Race Report: 2014 Laurel Highlands 70.5 Mile

Trying to write this race report on Laurel Highlands Ultra while my legs are not fresh but my mind still is. It’s a 70.5mi trail ultra that takes place on the Laurel Highlands trail that starts by the waterfall at Ohiopyle and finishes just outside Johnstown, PA. This is the race that people say it may be 70miles, but it feels like 100. This is good, this is what I was needing since I didn’t have a summer 100 on the roster.

Rick Freeman, RD and Tim Hewitt, co-RD took over the race 15 years ago which has now been in existence for 35 years. It used to be a self-supported race with an 18 hour limit, no aid stations, and just the 70.5 mile distance. Today, they have great aid stations, 50k distance, 70.5mi relay, and 70.5mi individual distances. I think all total, there were about 340 runners amongst the various distances for the 2014 event.

I had talked to a few folks who have run it in the past and depending on who you asked, the response was something like It’s runnable after mile 35….take it easy on the first 35 miles….don’t run until you’ve finished the 3,000’ climbing after mile 8. After looking through the times from last year and looking up people’s names on ultrasignup.com, I figured I could be somewhere around the 15 hour mark and it things went really well, in the upper 14 hr range.

Here’s my take/experience:

We were on the bus from the finish at 3:30am sharp, arrived at the start about 45mins later where they had some water, coffee, drop bag drop-off, & check-in. It’s your typical atmosphere pre-ultra….lots of people chatting, hitting the portos, sipping coffee, adjusting gear, and telling stories. Rick urges us over to the start and within a few minutes, we're off and after a short stint on the road, we hit the Laurel Highlands trail and begin the muggy ascent. I kept trying to run easy, run easy, run easy, speed walk easy as it got steeper, but even going easy on those sections was just not easy. A few miles and a few very solid climbs later, it was apparent that this was going to be a true challenge. The humidity was incredibly high, the roots & rocks made for a lot of focus on the foot placement. So, about 8 miles in, there was some respite on the hills…and about after mile 10, it simmered down a bit more and was much more runnable. Yes, runnable. Lots of rocks, lots of roots, but the hills were calming down. For the next 25 miles, there were lots of rolling hills, some short steep ones, beautiful trails and it varied from speed hiking at 15-16min miles to running 10-11 min miles. The first aid station was at mile 19, I was using Hammer Perpeteum so I had two multi-hour bottles to last me to mile 46 where my first drop bag was. I wore my Altra Olympus which has ample cushion, lightweight, but not much lateral support which was wearing on me a bit due to all the off-camber trails. Otherwise, they were pretty good for the race.

The trails are absolutely beautiful. The ground cover is almost all ferns or mountain laurel. There were so many sections where you would look out for a moment and it was just ferns all around, with the trees creating a high canopy. Periodically, you weave through these verdant rock structures, covered in moss, with the trail winding through them. Every so often, you get a moment to peek through the trees and see that you are in the Highlands and how high up you’ve run. Somewhere around mile 35 or so, the trails came up to a ski lodge where you see a sign saying you are at the highest point in the Laurel Highlands, it was beautiful. I was running with the lead female at the time (Johanna) and we chatted about running as we plodded along. I kept with my 1 Salt Stick every 45 mins, perpeteum, and lots of water. I felt good and as the trail smoothed out, it was great to be able to actually run for long stretches.

Mile 46 Aid Station, new socks, new shoes,
loading up on calories. 

