My apologies for taking entirely too long to post anything. Truth be told, I haven't had much to say the last few months because I haven't been running much. Three weeks after Wasatch I paced my dad the back half of the Bear 100 and helped him get a sub-30 hour finish; something he never dreamed possible. Huge congrats to him on grinding through some tough spots and getting his first 100 mile finish (on his first attempt as well)!
A few weeks after pacing him I noticed an acute pain under my left foot, at the base of my middle toe. I took a week off then did a 15 mile weekend run on it which only aggravated things more. Typical sign of a classic overuse injury: stress fracture. So I ended up taking 6 weeks off completely, and I'm now just getting back to running. I probably should've done some elliptical or spinning to keep my fitness up, but truth be told it was a good excuse to recharge the batteries in preparation for next season. So now I'm back to running about every other day and I'm working on getting a very solid base to ramp up training in the new year.
My time off also gave me some time to think about what I'm doing next year. I'll save my actual goals for another post, but I'm definitely setting a bar for myself in the "Ambitious" category... I'll just leave it at that.
And for some exciting news: Good running friend Craig Lloyd has asked me to be a contributor on his ultra blog Refuse2Quit.com. Hopefully we'll be able to offer up some good content for you to check out. We're especially focusing on some of the adventures our crew has together, and hopefully we'll be offering up lots of cool videos and pictures to keep your eyes entertained. So make sure you keep an eye on the happenings at Refuse2Quit.com and follow us or subscribe via RSS.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Wasatch 100 2012
Everything was a blur... One minute I’m sitting at work, plugging away on a project. The next minute I’m at my friend Matt’s house, laughing with friends and enjoying a nice BBQ on a beautiful summer evening. Aside from the pre-race meeting situated somewhere in there, it was a fairly typical weekend summer night for me. When I’m forced out of bed by the alarm at 3:40 am the next morning though, it got real. Fast. This was the morning I’ve been training for; my “A” race for the year: The Wasatch 100.
When I was selected into the race back in February, I had decided that this was the year to run under the elusive 24-hour mark. I had nothing to hold me back from working to achieve my goal. As with anything in life though, things typically don’t play out the way we fantasize in our heads. As such, I was essentially on the injured list from January to the end of June. I had a few nice runs mixed in there, but no solid training block to really speak of. With only about 10 weeks of real training – and having to start from scratch – I knew it would be very tough to achieve that 24 hour mark. Being the realist that I am, I adjusted my race goal for 26 hours. I felt like this was a mark I could hit based on my level of fitness on race day.
The Start - photo by Petzl
After the usual morning rituals, Matt drove me, Craig, and Scott to the starting line. Before I knew it, the countdown had ended and we were off. The first few miles went off with no major problems, but around mile 3 I mentioned to Scott (who was running next to me from the start) that I was feeling winded. I didn’t have that pep that I like to feel in my legs on race day. So I decided to take a gel. It didn’t sit well... At all. Welcome to the theme of my race. I have an incredibly iron stomach though, so I never threw up or got violently ill… Food just didn’t sit well for the first 85 miles of the race. I’d feel really good for a bit, followed by nausea for a bit. All. Day. Long.
I was mentally defeated by the time I hit the first aid station at mile 19, just 4 hours into my run. Luckily, Scott was still right next to me and we continued to work through some highs and lows together over the first 40 miles of the race. Huge credit to Scott for keeping me going! Without him, I would have been broken and my race would have probably collapsed entirely.
Scott and I sharing a high five at Big Mountain - photo by Lori Burlison
I arrived to my smiling crew (mom & dad) and they got me situated and back out onto the course. Scott picked up his pacer here at Big Mountain (mile 40) and I continued on solo. I followed them for just over a mile, but started feeling good and decided to go on ahead. About 2 miles after I passed them though, I hit another low spot. This time my unhappy stomach and general fatigue were accompanied by a tight chest, and very shallow breathing. I tried some breathing techniques to turn things around, but nothing was working.
I trotted into Alexander Springs (mile 47) completely deflated. I was sure my race was over. I talked to a medic about my situation since I was unsure what was happening to me. They had no answers, but also informed me that I wasn’t allowed to drop here. I had to go on to Lambs Canyon (mile 53) in order to drop. Six more miles? Are you kidding me? So, I made an educated guess as to what my problem was and immediately took in two 20 ounce bottles of water, 12 ounces of GU Brew electrolyte drink, and five – yes, I said five – salt pills; one of which I broke open and poured down my throat. Then I got up and left.
Now I was faced with the most exposed section of the course, in the heat of the day, while feeling absolutely terrible. Wow, things are just getting better for this guy! I walked for about 10 minutes then things slowly started to turn around. My shallow breathing dissipated, my chest was feeling normal, and I had some good energy. So I ran a little. And it felt good. I continued to make my way into Lambs Canyon and arrived to my crew cheering me on. I pounded a whole bunch of water (I was down 8 pounds here), changed my shirt, ate a few things, then immediately started feeling nauseous again. I sat for a minute and tried to recover, but nothing worked. So I did the smart thing and left. Wait, did I just say that? Yeah, I knew I’d bounce back eventually so I just left before I got stuck here. Just before I started the long climb up the Lambs Canyon trail I started feeling good again.
The miles from Lambs Canyon (mile 53) to Brighton (mile 75) were good for me. Aside from another queasy stomach episode at Desolation Lake (mile 67), I made good time through here, with nothing of significance to report. I arrived to cheers at Brighton from my crew. It was also good to see Kelli (who will run Wasatch one day), as well as my friend Darrell there also. My family and friends were keeping me in good spirits here so I spent a little extra time just to enjoy the moment with them. Thanks Mom, Dad, Shirley, Brittany, Brian, Tyler, Matt, and Kelli… You guys were so awesome!
