Sunday, September 26, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
About to roll for Logan!
Aid station drop-bags are packed and organized, headlamps, flashlights, and backups gathered, gear is counted and re-counted, Pacers given last instructions, cooler packed, and I think… I’m ready. Heading up to drop off the drop-bags, attend the pre-race meeting, weigh-in, and then get some sleep in! I’ve felt this nervous anticipation in the past; before my first 50K, my first 50 miler, my first 100K… so I guess it makes sense that my first 100 miler should have the same psychological and physiological precursors. I am truly overwhelmed by the support everyone has shown, and continues to show. Thank you ALL for your help, good thoughts, and support! Especially for such a silly pursuit! Next posting will be from the START! Woooooohoooo!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Fear, anticipation, and impending pain
Less than two weeks remain until I embark on my first 100 mile ultra run. Looking back on my previous few months of training I hope it's been adequate. My running has been filled with hard, altitude-intensive miles (Timpanooke trailhead to the summit of Timpanogos, 5000 feet in 7.5 miles, among many others), up to 75 miles per week, and multiple runs per day. And with all that I'm still wondering if I should have run more miles. I've talked to friends who just finished running the Wasatch 100, and extracted the key issues they dealt with during their run. Pain was a constant... Fatigue, cold, nausea, emotional stress, and even hallucinations were components of their runs, and I expect to experience most if not all of these on my run. However, the euphoria of overcoming all of these and succeeding made it all worth it for them, and I'm definitely looking forward to testing that theory for myself. So, that said, Sept 24th is fast approaching... Wish me luck!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Home
Sunday, August 1, 2010
SpeedGoat wins again
Well, another SpeedGoat passes with the dragon winning again. Make no mistake, this truly is the hardest 50K around. Packing this much climb, descent, rough terrain, and general abuse into 32 miles is pretty much unique in the Ultra-running world. However, this year I decided to really make it hard by effectively negating any possibility of maintaining electrolytes and fueling capability.
This wasn't an intentional handicapping of the race. I started the race with full intention of fueling normally and maintaining my electrolyte balance. However, I had changed from Hammer Nutrition products to Elyte Tablytes, DCG protein, and ISO 100 Carbohydrate supplements. Yes, I know... NEVER switch anything on race day... and I normally follow this principle. However, I let several factors influence me to disregard this bit of "running gospel".
First, I was a bit pressured, as I let my supply of Hammer products dwindle and really didn't have enough time to order more before the race. Second, I entertained the idea of trying different products as they were significantly less expensive than the Hammer products. And lastly, I chose to ignore my intuition which continually warned me that this could turn out badly.
So... race day: I forget to take an electrolyte tab until right before the gun sounds, so I pop one and take a few sips of my protein/carb mix (100g of carbs and 25g of protein). I head out and am feeling strong, so the climb to Hidden peak feels pretty good... except for a nagging pain in my stomach. About 1/2 way to hidden peak, the pain in the stomach becomes nagging, and each sip of my fuel results in an increase of the pain.
At the Hidden Peak aid station, I've only finished half of my fuel bottle, so I choose to dilute my fuel with water in in the hopes that it will be less irritating in dilute concentration. I also pop another electrolyte tablet... and it creates a very significant nausea. I run up to Mt. Baldy with this nagging nausea, and then down to "Larry's Hole" aid station at the bottom of Mineral Basin. I've been unable to take any supplementation at all at this point, so I just put more water in my Nathan pack, and head out to the descent into Dutch Flat, and the next aid station. This descent is pounding, tough running, primarily descending a dry creek bed/4x4 trail, but being a descent, my actual physical exertion is minimized and I'm able to stave off the desire to hurl.
After arriving at the aid station, I enjoyed their "ice-water towels" immensely, which helped drop my body temperature, and the grape Popsicle actually felt good on my stomach. I actually thought this might be the turning point, so I ate some watermelon, and a piece of boiled potato. I topped off my water, and headed for the most sustained climb of the run. This is where I realized that a complete lack of electrolyte supplementation, and very minimal glycogen replacement can create a self-perpetuating downward spiral.
The nausea finally got to me and I gave up the little I was able to take in at the aid station. This now becomes the recurring theme... hurl, feel somewhat "better", keep hammering up the climb... hurl, feel somewhat "better", keep hammering up the climb, repeat, repeat, repeat. I finally make it to Larry's Hole for the second time, but I'm toast. I'm totally glycogen starved, and my electrolyte balance is toast. I'm getting muscle cramps and twitches, and I'm becoming increasingly uncoordinated. I express my situation to the crew at the aid station, and one of the ladies asks what electrolyte supplements I normally used. I told her Hammer Endurolytes, and she tells me she has a small packet in her bag.
I pop two endurolytes, and within minutes that nagging pain in my stomach starts to abate. I take two more 15 minutes into my agonizingly slow progress towards the Tunnel Aid Station, and my coordination starts to come back. The only "take along" carbs they had at Larry's Hole was a small ziplock bag of corn chips, and I try to nibble on those, and manage to get two or three of them down without immediate nausea. I have to stop several times to avoid active nausea, and with completely glycogen-starved muscles, I'm moving incredibly slowly.
I pop two more endurolytes as I get to the "avalanche gun" in mineral basin, which continues to improve how I "feel", but I'm still incredibly weak. I finally get to the Tunnel Aid Station, but I'm about 10 minutes late. I don't make the cut-off, and my number is pulled... I'm out of the race. At this point, I'm not sad... I feel shaky and weak, and it's highly unlikely that I'd recover during the next 10 miles to the finish. I take the ski-lift down to the Tram Plaza. Chriss meets me there, and once at the car, I have my Hammer "Recoverite", adn I start to drink it slowly to test out my system. Slightly more balanced due to the Endurolytes, my system takes the Recoverite well, and by the time I get home, I actually feel fine, just a bit tired.
A day later, I'm not sore or stiff, with the exception of my shins due to the constant climbing. I have no residual stomach distress, and I essentially don't have any negative effect at all. I think I now have a text-book example of how the human body can be VERY selective when it's pushed to extremes. I'm apparently ONLY a Hammer Nutrition athlete. Lesson Learned.
This wasn't an intentional handicapping of the race. I started the race with full intention of fueling normally and maintaining my electrolyte balance. However, I had changed from Hammer Nutrition products to Elyte Tablytes, DCG protein, and ISO 100 Carbohydrate supplements. Yes, I know... NEVER switch anything on race day... and I normally follow this principle. However, I let several factors influence me to disregard this bit of "running gospel".
First, I was a bit pressured, as I let my supply of Hammer products dwindle and really didn't have enough time to order more before the race. Second, I entertained the idea of trying different products as they were significantly less expensive than the Hammer products. And lastly, I chose to ignore my intuition which continually warned me that this could turn out badly.
