30 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Endurance Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
29 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Endurance Running, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
25 August 2012
We arrived at the hiker´s parking lot just in time to meet up with folks after refilling our bottles at the ranger station fountain. was hoping that the pace would be ¨easy¨and once again, no one was in any particular hurry which was great, because it allowed me to chat with all of these guys, most of whom I´d seen out running before, but never met officially. Thanks again to all of you to letting me run with you. I made the run not only easier but also much more enjoyable.
After logging about 6 miles with the guys and arriving back in the parking lot, Jason and I took off to complete our run. It wasn´t pretty at this point. I was only too happy to go slow and Jason was too banged up to go fast, so we were running a for both of us agreeable slower pace than expected. Jason had rolled his ankle(s) multiple times and I wasn´t too motivated to push after last night´s effort. After all, not everything´s a race:-) We completed our training run in one piece...more or less...in just under 3 hours or so.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
24 August 2012
After logging the first mile at a flat 9 minute pace, I decided to go for it. I decided that I wouldn´t check my splits at all until I reached the Ranger Station atop Monte Sano. I was still feeling good when I crossed Fearn Street 3 miles in, but my lungs started to burn and I was starting to look forward to every little piece of flat trail section for a little bit of relief from pushing on the uphills. Just two more short steep climbs and I would reach the top, leaving me another .5 to .75 miles to go to the Ranger Station. Once I caught my breath and drank a sip from my bottle I pushed one final time to the turnaround point. I touched the concrete slab foundation of where the ranger station used to be before it burned down (official turnaround point according to James;-), looked at my watch for the first time to see 44 minutes (not bad at all, but I can remember at all how long it had taken me during my last PR), got some water from the fountain and continued my push back down the mountain.
I wasn´t worried about being able to go fast (well, what I call fast anyway), I was more concerned about my footing. An ankle twist at this stage of my 100 mile training would be devastating to my upcoming goal races. But no matter, I wanted to improve on my last PR. These types of pushes during training runs help me gauge my level of fitness as well as provide some confidence boosters when I´m not doing any real racing.
Other than having to break for a couple of dogs, nothing really prevented me from continuing to push my pace, but fatigue was starting to get the better of me as I was hitting the most technical parts of the Tollgate Trail as I tripped on a couple of rocks here and there, barely able to maintain my balance. I continued on, slowly gaining confidence that I would at least make it back before sunset. Oh yeah, I forgot the second reason for this PR push. I didn´t realize until after I took off on my run shortly after 6pm that the sun would set at 7:25pm. This meant anything short of a PR or close to it could leave me stranded on the trails in complete darkness. Nothing like the thought of getting stuck without a headlamp on some seriously technical trails to get your pace...and heart rate going.
I got back onto the Bankhead Parkway with about 1.5 miles to go. Time to try to pick up the pace again or at least keep it steady. When I arrived at the corner of Lacy and Pratt and hit my watch, it showed 1 hour 21 minutes and 31 seconds, a new PR by over 6 minutes. Wow, that felt great! Now it was time to get back, send my running crew a training update, get some food and liquids into my stomach and go to bed. My alarm was set for 5AM to run the mountain once again with Jason for a nice 16 miler to start off the weekend.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Endurance Running, Land Trust Trails, Monte Sano Trails, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
23 August 2012
I added another run this evening but decided against a speed workout. My legs were a little heavy from the tempo run this morning, so I opted for an easy 7 miler instead. I also did get to run a couple of miles with my wife along the way. It´s so much nicer to run with your favorite running partner than to run alone.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
22 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Cotton Row Hill, Hill Workout, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
21 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
20 August 2012
Our view atop Monte Sano Mountain State Park this morning. |
I am going to so some flat road running tomorrow, in an effort to give myself some "active recovery" before either hill repeats or some other challenging hilly run on Wednesday morning. Hopefully, most of my usual running crew will be eager to get running again by Wednesday.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
19 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
18 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Endurance Running, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
16 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Road Running, Speedwork, Training Logs, Ultra Running
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
14 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, 2012 Summer Cross Country Runs, Race Reports, Trail Running, Ultra Running
11 August 2012
I always wanted to run through 5 "Georges":-) |
While Richard Trice and I both were able to bring along our better halves, the remainder of our group from Huntsville, Mike Trice, James Duncan, Ed Johnson and Jay Naves, traveled solo. Bri (Richard's girlfriend) and Anya (my wife) were extremely "patient", putting up with a bunch of runners who wouldn't talk about anything but ultra running and the Olympics and who ended up waking up the entire house on Saturday morning at 3:30 AM screaming and cheering at Olympic coverage on TV while getting ready for the race. Yet, Anya and Bri still decided to do most of the work around the house, getting everyone fed before and after the race. If I hadn't said it before, Rich and I are two very lucky guys indeed!
