Journey through the Ultra World

The Fear

2011-12-14T20:47:00.006-05:00

Ok, it's been a while since my last post and a lot of things have been going on in my running world. In September I ran an 8 hour race in Mineral wells. I was able to get in 34 miles in the heat, and even though I felt bad during the race I finished strong. I ran the Fort Worth marathon on Nov. 13th and went under 4 hours, which I haven't done in a few years and followed it up with 50 miles at UltraCentric 6 days later. I took a few weeks off and then ran White Rock marathon on Dec. 4th, and then again ran a trail 50k 6 days later. At the end of the month I'll be running the New Years Eve/Day double marathons in Allen.

Now to the title of this post. With the running I've been doing lately I've been called a "bad ass", a "beast", "crazy", and many other descriptions. I must say that the main reason for my bad ass running schedule is that I have a fear inside me. As most of my readers know I've attempted the 100 mile distance the last 2 years and both times I ended up DNFing at the 60 mile point. (1st time with a knee injury, the 2nd time I quit) I'm in the best shape of my life right now and I'm still worried about that 60 mile point. I'm lucky this year to have the support of many gifted, talented, and supportive runners, they probably don't realize how much they really mean to me; but in the end I know that it will be my legs and mind that will be hurting and will have to continue down that path when I get there. The 3rd times the charm as they say!!

After this attempt it will back to being just regular runner Derek, nothing crazy, just some half, full marathons and a few 50ks during the year.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year. Hopefully it won't be another 2 months until I blog again.

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New Tattoos

2011-10-13T21:56:00.001-04:00

I added some color to my Texas running tattoo!

and I added in a new one for my favorite band that just recently broke up!

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Hottest Half

2011-08-14T21:24:00.002-04:00

Ran the Hottest Half this morning and it lived up to it's name. I usually do most of my running early in the morning or in the evening as the sun sets, so starting a run at 7:30 and racing as the sun starts bearing down is not part of my routine in the summer time.

I was looking forward to this race for a while because I hadn't ran a half marathon in quite a few years and wanted to see how I would do. Well I finished in 2:03, which is about 33 minutes of my PR when I was a younger skinnier runner but I'll take it. I started off with some 8 min/mile pace for a couple of miles and kept it under 9 through 9 miles and then the wheels came off. It was sunny, hot, and humid, so the walking started and when I knew I wasn't going to make it under 2 hours I just kind of took my time.

At least this gives me some idea on some things I need to work on for the fall and winter races where I think I can get back under 4 hours for the full. I know I got a lot of work to do but feel confident that some more speed work will help me get it done.

Making the Call

2011-07-20T22:19:00.002-04:00

I've made a decision on my fall racing schedule and my attempt at 100 miles will not be happening. At one point I felt I needed to run the event to be considered a "Real" ultra runner, but now I really don't care. I'm comfortable knowing that I can run a marathon just about anytime I want to, and feel that trail 50k's are really fun events. If I want to spend a little extra time training, a 50 miler might be tempting, but for right now I'm just going to enjoy running and see which marathons fit into my fall and winter calendar.

I've also got several kids playing sports and I want to make sure I make it to their games and support them whenever they play. Family is still my number one priority, so running will be my hobby, just like it should be. If you are running some events in the Texas area let me know, maybe I can fit it into my new schedule of events. I have some blogging buddies that I think are running the San Antonio marathon, so I might have to join them, I've got 4 months to train and have a pretty good base right now.

El Scorcho Cin5o

2011-07-17T23:11:00.001-04:00

Finished another El Scorcho and set a new PR for this event. This was my very first Ultra back in 08 and I'd forgotten how tough it is to start a run at midnight when it's still over 90 degrees outside.

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Time to Fly

2011-07-12T20:34:00.003-04:00

Got me some new running shoes today but won't wear them this weekend.

I'm still in training mode and getting my runs in when I can. This weekend I'm running the 50k at El Scorcho in Fort Worth and will really jump start the longer runs. Looks like it will be a hot one though.

Still on schedule to run the Pumpkin Holler Hundred in October so this race will see how I'm doing 3 months out.

PS, also got a new tattoo as well!

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New Goals

2011-05-16T20:45:00.011-04:00

It looks like it has been a while since I posted but I have been busy. Lets see where to start.

I ran the Big D marathon on a very warm and sunny day, finished in 4:30 which was really good for a brutal day. The Hoka running shoes were just as amazing on the roads. I felt great the following week.

Went to Las Vegas for a guys weekend and did some gambling, eating and of course some golf.

I got Mono after I got back so took about a week off from running. Now I feel better and I'm starting to get some goals for the rest of the year.

I'll start with El Scorcho 50k on July 17th, Capt'n Karls 60k on Aug. 27th, Run with the Ducks 8 hour run on Sept. 25th, and then Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd on October 15-16th!

Sounds like a good course for me, no ROOTS! Now I just need to find someone to keep me awake for the last 31 miles and we are in business! We shall see how it goes!

Hells Hills

2011-04-05T20:55:00.002-04:00

This is going to be a different type of race report. I usually tell about the race and what was going on but this one will be about the shoes I wore. If you read the last post you know that I got some Hoka Trail running shoes. I recieved them on Tuesday and really didn't get to do much running in before this weekends 50k. I did a get a 2 mile run in on Thursday and they felt really good.

Here is what the website says,

Levitating- "dissipating up to 80% of the shock associated with heal striking when running" "low ramp angle allows for tremendous confidence running downhill"

Rolling UP- "40mm high sole design enabled to design a 13cm rockering profile , representing 50% of the sole length. This design allows for fluid and natural stride transitions, lessening the movement of the knee by as much as 20%, increasing efficiency"

Like a Feather- "15% lighter than reference trail running shoes. At 320 grams size 8UK per pair"

Grip- "With 50% more surface area than the typical trail running shoe, and 35% more rubber crampons, you've never run as confidently as you will in a pair of Hoka's"

Stability- "With a foot recessed into the midsole, you've never run as confidently as you will in a pair of Hoka's"

I will agree with every statement they made. They were much lighter than I was expecting. The reduction in shock was incredible and they were absolutely amazing on the down hills. The rolling up feature almost seemed like it was propelling me forward with each stride. They gripped really well on rocks, sand, roots and dirt, both up and down hill. They were very stable for a shoes that seems looks like platform shoes.

The most amazing part though is that my feet felt great after the race. My feet are usually the reason I suffer late in a long race, but it was amazing how good they felt. Much better than the rest of my body. I made sure that early in the race I was stepping on rocks and roots trying to see how they would react and for the most part I didn't even feel them. Truely amazing!! I know that they are expensive and ugly, but they will be my shoe for any trail run and probably any run over 16 miles.

I'm running the Big D marathon this weekend so I will get a chance to see how well they work on the streets on 7 days rest. It will be a true test to see how the feet hold up. If anyone has any questions feel free to send me a note and I will see if I have any answer.

New Shoes

2011-03-22T21:01:00.007-04:00

OK, I've probably lost my mind but I just ordered a pair of Hoka oneone Mafate trail shoes. I'll be giving a review after I get them and have a chance to see how they work.

Times Square

2011-03-19T09:50:00.001-05:00

Greeting from New York! Enjoyed St Patty's day in the city and having a great time. Will updated more later!

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Birthday Run

2011-03-15T21:03:00.002-05:00

I turned 44 on Monday so I decided to do a nice 44k birthday run this past weekend. I knew it was probably going to be a little rough since it's only been 2 weeks since Cowtown but that's what ultra runners do, right? Well I had a friend that wanted to run the first half with me so I never turn down an opportunity to run with someone. We met up at 7am on Sunday morning and started our run a little before the sun came up due to the time change. We made small talk and probably ran the first 13.5 miles a little fast (2:08), but it was good to have the company pass the time.

After he left I headed back out and the next 8-9 miles were a little slower but not too bad. The last 5 miles were pure torture and ended up walking about 25% of the time but I was able to get it in and feel like I'm doing a good job of keeping my mileage going. It's looking like Big D will be my next race on April 10th, so I should be ready to give it a good go!

In other news, me and the wife are headed to NYC for a four day weekend in a couple of days. We are staying right on Time Square and hoping to see everything we can during the few days we have. Really just looking forward to being without the kids for a little while.

Keeping the Fire Lit

2011-03-07T20:41:00.002-05:00

It's the time of year when my running goes down the tubes. I've run the White Rock marathon in December the last 4 years and have run either the 50 or 100 miler at Rocky Raccoon in early February and just finished running at Cowtown for the 3rd straight year. For the last 3 years I've stopped running and taken rested for a while before getting going again. Last year for example I think I averaged about 40 miles a month from March through August and then start ramping back up in the fall.

This year will be different as I want to keep the fire lit and keep my running fitness through the spring and summer months. To keep me motivated I've got a few races that I'll do. I'm looking at the Big D marathon in April, El Scorcho in July and hopefully some of the Capt Karls races this summer as well. The goal is to have my endurance last through the summer and then do some longer 50k's and 50 milers in the fall. Would love to do Palo Duro in October and either Cactus Rose or Wild Hare too.

So with that I was able to get in 26 miles this week and ran 13.6 this weekend one week after Cowtown. The legs feel good and I've even started lifting weights to help me become a stronger runner. We shall see what the benefits will be later in the year.

PR at Cowtown

2011-02-28T22:00:00.009-05:00

This story starts early in the week when I found out a buddy of mine was coming into Fort Worth to run the Cowtown 50k. We chatted a bit on Facebook about getting together at the start and then started talking about time goals. I mentioned that my PR was 5:50 and I was hoping to go under 5:30 this year as I felt like I was in better shape and the body felt pretty good. He said that if we ran together we could make 5:15 and if things went well we could shoot for 5:00.

Well it decided to get warm this weekend, real warm. It was 65 degrees when I left the house at 5:30am and headed to the race. There was dew all over my car and the ground so the humidity had to be extremely high as well. It was supposed to get up into the upper 70's by the end of the race so I figured it was going to be a rough day. Got to the race site and chatted with several runners and found my way to the back of the start area and met up with John, Ryan, and Jason. (BTW, Ryan and Jason put on a fabulous 50k in the middle of the summer here in Texas called El Scorcho! Great run that everyone should try to run.)

When it's time to go we start off at a very nice and relaxed pace. I didn't even wear my garmin for this run and just wanted to have fun and let John keep track of the pace and how we were doing. It was obvious how humid it was as early in the race my shirt was already soaked with sweat. I'm a heavy sweater as it is, but 4 miles into the race is way too early for this to be happening, especially at the pace we were running. We went through the 10k mark in just under an hour so we were starting off nice and slow. I'm glad I was running with John because I have a bad habit of going out to fast and regretting it later in a race.

The next section had us running through the Stockyards which was nice and very good crowd support and then made the trip back into downtown which was a nice steady climb but not too steep. We were getting loose and decided to pick up the pace a bit and see if we could bank a few minutes for later in the race. We did a good job without extending ourselves. After leaving the downtown area, we were headed South and running into a nice headwind and some section where it was spitting a little rain. Thank goodness for the cloud cover, and breeze which seemed to keep out body temps in check. We hit the the 15.5 mile mark in just a little over 2 and a half hours. We felt good but didn't think we were going to negative split the second half but we were just going to keep the pace going for as long as we could.

