Short story: Went in knowing I wasn't perfectly trained and ended up doing pretty well (but not surprisingly well).
So I don't know really where to start this story but let's just say that most of the time I would have done as little work as possible in terms of picking up the bib and getting to the start. I was quite surprised that the day before the race the packet pick up place was also offering 20% off nutrition products if you went to the early bib pick up. Well, that did it for me. I had my eye on some sports drink for probably well over a year and was waiting and waiting for my chance to not pay full price for it. Well, I got it. I mixed some of it. And then within the first mile of the race I threw it on the ground. No joking.
The morning of the race went pretty normal. I got up and showered and shaved and made sure I put on some of that anti-chafing stuff. I had my normal chips, pbnj, banana and some gummy bears. On my way out of my house to my car I was struck with a problem I didn't even anticipate: was I going to need a headlamp? I really hadn't even thought at all about this. But I did have 2 headlamps with me, but would I actually start the race with one on my head?
After getting to the start and all that normal stuff the race started with out a lot of fan fare. Just the race director saying "thanks for giving me your money." After a short list of announcements we were off.
My strategy for this race was only to not go out too fast and just get to the finish. I didn't have the confidence that I was going to be able to pull out any last minute magic so I just kept going as best I could.
So the first part of the race was rather dark but this is the part where most people are closer together and I was able to enjoy the benefits of other's headlamps and before I knew it the sun was making plenty of light.
The first 2.5 miles of the race is basically up a steady grade, not a tough hill but a hill nonetheless. I was making my way up just fine when I was struck with the thought that I have had at other races: why am I carrying 2 pounds of water on my chest while climbing this hill? I knew the first aid station wasn't far and before I though much more I dumped most of my liquid because I didn't think it was necessary to carry it with me and I wanted to not waste the energy to do so. So there goes a few cents worth of my new sports drink I had been waiting over a year to enjoy. Oh well.
Well, the race is on Antelope Island and if you don't know much about the island let me just say that it is pretty in a unique way. It's not a must see national park and there aren't blindingly tall trees and majestic canyons or rock formations. It's an island surrounded by the salt lake in the middle of a desert. There's a lot of short grass and bushes. There are some trees on the island higher up on the mountain, but they aren't dense and have to survive in some pretty harsh environments. Plus there was a fire last year that burned a good half of the south part of the island and some evidence of the fire can still be seen.
Sometimes when I'm out there trudging around I'm convinced that scenes from Mordor from The Lord of the Rings could have been filmed there. Just this short grass surrounded by exposed rocks and on an overcast day can look quite dreary.
Well the weather forecast for race day was set to be hot, and it was. After the first 25miles the effects of the heat really set in. The course was still heading south and running into the wind was nice and it helped. On this part of the course I was actually pretty happy with my performance. My energy levels were decent and I was able to keep a decent pace. I was hoping that the ranch would be soon but it wasn't. The ranch is the next turn around point at mile 33 and it is really far.
Well, I made it out there. I drank as much as I could and ate some junk food which this race my normal grab consisted of cheeze-its and m&ms.. I also ate some orange slices when I could.
Soon after leaving the ranch at mile 33 the heat really set in. There wasn't much in the way of wind while running north and it was pretty tough. All I could really do was to focus on moving forward and try to make more running steps than walking steps as each mile moved on. For the first miles after this point I decided that I would try to run a full mile and then walk/run the next mile and try to go back and forth. It actually kind of worked until about mile 40. Looking at my splits it isn't really evident, but it really doesn't matter.
After passing the lower Frary aid station the 2nd time, about mile 38, I tried to keep up and just move. I was focused on getting to the fence where I knew I could just hike up the course along the fence up the hill and then get a chance for some level road/trail until the end.
One I got to the fence and up the hill I passed someone who was probably not feeling much better than me. And at the same time I got passed by someone else who seemed to be doing much better than I was. Well, not much to do at this point, I was pretty tired and just had to run my own race and not let anyone else get to me. Well, I ended up passing them again before the next aid station and then, to my surprise they didn't pass me again at all. Wow. Now that I think about it the people that I passed in the last 10 miles I'm not even sure which event they were running. They could have been 100 milers or 50 milers. I didn't really inspect bibs as they passed me or I passed them.
Well, after the last aid station the trail gets really interesting. It's rocky and has a lot of turns. It surprised me and it kind of thew off my rhythm of walking 25 step and running 100 steps. But no big deal. It was just me, the heat and the trail and about 2 miles to go. Just go I had to tell myself.
By this point I was about 1 hour behind my desired finish time but I guess my estimates were just too big for me. But I'm not disappointed or upset.
I had a great time out there. I'm glad that I never really descended into darkness and absolutely hated life like I did on my last 100k. No serious nausea or stomach problems. I did sort of lose my appetite at the last aid station but I was still drinking and I know that helped a lot.
Not sure if this race is calling me to come back yet, but it is a close race to my house and it really couldn't hurt to try and do it again.
Showing posts with label trail running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trail running. Show all posts
20170215
Inov-8 Men's Race Ultra 270 Trail Runner - Review
I'm usually looking for the best deals and then after I find one I search reviews and if they are favorable I usually hit the buy button.
So far I've logged probably about 50 miles on these shoes on all kinds of terrain from sand, slick rock, dirt, snow, ice and road and I haven't had issues.
Got these shoes for a screaming deal and after a few weeks of use I haven't been disappointed.
My favorite thing about these shoes is the rock plate. It does a great job of keeping sharp things on the trail from being felt too much. On the other hand there is also enough responsiveness so that it doesn't feel like you aren't in tune with the running surface.
So far I've logged probably about 50 miles on these shoes on all kinds of terrain from sand, slick rock, dirt, snow, ice and road and I haven't had issues.
The fit for me has be adequate and the toe box has plenty of room for my foot to spread out.
Recommended.
20160809
2016 Kat'cina Mosa 100k Adventure Mountain Run Race Review Report - Springville, Utah
The 2016 Kat’cina Mosa 100k - Race Review
It’s done. 5th place overall with about 70 people registered, and about 55 or so finished. I have no idea how many of those were DNS or DNF. So bottom line, getting in the top 5 is certainly evidence of a good performance and I’m proud of it. Read on for the details.
I woke up about 1:30am after about 3 hours sleep and got as ready as I could and showed up at the start about 30 mins early. I did all my normal pre-race stuff. I ate a banana, a PB&J and some potato chips and gummy bears. Drank some water and called it good. My brain wanted me to have a bathroom stop before the race but that didn’t happen. Oh well, I’d probably be stopping somewhere mid-race for a visit to the bushes. The start was about as expected and at 3am we were off.
I had a really cheap headlamp with me that I used and was certainly not the dumbest decision I made during the race, but it’s certainly not the smartest either. The headlamp was barely sufficient to light my way along the Squaw Peak road. I had never used this headlamp for anything and I wasn’t even certain the batteries were fresh. With everyone else and their stellar headlamps around me for the first few miles it wasn’t so bad. I was living off the other headlamps as much as I was my own. Eventually though my excitement and determination to finish this race in good time was enough to get me out a head by myself with a few other runners so far ahead of me that they were nowhere to be seen.
Of course one of the things about being out in the front of the pack is the marking of the course. I was fairly certain I was where I needed to be but boy were the markings for this course sparse. Throughout the race I went uncomfortably long distances without seeing markers and at least 2 times I was very near turning around.
The dark lasted quite a while and my pace was well above my goal pace and I knew that this wasn’t too bad because the climbing was certainly going to slow my pace a bit. The first 3 aid stations were over and done in the dark and I was feeling good and knew I was very close to the front. The 2nd big climb to Lightning Ridge came up and I was now passing some of the early starters. I asked one of them and they said I was the third runner. I was pretty excited by this and thought that if I could maintain that position I would be in good shape.
I consider my pace climbing up to this ridge to be a good performance on my part. I was able to keep a good pace all the way up and was feel pretty good. Eventually after the ridge there was some downhill that was a little bit more than I was expecting but not overly difficult. The trail did relent every now and then and I was able to pick up the pace some more and that was going good.
I got to the next aid station at Big Springs and was in and out in what was probably too fast of a time. I don’t even know what I ate or drank looking back at it. I was too excited to keep going.
As I was leaving I heard someone say about it being a really big hard climb coming up and I almost didn’t believe them. I thought that it probably wouldn’t be that bad. But well, it turned out it was. The sun was now up and making the exposed portions of the course rather hot and there were some tricky rocky portions of the trail that wasn’t exactly easy to cross. Again, I kept up my pace as best as I could and passed a few more of the early starters and some other hikers that weren’t participants in the event.
Windy pass seemed like it was forever away from the last aid station. I kept thinking that I could see it but I really didn’t have any clue where it was. Eventually I saw some people on the skyline that was pretty far off and I felt pretty sure that’s where I was headed. I did the best I could muster and eventually made it to Windy Pass. The aid station wasn’t much and I didn’t take much from them. I distinctly remember having some chips with me outside the aid station and throwing them down because my body didn’t want to eat it. I think this might have been an indication that something wasn’t quite right.
