Race: Groundhog 50k 9/6/14

Groundhogs abound in the famous little town of Punxsutawney, PA a town around 6,000 people & 85 miles from Pittsburgh. It's only a 3 hour drive from home and timing was perfect for a tough 50k in preparation for Grindstone 100mi. in Oct.

I will note that I've gotten to that phase in my training where I hear myself telling my running partners how tired I am. I usually push it another week and then take a down week. I did that last week after a lot of late nights and early mornings and long runs. I've felt more tired than normal and just chalked it up to lots of work, family, training, & not a lot of sleep. I was hoping that things would pan out and I would shoot for about a 5hr 50k in Punxy. We (Dave & Sarah) drove to PA Friday afternoon and as the hills started to grow, I realized this would be a good race.

We stopped in at the Gobbler's Knob for race packet pickup and some words from Rob Lott, the RD (through 2014). It's the normal ultra atmosphere, humble, talkative, & friendly. The race will be directed by an new RD for 2015 and will be held in May on Armed Forces Day. We walked across the lawn to take our photos as the famous Punxsutawney Phil stage, found ourselves some great dinner at Mary's Place a few minutes away (dry county, byob) and highly recommended.

The 50k started at 7am around the corner from the Community Center. The 25k started at 9:30am. Weather was pleasant with high humidity. We took off after a veteran who parachuted into Normandy, France on this same day in 1944 (D-Day) gave us the instructions to limber up and...well, start.

pure focus prior to the race

Race start

It's hilly....we climbed up out of town, through the high school, then wandered up a dirt road before we hit the trails. I could feel it in my legs, the same tiredness I had felt the last 2 weeks...figured it would wane and I would find my legs later in the race.

About 4,500' of climbing over 31miles.

The hills are steep! We hit ESPN hill, then Two Beers, then Yellow Bus...wooooo! they are not to be scoffed at. My immediate thought was I was not going to be sub 5 hour today...matter of fact, thought it might be a good idea not to kill myself less than 4 weeks from Grindstone. I found my pace and figured to just stay on track with nutrition, hydration, keep the pace easy, and turn this into a training run. That's pretty much what I did for the entire race...

The course is beautiful, the golden rod was flowering all over the place. Once you get to the top of the hills, you have to take a couple seconds and take a look around.

Top of Yellow Bus hill I think (photo from Sarah Hummel), the hill just drops straight down, not a single switchback on this course!

Speed walking the hill to Buck Run aid station. 

This was the course. You essentially run out and at the Buck Run aid station you begin a loop that you do twice. At the completion of the second loop, you're at mile 23. Head back the way you ran out but with a divergence up to water tower then back to the base of Two Beers hill which is simply humorously steep on the way back up. It's the hills that really make this race tough.

Finishing downtown Punxy. 

The entire course is runnable if you are trained for it & I think under normal conditions, I could've been around the 5 hr time frame, but ended up just over 6 hours...my slowest 50k since I began running ultras.

So, recovery was great...I didn't push hard but still ran for a long time on some tough trails so I skipped my Sunday run and worked on the lawn :) back to running Monday for a couple weeks then work on an taper for Grindstone.

I wore the new Hoka Mafate Speed 3 along with a new pair of CEP compression socks that fall just below the calves. I will admit, they were perfect. No blisters, no issues, great traction, & great cushion. 1 handheld bottle, Mountain Hardwear CoolRunner shorts & Pearl Izumi InR Cool tank. Did gels for most of the race along with Salt Stick caps, & pretzels at aid stations. Also, utilized Nuun energy tabs for the second 1/2 of the race....great for electrolytes & caffeine. All in all, a pretty solid nutrition.

so, that's it. Great event, really cool award as well.

- @ultrailz

Race Report: 2013 Burning River 100 "The last 14"

This race was on July 27, 2013 and it's now January of 2014! I took a higher position at a new company over the Summer which was a great change but certainly more of a time commitment. My wife's father who had been sick off and on sadly passed in August; it was a tough Summer and certainly not optimal for ultramarathon training. Somehow, it all managed to come together over a very well executed race though.

The time goal was to run under 24 hours, that was it. I have had a couple of 100 milers (Oil Creek and Burning River) resulting in the 28 hour range after being on track for 20-24hrs but with dietary issues and lack of experience leading to slower finished. Leadville 100 ended with a DNF in 2012 due to altitude and frankly, I was getting tired of not running what I felt I was capable of. It's all part of the journey, but I really wanted a solid result....Burning River would be a great place to test it out. I live near the course trails, I've run it, paced it, and the weather turned out to be pretty good.

My friends Dave Wank & JP Preston had generously offered crew & pace me. JP paced me in 2011 where I was stubborn, fast then slow, but learned a lot...he was patient and let me learn. Dave & I are regular training partners and he knew what I was capable of. They essentially alternately crewed and paced me. The nutrition strategy of the race was to each as much as I could stomach for as long as possible in whole foods (sweet potatoes, feedzone portables, etc...) then try to maintain Hammer Perpeteum at about 250/300 Kcals per hour thereafter. Once I could no longer stomach the Hammer, it would me eat anything that I could and continue to monitor the electrolytes. I will say that Dave & JP kept me on task, eating and monitored tremendously well...it was so incredibly key to have a crew to force the food, hammer, hydration...have gear ready, I can't emphasize it enough.

The race was great, my running buddy Jim Mann & I ran together from the start, we paced each other well for....wait for it....65 miles...again.....65miles! I have never run with any one person for anywhere near that distance. It was great for the both of us to have the other to help gauge the pace, food, etc....We came in a little fast (5hr 30min) over the first 50k, but knew that we had some slower miles ahead of us and managed to maintain very well. Jim hit some sugar/sour stomach issues around 34 and I helped him back, we slowed a bit then once the rain started we just gutted it out in the sloppy sloppy mud until mile 55.

