Sure the winter isn't always the best time to run. We have less daylight, cold temperatures, and for me a pervasive laziness/ love affair with my couch and blankets. The Pittsburgh Marathon and summer race season is much closer than it seems at the present so here are a few ideas to kick your training into gear:
1. Get some reflective gear and winter running gear. If it isn't icy out you can still run in this cold weather. Once you spend the money on the gear you'll be less likely to back out of using it.
When testing new winter gear make sure to stay close to home or some place you can warm up if things aren't working out!
This past weekend I ran at North Park on both trails and road. It was 6 degrees with a negative windchill and I had started before sunrise. Here is how I ran safely in these conditions:
Gear check from the bottom up!
Feet: 1 pair of thin Pearl Izumi socks, 1 pair of wool Darn Tough socks, Brooks Cascadia shoes.
Legs: Moisture wicking underwear, insulated tights, Saucony Siberius pants (good and bulky, they cut the windchill down to nada) Torso: Nike Hyperwarm long sleeve (or similar insulated moisture-wicking base layer), 3/4 zip tech long sleeve , and an Asics vented jacket. Head: Fleece neck gaiter with moisture wicking hood, beanie cap, ninja face mask, snow goggles. The neck gaiter and mask came off after a few miles, but it's better to have it and not need it than vice versa. I also used a headlamp until after sunrise. Hands: Manzella wind-block mittens and handwarmers.
FYI: most handwarmers are good for 8-12 hours once activated, If you put them in a wind block mitten where there is no free oxygen access they will only last for about 2 hours.
Pack: I wore an Ultimate Direction PB Adventure vest which has plenty of room for extra dry clothes, water, and nutrition. Plus it is another layer on your back and can do wonders to help keep you warm.
Warm Tony is Happy Tony
Keeping your water in liquid form in these temps is no easy task. Some hopefully helpful hints:
Use an electrolyte beverage like Hammer Heed. The electrolytes (salts) lower the freezing temperature of water and can help keep your beverage from turning into a solid.
Using an extra pack of handwarmers to keep around your bottle(s). However, be warned! I did this using a Salamon soft flask the other day and the plastic was blackened. It did not melt, but it was discolored.
Always carry a few dollars with you. If your route takes you by a store you can warm up and get some liquid refreshment. Cell phone: For obvious safety reasons try and carry a phone. However, once the phone gets too cold it will shutdown. A friend shared a fix for this. A beer coozie! Put your phone in it and then keep it on an inside pocket. In a pinch I have placed my phone under my tights against my buttcheek to warm it back up enough to turn back on!
After 12 hard miles, 4 of which were at tempo effort on snow covered trails, I had a serving of Hammer Recoverite as I always do after a long run and then treated myself to some eats and hot coffee at the OTB Cafe. Breakfast tacos....oh you lovely little things. mmmmmmmm
2. If it is too icy or frigid out hit the treadmill and/or gym for some crosstraining. If you do not feel safe running in wintry conditions then don't. There are other ways to keep your training on track.
Though I am no fan of treadmill running it is a great option to stay on track. If the weather is too miserable to run in I'll head over to Planet Fitness for an hour or two of treadmiles and crosstraining.
In lieu of treadmill running I often opt to do the elliptical, arc trainer, stationary bike, and stairclimber which covers most of the leg muscles and top it off with some low rows / seated rows, and ab work. Hip abductor, adductor, and glute muscle machines are also among my favorites.
Lately, I have been lax in crosstraining and doing only 30 minutes worth per week. One of my goals is to increase that. If you want to run your best and reduce the chance of injury and good crosstraining regimen is worth it's weight in gold.
3. Friends! Get some crazy friends to go out there with you! Hardship is always more bearable with good company. Beyond bearable you might just find you are having fun!
Getting out there with Pittsburgh local running groups is always a good time. I run with the Steel City Road Runners, North Park Trail Runners, Elite Runners and the Runderful crew. Stop in your local running store to find out what groups are in your area and join in on the group run fun.
The end of January is here. We only have a couple more months of colder temperatures and soon after that it will be Marathon Day here in the Burgh! Keep your eyes on the prize and above all stay safe out there! Happy Training!
Also.....
I just got word that I was accepted as an ambassador for Hammer Nutrition! I couldn't be happier to be a part of the team whose products have treated me so well over the past couple years of training and racing!
Use my code: 255648 on your Hammer orders for 15% off!
Here we are! A new year, new goals, and a new plan to achieve those goals. After last year's training wrapped up I gave myself a month off which consisted of low volume, easy effort running. The first three weeks I ran 15-20 miles per week and on the fourth week 25 miles. 2015 was a great year for me. I ran 3 marathons and 3 ultras with big PR's in both the marathon and 50k format. Also, I ran my first 50 miler at Burning River.
