Mull Hill Runner

Warrior Dash 2011

2011-08-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

A few photos from the 2011 Warrior Dash.

The race was very well run, would have to
be for 20,000 people to run it. Not doing
any real running these days but could not
pass up dragging my daughter through the
mud. The most significant obstacle, as anyone
running the Afton trail race this year would
attest, were the hills. The other obstacles were
fun but not really that challenging.

I will definitely run it next year.

Been a while

2011-05-31T14:24:00.001-07:00

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Sale of a Legend

2010-08-05T17:59:00.001-07:00

I'm currently about an hour from Leadville and I just read that the race has been sold to Lifetime Fitness. I can only imagine what this will mean for the race.

Read article in ULTRArunning online. Read here on Leadville website, follow link

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First "Ultra"

2010-05-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

Handiwork of Coach John King, North St. Paul High School

I have been looking for this sheet for about 6 months, finally found it. It is from my first "Ultra" or at least my first endurance event - though neither of those designations meant anything to me at the time. This goes back roughly 30 years to my senior year in HS. There were ten guys who decided to do a fund raiser for the CC team. We decided on a 24 hour relay - on the track (it happened to be after track season).

The stats show we logged 246.5 metric miles (1600 meters is about 10yds short of a mile) in that 24 hours. My average mile split was 5:57:28, I ran 25 "miles".

I don't remember who's idea it was but we had no shortage of "idea" people on the team, half of them were just flat out cracked. Chasing squirrels throughout the parks, running double workouts nearly every day, eating worms off the track, mooning everyone who comes by - normal high school stuff mostly.

We approached the school administration about doing the relay and they ok'd it but would not be able to support it. The coach couldn't be involved either - though he was - behind the scene. We were not allowed to use the stadium lights. One of the guys worked for Menards and was able to get enough extension cords to go all the way around the track. About every 200 feet or so we plugged in a single light bulb socket and mounted them up on a little 2x2 stand. I can't for the life of me remember on what day of the week we started, I do know that we had school the next day, as we had promised to attend. I know at least two people who did not.

I think we started about 7 am.

The thought of something like this should be all too familiar to those reading. The idea was crazy, and I couldn't stop thinking about how much fun it was going to be. We had run a relay around Mille Lacs the previous summer, while that was 100K distance, we each only had to run a 10K or two. None the less it did give us a taste for the distance. There was some nut running the whole thing by himself. Go figure.

There is a lot about this event that I don't remember - until I found the sheet I didn't remember who I received the baton from or who I handed off to (sorry Dick). I don't remember much about fueling but no one really talked about that much back then. I do remember having bananas, raisins and water, maybe some PB&J sandwiches. I remember falling asleep and being awakened soon there after, again and again. I guess I do remember waking up Dick, the next runner after me just before heading out to the track. There were also a steady stream of supporters, never a crowd, but always a few concerned parents and a few people wondering if they had to make good on their pledges.

I remember some of the pain, the first mile over 6 minutes, the ache of the first few steps at the beginning of each leg. I remember a few people hurting worse than me.

I remember the encouragement of those who came for the last hour. In finding the ability to run faster than I thought I could, farther than I thought I could. I definitely remember the pain the few days following.

I don't often think about this event but I believe it helped shape me. Not that an 18 year old needs any help feeling invincible but I knew then that I was the only thing limiting me. I made many decisions after this event that undoubtedly, unconsciously, were influenced by it.

I await the next challenge - after I get my damn back figured out! Yet another MRI..... I'll be returning to running soon, one way or another. Meanwhile I'm trying to find some other old stuff to relive.

Surf the Murph 50K

2009-11-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

Scott, Andy & Dick

The three of us finally had an opportunity to race together at Surf the Murph. We did a training run out there a few weeks before the race so we had a pretty good idea what the course looked like this year. With the flatter sections added in the overall ascent ended up at 2577ft, we were all looking to PR at this race.

The 50 milers took off at 6:00, we toed the line at 7:00 for the 50K. Thanks to daylight savings time not starting until that evening, the beginning of the race starts before sunrise. I had taken a little warm up run prior to the race and noticed the course was definitely going to me muddy. At the sound of the bottle rocket we started off. I saw Scott for about 2 minutes or so, never saw him again until the end of the race. Sure was a pleasure running with ya Scott. Seriously, he has had a great year and was obviously ready to nail this one, finished 8th male, 9th overall.

Count down

About 5 miles into the race a familiar sound crept up behind Dick and I. It turned out to be Buddy J. We all raced together this spring at the Superior 50K and finished within a few minutes of each other. We stuck together all the way to the halfway point. Buddy stopped a little longer than us at the half and about 20 miles into it Dick started to pick things up a little bit, either that or I started to suck air. Either way I ran by myself for 5 miles or so. Buddy caught up to me a while later and we ran about 4 miles together. I really started to fall apart, not sure why. I don't like to make excuses but I never hit a groove in this race. I usually have at least a part of every race where things just feel absolutely perfect - that never happened in this race.

Headed in to mile 28ish with Thing1 and Thing2

It was nice to have the family there, I got a quick back rub (more on that later) and a refill of my favorite drink and took off for the last 4 miles. Thanks sweety ;)

Two noteworthy items:

I wear a heal lift in my Rt shoe which NEVER gives me problems - until I am in a race. I train in my racing flats, run 20+ mile training runs and never have a problem. During this race I started to get a blister on the back of my heal, I could not figure out what was happening as I never get blisters. ( I know there are a lot of nevers in this paragraph - hence my surprise) It turns out my heal lift started to make its way out of my shoe - I had an issue with my lift in every race this year - yah I know - quick learner eh.

Other than having to take my shoe off the second to last mile I had a great finish, I felt strong and was even leaping over the obstacles near the end. I don't know where this comes from, I experienced this at Superior as well this year. It makes the end of the race so memorable as to want to return.

Gee, I hope they don't consider this an assisted finish!!!

Andy (13th), Buddy (12th), Dick (10th), Scott (8th)

After it was all said and done we all (not positive about Buddy) set a 50K PR. It was my fastest (5:33) and most probably the longest 50K I've ever run, close to 32 miles.

This race is twice blessed with the weather in its two years, unbelievable!

Click here to see the run on Garmin Connect

Post race: Flew to NYC at 10:30 the following morning, had a great time taking in the tail end of the marathon festivities and energy. I can't believe what a world wide event that is. I woke up Monday am and my low back was completely seized up. Here I am in NYC and I can barley walk upright - what a site. People asked me "did you run the race" I just nodded and answered, "and then some". Anyway, a week later and I still wouldn't even try to run yet, though I seem to be on the mend - finally.

Runs of late and plans for later

2009-09-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

I have been increasing my mileage as of late, still only a paltry 640 or so for the year, oh well. It was hard passing up a few of the races this year, especially when so many people I know were able to reach some stellar landmarks this season. At least I had a decent spring.

