Looking Ahead To 2011

Resolve is ever present with the coming of each new year.  Although resolutions can be made at any given time, (for many) New Year's is the perfect time to set some goals.  The new year gives you a fixed time to complete your objective, which in turn makes it measurable.  A year also allows ample time to complete a well thought out goal. I personally tend to get down on myself when faltering on the path towards any particular aspiration. It's nice knowing however, that one or two slip-ups along the way won't eradicate my chances of hitting my target; they just make it a little bit more difficult.

For someone like me who enjoys crunching numbers and doing comparisons, I've always thought that a key component of goals is that they're measurable. In 2010 though, one thing I've come to learn is that a goal (for me) doesn't necessarily have to be so.  A goal just needs to be something I can imagine myself achieving.  Whether that's measurable or tangible isn't important, just that it's there is enough to motivate me along the way.

Afer reviewing my goals for 2010, I have to sit back and laugh just a little bit.  I was very ambitious, but also maybe a little reckless.  OK, no maybe about it... I was completely reckless! 

• For someone that had only been running for 9 months, attempting to log 2,500 miles for the year was just plain dumb.  Looks like I'll end up around the 1,800 mile mark for the year.  A far cry from 2,500.
• Running 8 races was far beyond my abilities.  I managed to get 5 actual races in, along with a "Fun Run" that I'll go ahead and count.  That puts me at 6.
• And honestly, running a hundred miler was audacious to say the least (even though I did accomplish this). 

With last year's results in mind - along with the wisdom I've gained from my first full year of running -  I've come up with some goals that seem very attainable for the coming year...

• 2,200 miles for the year
• 6 races (at least one hundred miler)
• Gain balance in my personal life

The last one is something that I completely failed to achieve last year.  It's funny because when announcing my goals for 2010, I said "my head is telling me that these numbers are the balance I'm trying to achieve".  I thought that totally focusing on running and pushing myself to the edge would bring me balance.  Exhibiting brazen disregard for others (and myself) is not balanced by any stretch of the imagination, though.  I especially want to thank Lydia for this revelation!  She opened my eyes up to the fact that my obsession was reforming other aspects of my life.  Jumping from a harmful addiction to a positive one is still addiction.  Period.  Passion for running itself is not harmful; allowing it to control your life is.  Of course, I have other non-running related goals that - hopefully - can also help me achieve those related to running.

I've learned so much about myself in the last year.  Much of it comes because of the things I've accomplished.  However, without the guidance of goals to push me forward and to keep me motivated, things probably would have been lost in the shuffle.  I look forward to working on these goals, and to conjuring up many more short term goals to help me along the road to success in 2011!

Gettin' Out The Door

It’s so difficult to get motivated about running when the weather doesn’t cooperate. The key word there is “motivated” because once I’m out there I always enjoy the experience. The difficulty lies in pushing my sorry butt out the door! I love running in the snow, but we’ve been experiencing a lot of rain in the last few weeks here in Salt Lake. Definitely not normal for this time of year! Add some wind into the mix and it makes for difficult circumstances and miserable days.  Though it’s been tough, I’ve been keeping a consistent base for the last 2 months or so. I’ve had a couple really bad weeks with low numbers, but they were due more to scheduling conflicts than anything else (since I typically run in the evenings).  Maybe I should think about running in the mornings to alleviate this problem?

Now the party starts though! I’m thirteen weeks out from the Buffalo Run 50 Miler and I feel like I’m in a good position to have a great run there. I’ve got a time goal in mind, but I’ll save that for my next post. I’ve put in a couple 20+ mile efforts in the last month and I feel well rested. Now I’m hoping to push myself and build up to 70 mile weeks in the next two months to get me ready for the race.

All the nice new gear I got for my birthday and Christmas helps me too. It's nice to have a few items to select from as well, instead of just one smelly outfit to wear nearly every day.  I’m most excited about logging some vertical with my new Suunto Core. I’ve wanted one for about a year now and I was finally able to justify the expense. Here’s to training for 2011!

Feeling Good Again

After posting last month about all the issues I've been having with my legs, I finally decided that I needed to rest.  So I took a break from running for 10 days.  I hit the gym almost every day during that time, but my cardio was limited to spinning or the elliptical.  No impact whatsoever!  I also did some lifting every other day and heavily iced my legs.  The result: my first pain-free run last night in over 2 months.  I'm not gonna lie, it felt great!  Hopefully I can stay on top of this issue now that I've ruled out a stress fracture.  I was sweatin' it during my time off.  My mind typically trends toward the worst case scenario, though.

I had a ton of time to really let my mind wander.  I got to thinking of a few things...

First of all, my time off reinforced my thoughts about the need to make my body bulletproof.  Not literally of course, but to really focus on not having one shred of weakness.  Going to the gym last week really brought the idea home, so I've decided to add a little gym time to my training regimen.  Of course that means more time dedicated to training, but I think the payoff is definitely worth it!

My run yesterday was at a very relaxed pace.  I think I tend to overdo it sometimes and push it too hard, too often.  A slower pace really let's me focus on my form and gives my body the time it needs to respond appropriately.  Coupled with the right pair of shoes for me, I feel like I'm in good form again... Finally!

The other thing I've had a lot of time to think about is my diet.  I eat fairly sensibly, but sometimes feel like I may not get all the nutrition I need for my active lifestyle.  Oddly enough, I've spent some time reading about vegan diets lately.  While I have no desire to live a vegan lifestyle, I think that incorporating more plants and seeds into my diet is very important.  I do ok with fruits and grains, but I'm terrible with the veggies!  Definitely need more green stuff in my diet.

While it sucks to have time off from running, the last week and a half have been pretty eye-opening for me.  Sometimes just putting in the miles is not enough!  It's about evolving and incorporating change where change is needed.  I can honestly say that I'm glad I was in pain, but I'm also glad it wasn't something major.  Just enough to open my eyes to new, more educated ideas.

A Time To Be Thankful

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, it's a time to reflect on all the things we've been blessed with.  As much as I complain about injuries and life frustrations on here, I truly have much to be thankful for.  I have the most amazing woman that I can proudly call my wife!  I have an awesome and very supportive family.  I've been blessed with the ability and health to travel distances on my own two feet.  And I live in a nation where I'm free to share thoughts and opinions with those who care to read or listen.  I am truly blessed!

This time of year is also a time to start thinking about my schedule for next year.  With lotteries for many ultra events coming up over the course of the next month or so, it's time to start planning for 2011.  I've had numerous people ask what's next for me.  For those not engulfed in the running world, they ask what's next once you've completed a 100 mile race?  The way I see it, you can go three different ways:

1. You can go further and start doing multi-day events/longer distances.
2. You can cut back to shorter distances like marathons, half-marathons, 10K's, etc.
3. You can try to set new personal-best times at the distances you're currently running.

I'm going with the third option.  I have no desire to go any further for the time being.  I also have no desire to go shorter since I do plenty of it in training.  So I think for now I'll just stick with what I'm doing and try to set new PR's for myself.  I've decided the best option for 2011 is to do the same races I did in 2010 with the intent on trying to improve my times at each of them.  I've already got some time goals in my head for each race.  So, I'll be running the Buffalo Run 50 Mile, Speedgoat 50K, and (lotteries willing) the Squaw Peak 50, and Wasatch 100.

I've also been toying with the idea of doing at least 1 more 100 miler next year, and maybe even 2.  I've got 3 other 100's on my radar and will make some decisions once the lottery for Wasatch is over.  For now though, it's just about time to get my entries in and start crossing my fingers for the lotteries.

Scratching The Itch

Typically, my planned day off from running each week falls on Sunday. Of course, I usually end up taking random days off here and there as needed, but that’s neither here nor there. Sundays are my lazy day; a day to rest from the other six jam-packed days of the week. Really just a great day for me to recharge in general!

