Up, Up and Away

My mom, Jane Watson and I are driving to our designated spot, the start of leg 3 that Jane will run, about 17 miles from the start of the 72-mile Lake Tahoe Relay. We listen to the news about the results of the Iranian election on the radio. A few minutes go by as we pass the shops, small businesses, casinos and hotels of South Lake Tahoe.

We continue to drive in search of any sign of the race. At 8:22 AM we get a call from Suzette, who's finished her leg. Later the first runners appear. We've caught the slower runners, and the sight is inspiring. Everyone is pushing themselves to a common destination, like a flock of migratory birds.

The runners become more concentrated and we look for Tony Fong. Leg 2 starts at 6,200 feet altitude, with a finishing climb up to 7,000 feet over the last three and a half miles. As we approach the tunnel on the runners' path we see Tony moving pretty well. I was supposed to run this leg, but Tony wanted to run early in the race, and I had assigned the hardest legs, 2, 4 and 6, to the men. Tony's running the first of them, and I'm glad it's him instead of me.

We pull into the large parking area at the leg 3 handoff and see Suzette. Her time was excellent, 1:17:36, a minute and 24 seconds faster than I scheduled. We're second among mixed masters, 4:14 behind Tahoe Redondo. Suzette reports that her leg wasn't too hard and that she would have run faster if she were more familiar with the course.

Tony, pictured with Suzette above, arrives in 1:04:47, putting us just 23 seconds behind what I planned. He and Suzette put us in great position, and confirm the accuracy of the times I had predicted. At this pace we will record a very fast total time. Tony passed 13 runners, placing us 30th overall. I check the results and see that no other team with a number in the 90s, the coed masters teams, has reached the third starting point. We are first in our division, 2:54 ahead of Tahoe Redondo. The photo below shows Suzette, me and Jane awaiting Jane's start of her leg.


Clinging to the Lead

My mother and I drive a few miles into leg 3, pull off at a scenic overlook and wait for Jane. While there we see Len Goldman, president of the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders, who gave me many valuable tips regarding the race. Len, pictured below, has run this thing about 14 times. LMJS's men's 60s team has won its age division 11 years in a row. The LMJS women's 50s team and the LMJS men's 60s and 70s team have the course record for their divisions. The club's history with the race goes back more than 30 years, and Jack Zakarian has run it more than anyone on LMJS, nearly every year. Jane approaches afterwards and waves me off for water. She looks strong and relaxed, and is carrying her own water. She tells us to meet her at the end.

I get to the fourth handoff and check the clipboard. No mixed masters team has arrived. Mom and I see Jane run toward me...and then past me when she doesn't realize that her leg ends with a sharp left turn. I yell at her a couple of times, and Jane retraces her steps, finishing in 1:21:18, a mere 18 seconds longer than I predicted. Jane passed five more teams, putting us in 25th place overall, and gaining two more minutes on Tahoe Redondo.

For the second time this year Jane taps me in a relay, and it's my turn to run. Leg 4 is the longest in the race at 12.4 miles. It's not the most difficult, but Len Goldman advised me to put our fastest runner here. With Tony switching with me, we've got Len's alignment. I'm matched with fellow blogger Sarah Lavender Smith of Tahoe Redondo. Sarah's a very good runner who's won Lake Chabot and specializes in trail races and ultras.

I've run at altitude but never raced anywhere higher than St. Louis. Len advised me that the altitude at Lake Tahoe adds 30 seconds per mile. I run the first mile in 6:40 just about the right adjustment from my half marathon pace. The weather is pleasantly cooler than normal, so I don't take any water with me. This is a mistake as the dry and thin air sucks the moisture out of me. Two miles into my leg Jane gives me water. I gulp as much as I can, very appreciative of my teammate's support.

At three miles I approach the only hilly part of my leg. It's a two mile climb with a decline of the same distance. A road sign says that Kings Beach is in four miles, which is where the hill portion ends. As the ascent begins I gain on a runner and eventually pass her. The hill is only 200 feet, but feels much higher with the altitude. I'm looking forward to the end of my leg, but I'm less than halfway done.

As the fatigue grows I consider walking some of the uphill segments, as I did in recent races at Tilden and Lake Chabot. No one is around me, and nobody will know that I've taken a break. But the thought of my teammates and the efforts they are giving keeps me running. Fortunately, whenever my legs tell me so stop I reach the crest of a hill and cruise downhill.

