Catalina Half Marathon, November 13, 2021
My biggest running-game takeaway from Catalina Half ’21 is mostly tactical, but of course it was first and foremost a beautiful adventure I got to share with some of my favorite people and a supportive and relentless team of competitors, volunteers, and staff members, all in one of the most stunning locations one could ask for to chase down a demanding 13.1.
Catalina Island feels like a template for what every island getaway should be, especially if you love trail running, and my friends Nikki, Laz, Nathaneal, and Choon were a joy as always to be with and lean into the wonderful sights, challenges, food, and drinks the island has to offer.
My parents and good friends Scot and Yumi (inspiring work on the 10k, nothing stops either of you) were amazing to have on the island for Friday and Saturday, and Run Catalina puts on top tier events as well.
I’m very proud of the performance I turned in, and I can only point to how everything really came together for me with my training, sleep, nutrition, and gear. All the love and gratitude to my family, friends, my incredible team at HOKA, my Coach Kris Brown, Ty, Zandy, and the whole family at Chaski Endurance Collective, and my friends at Drymax, GU, and Naked Sports Innovations who helped me in huge ways in my race.
Looking at my third take at this event, I really wanted to push the rankings I’d caught before in 2018 and 2019 (8th overall and 2nd in my AG, 12th overall and 2nd my AG, respectively). I’ve only grown as a runner since my last time on the island, and with a profile of 2,403 feet of gain with pretty much all the vert coming up to the lip of a free fall at 9 miles, I had plenty of climb to look forward to, as well as the extra spicy impact that comes with seeking competitive paces on the downhill sections.
With all of that in mind, I pitched the #4bytheDread workout on Strava to Kris, a horrendous segment in my favorite spot in Orange County, Whiting Ranch.
The workout was one of my favorites I’ve done, and with more specified workouts by Kris, as well as a 36:47 road 10k in hand from Dino Dash on Halloween, I felt primed for game day on November 13th.
The morning marked the first time I’ve pushed as aggressive a game as possible out of the gate.
I’ve never tried out first place in a race before, and it felt psychotic and right to step into it for a second in the first mile on the road before the trail began.
Soon enough there were five of us jostling about in the front, with Elijah Orr (still the course-record holder and owner of a mind-blowing four wins in a row now), sliding into a lead that would only grow. Mike Kerkman stayed behind him at second, and would tuck in there with a healthy gap of over two minutes in front of third place through the finish line.
But back to that first mile.
From my view falling back into fifth place, I decided I would not let the third or fourth place runners out of my in sight. When I saw opportunity I went in for third place at 2.5 miles, then held it by a margin I’m proud of to the end of the race.
Blake Owens kept the heat on behind me, as did every other runner in the race. This was a hell of a talent pool to be among, and I couldn’t ask for better than the competition and love of the game everyone brought to the table.
At this point the course is almost familiar to me, a friend I’m happy to return to with a smile, a healthy amount of confidence, and my full attention. Anything can happen in any race, and I kept a sharp eye on the gullies and rocks that can turn a dream into a nightmare very quickly on a trail.
The weather was clear and gorgeous, and even though the temperatures climbed into the 80s, I didn’t feel anything but equipped to push my best paces through the entirety of the race.
In my experience no home stretch beats the last 4 miles of the Catalina Half Marathon. Kris recommended pretending like this was a 9-mile race, and boy did I. My splits at the end were brutal to put up, and in my book laying into 4 miles of downhill towards an ocean is one of the most blissful places a person can be.
I’m tremendously thankful and ecstatic to have caught 3rd overall and the win in my division for the day with a 1:39:04 chip time. I’m also very proud of chopping over 4 minutes off my previous PR at the event (1:43:08 in 2018) and to have jumped up 9 spots overall from 2019.
I deeply missed this race in 2020, and I think it shows in my results. It probably goes without saying, but I’m already counting down to next year when, hopefully, I’ll be in a healthy position to take the event on for a fourth time.
I have a hard time choosing my top moment in this race, given that you get to see both sides of the island, and the weather was perfect, and the positive energy from every staff member and fellow runner and friends and family and fans was exceptional. Unparalleled gifts, all of them, so I’ll say the whole thing was my favorite, a clear high point in 2021 for me.
On the gear front the HOKA Mafate Speed 3s were on every point with this event. I depend on and am rewarded every time when I take this franchise into runs when I’m after trail adventures with an emphasis on speed. The stack height couldn’t be better for stomping the downgrades on trail and road that this course offers, and HOKA’s partnership with Vibram puts muscle and torque on both brands every time.
The Naked Sports Innovations running band continues to fit me perfectly and gave me no problems when I needed water and GU throughout my run. Runderwear and goodr sunglasses also keep putting me in a very comfortable and performance-ready position where it counts!
Drymax kept me feeling well-cushioned and ventilated as they always do, and GU Energy Gels have my number with any highly-caffeinated products they make, their chocolate-y and coffee-y (say that out loud) flavors have a friend in me any time.
For my diet I feel like I’ve dialed in prioritizing the meals I eat two days out from race day as the most essential for performance. Red meat does me best, along with lots of vegetables and fruits as usual, all in reasonable portions. Eating light the day before seems to be key for me, and going in lean keeps me feeling strong.
Abstaining from drinking for the week before, ugh, seems to be a winning strategy as well. Can’t overstate the value in post-party carbs, cheers!
Much more love and thanks to everyone I’ve named and those I didn’t have space to name and will always appreciate, stay safe and happy trails, everybody!
