How Much Discomfort Can I Tolerate?!

Weather - 32 degrees, clear.

1 easy mile with the dog - taking it real easy...

I am thinking about participating in the Siberian Express 7.1 mile trail race this Saturday at Lake Mingo.

Last year I trained specifically for races between 5-15k, so this is a race that I normally would love to do. However, all of my recent training has been focused on distances beyond 30 miles. I have done no speed or hill work during the past 3 months. My endurance is great right now, but overall speed/strength is on the low level.

With that in mind I would have to approach the race without thinking about the clock or place. Just run it hard and don't concern myself with anything else.I used to run this way during my lone season of high school cross country, as the clock time made no sense to me in relation to distance. I just ran my heart out and did not care about anything else. If I don't think I am capable of this on Saturday, then I should not go.

#412

Weather - 37 degrees, clear.

It was mild this afternoon, the sun felt good. I ran to the arboretum and did 4 sets of strength exercises. 

My legs are feeling very fresh from the low mileage this week, and my energy is way up. I felt like running fast today, and allowed myself to run hard for the final 600m.

My knee is feeling better, the post run stiffness is not appearing like it was last week, so that is good news.

If I can borrow my wife's wheels tomorrow I will head to Lake Mingo and run the Siberian. I have not run a short race since mid-September, so I am feeling excited about just getting out on the trails and mixing it up with other runners.

The weather is supposed to be in the low 40's, so it should make the race pleasant, although probably quite muddy.

#413

Weather – 35 degrees, cloudy, windy.

Driving to the race this morning I was in a good state of mind, just wanted to run my heart out and forget about time and place.

When I was warming up I felt a bit cold, but I knew once the race started I would feel better. Having no time goals, I felt relaxed and easy, and did not bother doing any kind of fast sprinting during my warm up. Just some easy jogging at 8:30-9:30 pace, followed by some walking, push-ups, crunches, and stretching.

10 minutes to race start I stripped to my racing gear – shorts and 4 shirts, head warmer, and gloves.

The race started at 11:00am, and the air was feeling warmer as we lined up. I placed myself in the back, knowing I was going to be moving pretty slow. The RD talked about a runner named Scott Hathaway who collapsed and died after running 2 miles at the Howl at the Moon 8 hour race this past year, which is held at Lake Mingo. On my warm up I was jogging down a lonely dirt road and came across a plaque which memorializes Scott  - “This path dedicated to Scott Hathaway – Ultra Runner”, or something along those lines.

The race director sent us on our way and I was running easy for the first 400m, then I started to go a little faster and started passing groups of people. I saw Don F., a local ultra running legend, who has a similar pace to me when I am running well. I decided I would tuck in behind him and see how long I could last at his pace, which I was assuming would be a mile or two. Don was bravely wearing only a sleeveless t-shirt and shorts, with a S.L.U.G. logo printed on the back of his shirt (St. Louis Ultra Group).

After 2 miles I discovered that Don run’s a race like I do – start moderately, then start picking up the pace and picking people off. We passed quite a few runners through 3 miles, and were passed only once.

After passing a group of 3 or 4 runners I accidentally pulled the ear bud cord out of my ipod. I like to listen to music when I train, so I usually bring my ipod along with me when I race. This was the first time this has happened to me, and I was disgusted that I had to break my nice rhythm. I stepped off the course and spent 20-30 seconds readjusting my ipod, 4 or 5 runners passed me, and when I started up, I saw that Don was about 100-125m ahead of me.

I got into line behind the runners I had recently passed, but I felt a wave of adrenaline and decided I did not want to lose Don, as I was still feeling strong. I shifted into an anaerobic gear and quickly re-passed the runners, and did not slow down until I was a few steps behind Don. It felt good to resume a normal pace, and I thought of Frank Shorter writing about how he liked to run anaerobic at strategic places in a race, and challenge his competition to do the same. Not being Frank Shorter, I was hoping I could recover from the 60-90 second bout of high intensity running.

After 800m I had recovered my normal breathing pattern, and my legs still felt strong and fresh, so I knew that I had gotten lucky and did not blow the race.

