31 December 2010
29 December 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
27 December 2010
All I can say this morning is "wow"! What an amazing background for our early morning trail run. With all that picture snapping, I was barely able to get my run in and the overall time it took us to run 8 miles this morning shows it. But how can you not take as many pictures as possible. These pictures are the last evidence of a White Christmas in Huntsville, Alabama. None of the true locals I know recalled ever celebrating a white christmas in Huntsville. And it wasn't just a little snow, we actually had upwards of 5 inches, which is quite a lot if you're living in the South. While driving conditions kept us off Monte Sano mountain the last couple of days, we were not going to miss this opportunity to run the mountain in snow and ice. The picture below shows Bluffline Trail heading down from the top of Waterline Trail.
James, Richard and I met up at Richard's house at the bottom of Monte Sano mountain at 6AM so we could catch the snow on the mountain in full daylight once we got there. We ran up to road on Bankhead Parkway and turned into Tollgate Road and onto Old Railroad Bed Trail, heading towards and onto Alms House Trail. James wantes to see what Waterline Trail looked like in these weather conditions, so we had decided to run up Waterline Trail and loop back down the mountain and home afterwards.
The picture above shows the bottom of the waterfall at the upper section of the Waterline Trail. There really wasn't enough rainfall this time prior to the snowfall and low temps to create large sheets of ice, but at least we spotted a couple of icicles;-) The trek up Waterline Trail wasn't as bad or icy as we expected. Hikers had pretty much cleared a path the previous day. It wasn't until we started to climb up next to the waterfall that it got a little more challenging. Once we reached the top, we had a great view of the winter landscape around us. The picture below show James and I at the top of Waterline Trail. It is really difficult to look cool in your winter running gear, especially when your face is covered by a mask;-)
But better warm than fashion conscious, I say. Once we reached the top of Waterline Trail we headed down Bluffline Trail. This section was easily the prettiest trail section we ran today. The snow cover made for some awesome pictures.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
23 December 2010
Anya and I decided to run along the river out and back for two hours, which would end up being around 10 miles. It was a perfect day for a run, a little on the cold side (30 degrees) but the sky was clear and there was no wind to speak of. I actually ended up dressing to warmly, unable to shed any layers later in the run. My winter running jacket clearly needs to stay in the closet unless the temps are in the low teens. It ended up being a great run and I can't wait to do it again.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
22 December 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
20 December 2010
We kept an easy pace throughout, allowing me to check out the different characters roaming the streets in the early morning. Aside from the occasional person on his or her early morning commute to work on foot or on their bicycle, there was one individual who had either started to party hard really early or he was still partying from the previous night. We actually had to leave the sidewalk and run on the road for a moment as he literally used the entire width of the sidewalk to "walk". I probably wobbled just as much as this gentleman when I crossed the finish line at my very first ultra just a year ago...obviously for different reasons;-)
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
18 December 2010
To my surpirse, Ed handled it really well. I, on the other hand, was struggling a bit today. It appears my groin strain from a previous run is still a bit of an issue, so I had to back off little towards the end of the run. We ended up running about 17 miles in pretty cold temps around freezing. I opted for three layers on top (half zip base layer, short sleeve tech shirt and wind breaker) and compression shorts covered by running tights at the bottom. We also needed a headlamp for the first 30 minutes of the run as it was still dark around 6:15 AM when we took off. We ran a little over three hours and I was spent after finishing up. I think I need to learn to back off during training runs and training races, keeping my eyes on the big prize (or race, to be more exact).
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
15 December 2010
Mike had already arrived. We all jumped into my car and headed up the mountain. The forecast was predicting snow, sleet and ice rain, but not until later this morning so we figured we'd be ok to drive up to the state park for a quick loop on our favorite trails. When we arrived at the hiker's parking lot, it was still very much dark and the ground was covered by patches of snow. The ground was frozen solid for the entire run with some patches of ice thrown in for fun.
Richard came up with a loop a little different from our usual routes. We headed down the North Loop trail and turned onto the Kieth trail before reconnecting with the North Loop trail again to finish out the run. While I do feel a little sorry for the guy, I can't bring this topic up for one of our running crew and then fail to do so when another fellow runner experiences the same fate...and in miserably cold and unwelcoming conditions. Today it was Mike's turn to loose a sock. Sorry, buddy.
Anyway, after getting our heart rates to climb in unisom with the trail, we arrived at the top of the North Loop trail and headed back to my car. While I was reluctant to get out of the house intitially, once again I was so glad I did as it was another enjoyable run on the local trails. We ended up with 5.5 miles at an easy pace.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
13 December 2010
The Tashka Trail ultra was held for only the second time this year after having its inaugural running last year. It is a two loop trail race around beautiful Lake Lurleen in the aptly named Lake Lurleen State Park (duh!) just outside Coker near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Race directors Mike Higgins and Walt White picked a fantastic spot for a trail ultra. For me, this race was a tale of two halves. It resulted in not one but two firsts for me in ultra running. Coming off a new 50K PR just three weeks ago, I clearly overestimated my abilities when I toed the starting line. More about all that later in this race report.
Pre-Race
It took a couple of text messages (close to ten, I think) to convince Richard to squeeze another ultra into our schedule. I just could not resist entering an ultra so close to home that I had read about on another ultra race website less than a week ago and I wanted Richard to partake in the fun, too, even if it took a little convincing;-) We decided to drive to Coker, Alabama the morning of the race rather than spending the night in a hotel. That meant getting up at 2:50 AM to drive down there in time for the race. After picking up Richard at 3:30 AM, we made our way to Lake Lurleen State Park in less than 3 hours including a couple of pit stops. We arrived in time to pick up our race packets, admire our newly acquired swag (see picture above) and put on our trail shoes. We got to the starting line just in time.
The Race - First Half
The race start was signaled with "Jingle Bells" (bells that were actually jingling, not the song;-) at 7 AM sharp. At this time, both the 25K and the 50K starters took off. The 5 mile race start was scheduled for 7:15AM. After doing some preliminary race research about the actual course elevation, which required some serious math (actually, guess work would be a more appropriate description) and looking at the results from the inaugural 2009 race, I set a couple of goals for myself. First, I would try to finish in the top ten for the first time in an ultra race (this goal was purely based on my evaluation of last year's results and ranking myself in comparison to last year's participants' rankings on a handy website called Ultra Signup). Second, if the course was as "flat" as I figured it could be, I would also attempt to shoot for a 5 hour finish. Looking at my previous results, the second goal was the loftier of the two, but I was going to try anyway.
With these goals in mind, I lined up in the second row. I was focusing on my pace with the goal of completing 6 miles for every hour and I was well on pace for the first 6 miles. Actually, I completed the first 6 miles in 57 minutes and if you think that was too fast, you are correct. It was way too fast as there was no way I would be able to maintain this pace. As expected I completed 12 miles in almost 2 hours flat, which meant I really slowed down on this section, but I was still on track overall. As I was following a group of runners for almost the entire first loop, I kept wondering if all of them were running the 50K or if all or at least some of them were running the 25K. I have the tendency to get sucked in with runners in front of me. Even though I knew the runners around me could potentially be in the 25K race, which meant that their pace would be much faster than mine to begin with, I stayed with them.
When I came around the corner and saw the finish line for the 25K runners as well as the halfway mark for us 50K runners, I checked my time...2 hours 30 minutes. If I continued this pace I would finish in 5 hours. Of course that would only be true if I had the ability to maintain this pace for another 25K. Had the course been flat, I might have had a 1:100 chance of doing so. It was not...
The Race - Second Half
While the course did not cross any mountains or dip into valleys, it did have its share of challenges in form of continuously rolling hills, a handful of switchbacks and a couple of very short but steep climbs. When I arrived at the halfway mark aid station at the South Trailhead and checked my time, I quickly realized that there was no way for me to finish in 5 hours. Although I had been feeling great for the entire distance so far, I was getting tired quickly. I had skipped a couple of aid stations and really didn't feel like eating. The pacer I'd been running really caused me not to be as hungry as usual. I had stuck to my schedule of one SCap per hour and one gel per hour, but I didn't eat anything else. I also was not able to check my fluid intake as usual. Not being familiar with the exact distances between aid stations, I was struggling just a little in calculating my appropriate amount of fluid intake. I did stay hydrated, but I wasn't as confident as usual that I was doing it as well as I should.
As I refilled my bottle, my mind started wandering and wondering how to proceed from here on out. I quickly decided to fall back on my secondary goal of completing the distance in just under 5 hours 30 minutes. Not knowing where I was in the field, I figured that would still give me a shot at finishing top ten (this guess was purely based on last year's results). However, as I took off running, I just did not feel the same anymore. The spring was gone from my step and I felt deflated for some reason. My heart rate was fine but I felt out of breath. I was about 2 miles into the second loop and realized that there was no one around to have idle conversations with. When I'm in a slump talking to fellow runners usually helps me find my rhythm back. I figured that I would soon see other runners as they would slowly but surely catch up to me. My pace had slowed significantly, by almost 3 minutes per mile. I was thinking to myself that this was even worse than by crash in my very first ultra just a little over a year ago. However, this time there was no one around to keep me going or to take my mind off it. Instead, I had to dig myself out of the hole I had fallen into.
I fell back onto my old tactic of "running from aid station to aid station", which was just a little sad being that they were only about 3 miles apart. But I needed something to get me going. What happened next really didn't help. As I looked across the beautiful lake I could see the finish area in the distance. I knew I still had about 10 miles to go when I heard the echo from the finish line race announcer proclaiming "and here comes the winner of the 50K in a time of 3 hours and 59 minutes". No joke, during the brief time I could see the finish area across the lake and hear the echoes of the crowd rippling over the water, the winner of the race was announced over the bullhorn. That really didn't do anything for my mental state. I started to do other calculations in my head as I slowly continued to move forward..."now it should only be another 2 hours before I'm done...not even a half marathon...just another 10K...I might still be able to finish in five and a half hours", etc. I am sure most of you have had these types of conversations with yourself at some point in your ultra running adventures. As the miles and minutes slowly ticked by, I waited for someone to pass me, but no one did. It was strange. Finally, with 5 miles to go another runner passed me...let me rephrase that, he smoked me...flew by me...made me feel like I was literally walking...yes, that's how fast he went by...a "now you see me, now you don't" kinda moment. Very humbling...no, actually embarrassing is probably the better term at that time. Sure, after the race I felt truly humbled, but during the race I just felt stupid.
As I was approaching the final aid station before the finish line, an out and back aid station at the North Trailhead, I was welcomed by the cheering and clapping of the volunteers. Knowing that I only had about 2.5 miles left to the finish kept me moving, but their encouragement meant so much more than that knowledge. However, this aid station also left me with the only regret of this entire race: Since I couldn't really stomach any food other than orange slices since starting my second loop, I missed out on the already world famous hot potato logs. As my running buddy Richard confirmed, they were to absolutely incredible.
As I was readying myself for the final leg of this race and the two short but steep climbs during this stretch of the race, the encouragement of the aid station volunteers got really loud again. This time it was for a lady runner that now appeared on the trail. She must have been a local because the crowd got really loud;-) It was at this point that I decided that I had to try to push one last time to try to finish strong. I am sure most of you assume that I didn't want to get "chicked", but honestly, I really didn't want to get passed by anyone with just over 2 miles remaining in the race. I had not seen a fellow runner over the last 2 hours or so and that little pride I had left at this stage did not want to get passed now. (The guy passing me at mile 25 was the exception, of course. I was convinced that he had to have been the winner of the 50k race going for an extra lap, lapping me in the process; he was just that fast when he passed me. As I found out later, he was just a fellow runner with a much better sense of pacing than me.)
I started to pick up the pace ever so slightly. I was ready to finish this thing. I knew there was not much left and I would still be able to put a respectable time on the board, at least from my personal perspective. I power walked the last two climbs and tried to push the pace on the downhill. As I was descending down the trail for the last time before being spilled out onto the final road section, I managed to turn my ankle just as I was entering the road. That figures. I had stubbed my toes a couple of times during the second loop as I was dragging my legs behind, but I did manage not to fall once. The trail was deceptively technical with its many roots hidden by the fall leaves. But it was mostly runable terrain.
The Finish
As I saw the finish line around the bend, I picked up the pace once more. I crossed the finish line at 5 hours 40 minutes and thirteen seconds. While I did crash badly during the second half of the race, I did manage that top ten finish (tenth overall) that I had set as a lofty goal before the race. I did not accomplish my original time goal, but how could I not be satisfied with a top ten finish? As I "collapsed" at the finish line to catch my breath before filling out my race card, Richard tapped my shoulder from behind. When he completed his first loop, he had decided that he would not wait for that hamburger for another 2-3 hours and instead opted to call it a day at the 25K distance and to enjoy the great food provided at the finish area right away. Having accomplished one of my goals at this race and having enjoyed the experience and the course, I am definitely going to be back next year to get that 5 hour finish I was striving for unsuccessfully this year. While this was a small race, I am sure this thing will reach its capacity in the near future. Thanks very much to the RDs for putting on a great event on an excellent course, with awesome volunteers, great food, and fantastic swag. I will be sporting that Tashka 50K beanie for all my upcoming ultras during the winter season;-)
08 December 2010
As we made our way around the mall our pace continued to increase, but I kept going. I felt it but it felt good to go a little faster than usual. After mile 5,my lungs started to burn a little, but I couldn't slow down now. I had started to take the lead in our little running group and I didn't really want anyone to pass me. Mike continued to stay close, trying to make up time he lost retying his shoes. While this was "just" a training run, we often take the opportunity to push each other just a little bit. I guess there's a little bit of competitiveness in all of us...and especially me;-) When we finally finished the run, my lungs were on fire, my heart as racing and I even dryheaved a little. It was definitely a worthy training run
When I got home and uploaded my Garmin data, I realized we had run negative splits literally for every mile we ran. I definitely need to incorporate these types of tempo or speed runs more regularly into my training schedule. Oh yeah, I just registered for another local ultra I just found out about last weekend, the Tashka Trail 50K near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Should be fun.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
06 December 2010
We all met up at Richard's house at 5:15 AM, well most of us, Richard, James and I. Mike was stuck behind a train. When Mike finally arrived, we took off on our usual route. Richard had to turn around early and once we got to the to the Land Trust parking lot on Bankhead Parkway, we started picking up the pace a little, for no apparent reason. And once we got going,we really didn't slow down much. Instead, we ended up pushing down the mountain on the way back as well. The result was a time almost 15 minutes faster than our previous best. Once I got in my car, I realized that an actual sheet of ice had formed inside the bandana I was wearing around my neck to keep the wind out. Thankfully, we were all well prepared for a cold run. I was wearing three layers (one too many), long CW-X running tights, fleece gloves and hat as well as a neoprene half mask covering my nose and mouth. I had no problems with the cold at all. I was actually a little too hot. So, bring it on Father Frost! I am ready!
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
04 December 2010
The "Over The River And Through The Woods 5 Mile Race" was held for the first time this year to celebrate and officially open the Flint River Greenway in the Hays Nature Preserve. Huntsville mayor Tommy Battle was in attendance to officially open the Greenway before the start of the race. The race start was conveniently scheduled for 9 AM, which meant I was able to sleep in until 7 AM;-) Being the first running of this race, attendance was rather small, with around 80 runners toeing the startline at 9 AM. After a short speech and a quick blast with the horn, we took off.
I started out just a little too fast, running the first mile in around 6:40 minute pace. My goal was not not try to race too hard but to stay just under 7 minute per mile pace. I haven't been doing any speedwork lately, so there was really no good reason to try to push for a PR. Instead, I wanted to try to stay relaxed and keep a good steady pace. With a little help from an unofficial pacer, I managed to keep the pace. Kathy, thanks for letting me run with you for most of the race. I don't think I would have been able to maintain a steady pace otherwise.
At the 4 mile marker, I still felt pretty good. I decided to try to pick up the pace a little bit, trying to ensure a sub 7 minute pace for the race. I even managed to pick off one more runner with half a mile to go to finish eleventh overall. I am usually too spent to pass anyone on the final stretches of short distance races. This was a fun race and I am sure it will just keep growing from year to year. Hopefully, the city will continue its commitment to expand and extend the already existing greenway system. Events like this race are certainly a great way to promote and utilize their existence.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 2010 Over The River And Through The Woods 5 Miler, Endurance Running, Race Reports, Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running
03 December 2010
I had almost run out of warm running clothes, so I ended up running in my Brooks winter running jacket with a short sleeve tech shirt underneath and running tights, gloves and a running cap (I had run out of all my winter running hats). It kept me toasty enough and it didn't really warm up by the time we finished up our run.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
01 December 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
30 November 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
25 November 2010
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;-)
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 2010 HELPline Turkey Trot 5K, Endurance Running, Race Reports, Running, Ultra Running
23 November 2010
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...
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
21 November 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
20 November 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 2010 Dizzy Fifties 50K, Dizzy Fifties, Endurance Running, Race Reports, Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running
19 November 2010
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;-)
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Beach Running, Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
18 November 2010
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.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
15 November 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
11 November 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 2010 Pinhoti 100 Mile Endurance Run, Endurance Running, Pinhoti 100 Mile, Race Reports, Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running
05 November 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
02 November 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
30 October 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 2010 Spooktacular 5K, Endurance Running, Race Reports, Running, Ultra Running
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
26 October 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
25 October 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
After resting most of the week with only a short run on Monday, I decided to plan for a run while at a soccer tournament in Memphis, TN for the weekend. Turns out they have a great little trail system in the heart of Memphis and its suburbs including paved and unpaved trails along the Wolf River as well as multipler park systems connecting different greenways throughout Memphis. I opted to run a trail section along the Wolf River, aptly called the Wolf River Trail. I chose to go for a 10 mile out & back run at 7AM and there were hardlty any folks out running on these trails aside from a couple of other cars parked at the trailhead. The unpaved trails run along the North side of the river and the paved trails run along the South side of the river. Not having run here before, I was getting nervous every so often when I came upon a trail crossing. However, I just decided to always turn towards the river which should keep me right on track, and it did. This trail was really perfect for a run, it had a few very slight inclines and dips, just enough to keep you honest. Some trail sections must have previosuly been washed out as there were a number of what I would call sandboxes (trail areas filled in with soft beach like sand). These areas felt like you were running in quick sand, a great workout for sure. With the exception of a couple of powerline cuts the entire 5 mile section of trails that I ran was covered by a tree canopy. You were barely ever exposed to the sun while running alongside the river. Overall, it was a great trail run. I even managed to pass a couple of mountain bikers which was a weird feeling. They were struggling up a hill as I was "flying" past them;-) They wouldn't catch up to me for at least a quarter mile. I definitely made me pick up my pace for a time as I did not want to look like an idiot passing them on the uphill only to be immediately passed by them again. However, after a quarter mile, I slowed my pace and let them pass once they caught up to me. Hey, it was fun while it lasted. Once I made it to my 5 mile turnaround point, I started to come across a lot more runners that before. I guess these were the 8 AM runners finally hitting the trails for their morning runs. Lots more runner traffic than I usually witness on our local Monte Sano trails. I kept my pace above 9:30 minutes per mile, just the right pace for a recovery trail run during a taper week. Two more weeks of tapering before the big event, the Pinhoti 100 Endurance Run, my first attempt at a 100 mile race.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running, Wolf River Trail
18 October 2010
Posted by Ultra Kraut in Endurance Running, Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
Race Packet Pick-up
Richard and I left Huntsville around 1:30 PM Friday afternoon, thinking that we would arrive in about 4 hours, just enough time to pick up our bibs and swag and listen to Dean Karnazes and other North Face sponsored athletes talk about racing. Well, because I forgot all about time zones (CST vs. EST, duh!) and because neither my Garmin GPS nor Richard's highly touted iPhone were able to direct us to the appropriate location of the host hotel, we ended up running late getting our packets. As a result, we listened to about 5 minutes of the panel discussion before heading to the hotel registration desk and to our rooms before getting dinner and heading to bed. We ended up seeing Candy Findley (from the GUTS posse) at the pre-race pasta dinner, who we had met at a couple of ultras earlier this year and who was attempting her first 50 miler this weekend. After a quick pasta and salad dinner, Richard and I headed for our room in hope of getting much needed sleep before the race. However, our "overhydrated" bodies had different ideas and I ended up sleeping about 5 hours in 45-60 minute intervalls.
Race Day
My alarm went off at 3:15 AM. I had my almost ceremonial cup of coffee before we headed out. We had to leave the hotel by 4 AM to head to the shuttle pick-up and drop off location, where we would ned to leave my car to catch the ride to the race start/finish area at F.D. Roosevelt State Park. After a very short ride we arrived at the trail head and race festival location. I was still pitch black outside and the only light and warmth came from the spot lights and portable heaters the event staff had placed at the race festival area around the start/finish line (blow-up North Face arch). It whole area looked like a little tent village in the shape of a horse shoe. Although I hate corny lines, here is one for you: "Excitement was in the air!" Runners were buzzing about, dropping off bags and engaging in their own personal pre-race rituals. Richard and I took the time to actually take a picture. As you can see, we didn't look too nervous about what might lay ahead of us.