For 2016 I am determined to run further than I ever believed I could. On December 14th I began training building upon the work put in in 2015.
This year's goals for the summer are straightforward:
1. Run the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Ultra (LHHT). The race follows the trail end to end starting in Ohiopyle and ending near Johnstown. All told it is 70.5 miles through the beautiful mountains of western Pennsylvania.
2. Run the Burning River 100 miler. After running the BR 50 last year I was bit by the distance bug and the supportive ultrarunning community. I am fundraising for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park for this race. If you feel so inclined you can donate here: www.runsignup.com/runderful
The path to completing these goals revolves around putting in a lot of quality miles and crosstraining. My first phase of training is focusing on strength and base building culminating at the Pittsburgh Marathon. The day before the marathon I will be running a 26.2 mile training run on trail. The challenge very well could be completing the Pittsburgh Marathon within the time allotment.
After the marathon there will be a 3 week buildup period with more of a speed focus and then right into taper for the LHHT 70.5. From here I plan to take two light weeks to heal up, though it conceivably could be more depending how my body feels. Then another 3 week mileage buildup followed by tapering for the Burning River 100. Dick's Sporting Goods Marathon Training Kickoff On Saturday I attended the marathon training kickoff run hosted by the Steel City Road Runners. Thankfully, the weather was more cooperative than last year. I arrived early to get some miles in before the group run. After a few miles I met up with Lisa and Seth. Together we ran 5 miles and were back with time to chat with friends and check out the vendors.
I ran 10 miles with the group starting with the 9:30 group. After 3 miles we ran into the 8:00 pace group. They had taken a wrong turn. I jumped on with them to see if I could hold that pace. We ran roughly 8:30s due to some icy spots. By the end of the run it was sunny and mild with temperatures in the 40's. Perfect running weather! Afterwards I picked up a Milestone Pod they were giving away. The Milestone Pod is a device that laces onto your shoe. It tracks your mileage, cadence, and footstrike among other things and it does so without GPS. A very useful device. Plus, you can track your mileage on a leaderboard here and win prizes just for logging your training miles.
Trail Glory
On Sunday I went to Boyce Park for some trail love. One of the staples of ultramarathon training is the back to back long runs. Running 50, 60, 70 mile training runs to prepare for a 100 miler just poses to much risk for injury. The safer way is by ramping up mileage on back to backs similar to an increase in long runs for a marathon. Today I had 10 miles planned. Eventually, the back to backs will increase to a 30 miler Saturday followed by a 25 miler Sunday.
I decided to simply run where I felt when I felt. No planned route and it was absolutely liberating! Just running free without a care as to pace or direction. Upon starting winds were gusting at 20-30 mph and soon I found myself in a patch of forest where the trees bent and groaned heavily under the force of the wind. My senses were alive, ever keeping vigilant for trees that could fall. Many spots in the forest were already littered with branches and downed trees. Freezing rain came down and it was absolutely stunning to see the sunlight reflecting off of the ice like a shimmering curtain.
Soon, I passed out of this area into sturdier and familiar forest eventually making my way off of the Blue blazes onto the Orange trails leading up to the forest surrounding the Boyce Park Wave Pool. There was a whipping wind wherever the trail passed an open space. After this loop I made my way up the winding trails that lead to the top of the ski slopes.
I thought I knew wind. But this...this was much more. Coming out into the open fields topping the ski slopes I was confronted with a wind that literally took my breath away. I opted for some slight reprieve and to build up some body heat by running down the first ski slope and straight back up it. This side of the slope was sheltered from the winds and the climb up warmed me up fast. It was less than 1/2 a mile to the tree line and the reprieve of the forest, but it was a long 1/2 mile. I saw a park employee near the maintenance building. He mentioned that the winds there were steady at 20+ mph with gusts topping 50 mph! Soon I was frozen, but back in the trees. It didn't take long to warm back up. I finished the run out on the Cherry Tree Trail.
This past week was a active recovery week. I will be taking one of these every 4 weeks. It is simply a week with lower mileage, easy effort runs with maximum long run distance of 10 miles. Then comes three more weeks of intense training.
15 more weeks until the Pittsburgh Marathon! Game On!!
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.
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?
Sure the winter isn't always the best time to run. We have less daylight, cold temperatures, and for me a pervasive laziness/ love affair with my couch and blankets. The Pittsburgh Marathon and summer race season is much closer than it seems at the present so here are a few ideas to kick your training into gear:
