The man with a plan

A plan is now in place to get ready for the Massanutten 100. Building my base miles from now until March 31 then putting in speed miles through May 5. Throw in a taper week and I am ready to go.

Fueling the Fire

    
   What does it take to fuel ones body for a 100 mile race..........?


    Well like everyone else I am making plans to manage my weight in 2012. I need to cut back on the sugar intake and increase my protein. I was thinking that maybe I could take another approach and focus on increasing my fruit & grain consumption. Focusing on wine & beer!! What a better way to manage my weight while also managing a healthy fluid rate.  I could even cross train by playing beer pong!! In addition, I could man up and race in Nick Clark's Vertical Beer Mile. I remember in the Twin Peaks 50++ around mile 40 two guys came into the aid station and sat down to drink a few Sierra Nevadas. I have to admit I was a bit jealous.

    All kidding aside. Looking at long term for performance and health reasons. I am going to get a plan together. So fish on my dish will be a regular thing, add some chicken to mix it up, and a lot of eggs for 2012. I will miss you Little Debbie, Swiss Miss, Suzy Q and all you other wonderful snacks that have been fueling me for the last 39 years. Of course, I am sure once in awhile we will meet up for a secret meeting.

    My biggest challenge so far is that I don't feel full throughout the day. I constantly have cravings all day long. So I need to get to the grocery store to stock up on healthy snacks. Almonds, fruit, pita chips, yogurt and some other substance filling healthy options. Some have fats, but I am sure I can run those off while I train for some serious racing over the next couple of months.

New Year .... New Adventures...New Goals

The goals

1. Six Ultra Races
2. Mile in under 4:50
3. Set two new PRs
4. Pace/crew in two events
5. Volunteer at one event

Closing time...recap of 2011

Hope Pass 12000' with a Llama

The goals:
3 100 Mile Races
Completed Leadville & Haliburton; DNF at 81.5 Miles in the Ozark
3000 Miles of Running
Estimated 2400+ miles. Found better results on less miles
2 PRs
5K 19:09, 8K 31:19, 30K 2:41:55 & 50K 4:44:33
Run a mile in under 5:20 (PR)
Ran 4:54 in a one mile race
Finish 6 ultra marathon races
4 races: Cowtown 50K, Twin Peaks 50M++, Leadville & Haliburton
Crew/Pace another in an ultra
Paced Dustin Smith at Burning River 100M for 47 Miles
Overall hit 50% on my goals. I learned more about myself this year in how I train




The year started with a bit of tendonitis in February that took me out of running for about three weeks.  Coming off the injury I broke my first PR of the year the following week at the Cowtown 50K. Building my base over the next several months I was focused on being strong for Leadville. In May I entered the Northville Road Runners 5K. With a 19:09 I was the overall race winner; second PR of the year. Then came the Maybury 8K Classic in July setting my third PR of the year and grabbing a 2nd place in my age group. With more of an emphasis on speedwork I entered a local one mile race. Thus, setting a new mile PR with a time of 4:54. Second time this year being the overall winner of a race. With a crew and pacers I then landed in Colorado for the Leadville 100M. Completed the race and moved on to the Milford 30K shortly after. Then setting my fourth & final PR for the year. The following weekend I impromptu headed into Canada to run the Haliburton Forest 100M. Ran strong in the first 75 miles then slowed down from exhaustion and finished in 25 hours. Then in October I jumped a flight to Southern California for the Twin Peaks 50M. This race has a ton of elevation climb . This race became one of my all time favorite races of the year. Completing that race gave me enough finishes for the year to enter UTMB. Then in November I headed to the Mark Twain National Forest for the Ozark 100M. Got tripped up around mile 26 and eventually surrendered to unbendable leg at mile 81.5. Then taking another 3 weeks off to recover from that mishap. First week of December I jumped in a local 5K race and placed first in my age group and 31st overall with a time of 19:26.  The year


Now for the awards:


Unstoppable Award
Kai "Kai-Borg" Keliikuli
Entered race after race after race and nothing seemed to stop him. He is planning to accomplish 12 100 Mile Races in 2012.

