Race: Grindstone 100 Miler (10/04/14)

I suffered but I didn't suffer enough. 

Results: http://apps.eco-xsports.com/reports.php?race=1&year=2014
242 starters, 189 finishers, 53 DNF, 16 DNS, 78% completion rate.

#162, seconds into the race

Training & Arrival:

I have been training well this year with only minor setbacks being due to work & non-running life schedules which of course trump ultra training. I’ve continued to utilize the same 8 month training cycle that I have used successfully for the last couple 100 milers. It has a strong base building phase, distance, speed & hill work with a lot of cross training and quality specific workouts. 

I pushed a little too much without enough recovery prior to Grindstone, truly feeling like I had a slight case of mono. Anyone running with me 4-5 weeks prior to Grindstone heard me complain how tired I was. I would take a day off, maybe 2 with some activity, but not enough. Ahhh....the mental struggle of the Type A personality.

I told my training buddy Dave about 2mi into the Punxatawney 50k that I was pretty sure I had mono, for which he harassed me for....then I proceeded to run the slowest 50k I have run in 5 or 6 years.

Dave was slated to crew / pace me at Grindstone but unable to make the schedule work, I was going to be on my own….I had wanted to experience that on a hard course so looked like I was bound to get it. Pam Rickard who lives near the course offered to pace me so I had her to help support. An Outrun teammate, Crystal had asked about who was crewing for me and when I mentioned that I was going at it solo, she offered to come out and pair up with Pam to crew for me. It’s a funny sport, ultramarathons, people spend a lot of time helping others complete events that take many hours to complete. I’ve said it before, it’s one of the only sports I am aware of that this exists in. I felt blessed. 

Grindstone was a 7hr drive from Ohio and a 6pm start in the rural & very hilly Swoope, Virginia. The course boasts 23,000 climbing and 23,000 decent due to the out & back 100mi distance. I was looking for a tough run, feeling pretty fit and shooting for 24-26 hours on this 38 hour cutoff, Dr. Horton course.

We made it to the race start about 3pm, so there was time to make it to packet pickup, meet Clark Zealand, Dr.Horton, meetup with Pam, setup camp, take in some more calories, & rest until race start. The weather was pleasant in the 50-60’s with rain on the forecast.

Gear:

Mtn hardwear coolrunner shorts 
MHW coolrunner shirt,
Ultimate Direction AK Vest,
Hoka Mafate Speed 3,
CEP socks, 
Black Diamond Revolt headlamp, & handheld light, 
MHW Ghost Whisperer Jacket

Nutrition:
I had planned to eat my Hammer Perpeteum and do 1 Hammer bar or Bearded Brothers bar every hour. I kept my salt stick pills about 1-2 every hour and nuun energy for the late hours when I needed caffeine in my body. Sport Leggs in the latter 1/2 of the race....as well as some Red Bull. 

The Race:

Apparently, they don’t believe in switchbacks in Virginia. We had a couple 3,000+ foot climbs that really just went up the mountain. I was pushing too hard WAY too early and it came crashing down at about mile 18 when I started to fight nausea from too much GI stress. I kept forcing food when I should have just relied on the perpeteum. I was trying to front load the calories and it was just too much. My pace dropped dishearteningly to a 20min mile due to heaving on the trail, the inability to run due to nausea, and just pure discomfort. I couldn’t believe it. I hadn't even made it to the first crew access at mile 22 and I was in a dark place already.

I made it finally to mile 22 where I stayed for a loooong time. Even with 4miles at a terrible pace, I was dead on track for 24 hours but my pace was continuing to decline. My crew Crystal got me out with fresh gear & a bag of pretzels which I managed 1 bite of over the next 8 miles. She later called that aid station "zero dark thirty"....it was a bad time and I was honestly worried that I felt that bad that early. 80miles in, okay....not 22.

I struggled for a while longer with the nausea & occasional heaving before I started to come around (~mile 30), by then I had dropped 60 places in the race and the climbing was really taking it’s toll on my pace. I met Crystal again at 37 but was still struggling, she got me all set with food, gear, etc... the miles from 37 to 43 were downright terrible, slow, uphill, terrible, I have never walked so slow, my headlamp died, my handheld died and I was barely moving along. I finally made it to Little Bald Knob at 45 and started to gain momentum after a hearty breakfast at the Aid station. 

By 46-7 I was the food was setting in and I was starting to come to life. Morning had come and I was only a few miles from getting to Pam for pacing. I ran into Ash Walsh who I've only known through social media.

