2012 Kettle Moraine 100K

I signed up to run the Kettle 100K to get prepared for Burning River 100 mile in July.  I like to run at least one 50 miler or 100K before a 100 mile.  I ran the 100 mile at Kettle 2 years ago so I was familiar with the course.  Since I was only running the 100K, I left on Friday.  The drive is normally just under 7 hours, but I took a detour through Iowa to visit my mom so the trip was 10.5 hours counting the visit with her and stopping for food a couple times (Roly Poly in Rockford for dinner). 

I picked up my packet around 6:30 and headed back to the hotel in Delavan.  I got everything ready to go and headed to bed at 9 pm.  I had set the alarm for 4:30 am, but woke up an hour early and felt well rested.  Arrived at the start shortly after 5 am and got a pretty good parking spot.  The lot now fills up completely due to the popularity of the 100 miler and 100K  There is also a 100 mile relay and 38 mile fun run.  Also from Columbia running the 100 mile were Johnny and Tom.  Tiffin was running the 100K.

The race started at 6 am.  Everyone was standing back about 10 feet from the timing mat and no one wanted to be up front.  I generally like starting back in the pack a little so I don't start too fast but decided to start in front this time instead.  I was soon passed by many exuberant runners and I started pretty fast myself with the first mile in 8:23.  The temperature was 52 so nice and cool and the first part of the course is pretty fast but still tried to reign in the pace a bit.  I started out with Fizz in the bottle and had one gel and 3 Perpetuem and a packet of Succeed.  At each drop bag that were 15.8 miles apart I had more of the same.

The 100K race has 5 timing mats to cross counting the start and finish and the results are webcast which makes it easier to keep track of the runners.  The first aid station was Emma Carlin at 15.8 miles which I arrived at 2:25:55, 9:14 pace, and 9th place.  I dropped off my shirt since it had warmed up and picked up my supplies from the drop bag.  I ran with a guy on a relay  team for a lot of the first and second section.  He asked if I was from Columbia due to Race for Recovery shirt I had worn had some local businesses on the back.  He was from Columbia as well and a graduate of Rock Bridge.  I didn't know him since he was only 20 years old, but enjoyed chatting with him.  He goes to Beloit College and is now back in Columbia for the summer working in the Physics department at MU.  Part of the course that goes from Emma Carlin to Scuppernong turnaround is grassy meadows in the sun and quite flat.  He led the way through most of that and the pace felt perfect.  Eventually, we parted at an aid station he stayed at longer before we got to the turnaround.

My GPS hit 50K at 4:57 and the 31.6 mile turnaround at  5:01:25.  The split time was 2:35:30 for the 15.8 miles, and 9:50 pace so slowed down 10 min for that section.  I had moved up to 8th place and thought I had counted seven 100Kers ahead of me before the turn around.  My goal was to be at the turn around by 5 hr 20 min so I was a  bit faster.  The weather started off really cool so maybe good to run faster before it warmed up.  I was just a bit concerned the 50K time was my fastest trail 50K (on a course that wasn't short) and 2nd fastest 50K I have run. I can't seem to run even splits in a race where the temperature warms up too much but was hoping to be around 6 hours for the second half.  The temperature got up to about 75 which was quite a bit warmer than we started but could have been far worse as warm as it has been recently.

After leaving Scuppernong I started to have a rough time through the meadows.  The sun was getting to me and my left knee was bothering me.  It felt like muscles were pulling it out of whack.  I would stop to massage and walk a little and it would be fine.  My heart rate felt high at times so I was dehydrated a bit as well. Also, had a bee sting me a little on the finger which hurt for about 20 minutes.  After that happened I kind of wished one would sting me on the knee and then maybe I wouldn't notice the actual knee pain.  Tommy (a runner from MO) and I kept passing each other back and forth as well as a few other runners which were running the 100 mile.  My energy level was feeling very low and I was feeling nauseous.  I was worried it was going to be a long day since this a large part of this section is flat and I was having a tough time.  I decided when I got to Emma Carlin at 47 miles I would stop and try to eat something at the aid station.

The 3rd 15.8 mile section took 3:08:01 and 11:54 pace which was disappointing since the terrain is so runnable but the sun and other issues didn't help. I had moved up to 6th place (at 47.4 miles) so can't complain too much.  I started off with eating some banana and orange slices.  Then I ate several pieces of boiled potatoes (tried for the first time ever) dipped in salt.  Filled my bottle with a Succeed and took off feeling about 100% better and like I could run again.

It was good to be back amongst the trees where it felt cooler.  I also noticed now that the hills were back my knee had quit hurting.  Tommy and I continued to pass back and forth which was quite entertaining.  He was running the 100 mile but had decided he would stop at 100K due to his knee issue and didn't want to risk it.  He is a faster runner than me and it seemed like he wanted to go faster since he would just blaze past me at times but it was only certain terrain that he felt like running fast. I was looking forward to getting to the Bluff Aid station which is 8 miles from the finish.  It goes back to wide trail and have to deal with the Moraines and could often run to the side and stay in the shade since there were some trees.  I wasn't running nearly as fast as early but a decent pace and I felt pretty good.

I made to Bluff Aid station and had more boiled potatoes.  I didn't see Tommy again before the finish, but a couple hundred mile guys caught up to me so the rest of the way I would chase them.  They were walking more hills so would catch them just a little every time there were hills.  The very steep downhills were tough for me to run down so they slowed me down a bit.  At five miles from the end there are mile markers every mile and they seemed to come pretty quickly.  Once the course flattened out more the 2 hundred mile guys got further ahead of me.  I was hoping to finish under 11 hours.  I did hit 62 miles under 11 but still had 0.9 miles to go.  The course is advertised as 63.4 mi and I had 62.88 miles on my GPS.

I arrived at the finish in 11:06:39 (10:33 overall pace).  I ran the last 15.8 section in 2:57:11 (11:13 pace) and it was more difficult terrain than the previous section so I bounced back a bit.  Overall place I had moved up to 5th (out of 55 finishers and 71 starters) and 2nd in Masters (40-49).  The guy that beat me was only 4 minutes ahead of me and at one point I was 45 minutes behind him so I was catching up to him but not quite soon enough.  I am sure I could have saved 4 minutes somewhere!  I got my copper kettle, a plaque for my age group and a bottle opener.  There were a few people taking pictures so hope to have those later.  My left ankle is sore but not as bad as after the Berryman 50 mile 2 weeks ago.  I won't be wearing the Mizuno Ascend shoes again for anything over a 50K. I think they may have contributed to the knee issue due to too much heal since I have been running more in lower drop Innov8 295 shoes.  They also almost rubbed a blister on my little toe which has been an ongoing problem with these shoes for many years.

I waited around with Tiffin (she stopped at 50K due to IT Band problems) at the end.  Also talked to Marty from LCAR that had met I think at Chicago several years ago.  He also helped me fill my bottle several times at aid stations.  He was pacing a runner for the last 38 miles later.  We waited for Tom to come in and he arrived around 6:15.  He was doing great time-wise, but decided to call it a day due to nausea.  Tiffin and I went to the General Store to get food and then came back and we all waited for Johnny.  He came in around 9 pm and went back out and finished in 27 hrs, 26 minutes.  There were 118 finishers for the 100 mile out of 219 starters so seemed like an excellent finishing rate for the 100 milers this year.

Splits, Map, and Elevation Profile

2012 Berryman Trail 50 Miler

Race Results

Splits and Map

Photos of Columbia Runners

Race Website

All Race Photos

I ran this 50 miler twice before and most recently 3 years ago. It has always been a challenge either with mud, rain, heat or trees down. The 2 times I ran the marathon the conditions were pretty good and if it did get warm I didn't have to deal with it as long.  This year the biggest obstacle was going to be the heat since the trail was dry and in great shape.

