run willow run

i thrill to have 3 long challenges in the near future:

#27 9/20. ultra fest 100 miler on same runnable trail as my june yeti 100. further east. no tunnel. no 21 mile gradual downhill followed by a 21 mile gradual uphill. goal a: sub 16. or a new pr sub 16:18 or 16:41. more details to come.

#28 10/25. salt creek 24 hour near port angeles on the olympic peninsula. 1.3 mile loop with a lot of gradual downhill road running with a narrow 100 ft climb on single track trail and forest steps. i’m not expecting to run as fast as i would in a 100. i will aim to use the steps as a break from running as i try to reach beyond my 24 hour pr of 120 miles.

#29. 12/31 new year’s one day 100 mile option in san jose. 1.03 mile paved loop around cottonwood lake in hellyer park. i will try to run a new 100 mile pr there.

what follows are reflections i wrote about my february race. i never published because i felt sour about my performance.

#25. jackpot ultra 100 miler

cornerstone park, henderson, nv

saturday 15 february 2025

x1 (3rd overall behind m1 and f1): 18:17:59

like angelica, never satisfied?although i evaded the surprise sugar crash of across the years 100 miler, i still wonder why a year ago my performances seem stronger.

able to run the whole thing: at my last 3 races before this one, i lost energy and had to take walking breaks. here i was able to run all 100 miles–as i was able to do in february and april 2024. this dances towards more satisfying racing with an intention to run a little faster each race.

no fueling disaster: i consumed 100-250 calories an hour. nothing felt great, but nothing conjured catastrophe. spring energy gels were, alas, unappealing. my favorite occasional boost was from slightly sweet cold brew coffee with soy milk. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the aid station felt almost too sweet, evoking wooziness. 6oz of mtn dew caused an instant energy chasm. a doctor is helping me to try to discern why simple carbs make me suddenly woozy; i think a more typical diabetic response would be to experience a peak before a valley; it feels like my body shouts warning warning warning when i take in simple sugar. i don’t crave these foods and am happy with oatmeal and lentils and nuts and fruits and vegetables. that said, i worry i am missing the fast train of high carb fueling, and i worry about a sugar shock that is dangerous: recently i tried 3 oz of coconut water and was dizzy instantly and for the next 20 minutes. lots of blood work, but little of my life and training are typical, so we don’t have clear answers.

UCAN and precision 1500 mg sodium tabs

doctors formulated UCAN as a very slow burning carbohydrate for children with severe reactive hypoglycemia; they then developed drink mixes bars and gels for endurance athletes. i carried two liters of UCAN drink mix in 2017 at my first 50k. fiasco: i hadn’t yet figured to carry dry mix and less water so my pack was way too heavy; their formulation was newer and did not mix well. i like their gels that they have since developed