We ran a mile or so together before I really started moving along. I was eating and running really well, hovering around 9:30min/miles and bombing on the downhills. I picked up Pam at 49, & reloaded some nutrition from Crystal and off we went. It was around mile 60 where I was really feeling my Wheaties and was starting to race. Pam was a bit hesitant on the technical downhill back to mile 66 so we agreed to have her meet up with me at mile 80 to finish pacing.

From 66 to 72 it was a lot of long climbing, no switchbacks, windy and beautiful. Although the effort was high, the pace was slow and I just settled into a hard fast speed hike with occasional running. The temps were begging to drop and the winds on the ridges were really consistent. Crystal & Pam had hunted the area for some calories for me, knowing that I was in need of more and they had found some pizza at a not-so nearby store. I changed jackets, gloves, devoured the pizza, go re-fueled and off we went. I can't thank them enough. I felt really good but it was heartbreaking to be so far off pace.
Pam & I cruised along to 88 where Crystal met us again, got us in and out, then off to mile 97. I recall telling Pam that I didn't feel like I had 90+ miles in my legs. I wasn't bragging, I felt like I hadn't pushed enough. 

The internal struggle going on was that I felt like I hadn't given the race enough, knowing that I should push it but wasn't. I was pretty disappointed in myself but at this stage I was no where near the sub 24 goal and was well within the cutoff times. I was having a hard time letting my mind enjoy the process as I knew that I was so far behind. At some point I finally accepted it. Pam was a pleasure to talk with and was really helping me to push the pace, we were cruising along on the technical trails. At some point Pam burst out "do these blessed rocks EVER end?!" I laughed that this was with just a couple miles to go and they really were never ending.
The last couple miles were elusive, I had passed about 72 of the 80 people that had passed me in my darker miles and I couldn't find the path that led us through the trees across the lake. For the first time in dozens of miles, someone was coming in behind me and I kicked it in for some random 8:30min/mi for the last bit. Pam & Crystal were cheering me in and it was rather surreal to be finished. I have never "run" that long in my life. 29hrs 34min

Pam (pacer) & Crystal (crew)!

Peg Leg at the start. 

Mile 3 or so....long before the pain. 

Blurry finish...102miles complete 29:34

I will say that the nice thing about a Friday 6pm start is that I went to sleep Saturday at about midnight and was up at 7am driving back home. I made it in time to hang with the wife & kids, make some dinner and catch up on what I missed over the weekend. Back to work Monday morning....

I'm writing this about 5 weeks after the event. I slept well the week after, no soreness, minimal foot swelling, was running and doing cross-fit about 2 days after the event.I would love to go back and give that race a hell of a lot more. I am proud to have finished a sub 30 at a Dr.Horton and truly had a great experience. RD, Clark Zealand did an excellent job. I would recommend it and I WILL be back for a significant PR. I really can't thank Crystal & Pam enough for the support, ultra runners create the most amazing and supporting community. It would have been hours longer without the help.I suffered, but I didn't suffer enough. 

So, now I've qualified for Hardrock and Western....I've put my name in the lottery for both. We'll see what happens. I am assuming on a 1st time try, i will not get in to either. 

Next up....I raced a 5mi with my daughter, have a 5k turkey trot with her again, and a 50k in January. My custom carbon Fat Bike is on it's way....so I am super excited about that!

z

Race: CLE Trail Marathon 5/10

CLE TRAIL MARATHON

Race Start

 The inaugural CLE Trail Marathon was held in the North Chagrin Reservation in Willoughby, OH. There are some overlaps in the trails for the Burning River 100 course which starts in the same park. It's a regular training ground for Outrun & many others who love the beauty of this park. North Chagrin has more than a few good hills and Eddie Carrigg managed a way to create a 13.1mi (x2) mile loop that hit all the major ones, which really made for a challenging race.

I did some things different this race.

I went entirely on gels, heed, water, & pretzels. I didn't use any Hammer Perpetuem this time figuring I would be done in (hopefully) less than 5 hours. My training buddy, Dave estimated I would run a 4:20 at the race and I was determined to beat that estimate. I've had races where my training friends have given me arbitrary numbers to beat and it usually works.

Coming in at the 1/2

The plan was to go out conservatively hard...soooo, hard but not to the point where I would be regretting it on the second half. I pushed the downhills, did my gel every 45 mins, hydrated, and did 1 salt stick per hour to manage electrolytes. It was a humid 55-59 degrees and there was a lot of sweating going on. I kept the cadence up, pushed all the hills, walking only the steepest one on the north end of Squire's Castle, minimized any walking and kept the pace on the flats, rollers, and just tried to execute to the plan.



