Slow Is Me: Lotteries

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Lotteries

Forget the Great Red Cup Debate, this is the season of ultra running lotteries. This is the first year I have bowed to the lottery gods (and none of them care what I drink my coffee from...) Somehow all the races I want to do next year, except our road marathon, are lottery entry.

Gordy Ainsleigh - WS100 founder - credit: Luis Escobar

Western States 100 - is the big one, and my name is already in that hat. UltraSignup has a page where you can check the applicant list, and my name is among 3258 others when I checked at 1pm today (up from 3046 last evening). I can't see if there's any way to find out how many tickets each name has. Last year with two days to go there were about 2500 names, so it looks like it's an even bigger pool this year. For the 2015 race, a single-ticket applicant had a 4% chance of being selected. A guesstimate this year was around 3500 names with 9200 tickets... I'm really counting on low probability, preferring to have more experience under my belt before toeing the line. Just in case, don't cross your fingers for this one!

Way Too Cool - credit Myles Smythe/UltraSportsLive

Way Too Cool 50k - I didn't really care about this race until about 3 weeks before the 2015 event, then I really wished I could go. There is a LOT of runners at this event, which might drive me crazy, but might be fun. Those I know who've run it say it's different having so much company, but no problem. This year it falls 5 weeks before Lake Sonoma, so could be a great training run as long as I treat it as such. Which I'm not very good at...

One of the (many) hills at LS50 - credit Myke Hermsmeyer

Lake Sonoma 50 - My first attempt at an ultra, and my first trail race. (*Note - I don't recommend this race for anyone in that position...) Also, did I mention that 3 months prior I ripped my knee open and it didn't stop bleeding for six weeks? And that I had absolutely no clue what the heck I was doing...? First ultra, first DNF (of only 2), and I want to tackle it again! A relentless but beautiful course.

Bad memories of this hill (twice) at Headlands 50 - credit Lubor Ptacek

Miwok 100k - Between Sonoma and Miwok, I would probably prefer to run Sonoma. The bonus to Miwok is that a sub-16 hour finish is good enough to qualify for 2017 WS100, which would take care of that little task. At a month apart, if I trained really hard over the winter, I could possibly do both, blending recovery and taper with one long run in the middle (Mendocino 50k - April 23). Doable, but I'm less than enthused. Also, stairs...

The waterfall in Russian Gulch, Mendocino 50k

I haven't even really looked at events later in the year, since planning that far ahead is asking for things to go wrong, and it would really depend on how the first six months go. I have a couple races in mind that I would like to try my hand (foot?) at, as well as a few endurance rides that would take up some of my weekends. There are plenty more lottery races as well, but my poor brain can't handle it! With careful planning and some good luck, it would be feasible to do all the above. However, that's a lot of running and racing in a short space of time, and I think that was a big part of my slow recovery this summer. I have race FOMO!

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Oh! The Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

Slow Is Me

Motivators..

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Lotteries

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Trails

Countdown!!

Rocko :)

Sunsets