Burning River 50 Mile Weekend

 I was at work all day Friday and working the day before the race....well, let's just say productivity was down. By the time I got home and showered, threw the cooler in the car, and gassed up it was 6:30.  By 8:30 I made it to Macedonia and met with Don and Gerry, my friends and crew team for the race. We dropped my car at Stanford House which was not only the finish line, but it was the place I had a room reserved for after the race, went over the plan, and tried to catch a little sleep.

Travel advice: avoid the Knight's Inn in Macedonia, Ohio.  That was quite possibly the worst hotel room I have stayed at.  On a positive I booked for one person, showed up with three, and they didn't upcharge. Gerry and I each took the two beds in the room and Zen master Don slept on the floor. 

We woke up around 3 AM and were at the the starting line, Squire's Castle, by 4:30.  

It was a cool morning, perfect for a long run. And can you beat starting a race at a castle?

Squire's Castle

We briefly met up with Monica, who was also running the 50 miler, and Sanchez, who would be crewing the 50 for her and then pacing a friend in the 100.  These two had a long day and night ahead. 

The race started promptly at 6:00 AM.  The first 11.5 miles were on roads through Cleveland Metroparks, scenic countryside, and quaint neighborhoods with historical houses. There was an aid station around 6.7 miles in and one again at the end of the road section at Polo Fields.

The Polo Fields aid station marks the first point with crew access. Gerry came out to meet me as I approached. The guys had my soft flasks filled and on ice. We talked briefly and I took a Vespa that Lisa had given me earlier in the week and it was back onto the course.  

Vespa......oh my does that stuff taste awful, but it really helped me out. It is a blend of amino acids that works to efficiently metabolize fats for use as energy and  helps clear lactic acid buildup. 

Bridle Trails

 On from here it was 7.5 miles to the Harper Ridge aid station on bridle trails. Bridle trails are crushed gravel horse paths. Fairly wide and easy to run.  At the aid station I pigged out on peanut butter sandwiches and filled my soft flasks back up.  From this aid station it was only 3 more miles to Shadow Lake and to my crew.

On this stretch I met and ran a few miles with Miranda. This impressive young lady had run a few 50ks and had been on a running streak for a few years. She was hoping to be the youngest woman to complete a Burning River race at the age of 17. I don't know if she completed the race, but she is doing amazing things running and I am certain will continue to do so in the future. (Since writing this, I found out she did, in fact, finish and is hoping to run the 100 next year)

Over this stretch of the course I lost my buff. The buff had quickly become a favorite accessory in this race. I dunked it in every stream crossing and could wash the salt of my face, put it over my head and pin it down with a visor. It kept me cool and kept my bald head from frying! I was sad to have lost it. I was telling Gerry and Don this when Miranda was walking by and she gave me an extra bandana. So awesome!

    

From here it was onward towards the Egbert aid station.  There were a few sections of road and sidewalk leading to the first substantial singletrack on the course.  I walked some of the sidewalk and sent a message to my lovely Tara telling her things were going well and I was about halfway in.  While not paying attention as I am wont to do,  I walked right past the cut into the woods. Fortunately, one of the relay runners was there and caught me with a yell.  As I came onto the trail I noticed she was limping bad. She said it was just an IT issue that she would make it to the next aid station just fine so I continued on.  Finally hitting the singletrack I felt like a kid. Excited and happy to be in the forest and to not be dodging horse poop.  

As I came into Egbert Gerry was there to meet me and I entirely blanked! I couldn't remember his name! Sorry, Gerry.  Race brain is my excuse. This was mile 27 and I was starting to feel some wear, but overall I was in great shape both physically and timewise.  I took extra time at this aid station to talk with Don and Gerry and to eat a little. Egbert had hard-boiled eggs, how appropriate.  This was one of my favorite aid stations. It was in a shady grove with a nice cooling breeze, and there was a giant tub of ice water with sponges to give yourself a sponge bath. It's the little things that really matter and something so simple refreshed my body and mind. 

 

 I met so many awesome people along the road and trail of this race. Thank you Scott, Jenny, Kerwyn, Miranda, Brandon, and the many others whose names escape me. You are all great people and I am proud to call myself one of this ultra running community. It really is a community.

