Marshall Mangler 50k 2015 Race Recap

31 miles, over 4500 feet of gain, and one hell of a good time!

I woke up at 3:45 AM and had a big glass of water, a banana, and toast with Wild Friends Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter. Oh man is that stuff gold!  I headed out the door to pick Alyssa up with a mixer bottle in hand filled of one serving UCan superstarch and 3/4 serving of Hammer vegan protein powder, which I started drinking at 5:00 AM.
 

The Trail Family

We were the first runners to arrive. We got hoodies and pre-registration goodies including gloves and a mug with the Marshall Mangler logo.  Around 6:15 I downed another serving of UCan. People were starting to trickle in. We checked our race packs to make sure we had everything. Alyssa offered me a packet of pickle juice. I accepted and tucked it into a front pouch and forgot about it. We set our drop bags in the designated area and put everything else in the car. It was 10 minutes to start and looking around the room I was surprised to see very few people.  5 minutes to the start and we went out to the line. Still there was only a few people! Was this it? No. People started filing in from the parking lot. All said we had a small field of less than 30 when the race started.


The 50k race started at 7AM. Temperatures were in the upper 30's with a good breeze. The first 5 miles were comprised of the orange loop around the golf course, a very runnable loop.  I was happily moving along at a pace in the 11's. At around 1.5-2 miles in I came around a turn in the trail to hear some intense screaming and crying.  One of the front runners had taken a fall on the roots and rocks and lacerated her leg! A number of people had already stopped with her and were calling 911 for help.  There was ample help so I continued on.

At the Pigeon Aid station I caught up to Lamar​ and we spent the next 18 miles or so running together, pacing each other by switching of lead.  The first 5 miles of the red-blue trail have some good climbs and our pace dropped to around 12:00 all the way up to the Wisconsin Shelter Aid Station around mile 10-11. From there we were able to modestly increase speed.

The next loop of the course went well..at first.  At mile 16 at the Pigeon Aid Station a volunteer dug my last serving of UCan out, a 5 ounce soft flask of which I drank on trail over the next 5 minutes. I also had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich square and a small handful of pringles before leaving the aid station. The pace had slowed down just a little bit, but I was still running strong . That is until around mile 23.  I had neglected hydration and the Ucan I had taken wore off leaving my blood sugar low.  Bonk! I was in trouble. The first 23 miles I had only drank around 30 ounces of water. I began walking because I simply couldn't run and felt my legs starting to cramp.

Realizing my mistake I started drinking water, took a salt cap, and had some Honey Stinger chews. After two 20 minute miles I started feeling a little more human and by this time I had arrived at the Wisconsin aid station where I met up with Lisa (aka Coach Cupcake)​, who graciously volunteered to run the last 7 with me. We slowly left the aid station and made our way along the trail, my legs threatening to cramp up when ever I tried to push so I just let myself run comfortably and took many walking breaks.

I stopped to let some runners by and then remembered the packet of pickle juice from Alyssa. Let's see if this stuff can help at all.  I downed that puppy and almost immediately felt my legs ease up. Within a mile or so I was back at it with some gusto. My feet felt battered with every footstrike, but Lisa kept me moving like she was a cowboy and I a cow, coaxing me forward when I walked too long. Coming up the big climb at mile 28 with 260 feet of gain I was running more and more, stopping less and less.  Then came the mostly flats and downhills. The pounding of the downs really were crushing my feet. The trail here is loaded with rock and I was wincing with each footfall by the end of mile 30.

It was up the damn oil line hill one more time, cursing it the whole way and then an easy decent down the bathtub trail, appropriately named for the bathtub on the side of the trail. Lisa kept saying " Go!, Go!" To which I finally replied "I'm gonna!" and took off down the final 0.3 miles at an 8:30 pace. Gotta love the downhills with soft, forgiving trail underfoot.

I was happy to see Lamar waiting to see me cross the finish.  Then it was inside for some Hammer Recoverite, food, and rest before moseying out just in time to catch Alyssa tearing down the final hill!

The Marshall Mangler closed out my 2015 race year.  It has been one hell of a year for me running. I ran 3 marathons and 3 ultras including two 50ks and my first 50 miler. Over the course of the year I had PR's in the mile and 5k (ok those first two were training runs),and also the marathon, and 50k. This race was a PR by a whopping 39:26!  This coming year will be a distance year with big goals of running both a 70 miler and 100 miler.

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!!