NUUN hydration, baby!

We hit the 100k mark in 12hrs 45min and had lost some time due to the significant mud on the previous section. I picked up JP at mile 65, took a redbull, and he helped me get back on track with food. Jim picked up his pacer, Crystal Shinosky as they slowly pulled away for about a 20min lead on me by the end!...I kept with the "short, quick, & choppy" for my cadence for the tiring miles. JP kept me talking and pushing and although I swear I saw a baby chimpanzee in a tree hollow, I was fully aware of my mental state ;)

My family came out to cheer me on around mile 70 and it took all I had not to tear up....It was awesome to have my kids run up and want to have some of my drink, my wife see me smiling with 70 miles in my legs...it was great, just great. It lifted me up thinking they were waiting for me, and lifted me long after I ran off from the aid station.

My daughter drinking from my UD handheld at 70mi with ginger ale in it. That's love. 

We hit the Bills Badass loop and JP laid it out for me...if I want a shot at sub 24, we need to hit this 6mi loop in an hour..get to Dave who was waiting at mile 86 for me..and then bring it home. I was feeling good, wanting to catch Jim & Crystal, pushed it a couple times to test the legs for speed and came out 1hr 2mins, ran quickly across the roads & fields to Howe Meadow were I told Dave I was ready for the beatdown. JP executed the pacing perfectly and we had some great conversation along the way.

The last 14. 

86 Miles in the legs...RedBull down, ramen down, salt stick caps, new shoes, new socks, legs ready, yes? Garmin,...garmin dead @ 19.5 hours...who cares, go! I told Dave I had some legs left in me and was saving them for the last 14. He was giddy with the excitement that we weren't going slow....We pushed up the couple miles on the road, up the trail to O'Neil Woods, then down onto the towpath....our pace started to creep faster and faster. I didn't ask what time it was, I didn't ask for pace, sub 24 was almost certain, but I knew that we could get under 23 if we pushed....we pushed. There were a lot of miles somewhere in the 7:30 range and faster as we got closer. We were flying past people doing the death march and I was feeling like I wanted to battle. We did a couple of gels, another RedBull with water, and mile by mile, reeled it in. Dave simply asked "Just give me all you've got and I promise you will be happy with the results." I came in the last mile, JP joined our sub 7 pace came in sight of the clock to see that I was well UNDER 22 HOURS! I finished in 21:43 with the 4th fastest time on the course for the last 14 miles. It was the best executed team effort 100miler I have ever run. Dave & JP rocked and I managed a 7+ hour PR! Proud of Jim Mann & pacer Crystal for executing an amazing race.... Great event, just great.

(Lef to right: JP, Zack, Dave) I swear I'm not as short as I look. "It's an optical illusion..it's the pleats"

Recovery was very good, ran with the kids the next day and after a couple weeks of easier training, I was back on schedule. Great race, well run, maybe I'll come back in a year or so.

Gear:
Patagonia ultra Shorts
Pearl Izumi Compression run shorts (mile 40-101)
Pearl Izumi shirts
Ultimate Direction AK Vest
Ultimate Direction Handhelds

Socks: no blisters

ALTRA: Lone Peak, Lone Peak 1.5, Torin, Torin. Smartwool. 

Smartwool PhD (3 pairs)

Shoes: no blisters
Miles 1-55: Altra Torin (1st pair)
Miles 55-86 Altra Lone Peak 1.5
Miles 86 to 101: Altra Torin (2nd pair)

Food:
Hammer Perpeteum (w/caffeine)
nuun
Baked Sweet Potato 1/4's with sea salt
The Feed Zone Portables (sticky rice/egg/bacon/maple syrup)
Salt Stick electrolyte caps (like gold in a pill)
Aid Station Food: turkey sandwiches, pretzels, water, peanut m&m
RedBull (liquid gold)

Ultrarunning and Periodization Plans

2013 Plans coming together and a ramble on Periodization planning for ultrarunning. 

______________________________________________________

Well, the running plans are starting to materialize a little better thus far....

• Groundhog Day 10k Snowshoe Race (cancelled - see Dirty Love 10k race report coming soon). 
• Fools 50k
• O24 (directing)
• Cleveland Marathon
• TNF Endurance D.C. (50mi) -or- Mohican 50mi -or- Laurel Highlands 70mi or 50k. 
• Lake Health Distance 1/2 Marathon
• Burning River 100
• Fall Road Marathon
• Oil Creek 100
• TNF Endurance Madison, WI (50mi)

It's a skeleton plan at the moment but we'll see what work travel, family, and life brings to the schedule....

Training ramble: 

Training is going very well....I'm at the stage where I am toying with plans that I have used in the past vs. higher mileage and structured weeks with plenty of speed work, hill training, cross training. Ultimately, I've modified my micro cycle weekly plan to a slightly modified plan that allows me more mileage and still get in the cross training...the last plan was successful in the fact that I arrived at the starting line for Mohican 50mi, Leadville 100mi, Oil Creek 100mi, and Bills Badass 50k healthy and injury free with a good amount of speedwork under my belt and quality training hours but I felt like I could use some more miles...

It's hard as an athlete, whether as a cyclist or a runner to not focus on your miles for the week/season....in the last year, I felt like I had really increased my core strength, speed, and overall fitness. I tried to focus on training hours and sort of cover one eye when looking at my miles each week....knowing that I was doing the "equivalent" work in hours was reassuring, but I still felt like I needed to log more miles. Sport specificity no doubt has merit, so if you want to be a good runner...then run, right?! If you want to run fast, then run fast in training....get it? I struggle with this simply because I came from a background in multiple sports (soccer, lacrosse, cycling, etc) and I love to get out on the bike which was my true passion for many years. I figure if I'm tired of logging miles and need a little break....I hop on the bike in lieu of a medium run...it's mentally refreshing and keeps the injuries at bay.