I drove down with Jeff and David on Friday and we met Shawn and Susan at the campsite. We all fixed our dinners and headed to bed around 10 pm. I kept the rain cover off of the tent and the sleeping temperature was perfect. I woke up several times but overall slept pretty well.

The 50 miler started at 6:30 am so we all got up at 5 am to get ready. This year the marathon did not start until later at 8 am so there was less competition to use the bathrooms. It was already in the 60s at 6:30 am (guessing about 65) and it was warm enough to run without a shirt. We were allowed a drop bag at the start and Brazil Creek at 16 miles. Due to the heat I doubted I would be eating much at the aid stations so planned to fuel on my own fat, gels, Succeed, and Nuun. The plan was to alternate between Nuun (zero calories) and Succeed, take a gel every hour, plus electrolyte caps as needed.  I dislike gels so rather than torture myself with the same kind I tried out some of the new peanut butter GU, and also used some Accel and Hammer Gels.  The peanut butter GU was not too bad, but it is still gel.

The trail had been reworked since last year so we no longer had to run a short out and back on the road at the beginning to make up the difference for 50 miles. The loop is now 25.4 miles so we headed straight into the woods at the start which made it difficult to get into the correct position for the pace that I wanted to run. Most runners seem to start out too fast so I started out near the middle of the pack. I am guessing around 60 runners started the 50 miler. Between the 2 distances there is a limit of 150 and there were several no-shows.

Due to the heat I had planned to run conservatively for the first loop. There is also the theory to get as much running done while it is cooler, but at 65F it was already too warm for me. My first mile was 10:45. I then passed about 3 runners and ended up behind 6 runners that were running a decent pace. I stayed behind them until about after the first aid station at 5 miles after it seemed like they were slowing.

Not a whole lot happened the first loop. I tripped over a few things, but never fell. I threw my water bottle trying to regain my balance at one point. I was running behind a guy (John) and switching back and forth until about mile 10 and then didn't see anyone until I came up behind John and 2 other runners (one was Stuart) at mile 22. I passed all 3 and then John passed me again. I stayed behind him and he said to let him know if I needed around. I told him I would try to stay with him until the end of the first loop and we ended up finishing the first loop together. I felt good at the end of the first loop. I was hoping for no more than 4.5 hours on the first loop and ended up with 4 hr 34 min.

Steve was there to pace me for my second loop which I had really been looking forward to since it was kind of lonely for most of the first loop. Karen and Andy P. were there to cheer us on and Karen filled my bottle for me while I retrieved gels from my drop bag. We took off and passed a few runners probably within the first 8 miles. The temperature got up to 90F, but there was cloud cover at times and it didn't feel humid. However, the heat made running very difficult and pretty much killed my appetite for food. I stuck to the one gel on the hour every hour for the entire run. Aid stations were 3 - 6 miles apart and one bottle wasn't quite enough at times so I drank a little extra while at some of the stations. Also, got ice in my bottle whenever I could. I felt pretty good until about mile 40 when it seemed like it was getting warmer and my heart rate was climbing.

We had not seen any runners in a long time which was kind of strange not to pass anyone or have anyone catch up. I heard several had dropped out. We did see 1 marathoner that was still out on the course at mile 41. I had to start walking a few hills at times since my heart rate felt like it was getting high probably due to dehydration. Also, my right ear felt a little plugged for awhile and felt a little dizzy but otherwise not too bad. After we would walk up a hill for awhile, I was ready to try running again. Steve stuck right behind me as my pacer and it helped to know he was behind me. He was also feeling the effects of the heat and this was also his longest run ever at 25.4 miles for the loop.

We were pretty quiet those last 10 miles. It seemed like it took longer than it should have to reach the last 2 aid stations and then the last 2.5 miles seemed to take forever even though it really wasn't that long.  We did walk the hills so that took some extra time.

I crossed the finish in 9 hr, 39 min, 44 seconds (11:25 pace overall), so 5 hr and 5 min for the second loop and I was hoping for around 5 hours. After I crossed the finish, Victoria (co-race director) walked over to me and handed me a plaque for the 1st place Masters which was a shock to me since I've never won anything at this race.  They told me I ended up 4th overall which was also a shock since I probably only passed about 10 runners and thought there were a few more ahead of me.  I was quite happy with my finish and how I felt considering the heat.   A slowdown of 30 minutes didn't seem too bad for 25 miles.

After the finish, I was drinking a bottle of water and at the campsite and felt incredibly nauseous but didn't puke.  I attempted to change clothes in the car and my upper quads kept wanting to cramp.  Also, noticed I was covered in salt from front to my entire back, my head, and my arms.  I got down a bottle of chocolate milk and about 1.5 hours later I tried eating a little (plain brat no bun and a little coleslaw) and ate a little more again (plain hamburger and macaroni salad) later but just didn't have much of an appetite.  David finished not too long after me, and then Shawn and Jeff.  Everyone looked good and it was a good day to just say you had survived the heat and finished.  Definitely not a day for PRs unless it was your first 50 which was the case for David.

On the way home, Jeff and I stopped at Subway and I ate again.  We got home and Hugh had some food for me from the graduation party and I ate yet again.  It took awhile, but my appetite came back since I ate 4 times between finishing and going to bed.  I am guessing I only consumed about 1600 calories during the run which is about 170/hr and actually felt better than when I try to eat more. 

After finishing I noticed my left ankle was a little sore.  Yesterday it was really sore and still sore today, but maybe a little better but looks swollen.  I didn't turn it during the run and just feels like it used to feel after I would run a road marathon.  I guess it is time to do the PT exercises again to strengthen it.

Andy, Jeff, Shawn, David

Me in blue shorts by tree and Jeff on left

I am in the blue shorts.

From behind.

Finishing with my awesome pacer, Steve!

2012 Free State 100K

Pictures

Results

Map and Elevation

Short Video Clip of Red Trail (Ron Ruhs)

Saturday I ran my second 100K which was the same course as my first 100K.  I drove with Jeff on Friday afternoon.  We set up camp, grilled steaks, had a fire, and headed to bed around 10 pm.  I slept on my air mattress in the Element.  The temperature got down to around 37F.  I slept pretty poorly since the air was slowly going out of my air mattress so not quite as firm as I needed.  The alarm was set for 5:30 but I woke up about an hour before.

We headed over to the start around 6:30 am.  This race allows 2 drop bags but I opted for only 1 at the start since they were serving Succeed and S-Caps, gels, and always have good options at the aid stations.  The KC Trail Nerds, Ben Holmes, and the volunteers always do a superb job with their races.  The trails are marked clearly and they have plenty of volunteers on the course.

We started promptly at 7 am.  When I ran this course 2 years ago it was muddy and I ran in 11 hr 25 minutes and was taking it easy since this was before my first 100 miler.  This year the course was completely dry so I was hoping for around 10 hr 30 min or at least a PR.  At about 0.3 miles I took my first fall and of course there were 2 runners behind me. I am thinking it is pretty embarrassing that I fell so soon but had not fallen in a couple months so I was due.  There were lots of rocks and roots on the course to trip over and somehow I kept hitting them with my big toes but didn't always fall.  After about 10 miles I was pretty much running alone the rest of the day.  I wore a long sleeved shirt over my short sleeve plus gloves for the first 10 miles.  Then I removed the long sleeved and had to carry for the last hour of the first loop as it warmed up.  Temps at the start were around 40.  I ended up falling one more time during the first loop this time when I passed a walker going up a hill and landed on my butt.  I finished the first loop in 3:22 which was a little slower than I had hoped even though I had run most of the hills since they were pretty short.

