For the ones who does not know what a Fat Ass race is. It originated in Australia. It is a race with usually no entry fee, no shirt , no frills, and definitely no awards. The race starts at the base of Krandyland. This is the home of Kris and Randy Whorton, who is a big part of the trail development and trail racing in the Chattanooga area.
The race starts, after you climb the mandatory 54 steps to Krandyland. I arrived early and delivered some goodies for the 100k. Kris and Randy were very hospitable and offered coffee. The weather was going to cooperate for the FA50k. The start was scheduled for 08:00 but by the time we all got ready, it was about 08:25. The race is advertised as group of friends, running a training run. NO PRESSURE!
We started as the temperatures hovered about 30 degrees.. as we ran out, the cool wind cut through the cheap cotton gloves. ( 50 cents). I don't think it mattered as everyone I talked to complained of hands being cold.
We started on the street at the base of Krandyland and headed towards Ruby Falls. I have lived in the area most of my life, and have never seen Ruby Falls or Rock City, shame on me.
A small group of us started out slow, knowing that the mountain and miles would take it's toll. A small group of us (5) missed the first trail turnoff. We never saw the markers. after a few minutes of discussions and exploring where we went wrong, we decided that we had missed the spur trail and we would press on past the turn and add some mileage (according to GPS) to allow for the error.
We met several of the other runners who had followed the correct course. We all got a chuckle at telling them that they were slow. All the time knowing we were off course. After the correction, 2 of the group turned at the junction, they had opted for the 10-12 mile option.
Then there was three of us at the end of the pack. We kept a steady pace, all along keeping our conversation light and positive. I ran with Charlene from the CTC and Cat who comes from a biking background.( if I'm wrong, please correct me Cat). She is new to the running arena and has only been running for about a year or so. We maintained a respectable pace and had some very energizing conversations. I think she (Cat) baited me though, she told me that she wanted to run slow, because we had a lot of miles to go. Then about 15 miles, she kicked it in and I never saw her until the end. She had only done 16 miles max until this run. She really kicked ass!! Good job Cat!
That left Charlene and me to finish the 21+ section. Charlene gave me a history lesson along the route. We wrapped around the bluffs of Lookout mountain where significant historical Civil War battles were fought. On one occasion, I had told Charlene, that if one of us heard voices, then we were losing it. I turned once to her and whatever face I had on, she said 'You're not freaking out on me , are you?" We both got a laugh out of it. We made it to Craven's House ( Google it) and refreshed with our drop bags. We met back up with Lynn and her dog. She had slept in late and had come out to run some on the mountain. The meetings were brief but enjoyable. She is planning on pacing for the upcoming 100k.
Charlene and I cruised back to Krandyland, both not really taxed from the run. We all reunited with the folks that had stayed after the run. We ate chili, listened to music and exchanged war stories with the other runners.
Entry Fee $0
Drive time: 1 hr
experience : priceless
Charlene and I didn't write our 22.74 mile time down, because the time really doesn't matter.
We had a day in the woods with friends (new friends), no pressure to compete, experienced a part of History and had a great time of fellowship with folks that has the same goals as you. Oh yeah, the chili wasn't bad either.
Thanks Kris, Randy, Boonies and all the runners that came out and made the day.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Rare Opportunity at Dizzy's 50
November 22, 2008, I had a rare opportunity. Not just to run in one of the best supported, lowest entry fee, most beautiful scenery ultra, but got to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm not going to tell you right off the bat, but instead I'm going to make you read my blog first to see what I'm talking about.
Dizzy 50 is a trail race sponsored by the Huntsville Track Club and supported by others like Fleet Feet in Huntsville, AL. It is run on Monte Sano Mountain overlooking Huntsville. Most folks don't even know of the beauty there. There are hiking trails, bike trails and cabins to be rented to sit and take in the vast beauty of the Tennessee Valley. The race is directed by Jeff Kyser. How he keeps the entry fee so low and offers so much, there has to be something illegal about it.
The race starts at 06:30 and has a 10 hour time limit. That's to keep folks out of the woods after dark. Park rules and also for the safety of the entrants. An early entry fee of $24 and late fee of $32 is among the best around. There are other races with lower fees, but not with the support that this one offers. This one has a great shirt ( wish it were long sleeve), great aid and post race meal and a finisher prize. Last year was a yellow drop (duffle) bag, this year a red drop bag. it does not get better than this. With only 108 entries, I'm surprised it doesn't fill up sooner. Great job Jeff! The runners have choices of running either a 50k (31 miles), 40 miles or 50 miles. The course is made up of a small loop in the beginning to even out the mileage, then a North loop and a South loop. You must run 3 loops for the 50k, 4 loops for the 40 mile and 5 loops for the 50 mile. That's why it's called Dizzy, you get dizzy trying to keep up with which way you need to go.