So... race day: I forget to take an electrolyte tab until right before the gun sounds, so I pop one and take a few sips of my protein/carb mix (100g of carbs and 25g of protein). I head out and am feeling strong, so the climb to Hidden peak feels pretty good... except for a nagging pain in my stomach. About 1/2 way to hidden peak, the pain in the stomach becomes nagging, and each sip of my fuel results in an increase of the pain.
At the Hidden Peak aid station, I've only finished half of my fuel bottle, so I choose to dilute my fuel with water in in the hopes that it will be less irritating in dilute concentration. I also pop another electrolyte tablet... and it creates a very significant nausea. I run up to Mt. Baldy with this nagging nausea, and then down to "Larry's Hole" aid station at the bottom of Mineral Basin. I've been unable to take any supplementation at all at this point, so I just put more water in my Nathan pack, and head out to the descent into Dutch Flat, and the next aid station. This descent is pounding, tough running, primarily descending a dry creek bed/4x4 trail, but being a descent, my actual physical exertion is minimized and I'm able to stave off the desire to hurl.
After arriving at the aid station, I enjoyed their "ice-water towels" immensely, which helped drop my body temperature, and the grape Popsicle actually felt good on my stomach. I actually thought this might be the turning point, so I ate some watermelon, and a piece of boiled potato. I topped off my water, and headed for the most sustained climb of the run. This is where I realized that a complete lack of electrolyte supplementation, and very minimal glycogen replacement can create a self-perpetuating downward spiral.
The nausea finally got to me and I gave up the little I was able to take in at the aid station. This now becomes the recurring theme... hurl, feel somewhat "better", keep hammering up the climb... hurl, feel somewhat "better", keep hammering up the climb, repeat, repeat, repeat. I finally make it to Larry's Hole for the second time, but I'm toast. I'm totally glycogen starved, and my electrolyte balance is toast. I'm getting muscle cramps and twitches, and I'm becoming increasingly uncoordinated. I express my situation to the crew at the aid station, and one of the ladies asks what electrolyte supplements I normally used. I told her Hammer Endurolytes, and she tells me she has a small packet in her bag.
I pop two endurolytes, and within minutes that nagging pain in my stomach starts to abate. I take two more 15 minutes into my agonizingly slow progress towards the Tunnel Aid Station, and my coordination starts to come back. The only "take along" carbs they had at Larry's Hole was a small ziplock bag of corn chips, and I try to nibble on those, and manage to get two or three of them down without immediate nausea. I have to stop several times to avoid active nausea, and with completely glycogen-starved muscles, I'm moving incredibly slowly.
I pop two more endurolytes as I get to the "avalanche gun" in mineral basin, which continues to improve how I "feel", but I'm still incredibly weak. I finally get to the Tunnel Aid Station, but I'm about 10 minutes late. I don't make the cut-off, and my number is pulled... I'm out of the race. At this point, I'm not sad... I feel shaky and weak, and it's highly unlikely that I'd recover during the next 10 miles to the finish. I take the ski-lift down to the Tram Plaza. Chriss meets me there, and once at the car, I have my Hammer "Recoverite", adn I start to drink it slowly to test out my system. Slightly more balanced due to the Endurolytes, my system takes the Recoverite well, and by the time I get home, I actually feel fine, just a bit tired.
A day later, I'm not sore or stiff, with the exception of my shins due to the constant climbing. I have no residual stomach distress, and I essentially don't have any negative effect at all. I think I now have a text-book example of how the human body can be VERY selective when it's pushed to extremes. I'm apparently ONLY a Hammer Nutrition athlete. Lesson Learned.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Decisions of a Mad-Man
Well, the SpeedGoat is only two weeks away, and I'm definitely excited to tackle this "most difficult 50K in America". The SpeedGoat's topo is pretty telling -
It's either up, or down, and steep either way. Last year I took a long slider on a steep section of trail and had to bail out after only 14 miles. Bailing required another 3 miles of walking back out, so I spent a couple of weeks limping around and being frustrated with my performance. So, with that wonderfully gnarly race pending, I found myself with the opportunity to run the BEAR 100 in September as my first 100-miler... and yes, I'm going to do it. Steve, Allen, and Dan from my office have already committed to pace me after mile 37, and my wonderful wife has agreed to be crew chief. :) I'm going to have to hammer the mileage at altitude after the SpeedGoat to prepare for this monster run. I'm already planning several Timpanogos runs in the 20-24 mile range, and of course dragging Steve, Allen, and Dan along for the fun ;) The best part is that I've finally committed to do a 100. It's almost cathartic to have that commitment behind me, and now it's just perparation. As always, I'll be blogging from the courses where possible (not an option at SpeedGoat due to the fact that only the first 9 miles and last 6 miles have any reception at all), so stay tuned in for notifications and videos of my next epic adventure!
It's either up, or down, and steep either way. Last year I took a long slider on a steep section of trail and had to bail out after only 14 miles. Bailing required another 3 miles of walking back out, so I spent a couple of weeks limping around and being frustrated with my performance. So, with that wonderfully gnarly race pending, I found myself with the opportunity to run the BEAR 100 in September as my first 100-miler... and yes, I'm going to do it. Steve, Allen, and Dan from my office have already committed to pace me after mile 37, and my wonderful wife has agreed to be crew chief. :) I'm going to have to hammer the mileage at altitude after the SpeedGoat to prepare for this monster run. I'm already planning several Timpanogos runs in the 20-24 mile range, and of course dragging Steve, Allen, and Dan along for the fun ;) The best part is that I've finally committed to do a 100. It's almost cathartic to have that commitment behind me, and now it's just perparation. As always, I'll be blogging from the courses where possible (not an option at SpeedGoat due to the fact that only the first 9 miles and last 6 miles have any reception at all), so stay tuned in for notifications and videos of my next epic adventure!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Squaw Peak 50 Mile Trail Run Wrap-up
Well, John got the results up for the Squaw Peak 50 miler, and as a relatively mediocre ultra-runner I was reasonably pleased with my result. First off, I FINISHED… Always a good concept with an ultra-marathon. In talking with several more accomplished runners, the Squaw Peak is a fairly tough run due to the elevation changes, so I’ll take “finished” as a key accomplishment. My time was 13:26:51, which put me 105th out of 220 Overall, 89th out of 173 Male, 46th out of 103 Masters Category, and 33rd out of 59 for Age Group 40-49. Long live Mediocrity! ;)
In reality, I had a great time. This was one of the most enjoyable runs I’ve had since starting ultra-marathons. The terrain was amazing, both in visual beauty and how it ran as a course. John did a great job linking up some great trails for the course, and the volunteers at the Aid Stations were awesome! Arriving at Aid 7 and seeing Karl Meltzer there handing out S-tabs and slices of salted potatoes was an extra bonus. Many thanks to all those volunteers who spent their Saturday manning the aid stations and supporting those of us nutty enough to participate in this event.