I refilled my bottle, picked up a couple gels and started the second loop.  Staying consistent with the first loop I fell 2 more times!  This time there was a guy I had been passing back and forth for a few miles.  I fell running in front of him and within a minute I fell again somehow landing on my back.  My problem shoulder hurt a bit so I started walking and it soon felt better.  As the guy passed me again he said was glad he wasn't the only one falling.  I was getting pretty frustrated with all the falling and banging my big toes.  I just wasn't quite in the groove for some reason.  I finished the second loop in 3:50 so quite a bit slower than the first one.

I filled with Succeed grabbed some gels and quickly took off before I changed my mind and stopped at 40 miles.  Shortly into the 3rd loop, I passed the guy I had passed back and forth earlier.  I was hanging on moving forward and feeling strong but just not running as fast as I had hoped at this point possibly due to the warmer temp since it got up to 75.  I walked more of the hills these last 2 loops.  I ended up falling 1 more time and this time I hit my left big toe pretty hard.  I go flying and my gel goes flying out of the pocket of my water bottle.  This time there was no one there to witness my spectacular fall.  Both big toe metatarsal joints were hurting.  In all these falls I just ever so slightly had a small knee abrasion so was pretty lucky. I was worried I was going to hit the toe again and that I'd break it so tried to be extra careful. 

When I got to the rocky part that runs close to the lake I was still running okay even though I had big rocks to run over and this part of the course was a bit more technical.  At this point a guy catches me and says he doesn't need around since he is pacing the guy behind him.  Knowing they were behind me kept me moving.  My water bottle was nearly empty and I was feeling too warm.  I wanted to take my shirt off but was afraid I would fall so wanted the extra protection for my skin.  Shortly we get to the next aid station and the volunteer filled my bottle with Succeed and ice.  I had a quick bite of melon and some chips and took off feeling 100% better and running faster.  This part of the course was also in the trees and felt cooler.

I skipped the last aid station about 3 miles from the end since I was so ready to be done.  This course goes mostly out and back along the lake but is on 2 different trails that run very close together.  In some places you can see runners on the other trail.  There were times I heard people but weren't sure which trail they were on.  The course is also very curvy.  About 2 miles from the end I hear a couple guys talking and see one.  I was pretty sure it was the guys that had caught up to me on the rocks earlier.  Not wanting to be passed at this late stage I keep moving and ran all the hills the rest of the way.  It seemed like most of the 3rd loop I was keeping a pace fairly close to the latter part of the second loop.  I finished the third loop in 4:03 (slowed 13 minutes from the second) and the guy with the pacer was just less than a minute behind me.

I placed 4th overall out of 40 finishers.  There were more that started but some dropped back to the 40 miler and others didn't quite finish the 3rd loop.  There were 12 that started the 100K and dropped to the 40 mile.  Overall time was 11 hr 14 min so a 11 minute PR over 2 years ago.  I hoped for better but can't complain placing 4th.  The trend for almost all except the second place guy was to run each loop slower.

I wasn't able to eat anything at the end so consumed a chocolate milk before taking a shower and heading home.  My mouth felt extremely dry so had a Powerade as well.  I had noticed my mouth getting really dry in the latter part of the race even though I was drinking so I must have been a bit dehydrated.  My left big toe metatarsal joint looked a bit swollen on Sunday, but looked much better today so damage wasn't too bad.  I remember the first time I ran this course the day seemed to drag on forever since it was the longest I had run at this time.  I was out there almost as long this time but didn't seem so bad compared to running 100 miles.

2012 Sedalia Half Marathon

My policy this year has been only to write about races that are half marathon or longer, but will mention I ran the St. Patrick's Day 5K the week after running 3 Days of Syllamo and ran quite well at 18:41 and 11th overall.  I did take it easier that week and only ran 37 miles.  I  signed up for the Sedalia Half Marathon so had 3 weeks out from Syllamo which I ran 2 track workouts plus mile intervals workout on a Saturday and have gotten my average mileage back into the 50s.

It has been unseasonably warm this year and the day of the half we started with temperatures in the 60s.  I missed running the half last year since I had just started running again after back surgery the week of the half so I ran the 5K.  I wasn't tapered for this half but still wanted to attempt my PR which was 1:23:51 two years ago.   I started out running with Katie hoping I could keep up with her since she runs faster 5Ks than me.  I noticed right away soreness in my legs running fast on the road but it got better after a few miles. We caught up to another guy in a green shirt and stayed close. The miles were close to goal but the pace felt tough to me for this early in the race.

About mile 6, I ran ahead of them and was in second. Ryan was way ahead. About at 6.5 miiles I notice both my calves are feeling sore. Legs were working fine so just hoping I could run through the pain and the hills weren't too bad or it wouldn't have been easy.. It was more just muscle soreness like I felt after Syllamo and I guess at this speed it made a reappearance.  Eventually, the pain subsides and the guy we had run with earlier catches up to me. We pass back and forth for about 2.5 miles until mile 11.5. A young guy running his first half blows right past us like we are standing still. I speed up a little and then the calf soreness returns and green shirt guy passes me. A couple years ago when it was 32F on race day  I finished this with faster average splits the last 2 miles, but I slowed down a little this time and ran them in 6:36.

Overall pace was 6:30 and time 1:25:33 and felt I really had to work for it and it was good I had some runners to actually push me or I may have given up sooner. Overall placed 4th of 161 and first place 40 - 49/masters (26 runners in AG) and got one of the usual glass blocks. I think there were 140 runners. A fun trip too since we road tripped with friends and many others were there as well. We all went out to eat together after.

Splits

Results.

Running with Katie

Hugh on left

2012 3 Days of Syllamo 150K Stage Race

Day 1 - 50K:

I ran Syllamo in 2008 and 2009. There are some races that are worth repeating and this is one of them.  The scenery is beautiful, the course is challenging, and it is fun to see the runners from before and meet new ones doing it for the first time.  Jeff and I drove in on Thursday since the first 50K was on Friday.  Karen caught up to us on the way down since she was going to run her first 50K on Friday and drive back on Saturday.  We had dinner at Pizza Inn buffet which I will say is not as good as Incredible's Pizza but it fueled us for the next day's race. 

The race on Friday started at 9 am.  It was about 37F at the start and temps would get up to 63.  Jeff planned to wear a tank so I decided to go with sleeveless. I was never cold so that was the right decision and the temps warmed up quickly.  The sun was shining so we were exposed most of the time since the leaves were not yet out on the trees.  My plan was to race conservatively so I would have something left for the 50 miler.  The 2008 Syllamo was my first 50 miler and was one of the toughest races I have done.  It was my first 50 miler and followed by a sub-5 hour 50K which was not smart.  In 2009 we ran an easier course due to the ice storm knocking down the trees.  I did not want a repeat the awful day in 2008 so raced conservatively. 

For the first 15  miles I often ran with groups of people, but only if they were running a pace that I felt I could be running.  Sometimes I am better off running alone or I get caught up in pace that I will pay for later.  Or if someone is running behind me I don't like the pressure of trying to keep up a pace if I feel like they want to pass me even though they say they don't.  If I feel like they want to run with me and my pace then all is well.  At the 15 miles aid station I went ahead of the last 2 guys I had run with.  The aid stations were about 4 - 6 miles apart which seemed to work out perfectly for me.  If you were a slower runner or if it were warmer 2 water bottles might be a good idea.
 