My wife and I spent the night my wife's sister and her husband in Scottsboro, AL. The morning came with a temperature in Scottsboro of 19 degrees F. As my wife and I drove towards Huntsville, along about Gurley, AL the temperatures dipped to 15 degrees. I just knew that the temperatures atop Monte Sano would be colder. As we drove up the mountain, the temperatures actually got warmer to a balmy 22 degrees. Man, what a relief, I thought it was going to be cold.
Most everyone checked in the race headquarters and pinned their numbers on in the cars. I guess this was to keep the competition in the dark as to who was actually going to compete. With 10 minutes to start I kissed my wife for luck and said the customary "I Love You" in case I dropped dead somewhere along the course, then exit the trusty M-1 Abrams ( my wife's Dodge Durango). 2 minutes later, I re-entered the M-1 to pick up some forgotten item. I'm not sure what it was at this point, but I know I needed it. With 6 minutes left, I exited for the final time. I met up with some fellow runners and bumped knuckles for luck to signify that we would run "with no regrets" today. That is one of the trademarks of "The Snake" when we toe the line, we bump knuckles and acknowledge that today we will have no regrets.
Prior to the race beginning, there is a word of prayer. If you are offended, then stay home! That is the way we do it in the SOUTH. Then Suddenly, we're off on the small starting loop. Man, I should have worn my mittens, instead of my gloves. My thumbs were numb. So I took them out of the gloves and held them in my palms. That was better. I was wearing shorts, a long sleeve technical shirt, a short sleeve technical shirt and a windbreaker. I had my 50 cent pair of cotton gloves on with my Asics Trail Attacks and a pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters. (Yeah, I'm a Dirty Girl). As we came back into the Start/Finish area to start the North loop, the wind was from the South. The wind on this day would not prove to be a factor, just a challenge to regulate what to wear to keep the cool South winds from chilling on the South Loop. I should have gotten rid of the wind breaker after the North loop, but made the mistake of keeping it on until the second loop. By this time, when I decided to get rid of it, I was too wet to take it off. So I ran with it the rest of the race. It was not really a problem, but I probably sweated more than I really needed to and lost more electrolytes. I compensated with S! caplets and Chicken and rice soup.
During the North loop of lap # 2, I was walking up the long incline ( I call it a mountain) when I heard foot steps. As I looked back, it was DeWayne Satterfield from Huntsville. He was on his third loop! This is where I experienced the "Rare Opportunity". DeWayne had ran the Pinhoti 100 mile Endurance Run two weeks prior and had placed 4th overall. Now He is leading the field in Dizzy 50k. Now for the amazing part. He was running the mountain, and talked to me and said, " Hey, SNAKE! this hill never gets easier". As he rounded the switchback, he looked back at me and told me he would see me at a future race and he would put in a good word for me. He was talking about a race where the entry is by invitation only.
Here is a true Champion, taking oxygen away from his effort to encourage a back of the packer. No doubt in my mind, if I was in trouble on this part of the course, he would stop and give assistance. He was raised on Sand Mountain. I knew his Uncle, years before I had even heard of DeWayne. Dewayne is the reason I started running ultras in the first place. He talked me into running Strolling Jim 40 miler in Wartrace, TN.
There I was, in the right place at the right time to observe Dewayne push himself up that hill, 2 weeks after running 100 miles. A day to remember.
When I finished 2 loops, I was feeling a low. For the ones who have not experienced a low, it is when your energy levels, your attitude, your drive your mojo or whatever you call it is at an all time low. You question, why you are there, what you are doing there, and if you can ever do the future races that you have signed up for. I went to the M-1 for a Coke, pimiento sandwich, chicken and rice soup. When I opened the door my wife said " I got something for you". She pulled out a plaque and showed it to me. My eyes welled up with tears. Probably the hormone imbalance, or the fact my brain was not getting enough oxygen. She has always supported me during my runs and has always given encouragement to me when I was down. We always have little jokes about not being a wimp and quit feeling sorry for yourself. She held up the plaque and new energy entered my body. If you haven't experienced this, then you are missing a treat.
