Jason Elliot's Blog

Finally, Inidana

2010-12-23T19:09:00.000-06:00

I can't remember exactly when I made the goal, but I want to run an ultra in each of the 50 states, plus D.C. In some cases I'll settle for a marathon, but I'd rather run an ultra. While I'm living in Illinois I'd like to take care of most of the Midwest since travel is now much easier and cheaper than it will be after we move.

I live about 40 miles from the Indiana border, so next to Illinois one would think this would be the easiest state. For some reason, tho, it has taken me 2 1/2 years of running ultras to finally get this state done. And it wasn't easy: I had to run 50Ks on two consecutive weekends. Well, that or choose between Indiana and Iowa, both states where ultras are hard to come by.

My plan was to run strong at Hawkeye in IA and just take HUFF as it came. If you read my last post, you know "strong" is not a good description of my run at Hawkeye. So I wasn't sure how HUFF was going to play out. I just knew I'd take it easy.

The trails at HUFF were completely covered in snow. For scenery this gave us a beautiful blanket of white covering the forest. As a running surface snow tends to suck out energy as every attempt to push forward results in some reverse motion. In other words, the footing was less than firm. Since the snow was packed down, tho, it still was very runnable. The weather was also good. At the start the temps were in the single digits, with wind chills below 0 F. The sun was shining as it continued to do all day, and temps rose into the 20s before most of us finished.

As it turned out, I never really faced battles at HUFF like I'd faced at Hawkeye. I never questioned a finish (just occasionally begged for it to come soon). I did cramp in one spot in one quad, but not until late in the race, and I realized I was favoring that leg.

So 8 states down. That's California, Massachusetts, and a few in the Midwest:

42 to go. The plan for this spring is to knock-off Minnesota, Missouri, and Michigan.

Report on the Hawkeye 50K, a race where you can drop your pants

2010-12-13T17:22:00.001-06:00

Before I go into my race report let me say that Tim did an awesome job of directing the inaugural Hawkeye 25/50K. The trail was so well-marked that there was never a question whether you were on course. Tons of email updates about trail conditions, weather, providing maps and directions all reduced the worry and uncertainty leading up to race day. He rounded up some great volunteers, too. They endured some pretty nasty weather and managed to stay upbeat, which was contagious to us runners.

The weather conditions at the start were an off-and-on drizzle with temps in the low-30s. Pretty nice for mid-December in the Midwest. That would change. Throughout the race the temps steadily decreased and the rain became more on than off and heavier and gradually turned to sleet and finally snow.

The first lap I headed out near the front of the pack at what felt like a comfortable pace. I was loaded up with Perpetuem solids and GU chomps and I quickly realized exactly why Race-Ready shorts have drawstrings in addition to the elastic. I guess the solids added more weight than my usual gels, or I've always just tied my shorts in the past. Whatever: they were comin down. In the first 100 yards I was already making wardrobe adjustments, trying to tie my shorts and run the single-track trail that started each loop.

We quickly left the trail for a few miles of road running. This is where I felt strongest. Most of my training since June has been on roads around town since thesis deadlines and a teaching assignment have made driving to the trails harder to justify -- not to mention that my daughter is now becoming a little person and I like spending time with her and my wife. Running 10+ hrs per week I can justify, but driving 1-2 hrs for most of those runs has really started to seem like a burden.

So I haven't really run many hills since June. This would come back to haunt me...

We left the roads for a crushed gravel trail. This was probably my favorite portion of the race. The trail was very well-maintained and pretty flat, with a few gentle ups and downs. We ran right along the lake with a lot of tree cover. Coming off the roads into the trees, it starts to feel a bit warmer as the trees block the wind. Here I really began doubting my choice of wearing long pants over my shorts. They'd seemed warm even along the windy road. I'd been reassuring myself that it would be getting colder, but my legs were really feeling warm. I first tried bunching them up around my quads. After they fell back down a few times I just stopped and took em off. That's when I realized my bib was pinned to my pants. sigh... run and think. Aha! I rolled my pants up so that the bib showed and started planning a quick way to stop to secure them into the straps on my Nathan hydration pack. Damn this pack is handy! (I've fastened jackets and even shoes in it.)

I saw a lady cheering for passing runners and stopped to ask her to secure the pants for me. Perfect. Problem solved... until the pants fell out of the straps. I realized they were missing at the next check point when they asked me for my bib # and I reached behind me to point to it. Well, never trust a cheerleader with your pants, I guess. OK, it was my fault, not hers. That just sounded like a funny thing to say.

Needless to say I was pretty bummed out. Not only did I lose my $80 pants that have gotten me thru so many midwestern winters, but I lost my bib #, which could (theoretically) mean a DQ. I went back an forth with that scenario for a few miles. "Crap! I won't even be counted as a finisher!" "Nah, Tim's a good guy. He won't DQ me for losing my bib." I was not in a good place mentally.

After crossing a spillway for the lake we left the crushed gravel path for the single-track trail that makes up the last third of the loop. Adrenaline was pushing me a bit faster than I should have been moving at this point. I felt physically strong as I tried to put the lost pants and bib out of my mind. At first the trails seemed easy and I thought that I'd get away with all that missed training. Then the cramps started coming. The insides of my quads started seizing up. Oh, boy. I wasn't even half way done.

Then some good news came. As I came back to the start/finish I started to explain my bib situation to the volunteers, and they replied "oh, are you #99?" pointing to a black pile on top of a drum in front of the social center. Awesome! I asked whether I needed to refasten my bib and they just waved me on.

After an alright 2:03 first loop I was back out for a second. By now I was getting pretty drenched. Everything I was carrying -- hats, gloves, and food -- started feeling heavy. I decided for the first time to walk a little and readjust my load. I also made it a point to start eating more than I had been. I'd been eating the solids and chomps fairly continuously, but not enough of them, as I knew I should've gone thru half of my supply at that point. I also wondered how the cramps would play out over the remainder of the race.