I was told that from windy pass it was downhill to the next aid station. Yes. I wanted that more than anything. Well, there was still some climbing then it did go down. But about 5k after windy pass the course was not downhill. It was more of a roller coaster than anything and again, it felt like forever to get to the next aid station. I kept up my pace as best as I could but I was in fact walking more than I would have like to.
The trail started to go down about a mile from the next aid station and I ran as much as I could. I was low on water and energy and it was more difficult to run than it really should have been at this point.
I got to the next aid station and knew that I had to make it quick or I was going to lose my 3rd place position. I changed my shoes and socks and wiped off my feet with wet wipes - they were very dirty. At this aid station there is an out-and-back portion that must be completed. I went up and back and was in pretty poor shape by the time I got back to the aid station. I stopped and knew that I was in bad shape but didn’t know what to do about it. I was a little nauseous and low on energy and didn't have any appetite. So the only thing that I could think of doing was moving forward. I could still do that and that’s what I came here to do.
I didn’t really know what the course looked like from here. I was about mile 40 and knew that it was more or less downhill from mile 52. So I had about 12 miles that I was hoping was going to be some flat, fast road but soon after the aid station was just up and nothing but up.
I was very low on energy and wasn’t eating like I should. I thought at the time that I had been getting enough liquids but looking back I’m not sure.
I walked a lot of this part of the course and kept expecting for another runner (or fifty) to just pass me like this race was a 10k. But surprisingly, no one did catch up to me.
I didn’t know where exactly the next aid station was but it finally appeared. I sat down and asked for a Red Bull. They gave me one and I drank all of it. I took some food but don’t think I ate much of it. Putting food in my mouth was something my body didn’t want. Chewing was hard and swallowing was almost impossible. I thought I was just going to immediately throw it up. I never did yak but I was not feeling well.
The course out of this aid station kept climbing, I sort of knew it would but had hoped it wouldn’t be too bad. Well, it was still tough. The good news is at this point was that I did feel okay and was able to get up the climb with surprising speed. I wasn’t doing 9 min miles but I was able to maintain a good balance of walking and running. That red bull did something. I’m not sure what, but something. I guess.
But after the climbing up my energy began to wane again. The trail leveled out and the sun was beating down pretty hot and I hit a rough patch again. I counted steps and tried to make sure that I was walking at least as many steps as I was running and kept moving forward.
I thought to myself how hard this race was. I really was, at this point, completely hammered. I was toast. I was fried. I was whooped. I was exhausted. I was out of it. I was zapped. I knew that someone was going to pass me before the finish. I was just trying to not make it too bad.
Eventually, out of the blue, someone did pass me. He was doing a much faster pace than I was. I said good job and he and his pacer were out of sight. 4th place, well, that’s still not bad.
The next aid station finally after what felt like an eternity finally came to view. I didn’t know what to do. Drink? Eat? I could drink but didn’t really feel like I needed a lot of water. I was still disgusted by eating. Didn’t think there was any point or benefit to taking the time to force myself to eat some chips or pretzels. I sat down and the nice people at the aid station helped as much as they could. But I was done. Totally done. But totally NOT done at the same time.
So I drank some red bull and some water and just left. I was hoping that since the rest of the course was downhill I would be able to just put my head down and go but it was not to be. I ended up just walking and running. Walking a few steps and running a few steps. When the course went up I walked and when it went down I did my best to run it. But I was still just a zombie moving at a meager pace.
After what felt like another eternity I came to the next aid station. I tried to get some water and food in but didn’t do so well. Had some red bull and got some cold water. With something like 6 miles left on pavement I was thinking 4th would be good if I could just get down the canyon in a decent fashion.
Well, as I sat at the aid station another person who looked like they were on mile 2 of a 10k race flew in and out of the aid station. Good for them, honestly. Now I was in 5th place. I guess this isn’t the finish so I guess I’ll keep going. And 5th isn’t that bad, right?
My brother came up to this point on his bike and rode with me for a while. But this was no fun for him. I wasn’t able to mentally engage in anything else and I could barely run anything at this point.
Before the race started I was looking forward to some fast miles in this part of the race. I had hoped that the canyon would be downhill and shady and since it was a road be a nice way to wrap up the race. Well, for me it was about 4pm and the sun was at a perfect angle to not provide any real shade from the trees. The road was surprisingly flat from my point of view. There was nothing good about this part of the race. I even had to dodge the traffic and that was no fun either.
Well, again, I tried as best I could to run as much as possible but I really couldn’t go for more than about a quarter mile before I had to walk a little. When the road straightened I tried looking back fully expecting a group of runners to just run past me. But no one did. I couldn’t believe it.
Finally after 13 hours and 49 minutes of the worst bashing of my life I crossed the finish line. In 5th place overall!
I think I underestimated this race but then when I say that it’s sounds weird in the context of 5th place overall in a 100 kilometer race. I know I did well in that sense, but I don’t think I did well in the overall execution of it. I don’t know if I should have held back earlier in the race or did something drastically different with my nutrition. But the nausea and the heat were mighty foes.I would like to have been able to run a little bit more consistently in the last 10 miles of the race.
But this is a good effort and a good learning experience for me. Even before I did this race I knew I was going to go at it with much more of a “race” mentality than I did earlier this year at the Zion 100k (where finishing was paramount to pace or place). I wanted to take more risks with this race even if it did mean crashing and burning. I don’t see this as being my last 100k and since I think I could do better, there’s a non-zero chance I'll come back in the future.
I had a really cheap headlamp with me that I used and was certainly not the dumbest decision I made during the race, but it’s certainly not the smartest either. The headlamp was barely sufficient to light my way along the Squaw Peak road. I had never used this headlamp for anything and I wasn’t even certain the batteries were fresh. With everyone else and their stellar headlamps around me for the first few miles it wasn’t so bad. I was living off the other headlamps as much as I was my own. Eventually though my excitement and determination to finish this race in good time was enough to get me out a head by myself with a few other runners so far ahead of me that they were nowhere to be seen.
Of course one of the things about being out in the front of the pack is the marking of the course. I was fairly certain I was where I needed to be but boy were the markings for this course sparse. Throughout the race I went uncomfortably long distances without seeing markers and at least 2 times I was very near turning around.
The dark lasted quite a while and my pace was well above my goal pace and I knew that this wasn’t too bad because the climbing was certainly going to slow my pace a bit. The first 3 aid stations were over and done in the dark and I was feeling good and knew I was very close to the front. The 2nd big climb to Lightning Ridge came up and I was now passing some of the early starters. I asked one of them and they said I was the third runner. I was pretty excited by this and thought that if I could maintain that position I would be in good shape.
I consider my pace climbing up to this ridge to be a good performance on my part. I was able to keep a good pace all the way up and was feel pretty good. Eventually after the ridge there was some downhill that was a little bit more than I was expecting but not overly difficult. The trail did relent every now and then and I was able to pick up the pace some more and that was going good.
I got to the next aid station at Big Springs and was in and out in what was probably too fast of a time. I don’t even know what I ate or drank looking back at it. I was too excited to keep going.
As I was leaving I heard someone say about it being a really big hard climb coming up and I almost didn’t believe them. I thought that it probably wouldn’t be that bad. But well, it turned out it was. The sun was now up and making the exposed portions of the course rather hot and there were some tricky rocky portions of the trail that wasn’t exactly easy to cross. Again, I kept up my pace as best as I could and passed a few more of the early starters and some other hikers that weren’t participants in the event.
Windy pass seemed like it was forever away from the last aid station. I kept thinking that I could see it but I really didn’t have any clue where it was. Eventually I saw some people on the skyline that was pretty far off and I felt pretty sure that’s where I was headed. I did the best I could muster and eventually made it to Windy Pass. The aid station wasn’t much and I didn’t take much from them. I distinctly remember having some chips with me outside the aid station and throwing them down because my body didn’t want to eat it. I think this might have been an indication that something wasn’t quite right.
I was told that from windy pass it was downhill to the next aid station. Yes. I wanted that more than anything. Well, there was still some climbing then it did go down. But about 5k after windy pass the course was not downhill. It was more of a roller coaster than anything and again, it felt like forever to get to the next aid station. I kept up my pace as best as I could but I was in fact walking more than I would have like to.
The trail started to go down about a mile from the next aid station and I ran as much as I could. I was low on water and energy and it was more difficult to run than it really should have been at this point.
I got to the next aid station and knew that I had to make it quick or I was going to lose my 3rd place position. I changed my shoes and socks and wiped off my feet with wet wipes - they were very dirty. At this aid station there is an out-and-back portion that must be completed. I went up and back and was in pretty poor shape by the time I got back to the aid station. I stopped and knew that I was in bad shape but didn’t know what to do about it. I was a little nauseous and low on energy and didn't have any appetite. So the only thing that I could think of doing was moving forward. I could still do that and that’s what I came here to do.
I didn’t really know what the course looked like from here. I was about mile 40 and knew that it was more or less downhill from mile 52. So I had about 12 miles that I was hoping was going to be some flat, fast road but soon after the aid station was just up and nothing but up.