Originally I was going to run the race solo. However, after the day I’d had, I knew I needed some mental support throughout the night, so at Lambs Canyon I told my dad to be ready at Brighton for the last 25. And good thing I had him there with me! He kept my spirits up and kept me focused on the task at hand. He also kept me awake when I was going through a seriously intense patch of sleepiness. I knew the 26 hour goal was out of reach, so my focus was to beat my time from two years ago: 28:59. We worked our way through the aid stations and had a blast just being out there. We ran into some friends along the way, including Matt Van Horn who I’d leap frog for the last 15 miles. He and I would end up finishing about 5 minutes apart.
After eating a gel around mile 85 and nearly puking, I quit eating gels altogether and stuck to GU Chomps. They worked and I never got queasy again. Had I figured this out earlier, my race could have been much different. Hindsight is always 20/20 though, right?! Aside from doing something to my foot with about 5 miles to go, the last few hours went really well. I stayed hydrated, ate well, and continued plugging along en route to the finish. I was elated to hit the grass and run under the finish line with so many people there cheering me on! I had done it. The journey ended 28 hours and 37 minutes after I had started.
The finish - photo by Lori Burlison
In all honesty, I’m more proud of this finish than any other thus far. I knew I didn’t have it from mile 3, but I persevered throughout the day and made it to the finish line. Elation is a good word to describe the way I felt. Thanks to all my family and friends who supported me, and continually do so in my daily life. You guys are the best! Also, a big shout out to the volunteers that make this race happen. They are the best, most organized group of any race I’ve had the pleasure of running. And finally, a huge congratulations to all those who finished! The camaraderie at ultra running events really sets the bar. It’s due to the hard work, diligence, pain, and suffering that we all go through out there. And we do it together.
When I was selected into the race back in February, I had decided that this was the year to run under the elusive 24-hour mark. I had nothing to hold me back from working to achieve my goal. As with anything in life though, things typically don’t play out the way we fantasize in our heads. As such, I was essentially on the injured list from January to the end of June. I had a few nice runs mixed in there, but no solid training block to really speak of. With only about 10 weeks of real training – and having to start from scratch – I knew it would be very tough to achieve that 24 hour mark. Being the realist that I am, I adjusted my race goal for 26 hours. I felt like this was a mark I could hit based on my level of fitness on race day.
I was mentally defeated by the time I hit the first aid station at mile 19, just 4 hours into my run. Luckily, Scott was still right next to me and we continued to work through some highs and lows together over the first 40 miles of the race. Huge credit to Scott for keeping me going! Without him, I would have been broken and my race would have probably collapsed entirely.
I arrived to my smiling crew (mom & dad) and they got me situated and back out onto the course. Scott picked up his pacer here at Big Mountain (mile 40) and I continued on solo. I followed them for just over a mile, but started feeling good and decided to go on ahead. About 2 miles after I passed them though, I hit another low spot. This time my unhappy stomach and general fatigue were accompanied by a tight chest, and very shallow breathing. I tried some breathing techniques to turn things around, but nothing was working.
I trotted into Alexander Springs (mile 47) completely deflated. I was sure my race was over. I talked to a medic about my situation since I was unsure what was happening to me. They had no answers, but also informed me that I wasn’t allowed to drop here. I had to go on to Lambs Canyon (mile 53) in order to drop. Six more miles? Are you kidding me? So, I made an educated guess as to what my problem was and immediately took in two 20 ounce bottles of water, 12 ounces of GU Brew electrolyte drink, and five – yes, I said five – salt pills; one of which I broke open and poured down my throat. Then I got up and left.
On the way to Alexander Spring - photo by Lori Burlison
Now I was faced with the most exposed section of the course, in the heat of the day, while feeling absolutely terrible. Wow, things are just getting better for this guy! I walked for about 10 minutes then things slowly started to turn around. My shallow breathing dissipated, my chest was feeling normal, and I had some good energy. So I ran a little. And it felt good. I continued to make my way into Lambs Canyon and arrived to my crew cheering me on. I pounded a whole bunch of water (I was down 8 pounds here), changed my shirt, ate a few things, then immediately started feeling nauseous again. I sat for a minute and tried to recover, but nothing worked. So I did the smart thing and left. Wait, did I just say that? Yeah, I knew I’d bounce back eventually so I just left before I got stuck here. Just before I started the long climb up the Lambs Canyon trail I started feeling good again.
The miles from Lambs Canyon (mile 53) to Brighton (mile 75) were good for me. Aside from another queasy stomach episode at Desolation Lake (mile 67), I made good time through here, with nothing of significance to report. I arrived to cheers at Brighton from my crew. It was also good to see Kelli (who will run Wasatch one day), as well as my friend Darrell there also. My family and friends were keeping me in good spirits here so I spent a little extra time just to enjoy the moment with them. Thanks Mom, Dad, Shirley, Brittany, Brian, Tyler, Matt, and Kelli… You guys were so awesome!
My crew and I at Brighton
Originally I was going to run the race solo. However, after the day I’d had, I knew I needed some mental support throughout the night, so at Lambs Canyon I told my dad to be ready at Brighton for the last 25. And good thing I had him there with me! He kept my spirits up and kept me focused on the task at hand. He also kept me awake when I was going through a seriously intense patch of sleepiness. I knew the 26 hour goal was out of reach, so my focus was to beat my time from two years ago: 28:59. We worked our way through the aid stations and had a blast just being out there. We ran into some friends along the way, including Matt Van Horn who I’d leap frog for the last 15 miles. He and I would end up finishing about 5 minutes apart.
After eating a gel around mile 85 and nearly puking, I quit eating gels altogether and stuck to GU Chomps. They worked and I never got queasy again. Had I figured this out earlier, my race could have been much different. Hindsight is always 20/20 though, right?! Aside from doing something to my foot with about 5 miles to go, the last few hours went really well. I stayed hydrated, ate well, and continued plugging along en route to the finish. I was elated to hit the grass and run under the finish line with so many people there cheering me on! I had done it. The journey ended 28 hours and 37 minutes after I had started.
