tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77375872791203916812024-02-19T10:13:12.202-06:00Rocket City Marathon TrainingAn ordinary guy's quest to run 26.2 miles in less than 3 hours.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.comBlogger475125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-81428495039740704282016-12-22T22:00:00.001-06:002016-12-22T22:00:14.565-06:00Grand Canyon: Rim to Rim to RimThere are about a dozen guys in Athens that I run with fairly regularly, and I'm not exaggerating when I say they're like family. We even have our own Christmas get together.<br />
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Anyway, one day a couple of years ago, maybe in November or December, I was running with Chris, and he said, "I've been thinking about running across the Grand Canyon. What do you think?" The rest of the run, we were talking about how and when. We talked to Lanier about it and floated out some possible dates, thinking late April or early November. We opted for early November. I sent a Facebook message out to the guys saying, "Grand Canyon, rim to rim to rim, November 2016. Who's in?" Mind you, this was June of 2015.</div>
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Then next thing I knew, the Facebook inbox was dinging with "In." "In." "In."</div>
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So, that's how this crazy idea was born.</div>
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After months of planning and training and anticipation, the day to fly finally arrived. </div>
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We divided into two groups. Chris and his wife, Lindsey, and my wife and I all flew into Las Vegas. That was fun and we did take the time to see Hoover Dam, etc., but that's not what this blog is about. <br />
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Lanier, Danny, Lance, Max, Jordan, and Mark all flew into Phoenix on Thursday. We all met at the <a href="http://www.grandcanyongrandhotel.com/">Grand Hotel at the Grand Canyon</a> on Friday. (BTW, I highly recommend that hotel. It was very nice, cozy, comfortable, friendly, and affordable.) After a mediocre and overpriced dinner, we retired to our rooms early for the obscenely early start to the Rim to Rim to Rim adventure.</div>
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Lanier, Jordan, Mark, Chris, and I planned to do the full R2R2R while Max, Lance, and Danny planned to do Rim to River to Rim. They were going to see the sights and enjoy the canyon before making the trek up Bright Angel and out. They did see some cool sights that we did not, including Plateau Point.<br />
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We had no plans of going fast. We just wanted to enjoy the experience. So, in order to finish at any reasonable time of day, we had to start by 4:00 AM. We decided to all start together and the Rim to River folks would just finish sooner and enjoy the South Rim.</div>
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The plan was to take South Kaibab to North Kaibab back to Bright Angel and out. It turns out that there was no parking at South Kaibab, so my wife graciously volunteered to shuttle the drivers from the Bright Angel parking lot over to the South Kaibab trail head at 4:00 AM. I'm a lucky man to have such a wonderful wife! </div>
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South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch</h2>
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One of the things that stands out in my mind as we waited to begin our journey is the sheer number of stars that were visible. I've never seen that many stars before. Everywhere I've been, there is just too much light. It was truly amazing and I didn't mind the extra 30 minutes waiting on the drivers to get shuttled back to begin our journey.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Car headlight photo just before we begin at 4:30 AM</td></tr>
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After a photo, we took off on our journey, headlamps lighting the way. We took it very, very slow on the way down. We had no idea what to expect. We really couldn't see anything other than just the few feet in front of us. None of us wanted to fall a few thousand feet to our deaths, and we knew that the trail we were on looked something like the photo below in the daylight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Kaibab in the daylight. Not that we saw it in the daylight...</td></tr>
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Another thing I remember fairly distinctly is the unique experience of shining a headlamp toward the inside of the canyon and it hitting absolutely nothing. It seems obvious, but it still felt very eerie to experience it. If your headlamp is pointed straight ahead, you see the ground and/or the person in front of you. Turn to one side and you see the rock wall of the canyon. Turn to the other side, and the light doesn't reflect off of anything. There's just abyss. That was very cool.</div>
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Even though we were going at a very slow pace, the time passed quickly to sunrise. We stopped for a quick snack and we were just a mile or so from the Kaibab Suspension Bridge over the Colorado River.<br />
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We continued on North Kaibab trail to Phantom Ranch and arrived just as they were opening up for early breakfast at 7:00 AM. We stopped just long enough to fill our bottles and took off. The rim to river crew continued with us for a short way and then turned around and waited for the store to open for the day. We said our good-byes and continued on North Kaibab Trail. </div>
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On to Cottonwood Campground</h2>
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As we left Phantom Ranch, the 5 R2R2R guys were all in pretty good spirits. We were moving along pretty well as the trail hugs Bright Angel Creek and is a gradual uphill. I remember commenting that this would be some good running on the way back. Just a nice gradual downhill along the creek. We were still taking it pretty easy through here. We still have lots of miles and we haven't even really begun to climb yet.<br />
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During this section, we got passed a couple of times by others who were also out doing R2R2R.<br />
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It was also during this section that I figure the guys got tired of hearing me. I kept saying stuff like... "It's so beautiful out here!" "I can't believe we're actually doing this." "Look at the different layers of rock! Wow! That's so cool!" "How do you suppose this canyon happened? I mean, there are lots of other rivers that don't cut canyons so it couldn't be just that the river eroded it over time. Something else had to make this happen." "I can't believe we're doing this!" "Wow. It sure is beautiful out here." "Are you guys soaking this in?" Over and over. I'm sure I annoyed them.<br />
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We came to a fork in the trail that went down to Ribbon Falls. We were a little unsure about what to do, but we didn't follow the sign for Ribbon Falls and stayed on what seemed like the straight trail. We never really figured out this trail.<br />
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As we began passing more and more people, we knew we were getting close to Cottonwood campground. We stopped here for a bit, ate, refilled all our water. and then got ready for the first real climb.<br />
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Up to the North Rim</h2>
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After we left Cottonwood, the climb became less gradual. We continued to press on and we all continued to be in awe of the place. As we passed roaring springs, there was a sign that said "No Water at Supai Tunnel". Well, for whatever reason I thought we were at Supai Tunnel, so I didn't try to get water there. That was a mistake.</div>
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The trip up to the North Rim is nothing short of breathtaking. Words and pictures cannot adequately describe this place. It must be experienced. I'm out of superlatives to describe the run. There were views of the trail ahead climbing and hugging the wall of the canyon. There were views of the wall across the vastness. There were views of the wilderness beneath us. Pictures don't come close, but the one below is a good one.<br />
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As we came into Supai Tunnel, we tested the water faucet, even though we knew it was not on. We decided that would be a good time to stop for a quick break to eat. We all had enough water, but it was a little too close for comfort. We left there, not knowing exactly how far to the North Rim. I had forgotten my GPS charger and everyone else's GPS was showing obviously wrong mileage. We just didn't know.<br />
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On we climbed. We were all getting tired and so we slowed down considerably. You're battling both the climb itself and the altitude on this journey. This section just seemed to go on forever. For ever. After a while, we saw some hikers, and that let us know that we were getting closer. We thought we were getting really close. Like less than a mile close. So, I made the mistake of asking a couple of hikers about how far to the top. "Oh, about an hour and a half. Maybe more." WHAT!?!?!?! I agree with what my friend Mark said... "It felt like I just got kicked in the nuts and a little girl is pointing and laughing at me."<br />
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Ugh. We pressed on. We met up with a group from San Diego on the climb. It was good to chat with others doing the R3. One of the ladies was an LSU graduate which was interesting because Alabama and LSU were playing that evening. We talked a little trash which helped pass the time and misery for the rest of the climb. I think Chris said something about smelling a corn dog or something.<br />
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Anyway, when we got to the north rim, we stopped for a bit, but not long. Just a photo or two, a bladder and bottle refill, and then turn around. The water at the North Rim was cold and so very tasty. I may have overindulged in the water just a bit. It was windy and cool, and we were all drenched from sweating the climb. See, we were there.<br />
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One interesting thing about the North Rim was the trees. Trees are sparse and short on the South Rim and through the Canyon. As we got closer to the North Rim, there were more large trees. It wasn't a thick Appalachian forest, but it was thicker than I expected. From the North Rim, we had no views because of the trees. It wasn't good or bad, just interesting and not what I expected. </div>
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The Return</h2>
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Given how much of a struggle the North Rim climb was, I expected the return to be complete misery. It really wasn't. The gravity assisted descent from the North Rim was just the burst of energy we needed. We ran relatively quickly and had a lot of fun on the descent. We passed lots of hikers. We had lots of conversation. I may or may not have passed gas so bad that some folks a couple hundred yards behind me started yelling, "Eric! Do you need a wet wipe?" Fun times. You'd never know that we had more than a marathon on our legs from this picture.</div>
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We stopped at roaring springs on the way back down. We had some food and a long restroom and water refill break. I was surprised by how quickly that time passed. We pressed on to Cottonwood Campground for another quick rest and refill. As we neared Ribbon Falls, we saw a trail that went to the right. We took it briefly, thinking that it would meet back up with North Kaibab trail, but decided to stay on the known trail. We thought it may be the end of the trail that we had seen on the way out, but we just weren't sure. While we still felt good, the last thing we wanted to do was to add unnecessary mileage.</div>
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Not long after this, I was running along with Chris and he tripped and fell. You know, sometimes a fall on the trail is slow. You see the trip. Then you see the stumble. Then you see the futile attempt to regain balance. Then you may see a hand hit the ground. Some falls seem to last for seconds. This fall was the complete opposite of that. It happened so fast! I saw him kick a rock, and before I blinked, he was on his side on the ground. It was a hard fall. I came over to him to check on him and help out. As I'm standing over him, he says, "My phone! Get off my phone! You're standing on my phone!" I knew then that he would be okay. :) But it was a very hard fall and we took a couple of minutes to shake it off. </div>
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The trip from Cottonwood campground to Phantom Ranch did seem very long on the way back. It was afternoon, and the temps were the warmest. It wasn't hot at all, maybe 75F, but it was the warmest. Remember how we mentioned that this would be easy running on the way back? Well, it wasn't exactly easy because our legs were tired. But it was some very nice running. I led and I really pushed the pace some on this section. I was running out of water because of the warmth, and I was ready to get some of the famous lemonade and to refill my water. It seemed to go on for ever. Not quite like the climb to the North Rim, but longer than expected. A lady on the trail accused us of leaving "human waste" on the trail. Um, no, it wasn't us. We packed everything out that we brought in and we only used the plentiful restrooms. I didn't appreciate it. I let her know it wasn't us, that we hadn't been on that part of the trail for hours. Oh well. </div>
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As we got to Phantom Ranch, it was a glorious thing to get some lemonade. The stories are true. It's the best lemonade in the world. Don't miss it. I also bought a pack of oreos and devoured them. That was a mistake. Later, I would have the inevitable sugar crash and my stomach did not appreciate the sugar overload and let me know about it with a spell of nausea. </div>
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We probably stayed a bit too long at Phantom Ranch, but on we went to climb out via Bright Angel Trail. Again, this is simply a beautiful run!</div>
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As we started the climb, we came across a very large boulder that was about to fall over. I'm so glad Mark was there to push it back up off the trial. </div>
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Continuing on, I expected it to be uphill the whole way. But it wasn't. It was uphill, then downhill for a bit. That just felt wrong. I said that it was like taxes. We earn some elevation by climbing, then the trail just takes it back by making us go downhill. We pressed on, upward and onward. Dark settled in and we had to get out our headlamps again. We were at Indian Garden before I could eat again. The oreos had just done me wrong. Still, though, I think it was worth it! :)</div>
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The climb just kept getting harder and harder. It was dark. Everyone just wanted to be done. But the climb just kept going and going. It does seem like forever. This photo captures pretty much how it felt. </div>
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On the way up, about a mile from the top, we passed a trio of hikers. One of them was in pretty bad shape. He was battling nausea and he said that his "knees wouldn't work any more". It turns out that he had just bitten off more than he could chew. He had attempted the Rim to River and back in a day and just wasn't quite up to the task. It was getting pretty cold, probably upper 30s, and he was shivering a bit. We stayed with him for a few minutes trying to see if we could help. Basically, he needed to be carried out of there. Chris gave him a pair of gloves. We stayed while they called 911, but then we had to continue on. There was really nothing we could do. We were going to do well to just get ourselves out of there and carrying another person just wasn't something we could do during mile 46 of a 46 mile run. The 911 operator told them pretty much that he had to get himself out of there. There are no rescue teams. There are multiple signs that say, "Down is optional. Up is mandatory." This is very, very true.<br />
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<span id="goog_412845121"></span><span id="goog_412845122"></span><br />
We hated to leave him behind and I did call the next day to check on him. Fortunately, he was okay. It was just a miserable night. Glad to know it worked out for him.<br />
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As we neared the top, we had no idea how close we were. We were talking about what runners sometimes talk about. Then, we heard Chris's wife joining in the conversation nonchalantly. Wow! We're here! We're done! We couldn't believe it!<br />
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Fifteen and a half hours. Eight of the best friends a guy could ever have. Memories that will last a life time. Yeah. I'd do it again.</div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-21741109189963046062015-12-15T22:01:00.001-06:002015-12-15T22:02:22.120-06:00Rocket City Marathon 2015The marathon is special. It takes me a good six months to prepare to race a marathon.<br />
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Sure, training just to finish a marathon takes less time than that, and that is a noble goal that stretches most people. Finishing is a challenge and I respect everyone who tackles that challenge. I'm not denigrating that worthy goal. I'm merely pointing out that there is another level of marathoning, call it (because there is a book with this title) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-2nd-Pete-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600/">Advanced Marathoning</a>. </div>
