30 November 2010

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I decided to go for a run after work today, which meant headlamps would be required as I was not interested in another road run. I stopped by Richard's house around 6pm and we headed up the mountain to Monte Sano State Park. As we drove up Bankhead Parkway we quickly realized that it would be an interesting run.Visibility was quite limited due to fog. It wasn't any better when we got to the hiker's parking lot. When we got out of the car, we noticed that the drizzle had actually turned into sleet. Once we started running the South Loop trail, we also realized that almost the entire trailhead turned into an ankle deep creek. Add to that temperatures in the low 30s and we had ourselves an interesting trail run, if only for 3.5 miles. It's definitely fall season. The weather was pretty nasty, but I truly enjoyed it. We got everything trail running has to offer.

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It's been a while since we had more than just two members of our running group. Today, James, Rich and I went on our new favorite hill workout trail run, from Pratt Ave to Tollgate Trail up to the Monte Sano State Park Ranger Station and back. The temps were in the mid 40s with occasionally strong winds. At 5:30 AM headlamps were a necessity for the oubound leg of the trail run. During the entire run, the trail surface was pretty difficult to navigate. Fall foliage covered the rocky and technical sections of the trail. However, oce daylight broke, the fall foliage is also what made this trail run quite enjoyable, with leaves covering the entire state park in multiple colors. Overall, I was feeling pretty good with only my achilles tendons still being a little sore early during and after the run. I will have to start coming up with good stretches to try to address these achilles issues. These little twitches could become much more serious during a 100 miler if I don't address them now.

25 November 2010

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Another perfect day for a race, the temps were in the low 60s and no real wind to speak of, really perfect conditions to try for a PR again. Well, I did say try, didn't I...cause it certainly did not work out that way. I did improve my overall finish result in this race, however, by finishing 30th overall out of 1100 or so runners vs. 39th overall out of 950 or so runners last year. Even though my time was 25 seconds slower this year than last. I dare to speculate that it was due to the slightly warmer conditions vs. last year. The fact that I haven't done any speed training to offset all of the ultra races and training runs could have something to do with it, too I guess;-)

It was a rather large field and I just lined up in the second row of the starting line. When the horn blew, I was off. There is one advantange to not having slower runners lined up before you...you will not loose any time due to having to get around them. However, the biggest caveat is the fact that, more likely, you will now be chasing the really fast guys, which will mean blowout before even reaching the halfway mark. Obviously, that's exactly what happened...and with that, my PR was out the window (or off into the road ditch).

However, a much better overall finish and a bunch of friends I got to see along the way and before and after that race still made this a very fun event. A perfect way to get yourself ready for the chores of the day...eating Thanksgiving turkey until you pass out that is.

The PR goal still stands...break 20 minutes before 2011, and there are only a couple of races left to do that. We shall see if I will have to wait another year. However, it will not be for a lack of trying...training maybe....but not trying;-)

23 November 2010

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A few questions came to mind during today's training run. Is it too late to duck once you hear a gunshot? How fast are alligators? And do they eat German meat? While I won't be answering these questions, my training log will explain why I am asking them;-)


First of all, a big thank you to Mike Giacobbe, the manager at the local running shop Runner's Depot in Sunrise, Florida. He was kind enough to point out a great spot for a run after I unsuccessfully scoured the internet for a decent trail run while on business in Sunrise. Proof again that local running shops are a great resource for local running information and not just the latest gear.

Mike recommended a fire trail (dam) along the edge of the Everglades Wildlife Management Area accessible through the Markham Park in Sunrise. The section of trail that I ran on started at Everglades Parkway, also known as Alligator Alley. That name was the reason for my concern related to alligators, especially when a rather large animal scurried away from the trail very quickly and back towards the swamp. While I couldn't tell exactly what this creature was, it was moving lots of branches and groundcover suggezsting it was rather large. It was doing this at a speed much...much faster than I was running which was the basis for my concern. Whatever it was, I wasnt going to outrun it. Reminder to self, do NOT do pickups early in a training run, especially when there is a chance you have to outrun a large animal late in your run;-)


While Mike didn't mention alligators, he did say that I should not be alarmed when hearing gunshots during my run. Aparently, Markham Park also is the site of an open air shooting range. So when I did hear gunfire, I did not drop and crawl as my eight years of military service had taught me. Instead, my mind started wandering...wondering if a stray bullet could somehow find its way through the thick forest separating the trail I was on from the shooting range. The mind is a funny things, especially when you are out on a run by yourself with nothing else to do except enjoy the scenery and the occassional mind game.


