Running And Being

Running and Being

2009-08-13T13:50:00.002-05:00

It's funny, I started this blog to track my running experiences, to be able to share them, and to be able to reflect back on them. But I also chose the title "running and being," which is not only a book by the late Dr. George Sheehan, but it's also a very meaningful series of words.

As I reflect upon my running and my being now, I realize that in the life of an endurance runner, the two can't be separated. Separating them is like separating the contents of an atom (and we all know how that turns out). But after I got married, and then had a kid, my running has suffered. I didn't make the choice consciously, but I have no regrets about where my priorities are now. I've spent time recently trying to find ways to create time by simplifying my life, working less and more efficiently, waking up earlier and running or working then, and finding new workouts that are over faster. And the time I gain is time at home with my wife and son. My days of 8-12 hour training runs are not over, nor are my racing days (though it's been a while!) but they are fewer and farther between.

In order to hold myself accountable to these goals of maximizing my running and being, I will start using this blog for documenting these things.

Vibram 5 Fingers

2009-04-29T13:38:00.002-05:00

I've been struggling since last summer (Tahoe) with ankle and achilles issues. Nothing seems to work... rest, stretching, run through it, strength training, you name it... Then last week I was reading about minimalist footwear and I came across a great article that got me excited about barefoot or minimalist running. The truth is, despite my job in the high-tech world of computer design, I actually try to keep my life simple and minimalistic. So why not make my running, and footwear, consistent? Plus, it can help strengthen the muscles and stretch the ligaments around my foot, including my achilles.

So last week I bought a pair of Vibram 5 Fingers KSO's. I've worn them around the house and yard all week, and ran a 1 and 1.5 mile run around my neighborhood. What I've found is that my feet are incredibly weak, which is hard to believe since I thought I was some tough ultra-runner! But my lifetime of wearing shoes, especially the extra supportive ones I've worn the past few years while trail running, has protected the bottoms of my feet but resulted in countless overuse injuries and ankle twists.

Anyways, it's too new to say how this is going to work out, but so far I really love these things. It makes me feel like a kid running through the woods! I plan to continue to ramp up, although very slowly, with a goal of eventually doing most of my running in these 'shoes.'

Fuego y Agua Race Report

2008-12-16T11:38:00.008-06:00

Forthose who just want to look at the pictures, they are here. :)

Recently I ran the inaugural Fuego y Agua 100K ultramarathon on la Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua. It was a very challenging race mentally and physically. I limped into the race under-trained, as I have not been able to train on hills the way I wanted to due to my Achilles problems that have been nagging me since July when I ran TRT100. This race consists of two primary climbs up the Maderas and Concepcion volcanoes, 1500 and 1000 meters, respectively. It's safe to say I was ready for the distance, but not those hills.

When I arrived in Nicaragua last Tuesday, it was very hot and humid, and I immediately knew that this was going to be a tough race in the heat. Fortunately, the temperature was slightly cooler on race day, but was still about 85 degrees in the sun.

The race started at 4am in the town of Moyogalpa, at the hostel where I was staying with several other runners. When the gun went off at 4am, we began our journey. The race started by circling through the town before working its way to a dirt road, the beginning of our traverse around the island. I settled into a good pace, but still comfortable at the beginning, and visited with Roger for a while. He is also from Austin, and was running the 50K. After a few kilometers, I decided to make my way ahead a bit. The temperature was cool, and I wanted to take as much advantage of it as possible, because I assumed it would likely get close to 90 degrees during the day.

After about 5 kilometers, I caught up with Heather, a runner from Maine who was running her first 100K. She was running a very good pace for me, so we quickly introduced ourselves and decided to run together for a bit. At this point, we were coming off of the dirt road and onto the paved road around the western side of Volcan Concepcion. The road had some rolling hills, nothing big but not tiny either. During the up hills I let her go ahead a bit, and quickly caught up on the downhills. I could tell this was going to be a long day on the up hills, as my legs just aren't strong enough this season.

Soon we rolled into the first aid station at 18km, and I was feeling great. I had some bananas and grabbed a gel. I had finished my water bottle, but realized I had not drank any from my camelback. That was a wasted 70oz on my back for 18km which is not a great way to save my legs for the upcoming climbs. I dumped a little of the water, but not too much, and we took off towards Maderas. As we crossed the isthmus to the Maderas side of the island, I could feel it starting to heat up. I backed off the pace to make sure I would be strong on Maderas, but I really had no clue what that climb was going to be like. Before long, we rolled into the 30k aid station in about 2:50. At this point I put on some insect repellant, ate some food, and drank some jugo de naranja. I felt really good, ready to power walk up the 1500m volcano, or so I thought.

As we started up the hill, it was not steep and I approached it pretty aggressively. Soon, however, it got steeper and I could see that I wasn't going to keep up with Heather. I was surprised, I thought I would climb well because, although I don't run up hills well, I can usually power walk well. This hill, though, was steeper than what I was used to. In hindsight, I hadn't even begun the tougher sections. So she went ahead, and I focused on my breathing and keeping a consistent pace.

At about 1:30 into the climb, and about 2/3 of the way up, I hit a wall. The climb was so steep that every single step was making my quads burn and my heart rate skyrocket. I was not trained for this, and my heavier frame doesn't do well on these hills. I got to the point that I would stop every 30 seconds and lean against a tree and catch my breath. I kept wondering when the field would pass me by, yet no one had come up from behind yet. I tried to remain focused on my own race, and just kept moving. At this point, the trail went from muddy to a complete mess. I was high-stepping up 3 foot muddy rocks, and steep slippery slopes that required me to hold on to roots with my hands. I was now 2 hours into the climb, and my engineering mind took over. I was going 1mph, maximum. This climb was 10k, so that means this would take 6 hours!?! Something doesn't make sense, no one could do this for 6 hours. Fortunetely, I was just too exhausted to think straight. At the beginning of the hill, I was running/walking at a good pace and did much of the 10km, so I was much closer to the top than I realized. At about 2:15 into the climb, with my legs burning and my heart out of control, I peaked the volcano crater, and began the descent into the crater. To my surprise, I also came up on the leader of the 50K race, who was moving even slower than me. He also was hurting and we were both too exhausted to talk. I just said 'muy dificil' and continued. Adreneline kicked in, and I began the descent very quickly to the lagoon in the crater, where the next aid station would be set up.

When I got there, they were just setting up. The field of runners was much faster than everyone expected, and so I was the first to actually receive aid. Everyone in front of me had to continue on without refueling. I had the tastiest tamale and a banana, snapped a few pictures of the lagoon, and began my ascent out of the crater. At this point I thought the climbing was over and it was all downhill, little did I know what lied ahead on the ledge of the crater... After an exhaustive climb up to the ledge, I was in the midst of a muddy, messy jungle. The trail was almost non-exhistent because the brush was so thick. At first glance it looked safe, but if you looked carefully through the brush you could see that the ledge was narrow and there were steep muddy drop-offs on both sides. I'm not a fan of heights, so I took my steps carefully in this area. It took about 20 minutes, but soon I was descending off of the volcano. The path down was muddier and steeper than the path up, and it was impossible to run. In fact, I got a great upper body workout dangling from trees and lowering my body down 7 and 8ft drops. Several times I found myself literally crawling under trees or sitting on my butt and sliding down the mud. I was having a blast! This was the most fun I've has 'running' in a very long time.

After about 45 minutes, the trail dried up a bit and leveled off, so I started to run to the base of Maderas. I still had to be very careful not to slide off of the trail, but at least I was able to run. Twice I slid off the trail and slammed my shin into a root. It was swollen and bleeding, and I had to remind myself to slow down because an injury up here would be almost impossible to treat, or to get me off of the mountain. Of course, as I dropped elevation, it was also getting hot. In fact, by the time I reached the bottom it was about 85C and I was sweating quite a bit. The good news was that I was approaching the Hacienda Merida aid station, the halfway point in the race.

I knew my shoes and socks would be a mess after Maderas, so I planned to change my shoes at this point. If I changed here, I knew blisters would not be a problem. But, lo and behond, when I got to the aid station my drop bag was not there. One thing I've learned doing long distance running is that you can NEVER focus on the negative, always keep moving forward. So, I made due with cleaning off my socks and shoes in some running water, put them back on, and took off again. I knew it wasn't ideal, and most likely I would deal with blisters over the next 50K, but I've been through much worse and there wasn't anything I could do about it now. I also found Heather at the 50K point, she was cleaning off and getting ready to go back out. I was happy to see she was going to continue, and we decided to leave together for the next aid station. It was definitely nice to have the company, but I also knew that it was hot and there was a good chance my next 30K would be slow.

Sure enough, I was right. We ran about 5 kilometers together but clearly I couldn't keep up. I'm quick to admit when I can't keep up, mostly because I don't want to get sucked into a pace that that risks my overall goals for the race. So I let her go for a second time, figuring that this time I would not see her again.

I struggled on for the next 25K in the heat. I was not adjusting well, I could barely manage a slow jog. Each time I tried to pick up the pace, my heart rate would shoot through the roof and I got nauseous. The only way I could stay cool was to stop at a Pulperia every 10 minutes, buy some cold water, and dump it on my head. It led some some pretty confused looks from the locals. A stupid American running around the island, stopping at the local stores, clumsily asking "tienes agua fria" then instead of drinking it, dumping it on his head and neck. But it worked, and once a few clouds came in to block the sun, I found myself running again. In fact, as I approached the aid station at Altagracia, I was moving well. In the town, there were many children out cheering (or laughing?). Some would come up next to me and run with an exxagerated form, I'm not sure if they were mocking us or not, but I wouldn't blame them if they were. As they would drop off, I would say "Vamos" and they always laughed. When I finally reached the aid station, I was surprised to find Heather again. Looks like I would have a running partner again, which would be nice after the long lonely miles I had just completed.

We left together for the final push before Concepcion. I was feeling quite good, but also cautious since my quads were like jello and I still had a 1000 meter climb straight up a volcano. It was still warm, but not hot like before. The dirt track was mostly rolling hills, unlike a lot of the flats I had been doing. These hills took their toll, and we did a lot of walking on the rolling uphills. I wanted to run, but just didn't have it in me. Or, even when I could, I kept thinking about the climb ahead and how I would need every ounce of energy I could get. These miles went fast, though, and before I knew it we were at 75km and the base of Concepcion.

At the aid station i had some watermelon, drank a ton of water, and changed out my socks. I felt some adreneline now, because I could sense the finish. There was still some hard work ahead, but once I left that aid station I knew nothing could stop me now. I also knew that we left the aid station with 5 others just coming in. I run to push myself not to race others, but we're all a little competetive or we wouldn't be out there, and in this case I didn't just want to let 5 people run right past me.... Not that there was much I could do to stop it on that volcano, because as soon as I hit the steep areas I could barely move forward. For those that hven't run this race, let me be clear about these volcanoes. They are real mountains, and there are no switchbacks. Were are ascending at an extremely steep and unrelenting angle. Once you've redlined, there is no pace you can recover. The key is not to redline, unfortunately I learned this the hard way.

About 1:45 into the climb, I was perched against a tree trying to hold in what little food I had in my stomach. I could have quit right there. I had no clue how much farther the climb was and I was worried about how I would get off the volcano in the dark without getting lost. I couldn't take more than 10 steps without getting sick. In the past 10 minutes, I had seen 5 runners pass me by and they all looked much stronger than me. I was completely broken. At this point Peter, one of the volunteers, came zipping up te hill hanging glowsticks. I asked how much farther and he said not much. I was desperate, so I asked him to quantify and he said "definitely more than half way." I almost sat down and quit right there, and if there was an easy way to do that I would have, but I had to keep going at this point or I'd never get home. Then, as he was almost out of earshot he screamed back that we were almost at the top, just a few miinutes away. It was te encouragement I needed, and I felt a little energy rush through my body. I started moving again. Still slow, but the positive attitude goes a long way.

Before I reached the top, I watched several people descending. They were a good 10 minutes in front of me. I didn't want any more bananas or gels, so I asked Peter what else he had. He gave me some Tuna, and it was like heaven in a vacuum sealed bag. I ate almost all of it, and felt re-energized. I zipped down the hill immediately passing 2 of the guys in front of me. I kept going at a slightly dangerous pace in the dark, and before long I found 3 more runners. I spent a little time with them, but I felt too good to slow down. In a race like this, I've found that it's important to run hard when you feel good, because you never know when the tides will turn. And so I ran.

I was now 5 kilometers from the finish and getting on the main road. It was a straight shot back to Moyogalpo and the finish line. I ran most of it, got lost a little, and even got a motorcycle escort for the end. It was a cool way to finish, running through Moyogalpo. There were people all over, but I'm not sure any of them had a clue that I was running a race. I just smiles, said "hola", and kept going.

Finishing the race at Hostel Ibesa felt great. A bunch of runners and volunteers were around at the finish line to cheer me in. I was happy to see them.

The best part of this experience wasn't the race, it was the experience of traveling to a foreign land, meeting runners from all over the globe and spending a week with them, and then having the opportunity to share the run (and the island) with them for a day. I look forward to running more international runs in the future, and I hope to see these guys again. I had an amazing time on this trip, and I can't wait to do it again someday. I would recommend it to everyone, but I will also warn them that the race is not for the faint of heart. You can not over prepare for the heat and hills of this race.

Bandera Pacing

2008-11-03T11:59:00.002-06:00

I went to Bandera this weekend to help out with pacing. My original plan was to pace Brad for 25 miles (50-75), then get some sleep and knock out a few more miles on my own in the morning. When I got there, I learned that I could possibly pace Dalton for 25 miles from 75-100 after I was finished with Brad. I didn't rally think about it much, it sounded like fun so I signed myself up. It didn't really occur to me that now I was doing 50 miles on a previously easy and relaxed weekend.

I have to admit, I was nervous about keeping up with both of them. They are great runners, and I had a really tough week of hill running going into the weekend, my legs were sore before I started. What I failed to realize was that they had already run 50 miles in Bandera, and much of the day was in the 80's, so the heat and long hours had already worn them down. You'd think I would realize this since I've done 100 miles, but it didn't click. Both of them ran great, but keeping up wasn't an issue.

I ran, off and on, from 4pm Saturday until 8am Sunday. There were some breaks when switching runners, and there was quite a bit of walking, but I got good hours on my feet that will benefit me for Fuego y Agua 100K in December. And, based on what I know of about that course, the walking I did might be the best training I can do!

Overall I had a great time visiting with everyone, and just enjoying Bandera as I always do.

Training Update

2008-10-20T09:52:00.003-05:00

My training has been going pretty well the past month or so. Right now I'm struggling with my achilles, although it is getting better. It's still a nagging pain, and has forced me to cut a few runs short.

Friday night I did a long night run. I started around 8pm, and ran until close to 10pm to the top of the HOL. There I met Pete, Josue, Brad, and Ryan for a great stroll through the greenbelt. We hit a few trails that I hadn't ever been on and that I didn't even know existed. These guys are all great runners, it was everything I could do to keep up. I planned on running until midnight, but I was having so much fun that I decided to stick it out until 2am, which is what the other guys had planned. It turns out, we didn't finish until 3am, so I got in close to 7 hours when I only planned 4. On top of the extra time, it was much faster than I realized I could run for 7 hours. These guys didn't seem to be pushing it, but I was working pretty hard to keep up with them.

I was happy with my nutrition, which was my main goal for the evening. I did eventually bonk with about 5 miles to go, but that was only because I didn't have enough food or drink for those extra unplanned miles. Had I prepared for that, I'm confident I could have finished stronger.

All in all, it was a great weekend of running. Now I'm focused on some easy recovery runs so that I can be ready to push it again on wednesday.

Bandera Epiphany

2008-09-28T20:31:00.004-05:00

I made it out to Bandera this weekend for a couple of runs. Bandera is my favorite place to run, bar none, so I was excited to get out there. I left work early, so we got there around 5. Right away I went out for a quick run of about 7 miles. It felt pretty good, although I felt a little heavy and less nimble than I like. I know I'm not a little guy, but I felt like a 250 pound linebacker trying to run on some of the technical areas. This was part 1 of my epiphany. But I finished strong, and was just happy to be there.

The next morning, Jim and I headed out for another run, this time with Charlene, Daniel, and Melanie. Melanie ran up ahead pretty quick, but the rest of us stayed together. This is where I had a really interesting conversation that was the second part of my epiphany. Daniel and I were talking about our kids, and somehow I mentioned how amazing it was that Micah (my kid) could develop so fast. Specifically, that in 3 days he could completely change his life (when he started sleeping through the night, when he learned to crawl, etc). I said, without much thought, how I wish I could change aspects of my life in just 3 days. I don't know why, but Daniel jumped on it and asked what I would change. I thought for a second, and answered the truth, I'd change my diet. I eat and drink all the wrong things at all the wrong times, and way too much of it. I eat the wrong things, and even when I eat healthy I eat 3-4 portions. I skip meals all the time. I don't eat while I run, then binge when it's over. I do everything you shouldn't do as an athlete, or for that matter, as a human. I answered the questions, and I meant it, but I didn't expect anything to come of it.

