The Adventures of Familia Bajaboy

Thought I'd take a brief moment and report on my race on Saturday. Lake Sonoma is a new race (3rd edition) but already becoming a classic due to the challenging course and time of year. It's a great tune up race for those doing Western States. In fact, seemed almost everyone I spoke to was doing WS. As you might infer, the field was thick with talent. The course is an out and back route along Lake Sonoma. The course is primarily single track with a number of water crossings and constant climbs and descents. In fact, there is 10,500 feet of climbing with an equal amount of descent. The biggest climb is just before mile 25 and then again over the last few miles. The scenery was stunning to say the least. I was not too confident going into the race. This past year I have had less than stellar performances and have fought a number of illness' and injury. But I did fee somewhat healthy going into the race. Regardless, my goal was to finish with a smile on my face. My p...

It's been a great Christmas so far. We were up late last night visiting with friends. We first stopped by Mike and Jane's place where we ate turkey, scalloped potatoes, wonderful rolls, and a selection of delightful desserts. We left about 10:30 or so and stopped by our neighbor's house for menudo, more turkey, and other fixings. We had some good laughs before saying our good-nights. After putting Gabriel down, we brought his presents for a morning surprise. Gabriel woke up and looked out the window towards Luis' house. It's the first thing he does now in the morning. The two have become such good friends. After Mom made sure we were all ready, we went out to the front room together. Gabriel's eyes lit up when he saw his trike waiting for him. He knew exactly what it was and got on it. We also opened presents from Grandma Jim and Grandma Judy along with a few other presents. Gabriel seemed quite pleased with his gifts. A short while later Grandma Zo...

Happy Holidays! As 2009 comes to a close, we thought we’d take a quick look back on some of the highlights. We had great year full of new challenges, laughter, accomplishments, and a few setbacks. We have nothing but incredible optimism for 2010 and the years to come. Here are a few highlights from this year. The first five months of the year Gabriel was helping Papa train for the PCT 50 mile train run. The two trained all over San Diego County as Zac was staying home with Gabriel. The two had a blast together and Zac managed to finish his first 50 mile race in one piece and with a big smile. Gabriel and Tracy were a big component to his success. Next on the list is the Lake Sonoma 50 mile race and in June he will step up and do the San Diego 100 mile trail race. In June, we went down to our place in Bahia Asuncion for three weeks. We installed a new patio, tile, and planted a number of shade and fruit trees. We also enjoyed plenty of beach time with Gabri...

Well, it's in the books, I have completed my first 50 mile trail run. And trust me, it's more fun than it sounds. Here's a recap of the day. We reserved a camp site at Paso Picacho campground just up the road from the start/finish line. Normally, the race is run on the Pacific Crest Trail through the Laguna Mountains but due to an unfortunate helocopter crash a few days before, the race was miraculously moved to the the San Diego 100 course. One of my new running friends, Kara, drove up and camped with us on Friday. I'm sure Tracy was happy to finally put a face to a name that I had mentioned a number of times before. I woke up at 4:07 am to a potty break and sure enough the alarm was set for 4:30am. Oh well, I hadn't slept much the night before anyways. I made some coffee and marvelled at the warm morning and setting full moon. Kara arose a short time later and soon enough we made our way to the start line about 4 miles down the road. We were surprised to ...

Well, this will be short and sweet. Today, three days before race day, I received word that the race might be postponed. Unfortunately, a military helicopter went down on the PCT course, killing two people, and littering the area with explosives. While I'll admit I was a bit bummed, I kept going back to the fact that two people lost their lives. Move on, I told myself. Later in the day, though, I got word that the race would go on. It now would be run on the San Diego 100 course. Cool, I thought to myself, as I have run much of this course and feel comfortable on it. I think it is a bit tougher but also a bit cooler with more to look at. And, much more run-able with about 6200 ft of elevation gain. Here is a course profile . I reserved a camp spot at Paso Picacho State Campground which also happens to be an aid station. Let's get it on already!

Well, it's been about six months since I first decided to sign up for the PCT 50 mile trail run. Actually, if memory serves, registration did not open until January 1, 2009. Once I saw my name on the website , I knew there was no turning back. I was going to run a 50 mile trail run! With some research online combined with some help here and there from friends, I created a training plan for the race. I would say my plan was some what conservative with my weekly mileage topping out at 65 miles per week although I did include a number of training runs with lots of climbing. Another key to my plan was to focus on quality over quantity. I was more concerned with quality long runs surrounded by quality rest day rather than high volume. This method seemed to work well with my Ironman training and turned out to be the key to staying healthy and fresh during my mileage ramp up. And finally, in order to keep my long runs enjoyable, I entered a number of trail and road runs ( B...

Gabriel has reminded me that its a great thing to act like a child....contrary to what others might say or claim. Statements such as "act your age" or "quit being immature" or "you need to act like an adult" are far over-rated. There are certain times and places where age-appropriate behavior is recommended but I have been having more fun acting like a child lately than acting like an adult. I smile more often, laugh without reserve, and tend to be less cynical about the world. I suggest that you give it a try. Find a child and let yourself go....don't worry about what other adults around you might think....have fun and play like a child. One of my favorite places to do so is while grocery shopping with Gabriel. We play all sorts of games together. We have fun with each other and I enjoy the reactions of people around me. I suppose I might have reacted that way prior to Gabriel's arrival but not now. My kid spirit has been released once ag...