About 3 miles into my run, I realized that the sun was slowly going down and that while there probably weren't any alligators anywhere near the trail I was on, I didn't really want to find out for sure in the dark in an area unfamiliar to me. So I opted to turn around for an even 6 miles for the day. During the return leg of this nice out & back run, I noticed how quickly the sun went down. By the time I reached the end of the fire trail about half a mile from my car, the sun was gone. That's what I call perfect timing;-)


The scenery on this run was quite beautiful, the swamp of the Everglades on one side and a water canal on the other side of the fire dam I was running on. While I was trying to keep my tempo up just a little more than in recent runs, I did take the time to take some nice pictures of my surroundings. Hopefully, they will convey some of the beauty swamps can provide. I enjoyed the silence around me...aside from the occasional gunshot...or the scream inside my head when I thought I was about to make the acquaintance of an alligator.
Pictures to follow...

21 November 2010

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Well, I made a promise and I intended to keep it...and I did...partially anyway. After running the Dizzy Fifties yesterday, I knew a rest day was definitely in order. However, I also promised my better half that I would try to accompany her for at least part of her longest training run to date. Her half marathoin training plan called for a 10 miler and while I knew 10 miles would just not be a good idea for me today, I figured 5 wouldn't be too bad if used to loosen up my joints and muscles. I actually felt pretty food. The weather was just right, upper 50s to low 60s with a light breeze. The sun stayed hidden behind the clouds, which made for a very enjoyable experience. Our pace was just right for me today as it allowed my body to relax. I'll be traveling to Florida this week, so hopefully I'll find a nice spot for a training run while down there.

20 November 2010

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What a great day for an ultra. What better way to complete my first year of ultra running than by running the race that started it all for me. I have to admit, the signs for the race for me personally were not that great. I had just experienced my first DNF at my first 100 mile attempt at the Pinhoti 100 two weeks ago due to some serious never before experienced knee pain and after laying off running for a week to recover and easing into running with 20 miles of easy training runs, I was not sure how my body would react. I knew mentally, I really needed a good race experience to make up for my disappointment. But physically, I had no idea what to expect. I had already registered for my next 100 mile attempt (Rocky Raccoon 100 in the "other" Huntsville in February 2011) and I knew I needed to be smart about this. In other words, as soon as I felt any kind of twitch, I would have to stop. Any race between now on February needed to be a training run. Ah, who am I kidding, I will always try to better myself when I participate in a race. I guess the trick would be to find a balance between both my competitiveness and my health concerns;-)

Pre-Race
Race day didn't start out very promising. I had to ask Richard to pick up my race packet Friday afternoon, since I wasn't returning from a business trip until Friday at midnight. By the time I got my stuff ready for race day and went to bed, I had 4 hours of sleep remaining until I had to get up. I got up at 5AM, had my obligatory pre-race coffee to get things moving and left my house at 6AM for a 15 minute drive to the start of the race at Monte Sano State Park. Most people had already arrived and were making final preparations at the staging area, a picnic pavillion right next to the race start that we could use to leave our personal race stuff and any dropbags as we would come by this station 6 times before the race was over. Some runnrs would visit the aid station even more often since there also was a 40 and a 50 mile option. The race is laid out as a figure eight loop and the pavillion is located at the center of the figure eight. We would have to report to the timing table every time we would enter the station to confirm our arrivals after each loop.

The Race
Around 6:25AM Race Director Jeff Kyser got all racers together for some last minute instructions related to the course. At 6:30, we all lined up on the road and without any further comments, Jeff sent us off with something like "Let's go!". It was funny, some folks were not sure if this was the actual start of the race until they saw everyone taking off.

My plan was simple, hit a target pace of just under 11 minutes and run until my knee or other body parts would start acting up. At that point, I would drop out of the race. After all, my long term ability to run is more important to me than finishing a couple of races. The first little loop (2.3 miles) was pretty uneventful as I tried to find my running rhythm. This loop is only run an the start of the race. Afterwards, 50k Participants would run what's known as the North Loop (4 miles) and South Loop (5.59 miles) a total of three times each. I settled somewhere in the middle of the pack and hit my stride early on, chatting with a couple of different guys on the way, all from the Southeast area. I would meet some of them again later in the race. As always, this type of conversation makes time fly and before I knew it, I had completed the first North and South loops.

