Follow my Progress on Race day

100K Elevation Profile

On Saturday, May 18th I will be running the Bishop100K (62 miles) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains by Bishop, CA.  The race starts at 6:00am and I will be carrying my Spot Tracker that will update my progress on the following web page. http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0ql2ZURhTMVbJcg5IWox3Bhqj7VjGI3y0

My goal is to finish in under 15 hours so that I can use it as a qualifying run for the Western States 100.  This works out to a little faster than a 15 min./mile pace so as long as I can keep moving all day, I should be fine.  So far the weather report looks favorable with clear skies and highs of 77F down in Bishop so not too bad and it will even be cooler up at elevation at if this report holds true. 

As far as drop bag locations and nutrition for the run, I will use a similar plan to what I had last year with the addition of salt tabs.  Last year I believe I was experiencing hydration problems and cramping because it was fairly warm the entire day and I was not taking in any extra salt besides the few elctrolytes I was getting at the aid stations which apparently isn't enough. I will have drop bags at the Buttermilk Road, Edison Loop, and Tungsten Hills aid station which I pass 2 times each.  This would space out my drops at 11, 17, 23, 35, 41 and 48 miles which is manageable. I will need about 300 calories per hour and I will have that amount in both Perpetuem Tablets and GU gel packs and bananas.  That way if one thing isn't working for me then hopefully something else will.

This year I will be wearing gaiters from Dirty Girl Gaiters to keep the sand out of my shoes which was killing me last year.  I really was just being a big baby and stopping every few miles to empty my shoes so at least I won't have that excuse this year.  Running 62 miles through the mountains is enough to ask without having to do it with sand and rocks in my shoes that will be nice I guess.  Interesting name they chose for their company, Dirty Girl, but they really work and are some of the best gaiters out there.




 

100K Route

Above is my track from last year.  This year I will be going 12 miles further.  It is essentially the same route but when we get back to the junction that is close to the Millpond we will be taking a left up and over the Tungsten Hills.  At that point it is 3 miles up, 3 miles down the other side followed by a U-turn up and over again to the finish.  I am almost sure to be completing that portion in the dark and will be using a headlamp to guide me.  If I am lucky I will be close enough to another runner and we will be able to run together, but I am not counting on that.

100 K Distance Chart

	MILEAGE	NEXT AID	ELEVATION	CUT OFF	DROP BAGS
START	0.0	1.51	4425
TUNGSTEN CITY #1	1.51	4.24	4738
CDF CAMP	5.75	4.02	4850
JUNCTION	9.77	1.50	6150
BUTTERMILK ROAD	11.27	3.67	6508		YES
MCGEE CREEK	14.94	2.46	7900
EDISON LOOP	17.40	2.99	8000	12.30PM	YES
OVERLOOK	20.39	3.01	9385
EDISON LOOP	23.40	2.65	8000		YES
INTAKE 2	26.50	2.94	8100		YES
BISHOP CREEK LODGE	29.00	2.94	8374
INTAKE 2	31.93	3.10	8100	4.15PM	YES
EDISON LOOP	35.03	2.46	8000		YES
MCGEE CREEK	37.49	3.67	7900
BUTTERMILK ROAD	41.16	1.50	6508	7:00PM	YES
JUNCTION	42.66	3.73	6150
HWY 168	46.39	2.06	5560
TUNGSTEN CITY #2	48.45	3.65	4774	9.00PM	YES (100K)
SAGE SUMMIT	52.10	2.35	5596
100k TURNAROUND	54.45	2.35	5445
SAGE SUMMIT	56.75	3.60	5596
TUNGSTEN CITY #2	60.35	1.66	4770
FINISH	62.01	0.0	4425	1.00AM	YES

Resting up for Bishop 100k

I am getting pretty excited in anticipation of my big run which is just one week away now.   The Bishop 100k starts at 6:00am Saturday, May18th and now I am resting for the event putting in only a few easy runs a week.  Below is a graph of my weekly mileage totals from the past 4 1/2 months.  I had originally planned to run a few more heavy weeks in April of 80 miles or more, but I felt I had to scale that back when my  body wasn't responding well to the demands and needed more rest. Though I do feel good about the training that I have done knowing that I have pushed it as hard as I possibly can and came out of it without any injuries.  My hamstring problem is continuing to improve and by race day I anticipate any lingering soreness to completely disappear.  Looking back I see that I have a block of 6 weeks with 60 plus miles, one 7 day period where I logged 96 miles and 5 separate back to back long runs of 18 to 35 miles.


I also have prepared for the mountains by putting in a bunch of hours on the trails around Mt. Charleston.

Mountain view from Harris Springs road.  One of my favorite training routes for long climbs and descents.  From this point it takes about 3 1/2 to 4 hours to make it to that snow covered peak - Griffith Peak.

Training volume recommendations from Ian Torrence

2012 Xterra Lake Las Vegas 21K trail run

 Ian Torrance, adiUltra team ultrarunner and coach who has also been very active in the Las Vegas area has some good recommendations on running volume that I am planning to incorporate. See his blog Irunfar.com for details.http://www.irunfar.com/2013/04/ultramarathon-training-volume.html

Essentially the article details how you can sensibly increase your training volume, miles per week, until you reach your training ceiling.