Our training had been less than stellar for the last 4-6 weeks due to injury and other commitments and I wasn't even sure if I could finish this thing. Richard on the other hand was quite confident that finishing wasn't even an issue. After all, the final cut off time was 14 hours. Fast forward about 90 minutes and that confidence was gone, completely gone.
We started the race pretty close to 5AM and Richard and I lined up in the back of the pack of about 150 runners. This was definitely not a race distance were I was eager to be in the front or even middle of the pack. It would be a long day with plenty of opportunities to blow up and I figured I'd delay that as long as I could. After a very brief 150 yard run across a grassy field, traffic stopped completely as runners tried to turn into signle file to enter the single track trail. I think I spent more time waiting to enter the trail at this point than I did at any aid station during the race;-) Pretty soon after we entere the single track trail, we (or rather Richard) are officially introduced to the race. He twisted his ankle, just very lightly the first time, a little more severe a mile later, and almost race ending another mile and a half down the trail. Having hurt his ankle a few months earlier in a desert ultra, Richard continued to struggle with that particular ankle when it came to running in the dark. At this point, we still had another hour of running in total darkness ahead of us and I was pretty certain Richard would drop out of the race at the first or second aid station.
Aid Station #1 - Country Store
I normally do not use numbered aid stations or their names as paragraph headers in my race reports, but this time, they had a purpose. Rather than break down the race and counting doen miles as we went, I opted to only use aid stations as my progress indicator, one down eight to go...you get the idea. And it worked perfectly. I jsut had to make sure to tune out Richard, who kept counting down the miles every time he heard my 310XT signal another mile split;-) The first five miles of the race up to this point were dominated by Richards ankle problems. As a result, our pace was comfortably slow, which was probably a good thing anyway. I usually have the tendency to speed up as soon as someone passes me and it was just too early in the race to do that, so Richard's injury was probably a blessing in disguise at this point...sorry Rich.
Aid Station #2 - Fox Den
11.2 miles into the race, two down, seven to go. Again, we tried to keep a steady pace, Richard was still trying to find his rhythm, avoiding to roll his ankle for the fourth or fifth time. Instead, he twisted that tender ankle a couple more times and once daybreak hit, he slowly but surely found his stride...thank god! While the pace felt pretty slow, Richard and I ralized that we actually felt pretty good at this point, thanks in large part to the slow pace, I'm sure. But maybe, just maybe, our bodies really needed some rest and our lackluster training regimen over the last few weeks was actually a good thing. The entire length of the course was peppered with climbs between 200-300 feet at a time. Taking it easy on the pace early on would pay off later.
Aid Station #3 - Mollyhugger
16.1 miles into the race and Richard and I are following our food and supplement intake schedules pretty closely. We started taking one SCap each every hour after we had been running for about two hours. I would also consume one gel every hour as well as finish one bottle of Gu electrolyte drink between each aid station. At each aid station, I would eat a piece of banana and some pretzles, nothing more nothing less. Three down, six to go.
Aid Station #4 - Rocky Point
23.1 miles into the race and my food and supplement strategy had worked perfectly. Well almost perfect, with the exception of this section of the course, which happened to be a 7 mile stretch through arguably the toughest section of the entire race course, both in distance and terrain. Not only would we climb to the highest point of this race, we also ran through a section that had been hit by a recent fire. This part of the course looked more like a trail I would expect to see running in Arizona, very desert like in certain areas, but in a very pretty kind of way. Not sure if that makes sense, but that's what it looked like to me. My only concern was the fact that I ran out of liquids with about 3 miles still to go to Rocky Point. It wasn't really that I needed the liquids, it just felt wrong not to have any readily available to drink. While I was still feeling pretty good during this section, Richard had hit a major wall at this stage, both physically and mentally. He later said that he was ready to drop out of the race at this aid station, if it hadn't been for the magic of Coca-Cola. He drank about three cups of Coke in addition to other liquids and shortly after we left this aid station, he was a new man...or should I say runner? Four down, five to go.