Running through the area surrounding TCU was great. There were several residences that had cold beer available and we grabbed some at 2 of the locations. Not sure if it helped but we felt better for a little while after each stop. :-)

Heading back North we had the wind at our back and we could tell it was getting warmer as well. This is when we started relying on each other. If I was feeling a little bad or hurting John would take the lead and I would just fall in behind him and concentrate on his legs moving in front of me. If he had a bad spot I would take the lead. We seemed to feed on each other and only a few times did we both feel bad at the same time, then we did a little walking.

The roughest part of the race is the 5 mile section where we break off from the marathon route and run along the river for 2.5 miles and come back. The only support you get out there is from your fellow runners and the 2 aid stations. I gotta give props to the aid station at the turnaround as they had defizzed Coke sitting in a bucket of ice. I threw all 12 ounces down and felt like a new man, at least for another mile. The last 3 miles we didn't say much to each other but just kept our feet moving knowing we were getting close. We knew our dream goal of 5 hours wasn't going to happen but still thought we could get 5:15. A little under a mile left one of John's friends came out and met us and helped us get to the finish line. I almost cramped up during the final sprint, well it really wasn't a spring just a little bit faster pace and we made it in 5:15 and some change.

It was a great day for me as I PR'd by 35 minutes even though the weather wasn't in our favor. I have to thank John for all the support and even though we helped each other there was no way I come close to that effort alone. I highly recommend running with a buddy if you can find one as they can be a great asset.

Not sure what is next for me. I've made it through the winter running season and now I've got kids soccer and basball that will keep me busy until May. I'll try and stay in shape and run a few races when I'm not too busy.

Cowtown

2011-02-24T20:18:00.004-05:00

This weekend I'm running the Cowtown 50k. It will be 3 weeks since Rocky Raccoon and right now I'm feeling good even though I haven't done much running lately. Feeling good about getting a new PR even though the weather is looking like it's going to get up to 80 degrees with a chance of thunderstorms.

New Tattoos

2011-02-19T19:10:00.002-05:00

Added a couple of new tattoos today.

Recovery and Racing

2011-02-17T20:53:00.003-05:00

Recovery is going well after Rocky. I've run a few times and the legs feel pretty good while running but get pretty stiff afterwards. I've been taking it easy for the most part and making sure I stretch everyday as well.

I've signed up for the Cowtown 50k which will be run in a little over a week. I set a PR last year and I'm feeling much better about my chances this year so I'm hoping to crush my previous time. In case anyone is wanting to know It's 5:50, I know not a great time but I guess I've never run a 50k as an "A" race, it's always been a couple of weeks after a big race or in the middle of summer when running fast isn't as easy. Well I'm looking to go under 5:30 so we shall see.

Rocky Raccoon

2011-02-07T17:46:00.011-05:00

OK, you're here to see how the race went so I'll spare some of y'all the details and get straight to the point; another DNF at 60 miles. If you're interested in reading more please feel free but I have to start this report a few days before the race.

The week leading up to the race wasn't the best in the world as the DFW area had plenty of ice and snow and had me a little stressed about the little things getting ready for the race. I had business meetings in Frisco Monday-Wednesday and that always seems to wear me out, but I did a good job of not eating too much, staying off my feet and staying away from the alcohol that gets consumed at night during these meetings.

I felt really good going into this week and was about as prepared physically and mentally as I could be. I even felt well rested as I was even sleeping better than normal. That is until Thursday night when the slight dusting of snow we were supposed to get turned into several inches, which turned the roads into a icy nightmare. I paced the house most of the morning Friday wondering how the road conditions were and took a few trips out of the neighborhood to see what the Interstate looked like, and didn't like the results. I'd seen in other forums where runners were stuck in airports, and some that decided that the roads just weren't safe enough to make the trip down to Huntsville. The temps weren't going to get above freezing and with the cloud cover and lack of vehicles on the roads I was starting to think I wasn't going to make it either.

Then a break started about 11am when the sun started to shine and I was looking at weather reports so I decided to go for it, if the roads go bad I would turn around, but I at least wanted to give it a shot. I threw my gear and stuff together real quick and headed out the door and headed south on I-35. The right lane was in good condition, the sun was shining so I was feeling good. I then headed east on 67 and the roads weren't as good but still able to feel good about the drive until some idiot in a pickup passed me in the left lane and then spun out into the ditch! This was something I would see 4-5 times during this little trip. Next I headed southeast on 287 and here the roads were solid white, covered in snow and ice. Driving from here to I-45 was not fun, saw a few cars in the ditch and was driving about 20-25mph the whole way with a death grip on the steering wheel. When I made it to I-45 I was surprised to see that the interstate wasn't in any better condition and when you add in the big rigs flying by at 50 mph it pretty much scared the sh@t out me and this is where I got off the road, stopped at a convenience store and came real close to turning around and heading home. I'm glad I didn't because the road conditions slowly got better a couple of miles down the road and by the time I made it to Huntsville the roads were in great shape. I was glad to make it, but I could feel the stress and pressure in my neck and arms from the long drive.

I checked into my hotel and went to packet pickup and then met Mark for some dinner at a little Mexican restaurant in town. We were both ready to get this race going and looking forward to the next day. Back at the hotel I got my bag ready, showered and taped my feet. I was ready to go.

On race morning it was cold, like 20F! I made my way to the park and dropped off my bag, and made my way back to car where I had the heater running. I stayed there until 10 minutes before race start. I made my way to the middle of the pack, saw a few runners that I knew, made some small talk and then it was time to go!

Race starts at 6am and I'm off running through the dark forest with my headlamp along with about 350 other runners. The first few miles are going great, I'm going at a nice slow pace and getting in a rhythm. The only concern is the wooden bridges scattered though the course that are covered in ice making for uneasy crossings. As the sun starts to come up and the sun shines on the pine needles covered in ice, it makes for an almost unreal scene as we run down the trail. by about mile 10 though I notice that my right IT band is starting to bother me some on all the down hill sections. I'm not too worried about it as it's been almost a week since I've run and figure that my legs are just getting used to running again and everything will loosen up by the end of the first loop. (BTW, the course is made up of 5 loops at 20 miles each.) By the end of the first loop it starts to warm up, at least to the runners so I strip down a few layers and get ready to reload on supplies and take in some more calories. I finish the 1st lap at 9:50am and I'm right on the schedule I had come up with before the race. With my knee bothering me I also take some ibuprofen and rub some Bengay all around my knee and outer thigh hoping the ITB will loosen up some.

I headed out on the second lap and everything was going good with fluids, calories and salt intake. I was in a rhythm and moving along at a pretty good pace on the flats, walking the sections that needed to be but those dang down hills were really starting to make my leg hurt. I was just thinking of making it from aid station to aid station. On my second loop I saw my buddy Dan at the Damnation aid station with a twisted ankle. I felt bad for him as he was moving at a pretty good clip and knew he was determined to finish this race in a great time. The roots at Rocky can bring down the best runners when they appear from out of nowhere or hide under a fallen leaf. The second lap went like the first and was still on track even though I was starting to kick a few more roots as my right leg was having difficulties. It started off as bothering me and I was able to control the pain with some meds but it would be my down fall before the day was over. I knew my wife would be waiting for at the end of lap 2, so I was looking forward to that pick me up that comes with seeing her at a race. My brother was nice enough to drive her down to the race so she could stay at the race and drive me home when it was over. I finish the 2nd lap at 2:45pm and it was great to see them, but I didn't want to hang around for very long so I was out of there in about 10 minutes, so I've started the 3rd loop around 3pm. Last year I started the 3rd loop at 4pm so I was a hour ahead and feeling good about getting the 3rd loop done by 9pm, which would give me 15 hours to get the last 40 miles done. That was my goal from the start and felt I had a good shot of finishing if I could get that done. Prior to heading out I took some more ibuprofen to deal with the right knee and was doing good.

The 3rd loop started off good, I was getting my calories, fluids and salt and getting on down the trail. I reached the 50 mile mark at 11:10 and was enjoying the sights of the trail as the sun was beginning to set. That is always my favorite time of the day to run. I guess I should also mention that the leaders passed me about this time as they were headed back to the finish line. The winner won the race in 12:44, which is a 7:38 pace. That is a fast for any distance, much less a 100 miles!

At the damnation aid station at about the 100k distance the sun was going down and it's amazing how fast the temps drop out there when it does. Just moments earlier I'm running in short sleeves shirts, running hat and feeling good, 10 minutes later I have gloves, arm sleeves, beanie and starting to get real cold, real fast. The only way to stay warm is to keep moving and moving for me has become a real struggle. As the day progressed my right leg started to shuffle more and more which meant kicking more and more roots as I went along. There were several kicks where I stopped and cussed, looked at my foot and wondered if I just broke my big toe! Movement got slower and slower the more it got dark, which made me get colder and tighten up even more. I don't see that great at night anyway, but with a gimpy right leg I was even more cautious than before. I knew at mile 56 that I was done. I had given up! I was getting to 60 miles and calling it a race. I couldn't see myself moving like that for another 14-15 hours. I crossed the timing mat at 8:50pm and my wife comes up to me and the first thing I say to her is "I got to take this thing off" as I pointed to my timing chip. I didn't want anyone to try and get me to go out for another loop, I was done. I turned in my chip, gathered my bag and gear and we took it back to the hotel.

Last year when I hurt my knee I still felt good at the time and think I could have gone farther with out the injury, this year I knew I was done and just didn't have anything left.

Looking back I'm not sure why this year was so bad. I've never had ITB problems with my right leg in my 35+years of running. Was it the stress of the meetings, the weather, the stressful drive down, not sure? One thing I'm sure of is that this will be my last attempt at 100 miles. I don't think my body is meant for the distance, and I've got 4 kids and a wife that I missed a lot during these past few months getting ready for this race. I'll continue to run trail ultras as they are hard but tons of fun with some great people, but I'm going to stick to races 100k and less. I would also like to work on a little more speed and see what kind of marathon times I could run. I used to be able to run 3:40's when I was younger and would like to see if I could do that again. So for now it's time to get some rest and see what is next on the race schedule.

See you on the road or trail!

Tracking at Rocky Raccoon

2011-02-04T20:11:00.000-05:00

Live results will be posted at
http://www.ultralive.net/rr100/webcast.php

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It is time!

2011-01-30T19:55:00.007-05:00

Rocky Raccoon 100 starts this next weekend and I guess I'm about as ready as I can be. I've just put another 200 mile month of running in the books, which is about 33% more than I did last year. I'm healthy this year with no foot, back or leg issues. I have a confident calm about me this year that I've never had before. I know that anything can happen during a 100 mile race, but for some reason I just know this is the race I will finish. Last year I had no idea what to expect and even though I only made it 60 miles last year, I feel prepared for the challenges that will come up during the race. I'm actually looking forward to the roots!