Experiment of one, right? The one thing that has always worked for me is periodization training;  macro, meso, & micro cycles. I don't do well on the "just go out and run" plan...So, if you look over the course of a year which could include a few macro cycles (2-3mos) comprised of mesocycles (4-6 weeks) made up of microcycles (individual week) you can begin to put together your season, month, week, & day...

Most periodization plans will have some sort of structure like this (I've added my personal take on it):

• Transition Phase (4-8weeks +/-): where you focus on form, technique, recovery from injuries, etc...this is the time of year you chill out and get fat. I don't do this well....I'll maintain 40-50mpw regardless as well as lots of cross training. 
• Base Phase (2-3mos +\-): more focused than the transition time frame but lasts much longer....ideally, you spend some time in this phase building a strong aerobic base, efforts are easy, nothing crazy, etc... and in some plans this lasts a couple months or more....I do this okay, but I tend to start speedwork early and hill work, I get anxious to get long runs in...usually a race helps...Good time for higher mileage
• Building Phase (4-8wks +\-)- think the controlled increase of speedwork, hills, (both intensity and duration) and increasing mileage/hours, back to backs....preparing the foundation for the next phase. By the time I'm doing this, I am usually doing tough efforts...mileage is working it's way up and having fun with it. 
• Peak Phase (4-6wks+\-): hard work, speed work, strong efforts, long runs, back to backs, with rest to allow for the body to reap the benefits of the efforts you are putting in. This is what I like the most....long runs, speedwork, high mileage weeks, followed by step back weeks....I ride the fence on fitness vs. injury in this time frame. This is where you are stressing your system and with a well planned step back prior to your event, you should reap the benefits and be able to repeat the efforts during a race. mileage peaking 90-100+ mpw. 

The problem that a lot of us have is that we are not elite athletes paid by large sponsors to just race with an elite coach telling us exactly what to do....I have a career, family, and there has to be a lot of compromise and adjusting to train for ultras and not take away from what is really important in life...not that ultras aren't important...but you know what I mean (hopefully).

Also, we don't just train for one race...we're ultra runners....how many of us follow something like a carefully laid out plan for just one race??? C'mon....Type B personalities need not apply, we love to run, we HAVE to run, so we sign up for too many races and when a friend says "Hey, let's run a 50k today" you say sure, why not? We run 'till we get injured then run too soon after the injury...

So as you can tell, I like structure....it works well for me mentally and I like a carefully laid out plan that accounts for inevitable variations and times when you just can't follow it. It doesn't work for everyone but over the years when I have strayed from a structured plan, I've either gone too hard and gotten injured or not gone hard and paid the price on race day....This helps me keep the balance.

Here is the change at the micro level (sample):

It allows me to get in 1-2 more days per week of running so I get the miles without crazy midweek runs but still maintain the cross training. If I'm feeling like I am running too much, I'll back off a day and cross train or simply rest.

.
This is a representation of my weekly mileage buildups focusing on BR100....every 3 weeks there is a planned rest week, then resume at the previous week's mileage and continue to build....with a 3 week step down to the race....Each week contains the structure (in general) from the micro chart...I'm not a high mileage guy, you'll see that there is only 1 week > 100mi, except for the race week...This, to me is a graphical representation of Stress + Recovery = Adaptation. Increased adaptation = improved running times/experiences. Improved running experiences = increased happiness and all is right with the world :)

What about multiple ultras? So, I suggest prioritizing your race schedule....using races as "training" for other races is a great idea, especially if the races fit well into your training schedule....it lessens the burden of knowing this is not what you've trained all season for, you can relax a little, test gear, food, etc...it's a race yes, but not the race....I can't afford the time to race a lot each year so I have to be careful on what I choose for my races. I try to fit them into my training schedule such as running Mohican 50 in June before running Burning River 100 at the end of July....For multiple events outside of the macro cycle, I will essentially re-create portions of my training plan with consideration of how I feel. Example: Leadville 100 was about 7 weeks before Oil Creek 100. I took the last 7 weeks of my training for LT100 and re-did them for OC100. Keep in mind that I DNF'd LT100 due to altitude, so the recovery was less than what it would've been if I completed the 100....but you get the idea. I would have probably relaxed for 1-2 weeks after LT100 before completely resuming the plan...whatever works best for ya.

The funny thing is that this is always changing, right? If I look back at my training blog comments in the past I recall having a major desire to get back on the bike....so the training plan for Leadville really made me happy as I was able to incorporate that into my weekly training....I didn't want to lose that in this year's plan but I want to play with increasing mileage....so, experiment of one....here we go again....

I think a lot of people debate over the concept of quantity vs. quality...Maybe I'm wrong here, but I think what we should aspire to attain is sort of a blend of both. If all you do is quantity, where is the quality coming from? I suggest that you need both....quality workouts in the specific periods that incorporate speed, hills, aerobic base, long runs, etc... as your mileage increases you will have the quantity but it should be quality long miles as well....it tastes great AND it's less filling, right?

I suppose I am putting this all together for a couple reasons....If it helps anyone understand the structure of how one person puts together the schedule for ultra or virtually any other sport that incorporates periodization plans (google it for many more examples) and secondly so I can look back at this next year and modify as needed for future races/events. That's one of the great things about ultra running....always learning.

Note: there is a lot of information out there, an interesting site to read is Kevin Sayers running site that has input from a massive amount of experienced runners - http://www.ultrunr.com/train100.html if you look at the Matt Mahony #1 post in that link, he cites an interesting survey he took a few years ago correlating mileage to finish rates and speed.

Coaches: I've gone back and forth on having coaches (iRunFar Coach list & article)....Overall, I have always progressed with coaching, especially with one who knows you and can push you. I am currently coach-less but I have strong training partners and quite honestly, I am going to try on my own for a while again. Bottom line, if you can afford it I highly recommend it.