 His list  benefits from increasing volume

"Volume Is Good

It’s true! Increasing weekly mileage brings increased performance. If we do nothing else but simply add to the time we spend on our feet each week, several beneficial physiological adaptations begin to occur due to this new accumulated volume.

• The body will become proficient at burning fat, its optimal fuel source.
• Muscle and liver glycogen, the major forms of stored carbohydrates in the body, will be more effectively amassed and utilized.
• The size and number of muscle capillaries and mitochondria, the blood vessels and cellular factories that facilitate aerobic energy, will increase.

We’ll tangibly experience these internal gains in these ways:

• What once were long runs become shorter runs.
• Faster recovery after running up steep hills.
• Desire to race farther.
• For those new to the volume increase, personal records in ultra distances."

He states that each weekly mileage increase should not be than 10 to 15% which is what I have been doing. Then after each increase you should remain at this new level for 3 weeks so the body becomes adjusted to the work load which I have not been doing.  I had been increasing mileage every week by 10% until I need a break.  Well I came though that without any substantial injury and now I plan to modify by training with Ian's recommendations.

My build up for 5 weeks was as follows: 67, 72, 80, 88, 92 miles.  These average to 80 miles. So my next 3 week phase will be done at 10% more than this - 88 mile.  This week I will get in 60 to 70 miles.  Next week I run the Xterra 21k trail race at Lake Las Vegas and will probably do about 80 miles. After that I will start the 88 mile weeks and when I finish that I will be just 2 weeks out from the Bishop 100k on May 18th and that will be my taper time.

The one benefit of increasing volume that I am noticing the most is that long runs are seeming shorter. I have already noticed that a 10 mile run feels short to me and a 20 mile run, which use to be my longest long run is not so hard to complete anymore.  Anyways, that's the plan. It feels good to put it down in writing.

Another recovery week and 2XU compression gear

My legs felt like they could use some more rest so last week I backed off the mileage a bit to a  total of 50. I had planned to put in several 20 milers during spring break, but every time I got close to 15 miles my right hamstring started feeling the strain so I cut it short. Again I became bummed because of this; I never imagined I would become down on myself so fast but it is happening again.   Everything I fall short of reaching a goal I set for myself I start to lose hope. I really need to stop that. I am felling better today though and I hope to put in  20 or so tomorrow.

I am trying out some more compression gear this time from 2XU (pronounced 2 times you). So far I am loving this stuff.  I tried the Elite Compression Tights on a day when it was 80 degrees F and they were very comfortable. I don't know if I want want to run in them if it was much warmer though.  What else is cool about them is that I can easily slip ice packs under them after a long run to further reduce inflammation.  I definitely feel they are reducing muscle soreness and fatigue and I am going to keep using them and let you know how it goes.  Incidentally I am 6' 2", 185 lbs and have a 34 inch waist and the medium long tights fit me well.  I was worried that the medium would be too small but they are just right.  I also trying out a pair of 2XU Calf Guards.  So far I like them better than the CEP compression socks I had been using before.  The CEP socks are made from a knit material get torn really easily which is annoying when you pay $40 a piece for them.  I always get tears in them on the inside heal where I accidentally kick myself from time to time while running.  The 2XU Calf Guards are made from a solid stretch material that won't tear as easily and seems to give better compression too.

What do you all do to stay positive when you have trouble reaching your goals? I would love to hear from some of you.

96 Mile Week and 110% Juggler Knicker Compression Tights

 Last week was another big one and I have several things of interest to report. I did run 96 miles in a single week although you can't see it on the graph. That is because I took the previous Monday off then started counting the 96 miles on Tuesday, March 12 and finished with a 32 mile run Monday the 18th. Following this, I have been taking a much needed rest week, running fewer miles allowing my legs to recover before the next build up. Last Friday I was excited to receive my new compression tights in the mail and so far I think they are absolutely awesome. Here I am in them before I start my first training run of the season up Griffith Peak Road.

110% Juggler-knickers

 The tights give a lot of compression around the knees, quads and hamstrings.  I had been running in a fair amount of constant soreness because of all the miles I was putting in, but when I put these on Friday night I was suddenly able to fly.  I ran 10 miles that night at a sub 8 min/mile pace with almost no soreness at all.  Without them was I barely able to average a 10 min. mile.  I was even getting worried and holding back, because I didn't want to injure myself running to fast. The compression seems to stabilize the leg muscles, especially the quads every time I land on them which minimizes any soreness due to inflammation.  The added bonus is that they came with ice packs and pockets to drop them in post run.  That way I can easily ice my legs after a run which further speeds recovery and reduces inflammation.  They were a little expensive, but so far I am absolutely loving these things and I doubt if I would have completed that 96 mile week without them.