It seems we have quite the "All Star" cast of runners showing up this year with Anton Krupicka, Zach Gingerich, Scott Jurek,Hal Koerner, Karl Meltzer, and others showing up. I guess there is a good chance that the course record could be broken this year which is around 13:16, which means I will be getting lapped twice by the leaders and will still have over 40 miles to go.

Well, I've done all the training I can do, I've got all my gear, now I just need to get my head right and get mentally prepared.

*pictures taken from the Rocky Raccoon website.

Suck It Up

2011-01-15T21:43:00.003-05:00

Today was one of those days. It was cold (38 degrees) and raining with no end in sight. I knew I needed to get my last long run in today but I just wasn't feeling it so I slept in for a little while, but then got out of bed to get down to business. It funny but one of my bloggy friends Clea wrote about the suck it up run a while back and so I knew that I needed to just get out there and get it done.

I started off and felt pretty good at first. It's funny but some of my most memorable runs I remember in the past have always been run in cold and rainy conditions. I just love it when rain is light and there is no breeze what so ever, you can see every breath you take as it trails slowly behind you. It was one of those days.

I run 10 mile loops around my neighborhood and the first loop went by fairly quickly. At about mile 15 on the second loop the rain started to get a little heavier and I was getting soaked and hit a little low time. Thank goodness I was able to get a few freshly baked blueberry muffins at the house after loop 2 and it help get my energy back up. Loop 3 started off slowly but I felt really good at the end and finished off with a couple of sub 9:30 miles for the last 2.

Now it's time to start decreasing the mileage and get ready for Rocky. Only 3 weeks to go!!

Productive Runs

2011-01-09T15:21:00.003-05:00

I've had some pretty good run and a bad one in the past few weeks. I wasn't able to get my long run in on New Years day because I stayed up way too late for New Years, had a few too many beers and had company in for most of the day. On Sunday I did get out for 29 miles and it was a rough finish. I started out way too fast, didn't take in near enough calories or fluids and it caught up with me in the last hour or so. The weather was perfect, if not a little on the cold side which makes it difficult to gauge how much I should be drinking so that's one thing I really need to work on.

I had a holiday on Monday I was able to get back out there for a 12 miler which went really well. For some reason though my left upper hip bone was really bothering me later in the day and continued to hurt for a few days. Tried to run on Wednesday and it made me stop at about 3 miles and I was Little worried about it.

I took the rest of the week off and rested, iced and took some ibuprofen to help with the pain. Starting my run on Saturday I actually felt fine and got in 35 miles. I started a little slower, made sure I got enough calories and fluids and ended the run feeling pretty good. I still lost about 5 pounds of body weight during the 6 hour run so I still need to work on getting more fluids, but I think it will work out on race day when I will carry 2 hand helds and the pace will be quite a bit slower.

Next weekend will be another 25-30 Saturday, and 12 on Sunday and then it will be time to start tapering. Really looking forward to getting these run done with as the miles are starting to take a toll on my body.

200 miles

2010-12-30T21:10:00.003-05:00

Today I finished a 6 miler and hit the 200 mile mark for the month of December. I know for some Ultra runners this is not that uncommon, but for me it is a huge milestone. Last year in training I hit the 150's a couple of times and wondered how I would ever be able to run much farther. I guess the body is much more capable when the mind just gets out of the way. I have never been that great of a runner, never fast, never the one that could run real long distances back to back, but this year I've changed as a runner and am amazed at what my body has been able to do. I'm really looking forward to starting my 100 mile race in about 5 weeks and seeing the benefits of the extra miles.

OK, I'm done bragging for the moment, it's time to go back to work, looking for about 25-30 on Saturday and 15 on Sunday.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-28T19:41:00.002-05:00

I hope all my bloggy friends had a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a new year. I took Christmas day off and relaxed with family and ate too much, but it was a great day putting toys together and just spending time with family.

On Sunday morning I was able to get in a 28 miler and felt fairly strong on the last couple of miles. My pace was just under 9:50 which is a little slower than I was hoping to get but much better than the pace I was running at last year. I followed my long run up with a run of over 10 miles. This is several weeks in a row that i have been able to run a good solid long run and back it up with one the next day. In the past a long run had me recovering for a day or two, but this year I feel my training is much more consistent and I'm able to run with more frequency. Last year I was only able to run 3-4 times a week while this year I'm doing more 5-6 days.

Looking forward to another 3 weeks of good solid training and then it will be all about getting mentally prepared.

Christmas Eve Run

2010-12-24T13:19:00.002-05:00

Deck out in my best Christmas colored running gear and went out for a nice 12 miler. It was cold, cloudy, windy with a little rain mixed in, a fun morning run.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Feeling Strong

2010-12-20T21:28:00.002-05:00

Right now I'm running better than I have in probably 20 years. I've put in 68 miles in the past 7 days with 2 runs under 9 min/mile pace and the rest around 9:30. I've run 6 of the 7 days and still feel strong so I'm hoping I can keep this momentum going for the next month or so and get some great miles in before RR. I'm finally getting really excited about this race and even the training I'm going through. It was just 3-4 weeks ago when I had no motivation, but every since I ditched the ipod and started pushing the pace I've felt so much better about my runs.

I have a blogger buddy Mark that is running Rocky Raccoon for the second time and looking to go under 20 hours, so I've kind of been looking at his workouts and trying my best to do the mileage that he is. I don't have near his speed, but I figure if I can get close to the work he is doing the better my odds of finishing the race. So Mark, just know that I'm doing my best to try and keep up with you and you are my motivation to finish this race in the best time possible. I also owe it too him because he signed up to be my pacer for the final 40 miles last year when I hurt my knee and wasn't able to finish, so this year I'm double motivated to get it done.

A Little Weight Loss

2010-12-16T21:42:00.002-05:00

I've been a little better about staying away from sugar, haven't had a soda in about 3 weeks and I've gotten my weight down to 209! I still have a long way to go but it's a start. I was around 217 right before White Rock and I know that getting down to around 200 before Rocky Raccoon will help my legs and feet survive, so I'm trying to be more diligent about what I eat and drink lately.

On the running front I've been doing better as well. I recovered well after the marathon and had a few small runs during the week and ended it with a 17 mile run just 6 days after the marathon which put me over 50 for the week. So far this week I've run for 3 straight days at 11, 9, and 5 miles miles tonight. The plan is to run 20 on Saturday and then 10-13 on Sunday for another week in the mid 50's. The best part is my pace is much better than in the past. Tonight was paced at 8:18 while my 2 previous runs were sub 9:30, which I'm finding I can run fairly easy at it was also my pace for my 17 miler last weekend. Last year at this time anything under 9:45 was a struggle and didn't happen very often, so I'm hoping some of this strength and power will help out at RR in about 7 months.

This year I'm also breaking up my long runs from what I did last year and hoping to recover better fo my weekday runs. Last December I had long runs of 31, 35 and 37 miles, which was nice but it also took up most of my Saturdays to finish and left me tired and sore on Sundays. This year I'm going to go with more 20-25 mile runs on Saturday and then back them up with 12-15 on Sunday. I also plan on pushing the pace a little harder on my Saturday runs and see what effect that has on my body. So far everyhting is on schedule so I'll just keep on keeping on and see how it goes.

White Rock Marathon

2010-12-06T20:17:00.007-05:00

Well the race is over and I'm pleased with the result. I just barely even signed up for this race a few weeks ago when I knew I couldn't do a 24 hour race in Austin the same weekend. I've been having problems doing my long runs so I figured I could make it through a marathon even though I wasn't in the best shape. My longest runs going into this race was in the 14-16 mile range, but I have had good success with my weekday runs that were from 7-10 miles.

I guess I should go ahead and get it out, I finished in 4:08:33 and came in 31st place out of 261 in the Big person division, not my best time but one that I'm real positive about going into the future. My goal going into the race was to stay relaxed and try and run about a 2 hour half and then see what I had left. If I felt great I would go until I had nothing left, if I just felt OK I would stay with that pace and then if I felt tired I would back off and just try and enjoy the rest of the race and not worry about my time.

I started off nice and relaxed and did a better job of controlling my pace the first 5 miles but still went a little faster than I should have, but that's just my style when I feel good. Miles 1-5 went like this

1 9:26
2 9:05
3 8:41
4 8:43
5 8:22

Miles 6-11 were making our way toward the lake with a slight increase in elevation and I was still feeling good and trying to make sure that I ran at a relaxed pace. The half marathoners left the course just before mile 9 and the course cleared quite a bit. Miles 6-11 went like this.

6 9:02
7 9:00
8 8:58
9 8:57
10 8:53
11 8:57

Getting down to the lake and starting to run North into the cold breeze is when things started to get a little more difficult for me. I started mixing in a little walking and walked more through the aid stations. My goal was slow my pace slightly but to keep pushing and not give up like I had been doing on my long training runs. By mile 15 we had made it to far end of the lake and started back around the other side. Having the wind at my back was nice but now the sun was beating down and I was needing to take in more fluids because I was was sweating pretty heavily. Miles 12-17 went like this.

12 9:22
13 9:23
14 9:34
15 10:06
16 9:57
17 9:18

Mile 18 is when I hit my low point and bad thoughts crept into my head. You know the ones that just say "quit", or "walk some more", just "walk it in, no one will care". They were speaking loud and I did struggle during these 2 miles.

18 10:28
19 10:28

Finally getting off the lake was good and I was feeling a second wind coming, unfortunately so were the hills. Being a runner that weights in at 217, hills are not my strong point. I felt OK but I struggled up them and lost some time even though I felt pretty good. The splits went like this.

20 9:23
21 10:07
22 11:24
23 11:06

Now that I made it through the worst part of the course it was all down hill until the finish line and knew I could get in in under 4:10 if I got after it. I was feeling good, I guess as good as you can feel at mile 23 of a marathon so I just went with it. The last 5k of this race is what I am most proud of because I really didn't have the training to feel good at this point in the race but I did. I passed a lot of runners during this time and felt like I was flying during the last couple of miles. I ran through the finish line and felt great, felt like I could keep running for another 5k. Me splits went like this.

24 9:41
25 9:07
26 9:03
.2 8:34

After the race I got my medal and finishers shirt and met up with a couple of people and my brother. This was the best I had ever felt after a marathon and I can only believe it has a lot to do with having more miles on the legs and some of the ultra runs I've done. So even though this wasn't my fastest marathon, I'm very pleased and will now be thinking about what is next in my future of running. Will it be a continuation of my 100 mile training or will I back off and do more marathons? Only time will tell.

One Week Until White Rock

2010-11-28T12:14:00.002-05:00

Next week at this time I will be running the White Rock marathon for the 7th time. I I've had a good week of running with runs of 4.6, 8, 7.7, 6.5 and today ran a nice easy 4.5. I'm feeling good with my running right now, but haven't gotten the long runs in that I probably need to make this a great run but I'm hoping my experience and by making one really smart decision I can make it a good one.

