Winter Is Upon Us

I am not a fan of the cold. I deal with it by avoiding the outdoors as much as possible this time of year. This year though, I’m forced to drag myself out there A) because I don’t own a treadmill, and B) because I cancelled my gym membership since I rarely used it. I’m kinda regretting that last decision, but I guess it’s worth the money saved which enables me to spend more on warm gear for the winter!

Truth be told though, I haven’t run much the last few weeks. Not because I’m being a pansy and trying to avoid the cold, but for actual health reasons. Two weeks ago I was starting to get sick. My ears were plugged up and my glands started swelling in my neck a bit. It never turned into much more than that though, which was strange since in the past, those were tell-tell signs for me of a full-blown cold coming on. After I got out and ran a few times, it eventually went away… How bout that!

On Friday I went to see an Orthopedic Specialist for this continual problem I’ve been having in my right ankle. Figured now’s the time to take care of it since it’s the “off-season”. Based on the spot of the injury, he was pretty sure that I had a stress fracture, so they took some X-Rays. Negative… not a stress fracture. So I was told to take it easy a little bit longer, then to start building up slowly again with the use of some inserts and see how things progress from there.

So that’s where I’m at and that’s why there hasn’t been much writing as of late. I’ve been doing a little bit of strength training during this downtime, but not much else. I’ll get back to running here in the next day or two. Hopefully by then the temp will be at least up in the 20’s or so. Cuz right now, I don’t know if I’d be running in these single digit temperatures, even if I was able to.

On a side-note, I’ve been working on a race schedule for 2010 the last few weeks. I put in for the Squaw Peak 50 last week. It sounds like they’ll probably end up doing a lottery so I’m not sure yet if I’m in. I’m also putting in for the Speedgoat 50K. My training is focused on the Buffalo Run 50 miler right now, though. That’s gonna be my first test to see where my fitness is at, and to see if I’m capable of performing well in the other races. Just a few more days before I kick things back into gear!

A Breath Of Fresh Air

Rarely is November greeted with early fall-like weather here in Salt Lake. This year however, we’ve been obliged with such; Shining sun, 60’s and 70’s, and generally mild weather for this time of year. I promise I’ll be the last to complain about it, though! I dread the winter every year, more so because of the cold than the snow, though I’m not a fan of either, really. With my first winter of running coming up, I’m being blessed (or cursed) with more than ideal conditions right now. I used the weekend to take full advantage.

I made it into the hills for the first time in weeks. Not my ideal training regime by any means, but time has been constrained as of late so I’ve been relegated to doing most of my running on the roads… Arrgghh! The whole daylight savings thing has thrown off my timing as well since it gets dark much earlier nowadays. Guess I’ll have to consider doing the bulk of my running in the morning. The weather was excellent though, albeit windy. That’s ok as I’d rather deal with some winds on the high ridges than rain and cold weather any day of the week! The point is, I got out there and did what I love doing for the first time in weeks. It felt good!

View to the south from Big Mountain

I decided to go up in the East Canyon area up near Big Mountain. The route I had planned was nice for a number of reasons… First, it’s a loop which makes life easy since I depart and finish in the same place. Second, I don’t go over the same trail twice as I would on an out-and-back. Finally, the area is familiar to me so I didn’t have to worry about taking a wrong turn somewhere. All in all I’d wind up doing about 15 miles with several thousand feet of elevation mixed in there.

So I started my morning near Affleck Park and ran the Old Trail that parallels the road. This trail eventually leads to Big Mountain Pass. From there I made my way up Big Mountain and circumvented the opposing valley in a counter-clockwise direction which dumps you off on the opposite side of the valley near Lookout Peak. From there it’s a 3 mile descent back into Affleck and another half mile or so to the car.

View of Salt Lake Valley from atop Big Mountain

For the most part, the run was very enjoyable. The wind on top of Big Mountain however, was unreal! At times I was leaning so far to my left that I would’ve fallen straight over had there been no opposing force from the wind. Once I was down off the ridge line though, only a slight breeze was present. It was quite nice as it aided in cooling me down a bit. I did run into snow in a few sections of northern facing slopes as well. Unfortunately, it was so slippery that I wasn’t able to run (let alone walk) most of the final mile up in the bowl before my long descent. Though I probably lost 15 minutes or so in this section alone, I’m not gonna lie, it made for a nice break.