I started the last loop with the idea that it may not be pretty, but I could do it. the plaque was a real motivator. I came into the aid station with only the South loop to go. I loaded up on chicken and rice soup, Coke, an S! cap and a couple of Bayer aspirin. Boy was I sloshing when I left out. After about 15 minutes, the sloshing quit and I started to clip off about 3 to 4 miles at 10 to 12 minutes per mile. The last 2 to 3 was filled with some intermittent running and walking. I finished in 6:37. Not really a PR for me but with a day full of new experiences and some new knowledge.
As I sat in the M-1 with my wife after the race, she turned to me and said, "Boy, I tell you, it sure was cold today". That's when I gave her the look that women usually gives to their husband. No words had to be spoken. We are still laughing at that one.
Ever get the chance to run Dizzy, give it a try. Dollar for dollar, can't be beat.
Dizzy 50 is a trail race sponsored by the Huntsville Track Club and supported by others like Fleet Feet in Huntsville, AL. It is run on Monte Sano Mountain overlooking Huntsville. Most folks don't even know of the beauty there. There are hiking trails, bike trails and cabins to be rented to sit and take in the vast beauty of the Tennessee Valley. The race is directed by Jeff Kyser. How he keeps the entry fee so low and offers so much, there has to be something illegal about it.
The race starts at 06:30 and has a 10 hour time limit. That's to keep folks out of the woods after dark. Park rules and also for the safety of the entrants. An early entry fee of $24 and late fee of $32 is among the best around. There are other races with lower fees, but not with the support that this one offers. This one has a great shirt ( wish it were long sleeve), great aid and post race meal and a finisher prize. Last year was a yellow drop (duffle) bag, this year a red drop bag. it does not get better than this. With only 108 entries, I'm surprised it doesn't fill up sooner. Great job Jeff! The runners have choices of running either a 50k (31 miles), 40 miles or 50 miles. The course is made up of a small loop in the beginning to even out the mileage, then a North loop and a South loop. You must run 3 loops for the 50k, 4 loops for the 40 mile and 5 loops for the 50 mile. That's why it's called Dizzy, you get dizzy trying to keep up with which way you need to go.
My wife and I spent the night my wife's sister and her husband in Scottsboro, AL. The morning came with a temperature in Scottsboro of 19 degrees F. As my wife and I drove towards Huntsville, along about Gurley, AL the temperatures dipped to 15 degrees. I just knew that the temperatures atop Monte Sano would be colder. As we drove up the mountain, the temperatures actually got warmer to a balmy 22 degrees. Man, what a relief, I thought it was going to be cold.
Most everyone checked in the race headquarters and pinned their numbers on in the cars. I guess this was to keep the competition in the dark as to who was actually going to compete. With 10 minutes to start I kissed my wife for luck and said the customary "I Love You" in case I dropped dead somewhere along the course, then exit the trusty M-1 Abrams ( my wife's Dodge Durango). 2 minutes later, I re-entered the M-1 to pick up some forgotten item. I'm not sure what it was at this point, but I know I needed it. With 6 minutes left, I exited for the final time. I met up with some fellow runners and bumped knuckles for luck to signify that we would run "with no regrets" today. That is one of the trademarks of "The Snake" when we toe the line, we bump knuckles and acknowledge that today we will have no regrets.
Prior to the race beginning, there is a word of prayer. If you are offended, then stay home! That is the way we do it in the SOUTH. Then Suddenly, we're off on the small starting loop. Man, I should have worn my mittens, instead of my gloves. My thumbs were numb. So I took them out of the gloves and held them in my palms. That was better. I was wearing shorts, a long sleeve technical shirt, a short sleeve technical shirt and a windbreaker. I had my 50 cent pair of cotton gloves on with my Asics Trail Attacks and a pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters. (Yeah, I'm a Dirty Girl). As we came back into the Start/Finish area to start the North loop, the wind was from the South. The wind on this day would not prove to be a factor, just a challenge to regulate what to wear to keep the cool South winds from chilling on the South Loop. I should have gotten rid of the wind breaker after the North loop, but made the mistake of keeping it on until the second loop. By this time, when I decided to get rid of it, I was too wet to take it off. So I ran with it the rest of the race. It was not really a problem, but I probably sweated more than I really needed to and lost more electrolytes. I compensated with S! caplets and Chicken and rice soup.