I was very low on energy and wasn’t eating like I should. I thought at the time that I had been getting enough liquids but looking back I’m not sure.
I walked a lot of this part of the course and kept expecting for another runner (or fifty) to just pass me like this race was a 10k. But surprisingly, no one did catch up to me.
I didn’t know where exactly the next aid station was but it finally appeared. I sat down and asked for a Red Bull. They gave me one and I drank all of it. I took some food but don’t think I ate much of it. Putting food in my mouth was something my body didn’t want. Chewing was hard and swallowing was almost impossible. I thought I was just going to immediately throw it up. I never did yak but I was not feeling well.
The course out of this aid station kept climbing, I sort of knew it would but had hoped it wouldn’t be too bad. Well, it was still tough. The good news is at this point was that I did feel okay and was able to get up the climb with surprising speed. I wasn’t doing 9 min miles but I was able to maintain a good balance of walking and running. That red bull did something. I’m not sure what, but something. I guess.
But after the climbing up my energy began to wane again. The trail leveled out and the sun was beating down pretty hot and I hit a rough patch again. I counted steps and tried to make sure that I was walking at least as many steps as I was running and kept moving forward.
I thought to myself how hard this race was. I really was, at this point, completely hammered. I was toast. I was fried. I was whooped. I was exhausted. I was out of it. I was zapped. I knew that someone was going to pass me before the finish. I was just trying to not make it too bad.
Eventually, out of the blue, someone did pass me. He was doing a much faster pace than I was. I said good job and he and his pacer were out of sight. 4th place, well, that’s still not bad.
The next aid station finally after what felt like an eternity finally came to view. I didn’t know what to do. Drink? Eat? I could drink but didn’t really feel like I needed a lot of water. I was still disgusted by eating. Didn’t think there was any point or benefit to taking the time to force myself to eat some chips or pretzels. I sat down and the nice people at the aid station helped as much as they could. But I was done. Totally done. But totally NOT done at the same time.
So I drank some red bull and some water and just left. I was hoping that since the rest of the course was downhill I would be able to just put my head down and go but it was not to be. I ended up just walking and running. Walking a few steps and running a few steps. When the course went up I walked and when it went down I did my best to run it. But I was still just a zombie moving at a meager pace.
After what felt like another eternity I came to the next aid station. I tried to get some water and food in but didn’t do so well. Had some red bull and got some cold water. With something like 6 miles left on pavement I was thinking 4th would be good if I could just get down the canyon in a decent fashion.
Well, as I sat at the aid station another person who looked like they were on mile 2 of a 10k race flew in and out of the aid station. Good for them, honestly. Now I was in 5th place. I guess this isn’t the finish so I guess I’ll keep going. And 5th isn’t that bad, right?
My brother came up to this point on his bike and rode with me for a while. But this was no fun for him. I wasn’t able to mentally engage in anything else and I could barely run anything at this point.
Before the race started I was looking forward to some fast miles in this part of the race. I had hoped that the canyon would be downhill and shady and since it was a road be a nice way to wrap up the race. Well, for me it was about 4pm and the sun was at a perfect angle to not provide any real shade from the trees. The road was surprisingly flat from my point of view. There was nothing good about this part of the race. I even had to dodge the traffic and that was no fun either.
Well, again, I tried as best I could to run as much as possible but I really couldn’t go for more than about a quarter mile before I had to walk a little. When the road straightened I tried looking back fully expecting a group of runners to just run past me. But no one did. I couldn’t believe it.
Finally after 13 hours and 49 minutes of the worst bashing of my life I crossed the finish line. In 5th place overall!
I think I underestimated this race but then when I say that it’s sounds weird in the context of 5th place overall in a 100 kilometer race. I know I did well in that sense, but I don’t think I did well in the overall execution of it. I don’t know if I should have held back earlier in the race or did something drastically different with my nutrition. But the nausea and the heat were mighty foes.I would like to have been able to run a little bit more consistently in the last 10 miles of the race.
But this is a good effort and a good learning experience for me. Even before I did this race I knew I was going to go at it with much more of a “race” mentality than I did earlier this year at the Zion 100k (where finishing was paramount to pace or place). I wanted to take more risks with this race even if it did mean crashing and burning. I don’t see this as being my last 100k and since I think I could do better, there’s a non-zero chance I'll come back in the future.
20160730
Speedgoat 50k 2016
Done in 7:47 which is amazing. My watch says 7:46 but we’ll just take the ultrasingup.com at their word. I guess.
So the race starts. I’m still not that certain of how things are going to go. I know I have a plan but I don’t really know if I’m in better shape than last year or what to expect. I sort of thought that thinking that I could do better would be stupid to think. But anyway. Nothing too big transpires on the first part of the race. Getting to the first aid station I’m 3 mins ahead of my time from last year and I remember last year I was at the aid station longer because I had to tie my shoes. Well, I got in and out pretty fast. Got down to the halfway point in decent time. Right now looking back I do think that I might have been able to make it to the halfway point just a little bit faster if I would have tried just a little harder to make it down the river of torture. But still, at half way I was ahead of my estimated time. Now for the uphill. I took the uphill very well. I decided that I was going to run 10 steps and walk 10 steps. That may not seem like much but it was enough to get me ahead of at least 5 other people. It may have been a wash at the end of the day because some of those people passed me again but I still made time on myself compared to last year. About 6 mins faster than last year, which is absolutely awesome. So I get to the Mineral Aid Station the 2nd time and I’m doing and feeling great. I’m well ahead of last year. Of course to get to the next aid station is a lot of up so I just get out there and do it the best that I can. I was hoping to get some running steps in here but it wasn’t happening. This section is pretty steep and about 10,000 ft elevation. All I could do was just keep moving forward. No problem.
Get up to Mt Baldy in decent time and get down to the tunnel aid in good time. My split last year was 6:06 and this year I got to the same aid station in 5:40 - so i’m 26 mins ahead of my target time and I hadn’t even counted the time from getting lost last year. Hooray for that all the way home.
No problems to really speak of. In hindsight I sort of think I should have just gave a little bit more effort to get down and up parts of the course. But when I’m exceeding expectations in every way it’s hard to say that something different should have been done.
So I’m huffing and puffing up to Hidden Peak for the 2nd time and it’s great. I like the fact that there aren’t a lot of runners around me and that every 20 mins or so I pass someone.
Eventually I get to Hidden Peak the 2nd time and get in and out as quick as I can. Getting to the finish is by no means a picnic with some climbing and some pretty steep downhill still to manage. But I do okay.
Funny thing? I'm rolling up to the finish and couldn't have been more than about 1/3rd of a mile from it. I decide that I'm making good time and I'm thirsty enough that I need a drink. I take out my water bottle and slow down just a little. As I tilt my head back to drink my foot lands on a rock a little sideways and my calve muscle cramps and stops me dead in my tracks. I don't know what to do because I've never had this happen before. I can't move my leg. I try to rub it but that doesn't seem to do anything. Within probably 20 seconds I'm back up and moving to the finish. That was weird.
Notes:
Ate pbnj, a ziplock bag of chips, banana a few gummy bears about 30 mins before the race.
Did go to the bathroom before it started - always a good sign.
Felt like I drank a lot. I tried to finish off my water bottle before every aid station or finish it as I was coming in to the aid station. Tried to do the same with the electrolyte drink stuff they had as well.
Also felt like I didn’t eat as much as previous races.
Had some Red Bull at an aid station or two. No complaints.
Had some good pizza at the finish line with a sugar free red bull. An acceptable way to end the race.
Had my camp chair at the finish and that was very nice to have available.
Sponge bathed myself at the finish - at least my arms, legs and feet. Then put on some clean dry clothes. Always worth it.
Didn’t hang at aid stations at all. Always left with my water bottles filled. One with water the other with the sports drink stuff.
Ate more fruit on this course than I remember ever eating before.
Fruit is really great for eating right after eating chips or something like it. It “washes” out the crumbs. I really liked it. I hadn’t done this before. And I need to remember to do it again.
There were no gels at the aid stations? Just a big bottle that they would transfer to another container that you would have (if you did). Not a preference of mine to have it this way but I understand the desire to avoid trash and cut down on waste.
I only had maybe 2 gels outside of aid stations for the whole course. I think that last year I was trying to eat some religiously and that was probably 6.
Walk 10 steps and run 10 steps works (this is counting one as every other left footfall). It worked for me as long as I was at the right elevation which is about 8-9,000 feet. About 9500 feet it gets harder depending on how steep the trail is, of course.
I think my foot got caught up on a rock or two but no problems at all - just a very minor stumble.
I fell on my butt twice. Once while going down on the snow. No problems. Another time just going down some loose dirt and small rocks. My hands went back and luckily didn’t hit anything sharp. Very minor problems.
My Hokas (Challenger ATR) are, um, okay, I guess. They are light shoes and light doesn’t really go super well with durable. So while they have been okay shoes I’m worried that the soles are going - they look very torn and chewed up. Will they last me through the next race? I'm not confident.
Notes:
Ate pbnj, a ziplock bag of chips, banana a few gummy bears about 30 mins before the race.