Some of the snow covered slopes I passed through

All in all, it was a great day for running. Got my longest run in since the marathon (both time and distance) and got to spend a few hours up in the mountains breathing the crisp, cool air.

A Season of Change

It’s fall here in Salt Lake, my favorite time of the year (as I write it’s actually snowing). I love seeing the array of colors, each signifying a step in nature’s impending hibernation. The spectacle is something I look forward to each year, not only because it signifies the close of the current year, but because it brings me closer to the next. The beauty is serene, the air crisp and cool, and the atmosphere, tranquil.

I think I enjoy the season so much because of what it signifies: Change. Change has been the theme of my life over the course of the last year. Really though, it’s a natural tendency of thought with all the changes surrounding me – thoughts that I no longer shy away from – but embrace with open arms. I’ve gone from a lowly, depressed individual with lack of focus or motivation, to a being full of life, feeling as though I have something to offer the world. From that guy on the couch, to that guy who’s always out there running. Change has made a significant impact on my life!

I’m not gonna lie, the first two weeks following the marathon were quite unfocused for me. I felt the self-satisfaction of completing a goal, but didn’t have a new focus. I was tending toward my old ways. I noticed I was sleeping a little longer, wasting a little more time, and finding myself being bored more often. It wasn’t fulfilling. So what’s the cure? Run. Get back out there with a purpose and just run. So that’s what I’ve been doing. The thing I loved about training for the marathon was the feeling of working towards something, and getting in shape in the process. I had a purpose and a goal to work towards. But for me, a marathon didn’t really push me. It was definitely a stretch to find the time and the will. I trained diligently, but never at any point did I feel like I was giving everything I had in me. There were a select few times when I noticed some self-doubt creeping in. Not once though, did I get to a point when I felt like my body would not respond or my mind would not overcome the obstacle.

I know I’m probably just asking for it with these types of admissions, but I’d like to really test myself. With a marathon under my belt, I can now focus on something to test me further. So rather than bore myself with running a faster marathon (which I’m sure I’ll go after at some point), I’ve decided to venture into the world of the ultramarathon. It’s something I’ve become obsessed with - reading about the adventures of others almost daily - but something with which I have zero experience. It will afford me the opportunity to be out there in nature more often – where I truly love being – rather than pounding out all the miles on pavement. Since I first heard about it many years ago, it’s something that’s always intrigued me, but wasn’t something I ever thought I could do.

So, with 5 months to train and what appears to be a long winter in front of me (I hate the cold!), a 50 miler sounds like a good test for this boy. Hey, what better way to kick off the first year in my thirties!

2009 St. George Marathon

Now that I’ve had a week to digest the events of the marathon weekend, I thought I’d give a quick report of what happened. So here we go…

After a seemingly quick drive, we arrive in St. George. We get to the hotel and check in, hit the grocery store to grab a few quick weekend necessities, and head out for a bite to eat before hitting the expo. The expo is a mad house... Hundreds of people waiting in line for their race info and numbers, and retailers offering all the last minute goodies for everyone. Luckily, we came well-prepared to avoid that mess.

The remainder of the evening is a blur. At this point I still haven't decided which shoes I'm wearing (the old ones with 600 miles on 'em, or the new ones with less than 40 miles?). I remember setting out my gear, trying to read a book with no focus whatsoever, then trying to fall sleep. I probably got 3 good hours of sleep with a couple more restless hours mixed in there too.

The alarm goes off at 3:30. I'm basically awake already, just holding out ‘til the watch goes off. Get up, shower, get dressed, eat the morning peanut butter on toast and get ready to head out the door. I'm still agonizing about shoe selection, but I end up going with the new ones. After the long bus ride out to the start, we arrive to a 40 degree morning in the desert and an hour and a half to kill before the gun goes off. Luckily, there are some bonfires going to keep us warm.

The next 90 minutes are spent in almost a trance. I don’t remember what was being said, don’t remember being cold, and certainly don’t remember how I was feeling. My focus was just so intense that I basically blocked everything else out and was lost in the flicker of the fire. Suddenly, everyone starts peeling off their outer layers. I put mine in my bag, walk up to the truck and throw it in the bed. Before I knew it, they announce that the wheelchairs were off. At this point I’m power walking to get back to my dad and sister to say goodbye. I meet them, my dad tells me good luck, and points to the starting line since the race has begun. The long line is now shifting to the start line.

