January 2012 Training, A Rough Week

Yes, this week has been tough.

Since running The Bandera 100K on January 7th I've had some strange things going on.  The week after Bandera I felt great, hungry and eating all week and the body felt fabulous.  Legs were strong and besides running every day I got in a couple of days XC skiing and a day of Alpine skiing.  The cold weather set in, sub zero and it actually felt good running in the cold and snow.  Sure beats the intense cramping in the southern heat.  Then, all sh#@t hit the fan.  After running an easy 12 miler last Sunday in zero degrees, I jumped in the sauna to warm up and then went home hitting the grocery store on the way.  Hungry, I grabbed a quick egg sandwich while shopping and then it hit.  Dizziness, short of breath and intense pain on the lower right side of the body.  At one point I thought I might pass out in the aisles.  I managed to get out of there and in the car.  Should I go to the emergency ward or just beeline it and get home.  I opted for the ride home and as soon as I got home, jumped in bed, clothes, coat and all.  I was having a hard time breathing but found one position where I could somewhat relax and lied there, sort of sleeping for over an hour.  I managed to get through the rest of the day and attempted to go for an easy sunset hike in the snow, denying any pain I had.  Well the pain was still there, big time and I could barely breathe.  I returned home after a while and settled in.  Some dinner, a movie but wondering, what if I stop breathing tonight, then what?  I figured no big deal.  My usual philosophy in life, when your ticket comes up at the deli window, it's time.  It's all about fate, nothing you can do but go for the ride.  That's why I rarely hesitate running through a lightening storm or even think twice about jumping out of the door of a reasonably good plane at 12,000 feet.

Monday began with the same intense pain and I was having a hard time breathing whenever I tried to exert myself to more than sitting.  I waited all day hoping things would improve and finally went outside for a run in the afternoon.  It finally warmed up to 20 degrees too.  Out the door I went, only to find it was not a good thing.  I immediately started running/walking up the hill.  After about a 1/2 mile the pain trying to breathe was excruciating and I could hear myself grunting with each breath.  I felt like I only had one lung, what the heck.  I hit the top of the hill and was then running on a totally flat road, which I thought would be fine.  Not!  It hurt as much as the hill.  I managed to get another 1/2 mile shuffle in before I had to turn around.  This was definitely not fun!  I just couldn't breathe.  On the way back home I go right by the Charlotte Family Health Center, I thought I would pay them a visit.  I always hate to go to the doctor, almost embarrassing if something isn't really wrong.  I thought not being able to breathe was a good enough reason to visit.  I saw Bunkie, my local doc who is great.  He did a quick exam and evaluation and decided I should get an xray to check my lungs for  a possible partial collapse of the lung.  He also said, "no more running" for now.  After he did some other vital organ checks, it was off to the hospital to get an xray at 5:30 PM.  The trip to Fanny Allen was easier and quicker than anticipated.  I barely had to wait.  The pics were taken although the picture taker wasn't capable or allowed to read the xray so I would have to wait to get the reading from the radiologist and/or Bunkie.

It doesn't get much flatter than this.

Tuesday, still in pain and no word from the doc.  About mid day I decided to attempt a slow run   to the Post Office and then to some new trails on absolutely flat frozen mowed trails.  As I went by the docs office I slowed it down to a walk in case they could see me.  At minimal effort I was ok, doing 10 plus minute miles and an efficient shuffle.  Anything faster and I couldn't breathe.  This was OK, for today.



Wednesday I woke up still in pain.  During the day I did some work at home and finally decided it was time to attempt another walk/run.  I stood up and noticed something strange, I could breathe again.  I could actually stand and take a good deep breath.  Where did this come from??  It was like someone flipped the switch.  Hey take what you can.  Then Bunkie called to say there was nothing out of the ordinary in my xray or other results and I could run again.  I didn't tell him I never stopped running.  This was all great but on the other side, so why was I hurting so much before??  So I went out for a run and ran snow covered trails for almost 2 hours without any reoccurring issues.  Weird!!

Thursday, feeling good, I went to the Range and XC skied for almost an hour on wicked fast snow, skate skiing on the edge of disaster .  The fun part of XC skiing is that many times have very little control and are on the edge of a major crash and if you can pull it off without, you've done really well.  This night was like that.  The snow was hard, icy and rough and you seemed to bounce all over as you cruised along.  Successfully, I stayed upright and had a blast!  Then it was the Thursday night run with the crew.  First it was the pre-run with Bob to get in more miles.  We decided to go do the usual  6 miler along the back dirt roads of Essex.  Normally this would be fine but our fluky weather this year has brought many freeze, thaw, freeze opportunities and tonight was no different.  The back roads were challenging to say the least.  Ice was the primary surface and staying upright was a challenge.  About 2 miles out with Bob, I found some really slick ice, tried to move over unsuccessfully and crashed hard.