Every now and then I’ll get an itch on Sunday, though. A few weeks ago I got the itch to get up in the mountains while the weather was still in my favor. Good thing I did too, since it snowed the next day which forced the closing of that canyon road. Then Sunday I woke up to seven or eight inches of fresh snow outside. I don’t particularly like snow (mostly because I’m forced to drive in it), but Sunday was an exception. I got up and just knew I had to get rid of the itch… So I scratched!

After a quick breakfast and change of clothes, I ran out the door and headed to the Jordan River Parkway trail. The trail is very close to my house and it allows me to get off the roads. In fact, I do the majority of my flatland training here due to easy access and lack of cars (read: no cars). What awaited me was pure running bliss! I hopped onto the trail and only saw one other set of footprints for the first half mile or so. From there to my appointed turnaround (about 3 more miles) was fresh, untouched snow. There were literally hundreds of downed branches and trees that made blazing a new trail that much more fun, along with having to push my legs through the moderately deep snow. My Wildcats helped secure my footing and my base layers kept me warm. If only every winter run was so much fun!

Of course the biggest boneheaded move of the day was not taking my camera! I went back last night to get a few pics of my winter playground but the atmosphere just wasn't the same. In fact, it wasn't even close!  Too much traction and melt off left things a sloppy mess.  I really hate lugging my camera around too. Here I am making it sound enormous when it’s actually just a normal compact camera. Anyone know of anything small, light, and convenient to take on a run?

All in all my Sunday excursion was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. After my 19 mile endeavor on Saturday, my legs were a bit taxed and my route that normally takes about 48 minutes, turned into 62 minutes with sore legs and fresh snow. The solitude and scenery were absolutely worth it, though! I’ll give up my regular rest day for a run like this any time!

Running Through The Pain

Why can something as simple as running cause so much pain?

When I sit down and think about that question, it seems like a stupid one. Of course running can lead to pain you idiot! You’re pounding your legs into the ground (with all that weight on top of them) for miles on end. Take an average stride of 150 strides per minute and run for an hour. That means you’re thrusting each of your legs into the ground around 4,500 times an hour. Ouch!

Now that winter’s on our doorstep, I’m trying to transition back to hitting the pavement. I’m having much less success than I’d hoped for! While I’m much stronger than last winter, the long, redundant miles on the road are exposing my weaknesses. On the trails I get to vary my stride and bounce around a bit. On the road I’m going at the same tempo, trying to maintain an efficient stride and pace. The truth is that it’s painful! I’ve been experiencing some posterior shin splints that I’m able to run through, albeit in an extremely uncomfortable fashion.

I think I’ve narrowed it down to a few issues...

The first is my shoes. I rotate between three different pairs of road shoes: A more “minimal” shoe for shorter runs, a transitional shoe for medium length runs, and a more cushioned shoe for long runs. The Brooks (long run shoe) are a perfect balance for me between not enough, and too much shoe. However, I think they might be forcing me to pronate unnaturally. I haven’t experimented much with good road trainers as most of my long runs have been on dirt, so I might have to look into some other options here.

The second issue is my stride. Now that I’m focusing on becoming faster, I think my form has changed. The tread patterns on all my shoes indicate I’m spending much more time on my forefoot than I was before. That’s not a terrible thing, but it’s not the way I stride naturally. I’m obviously forcing the issue when I should be easing into a more natural, faster variation of my current form.

Mostly, I’ve come to realize that you need to be bulletproof to run without injury. You can’t have any weakness in your armor or you’ll be brought to your knees. I have mad respect for all the elite runners out there who train day-in and day-out, all while avoiding injury. I’m still new to the sport, so while it’s frustrating having to deal with injury, it’s fun learning more about what’s causing it. And truthfully - for some reason - I like doing things the hard way! So until my flaws are strengthened, I’ll continue to make friends with the pain!

Ragnar Relay - Las Vegas 2010

I had much more fun than anticipated at Ragnar Vegas over the weekend.  I left for Vegas on Thursday, just after work. Five of us went down together in our crew vehicle that we’d decorated the night before. Here are a few pics of the vehicle..

I went to bed just after we arrived, and got about 4 hours or so, with some tossing and turning mixed in there. Woke up, ate some breakfast, and went to the start. I was in Van 1 and our first legs were all fairly long so we were out there for quite a bit of time. We had fun with it though. The tough thing about this race was I was amped to get started, but I had to wait 4 hours before my first leg.

 Debbie crewing Brent during his leg

Tara running hard on her first leg

Scott showing his "kill" count with Kody crewing

When my run started I blew out the gate and knew I needed to slow down. All this nervous energy was releasing a little too quickly. I was never able to calm down and relax for the whole 7.2 miles of this leg. For road running, this had quite a bit more climb and descent than I’m used to, but all my mountain training gave me an edge over everyone else out there. I was getting roadkills (passing other runners) left and right. Once I hit the final mile mark I thought I had a shot at 20 kills for this leg so I took off. I passed number 17, then 18, and finally passed my 19th runner with about 300 yard to go, but number 20 was just hitting the exchange. Oh well, I kept up my pace and had a final mile split of 5:53. Yikes! Didn’t know I had that kind of speed anymore. It was definitely encouraging.

 "Thing 5" just before the start of his (my) run

Puttin' the hammer down

My second leg was in the dark. Some of the directions were a bit confusing and there were no runners in sight. My lower legs were also hurting me terribly since most of this run was on sidewalks. I kept telling myself one of my favorite quotes: “Become friends with the pain and you’ll never be alone”. It took me almost 15 minutes of running before the first person in front of me came into view. Then, I started picking them off one by one. I kept a close eye on my time for the final mile, but about 1/3 of a mile into it I got stopped twice at a stoplight (since I had to end up on the opposite corner I was standing on) . So I gave up on timing my last mile and just hit it hard all the way to the exchange. Racked up 15 more kills on this 7.2 mile leg. Not bad considering all the pain I was in!

My final leg started in the dark and finished with the sky starting to light up. It was 4.2 miles, all uphill, all on a dirt jeep road. I knew this would play to my benefit! Problem was, I started the leg 4 ½ minutes after the previous runner came through. I knew I had a lot of ground to make up to catch anyone! After about 12 minutes though, the first person came into sight. I knew I’d have a hard time passing too many people since I only had about 20 minutes of running left. I continued to push though and was up to 8 kills when I hit the final mile mark with no one left to pass in front of me... Or so I thought. I cruised the final mile fairly easy, but noticed one runner quite a ways in front of me. He was moving pretty good and I knew I’d have to push it to catch him. I came around the final bend and saw the exchange 300 yards or so in front of me, with the runner less than 50 yards ahead. I put it into stealth mode so he couldn’t hear me as I closed in on him, then blew his doors off with about 100 yards to go. He let out a big grunt and tried to chase me, but I just sped up and beat him fairly easily to the exchange. Now that was fun!

I finished the race with 43 kills; more than the rest of our van combined. It felt good to get out and really open it up. That’s something I haven’t done for a long time since I try to conserve a bit more energy while I’m out there running longer distances. Overall, the experience was really fun! The atmosphere is great and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves out there. I realize that most the people aren’t very committed runners - which is probably why I had as much success as I did - but it still felt good to at least feel fast!

The Post-Wasatch Blues

Not much has been happening over the course of the last month.  After Wasatch I was relegated to a bare bones running schedule.  In fact, I didn't do much running at all the first 3 weeks after the race as my knee would not allow it.  Depressing!  I was going through some anxiety as well and I'm sure I was driving Lydia absolutely crazy.  I was finally able to start running more regularly just a few weeks ago and I'm finally on the mend.  My knee's still only about 90% or so, and while I'm not able to push the hills - or much of a pace for that matter - I'm able to run and that keeps me sane.