Soon after I noticed Don was slowing the pace, and I was still feeling good, so I took a chance and passed Don and started out on my own. I was surprised I had lasted this long, and knew I was running a much faster pace than I have attempted in over 3 months. But I was holding on nicely, and was feeling happy about this.

The final 3 miles I picked off numerous runners, and at mile 6 I realized I was going to make the entire distance without having to slow down. I knew my legs were saving me, as they felt unstressed by the pace, as if they were expecting to go another 10 miles. Even though I still have bouts of asthma during the colder months, I was able to remain relaxed and never felt threatened by lung constriction.

My favorite part of the race was the final 800m. There was a string of 4 runners weaving through the woods and I passed them all quickly. One guy said something to me but I could not hear him, he seemed pissed that I did not respond, and I pointed to my ear buds, but he kept on talking. I felt bad about seeming to be rude, but I was feeling the urge to make my move, so I hit the final uphill as hard as I could, and found myself alone with 400m to go. I felt the agony of what front runners must feel, knowing a pack of hungry wolves are right behind and closing quick. I got re-passed by one runner with 200m left, I would have challenged him, but he was going twice as fast as me, so I did not even bother speeding up. I turned my head to see if anyone else was coming on, but all I saw was an empty field, so I cruised into the finish chute in 54:40, for a 7:41 pace. I was 49^th overall, so I was able to  sneak in to win a top-50 t-shirt – nice!

I am feeling really good about this race. My last short race was in September, a 7.5 mile trail run, in which I suffered a melt down at mile 3. I have not run hard since then, my mind seemingly fearful of experiencing something similar again. 

All of my recent training runs have been at 8:30-10:00 pace, so to just wake up one morning and run 7 miles at 7:40 pace seems kind of odd, but I won’t complain about it. Running long distance must not diminish the ability to run at a hard intensity, but combining it with speed and hill work  is probably the smart way to achieve the best results.

The course was in good condition, as the ground was too cold to be muddy, so there was firm footing throughout. The wind was not bad in the woods. The most difficult part was the numerous uphills and downhills. I have done no recent hill training, so I was surprised the hills did not knock me out.

A fun time, and the effort and result gives me confidence for 2009.

#414

Top 50 t-shirt :

Weather - 32 degrees, cloudy, windy.

Was planning to resume my long distance training today, but I forgot that a race can sometimes take a few days to recover from.

My left thigh, above the lower quad, is sore, most likely from the hills and the faster than normal running pace. It should be cleared up in 2 or 3 days, so I will wait patiently until I can hit the South Farms road again - I miss the South Farms, and running long.

After the run I did 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 30 minute walk home.

#415

Picture I worked on yesterday after the race  :

 The Fairgrounds

Weather - 27 degrees, cloudy. 

Ran 1.75 miles to the arboretum, and then practiced form running.

When I run barefoot I find it easier to run with a mid-foot strike, which is more efficient than the heel strike which I can't avoid when I am wearing shoes with the clunky heel. 

After receiving a message on my photo blog from a runner I do not know, I was inspired to finally change the style of my running shoes. Since I run 80% of my runs on grass/dirt, I decided to buy 2 pairs of minimalist trail running shoes, and 1 pair of cross country spikes for when I do trail races. 

My main hope is that they allow me to run more freely and with better form. I also believe the low heal on these shoes will make it easier to get a firm footing on the ground.

When I think about it, what is the point of cushioned shoes if most of my runs are on soft trails?

After the run, 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 30 minute walk home.

#416

Weather - 30 degrees, cloudy, icy.

Lots of ice on the roads, but no spills today.

My legs felt good walking to work this morning, so I was hoping to run 13 miles today, but when I started my run in the afternoon I could still feel a bit of soreness in my left thigh, so I smartly stopped after 3 miles.

I did some strength exercises after the run, then walked 30 minutes home. 

I can feel my energy building for the next phase of training, which is hill running. So this month I will ease into it, running slow/moderate hill loops at the arboretum as part of my middle and long distance runs.