Griffith Peak

I got within 3 miles of Griffith Peak last Saturday in my first long uphill of the season and in the process learned exactly what is aggravating by right hamstring injury.  This run up Griffith Peak Road was more of a constant uphill hike, and it is this type of activity that seems to be the problem.  I noticed that hamstring knot getting more imflamed as I hiked up, but I was able to run down just fine.  Ouch, because the Bishop 100K that I am shouting for is nothing but long uphill hikes followed by downhill running.  However, I have been noticing that all the big time ultrarunners heels barely touch the ground as the are running up this type of hill.  They are basically running up on their toes.  I am going to slowly work this into my training and see how that goes.  Maybe that is the way to finally put this hamstring thing behind me.  In the meantime, I will be heading for more deep tissue massage from Proactive Massage and more laser pain treatment

View back down towards the desert

 

Only a couple more hours of this.  Yipeeee!!!!

I just put in another week of increasing mileage and I don't have much to report which I guess is good but it makes for a rather boring blog. Again I reached my weekly goal which was 88 miles this week and today I put in a 35 mile ultra long run which is another record for this training cycle. This week as opposed to last week my pace did slow down towards the end of the week. The knot in my right hamstring flared up a bit again but I seem to have that under control. My 35 mile run today went well and my legs felt really strong until the last 3 miles when they turn to rubber. I am attributing that to the high mileages I am putting in right now. I am trying out a new carbohydrate supplement during the run called perpetuem solids. They are a solid chewable tablet that seems to be very easy to digest on the run. So far whenever I am feeling a little queasy on these long runs they seem to settle me done and keep me going so I anticipate using them along with GU gels on my Bishop run. I also came across a guy making his own GU gel on U-tube and I intend to try that out. I'll let you know how it goes and if it is worth it. For the coming week, I will up the mileage one more time before I taper for a week. Adding another 10% to this weeks total would bring me close to 100 miles for the week. I may back off though if my hamstring starts to flare up. I also need to head back to our local mountains and start putting in some long climbs and descents to simulate the course conditions I will encounter in Bishop. I'll take some pictures to add to the blog too. Going back to this race a second time really gives me an advantage on what to expect out there. I wonder how the snow pack has been this year? Last year we didn't have any snow on the course, but that was the first and only year that ever happened. On my 35 mile run today I found a route through the desert that connects me to the Clark County Shooting Range. That means that just one mile from my home I can run on trails to the range which is 10 miles away, refill with water and keep on heading up the sheep mountains till I run out of water again. You got to love backyard training options.

31 mile ultra long run and the beat goes on.

I am feeling really good this week with how my training went completing the goal of 80 miles I set for myself. Tonight I just completed the final 18 miles. running strong the whole distance and left with the feeling that I could have kept running. In fact, I ran it at an average pace of 8:55 min/mi which was faster than any other run I put in this week. I am especially pleased that I was able to put in a solid effort like this after yesterday's 31 mile, 5 1/2 hour ultra long run. It was the first ultra long run of this training cycle and the fact that I could run 18 more miles the next day is a very good sign. I am doing all my long runs in 8 min run/ 2 min walk style. I find that I am actually able to maintain a faster pace this way, I am a lot less sore at the end of each run and I am able to recover quicker too. I decided to increase my weekly mileage for another week. I will add another 10% so my goal for next week will be 88 miles.

Oh Those Doubles!

I reach my training goal of 72 miles this week and started adding doubles to my week. Doubles in ultramarathon training are when you run 2 long runs on consecutive days. The theory is that your legs will not be fully recovered yet when you start the second long run and this will mimic running on legs that feel like they are already halfway though and ultra. In that sense it works because that is exactly how my legs felt. The first few miles can be really hard as my swollen and stiff legs get warmed up. Then as I get into the run things get better and somehow I made it though each time. To make things a little easier on the second run, I am alternating between 8 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking. My first double started on Sunday 2/17 when I ran 22 miles on the roads around home. This was followed up by 18 miles in the hills below Red Rock on some awesome trails I ran with a friend. I found out the trail we were on goes all the way to Harris Springs Road which connects to Mt. Charleston which opens up some awesome options for a long mountain run crossing the Spring mountains from east to west. I ran the the second double yesterday 20 miles and today 18 miles which included a 1,500 foot climb up Potosi Mountain on HWY 160 which leads to Pharump. What have you added to your running/training routine lately?

67 mile week - Quanity or Quality?

      I put in a solid 67 miles of running this week, about half on trails and half on roads, and I find myself asking if quantity or quality is more important.  Today I finished a 22 mile run with an average pace of 10:00 minutes per mile and the majority of my runs are consistently coming in at that pace.  I found myself surprisingly fresh at the beginning of the week when I knocked out 10 miles at an 8:47 pace.  This felt especially good because it was just 2days after my first long 22 mile training run of the year.  Then on Saturday I felt fresh again and finished 12 miles handily at a 9:12 pace.  Still these times are very slow compared to the paces I would normally training at if I were going for a marathon PR.  During Marathon training my long runs would be 8:00 pace, my slow runs would be sub 8:00 pace and my tempo runs would be around a 7:00 pace.  However, since I am putting in so many miles in a week, my legs are far too tired to being able to hold anything near these paces right now.

