Snowman Says

It's Hawt

2009-08-19T21:37:00.004-04:00

Well, summer is finally here. Running when the temps are in the 80's has never been my preference. It does remind me of training during summers home from college back in the day, which is kind of fun.

Today, I headed for the Commons for 5 miles. I was a bit sweaty. I did manage to take out 5 deer flies, which eases the heat momentarily each time. But, it was obvious I was feeling the heat. I thought I was running much faster than I was. The loop is about 5.1-5.2, and I clocked 44:16. Felt more like 38:16. Ugh. I wrung out my shirt before I drove home. Yuk.

I've brought water with me on the last two runs. We got D a handheld bottle so she can stay hydrated on her runs now, so I thought I'd try it out. Overall, it's not bad. It does only leave me with one hand to kill deer flies, but the hydration is worth the trade off. I always know it's there, but it's not annoying. The bottle holder we have is only 10 oz, and I'm not sure I'd want to go any larger. No idea how some ultra-types run with two 20+ ouncers. Maybe I need to do some curls.

For all you runofiles out there, are you aware that the World Championships are going on right now? Yeah, I barely was myself. I've watched a bit, but not much. Compare this to my eyeballs being glued to the tube for the Tour de France, and it's a bit sad. But, I have some theories:

1. The coverage: I know I've complained about television coverage of track & field before, but it absolutely kills me. Tom Hammond could be in a coma and be more excited than he sounds. Plus, he's not particularly knowledgeable. Add that to the least imaginative coverage ever, and you get mediocre television. Compare that to the greatest sports commentary team of all time, Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwin, covering the Tour, and it's no contest. I do have a number of ideas to improve the coverage, but that's for another post.

The one bright spot for me is Ato Boldon. He does a pretty solid job with the sprints. Plus he said this following Bolt's WR: "There's is no one on this planet or any other that we know of..." who has ever gone that fast. That's awesome. He can't pull off those specs, though.

2. Lance: He's a media phenomenon. People are drawn to him. Both positively and negatively. The ratings were up some ridiculous amount this year worldwide. Lance had pretty much everything to do with that. On the flip side, track has Usain Bolt. From a media perspective, he's very similar to Lance in every way. BUT...he's no on the track for very long. If you include the qualifying rounds in the 100 and 200 meters, you can only watch him for less than 2 minutes. He;s absolutely electric in both his perfomance and personality, but he's no where to be found during the women's discus. The closest we've had is Dan vs. Dave. Ooops.

Bradbury Breaker - Not Race Report

2009-08-18T22:25:00.002-04:00

In light of recent events, I participated in the Bradbury Breaker, but I didn't race. Due to a scheduling conflict, I missed this race last year, so next year, I hope to actually race it. But, this time around, I knew that an easy run would be the best course of action. I convinced Mindy that running easy was better than not running at all, so I had great company the whole way through.

D and I arrived at Bradbury early, so she could help with registration. Since I wasn't racing, I had no need to warm up or sequester myself away from the crowd, so I decided to help, too. Before too long, it was only 3 minutes to the race start, so I jogged over to the start line in time to hear the last half of Ian's pre-race announcements. Then again, I would have heard more of announcements had I not met Chuck and Katy in the crowd. We spent more time making bacon jokes than actually listening. Then, all of a sudden, a cowbell rang, and we were off. Well, we were sort of off. We jogged a couple steps, and then bottlenecked onto the actual trail.

Once we were through the bottleneck, the four of us ran together for most of the first lap. Chuck zipped around taking photos, and we chatted the entire way. At some point on the Tote Road, Katy decided that she wanted to run faster than Mindy and I, and off she and Chuck went. Oh well, no more paparazzi photos. The rest of the run was a mix of serious topics, such as VH1 reality shows, and less serious topics, like running. Mindy and I had perfectly matched pace goals, i.e. none, and aside from the heat and humidity, we had a great time cruising along. Kevin caught us on our second trip down the Tote Road, and he looked really strong as he zipped past. We caught back up to him on the climb up the mountain, but he cruised past us on his way to the finish. Mindy and I joked about elaborate ways to finish, such as backwards holding hands, but opted for the traditional jog and smile. I forgot to stop my watch, which should be the perfect indication of how great a run it was. Thanks, Mindy!

Post-race we had lunch with some friends from the AT: Hairball and Snowbunny, and then it was off to Ian's parents' place on the ocean for a barbecue. Pretty much the perfect day.

As soon as I finished, I knew that running easy was the right choice. I felt great the whole way, and I felt great afterward. That being said, I did feel a little bad about going to a race and not actually racing. A lot of people ran hard, and a lot of work went into putting the race together. The least I could do was hammer. But, I had to do what was right for me long term on this one. I know that if I had gone hard, it probably would have set me back three weeks. If all goes according to plan, I'll be ready to race at the Bradbury Bruiser.

As a follow up, D and I had a great trip over Morse Mountain to Seawall beach on Monday. What a great spot! And, despite the heat, I had a great run today. Just an easy, three mile shake out, but it feels like things are on the right track. Part of that is definitely the dietary change. Apparently, quality not quantity makes a big difference. The secret? Meatball sandwiches:

Where Am I?

2009-08-13T21:13:00.004-04:00

(If you're reading this through Facebook, you should jump on over to the official blog so you can see the vids. They really tie it all together...like a fine wine.)

Hopefully, you haven't forgotten about me. I'm still alive and kicking. Perhaps, you thought I was deep in mourning over the loss of John Hughes. How could I not be bummed out about that? His movies have pretty much shaped my entire world view. Well, that and fourteen years of Catholic school. It's not the loss of John Hughes that has kept me from blogging. The cause is closer to a lack of running.

In the last mile or so of the Bitch to Bacon, I felt a slight twinge in my right calf. Perhaps, it was karmic for the trickeration I played on Carter. Either way, I didn't think much of it until later that afternoon, when it was tight, lumpy and screaming. Yup, another calf strain. This one didn't pop, so I wasn't overly concerned. Luckily, we headed to Baxter the next day, and I wasn't planning on running. However, I was planning on doing a long run in the park, but scratched that plan. Worked out fine, though, as D and I spent the whole time together, so I wasn't too disappointed. The calf felt OK on our hikes. Not 100%, but not bad. I was hopeful, it would clear up quickly.

I did a short run on Thursday, and it still felt squacky. And, overall, I felt pretty terrible. Then, I took 5 days off. I was really busy at work, including a near all-nighter due to the 24 Hours of Great Glen. That's just an excuse, though, because my motivation was in the toilet...and flushed. Complete and total disinterest in running. I have no idea what happened. Could this still be related to my bruising? Or is this a new funk? I did run today and yesterday, and both runs were...meh. I still feel somewhat unnatural. Nothing is flowing. It's very odd. As much as I've been mentally disinterested in running, it seems that I'm equally physically interested. That being said, I will be participating in the Bradbury Breaker this weekend. Certainly, not racing, but I will be running. It will be my longest run since the aforementioned bruising, so yeah...expect big things.

That being said, I have a plan.

The first part of the plan is to keep running when it's fun. Fun and only fun. And only when I feel like it. No pressure. I might try to squeeze in more hiking. I could tell on our hikes in Baxter that I'm really lacking the strength I had from hiking last summer. We hiked a lot last summer, and I think it was really good cross training.

Speaking of strength, I've been doing push-ups. (Don't ask how many.) I'm hoping they're the gateway drug to actual core work. That's part two.

The third and most important part is a dietary adjustment. No, I'm not going raw. In fact, I'm sort of going the other way: more protein. I gained weight this winter and spring...while training for a 50k! That doesn't make sense, until you realize my can-a-day Pringle habit. OK, it wasn't quite that bad, but it was close. When your diet is 60% Carbs, 35% Fat and 5% protein, you're going to get fat. I'm not overly surprised this happened. I was training a lot, so I was hungry. Of course, my previous experience with this phenomenon was in college.

Typical day:
8:57: Wake up.
9:18: Eat Pop-tart, granola bar, Power bar, cold pizza or whatever wasn't too mashed into the couch while walking to class
9:30: Class
11:00: Lunch
12:00: Still Lunch
1:00: Keep Lunching
1:47: Pry myself away from lunch.
2:00: Class
3:30: Practice, i.e. run a lot
6:00: Dinner
7:00: Keeping dinnering
7:30: Dining hall official closed, but grab whatever was leftover that they didn't plan on serving for lunch the next day.
7:59: Get kicked out of dining hall.
8:00: "Study"
8:23: Get food from one of any number of on campus eateries
9:00: "Study"
9:43: Walk to Dunkin Donuts
10:30: "Study"

Well, you get the idea. I ate a lot. And often. I weighed 135 pounds. Apparently, you metabolism slows in your thirties. Who knew?

Now, this isn't some kind of body image crisis. Although, those women are all airbrushed, you know! My weight is perfectly reasonable for a healthy guy, but not for someone who wants to run slightly faster than slowly. So, I'm making some adjustments. More healthy protein. Fewer fatty snacks. A bit of a carb watch. There is some science behind this, as I've read a number of "Diets for Runners" articles. I've taken what I've liked and adapted it for me. I'm also hoping this will give me more energy. We'll see.

Baxter State Park

2009-08-06T21:39:00.004-04:00

If you haven't been to Baxter State Park, you need to go. Something is missing from your life. It's that awesome.

D and I were thrilled to be returning this year, and our three days in the park didn't disappoint. Last year, marked the end our of self-imposed ban from Baxter. When we were planning our hike of the Appalachian Trail, one of things we were looking forward to most was walking into Baxter to summit Katahdin. It didn't work out exactly the way we planned. Instead of finishing in 2005, it took us until 2008. But, the culmination of our journey atop Katahdin was no less sweet, but it did delay our return. This time around, we had a mellow trip planned, since D is carrying some extra cargo. Then again, mellow can be a relative term.

We hit the road on Sunday morning—fueled by Tim Hortons, of course. It took us about 3.5 hours to reach the park and another half hour to arrive at our base camp, Daicey Pond Campground. It was a cushy trip for us: we were staying in a cabin. Sure, no running water or electricity, but no tent either. Plush. Unfortunately, we couldn't check in right away, so we headed up to Kidney Pond to eat lunch and get in a hike of Sentinel Mountain.

Despite mostly cloudy skies and one pesky plume atop Katahdin, we had terrific views from the ledges of Sentinel Mountain. And, in case you're wondering, D was the only 7-months pregnant woman on the summit that day. We moved a little slower than normal, in other words I could actually keep up with her. I also had to help her maneuver over some tricky spots, but all in all, she trucked right along—even passed a few people. I was pretty impressed. She kept apologizing for how slow we were going. That's D.

It started to rain just as we returned to Daicey Pond, so we scurried to get everything into the cabin. Things stayed mostly dry and we cooked dinner and relaxed on the porch of cabin #7, Loon Lodge. Like I said, plush.

Monday dawned clear, and we traveled to the northern end of the park to South Branch Pond Campground. When I say "traveled," I really mean traveled. The roads in Baxter are "unimproved," and we drove for more than an hour and a half to reach our destination. The mud on the side of the car was epic. (Sadly, D washed it today. Lame.) Our plan was to do a loop hike over both peaks of South Branch Mountain and down around the South Branch Ponds.

In order to reach the trail, we had to cross the outlet of Upper South Branch Pond. It was knee deep...on me. What a way to start! The climb to the north peak of South Branch Mountain was fairly stout. Plus, it was slippery. It was also clear that the trail received little traffic. That being said, the forest was beautiful—lush and green. We eventually reached the summit and stopped for lunch. We briefly debated turning around and cutting the hike short, but that's not her style. In just a short while, we were thrilled with our decision. We reached the south peak of South Branch Mountain and the views were stunning. The summit was akin to an open meadow, and we had clear view of the Travelers, the Peak of the Ridges and the Hamlins and Katahdin in the distant south. It took us a long time to leave. Luckily, the descent was also spectacular. The trail wound through open meadows affording more great views. Not a bad day on the trail.

Eventually, we reached the wooded section of trail, and we took a break. We'd been on the trail for over 4 hours, and D was tiring. A snack break, a regroup, and we were on our way. Slowly, but still moving along. We reached the southern end of Lower South Branch Pond and were once again rewarded with terrific views. But, not until we had waded through the muddy, squishy inlet to the pond. We soon junctioned with the Pogy Notch Trail and began the long 2-mile walk back to the campground. A few more stops along the route, but after five and a half hours, we were done. We cooled off with a wade into the pond, and it was time to eat. Today was a bit tougher, and perhaps we pushed our luck, but D did great. Once again, most impressive.

Another hour and a half drive back to Daicey Pond, and it's time to build a fire. Excessive, yes, but we had to eat. After way too much smoke in my eyes, dinner was served—sausages with veggies. And they are best served on a picnic table, lakeside. And, we needed only walk a few paces to see the day's last rays of light on Katahdin. I told you Baxter was cool.

Our last day was preceded by a very sound night's sleep. Very sound. No hiking on the docket for this day. It would have been a shame to stay at Daicey Pond and not canoe on the actual pond. So, paddle we did. The pond is small, so it only took us an hour, but it was an hour well spent. We packed up the car and slowly made our way out the park. We stopped for a short walk out to Grassy Pond...and more great views. Then, one final stop for lunch at Abol Pond, and we were on our way. Yup, a fantastic three days, and our last vacation together with just the two of us for a very long time. I sure hope the little lady will like her trip to Baxter next year.

Here are our photos.

Bitch to Bacon Trail Scramble Race Report

2009-08-05T22:14:00.002-04:00

Admittedly, I'm a few days behind in my blogging, but it's not for lack of running and adventuring. D and I just returned from three days in Baxter State Park, and it was nice to not open a computer or even turn on my cell phone during that time. More on that trip in a later post. Before that trip, however, along with a few brave souls, I tackled the first annual Bitch to Bacon Trail Scramble.

Jeff put this race together, and it was designed to be everything the Beach to Beacon isn't. In short, he did a great job, and it was way more fun than it should have been. The rules were simple: Find three checkpoints throughout the course, pick up a number at each, and return to the start. The catch: The course wasn't marked. On top of that, recent logging had obliterated some of the trails.

Seven brave souls started shortly after 9:00am, and the race was on. There was one arrow that sent us left a quarter mile into the run, but that was the last of the markings. After running together for a few minutes, I stuck out on my own. After a few minutes, the trail dead-ended. I did see two deer, though. OK, back to the main trail, and try another side trail: another dead end. Back on the main trail, I saw Jeff bounding through a puddle/pond off to my right. Jeff was not only race director, but he was also a roving aid station of sorts. Each time you met Jeff, you could get a map or a clue. Of course, you had to down a shot of Allen's Coffee Brandy to claim your prize. As I saw Jeff sloshing along, my first thought was to catch up to get a map. But, my devious side kicked in, and I quietly followed him for a while. Unfortunately, he stopped and saw me hiding behind a tree, so no more free ride. I took a shot and got a map. Um...hmmm...not much help. However, he did asked me if I found the first flag. Hmmm...no, but I now had a good idea where it was. Guess, I should have looked right as he came through that puddle. I continued deeper into the woods with Jeff until I decided to explore another side trail: another dead end. When I reached the main trail again, I saw Jeff just ahead, and Ian coming back towards him. I quickly caught up to Jeff for another map...and another shot. OK, two maps, now I should be in good shape. Um...still not much help.

For the next 20 minutes, I wandered aimlessly through a heavily logged section. Everything started looking the same, and I seriously considered heading back to the start and eating the bacon stuffed donuts I'd brought. I came upon Jeff once again, and I think he could sense my growing despondence. I did tell him I was going to check one more trail that I thought just dead ended at a puddle. He suggested that I was on to something, and after a third shot, he told me to head down the trail and turn back once I found the flag. So, three shots and 40 minutes in, I finally found me first checkpoint. Just as I was leaving the checkpoint, Four came running up from the other side. We ran together briefly until, I headed back the way I came, and he headed off down another trail to the right.

One flag in hand, I was back on the main trail and ready to explore another section. I met up with Ian, Emma, Mindy and Valerie who all ended up together, and we headed off onto a trail I hadn't tried yet. Jeff was right behind us, and once we reached the cleared gas line, he offered a clue. The group took a shot—the fourth for me—and we were on the right track to find the next checkpoint. This would be the second number for all of us, but I was the only one who had found the furthest checkpoint. On the way to the checkpoint, we saw Carter and Four running together in the opposite direction. I was pretty certain that both guys had all the numbers, and I figured I was in third place—knowing that I needed to only run back to the start to grab the final flag. After what seemed like a month, we reached the checkpoint. At this point, we started discussing who had what flags. My suspicions were confirmed, as I was essentially ahead of this entire group. Ian tried the "I'll tell you where mine is, if you tell me where yours is," but I crushed his spirits when I informed him that I already knew where the last flag I needed was. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to get back. We "found" Jeff again, and again, we traded a shot for a clue. With my fifth shot rumbling in my belly, I was now armed with the quickest route back to the start.

Have I mentioned the trail conditions? Well, they were ridiculous. Numerous mud puddles. Most ankle deep, but more than one was knee deep. Plus, the logged areas were a mess. On top of that, the deer flies were menacing. I killed a full dozen throughout the run. With that many kills, there's no telling how many were actually around me.

As I parted ways with the group, I knew that I had third place wrapped up, but I didn't want to slack. I ran slightly harder than easily as I headed back down the main trail. It was during this stretch that I figured that the arrow at the start was actually in place to keep us from running straight to the first checkpoint. So, I figured that after I ran through the puddle to the checkpoint, I could just keep going straight and save myself a lot of running. I was 99% sure it was the right call. As I reached the checkpoint, I was stunned to see Carter there as well. "Are we going to have to sprint it out for second?" Apparently, he had also missed the first flag. And, apparently, he hadn't figured out the short cut, as he was wading through the puddle towards me so he could backtrack to the start. Again, my devious side arose, and I told him he was making the safe choice. I was going to go straight, in hopes of running a little less. He kept wading, and I took off. Jeff was right there, and I was laughing as I told him what I'd just done to Carter. It was mean, but this was the Bitch to Bacon! Four was waiting at the finish, and I high-fived him as I came through in second place in 1:24:47. Jeff had called Carter in, and he came in a minute or so later. The rest of the crew arrived a few minutes after that.

Post-race, we headed to Jeff's house for bacon, bacon and more bacon. Tales of the trail were relived, and a good time was had by all. Apparently, the shortest route was 4.2 miles. Ian and Mindy, both had over 7 miles on there GPS units, and I assume I ran at least that much. For my efforts, I won 2 cans of Porkslap Pale Ale. Carter brought the prizes, so it was good to see that he had forgiven me. It was a lot of fun, and I'm already looking forward to next year's anti-Beach to Beacon. We need t-shirts.

Summer = Deer Flies

2009-07-28T21:50:00.004-04:00

Battled the oppressive summer heat this afternoon...OK, it wasn't oppressive, but it was 75. First time it's been that warm since the Muddy Moose debacle. However, the heat wasn't the biggest challenge. A more worthy adversary is the deer fly. Or, in the case of this run, the dozens of deer flies. I managed to kill four of them. Each, more satisfying than the last. There really is something magical about the crunch when one of those little buggers goes down.

Route-wise, I headed for the Cathance River Trails, but I switched things up a bit. Instead of my usual loop, I stayed on the dirt roads to access the Ravine Loop, which is the loop that is furthest out in the system. It's a groovy singletrack trail that I don't get to run all that often.

As for how I felt, I'm going to go with OK, which leads me to my next point. As you may (or may not) have noticed, I haven't been posting much of late. In fact, the number of blog posts is a direct correlation to how I'm feeling about my running. Lots of posts, everything is peachy. Few posts...not so much. Last week, was definitely in the not so much category. No idea what's going on. I only managed three runs last week. Yesterday, my run wasn't anything to write home about. The only way I can describe how I've been feeling lately is "unnatural." I can't find my groove. I thought I'd turned it around, but perhaps not. I do have a couple strategies to get back on the right track. Hopefully, they'll pan out. In the meantime, hopefully the post frequency will increase, but I don't plan on putting in any hard work or fast (for me) racing. In fact, my plans for the fall are even more up in the air. Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion.