Left Elbow rather swollen - "olecranon bursa"

The brunt of the fall was taken by my elbows although I also crashed on the back of my head and my headlamp flew off.  But the immediate pain was definitely felt more in the area of my elbows.  Still, I got up, regained some stability after sliding some more and off I went running.  Bob and I continued and finished our loop to join up with the rest of the group so we could run this loop again.  And we did so with no major issues.  We all ran conservatively on the icy roads but managed to get through without any more crashes.  Once we got back, I thought I may have cut one of my elbows and decided to have a peak.  I had a hard time getting my shirt over my elbow and finally gave up only to have a more difficult time trying to get my shirt back over my elbow.  When I finally changed for the post run dinner, I realized my elbow was rather enlarged.  More than I had ever seen it before.  First thing that came to mind was, I've already been in for xrays this week for a possible collapsed lung, they won't want to see me again.  At dinner I put my elbow in ice and when I got home immediately wrapped it in ice which reduced the swelling.

Right Elbow

Friday, my whole body was sore from Thursday nights crash.  I felt like I was run over by a truck.  My elbow was still swollen so I experimented and wrapped it with pre-tape then put on an arm warmer, perfect!  Then I made a trip to the hardware store and made a major purchase, 20 screws for my shoes.  I went with the # 6 hex head sheet metal screws, 10 at 3/8" depth and the other 10 at 1/2".  So just before my run I grabbed my screw gun and put those in.  Then out the door to do a test run.  I headed out to run at the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge where the trails are still runnable.  About an inch of snow covered over the ice and it was great!  The screw shoes were incredible!

Screw Shoes ready to go!

Saturday proved to be a nice 20 miler in light snow on the back rolling roads of Williston, Richmond, Hinesburg and Huntington.  I met Aliza just after 9:00 am and off we went, bundled up for the run as it was only 9 degrees, luckily not much wind.  After a couple of miles on paved roads it was mostly snow and ice covered dirt roads.  The screw shoes were ideal.  My arm was bandaged up in a semi bent positions and was no problem although the rest of the body was still sore.  We had a mostly uneventful day on this "slow" run except the dead end road cut through had a new no trespassing sign which of course we ignored.  Once through the gate we heard a voice yelling at us.  Too late, we were moving forward and a bit faster now as repeated yells at us to stop.  Not stopping, run faster!  Luckily no gun shots.  Once out of there it was back to more hills and dirt roads.  We were both getting a bit hungry and had a quick GU break only to find out the GU's were more like semi frozen blocks.  Forgot to pre-warm the GU in my pocket.  We cruised along for a bit and were approaching some more big hills when we came upon Heather coming out of Dugway Rd.  She was doing a different loop so we decided to join her on the rest of her loop.  More back dirt roads, nothing too steep until the mile downhill on Wes White Hill.  Luckily this paved part had some clear pavement making it easier to stay upright.  At the end of the hill was Heather's car and a ride back to the start making for a nice winter run.

And back to Sunday to end this week.  I met up with Bob Ayers in the not too early morning and we ran a fun loop through the back roads and some trails of Richmond, Bolton and Jericho, 22 Garmin miles.  The elbow was feeling much better and the body not as sore.  Screw shoes were required as much of the surface was snow covered with ice underneath.  It started out cold but above zero, maybe 8 degrees with little wind and the sun came out.  We had some good climbing on the Stage Road to really warm up.  Overall, we had a great run and chatted most of the way about life, running and whatever.  To end the day and to enjoy the sunset I went out on the flat mowed trails at home for a few more miles as a great end to a week that started out a bit questionable.

Sunset over the Adirondacks

I learned a few things this week.  Some are just basic common sense, which at times I'm lacking in as I always try to push the envelope a little bit to see what the body and brain can endure.

What I learned this week:

• You can benefit from bringing fluids and food with you on 20+ mile runs, even in the winter.
• Eat more calories so you don’t bonk.
• Embrace the good things in life when you have them, like being able to breathe.
• Turn on your headlamp while running at night on the ice; you can see more with it.  (Wish I had my light on BEFORE the crash.)  I like to “feel” the road as I’m running in the dark.  I definitely felt it that night.
• Screw shoes are a wonderful thing, use them.

Let's hope for a better upcoming week and more successful weeks to come!  And hopefully I can survive this training without any more major issues.  See you on the trail :)

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

-- Confucius

2012 USA 100 km Trail National Championships

Bandera 100 km Endurance Trail Run - 
Race Report and Adventures
A Trail Run of Rugged and Brutal Beauty

where Everything Cuts, Stings, or Bites

January 7, 2012

Bandera, TX

As usual, my races are way more than the race itself.  It's all about the journey, not the outcome.

Texas Longhorn

The decision to make the trip to Texas was sort of last minute.  I had been training for the USATF 10K Club XC Nationals held in early December in Seattle with my local 50’s team and had been racing a number of 5K to 10K distances to prepare.  But I felt a need to get back into the longer distances and on trails.  I quickly ramped up the miles and even managed to get in a 50k day at the Christmas Marathon in NY.  And with the lack of snow in VT, I had been able to continue running on trails.  So I figured what the heck, time for a change of pace.  I didn't feel 100% trained for such an event but thought my fitness level was good enough to go.  The bigger factor for me would be the weather, especially the warmer temps that Texas could produce.  Last March I went down to the Nueces 50 Mile Trail Championships, only to arrive in 87 degrees.  Luckily it was cooler for race day but still hot enough to set off some good cramping for not being acclimated to the heat.  Training in Vermont in the winter is more about staying warm and dry.  And the week before Bandera, the temps had been in the 0-15 degree range, which was feeling rather nice to me.