 People help each other out in this running community and it is beautiful. I read on the BR facebook group about one man who stopped to help a woman. She was not doing well and he stayed with her until help arrived sacrificing his chance to complete the race. I hope the race comps him entry next year.  

The generosity of spirit the volunteers showed was amazing. They were all kind and warm-hearted people. Without the kindness of volunteers, friends crewing, and the camaraderie of those beating dirt on the trail this race would not be possible, and even if it were possible it would not be so wonderful. 

From the Egbert aid station at mile 27 it was a few more miles to the next station at Alexander Road which was about 50k in. I was tiring. I began slowing my pace and walking more.  The name of the endurance game is constant forward progress. No matter the pace just keep moving. Besides, I may have been getting tired, but I was still loving every moment. Part of this section was on the Buckeye Trail singletrack with one hell of a good hill climb. My leg locked up with muscle spasm shortly after the climb.  A few runners passing stopped to make sure I was okay and one offered salt caps. I assured each of them in turn that I was okay and they carried on. After applying pressure and sitting on a tree branch to let tthe cramping subside I was good to slowly start moving again and move I did.

The Towpath

After some food and stocking up the water reserves at Alexander Road I made my way to Oak Grove. The six miles between points seemed to last forever! Most of it was on the towpath and it was at the hottest part of the day. The sun was beating down with little shade or breeze , but the change in grade and surface allowed me to pick up pace and gain some time that would help in the miles to come.

At the end of the towpath was a small train platform. And on that platform was the Holy Grail! Was I hallucinating? No. Actually it was a water fountain. I washed my bandana in the fountain and washed my face, had a good long draught of icy cool H20, and continued on refreshed.  

By this point my feet were throbbing with each strike. I was very happy indeed to see the Oak Grove aid station at mile 38.  With less than a half marathon to go I could mentally grasp the task at hand. Don, Gerry, and I talked while I relaxed and ate some food and had drink. I would be returning to the same aid station in roughly 4 more miles. A loop through some beautiful forest and river canyon made this one of my favorite trail portions of the race.

Knowing I would be back here soon I changed into a pair of Altra Olympus and plugged my charge brick into the phone. I have been running in 9-10 mm drop shoes and figured a 50 miler was no time to rely on zero drop shoes that I hadn't yet acclimated to. That said, the Olympus, with it's thick cushy footbed, was just what my aching feet needed. I wish I had put them on sooner. I briefly stopped by the Oak Grove aid station at mile 42 and resolved to get back out quickly and forge on towards the end.

Mile 42 is where the race really started for me both mentally and physically.  After leaving Oak Grove I walked a few hundred yards until the path re-entered the woods. I had 8 miles left, but my Garmin was off by a few miles. I thought I was going out for 6 miles. Now two miles may not seem like a whole lot, but after 40 miles two miles was HUGE.

As I started to run again I felt that old familiar pain. My leg started to tense up and spasm. It was the same spot as earlier, but geting worse. I stopped and applied pressure. And then alternated between light stretches and more pressure until I was able to slowly start walking again.    

The area that came next was the notorious Bog of Despair.  It had mostly dried out and wasn't bad at all.  Only small sections were not runnable.  I managed to slip once and sink my right foot ankle deep into mud, but aside from that navigated the area fairly quick. The following miles  were both beautiful and torturous. The hilly trail was aesthetically pleasing and something I would normally enjoy running very much.  I walked most of it, running what little flats and downhill there was.  The miles really were dragging. At some point the trail came out onto a small battered road.  One of the locals had put their garden hose out. I can't really adequately tell you how grateful I was. I hosed my face off and bandana. I noticed someone in the driveway and bellowed a hearty thank you and received a wave back.  Atthe end of this rutty road there was a old section that could have been called a road in it's former life. Passing by here we entered into overgrown singletrack that eventually let out into trails with a number of downed trees and roots to scramble over.

   

 

As I mentioned my Garmin was off by a few miles.  I had been expecting to hit the final aid station for 30 minutes without ever reaching it. In ultra running I have heard it said that when you get tired of running then walk and when you get tired of walking then run.  That had served me well most of the race, but I was now at a point where I was too tired to want to do either. Nothing was comfortable and I was thoroughly ready to be done, but I don't get to decide when the race is over so I kept going. Walking mostly, running a little when I could, and keeping vigilant on the time always. Eventually I did come to that last aid station and knew there was only 2.5 miles left. I ate some watermelon and had a drink and got out of there as quick as I could. The following mile was mostly flat, but through high grass and weeds loaded with bugs. Fortunately that area was passed quickly and I came out onto a road. A hundred yards later the course turned back onto a towpath and I could see Don a few hundred yards ahead. This was it! The last mile!

