Monthly Archives: March 2009

One of the things I love about running and even watching sports is observing when things get tight.  What happens when stress arrives?  What happens when you hit a bump in the road?  What happens when a team gets a run on you?  What happens when you hit the wall in a marathon?

These are the things that intrigue me about sports.  We all get tested and we all get knocked to the ground.  Athletes in basketball like Dwayne Wade and Allen Iverson are players I have always liked to watch as they pick themselves up off the floor time and time again.  And when they do, you see they think nothing of it.

When you get the squeeze put on you during a race, training or in life do you get up again?  Or do you get frustrated and show it?  Remember someone is watching so get up off the ground and keep moving forward.

I have spent much of the week running in the rain and mud.  I generally have no problem with the rain.  (Except when it is cold rain).  However the last couple of days have even been beyond what I can usually handle.  When I do a canoe and paddle for the trails that seems to make it more difficult.

So it has been a good week or two of training.  I think my legs are adjusting to the pace and mileage.  This is the most weekly mileage I have probably consistently put on my legs since September and October when I was preparing for my fall marathon.  I have experienced a little bit of “tired legs” but I am trying to push through it.  I have also been weight lifting with my legs which is a good thing and also explains the way my legs feel.  Near the end of a training program I would not recommend starting to lift with your legs but if you can do it throughout your program your legs will adjust and it will help you overall.  If you choose not to lift you can also get as much benefit from hill training.

Hoping to be able to get in a strong 10 miles this weekend.

An area I have been focusing the past couples of weeks is training hard.  I have never been successful in a race where I have not trained hard.  It all depends on what you want out of a race.  If you want to finish then train that way.  If you want to set a PR then train that way.  However the PR does not come without sacrifice.  It will take weeks of rough training and pushing your body to build what you need to set that PR.

Everytime you are ready to call it quits just remember if you quit now you are giving up the chance for the PR you might be aiming for.  So press on.

I have been reading a John Maxwell book with my oldest son each night, “Go for the Gold”.  Last night was about Passion and Priorities.  Doing what you were created to do.  Doing what you love to do.  Life is too short to do things you just like to do, only do the things you love to do.  Find out what God created you to do, and just do that.

To make room for the things you are passionate about you will have to say no to things you just like to do.  That is ok in the long run as you will be more fulfilled by doing what you were created to do.  Do what you love!

So I love cake!  I really love Birthday Cake!  In fact I am thinking about checking in at a Betty Crocker Clinic for help.  And yes it was my birthday this past weekend.  I must have consumed a truck load of cake over the weekend.  I can only assume that is why my 10 mile run yesterday felt like another ultramarathon.  It also explains why I felt like I was pulling a mobile home behind me.  It also explains why I thought I might have the chance to enjoy the cake for a second time out on the trail yesterday.

Here is just little note to self.  Slow down on the cake before your 10 miler!  Running 10 miles is not the best way to get rid of your guilt for eating a sickening amount of cake.  I would actually be humilitated to tell you how much cake I consumed over a three or four day period.  So I will just let you use your imagination, but just think big!  Think really big!

My new plan seems to be working out so far.  A 5K plan always seem a bit tougher after training for a marathon and an ultra.  The pace is quicker which I do enjoy but it is just an adjustment.  Some of the runs seem tough because of the different pace.  It takes me a week or so to get used to it.  However I am surprised at how good I feel just weeks from the ultra.  I had not planned on starting my 5K training plan until the first or second week in April.  However last weeks speed training session let me know that I am good to go. 

I have not felt anything out of the ordinary and I felt surprisingly fresh.  We will see!

I am reading a book by Dr. John C. Maxwell, “Put your dream to the test”.  I am really enjoying it.  I just thought I would share his steps on “How to take ownership of your Dream”.

1- Be willing to bet on yourself- You may succeed if nobody else believes in you, but you will never succeed if you don’t believe in yourself

2- Lead your life instead of just accepting your life- Reaching your God-given potential requires taking responsibility for yourself and your life

3- Love what you do and do what you love- Successful people allow their talent and passion to guide them

4- Don’t compare yourself (or your dream) to others- Success is doing the best you can with what you have wherever you start in life

5- Believe in your vision for the future even when others don’t understand you- If success is not on your terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your soul, it is not success at all.

I had planned on starting a four week training plan in April to get ready for the 5K in May.  I felt really good though after the ultra and felt I could go ahead and get started now on my new training plan.  I did decide to get working on it this week.  I am always excited to break open a new plan.