To keep me in line, I put together a new schedule to keep me running through winter.  My next real race isn't until next year, but I find that a schedule keeps me on track much better than having nothing to look at.  One of those psychological tricks I use to keep me going.  Whatever works I guess!

I actually shouldn't say that I don't have any "real" races til next year.  I do have a "real" race coming up this weekend.  My friend Scott that helped pace me at Wasatch, invited me to join his Ragnar team since he had several people drop after the Wasatch Back Relay.  So I'm heading down this weekend to do Ragnar Relay Las Vegas.  Should be interesting since Scott is the only person I know on the team.  Looks like it could either be a really long, or really fun weekend.  I've also never done a relay so I'm not sure what to expect.  Looking forward to the unknown!

2010 Wasatch 100 Race Report

As I sit here with a terribly swollen right leg, feet I’m unable to recognize, and aches and pains covering my entire body, I’m still trying to process what happened to me during my first 100 mile journey on foot. It truly was as advertised: “100 Miles of Heaven and Hell”… and then some! The gist of it is that I pushed when I felt good, clawed my way out of some dark pitfalls, and ended up with a very satisfying 28:59:02 finishing time. For those interested in hearing the details, read on…

Every journey begins with a thought
After finishing the St. George Marathon last October, I knew I wanted to attempt a few ultra marathons in the 2010 calendar year. It wasn’t until the last minute – on a whim – that I put my name in for Wasatch. I surprised even myself by doing so, but my family thought I was completely nuts! Really though, I didn’t think I had much of a chance getting in and was more or less trying to get an extra draw for 2011. Fate played me a different card, though! Upon being drawn, I knew I had to get to work. With a little over 6 months to prepare, I was in for some intense training. I used my 50 milers and 50K as training tools and felt like I had a really great plan going into Wasatch.

The Beginning
After some nervous weeks, race day finally arrived. I caught the bus from downtown Salt Lake and we made our way to the starting line. A light drizzle and some wet roads along the way had me a little worried, but upon arrival my fears were diminished; the ground was slightly damp, the clouds were slowly rolling away, and excitement was filling the air. I felt an amazing calm come over me. Not sure what it was, but I did know that 100 miles is a long distance to travel on foot. Worrying at this point would only compound problems that may arise later. After a few quick words and a countdown from the race director, 250ish runners were on their way to tackling the beast that is Wasatch.

After heading north for a very easy first few miles, the trails turns east and begins it’s ascent up the mountain. The trail was not very wide and passing was difficult, but I found myself amongst a group that was keeping a pace which felt comfortable to me. As we made our way up the first few thousand feet of the mountain, we became engulfed by fog and the trail was starting to show signs of crisp, new-fallen snow. It felt as though we were climbing into the clouds… So surreal! The ominous Chinscraper - wrapped in clouds - loomed in the distance, taunting us. Eventually we rounded the bowl beneath it and overtook the steep summit en-route to the first water stop. After a quick water break, we began descending the fog-enveloped dirt road that led us to the first aid station of the day: Francis Peak (mile 18.6). I refilled my bottles, grabbed some gels and some fruit, snagged my shades and my iPod, and was off.

My legs felt great at this point! My pace was relaxed and I was thoroughly enjoying myself as well! The scenery was unmatched and the fog was finally beginning to let up. However, it was here that one of two major problems on the day began rearing its ugly head; my stomach felt great, but unfortunately my bowels did not. I know it’s not very pleasant, but it’s something that affected me throughout the race. I probably lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 minutes over the course of the race in the squatting position (I stopped counting around the 12th break), but it’s a reality that I had to deal with. You gotta take the punches and roll with it! Aside from this problem, the sections to Bountiful B (mile 23.9) and then to Sessions Lift Off (mile 28.2) absolutely flew by. I honestly don’t remember what I was thinking through here. I was just enjoying the lush scenery. I love these moments when I’m able to just “zone out”.

Immediately out of Sessions is a pretty tough climb. I worked my way through it and upon reaching the top of the climb I made my way towards Swallow Rocks (mile 34.9). I loved this section! It flattens out for the most part until you make one last small ascent before reaching the valley where the aid station is located. As you crest the hill, the scenery opens up in front of you and you’re presented with a breathtaking view of (essentially) the rest of the course. I’ve spent a lot of time in this area over the years, so it felt a bit like home to me. I plowed my way into the aid station, drank some Coke and grabbed a few cookies, and then it was off to meet my crew and my first pacer at the next stop: Big Mountain.


On my way to Big Mountain I was trying to hold back my emotions. I couldn’t believe I was really doin’ this thing! I also had a song come on that reminded me of my brother. I felt so blessed to be out here and wished he was able to share this day with me, but he’s fighting his own battles right now (maybe next race, Ty). Eventually I made my way around Big Mountain and heard cheers off in the distance. What great motivation! As I’m descending I start seeing pink flamingos and hearing vuvuzelas. I arrive to a spectacular scene and catch sight of my crew for the first time today. I’m quickly led to a scale to weigh in (2 pounds up), then escorted to my chair where my crew is at my beck and call. I spout the list off to Lydia who starts filling up my pack, I run to the john, and everything’s ready to go when I get back. Next thing I know I’m off with my first pacer for the day, Scott.


The Middle
Getting to Big Mountain in good shape was huge for me. Now that I had someone in tow the rest of the way, I felt like I could push just a little bit harder. Scott did great at keeping me on pace. I kept him informed of my goals to the next aid stations, and he always encouraged me to push - especially on the downhills. Occasionally, I’d tell him to run ahead and I’d try to catch him. This was a fun way for me to stay motivated and to hopefully extend my time cushion in the process. Scott is a very strong runner so I never actually caught him (he’d just end up waiting for me), but it was fun trying!

Eventually we made our way into the Alexander Springs A.S. (mile 47.4), now only a few minutes behind on my goal. Everyone at this station was wearing tie-dye and the atmosphere was great. They even had a table where they had a line of Coke (cup of Coca-Cola). I thought that was pretty clever! After a quick stop, we made our way down into the furnace that is the hottest section of the course. I ended up taking another break behind a tree through here and I think this is where my second big problem of the day started. Due to all the squatting I’d been doing, my right leg started hurting behind my knee (on the back side of my leg). I’ve never hurt in this area before and I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I tried stretching it out but that didn’t help. Eventually I just decided that I had to go along with it ‘til it got better (it only got worse throughout the race). We still made great time to the Lambs Canyon A.S. (mile 53.1) and gained 15 more minutes on my goal time!


I weighed in (now 2 pounds down), changed into my other shoes (1/2 size bigger), and changed socks as well. I had a few sweet blisters going on, but nothing that required too much attention so I just duct taped the problem areas. My stop was long, but definitely worth the time spent! The crew was awesome in getting me everything I needed! They always end up waiting for me – the sign of a great crew. I never have to wait for them! We took off up the road in Lambs – running every so often – and finally reached the trailhead to start the ascent. The ascent went pretty quickly (aside from another break) and Scott encouraged me to cruise on the descent down into Millcreek, just as the sun was beginning to go down. It felt great to open it up for a bit! After 3 miles of road up Millcreek Canyon, we arrived to the crew at the Upper Big Water A.S. (mile 61.7) where I changed into my night gear and donned the headlamps. I also bid farewell to Scott and thanked him. He was on-point the entire leg he ran with me and got me into this stop 40 minutes up on my projection! Huge thanks to him!


I left Upper Big Water with my next pacer, Bart. Bart and I have known each other since we were about 12. We’ve been through some crazy adventures together and it was great talking and passing the time with him. He made me forget about my pains and kept my mind focused elsewhere. It was exactly what I needed at the time! We ran all the downhills and flat portions on the way to Desolation Lake (mile 66.9) and I felt great upon arriving there. After a quick stop, we made our way up the climb out of Desolation and started on the road to Scott’s A.S. (mile 70.8).