It was nice to run with Don after so many miles inside my own head. I say run, but it was mostly walking and talking. It was one hell of a day to be a runner and I felt in my element. The time in the forest, the people, the runners all made for a wonderful and memorable day. As I crossed the line and got my medal I could feel nothing but joy and contentment. Walking towards the food I heard Sanchez yell out and saw him walking towards me with arms open. I can hardly ever refuse the opportunity to be silly so I spread my arms wide and yelled "I Love....sleep!" and took a pratfall on my face. Apparently my body wasn't ready for joking that way and I hardly caught myself. The grass sure felt nice though.

95 out of 171 Overall

What started as a crazy idea ended in success and an incredible day I will never forget. Congratulations to all of you crazy folks who ran any distance at Burning River!

I am certain I have mixed some of the order of events up. I will try and update this as needed.

I had an amazing weekend at Burning River. The following morning I drove down to the 100 mile finish line and had a breakfast burrito and coffee while watching these amazing runners claim their hard won victory. Next year, I hope to be one of them.

I took a few video clips throughout the day describing what I was feeling like at various points. The video quality did not translate well from an iphone, but I present it here because....why not?

Burning Insanity

Hell Hath No Hurry went well. And recovery has been swift. That downtime where a runner can not run is dangerous as I learned.

At the end of HHNH I realized that if I could tackle that course under the conditions we had that day I could train and run a 50 miler in good conditions with a generous time allowance. Or the other option would be to sign up for the Burning River 50 miler that is 3 weeks away with no distance specific training.

I think you know what option I chose. I am not saying it is smart or that I would recommend it to anyone, but the thrill of not knowing is calling. I need to find out if I can make the cutoff with the base level I have.  In the coming 2 weeks I willl be building off of the finish at HHNH and crosstraining areas I found to be weak in that race.  Adductors and the Vastus Medialis need the most work with some supplemental core work. That aside I am looking at long back to back trail runs the next two weeks. This week 18+ miles each day and next week something around 30 and 15. Then a solid taper. 

I hope that these back to backs will strengthen me , but also give me confidence for race day.

Hell Hath No Hurry 50k Race Recap : Poseidon's Revenge

After months of training and two marathons this year it was time for the final Marathon Maniacs qualifying race: The Hell Hath No Hurry 50k in Settler's Cabin Park near Pittsburgh. It was a nice,cool morning even at 10:00 AM when the 50k started.  Nice and cool because it had been and still was raining like mad.  Here was the forecast for the day:

The course is laps around a 10k loop. I had 5 laps to complete and ample time to do so....at least it seemed like ample time. The weather conditions made even that hard pressed. There were two aid stations on the course.   The main one being at the start/finish line and another roughly halfway through the loop.

The 50 milers (bless them, the brave souls) started at 6 AM and the 10k group started at 8AM.  By the time we hit the course it had been trampled to mush. A few of the long downhills were particularly treacherous.  All I could do was carefully inch my way down or point my feet downhill and crouch like a skier and let the mud carry me.  I found it is much easier to run through the heavy mud than walk through it.  More force hitting the ground provided more traction.

All Trail Mud Pics courtesy of Alyssa C, the Wild Trail Turkey

 That being said, only 10-15% of the course was runnable.  Out of 31 miles I estimate less than 8 were ran. The rest was a back and forth between slogging mud and running short sections where the opportunity presented itself. On a favorable day 95% of the course is runnable.

With each lap the trail conditions deteriorated further. I was already feeling fairly tired when I finished the 2nd lap (12 miles in).  I approached the aid station for a refill on suppies.

The aid station volunteers were fantastic! They essentially crewed for each runner.  Coming out to meet me they took my bottle and refiled it with water and offered up an assortment of foods. There were donuts, pb&j sandwiches, pizza, watermelon, trail mix, gummy candies, pretzels, easy cheese, crackers, and more.  One of the awesome things about an ultra/trail race is the food. It is plentiful and wonderful.