During the North loop of lap # 2, I was walking up the long incline ( I call it a mountain) when I heard foot steps. As I looked back, it was DeWayne Satterfield from Huntsville. He was on his third loop! This is where I experienced the "Rare Opportunity". DeWayne had ran the Pinhoti 100 mile Endurance Run two weeks prior and had placed 4th overall. Now He is leading the field in Dizzy 50k. Now for the amazing part. He was running the mountain, and talked to me and said, " Hey, SNAKE! this hill never gets easier". As he rounded the switchback, he looked back at me and told me he would see me at a future race and he would put in a good word for me. He was talking about a race where the entry is by invitation only.
Here is a true Champion, taking oxygen away from his effort to encourage a back of the packer. No doubt in my mind, if I was in trouble on this part of the course, he would stop and give assistance. He was raised on Sand Mountain. I knew his Uncle, years before I had even heard of DeWayne. Dewayne is the reason I started running ultras in the first place. He talked me into running Strolling Jim 40 miler in Wartrace, TN.
There I was, in the right place at the right time to observe Dewayne push himself up that hill, 2 weeks after running 100 miles. A day to remember.
When I finished 2 loops, I was feeling a low. For the ones who have not experienced a low, it is when your energy levels, your attitude, your drive your mojo or whatever you call it is at an all time low. You question, why you are there, what you are doing there, and if you can ever do the future races that you have signed up for. I went to the M-1 for a Coke, pimiento sandwich, chicken and rice soup. When I opened the door my wife said " I got something for you". She pulled out a plaque and showed it to me. My eyes welled up with tears. Probably the hormone imbalance, or the fact my brain was not getting enough oxygen. She has always supported me during my runs and has always given encouragement to me when I was down. We always have little jokes about not being a wimp and quit feeling sorry for yourself. She held up the plaque and new energy entered my body. If you haven't experienced this, then you are missing a treat.
I started the last loop with the idea that it may not be pretty, but I could do it. the plaque was a real motivator. I came into the aid station with only the South loop to go. I loaded up on chicken and rice soup, Coke, an S! cap and a couple of Bayer aspirin. Boy was I sloshing when I left out. After about 15 minutes, the sloshing quit and I started to clip off about 3 to 4 miles at 10 to 12 minutes per mile. The last 2 to 3 was filled with some intermittent running and walking. I finished in 6:37. Not really a PR for me but with a day full of new experiences and some new knowledge.As I sat in the M-1 with my wife after the race, she turned to me and said, "Boy, I tell you, it sure was cold today". That's when I gave her the look that women usually gives to their husband. No words had to be spoken. We are still laughing at that one.
Ever get the chance to run Dizzy, give it a try. Dollar for dollar, can't be beat.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Mountain Masochist Trail Run 50 miles DNF
So what is the DNF? It means "did not finish". As I have said, this is why a lot of folks are drawn to ultra running, the fear or chance of not succeeding. Anytime you go into an ultra event, there is a chance you will not succeed. There are too many factors weighing against you. Weather, terrain, your ability, your health on any given day. So why do people go out and try these events if they are subject to fail. If I find out, I will tell you. There is just a certain mystic about the internal challenge of going up against what sometimes seems the impossible. Having said all that crap, I'll share my experiences I had on the 26th annual Mountain Masochist Trail Run 50 miles held in Lynchburg, VA.
The race was started in 1983 by Dr. David Horton. He is a Professor at the Liberty University, made famous by Jerry Falwell. David is a very gifted endurance athlete. He has held many endurance records over the years, including the Appalachian Trail record and the Pacific Crest Trail record. He is noted for creating "Horton Miles". These are thrown into races at various places to challenge the race precipitants. What are they? In fact, they are equal to 1.3 miles to 1.7 miles each. Don't ask where I got those numbers, they are only examples as to how unpredictable they can be.
The trip to Lynchburg started with a gorgeous day for the drive. The Fall colors in East Tennessee were spectacular. As we approached Virginia, the mountains began to grow in height and the colors seemed to explode. The sunshine was bright and the air was clear. You could see for miles. We arrived in Lynchburg at about 02:00 PM and checked into the hotel, The Kirkley. A top notch hotel, with a reasonable rate.
I picked up my race packet and got an extra T shirt from Montrail. We went to the pre-race dinner and race briefing. We had vegetarian lasagna and pasta with rolls and tea, water and coffee, topped off by a 26th anniversary cake and ice cream.