By the way, I'm not a coach, trainer, or certified in anything fitness related....that's my legal disclaimer if you follow any "advice" from this blog and want to blame me for any part it....

-z

Race Report: Bills Badass 50k

This was a tremendously fun event. There are two aspects to the event that stand out for me.

ONE: Outrun Cancer / No One Fights Alone

One of our Outrun Team members, Mike Shaughnessy was diagnosed with cancer this year. His outlook is good and his attitude is better. His attitude at facing this is not unlike the ultra mentality that he has. As a matter of opinion, I think that the ultra mentality is key. Ultras are tough, they last a long ass time, they hurt, but if you do the work, deal with the ups and downs, you can complete it. His results don't lie, he's a very strong runner which means he is a very strong person. Brooke put together a special order of shirts that became a flood of red on the BBA50k course this weekend. Mike's wife Beth completed her first 50k and there was a reciprocal inspiration going on at the race at many levels.

It was simply outstanding.

Mike in the middle (white montrail hat)

TWO:


BBA50K run report: I've been battling shoes for a few months now trying to get the right size Altra. I literally picked up my Altra Superior from Fleet Feet on Friday afternoon. They are soft and ready to run out of the box, but I have never just pulled out a pair and at least gone for a short run in new shoes before a race. I played with the cushion in them and ended up with an orange pair of Superfeet insoles.

Anyhow, my goal was to hurt most of the run....try to go out s/w fast and see if I can hang in there...deal with the ups & downs and try to push when it was going to hurt. I did think that I was capable of a sub-5 hr 50k if I wanted it bad enough.

The day was gorgeous and from the beginning, I was running behind Brad Polman (in front/black). I just ran my pace, stayed steady on the hills and tried to gain a little time on the downhills. The shoes were working well and I felt good, but a lot can happen in just 31 miles. Somewhere on the second lap, Radames caught up to me and we ran together for quite some time. He was chasing Mike & Beth who had started early. Rad was running strong and had he been running the race to race it, I am sure he would have been top 3. We plugged along at a pretty good pace; I stopped a couple of times to fiddle with my shoelaces until I got them dialed in while Rad crept away from me...I think somewhere around mile 15 at the AS, I must have passed him while he was in the porto but I thought he had decided to race and I was still fighting for 3rd.

Rad & I with leader Brad in the backgound.

Trying to hold him back...

Things were good, I could see the bright green of George Themalis in the close background where he had been for quite some time. George is strong & steady and I knew that I would degrade just hopefully not enough for him to catch me.....He passed me at the AS just before the 5th loop (20-25). I wasn't being slow about it, but he came in, rounded the post and kept running. I had seen Brad on the way in and thought that I still had a chance to catch if they slowed....11 miles to go and I wasn't sure who was behind me, or how Brad & George were feeling.

I maintained relatively well and tried to make sure that I hurt and tried not to relax...My splits were starting to slow slightly but not too bad. 

Somewhere around mile 20.

Laurie Colon was out on the course taking photos (thank you!!) and kept me informed of where George was and if anyone was behind me....all I had to do was hang on, not slow down and I would keep 3rd place. I wasn't going to be sub 5 today, but a good race nonetheless. Coming into the last mile, it's a great feeling knowing that all you have to do is run up a steep hill, grab some candy and bomb down for the finish. As I was about 1/2 way up the hill I heard someone yell "IF YOU RUN FAST, YOU CAN CATCH ZACK!!" I looked down to see someone coming across the road.....sorry, but there was no damn way that I was going to lose my spot after working all day for this....not in the last half mile. I picked up the pace to near vomit level, got my candy and hammered down. It wasn't the time I wanted, but it was what I ran....I was really happy to take 3rd with a 5:19. Brad & George were solid alllllll day and I have still a lot to learn. I think the lesson at the race was that I need to up the pain level for faster results, simple as that. 

Wild Bill & Chef Bill make a VERY entertaining, fun, & challenging race. There were no straight answers, there are many rules referred to but I think they are mostly made up. You're either a candy-ass or a bad-ass, I was the former, now the latter but I think that can change from year to year. We got hand-stamped dog tags at the end which was awesome. I also managed to win a free pair of shoes from Fleet Feet (YES!!!!!).  Big congrats to all the BA's out there....

 

Founding Badasses: Chef Bill (L), Wild Bill (R)

Chef Bill (top of heads)

Garmin 910 stats

I don't have any more races on the schedule at the moment which is odd for me. There are some snowshoe races that I am planning on running in and directing one. I also plan to do at least one 50k snowshoe event (solo or with peeps) and then the O24 (directing) in April. 

The plans have turned to 2013 and I have some ideas but no actual registrations yet. In the meantime, I've been working on building up a singlespeed mtn bike and doing a lot of insanity/crossfit workouts with running thrown in.

43 days to Leadville

The excitement is starting to build for Leadville Trail 100. If you are not aware of the significance of this run I want people to know that this is more than just putting yourself through a grueling 100mi event like Leadville. I am proud to be an Ambassador for the Runwell. My ultimate goal has been to raise both funds and awareness for Runwell. In previous posts, you can read about the coaching I have received from Bob Seebohar and the difference it has made.
I strongly encourage you to either make a donate of ANY amount here or join the Runwell team and participate in an event of your choice. You do not have to run across a desert or 100 miles above 10,000 ft. You can choose a local 5k or marathon and discover the benefits that will pay forward to others. I want people to know that it is tremendous to be able to participate in these events knowing that you are being supported and that you are directly benefitting others. I say this because this is the kind of thing that goes through your head at mile 60, 70, 80+ when you are really hurting....you dig a little deeper knowing that you are giving back.

Runwell to Leadville

128 days to Leadville 100 Trail Run

Linda Quirk / Runwell has been amazing throughout all of this. It adds something really special to be able to be running for an organization that actually makes a real difference in people's lives. If you haven't looked at Runwell, take a look at the website and see for yourself the level of accomplishment that this organization has reached and who they help.