Bruised

2009-07-21T22:04:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I headed to Bradbury to run the Bradbury Bruiser course—twelve miles of twisty delicious singletrack. It was fairly warm and (surprisingly) sunny, but the majority of the run was in the shade and I was wearing my Nathan HPL 020 with 40 oz of HEED. I figured I was ready for the almost heat. But, almost immediately I knew that it wasn't going to be my day. Right from the start my legs felt heavy. I had a few moments in which I felt alive, but for the most part, I was dragging the entire way. When I got to the O Trail, I seriously contemplated skipping it, and that would have been the smart move. Instead, I was macho and pressed on. My run (and sometimes walk) through the O Trail wasn't pretty, but I finished eventually. And, then I peed eventually. Well, 96 oz of Gatorade and a couple hours later. That's never good.

Speaking of not good, that's sort of how I felt for the last few days (weeks). Perhaps I over did it last week. Perhaps I still am. Perhaps I'm a big wuss. (Perhaps it's blood loss from repeated kitten attacks.) Not sure what's going on really. Four minutes slower at the Scuffle this year, nearly dying on the Bruiser course, and just running generally slow. Is it possible I'm still recovering from the 50k? Or, did the training for the 50k make me slow and tired? Or is it something more sinister? Something's not right, and I need to figure it out.

Highwater Trail, Evans Notch

2009-07-19T20:57:00.003-04:00

Alternate titles for this post:
"The Out and Back that Kept on Going"
"I Could Have Sworn There was a Bridge Up Here Somewhere"
"Hmmmm...It's Getting Dark"

On Thursday, I had the chance to check out a trail I'd wanted to run for a long time. Well, at least since this winter. The Highwater Trail starts near the northern end of Evans Notch and follows the Wild River. But, the run was a spur of the moment decision, so I wasn't exactly what you would call prepared. I didn't get started until close to 6:30, but it stays light latish, right?. Plus, I was thinking that I could run out for two or three miles, hit a bridge, then head back on a trail on the other side of the river. Seemed like a good plan. Did I mention that I didn't have a map?

The trail is reasonably flat with a few sharp ups and downs where tributaries or drainages cut across the trail to the river. Makes for great running. So, ran I did. And, then ran some more. And kept running...and running...and running...and running. The bridge never materialized. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing because there isn't actually a trail on the other side either. My "memory" of the map was way off. I was pretty certain that I was just going to have to turn around and go back the way I came. Then I saw this:

I guess the writing was on the sign on the tree. Well, so much for 5 maybe 6 miles. I did make it back before it got dark...barely.

Short run today with D and my sister. It was short and on the road, but it was groovy. Long run planned for tomorrow.

In other news, if you want to know what life is like with a kitten: go here. That's exactly what she sounds like and that's exactly how she acts. Well, except for the spraying of poisonous goo. She does eat flesh.

A Lot...For Me

2009-07-15T22:25:00.002-04:00

Since I realized that I had tired legs during the Scuffle, I thought it best to just keep running hard.

Well, Monday I didn't run hard because I ran with Danielle. Five, easy miles, which was great for my recovery and a lot of fun. Pre-run pics here.

On Tuesday evening, I was finally able to make it to the TMR TNR at Twin Brook and tackle the dreaded stream of doom. The stream wasn't so scary, but the mud was quite prolific. Very, very squishy. With the addition of the sprints and a slightly faster pace than my usual, it was solid workout. It also confirmed what I was already thinking: I need to step it up. My easy runs have been entirely too easy. And, speed work/hard workouts would help. As far as the run goes, I'd have to say that Twin Brook is a groovy place to run, but it might take me a few times to figure out the official loop. I felt like I was on the same trail over and over again. Seems like a good excuse to me. I skipped the barefoot run at the end because I'm bucking the barefoot running trend just to be a contrarian.

At the TNR, Ian and Jim mentioned that they had a special torture in store for tonight: loops over Bradbury Mountain as part of their training for Escarpment. I was tentatively planning on running the Back Cove 5k, but running trails at Bradbury sounded way cooler than sprinting a flat 5k. So, I met them at Bradbury, and we did two loops of the modified Breaker course. I'm really glad that I did this run with those guys, but it was hard. It didn't feel far off from what I think will be my race pace on the big ups and downs. Like I said, I need to step it up.

It definitely helped running with people the last two nights. Kept me from being lazy. Hopefully, I'll be able to swing more group runs as I go forward. So, yeah, a lot of up tempo/harder running for me. I feel like I've proved to myself that I can put in the mileage and be healthy: MDI in the fall and Pineland 50k in the spring were huge steps up for me. Now, it's time to see if I can...well, get fast again. I'm not trying to get back to college fast...let's be realistic here..., but I'd like to think I could get faster than I am now. Maybe I'll even do some track work. (That's funny.)

Bradbury Scuffle - Race Report

2009-07-14T22:12:00.004-04:00

As the craziness of life increases, the frequency of my blogging decreases. But, that doesn't mean I haven't been out on the trails. In fact, part of the craziness has been me squeezing in some great runs...in between working way too much this week. And, these runs were all leading up to the Bradbury Scuffle on Sunday.

The tale of this race really begins on Thursday with a great run through the Cathance River Preserve. Fully mojofied. More of the same on Friday, but this time I was on the trails at Great Glen...sort of. I started on the trails, followed some sweet singletrack that we don't really maintain anymore, and out onto the Auto Road. Then I had the brilliant idea to run up the Auto Road about 1/2 a mile to a trail that I knew used to exist, but I had never been on. Long story short, I ended up losing the trail and bushwhacking for about 30 minutes until I came back out on a trail I recognized, but no where near where I thought I was. I was bruised and cut up, but it was kind of fun. "Hmmm...which way should I go? Oh, look more bear scat. This must be the right way." Much harder than it should have been, but it was all about more mojo.

Perhaps, I'll get to the actual race report now...

D and I arrived early, and I helped Ian set up the start/finish banner. I lost about a pint and a half of blood to the mosquitoes—anti-blood doping at its finest. I did about a 15 minute warmup, and, frankly, felt tired. I was excited for the race, so I was hoping adrenaline would carry me through. I think just about everyone had the same plan at the start: get out fast to avoid getting boxed in. I executed this part of the plan to perfection, but I think it was a bit too fast. In fact, I was running pretty close to the 5k pace I'd running the last couple weeks. Not ideal, but not catastrophic. Once I turned onto the first section of single track I was alone. Every now and then, I could see and/or hear a group just ahead of me. I really wanted/knew I should put in a move to bridge the gap to them, but I already felt like I was going on the edge of too hard. I felt pretty solid when I was running alone, but eventually, the pace got to me. Near the end of Ginn, one guy passed me, but I hung with him for a while. He was pulling two guys along, and they stayed behind me...until they passed me just before the aid station. Last year, I made my race on the Snowmobile Trail. This year, it was just the opposite. I kept it together pretty well in the "second half," but it wasn't pretty. When it was uphill or sloppy, I was holding my own, but on the flat and downhill sections, I was getting crushed. I can wade through knee deep water with anyone, but just don't ask me to run fast. The three guys who passed me in Ginn steadily pulled away. I took a look over my shoulder shortly before I reached the Knight's Woods Trail, and I could tell I was getting reeled in. I just couldn't turn the legs over. Nothing. Right at the corner of the Knight's Woods Trail, a runner caught me, and there was this exchange:

"Hey, you're Ryan, right?"
"Um...yeah..."
"I read your blog."
"Uh oh, well, then take it easy on me."

