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!!

The Aftermath

The Ozark Trail 100 did a small number on me. Around mile 26 I got tripped up on a branch and hyper extended my knee. Then with the goal of finishing I pressed on till mile 82. At that point knowing the cut-off was just beyond reach I stopped.

Yesterday my x-ray results were back so I visited the doctor. Good news was issued; only slight damage that requures some rest and a prescription. The doctor said that if I had continued it would have been more than just soft tissue damage. So I guess in hindsight I should have stopped earlier. I have the ok to start up running on December 1st and to race a 5k that Saturday.

It is hard sometimes to determine what is real damaging pain and just pain from running such a long distance. The end goal is to run trails for as long as possible. So walking that thin line is tricky.

The adventures will continue and the joys of the journey are ready to be found. 2012 here I come.

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Ozark Trail 100 Race Report

The Deathly Hollows  (an adventure in the Mark Twain Forest)

     Waking up a bit after 2:00 am I started to prepare myself for the race. The cabin was in a slow motion of movement and chatter.  E-Sizzle, Gary, Frank, myself and three others all trying to ensure we had everything we needed for the race.  About 3:15 we headed down to catch the bus for our ride to the start. Two buses carried all the runners south 102 miles to the start line. The downside of a point-to-point race is the long journey in the morning to the start. The upside is when you get back to where you started everything you need is right there.

      I checked in with the race officials and boarded the bus. The ride was tough to sleep. I would doze in and out throughout the trip. At one point I over heard the bus driver say to one of the runners, "something scary would have to be chasing me to run that far." I found that very amusing.

The buses to take us to the start..somewhere in Missouri

      Around 5:30 am we arrived at the start. The same sort of silence from the cabin was on the bus. A low amount of chatter and a few people making last minute adjustments to their supplies. With only a few minutes to the 6:00 am I exited the bus and strolled over to the start. Not to come out to fast which was not anywhere on my plan I moved to around the later portion of the pack. Paul, the co-race director, counted down and sent us on way north back to the Bass River Resort in Steelville, MO.

       The pace felt very comfortable as I put my focus on watching the ground. This race is known for an extremely challenging surface. It appears that all the leaves in the Mark Twain Forest fall on the ground to cover all the surprises that lay awaiting for you. Ruts, roots, rocks and branches are all there for your discovery and usually without joy when you do find them.  The temperature was near 50F is my best guess. I only had two top layers and a pair of shorts and did not feel over/under dressed.

     After a few miles I dropped in with a group of  four other runners. This was nice because we were moving all about the same pace. Thus, the front runner of our group seemed to know the trail very well as we never had a need to stop and verify our whereabouts. The sun started to rise just after 7:00 am and came up fast. Probably because with no leaves on the trees it was much easier for the light to get through the forest to us.

Daylight begins just before the first AS

     Coming into the first AS, Mile 8,  at 7:46am ten minutes behind my plan I was not too worried with so many miles to go. I refilled my bottles, grabbed the usual food items and headed back on down the course. Within a few minutes the five us were all together. I enjoyed being at the back so that I could take pictures, enjoy the views of the forest and watch my footing. All the while still being lead down the trail with no concerns of being lost. The course is essentially climb a big hill, run along the top of it, run down the other side to the area called the hollows, cross a stream or two, then climb back up the next hill. Repeating this process over and over throughout the entire run. It is not a course that has big hills; it just has a lot of in your face non-stop up and down running. The other challenge, as I mentioned before, is the ground surface. So it is tricky to push yourself on the downhills not knowing what surprises are going to pop out from under the leaves.

Some try the rock approach...Some try the log approach

     Mile 14 was the first stream crossing in the race and by my best guess of counting there are about 20 crossings I encountered. Now being at the back still had some perks to it. I was able to watch each runner in front of me try to find the best route over the stream. 

     After a few more miles I was coming in the second AS, Mile17, 9:58 am. Now I was 25 minutes behind the plan and still not worried. Feeling good and enjoying the day was more of a priority to me.  My daughter Kylie had  made me play list for the run. The first track was Green Day  "Welcome to Paradise."  I started the Ipod just after sunrise, using only the left earplug to hear the music while being able to still have a conversation with the other runners.

    From the morning group I was now down to running mostly solo and occasionally with Adam, a runner from Kansas City, through the next few sections. He would ask what song was playing every now and again. I think he would then search out the song in his head and picture it too. Adam was surprised to find out my oldest daughter was 16. He guessed my age way under what I thought could be guessed, but hey that is a good thing.

Taken by Adam..as we took turns snapping pictures

 The next two sections were shorter sections each one being 5.2 miles. The first one I picked up the pace and ran it in 1 hour 8 minutes. The next section I completed in 1 hourr 10 minutes. In the the middle of that section I was hustling along and my right foot kicked up a branch. While my right foot held it firmly to the ground my left foot came across it and toed it until gravity forced me over it sending me awkwardly down the trail trying to regain my balance. I shook it off then started back into running.

Looking out from the top of a hill 

On the way to AS 4 Johnson Hollow

      Arriving at Johnson Hollow AS 4, Mile28, I was about 28 minutes off schedule. The day was only a bit warmer than the start and ideally a great day for a long run like this. Spending  minimial time getting refueled then back on the course. At this point I was on my own for the next couple of sections. I didn't mind it at all the day was flowing along nicely.