So the argument is, would I be better of putting in less miles but making them better quality miles at a faster pace.  Right now for what I am trying to accomplish, I don't think so.  My ultimate goal is to be able to go to the mountains and keep running from morning till night at a slow but steady pace.  That is what I will have to be able to do in order to complete the Bishop Ultra 100K this May.  If I can average 12:00 miles, that would be just five miles per hour, for the whole day, I would finish the 62 miles in just a little over 12 hours.  That feat would entail running on tired legs for more than half of the day and that is what I am trying to do with my training.  Many days when I go out my legs are already tired from the get go.  Even if I am only going for a 10 mile run, it feels like I am running on legs that have already put in more than 20. In addition to learning to run on tired legs, my secondary goal in putting in so many miles is to lose some weight.  Even if I restrict myself to solely veggies and fruit, the pounds don't seem to come off unless I drastically increase the volume of exercise.  I think this is partly due to the fact that training increase the efficiency of your metabolism so you actually need less calories to do the same amount of work the more fit you get. However, even if my miles may be low quality as far as pace is concerned, I strive extra hard to maintain good running posture and form even when I am running on very tired legs.  The type of quality that I am looking for is to be able to maintain an efficient running form even though inside I am feeling like dying from pain and exhaustion.

How about you?  How do you answer your training quality vs. quantity questions? 

66 Miles - Weekly goal met!

Banana Bread

I got in a lot of good miles in this week competing a total of 66 which was my goal for the week.  Overall this was an easier week than last week so my body must be starting to adjust to the increase work load.  Last week I started some of my runs in a completely exhausted state and I had to push myself real hard the whole way but that never happened this week.  Yesterday I completed an 11 mile run feeling I could of kept going and today I felt good all the way though my 15 mile run.

Last Tuesday I went to see a doctor for some Laser Pain Therapy for my right hamstring knot.  I never heard of it until I saw a Groupon advertising the service for half price so I gave it a try.  What they do is train a laser on the injury sight for five minutes.  During the therapy you can't feel anything.  After the therapy I felt the lump with my finger and thought that it was a little smaller, but that may have been wishful thinking.  Still it hasn't bothered me much this week besides causing some minor tightening of all the muscles in my right leg.  The physiology behind the laser is that it is suppose to "trick" the body into sending extra white blood cells and nutrients to the injury area.  At the same time it stimulates the cells in the region to start to repair themselves.  I am still reading up more on the treatment and not sure if I will go back for more.  What I didn't like about these people, is that they didn't give me any examination prior to the treatment nor prescribe any follow up treatment or procedures.  They just asked me where it hurt and set their laser to that spot.  I'll let you know if I decide to go back.

Another useful item that I found courtesy of the runners forum Runningahead.com is a little device called the Sacro Wedgy.  This thing is great.  You simply place it under sacroiliac (tail bone) and lie back on it for 20 minutes.  The gravity pulling down on your hips then stretches and loosens up all those muscles running around your hips.  After using it I can feel my hips rotate more freely as I run and they are now nicely line up under my knees and feet giving me a better more efficient running posture.  If you are having and trouble with tight glutes, piraformis, psosas, or hamstring muscles or your running posture needs help, I would definitely recommend this little $40 investment.

Finally, that picture up top is some banana courtesy of a recipe from therealfoodrunner.  It's made with all natural ingredients and it makes an excelent high carb energy snack.  Mine came out real moist and a little gooey so I decided to try them on a run today.  They were a fanatastic replacement for store bought Gu's and energy bars.  So much more tasty and I plan to make more when my first runs out. Plus being moist and gooey is a plus when you are running and trying to eat because things that are to dry are hard to swallow and you can risk inhaling crumbs and chocking.  Its happened to me a few times and I can tell you it really sucks.

All and all it's been a really good week.  Next week I will be scaling back my mileage to about 40 for the week so my body can rest, recover and realize some gains as a result of all the hard work I did this week.

60 miles in a week

Las Vegas Sunset

I did reach my training goal for the end of January of 60 miles in a week, sort of.   I originally intended to measure the 60 miles from Monday to Sunday, but I had only reached 40 miles by the end of Saturday.  I had planned to put in a 20 mile run on Saturday, but I was really dogging it by the end of 13 miles so I decided to cut it short and make it up Sunday.  However, I still felt flat on Sunday and that didn't work out.  By the end of Sunday I had only reached 50 miles towards my goal of 60.  Then I remembered that I hadn't run the previous Monday, so if I did put in 10 more miles on this Monday, which I did, I would of actually completed 60 miles in a 7 day period - Yea!