In all honesty, I’m more proud of this finish than any other thus far. I knew I didn’t have it from mile 3, but I persevered throughout the day and made it to the finish line. Elation is a good word to describe the way I felt. Thanks to all my family and friends who supported me, and continually do so in my daily life. You guys are the best! Also, a big shout out to the volunteers that make this race happen. They are the best, most organized group of any race I’ve had the pleasure of running. And finally, a huge congratulations to all those who finished! The camaraderie at ultra running events really sets the bar. It’s due to the hard work, diligence, pain, and suffering that we all go through out there. And we do it together.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Utah's Triple Crown
Last month, I headed up to Utah's Uinta Mountains to attempt the Triple Crown - Utah's three highest peaks - with good friend Scott Wesemann. We were also there in support of our friend Craig who was going for the FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the Triple Crown, but we knew we wouldn't see much of him. You can read about Craig's amazing accomplishment HERE. Scott and I ran into some weather on that trip and we were only able to tag the third tallest summit: Gilbert Peak.
Every August Craig holds a fun run up to King's Peak which is known as the Quest For King's Marathon. I decided that instead of running Quest For King's this year, I needed to redeem myself and finish the Triple Crown that I'd failed to complete last month. Scott agreed and he decided to join me. So on Friday, August 10th, Scott, Craig, Matt, and myself headed up to Henry's Fork where we'd set up camp, then begin our adventure the next morning.
Scott and I were on our way just before 5:00 am, with the Quest For King's runners starting about 2 hours after us. It had rained all night so the conditions were really sloppy, so we were slow to the first major stop at Elkhorn Crossing (mile 5). We dropped our headlamps and extra layers here and proceeded on towards our goal. With the chance of running into afternoon showers again, we decided that we wanted to tag King's first this time since we'd already done Gilbert this year. And let's be honest, Gilbert is a miserable, boring, worthless mountain! We made steady progress up to King's, running into lots of hikers and also a few bull moose along the way, and finally summitting at a few minutes under 4 hours. We were right on track.
The ridge between King's and South King's isn't too bad, although the loose boulders make for a very interesting descent going both ways. After cursing the rocks, we decided that we'd summit King's again in order to go back down the well-traveled trail that leads up to King's Peak, rather than go down the face of it. I think it was a good call on our part because we moved quite slow through those loose boulder sections.
At the bottom of the chute up to Gilbert, I had to stop to make a few adjustments and take a nature break. Scott continued on up the chute without me. By the time I was done, he had a few hundred yards on me so I knew I need to blast up the chute. So that's exactly what I did! I flew up the side of that mountain, eventually passing Scott and putting another 50 yards or so on him. Why couldn't my legs have felt like this 2 weeks ago at Speedgoat??? I stopped at the spring and waited for Scott to catch up. We filled our packs and bottles for the last time, then continued slowly up towards Gilbert.
Gilbert sucks! There's something like 5 false summits which are a complete mindjob. Ugh! Add relentless winds and cold temperatures and this made for one helluva day to try to summit this mountain. I got too far ahead of Scott at one point, and while I was waiting for him I had to hunker down between some boulders to get away from the wind... I was absolutely freezing! We slowly made our way up the mountain and eventually summitted for the third and final peak of the day. There were two other people already on the summit that were kind enough to take our picture.
Every August Craig holds a fun run up to King's Peak which is known as the Quest For King's Marathon. I decided that instead of running Quest For King's this year, I needed to redeem myself and finish the Triple Crown that I'd failed to complete last month. Scott agreed and he decided to join me. So on Friday, August 10th, Scott, Craig, Matt, and myself headed up to Henry's Fork where we'd set up camp, then begin our adventure the next morning.
Scott and I were on our way just before 5:00 am, with the Quest For King's runners starting about 2 hours after us. It had rained all night so the conditions were really sloppy, so we were slow to the first major stop at Elkhorn Crossing (mile 5). We dropped our headlamps and extra layers here and proceeded on towards our goal. With the chance of running into afternoon showers again, we decided that we wanted to tag King's first this time since we'd already done Gilbert this year. And let's be honest, Gilbert is a miserable, boring, worthless mountain! We made steady progress up to King's, running into lots of hikers and also a few bull moose along the way, and finally summitting at a few minutes under 4 hours. We were right on track.
First bull moose we saw
On the summit of King's Peak
On the summit of South King's Peak
Just after we came off the top of King's for the second time, we saw Craig and Matt coming up. They were both moving really well. The four of us ran the next several miles together until me and Scott hit our turnoff to go up to Gilbert. The boys went on to finish Quest For King's in under 7 hours... Very impressive!
Craig and Matt running with me just off King's Peak (background)
Making my way up the chute towards Gilbert
Scott and I on the summit of Gilbert Peak
The descent was slow and grinding. We were both pretty low on energy so we took our time. The last 5 miles - known as the death march - were exactly that. We eventually popped out onto the trailhead and completed our mission by signing the trail registry. After spending nearly half our day grinding out the section from Gilbert to the finish, we finally made it. Our time of 13:39:54 was absolutely pathetic, but we had a worthwhile day out there. I only say worthwhile because while it was fun talking and bantering, and great training for Wasatch in a few weeks, I will never, EVER do that again!
Monday, July 30, 2012
2012 Speedgoat 50K
I know how tough this race is because I ran it two years ago. I wasn't very pleased with that performance and felt like I'd made too many mistakes. That was my main motivation in running it again this year; I wanted to go back and redeem myself. My training has been sub-par this year though. After being injured from January thru mid-June I was afraid I may not even be able to run this race. The few weeks leading up to it however, were positive so I decided that worst case, this would be a great tune-up for Wasatch.