     Reaching Gunstock Hollow AS 5, Mile 35, just before 2:00 pm I was now more than 30 minutes off plan. Still I shook it off knowing it is near impossible to predict an exact finish time for a race of this distance. At the aid station Eddie, one of Frank's crew and good friend, was there. He was quick to offer assistance to me filling my bottles and getting me food. We chatted briefly to verify all the others were still doing good and moving forward too.

On the way to Brooks Creek AS 6

Self-portrait action photo

Another one of the many crossings

The Famous Trail Marker that leads you along

     Following the course I found to be very straight-forward process. These OT markers were nailed to trees throughout the entire course, usually on my right side. In addition, there was ribbon placed between the markers. Sometimes you would be running for a long period of time and see neither, but there was no option really in leaving the trail. It is hard to explain how you know that you are on the trail, but when you are on this course you know it. If there was an intersection it was very well marked. Not once did I have to stop and verify my whereabouts. So the co-race directors deserve some credit for making such an easy to follow route.

        Working my way through the day I passed on through AS 6 and reached AS 7, Highway DD, around 5:50 pm. Now I was about 50 minutes off plan. In the larger scope that meant about a mile minute. This was my only drop bag location. I changed out of my waist pack and into my nathan pack & evening gear. Looking around the aid station I noticed Eric, another Michigan runner, changing his gear too. I said, "hello" and wished him well as I headed back on to the trail. 

Hello Moon!! Full moon and no leaves.

      Leaving here I knew that the sun would be dropping soon. As expected just about 7:00 pm it fell right out of the sky as the full moon made it presence for the night. Shortly, after taking a picture of the moon I turned my headlamp on and my pace remained relatively the same. The darkness did not seem to make much of a difference in pace; it was apparent that the leaves were still dictating the pace.

      Now arriving at Martin Road AS 8, Mile 59, about 8:15 pm vs the plan of 7:33 pm I was still holding together. The plan was designed with a slowing down of pace after the halfway and here I was moving now at a 16 minute per mile. Not feeling the best in my left leg I chalked it up as a normal all day of running discomfort. A few minutes out of there Eric had caught me and expressed he wasn't moving as fast either. We agreed it was nice to have some company so from this point on we stuck together and pressed forward. Now we were both starting to powerwalk a bit more than run.

      Hazel Creek AS 9, Mile 68, took a long time to reach. It was a long 3 hour and 30 minute journey to cover those nine miles. Placing us just over a 20 minute per mile. It was nice to be here and see some familiar faces. Eddie was the first to greet us taking our bottles and gathering some food. PoDog was in charge of the AS and taking good care of us too. In addition, PT was whipping up some of the best soup there.  It was nice to sit down for a minute and talk to everyone as Eric attended to his feet. This is when I noticed that my knee was really starting to hurt more than a minor pain.

Master Chef PT making some potato soup!!

    Out of there and heading to Machell Hollow AS 10. The next 6.5 miles took us 2 hours and 45 minutes which is now pushing near a 25 minute per mile. Nothing was easy anymore every uphill and every downhill became a challenge to navigate. Mentally I was calculating splits verifying I was going to make the 32 hour cutoff still.  It seemed optimstically possible at this point. I figured my knee would eventually numb up from the pain and I could out last it to the finish. 

Machell Hollow showing Xmas Joy

      Here I was now at Machell Hollow, Mile 75,  at 2:40 am vs the plan of 12:20 am. It was an audible in my head, "hey you can make it. 27 miles in just over 11 hours." I sat down ate some pasta chatted with volunteers and snapped a few more pictures. 

      Some of the best moments were shared in the aid stations. The volunteers that came out to support this race were amazing. If there was no cut-off you would very well stay longer and enjoy their company. 

     Leaving here I noticed that every stride was beginning to hurt even more. Since I was trying to avoid adding more stress to my left knee I had now a growing pain in my right hip from changing my stride. Again, doing more calculations along the way to the Berryman AS mile 81, I started to worry about the cut-off. Finally, I broke down and found a branch on the ground to break into a five foot walking stick. It came in useful as there was another big stream crossing. I crossed the stream by balancing on a large tree that was over the river. At this point I thought if I fall in it can't really be any worse. Successfully, I made it across and worked my way on to the next AS. About a mile from the AS I told Eric I was not going to be able to keep up anymore. My left leg was no longer bending and was swelling up all around my knee. He pushed on and I slowly made my way along the Ozark Trail. I checked that last mile split and looking at an additional 20 miles to cover in 8 hours 50 minutes was not going to happen. I did not see any reason to cause more possible damage to my leg and not be able finish. Now if my pace would have made it able to finish I very likely would have kept going just to get that buckle. 

       Reaching Berryman AS Mile 81.5 I surreneded my bid tag and dropped from the race. It was 5:10 am putting me 3 hours behind my plan. The volunteers took good care of me and found me a ride to the finish. I enjoyed the entire journey. Running on trails is always incredible to me and this course is 99% all trail. I am very sure I will be back to run this again.

Great job to Paul & Stuart for putting together a great race!!!