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To race a marathon... To learn your body's capabilities such that you can pick the appropriate pace from the beginning and maintain that pace throughout the 26.2 miles and have nothing left at the finish, that's an art. It's an art because each race is different. It's an art because every time I've raced the marathon, there have been mistakes and imperfections, but those, along with the moments of precise pace and strategy, contributed to the beauty of the race. And each race has been unique.</div>
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Racing a marathon is special. It takes 6 months of your life. You're likely to get sick during that time. You're likely to have spikes in responsibility at work during that time. You may have a family emergency of some sort during that time. You may get injured. You're pretty likely to just plain lose motivation to run during that time. If you prepare to race a marathon, you'll have opportunities to overcome different kinds of adversity. </div>
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And then comes race day. What if you don't feel well on race day? What if you have a motivation lull during race week? What if you have a family emergency the eve of the race? And then, the completely uncontrollable bogey... What if you have bad weather on race day? </div>
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What if you have all of those? Well, you'll probably have a poor race.</div>
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December 12, 2015, all of those happened to me. And I had what I consider to be my worst marathon ever. </div>
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Now that I've philosophized a bit... I really do like the new Rocket City Marathon course. It's really cool and still reasonably fast. It's a little more difficult than the 2013 version, but it is still a fast course. And this picture is great... I cannot recommend this race highly enough.</div>
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The numbers... <a href="http://runrocketcity.com/race-results/2015-rocket-city-marathon-results/">Results are at runrocketcity.com</a>. I had three goals here. My A goal was a 3:05. I knew that the weather would not allow that to happen, so I abandoned that goal before the start line. My B goal was sub 3:10. You know, "three oh something". My C goal was to run a BQ time of 3:15. I missed all three of those goals. </div>
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I ran a 3:19:39 which put me at 93rd overall and 12th of 133 in the 40-44 age group. I'm frankly embarrassed by that number, but looking back at the mistakes I made during preparation and on race day, it really is what I deserved and it is what I should have expected. </div>
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So, what went wrong?</div>
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Well, let's start with race day. It was unseasonably warm and humid. Temps were in the mid-upper 60s during the race and the dew point was around 60. That really zapped me. Then, I had issues with digestion. This seems to mess me up far too often. I had to take an emergency number twp port-a-potty stop at mile 4.5. It was not pleasant, took longer than it should have, and that threw my hydration off a bit, too. When that was over, I was pretty far behind my C goal and I tried running hard to make up the time. Again, that wasn't very smart at all. </div>
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I hit the 10k at 47:52 (about a 7:43 average pace) but I had been running pretty much 7:10 to 7:15 miles the whole time. So ugh. I hit the half timing mat at 1:38:34. From there, I'm thinking, "If I negative split this thing by two minutes, I can still break 3:15." But I was already tired at 13.1 and the back half is hillier. I thought about just quitting at 13.1 Just walking right to the arena and hanging out and waiting on the winners. It was warming up and I already felt pretty bad, so what was the point? But hey, I trained and I didn't have another marathon in mind to go to later. So I just hung on. I'm glad I did because quitting would have been just that for me. Quitting.</div>
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I still passed a lot of folks in the back half. But the climb up to the Space and Rocket Center completely zapped me. I saw my good friend Chris Ramsden coming out of the Space Center as I was entering, and I knew that he should have been way farther than a mile and a half ahead of me, so I knew it wasn't his day either. I yelled some encouragement anyway, but I figured that he didn't want to hear it and just wanted to be at the end.</div>
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And those miles from there through the Botanical Garden just drained me. They're rolling. And by the time I got out of there just after mile 20, I was done. I was feeling the harder effort from the early miles. For miles 21-25, it was all I could do to run 8 minute miles. I hit mile 21 at 8:07, and I said to myself, "NO! Okay. That's the last 8 minute mile I'll run. The rest will be below 8 minutes." Then I repeated that for miles 22, 23, 24, and 25. Ugh. </div>
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When I looked at my watch at the one mile to go marker, I noticed that I had a chance to break 3:20. Well, you know, why not try? So I dug a little deeper and ran a 7:20 last mile to break 3:20 comfortably. I had to have something to reach for to just keep from giving up, so I'm glad I was close to that one arbitrary number on the clock. And I'm glad I didn't quit.</div>
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Eww. I sure was gross and sweaty at the end.</div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-84407222779052553132015-06-01T18:20:00.000-05:002015-06-01T18:20:09.569-05:00Make ProgressIt's been a very slow and difficult three years since I ran a sub-3 marathon in 2012. Sometimes, it's hard for me to believe that I ever did that. So, here's what's happened since then.<br />
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I had a stress fracture in my right tibia in December of 2012 while training for a 50 miler. I wasn't as disciplined as I should have been in keeping my fitness in the water during the 9 weeks off from running and my fitness declined greatly. I came back very slowly and had an okay spring of 2013, all things considered.<br />
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During the late summer and early fall of 2013, I had a calf strain that was the worst I've ever had. I lost 9 weeks to that, which is the same amount of time that I lost to the stress fracture. I still wasn't at the fitness level before the stress fracture and my fitness declined even more. Again, I lacked discipline in maintaining fitness during a forced break from running.<br />
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After recovering from the calf strain, I slogged through the winter building my base and had a very mediocre finish at Mountain Mist 2014. A month later, Mount Cheaha completely humiliated me. I regrouped for the Chattanooga Stage Race, but again I wasn't as fit as I should have been and posted some slow times there. I just hadn't been doing the work. That's one of the things I love about running. You can't hide. If you don't do the work, everyone will know. Races are the ultimate accountability tool.<br />
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I decided that I'd build a big base through the winter and then hit the spring of 2015 with some shorter faster stuff and have a break out spring. Well, I built a big base. I completed the HTC Grand Slam. I threw in a 50 miler in between Recover from the Holidays and Mountain Mist just for good measure. I had a big base. Then, I got sick. I really didn't know what was wrong, but I just knew that I didn't feel well, ever. I struggled to run at all, let alone run fast or far. After a few nights of coughing, I was diagnosed with pneumonia. A shot and some pills later, and I felt better. The Levaquin did a number on my tendons (runners, NEVER take this drug), and I was out for over two weeks. Ugh. So much for leveraging the big base from the winter.<br />
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Barely two weeks later, I was diagnosed with pneumonia again. Two more weeks off, and this time I was referred to a specialist. A reasonably healthy guy shouldn't be getting pneumonia like that. The specialist ran all kinds of tests. I was poked and prodded in all kinds of ways. He found that I have histoplasmosis. (Google it if you want, but you may not want to ever be near me again. It's gross.) Well, soon after that, I was covered in a rash all over my body. My forehead, torso, arms, legs, even the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet. I was in complete misery for two weeks. And I couldn't take a steroid to help with the itching because of the histoplasmosis. Misery. But I've continued to take the histo medicine and now I feel great. I feel better than I have in a long, long time.<br />
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So here I am. Not as fit as I should be. Not as fit as I once was. And this whole post is my list of excuses for that. I'm wondering, can I ever be as fit as I was at 39? Has my window passed?<br />
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Well, I'm just going to be honest with myself. I know my fitness level right now. It isn't what I want it to be, but no good will come from pretending it's better than it is. I know that I can't handle the mileage I once did. I know that I can't hit the same splits on the track that I once did. I'm in 19:57 5k shape and I can handle about 55-60 miles per week. That's where I am. I can start right here, right now and I can improve.<br />
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And that's what I'll do.<br />
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I find palpable motivation from pithy sayings for some reason. Well, here's another that's my mantra for the rest of this year.<br />
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<b>You can make excuses or you can make progress, but you can't make both.</b>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-38507119883056211892015-01-12T13:11:00.000-06:002015-01-23T09:41:22.755-06:00Cloudland Canyon 50 Miler<h2>
Intro and Background</h2>
I've signed up for a 50 mile race four times before this one.<br />
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The first time was <a href="http://rocketcitytraining.blogspot.com/2010/11/dizzy-fifties.html">Dizzy Fifties in 2010</a>. Hubris is what kept me from finishing that one. The second time was <a href="http://rocketcitytraining.blogspot.com/2011/11/dizzy-50-40.html">Dizzy Fifties in 2011</a>. A complete lack of mental toughness prevented me from finishing that one. The third time was Lookout Mountain 50 miler in 2012. A stress fracture prevented me from starting that one. I was ready for LM50 and I was bummed to be unable to start. Since that stress fracture, I simply haven't been the same runner. And then there was the scam that was Bullet Creek. I don't want to talk about that other than to say it was the first experience I've ever had with a complete fraud.<br />
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So, that's why this was special for me. I've tried and failed to do this before. It just seemed like something always went wrong when I signed up for a 50 miler. I was never 100% confident that I was going to finish this until I crossed the finish line. I've done literally a dozen 50k races. I've done 40 miles. But 50 miles has been elusive. I kept expecting to get injured. I expected to wimp out and quit because we cross the start/finish area at mile 38.<br />
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Leading up to the race, I had planned to go with five other friends who were going to run the 50 miler. All of them either switched to the 11 miler or did not start the race. Another omen, I thought. I should drop to 11 miles... I'm just not meant to do a 50 miler.<br />
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But I just got stubborn and I was going to get this done no matter what.<br />
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Boy, am I glad I did.<br />
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The Venue</h2>
<a href="http://gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon">Cloudland Canyon State Park</a> is a place that has to be experienced to be believed. Pictures are good. Pictures may make you want to go, but you really have to see it to really appreciate the beauty of this place. Here are a couple of pictures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the ~593 stairs. It was cold on race day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmdadf9Ky3NFCQpCvKJ0x8EezbfzRdG1oj8YKRvxj-DecUsdR1k0i-ogeCSgjP5zQodZC6o5ntTuZP6_66Y1a5y3n-X0kyUILzjaBiZ_xJHMuTRNwv1OXss6QhcrTrCSlp7FERn2vOEQ/s1600/20150102_135149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmdadf9Ky3NFCQpCvKJ0x8EezbfzRdG1oj8YKRvxj-DecUsdR1k0i-ogeCSgjP5zQodZC6o5ntTuZP6_66Y1a5y3n-X0kyUILzjaBiZ_xJHMuTRNwv1OXss6QhcrTrCSlp7FERn2vOEQ/s1600/20150102_135149.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken one week before the race. It was raining and a cloud had settled into the canyon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLzDPtoyCdMSWyHwWpL4Iv3_UBoyZy3Udji7yu5qQ0Day454MnsvEW8gVpbh6JbxylXTTpRocNJlOtDyIivPxFgBMGTDYPqg1mZEcLu0TwyRtPF4z3wrJqBF-WC4FKdYYuCDgPQpiW_4/s1600/IMG951365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLzDPtoyCdMSWyHwWpL4Iv3_UBoyZy3Udji7yu5qQ0Day454MnsvEW8gVpbh6JbxylXTTpRocNJlOtDyIivPxFgBMGTDYPqg1mZEcLu0TwyRtPF4z3wrJqBF-WC4FKdYYuCDgPQpiW_4/s1600/IMG951365.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is the creek at the bottom of that canyon on race day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The pictures are nothing compared to being next to the majestic beauty of this place. I will go back in the spring, summer, and fall to see the changing character the seasons have on this special spot.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
The Race</h2>
<div>
<a href="http://www.runbumtours.com/">Run Bum Tours</a> knows how to put on a race. Period. All of the stuff you expect from a great trail race was delivered. A challenging and scenic course. Good organization and communication. Well stocked aid stations. Amazing volunteers. And just a down-home, simple, friendly, community feel.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzkoP0I5DUxFgbUnir4comy3PbjKTnGM5ujgSplbIGh2QYO4cCdT1eaxZia0sqdj44wjxubIH4GCyIW22OFRdDEWLUgvfSLqUy9BW0gYYY9ArcHMms4qgauQ3bBqiL2hOD7RgW8Gj_t4/s1600/20150110_045908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzkoP0I5DUxFgbUnir4comy3PbjKTnGM5ujgSplbIGh2QYO4cCdT1eaxZia0sqdj44wjxubIH4GCyIW22OFRdDEWLUgvfSLqUy9BW0gYYY9ArcHMms4qgauQ3bBqiL2hOD7RgW8Gj_t4/s1600/20150110_045908.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-race in the group shelter. We were a little late starting (maybe 10 minutes), but at least it was warm inside.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The race started in the dark at 5:00 AM EST (more like 5:10 actually). I was staying in a cabin in Mentone, about 40 minutes away, in CST. So, I had to get up at 2:00 AM CST to make this 5:00 AM EST start. I got about 1-2 hours of sleep because I just could not fall asleep and I had to wake up in the middle of the night. Also, I have almost no experience with headlamp running, so this forced me to take the first 2.5 hours of this race slowly. That probably saved me from myself.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjGBP8zzwUj7Aao6WF4avoh2sOm2LnpOaHEO8_u6dV9fvqLtESmYsZo17xYp6riJWec3rP-QM2eKB4G5d9zBjWUy_ogTnWcrmrSikXxbf9NCqV2iHv9WrGnzqFGwfm54ghDDl_59Y4WM/s1600/20150110_045937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjGBP8zzwUj7Aao6WF4avoh2sOm2LnpOaHEO8_u6dV9fvqLtESmYsZo17xYp6riJWec3rP-QM2eKB4G5d9zBjWUy_ogTnWcrmrSikXxbf9NCqV2iHv9WrGnzqFGwfm54ghDDl_59Y4WM/s1600/20150110_045937.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Limestone County representing! Me, Jonathan Spry, and Lanier Greenhaw (left to right).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I had heard that the first 38 miles would be fairly easy and that the last 11 or 12 miles would be brutal. Well, not so much. The first 38 miles were definitely easier but still not easy. While the last 11 miles were stunningly beautiful and brutally difficult, the first 38 miles were varying terrain, changing beauty, steadily difficult, and just plain fun. And very cold. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The biggest problem was that I couldn't get water. My handheld bottle kept freezing. I ended up breaking the nozzle on my bottle while trying to get ice from it. So, I had to take the lid off and drink directly from the bottle rather than through the nozzle. At the aid stations, I was trying to thaw my bottle lid at the fire. But it was useless. Within minutes of leaving, I'd have a slushy mess in my bottle. But still, I was able to get plenty of fluids by drinking at the aid stations. But freezing is going to be a problem when temps are below 20F.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9F3e6kMQB_uumI820QoGADeQGqszJf0vG_7YZM7oAVFPCeWn3c6EMcTPFvC4ISvJRpDtk1cdzy-4jKG7yQ69oS1ZB6AQXOI8PGr15ZvxC45rAJKtkTQpkdQfJ3Uvm72MmyaXw1Z70vrk/s1600/10906033_1555074224735489_8289278672993821091_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9F3e6kMQB_uumI820QoGADeQGqszJf0vG_7YZM7oAVFPCeWn3c6EMcTPFvC4ISvJRpDtk1cdzy-4jKG7yQ69oS1ZB6AQXOI8PGr15ZvxC45rAJKtkTQpkdQfJ3Uvm72MmyaXw1Z70vrk/s1600/10906033_1555074224735489_8289278672993821091_n.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I still had a nozzle on my bottle here...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNkFc84rn8uDiEyY8Nl2V_xB643A9888WjdDJhKFASy-WW7qzMAAPz2Kerh8B3cn7cvPyFfuu7EypG0EG2k9-WlJARdIgMd8FVk_1WlInM_Ax6xV8Du8fzlvO7oGpBJChmj95wqb6wak/s1600/10930891_1555074438068801_7636469069274817632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNkFc84rn8uDiEyY8Nl2V_xB643A9888WjdDJhKFASy-WW7qzMAAPz2Kerh8B3cn7cvPyFfuu7EypG0EG2k9-WlJARdIgMd8FVk_1WlInM_Ax6xV8Du8fzlvO7oGpBJChmj95wqb6wak/s1600/10930891_1555074438068801_7636469069274817632_n.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmmm.. Whatcha got to eat here?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was fortunate enough to run almost all of this race with my good friend Jonathan Spry. I really enjoyed spending the day with him. We separated occasionally for various physical needs (ahem) or walk breaks, but by and large we were together the whole way.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45smV7TAFwtc0chf0sepn-F3xhVdKT9-zltvI2wy26oQ50sCh07KlZvjwAxjy8ZRUXqeO9uy4zwR065moavvhC5Klnu16O_vRdlLxdWORnZy1HoH6jHJf1w37sqbUJ1e8cYWpjoDES8w/s1600/20150110_075648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45smV7TAFwtc0chf0sepn-F3xhVdKT9-zltvI2wy26oQ50sCh07KlZvjwAxjy8ZRUXqeO9uy4zwR065moavvhC5Klnu16O_vRdlLxdWORnZy1HoH6jHJf1w37sqbUJ1e8cYWpjoDES8w/s1600/20150110_075648.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, it was cold!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