Six of us (5 runners, 1 crew) loaded up my car and left for the race start at 4:30AM, excited to have another opportunity to run this amazing race (the smiles in the pic below are proof of that). This was Ed's first attempt and my second, while the others were going for their third finish. Initially, I just wanted to finish and treat this as the training race it was, since I had the Georgia Jewel 100 coming up just 6 weeks from now. But as always, I changed my mind and decided to challenge myself, targeting a sub 8 hour finish.
We go to extreme lengths to get all runners in the picture, even if that means making one of us ride in the trunk:-) |
Me briefly reminiscing with fellow Fuego Y Agua runner Mark Connolly at the start of LV. |
Me crossing one of the many amazing bridges during the race. |
Finally, I had another change to my usual plan. Instead of SCaps, I had to use Salt Stick caps since my local running shop had run out of SCaps. While I was assured that they would work just as well, I should have known better than to use a new untested product during an ultra race. Well, once again I ended up learning this lesson the hard way.
The first waterfall sighting on our run. |
22 miles in and we were all still moving well. At this point, I refilled my hydration bladder for the second time and I made sure to fill it all the way. I even drank a bottle of Nuun electrolyte drink to ensure proper hydration and electrolyte levels along with the hourly gels and caps. However, about 25 miles into our journey, I started to feel slight twitches in my left quad. As soon as I felt it, I took another couple of salt stick caps. This was new territory for me. I had never had to deal with cramps during an ultra, let alone this early in a race. James handed me a bottle of Gatorade and I guzzled that down as fast as I could. I had been hydrating, I had been taking in gels and salt via salt stick caps on a regular basis, yet here I was, starting to have leg cramps. I continued to be hopeful that they would subside eventually.
Just as I mentioned my muscle cramps to James, he started to feel nauseated. After relieving himself of some of the culprits (James called it "feeling pukey", I call it "blowing chunks on the trail"), we stopped for a little break to let him recover. While James sat down on the side of the trail, my attempt to sit down was futile. My legs seized up on me and, very frustrated, I tried to lean on a tree instead. During this time, Ed came just flying by, encouraging us to "come on". We had left him behind on a climb a couple of miles earlier and here he was, running like the race just started.
James recovered soon after we stopped once more to get some water to mix us some more Gatorade. I, on the other hand, continued to get worse. Muscle cramps became more frequent, now affecting my toes, shins, calves, hamstrings and quads. I would try to stretch one muscle only to have another seize up on me. It wasn't pretty. A sub 8 hour finish goal quickly disappeared and even a sub 9 hour finish came and went. I now had approached the final climb of the race and my quads and hamstrings started to cramp with every single step. There were a couple of embarrassing moments (e.g. questions from hikers like "can we help you" and "have you done this before") as well as some moments of petty from fellow racers. They didn't say it but it was written all over their faces. I didn't blame them. I was laying on my back, my face and body contorted in pain just 25 yards from the top of the stairs, yet I was unable to continue. I must have laid there for almost 15-20 minutes, one racer after another passing me by, offering their assistance. But what could they do? I had water, I had Salt Stick caps, but my muscles would not stop cramping. Eventually, I managed to get my butt off the ground without my legs locking up and crawled to the top and ultimately the finish line. To describe my movement as "shuffling" would be too kind.