Aid station #5 - Tower
28 miles in and Richard was still leading our small group of runners. Miguel Perez, a first time ultra runner, had joined our little group at around mile ten and he was sticking with us and looking strong. We were finally past the half way point of the race and while I experienced a short phase of sluggishness during this section, I was feeling pretty good considering that we had already covered close to a marathon at this point. This section of the course also covered a ton of creeks and small waterfalls and while running these sections was nearly impossible at times, it certainly made up for it in beauty. Richard was still feeling it and he continued to lead us out of this aid station as well. We had gotten into a pretty good rhythm concerning getting in and out of the aid stations quickly. I don't think we ever spent more than 1-2 minutes tops at each stop. Five down, four to go. Mentally, the counting of aid stations really worked for me.
Aid station #6 - Dowdell Knob
32.2 miles down and more than a 50K done. Half way between this and the previous aid stations, I took over to lead the group around mile marker 30. Richard had left the group for the last 10 miles and while providing some assistance to a runner on the side of the trail, I continued at a walking pace to let Richard rejoin our group as soon as he made sure that we could leave the runner. We decided to notify the next aid station of the runner in distress but didn't have to as emergency crew was already making its way to the runner before we reached the next station. Thankfully, the runner is question turned out to be ok. While she did not appear to have been able to finish the race, we saw her later on in the race festival area walking around on her own. Once Richard caught up to us, I started to run again. I was feeling good, probably catching a second wind myself at this point. Before I realized it, we had reached Dowdell Knob, six down, three to go.
Aid station #7 - Fox Den
37.5 miles are in the books and I am still feeling great. Once we reached this aid station, all I wanted to do it wash the sticky Gu past off my hands as well as clean the salt residue off my sweaty face. After identifying cups of Gu electrolytes and Coke I went for a couple of cups I assumeed to be water, proceeding to pour it over my hands and face to clean off the sticky mess. While doing so I noticed a nice refreshing scent coming off the water. That just didn't make sense, why would the water smell like fruit? I got my explanation when I asked for confirmation. The clear liquid I assumed to be water was in fact Nuun, another electrolyte drink that did not use any food coloring for this particular drink and as a result looked like water. Hey, at least I didn't eat any lube thinking that it was engery gel. When I finally got my hands on some "real" water, I was able to wash all of that mess of my hands and face. Seven down and just two to go.
Aid station #8 - Mollyhugger Hill
42.4 miles are complete and I am confident that I am going to finish the race. Even if I walked the remainder of the race, I would still finish with time to spare. Instead of walking, however, I decided at around mile 40 that I was going to push the pace a little bit, at least as much as I could at that point. Richard and Miguel started to fade just ever so slightly and I felt I could try and push for a sub 12 hour finish, which was all I had hoped for at the half way point of the race, anyway. I just couldn't believe that I actually felt good 40 miles into a trail race. My goal was to maintain pace and to pick it up on the downhills whenever I could. The volunteers at this aid station were once again first class. They helped me refocus, replenish and get ready for the final stretch. Eight down, final aid station to go.
Aid station #9 - Buzzards Roost
47.8 miles are logged and I can smell the BBQ at the finish line. Well, not really, but I was looking forward to that hot meal promised in the participants' guide. During the section preceeding this aid station, I really cranked it up a notch. I must have passed between 10-15 runners during this section, some of them marathoners using the same course, some of them 50 milers. Either way, I was passing runners and it felt good...nope, it felt great. Instead of running out of gas, I was running the uphills, even if just slowly. I was running nonetheless. Every runner I passed gave me new energy. Nine aid stations down, just the finish line ahead.
The Finish at 50.4 Miles
This race provided an elevation change of around 8000 feet, which isn't too shabby. The final 2.6 miles felt the hardest, just because they seemed to take forever. Physically, I felt fine and mentally, I was exstatic. After 12 hours and 9 minutes, I crossed the finish line, happy to have completed an awesome ultra and physically feeling good. The icing on the cake for me personally was the fact that I finished 43rd out of 125 or so starters. I am competitive, after all.
Final comments
Everyone I ran with today finished the race, Richard, Miguel and Candy. Congratulations to all of you for a great personal accomplishment, especially considering that the race only had 95 official finishers out of 150 or so registrants. Congrats also to Geoff Roes, who smoked the course in less than eight hours. And a very special thank you to all the volunteers at this event, who made this race absolutely fantastic. I always try to thank them as our paths cross during a race as I am sure they have better things to do than to read my birong race reports, but that does not keep me from thanking them again in writing every now and then;-)