Fast forward an hour or so later, I'm now running with Daniel and Melanie, and we're approaching Ice Cream Hill. We're taking it pretty easy, but I felt my energy dropping fast. By the time we reached the top of Ice Cream Hill, I said goodbye as I knew I couldn't keep up any longer. I had gone from comfortable to dead within 10 minutes. It was depressing. When I take care of myself, eat right, drink plenty of water, I can run 100 miles with energy to spare. Yet here I was 13 or so miles into the run and I was absolutely depleted. This was the third and final part of my epiphany. I had the next hour to sludge home without food or water, with no energy, to think about what I was doing.

So there I was Saturday night, frustrated to where things have gone. I run because I love it, not because I want to compete. Yet, it's not fun to suck at it, or to under perform. Which is what I feel like I'm doing. So I've decided to make a change. Or, to be more specific, I'm starting a trial. I have a race in December that I want to do well in, and I want to have fun doing it, so I'm going to make some changes to accomplish it. It has nothing to do with my running, I'll train the same, it's everything else I'm going to improve starting immediately. We'll see how it goes...

Cool Weather

2008-09-18T11:57:00.002-05:00

I had a great run last night. I met Larry and Melanie at the dog park for 7 or 8 miles at Bull Creek. They are, by all accounts, much better runners than I am. I run a lot with people slower than me, so it's fun to get out there and feel the pressure of keeping up. And, surprisingly, I felt great the whole time.

I think it's the cool weather. Every year in September or October we get the first sign of relief from the heat, and every year around that time running starts to become a lot more fun. For me that happened last night. We finished around 7:30 and it must have been 70 degrees at the finish. It felt great, and if I had brought my light, I probably would have went back out there for more.

No running for me tonight. I have to get home to babysit while Kara goes to tennis.

The "Why" Question

2008-09-16T22:10:00.003-05:00

My friend Jim is working on his PhD in English and Rhetoric and the University of Texas. He and I have been close friends since 7th grade, and all our lives I've been getting him in trouble (or so he says). A few years ago, while I was still getting my own feet wet in ultrarunning, he moved to Austin and I convinced him to run his first marathon and then soon after the Pike's Peak marathon.

On many a long run together we've discussed why we run. We all have different answers, and it often changes. This is what makes it so interesting. Anyways, he decided to discuss it here:

http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~brown/the_why_question.mp3

I think it turned out great.

St Ed's - All Rights

2008-08-21T08:40:00.002-05:00

Date: 8/21
When: 6pm
Where St. Ed's
Run: Joe put together a really tough 4 mile loop at St Ed's he calls "All Rights." It's basically a combination of 6 loops always clockwise slowly working your way to the top of the climb. The course was tough, but it was made harder because I tried to keep up with Larry. We ran the first loop together which, admittedly, was easy for him and killer for me. But it's the workout I needed, pushing the pace. I feel myself getting more confident with the shorter/faster runs, but I still have a long way to go. I cut the second loop short, totaling only 6 (tough) miles.

Timber Knoll Revisited

2008-08-18T12:28:00.002-05:00

Well, I kind of blew it at Timber Knoll. Don't get me wrong, I ran OK and felt good doing it, but I didn't accomplish the things I set out to do. I did re-learn some things about myself though.

From the very beginning of the race, I went out too fast. I got caught up in the lead group for the first 3 miles and kept telling myself I should slow down and let them go. I felt OK, but my goal was to focus on nutrition, not to race. Still, as I got to the first aid station at 5 miles I was breathing heavy and flew right past the stop. Why did I do this when it was the exact opposite of what I promised myself I would do? Good question, and that leads in to the first thing I re-learned about myself. I am competitive and I like to suffer, and nothing I say or do before the race will change that. I'm not racing others out there, I'm pushing myself as hard as I physically and mentally can. I'm never going to be able to run a race as "just a training run" like some other people can do, it's just not in me. Call it lack of discipline or shortsightedness, but it's who I am. Just like I don't train smart, constantly pushing when I should be recovering, I also don't race smart.

Anyways, back to the race. I finished the first loop in 1:19, on pace to finish 3 before the 4:30 cutoff. And I still felt pretty fresh, so I grabbed a cookie, refilled my water bottle, and went back out. Most of the second loop was great, I felt great, the drizzle was cool, the sun went down and I was alone in the dark on new trails. I love the feeling of not knowing where I am or whats around the next turn. I was passing people and feeling good, so I knew it was time to admit my plans for running slow were out the door, I would go ahead and keep running hard until I couldn't. 3.5 miles into this loop, at the aid station, my achilles started hurting. It was the same achilles that made the last 20 miles at Tahoe pretty miserable, and I knew it would be a problem now. I debated whether I should stop after two loops. That debate lasted about 3 seconds, at which point I was once again reminded of my flaw: I am competitive and I like to suffer.

It's not something I'm proud of or embarrassed of, it's just the truth. I don't run to get faster or to stay in shape, I don't do it because of the places it takes me or anything else. I do it because it fulfills my need to push myself as hard as I can, prove that I can take more pain than I thought possible. The more I want to quit, the more important it is to me not to quit. I used to be a wrestler and my coach would tell me "It's the days you don't want to push yourself that you HAVE to push yourself." I can never get that out of my head.

So when I reached the aid station at the completion of the second loop, I grabbed some fruit and left again. At this point I was still on pace to finish the third loop in time for a fourth, but my achilles was unlikely to let me keep up the pace. Sure enough, I was behind pace in no time. It was OK, I wasn't bothered by it at all. I just ran when I could on flats and ups, walked when it hurt too bad on the downhills, and finished as best I could. In the end, I missed the chance at a fourth loop by 8 minutes. Despite some of the pain, I had a great time out there. After the race I was able to hang out and meet quite a few others that ran the 6 hour event. All in all, a good weekend trip that I'd like to make an annual tradition.

Timber Knoll Game Plan

2008-08-16T12:07:00.002-05:00

Tonight I'm running a 6hr race out at Pedernales State Park called Timber Knoll. My game plan is very simple, just run 6 hours. I'm just now getting into these shorter distances, and I'm hoping to make the next 6hr run next month a fast one. But tonight, I just want to run 6 hours and have some fun.

Now, I've often said I would just take a run like this easy, then I get caught up and try to race it anyways. That's why I'm writing this down, so it's official that I will take it easy.

I do have a second goal tonight, which is to focus on drinking lots of fluids, taking in lots of calories, and avoiding nausea. I know I can run 6 hours with only water and gatorade, but in an effort to make this a fruitful training session, I will focus on consuming as much as possible and finishing relaxed and able to keep going. Running on the bare minimum is what made my nutrition so difficult out at TRT100.

No running yesterday or this morning. Just taking it easy so I'm fresh for tonight.

Tempo Run

2008-08-14T11:00:00.002-05:00

Date: 8/14
Time: 6pm
Place: Walnut Creek
Run: Tempo run. I did a 5 minute warm-up and took off. I have no experience doing any speed work, so I still don't know my pace very well. I was planning on a 40 minute tempo, but after 25 I was crashing. I stuck it out to 30 and almost puked when I stopped. I walked/jogged back to my car, which ended up being a 20 minute cool-down.

I made the same mistake I always do, I ran without water and got really dehydrated. I may have finished the full 40 minutes with water, but it was over 90 degrees and I got really dry. I have got to start taking water with me on these runs. Seriously.

Easy 5

2008-08-13T12:53:00.003-05:00

First off, am I the only one that is annoyed that the Chinese had 12 year old girls competing in gymnastics? I really don't care about gymnastics, and I don't even agree with the age restriction, but if everyone else follows it then they should enforce the rule. And if someone tries to say that those girls were 16, they are blind. But like I said, I don't care about gymnastics, let's get started with track and field.

Yesterday's workout was easy and felt good.

Date: 8/12/08
Time: 7pm
Place: Gym (treadmill)
Run: easy 5 miles, 8 minute pace. I wanted to get on the trail, but I got stuck at work late again, and by 7 I just wanted to squeeze in my run and go home t osee Micah before he went to bed. I'm saving my tough run for today.

Ladera Norte

2008-08-11T08:58:00.002-05:00

I'm going to try a short term change of focus on the blog by logging my runs. My running goals for the last 2 years has been to lengthen my runs and finish a couple of hundreds, but no time goals. Now I'm going to try some shorter stuff, and going faster, so I feel like maybe I should start keeping track of what I do.

So I'll kick that off today.

Time: 7am
Place: Ladera Norte / Far West
Run: short hill run, 1 time up ladera norte, 1 time up far west. It uhrt because I hit them hard, but it was over quick. I had planned on two laps, but I waited around 20 minutes for 2 guys t oshow up but they stood me up. I needed to get to work, so I just ran one lap.

I felt pretty good after an easy weekend. No pains, although my legs felt heavy towards the end. I'm gonna do this every Monday, so hopefully it'll get faster.

Quick Recovery

2008-07-31T14:13:00.003-05:00

I took a week completely off after TRT100, then started some x-training last weekend. I'm doing some mountain biking and plyometrics right now, just some things that don't have miles and miles of heavy impact on my feet and knees.

Wednesday I went out for a very quick run around St Edwards. Just one 3 mile loop was all I decided to do. I considered a second loop, but my achilles hurt and mostly I just wanted to get out there and end the 10 day break from running after TRT. It felt good. I hammered up all of the hills and felt great, down hurt my achilles a little but not bad. Woke up feeling good today, so I think I'm in the clear on my quick TRT100 recovery. After Bighorn it took 3 months, so I'm excited!

Tahoe Rim Trail 100M

2008-07-23T08:57:00.008-05:00

I woke up at 3AM on Saturday morning to catch a bus ride from the host hotel in Carson City to the start of the race. I said goodbye to Kara and Micah and told them I'd see them at mile 25. I normally try to show up at races very close to the start time because I hate standing around, but the bus forced me to get there an hour early. I hung out with John (from San Antonio) and Allen (from Houston) waiting for the race to start. At 5AM sharp, we were off. They went up ahead of me, but I would see them both again...

The race starts with an 8 mile climb up about 1500 feet. It was an easy power walk, there were way too many people on this single track trail to do anything else. Besides, I new I had a long day in front of me so I was in no hurry at all. I hit the Tunnel aid station at 16 miles well ahead of 24-hour pace. While that would be great, I knew 24-hours wasn't within reach for me yet, at least not on this course. Hunstville, sure, but not on a course with 20,000 ft. of climbing.

An hour later, I made my first big mistake. After a sharp descent, there was a 700 ft steep incline out of the Red House aid station. I felt great, so I powered up it quickly. My heart rate red-lined, and by the time I got to the top of the climb I was beat. At that point, I should have laid back and recovered, but I pushed on for the next 10 miles of uphill climbing. Most of this portion of the trail is on what locals called "powder" but in Texas we call it sand. It was tough terrain to run on, your feet slid on the uphills and your shoes filled with sand on the downhills. I learned a valuable lesson on this trail, gaiters are not girly. I would have killed for a pair of gaiters on this trail, and I'm going to order a pair when I get home. By the time I hit 20 miles, I was beat. It didn't help that the aid station between Tunnel (16 miles) and Rose Mountain (26 miles) was missing. I had plenty of water, but it was mentally disturbing because you had no idea how far you had gone. On top of this, the altitude had hit me hard, and my poor pacing had knocked me down. I was nauseous and couldn't eat anything solid. I stumbled on for the next 25 miles to the half way point in a complete daze. It was frustrating.. While I knew I could recover, and always have recovered from these spells, I also knew that I would need to eat for it to happen. Only half way and I was beaten.

And then I reached Spooner Lake, the half way point. All I can say is thank goodness for friends, family, and the great trail running community. At Spooner my wonderful supportive wife was there to take care of my needs. Normally, I push my way in and out of the aid station, but she recognized that I needed to recover before I left again. She and Allen recommended some chicken noodle soup, which tasted like heaven. It was the first real food I had eaten in 12 hours. I ate 3 cups of soup and tons of canteloupe. A veteran runner (I know he was a veteran because he had a Badwater buckle on) working the aid station diagnosed my troubles, gave me salt and helped clean up my feet. I didn't catch his name, but I thanked him as I left. He said no problem, and told me to make sure I finish. After 25 minutes at the aid station I was feeling great. I watched several people come in and drop due to the heat (85 was the peak temp, not too bad after a solid Texas summer of training), and I think I took their energy each time I saw someone drop. I heard only 57% of 100 milers finished that day due to the heat... I left feeling good, and for the first time I knew that I would finish this race. I said goodbye to Kara and Micah, since I would not see them again until the following morning at the finish line.

The second 50 was identical to the first. I left Spooner at 13.5 hours, moving at a slightly slower pace than I had started. I figured 27 hours was probably out of reach, but I hadn't completely given up on it. I knew I was feeling better, but I also knew it would be tough to keep up the same pace in the dark. For now, I just power walked up to Tunnel aid station again at a similar pace to the first loop.

Darkness fell around mile 60, and it was a pleasant change. I got to watch the sun set over Lake Tahoe from a solitary spot on top of a 9000ft mountain, which was a magnificent site. It was just another reminder of why trail running, and especially ultra trail running, gives us rare moments that very few ever have. While enjoying the view, I sat down to check out my feet which were beginning to hurt. I discovered a couple of really big blisters on both feet. They were treatable, but it was a good thing I stopped when I did. I was proud in a way, because foot care was my fatal flaw last year at Big Horn. This time, I vowed to take my time and treat my problems before they ruined my run. A year ago I lost 2-3 hours because I was trying to tough out the pain in my feet, this time I wouldn't let that happen. I duct taped all the bad areas and put on some new socks. I had a new bounce in my step again.

As I hit the big hill out of Red House, I reminded myself not to ruin this loop like I did the first by powering up the hill. It was dark, and much cooler, but the hill was just as steep and sandy. I took it a little slower, but not much because I just felt so good. At the top I had a few more bowls of soup giving me some needed energy and also some time to recover, then proceeded up the long slow climb to Mt Rose (76 miles). Around 70 miles I saw John, who had taken off in front of me about 10 hours earlier as I was struggling on the first loop. He was hurting bad and announced he would drop at Mt. Rose. He had just run Big Horn last week, and his body was done. Normally I would try to talk someone out of stopping, but this was one of the rare times where I agreed he was done and that there should be no regrets in the morning.

At Mt Rose, I had some more soup and tried a piece of cheese pizza that one of the volunteers offered. The pizza wouldn't sit, so I threw it out and took off towards home. This was the final 24 miles to the finish line. By now it was 2am. I knew I had 30 hours easily, with 28 as a real possibility. 28 in the mountains would be very satisfying for me, especially given my rough start. I ran from 75 to 80 miles still feeling good and keeping a good pace. As I passed most areas, I reminded myself of how bad I felt 14 hours earlier and how much better I was now. Around 80, however, things started to fall apart. My left Achilles tightened up pretty badly, and my left foot extensor muscle (top of the foot, used to pull your foot toward your shin - I had to look that up) starting aching. Within minutes, I could barely lift my left toes up while I ran. Up hill was OK, so I began running up hills that I normally would have power walked. Downhills, however, just wouldn't work. Unfortunately, most of the final 20 miles is down hill, including a 7 mile descent at the end. I hit the final major aid station, Snow Valley Peak, at 26 hours. It was 7.1 miles to the finish and a 2000 ft drop. If I could run, even after slowing down dramatically, I could have been close to 27 hours. But I knew 27 was out and so was 28 since I would be walking down the mountain. Even 29 was a stretch considering I could only limp down the hill. It was frustrating, but my main goal was to finish, break 30, and run a smart race. I was clearly going to succeed all 3, so it was still a joy to continue.

As I approached the finish, I did finally find some adrenaline to drown out the pain, and got into a decent jog towards the finish line. At the finish line was Robert, Diana, Kara and Micah. It was the first time Micah got to see my finish, which felt great. He's 5 months old, I don't pretend that he'll remember it, but it was still meaningful to me. I finished in 29:14, not what I had hoped, but it also gave me a ton of confidence for future runs. I was just one muscle away from finishing strong and probably close to 27 hours. At least in my mind, that was a success. I learned from mistakes of my first 100, and learned a few more lessons on this one.

The Tahoe Rim Trail is an awesome place, a trail everyone should run or hike at some point. It had some of the most amazing views I've ever seen. The race support was flawless, the volunteers were friendly and in most cases, experienced. I am also grateful for the support of my family, and also the other runners out there. Robert and Allen each gave me some sage advice and medicine when I needed it out on the trail when they could have focused solely on their own run. As always, this run was a gentle reminder that we can't succeed in great things by ourselves. I hope to be able to repay everyone in the future.

Tapers are Mean

2008-07-16T14:11:00.000-05:00

The race is in 2.5 days, and I'm a complete mess. Physically and mentally, I'm just not in good shape. My knee is still hurting, I have no confidence in it anymore. I've always healed quickly, so I haven't completely lost hope, but it ain't looking good. I've been stretching non-stop, and using the foam roller 4 times a day. I've been foam-rolling so much I think some of the pain might be from the roller and not from the original knee problems. I can't even tell anymore. I'm icing every morning and every night.

Mentally, I'm a wreck. I always get nervous before a race, but with the physical unknowns of my knee I'm way worse than usual. I've been so bad that I was questioning whether I should start the race. The thing is, my knee is bad and it will likely be bad the whole race. If my IT band flares up early, there's no way I can fight through it. I know this because I've felt that pain before.