My race can be summarized into four sections:
Section 1. Miles 1 - 8
My legs felt well-rested the morning of the race, but as we began making our way up the first climb, I felt like I was putting in way too much effort for the speed I was moving. By the first mile I knew it wasn't going to be my day. As I crested the first climb at mile 8, I was right on my goal target of two hours. However, my legs were done and I was feeling spent. Basically, not the way you should feel a quarter of the way into a race.
Section 2. Miles 8 - 15
I thought I'd see if I could turn things around on the descent into Mineral Basin, which I did. I kept a moderate pace and basically just followed the guy in front of me. Then we hit Mary Ellen Gulch and I took off. This is one place where people take it pretty easy due to the nasty terrain, but I knew that with the upcoming climb I'd need to find some time wherever I could. I hit the Pacific Mine aid station feeling well, grabbed a popsicle then started the climb out of American Fork Canyon.
Section 3. Miles 15 - 23
The climb out of American Fork itself is several miles long and just plain miserable. To make matters worse, I still wasn't able to find my uphill gear. I got passed at least 5 times in this section, one of the passers was good friend Matt Van Horn who went on to finish in 8:11. He hung and talked with me for a minute, but then motored on ahead to catch some people. I wish I could've joined him, but I just didn't have it in my legs. Frustrating! After topping off with water at Larry's Hole, I continued onto the climb up Baldy. This was so steep and took every thing I had outta me. My uphill gear was weak, but my steep uphill gear was almost non-existent! Then just as I'm coming off the top I felt my IT Band tighten up. One more thing to add to my list of problems. Now I couldn't go fast uphill or downhill.
Section 4. Miles 23 - Mile 32
I was getting close. From the Tunnel at mile 23 I ran the downhill as fast as I could, but then my stomach started acting up so I slowed down, which was also good for my knee. I eventually hit the next climb to Hidden Peak. No one passed me on the climb, but I did stop at one point when I spotted Mark and Andrea behind me. I waited for them and we climbed to the top, basically together. After one last refill, I started my slow decent to the finish. My knee was really starting to bother me, but it wasn't worth risking a long-term injury again. I took my sweet time to the finish and was passed by at least 8 other runners (including Mark and Andrea). When the finish line came around I was just happy to see it and happy to see my family and my girlfriend there waiting for me.
I learned a lot out there. Most importantly I learned that you can't expect to have what you don't work for. I worked plenty hard over the last few weeks to have a good race. The problem though, is that ultrarunning requires hard work over a long period of time... We're talking months and years here; not days and weeks. Luckily, I have a six week block to work with prior to Wasatch. Even with that amount of time though, I'm being realistic with myself and I'm adjusting my "finish time goal" to just a "finish" goal at Wasatch.
A few thoughts that went through my mind while running out there.
My race can be summarized into four sections:
Section 1. Miles 1 - 8
My legs felt well-rested the morning of the race, but as we began making our way up the first climb, I felt like I was putting in way too much effort for the speed I was moving. By the first mile I knew it wasn't going to be my day. As I crested the first climb at mile 8, I was right on my goal target of two hours. However, my legs were done and I was feeling spent. Basically, not the way you should feel a quarter of the way into a race.
Section 2. Miles 8 - 15
I thought I'd see if I could turn things around on the descent into Mineral Basin, which I did. I kept a moderate pace and basically just followed the guy in front of me. Then we hit Mary Ellen Gulch and I took off. This is one place where people take it pretty easy due to the nasty terrain, but I knew that with the upcoming climb I'd need to find some time wherever I could. I hit the Pacific Mine aid station feeling well, grabbed a popsicle then started the climb out of American Fork Canyon.
Section 3. Miles 15 - 23
The climb out of American Fork itself is several miles long and just plain miserable. To make matters worse, I still wasn't able to find my uphill gear. I got passed at least 5 times in this section, one of the passers was good friend Matt Van Horn who went on to finish in 8:11. He hung and talked with me for a minute, but then motored on ahead to catch some people. I wish I could've joined him, but I just didn't have it in my legs. Frustrating! After topping off with water at Larry's Hole, I continued onto the climb up Baldy. This was so steep and took every thing I had outta me. My uphill gear was weak, but my steep uphill gear was almost non-existent! Then just as I'm coming off the top I felt my IT Band tighten up. One more thing to add to my list of problems. Now I couldn't go fast uphill or downhill.
Section 4. Miles 23 - Mile 32
I was getting close. From the Tunnel at mile 23 I ran the downhill as fast as I could, but then my stomach started acting up so I slowed down, which was also good for my knee. I eventually hit the next climb to Hidden Peak. No one passed me on the climb, but I did stop at one point when I spotted Mark and Andrea behind me. I waited for them and we climbed to the top, basically together. After one last refill, I started my slow decent to the finish. My knee was really starting to bother me, but it wasn't worth risking a long-term injury again. I took my sweet time to the finish and was passed by at least 8 other runners (including Mark and Andrea). When the finish line came around I was just happy to see it and happy to see my family and my girlfriend there waiting for me.
I learned a lot out there. Most importantly I learned that you can't expect to have what you don't work for. I worked plenty hard over the last few weeks to have a good race. The problem though, is that ultrarunning requires hard work over a long period of time... We're talking months and years here; not days and weeks. Luckily, I have a six week block to work with prior to Wasatch. Even with that amount of time though, I'm being realistic with myself and I'm adjusting my "finish time goal" to just a "finish" goal at Wasatch.
A few thoughts that went through my mind while running out there.
- Lining up next to some of the best mountain runners in the world is inspiring!
- 5 weeks of consistent running (after 5 months of injury) is not long enough to get ready to RACE a tough race like the Speedgoat 50K. It's just not.
- Don't blow out your legs at the beginning of the race just because you're in a position you think you SHOULD be in. Your legs will tell you where you should be.