This trail to Scott’s is relatively flat and runnable. I was able to run sections of it, but my form was way off at this point due to my knee getting more and more stiff, mostly due to the cold. After a quick stop at the aid station, we started on the trek to Brighton. I should have been able to run the entire Guardsman road down to the Big Cottonwood Highway, but I was altering my stride too much and it hurt to put much pressure on my knee for long periods of time. I think I ended up running about half of it and getting passed by several runners along the way. Bart kept my mind off my pains with more great stories and reminiscing. It was exactly what I needed because my mind was beginning to question whether or not I could finish.


After a long slog, we finally rolled into Brighton to cheers from the crew. I was elated to reach this point and was still over 10 minutes up on my projected pace! Credit to Bart for dragging my sorry butt to Brighton! I went into the lodge and weighed in (now 4 pounds up), refilled my pack and water, took a bathroom break, and re-taped my feet. After putting on a fresh pair of socks I was ready to tackle the last 25 with my dad.


The End
My dad will be the first to tell you that he’s not a fast runner. He’s finished numerous marathons so he has no problem with the distance. More importantly, he’s consistent and will tackle anything you put in front of him. Over the years hunting together, our group has teased him and has enshrined the name “Billygoat” upon him due to the terrain he goes through while we’re out there. I was lucky enough to have the “Billygoat” with me on the gnarliest part of the course.

The climb up to Point Supreme (10,450 feet & the highest point of the course) went exactly as I’d expected; a consistent slog. The time passed very quickly though and I began seeing a trend that would last the rest of the race – feeling pretty good on the ups and the knee revolting on the downs. Too bad there’s over 10,000 feet of cumulative descent during the last 25 miles! Just my luck! We found a decent pace into the Ant Knolls A.S. (mile 80.3) and only stayed briefly to rifle through our drop bag and refuel. After tackling the short, steep uphill known as “The Grunt”, we made our way over to the Pole Line Pass A.S. (83.4) where we refilled on water and took a few solid food items from the table.

Upon leaving Pole Line we were treated with another fairly long stretch of uphill. This was exactly what I needed since my knee was very stiff now. By this time, I was no longer able to straighten my leg, so the uphill was nice as I was able to keep it bent for the most part. The fun didn’t last for too long though, as another downhill was presented and I was forced to shuffle into the Rock Springs A.S. (mile 87.39). It was also very cold at this station. Reports were that it reached 23 degrees during the night, and I imagine that when I was here at 5:30AM, it would have been right around that number. The cold just made my knee tighter. I was pretty deflated to say the least! Not to mention that I knew what was ahead…

The next section offered the two most talked about downhill sections of the course – The Dive and The Plunge. Before race day I’d wanted to really hammer these, but with my current condition I knew I wouldn’t be able to. As we came into the bowl where The Dive is located, we looked straight down into the abyss to see runners’ lights below us. What had we come up against? I was baffled at how quickly the trail dropped into oblivion! Making my way down was painful, but I got through it. The Plunge then presented fine powdered dust that was at least 5 inches deep! I couldn’t believe people actually hiked these trails. It was far worse than I’d ever imagined! After suffering through it and a few more rollers, we made our way into the Pot Bottom A.S. (mile 93.1).


I could smell the barn! It was actually going to happen; I was going to finish! After re-evaluating, I figured I could get in under 29 hours. We shed a layer at the aid station, refueled, then we were off to tackle the final climb. I felt great on this climb out of Pot Bottom. It was a nice wide trail, then a nice dirt road. My dad and I were able to walk side by side and talk about how the race had progressed up to this point. Upon hitting the top of the road, we began descending into Lime Canyon for the final few miles of trail. I’m not gonna lie, the trail here sucked! It was technical and a bit steeper than I’d hoped for, honestly. It was also through here that I got passed at by at least 6 more runners. I couldn’t go any faster though, as my leg had progressed to a point where it hurt putting pressure on my knee at all. My dad was walking downhill as fast as I was able to run! After what seemed like an eternity, I came out onto the road with .7 miles to the finish. I knew I had to run at sub-8 minute pace to get my 29 hours, so I lowered my head and clenched my teeth while I ran it in for a 28:59:02 finish! I was done!


The Aftermath
The memories of my day at Wasatch are still so vivid. I wish I could express every emotion that I left out there on the trail. I wish Lydia could relive the race through my eyes. I wish my friends and family knew what I’d endured out there. Maybe this is what makes ultras so personal; you toy with agony and ecstasy for mile upon mile, yet you’re tormented with an inability to convey your experience. You can’t really do it justice, so you don’t say much. Instead, when asked what it was like, you respond with something like 'It was tough, but I had fun and came out alive'. One of my favorite quotes reads: “Those that understand don't need an explanation. Those that need an explanation will never understand.” Pretty fitting in this circumstance.

Of course my experience could not have been had without the help of many…

The hundreds of volunteers: Truly, they’re the ones who make it possible for us runners to have these experiences. I couldn’t believe the enthusiasm and willingness to help all day long. Kudos to them!

The runners: Congratulations to all of you, whether you finished or not. Thanks for the encouragement and camaraderie. It was a day full of memories to take home!

My pacers: They each provided me with exactly what I needed at the time. Scott, who helped me bank some time and encouraged me to push. Bart, who kept my mind off things when I was struggling and kept me on track. And dad, who pulled me along through the night and gave me a consistent pace to follow. Each of them did their job and then some! There’s no way I could have done it without them! I’d still be laying out there somewhere if it weren't for these guys.

My family: First, to my wife who supports me in all my crazy endeavors. She never bats an eye, just offers support and encouragement throughout. I could not have done this without her love and whole-hearted support! Also to my parents who come to each race and do whatever they can to support me (including pacing and crewing). They give up their time and efforts on my behalf and I couldn’t be more grateful. Also to my siblings who show up and offer their support (Britt was there at every crew stop screaming her guts out for me!). You all helped make this journey possible!

I can't quite say what lies in my future of running, but Wasatch will always hold a place in my heart. Now the question is: Have I been punished enough or will I keep coming back for more? Time holds the truth.

Gettin' Down To It

So here I am, 8 days away from the biggest physical undertaking of my life. I’m filled with lots of mixed emotions right now. Of course I’m feeling excited! Of course I’m feeling nervous! The part I don’t necessarily enjoy is the waiting game. I’m done with my difficult training and I just want to get on with it.

All this energy that I’m used to expending is now thrashing my mind in multiple directions. One minute I’m on an emotional high and the next I’m questioning things. Did I train hard enough? Did I put in enough time? Typical feelings before any major event I guess. My confidence is not being shaken, however. I truly know that I put in the time, the miles, and the focus to be successful. Now it’s just about execution. That, and making sure I rest sufficiently over the next week (which can be tough for me). Looking forward to it!

2010 Speedgoat 50K Race Report

It always takes me so dang long to post these race reports! Definitely something I need to improve on... Anyway, I had the opportunity to run the Speedgoat 50K on July 31st. Once I found out I was on the list for Wasatch, I put in my entry for this race knowing that it would be a great training opportunity. I mean, a 50K race that has 24,000 feet of cumulative elevation change is no walk in the park.

Since finishing Squaw Peak in June, my focus has been solely on Wasatch. I’ve logged some great runs and put in the miles necessary to be successful. However, about a week before the Speedgoat, I realized that I was overlooking this race entirely. I wasn’t giving it the respect it deserved. So I went into the race with only a few days of tapering. Mistake? Probably. But I also tried to find out as much about the course as possible so I could come to terms with what I was facing. Turns out this was exactly what I needed! Had I gone into this race completely overlooking it, the consequences could have been magnified.