By the time I approach Kings Beach I've run from Nevada into California and have passed another two runners. Running by a cafe, I see Len, who yells, "We're having breakfast!" At first this statement makes no sense to me. I've been up since around 6 AM, have seen Suzette and Tony finish their runs, spent an hour in the car with Jane, and am now halfway through my leg. It feels more like mid-afternoon. Then I realize that it isn't even noon.

My mother enjoys my races, and I'm surprised to discover that this one is probably the best for her to attend. I had expected the opposite since the 120 teams are scattered around the lake, spreading out as the day progresses. Instead, spectators driving the course get to glimpse the runners at several points. In addition, the spectators can even participate as relief volunteers since teams provide their own water. Mom did just that, as Jane captured in this great photo.

Jane and Mom give me water three times, which is more than I'll take in any race other than a marathon or a really hot race. I had been concerned with the forecasts throughout the week of rain during the race. Today's somewhat overcast conditions were better than if we had full sun. As I near the end of my leg I see the flags for the handoff to Diane Dove. Tagging Diane is the best feeling I can remember in a long time. I double over and gasp for air. I am completely gassed, but exhilarated, exhausted and relieved.

I had scheduled the handoff for 12:06 PM. My watch says 12:07 PM. We are running a schedule as tight at German trains. My time of 1:23:52, a pace of 6:48, puts us 14 minutes ahead of Tahoe Redondo, but Cool Cats of Los Gatos, who are now the closest competitors in our division, are just four minutes behind. Tony predicted that I would gain 10 minutes on our division, which didn't happen. Sarah Lavender Smith lost 90 seconds in the bathroom, so my nine-minute advantage over her was only about seven and a half, and Cool Cats ran a few seconds faster than me.

Diane is perhaps our most gifted runner. She races infrequently and never does speed work, but almost always finds herself with an age-group award. Recently she was the women's winner at a turkey trot, and she's in her mid-50s. More relevant to me, she was my teammate at the 2006 Couples Relay that we won. A junior college all-America as a swimmer, she qualified for nationals in track after transferring to San Francisco State. While this is not recent history, I know that having her on the team is a big advantage. Diane runs the longest leg we've assigned to a woman, and does well, finishing in 1:22:18. She outruns everyone in our division except Cool Cats, who ran three minutes faster. I suspect Cool Cats ran a male on this leg, and after more than 50 miles of racing our lead is just 1:01.

We Came, We Saw, We Had a Blast

Could John hold our lead? Mom, Jane and I checked in with John ahead of his run. John was ready to go, and we told him to take it easy because of the altitude. His leg is the toughest, with a 500-foot climb over the last two miles. John comes through brilliantly, finishing in 1:27:07, the fastest time in our division. John opens an eight-minute lead over Cool Cats and expands the advantage over on Tahoe Redondo to nearly 17 minutes. He hands over a big lead to Holly for the final leg.

We drive back to the cabin to get cleaned up before heading back to see how Holly finishes. The clouds that have hovered for the day start to produce rain. I'm feeling bad for Holly as the rain intensifies. I hope she'll be okay. When we get back to the cabin Jane and I devour the chips and cheese dip that John's wife Cathy brought the night before.

Fully refreshed I return to the finish line around 4 PM. John and others in our party are waiting, reporting that Holly's running well. Off in the distance we see a small figure dressed in white. Diane is running alongside, pacing Holly through the last quarter mile. She finishes in 1:26:40, more than six minutes faster than planned. She holds on to our lead, which is nine minutes faster than Tahoe Redondo, our closest competitors.

Our total time of 9:17:38 is the sixth-fastest mixed masters performance out of 52 recorded teams since 2000. Everyone ran well enough that even if one person had a bad day we still could have won. John said the women saved us, but he's only 4/7 correct. Suzette and Holly ran faster than I predicted, but everyone else improved or held our overall position as we increased our lead over similar teams. The photo below shows Suzette, Diane, me, Jane and Holly with our awards. We weren't able to get the team together after the race, so Tony and John didn't make the photo.

As much as we enjoyed winning, the team had a great time. The common bond that the team had before the relay was that they were friends of mine, but now everyone has made friends with each other. The race was exciting, and the weekend was just as enjoyable. Suzette has run more races than she an remember, going back to the 1980s. She says this was her favorite race. I agree. Doing something I love with great people.

Thanks to Mandy and and everyone who came to Tahoe this weekend. Runners need support and flexibility in their schedules to train and compete. Our support teams gave up a weekend to watch and encourage us, and help with meal preparation and household duties. Just as the seven runners, the people who joined us bonded and established new friendships. This was the best race ever.

Initiation Rites

On the eve of the Lake Tahoe Relay the East Bay Flyers gathered for a celebration of running and bonding. My sister Valerie opened the festivities with two readings of inspiration.