Did go to the bathroom before it started - always a good sign.
Felt like I drank a lot. I tried to finish off my water bottle before every aid station or finish it as I was coming in to the aid station. Tried to do the same with the electrolyte drink stuff they had as well.
Also felt like I didn’t eat as much as previous races.
Had some Red Bull at an aid station or two. No complaints.
Had some good pizza at the finish line with a sugar free red bull. An acceptable way to end the race.
Had my camp chair at the finish and that was very nice to have available.
Sponge bathed myself at the finish - at least my arms, legs and feet. Then put on some clean dry clothes. Always worth it.
Didn’t hang at aid stations at all. Always left with my water bottles filled. One with water the other with the sports drink stuff.
Ate more fruit on this course than I remember ever eating before.
Fruit is really great for eating right after eating chips or something like it. It “washes” out the crumbs. I really liked it. I hadn’t done this before. And I need to remember to do it again.
There were no gels at the aid stations? Just a big bottle that they would transfer to another container that you would have (if you did). Not a preference of mine to have it this way but I understand the desire to avoid trash and cut down on waste.
I only had maybe 2 gels outside of aid stations for the whole course. I think that last year I was trying to eat some religiously and that was probably 6.
Walk 10 steps and run 10 steps works (this is counting one as every other left footfall). It worked for me as long as I was at the right elevation which is about 8-9,000 feet. About 9500 feet it gets harder depending on how steep the trail is, of course.
I think my foot got caught up on a rock or two but no problems at all - just a very minor stumble.
I fell on my butt twice. Once while going down on the snow. No problems. Another time just going down some loose dirt and small rocks. My hands went back and luckily didn’t hit anything sharp. Very minor problems.
My Hokas (Challenger ATR) are, um, okay, I guess. They are light shoes and light doesn’t really go super well with durable. So while they have been okay shoes I’m worried that the soles are going - they look very torn and chewed up. Will they last me through the next race? I'm not confident.
Conclusion: Knowing what to expect help me a lot and that alone probably got me plenty of time over last year. Drinking a lot helped, too. Of course training played a big part and I did have more trail miles and vert then I did last year. I'm not committed to returning next year but I'd say chances are better that I might.
20160626
Speedgoat 50k 2016
Well, overall I got 7:46:53 according to the watch. That’s an average pace of 14:28 v
Some report:
Done in 7:47 which is amazing. My watch says 7:46 but we’ll just take the ultrasingup at their word. I guess.
So the race starts. I’m still not that certain of how things are going to go. I know I have a plan but I don’t really know if I’m in better shape or what to expect. I sort of thought that thinking that I could do better would be stupid to think. But anyway. Nothing too big transpires on the first part of the race. Getting to the first aid station I’m 3 mins ahead of my time from last year and I remember last year I was at the aid station longer because I had to tie my shoes. Well, I got in and out pretty fast. Got down to the halfway point in decent time. Right now looking back I do think that I might have been able to make it to the halfway point just a little bit faster if I would have tried just a little harder to make it down the river of torture. But still, at half way I was ahead of my estimated time. Now for the uphill. I took the uphill very well. I decided that I was going to run 10 steps and walk 10 steps. That may not seem like much but it was enough to get me ahead of at least 5 other people. It may have been a wash at the end of the day because some of those people passed me again but I still made time on myself compared to last year. About 6 mins faster than last year, which is absolutely awesome. So I get to the Mineral Aid Station the 2nd time and I’m doing and feeling great. I’m well ahead of last year and I’m doing great. Of course to get to the next aid station is a lot of up so I just get out there and do it the best that I can. I was hoping to get some running steps in here but it wasn’t happening. All I could do was just keep moving forward. No problem.
Get up to Mt Baldy in decent time and get down to the tunnel aid in good time. My split last year was 6:06 and this year I got to the same aid station in 5:40 - so i’m 26 mins ahead of my target time and I hadn’t even counted the time from getting lost last year. Hooray for that all the way home.
No problems to really speak of. In hindsight I sort of think I should have just gave a little bit more effort to get down and up parts of the course. But when I’m exceeding expectations in every way it’s hard to say that something different should have been done.
So I’m huffing and puffing up to Hidden Peak for the 2nd time and it’s great. I like the fact that there aren’t a lots of runners around me and that every 20 mins or so I pass someone.
Eventually I get to Hidden Peak the 2nd time and get in and out as quick as I can. Getting to the finish is by no means a picnic with some climbing and some pretty steep downhill to manage. But I do okay.
Funny thing? I'm rolling up to the finish and couldn't have been more than about 1/3rd of a mile from it. I decide that I'm making good time and I'm thirsty enough that I need a drink. I take out my water bottle and slow down just a little. As I tilt my head back to drink my foot lands on a rock a little sideways and my calve muscle cramps and stops me dead in my tracks. I don't know what to do because I've never had this happen before. I can't move my leg. I try to rub it but that doesn't seem to do anything. Within probably 20 seconds I'm back up and moving to the finish. That was weird.
Notes:
Ate pbnj, a ziplock bag of chips, banana a few gummy bears about 30 mins before the race.
Did poop before it started - always a good sign.
Felt like I drank a lot. I tried to finish off my water bottle before every aid station or finish it as I was coming in to the aid station. Tried to do the same with the electrolyte drink stuff they had as well.
Also felt like I didn’t eat as much as previous races.
Had some red bull at an aid station or two. No complaints.
Had some good pizza at the finish line with a sugar free red bull.
Had my camp chair at the finish and that was very nice to have available.
Sponge bathed myself - at least my arms, legs and feet. Then put on some clean dry clothes. Always worth it.
Didn’t hang at aid stations at all. Always left with my water bottles filled. One with water the other with the sports drink stuff.
Ate more fruit on this course than I remember ever eating before.
Fruit is really great for eating right after eating chips or something like it. It “washes” out the crumbs. I really liked it. I hadn’t done this before. And I need to remember to do it again.
There were no gels at the aid stations? Just a big bottle that they would transfer to another container that you would have (if you did). Not a preference of mine to have it this way but I understand the desire to avoid trash and cut down on waste.
I only had maybe 2 gels outside of aid stations for the whole course. I think that last year I was trying to eat some religiously and that was probably 6.
Walk 10 steps and run 10 steps works (this is counting one as every other left footfall). It worked for me as long as I was at the right elevation which is about 8-9,000 feet. About 9500 feet it gets harder depending on how steep the trail is, of course.
I think my foot got caught up on a rock or two but no problems at all - just a very minor stumble.
I fell on my butt twice. Once while going down on the snow. No problems. Another time just going down some loose dirt and small rocks. My hands went back and luckily didn’t hit anything sharp. Very minor problems.
My Hokas (Challenger ATR) are, um, okay, I guess. They are light shoes and light doesn’t really go super well with durable. So while they have been okay shoes I’m worried that the soles are going - they look very torn and chewed up. Will they last me through the next race? I'm not confident.
Notes:
Ate pbnj, a ziplock bag of chips, banana a few gummy bears about 30 mins before the race.
Did poop before it started - always a good sign.
Felt like I drank a lot. I tried to finish off my water bottle before every aid station or finish it as I was coming in to the aid station. Tried to do the same with the electrolyte drink stuff they had as well.
Also felt like I didn’t eat as much as previous races.
Had some red bull at an aid station or two. No complaints.
Had some good pizza at the finish line with a sugar free red bull.
Had my camp chair at the finish and that was very nice to have available.
Sponge bathed myself - at least my arms, legs and feet. Then put on some clean dry clothes. Always worth it.
Didn’t hang at aid stations at all. Always left with my water bottles filled. One with water the other with the sports drink stuff.
Ate more fruit on this course than I remember ever eating before.
Fruit is really great for eating right after eating chips or something like it. It “washes” out the crumbs. I really liked it. I hadn’t done this before. And I need to remember to do it again.
There were no gels at the aid stations? Just a big bottle that they would transfer to another container that you would have (if you did). Not a preference of mine to have it this way but I understand the desire to avoid trash and cut down on waste.
I only had maybe 2 gels outside of aid stations for the whole course. I think that last year I was trying to eat some religiously and that was probably 6.
Walk 10 steps and run 10 steps works (this is counting one as every other left footfall). It worked for me as long as I was at the right elevation which is about 8-9,000 feet. About 9500 feet it gets harder depending on how steep the trail is, of course.
I think my foot got caught up on a rock or two but no problems at all - just a very minor stumble.
I fell on my butt twice. Once while going down on the snow. No problems. Another time just going down some loose dirt and small rocks. My hands went back and luckily didn’t hit anything sharp. Very minor problems.
My Hokas (Challenger ATR) are, um, okay, I guess. They are light shoes and light doesn’t really go super well with durable. So while they have been okay shoes I’m worried that the soles are going - they look very torn and chewed up. Will they last me through the next race? I'm not confident.
Conclusion: Knowing what to expect help me a lot and that alone probably got me plenty of time over last year. Drinking a lot helped, too. Of course training played a big part and I did have more trail miles and vert then I did last year. I'm not committed to returning next year but I'd say chances are better that I might.