Then, he was gone. It was nice to meet Nate, but he didn't really have to smoke me. Even if Nate had been walking, he would have smoked me at this point. I was pretty much all done. I tripped on a something, nearly went down, let out an expletive, and got passed by another guy. He offered the oh so telling, "Finish up strong." In other words, "Dude, you look like shit." The gradual, but lengthy, uphill on the Knight's Woods Trail was not treating me kindly, but I just tried to keep it together. I actually closed the suddenly shockingly wide gap that the latest passer had opened up, but not enough to even think about catching him. But, I kept pushing and was happy to cross the finish line. I finished in 18th place in 50:42, more than 4 minutes slower than last year. The course was probably a minute or two slower due to the greasy mud and knee deep puddles.

Overall, I'd give the race a B. The effort was good. Not the smartest strategy, but I pushed pretty hard. So, A- for effort. As for how I felt, C-...maybe D+. Tired legs. They just felt heavy. That being said, the race went exactly how I expected. I wasn't really set up to run fast, but I put in a good effort. And, that's really the most important. Would I like to have run faster? Absolutely, but I haven't done any training that would have lead to that type of result. But, again, I'm pleased with the effort, and I had a great time. Ian puts on one helluva race, and best of all there were twice as many finishers this year as there were last year. Hopefully, all the trail newbies will be back for more.

Time to start thinking about the Bradbury Breaker!

Really Easy, Then Kinda Hard

2009-07-07T21:41:00.004-04:00

D and I ran 5 miles together in the Commons yesterday. It was nice and easy. It was funny when she thought we were running 10:45 pace. I knew it was a wee bit slower than that but don't discourage the pregnant lady. In fact, it was slow enough that my stride felt a bit wonky. That being said, it was fun to be running with her. Then I took her out for ice cream.

Tonight was a different story. My scheduling worked out that I was able to jump into the White Mountain Milers Summer Trail Series. It's listed as a trail race, but it's more of a cross country course. Everyone was up in arms about the muddy conditions. It was squishy in a couple spots for a few yards, but certainly nothing ugly. The course itself is 5k, but it is really two courses: A completely flat 1.25 miles to start and .5 miles to finish and a big climb and gradual downhill for the rest. I scoped the hard/fun part of the course beforehand on my warm up and formulated a plan to go out comfortably fast, mash the uphill, roll on the downhill and survive the final flat.

That's pretty much exactly how it went. I was surprised at how painful the first mile was then to only see 6:50 at the mile split. It felt like I was in slow motion. When I hit the hill, I dropped the two guys I was running with in the first 30 yards, caught up to a pack and passed a couple people. I kept pushing all the way to the top and was right behind a pack of 5. Two miles in 14:12, which was very pleasing to the eyes. I love it when a plan comes together. The trail got a bit more technical on the downhill, and I was able to move ahead of all but one of that group. Once on the flat, I was moving surprisingly well, but, let's face it, I have no speed. I held together quite well, though, and actually pulled away from all those I had just passed to finish in 21:32. Not bad considering the slippery conditions. (Did I mention the 8 million slippery roots on the course? Quite slick.) All in all, it was a solid effort. I held together quite well through the finish and stayed within myself—never really hurting all that much. My only limitation was lack of leg turnover...or no turnover whatsoever. Hopefully, my schedule will work out that I can hit a couple more of these this summer.

Post-race I had a chance to catch up with Kevin, who is a really bad blogger but a really good dude...he's also quite fast busting out 16:40ish or something ridiculous tonight. However, I did learn that if our 18-year-old selves raced each other, my 18-year-old self would whoop his ass. That was my ego boost for the day...then I remembered how slow and fat I've become. Oh well.

Best. Run. Ever.

2009-07-04T20:43:00.002-04:00

Not much to say about this morning's run. It was awesome. D summed it up really well.

In short, it was great to be out there with her, and I'm super-impressed with how well she's handling this whole pregnancy thing. But, yes, I was only out there to make sure she didn't crash or get lost.

Hard Rain, Hard Running

2009-07-03T22:00:00.002-04:00

Had a nice, easy run on Wednesday. Legs felt pretty good—a touch sluggish—after the previous day's run, which aside from Mt. Washington, had been my longest run since Pineland. That's kind of lame, but it was necessary. As I continued my search for mojo, I also decided on Wednesday to avoid what has become an all too familiar loop and ran out and back on the powerlines. Nice change.

Yesterday was the final week of the Trail Running Series at Great Glen Trails. I needed to run in order to qualify for the prize raffle (6 of 8 weeks), but I was raring to go, anyway. I wanted to put in one last hard effort. It was raining...hard. I warmed up and felt fairly crappy. Well, not crappy, just not sharp. The rain lessened slightly as I started my "race," but increased in intensity as I ran. I was very pleased with 80% of my effort. The mud and the puddles made it treacherous in places...and by treacherous, I mean fun. Since I was soaked instantly, I barely noticed the rain, and generally had a great time just working it! I didn't back off on a single uphill, which was really what I was looking for. I took chances on the downhills and covered a lot of ground. However, the 20% I wasn't thrilled with are the flats. It's pretty clear that I haven't done any speed work. I really just couldn't get up to any kind of "top speed." Well, I did have a "top pace," but it was no where close to "speed." I finished in 27:39, which is only a couple seconds slower than my fastest on that course, which is a pretty tough 3.5 or 3.6 or 3.7 miles. Had the conditions been drier/firmer, I'm certain I would have been about a minute faster...ah trail running. But, I'm not complaining, it was a good run, and I'm pleased with the effort.

I'm thinking about one more 5k workout next week before the Bradbury Scuffle next Sunday. I'm looking forward to the race, but I wish I had more speed under my belt. Oh well, it will just make it hurt more.

Trails Make Everything Better

2009-06-30T22:30:00.002-04:00

After a day of computer staring, kitty wrangling, and a trip to the farm, I managed to carve out some time for a run. And it was good, very good. I headed across the street to the Cathance River Preserve. It was muddy. The puddles were big. And the singletrack was oh so tasty. I'm not ready to proclaim that my mojo is back, but this is certainly a step in the right direction. I felt great the whole way, and just had a great time in general.

I had planned to run the shorter loop, but I "missed" the turn off for the short option and ended up on the longer loop. I was out for just about an hour, even though I planned on about 40 minutes. Not a big deal, but I was supposed to be home to help with dinner. Oops. I did end up cutting off the Heath Trail that I usually use on the return, which was probably a good choice anyway because it has a number of bog bridges. The bog bridges that I did encounter were dangerously slippery. The first one I came to nearly sent me into a tree while pulling a hamstring and my groin. I took it easy on the bridges after that.