The thing is, I'm so afraid of failure that I'd rather not start if I don't think I can finish. I've never DNF'd, I've never even seriously considered it. To me it's not something I can consider because once I do, I'm already defeated. So here I am, with no confidence that I can go 100 miles, and 2.5 days away from the start. I've been at a crossroads. But then yesterday I had an epiphany. I remembered the old expression "It's better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all." It's OK that I hate failure, but not so much that it prevents me from attempting anything. So I will start the race. I don't know if I'll finish it, but if I don't I won't have any regrets.

IT Band Hell

2008-07-14T12:59:00.001-05:00

When my knee started hurting, I had no idea what it was but I was sure it wasn't my IT band. I've had a bad IT band twice, both times when training on roads for my first and second marathon. I know the pain very well, and I knew this wasn't it. It turns out I was wrong, I have ITBS and I have it pretty bad. 5 days to Tahoe and I'm starting to get really worried.

Right now my plan is to stretch it and ice it as much as possible, and we'll just see what happens. I've never DNF'd and don't plan to, but IT band pain is the only pain I've ever had that could have pushed me to it. I hate even talking about this, so I'll stop. My leg is bruised from the foam roller last night, lots more of that tonight.

Congrats to all the hardrockers. You guys got me inspired for my own run.

Hardrock

2008-07-12T07:43:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite things to do this weekend every year is to watch the live Hardrock updates on the web. This year I'm watching the progress of Joe and JT.

It looks like JT started strong, but he just spent 1:15 at the 58 mile aid station, so I just hope everything is going alright. He did leave, and he's way ahead of the cutoff, so I'll be rooting for him. Joe is a few hours behind, but again well ahead of cutoff. I think a bone would have to be hanging out for him not to keep going.

Good luck guys, I'll be rooting for you all day.

On a personal note, my knee is feeling a little better. It still feels swollen, but the pain is a little less. I haven't run now in 8 days. I biked a little at the gym, and have been doing some upper body weights, but no running. I would like to test it out sometime this weekend, but probably not until tomorrow.

Jacked Up Knee

2008-07-07T15:42:00.002-05:00

So far my taper is less active than I had hoped. Before the 30K last weekend my knee was hurting, but I didn't take it too seriously. After the race, it hurt a little but not much worse. And I knew my tapering was starting, so I had lots of recovery time.

Well, fast forward to Friday. I went for a 10 mile run with a friend of mine, just an easy loop around town lake. A mile from the finish I had to pull up and walk it in because my knee hurt. It's a new pain, I'm not sure what to make of it. It hurts all the time, not just when I'm running. It's not a sharp pain, its a dull nagging discomfort. It feels kind of swollen, but it doesn't look swollen. And it cracks when I walk. It can't be good going into a 100M run.

So, I'm taking it easy (read: not running at all). I'll probably do very little running before Tahoe. My thoughts are that I could screw something up running on it, while not running will have very little short term impact on my goal, which is to run well at Tahoe and to finish.

There was one other notable experience this long 4th of July weekend. I took Micah running in his baby stroller on Thursday. He's been on lots of walks, but that was his first run. It was his 5 month birthday. It was surprisingly tough to run even small hills while pushing a stroller, especially since you can't really use your arms at all.

Taper and Recovery

2008-07-02T16:13:00.002-05:00

My taper for Tahoe officially started on Monday. I made it a real easy day, running about 5 miles after work with some co-workers. I usually push the pace and show them shortcuts so I can go a little faster, but this time I took it slow. Very slow. Tuesday was completely off, and I'm amazed at how tired my body was. I hadn't realized how tired I was until now, as I feel my body recovering and my energy coming back.

Today I did a short treadmill run at lunch, and a light core workout. Looking forward, I'm going to make this a real easy week and just continue my focus on recovery. I have just over 2 weeks before Tahoe and I've got butterflies already.

When Life Interferes with Blogging

2008-06-30T14:39:00.002-05:00

It’s been a long time since I wrote to this blog. After my last post I purposely took some time off. Soon after that I decided that I would not be writing to it anymore. I’m not sure why I made that decision, but it was OK with me. I just had no interest in it anymore. Now, 16 months later, I am once again motivated to write. So for now I’ll write…

I’ll start off by summarizing the last 16 months. Shortly after I quit writing, I ran and finished the Bighorn 100M trail race. It was like nothing I’ve ever done, one of the most excruciating and exhilarating experiences of my life. It’s been too long to try to write the details now, so I won’t even try. I suffered like never before, destroyed my feet ,and took over 3 months for my blisters to heal. I have pictures of my feet after the race, but they are inappropriate for public viewing.

After the run, Kara and I went to Yellowstone for a vacation of camping and hiking. Our trip did not work out as planned because I could not walk, let along hike, but we had a great time nevertheless. After all, we weren’t just celebrating the end of a long training schedule and a successful race, we were also celebrating our new child on the way. Kara was 8 weeks pregnant at the time of the race.

In February, our first kid was born. His name is Micah and I never knew how deeply I could care about someone or something until I met him. It put my priorities into perspective, but not in the simplistic way you might think. Before he was born, I would have guessed that any priority changes would have been working less, running less, and spending more time with my family. Well, that’s only kind of how it has worked out. Micah is 5 months old now, and I’m still figuring things out. But one thing I’ve noticed is that having him hasn’t forced me to push any priorities down. It just made me squeeze in something at the top. I have to be more efficient with my time, I have to make sure no time is wasted, but I don’t have to drop anything that is important to me. My runs now are less consistent, they are straight to the point and back home, they are sometimes run through the night while Micah and Kara sleep, or they are at times while he is taking a nap. But I’ve been able to run just as much and still have time with my family. I’ve had to remove some weekday runs, and supplement them with longer weekend runs, but it’s a small sacrifice.

So now that everyone is up to date on my life, I can talk about where I am now. I just finished my heavy training for the Tahoe Rim Trail 100M race which is in 3 weeks. As of today I’m tapering. I’ll do a few more tough runs, but nothing long. My legs are completely trashed. It’s taken awhile to realize it, but yesterday it became abundantly clear that I’m physically exhausted. I’m not recovering quickly, and I’m getting slow. Both are signs of overtraining for me. The good news is that I avoided injury, and I have plenty of time to really recover and to be strong for the race. Now I’m going to focus on my nutrition and my mental strength, which are the only two things standing in my way from a successful run at Tahoe.

One more thing I want to mention before I go. Over the past 6 months, I have taken terrible care of my body. While I exercise plenty, my nutrition and other habits have been terrible. I eat bad, I drink bad, I haven't cross-trained, I haven't stretched, I haven't recovered... I've done everything wrong and undisciplined, and if I wasn't blessed with a naturally healthy body I'd be 220lbs, slow, and injured. About a week ago I decided to change that. I want to document this change in writing so I'm not tempted to regress.

Until next time…

BigHorn Training Continued...

2007-02-20T11:21:00.000-06:00

I went out and did 25 on Saturday morning, my longest run since Sunmart. It felt a lot better than the 20 I did the previous week, I think I just needed to shock my body back into the long-distance running state. I did a long out and back at the greenbelt with my camelback. I hate wearing it, but figured I might as well start getting used to it now.

On another note, I need to start something new for xtraining, at least until the days get longer so I can start mountain biking again. I think I'll try swimming again. Every time I try it I do it for about 2 weeks and decide it's just not my sport, but I'll give it another go starting today.

Big Horn

2007-02-10T18:59:00.000-06:00

I officially started my training today for the Big Horn 100M trail race. I've been taking it easy for the past 2 months, still running but keeping the runs short. About 15 miles into today's run I started wandering what I just got myself into.

My legs still feel OK, but my endurance is not the same as it was. I think I can get it back pretty fast, but climbing back up the Hill Of Life today after a 20 miler it was all I could do to just get to the top of the hill.

Tomorrow I'll do 10 for my first back-to-back in awhile... I'm a little nervous about big horn, but I'm excited to get back into it. I've already registered, so there's no backing out now. I have exactly 125 days to get ready.

Sunmart 2006

2006-12-11T11:23:00.000-06:00

I ran an absolutely asinine race, but had a great time doing it. Don't look for me in the race results, because I won't be there. Here's the long story:

A month ago I went to Bandera and ran more than I usually do, and sure enough I started having IT band problems. I took nearly the entire month off leading up to Sunmart, and stretched my legs everyday. Thursday before Sunmart I decided to run 8-10 miles, and if that felt ok, then I would run 50 miles at Sunmart. After all, I had already paid. If my knee was still hurting, then I would take Sunmart off and hope for a speedy ramp up for Bandera. That Thursday, I ran 4 miles and had to stop because my knee hurt too much. Sunmart was out for me, but I would be going anyways to cheer on my wife, Kara, who was running her first 50K.

We got out to Houston on Friday for packet pickup, and I was so frustrated. Picking up packets was like pouring salt in my wounds. I didn't want to pick anything up since I wasn't running. But Kara talked me into picking up the bag and a few of the goodies. I told her that I would not use them since I wasn't running, but if she wanted 2 of something I would give it to her since I paid for the race anyways. I picked up my number because I thought that maybe I would run a loop or half a loop, and if I had a number on then no one would have a problem with it. I did not pick up a timing chip, because I had no real intentions of running. And I knew if I started the run with a timing chip, it would encourage me to do something stupid like trying to finish the race with an injury.

On the way to Hunstville that evening I decided I would run one loop. Even if I had to walk half of it, I might as well finish a loop (12.5 miles).

The next morning I lined up at the start and started running at 7am. Kara was there, but her 50K didn't start until 7:30. When I was about 6 miles into the run my knee was hurting, so I ran a little faster to get it over with. I was running about a 9 minute pace at that point, which for 12.5 miles is pretty comfortable, but completely stupid if I had any intentions of running 50 miles. Fortunately I had no intentions of running 50 miles that day. As I approached 10 miles, my knee wasn't any worse, so I decided that maybe I should run a second loop. I was hoping to see Kara before I finished the loop, so I could let her know. She would be expecting me at the aid station since I was only running one loop. If she didn't see me, she might get worried. Fortunately I saw her, and told her I would keep running.

By the beginning of the second loop, my legs were burning. No wonder, not only had I not planned on running, but on Thursday, after I decided that I would not run Sunmart, I went to the gym and did a pretty heavy leg workout. On top of this I was running without any Gu's, gels, electrolytes, or anything else. So I was running too fast on weak legs, and a mind made up that I would not run the full 50. A few miles into the second loop I passed Joe P. He said, "I thought you were just going to do one loop?" I responded, "Well, my knee's not getting any worse, so I figured I might as well run until I can't." He laughed and said he knew what that meant... Crap! I was starting to think he was right, I was probably going to try to finish the race.

I caught Kara and her friend Christine soon after that. Kara told me I was a dumbass and that I should have at least worn a timing chip. It didn't really matter, I was just happy to be out there. Getting "credit" for the run didn't really matter to me.

Around the end of the second loop I knew I was committed. I also knew I was about to seriously slow down. I was still under an 8 hour pace and my legs were sludge. But my knee felt OK! Then I started laughing out loud. I was thinking of a conversation that I had with my friend Jim earlier that week. He was having knee problems too and was talking to Joe about it. I wasn't there but here's how it was told to me. It just sounded like two stoners sitting around their dorm rooms:

Joe: How's you knee feelin'?

Jim: Not much better. It still hurts everytime I run.

Joe: You know what you need, man? Maybe you need to just keep runnin'. Maybe it's somethin' you just need to knock loose, and like, once you do that you'll be fine.

Jim: Yeah, sure Joe. maybe...

Not exactly sound medical advice, but I know I'll take advice from a runner sooner than a doctor. Anyways, this advice we had laughed at earlier that week seemed to be dead on for me. So I just kept running. The truth is, it hurt a lot. But as much as it hurt, it never seemed bad enough to stop. I don't know how bad it would have to be, which scares me a little.

The rest of the run is not that interesting. It hurt a lot, a bunch of people passed me, and I stumbled on to finish. Last year I remembered drinking a coke at the very last aid station, and it was so freaking good. When I got to the last aid station I asked for a coke but they were all out. It was sad, was I going so slow that they ran out of refreshments???

I continued on, and I was so happy to see the HCTR crew at the finish line, and Kara with her finishers jacket. I stopped for a second to tell her congratulations, then ran on to the finish line. I had to explain to the people working there that I did not have a timing chip to give them, and they looked at me funny but gave me my jacket anyways.

I've now run several 50 mile runs, but it never gets old. Each one is a challenge, and each has it's own set of rewards. But I think this time I was happier at Kara's accomplishment that my own. We enjoyed a nice Sunmart post-race meal and I had the luxury of driving home that night. We slept very well that night.

Bandera II

2006-09-03T17:27:00.000-05:00

I've been to Bandera several times now, but I only consider two of them as battles. The first was a draw, I finished the 50 miles I set out to do, but I could hardly call it a victory. I was happy to be alive in the end, and knew I'd be back for a rematch. Yesterday was the rematch.

For awhile now I've been planning on going out for the unoffical Cactus Rose 100M, where I would run less than 100M, but still get my rematch with the park. On Thursday morning, with work piling up and other things stressing me out, I decided not to go. Then, not more than 10 minutes later I got an email from Joe (the coordinator) asking if I'd be going. "Screw it" I told myself, my wife is out of town, its a long weekend, I might as well go. So I dropped my dog off at a friends house and drove out there Friday afternoon. Got there just before dark, set up my tent, and pretty much crashed, my run would start at 5am.

I set out to do 25 miles, with the intention that if I felt good I would continue on for more. It was not a formal event, and I could pretty much run whatever I wanted. Well, at 5am I felt great. At 11am I still felt pretty good having completed 25 miles. I had not brought any electrolytes, only 64 oz of gatorade, and a bunch of water. Only planning on 25 miles, I figured I could do iut with nothing but a watr bottle. My only food was some potato chips. Unfortunately I decided to go out for more, partially because I felt OK and partially because I was running with a guy who intended to do the full 100M and felt silly stopping at 25. Well, it was a stupid mistake. This was not a fully supported race, Joe did an awesome job setting it up with water and tents, but still we were on our own for food and supplements, and I had brought none. It was nearly 100 degrees, I had lost over 10 pounds in water weight, and I had nothing to consume. After 35 miles, I had almost decided to call it a day. It was more than I had intended to do, yet I kind of wanted to continue. The previous 5 miles had taken 2.5 hours. Yeah, thats right, I was barely walking, yet delirious enough to think I should continue. Later, I met a woman who apparently had seen me from a distance, and told me I didn't look so good. That might explain why, when I hit the 35 mile aid station, the guys at the aid station pretty much told me that I shouldn't go back out. I'll admit, I wasn't planning on going back out anyways, so there was no battle. I didn't feel bad about stopping, I only ever planned on 25 miles. But, with that said, I still have to say that Bandera won. The standings are now Bandera 1, TJ 0, with one draw. I'll be back in the fall, without the hot weather, for another rematch. Then, in January, I'll run the official 100K, where I plan to kick Bandera's ass.

Pike's Peak Nonreport

2006-09-03T10:23:00.000-05:00

I apologize to my few loyal readers, but I have been too busy to write about Pike's Peak, and I wasn't really sure what to write anyways. I don't have a report to share. Here's the short story.

Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs are very cool towns, places I wouldn't mind living some day. There are some seriously good athletes out there, and the mountains are beautiful. But, I have to say, the race itself was a little anti-climactic. I was expecting struggle, pain, nausea, etc. Instead, I had a very easy race. Upon everyone's advice, I took the base of the mountain very conservatively. As I got higher and higher, I felt relaxed and strong and passed people the entire way up. At the top I saw my wife and friend, and they gave me some donuts, which I had requested in advance. I was way ahead of people I am never in front of. I also saw JT near the toip who went on to finish around 50th place I think. I'm expecting a top 20 finish next year, unless he's running Leadville 100 that weekend instead.

The run downhill went very quickly (~2 hours) and then it was over. I've been training for this race by running 12+ hour runs in extreme heat, and this race was over in under 6 hours without a hitch. I guess I just found it a little anti-climactic. That is not to take anything away from the race, it was fun and I was glad I did it. I think I just enjoy longer distances more than anything.

I'm thinking of going back up to CO and/or NM this fall. I have some vacation time and it seems like a fun roadtrip to drive up there and run some of the tough courses out there. We'll see.

Finding My Groove

2006-07-23T15:07:00.000-05:00

I finally had a good run this morning. I met the Rogue group at the Hill of Life this morning for an "easy" hour of running. Most of them just got back from a trip out to colorado for the Barr Mountain Trail Race, while I was back here at 100 ft elevation running flatlander style. It was recovery for the BMTR runners, and since we are all heading out to Bandera next weekend for some long runs, just taking it easy.

I started off easy, but about 10 minutes into the run I felt good. Really good. It was something I haven't felt in weeks, so I started picking up the pace. It felt so good to be running fast on single track trails, hitting sharp turns, leaping rocks and roots, like I had been doing a month ago. I felt really alive. That feeling is exactly what I love about trail running, and so I took advantage of it. It's the feeling that all of us trail runners seek, the thing we can't describe to our friends and coworkers no matter how hard we try.