After the aid station stop I saw John and Alyssa who were awaiting the 2PM start of the 30k race. We talked for a bit as I walked over to my gear to top off the Tailwind. Each lap I switched out soft flasks from a cooler.  One with Tailwind and one with water. Then I mixed up a batch of Tailwind for the next lap and put the soft flasks on ice. Unlike a road race I took my time at the aid stations without worry of the consequence of time.

Starting the 3rd loop I wasn't certain how I would fare being so tired and with so many miles left to go, but in these conditions the name of the game is simply constant forward progress no matter the pace. I decided to try and take my poles for this lap. They helped tremendously on the slick uphills, but I found them to be cumbersome and slow me down over the rest of the course. I did not take them with me after the 3rd loop.

Suprisingly, I started feeling a little better over this 6 mile stretch. It was short lived, but a nice respite, regardless.  Also, I started feeling muscles wanting to cramp. Keeping in mind this advice given to Pittsburgh Marathoners from Dr. Vonda Wright proved to be so useful:  [When you cramp (or in my case are on the verge of doing so) stop. Do not try to massage the cramp out. Instead apply pressure on the area until it subsides.]  Over the following 16 miles I used this technique many times and never once went into a full blown cramp/spasm.

End of the 3rd Loop - Me stuffing my face with a PB&J

 The 4th loop - Every loop this mud was getting worse.  There was a break in the rain which was welcome.  At this point I spent the remainder of the race mostly walking with less and less of the trail being runnable. The splits from here on out were mostly between 15:00 and 19:00 minute miles. I was more than content knowing this was sufficient to meet the cutoffs by about an hour.  These last12 miles I saw a lot of camaraderie out there.  I met a number of people along the way.  Julie, who was hurting from not fueling enough. I gave her a gel and we talked briefly. She told me how she couldn't quit because she told her children to always finish what they start.  What an inspiration and a role model! I logged a good bit of miles with a guy from the Air Guard who was running the 50 miler. I met a number of others along the way.  Most of us never asked each other's names. We were in it together and were all supportive of each other. There wasn't that competitive edge trying to get ahead. Just an urge for us all to come through it.

This condition was present over most of the course

Those late stages of a tough race really test you mentally as much as physically. The nonsense that streams through my head at these late mile moments! And the silliest things can pull you through. The theme song to Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt was on repeat in my head for far too long, which then made me think of a bit of solid advice from the show. "You can deal with anything for 10 seconds. When the 10 seconds is up start on the next 10 seconds."  Don't think of the 10 miles to go when you have been slogging along for over 5 hours. Think only of what is immediate or as some say,  run the mile your in.

Approaching the Finish Line

I set out to run 3 marathon length events in 90 days to quaify for the Marathon Maniacs. Ultimately, I ran 2 marathons and a 50k in  54 days. I also realized that I can run a 50 miler. After running 31 miles with almost 5000 feet of gain through these conditions I have no doubt I can run 50 in good conditions. Looks like I'll have some plans for next year! But, for now I will rest and recoup. In 2 weeks training begins for a sub-4 hour attempt at the Akron Marathon and possibly a PR attempt on the 50k distance in November at the Marshall Mangler.

This finishes up my fundraising effort for the Epilepsy Foundation with a solid $900 raised! Thank you to everyone who donated!

It's Almost Hell Time!

We are just a few days away from the Hell Hath No Hurry 50k and I am feeling dem ole taper blues. I am also excited! Excited for the race and some quality time in the woods with friends! Excited for the Marathon Maniacs qualification! Excited for the next training cycle and getting back to big miles! So the dichotomy is alive and well. All at once I am happy and a bit sad, or should I say endorphin deprived?

The course is 10k loops. While this may bore some I am happy that I can set up my own personal aid station/drop bag along the course. A cooler with icy beverages, a chair, extra shoes, and a mini first aid kit are priorities on the list.

This will be my second ultra distance event. My A-goal is to finish under 6:45. The B-goal is under 7:30, and the C-goal is simply to finish. 

All the Run Foods!

Over the past few weeks I have been trying different nutrition products. Most recently I have been using Tailwind for long runs. I also used it at the God's Country Marathon.  True to their advertising, I found I could use solely Tailwind and come out of a long run in pretty good shape.  That said, at God's Country I think I mixed it too strong leading to excessive water retention. We live , we learn.  I plan to have pre-measured bags of Tailwind to add to my bottles for HHNH.

