In Search of Solid Ground

Week Ending 2/12: Barely Note Worthy

2012-02-12T20:57:00.000-08:00

This week pretty much sucked on the running front. I think I ran 20 miles. Monday was an easy 5ish miler to recover from the hard 17. Tuesday was 13-14 miles of hills and dirt roads with Jeremiah. I took a day off wednesday in preparation for a mid-week long run. On Wednesday I got sick. I assumed it was just a little stuffiness and a lack of sleep, but it got progressively worse. By Friday, I was passing out after work, and waking up in time to get up and go back to the shop. A downward spiral took effect once I was simply alternating between environments of foundry dust and dog hair.

A little time of absolutely no running was...weird. Usually, I'm at least thinking about running, talking about running, or looking at running-related material online. Times have changed a little. I now work in an environment where I rarely talk to anyone about anything, especially not my little jogging addiction. Limited internet access keeps me out of my online social circles, and all the hours are keeping me from my "real world" training partners. It was a true 5 day retreat from my running-centered world.

This was a reminder that we really are alone at the end of the day. I don't say this to be negative or pessimistic. I mean that when we look at ourselves and our motivations in life, we have to take extra caution not to get caught up in other people's worlds. I'm often preoccupied with whether I'm being present-minded or continuing to do this because it's just what I've been doing. I see the online training logs of friends, and feel inadequate. Do I still love to run? Could the simple act of jogging from A to B really be holding my interest for this long?

The answer is yes. It's not a passing interest, nor a search for validation. I've always been the undercheiving slacker amongst friends. I've just got to accept that I've found something I actually care about and have my own way of doing it. I'm feeling a sense of security that almost feels foreign. I think it's coming from accepting who I am. Is some elite runner status in my future? Most likely not. Can I continue to improve, seek advendture, and live a life of passion and pursuit of my personal potential? Oh, hell yes, and excuse the alliteration. I've done some fun things in my short time, and the ideas are just starting to roll in.

As far as a week off from illness? Not too worried. As the wise red-assed baboon from the Lion King said, "Who Cares? It's in the Past!"

Moving on...

VIVOBAREFOOT NEO Trail Review: Like Traction?

2012-02-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

Most shoes are just that: minimal- just the way we like them. Little cushion, little support, and little weight. This, for the most part, is great. I don't know about the rest of the world, but there have been a few times where I'd gladly carry a little extra weight to keep my face and/or ass out of the mud and/or snow.

Enter the NEO trail.

The folks at VIVOBAREFOOT were kind enough to provide this shoe for my review. As I prepare for an upcoming season of running, I'm on the lookout for great shoes.

First Impression:
-This shoe has one aggressive lug pattern. The lugs on the forefoot are nearly 1/4'' long.
-It's cool looking. The "ligaments" on the shoe give it the look of a lightweight, minimal hiking shoe.
-Fit and finish: As usual with VB, these shoes appear extremely well built.
-A little on the heavy side. With all that rubber on the outsole, not too surprising.
-True zero drop - flat from heel to forefoot(a fundamental design of Terra Plana/VIVOBAREFOOT)

Large forefoot lugs grip snow, mud, and wet sand extremely well.

I was excited to wear the shoes, so I wore them walking around casually first. I never know when running stink will set in in a pair of shoes, so I give them the "casual test" first. When walking on pavement, I could feel the lugs pressing into my feet. This had me thinking the shoes wouldn't make good road shoes. Good thing they're trail shoes, right? We minimalist runners have a tendency to misuse shoes, then gripe about their lackluster performance. The upper was quite comfortable and the shoes were very roomy. Since I've been wearing racing flats lately, this was quite a departure.

These things have tons of room.
So much in fact, that it made driving a manual shift car difficult
They're running shoes, not driving shoes.

On the Run:
The first run in these shoes was a snowy, muddy trail loop here in Michigan. In these conditions, I usually make the choice to either wear my yaktrax or leave them at home. I wanted to see how these shoes performed all on their own.

I wasn't disappointed. On hard packed snow, the NEO Trail gripped like crazy. I was able to power up hills without too much worrying about foot placement. I felt just as confident on the way down. The combination of big lugs and a thin sole works well in this situation. The runner's foot is still low to the ground, but lugs are still there to dig in and do their job.

The shoes also dug sand really well. The lugs are spaced out enough to be self-cleaning and keep digging. Another plus was that the shoes don't have the see-through mesh uppers of most modern minimal shoes. Sometimes you just want to keep the sand and snow out. In a really muddy, sandy, or snowy trail race, I'd pick these shoes and maybe a pair of gaiters.

Roads proved to be the bane of these shoes' existence. They simply aren't road shoes. They felt a bit bulky, and I could feel the lugs pressing into my feet. For this reason, I opted to leave the insoles in. The shoes are voluminous enough that leaving them in still allowed for plenty of wiggle room. If I were running a long race with more than a few miles of road running, I'd leave these at home. As I mentioned before, these aren't marketed as road shoes, and their extreme trail-worthiness doesn't require them to apologize for it.

Overall:
The NEO Trail is a no-nonsense rugged trail shoe. Rather than pleasing a wide array of runners, this shoe fills a narrow niche very well. The thin yet rugged sole offers a great deal of protection, but the flexibility allows the foot to move as it should.
For an ultrarunner, the shoes could may cause issues on courses with lots of varied terrain. For people who insist on owning only one pair of shoes, they may want to look elsewhere. Love running in mud, sand, or snow? Get a pair! They're also great hiking shoes. The hydrophobic mesh panels keep water out and still breathe. They aren't waterproof, but are much better at repelling water than most minimal shoes out there. This class of shoe employs good ideas that have existed in traditional footwear, and allows our feet to move as they need to.

I think these shoes are the best looking of VBs running lineup.

BTB Sunglasses: Good Glasses, Good Cause, and a Discount Code.

2012-02-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

I was approached by the marketing people at BTB Sport Optics to review a pair of their sunglasses. During this time, I was debating whether to continue doing reviews. For a hobo, I've acquired some great swag over the past couple years. That being said, I was wondering if I should keep writing in exchange for free stuff. I took the "Dexter Morgan" approach and created a complex code of ethics.

I went to the BTB website and communicated with their marketing people. The products looked nice and the prices were reasonable. The tipping point- they supported a cause. The BTB Foundation actively supports healthy lifestyles for kids by raising money for youth sports. Call me idealistic, but I firmly believe that getting our society more active can cure much more than sedentary disease. Getting our kids active could save their minds as well as their bodies, and that could mean much more than any cholesterol test. I discovered the wonders of physical activity later in life(okay, I was 19, but I'm only 24 now), and would be glad to help a company that's spreading the good word.

Anyway, on to the review. Here's the BTB 250 model, recommended for sports and outdoor activities.

Let's not beat around the bush. Most of the time, form follows function. With sunglasses, I'd say it's nearly a tie. If they don't work well, I'm leaving them in my glovebox of my car. If they don't look cool, same result. These white glasses are pretty cool looking. Imagine if they put them on someone who was good looking.

I'll be brief. I'm not much of a sunglasses expert. I put the sunglasses on and they felt comfortable The lenses were big enough to leave my peripheral vision unhindered and my straightforward vision unaltered. Some lenses are curved and tend to refract light(example: my safety glasses at work make me sick).

We actually got some sun in Michigan in February, so I was able to test them out. I didn't want to have to BS the whole review, so I'm thankful for the clouds taking a brief vacation.

The rubberized temples help the glasses stay in place and provide some extra comfort. Though it does make them more aesthetically pleasing, I also found them to be helpful on the run. My head got sweaty and my hair was wet, but the BTB sunglasses stayed in place. The same rubber is used on the nose pads, which have small vent holes in them. I'm not sure if they contribute to the non-slipperiness(I tried to think of a better term there, but I'm at a loss), but the glasses held in place very well.

Another great feature of the glasses is that all models exceed ANSI, OSHA & Military Impact Specifications. I'm an aspiring vagrant, and have done many different jobs to make some cash. Excavating, manual labor, maintenance, and the like require safety glasses. These glasses are not only approved, but work exceedingly well for that. The "ballistic" rating is also valuable to cyclists, since we never know what road or trail debris could be heading straight for our eyeballs.

There you have it. They fit well, look cool, keep the sun from scorching your retinas, and save the world, one little athlete at a time.

Want to buy some? Here's the discount code. That's right, my very own 30% discount code:
JESSES30

C- for the Week.

2012-02-05T14:52:00.000-08:00

Well, my attempt to run 100 miles in a week while working full time fell drastically short. No injury, no, lack of time, no real reason. Just a change of heart is all it took to derail me.

As I've mentioned, I started my job two weeks ago as a temp to make money to get out to Colorado and to pay off some debt. Getting a head start on some finances will help me spend more time enjoying the Summer and take the pressure off to find immediate employment upon arrival. A job may fall into place immediately, or I may struggle for a bit. Given my luck here in Michigan, I just may struggle a bit. So I abandoned the "find a job that utilizes my degree" job search and go where the money is. I'm working in a foundry that produces super alloys for aerospace and prosthetic joints.

Well, my first day on second shift was eventful. I was loading materials onto a machine when I heard thunder...or a train...but I could feel it in my chest. Ended up being none of the above. A furnace full of molten metal bridged over, superheating to 4300 degrees(operating temps are about 3400), and exploded. The building was evacuated and we were all sent home. From what I understand (keep in mind that I'm new and only know what I'm told), its incredibly fortunate that nobody was killed. The roof buckled, cement walls were cracked, and bolts as big as a human femur were pulled right apart. My own brother-in-law works in this department on a different shift. Once I confirmed he was indeed at home and not dead in a million pieces, I realized that arbitrary things like numbers, training miles, and money mean fuckall when all is said and done. I run because it makes me feel alive, not for my ego or other bullshit reasons. When I first started running to honor my cousin's memory, I told myself that the day it felt like a job was the day I gave away my running stuff.

That's why the "working man challenge" was scrapped and I just mellowed out. Still turned into a good week, and I loved every minute of it.

Monday
13miles - Flat road run near the lakeshore, but in ankle deep snow and slush. It was warm and there were some cool views of the lake and some farm fields. I ran comfortably, but new I was going a little quicker than normal. Didn't look at the watch until I got back, but it was around 7:00pace. A few under, and a few over, with the exception of my always-slow warmup mile.

Tuesday
15miles - another road run with some rolling hills. Its easier to run roads than to drive to the trails. I ran to a point I knew to be 7-8miles, then turned around. No watch, but kept the pace feeling fast. Presumably about the same as the previous day.

Wednesday
10 miles - This is where I learned that doing the same run day after day is a bad idea. Got about 8 miles in, and suddenly felt like crap. Not sure what was different, but my pace slowed to nearly 8minute miles and instantly started walking. Gathered myself ran jogged the last mile home. Running at a faster pace for 3 days with no recovery jog in between was a mistake. If I decide to run a certain amount of miles in a week, I need a plan for it. Maybe next week I'll give it a go with more planning.

Thursday
6 miles - needed the recovery run, so I just did a nice easy loop around the block. My recovery pace seems to be about 7:30-7:45 on flat roads. This is what I've found based on my own experiences, and also is in accordance with Matt Fitzgerald's "Brain Training for Runners" book I'm reading. Nice to know I'm doing something right.

Friday
0 miles - Got caught up watching my stories. No shit. I wasted my morning watching TV. What an ass. Is Supernatural and acceptable show for men to watch? If not, then I should deny being addicted to it. Seems a bit like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but cooler. I've shared too much.

Saturday
10 miles - 8 with the Joggas at Hoffmaster on the trails. Flat roads make me really appreciate a good hill. Digging the toes in and sprinting up a long hill feels powerful after the repetitive, graceful motion of road running. I think whether a person is a road or trail runner, roads can compliment trails vice versa. 2 more easy with Sam in the afternoon.

Sunday
17miles - great run on River Road, a windy, hilly road that follows the banks of the Muskegon River. If it weren't for the traffic, it would be my favorite road route. I ran pretty fast, but started out nice and easy. Eventually got down to a 7:00minute pace. On the way back, I picked it up momentarily, and decided to run a fast mile. 5:55. I took a rest mile at 7:15, then hit another fast mile at 5:45. I was elated to run that fast after having run 13 miles already. Got a cramp in my foot on the cool down, but it seems to be subsiding now. Despite being thin and only weighing 6 ounces or so, the Nike XC 3's are stiff as hell and seem to mess with my feet just a little.

71 miles for the week. Considering that most of it was on the faster side, I'm on my feet doing manual labor 8 hours a day, and I took two days of little to no running, I'm really happy with it. I'm about where I want to be.

Carry on all, spring is pretty much here.

Retreat and Reload

2012-01-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

Monday-Tuesday
0 miles. Bad weather. Aching Achilles from the long run. Started new job at 6am. That covers my bases as far as lame excuses go.

Wednesday
10 miles - 8 miles at hoffmaster, plus 20 hard minutes of stairs at Coast Guard Park. Focused on the hills and really went hard on the stairs. I was short on time, and running with intensity was a great change of pace from last week. Felt strong for the first time in a while. The lengthy bout of stair running reminded me just how much I need to train for a Tahoe. Prolonged climbing is incredibly different than hill repeats.

The stair loop at Coast Guard Park.

Thursday
8 miles - The usual loop with Mark and Rick at Hoffmaster. I'm glad those guys run consistently, because I sure as hell can't seem to lately. I'm the remora to their shark. Winter has been so light that I forget it's almost february. Our days are getting longer already.

Friday
7 miles - A flat road loop near my house. Nothing special, other than it's sunny for a change. Suprisingly, a fast run took place! Hit the pavement after 2 miles of glare ice and the pace sped up. Ran progressively faster until getting back on my glare ice road again. Like a built-in warm up and cool down.

Saturday
Worked overtime. Got lazy afterward. I did, however come up with a plan for next week.

This was one of the worst weeks I've had in a long time. Even posting this stings just a little. Am I really one of those "My life is a marathon" people? I think not.

Time for a new random-ass challenge to kick myself into gear. I shall call it, "The Workin' Man's Challenge." 100 mile week+ 40(or 48, depending on if Saturday is mandatory) hours of working. 14 miles a day seems possible after doing 120 a few weeks ago.

What the hell, right? Hit a good week, coast through February, and start the real training plan for Tahoe Rim.

My Decision to Become a Coach

2012-01-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

I'll admit, a long haired hippie child who seldom wears a shirt or socks doesn't fit the whole "running coach" profile.

Coach George Dales and members of Western Michigan University CC team
1965

I started out my own running career as a totally unfocused 19 year old. I knew I liked running, but never wanted to take it seriously. I transferred to WMU in 2008 at the age of 21(or whatever year Obama got elected. Don't bother me with details). After spending some time with people who ran competitively in high school and college, I realized that I wasn't all that different. Abbey Goetz, a close friend of mine, finally convinced me to join our school's running club. I went reluctantly, and I told myself it was to be social and spend time with other runners. I didn't want anything to do with track workouts, tempo runs or any of that. I was an ultrarunner(I had just completed my first 50k), and didn't think it was necessary.

At my first running club practice, I met a small, portly older gentleman. Immediately after shaking my hand, he told me to touch my toes. I reluctantly did, but only because I didn't want to be noncompliant. I reached my feet, despite feeling snap, crackles and pops that aren't normally heard by a 21 year old. The man decided I was ok, until he looked down at my Vibram Fivefingers that looked like they had been plucked from the garbage. All this man knew about me is that I run long and really slow, don't like running fast, and don't wear running shoes.

For a few weeks, I showed up to the club on "easy days" to goof off and run with my friends. I somehow managed to have "things to do" on days when they ran hard. One day, somebody changed the schedule and neglected to tell me. I felt like I had been ambushed with a surprise speed workout.

800m repeats.

I had no choice. I didn't have the cajones to walk away, and I didn't have the legs to run this workout. Some of us run long to mask the lack of fortitude it takes to admit that our speed could use improvement. I was once one of those people.

I suffered through the workout, until Coach pulled me off the track and told me that that was enough. He probably had enough of seeing my red face bounce awkwardly along the track and hearing my asthmatic lungs wheeze by him. I felt awful. I was sick. I felt defeated. I was the slowest piece of crap on the track.

I was addicted.

Like any other addiction, it felt bad at first. Remember when you had beer or coffee the first time? Did you ever think it would be something you'd use to get yourself awake in the morning or something you'd enjoy with friends after work? There's something about it that brings us back. We may not like how it feels initially, but we love the effect.

It probably didn't help that I had great training partners. I grew and learned with a group of runners that shared my desire and drive, even if I didn't know that I possessed it. We had no cross county or track team to hope to try out for. No scouts looking at us. No scholarships on the line. All we had was our small group, and our wise old coach. I'm not sure if I maintained a love of running because of college or in spite of it. Whether I'm out to make any good in this world or not, I owe a lot of my happiness to people like Abbey Goetz, Alex Poulsen, Evan Groendyk, and James Webber.

If you're scrolling down to find the point of all this...this is the general vicinity.

Only later did I realize just how great my coach was. George Dales, unbeknownst to me, is one of the most influential people in collegiate cross country. In my own little world, he was my first and most influential running coach. He came down to the field house on his own time to coach a bunch of misfits who just loved running. We were often irreverent and aloof, not wanting to follow his instruction. The more we ran, the more we trusted him. He led countless athletes in both collegiate and Olympic running to their potential. Who were we to disagree?

I was still an ultrarunner at heart, so I decided to represent our little club at the Kal Haven Trail Run. The team set up a fast relay group, and I ran the distance solo. I planned on being incredibly slow, as my last ultra was a bit abysmal. Long story short- I ran harder and faster than I expected, winning my age group, and nearly running a Boston qualifying time in the first 26.2 miles of the 34mile race.

The day I realized that being a "real runner" is whatever you want it to be.

The team did exceedingly well at their respective distances, and I surpassed my expectations for the ultra. The lesson I learned, even if it wasn't for a couple years, is that structured, quality training is a perfect supplement to wandering and enjoying running. They aren't mutually exclusive, but rather have the ability to inspire the polarizing sides of us - the drive for self improvement and the desire to spend time with our thoughts in the outdoors.

What does this have to do with me wanting to be a coach? I feel that everybody has a niche to fill. Mine is unique, just like anyone's. I love being a recreational athlete, but I feel that the best way to have fun is to give it your all. I've been on all ends of the spectrum. Holding off on athletic endeavors until early adulthood gave me an understanding of "starting at the bottom." Running two-a-days in college helped me understand the importance of dedication, training, and passion. Training while working full time helps me understand the plight of the working class hero.

Knowing you've put the effort into an upcoming event makes it even more fun. I want to help people achieve that feeling. Peak performance doesn't always have to involve course records or gold medals. I want to coach a person to reach their potential.

I'm starting an online coaching project. It's not a "get rich quick scheme" I cooked up to avoid a real job. It's a way for me to channel my drive to help. Call me an idealist, but I truly believe that a focus on movement and getting in touch with our more dedicated, passionate selves. I've found it to be the case with me.

I also need something fun to do with my American College of Sports Medicine Certification and Bachelor's in Exercise Science (there. I didn't exceed my self prescribed 2 line maximum for credential-dropping).

http://www.abilityendurance.com/ is up, but I'm still working on it. As readers of my personal blog, I consider you very valuable consultants. I value altruism above nearly everything, so I want people to know that I value the client coach relationship as a partnership. If there's any suggestions, let 'em fly! "Truth over harmony," as I've been told.

Jeff Vander Kooi has done me the honor of being the first athlete I coach. He's been doing an amazing job since November. I can't take credit for his drive and dedication, but I do send him his training plans weekly and provide feedback. He's keeping a log of his training for a trail 25k on April 1st. Check it out here:
http://www.jeffvanderkooi.blogspot.com/.

My Body Has No Odometer, Only a Watch.

2012-01-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

The goal for the week: a modest 14 hours. Pace or mileage be damned. Forward motion is all that counts this time. A little base-building never hurt anybody. I've been feeling like a slave to the Garmin, so I'm not going to use it. Yeah, another attempt to mix it up.

Monday
1.5 hours - Postholing in the snow and slush at the Park. Most of the run was in the dunes, so it was slow going, yet high heart rate and burning legs were ever present. I enjoyed the run, especially when I fell off a ridge and went sledding on my back. The epitome of the "off season" run, I ran, looked at the lake, and did all of the tough hills that my ego makes me avoid because it was slow(maybe I'm more of a road runner than I admit). These are the kinds of runs I wish I did more often...and will incorporate into my training. Works for Geoff Roes, right? Sure...other than his "slow" is my "holy shit my legs are burning."

Off topic: MT110s are great snow shoes. Even with 7 months of running on them, the ragged lugs still grip the hard pack snow. YakTrax XTRs help when it's really bad.

Tuesday
0 hours - The 14 hour goal gave me room for a rest day. My achilles felt a little tweaked, so I took it easy.

Wednesday
1.5 hours - super slow run on roads in the ankle deep snow. Running slow and strong feels good. Silent run in the dark as the snow fell on me. I'll try to remember how effortless it feels to not feel my legs the next time my legs hurt.

Thursday
7ish hours - Okay, I was snowmobiling. Not exactly running, but my legs were beat up nonetheless. The trails weren't groomed and the bumps were big. Imagine several consecutive "mini squats" while holding onto a 400lb+ machine. Wandering around the trails for hours seems to have been bred into me, since I've been doing this since age 12(and clinging to my dad for 7 years before that, since he rode like a madman whether I was attatched or not). This cut into my running time, but I figure it's cool. All the signs of a long winter run were present. Achy legs and arms, elevated HR, frostbite, and a craving for food and drink from the pub.

I'm the one in the background...not that it matters.
Great day in the snow with family and friends

Friday
1.5 hours - Took Abbey on my dune route at the state park. Temps in the teens, but we were working hard to stay warm. The sun even popped out for a little. None too shabby. In the snow, this little peice of land is my favorite place to be. Dune ridges, root-laden trails, generally pretty tough stuff. Abbey the road warrior did well.

Saturday
5.5 hours - 34ish miles at the Paint Creek 50k. Arrived 20 minutes late. Thank goodness it wasn't a race. Churning along in the snow, and chugging up the slimy, slushy hills. A rather boring run, but it's tough to turn down a free long run with a little aid station support and some cool ultrarunners. Great weather and a difficult run. Definitely a good strength builder. I ran the first 7 miles or so fast with Rich, another guy who showed up late. He was really fast, and helped me figure the course out. We got separated, and I slowed up quite a bitcxv f Inspired by my friend Phil, my aim in the off season is to run with consistency and hit ultramarathon distance once monthly. No official time, and no official place. 2 unlegit.
Running through the more affluent areas in the state offered a change of scenery. Instead of a meth head attempting to run me over in his '83 F-150, industry moguls showed disregard for my life with the grilles of their Audis. Douchebaggery transcends socioeconomic status.

As far as physical activity goes, it was around 17 hours. Of course, its a bit arbitrary since I doubt there is a precise MET value for "aggressive trail snowmobiling." I feel refreshed today, despite some sore legs from Saturday. Dare I shoot for a triple-digit week and make it a monthly occurrence? I start a factory job where Im on my feet running a grinder, so it's not likely. Structured training isn't really my thing lately. There will be time for that in March/April and beyond. I'd rather invest the time to save money for the upcoming move at this point. Yeah, I have a 100 to train for. Isn't being young and arrogant awesome?

My only plan as of 2012.

2012-01-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

A couple years ago, I was crewing for Jason at the Burning River 100. Watching a 100 before actually doing one was a surreal experience. I had the chance to feel the excitement, the hope, the fear, the pain, and the elation of the ultra's ultra before actually doing it. That was two years ago.

I had my opportunity to experience it firsthand a few months ago, when I attempted the Hallucination 100 over in Pinckney, MI. Though ultimately it was a lingering injury that did me in, I've decided after (too much) reflection that the day was never mine to begin with. My ego was inflated by a successful Summer, and I forgot why I partake in this sport to begin with. It has nothing to do with standings, places or medals.

I've been humbled by training solo. The only races I've done since Hallucination are low key holiday 5-10k distance races. Life has been feeling boring and broken, and it's time to fix it.

You only live once, right?

On the running front(less important, but generally the focus of this blog): Tahoe Rim Trail 100. I signed up New Years Day at 4am. I awoke from a dead sleep(I don't have to explain New Year's Eve festivities, do I?) and realized it was time to start my life again. Waiting around for some bullshit job to come through so I could feel like a productive member of society was killing me. I have dreams. They started with running, but spread and infused themselves into the fabric of my being. Ambition is contagious. Making one bold move will lead to more. That's how I want to live, not sitting idly and waiting for some semblance of a life to come to me. Never mind that I have no idea how I'll get there, how I'm going to cover 100miles at altitude, or how I'll fund all the shenanigans that take place between now and then. Great stories aren't about plans.

As you can see from that last paragraph, running is more than running to me. I don't think I've effectively hidden the fact that I moved to Boulder last Summer primarily to run, and secondly to work. The bold decision to test myself in a new environment led to growth on so many levels. I discovered a passion for working with people with disabilities, which was something I had no idea existed within me. I found out that independence isn't being 100% ready for what lies ahead. Independence is knowing that what lies ahead is never insurmountable. The last few months have consisted of waiting- waiting for a job, waiting for motivation, waiting for inspiration. No more.

My goal for 2012 and beyond: Less mistakes of sloth. More mistakes of ambition.

Samantha and I are moving back to Colorado. Adventure is imminent.

Keep on Truckin'

2012-01-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

I think training logs are for people who train, but habits are hard to break.

Monday
4 easy. Did a hard 17 miler with Evan the day before, and I was feeling it this morning. Some hip flexor pain, but cruising pace was acheived. Only one hill. I've got to get to some trails soon.