I finished the loop in one hour, and stopped with the group. I was tempted to head back out for another hour or two, but knew it was best to stop. I have 40 miles planned for next weekend on some tough Bandera, TX terrain, no sense in wasting it all now. For the first time in awhile, I can't wait to get back out there.

The Death Run

2006-07-22T12:24:00.000-05:00

It's been two weeks since my run out at Inks Lake, where I had a fabulous run and felt great doing it. I was on top of my running world, but since then it's all come crashing down. I've run about 5 times since then, each time feeling worse and worse. Maybe I need some time off, maybe its the 100+ temperatures, or maybe it's mental. Or maybe it's a combination of these things.

This morning I decided to head out for a tough hilly run, to see if I could break out of my funk. I ran Melissa's Davenport Death run. I figured it must be tough if Melissa ran on it. Besides it shares hills with another common running route called "The Inferno" and "The Run From Hell." Words like "death," "inferno," and "hell" sound like too much fun not to do, and I knew I had to push myself through it, or I'd just keep going on with these crappy runs.

The first mile was easy, some tough hills on Austin's scale, but nothing too bad. I picked up the pace for the next 2 miles and the hills got tougher. By 30 minutes in, I was spent. Here we go again, I thought. I slowed down, but not much, and I tried to focus on getting up the hills comfortably and recovering on the downhills. By 60 minutes in, I was good to go. If that wasn't a fluke, then I'd say I'm back to my old self. I sure hope so, Pike's Peak is coming up in less than a month.

I'll be heading out to Bandera next weekend for some more good running. I can't wait to get there, last time was the toughest run I'd ever had, but I had a blast doing it. It's beautiful Texas Hill Country out there.

Horrible Running Weekend

2006-07-16T17:40:00.000-05:00

I had a terrible running weekend. I got up early on Saturday to meet Jim at the hill of life. About 30 seconds into the run, on the way down the hill, I turned my ankle again. The same one from last weekends run. It hurt, I limped for awhile, and kept going. I should have just turned around right there and ran on the roads.

20 minutes into the run, Jim and I are both exhausted, hot, thirsty, and miserable. He's going really slow because his legs are tired from 2 very tough weeks of running for him. I'm limping behind him because of my annoying ankle. Neither of us are doing much talking, except to complain about the run. Normally whining is not tolerated, but that day it was all we had.

Then came the horseflies. These huge pests were buzzing around us and followed us for miles. We tried everything, but couldn't shake them. At this point it was getting really hot, we were covered in sweat, our bodies exhausted, and now the mental angish of these stupid horseflies. At one point Jim turned to me and said, "this is just plain miserable." He was right.

I let all of this beat me down, and my ankle was killing me. Finally after an hour and a half of pretending to be a runner, I told Jim that I was finished. We had planned on 3 hours, but I couldn't do it. My ankle was not worse than last weekend, where I ran all night on the same injury. It made me realize how mental this whole business is. Last week, I succeeded because I never considered the alternative. This weekend, I was defeated from the beginning. Last weekend I shunned the pain, this time I welcomed it and used it as an excuse to stop. It's OK though, I was fine with stopping. There's no reason to mes up my ankle any worse.

This morning I got up at 5 to try to run on the roads for a few hours. My ankle stil hurt, so I decided not to even go out. Instead I sat around watching live updates at the hardrock 100, where my friend Joe was running. He finished, as I figured he would. This was his 6th finish at hardrock. I don't know much about the course, but he went 47 hours straight with no sleep to finish just before the cutoff, so I know it must be rough.

Tomorrow I'll try to run again. We'll see how it goes.

Night Running Theme Song

2006-07-12T13:02:00.000-05:00

Listening to my iPod on shuffle last night, an oldie but goodie came on. It's the perfect theme song for last weekends all night run.

little voice says I'm going crazy
to see all my worlds disappear
vague sketch of a fantasy
laughing at the sunrise
like he's been up all night
ooo slippin and slidin
what a good time but now
I have have to find a bed
that can take this wait
good feeing
won't you say stay with me just a little longer
it always seems like your leaving
when I know the other one
just a little too well

-Violent Femmes

Capt'n Karls Report

2006-07-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

I wasn't sure how to write up this race report, as it was not like any other experience I've had on the trails. It was a test of my resolve, my character, and a true showing of my friendships, and had very little to do with my fitness or strength. The results might be shown by my time, distance, or rank at the finish, but the real results were the things I learned during the run, and the knowledge I walked away with at the end.

The event started with a little pre-race speech by Brad and his wife Nyla, the RD couple. The talk was as much about the purpose of the race, raising money for the American Cancer Society, and it was about the run. Brad and Nyla really believed in the cause of this event, and that was cool to see. The inaugeral Capt'n Karl's All Nighter began shortly after this, by none other than Karl, who the race was named after.

I'm not going to write the normal race report. During the race there were 4 things that stuck out to me and they trump anything else that occured during this long night.

1. Jim, Kara, and I drove out to Inks lake in the early afternoon. On the way out there, Jim was talking about hopefully getting in 25 miles in his 6 hour event. I told him that he should be excited, because he was about to run his longest run ever that night. Since he's run a marathon, I was basically telling him that he would exceed his goal of 25 miles. We had agreed to run the first 6 hours together, then I would run the second half alone. At 11:15pm, we realized that we would have to step up the pace to get into the aid station by 12:30. This was the cutoff for the 6 hour guys. If we left the aid station before this, then he was allowed to go back out and get another "official" loop in. This would put him at 30 miles. But it would not be easy, as we hadn't run a loop in under 1:15 in quite awhile, and we had been slowing down. But Jim stepped it up, we pushed the pace the first half of the loop, and the second half he left me. He ran like a crazy man and got back into the aid station at 12:23, just quick enough to head back out. It would have been easy for him to take it easy, finish just after 12:30 and have a good reason to call it a night. A successful night at that, but he wasn't satisfied. He pushed himself, and he was rewarded with his first ultra marathon. He did the 30, plus a one mile loop at the beginning when we were lost, for an unofficial 31 miles, or 50K. Jim is a strong runner, and a great friend, I was happy to be a part of his first ultra. I'm lucky to have a friend like him.

2. Kara, my wife, had come out with us and volunteered at the aid station from 7pm to 1am. This race wouldn't have been the same without her there. I couldn't believe how dependent I was on knowing that she would be there when I got there. At one point, I came in after only 10 miles feeling weak and nautious. I hadn't felt this poor in the early stages of a run before. She told me, "It'll get better, it has to." She said it twice. They were the perfect words for the moment, they helped me get through that first low point that I had, and echoed in my mind the rest of the night. I'm a lucky guy to have her.

3. At mile 28, I sprained my ankle very badly. I screamed like a madman when it happened, and limped for 2 miles back to the aid station. All I could think about was how I had such a long night ahead of me. I still had over 5 hours, and I knew that quitting was not an option. It took Jim and me about an hour to walk that 2 miles. Jim was finishing his run at this point, and could have easily left me to get a better time on his first ultra. But I don't think that ever entered his mind, even when I told him to go on. I was in no danger, and I certainly wasn't pleasant company. When we finished, Jim told me not to do anything stupid, as I hobbled back out onto the course alone. I knew that I would do many stupid things out there, but isn't that the foundation of ultra running? I dug in deep over the next mile or two, working hard to ignore the pain I felt and began running slowly on the smooth parts (which were rare). "It'll get better, it has to," I reminded myself. Adrenaline, endorphins, and the grace of God finally got me running again about 2 miles into that 7th loop. This was a new test of resolve that I had to conquer, and I did.

4. The fourth lesson is the hardest to explain. But I'll try. When I finally started running again on the 8th loop, I passed a few people. Some of them were walking, and I was actually lapping them. Others, I was passing for the first time. When I got to the aid station, I was told that I was now in first place. I can't describe how little this meant to me. Now that I was running again, all I wanted to do was keep running. If I could do that, then this night would be a success. I had battled through some low points, I had been carried by friends, family, and fellow runners, and that was all that mattered. I continued to run as hard as I could for the next 3 hours, and finally finished my last loop, 50 miles, in 11:50. I had won the race. My wife had just woken up, and came over to me. "I think you won," she said. I smiled and said that I did. Surprisingly, it wasn't that exciting to me. I often say that when I race, I'm racing myself, and this was proof to myself that I wasn't just sayinig this for dramatic effect, I really meant it. I had exceeded my expectations on that night, and how I stacked up against the other runners wasn't important. Kara was proud of me, and she called everyone that night to tell them about the night. I think I was happier about her pride than the race itself.

My overall opinion of the race was that it was a huge success. About 25 people were out there for the inaugeral event, most of them doing the 12 hours. It was a great idea for a race, and if it continues, I'm sure it will grow. The fellow runners were great company, as any HCTR get together seems to be. While the execution can get better, and I'm sure it will, it went really well. The volunteers were good and the food was good. The post race breakfast was awesome. I can't wait until next year.

A Marathon Relay

2006-07-05T08:13:00.000-05:00

I ran a marathon relay this morning. The race is something I've been anxious to have over with for quite awhile. As the token runner of my group at work, I took the responsibility last year to get a group of my colleagues together. Many of them were either running their first race, or their longest at 5-10K. It was a pain getting it all organized, as it seemed like everyone had to be dragged out there, even though I knew they would enjoy it once they got out there.

The race was over in such a short time. I was running the first leg, which was a 12K. I haven't raced a distance this short in a long time, almost 2 years. I'm not trying to sound facetious by calling it short, but honestly, it is a different kind of race when it's only going to take an hour. I wasn't sure how to pace myself, but I did want to go out hard and try to maintain a quick pace, not knowing whether I could hold it for 7.5 miles. In the long trail runs, you can start slow, and really feel it out and adjust your pace accordingly. Here, I felt like I was just going hard, and hoping it would last.

As it turns out, it almost lasted. I kept a hard pace (for me, anyways) for the first 7 miles. With about .5 miles to go, I was spent. But with a half mile to go, and at that pace, I kept telling myself that it was only 3 more minutes, then 2 more minutes, then 1 and the finish line was in sight. I know I slowed down a little, but I kept the pace up enough to finish strong. Ended up finishing at about 56:30, which was 4 seconds per mile faster than my 10K PR.

I was surprised to say the least. While I've been running consistently for the past 2 years, I never thought I could race that distance faster than I did 2 years ago, when I was more focused on the 10K distance. I even have to admit that I enjoyed running fast. That's not to say I'll make a habit of it, I'm sticking with the trails for now.

I handed off to my partner for the next leg, who happened to be my wife. She also PR'd. She has been gunning for a 10 minute pace on a 10K for awhile, and she almost got it this time. She finished in about 63 minutes. She'll get there soon.

It was weird at the finish line. I'm used to a small crowd, where I know most of the people. I'm used to eating lunch (or dinner) at the end of the race. Here, there were hundreds of people that I didn't know, and donuts to eat. The donuts were good, but nothing like an ice cold Coke and a cheesburger.

A Very Short Run

2006-07-03T07:54:00.000-05:00

I have a marathon relay tomorrow, on July 4th. I had to go downtown yesterday to pick up my teams packets, but I got there about 20 minutes early so I decided to run a quick out and back around Town Lake rather than just sitting around and waiting. Besides, I needed to shake out some cobwebs after Saturday's 3 hour run.

So when I took off, I decided I'd run it fast. I mean, really fast, relative to my normal pace. Of course my normal pace is ultra marathon pace, so that's not saying too much. Anyways, I took off at about a 7 minute pace, which I wasn't sure if I could maintain because I never try it. It felt good. Actually, it felt really great. It's been a long time since I ran swiftly like this, and it was refreshing.

I finished close to a 3 mile out and back in 20 minutes, picked up my packet soaking wet in sweat, and went home for a shower. I'm feeling pretty good today, and looking forward to a fast race tomorrow. I'm running a 12K leg of the relay, havent done a distance like that in a while, so we'll see how it goes. I'm running the race with co-workers who all think I'm a running freak, so I can't let them down.

Crappy Sports Weekend

2006-07-01T18:27:00.000-05:00

On a non-running note, what a crappy weekend of sports news.

First, I get to work on Friday and find out that Randy Walker, the head football coach of my alma-mater, Northwestern, died of an apparent heart attack. He became coach when I was a junior in college. He was a good coach, and from what I knew, a great guy.

Then, I get online last night to read some Tour de France previews only to realize that a huge scandal had just broke. It was not a huge surprise, I think a lot of people saw it coming, but I had no clue it would be this big. Basso, out; Ullrich, out; Mancebo, out; Vinikourav, my favorite, is out too because he could not even field a team of 6 (he is not accused, by the way). It's good for some American contendors, but absolutely horrible for the sport. I was happy to see that no Discovery riders, nor top Americans, were involved. Also happy to see Vino was not accused either. But you know what, the TdF people deserved this after the way they treated Lance. OK, I'll get off my soapbox now.

Then, today I had to watch France beat Brazil in the World Cup again?!? And while I was not surprised to see Agassi or Roddick lose in Wimbledon, that just topped off a terrible sports weekend. At least I can still root for my girl, Martina Hingis.

Oh, wait....

Greenbelt Run

2006-07-01T18:23:00.000-05:00

I got up early this morning to get in an early 3 hour run starting at 6am. Jim met me at the top of the hill of life, and we took off from there. He is running the Capt'n Karl's Night Run with me, he is doing the 6hr option while I'll be doing the 12hr option. I thought today would be a good day to just take it nice and slow, and try to run at the pace we'll do next weekend up at Ink's Lake.

The first hour and a half went pretty easy. We were both feeling great, light feet, wind at our backs, easy effort. It was getting hot already, but not bad. Then I took my first spill of the day. I was cruising on a slightly downhill single track, got lazy, dragged my foot over a stump, and went flying head first. It wasn't that bad, other than I spilled my handheld water bottle. Not only that, but somehow the water/gatorade mix somehow managed to spill by sneaking through a crack in the lid and spray straight up into my eye. Gatorade in your eye is not pleasant.

OK, enough whining. So we kept running, the morning was beautiful and everything went well until about 2.5 hours. At this point, Jim got really tired. I guess it was a little too fast for him. I guess he didn't get the memo that we were going to run at the pace we would uphold next week for 6 and 12 hours. So we slowed down dramatically. I didn't mind, I figure this is something we are doing together, and I have my bad days too.

Side note: Jim and I have agreed to run together for the first 6 hours of the race next week. This isn't the most efficient way to go, but this will be a really long run for both of us, and I want to be there to support him, while I know it will also help me keep a smart pace for the first half of the run.

OK, so right after we had slowed down we started to head down the Hill of Death. Well, it gets that name for a reason. First, Jennifer had apparently fallen on this hill just this morning (surprising I didn't see her out there). Then, as I was running down it today, I managed to slam my face into a tree branch. It's a really technical decent, so you have to focus on the ground. And this was no small branch, this was about 3" in diameter thick. It didn't budge, but my head did. It banged me up a little, and gave me a cut under my eye. So now I was muddy and scraped up.

the rest of the run was fairly uneventful. It was a good morning. Nothing like a 3 hour run, and still home and showered before half the city has even woken up. On my way home I did my usual routine of picking up Rudy's Breakfast Taco's for me and Kara. They love me there... The sweaty, muddy, smelly and sometimes bloody guy that comes in every Saturday morning.

Gotta Love Austin

2006-06-24T18:02:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning at 6am to meet Jim for a run. Rain was sprinkling, but nothing major. Around 7 it started pooring down rain. I mean, it was a serious downpour with thunder and lightning. Jim and I were planning to meet for an easy 10, so I called him to make sure he was still committed, given the weather. He was.

As I was driving into Austin I was thinking to myself that this weather was kind of bad. I was thinking, I like the rain, but is this really worth it? Is this another stupid decision to run in the lightning storm? Will we be the only two fools out there running this morning? And then I pulled up to the the Town Lake Trail (we weren't running there, just meeting there). Sure enough, I saw at least a hundred runners go by. 50 more were getting water under the Mopac bridge. This is Austin, TX, where people love the outdoors and love fitness. This is a city where I don't stick out as the crazy guy that runs all of the time. Gotta love Austin.

PS. Jim and I went on to have a great road run up the Scenic and Mt. Bonnell route. The rain felt good, and conversation was great as usual. It was the first time we had spent on a long road course in months and we confirmed that we prefer the trails. Still, it was a good run. There's no better way to start a weekend.

Training and having fun

2006-06-21T18:43:00.000-05:00

After my post about taking a day or two off, Matt asked me what my plans were for training the next two weeks until the 12-hour run. I started to respond and then stopped. I realized that I don't know the answer. I could get a good run in this weekend, then start tapering. Or I could start tapering now. Or I could ignore tapering altogether, because this is just another fun training run.

So I choose the last option, I'm just going out there to have fun, and this run is not my main goal. The problem is, I don't know what my main goal is. I don't even know if I have a main goal! First, it was Pike's Peak. But not long into that training, I secretly started planning on the Bandera 100K, so then Bandera became my big goal for the year, but as always, I've also been considering some other things. I don't know where this is all going, but it does make me realize that it's not in my nature as a runner to pick one single goal and focus solely on it. I did this with Sunmart last year, and it worked, but some of the joy I get out of running was lost with this attitude. It might result in a better peak performance and faster times, but what's the point if it's not fun?