20160530
Next Up?
Well, I'm going back to Speedgoat in July. The race this year is a few weeks earlier than last year. I haven't read why but I don't think there's going to be a problem. I guess there might be some more snow than usual but who knows if that will affect the course at all.
Last year's Speedgoat 50k beat me up pretty good. It was the first race where right in the middle I was thinking "what would happen if I just stopped right now and called it quits?" Well, I didn't call it quits and I did pretty good overall for myself. I do remember getting to the highest point in the race and not even thinking about pace anymore. In fact, I was quite tired, upset and just wanted to be done. I had some guy take a picture of me at the top and I don't know if it was him or someone else who was sort of prodding me to not stop or slow down (even for the picture) and keep going and in my head I was just thinking "shut up." Here's a picture of that point. Not a lot of joy on my face.
Last year's Speedgoat 50k beat me up pretty good. It was the first race where right in the middle I was thinking "what would happen if I just stopped right now and called it quits?" Well, I didn't call it quits and I did pretty good overall for myself. I do remember getting to the highest point in the race and not even thinking about pace anymore. In fact, I was quite tired, upset and just wanted to be done. I had some guy take a picture of me at the top and I don't know if it was him or someone else who was sort of prodding me to not stop or slow down (even for the picture) and keep going and in my head I was just thinking "shut up." Here's a picture of that point. Not a lot of joy on my face.
Here's a video that was on the way up to Mt Baldy(?) at 11,000+ feet.
But of course I have no intent of letting the race get the best of me and I felt like I have had a score to settle with the race if only to improve on my time a little.
So that's coming up soon and then I don't have another race until the St George Marathon on 1 October.
I've been looking for another race and don't know what I want to do. Part of me wants to get a half marathon in to try and beat my PR of 1:25 and part of me just wants to get in a few full marathons in just to get in the mindset and really get ready for STG. Then another part of me just wants to get out on a trail race because I love the mountains and the trees and the dirt.
So will it be the Huntsville Marathon? Right now it's 2 weeks before SGT and I think its a decent price and a good choice. Other than that there's a few other races that are really tempting. Kat'cina Mosa 100k? Or the Morgan Valley Marathon?
So will it be the Huntsville Marathon? Right now it's 2 weeks before SGT and I think its a decent price and a good choice. Other than that there's a few other races that are really tempting. Kat'cina Mosa 100k? Or the Morgan Valley Marathon?
Going to admit that no one is really reading this but on the off chance someone out there actually has an opinion on what race I should or should not run, let me know!
20160411
The Zion 100k Ultramarathon 8 April 2016
Drove down. Got the bib and shirt and things. Got the things ready. Slept. Got up. Bathroom. Got ready. Had a peanut butter and jelly sammich, a banana and some gummy bears. Race started.
This is where the adventure begins. But first, let’s go back. This was my first 100k and my training could have been a little bit better and mentally I think that I wasn’t in the most ideal place to take on this race. But I was still going to run it and I was still going to do the best that I could. I was very afraid of going out too fast and then not having enough left over for the rest of the race. So the whole race I was just concerned with not pushing too hard. I didn’t.
The race starts going out and pretty much instantly climbs up to the Flying Monkey aid station. With well over 250 runners going up the single track trail it’s not easy to pass. Since I wasn’t going out too fast, I just stayed around where I was and I didn’t try passing the 100 mile runners or worrying too much about it. So that climb was a fair amount of walking but no problem. Eventually we got up to the aid station and then the running could really continue and the crowd thinned out a bit. I was fine with where I was and just kept going. The scenery was beautiful and the 4x4r trail was plenty of fun and nothing too difficult to manage.
Came up to the Flying Monkey aid station again and made sure I stuffed down a few calories. A handful of M&Ms did it for me. The descent from the aid station was surprisingly a little harder to run than I was hoping because of the steep and rocks but once the trail got a little smoother I was able to pick up a few miles going faster.
Eventually the trail made it’s way to the Dalton Wash aid station where I got some more food, water, and all that. I left the aid station and continued up the hill to go up and over to the actual Dalton Wash road that goes up to the next aid station. The road was smooth and very runnable and I was able to keep a decent pace. Eventually I thought about the hill and how it was probably the last really runnable climb of the race. The next climb after this one I knew it wasn’t going to be runnable so I decided that I would try to get up this hill a little faster rather than just walking up it. So I did a little bit more running than walking until I got to the top.
Next aid station: Guacamole. Got some food and didn’t hang out too long. As the trail continued it turned to being a 50/50 mix of sandstone and dirt. But the trail was in a constant state of flux between the two. Sometimes it would be rock and runnable then it would turn to a short sharp drop off or a steep short climb. Both of which needed a change of pace to transfer. So it’s not always the easiest to keep a fast pace. But I was able to keep my desired pace of 11min average for a few of those miles. No problems. Got back to Guacamole aid station and continued on making sure I was eating and drinking enough.
Got back on to the road that goes down and back to the Dalton Wash aid station. Be careful what you wish for. I sort of wanted to be running fast when I was on the Guacamole trail but then when I was on the road it was a boring death march of just a boring dirt road. Well, at least it was going down and at least I was going a little faster and at least I was getting my overall average pace down a little bit, too. So it wasn’t all bad. At this point I was feeling okay. My plan all along was to change my shoes at the next aid station and I was looking forward to it. The shoes I had had on thus far weren’t my favorites, but as it has turned out have performed well enough for the job. There was a decent climb up to go up and over back to the aid station and it felt good to my legs and lungs to get that change in.
I got to the aid station and changed my sock and shoes and at some food then kept going as well as I could. It got a little cloudy but the temperatures were nice and there were no problems. I just kept going as well as I could to get up to the bottom of the next climb. I made it up the next climb by mostly walking as it was at least a 30% grade, if not more in some spots. The next aid station, Goosebump, was welcome and I don’t remember spending a lot of time there but I do remember not wanting to eat anything but pretty much forcing myself to eat some food. I really didn’t want to. So I just took some bacon and some other stuff. I remember leaving the aid station with 2 oreo cookies and I carried them for a few miles. I knew I had to eat it but I really didn’t want to eat it. I think I ate some and eventually just chucked the rest of it.
The trail up on this mesa wasn’t too different from that of the Guacamole trail. Lots of transitioning from rock to dirt and back. Up and down left and right and just a constant roller coaster for the majority of the time. There’s no real chance to just turn off and tune out and just go forward because you gotta stay on the trail and that requires the metal work of noticing the trail makers and not getting carried off in a direction that “feels” like it’s the course. I got turned around once or twice but no big mistakes that set me back any significant amount of time.
By this time, my poor old watch just didn’t have the juice it once did so it was beeping at me that the battery was dying and I was annoyed with it anyway and didn’t want to look at it because I was either going to get depressed or upset at what it was telling me. (I was running as much as I could so screw my friggin’ watch and its “data”) So it eventually just died and I had a useless electronic strapped to my wrist. No idea and no clue what my pace was or if I was doing okay or not.
A mixed bag of emotions with not having a source of objective information about where I was and how I was doing. I was now, mentally, just wanted the race to be over and wasn’t concerned with advancing or seeing any real benefit to pushing really hard. But then since I didn’t have any information about where I was it was hard to gauge how far it was going to be to the next aid station or the finish. So I did the only thing I really could do, just move forward. From Goosebump the second time to the next aid station I did the best I could but I wasn’t really feeling very energetic and didn’t have much motivation but to just run the flat and downhill parts and walk the uphill. I did what I could. Eventually I caught up to a female runner who wasn’t feeling great. We chatted a little and eventually had to pass her.
Virgin Desert aid station was next and it was welcome. I didn’t spend a lot of time there but did get some gummy bears and some water and I felt alright. A nice guy from Vancouver asked me if I’d like to run to the finish together and help each other out. I couldn’t argue with that. So we set off. I was feeling pretty hammered but not totally destroyed. I had to walk the uphills but was still moving forward alright I thought. This kind of worried me as I was thinking that I maybe I should feel a little bit more tired in my legs than I was feeling. Eventually our partnership ended - I had to keep moving and my buddy was needing to walk too much. It’s not like I was going that much faster but I was not really willing to walk. Ended up only about 2 minutes ahead of him.
The rain started and then the ground really got muddy but luckily this was only about a half mile from the end of the race. Reaching the end was glorious and was very happy to have it over and to make it the whole way.
Getting back to “normal” took a while. I didn’t have much of an appetite and I didn’t really want to move. We got to the hotel and I bathed and got cleaned up but then just laid in bed. My legs were on the verge of cramping and I did what I could to just relax. The next day my body was still very tired and fatigued, but I could walk and it really wasn’t that bad. However, I just didn’t feel like my body was all the way back to normal operations. Anyway. A few good nights sleep has remedied that and I’m feeling fine now. Let’s do it again!
Finishing my first 100k was awesome. It’s always hard to look back and wonder what could have had happened if something had changed. Should I have bought that expensive watch that could have lasted the whole race? Should I have pushed harder up the hills? Should I have started out just a little bit faster? Should I have found someone who was going a lot faster and just stuck with them? Should I have spent less time at the aid stations? Should I even be that concerned with finishing faster at all?