I made reservations to fly down for a quick weekend, leaving on Friday morning, race Saturday and back to VT early Monday morning.  The wild card would be the weather, for flying.  Winter traveling in the Northeast is always a challenge.  As I finally prepared and packed for the trip, the weather was looking fine, possibility of light snow to fly out with but nothing out of the ordinary for an area that normally receives snow in the winter.  I was up early on Friday for the 5:30 AM flight and there was about ½” of snow on the ground and it wasn’t all that cold, maybe 20 degrees.  I arrived at the airport with plenty of time and soon we all boarded, right on time.  There really shouldn’t have been delays as I think we were the first plane out that morning.  But then we sat, and sat and sat in the plane.  After sitting for 30 minutes, then it was time to de-ice the plane which took another 15 minutes.  So right from the start, we were running 45 minutes late on the first leg of the trip to Dulles Airport.  I knew there wasn’t a lot of time between flights but thought if all went well, the connecting flight to San Antonio would still be possible.  We landed and I figured I had about 15 minutes to catch the next flight, if we got out of the plane after we landed.  Well another snafu.  We sat in the plane forever and they wouldn’t let us out, losing time fast.  Finally we got out and then had to wait for our carry-on bags. I knew they were already boarding my next flight.  As soon as I could, I grabbed my 40 lb roller bag, threw on my 25 lb backpack and started running.  To make it worse, we landed at terminal A and I needed to get to D which could require either a shuttle or a train ride.  I went to the shuttle area but it wasn’t arriving until my flight was already gone, so off and running to catch the train.  The train was for gates C & D.  First stop it said Gate C.  I poked my head out the door, a bit lost but looked again and the train said Gate C, it made no mention of Gate D so I stayed on.  When the door closed, I noticed I was the only one on it.  The train electronic banner now said out of service and traveled a short way up the track and stopped in the middle of nowhere.  I was stranded on this train, doors locked and nowhere to go.  Then it started moving up another rail and it said Gate A, what the heck!  So back to A, then to C where I got off this time and then ran from the far end of C all the way to the far end of D only to see the flight was closed.  Not a happy camper.  A bit overheated I arrive at customer service only to wait in line.  At the counter they were having issues but found a flight going back up to Chicago and then to San Antonio.  I started to complain but the woman at the counter said they were already boarding and I better get going or I wouldn’t be out until the evening.  They were having problems printing a boarding pass and said they would call ahead.  So off I was running again, this time from the far end of D to the far end of C.  When I arrived they greeted me and said, “Didn’t she tell you, we couldn’t get you on”.  At that point I was ready to go home.  I think she saw the look on my face and said wait here and somehow found a spot for me as the plane was waiting.  I finally boarded and then off to Chicago and then to San Antonio.

In all, I lost about 4 hour’s time, the time I wanted to check out the trails and attend the pre-race briefing.  Not a huge deal.  I got off the plane and it was HOT.  The sun was shining and I thought I might melt.  I took the shuttle over to get my rental car which would also be my camper for the weekend.  When I made reservations I upgraded to the next size up so I would have room to sleep in it.  I got the keys and found the car.  It was this lime green thing, not much bigger than a smart car.  There was no way I could fit in any direction in this car.  I went back to the counter. The woman said that was the larger car and if I wanted to pay $15 per day more I could get a bigger car.  Back out I went to see if there was any way I could fit.  Right next door was a larger car, the one that I thought I was getting and was listed on the reservation so back to the counter.  The woman was busy so I talked to some guy.  He was very accommodating and said sure; you can have one of those.  With a quick phone call and some new paperwork I was finally out of there.  More lost time.  I drove straight out to Bandera as I wanted to at least get in a little run in daylight to see what the trails were all about.

I was feeling better as I had finally made it which was questionable for some time.  After a little trail run I headed back to the town of Bandera to find some dinner.  I was supposed to be meeting up with David Ploskonka from Baltimore, Maryland.  I met David last year at Bull Run Run and thanks to David’s efforts we were part of the wining men’s open team.  As it turned out David’s flights were also messed up and he hadn’t yet arrived.  In Bandera I found a great little pasta restaurant, John’s Pasta House.  I had a table outside and David would meet me there a bit later.  Sitting alone, I was invited to join some local Texan’s who were adjacent to me and also running Bandera.  We had a great dinner and David finally arrived to enjoy the local pasta house.  After dinner it was back to the start/finish area which was also the camping area.  I set up my Hotel Nissan, folding the front seats all the way down and retired for the evening.

Hotel Nissan

The race start was at 7:30 AM, right around sunrise, much better than a 4:00 AM start in the dark.  It was cool out but you knew it would heat up and the forecast called for near 70 degrees and sunshine.  Not really what I was hoping for but it is what it is.  At the start I met up with David and saw some other familiar faces.  Yassine Diboun was there and Liza Howard.  I saw team Pearl Izumi all ready to go.  There was an excellent field of runners for this National Championship and also part of the Montrail Ultracup with 2 spots available for Western States. I knew they would be fast out of the start.  My plan was to go out at a reasonable fast pace until the pack thinned and then settle in and do my own thing, just run at a comfortable pace and enjoy it.