I hit the mile 41 aid station where Dan & Anne from Ohio were helping me out, Johanna was starting to feel the effects of the run and I told her to take her salt before she headed out. She was leading at that point but fell back a few spots by the end of the race. I got to 46 where Rich was waiting for me, changed my shoes, socks, drank a redbull, took some food, soda, water, Gatorade, and headed off with a full stomach. It made a world of difference…I was really needing calories so when I got to 57 I ate a lot more, grabbed my 2^nd drop bag with headlamp, did another redbull, ramen soup, grilled cheese, soda, water, and took off. I was feeling good  and decided I was done playing leapfrog with some other runners (as enjoyable as the conversation was) and with a sub 16hr finish in sight, I focused and pushed hard. I got to mile 62 after a quick stop in the woods to take care of business and loaded up on some soda, & food. They told me 2 miles flat, 3 miles rolling, and 2mi downhill to the finish…and they were right. I pushed hard, seeing 10min miles and faster until I hit the hills, speed walked only when I had to, and mile by mile, reeled in the finish. I passed a few people and with just 2 miles to go and a lot of really rough downhill, I pulled out the headlight. Jody from Fleet Feet had loaned me his Garmin Fenix 2 to try and it was pretty accurate throughout the trail (which is marked EVERY mile with a cement post with that mile) and I kept checking to make sure that the variation between the garmin and the mile markers were accurate so I could make it under 16hrs.

I emptied my bottles, barreled down the last 2 very rocky downhill miles, and with a few hundred yards to go, passed one last runner. I rolled in at 15hrs 36min where Rick immediately gave me the award which is a beautiful wood rendition of the 70^th mile marker.

Rick Freeman (RD) smiling bigger than me....my legs hurt. 

This race is hard, it’s very technical, it’s very hilly, but it was absolutely beautiful, historic, and was extremely well organized with a great atmosphere. I will say that if it wasn't so beautiful, it would quite possibly be a really hard race to want to come back to...but it's just beautiful. I stayed downtown Johnstown (which has a significant history from the Great Flood in 1889 which killed over 2,200 people then two more floods in 1936 and 1977) and opted for the pre-race dinner which I recommend for meeting these amazing people, answering questions, and getting some good food.

I’m writing this 6 days after the race, I’ve ridden the bike and run hard twice. I would’ve run a little more but work travel has just not  allowed for the time, which is probably a good thing. My quads were sore and had some post race swelling in the feet but that all subsided within day 2-3. My metabolism was off the charts for the last couple days! This almost has the feel like I completed a 100 miler. Great race, great people, I’ll be back to do it again.

z

Race: Buzzard Day 50k 3/15

weaving through the 25k Starters as I came in on my 2nd loop. Pretzels stashed in my cheek. 

ok, ok, ok....it's been a loooong time since I posted a race report. Partially because I didn't have any races during the winter.

Coming in from the 1st 25k

My training was really consistent & solid throughout the never-ending Ohio winter. I managed to pick out a treadmill for Xmas and used the heck out of it. I hit the Dion Snowshoes as much as possible with my snow loving dog Sasha and I started really including thesufferfest.com indoor cycling videos into my XT regimen each week. I am looking to pickup a Fat Bike to extend the ability to ride outdoors in the winter so hopefully, that will be a reality this year.

I followed my 100miler plan which included a lot of long runs in very cold conditions, lots of trails, and more miles on the treadmill than I wanted, but with a -3% to +15% grade, the workouts were pretty effective. I managed some good runs like a 4hr 45min 35 miler that was a combination of roads, trails, and some fast treadmill miles.

Anyhow, Buzzard Day 50k is held in Hinckley somewhere in CVNP I think. I haven't run this before but the weather was looking nice, I needed a long run that day, and my buddy Dave Wank was up for a race as well. He was a little further ahead in his training cycle for O24 and I was still in the mileage base phase. For me, this was a low pressure run.

It was icy, icy, icy and snowy with some mud thrown in but the weather was decent enough for shorts and a long sleeve. So, after a cigar smoke filled pre-race announcement courtesy of Roy, Dave & I lined up with Connie and some others, had some chit chat then tip toed down the trail. I immediately began cursing myself for not putting the trail spikes in my shoes to help with the ice. I went with my Hoka One One Stinson Trail shoes which are ridiculously cushioned with good tread, but I had been having issues with the outer section that hits up under my ankle. It was causing bruising but I chose to wear those over my Altra Lone Peaks that day since I had been training mostly in the Hokas and I wanted the cushion.

