Southern California Ultra March 31, 2015 Runner’s Grand Prix Series Volume 2015, Issue 1

Please renew your 2015 Membership Registration if you haven´t done so, and encourage all your ultrarunning friends to join at: https:// ultrasignup.com/register.aspx? did=30800!

1st Quarter Leaderboard

Well folks, the first quarter is his- 1 John Radich 112 pts. tory and it´s been a busy period for 2 Timo Siltanen 110 pts. the Series. The 2015 Series officially 3 Wilson Liu 109.7 pts. began on Saturday, Jan. 10 with the historic Avalon Benefit 50 Miler. 4 James George 99.1 pts. Uncle Hal Winton, at 83 years 5 Sylvere Valentin 97.8 pts. young, a member and long time fix- 6 Craig Bronstein 94.2 pts. ture on the SoCal Ultra scene, again completed the race, his (continued 7 Ricky Roane 78.3 pts. on page 3) 8 Larry Rich 72.8 pts. INSIDE THIS ISSUE 9 Jack Cheng 70.9 pts. Final 2014 Series award s ...... 2 1st Qtr Leaderboard ...... 3 10 Alison Chavez 61.6 pts. Preparing for and Racing 100 miles—Pace ...... 3 Ted Corbitt, Ultrarunning Leg- 1 John Radich 174.4 mi. end...... 4 2 James George 174.4 mi. POINTS OF INTEREST 3 Wilson Liu 162.2 mi.  Altitude Training for Non 4 Timo Siltanen 155.5 mi. Elite Runners. http:// 5 Sylvere Valentin 143.3 mi. tinyurl.com/kwc7g6h  The Best Trail Running 6 Larry Rich 131.1 mi. Shoes. http://www.t3.com/ 7 Craig Bronstein 112.2 mi. features/best-trail-running- shoes-to-buy

8 Jack Cheng 100 mi.  Top 5 Mistakes Running 9 Alison Chavez 100 mi. Ultras: Avoiding Common Pitfalls. http:// 10 Jeff Higgins 93.3 mi. trailandultrarunning.com/ top-5-mistakes-in- Yen Darcy 93.3 mi. ultramarathon-avoiding- common-pitfalls/ Kim Elliott 93.3 mi.

1 FINAL 2014 SERIES AWARD WINNERS

On Saturday, January 25, the Series held its annual awards picnic at beautiful Carbon Canyon Regional Park. The weather was perfect and the event was well attended. With Gary Hilliard emceeing, the awards were both inspira- tional and solemn. Gary took well deserved time to remark on Hwa Ja Andrade´s untimely passing and legacy. Eve-

Name MILES Points Races Age Group Awarded Race Winner (Best 6) 1 Sylvere Valentin 567.0 307.3 11 30-39 AC100 2 Tin Tse 431.0 310.9 6 40-49 B2R-50K/100K/100M 3 Jack Cheng 424.0 305.3 7 40-49 Old Goat 50 4 Junko Takeya 391.0 171.4 10 w40-49 SD100 5 Hector Aleman 366.0 160.7 9 40-49 Chimera 100 6 Yen Darcy 352.0 120.5 10 w50-59 PCT50M 7 Jeff Higgins 334.0 130.3 9 40-49 Oriflamme 50K 8 Andy Kumeda 324.0 234.4 6 40-49 Mt. D. 50K 9 Patrick Meskell 305.0 220.8 6 40-49 Noble Canyon 50K 10 Wilson Liu 293.0 188.5 6 50-59 Nanny Goat 100 11 Kim Elliott 293.0 162.4 6 w40-49 Ridgecrest 50K 12 Zheng Liu 286.0 195.5 6 40-49 Red Rock 50M 13 Jose Figueroa 274.0 200.6 6 40-49 Chino Hills 50K 14 Larry Rich 274.0 156.2 6 50-59 Bulldog50K 15 Johnny Hsin 205.0 114.4 6 50-59 Lake Hodges 50K 16 Craig Bronstein 193.0 155.0 - 50-59 Chino Hills 50K 17 Mari Bennett 181.0 114.1 - w30-39 Oriflamme 50K 18 Bill Dickey 176.0 76.5 - 70-79 Orange Curtain 50K/100K 19 James San Jose 162.0 98.1 - 20-29 BullDog 50K 20 Georgina Ruiz 162.0 97.6 - w50-59 SD50M 21 Jason Sung 150. 92.0 - 30-39 Harding Hustle 50K 22 Kit Brazier 133.0 71.9 - w60-69 Old West Trail 50K 23 Bill Ramsey 81.0 50.5 - 60-69 PCT50 24 John Radich 62.0 37.7 - 60-69 Bandit 50K 25 Hal Winton 50.0 14.3 - 80-89 n.a. 26 John Martinez 31.0 17.0 - 60-69 Mt. Disappoint 50K