I asked a friend of mine once how he trains for 100 milers, as I was challenged so much by a mere 50 miles. His response... he hasn't "trained" in years. He just goes out there to run for fun, and sometimes he gets to have fun for a really long time, like, say, 24+ hours straight for a 100 miler. I guess this is my attitude also, although sometimes I get caught up in the big challenges and times and all that, at the end of the day, I just want to go out there, relax and have fun. Suffer a little, maybe, but always look back knowing that it was a good time.

So, whether it is a 12 hour run in a few weeks, a 100K in a few months, or any other distance at any other time, I don't think I'll change my "training" too much. I figure, if I keep making it more fun, I'll do it more. If I do it more, it'll get easier and more fun. And whether this leads me to 100 milers, or I change directions and decide to start running 10K's, I'll have no regrets.

Put a fork in me

2006-06-21T12:21:00.000-05:00

OK, I'm totally spent. I had a tough week of running last week, then finished it off with a 12% grade treadmill run on Friday, 9 miles of trail course marking on Saturday night, and a few hours later a 30K race on those same trails. I decided I was OK on Monday, so I rode my bike for about an hour and did some hard downhill runs at the Ladera Norte hills on Tuesday.

Tonight I'm supposed to run with my Pike's Peak Rogue group at the greenbelt, but Ive decided to bail. I think this is the first intelligent decision I've made in awhile. My quads are shredded, my calves are sore, and my knee keeps cracking when I walk.

I have the 12-hour run coming up in a few weeks, and I want to make sure I'm ready. The trail is pretty hilly and rough. If all goes well, I'd like to break the 50M barrier which I've done twice but never gone over. So... in light of this, I'm taking a day off, maybe two, and I'll be better than ever by the weekend.

The Belt 30K

2006-06-19T08:37:00.000-05:00

The running for me actually started at 7:30pm the night before the race. I had volunteered to help mark the course along with a few other people. (Public Service Announcement: For those who have never volunteered for a race, you should really consider doing it. Not only is it a chance to give back for some great races, but I believe you can't fully appreciate the hard work that goes into these things until you've viewed them from the other side).

Abe and I trekked down the Hill of Life at 7:30pm and had 2 miles before we got to the area we would start marking. Abe is a lot faster than me and did not plan to run the race in the morning, so he took off and I tried to follow. I have to admit, it was harder running than I planned to do the night before the race. We marked about 5 miles of the 30K course and had about a 2 mile run back to our cars. We covered about 9 miles and finished around 9:30. I went home and tried to get some sleep.

Race morning I woke up a little sore from the night before. Oops, that wasn't my goal. No big deal though, I'm just running for the mileage and the fun, and although once the race starts I always run as hard as I can, I wasn't worried about my time. I focus on my effort, and starting tired won't affect that. At 6:30am we started.

The first 10 miles were pretty easy. There were a few big climbs like the Hill of Life and the Scenic Overlook climbs, but they didn't hurt. Actually, because we had 2 nights of rainstorms, the trails were a muddy mess. This always makes it more fun, but for me it really hurt on the downhills. Normally, I run down hills pretty well and can recover from the climbs during this time. But the rocks were slippery and the mud was thick, so I had to tip-toe down the hills and this took a lot of effort and really wore down my quads on the downhills. Around 12 miles, my legs were exhausted.

No problem, I've run through much worse exhaustion than this. I was getting a little dehydrated because of the humidity caused by the recent rain. So I chugged a few cokes at the last 2 aid stations. This was a mistake, now my legs were mush and my stomach was sludge. Still, only 4 miles to go at this point, so I knew I could run right through it. And I did, finishing strong and very happy with my effort.

That was the 3rd and final race of the Rogue Trail Series. It was a great series and its a great family of Austin trail runners that show up for it. I can't wait to do it again next year!

Tragedy strikes Pittsburgh

2006-06-12T14:35:00.000-05:00

I got back to work after leaving for a long lunch to watch the US Soccer match, which by the way did not go very well. When I got back to my desk there was a voicemail form my dad, and his voice sounded alarmed. He seemed to be in shock, as if a family member was critically hurt or another 911 had occured.

But then he told me what the emergency was all about. Ben Roethlisberger has been in a motorcycle accident, and because he was not wearing a helmet, is in critical but stable condition. It's crazy how serious us Yinzers (AKA Pittsburghers) take our football.

I like Big Ben a lot, he is a great QB, a real genuine down to earth guy, a family man, and from all things I have heard, just a really good guy. But he's also a rich athlete who thinks he's invincible. Riding without a helmet is a silly thing to do. I really hope he will be OK for the sake of himself, his family, and the entire city that lives through him when he's on the field. I also hope he'll fully recover and stay off of his bike, or at least wear a helmet.

Sorry, this has very little to do with running or being, but since everyone in the office has to come up to me to talk to me about this story, I thought I'd get a little of it off my chest.

Running and Being

2006-06-09T13:03:00.000-05:00

I was running hills on Tuesday with Jim, John, Kara and Stacey, and as we were recoving on a long downhill we were discussing the philosophies of running, in particular the difference of road running and trail running.

It's obvious when you go to a an event or race that the dynamics are different, as are the people who compete. I'm not going to discuss which is better, my race schedule will adequately describe my opinion on that. But we were trying to put into words the difference between the people who run road races (5K's - marathons) and those who run trails at any distance. It could be a trail 10K or a trail 135M run. I tried to put into words the difference, and all I came up with was that when you go to a trail run, you see people who consider running an essential part of their life. I don't know if this is accurate (and I'm not saying road runners don't feel the same way) , but it's my observation, and it certainly is true for me.

Go to a trail run. People there love to run. Ask them why they run, and no one will say "I just wanted to say I could run a marathon." It is a major part of their life, it gives them meaning, it replinishes their soul, it challenges them, rewards them, takes them closer to the beauty of the outdoors. It does all of these things for me. Without running, specifically trail running and ultra distances, I would not be the person that I am. It gives me confidence in all aspects of my life. It removes limits. It cleanses my mind when I need it the most, it challenges me, it's the ultimate vice. It makes me a better friend and husband, but also reminds me how important my friends and family are to me. I couldn't do this without their support. Running is a critical part of my life, and my life is critical to my running.

It's a perfect balance, Bunning And Being.

Upcoming Races

2006-06-09T12:40:00.000-05:00

OK, After last weekends struggles through Bandera and my eventual success, I've decided I need to figure out my running plans for the next couple of months. I do this every few months, I pick a bunch of races I'm going to do, then I skip them all and do a bunch of other races instead.

But, anyways, I'm going to do it again. Last weekend was encouraging, so (barring injury) I'm ready to commit to running the Bandera 100K in January. So here's what I'm thinking:

6/18 - The Belt 30K
7/8 - Capt'n Karls 12-hour night run
8/20 - Pike Peak Marathon
9/8 - Bandera 50/75/100M Fat Ass (I'll probably do 50M or less, considering its just 2 weeks after Pike's Peak
9/17 - Lake Bryan Fat Ass 50K (It's free!)
10/28 - Rocky Raccoon 50K (I probably won't do this)
11/4 - Rocky Trails 50M
11/18 - Warda Cardiac Run 50M (questionable on this one)
November - Ultra Centric 12/24/48 hour run (thinking 24hr)
December - Sunmart 50M
1/13 - Bandera 100K

My current plan is to do all of this to build up for the Bandera 100K and focus on that run and Pike's Peak. Then there is the Rocky Raccoon 100M in February which I'm not ruling out, but no where close to being ready for. Not physically or mentally. I need to think about that some more.

The Longest Day

2006-06-06T15:28:00.000-05:00

First of all, a warning. This post will likely be long and will surely be melodramatic. It's really a post for me to look back on, but all are welcome to read it. You've been warned.

The sun was setting as Joe and I laid our camelbacks down on the top of Cairn's Climb to rest. 45 miles were behind us, the Texas heat was behind us, the hills were behind us. It was just an easy 5 mile coast back to camp at dusk separating us from all of the pizza and gatorade we could get our hands on. We both laid down, flat on our backs for a well deserved rest. It had been the longest day of my life, I had no doubt faced my toughest self-induced physical and mental challenges of my life today and I was victorious! I can not say I did it alone, nor would I want to. I was thrilled! If you looked at me at that moment, you would see an energized human being ready for any challenge the world could throw at him. There was no trace of the days struggles. Joe and I laid there comfortably, in no hurry to finish our run. He said "This is what it's all about." It's an often used phrase, but at this moment, they were the most true words ever spoken to me...

We started our run at 6am. Our crew was made up of me (a young, inexperienced yet ambitious trail runner turned ultra runner), Joe, and Allen. Joe is as experienced as a trail runner can be. He's a race director of several trail runs, inlcuding the Rocky Raccoon 100M and the Bandera 100K, among others. Allen is also quite experienced, and just a few weeks away from his first attempt at Western States. I was out-classed for sure, but I was going to hang with these guys because I'm mentally tough (or so I thought), and I'm ignorant enough
to believe this.

The first 13 miles were uneventful. The air was warm, and a hot day was obviously in front of us. It was humid, and by 9am it was already in the mid-80's. We made our way up and down Ice Cream hill and the three sisters, and I thought to myself that these hills weren't so bad. We stopped at our first home made aid station, refueled and
headed out for the 10-mile lodge loop. Around mile 15 we started seeing the gang from the Rogue Running group. Everyone looked strong and healthy. They were all around 15 miles also, coming in the opposite direction, and they were scheduled for 20. Their day was almost over. As we passed the last of them around mile 20, I started
to get hot. It was well into the 90's at this point, and not yet noon. This is when we started taking occasional breaks under shade trees, to cool off and hydrate, before we got back on the trails. These breaks would get longer and more regular as the day went on.

We finished our first loop of 25 miles and headed back into camp. Most of the Rogue crew was back at camp getting ready to head into Bandera for some food and a swim in the Medina River. I cooled off, ate a slice of pizza and we went back out. As I took my first steps out of camp, I had no clue what I had just gotten myself into.

Mile 27 - I realized I was severely over-heating and knew I better slow down. Joe was getting hot and tired also, and was all about slowing down. But Allen was strong and continued to push the pace. Joe and I are work horses and followed the leader as much as possible. It was as if the heat was not hitting Allen, he ran up to Ice Cream Hill for our second pass, and power walked right up to the top. I could no longer follow. I took about 20 steps up the hill and stopped. The heat was pounding the top of my head, I felt dizzy, I could barely think clearly, and did not even attempt to talk. Joe and Allen disappeared around the corner. I took a few more steps and almost fell backwards. I remember it so clearly... I tried every mind game I could think of. Just one foot in front of the other, I told myself. You can do anything, if you believe in yourself, I tried to convince myself. You are a tough SOB, quit feeling sorry for yourself, I screamed to myself. None of it was working. So I put my head down, emptied my mind, and slowly climbed to the top. I don't know how long it took, it seemed like hours, but I eventually made it to the top. Joe and Allen were resting at the top under a tree, and Joe told me to sit down and rest. I did as I was told, I never said a word. I knew I couldn't speak, I didn't have it in me. I was sure if I tried, I would mumble or slur something that made no sense. I just kept questioning how I would ever get back to Joe's truck, and even if I did, I thought that it was dangerous and stupid to continue. I also thought about how I could not quit, it wasn't in me. Everything that drives me in running and in being was based on the foundation that you have to believe in yourself, and that you can never quit. It was OK to lose, it was OK to fail, but it was not OK to quit. It was my lowest low I've ever reached on the trails. And then I fell asleep. Minutes later I woke up to Joe's voice, "OK Teej, get off your ass. Time to go." I didn't question it, I got up and followed them down the hill.

With 2 miles to go to the truck, I slurped the last drops from my camelback. I was walking already, and my walk was getting slower. I was beaten. Joe and Allen were a hundred yards in front of me, and I occasionally saw them look back to make sure I was still there. They knew my condition, and knew it wouldn't help to wait for me. They had to keep me moving by staying barely in eyes reach, and they did that for 2 miles. I walked most of the way, I jogged occasionally, but it was fruitless. I thought to myself that I had to quit, not for my sake, but for their's. Joe was getting his last tough run before Hard Rock; and Allen, Western States. They didn't need a poser like me slowing them down. When we finally reached the truck, I sat down and apologized for holding them back. I was looking for a response that would indicate they would prefer to go on without me. Instead they said that it was all about time on their feet, and I should continue. So I slammed a 20-oz Coke, a 32-oz Gatorade, and poured ice cold water all over my head, neck and back. I sat under a tree and cooled off. I felt better, but knew there were hours of 100 degree heat in front of me. We were only at mile 35.

After a good 15 minute rest, we got back on our feet and headed out. Allen mentioned that his stomach was upset and Joe and I joked that we kind of hoped he got sick, so he would quit pushing the pace. We got a laugh out of that, not realizing the foreshadowing. We hit the first hill and my body was still cool from the Coke and ice. I climbed the hill at a decent pace and realized at that point that I was getting better. I felt cool and my legs were strong. I waited at the top for Allen and Joe. They both seemed spent. I asked them if it had finally cooled off, because the heat wasn't hurting so bad. They grunted and said that I must be feeling better, because it was hotter than ever. Perfect! That was the sign I needed, I was finally back. I started running the flats and downhills, and swiftly walking the long, steep uphills. I would wait at the top of each hill for Joe and Allen. At the top of the first Sister, I waited a long time. When Joe finally showed up he told me that Allen was puking. I felt bad because we had kind of wished it upon him jokingly, and I felt like I had stolen his energy.

The next several miles went quickly and painlessly, and we got back to the truck at 40 miles. Allen was done, and bowed out. Joe and I were a little disappointed to see him drop, but he said he got what he wanted out of the run. So Joe and I plowed on. We knew we had one serious hill left, Cairn's Climb. It had been many hours since we were there last, and this was the hill that knocked me to the canvas in the first round. When we reached it, I plowed up it, and even ran most of it because I knew we were almost finished and I had so much energy. I waited at the top for Joe, and when he reached the top we sat down, then laid down, as the sun set...

The finsh was uneventful, almost anti-climactic as we headed back to camp for the last 5 miles. We talked a lot about running and life. All of my runs with Joe are like this, he is salt of the earth. In the end, I found an entire pizza saved for me by Jim and Nicole, and a few people that waited up late for us to get back. Most people had gone to sleep, in preparation for a 10 miler in the morning. We talked shortly, before everyone went to bed. It had been a such a long day, and I decided I would not try to describe it that night, because I did not have the words to describe it. Looking back, I realized a few things about this run, and their parallels to all challenges in life:

- No matter how strong you are, you can not get through the toughest challenges alone.
- Despite challenging my mantra at times, we are all capable of amazing things if we believe in ourselves.
- There are many good people in this world, surrounding yourself with them will lead to happiness.
- We are all in need of challenges. Do not try to avoid them, they build strength and character.

Oh, and one more lesson. I'm ready for the Bandera 100K!

Bandera

2006-06-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

I'm heading out to Bandera around 3pm today and starting to get really nervous. This isn't a race, its just a fun run, and I do plan to have a lot of fun. However, I also plan to finish the 50M. I've run one 50 miler before, but it was in the flats of east Texas. This will be in the Texas hill country, a whole different challenge.

Right now it looks like it will be about 3-5 of us starting the run, although I got an email from Joe last night and he said that it will "likely be just the two of us for the full 50." I'll have to hang with him or drop out, because I don't know these trails at all. He also said "the map will do you very little good." Super...

The rest of the Rogue Pike's Peak training group will be out there too, but only running 20 miles. There are about 20 or so of them going. For Sunday, the plan is to run between 10-20 miles, although if I finish the 50, then walking 1 mile on Sunday might be good enough for me.

On a side note, some co-workers and I went to Wendy's yesterday for a Frosty eating challenge. I ate two large Frosty's. This was a speed competition, and I finished the second Frosty in 1:59. That's what I call carbo-loading. I'm hoping those extra carbs will carry me through the last few miles this weekend.

12hr Run At Inks Lake

2006-05-30T18:02:00.000-05:00

I got an email today on the HCTR email list about a 12hr night run out at Inks Lake. I've never run a 12hr run, but this sounds like a good first-time experience. It's at a great park (home of the Rocky Trails Marathon), it's at night, there's gonna be a bonfire and grill, and they'll make us breakfast in the morning. It's also for a good cause, the American Cancer Society. Oh, and we get to run for 12 straight hours in big circles. Does it get any better than this?

Here's the information I got. If anyone wants more information, you can contact Brad Quinn at bradtquinn@hotmail.com. Hope to see you all out there. I'll post more info when I see it.

Hey TJ,

It was good to get your email. The event will be held at Inks Lake State Park, which is approx. 10 miles outside of Burnet. It will be a charity event will all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. This will be a 12 hour trail run/walk starting at 730 pm, Saturday July 8th and ending 730 am Sunday July 9th. The course consists of rocky hill climbs and run-able forest trail (single track), approx. 7.0 miles with two main aid stations 3.5 miles apart (with a possible un-staffed station at mile 5).
They will be fully stocked with the usual ultra food and beverages. The start/finish is located at the youth camping area (off Hover Valley road; approx. 2 miles from the park entrance) which has ample parking and over-night camping available (no additional charge; no utilities). The camping area has a brand new bathroom facility, a large bon-fire ring, picnic tables, and grills. This area will also serve as the First Aid station and for personal drop bags. Staff will be cooking breakfast Sunday morning. This new and secluded youth area should be ideal for our over night race time needs. The cost will be $60 with any additional donations appreciated. Awards will be given for the most laps/mileage completed by 730 am (3 deep male/female and masters). Our website and registration form should be up in the next 2-3 days, including additional information.