After 4-6 weeks I will then run the hill loops at a more intense pace, along with downhill sprinting.

#417

Weather - 24 degrees, cloudy, icy, very windy.

Tough weather, tougher run - a good way to start my official opening day of ultra training.  When I think opening day I think 45 degrees, windy, and Mark Grace hitting a 9th inning opposite field game winning single at Wrigley Field. 

I planned to run my usual 13 mile South farms loop, with the added bonus of 10 x 100m arboretum hills at mile 5, and 10 x100m  arboretum hills at mile 13. The addition of these hills would change the dynamic of the workout from easy to hard. 

I was feeling pretty good at the start of the run, my left thigh felt 95% healed from Saturday's race, so I decided to go ahead with the workout.

When I was trying to get to the South Farms road a nasty 25-30mph western wind was hitting me in the face, and when I finally turned south on the road, my right eyelid almost froze shut. I was happy to get off the road today, but I was satisfied to do battle with it because I need to constantly work on my strength of mind and will.

I was faltering a bit heading back to the arboretum during miles 11-13, so when I reached the hill for the second time, I was spent, but still needed to do the 10 hills, followed by one more mile through town to Jimmy John's.

I was not surprised to be feeling so low when I reached the hill, I was expecting it, and was hoping for a tough go of it. I need to practice running when I feel I can't run another step.  If I can get good at dominating the low energy phenomena, I think I will know how to run an ultra.

Hills 11-14 made me feel low, awful, cold, and miserable. I kept wanting to quit, but concentrated on the old ultra mantra of "one step at a time".

When I changed my music selection to Run Lola Run on  hill #15 I immediately felt my energy return, and I finished off the remaining hill repeats feeling pretty good.

The last mile felt decent, and I was happy to get my sandwich and enjoyed the cold walk home.

#418

I worked on this photo yesterday :

11:11 - Running to the Zendo

Weather - cold, dark.

Yesterday I accidentally ate yogurt that was 26 days past the expiration date. Today I walked to work with a bad feeling in my stomach, and 30 minutes later I had to return home. When I arrived at home I vomited, vomited again, and by evening had vomited 12-13 times.

Around noon my brain seemed to be shutting down, I could not keep my eyes open, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I thought I should call an ambulance, but instead called my wife and she came home to watch over me.

In the afternoon I gave myself a 0% chance of going for my daily run. This was a worse feeling than the sickness. To throw away over a years work because of old yogurt, that is sickening!

At 8:00pm I vomited, but I felt a little better after that, and realized I could stand up without feeling like I was going to pass out. I quickly put on my running clothes and headed out the door. I was planning to run 1 mile, but after a few blocks I felt like I was losing my balance, so I ran back home for a 1/2 mile run.

I didn't care how sick I was, I was very happy that I was able to run a few steps and keep my running days alive.

#419

Weather - 40 degrees, sunny.

Felt much better this morning. Was able to walk around the house with little discomfort. Ate a breakfast of oatmeal, banana, cliff bar, some juice and water. At lunch had some chicken-less noodle soup and crackers.So far everything is staying put.

In the afternoon I ran to the arboretum, did 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 30 minute walk home.

All of the wretching yesterday stressed my lower back, so I was having trouble running and walking. This usually gets better within a few days with exercise and stretching.

#420

Weather - 28 degrees, cloudy, icy, windy.

More ice on the streets, but I mainly ran on grass at the arboretum, so nothing too hazardous. 

Strength is 70-80%, and energy is good also. My legs feel fresh from all the rest, so I am looking forward to some long distance runs once my body recovers its balance.

#421

Picture I worked on today :

The Railyard in December

Weather - 29 degrees, cloudy, snowing, no wind.

Felt strong today, but I have lost my energy for writing a running blog entry. I will repeat here what I wrote on my photo blog :

I had to make up some work at the park district for missing Thursday and Friday so I went in this morning for a few hours.