I also succeeded in keeping the blisters to almost NONE! I changed out socks at Aid 8 (mile 33), and re-applied Aquaphor between my toes, and despite some hideous terrain over the 50 miles, I ended up with only one small blister on my left big toe. I’ll call that a major success! My La Sportiva Wildcats performed perfectly as well. One side note here… I used a Brand New pair for the race. This is a testament to finding a pair of shoes that fit perfectly, and sticking with them. The Wildcat in a 42.5 fits perfectly, and I simply slipped in my orthotics and ran. It’s a great feeling to know I’ve finally found “the shoe” for me.
Recovery has been interesting. During the final few miles of descent down to the finish, I kicked up some rocks and tagged one with the top of my right foot. Initially, I was concerned I might have chipped a bone in my foot, but it’s finally healing and I can “flex” my foot again. Otherwise, I was just sore, and took it pretty easy for two weeks, only doing light runs and weights. Now that I’m back on my normal training program, definitely feeling good and am excited to see how the Speedgoat goes!
In reality, I had a great time. This was one of the most enjoyable runs I’ve had since starting ultra-marathons. The terrain was amazing, both in visual beauty and how it ran as a course. John did a great job linking up some great trails for the course, and the volunteers at the Aid Stations were awesome! Arriving at Aid 7 and seeing Karl Meltzer there handing out S-tabs and slices of salted potatoes was an extra bonus. Many thanks to all those volunteers who spent their Saturday manning the aid stations and supporting those of us nutty enough to participate in this event.
I also succeeded in keeping the blisters to almost NONE! I changed out socks at Aid 8 (mile 33), and re-applied Aquaphor between my toes, and despite some hideous terrain over the 50 miles, I ended up with only one small blister on my left big toe. I’ll call that a major success! My La Sportiva Wildcats performed perfectly as well. One side note here… I used a Brand New pair for the race. This is a testament to finding a pair of shoes that fit perfectly, and sticking with them. The Wildcat in a 42.5 fits perfectly, and I simply slipped in my orthotics and ran. It’s a great feeling to know I’ve finally found “the shoe” for me.
Recovery has been interesting. During the final few miles of descent down to the finish, I kicked up some rocks and tagged one with the top of my right foot. Initially, I was concerned I might have chipped a bone in my foot, but it’s finally healing and I can “flex” my foot again. Otherwise, I was just sore, and took it pretty easy for two weeks, only doing light runs and weights. Now that I’m back on my normal training program, definitely feeling good and am excited to see how the Speedgoat goes!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Finish!!!!
Wow! What a race! It was a truly amazing experience, wrapped up with a great finish line, enthusiastic folks cheering as I entered the last 200 yards, and coolers full of COLD COKES! Wooohooo! Having Allen as my pacer for the last 16.4 miles was great, and made a huge difference in my mental state going up that crazy Windy Pass climb! Looking forward to next year's race!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
50 miles of fun!
The Squaw Peak 50 is Saturday! I’m definitely excited, as this is one of the more challenging 50 milers in the country. Running it as a member of the Air National Guard is a bonus for sure! Allen Steele has agreed to pace me for the last 16.4 miles, so I’m extremely grateful to get that mental boost at the last part of the race! I’ll be video blogging using the iPhone again, but I’m going to conserve battery life by keeping it off except for when actually recording and uploading the posts. Hopefully that will make it last the full run! Stay tuned and definitely comment on my posts on Saturday!
I’m planning to complete several difficult races this year as a part of the preparation for next year’s effort on the 24 Hours of Utah Solo Challenge, and hopefully the Wasatch Front 100-miler. I’ve decided to use the Solo Challenge as an annual MORE Project Fundraiser. It’s a great event, and one which serves the idea of “pledge-based” giving well. By getting pledges per-mile, I push harder to get more miles in during the event, and those donating have a reason to “watch” during the event by following the blog.
The Wasatch Front 100 is one which I hope to luck into… as it’s a Lottery entrance. Too many people out there want to hammer themselves across 100 miles of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains… ;) I’ve paced a runner in that event once, and have thrown my hat into the ring to pace again this year. So throw out your good wishes to the universe and maybe I’ll get into the Wasatch 100 for 2011!
I’m planning to complete several difficult races this year as a part of the preparation for next year’s effort on the 24 Hours of Utah Solo Challenge, and hopefully the Wasatch Front 100-miler. I’ve decided to use the Solo Challenge as an annual MORE Project Fundraiser. It’s a great event, and one which serves the idea of “pledge-based” giving well. By getting pledges per-mile, I push harder to get more miles in during the event, and those donating have a reason to “watch” during the event by following the blog.
The Wasatch Front 100 is one which I hope to luck into… as it’s a Lottery entrance. Too many people out there want to hammer themselves across 100 miles of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains… ;) I’ve paced a runner in that event once, and have thrown my hat into the ring to pace again this year. So throw out your good wishes to the universe and maybe I’ll get into the Wasatch 100 for 2011!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Long Run
I've experienced a very long month. My mother passed away. I bought a house and moved into it. I had a large software release at work... and just today completed a three-day marksmanship competition with the National Guard.
The emotional toll was a bit greater than I expected on all fronts, and the impact on my normal training schedule was significant. It seems that for a few weeks, life simply became a long, long run and it was all I could do to complete it. I've never been impacted like this before. In the past, I've always "fit in" the running, and stayed pretty close to my actual training plan. Not this time.
At this point, I'm playing catch-up, and I'm not sure how well the Squaw Peak 50 miler is going to go... Yep, I've committed to run the Squaw Peak with the National Guard team on the 5th of June. I received a call from a member of the team who asked of I could participate, and I agreed. I agreed because I want to run this in memory of both my parents who have passed. My Dad was a decorated pilot and a founding Cadre member of the Utah Air National Guard. My mother was a military spouse who raised me to feel the call to serve in the military and supported my athletic endeavors.
When I run the Squaw Peak, I'll do so as a member of the National Guard and also as a son who is dedicating the effort to two parents who raised him to honor his country. There could not have been better parents to me.
Thanks Mom and Dad.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The emotional toll was a bit greater than I expected on all fronts, and the impact on my normal training schedule was significant. It seems that for a few weeks, life simply became a long, long run and it was all I could do to complete it. I've never been impacted like this before. In the past, I've always "fit in" the running, and stayed pretty close to my actual training plan. Not this time.
At this point, I'm playing catch-up, and I'm not sure how well the Squaw Peak 50 miler is going to go... Yep, I've committed to run the Squaw Peak with the National Guard team on the 5th of June. I received a call from a member of the team who asked of I could participate, and I agreed. I agreed because I want to run this in memory of both my parents who have passed. My Dad was a decorated pilot and a founding Cadre member of the Utah Air National Guard. My mother was a military spouse who raised me to feel the call to serve in the military and supported my athletic endeavors.
When I run the Squaw Peak, I'll do so as a member of the National Guard and also as a son who is dedicating the effort to two parents who raised him to honor his country. There could not have been better parents to me.
