On to new adventures

May 12, 2013 the day before I turned 41 this year I decided to draw a line in the sand and retire from running.

Tonight on the eve of my 41st birthday, here is my closing speech........
I have ran fast,
I have ran far,
I have ran my best,
And now I run no more...

Thank you for all the memories!

Wanting to always focus on the positive in life and not running was not very positive I decided to stop. It was not an easy choice but with the daily Achilles issue it did make it a bit simpler.  I have enjoyed the entire seven years of running tremendously. Making a lot new friends, seeing many amazing places, supporting others in achieving their goals and personally pushing myself new levels.

I am sure I could sit and write for days about all my experiences but no one has that much time to read about  all my nonsense. Many people know that when I start talking about running I can talk and talk with a bit of excitement   For those of who that read this I am sure you know how much appreciated spending time with you running.

Well now I am off on new adventures. I surfed last year for the first time and now that I am two blocks from the ocean I will focus a bit on improving in that activity. Additionally, try out stand-up paddle boarding and get back to skateboarding. Last week I did crash hard while skateboarding, but with a bit more practice I might be ok (well at least I hope so)!  Plus it is always fun to try new things. In 2005 when I started running I never thought it would take me to where I got.  One of my first goals was to break a 7:00 min mile and with focus I eventually pulled off a 4:54 per mile. Who knows maybe I will make it on the pro-am surf tour ha ha!!

Well best wishes to everyone out there in their endeavors in life! I will continue to blog about my adventures and a bit of nonsense because that is who I am :)

The Rodeo

If it was only 8 seconds.......

     At this point I would rather get on the bull and take that 8 second ride. Knowing it be would be a cakewalk to what I have ahead of me to train for another 100 miler with 6 months off from training.  I think about it about it alot and knowing the amount of commitment it takes to toe the line is deep. Is this cowboy ready to climb back in the saddle? Take some rough hits? Get tossed to the ground? 

     Been through this rodeo 11 times in the 100 mile distance is something I reflect back on with some pride. The rides consisted of Umstead, Hallucination, Rocky Raccoon, Leadville, Virgil Crest, Leadville, Haliburton, Ozark, Massanutten, Angeles Crest & Javelina. I started my running addiction in 2005 and rode non-stop until November 2012. So never leaving the saddle kept things in focus and never a question of whether I could finish the ride. Now sitting back and watching the other cowboys I wonder if I got what it takes to travel the distance.

Wearing my buckles can be a challenge because it reflects back to what I did not what I am doing now. So people ask "wow you run 100 miles race?" Technically I did not for awhile now is what runs through my mind.  The running was intertwined between the enjoyment and the challenge of the distance. I never started running with the thought that someday I would cover 100 miles in under 24 straight hours, but my goals grew and I did it. Even pushing the limit to running across the state of Michigan from coast to coast all the way back down to setting a new record for myself in the 1 mile distance. 

     At this point I will recover 100% and build back up gradually. I am not afraid of the distance, it's just knowing how much commitment lies ahead of me that seems a bit overwhelming at this point. When I cross the next finish line there will be some serious celebrating.  So whatever goals you have just know with planning and time you will achieve them!!

March Madness

Letting go and seeing where the madness takes me......

Moving forward as time normally does I making progress in my fitness with my gym membership at 220 Fitness. It has a great selection of things that keep my fitness strong. From the aerobic classes of Buti, spin classes, boxing, weights and the cross-fit tools of tires & things. Additionally, I got a month of yoga at Exhale and worked on improving my flexibility which is near zero so any improvement is easy to see. Looking to touch my toes by the summer without bending my knees.  Both 220 & Exhale are within a ten minute walk from my house so I have no excuses not to go. I am also getting a good amount of time riding around on fixie bike putting in 50 miles a week on the average. The beauty is that I usually keep up or beat the traffic in the rush hour periods.

A couple trips have gotten me out of Santa Monica for some change of scene. One trip was a bike ride to the Palisades which had some nice hill climbs and beautiful views. This got me to the Temescal Trailhead. Back in January I ran some the Temescal trail so I will be adding this to the list of training courses. Knowing that I can bike there with the ease of the beach strand being a straight shot sets me for future trips. There is just one long hill climb on the bike from the ocean up to the trailhead.