As I walked home I recalled walking home from work when I lived in Chicago. One particular day remains vivid in my mind. I had a 1 mile walk from the elevated train station to my apartment on Broadway. As I walked in the late afternoon summer light, surrounded by hundreds of people and cars, I felt an energy kick up inside of me, and I could not wait to change into my running shoes and start my Lake Michigan 5 miler.

Today I felt similar, the energy high and the desire to use it for running hills and the South Farms loop.

A beautiful, gentle snow fell from the gray sky, and the wind was very light. I got snug into my gear and started the loop, feeling strong and ready to work.

I ran to Busey Woods, did my mini loop, turned back and went through town, got to the arboretum and ran 15 x 100m hills like it was nothing, kept going and hit the South Farms going at a pretty good clip. When I got to the corn fields I was still moving strong. This is usually where I start to feel some fatigue from the wind, but the wind was not there today!

When I got to MBK I stopped to gaze at the female statue looking out over the snow covered field.

MBK is usually the hardest part of the loop for me because I feel I am furthest from home, and halfway through the park I have to change direction and head south again, which makes it seem like I am going backwards.

But today I ran MBK like I was on a 5 mile run - legs fresh, moving easily, breathing freely.

I eventually returned to the arboretum and began another set of 15 x 100m hill repeats. 3 people were sledding on the east side of the hill, which did not interfere with my running. My legs started to get a bit fatigued at hills 13-15, but I finished those off without a problem, and the final mile I went at hard, sprinting the final 800m, for a total of 16 miles with 30 hills.

I am low on cash this week, so I sadly passed Jimmy John's without stopping in, but I had a smile on my face on my walk home. The sun had vanished, the light now dreary and covered in shadow, which made a nice contrast with the fresh snow at my feet.

I still can't comprehend how I am going to run 50 miles at McNaughton in April.....

#422

When I got home I enjoyed a hot bath, ate some pasta, garlic bread, and veggies, followed by working on a photograph as I relaxed and listened to music.

Halfway to the Zendo

Weather - 28 degrees, cloudy, bit of wind and snow.

My photo blog is beginning to include descriptions of my long runs, so I may as well just transfer here what I write there :

Finally had the nerve to try my new minimalist shoes today.

The Nike Waffle Racer is a shoe that is unlike the shoes I have been wearing since I began running. Instead of a cushioned heel and a shoe that takes control of my foot movements, I feel like I am running barefoot with a piece of rubber attached to the bottom of my foot. At first I kept looking down at my feet and thinking, "where's the shoe?".

I loved the "no heel" feel, and I had the odd sensation that I had more cushion on my actual heel than my old shoes did. Once I got to the grass trails I could feel the uneven ground shaping my foot and I thought, "where have these shoes been all my life?"

I ended up doing a full South Farms loop for 13 miles in what seemed to be my bare feet. I was going faster than usual because the shoes allowed me to stride more naturally with my midfoot.

The weather wasn't bad for mid-January : a light dusting of snow, a few patches of ice, a bit of wind, and some hard ground to traverse.

One day is not enough to judge these shoes, but right now I can't wait to get back into them and hit the trails.

When I got home I ordered another pair of shoes, this time the Puma H Streets. I may as well try different types of minimalist shoes and find what works for my feet and what doesn't.

#423

I worked on a picture later in the afternoon of the railyard, exposed a few weeks ago.

White Oaks at the Railyard

Weather - 12 degrees, clear, windy.

Was kind of fearing the cold today for my run, so I threw on 5 shirts, long underwear/sweats, 2 hats, mittens, face protector, and hoped for the best as I ran to Busey Woods.

I decided to wear my new cross country shoes for the first time (minus the spikes), they felt comfortable, and once I got into the woods I ran effortlessly around and around, feeling like a music chord lost in a Philip Glass composition.

Snow on the ground, bare, blackened trees rushing by, patches of washed out blue settling into the frozen trails. I found my flow, and ended up running 13 x 1 mile loops, for a total of 15 miles.

It felt good to soak in a hot tub when I finally got home, allowing myself to thaw as I focused on my feeling of health and strength which is so wonderful to experience.

#424

Weather - 25-5 degrees, clear, very windy.