Race day comes around and everyone’s gathered up at Snowbird. After a short briefing from the RD Karl, we line up and head out at 6:30am sharp. The first few miles are a fairly gradual uphill where I was able to keep a decent running pace. That pace soon came to a stop however, and a power hike was needed as we made our way up towards Hidden Peak which stands at 11,000’ elevation. There was a bit of scrambling over some large boulders, a few small snow crossings, then the rocky trudge up to the peak. After hitting the Hidden Peak aid station, I felt pretty good. I was maintaining my pace and trying not to run too hard just yet.

I made my way across the ridgeline and over to Mt Baldy, the highest point of the course. From there, it’s a steep descent down into the next basin. So steep in fact, there was some rope assistance for a short segment. Pretty gnarly! I maintained a perfect pace through the basin and eventually hit the next aid station. Here I had to empty my shoes since I had a few pebbles in there, grab some fuel and water, then I was off.

The next section was maybe my favorite of the course. It was super rocky, technical, and made me focus on my footing the whole way. I felt like I could have gone much faster here, but I held off just a bit trying to save my legs for damages to come later on. Through this section I talked with a couple people and just maintained my relaxed pace. I wasn’t here to break any records after all. Finally, I made my way to the intersection at the bottom of the canyon and headed out on the out-and-back section where the aid station was. This section is nice and flat for about a mile. It was a nice relief! I was also able to see the others that had already hit the aid station, coming back towards me. I reached the aid and grabbed some orange slices, got a nice cold towel to wipe my face off, a cup of Coke, then I headed back.

I was feeling great on the flat and picked up the pace slightly. Once I got to the intersection however, I took a right (I came down the mountain from the left) and slowly began to ascend and was forced into a power hike once again. This was absolutely my least favorite section of the day! I was basically alone, my back was starting hurt, and the climbing never stopped. It was just several miles of the same grade of ascent, twisting and turning my way through the forest. I had to keep reminding myself that I was lucky to be able to enjoy these views; Lucky to be able to have legs strong enough to power through this crappy terrain. Eventually though, I reached the short descent just before the aid station. I was beat! I spent a little bit longer at this aid than I would have liked, but I was trying to get back on my game.

As I head out, I realize that I can nearly see my next destination. Around 2 miles away, but very near the top of the mountain that stands in front of me is The Tunnel. I begin my climb and start feeling a little better about things. Before I know it, I’m at the aid station and refueling again. The aid station volunteer gets word that the winner has just finished. I’m 5 hours and 45 minutes into my run, with at least another 10 miles to go I would guess. How I would love to be done right now! I pushed these thoughts out of my head and ran through the tunnel.

Once I come out the other side and back into the light of day, I begin my descent down to the bottom of the basin. I was feeling great! I pushed the pace slightly, but not too hard knowing that I still had one more climb and one more descent in front of me. I worked my way through the bottom of the canyon, then over to the opposite side where I begin the last ascent up to Hidden Peak. This ascent took us along the ridgeline and it was epic! The scenery was outstanding. My body was beat. The trudge was relentless. I even stopped a couple of times to catch my breath. Eventually however, I reached Hidden Peak again. I refueled with more oranges, ginger ale, and some red bull, then made my way down to the finish.

From the peak, it’s about a 5 mile descent. I’d been saving my legs for this descent all day so I was gonna let it rip! I ended up passing 5 people on the way down. However, just before I reached the last person, I started to feel some tightness in my lungs. So I slowed down slightly, but then my blood pressure dropped. Not good! I actually ended up passing the guy but I was not in a good place. I slowed down after a few hundred yards and tried to maintain a steady pace. My body was not having it, though. I started feeling slightly dizzy and knew I had to do something. I pulled out a gel and sucked it down, but it did absolutely nothing! I eventually had to walk for short spurts, and was subsequently passed by the last runner I went by earlier. I could hear the finish, but we were winding away from it. I was getting frustrated! Eventually, the trail began heading in the right direction. When I was about 200 yards away I could see the finish, so I started to run hard again (though my body was screaming to stop) so I could “look strong” when I crossed the line. I finished in 7:43.09 officially.

As I stopped, I was greeted and given a finishers medal. I bent over so they could put it around my neck, but I was not feeling well. I was happy when I saw my parents and my wife (wasn’t expecting them to be there), said hi, then told them I had to go puke. I trotted clumsily through some bushes, bent over and puked 3 times. So much for looking strong! The aftermath was apparent on this day; I had worked my body over! Turns out I hadn’t taken any salt caps since The Tunnel aid station, where I had taken one every 40 minutes or so prior to that. Two full hours of ignoring my electrolytes turned out to be the reason for my demise! Guess that’s what happens when you get too caught up in finishing fast. I tend to learn my lessons the hard way, though! Overall, it was a great race put on by a fantastic group!

And the few pics at the finish where I don't look like death...

Finishing "strong"

Immediately following the puke-fest

Feelin' better

It's A Wild Life

Coping with Mother Nature is part of the deal when you’re out there on the trails. After all, it’s her environment that we’re so blessed to indulge in. Thus we’re forced to take things as they come; the good and the bad. Such is the mantra of an ultramarathoner!

You never know what could present itself on race day, so you train no matter the circumstance. If it’s pouring outside (my least favorite scenario), you get out there and deal with it. If it’s 100 degrees, clear skies and no breeze, you deal with it. Injuries, you deal with them too. And while there is some sacrifice in dealing with tough situations, the reward from that one perfect run makes up for the hard times. That’s why I keep going back for more punishment.

Every so often though, a situation is presented to you and you’re forced to deal with it instinctively. Much of how you react comes from experience, yet there’s always new situations being presented to teach you, and to mold your character. I’ve had a few such experiences as of late.

The first happened several weeks ago when I was out for my long run. It happened to be the 4th of July weekend so I had multiple obligations to attend to. As such, my long run had to be done during the night. Perfect! I needed a night run to test my lighting systems and to practice running in the dark anyways. So I began my journey at about midnight:fifteen, apparently being the only person in the area as I saw no other cars around. The trail is one that I’m very familiar with and could run in my sleep (pun intended). The first hour or so went by without issue. The legs were strong and I’d covered nearly 5 miles - which is quick for me - on this section. I was feeling great physically and my mind was sharp and focused. Little did I know, things were about to get a little chaotic.

At about the 75 minute mark, I heard a howl off in the distance. Coyote! Honestly, I felt like I was witnessing something beautiful and really connecting with nature. It was serene to be quite honest. This emotional high continued for about the next fifteen seconds when I was suddenly - and quite rudely - interrupted. The interruption came in the form of a coyote barking, just 200 yards or so away from me. The emotion flushed out of me instantly and I was scared to death. I didn’t even stop, just turned around mid-stride and literally sprinted, all while singing loudly and waving my lights around! I probably looked and sounded like a crazy person! Later come to find out I made the right choice as coyote barking is a warning sign, usually when they’re protecting something like infants, or a fresh kill. Not being able to see them and knowing there was no one else within several miles of my vicinity made my decision pretty easy. It’s something I didn’t even think about, just acted upon.

The only other incident that frightened me a little bit was when I tweaked my ankle a couple weeks ago. Obviously doing that is scary enough, but then to have mother nature compound the situation sucks even more. I probably never would have seen it had my ankle been ok, but coming down the mountain I was going quite slowly. As I approach a rocky section I see movement out of the corner of my eye, and almost immediately heard that distinct sound – a rattlesnake. Turns out I about stepped on him, but was aware of his presence due to my pace. Makes me wonder how many times I’ve ran right by one and never seen it! I love snakes though, so that more startled me than anything.

I’ve had some tough lessons out there, not only this year, but in past experiences as well. The one thing I take away from all of it is that Mother Nature makes the rules! Regardless of how fit or experienced you are, you can quickly become humbled.