Two of my neighbors gave me strange looks when I got home. What a grown man can't play in the mud?

3

2009-06-29T21:42:00.002-04:00

3. That's it. That's how many miles I ran last week. That's not a lot.

Yup, I've lost my mojo. A variety of nuggets of chaos in daily life have conspired against me, but that's really no excuse. After Pineland and as was evident at Mt. Washington, I just don't have the fire. I'm pretty certain it's two clear factors:
1. I'm still mentally fried from the effort of training for and racing the 50k. Don't get me wrong, it was fun, and I'm really glad I did it. But, it was wicked hard.
2. I don't have anything big and scary on the calendar for the summer or fall. Apparently, I'm motivated by fear.

I'm slightly upset by this. But, only slightly. When I feel like training seriously again, I will. Perhaps I'll start tomorrow. Perhaps not. I do know that I will get it going again...eventually. Hopefully, I'll have a groovy run post in the next few days. Until then, here's something from Jeff's favorite band:

Anyone else think Rick Allen's Union Jack shorts would look sahweeet with a TMR singlet?

Mt. Washington Road Race - Race Report

2009-06-24T22:14:00.004-04:00

My delay in writing this race report should pretty much give you an idea how I feel about the race. In fact, I hesitate to call it a "race report," since what I did could in no way be construed as racing. That being said, it was a great lesson learned.

I'm not going to go into many details of the race. I started. It was humid. I felt great for the first mile. Then I didn't feel great. I walked a lot. I passed about 15 people in the last .5 mile and looked like a total sandbagger.

In short, I just couldn't push myself. I couldn't get myself to that place. I couldn't really make myself work or suffer. I think my "suffer bucket" was empty after the 50k. And, if I'm not suffering, I'm not going to have a good result. Suffering is my strong suit. It was a very odd feeling. I wanted to race, but I just couldn't. It probably wouldn't have mattered much in another race, but this is the Mt. Washington Road Race. It's way too difficult to not be focused. It's more of a mental than a physical challenge, and I just didn't have the mental edge. Am I disappointed? Not really. I'm only slightly disappointed in the fact that it was a race, and I wasn't mentally ready to race. But, I'll be back because I know that I can run fast up that hill.

In the end, I ended up about 9 minutes slower than last year in 1:51:35. And, I wasn't particularly tired afterward, and I certainly wasn't sore the next day. Oh well.

On the upside, my Trail Monster comrades Jeff and Mindy had awesome races in the Rockpile debuts. I'm really happy for those guys. Hopefully next year, we'll have a full Trail Monster contingent to score in the team categories.

So, that was the Mt. Washington Road Race. The race was poor, but I learned a lesson. Onward.

My hair was perhaps the best part of the day. I have no idea how it ended up like that. Completely awesome, though.

Tuning Up

2009-06-18T22:19:00.002-04:00

Week #6 of the trail running series at Great Glen Trails this afternoon. I guess it was a tune up for Saturday. Or, it was just a hardish workout. Or, it was foolishness too close to race. Perhaps it was all of those. Whatever it was, I felt pretty good. Big PR on this course, a minute and 25 seconds to be exact. Ended up with a 27:30 for the 3.5 miles, which works out to 7:51. I'm pretty pleased with that time considering the terrain, which is rugged and the level of effort, which certainly wasn't all out. My legs felt great, but the only problem was my guts—odd intestinal cramps after the first mile. I had them last week, too. Perhaps running hard in the afternoon/evening just doesn't agree with me. I didn't even eat any Pringles today. Easy run planned for tomorrow to get the blood moving and the junk out, then it's up Mt. Washington on Saturday. Looking forward to it.

Less Running = Less Blogging

2009-06-15T19:54:00.002-04:00

I haven't had much to blog about of late because I haven't been running much of late. The good news is that the little running that I have done has been very good. I've really turned a corner, and looking forward to Mt. Washington. Not sure if I'm physically ready/fully recovered but certainly ready to go, but mentally I'm ready. Last year, I was terrified. This year, I'm excited.

With regards to my last couple runs, there's nothing but good to report. On Saturday, I barely had any time to squeeze in a quick run, and it ended up being pretty quick. I ran my usual three-mile loop about three minutes faster than usual. I knew I was running at a faster pace than normal, but I didn't realize just how fast. Felt great the whole way. Then on Sunday, D, Jeff, Mindy (who should really get back to blogging) and I went on a Rockpile Recon mission to get a look at the Auto Road in prep for Saturday's race. We'd originally planned to run a bit on the Road, but the weather was nasty, so we opted for a run on the trails at the base at Great Glen Trails. D came along for the run, which was very cool...23 weeks and cruising. It rained on us, but it was fun to run with these guys. A few more easy runs this week, then it's time to run up the hill.

Speaking of running uphill, I've checked out the time predictor for Mt. Washington, with some interesting results. I'm pretty certain that the predictor is accurate because...well, runners are geeks and good at coming up with this stuff. Based on my last three races, here are the numbers:
1. Maine Track Club Mid-Winter 10-Mile Classic:
My Actual Time: 1:10:59 Mt. Washington Predicted Time: 1:29 - 1:34
2. Muddy Moose Trail Run - 14 Mile:
My Actual Time: 2:24:46 Mt. Washington Predicted Time: 2:07 - 2:14
3. Pineland Farms Trail Challenge - 50k:
My Actual Time: 5:17:31 Mt. Washington Predicted Time: 2:00 - 2:07

What does that tell me? Pretty much nothing. I wasn't happy with the 10-miler. Sucked a big pile o' boo boo at the Muddy Moose. Very happy with the result at the 50k. Last year at Mt. Washington, I ran 1:42:40. So, the predictor didn't really predict anything. It just gave me something to blog about. I do have a goal for the race. I'll let you know more about that on Saturday evening.

Stop Being Such a Wuss

2009-06-12T20:26:00.002-04:00

Cue the AC/DC!

I reread my last post and realized what a whine-fest it was. So, yesterday, I decided to suck it up and just run. Week 5 of the trail running series at Great Glen Trails was the perfect excuse.

Admittedly, I wasn't feeling great throughout the day, but I really didn't care. Would my quads and groin explode? Only one way to find out. I did an easy 15-minute warm up, then went for it. I ran the uphills hard, and the flats and downhills at a comfortable, but up-tempo, pace. Overall, this probably ended up being an 85-90% effort. Nothing exploded. In fact, I felt really good. Not blazing fast, but 28:53 for 3.5 miles of toughish terrain was very acceptable. I stretched quite a bit afterward, and everything felt better than when I started. And, aside from slight tightness in my calves today, I felt even better.

A week to go until Mt. Washington. Bring it.

Retired?

2009-06-10T22:23:00.003-04:00

After my last run, I've been considering retirement. Perhaps, I will retire. Yeah, I'm going to pull a Brett Farve. So, I was retired. For four days. No running. Part of this was by design. Part of this was due to circumstances that would have made it tricky to get any running in anyway. Saturday and Sunday, I was at a trade show for work: read, standing all day. Monday and Tuesday, I was working on the remodel...err cosmetic makeover...of our upstairs bathroom. So, not exactly resting, but I wasn't running. I unretired today.