After the great feed and fellowship with other crazy runners, I retired to my hotel room. I had laid out all my race gear so there would be less fumbling and confusion at 4 am. I drifted off to sleep and slept until about 2 am and thought, well this is it, I'm up for the day. NOT, I went back to sleep and slept until the alarm went off. This doesn't happen often on race night.
I got up, dressed and ate a bean burrito and drank a cup of coffee prior to heading down to meet some Huntsville, AL friends to catch the bus that will take us to the remote starting line. The ride out seemed long, but also there was a sense of OH NO, we're here.
When we got to the start, it was time to hit the portajohns to get rid of that extra weight. It was about 40 degrees, not really cold but with nerves it seemed uncomfortable. Back on the bus to stay warm. I had decided to wear shorts, and short sleeve shirt with a cap. This turned out to be the right selection for the day but was cool starting out.
A quick exit of the bus to turn on the GPS to acquire the necessary satellites and then back on the bus to stay warm When you run a long run, there is plenty of time along the way for the necessary warmups. The race started at exactly 06:30 am Z (Zealand time, Clark Zealand is the race director). The first 5.7 miles is run on a paved road. The pace should be faster, since it is on pavement, but caution should be exercised as to not go out too fast. You will pay for it later in the race. My goal was to keep my pace under the cutoff times and my heart rate less than 80% of maximum. I ran to the 43 mile mark in 10 hours and 8 minutes. The cutoff was 10 hours and 5 minutes, I missed the cutoff by 3 minutes and was pulled from the race. I didn't feel all that bad, I was in good company. Tom Green, a finisher for all the 25 previous races was just behind me at 43 miles and missed the cutoff by about 5 minutes. His streak has ended due to a silly cutoff, that has been set by past history with no science behind it. When asked about the reasoning behind the logic of the cutoffs, the new race director Clark Zealand comments were " these are the cutoffs that David has used for over 20 years". Does that make it right? I guess it doesn't have to make sense.
I am disappointed that I did not finish, but I am satisfied with my effort. I only had the urge to quit once at about mile 28 but when I got to to the aid station, I regained my drive and energy and actually felt at that point I could finish. As the old Grim Reaper would have it, it was not to be.
Would I do it again? YES!
What would I do different? Train harder in September and October and lose about 10 lbs. I had a lot going on with my personal life during those months, no excuses, "Life Happens" and you must deal with it. My wife was going through major kidney stones which required surgery along with dealing with her ailing Mother. As I write this, her Mother is in critical condition. As soon as we returned from MMTR, my wife traveled to Alabama to be with her Mother.
I had a great weekend! I enjoyed the weather, the Fall colors, the fellowship and just being part of this crazy world of ultra running.
The race was started in 1983 by Dr. David Horton. He is a Professor at the Liberty University, made famous by Jerry Falwell. David is a very gifted endurance athlete. He has held many endurance records over the years, including the Appalachian Trail record and the Pacific Crest Trail record. He is noted for creating "Horton Miles". These are thrown into races at various places to challenge the race precipitants. What are they? In fact, they are equal to 1.3 miles to 1.7 miles each. Don't ask where I got those numbers, they are only examples as to how unpredictable they can be.
The trip to Lynchburg started with a gorgeous day for the drive. The Fall colors in East Tennessee were spectacular. As we approached Virginia, the mountains began to grow in height and the colors seemed to explode. The sunshine was bright and the air was clear. You could see for miles. We arrived in Lynchburg at about 02:00 PM and checked into the hotel, The Kirkley. A top notch hotel, with a reasonable rate.
I picked up my race packet and got an extra T shirt from Montrail. We went to the pre-race dinner and race briefing. We had vegetarian lasagna and pasta with rolls and tea, water and coffee, topped off by a 26th anniversary cake and ice cream.
After the great feed and fellowship with other crazy runners, I retired to my hotel room. I had laid out all my race gear so there would be less fumbling and confusion at 4 am. I drifted off to sleep and slept until about 2 am and thought, well this is it, I'm up for the day. NOT, I went back to sleep and slept until the alarm went off. This doesn't happen often on race night.
I got up, dressed and ate a bean burrito and drank a cup of coffee prior to heading down to meet some Huntsville, AL friends to catch the bus that will take us to the remote starting line. The ride out seemed long, but also there was a sense of OH NO, we're here.