I have actually looked at flights and locations to stay (hopefully not all booked, but many are). I've also taken a look again at the course guide, runner's packet, and elevation chart.

 

There's just no way around it, this is going to be a brutal race! The best part is that the above elevation profile is one direction....you run 50miles out and back....Hope Aid station is at 11,836 then you continue up and over Hope Pass at 12,600' down the back-side to the Winfield Aid Station to hit the 50mi mark. Turn yourself around and run all the way back up and down (repeatedly)....all the way back to Leadville. This will be painful and a little suffering will ensue before, during, and after. I like pain of this nature, it is all temporary and well worth it, why not push it to the limit? A number of folks have asked me these questions:

Do I have a time goal? Yes, I usually set 3 goals for any ultra:

1. the dream goal - anywhere near 24 hours. 
2. the realistic goal - somewhere around 26-27 hours
3. the most important goal - finish strong.

What am I doing about altitude?

1. I am relying on the coaching from Bob Seebohar (fuel4mance.com). Coach Bob is a Leadman and I have the utmost confidence in the quality training he is providing. I'll be flying in Thursday, check in Friday, Race Sat-Sun, then fly out Monday. Bing, bang, boom, done, back to work. 
2. I've spent time in the Rockies above 10k' running (but not racing) and have done fine. I've also spent time in the Himalayas upwards of 18,200' and although it wasn't a 100mi race, I did fine at altitude there. I'll take the usual precautions, hydrate well, looks for any/all signs of altitude sickness, and be smart about it. 
3. My biggest concern is not the altitude, it's the amount of ascending and descending. We don't have the extreme elevations in Ohio as the Colorado Rockies. Again, I am relying on the very challenging training I am going through now to get me there.

Any other race planned before Leadville?

1. I am directing the O24 on April 28-29th, in Kirtland Ohio. It is a USATF & IAU certified 24 Hour Timed Trail Race being held in Chapin Forest Reservation.
2. I am running the Mohican 50 miler in June as a training run. 
3. The rest is all training for LT100!

-z

Training: +Progression due to Coaching

I'm not the best runner or writer, but I want to try to get my thoughts out there about the success I have had with nutrition & training related to the coaching from Bob Seebohar who is guiding me to the Leadville Trail 100 that I am running for Runwell. It's just too good, this is something that we all need to look into.

Last night, I went out for a 9.3mi negative split run on roads around the area I live in, which is not flat...It's not the Rockies, but it is quite hilly and hills hurt here like they do anywhere else. My instructions were to run 9 miles Negative Split (high aerobic / then tempo). I made the choice to from my house which the highest point in the area (everything is a descent from there) and took it easy at about a 7:15-7:30 pace until I hit 4.5 miles and took it up a notch to maintain about 7:15 all the way home (all uphill). Look, there are thousands of people out there who can run like this daily with ease, I am by no means an elite runner, never will be...I revel in the success of a training run like this. For me, just a few years ago this workout would not happen. Race day, maybe....but not at 8:30pm in the dark after a full days work, kids to swim practice, a core workout, reading stories to kids, then suiting up and killing it for 1hr 9min on this 9.3mi route. I ran by myself, in the dark, a headlamp, with the occasional pair of reflective eyes looking back at me from the woods, and watching my shadow as I passed under the occasional street light (one of my favorite things).

I've never been coached as a runner. I've followed generic training plans and ultimately made my own over the past couple years based on my own experiences, reading what others have done, websites, modified the Hal Higdon marathon and ultra-marathon schedules, but I've never had a coach actually provide me with a month to month plan that progressively grows to peak for a particular race(s).

I'm very coach-able, I literally love to do the work, love to reach the goals of the team and the coach. Highschool soccer & lacrosse was a lot of "fun work",we just had to show up, bring the effort, the determination, follow a some intuition, and the coaches instruction. We had a lot of success during those years but once I got to college and chose to stay on the bike rather than full time on the soccer team, I did not have the benefit of a coach. It's been this way for 14 years now, mostly solo training and reading as resources. I was with Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) for a little over a year and saw some amazing progression in cycling but soon could not afford the monthly fees. With family & work, it was just an extra expense was that needed to pay bills, put clothes on the kids, food on the table, and home upgrades. Paying for coaching quickly went away.


Fast-forward a few years after starting to learn to run ultra marathons (still learning)...and now as an Ambassador for Runwell I have been incredibly fortunate (and you can, too) to be provided coaching services depending on the event you are signed up for. Coach Bob Seebohar (MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS, US Olympic Dietician in 2008, et cetera.) See his website for all his information, this guy is a beast!. He is preparing me for one event, the Leadville Trail 100, that's it...that's the focus. I will say that after running 65-100+ mile weeks for the last couple months, I was a little concerned when I got my first month's training plan and it was a DRASTIC reduction in mileage; something that was probably harder mentally than physically. I admit, I freaked out a bit, assuming that I was right where I needed to be and really wanted to resist the training plan. I did for about a week. After some reassurance, I accepted it and have been following it almost to a "t" since. Part of the reassurance comes from Linda Quirk who is also coached by Bob and has had amazing success in the endurance world (google her, you'll see). They are quality workouts that are all a part of a progression. I have more added focus than ever. I am very excited to see how it all builds 5 months from now. 

Prior to starting the training plan, I began to follow Seebohar's passion: nutrition. If you have read my experience at BR100, you know that I struggled with nutrition...significantly. Over the rest of 2011, I was getting a handle on the calorie consumption using Hammer products and had good success with it at the RWS double marathon in October, but shortly thereafter I began to transition into the Metabolic Efficiency Training (MET) that Bob teaches. I downloaded the two MET books by Bob, read every word and it just made too much sense not to give it a try. It took me about 2 months to transition from being a "carb-addict" to running on very little, if nothing at all for calorie consumption on a run. I will say that for about 4-5 weeks I was experiencing some really good bonks at about 1:45 into a run where my glycogen levels had depleted and my body was looking for more sugar that wasn't there. I knew to expect them, so I plugged along and got through it. My body has now learned, and is continuing to learn, how to metabolize fat as an energy source rather than rely mostly on carbs.