Last weekend I went to Elm Creek Park reserve, here is a bit of video to prove it, along with the sunrise above. There are a few sections of single track out there that are really fun. I love watching the ground roll by.

I am pretty sure I will run the 50K at Surf the Murph on Oct 31. I have a couple friends who will be joining me. If all the planets align just right we could all finish within a few minutes of each other. Time will tell on that one! Who will be first?? Hope to catch up with a few people out there as well.

Hoping to get out there one of these weekends prior to the race so I can run a loop. I'll try to post if I know when I'm going.

It seems lately that everyone I know, and even those I just read about, are suffering some sort of running related injury. Hope everyone can overcome and finish the year strong.

Mecca

2009-08-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

Took a trip to Colorado this summer to relax and enjoy things a bit. I discovered a running trail right outside our condo. I took this run the day after ariving in there. It starts at 9300' and rises to about 10500'.

Oddly enough I did not really feel that affected by the elevation during the climb, and the descent was not noteworthy either, regarding the elevation. I also took a hike along the continental divide which was from about 11,800 to 13,000 while I could sense the lack of O2 at the top it too was fairly easy. It was not until later in the week that when I took a run along a fairly flat river trail, at about 9200', that I felt like I was totally sucking air. I thought after a week at elevation and two fairly decent runs that I would be able to really kick it. NO WAY. I don't know that I will ever figure out the formula for running at elevation.

Anyway, I was out there with the family and we biked, climbed, hiked, shopped, worked on the condo and a bunch of other stuff. The kids got to take a Jeep ride up a gulch trail too, it was a highlight of their trip. We did a little road trip through Aspen, across Independance pass and ended up in Leadville (hence the title of the post).

We ended up there the day before the LT100 mountain bike race. We got to catch the Lance Armstrong craze.

Lance won the race this year after taking second in '08. What a stud. Leadville is a really fun place with a multitude of playgrounds for the outdoor enthusiast.

I was really taken by the atmosphere thoughout the mountain towns. Everyone is involved in some type of activity, you really had to look hard to see someone who was out of shape, if you did they seemed have either a Vikings or Packers jersey on, go figure.

Anyhow, I have been taking it really easy this summer, I have cut way back on mileage in an attempt to keep some of my nagging injuries (back) at bay and to baby a few new ones (knee). I am contemplating a late fall race, likely one of the Murphy races, Lord knows there are plenty to choose from. As I have noted before I really have never raced much in the heat of the summer, though you may see me at an aid station somewhere soon?

Running from the Devil - Review

2009-06-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

I was asked, as were Steve and "Westy" if we would be willing to write a review on a new book. I took a quick look on Amazon and it looked like it would be something I would enjoy. I typically like the intrigue, action type of book so I have plenty to compare it to. The author, Jamie Freveletti did a great job, especially considering that this is her debut into writing. I'm not sure if there will be other books to follow which would continue the saga but she did leave it open for more. The author did a really good job in developing the main character, Emma Caldridge. While it took the entire book to do so it was done very thouroghly, often times unoticed as she wove it into the action, as a good book should.

SUGOi teamed up with the publisher to make a video:

It was interesting reading a novel where the main character is an Ultra runner. The author did a good job in using the sport, both for the action and character development.

The book seems short, granted I got into it which always makes them clip right along. I think she could have gone into a few parts a little deeper and there are a few believably issues but I don't want to nit pick. Overall if you are into spy/intrigue/thriller/conspiracy books, it's definitely worth the read. Click here for the authors story summary.

SumSumSummertime

2009-05-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Subtitle "Why I Love Winter"

The Heat

For someone who works outside it still seems to take a long time to get used to the heat. I have never run a competitive event in North America in June-August. Not sure if this year will be any different or not. I was breed for neither extreme, my thermoneutral zone is centered around 58 degrees. I have had a much easier time of it the last two years, dropping some weight helped but also finding S-Caps, along with the proper dosage. I did thoroughly enjoy running through the night last summer, this seems like a good way to avoid the heat, though the feet get pretty wet.

The Humidity

While age undoubtedly has a greater effect on my perception than actual science - the fact is that the dew points in the Twin Cities have been trending slighly upward during the past years 100 years. Sweating does not cool the body when the humidity is high!

The Activities

Vacations, reunions, camping trips, camps camps camps. Seems like every day the kids are going somewhere. I remember my youthful summers spent carefree - biking, fishing and gallivanting around the town. Don't get me wrong, the kids definitely enjoy themselves, its just far more organized and requires greater parental involvement than in generations past. I'm taking my oldest daughter into the BWCA this year, it will be her first trip in.

What to do

I hope to maintain my mileage through mid July, then slowly increase it as the schedule allows. Looking forward to a fall event or two, I figure I have a couple months to decide on exactly which ones to do.

Superior Trail Races, 50K, 2009

2009-05-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

For those who may not recognize it, that is the profile of the Superior Trail Races, 50K .
Some talk about the flatter areas, you know, right after the Oberg aid station - don't worry about it, I cant find it either. As I mentioned earlier, I ran this in 2007 as well and truly love this course - tough as it is.

Anyway, here is my before picture, looking better than a month ago.

The drive up Friday night was a bit hairy, the rain started about Hinckley and never let up. By the time we got to Two Harbors there was standing water in the ditches. I had a good idea what the weather was supposed to be but to see it coming down less than 12 hours before the race helped solidify the predictive science into fact. The weather was definitely going to make the day interesting. The wind blew from the WNW all night long and was still going strong in the morining. We ate a good breakfast and I headed up to check in as I got up too late to get it the night before. The odd thing about my quick trip up the hill is that even though there was a skim of snow on everything and the wind was blowing - for some reason it didn't seem that bad out.

We had a few minutes prior to the race to see some familiar faces, here is a pic of Steve Q., Dick B., and myself. We all went to North St. Paul High School, Steve being one year senior to Dick and I. We all ran for the same coach, John King. Obviously he had an impact. Our CC course was always a bit tougher than the competitions, guess it rubbed off.

Speaking of the start, I have another starting photo thanks to my wife:After the usual lack of fanfare the race began promptly at 7:01. We all had to wait for Andy Holak, the eventual 2nd place finisher, to tie his shoe.

I had planned on running even splits, to finish at 5:40. That would mean that I would have to run the first half of the race at a level that I have never done before. I would have to let a lot of people hit the trail before me. Not easy. I settled in behind Keith K., which was fun because I found myself much more careful with my footing as I was following behind someone wearing Vibram five fingers. I run in my occasionally but Keith is an expert barefooter and makes it look easy.

After a couple miles I couldn't control myself and took off, like an idiot. At about mile 4 I was by myself. I managed to cool it a bit and came into the first aid station about 4 minutes ahead of my projected time. I refilled with Heed and took a gel, 30 seconds.

