The 100 Mile "Workweek"

Hello!

Since I last wrote, things have been pretty busy. I have been figuring out the logistics for the New Mexico trip, finishing up some applications to schools for next fall, and busting out a "100 Mile Workweek." What this means is basically how it sounds: from Monday to Friday (today), I managed to put in 100 miles of running!

This is only the second time I have put in 100 miles in a week, the last being back in 2008, probably, when Ben Harden and I decided that we needed to throw down 100 miles in a week. I think we took 7 days to complete the 100 miles, and I remember that I was fatigued and had sluggish legs towards the end.

But this time around, I felt great the entire time, even though I smushed the 100 miles into 5 days. Trying to think of why this might be, I don't really know. I put in 69 miles in the New Balance Minimus shoes, so if haters say that minimal shoes don't have enough protection and make your legs tired, they don't have anything to base this on :) 16 miles were in the new Altra Superior shoes (see the last post). I thought that I would love these shoes, but they ended up being a flop. They literally make a flopping sound as I run, something about the structure of the sole, probably. Even when I was on the dirt and gravel, the flopping sound was still there and became annoying. It also made me think that there was something wrong with my running gait, even though there is definitely nothing wrong about it. Another thing about the shoe was that it dug into the Achilles tendon really bad. It's as if they made this shoe for people who have shins that are not perpendicular to the ground, but who lean forward at a 10 degree slant. The place where the back of the heel is supposed to make contact with the shoe is way open, like a half centimeter of space sits between it.

On the other hand, the 15 miles I put in with the Altra Paradigm were pretty good, but sort of weird. It is nice to have all the cushion and what not, but I don't really like how high you are off the ground. Any feel you have for the ground is eliminated; I like to run over rugged ground and feel the difference. I like to feel how gravel feels different from grass, or weeds, or rocks. With the Altra Paradigm, you can't tell any difference between any surface, and I find this to be quite strange. Regardless, the Paradigm will come in handy when I run across New Mexico on those days where I am feeling like a sissy and want to be coddled.

Anyway, here is a breakdown of the miles I put in during the past five-day "workweek:"

Monday: 20 miles in 2:52:20 (8:37 pace)

Tuesday: AM- 10 miles in 1:26:53 (8:41 pace), PM- 6 miles 52:22 (8:44 pace)

Wednesday: AM- 10 miles in 1:28:02 (8:48 pace), PM- 5 miles in 39:09 (7:50 pace), then 5 miles on the treadmill in 45:00 (9:00 pace)

Thursday: AM- 10 miles in 1:25:13 (8:31 pace), PM- 10 miles in 1:23:48 (8:22 pace)

Friday: AM- 15 miles in 2:10:28 (8:42 pace), PM- 9 miles in 1:11:59 (8:00 pace)

According to my Garmin, this 100 miles used up about 11,600 calories...and believe me, I made sure to consume enough food during the day (and a lot of snacks) in order to not be deficient in calories. So, based on the fact that I probably eat 2,000 calories a day x 5 days = 10,000 calories, I got to eat over 20,000 calories this week. That is a lot!

The total time for the 100 miles was 14 hours and 15 minutes (8:33 pace). So, not really too time consuming, if you think about it. It would be an average of 2 hours and 51 minutes a day. Think of all the time people spend watching TV or just jacking around each day. There is no reason that everyone can't get in a simple 30 minutes each day. That would total 3 hours and 30 minutes a week. Come on, let's get everyone motivated to get moving :)

On the other hand, this puts things more into perspective about elite marathoners and ultramarathoners. Those who bust out 100-140 miles a week regularly at a much faster pace are ridiculous! Anton Krupicka used to run around 200 miles a week! I am planning to do another 5-day cycle after a day off, but maintaining 100+ miles a week is hard work!

Another interesting thing to note: 90% of the time I use a 9:1 ration of running to walking. On most runs, even today's run of 9 miles at an average of 8:00, I take a 1-minute walking break every 9 minutes. Especially on long runs, I think this method is great for most people to follow! There is nothing wrong with walking, ever, and those runners who are gung-ho about running the entire time need to chill out. I qualified for the Boston Marathon a couple times even though I threw in some walking breaks in all of these qualifying marathons (in one, I HAD to walk because my legs were cramping up...I still slipped under 3 hours on this one, though, so the walking was more than acceptable). Especially in ultras, people are going to be walking. In the Badwater Marathon, 135 miles across Death Valley and half way up the 14,000 feet of Mt. Whitney, pretty much everyone ENTIRELY walks the last 8 miles (it IS up a mountain, though, after 127 miles of running through the hottest part of the US...so this might be the only way to get up there in the first place).