There was this section between miles 17 and 22 that was just brutal to run. Now, on a mountain bike, it would be AWESOME! But running was not so pleasant. The trail was generally downhill, but there were these humps, little 4-10 foot high steep hills. They were just enough to break the running rhythm. You didn't want to walk the whole way because it was generally downhill, but you didn't want to start and stop, either. So, I ended up just taking what the course gave and running when gravity pulled me and walking when I lost momentum. It was very draining and it will make the elevation change of the course be deceptively low. Those little humps were real and they were up and they were down and there were literally hundreds of them. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As Jonathan and I were running, we talked some about the people who call us crazy and who don't get out and enjoy the beauty of God's creation all around us. Even the first 38 miles, the "not as beautiful" part of the race, was gorgeous. We ran along ridges and could see for miles. There was this one section where the trees were predominantly evergreen and there was a partially frozen creek running along the trail and it just felt like I was in Washington state somewhere. Beautiful. I wish everyone could see and appreciate the beauty I saw Saturday.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTS18tcc8FuXi0etmy4XYLcFXW1h4FPGVJht8zbG_tCCiUQbD0jLGIjzu2wGK75A96jYZxOzQdNGse4P80OKJ7u4LW6360n1xDo63yIw9D19K-33vqSqxVToYPS8HfW3Gfowe8KNJMD7Q/s1600/20150110_082841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTS18tcc8FuXi0etmy4XYLcFXW1h4FPGVJht8zbG_tCCiUQbD0jLGIjzu2wGK75A96jYZxOzQdNGse4P80OKJ7u4LW6360n1xDo63yIw9D19K-33vqSqxVToYPS8HfW3Gfowe8KNJMD7Q/s1600/20150110_082841.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And in the middle of that beauty there was this random Ford.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And somewhere along the way, probably about mile 15 or so, Jonathan and I met a man named Rick who really helped us both out. It was the first 50 miler for both Jonathan and I, and Rick really gave us some good advice and set a pace that we both knew would not kill us. We settled in and followed him. One of my favorite things about running is the people I get to meet. I love meeting these people who do this crazy stuff. Rick, thanks so much for the company, advice, and for saving me from myself. I look forward to seeing you again at Mountain Mist!<br />
<div>
<br />
As we hit aid station 5 at about 33 miles, the temps were warmer and my water bottle stayed thawed. It was now that I realized that I had a chance to finish. I was tired, but I was beyond 50k and I knew I had some energy left. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was going to be done.<br />
<br />
<h2>
The Last 11 (or 12.5 or whatever)</h2>
</div>
<div>
Coming into the start/finish area, aid station 6, I was concerned. Not when I came into the aid station, but before the race. I was worried that I would wimp out. But my beautiful wife was there. She had a fresh water bottle for me. She took some stuff I didn't need any more (headlamp, flashlight, trash, etc.). And she gave me a hug even though I was a frozen sweaty mess.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And I had Jonathan and Rick there keeping things positive and moving forward.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And the beauty of this last part of the race. It was incredible!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8w7kqjlNKh8-eWjQ_OmiP3-4rAvt9coQxkQJBtqB5eCck927i-kE-duwwC9HNkszE3c6dEHX4NRrs7gx-jkSLjqtcQN3wAMiBH_GWmWk_NzxhAm8U1rAA9wtMHk6omWs8qTFroLEqiCU/s1600/IMG951357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8w7kqjlNKh8-eWjQ_OmiP3-4rAvt9coQxkQJBtqB5eCck927i-kE-duwwC9HNkszE3c6dEHX4NRrs7gx-jkSLjqtcQN3wAMiBH_GWmWk_NzxhAm8U1rAA9wtMHk6omWs8qTFroLEqiCU/s1600/IMG951357.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for the photo, Rick!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I'll post a couple more pictures, but they don't do justice to the course. There was a hilly 3+ mile road section that we just had to endure. Then, we turned onto the trail. The trail was very, very rugged. Rocky. Rooty. Uneven. Up and down. Technical. Difficult. But it rewarded us with lots of views. And Rick and Jonathan just kept things positive. And then we got to the stairs and views like this awaited us the whole way.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwud3AsiLzKWTREE5FpphEODEd8UAVJ0mSwZ8492lXO93hc1G1g-5cQOtWKEm4WosH7mXfLHblC5Lr8jODWSYjT6a9CQTbpp2pWa0OSevnqwLLFC32rdNPzGQisyx7mGROYlt9sZBbTbg/s1600/CloudlandCanyonIce2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwud3AsiLzKWTREE5FpphEODEd8UAVJ0mSwZ8492lXO93hc1G1g-5cQOtWKEm4WosH7mXfLHblC5Lr8jODWSYjT6a9CQTbpp2pWa0OSevnqwLLFC32rdNPzGQisyx7mGROYlt9sZBbTbg/s1600/CloudlandCanyonIce2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have I mentioned that it was cold?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
And at the bottom of the stairs, there was this creek.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvg4RYsiGqXtmhzCVr0XHZFi4ZMqQvqUBqUBKN2ttgzHcaWUO110NFBZbUPgzGZ8Maa1k1X_OX-Cz2Jjh0Ogx-Ijybj9xhXfuJ32OxAhriclZU_Txit9nux5w9fvPES2BdZnWgDaMunv0/s1600/IMG951358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvg4RYsiGqXtmhzCVr0XHZFi4ZMqQvqUBqUBKN2ttgzHcaWUO110NFBZbUPgzGZ8Maa1k1X_OX-Cz2Jjh0Ogx-Ijybj9xhXfuJ32OxAhriclZU_Txit9nux5w9fvPES2BdZnWgDaMunv0/s1600/IMG951358.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We ran along this creek for about a mile and a half to the last aid station. This mile and a half was mostly runnable trail, but had some uphills and one creek crossing that was just treacherously icy. I literally got on all fours to cross because all the rocks were covered with ice. It was very, very slippery and I did not want to fall into the creek. And the mile and a half was farther than I really wanted to go. I was more than ready to be finished.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Coming into this aid station, I was very, very hungry. It felt great just to get something in my stomach and that gave me a boost that I needed to get the last 5 miles done.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After the aid station, we were walking on a slightly uphill section and I told Jonathan and Rick that I felt better and that I just wanted this to be over. So, I ran. And I ran some more. I really hope that wasn't a jerk move because they had been with me and so encouraging to me all day. But I felt like running. So, I ran and Jonathan stayed with me until we reached the stairs. I went up a little faster and got to the top and ran most of the last mile or so. I just wanted to be done.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And, anti-climactic, I know, but I finished! My wife was there waiting for me, and that was so very special. I love her. She is awesome.<br />
<br />
I ran 11:07:36 which was good enough for 18th overall out of 116 who started and 75 who finished. Nathan Holland was the winner in an astonishing 7:33. <a href="http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=28767">Results are here</a>.<br />
<br /></div>
<h2>
The End</h2>
<div>
I'm now a 50 mile finisher. I cannot say how much I appreciate all the encouragement and congratulations on Facebook and via text message. Thanks, guys. It means a lot to me.<br />
<br />
Of course, thanks to my wife who put up with all the training to make this happen.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Jonathan and Rick for running with me and keeping things positive the whole way. Ultra runners are good people.<br />
<br />
And special thanks to Lanier Greenhaw who encouraged me in the months leading up to this, who inspires me by his consistency and 100 mile races, who was the self-appointed EP sweeper, and who threatened me within an inch of my life if I didn't finish this one. :)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Post race I had one of the most heavenly hot showers I've ever had there at the group lodge. And the post race grub was good, too. Run Bum puts on great events.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I swore I'd never do another 50 miler, and two days later, I'm still thinking that's true. This was much slower than I believe I'm capable of, but I had to get a finish under my belt before I worry about time. And I may never do another one. I just like the 50k and marathon distance better. But if you only run one 50 miler, you won't find a better 50 miler than Cloudland Canyon 50 miler. Unbelievable.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlxhQAnSt8sDUdAfu1XDo4LDFzAo3ph2Xt5rjClQLn3i2HHVRr3YzCiYy6dL1X1MTaOBgKf5ZoxwWKGQoBvXN1l7rRSJRxlq87CXB6aWqKNZraP1Abcpjx70TJ_Qs-Dk4iWeykFoivHw/s1600/20150110_210353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlxhQAnSt8sDUdAfu1XDo4LDFzAo3ph2Xt5rjClQLn3i2HHVRr3YzCiYy6dL1X1MTaOBgKf5ZoxwWKGQoBvXN1l7rRSJRxlq87CXB6aWqKNZraP1Abcpjx70TJ_Qs-Dk4iWeykFoivHw/s1600/20150110_210353.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And my right big toe is the only casualty from running 50 miles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-55361319997708558022014-01-26T13:26:00.001-06:002016-01-04T16:53:52.221-06:00Mountain Mist 2014I love and hate Mountain Mist.<br />
<br />
Really. I love it. It's unique. It draws a very talented and well trained field from all over. It's a different race every year. It's a huge party. It's a MUST DO. We're fortunate to have a race like that so nearby. Ultra runners all over the country know about this one.<br />
<br />
Really. I hate it. It's so difficult. It's rocky. You have to sign up on the day registration opens or you'll miss it (and you can't miss it no matter how much you hate it). Old Railroad Bed trail is on the course, and I hate that trail. It beats you to death. It chews you up and spits you out.<br />
<br />
Maybe I love it more for all the reasons I hate it.<br />
<br />
Then I got a call from my boss on Tuesday. "I'm going to need you to be on a plane tomorrow." I replied, "For how long?" She said, "Until Friday." Sigh. After looking at so many options, I ended up with an itinerary that had me landing in Nashville at 11:00 PM Friday night. That meant I'd be home by 1 AM at the earliest. And I'd be coming from Pacific Time. The other thing I didn't think about was that when we landed in Atlanta, every restaurant in the airport was closed. No dinner. Not good. So, will Jack in the Box at midnight qualify as pre-race carb loading? It'll have to.<br />
<br />
But hey, I'm not in good shape anyway, so just run and have fun and see what happens.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To O'Shaughnessy</span></b><br />
The changes to this course are brilliant. I always hated starting cold and having to run a sub-7 minute mile just to get to the trail-head before people who are too cautious on rocky descents. I really, really like the changes that gives 3 miles for the field to even out. So, I was able to run relaxed and ease into the race and still take the descent on Walnut Hill at a reasonable clip. The course was in rare form this year with so many icicles. It was beautiful. I just tried to relax and enjoy the first 6 miles. I made it there in roughly 58 minutes. I was pleased with that.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To Three Benches</span></b><br />
Several runners breezed past me as I refilled my water bottle at the aid station. So, on the descent down Warpath Ridge, I was hindered by the crowd. This was just too slow. After the gnarly descent, on the flatter and easier section, I got too relaxed and tripped over a rock and had one of the worst falls I've ever had trail running. My left quad took the brunt of the fall as I landed on a sharp rock and rolled over on my left side and took more rocks to the hip and side. My rule of falling is "Get up before it starts hurting." So I popped up and barely broke stride. A few hundred yards later, I realized that it hurt. A lot.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed some nice conversation on Power Line Trail and followed a crowd up K2 to avoid exerting too much energy on the first major climb. All was well. I got stuck behind some slower folks again on Goat Trail and opportunities to pass just weren't there. I arrived into 3 benches at a busy time and had to fill my own water bottle. That's no problem, but I was using pre-filled cups and they were frozen. I got in and out as quickly as I could. I forgot to look at my watch. But I knew this section took longer than it should have.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To Fearn, the Halfway Point</span></b><br />
This section was fairly uneventful, too. I was able to join Alex Clark and James Falcon and Brian Thompson for some really cool conversation. Stone Cuts is one of the coolest parts of this race. Here I am exiting stone cuts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://werunhuntsville.smugmug.com/2014-Races/2014-Mtn-Mist/i-7vFPTm6/A"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGJfMsZl95R-rUrSp1x_QcUp1Bo_4PyuBjEQsvRg_dBYgnbBXKThBtRmcxRd4b_5m7mvOWLBlWw2baoPCj4A9WyzcFYc6Jmgs8s8NQY2Q8qCpwbqaTTkmv8G1OQfz-xx_ZDkiP2kIzpg/s1600/2014+Mtn+Mist+(265+of+1344)-XL.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://werunhuntsville.smugmug.com/2014-Races/2014-Mtn-Mist/i-7vFPTm6/A">Runner Guns. Photo courtesy of Gregg Gelmis</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was good seeing Scott and Chelsea Sciavone at the aid station. It's nice when volunteers call you by name and specifically offer to help you. Volunteers make races work. I appreciate the help, guys. I left Fearn at 2:44-ish.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To Land Trust</span></b></div>
<div>
I didn't feel too very tired coming out of Fearn. I knew that a beating was coming my way, but I've run the Land Trust trails more than anywhere else on the course. I actually felt pretty good and just cruised on High trail and had a pretty good descent with Sally Brooking (grand masters female winner) down Bluff Line. It was quite fun. I rolled into the Land Trust and pitched a tent. Seriously. I stayed here way, way too long. I ate a couple of crackers because I'd rather eaten snot than another GU. I drank some coke. I chatted. I looked for excuses not to take the beating that the next trails would give me. I left at 3:24.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To Trough Springs</span></b></div>
<div>
I was right. Old Railroad Bed Trail and Alms House Trail just chewed me up. They beat me. I just could not find a rhythm running these trails. I've run these trails more than any section of trails on Monte Sano, and I stil run them slower than Nana texting. It's bad.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
When I exited Alms House onto Waterline Trail, I was in a very low spot. I cursed Dink for dangling the carrot that is a 10 time finisher award. I was thinking to myself that I'd never run on trails ever, ever, ever again. I was considering retiring from ultras altogether. I was hating life.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Then, just at the base of the waterfall, I looked up. It was completely frozen. It was a stunningly beautiful view. I couldn't get over how awesome the view was. And I said, "This is why I do this. Let's go."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Coming in to Trough Springs aid station, I looked at my watch and noticed that it said 4:18. I knew that I had a chance to break 5:30. Ok, then. I didn't have another negative thought the whole race.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To the Finish</span></b></div>
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I knew that 5:30 wasn't in the bag. But I knew I could do it. I ran a good clip on Arrowhead Trail. This is another very good change to the course. I hated this section of Natural Well Trail. And my understanding is that the washout is now completely impassable. I passed several people on this stretch and also after the trail spits out on Natural Well Trail. I am horrible at the descent on Natural Well. Horrible. I got passed here by 3rd overall female Erin Looney. She crushed this descent. I caught her back at the bottom on what used to be slush mile. I knew that I had to run well on the bottom of McKay Hollow because I knew it would be dry today and I knew the climb was going to challenge me. I didn't blister it, but I did run it consistently. I made the climb pretty good, too, passing Sally Brooking here and a couple of other people on the uphill. At the top, I ran about 8:20 pace to the finish and passed 3 or 4 more.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_ShVl8j1cGLHi2ojk1cM895GWPnqCmq8P03o48NjtqMgdCDcSDLGr1BVUIeuXlCmd4LeKRv1UV89O02eoHr9mEirVNIhENxH8bwqt3wuu5NVxSH2rQ0J6qitLpJxqJHS6pXoeW7N9XU/s1600/2014+Mtn+Mist+Finishline+(173+of+668)-X2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_ShVl8j1cGLHi2ojk1cM895GWPnqCmq8P03o48NjtqMgdCDcSDLGr1BVUIeuXlCmd4LeKRv1UV89O02eoHr9mEirVNIhENxH8bwqt3wuu5NVxSH2rQ0J6qitLpJxqJHS6pXoeW7N9XU/s1600/2014+Mtn+Mist+Finishline+(173+of+668)-X2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Gregg Gelmis</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I was 12th in the 40-49 group. That's TWO SPOTS, only 30 seconds from getting a beanie. Man, I want one of those Mountain Mist beanies. I really should have gotten one this year. I was in good enough shape. I just had some bad luck the week before and I didn't take the race seriously enough. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm getting a beanie. Soon. Next year.<br />