This next section is where you are supposed to lower your average mile pace for the race. Slow down on the big climbs and make it up here. Well I looked at my data from the Garmin. I was totally sucking air here. Every time I turned a corner it seemed I was going up hill. My mile splits were horrible. I decided to walk for a minute, took an s-cap and a couple shot blocks and decided that this was a race and there are times it supposed to suck. So I took off.

Came into the Britton Peak aid station about 5 minutes ahead of schedule. Again, refilled with Heed and one gel, kissed my wife, she asked, 45 seconds, total, not the kiss.
Hey look! My feet aren't touching the ground.

It's only a couple miles or so from here to the turn around on Carlton Pk. Its fun to see the people running ahead of you as they come back down the trail. I tried to count my place but lost track. I caught a glimpse of Dick as I was nearing the more technical portions of the climb.

As soon as you reach the "top" its time to blast back down. It was here that I took a major digger in 2007 so I was a bit apprehensive about bombing it. Also was really aware of the fact that I trashed my quads in the BelMonte 50K in March and paid dearly for it at the end of the race. I ran down as quick as I could while trying not to crash and burn. Saw a ton of people coming up. Nice

Reached the half way at 2:44:31, a 5:30 finish with even splits. I really didn't think it could happen so I planned for a mini bonk.

I passed through the Britton aid station again, had to take my Rt shoe off to adjust my insole, would have to do this 2 more time before the end. Got a fill of Amino and took a gel and s-cap.

I can't tell you how frustrating it is to have to deal with equipment malfunctions like that during a race. You are plodding along knowing full well you will have to stop but you just keep going anyway. As it turns out it would be best just to stop and tend to the issue but something just wont let you stop until you just can't keep going - anyway.

I did a fair bit of nothing during the next portion.

Ran through a bunch of mud
Fell
Got up
Repeat.

Felt really good coming into Oberg aid station, of course the last mile leading into it is down hill. There's the whole clan to meet me!
Fixed my shoe, got two packs of shot blocks, took an s-cap, more Amino and two cups of Pepsi. I had chewed up 5 minutes of my 10 minute cushion getting here. Spent probably 2 minutes a the aid station. Left mostly feeling good.

If you look at the elevation chart at the top of the pg you will see two distinct peaks at the beginning and end of the race. These are Mystery and Moose Mts. Though the data does not show it they are taller on the way back. I made it up Moose ok but the wind at the top was relentless. The peak is about a mile long and I got pretty chilled up there. At this point there were ice pellets falling as well, just for effect. I also was feeling like the race could go either way. One minute I felt great the next not so. I walked for about a minute and wolfed down about 4 shot blocks, another s-cap. and took off down the hill.

The climb up Mystery is a real bugger, it is a bunch of switch backs. Not steep enough to justify walking but bugger to run. I did it anyway - run that is. At this point I just switched to auto pilot. I wasn't driving, just trying to stand up. Near the top of the hill I met Dick. He fell in behind me for a while but we got separated somewhere on the down hill. I think that is where he got his shoe sucked off, not hard to believe if you were there. I took a major spill here that I would have loved to see on video. I hit the ground with my water bottle, the cap popped half way off and my drink sprayed right into my face - strawberry amino facial scrub, with organic humus to boot.

As I continued down hill I just kept picking up steam. I have no idea where it came from. Passed some dude like he was standing still. I knew when I hit the road that if I kicked it in I would meet my goal time.
5:40:54, I don' think the seconds count once you get over 5 hours, do they?

Three weeks off from Chippewa 50K and Dick still runs a solid race, way to go

Thanks for the water bottle fills, watching the kids, hanging out in the cold......

The parting shot.

BTW Steve Q is keeping track of all those who may mention that they beat him this race. If anyone beat Steve please let him know.

Mental Prep

2009-05-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking lately about the mental preparation one goes through as race day approaches. I was not able to go to the Chip this year but did read a number of blogs where people were discussing their race strategy. There are numerous ways to approach a race, I'll list a few that I can remember - it's a mix of strategies and race purposes, followed by my commentary:

"I'm going to run this race as a training run for..."
I tried this once, it can only work if you don't actually enjoy racing.

"I'm going to beat ......."
I tried this once, see below for issues.

"I'm not going to get beat by...."
Nuf said.

"I'm going for a course PR"
All in the training, remember though, you are a year older.

"I just want to finish"
I have never entered a race I didn't think I could. Shame on me I suppose.

"I am going to run negative splits"
If you can let the majority of the people of similar ability out of your sight within the first half mile or so you can probably do it, and beat them - good luck with that.

Then some of the more muted claims and performance pre excuses.

"I don't really care what place I get"
It's a race, come on, be serious now.

"I'm not going to push my ....... too hard, I don't want to cause any serious damage.
This is actually mine, it's really lame. You'll run and it will hurt.

"I ran an ultra last week"
I know someone who did and won!!

"I want to run the best race I can"
For better or worse, that's what you'll do.

"This is my first Ultra, I don't know what to expect"
It won't be your last, and you will never know.

"I ran Grandma's in 3:30, so I think 4:20-4:30 is reasonable.
Add an hour or so.

My next race is the Superior 50K , May 16. I struggled with this race in '07 ,though I had a wonderful experience, and was not able to compete for nearly all of '08. I really love the North Shore and love this race. I am in the process of figuring out my race strategy.

Up Down Up Down

2009-04-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well there's the proof, straight off the Garmin, (you can click on the graph to see the whole race, sorry I'm not an HTML expert) I knew this race contained a little more elevation than the Superior 50K but was really taken back by the steepness. Holy crap, this was up up up and down down down. I remember writing about the "Smurf the Murph" course and it being somewhat sly in the way you accumulate elevation. This was just the opposite - in your face up and down. Notice the naive look on my face, 5:45 in the morning, no problems at all.
The race started about 30 minutes before sunrise, a bit of a pet peeve of mine as I hate having to lug the headlamp along until an appropriate dumping point, the photo shows us climbing the steps up to the top of an earthen levy, the starting point . The 50M, 50K and 25K started in mass, 336 starters total, with the single track about 1/4 mile from the starting line I pushed to the front to avoid the funnel effect. I took my first spill about 1 mile in the race as my right foot smashed into a rock, damn this was going to be tough.
The weather was fairly nice for the race, about 42 degrees at the start and 49 at the end, there was fog and mist for the entire race. The effect was surreal, while you knew you were in for a long race you could never get a feel for the effort you put in, no views to be had for all the work, very similar to Superior spring of 07.

The first part of the race was awesome, the climb was doable and fueling was going great, I had 3 gels and 3 shotblok tubes throughout the race and would fill my bottles at each station and grab a 1/4 or 1/2 PBJ at about every other one. Actually blew off one and spent no more than 1 minute at any one stop.