And, if you were wondering, there have been a couple beers thrown in there. Many studies have shown the positive effects of beer, like one that concluded that having a beer after a run actually opens stuff up in the body to allow for better absorption of the adequate fluid you will drink after drinking the beer! I'll drink to that! HERE is another little snippet of why you should drink beer! Cheers!

Well, that is about all for now...this weekend, look out for a small post about a couple of my favorite snacks: Kind Bars, Clif Bars, PowerBars, Bear Valley Bars, and my recent discovery, Bobo's Oat Bars from Boulder, CO!

New Altra Shoes!

Hello!

It has been quite a long time since I have last posted an update. My preparations for the Race Across New Mexico are going good, both in training and in planning the trip. I have been getting in a lot of good miles, and the weather here in Southern Colorado has been above 20 degrees (usually getting up to 50 during the day). I remember training for the Brew to Brew 44 Miler (Kansas City to Lawrence) in the winter of 2008-2009, putting in a lot of long runs in the cloudy and snowy plains of central Nebraska. In some ways, it seems like I was a lot more hardcore back then...just sipping Gatorade and eating PowerBars and busting out 30+ mile runs alone on the grid-like gravel roads surrounding my hometown. Now, I think that I need to consume state-of-the-art supplements, like those by Hammer Nutrition. Yes, it is nice to use one of their best products, Perpetuem, on a long run or bike, and it makes it entirely feasible to consume only liquid calories. But I look back on those early ultrarunning days with awe. All I needed was a pair of Nike Pegasus and a pair of shorts...although now, it seems that Nike does not make products like they used to. It seems like the Nike Free line up changed things, and now all of their shoes are sort of overpriced and not even that good!

This post is supposed to be about some new shoes that just arrived today! But first, here is a little history of my shoes:

From 2004-2011, I basically just ran in the Nike Pegasus. For my first ultra in 2007, I wore this awesome shoe by Nike called the Kyotee. Two months later, I didn't have any fresh Pegasus around, so I actually wore the Kyotee at the Boston Marathon. It was a light trail running shoe that wasn't too rugged, so it worked equally well on a single-track trail or wet, cold pavement (as it was at Boston 2007). I also ran in the North Face Fireroad for a bit.

In 2012, I switched it up to the New Balance 890. This was the time when the Pegasus was getting ridiculous and expensive and not really a performance shoe, in my opinion. The New Balance 890 worked great for me from 2012-2014. I first was drawn to it because of it's light weight (9 oz or so) and because it had a lower heel-to-toe drop (8mm compared to 12mm of most shoes). I also explored the New Balance Minimus Series, with the New Balance 1010 trail shoe (and also some other random Minimus road shoe). The 1010 worked perfectly for a trail marathon last summer, except that the gnarly trail frayed part of the fabric on the toes. Since then, the shoe has continued to deteriorate, even though it probably only has about 200 miles on it.

Anyway, I first discovered Altra shoes last May while looking for a low drop shoe. I ordered a pair called The Torin and loved them! I ordered a second pair and rotated these two shoes...until the first pair went straight to hell and, I think, contributed to the straining of my left soleus last October :( For such an expensive shoe, Altras seem to not really be that durable. Priced just a bit more, Hoka One One shoes are purported to last twice the miles of a regular shoe, but lack a foot-shaped design. Altra shoes look like a foot, and therefore allow your toes to splay out. Below is the same foot in an Altra shoe compared to a traditional running shoe:

More than anything, I appreciate Altra shoes for having this foot-shaped design. And since I usually wear zero-drop footwear such as XeroShoes in the summer, and Bearpaw in the winter, I want to make the same choice with my running shoes.

So, here are some images of the fun that happened tonight!

This is the box that arrived via UPS at like 6:30 pm or something...such a late delivery, and such a great surprise!

For a runner, this is probably the best site one can behold, aside from seeing the finish line at a tough ultra:

From left to right: Altra Paradigm, Superior 1.5, and the Repetition:

Right away, I can tell that the Superiors are going to be my favorite. They sit very low to the ground, and have this durable-looking (but not too rugged) outsole. To me, these seem like a more luxurious version of the New Balance 1010 trail shoe:

The Paradigms seem to be taking on the appearance of Hoka One One shoes. With a stack height of three inches (so it seems), these ones will be great for when my feet are feeling beat up. I would not feel comfortable with these on any trail or rugged terrain, as these shoes will break your ankles if you step wrong. But for the roads, they will be perfect:

Hmm...the Repetition shoes are interesting. They are a more of a stability shoe, with this firm wedge of rubber right underneath the arch to prevent over-pronation. For some reason I thought that a stability shoe could help in the 390 miles in 16 days across New Mexico, but trying on a stability shoe was jarring to my body after running in neutral shoes forever and the Minimus shoes as of late (I have only had two stability shoes, ever...and I only got them because they were on sale!). I do appreciate the design of these shoes, and heavier runners with low arches who severely over-pronate would benefit from this shoe. Also, Altra designed these shoes with a 4mm tilt from the medial to lateral side of the shoe to assist with motion control. A very radical idea, but this would simply mess up my legs and body if I ran in them...so, I will be sending them back!