The week's training runs went OK, but not fantastic.  I felt fine for my first run on Tuesday and I ran that at a comfortable 9:00/mi pace feeling I could have gone much harder.  Then after taking a day off on Wednesday, I felt totally flat on Thursday.  I had to push really hard the whole 10 miles just to run at a 10:00/mi pace.  Friday evening found me with more bounce in my legs and I clipped off 6 miles at a good pace and felt physiologically ready for my 20 miles long run on Saturday.  However, as I described above it didn't workout that way.  Much of my training right now is at a relatively slow pace for me.  By comparison, if I was training to for a PR in a marathon, my slow runs would be done at an 8:00/mi pace and I would be doing at least one tempo run per week at a sub 7:00/mi pace.  Ultra training is a different beast though.  Now, I am mostly running on tired legs in an attempted to build up my stamina for those latter portions of the ultra where I know that I will be running on tired legs.  Not only are my legs tired during much of my runs but also sore and part of the training is learning about pain management.  Really I am learning how I can become use to certain pain while running and keep moving forward and yet not be completely miserable.  Thank God for the beauty of music, because without that refreshing my mind as I run, I am not sure how I would handle it.  There are times when I will be struggling during a run, and a certain song will play and inspire me to move on to a different level and suddenly the run becomes easier.

As I am running and listening to songs at times I will be hit by certain inspirations as did happen this past week.  It was while listening to the these lyrics sung by Tracy Chapman:

"Hunger only for a taste of justice
Hunger only for a world of truth
'Cause all that you have is your soul"

Here is the part that struck me:  I am so thankful that I have turned 50 and I still am so idealistic.  I always assumed that as one grows older that one inherently would become more judgmental and rigid in ones ways.  Yet thankfully I am finding that does not have to be the case.  I don't think that lives blows which come to all of us is making me jaded.  In fact, I believe that opposite is happening.  As I get older I find myself having more faith in the goodness of humanity than I ever did.  I feel that I am still idealistic in the sense of how I felt idealism as an adolescent.  I still believe that there is truth and justice out there and not only I am looking for it but 99.9% of humanity is also seeking it and we are together on a journey towards it.

Learning the importance of posture

3 weeks into 2013.  I ran that 50k the first week, rested up a bit week 2 and put in 55 miles on week 3.  The goal for now is 60 miles for week 4.  Then I will keep adding 5 miles per week till I am at 100 miles per week by the end of March or mid April.

Last week's training went well and I was able to get in 55 miles. As I increase my weekly mileage, I am also running more trails.  Right now I am running about 50% on roads and 50% on trails.  I am lucky to have a huge empty track of desert land only one mile from the house where I cam make a 4 mile loop that includes some small hills and canyons.  I am running more trails as they are a little softer than roads, although I am not sure how much as our trails are not soft cushy forest floors or anything like that.  Our desert  trails are a mixture of hard packed sand at best to hard scrabble rock that you have to really watch your footing on.  I always where fingerless cycling gloves out here to protect my hands in case I fall which luckily doesn't happen every day.

Unfortunately the hamstring started tightening up a bit again this week, but again I believe I discovered the cause or causes.  One is that I slacked of on stretching when the hamstring was getting better so I am paying for that a bit now.  I need to become religious with the stretching.  The second problem I notice is related to posture.  On the roads my running posture is fairly good.  A good running posture is an upright posture, hips directly over you knees and feet as they land under you.  U.S. marathoner Meb K. says that he imagines an imaginary wire from the clouds to the top of his head pulling him up as he runs.  On the roads this is not so hard to do because you don't have to be constantly scouting for rocks that you might trip over.  What I need to do is learn how to maintain good running posture while running trails.  On the trails I consistently find myself bending forward looking down at the trail.  This is an inefficient way to run as it puts extra stress on your leg and back muscles to maintain balance.  When I catch myself and straighten up, I also notice that my hamstring starts to get some relief.

What I decided to do is mix up the trail and road running more in the same run.  Instead of going out and running 10 miles on the trails until I am exhausted and running with bad form, I will alternate between road and trail in the same run.  I think a combination of 1 mile on the road followed by 1 mile on the trail should work.  Hopefully this way I can translate the good running posture habits I have on he road to the trail.  I can't wait to try it out tomorrow.

Running observations - what I learned from my last run

Two days have passed since I finished the Red Rock 50k, I am still definitely quite sore, have also developed a bit of a sniffle probably because my immune systems was weakened and yet I am feeling really good about the run.  I fell that I have turned a corner or two in my ultrarunning experience and I am looking forward to some more good runs this year.  The next big race I will be preparing for will be my second attempt at completing the Bishop High Sierra 100k on May 18.. http://www.bhs50.com/

The first most immediate thing that I learned and I am happy for is the progress I have made with my hamstring injury.  At no time during the run did my hamstring tighten up and slow me down.  At the end of the race after I got lost for a bit then got back on the road I was still doing sub 12 minute miles up a grade which is awesome for me after running more than 30 miles already.  I fell that I can just continue the conditioning and treatments that I have been doing and slowly build up my mileage to get ready for Bishop.  Right now I am running 50 miles per week.  My mileage goal is to be running 60 miles a week by the end of January, 80 miles a week my the end of February and 100 miles a week by the end of March or mid April.  Included in that will be one long -long run of 30 or more miles every 3 weeks.  One thing that I enjoy about ultrarunning is that you can loosely put together a program like this and not worry too much about what days you are going to run what miles and what pace you will run them.  If I am running 6 miles or less it will probably be around and 8 minute per mile pace.  Anything from 6 to 12 miles will average a 9 - 10 minute pace.  20 or more miles will be done at over a 10 minute per mile pace.

