The Salt Flats 100

I’ve just signed up for my first 50 mile marathon. The Salt Flats 100 offers a 50 mile event and that’s the one I’m going to run.

The plan I have had since 2013 was to work my way up gradually to a 100 mile race. I figured that I wasn't done running yet and that running is a lifestyle for me and not just something I am interested in doing for a few months and then quitting. So, why rush to get to 100 when I can have fun and learn along the way? So I decided that in each successive year I was going to run a longer race than the previous year and finish with a 100 mile race. So last year was my first 50k race (and it was my first trail race, too). This year, a 50 miler and then a 100k a year after that and a 100 miler the year after that. Who knows if I’ll stick to this exactly but sticking to it isn't the point. The point is to have fun running. 

This particular 50 miler intrigued me because of its location mostly. If you didn't know, west of the Great Salt Lake are some of the largest salt flats anywhere. It is also pretty very remote. The nearest city, Wendover, is little more than a town that offers the closest gambling to those who live in and around Salt Lake City area. The Bonneville Salt Flats, as the area where the race is located is called, is where land speed records of many kinds have been set. And on race day will be the location of the start and finish of my first 50 mile ultramarathon.

The first 13 miles or so takes place on the salt flats and is essentially an incredibly flat, straight run until you reach the bottom of some mountain “islands” that rise out of the flats. The race then takes a turn and follows the base of the mountains before going around and up a pass and then back down on to the flats to the finish.

In the coming months I have to train to run this race. This will involve back to back long runs in which a 30 mile run on one day is followed up by a 20 mile run the next day (or some variation of this theme). The intent of the training is to get the body and mind used to staying on your feet and moving forward for greater lengths of time. The training is also an opportunity to find out what works nutrition-wise when your body has 30 miles on it.  Sometimes, with that many miles, a stomach can get picky and cranky  so it’s important to know as best you can what works and what doesn’t. One of the most important things involved in an ultramarathon is drinking and eating along the way.

I finished my first ultra last June. It was a 50k race (about 33 miles) and I finished feeling pretty good. Pacing myself was perhaps the most important thing that I did second to drinking and eating at regular intervals. The nutrition part of that race was according to my intent. I knew what I was going to eat and when I was going to eat it. The pacing, however, was thanks to a buddy that I ran into. My body wanted to run faster and more often but he kept me in check. I believe had I not let him slow me down I would have had energy problems near the end of the race and ended walking a lot and not finishing as strong as I did.

I might be crazy, but no more so than all of the other ultra runners out there, so that makes me feel good. I can’t wait to experience a 50 mile race and spending, I don’t know, something like 10+ hours on my feet moving forward.

Product Review: Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp

This Princeton Tech headlamp has served me well since November 2009. Yes, for the last 5 years I have been using this headlamp for running, reading, cooking and numerous other mundane activities. At one point, the battery cover broke, a call to the company had a replacement in the mail and at my house inside of a week. I’ve since looked for other headlamps but haven’t found a reason to replace this faithful provider of light.

With 3 AAA rechargeable batteries I can run for just less than an hour a day and have this headlamp last good enough for 2 weeks. I keep the unit running during the entire run most of the time with the exceptions being when there’s a full moon or the sun has already come up before I get done. And please don’t think I’m using this to augment some existing streetlights, after about 1 mile, my runs are usually on completely unlit paths or roads.

The light has 4 different settings across 2 different lights. The 3 led cluster provides a bigger splash of light and a choice of high or low while the “max bright” LED provides a longer narrower throw and also has a high or low setting. I love to have these choices available to suit the situation. While running I usually use the highest of the 4 settings as it provides the most light to the ground so that I can see what’s directly in front of me. The lowest setting is the one that I like to use to read or to do various other activities in the dark. The strap is adjustable and is comfortable enough for long term wear and the angle of the light can be adjusted (but not easily with one hand) to meet the need.

I have also used this light in a variety of conditions that range from about 7 degrees Fahrenheit and above 100 degrees (Like running at night in Qatar). If I use it while it’s snowing some snow might accumulate on the lens but a quick wipe fixes it right up. I keep the bright light on when I’m running against the traffic and always get a good sense that other drivers approaching me can see me fine (this isn’t the only indication they have, as I wear reflective stuff too).

I’m still kind of amazed that this light has lasted me so long and still does what I need it to without any problems. But, I am kind of a minimalist and cheap (kind of) and if it isn’t broke, then why fix it?

For the price and the service this headlamp has provided me I am completely satisfied. Recommended.

2,228 Miles under My Shoes in 2014 . . . Give or Take

I always feel like declaring a new year on a certain day is kind of arbitrary. I mean, yes, it's the same point in the orbit of the earth around the sun, but for us it's just another day that will come and go. We sure do put a lot of effort into parties and stuff to celebrate the same day every year, don't we?

I like tracking how many miles I run--every day, every week, every month, and for the whole year. I busted out 2,228 miles in 2014! (My wife is very proud of me.) I do wonder what the margin of error is on this kind of distance.

I ran a lot of treadmill miles while I was in Afghanistan and usually I took the total mileage from the treadmill and considered that as miles run. My GPS watch was always way off as it was trying to guess my pace from my arm swing. And then there's the error that GPS watches have in general. I don't run a certified course every day, so maybe at the end of every run there's a difference between what my watch records and what I actually did.

Well, anyway. I could analyze numbers to a crazy degree but that wouldn't be very helpful. It is interesting to look back and see how far I've come . . . literally. Yes, I do recommend tracking your miles, however suits you. Just log your miles and time right after each run, before you forget. My favorite tracking tool is a good old spreadsheet I created in Google docs.