So on Saturday I went down to the Bay to run the North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon - it's a race specifically designed to break you - with hills that last forever with impossible inclines, having to navigate sometimes less-than fire trail, and only a couple aid stations, not to mention the freezing temperature, this was a North Face sponsorship-worthy race...This is the profile of the thing:
And yes, it was as difficult as it looks... AND there were only 363 people running it, which was awesome...
This is the view from the parking lot - the start line is just off to the left, but you can't see it from here...
The good thing about it were three-fold:
1. I was one of the very very very very few in the minority who did not walk at all... that's right, I ran the whole dang thing, oftentimes slow, as you can tell from my splits:
Mile 1: --- 8:41
Mile 2: --- 9:54
Mile 3: --- 10:34
Mile 4: --- 7:38
Mile 5: --- 8:15
Mile 6: --- 11:58
Mile 7: --- 10:53
Mile 8: --- 8:39
Mile 9: --- 13:19
Mile 10: --- 11:14
Mile 11: --- 9:52
Mile 12: --- 7:45
Mile 13: --- 7:41
2. I got to run for about 3/4 mile with a legend named Dean Karnazes, who once ran 50 marathons in 50 straight days, and who is a long-distance running guru... we talked about strategy on hills, how best to run marathons, how he keeps going, fueling and all that - his top piece of advice: don't stop, cause once you do, you're done mentally, having most likely already given up at that point... even if it's slow... just keep swimming... Wait... that was Dory... he said just keep running...
3. The views were amazing - this is the one race that I actually thought about bringing my video camera and video-blogging afterward, but I ultimately didn't and regretted it almost immediately after cresting the first mountain... These are not my pics, but some others from the trails I was on...
As hokey as it sounds, that was my reward for topping each and every hill... it was pretty amazing, but it was SO HARD not to quit that I was more proud after that race then after my marathon back in June... Maybe this will mean the marathon coming up in Jan will be a good experience too... Stay tuned...
Monday, December 7, 2009
5 comments:
I'm completly impressed - that's all I can say, completly impressed!
By the looks of your shadow in that last picture it looks like you are stopped, and are on a bike... Weird since you said you RAN the whole dang thing....But hey I am just going of the pictures you provided....
Hey Ryan, by the looks of your comment, you are either illiterate or very unobservant. If you can, try reading number 3 above. But hey, I'm just going off the comment you provided....
Nice work Andy, don't worry about people who make dumb comments, I was at that race and you deserve props for running that entire monster of a course.
Hey thanks Garrett - I really appreciate the word of encouragement - props to you too for finishing, and it was a killer course -
I have to defend my friend Ryan, though - I'm sure he was just trying to be funny and bust my balls - he didn't mean any disrespect, and if he did rest assured that he'll be replaced as a friend presently - but I do appreciate the jump to my defense...
Hey Andy, didn't realize he was a friend! Thought he was just some random dude being an ass so I had to take the opportunity to mess with him... I ran into a few people in SF that were assholes for no apparent reason, figured he was one of them, so my bad Ryan...
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