New Year's One Day

December 31, 2019

New Year’s One Day is a timed event at Crissy Field in San Francisco. There is a 6-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour version held on the same day. The objective is to run as many laps as possible around a one-mile loop in the allotted time. I chose to register for the 24-hour event because my strength is in endurance and not raw speed.

The Golden Gate Bridge on a lovely blue clear day.
PC: Peter Delahunt

In ultras, what I lack in talent and experience I can often make up for with thorough research and meticulous planning. I had my eye on the female course record (120.2 miles), and I made a pace chart to achieve this goal. As a rookie to the 24-hour event, there were so many unknowns, particularly how I would mentally handle the repetition of the loops and how my body would break down with the sharp turns.

To add to the uncertainty, two days before the event, I learned that there would be a course change due to construction. What was a rectangular-shaped loop the previous year was going to be altered to include a bridge going through the lagoon and four additional sharp turns. Fortunately, I had time to recalculate my pace chart to account for this change.

Due to construction (labeled in blue), the course (in red) changed from the original rectangular loop to a loop that included four additional turns. The main loop can be completed in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The length of the loop increased slightly with the change.

The weather on race day was absolutely beautiful – cool with no wind. It was one of those rare San Francisco winter days when the Golden Gate Bridge is displayed in all its glory unobscured by clouds. I arrived about 1.5 hours before the start of the race. As I was setting up my personal aid station, stocked with my energy drink and food, a lady passing by commented, “Oh wow! This must be the super spouse aid station.”

Excuse me? No, I’m not organizing this aid station for my spouse. I’m setting this up for myself. I’m the athlete, damn it.

But now was not the time to waste my energy on anger. “Thank you!” I said with a quick smile.

The race director, Wendell Doman, called us to the start line at 9 am, and we were off. The first 6 hours passed in a breeze. I was cruising at a 9:24 min/mi pace. My plan was to hold myself back at the easy pace, taking a 2-minute break to eat, stretch, and change direction at the end of each hour. I waved at familiar faces on the course, including Deanna, who ended up winning the 6-hour event, and smiled for the photographer.

Cruising at an easy pace without a care in the world.
PC: Marty Udisches

Peter came with his daughter and dog to cheer me on. After he ran a lap with me, I put him to work to fill my water bottles. I was also excited to see Grace and Matt stop by to see me run a few laps. Marty arrived in the afternoon to crew for me and told me that I was running at a consistent pace. Another Japanese lady, Ayako Murai, was running ahead of me all day, and Marty captured the pivotal moment when I finally caught up with her. Everything was swell, and I was walking on clouds.

The moment when I finally caught up with
the leader. Ayako and I would stay tied for
the lead for the next several hours.
PC: Marty Udisches

In the evening, Stan arrived with his family. Stan and his two daughters each ran a couple of laps with me and updated me on my lap count. He explained to me that his middle school daughter was reaching the age when the boys were starting to get faster than the girls, and she found that really frustrating. He told me that he wanted to show his girls that in ultras, women can be as strong as the men.

Sharing a loop with Monica and Stan as the sun is setting.
PC: Stan Sze

Then as the sun began to set around 5 pm, the wheels started to come off. I could no longer stick to my pace plan, and I was trying desperately to hit 12 min/mi and failing. I was surprised that I was hitting the wall so early in the race. Monica joined me for a few laps and encouraged me to continue taking care of myself and hang on to the pace. My sister, Honoka, also arrived after work and made sure that my bottles were filled.

As my body became overwhelmed with pain, I tried to calculate how much I would have to average in the last 16 hours given that my pace was about 10 min/mi during the first 8 hours. It became clear to me that the possibility of a course record was precipitously falling out of reach. What went wrong? I didn’t know what to make of the muscle and joint pain that hit me so ferociously. I stopped at my chair every third lap to massage my muscles.

Eating soup while wrapped in a bathrobe to keep warm.
PC: Marty Udisches

The night hours wore on, and I decided to check my messages on my phone for inspiration. I only let myself have screen time if I was walking, and I only let myself walk if I was in immense pain. After reading a few messages, I’d get the strength to run at a 12 min/mi pace for a couple of loops. Can I even hit 100 miles?