Tuesday
3 easy. Sitting is the enemy. No wonder sedentary people stay sedentary. Running will free up my back and hip flexors, but they hurt like the dickens in the process. Exercise is certainly an effective medicine, but like lots of medicine, it tastes bad sometimes.

Wednesday
14 miles - Met up with Abbey and Evan in Grand Rapids for Abbey's weekly long run. All the commuting is killing my body(and my wallet). I don't think I felt comfortable until mile 7, but after that, I finally felt like a runner again. Great run overall. Its amusing to run with people who train with speed as their cheif concern. I tend to goof off on longer runs and run slow, but diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

Thursday
Sick. Incredibly sick and vomitting violently. My innerds were being wrung out like a dish cloth. Gross.

Friday
7 miles - I love fresh snow. A big storm blew into the lakeshore area, so I headed to the trails for fun run. I arrived at 4, and the sun would be setting a little after 5. I forgot my headlight, so 1 hour was perfect. Ran the snow covered dunes, where the drifts were over knee deep in some spots. All the road running I've been doing made me forget just how much I love difficult climbs. No GPS, no real knowledge of pace. I ran for 77 minutes, so I just guessed conservatively and assumed 11 minute miles. I imagine there aren't too many people who wouldn't have enjoyed this run. The weather was perfect and the snow made it fun. Seeing all the kids at the park on sleds made me realize that playing in the snow is something we only outgrow if we choose to.

Saturday
3 miles - Worked a shift that swallowed up my day. Yeah, I know, full of excuses. Without any time to get to the state park and enjoy more snow, I did a quick 3 miler on the road with Libby(my sister's dog that I was watching). We both slipped all over the road. The dirt road I live on was glare ice, and the road is crowned. I got frustrated and went home.

Sunday
1.5 hour run. State park again, and a little more fresh powder to play in. I hit the singletracks that snake around the dunes, ran along the Lake Michigan Beach, and post-holed along the tree covered ridges. Great run, but I'm glad I forgot my watch. The slow pace would have been a really demoralizing cap to the week. Callin' it 8 miles.

39 miles for the week. This seems pretty bad, and it is when compared to what I'd like to be doing. The only redeeming part about this training week is 3 weightlifting sessions, and 3x 30minute "hill interval" sessions on the Arc Trainer(eliptical type thing at work). The trail runs have been a departure from the typical flat road sessions I've been doing as of late.

Let's see if I can do a little better next week. I'm thinking a long run on the weekend and some hours in the snow, provided it sticks around. Time(as opposed to mileage) based training will mix it up.

Happy Winter!

2012-01-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

I sit here writing this as a total bum. I got out of work with every intention of going running immediately afterward. To my dismay, I forgot my wallet, food, or any other means to get calories into me. I’m still adjusting to this whole commute/job thing.

I arrived at home, ready to get my ass moving and go for a run or bike ride. The air had finally chilled a little, so I moved quickly to get from the car to the house. My legs hurt, specifically in the hip flexors. This had me confused and, well, a little pissed off.

I ran 120-something miles last week. Other than being sore, I suffered no injuries whatsoever. A week later, I have pain during hip flexion? Despite my irreverent nature, I’m inclined to agree that rigorous training is wasted if not coupled with adequate rest. Why the hell do my legs hurt at the end of a rest week? The only answer I can think of is a generic one:

Even rest can be overdone.

I should have kept moving instead of taking consecutive days of little movement. Sure, I didn’t spend the week in bed, but I only ran a couple times, lifted weights just enough to go through the range of motion of my joints, and did some core work. This was only a fraction of my usual activity, and I feel rusty as hell. The extensive sitting I’ve done this week has tightened up my knees, hips, and back. A few minutes of activity won’t suffice to free up this tin man.

Doing two weeks of the extremes(activity and inactivity), I’ve learned some things. Without structure, things tend to fall apart. Last week, I had a plan to run 20miles per day. There were rules, there were deadlines, and there was motivation. This week, I “rewarded” myself the liberty to train strictly as desired. Needless to say, this doesn’t bode well for a natural born slacker with a recent sense of entitlement from accomplishing a goal and becoming employed. I’ve learned that if I’m going to train with any resolve, even the rest weeks need to have a bit of a plan.

You’d think I would know this already…right?

So, for my next hair brained scheme, I’m going to buy a calendar. A real, paper calendar, perhaps with cool pictures of cars, trees, or naked ladies(that’s what adults do right? You should see my grandpa’s workshop). On this calendar will have training goals on it. Weekly totals, scheduled dates to run with friends who are less flaky than I…which is just about anyone, and planned runs to hammer out solo.

Does planning my runs out mean I’ll be a slave to a calendar and cease to enjoy myself? I hope not. My intent is to limit the stress that comes from not knowing when or where a run will take place, to just make it a part of my day, albeit the more enjoyable part. We shall see what comes next. I’m not attached to the outcomes, but more or less an observer of myself

Immediate plans? I’m bagging the run today in favor of a couple vanilla java porters and some head clearing.

Welcome to the inside of my head. Watch for falling ideas.

Success can be bought with foot skin

2012-01-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

This week seems to have gone out with a whimper, rather than a bang. I finished out the challenge, giving me a 120 mile week.
My first run was just before dark, finishing in a blinding snowstorm on the flat farmland around my home. Several inches of snow piled up in the 1.5 hours I was out. Salt trucks blew by on some of the busy roads, blasting me with salt and slush. The back roads were calm and peaceful, since the 2-3 inches of powder hadn't been touched by plows or even tires yet. Ice hanging from my beard and hair, I pulled in with 11 miles on. The run started out painful, and took nearly 6 miles to loosen up. My pace had slowed due to fatigue and icy roads(race flats provide little traction). The adverse conditions made it fun, but it would have been more fun on fresh legs.

I ate an overly huge dinner of pasta, garlic bread, and shrimp. I then made a fatal mistake - I sat down on the couch.

I sat until 11pm. Realizing that I couldn't lose motivation when all I needed was a mere 6 miles to break an even 120 miles in 6 days. Finished up some work on the computer and headed out the door. I ran a loop I knew to be 7 miles. Not a single car passed by as I ran silently in the snow. It hurt. I guess that's what I wanted from this tedious break from my mediocrity- to see if I could keep going when nobody was around. Nobody cares if I keep going. Hell, I'd bet most would rather I stop. I silently walked the last half mile or so, just because it was nice to watch the snow fall on the road for a minute. I approached my door, realizing it was well past midnight. Another flaw that technically disqualifies my efforts, but I'm ok with it.

"Some of you might think 'any idiot could do that.' Well, it was hard for be so back off"
-Adam Sandler, Billy Madison

A few stats
123 miles this week(Monday-Sunday)*
10 runs total
Average pace- 8:00mile
Elevation- absurdly low, negligible
Shoes: Nike XC streak, Merrell Trail Glove

The week was held together by superglue(to hold the band-aids on my feet)
and a couple cool books for inspiration.

* I ran with three people with Garmin GPS watches. Mine came up 5-10% short on each of these runs. Not sure why mine is consistently reading low, but I just went by the final readout when I finished my runs. It's consistent, which I suppose is more crucial than accuracy.

I had a nice thought about how this week of triumph finally showed a chink in the armor of my mental weakness, but I forgot it. I should carry a pen around or something.

Day 6: Home Stretch

2012-01-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

I still haven't run, and its about 3:30pm. Debating whether to run before or after dinner.

The weather has taken a turn for the chilly, and its snowing pretty heavily. This is perfect. Snow beats rain any day, and makes for something more aesthetically pleasing while I plod out these final miles. A quiet, long solo run is going to happen, taking me into the week the same way it started.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how great I feel after an easy 18. I didn't think 2 miles or a slower pace would make much of a difference, but I feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle the last 20miler of the week. I'll write up more of what I learned later, but the most important has been the value of proactive blister care. My feet look awful as I glue together blisters that started small and grew quickly.

I can't help but feel that more accomplished runners could read this and think that I'm being a self-indulgent ass clown for documenting such a trivial thing as a slow low quality/high volume week like this. I realize that such feats are accomplished by several people in my social circle on a regular basis. Truth is, it's just to keep me on pace and help me do something I know I'm capable of. My limits lately have been self imposed products of complacency, and announcing my goals to even a few people has helped make me accountable, even if my mother likely accounts for the majority of my readership.

Enough musing, its time to get running.

If I don't post by the end of the day...just wait longer.

Day 5: Who came up with this idea?

2011-12-31T14:11:00.000-08:00

It's starting to feel...less fun to run 20 miles a day. Though nothing really hurts yet(no one thing more than another anyway), it's just getting a bit stale. It makes my more typical weeks of half the mileage sound like more of a blessing. High mileage weeks will have a place in my training in the future, but only when races are approaching or an awesome long run opportunity presents itself. I'm learning quite a bit though, which was the true aim of such a stupid endeavor.

There's light at the end of the tunnel. I ran 3 miles alone at Pigeon Creek, then met up with Jeff for his long run. The weather was great at 40something degrees and bright sunshine. Even as I approach 100miles in 5 days, the hills and sand are much easier on my legs than the pavement.

14 miles total for the morning, leaving 6 to go.

...and then I dipped into my surplus. I ran 4 in the afternoon, falling short by 2 miles. Luckily I had 4 in the bank. Technically, this makes my entire scheme of running 20 miles a day for 6 days a failure. Lucky for me, I'm a morally loose individual, and will continue as if I didn't break one of my self imposed(or not imposed, apparently) rules.

This means that counting Monday, I've run 105 miles in 6 days, and 102 miles in 5 days. Since every step was running, and every run was done at a respectable pace, this is my highest volume week ever, even if I don't run a single step tomorrow. The plan, however, was Tuesday to Sunday. I've got a plan to get my miles in tomorrow.

Day 4: over the hump

2011-12-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

Another 20 with Dr. C. today. Some roads and streets over to Calvin College to run on their cc course. I think I graced that course with the slowest loops ever. woo. hoo. Still hit quite a few miles in the standard 7:45, but all the stops slowed me down a little and my ragged legs slowed me down a lot. JC helped drag me along, and wouldn't let me stop running until we got to a legit 20, no matter how many times we circled the drain and passed his driveway. Jerk. All was well after beer, fries, and a grilled cheese.

Keep on keepin' on.

Oh yeah, and the rain made my nipples hurt.

Day 3: Halfway There

2011-12-29T20:40:00.000-08:00

Steady as she goes. Starting to feel some fatigue, but no real pains have reared their ugly heads just yet.

22miles on the day, since I got caught not paying attention.
The first run of the day was a 12 miler that turned into a 14er. I was zoning out, staring at a section of road about 25 feet ahead of me. I realized I had missed my turn to go back home. I turned around, saw the road that would take me home(about 30 feet back) and said audibly "fuck it, I've gone too far." I circled the next rural country block, adding 2 more miles to the route. Señor Garmin read a 7:47 average. At least I'm staying consistent, for better or worse. For extra He-Man points, I helped my dad push a customer's car into the garage after I jogged up the driveway.

Second run was an 8 miler at Hoffmaster State Park. I met Mark, Stuart, and Sam for a night trail run. I thought trails would feel awful with all the hills, but it was a really nice break from all the monotonous road running. We even ran the loop backwards to mix it up(well, we didn't run it back wards, but in the opposite direction). This got the hillier single track stuff out of the way first.

The plan is to keep doing 20 milers, despite having a bit of a surplus so far. Between foot care, eating more, hydrating, and...ahem...chafage patrol, its starting to feel like an ultra.

A run with J Cataldo in the AM, so I'm headed for a royal ass kicking tomorrow.

By the way, I'm not going to make a habit of daily posts.

Day 2: so far so good.

2011-12-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

2nd 20 mile day is in the bag. I realize that there is a plentiful amount of people do this regularly, but I'm just doin' my thing.

Both runs so far have been flat 20 milers with 1 water bottle and one GU taken just after the halfway point. Both runs have been identically paced at 7:45, with the 18th mile being 6:30 so that I could deplete glycogen stores(also because I was getting impatient and wanted to cool down.

My new shoes, the ones I was so enamored with, have given me a few blisters. on my heels and toes. This is probably due to my skin not being used to their unique points of contact with my foot.

Super Glue's original use was bonding skin as a quick way to replace sutures*. Good enough for this guy!

Today, I'm going to break it up into a 12/8 combo for the sake of breaking up the monotony and running with the Hobby Joggas.

this has to be the most boring thing any of you has ever read...right? I just read the owner's manual to my vegetable chopper and it was probably more interesting.

*according to urbanlegends.com, that's not true. I'm using it anyway.

A 6 Day Challenge

2011-12-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence."

Ghandi

I'm not too deep, I heard that quote from the A-Team movie.

I've realized that I'm not a lazy person, but it is easy to let goals slip away when you're laid back like I am. I want better for myself.

I haven't challenged myself in a while. Running has gotten boring, but its been my fault. Short easy runs (with the exception of the 34 miler a couple weeks ago) have been the M.O. as of late. I'm a damned ultrarunner, and its time to act like it. Time to challenge myself for no damned good reason.

On a run last weekend, my friend Mark commented, "you've got no job, you should be in the shape of your life." A couple hours later I realized just how right he was. No job and running less than I was with a full-time job? Time to stop spending so much time in my own head and get the hell out the door. The weather's great and I'm free.

I'm going to attempt to run 20 miles daily for the next 6 days. These are the arbitrary guidelines for my solo challenge:

Not challenging 20milers, not PRs for 20milers, but treating the next 6 days like a stage race.

Just pick pick random routes and run at least 20 miles on them.

All stops pulled - do whatever it takes to get motivated - ipod, caffeine, multiple daily runs, utilization of friends.

No "depletion training" bullshit - sleep well, stretch, eat well/alot/often, hydrate.

This challenge is not a desparate attempt to lose weight, make huge gains in fitness, prove anything to anyone or garner attention(well, I'm a blogger, and therefore a whore for attention, so take that with a grain of salt.). I just want to do something hard for a change. All too often, I stay in bed or cut my runs short for this reason or that. Setting a clear, short term, yet attainable goal might help me realize that I'm still capable of decent feats from time to time.

Day 1 was a success with a 21 mile road run. Feeling great so far Instead of hopping in the car and freezing up, I cooled down properly, ate a large meal of unprocessed(or minimally processed) food, took a warm shower and napped for 40 minutes. Hey, I've got no job, I might as well pretend I'm a professional runner, right?

If the weather's decent tomorrow, Sam's in for bike support for another 20miler. An itunes gift card will provide a little more entertainment.

Haven't brought the camera on a run lately, so I give you my finest
"I just got fancy clothes for Christmas" pose.

2011-12-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

Monday
7miles- I seem to be digging 7milers lately. Good weather for a night run. somewhere between 6:45 and 7:30pace for the most part. Not too hard, not too...soft I guess. Loving my XC streaks. Flat runs aren't fun, but running fast is, so I guess its not all bad. I'm not sure if my tendency to run in the dark stems from laziness or if its just a fun change of pace. It also may have something to do with it getting dark at 4:30pm.

...After Monday, I picked up a pretty nasty cold. I used my remaining energy to endure holiday parties and prepare for more holiday parties. I love my family and friends, but Christmas seems to bring some sort of tension somehow, doesn't it? Must be all the parties being planned. I know my procrastination must irritate the hell out of my family, so I'm grateful to have understanding people around.

Thursday
3 miles - small amounts of low-medium intensity exercise can help with sickness, so I did a quick three miler to wake me up before a family Christmas party. Pace was around 7:30, but my chest felt heavy and my head felt pretty swollen. Though I love snow, this dry weather is making it easier to lace up mesh running shoes and head out for these quick jaunts.

Saturday
AM - 7.5(or whatever their typical loop is) miles - A Christmas Eve morning jog with Mark, Stuart, Mike, and Rick(with Mocha, of course). These guys are quick, but usually I can keep up. I'm either a)still sick, but on the mend, b)getting slower and slower, or c)missing out on some awesome training runs.

PM - 3.5 miles - I was feeling like a champ in my newly acquired man-pris, so I decided to fill my gut with vegan burritos(no, not a full fledged vegan, but I'm experimenting) and headed out for another jog. Whittled the pace down to just under 7 minute miles before starting to cool down and curse the gastrointestinal effects faux cheese has on my body. Lesson learned: either skip cheese substitutes altogether, or just put some damned cheese on the burrito.

20-21 miles for the week. That cold really took the wind out of my sails, but since I decided that attempting the Beast of Burden 100mile on shit training is a bad idea, I'm free to start over again. All is well.

Do what you feel, do what makes you feel.

2011-12-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Monday
7 miles - Really slow, really boring. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't the usual warm and fuzzies I get from most runs. It was nice running along quietly in the dark though. The rudeness of some drivers in rural farm country never ceases to amaze me. Nearly had to jump in the ditch. I had my headlight and my blinking red Road ID light on too...bastards. An hour-ish.

Tuesday
7 mo' miles - Felt a little better today. Ran a more normal:(for me) pace, then ran a fastish 1mile tempo just to liven the legs up. Around 6 minute pace, then ran out of road. Jogged the rest of the way home. Didn't start out motivated, but glad I ended up heading out. Just under an hour

Wednesday
Guess what I didn't do. That's right, run. 0 hours

Thursday
12 miles on the North Country Trail. I was hiking, though so if you don't count that, I didn't run. Since my lifelong friend Korey happens to be a the hikingest sonofabitch around, I'll count it. Fully loaded with gear, Trekking Poles and all that. I could totally get into this hiking thing. I'm slow enough at running that one could possibly call all of my running hiking, but since I wear little shorts, so its running to me, dammit. 4.5 hours

Friday
35 miles - Kal Haven+ Detour.
Ryan and I had the awful idea to run the flat, lonely Kal Haven Trail from Kalamazoo to South Haven. I vowed never to run that whole distance again after my double crossing(68 miles) two Summers ago. I tend not to learn from my mistakes. We made prettygood time on the first half, making to Bloomingdale in around 3:30 or so. The run was great overall. A light dusting of snow fell on us as we trotted down the trail. I consumed only 2 GUs, a Mallow Cup, and a bottle of Mountain Dew. MT110s were way too much shoe for such a flat, smooth trail, but they happened to be in my car. Yes, I drove 1.5 hours without remembering to bring the right running shoes. Ryan's efforts were impressive. Considering his weekly mileage, his finishing of this run was awesome. He's got the stones to be a great runner, so he's got the difficult part down already.

The Kal Haven Caboose. The Kalamzoo end.

This happened more times than I'd like it to.

This is what you'd see from miles 1 to 34.

The only scenic part of the trail. Don't blink. Sorry I got in the way

Shredmeister Ryan Hansard, navigating the super technical terrain.

Ryan, pointing the part of him that doesn't hurt.

...where we picked up some fuel.
I grabbed the Dew and Mallow cup, saving the chocolate milk for the ride home.

Saturday
Friday night ended up being a great night out with friends. Needless to say, I did not work up the legs or motivation to run. Maybe I was sending all my energy to my friends running the HUFF. Maybe I got a little carried away Friday night. One of life's mysteries(its not a mystery).

Sunday
6 miles - A really nice run in the backroads near the house. All this flat running has me nervous that I'll be epically screwed once I attempt hills again. Until that day, I'll just keep on keepin' on. I did manage to drop one(1) 6 flat mile when I was 99% sure that I saw and heard a monster. In retrospect, it was very likely a log that I saw, and my beard on my coat that I heard. Call it 50 minutes, but I never ever ever remember to stop my watch at intersections or when I'm done running.

68 miles for the week. Of the past 4 weeks, three of them have been in the between 60 and 70. This feels good for now. About 17 hours of forward motion on my feet. Great times with friends, running and otherwise. Meeting up with some friends in Kalamazoo made me feel great, like I'm still on the right track in life, despite being a little down in the dumps in this post grad/pre job limbo in which I find myself.

Hardly any of my running was fast, but I'll be damned if I'm not starting to feel like me again.

Winter is Running Late

2011-12-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

Why don't I just list the days I did actually run.

Tuesday- 5 miles. A fairly boring route at normal cruisin' pace on flat roads. Not exactly a life changing experience. 7:30ish pace. womp woooomp(imagine a trombone making that noise...yeah).

Thursday- 10 miles. Even flatter than Tuesday. Running country blocks is a bit boring. Lifting my eyes up to see the flat road disappear into the horizon makes a ten miler feel longer. While I was wallowing in my self pitty, I realized that a sunny December jog through a quiet farm country could be quite a bit worse. I hadn't eaten or drank anything all day(it was one of those purgatory type days where hours slip away like minutes), and still managed to go run 10 miles at an even(albeit 8:00+) pace.

Friday- 20 miles. I woke up craving a little adventure, so I packed up my backpack with a bladder full of water, a few GUs, my trekking poles, and some chocolate. After a week of being down about my poor training, I realized that I hadn't done one of my favorite training routines in quite some time. The long slow run was once the crux of my regimen. Now it's all been short and fast, hardly the type of running that needs to be done when one wants to cover 100miles over nasty terrain.

I just tucked my watch in my coat sleeve(I only brought it to measure total distance and keep an eye on the time), tossed on my intentionally heavy backpack, and jogged North. My legs were stiff and sore, but I had faith they would loosen up. At about mile 7, they finally did. Just plodded along at what turned out to be about 10-10:30 pace when running, and the occasional hiking just for the sake of slowing down and taking it in.

Coyotes have been hassling my goat...and I recently watched The Book of Eli,
so I may or may not have brought an unnecessarly large knife.

a little winter grayness

A Call to Those With Work Ethic

2011-12-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

Its a plateau...see what I did there?

Well, I seem to have hit a slump again. I can usually manage about 3 weeks of decent running, then it falls off for about a week. Several theories on periodization suggest that this is a good thing, but there's one inherent problem with my pattern. Rather than the acceptable and fun week of crosstraining and exercise, the "down" week typically consists of little moving and more moping.

I don't take this as a sign of a total lack of fitness, but it's just not where I'd like to be. I can still string together a decent 5k on a whim and run 20-30 miles without hurting too terribly. Last year, I had a solid few months of training that lead to some success over all running distances. (Broke 17min for 5k, sub 3 marathon, and 7 hours for 50mile). I'd rather be improving upon these times, not struggling to recapture them.

I'm wondering I'm just perpetually unsatisfied with myself. We all tend to romanticize about our "glory days," and maybe this is just me doing that. Looking back on old posts, I seem to have maintained a bit of a frustration with my training, think I'm never as fast, or as consistent, or as dedicated as person x.

Whether I'm being too hard on myself or not, the path to improving upon my current self is going to be paved with consistency. I've gotten where I am, for better or worse, by averaging 40-60miles weekly with sporadic bouts of 80-100mile weeks, typically with a tempo run, a long run, and a (less than typical) track session. For someone who aspires to improve their performance at ultra distances, I'd like to average more weekly mileage.

I realize that an aspiring fitness professional shouldn't act so lost on what to do to get more fit. The truth is, however, that the intangibles of training go beyond metabolic calculations and biomechanics. Just like VO2 max isn't the sole factor in performance, knowing facts and figures isn't the sole determinant of a good coach. If training were simply numbers based, there would be litte need for coaches, trainers, and doctors. Learning from each other means more to me than maintaining the visage of a perfect specimen.

So, fitness machines, how do you keep the consistency?

Digging Through My Old Stuff

2011-12-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend was planning to make me a christmas present out of my old medals. I thought that maybe she was going to melt them down and create an armored, weaponized flying suit. Once I accepted that that probably wasn't going to happen, she told me that she was going to make a windchime. It's a way cooler idea than me just hitting my head on them when I dig my junk out of my closet, and it shows how thoughtful she is.

While looking through the old medals, I found my very first one, from my very first race. It had no ribbon and it was the size of a quarter. It's perfect. A small momento to commemorate the race and nothing more. Ostentatious displays akin to flava flav's clocks seem to be showing up more and more(ahem...North Country). Those of us who love the intrinsic value aren't in it for the swag. A little coin with a string, hung by a string I found in the parking lot will do just fine.

I'm not immune to this need for complication disguised as minimalism. Before starting over as a "barefoot"/minimal shoe runner, I wore one pair of shoes. For everything. I wore them out, modified them, then wore them out again. I now have more shoes than I know what to do with. I didn't own a GPS watch. My Garmin now has 4800miles and some change on it. I feel as though I'm better off now, since I'm running more miles with less injury, but I do remember the days where picking which gear to wear was a bit easier. Which shoes did I wear? The only ones I had. Was it above freezing? I wore my shorts from Target. Was it below freezing? I wore my windsuit pants. I've started whittling it down, but still suffer from an inundation of shoes and clothing. I'd like to get back down to the following:

Good trail shoes(probably the NB MT110 or upcoming Merrell MixMaster)

Good Road Shoes(Nike Streak XCs)

Great Shorts

A pair of man pris

A pair of thermal tights

A waterproof jacket(Columbia Peak 2 Peak)

knitted gloves/hat

...damn, how did this hobby get so involved?

Shoes are tools. I miss the days when my toolbox contained only a hammer.
I trimmed these down to level them out after I shattered my knee, but before discovering
that barefoot and minimal shoe running existed.

Revisiting the Originals: Vibram Fivefingers Bikila LS review

2011-12-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

Is the Bikila LS an upgrade from the KSO?

When I was approached by Vibram's marketing people to review the Bikila LS, I was a bit confused. I've expressed a bit of a disdain for this model because I felt it was a step in the wrong direction. It looked more like a running shoe, which was a surprise from a company known for making the "anti-running shoe." I was, of course, interested in an opportunity to feel for myself.