<br />
And I want to close with a huge thanks to the volunteers, especially the volunteers on O'Shaugnessy where it was windy and cold. Just to name a few... Dink and Suzanne Taylor for putting on this first class event. Thanks to Carl Smith for timing services as always. Thanks to Madelyn Patton for checking me in without ID. Thanks to Gregg Gelmis for always giving us some great photos to remember these events. Thanks to Mona Parker for filling my bottle at O'Shaugnessy, the coldest and windiest aid station. Thanks to Scott and Chelsea Schiavone for helping out at Fearn. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers at Land Trust aid station. Thanks to Elle Trowbridge for her help at Trough Springs. Thanks to Jennifer Bicknell for helping out at the finish. I know I'm missing several, who specifically helped me today. Sorry!</div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-81037132932853036592014-01-15T16:56:00.001-06:002014-01-16T18:37:22.950-06:00Coming Back<div dir="ltr">
So it has been quite a while since I posted here. Part of the reason is that I've been battling injury. I had the stress fracture that caused me to miss all of the 2012-2013 ultra season. I missed Lookout Mountain 50 Mile in 2012. I missed Recover From The Holidays 50k in 2012. I missed Mountain Mist in 2013. I had to settle for the 25k at Black Warrior in 2013. </div>
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Then I spent the spring coming back very slowly. I started to hit a stride in the summer in 2013. Then, my calf just would not quit hurting. I went through denial. Then I went through trying to just train through it. Then I accepted it and spent 3 or 4 weeks taking 3 or 4 days off and then testing it to see if it was better. All the test did was hurt and set me back. So, I decided to just take off until it no longer hurt to walk on it. That took about 7 or 8 weeks. So, I set myself back nearly 3 months by being dumb and stubborn. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
So, 2013 just was not my year. I had a pretty good October and November building a base back up. I decided that I would try and train for the Knoxville Marathon. But here it is mid-January and my fitness just isn't coming along. </div>
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Punt Knoxville. </div>
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So, I'm going to try to run a few ultras this winter and spring and try to have a good summer and aim for a marathon PR in the fall. </div>
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I was able to pace the 3:30 group at Rocket City Marathon in 2013. I was able to comfortably break 5 hours at Recover From The Holidays 50k in 2013, so that was encouraging. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
Next up is Mountain Mist 50k. Then, for the first time in 5 years I'm going to do Mount Cheaha.</div>
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And today, I ran 5x1k on the track. It was difficult and slow (3:45 per 1k). I thought I was gonna fall over on the last one. But during my cool down, I got that pleasantly tired feeling. I mean, I felt awesome. That feeling that makes me think, "this is why I run." I love that feeling. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
I'm optimistic about the future. </div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-23931658693094462262013-06-11T09:30:00.001-05:002013-06-11T09:30:03.281-05:00Mountain Mania 15kThe Mountain Mania 15k had its third running on June 8, 2013. I really had no idea that Decatur had such a hill. This thing was a beast! The t-shirt and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mountain-Mania-15K/111403265604759">Facebook page</a> have "See the beast. Run the beast. Conquer the beast." And I like the logo.<br />
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Typically, the second Saturday in June is much hotter than this past Saturday was. We had really great weather for this race, in the low 60s at the start. The 7:00 AM start is really a great thing for this race, too.<br />
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I am not in race shape and I don't really want to race until the September/October time frame. So, it was a late decision for me to run this race. I needed a good marathon pace run, and I have done next to nothing on hills, so I thought I'd give a try at a hilly marathon pace run. I am really glad I signed up for this race!<br />
<br />
It's a small race, about 100 runners or so. After the race, during the awards ceremony, the race director asked for feedback to improve the race. One person in the crowd jokingly said, "Make the course flatter!" To which the race director replied, "No, we're looking for a certain type of runner for this race, and y'all are it." I loved that reply!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Race</span></b><br />
I saw several people I knew before the race. Seeing people is the best part of racing. When I pin on a number, I really have to resist the urge to race. But Saturday, I told myself that I would resist that urge. I wasn't really sure who the competition was today. I knew that Colby Phillips could beat me if he were in shape and if he were racing. But he said that he would not be racing, but just doing an easy run. I know that David Rawlings is in <b>killer </b>Tri shape, maybe the best shape of his life. I know that he just ran a 10k PR at Cotton Row. Who else? I see some kids up front. You never know about them. Okay. Marathon pace (6:50 to 7:00) no matter what.<br />
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After a prayer (I really appreciate that.) and a few words thanking the sponsors, off we went. One kid shot out of the gate like a rocket! After about 30 seconds, I asked David, "Do you know that kid? Is he really that fast?" To which David replied, "We'll find out." Another runner said, "I wonder if he knows this isn't a 5k?"<br />
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So, I just tucked in about 50-60 yards behind David. I was running alongside a guy named Jonathan and we chatted a bit about the competition for the day We took turns leading the tangents on the turns and stayed together for a couple of miles. Up about 50-60 yards ahead of David was another pair, a young kid and a guy who I would meet after the race, Jay McNeill. Then, way out front, was Ieden Leckenby. At the one mile mark, which Ieden had run well under six minutes, I knew that he was for real.<br />
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So, I realized that I was in 5th or 6th place with Jonathan in the other. Marathon pace. Marathon pace. Don't race. Marathon pace.<br />
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The second mile has one of the most brutal climbs I've ever encountered in a road race. Yes, it is worse than Cotton Row's Mountainwood. It's really not even close. I was trying to maintain marathon pace effort, and I ran that second mile in 8:08. Brutal. At the top, I was glad for some flat land and I recovered fairly quickly and settled back into the sub-7 minute mile pace fairly easily, and then even faster on the descent.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See, it is worse than Mountainwood.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jonathan then fell back. Now, I'm in 5th place. The kid running with Jay McNeill dropped off his pace. David eventually overcame him, and then I did. So, now it's Ieden, Jay, David, and me. It stayed that way until about mile 6.<br />
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On the back side of the mountain there is a fairly long, straight, mostly flat but slightly downhill section that runs south alongside I-65. Here is where the thoughts of racing entered my mind. Both David and Jay were within reach. I felt like I had run 6 miles at marathon pace, not like I had run 6 miles at tempo pace. I had a lot left in the tank. So, I'm thinking... Can I catch the leader? Did he fall off? Well there was this section where I could see for about a mile. I barely saw the police car. I knew then that I wasn't making up a mile in with about 4 miles to go unless he dropped out.<br />
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So, without the possibility of winning the race, I settled back to just a shade faster than marathon pace. I was running about 6:40-6:45 because it was downhill. I passed David a little before 6 mile mark. I asked if Jay was older than 40, and he believed that he was. So, the three of us were battling for masters. Again, I reminded myself, marathon pace. So, I did that. Maybe a shade faster, but never faster than 6:40.<br />
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On the way back up the hill at mile 7, I passed Jay. Again, this is worse than Cotton Row. Also, you have to climb this beast twice. Twice. Brutal. I was trying not to go into oxygen debt up the hill. I maintained a steady effort and recovered very quickly at the top. After that, Jay hung close, but I was determined that I was going to maintain a steady effort to the finish and not run faster marathon pace effort. I knew the last mile would be very fast because of the extreme downhill. But I was not going to race. Jay ran very well and hung on pretty close through those last two miles.<br />
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I was able to maintain the even effort through the race and finished in 1:05:04 which was good enough for second place overall and first masters runner. Ieden ran 58:39 which shows that he really was nearly a full mile ahead of me. Official results are here. <a href="http://www.naolweb.com/rivercityrunner/2013-MtMania_13_OA.htm">http://www.naolweb.com/rivercityrunner/2013-MtMania_13_OA.htm</a><br />
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I would really like to train for and tackle this course in race shape to see if I could break an hour. It would be a tall order to sub-1 this thing. Kudos to River City Runners for scoring and all the volunteers. This is an awesome, low key, challenging, and well organized race.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-76598718612982252482013-05-10T23:15:00.000-05:002013-05-10T23:15:54.274-05:00Chick Fil A 5kLast year's stress fracture has been one of the most frustrating things to happen to my running for a variety of reasons. I hated missing Rocket City Marathon. I hated missing Lookout Mountain 50 mile. I hated missing Recover From the Holidays. I hated missing Mountain Mist 50k. Those are all races that I had registered for! So disappointing. Then, the lost fitness of the time off and the time to recover... I am still not where I want to be. Patience.<br />
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But the Chick Fil A 5k was a really fun race and produced one of the best race pictures I have! Big Kudos to <a href="http://www.fleetfeetracinghuntsville.com/kathy-youngren.html">Kathy Youngren</a> for picking out some rockin uniforms for the <a href="http://www.fleetfeetracinghuntsville.com/">Fleet Feet Racing Team</a> this year.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Busy Day</span></b><br />
Saturday, April 6, was a busy day of racing in North Alabama. Here are the races that I know about on that day...<br />
<ul>
<li>Chick Fil A 10k/5k in Athens</li>
<li>3M River City 10k/5k in Decatur</li>
<li>HTC Scholarship Fund Run 8k in Huntsville</li>
<li>Lead Me to the Cross 5k in Monrovia</li>
<li>Athens State University 5k in Athens</li>
<li>Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg, TN (Ok, not North Alabama, but it did draw quite a few North Alabama runners)</li>
</ul>
<div>
What to do... I know I'm not really that fit. I just don't have my base underneath me right now. Do I have a chance to win one of the Athens races, to get that first career win? But I've volunteered at the Chick Fil A 5k for the past 3 years, and they didn't reach out to me this year. I could likely nab at least an age group and perhaps some free chicken (even though I'm mostly vegetarian, I still eat meat 2-3 times per week, and my kids would love that). Hmmm. Or should I just not race at all because I'm not really in shape to race.</div>
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If I may say this... Some of those races need to move their date.<br />
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3M River City 10k is the fastest 10k in Alabama. People who want to set a serious PR go there. It's an old, established race. It moved from the second Saturday in April to the first Saturday in April last year. I wish it could move back. </div>
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Chick Fil A was also on the second Saturday in its inaugural running, but it's moved a few times for various reasons, one being tornadoes in 2011. I think they hurt their participation numbers by holding this event on this day with so much competition. Perhaps its joining the <a href="http://connectrace.net/">Chick Fil A Connect Race Series</a> affects its choice for a date? This race could be much bigger, especially with the addition of a 10k option. It's a decent 10k course and there aren't a lot of 10k options around.</div>
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The Scholarship Fund run 8k has been on the first Saturday in April for as long as I can remember. It's an established race, but it's nobody's favorite. I like it for what it is, a chance for a PR at an odd distance. But it's a double loop on a hilly course. I think HTC is considering moving this race since there is so much competition for runners on this day nowadays.</div>
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<br /></div>
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For the newer events, picking such a busy date is just not ideal planning. As a race director, I know that there are many factors that influence the choice for a race date, not the least of which are RD and volunteer schedules, police schedules, sponsor schedules, etc. So, sometimes, things like this are unavoidable. However, when planning a new race, you should realize that if you choose a date that has 4 other races within 25 miles of your event, you're going to have a very difficult time getting participation. I've held my event, the Duck and Run 5k, on a date when there were 3 other events, so I know it can be difficult. However, when I did that, the other events were newer than my event, so there wasn't a lot I could do about it. Race Directors, please check several race calendars when choosing a date. And, if at all possible, keep your date consistent. Okay... Rant over...</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Chick Fil A</span></b></div>
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The 10k option at Chick Fil A was interesting to me. The 5k, though, was more like what I really should be doing. So, I decided to just show up and sign up for the 5k. This is the premier spring race in Athens. I constantly learn things from this event that I'd like to apply to my event. I also appreciate very much the charity that this race benefits, <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/bridgeofhopeadoptionministry/home">Bridge of Hope Adoption Ministry</a>. Pure religion is to care for orphans and widows (James 1:27).</div>
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As it turns out, I ended up being the top masters runner at the Chick Fil A 5k. Lots of free chicken and a good workout. And lots of time with a lot of really good Athens folk. Results are <a href="http://connectrace.net/event/chick-fil-a-connect-race-series-athens-al/results">posted on their website</a>.</div>
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I figured I was in about 19:30 shape. I <a href="http://rocketcitytraining.blogspot.com/2013/04/double-helix-dash-5k.html">had just run a 19:41 on Tuesday</a> at the Double Helix Dash, but I figured I could do a little better, especially since this was a morning race and we had very nice weather. When I got there, I realized that the 5k was actually the premier event. I had expected the 10k to be the more competitive event, but that was not the case. There were very few 10k runners compared to the 400 or so 5k runners.<br />
<br />
Brandon Mader had brought a car load of fast kids with him and I knew that they would dominate the race. So, I knew a podium finish was impossible for me, given the shape I'm in. I figured that unless there were some unknown super fast kid, about 17:00 would win this race and there would be a few sub-18 finishers, and none of those would be me! :)<br />
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I saw my friend and occasional Athens Sunday morning 10 mile runner Ben Greene. I know that he generally stays in sub-19 shape, so I had all but given upon taking the masters. We chatted a bit and he told me he hadn't been running much. I didn't know whether he was sandbagging or not. He looked fit to me.<br />
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When we started, I had a few issues dodging the crowd and then getting around the 10k runners to get out front. It really was crowded, and re-thinking this race start would be a good idea. Within a half mile and without wasting too much energy, I settled into a reasonable spot and pace. Ben was sure enough on my shoulder. Again, not knowing exactly how fit he is and not knowing if I can break 19:30, I did push the pace just a bit. Even with the dodging early on, I split the first mile at 6:12.<br />
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I was still leading Ben in the second mile, but I could hear his footsteps getting farther back. Just hold on. Hope to battle to the end and have some guts at the finish. Well, as we approached the 2 mile marker, I heard him charge. I figured he was making his move. I was holding steady, and was planning to hang on if he passed. He got side by side and said, "I just came up here to tell you bye! I'm about to drop off. Good luck for the rest of the race!" He stayed there for a little while, so I thought this might be some gamesmanship. We hit the 2 mile mark at 12:24. Really consistent. I said, "Let's go get this done!" He said, "Seriously, I'm backing off." I then pulled away and didn't hear from him again.<br />