MET is not a diet, it literally is a way of life. For me, it was a smack in the face of how carbohydrate dependent I have been over the years. It's not a complicated concept, and once you have been doing it for a while, it's second nature. I dropped 2.5% body fat in about 8 weeks something I haven't been able to do for a few years. My body composition improvement is visually noticeable and I feel lean and strong. I still reach for the cookie jar probably more than I should, but I allow it on occasion to maintain a healthy balance...can't always behave!

Hydration has been the one thing that I have managed to remain consistent with. I have used nuun tabs for a few years now. I used them before I became an ambassador for them, and I continue to use them in my hydration strategy for every run & ride I go on. I do add S-Caps depending on the weather and the effort.

So, the proof is in the pudding, right? Here are some small but big success examples I have experienced in the last 2months:
50k training run: in the snow, on trails, 5hr 33min including bathroom stops and taking it easy. I ate 3 packets of Generation UCAN = about 360 calories or ~65/hour. I would have normally consumed roughly 1,500cals of Hammer Perpeteum during that time period. That's over 1,100 calories difference that I burned from fat stores. There were no GI issues, no bonking, nothing. For hydration, I had 6 tabs of nuun in my hydration pack (Nathan HPL#020).
50k Green Jewel Race: 4hr 35 min on 2 packets of UCAN. That was a 21 min PR for me and I did not taper a bit (although I should have)! Friend and fellow Runwell Ambassador, Pam Rickard saw even better results with 2 packets of UCAN and an hour PR for her 50k!
Other: I've also had a few negative split training runs over the past 2 months that literally I have set unintentional PR's for 10mi, 13mi, and 25k distances....just in training! Now, I am working hard, but there is something to be said about the other half of your training being proper nutrition. I wish I had known about this years ago when I was racing bicycles, but I know about it now and urge you to check out Bob's website and books.

If you run with me, I'm going to tell you about it. It's just been such a positive life changing thing for me that I am just excited to talk nutrition with others. I will also talk about coyotes, core workouts, and my favorite Altra Zero drop shoes that I picked up from Fleet Feet and my upcoming race, the O24 (Have you signed up yet??). Deal with it, I love this stuff!

Race Report: Green Jewel 50k

Below is my race report for the 2012 Green Jewel 50k.

We ran that far.

I'm not sure how I got talked into NOT following my training plan from Coach Bob for this weekend. My schedule called for a 16 mile negative split run on Sunday. I think it's that I PR'd at the GJ50k in 2009 and I wanted to see if I could run this as a fun training run and beat my time of 4:56. In 2009, it was a 50k PR of 1hr 24mins as I was very new to ultra running. I was fortunate enough to be offered some "rock star" crew treatment from Mike Nicholson (2011 3rd place) whose brother Greg, was running his first 50k. After waiting for the salamander migration to clear at CVNP, we pulled in the lot and I ran into a number of familiar faces (Kathie Teuschner, Pam Rickard, Brian Morris, and others) before taking off and heading to the start.

I love the atmosphere before an ultra. No one was complaining that the race was not going to start on time, everyone was smiling, excited for what we were about to do, taking photos, sharing stories, adjusting bib numbers, and well-wishing other runners. I finally got to meet Lee Shane in person (rather than facebook), accepted an Elmo (gluten & vegan) cupcake from the Basich's, shed a layer, took a quick wizz and off we went!

Pam Crushing PR

I ran a few miles with Pam who stands 9 feet tall in her Hokas and floats through puddles, whereas I was skimming the ground in Altra zero drop shoes :). Pam & I are fellow Runwell Ambassadors and have been under the same coaching & nutrition expertise from Bob Seebohar (www.Fuel4mance.com).We were both very excited to see how the metabolic efficiency training was going to play out for us. 

Keith Finishing Strong

A few miles in, Pam dropped back (but only by a few seconds) and I met up with Keith Lascelles; we began chatting about running, nutrition, the day's goal, and whatever other stories that came to mind. Our goals were similar, to run about a 4:30-4:45 depending on how the day went. This is one of the best parts of the running community I think. There are races that you end up running solo for hours and races where you play leap-frog with people, and ones like this where I was fortunate enough to run with Keith for pretty much the entire race. We kept saying "we need to slow it down, if we take the pace back, it will pay dividends later, etc..." neither of us would do it, we just kind of went with it. Mile 16 flew by and I thought  maybe I can negative split this thing, so I started a slight pace increase. 

Can you guess where the cramps started!

Lesson learned. 

On Friday, I posed a comment in the Outrun group "taper schmaper" after a hard week of speed workouts and a brutal 9 mile race pace run on trails on Thursday, 90mins of intense core (TRX, Insanity, and other core work) on Friday. Seemed a good idea at the time, besides it was just a fun run, right??. At mile 19 something under my right rib cage had such a sharp pain that it made me walk. my pace went from ~8min/mile to 9:30 to an 11:00 pace, not cool. I first thought was that it was my food....nope, dummy, it was my overzealous workout the day before. I met and passed Debbie Scheil, who shortly thereafter patted me on the shoulder to get going so she could chase....she continued on strong (to PR!) and not long after I see Keith. We played leap-frog for a while before the abdominal muscle cramp was manageable to run constant. We hit the marathon mark at 3:45 and the rest was just a solid easy effort to the finish. Everytime I picked up the pace, I was reminded to back off by my ab muscle. Lesson learned. With about 2 miles to go, Keith picked it up and ran a really strong finish...gaining about 4 mins on me by the end (4:31). I came in shortly after with a 4:35.