Our main goal for putting on a race like this is too raise awareness and funds on a local level for cancer research and prevention, while participating in a fun and healthy event with family and friends. Please feel free to pass on this race information to anyone who might enjoy participating or volunteering in an event like ours. I will email you a link to our website by the end of the week and/or check Hillcountrytrailrunners.com for further information. TJ, thanks for your interest and support. Please email me with any questions or concerns.

Best regards,

Brad Quinn

ps 7/10 will be a full moon, should be fun!

The Loop 30K

2006-05-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

On Sunday I ran the Rogue Loop 30K at Emma Long Park. It's a great trail generally only for motorbikes, but once a year it is opened up to runners for this race. It turned out to be a great day. I've mentioned before that I'm searching for The Perfect Race, and this was almost it... Almost.

I started in the back, which was a huge mistake. I was busy talking to some friends when the gun went off, and I was stuck in the back. The course is almost entirely single track, so the first mile ended up being a single file line where I was doing more walking than running. Some people like to go out slow, but I don't, so this was really annoying. I should know better than to get stuck in the back, but I slowly made my way through and after about 15 minutes I was free to run my own pace.

The first two loops went by very quickly and I felt really good. I finished the first loop at about 60 minutes, mostly due to the slow first mile, but the second loop took about 53 minutes so that was a lot better. I tried running with a group of 3 runners for awhile, but they were faster than me on the uphills and gawd-awful slow on the down hills, so I eventually left them. It was too hard to adjust my running style for them. g

The third loop went great for 5 miles. Right around mile 5 there is a downhill and I was flying down it like I usually do. Then, my left foot stuck to a rock. There was no time to catch myself, my body just went horizontal and I flew. When I hit the ground, everything stopped. I hit it completely flat. I actually cut up both knees, thighs, elbows, hands and even my stomach. I have no idea how I managed to land completely flat and cut myself in all of those locations but I did. I layed there for a minute, then got up to one knee. Just then a runner came up right behind me and ran by. He didn't say a freaking word to me. Not a "are you ok?" or "need some help?" or anything. I would have told him I was fine anyways, but I couldn't believe he just ran by. So I decided I was going to catch the bastard and beat him to the finish line... Just as soon as I caught my breath and walked off the pain a little. After about 2 minutes, I was off.

I spent the next 10 minutes trying to catch him, but just when I finally saw him in the distance, I heard the crowd at the finish line. It was too late, and I finished 20 seconds behind him. But I should thank him, had he not pissed me off, I probably would have just shuffled to the finish line after the fall, and not pushed it to the end. I'm still gonna burn him on the next race though.

Hills

2006-05-17T12:39:00.000-05:00

I got a new workout from Joe P, so Jim and I decided to make a weekly workout out of it... It was really tough hill repeats. I'd compare each hill to running up Jester, just a little longer. My legs were destroyed at the top of each hill, which I attempted to run hard. But walking/jogging back down allowed for a quick recovery before the next hill.

All you Austin runners out there, you need to check this out. The course starts at Valburn and Ladera Norte. Head down the steep hill on Ladera Norte to Far West. Run up the hill on Far West to North Hills. Now turn around and run back to the beginning. Repeat until your legs fall off.

We'll do this for a few more weeks, then change it up by easing the uphills and focusing on down hills. I don't lilke speed work, but I love hill workouts. My lungs were heaving, my legs were burning, and we had a ton of fun. Effort-wise, I'd say it was a little tougher than Hill of Life repeats, but without the technical parts since its on the road. Anyone out there interested in trying it out? Let me know, we're gonna do it every Tuesday for the next 3 months.

Matt's Questionaire...

2006-05-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

A fellow runner, Matt, has published a questionaire on his blog. I read it and realized I don't think about a lot of his questions very often, so I thought I'd give it a shot and try to answer them. My answers, opinions, and straight up questionable advice is below. But first, let me warn, I am not an old veteran of the sport. I've run a few ultras now, and I see a lot more in my future, but I'm still learning everyday. The only thing I'll say is that my running is very Zen like. If you are into numbers, metrics, and performance, then you'll find my opinions frustrating and perhaps facetious.

Your First Ultra
First off, I consider my 50 miler run at Sunmart as my first ultramarathon. I ran a couple of shorter races before this (50K, 44M), but I always considered Sunmart as the real goal. So my answers will be for Sunmart.

· How long did you train for your first ultra?
I never considered it training… But if I had to bound it, I’d say it was about 4 months from the time I decided to run my first ultra, to the time I actually ran it. I had already run a couple of marathons, though, so it wasn’t as large of a jump as some people.

· How many weekly miles did you run (peak, tapering)?
About 60 miles peak, 45 of those on back to back weekend runs. It’s all about the back to back runs. Those miles are far more important for the beginner ultra runner compared to the weekly miles. And if you work hours like I do, this is your only choice anyways.

· Did you train with anyone else?
I ran my Sunday runs with a group most of the time. It was the Rogue Sunmart group. My Saturday runs were usually alone, although sometimes I would run the first half by myself, then meet up with my friend Jim who was doing Freescale Marathon training.

· What distance did you run in your first race?
50 miles

· Was it trail/road/track ultra?
Trail. Soft, rolling terrain, about as easy as it gets for an ultra.

· How much did you walk during the race?
Not much. The first half I ran the entire time except for very brief stops at the aid station. The second half I used walking for uphills only. The hills were small, but after 6 hours or so, they seemed a lot bigger. I had not planned to walk at all, which was a serious miscalculation.

· Did you include walking as part of your training?
No, but I should have.

· Did you use a pacer during the race?
Nope. But I did run the entire last loop with a friend of mine who happened to be at the same pace. He wasn’t a pacer, but he helped me a lot. You can see my very first post on this blog to see how much I appreciated it.

· Were you satisfied with your experience at the end of the race?
More than I can describe.

· What would you have done differently during your training?
A little more walking, now that I know it’s importance. Not much else, though. I had a great time.

· What would you have done differently during your race?
Nothing. I enjoyed every second.

· What kind of advice can you give for dealing with emotional/mental hurdles during the race?
CFM and PMA. Constant Forward Motion and Positive Mental Attitude. It’s going to hurt, so accept it. Embrace it. But more important than the hurdles during the race, it’s the challenges leading up to it that make it hard. Once you’ve made it to the starting line, its time just to enjoy yourself. I’ve said it before, and I know its cliché, but trail running is about the journey, not the destination. Once you realize this, the joy of running takes over, runs are no longer training runs . Rather, they become cleansing experiences no different than yoga or meditation.

· How many ultras have you run since your first race?

None. I've run many runs over 26.2, but no races.

General Questions about Training/Racing
· During your training runs, do you concentrate mostly on your pace or total time on your feet running?

Neither. I think about how I feel and run until I am finished. The exception to this is when I have things I need to do, which cuts me short. Generally, when I run alone, I focus only on how I feel. With a group, its different. Most people run for a given time/distance, and I’ll just run until they say we are finished. Then again, sometimes I’ll add a little distance if I’m up for it. If you run for enjoyment and health, then why mix metrics like time and distance into the equation? I can't speak for those people out there fast enough to compete for awards, they have other goals, and nothing I would look down on. I admire them. But for me, I run for the sake of running.

· What kind of cross training do you do, if any?
I mountain bike. I’d like to swim also, but never have the time.

· How do you prepare for river/creek crossings? Extra/Special shoes? Extra socks?
I jump in and splash as many people as possible.

· Do you have a favorite piece of gear/clothing that you would recommend to someone new?
Nope. I keep it simple, but others like fancy gear and technical clothing. To each his own.

· What kind of hydration system do you use?
Hand held water bottles from Ultimate Direction

· How much fluid do you take in during an hour/race?
I have no idea. In a race I usually try to empty my bottle before the next aid station, but most runs I just sip at it until its finished. It’s not very scientific for me. I’d probably be better off if I paid attention to it, but that wouldn’t be as fun.

· How many calories do you take in during an hour/race?
Again, I have no clue. I mostly just eat gummy bears. On my 50 miler, I drank a couple of SlimFasts also. My belly just won't take in real food during runs, which is something I'm working on for 50+ mile runs.

· What kind of food works best for you?
Gummy bears, slimfast, and oreo’s. All of the basic food groups.

· What do you typically put in your drop bag?
I usually have a spare pair of shoes and socks, but I never end up changing them. I did change them once on a trail marathon because they had so much mud in them that it was caking up under my toes. And beer, of course, it really can calm your stomach when its upset. J

· Do you carry any first aid items? If so, what do you carry?
Nothing

· Do you typically use a pacer during your events?
No, but my longest is a 50 miler. I could see using a pacer for 100 miles, maybe.

· Is it better to use a friend versus a family member as a pacer?
I don’t know. I would think a friend because you aren’t always coherent and sometimes you might not be yourself after a long day of running. Better to take it out on a friend who will more easily forgive you. Better yet, use someone who has done this before, so that they can empathize with you and offer advice. I paced my wife, sort of, in her first marathon. I think that worked out well because she respected me as a runner and took my advice, when her head wasn't really screwed on right those last few miles.

My recovery week...

2006-05-12T08:55:00.000-05:00

The last couple days have been all about not recovering. After a long tough weekend at the Guads, I was supposed to take a few easy days to recover. But I've found that the only days I recover are the days where I'm injured... Maybe that's why I'm always injured. In fact, maybe that's why my entire athletic life has been filled with pain and injuries. But that's the way I like it, and I don't plan to change anytime soon. So I went out on Tuesday to St Ed's for some hilly, rocky terrain, but mostly just to beat myself up in the heat. It was only about an hour, but it was clear I hadn't yet recovered.

So out of respect for that, I decided to spend Wednesday evening running Hill of Life repeats at the greenbelt. That's always good for rubbery legs. Actually it went pretty well, I ran 5 of them focusing on the downhills (proprioception as Sisson and Joe call it, but I try to avoid the technical terms). The uphills were slow and mostly about recovery. I didn't crash head first so I'd consider it a success.

Before the run on Tuesday, and before I realized I hadn't recovered from the Guads, I also managed ot talk Joe P into coming out with me on Thursday to try out Ken's Loop at Bull Creek. It's right near my house, yet I'd never actually run it. So Joe and I met after work and ran it. It's a beautiful trail, I really enjoyed it. I can't wait until the whole Bull Creek trail opens back up in August so that I can run a 15 mile loop from my house to St Ed's, through Bull Creek, around Ken's loop, then back the way I came. It'll be about as tough of a 15 mile trail as I can get around here, and pretty much out my front door.

So all of this adds up to a pretty good week, but the real prize was Thursday night. After our run at Bull Creek, Joe showed me the hills he used to train on to build up speed and endurance for both uphills and downhills. Joe is a veteran of many mountainous 100 milers, and is about as good of a downhill runner as anyone I've seen or heard of, so I'm gonna take that little secret and start hitting those hills regularly. I've also decided that next month I'll be heading out to Bandera for an attempt at a 50 mile run. It'll tie my longest run ever, and will be a hell of a lot tougher than the previous 50 miler (Sunmart) considering the terrain and the fact that this is not a supported race, only a couple of morons dumb enough to go run 50 miles in the summer heat of central Texas.

I'll keep you updated on my plans for that trip. I might end up running less than 50, but thats my goal right now if the next month keeps me injury free. Gambatte.

The Guads

2006-05-08T21:57:00.000-05:00

I went out to the guadalupe mountains this weekend... It was a good series of runs. It reminded me how much I was capable of if I would just quit whining and start running through some pain. About 25 miles into a hardcore mountain run I passed a turn and turned my ankle once again. Instead of limping home like usual I turned around and ran a mile backwards to get to the extra loop I intended to run (Bush Mountain). I stumbled through it at about 2 miles an hour average, but I made it!

By the end it reminded me that we are capable of amazing things if we just suck it up and keep going. The injury didn't slow me down much, and I had a great weekend at the guads. Check out the pictures here.

Slacker

2006-05-03T13:05:00.000-05:00

I'm a slacker, pure and simple. No, I've been running plenty, hitting the weights at the gym, eating right, and all of that. I'm a slacker because I haven't taken any time to write about my progress over the past 2 months or so. And it's been a very productive 2 months...

My Pike's Peak training started a couple of weeks ago, and so far its going great. My feet have mostly healed from all of the problems I had. I can honestly say that they haven't bothered me in weeks. I'm recovering from a badly twisted ankle going down the Hill of Life, but I haven't let it slow me down much.

I've lost about 20 pounds in the past couple of months (from 200lbs o 180lbs). No, I'm not on the Atkins Diet or South Beach Diet or anything like that, but I started eating more reasonably (no half gallons of ice cream 30 minutes before I go to bed), and my strength training at the gym pretty much took care of it. This has lead me to get faster and feel better on my long runs. Overall, it's been great progress.

Tomorrow morning at 5am we head out to the Guadalupe mountains for several days of some extreme running. I can't wait. We have a short run tomorrow evening, then 25 and 22 miles in the mountains on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, we'll climb to the highest peak in Texas, Guadalupe Peak (over 8000 ft), for one final journey before heading back to civilization. I'm really anxious to get out of here and hit those hills.

Ramping Up

2006-03-30T16:38:00.000-06:00

I've had a great week of running. My ramp back into heavy running started shortly after my podiatrist appointment last week. I've been doing the stretches and exerises she gave me (and dropping the pills she gave me too) and my feet feel pretty good. So I've been running a ton.

Last Wednesday I went out and did about 10 at the green belt with Joe P and company. The run was good, and fast, and I was dead tired when I finished. Then I hit the same trails on Saturday and Sunday for a total of about 25 more miles. I was lost most of the time but it didn't matter. I knew I was spent when I took a nasty fall and slammed my collar bone into a tree. No major damage, but I knew I was done for the day.

Again, this Wednesday I went out with the HCTR crew and did about 8-9 miles. We went a lot slower this week, and it was easy. It's a good thing too because I forgot to bring water. 10 miles without water is OK for me, I'm a little dehydrated when I'm done, but it was fine.

My feet are still feeling good, and I'm ready to ramp up with Pike's Peak training starting next Wednesday. I had been frustrated with all of my time away from heavy running, but I think it's paying off. I feel good, and the shorter faster running I had been doing seems to have helped. I feel faster and stronger on the hills. Maybe it's just an illusion, I won't be winning any races anytime soon, but I'm happy with my progress.

What's New?

2006-03-21T21:19:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted anything in a while, so figured I'd give an update. My running has been pretty good, I've been running descent (boring) miles most of the week, just squeezing in miles as my schedule allows. Went out to Bastrop last weekend with Jim for a longer run, but it was hot and he got pretty tired, so we cut the run a bit short. No big deal, I didn't want to push it that day, and he's still recovering from Freescale.

The biggest news is from yesterday when I went to the podiatrist, finally, for my foot injury. I was reluctant to go, but the doc is a runner, so I figured I'd trust her. She diagnosed me with about 5 injuries, all stemming from an initial case of plantar fasciitis. That came form the Warda 44 miler in Novermber. After that, when I finished training for Sunmart and ran that, I eventually developed several forms of tendonitis in just about every tendon in my leg.

I knew I could trust the doctor when she asked me how much I ran. I told her a lot, and she asked, "marathons?" I told her that I did those and some longer runs, and she excitingly replied "Ultramarathons!?! Cool!" She then taped up my feet, gave me some stretches and exercises, and told me to run a LOT this week. To keep a "pain log" and give her all the details in 2 weeks when I go back. Any doctor that doesn't tell me to rest is a doctor for me. So now I'm running all out for the next two weeks with no excuses. I ran 5 last night at St Ed's when I got home from the doctor. The tape job she gave me seemed to help. It simulates an orthodic, and if it continues to work, then I'll be a candidate for that.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the HOL to run some trails with Joe and some other HCTR folks. I've been a member for a few months now, and yet never ran with any of them. So this should be a good time.

Happy trails.

No Five-0 for me...

2006-03-09T13:55:00.000-06:00

I've decided not to go up to Waco this weekend for the Waco Five-0 50K. I'm sure it will be a great race, and I think I'm ready for it, but I run plenty of races and I'm going to take this weekend and just get some long easy runs in for fun. Jim and I have discussed going out to Bastrop State Park for a couple of loops. It's a great trail that I've only been to once. And I want him to get some trail experience since he's signed up for his second marathon, Pike's Peak. Not a bad second marathon. Gambatte!

In other news, I finally got a podiatrist appointment for my feet. With Pike's Peak training starting up soon, I just need to hurry up and heal. My legs are strong right now, and mentally I'm ready. If my feet were better, I'd venture to say I'd be as healthy as I've ever been.

A few xTimbers pics

2006-03-02T21:00:00.000-06:00

I don't think I did a very good job describing the muddy chaos at Cross Timbers last weekend, so I've added a few pictures. The first is me bathing in the cold waters of Lake Texoma after the race. The second is after the bath. My clothes were still pretty muddy, but I got enough off of my legs that I could get in my car and drive home.