I went out too hard. I knew it, but I went with it anyhow. There were a couple of us in the top 5 or so with Nathan Szabados already gaining time on us (and in vibrams, to boot!). Somehow, we missed "the hump" a hill that was essentially an up and back. We kept up the pace, and rounded the lake, still running quick and really enjoying the fact that I was feeling good. Dave & I stayed together for quite some time, got lost a bit in the ledges, found our way up to the aid station and finished up the miles to the 1/2 way point. Dave had gained about 30sec on me on the downhills and as he came out of the AS, he said we missed a section "what section?" I asked, he said "look at our time" which was 1:59 for 16 miles....we were running quick, but not that quick. The AS volunteer explained we would need to run "the hump" twice and then continue on or we would be DQ'd. We found the hump after it had been re-marked. Dave was probably a minute ahead of me at this point. I came into the AS and was extremely clear about where I asked that I needed to turn around at, the volunteer captain showed me where to turn, run back up the hill, then come back in the last time to AS, then continue on.....on my second time down, I see Dave coming up. He had gone too far (or I had gone short). I told him, he told me I was short. I checked with the AS capt again and they confirmed I was good. At that point, I told them they had just inadvertently pushed me into 2nd place since they had Dave run further down the hill.

It was a good 5 miles (about mile 25) before Dave caught me. I was running solid on the very icy lake knowing that Dave was chasing. He had gone from being a min ahead of me to being 2 minutes behind or so. He caught me in the ledges and was fuming with frustration. I swear, if he could've harnessed that frustration, he could have caught Nathan and won the damn race. We stayed together through the 26mi AS and he took off. I had been battling some nausea from eating too much or not right and was pretty happy being 3rd place. I figured I would push it and catch up to Dave so we could battle the finish but it took me 3 miles before I felt good enough to push it. By then, I had crested beyond the 5 hour mark and Dave had gained like 15 mins on me. I let my passiveness get the best of me knowing that I had 3rd place, I just settled in. It was far too late to push for a sub 5. Dave finished about 4:52, I got 5:07 but I was happy overall. This was a tune-up race and for me the fact that I was in decent enough shape to eek out a 3rd place on a 50k was a good day in my book. However, I never should have let the foot off the gas. There is really no reason why I shouldn't have been well under 5 hours. It was a good lesson, each race is.

Nutrition:
Perpeteum (should have done Heed) - tossed it a the 25k, went to water, Heed, Pretzels
Salt Stick Caps (1 per Hour)

Gear:
Pearl Izumi LS top
UD Handheld
Patagonia ProUltra Shorts
Smartwool Socks
Hoka One One Stinson Trail

-z

Finishing up 5:07, 3rd Place OA

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)

Race Report: Foolks 25/50k

I did the Fools 25k (2:39) in 2008 before it was as big as it is now, 50k in 2011 (5:24) where I went out too fast on the first 25k and paid for it dearly on the last 25k. 2012 I was unable to fit it in my schedule and this year I was on vacation the week before but intent on running it. 2013 was supposed to be a sub 5....which I did but only because it was the 25k :)

I even tapered for a week while in Hilton Head...I ran every day but all nice & easy miles on the beach. We ate & drank too much (more of the latter) but enjoyed the family vacation. We arrived after a 15hr drive back home by about midnight, unloaded, packed for the race and then back up at 5am to head down to CVNP. 

The plan was to run consistent and shoot for a solid 4hr 45min run but I never felt quite right, but the pace was decent. I was somewhere about 9th overall but not feeling my normal self. Felt tired, heavy....wondering if the prior day and week really was taking a toll or if it was a mental trick. You'd never guess by the photo, but I was soon to take a turn for the worse...

More air than I expected!

Not finishing was not on the radar but somewhere around mile 10, I started the ultra-slog...felt terrible, exhausted, and not wanting drag myself through the rest of the race just for the sake of not posting a DNF. about mile 15, Jim caught up to me and asked how I was feeling....he had just driven from Florida and was experiencing the same issue. I asked if I stop at 25k, if I get a DNF...when he said no, I made my decision. It was one of those days where I really made a smart move. 