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As I rounded the square, I looked back, and he sure enough wasn't gaining. I saw some young guys up in the distance, but knew they'd have to come back to me. So, I decided to just make sure that Ben didn't come storming back and to hold as steady as I could to the finish. I hit mile 3 in 18:38 and clocked the final 0.1 (mostly uphill, ugh) in 0:40. That adds up to 19:18 and as consistent of a 5k as I remember running in a long time. I probably had some more left in the tank, but I was plenty pleased with this effort.<br />
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My kids were hanging out with their friends at the start/finish area. The first thing I heard when I crossed the finish line was "Daddy, you got chicked today!" Precious. Thanks, I know. She was fast! :)<br />
<br />
It was a fun day and a big shout out to a huge crew of Elkmont runners to did a couch to 5k program and had nearly 100 come and run their first 5k here. Barry Pugh and Whitney Hollingsworth really inspire folks to run. I'm glad to call them my friends.</div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-27322469162949502252013-04-07T09:18:00.000-05:002013-04-08T13:04:29.040-05:00Double Helix Dash 5kSeveral guys from <a href="http://www.adtran.com/">ADTRAN </a>put together a couple of teams to run in the <a href="http://doublehelixdash.com/">Double Helix Dash 5k</a> at<a href="http://www.hudsonalpha.org/"> Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology</a>. It is really awesome to work with a great group of runners.<br />
<br />
Look at us here.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevFBC7esJzXTjaLkR1bzhgDfRdqnb_MiNC0-UpvOIAjuayI7KHp9DySIG9Skkls2P7M13c5HnHaggVZXGFRNXpZjy1ZUhjr7Eo2Oi_RQMGJ_F3dXruYjFxAGr6SkrdIKng9LI1aTD_TU/s1600/534995_596486283696796_1453672760_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevFBC7esJzXTjaLkR1bzhgDfRdqnb_MiNC0-UpvOIAjuayI7KHp9DySIG9Skkls2P7M13c5HnHaggVZXGFRNXpZjy1ZUhjr7Eo2Oi_RQMGJ_F3dXruYjFxAGr6SkrdIKng9LI1aTD_TU/s320/534995_596486283696796_1453672760_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo thanks to Gregg Gelmis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There were others from ADTRAN who ran, but these were our teams. I run with most everyone in that picture on a fairly regular basis. It's really a blessing to work with folks like that. Pretty much any day I can say, "I'm going out for a few miles at lunch today. Anybody want to join?" I'll most likely get a yes from someone in that picture.<br />
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Ok... now for the race...</div>
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I describe this race as a bad course but a fun race. The course is horrible. Slow. Two out and backs on a 5k and then the last half or three quarters of a mile is on a zig-zag sidewalk that is shaped like a DNA model and goes up and down a slight incline. Miserable course. But the race... There's always a good turnout. It's a Tuesday twilight race. There are just so many people from research park there that it's just plain fun.</div>
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Change clothes at work, run over to the race start, socialize for a few minutes, race, socialize for a lot longer, run back to work and drive home. That's pretty cool.</div>
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Our teams were divided about as evenly as we could given that Andy, Eric Fritz, and I didn't really know what kind of 5k shape we were in. I had run a couple of tempo runs and they were very miserable. 6:40 pace for 3 miles felt a lot like a race. So, I figured I was in 21 minute shape, maybe a little better. I expected a 3-way battle between Fritz, Jake, and me. But I really didn't know because this was my first 5k since October and my first race since starting back running from the stress fracture (not counting Black Warrior 25k, which was more of an episode of poor judgment than a race!)</div>
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When the race started, I hung on to my Athens runner friend Chris Ramsden for as long as I could. I just tried to keep him in sight for as long as possible. I knew he was in better shape than me, but still, hang on and see. Eric and Jake were close by in the first mile. I saw Chris hit the first mile at about 6:18 or so. I hit it at 6:27, and I was thinking, "I feel pretty stinking good! I can hold this pace, maybe even speed up!" So I did. I tried to close the gap on Chris, but he was still running pretty strong.</div>
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I headed on down the hill to Mile 2. I was definitely picking up the pace. I hit this one in 6:19. It was downhill, but still, I was starting not to like the pace but still felt pretty good. Chris maintained his lead on me. As I turned around at the last out and back, I noticed that Jake and Eric were far enough back that I would really have to come back to them. They would not catch me without me giving up a lot of pace, and I still felt like I had a strong last mile left.</div>
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The third mile was uphill and into a strong breeze before turning on the miserable zig-zag. I passed Jason Mitchell going up the hill, but I heard him stay on my shoulder. Oh well. I'll do what I can. I'm not going to burn up too much energy here because I know what waits on the dreaded helix. He hung on, and Chris seemed to notice that I was close on the turn and put some more separation between us. About 300 meters or so into the helix, Jason made a move to pass. I had nothing more to give to cover his move. It's my first race back, and I'm tickled that I have a chance to break 20! I let him go. When we hit the 3 mile marker and I pressed my lap button, I couldn't believe that was my fastest mile yet at 6:17. Nice. Even with 0.1 to go, I had no chance to catch Jason and nobody was threatening from behind, and sub-20 was in the bag. Still, though, I ran hard through the finish to clock a 19:41.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYd5bOrHMHKdIYINks5OPKk8H4jwixlkKUV3Uf1NIbyzypnkuReCGe5b4VjJsRm4pIqrM4Vx0ARxxuHf11ZHvwVEShEhIdLCxW_az9EiaVT6aKu3BuK8p3SwX1-LTktsQrIKLeF9KlUE/s1600/547551_596488877029870_1326343376_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYd5bOrHMHKdIYINks5OPKk8H4jwixlkKUV3Uf1NIbyzypnkuReCGe5b4VjJsRm4pIqrM4Vx0ARxxuHf11ZHvwVEShEhIdLCxW_az9EiaVT6aKu3BuK8p3SwX1-LTktsQrIKLeF9KlUE/s320/547551_596488877029870_1326343376_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Helix. Thanks again to Gregg Gelmis!</td></tr>
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</div>
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I was very pleased with that! First time back. Fun, and better than I expected.</div>
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Our ADTRAN team of Andy Durr, me, Eric Fritz, and Jennifer Bicknell won the team competition with Andy crushing the course, coming in second overall with a 17:49. I am super proud of that dude. He has put in the work and it is paying off. I love to see that! Also, my friend Wendy Hneytenka on the other ADTRAN team smoked out a PR. She keeps improving, too. I love to see runners enjoying it and improving their fitness and confidence.</div>
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My 19:41 was good enough for sixth overall and first in the 40-49 age group.</div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-60948221627539681152013-02-19T10:16:00.003-06:002013-02-19T15:02:18.383-06:00Black Warrior 25kWell, ready or not, the day to pin on a number arrives. I really thought a lot about this race. I originally signed up for the 50k. I was very hopeful that I would be in sub-4:30 shape for this. When I signed up, Lookout Mountain 50 Miler was my goal race for the season. I really hoped that the endurance I would have built training for that race would translate very well to this relatively easy 50k.<br />
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Best laid plans...</div>
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Then enter the stress fracture which made me sit out of Rocket City Marathon, Lookout Mountain 50 mile, Recover from the Holidays 50k, and Mountain Mist 50k. So, I knew that the 50k at Black Warrior was a no-go. There is a 25k option to this race, which I was glad to have.</div>
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I really debated how to attack this. I've done a few hikes of 10+ miles. I had hiked the 25k course. But hiking and trail running are as different as walking and running. So, part of me thought it would be best to sit back and hike part of the race and run part of it. That would have been smart. I'm not smart. I really debated doing that up until I heard the word "go". </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XDOGWEyfmgjuF8XZHZcYF4P1gQGwNo13PR4v5BgPTkLCDgwfgZw5D4tuL3SKuTg5STg0uoNhJu5hWflzD1lZI3j1yAAZx2HKF2jryoTFB8NisHfdsTmyUR97_bprJ2b2LrPlXUtPYco/s1600/BW25k13Finish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XDOGWEyfmgjuF8XZHZcYF4P1gQGwNo13PR4v5BgPTkLCDgwfgZw5D4tuL3SKuTg5STg0uoNhJu5hWflzD1lZI3j1yAAZx2HKF2jryoTFB8NisHfdsTmyUR97_bprJ2b2LrPlXUtPYco/s320/BW25k13Finish.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I managed to jog to the finish for the camera.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
When we started, I was at the back of the pack to try to hold myself back. However, I just automatically started passing people. I looked at them and judged that they would not be as fast on the trails as I would be. I judged that they would dodge mud and tip-toe and stop when a blow over crossed the trail. So, I didn't want to be behind them.</div>
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Then, halfway to the trail, I realized I was being stupid. But I couldn't slow down. Ok. I have to slow down. I'm not used to this. I'm going to hurt myself. With some mental effort, I did back off just a tad. </div>
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Then, we hit the trail. My oh my how I love to run trails. Especially muddy ones. It was just plain fun. So I started running faster. And faster. And faster. Passing people. When they dodged the mud, I splashed right through past them. Oh what fun. I felt great. I was in total race mode now. See someone? Pick them off.</div>
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When I got to the aid station, I refilled my bottle as quickly as I could. I was there less than 10 seconds, passing someone who I was behind as we entered. Oh yeah. It's a race now. I think I can break 2:15 in my first race back! That would be huge.</div>
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On the way over, I was riding with two trail newbies, Lance and Chris. This was the first trail race for both of them, and it was Chris's first trail run ever. And I told them that if they break 2:15, I'll buy them a cookie. Or ice cream. Their choice. Unless, of course, the gimp (me) finishes ahead of them. I passed Lance about a mile before the aid station. Now, I'm thinking, "How much of a lead does Chris have?" Swoosh. Pass. Splash. Fun. </div>
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I ran up on a guy who was dodging as much mud as possible. But he was determined not to let me pass him, so I settled in behind him. When we got to a big mudhole, I plowed right through and passed him and determined to drop him. Man, I was having fun.</div>
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Uh oh. I haven't been running. I'm not in shape. I see Dan Burleson up ahead. Ok. That's a goal. Man, this is starting to hurt. Go get Dan. At least there'll be some company if you catch him. I got up to within talking distance and we greeted one another. Then, I fell back. I'm hurting. (Not my leg. Not my bone. It feels fine. But every fiber of soft tissue from my hips to my toes is screaming at me.) </div>
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I start to walk any up and run the flats and downs. How far is the road from here anyway? Oh no. I'm done. Now, I'm walking the flats and ups and running the downs. Ok... Let's run. No, my legs won't do it. It's over. I pretty much walked the last 3.5 miles of this race. I was definitely on pace to break 2:15. No doubt about that. But it's a 25k. And I ran it like a 15k.</div>
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Here's how not to run a 25k. Don't run the first 20k well above your fitness level and then walk the last 5k. That's not a good plan and you'll be sore for days. And your stomach will be upset. And you'll feel generally miserable.</div>
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It's Tuesday, and I just now feel like I could run if I wanted to (haven't decided yet). That was really stupid. But, it was fun until I couldn't run any more. I walked the last half mile or so to the road. I got to the road with 2.6 miles to go in 2:00. I finished in 2:38. My philosophy was this. Walking doesn't hurt. Running hurts. So, I'm not going to run. It seems like 50 people passed me on the road. I totally didn't care. Lance was among those who passed me, and I think he had an awesome day out there. Welcome to trail running Lance!</div>
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I owe Chris cookies. He crushed it for a first trail race. 2:07. Man. Great job! </div>
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Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-67769371092252900522013-01-31T13:07:00.002-06:002013-01-31T13:07:33.616-06:00Just Keep SwimmingSo, next week I see the doc about my stress fracture. I'm hoping everything is okay, and I'm pretty sure it is. I'm ready to run again. However, when I start back, I plan to start back very easily and slowly. This two months has not been fun and I don't want to sit out this long again. So, for the first month or two back, I'll still be swimming to get enough exercise done.<br />
<br />
Like Dory says, just keep swimming. I gotta tell you, I'm really bad at swimming. It's a real struggle just to get from one end of the pool to the other. I keep going back, but I do not get better. But, I'm gasping for air and totally hungry and exhausted when I finish a swim, so it has to be doing some good, right?<br />
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I grew up "swimming" all summer every summer. I loved to go to the pool or beach or river. I'd stay in the water all day. I could swim well enough to stay alive and to avoid trouble in water over my head. I was never on a swim team and I never have swum competitively. I don't remember if I've even ever raced a friend to the other side of the pool. So, what I'm trying to do now is completely unlike anything I've ever tried to do before. <b>And I'm really bad at it. Really bad.</b><br />
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This week, I did some laps with a few triathlete friends, and they were pretty much in agreement. <b>I have the ugliest stroke they have ever seen.</b> They all laughed at me. Out loud. My kick is sporadic, wide, and just herky jerky ugly. My head comes WAY up to breathe. My feet sink. I'm nearly vertical in the water. I'm pretty sure I'm a prime example of what not to do when learning to swim. Except that I keep going back. I keep getting in the water. Four or five times per week, I'm beating the water, gasping for air, making waves. But I'm touching each end of the pool and I keep on doing that until I've finished my workout for the day. So take that. <b>It ain't easy and I don't really like it, but I'm going to do it.</b><br />
<br />
This is the program I'm following.<br />
<a href="http://ruthkazez.com/SwimWorkouts/ZeroTo1mile.html">http://ruthkazez.com/SwimWorkouts/ZeroTo1mile.html</a><br />
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I'd love to get up to a mile so I can think about an Olympic triathlon. I won't consider even a sprint triathlon until I can swim a mile straight and I can swim 400m in a reasonable (8:00-ish) amount of time. Right now, I'm mired in week 4 of that program. I've done the week 4 workout about 5 times now, and I am nowhere near being able to complete it comfortably.<br />
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Maybe this is where bull-headedness will help me out. <b>I'm going to just keep swimming.</b>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-91002338329901098292013-01-24T17:47:00.002-06:002013-01-24T17:47:38.643-06:00Stress Fracture UpdateIt has been a long 6 weeks. I have two more weeks to go, and I have a feeling they will be long, too.<br />
<br />
So, just a bit of history.<br />
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The Saturday after Thanksgiving, I ran a 16 miler with the Fleet Feet 26.2 group. It was an easy pace. I was tired from the holiday week and I had nearly 70 miles for the week done when the run started. I had about 3 or 4 days in a row where that I just didn't feel good while running at all. About 10 miles into the 16 miler on that Saturday, my right shin started hurting pretty bad. It wasn't just a little bad, it was really bad. I was limping.<br />
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I finished that run and went ahead with my scheduled Sunday run. I was planning to do 16 miles on Sunday. But... My shin was still hurting. Bad. I quit at 12 miles. My leg hurt for the rest of the day. Shin splints I told myself. Everybody who runs has them and I've never had them, so it's my turn. I tried all kinds of shin splint remedies. Ice. Compression. Walk on a golf ball. Pressure roll it until you cry. Everything I had heard to try, I tried. My leg still hurt. It hurt to sit. It hurt to walk. It hurt to run.<br />
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Oh well. I'm just going to have to get used to it. People run with shin splints. If I'm tough, I can too. So, I took most of the week after Thanksgiving off, only running Friday and Saturday. Both runs hurt. Bad. Limping bad.<br />
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So, I scheduled an appointment with SportsMED. X-Ray showed a tiny crack in my right tibia about 4 cm above my ankle, mostly perpendicular to the bone, but curving slightly downward from right to left. There was a small knot on the outside of the bone where the crack started.<br />
