Monthly Archives: October 2009

I have the Greenville Half Marathon tomorrow.  What is even better is that I also have my wife and two boys coming with me.  I think my boys are not as excited about that as I am!  My oldest wants to make sure this does not cut into trick or treating time.

I enjoy this race.  It is a nice course, neat finish in the minor baseball stadium and well supported by great volunteers.  It should be a fun weekend.

Good luck to those of you running New York and my good friend David who got me into this marathon madness in the first place.  Run strong this weekend.

Well said by Will Smith below

“One should guard against preaching to young people success in the customary form as the main aim in life. The most important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the value of the result to the community.” — Albert Einstein

I got in my first run last Thursday of about 2.5 miles and another 3 on Friday.  I went out Saturday and it felt like someone fills my legs full of cement.  I was never trying to push it on Saturday but I struggled just getting my legs in motion.  In fact, I cut my run short about .5 mile and did 5.5 instead of the 6 miles I was planning.  I really did not feel bad about it and expected to not feel real good since I was just a week from having run the 50k. 

The strange thing is about Sunday.  Because of some traveling this week I had to move my schedule around and moved a run to Sunday this week which I was scheduled to be off.  For some reason when I woke up Sunday I felt ready and anxious to run.  My mind and legs felt just the opposite.  I had no intention on pushing it but I almost could not help it.  I ran fast without really trying.  It was not a feeling of speed as much as smooth and controlled.  It was a really strange feeling that one day you can hardly move and the next you feel like a new runner.  That is one reason you never want to judge one run at a time but the training as a whole.  Happy trails!

I can’t think of anyone else I would rather hear explain Ultrarunning, and why some of us love it and continue to do it than David Goggins.

Try this for a little inspiration for you today

With aid stations every 6 miles my best motivation is just run to the next aid station.  As I left mile 19 I knew where I was going on the return trip.  I did slow down the pace some and just wanted to concentrate on running each mile one at a time and not to look forward too much.  Everything was going well and I reached the next aid station at mile 25 without a problem.

Here I filled up on a powerade/water mixture, had a little chocolate and even a few chips and was on my way for the final six.  As I left the final aid station I had to convince my legs a little more than usual to get moving again.  For me in each race I always reach a point where I don’t want to drink anything, eat anything or hold anything.  It usually is a point of “I just want to be left alone”.  During this stretch I began to feel that way.  However it began to feel a little different than usual.

I could begin to feel a “reversal” of my powerade and water that I had been drinking.  I don’t usually feel nauseous during the race.  It normally is just a feeling that I don’t want to eat or drink anything else.  This was rare for me.  Funny thing is that in my hotel room a few hours earlier I looked at a ginger chew I had and thought “why not”.  I put it in my sleeve and decided to bring it just in case.  I have never used one before but thought, you never know.  By this point I had been sick of even the sound of my drink sloshing around that I even dumped it all out.  (Brilliant, eh!)

I really felt sick by this point and thought I would try the ginger.  Two things about this ginger chew.  First, I think it distracts you from your stomach by burning the inside of your mouth!  Second, it worked!  The worst part is that I dumped out my drink and could not cool off my mouth but other than that the ginger worked nearly instantly.  I took the ginger with about 2-3 miles left and the only issue I had at this point was convincing my legs to keep going.  Overall I felt good and going into this event the only real goal I had was running this in under 5 hours.  I knew at this point I was well on my way to that.

The hardest thing I found about the 50k was choosing to race it like a marathon.  On the 50 mile I knew going in it would be about survival on my first and not racing it.  My thoughts on the 50k was to race it like a marathon or just short of that pace and find a way to finish the last 5 miles.  Overall I don’t really regret that strategy and I don’t think I would have changed the way I ran it.  The last mile was a real challenge having to climb up the bridge and hills and went down earlier but I had enough left for a little kick to finish with. 

I ended up finishing in under five hours and overall felt great but I had no desire for more!  I can certainly see me doing this distance again.  I enjoyed the challenge of the distance and yet still enjoyed being able to run at a faster pace than what I could do for 50 miles.  The race was enjoyable and the volunteers were fantastic at each stop.

The hardest part right now is convincing myself to take a few days off.  I had planned to take off until Friday.  That has been my plan.  However, Wednesday or Thursday sounds much better.  I am looking forward to the Spinx Run Fest Half Marathon on Halloween and then the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving.  I have no intention on running those with great effort as I need to put most of my focus on getting ready for the goofy challenge now in January.