I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs. -- Jesse Owens

There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life. But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint. So, too, are you. Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be. -- George Sheehan

Following a brief interlude, the Great Wittoni entered the great room of the cabin in South Lake Tahoe. Bearing a great physical resemblance to me, the Great Wittoni explained that pressing a Cliff Bar to his temple would give him visions of wisdom.

He began his presentation with his eyes closed. "This person has the best body in the Bay Area running circuit," said Wittoni. "I would know this because I have hugged this person more than anyone else at races. This person is strong and solid. This person is like a rock. It is John "Rock" Pettinichio.”

John approached the Great Wittoni to receive his inscribed medal. Next, Wittoni bestowed a medal to Holly "Super" Starr, imparting to those gathered that she was also lucky and shooting.

Following those words of wisdom a great wind rushed through the room, knocking the Great Wittoni off balance. "I feel an irresistible force," said Wittoni. "A strong wind, so hard to fight. It's Hurricane Jane Watson!"

Next Wittoni honored Diane "Wings" Dove for her great last name and speed. Tony "Ambassador" Fong was named for his many roles promoting running.

Finally, the Great Wittoni said, "I have saved the best for last. I am watching this person run with thousands of runners. She's running the Boston Marathon...and she's on Heartbreak Hill. In front of her is Bill Rogers, four time Boston Marathon winner. Then she gains on him...and then she passes him. She's passing Bill Rogers on Heartbreak Hill! This medal is for Suzette Smith: "Heartbreaker".

The Great Wittoni announced he was appearing at the Reno Holiday Inn all next week, and then departed. Inspired and bedazzled, the East Bay Flyers retired to bed and rested for the next day's long competition.

Superfriends

The evening of the Lake Chabot Trail Challenge half marathon I meet with my team that will run the Lake Tahoe Relay next Saturday, June 13. I am so excited to run with this group, running friends old and new. The relay is 72 miles around Lake Tahoe, with each person running about 10 miles. The event takes all day, and even competitive teams will finish in more than nine hours.

Witte's 7

I floated the idea of forming a team last year to John Pettinichio, but didn't get a strong reaction. This year I mentioned it to Jane Watson around the time of the Couples Relay in February. A few days later I ran into Suzette Smith on the running path in Alameda, who said she was interested. I put a feeler out on Facebook for fast masters runners and soon was in contact with Holly Starr. So far, so good with three women. Then I did a little investigation and tracked down Diane Dove on her lunch break at work. I felt a little like Danny Ocean, George Clooney's character who recruits a team of ex-cons to rob three casinos in "Ocean's 11." Diane said she was in.

I then sent John an email. "John, I have four women, I need some guys!" John said he'd run. Needing just one more runner, I hoped to get Tony Fong, envisioning him as our cleanup hitter. After a few emails, phone calls, and requests to Suzette to elicit a response from Tony, he finally sent me an email, "Count me in."

I sent a message to the group: "We have a team!"

I was delighted and surprised how easy it was to assemble the team: all strong runners and among my favorite people on the running circuit. This is my list of the top six people that I hoped would join the team, and they all accepted. There are no weak links.

• Diane Dove: 2005 Boston Marathon in 3:28, co-winner 2006 Lake Merritt Couples Relay
• Tony Fong: 2007 Chicago Marathon in 2:44, cross country and track coach at St. Joseph's High School in Alameda
• John Pettinichio: 2006-2008 East Bay Triple Crown Joe King (50+) Winner
• Suzette Smith: 2008 and 2009 Boston Marathon qualifier and girls cross country and track coach at St. Joseph's High School
• Holly Starr: 2006, 2008 East Bay Triple Crown Ruth Anderson (50+) Winner
• Jane Watson: 2008 and 2009 Boston Marathon qualifier, and my teammate on the 2009 Lake Merritt Couples Relay
• Larry Witte: other half of Couples Relays with Diane and Jane, big fan of Suzette and Holly, West Valley teammate of Tony, and comrade in legs with John

Scouting Report

I came up with the name East Bay Flyers (four from Alameda, one each from Berkeley, Walnut Creek and Hayward), and entered the team with high hopes. If the women could average nine-minute miles and the men could run seven-minute miles, we would finish in about 9 hours and 48 minutes, very competitive in our division, Mixed Masters. I did more analysis because I wanted runners to arrive at their starting points some time close to when they would take over from the previous runner. This seemed to be the preferable alternative to driving around the lake for nine hours with six of your less aromatic friends.