Trying the Bikila LS on - First Impression
The shoes arrived, and I was excited to try them on. My first impression wasn't positive. I felt restricted in the shoes and my feet felt cramped. This isn't unique to the Bikila, as a foot that fits so closely to the foot is going to feel tight. Nearly all other minimal offerings feature a relaxed fit, allowing for the foot to function naturally in the shoe. Vibram is truly different. Much like my old KSOs, I don't particularly enjoy the fit for casual use. They felt kind of hot, but the uppers felt much smoother than in KSOs. I Just as with all other shoes, standing in them and looking at them is rarely a valid assessment of performance. They're not hailed as "the original standing around and wiggling your toes" shoes. I hated my KSOs for casual, but racked up over 2000miles on them before they finally wore through.

Advice: You may not be impressed initially, but they really shine on the run.

The Bikila Stands up on its own. This is evidence that its a bit more "running shoe" like when
compared to its sailing-inspired predecessor.

Running in the Bikila LS
I took the shoes for their first run- a 12 mile total run with hill repeats in the middle. Since the shoes felt a little tight, I applied some Vaseline to my pinky toes and a couple pre-existing sores(thanks, 2012 NB minimus zero). After a couple miles of warming up, they felt quite nice. The ground feel was less than that of the KSO, but still more than most any of the current offerings. The thin sole allowed for a barefoot style gait. What contributes to its prowess as a "barefoot shoe"* is that it fits so closely to the foot. Since Vibram's patent is pending, its going to take quite a bit(and thus far, unseen) creativity to make a shoe feels so much like a bare foot. As they say in their own ads, "The more it looks like a foot, the more it acts like a foot." Sole thickness is important, but for some of us, it takes a backseat to responsiveness. In a shoe like a Bikila, there is no "flopping" or folding, and its so close to the foot that it acts like a thick(maybe too thick) second skin, not a shoe.

I may be a bit biased because the Vibram KSO was my first minimal shoe, after a few months of running exclusively barefoot. This is the reverse of the conservative "transitional shoe" approach, but I put over 2000miles on a pair without getting injured. They also fit my feet rather perfectly, which may not be the case if a runner has a Morton's toe(middle toe longer than big toe), bunions, or just a different foot shape.

My 4th pair of KSOs(left) and the New Bikila LS(right)
Simplicity has been replaced by more technology. Whether that's good or bad is up to you.

The eye catching "podded" design allows for points of flexion while adding some
sole thickness for protection.

Details
Something more recent from Vibram is the lacing system that replaces the standard hook and loop straps. The laces are nice in that they can't be overtightened like the strap. Vibrams have such a tight fit that a complicated mechanism isn't necessary. Laces look pretty sweet. I'm not above favoring a shoe that's easy on the eyes! Since the Bikila is a running specific model, it has reflective stuff on it. I doubt it will keep me from getting hit by a car, but it still looks cool.

The upper is much smoother than the KSO. Though a bit warmer, the inside has no seams. This keeps the runner from suffering the cuts that have scarred my feet as a result of wet KSOs. The buttery smooth inside is almost as good as the KSO Trek(Kangaroo leather model).

Bottom line: Had I bought the Bikilas for a general purpose running shoe, I would not have disappointed

Overall:
Vibram's Bikila LS is generally a very good shoe. Though I'd like to see a thinner sole for road running, the current sole thickness is versatile. A runner can be on gravel, chip and seal, and non rocky trails and be very happy. If you're fortunate enough to have a foot the same shape as the shoe's last, then they will serve you well. Give them a fair shake that goes beyond putting them on and standing in one place.

A logo-filled week.

2011-12-04T22:02:00.000-08:00

I tossed my name into the lottos for both of these fine races. I'm qualified for WS in the legittest of ways, but I went the "please believe me, I can survive your race" approach for Hardrock. It is an option, but since I've yet to run a hundo, its pretty unlikely. I took a shot anyway. I have confidence in my abilities, but understand how it looks on paper. I've finagled my way into prestigious events before. You only live once, right?
Edit: I already found out that I didn't get into Hardrock. Apparently, they had so many applicants with qualifying races under their belts that they couldn't even consider those of us that attempted to convince them. Elite ultra baus Michael Wardian was on the same mailing list I was, so I didn't feel so bad.

noun

a person who pretends or claims to have more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; quack.

Monday
6 miles - Put off running all day so that I could hit the books. I was successful in that I did indeed put off running all day. A little studying, a meeting of the Unemployed Bored Braintrust, and back to reading. Lo and behold, I arrived at home to find out the horse and goat and other barn dwelling creatures needed feed, so I had to go to the feed store. Finally snuck a run in after dark. My legs were a little achy from the tempo 14 the day before, so I just slogged out 6 easy miles on the dirt roads near the house. Caught a little sliver of sun going down.

Tuesday
Tons of ass time in the car as I travelled to take my certification test. All the sitting made me drowsy and I didn't muster up the gumption to run. I did, however, add a few acronyms to my resume.

This should help the job searching along nicely. I don't believe that people are defined by their certifications. I'm the same person I was the day before I took the test, but now I hope it adds a little legitimacy will require less convincing. Little known fact: I actually know how to train people, but happen to train myself in a sporadic nature.

Wednesday

5 miles - Did a little jogging at the State Park to take in the warm air. Some hills, deer runs, and dunes. Chilled out afterward, stretching my achy back(really regretting not running to undo all of yesterday's sitting) on the beach.

Thursday

9 miles - Still warm out, so I did a little shoeless running on the bike path to the lighthouse. Its been a while since my bare feet touched pavement. Form felt solid, but my foot skin is totally deconditioned. Circled back around for my KSOs and felt better. Yep, I'm a wuss. Great run on the break arm to the lighthouse as some huge waves splashed on the rocks and wind tried to take me out into the water.

Friday

AM-12 miles. 3 mile warmup to the track, then a bit of an arduous workout.

3 mile cool down.

5 miles of sub 6 minute mile pace felt surprisingly good, despite the track having ice on it in a few spots. I'm in need of some road/track slippers. It would appear that all I own are trail shoes and 2 pair of Vibrams that are inexplicably hacking the shit out of my feet. Cold weather seems to pucker the seams on my KSOs.

PM - 7 miles at Muskegon State Park with Ryan, fairly easy pace, but the weather was great for December and it was awesome to enjoy the final days of slush free running. A little running on the gravel ski path, steeper hills, deer runs, and the road along Lake Michigan. If life does keep me in West Michigan longer than planned, I won't be as disappointed as I originally thought I would be.

The temp could fool me, but that winter sky is a dead giveaway. It's December.
Photo: Ryan(stolen from facebook...thanks Ryan!)

Saturday

AM- 16 miles with Jeremiah in Allendale. It started raining on the way there, and I knew I was in for a muddy treat. A road route to some trails near the Grand River, a few loops(containing one treat of a hill that Dr. C insists on climbing repeatedly...damn him), and back to Campus. I've been spending a lot of time in the car to log running miles. Ecologically reprehensible.

Sunday

10 miles - I slept in way too late to sneak a run in, so I had to wait until dark. My family went to bed, and I hit the road. I was able to run with my headlight off with the moon lighting my way. It was incredibly quiet. The rain had finally quit and the wind completely died off. I didn't look at my watch until I got back. The first and last miles were 8ish, the middle 8 were 7ish. Felt rather effortless.

Total: 65miles. Fell short once again, but I matched last week. The week had all the essential components(easy, long, tempo, and pacework), so the low volume approach isn't all bad.

That's More Like It Ought to Be

2011-11-27T20:19:00.000-08:00

This week was petty favorable as far as running goes. A couple double-digit runs, some faster efforts, and trails. I've got some serious adjusting to do to my diet if I want to sustain running. Apparently, eating poor quality food inconsistently is no way to run well. If only I had spent a considerable amount of time paying people to teach me that...

Monday
10 miles - Feeling like running roads for some reason, I left the State Park to run some curvy lakeshore roads. Ran a comfortable pace to a nearby park, then ducked back into the woods for some trails to take me back to the car. Nice route. I'm always happy when 7:00-7:30pace feels comfortable.
Observation: The less shoe I wear, the more enjoyable roads are.

Tuesday
16 awful miles. Met up with Evan in Grand Haven to do a longish run. My legs never got the memo. Couldn't find a pace that felt decent, and my foot was angry. I think my Bikilas are a size too small, causing a little cramping and tendinitis in my foot(one is slightly larger than the other). No pace felt good. I walked at the top of the little hills along the lake shore. Some days, I tell ya. All is well, as we stopped at Dee-Lites for beer(s) and vegan hash and french fries at 11am.

Wednesday
6 miles - A nice run at Muskegon State Park with Jeff, plus a short run to the lake to watch the waves roll in for a bit. Beautiful day to let some sun in. Such a nice run, maybe I'll have another this afternoon. I'm totally cool with the "quality over quantity" winter that is being predicted for the area. By this time last year, I had already been running in slush for 6 weeks.

Thursday
8 miles - Turkey Trot at the YMCA. Warmed up for about 15 minutes, ran the race, cooled down, and caught up to my mom, aunt, and sister. I think I forgot how to run hard, but luckily my track workouts have made 6:00/mile pace feel pretty comfortable. Señor Garmin showed all three miles at 5:59, then kicked it in the ass to jog into an 18:28 or something. Considering that I'm in "pasty out of shape retired hasbeen" mode, I'll take it. I take a little pride in the volunteers at the turnaround being overtly surprised that someone was smiling while in 4th place.

I love turkey trot type races. I think what is so great about them is the mix of people. People who embrace the idea of movement being for everyone are multiplying, and its awesome. You don't have to be a neurotic, hairless, spandex-clad clown in a heart rate monitor (not that there's anything wrong with that) to enjoy some exercise with family and friends. Keeping moving keeps us young, happy, and healthy.

Friday
AM- 7 miles with Stewart and Mark. Beautiful day for a run with only shorts and a t-shirt required. I was a little heavy-legged from the previous day's 5k(cut me some slack, I'm not used to running quality), but we casually moved along, playing in the leaves and listening to Stewart singing Bee Gees songs. I was tired, but was somehow stayin' alive. Yep...that just happened.

PM- 3 miles. I'm babysitting a dog for the weekend. He was all antsy and driving me nuts as I attempted to sloth it up on the couch, so I took him out for an easy 3mile jog. I wouldn't want to judge an entire breed of dog, but based on this sample(population: 1), Pit Bulls are not distance runners. Either that, or my companion pro tem is actually a well disguised shi-tzu.

Saturday
zip. Felt like taking it easy. I've been really enjoying running lately, and don't want to wreck a period of extra zeal by forcing a boring run in.

Sunday
14(ish)- Met up with Evan for a Dirty Herd Roundup. Ran the first loop nice and easy(38:00), then stopped at the car for agua and to remove some clothes. Next lap was of substantial quality, around 35 minutes. Rolled in just in time to meet up with the herd and run the final lap in the 36-37minute range. Its a 4.5 mile trail loop. Quite muddy since it's been raining for a couple days.

This run was a nice reminder that I need to eat. I've been neglecting to take care of my running on the nutritional end. Living at home, despite more food being available, has caused me to skip meals or eat at odd hours. Time to take care of myself and realize that garbage in=garbage out. Considering that I've been in on a vegetarian kick lately, I'm probably in need of even more calories.

64 miles. Had I not taken my rest day, it could have been an even 70 or more. Oh well. Still a good week. Every time I went out, I didn't have to coax or convince myself- I really wanted to go.

I hope this week can be recreated and improved upon instead of being a flash in the pan.

If Heaven Has Internet

2011-11-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Of all the weird ass toys, these STREET SHARKS stand out in my childhood,
playing with them in Mike's basement during the holidays.

This won't mean much to most of you. For a little background, I refer you to this, my first post on this blog. I started this chronicle of my shenanigans as a way to document my life and evacuate some of the thoughts from my brain. My first post explained why I decided to pursue a life of movement and exploration. The emotional scar that was left by the loss of my cousin and childhood idol also signifies the event that pushed me out of a life of complacency.

Tonight is the 5th year anniversary of Mike's death. We all live and die by the decisions we make. Though his final decision is a regretable one, the ones he made before shaped the lives of those around him. The timing of "Lenny's" death has caused me to loathe thanksgiving, but it still reminds me that we should all be thankful for those we have.

Put your differences aside, hug your families, and tell the people who inspire you to keep it up.

Downward Slope

2011-11-20T19:43:00.000-08:00

Monday
9 miles. Jason and I drove to Flagstaff to summit Mt. Humphreys. Altitude is a bitch when you live at sea level, but we perservered. The views were ok I guess.

Almost to the top.

Jason looking from the snow covered mountain to the desert.

The snow and altitude made it less runable for me, but we got some joggin' in.

snow is cold no matter how warm the air is. Cold ass.

Tuesday
2000miles...in a can of farts with wings. The flight back to Michigan(and losing two hours to timezones) wiped me out. So it goes.

Wednesday
13miles - Loop around Reeds Lake with Evan, and some hill repeats. Wednesdays are awesome. Workout, Pizza Buffet, fun. Readied my hunting stuff and did an hour of core work with Sam. I realized that other than maintaining my health and therefore helping the costs of other people's medical insurance, I'm a noncontributing member of society.

Thursday
6miles - A bit ashamed of myself here. I actually ran solely because I felt guilty about eating too much. Pretty sad. To the store to get my hunting license and back. Ended up being enjoyable as I got snowed on in the dark.

Friday
5 miles - Short loop in the morning before heading up north. Not nearly as long as I would have liked, especially since I knew my running would be approximately cero.

Saturday
0- a few miles of walking in the woods with gear and a gun, but no running. Being alone in the woods for a whole day is another post in itself.

Sunday
4 miles - Left my knife in my blind, and just ran back to get it from the cabin.

I have constructed an elaborate graph to save you some reading.

Running, Crewing, and general ass-clownery from last week.

2011-11-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Monday
AM: 2 miles slow n' easy with Megan and Libby(sister and dog, respectively). My sister is a machine. She runs a couple miles without even really thinking about it.

PM: 10 miles with Suart and Mark. Ran some ridges at Hoffmaster, then apparently left the state land. We got lost, and Stewart suggested we flip a coin to decide which direction to take. Mark asked me for a coin(as if I carry quarters on my run). A hunter popped out and told us to flip a coin someplace else. I was clueless as to wheter he was allowed to be there, but he who wields the broadheads wins. We went about our buisness and had a sweet run in some gorgeous weather.

Tuesday
6 miles(ish) with Alex and Phil at the Arboretum in Kzoo. Nice and easy. Didn't fit much running in since I drove to Kalamazoo for a seminar and some bidness. I'm not fast enough to live for free, so I am intensifying the job search.

Wednesday
12 miles: Track workout
Met up with Abbey and Evan for some running in Grand Rapids. We liked the 8x800 workout from a couple weeks ago, so we simply extended it. 10x800 at 3:00. 200m jog rest period. Ran all of them a little faster than we prescribed to ourselves, but still averaged 2:56 per rep. 2.5 miles each way to the track. Brick Road Pizza buffet to follow. Other than some sore nipples(damn tech shirts to hell), the workout went well. I didn't over exert, but felt that awesome tired, heavy-legged feeling that calls for a nap afterward. Working these into the week will keep things fresh without injuring me...I hope. Speedwork helps me practice good form and mix up the heart rate training. Stagnant running and boredom are the enemy.

Hey, cool! I got myself back on pace for a decent week. I'm sure I'll wreck it somehow.

Thursday
AM: 9 miles. Just a flat road route with no watch. First snow run of the year. If I had any desire to remove the hair from my face, it's gone now. The weather changed about 5 times on the run. From windy, to sunny, to cloudy, to near white-out snow, and back to sunny again. I meant to extend the route, but as my legs began to hurt, I took the opportunity to shorten the route. Something great about reggae music and running in snow.

Friday
Traveled to Arizona, which took nearly all day. The only running I squeezed in was a sprint to a connector flight. Call it "the airport steeplechase"

Saturday

6(ish)miles - Crewed and paced for Shelly at the Javelina 100. She fought the good fight, but decided to call it early. She was still impressive, and I'll let her tell the tale. While she was running, Jason and I snagged a few miles of desert ridge running. Oh, how I missed the sustained climbs of mountains.

Jason and Shelly, pre-Javelina.

Sunrise over the "tent city" start/finish. Near perfect weather

Jason, Jon, and I got a little "overhydrated" the night before. Glad I wasn't running.

The one and only Catra Corbett cruises by.

I hardly talked to anyone(other than the generic encouragements),
but its pretty easy to see what these badasses are made of.

Did a little running of my own and went on a seldom-used trail. These bastards were all up in my shoes.

Jon and I also spotted THE Delorean at el Pollo Loco!

Sunday

10 miles - Jason, Jon and I searched and found a cool mountain summit near Prescott, AZ. Reached the Summit at around 7600feet. The trail was a perfect grade for a sea level dweller like me. I still remember how to run the long climbs, but my lungs were feeling the thin air. More breathtaking veeestas, but they're on Jason's camera.

Weekly total: 55 miles. Not my greatest, but pretty average in a quantitative sense. The quality, from a training and enjoyment standpoint, were great. Running for running's sake.

Back in Colorado

2011-11-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

I've landed myself back in Colorado, albeit for only a couple hours. Layover in Denver on my way to Phoenix, AZ for the Javelina 100. I'm crewing and pacing for Shelly tomorrow. I think I'm more excited to crew than I was at the start of my own 100. I'm not sure if its the travelling, seeing friends I don't see every day, or whatever else, but bumming around this country of ours is calming. I've only got a couple minutes of complimentary wifi service, so I'm going to spend it babbling.

I wish my desire to stay home equaled my attraction to this state. Staying home would be so much easier. No leaving those I care about, no relocating, no attempting to replace those who are nothing short of irreplaceable. Perhaps I should just invest in my own plane so I can commute whenever I please. Hit up Indian Peaks on the weekend, head back for work, see friends and family, repeat. I have a couple pilot friends, why the hell not? All I have to do is pull off this ultrarunning Richard Simmons act I'm trying to pull off and I'm all set. Who's coming with me?

Meh.

2011-11-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

Another week has passed. Ths particular week has been full of excitment. The following has happened:

I scraped up some money(and online coupon codes) and lavishly ordered a new pair of running shorts.

I cut a little bit of my hair off to look less like a hobo...preferred looking like a hobo. That's what I get for asking my mom for a quick trim. I look like a bearded 5 year old. If my brother in law hadn't already laid claim to the look that resembles rapper Common, I'd be all over it and go scorched earth on my Cory Mathews* hair

I did a fun hill workout: 5 x "Sprint up a sandy hill with Evan until we taste vomit".

I ran approximately every other day, totalling a whopping 30 miles.

I did a bunch of core exercises with Sam and now my belly button hurts.

I got my self a sweet hunting spot all staked out up north so I can enjoy some nature. I haven't ventured into the woods to hunt for about 9 years. My hand-me-down hunting gear actually fits this time. I will spend the week franticlly searching for some sort of reclining chair. Why do all camo stools look like tripod bicycle seats? I'm trying to nap for Christ's sake.

*Cory Mathews is a fictional character from the 90's sitcom "Boy Meets World." If you are not an American child from the 90's, you missed out.

I Take My Slacking Seriously: If it's worth doing, do it right

2011-11-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

Life, love, career, Mexican food night: Give them all you've got.

As can be inferred from recent posts, my serious training came to a screeching halt after attempting my first 100miler. Try as I might, My very first DNF has done fine job of stealing my mojo...or so I thought. I bounce theories around with conclusions ranging from existential meltdowns to shrugging it off and saying, "shit happens." Perhaps a little optimism is in order.

Despite my efforts to appear nonchalant and aloof, I value my life, my success, and my happiness. Why shouldn't I? I'm in a good position to do some good in this world. Rather than an unfortunate event, I think my world being turned on its head was incredibly well-timed. I returned home from Colorado with an outlook that wasn't quite mine. Running had a stranglehold on the rest of my life. I've recently had a change of heart, which has lead to a sense of peace and balance.

Summer running season ending less than ideally, undergrad studies being over, and now a nice mail reminder that I owe the federal government several full sacks with dollar signs on them. These things had me down, now I've realized something: It's time to get moving. I want my life to matter, to me and others. I had humble beginnings as an athlete(hell, I'm still not anything to write home about), but I've found a niche that feels great. Others deserve to know that they can also rise from the ashes of a sedentary lifestyle and feel the sweat on their brow and the burn in their muscles from pushing themselves.

On a professional note, I want to bring a personal touch into what I do. I'm no artist, but I'm willing to put effort into making sure people know I have their attention. Many of us bloggers are inspired by writers like Seth Godin, who preach the value of emotional labor. It separates creative artists from mediocre painters. I want to use emotional labor to separate myself, as a compassionate healer, from cookie-cutter personal trainers.

With regard to my own training, I'm letting it come to me. When I decide to slack, I'm going to slack gloriously. Enjoy a movie and quit thinking about running. When its time to run, its time to run. No waiting for it to be over, no dissociating from the experience. I know I love running. It has become a part of me. I just have to keep some faith that it will come back. Letting myself get scatterbrained is what has lead to my current paralysis. I spend my non-running time thinking, "I should really be running more" and it causes anxiety with running. And that, you poor people who subject yourselves to my deranged inner monologues, is stupid.

Slack gloriously. Slack so hard that your beer
has to wear a casual shirt.

Work Hard. Work so hard that you have to set up a designated
zone, then have a random stranger take picture of you in library.

Run with some heart. Run so with so much heart that you don't care that you posess the awkward
body comparable to those weird future-telling white humanoids from Minority Report
Must.resist. urge. to say. I won...this race.

A Week Pissed Away...But Not Wasted

2011-10-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Monday
0 miles- Took it easy. Raked the yard and felt unmotivated. Spent more time planning the week instead of forcing myself to run. I think it was for the best

Tuesday
AM- 3 miles. Just chilled out in the rain and jogged easy. Felt like it was the start of something good. An honest to goodness relaxed three. It's been a while. The shakeout is important. Too slow is just as bad as too fast. If we do them with partners, its not automatically the speedy one's fault.

PM- 7 miles. 3 miles easy on the rolling hills of the ski trails, then made my way over to the dunes. 6 good, hard climbs. They weren't super long, but I about tipped over at the top. As I did the first climb, I turned around to see the entire shoreline illuminated by lightning. It was quite dark at only 4:30pm. I would like to have done 8 repeats, but an excuse presented itself when lightning hit the beach and I nearly shit my hot pants. Time to go! Ducked back into the trees and did a couple miles at home.

Wednesday
0.00 miles(for those of you using the metric system, this is roughly 0.0 kilometers) Fail and a half on the training front. To kick off the day, I overslept by two hours. After I got a text from Ryan, we headed off to haul a few cord of wood for some "family" friends. I'd gladly trade any standard day of joggin' to know that an elderly couple has enough firewood to last a winter. Still a good day outside lifting and building some monstous muscles! I saw a vein in one arm pop out and everything. Nutritionally the day was also a deliciously wonderful clusterf**k. Burgers, bottomless fries, and 3 root beer floats...and that was just lunch. Can't lie, it was a good day.

Thursday
Nearly a full day of slacking and not doing much. Attempted to study at 3 different places. Capped off a full day of wasting daylight with an evening of debauchery. Up until 4am.

Friday
Track workout 12 miles total.
3.5 mile jog to East Grand Rapids High School's track. Some strides and warmup jogging. Evan and I decided to stick with an easy pace just to get used to some leg speed and ease into doing weekly track sessions. As per the classic advice of our former coach G Dales, we just stuck with 6:00min/mile pace and stayed comfy. Of the 4 800s I was leading, I was within 1 second of target pace without the use of a watch. At least I have a sense of pace. 8x800 @ 3:00 - 200 meter jog as rest. Return trip home of 3.5 miles. The pace on the track felt nearly effortless. It was a great confidence booster and intro to pacework. Rather than attempting 5:30 pace and risk destroying ourselves, we just got a feel for a comfortable pace and got a good baseline for further workouts.

Saturday and Sunday
The weekend can be lumped into one day because of the amount of running done. Hint: the number can be drawn with a compass. My knee had a strange shooting pain that I haven't experienced in a while. The week was a wash with regard to mileage anyway, so resting seemed reasonable.

Impromprtu Halloween shenanigans necessitated a 40 minute costume creation.
I was the best damned chalupa at the Block Party. Girls dressed like strippers and watered down liquor.
Halloween is fun in adulthood, provided you can create a cool costume.

My week was absolute garbage in comparisson to what I have planned. I had a big line of bullshit prepared about how having an actual coach of my own would help motivate me, then I would follow that up with suggesting you get an online coach, planting a seed for when I get my ACSM certification(see what I would have done there? I'm an evil genius). No, it was indeed a combination of laziness, circumstance, and...well, laziness I guess. So what.

2:30am. Hittin' the mother lode in my chalupa costume.

I'll aim for a better week of running this time. Maybe some snow will come along and freshen things up around here.

Coaching Ourselves: getting organized

2011-10-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

Life has been getting to me lately. When running is good, life seems to follow suit. I realize it's a bit unhealthy to define ourselves by our hobbies, but that's not what I'm getting at. What I'm trying to show myself(and since I insist on materializing every obsessive-compulsive thought I have on this blog, all 4 of my readers as well) that diligence, planning, passion, and tenacity can be metastatic- let them into one aspect of your life and they'll start to carry over. Like a disease, but, like, the opposite.

Since returning from Colorado, life has been a bit underwhelming. I expected post-college life to kind of fall into place. Job offers should have been pouring in, a cheap place to live should have presented itself, and my hobby as an ultrarunner should have exploded into a lucritive career full of trophies, cocaine, and only the highest class prostitutes, courtesy of whichever shoe company was vying for my input on shoes.

I realized that college is the ultimate sanctuary for those who like their paths laid out for them. Though I loved it, it's time to start making my own way. Just...umm...gotta figure out how to do that. Following my own aforementioned logical-ish, inappropriate cancer analogy, I'll start with a few changes and hope to catch a fire under my growing and sedentary ass.