I usually run the 1st half way too fast and really suffer during the last 6-8 miles. This year my goal is to run an even split or even a negative split if I have anything left in the tank the last 4-5 miles. I'm not sure if it will work out or not since my longest runs have been in the 15-17 miles range, but I guess I'll find out on race day.

Right now the weather is looking a little warm with a low of 47 and a high in the 60s, but that could easily change by race day. The course has changed this year again, but this time it's a major change as they have moved the start/finish out of downtown to Fair Park, so it should be interesting to see how the course looks this year. Looking forward to seeing some of my running buddies as well, it seems like I see most of these people only at races but it's still nice to have a small chat and see how they are doing.

Well this will be a really nice and easy week with 2-3 runs of 4 miles and then it will be race day. Nothing better than race day to a runner.

A Better Week

2010-11-20T18:35:00.002-05:00

After Sundays disappointing run I decided to make some changes and so far so good. I started off the week with 3 straight days of 7+ mile runs and pushed the pace more than usual and was able to run from 8:30's to 8:45's for them. I took Thursday and Friday off and then did a longer run today with a group instead of doing it on my own. It was much easier to get the miles in while chatting with others than it has been for me to get through my long runs by myself. Ended up getting 16.5 today which put me right at 53 miles for the past 7 days. Even though I haven't been able to get my long runs dialed in as of late, I'm still getting some decent miles in at a good pace.

Now I'll take it a little easy for the next couple of weeks and see what I can do at White Rock on the 5th. The past 3 times I have run it I haven't tapered at all and used it as just a regular long training run. This year I want to see if I can run it at a decent pace in see how close to 4 hours I can get. I know I haven't trained properly for it, but I'll just see what happens anyway.

Going back to Work

2010-11-16T19:48:00.003-05:00

Well, not work work, but back to running with more focus. I've spent the past few years working on longer distances and even though I've been running some serious long distances in training, I haven't been pushing myself to suffer. I used to enjoy the feeling I would get when I pushed the pace really hard. Back in high school I would get the dry heaves after every one of my races. I would just push for the finish line with everything I had until I crossed the finish line.

I never was the fastest runner, but I could push the pace and suffer more than most. When I was in the Marine Corps I was consistently running sub 16 minute 3 milers and would suffer the whole time. When I started running my first marathons I was able to run around 3:40 with very little training and long runs of 16-17 miles. I really didn't know any better back then.

Then something happened as I got older, I started running longer distances, not because I was so good at them; but because I didn't like how running a 5k, 10k and half marathons hurt. You had to suffer to run those at a fast pace and I got to where I didn't like that anymore. I started running marathons as "training runs", which meant I could run them at a slow pace and not have to worry about how fast or slow I ran them. When I would run one in about 5 hours it was easy to explain it as "just a training run to get in the miles". What I really should have said was "I didn't want to run it too fast because it would hurt".

Lately I got to where I would run with my ipod so I could just escape on my long runs and not think about the run. That worked last year and I was able to get runs in from 5-8 hours, but this year I was having problems with motivation. I couldn't find that happy place and would quit after a couple of hours, so something needed to change.

My last 2 runs I have run without my music and focused on running. I was aware of my feet striking the ground, the rhythm of my breathing and my running form. It was great to hear the little sounds that I was missing and was aware that I was running free. These 2 runs have motivated me to become a different runner and I'm not sure what that means right now.

I'm still hoping to get in enough miles to finish Rocky Raccoon in February, but if I don't I'm not going to worry about it. I will run some 10ks, half marathons, and fulls. I'm going to try and suffer more on training runs and run free. I'm staying away from the music for awhile and see what that brings as well. I'm going to try and find that runner I was 20 years ago, the one that didn't mind suffering for a few hours because of the reward that was at the finish line.

Lack of Motivation

2010-11-14T21:53:00.002-05:00

Here it mid way through November and I am having some serious issues with the long run. My weekday runs are going well, getting some good 6-9 mile runs in and at a decent pace for me. I couldn't be happier with them at this point and haven't been this healthy in a couple of years. My problem is the long run, I've managed to get some 15-17 mile runs in but they haven't been much fun at all. I get to about 2 hours in and all I can think about is quitting! Today I started off for a 20 miler and I felt great for the first 12 and figured it would be one of the those days where I could run forever. Not sure what's going on but soon after that my legs felt tired and I didn't have that Pep that I had just a mile back. Soon I was walking and called it a day at 14 and just walked back to the house. I took a shower and watched some football games on TV. I didn't feel tired or sore or any other issue that I can point to. I'm just having some mental issues about my long runs.

Last year I relished my long runs and would just let my mind wander for the 4-6 hours I was out there running but for some reason I can't find that place this year and my mind says quit after I get a couple of hours in. I think this weekend I'm going to run with a group and see if that will help because I need to get some good quality runs in if I'm going to hit any of my goals this year.

I signed up for White Rock in Dallas in 3 weeks so hopefully that will motivate me as well. It will be my 7th time to run it so I'm hoping to run it over 20 times while still being able to run. That gives me 13 more years to stay in running shape! Lol

Training is going well

2010-10-05T22:08:00.003-04:00

I know it's been a long time since I have posted, but not sure how many people actually read this anymore, but was asked about it the other day so I figure I would post a little more.

Training is going really good so far. For the first time in a couple of years I have stayed healthy through the summer and I'm getting some good quality runs in. I've already had 5 runs over 15 miles and my speed is actually coming around this year. The past few years I've had a few nagging injuries that kept me from even attempting any speed work what so ever, but this year I've been running a few hills and running faster than I have in a long time. Even on my 5 miler today I let my self go for the middle 3 miles and see what kind of pace I could hold and I was able to run 7:58, 8:04, and 8:12; which for me is blazing speed. I'm not sure when the last time I ran training miles in the 8 minute range.

Rocky 100 is still on for my "A" race and I'm still not sure what I will be doing between now and then. Right now it just feels good to be injury free and having fun with my training runs. If you pop on over here sometime let me know and I'll continue to post a little more than I have. Thanks for reading.

Marine Corps Tattoo

2010-08-25T20:55:00.001-04:00

I guess better late than never, but many years later I finally get my Eagle, Globe and Anchor!

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Thirsty Thursday

2010-08-19T21:35:00.001-04:00

Cheers! I hope everyone has a great weekend! Time to start the long runs!

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Capt n Karls 30k

2010-08-16T23:55:00.005-04:00

OK, this was supposed to be a fun race as it was only 18.6 miles and from what I heard the terrain wasn't too bad. My friend Nicole was looking to do her first nighttime trail run so we signed up and were going to run it together. Here we are before the race and we already look pretty hot. We had chairs and a place to sit in the shade, but still when it's 100 degrees it's hard to stay cool.

My running has been steady as of late but not with a lot of long runs. This summer has been blistery hot and I just didn't have the MOJO to get out there for the past few months. I guess I had a big let down after not finishing Rocky that I kind of let my running go and tried to decide if I really want to try it again. Well within the past month or so I've been feeling like it's time to get back into the training and my legs feel good so it's full speed ahead on training for the 100 miler in 6 months.

Now back to this race. It was a nice course with some rolling hills, some waist high grass, and some pretty rocky areas. From the map there would be aid stations at 5 miles, another at 8.5, make a loop and hit the last one at 12.7. This seemed reasonable even though I was worried about the last one being about 6 miles from the finish. We started out and ran through some tall grasses, went down to the river and ran through some big rocks and then made our way along the fence line that had some good rolling hills with what seemed like a general up hill tone. Made it too the first aid station and refilled my 2 hand held bottles and off we went. The next 3-4 miles were my favorite. We had some good rollers with quite a few switch backs on some nice soft dirt trails. The sun was setting and it seemed to get cooler at the sun set. We made it to the next aid station just in time as my bottles were now empty. Head out on what would be considered the loop as we would make our way back to this aid station before heading home. On this leg it got dark and it had some fun and challenging terrain. It seemed like the last couple of miles was a slight incline back to the aid station and I was ready to fill my bottles, grab a snack and head to the finish.

Only there was NO Fluids of any kind when we got there. OK, I have a little HEED in one water bottle and Nicole is completely out. What do we do now. The poor guy at the aid station was trying to use someones cell phone and call in that he was completely out of everything. Now we have 6 miles to go, we are already dehydrated and very little fluids and we know that we have 6 miles to the finish line and it would take us at least 1:20 to get there. I was sweating heavily and knew that if I tried to run it in I would be getting over heated and probably would be in pretty bad shape if i made it.

So we decide to just walk in in and conserve our few drops of liquid and try and not over do it. I must say it was hard and we just kept putting one foot in front of the other. We passed a couple of guys that I was worried about but they said they were doing OK. I knew we would make it to the finish line, but I also knew it was going to be a long slow process and wouldn't be very much fun. The next 4 miles were some of the longest I've ever spent out on a trail. Next thing we know we come upon a table with water with 2 miles to go. Still not sure if it was put there after the start knowing that the previous aid station had run out or if it was planned because of the heat, but for whatever reason it was a life saver. I drank a whole bottle of water, which probably wasn't very smart but I was so thirsty. Without any calories or anything to eat the water made me feel a little nauseous so that made the next few miles not so much fun either. Anyway, we were able to make it to the finish right at 5 hours. I got my medal, got some Gatorade and some food and sat down. After about 10 minutes of drinking and eating I felt great again. This race was a great learning experience about making sure I take what I need on the trail just in case something like this happens again. I now know what my body feels like when it needs more calories or needs more fluids. What it feels like to have too much water without any thing to eat. Not something I want to do again so I'll learn from it. Here is a picture in my hotel room after the race, nice and dirty. Nothing better than a shower after a race like these to make you feel better.

Trail Race

2010-08-14T12:10:00.002-04:00

Getting ready to head down to Central Texas for a little trail race. With the heat we are having here in Texas I'm glad it's a 7pm start time which is usually about the time I start my evening runs around here. There is something I love about running as the sun sets on the horizon. I think I also like that the temperature starts going down and the humidity level is fairly low at that time of day as well. Tonight I'll be running the 30k and I'll be running with a friend Nicole as she runs her first night trail run. She is signed up for Rocky Raccoon 50 miler next year so this will be a good first for her.

I'll post pictures of the race tomorrow and give a report of how it goes.

Legs

2010-08-04T23:01:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's been a while since I have posted. I guess I had better catch up a little about the summer. I've spent too much time eating, drinking and doing just enough running to keep my self in shape! Lol

The title of this post is legs so I guess I guess I should explain. Last summer while playing on a local softball team I had a myriad of injuries. I strained a quad muscle, pulled my left hamstring pretty bad and I ended the season by breaking 4 ribs in a collision with another player. The injuries put a damper on last years training and my hamstring injuries was bothersome all through last years training and racing. It was always tight, and felt odd on just about all my runs, which kept me from putting in the training I wanted too last year. I was able to get my long runs in but I usually took it easy during the week and never did any kind of speed work, as that was a sure fire way to irritate it.