The North loop is the more technical section of the race with a few ups and downs, while the South loop is a rather flat loop with very little elevation changes. However, both of them are mostly single track trails and both provide some beautiful views across the Tennessee Valley, especially in the fall. Some would consider this trail 50K a fast race course, providing many the opportunity to shoot for a personal best. The total elevation gain for the 50K distance is slight over 2000 feet (according to Garmin Connect), not bad at all.

I completed the first full loop in just under 2 hours, if my memory serves me right. At this point, I took in my first SCap aloing with my second Gu. I wanted to stick to my usual plan of 1 gel and 1 SCap on every hour starting 2 hours into the race. I did choose to take in a gel after an hour just because it felt right, not because I felt I needed a boost already. I keep telling myself to take in food early and regularly, always expecting to one day "loose my lunch" late in a race at which point early food intake might prove essential to surviving a race to the finish.

I was using my Garmin Forerunner 305 during this race as my Garmin 310XT was acting funny the last couple of days. Unfortunately, I did not activate the auto-lap feature, so I had no immediate/constant feedback on my pace per mile. Instead, I ended up doing a little math in my head after each loop. Half way into the race, I was dead on track for a 5:30 finish, which would have been a PR. I ran a 5:58 here last year in my very first ultra. During that time, I was also on track for a 5:30 finish, only to blow up with 4 miles left in the race. I was afraid the same would happen again, so I stuck with my original plan...to run how I felt without being lazy.

When I completed the second full loo, I was still on track. My body was doing fine, my heart rate was well under control and fatigue had not become an issue, yet. I decided to try to keep it going and to push a little more on the downhills and to recover on the uphills during the final North Loop. It paid off. By the time I stopped at the aid station one last time before entering the final South Loop, I had slightly over one hour left to finish the race. If I could maintain my pace, I would possible finish in the 5:30 range. Fatigue was starting to set in and memories of my crash during last year's final loop started to creep up. But instead of getting down on myself, I kept reminding myself that I had a couple more ultras under my belt now and that stopping or even walking was not an option anymore. I knew I would get close to my target if I jsut kept moving...so I did.

The Finale
As I approached the finish line past the state park restrooms, I could see the race clock, 5 hours 29 minutes and 14 seconds. I actually broke the 5:30 mark I had set as a lofty goal for today. Not only was this almost 30 minutes faster than last year, but I even surpassed any other 50K mark of mine to date for a new 50K PR. To top it all off, Jeff and his crew were servinf cheeseburgers and cheesecake. What else could one wish for. This day was definitely a great leap to mental recovery after a disappointing DNF at Pinhoti 100. I am regaining confidence in myself and my abilities to finish a race and finish strong.

19 November 2010

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What a fantastic afternoon for a training run. No cloud in the sky and just the right temps not to get hot during the run. I had the opportunity to squeeze in a great run during my business trip. I managed to convince Gerry and Mike, two colleauges from Ireland, to accompany me for part of this great run. I ended up running from Fisherman's Wharf to and across the Golden Gate Bridge and back for a total of close to 12 miles. It took close to two hours, but it was well worth it. Considering the many times I stopped to take pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, the 10 minute pace was acceptable to me. Thank goodness to the hotel concierge, who was certain it was only a mere 2.5 miles to the bridge. If Mike had known the real distance (close to 4.5 miles) he would probably have told me to "buzz off" and to go by myself. However, he did come along and made it to the bottom of the bridge, after a nice climb through Fort Mason and a beautiful run along the beach of San Francisco. Until today, I didn't even know that there were beaches along the bay (see below).


The run literally had a little bit of everything, roads, trails, climbs, stairs, tunnels, and a magnificent bridge section, of course. I managed to get some great shots of the different San Francisco landmarks along the way. Running through Fort Mason National Park (see below), the different marinas, the Presidio, and Fort Point (by accident) was a lot of fun and gave me a lot of different views of the city and its sights.