Lastly, here are some images from my two pairs of Torins...they are pretty beat up, and seem to be unwearable for running now, especially since I think that the degradation of the blue pair caused my soleus strain.

You can sort of see here on the bottoms of the shoe, the construction is lacking. The grey part is a foam-type material which started to be eaten away by the pavement. The blue rubber is probably about as durable as any other shoe, but the combination of the rubber and foam would make this shoe more fitting for a very smooth gravel trail, or grass. Even a treadmill would eat it up.

Well, that is my nerd-out for now. Be on the lookout for more posts as the New Mexico trip nears! :)

Until then,

Run on!

Weekly Update: November 16, 2014

I am writing to you on this beautiful, sunny day here in southern Colorado. To the north, Pikes Peak stands tall, dusted with snow; and to the south, the Spanish Peaks rise from the ground. With the temperatures hovering in the high 20s, these clear conditions made for quite the enjoyable run.

Today marks the longest run I have done since that ill-fated day (October 9) when I strained my soleus, thus rendering it impossible for me to run the Pony Express Trail 50 on October 17 in Utah. The cause of the strain was most likely from doing yoga on a mat while wearing these blasted double-layer socks from Road Runner Sports that are supposed to prevent blisters while running. I never found them to be anything special for running, and the sock shrank a bit and therefore exposed part of my Achilles tendon to the shoe, so I have just been wearing them around. But after the slipping on the yoga mat, all three pairs of these socks are in the trash.

(Speaking of the Pony Express Trail runs, last year I pulled out of what would have been my first 100 mile run due to my left piriformis acting up. I attributed this injury to using a weighted vest while doing strength training (especially burpees), but am not sure if this is the case, since the piriformis aids in lateral rotation. Sure, upon out of the pushup/plank position before jumping up, there is some lateral rotation in the hips, but is this enough to irritate the piriformis? Anyway, the Pony Express Trail runs have eluded me for two years now…let’s hope that next year is a “go”!)

For the past two weeks, I have progressed from 2 mile runs, to 4 to 6 miles runs, to today’s 8 mile run. No more do I even sense that something had been strained in my left leg. This is such a great fact that perhaps I will go celebrate with an expensive beer or something tasty!

Ever since the soleus strain, I have been using a run/walk method, first a 1:00/1:00 for the short 2 milers, a 2:00/1:00 for the 4 milers, a 2:30/1:00 progressing to 3:00/1:00 in the 5 and 6 milers, and then a 3:00/1:00 for today’s 8 mile. I will write later about the benefits of a run/walk strategy. In general, this is what projected training pace would be like for a 20 miler:

8:15 if no or little walking

8:30 if following a 9:00/1:00 pattern

9:00 if following a 4:00/1:00 pattern

9:30 if following a 3:00/1:00 pattern

10:00 if following a 2:30/1:00 pattern

11:00 if following a 2:00/1:00 pattern

12:00 if following a 1:00/1:00 pattern

I adopted a run/walk strategy about a year and a half ago, and believe that for the Race Across New Mexico, this will be the most efficient and beneficial race strategy.

Well, I will write more about this subject at a later! For now, I am just glad to be up on my feet moving again without any pain!

Until next time,

Run on!

The Race Across New Mexico

Donate at crowdrise.com/RaceAcrossNewMexico 

Hello!

For a couple years now, I have wanted to do something amazing for my birthday that also benefits others. Last year, I had the idea of putting on a "birthday" clarinet recital in order to raise money for the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, located in Lyons, CO (www.greenwoodwildlife.org/). Unfortunately, this idea did not come to fruition :(

On February 21 of 2015, I will turn 30 years of age, and I have found an opportunity to do something amazing by helping to raise awareness of childhood obesity. It is called the “Race Across New Mexico”, a 390 mile journey from the western border to the eastern border of the beautiful southwestern state. This 16-day trek in which I will be participating is just a part of the entire Run Across the USA, which will be completed by an elite group of endurance athletes who will complete the entire 3,080 miles in 140 days (raceacrossusa.org).