Those last 3 miles really helped make my decision. I rolled in, asked to drop to the 25k....Jim followed suit shortly after and then we sat back and relaxed. This is the first time I've stopped short during a race and gone to the lesser distance. I was glad I did. It allowed me to chat with a number other runners & volunteers, see my friends finish...and enjoy the day. Do I wish I finished? Of course....but it's just a run....it wasn't in the cards that day. I enjoyed the vacation, stayed up late, had fun, played with the family a ton, indulged, etc...then drove all day....I'll take that over a race...

z

Gear Review: Altra Lone Peak [1 year later review]

I wrote this initial review over a year ago on the first pair of Lone Peaks that I tried. I like to make comments or write occasional product reviews for gear that I actually have used for a good period of time. What better way to review running shoes than to beat em up and live, race, & train in them from beginning to end to see how they really perform and hold up? If you just review them when they are pretty, new, and at 100% it's not a true review, right?

I got about 480 miles out of the first pair of Lone Peaks that I wrote about. Let me say that they were not dead yet but I had torn the upper from the sole large enough to fit a few fingers through, as well as rocks, dirt, etc... The soles had plenty of life left in them and they have since been donated to Purple Heart. I am confident that if my fat feet hadn't blown holes in the sides that I could have gotten 2-300 more miles in them at LEAST. I have friends who are getting +800mi in them. I tend to retire my trail running shoes to landscaping duty somewhere between 300-400mi at best. Either the cushion stops cushing or the uppers tear apart....

I did everything from daily training to racing in them: trails, roads (actually pretty good on roads), trail speed-work, hill-work, technical terrain, snow, rain, rock, you name it, everything from the trails in the Northeast Ohio, to Kettle Moraine trails in Wisconsin, to 110 degree heat in Texas, to the mountains in Colorado for Leadville. All my ultra distance training runs as well as my ultra distance races with the exception of Oil Creek 100 were done in Altras. I'm not a super light runner (~170lbs) and the local Fleet Feet owner tells me I have Fred Flinstone feet....

...which is about right, my feet have increased in overall size since I started doing ultras about 5 years ago now....I have blown out the sides of every single trail shoe that I have owned. I used to wear a 10.5-11 and now I have been wearing 11.5 and 12.0 depending on the model. With all that being said, I admit that I am hard on shoes....most runners are. So I picked up another pair of Lone Peaks needing the new ones before a race, when they arrived, they were the same size as before but too small....I was stuck and raced Leadville in them anyhow....put in a few weeks of training in them before I just asked if I could warranty them for a larger size, which they did (awesome). Looks like any sizing issues have since been resolved with Altra. I'm now over 220 miles in the current pair and have added some shoe goo to the sides to make sure I don't blow these out...thus far it's working quite well.

I re-read my previous post on these shoes....All my original comments and initial thoughts were confirmed. I used them for all my training and racing for the Leadville Trail 100 and all my events since. Due to availability issues, I didn't have them for Oil Creek 100 and I really wish I had....it makes me appreciate them all the more now.

I still would like to make sure that people understand that this is not a minimal shoe. This is a natural style running shoe (see left pic). It's zero drop with a 22.5mm heel and 22.5mm forefoot....that's not minimal in my opinion. The shape of the shoe is what sold me initially, it's foot shaped and therefore it fits my feet (imagine that), allows for natural foot splay, traction is outstanding in mud & snow and everything in between. In some situations, it's more shoe than you may need...say for trail races that you could use road shoes on, but I use them for everything.


Below is a shot from a local 10k trail race that was all ice & snow....I managed 12th OA of a 300 person race, which for me is really good at that distance. This is to brag about the shoe....it was perfect. I didn't put screws in my shoes for the ice, just laced 'em up and went.

running ~6:15 pace downhill on snow/ice with confidence!