The second thing I learned was more mental.  I learned that I could get myself into a mindset where I am toughing out a run and pushing myself to my limits, which will include pain, and at the same time I am deriving satisfaction from my accomplishments and enjoying what I am doing despite the pain.  I guess that is what most people would more simply call being a "bad ass."  At the same time, I have come to realize that these low points in an ultrarun can pass and when they do you have a chance to feel that you are totally in the zone.  The zone I am talking about is a feeling of having pushed yourself for all that you are worth and feel that you can freely keep doing so for as long as you need to.

I am sure there are more lessons that I will learn as I travel down this road and I am looking forward to them.  Any comments anyone?  I have kind of been pouring myself out here for awhile and it would be nice to hear what someone else has to say for a change.  :-)

Red Rock "Fat Ass" 50K

Calico Hills at Red Rock National Recreation Area

I ran the Red Rock "Fat Ass" 50K yesterday and had a great experience.  It was a chilly 25 degrees F when my friend An and I arrived at the visitor center at 7:30am.  We were eager to get moving and warm up so as soon as people arrived we asked them for directions to the trail head and a general course description.  We took that information and made an early start.  There wasn't any problem with that as every was keeping there own time anyways.  I started off wearing long sleeves, arm warmers over them,  gloves, a headband for my ears and a running cap.  To carry food and water I had my Nathan hip belt with two 24oz water bottles and 18 gel packs, 3 per hour for what I anticipated to be a 6 hour day.  Each gel pack has 100 calories which gives me 300 calories per hour which worked out great.  It's nice to have that part of the ultrarunning worked out.  Gels also seem to digest better for me while running that any other food.

We started at 7:47am so we had about a 13 minute head start on everyone else.  We started on the Grand Circle loop at the trail head  just past the entrance gate to the left.  The first 4 miles of the trail passes between the roadway and the Calico Hills, and is quite rocky and rises steeply.  I was pleased that I was maintaining about a 12 minute/mile pace on this section without any overexertion or excessive stress on my recovering hamstring.  The trail was tricky and I did stumble and fall at the 2 mile mark but luckily I had gloves on so I was able to break my fall as I landed on a small bush (no thorns, thank God) and only sustained some small scraps on my leg.  Well I said to myself a little blood would only make me look a little more "bad ass" as I dusted my self off and continued.  This actually became my mantra throughout the day.  Whenever I would be going through a tough patch and start thinking of cutting it short and turning back, I would ask myself, "are you going to be a fat ass or a bad ass."

View from mile 4 looking back down into the canyon

At about the mile 3 mark the first runner passed me by than at mile 4 another group of 3 ran by.  For the next few miles runners continued to trickle by which was cool because it let me see the race unfolding and I was also able to follow them with my eye to see which way the course led.  At mile 6 we reached the White Rock loop and turned left to follow it clockwise.  By now it was warming up some and I had striped off my arm warmers and gloves.  (I still run with fingerless gloves to protect my hands in case of falls.)

White Rock loop

Three miles into the White Rock loop at mile 9, Britta was there waiting with water for us.  We would pass this spot 3 times in all giving us plenty of opportunities to refill our bottles.  I refilled just one bottle, enough for the 6 mile loop and continued on.  Up to this point the trail has been steadily rising and would continue to rise for another 2 miles to 5,500 feet.  We started at 3,400 feet and overall the 50k course had about 5000 feet of elevation gain, almost 1 mile, or approximately the depth of the Grand Canyon.  By this time I was really looking forward to going downhill although I was still maintaining a 13 to 14 min/mile pace alternating between a slow jog and a fast walk when the trail got too steep.  When I finllay started going down hill I was able to hit some 8 minute miles in open sections.  I couple more runners caugth up to me here as well and this gave me some inspiration to run as I attempted to keep up with them.  I did manage to keep pace with the second guy, Alex, and talked with him awhile which made those miles go by quick.  Alex is new to Las Vegas, having just moved from the East coast and is origanlly from Austria.

The back of White Rock loop

Alex and I arrived together at the water station after complementing theWhite Rock loop once.  I quickly refilled one bottle again and took off leaving Alex behind as he grabbed some food and snacks they had there.  We were exactly at the halfway point now and only needed to complete the loop one more time in the reverse direction and head back.  After climbing again for a couple of miles I realized I was going to be running short on water this time and should have filled both bottles.  I was reducing to only walking uphill now at about a 19 min/mi pace.  This was one of those low points were I needed to remind myself that I was there to be a "bad ass."  That seemed to help and as I passed a parking area, I asked some returning hikers if they had any water to spare.  Those nice people were happy to help and I scored two 12 oz bottles of water and wished them "Happy New Year" then started to feel the life coming back into my legs as I re-hydrated.  One more mile of climbing and then it would be primarily downhill all the way back to the start.  I was very please at how my legs were holding up as I was still able to running most of the time.  I did have a couple of sore spots on my feet though and suspected that I was geting some blisters but I wasn't going to let that slow me down.

