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| Graduating class of the Hill Clinic. All photos courtesy of Margaret Gagnon |
We got started on Saturday at Rodeo Beach with the Race Planning and Strategies Clinic. I had typed out this long, detailed overview of what I wanted to cover and, of course, ended up spinning a lot of ridiculous stories of how I've screwed up in races, along with sprinkling in other runners' mishaps due to not planning, including Nick Pedatella's first run of the Bear 100 when he finished second to Geoff Roes in the middle of the night and ended up having to lie in the open field in his running clothes, shivering and near hypothermic all night while waiting for his friend (who had the car key) to finish. Thanks Nick!
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| Me giving James some salt tabs to try out. |
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| Some of us getting ready for a nice run after the race planning lecture. |
We followed up the Race Planning clinic with a nice 10 mile run through the Headlands and then grabbed some seafood lunch and giant beers in Sausalito.
The next day we held the
Hill Running Clinic starting at Tennessee Valley. I could hardly see through the fog going across the Golden Gate Bridge and after getting reacclimatized to the warm dry weather in CO, this 50 degree wet climate had me bundled up in every piece of clothing I brought and the car heater on full blast. Maybe I could teach the clinic from the car…
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| GG Bridge |
Once everyone got signed in, I handed out
Vi Fuel gels and discount cards to purchase more and we headed off to the hill on Fox Trail.
I typically start with an overview, then talk about technique and body position for various lengths, grades, and terrain hills. Then I demonstrate and have everyone do drills to practice. Easy stuff, right?
After the clinic we had some food and handed out several giveaways courtesy of NorCal Ultras, then headed out for an 11 mile hilly (of course) run to Muir Beach, looped around back to TV and finished up the day like we did the previous one at our favorite seafood and beer place on the water in Sausalito.
Thanks so much to all the participants. I had a great time and really enjoyed meeting and talking with all of you. I hope to see you folks again next month when I'm back to the Bay Area for more running clinics.
More photos here (and all of Margaret's photos may be seen on
Facebook HERE)
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| Pen won a Patagonia tech shirt as one of our giveaways, courtesy of NorCal Ultras. |
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| These clinics are for all levels, even Chris Wehan in blue (4th at Miwok 100k!) |
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| Claude and James (won a nice training diary book in our giveaway) |
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| "to beat your competition in hill running, trip them." |
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| Our hills of choice. |
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| Two-by-two drills. |
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| Pre-clinic chatting with Karen and Lauri. |
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| Ken and Chris show how the downhill drill is done. |
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| Pre-clinic. |
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| "Two things you have to remember when running uphill: Breathe in. Breathe out." |
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| Our photographer, self portrait: Margaret Gagnon. |
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| Melanie and Pan practice fast hiking techniques. |
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| Pete and Liana ready to run. |
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| After the clinic we ate some food, gave out prizes and then had a nice 11 mile trail run through the Marin Headlands. |
Great, so now everyone in the bay area knows me as some idiot without enough sense to have a sleeping bag at the end of a race that finishes in the middle of the night!
ReplyDeleteHad a great time Tim (despite missing the first half while running the Coastal trail to Pirates Cove looking for the group!), and this was the second hill clinic at which I won American River 50 Mile schwag. I take this as a sign from the Gods that next year's AR50 is calling me ;)
ReplyDelete-Ken
Nick, consider yourself a martyr for the betterment of running society! Everyone loved that story.
ReplyDeleteHey Ken, great hanging out with you at the clinics and lunch. Sorry you missed the first part of the hill clinic. I thought everyone was around when we settled on Fox Trail. You just missed a little of my droning monologue, which you've heard before. Hope to see you soon. Have a good trip on the boat.