So as I left the aid station at mile 7 we went on a bridge and then down a steep incline which I knew we would have to come back up sooner or later.(Great)  The next few miles made for an interesting run.  It was part of a paved trail system but what made it interesting was the plant growth around it.  Right off the trail the growth was so high you could not really see anything around you.  It reminded me of corn fields in Iowa from the movie ”Field of Dreams”.  To humor myself I kept an eye out for Shoeless Joe Jackson!

However this part was flat and pretty enjoyable.  Because of my delay at the mile 7 aid station most of the runners I had been running with were no longer around me so I was pretty much running by myself.  I made it to the 2nd aid station located at mile 13.  I made a better choice for hydration here with a half banana and I was gone.  I ran past some baseball fields and a golf course and thought about how those crazy golfers are out playing golf on this cold morning.  They must be nuts!  Then I saw them looking at me probably thinking, “look at that idiot out running on this cold morning, he must be nuts”.

The next few miles took us toward downtown and I could begin to see the football stadium and knew that meant mile 16 would be coming closer.  This area before the stadium was not the ideal place to run but it was our way to downtown.  I got to the stadium in downtown and ran over the bridge in front.  This was a pretty substantial climb going up.  The next 3-4 miles would be an interesting run through downtown streets, backlots and construction areas.  Not beautiful but interesting.

Mile 19 would be my next goal as I knew at this point I would be able to turn around and head back.  At about mile 18 I passed a runner in full cramp mode as I could tell from the run/walk stiff legs.  I had felt great up til that time but once I saw him, it planted a seed in my head of “I don’t want to cramp”.  I began to think about it more and more each step.  From that point on whether I should have or not I did slow my pace down some.  I think I was in no danger to cramp but since I have had those issues so often in the past once I get that thought in my head it is hard to get rid of.

I got to mile 19 and felt great, at the aid station they told me I had a turn around in 800 yards.  I was happy to hear this and told them I would not miss it.  As I turned around I had 19 down and 12 to go.

I arrived in Nashville on Friday and was able to go pick up my race packet and number at the start/finish line.  That was a first for me and it was helpful to know exactly where to arrive the next day.  I had a chance to meet Dennis (race director) and was all set for the race.  My hotel choice worked out perfect as I was just minutes away from the start/finish area.  I had been checking the weather forecast and for the past week and it seemed ideal for the race.  Temps at the start would be in the upper 30′s and the high for the day would be close to 50.  The only part I did not like was the wind while waiting to get started. 

There were actually four different distances for the race.  (50K, 60K, 70K and 80K)  If I am not mistaken there were about 100 of us overall with the vast majority of runners doing the 50K and many of the rest doing the 80K.  I think there were about 40 of us in the 50K.  We started right after 7am and with daylight just beginning.  With the temps cool I was glad to see the sun coming up.  The race started with a out and back of 3.5 miles in one direction so back to the starting line would be mile 7 as we would return. 

The first 7 miles were great.  I found a pace I was comfortable with, and a handful of runners with the same pace.  It always makes it easier to pace with others than just yourself many times.  With a small field finding a place to run was never a problem.  The scenery was also nice the first part of the race.  The only challenge was a steep hill, and it was steep.  There was not an aid station until we returned to the start finish line at mile 7 so carrying water was essential for me.

Since it was a little cool I did wear a long sleeves to start with but since I knew I would return I had planned to drop it off once I got to mile 7.  I felt my pace was good the first 7 miles and felt strong.  It was at mile 7 where I made my first mistake though.  I hit the port-a-potty and stopped at my car to drop off my shirt and went for the aid station.  There were four options for a drink.  (Water, Powerade, Infinity sports drink with protein and without)  I have never used Infinity so what drove me to fill up with it I have no idea.  After I took my first drink I asked myself “why did I just do that?”  I did not have an answer and still don’t.  I am sure it is good however my body is just not used to it.  However I have 6 miles to go before the next aid station so I will just make the most of it. 

As I left the aid station the rest of the race was pretty simple, out 12 miles and back 12 miles.  I was trying to not think of it quite like that.  Instead I told myself I just needed to run to the next aid station which was 6 miles away.  I knew I could run 6 more miles.

Well one thing is for certain.  It just never gets easy but I did finish.  With about 4-5 miles left I still had to concentrate to run and put one foot in front of the other.  There were 39 of us in the 50k on Saturday.  Race director Dennis Freeman did a great job and overall I loved the whole experience.  The course got interesting in parts and may not have been ideal.

I will make sure and put together a race report this week but I need to really get my thoughts together first.  However 4 hours and 52 minutes later and I crossed the finish line.  It was a great experience and like the Mississippi 50 the more time passes from the finish the more I enjoyed the race!