Aparently, it helps to pay attention so you dont miss a turn. As a result, we ended up at Fort Point, where a nice police officer informed us to turn around to get to the trailhead leading up to the Golden Gate Bridge. Otherwise, we would be arrested for trespassing a secured area and who wants that, right? Anyway, after this little half mile detour, we finally found the trailhead leading up to the bridge. At this point, Mike decided he had had enough "fun" for the day and turned around to head back to the hotel. I proceeded up some wooden stairs, which induced a brief Laurel Valley flashback, followed by some nice uphill trail that snaked its way up the hillside. At one point, I actually had to duck to run through a short tunnel before arriving at the South end of the bridge (see below).



After taking in the sight for a moment (see below, Fort Point is in the bottom left corner of the picture), I proceeded to run across the bridge for a 3.5 mile out and back section that was both breathtaking and a little scary at the same time.


Half way across the bridge, Gerry was crossing my paths as he was on his way back to the South end. He had opted not to trust the hotel concierge and instead hailed a cab that took him to the bridge, allowing him to have all the fun with half the effort;-) Just kidding, well done Gerry. Around this time, I also noticed a plaque with an interesting inscription describing the history and people involved in building this magnificent bridge (see below).


While I am not really scared of heights, running along the edge of the bridge with the water hundreds of feet below was imposing to say the least. I kept thinking about the engineering effort it took to build this bridge and the maintenance required to keep it safe. I'm gonna have to do some reading on Wikipedia to brush up on my GG Bridge history.

On the way back, I decided to really put it in cruise control and just take a break when needed to take pictures (The image below shows one of the beautiful ships docked at one of the marinas in San Francisco. Alcatraz is in the pictured in the background).


While pictures are a great way to remember the sights you've seen and to share this with others, they don't replace the actual opportunity to be there and take it in first hand. If you ever get to do this run, I strongly suggest you bring your camera. Otherwise, you"ll have to copy my pictures and what fun is that;-)

18 November 2010

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My second run since Pinhoti was a nice short trail run in Fremont, California at the Coyote Hills Regional Park on the Bayview Trail (The picture below was taken from the parking lot at the trailhead).


Because I was getting to the park late in the day, the time I could spend at the park was limited as they would close the gates at 6PM. In addition, my calculations of the trail distances were way off, so it only added up to a 5K loop. On a positive note, I didn't have to venture out on my own, as a friend and colleague of mine from Ireland, Mike joined me on my run. Checking out the park map prior to arriving, I expected it to be a flat course running through the marsh. Instead, the trail was nestled at the base of rolling hills, leading us along the bayfront at about 50 feet above the waterline. The views were fantastic, with the sun slowly disappearing and the moon rising behind the hills. This was just the right type of run to test my knee and thankfully, it held up just fine. As soon as the sun went down, the temperatures went down as well. Hopefully, I can get another fun training run in while in California.

15 November 2010

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Wow, what a great feeling to be back running, again. After taking a week off to recover from my failed 100 mile attempt, everything felt great. My knee pain was gone and, more importantly, stayed gone. There was no muscle soreness to speak of and I felt pretty good. This run marks the beginning of training for my next 100 mile attempt at the Rocky Raccoon 100 in Huntsville, Texas in February. Three months to prepare should be plenty as I already have the base from my previous training. However, I will take EVERY ultra race between now and then as a training run. No more pushing late in a race only to risk reinjury or deflate myself before the big race. Today's run was a very slow 4.5 miler around my familiar neighborhood. Flat roads with no elevation to speak of, perfect for a recovery run coming back from the worst pain I have xperienced running to date. I am still not sure of the cause, but I will assume that is related to overuse, running a 50 mile trail race and pushing late into the race just three weeks prior to my first 100 miler. The temps were in the 40s and it was great to run with my fiance and two of my usual running buddies together for the first time. Richard looked pretty good, going for his first run since his successful first time 100 mile finish. No one to run with after I dropped out at mile 60, he managed to finish his first 100 mile race without a crew during the night, without a pacer and without a running mate, very impressive. BTW, Richard, thanks for signing up to crew/pace me during Rocky Racoon. Your help will be invaluable.

11 November 2010

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There is a First For Everything
There is a first for everything and this was supposed to be my first 100 mile race and finish. Unfortunately, it ended up being my first DNF. It took me almost a week to sit down and try to write about this race. It's been a real downer for me. I had such high hopes and I had prepared for and looked forward to this race for quite some time. In the end, I decided to write this race report to get this race off my mind for now to start focusing on my next big event. For me, that will likely be the Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler in Huntsville, Texas in February of 2011. I just can't wait longer than that to get this DNF monkey off my back.