Fantasies

Running has been coming up in conversation a lot lately. Whether it’s family, friends, those at social gatherings, or people I meet out on the trail, the topic seems to surface. For the most part, I don’t go into detail about what kind of training I do or what kind of races I run. I just tell people that I enjoy running. I’m pretty reserved in general and I never want to come off as boastful. I love what I do and I’m proud of myself, so I don’t need validation from others to make me feel good.

Recently though, I’ve been asked by a few people (including Lydia) what my fantasy race or ultra goal is. Honestly, it’s not something I’d thought much about prior to being asked. I’ve felt like I didn’t want to undermine or belittle Wasatch, either. I know, lame. Really though, ever since hearing of my dad pacing a neighbor at Wasatch some 15 years ago, it’s been a fantasy of mine... One of those things you think about once in awhile, but never something that little ol’ me could possibly do!

With the recent running of the Western States, Hardrock, and Badwater ultramarathons, I’ve thought more about my fantasy ultra goal. Someday I’d love to run Western States and experience it as told from so many. And Hardrock is definitely at the very top of my list! Although these types of races may be considered more “iconic” or “tougher”, Wasatch is and always will be, my fantasy! I’m just hoping it doesn’t become my nightmare too :)

So it’s time to keep pushing myself every day. I’m getting to the meat of my training and it feels great! I’m focused and it helps me live my life with greater meaning and a better sense of direction. Hard to believe that I’ll be living my fantasy in just over 8 weeks! How many people can say that?!?!

Squaw Peak 50 - Pictures Edition

As promised, a few pics from the Squaw Peak 50 Miler a few weeks ago...

2010 Squaw Peak 50 Mile Trail Run

I’ve been absolutely unmotivated to write anything lately. I would think about it at times, but really, why does anyone care about my training or my aches and pains? Cuz let’s get real… I only have a few readers so it’s not like I’m boring a large population or anything. Still, it feels nice to have something of value to say sometimes!

So why write now, you ask? Partly because it’s been too long, but mostly because I experienced the epic Squaw Peak 50 back on June 5th (I've had this report written for well over a week, but was waiting for pictures; those will have to come in a follow up post since I haven't had time to sort through them all).

I actually found out on Mother’s Day that I was officially in the race. That was a nice present for a dude! But I’d been training like I was already in the race, so I was prepared. So prepared in fact, I had set some seriously ambitious goals... Like running under 11 hours for instance (I actually felt like I had 10 ½ in me but wasn’t about to tell anyone that). I got some nice long runs in during training and pretty much felt at peak fitness.

Was I getting cocky, though? That’s usually the tendency when you start getting taller, better, faster, stronger (I despise Kanye btw). I think God had other plans for me and felt I had a need to be humbled, because I came down with a cold the week before the race. Arrrggghhh! It ran its course and left me with some chest congestion on race day. Better than a sore throat… Maybe?!? I re-evaluated my situation and realized 11 hours was completely unrealistic on this day. New goal… 12 hours.

The course is not flat. In fact, I recall only a few short stretches of flat running. I haven’t seen any official figures, but it’s somewhere in the ballpark of 14,000 feet elevation gain and 14,000 feet of descent. Not your cookie-cutter distance race (not that a 50 miler ever is).

Elevation profile courtesy of Phil Lowry

So the start comes and goes and the first 10 miles click by without a hitch. I was a couple minutes up on my projection and was feeling relatively fresh. As I’m working my way up the climb to the aid station (mile 14.6), I start feeling fatigued. Shortness of breath, elevated heart rate; all the signs are rearing their ugly heads. Then I start coughing a bit and realize it’s the elevation… My congested lungs apparently aren’t enjoying anything above 8,000 feet or so. This is gonna be a long day! I push on through the aid station and eventually my lungs recover on the nice downhill.

After a 7 ½ mile downhill, I’m back under my 11-hour pace. Sweet! I can deal with this… Slow down at the higher elevations & smoke the downhills. Back on track! When I hit mile 22 where the trail meets Hobble Creek Road, I was more than 5 minutes up on my 11-hour pace, and about 20 minutes up on my 12-hour pace. I was also ecstatic to see my crew for the first time. In the ultra-running world, CREW is said to stand for Cranky Runner Endless Waiting. They would end up seeing the gamut from me on this day; from elation to absolute misery. After a quick pit stop to meet them (Lydia, Mom, Dad), I run the 4 mile stretch of road up Hobble Creek. I use the term “run” very loosely! It was more of a hobble (pun intended) than a run. It was hot and exposed; I wanted my beloved trail back. Instead I was stuck with this miserable pavement!

This is where my dreams were crushed and the reality of my circumstance punched me square in the face! My stomach went south and I was a bit dehydrated. I wobbled into the next aid station (mile 26.1) and was staggering around like a drunk at the bar. I started downing cups of Coke (a-Cola) and jamming food into my mouth, trying to get things to turn around. No such luck! I mix some slogging and walking through the next 4 miles, attempting a recovery which never came. Luckily I had ultra-running stud Davy Crockett to follow. I just tried to mimic his pace in order to stay on track.

As I roll into the mile 30.0 aid station, my stomach is sloshing with all that liquid and food. At the advice of local ultrarunning legend Karl Meltzer who's working the aid station, I start eating salted potatoes and drink some amazing bullion he’d brewed up, take a few more S-Caps and I’m on my way. The trudge continues ‘til I hit the 33.5 mile aid station. As I run down the hill, I see my crew and they have a chair waiting for me. Heaven! I sit and try to get my wits about me again. After a long stop which included a change of socks & some sunscreen, I grab a second water bottle and my iPod, then head out for the longest section of the day. I’m now just 2 minutes ahead of my 12 hour goal. Hopefully my playlist (aptly named Melt-Your-Face) of metalhead jams could keep me motivated. Metal is the only way to go when you need to find that extra gear!

All other sections on this course hover around 1 hour. My projections gave me 3 hours for this next section. It was mostly uphill, with the memorable “Bozung Hill” – a 1200 foot climb in under 1 mile – to cap it all off. The stomach never let up the whole way, and just before the base of the massive hill, my lungs (once again) let me know they didn’t approve of what I was doing. To put the icing on the cake, I was a bit dehydrated. Lucky me! I decided to carry two bottles instead of three, which turned out to be a mistake. I ran out of water about half way up the big hill, being saved only by a large snow bank just off the path. I dug in up to my elbow and began filling my bottle with slush (other burrows indicated I wasn’t the only one doing this). With the saving grace of the snow melting in my bottle, I was able to push on to the aid station just off the back of the hill (mountain).

All the volunteers were amazing, but especially those at this aid station! This was an extremely remote location… A 7+ mile hike from any direction. They carried everything in on their backs and were as well-supplied as any aid station on the day. Top notch! So I filled both water bottles, ate some delicious homemade cookies, and left at the 9:49 mark, now 11 minutes up on my 12-hour pace. How did that happen??? Probably the generous amount of time I gave myself to complete that gnarly section.

Right out of the gate was major snow. Ya know, the kind where it’s easier to glissade, slip, slide, sit-on-your-butt-and-sled-down kind of snow! Slippery snow turned to soft snow, then sloppy snow, then mud, until I was finally clear of it; good solid single track for the rest of the way. I finally peed again (it had only been 6 hours or so… Yikes!), then attacked the downhill. I felt good for the first time in over 20 miles! I ended up passing 3 runners on this section, finally arriving at the last aid station. I hung out with the crew for a few minutes (Britt & Brian were there too), then told my dad to keep me company on the last leg. Off we went down the road toward the finish.

Not gonna lie, it was nice having someone to chat with again! I probably talked his ear off. Thanks for being a good sport dad! After passing a few more runners, I eventually arrived to cheers at the park and ran it in for a finish of 11:39:53 officially. I ended up 48th out of 243 starters. Not too bad, though I was never racing anyone but myself. It was finally over! Afterwards, I jokingly asked my family who signed me up for this craziness. They just laughed as they already knew I needed my head checked!