One of my favorite distance tasties has been Hammer Perpetuem Solids. They are not as sickeningly sweet as gels and have a good flavor.  Recently a friend of mine was moving and cleaning out her apartment. I was fortunate enough to be bequeathed a bag full of Hammer goodies. Recoverite, Perpetuem Solids, Perpetuem Powder, and Gels.  I likely will try a Perpetuem Powder on Saturday's race with Recoverite afterwards.

Thanks Coach Cupcake!

Training

Since God's Country Marathon was only 3 weeks before HHNH I took care in planning my training/taper out.  God's Country was the longest training run for the 50k. The following weekend I ran back to back 13 milers; one on road and one on trail. Overall the mileage was kept low and reducing week to week.  At the time of writing this the orange fields are actual mileage and white is what is to come. 

Taper madness has got me, but not for much longer! Packet pickup Friday and then a day full of nature and camaraderie! Vive la run!!

A New Year, A New Plan

Last fall I completed my first, and for now, only 50k. Afterwards I had been considering what the next step should be.  Do I go for longer distances, work on improving my speed over shorter distances, do I take more naps?  In the end I settled on training for the Pine Creek Challenge 100k slated for September of 2015.

I started planning right away.  I spoke with ultra runners, outlined training plans, milestones, and goals from January through September.  It was terrifying and exciting. I was really uncertain how to put the required time in to train for this.  My job is demanding and especially so in the summer months. It is not unusual to find me working 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. Regardless, I was determined to make it happen somehow.

A few weeks later my fiancee became ill. She had something that resembled a seizure followed by vomiting. She was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital. They gave her fluids and released her later that evening with no diagnosis.  A few weeks later something similar happened again. She was hardly able to eat and was losing weight fast. We still weren't sure of the cause, but knew it wasn't just a case of the sniffles. After seeing the family doctor and getting additional testing the decision was made to send her for an endoscopy and see where it led.

A few days before the endoscopy she was feeling awful so we went to the hospital. This time they admitted her. Three days later they found her gallbladder was not functioning properly and removed it the following day.  She was able to come home on Thanksgiving. She is still recovering, but thankfully is doing much much better!

During her illness I realized a few things. One was that even if I could put in the time to train for the 100k it would mean not spending time with Tara.  It just wasn't worth it. I scrapped the plan and started considering other options.

The next thing I realized was that I could focus on a PR at the Pittsburgh Marathon instead of treating it as a training run! Last year I was on track for a PR by 15 minutes...until mile 22-23.  As I hit the downhill out of Bloomfield my quads went out. Then I started getting spasms in my calfs as well.  I lost over 20 minutes in those final 3 miles, but still hobbled my way to the finish line just under 4:20. It is high time for redemption.

There is a group of marathon enthusiasts you may  or may not have heard of: the Marathon Maniacs. Basically a bunch of insane people who run marathons..a lot.  I decided to take a run at qualifying for the group.  There are many levels of insanity to choose from. Here are just a few:

I am hoping to qualify somewhere between Bronze and Gold level. I'm signed up for the Akron Marathon and considering Erie, GAP Trestles, and possibly one in Northern Ohio. No land speed records on these. I'll likely be walking at least 1/2 of each race, but it sounds like a fantastic challenge!
 A New Year, a new plan, a new pair of shoes. I'm ready for 2015, are you?

Marshall Mangler 50k Race Report

After having to cancel every race I wanted to run for a few months at the end of summer / early fall due to work I decided I wanted to test myself. I signed up for the Marshall Mangler 50 k. I had 8 weeks to train. The challenge, the goal, was to train enough in that short time to be able to run the 50 k within the course time limit of 8 hours. Normally I would train at least twice as long for a marathon. I set myself up a schedule focused on long, slow trail runs and got to it..  Now, onto the race!

What can I say? This was an amazing, wonderful , grueling, painful experience. The kind of thing that you come away from with knowledge. Knowledge about the limits of the body and heart and of things that simply can't be put into words.

Race start was at 7:00 AM. It was in the upper 30's with periods of rain and 15-25 mph winds. Less than ideal, but far from a worst case scenario like snow and ice. The rain held off for most of the day so wet, slick roots and leaves and some muddy patches were the worst that the weather brought.