When I woke up this morning I think it finally hit me that my race is here.  I must say for some reason I got a little nervous.  I think when I ran the 50 mile in Mississippi I was too dumb and inexperienced to realize what I was doing was that challenging.  Having run an ultra, I now know what I am up against this weekend so that makes me a little nervous.

That being said I am still confident.  That is the whole purpose behind the hard training is to prepare you mentally and physically for this.  I do look forward to the challenge and hope to appreciate the experience at the same time.

It did look cold! 

I was reading my daily reader today and this below from John Maxwell really was good and I thought I would share it. 

“We often mistakenly believe that the opposite of love is hate.  But I believe that’s incorrect.  The opposite of loving others is being self-centered.  If your focus is always on yourself, you’ll never be able to build positive relationships. 

Understand what brings fulfillment.  Ultimately the things that bring fulfillment involve others.  A person who is entirely self-focused will always feel restless and hungry.  If you want to live a fulfilling life, you need healthy relationships.  And to build those kinds of relationships, you need to get over yourself.”  The Maxwell Daily Reader by Dr. John C. Maxwell

I feel very guilty of this many times.  Having dreams, ideas and visions for the future and things I want to accomplish are great.  However, I often have to ask myself what is the purpose?  It is for my own fulfillment, or to fulfill a purpose and to do something great for and with others.

Understanding this has given me a different purpose behind my runs as I can tend to be very self-focused with running.  I thought you might enjoy taking a look at this from our AllEars team blog.  http://land.allears.net/blogs/teamallears/2009/10/ready_team_all_ears_profile_tr.html

I had only one option on Monday, run with scuba equipment or hit the treadmill.  It has probably been a couple of years since I was on a treadmill and hopefully it will be that long before I am on one again.  It reminded me why I don’t use them.  However I did it and got my 5 miles in and got off.

Congrats to Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya the marathon winner of Chicago this past weekend.  Sammy ran the fastest time ever run in the United States with a blistering 2 hours 5 minutes and 41 second time.  To help put that in perspective you could go to your local track and try to run four laps in 4 minutes and 47 seconds.  Then think about doing that just over 26 times.  Sammy was moving!

I do have my last run of substance this weekend for the Nashville Ultramarathon this next weekend.  This will be ultra #2 and the one thing that stands out to me so far about it is the people.  The races are small and very intimate.  The people I have met have been fantastic and the race directors are incredible.

If you get a chance always try and find a smaller race to run in once and a while as these events are the events that really show the heart of a running and the great people involved in this sport.

October is a busy month for marathons, good luck this weekend to those running.  A lot of marathons this weekend like the Baltimore, Chicago, Hartford, Steamtown and even the WorldWide Festival of Races.  Happy running.  Enjoy a few “you might be a runner if” humor below….

You have more running clothes than regular clothes in your laundry pile

You’ve lot a toenail.  And you tell people, “It’s not that bad”

You smirk when non-runners ask you, “So how long is this marathon?”

You have a drawer full of medals and other race souvenirs that you’re not sure what to do with.

You go into Starbucks more often to use the bathroom than to actually buy coffee.

You no longer make fun of fanny packs because your running belt looks very similar (although cooler) to one.

You get an invitation to a wedding and you automatically think about what race the date will conflict with.

You’re always hungry.

You no longer hate port-a-johns.  In fact, there have been times when you’ve been very happy to see one.

You’ve had your running shoes for three months and you know it’s already time to replace them.

You spend more time researching running routes than local restaurants when traveling to a new city.

You own more pairs of running socks than dress socks.

When you hear PR, you automatically think “personal record”, not “public relations”.

You have running clothes and an extra pair of running shoes in your car, “just in case”.

Your holiday wish list can be fulfilled at any running store.

One of the first things people ask you when they haven’t seen you in a while is, “What race are you training for now?”

You have several drawers dedicated to running shirts.

Your only recent photos of you alone are race photos.

You always have your next race on the calendar.

Have a great weekend.

“Before a race, I focus on my goal and the hard training I’ve done.  It motivates me to let it all out that day.  For me, races are the celebration of my training.”  Dan Browne, 2007 National Champion in the 5K and 20K

It is always an interesting balance this close between races.  I have the Nashville 50K next weekend and just ran the half marathon this past weekend.  Each race no matter what does take something out of you.  So it is always a delicate balance to make sure you are getting ready for the next race while in recovery from the last.

I did have a plan in place but most importantly you have to listen to your body and do what it needs.  I have modified what I had planned on.  Again a training plan is a guide only.  Besides if I was not ready for Nashville by now it would be a little late!