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The prescription was two months of no running and minimal impact. For the first couple of weeks, no spinning class and no walking. Basically, don't do anything that hurts. About a week later, walking was possible again. How on earth will I stay in shape? My only options were swimming and pool running, neither of which I wanted to do.<br />
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It's been 6 weeks. I haven't been very good about exercising regularly. I've packed on about 5 lbs. I'm learning to swim, but my stroke is terribly novice and I'm beating the water into submission.<br />
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I'll update more later. But 2 weeks from yesterday I go back to the doctor. I expect him to release me because it doesn't hurt. I've run a couple of times (very easy and very short) in the past two weeks and I don't feel any pain at all, so I think I'm healed but I'm waiting on the doctor to say "Go run."Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-9079534297138195842013-01-05T12:25:00.002-06:002013-01-05T12:28:33.499-06:002012 In ReviewI've done this every year since I started this blog. I've wondered why. But I went back and read my <a href="http://rocketcitytraining.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-in-review.html">2011 review</a> and learned that it really does help me to see where I am and where I've been. As I write this, I'm sitting in a chair with a stress fracture about 4 cm above my right ankle on my tibia. So, it will be difficult to remain positive.<br />
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First, though, a huge thanks to <a href="http://fleetfeethuntsville.com/">Fleet Feet</a> for their generous support of the running community in North Alabama. It has been my honor again to run on their <a href="http://fleetfeetracinghuntsville.blogspot.com/">racing team</a> for 2012. Almost every race and training program in North Alabama is supported in some way by Fleet Feet. I've never known a business that gives back to the community the way that Fleet Feet does. I am so thankful that Dink is recovered from his scary stroke earlier this year. He was an inspiration before, but seeing his comeback from this has been nothing short of amazing.<br />
<br />
<b>Highlights</b><br />
2012 was the year that I did it!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y-KhQt9V6y2SnDRdd_JJ69J2-ZxBIf-ICt155UZcrmvmEUvyy8O4x_dz1pF6ZHGFPdrfI65SjcXfFv-Vtw9odOutmpcc3MUiojt6VFEjKY6j29jNMSMMno8VCS9_rDxoZ4cPS1ZNcP4/s1600/Blogger_Albany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y-KhQt9V6y2SnDRdd_JJ69J2-ZxBIf-ICt155UZcrmvmEUvyy8O4x_dz1pF6ZHGFPdrfI65SjcXfFv-Vtw9odOutmpcc3MUiojt6VFEjKY6j29jNMSMMno8VCS9_rDxoZ4cPS1ZNcP4/s320/Blogger_Albany.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know, you've seen this. But this is my 2012 highlight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I believe that I will always look back at 2012 as the year that I did it! From fairly early on in my running, I wanted to run a sub-3 hour marathon. I don't really know what's so magic about that number, but I wanted that goal very badly. In 2012, I did it! I've heard it said that anyone, if they set their mind to it and train and focus, can run a sub-3 hour marathon. I don't know. In a way, I want to believe that. I did it even though I am not very talented and I am not a very hard worker (definitely harder working than I am talented, but still, I don't think I'm excellent in either area). But I know how hard it was to do. It requires work, sacrifice, knowledge, support, and luck. It's the luck thing that makes me reluctant to believe that anyone can do it. I was blessed and fortunate enough to avoid injury for an entire training cycle. I had the support of my lovely wife. I'm not sure I could have gotten from 240 lbs. to sub-3 hour marathon without good fortune and support. So, on one hand, I believe that if I can do it, anyone can do it. On the other, I know that I was not in control of everything that came together to allow me to accomplish this amazing goal. Recaps and thoughts on the big race are <a href="http://rocketcitytraining.blogspot.com/2012/03/reflections-on-sub-3.html">here </a>and <a href="http://rocketcitytraining.blogspot.com/2012/03/albany-marathon-recap.html">here</a> and <a href="http://rocketcitytraining.blogspot.com/2012/03/quick-thoughts-on-albany-marathon.html">here</a>.<br />
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Another highlight of 2012 was the sub 24 hour effort and ultra team win at <a href="http://rocketcitytraining.blogspot.com/2012/11/ragnar-tennessee-2012.html">Ragnar Tennessee</a>. Read my recap, but that was an amazing experience. By far, it was the best relay that I've ever done.<br />
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<b>Medical Struggles</b><br />
Yes, 2012 had its downs, too. I had a retinal vein occlusion. It's a relatively minor medical problem, but it's not supposed to happen to fit guys my age. And, being unable to see made me a bit unsettled. That then mushroomed into lots of blood work and wasted time trying to get my blood thinners all worked out. It turns out that we have no idea why that happened. The treatment is to take an aspirin a day and hydrate. It was scary for a couple of months, but all seems well now.<br />
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The depression that I've cataloged here still gave me some problems in 2012. I'm finally off all medication for it and things are really looking up. I'm learning more healthy ways to deal with things and I've mostly removed myself from the situation that was the trigger. 2013 will be a better year for a lot of reasons. I hope to be a pleasant and fun friend again and not such a sad fun sponge.<br />
<br />
The year closed with a stress fracture. Fortunately, the doctor says that we caught it early and he expects it to respond to rest. I'm doing some extra things like calcium and a bone healing system. I'm halfway through my rest and I do not have any pain when walking. I'm determined to take it easy on my road to recovery from this injury. The upside is that I'm learning to swim. I can now swim 400 yards without stopping. I'm planning to work up to a mile (1500m, actually). Is a triathlon in my future?<br />
<br />
<b>Master</b><br />
This is the year that I became a master. Yep. I'm over 40. Old man. But, I did win a couple of masters races, so 40 isn't all bad. I also plan for every PR that I have to be accomplished over the age of 40. Look out sub 2:55 marathon. Look out sub-17 5k. Look out sub-36 10k. I'm coming.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-36019294416598393502012-12-12T20:30:00.001-06:002012-12-12T20:32:07.305-06:0026.2 Questions: What Next?I'll start with the same disclaimer as the last 26.2 Questions post. I'm not a coach. I'm not certified in anything. I'm just a dude who has run a few marathons, read a few books about running, and read several distance running periodicals. Consult a coach and a doctor before taking my advice to heart. After all, I'm sidelined with a stress fracture, so I obviously don't know everything.<br />
<br />
One of the questions that came up often during the long runs is "What should be my next goal after the Rocket City Marathon?" That is an excellent question!<br />
<br />
First and foremost... <b>For the first two weeks after the marathon, you should do as little running as you can stand</b>. Take off if you want. Run very easy if you want, but don't run much and don't run far. You cannot run too easy or too little during the first two weeks after the marathon. Recover. Running 26.2 miles is a lot to ask of your body. Now, give your body a break.<br />
<br />
Ok... After you've recovered, then what?<br />
<br />
<b>Whatever you do, please keep running!</b> Don't just check 26.2 off your bucket list. Running has completely changed my life. Running draws me closer to God by giving me time with nature and time to pray alone. Running has introduced me to so many great people and gives me opportunity to spend time with them on the roads and trails. Running has helped me to maintain a healthy weight. Running has helped me in my battle with depression. <b>Running will reward you.</b><br />
<br />
One good option for a next step is to leverage this huge base that you have and <b>run some shorter races much faster than you ever thought you'd be able to</b>. The 26.2 program is very good because it introduces you to all types of running. There are easy runs. There are track workouts. There are tempo runs. And, of course, there are long runs. Once you ease back into running, experience with those different types of running will serve you well. Once you're running comfortably again, hit the track and do some intervals. Check the <a href="http://www.fleetfeethuntsville.com/races/upcoming-races">Fleet Feet Calendar</a> and pick out a goal race and consult a coach for a training plan. There are plenty of races in the Huntsville area to choose from. With the 26.2 base, you can be ready to run a fast 5k in about 6-10 weeks.<br />
<br />
Some have asked, "<b>Why don't I just run another marathon while I'm in shape to run a marathon?</b>" If Rocket City was your first marathon, <b>I strongly discourage you from running another marathon until next fall at the earliest.</b> Sure, you can run another marathon soon, but it's just not ideal.<br />
<br />
Others have asked, "<b>What about my long runs? Do I keep doing them?</b>" A long run is definitely a staple of any fit runner. However, there are long runs and then there are marathon training long runs. If you're not training for a marathon, then you really don't need to run 18+ miles. You can get similar benefits and recover faster from <b>a weekend long run of 12-15 miles</b>. I'd recommend that you keep a "long run" in your weekly schedule of about that distance. It'll do you good.<br />
<br />
Hope this helps! If you have more questions, ask and I'll try to answer.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-26010318682607845732012-11-17T22:17:00.002-06:002012-11-21T09:29:51.653-06:00Ragnar Tennessee 2012The only word I can come up with to describe this experience is "WOW!" Ragnar Tennessee 2012 was absolutely one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I wasn't as excited about this one beforehand because I have done them before. My expectations were not too high. But, oh man, the experience was INSANE!<br />
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<b>Opening Credits</b><br />
Let me start by thanking our sponsors for this. This team gets very generous support from <a href="http://www.adtran.com/">ADTRAN</a>. Without their support, this simply would not happen. I do hope that our sporting our <a href="http://www.adtran.com/">ADTRAN </a>gear during the race raises our brand awareness. Also, I can definitely say that our experience has drawn each of us closer and will strengthen our loyalty to one another and to the company. Our doing business with one another is definitely improved in an immeasurable way by the camaraderie and closeness developed during this event.<br />
<br />
A special thanks to teammate Shawn Barber for putting this together. He takes care of getting the support from ADTRAN and organizing the event. Sometimes we give Shawn a hard time because, well, he's Shawn. But this dude is a getstuffdoner. He's an invaluable asset to the team. Also, Shawn raised hundreds of dollars for charity by recruiting and organizing volunteers for this race. He also raised a good bit of money to help one of his close friends who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and lacks health insurance. If ever I'm in a bind, I hope Shawn notices. He's the kind of guy that makes sacrifices and doesn't mind asking other people to be uncomfortable in order to do good to others. I'm honored to be his co-worker and friend.<br />
<br />
Also, big thanks to Marty McCleary and his wife. We needed volunteers to avoid paying a volunteer fee for the race. They stepped up, and have three years in a row now. When I look at the McCleary family and see the relationship between Jake and his dad, I'm filled with admiration. Man, that's what family love is supposed to be like.<br />
<br />
Finally, thanks to <a href="http://www.mckeefoods.com/">McKee Foods</a> for their allowing (and encouraging) us to use our team name "Down with OCPs" and for donating lots of Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies to the cause. We had folks asking for OCPs all during the race. Word spread that there were a bunch of crazy guys handing out Oatmeal Cream Pies, and lots of tired hungry runners wanted a piece of the, well, (oatmeal cream) pie.<br />
<br />
<b>The Start</b><br />
We started at 2:00 PM EST in Chattanooga. These relays have a staggered start to manage the logistics of the varied paces. So, the 2:00 and 3:00 afternoon start times are for the serious teams, the ones who plan to run around or less than 24 hours. I was leading off and I wanted to get our team out front early. In years past, we had won this event by over 3 hours, so I wanted that to happen again. I had no idea if we'd have competition this year.<br />
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I started quick. I had a 14.5 (really 14.8) mile double leg to start us off. I ran a 6:40 pace that felt amazingly comfortable during the first 10 miles. For the first 6 miles, I was running with a competitor. He told me that he was about the 3rd or 4th best runner on their team and that they were all strong runners. I figured I was our second or third best runner, so <b>I knew we were in for some competition this year</b>. There was a small hill about 6 miles in. He tried to make a move up the hill. I covered his move and stayed on his shoulder and on the down, I obliterated him. I put a good two minutes on him in the last two miles of this first leg of my opening leg.<br />
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Their strategy was to swap runners at every exchange. Ours was to swap at every other exchange. So, their strongest runner took the bracelet for the second and most grueling leg of the entire race. This leg is roughly a 7 mile leg that has over 1400 feet of climb in the last 4 miles. Brutal. Their runner caught me about two miles into the climb and put about a minute lead on me. I was completely done at the top of Signal Mountain and probably pushed too hard during this leg and cost my team some valuable time in my later legs. Oh well, we're a minute behind and handing off to our 5th and 6th runners.<br />
<br />
<b>Through the Afternoon and into the Night</b><br />
Seeing their strategy of using a fresh runner for each leg and strategically selecting the runners, we gave that a try for some of our legs. However, through the afternoon and night, they were opening up a 15 to 20 minute lead on us. To try to help close that distance, we worked it out so that I could take a longer leg. When I agreed to do this, I had totally underestimated how much the Suck Creek Road climb had taken out of me. I've never been beaten that badly by any 4 miles ever before. I agreed and swapped from a 9.2 mile double leg to a 13.5 mile double leg. I barely finished it. I was dying at the end of it. A lot of effort for not a lot of speed! But the gap was shrinking again. Maybe more like 8-9 minutes now.<br />
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During the night, we all learned a valuable lesson...<br />
<br />
After I finished my second double-leg, I changed shorts and took off my warm-up pants. My phone happened to be in my pants. I stuffed the pants in the back of the van and I drove away. A couple of miles down the road, my phone started blowing up with text messages and ringing! <b>It just kept on and on ringing! We were all saying, man, that must be important! And nobody could get to my phone, so it just rang and rang.</b> I said, "As soon as we get to the next exchange, I'm going to check to see who that is and what is wrong. I mean, it's 10 minutes to midnight. It must be an emergency." When we got there... the text was from <b>Andy Durr,</b> and it said, "<b>Hey. U guys a man down?</b>"<br />
<br />
Doh!!! We left him behind! It turns out that in the hustle and bustle of the exchange that Andy hopped out to use the port-a-john. We all thought he was asleep on one of the van benches. So, I drove off. <b>Lesson... if you need to use the port-a-john, tell someone!</b><br />
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There's caveat to this lesson, though. <b>Don't tell which port-a-john you use.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why can't you get out, Mark?</td></tr>
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<b>The Early Morning Hours</b><br />
I have so many stories to tell. I could go into a lot of details about each double-leg I did and blah blah blah. But none of that matters. Through the night, Team Memphomaniacs had a 20 minute lead. We had given up hope of winning this thing. I texted a friend of mine at about 1:00 AM. "<b>We're in second place now and we won't make up the difference.</b>" The next thing I knew, they had a 15 minute lead. Then a 10 minute lead. Then, as I was was waiting to begin my third and final double-leg, Andy comes in yelling, "<b>I caught them! I caught them! </b>Eric, you have about 50 or 100 meters! Go! Go! Go!" So, I took off.<br />
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There were two problems, though. First, I was DEAD TIRED. I had nothing in my legs. My legs simply would not go. They were completely dead. Toast. Second, the guy I was competing against in this leg is a 16:30 5k runner. He's out of my league. I led for about a half a mile. He passed and I was powerless to do anything about it. I was running about 6:40 when he passed. Nope, I could do nothing. I hung on as best as I could. I let him get a bit of a lead because his move was very strong. Then, I thought, "I'll just keep him in sight. He'll probably slow down when he thinks he's broken me." Nope. He kept hammering. I dropped back to about a 7:00 pace and that was all I had. Next thing I knew, I was running 7:40 and it felt impossible. During this 10.4 mile double leg, they put about two minutes back in front of us.<br />