The course left from the Ice Rink driveway and went half of a mile up the hill to Pigeon Shelter. This was the location of an aid station and our drop bags. Our course would take us past here 4 more times and, for me, many of those times would be ugly. The first 4-5 miles followed the Orange Trail through the forests around the golf course. Leaving Pigeon it crossed a field of high, wet grass on the edge of the green. The kind that makes your legs sting and itchy. This lasted only about 50 yards. By the time I would be back here again the grasses were sufficiently trampled to remedy this minor inconvenience.

Winding through the conifer forests over hills and rock, roots criss-crossing the path, breaking the bedrock and pushing it up at odd toe-catching angles, the trail works its way counterclockwise back to Pigeon Shelter. I was following a group and chatting with some people I met, taking it easy and warming up. By mile 3 the sun was starting to come up and at the mile 6-ish aid station I decided to forge on without a stop.

The run was easy and enjoyable and otherwise un-notable for 12 miles or so. From the Orange Loop we crossed over to the Red Trails, following the main branch up 1/2-1 mile to the Red-blue dot. This trail winds its way up the western slopes heading south towards the lake. An aid station was set about halfway on the Red-blue at the Wisconsin Shelter. I stopped to refill my soft flasks and grab a handful of pretzels.

The aid stations. The sweet, sweet aid stations that literally made this race possible for me. The stations had bananas, pb&j sandwiches cut into little 2" squares, goldfish, pretzels, salt and vinegar chips, trail mix, m&m's,cookies, water, soda, Gatorade, and a staff of the greatest volunteers under the sun, or in this case under the clouds and rain.  These guys were knowledgeable and encouraging. More on that later.

 From the Wisconsin shelter aid station here I made my way down to the southern end of the lake and the start of the Rachel Carson trail. There was an unmanned fluid station here. Following the course I went back up the Red Trail and back to Pigeon Shelter and the Orange trail. Just under 16 miles in and only 1/4-1/2 mile to the aid station I had a wicked calf cramp. This marks the true start of the race for me. Over the next 16 miles I would come to learn things about myself. I would also come to having a number of out loud conversations with myself that bordered on insanity.

As I walked toward the Pigeon aid station the volunteers jumped into action. All the volunteers were great, but a special shout out to the Pigeon crew. And I mean crew. It was like having my own ultra trail crew. One guy came out to meet me, took my soft flasks and had them filled by the time I was at the station. I started stretching and massaging out my calf at which point the guy ( why didn't I get names?) who took my water bottles came back with a massage stick and even offered to massage it out. I opted to take care of it myself. In the meantime the crew gave great advice and encouragement. I ate some pb&j, and a little of everything else. Pretzels and m&m's can not be over rated in an event like this.  I left Pigeon feeling good. 

Less than a mile later everything in my legs started cramping and went into spasm. The semitendinosus, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius ,and worst of all the vastus medialis. The entire chain of motion came to a grinding, spasming halt.

I tried massaging and light stretching trying to find the balance between relief and sending the muscles back into contractions. After a few minutes I tried walking. Painful, short steps. Then a stop again with more stretching and massage. Then a short walk. At that moment I knew without doubt I would not be finishing the race. How could I go another 15 miles like this? The clear answer was I couldn't. 

One runner passed me in that time. One of two still behind me. He very kindly stopped to see if I was okay and when I indicated I would be he carried on with his race. At this point I made a decision, one that would prove to be the right one.  I set my intentions on walking the 4+ miles remaining on the Orange trail back to Pigeon and seeing from there. After 2 miles around a 20:00 pace with light, slow , and careful running on flat ground I  was able to bring my pacing down to a 19 and then 18 on the last few miles. During this time I doubled up in the salt stick plus caps and had an extra Hammer perpetuem solid. By the way both of these items are amaaaazing!

The first thing I learned about myself was that I could run after full muscle spasms. Run might be a strong word for what I did, but I was still moving albeit very slowly. I needed to carefully hobble and walk all uphill and downhill and could slowly shuffle my feet on the flat ground.  I finally made it around to Pigeon at mile 20 and talked to the guys there. They all felt it was still possible and within the time limit. I thought possible, maybe. Within the time limit no. At this point I made another decision. The decision to go as far as I could regardless of time. Just to see how much further I could  push this body. 