Every race I seem to match up with someone for part of the race, I met Allen, a VA native and ended up running together for about 6 miles and leapfrogging each other for another 6. Prior to arriving at the 3.5 mile gravel road stretch we agreed we would both benefit from running that together. Its nuts just how tough a stretch like that can be in the middle of a trail race - cars, pavement like surface ... just seems to play with my mind. I definitely ran this better with someone to share the misery with. For some reason I seem to be tipping to the right?At about mile 16 starts the second climb, it ends at 24 miles, I can say that this makes this race. The ascent starts gradually, up Turkey Pen Road, none seen. You end up running up the bottom of a draw, the trail criss crosses a stream about eight times - nice. Now we get to add the slosh factor. I chose my footwear, NB 790's, because I know my feet would get wet, they really worked good for this purpose as they drained well. They did not, however, offer much protection from rocks, not sure what would have. Some of the rock is quite pointed and the sole was a little weak in that area. It does have a rock shield, just not a very good one. The toe box is very soft and offers no protection from direct impact, as you will see later.

The last mile of the ascent was brutal, I cant imagine anyone running it but I'm sure the front runners did. I felt ok at the top, just grabbed a refill and a PBJ and started to walk off the cumulative effect of a 6 mile ascent. I really stiffened up here. After 1/4 mile we dropped off the face of the earth. I had to stop to retie my shoes to attempt to keep my toes from jamming into the front of them. As it turns out, part of my heal lift shifted to the front of my shoe and started to curl up and hit my big toe. I thought it was my nail after being pealed off, feasible option.

Anyway I had a really tough go of it in the steep downhills, I tried to gut it out but occasionally had to walk some downhills to keep my sanity. My quads were also quite fried by this point. On a few super steep sections I walked down backwards. The following picture shows me with about 3 miles to go. I think I'm still listing a bit??

The race, as may trail races do, finishes with the last half mile or so on the pavement - why is this? You can see the results here and in the photo below. I knew it would be a tough one and was shooting for the 6 hour mark, cant say I'm disappointed as I really pushed hard. Actually got sick with a cold about 1 hour after finishing - that's never happened before. After leaving the last aid station I caught a bit of powder blue out of the corner of my eye. All I could think about was my kids seeing me being beat by a girl - I know that's chauvinistic of me but it did shave a minute or two off my time. She was the third female finisher, seven seconds behind me, minor victory. Doubt the kids noticed.

Race by the numbers:
Miles run in 2009 up to race day: a paltry 208, longest run 22.3

117 starter - 110 finishers
Finished 26th

9/39 in 40-49 age group

24/94 males

My wife was at two aid stations and caught a few glimpses of Sean Andrish as he was making a bid for the course record, 4:26:17 missed the record by about 7 minutes. How come in all the photos of the elite runners they never have their feet touching the ground?

The parting shot was supposed to be a before and after but I refused to take off my shoes at 5:00 in the morning for the before shot. I must have stubbed my Rt big toe 30 times. Only went down once but had many a "windmill" moments on the trail which would have looked hilarious on video. I have to say, this was an awesome race, well directed and in a beautiful area. I ran it as hard as I could and am grateful to my wife for allowing me, no encouraging me, to tag this on to the end of a great spring break vacation. Superior 50K is next on the agenda, possibly Trail Mix 25K just for fun.

BMER, Ready or Not

2009-03-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

Well, there it is! First race of the season for me 3/28/09. I'm really looking forward to it, in a perfect world my training would be in a very different spot but I'll take what I can get. My back has been holding up OK and I won't push it too hard for this race. I'll tax everything else, feet, quads, lungs, shins, gut.... but not the back. I had a 20+ run last weekend and it went really well, the first 11 miles were in foot sucking mud, puddles and snow. No problems. I'm using the NB 790, its light but still has decent cushion, but best of all it drains fast. There are a couple stream crossings and I don't want to deal with the slosh factor.

I'm about 13 lbs lighter than my last Ultra and I think that will make a huge difference in how I fare. It's been very rewarding, as others have noted, to see the results of a healthier life style. Not just in performance on the trail but in my outlook of just about everything.

So here's to a great year on the trails - Cheers!

Yes Virginia, spring will come

2009-02-26T18:55:00.000-08:00

Still here trying to get in some "decent" miles and dodging the ice and snow. I use RunningAhead to log my mileage and noticed yesterday that you can now link directly to your Garmin GPS. I have a 305 and it works flawlessly. I downloaded about 200 runs. It allows easy access to all the info the watch collects plus pretty cool graphing options and about 6 different maps as well. It has worked really well so far. It will be nice to add all the data to the log automatically. Check it out.

I've had 4 weeks now averaging about 25 mpw. I had my fifth and likely final cortisone shot in my back the first week, or there about, in January and only did the elliptical for a couple weeks then a sorta slow ramp up. A while back I posted about the Bel Monte Endurance Run the races are March 28 I got in just under the wire and there is a waiting list now, there are about 100 in each of the races, 50M, 50K, and 25K. I'm the only runner from MN. I would probably be better off running the 25K but I'm not going all the way to Virginia to run 15 miles.

I've had a couple runs lately which make me confident I have the potential to finish well, for me. I did land flat on my back today while blowing snow off the driveway. The first thing that came to my mind was "shit, I hope I can still run" - I think it's kinda pathetic actually. After all I do have a wife and kids who rely on me to earn a living and all. Anyway - hope everyone has a little more umph to make it through the end of winter here. I'm going to find spring in a month one way or another.

Arrowhead 135

2009-02-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

Check out the progress at the Arrowhead 135. -8 degrees at the start, about -1 right now. These are some tough dudes, and dudette.

http://www.arrowheadultra.com/blogger/blogger.html

Starting up . . . again

2009-01-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

I remember starting up running in the late summer for High School CC and swearing I'll never get out of shape again, it's just too hard to get back to where you were. Bet I've done it 30 times since then.

Haven't logged much for mileage for quite a while. To add insult to "injury" I was also forced to take a couple weeks off after another cortisone injection. I have taken five, two week layoffs from running in the last 14 months. During these times I have tried everything from "total rest" to using the elliptical 9 times. Neither extreme nor anywhere in between has seemed to maintain cardio like running would have. I can't believe how hard the first few runs are. This logic seems to contradict the taper theory, though I didn't go into the periods totally ramped up for a race either.

I skied 5 days, about half of each quite aggressively, in Colorado over Christmas vacation. No back pain or sciatica at all. Makes me wonder what really is going on. View from Condo:

On my run today I played around with observing my pace and the running surface. I'm less inclined to pay much attention to it this time of year and was amazed at the differences. Compared to running on a flat, plowed, packed snow surface the following was observed, maintaining the same HR:

Run in tire track, pace increased 20 sec/mile, I think due just to the change in gait
Add 3-4 inches of snow, pace increased 45+ sec/mile
Add 12+ inches of snow, pace increased by a little over 3 minutes/ mile

Guess thats why everyone tests their progress on the treadmill eh?