Suddenly, I’m jogging. Luckily, I’m fairly close to the 3:30 pacer (although I never see them) so I figured I was ok to be boxed in for a bit. Before I know it, we pass Mile 1… 7:59. Then another mile clicks off, and another. Finally I have some breathing room and I decide to get clear of a few of these people around me. The next mile clicks off… 6:59. Whoa, ease up there buddy! It still hasn't really registered at this point that I'm running. What is goin' on?

Before I know it I’m at Veyo and staring at the uphill climb. The hill is dreaded by many, but my training put me in front of beasts much more looming than this little guy. So I power my way up, passing people left and right. At the top my body finally tells my mind that I’m running (for the first time in the race) and I ease back into my stride.

Right around Mile 10, the sun starts peaking up over the mountains. I’m locked into a gear and my iPod is setting the tone for the luminescent scenery that’s unfolding. Have you ever had that perfect song come on, at the perfect time, in the perfect setting? That’s what happens here. I can’t describe it, but I’m flooded with emotions. The next 2 miles pass as though I merely blinked and had arrived.

At Mile 12 I start to question myself. Can I really make it another 14 miles? How will my body hold up on these questionable shoes? Can I really run the whole 26.2? Am I going to hit the wall? How much will I have to suffer to get to the finish? Eventually I get a hold of myself, and continue until I hit the half way mark. I pass it as the course clock reads 1:45:00 exactly.

The next 11 miles or so are pretty uneventful. I’m enjoying myself and trying to keep a smile on my face as I push along. I start taking gels, drinking the highly concentrated Gatorade to replenish salts, push through stiff hamstrings, and work through a slight foot issue. The downhills from Mile 20 on are good to me - thanks to diligent training in the mountains - and I feel great upon arrival into the city. Crowds are starting to get larger and I eventually decide to ditch the headphones to savor the moment.

The last 1.2 miles is the longest 1.2 miles I’ve run to date. Guess it makes up for the relatively quick 25 miles that preceded it! I start thinking about the finish, about when I’ll see my wife and my family, and just the thought alone nearly brings me to tears. Eventually, I make it to where they’re standing and I can’t force myself to look at them.

I give them two raised arms and a quick sprint to the finish… And I’m done! 3:25:12 is my official time, accomplishing my goal of a 3:30 finish. If you count the 2 minutes 12 seconds it took me to get to the line, I actually ended up running a negative split by 12 seconds or so. Not bad! I actually felt like I had something in the tank at the end too. That’s definitely some motivation to push me to higher goals.

The race itself was amazing! After putting this on for 30+ years, they’ve definitely got it down. The volunteers were awesome. My wife was a major key to my success and I thank her for her undying support! Thanks to my family, and especially to my dad for encouraging me to do this, and my sister who pushed on when the going got tough. You are both an inspiration to me!

I couldn’t have been more pleased with the way things worked out. Hindsight is always 20/20, but there are very few things I would’ve changed. Nothing major, that’s for sure. For now, it’s back to running. I’m looking forward to the next challenge that presents itself!

Looking Back

Since I’ve been “clean”, obviously running has become a huge part of my life. I wish I could run more quite honestly, but I’ve realized now that I need to listen to my body and try not to go too overboard on the mileage. I plan on continuing to build up after the marathon is over.

Since I’ve finally made it through my training and I’m now tapering for the race, I’m able to reflect back on a few things that have helped me over the last few months. I’ve pinned it down to a few things that I did right and a few things I did wrong.

So let’s start with what I did wrong...

I’ve repeatedly mentioned it throughout my posts, but the biggest mistake I’ve made is increasing my mileage too quickly. This is not some esoteric finding either. Every piece of advice out there lets you in on this secret. Apparently I’m an exception to this rule, though, or so I thought! Turns out trying to follow an advanced training plan when you’re a mere beginner spells t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Start increasing mileage by more than 10% over multiple weeks and it’s a recipe for disaster. “Hey, I could do it as a kid though” was not being very realistic with myself, as much as I wanted to believe it.

The second mistake I made was regarding speed work. I do understand that it’s not a vital part of training for the beginning runner. However, I had very little of it in my training from the get go, which has made it that much harder to incorporate it now that I’m in the final minutes of the game. My short, fast runs of late have been very beneficial to say the least. They’ve sure taught me a lot about pushing hard.

The third mistake I made was not listening to my body. I recall on numerous occasions going out the day after a tough run because the schedule told me to. My body was nowhere near recovered, yet I thought I had to follow the schedule to reach my full potential. Come to find out that it did much more harm than good for me.