This was a two lap course.  The terrain seemed very runnable.  Some hills, nothing too bad and rocks but again, not that technical.  Not like the slippery rocks and roots back home.  And plenty of nice single track to cruise on.  Shortly after the start I could hear a familiar voice behind me.  It was Liza running along with local Steve Moore.  I ran quite a bit of Nueces with Steve and Liza last year.  They soon caught up and the three of us ran a good part of this loop together, many times back and forth and pacing off one another.  I could also see Darcie Africa just behind.  There was an impressive women’s field this year including Liza, Darcie, Pam Smith and Cassie Scallon and all capable of winning.

At some point on this first lap, I spacing out, tripped on a rock and went down hard.  Nothing unusual for me.  Landing on rock is no fun.  But the other alternative is landing on cacti, equally as bad.  The usual tuck and roll technique doesn't work either as you hit hard on rock and then roll on cacti.  Something you want to avoid altogether.  I got myself up, scrapped and bruised and continued on.  About mile 16, I came into the Crossroads aid station and stopped to find my drop bad and pick up a fresh bottle of Gu Brew and some more GU gels.  I saw the familiar face of Meredith Terranova who helped me get through which was great.  Another 5 mile loop and I was back to Crossroads again.  At this point I could feel the heat increasing and made certain to increase my fluid intake as well as electrolyte pills.  Continuing going back and forth with Liza and Steve, we all arrived at the halfway point somewhere around 4:28 which I thought was right on, trying to be a bit conservative.  After refueling at the Lodge and grabbing a replenished supply of electrolytes I was on to lap 2.  Right from the get go, I could feel twinges in my lower extremities, signs of cramping.  The heat to me when not acclimated is like kryptonite to Superman and can take me down.  I increased my electrolytes again and backed off a notch on pace hoping these adjustments would help.  The climb up Ice Cream Hill was in full sun and just after I passed a distressed runner, a big calf cramp kicked in and stopped me in my tracks.  I stomped on my foot to get it to bend, took another electrolyte pill and kept on moving.  This seemed to be the pattern for a while.

Jack coated with salt wearing Headsweats Super Duty Race Hat

As I came into the second aid station, I saw another smiling familiar face through my now fuzzy eyes.  It was Meghan Arbogast.  I was dizzy and had to sit for a moment.  Meghan helped replenish my electrolyte supply which was needed and off I went while munching on a pb&j sandwich.  I continued on doing the slow run for a while when suddenly I felt a weird sensation in my left foot.  My entire ankle cramped and then my right foot cramped causing me to collapse right across the trail.  I laid there like a corpse and couldn't move as the pain shot through my body.  I could see another runner coming up and thought for sure they would think I was dead on the trail.  So as this runner approached I lifted my head up to say, “I’m not dead”.  As my eyes cleared enough to focus I could see it was my friend David from Baltimore.  I think he kind of chuckled as he saw me there unable to get up.  With a little boost, I was able to finally stand and we both moved ahead slowly.

David relaxing the morning after the race

David has experience with heat issues himself as he has run Badwater the last 2 years.  Before long, David was far ahead and out of sight as I still had to move slowly, but move ahead I did.   The rest of this second lap was more of the same with continued cramping, slow running and ingesting up to 8 electrolyte pills each hour.  I forced myself to eat at each aid station knowing that my body needed fuel and kept drinking, all the while feeling nausea and wanting to hurl but didn't want to lose what I already had in my body for electrolytes.  I thought as the day progressed, the heat would lessen and I could continue on at a faster pace but the heat and the cramps continued for most of the race.

Slow but steady I continued on, had another hard fall somewhere and reopened a wound on my hand from earlier in the day.  I ran through some more sotol plants and felt the thorns rip my legs but it really didn't matter at this point.

Sotol Plant with sharp spikes

Sotol damage to skin

As I looked at my watch I could see this second lap taking almost 2 hours longer that the first, not good.  Trying to better that I was able to pick up the pace a bit, on and off for the last 9 miles.  I also wanted it over, that’s always a motivator later in the race.  Finally, just before darkness set in, I crossed the finish line.  I was immediately greeted by Liza Howard who gave me a puffy coat to put on as the temps were quickly cooling as was my body.  Liza ended up with a stellar run finishing 2nd for the women just behind Cassie Scallon with Pam Smith not far behind in third.  Also greeting me was Charles Corfield, another awesome master runner from Boulder and Dave Mackey who finished second for the men just 10 minutes behind Tim Olsen.  Thankfully Charles brought me some fluids while I sat on the ground trying to regroup.  It didn't take long and afterwards I headed over to the heated tent to find some food.  I ended up hanging out there for hours with Steve Moore, Liza Howard, Tim, Chris and many other local runners while finishing runners came in.  I truly enjoyed the overwhelming southern hospitality while exchanging war stories over some cold ones.  Thanks to Steve for supplying the Lone Star beverages.