- Running with a waist pack and one handheld is the most efficient way (for me) to run an ultra.
- Having good friends working the aid stops can be a huge benefit. Thanks Bryce, Lynette, Larry, Mike, and Shane.
- When you know you don't have an uphill gear, pass as many people as you can on the downhills.
- When you do have to climb a hill, climb as hard as you can.
- Just talking to friends (even as they pass you) can be uplifting. Congrats to all of you that finished!
- This year's course is at least 30 minutes slower than the course I ran two years ago.
- Don't get frustrated when old injuries flare up. Just stay positive and keep moving forward.
- Once you realize your goal is out of reach, just enjoy the moment. Take it all in because you won't be out there much longer.
- Be thankful for those who support you. That includes volunteers, friends, family, and fellow runners.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Time For An Update
Can't believe it's been almost two months since the last post. I've got all sorts of excuses but I'll spare anyone who actually reads this. The one piece of good personal news to report is that my divorce is final as of last week. Glad to have that behind me! So where to begin...
Zion was a good indication that things were on the mend. My nagging ITBS problem and my mostly healed ankle felt really good after the trip. Like, really good! Even my legs weren't very sore afterward, which was quite surprising considering I hadn't run more than 17 miles since January. Leave it to me to mess things up, though! The very first long-ish run I did after Zion was a 10 miler, marking the course for the HOMM Marathon up Butterfield Canyon with Craig and Matt. The run went really well until - with about a mile left to go - I decided to face plant on the trail. I went down so hard that I jumped right back up and finished the run. I knew if I sat there I'd stiffen up and my friends would have to carry me out. I ended up with a 3/4 inch gash on my kneecap that went through to the bone and an enormous bruise.
Here I sit nearly two months after that incident and my knee is still swollen. It took 3 weeks to even walk normal again, then another week or so to finally get running again. So there you have it; 5 months worth of injuries for this guy! I'm happy to report (knock on wood) that I'm injury free and I've been back in training again for a full month. I feel like my fitness is finally coming back slowly as well. All great indications for the fun-filled summer I have ahead.
Unfortunately, I won't be in top shape to run Speedgoat hard in 2 and half weeks. I'm ok with that though; I'll just run it as a really nice training run. Yeah, I just used the word "nice" in conjunction with Speedgoat... I'm losing my marbles.
I'm heading up tomorrow a.m. to run Utah's Triple Crown with Craig and Scott. It should be an adventure! I'll have some nice pics and a short write-up to post upon my return.
Zion was a good indication that things were on the mend. My nagging ITBS problem and my mostly healed ankle felt really good after the trip. Like, really good! Even my legs weren't very sore afterward, which was quite surprising considering I hadn't run more than 17 miles since January. Leave it to me to mess things up, though! The very first long-ish run I did after Zion was a 10 miler, marking the course for the HOMM Marathon up Butterfield Canyon with Craig and Matt. The run went really well until - with about a mile left to go - I decided to face plant on the trail. I went down so hard that I jumped right back up and finished the run. I knew if I sat there I'd stiffen up and my friends would have to carry me out. I ended up with a 3/4 inch gash on my kneecap that went through to the bone and an enormous bruise.
Here I sit nearly two months after that incident and my knee is still swollen. It took 3 weeks to even walk normal again, then another week or so to finally get running again. So there you have it; 5 months worth of injuries for this guy! I'm happy to report (knock on wood) that I'm injury free and I've been back in training again for a full month. I feel like my fitness is finally coming back slowly as well. All great indications for the fun-filled summer I have ahead.
Unfortunately, I won't be in top shape to run Speedgoat hard in 2 and half weeks. I'm ok with that though; I'll just run it as a really nice training run. Yeah, I just used the word "nice" in conjunction with Speedgoat... I'm losing my marbles.
I'm heading up tomorrow a.m. to run Utah's Triple Crown with Craig and Scott. It should be an adventure! I'll have some nice pics and a short write-up to post upon my return.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Craig's Trans Zion Double
Over the weekend I went down to Zion to help Craig Lloyd with his Zion Double Traverse attempt; a total of 96 miles and over 20K’ of vert. I committed to helping him out even though I've been on the disabled list since January. First a bum ankle, then some IT Band problems have put me in the worst shape of my running career. I'd run a grand total of 34 miles in the 5 weeks leading up to Zion. Did I think I could do an entire single traverse of 48 miles? You bet I did; as long as the knee would hold up. Yeah, I'm officially an idiot!
At the advice of my friend Bryce, I started going to A.R.T. sessions 3 weeks ago for my knee. These sessions have really helped me regain some elasticity in my IT Band and assisted in getting back into running form. I’ve also been doing a ton of hip strengthening exercises to assist in recovery. However, as of the day we left for Zion, my IT Band was still snapping over my knee. I was extremely worried about how my run would go.
Five of us ended up going down; myself, Scott, Matt, MattVH, and Craig. Matt and I would run with Craig the first half, and then VH and Scott would run with him the second half. Normally this would be the perfect game plan, but I was not even close to being in shape for this type of run and Matt was on the tail end of a virus. After dropping Matt within the first two miles, Craig and I worked through the next few together.
The reality of my situation became apparent after about 5 miles though. Craig was running strong and he absolutely buried me into the ground. I eventually lost sight of him, so I decided to make a push to catch him. However, in the heat of the moment I missed a turn. In all honesty, I might have the absolute worst sense of direction of any human being on the planet! I looked over maps before the trip and noted key corners, but in the thick of it I just completely blew it! I ran up a narrow canyon, crossing back and forth over the creek. I kept looking for the distinct shoe print of the Altra Lone Peaks that Craig was wearing, but with so much water it was almost impossible to make anything out, so I continued on. I eventually hit a dead end so I turned around and went up another canyon. The walls continued to get narrower and I eventually came to a waterfall with a wall behind it. Foiled again! I decided I was in the wrong place. Duh!