Pre-Race Packet Pick-Up and Carbo Dinner
Richard and I loaded up my Jeep and left for Sylacauga, Alabama at 12PM sharp...well, sort of. We left Richard's house and had to turn around to get his cell phone charger. At 12:15PM, we were finally off to the race...uuhm, not really. After grabbing lunch at a local Subway shop, Richard remembered that we had to turn around again, unless I wanted him to run without shorts. I certainly didn't want to expose my fellow runners to that. He somehow managed to pack 6 drop bags and other gear, yet forgot to pack this very basic piece of running gear, shorts. Once we finally left town around 1PM, we expected to make it to Sylacauga in about 3 hours. Once we arrived in town, we checked into the race hotel (Jameson Inn) and left for the pre-registration site to pick up our bib numbers, drop off our drop bags and enjoy the pre-race carbo dinner. The first thing I noticed once we received our bibs was the cool swag we all received (see picture above). There were Pinhoti 100 socks, a tech shirt, a t-shirt, Moeben sleeves for every runner and even more giveaways after the dinner. I have to say, top notch stuff that by itself was worth every penny of the already low entry fee. At the dinner, we met a bunch of nice folks from all over the country. More than one Richard and I asked ourselves what we were doing here with all these folks that actually looked like seasoned ultra runners. I couldn't explain to you what qualified someone as "looking like an ultra runner". I can only say that I don't resemble one and I certainly felt like I was in way above my head. Unfortunately, that would prove partially true the following day.

I had prepared 4 drop bags well in advance of the race and ended up shufflling them around the day before the race due to the rather cold weather conditions expected for race day. Actually, I prepared drop buckets as suggested by someone on an online forum. I just sounded like a great idea to have a "seat" readily available when changing shoes late in the race.

Drop bag #1 for Bald Rock at 41 miles (aid station 7) contained the following items: Chocolate Ensure, Strawberry Ensure, Clif Bar, Energy Gel, Band-Aids, Vaseline, Cap, Fleece Top, Tech Shirt (long and short sleeve), Headlamp. (Expected temps were 52 degrees)

Drop bag #2 for Adams Gap at 55 miles (aid station 10): Chocolate Ensure, Strawberry Ensure, Clif Bar, Energy Gel, Band-Aids, Desitin, Body Glide, Winter Hat, Winter Jacket, Winter Pants, Tech Shirt (long and short sleeve), Trail Shoes, Socks, Gloves, GPS Watch (backup). (Expected temps were 38 degrees)

Drop bag #3 for Porters Gap at 68.75 miles (aid station 13): Chocolate Ensure, Strawberry Ensure, Clif Bar, Energy Gel, Band-Aids, Vaseline, Tech Shirt (long and short sleeve), Fleece Gloves, Face Mask. (Expected temps were 29 degrees)

Drop bag #4 for Bulls Gap at 85 miles (aid station 16): Chocolate Ensure, Strawberry Ensure, Clif Bar, Energy Gel, Band-Aids, Vaseline, Cap, Tech Shirt (long and short sleeve), Road Shoes, Socks. (Expected temps were 32 degrees)

I had also prepped a Finish line bag containing the following items: Flip-Flops, Socks, T-Shirt (long and short sleeve), Pants, Boxers, Jacket, Soap, Deodorant and a Towel.

As evident by the previous section, if anything, I was overprepared, at least from a logistics perspective. Now, all I had to do it run for a few hours;-)

The Big Day
Richard and I had set our alarms for 3AM Saturday morning. I got up on time, took a quick shower and went to the hotel lobby for a cup of coffee. By 3:45 AM we were off to the Sylacauga Rec Center, from where a bus would shuttle us to the start line. We left just after 4AM and arrived at the trailhead about an hour and a half later. After a couple of folks got checked in and some of the race bib issues had been resolved (long story), the race got underway just a couple of minutes after 6AM. Richard and I had lined up in the final third of runners, expecting to start slow and get slower as the day wore on. It was bitter cold at the start and it wouldn't warm up significantly over the course of the day. After about an hour into the race, daylight quickly lit up the trails and we no longer needed our headlamps that were required at the start. We also warmed up just a little and decided to drop our top layer and hats at the 13 mile aid station. Bad idea. While the sun did provide warmth whenever it shone down on the trails, we didn't really get to see it much as were were mostly running on the side of the mountain ridge opposite to the sun. Warm-ups due to the sun shining on us were sporadic at best.