When we got to the start, it was time to hit the portajohns to get rid of that extra weight. It was about 40 degrees, not really cold but with nerves it seemed uncomfortable. Back on the bus to stay warm. I had decided to wear shorts, and short sleeve shirt with a cap. This turned out to be the right selection for the day but was cool starting out.
A quick exit of the bus to turn on the GPS to acquire the necessary satellites and then back on the bus to stay warm When you run a long run, there is plenty of time along the way for the necessary warmups. The race started at exactly 06:30 am Z (Zealand time, Clark Zealand is the race director). The first 5.7 miles is run on a paved road. The pace should be faster, since it is on pavement, but caution should be exercised as to not go out too fast. You will pay for it later in the race. My goal was to keep my pace under the cutoff times and my heart rate less than 80% of maximum. I ran to the 43 mile mark in 10 hours and 8 minutes. The cutoff was 10 hours and 5 minutes, I missed the cutoff by 3 minutes and was pulled from the race. I didn't feel all that bad, I was in good company. Tom Green, a finisher for all the 25 previous races was just behind me at 43 miles and missed the cutoff by about 5 minutes. His streak has ended due to a silly cutoff, that has been set by past history with no science behind it. When asked about the reasoning behind the logic of the cutoffs, the new race director Clark Zealand comments were " these are the cutoffs that David has used for over 20 years". Does that make it right? I guess it doesn't have to make sense.
I am disappointed that I did not finish, but I am satisfied with my effort. I only had the urge to quit once at about mile 28 but when I got to to the aid station, I regained my drive and energy and actually felt at that point I could finish. As the old Grim Reaper would have it, it was not to be.
Would I do it again? YES!
What would I do different? Train harder in September and October and lose about 10 lbs. I had a lot going on with my personal life during those months, no excuses, "Life Happens" and you must deal with it. My wife was going through major kidney stones which required surgery along with dealing with her ailing Mother. As I write this, her Mother is in critical condition. As soon as we returned from MMTR, my wife traveled to Alabama to be with her Mother.
I had a great weekend! I enjoyed the weather, the Fall colors, the fellowship and just being part of this crazy world of ultra running.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Return to Piney River Trail
Today, after an invitation by the SNAKE, the Chattanoooga animals came to Rhea County to run the Piney River section of the Cumberland trail. A quick meeting in the strip mall in Spring City and a quick pit stop at the local convienience store, we were off to the trail head. It was a brisk 38 degrees at the start. It was close to 09:30 by the time we got into the woods. We had decided that, since everyone either had a race next weekend or hadn't done the distance (about 20 miles) that we would take it easy and enjoy the scenery along the way.
I had hoped that the Fall colors would be brighter, but had to settle for a middle of the road color display. The water flowing on Piney is not as spectacular as during wet season. Due to the current draught, the streams are a babble instead of a roar. Two weeks ago, it was a trickle, there is hope.
The group was impressed with the 100 ft suspension bridge and the deep water pools along this very wide "river". Most people would call it a creek but whatever rules apply to creek /river, this is called a river.Hydration was not a problem, everyone carried enough water except me. I got my water out of the stream, purified of course.
We made the halfway point with plenty of energy. These Chattanooga animals are well trained and smart when it comes to hydration/ nutrition. They have an advantage, to have a group who will run together, motivate and learn from each other. I wish I could train more with them. They have a Wednesday night and a Sunday run. They support each other and encourage everyone to develope to their potential.
We reached the top in about 2:19 with the old Garmin reading 8.3 miles. The maps say it's 10 miles. This section climbs 1000 ft but gradual. You hardly notice that you are climbing. I had stashed some power bars, Little Debbie Fig bars, Reeses PB cups and Coke. Most of these folks are very health conscience, but I think they were glad to see the Coke and candy. These people run Triathalons, and shorter races. They may not be accustomed to eating junk for fuel on longer runs. We took what we needed from the SNAKE's CARE package and headed back down the mountain. This should be quicker, since it is down the mountain. We cruised through the trails that was covered in freshly dropped leaves. As the Sun danced in and out through the leaves, it made it difficult to see the rocks and roots hidden. A toe catcher will put you on your face quicker than anything. At this point in a run, a trip can also put your legs into a cramp that will take a Physical Therapist a week to get you out of.
