Pending Family Traditions, "The" Trail Run, and Turning the Big 4-2

Racing and reconnecting—how we balanced adventure and family time this week.

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Moments (Nov 25-30)

Family Traditions Thanksgiving at my parents’ house—hosting for the extended family is their tradition. At some point, it’ll be time for the next generation to take over. Now that we're back, we need to establish new traditions. Could we host a more intimate “cousin version” for upcoming and future holidays?

Reunions Caught up with friends from LA we hadn’t seen in five years and some over a decade. The beauty of long friendships? Picking up right where we left off, but now with kids.

Shopping Frenzy I refused to go into a store and fight for parking but the shopping ads are relentless. With easy returns, it’s way too tempting to throw everything into the cart. That's what I did.

DIY Adventures Painted over the bathroom colors I couldn’t stand—blank canvas achieved after 2-3 coats. Should’ve splurged on premium paint! Jero hates painting, and Maricar flat-out refuses to get involved.

Turning 42 Thanks for the warm wishes. Celebrated my birthday on Saturday. Started it with a 5am wake up call for the Quad Dipsea (see details below). Had cousins over that evening and then Maricar and the kids surprised me with “10 Things You Should Know About Daddy” lists and a performance of Love Yourself with personalized lyrics. I’m working on my obituary.

Outdoor Sunshine

• Redwood Regional Park: Ladybug season! Feris and Maricar missed the final stretch.

• Mt. Diablo’s Rock City: Our kids played trail guides for their younger cousins that have no fear.

The Big Kids

• Jero, Lea, and Feris took on babysitting duties all week. Whether at the park, reading books, or inventing games, they kept cousins (ages 1–10) entertained. Since coming back, kids have sprouted up from everywhere.

• On Sunday, they leveled up to dog-sitting hypoallergenic maltipoos.

On the Move

Run With Me on Strava - 57.40 mi, 10,092 ft (Year: 2,799 mi, 233,707 ft)

Taper Week

• Easy running all week—no hills, no tempos, no long distances. My left calf cramped during warm-ups on Monday and Tuesday, so I kept it light.

• Prepared for Saturday's 28-mile Quad Dipsea with 9,200 feet of elevation gain—the race I've been focused on since returning home.

• Sizing up the field of previous years, a sub 5 was a stretch goal. Realistically, it would be more like 5:15 to 5:30. As a benchmark, my double dipsea PR was >3 hours.

Race Day: Fuel, Pace, and Just Right

• Fueling: Targeted 300 calories/hour with a mix of liquids, gels, and solids. Aid station Coke shots = game changer. Honey Stinger waffles? Delicious and efficient. GU chews? Jaw workout.

• Pacing: Kept heart rate <160 and stayed light on descents—one step at a time. Played to my climbing strengths but got passed on descents (especially those relentless steps).

• Just Right: The trails were dry, the views stunning, and the weather perfect. Had company 90% of the time, sharing the experience and pacing off one another.

The 4th Leg: Digging Deep

• At 3:37, I arrived at Stinson beach and all I had to do was one more leg of 7 miles and 2300 feet of climbing.

• My legs were already shaky from all the descents and I switched to survival mode, leaning on my familiar playlist of a dozen songs, and focusing on forward motion.

• The climb from the beach is long and gradual. After two dixie cup shots of Coke, I shuffled forward, one step after another. I had to switch gears again when I hit the steps. That's when it really hurt, focusing on lifting each leg and then pushing off. Legs flirted with cramping. It continued to get worse. When steps turned to a relief, I jogged it out as best I could. If I could only get to the cardiac hill aid station...

• I took another two shots of Coke, grabbed a Honey Stinger waffle at the final aid station, and prayed that my legs could take the final beating as I picked up the pace descending.

• As I made my way to Mill Valley, I did the calculations - it was going to be close. The finish is nearly a thousand steep steps. Despite taking these as fast as possible, I got passed. All good. My goal was in reach and I just had to stay upright. Finished strong with a time of 4:57, surpassing my stretch goal. I may have shed a tear.

Trail Running Community

• Trail runners hold the porta potty door open for the next runner. When passing or getting passed they make way and shout words of encouragement.

• Everyone is going through their own kind of suffering, and yet they have the biggest smiles on their faces.

• The unique format (out-and-back, twice) meant seeing runners multiple times and sharing encouragement.

• The talent level was high, no amateurs here. It's not uncommon for runners to do this race over a dozen times.

• Often times I was toggling between the same runners, as each would play to their strengths and find their 2nd, 3rd, 4th wind etc. My strength was on the climbs and then, I'd get passed on the descents.

Post-Race Vibes

• After the race, I felt great. This never happens on an ultra. I credit the fueling, pacing and weather. My legs were sore but I quickly had an appetite. I congratulated runners that I ran with and talked through our moments of ouch. After seeing the results, it's crazy to see how many runners were within 5 minutes of one another. When on the trails, it feels like they are in another world.

Will I Be Back?

• Maybe. It was an unforgettable day, but keeping this memory might be just as special. Anyone want to join me next year?