Thanks Mom and Dad.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
FIRST for Ultra Running
To this point I've basically followed the standard approach to training for Ultra-running... run... alot. I've maintained my training at the 40-70 miles per week range, with 40 being the week after my post-race recovery week, and the 70 being two weeks before tapering into a race. In talking with other Ultra-runners, that seems to be the accepted methodology, and so I've simply adopted that to this point.
A few weeks ago, my wife brought home a book called "Run Less, Run Faster" from the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST) at Furman University in Greenville, SC. My wife is using their program to train for her first 1/2 marathon. Of course, a title like that garnered some interest on my part, and so I did a little investigation. It turns out the PhDs there have looked at training for running as more than just running (novel idea!), and have an integrated training plan for up to marathon distances using a variety of cross-training events including swimming and cycling.
After reviewing their website, I decided to contact them and find out if they did anything beyond the Marathon distance. They responded within minutes of my initial contact, and explained that they don't have any experience Ultra running in their group, but they had a friend of theirs who is an Ultra runner, and had provided some input for him, and it seemed successful. They subsequently sent me the advice they'd given him, and his correspondence to them regarding the results he'd experienced. His reasons for asking for thier input, and his results from following their advice fit exactly within my experience and expectations, so I decided to follow their advice and start training based on that input.
So... my weekly mileage is actually going to go down! However, I'm now incorporating cycling, rowing, swimming, and power-lifting into my weekly program. I'll still run my events through the summer, but I think the "proof" of how this change in the training program will likely not manifest itself for a couple months. I have to assume that the Speedgoat at the end of July will be the first race where I'll be able to initially assess the effectiveness of this program. Should be pretty interesting!
That said, I'm looking forward to the Sapper Joe 50K on the 29th of May! The Sapper Joe also has a 25K and (new this year) a 15K, so for anyone who's up for a shorter version... register at Wasatch Running or mail it in (www.fatpackracing.com) and come join the mayhem!
A few weeks ago, my wife brought home a book called "Run Less, Run Faster" from the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST) at Furman University in Greenville, SC. My wife is using their program to train for her first 1/2 marathon. Of course, a title like that garnered some interest on my part, and so I did a little investigation. It turns out the PhDs there have looked at training for running as more than just running (novel idea!), and have an integrated training plan for up to marathon distances using a variety of cross-training events including swimming and cycling.
After reviewing their website, I decided to contact them and find out if they did anything beyond the Marathon distance. They responded within minutes of my initial contact, and explained that they don't have any experience Ultra running in their group, but they had a friend of theirs who is an Ultra runner, and had provided some input for him, and it seemed successful. They subsequently sent me the advice they'd given him, and his correspondence to them regarding the results he'd experienced. His reasons for asking for thier input, and his results from following their advice fit exactly within my experience and expectations, so I decided to follow their advice and start training based on that input.
So... my weekly mileage is actually going to go down! However, I'm now incorporating cycling, rowing, swimming, and power-lifting into my weekly program. I'll still run my events through the summer, but I think the "proof" of how this change in the training program will likely not manifest itself for a couple months. I have to assume that the Speedgoat at the end of July will be the first race where I'll be able to initially assess the effectiveness of this program. Should be pretty interesting!
That said, I'm looking forward to the Sapper Joe 50K on the 29th of May! The Sapper Joe also has a 25K and (new this year) a 15K, so for anyone who's up for a shorter version... register at Wasatch Running or mail it in (www.fatpackracing.com) and come join the mayhem!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
26.2 is no "walk in the park"!
Well, I finally did it... I ran a traditional marathon. The Salt Lake Marathon runs from the University of Utah "Olympic Bridge", to Sugar House Park, out to Tuscany Restraunt, and then heads back to the Gateway Mall fountain for the finish. I figured this would be just a little longer than my normal Saturday runs of 20 miles (give or take). Arguably, I figured I'd try to push past the "Ultra" per-mile-pace of 11 min, but figured that otherwise it wouldn't be too bad. Well... it was definitely different.
I knew the crowd would be a factor, but we were still dodging around people at 7 miles! By seven miles in any of the 50Ks I've run, I'm basically alone! The fact that there were aid stations every 2 miles or less was kind of cool (no carrying water), and there were actually "spectators" who cheered as you ran past throughout the entire race which was completely alien to anything I've experienced in Trail 50Ks.
Running on the pavement for 4 hours was a bit much... that stuff is hard and boring! I also pushed for 9 min miles and ended up with 9:34's (4:06.34) which is considerably faster than I run my 50Ks, so that could have had something to do with the stiffness I feel today; I actually feel like I ran 50K. Trails may be more variable in angle, steepness, etc, but that's what makes them more fun to run!
All-in-all it was reasonably enjoyable, and I'll probably do some more marathons, especially if my wife is running a 1/2 marathon that corresponds with one. I did see a couple of the guys I see at the Ultras, but between the crowds and the roads themselves, I'm going to stay with my trail-ultras for the most part. I'll post some photos as I get them from the promoter, so stay tuned!
I knew the crowd would be a factor, but we were still dodging around people at 7 miles! By seven miles in any of the 50Ks I've run, I'm basically alone! The fact that there were aid stations every 2 miles or less was kind of cool (no carrying water), and there were actually "spectators" who cheered as you ran past throughout the entire race which was completely alien to anything I've experienced in Trail 50Ks.
Running on the pavement for 4 hours was a bit much... that stuff is hard and boring! I also pushed for 9 min miles and ended up with 9:34's (4:06.34) which is considerably faster than I run my 50Ks, so that could have had something to do with the stiffness I feel today; I actually feel like I ran 50K. Trails may be more variable in angle, steepness, etc, but that's what makes them more fun to run!
All-in-all it was reasonably enjoyable, and I'll probably do some more marathons, especially if my wife is running a 1/2 marathon that corresponds with one. I did see a couple of the guys I see at the Ultras, but between the crowds and the roads themselves, I'm going to stay with my trail-ultras for the most part. I'll post some photos as I get them from the promoter, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
24 hrs (recovery zone)
First off… THANK YOU EVERYONE! I definitely feel humbled by the support this MORE Project effort received. From my awesome volunteer support crew, to those who pledged and donated, to Paislee for being an AWESOME crew chief! You all have my utmost respect and gratitude!
Well, Sunday night was a blur as we got back, unloaded the car, and passed out. I was actually a tad surprised by how good I felt Monday, and my Chiropractor was likewise surprised by how relatively limber I was considering less than 36 hours earlier I was finishing up my 64th mile… I guess the training program paid off somewhat!
My right knee is finally back to normal today as well, and so the only real residual affect is some muscle soreness in the Anterior Tibialis, and the Gastrocnemius (likely due to the heavy use traveling over that crazy, off-angle, ankle-twisting, slick-rock landscape) and the feet. I think I’ll need to adapt some of my winter training to include some kind of trail running simulation, and some weight lifting to build up the muscles in the lower leg and around the knee. There was so much heavy pounding running on that slick-rock, that I think I’d have had greater endurance with some greater muscular support around my knees.