I'm tired of sleeping until 11am every day(editorial confession: it's actually awesome, but unproductive). I have an exam to prepare for(Anybody going to want some online or in-person coaching in the future?), chores to do, and dreams to chase down. A little life restructuring is just what I need.
I've decided to objectively look at myself as the recreational athlete I am, and apply my knowledge to myself as a client. Here are my goals for the remainder of the week:

Client 0: Weekly plan
Monday:
Rest and do chores: The last week of training was good to me, but the weekend consisted of a long run and a speedier effort back to back. A day off will help me start the week off fresh. ACSM books came in the mail, so I'll start studying and take a day off running. Raking leaves will provide a little core work and help me pull my weight around the house(yes, I live with my parents).
(editorial confession: I had the idea for this post while raking leaves. I planned on running today, but the lack of direction that inspired me to write this is to blame for not running. I feel it's for the best in the grand scheme).

Tuesday:
Double runs
AM: 3 easy miles. Run in as little shoe as possible on an easy out and back from home. No regard to pace, just shake off the cobwebs from the previous day's laziness. Walk if knee pain appears.

PM: 7 miles. Dunes. 3 mile warmup, then 6-8 dune repeats at the State Park. 2 mile easy jog on the beach to cool down.

Wednesday
Double easier runs
AM: 4 miles: Shakeout the previous day's workout.
PM: 8 miles: Start easy, build to a faster pace, cool down the last mile

Thursday
AM: 2 miles easy. Run to the bridge and back
PM: 8 miles. Meet up with the Joggas and run the loop at the park. Push pace on uphills.

Friday
6 miles. Ease into it on the first two miles, then do fartlek for the next three. Cool down on last mile.

Saturday
15 easy on the bike path. Run to the lighthouse. Enjoy it and don't feel the legs

Sunday
7 on the trails. Just relax. It's sunday

And there we have it. My weekly prescription for myself. It looks different than my weekly log. Is that a good thing? It's not overly technical, but by design. I'm slowly trying to reintroduce more quality into my regimen, but baby steps are necessary.

Let's see how it goes. I'll have the actual log up at the end of the week for comparisson. It's all for the sake of experimentation and getting something going.

Just a few feet from a 16th place finish at the Pike's Peak Marathon. The good ole days.
I was in decent shape just a couple months ago.
I think the layoff was a blessing. I'm realigned and I feel like my priorities are back in order:
Work hard to get the most out of life.

Nothin' Better to Do

2011-10-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Monday
11 miles - A slow, easy jog around the State Park. Ran the perimeter to coax more mileage out of myself. Ski trails, deer paths, dunes, roads, beach, boardwalk. It was quite a serene experience, quietly running without a soul around for an hour and a half. The fall color has peaked, and the trails demand a little more attention to keep from stepping on roots now that they're completely covered. Pace was ridiculously easy, but I was just watching my watch, insisting on hitting 10 miles. This keeps me on my feet for a while and encourages me to take difficult routes up hills and slogging up the backsides of dunes. Since mountains aren't in my immediate future, I think I'll start working more dune climbs into my training...once I start actually training.

The "Block House"

OK, so Michigan isn't that awful. It's hilly over here.

Running on the beach helps me to run with power once in a while instead of grace.

Running up dunes is exhausting.

Channel walkway, North side

Tuesday
8 miles - Couldn't get into a comfortable pace. My legs started hurting almost as soon as they felt warmed up, so I just turned around and headed home. Garmin read an 8min/mile pace average, but the actual running pace was all over. Oh well, motivation was waning anyway. I wish I didn't find roads so boring.

Wednesday
6 miles - 43 degrees, rain, and wind. It took some mental work to get out to the park today. Slow, easy run, but powered up the hills and dunes. One downside to rain gear is that it turns wet, leaf covered hills into a slip n' slide. It was a good test for my Columbia Peak 2 Peak Jacket. It actually is waterproof! Review to come. I've decided to shoot for 50 miles or so this week. Not aggressive, but steady progress.

Thursday
9 miles - Flattest. Run. Ever. A mostly gravel road loop from my house. Ran in the rain and wind, but it was still pretty enjoyable. Kept a pretty even pace at about 7:20 once I warmed up. It was really enjoyable to finish a run and want to keep going. Rather than continuing on and finding myself wishing I was done, I headed in and kept the legs fresh.

Friday
4 miles - Caught a few hobbyjoggin' miles as the sun went down. Somehow spent a whole day doing nothing and crammed a run in before dinner. At least I did something...right? One benefit was that My knee had a twinge of pain mid run. Why is this good? It supports my theory that being sedentary, not active, is to blame for my knee pain(and muscle imbalance that seems to have caused it). Maybe it ought to be called "sitter's knee" rather than "runner's knee."

Saturday
22 miles - Met up with Dr. C. for some frosty miles at Pigeon Creek. 2 loops in the trails, 1 loop on the big, flat country block, and another loop on the trail. The GPS clocked us at a 7:45 pace. JC hasn't run that fast and I haven't run that far in a while, so we were both pleased. No knee pain at the end of the run, but a bit in the middle miles. Having a partner for a long run is, most times, a huge blessing for me. In this area, multiple loops are essential to doing a long trail run. When I plan on doing one solo, the temptation is too great to "stop by the car a minute," which can often result in checking my phone, then feeling my legs get tight and calling it a day. This run was different, and I was glad to have stuck it out for a change.

Sunday
6 miles - Met up with Evan at the Dirty Herd Fall Classic. We both decided to warm up, run the 2 mile, and cool down. We are both experiencing a bit of a "lapse in shredability," so we used the 2 mile as a way to jump start what I hope is a reintroduction to speedwork. The course at Robinette's is a somewhat technical mountain bike loop. What did I learn?

I'm incredibly out of shape.

Though Evan and I were first and second place, I ran a pedestrian time at best and felt winded. I think the pace worked out to a 7:15. What kind of bum runs 30 seconds faster than long run pace and feels terrible? This marks the first time that I've noticed such a stark decline in fitness. I'll blame some of it on the long run the previous day.

I returned from Pikes Peak weighing 140lbs. I now weigh 160lbs. I'm a bit ashamed that I'm surprised. Maintaining "calories in" while drastically scaling back on "calories out" doesn't usually bode well.

A total of 66 miles this week. Wasn't overly strenuous and didn't hurt anything, so steady as she goes.

10/9-10/18

2011-10-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

Monday
AM-8 miles at Hoffmaster with Ryan. Near perfect running weather as the better part of fall starts to make its exit.

PM-2 miles down the gravel road and back just for the sake of a double.

Tuesday
AM- 7 miles at Muskegon State Park. The weather was perfect and I ran all the singletrack I normally can't even find.

Wednesday
AM-1hr 10m. Call it 8 miles. Ran around the state park, climbed some sand dunes, and ran on the beach.
PM- cut, split, and stacked wood, then went for a 14 mile bike ride with Sam.

Thursday
AM-11 miles at Cannonsburg SGA with Evan. Burritos and debauchery to follow. Evan and I run similar race times, but he always seems to train at a higher intensity. Glad I have friends to drag me along when I'm feeling lazy.

Friday
7 miles - Very relaxed and focused on form over speed. Relaxed the legs and focused on just swinging the elbows back, not crossing the midline with my hands. Extended my usual easy loop by a couple miles, thinking it was a bit longer. I just sort of let the miles flow and let the speed come without feeling my legs. Shorter than planned, but faster as well. I brought the Garmin for the occasional obligatory checkup. Splits went a little something like this: 7:54, 7:03, 6:43, 6:43, 6:32, 6:15, 8:30 cooldown. Started to have a twinge of shin pain from compensating for the bum knee, so I headed home.

I tried to get a few shots of me running to see if I'm still favoring my right knee.
Seems to be flexing normally.

...but the thousand words a picture is worth is still hard to go by.

Saturday and Sunday
0 miles. I wasn't even hurting, but just caught in the general malaise that seems to be plaguing me since returning home. My body(knee specifically) is feeling increasingly better, and now I seem to be experiencing more mental struggle to get my ass in gear. Maybe it's a positive mechanism for the time being, one to keep me from rushing back into higher mileage. If I can keep moving most days of the week, and manage a monthly long run of marathon distance or greater, I should be able to maintain or at least prevent a further decline in health.

Total: 41 miles and some cross training. It's not much, but it's a hell of a lot better than what I've been doing. I'm thinking I'll shoot for steady improvement.

Altered State of Consciousness

2011-10-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

Exercisers, drug users, movie goers, kids spinning around in circles. People seeking the same ends by different means. Altering one's state of mind using external factors is human nature. Laws soiled me on drugs, the Green Lantern soiled me on movies, and projectile vomitting keeps me from hopping on the tilt-a-whirl.

Occasionally I'll get up early and go for a run(just for reference, unemployed early is about 9am). I'll go without breakfast and bring a cup of coffee for the car ride to the park. The issue that arises is that a couple miles into the run, I get blurry vision and become incrdibly sleepy. The leaves turn into a colorful blur and the ground whizzes by. It really sucks for quality workouts, but in theory it could help becoming familiar with the "runner's low" and promote slowing down and taking in the scenery. I sat at the top of one of the highest hills in the park. It has a clearing on the top so that Lake Michigan is in view to the West, the Autumn trees to the North, East, and South. I sat there, a bit dizzy and sweating profusely, feeling like I'm on top of the world.

Solid training? Safest thing to do? Something anybody should try? Not really.

Funk if I Know

2011-10-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm in a funk to end all funks. Injury, being back home, lack of anything to do, no races set in the schedule. What we have here is a loss of momentum.

This is the first time in my life that I feel less fit than I was a year ago. A year ago this month, I won a 50miler, tied for first in a 50miler, and qualified for Boston by 15 minutes. Now...not so much. I'm surely overreacting, but knowing I have to work hard just to return to my previous state is a pain. I refer you the case of the itsy bitsy spider.

As bummed out as I was, things are starting to look up on the movement front. I've found that once I can start moving about and running at a decent level, life starts to fall into place. I'm back to either running twice daily or a combinaiton of running and exercising(usually cutting, hauling, and splitting firewood or biking). Knee pain is at a minimum as long as I don't overdo it and listen to my body. Even the slight increase in activity has caused my diet to improve, despite my recent accidental discovery of Taco Bell's Chalupa. That ode deserves its own blog post.

I've got a few things brewing career wise, but am also considering dropping back into college for the umpteenth time, getting my Master's and putting off full adulthood a bit longer.

Life's still up in the air, but that's better than being at rock bottom.

2011-10-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Things to do with a lonely 2.5 hour layover in a decidedly uncrowded airport:

(Im aware that this is not all that clever.)

Ride the moving floor in a circle for 25 minutes.

Wait until nobody is on, then go the wrong way on aforementioned moving floor.

Eat spaghetti covered in chili for breakfast.

Enjoy being up in time for McDonald’s breakfast(yes, two breakfasts. Nobody is around long enough to judge you or care).

Read an article in a magazine until asked “you gonna buy anything?” Go next door to other news stand, continue reading article.

Shop for jewelry. Pretend to have money.

Say the classic Seinfeld line “I like to stop at the duty free shop” to the person next to you.

This isn’t the way I normally act in public. Apparently its ok to check your common sense with your bags at the aeropuerto.

They (TSA) took my leave in conditioner, so I had to count my afro as a carry on when the humidity turned up.

I bet the whole world looks like this when we finally fuck the air up bad enough. Entire cities in a little bubble.

Ever see that film adaptation of the Stephen King book “the Langoliers?”

Just saw a guy in a blue polyester suit. Appears to be an Indian Eric Estrada impersonator. Seriously, he looks cool. I’m not even cool enough to wear one polyester garment at a time.

The only things on me right now that don’t fall into the “swag” category are my socks…and they have holes in them.

If I had Twitter account I’d be blowin’ that bitch up right now.

Will wifi ever just kind of hang in the ether for us to use freely? Electricity is free. They don’t charge for water or toilet flushes. Who knows which way that scale will tip.

Does anyone talk to anyone here? I must look creepy sitting here smiling and shit.

Partial Return to Running and Other News

2011-10-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

I'd like to say I'm back, but it wouldn't be entirely accurate. I'm running enough to keep anxiety, man boobs, and unemployment-induced depression at arm's length, albeit rather unsuccessfully. Though rest has been the only semblance of medical advice I've obtained for the low, low price of $400 dollars, It's done no good. Days off yield as much pain as days on. I've become only an occasional trail runner, but hitting the roads every day to try to maintain some fitness. Once some money comes in, I'm heading to physical therapist Scott Hadley to expedite the healing process. I'd love to do a long winter ultra to redeem myself for the shit show at Hallucination this year.

In Other News:
The break from trail running(and sanity) came in the form of the New York City Barefoot Run weekend, where I took a little break from thinking about ultras and discussed running's present and future with some great minds on the running scene. Well-known magazine staff, medical professionals, elite athletes, and run bloggers were coralled into the basement of the Ace Hotel in New York for a round table discussion. This put my mind at ease - I was slightly suspicious that a poser like me would be just valuable and fast enough to be hunted by one of New York's status seeking socialites for sport(there's a good Jean-Claude Van
Damme Movie on the subject). What ended up ensuing was enlightening on many levels. It reinforced me to pursue excellence in a world of mediocrity. I realized that passion for something trumps "natural ability." We have to stop listening to those who attempt to keep us confined by expectations and assumed standards. More importantly, I've learned that I need a sexy sugar momma to support my desired lifestyle of travel and random physical activity! The fun I had with Jason, Shelly, Kate, Pablo, Trisha, and Christian were unforgettable. I think the best part was that we hardly ever talked about running when we were outside of the Merrell round table discussion. We acted like we'd known each other forever, when (in the case of all but Jason and Shelly, my family of travelling gypsies) we'd just met in person for the first time.

Christian Peterson, Jason Robillard, Me, Krista Cavender, Kate Kift, Trisha Reeves, Shelly Robillard
Several hours of shenanigans left to go.

Shelly, Christian, Kate, Me, Jason, Krista, and NY native Chris VanDyke sportin' the tutu.
Just after showing up 3 hours late to the Barefoot Run. Governor's Island, NY.

Merrell put this awesome event together, and I can't thank them enough for their their contribution to running and encouraging people to get outside. One of the best things I'd heard was at the beginning, when we were told to value "truth over harmony." Knowing how people truly feel is much more important than pleasing them.

Me chillin' at the round table discussion with the Merrell Crew, some staff from Running Times,
and a beer. My life ain't bad. Photo: Christian Peterson

I got to meet running world celebs like Chris McDougal and the like, but mostly in a "Hi. How are you. You won't remember me in 10 minutes" kind of way. Can't blame the guy. Class act. We were even both sporting our Branca Sandals.

It was an amazing weekend. and if I had my druthers, a sample of what my life will be like: great friends new and old, challenges of all kinds, and contributing something to get more people enjoying the outdoors. Each roundtable member was asked to contribute a song to a barefoot running playlist, one that we enjoy while we run. Here's mine:

In (Other)Other News:
I'm off to West Virginia(I think) to help Shelly crew and pace for Jason at the Grindstone 100 this weekend. Being on the disabled list has given me the opportunity to help two people who have helped me more times than I can count. Given the rough terrain, my pacing will be limited, but good times surely won't. If I do follow through with a winter ultra, I'll have to build up some major points to get Robillard's candy ass to crew for me in the tundra. This should help.

I also used my newfound urban surroundings to perfect my parkour!

Happy trails, literal or otherwise.

I feel like my blog is too serious sometimes....Fart, Tallywhacker, Kate Kift.

Merrell Road Glove Review

2011-09-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

Robillard's got one up already, and I'm sure Josh, Christian, and Justin won't be far behind. I didn't read any of the other reviews intentionally so that I could assess the shoe fairly. A group of us minimal shoe bloggers (we've dubbed ourselves the B-listers) were privy to some of Merrells offerings for next year.

To spread the success of the trail glove to other markets, a more road friendly version of the Road Glove is set to release. I got a chance to run a 5k in the prototype Road Gloves back in June, but had to keep it on the lowdown. The prototype and the production model are the same.

After a few runs in the Road Gloves, I can tell that these will be my preferred shoe for non-trail running. I use the term "non-trail" instead of road because I like them for anything that is less than technical. With many minimalist options like FiveFingers, huaraches, or water socks, I find myself wondering, "will I be going on gravel or debris-covered roads?" before I head out. Granted, this problem is more specific to those with a complete arsenal of minimalist shoes than people with enough sense to keep it simple. The Road Glove provides enough insulation to run gravel, chip and seal, rocks, and other rough stuff. The tough exterior doesn't greatly diminish the Road Gloves efficacy as a true minimalist shoe. Like the Trail Glove and the rest of Merrell's lineup, Roads are on a zero-drop platform.

Merrell's Sonic Glove(left) and Road Glove(right)

The differences between the Road and Trail Gloves are slight, which is favorable. The sole is a bit more flat, which increases groundfeel on the road and flat surfaces. This also made the shoe feel a bit less constrictive on my foot. The thin rockplate is absent on the Road Gloves, which is one of the attributes that improves road quality significantly.

The lug pattern on the sole is quite similar to its loamy soil seeking counterpart, but much less aggressive. As you can see, there is still enough there to keep a runner stuck to the ground on a variety of surfaces.

The tread pattern on the Vibram outsole has smaller lugs than the trail version.

Since the Road Glove didn't deviate much from the successful formula for the Trail Gloves, some of the same drawbacks carried over. Several people have complained about the arch of the shoe touching the arch of the foot. Though the materials that compose the arch aren't significant enough to provide any support. The snug midfoot and heel are intended to keep the shoe tight and allow for a loose toebox(and therefore forefoot splay). I found the arch to be more noticeable as I walked around the airport in the shoes. While running, however, its virtually undetectable. On the road shoe front, the Merrells aren't leading. With zero dropped road shoes like the Somnio Nada and the upcoming NB Minimus Road tipping the scales at less than 6 ounces(3.5oz for the Nada), the Road Gloves need a diet. As an everyday trainer, the Merrell gets my vote.

So far, the shoe has given me no hot spots or blisters from sockless wear. The upper on the Road Glove is even smoother than on the Trail Glove. Though it doesn't have the sophisticated lacing system of the Trail Glove, it fits quite well and allows for some adjustability. I found it aesthetically pleasing. It looks like a standard road shoe and comes in some cool colors.

I think the Merrell Road Gloves are a huge step in the right direction. They reach out to the newest adopters of barefoot or natural style running. They reminded of the simpler days of running when I just wore my road shoes for all but the most technical trails. Traditionally shod runners who want to go minimal will love these. Most minimal shoes are built on the idea of starting from barefoot and building up. The Road Gloves feel more like a traditional road shoe that's been stripped down. Take a modern road shoe, strip away arch support, heel, and cushioning, and you've got the latest offering from Merrell. If I'm ever in doubt of which shoe to grab and go, I'll grab my Road Gloves.

The toe spring in these pictures is sort of an optical illusion. Its negligible while running.

The Road Gloves were provided by Merrell. Though I'm a bit of a moral deviant, I can't be bought that easily.

Airports Are Boring

2011-09-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here I sit in the airport in Grand Rapids. After a fair amount of rushing to get here, I found out my flight was delayed a couple hours. Looks like I wont be in New York for the Barefoot Run all that early after all.

Merrell has been great, flying a few of us barefoot/minimalist shoe folks to NYC for a gathering. We'll be discussing shoes, running, and other shenanigannning. I'm sort of on the Disabled List for the time being, but I'm still in decent enough shape to run a few laps on Governor's Island in the Harbor. I'm still not sure what a company like Merrell sees in a guy like me, but apparently I don't have to be the best runner in the world to get some special treatment once in a while, just best at doing...whatever it is I do.

Log Road to Recovery

2011-09-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

Just some musing here. I'm not doing much running, but I'm doing some thinking.

I've decided to let running go for a little bit. I'm awaiting a doctor's visit to see if this knee issue is runable or not. As of now, I can run flat roads at my normal pace with little pain. It's not an impact or weight bearing issue, but rather a pain that arises when I exceed a certain degree of flexion. 1 hour of mountain biking causes about the same amount of pain as an hour of running. Possible culprits are lingering strain from descending Pikes Peak a few weeks ago(best case), a torn meniscus of unkown origin(not unlikely- I've been doing lots of firewood cutting and haybail hauling lately), or even arthritis from the catastrophic motocross injury it sustained 4 years ago(not likely, but a scary possibility).

Until I know, I'll just let running slip through my fingers for time being. As fall comes in, it's a perfect time to run for the sake of getting outside and enjoying the falling leaves around me. Even the monotonous roads around my Michigan home are starting to present me with spectacular views. The all - to familiar state parks are transforming from a mosquito-laden greenhouse to a comfortably cool playground. The colors haven't popped yet, but the occasional yellow or red leaf shows itself as I wander around under the canopy.

Today, I found a way to spend some time outside and be productive for a change. I grabbed the chainsaw and a splitting maul and headed out back, where a pile of logs awaited my arrival.
My parents have been using wood to heat their home since they moved in about 30 years ago. Since both my mother and father are extremely self reliant, my sister and I have found ourselves to be junior lumberjacks since we can both remember. As we grew stronger, our responsibility increased. As we grew older, so did the age of the wood we could carry. Summer and fall were spent preparing for winter.

It reminds me that memories are totally dependent on one's frame of mind. At the time, I found cutting wood to be an rather unpleasant slog. I became bored easily and tired quickly. The weather was hot and humid, bugs were plentiful. Looking back now, these were some of the more important and prominent times of my life. I spent time with my family, learned how to work(as well as some clever ways to avoid it), developed an appreciation for the outdoors. Though I didn't bother to formulate the thought completely, I understood that we were taking from nature to heat our home.

Lost the thought. I'll post it anyway.

Woodstock Weekend: Ain't That a Bitch!

2011-09-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

This should be a pretty damned brief race report.

I set out to run my first 100 miler this weekend at the Hallucination 100 in Pinckney, Michigan. After my success there over the past two years, I figured this venue would be an ideal place to attempt my longest run ever. My first ultra experience was the 50k in 2009, and my first ultra win was at the 50mile in 2010. The course almost seemed tailored to my strengths last year. Enough roads to drop a comfortable 6ish minute pace, hilly enough to keep the muscles from becoming tense, and cool enough to keep from overheating. The aid stations are close, keeping the need for excess baggage to a minimum. I would have a top notch crew of knowledgeable runners- My usual training partners Jason Robillard and Jeremiah Cataldo and my college teammate Evan Groendyk. If there was ever a person who had every tool for success at their fingertips, its this fellow right here.

I found a wig and a Nathan Vest in Jason's "ultra box."
Not sure which item to ask about first.
Shelly said I look like Snookie.

The above picture is the result of the 4pm start of the Hallucination 100. Give me all day to dick around, and this is what happens. I ate a prerace lunch of McDonald's and 1 pack of candy cigarettes. We had a ton of fun goofing around in the days leading up to the race and it really helped quell my nervousness.

Shirtless clown with the afro. Damned humidity...messin' with my fro.

When you only run 25% of the race, you look pretty fresh in all the photos.

The race started and I felt pretty relaxed. The humidity was higher than I'm used to, but once the sweat got going it went mostly unnoticed. I was toward the front of the pack, but knew it was too long of a day to count any chickens. You can't win a 100 in the first few miles, but you sure as hell can lose it.

Within a mile, I noticed that I was favoring my right knee. My form felt a bit off as I reluctant to bend it in the normal range of motion while running. For any other distance, this wouldn't have phased me, but knowing that I had about 95% of the race left in front of me, some negativity started creeping in already.

Knee pain aside, the first lap flew by. I talked with a few other people who were running the race. Everyone I ran with was entertaining and seemed in good spirits. We all knew we had a long night ahead, so we may as well enjoy some company early on. I was in excellent company at this event and found it really humbling. Brad, who was in first at the time, had completed an Ultraman even in Wales just a couple weeks prior. I also ran a few miles with Mark, who won the race last year.

I ran the first lap in about 2:25, which is slightly faster than I ran any of my laps the previous year. I felt incredibly calm, relaxed and happy throughout this section, with the exception of my knee getting increasingly more sore.

already favoring my favorite leg, but still in a great mood.

At this point I still hadn't mentioned my hurting leg to my crew. After a week of being nervous about the pain going away, I figured it wasn't a great time to bring it up. Seeing my crew and aid stations gives a bit of a high because it breaks up the monotony a little.

After finishing the first lap, I started to feel the effects of my altered gait. Muscles were sore that had never been sore before. Rather than simply bending my knee to clear logs and rocks in the trail, I abducted my leg and swung it over the obstacles straight. This caused issues with my back, other hip, and quads because I was running with this slight nuance. Shit. I was feeling like mile 60 at mile 17. Being unable to bend my knee greatly inhibited me on downhill sections of the course.

I ran a couple miles with Mark, last years winner, after he came up behind me. We talked a bit and I tried to hang on as we ran into the dark. I told him about my knee woes, but said I was thinking of toughing it out. Then a bee flew into my mouth and stung my tongue. "Ahh, fuck it." I ran some more with Mark, but had already resigned myself to my first DNF. He told me he was going to stretch out a bit on a flatter section and took off. I instantaneously came to a halt.

I was done. I walked to a gravel path on the course, but headed to a small lake with a clearing near the water. My shoes were touching the lake's edge as I looked out, taking in the view. It had been overcast for a couple hours, but there was a hole in the blanket of clouds that happened to line up with the sun. The water reflected the light as the cat tails swayed in the breeze. Some fish flipped up above the surface in the time I was watching. This made me realize that no matter how important I perceive these races to be, the world will carry on in the event that I fail. I'm every bit the person I was before I decided to pack it in. Running doesn't define who I am. Running allows me an outlet to show the world who I am, even if few listen. Not every attempt is successful.