I came into the half at 1:56 or so feeling pretty good and ready for some more punishment. I had held 5th place for that time frame and was hoping I could maintain that of not gain a bit on the second half. I had seen a couple runners behind me and knew they were chasing so I picked up the pace a bit and kept pushing. On the way down to Wilson Mills, Sunita passed me...we ran for about 1/2 mile together, made the turn then she continued on strong up the hill. She eventually passed me and took 3rd overall & 1st female getting stronger as the race went on.

Thanks to the turn around, you were able to see who was in front and behind you to get a gauge on your standings. Rachael Nypaver was close behind and she catches me towards the end of almost every race I do. I was determined to push the effort that day and not loose anymore ground. I was sitting in 6th and didnt want to sink back any further.

I kept the gels, pretzels, salt sticks, and pace going and once I crested the last aid station, the major hills were over and I tried to keep a solid fast pace. As I watched the clock, I thought I was able to run a sub 4 hour marathon albeit by a minute or two, I started to really pick it up at the last mile. With 3:57 on my watch, I came out of the woods to the last stretch dropping sub 7min mile pace, suddenly I hear "Go Daddy!!" from my wife & kids in our van. My hear lept that of all the times and places to be, this was the one spot on the trail they could find me. They pulled in, ran out and all 3 of my kids finished with me. I finished at with a very even split at 3:59:33! an hour faster than I planned!, good enough for 6th overall and 5th male. It averages to about a 9:21 pace, 1,841 feet elevation gain. I ran in the Hoka One One Conquests (again), Smartwool Socks, Mountain Hardwear Shorts, Pearl Izumi top, UD Handheld with Hammer Gels, Honey Stinger Ginsting, and Salt Stick electrolytes. I also listened to music this entire race, something I've never done....I liked it.

Finishing with the kids (1 in front, 2 behind me)

Sunita had gained 9 mins over the last 12 miles and the overall winner Mark Bain crushed it at 3:29. It was a great event. I felt good afterwards and happy with the effort. As a tune up race for Laurel Highlands, I think it will pay some physiological dividends 4 weeks from now.

Big thanks to Eddie, Suzanne, & Heidi as well as all the volunteers who came out and helped and or harassed us on the course. It was a very well marked course, down to earth, great time, and awesome custom welded trophies!

Next up is the Laurel Highlands 70.5miler.

z

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: 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

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: 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.

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

Running: 2011 in Review

I started this post, deleted it, then started it again. I am pretty sure I could write a few pages on all the things that occurred with running this past year, the gear I tried, the things I learned, the people I met, ran with, were inspired by, and the places I was able to run. 

I'll try to keep it really simple. 

My main running goal last year was to run the Burning River 100. Check. I did it with fellow running friends who all worked hard to accomplish that same goal.

A lot happened as well with the growth of the Outrun group, creation of the ultra team along with Fleet Feet and NUUN as sponsors, and hosting our first official trail race (Believe & Achieve 5k/10k). The snowshoe race was a success. Running was amazing and we found tons of new trails. 

I was very happy to become an ambassador for NUUN early in the year and more recently with Runwell.

In 2012, my main running goal is to continue to promote running in the community, convert some roadies to try the trails, and maybe introduce some folks to running. I have a few races that I am focusing on (Leadville 100 - main one) and we are hosting the first USATF certified 24 hour trail race in Kirtland (O24) in April. 

My quest for the perfect shoe continues. As I have doubled the amount of miles I ran per year just 3 years ago, my feet have also increased in size. I like to think of them as getting big and strong. I have effectively blown out all of my trail shoes, even my last 2 pairs of Adidas xt3's that I was so fond of. 

I am currently starting a rotation between the smoking light and very well updated New Balance 110's (update to the 101) and the high quality, naturally shaped, zero drop Altra Instinct (road) & Lone Peaks (trail)....Let the duel begin. I think in the end, they will serve similar but different purposes. 

One of the most exciting things I have been focusing on is Metabolic Enhanced Training (MET) as the Ambassadors on the Runwell team are coached by Bob Seebohar (fuel4mance.com). I will not go into all of it, but I have been on the journey to MET for the past 6-7 weeks, and the results speak for themselves. Just check out the website. 

Okay, so it was a bit of a ramble but I tried to keep it simple. I'll leave you with this quote from a short article I read the other evening. 


"...They (ultra runners) understand, perhaps better than anyone, that the doors to the spirit will swing open with physical effort."

z

2012 Running Plans & Thoughts

It’s still 2011, so I have time to post my running plans for 2012. I’ll start this short list with a couple of caveats:

Caveat 1: I have a young family and at this stage in our lives, I have never been one to travel overnight for runs very much. If I could, I would, but not yet...I really prefer to stay local (within a morning drive) and since the NE Ohio Ultra Running community is so strong, I can easily fill up my calendar without having to go too far. I haven’t done all the races for one reason or another, so I am content in general to stay most of the time. With that being said, I am looking at 2 out of state 100 milers.....what the heck?

