Double Dipsea 2016 (aka hills on hills!)

The Double Dipsea. It's a famous race if you live in the Bay Area and run with a certain group of people (particularly Dolphin South End Runners).

The Course

I first became aware of the Double Dipsea soon after joining the running club. Many of the older members of the club were sporting shirts featuring a devastating-yet-alluring course map:



Official course map:



The Double Dipsea course goes from Stinson Beach, through Mount Tamalpais State park and Muir Woods National Monument, before heading down the 671 steps of an epic set of staircases into the town of Mill Valley. 

Some of the sections of the course are called Insult Hill, Steep Ravine, Cardiac Hill, and Suicide Hill.

Then you turn around and head back the way you came (including right back up those 671 steps!!). 

13.7 miles (I'd soon find out this was very conservative) and 4,500 feet (give or take) of elevation gain.

It's called the Double Dipsea because the Dipsea Race is the oldest trail race in the country (over 100 years!) and goes only one way (from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach). Walt Stack, founder of Dolphin South End Runners (my running club), decided to start the Double Dipsea in 1970 because the regular Dipsea wasn't tough enough!

Race Peculiarities

Double Dipsea has some very unsual elements to both the course and the way it is run...

Handicapped start times

Women over 80 years old start first and Men 16-39 start last. Because the course is an "out and back" this means that every division collides at various points of the course and aid stations. In many sections the course is incredibly narrow so collisions of the physical kind are not uncommon.

There's a SERIOUS stairs section (671 steps — up and down!) at the end of the first half / start of the second.

Cruelly, the stairs are awkwardly shallow and the height/depth of each step changes from one staircase to the next.

Also worth noting that the trails are not closed off to hikers/tourists during the race so they're a very real obstacle that need to be accounted for when charging down the hills. The race starts on a Saturday morning and ends in the late afternoon so it's a popular time for people to be out on the trails.

An Opportunity Presents Itself

Like Bay to Breakers, the Double Dipsea sounded intimidating. Look at that elevation! Look at that distance!

Luckily, I had a ready-made excuse for why I wouldn't be participating: the race registration had apparently sold out instantly and well before I knew such a race existed.

I was feeling pretty bold on June 9th after completing my first 10 mile run and posted the following to the DSE Runners FB group:



The responses were not trending in my favor. I forgot about the Double Dipsea and continued on with my life / marathon training.

Then, on June 16th, I ran my first half marathon distance. It was just under 3 loops around Lake Merced and I had done it even though my marathon training schedule had only called for 12 miles.

I was worn out but excited to have run my first half and in under 2 hours. Then I logged onto Facebook later in the day and saw this:



I shouted "AH ME!!!" before it occurred to me that Double Dipsea was just 2 days away.

Whoops.

A large part of me was telling myself I shouldn't be attempting this trail race so soon after my first half marathon distance. My body wasn't exactly feeling amazing though it wasn't anything outside the ordinary either.

The loudest part of me was insisting that I could always walk the thing if I fell apart out of the blue a few miles in.

The next day we got the Race Director to approve a raceday bib transfer and I Venmo'd $100 (I forgot how much these fancy races cost considering the DSE races every Sunday are only $3) to Shaun and wished him a speedy recovery.

Then I went home and tried to get a good night's sleep. It was crucial considering I had gotten a mere 4 hours the night before. I set Sleep Cycle on at 10:37pm and fell asleep shortly thereafter.

Goals

I wasn't intending on getting the opportunity to run this race so this was all very last minute. I also just ran my first half marathon 48 hours prior. Due to these circumstances, I had a modest goal: FINISH THE RACE (without injuring myself and while having a fun time).

Race Morning

I got up at 6:28am with plans to get a bagel down the street but time passed too quickly and I realized I needed to head out towards the Golden Gate Bridge before the market was going to be open.

Upon waking, I quickly threw some items into a reusable grocery bag; my iPhone armband, my wallet, Barbarian Days, a Clif Bar, a mason jar with a scoop of BCAA from my bodybuilder housemate (for post-race), a water bottle, my earbuds (in case I needed to make a phone call) and my chrome backpack which held my laptop and a spare pair of clothes.

I left at 7am on the dot to make sure I'd have plenty of time to drive across the bay and get to Stinson beach so I can check out the area and get the bib transferred.

It was a two lane cliffside road all the way from Sausalito to Stinson Beach. It was the type of winding route that made 35 miles per hour seem aggressive and your abdominal muscles tightened with every turn.

All of a sudden everything gave way and the entire view opened up to Stinson Beach below the highway.



As I pulled into the beach parking lot I was immediately taken aback by how physically fit everyone participating in the race looked. I felt a bit out of place.

I got the bib transferred to me officially but it still said "Shaun" in giant letters on the front. This would be very important later on.