<br />
I felt horrible. I had let the team down. There was nothing I could do about it. Sigh. Then their lead grew back up to about 8 minutes.<br />
<br />
It was about 7:45 in the morning. Jake was out on his last leg, getting ready to hand off to Shawn for his last leg. Shawn had asked me to take his last leg, 4.5 miles. I told him "NO WAY." I'm done. I can barely hold a 7:40 pace. I'd rather not run if that's the fastest I can go. Then, Shawn got out of the van and walked to get into the port-a-potty line. He could barely walk he was limping so badly. He had given it all he had after the prior weekend's Marine Corps Marathon. While he waited in line, I changed my clothes and pinned on a number. When he got out, I told him... "I got this." The lead was still 8 minutes. I had no idea how I was going to pull this off, but I was going to. This was a very hilly 4.5 miles, and I gave all I had. I managed somehow to run a 6:30 final mile, but I didn't make much of a dent in their lead. Maybe 40 seconds. But... We still have George!<br />
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<b>Catching Up</b><br />
Mark was not ready at the exchange, and I had to look for him and it took about 60-90 seconds. Even though I screamed for him and made a complete jerk of myself at the exchange, I totally forgive him. You'll see why later. He made up some ground also, but then he handed off to George DeWitt. George DeWitt is no doubt one of the best runners I know.<br />
<br />
We gave George a double-leg. The first section had a nasty hill. The second section was long and not flat, either. During the first section, he chased down their 16:30 5k guy and got him in sight. He was not able to catch him, but he was looking over his shoulder at George. He was hurting and George never let up on him. When he handed off to his teammate, George just kept chugging.<br />
<br />
George caught the other runner very early in the second part of his double-leg. I thought George would put a good 5 minutes on this second guy, but I have to take my hat off to him. This guy gritted and suffered. You could see it on his face. He was HURTING. He managed to keep George in his sight. I totally admire the effort that guy gave to keep George close.<br />
<br />
When George came to the finish of his double leg, he handed off to Mark with less than a 200m lead. I really believed that we were toast at that point. Their guy shot out of the exchange and caught and passed Mark very early. Mark told me that he just wanted to keep him in his sight. This leg was another hilly 6.4 mile stretch. Mark kept him close. Then, on one of the hills, their dude started walking up the hill! That gave Mark insane energy and hope! He closed the gap, and then on the next hill, Mark hammered the up and blew past him. Then, when Mark got past him, he didn't look back! He just ran as hard as he could, hammering the hills because he knew it was that guy's weakness, not knowing how much distance he was putting between him and their guy. When Mark got to the exchange, he had opened up more than a two minute lead in about 10k! And Mark completely collapsed at the exchange from exhaustion. That was the gutsiest run I've ever witnessed in person. <b>MARK FREEMAN IS A BEAST!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Then, Mark handed off to Andy Durr, the closer. We knew that their second strongest runner was going to anchor and finish. Could Andy build enough of a cushion during the first part of his double-leg? We were on pins and needles and have been since about 8:00 AM! Andy added to Mark's lead during the first part of his double-leg. Then, their fast guy took over but Andy had over two minutes and less than 6 miles. Durr ran very hard and kept the lead. What an effort! The lead was shrinking, but safe. We saw the "One Mile to Go" sign, and Andy's lead was a good 200 meters, and he kicked it in! The lead was NOT shrinking by much at all! Andy was moving! With less than half a mile to go, the lead was still nearly 200 meters. Then, there were some turns through downtown Nashville, and we lost Andy and his competitor.<br />
<br />
I hopped out of the van and ran to the finish to see Andy win, to see if there would be a sprint. I ran past several of the other Memphomaniacs, and Andy had passed but they hadn't seen their guy. I ran to the finish to congratulate Andy. It turns out that their guy had taken a wrong turn and finished ahead of Andy. But he never passed Andy, and Andy ran the correct course. What!?!?<br />
<br />
So, the Race Director, not wanting to DQ the other team, claimed that the city blocks should be equal distance and that both teams would be considered first place in the Ultra Division. Now, there is no way they ran the same distance at the end. No. Way. The lead that Andy had was not going to be made up in the distance left. And, there is no route they could have taken which would have been equivalent. They cut the course short. The Race Director made the wrong call. Period.<br />
<br />
But, we're okay with it. No money on the line. We wanted to break 24 hours. We ran 23:55, and there is no way we would have without those guys pushing us.<br />
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That was far and away the best race experience I've ever had!<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
I cannot say how much I appreciate all of the guys on this team. Those two days were great. Every one of those guys is a quality human being. Every. One. We talked about everything from work (yeah, we did talk some shop) to family to bathroom habits to port-a-john disgustingness to racing strategy to length of hair (Andy, really, you're OK!). We talked about Jesus, creation, the kings of Israel and Judah, the prophets, and Samson. Great times running and not running!Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-16960395824338934912012-10-14T20:27:00.000-05:002012-10-14T21:12:04.501-05:0026.2 Questions: Long Run Pace?I've been pacing long runs for participants in <a href="http://fleetfeethuntsville.com/">Fleet Feet Huntsville</a>'s <a href="http://www.fleetfeethuntsville.com/training/rocket-city-marathon-training">Rocket City Marathon Training program</a>. During these runs, I've gotten some very good questions about marathon training that I'd like to address with the next few posts on this blog. The head coach for the program is <a href="http://fleetfeetracinghuntsville.blogspot.com/2012/02/2012-fleet-feet-racing-david-rawlings.html">David Rawlings</a>. Assisting is <a href="http://fleetfeetracinghuntsville.blogspot.com/2012/02/2012-fleet-feet-racing-christy-scott.html">Christy Scott</a>. Christy is an <a href="http://www.rrca.org/programs/coaching-certification/">RRCA certified</a> coach and has written the running schedules that the participants use. I want to preface the next few posts by saying that am just a dude who decided to run a marathon in less than 3 hours, has run 7 marathons, and has read a few books on the subject. I am not an expert. I defer to Christy and David for individual advice during the program and welcome their opinions and corrections to anything I say here. But I hope I can offer some insight that is based both on experience and knowledge.<br />
<br />
I believe both David and Christy would agree with me that there is no "one size fits all" training program. We all have different abilities, goals, available time, and reasons for running a marathon. All of those affect your training for a marathon. However, there are some fairly fundamental physiological principles that any training program should be based upon. I'll try to provide some comment and application of these principles. Your mileage may vary. Ok, disclaimer done...<br />
<br />
Probably the most common question I've gotten during my time pacing is something like, "What pace should I run for my long run?" Or "Why is my recommended long run pace so slow?" I have at least three ideas that can shed some light on those questions.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>One of the most fundamental principles of training is the principle of specificity. Your training needs to be specific for the event that you're training for. You need to replicate the demands of race day on your body as closely as you can without putting so much stress on your body that you end up getting injured. That's why long runs are the bread and butter of marathon training. That may not have helped with the original questions, though. Stay with me...</li>
<li>Unfortunately (Or fortunately, I'm not sure which!) the human body just cannot handle running 26.2 miles as fast as possible very often. Training specificity might seem to imply that you should run 26.2 miles over and over, faster and faster until race day. Or it might seem to suggest that you should run marathon pace at progressively longer distances until you get to 26.2 miles. However, neither approach is good. Do either one, especially while training for your first marathon, and you'll almost certainly get hurt. So how do we apply the principle of specificity?</li>
<li>Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas, in their excellent book <i>Advanced Marathoning</i>, recommend that long runs should be 10% to 20% slower than your target marathon pace. So, for example, if you plan on running a 4 hour marathon (about 9:09 per mile), then 10% slower is just over 10 minutes per mile and 20% slower is about 11 minutes per mile. What this means is that if you run 22 miles (that just so happens to be the longest run of Christy's excellent schedule) at 11 minutes per mile, then you will have run for about the same amount of time that you will run on race day! Twenty percent slower is close enough to race pace that it promotes strong form and it gets you moving on your feet in a reasonably similar posture as marathon pace for the length of time of the marathon.</li>
</ol>
<div>
In summary, you won't have run 26.2 miles at your goal marathon pace before race day, and that's right. However, you will have a very solid training base. You will have lots of miles on your legs. You will likely be in the best condition of your life. You will have run for the same amount of time as the marathon should take.</div>
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<b>Trust your training!</b> Christy and David know what they're doing.</div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-13151530588344140022012-10-06T16:07:00.001-05:002012-10-06T16:07:12.713-05:00The Good WeeksSometimes you have good weeks of training. Sometimes you have bad ones. It has taken me quite a while to learn that a good week doesn't mean I'm Meb Keflezighi and a bad week doesn't mean that I'm back at 240 pounds and barely able to finish 2 miles. I'm still learning that. I still get cocky when my planned pace and distance feel easier than expected and very down on myself when I have to bail on a workout. But I am learning. And I learn from my good workouts and from my bad ones.<br />
<br />
This week, I was fortunate enough to have a week full of good workouts. I think there were a lot of factors that contributed to that. Some were in my control and some were not. One was weather. I was able to workout in some really good weather this week. Second is company. I had at least one partner for six of my 8 runs this week. That really makes a difference. Third is attitude. I just wanted to run this week. Every day. I realized that my mileage was too high by Thursday or I would have doubled on Thursday, too. I had to talk myself out of runs instead of into runs.<br />
<br />
The key workouts were two 20 milers, a track workout (4x200 + 3x400 + 2x800 + 3x400 + 4x200), and a 7 mile tempo (6:30 overall pace) run. Yeah, that may be too much for one week. But I feel great. Also, it doesn't mean I'm going to run a world record (or even a personal record) race any time soon.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-85357038825723594442012-10-01T13:22:00.000-05:002012-10-01T13:24:22.654-05:00Elkmont Rails to Trails 10kFirst, I want to congratulate Whitney Hollingsworth for pulling off such a good race. She had record attendance this year, and Whitney is just one of the good, selfless, loving people on this earth, not to mention a very strong runner. I enjoy this race and I am thankful that I had an opportunity to support this race and cause today. I wish I had done more to help her.<br />
<br />
I didn't plan to run a 10k race today. I was planning to join the Fleet Feet 26.2 group for an easy 15 miler and a few extra miles afterward. We were meeting in Huntsville at 6:00 AM. I just completely slept through my alarm. I totally don't remember it. I guess I turned it off, but I just don't remember. I hopped out of bed wide awake at 6:10. Oh well. Still time to go to Elkmont. So I did.<br />
<br />
This is such a unique race. It's a downhill first 5k with a seriously downhill second mile (-125 feet). The entire second 5k is a gradual uphill gaining 200 feet spread over 3.1 miles. It's a strategic race, for sure. Have a look at the elevation graph below.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2v8B7PVBck_l6kmMJVyWbOBADJDSgs7mt2WECmbatRS4yIiqNoXjjEwG7vcKDRdPiFRjZBNNxxTiW7WA7k2D6HnCR2bRZCT9fA7kB32ZQmc9B1bdftrNOYLxXYCfpmXNfFTYKf0y3lQ/s1600/Rails-Trails-10k-Elevation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2v8B7PVBck_l6kmMJVyWbOBADJDSgs7mt2WECmbatRS4yIiqNoXjjEwG7vcKDRdPiFRjZBNNxxTiW7WA7k2D6HnCR2bRZCT9fA7kB32ZQmc9B1bdftrNOYLxXYCfpmXNfFTYKf0y3lQ/s400/Rails-Trails-10k-Elevation.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elevation of Elkmont Rails to Trails 10k</td></tr>
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<br />
I know I'm not in shape to run a strong 10k, so I knew this would be miserable. I've been struggling to run 5-6 mile tempo runs at 6:30 to 6:35, so how could I expect to run a 10k any faster? Also, I ran pretty hard earlier this week. So, I have plenty of excuses. But the bottom line is that I'm a little heavy and out of shape. When I began warming up, I knew it wasn't going to be a great day. It was humid and I just didn't feel great. But I'm here and signed up. I may as well go.<br />
<br />
There were lots of fast people at this race, so I had no delusions of competing or winning masters. George DeWitt is in great shape right now in his triathlon training. Tim Vinson is getting stronger as he does every fall. And out front there was George Heeschen and Tyrone Harris. This race always draws a competitive crowd.<br />
<br />
My strategy was simple. Let gravity do the work in the first half. If I felt like I was pushing the pace in the first half, I was going too fast. Then, I was just going to hold on as much as I could in the second half. If someone was near me, hang on to them. Maybe a more specific strategy and a definite goal would have been good.<br />
<br />
That's pretty much what I did. I tried to keep Tim Vinson in sight and I did for most of the first half. If he faded at all in the second half, I would try to close the distance. He didn't fade. I did. I positive split this course by nearly two minutes, which means that I completely fell apart.<br />
<br />
I ran a 39:14 which was good enough for first in the 40-44 age group and 9th overall. My splits were 6:05, 5:54, 6:13, 6:33 (the beginning of the meltdown), 6:36, 6:39, and 1:05. I wish I had pushed a little harder in the last half, but I just didn't. I knew that a PR was out of reach. There was nobody that I had a chance to catch and nobody had a chance to catch me. I gave some thought to breaking 39, but I didn't even hang on enough to do that. I finished this race, but I definitely quit at mile 4.<br />
<br />
There was a young guy ahead of me. I saw Tim pass him and I knew he was struggling. He probably broke 39, and he was limping and miserable at the finish. I really admired the tough race he ran. I congratulated and hugged and complimented his toughness at the end of the race. I'll look at the results to get his name. Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-54712110021740976412012-09-27T18:22:00.001-05:002012-09-27T20:58:12.726-05:00Just Admit ItIt's time for me to just admit it. I'm not in as good of shape as I was in last year. I won't be in PR shape for any of this fall's races, either. There just isn't enough time to cover the distance between where I am now and where I was last year. So here I am accepting reality and living with the consequences of the decisions I made to become sloppy with my diet and to sleep in and thereby reduce my mileage.<br />
<br />
But there is time to have an outstanding winter ultra season. There is time to get in shape for a Mountain Mist PR. There is time to get in good enough shape to have a very strong 50 mile debut at Lookout Mountain.(See how I've already given up on Dizzy?!? I may never run 50 miles at that race.) There is time to get in shape to show up strong at Black Warrior. I know what I have to do. Clean up my diet and run more disciplined. Simple.<br />
<br />
And... There is time to pick out a spring marathon and sub-3 again. Why not aim for sub 2:55 this time? Any recommendations for a good, fast, reasonably accessible on a budget spring marathon?<br />
<br />
Reality hit me today on the track. I totally bailed on my workout. I was planning to do a combo workout... 4x200m fast, 2x2mile tempo, and 4x200m fast. I did not make it. I did 4 very consistent 200m repeats at 37 seconds. Then, I did a 2 mile interval at 6:28 and 6:29. I thought I was dying, though. I knew that there was no way I was finishing today's workout. I did one more mile at 6:32 and decided to recover a bit and try the last 200m repeats. I did one. One. I ran it in 41 seconds and kinda don't remember the last 20 yards or so. I don't remember hitting my watch, so it may have been faster or slower. I just remember standing next to the fence near the finish line on the track. That was my cue to just cut off the workout. I should have been able to nail that workout, but I don't think there is any doubt that I gave it all I had.<br />
<br />