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

2009-01-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. I read this article, now a couple years old, and it gives some good insight into the American diet. There is no end to the nutritional information or to those hoping to benefit from it one way or another. The long and short of it (and it is a long article) is that America is eating itself to death despite the increase in understanding dietary needs. Regardless of where you stand on the issue there are some excellent points to be made here.

Quite the list

2009-01-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

ultraRUNNING online compiled a list of the top 100, 100 mile mens finishers. While there are other lists which attempt to even out the difficulty of the races this is just a pure time comparison. It's a pretty cool list to look over. It covers 20 different races, presumably on the easier end of the 100 spectrum as the more difficult ones would have winners with times greater than 100th place. Jorge Pacheco, 40, CA, 14:12:21, Rocky Raccoon, had the fastest 100 mile time this year. That's about 8:3X /mile for 100 miles. Damn. Some of the names I recognize which made the list:

Wynn Davis
John Storkamp
John Maas

Christmas

2008-12-24T19:42:00.000-08:00

Had a great experience here in CO, we wanted to go to a Christmas eve service and we picked a church from a listing of area churches. We were floored, and blessed to find that our old pastor is here - we lost touch over the years and they are incredible people. Anyway, I hope everyone has a great Christmas. Someone loves you.

live4winter

2008-12-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

For various reasons winter is my favorite season, mostly it's got to do with work. The middle of November to me is what April 15 is to an accountant. The winter gives me a chance to spend more time with my family and friends. One of our family traditions is skiing, here are a couple shots from last winter, with the king of the hill front and center.

We can usually make it to the mountains every year or so and it usually ends up being in Colorado. There are so many options there and the child care / ski schools are first rate. Now that the kids can basically ski on their own we decided to go someplace different last year, we chose Whitefish, Montana. It is an incredible place to ski, and the town is awesome too. The whole area is still very much small townish and the prices reflect it too.

We are going to Colorado this winter as the best deals were found there, and now that Vail Associates basically owns Summit county the lift tickets can be used at A-Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail and Beaver Creek ..., so we shouldn't get bored.

Anyway I have been doing a little "cross training" myself, not to be compared to those performing over the top psyco type of training, hoping to build a little more quad and back strength for the ski season. I'm surprised at how just a few exercises every other day can add to the overall condition. I can tell when I walk up the stairs (sans sandbag) that I have more snap in my step. I also noticed that improperly performed exercises will be noticed quite quickly - man my joints suck.

I have been going pretty light on the running since running Surf the Murph, I guess just about 50 miles for all of November. The runs have been mostly good but I don't have a great feeling about increasing the mileage. I guess I won't know until I try but just reluctant to do so. I'm also considering some other options for the back issue but not till after the holidays.

I've talked with or communicated with a few of us "Northern Burb Dudes" about getting together for a few winter runs. I've run Elm Creek, Taylors Falls (Interstate), Wild River and some trails down on the river around Coon Rapids Dam. Hopefully I can find a few new places before the snow gets unmanageable. I guess this too will have to wait until next year - oh well.

I hope this finds everyone in good health and good spirits this season. If I don't post before I leave for CO I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Mt. Run for 2009?

2008-11-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

March 28, 2009

This would be my first attempt at real planning for 2009. The Bel Monte Endurance Run is on the route of the families spring break trip to NC, where we are headed for a couple graduations. There are a 50mile, 50K and 25K run. I would plan on the 50K and see how the winter goes. It would be a fun race to keep me focused through the winter. It looks like a tough race, with the record at 4:18 it is likely tougher than Superior. Here is the profile. BTW my wife found this run for me (XXOO).

It seems this is the time of year to contemplate what to do all winter, I'm in the same boat but have not had much time to sort things out. I think I will go back to some low HR training but would like to do some cross training and weight training as well. There is a conflict here which I will have to come to terms with. Whatever I do will have to take second place to the continued recovery of my back and associated problems. I have been able to drop about 10 lbs or so since the middle of the summer and would like to keep this off over the winter - don't think it will be a problem but sure would like the benefit of starting the race season on the lighter side.

I have not had time to post since I ran the "Surf the Murph" 25K on 11-1, I'm sure most have heard that it was a great day for a race. Doubt they will get that kind of day for a while. It was well attended and well supported. It was nice to see so many people racing and volunteering. It was also nice to have my family there. I did fairly well considering I had not yet hit the 400 mile mark for the year! I was happy with my place and my overall condition at the finish. I definatly had some tightness on my Rt side but was managable throughout the run.

Where the heck am I

2008-10-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

Remember back in 8th grade Geography class you had to make a map of a park? I think the trail map for Murphy-Hanrehan park was a class project. There are junctions marked in the park where both forks are labeled with the same trail number. These pictures were taken standing in the same spot! Notice the same trail number. This was not the worst example.

Notice the trail closed sign? At least half the signs I passed said the trail was closed. If its nesting birds they are concerned about I think the time has passed. I was singing the timeless classic song "Sign" while running through the forest - UGG!

OK, now that I have that off my shoulders - I got up early this morning to check out the park for next weekends race. Thanks to Kel for posting the map on her blog - at least I knew where I was supposed to be. The race will be run to the left or clockwise as best as I can tell, according to the directions the first half or so is really hilly - no crap. These are little buggers but they will take the fuel outa your tank fast (except for the elites who run everything like its flat).

The ubiquitous self portrait. The hill is representative of one of the many hills out there.

You can see you go from the bottom to the top and back again. Somewhere after the half way point the topography changes some. There are a few longer downhill sections which allow you to recuperate a bit. It was refreshing to hit a few of these sections. The closer you get to the horse trailer parking lot the more horse stuff you'll find - check your shoes before getting into your car! The down hills where the horses have been are the most treacherous as there are a lot of fist size loose rocks. Its no SHT but still stuff to watch for. The beginning of the race will be in the early morning light - or lack thereof - but the trail at beginning is wide and relatively free from obstacles, it would certainly be more challenging to run the other way in the am. Maybe it's best not to see some of the hills on the first lap?

I had a great run, not much discomfort in the glute/hammy or calf - yeha! I went about 10 miles at 10:10 pace as best as I could tell, think I could do that or a bit better for a couple loops. Got me thinking, I wonder what my pace would be like for four loops? Have to give that a little thought.

The park is beautiful, there are numerous lakes and ponds, a few prairie stretches and a bit of single track here and there. I think this will be a good race course. I was cursing myself out all the way down for forgetting my Garmin, now I'm glad I don't have it because I would be tempted to list the elevation here - don't want to spoil the surprise.

Wildlife survey:

Squirrels

Turkeys

Deer

Snake

Geese getting blown out of the sky

A couple things I have to relearn every fall/winter:

The hand I'm holding my water with gets cold

GU gets hard when cold.

Progress

2008-10-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

Well progress is being made, I have made it over 20 miles for a week - been a while. The runs are going pretty well, I tend to get a little stiff as I approached the 10 mile mark last weekend but still much improved. This is one of the busiest times of the year for me and I cant believe I am still making progress in recovery with all the travel and physical work added to the mix.