However, the bottom line is this: I love running, and trail running especially. Being out there during the race is really one of the funnest things I can imagine. The experience itself is incredible regardless what the data says at the end of the day. Just like days in life, some are better than others. I think this race was a great day even if I think I might have been able to finish a little faster.
20160325
2 Weeks Notice
I'm running the Zion 100k Ultra Marathon put on by Ultra Adventures in 2 weeks from today. So, if everything goes according to plan, I'll be in Southern Utah with nothing to do but move forward for about 11 hours.
So far training has been going well. I got in one training run over 30 miles and a few over 20 miles. And one good weekend of back-to-back long runs. So while if I had more time and energy to dedicate to just training for this race things might be going slightly differently, given the circumstances however, things are going fine. No injuries and some good quality running have been happening so I don't expect anything very bad to happen on race day.
Current plan is to take the next two weeks to keep some good base mileage in but not to do anything very strenuous. Tomorrow (Saturday) I might go out and get about 20 miles in but I don't expect to be doing race pace or anything.
Also I need to eat less food and that is one of the things that I want to do is to lose a little bit of weight before race day. The thought of having a few less pounds of mass to carry with me through the race makes me think that this is one way that I can increase my efficiency. Less mass means less energy to move it, right?
As for plans for performance on race day? Bottom line: finish in less than 11 hours. I've looked at the results from the previous years and (this year's course has changed a little as the start line has moved a little but results I don't think are going to be affected very much) I would really like to be in the top 10. Personally this is where things get me nervous and excited in a good way.
A few weeks a go I was sitting at work and was going over the race and thinking about things like shoes and drop bags and pacers and nutrition and in that moment I had to take a step back and realize how I felt as I was planning for race day. I love race day. I have been extremely lucky and blessed to be able to run so many races. Right there in my stupid windowless office I was just struck with the realization of how much I not just like to run, but how much I love race day.
So far training has been going well. I got in one training run over 30 miles and a few over 20 miles. And one good weekend of back-to-back long runs. So while if I had more time and energy to dedicate to just training for this race things might be going slightly differently, given the circumstances however, things are going fine. No injuries and some good quality running have been happening so I don't expect anything very bad to happen on race day.
 |
| This morning out on a favorite stretch of road. |
Current plan is to take the next two weeks to keep some good base mileage in but not to do anything very strenuous. Tomorrow (Saturday) I might go out and get about 20 miles in but I don't expect to be doing race pace or anything.
Also I need to eat less food and that is one of the things that I want to do is to lose a little bit of weight before race day. The thought of having a few less pounds of mass to carry with me through the race makes me think that this is one way that I can increase my efficiency. Less mass means less energy to move it, right?
As for plans for performance on race day? Bottom line: finish in less than 11 hours. I've looked at the results from the previous years and (this year's course has changed a little as the start line has moved a little but results I don't think are going to be affected very much) I would really like to be in the top 10. Personally this is where things get me nervous and excited in a good way.
A few weeks a go I was sitting at work and was going over the race and thinking about things like shoes and drop bags and pacers and nutrition and in that moment I had to take a step back and realize how I felt as I was planning for race day. I love race day. I have been extremely lucky and blessed to be able to run so many races. Right there in my stupid windowless office I was just struck with the realization of how much I not just like to run, but how much I love race day.
20160314
Mizuno Wave Kazan Trail Running Shoe Reivew
They are sold as a trail running shoe. But for me and my part, they are not good trail running shoes. The only instance that I can think of where these would be good on the trials is where the surface is not more than flat grass or hard dirt. Throw any rocks or roots in to the mix and what you have is a not fun shoe.
So I took them out on the road this morning and they were just fine. I don't have a big problem with the shoes on anything except technical terrain. They are light and do feel like they are well built. But on the few trails that I have taken them on any rocks are very noticeable as there does not seem to be any sort of method to stiffen the sole.
So that's the bottom line. I still expect them to last a while and be a decent shoe. Good construction and all that, but I did buy them to race in and I can't think of one race where I would want every rock translated through to my foot.
 |
| Notice the unique star pattern on the sole. |
20160311
Weekly Mileage
I'm increasing my weekly mileage in preparation for the Ultra Adventures Zion 100k Race. This week so far I've got 50 miles. What's funny is that this number isn't a high one for some people. But for other people this number is crazy. So, while I'm not even done with the week of running yet I've already run more than most do in a single week.
I plan on running 20+ tomorrow. I might get in 40k but I'm planning on about 35k.
At this point the most important thing for me to do is to get more time on my feet. Distance doesn't matter and speed doesn't really matter. Sure, I do get some speed work in and I do get some vertical in, but getting in the time is the number one priority.
I have a very lay study on the subject but tend to think that this is why some people don't get what they would like to get out of running. If some would just slow down and get out for longer periods of time, they would see many benefits. Cardiovascular benefits, mental benefits, and skeletal benefits can all result from just getting out and doing the time.
I plan on running 20+ tomorrow. I might get in 40k but I'm planning on about 35k.
At this point the most important thing for me to do is to get more time on my feet. Distance doesn't matter and speed doesn't really matter. Sure, I do get some speed work in and I do get some vertical in, but getting in the time is the number one priority.
I have a very lay study on the subject but tend to think that this is why some people don't get what they would like to get out of running. If some would just slow down and get out for longer periods of time, they would see many benefits. Cardiovascular benefits, mental benefits, and skeletal benefits can all result from just getting out and doing the time.
20160228
Hoka One One Challenge ATR Review
After a few runs on the treadmill with these, I finally got these puppies out on the trail. Did about 10 miles of relatively flat trail at a relatively easy pace.
My current assessment is that these are pretty good shoes. And seeing as how I got them for less than 50 bucks when they retail for over $130, it's hard for me to really complain.
My previous pair of trail running shoes have been worn out and getting these things is like going from broken struts on a cheap old car to a new Rolls Royce.
These shoes have much more cushioning than shoes normally have so they soak up bumps like nothing and even after several miles they don't feel like the ground is connected to the skin of your feet.
While the color isn't my first choice, the other more objective things about the shoe make it worth it. They weigh very little even with the extra cushioning and the materials are top notch.
20151119
Antelope Island 50k - 14 November 2015
Got to the race check in - I had already showered and shaved by this point and had my pb&j and banana. I got my bib and shirt and then went out to the start line. It was kind of cold but the sun came up just as the race was starting and then in the first mile we were back in the cold shade again. I had my strategy to not go too fast at this point so I did my best to hold back - especially on the uphill. Across the flatter parts I was still going pretty quick and the downs I was going slightly faster. The first aid station I stopped and got some water and Gatorade then got some sugar in the form of M&M’s. It was fine and tasty. We flew down the hill to the switch backs and again, I was going fine but didn’t want to go all out. After the climb up the switchbacks was unknown territory and I didn't know what to expect. So I just stayed with go as quick as you can without going too fast. As with most trail races its more of going off how you feel and how much effort you think you should be putting in at that point in the race. After a while there was a big hill that came up that I really didn’t expect but I got up it by doing a little walk/run routine thing that I do. Cout 25 every other left foot falls walking and count 50 steps “running” it got me up the hill and I think that was a good strategy to have. Doing the walk then run strategy is a way to sort of even out the pace rather than just “guessing” and ending up walking more because you want and then not starting to run or something like that.
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| About mile 9 at the top of the switchbacks. (Photo credit: Lori Burlison) |
I was hot by this point because I bought a pullover from the thrift store and I was wearing it. I wanted to throw it out pretty bad but didn’t want to litter the course so I kept it on. Right before the next aid station the wind started a little and then I was cold - go figure. I ditched my pullover and gloves anyway, got some water, snacks, a pb&j portion (it was amazing) and left the aid station feeling alright but I got a little bit cold, but that problem didn’t stick around.
The down was now coming and we all sped up a little. The crowd was pretty well evened out at this point expect for this group of 3 who were even with me...until they passed me. Anyway, I knew that I wasn’t going to keep up with them, mainly because I tell myself that I have the experience and I don’t need other racers to get in my head. I finish when I finish and I don’t let others really mess with me or else I might do something very dumb and be worse off for it. That group did break up and I think I passed at least one of them plus at least one more other person that was in the top 10 for most of the race but then he hit a wall or had cramps or something.
I got to an aid station that was really great, got some more stuff in my stomach (besides the Gu that I had been having “whenever I think I should need it” (which turned out to be about 4 gels over the whole race) I knew the Frary Peak aid station was coming up and part of my plan was to “turn on the heat” from that point on. So I kind of took it easy and kept moving as well as I could. I got to this next aid station and then I decided to give it a go. I got up to this small crest and hit my watch for a lap - which is set for 5k. I intended to do this next 5k split at just faster than 8min per mile pace. I counted every other left foot fall 100 times and looked at my watch. I would speed up or slow down as necessary to maintain the right pace. This worked pretty well, however, the last part of the split was slightly uphill and I wasn’t feeling the ability to go much faster. So I didn’t. I already knew I was where I was and I was still in great shape to finish in good time. But at 8:02 for that 5k split, it was good enough in my mind. So from this point on I just decided to keep moving. I walked for about 30 seconds while I got a gel in and some orange Gatorade (yuck!) and then just managed around a 9min/mile pace (or something like that).
