 | |
| Dave Mackey took over the lead from Mike Wolfe for good here at Pirates Cove. Photo by Gary Gellin. |
I just wrote in my last blog about the super-ridiculous Quicksilver 50 post-race-bbq deserts, so I am gonna run with this food theme. I love food way too much. In fact, I run ultra's so I can enjoy those tasty foods not just after races, but year round.You may have noticed I am a little bigger than the rest of you. :-)
I also recently wrote about how lucky I was to be able to run ultra's again this year after suffering a minor stroke in December.
I told you how ultra-lucky I was to be part of such an amazing ultra running team - Quicksilver.
And, in my last "foody" blog I wrote about how lucky I was to join the Quicksilver Running Club three years ago.
Well, it start's with this guy.
 | ||
| Jim Magill (post 2011 Miwok) with Feta-Spinach Sausage in mouth, with Guinness in hand. |
Fast forward to May 6th, 2011... Jim and I carpool back up to the hostel for the third time... It's Miwok!
A little different this time with only about 20 runners staying at the hostel. However, there are 4 girl scout troops, one grizzly bear and one king in a place with 120 beds or so. You're now thinking girl scout cookies aren't ya? I figure my races aren't that special, so I better find something else to excite you. Enough about running up, running down, how I ate, how I pissed, how I ached, blah, blah, blah. So, there aren't any girl scout cookies, which makes me and you a little bummed out. They should have known there were ultra runners staying here too... and we need Thin Mint Cookies!!!
Rewind real quick:
I reflect back to last year when I volunteered for Miwok to be one of Tia's Parking Czars. I came up solo and ended up not being able to sleep because of this church group from Reno playing "Dungeons and Dragons"
or other "Hogwart-like" games unitl 1 am.
We check in...
...and then off to our separate dorm rooms. Jim is in the Yosemtie room with 10 beds and I am in "Yellow Stone" with 8 beds. In here, we got Amy Sproston and her husband (sorry forgot name, but cool dude) as well as Chris and Darla Askew from Oregon. They all drove down "in the van down by the river" (SNL - Chris Farley reference). Amy got 4th woman and the Askew's tied for 56th. This leave three beds. But first, a little information I must share, I didn't know I would have any ladies in my room this trip. I was forced to sleep with clothes on. Two of the beds are occupied by a euro-traveling couple who had to be bummed when then found out 5 of us were getting up at 3:45am (they were ;^)). The last bed (under my bunk) was, uhh, ... well we don't know. But it looks like some has been sleeping here Grandma because there are food crumbs on this blanket.
We all jump under the covers between 8 and 9. I am unable to sleep because the Girl Scouts are gaming in the great room 12 feet away, so I bust out my phone and play Texas holdem until 10pm. I try again to sleep but can't. I can't blame the girl scouts because it's always like this - I am just too anxious for the race to start. About 10:30 some loud guy picks up the pay phone 4 feet from our door and tells his bank, CHASE, that he didn't make those last four online purchases last night. He continued to argue until 11 or so until the Girl Scouts decided to go to bed and he was sure to say good night to as many as he could. That's a little creepy. At at 11:15 he is still on the phone refuting charges. I then crawl off the top bunk to go see who this cookie monster is. Sure enough, this creature is 6 foot 4, 375 pounds of ooey-gooey HFCS. I sneak into the bathroom take care of business and back to bed. Then... (you know what happens next don'tcha?), yes, it's the frigg'n Grizzly Bear and the cookie monster rolled into one and he is my bunk mate. F@$% me! So, this big hairy stinky dude collapses his massive shrek-like body on his bed. I thought for a second I may not be participating in Miwok as the bunk creaked while it shook. It get's better, since everyone else guessed what happens next, I know you know how this plays out. Dude farts, dude snores, dude can't stop tossing and turning and I call up my friend, the honey badger. (I hope you watched honey badger video before reading on.) Then, I go out to the great room and sleep on the comfy Pottery Barn couch. This was better than the bunk and 7 foot long so I could stretch my legs out. YES! At 3:45am I get up and go in to wake the rest. They are waking too, but funny thing is that Grizzly Bear is gone. huh?
You may have already seen some of my Miwok photos and remember a shot with Ian Sharman and others. He is the US record holder for the fastest 100 mile trail run. Done at Rocky Raccoon against Texas sized competition too - see finisher list. He was also staying at the hostel. So, pardon me if I seem a little rock-star-struck. Just like many other of the "Elite runners" you are able to chat with them from time to time. Ian is just like all the others, humble as can be. Sounds better with the English accent. We all just happen to sit down to eat at the same time about 6pm in the Hostel. Sitting at the table were Bob, Jay, Ian, Jim, and myself. Jay had the best meal. He found an Italian joint in Sausalito and purchased the pesto gnocchi with garlic bread. Ian brought pasts from home, I had sweet potatoes with turkey burger in a homemade tomato saute. Jim busted out "The Hungry Man". Oh yes he did!