By the time we hit the roads I felt ready to make a good guess: not well. My legs just kept feeling worse and I contrasted how I felt then with how I felt the first lap at this point. Every minute or so a car drove by and blew a spray at me that was just a little heavier than the now continuous rain. The headlights were menacing. I could see a runner in front of me in the distance, not too far, but I didn't have the legs to chase her.

Finally we left the roads for the gravel trail, which was now a wet, muddy mess. Not that it mattered: my shoes were soaked. I could no longer see the runner directly in front of me except when the trail curved just right, but that didn't matter either: I was catching no one. The rain was now becoming freezing rain; I was getting cold. I was also slowing down as new cramps added to the old ones. Each time I tried to pick up the pace a muscle would shoot pain at me and seize up. I settled into a shuffle, which made it harder to stay warm. I found, tho, that as long as I kept moving I kept warm enough.

Shortly after starting the second loop I had started wondering why I was doing these races, spending money and time away from my family to put myself through stuff like this and never seem to win. Strangely, as the pain and weather both got worse I started to understand. I don't know if I can describe it, but it's for the types of battles I was facing then. I wondered whether I would finish, but I kept moving. I wondered how much more pain I could take, how much colder it could get before I had to quit. But I knew that for now I could keep going, so I did.

When I hit the single track I realized that the only shuffle I could manage was slower than my walk, so I settled into walking the rest of the course. I ate more Perpetuem solids, which continued to settle pretty well, tho the ones I carried made an annoying "clickety clack" sound as they bounced inside their plastic container with every step I took.

With about 3 miles to go, the course passes the start/finish, so I ducked into the social center to warm up and change into a dry jacket. I finally talked myself into going back out to finish the thing. I was amazed at how good I felt -- except for my legs. It was clear that I was being punished for all my missed trail runs. I was able to run slowly again, but when I made a few feeble attempts at second gear, I received a lashing by the god of proper training.

By now the rain had turned to snow, and with a dry jacket I was no longer feeling cold and drenched to the bone. I enjoyed watching the woods turn white as I finished what was -- to date -- my toughest 50K, not because of the course and not entirely because of the weather. I guess life can present other obstacles.

Oh, yeah, my time was 5:01, to date my slowest time for the 50K distance.

Finally a 100M (and finally a race report)

2010-06-28T13:46:00.000-05:00

I know this race report's pretty late, but I've had lots of other stuff happening lately. Now that we're moved in to our new place and the puppy and toddler are asleep I'll steal a few minutes from my thesis writing to finish up this race report.

I'd been carrying a vendetta for the 100-mile distance, and specifically for KM100, since my attempt at KM100 last year ended at mile 77 with knee problems. Over the past year I analyzed my mistakes, attempted another 100M (Ozark), gained another DNF, analyzed more mistakes, and returned with tail between legs to KM100 this year. I was optimistic but scared, knowing both that I'd learned from mistakes and that it was still going to be really hard.

This year we had some crazy weather in the southern Kettle Moraine of Wisconsin. This time it was crazy more like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining" than like your favorite hippie aunt (cf. post on Ice Age 50M). Of the 155 starters in the 100 miler, only 51 finished. A look through past results shows that the winning time this year (19:54:48) was the slowest ever by a large margin. That's said not to downplay any other year's conditions. I'm glad I didn't run it during the tornadoes of 2008.

At the 6am start the weather was decent: dry and cool, tho not really cool enough, especially for 6am. It quickly warmed up and by the time I reached my first drop bin 15 miles in at Emma Carlin sweat was already starting to drip from the visor of my hat. Here I saw friends Geoff and Paige, who gave me some encouraging words as I passed through. It always helps to see friends at the aid stations.

My drop bins all had gels and thermoses with a drink that I'd made to serve as a liquid meal. My fueling plan was to take a gel about every 30 minutes and to drink about a pint of the drink at each drop. The drink had been tested at Ice Age to settle pretty well. I'll post the recipe, but it's just oat milk, Jarrow brand fermented soy, and coconut milk. It settled pretty well at KM.

Past Emma C. is a series of prairies where runners are completely exposed to the elements. Whatever the weather is, here you feel it the most. I was just thinking about getting this part behind me, at least so I'd only have to do it one more time (on the return trip). The return trip was the most brutal, tho. The prairies are positioned (between miles 36 and 47) so that everybody has to run them in the afternoon, the hottest time of the day. I hit them in mid-afternoon, and I was lucky to not get roasted by the sun as it hid behind haze and clouds. Instead I got steamed in the warm, humid air.

Another difficulty about this section is that it presents the longest distance between manned aid stations. Hwy 67 sits at mile 39 as an oasis in the middle of the prairie. Otherwise there are only a couple of tables with water jugs for 11 miles. As I came into Hwy 67 on the return trip it was especially uplifting for me as I heard the familiar "bufalooo," and I realized that my crew and pacer had arrived. For the next 23 miles Jen and Brian would be meeting me at aid stations to help me refuel and move along (when temptation is to sit). At the Nordic aid station (mile 62) Brian would join me for the remainder of the distance and Jen would continue crewing.

I left Hwy 67 with a refreshed attitude, which is what I needed to endure the 8 miles of prairie ahead. As I traversed the prairies the haze gradually turned to rain and the temps started to feel cooler. At Emma C. I stopped to refuel and was actually shivering by the time I was ready to head out again. Crazy. I'll take rain over heat, tho (or so I thought...)

One of my favorite sections is between Emma C. and Bluff Rd. (mi. 55) and with the now cooler temps I felt like the rain had given me my legs back. I picked up the pace a bit, enough to miss my crew at Bluff Rd. since they were expecting me about a half-hour later than I was. I knew I'd see them at Nordic, tho.

Bluff Rd. marks the junction of the Ice Age and Nordic trails. Outbound runners leave the Nordic and enter the Ice Age and inbound do the reverse. By the time I reached Bluff Rd. the rain had really picked up. The Nordic trail is actually a XC skiing trail, so it's wider and rolling. Trees catch less of the rain and the low spots turn to small lakes. There's about 7.5 miles of this between Bluff and the Nordic aid station (also the start/finish).