We passed a road where someone field dressed a deer (probably illegally) just as Dreama was eating a GU, yummy!! I have ran this section many times, but on this day I thought that it was uphill both ways. As we neared the end, the group separated slightly. The temperatures by this time was rising. I think everyone was ready to see the end of the trail. What was that in the distance? Noise from the highway, we were getting closer. Finally out of the woods. There my wife Judy was waiting with some of SNAKE's homemade barbecue.
Just my luck, 3 of the runners were vegetarians. I should have taken a poll before hand, I had some Soy burgers I could have cooked. None the less, they seemed to enjoy Judy's slaw on a hamburger bun. The meat eaters ate a couple of barbecue sandwiches. The Sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky, but after a long run and being sweat soaked, the wind was cool. I enjoyed hosting the run and hope the Chattanooga animals will come back.
A Large time was had by all!
I had hoped that the Fall colors would be brighter, but had to settle for a middle of the road color display. The water flowing on Piney is not as spectacular as during wet season. Due to the current draught, the streams are a babble instead of a roar. Two weeks ago, it was a trickle, there is hope.
The group was impressed with the 100 ft suspension bridge and the deep water pools along this very wide "river". Most people would call it a creek but whatever rules apply to creek /river, this is called a river.Hydration was not a problem, everyone carried enough water except me. I got my water out of the stream, purified of course.
We made the halfway point with plenty of energy. These Chattanooga animals are well trained and smart when it comes to hydration/ nutrition. They have an advantage, to have a group who will run together, motivate and learn from each other. I wish I could train more with them. They have a Wednesday night and a Sunday run. They support each other and encourage everyone to develope to their potential.
We reached the top in about 2:19 with the old Garmin reading 8.3 miles. The maps say it's 10 miles. This section climbs 1000 ft but gradual. You hardly notice that you are climbing. I had stashed some power bars, Little Debbie Fig bars, Reeses PB cups and Coke. Most of these folks are very health conscience, but I think they were glad to see the Coke and candy. These people run Triathalons, and shorter races. They may not be accustomed to eating junk for fuel on longer runs. We took what we needed from the SNAKE's CARE package and headed back down the mountain. This should be quicker, since it is down the mountain. We cruised through the trails that was covered in freshly dropped leaves. As the Sun danced in and out through the leaves, it made it difficult to see the rocks and roots hidden. A toe catcher will put you on your face quicker than anything. At this point in a run, a trip can also put your legs into a cramp that will take a Physical Therapist a week to get you out of.
We passed a road where someone field dressed a deer (probably illegally) just as Dreama was eating a GU, yummy!! I have ran this section many times, but on this day I thought that it was uphill both ways. As we neared the end, the group separated slightly. The temperatures by this time was rising. I think everyone was ready to see the end of the trail. What was that in the distance? Noise from the highway, we were getting closer. Finally out of the woods. There my wife Judy was waiting with some of SNAKE's homemade barbecue.
Just my luck, 3 of the runners were vegetarians. I should have taken a poll before hand, I had some Soy burgers I could have cooked. None the less, they seemed to enjoy Judy's slaw on a hamburger bun. The meat eaters ate a couple of barbecue sandwiches. The Sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky, but after a long run and being sweat soaked, the wind was cool. I enjoyed hosting the run and hope the Chattanooga animals will come back.
A Large time was had by all!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Historic Bridgeport , Alabama
Once again, I was visiting my sister in Bridgeport, Alabama this weekend. I decided to run to downtown Bridgeport, to take a look around and see how it has changed over the years. I started my journey at a relaxed, easy pace, no GPS, no IPOD just my trusty Timex. I had no time goals or distance in mind. I was out for a sight seeing tour. With the price of gas these days, it really is a blessing to be able to run places. I not only get to see places close up, but I can stop and walk anytime I want. I have been giving it a lot of thought this weekend, I run in the mountains to see beautiful scenery, but why not go to historic places and sight see while getting a training run in.