Here are the specs from Altra's website:

• Weight: 9.9 oz
• Midsole: Zero Drop™ EVA/A-Bound Midsole
• Foot Shaped Design: Male FS-1 Last
• NRS: Natural Ride System
• Outsole: TrailClaw Outsole
• StoneGuard and Trail Rudder
• Insole: Mountain Footbed (Similar to Support Footbed)
• Upper: Quick dry abrasion resistant mesh upper with minimal seams
• Asymmetrical Lacing, HeelClaw, and A-Wrap for Superior Fit
• Liner: Drilex Premium Liner
• Stack height = The total thickness of the shoe/the distance between the foot and the ground.
  With Footbed: 22.5mm(Heel)/22.5mm (Forefoot)
  Without footbed: 17.5mm(Heel)/17.5mm (Forefoot

I've now run in the Lone Peak, Superior, Instinct 1.5, Instinct 2.0, and most recently the Torin. I am really looking forward to try the Lone Peak 1.5 (April '13). This post is about the Lone Peak...but I will tell you that I am head over heels for the Torin (road)....I'll have to do another post for that one.

I would say that once I transitioned to the zero drop it's not even noticeable anymore. I am a mid/forefoot runner still and have been working on becoming more efficient each year. I also fiddle with the lacing patterns a little bit to dial in the lose or snug-ness of the shoe but once they are all set, I haven't had to change them. My shoe choice for BR100 this year will be the Altra Lone Peak (trail) and the Torin (road) unless I can find even more love with the LP 1.5. I'll be racing the Fools 50k in a few weeks in the LP's for certain.

-@ultrailz

Race: Dirty Love Trail 10k

The Dirty Love Trail Run 10k

I know, I know....it's not an ultra..but it was a great race! With sick kids, sick wife, cancelled snowshoe race, and raging to run something hard this weekend, I was lucky to get out and sign up for the Dirty Love Trail Run 10k which is about 10min from me on trails that I know well.

I can't recall the last time I actually raced a 10k on the road or trails, so this was a PR and a CR for me :)

I got in a nice 3mi warm-up on the icy/snowy trails, shed the tights & fleece cap for shorts on this sunny day, lined up and decided to just run hard and try not to ease into a comfortable pace. There were just under 300 runners and in short races with this many people, I rarely place in the top....

The course is a great mixture of a creek crossing, singletrack, bridal trails, and lots of good variations in terrain. The hardest part was trying to get decent footing on the icy trail. Staying on the edge of the trail where there was a dusting of snow was the best bet...then just hoping for the best when slipping around.

The strategy was to start smart, run the tough hill, Ox Lane with an average of 19.5% grade at a decent clip, push over the top and try to keep it under an 8min/mi for the rest of the race.

 

That's the race....up the hill, along some good rollers...then ultimately back down and to the finish.

Lessons learned: It hurt, just like it should! Bit by bit, I chipped away at people in front of me....reeled them in one by one. Bombed the downhills, pushed the uphills, and tried not to chill out on the flatter sections. It by far was one of my most well played races. As my buddy Dave said "You may have found your distance!" Maybe...especially when this is not what I train for.

Results:  I finished at 47:38 (7:40 pace) for 12th Overall, and 2nd in my AG which is really good for me in a field that large. Had the footing been better, we all would've run faster...but I was REALLY happy to finish that close to the top 10. I am amazed at the top male (John S.?) who averaged 6:27/mi over that terrain...astounding!

I only got in 9+ miles that day of running and about the same on Saturday which was -10 miles I wanted over the weekend....However, it's early in the season and I have solid miles in so I am not fretting it. Fast speedwork counts double, right??

Shoes: zero drop Altra Lone Peaks, baby! This is my 3rd run in them (second pair) and they worked fantastic. No hot spots, great traction considering, and my ever present smartwool socks.

Overall, I was just really happy to have a great race...the day went well and I've got a nice mug to boot! See you on the trails!