I've heard that the thought occurs to every runner in a 100-miler, and you just have to tell yourself that quitting is not an option. The first time the thought of quitting occurred to me was a couple miles before reaching Nordic. At the Nordic aid station runners have a choice: stop and take a 100K finish or go back out and run another 38 miles. The temptation is always great to stop, and this year it was really hard to go back out. By this time it was really pouring and it was getting cold. As the rain soaks you and the trail gets soggy it's hard to move fast enough to generate much heat. Many runners dropped here. Of the 155 starters, 121 made it to Nordic, and 61 decided to go back out. I was one of those 61, but I certainly had thoughts of joining the other 60. One thing that made this low point much easier was having a pacer waiting for me. He'd driven 4 hours to run 38 miles with me; I knew I couldn't just tell him "sorry, I don't want to." I had to go back out. There was no other option.

At the aid station I took my drop bin into the clubhouse, sat down, and changed shoes. It was dry and warm and I lingered too long, but it felt good. Jen lent me a poncho and extra shirt and I headed back out with Brian. We walked a lot, but at least we were moving. At around 10 or 11 the rain finally stopped and the night became really nice! We left our ponchos and extra shirts with Jen at Bluff.

The second out & back course is pretty varied, with both the easiest and the hardest sections of the course, and pretty much everything in between. We basically ran the flat non-technical sections and walked the rest. This added up to lots of walking. I had been conservative all day since I knew that rocks and downhills had previously been my undoing. I was extra cautious at night when I couldn't see the obstacles as well. Brian was very patient, but I gave him a chance to run at the end. :)

Hwy 67 is the only drop location on the second out & back, but runners see it twice. I probably lingered too long there both times, but it felt good to sit and chat with volunteers and other runners. A friend Kobby was there volunteering, and Jen was there to encourage us each time We would also see her at the Rice Lake turnaround.

Not too long after we passed Hwy 67 the second time we started noticing it getting lighter. By the time we reached Duffin Rd. (mi 90) the headlamps were unnecessary. This is also where we run through pine groves and some of the nicest trails of the course. My conservative pace had left me with energy to spare and with only 10 miles left and improved visibility, who needs to be conservative? I looked at my watch and wondered whether I could make sub-25. I started picking up the pace through the pine groves and noticed that Brian was gradually getting further behind. Oh well; he knows the way home.

My momentum served me well as I came out of the pines and was able to keep moving, feeling strong. I surprised even myself to find that I could run uphill. I ran by the Bluff aid station, waving and thanking Jennifer and the other volunteers. I passed a few bewildered people who had by now been reduced to a walk. I felt good. One guy asked "how are you still running?"

As the Nordic hills kept coming, I started realizing that sub-25 wasn't gonna happen. Sub-25:30? Finally I crossed the finish line in 25:22:52.

an all-night run becomes a 10-miler

2010-05-16T14:30:00.004-05:00

Last night I had planned to run all night. The plan was to get to a local nature preserve (Forest Glen) before they close the gates (8pm) and stay all night until they open them (8am). They allow camping, so I would "camp." Actually, I would try to run all night, but as a fall back I would bring my camping gear and crash if I needed to stop. I did, after all, just run the Ice Age 50M last weekend.

I had to be at the ranger's station before 7 to register and be allowed to stay overnight. As I was preparing to leave my daughter crawled into my arms and put her head on my shoulder. I wasn't leaving anytime soon. Every time I made for the door she started saying "no, no, no" with her arms outstretched, as if asking for a hug. I'd pick her up and she'd put her head on my shoulder. Our girl knew I was planning to be gone for a while and she wasn't having it.

Plan B: After she goes to bed I'll leave. It'll be too late for Forest Glen (they'll be closed), so I'll just run all night at Clinton Lake, another great spot for trail running. CL has no gates, so I'd get to leave when I wanted. Well, I was kind of looking forward to the whole camping part as extra motivation to stay on my feet, since I'd be stuck at the park anyway. Oh well, family's first.

I finally got to the trails at a little after 10pm. The trail at CL is just a 10-mile loop around part of the lake. As I descended the first of many short hills I noticed that my knees were still a little tender from last weekend. I'd take it easy on the downs. A few miles in I began to wonder where my groove was. Usually it takes a couple miles to warm up (sometimes more than other times) but I just wasn't feeling it. My hips were still tight from last weekend, too. My body seemed to be sending the message "you don't need this long run; what you really need is to let me recover." So I finished the loop and went home to a warm bed.

Ice Age 50M race report

2010-05-10T14:51:00.000-05:00

After signing up for Kettle Moraine 100M this year, I decided to run the Ice Age 50M as a training run. The IA50 covers most of the trails of the KM100 and the timing is about right with IA50 four weeks before KM100. It also covers the rockiest part. Since rocks tend to be a weakness of mine, it's good to get a little training on rocky trails in before the big race.

The weather was crazy for us this year, tho crazy like that deadhead aunt you really like, not crazy like a serial killer. Temps were in the 40s most the day with plenty of wind and clouds. Occasionally you'd get out of the trees and feel the wind; sometimes the sun would peek out and you'd warm up and consider pitching your jacket. I finally pitched mine at the 37M drop point, after which it got cold again and started to hail, then drizzle rain. Crazy.

The only taper I had before the IA50 was that I hadn't run since Tuesday, when I did 10 miles. Taking a few days off was an afterthought when the miles started feeling like they were piling up and I worried whether I'd be able to finish on Saturday. I started out at what felt like a conservative pace and just tried to take it easy for most of the race. At about the half way point I noticed I was roughly on pace for a 9hr finish. Well, that really means nothing with 25 miles to go, so I blocked it out for a while. When I hit the 40M turnaround I noticed I was still on a 9hr pace. That's when I decided it was ok to start pushing a little. Maybe I could PR (go sub 8:50), but it would be close.

Throughout most of the race I felt pretty good. Yeah, there were rough spots, as always, but I was surprised at how much strength I felt I had when I needed it.