With this decision I crossed back to the Red trails. Here I started walking a little less and running on the very slight inclines. Still though, I had to walk the hills. With almost 4000 feet of elevation gain on the course this wasn't going to be easy.  I started checking my pacing and crunching the numbers. If I could keep around a 15:00 pace per mile I could do this still!! The running became easier as I went. Easier does not mean easy by any sense of the word . I was still shuffling my feet close to the ground and felt every muscle threatening to spasm. After making the big climb up to the Wisconsin aid station I stopped to refuel and eat. The volunteers here were great. I left feeling encouraged and with too much food in my belly. 

As I wound down the remainder of the Red-blue towards the southern lake edge my legs again went into spasm. This time, however , I knew it wasn't the end. I knew that this made finishing in 8 hours an even more daunting task, but I only had 6-7 more miles to go. At mile 23 my garmin battery finally gave out. 5 1/2 hours in GPS mode for a forerunner 10! I was amazed, but I knew this would happen eventually and was ready. I used mapmyrun on iPhone to complete tracking and monitor my pacing. Along this trail I became my own drill seargent. If anyone was around to hear the obscenities streaming out of my mouth! "You are not stopping , keep moving your  f$&@ing feet" "You didn't come this far to quit and you didn't come this far to finish after the time limit! F$*#ing move it"  

Another thing I learned about myself is that even when the body entirely quits the heart and soul can propel you through pain and torment. 

Coming down to the unmanned fluid station I pressed on knowing I had enough fuel and water and was now on the return path! Two major hill climbs stood in my way. The first was directly ahead.  At this point I could "run" uphill a little bit and I took advantage of this by doing so intermittently in the climb. At the top I was across from the Wisconsin aid station which was cleared out . 

I pressed on and crossed over to the second hill climb left. The beast that worked its way back towards Pigeon. This climb went straight up the mountain. No switchbacks, no turns , just straight up. I stopped halfway up and stretched lightly, then attempting to walk up it backwards to see if that would be easier on my damaged muscles. It wasn't. After conquering the climb I checked my watch.  I was around 7:10 in. Rounding up to Pigeon for the last time I heard the guys screaming and cheering. Just the boost I needed. While passing I asked how far? About 1/2 a mile!! I'm actually going to do this AND within the time limit!! I was ecstatic. Coming down towards the finish chute I felt a surge of energy that took me to the line at a chip time of 7:31:16! 

Victory!

First 50 k In the books!

I had mentioned there were two people behind me at the start of the second loop  and one passed me soon after the cramping began. The second person finished sometime after I had left. 

I was the last place finisher within the 8 hour time limit. And last place feels incredible!

Course and Placement:
Elevation Gain: Approx 3940'
Distance: 50km   31.1 miles - I tracked 32.7 miles using Garmin and map my run

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Last Long Run Before the Mangler

I woke up around 6:45, late for a long run day, made a pack of raw steel cut organic oatmeal that I added raisins and honey to. Ate a banana. Filled my travel mug with coffee and headed up to North Park to run the first lap of the Marshall Mangler course. This was the last long run before the race this coming Saturday.

I was filling my two 500ml soft flasks for the Salomon Hydro Set 5 pack when I noticed the bite valve internal cap was missing. The flasks have bite valves similar to a bladder and hose setup. The internal cap is what keeps the water inside. This wasn't going to work. I was on the running warehouse site pretty quick looking if they had the soft flask in stock. Fortunately they did and they send all orders 2 day ship. Also, my Steel City Road Runner (SCRR) membership gets me a solid discount. Flask ordered. Crisis averted. Sure I was stuck with half a liter of water on hand instead of the liter I normally carry, but no issue on a figure 8 course. My car was a fully stocked aid station.

The course route has roughly 1900 feet of elevation gain over the 15 miles. Just a touch over the average for most local hill trails I've run. This assumes that I ran the correct route. I seem to be coming up 1/2-1 mile short.

Red Trail

Now, typically it's not suggested to start toying with fueling plans one week before a race. So I figured I'd toy with my fueling plan the week before the race. Almost 6 miles in I was off the Orange trail and back at my car. I refilled my soft flask and tried a piece of Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread with peanut butter. Took a shwill of coffee and hit the Red trails. Maybe the piece of bread with peanut butter slathered over it was a little too much. My legs were kinda dead as blood went to my stomach to digest this heavy thing I threw at it one hour into a run. That being said the lethargy legs passed in 20-30 minutes and no other unpleasant side effects were had,but I did have solid energy the rest of the way. So come race day I think I will downsize the portion to half a piece of bread with PB somewhere between miles 6-10 and keep on with Clif Bloks and Salt Stick Plus caps. That should do the trick.