Well a couple of weeks ago was the first time in about 12 months that I was able to put in a weeks worth of running with no difference in the legs. It was odd because I've been paying special attention to it for so long that I figured it would become a way of life, and that I would always have to spend more time stretching it out, laying off the speed work, and keeping my mid-week mileage down. Now that I've been running about 3 weeks with no problems I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of training and racing I can do this fall and winter.

I was supposed to run El Scorcho last week but had a conflict so I signed up to run a 30k trail run down around the Austin area in a couple of week. I'm really looking forward to it as I love running on the trails. Hopefully this will be a good kick start to the fall and winter with Rocky Raccoon 100 being the finale.

New Trail shoes

2010-06-30T21:44:00.001-04:00

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New Watch

2010-06-11T21:11:00.002-04:00

My Garmin Forerunner 305 finally died this past week and so it was time to get a new GPS watch. I went with the 405 w/o the heart rate monitor. I got to where I never wore the heart rate monitor with my 305 so I figured I didn't need the option with my new one. Besides I think I have run enough and know my body well enough to feel where I am with regards to different zones. I had my 305 for about 4 years and it was great know how far I had run, what my pace was at any moment and being able to log all those runs. I'm not sure I would be able to train not having that information on my wrist. I do like the fact that it looks more like a real watch and has the time available. I probably won't wear it except during training runs, but it will be nice to have if I need to go straight from a run to another function without changing watches.

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Lucy Park

2010-06-10T19:02:00.003-04:00

Was up in Wichita Falls working and found a great place to run. It is a concrete trail but there are tons of trees and shade and it run next to the Wichita river. Went running around 6pm and it was great having the shade to run in, never get that on my afternoon runs at home. A little over 8 months until RR100 so it's nice to get back into the running.

Hanging out in the Wasatch Mountains

2010-05-31T00:31:00.001-04:00

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Vacation

2010-05-30T00:18:00.001-04:00

Enjoying the cooler weather in Utah. Staying with my older brother here in Salt Lake City. Here is my view enjoying my morning coffee.

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Cubbies

2010-05-23T20:54:00.001-04:00

The Cubs were in town this weekend so of course we had to go. Front row seats is the way to go!

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Relaxing

2010-05-23T20:51:00.001-04:00

How to relax after a long day!

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New Tattoo, Again

2010-05-20T23:52:00.001-04:00

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Rocky Raccoon

2010-05-20T18:05:00.005-04:00

I signed up for the 100 miler again. Just now starting my training so that give me a little over 8 months to get ready. I know what to expect and I know what I need to do to get ready. Now it's time to do it.

Vibram Five Fingers

2010-05-20T13:00:00.001-04:00

I guess I've joined the barefoot running craze. We will see how they work out. Looking to improve running form and keep injuries away; I won't be throwing my running shoes away however.

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Training

2010-04-09T20:41:00.002-04:00

Yes, I have been training, just not doing much running. I didn't run Hells Hills last weekend as I something come up so now I am training for a 5k race in a couple of weeks. It will be a very interesting race and can't wait to share my race report. As far as training goes I have now finished week 3 of P90X,and I must say it has been a great decision for me. During the past year or 2 all I have really done is run, and run some more. Well it has been really good to work other parts of my body and right now I feel really good. Some of the body parts that had gotten weak through the years are starting to show some improvement which I believe will only help me as I start ramping up my mileage later in the year.

Tattoo

2010-03-16T20:11:00.001-04:00

Just got a new tattoo, the Chinese symbol for family.

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Next Race

2010-03-07T22:02:00.003-05:00

Just signed up for my next race, which will be Hells Hills on April 3rd. That gives me a couple of weeks to do alittle running and a couple of weeks to taper. The legs feel pretty good right now as I have spent the past 2 days on my spin bike. The legs have enjoyed the motion without the pounding they have taken for the past few months. With a 60 miler and a 32 miler last weekend I figured I might as well keep running every month or so while I got the endurance base down. Now I'm just hoping for good temps and dry weather for race day.

It's good to have a race to look forward to so I can keep my mind focused on training. When I have no race to look forward to, I sometimes start to lose it.

Spinning

2010-03-06T13:20:00.002-05:00

Rode my spin bike today for the 1st time in quite a few months and it felt really good. Now that I'm done with the bulk of my ultra running for the year I will start adding a little more biking in and mixing things up a little.

Cowtown 50k

2010-02-28T11:30:00.005-05:00

Yesterdays ultra was a one in which I had no idea what to expect. 3 weeks after running 60 miles at Rocky Raccoon and with a knee injury that forced me out of that race I didn't know what the day would bring. I only ran 2 times during that span for a total of about 9 miles so I was refreshed and ready to go, at least I thought so.

I wasn't able to pick up my race packet on Friday so I ended up going down early before the race and getting it Saturday morning. It was a cold morning but with very little wind which would be a perfect day for running 31 miles. I started in corral D and they started the race in distinct waves so we didn't get started until about 7:45. I started off slow, at least it felt slow to me but I hit the 10k mark in under an hour. The knee started off a little tight and I could feel a little pressure under the kneecap, but nothing serious. The 1st 8 miles of the course included the half marathoners and was a little crowded but once they turned off the crowd thinned quite a bit. By mile 10 or so I stopped and stripped some of my warmer clothes off as it seemed like it was getting pretty warm out. The sun was beating down and I knew it was going to get really warm before we finished.

By mile 18 my hips were starting to hurt pretty bad. I wasn't sure if it was the faster pace that I wasn't used to or the pounding from the pavement, or if it was just too soon after my last race. Whatever it was it was getting painful and reduced me to walking for some extended periods. Problem was that walking didn't make it feel any better and there was just no relief no matter what I tried. I would stop and try stretching a couple of times, but nothing seemed to help. Finally another runner (ultra runner that I met at Rocky Raccoon) had some Advil on hand, so he gave me a couple and I took them at the next aid station which was mile 21. The next mile or so was very difficult and I probably walked as much as I ran. I started calculating what my time would be if I had to walk it in the rest of the way as running was just not going well.

At about mile 23 the ultra race veers off the course and does a 5 mile out and back along the Trinity Trails and this is when the Advil finally started kicking in, which was none to soon. The sun was really bearing down now and being down on the river there was no breeze at all and it felt very warm. There was only 1 aid station on this section but the volunteers were great and let me have a bottle of water each time I passed by. As I stated earlier I started feeling much better with a little pain relief so I was able to run this section at a pretty good clip. Coming off the Trinity back onto the marathon course was great, only had a little over 2 miles to go and was seeing all the marathoners that were really struggling. I offered words of encouragement to every runner that I passed and told them they would get to that line soon. Crossing over into downtown Fort Worth there was a bank sign that showed the temperature as 63 degrees and it felt every bit of it. Finished up strong in a time of 5:50, which is a PR of about an hour over my last 50k. Received my medal, finisher shirt and had a few snacks. Headed back to the house to get a little rest.

Today I feel much better than I did yesterday. I think the sun and heat really did me in as well as my hip pain. My hips are not really sore at all today so I'm not sure what caused the pain. The knee feels good and I just have the normal soreness after a good long effort. Looking forward to a little rest and then getting back to doing some more training. Will probably pick another race for March/April soon.

Snow Day

2010-02-23T21:14:00.002-05:00

Not doing much running as I get ready to run The Cowtown 50k on Saturday. It will have been 3 weeks since RR and everything feels good. I'm hoping to have a good run and just see what happens. Since I haven't run in a little while I thought I would post pictures of the snow we had today.

A good Run

2010-02-18T21:20:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went out for another 4 mile run and felt pretty good. As soon as I got home I iced both of my knees for the rest of the the night and today they feel great, no soreness, no achiness, not anything. Not ready to say I'm back since it hasn't been 2 weeks yet, but really looking forward to the Cowtown 50k in a little over a week. Want to run the whole race which will be a switch from what I've been doing for the past few months. I need to retrain my body to not want to stop every 20 minutes and eat. Lol

Hoping to get 1-2 more small runs in and just take it easy until the race Saturday. After Cowtown not sure what I'll be doing but I'm looking at a few 50 mile races in either March or April and then doing El Scorcho again this summer. If anyone want to to a crazy 50k in the middle of the Texas Heat and start it at Midnight, here is the link. El Scorcho Sign up early as it will sell out as it is becoming one of the most popular 50k's around.

The Knee

2010-02-16T21:22:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I went for my 1st run since Rocky Raccoon and it went well. The knee was just a little stiff but loosened up nicely as I ran. I only went 4 miles as I just want to get back to moving again. Afterwards my hips were a little sore, but my knee just didn't feel right. It felt like there was pressure under the knee cap so I took some ibuprofen and iced it last night. Today it is still bothering me a little so more ice and will probably put off running for the rest of the week. I'm so ready to start running again, if you count the 3 week taper up until the race I've done very little running in the past month except for the race. Oh well, a little more rest and then hoping for some good things next week.

New Tattoo

2010-02-13T23:42:00.003-05:00

New tattoo that I had done tonight.

What next?

2010-02-12T22:02:00.003-05:00

So whats the best thing to do after a DNF, well sign up for another race of course. I just recently signed up to run the Cowtown 50k on February 27th. That gives me 3 weeks to recover from RR which should be plenty of time since I only made 60 miles. The left knee is still a little sore but I plan on testing it out sometime next week to see how it does. I've been icing and using anti-inflammatories and it actually looks pretty good.

DNF at Rocky Raccoon

2010-02-08T14:30:00.010-05:00

This past weekend was an incredible experience for me even though it didn't end the way I was hoping. Having never run a 100 before and with 50 miles being my longest race I didn't know what to expect during this event from my body or mind. Now that I sit here on Monday I feel really good about what I was able accomplish. So lets start from the beginning.

Friday afternoon I drove down to Huntsville, picked up packet and had a nice light dinner at Golden Corral. I got back to the hotel and set everything up and started working on taping my feet. Blisters were one of my biggest concerns because I got several last year in the 50 mile, and wanted to be proactive in preventing them this year. Well, things didn't go well with the taping so I took it all off except for a couple of toes that I knew needed extra protection. I would be wearing a pair of Injinji toe socks and a pair of Dry Max ultra light trail socks over them. I used bodyglide and the double layer of socks and I was hoping that that would hold up and then I would take care of issues as they came up.

Friday night I slept great even though I woke up a few times during the night. Usually I'm a nervous wreck and don't sleep well before a race but for some reason I felt very calm and relaxed that night. Morning came and I drank a boost, had some Gatorade and headed to the race site. I met Dan and his family, a friend of mine that was running his 1st 100 miler as well. We settled into place and about 10 minutes before the race started I ran into David who was also on his maiden voyage with the 100 miler. We were just making small talk when it was time to go. I positioned myself toward the back of the pack as I wanted to make sure I started off walking and go at a very slow pace for the 1st part of the race. Well, I ended up walking more than I wanted to but it probably was a good thing that kept me from bolting to the front like I tend to do in these things.

