Captain. He saw I was faltering a bit so he picked up the pace so I could hang onto him, and kept me entertained with jokes, stories, and techie nerd stuff. He pulled me right into the finish, where I hit my watch and crossed the finish line.

Holy cow. 31 consecutive 7-minute miles for a time of 3:37:22. The fastest and most consistent race of my life, and I felt great at the finish! What the heck just happened?!? I was supposed to be holding back for the love of Peet! Rajeev let me know it was an age group course record as well, and we laughed about how bad ass it sounded that I had to take a quick photo with my award and then leave early to catch a red eye to Boston. But I didn't fell bad ass at all, just lucky to have shared a great day running with friends.

I changed my clothes, grabbed a brewsky, and headed back to the start to cheer the other runners on. 58-year-old Todd Hayes came in 2nd place in a remarkable 3:55, setting an age group course record. Soon after him, Jean Pommier finished in 3:59, struggling with asthma and calling it a day (he's the only guy I know who could weeze his way to a sub-4 hour 50k). Leslie Carboni won the Women's division in 5:45. I would later find out that Joe Swenson (9:21) and Wendy George (12:14) won the 100k, and Sean Lang (7:24) and Jean Suyenaga (9:25) won the 50-mile. I should note that 13-year-old Jodie Huerta finished in 7:46, setting a new age group course record as well.

(Vivek Rao shows he is still running strong)

As I sat on the plane to Boston, I was still scratching my head singing that song from The Producers - "where did we go right?". I guess some days it just all comes together. I hoped the same karma would come together for my Dad's first Boston Marathon on Monday, or at least enough to find the finish with a smile. As I looked through the pictures from the race, I realized I still got more satisfaction from 31+ smiling faces than 31 perfect miles. Maybe somewhere in that feeling is the real secret to a PR.

Off to Boston!

- SD