Green Jewel 50k Finish

Happy enough with the effort, but disappointed in myself for not taking heed to taper even a little. That's all a wash though since the experience was such a great one. I ran into Lee Shane, Crystal Basich, & Keith super exited to hear how they did (so impressed). They asked how Pam was and I guessed about 30mins back. I went to change into warm clothes and as I walked back, I saw Pam finishing an astonishing 4:44!

Pam's first question to me: "what did you eat?".....", "2 packets of Chocolate UCAN. that's it."...nod of agreement, this works. Proof is in the pudding (as long as it's a 1:1 carb/protein ratio!).

Final Thoughts

It's been 4 days since the race and I have still not taken a day off. Got in 8 miles Sunday, 8 Monday, and a really hard 6 miles Tuesday. I finally cross trained Wednesday and am back on track for my Leadville 100 training. Next on tap is more training, the O24 and then Mohican 50mi.

Big Thanks

Please remember that none of these races are possible without a LOT of hard work from the Race Directors (Joe Jurczyk & Vince Rucci) Courtney Russell for taking all the finisher photos and all the volunteers who give time and effort to support runners in these events. There is nothing better than seeing familiar faces at aid stations and getting help from people who have such great ultra & running experience and really do know how to help. Again, how can you not be impressed with the ultra running community? We rock.

Gear Review: Altra Lone Peak

I picked up a pair of the Altra Lone Peak (trail) and Instincts (road) shoes from Fleet Feet Sports. Below are my personal impressions and opinions on the Lone Peaks.

The below information is directly from the Altra website: http://www.altrazerodrop.com/

Product Features

Inspired by the Lone Peak, one of the rockiest, toughest mountains on the Wasatch Range, The Lone Peak™ was designed to conquer the Wasatch 100. While the foot-shaped design allows athletes to stay relaxed and comfortable for hours, this do-everything mountain shoe promotes happy feet, increases ankle stabilization and improves form with the Zero Drop™ platform. The Lone Peak™ features an innovative, sandwiched StoneGuard™ system that deflects rocks into the midsole for a smoother, more stable ride. Stand above the rest with the ultimate trail running shoe.

Product Details

• Weight: 9.9 oz
• Zero Drop™ EVA/A-Bound Midsole
• Foot Shaped Design: Male FS-1 Last
• NRS: Natural Ride System
• TrailClaw Outsole
• StoneGuard and Trail Rudder
• Strengthen and Support Insoles
• Quick dry abrasion resistant mesh upper with minimal seams
• Asymmetrical Lacing, HeelClaw, and A-Wrap for Superior Fit
• Drilex Premium Liner

My Impressions: 

 I took these out on a 5 mile "get to know you" run on one of the sloppiest days on the trail I have seen in a long while. We had heavy rains for two days and then overnight switched to 2-4" of snow. It's a 1/2 mile of road to the trail head, the trail is singletrack with good elevation changes, roots, mud, rocks, and a calf level couple creek crossings.

First things I noticed:

 1. the traction is amazing. despite the mud & snow, the traction was excellent. the little spikes do not collect mud at all, stays clear.

2. the cushion is firm and adequate. As I understand it, the stoneguard is sandwiched between the midsole, allowing the cushion to take the hits and leaving a smooth feel on jagged rocks. I like this design immensely. It literally gives you a firm ride with cushion.

3. the stone guard makes this shoe feel bomb-proof. I covered some sections of the trail with near reckless abandon that I normally take more care on.
4. the trail rudder....I couldn't tell how much this affected the run, but it didn't seem to do much for me except add some traction on the down slopes. 

5. overall, the shoe is stable and the toe box is roomy enough to fit your feet the way feet are shaped...at least mine are. 

6. water drainage after a creek crossing is average.
7. they are certainly a bit more firm than other trail shoes, you can feel this on the roads especially. It seemed to me to 'encourage' you to mid-foot strike. It took a couple minutes to get the strike just right, but once I was dialed in I took the pace up as usual.

The following day I debated on these shoes or another pair for a 50k training run. I ended up lacing these up for a second run.

Here are my takeaways from the two days (36mi) of running in these. 

1. The quality in Altras is apparent. This is a well thought out shoe that I have no doubt will handle tough 100 mile runs.

2. These are not minimal shoes, the heel & toe cushion is 17mm (zero drop) but they feel light on the feet at about 9.9oz. I would call them natural running shoes.

3. I went down a 1/2 size in the Lone Peaks. 

4. By the end of the 31 miler, I will honestly admit that my feet were NOT sore. I could feel the zero drop difference (compared to my normal 4-7mm shoes I wear) when climbing, but overall it was not significant.

5. The day after the run, my feet were still fine...I ran a fast 10 mile uptempo road run with no issues. 

My overall opinion of this product if you are looking for a zero drop, natural style trail running shoe to handle tough trail runs & 100 mile ultras, this is a great choice. Altra is doing great things.

-ultrailz

Gear Review: CEP Compression Socks & Calf Sleeves

As athletes, we use a lot of gear...expecially in sports like running where you wear down products continually. I am only writing gear reviews on items that I have used for extended periods of time.

With that being said, I am totally obsessed with my compression socks & just recently the sleeves. I pretend that I am not a bit of a gear junkie, but I am at least a little. I tried my best to avoid the desire to try a product to help me with recovery; I always think nature is better, let the body do it's job...well, after talking to a few folks who actually use them, I finally picked up a pair of CEP recovery socks to give them a try.

So here is my biased review after owning and using them now for about 6 months. First things first, they are a workout just to get them on. There is a little trick to get them on by pulling them nearly inside-out, leaving the sole of the foot still in, put the foot in, and slide them on with a little struggle.