The feet issue is primarily the toes… I think I goofed on maintaining proper foot care. I know I should have changed socks more frequently (every 4 laps would have been smart), and probably applied a skin lubricant between the toes each sock-change. Likely would have made a difference. The other item is just the actual “impact” on the feet. They’re still a tad sore, so I have to assume that’s part of the equation, but I’m going to ping out to my more accomplished running associates and see what advice they have to offer.
Lastly, I’ve decided to adjust my race schedule for several reasons. I’m not going to do the Fruita race, and instead going to do the SLC Marathon. My pacing crew is doing the half-marathon, so I can run with them for the first 7 miles, and then Allen Steele from my office is running the marathon so I can run with him for the rest of it… assuming he doesn’t run me into the dirt! He is fast on his shorter runs, so if he’s going to hammer it that way for 26.2, I’ll have to fall back. All in all, 26.2 will be a better option than 50 considering I only have 19 days until the 17th and I’m still recovering from the 24hrs.
Well, Sunday night was a blur as we got back, unloaded the car, and passed out. I was actually a tad surprised by how good I felt Monday, and my Chiropractor was likewise surprised by how relatively limber I was considering less than 36 hours earlier I was finishing up my 64th mile… I guess the training program paid off somewhat!
My right knee is finally back to normal today as well, and so the only real residual affect is some muscle soreness in the Anterior Tibialis, and the Gastrocnemius (likely due to the heavy use traveling over that crazy, off-angle, ankle-twisting, slick-rock landscape) and the feet. I think I’ll need to adapt some of my winter training to include some kind of trail running simulation, and some weight lifting to build up the muscles in the lower leg and around the knee. There was so much heavy pounding running on that slick-rock, that I think I’d have had greater endurance with some greater muscular support around my knees.
The feet issue is primarily the toes… I think I goofed on maintaining proper foot care. I know I should have changed socks more frequently (every 4 laps would have been smart), and probably applied a skin lubricant between the toes each sock-change. Likely would have made a difference. The other item is just the actual “impact” on the feet. They’re still a tad sore, so I have to assume that’s part of the equation, but I’m going to ping out to my more accomplished running associates and see what advice they have to offer.
Lastly, I’ve decided to adjust my race schedule for several reasons. I’m not going to do the Fruita race, and instead going to do the SLC Marathon. My pacing crew is doing the half-marathon, so I can run with them for the first 7 miles, and then Allen Steele from my office is running the marathon so I can run with him for the rest of it… assuming he doesn’t run me into the dirt! He is fast on his shorter runs, so if he’s going to hammer it that way for 26.2, I’ll have to fall back. All in all, 26.2 will be a better option than 50 considering I only have 19 days until the 17th and I’m still recovering from the 24hrs.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
24hrs... Not quite!
Well, after 19 hrs my right knee was rapidly swelling, and my 12th lap had taken almost 2hrs and 20min of extremly painfull limping to accomplish... So I called it a "day" and crawled into the car to try to regain some core body heat. After 4 hrs of fitfull, but at least warm sleep, I hobbled my way over to the finish area in time to hear the horn blast indicating the official end. My 64.44 miles was definitely not enough to place in the race standings, but will make a significant multiplier for all the pledges-per-mile for Paislees MORE Expedition, and that's what really counts!
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Lap nine done!
Well, connectivity has been a major challenge! We're on our way back and trying to catch up with the postings, so hang with us!
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Location:Cotter Mine Rd, Moab, UT
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Finish lap 8
Legs are a little cramped for pops. But the pacers will help out significantly.
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Finish lap six
Doing strong. Dad is slowing down just a tad so he can make it through the rest of the 24 hours.
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Location:Cotter Mine Rd,Moab,United States
Lap 4
Backing off the pace.
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Location:Cotter Mine Rd,Moab,United States
Almost ready
About five minutes before the race.
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Location:Cotter Mine Rd,Moab,United States
Dinner
Eating dinner with tina and steve. It's awesome. Getting ready for tomorrow. We'll all talk to you in the morning. :)
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Location:Kane Creek Blvd,Moab,United States
Friday, March 26, 2010
WINDY!
Well, definitely going to skip the barbecue at the basecamp tonight!! 9 seconds of video below show a quick escape!
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Location:Cotter Mine Rd,Moab,United States
Heading South!
Here we go! Listening to the Doors and hoping the storms are heading somewhere else!
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
<48 hrs to the 24 hrs!
Well, I'm over at the gym for a light walk, some stretching, and that'll be the last of the exercise til Saturday! It's a little odd hitting the treadmill at the gym and being able to type on the iPhone at the same time... But I need to stay loose and at the same time not deplete any of my glycogen reserves. It's a pasta, fish, and veggie night tonight (yay!) and I'm hitting 5 meals a day to stay on the "gain" cycle.
I'm getting pumped to just get going! It's an anxiety-rich environment right now, being this close, but not quite there!
PaIslee will be shooting a video blog segment as I complete each lap, so it should show my slow degradation into total exhaustion... ;). Hopefully it'll prove entertaining for those "tuning in".
Again, MAJOR THANKS to everyone who has pledged, donated, or supported this adventure! The next blogs will be video! Woooohoooo!
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I'm getting pumped to just get going! It's an anxiety-rich environment right now, being this close, but not quite there!
PaIslee will be shooting a video blog segment as I complete each lap, so it should show my slow degradation into total exhaustion... ;). Hopefully it'll prove entertaining for those "tuning in".
Again, MAJOR THANKS to everyone who has pledged, donated, or supported this adventure! The next blogs will be video! Woooohoooo!
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Sunday, March 21, 2010
D-day Approaches!
Yesterday was the one-week mark to the 24 hrs
of Moab Solo Challenge. I’m getting nervous, for sure. My big concern is keeping my IT band in good shape, as that seems to be my Achilles heel in running. I’ll be using my “marathon stick” on it each lap to try to keep it in good condition, and supplementing electrolytes like crazy. It’s a theory… hope it works.
Just for grins, I reviewed the results from the 2009 race, and there were only about 10 men in the solo run, and only one ran all 24 hrs… and he placed 3rd (after 64+ miles). Yeah, it’s about total distance covered, and the guy that placed 1st stopped running at about 2am (after 80+ miles) so he didn’t have to run all 24hrs to win. For me, it’s not about the “win”; it’s about getting as many miles as possible for the MORE Project Expedition. Not that a “win” is a possibility for me, but it would be a killer serendipity to actually place in the top three somehow. I’m targeting a 60+ mile event, so there’s a slight chance I could be in the running for a place!