It is a requirement for all participants to raise money for this cause. Along the way, I will have the opportunity to speak to kids of all ages about the importance of being physically active. In this age of technology and unhealthy eating, it is a sad fact that a lot of children deal with obesity, and having a positive stimulation (like hearing a bunch of runners speak about the joys of running across an entire state, or the entire country!) could have the potential to have a serious and long-lasting impact on the youth of today.

Upon completing the trek, I want to continue to use this experience by sharing with kids wherever I may go about the benefit of staying physical active. The 100 Mile Club is a program that urges and challenges kids to be active, by running 100 miles in a school year (100mileclub.com). I hope to be able to be a “spokesperson” for this program, and go into public schools around the area, and near my home in rural Nebraska, to inspire kids to lace up their shoes and get outside!

Please help me in making my 30th birthday one to remember! In addition to raising money to fight childhood obesity, I am also asking for monetary assistance to help with travel, lodging (the cost will be split with up to 4 runners per room), food, and helping with the crew members and volunteers.

***

More about me:

I have been running marathons since 2006, and ultramarathons since 2007. Upon qualifying for the Boston Marathon on my first marathon attempt in April of 2006 (2:57), and running a satisfying 1:18 half-marathon a couple months later, I quickly lost interest in trying to set PRs. For this reason, I decided to extend the distance of my runs.

I completed my first ultramarathon, the PsycoWyco 50k, on a February morning in 2007. The temperature was around 18 degrees at the start and there were volunteers putting screws in the runners’ shoes in order to provide traction on the slippery, rocky single-track trails. You don’t see this at any road marathons. After wiping out multiple times, uncontrollably sliding down a hill while my legs were painfully cramping up, and proclaiming the course to be “treacherous,” I finished the race at a pace that was 3.5 minutes slower than my marathon pace…and I loved it! It was basically the most fun I had ever had!

Since then I have run many other ultras, ranging from the gnarly Cedro Peak 45k near Albuquerque (where a dude was offering free shots of tequila at mile 26 and where there was a self-serve beer keg at the finish), the 44 mile Brew to Brew ultra from Kansas City to Lawrence (if beer is involved, I am definitely in!). While in college I did a 50 mile run in and around Lincoln, NE on a weekday when I didn’t have classes. Recently, I have completed multiple back-to-back marathons on consecutive days, and am now looking for a greater challenge.

Why I Chose the “Race Across New Mexico”

The Race Across New Mexico will be, for me, the ultimate challenge (15 marathons in 16 days), and it will give more meaning to my running efforts. I could use the next couple of months to run another sub 3 hour marathon, or try to run a 2:50 marathon, but this will do nothing but fulfill a selfish, egotistical goal. I want to use my ability of running long distances to raise money for the good of humanity! The Race Across New Mexico will be a new beginning to my running career so far. After I complete the New Mexico run, I plan to do other endurance events to help support various causes. The Race Across New Mexico will be special for me because it will allow me the opportunity to talk to kids and motivate them to start the healthy habit of running.

I am always very inspired by athletes who raise money and participate in events for a good cause. A main reason why I wanted to start running ultramarathons was because I read Dean Karnazes' first book, Ultramarathon Man. In this book, he recounts how he set out to run 200 miles, and how he was using the opportunity to raise money for a little girl in need. This was very inspiring to me! There are countless other stories about people doing Ironman triathlons to raise money, and even a lot of 5k runs held in an effort to raise money. Now, as my 30th birthday nears, I am wanting to do something to make it a day to remember! I have been toying with the idea of doing a week-long supported bike ride across Colorado, or (a couple weeks after my birthday, in March) completing the "Dust Bowl Marathon Series," which is five days of five marathons in five different states. In 2012, I did the first and last marathons of the series, and I loved it! To do the entire series would be awesome, but it only serves to satisfy my personal goals. I want to do something more meaningful.

As outlined in his first book, Dean Karnazes had a life-changing 30^th birthday, where he made the choice to run 30 miles, and also change the path of his life. Now, he runs for Karno Kids, making a big impact to get kids outside and to lead an active lifestyle. At first, he ran for himself, but then, he wanted to run for others. This is where I am at right now in my own life. It has become boring (and a little pointless and not fun) trying to set PRs, and now I run for the experience of being outdoors, meeting other like-minded individuals, and trying to get others to do the same!