Results were mixed. I didn't feel all that great, but I didn't feel terrible. The pain/fatigue/owie in my quads/groin/hip flexors is still there. Because of the location of the "discomfort" it's tough to tell if I'm sluggish. Each time I pick up my leg, I feel it. Hence, I'm not sure if it's sluggishness or the "discomfort." Very odd. Either way, 27:27 for 3 miles should not have felt as difficult as it did. I did start to feel a little better by the end, but that could just be because I knew I was finishing. I'm going to try another run tomorrow. Then I'll probably retire again. In other words, I'm totally pumped about my chances on Mt. Washington.

I did have this song in my head the whole time. No doubt because of the most hilarious thing that has ever happened in the history of things happening:

I could watch that over and over again...oh wait, I have.

Recovering?

2009-06-05T21:53:00.002-04:00

I thought I was on the right track, then today happened...

I'd been remiss in my mentioning of the Trail Running Series at Great Glen Trails this spring. It started 4 weeks ago, smack in the middle of my 50k taper, so although it's a great way to force yourself to do some speed work, it wasn't really part of my plan. I have been running in it, though. I skipped the first week due to a scheduling conflict, but I ran the course easily the last two weeks. And, yesterday, I decided to pick it up a tad. I ran the course at about 75%-80%, and felt decent the whole way. Let's call it quasi-up-tempo. My quads bothered me on the downhills, but I wasn't concerned. All in all, a solid run, and I felt like I was headed in the right direction.

Today was a totally different story. I was feeling a bit off and sluggish all day, but I finally forced myself out the door this evening. At best I felt crappy. My quads were killing me. I was actually chopping my strides on the downhills. Not good times. Quite possibly the worst run ever. It just felt like a huge step back. Hopefully, it was just one bad day.

Side note: Last night, I was driving home and found this gem on my iPod:

I clearly remember the painstaking process of drawing the Whitesnake logo on one of my binders. Yup, I was a cool freshman.

Recovering

2009-06-02T20:44:00.002-04:00

Not much to report from the running front over the last few days. I'm still recovering, still trying to recover, and slowly recovering. Overall, the body feels pretty good. A few creaks and squeaks here and there, but nothing that's not expected after running 50k. My right shoulder is fairly grumpy still, and there's a fairly large knot in it. Driving, desk sitting and just having mediocre posture certainly haven't helped. Again, I need to pay more attention to my upper body. But, all in all, I'm feeling pretty decent.

I ran 3 miles on Saturday, a touch faster than I should have, but I felt OK. On Sunday morning, D and I ran 4 miles together, and I was sluggish at best. Some of that sluggishness could be contributed to the beverages at Novare Res the night before, although the whole recovery mode thing no doubt played a part. It was a really nice run, though. Off day on Monday, but back for another quick 3 today. Felt pretty good today, despite once again, running this loop a bit faster than I should have. I'm going to continue to the keep the pace down (or at least attempt to) and the mileage short the next few days. I'm really hoping my strength from training for Pineland will get me to the top of Mt. Washington in a couple weeks.

Human Again

2009-05-29T19:43:00.002-04:00

After barely moving on Monday, hobbling on Tuesday, limping on Wednesday, I finally felt moderately OK enough to run on Thursday. Some tightness, and I could tell the heart rate was a bit higher than it normally would be for a 35 minute, 3.5 mile run. But, the good news is that I felt better after my run than I did before. Good sign. I took today off but have another easy run planned for tomorrow. Plenty of foam rolling in the plans for tonight.

I'm also planning on taking it easy next week as well. I'll ramp it up a bit the following week, but then Mt. Washington looms on the horizon. Literally and figuratively, I guess.

Still happy with my race. I tend to become less happy as time goes on. I already told D to be sure that 6 months from now I'm still happy with it. As far as my next race plans go, nothing big on the calendar. Mt. Washington, like I mentioned, is up first. Then, I plan to run all the races in the Bradbury Mountain Series. (Those Bradbury Bad Ass shirts are pretty sweet.) Nothing big planned for the fall...well, except for that one thing.

More Thoughts from Pineland

2009-05-26T20:43:00.003-04:00

When it takes you over 5 hours to do something, you think about a lot of stuff. Here are some thoughts I left out of my race report. (You know, because you we're dying to hear more.)

1. Huge omission from my race report: Mega-thanks and mad props to Ian and Erik for putting on an absolutely killer race. Everything about this race is top notch. Even if I wasn't running, I would go just for the atmosphere. From the crowd it draws to the aid stations to the post-race festivities, it's the best.

2. Beer: All races should have beer at the finish. And, post-race massage. If there was only a way tom combine the two.

3. Aid Stations: "Water? Gatorade?" "Can I get you anything?" "Do you need a refill?" "How are you?" I heard this every time I went through an aid station. All the volunteers were generally interested, enthusiastic, and happy to help. I appreciate their efforts as much as they clearly appreciated ours. (Special thanks to Carter for fetching me an S-Cap at the Yurt aid station last time through. And, to Jeff's wife Cacky for having that motherly, "Ryan, are you sure you're OK?" look and concern.)

4. Speaking of aid stations, I think I should have spent a little more time at them. As I've been reading race reports from my more experienced ultra running friends, I realized that, for the most part, they seemed to stop, regroup, refuel and rest a bit a couple of the aid stations. I get caught up in the "it's a race" mode, so I tend to keep moving. I'm afraid I'm going to lose too much time. Yes, I stopped and grabbed Gatorade, water, pretzels and Pringles at some of the aid stations, but it was always a bit of dine and dash. Perhaps if I had relaxed more and taken a little more time, it would have saved me time and energy in the long run. I think that was the only flaw in my fueling strategy. I didn't bonk and never felt hungry, so the combination Sustained Energy, Gatorade, GU and Shot Bloks on my person and the aforementioned additions from the aid stations was dead on.

5. My hands and feet were swollen. I looked down at one point and my fingers and realized they were quite puffy. My right foot, more so than my left, was moderately painful from getting squished inside my shoe. But, again, since I was in race mode, I didn't stop to fix it.

6. Has anyone seen the latest Prius ad? Gawd, that song is annoying! It was in my head for the first 8 miles or so. Thankfully, I was talking to Nate for a good portion of this stretch, so it wasn't constant. And, of course, it was Bon Jovi after I went through the halfway point. That song is also annoying, but anytime I pass halfway of any run, hike, ski or anything it comes into my head. Tommy and Gina are my constant companions, and, honestly, let me know I still have all m faculties. Yeah, I'm kind messed up.