ryone bowed their heads for a few moments in remembrance of the Grand Dame of Orange County ultrarunning. Sadly, earlier in the year, Hwa Ja passed follow- ing complications from a surgical procedure. Runners were reminded of her unique style and how her running outfits were impeccably coordinated, her hair perfectly coiffed, and her nails professionally manicured. More importantly, she was a tough, seasoned competitor who could be relentless in her quest to finish a race. On June 29, 2002, at the young age of 61, she ran and finished her first Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run in 29:40:36, one of her most remark- able ultra accomplishments. Her legacy is her relentless persistence to finish regardless of the odds or difficulties. She´ll be dearly missed by her friends and fellow ultra runners.

Those series members who finished as points, mileage, and/or age group winners were awarded with comped entries into 2015 series races generously donated by the Race Directors of those events.

2 PREPARING FOR & 1ST QTR LEADERBOARD (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) RACING 100 MILES— 34th consecutive AB50 finish. Hal has run every AB50 since its inception PACE in 1982. The series was well-represented at the AB50 with finishers in- It´s not unusual for sea- cluding Christy Baker, Sylvere Valentin, Larry Rich, Craig Bronstein, Rene soned runners to run the first Rodarte, James George, Rob McNair, John Radich and Bill Dickey. AB50 half of a 100 mile race with a has a long history and has hosted some scorching finishing times over the "training run" frame-of-mind. years despite some serious climbs and challenging weather. They don’t worry about their placing or who’s in front or The SD50 (Jan. 17) course features the beautiful trails of an Dieguito River passing them. Regardless of Park and the Black Mountain Open Space Park. The fast course mixes dou- your goal, a more conserva- ble track, single track, fire road and just a bit paved road. Congrats to Se- tive pace early could have ries finishers Emilio Mendieta, Ricky Roane, Jack Cheng, Wilson Liu, and you running well late in the race. You´ll want to run with Fred Pollard. purpose and keep moving, The Calico 50K (Jan. 26) held outside Barstow on a sandy, hilly course saw and not hang out at aid sta- the Series well-represented with Emilio Mendieta, Jakob Herrmann, Timo tions any longer than neces- sary. Try not to spend more Siltanen, Larry Rich, James George, John Radich, and George Velasco than 1-2 minutes in any aid counted among the finishers. station except those where The Sean O´Brien 100K/50M/50K (Feb. 7) held at Malibu State Park, has you may be doing a sock or shoe change. If you’re only quickly developed a reputation for being a tough, challenging race. Series filling water bottles or a blad- members completing the 100K included Jeanne Eby, Kim Elliott, Sylvere der, make sure they’re Valentin, and Craig Bronstein. Both Alison empty as you approach the Chavez and Jason Sung finished the 50M, and aid station with caps off. Vida Ash and Andy Kumeda bagged the 50K. Keep an eye on who han- The conditions for the Bandit 50K (Feb. 15) can dles your bottles and don’t hesitate to ask them to take be warm and very dry on this open course void their time. You want them to of shade. Series finishers included Kim Elliott, be careful and get your bot- Timo Siltanen, Andy Kumeda, David Liston, tles filled to your specs. James George and John Radich. The “training pace” mindset While rain threatened to make Sat., Feb. 28 a will keep you from over- extending. You´ll want to get cold, miserable day, the sun successfully fought to the mid-point of the race off the rain clouds and the Orange Curtain feeling pretty fresh. At the 50 50K/100K enjoyed great racing weather, cool or 55 mile aid station, you´ll and dry. Wilson Liu and John Radich tamed want to be able to put on the 100K while Timo Siltanen, Jeff Higgins, your race-face and begin to Gary Hilliard, Mark Ryne, Bill Dickey, and Bill pick-up the pace. You’ll be amazed at how many folks Ramsey completed the fast 50K course. pushed too hard, too early Like AB50M, the Old West Trail 50K (Mar. 14) has been around many and are struggling. You’ll years. The course, through the foothills of Mount Whitney is scenic and likely begin passing folks which will build your confi- challenging. Scott Mills, Kit Brazier, Timo Siltanen, Craig Bronstein, and dence. It’s always good to James George. have three goals for any 100 mile race, for example, sub- The 1st quarter closed out on March 21 with the running of the now vener- 24, sub-26, and sub-30 able Old Goat 50K/50M. Steve Harvey has developed into a fine RD who hours. By doing so, you´ll be puts on a well-organized race with great food, great awards, and awesome able to better maintain your race shirts. The 50M with 13,423 feet of climb is among the toughest in the motivation should your first country and was conquered by Alison Chavez, Junko Takeya, Jack Cheng, goal slip out of reach. Best Randy Shoemaker, Larry Rich, Wilson Liu, and David Liston. 50k finish- of luck3 and race smart! ers included Yen Darcy, Sylvere Valentin, and Jeff Higgins. 3 Ultrarunning Legends: Ted Corbitt