En Route to the Parker Mesa on Los Leones in Santa Monica

The other was trip to Los Leones for some trail running. The run was 7.75 miles roundtrip up the Parker Mesa trail. Essentially all up then all down on the return trip. Got a few nice pictures from that run.  The view at the top of the mesa had a some marine level blocking the view of the Santa Monica Pier. This short course gives a good amount of hill climbing. The goal is to hit the return trip back down in 30 minutes or less. Setting some FKT in my little personal world and improving through summer will give me a solid understanding of my performance.

Looking forward into April I plan to hit one trail run per week. Which will include a bike ride to get there then bike back. The run itself will be most likely a hike/run mixture. Now I have Los Leones, Temescal, Will Rogers to the Hub, Westridge and Point Mugu as local options. Eventually I will be able to navigate the entire 68 miles of the Santa Monica Mountains Backbone trail all on my own.  IT is still extremely tight and mornings I wobble around with tight ankles.  Knowing the AC 100 is a mere few months away I am wondering what running shape I will be in for it.  Physically I am building total body strength in the gym. A huge thanks to Aimee Cinzori who trained me last year and helped me build several workout routines that I am still using.  

Dragging my feet on the plan

Dragging my feet..no more!

Picture taken by stranger at Maybury State Park

     So I wrote a plan to get back into running after closing out a horrible 2012. The plan was to start with some light road runs, biking, yoga and weight lifting. I got the gym membership, yoga membership, starting riding my bike, but didn't get the running portion started until today (two weeks off schedule).

    Running in the warmth of the 70 degree days in Santa Monica would have made sense. Instead I waited until I was in Michigan visiting for the weekend to do it. This morning with the companionship of my friends Melissa, Mark, Kai, Keith, Andrew & Melanie we hit the trail. The sun was out and perfect blue skies. The trail was a bit icy in some spots due to the fact it was only 12F and with the chill in the air the word was it was near 5F.

    Now when I get Tuesday night I have no reason not to hit the road/track/trails for some miles. Having to wear only a shirt and shorts should make it quick & easy to get out the door.  I have a few friends in California that run too. So getting in those longer runs will be nice.

    Well 2013 is here and so is my running plan. Not a lot of races but working on getting healthy for a 2014 season. In the meantime, I will enjoy the time I spend running because thats why I do run!

Getting 2013 into motion

On the Road Again....

         Well after finishing 2012 on the "wrong foot" I am now getting focused on getting back on the "right foot." Took some time to rest, gather ideas, surf the web and talk to friends in the running community. After having my calves worked on by two different individuals it was determined I have the "worst" calves ever seen. What has happened is that the calf muscle has knotted up with another muscle that is pulling on my Achilles. So all the tension is causing the discomfort in my Achilles again. As you can see all those muscles are connected and without having the right people check it is hard to find the source of the problem.  I allowed this to happen on a daily basis for over five years. Each morning I got up and walked around with discomfort. Then eventually it broke me down during the Javelina Jundred at mile 78.

     Also during my downtime of running I have been filling my time with books, magazines and some movies.  I did find one new running book that really inspired me to get signed up for a race once healthy. It's called "The Longest Race" and is about a guy returning to run the JFK and beat the age record time.  Throughout the book he inner twines life into each mile of the race.  

One speed...As fast as I can pedal!! Note only one brake too.

  


     With that knowledge in hand I am now able to focus on working out the knots twice a day in my calves. Additionally, I got a fixie bike, basically it is a single speed that the pedals always turn when the wheels turn, so I can cross train without putting to much strain on my calves.  I feel the quads getting a nice workout while I attack the hills on my commuting around town.

Morning hike with the move still out

     By February 1st I plan to start my running plan and taking in the gorgeous views of the mountains around me. Building the base for the first several weeks, then a period of longer endurance runs and closing it out with some intense weeks.  I have done one hike this year on a local trail and got a few pictures. I will be mixing it up on the track, road and trails so that I work the muscles in different ways while trying to avoid another big knot.



      We for now it is time to sign off and work on my calves. Best wishes to everyone running this weekend and every day. Be sure to be proactive so that you don't get setbacks like what I have been going through for the past couple of months.

