Bonkfest

So the inaugural running of Bonkfest was a moderate success! 8 fearless souls or is that 16 calloused soles(?) started at 7:08 am Saturday, May 31. We were supposed to be starting at 7:00am but due to unforeseen circumstances (grandma's unscheduled ER visit) I arrived a little late for my own event.

A full write-up can be seen at :http://www.clubfatass.com/blog/baldwin-lee/bonkfest-report

Tomorrow, I and a bunch of likeminded individuals will be hitting the Baden Powell Trail from Grouse to Deep Cove for some night time training. The first 10km is the most technical part of the trail and would be a challenge in the day time, much less at night. I need to do some trail running/walking for my upcoming 100 miler in Squamish:

http://homepage.mac.com/designr2/stormy/index.html

Later.

Bonkfest preview

Didn't get to make it to SF this weekend for Bay 2 Breakers for some great trails, beer, and old friends. So I did the drive to Squamish for a pre Stormy training tun, specifically Bonkfest which I'm hosting as a Flash event with Club Fat Ass next Saturday. Bonkfest is essentially multiple loops of Powerhouse which goes up Nine Mile hill via Mamquam Forest Service Road, up Lava Flow trail, down Ring Creek Rip , down Powerhouse Plunge and back down to Powerhouse Aid Station. Stormy 100 miler will require you go up this section twice. Trail was in decent shape, granted, 7.5 miles is a fire road, but 6 miles of that is a hill. Lava Flow trail is very rocky, and Ring Creek Rip was a blast of shaded downhill singletrack. The initial Powerhouse plunge isn't that bad, even though it's rated most difficult for Mountain bikers, for trail runners, it's a lot of fun. But crossing the road to the second part of the Plunge is very fast downhill switchback running with the usual mountainbike obstacles. A little crushed gravel road to the Powerhouse falls and you're back. 3:14 for me, but I did start at 1pm and I took a lot of pictures. Hopefully Ring Creek Rip will be a little more cleared come race day.

My ego and my noggin took a bruising at Miwok

But I did end up finishing in 15:20 so it's not all bad news. Short story: I couldn't keep anything down and relied on water and nuun for the last 20 miles. My sodium levels were dangerously low and I had multiple full blown cramping sessions that oddly came after going up a long hill. My only bright spot was that my pacer, Yvette from SF, wouldn't let me quit. Unfortunately she had to go to a party in Oakland at mile 58 and I was alone again for 4 super slow miles. Fortunately there was no one on the course I could actually drop to so I had to suck it up to the finish line.

I got this little bump at the 22 mile mark, soon after leaving Pan Toll Ridge Aid Station. I hit a low tree branch and knocked myself loopy for a minute. Oh, well. I'll do better next time and you better believe there's going to be a next time!