Steve Moore & Dylan Bowman

In the end, I didn't have the best race result based on my inabilities to deal with the heat but still I finished, had a lot of fun and had a wonderful experience revisiting with familiar faces and meeting new folks from around the country.  It's amazing what we ultra runners consider fun :)  The heat and course also took its toll on others as of the 215 starters, 56 dropped down to a 50k with only 153 runners finishing the 100k.  I finished with a time of 10:46:32 which was good enough to place first for the USATF National 100K Championship in my age group and set a new age group course record and finished 13th overall in the men’s division.  Click here for full results.

Thanks to RD Joe and Joyce Prusaitis for putting on this fabulous event and to all the volunteers who made this race possible.  Put this one on your list of to do’s!  These guys put on a whole series of races which can be found through Tejas Trails.  And thanks to Headsweats for supplying the Super Duty Race Cap which worked wonders on this hot and sunny day.

Liza and family at awards with RD Joe Prusaitis

One final note, the trip back to VT was mostly uneventful, hurrying as usual to catch flights on a three airport journey to get home.  On the last leg from LaGuardia to Burlington I was in this short bus with wings waiting to take off among the huge mega jetliners.  As we were heading to position for takeoff I could see some of my fellow passengers getting nervous.  This 37 passenger bus with wings had propellers and only one was working.  Finally one of the passengers spoke up and questioned the flight attendant with hand signals as the noise was too loud to hear anything.  He motioned that the propeller wasn't working, how are we going to get off the ground?  The flight attendant very calmly said they will turn it on when they are ready.  Just before the final takeoff stretch on the runway, they did turn on the propeller, it worked and off we went.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

The 24 Hours of Christmas Adventures Returns for 2011...... Or Not

Christmas 2011 and Looking Back at the Year

A SPECIAL HOLIDAY BLOG, SO BE PREPARED!

Wow, what a year!  Many ups and downs throughout with lots of new experiences.  Two months ago I thought I would be in a different place.  Well, how things change....again.  Life is full of changes and challenges.  So once again, due to unforeseen circumstances, I'm back running to celebrate this Holy Day of Christmas with plenty of time to reflect on the past year and think about all of those special people, family and friends who have been a great help for me for whatever.  Merry Christmas!!

One change on the 24 hour run, since I have signed up to run a 100K two weeks from now I thought it might be a good thing not to run 100+ miles on Christmas.  Instead I've entered The Holiday Marathons in NYC organized by Mike and Mike and will run the marathon plus some more to make it just a 50K or so and then spend time with family in CT.

Just before driving down to CT on Friday I stopped by the post office to get my mail.  On the display board there were sayings from the 1st grade class at CCS.  One of them caught my eye.  It said:





Where there is honesty, there is understanding.
Where there is fairness, there is peace.
Where there is sharing, there is friendship.
Where there is love, there is fulfillment.

Pretty good for a first grader and great not only for the holidays but all year long.  Too bad adults can't always think this way.  This one's for you Kelly.

Mom's tree

Christmas Eve with mom in CT, very nice.  The sun was shining during the day so I got in a pre-dinner easy run on the golf course.  Not always a possibility as usually when there is no snow, they are golfing but not today.  So I got to chase the geese hanging out on the course.  Afterwards, Mom and I had a great Christmas Eve dinner.  We haven't been together on Christmas Eve for 15-20 years??  And since Dad passed away 5 years ago Mom has been on her own.  Myself, the last two Christmas's have been a bust so it was great for mom and I to connect and chat about life over some wine, ending with the traditional Drambuie after hot fudge Sundays.  After dinner I retired to watch one of my all time favorite classics, " A Wonderful Life".
Then is was "The Santa Clause", another movie favorite.  I sometimes wish I could have the job of Santa Claus.  I would do that in a heartbeat!  Then off to bed for some sleep before Santa arrives.





Christmas Marathon/50K Race Report:
Christmas morning, up early and on the road to the Holiday Marathons to be held this year at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers, NY after a waffle and banana breakfast.  Just over an hour drive which isn't bad and sure beats sleeping in the cold at hotel Ford.  I arrived just before 9:00 AM and ran into friend, race director and former pacer for me at the WS 100 years ago, Mike Oliva.  Mike was getting the start area set up and about to head out to mark the course.  The other RD, Mike Arnstein hadn't yet arrived.  There were two trees at the start area designated for gifts.  One was for a grab bag after you were done with your race.  If you brought a gift, you could get one at the end.  The other tree was for Toys for Tots.  It was fun going out Christmas Eve to buy toys for some child who might not have a Christmas.  After the race, the toys were going to be delivered to the children.