I walked over and took a look at the beach before heading to my car to drink some water and eat my Clif Bar. Time was moving quickly. I put on some sunscreen and walked quickly to the starting line.

Fear overcame me as my stomach told me I needed to relieve myself before this race started. (POOP WARNING) I bolted to the bathroom, emptied my bowels, and ran back to the starting line just before they counted down from 10.

The Race (to Mill Valley)

The horn blasted and we were off to the sounds of Mott the Hopple's All the Young Dudes. Such an interesting choice that gave me a blast of energy.



I was under the impression that this would be a race people run the entirety of (like all of the road races) and I was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to run the steepest sections. As it turned out most people did these sections as more of a fast-paced hike than a run. We headed up Insult Hill and a photographer snapped this shot of me. I believe he was the first person to yell "Go Shaun Go!"



The first aid station came soon after this photo was taken. Oddly, this would be the most necessary aid station (going in both directions). The hills were fairly steep, the sun was pounding us, and we had yet to really experience any downhill.

I quickly scoped out the station. It was stocked with some good munchies and water and electrolyte drink (unsure brand). I took a Rice Krispie, swigged some water and went on my way.

We went into the woods and I started running downhill while paying close attention to all of the rocks and roots. I was excited to finally be in the shade and moving faster.

Then the hills started back up.

All of the uphill sections were more of a fast hike than a run. I'd say the roughest part early on was feeling the strain of the course but not having a good way to really conceptualize just how grueling the rest of the journey to the halfway point would be - it was completely impossible to determine how much gas would be needed for the way back.

Scenic running routes in Boston

Boston is a fantastic place to run. It's a major running city and I expect that it's largely due to the Boston marathon. You'll likely encounter more out runners out on the sidewalks and paths here than anywhere else in the United States.

I could write about great sights to in my former city for days but here are two fun and scenic routes:

On the Charles, through Back Bay and around Fenway Park ~5k

Beautiful loop around the Charles from Boston to Cambridge and back ~5mi

"It’s a marathon, not a sprint" (Marathon Training Thus Far)

When I started running, it was to conquer the obstacle of being unable to run much at all (I could run ~1mi but that was about it) and build a little endurance. It felt like a good goal — something that would push me while still being achievable. But then I found Dolphin South End Runners. Joining a running club changed me profoundly.

Why Marathon?

After running 10k a few times I decided I should try to run a marathon.

But why?

There’s not really any main reason for why I’d want to build up my mileage to the point where I could endure a marathon but there are a number that added to the point where accomplishing this became my focus.

Reasons I’m training to run a marathon

• Training requires discipline - a trait I’d like to improve upon.
• I want to lose body fat and get more physically fit (more on that in future posts)
• I love the zone I get into about a half mile into a run and I’d like to extend that for longer periods.
• My mind feels awake and ready for anything after running — I want to pursue something that encourages me to run more.
• Marathons sound like an incredible way to experience new places — I’m already eyeing a number of marathons in Europe that are inspiring me to stay the course
• To know I can do it.
• To eventually BQ (qualify for the Boston Marathon) — ambitious much!?

"What’s the plan, Stan?"

I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel with marathon training.

After a bit of research I honed in on the Hal Higdon Marathon Training plans because of how many positive things I had read. I went with Novice 1 (Google Spreadsheet)

I shifted the days of the week a bit to accommodate my weekly Sunday 5k with DSE. You can view my modified version of the Marathon Training Plan and current progress.

Oh look, it’s Bay to Breakers (7.45 miles)

I wrote earlier about how I was surprised to find myself progressing quickly. I ended up realizing Bay to Breakers was actually something I could handle and was delighted to be healthy enough to run it this year.

A photo posted by JW (@julianweisser) on May 15, 2016 at 4:33pm PDT

I've come to realize that things can change quickly when you back up inspiration with hard work. If you had told me 3 months ago that I'd be running Bay to Breakers (7.4 miles) I would have laughed and pointed out that the longest distance I had ever run was ~2 miles with lots of walking interspersed. I'll soon be writing more about my experience going from a 10 minute mile to a sub-25 minute #5k (3.1 miles) in just over 2 months but remember this: if you are inspired and are willing to put in the (sometimes very uncomfortable) work you'll find that obstacles get the hell out of your way. #running #5k #12k #strava #baytobreakers #run #sf #dserunners #inspiration #training #nofilter

A photo posted by JW (@julianweisser) on May 19, 2016 at 7:22pm PDT

The Half Marathon

I realized starting marathon training when I did would sync up perfectly for me to be ready for the San Francisco Half Marathon.

$130 for a half marathon? Is that typical!? When you lay that much $$$ down it means you damn well better stick to your training.

I took out my debit card and registered.

How could I not register after peeping this course?