I carried one water bottle with Succeed Ultra and used either Hammer Gels or Accel Gels.  I also had some Succeed Caps and Endurolytes  that I took about every hour.  I used 5 gels and 3 packets of Succeed and ate a little at aid stations but since it was only a 50K it wasn't more than a few chips.  Stomach seemed to be happy with this arrangement.


I ran alone for about 12 miles.  At 26 miles, I was at 5 hours and 5 min so I was taking it considerably easier than in the past.  I walked all the bad hills too.  I caught up to Stuart at this point and passed him and we ran together for a few miles.  This seemed to be just what he needed and he took off the last couple miles and finished a bit ahead of me.  I finished in 5:42:30 and had 29.3 miles on the GPS but we make it up on the last day since the 20K is about 1.3 miles long.

I drank the Recoverite they included in our race packets and went to soak the legs in the creek with some other runners.  Since the air temp was in the low 60s it didn't seem too bad standing in the water.  I stayed for 20 minutes and legs were quite numb.  I got in barefoot so the rocks were kind of painful on my feet and it was hard to pull myself out.  I went back to the finish line to wait for Jeff and Karen to come in.  They crossed the finish in 6:54 and Karen had completed her first 50K.  

I managed to complete the first day without falling and felt pretty good going into day 2.  I wore the Innov8 Rocklite 295 shoes that I also wore for the 50K at the Post Oak 2 weeks ago.  They performed extremely well on the variety of terrain and my feet were very comfortable and no issues at all.  We went back to the cabin and Karen cooked us a yummy chicken and rice dish for dinner to fuel us for the next day.

Map and Elevation
Splits


Day 2 - 50 mile:

Saturday's race started at 6 am.  We got up at 4 am so it was going to be a long day. plus we would be losing an hour due to DST.  Temperature was a bit cooler at 6 am and was down to 32F at the start.  Even though I don't normally drink coffee each day I had coffee before the race since it seems to help get me going.  I kept breakfast pretty much the same each day with a Lean Body protein shake, a banana, and some grapes.  Once were were up and moving around my legs felt pretty good and energy level felt normal.

My body was ready to race and I could have easily convinced myself that I had not run a 50K the day before.  The 50 miler worried me a bit since I lost over 160 miles of training in January and February due to a stress reaction in my foot so I was forced to cut my mileage way back.  The Post Oak Double 2 weeks ago was a confidence booster since I made it through that race strong and foot did not hurt at all so I just had to believe that everything had healed quickly and I was going to be fine.  I went to see Dr. Curt on Wednesday and he worked on me so I felt as ready as I could be.

The 50 mile goes up for the first mile so once we start and get to the hill I walked most of the up and ran where I could.  We were told to bring our lights for the first few miles but I didn't need it.  If you were going to be running past 6:30 pm you would definitely need one later. This race claims over 25,000 feet of elevation gain and loss over the 3 days, but my GPS had about 35,000.  The 50 mile course is a very tough course.  There are some flat sections, but there is everything from sand, rocks, running along the edge of rocky cliffs, and rock over your head as your are trying to run.  There are also some stair step rocky places and one part that you have to squeeze your way through.

The course is marked by the forest service so we follow the markers each day plus each race had it's own color of ribbon that was placed at intersections where there was more than 1 way to go.  It is not a well-marked course so you really have to pay attention which adds to the challenge.  There were several runners each day that made wrong turns and I think a lot of them were the faster runners. They got back on track and were still ahead of me.  In one portion I was told they laid some logs across a road so others would not make the same mistake.  It is great the faster runners were looking out for the other runners.

On the way out I ran behind some runners for a few miles but passed them since I wanted to go a little faster.  I could often see a runner or 2 behind me but ran alone for most of the day.  I stuck to the same nutrition plan of gels and Succeed as the day before plus a little food at the aid stations since I was getting hungry.  I had chip and peanut butter crackers.  Once I ate some chocolate toffee stuff and felt a brief sugar crash but recovered from it.  I didn't realize what it was when I ate it but it was quite yummy.

The 50 mile was out and back and we could have drop bags at 9.5/40.5 and 18.4/31.6.  I opted only for the 18.4/31.6.  Since it was cooler at the start I wore a long sleeve shirt and left it and my light in my drop bag at 18.4 miles.   The next aid station was at 22.6 miles and then we had to run out  to the turn around at 25 miles, read a sign, and back to the aid station to let them know the code words.  Just after the 22.6 mile aid station I started seeing the first runners coming back.  The leading guys were less than a half mile apart.  I saw Ashley that I ran the 50K and part of the 50 miler in 2008 running with a group.  They had made a wrong turn or would have been further ahead but she was still the leading female.

There was a girl running not far behind me since before the last aid station.  After the turn around she was about 0.2 miles behind me.  My GPS had the turnaround at 24.8 miles so pretty darn close to 25 and my overall time was 5:15 so seemed pretty reasonable to me.  On the way back I started seeing quite a few runners.  I saw Jeff when he was about 2 miles from the turnaround and he seemed to be doing well. Eventually the girl (Mindy) caught me after the turnaround and we ran to the next 2 aid stations together.  She had run the Heart of America Marathon in Columbia in 2004 and 2011.  We had a good time chatting together and the 31.6 mile aid/drop bag station came quickly.  She didn't spend much time and took off and I told her I would try to catch her.  I restocked my gels and Succeed and went to refill my bottle and realized I had barely drank anything for the past 4 miles.

I did not see Mindy again during the 50.  I started to feel crappy and figured it was dehydration.  I consumed my entire bottle.  The next aid station would only be 4 miles at 35 miles and the unmanned one at the creek crossing.  I made to the water and filled my 20 ounce bottle drank it and filled it half full and drank more.  Then filled it all the way up and continued across the creek.  This was the only deep water we had to cross during the 50 miler where we had a couple deep ones during the 50K the day before.  I wasn't sure I was going to recover from my dehydration.  My heart rate felt elevated so I kept the pace really slow.

I was starting to recover a little and heard a couple runners behind me talking.  Eventually they caught up and it was James that was staying in the cabin next to us and Teddy, a runner from Louisiana that we realized we had run the same 50K in 2009 when I ran the Q50 there.  They passed me and I stayed with them for a bit before they went ahead.  Before I got to the 40 mile aid station I started to feel good again and James and Teddy were there.  I drank some ginger ale, refilled my bottle and continued on.  After awhile, I could hear them behind me but they didn't ever catch me.

At the last aid station I refilled with plain water and headed to the finish.  I could still kind of hear James and Teddy behind me but I think they were further behind than I thought.  Thinking they were close kind of gave me the push I needed to keep going.  I was really looking forward to getting to the last 1.3 miles since I knew I could fly down that hill we walked up in the beginning.

I finished in 10:45:26 with 49.4 miles on the GPS.  I went to soak my legs in the creek again but this time I kept my shoes on.  Then I ate a small bowl of the food they were serving to sustain me until Jeff finished and we went back to the cabin to cook our steaks.

For the 50 miler I wore my newest pair of Mizuno Ascend and they rubbed the outside of my little toe on each foot.  The one on the left was a blister.  The fact the trail was so slanted in places and these shoes tend to rub the outside of my little toes was a bad combination.  I decided I would put a Band Aid and on it for the next day.  We didn't get to bed until 10:30 and then set the clock ahead so actually 11:30.  The next day's race started at 9:00 am, but we planned to get up at 6 am to pack our stuff and check out.