Pike's Peak

2006-03-01T20:58:00.000-06:00

Alright, I'm officially signed up for the Pike's Peak marathon. I also signed up for the Rogue training program.

The hard part is done, now for the fun stuff.

My Kind Of Morning

2006-02-25T20:39:00.000-06:00

Saturday was my 28th birthday and I decided to celebrate it at Lake Texoma and the Cross Timbers Trail Marathon. And what a birthday present it was.

We got into Whitesboro around 6pm Friday night. We went straight to the registration/packet-pickup/dinner at the marina. I got my packet, met a few cool people including the guy who would go on to win the race, and had some good spaghetti. Afterwards we went back to our hotel and got some sleep. It had rained all day, and continued to rain all night. I woke up at 4:30 to thunder and heavy rain. It would continue to rain the entire day. Many of you have not run with me and don't even know me very well. I hate running in cold and hate heat even more. But I love hills, love mud, and I especially love rain. This was my kind of morning.

At 7am the race started. I felt kind of stupid because I had not even brought a jacket. I had a long sleeve shirt and shorts on. It was good enough for now, but I new it would get heavy as the rain continued to drop. That wasn't my biggest concern. I had signed up for this race because I hadn't run a trail race since Sunmart, and hadn't run hard since then either. I felt out of practice and out of shape. This was my test to see if I could still run well, and my first good run before I started ramping back up. It was my litmus test. For me the race started slow, I tucked in behind a guy that was running his first trail marathon, and a woman running the half marathon. They were running slow 12 minute miles, but given the muddy terrain, that was fine with me. I wanted to start slow, and kick it up after 10 miles if it felt right.

At 7 miles, we hit an aid station and I decided it was too slow, so I took off. I ran the next 3 miles very hard (sub 10 minute miles sliding on mud up and down hills). I swung from tree branches to hold my balance, and passed a bunch of people. There must have been about 10-15 marathoners ahead of me as I approached the turn-around at Paw Paw Point. I didn't really think twice about it, I figured I'd catch a few of them, but most would continue along ahead of me.

At Paw Paw Point, I filled up my water bottle, declined any food because it was far too soggy to look appetizing, and I took off. The next hour I passed a lot of people. I wasn't sure how many people were marathoners and how many were 50 milers, but I knew I passed most of them. Guys that were over 10 minutes ahead of me were struggling up muddy mountains, sliding backwards on their hands and feet. I just grabbed onto trees, took advantage of my 200 lbs. sinking into the mud, and kept on up the hills. I reached the marina (20 miles) at 3:45 and found out I was in 4th place!. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am not fast, and I don't run against anyone but myself. But I've also never been in this position before where I was amongst the leaders. I also knew this may never happen again, so I went out as fast as I could.

I passed a few more people, but learned they were 50 milers. Where was the third place guy??? Just before I reached Juniper Point, (0.6 miles short of the turnaround) I saw the 1st place runner, Matt. He told me to keep on running, that I could catch the guy in third if I kept it up. That got my adreneline going, and I scurried up the muddy hill. I hit Juniper Point, but had to continue another 0.6 miles to a turn-around. That distance was on the road, and it felt so good to feel traction again on my feet that I just ran a sub-8 minute pace despite the burning in my legs. I spotted the 3rd place runner and chased him down. Around the turnaround I passed him, talked to him for a minute and realized I would not see him again. He was beaten. I told him good luck, and went on ahead. When I reached Juniper Point again, I saw the 5th place runner. I was over a mile ahead of him and realized that I would finish in 3rd! This would be the first and only time I'll ever finish in 3rd place of a marathon. It's not like winning a road marathon, I know, but it's still really cool to think about. My elation carried me the rest of the way, and I slalomed down the muddy hills like Bode Miller. (Actually, better that Bode since I won a bronze). I fell once about 0.5 miles short of the finish line, but I was so caked in mud that it made no difference.

At the finish it I was happy. Not because I had come in third (which is cool, but I'm over it) but because I ran a smart race, ran as hard as I could, and had my favorite birthday present ever. I took a bath in the 45 degree waters of Lake Texoma, changed in a Port-a-Potty, and enjoyed cheering on some runners back to the finish line. They were serving burgers, beer, soda, and lots of other calories. The food was good, just like the course, and just like the company.

Anyone that hasn't run Cross Timbers should think about it. It is a beautiful course along the lake. The RD puts on a good race, the people are good people, and it's very challenging. It was a long trek for me to get up there from Austin, but I'm glad I did it. Like I said, it was my kind of morning.

In Search of a Hero

2006-02-20T09:59:00.000-06:00

I'm always in search for a new hero, and yesterday I found one. It came from the most unlikely of places just when I least expected it, but I knew I had found one in a single moment. My new hero is my wife, Kara.

Yesterday, she ran her first marathon in 5 hours and 37 minutes. But it wasn't just that she crossed the finish line, and it wasn't her finishing time that made me realize how amazing she is. It was how she did it. She started training 18 months ago for the 2005 Freescale marathon, but after her long training run of 18 miles, she came down with a bad case of tendonitis, and missed a critical 3 weeks of training. The idea of running that race was lost, and I expected that the desire to run a marathon at all would be lost with it. That year, I don't think she was training for the race for herself, I think it was something that she wanted to do for me. And anyone who has run this race knows, this is not something you can do for someone else. It takes too much commitment and discipline, and there are so many obstacles to overcome, that a desire to run is not enough. You have to have a NEED to finish.

When the time came to train for the 2006 Freescale marathon, she signed up for the AustinFit training program, and began her training. She had her good days and her bad days, but this time I could see a difference. When she talked about it, she didn't say "if I run" the marathon, she talked about it as something that she was definitely going to do. Her training went well, and after the RunTex 20 miler, she had a great time and felt really good. It looked like she was prepared and ready to go. Then, while doing one final 21 mile training run, things fell apart. She came down with a nasty case of IT band syndrome, which I know all too well. It hurt, and she limped the final mile to her car. She had no idea what the injury was, but I knew right away. I diagnosed her (I'm not a doctor, but this is an injury you don't soon forget) and told her to go see a physical therapist. It was only 3 weeks before the marathon, and it looked like deja vu from last year.

After 10 days off, she started up her runs slowly. She had missed a few runs, but this was the tapering period anyways. As long as her leg stayed strong, I knew she could do it. And more importantly, she knew she could do it. And now we cut to the day before the race.

It's 30 degrees outside, and the forecast for tomorrow is high 20's and freezing rain. Or, as wunderground.com put it, "ice pellets." But she never complained. Sure, she worried and checked the forecast every hour to see if it would change, but she didnt complain. She never once mentioned that it wasn't fair, or that it would ruin her chances of her first marathon finish. An IT band problem is worst under cold temperatures, but she didn't flinch. And on race morning, she put on several layers of clothes, and we headed out.

That morning was freezing as expected. We walked around to find the bathrooms, and then walked about a mile and a half searching for our car, which we had lost. Wasting miles on your feet is not something you want to do before a marathon, but she was not deterred. And at 7:30 am, she took off on her adventure.

I didn't see her again until mile 11, where she looked tired and cold. Her stomach was a little upset, which I did not expect. I tried to get her to take some food, but she wasn't really interested. She walked for a minute with me, then started off again. I was already sensing something special in her, but I knew she was in for an experience that she has never felt before, and would never forget.

The next time I saw her was at 19 miles. My dad and another friend were running ahead of her, so I gave my mom the car keys and told her to go to the finish line. We knew we would never make it to the finish line to see them, if we waited around for Kara. I was going to run the rest of the way with Kara. She hadn't asked me to run with her, but I knew she would need it. And even if she didn't want it, I was going to do it anyways. When I found her, she was struggling. In her words at 19.5 miles, "I hit the wall around 14, and now I just keep banging my head against it." It was one of the few things she said for the next hour and a half. I spent that time doing all of the talking, trying to keep her mind off of the run. I encouraged her to keep moving forward, just like I've been encouraged in the past. But the truth was, she didn't need me there. She was now on a personal mission, and I was just a spectator. During the next hour, I ran with a cell phone. I called people that had already finished, so I could give Kara the update. I called her sister, to tell her how she was doing. I wanted everyone to know that she was still strong. I knew she was feeling a lot of pain, but she never complained. I know I would have complained, I know I have complained in similar situations. Maybe she was too tired to complain, but I don't think so. I think she just isn't any good at it.

At about 25.75 miles, I let her go. I told her to run alone, enjoy the experience, and think about what an amazing accomplishment she was now acheiving. She had worked hard for so long, and now she needed to just reap the rewards. I walked off the course, and ran along the sidelines behind her, so I could be a real spectator. I made it to the finish line just in time to see her finish. It was an amazing accomplishment. I hadn't felt so proud in a long time.

After the race, I finally heard her complain. They gave her a banana, some gatorade, and a cup of chili. "This is stupid. Who would eat chili after a marathon?" That's all she had to complain about. And I ate her chili.

Before we went to sleep last night, she called me an inspiration. But I was the one that was inspired that day.

2006 Race Plan

2006-02-16T20:59:00.000-06:00

I finally took some time to figure out my race plan for the coming year. Well, atleast the next several months, anyways. Here's what I have:

25-Feb Cross Timbers 50M/25M
11-Mar Waco FIVE-0 50K
25-Mar Do the Ultra Canyon 47K or 15K
or...
25-Mar Grasslands 50M/26.2M
1-Apr Hog's Hunt 50K
23-Apr The Maze 30K
30-Apr Rocky Hill Ranch 50K
6-May Prickly Pear 50K
21-May The Loop 30K
18-Jun The Belt 30K
19-Aug Pikes Peak 26.2

Obviously I'm not going to do Graslands and Ultra Canyon. I'll probably see how Waco goes and decide if I can do 50M. If not, I'll do the 47K. I haven't been to either place, so both should be fun.

My two long shot goals are Zane Grey and San Juan Solstice. Right now I don't think either are going to happen with my work schedule and my lack of training over the past 2 months. But now I'm ramping up again and ready to get going with a lot of the Texas races. Once things get rolling, we'll see how things go. I've been known to do a lot of dumb things, so running a crazy race I'm not ready for isn't out of reach.

Champions

2006-02-05T23:32:00.000-06:00

I'm tired and don't have time to write much, but I have to say...

We got one for the thumb!!!!! I love yinz guys!!!!!

Take the Big Ben Pledge

2006-02-03T08:01:00.000-06:00

Want the Steelers to win? Then take some responsibility and click on the picture below:

Reasons why I run

2006-02-01T12:35:00.000-06:00

I put together 12 reasons why I run. There are plenty more, but these are the ones on my mind these days. I'm sure every runner has a different list, but this is mine.

12. It gives me more energy
I didn’t realize it at the time, but before I started running I was drained of energy. I worked (and still do) 60-70 hours per week usually. When I finished the day I came home, ate dinner, watched too much TV, and was drained and ready for bed. Then one day I started running, and all of that changed. I still work, I still watch too much TV, but now I have energy all day long. I don't have days where I have no energy. Sure, after a very long run I get tired, and I don't have any immediate energy. But after a shower and a snack, I'm ready to go. It's a small difference in my day to day environment, but I go through the day feeling great. I've seen the top of the mountain, and I can never go back down.
11. To control my weight.
When I started running, I weighed about 230 lbs. I wasn't extremely fat, I'm 6'0" and it was spread pretty evenly. But I wanted to lose some weight, and I like eating too much to stop. 6 months later I was training for a marathon, and I weighed under 200. Now, if you like this reason, then you really need to get into trail running and ultramarathons. There is nothing you can't eat in your peak milage while training for a 50-miler. I'm not saying you should, Im just simply saying you can.
10. To constanly challenge myself.
For me, the challenge is within. I don't have too many races where I have a specific time goal. I've had a few and I usually end up disappointed. But for me, the challenge is to have fun while I train, see new things and meet new people, and when the times comes for a race, I don't need a watch. My challenege is to run as hard as I can and to push things as far as they can go. When my race is over, I don't need to see the time. I know whether I had a good race because I gave it everything I had and ignored the pain in my legs, the struggle in my lungs, and the pounding of my heart. One of my friends makes fun of me because, whenever I have a slow race, it's always because I went out too fast. And I aways say, "I felt good early, so I stepped it up." Well, to me, there is no other way to race. If I conserve, and finish strong, I'll never kow what could have happened if I went out hard. But if I go hard, and I have that rare day where eveything goes great, I can finish hard and honestly say that I could not have run better. Sure, for many people that would lead to some seriously disappointing times. But for me, it's the only way to challenge myself.
9. You get to meet good people. Especially on the trails
I've met a lot of good people out running, and I've turned some friends into runners. Overall, I'd say I like the running community and would prefer to spend time with them (even if it's just saying "hi" while passing them on the road) than with co-workers or other random people. They are good people, with good spirits. But I have to say, when I started running trails and meeting people in training groups and at the trail running events, I really found my niche. These places are filled with runners that share my motives, my desires. They understand the reasons to run. They all have interesting stories, and they all love the feel of the trail beneath their feet. They don't worry so much about time, as they do about the experience. They understand that running, like life, is about the journey and not the destination.
8. It's a cheap hobby. All I need is a pair of shoes.
I love that I can run at a moments notice. When I get out of work early, I head to a trail and strap on my shoes. And I'm off. Or if I'm travelling to a new place and see some cool hills or hear of some tough trails, I strap on my shoes and I'm off. When I started running I bought a $40 pair of shoes and never had a blister. It doesn't take much to get out there. There are no good excuses.
7. It's dependable
Running is always there for me. It's a relationship that always forgives. I can ignore it for awhile, but when I come crawling back, it's there for me. Sure, it might punish me with some sore legs and some heavy lungs, but it takes me in. It abuses me at times, but also gives me some of my biggest rewards. It comes with me wherever I go, and gives me confidence. It's there to listen when I'm stressed out with work, or mad at life. It's there to celebrate with me when I'm excited and want to enjoy the outdoors. It will go with me in the heat, the snow, the rain… Running will stay with me until my legs give out, and even then I'll have the memories.
6. It's better than other addictions
Smoking and drinking might work for some, but they are expensive and/or time consuming. Some people depend on drugs or gambling. For me, I would prefer to run.
5. To enjoy the outdoors
Before I started running, I never understood environmentalists (AKA tree-huggers). I didn’t get it. I thought it was stupid to worry more about parks, trees, and grass compared to the advancement of society (technology, parking lots, new buldings, etc). Now, when I go out to St. Edwards or Barton Creek, and I find the rare spots where you can't hear a single car, or you see some wildlife nearby, I get it. I love the rush of being outside, alone in the wild, at dusk or at dawn. I never got excited about a walk in the park, but now I love those perfect weather days where I sneak out of work early to get on the trails all alone.
4. Escape from the rest of life's complications
Like everyone else, I have a job, a family, a house, and all the rest. Which means responsibilites, deadlines, mortgage payments, stress, and all the rest. Some people use time running to organize their lives, and figure things out. To prioritize commitments, or to solve problems. Not me. I use it as a time to clear my mind. Stress and worries disappear during those hours, and even if they return when I'm finished, things just aren't as urgent. I feel better the rest of the day.
3. It cleanses my soul
I don’t know what I think about during most of my runs. Sometimes I finish a 2-3 hour run and I can't remember a darn thing. All I know is I feel very spiritual during the run, and afterwards. Some people are more comfortable in a church praying, others use yoga and meditation. For me, my soul is cleansed when I run. I can use the time to talk to God, to give thanks for my blessings in life. Or I can use it to complain about things that are going wrong. But this is a personal time that is just impossible to get in any other environment without a serious amount of commitment and discipline.
2. Because I have to
Sometimes there is no explanation. I do it because I have to.
1. No matter my mood, I've never NOT felt better after a run, than I did before the run
Sure, sometimes my feet hurt or my knees hurt. Sometimes I'm sore for a day or two, and I've had a few injuries along the way. But I can say, without exception, that regardless of how I felt as I put on my shoes before a run, I always feel better when taking them off. Physically, mentally, spiritually. I've never had a run I regretted, I've never caught myself saying I should have run less.

Great GPS Find

2006-01-31T13:48:00.000-06:00

I have a GPS watch that I got as a gift over a year ago, and I almost never wear it. I don't mind the size or weight (it's a Garmin Forerunner 201), it's just that the software for it sucks. It just wasn't ever worth having the details of the run because there was nothing to do with the data once you had it. I'm a computer engineer, which makes me a little geeky, and I like looking at data. But it has to be formatted in a usable way... It's so bad that I even started to write my own software to analyze the data in the GPS, but I never finished it.

So I stumbled upon a website which just got bought by Garmin a while back. Maybe most people were already aware of this website, but I found it and it's incredible. It's call MotionBased. You can track you loaction, speed, altitude, etc. It looks up the weather on that day in that location and stores that. And you can overlay the route on Google Maps, or even Google Earth. It's great.

And finallly, you can export the data to a iframe to put in a blog! Here's my last run at St. Edwards park.

Check it out if you have a GPS. I might start wearing mine finally.