So many choices which way should I go??

2012 What's it all about?

     Well 2012 didn't go as planned is an understatement. After having a successful 2011 it leaves curiosities in my mind. The beginning of the year started on track with some short road races in the snow/cold. Set a 4 mile personal record and had multiple podium finishes.

     Then I began training with a coach, Aimee Cinzori. She modified my diet and added muscle to me. During that period I threw down three 50k races in April and set a personal record in that distance. This was all part of the building process for my 40th birthday party at the Massanutten 100 mile. Going against the adage of don't try something new on race day I applied a different lotion to my feet and at 70 miles in the race I dropped.

     Summer came I played in Virginia Beach with the family. Attended my imaginary summer camp to build up for another atttempt at a 100 mile buckle. At the end of summer I was feeling strong and took on Angeles Crest 100 Mile. Using the same lotion I dropped at 51 miles. Then problem solving the why of the lotion I learned it was for post race not during the race. I had been causing blisters not preventing. A few weeks later I took on a 50 Mile race and achieved a new personal record.

     Fall arrived and so did the final races of the year. Paced some friends in a hundred miler, set a personal record in a 100k, paced a group in the Detroit Marathon then attempted my final 100 mile run of the year. Breaking down at mile 78 from excessive achilles pain. I settled on the 100k finish and closed out my year on a dissapointing injury.

     All of the last two months I rested my legs and hoped for a healthily recovery. Nothing changed by year end. So now I am building a plan to comeback strong in 2013.

Here is a breakdown of the 2012 goals:
1. Run six ultras YES
    Moab 55km, Winona 50km, Fools 50km, Tie Dye 50km, Wild West 50km, North Country 50mile, Top of Michigan 100km and Javelina 100km.

2. Run the mile under 4:50 NO
     Never tried because of injury

3. Set two personal records YES
     Winona 50km 4:36:43
     Leap Year 4 mile 25:10
     NC50 mile 9:49:46
     TOM 100km 12:46:59

4. Pace/crew two events YES
    Paced Hallucination 100 mile
    Paced Detroit Marathon 4:4000

5. Volunteer at one event YES
     Co-hosted 4 cross country style events

Now the 2013 goals:
1. Run in four ultras
2. Set one personal record
3. Volunteer at two events
4. Crew/pace at two events
5. Run something personally eventful

By cross training through yoga, biking, surfing and more I should be running strong in the second half of 2013!

Now for a few meaningful awards:

Unstoppable Award - Matt A.
Comeback Award - Keith K.
Sidekick Award - Erin C.
Sherpa Award - Lucille R aka mom

For now I wanted to get this posted and will had some more content in various spots. In addition, I have about a dozen photos that capture the year.

October Recap

Run-Race-Race-Race 

      Looks like the entire month of October blew by like the leaves on the trees. Saw a lot of beauty and really enjoyed the time spent during the month. Started out the month with my girlfriend visiting and running some of my favorite places. The color change was in full effect making each run very scenic.

      Middle of the month gave way to my first 100km race. The Top of Michigan is a point to point from Gaylord to Mackinaw City by the bridge.  After convincing several friends it was more of group training run. Mark, Melissa, Ken, Kurt, Andrew S, Andrew H and me were all part of small group working together throughout the run. The beginning were we much tighter together as we eclipsed the 50km the group began to form smaller groups. The course is a converted rail to trail that is very flat and wide enough to pass with no issues.  The colors on the trees were changing giving a lot of moments for picturing taking. The constant rain and cool temps provided the challenge to the ultra. At one point the rain to a light sleet which lasted only for a few minutes. I was able to make it to the finish just before darkness closing out the run with a personal best of 12:46:59.

       Then it was a short tour of the city by pacing the 4 hour 40 minute runners in the Detroit Marathon. This was my third time pacing at the marathon and by far my biggest group of runners. At the start I had about 17  people all eager to join me for the tour of Detroit. The weather was ideal with warm temps and clear skies. This was the best weather I have ever experienced in any marathon!!Around the half I still had 90% of them in viewing distance. By the end there was five of us. Three of us crossed the line together and two were just a few minutes behind.  Two runners pushed ahead around mile 23 and finished ahead of the group. Focusing on the two I had and wanting them to finish I held back on pace and finished 4:40:42.