The run started pleasant enough, with temperatures in the mid 20's. Being in town I did not feel the wind too much. Lot of snow on the ground, though, about 3-4 inches, which meant I was running at a slow pace for most of the way.

I started my run near noon, and stopped running at 4:45pm. I did 20 minutes of strength exercises at mile 1.5 mile, and after that it was all trudge and grind.

This run could be the one I need to give me confidence for my April ultras. Once I got out into the open on the South Farms I had to battle the frigid wind, and the temperature dropped quickly as the afternoon moved forward.

I had a few mental struggles, mainly with how cold I felt when I was in the open areas.When I left MBK I had to run backwards for 1/2 mile to avoid feeling the sting of the wind.

I finished the run with 4 x 1 mile loops in Busey Woods, and although it was now 5 degrees, I did not feel much wind and my hands were able to warm up. 

I wore my new Teva trail racing shoes today, I have no mercy on my new shoes! The shoes were awesome, I don't think they are waterproof, but my feet never felt wet, and even with the frigid temps they never got cold.

Tomorrow and Friday are supposed to be very cold, so I will be happy to put in some short miles until Saturday.

#425

Photo took out on the South Farms today (my hands were numb, but I managed to press the shutter button) :

Still a Long Way to Run

Weather - -9, clear, windy.

With weather which reminds me of Ivan Denisovich, I was expecting to run only 1-2 miles and get indoors as quickly as possible. 

However, when I got outside, the weather felt the same as yesterday, so I decided to base my run on how I felt, rather than what the thermometer indicated.

I ran to the arboretum and stopped to do 3 sets of strength exercises. When I was on my last set a young couple with a 2-3 year old child walked to where I was, and they began to play on the monkey bars. This struck me as odd, because I have been doing strength exercises there all year, and have never seen anyone playing on the bars. But today, with a wind chill of about -35, they decide to bring their kid outside to play on the monkey bars - they are just as crazy as I am!

I was feeling good after doing my pull-ups and dips, I could feel the running energy flowing high, so I decided to run to Busey Woods to do some loops.

After running 3 x 1 mile loops I ran 1 more mile back to town, then walked home for 15 minutes.

After 4 consecutive days of mid-high mileage, capped by yesterday's 5 hour freeze fest, my legs somehow still felt fresh and strong. With only 2 weeks to the Riddle Run 28 miler, things are looking good.

#426

Star Fruit 1 minute before being eaten today :

Weather - 10 degrees, clear, windy.

Seemed pretty nice today compared to the last 2 days.

I was not sure how I was going to feel today because yesterday was an easy day, but I ran 8 miles, and I am not mentally accustomed to 8 miles being easy.

Fortunately my body believed 8 miles was easy, because I once again had high running energy, and my legs felt strong and fresh.

I decided to hang out in the woods, so I ran 2 miles to Busey and then ran loops for 2 hours and 13 minutes. I then ran 1 mile back to town.

Running the loops in the snow was slow going, but I felt great, and the run was over before it even seemed to start. I wanted to keep going for another hour, but I decided to show some restraint - no need to overdo it and stress my body for no good reason.

What a week of running - all energy and I loved running even in the arctic cold - can it get any better?

#427

Weather - 31 degrees, cloudy, windy.

Nice day, felt warm out there. Took a breather today because I am planning to do some hills either tomorrow or Monday. If Monday then tomorrow will be a short run. 

Yesterday was my sister's birthday. I left a message on her machine telling her I hope she had a good day. I also asked her if she would consider pacing me for the final 10 miles of my 50 mile race on April 11th.

I was thinking that by mile 40 I could really be struggling, so if I had a person to run with it could be the difference between finishing or not. I don't get a chance to do much with my sister, so I thought this would be a great way to spend a few hours together. I remember going to Chicago to see her finish the marathon a few years ago, I was really proud of her.

I received an email from her today, and she was excited about pacing me! That is great news, and she also said my parents want to come down to the race to watch me finish - wow! 

Then Rachel said since my parents are going, she will go to, so I will have a lot of people cheering for me on April 11 - what a day it is going to be....