Honoka returned to the race to crew for me after going out for New Year’s Eve dinner. “Let’s run together,” she said as she lost her jacket. I was surprised that she was willing to run by my side and distract me from the pain.

Around 9 pm, Marty returned with Kevin. They took turns pacing a couple of laps while providing updates on the lap count. I had no idea how many laps I had completed since switching watches when my first watch died. Marty told me my lap count and that I was leading by 2 laps. It was too early in the night to get comfortable. My pace was stagnant, and I was being hunted.

We talked about how beautiful the weather was. “It’s such a bummer that on a perfect day like this, I am not going to be able to break the course record,” I lamented.

“Well, I don’t mean to be rainbows and butterflies,” replied Marty, “but I still think you have the record in you.”

Struggling to hit a 12 min/mi pace all night.
PC: Marty Udisches

Kevin, my pacer from AC100, ran every fourth loop with me while he volunteered at the official race aid station. He reminded me that I am a strong runner and that I have what it takes to recover from the lowest of lows. He encouraged me to keep my pace under 14 min/mi to give myself a fighting chance when I get a second wind. Then, we saw fireworks in the distance marking the new year.

Around 3 am, I was alone again, and I picked up my phone looking for encouragement. I saw a message from Jennifer, who ran the Headlands Hundred last September. “You are doing great, Asuka! Cheering you on from NY!” I found her message to be incredibly moving. Jennifer was a runner who struggled at her first 100-miler, and I happened to be volunteering at the aid station when she arrived at a time of need. Now in my time of despair, Jennifer, who I only met once at her race, was cheering for me in New York, helping me in my time of need. The messages from all my friends far and wide were incredibly motivating.

Honoka returned around 4 am and ran by my side. I told her that I tried to open my thermos for hot water earlier, but I couldn't open it because the lid was broken. When I finished the next lap, she had the hot water ready to make instant soup for me. The lid was not broken. I just lacked the strength to open the lid.

In this event, you only get credit for the distance if you complete a full loop. The completion of 95 loops (100.7 mi) under 22 hours would be a new personal record for me. The excitement of approaching a milestone carried me through the loops. When I finished lap 95, the race director announced over his megaphone matter of factly, “And that’s 100 miles.”

“Thank you so much!” I exclaimed exuberantly as if he gifted me 100 miles. Honoka and I quietly celebrated my 100 mile PR of 20 hours 3 minutes.

Around 6 am, Marty and Stan returned ready to take turns pacing me. It was wonderful to have the company, and I knew that in three more hours, it would all be over. The sunrise over the city was beautiful, and I could make out the skyline emerging behind the Palace of Fine Arts.

The sun rising over the San Francisco skyline.
PC: Marty Udisches

Honoka told me that I still had a chance of getting the second best mileage on the course. Hey that’s not too shabby. Ultra greats like Suzanna Bon and Sarah Lavender Smith grace the top ten list, and it would be amazing to make it on there.

I am an immigrant who has experienced so much struggle. I have a powerful desire to want things more than anyone else. Now go be yo crazy self.

Once I gave me permission to break myself, I no longer felt the pains that were unbearable just moments earlier. Instead I became keenly aware of the muscle groups that were on the verge of cramping - my left calf and the quadriceps above my right knee. I need to make sure these muscle groups do not seize on me.

Running against the clock during the last 1.5 hours.
PC: Marty Udisches

I finished the lap at a 9:23 min/mi pace. I had 88 minutes left to run the clock. Wow. That’s a long time to run at this pace, but hang on as long as you can. I took off my jacket at my aid station and kept going.

I was no longer going to stop to take care of myself. There was no time. I was still carrying an 8-ounce bottle of electrolyte to drink on the go, but no more stopping to grab food, salt, or stretch. This made me nervous. I need to make sure that I was running fast enough to squeeze in the laps but slow enough that I would not lose control of my body.

I finished the next loop under 9 min/mi pace. I took off another layer of clothing and kept going.

Marty said, “We’re doing a lap count down! We’ve spoken to the race director and he says you have 8 more laps to break the course record!”

Wait whaaaat?! The course record is still within grasp? Unbelievable.