Yesterday I had a speedwork day.  It was my first really true speedwork since probably last summer.  Even then most of my speedwork was 400 meters.  Yesterday my plan called for 4 X 800 meters.  I forgot just how tough speedwork can be and especially when it is twice the distance I am used to running.

Tough but good.  I am trying out a new training plan in hopes to set a 5K PR this May.  Hopefully a workout like yesterday will help pave the way.  TOUGH.

I have spent this week thinking about my schedule for this year and early next.  I am pretty sure I would like to tackle another 50 but I would also like to give it some time.  I have the 5K in May and the Peachtree in July.  I will probably do another 5K or 10K in August.  After that I plan to run the Goofy Challenge and a half in Disney World in January 2010.  This would be the half marathon on Saturday and the full on Sunday.  Not a good idea to race both but rather I will probably race one and enjoy the other.  I don’t know how good I would be able to race the full after 13 the day before.

My time always seem to be better in the half than the full anyway.  My plan at this time is the race the half and enjoy the full.  I feel pretty confident about racing the half and just enjoying the next day.  Not sure what time I will shoot for on either one yet but that is the plan. 

For some reason I get pretty competitive when it comes to the 5K, 10K and half marathon.  Now that I have broken four hours in the marathon I don’t seem to have the same sense of urgency for a much faster time in that race.

I think most of that stems from how I am built as a runner.  I am built more as a middle distance runner.  I experience more success with the 5K, 10K and half marathon.  After the 13.1 I still do well but not at the same level.  I also seem to enjoy those distances better.

My wife asked me if that is the case why do I do it.  Well, two reason for this.  One I love what the longer events do for me (Just read my blog eh!).  After doing one you need no explanation.  Secondly, I really do enjoy the long ones from a stand point that I am able to just enjoy the run.  Running the marathon reminds me of why I run.  Time on the road and just enjoying the experience.  The pressure of time not quite as great.  I just get to enjoy the experience.  Being able to spend a few hours in thought and in peace.  Watching the beauty around you and just hearing the pouding of your footsteps and chirping of the birds.

It is hard to imagine we were not created to run.  I remember as a small boy fun to me was just going for a run.  It is a way of getting back to what it was like as a child.  Lacing them up and going for a run.  It is hard to beat it.

Speaking of healing up I finally discovered the issue with my toe.  It kept feeling like there was almost something underneath my toenail.  I finally took a real good look and noticed it was a blood blister under my big toenail.  How exactly that happened I am not sure.  I did pop it and it feels much better.  I would imagine in the next fews days I will be in good shape to start getting ready for the 5K in May.

The only major issue this week has been a pretty badly bruised big toe from my incident with the stump!  It seems to get better each day though.  I actually went out for a 5 miler yesterday at a pretty good clip and held up surprisingly well.  Even during my run I had discomfort with it but nothing major.  So far so good.

Well if I thought I was alone on lap number 2, then lap number 3 was like being the last man on the planet.  At this point with the exception of the first out and back near the beginning of the lap I saw virtually nobody.  In marathons I have run, one real positive of crowded marathons is the idea that you can look around and see those around you going through the same thing you are.  In this race that was just not a possibility.

Every step I took from this point I had run farther than any point in my life.  I had developed a strategy of run walking on the last lap but did not really stick to it.  I was a little concerned about my time and being able to finish.  The first half of the loop I really concentrated on staying under a 14 minute mile pace.  I lost a lot of time on lap number two with finishing miles ranging on the 19-20 minute range.  After 8 miles on this last lap I had been successful with my pace.  I got to the 2nd aid station and they told me my pace was great, if I just kept on it I would make it.  The biggest problem I would have on the last lap was hitting my toe on a stump.  It hurt my big toe but even worse made my hamstring cramp.

I did start a little cramping after the 8 mile mark.  It was not constant but would pop up from time to time.  With about 4.5 miles left I was feeling as good as I could but also felt like I would make it.  It was here when my GPS battery died.  So it would be an unknown on mileage and time which was a little concerning for me.  However I felt if I just kept pushing I would make.  I continued to run and walk up the hills, however I noticed myself doing a little more walking with what I guessed was about 2 miles left.  I wanted to make sure I ran across the finish line.

I finally emerged out of the woods and saw the signs and soon saw the finish line.  After 11 hours 37 minutes and 25 seconds I would finally cross the finish line.  I think I was too tired to have much emotion.  I almost could not believe I finished, it did not seem real.  After 2 years of talking, it finally was a reality.