Holiday Headsweats

The official start of the event wasn't until 11:00 AM but they encouraged runners who were doing the marathon distance or who needed extra time to start early, especially with sunset around 3:30.  Runners had the choice of doing a 1/8 marathon, 1/4 marathon, 1/2 marathon, 3/4 marathon or full marathon.  Each lap was 3.275 miles on a paved rec path which circled around a lake.  So in an effort to get to my sisters for Christmas dinner at a decent hour, I was ready to go by 9:00 AM.  It was still chilly out, maybe 32 degrees but warm enough for shorts and anticipating that the day would warm up.  I wore my custom Headsweats Holiday Mid Cap for the occasion in holiday red with a white pom pom.  I took no water or gels with me to begin with but had a bag at the start area with some basic provisions which is where you would return after each loop.  The first few loops were quiet as not too many runners were out and I enjoyed the scenery.  In the middle of the lake was a huge swan that just swam around.  All the other birds seemed to have great respect for this big bird and stayed out of it's way.  The way the paved path was, there was enough of a dirt shoulder along much of it so I seemed to gravitate to the dirt to make it a bit softer.  By the fourth lap, more runners were out and I could feel my pace picking up and was starting to warm.  Before heading out for loop # 5, I grabbed my water bottle with GU Brew in it and  some electrolyte tabs.  I could already see the salt accumulating on my skin so I started taking the electrolytes just in case, even thought it was still cool out.  I also grabbed one GU gel and on that loop tried to eat in but it was rather cold and stiff and was a challenge to eat.  Usually I put it in my pocket before to warm up but not today.  Lap 5 and 6 were the fastest yet, averaging around a 7:10 pace, not that this was a "race" but more of an event but I felt good just running along.  Also after I started lap 5, the official start began so there were a lot more runners and some fast ones too so that kept me moving along at a good clip.  I was over the 20 mile mark and on lap 7 cruising along again, when I started getting incredibly hungry.  I knew I hadn't had much to eat and should have had more GU's to start but didn't.  Then the energy was being sucked out of me.  It turned out to be one of my slower laps but as I headed to the turnaround, I grabbed a banana which definitively seemed to help matters.  I finished lap 8, the marathon distance at a comfortable 3:13 and only 2 laps to go.  I seemed to focus more on eating at each turnaround and managed to eat a half a banana each time through.

20 " Candy Cane

It was fun watching the other runners too with about 450 runners signed up to run on this Christmas Day!  Some in full Santa attire, others with Grinch like green outfits and most in some kind of Santa hat.  All kinds of runners, young and old, fast and slow but they all seemed to be having fun!  By the time I was doing my last lap # 10 it was getting quiet out there again as most had done the shorter distances and were done.  When you did finish, you had to hit the gong with the hammer and Mike was there to supervise.  For finishing each runner was awarded a candy cane, the more laps you did, the bigger the candy cane.  For me, I got the 20" candy cane.  In the end I ran just over a 50K; 32.75 miles averaging a 7:30 pace rather comfortably.  I thought if I could keep it under 8 min. miles it would be good so I figured this was a good trainer for the 100k in two weeks.

More pics of the Christmas Marathon .

RD and friend Mike Oliva and Jack at the finish by the finishing Gong

After the race it was just over an hour's drive to spend Christmas with my mom and sister and two nieces.  Dinner, more champagne and to end it all watching "National Lampoon's Christmas".  Another one of my movie favorites.

So ends the race season for 2011, I think??


END OF THE YEAR SUMMARY:
As I end the year, I sit back and think of the year gone by.  It had some great moments and it had some not so good times.  I had a great trip to Europe, my first ever while competing in the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.  The scenery was like I've never seen before.  That was definitely a high point. Throughout the year I had some good races and some not so good races but it's always a great day on the trails.  Besides my trip to Europe, I traveled around to places like Texas, Virginia, NY and Washington state.  I had some great times running with new and old friends throughout the year and have met some wonderful folks from all around the world.  I had some foot issues mid year that slowed me down and even a DNF at the Finger Lakes 50K, not good, but I was able to work through it with the help of Doc Rinaldi and changed my work schedule and bounced back.  Energy levels were up and down.  So as an experiment this meat and potatoes guy, has now gone without meat for three months.  So far so good.  I changed my residence and purchased some real estate this spring and hope to build a new home on the land this coming year.  I thought I was to be married in October, (a high point) only to find out that the person who I thought I knew for eight years has totally different values and beliefs than me about commitment, honesty, fidelity and trust, values which I believe are key to any successful relationship.  So no marriage.  A sad ending to the year and the end of another chapter of life.  But to finish on a positive note it is a New Year ahead and another chapter begins!  I have a lot to look forward to and a lot of great friends to be thankful for :)  Now it's time to plan out the race schedule for 2012.  So far on the horizon, it's the Bandera 100K in two weeks in Texas and the MMT 100 in Virginia in May.  The rest of the schedule to be determined.  Just last week I did receive my new passport, so who knows where in the world I may end up :)

A little Karma to end the year and to start the new year with, one of my favorites.  (I have one of these happy Buddhas and rub his belly at least once a day):

The decisions you make and the way you treat people will someday come back to stare you in the face.  If you are good and kind to people they will treat you kind. If you are cruel to people and make bad decisions then life will not be so kind to you.

Happy New Year to All !!


And remember "Impossible is Nothing!"

2011 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships

and USA Masters Men's 10 km Championships

December 10, 2011

Jefferson Park Golf Course - Seattle, WA

2011 GMAA National XC Team

As a GMAA Team we were finally somewhat organized and ready to head to Seattle for the Nationals.  It was not easy to get a full team together this year with injuries and conflicting activities but in the end we brought over 6 runners for our 50’s age group team.  Our captain, Norm Larson along with Tony Bates, Kevin McMahon, Lyman Clark, Keith Woodward and myself.  You need 5 to officially score as a team.  More than 100 clubs and 1,100 competitors were to compete at Jefferson Park Golf Course in the Emerald City, Seattle. USATF Pacific Northwest, Club Northwest, the Seattle Sports Commission, the Seattle Parks & Recreation Department, and ProMotion Events worked hard to provide a complete championship experience with a Northwest flavor!