I took a moment to check my pace. Then, Stan yelled, “No, don’t waste any effort checking your pace. We’re doing that for you! Just keep running.”

Marty added, “We’re working closely with the race director to know how many laps you need to break course record.”

Don’t listen to them. Keeping your eye on the pace is the only thing preventing those muscle groups from cramping.

When I crossed the finish line, someone
yelled out, "There's that smile!" It felt
so good to be human again.
PC: Marty Udisches

I don’t know why I started to do this but I chose to change direction with every lap: clockwise then counterclockwise, clockwise then counterclockwise, over and over. Maybe it was for a safety thing - I would be making the turns on a different leg each lap. Maybe I just needed a regimented routine as a distraction. At this point it was mentally challenging to keep track of which direction I did last, but forcing myself to remember was just stimulating enough on my brain to stay laser focused.

Stan and Marty started taking zones. Stan was at one side of the long rectangle and Marty was at the other. They continued to cheer me on and shout out the lap countdown.

Honoka was at the finish line ringing a cowbell and asking me if I needed anything from my aid station. “No I don’t need anything,” I told my sister.

Running speed per lap normalized to the average speed of 11:54 min/mi
(7.24 min/km). Errors bars display standard deviation from the mean.
During the hours of darkness, I really struggled to maintain my pace.

Spectators who were crewing for another runner commented, “She’s not going to stop. She’s in the zone.”

I was possessed. I was just racing against the clock. In my mind, there were no longer any more participants on the course. It was just me, the loops, and the clock.

To manage the pain, I was yelling and grunting intermittently. I am so glad small children are no longer on the course.

Runners and spectators continued to cheer me on. Just stay laser focused.

“Why is she running so fast?” a runner asked Ayako and her two friends who were pacing her as I flew by.

Ayako replied, “I don’t know.”

Eventually word got around the loop that the I was chasing the course record. Now everyone was watching me.

“Holy crap. Did we just get lapped?!” I heard a runner ask her buddy who was running alongside her.

I continued running at the blistering pace banking 10-20 seconds in each loop. I knew I had 30 minutes to finish the final 3 loops. This was just enough time that if my muscles did cramp, I could probably still hobble to the finish line and break course record.

I finished another lap. I was in the final two laps now. Confident that I now had the course record in the bag, I just ran my heart out.

Chatting with Ayako about mountain ultras.
PC: Marty Udisches

I crossed the mat, and the race director announced over the megaphone, “One more lap.”

When I made my final way through the promenade I heard through the megaphone, “Four more minutes!” I was elated that I was so close to the finish line.

I crossed the timing mat for the final 114th loop with 2 minutes and 52 seconds to spare. Female course record of 120.8 miles beating the previous best by 0.6 miles.

"I didn't think that I could do it," I told the race director.

"I didn't think you would do it, either," he confirmed. "When you slowed down to 17 min/mi, I just thought, 'She's not going to do it.' Then when you started running 12 min/mi, I thought, 'Well, she's still not going to do it,' but then you started running those loops in 9 minutes, I knew you were going to get it done."

Now that I have done a 24-hour event on a one-mile loop, I think I have the courage to take a stab at the 6-hour and 12-hour events that I was able to observe while I was running. I am also curious to see what distance I can cover in a 24-hour track event where the surface and turns are more forgiving and the challenge of running in the night would not be as palpable.

I couldn’t have done it without all the race support. I am incredibly grateful to Marty, Stan, Honoka, and Kevin. Among the four of them, they covered the hardest hours of the race. I’m also grateful to Peter, Grace, Matt, and Monica who stopped by to cheer me on in person. And a big thank you to all my friends who sent me supportive messages during the 24 hours. It was truly heartwarming to feel the great vibes coming from all around.

First and second overall.
Wendell said that this was the first time he's
seen women take 1-2. On occasion,
a woman will will overall, but not 1-2.
PC: Honoka Eguchi

Distance 120.8 miles (CR)

Overall Place 1/62

Gender Place 1/19

____________________

Self-Reported Splits (Distances measured to the completion of a loop)

6-hour 36 miles

12-hour 65.7 miles

50.9 miles 8:40:20

100.7 miles 20:03:52