7. Ultra runners are crazy, but a great group of people. When I was functional, I enjoyed chatting with everyone I ran with, ran by or that ran by me. Every one is so encouraging and supportive. But, crazy. I ran briefly with a woman who had run the Massanutten 100 Mile Race last weekend, and another 50 miler in April, and the Boston Marathon and a bunch of other things. Not to mention Katy and Chuck who both ran the Sugarloaf Marathon last weekend. These people amaze me, inspire me, and make me sick. Crazies. My body wouldn't let me do that.

8. Speaking of my body, I'm still sore.

9. Also speaking of my body, despite the gun show, some form of pushups/core work would really help.

10. And, a final note on my body, if you had asked me two years ago if I would ever run a 50k, I would have said no way. This whole not-injured, running rebirth thing has come a long way.

11. Back to all the crazy people. Everyone out there has a story, a reason, a motivation. I have my own, and I'm pretty proud of my race. I just hope my race report doesn't make anyone think that I'm tooting my own horn because I pushed through a little discomfort. People have overcome a heck of a lot more than I have or did on this one day. Now that I've done one of these things, I'm impressed by everyone who worked to just make it to the start line regardless of how or whether they finished or not.

There's probably more, but it's time to recover and move on to the next challenge. Actually, perhaps recovering is the next challenge. Then it's on to Mt. Washington in June. At least it's only 7.6 miles.

Pineland Farms Trail Challenge 50k Race Report

2009-05-25T10:52:00.009-04:00

I've never suffered as much as I did yesterday, but I got my cowbell.

Going into the race, I wasn't really sure where I was. Training-wise, I know I'd done some solid runs, but I'd been feeling pretty tired as well. Hopefully, the last two weeks of rest were the right choice. My goals going into the race were unpublished and, I thought, realistic. Obviously, the first goal was to finish. I was shooting for 5:10, which would be 10:00 per mile. I would be happy with anything under 5:20, but held out hope I could break 5:00.

This race report should probably be two race reports: one for the first 18 miles and one for the last 13 miles. It felt like two completely separate races.

The First 18
The race started quietly enough with me running very easily for the first couple miles chatting with friends and making new friends as I went. I was also running with my buddy Nate who was seeking his revenge on this race after crashing hard last year in the second half of the race. Our plans matched perfectly as the plan was to go out slow. That's just what we did. It's tough to take the first part of the race easy as the first 5k are basically all downhill, but we kept it pretty mellow. Not much to report through the first 10k, just easy running and enjoying the day. Nate stopped at the aid station at the yurt to eat, and I kept rolling. I was feeling really, really good. I was running easy and very comfortably. I came through the Grove at 10+ miles, said "Hi!" to Danielle and headed out on the Oak Hill Loop. Throughout the race, I had been doing a good job mixing my running and walking. I was walking all the steeper and/or longer hills, even though I was feeling good enough to run them. More feeling great, and I finished my first lap in about 2:27.

As I was swapping out the bottles in my Fuel Belt, Nate came into the Grove, and we headed out the second loop together, dodging the dogs of the 4k Canicross. Needless to say, it was a bit chaotic. Nate and I ran together until the 30k mark, when I said, "Hmmm...I'm not feeling that great."

The Last 13
Nate and I came into the aid station at the Yurt together, and I stopped for some water and a few snacks, hoping for a boost. This whole running thing was starting to hurt. Carter was working this aid station, and I told him that I was in a bit of a bad patch. I was hopeful it would pass. I started to feel better going around the field loop, but as my energy started to return, I could feel my left calf tightening. It was feeling like one of my calf strains from the past. Uh oh. I was afraid of cramping/tightening, so I'd been eating Pringles and pretzels at the aid stations. Plus, I was eating the margarita flavored Clif Shot Bloks, which have salt. As I headed into the Hemlocks, I stopped to stretch my calf on a tree and kept rolling. My energy was a little better, but my calf was trouble. I actually caught back up to Nate on a hill and told him of my calf troubles. I told him to go run his own race, and not worry about me. We ran together for about another K, until we weren't together anymore. At some point, he just took off, or, rather, I faded. By the time, I came back on the fields, he was long gone. I took another break at the aid station and had a feeling I was in trouble. Carter offered me an S-Cap, which I took, and I walked out of this aid station. After another calf stretch, I started running again. Maybe I would survive...maybe not.

The legs were really tired, and I had certainly slowed, but I was still moving forward. Slowly, but forward. At some point, the pain that I sometimes/often get in my left shoulder/neck started to return. My entire left arm was affected. In other words, things were going downhill fast. At the 40k mark, I was walking up a hill, teetered to the side and nearly fell over. Not good. Miraculously, though, only a couple people passed me, and I was even passing a few 50k runners. So, perhaps other people were suffering more than I was. By the time I made it back to the Grove, I'd pretty much lost use of my left arm. I couldn't raise up to a normal running position. It was just sort of flopping by my side. I wanted nothing more than to be done. I'd asked D for 2 new bottles when I came through, and along with a great deal of concern, she had those ready for me. I barely stopped and I don't think I said a word to her. I knew if I was given the slightest opening, I would have stopped. So, I head out on the final Oak Hill Loop.

The last five miles are a blur. My arm was getting worse. Now both calves were tight. Because of my arm, my back also started to tighten, making breathing difficult. I barely drank anything out of either bottle. At some point, it started raining. Honestly, I have no idea when it started. I only realized it was raining because I noticed that the trail was muddy. Yeah, I was somewhere else. I was really suffering. But, I was still moving forward. I was still mixing my running and walking successfully. Only once did I catch myself walking when I "should" have been running. It was only a few steps, though, and I got back to it. I kept pressing forward. Luckily, I know the trails well enough to know where I was, but I often had to think hard about how much I had to go. I made it to the Final Mile Aid Station where Nate and Shannon had come out to cheer for me, confirming what I already knew: Nate had an awesome race.

It was raining quite hard when I crossed the finish line. If you had asked me at 15 miles, there's no way I would have said it would have taken me that long or hurt that much. Honestly, it was a really odd feeling. I kept waiting for it to hurt less. It never did. What I thought was a bad patch turned out to be 13 miles of bad. It just kept going down hill. Easy and enjoyable running turned into suffering. No warning. It just happened. Running 31 miles is hard. It took me 5:17:13. I finished 46 out of 108 finishers.

There was generous amount of congrats and concern for my well being at the finish. I'm sure I sounded ungrateful, when the volunteer handed me the tiny cowbell. I was really hoping for the big shiny silver version. I'd just suffered for it. Luckily, it was a mistake, and I grabbed the big version. It's mighty perrty. I'm officially an ultrarunner.

Today, I'm really sore. It's been couch, heat and ice. Walking is hard. Stairs are terrifying. And, I'm really wondering about this whole ultra thing. I'm not sure it's for me. It could just be the short term memory, and perhaps I'll forget, but I'm not ready to sign up for another. I'm not even ready to think about another. I'm really not sure.

Congrats to the rest of the Trail Monsters on great races. I think everyone had great days. Maybe it was the home court advantage. And, of course, extra special thanks to D for being an awesome crew!