By being offered the opportunity to run across the state of New Mexico (I had to complete an application, as well as write a couple essay questions), I will be doing more than simply fulfilling a big running goal: I will raise money to bring about awareness of childhood obesity, and have the opportunity to speak to kids and motivate them to get outside and get moving! I could think of no better way to spend my 30th birthday

***

Allocation of Funds:

40% directly to fundraiser

25% lodging for 16 days ($19 each day, shared room in hotel)

15% food for 16 days ($11 each day)

15% transportation to and from New Mexico

5% to help with crew member and volunteer costs

I will be paying for the registration, supplements and other nutrition, additional gear, etc (approximately $600). In total, doing this event is rather expensive (around $1,800), so any aid you can give will help.

Donate at crowdrise.com/RaceAcrossNewMexico

Thank you for considering!

Regards,

Charles.

My FIRST Triathlon! Ordinary Mortals Sprint Tri, Pueblo CO, May 11, 2013

And it is with much excitement that I am able to say that I have completed my first triathlon ever!  I first wanted to do triathlons way back in 2007 or so, when this dude Lee from the Lincoln Civic Orchestra loaned me a bike.  Or, he could have given it to me...I don't remember...but I feel bad about it because after I moved from my apartment in Lincoln in August of 2008, I forgot to take it.  The bike was chained outside and when I went back to get it, it was gone :(

The bike was way old, like from the 1980s, but it was sweet anyway!  (I tried to find it on bikepedia.com, but I guess they only show stuff 1993 - present).  I am not sure where the shifters were, but at least they weren't the kind that were on the down tube (the slanting one going from the crankset to the head tube).  Why would they even put them on the down tubes?  I feel like my hand would get caught in the tire or something.

Anyway, back to my first triathlon!

I have been training with the Southern Colorado Triathlon Team (SoCo T2) since mid-late March, and have been very grateful for all the support, encouragement, motivation, and tips from everyone on the team.  It is very motivating to go to the pool and see a bunch of other triathlon club members getting in their laps for the day...the woman who co-runs the tri club, Gwen, coaches a youth swim team, and, while a couple tri people were swimming (we share the pool with the youth team), she offered to videotape our form with the help of an underwater camera...she sent the footage to each of us, along with some comments on how to improve our form.

Two other exciting training events that occur weekly are a Test Track Tuesdays (held on a Test Track thing on the east side of Pueblo, in which we bike 25-40 miles as a group) and Thursday Nights at Nick's (http://www.nicksbikes.com/), which is a casual 14-15 mile ride (although two weeks ago it was used as a tempo ride at 22+ mph!).

One more epic event was the Tour de Beulah, a 50 mile ride from Pueblo to Beulah CO.  Since I just started serious biking about three months ago, and my longest ride prior to this was 25 miles, I didn't know if I could do the distance!  But my buddy Ed Porter told me to not be a pussy and show up...so that is what I did!  I was a bit nervous for the distance, and actually planned to turn around, but Ed and this dude Justin (who is married to Gwen) told me to nut up on the way out, so I ended up doing the whole thing!  It was such a blast...except on the way back I was late to start (being courteous, I guess...started 20 meters behind everyone), and the pace line inched away from me as the miles went by...I ended up doing the last 20 alone, which sort of sucked, especially since there were two huge hills!  On the second one, my quads burned like no other, so I thought I would just take a quick break and get off the bike.  Bad idea!  It took almost all my effort to get the bike going again (even though I was in the lowest gear)...finished up the ride feeling ebullient and satisfied with my hard, honest effort!

***

Back to my race report:

I woke up at about 6:15 am on the day of my first triathlon, which started at 9 am.  I had picked up my packet the night before, so I didn't really have to hurry or anything...just get down to the CSU-Pueblo campus at a decent time to set up my stuff in the transition zone (TZ) and get my chip and body markings.  I got to the campus at around 7:30, took my stuff to the TZ, and found a place that looked like it would be okay for me: not too much congestion, and right next to where the kid's bikes would go (there was a kids race too!).  My bike, a Trek 1.2, wasn't as crazy as some Time Trial bikes with disc wheels and aerobars and electronic shifting, but at least it was better than some of the mountain bikes that some people were going to ride.  I probably had the coolest seat, if that means anything...check it out: http://www.ismseat.com/saddle/adamo-road.  It has a sweet little place in the back that hangs over the bike rack, making for an easy on/easy off type of deal for me.  It also has a big cutaway in the middle that eliminates the pressure put on the soft tissue and perineum...all good for any man wanting to protect his nuts from the brutalness of cycling.

Anyway, I was a bit nervous for this race, which I really haven't been for years, it seems.  Marathons and ultras, I don't really get nervous for them at all, mostly because I am just out there enjoying it, you know?  That's the way to be.  But I was nervous for my first triathlon because I wanted to do pretty good...sort of some friendly competition, but I knew I could back it up :)  Oh yeah, since I am part of the triathlon team, I got to wear the team gear, which is pretty cool!