Poweline Run

2006-01-28T09:23:00.000-06:00

I got out of work around 3 yesterday so I headed down to the Hill Of Life for a couple of powerline loops. My plan was to run it twice, taking the first loop slow and then speeding up for the second loop. My legs felt strong (they've had lots of rest over the past month and a half) but I was easily winded. Every hill knocked the air out of my lungs. But it felt great to be out there. Runs like that make me appreciate Austin in January.

The second loop was not meant to be. As I ran down the rocky powerline towards the end of the loop, I stepped hard on a sharp rock and the injury I've been nursing in my feet sent a shot of pain right through my foot and up my leg. I slowed down, regained composure and focues on one strong climb up the HOL instead.

When it was all over my foot hurt, but it was a success. I made it about 5 miles before anything hurt, and it's been awhile since I did that. I'll be heading out there again tomorrow for another try at 2 loops.

(Meanwhile) My wife is out doing her last long training run of 21 miles for Freescale this morning. It's pouring down rain, and she hates rain. I'll just need to convince her that when this is over, and she completes it, there is no stopping her from completing her first marathon.

And one more thing... Go Steelers!

Here We Go!

2006-01-23T08:31:00.000-06:00

I GOTTA FEELIN...
PITTBURGH'S GOIN TO THE SUPERBOWL!

I'm back -- I hope

2006-01-18T13:03:00.000-06:00

As you know, the title of this blog is "running and being," but since I haven't really run since Sunmart, I haven't had much to write about. It's now been a month since my last good run due to injuries. I need to be careful, though, that running and being are not too directly related. My lack of running should not result in a lack of being, but lately I feel like it has. Maybe it has to do with the month I took off from work during Christmas, or the month I took off from running after Sunmart, or maybe it's the fact that they lined up perfectly. I suspect that it's the combination.

But I'm finally ramping back up with my job, and I had two good runs this past week (St. Ed's loop and Jester repeats) and I'm feeling a lot better. I've also had some time to figure out what I want to accomplish (running) this coming year. I'm sure I'll end up doing more, but the keys to this year are the Cross Timbers Trail Marathon (I originally planned on the 50M, but don't think I'll be ready), Grasslands 50M, Zane Gray 50M (if I can ramp up quickly enough). I'm sure I'll do some of the shorter Rogue races in the summer, and I'm leaving the fall wide open right now.

I'm anxious to get going again with everything. This time off might prove to be a much needed break on my mind and body, but right now I'm just excited to get back in the saddle.

Bandera Withdrawl

2005-12-31T18:23:00.000-06:00

It's a sad day for me because this morning I had to admit my mortality and withdrawl from the Bandera 50K race. I've been struggling with feet and ankle pains for several weeks, and although I got lucky and slipped through Sunmart, it's obvious to me now that I need some time off. I had a few mediocre runs up north during my Christmas break, mostly focusing on big hills and a slow pace, but my feet hurt after only a few miles. I did have a wonderful (yet painful) run through some back roads in Lexington Kentucky that easily ends up in my top 5 favorite runs of all time. The course I did was out and back down an empty road, along a small creek, and dodging stray dogs. The "rolling hills" were more like mountains for this Texas runner, but the views were magnificent. My feet were killing me the whole way, but I enjoyed the run and the air and the views so much that I just kept going. I only knew to turn around when a hundred-pound St. Bernard told me that I should. When I got back to my car I was limping noticably, but it was exhilarating.

How did I find this great running road? My father-in-law is a new home builder in Lexington, and he is building a new house on a 2-acre lot in a new empty neighborhood. Lexington is filled with these places, it's great! Anyways, I spent the day "volunteering" my services, painting the house for him. After a 10-hour day of hard labor, as everyone else packed up and wobbled home, I strapped on my running shoes. Your should have seen their faces.

After this, I took a few more days off and this morning decided I would go for a run and make a final decision on my readiness for Bandera. 1 mile into a St. Ed's run I had a terrible pain in my right foot. I headed down a fairly steep decline, over-focusing on my foot, and ended up twisting my ankle pretty badly. I turned around, limped home, and sent an email to Joe (the Bandera race director) that I would be volunteering for Bandera. This was the only way I knew to force myself not to run in the race. I had already paid the 50 bucks for race entry, and knew I'd show up ready to run otherwise.

I'm frustrated that the healing process has taken so long, yet grateful because I'm now realizing what a blessing it was that I was able to run Sunmart despite this nagging injury. That was my real goal this season, and I'm lucky and grateful that I was able to finish it. I spoke breifly in a previous post that running (and suffering) could teach humility. I knew it was true, yet wondered how I could explain it. It has now become clear to me. Running great distances brings the human body to great pains, and sometimes pushes it's capabilities. Many endurance runners start out thinking that they can "beat" this, that they can reach any limit. I'm not trying to take the romance out of this, I still believe the human body can acheive great things, but these things take preparation and training. There are limits, and recognizing that is very humbling. One might think that accomplishing huge goals like a marathon, 50-miler, or 100-miler would inflate the ego, but I have found it does quite the opposite. It make me recognize my limits, understand my abilities (and push to new limits), and appreciate the blessings I have with my good health and supportive family and friends. I could not acheive my goals without each of these, and during an injury like right now, I realize that any of this could be taken away from me at any moment. It is this reason that I have to get out there and take advantage of every moment, because every second counts.

The Joy Of Suffering

2005-12-17T22:21:00.000-06:00

"If you suffer, thank God! -- it is a sure sign that you are alive."
- Elbert Hubbard

Yesterday I went out for a 16 miler with my friend, Jim. I'd felt pretty much recovered from my 50 mile run last weekend, so I told Jim that I would go out with him for 16 miles as part of his Freescale marathon preparation. It was to be his longest run ever, although not by much. For me it would be a different challenge since I knew I couldn't be fully recovered yet from last weekend.

The run started off OK, except that my left achilles was hurting. I had faith that the pain would subside, so as usual I ran through it. I was right that the pain would subside, but I had no idea what was coming next. It began small, just a slight discomfort on the outside arch of my left foot. We got off of the roads and onto a trail, and the pain eased. But soon we were forced off of the trail again and this time the pain got much worse. Soon I couldn't run at all. I'm not exxagerating at all when I say that I could barely walk. My original intentions were to support my friend on his run, now I was just hoping not to slow him down. So I told him to go off and finish his run alone, and I would see him back at his house. I was 3 miles away from his place, and my car. So I started limping home.

An hour later, and still a half mile from my car, I began wondering why I was doing this. Not why I was struggling through this today, but why do I put myself in the position to suffer such great pain when I could easily be at home in bed, or at least sitting at home with my wife and watching SportsCenter.

It's something I come to think about a lot on long runs, especially when physical pains linger and mental challenges mount. It's a question that I need to answer before I can continue this journey.

We're conditioned at an early age that happiness is good, while suffering is bad. Physical pleasures are to be strived for and rewarded, while pain is to be avoided. But why is that?

The person we become is a result of our experiences in life. Our consciousness is a combination of the joyful experiences as well as our sufferings. To avoid either one of these facets of our development is to avoid gaining true consciousness. Suffering breeds experiences that nothing else can replace. It is as essential as any other factor in our development. It teaches temperance, patience, appreciation, modesty and humility. These are attributes of my character that have never been very strong, so perhaps that's why this is so important to me. Think about these attributes... Every one of them is an enviable characteristic, and everyone of them is enhanced through suffering. I hope to have time to come back to this soon and explain my reasoning, but not tonight.

I'll touch on one of them now, appreciation. Just as a trust-fund baby will never be as rich as a man who saved every dime until his retirement, a man who never feels pain can never experience the true physical pleasures in life.

When I get home after a long day at work and a tough workout, I am physically and mentally drained. My body aches and my mind is exhausted. But I shower and lay down in bed and the greatest sensation rushes through me because I have tasted the sour, and now I get to savor the sweet.

So this is why I run, why I run farther than most people think I should, through injury, poor weather, over hills and rocky terrain. It is not a quest for suffering, rather a quest for consicousness. My goal is not to find suffering, nor to avoid it. It is to experience life, whatever that may be.

The parallels of running and life

2005-12-14T16:32:00.000-06:00

I got a message from a running friend, Dano, who had an interesting outlook on the parallels of a good, long trail run and real life. I hope he doesn't mind me sharing this, but I thought it was great insight on trail runs, but also our journeys in life.

We were sharing our war stories of the weekends trail race (like my previous post on the Sunmart 50 miler). Many people had similar stories to tell about the pain, the perserverence, and most importantly the fun we had sharing some time with other trail running friends. Here was Dano's take on the adventure:

reminded me of how it seems one of the many lessons for dano over the last year of running has been how much running parallels "real life" - whatever that means. 'specially trails. it dawned on me while reading our band's collection of stories from this weekend. no rocket science here, but it seems like in life, like on the long trail - you never know who you are going to meet up with - you never know how long the company is going to last - and you never know how either one of you is going to react to (or even make it through) what is waiting around the next bend. the best thing that you can do is to enjoy the current moment. nothing else really matters. the past, not a dang thing you can do - you can't take back a fall or an ankle roll. the future, won't come the way you expect it - it will be a surprise - no matter what. so that leaves the moment - this moment.

Sunmart - My first 50 miler

2005-12-12T11:53:00.000-06:00

I woke up Friday morning and quickly stretched out my feet to see if they felt any better. Negative. It was the day before my first 50 mile race and my feet still hurt. I injured them 3 weeks ealier during the Warda Cardiac Run, and have been off the trails for 2 weeks trying to let them heal. Two weeks rest obviously didn't work and at that moment I realized that it didn't matter anymore. I was going to Huntville, I would toe the line, and I would run the race. The freezing weather, the aching feet, and the intense butterflies were just nuisances now, but they were not enough to stop me from acheiving what I had set out to do in August.

My wife, Kara, and I got in the car around 11am, and we drove to a friends house to drop off our dog. We dropped her off and headed out 290 to Houston for packet pick-up. I was anxious to just get through Houston before traffic picked up so that we could get to our hotel and settle down before dinner. I had this glorious plan of getting to bed early that night, which obviously was not thought out very well. Packet pickup was amazing. I couldn't believe how much stuff they gave us. But my rule for these races is that I don't look at or enjoy the gifts until after I have completed the race. There are people that will take out the free shirt and wear it that day, or during the race, but I just won't have it. The shirt and everything else stays in the bag until I finish the race. I have to feel like I earned the rewards. So Kara and I tossed the bag of goodies in the trunk and headed for Huntsville.

Once we got to the hotel we quickly unpacked and headed to Chile's for some pre-race dinner. I had the Cajun Chicken Pasta. Not because it looked good to me, or because I thought I needed to carbo-load, but because this is what I ate (at the same restaurant) the night before Rocky Raccoon. I'm very superstitious, so I didn't want to change anything. I would have asked to sit at the same table if I thought that my wife wouldn't smack me for doing so. After dinner we were walking to the car and it was so cold. The wind blew right through my jacket and I shivered. I don't know if it was because of the cold or because of my nerves, but that's when I lost all confidence. I thought about the cold weather, and my aching feet, and the 10 hours I was getting ready to run, and I told Kara, "Tomorrow is going to suck... Tomorrow is going to be the worst day of my life." It sounds comical and melodramatic now, but when I said it there was no doubt in my mind that I was speaking the truth. She brushed it off, knowing I was my usual nervous wreck, and we went back to the hotel for some sleep. I stayed up way too late watching re-runs of the Curb Your Enthusiasm before I finially nodded off into a shallow slumber.

The race started at 7am. I lined up in the back of the pack, heeding Sisson's advice to start slowly, and just settled into a slow waddle for the first few miles. It was really slow. I'm pretty sure I could walk faster and before too long I finally got fed up and started passing people. It didn't surpise me, this is how I do every race. There is an old buddhist saying that guides a lot of what I do. It says, "If you are going to cook, cook." It means that if you are going to do something, do it with everything you've got. Don't compromise anything. And for me, on this day, I was going to run. So I ran. I stepped out of the single file line, and I took off. I know it wasn't the most strategic move, and I probably wasted precious energy, but for me it was mental and I knew I had to feed my pride. At the long lonely out-and-back I saw JT. I was at least 10 minutes back from him and I figured the next time I saw him it would be 9 hours later and he'd be drinking a beer in the tent. I knew he had set a goal of 8 hours on this race and hoped he would make it. Next I saw Joe P and he was just like you'd expect, flying down the trail and catching up with an old friend. I waved and kept on down the trail to the turn-around. I hate that out-and-back and just tried to get through it as quickly as possible, knowing I'd do it 3 more times. The rest of the loop was uneventful. I got to the end of the first loop, waved to some spectators, chugged a Slimfast, and headed out for the next loop feeling good.

The second loop was more of the same. I saw a few people I knew, said hello and kept running at a solid 10:30 pace. When I reached the halfway point, I was right on pace for a 9 hour finish time. I was running great, but knew I wouldn't finish this strong. But my pace felt calibrated now, and figured I could venture a guess of 9:30 for a finish time. I was at 4:30, so I could run the second half 30 minutes slower. I told Kara that I was gonna slow down the third loop and save some energy for my "finishing kick." By this time I had a blister on my right foot that was starting to really hurt, but I didn't want to take off my shoe and treat it. Partially because I didn't want to sit around taking care of it, but mostly because I didn't want to know how bad it was. So I slammed another Slimfast and headed out for the second half.

I was right about slowing down for the third loop. At first I was taking scheduled walking breaks every 10 minutes (or when I reached some of the bigger hills), but soon my walking breaks became more frequent. I'd catch myself walking when I didn't even realize that I had stopped running. When I did start running, it was little more than a waddle. All this training, all the advice from Steve, Joe and the other veterans, and now it was out the window. Now I just needed to suck it up and run. I ate where I could, but the only thing I could take down was boiled potatoes. So I ate a lot of them. At the out-and-back I saw Jennifer and then Dano. They both looked tired, but healthy. I knew they were going to finish and I was happy for them. It gave me a little energy to see some familar faces and I probably got a good 15 minute jog in before I was tired again. Around mile 35 my blister became unbearable. I found a park bench and sat down. I quickly took off my shoe and sock, popped the blister with my fingernail, cleaned off some of the sand from my foot, and laced back up. Believe it or not, the blister never bothered me again. I stumbled to the end of the third loop, and past the HCTR tent trying to look better than I felt. I saw Joe there getting ready to head out for his last loop. I saw Claire and found out she took second in her age group which is great! And I saw my poor wife still sitting in the cold weather, out there to support me like always.

I sat down for a second and drank my last Slimfast for the day. Just then I heard Joe ask me if I'm gonna head out. He's ready to go and I'm not sure whether I am or not. But this was my chance to run with a legend and so I didn't waste any time. I jumped out of my seat, said goodbye to Kara, and I took off behind Joe. He was running a solid pace out of the starting gate and I quickly decided I wouldn't stay with him for very long. It was nice to run with him, he had taught me so much in the past few months whether he realized it or not, but it would be dumb to try to keep up with him. But I hung with him for awhile and struck up some conversation. We walked the uphills, but ran a good pace on the flats and downhills. We talked about some runs and nutrition and some other things, and the next thing I knew we were 5 miles into the loop and I felt better at that moment than I did during the first loop. My blood was pumping, the adreneline was flowing, I was a well-oiled machine after 42 miles. Before long I was confident again and I realized for the first time that I was going to make it to the finish line. There was nothing now that could stop me. Joe kept saying that I should go ahead without him if I was ready but I knew I wasn't yet. The time would come where I would give it that "finishing kick" I referred to earlier, but it wasn't time yet. Around 45 miles Joe told me that I was transforming from a trail running rookie to a veteran. Normally I would take this as a small congratulatory expression, but at this moment, with the emotions of finishing the race starting to kick in, and the gratitude I felt towards him and the rest of the Rogue group that I had the privilege to train with and learn from, it meant everything to me. I was now ready to go hard. I decided that the last aid station around mile 47 would be my starting line. When we got there, I had some Dr. Pepper and a Gu, said thank you to Joe, and I took off. I took off on my personal 5K race with no limits. As far as I was concerned, I was going for a world record at my astonishing 9:30/mile pace. I ran the uphills and "sprinted" the downhills. I saw a woman that had passed us earlier and it fueled me to continue on. I passed her and thought about the next victim. There was no stopping me now...

On second thought, there was something that could stop me. I turned the final corner and saw the finish line in sight. That was the only thing that could stop me now. The music was going, people were cheering. I ran past some Roguers and waved. I waved to my wife and ran hard to the finish line. Crossing the line I felt a wave of emotions that I hadn't felt before. It was excitement and disbelief, acomplishment, and even a little sadness that it was all over. Not the run, but the journey of getting there. I had so much fun during this adventure.

And here's the real kicker. When I cheked the results (mostly to see how others had fared) I saw my name with a '1' next to it. Can you believe it, I actually won my age group? Man, this was a pleasant surprise. There were only a couple of us in the age group, but it still felt great. Sunmart was giving out these great little "horse" trophies that I had admired before the race, and now I was actually going to get one.

After this I headed back to the tent and said goodbye to my new running friends. It was so great to get to see them all after their own great accomplishments. I could not have trained for and finished this race without this great group of runners. Congratulations to all that had the courage to get out there and run this weekend. I can't wait to see you on the trails again soon. I guess now it's time to sing up for Bandera.