Designer Award
Keith "Milkman" Kohler
Put together all the artwork for the "BIG" races. Giving each race more of an adventure and a personal feel. Below are two of his 2011 designs. The left one is the club design and the right was the group design for Leadville 100. He also designed the 2012 Massanutten "40 year Pilgrimage."

Comeback Award
Ken "The Green Hornet" Arble
Let's just say 2010 was not his year and in 2011 he came back and completed the Vermont 150M, Leadville 100M, The Bear 100M & more!! He is setting the bar high for 2012 & more.


Sidekick Award
Kenyon Waugh
Colorado Native who gave up a weekend with his family to assist me in the Leadville 100M. Arrived Friday night to have dinner and camped out in the woods. Saturday spent the day watching the race until 9:00 pm then paced me through the next two sections of the course. In race reports it warns people not pace these areas and he got me through them. On top of that he beat the planned splits!!

Sherpa Award
Tiffany Guerra
A SoCal local who picked me and transported me to the Twin Peaks 50M++. Then she set the course record at the event. After the event was finished she then took me back to LAX to fly home the same night.

Putting the Pilgrimage to Design

     A good friend of mine Keith Kohler has been putting designs on shirts and hoodies for our group of ultra-runners. As we sign up for a race he tries to capture a message/theme behind the significance of the race. The upcoming Massanutten for me is his latest design and in my opinion the best one yet!! Hopefully, all the other runners at the race are able to get a design as sweet as this; if not they can order a limited edition Kohler Design from Blue Cotton. Of course, it comes with my picture on the back of it.

     I personally try to pick each race based around how my life is going and places I want to see. Massanutten will be my last race in the under Master's division. Not that I will win my division ever, but it is more a passage into the next portion of my life. Recently, I decided to change my "Bucket List" to more than just 100 Mile races. There are a lot of ultras I want to run. In the process my dropping one 100 mile race I can afford to pick up 3 smaller ultras, in some cases. If you know of some "must-do" races I have not listed please email me the race and why at nomadfornow@gmail.com.  The list is work in progress.

The Pilgrimage from Age 39 to 40

  

I am now in the Massanutten 100 mile endurance run this May 2012.

This is one of the several must-do races for me. I am not the fastest on the trails of all the runners. I am there just running for the views and doing the best I can based upon my abilities. It is a tough course with lots of rocks which will make it a challenge in looking up to see the beauty around me. So slowing down a bit to take in a view will be worth it. As always there is not too much to see in the dark so that gives me a solid 8 hours to focus on running and getting through the night. 
 
 Summary: (excerpt from MMT website)


"The MMT is a challenging 100 mile trail ultra over a demanding, rocky course in the Massanutten Mountains of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The course includes short but rugged mountain climbs that total over 16,000 feet. While the May date usually avoids Virginia's brutal summer weather, we have had rain and violent storms in prior years. The event is noted for its well-stocked, friendly aid stations and good course marking."

 

    To get into the race was a bit of luck. As most ultra runners know getting into some of these races is based a lot on luck. MMT is a lottery process with a bit of a twist of the Dow Jones. Everyone who wants to run is assigned a number 1-999. Then based on the performance of the Dow Jones. Based on the closing on the Dow, that determines the starting point of the entry list. If the Dow closes up or down from the opening, that determines the direction the list goes. The close of the Dow was 11997.70. So the starting bib was then 770 and since the Dow was down, they went down the list 204 spots. Lucky for me I was 194 spots down the list.     

      One of the significant things about Massanutten is that it is on my birthday weekend. The race starts on Saturday May 12th, I will be 39 years old. By the time I cross the finish line, I will be 40 years old, which is the starting of a new decade of running for me. I will be running in the solo division, which means no headphones, no garmin, no pacer, and no crew assistance. Massanutten is one of the only races that provides an additional award for this sort of division.