The Orange trail or Golf Course trail as it is also known encircles the Golf course... Big surprise there!  The forested trails are beautiful and treacherous. It's the kind of forest you want to look around and enjoy.  There are a number of sections that have intertwined roots and rocks breaking the ground, so make sure when you are enjoying the scenery to also take careful note of where your feet are landing. 

The remainder of the run was on the Red trail which runs down to the lake and back up on the Red- black to Red-green. At the Wisconsin shelter I crossed over to the Red-blue following it down to the ice rink. I really can't say enough for how nice the trails at North Park are. They are well maintained, marked, and frequently used.

 I made it back to the car around 14.5 miles and ran up the hill and back to round out a nice 15. Finished this baby up with fresh legs and energy to spare.  I'm ready. A couple of short runs this week in the 2-4 mile range , some carb loading, and hopefully a little extra sleep. Ready to go! I'll post a race report up next weekend or early next week.

Bread and Pasta: The return of

Last week I ran...a lot.  A 40 mile week with 27 of it over the weekend. I had one more heavy week ahead of me and then the taper begins for the Marshall Mangler 50k (my first 50k!). After the 20 mile long run I felt like a million bucks! No soreness...nada! This has been starting to happen more as I have slowed my long runs down. Slow and easy..just enjoying the run groove.

 So Sunday comes along and I go out for a 3-4 mile recovery run at Boyce Park, my handy dandy go to place for trail running just 10 minutes from home.  Hey, I know this place, right? I've run here a bit..I mean I wouldn't get lost. Well, I didn't get lost per say....but I did take a wrong turn somewhere on the blue trails and 4 miles turned into 7. Normally, no biggie. At mile 6 I bonked. I've never bonked before really. I mean, sure I've hit a wall or two near the end of a marathon, but this was different.  I wasn't sore or tired even. It was an overwhelming lethargy. I couldn't carry on.  I'd try to run a little and just slow up to a walk. 

Monday was a much needed rest day. Tuesday I ran a slow and  rough 5 miles of hills. Wednesday night I went over to Frick park for a 4-5 miler...bonk! Tunnel vision, gotta sit right-this-second bonk at a mile and a half in.  I walked back to the car feeling woozy and defeated. After asking around on my favorite running groups I decided to try a few things before seeing the MD.

I began by looking at my diet. I had problems not taking in enough calories in the past and had to dial my munching in to my training regiment. I was certainly eating enough! More than enough. What was I eating? Well, everything in sight. I feed like a hobbit: 1st breakfast, 2nd breakfast, brunch, lunch, onesies, snack, 2nd lunch/1st dinner, dinner, snacks and off to bed.  What I found was I wasn't getting nearly enough carbohydrates for the workload I had my body under.

Carbs! How did I miss you? Delicious breads and pastas and rice and sweet taters and bananas and.....  I had been following an adapted form of the Paleo diet. For those who don't know the paleo diet is essentially a lifestyle. It is eating foods with no preservatives, additives, no GMOs or crap. No processed foods, no refined sugars.  Instead the diet consists of lean protein and healthy fats and low carbohydrates.  This means mostly organic produce and fruits, nuts, seeds, and meats.  Now when I say adapted paleo I mean I put more carbs in. Active folks need more carbs than the paleo diet typically allows for. Even as such I was not getting nearly enough carbs. At my body weight and training I should get around 500-800 grams of carbs a day.  I was probably getting closer to 300-400 grams.

The solution: Two rest days with good, healthy eating including around 600 grams of carbs per day. I also ate a more substantial breakfast than I normally have before going out for my long Saturday run. A banana, oatmeal,and coffee instead of the normal banana and coffee. I went out to try and salvage the training week with a long run on the race course at North Park. Due to time constraints I got 14 miles in at race pace before I needed to leave. Annnnnd...it felt great! I am a man with a plan!


I am now tracking my approximate caloric intake and carb intake daily until I get into the swing of it. And I should consider buying stock in sweet potatoes. Gotta say the return of bread and pasta is nice!