The Run: 5 Kilometers

Having been able to bust out mid 16 minute 5ks my freshman year in college, I always feel a little weird that I can't run that fast anymore...I guess it is because I don't really train to run fast.  Regardless, when the gun went off, I took off at a good clip.  I ran a 20:50 5k in February, so I thought that just a little faster would be good, since I would have to bike and swim after the run.  At about a half mile in, the front pack had strung out...I sat about 15th or so, and was probably 30 seconds behind the leader.  All the ultra training had paid off, though, so when the hills started at mile 1, I was able to keep up a good clip while still keeping the heart rate comfortable and not putting out too much effort.

In the second mile, I was able to pick off about three dudes, all who were really nice.  I have this habit now of talking to people in races (in ultras you could literally do it for the entire race!), and it was good to know that the runners were very friendly and joked around a bit too, as well as offering encouragement!  A runner is always a good person, no doubt!

In the last mile, there was a 300m or so incline, and I passed another dude who was running in those Vibram 5 Toes shoes...he didn't look too comfortable in them, to tell the truth!  After a right turn that led me across 50m of dirt, I was in and out of parking lot, and then finished up the run on a downhill in a surprising time of 19:47!

Transition 1

 So...time for my first real transition of all time!  I threw off my shoes really fast (should have gotten a medal just for that!) and put on the bike helmet, shoes, downed part of a gel, and then jogged the ol bike out of the transition area...after a quick u-turn, I started to mount the bike, but then a lady screamed at me not too...evidently, I had forgotten that the mounting line was still 5m ahead...

After awkwardly aborting my first attempted mount, I passed the mount line and then got on the bike...for some reason I had the most difficult time clipping in...by the time I had to turn, I had barely gotten clipped in and ready to go.

The Bike: 12.5 Miles

Although not my worst event, the bike is what I was most worried about.  My high goal was to maintain an average speed of 20 mph, which would put give me a time of 37:30 for the bike.  Knowing that the leaders would finish in 31 to 32 minutes, this was depressing, but since I had ran a good 5k, it wasn't too upsetting to accept the fact that I would most likely be 5-6 minutes behind the leaders on the bike.

Anyway, on the way out, there were these dang headwinds...I got passed by like 6 people on the way out...only 2 of them seemed nice, and returned my words of encouragement.  I was just out there hammering it on my Trek 1.2 with low-end components while people on their TT bikes just flew by me, going probably 4 mph faster.  It wasn't too disheartening, though, because I was gaining on some woman ahead of me. 

I passed her at about 5 miles in, and said something like "Nice job!  Keep it up!" but she didn't say anything back.  What was with these bikers?  All the runners were nice, but I was beginning to take note of the differences between runners and bikers.  Maybe I was just too chipper, but whatever...even if I were tired and someone passed me and said "good job," I would say "thanks."  Basic manners, yo!

At turnaround, there was a pack of 5-7 riders about a minute ahead of me, but I really wasn't interested in catching them.  I just wanted to keep up a good pace and finish strong with some juice left for the swim!  I managed to pick up my pace to 22-23 mph on the way back, save for some hills that took me down to about 15.  Some 40 year olds passed me on their TT bikes, and then the last mile felt pretty good, even though the last 200m were on a hill (have you picked up on it that I hate biking hills?).

There were all these kids cheering us on, and I interacted with them a bit and said thanks, then made some remark about the "dang hills" to the people standing right at the end, then was off the bike and into transition 2.

Transition 2

Let's just take a minute to count how many times I have ridden the bike and immediately went for a run.


One...oh, I guess that's all.

Needless to say, my legs were a little jangly coming off the bike and running to the rack.  I racked the bike (easily, thanks to the hook on the seat!), took off the helmet, shoes, race belt, and even the shirt.  It was said before the race that it could be faster to swim shirtless, so I went with it.  The run to the pool was about 200m, and during that time I put on the ol goggles, ready for the swim, and hoping that I would not cramp up!

The Swim: 300 yds

I actually don't know if it was a 300 yd or a 300 m swim...regardless, the swim was a very surreal experience!  Some guy from the tri club remarked to me, as I entered the doors to the pool, "are you going to run 100 miles after this?"  Evidently, ultra runners are not very common in this part of Colorado, and I guess some people in the tri club know that I LOVE long distance running events!  Anyway, this sort of cracked me up and made me wish that I could run a couple more miles rather than get in the pool.