With just about 4 miles to go my left knee started to give me some serious pain and actually made the last 2 miles pretty excruciating. I think I stressed my calf on the uneasy footing of the rocky downhills and that led to the knee pain. I'll be working on strengthening and balance in that leg. It was a little of a bummer finishing that way and seeing the PR slip away, especially since the last 2 miles at IA are so nice for a strong finish, but I did manage a sub-9 by a little over 3 minutes. I guess my splits must have been close to even.

During the race I experimented with a drink that I made to replace Ensure. I used to drink Ensure during races but it sits too heavy in my belly. I chugged 14 oz of the drink at miles 17, 26, and 37, and each time I jogged out of the aid station feeling fine. Here's the recipe:

cooked oatmeal: 3 cups oats + 6 cups water
12 cups water
1 cup Jarrow brand Soy Essence
1 can coconut milk
about 1/2 cup agave nectar

Mix the oatmeal and water and blend in an electric blender. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine colander. Wisk Soy Essence into strained oatmeal (oat milk). Stir in coconut milk and agave nectar.

I filled my bottles about half full with ice before pouring in the drink. It didn't really accomplish anything except watering it down a little more, which was good. I'm thinking that the best way to do this next time is to mix some water into the Soy before adding it. Also, this makes over a gallon, which is a lot. Hopefully reducing the oats and/or soy without reducing the coconut milk won't cause any problems. Maybe I'll try that this weekend.

Pacing my wife at the Illinois marathon -- ninja style

2010-05-06T16:10:00.000-05:00

This year my wife wanted to run the Illinois marathon, which runs through the towns of Champaign and Urbana. Since we currently live in Champaign, this would be a logistical breeze. Since she wasn't sure she'd get the training in by May 1 (the day of the race), I decided to add some motivation and offer to run it with her. This would be the first race we'd ever run together since our paces are about 4 to 5 min/mi different.

As we sipped our coffee before heading to the start, the temperature was already pretty warm (60s) with humidity (80s). Naturally the temps rose; the humidity dropped a little. I guess it really got so some people. As we got into the late stages of the run we started seeing the carnage along the sides of the road -- people dropping out left and right. After the race I heard about a lot of friends who missed their goals, they felt because of the heat. I can honestly say that the heat never really bothered me, but I was running 4 to 5 min/mile slower than my usual marathon pace.

Our goal was sub-5 hours. We headed out at a steady 11:10/mile pace and pretty much maintained that the whole race, with a short stop at mile 10, a short walk at mile 23, and a few very short walks through aid stations. My wife is a human metronome. I wish I could hold a steady pace like that. Starting early I made sure Jenn kept her electrolytes in balance and stayed hydrated. I made her take salt tabs every hour at first until she started drinking Gatorade, when we eased the tab intake a little.

So I got my first real look at a back-of-the-pack perspective. I have to say, it wasn't really all that different: people soldiering through the miles, putting one foot in front of the other, aiming for the finish line. That's the same. The difference: it took us longer to get to the finish.

The "ninja style" part:

My first road marathon in Vibrams, and the farthest I've run on roads in them. My feet were as sore as they should have been after 26.2 miles of pavement, which is not too sore to run 15 miles of trails the following day in a pair of KSO Treks.

Nutrition on the run

2010-04-07T12:54:00.000-05:00

During training for Clinton Lake 30M I had practically stopped taking calories during my runs with the goal of training my body to conserve glycogen and to get used to burning body fat. Since the race I've been trying to find a meal-on-the-run for ultras of at least 50M. In the past I've used Ensure shakes, but they always sit heavy in my gut for a while, which is pretty unpleasant. So I hit the kitchen.

I came up with a bar that so far has tested well. I ate a bar before each of my runs last weekend (Fri., Sat., and Sun.) and also during my run on Sat. and Sun. I actually felt like I hadn't eaten anything, which means that they must digest pretty well. Also, it means that there's no energy spike. There's more testing to do -- particularly after several hours of running. I need to see whether I can digest them when my system is really rejecting food, and to see whether they satisfy me when I'm very hungry.

I'm reluctant to post the recipe just yet because of the need for more testing. I also don't know the nutritional profile. So stay tuned...

A PR streak

2010-04-01T16:43:00.000-05:00

Throughout my running career so far, every race I've run has resulted in a PR for me at that race's distance, with 2 caveats and 2 exceptions.

Caveats: (1) I don't count my two DNFs, both in the 100-mile distance -- how would you count those, anyway? (2) Farmdale is NOT a 50K -- no way! I ran a solid race that day and finished 3rd just 22 seconds behind 2nd place Matt Condron. The course is not that hard, but my time was barely better than my personal WORST at the 50K distance (which was at my first ultra, Another Dam 50K in Ohio, 2008).

Exceptions: (1) Boston, 2009. I ran this just 9 days after running the McNaughton 50-miler (finishing 3rd -- guess who finished 2nd). I finished Boston in 3:11:48, slower than my PR of 3:06:26 (at Big Sur, a harder course than Boston). (2) In 2007 I ran two half-marathons, both as afterthoughts. I ran Madison in May to train for my first marathon and finished in 1:28:53. In the fall I planned to run my second marathon in Indianapolis, but I developed knee problems (which spurred me into my minimalist shoe migration, incidentally) during training. Poorly trained and injured, I ran the half-marathon and finished in 1:31:47.

My streak goes all the way back to my first 5K in 2004 and includes every distance I've completed with the exceptions above. It also includes Clinton Lake whether you count it as a 50K or not (it's a mile shorter but harder than many 50Ks). So I guess my goal at Ice Age this May is to beat my PR of 8:50:10 in the 50-mile distance, a PR that I set last year in the same race.

Clinton Lake 30M

2010-03-29T12:36:00.000-05:00

Clinton Lake, near DeWitt, IL, is kind-of a home course for me. A lot of friends are either running it or volunteering, so I get to see many familiar faces. This year it was on March 27, which gave us near-perfect conditions, with partly cloudy skies and temps in the mid 30s at the 7:30am start and low 50s by mid-afternoon. The trail was in great shape with only a couple of muddy spots. A perfect day for Chris's big finale. We'll miss Chris as RD; he's done a lot of work getting and keeping this race going. I'm sure his successors Bob and Mike will do a great job, too.