With two miles to go I could see the visitor center.  At this point the trail joins and leaves the road a couple of times and I was on the road looking for the trail again.  I could have just stayed on the road all the way to the visitor center, but I wanted to do the full race legitimatley on the trail.  I looked down the canyon to my left and saw what I believed to be the trail.  I angled my way down the canyon to that trail and continued on.  One and a half miles later I began to doubt that I was on the corrrect trail as I should have only been 1/2 mile from the visitor center which was nowhere in sight.  Drat!  I stopped to check my GPS watch and yes I was off course and I was able to confirm this by the sight of  houses to my left.  I turned right and headed back up the canyon but when I got to the top  there was another canyon ahead and then yet another after that.  I could see the main highway now so I headed there and then made my way back to the entrance where we started.  In all I  had added about 2 miles to my trip.  My final time was 7 hours and 37 minutes for a total 33 miles, an average pace of 13:51 per mile, but that included a lot of walking and standing around at the end when I got lost.  I was getting exhausted and  discouraged now quipping to myself that I had gone from "fat ass" to "bad ass" to "dumb ass."  Oh well its all just part of the experience as occasionally all runners and hikers lose the trail at times.  At 50k my time was 6 hours and 21 minutes, just 21 minutes more than I predicted so not a  bad day at all especially for the first ultra of the year and coming of an injury.  I doesn't seem that I have strained my hamstring any worse and I look I am looking forward to running more miles in the coming weeks.  All in all,  I was very please with my run  as most of the  day went really smooth and I was even able to capture that feeling I am always looking for as I run - that feeling that you get when you have pushed yourself to your limit and you become totally focused on the activity you are in and feel a sense of connection between yourself and all that surrounds you.

The result, some minor blisters

Stretching, Strengthening and Massage Routine

Happy New Year everyone!

I will be kicking of the New Year with a 50K "Fat Ass" Ultra-trail run up in the Red Rock Conservation area tomorrow.  "Fat Ass" means there is no official entry, entry fees and only minimal support for the runners.  Really its just a bunch of people getting together to run and deciding to call in a race.  I am still recovering from that hamstring knot that I have in the lower part of the biceps femoris of my right leg.  I was finally able to pinpoint the problem area with the help of my massage thearapist, Scott, Proactive Health Therapeutic, and although I am not 100% yet (are we ever?), I am starting to run longer distance already and I am really looking forward to tomorrow.

I thought it would be a good time to also post some of the other conditioning routines that I use that help me run those longer distances.  I have broken them down into three areas: stretching, strengthening and massage, and created the following videos to describe and demonstrate them.

Self-massage Routines 

Strengthening Routines

Stretching Routines

Hamstring Stretch

 

Recovery/ Injury report report

I have been slowly working my way back into my running grove after I sustained that hamstring injury in my right leg this summer.  I am happy that I finally found a good deep tissue massage therapist.  He found a lump of tissue deep in my right hamstring that even surprised him.  He said that the tissue seems "to have morphed into something very different than anything he has ever seen before."  That was not very reassuring, but he has been slowly working it out for me.  I have seen him three times already and I totally recommend him.  His name is Scott and this is his web page.  Proactive Health Therapeutic  If you mention his facebook add you will get the 1st two sesions for the price of one so what have you got to lose.

I also designed and put together my own self deep tissue hamstring massager which I am using on a daily basis.  I use it right before I go out for a run and man does it ever help.  I am running 8 to 10 miles with ease now though not at a very aggressive pace yet and averaging about 40 or so miles a week.  I keep looking at those mountains that surround the Vegas valley and I really long to get back up there.  There must be some way to circumnavigate all those ridges.  I wonder how many miles that would be?  Probably at least a couple of hundred.  Below is a picture of my new machine.  I am seriously thinking of getting a patent for it.

A fairly simply design.  I have ordered stainless steel wheels to replace those plastic plumbing caps that keep falling apart.  I need to changer the dimensions a bit, but otherwise it is very easy to use and best of all it works.

   

John Muir Trail Video on U-tube

I published a video on U-tube chronicling my JMT hike last July.http://youtu.be/6ee_bmNEXHk 
 It's rather long, almost 45 minutes.

Angel's Landing in Mt. Zion and a good week of running

I really enjoyed running this week.  Those anti-inflammatories the doctor prescribed got me going again and I am cutting back on them already.  I ran a total of 37 miles all at a modest easy pace with 3 runs of 9 - 10 miles.  I should be able to keep that up now and slowly increase the weekly mileage again.  My next major race that I am considering isn't until next May when I would like to enter the Bishop High Sierra 100K again.  My training goal for that one is to build up to the point where I am putting in 100 mile weeks in March and April.  The key will be building up to it gradually, eating and staying healthy.