Based on what I knew of everyone's ability, and adjusting for terrain I came up with a finishing time of 9:20, which would be the sixth-fastest in our division since 2000. I reviewed my estimates a few times and couldn't convince myself to be any more conservative. Our team had more women than men, and our average age was nearly 50, but while most Mixed Masters teams were more male and perhaps younger, I didn't think we were disadvantaged. We had a strong team and I felt there was already cushion in my estimate.

The 2009 race has more coed masters teams than every year since 2000, except 2002. There will be plenty of competition. Here is my take with team numbers before each name:

• 90. Tahoe Redondo: A team of four men and three women who competed in the last six races in the open coed division. They look to be in pretty good shape and have finished under 10 hours each time, although they are getting slower with a 9:52 in 2008. They may be our stiffest competition.
• 91. Homewood Homie's: New team with goofy name. Not a concern.
• 92. Slammin'Slugs: Finished in 12:04 last year.
• 93. East Bay Flyers: Yey!
• 94. Sundance til Sundown: Finished in 12:20 in 2007.
• 95. Cool Cats of Los Gatos: New team with a smaller talent base than the East Bay.
• 96. Graying & Sagging, But Never Lagging: New team. I'm not sure to give greater weight to Graying and Sagging or Never Lagging. They could be bad or good.
• 97. Team Tipps: Family team that finished in 10:58 last year.

My prediction: we'll finish first or second.

Persuasion by Pam

"Hey, you made it! I'm so proud of you!" Pam Ben Rached then gives me a high-five and a hug as she greets me.

"This race I can handle," I reply. "I'm skipping Woodminster."

My first and only prior interaction with Pam was three weeks ago. Very funny packed with energy, Pam and her husband Mourad own a fitness studio in Castro Valley, Body by Pam. A personal trainer in the Denise Austin mold, Pam doesn't have any reservations about giving praise and opinions. Pam introduces me to her daughter Jasmine and Mourad, and we have a brief and animated discussion about my participation at Woodminster race, the third leg of the East Bay Triple Crown.

Pam wants me to run Woodminster, but it's the site of my worst race since 2004. The course's steep and long hills and single-track downhills caused me to finish 38th overall, 16th in my age group. I never run trails, and I think it's pointless to lose at Woodminster when I can win on the flat course in Pleasanton on the same day.

Pam's not convinced. Why do something you're comfortable with when you could challenge yourself, do something different and improve your fitness? She's got a point, but part of my motivation for being in shape is to win something. It's my reward for running four mile intervals on a treadmill at 5:30 AM. If I don't win a $2 medal I'll sleep later, run less, and then lose interest in the sport.

Right before the race I tell John Pettinichio that we have to stick together today, since we've finished one second apart the past two years. John tells me to run ahead. He's going to take it easy since he's running the Lake Tahoe relay with me the following week.

Weather is perfect. There's no sun, which is important as we climb the fire trails above the lake. The race is uneventful. I reach the Lone Oak trail with a lot of caution. With no real strategy I decide to run until I feel strained, which causes me to walk at least part of every uphill for the next two miles, or what I judge to be that distance. The Castro Valley Track Club organized the race and didn't place mile markers on the course. This is pretty frustrating for those running a half marathon.

I reach the dam toward the end of the race, where I suffered severe side stitches last year. (See "Buddy System", June 2008.) This year I feel very comfortable and finish in 1:37:37. This is only 44 seconds slower than last year, and I ran an easy race. I finished 14th overall and first in my age group (M40-44).

The women's winner was Nancy Morales (F44), now running with the Impalas. I remember Nancy when she won the women's US Half Marathon-San Francisco in 2004. I saw her at another race and tracked her performances on the internet until she disappeared from of the scene. Nancy dropped out of the sport after a very disappointing finish at the 2006 Napa Valley Marathon, but she's making a strong comeback. It's nice to see her happy and running so well.

When my name is announced for my award, Pam says in a voice about three octaves below normal, "WOOD-MIN-STER".

I can't let it go, so I ask her to flex her arm. I squeeze her bicep and say, "I can't compete with that."

"What do you mean?", she says. "You run with your legs, not your arms.

"True," I say, "but you need a strong upper body to balance on trails."

"Come on," she says. "Look at you."



Having no response, I laugh and say goodbye to Pam and her family. Maybe I'll see them at the Run to the Lake in Castro Valley.

John also won his age group (M50-54), 1:19 behind me. He has a four-minute lead in the East Bay Triple Crown Seniors division, named after Alameda's Joe King, meaning that he'll run Chabot, Lake Tahoe and Woodminster on consecutive weekends.