Maybe it was the 85 degree heat? Maybe it just wasn't my day?Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-16196503077398034422012-08-28T23:15:00.000-05:002012-08-28T23:15:11.999-05:00Fall Is Coming!I should have posted more this summer, but then you would know how lazy I've been. My plan was to build a huge base this summer, but that didn't work out. I had some real struggles just getting up in the mornings. Since I was planning to build a large base, I didn't do any hard workouts. So, I ended up running 55-75 easy miles per week, depending on how many mornings I could get up. I did keep a fairly consistent 18-22 miler every week. I was really hoping for more miles, but oh well.<br />
<br />
Anyway, it's time to start training for fall race season, and I've squandered away another summer. I have a plan for next summer, though. It'll be similar to last summer because last fall/winter was my best ever.<br />
<br />
I have big, crazy plans for this fall. I'm a pace leader for the weekends training with the <a href="http://www.fleetfeethuntsville.com/training/rocket-city-marathon-training">Fleet Feet 26.2</a> group. I'm planning to pace Rocket City again this year. That is so much fun! This year, it'll be more like work than it will be like fun, though. I've been asked to pace the 3:15 group. That's a stretch for me. I can run a 3:15, but it will not be comfortable like 3:30 was. The week after that, (yes, only one week after pacing a 3:15 marathon) I am planning to run the Lookout Mountain 50 miler. This may be my first 50 miler. This one doesn't have the option to stop without a DNF, so maybe I can get through it. Big plans.<br />
<br />
Today, I did a tempo run. It was a weird day. I'm traveling and I'm in an unfamiliar area. I googled around for a greenway system nearby and found one. I was hoping to get 5 tempo miles done. I drove to the trailhead and started running only to realize that my watch battery was dead. How on earth will I know how far I've run? How will I know my pace? How will I get in a tempo run? Ugh. So, I started and hoped for the best. My watch completely died about a mile into the run. Then, after about another quarter of a mile, I saw a 400 meter track! Nice! My workout can be saved. But how will I time my tempo run? I'll know how far, but not how fast... Here's what I'll do. I'll run back to my car and get my phone and use the stopwatch on it.<br />
<br />
Done. So, after nearly a 4 mile warm up, I hit the track and set my phone down at the 400m start and started the stopwatch. I was just going to run by feel, hoping to run about 6:30 pace. So, I had no feedback during the run at all. I ran 20 laps (~5 miles) in 32:22 without ever looking at the stopwatch! I was terribly surprised by how accurate my pacing was! Nice. Really enjoyed the workout. 10.5 total with 5 tempo.<br />
<br />
Let's start getting serious about fall!Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-90424003273893889252012-06-16T18:39:00.001-05:002012-06-16T18:40:37.574-05:00Summer RunningThis is the beginning of the fifth summer that I've been a runner. I'm 40 now, and the first summer that I ran was the summer after I turned 36. I know it's not summer yet, but it may as well be. We're past Memorial Day and the kids are out of school. Anyway...<br />
<br />
The first three summers, I didn't run much. Heat zaps me more than anything else I can think of, even fatigue. I just have not been able to run well in the summer. Last summer was the first summer that I didn't take mostly off. Last summer, I maintained a base of about 55-60 miles with some fast, short stuff mixed in. That seemed to work well and improved my leg turnover.<br />
<br />
This summer, I have a crazy plan. I'm planning to build my biggest base ever. I'm hoping to build up to 90-100 miles per week. I'm planning to do this with easy to moderately paced miles. I'll be running anywhere from marathon pace to 10:00 miles. I plan to double as much as possible and run at least a 20 miler every week. Then, I'll mix in some fast running closer to race season this fall. I got the idea from reading about Lydiard principles. We'll see how my body responds.<br />
<br />
Today, I did a very hilly (no enormous hills, but the course was relentless rolling hills) 21 miler. Whew! It was brutal. I really enjoyed the hills, but I completely fell apart at 18 miles. I had absolutely nothing left and walked a lot of the last 2 miles. The road had very light traffic (that's what I was hoping for when I chose the route and time of day). I found myself wishing for a car to pass! At about 19.5 miles, I heard a car coming from behind me. I turned around and saw that it was a relatively late model mini-van. I was desperate to stop running. So, yes, I did. I stuck my thumb out. But he kept on driving by. I'm 0 for 1 in hitching a ride! It probably took me about 18 minutes to run that last mile and a half. I was done!<br />
<br />
I just felt the need to run all of my energy out today. I succeeded.<br />
<br />
Anyway, that's my interesting Saturday morning run story for this week.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-45365003817769495092012-06-10T14:26:00.002-05:002012-06-10T14:26:46.998-05:00Quick Medical UpdateSince I mentioned my medical problems here earlier, I figured I should give an update. I'm no longer taking twice per day injections of Lovenox. Instead, I have switched to once per day oral pills of Coumadin. My eye has completely cleared up. We don't know if it's the blood thinner or if it just cleared up on its own. I don't know exactly how long I'll be on the blood thinner, but I won't be trail running while I'm on it. That's fine with me because I'm not a huge fan of summer trail running anyway.<br />
<br />
This past week I've been battling chest congestion and just haven't felt like running. I took a whole week off. Today's run felt great and I'm really looking forward to getting back in the swing of things and getting a huge base for some fast fall races.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-57182764332930691212012-06-02T22:47:00.002-05:002012-06-02T22:47:58.312-05:00Eurocross 5k and 8kI was on the fence for doing this race. We had a slumber party for my daughters' birthday Friday night. So, I figured I'd be very tired. But, I must say that those girls were the best behaved bunch of girls ever! I even had a ton of fun with this slumber party!<br />
<br />
Then, I woke up at 6:00 AM or so, and a potential solution to a technical problem I've been struggling with for 3 days just popped inexplicably into my head. So, I grabbed my phone and typed up an email before I got out of bed. Then, I was feeling sick. Sore throat. Coughing up phlegm. Yuck. I thought about just not going at all. As usual, when I talk myself into running, I'm glad I did!<br />
<br />
I rushed over to UAHuntsville to sign up for the race. I remembered how much fun this was when I did it back in 2009. I have no idea why I haven't run it for the past two years. I have this little boy inside of me who thinks silly things are funny (even bathroom humor) and who really likes mud. I love this race! After getting signed up, I jogged around a bit and saw lots of friends, some I haven't seen for a while. I knew this was going to be a good day, no matter how I ran.<br />
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<b>The 5k</b><br />
At the start line of the 5k, I was hanging with Jim Clemens and Marty Clarke. I figured both of those guys would finish ahead of me in the masters, and I was right. We had several laughs, and I wasn't quite ready to run yet. In fact, my overall pace for the 8k was faster than for the 5k. Go figure.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs0f7kfOYFeKJf87xNz4dY7xb7Xie_gWEiPs5MCw8k9i9nh3gtHR0e7UN0uMdg_LTsw6GvAjVdXQG5c3c0kn-DN3kyvKyxXyp6Z-TLW02dlEcRuyIAHuw7gL3TAk1x4wWmF0zsgld1IE/s1600/Eurocross2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs0f7kfOYFeKJf87xNz4dY7xb7Xie_gWEiPs5MCw8k9i9nh3gtHR0e7UN0uMdg_LTsw6GvAjVdXQG5c3c0kn-DN3kyvKyxXyp6Z-TLW02dlEcRuyIAHuw7gL3TAk1x4wWmF0zsgld1IE/s320/Eurocross2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now that's a game face!</td></tr>
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At the start, I hung with Marty and Jim for most of a loop. Then, Marty put a lead on both of us. I was trying to keep them close, but I really just didn't feel it. I did really poorly on the creek crossings during the 5k. I fell at least 6 of the 10 crossings. I just struggled to find the right spot to cross. I was running 4:05 or so laps, except the last two. Again, I started to struggle at the end of the 5k. Jim stayed close to Marty. I fell behind. I just struggled. 21:06, 6th overall and 2nd (behind Jim) in the 40-44 age group.<br />
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<b>The 8k</b><br />
I only rested for about 15 minutes after the 5k. After that, I jogged around just to keep my legs loose. I did very easy jogging. Jim left after the 5k. So, that left Marty and me to battle again. I decided that I wasn't going to give up quite as easily. I still wasn't feeling great, but I was going to have fun, no matter what happened.<br />
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At the start, Marty and I ran together for most of the first loop. The young fast guys took off and I was content to let them. The first creek crossing was much shallower than I expected. I didn't even get my feet wet on this one! I made a slight move just before this crossing to lead a small pack that formed behind the fast younguns. This time, on the creek crossings, I knew what I was doing. I had my line picked out and didn't fall even once. During the last crossing on the first lap, I heard a splash right behind me. It was Rob Youngren. He passed me after exiting the water. I tried to keep him in sight, but I know that if Rob wants to beat me, Rob can beat me.<br />
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I still was watching Marty from behind. My lead seemed to be growing. Rob was also putting some distance on me. During the third lap, I had what I thought was an insurmountable lead on Marty. I passed by him as he was climbing the hill to enter the trail and I was turning toward the start/finish to begin my last lap. He said, "I'm about to start my kick, Eric!" Wiley veteran. I believed him! I ran as hard as I could early in the last lap! If he was going to kick, I was going to kick, too. When I started the last creek crossing and I noticed that Mary hadn't even entered the creek for the second crossing yet. He suckered me!<br />
<br />
I finished 33:41, 4th overall, and first master. Yep. This was my first ever masters win. Marty told me, "That's one in a row. That's how most streaks start!"<br />
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After the race, Rob told me that he stayed behind me in the first loop to learn where to cross the creeks because he hadn't run the 5k. I got used by two veterans today! I'm going to be learning about this sport for a long time.<br />
<br />
Overall a great, fun day.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-63947300000771852592012-05-24T22:36:00.002-05:002012-05-24T22:38:41.208-05:00Steeplechase 8kI know it's late, but is it better than never?<br />
<br />
On May 5, I rode over to Decatur with my good friend and Sunday morning regular Lance to race in the <a href="http://steeplechase8k.org/">Steeplechase 8k</a>. I really had no idea what the competition would be at this race. I knew that several fast folks were racing other places, like the Spring Zing 5k in Huntsville, the Coca Cola 10k in Corinth, MS, and the serious ultra runners would be running the Strolling Jim 40 miler in Bell Buckle, TN.<br />
<br />
Overall, this is a very nice event with very good organization and good swag. I highly recommend this race. I ran 30:25 which was good enough for 2nd overall (bridesmaid) and 1st in the 35-39 age group.<br />
<br />
When I got there and signed up, I saw Victor Brown, and knew that I would at least finish behind him. I figured I would try to keep up, but I know that he is in much better shape than I am right now. Then, I saw Brandon York warming up and knew that he would dominate the race. Who else might be close by? I didn't see anyone I knew, but that doesn't mean that there isn't someone there who can outrun me. Well, I figured I wasn't going to win and I was probably going to run away with my age group. Good enough. I figured I'd aim for sub-30.<br />
<br />
I felt pretty good, but I just didn't know what to expect. It was hotter than it had been, so that was a factor. And this is not an easy course, no matter what the website says. Also, I had recently started twice daily Lovenox injections, so I didn't know what to expect from my body.<br />
<br />
<b>The Start</b><br />
After a warm-up with Lance and a few strides and some quick dynamic stretching, we toed the line. The race director made a couple of comments about how well marked the course was this year and how that nobody should get miss a turn this year... Yeah, I did that at this race last year. I turned an 8k into a 5.25 mile run. I will say that the course was better marked this year, but I had studied the map. I didn't plan to make the same mistake twice.<br />
<br />
After a prayer and a few announcements we were off at 7:03. Brandon, of course, was way out front along with a few kids who didn't know better. By a half a mile in, I was in second place, wondering when Victor would drop me. I was still feeling pretty good at the 1 mile split which I hit at 5:54. Not too bad. A little slower than I expected, but still ok.<br />
<br />
About mile and a half, I noticed Victor right on my shoulder. I knew that he likes to start conservatively and then come on strong. I hung with him for a minute or so, but then let him go on ahead. I knew that he was out of my league. I probably gave up too soon. He put a few seconds on me and I hit mile two in 5:52 (11:46).<br />
<br />
<b>The End</b><br />
I have no idea what happened in mile 3. Victor kept getting smaller and smaller, and I was slowing down and could do nothing about it. I really don't know why. I didn't feel bad, but more effort didn't produce more speed for some reason, so I had to find a groove and settle in. And this third mile was awful, even though it's a pretty easy, flat mile. 6:14. Why? I don't know.<br />
<br />
Victor was totally out of reach now. Nothing I can do except to just hope for sub 30, but that 3rd mile was going to make this very difficult. I just kept chugging along, never really feeling a good rhythm. I just couldn't settle in to a pace that I felt I could maintain. I pushed hard only to realize I was going to blow up if I didn't back off. And so I would back off.<br />
<br />
I struggled up the Gordon Street overpass, cursing the rise and losing sight of Victor after he crested the hill. By the time I got to the top, I couldn't see him any more. Had he hammered the hill and gained that much of a lead? I made the turn and didn't see him. I never saw him again. Where did he go? Oh well, I figured he had just dropped me badly. I knew I was fading, so I wasn't surprised. Mile 4: 6:12. Yuck.<br />
<br />
I just hung on begging for the finish. I knew that 30 minutes was no longer a reasonable possibility. Ugh. I'm blaming the medicine because I like to have an excuse. Mile 5 (0.97): 6:11. Double yuck. My new race strategy seems to be start out on a reasonable pace and blow up anyway.<br />
<br />
<b>Post-Race</b><br />
It turns out that Victor missed a turn and that's how I came in 2nd and lost sight of him. I hate that it turned out that way for him. I relate because I did the same thing at this race last year. So, I was the 3rd best runner and 2nd overall finisher.<br />
<br />
Check out the video on the Steeplechase 8k website. At 1:35 or so, that's my buddy Lance after the finish. That's how a race is supposed to feel! Congrats to Brandon York for setting a course record. Victor still won the masters title. And, the post race grub was VERY good. Chick Fil A biscuits and bananas and cookies. Nice!Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737587279120391681.post-2026681689659632642012-05-14T11:01:00.000-05:002012-05-14T11:01:33.444-05:00Quick UpdateI have a couple of race recaps I'd like to write soon. I have back to back runner up finishes in completely different ways. I'd like to chronicle and share the experience.<br />
<br />
First, a quick explanation of my absence...<br />
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<li>I have been reflecting on my sub-3 hour marathon. When you have a goal that takes two years and three attempts, it's difficult to move past achieving it. I'm by no means complacent. I'm working hard and trying to get faster. But I'm trying to determine what should be my next BHAGO (Big Hairy Goals and Objective).</li>
<li>I have still had many of the same personal struggles. I'm trying to overcome, but I'm afraid that I will have to accept a new normal and learn to work with it. Ugh. Maybe more on that later.</li>
<li>I have had some medical issues. A little over a month ago, I lost vision in my right eye. It was the oddest thing. I just saw a bunch of purple and black spots in my right eye. It was like I had just stood up really quickly and had a temporary loss of vision and lightheadedness that sometimes comes with that. Except that it lasted minutes instead of seconds and I wasn't light headed and I hadn't just stood up quickly. It happened a few times for just a few minutes. Then, one night it happened and lasted pretty much all night, so I went to the doctor (actually about 5 different doctors). Long story short, I had a <a href="http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/798583-overview">retinal vein occlusion</a> in my right eye. Apparently, I'm outside of the typical demographic for that condition, so more thorough tests were run to determine the root cause. It turns out that I have a couple of genetic conditions that make my blood likely to clot (don't ask me what they are, I'm an engineer, not a medical person.) So, now I'm on twice per day subcutaneous injections of <a href="http://www.lovenox.com/consumer/default.aspx">Lovenox</a>. It hurts. My stomach is all bruised up from the injections. And I feel like crap. I'm terribly sluggish. I just ran an 18:08 5k that felt like I was being beaten with a baseball bat for the entire last mile. The bright side is that my vision is crystal clear now!</li>
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<br /></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12349682601677809433noreply@blogger.com2