-z

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.

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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

2013 Plans

It's January and I have only signed up for 3 races, 2 of which are my creation.

10k Snowshoe Race - Feb. 2nd
Fools 50k - April 7th
O24 - 24 Hour Trail Race (directing) - April. 27-28. I might try to sneak in a 50k or 100k.

Looking at a number of other options, but if all western US race plans do not materialize, Burning River 100 is going to be the summer 100. Also looking at TNF Endurance Series (DC, NY, WI), 100's for yo Momma, and others....lots of great options.

Very happy to note that I just made the ambassador team for Altra Zero Drop shoes. I trained in them for all of Leadville 100...and have been wearing them ever since with a lot of success. They have some new models coming out and I am excited to be a part and represent!

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.

Race Report: Oil Creek 100 Trail Run

As a special note, I ran Oil Creek as a way to raise funds for United Way through my job at Rockwell Automation. I half expected everyone to think I was crazy, but people were very supportive and I was proud to raise funds this way.

This was an interesting one. I repeated the last 7 weeks of training for Leadville 100 as my continued training for Oil Creek 100. Training was solid, fitness was good, I had to work through a piriformis syndrome and was able to with the help of Dr.Tim Keyes and a ton of specific stretching, exercises, & trigger point roller.

The course is 3 loops of a 50k trail course and a final 4th loop of 7mi totaling 100.6mi. The 50k loop is just under 5,459 ft elevation gain and the last 7 mi was 1,034 gain for a total of about 17,627. I assumed that this course compared somewhere between Mohican and Burning River, being a little closer to Mohican....I can say now that I personally think this was harder than Mohican.

The plan was to run about a 11:30 pace for the sections that were runnable, let the hills, aid stations, and increasing mileage take care of the eventual degrading pace. I wanted 22-24hrs but was well aware that I would be running more like 24-26hrs. I planned on Lap 1 @ 6:30, Lap 2 @ 6:30-7:30, Lap 3 @ 7:30-8 and the last 7 under 2 hours. This was my planned conservative effort that would have gotten me right around 23 hours, less if everything went well. I had everything planned out, drop bags, food, gear, timing, everything was pretty well planned. I was getting excited and hoping that a good race was going to ensue. My crew consisted of Dave Morl for the first 62 miles and then he paced me for the last 38.6. More on that shortly.

Lap 1, 50k / 31mi

It was 22 degrees at the start but not windy, so it was very pleasant. Even with over a mile to the single-track, we ended up in a slow traffic jam for a couple miles. This is always tough, I can't handle being bunched up and anxiety was testing me about getting out of the crowd. I was ready to run alone. Although I am used to technical trail running, this one was pretty relentless....You just cant look up very often or you hit some root or rock that is hidden under the leaves or off-camber trail. A few miles later, I jumped out of the crowd and ran my pace to get away....I felt great, the course was hard, with long climbs and lots of great single track...all in the dark.

I hit the first aid station (15.5mi +/-) at 2:38, about 20 mins ahead of my plan....not necessarily a good thing, I had a little UCAN and headed on. Each aid station is followed by a tough hill....every one. The second half is beautiful, lots of pine trees a few sections that are just long sloping downhills....but there were significant uphills waiting....Ida Tarbell's Revenge, Death March, John's Run, Rockefeller's Revenge to name the memorable ones. They were all tough...but you get into a good rhythm and go. It was tough...I did the second half in about 3hr 40min, an hour longer than the first section...totaling 6:20 at the HQ aid station. I had some more UCAN, grapes, ramen broth, and SCAPS then moved out with Dave pushing me across the mat.