That’s coming up in about a month and a half. With a start time of 5:30am I decided to reserve a bed in a hostel that’s only a 15 min walk from the starting line so I wouldn’t need to scramble from the Haight in a Lyft even earlier.

The Long training Runs

I’m just starting to scratch the surface of the longer training runs but things are feeling OK so far. I have some discomfort in my right leg near my groin but I’ve been sleeping on a loveseat in a cramped fetal position for nearly two weeks now (startup life) so that might be to blame.

I just reclaimed my air mattress (4 stars + 2,200 reviews on Amazon) that I had been sleeping on since moving to SF so I’m going to see what sleeping like a somewhat normal human doest for these aches and pains.

Okay, back to the training runs.

I’m not a stranger to 10k runs but anything above 6 miles is definitely new to me.

I’m experimenting with pre-run and intra-run fueling / drinking.

So far either an empty stomach or a bagel with peanut butter and banana have seemed to be best for me.

I’ve tried my typical breakfast (4-6 eggs scrambled in 1 tbsp of Kerrygold butter + 1/2 can of black beans + hot sauce) gives me reflux in a pretty awful way.

I also loaded up on GU energy chews when they were on sale for just $9 a box. I’m not a huge fan of artificial stuff like this but I figured at that price I could give them away if I found an all-natural option I preferred. As they suggest I eat one chew 5 minutes before running and another 45 minutes in. I haven’t run more than 1.5 hours so I’ve only ever had two so far. They are chewy, taste meh, but help me salivate a bit. Note that the strawberry ones have caffeine and the watermelon do not.

First time > 10 miles...whoa!

It definitely felt special pushing past the single digit mile mark on the trusty Lake Merced running path (only one spot where you have to cross a driveway but otherwise a completely car-less 4.5 mile loop).

It only took two loops on the path plus a mini loop around the southern dam area to close out my first 10 mile run. There were some aches and pains in the last two miles but luckily it was an overcast day and I didn't have heat as a hinderance.

Hello world.

This post is effectively word diarrhea. It’s an attempt to give a brief description of what got to me to where I am now. You don’t have to read it unless you are curious how I got into running and to see if there’s any overlap with your own experiences. The goal of this site is to share what I’ve learned and hopefully inspire people like you to get into running. I have no running products to sell and no endorsements. If I can inspire one person to get out there and experience the world through running I can consider this site to be a success.

- JW

Early in life I realized I have an addictive personality type.

This realization came early enough for me to not become a chain-smoking junkie (let’s hope that never happens) but not before I got addicted to snacking and eating like a complete asshat (there will be swearing here) to the point where it made me fat and wildly unhealthy.  The vicious cycle of feeling bad about being overweight and then eating crap because it made me feel good in the moment was a compulsion that took considerable time, effort, and focus to kick. I will likely write about it at some point.

After reversing course by losing over 70lbs and feeling better about my situation, I looked for a way to redirect my addictive personality towards something less destructive; perhaps even healthy.

I started with biking and for about a month I cycled around San Francisco. It was enjoyable. I got into running because I wanted to do something on my off days.

Years prior to my fresh attempt I tried the Couch to 5k (C25K) training program. I gave up before I completed it and used the winter weather in Boston as an excuse to stop.

This time around, I decided to simply go down to Ocean Beach and run along the shoreline where the sand was damp and compacted. I started slow, but over the course of a few weeks managed to get up to 2 miles alternating between running and walking.

After building up endurance on the beach, I moved off the sand and onto the sidewalk and running paths. I found that the transition to a more solid running surface made running a bit farther much easier. I booted up the C25K program and skipped a much later week in the program than I had ever reached years ago.

I blasted through 1.5 weeks of the program’s content without any rest days (not advisable — you could hurt yourself) and then on March 15th (exactly a month after I began putzing around) I just said, “to hell with it, I’m just going to keeping running until I hit 5K.”

And I did. It wasn’t glamorous. I actually exceeded 5k (ended up doing 3.99 miles) and had the wholly uninspiring 10:16 min / mile average.

But I felt like I was king of the world.

And then I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I signed up for the Oakland Running Festival 5k [strava] occurring just 5 days after I ran my first 5k. I got my pace to 9:08 min / mile average because of how invigorating it was to be running surrounded by others with spectators cheering us onward.

I ended up doing two 5k races in two weeks. I went to the Dolphin South End Runner’s Easter Roller Coaster 5k [strava] and experienced running a hilly course for the first time. I joined the club and felt like I had stumbled upon one of San Francisco’s hidden gems.

A week after my second-ever 5k, I ran my first-ever 10k (DSE’s Golden Gate Park race [strava]) and realized I truly had the running bug.

Since then I’ve run one other race (Ring Around the Neck 5 miler in Marblehead [strava]) and am preparing for Bay to Breakers. Further off in the distance is the SF Half Marathon (!!).

See you out there.