This created the first major problem of the race for me. I wouldn't have drop bag access with warmer clothes for another 20 miles and if the day did not warm up more, I would end up being cold for most of the day. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. Note to self, learn to layer properly and do not shed excess layers until I am absolutely certain I will not need them.

I also experienced heavy legs just 15 miles into the race. This has never ever happened to me before and all I can figure is the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Miler I ran three weeks prior to Pinhoti. It wasn't the distance but the fact that I pushed hard for the last 10 miles of that race because I felt so good. As a matter of fact, I actually ran the final 10 miles as fast as the first 10 miles of that race. There were no fatigue issues immediately following the race either. I was back to running Monday morning feeling great without any soreness whatsoever. Still, pushing late in that race must have caused the problems I experienced at Pinhoti. Note to self, treat every run immediately preceeding a big race like a training run, meaning, DO NOT RACE.

Richard noticed my fatigue issues very early on. But he did what every good running buddy does, he didn't comment on it hoping that I would be able to run through it. While I never really did feel fresh or great on this day, I did manage to push through the early fatigue and soreness maintaining the pace we had settled into, continuously gaining on the cutoff clock. That's what kept me going. As the miles clicked away, we kept on gaining time. Our goal was to just finish below the thirty hour cutoff. There were no specific time goals other than to finish and we were well on track. Richard let us most of the day, dragging my tired body behind him, keeping the encouragement going. He could tell I wasn't having a good day. He heard me breathing heavy all day and that's not something he (nor I) was used to.

While the entire course had uphill and downhill sections throughout, the climb up Mount Cheaha has to be the highlight of the race. It was during this section of the race (between miles 34 and 41) that I actually led the way up the mountain. I was pushing a pretty good pace and was feeling good. Once we reached the top of Bald Rock, the view was absolutely spectactular. The spot just before you climb up to the boardwalk leading to the parking lot presents one of the coolest views ever, allowing you to see the valley and other mountains for miles and miles (see picture below). Richard and I did manage to take a quick snapshot there, although I am not sure they turned out ok. I plan to post the picture as soon as Richard remembers to send it on;-)



Throughout the race, I had been very strict to myself about taking in an SCap and a gel about every hour to make sure I keep my nutritional balance. At aid stations, I would grab a piece of banana, some prezles and potatoes, whenever possible. Starting at mile 40, I really looked forward to and took advantage of hot chicken noodle soup that was provided to us by the aid stations. It kept me going for the next 20 miles. In past races, ice cold coke had had that affect on me, but due to the rather cold temps, chicken noodle soup did a much better job. We had also staged our first drop bags here and I was eager to put on an additional layer of clothing. That fleece top felt like heaven. Luckily, I had kept my mitts on for the entire race until now and I never felt the need to shed them. Another sign that this really was one very cold day. Richard and I managed to get out of this major aid station in just over 2 minutes, still gaining on the cutoff clock;-) Now we made our way down "Blue Hell" and Silent trail. Just after finishing the blue hell section, I started to feel a very slight twinge behind my left knee. I figured I'd just run through it, certain that it would loosen up again later on. I had never had any knee problems so I figured it'll pass.

Unfortunately, it never did. Over the next 10 miles, it would slowly get worse, but not quite unbearable, yet. I also had the worst fall yet during any of my races. With roughly 50 miles under my belt for the day, I tripped over a root and ended up on my back heading downhill on the trail, flailing my arms and legs like an upside down turtle. I literally did not know how to turn my body around and get back up. Luckily, Richard just told me to stop moving and grab his hand. Thanks buddy! After I was upright again, I did a quick systems' check. Other than a bruised right hip and elbow, everything was fine. But that left knee kept on hurting. I remember telling Richard that somehting had to give if I was to make it all the way, either the knee pain or the cold had to go.

Once we reached Adams Gap at mile 55, we finally met up with Richard's parents, who were kind enough to crew us for part of the race. We really were supposed to meet them earlier, but we were making such good time that we missed them at an earlier aid station by just 5 minutes. Anyway, they were nice enough to make their way to Adams Gap with hot cocoa and McD cheeseburgers. Those burgers were awesome. I also had acecss to my next drop bag at this aid station, so I put on everything in my bucket. Winter jacket, long pants, hat, etc. Finally, I got warm. But that's were the good news ended. Leaving the aid station with new and warmer clothes and refueled, I thought I was ready to push on. We were doing really well on time, but the pain in my left knee had literally doubled in intensity since entering the aid station. I guess stopping to change really had a negative effect on my body.