Snow Covered Ground at BTV

On Thursday morning five of us flew together from Burlington to Seattle with a short layover in Chicago.  It was a cold and snowy morning in VT.

Kevin enjoying some Dakin Farm munchies in Chicago.

Thanks to Sam at Dakin Farm for sponsoring our trip with lots of goodies to munch on throughout the weekend.  Waiting in Chicago we broke out the incredible cheese, beef sausage, maple kabanos, crackers and more.  We also ran into Christine Reaser, an awesome women’s master runner from Maine.  She kindly offered to give us a ride to the hotel once we landed in Seattle instead of us taking a train.  Sounded like a good idea.  Once we landed in Seattle we were joined by Lyman Clark at the airport.  I’m not sure Christine knew what she was getting into when she first offered us a ride.  There were six of us plus Christine.  She was confident that her full size rental would work.  So 7 of us jammed into a Chevy Impala plus luggage that would not all fit in the trunk.  Not a pretty sight!

In the Chevy

Friday was an easy day, a morning run with Norm and Kevin touring Seattle, heading down towards the waterfront and the famous Pikes St. area including the throwing fish market.  It was still early so things were quiet at the market.  On our way back to the hotel we found a coffee shop as Norm and Kevin were craving coffee.  I had a great cup of hot chocolate.  After that Norm and Kevin headed back to the hotel but I still needed some more miles and headed this time a little bit north to see other parts of the city.  

Downtown Seattle

As usual I have a hard time going to someplace new without exploring and this was no different.  I was in search for the “Needle” and thought I could keep running north to find it but no luck.  Finally I headed back to the hotel but not before stopping in at a waffle shop for some breakfast.  Awesome strawberry topped homemade waffle!  Later that day we took the shuttle over to the race course to pre-run part of the course, which on race day would be a five loop run along a golf course.  And a great sunny day it was which allowed great views all around including the snow capped mountains not far away.

Full Moon in Seattle

Saturday Race Report and more by Kevin McMahon, GMAA Masters Runner:

The race was on a golf course, most of the energy we wanted to spread across it was going into the softening ground. By the 5th 2K lap, the course was ragged and muddy on several curves and took down several runners trying to take the tight high line. The 40 degrees was a mist by the time we started. It didn't bother as much as expected, but I also took the precaution of finding a community center down the street in which I laid warm and low until race time. I had planned on sneaking into the enormous VA hospital across the street, but was scared off by the idea of possibly being profiled as a TB patient and then detained.  On the jog to start, I felt like the race season should have ended weeks ago, perhaps in June. Dull, twanging, tight and tired. But damn thankful to be healthy enough to line-up one more Nat time with the VT M50's. I thought of Jim our #2, still injured, and Tony our #3, with us but too injured to go under the gun. Doesn't get better than running free of anything that could stop you. And how great to have both Lyman and Woody step up for the run! So tough.

Norm

At the 5K mark, I wondering how I could possibly run that distance again without stopping. By 8K, the run became be a sideways climb into the black hole. Kept repeating Norm's instructions to 'be in the moment' and when any moment sucked too much, I repeated his suggestion to 'embrace the pain'. Finally, it was just shameless pleading to not pass out before crossing the line or be passed by too many M55's. 

Jack and Kevin

Didn't pass out but got passed like I was.  My eyes were still crossed 40 minutes later but the lips were no longer purple. I ran 60 secs slower than last year, but so did Norm. But he won the M55 gold and I ended up 12th place in the M55's. Pilla ran fast and faster than last year, Woody chased in Bill Dixon! another reminder that Keith is truly a legend among us Vermonters. Lyman finished his first XC Nats running the critical 5th slot for our injured engine. Tony managed every support detail and I'm sure he ran at least 10K, cheering, reporting and taking pictures. Results.

Woody

Lyman

The best part of the day was joining Pilla and Kasie Enman for a 10 mile run back to the hotel along the shore of Lake Washington. I figured I'd remember better running with two of the world's best, than running ho hum in the nationals. And I was right. By the time we returned to the hotel, we had seen spectacular neighborhoods and houses. The gardens with palm trees reminded us Vermonters that the growing zone in Seattle is the same as their running zone: no ice, no snow, no slow. The downside of the run was the upside: once we turned away from the Lake Washington and headed a straight 3 miles back into the city, the roads became hills. Big ass hills, like running up the length of Main Street in Burlington.  On the second climb, Kasie and I shouldered up together behind Pilla the Goat. Since Kasie was on my shoulder and not with Jack, I was sure she was casting a pity line to drag me up. This really helped, I was feeling the team and after the 3rd hill, she was still there. But when I began to whine against Jack his hill-hell tour, her pity turned off. She started to describe racing up Mt. Washington and began swapping details with Pilla. I folded into a shuffling whimper and she scooted ahead. Alone, things got tougher still. I even tried to regurgitate the Snickers bar I had eaten an hour ago, hoping to recycle some sugar. Looked out for bus stops and started to finger the coins in my pocket. When I began to badger Jack with the question: 'Where the hell is the hotel?”, those two seemed to get a second wind and surged.