I have had some time to think about it now.  A couple of things really stand out to me on this.  One is that I am glad I told so many about it.  I felt like a I had a lot riding on the race because of it.  It is like people who gamble on games, it becomes more exciting.  I had so many people knowing what I was doing there was an added pressure.  It was like I had more skin in the game.  It reminds me how many times in life do we need to talk more about what we are doing or what we are up to.  It is easier to quit when nobody knows you are even in the game.

Two is that you really learn about yourself.  I certainly pushed myself to the breaking point and had ever reason to quit.  I am excited about how the response was.  I am sure there were many reasons why I kept running, although I really could not think of any of them at the time!  I don’t love the pain but I love what the pain does to me.  Your character is formed in the fire, these are the moments you begin to understand how you operate.

Three is the challenge.  It is always hard to know what is next after something like this.  I will say that the challenge can become addictive.  You love what events and big challenges do to, so it is hard to resist the next.  So what is the next one?  The next one right now is rest!  After that we will see.

I do have a fun year planned out for running.  I will do the Susan Komen 5K here in Atlanta followed by the Peachtree Road Race.  After that is uncertainty but I am still working on it.  However there will be a challenge.  From time goals to PR’s (Personal Records) that is the beauty of running.  It is easy to create your own challenge.  Remember, if nobody knows you are running, nobody knows if you quit.

I finished my first lap in 3:27:42.  I felt pretty good about that.  I liked the pace and felt really comfortable.  After I stopped for my drop bag to grab a few things there were a couple of things in particular that I felt did not help me.  The group I was running with had broken up at this point.  I did not see any of the group I had been running with.  I also knew the sun was getting directly overhead which took away the shade.  As I took off for the second lap I was alone, all alone.  This was the first point I realized what kind of a day this might be.  I was alone for the first couple of miles and stayed this way from most of the second lap.

At the first aid station I did see some familiar faces but I did not want to hang around and wait.  I really felt the terrain taking its toll on me at this point.  After I left the aid station I knew I was already concerned because I was five plus miles away from the next one.  Because of the heat I knew I would be drinking more.  Before I had gone two miles I think I finished off my water bottle.

The sun was beating down on me and the heat was on high.  By the way did i mention I was HOT!  It did not take long for me to lose any positive feelings I had, especially when a volunteer told me just 30 miles to go.  That hit me like a ton of bricks.  I knew how far but that really make me think.

It became harder for me to eat and drink at each stop along the way.  I became to despise everything I was putting in my mouth.  I knew I had to force it down otherwise I would never make it.  With each mile it became tougher and tougher.  Finally at the out and back on the gravel road with about 4 miles left on this loop I began to think this was it.  I decided in my mind that I could be happy with finishing the 50K and not the 50 miles.  I began to walk, not by choice but I just had to.  I felt like my body was shutting down.  I could not eat or drink, my hands were swollen and I felt like I might get sick.  I did find some company in misery, I began walking with someone from Minnesota who was suffering from blisters.  We both were thinking of calling it quits once we reached the start/finish line again.

The longer I walked the better I began to feel but I also began to feel the disappointment from throwing in the towel.  Finally a couple of familiar faces found me.  I did not say I was quitting to them, but they began to share stories of races they have done.  The good the bad, and the ugly.  100 mile races, iron man races, 24,48 and 72 hour races.  I began to remember how tough these are supposed to be.  As I finished the second lap I was uncertain.  The stories began to inspire but I still felt awful. 

Then I had a decision, I saw my Dad at the start/finish line.  Quitting could be so easy as he was there with my ride.  I had run further than ever before in my life.  I could walk away and feel like I could justify it.  However something sparked in me and I said to myself, did you think it would be easy?  This is what you knew it would be, the toughest thing you have ever tried.  I told my dad, I might not finish but I was not stopping right now.  I finished lap 2 at 7:36:00 and I knew I had 4 hours and 24 minutes to finish.  I decided to march on.  I would put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving.

As I left the aid station at about 8.5 miles into the first lap I felt great.  Also the terrain began to change, it was actually a beautiful run the 2nd half of the course.  The only problem were the hills which were  a little tough but I did enjoy the challenge.  It really would be the course I would picture in my mind for trail running.  I could not help but admire the beauty. 