I walked the rest of the way to the Richie's Haven aid station. The mosquitoes were drawing my precious Colorado altitude blood. with about a mile left to go, I was passed by the guy who would eventually go on to win the race. Jon Hastings put together a solid performance and finished the race in just over 19hrs.

I walked up to Jason and Jeremiah, and they seemed confused as to what to do. They knew I wouldn't be walking if it were serious, but still attempted to convince me to "get my bitch ass moving." I had too much time alone and I knew the knee wasn't a typical soreness or even an IT band flare-up. I can usually roll those out, as can be seen here at my last 12hr event:

As one might infer, I cannot decide whether to be the stoic running warrior or the childish jackass.
I'll make the decision someday.

Needless to say by now, I failed in my first attempt at 100 miles. Though I didn't complete the distance, I do consider a few things to be successful.
- I ran my own pace. I let Brad get away and was ok with it. He was looking fantastic and I knew I had to listen to my own body and run at a pace that was comfortable. In the same token, I didn't freak out when I dropped a couple others. Just being young doesn't make me a newbie. I have some experience behind me now and ran a bit more confidently than usual.

- I kept hydrated and fueled. Usually during ultras, I neglect food and water in the first couple hours because I'm letting adrenaline pull me along. I kept the GU and water coming early and often. I could feel that I was pretty close to optimally fueling.

- At a really easy pace, I on par to meet time goals. I was heading for a 16hour-ish 100miler. Believe me, I'm well aware that its a long day and I did plan on slowing down, but I will take this sample as a good sign. Downhills are usually a relative strength, so my pace without my "A game" on the downhills was encouraging.

- I knew when to quit. This race was going well, but it doesn't take a genius to realize that one detail(like a faulty knee joint) can take a person out. The writing was on the wall that my knee was getting sore in a linear fashion. The pain never subsided the entire time I was on the course, and got progressively more debilitating. Whether I DNF'ed at mile 24 or mile 60, I wasn't going to make it.

...I can talk quite a line of bullshit from the sidelines, can't I?

Everyone on the course was excellent and inspiring. Roughly 30% of the field finished, so those folks deserve a special appreciation. The mud became the main obstacle of the day, reaching knee depth on parts of the course. I dropped out before it got dark, so I was never even on the course when it got bad.

I spent the rest of the day watching the spectacle that is Run Woodstock. My two close friends, Mark Robillard and Shelly Robillard, finished their first 50milers each did a hell of a job in the challenging conditions. I crewed and paced for Shelly since I suddenly found my dance card to be wide open.

The race for the 50mile overall spot was incredible. My course record didn't even make it a year. Peter Hogg ran sub7, beating my time by 6 minutes despite the course being a muddy shit show. Josh Wopata, Ben Vanhoose, and John Clinthorne gave chase and ran amazingly well. I can say with a degree of confidence that the competiton is stronger in the mid west than in the mountains. My age group is stacked with badasses. The only advantage I have is being the relative baby of the bunch.

I'm not sure where to go from here. Perhaps a couple days of self pity and existential meltdown. Appointment with the sports med doc next week, then I get to determine just how early I'll take another crack at a 100. Maybe a fall Marathon(Philly sounds fun), or just some mountain biking and cross training.

Either way, fall is here and its an excellent time to be outside.

Thanks for reading.

Until Next Time, Colorado: Pikes Peak Marathon Race Report

2011-09-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Another late race report for me to add to this memoir.

Foreword
a foreword for a race report? I'm a whole new level of douchebaggery.
I got the chance to live a dream. Much to my delight, life has unfolded in an incredible way for me in the past few months. The entire summer was one of the most fulfilling times of my life, and racing the Pikes Peak Marathon was the best way to punctuate it that I could ever imagine.

Several months ago, I decided that I was growing weary of living in fear. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of being socailly inept. Fear not making a difference. Fear of not being able to satisfy a yearning for...I don't know what.

I took an internship in a career that I wasn't even qualified for. Only too late did I realize what my true desires were for my future occupation. Therapeutic Recreation is not totally unrelated to exercise science, and my experience outside of academia with people with disabilities falls under the category. Why the hell not? The idea of using movement and organized sports and play to rehabilitate the body and mind after trauma is what got me through the most challenging parts of my own life. I believe its the best means to a happy, healthy life in our society. I just never knew it had a name. Maybe that trip to Taco Bell instead of the counseling office all those years ago wasn't such a great idea after all. Hindsight's 20/20.

Even in my personal life, I knew that I was at a crossroads. Though outgoing to a fault at times, I still made certain to surround myself with the comfortable. I wanted to grow as an individual and make deeper connections with more people. I value relationships much more than monetary or social gain, and I wanted to show myself and others that my motives learn from others while helping them are genuine.

On the running front, I knew that it was time to jump into a big pond and see just how quickly this little fish would get eaten. My ultra experiences at smaller venues had treated me very well, and I think the competition here in the midwest is vastly underestimated by our mountain dwelling counterparts. That being said, there was a nagging little voice in my head that prodded me to seek bigger venues. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a great runner. Hell, I've only run a sub 17:00 5k once in my life, and it laid me up for a week. I can barely crack 3 hours in a marathon. Elite is not an accurate descriptor. My successes at longer distances, no matter their ranking on the totem pole of running accomplishments, made me want to see what I was made of.

These seperate yet deeply intwined reasons led me to feel that this move to boulder wasn't some sort of fantasy summer vacation, but an absolute necessity to my fluourishing on a personal, professional, and physical level. This change of locale would provide the catalyst I needed to chase dreams.

The Pikes Peak race would by my last weekend in Colorado before Samantha and I headed back to Michigan for her to go back to college. After an entire summer of pushing my limits and finding my stride, it was time to see if I had learned anything. I was invited to race the marathon by Ron Ilgen and the great people behind the scenes of "America's Ultimate Challenge."

Pre Race Shenanigans

Our lease was up on the Wednesday before race weekend. I had my final session of helping out at wheelchair racing, frantically packed up my belongings from my subleased trailer, and prepared to head out of town....after a night out and crashing at a friends apartment.

The wagon was packed to the roof(and on top of it) with three months worth of stuff and we were off to Colorado Springs to our temporary housing in a hotel. We were running late, so we had to head straight to the press conference. Of course, we were awkwardly early and decided to walk around a bit and kill some time.

cool building near the expo/start line.

Want people to assume you're a wannabe Tarahumara?
Show up to a press conference in these bad boys

The press conference was quite a cool experience. Though I was invited as a fellow competitor, I was quite amused at the notion of me being of equal running ability to these real mountain runners. I have to be honest, I did no "recon" to figure out who anybody was that would be heading up the mountain with me in a few days. I knew I was just a goofball kid from Michigan who was given a shot on a whim.

After some milling about and attacking the party sub at the back of the room, I took a seat in the crowd and watched the competitive runners take their seats on the panel. There wasn't room for all of us, and I sure as hell wasn't going to assume the seat of a previous age group winner, local legend, or higly esteemed mountain runner. I happily sat among the press and public. I'm so nerdy I even took pictures.

Not a huge turnout for the press conference, but it was still cool to meet the
local legends and upcoming forces of the Pikes Peak races.

We were each given a chance to say few words to introduce ourselves. After those on the panel mentioned their accomplishments and goals, the rest of us were handed the microphone. I was sitting next to the unassuming and humble Martin Mudry, who would be running the ascentI was the last to go, and obnoxiously said that Pikes would be my shortest race of the year and that I would have to "try to run fast for this shorter and more intense race." I believe I even used the term "take it down a gear" fecetiously. Based on a few facial expressions, this came out completely wrong. Those that know me are aware that shorter races magnify my lack of focus and my tendency to back off when things get tough. To those that don't know me, it probably sounded more like this:

"blah blah blah! I am an arrogant young person and a huge tool! Blah blah blah!

I talked to a few volunteers and several of the racers. Once I was fully intimidated, I grabbed yet another hunk of sandwhich and a cookie before heading out the door.

I'll fast forward through the rest of the weekend. Though Samantha and I had a good time sight seeing, I wish I had something more productive to do. I was exhausted from simply walking around. I think I was making myself into a basket case by thinking too much and allowing negative feelings to flood my mind. Dwelling on my relative lack of preparation and inexperience was quite literally making me sick. How could I, the supposedly laid back ultra hippie, finally succumb to the pressures of running? I think the answer lies in the lead up. in every other race I've done, I've flown in under the radar. Had I just been one of the regular entrants in this race, I'd be one of nearly 1000. Since I was a given the opportunity to run as a competitive runner, I was one of 10. The silver lining is that on race day, we all toe the same line. Being one of the 10 runners who got competitive entries doesn't garauntee a top 10 spot.

Running on Friday with Martin at Garden of the Gods helped alleviate a little tension. I hadn't run in the last 24 hours due to time constraints, so not having that familiar "post run" feeling in my legs really made me feel ill at ease. Thanks for the run, MM(Martin ended up winning his age group at the ascent. Check out his film about running in Kenya here). After sme prodding from me, he mentioned his average weekly mileage leading up to the race. It was roughly twice that of mine. He was running half the distance this weekend, and had in twice as many miles as me each week. My inner monologue sounded bit like this: "I am so f**ked."

This area never ceases to amaze.

Some cool trails located right in the Garden of the Gods Park

Nothing like some natural wonder to make our little issues seem insignificant.

We saw some cool things while I grew nervous to the point of exhaustion the day before the race. Once my anxiousness hit critical mass, I finally decompressed. I quit caring. I realized that I had no expectations and that I was going to run this race as an observer of myself and the race that would ensue. I read a book and chilled out. We all have our security blankets in life, and one of mine is the book, "The Dahrma Bums" by Jack Kerouac.

We ordered up some pizza and cinnamon bread, had it delivered, and pigged out. An early awakening was upon us since Sam was supposed to be at her aid station to volunteer at about 6am. I arranged a wake up call and we both set our alarms so I could sleep.

I'd like to say we split this, but Samantha ate only a little of each. There were no leftovers.
Gycogen stores topped off!

Finally, the Race

I arrive and park in an empty lot about a block from the start line. I go to the bathroom mill around, and anxiously adjust things I seldom think to adjust. About 30 people were hanging around the start line, the rest were jogging, stretching, getting in the zone, whatever people do before races. I just kind of creeped around looked at the creek. How many races will I do before I stop feeling like an outsider? After realizing I was holding an empty water bottle, I headed over to the water coolers. The start line was starting to look busy, so it was time for me to meander over there. I talked to a couple of cool people who had run the race before and wished I had a pen and paper. This shit sounded tricky. I'm not sure if I was just more perceptive of the tips at this race, but they seemed to be in an incredible abundance. I've gone into nearly all my other races completely blind, so why wouldn't I use that strategy(or lack thereof) this time?

Ron, the RD, started talking over the loudspeaker, then handed the mic to the first woman ever to run the race, for she would be starting us off. Though explicitly invited to run this race as a competitive athlete, I still couldn't bring myself to nudge my way through to the front. Time would tell if those with more confidence than me deserved to be there. There were roughly 40 people in front of me.

...and a cannon goes off.

I forgot that marathoners don't start races by walking. I started out nice and easy
inthe back of the front pack.
Photo: Samantha Long

I wasn't wearing a watch, but I would assume that early race adrenaline and the rather mellow uphill grade was pulling me along at a decent clip, probably in the 6-7minute mile range. We took a turn downtown onto Ruxton, then the grade immediately increased. We weren't even on the trail yet, and I was feeling the uphill. Non-technical, steep climbs are the bane of my running existence. Though hurting a little already, I attributed it to a little rust and powered past a couple guys before hopping onto the Barr Trail. I was told that the first few miles of trail were some of the steepest. I was decidedly well informed, or at least I was hoping it would turn out as such. I was feeling pretty good at this point, so I got a couple passes in when the trail became wide enough. I also felt the sting of being passed early on in the race. I tried being aware of when a person was looking ready to get around. It takes so much energy to get someone on steep, technical stuff that its hardly worth the effort sometimes. Knowing this, I tried to be as sportsman-like as possible in hopes of good kharma.

The first aid station came up quickly, and went by just as fast. I tossed my t shirt to the side and grabbed a cup of water. It was too early to fill the bottle or take any time, so I pressed on. I was hoping the Barr Trail wouldn't feel as steep as my semi-daily ascents of Green Mountain. How naive. Some more climbing and I actually reached a section that felt flat. If there's one nice thing about 15% grades, it's that they make 6% grades feel pretty nice. I saw a couple volunteers I met early on in the week and it made me happy. It's funny how a little suffering made a girl I met once three days prior such a sight for sore eyes. She smiled and I felt better for a minute. A little more trudging and speedier running on lesser grades and I was up to Barr Camp. This was one of the more happenin' aid stations. One can feel the history in these classic races. The area is hardly accessible, and yet so many people make the arduous journey to help out some hardy folks out to run up a 14'er. Though I was part of nearly 1000 people who were in the 56th running of Pikes Peak, I still felt like I was part of something special.

The trail began to get more technical as the terrain got more rocky. The rocks began to get larger and I started to approach uncharted waters. I hadn't done a continuous climb longer than 2 hours or so. As I searched for optimistic thoughts, I realized that I've grown to be pretty comfortable outside of my comfort zone. I thrive on awkwardness. I never know what I'm doing. I'm a chubby athsmatic with metal knee braceswho turned himself into an mountain runner Getting here was the hard part. This was the part I was looking for. I was in search of an opportunity to really focus and put in a true 100% effort. Here goes nothing.

Crossing through the A Frame aid station was a blur. I grabbed a cup of gatorade and a cup of water. I dumped one on my head. Guess which one. Yep, I dumped a cup of lemon-lime gatorade on my head. Immediately after leaving the AS, I used half my water bottle get all that sticky sports drink off me. Not the first time this happened, and certainly not the last. I laughed about it and headed up to treeline.

Popping out from the trees was nothing short of breathtaking. Seeing how high we'd climbed since leaving Manitou Springs. The humbling effect of the mountain views isn't something I totally understand, but I know I haven't had enough yet. Knowing there were only a couple miles left to the summit renewed some of my vigor. The course was proving to be fun as it changed entirely over so few miles. Switchbacks were getting closer and closer together as we made our way to the top of "America's Mountain." The gravel and rocks were making for tough footing, but the frequent switchbacks were keeping the grade fairly runable. My adrenaline surged as I passed 3 or 4 people, running as they were walking(keep reading, I get my comeuppance).

Well before I could see the summit, I see a blast of white flying down the trail. It, of course, was mountain legend Matt Carpenter. He was leading the race, as he does each time he enters.

I rounded a corner where a lady greeted me with a smile and said "welcome to 'the stairs.'" I laughed, knowing the sadistic side of the trail running community. Any thing that sounds pleasant generally isn't. Seconds later, I was bending my knee up near my chest to climb up the rocks that composed the last section of trail. The part of the course notorious for breaking peoples strides actually put a smile on my face. This was just the type of running I sought out on my runs at Chatauqua Park over my summer meandering in the mountains. It sure wasn't easy, but at least it felt familiar. There were crowds of people at the summit when I finally reached it. I saw the clock at the top and was suprised. 2:56:11. My time, at the halfway point in this marathon, was within 30 seconds of my marathon PR. I was told by several people that the ascent is equivalent to a tough marathon. Apparently it's true. I grabbed a boston creme pie off some girl's stick and turned around. 11th person to the summit.

The first thing I noticed when I turned around was the endless stream of people. Since I was 11th to the top, that meant that I sould be passing about 990 people on my way back to Manitou springs. At this point, the run consisted of a lot of jumping down from rocks and avoiding people. Race directions instructed us to yield to the downhill runners, but on some of the blind corners and narrow trails it was nearly impossible. It was only a few minutes ago that I was the disoriented climber, so I stayed out of the way as best I could. Having only 1-2 hours left to go felt good. My legs weren't tired quite yet, and my lungs were still feeling pretty good at altitude. Sun was high in sky by this point and the heat was becoming quite noticeable.

The switchbacks above treeline were an absolute riot. I felt as if I were doing some sort of combination of skiing and downhill mountain biking. The loose gravel on the corners allowed me to lean over like a speed skater, nearly dragging my inside hand on the ground. Jumping from rock to rock as I picked my way by the upcoming runners gave me a head rush. Was it the most efficient way down the trail? Probably not, as made evident by the couple racers that passed me. They were looking great and I wished them well.

This is the point in most races that has me torn. I'm slowing down, but on an emotional high. Maybe I'm just a lifelong hobby jogger.

About as quickly as I plunged back into treeline, I started hurting a little. Clearly I had gotten a little excited after turning around. I snuck a peak behnd me and saw nobody coming down, so I used the alone time to relax and get myself back into a more even flow. From that point to the next aid station, I ran alone and was feeling more rejuvenated. I believe I got passed a couple times in these middle miles, but also did a little passing.

Back in these middle miles of the Barr Trail, the footing was less technical. About the second I relaxed, I really wished I hadn't. On a relatively easy section of trail, I kicked a rock and proceeded to fly "arse over tits," as my friend Kate the Brit would say(thanks mate). My feet actually went over my head as I slid about six feet on my shoulder. My head hit a log(set on the trail to prevent erosion), and my knee collided with something, probably my other knee. I initially thought I had done some real damage, but I inspected it for a minute as I picked some rocks out of my shoe. I had some blood running down my back, but it was just some superficial trail rash. I rubbed it off with my gloves and dug a handful of rocks out of the liners of my Brooks Infinity III shorts. I remember saying aloud to myself, "Gravel in my ass crack. Shit's about to get real."

This little crash took some wind out of my sails. I lost another position as I sat there trailside. Dude didn't even ask if I was ok! If you saw a bloody individual on the side of the trail clutching his knee, would you acknowlegde his presence? That's a whole different blog post altogether.

I was only a couple corners form the Barr Camp AS, so I kept pushing onward. The spill caused me to land on my water bottle, popping the cap off of it. A quick bottle refill and I was off and running. From here out the trail was steeper, but the mile markers seemed to get further and further apart. Some Roctane helped as the deliciously weird pie filling-y goodness of blueberry pomegranate sat in my mouth. About the time I tasted it in a burp, I felt refreshed. A few points that I remembered from the ascent were whizzing by as I tried not to eat gravel again. I grabbed the fenceposts and swung around as I descended the last few miles of the Barr Trail. Every corner I rounded made me think, "this is the last one!" but alas, it never was. Perhaps setting foot on a course before running it does have its perks.

After a bit of a low, I could hear voices over a loudspeaker booming up from the city of Manitou Springs. I reached the aid station where I left my shirt. This felt good because I knew I was less than a mile from the road. This section of trail was inundated with hikers. If it were possible to be polite while screaming, "Incomning! Runner Coming!" I certainly would have been. Most were pretty understanding, especially since it had happend to them about 20 times since this morning already.

The dirt ended and I was back on the road. For a second, I was dismayed. This would be the last time for quite a while that my shoes would touch Colorado singletrack. No time for crying or being nostalgic. I had 1.44 miles left to run. I blew through the final aid station. I knew I had plenty of fuel left in me, and one hell of a paved downhill to drop a fast mile. Though I felt a bit shitty about overtaking 4 people in the last road mile of a mountain race, but I had to use the rest of my fuel up if I was going to go home happy. My stride lengthened, I drove my knees forward and kept my back straight. This was the only time in the descent that I didn't feel as though I was fighting gravity. Guys that had blown by me as if I were standing still on the moutain were getting closer and closer as I reeled a few in one by one. I made a noise and tried to encourage a few to follow. Some did, some didn't. (I hope this didn't come across negatively).

I could hear more and more cheering for those ahead of me. I was reeling in the finish line of one of the most challenging footraces in the world. I was living a dream. I had no idea what place I was in, but it made no difference. The sun was shining brightly as I ran into the cattlegates to round the final corner. I could hear my name and hometown of Muskegon, Michigan called as I ran over the finish line. One of the toughest marathons in the world, and I put it all beneath the soles of my shoes. Never has a midpack finish felt so good.

It starts and finishes like any other marathon

Someday I'll just buy suspenders to keep my shorts up.

A finisher medal was hung around my neck and my tag was pulled off my bib. I meandered over to a seat and plopped myself down in it. I could see the sun shining outside of the dark finisher tent, and felt a sense of accomplishment that I hadn't really felt before. It felt better than a race won or a PR set. It came from inside me somewhere.

Smiling like an idiot to myself.
Bittersweet moment as I already start missing the CO trails.

Getting the rocks dug out of my back and the cuts cleaned up.
PPM staff is top notch.

I was "between homes" at the moment, so I prepped for the 1300 mile drive
by taking a post race shower at the car wash.

The midwest was well represented in the 20-24 age group.
Luke Demmel and Peter Kostelnick from Iowa took 1st and 3rd, I took 2nd for MI

I also saw a really fat chipmunk!

I got a chance to pick the brain of mountain man Matt Carpenter,
who took the top spot yet again with a 3:48 finish time.
The first year he won this race was the year I was born, 1987.

This amazing opportunity took the place of a long run as I prepare for the Woodstock 100 back home. Here's hoping the intensity will suffice in place of distance.

Here's a quick breakdown of some technical stuff(as technical as I get anyway)
Pre race meal- bread and Nutella
1 GU prior to race
4 Roctanes and 2 cups of Gatorade, Boston creme pie during race
Shoes - NB 110
Average training week - 65 miles (16 hours combined with hiking and work stuff)
Time: 4:46(16th overall, 2nd age group)
Ascent: 2:56(11th to summit)
No watch.

JS

A quick check-in

2011-08-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

Life has been a whirlwind lately. I wrapped up my internship, moved out of my trailer, was homeless for a few days, raced the Pikes Peak Marathon, and drove back to Michigan, all in less than a week. Now life is more up in the air than ever. I went from the top of the world(somewhat literally- 14,115') to being a recent college grad who awoke in his childhood bed once again in his parents house. Pimpin' aint easy.

Sam and me waiting for the press conference in Manitou Springs

One of the only podiums this lowly jogger will ever stand on.
Touring the US Olympic Training Center

...or is it? Ok, just an age group award, but cut me some slack.

Praxis? We talkin' 'bout praxis?

A real writeup on the race to follow, but for now, discharge orders for work and trying to adjust to flat ground and god awful humidity. I'll be at the North Country Trail 50, Marathon, and Half, but just as a volunteer and amateur photographer.

Thanks to the few sponsors and the many friends who have made this the best summer ever.

Pre-Taper Taper

2011-08-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

This week was one of my best training weeks here in Boulder, even if it was of unsatisfactory mileage(the truth is starting to set in - I'm a low mileage fellow and I train like a turtle). I know how to run slow and long(that's what she...ahhh nevermind). The focus has been more on intensity than mileage or time. Since I'm racing a marathon, I've trie to run at an intensity higher than what I have been for ultras. I have no idea what to expect as I prepare for 13.3 miles of uninterrupted climbing, but its still a 26.2 mile race. The advice given to first timers at Pike's is usually along the lines of "plan to take 1.5 times as long as a regular marathon." Even in that case, it would still be my shortest race of the year. Remembering to keep focus and stay present-minded while my legs and lungs burn is my demon to face in a week, and this was my final preparatory week.

I've found that my training is similar to former 100k record holder Bernd Heindrich, author of my favorite running book "Why We Run" (sorry Born to Run, I prefer less embellishing). Heindrich ran multiple times daily and trained his body to run the pace he needed for his goals, disregarding available information and continually experimenting on himself. I'm not alone in this matter, but his documentation of his training struck a chord with me. I'm not anywhere near his numbers, but I think that given my current level of newbie-ness, my 70ish mile weeks are about right. I've force out more, but I'm not sure that my body is ready yet. I've only been running "seriously" for 3 years or so, which makes me think that I don't quite have the base for high mileage running yet. I feel better now than I ever have, even when running more.

That being said, I'm spending way more time in my running shoes than ever before. My sparse running this week tallied up to be nearly 14 hours. That's what happens when your slow- you get lots of time in on less miles. I like to think it builds strength, which will eventually translate into speed.

Monday
15miles(guestimation) - Indian Peaks/Devils Thumb with Jason. While my partner in crime for unprepared, ill-equipped long runs was in town, we had to make sure we still had a knack for dumb shit. We were gone nearly 5 hours, but lots of sight seeing, pondering, and playing in creeks kept the mileage down. Still a good amount of time on our feet and some incredible wistas on the snowy ridges. I felt no fatigue after the run, which gives me a little hope for the coming adventures.

Tuesday
AM- 8 miles - Mount Sanitas -Goat Path East Ridge Trail up, Sanitas Trail/Mapleton home. Discouragingly slow climb, but I was feeling the high altitude climbs in my legs from the previous day. Bombed the downhill and felt like I was skiing.

PM - 4 miles - Testing out my Branca Running Sandals(review to come). 100 degrees on the Boulder Creek Path A couple speedy sections on the path, but the heat prevailed at the end when I slowed it down.

Wednesday
AM - 6 miles - A fairly speedy climb up Gregory Canyon to Green Man, then Saddle Rock and some of the Bluebird trail. Makeshift speedwork sesh on the way up. When I felt myself getting fatigued to the point where I would normally walk, I sped up until I was completely exhausted, walked a few steps, then restarted the process. Worked pretty well and helped me power up those god awful sections of stairs.

PM - 6 miles - Night run on the Boulder Creek Path. Felt fast, but I wasn't wearing a watch.

Thursday
AM - 5 miles - Took the Creek Path to work. It's pretty cool that I can run all the way to work without actually touching a road. I'ts mostly a paved bike path, but at least there are no cars to contend with. Held a 7:30ish pace with a 25lb backpack on at a comfortable cruising speed. Wearing a watch only occasionally has proven to have little impact on my speed in either direction. Got to work, taught an aerobics class, gave a swim lesson, and taught a weight lifting/spinning class. Failed to be a hardass and bummed a ride home from work instead of running. What a clown.