This year Chris decided to give awards to runners who would run the entire race either barefoot or in Vibram Five Finger shoes (so almost barefoot). I'd been gradually migrating to VFFs, so when I first heard of this I tentatively planned to run the race in VFFs. Then winter came. It snowed. It snowed again. And again. And it was cold. VFFs are not the warmest of things to wear on your feet. The point is they're pretty darn close to being barefoot -- well, barefoot is not really that comfy in the cold, snowy midwestern winter. I trained mostly in Inov-8s and New Balance 790s over the winter and wondered whether I'd really be ready to run 30 miles "barefoot" in March. Then I heard Tracy Thomas was making the prize for 1st barefoot runner. That settled it for me since she makes such great pottery. I'd run CL in VFFs and I'd run hard enough to bring home the trophy. As soon as the temps started reaching highs in the mid-30s, I dug out the VFFs. I was surprised at how well the KSO Treks handled in a foot of crusty refrozen snow.

The night before the race after packet pickup I dug out my bib and saw "Fastest in VFFs?" inked on it. My wife looked at me and said "no pressure." Heh.

The next morning Tracy hugged me and gave me words of encouragement that carried me through some tough times during the race. As the race started, I headed out with the lead pack so as to avoid getting trapped behind too many people who I would then have to struggle to pass. It's a trade-off between saving energy early by starting slow and starting fast enough so you don't waste energy passing people. Also, I have a tendency to start over-conservatively. I was sure I was the only one in the lead pack in VFFs. During our 1/4 mile jog along the road, as we settled into our paces, I met John Cash. He mentioned something about his feet being a little cold. Curious. Then we hit the single-track section and I let him go first. I looked down and saw a pair of VFF KSOs on his feet. As he picked up his pace a little I realized here was a guy I'd have to keep my sights on. The dozen or so of us in front ran the first couple miles at 8 min/mi pace, which I knew was not sustainable for most of us. I started to settle back a little, knowing that most of them would do the same, perhaps too late. I tried to keep my pace up enough to just stay in the race for a while. Now and then I glimpsed John's bright white shirt and hat. I made sure he didn't get too far ahead.

By the end of the first lap I was settling into a comfortable pace. Volunteers were there cheering the runners. As the race enters the parking lot at the end of each lap one can get a view of runners that are within a minute or two ahead or behind. In front of me I spotted Matt Condron and, just ahead of him, John Cash. As I started the second lap on the short stretch of asphalt I stretched out my stride and picked up the pace, and from behind I heard Bob O'Brien, who was volunteering: "don't turn on the afterburners yet!" Yeah, he's right. Push a little, give it some gas, but not the afterburners. I caught up with Matt and ran at his pace for a bit, which was -- as always -- strong and steady. Eventually he said he was slowing down, so I should pass (he was fighting hamstring issues but still ran strong). Now I had to chase down John. I soon found out that would not be easy. He was running strong and fast, and by all outward indication effortlessly -- just gliding along! "Maybe he's just better than me," I thought, but kept chasing him.

I finally caught up to John and ran at his pace just behind him. Eventually he let me pass, though I didn't feel up to running any faster. We just traded positions. Each time I walked a hill I worried that he would bolt on by. Half way through lap 2 we passed Jeff Riddle and Tom Rice, who were walking the trail in the opposite direction. Jeff commented that it's turning out to be quite a duel for 1st VFF runner. Yeah, it was sure feeling like one!

At the midway aid station I checked in but didn't stop, and I noticed that John stopped; I thought maybe this was my opportunity to leave him behind. Not so lucky as I soon heard him coming up from behind. Jeez, I can't shake this guy -- he's relentless! My mind see-sawed between thoughts: "I'm dead; he's gonna pass me any minute and bolt," coupled with the more existential "God is telling me not to be a runner." These thoughts traded places with "never, never, never give up." Thankfully, this last thought occurred with more frequency and power. I realized the lesson I was learning: things worth having don't come easily.

I wanted to beat John Cash because I wanted to beat those thoughts telling me I couldn't, it was too hard, I should give up. Opponents present wills against our own and bring us to face our desires. They give us someone in flesh to compete against, but we truly compete with ourselves. We continued this death struggle through the second lap and came into the start/finish essentially tied.

As I started the last lap I thought, "this is when the race begins." Time to push harder and warm up the afterburners. Then I started cramping. First my calves, near the top and inside, then my lower quads. Great. Also odd because I had been careful at keeping my electrolytes in balance. I had taken a Power Gel (200mg sodium) just 20 min into the race and took S-caps at 1, 2, and 3 hours, and then (after cramping) at about 3:30. I also took either a GU or Clif Shot (40mg) at about 45-min intervals. I cramped last year, too. The hills always win. They eat you and digest you slowly. Chris claims there are 99 hills. I don't know how he counts them, but GPS data indicate about a mile of elevation gain (and loss) over the 30 miles.

To ease the cramps I started to focus more on stretching out my stride, which seemed to help. The cramps came back whenever I tried to thrust up hills, which pointed to the problem. Too much from the legs, not enough from the core on the uphills. Whenever I hit fairly flat stretches I really pushed (from the core) and stretched out. As I walked the steep hills I massaged the areas that were cramping.

Over the last 10 miles I was able to put 7:37 between John and me. I also passed a few people and finished 5th overall in 4:24:37, about 12 min. faster than last year. I finished 1st in the barefoot/VFF division, which won me an awesome mug:

Logan Martin finished 1st overall, breaking his own course record in 3:42:47. Matt Small, winner of this years Riddle Run, finished 2nd in 4:05:04. 1st female was Rachel Furman at 4:32:47, and 2nd was Christine Crawford in 5:00:54. Christine was running her first ultra since last summer's series of injuries; it was great to see her back! Other than John and I, Kevin Cox and Joshua Sun also ran in Vibrams. There were 95 finishers and 9 DNFs.