I ran back to the last spot where I saw another trail intersecting. I ran back and forth along this 1.5 mile section for the next hour. I had no regard for myself as I was in a complete panic. Looking for Craig’s shoe print was now impossible since I was wearing Lone Peaks as well and I’d covered every inch of ground in this section. I was running through the creek in spots and even got up to my waist in water at one point. It was on… my mind was the epitome of full blown chaos! Eventually, I stopped for a few minutes to gather my thoughts. My next move was to start running back and forth across the bottom of the canyon until I found someone. Eventually, I ran into some hikers who gave me directions and I finally made it out. By the time I found the trail again, I had lost about 2 hours and 20 minutes. I was now 4 hours into my “run” and I’d been out of water for more than an hour, just as it was starting to get hot. I was so physically, emotionally, and mentally drained that I just started crying like a little girl.
I’d like to be clear about one thing here; I was not panicked because I was scared for my life or scared of being alone out there. I’m experienced with survival in the outdoors so those types of thoughts never crossed my mind. I was panicked because I didn’t want to be the jerk that blew it for Craig. I also didn’t want to make my friends – or even worse, Search & Rescue – have to come find me because I was an idiot.
It took everything in my power to get back. My worry now was that the crew would need to move on to Craig’s next checkpoint and that I’d have to hitch a ride or something. I pushed as hard as I could possibly go. Coming into Hop Valley it had now been over 2 hours since I’d had water and it was starting to get hot. There wasn’t a reliable water source, but I knew I had to drink so I drank out of a very unsafe water source. I’ll choose some stomach issues over heatstroke any day of the week!
Once I got to within a mile and a half of the trailhead, some ladies on horseback came along on the trail. They immediately asked “Are you Josh?” I was so relieved to see them and they had some water and granola bars for me. The best part was they had a phone and called my crew. The boys were literally one minute away from taking off. Scott was on his way to meet me and I eventually made it back safe.
I was pissed off at myself more than anything. I really wanted to complete the whole traverse, but it clearly became out of the question. I should have ran the back half with Craig instead of trying to keep up with him when he was fresh. In all honesty though, it was probably a blessing in disguise. My IT Band didn’t bother me at all on this run and going any further than I did could have done some major damage. I’m glad I didn’t go back out.
I spent the majority of the rest of my trip helping Matt crew. We had a lot of fun even though we made some really poor decisions along the way, like trying to drive up the canyon in the van and getting pulled over by a ranger. Stupid!
All in all, a fun experience, even though I don’t want a repeat of getting lost like that again. It would have been so much more fun being lost (did I really just say that?) had I not had a deadline to meet. I don’t ever wish to experience full blown panic like that again, that’s for sure! Next time I do something like this I’ll take either a map, or make sure to memorize one before I go out.
Ended up with somewhere between 25 and 28 miles, so I'm calling it 26. I'm so excited that my knee held up and even more excited that I get to actually start running again!
For details about how the other boys trips went, go check out their blogs:
Craig
Scott
Matt
MattVH
Their write-ups are in so much detail that I won't even try to replicate their experiences. Huge congrats to Mr. Lloyd for completing the double crossing! What an amazing feat!
At the advice of my friend Bryce, I started going to A.R.T. sessions 3 weeks ago for my knee. These sessions have really helped me regain some elasticity in my IT Band and assisted in getting back into running form. I’ve also been doing a ton of hip strengthening exercises to assist in recovery. However, as of the day we left for Zion, my IT Band was still snapping over my knee. I was extremely worried about how my run would go.
Five of us ended up going down; myself, Scott, Matt, MattVH, and Craig. Matt and I would run with Craig the first half, and then VH and Scott would run with him the second half. Normally this would be the perfect game plan, but I was not even close to being in shape for this type of run and Matt was on the tail end of a virus. After dropping Matt within the first two miles, Craig and I worked through the next few together.
Cruising along about a mile before I decided to get lost
The reality of my situation became apparent after about 5 miles though. Craig was running strong and he absolutely buried me into the ground. I eventually lost sight of him, so I decided to make a push to catch him. However, in the heat of the moment I missed a turn. In all honesty, I might have the absolute worst sense of direction of any human being on the planet! I looked over maps before the trip and noted key corners, but in the thick of it I just completely blew it! I ran up a narrow canyon, crossing back and forth over the creek. I kept looking for the distinct shoe print of the Altra Lone Peaks that Craig was wearing, but with so much water it was almost impossible to make anything out, so I continued on. I eventually hit a dead end so I turned around and went up another canyon. The walls continued to get narrower and I eventually came to a waterfall with a wall behind it. Foiled again! I decided I was in the wrong place. Duh!
I ran back to the last spot where I saw another trail intersecting. I ran back and forth along this 1.5 mile section for the next hour. I had no regard for myself as I was in a complete panic. Looking for Craig’s shoe print was now impossible since I was wearing Lone Peaks as well and I’d covered every inch of ground in this section. I was running through the creek in spots and even got up to my waist in water at one point. It was on… my mind was the epitome of full blown chaos! Eventually, I stopped for a few minutes to gather my thoughts. My next move was to start running back and forth across the bottom of the canyon until I found someone. Eventually, I ran into some hikers who gave me directions and I finally made it out. By the time I found the trail again, I had lost about 2 hours and 20 minutes. I was now 4 hours into my “run” and I’d been out of water for more than an hour, just as it was starting to get hot. I was so physically, emotionally, and mentally drained that I just started crying like a little girl.
A dead end that I ran into
I’d like to be clear about one thing here; I was not panicked because I was scared for my life or scared of being alone out there. I’m experienced with survival in the outdoors so those types of thoughts never crossed my mind. I was panicked because I didn’t want to be the jerk that blew it for Craig. I also didn’t want to make my friends – or even worse, Search & Rescue – have to come find me because I was an idiot.