Caveat 2:  I nearly always prefer training over racing; I have since my days of cycling. As a matter of fact, I think it’s because of cycling that I prefer training. I have always preferred to head out for a hard ride or run for a number of hours to that of spending all kinds of money to do the same thing. As Chris McDougal noted in Born to Run…If you want to run a marathon, there’s the front door. I literally have run more 50k & 50mi runs from my front door than I have actually raced.  I suppose if I was wealthy and semi-retired, or just kid-free I would race far more frequently but with so many mouths to feed, I am happy to get up early in the morning and run a 50k from my front door.  I am quite aware that once the kids are older and they are too cool to hang out with the wife & I, we will be looking at travel in a whole new light. I also happen to live in one of the best places in the country to run from.

I am literally less than a 5 min run to the largest Arboretum (Holden) in the US, with over 3,600 acres, Chapin Forest (390 acres) 1 mi from my house, Penitentiary Glen (424 acres) about 0.4mi from my door, North Chagrin Reservation (BR100 start) is about 7 miles from my house….these are literally “among others”, there are a bunch of great parks around here.  As I write this out, maybe this is why I tend to train instead of race so much…..also why all my races that I am directing are in these areas!

2012 Running List (as of 12/12):

01/15/12 – Lake Metroparks Farmpark Snowshoe Stampede (Lake Farmparks)

02/11/12 – Lake Metroparks Night Light Snowshoe Race (Chapin Forest)

03/03/12 – Lake Metroparks March March Madness Snowshoe Race (Girdled Rd. Reservation)

04/28/12 – O24 (Directing, not running). Outrun 24 Hour, USATF trail race.

06/xx/12 – Kettle Moraine 100, La Grange Wisconsin

06/17/12 – Mohican 50 miler? Loudon, OH.

08/18/12 – Leadville 100, Leadville Colorado.

10/xx/12 – Mountain Masochist 50 mile Race, Lynchburg VA

2012 Running Goals:

·          

      RunWell / Leadville: I am simply overjoyed with the opportunity with RunWell as an Ambassador which is taking me to Leadville and hopefully dragging a few inspired folks with me. I don’t have any particular time goals with Leadville aside from the standard desire to run under 24 hours, my goal is to Run(really)Well for RunWell, enjoy the process, take it all in step by step, and finish very strong, it’s that simple. I want to show that it’s about accomplishing what you put your mind to. I know it sounds cliche but it is what it is. There is no doubt in my mind that I can complete another 100 miler. If for some reason, something out of my control takes me out of the race...so be it, but there is nothing in me that will not allow me to finish.

·         O24: Outrun 24 Hour Trail Race. USATF Certified 1 mile and 13 feet trail course. What started as a need for a Spring 100 miler has turned into a full blown 24 hour race, go figure. I simply want to put on a great event with as little bumps in the logistical road as possible. It should give folks the opportunity to come and test themselves, set PR’s, reach new goals and provide them with a focus throughout the cold, dark, and wet winter months that we endure as athletes. I am trying to keep the race as simple and organized as possible. The intent is to make this a well-known yearly offering for folks who do not want to run the roads for 24 hours.  

·          
      Nutrition: The focus that is equally important if not more this year is learning to get my nutrition on track. I have always managed to get by and be successful by most people’s standards….but I know that there is this key that I have yet to unlock when it comes to eating right. I am quite literally leaning heavily on the coaching of Bob Seebohar from Fuel4mance.com to show me how to get there. I actually plan on doing a before and after Coach Bob report. I am sure I fall in the category of a lot of athletes that get by but could really unlock so much more potential. This is one of the things that makes endurance sports so exciting, it never stays the same, and you are always trying to improve.

·          
      Training: I have got it in my head that I need to cross train more. I got out a number of times on the bike this year and it still irks me that the bike steals away mileage when I look back at my training miles. I have used training hours for years but still focus on miles as a runner. Even with running trails where hours & effort are more of a focus than exact miles, I still struggle with it. I am excited to see the training plan set forth for Leadville, I am really excited to learn from it and see where it will take me. I have to admit, I would like to drop about 10-12 pounds. I hover at 170-172lbs. at 5’8” and although I have gotten much leaner, my weight has not changed much. I am sure I can find a way to eat a few dozen less cookies and drop some dough off myself........................z