41st Annual God's Country Marathon Race Report

Marathon Maniacs Qualifier #2: God's Country Marathon complete. Official finishing time 4:45:23

This was a tough race, but I knew that it would be heading in. The first 18 miles are uphill. The last 3 of those uphill miles, the locally infamous Denton Hill, are very uphill! 

I arrived at the Coudersport Courthouse Square at around quarter to 5 AM. It was still dark out. A few runners had arrived and were stretching or just milling around.  At 5:30 we boarded 2 school buses which would take us about 20 miles East to the town of Galeton, our starting point. During that ride we traversed the majority of the race course in reverse. As we came up to Denton Hill and began the 14 mile descent to Galeton I sat at the edge of my seat taking it all in. As we kept dropping mile after mile my stomach dropped too. In the next few hours I would be running up this monster. 

We arrived at Galeton High School around 6 AM. I grabbed my packet and started getting ready, which included pinning my race bib on and using the bathroom a couple of times and walking around to loosen up.  I met Ron Brown, of the Steel City Road Runners.  I had seen him running the Pittsburgh Marathon. At that race he had donned his full fire fighter gear. Helmet, jacket, pants, SCBA tank. What an inspiring guy! We chatted for a bit and ran the first mile or so together. I also ran into the pacer I had run with at Pittsburgh. At least I had run part of the race with him.  He and his wife were running and she was doing so with 3 broken ribs and a broken wrist from a recent accident.

There is never a lack of inspiration and dedication within the running community and that ,as much as the running, is what draws me in.

 The temps were a bit lower than anticipated (low 50's) with cloudy skies making for perfect running weather aside from the headwind in some spots, which seemed considerable to me. 

A few things that made this race difficult for me were GI issues the whole race (I only needed the port o john at mile 15 thankfully) and waking up the night before the race to my right calf charlie horsing. It was still hurting race by morning.

The first 4 miles of the course were all within Galeton town limits. There was great crowd support  and I found the town to be enjoyable to run through. Leaving town we hit the open road of scenic Route 6 to and through the Susquehannock State Forest. I love running along open, hilly country roads. The surrounding mountains, some wreathed in morning fog, created a backdrop that is etched in my mind.

For me, the first 15 miles leading up to Denton Hill were worst than the big climb itself. Big hills..I am used to those to a degree, but a gradual and constant uphill grade is not something I train on often. The first 15 miles had 430 feet of gain which averages to a little under 30 feet per mile. Denton Hill averages 189 feet of gain per mile for 3 miles, which is more in line with the hills I have trained on and I found that part of the climb the easiest in some ways.

Somewhere around miles 7-8 I briefly talked with girl as I was passing. Her name is Amie. She would catch up to me around mile 10-11 and give me the boost I needed. I was really starting to drag a bit after mile 10. The long climb was wearing on me and the mental was creeping. Once she had caught up with me we started talking and the miles started flying by. It is amazing how an occupied mind can influence performance so greatly. We ran together until the Mile 15 aid station, at which time I visited the Port O'John due to those GI issues I have mentioned earlier.

The break at the aid station gave me a moment to switch out bottles of Tailwind and the rest a moment. Those 5 minutes or so did me so much good. I started up Denton Hill feeling fresh and moving at a good pace.Smoky the Bear was at the top of the hill giving high fives and if there is one thing I have learned about distance running it is this: Never underestimate the power of a high five.


From this point on it was all downhill and flats! Cake, right?

The downhill and flat 8 were tougher on me than the hill climbs. I dread long downhills on the back end of a long race. That said this went off well. I caught back up to Amie around mile 18-20. We ran together for a little while before I needed to walk a bit. I wasn't looking for any specific time so I walked often and just enjoyed it..and when I couldn't enjoy it I just plowed on towards the finish.

As I rounded the last turn onto the final stretch I fell into form and ran to the finish. I could hear Tara cheering from 0.1 miles away! After crossing the finish I gave sweaty hugs to Tara and received my medal. Another one down! That is Marathon 4 (5 if we count 50ks).

About 3 hours after I finished the race I was feeling good. Tired, but good. There will be no walking backwards down stairs for this guy!

The event was well run, friendly, and challenging. Everything the reviews have made it out to be was true. Tara told me that as runners approach the finish line the announcers said there names and a little about them. I heard none of it, but apparently I got a good talk up with name drops for the Epilepsy Foundation.