Maps and Elevation
Splits

Day 3 - 20K+:

When we left on Thursday we knew the weather forecast was not looking good for Sunday.  When I went outside to load the car it was lightly raining but a few minutes later it had stopped.  I had planned to wear my Mizuno Cabrakan trail shoes.  I bandaged and taped my blister on my left little toe and put on the shoes and they just seemed to rub right up against it like the Ascend.  My Innov8 Rocklite 295 had dried from Friday and I put those on and perfect fit and no rubbing.  I wished I had worn them for the 50 miler.  They are more foot-shaped (at least my foot) than the Mizunos.  The Mizunos are usually fine though but not for the beating they I put my feet through on the 50 miler.

We headed over to the race and stopped for coffee.  The cashier checked and said an 85% chance of rain at 9 am and 100% at 11 am.  Five minutes before the race started it started to rain.  It was 50F but felt cold so both Jeff and I and many others wore our rain jackets.  It rained the entire race.  I was warm at first but ended up being the right decision since I was comfortable the rest of the time.

The 20K course is actually closer to 14 miles and this makes up for the first day being a little short.  Starting out did not feel good at all and I started extremely slow.  After 1.5 miles my legs suddenly felt better and I picked up the pace a bit and passed quite a few people (some which would pass me later).  I could not run up most of the hills since my calves were very sore.  Downhills and flats I was flying, but with the uphills average pace wasn't that great.  There was a girl I passed back and forth about 2/3 of the race.  She had not run the previous 2 days and could run up the hills but I could run faster than her on the flat and down.  I caught up to Paul and Stuart and passed them.  A few miles later than go flying past me.  It is weird how everyone feels better at different times but you just go with it on this last day.

Around mile 8 or so, Teddy, caught up to me and said I don't want to go around so I felt like she really wanted to run with me.  I was still running okay but not feeling as good as I had earlier, but we still had several 10-something miles.  I was glad she ran with me since it really made the time go faster.  Near the end a guy said take a right at the next intersection and when we got there we doubted what he had said for a minute or so.  Our minds just weren't working at this point in the race.  If we had gone the other way we would have completed another loop which we were warned someone had done so a few years ago.

We crossed the finish together in 2:33:55 and 13.8 miles on my GPS.  I went to soak my legs again in the creek.  When I was done I decided to shower while waiting for Jeff since I was cold and it was raining.  The shower really made me feel better and I had a coke and 3 small cookies.  I really didn't feel like eating much.  Jeff finished about an hour after me.  He was going to shower but they were full so he just dried off, got dressed and we headed home.  We stopped to eat around 3:30 pm and I was starving by then.  It rained on us all the way home except when we stopped to eat.  When we went out to the car it was pouring rain.

No official results yet, but first day I placed 22nd, 2nd day 18th, and 3rd day 32nd.  There were other runners in the races not doing the stage race or ones that had to drop out for various reasons so not sure how I placed overall yet.  My overall time should be around 19 hours and 2 minutes.  This is about 51 minutes faster than in 2008 when I think we pretty much ran the same courses.  It is really hard though to compare on these events when there are so many factors that can change things.

There is something about running for 3 days that really clears the mind so I will likely be running this race again.  Even though this is a very difficult race, I am thankful it was a little easier for me 4 years later.  I am also glad we got to run on the trails like in 2008.  In 2009 it was a lot of forest roads which made it easier in some ways but was kind of boring.

Maps and Elevation
Splits

Day 1 - 11:42/mi - 5:42:32 - 22 of 78
Day 2 - 13:09/mi - 10:45:27 - 18 of 43
Day 3 - 11:10/mi - 2:33:55 - 32 of 69

Overall - 12:21/mi - 19:01:54 - 12 of 31  There were 65 signed up for all 3 races but not sure how many started the first day.

I think the 50 miler is harder than two of the hundred milers I have done between the course and the fact I have run a tough 50K the day before.

Post Oak Challenge Double - Marathon - Day 2

Overall this went very well considering I had run 50K yesterday. I decided to repeat the same meal at Incredible's Pizza on Saturday night and ate about 10 pizzas of pizza, pasta, and desserts.  It was a little less than the day before since I had eaten a little right after the race and stomach was a little queasy.  I headed to bed a little earlier but woke up before the alarm went off.  I even found a way to the race start avoiding road construction.  I got a better parking spot too.  I picked up my chip, drank a coffee, and used the bathroom while waiting for the start.  The temp was 46F so 18 degrees warmer than the previous morning.  I left a drop bag at the start since I assumed 2 loops meant we would go back to the start before completing a second loop.

I started with the guy I had run with the day before and he let me lead the way.  I felt pretty crappy the first 4 miles.  Breathing was difficult and stomach didn't feel quite right.  My pace was about 9:30 and no way I should be breathing so hard for that pace.  At about 4 miles, I suddenly felt really good and kept the same pace.  I didn't see my running friend until after the race.  I didn't think I sped up but I did kind of take off faster.  The second day ended up being 75% road and 25% trail and was a lot like the first day but fewer hills.  There was a little confusion with some of what I read on the web site and in some e-mails.  I thought the course had been changed to 50/50 based on what I had read.  We ran on some of the same trails as before and some new trails.  As the day before the trails were marked really well.  Also, the same rocks sticking up to trip me, but no falling.

At about mile 8 I noticed a bunch of people merging onto the trail I was running.  I was confused at first and then realized they must be running a different race. I asked a guy if he was running the half marathon and he said quarter.  I got behind 3 people running the quarter that were running my marathon pace.  At about 10 miles, we ran on the pavement to run out 1.3 miles and back.  I saw the guy I had run with the first 4 miles about a half mile behind me.  Once we got back I was directed to take a trail rather than up a huge hill back to the start.  I assumed the volunteer knew what he was doing although I was hoping to go back to the start to get 2 more Accel gels and a packet of Succeed.  I had to formulate a new plan since it was getting warm and I needed to refill my bottle.  The temp got up to 63.  My time for the first 13.1 on my GPS was 2:06.  At the next aid station I got plain water and drank a cup of Gatorade.  I also picked up two GUs and ate one.  The GU was just awful but I think it helped.

I am guessing I passed about 10 marathoners during the 2 loops and I was passed by 2 guys.  If someone had an orange sticker on their number I knew they had run one of the races the day before so I always tried to look when they passed me.  One of the guys that passed me did have an orange sticker.  The temp was warming up and I was running a lot in the sun as the previous day.  I took small sips of water but could not bring myself to take the other GU.  I had 2 pretzels at an aid station and decided I probably didn't need to eat anything else.  I was feeling pretty good but closer to an 11 min pace rather than the 9:30 - 10 pace I ran in the first half.  Slowing down my pace made me feel even better.

I was keeping the doubler guy that was in his 20s in my sights that had passed me earlier.  I got to the pavement to run out again and noticed he was walking up the hill and I was running.  After the turnaround I caught up to him.  I asked if he had run the 50K the previous day and he said he had run about 5:50 and asked how fast  I had run.  We were going downhill at this point so I took off and left him behind.  My last 2 full miles were a 9:30 pace.  However, the last 0.6 miles included a huge hill that slowed me down to 11-something for that section.  My running ahead map shows it going straight up at the end.  It wasn't a long hill but it was short and steep and I walked it and didn't have to worry about the guy behind me catching up.  I really thought this hill was worse than the hill from hell the previous day.  I can run a long gradual hill but a short steep is impossible to run.

My overall time was 4:35:28, a 10:22 pace so 22 seconds slower pace than the 50K.  The last 13.5 was 2:29 so slowed a bit but still passed a lot of people.  Splits are here.  Overall I placed 22 of 108 and 8th of 21 in my age group so no age group award the second day.  I got another medal like the day before and a special doubler award for running both the 50K and the marathon.  I went inside and once again they were serving the marathoners 2 meals and 4 drinks.  I waited awhile before eating and I was able to get 2 bowls of chicken chili down but it wasn't easy.  I had 2 drinks and took 2 to go plus the corn chips that I didn't eat.