Next up I saw the fence that signaled a turning point for the race where there is this hill climb and then it was basically down to the finish. I walked up the hill or, excuse me, “power hiked” and then as the hill crested I did my best to keep running. The dirt road turned to asphalt. My legs noticed but didn’t have much issue. The road went down and my body and mind were done but unfortunately, the race wasn’t over. I did another batch of “slightly slow down then slightly speed up” and then kept it going to the finish. I knew there was someone behind me and did look and noticed that he probably wasn’t going to catch me. If he had, what would I have done? I’m not really sure. Hopefully I would have not allowed it and been able to do so. But no worries. He was within about a minute behind me, which is pretty close.
The finish was awesome. and I was elated to get 10th place. Exactly what I was hoping for. No big problems at any one point during the race. The only reason I didn’t do better is because I don’t have the time to train more. That’s fine with me.
The best part of the finish area for me unfortunately wasn’t the chili, it was the ice cold Coke Zero.
20150620
Review: Ultra Raptor - La Sportiva
Quick review of the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor Trail running shoe.
Bottom line? I have logged a few miles in these shoes and have had no problems. They are comfortable and have done their job well. Be sure to check and double check to make sure the size you order is the size you want because they are Euro system sized.
Literally the first run I did in these shoes was an 18 mile run up a canyon and back down. I didn't know what size to get and while these were at first a little tight, they have stretched out a little and now I don't have any concerns.
That first run up the canyon was fun. I got up so high that I eventually was on snow for a few miles before I turned around and headed back down. In both directions the shoes performed well.
These shoes work well with some OR gators.
On my first 50 mile race I threw these shoes in a drop bag for the aid station at mile 32. Because they have a little more cushioning I had decided that it would be helpful for the slightly more rugged and inclined portions of the course.
So for the miles that I have logged I have enjoyed these shoes very much.
20150226
Jan 2015 Antelope Island Run
I got up in time to get to the gates that open when the park does. I have shown up early before and had to wait for the gates to go up and sometimes it's been a few minutes after six before they actually do go up. At about 11mins past the hour and after waiting that long, they finally opened and I can access the island. I get across the causeway going exactly whatever the speed limit is and make it to the trailhead. I'm the only car there. That's not a first for me. While I'm getting ready another car pulls up and parks. I'm in panic mode now. Must get going and fast. I finish up and get out of the car, lock it, and I'm on my way.
It's very dark. There is no moon and being on the western side of the island means there's no lights from cities to speak of. It's just the stars and my headlamp. I make the first 5k with in pretty good time. But all the while I was occasionally looking back and I could see the headlamp of another person behind me. And judging from how far they have been and still are from me I can tell they must be running. But I'm pretty sure I'm running faster. Within the next mile I see off in the distance large dark spots that I'm pretty sure are Buffalo. I don't want to make them mad. I have to decide if the herd is on the trail that I'm running on or if they are off to the side of it.
I'm actually probably one to push the limits a little too far when it comes to proximity with these beasts. But I'm not afraid to make sure they know I'm there by yelling "hey!" and scanning them with my headlamp. As I scan the herd with my headlamp the only thing I can really see is a rough outline of their heads and their eyes staring back at me. I think they are wondering what I'm going to do rather than thinking that they need to run me down. A few of them on the far side start to run away from me a little and I can tell that as long as they stay where they are then they aren't going to come after me. No problems. I move on.
The next part of the trail is downhill. Normally not an issue except for my headlamp is not enough for me to tell between the sandy ground and the harder ground. The harder ground is much preferable. But then because it's below freezing there are frozen clumps of mud from horses that make the ground hard and uneven. It's a little tricky to navigate. I'm forced to slow a little bit, but I keep moving.
The next part is probably one of the steepest climbs of the trail I took. I have to slow down a few more notches. This part of the trail is also on a north facing slope. The snow and ice haven't melted so I have to be careful not to slip. Also about this time I was able to turn off my headlamp and see fine.
It's very dark. There is no moon and being on the western side of the island means there's no lights from cities to speak of. It's just the stars and my headlamp. I make the first 5k with in pretty good time. But all the while I was occasionally looking back and I could see the headlamp of another person behind me. And judging from how far they have been and still are from me I can tell they must be running. But I'm pretty sure I'm running faster. Within the next mile I see off in the distance large dark spots that I'm pretty sure are Buffalo. I don't want to make them mad. I have to decide if the herd is on the trail that I'm running on or if they are off to the side of it.
I'm actually probably one to push the limits a little too far when it comes to proximity with these beasts. But I'm not afraid to make sure they know I'm there by yelling "hey!" and scanning them with my headlamp. As I scan the herd with my headlamp the only thing I can really see is a rough outline of their heads and their eyes staring back at me. I think they are wondering what I'm going to do rather than thinking that they need to run me down. A few of them on the far side start to run away from me a little and I can tell that as long as they stay where they are then they aren't going to come after me. No problems. I move on.
The next part of the trail is downhill. Normally not an issue except for my headlamp is not enough for me to tell between the sandy ground and the harder ground. The harder ground is much preferable. But then because it's below freezing there are frozen clumps of mud from horses that make the ground hard and uneven. It's a little tricky to navigate. I'm forced to slow a little bit, but I keep moving.
The next part is probably one of the steepest climbs of the trail I took. I have to slow down a few more notches. This part of the trail is also on a north facing slope. The snow and ice haven't melted so I have to be careful not to slip. Also about this time I was able to turn off my headlamp and see fine.
At the top of this portion you can either go off to Elephant Point or go first to Split Rock Bay or go to the corrals. I decided to go down to Split Rock Bay and then make the climb back to the corrals.
The road/trail is a pretty constant grade and felt surprisingly long to me. It just felt like it kept going. I finish the 2nd 5k just before hitting the bottom. As I do so I decide that it's time for a little food. I thought that I could eat on the run but as soon as I get the gel out I think "forget that". I stop myself and my watch. Take in the view - which is spectacular - drink some water and I'm moving again.
Since I had never been on this particular trail before I'm careful to make sure I stay on the main trail. I also know that if I don't start climbing back up by a certain point then I know I'll need to turn around. The trail proved very easy to follow.
For whatever reasons, I was really looking forward to climbing on this run. And this is the climb I was most looking forward to doing - that is, the switchbacks going up to the corrals. I wasn't disappointed in the least. Maybe it was the gel kicking in or the perfect weather something else entirely, but it was a really good climb that I got a kick out of. At one point I thought the climbing was over and that the trail was going to curve back around to the corrals but it turned out there was another switch back and more climbing. Again, I was not disappointed.
The corrals were a stopping point that I had planned ahead on. And as it turned out were at exactly 15k into the run. There's a sign that explains what historians think the corrals were used for and the remnants of said corrals. I took a few pictures, drank some water and was moving again.
The trail from this point to the Elephant Point turn off consisted of a lot of snow and ice. The puddles were frozen and had to be carefully circumnavigated. The snow was frozen hard and not very forgiving. None of this proved to be much of a problem though.
On the way back I passed several runners. There were more than I had ever seen before in one day. Maybe there was some sort of meet up I wasn't invited too. Still, it was good to see so many people out there enjoying the great outdoors. I made it back to my car in pretty good time - having only eaten one gel and one Gu chomp (there are 4 in a pack and I had 1) during the entire 16 mile run - feeling depleted but very good. This, for me, was the best run I've had in a long time. The new parts of the trail and how fresh my legs felt kept my mind occupied so I never really felt bored or zapped.
The road/trail is a pretty constant grade and felt surprisingly long to me. It just felt like it kept going. I finish the 2nd 5k just before hitting the bottom. As I do so I decide that it's time for a little food. I thought that I could eat on the run but as soon as I get the gel out I think "forget that". I stop myself and my watch. Take in the view - which is spectacular - drink some water and I'm moving again.
Since I had never been on this particular trail before I'm careful to make sure I stay on the main trail. I also know that if I don't start climbing back up by a certain point then I know I'll need to turn around. The trail proved very easy to follow.
For whatever reasons, I was really looking forward to climbing on this run. And this is the climb I was most looking forward to doing - that is, the switchbacks going up to the corrals. I wasn't disappointed in the least. Maybe it was the gel kicking in or the perfect weather something else entirely, but it was a really good climb that I got a kick out of. At one point I thought the climbing was over and that the trail was going to curve back around to the corrals but it turned out there was another switch back and more climbing. Again, I was not disappointed.
The corrals were a stopping point that I had planned ahead on. And as it turned out were at exactly 15k into the run. There's a sign that explains what historians think the corrals were used for and the remnants of said corrals. I took a few pictures, drank some water and was moving again.