In 3 weeks training culminates with the Hell Hath No Hurry 50k. From here out it is taper and more trail miles. Marathon Maniacs save me a number! I'm coming

Next up! God's Country

The Pittsburgh Marathon is now about 3 weeks behind me and the God's Country Marathon less than  2 weeks ahead.  After Pittsburgh I took some extra rest Monday and Tuesday and got back to running on Wednesday. On Saturday and Sunday I ran 11 miles of road and 9 of trail.

 Mission accomplished! I set out to run Pittsburgh at an effort easy enough so that I could quickly resume training. While I did run it harder than I planned (and had a course PR by over 30 seconds) it wasn't an all out effort. Continuing the reverse taper brings me into two higher mileage weeks and then a cutback before God's Country.

God's Country Elevation Profile

My focus is moving more to trail running now as I prepare for the Hell Hath No Hurry 50k. And what a beautiful time for it!! Week by week I see the forest come more and more alive and it makes me feel more alive.

 I challenge you all to this one thing: Get a friend or two and go out to a trail an hour or more before sunrise. Early enough so it is still pitch dark (don't forget your headlight and extra batteries). It is quite the sensation running through the forest at night! I often go alone for long runs out of necessity. I wouldn't recommend night running in the forest solo, but I do it anyway.  A night forest run tends to have an edge of anxiety for me. You see the eyes of deer, raccoons, and other furry critters reflecting back at you.  Every tight bend in the trail leaves you wondering what you might see as you come around it. There is a certain peace with it too. And then when the sun rises! Oh, when the sweet sun rises. Relief, warmth, and solitude. It is rare to find another soul out on the trails at these times and that is it's own reward. The beauty of nature all to yourself, even for just a few minutes. What a way to start the day! 

Here Comes the Sun! 

So back to the race at hand: God's Country. This should be a great training run and hill climb strength builder/assessment for the 50k.  The first 18 miles are uphill and the last 8 downhill. To prepare I have run a good bit of hilly roads and some big elevation trail running. Ultimately, this is just another training run and it will be the last large week before a 3 week taper leading to HHNH.

Memorial Day Weekend

As I write this it is Memorial Day and this weekend was a big one for running! After this I will do a mini taper for 2 weeks before God's Country.

Saturday I was fortunate enough to get a long trail run in on the HHNH course with John, Alyssa, and Sanchez. It was Sanchez first trail run and he ran like he had been in the woods his whole life.

Our first loop around the course there were some missed turns and some backtracking. All in all we did well though. By the second loop we had the course down pat. After 13.5 miles my trail friends departed and I hung around for an extra 10k of fun.  I picked up my pacing just a hair and strided a few of the flatter sections out. The extra pace and movement awoke something inside me...something primal. Like a bear I went off trail and lightened my load.  Strong like bear! Rawr! This run brought me to over 700 miles for the year and this monster had a gain of just under 2800 feet.

It amazes me that somedays I can run 5 miles and feel wrecked...entirely wrecked. Then there are days,like Saturday, where 20 miles and all of that gain did nothing to me. I felt great! Loose, relaxed,hungry as all hell, but not sore.

Pic stolen from Alyssa

Sunday was supposed to be 12-16 flat city miles. I say :supposed to" for a reason. I got bored running the same route I ran last week and the wanderlust took over. After 3 miles in the Southside I crossed the Smithfield Bridge and headed up the Liberty Bridge. On the other side is the PJ McArdle Roadway. PJ is one of,if not, the longest steady climb in the city area and I have neglected it for far too long. No More!

After the climb you are treated to some of the best views of the city from the aptly named Grandview Avenue. I didn't have my camera with me, so if you are curious you will just have to join me for a run there sometime ;-)

I dropped down towards the city on East Sycamore, a windy steep road. Near the bottom I saw a park I hadn't known about. Emerald View is a part of Grandview park. I couldn't resist, could I?
Road and trail make for a fine mix indeed! After thoroughly enjoying a few miles of park and the sporadic city views through the trees I found myself going up Arlington Ave. At the intersection of Warrington Ave a bell rang in my head and I thought it best not to continue on in this direction towards Allentown, Carrick, and Mt. Oliver. I made my way back to the Southside and rounded out a few more miles.

This made for my highest mileage weekend ever at 33.1 miles and my highest elevation gain week at 4521'.  I am thoroughly satiated and looking forward to a rest day and tons of food. Really...piles of food..like a serving platter used as a plate food. All the miles+all the hills= all the foods .

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday weekend. The food, friends, and family are great, but keep in mind the many brave men and women who gave all to defend us and protect us. Really that is what this day is all about.

The Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend Recap

It is finally time! After months of training in sub zero wind chills, freezing temperatures, and generally awful weather we made it to race weekend! It was a great weekend full of friends, running, and community.


Saturday

On Saturday I ran the 5k. The weather was nice and I felt great.  I started off with Kim, who was pacing the 10:00 group and ran the rest by feel shooting for a nice easy run. On this day nice and easy was a negative split shaving off 30 seconds per mile for the following two miles. It was a good, comfortable run.   












 Later in the day I met up with some of the Runderful crew for a shakeout 5k at Frick park.   I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to run with these guys for the first time! I was feeling a little rough, but happy enough with the opportunity and company.



Frickin' Run!




Sunday

What a day! The Steel City Road Runners pre-race lounge at the Westin Hotel was posh and comfy. There was some light food as well. I avoided it as it was too close to race time and instead had water and a glass of OJ with a salt cap.






Runderful Pre-Marathon

Steel City Road Runners

The Race

I bumped up to Corral C at the expo and got to run the first 13-14 miles with John. John, Alyssa, and I ran many long runs together throughout training for this race and it was great we were able to run a good chunk of the race together.

Early in this race I felt some sore spots and my groin felt on the borderline of cramping. This was all within the first 3 miles. And then the fog descended. I get this low energy, can't quite focus feeling sometimes early in a run . I'm not certain of what it is , but I have a few ideas. Anyway, the mental fog burned off by mile 6, but still I felt muscles wanting to spasm. I was concerned, but what else can you do but press on? At the Birmingham Bridge things started feeling good. The climb into Oakland was cake. At this point our average pace began increasing a little. (side note: I needed a bathroom since mile 1) At around mile 14 I decided to go for the PR. It only required modest increases in pace. Within a few seconds of parting with John I saw an open port-o-john and bee-lined in. 


It took about 2 miles to catch back up to John and forge ahead towards Wilkinsburg. My pacing was fairly steady throughout the back miles through Homewood, Highland Park, and back into Shadyside. As I made it to the top of the final hill climb in Bloomfield my eyes welled up with tears. I felt tired, but good enough I wasn't concerned about the bonk and muscle spasms I had there last year. On target for a 4:15 I came down Liberty with a modest speed increase. At the bottom of the hill I felt the tired coming on and stopped to walk for a moment. I stopped right next to Ryan without realizing it! He had gone into calf spasms at mile 8 and still was forging ahead running and finally walking. We talked for a moment and I started off towards that PR with time to spare.

Those open road, hot miles on Liberty were bad. I couldn't take the heat anymore and my body kept slowing. Once I hit the underpass and cool breeze I was able to pickup pace again, but it was too late. Or not. I started plowing on with as much as I could muster and at about 50 yards before the Boulevard of the Allies and the turn onto the final stretch I realized the PR was gone. I was burnt crisp after that effort and slowly made my way to the finish chute trying to muster a smile for the camera. The time to beat was 4:17:11 from Philly 2013 and I finished in 4:19:25, an improvement by over 30 seconds over last year's Pittsburgh Marathon.

All things considered, I am very happy with the result and my performance.






Mile 25






Afterwards I felt like I might blackout and made my way to the crew and the SCRR tent to put my head down and rest after which there was great feasting and general awesomeness with some great people.Thank you Rundercrew and SCRR for an amazing day!

Another marathon done with the next in 4 weeks time. 1/3 Marathon Maniacs qualifiers complete!!  I have fully come to terms with the fact I am probably a little masochistic.

Congratulations to everyone who raced this weekend in Pittsburgh and elsewhere. The heat and sun made for a hard fought race. You have all truly earned the title, Runner of Steel.



Get all the bling!

Train like a train

I'm 7 weeks into training with big race events on weeks 15,17,21, and week 24 wraps it all up with the Hell Hath No Hurry 50k trail race. I have logged about 170 miles in the first 6 weeks and am feeling good....hungry, but good.

I have been looking to get more involved in the local running community and as a step in that direction I've been pacing at the Steel City Road Runner's (SCRR) group runs for a few weeks. It's a great opportunity to help out an organization I love and to meet new running friends.