#428

Weather - 16 degree, clear, windy.

Taking it easy, just 3 miles to the woods, then 3 sets of strength exercises.

If I feel good tomorrow I will plan on doing 1 hour of hills.

#429

Weather - 16 degrees, clear.

Pretty nice day, I guess because I did not feel much wind. 

I ran over to the arboretum, planning to run the hill for 1 hour. I saw about 10 sledders flying down the fresh snow which fell last night. Not a problem, though, as I run north and south, and the sledders go east and west.

I felt pretty good, never got tired, just kept grinding up and down the hill for 60 minutes. The distance is 100m up, and then 125m down.

The 28 mile Riddle Run is in 12 days, so I am going to start bringing down the mileage this week and next so that I can be fresh for the 31st.

#430

Weather - 15 degrees, cloudy, windy.

Felt strong on my short run today. Stopped to do some strength exercises in the park, did a couple of snow loops in Busey Woods, then ran 1 mile back to town.

I am already feeling a positive strength change from yesterday's hill session.

Now I just have to follow an easy line to the 31st and then run my heart out.

#431

Weather - 28 degrees, sunny, windy.

Today I was way too energetic for my planned easy run, so I extended it just a bit, doing 3 snow loops in Busey Woods instead of 1, for a total of 6.5 miles.

I am going to have to try my best to sit on my energy, letting it build and simmer for the 28 mile race in 10 days.

#432

I recently found this picture of my wife as a child :

Weather - 42 degrees, cloudy.

Ahhh, nice and warm today!

Because I did not burn enough energy yesterday I woke today at 4:00am and went to work early.

There was a park district staff meeting at 2:45 pm, so I had to delay my run until 1:30. I just ran a couple of easy miles and did my usual set of strength exercises.

Getting up early caught up to me at the meeting, my eyes kept closing and I tried to keep from dozing.

After the meeting I ran 1 more mile back to town and walked the rest of the way home.

#433

Weather - 35 degrees, cloudy, windy.

Just taking it slow, ran a few miles and not much more.

#434

Weather - 8 degrees, sunny, windy.

Pretty cold outside this morning, good thing I'm taking it real easy...

#435

Weather - 10 degrees, cloudy, windy.

I got out of bed at 6:00am and decided I would run 1 mile to Brookens Gym to do some strength exercises.

Brookens is managed by the park district, so I have a key to let myself in during off hours.

I ended up doing 10 sets of pullups, pushups, and crunches, then I went outside and ran 3 miles in the adjacent park. There is a hill there so I ran up and down a few times.

Less than a week to go for Riddle Run, I just need to relax and let my body strengthen up through easy running.

#436

Weather - 16 degrees, cloudy.

Did a teaser workout today, 2 miles to the arboretum, 1 hour of hill repeats, then 1 mile back the neighborhood.

Feeling light and in great shape.

If there ever was a good time to run 28 miles in snow and cold, this is it...

#437

Weather - 18 degrees, cloudy, snowing.

Best run in a long time. 

Ran a shortened South Farms loop.

When I got to the South Farms road my adrenaline shot up and I took off like I was racing, and I ran the remaining 4 miles at a faster pace than normal, but it felt easy. 

I realized today on my run that I have been running in snow for about 4 consecutive weeks without break. My shins sometimes get sore from all the slipping, and I bruised the ball of my left foot about 2 weeks ago when I twisted it in deep snow. 

Somehow I am hanging in there, winter has beaten me down, but I am not yet out. All the challenges of snow and cold are making me a stronger runner.

It looks like it will be cold the rest of the week, so the Riddle Run will be raced in snow - bring it on!

#438

Weather - 16 degrees, cloudy.

3-4 inches of snow fell last night, it was great walking to work with the camera, made some interesting photographs.

After work I tried my best to run in the thick stuff. It was deep and slick, making forward progress more difficult than usual. I am now skilled in snow running, and my bruised left foot is 98% healed, but I still struggled to run my normal pace.

I ran to the arboretum and did 10 hill repeats, it was slow going, but it was fun to watch the sledders flying down the hill. After 5 or 6 times of going up and down I finally started to pick up some speed because I had worn a path down. 