Looking forward running "Surf the Murph" on 11/1. I would love to do the 50K but I have to pull the plug at 25, it's just nuts to sabotage the recovery at this point. Anyway I am still really excited just to participate in an event.

Chip off the Old Block

2008-10-03T19:21:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the camera phone shot but here is a pic of my daughter after receiving her award for participating in her first CC track meet, there were 7 teams in the meet. She placed 14th and was the 3rd scoring runner for her team. They don't compute the team scores at the meet but I think their team did really well.

She has expressed an interest in running in the past but with all the other activities it always gets buried. She will be entering high school next year and is looking forward to more official CC and Track formats.

I can remember very little about training for relatively short races. Looks like I'll be running a few more 5K's in the years to come.

I did one thing right though, I introduced her to the trail before the pavement!!

Just an Update

2008-09-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd give a quick update.

Been out for some decent runs lately and was encouraged enough to consider entering "Surf the Murph" run at Murphy - Hanrehan park. I know that last sentence is pretty non committal but I don't want to slog through a race just to say I did it - sooo

I went down to the park today with Dick to check it out - never seen so many mountain bikers in one place, not to mention a ton of horses as well. The trails we were on were the hiking trails or hiking/horse trails. They are wide trails that you could drive down, none narrower than an ATV trail. We ran a couple loops which covered the northern 2/3 rds of the park. The terrain is rolling, not long hills just a lot of little ones. The type that add up over the course of a day. The horse/hiking trails were full of loose sand and rocks but the footing was still good. The woods are still very green, I'm sure it will look quite different in November.

The run was very nice, I felt good throughout. I stopped a couple times to stretch out a bit but I think I could have "worked through it" - no sense in pushing it right now.

Started thinking about next year, considering:

Chippewa
Superior 50K
Either Afton or Voyager
Superior 50 M

Feels weird to type this out as its been over a year since I ran a race.

Staying the Course

2008-09-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe where the summer has gone, looking back to look forward is always a good idea.

While not over joyed with my progress I have to admit it is going in the right direction. A couple weeks ago I went to Gear West to have a gait analysis performed. Wendy, the gal that does the analysis, is very good, she has the credentials and the experience to understand the intricacies of ones gait and the issues that various physiological or equipment malfunctions can create.

She zoned in on my major issues by watching me run barefoot back and forth along a "runway". I felt like a model and had lots of opportinities to work on my turns as I was back and forth on that thing proably 50 times or more. I joked with her that if she made me do any more I would log it as a run. I ended up it a small heel lift and a differnt style of shoe than I was used to wearing. She switched me from a "curved" type shoe to a "straight" one. I can't believe how the different styles change the way you run - I could really feel the difference.

The runs I've had so far have been promising, mind you I'm not looking for a miracle cure here but I have not had major tightness in a run yet. I have been keeping up with the runs in the KSO's and they are going good too - not sure how to increase mileage but I'm not going to push it, I'm glad for the times I can use them.

My back is doing pretty good, I've kept up the exercise regime and feel it's helping quite a bit. I also have been driving less which helps. I did remove about 1/2 acre of buckthorn from my back yard this weekend - chain saw, bobcat, brush cutter .... other than feeling a little achy I'm feeling good. I have really adopted some good posture, after having to think about my every move for a year it's nice to have it finally become instinctive. I am considering another cortisone injection in my back, it would be my fifth, its a slightly different location a hopefully it will give me the final bit I need in recovery.

I had a lot of fun reading everyone's race report from the Superior Trail races. My friend Dick B. placed 15th in the marathon after dislocating his knee in May and not being able to really train like he would have liked. He is a total animal once the gun is fired.

I know I would have had a good time at Lutsen and really would have liked to volunteered but my schedule would not allow it. Reading the reports makes me want to get back to the races even more. The "out of towners" reports also made me glad to be a Minnesotan and a part of a great bunch of people.

Considering one of the late races this year, just to get a t-shirt with 2008 on it. I'll keep ya posted.

Accept the Null Hypothesis

2008-08-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

In making a scientific comparison one generally assumes the difference between outcomes is zero. If the difference turns out to be statistically "significant" one would then reject the null hypothesis. Since there is so much room for interpretation in statistics you have a hard time finding a statistician who will say something is significant or non significant. Instead they will either accept or reject the null hypothesis. In my scientific experiment of one (lacking any d.f.) I am accepting the null hypothesis.

All this means is my efforts were fruitless, thus far.

Using my full arsenal, Skil saw, table saw, belt sander, coping saw and dremel tool I removed a half inch of heel out of a perfectly good pair of shoes. I also used a caliper and level to assure I made the changes to both evenly. Amazingly I still have 10 fingers.

I was so looking forward to having a shoe which would allow some longer runs near my home. I live in the flat burbs and have a nice network of asphalt bike baths at my disposal. I have difficulty running more than about 4 miles in the Vibram KSO's and was looking for another option. It is somewhat difficult to get out to dirt trails without it chewing up a lot of time. The performance of the shoe without the radical heel/forefoot buildup was seemingly identical to the unaltered shoe. I experienced thightness in my calf/hamsting and hip within a couple miles. While the discomfort never settled in my glute it was "significant" enough that I think the trial is over.

I think I need to try to make time for more frequent but shorter runs to build up my mileage in the KSO's.

Guess thats what we'll try now.

Best of luck to all those running the SHT next weekend. I considered helping out but can't make it happen. I look forward hearing all about.

Aint no Cure for the Summertime Blues

2008-08-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Well Im a-gonna raise a fuss, Im gonna raise a holler.
About workin all summer just to try an earn a dollar.

I’m sure I would get into too much mischief if I didn’t have to work but I sure would like to give it a try some day. Besides work the last month we’ve hosted a family reunion, including my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, been to the cabin three times and to Duluth once. Guess my family is continuing to spend the economic stimulus dollars - we didn’t get.

Here’s what’s new on the running/recovery front:

Mileage:
Hopefully I can build from about 12 miles per week to 30 mpw which I can carefully maintain during the winter as a base for ’09. I have not run through any significant glute/back pain to get to the 12mpw and will not increase mileage if pain increases. I have to remind myself of this once in a while. Afton, RTA and Interstate Park are excluded from the previous statement.

Footwear:
I’ve put a little more than 30 miles on the Vibram KSO’s and they are working out wonderfully. I have built up to 5 miles and then my calves and feet are fatigued. I have little to no discomfort in my glute while running in them, what I have experienced is short lived. I would like to find a pair of shoes without the radical heel/toe height differential so I can get a break from them once in a while and possibly get in some longer runs. I am trying to modify a pair of Asics but haven’t quite finished yet. I measured the height difference at a little over a half inch – no wonder they make you heel strike. I have had a pain in my foot for 18 months, everyone attributed it to the sciatica. I figured I’d go see a podiatrist. X-ray looked fine and revealed I have a bunch of extra bones in my foot, guess I got a few more than the allotted 206 I already knew about. They are called accessory ossicles, interesting, but not an issue as far as my foot pain goes. He determined I have a tendon issue somewhere on my third metatarsal, or between the third and fourth. Anyway he gave me a cortisone injection and sent me on my way. Side note – I have also had a VERY tight calf muscle, all of this is on the same side. The next morning, and every day since, the foot pain has been reduced and the affected calf is indistinguishable from the other. I also noticed that I have not had to stop to stretch my hamstring since the injection. Could it be that simple?