Huge thanks to the volunteers! Without them, this race would not be possible. They deal with runners all day, work in less than ideal conditions, and not only do they not get paid for it, they volunteer. They must like the abuse! Lydia and my parents also deserve much thanks! They spent the entire day driving through the mountains, just to see me for a few minutes here and there. They gave up an entire day for me and I couldn’t be more grateful… Thank you guys so much! Also, a big congrats to all the runners on a memorable day!

All in all, I’m pleased with how my race went down. I pushed through some major adversity and stuck with it. I learned a lot through my trials, and I’m proud that I was able to persevere. I even ended up hitting my (adjusted) goal! I know I’m very capable of much more on a good day, but this is a significant boost to my morale; even when the chips were down I was able to push on. Also, the good thing about my result is it leaves room for improvement next year. I’m looking forward to it already. Now bring on the training for Wasatch!

On Feeling The Ups & Downs

I’ve been terrible at updating as of late. The truth is there hasn’t been much to write about recently. I’ve had a long string of good weeks, with the last 7 days being my most productive and most consistent, maybe even since I’ve started running. That’s not to say it’s been the highest mileage 7 day period I’ve experienced, but offered the greatest reward and felt the most productive overall.

You’ll often hear the term “junk miles” associated with running. Essentially they’re miles to fill your quota for the week and are usually nothing short of drudgery. They’re not necessarily fast or slow, on easy or difficult terrain; they’re just a dull number to say you did the miles. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve put in a ton of junk miles over the course of the last year. I could blame it on being a newb to the sport, but in reality it’s mostly a product of pure laziness!

Recently however, I’ve maintained a focus and gone out on each run with a specific purpose in mind. For instance, on Monday I had a 6 – 8 mile run scheduled. The legs felt really good so I coerced myself into a speed day and ran sub-7 minute splits on the flat trail for 8 miles. Then on Tuesday the goal was to carry a steady, even pace over a 12 mile out-and-back course. It went even better than planned and I ended up running a negative split by about 35 seconds. This pattern has been evident in my running for awhile now. I feel like I’ve finally (after a year!) got a good base and can work on fine-tuning the skills I have.

Of course, with success come trials. Though my running feels stronger than ever, I haven’t been feeling like myself lately. I’ve been feeling shaky in the mornings and after good workouts; even for no apparent reason at times throughout the day. It’s something I’ve dealt with for many years, yet ignored due to stubbornness and feeling like I needed to “tough it out” since it had to be something that everyone dealt with. The problem is, now it’s being magnified due to the intensity of my exercise. So I finally broke down and went to have some tests and blood work done yesterday. I absolutely hate going to the doctor, but felt like I’d reached a breaking point. I need to figure this out before it gets worse.

So now I wait. I should have results back tomorrow and hopefully some answers can be rendered. Tomorrow will also decide my fate for the St. George Marathon this year. Lottery results are being posted tomorrow and I’m keeping my fingers crossed. More to come once tomorrow presents it’s findings...

Picture Me Rollin'

My recovery from the Buffalo Run 50 Miler was much quicker than I anticipated. I was thinking I'd be hobbling around for several days and that it would take at least a week before I stopped reminding people of a drunken peg-legged pirate walking around town. I'm glad that was not the case! Actually, I was quite stiff on Sunday, somewhat mobile on Monday, and only hurt going down the stairs by Tuesday. By Wednesday I was back to myself and by Thursday I was running a little bit again. I actually ended up running just a couple of short sessions last week, with hopes of getting back on my training schedule this week.

It's always good for me to have goals - some distant date or idea - to look forward to. My current sights are set on the date of June 5th, which is the Squaw Peak 50 Miler. I'm currently wait-listed for this race (#36), but I've been assured by numerous sources that I'll get in; So I'm preparing that way. With two months to go, I decided to get back on my schedule this week.

I get out on Monday and even though it's raining with some light snow flurries, it exhilarating just to be out again! Then just after mile 3 my knee starts screaming at me again. You'd think after running a 50 miler virtually pain free, I'd have no problem knocking out my planned 6 miler... That's what I get for thinking!

I think I've got the problem pinned down to my newest pair of road shoes. Good thing it's those and not my trail shoes, since I only plan on hitting the roads once or twice a week from here til November. But it's still annoying. It also means that I'm that much further away from being able to bomb the big downhills in training... And that really sucks since those are my favorite part on the trails!

Since I'm not over this nagging injury, I decided to start rollin'! Not that kind of rollin'.. This kind of rollin':


I finally gave in and bought myself a foam roller. And whoa, I've been missing out! I've been using it for less than 24 hours and my knee already feels less tight.

For those who aren't familiar with a foam roller, you basically use the weight of your body to create pressure on the areas you're working. So for me, I've got the roller between me and the ground and I'm lying on my side, rolling the outside of my thigh between my knee and my hip. It's excruciating to say the least, but if a little pain means relief on my knee, count me in! These things are good for all sorts of other muscle and ligament pain too... Lydia was using it last night to roll out her shin splints and she said it felt great!

I was skeptical, but consider me converted. I plan on working rolling into my routine for the rest of my life. I encourage anyone who runs distance to put this into your weekly training schedule as well. As they say: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". With my current status, truer words have never been spoken.

Buffalo Run 50 Mile - 2010

In April of 2009 I started running. Why I Run is a different story, but to cap off my first year of running I decided to go big and enter the Buffalo Run 50 Mile race out at Antelope Island. After St. George in October, I left feeling accomplished, but knew I was capable of much more than that race offered me. And thus the masochistic thought of running a 50 mile race was born.

All the emotions leading up to this race had been mixed. I had trained hard throughout the winter – mustering up the willpower to run in cold, snowy, and icy conditions – but I was plagued with a few setbacks. First, I hurt my ankle at St. George and it never fully recovered. Then I had a string of personal issues, conflicts, misfortunes… whatever you want to call them. And to top it all off, I strained my iliotibial band 3 weeks before the race, bringing my training to a complete halt leading up to the race.

I was having major anxiety about whether or not I could pull off the task I had set out for, and even considered dropping down in distance. I mulled it over and eventually called my dad. He told me there’s nothing wrong with dropping if I had to. What would hurt more is if I decided to run the 50K or 25K (8 & 10 o’clock start times) and I didn’t have any knee problems… Then I’d be kicking myself for not doing the 50 miler. He was right, as usual! So I toed the line at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning in hopes of being able to finish the 50 miler that I had initially set out to do.



After a few brief words from the race director, suddenly we’re off into the darkness. I had lined up near the back 1/3 of the starters due to the lack of confidence in my knee. I didn’t want to push the pace too early. I don’t know if this was the right move or not since almost immediately the trail turns into single track. I settled in though, and stuck with the pace of the group. It was almost too comfortable! Since it’s such a long race though, I figured there’s no need to be in a rush this early on.

In the blink of an eye (59 minutes later) I’m at the first aid station. Even though I’m about 8 minutes behind my projected split, I’m feeling ok with where I’m at. Here I have the option of going on a short out-and-back or running a 5.3 mile loop. Everyone seems to be doing the out-and-back first. However, I take the advice of Rodger Smith who I’d been running and chatting with and a few of us headed out on the loop. The loop takes us out on a long descent towards Split Rock Bay, then up some switchbacks and across a few beautiful draws, just before hitting the aid station again. As I was closing in on the aid station, first and second place were on my heels (having already done the out-and-back). I picked up the pace in order to beat them to the aid station. It was pretty cool seeing/feeling how fast those guys run! I ditched my headlamp at my bag, completed the quick out-and-back, and before I know it I’m heading back to the Start/Finish area.