It took everything in my power to get back. My worry now was that the crew would need to move on to Craig’s next checkpoint and that I’d have to hitch a ride or something. I pushed as hard as I could possibly go. Coming into Hop Valley it had now been over 2 hours since I’d had water and it was starting to get hot. There wasn’t a reliable water source, but I knew I had to drink so I drank out of a very unsafe water source. I’ll choose some stomach issues over heatstroke any day of the week!
Once I got to within a mile and a half of the trailhead, some ladies on horseback came along on the trail. They immediately asked “Are you Josh?” I was so relieved to see them and they had some water and granola bars for me. The best part was they had a phone and called my crew. The boys were literally one minute away from taking off. Scott was on his way to meet me and I eventually made it back safe.
The greatest place on Earth
I was pissed off at myself more than anything. I really wanted to complete the whole traverse, but it clearly became out of the question. I should have ran the back half with Craig instead of trying to keep up with him when he was fresh. In all honesty though, it was probably a blessing in disguise. My IT Band didn’t bother me at all on this run and going any further than I did could have done some major damage. I’m glad I didn’t go back out.
I spent the majority of the rest of my trip helping Matt crew. We had a lot of fun even though we made some really poor decisions along the way, like trying to drive up the canyon in the van and getting pulled over by a ranger. Stupid!
All in all, a fun experience, even though I don’t want a repeat of getting lost like that again. It would have been so much more fun being lost (did I really just say that?) had I not had a deadline to meet. I don’t ever wish to experience full blown panic like that again, that’s for sure! Next time I do something like this I’ll take either a map, or make sure to memorize one before I go out.
Ended up with somewhere between 25 and 28 miles, so I'm calling it 26. I'm so excited that my knee held up and even more excited that I get to actually start running again!
Craig exhausted upon finishing his double
For details about how the other boys trips went, go check out their blogs:
Craig
Scott
Matt
MattVH
Their write-ups are in so much detail that I won't even try to replicate their experiences. Huge congrats to Mr. Lloyd for completing the double crossing! What an amazing feat!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Using Friends To Motivate
I lied when I said I was getting back at it in my last post. I didn't. I tried a few times, but every time I got out my ankle told me to stop. That led to pathetic excuses as to why I couldn't run, then the desire completely diminished. It's been a struggle.
Since things weren't really getting better, I decided to visit an ankle specialist. I predicted what he said before I went in and I was bang on! It was nice talking to somebody that understands the problem though as he was able to offer up some other solutions I hadn't thought of. So was the visit worth it? Definitely worth it for the peace of mind alone. I was officially cleared to start training again.
The week after the visit I worked out a few days at the gym, but the only running I did was mostly for warm-up. I couldn't force myself to get out for any length of time that I consider "a run". Motivation was lacking and I knew the only way I could get out of the funk was with the help of some friends. I talked with my friend Craig who was going through some similar issues and he agreed. Later on that week I got an email from him talking about putting a 50K run together out at Antelope Island. Just what I needed!
On Friday I met up with Craig, Scott, and Matt. I drove separate since they were doing the full 50K and I'd be doing less than half that. My ankle had been feeling great so I figured I was good for 14 or 15 miles at the most. I also told myself that I'd bail and walk back to the car if I had to at any given time. It just wasn't worth the risk at this point.
The run went very well as far as the ankle was concerned. It was sore, but not to the point where I felt like I was doing damage to it. My right ankle (the uninjured one) was also a bit sore when I finished, so I figured that was a good sign. My fitness is nowhere near where I'd like it to be - or what I'm used to - but I figured that would be the case having basically taken 2 months off. Overall I was encouraged with the results of the run; I got 14 miles or so and I feel like that run was exactly what I needed to get motivated again. We'll see what this week brings. Below are a few pictures from the run on Friday:
Since things weren't really getting better, I decided to visit an ankle specialist. I predicted what he said before I went in and I was bang on! It was nice talking to somebody that understands the problem though as he was able to offer up some other solutions I hadn't thought of. So was the visit worth it? Definitely worth it for the peace of mind alone. I was officially cleared to start training again.
The week after the visit I worked out a few days at the gym, but the only running I did was mostly for warm-up. I couldn't force myself to get out for any length of time that I consider "a run". Motivation was lacking and I knew the only way I could get out of the funk was with the help of some friends. I talked with my friend Craig who was going through some similar issues and he agreed. Later on that week I got an email from him talking about putting a 50K run together out at Antelope Island. Just what I needed!
On Friday I met up with Craig, Scott, and Matt. I drove separate since they were doing the full 50K and I'd be doing less than half that. My ankle had been feeling great so I figured I was good for 14 or 15 miles at the most. I also told myself that I'd bail and walk back to the car if I had to at any given time. It just wasn't worth the risk at this point.
The run went very well as far as the ankle was concerned. It was sore, but not to the point where I felt like I was doing damage to it. My right ankle (the uninjured one) was also a bit sore when I finished, so I figured that was a good sign. My fitness is nowhere near where I'd like it to be - or what I'm used to - but I figured that would be the case having basically taken 2 months off. Overall I was encouraged with the results of the run; I got 14 miles or so and I feel like that run was exactly what I needed to get motivated again. We'll see what this week brings. Below are a few pictures from the run on Friday:
Craig, Matt, and Scott enjoying some perfect conditions
Matt running down into the Split Rock Valley
The crew enjoying some early miles together
Me cruising down into Split Rock Valley
Nearing the end of the run near White Rock Bay
Monday, February 6, 2012
Getting Back At It
Injuries are so frustrating! The worst part is when people rub it in by running down the streets that I travel on. Needless to say, it's been a long couple of weeks. With the Wasatch 100 lottery taking place last Saturday though, I felt like I needed some good karma so I made it a point to get out. Nothing big, just some miles on the Jordan River Parkway near my house. I definitely felt the ankle every step of the way, but it didn't really get any worse as I progressed throughout the run. A step in the right direction for sure. So this week I'm focusing on getting back at it. I don't have a plan in place other than running roads the first few days, then hopefully progressing to trails by the week's end. Oh yeah, and ditching the extra 10 pounds I'm currently sporting.