I got in the pool and took off, sort of.  I don't know if I was going fast or anything, but I had to change my breathing pattern...usually I do three strokes between breaths, but since I was tired from the bike, I had to do every two strokes.  This felt weird and not very fluid, but it was what I had to do.  I had also not gone swimming in a pool with a deep end of 15 feet since being at Nebraska Wesleyan, so that was sort of weird to be able to look down so far...sort of scary in a way, but not too bad.

I kept churning out the laps (this was a serpentine swim...start in lane 1, keep right on the way down, right on the way back, go under the rope into lane 2, repeat), and kept seeing that more and more people were coming up on me.  That sort of sucked, but also gave me tons of motivation to try to swim faster.  After battling a cramping right foot on the 2nd part of my 3rd lap, I knew that I could bust out 3 more laps easily...I stopped at the wall on my 4th lap to let a dude pass me, who was very nice.  I said "go ahead," and he said "thanks!"  That was the courteousness I was looking for!  This triathlete redeemed them all! 

I think two more people passed me, and I got out of the pool at the same time as some woman.  On the way out, I said "nice swim!" or something like that, but she wasn't any fun...I think she even started sprinting to the finish line.  That's not my style.  It doesn't even matter, you know?  I think it makes someone look like a douche if they try to outsprint someone at a 150 person triathlon in Pueblo, CO.  Know what I mean?  Just keep it fun and chill!

Anyway, I finished up the race in 1:05:57, well under my goal time of 1:10:00!  I was super elated, and made sure to fuel up on free pizza, Heed, and honey stinger wafers.  It felt really good to get out there and do work, put out a good effort, but I think I have moved past that stage where I really want to beat people in races.  I would rather come into the finish with someone I had met during the race, both of us knowing that it is just fun and enjoyable to be out there with like-minded people.  That's all I want.

So now that I have my first tri under my belt, I am going to set my focus on a half-ironman distance triathlon for the fall.  I think endurance events are still my favorite, and I think I will be able to successfully train for and even get in a good time for an Ironman next year!  That would be a great goal!

The thing about it all is still this: people who run on the trails and in the mountains and who grow out beards, these people are so much nicer and humble than those who just flatten out on their tri bikes and who think that running on cement is the only thing to do.

Forget about hitting exact splits or all that stuff...just get out there and enjoy it!  Train wisely and have fun, and always put out a good effort, but don't get caught up in the rigidity that comes with triathlons...

Maybe I should do Xterra triathlons!  That could be fun!

Well, that is all for now!  I hope you enjoyed this post!  I am very excited to get out there on the bike and into the pool or open water, and plan to do an Olympic distance tri this summer...fun times, it all is!

Happy training!

Bear Brook Trail Marathon, 2014

When you can register for a marathon for $35, you always do it; and this was my third time doing so. The 2014 Bear Brook Marathon has become a favorite for me, even though the distance has gotten longer. According to my Garmin, the 2012 race was 26.85, the 2013 race was 26.80 miles, and the 2014 race was 29.26 miles! This is roughly 47 kilometers...an odd distance, but very fun! Perhaps for next year, the name of the race should be changed away from Bear Brook Trail Marathon to something more accurate.

The morning began even before the sun came up, because around 4:45 there was some kind of animal rummaging around outside the tent. I heard little grunting noises, and thought that maybe an animal like a bear was causing the dog in the adjacent camping spot to make these noises. Upon waking up at 5:10, I looked out of the tent and saw that it was a skunk! While it milled around, I just sat there watching it for a while, until it was far enough away for me to be able to get out of the tent.

With this fun way to be awakened, we drove to the race start, which was about 15 minutes away. On the drive I put on a cd of the Greek clarinetist Yiorgos Mangas, which really got me excited to run!

Basically, the run was a lot easier than the previous 2 years, even though the distance was 2.5 miles longer. I wore the New Balance Trail 1010 Minimus, and they performed outstandingly. My legs didn't cramp up at all, and I think I have to owe it to the shoes. I did not take in any gels, but ate a bunch of bananas, chips, cookies, PB&J sandwiches, M&Ms, and Gatorade. Maybe taking in a lot of calories (usually on a run this size I will just consume 3-4 gels) helped out a lot.

Due to some chaffage on the nips, I had to pull off the shirt at around mile 18. I thought that this would make me more susceptible to being bitten by the deer flies, but I had no problem with those pesky insects. Around mile 22, this dude named Alex started running with me, and we talked and rolled on into the finish together. Although we could have pushed it a bit, we just took it easy and finished it out.