I wish someone could have gone with me to this race but it turned out to be an enjoyable weekend and a fun event.  I am now 2 weeks out from Syllamo so a good dress rehearsal for that 3 day race.

So far no pictures but they do have results.  The picture below I had a woman take for me at the end.

Post Oak Challenge Double - 50K - Day 1

Arrived in Tulsa on Friday picked up my packet for the Post Oak Challenge Double, checked out another running store and then checked into my hotel.  It was very challenging getting around Tulsa since there is so much road construction.  GPS said to take exits and streets that I could not take and traffic was horrible.  I ate at an Incredible's Pizza buffet that was 4 miles down the street so no chance of getting lost.  Even though I am following Primal Blueprint (lower carbs), I wasn't going to sacrifice carbs before this race so really enjoyed myself at the buffet, eating about 10 pieces of pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, pasta salad, chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, and ice cream.  Totally skipped the veggies and lettuce salad.

Other than a couple wrong turns race day went very well. There was an early start at 7 am and then the main start was at 8 am. It was around 28 degrees when I arrived and since there is so much road construction in Tulsa it was good I had my GPS since I had to go off route and then get back on but made it there just as the early starters took off. They didn't give us our chip yesterday so picked that up and had a cup of coffee, relaxed inside, and used the bathroom a couple times. I used the last time about 10 min before the start and there was no one using the outside bathrooms. We took off and found myself running with 3 other guys. We introduced ourselves and talked about our goal times. I really didn't have one since I didn't know what this course would be like. We ended up not staying together but one of them stayed with me. The first wrong turn was totally my fault and I took him with me. There was a sign pointing right but I was thinking it was up ahead a little further. The course was marked with 3 colors of flags (10K, 50K and 25K and marathon - which is tomorrow), The first wrong turn added maybe 0.1 mi to the course. We ran in a compact area so a lot of the trails they had us running on were very close. They had yellow tape on the ground that we were to not cross.

I ran quite a bit with the guy that took the wrong turn with me. He is training for Comrades Ultramarathon in South Africa and is in his 20s. I decided to run with my water bottle even though the aid stations were frequent. I have not been using any nutrition during my training lately but planned to use Succeed and Accel gels for the race. The guy I was running with used the bathroom at an aid station and said he would catch me later. I caught up to some funny guys with British accents. I didn't think I was following them although I was catching them and this is where the second wrong turn happened. I am not sure how we missed the turn but probably added another 0.3 mi. There should have been yellow tape in the wrong direction here but there was not.

The course was quite rocky and parts reminded me of Flatrock in Kansas with the rocks sticking up out of the ground. Some in the woods and some in grass and in the open but pretty much single track most places. We had to run a few places that had some gravel. Three hills stood out to me on the course. The first reminded me of the hills at Kettle Moraine where it was a wide path and went up abruptly. I walked it. The second one was a butte. I walked but the guy I was with wanted to get it over with so he ran it. When I got to the top you could see all around for miles. I caught him soon as I descended. The last hill was the hill from hell and it just was a long ascent of several hills that never seemed to end. and we ended up finishing the first loop together. Another guy I had been running with came in shortly after and decided to call it a day due to his foot. I had 16.3 miles on the first loop with the extra 0.4 so either way the course was going to be long. Some parts were very runnable and it really didn't get tough until the last 5 miles of the loop.

I got rid of one shirt since it had warmed up, ate a banana, refilled my bottle with Succeed and picked up more gels. I wasted about 5 minutes before taking off and didn't see where the guy I had crossed the line went so took off on my own. Time was 2:37 when I took off. The second loop I ran all by myself and didn't miss any turns. I passed 4 people that I know of. My time at 26.2 was around 4:17. After I was descending the butte on the second loop I saw the guy I had been running with earlier over on another trail. I thought he was a few minutes ahead. Somewhere along the way he said he used the bathroom and that is where I must have passed him since I finished ahead of him.

I felt like I finished strong with lots left in the tank so hopefully that is a good sign for tomorrow. I have never felt so good at the end of a 50K. Even sprinted the last 0.2 miles at 7:39 pace. Time was 5:21:34 so ran the second loop 7 min slower although with the time I stopped between loops actually running was probably about 3 min slower. I ran 32.2 miles since the second loop was shorter without wrong turns and had a 10 min flat pace. I placed 9th overall and not everyone had finished when I left but I think there were close to 100 that had signed up. There were 10 year age groups and I placed 3rd in the 40 - 49 so got a special award. The medal I got is a huge piece of metal. They had some food afterwards and the 50Kers could get 2 meals. I have my second meal to a 25Ker that was still hungry since I couldn't eat that much yet. We could also get up to 4 drinks and they had soda, water, and beer. There was also a beer stop before the hill from hell. Temperature at the end was 61 so warmed up just a bit!

At packet pickup we got a nice shirt and it has the 2 races on the sleeve that I am running. Also got a bright yellow running hat that says Hill From Hell Double Survivor, a Koozie and a cup. The course was kind of nuts with all the trails running so close together, but I think they did a really good job. I saw several guys that were at the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd (in Talequah OK) that were either running or working an aid station.

Tomorrow I run the marathon which is on some of the same trails, some different, and some road.

Course Map and Elevation from my GPS - This course kind of made me dizzy at first with all the turns.
Splits from GPS

2012 Master's USA Cross Country Championships 8K

I planned to not write reports for races less than a half marathon this year, but I will make a few exceptions and this race deserves a report.

I ran against some of the best Master's runners in the country and was hoping to not embarrass myself too badly. I knew it wouldn't be pretty even if I was in top shape. I felt pretty good going into this other than feeling out of shape to run an 8K. It was ridiculously cold and I am guessing around 20F with wind chill in the single digits. My feet were numb from walking around before our race. We watched Nancy's race and she brought home the gold for the 50 - 55 year old women. Our male master's team race was at 10:45. Warmed up a bit on the course. The ground was pretty solidly frozen but a few spots feeling slick with the sun warming them up. It snowed enough to cover the ground a bit last night but the sun quickly had melted it away.

I wore 2 long sleeve shirts and my Columbia Track Club shirt over the top. I opted for shorts but if I had brought tights I would have likely worn. I wore some wind shorts underneath the shorts. These shorts were 1.5 inch inseam so pretty skimpy. My legs were fine and wasn't as cold as I thought it might be. The course was divided into Ks and there was a clock at each 2K but used my GPS. My first mile was 6:19 so faster than I expected. I settled into a pace and not a whole lot happened. We had to run 4 loops but it was a curvy course. The middle two loops we had to merge out and then merge inside on the first and last so I was hoping I wouldn't lose track. It wasn't a problem since I had lots of people to follow. I passed a couple guys back and forth and was able to out run them at the end since they were much older than me.

The course was hillier than I expected but the hills were short. My foot didn't bother me during the warmup but was a little painful running at the faster speed on the grass and some uneven ground. The cold and not being in shape were probably my the best excuse for not running as I wanted. The 2nd and 3rd miles were under 7 minutes, 4th mile just over 7 and last under 7 minutes. GPS had 5.1 miles at 34:26. Tough course, but would have liked to run at least 2 minutes faster. We had to wear our age groups on our back and I didn't see any 40 - 44 around me. I did see a lot of 50 and 55 and a few 60 and 65. The reason I didn't see anyone else is I finished DFL in my age group . I did manage to beat all the 70 and 80 year olds. I was 31 of 31 runners in 40 - 44 and 81 of 96 overall. To further rub salt on the wound they had my age-graded results as 91 of 96. I'm glad I ran it and it was fun and I am proud to take last place among this stiff competition. Dan E. on our team was next to last in our age group so I saved him from being last. Our team placed 6th 1 point behind St. Louis. 