So that everyone can follow along, the course is 5 laps of 20 miles. The first aid station is "Nature Center" and is 3.1 miles into the race, then comes "Dam Road", which is another 3.1 miles. From there, we make a long loop and come back through Dam Road 6.1 miles later. That is the longest non supported section of the race. From there it is 3.4 miles to "Park Road", and then 4.4 miles back to the start/finish which is called "Dog Wood".

The first lap went really well and I tried to do a combination of running 15 minutes and walking 5, but it didn't take long to scrap that plan, with the small inclines and aid station locations. I found a good rhythm of walking major inclines or real rooty sections and running the rest. All the aid stations were well maintained and full of experienced ultra runners, but the ones at the Dam Road were beyond belief. They were getting stuff before you had to ask, taking your trash, getting your drop bag, and just basically doing an outstanding job.

I finished the first lap in about 4:15 and was feeling good. I wanted to check a couple of hot spots on my feet and tighten my laces because I felt like my feet were sliding a little too much in the shoes. I put on some more body glide, refueled and was out for the second loop. The adjustment I did with the shoes felt so much better and I was cruising. During this loop the sun was out and it got a little warm. I know it was still cool outside but with the full sun and lack of breeze in some areas I had the sweat flowing. I was doing a good job of keeping the fluids going in and getting enough calories. I was drinking a Boost at Dog Wood and one every time I went through Dam Road, so I was getting 3 with each loop, plus picking up a few things at the aid stations. My pacer Mark told me not to spend to much time in the aid stations so I tried to follow his advice. I would spend time at Dog Wood and Dam Road, but at Nature Canter and Park Road I was usually in and out in a minute or two. I finished up the second loop at about 3:30, so at 5 hours I was right on schedule.

My biggest surprise of the day happened when I finished my second lap. I saw one of my girls and then another come running up to me! This was a huge shock to me as we live almost 4 hours away and Marla had not let on at all that she might bring the kids down. They drove down to see me and wish me luck and then headed back home. Well I must say I was floating on air as I headed out on my 3rd lap.

For some reason I had my first low point about 4 miles into this lap. I felt tired and was wondering where I would find the energy to finish. I made it to Dam road and John took care of me and sent me on my way. Some runners struggle on the 6 miles section between Dam Road, but for some reason it was my favorite. It might be because this is the section where the 50 mile runners break off and run a shorter loop, but I really enjoyed the peace and quiet that is had to offer. Well on this 3rd loop I really found my stride and felt wonderful. It finally started to get dark and there is something about running at dusk that just gets me going. I turned on my headlamp when it got to dark to see and was back at Dam Road before I knew it. John stated that I looked much better than I did just 90 minutes ago and I was off again. I only had about 8 miles to go and I would be meeting my pacer Mark for the final 40 miles. I was running well and hit the last aid at Park Road at 8:15. I had 4 miles to get back to Dog Wood and if I made it in an hour I would have put another 5 hour lap in the books.

This is when the story goes bad. About half a mile into this section I was running well and not even in a rooty section, so I looked up the trail for brief second to see what was coming when BAM, I step in a little depression and tweaked my left knee. Ouch!! That brought me to a complete stop and hurt like you know what! I tried to walk it off for a little while, tried to jog, I couldn't do it. Walking was difficult, but I was hoping it would get better in a little while. I walked and walked and it didn't get better. I could feel pressure inside the knee and it would lock up here and there. Now that it was dark and starting to get very cold, it was not a good time to be shuffling down the trail at a snails pace. It didn't take long before I was freezing, but i just kept putting one foot in front of the other. An hour and a half later I finally make it back to Dog Wood and there is Mark waiting for me. I know he was worried, I should have been here and hour ago. He gets me some hot soup and we go inside the tent to assess everything. He asks if there is anything we can do to get me back on the trail. I still have 14 hours to the cut off, but I just spent the past hour and 30 minutes covering the last 3 miles. At that kind of pace I would never make it, plus there was no since in doing anything stupid to my knee. So there it was, 10:15pm on Saturday night and I was officially DNF. Mark helped me get my bag to my car and I was so very sorry to drag him away from his family to come out here for this. I would have loved to have been able to get back out there and finished this race with him, but that's the way ultras go sometimes.

I made my way back to the hotel and took a nice warm shower, iced my knee and tried to relax. It took me a while to go to bed, but I eventually did and slept pretty good. Got up the next morning and drove home.

Now that I've had time to reflect on the experience, I'm so happy with how things were going up until the knee problem. My legs and feet felt good and my nutrition was spot on. I was keeping hydrated and was peeing about 3 times per loop. I had a great time interacting with the other runners on the trail and feel like I was ready for this race. I'm disappointed on how things turned out but going 60 miles is a new PR for me and gives me the confidence to make another attempt at 100 miles in the near future. Thanks to everyone for their good wishes and to all my fellow runners that helped me with support and advice. I look forward to sharing the road or trail with you in the near future.

A special thanks goes out to my wife and kids, they are the ones that supported me the most when I was gone all on long runs and kept me motivated when it was hard. They think I'm crazy but love me still!

More Gear

2010-02-04T20:57:00.002-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pearl izumi shoes, 2
Socks, 4 Injinji toe and 2 drymax ultralight trail
dirtygirl gaiter, black
Zensah calf sleeves
Moeben arm sleeves
nike compression shorts
nike running shorts
shortsleeve compression shirt
longsleeve compression shirt, 2
short sleeve tech shirt, 2
longsleeve tech shirt
running pants
runningjacket
running vest
sweatvac hats, 2
beanies, 2
goretex pants and jacket
bandanas, 2

Gear

2010-02-04T20:44:00.003-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Boost
Gu gels, vanilla bean and Triberry
Gu chomps, cranberry apple
Gu roctane, vanilla orange
sports beans, cherry, grape and lemon lime
gatorade endurance
Boost
ginger chews
endurolytes
headlamps, 2
flashlight 1
taping supplies
Nathan handheld bottles, 2 and 2 extra bottles
Nathan backpack
hand towels, 2
pack of wipes
extra batteries for lights
Bengay
Blistershield
bodyglide
Rolaids
lip and body sunscreen
ibuprophen and Tylenol
running watch, 1

3 more days

2010-02-02T22:28:00.002-05:00

Wow is all I can say. I've got three more days and I haven't started packing yet. I need to figure out what I'm going to put in my 2 drop bags and which one I will place certain items. The training is done now I just have to get mentally prepared because as they say " your legs will carry you the 1st 50 miles and your head will get you to the finish line".

Well it's off to go make a list of everything that I will need. I will post my list tomorrow and possibly even take some pictures so everyone can see the mass of running gear I will be hauling down to Huntsville.

2010-02-01T21:24:00.001-05:00

The training is done, now it's time to run!

"training to run 100 miles is like training to get hit by a truck"

- luis Escobar

"It was like getting kicked in the balls — no matter how hard you train to get kicked in the balls, it hurts every single time it happens."

- From Rogue Warrior by Richard Marcinko, John Weisman

My quotes for the day. Looking forward to the race!

The Test

2010-01-31T22:03:00.002-05:00

"No matter how well you know the course, no matter how well you may
have done in a given race in the past, you never know for certain
what lies ahead on the day you stand at the starting line waiting
to test yourself once again. If you did know, it would not be a
test; and there would be no reason for being there."
- Dan Baglione

This is my quote for the day as I prepare for my test. As I've stated before, I've never done a race where I wasn't absolutely sure I wouldn't finish, but then this will be my 1st 100 miler. I feel great and know that I have put in the training to get me through the day. Will that be enough, only time will tell. I know I am looking forward to the challenge and will enjoy every mile, even though I may complain a little while running parts of it. There will be highs and lows, but the ultimate satisfaction is knowing that I will be at the starting line healthy and ready to run.

Last year when I finished the 50 miler I called my wife on the phone afterwards and told her "that no matter what I say later, I will never do that again. It hurt like hell." Well here I am a year later and doing it again. Good thing I only remember the good times at the race and none of the pain, or I'm pretty sure I wouldn't try it again.

So here I am, ready to take the test, bring it on!

2010-01-28T21:53:00.002-05:00

Since I'm still tapering and not doing much running I've got all the extra time to think about my race and life in general. I came across this quote and it really hit me. While training for this race I had many Saturdays out on the road for 5, 6, 7 or more hours at a time. During that time there was plenty of time to think about running, and other stuff. I'm getting ready to run a 100 mile race and there is still so much I don't know about running. I guess it is true, the more we grow as people the more we realize that we actually don't know that much.

"We had done this thing we had set out to do, and instead of becoming
larger because of the experience, we became smaller, more humble more
aware of how little we know: about the world in general, about ourselves specifically."

- Richard Benyo in "The Death Valley 300."

Keep on running!

Running Quote of the Day

2010-01-27T22:27:00.000-05:00

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."
--John Bingham

Now go out and run!

Feeling Good

2010-01-27T20:33:00.003-05:00

This has been a very restful week. I ran 8 miles on Saturday, on Sunday I walked 4 miles and then on Monday I ran a very easy 4 miles, and did the same tonight. My legs feel great and I'm a little edgy so I think the taper is going well. One thing that I have noticed is that my shoes are feeling a little loose and I think it is because my feet have returned to their normal size. My feet have been bothering me a little for the last few months and I think it was because of the swelling from all the long runs I've done the past few months. Now that I am tapering and putting in fewer miles my feet feel great again.

I'm getting super excited about my first 100 mile race in a little over a week and very lucky to have Mark pace me for the final 40 miles. Mark is an excellent runner and finished last years race in under 22 hours. He will be a big support for me as I get my first 100 mile finish under my belt.

What Next?

2010-01-20T21:02:00.004-05:00

As I sit here getting mentally prepared to run my first 100 mile race in a little over 2 weeks, a question popped into my head. What do I do next? It's actually something I haven't really thought about in a long time. My journey to the 100 miler started last year when I finished my first 50 miler and has been my main motivation for running every since. It has been a natural progression for me, I ran a marathon and wanted to go farther. I've run some 50k's, Ive done a 12 hour race and a 50 miler. So whats next after I finish this 100 miler?

I need goals, I needed goals to get off the couch in the first place. I would have never gotten in shape to run if I wasn't going to train for some race and now the last three years of chasing goals has come down to this 100 miler of February 6th. Maybe I could try and PR at some shorter distances, or maybe continue to race in 50 and 100 milers. I guess I'll have plenty of time to think about it after I finish. I just love tapering, too much time on my hand and plenty to think about!

Tape

2010-01-18T13:55:00.005-05:00

My order of tape and other supplies came today that I ordered from zombierunner. These next few weeks I will be experimenting with different tape jobs and be prepared if I do have blisters during my 100 mile run.

I also took my dirtygirlgaiters for a test drive today as well and they were so light and comfortable I didn't even feel like I was wearing them. My right calf was a little sore after my 20 miler on Saturday so I wore my zensah calf sleeves as well. They always give my legs great support and have helped keep me running many times.

Legs felt great today as I did my easy 6 mile run. Really looking forward to the next 3 weeks and getting prepared to run.