Friday
10 miles - Flagstaff trail up to the summit, tenderfoot, divide view trail, tenderfoot, summit, flagstaff trail back down. Seems like every thirty feet of trail has a name. Makes for easy navigation I suppose. This run was bit different. Since I know I can sustain movement for the 4-100000 hours it will take me to do the Pikes Peak Course, I only ran when I could run fast. When I wasn't cranking along, I simply stopped and took a breath. I want my body to become accustomed to race pace, so race pace will be run in this abrupt taper. Stopped once to realize I was standing in the middle of a herd of deer.

Saturday
AM - not running, but a sprint workout with the elite wheelchair racers on the track. I served as a draft and a rabbit for 800s. To make it more difficult for me, the slob with access to gearing, I put my bike in the highest gear to trash my quads. It must have worked- my upper legs were trashed on both sides.

PM - 7 miles - Ampitheater trail, mesa trail, and royal arch trails. On uphills I ramped up the intensity when exhaustion started to set in, then stopped and waited to feel better when I got dizzy. Repeat. Probably the last really intense run before Pikes.

Sunday
Columbia Muddy Buddy Mud Ride/Run
Boulder Reservoir
1 hour of running, biking, climbing, swamp crossing, and mud wrastlin'! Similar to Warrior Dashes, Urbanathlons, and other badass events.

Sam and I partered up and gave the tough course a go with matching shirts and matching hangovers from the night before(thanks, Dickerson twins). We traded off the riens of my late cousin Mike's trusty green steed Gary(I call the bike Gary not because it's a Gary Fisher, but rather named him after the snail on Spongebob).

my team mates, Samantha and Gary.

The race was tough, but it was an absolute blast. From a training standpoint, it was a great combination of speedwork and cross training. Sam and I just missed a podium by less than a minute. I playfully dunked my face in the mud in the final pit, temporarily blinding myself...ooops.

We won...4th place! Sam is a bit tougher than I.

I also got the chance to jump back in the mud for the Mini Muddy Buddy Race. My supervisor(for the next three days) brought her 4 year old son to the race, so he asked me to be his buddy for the mud madness. Helping a kid play in the mud is like helping a fish swim.

My Mini Muddy Buddy(center) and Me(muddy giant on left).
Go Jayden!

Where were these races when I was a kid in a kids body
instead of a kid in an adults body?

I kind of liked the mud in my hair, so I left it to gross people out at the store on the way home.

Another easy 2 miler to the store so Sam could make some delicious cookies.

And there you have it, my last full week in Boulder, Colorado. It makes me sad just typing it.

70 miles or so. I feel like I really found my groove just in time to leave. Par for the course.

I Seem to Dislike Numbers Lately

2011-08-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

I've been semi-diligently keeping record of my mileage for over a year now. Some of the weeks have been good, others pretty damned laughable.

For the past couple weeks, my time on a computer has been spent responding to emails or sitting in my office(okay, OR planning which bar to go to).

Since my post about Pikes Peak Marathon, I've put up some decent days of running, but haven't really been recording it. Averaging about 10-14 miles a day, but taking 2 days off for a campout in Estes Park. A few ascents of Green Mountain here in Boulder, a nice faster effort on the trails of Chatauqua with ultra beast Ely P, and an amazingly beautiful 5 hour excursion with Jason Robillard at Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.

I foolishly left my camera in the car,
so all you get to see is the two bums that uglied up the trail.

Jason seems to have hopped on the short shorts bandwagon.

I'm in a state of shock about my stay in Boulder being over already. A mud race with Sam next weekend, Pikes Peak the next, and I'm home. A return home is comforting and terrifying all at once. For some reason, I thought I'd have life sorted over these three months. I've only learned just how lost I am, and just how I'd love for it to stay that way.

sunrise in Eldora as Jason and I left the Hessie trailhead

I've Been Invited to Do a Little Hill Workout

2011-08-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

In the midst of preparing for my first 100 miler, I've been taught that you never know when an opportunity is going to present itself.

A couple months back, I wanted to make sure that I at least ran a couple great mountain races while I spent what could be my only summer in Colorado. I had been given the opportunity of a lifetime to pursue a career helping people find joy in sports and recreation, while training on the world's most beautiful terrain at the same time. Races provide me with a venue to meet others who are passionate about getting outside and catching a glimpse of how we used to live, when all that mattered was the hunt. When running races, I feel a flow state that is unmatched during all but the best training runs. With these things in mind, I searched for a few races of varying distances that would help me take advantage of the chance to live a dream.

The setback, as I found out, is that I'm not alone. Many of the most popular races in the Colorado area had sold out shortly after registration opened. I settled on a focused phase of training for the Leadville 50mile(as can be read in my race report, I wasn't quite as prepared as I would like to have been). This works well with regard to timing because the 50 mile mountain race would serve as a pillar of my training for the Woodstock 100 miler back home. I'd be able to continue my relaxed lifestyle of volunteering with those with disabilities, doing odd jobs to get by, and running wherever and whenever motivation and my schedule deemed it possible. I knew I'd get through a 100miler on what I was doing, as long as I worked hard and kept my mileage and training consistent.

Bored at work, I decide to check my personal messages. A message shows up in my inbox from a sender named PPM. I open it to read that it was the race director from the Pikes Peak Marathon. Of the ten available spots offered to "competitive" runners, I was offered one. I read it at least three times to make sure I was reading it right. I then checked the name of the intended recipient so I could forward it to them and correct their mistake. I checked every possible explaination before I finally had to accept what had just happened: I was invited to compete as an elite runner in the most challenging marathon in the U.S.

When I was trying to assemble a race schedule, I checked out the Pikes Peak race as a possible event to run. When attempting to register, I soon realized that I was several months late- the race filled up in just over an hour. The only way to get into this year's race was to apply for competitive entry. I figured, "what the hell? I've got some decent times. I look alright on paper." I pooled some resources and begged for some favors to aid in my attempt to convince the RD that I was a worthy opponent for an elite field. Though I knew stranger things had happened, I still felt as though I was wasting my time. I could throw a rock in Colorado and hit someone who could beat me up that peak.

A few weeks had passed and I heard nothing. The 29th was the last day for notification, and it came and went without a 13.3 mile red carpet being rolled out before me. I shrugged it off and went about my summer. Life was still great.

...What I had failed to notice was that I was looking at the wrong 29th. July 29th was the last day for elite entries. I was messaged on the 28th. Was I a first choice? Doubtful, but to be considered for such an honor didn't seem possible even 6 months ag(shit, 6 days ago).

Back to this email. I emphatically replied, accepting the invitation before anyone changed their mind. I really just agreed to run up a damned 14,000 foot mountain. As if that weren't grandiose enough, I also agreed that I had a shot at doing faster than 99% of the feild. How can a self-loather like myself make such a commitment?

Can I do it? Who knows? All I know is that there's at least one person out there who thinks so. As I mentioned before, there are several stronger runners who could fill this spot. The thing is that they didn't. I did. This is my spot now, and I'll be damned sure that I earn it. I can't promise or even predict any results, but I can lay my head down tonight knowing that I'm preparing to give it hell this time. I may never get an opportunity to do anything like this again, so ready or not, here it comes. I'll run as best I can on that given day. It's all anyone can ask, even me.

With any luck the short notice will allow me to get in some focused workouts and decent mileage before I walk into the press conference on the 18th of August.

My life has been great to me, and I'm thankful beyond words.

If this works out, the next thing added to my "action items" list is to rob Fort Knox with a slingshot.

...My first day of PPM training included a nice tumble on Green Mountain.
Don't say I wouldn't bleed for it.
(and then whine and expect lots of attention)

Back to Business

2011-07-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

Monday
AM-6 miles - Mount Sanitas before a meeting. At 8:30am, it was already pushing 80 degrees. Looks like I'll be doing my afternoon run in the dark. 2 miles of climbing followed by 3 miles of descent, then a gradual climb on the streets back to work downtown. Fantastic run. despite not eating breakfast, I still felt pretty good.

PM-4 mles - Just the typical loop on the Goose/Boulder Creek Greenways. Running in the dark is fun. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a manchild who gets freaked out in the dark. Made for a much needed farltek workout.

Tuesday
PM-5 miles - Just a run about town and on the Boulder Creek Path. Not enough time to hit the trails this morning since I had to report to the Res a 6:30. Still managed to get muddy and sweat a lot. These runs serve little purpose other than to practice my "comfortably fast" pace for long races(extra emphasis on the comfy part).

Wednesday
AM-9 miles - Met up with Ely and Archie for the typical route up Gregory and Ranger, then Down Bear Canyon to Mesa. I hadn't run that route in nearly 2 weeks, and it felt great to get on it again, even if I'm still not 100% yet. Ely and I compared notes on Leadville and casually did the route. I was nearly late for work, showing up to a staff meeting with all the stank of the day on me.

Thursday
6 miles - Planned on going up Green again, but got light-headed inexplicably. Headed up Green Man to the Saddle Rock Trail instead. Good run other than the near fainting spell. Damn my finicky body.

Friday
8 miles - Chatauqua toGregory Canyon to Long Canyon to Green Mtn West Ridge to Summit then played with chipmunk for 10 minutes then Greenman to Gregory to Chataqua to McDonalds. Not feeling creative enough to use sentences. I was in a pretty good groove coming down Greenman, I took my eyes off of my feet for one second to look up and see ultra legend Scott Jurek standing there. I'm sure I had a "deer in the headlights" look for a second or thirty, then we exhanged pleasantries before I bolted down the hill again. Pretty cool to share trails with my running role models. Playing with a chipmunk was also pretty awesome. Why the hell are they so tame on the summit of the mountain?

Saturday
AM- 5 miles - 5 miles on the Goose Creek and Boulder Creek paths. My parents were in town, so I thought it would be a good way to show them some of Boulder while I got a short workout in. They rode bikes with me, so I had them pedal at a comfortable pace while I tried to keep up.

The Flatirons, Me, and Dad on the bike. Photo: Mom

a couple miles of barefoot on the Creek Path.

PM- 3 miles - A little stair workout.

Stairs across from the Cog Railway Station at Pikes Peak

Reportedly 1.5 miles up to the top.

My friend Rob Sanchez told me about this "stair workout" some of the olympians do when trainin in Colorado Springs. My family and I were waiting for our train up to the Summit when we noticed the stairs. I then realized it was the stair set Rob was talking about. The time was 3:15. The train was leavin at 4. I made it to the top and back by 3:55, much to the dismay of my agitated, yet not suprised family. A bit of an impromptu climb in my khaki shorts. I bruised my hands a couple times from falling on the loose gravel.

Sunday
4 miles - Hiking on Green Mounntain with the parents. They were brave for a couple of sea level dwellers. Not a great deal of training merit, but I tried to practice my "power hiking" and stair climbing as I slowly trudged up the mountain.

Almost to the Summit

Have you ever seen anything more touristy than this?

Total: 50 miles. Mostly good stuff as I ease back into running after Leadville. I played the recovery pretty cool since I don't have any races coming up in the immediate future...or do I?

I'm not sure which made for better training - my entirely running based life back at WMU, with its unchallenging terrain and high quality, high volume training, or my career based life here in Boulder, with its inconsistent, high quality trail running? Like it or not, I have to learn to share the rest of my life with running if I want to be a balanced person.

Glory to Dust: A report from the Leadville Silver Rush 50

2011-07-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

The dust has settled and the aches have subsided. Time to write a race report.

My preparation for this race could be barely be described as recreational running. The Leadville 50 mile would be the first ultra I've done since my (hopefully not so) temporary move to Boulder. Though I'm thouroughly loving my time here and enjoying every mile of trail I get to run, those miles haven't been as frequent or as plentiful as I'd hoped. Many factors have gone into this but they can be summed up as follows:

life happens

Working an unpaid "big boy" job in therapeutic recreation has proven to take up much more of my time than my lacksadaisical approach to academia. 30-60 hours a week have been the first thing to take their toll on my running.

Leaving the majority of my support group has proven to be more of a detriment to me than it has for them. Without my arsenal of joggers to drag me out on multiple daily runs, my motivation has waned. This has taught me the value of support from others. Give it when you've got it, take it when it's offered.

Now that I've compiled a hefty list of excuses, I will go out on a limb and say that I did do a few things right. Nearly all of my runs consisted of higher intensity climbs. My fascination with peaks has driven me to climb Green Mountain, Bear Peak, or Mount Sanitas most of the days I hit trails. My road runs had been mostly quicker efforts or long climbs on mountain roads. I let the terrain dictate my training.

Did a substitution of higher mileage and more runs for higher quality and more fun work out for me in the end? I think there are too many variables to tell. My recovery from Mind the Ducks was slower that expected, but I did manage to steadily work my way up to a 75mile week before leadville. My longest run since moving to Boulder was a 3 hour run at altitude that took me a marvelous 13 miles. Clearly, I was resting on the laurels of my 12 hour, 77.24 mile run back in may.

How woould a decent midwest runner do when completely out of his element? I've won a couple 50milers, a 12 hour, and placed in a few others over on the east side of the Mississippi. I don't feel as though my adaptation to mountains was complete before this attempt, but time waits for nobody.

Like how I start each race report with a line of excuses and bullshit? On with it already.

Okay, the weekend itself

Sam and I slept in on Saturday morning, knowing we would be deprived of our precious slumber in due time. We both sleep like infants for some reason. Once I finally rolled out of bed, I got a few things done that I knew I wouldn't be motivated to do in 48 hours. Mowed the lawn, prepped the car, cleaned up outside the house, all that boring stuff. Sam was getting into "crew/caregiver/general saint" mode and made an awesome lunch of pancakes and fruit.

We checked to make sure we packed everything, I put on my most adventurous hat, and we were off. I remembered the easy drive to Leadville from our last trip up there, so we kept the GPS in the glove box.

A couple hours of road trip music later, and we were at 10000ft. Our first order of business was to check into our campsite and get our tent set up. Sam and I are different combinations of frugal and adventurous, but we both decided that our little Coleman tent would serve as the most effective means of housing.

I don't know what the hell that string is for.

After getting set up, we meandered back into town. It was a bout a 4 mile bike ride into downtown Leadville, so we took the bikes off my roofrack and made some tracks down the gravel road. I wanted to see if I could avoid getting up at 4am and pick my race packed up early. No dice - I missed the early packet pickup time. Oh well, I needed to add a challenge anyway, right? Why not throw a 4am alarm into the mix?

We rode down the hill to the start/finish area to catch the tail end of the mountain bike race. The atmosphere was pretty cool, but after looking around a bit, we headed back into town for ice cream. It only seemed fitting that I eat Rocky Road flavor.

The ride back to our campsite was all downhill, so we made it back quite a bit easier. The ride in the AM to the race start was going to be a cold, dark, bitch of an uphill ride. Oh well. We hopped back in the car and went back to town for the best reason to do any type of physical activity. Authentic Mexican food by the pound! I was quite suprised to be the only runner in the restarante at 8pm the night before a race. Don't other people know the power of refried beans, tortilla, cheese, and some good hot salsa? It' lead to some success in the past and it sounded good, so we went with it.

Back to campsite, where Samantha and I had an obligation to fill. That obligation is to eat several S'mores in the presence of a campfire. We would have been in remiss to not enjoy the wonder of marshmallow, graham cracker, and chocolate...and Pabst.

My 1-woman support crew, roastin' some mallows.

Hold the "Brokeback Mountain" jokes. The ignorant author attempts
to start a fire without the use of 1.5 gallons of gasonline.

We sat up talking until about 12am. I know that neither of us fell asleep until at least 1. Not a big deal. It's not like we had to be up early or anything.

...3 hours later...

Alarm goes off. Sleepy. I contemplate just staying in bed. "The race is chip timed, right? I could just start it at 9!" Of course, I did get up a few minutes later, even if it was rather reluctantly. Brushed my teeth and changed with my headlamp on, threw on some pants, a couple shirts, and a jacket. The weather app on my phone said it was about 36 degrees. Since I was rather limited on breakfast options, I had one Carnation instant breakfast, then packed another for when we got to the race start. I threw on my backpack with my race supplies in it and headed to town with Sam.

little known fact: Im a professional phtographer.

Without further ado - the race

I rolled up in the dark to a a few folks setting up EZ-up tents. The ski hill at the start has outdoor lighting, a few minutes after I arrived, the lights turned on. People started shuffling in, taking their pre-race deuces and fidgeting with this and that. Some smiled happily as they milled about, talking to anyone about anything. Others anxiously avoided eye contact and did strange calisthenic type movements. I've learned not to take anything like that personally. In spite of my passive attitude, I know that running 50 miles at 12000 feet is a big deal. We all deal with the anticipation in different ways. I just sort of wandered around, filing my water bottles, stuffing my shorts pockets with GU, drinking some weird energy drink, covertly adjusting my...unmentionables.

I drank a bottle of water while standing around

shivering at the start line

The announcer called out "5 minutes to race start!" so I eagerly made the 6 to 10 foot journey to the start line. It suprisingly took less than 5 minutes. I always do that. The RD explained that at the top of the ski hill pictured above, there were two silver dollars- one for the male and one for the female that reaches the top first.

Bang.

I've never seen a candy machine that takes silver dollars, so I just hung midpack as adrenaline pulled me up the hill.

I climbed this hill two weeks ago with Sam. After that, I had no intention of actually running up it on race day. The surge of adrenaline drove me up the hill much faster than I anticipated. I weaved in and out of the hoard of people, relentlessly clawing my way up to the top. By the time I got there, I had actually made it into the pack that was after the silver dollar. Probably not the best strategy for someone who was trying to be steady, so I backed off a little and just tried to get comfortable after the course leveled out. I tried to fight the urge to pass people as I felt like I was in ROTC formation. As I slowly learn from my experiences in ultras, I've created a simple motto: don't resist anything. If you feel like running faster, run faster. You will hurt later, whether you keep tugging at the reins or not, so let it fly. This goes against the grain of conventional ultra wisdom, but our sport is entering a new era - speed rules.

The first few miles went pretty smoothly, I talked briefly with a group of people as we hung together. My plan to stalk the leaders immediately went to shit. I just started running my own race. After a few attempts at a surge, I decided that the diesel of a man next to me was going to be my pacer for a bit. He looked like my friend Phil, so just refered to him as such in my head.

After a completely silent 7 miles, we reached the first aid station. I estimated that there were roughly 7 people ahead of me. The sun had come up and I was treated to the most spectacular sunrise I've ever seen. The snowcapped mountains blazed in an orange glow as if they were molten hunks of the ore that lie undiscovered inside them. The beams of light pierced the pines as we ran through the trails on our way to the high country.

At the first aid station, I removed my flannel, tech shirt, and knitted hat. (I hope I get them back). Shirtless, sweating, and running through the mountains with some of the best runners in the world. I was living a dream and everything was perfect. I was presented with a few creek crossings. I had faith in my shoes' water draining abilities, so I carelessly splashed through them as the trail turned upward. The guy I had been running with had started taking long strides, hiking up the mountain. I was losing ground as I "ran" behind him. I emulated the true mountain runner and immediately felt more comfortable. This was where I met Craig. He's from the Boulder/Longmont area, so we talked a bit while we scrambled up the trail into the thin air. One volunteer commented out how comfortably we carried on a conversation as we drove our knees up the incline.

Craig Howie and me running up a flooded trail. Photo: Zazoosh.

Craig and I caught up with Matt, the guy I had been running with earlier in the race. After a few miles, comraderie takes precedence over any competition. We chatted as w trotted a downhill to the 13ish mile aid station. This was where it really started to feel like a big mountain race. There were support crews, volunteers, and aid station workers everywhere. People cheering, tending to our needs. I felt the urgency in the air. I was further up the pack than I had originally thought. I didn't bother to ask where exactly I was, but I didn't waste any time. Craig and Matt had both taken off, so I decided to give chase.

I slowly made up some ground on these two, but quickly lost it on the next long uphill. Who gets dropped on any climb longer than 3 minutes? An asthmatic from Michigan in Leadville, thats who. I also got passed by another guy. I didn't get a good look at him since I was running with my head down. Some miles of climbing passed, and I had reached air that was thinnner yet. The trees were smaller and I had reached what I assume was the tree line. As the trail leveled off, I saw the next aid station. This was the Rock Garden AS, where Samantha was working along with other volunteers at a rather desolate looking station. She was a sight for sore eyes as I was exhausted and out of water.

The view from this AS was spectacular. A 360 degree view of snowcapped mountans.

Sam walking me into the mile 18 AS

I was informed here that I was in 4th place. It didn't really put any pep in my step.

I swapped a full bottle with Sam, ate a Honey Stinger Waffle, stuffed a few more GUs in my pockets, and headed off toward the Stump Town turnaround point. There were some nice downhills into a beautiful valley. There was snow all around me as I ran in solitude through the grassy valley. This was certainly a high point for me as I ran up a winding path through a snowy section of trail.

The next section consisted of a long, mostly downhill gravel road to the turnaround. A mile or so from the turnaround, I realized I've seen nobody coming toward me. Before I can even finish the thought, I see Craig, the guy who was running with me earlier in the race. He put some serious ground between us and it was awesome to see him on his way back to the finish already. He was in first place in his first 50! This meant that despite my rough patches so early in the race, I was still in decent shape. I surged on to the turnaround, where I fiddled with my drop bag for far too long and grabbed by bandana to cool my neck off as the sun grew higher and hotter.

The long, technical downhill before the turnaround was an even longer, nastier climb as I hiked up to the snowy peak again. There was a creek crossing on the way to the top. On the way out, I took the rickety bridge across because I was the only one nearby. Now that I was on the return trip, the rest of the pack was doing a conga line across the bridge. I didn't want to wait, so I just hopped in and cooled off. The water was nearly waist-high as looked up and saw my fellow racers crossing the bridge. As the trail wound up the hill for me, it was winding down for pack that was running toward me. I remembered how tough the downhill was, so I moved out of the way as best I could for them. Most of them looked a hell of a lot better than I felt, so I figured I'd rather nurture their good condition instead of nursing my poor condition. At this point I started to get light headed, but kept climbing. I then noticed that I was stumbling, but the trail wasn't all that technical. Just when I started to realize that I was probably feeling the effects of the altitude, it happened.

I proceded to projectile vomit on the side of the trail. Sitting there alone on my knees, puking up GU and Carnation instant breakfast on the side of the mountain.

Inexplicably, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I felt free. Maybe it was the realization that it simply wasn't my day. I realized that no matter how this day turned out, I was living a dream that I've had for two years. I was in Leadville, Colorado, running with some of the best athletes in the land, giving the race everything I had. That in itself was enough to make me feel happy. Not every day can be mine, but I can always do my best for that given day. I wasn't just on the course anymore, but rather becoming a part of the race. How did I celebrate this revelation? How about a quick snow angel to pay homage to my long Michigan winter training runs?

A little hiking and some pleasant exchanges later, I was back at the Rock Garden AS to visit Sam again. I have to confess that at this point, I was seriously contemplating just quitting. I felt like shit, I was sick, and I had an easy out. Not if Sam had anything to do with it. I jogged up the aid station and was greeted with encouragement from Sam and her fellow volunteer Ann. They offered so much that the thought of escape evaporated from my mind. At this point I was still in 7th place. I knew more passing was imminet, which shook my fragile runner's ego. I was physically able to continue, so I did. I fueled up, drank some coke, and switched my shoes.

Looking more like an elite bowler than a hobbyjogger ultrarunner, I fuel up at Rock Garden.

The cool folks at New Balance sent me a pair of shoes to wear test, and even took some consideration to send them in time for Leadville. Switching into them for the last 20 miles of the race helped because it gave me a sense of purpose, even if it was just the miniscule task of field testing some prototype shoes.

I've passed out before, but never intentionally sat down in an ultra.
I guess there's a first time for everything.

I plugged along, feeling lighter knowing that I dropped a few ounces off of each foot after swapping shoes. Out and back courses are such a double edged sword. Strategically, they offer an advantage because you know the entire course when you're halfway done. The negative is that it seems so daunting when to me when I think, "I felt shitty when I was here 3 hours ago!" The path kept descending the narrow, rocky road while I picked up a couple empty GU packets. Odds are they were mine anyway. Back on a dirt road, where I saw an older guy standing there directing racers. This guy made me smile as he gave me the thumbs up and told me I looked good. I hadn't seen my reflection, but I know what I look like after I vomit. I could probably have passed for an extra in a Bruce Campbell zombie flick, but this guy knew what it was all about. Pushing past glamour and pride to see what we're made of. The guy wasn't bullshitting me and telling me that I looked good, he knew I was digging away at myself. That is, of course, based on the assumption that this man did exist and that he's an exististential overanalyzer like me. Thank you for the encouragement, sir.

More wide dirt roads, none of them flat. I headed up one of them to the 13 mile AS. I was told that I was in 8th place. I should have at least tried to look more enthusiastic as I smiled and shrugged. I was on my death march, just circling the drain. The entire pack could have stormed by me and I would have let them go. Refill the pockets, drink some nasty GU Brew drink, shuffle onward. The 3-4 mile downhill that Craig, Matt and I so effortlessly flew down a few hours ago was now an uphill shuffle into thin air under a scorching sun. My water had evaporated from my bandana and I could feel a sunburn creeping into my skin. I heard footsteps behind me, but didn't feel like turning around. After hearing the footsteps for a few minutes, I decided to make sure it wasn't a mountain lion. Thankfully, it was just another dude coming up for a pass. This time it was Ely, who I found out is another Boulder resident. He, like Craig, was doing his first ultra at Leadville. We had similar backgrounds, and both sort of laughed as we realized we were probably the only ones "dumb" enough to wear racing flats and no socks on such a notoriously nasty course. Run how you train.
I noticed that niether of us were sporting watches either. After running mountains for a bit, you get tired of a clock telling you how slow you are. During a race, why wear a watch when the answer is always, "go faster?"