I’ve been doing some zone 1-2 runs to keep limber, but not deplete my glycogen stores. I ran hard on Thursday, spent about 30 minutes in zone 3, with 15 min in zone 2 before and after, and definitely felt the effects. Today I’ll run 90 min in zone 2, and then three more 60 min zone 1 runs before Saturday, and I’ll be eating well this week… fish, pasta, rice, dark green veggies, and full supplements. It all comes down to giving myself every possible chance to make the best of the pledges Paislee has received for this event. If you’re reading this, and you haven’t pledged… please do! :) (email me with your pledge-per-mile at vince.romney@gmail.com) Thanks to everyone, and stay tuned for more on this entertaining little adventure!
of Moab Solo Challenge. I’m getting nervous, for sure. My big concern is keeping my IT band in good shape, as that seems to be my Achilles heel in running. I’ll be using my “marathon stick” on it each lap to try to keep it in good condition, and supplementing electrolytes like crazy. It’s a theory… hope it works.
Just for grins, I reviewed the results from the 2009 race, and there were only about 10 men in the solo run, and only one ran all 24 hrs… and he placed 3rd (after 64+ miles). Yeah, it’s about total distance covered, and the guy that placed 1st stopped running at about 2am (after 80+ miles) so he didn’t have to run all 24hrs to win. For me, it’s not about the “win”; it’s about getting as many miles as possible for the MORE Project Expedition. Not that a “win” is a possibility for me, but it would be a killer serendipity to actually place in the top three somehow. I’m targeting a 60+ mile event, so there’s a slight chance I could be in the running for a place!
I’ve been doing some zone 1-2 runs to keep limber, but not deplete my glycogen stores. I ran hard on Thursday, spent about 30 minutes in zone 3, with 15 min in zone 2 before and after, and definitely felt the effects. Today I’ll run 90 min in zone 2, and then three more 60 min zone 1 runs before Saturday, and I’ll be eating well this week… fish, pasta, rice, dark green veggies, and full supplements. It all comes down to giving myself every possible chance to make the best of the pledges Paislee has received for this event. If you’re reading this, and you haven’t pledged… please do! :) (email me with your pledge-per-mile at vince.romney@gmail.com) Thanks to everyone, and stay tuned for more on this entertaining little adventure!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Real Life...
I’m realizing that running is absolutely not “real life”. Supporting that whole “living in-doors, eating food, paying tuition, attending band concerts, parent-teachers meetings” thing is real life… and it gets in the way of running. As a result, I’m finding that keeping a consistent training schedule is nearly impossible. I’ve had to bail on my lunch run twice this week to deal with some Air National Guard issues, so that leaves squeezing in a run right after work (not terribly successful yet), and a late night session on the treadmill (more successful, see photo of me watching "Claim" at 10pm). I have learned that the belt offers the advantage of being able to watch a movie while running, which in my case consists of a narrow bandwidth of ski-adventure films, “rockumentaries”, and Monty-Python. Simultaneously, it comes with the disadvantage of being… well… a treadmill.
The running thing is definitely laced with “reality” however. I’m slow, fairly old, and only marginally successful in completing races. And I’m definitely sore after training, let alone after race day, and there’s always that fact that when I finish a race, there’s about 55% of the pack ahead of me. With that in mind, I still get an incredible amount of satisfaction from running that has limited parity to anything in my real life.
With no first places in my future, what’s the point? As always, there is that challenge thing: “Can I do that?” And that seems to be rubbing off. My wife is pushing for her first half-marathon! Several of my co-workers are pushing for their firsts: Allen Steele is training like a mad-man for his first Tri. Chandler Childs is working towards his first marathon. Steve Proffit is looking towards his first half-marathon. Dan Eastman is returning to marathons after a long hiatus. How much of that was me? Probably not much, but even if I had a little bit of influence, then maybe there’s some point to my running. Real life aside, I’m a runner for life.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The 24hrs of Moab Solo Challenge FUNDRAISER!
It’s not like I started out thinking “I ought to run for 24 hrs straight”… I started trail running to stay in shape for skiiing and climbing, and enjoy time in the mountains. I kept pushing my distances, until I was putting in 17-18 miles on a “long run” and 6-7 on a “short run”. I learned about organized 50k trail races, gave one a try and found out that I enjoyed the process, so… I keep entering and running them. Then I got hooked up to pace Troy Robertson (longtallandslow.blogspot.com) on part of the Wasatch 100 mile race, (which took him 31hrs 59min). The entire environment was really cool, so I decided that might be a good goal. So… a good first step would be running for 24 hrs… logical, no?
Now enter my daughter Paislee, who wants to do something to make the world a better place, and I introduce her to the MORE Project (http://www.themoreproject.org/). We dropped by and talked to Valerie, and she mentioned the “MORE Expeditions”, and instantly, Paislee had her volunteer opportunity. Now she just needed a way to start raising funds… see the pending convergence?
So I pay my entry fee for the 24 hours of MOAB, and we start collecting pledges from anyone and everyone willing to support this combo of philanthropy and insanity. Sounded simple enough, but now the concept of logistics set in. I need support for the entire 24 hours including; pacers, food preparation, sleeping arrangements for the pacers and support crew, etc. I initially sent out a request for volunteer help to the entire IT department I work in, and WOW! I work with some great people! Not only did I get several pacers to help me through the run (Chandler Childs, Dan Eastman, and Bruce Arnett from IT, and Tina Walls from Excel Staffing), but also a crew chief (Steve Brigham from IT).
Even more impressive, Tina Walls is not only going to pace during my run, but she’s volunteered to take on the kitchen duties for the entire day! That’s a big task and one I am so glad I don’t have to figure out now!
All of this is just a big realization of how this is not just one guy going running for 24 hours; it’s an entire team of people coming together to help make it possible for one, philanthropically-minded young woman to make a difference in this world. I am, and will always be humbled by this kind of outpouring of support for a good cause. Thank you all!
Now enter my daughter Paislee, who wants to do something to make the world a better place, and I introduce her to the MORE Project (http://www.themoreproject.org/). We dropped by and talked to Valerie, and she mentioned the “MORE Expeditions”, and instantly, Paislee had her volunteer opportunity. Now she just needed a way to start raising funds… see the pending convergence?
So I pay my entry fee for the 24 hours of MOAB, and we start collecting pledges from anyone and everyone willing to support this combo of philanthropy and insanity. Sounded simple enough, but now the concept of logistics set in. I need support for the entire 24 hours including; pacers, food preparation, sleeping arrangements for the pacers and support crew, etc. I initially sent out a request for volunteer help to the entire IT department I work in, and WOW! I work with some great people! Not only did I get several pacers to help me through the run (Chandler Childs, Dan Eastman, and Bruce Arnett from IT, and Tina Walls from Excel Staffing), but also a crew chief (Steve Brigham from IT).
Even more impressive, Tina Walls is not only going to pace during my run, but she’s volunteered to take on the kitchen duties for the entire day! That’s a big task and one I am so glad I don’t have to figure out now!
All of this is just a big realization of how this is not just one guy going running for 24 hours; it’s an entire team of people coming together to help make it possible for one, philanthropically-minded young woman to make a difference in this world. I am, and will always be humbled by this kind of outpouring of support for a good cause. Thank you all!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
MORE Project Fundraiser!