Rehab:
Continuing the majority of the exercises listed previously but exchanging a few for some more advanced methods. I believe the inversion table has helped considerably to the healing process. I don’t know why the establishment is so dead set against spinal decompression when so many people apparently benefit from it. I know it has its issues but it shouldn’t be shunned. Upper hamstring tendonitis. Wasn’t sure if I had it but as everything else is subsiding it sure seems like this is/was a player in the game. I have added those exercises back into the mix.

Races:
Got to admit it is tough to read about everyone getting ready for and competing in the various races. On one hand it is fun to keep in touch with the scene but on the other is hard to see so much time go by without being able to participate. I will start to look at the late fall and spring schedules to see what may pique my interest. Maybe I'll do a little more volunteering as well.

Trial Trail Run

2008-07-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

I think I've discovered a new color pattern for the new Vibram FiveFingers, either that or I've discovered what everyone else already knew.

I was pretty excited to try out the fivefingers as I've been running barefoot in the park for about a month now and was really wondering how I could hit the trails without wearing shoes.

Keith has a great description of the "shoe" on his blog so I wont go into it here, besides, they GAVE him his so it's his duty to go into great detail.

I was still a bit stiff from the Afton night run on Fri/Sat but it did not get any worse over the 3.5 miles I ran. I did have a little glute pain but I have had that on and off all day so I'm not too worried about it, had PT today and I'm always a bit tender afterwards. Actually loosened up over the length of the run so thats cool.

The bottom of the shoes are quite smooth but the traction is really pretty good. You can dig your toes in on the loose stuff for extra push. I think the coolest part is it looks like Sasquatch has been running the trails. Some of the trails were really overgrown and grass/flowers tended to get caught between my toes. I was trying to devise some kind of bumper guard while I was running but I'm sure that would go against the minimalist philosophy of the product itself. Hope the fabric is tough, it takes a beating in the grass. Guess we'll see.

While others sleep

2008-07-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Friday night I accepted the invitation of fellow MDRS runner Matt Patton to join him on a quest for 100K. Matt is training for the
Superior Sawtooth 100 mile race this fall and was looking to get in a significant run. Since the wife and kids decided to call the cabin home for another day I decided to give it a go.

While generally quite good at math I grossly miscalculated what time I might meet the group, I wrongly assumed that Matt had answered an email from work/home about 4:00 and figured he would be starting a bit late. I arrived at the park about 10:45 if I remember correctly, and didn't start running until 12:30. Meanwhile Pete A. and I talked about stuff, attempted to take pictures of the moon with our digital cameras - complete failure - and watched the lost horse riders find their way home.

Matt came flying into the parking lot a couple minutes in front the pack (Jim W., Zach P. and maybe one more, having finished two loops (50K). About 15 minutes rest and we were ready to take off when another van pulled up, Helen Lavin, Kami and Eric pulled in, quickly readied themselves and we were off.

The first couple miles were a bit of a comedy fest with Matt and the forerunners joking about whatever, debating the various subjects the beverage world would have us ponder. After a couple miles, Helen et.al. took off at a quicker pace. This was fine with me as it gave me a chance to enjoy the night.

The only trail running I've done at night was on the SHT, this was different in that you didn't have to work so hard to see where you were going (full moon helped here). The temp was cooler than during the day but the dew point was very high, fortunately there was a water stop at the campground or I would have been in trouble. We probably ran for an hour or so with Pete, Jim, Matt and I just mixing it up, running together for a while then on our own. Matt was adjusting his pace a fair bit to accommodate the effects of the first two loops - he was doing great though. Just when I thought I might slow down to wait for a minute or two he would be right on our heels.

With about 5 miles left on loop three Matt pulled the plug. Jim had already headed in and neither Pete nor I pushed him to continue. Matt had accomplished one of his goals without reaching the 100K mark - that was enough for the night, I've no doubt it was the right decision. He was talking about doing this again in a few weeks right there and continuing may have jeopardized another great training run.

Pete and I continued on to finish the loop (mostly), and discovering along the way that we grew up in the same podunk corner of the state. There are a ton of people we both new. Such a small world.

I felt really good up to about 11 miles, after that I started to tighten up on my Rt side. I took it pretty easy the rest of the way in, kinda bummed me out to finish this way but I had a good idea things would creep up. Arrived at the parking lot about 4:00.

Had a good visit with all after we got back, a cup of coffee and a PBJ and I was ready to head home. A few people showed up to start a loop, I think 5 people were heading out as I pulled out of the lot.

Looking forward to a repeat.

My Routine - for now

2008-07-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well here is a list and brief description of the exercises I’m supposed to be doing to get back to where I want to be. While the source of my problems (physical) are not completely known, my disc at L4-5 has some issues which are undoubtedly creating a good portion of the problem. I had an MRI 7/27/07 and one 6/3/08 and the bulges and tear are more prominent in the latter. Not what I wanted to see, but still not unmanageable.
I had a course of therapy to strengthen my back, this did relieve one of my symptoms but the glute pain remains. The current course of action is to strengthen my transverse abdominis (TA) and corresponding back muscle, the multifidus. The TA is a little deeper than the overlaying abdominal muscle groups and gets “shut down” in individuals with back injury – worsening the effects.
The most specific exercise is abdominal bracing, like a crunch without the crunch – not curling your head toward your chest but just lifting it upward, something like this, another way of describing it is bracing as if someone was going to hit you in the gut. Other exercises are rowing and “lat” type pulldowns. While these are not specific to the TA you can contract and release throughout the exercise to work the muscle and “train” it to fire when you are using your core. I really have to concentrate to get the TA to contract – this is typical of one with back injury.
Eccentric and concentric hamstring exercises shown in this article are supposed to deal with the high hamstring tendiopathy which I may or may not have, some good exercises though. The ubiquitous hamstring stretch goes here as well.
Since the glute and hip are causing me issues they threw in a few exercises to strengthen that as well. The Clam is done laying on your side, back to the wall, soles of feet to the wall, knees together with about a 90degree bend. Lift the upper leg up, hold for a bit, return and repeat. Also a hip extension and figure 4 hip stretch to try to loosen up a really tight hip flexor.

To build and maintain my back strength and I still use the Roman chair and do some squat exercises with neutral back posture. Press up’s are done to relieve pressure on my low back.