Ely and I crossed a few creeks, ran some downhills, and parted ways after I gave him one of my Roctanes. He was cramping up a little, I had enough food to get me to aid, so I helped him keep his mojo goin' and he took off looking great. I, on the other hand, let him go as I barfed in the bushes again. Damned altitude. Why wouldn't 5 weeks be enough to acclimate from sea level Michigan to Boulder, then Leadville the day before? Excuses galore. My apologies.

I passed through the final AS, but had shoes full of rocks, so I sat down for a second to dump them out. I rested up, drank some coke, at a peice of bread, and decided that I wasn't done yet. I set the goal to run every step of the last miles of the course, no matter how steep or rocky the hills were. It wouldn't change my standing in the race, but I owed it to myself to give it everything I had. I may never get the chance to do this race again. I stormed off, knowing I was in for some hurt, but also knowing that it was what I came for. We don't do it because its easy, we do it to see what we're made of(and to blog and get buttloads of swag).

I vaguely remembered being on these trails earlier in the day. It had been so long ago. The sun wasn't even up yet the last time I passed through there. It was now sunny and hot, but even more gorgeous than it had been at dawn. The sun was shining brightly onto the bodies of water off in the distance as the wind whistled through the pines. I was completely alone as I kept pushing forward. Maybe it worked out for the best. This section of the course was awesome, and running it alone was just what I needed.

On I ran, feeling pretty quick for the first time in a few hours. I was on a flat section of power line that I remembered from the start. Deciding that I would take advantage of a flat section and down one more GU on the run, I stuck my hand into my shorts pocket. Plain. Why the hell did I grab "plain" flavored GU. I've nver had it, but I hate plain flavored anything. I needed the energy, so I ripped the top off and squeezed it. It hit my lips, and I immediately started gagging. So much so that wretched and vomitted all over in the grass along the trail. This was right up there with the scene from "The Exorcist" with regard to distance. I didn't miss a step, flushed my mouth out with my remaining water from my bottle and pressed on. No more GU for me. Another mile went by and I reached a puddle I remembered running around early on. Realizing that running through water filled my shoes with rocks(at this point I was sorely missing my inov-8 195s), I decided to gingerly run around the mud puddle. This would be my final mistake of the day. Snagging my toe on a rock, I went down like a ton of bricks, face first into the mud. Damn, I really thought I was better at running than that. For some reason, I still wasn't frustrated, and just kept chugging along. Another downhill through the municipal disc golf course, and I was in sight of the last mile of the course.
A grassy hill that wasn't any particular trail was the very last climb of the race. I, in a futile fit of stubbornness, powered up that hill as if it were the first one of the day. Nobody was taking the spot that I had earned in the last feet of the race. My stride opened up and I descended the final winding hills on my way into the finish line. I could see it. I could hear the announcer saying my name. Through the cattle gates. Over the beeping mats. Bend over and let the volunteer hang the medal on my neck.

I completed my first mountain ultra, the Leadville Silver Rush 50.

pensive...or sleeping?

The feet survived the day, and I get some shiny stuff to show my mom.

I gasped for air when I ran my first mile ever to impress her. 6 years ago.
I'm glad she's still here.

I was worried that my standing in this race would hurt my ego as "post race blues" set in. It's been a week, and I still feel pretty good about what happened. I got to run with group of truly first class athletes and I felt honored to have been there. I played the hand I was dealt, and I hope some other people got some sort of benefit from my presence. Every single competitor that I met was a class act, and I hope to race with them again.

Recovery

The day after Leadville, it was back to the grind. I taught a kickboxing class, coached paralympic swimming, and helped instruct a water aerobics class. The following day was 5 hours of adaptive waterskiing at the Reservoir and my first attempt at wakeboarding(abysmal failure...I'm a skier). Can't argue with the swiftness of recovery. Something about these mountains is awesome. I'm going to find a way to stay. This state has become home in just over a month.

Don't ever let an overdramatic, self indulgent race report sway you. You can do it. you were made for it.

J.S.

Touching Base

2011-07-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Another week in paradise as Summer flies by. Sam and I headed up to Leadville for me to race the 50miler.

My sister and brother in law are here visiting and it's good to see familiar faces.

I'll be writing a race report for leadville soon, but here are some unimportant figures.

11th place overall-dropped from 4th after
2 vomitting episodes
1 snow angel
30 packets of GU
1 hell of a sunburn
countless memories

I underestimated the difficulty of this race

...but still raced it - my way. A report will be up soon.

Pre-race rambling and a year in review

2011-07-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Another 50 mile race is upon me. Ready or not, I'll toe the line at 6am in Leadville, Colorado. I don't know the results, or even what to expect, but the goals are clear now.

As one could tell by my posts regarding racing, I'm trying to nail down the real reasons I love the sport of running(not ultras specifically). I'm not naturally gifted - every time I talk sports, I'm told I look like a swimmer. My old addiction for the adrenaline rush still lingers when I bomb down a hill on my mountain bike. My blood boils when I see a muddy dirtbike in the back of a truck because I miss hucking 250 pounds of metal into the air. Knowing all this, why is my preferred method of self destruction a slow, arduous trek over mountains and into thin air?

As much as I obnoxiously pursue minimalism, I'm a gear nerd. I wear test shoes for several companies. I visit running stores and peruse the web just to see what new offerings have surfaced. I have an entire porch full of trail shoes outside my door with mud and shale dust on them. My girlfriend has one lone pair of Merrell Trail Gloves that are falling apart, but far from retired. Which of us is the true minimalist? When I talk about it with her, she smiles and shrugs. I admire the simplicity. Is it the simplicity of running that appeals to me? I'd like to think so, but my closet and browsing history beg to differ.

Maybe I love the attention. Our society has experienced a boom in the popularity of running. I've won a few small races. I'm proud of these accomplishments, but every win has come with a little bit of a stigma attached to it. I can't help but feel guilty, wondering if success was a result of attention and praise-seeking behavior. I write this blog, hoping people will read it and get something out of it. My fear of poorly sourced motivation stems from a disdain for such behavior. Could I have such an avoidance of such attitudes that ended up resulting in me becoming what I hate?

After some talking with others(and myself...I'm obviously crazy), I've realized what I'm looking for. I've drawn on past feelings. I've mentioned in earlier posts the feeling of elation that comes over me on random occurrences and during a few key races. Everything is right- body, mind and spirit seem to all be getting the right idea. On these rare occasions, I'm fully engaged in what I'm doing, yet unattached to any results. The pain in my legs feels good somehow. I'm aware of who's ahead of me and behind me, but not preoccupied about it. Not a magical out of body experience or anything like that, but everything just feels damn good.

I'm looking for that rare time when the actor becomes the play, the runner becomes the run. Of course I'd like to win every race I enter, but not at the expense of another having a bad day. Maybe I'm still looking for that performance where I feel like I truly perform to my potential, where I have the most profound experience. If any one's ever tried meditation, you might be able to relate when I describe what I'm feeling like this:

"I've been at it for quite a while now...I'm so in the moment. This must be what meditation feels like....

Oh shit, I'm thinking again, aren't I?"

While writing this, I realized I've posted on this blog 76 times since starting it exactly a year ago. It seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once. I went back and read my first post, and consequently thought of how I got started with all these endeavors to begin with. I started out as a heartbroken kid who used his hand-me-down bike to show his departed idol just how much he meant to him. Though Mike is no longer the inspiration behind every run, he still helps me get my head back into the game when my ego starts to take over. His memory reminds me that life isn't about medals around our necks or articles written about us in the paper. It's about searching relentlessly for peak experience. It's about enjoying those moments when everything is right and realizing how right things are even when they seem so wrong.
Losing my big brother was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life, but as I learned from him, there's good in everything. This tragedy lit a fire under me that has yet to go out, a burning in my heart to squeeze as many perfect moments as I can out of life. As this fire was a gift to me, I want to spread it around. My life's goal is to help other people figure out what makes them feel alive. I'm still figuring out how to make it happen, but each day brings me closer. I;m not the only one to be affected.

Though total clarity is more of an ideal than an attainable goal, the fog between my mind and an understanding of pure experience is slowly lifting. With each race, each peak, and year, I get closer to finding out what it's all about. All my thinking is my own worst enemy.

Sam's going to take some pics of runners while volunteering at Leadville,
so she was playing around with her camera.

My taper was so long that my tan faded. Not a good sign!

Footprint of barefoot and a nearly bare foot.

New Balance was kind enough to overnight a care package.
Thanks Ryan!

Here I am, watching Hot Rod, greatest movie ever made, sipping a PBR. The excessive taper is complete. I'm anxious to see the mountains again. I grew up a fat kid with asthma. Bring it on, thin mountain air!

You Have to Exercise to Call it a Training Log

2011-07-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

I was going to do my usual, boring running log stuff, but running has been far too inconsistent this week to bother with that format. A combination of heat, malaise, and work hours took it's toll on me this week. In my usual pre-race routine, I've sabotaged myself out of any type of confidence. a 35 mile week, two weeks before a 50 mile? A bit sad if I want to do well.

I don't have to read old blog posts to notice a pattern. Almost every race I've run in the past two years have been preceded by a couple crappy weeks. How long will my luck last? Is it luck at all? What could I accomplish if I actually possessed work ethic?

I just need to look at the bigger picture and stop being pessimistic. The past week of running has consisted of a few sporadic jogs, but all have been of pretty good quality.
Monday was a long, arduous trek up Bear Peak and down Shadow Canyon in the rain. Its a somewhat smooth ride up the first couple miles, then an all out crawl up the summit. My heart was racing, but I was hitting a whopping 35 minute mile pace up to the rocky 8500' peak.

Mid week was pretty lame, consisting of a few 3-4 milers. No watch, just cruising around Boulder and "running" some errands. I just ran by feel, focusing on posture and staying smooth. Fun runs in good weather.

Friday was the next day I got out the trails. My favorite route up Gregory Canyon to Long Canyon Trail to the Summit of Green. This run was a milestone for me. Though I had no watch to confirm, I think this was my best run up a mountain yet. I didn't stop, or even take a walk break up the entire 3.5 mile, 3100' climb. If I can run 3100feet in 3 miles, then maybe the 8000' of climbing in 50 miles won't be so bad(I'm fragile, indulge me, will you?).

The weekend was spent at Rocky Mountain National Park! I wasn't running or on vacation, but working. My internship program, where I work with people with disabilities, took a group of campers for an overnight trip into the park. We hiked around Bear Lake and a couple adjacent trails.
No training merit, but the views were spectacular as I watched the sunrise over the mountains, the only benefit to not sleeping more than 10 minutes all night.

The bus I drove, the mountains we watched, and the campsite we stayed on.

small picture of Bear Lake. Nice loop that was easily
accessible for all of our participants

My phone takes crappy pictures. Here's the beautiful sunrise I caught while all the other
campers were sleeping.

In other news, My friend, fellow blogger, and virtual training partner Rebecca Schaefer and I were pictured in ULTRArunning Magazine. The photo of us after the finish of the Mind the Ducks 12 hour was used in the most recent issue of our sports magaxine.

I don't have a subscription to ultraRUNNING, so I have no idea the context in which
this was used. I assume it was a public service announcement about
creepy dudes attacking fast girls in parks.

I'll probably post again this week about anxiety, self doubt, motivation, and where I'm going to carry 40 GUs before I race Leadville this weekend.

...Wish me luck, I'll need it. Here's to going out of comfort zones!

SXUC Winner Sunglasses Review

2011-07-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

As much as I'd like to believe that it's my running prowess that gets me swag to review, I'm inclined to think that it's almost entirely attributed to my blogging and general attention-seeking internet presence. I don't plan on writing reviews for any toaster ovens or vinyl siding, but being approached to review items that don't strap to my feet is pretty exciting. When I was asked to review the SXUC Winner shades by sunglassesshop.com, I had to think about my boundaries as a blogger and a writer. Will I review anything? Can I be bought by any company that throws some product my way? These are questions that we have to ask ourselves if we want to maintain our integrity. My answer? Yes and no. I feel that reviewing everything that comes my way would be a bit sleazy, but I also want to be well informed about all things running gear, so I felt compelled.

Though the marketing folks at sunglassesshop.com are interested in me as an advertising vehicle for their product line, they also seem to have a genuine interest in their audience. I'm reviewing a sport-specific model that is intended to be used for running and cycling. To make sure I'm not pulling the wool over anyone's eyes, I'll state that sunglasses were given to me free of charge for the purpose of reviewing.

Exploring the mountains with my SXUCs

The homely author.

These would be a tough sell for me. I'm generally not a fan of wearing sunglasses unless I'm driving and the sun is shining directly in my face. I chose to review the glasses because I was curious as to whether a quality pair would sway me over to the darkened side.

Design
As one can tell from the pictures, these glasses are of the "blade" variety with no full frame to hold the lenses in. This proved to be a nice feature that I hadn't really considered. Not having the entire lens surrounded by frame helped keep my vision clear and less distorted. A huge concern for me while wearing sunglasses is that my vision will be altered slightly, making really technical trails tough to manage. On all the the most technical of trails, this wasn't really an issue. The frameless bottom half of the sunglasses also helped sweat drip off, rather than pooling up in the bottom of the frame. This is something I noticed while I was chugging up Gregory Canyon with my head down, sweating bullets in the 95 degree heat under a cloudless sky.

Performance/Fit
The protection from bright sunlight proved to be an asset. After a full afternoon of running the rocky canyons in the sun, my eyes typically have difficulty adjusting to sunset and darkness. The SXUC Winner prevented that. The glasses are also very light. Most might not be overly concerned about the weight of something as small as a pair of sunglasses, but my full running getup consists of a small water bottle, a scandalously small pair of shorts, and a 7 ounce pair of shoes. I don't count grams like a cyclist, but I sure don't like wearing heavy gear. As I mentioned before, The vision distortion I had been concerned about was not an issue. A quality pair of sunglasses will only alter the amount of light getting in, not the objects in the lenses. On really technical trails, I still put the glasses on my head and ran without them. For road running, however, they're quite impressive.

Another huge positive for these glasses is that they lenses haven't fogged on me yet. This is one of my huge pet peeves with most sunglasses, so I was happy

Negatives?
I'm not typically a huge fan of the "blade" style of sunglasses. Even though they reminded me a tiny bit of early 90's NASCAR racing, they still earned my girlfriend's style seal of approval. The styling is now quite popular with cyclists and triathletes, so I don't feel that out of place with them on.

Though the fit feels comfortable, I still found the lenses to be a bit small. When I first put them on, I could see light coming in from the bottom. I'm cautious in making this complaint because the lenses have yet to fog on me. The smaller lens may be one thing to attribute that ventilation to.

The Verdict?
Sunglasses are like lots of other sporting equipment - the best stuff is the stuff you never have to think about. If I have to think about my sunglasses, I'm leaving them in the car. This is why I haven't got a 12 page article for you on the SXUC Winner. They work, they protect the eyes, and don't look too shabby.

Sunny day near Leadville, CO

Buy a pair from http://www.sunglassesshop.com/ and keep me in a sponsorship! I know seem to be bit of a whore when it comes to free swag, but I do turn down more than I accept. This company has good customer service and some good product.

If you skimmed to the bottom to avoid my babbling. Here you go:
Pretty darned good sunglasses for about 17 bucks!

Note: I've had the glasses for about 2 weeks. I won't hesitate to post an update with regard to durability.

Rather Evenful Week

2011-07-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

Monday
AM - 6 miles - Ran a loop on the greenways here in town to loosen the legs up. Kept an honest pace, but nothing stellar. The weather was cool for a change and I just kind of enjoyed the jog.
PM - 9 miles - Up the hill through town to Mount Sanitas Park. Ran up Mount Sanitas, Racing some guy's relentless collie up the trail. Sat at the top, watching the sun go down for a minute, then took the East Ridge Trail down to the streets. I arrived at home to get a text from Sam, asking me to bring her some food at work. I was a running courier for the last two miles of the run.

Steady as she goes. Today felt pretty good.

Tuesday
14 miles - what a garbage run. All on the Goose Creek and Boulder Creek Paths. Flat, mostly paved with the exception of the gravel on the South Boulder Creek. Waited until it cooled down and missed the opportunity to run trails after dicking around all day. Pace was decent, but the run wasn't really of any quality. The silver lining is that it reminded me that I need to be consuming more on longer runs. 2-3 GUs per hour is my typical ultra race regimen, so I have to remember that for future reference. The scenery was good as I cruised down the path in view of the Flatirons. Something about running through a prairie with Johnny Cash in your ears just feels right, even if the run hasn't much training value. Tweaked my soleus on Monday, so I'll be nursing that the rest of the week. Oh well, its time to make friends with the hurt while I sharply peak.

Wednesday
5 miles - After I finished coaching wheelchair racing, I decided to do a few miles of my own on the track. Nothing crazy since I hadn't eaten or drank much in the heat of the day(99 degrees today). 2 mile warmup at a 6:30-6:50 pace, then a handful of 400s at a 5:10ish pace with a quarter mile rest in between. Ran on the lines of the track since its torn to shreds from spikes. My bare feet are incredibly sensitive from lack of skin-to-ground time. All this rugged mountain running is giving me sissy feet.

Though I did these repeats, didn't do them to exhaustion. I got bored. Running at high speeds for a change was a short-lived thrill; it felt like work. The intensity of running up Sanitas on Monday was higher(to the point where my head was spinning), and it was a blast. It's quite amusing that running at an 18min/mile pace can be more intense than 5:15 I do miss workouts with my club at school, but for now, I think I'll chose trails whenever possible...Just wasn't in the cards today.

Thursday
9 miles - Decided to do a little "speed hiking" to balance out yesterday's speedwork. Three hours(stops included) of powering up Green. Instead of quick turnover and running light, I decided to load up my backpack with a full 100oz bladder, a couple books, my camera, and my Columbia Peak 2 Peak Jacket. I also opted for the use of trekking poles this time. Though slow, this trek rates very high on my list of great runs. The adventure part was comparable to my 30 mile post holing trek in the back country with Jason Robillard. I had fun vaulting over rocks with my poles sliding on the slick rocks.

The weather was looking a bit ominous, so I packed my coat. I'm glad I did. A strong wind blew up as I hit the summit, bringing hail, rain, thunder and lightning with it. Apparently, if you want some solitude, you have to brave a little bit of shit weather. I'm from the Midwest. I consider this to be pretty bearable. I sat there, perched atop my favorite peak(what the hell do I know? I've run to the top of 4 mountains since getting here), watching a beautiful lightning storm roll in. Everything, for some reason, felt absolutely perfect, like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

The strange feeling of happiness that came over me while sitting in a lightning storm atop a mountain eating Oreos(12 chocolate double stuft) is something I'll never forget. I have these moments of clarity sometimes. Everything makes sense, and that safe feeling of home fills my mind. I'm no longer homesick for that place that has ceased to exist. If I could capture that feeling and always keep it with me, I could wander forever...and I just may.

I have a face better suited for radio than blogging.
I'll try to keep the camera pointed the other direction from now on.

Friday

13 miles - Pretty typical route. I'm not bored, but it gets boring typing the same thing into the log every time. Green Mountain again, but this time I had to duck out of the trails and hit the streets when it got dark. Better start bringing a headlamp if I insist on procrastinating all the time.

Saturday

AM - 6 miles - Run/hike with Sam. Parked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research(NCAR) and explored some trails there. Its close to my usual routes, but I typically have 7 miles or so on by the time I get there. This where more of the Open Space and Mountain Parks trails are. Hiked up to Mallory Cave and ran back down, then hit the Skunk Canyon loop. Sam's getting in great shape. Since she's my only running partner, I hope that means that I am as well.

PM - 4 miles - Had some time to kill between some work stuff and getting home from the hike, so I put on some music and went for a run in the sun on the Goose Creek and Boulder Creek Paths. I didn't look at my watch, but ran comfortably fast. Turns out, I had a couple quick miles in there. The whole run was under 7 minute pace, and the middle miles were about 6:20-6:30. Shit, I'll take it.

Sunday

7 miles - Drove up to Leadville to check out the town and see some of the course. Due to my lack of planning, the course prerunning was a complete bust. Once I got over the ski hill at the starting line, I had no idea where I was going. The maps provided on the website show only the course, omitting the myriad of other two tracks that fills the area. No matter, Sam and I still got some hiking in at 10,000 feet and figured out where we are camping the weekend of the race. I didn't get nearly the miles in I wanted today(roughly half), but I'll try not to define myself by the number of daily miles run...even though I'm secretly freaking out about my lack of preparation.

Total: 73 miles

The Good: steady progression since Mind the Ducks 12 hour and move to Boulder hit the "reset button."

The Bad: I'd like to be pushing 100 miles before peaking

The Ugly: Leadville is in 2 weeks. Time think about tapering- ready or not.

This is the Mountain College's ski hill. The race starts and then immediately climbs it.
It's not long, but its steep

Sam hiking one of the two tracks.

I can see them closer now. I just have to figure out how to get there.
Desperately want to run these snow covered peaks before I leave.

See you in two weeks, Leadville!

Slowly Getting the Legs Back

2011-06-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Monday
5 miles - "stomach training" I felt just a little beat up from the weekend...quite literally. I bruised my ass cheek, smacked my(already cracked) kneecap on a rock, and strained some muscles in my shoulder while playing in the trails over the weekend. I'd take the bruises more seriously, but that's kind of what I get for pretending to be a spider monkey while jumping and climbing on rocks.
Just took the legs out for a nice easy run. The weather was perfect, there was a tiny bit of rain coming down while the sun was still shining, and I was trotting down the street en route to a burrito. "stomach training" is a term I use for a lazy, lackadaisical run to food. Had a veggie burrito and a beer at qdoba and ran home. Checked out the theatre's listings to see what bands were playing soon, though I'm not sure why I bothered. I don't know any local music; I'm simply not that hip.

Tuesday
9 miles- Well, as far as time spent outdoors and enjoying some perfect weather, this run was a great success! As far as a training goes, it was an abysmal failure. I had a couple sore spots on my feet, so I opted for the protection of the MT101 shoes. One thing that I had forgotten is that I freaking hate those shoes. During the run, all I could think about was how uncomfortable my feet were. Friction spots everywhere, most notably the heel and 5th toe. I'm perplexed. How could I hate a shoe that was designed by a guy somewhat similar to me? Krupicka runs ultras(way faster), doesn't wear socks, trains barefoot, runs with hardly any clothes/gear, and runs every day up the very mountain I'm standing on. Oh well. As someone once said, "listen to everyone, follow no one." Maybe the shoe would work if I doubled(shit, tripled) my mileage. I took the Saddle rock trail up, which made for quite a bit of "hands on knees" climbing with its big steps and large rocks. Fun, but slow going. This trail also has some incredible views.
Sam came with me on this run, but she hiked the shorter route to the top. On my way back down, I saw her and we went back up to the summit together. On the way down I would run the trail to an intersection, then backtrack up to Sam who was hiking. Never really got into a good stride, but still covered the miles and got up the the 8100' summit. It's the best part about running up a mountain. On a bad day, you still ran up a mountain.

Luckily half of Boulder was perched atop Green Mountain, so someone got a photo of us.

The view of Boulder from the Summit.

Earlier in the day, Sam and I checked out the Celestial Tea and Herb Company. It was a cool experience, even though I'm more of a Mountain Dew kind of fellow.

I tried not to laugh every time someone said "tea bag," but to no avail.

Wednesday
10 miles - ...I think it was 10 miles. Anyway, took a longer route up Long Canyon to West ridge trail to get to the Summit of Green. Down Bear Canyon to the Mesa trail to get home. Had fun trying to keep running. Since I haven't really found many training partners, I've teamed up with my own ego and tried not to let anyone see me walk. I know, sad. I made good time, but brought only shorts, inov-8 195s and a hat. No water. no GU, no watch. Fantastic run. Saw quite a few all- female running groups on the trail today. Speed has no gender bias; had to work my ass off not to get passed.
Now, off to work.

Thursday
AM -6 mile well, noon I guess. I left from work at East Boulder Rec Center to run the South Boulder Creek Path. It ended up being a bit of a speed workout, though I had no intention for it to be. 2x3 mile with a stop at the creek to get my head wet in the middle. 6:30ish pace on the way out, 6:10ish on the way back, dipping into the 5:45 range for most of the 2nd mile. Running on the loose gravel with less traction reminded me not to push off with my toes so much because it didn't do any good anyway. Jogged the last half mile too cool down, then went back to work. I think that for a race like Leadville, overall leg speed won't help immensely, but raising my tolerance to discomfort will be key. My body seems capable of more than my mind, so I'm working on toughening up. For a solo effort, this felt about par with when I was in good shape back home.

Was going to double, but I'm exhausted. I tend to forget that teaching 2-3 exercise classes can wear a lowly ultrajogger out. Went out to dinner with Sam and called it a day.

Friday
13 miles - Didn't really plan on a distance day, but that's the beauty of getting lost. Amphitheater trail loop to the Gregory Canyon Trailhead. Took that up to Ranger. Bear Canyon down. The Mesa trail is a bit boring, so I tried to find another way home. Should have stuck on the Mesa trail. Dropped into some boring suburb area and ran roads back to Chatauqua. All I had to eat today was an orange, a bowl of Honey Smacks(it used to be Sugar Smacks. Don't get me started), and a burrito from Taco Bell, so I guess I'll give my self some slack on the crappy pace. 89degrees when I started, but I felt pretty cool with my bandanna full of ice cubes.