On Tuesday I went to see a physical therapist and he showed me some exercises and stretches that I already knew and a couple of new ones too.  It was good to see because it reminded me about some exercises using rubber bands placed between the knees that I hadn't been doing for awhile. He also did his best to work out some of the knots and trigger points in my hamstring. Some day soon I will need to add to this blog the core training that I do.

Last Saturday Amy and I made it to the top of Angel's Landing in Mt. Zion.  Although it is not one of the most difficult hikes in terms of vertical height or distance it requires some steady nerves as some precarious parts are fairly steep and a slip could mean falling of a cliff.  Six people have actually died on this hike since 2004, though I can only imagine that they were being reckless when they fell.  Well Amy is a real trouper and I am quite proud of the fact that she made it to the top.

On our way up

Looking straight down the 1500 foot cliff

Top of Angel's Landing

Sitting on top of the biscuit.  Nothing but space around from up there.

Cables have been erected to assist in the climb.

Hamstring strain and recuperation

    A week had passed since I completed the St. George Marathon and my right hamstring was still extremely sore so I decided to see a doctor about it to see if I could get some physical therapy.  Even after a week of rest, ice, stretching, massage stick, and taking Ibuprofen, I was unable to even run more than a 1/2 mile without hobbling.  I am still waiting for the PT to call, but the anti-inflammatory,Vimovo, the doctor prescribed seems to be doing the job.  I took one, waited an hour and after feeling considerable relieve I tried going for a run.  The first day I was able to run 3 miles, the next two days 6 miles each and today I completed 9 miles all relatively pain free. (Vimovo contains a combination of esomeprazole and naproxen. Naproxen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works by reducing substances in the body that cause inflammation, pain, and fever. Esomeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor. It decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach.)

     At the same time I happen to catch a TV show of Dr. Oz where he was interviewing one of my favorites, Dr. Andrew Weil and they were talking about inflammation and pain. “Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases. It is a way of selecting and preparing foods based on science that can help people achieve and maintain optimum health over their lifetime.”  (Dr. Weil)  Look under march 2011 of his Balanced living anual for more information on as anti-inflammatory diet tips.  http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/downloads/BalancedLivingAnnual_2011.pdf . Dr. Weil explains that inflammation is our bodies reaction to injury.  Injured parts of the body become inflamed and therefore receive increased blood supply for healing.  When that inflammation becomes prolonged, chronic pain can result.  http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-andrew-weil-anti-inflammatory-diet . We have been enjoying the curried cauliflower soup made with cahsew milk here the past few days

     Dr. OZ also has a few good tips for reducing pain. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/7-natural-pain-solutions.  I hadn't heard of Capsaicin before, so I tried it on a couple of sore spots I have been having simultaneously on my quads and it seems to help.  It could be the my hamstring and quad pains are related as weakness in one area causes pain in the opposing muscle. 

Anyways, I am just glad that I am making progress and running better again.

Day 19 - Guitar Lake to Mt. Whitney

Mt. Whitney summit video

Guitar Lake

Wednesday, July  18

                I saw the headlamps of some hikers getting an early start this morning at 4:00am.  An and I though spent the most of the morning fishing in Guitar Lake.  An finally had some luck and kept two of the Golden Trout that he caught for lunch today.  It must have been around 10:00am before we even started up the trail.  We had about 2000 feet of elevation and 5 miles of trail to get to the top of Mt. Whitney.  

Looking down on Guitar Lake

at about 14,000 feet now

After 3 miles of hiking and a ton of switch backs we made it to the T in the trail at 13,658 feet.  Eventually we will go straight here which will take us off the mountain down to Whitney Portal.  For now, we dropped our packs as we would be returning to this spot after we summit Whitney.  It would be a 4 mile round trip so I took only 1 bottle of water and a couple of trail bars with me.  It was good to be hiking without the pack for a change as I charged up the mountain.  An and I were both passing a lot of day hikers that were not acclimatized to the altitude as we were.  On young man who was resting halfway down from the top said that it would take me at least another two hours to make it to the top, because that’s how long it took him.  I bet him that I could make it in less than an hour and he looked at me shocked and said I better get moving.  I looked at my watch, took off, and 45 minutes later I was at the summit.  

100 yards from the summit (Emergency shelter and weather equipment room built by the Sierra Club)

View east from the summit of Mt. Whitney

View north from the summit of Mt. Whitney

View west from the summit of Mt. Whitney

It was exhilarating to be on top of the peak of the highest mountain in the lower 48 and to be at the terminus of the JMT.  I was thankful thinking back to all that I had been allowed to accomplish, to experience and how well it all went.  I had also met many wonderful people along the way and was grateful for what each one had brought to my life.  These journeys always add to my appreciation of how beautifully complex and interconnected this Earth that God created is and I am overwhelmingly thankful for these opportunities to learn more about it all and share with others what I find.   

Out here and in life ... 

every day is the best day.

   The End

We are in the book!  Look at entry #21; Danny Westgrand, Badwater finisher.

Sunset from Trail Camp on the way back down (Those colors were not exaggerated or altered with Photoshop)