      Finally, it was time for one last race of the season. Headed out to Arizona for Javelina Jundred. Covered 78 miles in 13:45:24. Placing 34th in the 100km. Another great October run with beautiful weather of clear skies and at night a full moon. The course is 15.5 miles and is ran washing machine style six times (essentientally back and forth) then the last loop is cut short for ten miles giving the course 102 miles of joy. My crew/pacer was key in my first four loops being so successful. Erin had bottles, food and ice ready each time I came through the start/finish. Her smile was contagious and towards the end of each loop I was always looking forward to it.  During the loop there were four aid stations. As the temperature neared the 90's I would have a volunteer spray me down with cold water. With the pumpkin pie, cytomax, ice water and excitement of friends I sailed through the daytime. Heading out for the fifth loop Erin joined me. The average was 3 hours 10 minutes per loop on the previous loops; this loop took just over seven hours. About two miles in my Achilles were tightening up and gradually over the next few miles the tightness worked it's way up into my hip flexors. I was reduced to a slow and extremely painful walk. Physically I knew after several miles I was not going to finish the 100 mile option and end up taking the 100 km belt buckle option. At one period I was given some bio-freeze and Tylenol to cover up the pain, but that only minimized it a little. Once the loop was over we checked me in to the medical tent to evaluate my condition. The medical staff determined that my achilles were so tight that they were on the edge of detaching part of my bone off the heel. Knowing I want to run again I went over and climbed into a sleeping bag calling it a night.

     Overall, running three races of those sizes in three weeks straight taught me my body needs more recovery time. Even the week after Javelina I am still having some discomfort in my heels.Covering over 166 miles of racing I saw a lot of beauty and really enjoyed the time spent with my close friends. Going into 2013 I will still be running and spending even more time with them.

Time for recess at the Twin Peaks playground

     

Time for recess!!

     As I have said many times before the Twin Peaks area of Corona, California is my favorite place to run. It offers some incredible views, diverse terrain and some ridicously long hard climbs over miles and miles. Knowing it was going to be a hot day I packed 300 ounces of frozen water into my backpack and hiked it up the first seven miles to create a water drop for Erin Chavin and me. This would allow us to refill and continue up the remaining four miles to Santiago Peak. Once at Santiago we would be able to make it back down to the water drop to refill again before decending the original 11 miles to the start.



My two new friends I met on the way up Indian Truck Trail

    

     The climb from the start was filled with splendid views and every mile up the road changed constantly. Sometimes it would be a pine needle forest, other times just bare exposed & hot then other times it would open up showing the surrounding peaks.

To the right is a photo I captured of the Indian Truck Trail that we followed up to the Upper Holy Jim singletrack.  The same route that is used for the beginning of the Twin Peaks 50++ Mile Race in October.

   Once refilled we worked our way up the last bit of road section to the singletrack climb.  This area is a non-stop switchback climb giving us view after view of the peaks. The sun was heating up the day, but there was some shady spots that shielded us from the heat. This was not nearly as bad as the heat from my previous California runs, but still hotter than an average run in Michigan.

Erin pausing for a photo with Santiago Peak in the background

   Reaching Santiago Peak was the highlight of the climb. Last time I was at the top of this peak was in the race last year. A race volunteer noticed I had a camera and offered to take a picture of me. It is the photo I currently use as my Google profile picture. At the time I didn't notice but I was showing exhaustion which is displayed nicely in the photo. So Erin took some pictures of me today with a smile on my face. The entire climb up I was smiling much more than in the race partly because the run was much shorter with only one big climb versus the four climbs totaling 17,500+ in elevation gain on the race course.