All of the waiting around is killing me. I felt like running 2 hours of hills today, so it was tough to have to stop after just 10 repeats. My energy is growing to unmanageable proportions, I feel like a balloon with a steady supply of incoming air, and on my way to becoming a piece of limp broken rubber. 

My body wants to run long. I miss the energy fluctuations that come with running more than 2-3 hours. It is a good kind of pain.

But, only 2 more days to go, then I can get my fill. The snow on the ground is not going anywhere, so it is going to be a challenge to cover 28 miles on windy prairie trails. There are not any hills, but it is wide open land with little wind cover, so it will be a constant back and forth of getting too warm, then turning into the wind and getting chilled.

My goal is the usual, to run my heart out. I don't plan on giving 100% effort, probably 80-90%. I am still training for the longer ultras in March and April, so I don't want to have to wait 2 weeks before I can run more than 3 miles because of muscle soreness. But who knows, maybe the snow will cause me to be sore anyhow. 

#439

2 days.

440 days of running, and it leads to this :

28 miles under a winter sky, watched by small trees and faded grass.

Just the world and me, going to battle.

Hours spent in the fields, preparing my spirit - joy, discomfort, doubt - triumph, defeat - done over and over again.

The way has been traversed, the unknown and the fear are gone.

All that remains is the breathing, the striding of the legs, the cold wind beating me back.

The objects of the world speed and move around me, feeding me warmth and energy, and I am in the middle of it all.

It is time to go to war.

Today is a good day to die....

#440

"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is: infinite."
William Blake

#441

Weather - 9-34 degrees, clear, windy.

What a ride!

I was lucky that everything held together - body, mind, spirit. I had some low points, but that is part of the fun of long runs, and I was fortunate that each low point was followed by moments of pure elation and joy.

The weather held out, although it was nippy during the first few loops. Temperature at race start was 9 degrees, with a 15-20 mph wind. Being a prairie run, that means not much wind break, although there were a few parts of the run that had some tree cover.

Standing Around the Fire,
Waiting for the Race to Begin

A good turn out, over 100 people. However, I didn't know how many loops each runner was doing, so someone could be running a good pace, and I get behind that person, and think, wow, this guy/girl is fit, but then they stop after 1 x 4 mile loop.

Race Director Jeff Riddle Saying "No Wimps!"

It is important with a multiple-distance race to be watchful of my comfort level and to run my own race. At the end of the third loop a guy blew by me in the last mile, I let him go, although for a few moments my instinct was to chase him down to the staging area. Good thing I didn't, as that runner was finishing up his 12 mile jaunt, and I still had 16 to go.

I am happy with how I paced my race. I checked my loop times when I got home and realized I averaged 45-46 minutes per loop for all 7 loops. That comes out to about an 11:20 pace, which is quite slow, but considering the conditions of the course, I think I did pretty well when all things are considered.

I had to add 20 minutes to my total running time because after the 3rd loop I had to stop at my car and refuel for each remaining loop, which added 5 minutes per loop to my result.

I was trying hard to get in and out of my refuel area as quickly as possible, and I think I made some improvement when compared to last year's Farmdale race, where I lounged around eating and drinking after each 11 mile loop. I think I can still find some improvement in this area of race management, so I will keep working on it.

The first loop I had to try to keep myself in check so I brought my camera along and stopped to make a few pictures along the way. That kept me from going too fast.

There was a dangerous creek crossing at the midway point of each loop, a runner could either step gingerly on ice covered rocks to avoid getting wet, or step directly into the freezing ankle deep water.

When I got to the crossing the first time I had nobody behind me, so I stopped and gazed at the rocks for about 1 minute. 10-12 runners then arrived at the creek so I moved out of the way to watch them cross. After 7-8 runners crossed successfully, I jumped in line and got myself to the other side without falling or getting wet.

During the 2nd loop when I got to the creek, a runner ahead of me was not so lucky. I watched him slip on one of the rocks and fall directly into the water, butt first. It looked like he hurt his hand, and he started walking instead of running after removing himself from the creek. Ouch!

