Sandbagging (verb, "sand-bag-ing): the act of downplaying your abilities prior to race day then subsequently crushing the race. "Dmack is so fit but definitely sandbagging this race, so typical of him."
I averaged about 35 miles/week since Waldo 100k in late August, three months ago. That's the least I've run since I started seriously running in 2010. I happily told anyone who would listen that I'm in the worst running shape since I can remember. No workouts, a grand total of three long runs, a ten-mile running week, and more stoke for rock climbing than running has been my fall. I wasn't signed up for Quad until I put in my notice for quitting my job and additional spots opened in the race. With some peer pressuring from Aylwin and squad, I easily obliged to enter. I ran a fifty mile week with gusto, it felt huge, and then I had to recover from that week. Fast forward 20 days from signing up and I found myself at Old Mill Park in Mill Valley toeing the line with the bros.
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| Spoiler Alert: we finished. |
The strategy was to run with Mundo. Mundo also didn't really train for Quad this year, and we're pretty similar runners as is, so I thought we would race together. Matter of fact, I didn't even think we were going to race, just run. I was legitimately nervous beforehand (a rarity for these silly things). A mix of fear and dread, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Was I going to injure myself? Embarrass myself? I didn't know what would happen on the stairs of the Dipsea. I was sore from rock climbing in Auburn the day before. Oh well, plenty of high fives at the start line, and we were off with no expectations.
The first lap was hot. Temperature wise, but also pace wise. I was sweating and don't think I could have ran much faster. I let the downhill rip after Windy Gap, and chugged along with short strides up to Cardiac, Mundo just in tow. We were thinking 1:10 even splits would do us well. Crossed the mat in Stinson in 1:06. Mundo dropped back and I ran my own race to the finish line. Dane, EZ, Josh, and Alex Ho ran near an hour for the first lap, which was just madness. I really didn't think I was even close to their race and that I was going to blow up big time.
I passed a couple people right out of Stinson, and started feeling good on the downhill back to Muir Woods. Back in Mill Valley I passed a few guys out of the gate and knew I was gaining ground on the field. I even told a volunteer I felt good (for the time being!). Nobody needs the play-by-play here, so I'll summarize. The rest was difficult, a high effort right up against my heart rate limit and lactate threshold, even though I don't know what those numbers actually are. I was in that zone where I was working really hard but also feeling confident and like I was going fast. Competitive juices, rarely seen from me anymore, started flowing. I battled with a couple of guys at the start of the fourth lap, finally overtaking them. At cardiac a bunch of runners were telling me that 2 and 3 were right in front of me. I knew it was Dane and Ezra. EZ's red shorts came into view just before Windy Gap. I put in an extra surge of effort on the initial paved downhill. EZ matched it. Unspoken, I knew we'd finish together. My last home race as a Bay Area resident, with the dudes I love running most with, unbelievably fitting, prideful, sad yet happy. Very much akin to Promise Land 2014. I won't sandbag another race, scouts honor.
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| EZ, less thrilled to be holding my hand than I |
Thank you EZ, Mundo, Ayl, Alex Ho (winner winner!), Dane, for pushing me to sign up for Quad. And growing mustaches, however grungy. I haven't been much into running since August (or really July), so the Quad was positive reinforcement that perhaps I should keep doing the running sport. 2017 has been hard for me, mostly mentally. Rebecca stuck with it all and pushed me to find a new job. She knew that I wasn't myself. Now that I'm essentially finished with Bartlett, I'm not worried about work and have so much more energy. It's awfully sad that work indirectly made me miserable for many months of 2017, if you want to place blame, and now I'm moving to Utah. That sadness turned around to an upbeat last month with multiple renditions of send-off runs and hang-outs. Understated, I'm sad to leave. But I will always remember the feeling of living here, of spending hours on the Dipsea dirt, and finishing that special race with so many people I love, the good ol' Quad Dipsea. See you next year.
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| Quad Squad |
