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.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Big Horn
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.
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.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Sunmart 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Bandera II
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.
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
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.
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.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Finding My Groove
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.
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.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
The Death Run
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.
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.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Horrible Running Weekend
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Night Running Theme Song
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
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
Monday, July 10, 2006
Capt'n Karls Report
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
A Marathon Relay
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.
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.
Monday, July 03, 2006
A Very Short Run
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.
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.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Crappy Sports Weekend
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....
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
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.
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.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Gotta Love Austin
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Training and having fun
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.
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
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.
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.
Monday, June 19, 2006
The Belt 30K
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!
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!
Monday, June 12, 2006
Tragedy strikes Pittsburgh
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.
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.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Running and Being
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.
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.
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