Hi,
My name is Paislee Romney, I'm seventeen and even at my young age, I have learned that my greatest fulfillment comes from helping people in need. Whether they be friends or strangers, I completely believe that everyone should have opportunities to fulfill their highest potential, and sometimes a little help from others makes all the difference.
Just last year my friend Brad went to Peru on a humanitarian trip helping to build schools and I have wanted to do something just like that ever since. Having a wickedly amazing father, Vince Romney (UltraOldGuy), he was able to bring this totally awesome opportunity to me. The opportunity I've been given is called "The MORE Project," and it focuses on helping those less fortunate living in the slums of Rio in Brazil. MORE's goal is to get families and children who are in extreme poverty out of their situations permanently. I'll be spending two weeks in Brazil with the MORE Project helping them with their efforts which include building schools, homes, teaching life-skills, educating all ages, and much more so that those in poverty can get out of that cycle and do more with their own lives and help future generations. I will be doing certain fundraiser activities and events to collect money so we can go along with the MORE project to Brazil and be apart of the whole process.
The first fundraiser I'm having is a "Dollar per Mile" endurance running event. My dad is running a solo 24 hour endurance run in Moab on the 27th of March. I am asking you to pledge $1 for every mile he runs in those 24 hours. Now any amount of money will work, whether it be a dime per mile or five dollars per mile. I am grateful for anything you can donate, as it gets me closer to being able to help the MORE project. During the event I will be putting updates of the run in this blog and I'll also be tweeting. We'll include the amount of miles, fun pictures, video and just anything else that goes on during his run.
If you are interested at all in helping us, stay tuned to our blog and we'll have a link setup on our page where you can pledge. I would also like your help with ideas. If you have any great ideas for Fundraiser events please post a reply to this blog. I will be 100% grateful for any good ideas you can come up with for raising money. And not only will I be thankful, but those families and children in Brazil the MORE Project helps will be too because you made it possible. Thank you so much for looking into this and I look forward to hearing your ideas and seeing you donate.
Thanks,
Pais
My name is Paislee Romney, I'm seventeen and even at my young age, I have learned that my greatest fulfillment comes from helping people in need. Whether they be friends or strangers, I completely believe that everyone should have opportunities to fulfill their highest potential, and sometimes a little help from others makes all the difference.
Just last year my friend Brad went to Peru on a humanitarian trip helping to build schools and I have wanted to do something just like that ever since. Having a wickedly amazing father, Vince Romney (UltraOldGuy), he was able to bring this totally awesome opportunity to me. The opportunity I've been given is called "The MORE Project," and it focuses on helping those less fortunate living in the slums of Rio in Brazil. MORE's goal is to get families and children who are in extreme poverty out of their situations permanently. I'll be spending two weeks in Brazil with the MORE Project helping them with their efforts which include building schools, homes, teaching life-skills, educating all ages, and much more so that those in poverty can get out of that cycle and do more with their own lives and help future generations. I will be doing certain fundraiser activities and events to collect money so we can go along with the MORE project to Brazil and be apart of the whole process.
The first fundraiser I'm having is a "Dollar per Mile" endurance running event. My dad is running a solo 24 hour endurance run in Moab on the 27th of March. I am asking you to pledge $1 for every mile he runs in those 24 hours. Now any amount of money will work, whether it be a dime per mile or five dollars per mile. I am grateful for anything you can donate, as it gets me closer to being able to help the MORE project. During the event I will be putting updates of the run in this blog and I'll also be tweeting. We'll include the amount of miles, fun pictures, video and just anything else that goes on during his run.
If you are interested at all in helping us, stay tuned to our blog and we'll have a link setup on our page where you can pledge. I would also like your help with ideas. If you have any great ideas for Fundraiser events please post a reply to this blog. I will be 100% grateful for any good ideas you can come up with for raising money. And not only will I be thankful, but those families and children in Brazil the MORE Project helps will be too because you made it possible. Thank you so much for looking into this and I look forward to hearing your ideas and seeing you donate.
Thanks,
Pais
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
“Red Hot” 50k not exactly “Hot”
So I finally “get” the joke of the Red Hot 50k… it’s COLD in Moab! And not just cold, it was 12 degrees Fahrenheit at the start of the race (8:00). And there was snow… a LOT of snow. I was completely surprised by the snow. I always knew there was some snow in Moab during the winter, I was even snowed off the Kor-Ingalls route on Castleton Tower one year, but I never saw it “stick” in any quantity.
This year was apparently a tad heavier than usual, as nearly the entire climb to the top of “Metal Masher” was in a foot or more of grainy, non-packing snow that was more like sand
than snow. Every step was unstable, slippery, and was often accompanied by a “near fall” where every muscle in my body worked overtime to simply maintain balance. I stopped and shot this photo of the race start from the rim trail as I ran towards the second aid station. The snow here was well over a foot deep, and I must have rolled my ankles a dozen times each. A couple of near falls caused me to strain my left knee to the point where every step became more and more painful as the run continued.
By the time I made it to the aid station at about mile 18 (11:45), my knee was swollen and seriously painful. The course marshal at the junction had run the course several times and warned me that to continue would be a potential problem as extraction past this aid station was difficult at best if things worsened. As I contemplated her comments, I also thought about the fact that the 24 hrs of Moab at the end of March would be at risk if I seriously injured myself, and that race is more than just a race... it’s a fund-raiser for my daughter to be able to volunteer for the MORE project expedition, and I didn’t want to jeopardize that, so it was time to call it a day.
The course marshal I spoke with asked me to drive her car into Moab when I got back to the start (I would ride back with the aid station volunteer), and that seemed pretty reasonable, so I hung out in the sun and took a nap on the warm sand. Funny how 38 degrees can feel “warm”. When we finally arrived at the start at 2:00, I gimped to her car, climbed in, and I discovered… it has a manual transmission. Every time I pushed the clutch in I was reminded that particular motion was exactly what my knee didn’t want any of.
After making it to Moab, my wonderful and very patient wife drove the entire way home so I could keep my knee iced and get an early start on recovery. Now, three days later, I’m really feeling the net effect… my training was pretty good for a 50k race, but it was inadequate for the conditions. All of the small muscles in my legs that are responsible for stabilizing are completely wasted. My big muscle groups feel fine, but even my hip stabilizers, abs, back and neck are far more sore than I would expect, and I believe all due to the constant effort they expended to keep me from falling as I ran through that snow.
I always look back and analyze my runs, regardless of how they went, just to see if there's anything I can learn. I really think I could have avoided any injury buy just pulling back to a walk for the entire climb up Metal Masher and down to Aid 2. Instead, I kept checking my watch and tied to keep my pace up. I also think my training program is lacking in stability training. Even the guys at Lifetime have told me that, but fitting it all in is tough.