I now wear these after every long run (say 3 over hours ). On some days, I sleep in them, wear them under my suit pants at work, but I have never run in them. I use them purely for recovery. At first, I thought maybe it was the placebo effect that after everytime I wore them I had great runs, felt light, no problems, etc....but I have yet to have any negative effects from them. Recovery does seem faster and it's now the very first thing I go for immediately after an ultra or long training effort.

 

CEP Compression Recovery Socks

With that being said, I finally thought I should give the sleeves a try. I have only had them for about 4 weeks but I have had a number of good long trail and road runs in them. Aside from looking like a tribal warrior in them with shorts, I just figure people think I forgot my running socks so I am wearing my dress socks. The runs that I have had have been cold and have taken place on the Kettle Moraine trails in Wisconsin as well as rolling roads. I also worn them on a few long trail runs locally.

My opinion is that overall I like them. I can feel that they are supporting my calves as I am running, hopefully reducing the amount of overall vibration & pounding that ultimately causes the muscle soreness. I though that there would be a bit of a squeezing effect since they are sleeves, making my feet feel like they are going to pop, but that was not the case at all. For those of us who wait until the temperatures really drop before finally putting long running pants/tights on...these also give you a some warmth....I have not tried them at warmer temperatures yet.



CEP Compression Calf Sleeves



I have to admit, I did see a pair of mens diabetic black socks at the store for much less than the CEP's and I do wear them, but they compress far less. They feel like tight dress socks. good to wear when the CEP's are in the wash.

z

Training: what to do.....um.....oh yeah.......run. (100+ mile week)

I was lucky enough to have some lingering vacation days that I needed to take before the year is out. So, I took a few to accentuate the Thanksgiving Holidays. After dropping off the kids at school, I had just over 2 hours each day purely to myself....what to do.....what to do.....um.....oh yeah.......run.

Look, I have only called myself a runner for a couple years now. When I first heard of ultras, I thought a 50k was insane....then I signed up and did it. I thought 50miles was crazy, until I did a few more 50k's...seeing that it was closer than I thought. I thought 100miles was just pure mental, until I ran a 50 miler and as I finished, I thought "hmmmm, could I do that whole thing again?' Now, I've run a 100 miler and I am registered for the Leadville 100. So now even with all these ultras in just a couple years, the only reason I call myself a runner at all is because when I get on the bike now, I don't feel like I did a few years ago...fast and strong on the bike. I am far more in tune with my running than I am on the bike anymore.

Deep down I still think of myself as a cyclist & soccer player. I don't have the background that all these pedigreed runners have. As I grew up, I didn't run track or cross country, I never ran 60,70,80,100+ mile weeks like so many runners do on a regular basis and I never had the benefit of a running coach growing up. I played soccer for hours on end and then became a cyclist and rode thousands of miles in the saddle. Even though I certainly accomplished the equivalent of 100 mile weeks in alternate sports, it just seems like a lot to me. The most I have hit was the week of BR100 with 110miles or so. I am amazed at all the phenomenal athletes out there, I still see myself as trying to squeeze in what I can. So over the break, I managed to rack up some miles with the days off and found myself only a long run away from 100....so, I went for it and got in a really nice trail run Thanksgiving day morning to top it all off. It felt normal, I took a day off running and hit the road bike Friday, ran Sat & ran Sun...feeling strong. To be honest, it did not feel all that different from a regular week.

I know that there are people on all sides of the spectrum here. Some folks that are in the same boat, running, growing, shooting for whatever the weekly mileage/hours call for and peaking at various levels for races ranging from 5k to 100miles+. I see people in my running forums posting 110-120mpw on a regular basis...and to top it off, they are averaging amazing paces....their slow days are faster than my fast days. They run 10 miles in the morning, then 10-15 at night, both faster than 99% of the population runs. Amazing. Will they be running at 30, 40, 50+ years old? I hope so. Then there are the folks who are happy to get in a few miles a week, a nice walk, an active day, etc.. It's all what you want. I think that it all comes down to what you are driven to do. If you wonder what it's like to run 100 miles, study it and do it. I thought it was crazy...and it is.....in my humble opinion it's all about adaptation and mental strength....what you think you can do translates to what you can do....no matter what it is, not just with running...this translates to all aspects of life.

So woop dee dooo, I ran a 100+ mile week (all trails) and I was pretty happy and a little proud. More than that...the majority of those miles I ran with fellow running friends. I did a few faster runs on my own but the majority of the miles were with folks talking about life....sometimes about wool socks, shoe selections, various running related injuries, but for the most part, we were telling stories about our lives....funny stories about kids and college. If you think about it, we spend a couple hours running and talking....we share a lot of experiences. When the runs are over and we finish up our final comments, see who is doing what the next day, how far and where, I get in my car and literally have to sit back and review all the topics covered...it's a great community and great therapy.

The main reason that I am writing this post about running a 100 mile week is that a few years ago, I would have seriously told you I have no desire, need, or ability to run 100 miles in a week...let alone a 100 mile trail running race. I would have said it was not normal, necessary, or even healthy. If you are reading this and you are looking back at your own running goals and accomplishments, thinking "holy crap" that's just silly. I am simply writing this as an example of realizing what you can accomplish if you chip away at it and keep yourself focused on the goal. I'm not out there running these trails to beat other runners, I do it because I want to be better in life.

Inevitably friends & family will ask me about my running, how I do it, etc...I try to take a humble approach, but it's just such a great thing in life that it's honestly hard to not be excited about it. How does a full time worker, husband, father of 3 do it? I get up early or I run late at night, it's that simple....I get up at 4:30am and run...not everyday but for long runs I always do. If I need more miles during the week, I go after the kids are in bed and run in the dark. The most important thing is to be there for the family and at the age of my kids now, I want to be there to make my pancakes and smoothies when they are waking up and at an age that they still want to hang out with me. It might seem simple, but it keeps me focused and out of trouble. :)

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