Land Between the Lakes trail runs

2010-03-14T18:21:00.001-05:00

It was a day for setting records at the Land Between the Lakes trail runs on Sat., March 13. The weather was optimal, with temps staying in the 40s and overcast skies threatening but not delivering rain during the race. The night before, as I drove down from Champaign through continuous rain, I came to terms with a muddy course. I found out on race day that the rain had subsided in Grand Rivers, KY early enough for most of the course to dry out. There were muddy spots, but they were short and few. The result: ideal running conditions.

LBL is held on an 11.3-mile loop of single track trail between the Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Grand Rivers, KY. There are four events: 23K, marathon, 60K, and 50M, which amount to a choice of up to 4 laps with a short start and finish on the road leading to the trail. The region is entirely forested, so naturally there are some roots to watch out for, and there are a few rocky sections, but neither the roots nor rocks are a big obstacle. Little of the trail is completely flat, but the hills are mostly small with just about 950 ft. of climb (and decent) per lap. There are a few small streams to cross and some very nice lake views.

I opted for the 60K, which was plenty with just 2 weeks before the Clinton Lake 30M. I decided it would be a good over-distance training run for CL. We'll see how that works out. I definitely took it easy and dialed in form when I would have pushed for speed in a race. I had fun and played around with pacing. I started out slow then pushed hard after a couple warm-up miles, surging over the hills and deliberately killing my quads and spending my energy too early. I didn't take calories until around 2:30 into the run and I didn't take caffeine. I also held back when a guy I had met before the race passed me... oooh that was hard! I also allowed myself to walk if my body was telling me it really wanted to. My finish time was 5:53 and change, placing me 8th overall. I had aimed for 6hrs, so I was happy.

A few fellow Buffalo also made the trip to KY: Mike Ingrum finished his first marathon and Chris Migotsky and Bob O'Brien also ran the marathon. Gregg Rose, Jeff Riddle, and Tom Rice walked the course and gave me friendly "Bufalooo" shouts every lap, which was always something to look forward to.

Out of 8 events, there were 5 or 6* new course records. Each event saw a new male course record, and the marathon saw a new female course record. (*I didn't stick around long enough to find out whether the female 50M record was broken, and the results aren't up yet.)

pent-up energy produces digestible calories

2010-03-11T12:17:00.000-06:00

As the taper rolls on I'm starting to release some of my pent-up energy in the kitchen. Today I came up with a pretty decent drink that might serve as a good digestible meal either before or during a race or long run. I started with Scott Jurek's recipe but used oats instead of rice, and a combo of soy and coconut milk instead of soy powder. I'll post the recipe along with nutritional info on my recipe page.

Next I'll be trying to make a nutrition bar. I'll post the results of that.

As far as running goes, I should be hitting the finish line at LBL in a little less than 48 hours. I'm taking it easy, but not too easy. I wanna be ready for LBL, but not too fresh -- I don't wanna run it too hard. I'm tapering for CL, which is 2 weeks later.

strange days in training-- an experiment of one

2010-03-07T16:58:00.000-06:00

I'm still not clear on the idea of tapering. I guess I'm performing an experiment. I'm sorta tapering.

My race (LBL 60K) is in 6 days. A taper for that would have me taking it fairly easy at this point. I scaled the miles back a little this week, with 26 mid-week miles. Today and yesterday I did a little hill work at Clinton Lake and Forest Glen for 25 weekend miles-- too much if I'm tapering for LBL. But neither was over 15M, so I missed my usual distance run. Instead, I went for intensity and tried to run them hard (when it wasn't too slimy to get footing).

My routine has definitely changed-- more so with LBL in 6 days-- but I'm obviously not tapering for LBL. So here's the plan (experiment).

Clinton Lake is 3 weeks away and I've chosen to focus on it. Tapering for CL is a bit weird since I'll be doing a 37.3M run (race!) just 2 weeks out from CL. I've never been good at holding back during a race and thinking of it as just a training run (this has gotten me into trouble with at least one 100M attempt). I'm gonna try anyway, and the 60K will serve as an over-distance run for CL. It's on a very different course from CL (fewer hills), further, and (gulp) just 2 weeks out. The hill-work this weekend-- even without the distance-- should help keep me under control at LBL. If not, well, it'll be an over-distance with cojones.

My knocked back mid-week runs make the taper 4 weeks, but includes some very un-taper-like runs up to 2 weeks out from the race. Last weekend was also weird with a fast 21M on Sat. and nothing Sun. Oh yeah, and this was my first week running 100% in Vibrams. Yeah!

tapering & racing

2010-03-02T11:10:00.000-06:00

I like racing. There are people cheering for you and offering you stuff to eat and drink. That usually doesn't happen on training runs. I do races to train for other races. Depending on the distance, racing can act as a speed session with distance or as an opportunity to get in a really long run without too much boredom. I'm doing the Ice Age 50 mile race in May primarily to train for the Kettle Moraine 100 mile race in June. Doing a 50 mile training run would get pretty boring (though I might do one of those, too). On the other hand, 50K gives me the opportunity to really push it, amp up the pace, power through the distance, and to do it with camaraderie, encouragement, and support.

I guess a 60K is somewhere in between.

With racing comes tapering. Sigh. I don't know how to taper. I admit it. The problem is this: the usual taper time is 2-3 weeks before a race. Each time you taper, you lose 2-3 weeks of decent training. Suppose (uhum, hypothetically) one races every two weeks. Then one is in a perpetual state of tapering and racing. Bad. Even if you're not that extreme, if you race to train you lose the taper time from training. And that time adds up if you do many races. If racing is to be used as part of training, then tapering has to be handled more intelligently.

I'm not quite doing a race every two weeks, but I am doing a few fairly close together-- and Clinton is 2 weeks after LBL. Right now I am less than 2 weeks out from LBL. I shouldn't be tapering for Clinton or any subsequent race, but I should for LBL. See the problem?