Oh well. I’ll chalk it up to experience, I'll include some stability training as a regular component of my regimen… and I’ll wait till next year for a Red Hot success.
This year was apparently a tad heavier than usual, as nearly the entire climb to the top of “Metal Masher” was in a foot or more of grainy, non-packing snow that was more like sand
than snow. Every step was unstable, slippery, and was often accompanied by a “near fall” where every muscle in my body worked overtime to simply maintain balance. I stopped and shot this photo of the race start from the rim trail as I ran towards the second aid station. The snow here was well over a foot deep, and I must have rolled my ankles a dozen times each. A couple of near falls caused me to strain my left knee to the point where every step became more and more painful as the run continued.By the time I made it to the aid station at about mile 18 (11:45), my knee was swollen and seriously painful. The course marshal at the junction had run the course several times and warned me that to continue would be a potential problem as extraction past this aid station was difficult at best if things worsened. As I contemplated her comments, I also thought about the fact that the 24 hrs of Moab at the end of March would be at risk if I seriously injured myself, and that race is more than just a race... it’s a fund-raiser for my daughter to be able to volunteer for the MORE project expedition, and I didn’t want to jeopardize that, so it was time to call it a day.
The course marshal I spoke with asked me to drive her car into Moab when I got back to the start (I would ride back with the aid station volunteer), and that seemed pretty reasonable, so I hung out in the sun and took a nap on the warm sand. Funny how 38 degrees can feel “warm”. When we finally arrived at the start at 2:00, I gimped to her car, climbed in, and I discovered… it has a manual transmission. Every time I pushed the clutch in I was reminded that particular motion was exactly what my knee didn’t want any of.
After making it to Moab, my wonderful and very patient wife drove the entire way home so I could keep my knee iced and get an early start on recovery. Now, three days later, I’m really feeling the net effect… my training was pretty good for a 50k race, but it was inadequate for the conditions. All of the small muscles in my legs that are responsible for stabilizing are completely wasted. My big muscle groups feel fine, but even my hip stabilizers, abs, back and neck are far more sore than I would expect, and I believe all due to the constant effort they expended to keep me from falling as I ran through that snow.
I always look back and analyze my runs, regardless of how they went, just to see if there's anything I can learn. I really think I could have avoided any injury buy just pulling back to a walk for the entire climb up Metal Masher and down to Aid 2. Instead, I kept checking my watch and tied to keep my pace up. I also think my training program is lacking in stability training. Even the guys at Lifetime have told me that, but fitting it all in is tough.
Oh well. I’ll chalk it up to experience, I'll include some stability training as a regular component of my regimen… and I’ll wait till next year for a Red Hot success.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Dialed In
The constant "tweaking" I referenced in the last post has continued, but after my last couple of runs, I honestly think I have the left foot totally dialed in, and am really close to getting the right foot dialed in too. The real fun part is ahead... Once I get these dialed in, I'm going to go visit Dr. Seegmiller and ask the loaded question: Can my orthotics be re-done to accommodate the tweaks so I don't have "franken-footbeds"? You'd think so for the price, but... stay tuned.
I'm also totally psyched for the Red Hot 50K! (http://mas50.com/redhot/) Several other Ultra Runners I know will be there and it'll be great to meet up again after the several months since the last race. I never really think I'm going to be all that pumped up about a race, but then a couple weeks out it starts to build and just keeps growing till race day. Honestly, it's that feeling that really drives me from race to race, and keeps my training relatively consistent. It's a great space to be in, and one I certainly hope to stay in for a long, long time.
I'm also totally psyched for the Red Hot 50K! (http://mas50.com/redhot/) Several other Ultra Runners I know will be there and it'll be great to meet up again after the several months since the last race. I never really think I'm going to be all that pumped up about a race, but then a couple weeks out it starts to build and just keeps growing till race day. Honestly, it's that feeling that really drives me from race to race, and keeps my training relatively consistent. It's a great space to be in, and one I certainly hope to stay in for a long, long time.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Blisters
So I’ve acquiesced to the fact that blisters are a constant companion as a runner. Not the big, bloody monsters I used to get, but those annoying white blisters that probably could turn into the monsters given enough miles. I first thought I had it figured out when I found a shoe that fit well. I use the La Sportiva Wildcat, (http://www.sportiva.com/products/prod/536) and have been REALLY happy with it, but blisters still sneak up on me.
Then I thought I had it nailed after going to Dr. David Seegmiller, DPM and getting custom orthotics built (side view photo).
They were super-spendy at $300, and arguably did make a significant difference, as the last 50k I ran without them cost me my “index” toenails, and now they’ve actually grown back. However, I’ve had to tweak them nine ways from Sunday to get them working at a level I would have expected “out of the box”. I’ve had to add additional arch support, and put some additional structure under the ball of my foot to lessen the pressure on the first Metatarsal.
So… all that, and after 17 miles yesterday, I’ve got blisters on my left foot under the medial lobe of the first Metatarsal (thought I had that licked), and on my left index toe where it rubs against the bit toe (also thought I had that licked). I have to believe that super-experienced ultra-runners like Karl Meltzer have probably come to this same acknowledgement, but being relatively new to the sport, I assumed that over a couple of years this wouldn’t be an issue… obviously I’m wrong.
I also have to ask the question, is obsessing over blisters some kind of indictment on what I’ve become? Did I suddenly become an ultra-running geek who obsesses over the minutiae associated with his sport? Looking back over the past 30 years or so, I did this with ski racing and rock climbing… so it goes to follow I’d fall into that space with this.
The upside is that I’ve kept those two sports as life-long pursuits, and that bodes well for my goals with running, as I expect to be doing ultras into my 80s.
Then I thought I had it nailed after going to Dr. David Seegmiller, DPM and getting custom orthotics built (side view photo).
They were super-spendy at $300, and arguably did make a significant difference, as the last 50k I ran without them cost me my “index” toenails, and now they’ve actually grown back. However, I’ve had to tweak them nine ways from Sunday to get them working at a level I would have expected “out of the box”. I’ve had to add additional arch support, and put some additional structure under the ball of my foot to lessen the pressure on the first Metatarsal. 
So… all that, and after 17 miles yesterday, I’ve got blisters on my left foot under the medial lobe of the first Metatarsal (thought I had that licked), and on my left index toe where it rubs against the bit toe (also thought I had that licked). I have to believe that super-experienced ultra-runners like Karl Meltzer have probably come to this same acknowledgement, but being relatively new to the sport, I assumed that over a couple of years this wouldn’t be an issue… obviously I’m wrong.I also have to ask the question, is obsessing over blisters some kind of indictment on what I’ve become? Did I suddenly become an ultra-running geek who obsesses over the minutiae associated with his sport? Looking back over the past 30 years or so, I did this with ski racing and rock climbing… so it goes to follow I’d fall into that space with this.
The upside is that I’ve kept those two sports as life-long pursuits, and that bodes well for my goals with running, as I expect to be doing ultras into my 80s.
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