100% of the trails were covered in 1-2 inches of slippery snow, so I never was able to land flat on my feet, it was always at an angle, and it made pushing off more difficult than normal. It felt like I was expending more energy per step than I was accustomed to.

Because of this my hip flexors became fatigued during loop 3. They rarely get sore, rather it is my quads which are the usual complainers, so I had to deal with not having good leg lift for the rest of the run.

I was worried that as the race wore on, my hip muscles would get worse, but it turned out that they remained just slightly fatigued all the way through, so I got lucky.

Surprisingly my quads, hamstrings and calves performed well considering the whole run was in snow. They did not get sore, and only had some minor fatigue in loops 6 and 7.

I experienced a drop in energy during the 4th loop, but I knew from my training runs that it should pass. I kept telling myself during the low that once I got through the 4th loop I would have some momentum to finish, because of being past the halfway point.

When I began the 5th loop, I knew the real struggle was beginning. I kept telling myself to control my effort and to step lightly, and tried keeping my upper body relaxed and loose.

My breathing was good until the final loop, when my chest muscles got a little tight, which caused some minor discomfort when trying to inhale large quantities of air.

By the 5th loop I felt like I was out on the course by myself, because I passed only 1 walker and 2 runners during the 4 miles. I figured that most of the runners had quit after 16 miles. This knowledge sapped some of my energy, but it also inspired me because I thought it would be cool to be one of the few runners to finish 7 loops.

Once I got to the 6th loop I felt relieved, because I now knew I had a chance to finish, I just had to stay disciplined with my pace, which was easier now that there were no runners around. I once again experienced some energy lows, but I was happy how well my feet and legs were holding out. I was constantly monitoring my feet because of how tricky the footing was, but they never got tired or felt sore. I passed the walker and 2 runners again.

My favorite moment of the race happened during the final mile of the 6th loop. This was a tough stretch of uphill running into a side wind. I had forgotten how hilly this course was. Nothing steep, but some subtle long inclines which were good at defeating morale.

I was starting to waver during that final mile of the 6th loop, wondering how I was going to continue, because I was feeling so crappy. Electrobank by The Chemical Brothers then started to play on my ipod, and I had a surge of adrenaline shoot through my head. I started dancing crazy while I was running, picking up the pace, swinging my arms, shaking my legs out to the sides. I know I must have looked like a clown out there in the desolate prairie dancing under the cold sun, but nobody was around and it made me happy. I started shadow boxing, feeling stubborn and willful, and I started punching at the sun, which was just to the left of my eyes.

"I'm gonna beat you today sun", I yelled out, punching it square in the face a few times, "knock you out!"

This foolishness got me to the staging area and I couldn't believe my spirit concocted such a gimmick to get me through that rough stretch.

When I completed the 6th loop the race director came up to me as I was writing down my time and seemed excited. He asked me how I felt, and I told him great, and that I felt I had a good chance to finish the 7th loop.

"Oh, you'll finish that loop, these guys here will give you a hard time if you don't", he told me, pointing to a group of runners who were sitting by the fire, talking, and drinking beer.

Seeing how nice it was to be sitting down by the fire, I tried not to let my focus waver. I was psyched that I had made it to the final loop, and was excited to get back out there and finish off the run.

The 7th loop was similar to the 6th, which was a relief, because throughout the race I walked only 200m or so. Everything was forward motion with a running stride, even if it was slow and methodical.

I threw a few punches at the sun during the final mile, knowing I had it beat. I kicked it home the final 400m, feeling great as the beer drinking runners around the fire cheered me on as I sprinted the final 100m.

When I finished I received my well deserved homemade cream filled cupcake, stood by the fire, and drank water. I later noticed that the cupcake made a ring of chocolate around my mouth, making me resemble the clown I was during the bout with the sun.

I talked briefly with a local ultra legend, and he told me that only 7 or 8 people did the full 28 miles, that made me feel good.

All in all, a great experience, what a race, I love running long distance!

#442