Results here

2011 Running and Racing Year in Review

The weather was beautiful for December 31st and the First Night 5K.  The temperature at 4 pm was 59F but pretty windy.  Since the race fell on Saturday, my regular long run day, I decided to go ahead and run earlier in the day.  I ran 15.5 trail miles and then ran 2.5 miles with Hugh before the race.  I didn't feel rested during the warm up so didn't expect to run very well for the 5K.  My overall time was 20:59, average 6:40 pace, and pretty even splits and actually passed quite a few people at that pace.  My time was over 2 minutes slower than my usual time for this race.  I was 28th overall out of 364 runners and 4th in my age group.  I was so glad for it to be over, but then went out and ran 3 more miles to cool down.  I ended up with 24 miles for the day so an enjoyable last day of running for the year.  I was feeling quite hungry and fuzzy brain after the cool down run.

Goals accomplished for 2011 - I set as a goal to get my bulging disc healed or have surgery to fix it since it was interfering with getting full enjoyment out of life.  Thankfully, the surgery was a success and I recovered quickly.  I had some goal races but did not do them - 3 Days of Syllamo and Burning River 100 miler.  I was recovering from surgery during Syllamo and not ready for Burning River so did not sign up for either.  I had hoped to do more cross training and I actually did while recovering from surgery, but did not keep it up after.  I had my worst year for weight lifting since I started in 2001.  I used to be consistent every week and missed months of training this year.  I wanted to take 2 - 3 short breaks from running during the year with 4 - 7 consecutive days of no running.  My first break was almost 6 weeks recovering from surgery.  I also took 4 full days off in October after my 100 miler.

I had a 30 day streak where I ran every day but this is not something I would want to do 365 days per year.  I did this as a short term challenge and to kick start my training for the 100 miler I ran in October. I had not planned to run a 100 miler this year.  I was hoping to run either a 50 miler or 100K, but training was going so well I decided to run the 100 mile.  I had very enjoyable year of running, no injuries (other than recovering from surgery) and did not feel too burned out at any point.  The hardest challenge this year was not running for almost 6 weeks and then getting back in shape.

Total Miles:
2011 - 2460
2010 - 2839
2009 - 2675
2008 – 3014
2007 – 2572
2006 – 1937
2005 – 2090
2004 - ~1000

Marathons (25 total):
2011 - (2) Berryman Trail Marathon, Heart of America Marathon (BQ)
2010 - (2) Go! St Louis Marathon (BQ), Heart of America Marathon (BQ)
2009 - (5) Disney Marathon (BQ and Sub-3 hr), 3 Days of Syllamo (Trail), Boston Marathon (BQ and Sub-3 hr), Heart of America Marathon (BQ and Course PR), Louis & Clark Marathon (BQ and Sub-3 hr)
2008 - (4) Boston Marathon (BQ and PR), Laughing Out Loud Marathon, Heart of America Marathon (BQ), Twin Cities Marathon (BQ)
2007 - (5) Laughing Out Load, Berryman (First Trail Marathon - placed
4th), Heart of America (BQ), Baltimore Marathon (BQ), Bass Pro
Marathon
2006 - (3) Flying Pig (BQ), Heart of America (BQ, Chicago (BQ)
2005 - (3) Mad City, Heart of America (BQ), Portland (BQ)
2004 - (1) Heart of America

Ultramarathons (20 total):
2011 - (5) Psycho Wyco 50K, Grand Canyon 47 mi, Psycho Psummer 50K, Rock Bridge Revenge 50K, Pumpkin Holler 100 mi (PR)
2010 - (6) Psycho Wyco 50K, Free State Trail 100K (PR), Kettle Moraine 100 mi (PR), Flatrock 50K, Rock Bridge Revenge 50K, Ozark Trail 100 mi
2009 - (4) 3 Days of Syllamo 50 mi, Psycho Wyco 50K, Berryman 50 mi, Q50 Ultramarathon 50K (PR)
2008 – (4)3 Days of Syllamo 50K, 3 Days of Syllamo 50 mi, Berryman 50 mi, Rock Creek Trail 50K
2007 - (1) Hocking Hills Indian Run 60K

Number of each type of races for 2011:
100 mi -1
47 mi (Grand Canyon Run) - 1
50K - 3
Marathon – 2
16 mi (part of relay) - 1
Half Marathon - 1
20K - 1
10 mi -2
10K - 4
5 mi - 1
4 mi - 1
5K -8

Total running miles run in 26 races: 416 miles (last year 25 races – 509 mi)

States I ran marathons and ultras in 2011 (4): AZ, KS, MO,OK
All states I have run marathons and ultras (14): AR, AZ, FL, IL, LA, KS, MA,MD, MN, MO, OH, OK, OR, WI

2011 PRs in 4 mi, 10K, 100 mi
2010 PRs in 1 mi, 4 mi, 10 mi, half marathon, 3/4 marathon, 100K, 100 mi
2009 PRs in 5K, 25K, half marathon, and 50K
2008 PRs in 5K, 5 mi, 10K, 10 mi, marathon, 50K, 50 mi
2007 PRs in 5K, 4 mi, 8K, 5 mi, 10K, 10 mi
2006 PRs in 20K, half Marathon, and marathon

Goals for 2012:
1.  Continue weight lifting 2 - 3 times per week as soon as I finish painting the inside of the house (hopefully within the next 2 weeks).

2.  Correct the issue with my right foot turning in when I run.  This isn't causing major problems yet, but it is bad form that could cause problems so need to fix.  Either need a hip adjustment or possibly some exercises.

3.  Do more speed work.  I run short races but would like to also run a  speed session when I am not doing races (which is rare).

4. Take 2 - 3 short breaks from running during the year with at least 3 - 4 consecutive days of no running.

5.  More biking as cross training.


Marathons and ultras planned for 2012 -
January - No plans
February - Post Oak Challenge Double (already registered)
March - 3 Days of Syllamo (50K, 50 mi, also 20K) (already registered)
April - Free State 100K?
May - Berryman Trail 50 miler (already registered)
June - Run a 50 miler?
July - Psycho Summer 50K?
August - Burning River 100 mi (already registered)
September - Heart of America Marathon (already registered), maybe a 50K
October – Maybe a 50K or the C2C 39.3 mile or the Backyard Ultra in Tennessee
November - Ozark Trail 100 mile
December - No plans

2011 Cheese & Sauerkraut 10 miler

Temperature was 19F today, but the wind was not bad.  After the 5.2 mile warm up, we had 5 minutes to spare. I consulted with Phil about what time to write down.  I wasn't feeling like I wanted to work extremely hard but decided to predict 1:07 even though I ran 1:03:50 last year.   I took off my watch (none allowed) and quickly used the bathroom.  We started promptly at 8:30 am.  There were 4 of us running close together for the first 2 or so miles.  I pulled ahead a bit before we turned on the road where we had to run down and turn around.   I passed a couple runners and then was in second place.  The guy in first (Kevin) was pretty far ahead of me and his twin brother (Erik) was behind me.  I completed the first loop feeling pretty strong. 

The second loop went well until about the last 2 miles, my legs were starting to feel fatigued and sore so I was having to work to keep the same pace.  I didn't feel like I fell off the pace too bad and had pulled far enough ahead of Erik I didn't worry about him catching me, but would have been nice to have someone push me for the last couple miles.  My finishing time was 1:05:01 so 2 minutes off my prediction but not close or far enough off to win the cheese or sauerkraut.  I placed 2nd for my time overall out of 45 runners.  The winner was 5 minutes ahead of me.  We had sauerkraut dip, sauerkraut chocolate cookies (added a bag of milk chocolate chips), brownies, and cinnamon rolls to eat after. Hugh and I brought the sauerkraut cookies.  There were 5 dozen and we only brought home about 4 cookies.