Erin on the climb up the Upper Holy Jim Trail

Now it was time for the 11 mile downhill run. Feeling full of excitment it was time to charge down the course.  The first few miles Erin and I exchanged the lead manuevering the rocky road section to the Upper Holy Jim. Erin made a quick stop and moved on to the trailhead. Arriving just a moment before her I looked back to catch a quick glimpse as she lost her footing and hit the ground with a scream. Concerned I headed over to check on her. Her hand was took the blunt of the fall so we washed it up and tied a bandana on it to keep it clean on the way back down.  Once we got back to the water drop we stopped to refill the bottles and clean up her hand.  It was a good thing we packed all that water and used about 2/3's of it.  With just seven miles left we made a final charge down the course in the time of an hour flat.  Quickly we got our gear back in the car and headed home as the moon was starting to reveal the night. 

A few more pictures from the adventure.....





California or was it the Sun?

     Over the past few days I headed out to California to spend some quality time on the trails with my girlfriend and friends.  Erin was celebrating her 10 year anniversary of living in CA. The plan was to run the entire Backbone trail which is a point to point run in the Santa Monica Mountains.

     Flying in Friday evening I saw a forest fire as the plane touched down. Erin informed me that that was close but not on the trail we were going to run on Saturday. A forest fire is never a good thing because it can get out of control quickly.

     Saturday morning we headed to Point Mugu to start the 68 mile run at 5:00 am. The stars were bright and nice 70F air temp. The forecast was 95F and we wanted to get some mileage knocked out before the heat started to take its toll on us. The first portion of the day felt good then as we hit open exposed areas I felt the heat quickly increase. Flashbacks of the AC100 ran through my mind. Sporting two handheld bottles I was armed with 32 ounces between water stops. Knowing I average 16 ounces every hour I needed to control my consumption to make some sections.

Working the trail in darkness from Point Mugu

The view supplied my headlamp in the first miles

     The biggest challenge of the day for me was a 18 mile stretch with no water stops. I tried to hold back on drinking but the temperature was rising. With 10 miles to go in section I was down around 12 ounces. I started to worry that I was going into a really bad place. Four miles later my bottles were empty. Kate Jobe was able to flag down some mountain bikers and score me about 20 ounces of water. Sadly, two miles later I was out again. Erin, Kate and I gathered at a road crossing. Erin arrived a few minutes before the two of us and had a few cold bottles of water. While she was there a gentleman showed up and after talking to her went & got some water for us. Then we all began searching nearby homes for water. Luckily, we found a homeowner that helped us out. We refilled all our bottles, got some ice, and some citrus fruit. The woman was so helpful without her we might not have made another step.


Finally after making it to mile 27 our first real aid station I was spent. Sitting there I drank 96 ounces of coke, cytomax and water. Miles had passed since I stopped sweating and peeing. Hoping to replenish all my lost fluids so that I could make a comeback and finish the run became my only goal.
After leaving the aid station it was 12 miles to the next aid station. I planned a bit better and added a third bottle to pack to make the distance. A few miles passed and I started to feel strong again. I had finally reached my comeback and pressing forward with a smile once again.

     When we arrived at mile 38 it became official that our run was over. A suspected arsonist had started a forest fire in the later portion of our run. So making it to 50 miles was a possibility but there was a stronger possibility that our aid station wouldn't be there. Not needing to add more danager to the day we all bowed out. No one wanted to do this but safety was the main concern.

We will all return in the spring to repeat the journey but the next time will be the entire 68 miles.








 

Leading the way through the night

Saturday September 8, 2012 just a few minutes past midnight in the middle of a huge rainstorm I await for the arrival of two friends. Todd & Emily Bello who are in the midst of the Hallucination 100 Mile race. Not only were they running this one they had recently completed three other 100 Mile races in the Midwest Slam.

I met them back in April 2010 at the Pittsburgh Marathon. All three of us were there to pace the marathon. A conversation started up about ultras and I steered them into signing up for their first 100 mile race. That June they toed the line for the Mohican 100 Mile in Ohio. As promised my friend Keith & I showed up to pace them the last half of the race. It was a great adventure and the four of us crossed the line holding hands.

Well they asked if we would help again this summer. With conflicting race schedules it turned up we would be able to pace them at the final race of the series. Keith was coming off and injury so we decided to split the pacing up. I would start at midnight and pace 34 miles. Then about eight in the morning Keith would pace them the final 17 miles. This would make it possible for me to get to work on time too.