The trail from this point to the Elephant Point turn off consisted of a lot of snow and ice. The puddles were frozen and had to be carefully circumnavigated. The snow was frozen hard and not very forgiving. None of this proved to be much of a problem though.
On the way back I passed several runners. There were more than I had ever seen before in one day. Maybe there was some sort of meet up I wasn't invited too. Still, it was good to see so many people out there enjoying the great outdoors. I made it back to my car in pretty good time - having only eaten one gel and one Gu chomp (there are 4 in a pack and I had 1) during the entire 16 mile run - feeling depleted but very good. This, for me, was the best run I've had in a long time. The new parts of the trail and how fresh my legs felt kept my mind occupied so I never really felt bored or zapped.
20150107
The Red Hot 55k
I've signed up for the Red Hot 55k. I'm very excited to run this race.
Last year I kept seeing posts about this race and having just come back home from overseas, I was itchy for a race that was sooner than later in April.
The distance and location were two of the major factors in making my decision. Moab is amazing and 55k felt about right.
After doing a little research there doesn't seem to be about of climbing or descending (a lot being more than 3k ft of climbing). So I'm hoping that it'll be kinda fast. Fingers crossed that the weather will be nice.
There are also some big names that have run this race in the past which makes me pretty sure it's going to be a well marked and supported choose.
I can't wait.
20141229
Antelope Island Trail Running Video
I made this video from a run I did a few weeks ago on Antelope Island. It was a perfect day for running. My editing skills are bad at best so my apologies.
This run starts at the White Rock trail head and circles around the hill just to the south. It's about 7 miles. If you go clockwise it starts with an excellent hill climb and then the rest of the run is more or less a gentle downhill.
Run!
20141223
Frary Peak (Antelope Island State Park, Utah) Trail Run
I wanted to go to Antelope Island last week but it didn't work out. At the time the weather was less than stellar so I wasn't too upset that I wasn't able to make it. It would have been rainy, cold and miserable. Instead I spent less time running more miles closer to home that were still wet and kind of miserable, but it was tolerable because I was just around my neighborhood and not on some mountain trying to enjoy the views.
I decided that I was going to go a few days later. The weather forecast was unfortunately worse than it was before. I considered this but then decided to go for it anyway. The forecasts can be wrong and it just might end up being a beautiful day, right?
I left my house while it was still dark and got out to the island. The weather went from being dry at my house to a light rain by the time I got to the trail head. I put on my gortex jacket and left the trailhead determined to do the run anyway. It was still dark at this point and I headed up the hill with my headlamp on.
Whenever I'm running in less than prefered conditions I try to think about what I once read in a Lance Armstrong book several years ago. I remember him boasting and saying the reason why he was so good is that he would train harder than the other guys. He would train in the cold and the hot the wind and rain, His point was that he was good because he put himself in these poor conditions to make him more prepared and able to perform in races.
So, like him, I try to not wake up on a cold rainy day and decide that I'm not running that day simply because it's cold and rainy. If I become more familiar with how I feel and how it feels to run in poor conditions then I can be more prepared for when those conditions occur on race day (and they have and they will).
So, I ran up this mountain in the middle of a pretty bad storm. It was very windy, it rained and it snowed. I still pushed up and kept running every bit that I could. I made it back in one piece and felt good about having done it.
At one point the light was enough that I could turn of my headlamp and I was in the clouds. Visibility was probably about a hundred yards at this point. I looked up as I was reaching a small crest in the trail when I saw two dark silhouettes of what looked like large rocks. I made loud "hey" noise to see if there was any reaction in the objects, and there was. In the middle of this storm, in the clouds on the ridge of this mountain there were two bison grazing together. I wasn't too afraid initially because I thought the trail was going away from where they were. I then realized that they were closer to the trail than I wanted them to be. The thought of leaving the trail was not pleasant because cutting through the bushes would have soaked my legs and feet. I yelled again and it was clear that the closer beast had no plans on moving much. He pointed his head toward me as I got within about 10 yards. I knew I was pushing it at this point. I stayed on the trail, passed him while looking back to see if his attitude changed. Eventually the beasts were behind me and I continued running.
I feel I should point out that theres a fine line between pushing yourself in bad conditions and doing something completely void of all sense. I think it is something that must be decided by each individual. Know your limits by testing them in small increments and not large bounds.
I decided that I was going to go a few days later. The weather forecast was unfortunately worse than it was before. I considered this but then decided to go for it anyway. The forecasts can be wrong and it just might end up being a beautiful day, right?
I left my house while it was still dark and got out to the island. The weather went from being dry at my house to a light rain by the time I got to the trail head. I put on my gortex jacket and left the trailhead determined to do the run anyway. It was still dark at this point and I headed up the hill with my headlamp on.
Whenever I'm running in less than prefered conditions I try to think about what I once read in a Lance Armstrong book several years ago. I remember him boasting and saying the reason why he was so good is that he would train harder than the other guys. He would train in the cold and the hot the wind and rain, His point was that he was good because he put himself in these poor conditions to make him more prepared and able to perform in races.
So, like him, I try to not wake up on a cold rainy day and decide that I'm not running that day simply because it's cold and rainy. If I become more familiar with how I feel and how it feels to run in poor conditions then I can be more prepared for when those conditions occur on race day (and they have and they will).
So, I ran up this mountain in the middle of a pretty bad storm. It was very windy, it rained and it snowed. I still pushed up and kept running every bit that I could. I made it back in one piece and felt good about having done it.
At one point the light was enough that I could turn of my headlamp and I was in the clouds. Visibility was probably about a hundred yards at this point. I looked up as I was reaching a small crest in the trail when I saw two dark silhouettes of what looked like large rocks. I made loud "hey" noise to see if there was any reaction in the objects, and there was. In the middle of this storm, in the clouds on the ridge of this mountain there were two bison grazing together. I wasn't too afraid initially because I thought the trail was going away from where they were. I then realized that they were closer to the trail than I wanted them to be. The thought of leaving the trail was not pleasant because cutting through the bushes would have soaked my legs and feet. I yelled again and it was clear that the closer beast had no plans on moving much. He pointed his head toward me as I got within about 10 yards. I knew I was pushing it at this point. I stayed on the trail, passed him while looking back to see if his attitude changed. Eventually the beasts were behind me and I continued running.
I feel I should point out that theres a fine line between pushing yourself in bad conditions and doing something completely void of all sense. I think it is something that must be decided by each individual. Know your limits by testing them in small increments and not large bounds.
20141203
Headsweats Race Performance Running/Outdoor Sports Hat
I've run more races than some and of course, not as many as some others. If there has ever been one piece of gear that has been on me every single race, it's this Headsweats Hat. (There's actually one other thing that I have worn every race, but I'm going to save that for later)
This hat has excellent reviews, which is why I bought it in the first place. This has been with me through thick and thin, cold and hot, rain and wind.
So, it's a hat and it's awesome, what more is there to say? I think that it is very comfortable. The bill is a great size to keep the sun from blinding you or, in my case, to keep vehicle headlights from messing up your night vision.
This hat is also very low maintenance. I just chuck it in the wash after every few runs and it's good as new. I've had this hat now for probably 4 years and I still don't think it's ready to give up anytime soon despite the hell I have put it through.
In comparison, I have a Patagonia hat that is terrible. The strap on the back goes loose mid run, and it's heavy and uncomfortable. This Headsweats hat has absolutely no complaints from me.
20141130
29 November 2014
This week, I passed my goal for 2000 miles in 2014. I haven't been plagued with any serious injuries this year and haven't been sick enough times to make an impact in reaching my goal.
Coming up next weekend I'm doing a 10k race. I'm running it with my spouse which should be better than trying to run it really fast. I hope the weather holds up. Snow wouldn't be bad, but windy and rainy would make it not so fun pretty quick.
I also signed up for the Red Hot 55k race. Waiting until April for my next race was just too long. And this race should prove to be a good intermediary and help me prep for my first 50 mile race. The Red Hot 55k is ran just north and west of Moab Utah. The course should be unique to me. I have walked and hiked over lots of sandstone, I haven't run a race on sandstone.
This past Friday I took a run on Antelope Island State Park. It truly is a fun place to run and this time was no exception. I got out there quick and ran a fairly standard loop. I saw both antelope and buffalo while I was out there. And and saw few people which is another reason I like running around the island.
Keep running!
Coming up next weekend I'm doing a 10k race. I'm running it with my spouse which should be better than trying to run it really fast. I hope the weather holds up. Snow wouldn't be bad, but windy and rainy would make it not so fun pretty quick.
I also signed up for the Red Hot 55k race. Waiting until April for my next race was just too long. And this race should prove to be a good intermediary and help me prep for my first 50 mile race. The Red Hot 55k is ran just north and west of Moab Utah. The course should be unique to me. I have walked and hiked over lots of sandstone, I haven't run a race on sandstone.
This past Friday I took a run on Antelope Island State Park. It truly is a fun place to run and this time was no exception. I got out there quick and ran a fairly standard loop. I saw both antelope and buffalo while I was out there. And and saw few people which is another reason I like running around the island.
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| Trail Running Antelope Island November 2014 |
Keep running!
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