I guess it comes down to how fresh you want to be on race day, and that's another variable in training. Some times it's good to start out with no energy in the tank to train your body (and mind) to function under those conditions, which always arise during ultras. Some times you want to be fresh so you can really push hard and move fast.

Right now I'm playin it by ear. My body is telling me it's a good time to scale it back, so I'm tapering.

KRR Fat Ass

2010-02-23T14:36:00.000-06:00

Marc and Deb always do an amazing job of making the KRR events so much fun you don't want to leave. The events are as much (more?) about the party afterward as about the run. The KRR Fat Ass was held last Saturday, Jan. 20, starting at 8 am, though a few opted for an early start. The course is a 7.1 mile trail around Lake Mingo in Kennekuk County Park. There is also a "Baby Ass" event which follows the 3.2-mile "Howl at the Moon" loop. To complete the Fat Ass, one runs 4 laps of Lake Mingo. One can also opt for the Large Ass (3 laps), the Average Ass (2), the Small Ass (1), or -- of course -- the Baby Ass. The event is pretty casual with no times recorded and each runner keeping track of their own mileage. The honor system prevails. 137 runners did at least the Baby Ass, with 13 doing the "Large Ass" and 4 finishing the Fat Ass.

We didn't see any precipitation, but it had been snowing around twice a week for the past few weeks and rarely getting above freezing. The result was a snow-covered trail that got packed down pretty quickly, making it very runnable but tougher than usual (bumpier, slicker and looser). The temps soared into the mid 30s Fahrenheit, gradually melting the snow in a few select spots that became very muddy by noontime. Fun stuff!

Because of the snow I wore my Inov8 212s for warmth instead of the Vibrams. I was kind of bummed to not get in some "barefoot" training, which I've missed a lot over the winter. The Inov8 is a very good shoe, but we'll see whether I'll be ready for the barefoot division at Clinton Lake next month.

Lately I've been training my body to run without external sources of fuel for increasingly long periods of time. The idea is to train the body to burn fat efficiently and to conserve glycogen. I drink water for hydration and take S-caps for electrolytes. I managed to wait until 3 hours into the run to gel up at the Fat Ass, which might be a minimal-nutrition PR. Since beginning this approach to nutrition, I've usually taken gel at around 2:20 into the run.

It is said that in the midwest whenever a few people gather in the same place it turns into a potluck. The KRR Fat Ass is no exception. Someone brought a chili that had squash in it and was some of the best chili I've ever eaten.

I'm really gonna miss running with this group. I can only hope that wherever I end up there will be a group of runners this friendly and fun to be around.

avoiding the slogger's blues

2010-02-16T15:24:00.011-06:00

Still snowy here in central IL. The trails are now covered with around a foot of powder. This makes trail running a different kind of workout than usual. I like to think of it as an opportunity to train on trails with uneven footing. We don't have much of those around here since glaciers pushed all of Wisconsin's top soil our way and covered up all the rocks. The result: pretty smooth trails. Except now (or when they get muddy, trampled, then freeze again). Snow also gives underfoot, so it's more work to propel oneself forward. This gives one a chance for a more significant workout, though it's tempting to let the mind wander and just start slogging. Slogging is not fun and too slow to even yield cardiovascular benefits, so it's really a waste of time.

On Saturday I'd planned a 15-20 miler at Forest Glen, a fairly tough course made much tougher with the snow. Bob Obrien drove as usual. By the end of the second 5-mile loop he'd succumbed to the slogger's blues and wanted to go home. I had to cut my run short. Next time I'll drive myself or make sure we both agree to a minimal distance.

Sunday was Valentine's day and time with the family, so Monday was my next chance, tho it would be a later run following Jenn's morning work routine. Forest Glen-bound again, I was happy until I read the sign "Park Closes at 4:30pm." It was quarter-past two. With these conditions, that wouldn't give me time to do even 2 laps. And they lock the gates going in and out. Lake Mingo it is. When I arrive there I read the becoming-familiar sign "Park Closes at 4:30pm." Kickapoo? At least it's close to Mingo and on the way home. And no gates! Yes, there's a sign that says it closes at 5, but I don't have to worry that if I'm a little late I'm stuck there. I decide to still try to abide by the rule and get out by 5. That gives me time for 3 laps of Clear Pond, so 9 miles. I guess this is turning out to be just a low-mileage week.
This weekend is the KRR Fat Ass around Lake Mingo, so I'll get a nice 28 miler then.

Leaving Kickapoo park I saw some deer by the road. As I drove closer, they watched but didn't run away.

mile pick-ups

2010-02-10T11:32:00.003-06:00

Snow fell again, piling half a foot on top of the few inches we already had. And it ain't melting. On top of that the wind really picked up last night making outdoor running, well, an adventurous proposition. It might have been fun, but after my b2b on snowy trails over the weekend I was ready for firmer surface, not to mention a warmer place to do some barefoot running-- well, VFF running.

Legs were still sore from Sunday, but I felt like picking up the pace, so I committed to a fartlek run, which allows me to customize pacing on the run. I ended up warming up for a mile at a steady 7:17 pace after jogging 1/4 mi, then doing mile pick-ups. The idea is you start each mile easy and gradually pick up the pace, finishing strong. Those were a fun change and, since you really only focus on one mile at a time, they broke up the monotony of running around and around the 1/8 mi track. I just counted laps, hit the split button on my watch after each set of 8, and let the watch count miles. I ended up doing 6 of these, for 8.25 total miles, but I didn't know that until looking at my watch later as I was leaving. Juan had a time constraint and we went by that as to when to quit.

It was especially fun to get back into the Vibrams. I felt like I could really stretch into my stride and just run naturally.