Lap 2, 100k / 62mi

I ran with a couple of great guys, Jason M and another guy who I never got his name....but we were trucking along for a while when I decided I needed to throw up. I slowed it down, walked a bit and began the sudden and long battle with nausea. I walked into AS#1, Wolfkiel and tried to get back on track. I was walking past these young girls at the AS all cuddled up to stay warm...they asked if I needed anything and I said I was going to find a place to yak. I heard a collective "ewwwwwww" which made me smile. One of the AS volunteers got me some ginger and saltines...and I headed on my way, walking, up the 11 switchback hill. I continued this walk from mile 38 to 44. I literally lost hours..going from an 11:30 pace to 25min/mi..I didnt want to turn around, I didnt want to go forward, I wanted the nausea to go away. I tried to run, no luck....just kept dry heaving. I sat down more than a few times while people passed. Steve Hawthorne passed me asking what my plan was...I told him I was going to get to the next aid station and call it a day unless this stops, I was pretty certain about it. Not much longer a couple of the 100k runners came through, realizing I had lost at least an hour now....I kept waiting for my friends to start passing me but I was alone for a loooong time. Chris Basich (100k) passed me and I asked that he tell Crystal and my crew, Dave that I was not doing well and will probably want to step out of the race. I spent the next 2 hours debating a DNF, I could walk like this and finish, but I really just wanted to go home and see my kids....I started to get a little emotional about my kids....but kept plugging along.

I finally started being able to stomach the saltines....cracker by cracker I started to eat and feel a little less nauseous. I walked into the aid station at Petro Center and Dave came to greet me. This is the part that having a strong crew made all the difference. I told him I didnt want to do another lap...."I know"...then he got me food....I dont want to go to 62..."I know"....more food. I could not face him and say "I am DNF'ing" it just wasn't in my vocabulary....not while I was taking food and realizing that I was getting better. I sat for a good 20 mins, and ate the entire time. He made me a "feed bag" with all kinds of stuff (fig newtons, peanuts, cashews, peanut m&m's, raisins, crackers, pretzels) and I asked for my hydration pack, headlamp, light jacket for the potential rain. He sent me on my way. Within 30 mins I was running again...and running strong. Food was the miracle....go figure :)

I rolled into AS#4 at mile 62 late that night....9:15pm? I felt good, and was ready for Dave to pace me....I was ready for a killer last loop and DNF'ing was not even an iota of a thought. He asked what I wanted to do and I told him head out, he smacked both my legs with pure joy and finished up in the AS before we headed back out. It started to rain pretty heavily, which I like....I love running in the rain.

150k / 93mi

I can make this shorter....we killed it, ran in the dark the next 15 miles in about 3:11....we had some ups and down, but mostly trying to recovery from hills. The hills were taking a lot out of me and my quads weren't used to the downhills.....they hurt, but it was just muscle pain, I would take a couple deep breaths and then get into the shuffle. A slow shuffle is faster than my fast walk, so we tried to keep the shuffle as much as possible. The last 15.5 miles were tough....lots of hills, rain, etc....but we were moving forward and knew that finishing was getting closer. We ran what we could....then ran into the AS#4 for the final 7mi loop. We re-fueled at the highschool and went out to get this damn thing over with. We left the aid station with 27 hours on my legs.

11k / 7mi. 

The last loop is nice-sort of. You only have about 4 miles on the trail....but at least .5 of it is a crazy ass hill called the Hill of Truth, about mile 97-ish of the course. We got it done eventually...and when it merged with the trail at the top, I had it....I needed to knock it out...We did a quick calculation to be sub 29 and I just aid, let's go. We did....somehow we knocked out 8-10 min/mi averages for the last 2.8 miles, finishing what felt like sub 8.

Finish, 100.6mi.

28hr 52min 36sec in the books. It was a great comeback story and although I was hours away from my goal, I was happier with a comeback like this than a DNF. I talked to a lot of really great people on the trail, sharing stories, and experiences. I can't thank Dave enough for the support both crewing and pacing, it makes the story all the better.

A lot of people ran an amazing race over the weekend, not all of us finished.....but the fact is, if you crossed the start line Saturday morning, you gave it your best. I am really proud everyone out there.....ultras are not easy, that's why so few of us do them.

I still haven't learned to eat and stop going out fast. Plenty of time to get it right.