Time to Taper

2010-01-14T21:39:00.004-05:00

Well almost, I will have one more long run this weekend and then it will be 3 weeks until the big race. I can't believe it is almost here; when I started the journey it seemed like years of training to get done and now I'm down to the last bit of running. In the past 3 months I have done 5 runs at the 20-23 mile range, a marathon, 2 runs in the 31-36 mile range and a 46 miler. During the weeks I did get a lot of rest, but that's just what my body needs. I'm not the kind of runner that can go out and consistently get 60-80 mile weeks in. I'm pretty happy with the long runs I was able to get in with the family commitments I had, so I guess now it is just time to relax and see what happens.

One thing that I will be working on during the next 3 weeks is taping my feet. I have a few areas that will be prone to blisters so I bought the book "Fixing Your Feet" by John Vonhof, and have read it several times. Now it will be time to experiment a little and see what will work best for me on race day.

6 Years Ago

2010-01-05T22:15:00.005-05:00

6 years ago in a hotel on the other side of the world we met our daughter for the 1st time. She has been a joy every since.

Here is a picture of her today.

A New Year

2010-01-03T15:35:00.002-05:00

It's been a nice holiday, but tomorrow it's time to go back to work and the kids head back to school on Tuesday. It has been very relaxing and have enjoyed sleeping in a little, since the kids didn't have to be at school, and staying up too late. Just a few more Bowl games to watch this week and then it will be back to reality, unless the Cowboys decide to play a little more football through the month of January.

On the running front I ran 36 miles on Friday and felt OK. My right foot bothers me a little the day after, but feels much better today. 1 or 2 more weeks of long runs and then it will be time to taper and hopefullly get these legs to feel a little more refreshed.

2009-12-31T20:59:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone has a Happy New year and a great 2010.

New Running Shoes

2009-12-30T20:47:00.000-05:00

These are my new Pearl Izumi Synco Seek trail running shoes. I'm hoping these are the shoes that will be getting me through my 100 mile race in the not to distant future.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Good Weekend

2009-12-28T19:14:00.002-05:00

This weekend started off with a nice 31 mile run on Saturday. I took it nice and easy with a steady pace and finished in under 6 hours. The legs still felt pretty good and my right foot was bothering me just a little on Sunday. I feel better about my long runs even though I have a few more weeks until I can start my taper. I've had a good fall and winter with no running injuries which is nice because my legs did bother me the 2 previous years.

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around running 100 miles. The only people I know that have run that far are my blogging friends, so it's not like I can constantly pick their brains about training and what was going through their minds as they went through their training phases.

I just know that I'm getting the miles that my body can handle with the time restraints of having 4 kids. I'm hoping to get a 35 miler in this weekend and then trying to get 40-45 in on the 6th of January. After that I will start to taper down to the race and just hope that I have put enough miles on the legs to get through the race. My ONE and only goal is to finish, I'm not worried about any time except I am setting a pace goal of finishing in 28 hours so that will give me a couple of hours to play with if something goes wrong.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T14:51:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas to all my blogger friends, I hope everyone has a great day!

On the running front I was able to get in 10 mile runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Yesterdays run was perfect as i finished up a few minutes after sunset and it was 68 degrees with a slight breeze, not your typical December running weather. Today will be a rest day as we are having snow blowing at 20-30 mph, again not our typical December weather either. Looking to get another good long run in this weekend as my body is adapting well to the 20+ mile runs I've been able to get in lately.

62 miles

2009-12-20T10:43:00.003-05:00

This past 7 days I was able to get in 62 miles of running, which is a new PR for me. I feel a little tired today but nothing out of the ordinary. I'm finally starting to feel a little more confident about Rocky Raccoon, but know that I still have a lot of training to do if I want to finish. Yesterday I finished the week with a 20 miler and felt really good at the end. I felt like I could have kept running if I didn't have time restraints for the rest of the day. Looking forward to this next week off with some more training and rest.

On a side note I also gained 5 pounds this week. How in the heck can I run 62 miles and gain 5 pounds. I guess I need to lay off all the good holiday fare. It's hard because I do love good food, but I need to get my weight down a little in the next month to make it easier to run 100 miles. Oh well, I guess I will always be a Clydesdale.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! As my kids remind me every day, only 5 more days until Christmas.

Could I do another Triathlon?

2009-12-15T22:11:00.002-05:00

This looks like the perfect triathlon for me. I hated swimming, but I'm pretty good at eating and drinking and pretty sure I could make 3 laps. The bucket might come in handy though. lol It would be fun if they had one of these in the DFW area.

White Rock Marathon

2009-12-14T19:56:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I ran the White Rock marathon for the 5th time, and I must say it was the most interesting of them all. I've run in 17 degree weather, 70 degree weather, wind and rain, but yesterday was one of those run that I don't want to have happen again.

Everything started off well even though my back was a little tight. I guess I slept on it wrong, but I knew it might bother me some during the race. I figured I would just have to stop and stretch it a few time during the day. Boy was I wrong!!

The first 13 miles went well and actually went through the 13.1 mile split in about 1:56, which was nice and relaxed. During the next few miles the back really started to tighten up and I'm really not quite sure why. By miles 15 I was doing a lot of walking and stretching trying to get it to calm down, it never did during this stretch.

I made it over the hills at mile 19-21 and then the down hill back into Dallas made my back start going into bad spasms. I spent the next few miles walking and just sitting on the curb trying to relax. I was ready to DNF right then and there as I just didn't want to spent the next 2 hours walking and sitting and slowly making my way to the finish line. Thank goodness my bother was able to get me some ibuprofen and that helped relax my back enough that I was able to get back in the race. By mile 23 I felt much better and was actually doing some good paced miles toward the finish. I ran the last 3.2 in about 31 minutes to get in in under 5 hours.

I felt great at the finish line and obviously had a lot left in the tank, and could have had a decent run with out the back issues.

Oh well, I've learned that that there are great races, average races and every once in a while a really bad one. I just hope this is my bad one and not the one in February!

Today I went out and ran 7 miles and the legs felt pretty good. Looking forward to this weekend when it will be time for another long run.

Marathon Week

2009-12-09T21:16:00.002-05:00

I'm running the White Rock marathon this week, well actually pacing a friend to her first marathon finish, so I won't actually be racing. She is looking at a 4:30-4:45 time so it should be a nice easy pace for the day and lots of fun getting her across the finish line.

This week has been very relaxed for me, I did a 20 mile run Friday night and it was cold. Started off it was 37 degrees and when I finished it was 29 and dropping. Of course my pace slowed toward the end of the run and being sweaty I was getting really cold the last few miles. This week I ran 3 miles on Monday and plan on getting 5 in tomorrow evening and that will be it until the marathon Sunday morning.

I was feeling a little anxious about Rocky Raccoon this weekend as I only have about 8 more weeks. I've had two runs of 18, three 20 milers, the marathon this week and a 46 miler so far and not sure if this will be enough. I know I need to get some more long runs in in the next month, but I feel like a light weight compared to some of the mileage I see from other runners. The big test for me will be to see what kind of runs I can get done in these next 4 weeks. I've got some time off for Christmas so I should have the time to get some good long training runs in. Wish me luck!

It that Snow?

2009-12-02T20:40:00.003-05:00

We had our first snow of the year and with it being December the 2nd, one of the earliest snowfalls in quite a few years. We also have a chance of snow Friday morning so we are starting winter off on a good note. The kids were so excited about the snow we were almost late getting to school.

Went for a 10.5 mile run tonight and still feel really good. I feel completely recovered from my 46 miler just a week and a half a go, and now have the White Rock marathon on the 13th. I really enjoyed running in the cold weather tonight as the winds had died down so it was perfect for running. Looking to getting a long run in this weekend and then taking it a little easy before White Rock.

A Tale of Two Runs

2009-11-29T15:04:00.002-05:00

What a week it has been. I was recovering from my 46 mile run this past weekend and with it being Thanksgiving I did my share of eating Turkey, dressing and all the fixings. On Friday the family was supposed to make the trip out to West Texas to visit my dad, but my oldest Jakob wasn't feeling to well so i made the trip with the other 3 kids while Marla stayed home with Jakob. There is nothing like a road trip with the kids to wear you out, especially since Marla wasn't around. We stayed in a hotel on Friday night and my 3 year old must have tossed and turned all night long. I was punched, slapped and kicked a thousand times during the night so i didn't get the best sleep. We made the road trip back on Saturday and got in around 5pm. I decide to go for a run since we had a full day scheduled for Sunday and didn't know if I would have time to get a run in.

Well it turned out to be a total beating, I guess eating junk food for 2 days and the lack of sleep caught up to me because i was barely able to get 12 miles in. I knew it was going to hard after 2 miles and just struggled for as long as i could and then called it a night. I was pretty disappointed about the run and but I know there are good runs and bad ones so I just need to take it in stride.

This morning Marla was supposed to have a photo shoot, but they canceled so that gave me the chance to get out and redeem myself with another run. After Saturdays run I wasn't expecting much and just wanted to get 6 or 7 miles in. After the 1st mile I was feeling great and extended it to 11 miles before the rains started moving in. It is amazing what a little rest and being properly fueled can do for a run. As bad as I felt last night, I felt great in today's run just 14 hours later.

Now it's time to rest and relax and watch a little football. Only 2 weeks until the White Rock marathon.

A Run Cut Short

2009-11-22T10:46:00.003-05:00

OK, I only ran for 12 hours yesterday, and it was probably a wise choice. This week a couple of the kids were sick with some colds and I could feel one coming on as well so I decided that 12 hours of training would be good enough for this stage of training. My feet were hurting at the end last night, but everything else felt pretty good. This morning I feel great and only developed one little blister on my heel. Running on a hard surface for 12 hours is much harder on the body than trails, so I was worried about the pounding my body would take but everything is good. I also met some amazing runners this weekend. Some of those 72 and 48 hour runners are just so inspirational. I'm really not sure how they do what they do!

I'm already looking forward to my long run this next weekend. With 11 weeks until Rocky Raccoon I'm satisfied with were my running is, I just know that I still have a lot of work left to do.

Speaking of things to do, my wife wants to start decorating for Christmas so I guess I'll start making the 20 trips up into the attic to get everything down.

24 hours

2009-11-16T19:56:00.003-05:00

I'm a little over 4 days until my 1st 24 hour race and I have no idea what to expect. The good news is that I'm just wanting to get some miles in and time on my feet, so I'm not going out there with any big expectations. I will use this as a training run and experiment with some different food and drink combinations to see what works best for me. If you follow me on Facebook I will also be posting updates throughout the day and night on my progress, so feel free to send me any motivation.

The rest of this week is just rest, relaxation and getting mentally ready to run around a .5 mile course.