In the morning, I had a slightly different workout. 6 hours in the sun on the Reservoir. I worked at a Tubing program for folks with disabilities. Easily one of the best times I've ever had. Other volunteers donate their time, equipment, and fuel to pull these people around the lake and give them a good time. Trying to be a good sport and show the participants that its "not so scary," I let one of the boat drivers actively try to pitch me off the tube as fast as he could get the boat moving. One other volunteer and I held on for the whole ride and have the sore bodies to prove it. Every time I think I have a good enough base tan to keep a sunburn away, I go to bed with that crusty skin feeling.

Saturday
Days like this really make me question my running chops. Zero motivation. It's 90 degrees here in Boulder. If I want to improve, I need to stop being a wuss and just do what I need to do. I'm growing tired of low mileage weeks as summer roars through the calendar and my excuses become increasingly lame. How am I going to run a 50 mile mountain race on 50-60 miles a week? I sit here killing both time and a BoulderBeer Singletrack, waiting for the air to cool off just a little.

14 miles - Okay, that wasn't so bad. I pretty cool route presented itself. I wanted a 14 miler, and it happens to be 6.5 miles from my house to the Bald Mountain Scenic Area. An all uphill road run there, a trail loop to the summit, and a run back down. I raced the sunset to the summit, making it there just in time to sit on a log alone and watch the sun go down. For a road run, this was exceptionally awesome. At 7 miles, it was my longest continuous climb so far. It felt great, with the exception of the really steep sections(cars were downshifting into first gear to get around me). This gives me the confidence to attempt a run to Chatauqua and do the longer loop, making it around 19.

Sunday
5 miles - Started off as an easy run with Sam, then got worse as the activities of the day caught up with me. A day out in the 90 degree sun, a tour of the Coors Brewery with loads of free samples(Sam doesn't drink...DOUBLE SAMPLES!!!) Legs and body felt great, other than the ole digestive tract, which had other plans. As I sat there wondering why I thought it a good idea to buy tamales out of a pickup truck, I remembered the news story about the guy who was found hiding in a porta john. Relevance? None really, just thought I'd share a disturbing story.

Waiting outside for out tour bus

Can't really go anywhere around here without seeing something beautiful.

This, my friends, is a good hydration belt.

 Total: 62 miles. It's steadily creeping up, as is my desire to do more. The way I see it, I have two weeks to get quality running in before Leadville, Then it's taper time. With a little willpower and luck, I'll put together a couple weeks of high mileage before taking it easy and hoping for the best. As I get more notches in my racing belt, I get less afraid when my mileage doesn't seem adequate. I was in a "base building" phase for over a year, running every chance I had. Now I can sharpen and learn the skills necessary for each particular race. And there you have it- my excuse for being a slacker. Come Hell or high water, I'll put up some decent numbers before Leadville. Can't have these mountain folk thinking Michigan can't hang.

Speaking of Michigan folk in mountain ultras, My close friend and training companion Jason Robillard finished the Western States Endurance Run this weekend. His previous 100mile PR, with yours truly as a pacer, was 27 hours and some change. He completed WS in 23 hours and 39 minutes, earning him the coveted Silver Buckle. 100miles. 1 day. Well done, Jason.

Another Great week here in Colorado.

What was that?

2011-06-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

My brain turned on today.

I was working in my yard alone on my lawn mower, a simple task of replacing a rotten fuel line. The smell of the gasoline made me feel reconnected with my past, my father, and my curiosity. I tore the carburetor apart, cleaned it, and put it back together just to see if I remembered how. Just as I got it running, it began to rain. I sat on my porch and watched the lightning as I sipped on a beer. I began reading a book about the unconscious and its greatly underestimated importance in human happiness and interaction. I accounted for an entire week of running, including how I felt and the mileage of each day, in about 25 minutes. I feverishly wrote a note to Sam, telling her how much I loved her so she'd be able to read it when she got home.

The rain let up. The moment was gone. Time for dinner.Until we meet again, subconscious.

Seriously trying to have fun

2011-06-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

Monday
9 miles - 9 hour work day. Damn. Headed to Chatauqua and parked on Baseline road immediately after work and a trip to the vending machine. Fueled by Lornadoone cookies and licorice, I did my first continuous climb of Green Mountain from Gregory Canyon. With the exception of stopping to pee, I made it up in just over 45 minutes. 14+minute miles is pretty sad, I'll be the first to admit, but the run was a breakthrough. Instead of scrambling up and expending every drop of energy I had in sporadic bursts, I actually managed to float up the mountain relatively consistently. Letting go of speed is hard, but I have to if I want to learn how to actually climb for sustained periods. The run went beautifully. Rather my typical descent of Gregory Canyon(I say typical as if I've been here more than 3 weeks), I went down Bear Canyon and took the Mesa trail back. This trail is my new favorite. It also added almost 2 miles to my usual route and had some great scenery.

non running- taught kickboxing and water aerobics! Call me Richard Simmons. Also several hours of desk jockeying.

Tuesday
Mentally draining day, 0 miles. No sleep the night before. Awoke every few minutes with really strange pain in my head and eyes. Not sure what's up with that. Paralympic water ski training at 6:30am, then work until 5. Gotta know when to fold 'em. I've been beaten down by the day yet again. This blog has turned from a training log into a daily bitch session. As far as my own intentions go, it's nice to record how I feel from day to day and it helps me psychologically to see what I'm thinking after some reflection. From a "write something entertaining" standpoint, this isn't exactly great reading. More posts on relevant things coming up.

Showed Jason and Shelly Robillard my favorite restaurant/brewery downtown, so I can't say I'm too upset about missing a run. Mountain Sun has some tasty beer and good bean and rice burritos.

Wednesday
AM- 5 miles - easy run on the Boulder Creek Path that ended up being fairly quick. I suppose the possibility of being late for work will do that. Pretty flat route, but the pace was around 7 minutes/mile. I never have much to say after runs like this. I work up a sweat then go home.

Thursday
Another day off due to lack of time. Worked all day, then drove down to Morrison to meet with Rick and Scott, organizers of the Naked Foot 5k. Jason and Shelly are in town and took Sam and I along to meet up with the guys. Cool fellows putting on a sweet event here in Boulder. Merrell is pretty impressive with their involvement with the minimalist running ideology across the nation.

Friday
AM-9 miles- took Jason up Green and down Bear Canyon to show him my favorite route in the park. It felt weird to be the one who knows where to go. I still feel like this place is so new to me. can't believe its been a month. All of my runs since my arrival here have been solo. The company of another runner is something I had forgotten the value of. We made it to the summit pretty quickly and I felt better during that run than any other so far. I was glad to share the trail with someone.

PM-6 miles- Played trail guide with Jason and Shelly on the Flagstaff and Gregory Canyon trails. We did some climbing on the rocks, some view taking, and some running. Their ability to adapt to altitude is making me feel pretty weak. Feels like I'm still not used to it, but they're doing great after a couple days.

Saturday "Dry Run"
AM - 4 miles- Nakedfoot 5k - 17:40something or something. Planned on just visiting new and old friends at Merrell, helping out, and enjoying the cool atmosphere. Jon offered me pair of unreleased kicks to test out, so I obliged and ran the race in them. Half assed warmup that consisted of me running to the Juan, then raced the 5k. Placed 4th overall(makes handjob gesture*) to a badass barefoot dude in a kilt(not Jason) and a couple high school kids. Enjoyed hanging out with Jason, Shelly, John, Ken Bob Saxton(and pooch Herman), Rob Sanchez, and Scott. Really sweet event at Foothills Park here in Boulder. Swag aplenty and some speedwork.

Only picture I found of me from the Nakedfoot. Can't explain the facial expression or donning of Merrell Buff.

PM - Boulder Reservoir Father's Day 4.5k - 17:xx again - Great Course and some fun times. Samantha and I volunteered at the event and had fun registering runners and paddle boarders for the events. Again, more swag! Great food good folks all around. Free White Rascal Beer(my personal favorite) and Hawaiian BBQ. Absolutely no warm up as I was signing up other runners until 4:55(race started at 5). Really windy on the open plains, but a fun course with very little elevation change, only slight uphill and downhill and no real flat parts. It was almost ideal. The wind slowed us down, making the times more akin to 5k times for most. The atmosphere was a bit more competitive(prize money involved), but nothing some beers can't fix. Possibly a top 10 finish, but I don't know or care. Almost got "chicked." EDIT: looks like 12th place. What an ass clown.

Running Guru lets you download the pics from the race for free! cool!
hobbjogged my way to 12th place among(or should I say behind) a pretty tough looking field.
Only one who ran in the leis they were handing out.

PM 2 - Did 4 with Sam on the Boulder Creek Path. She's been my sole support system since our move to Boulder. The least I could do was drag my lazy ass out and have a nice run with her to get her workout in. Enjoyed the path and watched the sun go down. Time to go have some libations.**

Sunday
AM- 7 miles. Took Jason and Shelly up the mountain again before they left town. Not a lot of continuous running, but some shooting for Jason's Blog on the Merrell site. The standard route up Gregory. Being in a place where a mountain run is in such close proximity is great.

PM- Mountain biking with Sam. 3 hour ride in the foot hills trails in South Boulder. Lots of scenic trails that traverse cattle fields, cross streams, and climb hills. Really rocky trails, but I think we did well for a couple newbies on low-end bikes. Sam's trusty Schwinn held up over the nasty stuff and my Marlin with a broken fork stayed solid. Note:Sam is a pretty damn good mountain biker, as I've found out. very cool.
Shall I run again? maybe if I get the lawn mowed and other homeowner shit.

48 miles? I'll take it. It was low volume, but pretty high quality stuff. It showed me that I can do back to back runs and that it's easier with people around. I learned quite a lot and had fun. This low mileage crap is pretty typical for me 80% of the year anyway. This week, since it wasn't run completely solo, should have some pictures attached to it once I snag 'em from Jason's camera.

In other news:
I have gone on a "frantic search for motivation" spree. I have signed up for a rash of races for the purpose of helping me to get out and enjoy the trails that I'm so blessed to have in my backyard. I'm overly ambitious. Of this I'm well aware.
- I'm struggling with altitude and extended climbs. What is the first logical thing to do? How about sign up for a 50 mile mountain race at 10,000-12,000feet off the sea? After a few beers and some discussion with bad influences, I registered for the Leadville 50mile trail run. I have less than 1 month to train, but I'm determined to enjoy it. I've gone into every race in the past year with the intent to win or hit a time goal. A race such as this one will free me of such expectations and allow me to face off against the steep climbs, the thin air, and weakness that resides inside me. This will also serve as the ever so sorely needed long run before I leave Colorado. I'm capable, but still in search of a situations that calls for the effort. I'm forcing my lazy streak out of me.
- I lack any motivation to cross train. Despite my stereotypical "skinnyfat" distance runner's build, I can't seem to force myself into a gym. I know that a small amount of strength could do wonders for my trail running, especially if I maintain my (not so) high mileage. Exploring Boulder can be done not only by foot, but mountain bike and by climbing. While wandering around the booths at the Father's Day race, I came across Columbia's Muddy Buddy event tent. A 6 mile partner event with an obstacle every mile, mountain biking, and a mud pit at the end. Pretty damn sweet, if you ask me! Samantha, not usually one to want to pay money to enter events, was excited at the thought. We signed up immediately(saving a few dollars), and were immediately enthused at the idea of training together for such a crazy event. It's new for both of us, so it will be a great equalizer. Preparing for the event will also give us good reason to hit the trails and climbing areas together. We now have a "Muddy Buddy" shirt hanging on our wall as a reminder to run, bike, and do body weight/agility exercises. This kind of training feels different; we're free of any obligation. The more we train, the more fun we'll have at this race.

Life doesn't suck right now, but I do miss my Dad this Father's day weekend. Even among all the great male influences in my life, my Dad is by far my biggest inspiration to turn myself into a good man.

*"handjob gesture" - similar to eye rolling, a phrase meaning a facetious "whoopee" that I borrowed from fellow blogger P. Thanks Pat.

**libations - classy word used by barefooter and real boss Pat Sweeney for alcohol and all things mind altering and fun.

Skyward

2011-06-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Monday -
PM -7 miles - Left from my place to the Mount Sanitas Park for a quick climb before dinner. Since the climb is shorter on the East Ridge trail, I was able to actually run most of it. No watch. It was beautiful. According to my super timekeeping device(somewhat broken clock on the microwave), the loop took about an hour and 10.

later PM - 3 miles - took off after dinner down the goose creek path. All the climbing has made me forget what it feels like to kick up my heels and run with a smooth stride. Tossed on my Fivefingers for the first time in weeks and just tried to stay smooth. Nothing crazy or "balls out," just 3 easy at 6:50ish pace.
...this day was a good example of what I'd like to do most days of the week. My legs still feel solid afterward and it didn't really disrupt my day. Full day at work, dinner with Sam, 2 solid runs and some Family Guy...awesome.

Tuesday -
9 miles - Parked on Baseline road and took Gregory Canyon up to Green. Yet again, the run was disrupted by dehydration. Being distracted and neglectful with my water drinking all day has had negative consequences. The climb was particularly arduous today, but still enjoyable. I must be walking less up the mountain and running more, because I'm getting faster(barely). Ran 4ishmiles down Flagstaff road back to the car to work on turnover and downhill form. The flagstaff trail will most likely be incorporated into my long run this weekend. Overall a really enjoyable run, but I need to make sure I stay hydrated.

1.5 miles - Took the Goose Greenway to the grocery store to grab some garlic bread and Parmesan cheese for dinner. I couldn't figure out why I was getting funny looks as I went through the store. Didn't know why until it dawned on me that I was still jogging around the store. What an idiot.

Wednesday
- sadly, no running. Insomnia and some sort of allergen have rendered me exhausted. I left work a little late and never mustered up the motivation to go for a run. Biked a few miles with Sam around town. We took a tour of Boulder Creek and learned some of the history of the town. I then went to bed at 9:30 like an old man.

Thursday
11 miles - an actual road run, first one in quite a while. Left from my place to the Boulder Creek Path, then up Canyon into the mountains a bit before turning around. Certainly an awesome road route to work on turnover and still get the beauty of the land here. Tentatively planning a road run up in the mountains to Nederland, 17 miles away and 3000 feet up. It would be fun to run there, eat at the brewhouse, then run home. It would make a nice 38ish miler and adventure.

Friday
7 miles- ran to Mount Sanitas from home, climbed the mountain, then ran down the ridge to the roads back home. Nice run overall, but my fatigued legs aren't liking the technical trails as much as the rest of my body enjoys the visceral excitement of bombing down rocky ridges.

Not running, but I rode hours with the wheelchair racers in the Paralympic Sport Program. Have I mentioned that I love my internship? Gently rolling hills of Longmont, with the mountains in the background watching over us. To ensure a workout, I used the most inefficient gear possible on my road bike. The athletes I'm working with are crazy fast, so they even put distance between me on a bike sometimes. The more I'm outside moving in the sunshine, the better I feel. I understand the allure of cycling in CO now, even if it pales in comparison to the trails. Another great day, topped off with a walk with Sam and some frozen yogurt(nowhere near as good as ice cream, but hey).

Saturday
AM- 5 miles Longmont 10k....sort of. I was working the the Paralympic program, so I figured I might as well try to "tempo effort" a 10k for the first time since the RoadHawg in Battle Creek. 1.5 mile warmup, then the race started. It felt fast, but I'm out of shape, so everything feels fast. I tried hanging with the lead pack, but the 2-3 guys ahead of me surged after a mile. I was resigned to running my own 10k and staying solid...then we turned into the finish. I was running the damned 2 mile, not the 10k! A quick lap around the track, and I was done. Ended up getting second in my age group with a 11:40 or something. Barely even enough to be my 5k pace. I was disappointed to be done, but happy that my 10k pace was enough to place in a local 2 miler. Oh well. I'm glad this happened at a fun event and not a priority race.

PM- 7 miles - Rode my bike to the Gregory Canyon, then ran up the flagstaff trail. I was tired from waking up early so I perched myself on a rock and gazed out at the mountains for a little while. I watched one of these little lizards sun itself on a rock for a while, just observing and marveling at how still it was.

I had to google this picture, but this is the lizard I saw. Promise.

I was a little disappointed in myself for being tired after such a lackluster performance on Saturday morning, but I just chugged along up Flagstaff trail and ran the smooth sections, scrambled up the rocky ones. Once the trail ended, I ran Flagstaff Road to Long Canyon and took it down to Gregory Canyon to home again. It was a great run, but slow. I have to remember that I'm still new at this mountain running stuff. Baby steps. It will come.

Sunday
AM - 4 miles - drove outside of town to some trails, but ended up on some ORV trails and ran with the Jeeps and dritbikes a little. Seeing the motorcycles on the trail reminded me of how I used to spend my summers, kicking up dust and flying around the woods in search for the perfect dirt hit to launch a 200lb bike into the air. I meandered off trail and snagged some shots while I was just bumming around and taking it all in. The run took forever, and I wasn't pushing it very hard. This was the first run this week that felt easy, so I'll go with it.

I could sit here all day, away from noise and distraction. Maybe a book next time.

Jesus, I look like Kevin Costner from Water World. Not good.

I won't ruin it with words.

PM
5 - Hiked with Sam, climbed for an hour or so on the Open Space climbing areas, walked back. Most importantly, I had a Slurpee. Junk miles for the win.
Total: 60 miles, mostly quality. On the trail runs, I run until exhaustion, then walk or stop until I'm ready to give it another go. The only exception was Sunday, when I meandered around taking pictures and climbed rocks. In this "rebuilding phase," I'm falling back on the ultra training rhetoric that every single thing you do is ultra training. I'll start to get my mojo back when I can summit a couple local peaks without sucking wind. As I get more plugged into the social pipeline, I hope to find a group to do the occasional track workout.

I'm a bit surprised by how fragile my ego is. I just had one of the best performances of my life in New York prior to coming to Boulder. I've won over half of the ultras I've ever entered. I can still hold my own in a short road races.I ran my first mile 5 years ago, and shattered my kneecap 3 years ago. I say this not to brag, but to point out that in spite of all that, I still am reduced to a crawl when trying to explore mountain running. The trails here have kept a "flow state" of running just beyond my reach. There's only one thing to do, and that is to keep trying. If I keep trying, I can't fail. We're all works in progress.

...Nothing is static. We're all either building up or falling down.

Weekly exercise/adventure log: 5/30-6/5

2011-06-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

As I slowly get into a pattern here in Boulder, I realize that some things have changed and other things haven't.
a-I'm still not a morning person. As much as I want to get up before work and get a run or ride in, I just can't seem to make myself do it. I know I feel better when I do, but rather than getting up and getting moving, I lay in bed, angry at myself for each second I waste.
-I still don't sleep. I toss and turn all night, every night. Waking each hour to wonder why I can't rest a whole night through.
- I have excess endurance, but lack the power to continuously climb the mountains. The ability to run for 7-12 hours continuously is still there, but I require rest periods after only minutes of climbing. After a short rest, I'm able to climb again, repeating the process for 2 hours or more so far. I'll take it as a sign that the potential is there, as long as patience can accompany it.
- Solo runs are starting to feel more comfortable. After 2 years of always having a running partner(typically one that's faster than I), I'm learning to push my own pace without being dragged along. This is a positive, since I'm slow to find a group to run with.

Monday- 12+hour day at work. Volunteered at the paralympic race at the BolderBoulder 10k. In a sea of 50,000 runners, I got to help out the dozen or so athletes in the wheelchair division. I can say without a doubt that this is an event I'll remember forever. The group, just like any random sample of 10k competitors, has elites, recreational, and in between. Our group, the EXPAND program at Boulder, had a great showing. Our fastest male took 3rd overall(to collegiate racers- no shame it that whatsoever). One of our women took second in the female race, even after a crash. Another woman, a gold medal paralympic basketball player, had a great showing after being in a race chair for less than a month! Athletes take many forms, but the heart shows through every time.

My view of the finish following the wheelchair event. I got to watch
50,000 people finish the race in the stadium
The man who stepped in my shot with his ice cream? Mr. Frank Shorter. No shit.

The rest of the day was spent at the Boulder Creek Festival, where I helped the EXPAND program with the Duck Race Fundraiser. By the time I rode my bike home, I was exhausted. Sam and I rode our bikes to Chipotle because we were too lazy to cook.

Don't worry. I, along with my 2 fellow interns, have to account for all the ducks.

Tuesday - 1hr 40m - Finally got to the top of Green Mountain. Left from Chautauqua Park and made it to the summit in just under 50 minutes, then took a longer route down. The view was great and I held a chipmunk as I sat there a minute. Wish I had my camera. round trip, according the the Garmin, was 8 miles. Damn, that's weird to run a 45 minute 5k!

Wednesday - 2 hours - Slower ascent of Green when I got lost. The trail vanished on me (I'm not known for my directional sense). I ended up climbing rocks until I crossed the trail again, somehow jumping from the Greenman trail to the Ranger trail by way of scree covered rocks. I have to admit, it was a blast, but I don't want to damage the land any more than I do by simply running on it. Talked with a couple fellows at the top, then headed down to Gregory Canyon, then back to Chatauqua where I was parked. Another nice jog, but I'm starting to get the itch to run more miles. That means getting up early and going before work...oh shit. Finally starting to feel more comfortable climbing for sustained periods, but I have a long way to go before the threat of being passed by an old lady with trekking poles doesn't enter my mind.

Thursday - Oh Goodness. A double.

AM - 3 miles on the Goose Creek Greenway. I can see it from my bathroom window, no excuse not to run on it. a flat-ish, paved path. 1.5 miles out, then back. Just as with my pre-MTD taper, I've lost the ability to run slower. About 7:00-7:30 minute miles is where I feel comfortable, even when I'm sweating and working my ass off. Oh well, it seemed to yield good results, so I'll just do whatever is fun.

PM - 9 miles - Ran to Mount Sanitas with Sam biking alongside me. We found a different way in, a trail called Goat Path. 2 miles there, 5 of hiking/running, then 2 home. The run was particularly difficult since it was over 90 degrees here, but its much more bearable than 90 degrees in Michigan. Humidity is lower. I'm still a terrible mountain runner, but I'm learning as I go. I'm feeling stronger and my times are getting quicker as I climb the peaks. I expect a plateau effect to take place after a few weeks, but I'm walking less and running more now. Can't complain

Friday-

7.5 miles - Gregory Canyon, then Long Canyon to Flagstaff road. Sat at the top of Green Mountain for a few minutes, looking at the mountains in the distance with snow on them. 1:40 minutes ish.

My feet as I sit in between two rocks, taking in the view.
Sorry for the crappy camera phone quality.

Saturday - For reasons unbeknownst to me, I'm exhausted. This may have been a mental exhaustion rather than physical from the day at the swim meet. The Special Olympics state swim meet was quite fun. Our small group had great performances made some memories. I love this program and am glad to be doing my internship here. After returning home, Sam and I went for a walk looked around a little, then rode our bikes downtown to walk the mall and grab some ice cream. One of those life-affirming days, proving to me that I don't need to run to feel normal person. Until I get better at managing my time and building my life around training in a way that doesn't harm my mind or my relationships, these days will be savored and made the best of.

Sunday - 3.5 hours - First attempt at a "long" run since my move. I drove to Chatauqua, where I went up Gregory Canyon, then taking the Ranger trail to the Summit of Green. I was wondering why there were so many cars in the parking lot. Every car at the bottom had its passengers sitting at the top. For every hiker, there were about 50 flies. I focus on the view for a few minutes, talked to some people, dropped my phone off a rock and smashed it, put it back together, then took off down Green Man. Once I got the the trail crossing, I realized I went the wrong way. It's my favorite trail to descend Green Mountain on, so I wasn't heartbroken. Back up the the summit, thinking of as many different courteous ways as I could to say, "Hello! Excuse me please, thank you!"

I didn't stop this time, just went back down and descended down Green Bear to Bear Canyon, then up the ridge. Some ladies told me that it was a nice trek that would take me up to the top and be challenging. The route up there is an amazing, very runable trail until one gets close to the summit. I pressed on and joined a gaggle of hikers at the top for some bullshitting and view taking. Bagged my first Bear Summit. The view from Bear is phenomenal. The South side of Boulder is amazing, but turning around gives an even better view of the mountains. This view came at a bit of a cost.What I did to get up there doesn't quite fall into my loose definition of "running," at least not in this piss poor condition I find myself in currently. I'll keep at it to make this 12-13 mile loop a more regular, less difficult experience.

On a positive note, I did climb two mountains in one day. I learned that I'm going to have to at least be double fisting water bottles if I want to be more comfortable this summer. I ran out of water on my way down Green Mountain. I filled up in a creek and also dumped several bottles on my head. After crossing Bear Canyon Creek again, I casually asked some passers by if the water was safe to drink. They laughed and said, "It is if you want diarrhea!" I could feel my heartbeat in my eyes, so I was desperate. I was coming up on my 3rd hour in 90ish degree heat, so gastrointestinal parasites became the secondary concern. (kind of like the "Jenn and Billy" story in Born to Run...except I'm closer to matching drinking abilities than running abilities). It looked fine anyway, and besides, I filtered it through my fingers!

I saw the same ladies that directed me up Bear after I came through Fern Canyon. They were suprised that I made it up and back down in time to catch them, so I'll take that as a sign that I'm not the slug I perceived myself to be.

Bombing down the bluebell trail back the car wound out the day. I finally opened the stride up and hit a speedy mile(probably my first one that wasn't in the double digits all day). Stopped at the gas station and bought a big ass bottle of Gatorade and drained it in the store while the cashier rang me up. The creek water didn't tear my guts up, but the Gatorade sure did.

...so that's what's goin on with me.

48 miles of "running" in about 10 hours. back in the day(3 weeks ago), I could run twice that many. gettin' lazy in my old age.