2011 Thanksgiving Day Pie Run 5K

We arrived about 8 am to pick up our shirt and timing chip. I had ordered a small but they were out so I took the last medium. Hugh ordered a medium and took a large since that was the only size left. We could have gotten on a list for the correct size, but did not. There was not enough time to run the course as a warmup. I used the bathroom and decided to skip the warmup. I had time to run a mile but did not. The 10K started about 5 minutes before the 5K which was good since there was a huge crowd of over 700 runners and walkers. I started off with Katie and had hoped to run around 18:30. The first mile went okay, but a little slower than I had hoped at 6:02. I passed a couple guys and one guy passed me that looked to be in my age group. II was feeling the urge to use the bathroom and I definitely should have done so. I had to slow down for the last 2 miles. The second mile was 6:18. I did pass one guy near the finish and almost caught up to the guy in my age group. Last mile was 6:23 and last 0.1 was 33 seconds. Overall 19:15, 16th place of 397, and 3rd of 33 in the 40 - 49 age group. Not as fast as I had hoped, but not much I could do. I had to run to the bathroom as soon as I finished. I decided not to do a cool down and will go for a longer run tomorrow. I won a Chez Monet Pecan pie in the drawing. I picked the last pecan pie. Hugh was 4th in his age group in the 5K so just missed getting a medal this year.  Results posted here.

2011 Cranberry Crawl 5K

The Cranberry Crawl is a race that benefits the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri and starts at the Food Bank..   I warmed up with Hugh for about 1.5 miles and then we found the bathroom before the start.  Temperature was 47 F so I wore a long sleeved shirt.  I felt like I had a good race in me so I hoped to go out at a sub-6 minute mile.  Started off with Dan E. and Tony R. was right behind us.  I felt like maybe I was running too hard for the hilly course.  The first mile was 5:47 and I felt better.  There was also a 10K that ran 2 loops and the leaders of the 10K were ahead of us.   We ran just behind the first female runner for about 1.5 miles and then passed her.  Dan would pass me on the uphills and I pass him on the downhills and then we ran side by side. There wasn't much chit chat since we were working hard.  2 mile split was 6:10.  At about 2.3 miles, Tony passes me and I work to keep up with him.  I passed him up the last hill, but he passed me back.  My 3 mile split was 6:06.  I had a kick at the end but couldn't quite catch him.  Overall time was 18:32 and Tony was 18:30.  Dan came in after me.   It felt like an actual race and no doubt we all helped each other to run our best today.

Overall I placed 7th of 92 and 2nd in age group.  Hugh placed 11th overall and 1st in age group.  I ran the course again with Dan for a cool down.  Then we went inside to get some food and get ready for the awards.  For the prizes we were allowed to pick from an assortment on a table.  Hugh and I both picked the Body Glide.  The last time I ran the 5K in this race was in 2008.  Today was a 17 second improvement.

The course is shaped like a turkey.  Here is the map and course elevation profile.

Tony & Andy

Hugh

Marc, Bill, Andy, Hugh

Back of shirt has course shaped like Turkey - We selected Body Glide for age group placings.

New Blog - Primal Nutrition and Fitness

I have started a new blog called Primal Nutrition and Fitness.  I would like to explore this as a long term plan to stay healthy and feel good.  I will likely keep running some endurance races and post those here.  Even though I am not sure all this running is entirely compatible with Primal Fitness, there are some modifications that I can make.  I don't want the running to overtake my life and I think focusing on Primal Nutrition and Fitness will be a healthy balance.  If you are interested or think I am crazy, check out the blog.

2011 Prevent 10K

Cold but beautiful morning for a race.  It was in the 30s when we woke up but low 40s by the time the race started at 9 am.  I ran the 5K course with Hugh before the race as a warmup.  The extra for the 10K was on the MKT trail.  I was overdressed for the warmup so by the time the race started I was ready to shed some clothes.  I wore my long sleeved Pumpkin Holler shirt, shorts, orange racing flats, and black and orange Sock Guy 3 Days of Syllamo socks. Everyone walked out to the road for the race start.  I heard some guys talking about running 35 min so wasn't sure I was standing in the right place and there were also 5K racers.  Since the race offered money for the top 3 male and female 10K winners, most of the really fast guys/gals were running the 10K.

The course started off pretty flat and after about half mile heads up a pretty good hill (up 100 ft) for a half mile.  The fast 10K runners were in the lead.  Katie was just ahead of me and I knew she would run faster than me so did not try to keep up and kept my goal pace.  Tony was running the 5K and we were running close until he passed me after we got up the hill.  My first mile split was 6:15 which was right where I wanted to be overall but figured the first mile might be slower due to the hill.  The next part of the course is pretty flat for just over a half mile and then goes downhill for about three quarters mile, and then on the flat MKT trail at 2.3 miles. Once on the trail Brad running the 5K caught up to me before the 5K finish.  I passed a guy that seemed like he was tiring out and then next thing I know he is surging ahead and passed me as well as Brad before the end.  The first three 5K runners were fairly close.  I believe the winner was about 19:10 so I wasn't far behind.  My first 3 miles were 18:31.

From this point, the course went out just over 1.5 miles on the trail and back.  Since I no longer had any runners close, I had to push the pace on my own.  I was holding a very steady comfortable pace that seemed closer to a 5K than 10K pace.  Before the turn around I got to see the first 6 runners 4 males and 2 females coming back.  The turn around slowed me down a few seconds.  Then I saw the runners coming out so that helped to see them.  I knew the pace I was running that I was probably going to PR.  My finishing time was 38:31 so an 11 second PR.  My last 10K PR was in 2008 on an entirely flat course.  In spite of the hill and the turnaround I felt like this was a fast course too and could probably go a little faster on it.  I placed 7th overall and 5th male.  There were over 100 runners registered between the 2 races and 39 finishers for the 10K.

After the race there was plenty of good Halloween candy, bananas, bagels, and bars to eat.  Then the awards ceremony at about 11 am.  The first and second overall guys ran 35-something and were in my 40 - 49 age group.  I ended up winning the 1st place males Master's award which included $50 cash which was a nice surprise.  Hugh won first in his age group in the 5K.  There was also a drawing for numerous prizes which we were allowed to pick a prize off the table.  I won a $15 Kostakis Pizza gift certificate and Hugh won a lunch at Honey Baked Ham.

This was the second year for this race.  I was not able to run it last year.  It was extremely well-organized and had a lot of support and sponsors.  This race was to benefit the More Project.  Pictures are on the Prevent FaceBook site. Race results at Columbia Track Club.

Splits:
M1 - 6:15
M2 - 6:12
M3 - 6:04
M4 - 6:08
M5 - 6:08
M6 - 6:10
M0.28 - 1:36 (5:43 pace)

Andy - 2nd Annual Prevent 5K10K, October 29th, 2011. Jay Dix Station MKT Trail Head. Race Director: Ryan Hauser. Shane Epping, All Rights Reserved, 2011

Andy - 2nd Annual Prevent 5K10K, October 29th, 2011. Jay Dix Station MKT Trail Head. Race Director: Ryan Hauser. Shane Epping, All Rights Reserved, 2011

Hugh -2nd Annual Prevent 5K10K, October 29th, 2011. Jay Dix Station MKT Trail Head. Race Director: Ryan Hauser. Shane Epping, All Rights Reserved, 2011