My total time was 5:05:27, which seems pretty good for this being just a training run, basically, and because I had only busted out a 20 miler in June and a 21 miler last week in preparation for this run. Now, 5 hours after finishing, my legs still feel really good. I think it has to do something with the shoes I ran in today, and also because I have been wearing Xeroshoes for the past three weeks. Good stuff!

Back in the game: Greenland Trail 50k Race Report

Hello!

Again, it has been a while since I last posted.  I ran two marathons last July (Mad Marathon (VT) and Bearbrook Trail Marathon (NH)), two in March (Dust Bowl Marathon Series Days 1 and 5 (TX and NM, respectively), the Cedro Peak 45k in April (NM), and yesterday, the Greenland Trail 50k (CO).  It has been a great year so far!  I joined the Marathon Maniacs and can't wait to run more!

So, I thought it would be cool to keep a race report deal...here is the first one:

Greenland Trail 50k: May 4, 2013 (Larkspur, CO).

Waking up at 4:20 am wasn't really the most fun thing to do, but it was necessary for me to be able to make it up to Larkspur, CO with time to check in and eat a bit of food before the 7 am start.  We arrived at the Greenland Open Space right at 6 am, right as the sun was coming up.  The temperature was in the mid 30s, not really my favorite, but at least it wasn't below freezing and there was no wind.

I ended up wearing running pants and a turtleneck because I hate cold.  The dude who ended up winning the race (for the 3rd time in a row) took off at the beginning at probably a 6:30 pace...I was just using this run as a training run, so I kept it slow, at around 9 minute pace, with brief walking breaks every mile or so.  It was a 4 lap course, with aid stations at either end of the lap (about 3.5-4 mile between them), so I really didn't need to wear my Camelbak, but I liked the security it offered.  I tried to down one gel at each aid station, followed by a couple sips of water.  I need to get down how to properly take in nutrition during an endurance race.  One would think that by now, after running marathons for 7 years now, that I would have it down, but who knows?  I seem to not be able to take in enough calories...gels are good, but I don't want to have any GI problems, so I limit myself to one every 4 miles or so. 

The race course was very well groomed and not hard to run on at all!  On the ultraunning calendar, it is listed as a "3 terrain" and a "2 surface," but it seemed a lot easier.  I would say that it is actually a "2 terrain" and a "1 surface."  During the race, I was telling someone that it is sort of a trail race...it doesn't offer too many challenges.  There are only about 3 real hills on the backside of the course, but if you run/walk an 11 minute mile, you make up the time on the downhills by easily running 7-8 minute miles.  Even on the last lap, when my foot was hurting and legs were tired, I was still managing to hit 7:30 pace on the downhills.

Speaking of the foot, I noticed around mile 22 that the outside left of my foot was hurting.  I knew that it couldn't have been overtraining, because I had only been averaging 20-40 miles a week for the past month (I have been swimming and biking a lot...triathlon style!).  Upon coming home, I noticed that it was a bit red where the peroneal tendon is.  I decided to try to self-diagnose (as I always seem to do) and was scared at first that it was a stress fracture or a tendon tear/rupture.  I iced a bit and took two cold soaks (mostly for the legs) and when I woke up saw that it was still only red, not purple/brown as a sprain/tear would be.  I basically think that the shoe was just too tight and caused a bruise on the foot...nothing too serious, but I will need to take it easy for the next couple of days.  The only thing planned is a 25 mile bike on Tuesday, so I have 2.5 days for it to feel better!

Back to the race, I finished the 50k course in 4:39:13, right on my planned pace!  This broke down to a 9 minute mile average; not bad for a long training run!  This course was a lot more easier than the Cedro Peak 45k, which took ~35 minutes longer for a course 3 miles shorter!  Since I have been running a lot this year, the legs are feeling pretty good today, a day later, and I look forward to a very speedy recovery before some quality bike rides this week and then my first triathlon on Saturday (the Ordinary Mortals Triathlon in Pueblo, CO).  I am very excited for this 3.5 run/12.5 bike/300 swim, but am worried that I won't have the speed in my legs that I want for the run.  I mean, I used to run a sub 18 min 5k no problem, every week...but now, a sub 20 would be pushing it (I did run a 24 min 4 miler last July, but that was after quick marathon training).  I want to run around 21-21:30 for the run, 38 min for the bike, and then a 7:00-7:30 swim, which would be at just around 1:10 (including transitions) for the triathlon...hoping for the best!  And also hoping that the foot bruising clears up!

Well, I guess that is all...this was sort of a race report.  Oh yeah, the best thing about the race yesterday was that there was free beer and pizza at the end!  I think I had 7 pieces of pizza (although they were small) and two Coors light.  A great way to start recovery :)

Until next time...happy training!