There are many reasons I run, one in particular is to be able to observe the beauty that God created.  In a car you just can’t appreciate it.  It takes the slowing down and watching to get a glimpse of creation.  I really tried not to get tunnel vision and watch my time and mileage the next few miles.  I had the chance to run with a great group of guys for the next 8 miles.  I enjoyed some great and funny conversations and just the enjoyment of running with others who have done this before.  They were very encouraging.  I was able to stay well hydrated as well since the aid stations were much closer together at this point of course.

The toughest stretch here was an out and back in a gravel road that was downhill on the out and uphill on the back.  After that the nice stretch of trails came back.  We began to approach the start finish line to end lap number 1 and 16.7 miles.

I stopped off at my drop back to refill on sharkies (my favorite gummy snacks!).  I really did feel good after the first 17 miles and was looking forward to the rest of the day.  The weather stayed pretty mild the first lap and the shade of the trees was good.  However near the end of lap number one I could sense the change.  However for now I felt good and ready for more.

I was very thankful to have the central time zone the next morning.  It made getting up at 410am easier as I am used to getting up at 510am most days.  That part was not too bad.  It was a strange ride though getting to the race.  Down dirt and gravel road and in the darkness of the early morning.  When we found the location and turned off the lights on the car we could see nothing!  My dad said, ”Now that is dark!”  We got there nice and early and I had plenty of time to gather my thoughts and get ready.  I checked in and was ready to go.

Before I knew it we were looking at a light blue sky as the first signs of daylight began to make its way to us.  We started right at 600am.  It was an interesting run at first.  They had been doing a controlled burn in the area and we spent the first couple of miles running through the burnt ground.  I began to dodge mud puddles, first small and then getting bigger.  I had managed to keep the feet dry early on but was very uncertain as to what was to come.  However that changed quickly as I began to approach the first obstacle of the day.  I saw a line developing to get by the first major mud pit.  And I do mean “Pit”.  There was no way around it and my shoes went in ankle deep.  Next came a creek that was knee high and surrounded by mud.  All of this was in the first 3-3.5 miles. 

By this time I had reached the first aid station and was very thankful for that.  The only problem is that this part of the course was an out and back so I had to repeat everything I just went through.  Trust me, it was not any more fun the 2nd time.  One real challenge is that there was quite a few of us running together at this point which made it a challenge to try and take your time getting through it.

The bigger challenge would be more of an unknown to me.  When I left the first aid station about 3 miles into the race I did not realize it would be another 5.5 miles to the next one.  After I got through the mud and water obstacles the terrain the next few miles was not too bad.  However the problem was the length to the aid station.  I ran out of water about 3 miles later.  I began to see signs that indicated the next aid station was ahead.

I was thankful for the signs as the organizers realized how long the wait had been.  It is not supposed to be this way but the changing of the course forced their hand.  The race organizers changed the course because of some of the controlled burning.  I could finally see the aid station and I was as excited as you can imagine.  I don’t even remember everything I ate.  Bananas, PBJ, candy and more.  I really needed it at this point.  I filled my water bottle back up and was on my way and feeling really good now that I was refueled.  At this point I found some runners I felt I could pace with as well.  We were about half way done with the first loop at this point.  Even with the lack of an aid station I still felt like my hydration was good and so I was ready for the second half of the loop.

I went to Mississippi in hopes of capturing the finishers belt buckle.  Well I collected many things in the process.  Cuts, bruises, lost toe nails, hurting feet and toes, muddy shoes and socks, great memories, a respect for 50 mile distance and yes a finishers belt buckle. 

I joined the group of 45 finishers of the Mississippi 50 this past weekend.  It was quite an experience.  It is one that I will enjoy more and more the healthier I get and the more I recover.  I had the chance to meet and run with some great people.  It turned out to be what I expected, just about surviving and making it through one step at a time.

I was very thankful to have my dad drive me down as we arrived Friday and picked up my race packet on Friday night.  I had been checking the weather forecast and had a pretty good idea what I was in store for on Saturday.  Pretty hot and humid is what I was expecting.  We spent most of Friday driving and visiting all of the rest areas along the way just trying to stay hydrated.  Friday night we had the opportunity to have my worst pre-race meal at Applebee’s.  There was not much to choose from in Laurel MS.

I really felt uncertain about what was to come.  I felt as ready as I would every be and under the circumstances did not think I could have trained much harder.  Still there was plenty of questioning everything.  This was 18 miles farther than I have ever run before.  With the heat, humidity and distance is this truly something I could do?