On December 12, 2007, Ted Corbitt passed at the ripe old age of 88 and became the stuff of ultrarunning lore leaving an incredible legacy from which others could learn and be inspired. Born on January 31, 1919, Corbitt is considered by many to be "the father of ultra distance running." He was an ultra mara- thon pioneer, helping to revive interest in the sport in the United States beginning in the 1940s and ex- tending into the 1960s and 70s. In a Runner's World feature article honoring lifetime achievement, writer Gail Kislevitz called Corbitt a "symbol of durability and longevity.” The grandson of slaves, Corbitt was born on a cotton farm near Dunbarton, South Carolina. He ran track in high school and at the University of Cincinnati. Due to the racial discrimination common during the pre-WWII time, he was not permitted to compete when white athletes refused to run against him. After World War II mili- tary service, Corbitt earned a master´s degree in physical therapy from , where he later lectured, and worked as a physiotherapist for more than 40 years. Corbitt joined the nation's first racially-integrated running organi- zation, the New York Pioneer Club, in 1947. He competed in the at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. In January 1954, he won the , the first of his four wins there. In May 1954, he won the Yonkers Marathon, becoming the U.S. National Marathon Champion. At various times, Corbitt held the U.S. track records for distances of 25 miles, the marathon, 40 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles. He remained a nationally competi- tive runner well into his fifties. For many years, Corbitt ran more than 20 miles a day from his home in Yonkers, Ted Corbitt was a New York City suburb, to his office in downtown . On some days, he was renowned also ran home. At his peak, Corbitt ran up to 200 miles a week, far more than almost any other distance runner. Corbitt ran most of his miles at a fast pace. for his ability to One workout he often ran involved 17 miles on the track, followed by 13 miles on log 200-plus roads. One week in 1962, Corbitt ran 300 miles. He then traveled to England and competed in the 54 mile London to Brighton road race, finishing fourth. He was mile training the founder and first president of the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) weeks, ground- and the founding president of the Club. He helped plan breaking, and the course. Corbitt served on various boards and com- mittees for over 50 years and helped create the masters division. unprecedented. In 1998, Corbitt was among the first five runners to be inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. Corbitt was also inducted into the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame, on its inauguration in April 2006. In 2003, at 84, in his final ultra event, Corbitt completed a 24-hour race by walking 68 miles, finishing 17th in a field of 35. While some runners were awed by his presence, others had no idea who he was. At 87, he was still volunteering at ultra mara- thon races in New York. He continued to treat physiotherapy patients and at the time of his death, Cor- bitt had embarked on a project to walk all the streets of Manhattan. Fittingly, the USATF has named their annual "Men's Road Ultra Runner of the Year" award in his honor.

Please remember to support Salomon, a spon- sor and generous supporter of the Southern Ca- 4 lifornia Ultrarunning Grand Prix Series.