The Run: (excerpt from MMT website)

"Start Time and Place: The run starts at 4 a.m. on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp in Fort Valley, Virginia (near Luray). The finish line is at the same location as the start. The course closes 36 hours later at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 13."




     Completing the race in under 36 hours you get a pewter belt buckle. If the stars align just right and a miracle occurs for me to complete it in under 24 hours I will get the silver belt buckle.

     You could call this a birthday present!! Not sure when the next time my birthday will fall on a weekend like this. So I need to stay focused for the next six months to ensure it happens. I think I might go out to Virginia for the spring training run to see the course and establish some goals.



      Here is a snapshot of how my mind sees the finish line and me celebrating my birthday. Not too sure this realization will play out like this.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GBO36wkGsc&feature=fvsr
 

A little bit of this & that...

After my DNF at the Ozark 100 Mile on November 6th. I hyper extended my knee in the race and ran until I could no longer bend my knee (mile 82). Probably not a smart idea now looking back.  I have been on recovery awaiting for November 30th at 2:40 p.m. to do a test mile (that is doctor's orders). If the mile goes good I am able to run in the 5K on Saturday in Northville, MI. My goal is to break 19 minutes but 21:30 is acceptable based on no training miles for an entire month. If the run doesn't go so good then I will rest through the knee through December. 

It's very hard to sit and not run with all this terrible weather. I enjoy the challenge that Mother Nature throws at me during a run. Boiling hot, freezing cold, torrential rain, snow squalls, G-force winds and whatever else that can warrant a national weather alert. I just want to get out and run. Those runs make the best memories. Think back to a run that made you a better runner and I am sure you will think back to a run that brutally challenging; not a walk in the park sort of run.

In addition, with the three lotteries, Massanutten, Western States & Hardrock, I have my name in to be drawn soon. I can not help but think about running trails and wanting to be outdoors. The Red Hot 55K in Moab UT is the next up this February. This makes for an even bigger push to get out the doors. Knowing that by taking a proper recovery will only benefit me longer it is such a tough spot to wait it out.

So what I have been doing to fill the void?? Well growing a beard for the 2012 race season. Word on the trail is that a good beard can yield better results. Working in retail makes it a bit interesting. Most of the customers that visit my store stop by once every 30 days to pay their mobile phone bills. They are all shocked to see the beard. Some positive comments have been made and questions about how long will I continue to grow it. The earliest plan is May 13 on my birthday after completing Massanutten or if I can stick it out and get into Hardrock then late July. So why not test that theory to see if it helps in the 100 milers. 

Here is the progress...

Oct 4th the beginning

No Shave November

5924 up, 4678 down

November 27th current status November 1, 2008 Urban Word of the Day The month of November in which you don't shave any hair of your body but instead you grow more bestial, brutish, and manly. The months of December, January, February, and so on follow and may also be included in this celebration of masculinity. December = ("Don't Shave December") January = ("Just Don't Shave January") February = ("Forget to Shave February") March = ("Masculine March") April = ("Atrocious April") May = ("Manly May") My buddies and I all participated in No Shave November to raise awareness for the important and educational month of November. It is now a recognized national month that identifies the worth and meaning of celebrating masculinity. Taken from Urban Dictionary

Also been reading books, watching movies, hanging out with friends and doing all those everyday things that fill one's normal day.  It is amazing at how many hours are in a day when you are not running. Some of those empty hours have been filled by eating. I have a huge hunger all day long which has placed 12 lbs on me since the Ozark race. I would like to think that it is all in the beard, but I know its' not. Once I get back in motion those extra pounds will drop off. So for now I am enjoying the holiday season of treats!


Well 26 hours and 12 minutes until the run now.
Best wishes to everyone this holiday season!!