Here is where it gets good. Ian brings up the fact that he when he lived in San Jose this past year. He then says he sends an email to the Quicksilver Group to inquire about joining the club. Ian mentioned the reply went something like this, "... we are a loose knit group that doesn't have that many organized runs..." Ian would have looked good in a Quicksilver logo. Nice work Jim. We all know your famous words "loose knit club". LOL But he looks good in The North Face too where he just signed a deal.
Below, is a photo at 430 am when we are fine tuning are race-gear and uni's.
 |
| Greg "Jagger" Lanctot, Ian "King" Sharman, Jim "Hndrix" Magill |
 | |
| Ian, Mr. Sproston, Amy Sproston, Jim Magill, Irish Dancer?, Jay Hark |
Above, you see Elvis, The King. I am going to refer to his blog. He has great stories and is running for a cause. See Ian's Blog: Sharmanian
So where did the Grizzly Bear go? I told this story to 15+ runners at the post-race celebration and all but one remembers the fat guy in the drivers seat of his weather beaten 77 Volvo. He was shoveling potato chips into his mouth. I figured, he needed a drink, a drink drink if you know what I mean. There was no alcohol aloud in the hostel so he probably needed his fix. He must have got up sometime between 130 and 330pm to drive over to the first mile of the course to watch the sunrise and enjoy his libations and chips. Wish I had my camera to catch Sasquatch in action.
There are some great photos that my friend and fellow Quicksilver runner, Jean Pommier took.
See his blog at FartherFaster.
 | ||
| Jean enjoying food Aid Station |
This was his fourth ultra in 5 weeks (AR50, RA100K, QS50K, Miwok 100K). See PA USATF for Norcal Grand Prix Schedule.
Jean ended up taking 376 photos. Jean like to do this during "training runs". I have to share some of his great pics:
 |
| Tia Boddington, Race Director |
 |
| View at mile 2. |
 |
| Dave Mackey (winner), with Hal and Dakota at mile 39 or so. |
 |
| That's me up there. That's Zoro leading the way. |
 |
| I had some time to do my best Sasquatch impersonation. |
Now for the Quicksilver Ultra Racing Team report-------- Facebook link:
This was the 6th event and 9th race on the PAUSATF 2011 calendar. We (QSURT) have been doing quite well, winning practically every team event and several individual races for both men and women. This race was to be very different. We were running on Tamalpa turf. They have over 150 USATF runners to our 26. I think I counted 25 or so Tamalpa racing singlets and tops. Dave Mackey, the winner of Miwok, is Tamalpa's top runner, and one of the best in the world at this distance. With so many great efforts by his teammates on Saturday, I am quite sure they placed first in men's, women's, and mixed team scoring.
With only 8 participants and 7 finishers, I believe (at first glance) we placed second in men's and mixed team scoring.
Men's Scoring:
37th overall 10:17 Jean "Bon Jovi" Pommier
50th overall 10:43 Pierre "Townsend" Couteau
169th overall 13:25 Greg "Jagger" Lanctot
 |
| Pierre Couteau by Jean |
Mixed Scoring:
11th Woman 61st overall 10:59 Clare "Lennox" Abram
178th overall 13:33 Scott "Osbourne" Laberge
45th Woman 196th overall 13:54 Karen "Benatar" Bonnett
 |
| Clare (top), Scott, and Karen. |
It's important that I recognize Scott for his sacrifice at Ruth Anderson 100K (10:07) 14 days before Miwok. He stepped up as Ultra insurance runner for our team allowing me only to run a 50k that same day and be fresh for Miwok. So thanks again for your great gift Scott.
Great pic of Pirates Cove on Coastal Trail at mile 56 by Jean Pommier.
 |
| Nice pic Jean. |
I also must thank my friend, and pacer, Ben Lazzarini. This was Ben's first time pacing and first time running north of Muir beach. I am grateful for his persistence and focus. We had fun and Ben "Nugent" Lazzarini rocked it too. Ben just got hired as the Salomon rep in Northern California. The new "crossmax" are looking sweet. Size 13 please.
 |
| Not only can Ben Pace, but he knows how to get beers too. Thanks dude! |
 |
| Perfect ending... pic with Tia. Thanks to her all all the volunteers. |
Lucky trail rocker,
Greg
Thank you to The Running Revolution in Campbell and Santa Cruz for the great racing tops.
http://www.runningrevolution.com/