Injinji Socks

2009-11-13T13:14:00.001-05:00

Bought me a new pair of Injinji socks with Nuwool, and I must say they were very soft and comfortable. If you are a fan of Injinji socks, these are an absolute must. I'll be headed back to the REI this week to get a few more pair before my 24 hour run next weekend where they will get the ultimate test.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Belt Buckle

2009-11-09T14:11:00.001-05:00

My 1st belt Buckle award given for finishing the Fort Worth Marathon 20 miler. It's nice but the belt buckle I want is waiting for me in February!

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Fort Worth Marathon

2009-11-08T16:41:00.002-05:00

Today was the Fort Worth Marathon, but I only ran the 20 miler. I was able to get a couple of miles in before the start and get a total of 22 in for the day. It was run along the Trinity Trail, which I run on just about every weekend so it was a very familiar course. Last weekend I ran my first 20 miler of the year so the distances are starting to ramp up for me. My wife is going out of town this next weekend so no long run for me, but the following weekend is the UltraCentric and I'll be looking at getting 50 miles in. The White Rock marathon is 3 weeks later and then it will be time to get some more long runs in.

My legs feel really good so far and I'm happy with my distances I'm getting in as well. I've been getting some great advice from several of my fellow bloggers that have run 100 milers before, so I can pick and choose what will work for me. Still feel good about the running and having fun, not sure when it will become more of a drag but I'm sure it will hit sometime in December. So far so good and I'll just keep on keeping on.

Later!

Rocky Raccoon

2009-10-26T16:53:00.002-05:00

I hit the submit button and now I'm registered for the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile Trail race on February 6, 2010. Not sure how I should feel, but I'm excited and look forward to the training days. I feel really good about my running right now which starts with my health. I know there will be some speed bumps along the way, but I'm prepared to take those on as they come. I'll be running the Fort Worth marathon on November 8th, Ultacentric 24 hour race on November 21st, and the White Rock marathon on December 13th. Not sure what and where I will be running after that so stay tuned.

Pearl Izumi

2009-10-25T10:31:00.005-05:00

I love Pearl Izumi running shoes and have been wearing them for about 5 years now. I've been wearing the Float for as long as I can remeber and I have now started to wear their trail shoes as well.

I also like their marketing message about running and not jogging. A runner is anyone that has run in a race or cares about being just a little bit faster. A runner tries to catch the person in front of them as they get close to the finish line. A runner pushes themselves in training and races to get a little better. Time is not a concept between running and jogging, only the effort to improve. If you would like to see more images here is the link.
we are not joggers

Test

2009-10-23T17:08:00.001-04:00

Test using BlogPress to post from my iphone. Here is a picture from a back tie event that my wife and I attended a few weeks back.

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Stronger

2009-10-18T09:54:00.005-04:00

Saturday I had an 18 miler scheduled and was feeling a little nervous about the run. My back had been bothering me all week and was not sure how it would hold up. It was a great morning for running with temps around 50 degrees and little to no wind. I was amazed at how well I felt. It must have been because I hadn't run all week, but I felt really good for the first 14 miles. I was running with a friend and we were hitting a few miles around the 9 minute mark, which is fast for me. I think in all my long runs for the past few years I was running around 10. The last 3 miles were a little tough and I actually blew up with about 2 miles to go so I slowed down and walked for a minute then started back up and ran the last mile in 9:05. I finished the 18 miler with a 9:25 pace, so I felt really good about this run and I hope it will help me this fall and winter. Leading up to the fall races I feel so much stronger than I have in the last 2 years and haven't had any trouble with the legs. I'm already looking forward to my next long run this coming weekend.

Back Pain

2009-10-13T19:34:00.003-04:00

Last week was a good week for running and ended it with a cold and wet 15 miler that I started around 7pm. I was glad to finish and really enjoyed the peace and quite that can come with a night run. Saturday morning one of the girls had a soccer game and the other one had a afternoon game. After that the wife and I headed out to a black tie event and had a wonderful time, but I could tell my back was a little tight after standing around most of the day. Well I woke up on Sunday morning and I could tell something was wrong. I've had back problems every since my basketball days in college and it usually flares up 1-2 times a year, so I figured I would be out of comission a day or 2. Here it is Tuesday night and I think I'll be ready for my long run this weekend, but not sure. I tried to run last night and only made it about a half mile before heading back home. Today I just rode my spin bike and went for 90 minutes and it feels like it has losened up so I have hope for having a productive week.

This weekend will be an 18 miler and really looking forward to getting it done. Legs feel good so I just need to get my back in order and get in the miles.

Feeling Good

2009-10-04T21:42:00.002-04:00

So far my running is going very well and I have no injuries to report, which is much better than the last 2 years. I've been steadily building up my mileage and feel really good going into the month of October. I'm getting excited to see what I can do at the white Rock marathon in a couple of months and hopefully build on that and run the Rocky Raccoon 100 in February. I've run long runs of 12 and 14 with a group and have been pushed out of my 10 min/mile pace that I normally run. The 12 miler was a 9:25 pace and the 14 miler was around 9:40. I know when I start getting into the longer runs the pace will go up even more but it's nice to run under 10 min/miles because I haven't done that in a few years.

Tonight I even went power walking since I figure I had better get those muscles in shape as well. I'll probably be doing quite a bit of that in the future!

New Tattoo

2009-09-15T21:10:00.004-04:00

OK, so today after work I went and got a new tattoo. It's 4 J's, which represent my 4 kids Jakob, Jacey, Jaden, and Jack. Every since I got my running man tattoo on my right calf I have been trying to decide what to put on the left one. I had been playing with this idea for a few months and finally went and got it done. I think it came out pretty good.

Running in the Rain

2009-09-14T19:50:00.002-04:00

Today was day number 3 of running in the rain. I'm not sure what it is but I love the cooler weather that is here with this rain we have been having. Most people know that I am a 200+ lb runner and the heat gets too me pretty easy and I sweat at the drop of a dime, I guess that is why I love the fall and winter running season. Well we have been treated to an early fall these past few days with about 12 inches of rain in the past 3 days. I have been luck to find a few breaks in the heavy stuff to get in my runs. I started off with 9 miles on Saturday morning with a few friends and went again last night just because of the cooler temps and light drizzle. I wasn't going to run this evening but the weather was just perfect, so I left the house and was able to get 3 miles in before I knew I didn't want to over do it. I probably should have rested today so I don't get injured, but I never do what I'm supposed to do when it comes to injury prevention.

I'll definitely be having a rest day today and get ready for a good run this weekend. I probably need to get at least 12 in and start building my mileage up. So far my legs are feeling really good and my foot and calf problems of last year aren't bothering me. If i can keep up the work through the fall I'm looking at having a really good running season next year.

Well i have loved the weather the past few day and now I'm ready to see some sunshine, haven't seen it since last Thursday which is a long time here in Texas.

Baby Steps

2009-08-31T21:37:00.002-04:00

I am slowly but surely getting in shape; I've been running some and riding my bike more to get the legs moving while trying to keep the injuries away.

Aches and Pains

2009-08-19T21:56:00.002-04:00

It's amazing how fast you can get out of shape, it was just 6 months ago I completed my 50 mile trail race and then I slowly but surely lost most of my endurance over the summer. I blame most of it on our new pool. It was so easy to set by the pool and have friends over and drink way too much beer. That ruined my night time running and killed any attempt to run early on the weekends. Oh well i go a nice tan and a beer gut that I need to get rid of now. Actually my weight is not too bad, I'm at 208 right now and I've started eating better along with the running should drop some weight as the training continues. My wife also bought a juicer a couple of days so we have been juicing fruits and veggies to get more good stuff into our diet, so I'm hoping that will help as well.

I did 4 miles on Monday and just finished a 5 miler and the body is tired. Thank goodness I have 4 months until the marathon so I can get back in shape slowly. I'm hoping this will be a good year without the injuries I had last year. So far so good!

Running Again

2009-08-16T19:35:00.003-04:00

Today I went for my first run since breaking my ribs a little over 2 weeks ago. I went a little under 7 miles and felt pretty good. I kept the pace fairly slow to make sure the ribs would be OK, and they seem to be fine this afternoon. I have been riding my spin bike now for a week and the legs are starting to feel like they are ready to go, I just want to make sure the rest of my body gets a chance to heal before I start putting in some good mileage.

My goals for the year are the White Rock marathon in December, Bandera 50k in January, and then Rocky Raccoon 50 miler in February. After that I'm not sure but would like to start working towards a 100 miler.

Broken Ribs

2009-08-09T21:18:00.004-04:00

Well my softball career is now over. So far this season I have tweaked my left hamstring, pulled my right quad, which took a couple of weeks to heal; and now I have 4 broken ribs to add to the list of injuries. I'm 42 years old, but my mind still thinks I'm 20. I was lucky to play college basketball and I must say I wasn't the most talented person out there, but I worked harder than most. Well now that I am 42, my mind still tells my body to go all out and give 100% on every play, it's just now my body doesn't react as well and sure doesn't heal like it used to.

So now I will be getting back into my running schedule and looking to do some more ultra runs in the winter. I'll be doing White Rock Marathon in December and then deciding what to do in 2010.

Right now I am going to let the ribs heal a little longer and start running sometime next week.

DNF

2009-07-21T18:43:00.004-04:00

When I was riding bikes there were always 2 kinds of riders; those that have crashed and those that hadn't crashed YET. I made the crashed category a few years back and that brings me to this weekends race. I guess the same can be said about ultra runners as well, those that have DNF'd a race and those that haven't yet.

Well I entered the El Scorcho race with a bum leg and not much training under my belt but I wanted to get out there and see what I could do. I also wanted to see several of my running buddies that I hadn't seen in a while. The preparty atmosphere at El Scorcho is great. There is loud music playing and friends and family settling in for a long night of supporting runners. This is a great race to watch as the course is 3.1 miles so the 50k runners would be passing by 10 during the early morning hours.

Well the race started at midnight and everything was going good and I was chatting with several runners when I hit some bike ruts and rolled my right ankle only 1.5 miles into it. It wasn't a bad sprain, but there was no way I was going to finish 31 miles on this night, so I shut it down after 2 laps. I didn't want to continue running and make it worse and I wanted to try and stay healthy so I can begin training for the fall and winter races. Not exactly sure what I'll be doing in the fall, but I'm pretty sure I want to go back to Rocky Raccoon for the 50 miler and see if I can do a better job.

El Scorcho

2009-07-18T17:00:00.004-04:00

So it's been awhile since I posted last. The pool has been finished for a few weeks and I find myself in it quite a bit, so my blogging and running has been pretty non existent. I've been playing in a softball league for the past month and have had several injuries as a result. Long distance running and the sprinting required in running the bases are not at all complementary to each other. Well I've had a slight tweak here and there and then I finally pulled my quad muscle a couple of weeks ago. I've been resting and icing for the past 2 weeks and feel OK for tonights race. I'm pretty sure that there is no way I can complete the 50k, but I'm going to run as far as I can, without injuring myself and then I will help out my fellow runners as they run through the night. Yes, I said night as the race doesn't start untill midnight tonight, so many runners will see the sun rise on Sunday morning. I'll give a update on how everything goes tomorrow.

Spending to much time in the pool, and not enough time running.