Two weekend's past the long run was the SCRR Half Marathon Training kickoff run. There was a great turnout. It didn't hurt that the weather was very nice for February in Pennsylvania. I led the 9:30 pace group for 10 miles. The route overlapped some sections of the Pittsburgh Marathon including the big hill climb from the Birmingham Bridge up Forbes into Oakland.  This is the hardest climb on the Marathon route. For us, it was 2-3 miles into our run. Race day it will be around mile 11. The weather was great and the run was mostly effortless. Gotta love those runs that click!

Last weekend I paced the 10:00 cool kids for 16 miles. Aside from entirely missing the turn onto Craig Street and subsequently 5th things went according to plan. Because of that little missed turn we had the pleasure of climbing the Bob O'Connor hill which had as much gain as the Birmingham-Forbes climb into Oakland, just in less distance. The slippery snow proved an extra challenge and by the end of the run I was squarely wiped out.

Training is on track and warmer weather is just around the corner, but until then I am missing my Sunday trail runs! C'mon Old Man Winter...we have had enough.

Fundraising began for the Epilepsy Foundation! As a person with Epilepsy, the Foundation's work has been very important in my life.  Epilepsy is very prevalent. Over 65 million people worldwide are diagnosed and 1 in 26 people in America will be diagnosed with Epilepsy at some point in their lives.

Donate at least $22 before March 3rd and get entered to win a rubber band! (and an iPad mini, but who cares...rubber band!!)

Get an iPad Mini and a Rubber Band

Please Go Here to check out my page and give anything you can. And now through March 3rd, if you give at least $22, you'll be entered to win an iPad Mini. You'll probably win. Click Here for all the contest rules. And if you have any questions please Email Us and we'll get back to you right away.

 

Plans in Flux and Jars of Oatmeal

I am about five weeks into training for the Pittsburgh Marathon. This time around training I'm running more miles, eating better, and training smarter.  I've upped the load by about 10 miles per week as a starting point compared to previous training cycles and have active recovery or step back weeks on every third week. Regular crosstraining, varying terrain, and planned rotating speed sessions are in he mix. I am feeling great and looking forward to the increase in mileage ahead.

I say I'm training for the Pittsburgh Marathon and that is true, but really it is the first in a 3 part trial hopefully leading up to a qualification for the Marathon Maniacs.  If all goes well the period from May 3rd to June 27th is going to be intense...and awesome!

May 3rd- Pittsburgh Marathon
June 6th- God's Country Marathon (rated one of the 10 toughest marathons by Runners World)
June 27th- Hell Hath No Hurry 50k trail  
June 28th-July 1st, Sleep and eat
July 2nd- eat more
July 3rd and 4th - light fireworks, drink, and eat more
July 5th - start training for a PR at the Akron Marathon

At the end of January I had 120 miles over 23 runs, the most runs I have taken in a month and close to my max monthly mileage. Excited doesn't begin to cover it.

In the past I would have been fairly wiped out with this much training early on. There are three things that I have improved on that have made all the difference:
1. Crosstraining regularly - hitting the gym and working the whole body; core, lower and upper body
2. A solid base of miles behind me - months and months of fairly consistent 20-25 mile weeks and a two month easy running period as a "break"
3. A good nutrition plan.

I could blab on about all three points, but I'll briefly mention nutrition. Tara, my better half,  sent me a link for a recipe a while back. Oatmeal jars.  I had been meaning to make some up and try it, but I didn't actually do it until recently.  Best. Recovery. Meal. Period. 

Oatmeal Jars
Take a half pint mason jar and put some good old fashioned organic rolled oats in it. Fill about half the jar. Add in a tablespoon or two or three of organic chia seeds, add organic whole milk yogurt, grass fed whole milk and fruit.  I have tried blueberries and strawberries so far. (You can get frozen organic blueberries and strawberries at Aldi on the cheap! ..and a lot of other organic yummies). Mix it all up. Maybe add some spices..I put some cinnamon in my strawberry jars.

There are a million ways to use this recipe. Fiddle with it. Try your favorites. Since I have started eating these post run my energy is more stable and I am not starving and binging on everything in sight afterward, though after the last 13 mile run I did have to stop by Vanilla Pastry Studio for one of their amazing cupcakes. Okay, I bought three..but one and a half were for Tara....don't judge me.  :-)

One of the great truths of running is there is always more to learn, whether it be about running itself or about ones self. Learning can come in the form of books, articles, timely advice. For me it usually comes in the form of pain and my attempts to correct the causal factors.  Always a challenge, always a joy.

So raise a glass of Nuun with me and toast the inevitable cycle of learning, growing, and reaching new heights. Happy running and happy training to everyone out there

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?