Kasie running in the Women's Open

Anyhow, the brutal straight line delivered us exactly into the lobby, setting for me a single day record of running a total of 20 miles, 6 of it at race pace. I turned to hug and high-five my mates, but they were heading back out the door, Jack to shop for Tequila and Kasie to put in more miles. So much for my new spot on the mountain running team.

Kev

Dakin Farm goodies and more for post race

After a little post race celebrating we headed over to the official award ceremony.  The post race awards featured our very own Norm Larson receiving the gold for the 55-59 age group.  Way to go Norm!  And in the end our team ended up 9th out of 17 teams from across the nation.  

National Champ Norm!!

At the post race party I had a great chat with Max King, the World Mountain Running Champion this year.  

Max and Jack

Afterwards, the team went for a late night hot tub and swim.  Our big kid, Kevin, was having a little too much fun showing off his breast stroke and scared off some other younger kids.

Kevin having fun in the pool.

Special thanks again to Dakin Farm for sponsoring us with fabulous snacks that got us through the entire weekend.  Also thanks to Headsweats for supplying us with the bright red midcap which was perfect for the cool Seattle weather.  It was very easy to spot us running on course chasing Norm.  And thanks to GMAA for helping us out as well.

If you want to see the video of the master's race, click here.

And to the USATFNE Board of Directors,

On behalf of the entire Green Mountain Athletic Association, let us express our sincere appreciation for the USATFNE grant that enabled us to compete in the 2011 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships last weekend in Seattle.

As you know, most running clubs in New England are small, with limited funds to send their athletes to Championship events.  The GMAA is one of those clubs.  Your grant enabled our 50-59 team, (the 2009 National Champions) to represent New England on a national stage.

With each individual member responsible for his own flight, room, meals, entry fee, and ground transportation, your $1,000.00 grant eased the burden on working/training men with families and allowed us to take the trip.

Thank you once again.

Sincerely

Norm. Larson

Tony Bates

Kevin McMahon

Jack Pilla

Keith Woodward

Lyman Clark

Next up for me, who knows?  Will it be the 2nd Annual 24 Hours of Christmas or some other Adventure?  Time will tell.

Happy Holidays and stay tuned.

Jack

Santa Claus 5K Run and final training race for Seattle

Burlington, VT Dec. 4, 2011


Who would have thought over 1200 runners would have signed up for this first ever festive race on the first weekend in December!!

Well, it turned out to be an awesome day to start.  The sun was out, the temps in the high 30's and warming, a bit windy, but what the heck.  It wasn't raining!  The race started at 9:30 AM but by 8:30 AM there were mobs of Santa's cruising around Church St. in Burlington.

Church St. in Burlington, VT

I arrived shortly after 8:00 AM, got my race number and went out to preview the course, without the Santa outfit.  About halfway through Santa Bob drove by who then tried to catch up but we must have crossed paths and didn't find each other til the start.  I finished the loop and then suited up in full Santa attire to get ready for the run.  Once I had the suit on I noticed it was rather long and baggie.  I headed over to the host site, Ri Ra's and found some pins to customize the suit.  I folded up the pant legs, as every pair of pants that I own were too long to begin with, so this was no different.  And then attached a safety pin to keep them together.  I cinched up the waist with the attached string but made sure I hit the bathroom before and good thing as it took a good 5 minutes to untie myself after the race.  And the jacket, I attached numerous pins across the chest to keep it from flopping open.  The belt set up was marginal but held on with a simple tied bow.  Good to go.  Back out on Church St. the Santa's were everywhere and singing Christmas Carols.  The Holiday spirit was definitely alive.  It was hard to recognize anyone you knew as obviously, we all were wearing the same outfit.  Finally it was time to get to the start line.  I did see some folks I knew and hooked back up with Santa Bob.   Bob and I do a lot of

Santa Bob Ayers

running together.  And then we were off and running.  A quick run along lower Church St and then down on Main St. towards the lake.  And yes, the winds were blowing pretty good but no worries.  The front pack of Santa's took off rather quickly.  I wasn't too far behind and noticed I was having trouble breathing.  The beard and mustache was getting sucked up my nose and into my mouth.  Finally for survival I had to pull it down just enough to get some oxygen in.  And this was no flat and easy 5K run, once you got down to Battery St. it was a good up hill for the next mile and a half and into the strong headwinds on South Willard.  But after that, it finished up with the wind at your back on a downhill which was great.  In the end I believe it was Ray Webster and Jason Baer tying for the win.  Full results are here:  http://www.coolrunning.com/results/11/vt/Dec4_RiRaSa_set1.shtml

Afterwards we were all treated to an awesome breakfast hosted by Ri Ra's with plenty of food to go around.  Then with belly's full, Santa Bob and I went out to run the course again, in our Santa attire of course.  It was fun and relaxing.  We had numerous folks honking the horn at us and waving.  In all, a great day and an event that should grow over the years.  An event you won't want to miss!

Here's a story from the Burlington Free Press with video:
http://www.wcax.com/story/16184775/burlington-overrun-by-santas .

Next up, the USATF National Club XC 10K Championships in Seattle, Washington.