With such uncertainty and such little time to prepare, I've decided not to run the Buffalo Run this year. I'm not too bummed though and I really think I'm making the right decision. I don't know how the ankle will hold up over the next few weeks and I don't feel like I have enough time to prepare for a good performance there, so why waste the money? Plus I've got some really fun stuff in the months of April and May so I'll save my energy for that. And now I don't need to stress about shoe selection either. I'm sticking to the Altras and won't even contemplate another shoe unless I feel like I need 'em late in a race. My hope is that I won't but I'm leaving my options open just in case.
The biggest news is that I drew out in the Wasatch 100 lottery. I still have a smile on my face and I'm so excited to run my "home" race again. The fact that I get to train on the course is huge, so I'm looking to put up a good performance there. I have trouble committing at times unless I can be held accountable, so I'm holding myself accountable right now by stating my intention to go sub-24 at Wasatch. That dang Crimson Cheetah is going to haunt my dreams for the next 7 months so it's time to put up. Talk is cheap though so I plan on doing everything in my power to have the race of my life in September. I have no commitments and no "special someone" in my life for me to feel guilty about ditching out on for a run. No excuses! This is the year I make it happen and it all starts with me getting back at it right now.
With such uncertainty and such little time to prepare, I've decided not to run the Buffalo Run this year. I'm not too bummed though and I really think I'm making the right decision. I don't know how the ankle will hold up over the next few weeks and I don't feel like I have enough time to prepare for a good performance there, so why waste the money? Plus I've got some really fun stuff in the months of April and May so I'll save my energy for that. And now I don't need to stress about shoe selection either. I'm sticking to the Altras and won't even contemplate another shoe unless I feel like I need 'em late in a race. My hope is that I won't but I'm leaving my options open just in case.
The biggest news is that I drew out in the Wasatch 100 lottery. I still have a smile on my face and I'm so excited to run my "home" race again. The fact that I get to train on the course is huge, so I'm looking to put up a good performance there. I have trouble committing at times unless I can be held accountable, so I'm holding myself accountable right now by stating my intention to go sub-24 at Wasatch. That dang Crimson Cheetah is going to haunt my dreams for the next 7 months so it's time to put up. Talk is cheap though so I plan on doing everything in my power to have the race of my life in September. I have no commitments and no "special someone" in my life for me to feel guilty about ditching out on for a run. No excuses! This is the year I make it happen and it all starts with me getting back at it right now.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Back To The Drawing Board
I can't believe it's been an entire month since I've posted! Then again, I haven't had much to post about. Here's the story...
Training was starting to get back on track the first week of the New Year. Then three weeks ago me and the boys went out for a training run out at Lake Mountain. This trail sits just west of Utah Lake and the route we took circumnavigates the mountain itself. When all is said and done it ends up being almost exactly 32 miles. The first 19 to our makeshift aid station went great. I was a little stiff heading back out, but knew I'd loosen up as we got going again. The next 7 miles or so includes lots of rollers... mostly uphill. I followed Craig's lead and we charged every one of the hills. I felt great! The last 6 miles are all almost completely downhill, and this is where my problem started. The left ankle started getting sore and the last 3 miles were torture. I hobbled my way in but knew I had aggravated something. Ultrarunners are idiots; especially me.
This seems to be a fairly consistent pattern for me. I get into training mode and tend to overdo things. The result is almost always an overuse injury. I'm just hoping this one isn't a stress fracture or something. Long story short, I've run 2 days in the last 2 1/2 weeks and the ankle still isn't healed. However, I'm getting back on the wagon this week and just seeing how things hold up. I'll probably start off small then progressively increase mileage as the week rolls on. If everything plays out like I'm hoping, I'll be able to get back on my training schedule and sign up for the Buffalo Run. If at week's end things aren't progressing, I'll bag the Buffalo Run altogether and focus on a few unofficial events coming up in April and May.
Wasatch 100 lottery this Saturday! Crossing my fingers.
Training was starting to get back on track the first week of the New Year. Then three weeks ago me and the boys went out for a training run out at Lake Mountain. This trail sits just west of Utah Lake and the route we took circumnavigates the mountain itself. When all is said and done it ends up being almost exactly 32 miles. The first 19 to our makeshift aid station went great. I was a little stiff heading back out, but knew I'd loosen up as we got going again. The next 7 miles or so includes lots of rollers... mostly uphill. I followed Craig's lead and we charged every one of the hills. I felt great! The last 6 miles are all almost completely downhill, and this is where my problem started. The left ankle started getting sore and the last 3 miles were torture. I hobbled my way in but knew I had aggravated something. Ultrarunners are idiots; especially me.
The crew out for a run at Lake Mountain (photo courtesy of Craig Lloyd)
This seems to be a fairly consistent pattern for me. I get into training mode and tend to overdo things. The result is almost always an overuse injury. I'm just hoping this one isn't a stress fracture or something. Long story short, I've run 2 days in the last 2 1/2 weeks and the ankle still isn't healed. However, I'm getting back on the wagon this week and just seeing how things hold up. I'll probably start off small then progressively increase mileage as the week rolls on. If everything plays out like I'm hoping, I'll be able to get back on my training schedule and sign up for the Buffalo Run. If at week's end things aren't progressing, I'll bag the Buffalo Run altogether and focus on a few unofficial events coming up in April and May.
Wasatch 100 lottery this Saturday! Crossing my fingers.
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