I was literally unable to run. And even walking started to hurt as soon as the jeep road we were on started to incline just slightly. We were still able to speed hike at about 113-15 minute pace, but I knew it was all over once I'd hit the single track trails again. I knew I couldn't maintain this pace on the trails and I really didn't want to get stuck in the middle of the night on the trails, forcing Richard to stay with me, not allowing him to continue his quest. Therefore, I had to make the difficult decision to drop at mile 60. After announcing my bib number, I notified the aid station crew that I was dropping out. Richard's parents had made their way down the jeep road to meet us again at this aid station and they were kind enough to drive my beaten body all the way back to the hotel in Sylacauga, were I was able to get a room for another night at the Jameson Inn. I got some food at the Huddle House next door and went to sleep. I hda set my alarm for 10 AM the next morning in order to make my way to the finish line to cheer on my buddy Richard as he entered the stadium and crossed the finish line. I am proud (and a little envious, I'm not gonna lie) that Richard completed his first 100 mile attempt in 28 hours and 55 minutes. Way to get that belt buckle, Richard!

Final Thoughts
First, I'd like to thank RD Todd Henderson for putting on such an excellent event and being the great host that he was. Hopefully, I can try again next year. Second, I would like to thank Richard's parents for making their way to the race and supporting Richard and I the way they did. Their help and support was invaluable. Finally, I want to congratulate my running buddy Richard for earning his first 100 mile buckle and I wanna thank him for immediately offering to pace me in my next attemt at 100 miles. Richard, you better get ready! I am about to sign up for Rocky Raccoon! But first things first, I need to figure out what's wrong with my knee. After a couple of days, the pain is almost completely gone and I am experiencing only very minor pain after having been using an anti-inflammatory to address the problem. If I am completely pain free after a week, I will test myself with a walk. I am convinced that this is an overuse pain/inflammation, nothing more nothing less. Hopefully, I am right. I am going to try to run Dizzy 50K the weekend after next (hey, it's paid for;-). I plan to jog it, not race it. Should the knee problem flare up, I will be quitting the race right then and there and walk back in followed by a call to make an appointment with my Sports Med guy. Hopefully, that won't be necessary;-)

05 November 2010

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I'm not sure if a training log entry was even justified for this morning's activity. After waking up earlier than I wanted, due to pre-race jitters and related stomach problems, I got ready and waited for Richard to come by, so we could go for a short walk to loosen up our legs. I used the time to check the weekend weather reports, reshuffle gear, and worry about the race. Once Rich arrived at 6:30AM, we went for a short 2 mile walk discussing the events to unfold this weekend. To say that we are scared is an understatement.This is the most nerve wrecking personal challenge I have ever faced and that means something to me personally. I have done solo scuba dives at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, on a ship wreck, in the middle of the night. I wasn't scared then. I have faced a 300 lbs man in a kickboxing fight in a ring. I wasn't scared then. I am about to attempt to run 100 miles through the Tallageda National Forest and that scares the crap out of me.

02 November 2010

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I picked up Richard at 6AM this morning for a nice and easy 6 miler on the Monte Sano trails. We parked at the Hiker's parking lot and went out on the Dizzy Fifties North Loop which is around 5 1/2 miles total. I was pretty dark when we left, giving us our last opportunity to play around with our light options for this weekend. I think it's safe to say we will both be sticking with the headlamps we've been using. I am actually still waiting to receive the headlamp (Petzl Tikka XP 2) I plan to use during the Pinhoti 100 at night. It is a model identical to the one I am using now (Petzl Tikka Plus 2), just better lighting. I will be using my old one for the first morning part of the race. Since I might drop this one after daybreak, I plan to place the new one in one of my drop bags for the race. Today's run was easy and uneventful, well almost. Let's just say one of us literally lost a sock during the run and it wasn't me;-)

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RACE CALENDAR

  • Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker 50M (Old Fort, NC) - March 23, 2024
  • Oak Mountain 50K (Birmingham, AL) - March 30, 2024
  • Southern States 200M (Delta, AL) April 12-16, 2024
  • Cocodona 250M (Black Canyon City, AZ) - May 6-11, 2024
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