As soon as I head out of the aid station my knee starts hurting. From here to the Start/Finish area (5.6 miles away) is mostly descending, with a few areas getting relatively steep. This was concerning to me. I noticed I had been favoring my leg though, and after falling into a more natural stride, the pain slowly dissipated. I’m sure the frigid air did nothing but help either! In this section I fell in behind Cory Johnson and followed his pace. We’d be playing leapfrog with each other for basically the rest of the day.

Soon enough, I arrive at the Start/Finish area at mile 19 and I’m more than happy to take a short break. My wife and parents are there to greet me which gives me a great moral boost! After a quick bottle refill and after Lydia gets some sunscreen and chapstick on me, I pull out the iPod and I’m on my way. At this point I’m 18 minutes off my split for a 9 hour finish, but honestly, I’m thrilled to still be running. I had told myself if the knee was too bad, this is where I’d be dropping. The thought did not even cross my mind!


I continued out onto the next section. I didn’t know it at the time, but this section would turn out to be my nemesis. This section takes us to the other side of the island (east side) and after another short out-and-back section, we head south for just over 11 miles, then turn back around and do it all over again. Luckily there’s an aid station at about the half way point of this 11 mile stretch. But a few miles before reaching that aid station (Lower Frary AS), I started having terrible back pain. It hurt less when I ran than when I walked, but it was constant nonetheless. I had only looked forward to stopping more than this on one occasion in my life; the day my dad shot his elk. I was able to stop once I was done with that, though. Here I still had to run another 23 miles! Seriously, what had I gotten myself into?

Once I arrived at Lower Frary, my family was there and got me into a chair immediately. They followed my direction I’d given them before the race and lied through their teeth, telling me how good I looked. Come to find out later that they weren’t sure I’d make it to the next stop. I was now 40 minutes behind on my splits and my main goal of a 10 hour finish was now in jeopardy. After getting some fresh socks, a few baby aspirin, and some topical pain reliever rubbed on my back I felt like a new person, though.

The next section to Fielding-Garr Ranch was the best of the day. I felt fresh and my back wasn’t bothering me anymore. I ran this 5.7 mile section in under an hour and shaved 8 ½ minutes off my time. It felt great! I arrived at the ranch, took a few minutes to eat some food, drink some Mountain Dew and was up on my feet again before I knew it. Getting here was such a big mental boost for me since I’d now turn around and head back the direction I came from. I felt ok heading back towards Lower Frary, but the toils of the day were finally catching up to me. My paced slowed and I gave back that 8+ minutes I had just gained.


I reached Lower Frary again and took my longest stop of the day here. In hindsight, I probably should have left sooner, but it felt so good to be sitting down and relaxing. I refueled and eventually headed out for the section that gave me fits earlier in the day. I was not looking forward to this! I don’t know if it was all in my head or what, but this section tore me up. I came to a screeching halt when my stomach went south. I was forced to walk slowly in order to keep my calories down. My legs were feeling good but now my stomach was turning against me. Argghhhh! It was frustrating to say the least.

Eventually I hit the road crossing and started to make my way back towards the Start/Finish area. I stopped momentarily when one of my blisters exploded in my shoe. Every step was now filled with pain at the end of my toe. Ten minutes later another one went, just when I was starting to get used to the last one. It was here that I saw my family for one last time, and Tyler, Britt, and Brian were there too. That was a great surprise and boost to my spirits!


The final 6 ½ miles took a loop around the north end of the island. This section was filled with boulders and was much more technical than I expected. I still felt like I had a good shot to get in under 10 hours, but I had to push it! So I did. After encircling the mountain, I caught sight of the finish line. I hurried towards the finish area and ran hard on the last 800 meter straightaway to the finish. Lydia ran the last short stretch with me and I crossed the finish line in 9:51:22. My first 50 mile finish!


Looking back, I’m very pleased with my effort. I went into an arduous event not knowing how my body – and my knee, more specifically – would react. While I made some mistakes, I gained some significant knowledge from my experience and would not trade that for anything. I know how my body responds under this type of stress and I know what it takes to keep going, even when everything is telling you to stop. There’s definitely lots of room for improvement and I hope to come back next year having made a few adjustments and with some more experience under my belt! A big thanks to Lydia and to my parents for helping me along the way... I could not have done it without you guys!

Now it’s back to training… Wasatch is less than 24 weeks away (not like I’m counting or anything).

Going Into The Taper

After weeks of inconsistency – both in life and training – I feel like I had a very solid week last week. It felt great to get out there and do what I love doing. Add some sunshine and 50 degree weather and I was in business! I was back on my routine and logging (almost) all of my miles. I actually would have hit my weekly mark had I not decided to do something stupid on Friday night, which in turn affected my Saturday run…

While doing some reading, I came across some interesting information that I thought may help strengthen my ankle that’s been constantly nagging me. I can still run on it as much as I want. It doesn’t bother me much during the run, but it’s always sore at the end. And it never seems to go away, regardless of how much time I take off. So I take the advice and add some extra exercises to my routine. Naturally, my headstrong emotions overrun my logical mind and I end up overdoing it. The aftermath didn’t rear it’s ugly head ‘til I hit a downhill about 40 minutes into my long run on Saturday. Suddenly, I’m forced to an awkward trot/walk back to my car. Not exactly what I was hoping for! So my ankle’s a bit stronger but at the cost of a new pain in my knee. Sweet :(

The moral of the story… Don’t overdue it! And especially don’t try anything new when you’re only 3 weeks out from your first ultra. Idiot! So I get to spend this week going super easy and trying to get in one last (easy) long run on Saturday before I start my taper. At this point I’m just going with it. I know that I’ve done what I can to prepare, and now all I can really do is prepare myself mentally and let my knee rest. It’s not gonna be a cakewalk, that’s for sure! Not that I expected it to be, but I have a knack of making my life much more difficult than it needs to be at times.

Trial N' Error

I find that when my running is really clicking I have much more to say on this blog. I guess that tells you what kind of month I’ve had since I last wrote. Ugh! I’ve spent a week out of town, battled a cold, dealt with a nagging injury, had a really good friend pass away (love you Yimmy!), and I’m currently trying to move. It’s tough getting into a routine when your life is anything but routine at the moment. Though my weekday runs have taken the brunt of things, I still feel like I’m on track with my fitness for the most part.

Balancing your passions with life in general is difficult. I really admire those who’ve figured out a way to make it all work – especially those with kids. I have no idea how they do it!? Maybe with more experience I’ll figure out my own way? Until then, it’s all about trial and error baby! Unfortunately, that also happens to be the best way for me to learn... Go figure.

Things haven’t all been bad as of late, though. The highlight of my year came Saturday night when the results for the Wasatch 100 lottery were posted – and I got in! I was in complete shock and I still don’t think I’ve wrapped my brain around it entirely. I’ll be ready though, you can count on that!

With each day comes new trials – some good, some bad. It’s really how you face those trials that make you a stronger person. So here’s to more trials (I guess)!

I Actually Did It!

After much deliberation (mostly with myself), I decided to put my name in the hat for the Wasatch 100 lottery. Whether that was ill-advised or not is yet to be determined, but I did it nonetheless. I’ve also registered for a few other ultras prior to that to help me prepare. In reality though, my chances of getting in are really slim. I do have a back-up 100 miler planned if I don’t make the list, though.

Through this process I’ve found one thing that’s been a real key motivator for me: Registering for races. I’ve had some races plotted out in my mind the last few months, but it hasn’t been until recently, when I actually registered, that I’ve seen myself being highly motivated again. Maybe it’s just knowing that I’ve committed myself and my money to it? Whatever it is, I like it!

So, come February 6th I’ll know if I’m in or not. I’m not getting my hopes up, but it would definitely push me to work extra hard! As for now though, I’m on a 12 week schedule until my first 50 miler. Only averaging around 35 or 40 miles a week right now (mostly due to my dislike of the cold), but hoping to bump that up just a bit over the next few weeks as the days start growing a bit longer and (hopefully) warmer.