Of course there were some positives though…

First and foremost, my goal was to find a positive addiction. Everyone around me will agree that this addiction is much better than my last. End of story.

Second, I’m in great shape! I wouldn’t have dreamt I’d be in this position six months ago. I can run around for hours and not get tired. I can spend an entire weekend working on projects rather than sitting on the couch (although I still enjoy relaxing when needed). I sleep better, I work harder, my mind is more focused and I’m more positive. All good things, right?

Third, I’m a goal seeker. I’m not quite where I’d like to be, but if I didn’t have goals there’s no need to keep pushing, right? So I’ve set some lofty goals for myself over the course of the next year, hoping that continually having something to strive for will push me to new heights!

Since I figured there should be one more positive than negative, the final positive is that I’m content. Of course I’ve still got those goals pushing me, but I no longer sit around and think about what I could be doing. I’m going out there and doing it, every single day. That, in and of itself, is reason enough to continue doing what I’m doing and make this a lifelong pursuit.

Lack of Motivation = Lack of Skills

Lately I’ve been struggling with some motivation. Throughout my training, motivation hasn’t really been a problem. It felt like a routine for awhile, actually. I had a busy summer too... Took trips to Bear Lake, Tahoe, St.George, a few camping trips, and two hunting trips. Throughout all that time though, I never experienced problems with getting up and getting out there, even if it meant finding a random road or trail to run on (except when I was hunting; I was doing enough miles hiking). The past few weeks however, have not been so good to me. Somewhere along the way, I lost that motivation and got out of the routine. I believe it has something to do with the fact that now I’m on the downside of my training schedule. The Taper! I realized that the lack of motivation started the week after my longest training week. Coincidence? Doubtful. Since that time I’ve been lucky to get out 3 or 4 times a week, where as at my peak I was doing 5 or 6 days a week, no problem.

Luckily, I don’t feel like I’ve lost much in the endurance category. I’m just running a bit sloppier now. It’s like I just jumped off the teacups at Disneyland; arms flailing, hunched over and wobbly on my legs (so I’m a little dramatic). I’ve also put on a couple pounds since I’m not running as much, which definitely doesn’t help my cause. My leg turnover isn’t as fast and I’m disgusted just about every minute I run. Throw in some heat and you’ll catch me cursing under my breath, wondering why I would choose to torture myself in such ways.

I still desire to continue running, though. I read about running and I think about it all day. Those are positives to come away with, for sure. My guess is once the marathon is over (15 days, but who’s counting?), I’ll get my motivation back. I’ll have another goal to shoot for and a new training schedule to begin. Being on the down-slope isn’t much fun, but eventually I gotta learn how to get over this ‘dark side depression’. Hopefully the skills will then follow suit.

When It Feels Right...

...you just go for it. And that's what I did on Saturday! I've been sick of all the downtime the last month or so, so I finally just went for it and finished my 20 miler on Saturday. I decided to do a couple shorter out-and-back routes so that if something went wrong, I wouldn't be too far away from the car.

Turns out things went great! I completed my run just 1 minute 22 seconds over my goal, which isn't bad considering this is the first time I've really had to deal with any bonking at all. I was actually under my goal by about 15 seconds until the last 3 miles where I started to lose about 30 seconds per mile or so. I just couldn't go any faster! But hey, at least now I can say that I've been there, done that, and dealt with the adversity. It was really more of a mental game than a physical one, though. Gives me a greater respect for the guys/gals that have to deal with this type of mental toughness on a regular basis. Really though, the lesson I've learned over the course of the last few weeks, is that I need to listen to my body, instead of my head. My head, I've decided, is the devil's advocate!

When I woke up on Saturday I felt good. As my run went along I began feeling stronger. My head told me to stop once I hit mile 12 (turnaround point when I was back at the car), but I didn't. My sinus was burning at mile 15 when I choked on a Shot Blok, then coughed a chunk up the back of my throat and into my nasal cavity. My mind was telling me no, but my body was telling me yes! (for you R. Kelly fans out there, lol). My body was pissed that I had depleted it of energy by mile 18, and my head was telling me to stop... My legs wanted to keep going though, and so I did.

At the end of it all, I was a little sore, sure. No major pains however, and the mental high I was on more than made up for minor aches in my body! Can't wait to do it again! Just with more gels instead of Shot Bloks next time ;)