Waiting at Hell Creek Ranch to pick them up at mile 50 in the race I sat and chatted with Emily's dad. He briefed me that the rainstorm had slowed them down a bit and they were looking forward to meeting with me for the night. Around two in the morning they arrived with smiles & hugs. Filled with excitement I was ready to lead on through the night. Another friend of ours Kai, who was running the 100 mile too, joined us for the first 17 miles. I took the lead and off into the cold rainstorm we went. The temp was in low 50's and rain fell constantly making the trail a small river at times. Other times it was a nasty muddy mess that would try to suck the shoes off your feet.

As a pacer I try my best to ensure I do all the problem solving without them knowing a problem might occur. Keeping them in positive spirits is the main goal. Three issues came up and without them knowing it all three were resolved. Only after the race did they learn about them. The first was that Emily was getting cold so I gave her my arm sleeves to fight the chill. Quickly after giving them to her I realized I was getting cold. Knowing that I only had to run a small portion of what they were doing I pushed on without hesitation. Second issue came towards the end of the loop when I kicked something hard that knocked me to the ground. A bit shaken I said, "all good let's move on." It felt like I had broken two toes. Not wanting to bother them I just kept running. The final issue was that we were slightly behind schedule and I needed to get to work. So I arranged it that I would continue to mile 71 then head out. Then Keith would join up early at mile 75. This way they only had 4 miles to travel alone. Sure enough it worked out and Keith arrived 15 minutes before them at the aid station.

In the end, I was able to spend about seven hours in the middle of night running through a cold rainy storm on trails with my friends. I am sure they would do it for me if I asked them. They told me that in 2013 they have something big planned and wanted to know if I would pace. Let's just say I have that date booked for them and will be ready for another adventure!!

Closing up Camp

Mom & dad,

Thanks for sending to camp again for the third year in a row. It wasn't my strongest year but I did set a PB in the final camp race. Cleared 50 miles in 9:49:46.03.

Meet a few new campers that will carry over until the return of next year's camp. In addition, strengthen my relationships with some campers from the past.

I should be home in a few short days and looking forward to some wonderful fall runs.

Well keeping it short for now. See you soon.

Love
Steven

Summer Camp #12

Mom & dad,

Hanging out on the Backbone Trail

    

 Well the final week of camp was amazing!! It was suppose to be a low mileage taper going into the big camp race off this Saturday.  There looks to be a big turn-out in the race. The weather updated to some possible rain and temps near 80F. What can you say when you run for hours and hours the weather will always change by the time you finish. So I will make the most of it.

     Sunday kicked of the week with some backbone trail running. Will Rogers to the hub (16 miles round trip). Tiffany held back a bit because she was running Twin Peaks later in the day. Here we are at the hub.

     Monday headed to Malibu to watch the sunset with The One. Ran Point Mugu up as the sun set then then down in total darkness (6 miles round trip). The weather was ideal on the run up and the stars were incredible on the return down. The best two trails in California are the Ray Miller out and the Ray Miller back.

Sunset on the Ray Miller

       Tuesday went bigger and tougher on part of AC 100 course.

We went from Chantry Flats up to Mt. Wilson (14 miles round trip).  I was told there would be ice cream at the top. upon arriving at the top we noticed they were closed for the day. The run back down was quick and exciting!

     Later got to watch some baseball. Which was a tough game for the home team. We still enjoyed the time there.

Post run fun at Dodger Stadium. Giants won the game but still had a great time!

       Wednesday was a free day from running. So we hit the beach. Water was a bit cold with some small waves on the ocean. There was some volleyball going down with the campers. We didn't have a lot of time so we watched for a bit. Then tThursday headed to the valley for a short four mile run with 20+ other campers. The fog was intense throughout the run. Would have taken a photo but there wouldn't have been anything to see.

     Back in my cabin gathering up my race gear for the race tomorrow. The President, Majic, Milkman, Green Hornet and Tumbleweed can't make it, but all ran it in the past. They have some ambitious expectations for me. Going to do my best and try to hold back on the speed on the first loop of 25 miles.

Really want to run a strong race. Well I should be able to be tracked on the North Country 50 mile site.

Take care and love you
Steve



Ray Miller looking back at the Pacfic Ocean