I’m sure I’ve missed some things but that’s about it. I do about half the exercises every day, the others every other. I have a friend who is going to lend me an inversion table so it will be nice to get some prolonged back extension/pressure release. Hopefully it will get some blood to the problem (my head?).

On another note I have been running barefoot for a portion of my runs lately. I started with ¼ mile and have worked up to 2 miles. If I run more than 2 miles on the road prior to my barefoot session I can feel tension building in my Rt glut/hip/hamstring. Sometimes I can run through it or stretch it out but other times I cant. When I remove my shoes and start running in the grass the discomfort is gone within 10 strides – no shit. It has remained pain free for the duration of the barefooted portion – up to 2 miles at this point. My unshod running loop is .25 miles with half on a bike path and half on the grass. It feels great to have shoes which weigh 0.00 grams – cuts about 20 seconds off the splits.

I can’t figure out how to interpret the instant relief I get, it’s hard to believe that the back is the sole source of my discomfort if it is alleviated this quickly. I am thinking of going to a podiatrist but all they have done in the past is fit me with orthotics. Also considering gait analysis but lack a good source right now – any suggestions? Keep in mind that running is not the activity which causes me the greatest discomfort – that is still sitting.

Meanwhile, I am running about 10 miles a week (have missed logging a number in RunningAhead). Still trying to keep up the cadio workouts with biking and chasing 3 kids. I remain optimistic but really need to make some headway soon – just to keep my sanity.

EDIT: Wednesday, July 16

Therapist added the "bird dog" exersize today, another one for the core, forgot to ask her what I was supposed to take out of the routine.

Got my hands on an inversion table, guess I'll add that to the mix as well. Already used the line "just hang'n round" once.

Tried on a pair of Vibram 5 Fingers today, no one has my size right now but I still wanted to see how they felt. I think I'll try ordering them since I have a pretty good idea what size I need.

Flatlander again

2008-06-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

Well a week in Rocky Mountain National Park and I'm like a new man - until I got to work, but lets not go there.

We had a great drive to and from and fabulous weather while there. We went on numerous hikes, up, down and around the lakes, saw wildlife galore - elk, marmot, mule deer and the ubiquitous chipmunks. Never saw any mountain goats, seemed to just miss them.

I was a bit concerned about the driving as this always causes me a fair bit of discomfort in my back and legs but it was not too bad. Later in the week I went for a run with Dick. We started low 8500' and ran just over 3000' up to 10,900. Man is the air thin up there. We had an awesome time, as you can see from my Garmin data either my watch got messed up or we scaled some vertical faces (not).

I have no idea how one acclimates to the elevation for something like hardrock. We were there almost a week before the run and you could still feel the difference, I guess one never really completely adjusts to the elevation eh. Felt good after the run, I'm slowly increasing my mileage but need to watch the intensity.

Congratulations to those who ran Grandmas, sounds like it was nice weather - finally.

Happy taper for those running at Afton this weekend. Could be a scorcher. Wish I was there.

Go West "Young" Man

2008-06-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

Well it’s off to Colorado for a week of fun and relaxation. As soon as I get the camper ready, check the battery, lights, water pump, tires, bearings ………… you get the idea.

Hopefully I’ll get a chance to do some running, last winter when we planned the trip I was hoping for some 6-8 hour runs in the mountains. I think I can get a couple 1-2 hr runs in but that will probably do it for me. Thankfully I’ve gained a little confidence after the RTA gig last week.

Hope all went well for the folks at Grandmas. I’ve never run an official marathon, maybe have to do that sometime – they seem so fast.

Had a couple of 3-4 mile runs this week, went ok but still a lot of tightness, ran a quarter mile barefoot, oddly - no pain. I have a slew of new exercises to do from the therapist. I’ll list them out later. A few really show the lack of balance between my L and R side. Hopefully they will make some difference.

Back in a week or so.

Starting out slow

2008-06-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well my plan was to start out slowly, and gradually ramp up mileage, then intensity, and finally hills.

So Saturday I drove down to Eden Prairie to be led around Adams Superior 100 training ground. Steve, Bryan, Zach, Pete and myself ran up and down hills for well over an hour, covering a little over 4 miles, don't have the exact figures right now. To the uninitiated this sounds ridiculous but once you experience it you'd understand.

I needed the mental jumpstart, there were a couple times during the run I could have been anywhere, Scotland, NorthShore, MT, CO .... When you’re in the woods your there. I needed to feel this as it’s been a long time since I've run without thinking about my injuries.

Counter to all logic this was a great run for me physically as well. I have a tiny bit of quad soreness but no back/glute/hammy pain at all. I got a 1 hour massage for Fathers Day and man did that feel great. I feel a renewed energy from this one run to commit to whatever it takes to get back to racing. Lord help me now.

Special thanks to Adam for dubbing this a "race".

Up and "Running"

2008-06-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I now understand why so many people have so much time between posts. I have a multitude of reasons but they all sound a lot like excuses. I did not get a lot of time to putz with the system either, guess it will have to take shape on the fly.

I was hoping to get back into training sooner than I have, but have yet to run more than 3 miles at a crack in 6 weeks, and that only a handful of times.

I do not have any intention of making this blog a place for me to whine, but want to make you aware of where I'm starting from.

I injured myself at the Superior Trail 50K race '07. I had some slight twinges prior to this but the race is when it settled in and stayed for good. I went through the typical stuff, Ibuprofen, ice, rest, PT..... I ended up getting an MRI which revealed a disc herniation, something which about 25% if individuals my age have. Went through more PT, Yoga, 4 injections..... Still at the same place. The pain I have is in the glute/hamstring/calf, not constant pain, mostly a dull pain in the ass and major tightness in the hammy and calf. I looked into all the other stuff, SI joint, pirifomis, blah blah blah. Had another MRI this week, disc is worse and no hip issues to speak of other than a little tendinopathy. Soooooooooooooooo.

What the heck to do.

I am going to start running regularly, a dozen or so miles a week and ramp up slowly, like all summer to get to 30/week kinda slow. I'm hoping that Yoga, eccentric hamstring exercises and some glute/core strengthening together will do the trick. I have about 50 different exercises given to me my 8 different "experts". I also have a roman chair used to strengthen specific back muscles, this seems to help quite a bit.

My Doc said “ever thought of trying a different sport”. Now I have to admit he has tried about everything to get this to subside but I can’t even imagine not running. I know that some cross training is in order but I could not leave the camaraderie of this sport. I will continue to volunteer when I can but my goal is to get back to racing.

So here goes nothing. Going to the cabin to run in the woods.

This could be an ugly start

2008-04-25T21:50:00.001-07:00

Hope no one sees this for a while, I'm trying to slog through the ins and outs of this program. I'm generally fairly quick at picking this stuff up but I'm unsure how much time I can spend making everything "pretty" like so may others. I'm sure it will come. I would prefer to spend more time writing and less maintaining. We will see.