Cool is one of the most competative 50k's in the country and darn hard to get into! Lewis won in 3:41. Registration closed in 7 minutes 33 seconds this year.
I have ran with Lewis a few times, when he so graciously said he didn't mind running at a snails pace. We have gone to a few races together last year. One of the nicest guys I know.
He finished in front of some pretty fast company, Graham Cooper, winner of Wester States 100 in 18:17, and Jonathan Olsen winner of Rio Del Lago 100 at 16:30. And I am sure I am missing other top notch ultra folks.
Lewis, a.k.a., L.C. (lower case) is new to ultra's with really only two years under his belt. He writes for the Eugene Registar Guard news paper but when he writes e-mails they are always in lower case, little puctuation and has been known for run-on sentences.
With the win he has a spot open for States if he wants it. He is a two time loser so he would have got in next year but now it just looks like he will have to train his but off for the next 104 days.
Lewis will soon be part of the Sunsweet Ultra Running Team . He just hasn't received his prunes as of yet.
Lewis first learned about ultra's when he interviewed four crazy guys in Eugene that were getting ready for States, Bili, L.B., O.D., H.N. (brother, Craig, Ed, Ticer.) They convinced L.C. to join them on trail runs and do Wednesday speed work at Hayward Field. He was bitten.
I think Brother and Craig finished outside of top ten. Meghan was second!!! Way to go G.M. I wonder if that means French Kiss won?
Meghan, showing her team spirit last year at States. Bev in yellow.
You can read about how they got their nicknames on the Sunsweet Ultra site .
As for me, I SLOGGED through a 30 mile trail run with only 3500 feet of gain. Oh, it was UGLY!!! Glad I was alone, nobody could possible have stayed at that slow a pace. But this is my first week of high milage, high milage for me that is. So, I was kinda thinking this might happen with a 50k just last Saturday.
Will post more when the results of Cool are posted.
Now just one more slog tomorrow.
Race update:
remembered that i had Lewis' cell...
l.c., eugene, or ........ 1st, 3:41
rod bein, bend, or........ 7th, 3:57
craig, eugene, or ........ 25th, 4:14 and he got CHICKED!!!
brother jeff, or ........ 38th, 4:26, rough day, CHICKED!!!
tom adkins, eugene...64th, 4:39, sorry dude, CHICKED!!
FRENCH KISS WON!!!
beverly anderson-abbs..... 1st, 4:07. WHAT A STUD!
meghan, aka gay man....... 4TH, 4:18!!! SWEEEEEET
Stephanie Gehrsitz, NY...... 6:25. WOOO HOOO, YEA!!! WAY TO GO STEPHANIE!!!
all i know is bili had a rough day. after all he is not tapering and still doing 100+ mile weeks now. bummer. well not every race can be epic. brother is focusing on just one thing... States. i am sure he will be ready.
9 comments:
Hey Tom, here's Bev on the Runningskirts.com website in her Team Sunsweet shirt.
http://www.runningskirts.com/RunningSkirtsinAction.html
It's a small world we live in!
Thanks for keeping me fired up for Boston! It's so great hearing stories from people who PR'd there, because weather permitting, I really want a PR there!
I'm just learning about ultras so forgive me for asking this but to Ultra runners, is the Western States 100 like Boston is to marathoners?
Yes, States is the "Boston" of 100's. It is the first 100. Not the hardest by any means but still pretty tough. Some good climbs and decents. One thing you will always get there is heat. Some years in the high country you may run through a bit of snow. I think only six miles last year.
Tons of hoopla for this race. Not for everybody I figure.
Most of the time you have good weather for Boston. Yes, a few years ago it was above 80 degrees but that is not normal. No real climbs. You probably won't even know you are on heart break hill until you read signs on the side of the raod. Really not a hard course at all.
Lot's of hoopla for that race, goes without saying.
tom
Very, very nice. Congratulations; sounds like everyone had a great time.