My Huntsville Ultra Running Crew at the finish line...everyone finished...and with a PR:-) |
The print on the back of the race shirt says it all! |
You gotta love the elevation profile! |
08 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
07 August 2012
Instead, I dialed back my pace even more than usual during my warm up, allowing myself to chat with Cary Long without having to struggle for air while running and carrying on a conversation at the same time. Just when I had resigned to a slow and easy day, Cary told me that he would try to really push the pace during the 3 mile race today. Heck, I was going to run a lot less today that the previous weeks and I hadn't really pushed myself during the races in the last 2 weeks, so why not.
I lined up in the second row when RD Carter gave the signal..."GO". I had checked out the race results over the last few weeks and noticed that Duane Ricketts was pretty much a minute ahead of me every time. Since none of the usual suspects, my Tuesday night posse of nemeses (e.g. Jason, Mike and David) had made it to the races, I decided to latch on to Duane and see how long I can hold on. As it turned out, I was able to hold on all the way to the finish and if Duane had had a better day, I believe I could have broken 20 minutes (see how I managed someone else for my shortcoming there;-). Just kidding, I ended up finishing just behind Duane for a new PR on this course of 20:14 beating my previous PR on this cross country course by more than 30 seconds (Thanks very much Duane, I couldn't have done this without your pacing...yes, you were pacing me even though you didn't know it, sorry;-).
Since I'm not sure what shape I'll be in next Tuesday after running in this weekend's Laurel Valley Whitewater 35 Miler, I figured I'd go for broke during potentially my last chance to do so before the 2012 Summer Cross Country Racing Series comes to its conclusion next week. However, Jason, Mike, David, you know who you are, let's see if one of you can break 20 minutes next week as I failed to do so tonight. Good luck, I'll try to be there either way;-)
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, 2012 Summer Cross Country Runs, Race Reports, Trail Races, Trail Running, Ultra Running
06 August 2012
While I'm okay to put in the miles, I am getting annoyed with the humidity these days. I can't seem to stay dry at all. In fact, I am drenched just 2 miles into my runs and from that point on, its a consistent dribble of sweat from my hat, shirt and shorts. To call this feeling of completely being soaked for hours at a time uncomfortable is an understatement. While I have no issues with chafing or otherwise, I am looking forward to cooler or at least less humid days. Regardless, this training cycle through the middle of summer should really provide for some great fall races this season:-)
Anyway, I got my miles in and my training continues to go reasonably well so far. Hopefully, I can do something easy this afternoon as well. I plan to run the cross country races on Tuesday and another run up the mountain on Wednesday before taking it easy for a couple of days in anticipation of the Laurel Valley Whitewater Run 35 Miler in Pickens, SC. While I am treating LV as a training race, I do not want to toe the starting line depleted.
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Hill Workout, Land Trust Trails, Monte Sano Trails, Road Running, Trail Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
03 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Drake Ave Hill, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running
02 August 2012
Part 2: I ended up finding time to squeeze in a speed workout after all, but I ended up having to do it on my own rather than with the group at the Grissom High School track. Instead, I loaded the workout of the day into my Garmin Forerunner and took off from my house headed to UAH. I knew I'd get a nice 1 mile warm up and cool down to and from my house and I'd get just enough mileage around the UAH campus to get the 12x 400m float intervals done. I had to run 1 mile warm up followed by 12x 400m at 5k +15 seconds pace, where I had to run the first 300m hard followed by 100m easy. There would be no breaks until the 1 mile cool down. I was glad to get it done, just in time to pick up my son from his soccer practice:-)
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Road Running, Speedwork, Track Workout, Training Logs, Ultra Running
01 August 2012
Posted by Ultra Kraut in 100 Mile Training, Road Running, Training Logs, Ultra Running