Ed. Note: Today’s blog is written by Rick, a Phoenix regular who crushed the ECSCA 50k this weekend despite having to literally drag another of our tribe members (Ahmad) for a portion of the race. I actually saw (and ducked away from) both of them at the mile 20.5 aid station, as I was waiting on a ride to the finish. That’s a story for another time. Phoenix represented with 22 people in San Francisco this past weekend.
This past weekend, I was fortunate to be able to participate in the North Face Endurance Challenge in San Francisco, one of my favorite cities in the entire world, with many of my fellow NP Phoenix tribe members. To say it was epic is an understatement. With a new course that incorporates the Golden Gate Bridge, and a picture perfect finish line at Crissy field, the tribe was treated to perfect weather (if a bit chilly at the start) on Saturday and Sunday. We had tribe members competing in the 50K event, the marathon relay, and the half marathon event. Below are some highlights.
Andrew, Trevor, Ahmad and myself, all competed in the 50K course. This was one of the hardest courses I have ever run, with 32.3 miles of mostly climbing through the beautiful Marin Headlands. Andrew simply crushed the course with a 5:44:32 finish time, and Ahmad successfully completed his first 50K like a true professional (I only had to carry him up a couple hills).
We had four, count em’ 4, marathon relay teams competing, with How the West Was Run (Kelly, Inga, Ashley, Annie) leading the Phoenix tribe with a sub 4 finish time (3:52:57). Because You Can (a two-person relay team of Kendra and Christine) crushed the course in 4:33:50, with Team TDP (Erik, Karen, Jenn, and J.D.) coming in hot on their heels with a 4:41:54 finish. We also had a Phx/SF hybrid team consisting of our former NP PHX members and recent Bay Area transplants Nick and Erika (team Nargo) joining with our very own Meg for team NP Cake, who finished in 4:05:19. It was awesome to see so many of our tribe members racing, and especially great to get to spend time with Inga, Nick, and Erika, who are greatly missed here in Phoenix.
Finally, our fearless leader, Jaclyn Knoll, not only competed in the marathon relay with NP leaders on Saturday, she also ran the half marathon on Sunday, finishing in 2:30:22 on short notice with minimal training and having already run the previous day! Way to go Jackie, you are simply amazing!
So while we did not win any official awards at the after party at Folsom Street Foundry, it must be said that the Phoenix tribe was well represented and is number one in my book. Also, I believe that it is now common knowledge amongst the other tribes that NP Phoenix brings the fire to the summit after party, with DJ Drew taking over the house sound system for the second year in a row, and Kendra inspiring mania on the dance floor. If you were on the fence about going this year, don’t be on the fence about next year. Rumor has it that in 2018, Ahmad and I will tackle the 50 miler, and Christine and Kendra are moving up to the 50K, so we need new relay participants! Start training now, and get thee to hills on Monday!
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” Epictetus
As we celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday, I would like to take a moment to express the gratitude I have for this amazing tribe we have created in the Valley of the Sun. November Project Phoenix has become a huge part of my life these last two years, and I am grateful for each and every one of you. I am especially grateful to Jackie and Trevor for all of the work that they put in, week in and week out, organizing and leading the workouts. Also, for the soldiers who contribute their time and energy either through providing music (Andrew), photography (Erik and Lisa), social media and networking (Jeremy, Ashley), and all of the others, too numerous to name, who keep our tribe strong and vibrant. Many of the tribe members have become some of my closest friends (as well as training partners), and if you are new, you are just a friend I haven’t met yet, which is the beautiful thing about November Project. So please be sure to keep “just showing up” in gratitude, and have a great Thanksgiving!
Ricardo
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