What's the deal with this coaching thing? Sounds interesting.
I was just feeling pretty good about my time being 6:25 until I saw your brothers'!!!!!
Too bad you weren't out there with us. It was an unbelievable experience and I will tell my story once I get back to NYC. I'm still in Cali today!
Sister Smile...
Coach...
I needed a motivator this year. I run alone most of the times and I find it hard to motivate myself during many weeks of close to 100 mile weeks. Just a lot of work.
I found a coach that was willing to put up with me. My coach watches not only my training schedule but also other things, i.e., what I eat, what I eat right after a long or hard run, when I run, what kinds of runs I do. Monitors my stretching etc...
There are only a few races that I get after. So, I might be entering a 50 mile race at the tail end of a 110 mile week. It is just a good way to practice what I do in longer races that I want to "race".
No, I am not fast. A mid packer at best. But I just want to give it my best effort in a couple of races a year.
So, I got a coach to be a motivator this year. States was all I needed last year. But I didn't get in this year so I needed to find something to kick my butt a little.
So, things are going well. Running close to 100 miles a week and taking in tons of protein. Dropping a couple of pounds and feeling good. Sore almost every day but that is because of ramping up right now. It will take six weeks for that to go away.
Going to races but don't really care about my time. Just a great way to practice running long. After all I have only a couple of goals this year... Get after Waldo!!! No, I won't be fast but I just love that race. Second, run hard at a 100. I won't place high in either race, I don't care. I just want to give it my best effort.
So, I got a expert coach to help motivate me.
It is working so far. I haven't missed a run/workout yet. I am following coach's orders. Haven't got beat down so far, thank goodness.
That is about it. Coach to help motivate. Run hard at Waldo and at one 100. That is the plan. Enjoy another 100, without racing and taking tons of pictures!!!
I am just looking forward to this year.
tom
Hey Tom! great images. You're prediction of Lewis was correct! Did he run prior to doing ultras? marathons/half-marathons?
Some fast times at Cool! Wonder why Grossman did not run?
Glad to hear the training is going well!
-WynnMan
Eric might have not been on-line at 8am on December 2nd like I wasn't. Arggghhhhhh. the race closed in 7 minutes 33 seconds!!!
Lewis has ran a few marathons. Fast. but not blistering fast. he is kinda new to running really. he hangs out with L.B., tom adkins, Bili, Scott Wolfe (sub 2:30), on wednesdays doing speed work. L.B. has tons of knowledge and loves sharing info. that is where l.c. gets a lot of info.
so now we will have the joy of watching l.c. run his first 100 at states. he should be in the "mix" i figure. (even though the mens field is deep this year) he should be there if things go right. it will be fun.
l.c. is doing Angeles Crest also. he paced bro last year onto a 5th place finish.
i will be taking tons of pictures on that day. it will be a blast.
tom
Thanks for the update on WTC. I may need to run this one day. See you this weekend at Chuckanut!
Hey Tom, Yeah, eventually I may get a pair of minimal snowshoes for a race here or there, when Nationals comes back around again maybe. Even though I've been trashing snowshoe racing on my site, all in good fun though.
My Atlas are the same pair you have I believe. They were the lightest version they had last year. They have blue/yellow straps. They aren't bad at all actually for just messin around in. I just don;t like extra crap on me.
I should be good for IceAge, I've trained much better this year and have a year of running under my belt. Andy helped lead me through the course last year for most of the way before he went on to break the tape. I definitely want to do Zane at some point, but I figure I would probably do better if I wait a couple years.
So you got to witness COOL race.. how is that course? is it actually that hilly?
Some of the guys who made the National snowshoe team this year were road runners too. Jeff Beck- skinny guy 2:14 marathoner and Kelly Mortenson 2:19 marathoner, both road runners, however Hexum's mountain and trail running skills did both of them in, as he reeled Jeff in after the 3rd hill. It was a road runners course, but enough hills and snow to give strength the advantage.
-WynnMan
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