I've taken to wearing Injini socks under my Vibrams. Last night I wore a pair of the rainbow colored Injinis for the first time. I had been reluctant to wear these except casually since I noticed that when the colors of the socks change, there is a little knot in the thread tying the two different colored threads together. I was afraid the knots would irritate my feet. I was right. After the run my feet felt like they had lots of tiny little hotspots on them and it hurt to walk around. Today they're better-- thankfully they hadn't blistered. Lesson learned.

snow running and a tangent on watches

2010-02-07T15:56:00.004-06:00

The snow is beautiful with the sun making the snow and ice on the trees sparkle. It does make for harder running, tho. My planned back2back almost got sacked this morning when I didn't have anyone to pick up or pick me up. It's sooo easy to just say "I don't wanna drive 45 minutes to stomp through snow for a few hours." I was comfy just having my coffee at home. I got out there, tho, and boy am I glad! A 20 today at Clinton following a 14 yesterday at Mingo was a perfect workout in the snow. It's a lot harder to climb those hills when your feet are trying to slide down them-- more of a hip workout. And staying forward when the trail is bumpy with partly packed snow is another trick-- good for those lateral muscles. I tried to kick it especially on those downhills. Don't know why, just did.

All of that snow did slow my time drastically. 3:30 for 2 laps-- not my best time. But who cares anyway? I'm actually just getting back into the wearin-a-watch thing, and hence the timing thing. I had to get a watch for Riddle since we keep our own time for that race, but I hadn't worn one since summer. It's weird. Trails don't always compare, in spite of their mileage. Today at Clinton definitely didn't compare to most days on the same trail. Effort counts, not time. But it is a measure, like miles-- which don't count as much as effort either. Think about it this way: is the Pikes Peak Marathon the same as Chicago? Of course not.

I'm tired. Think I'll take a nap. Oh, no. Jo's up. Maybe not.

Thoughts on relocation

2010-02-05T12:51:00.005-06:00

Navigating some strange terrain these days. Life's a funny thing. Illinois has been my home for 4.5 years now and it won't be anymore after July. What's more puzzling is that I don't know where my home will be and I don't know what I'll be doing for money. What I do know is I will be running. That fact is playing a large role in how we (my wife is in on this) are aiming our wills.

Lately we have been looking very seriously at Oregon, particularly Bend. I think we would both be very happy there. For me it seems like a trail runner's paradise, and many great trail runners live there. Hope I can live up to the competition-- whatever, I think it'll be good for me. For her, closer to her family in Hawaii and 300 sunny days per year. Also, she gets into the hiking, biking, and just general nature appreciating, too (just maybe not as much as I do).

So now our hopes are on Bend. Job applications to fill out, and... what else? Hoping and-- I have trouble with this one-- praying.

Riddle Run

2010-01-30T15:29:00.001-06:00

Today the 11th annual Riddle Run today started with temps at around 13 Fahrenheit. Jeff (the RD) gives his speech before the start and as we're standing in snow my toes are getting numb. At the end of his speech he yells "go" we all start off for the snow-covered trail.

The conditions were significantly better than last year when the snow was deeper and never really packed down. This led to faster times, with the winner coming in at 3:58:30. That was Matt Small, who I ran with the entire race. We really had no idea either of us could win, but we managed negative splits the entire race, with our last lap at about 31 minutes. On that lap we passed 3 people, going from 4 & 5 to 1 & 2. Literally running side-by-side, when Jeff yelled out "you guys are first," we kind-of looked at each other and wondered what to do. One of the awards for winning the race is a right to register for the Clinton Lake 30M in March. The CL 30 fills fast, so even though the winner of Riddle still has to pay an entry fee, it's still a valuable prize. Matt hadn't signed up but I had, so we decided that he would finish just ahead of me.

Running San Francisco

2010-01-27T14:19:00.000-06:00

A while since my last entry. Well, holidays, travel, and other obligations made it hard to post.

I visited family in CO and MT and got a few runs in there, but I also got very sick and ended up taking 2 weeks off. Well, probably good to take the time off, anyway.

A week after returning from CO, I had a conference in San Francisco. I had spent a semester in Berkeley in 2007 and I was eager to get back to that area. That semester running in the hills east of Berkeley was when I really fell in love with running, especially trail running and especially long distance trail running. I just loved disappearing in those hills for as long as I wanted. I did my first trail ultra, "Another Dam 50K" in Ohio, the summer after I left Berkeley.

So I snuck away from the conference every chance I got to go running. Luckily I had a lot of chances and I ran all around the city, enjoying the hills the city is famous for. One day and ran across the Golden Gate Bridge into the Marin Headlands. Another day I hopped the BART across the bay wearing my running clothes to run in Berkeley. I got a few funny looks -- maybe because of my black Injini socks with my shorts, or maybe because of the Vibram Five Finger shoes. The San Francisco Bay is so full of beautiful natural places, stunning vistas, and very nice trails. I didn't want to come home, except that I missed my wife and daughter.

I've been back in IL for a little over a week. Last weekend, with 40-degree temps, made for nice trail running at Forest Glen, albeit muddy. Now it's snowy and cold again.

Riddle Run coming up this Saturday. Bound to be a cold one!

Starting anew

2009-12-16T14:17:00.001-06:00

It's a new season for me. What does that mean? Well, I've decided to call this time a "new season," that's what. OK, seriously, I took a week (6 days actually) off from running -- completely. That was last week and my first day back was last Saturday, when I ran 5 miles and walked 3 while I did some trail work with friends Bob and Mike at Forest Glen. Most of the "work" was surveying, including adding a new hill to avoid an eroded spot. It's a doosie.

Sunday we returned to run and do more work. Trails were wet and the new hill required pulling oneself up with an exposed root -- like a rope. Might need to add steps, maybe rocks from the stream. Fernando joined us and gave expert advice on bridge-building. We're trying to replace the rotten (and slippery) log currently being used.

"New season" really means a new approach to training. I'm working more yoga into my daily routine and I'm trying to run more from my core. Trying to make my stride feel easier and more natural. I'm continuing a migration toward less shoe. I'm building the distance in my Vibram 5 finger shoes. That might be tough during the cold weather. I have some wool Injini toe socks that I'm hoping will keep the piggies warm. We'll see. If not, my fall back shoe is Inov8 212, which is pretty minimal.

Not much else to say. This is the first post.