I started down Lloyd road, up over some good hills. One thing about Bridgeport, it has some good hills to run. I crossed the main intersection at the traffic light. This used to be the main drag to South Pittsburg, now after the new 72, the traffic is slow. I headed down the narrow bridge, down the hill toward Charlie Smith field. This baseball field was named after one of my distant relatives, Mr. Charlie Smith who was a great supporter of kids and sports in and around Bridgeport. I cut up the hill at 7th street. The hill seemed steeper when I was a kid. Another left put me on Main Street going downtown. As I ran down the sidewalks, all the stores were abandoned. Very much like what I described about Stevenson in an earlier blog. I passed by the barber shop where Virgil and Grady Adams cut my hair (when I was younger and even had hair). On up the street, there was the building where my Uncle Wes Lyda and his wife Grace ran a hardware store back in the 60's. The old J. R. Loyd building is still standing and the sign on the side has been restored. It reads that it was established in 1865. Next to that was the space were the large gas explosion back in the 90's killed and injured several of Bridgeport's citizens, who were working on the street outside the building. I believe that they hit a gasline and gas filled the building while everyone was gone to lunch. When they came back, the gas ignited. It was a great loss to Bridgeport.
I headed up the street, I think the name is Kilpatrick Way. It always had several old houses, built in the late 1800's. The houses looked better than when I was a kid. The folks have really taken care of them. One thing I noticed about the streets of Bridgeport, they were quiet and sleepy. Even though the main town has moved towards the new highway, the people here can enjoy the peace of a small sleepy town. It hasn't changed.
I turned across the bridge towards the Old High school, I paused and walked across the football field where I played my first competitive game against Bridgeport. We lost 6-0. I remembered back in the 60's when we would come here on Thanksgiving Day to watch the ever fierce rival game between the Bridgeport Tigers and Stevenson Panthers. That was the days when it seemed like the weather was colder, gray and games were played during the day.
I headed on down the road and made another turn that took me back under the railroad trestle and back in town. Like I had said, I had no plan or route picked out. I headed north towards Battery hill. No tour of B'port would be complete without cruising around the bluff and seeing the Tennessee River. On Battery Hill, there are also old houses and a lot of Civil war history. During the war, this was an important lookout point along with artillery. As I got to the point, even with the trees and undergrowth, you can see why it was so important. On one point, you can see up and down the river for miles. To the north, I could see the blue bridge in South Pittsburg. From this vantage point, any travel on the river did not go unnoticed.
I cruised down the hill back though town. I made turns randomly, exploring. Ran the the way I felt. Freedom of choice. I came back up the street and came up the hill behind the Charlie Smith field. I stood in front of the Bridgeport Head start building. Here once stood a hospital. In fact, the very hospital where I came into this world. I thought of the full circle and what a view I must have had here when they carried me out to my Grandfather's 55 Chevy to come home. I wish i could have remembered.
By this time, I started to work my way back towards my sister's house. Retraced some of my earlier tracks. Made the round trip in about an hour. Great freedom run, lots of memories. I found a phillips head screwdriver, made the full circle from my birth, saw some historical places. I think the screwdriver probably paid for the wear and tear on my shoes.
Even if you don't/can't run, I think that everyone who is capable should take a few weekends to go and walk around some of our historic places. It saves gas, you'll enjoy it more and you'll get a little exercise in the process. Today, we all have forgotten when entertainment was visiting friends, family and going for a picnic, going sightseeing. Now we do everything online and never leave the house. Let's save that until we can't get out and see it ourselves.
Keep Exploring Life!!!
I started down Lloyd road, up over some good hills. One thing about Bridgeport, it has some good hills to run. I crossed the main intersection at the traffic light. This used to be the main drag to South Pittsburg, now after the new 72, the traffic is slow. I headed down the narrow bridge, down the hill toward Charlie Smith field. This baseball field was named after one of my distant relatives, Mr. Charlie Smith who was a great supporter of kids and sports in and around Bridgeport. I cut up the hill at 7th street. The hill seemed steeper when I was a kid. Another left put me on Main Street going downtown. As I ran down the sidewalks, all the stores were abandoned. Very much like what I described about Stevenson in an earlier blog. I passed by the barber shop where Virgil and Grady Adams cut my hair (when I was younger and even had hair). On up the street, there was the building where my Uncle Wes Lyda and his wife Grace ran a hardware store back in the 60's. The old J. R. Loyd building is still standing and the sign on the side has been restored. It reads that it was established in 1865. Next to that was the space were the large gas explosion back in the 90's killed and injured several of Bridgeport's citizens, who were working on the street outside the building. I believe that they hit a gasline and gas filled the building while everyone was gone to lunch. When they came back, the gas ignited. It was a great loss to Bridgeport.
I headed up the street, I think the name is Kilpatrick Way. It always had several old houses, built in the late 1800's. The houses looked better than when I was a kid. The folks have really taken care of them. One thing I noticed about the streets of Bridgeport, they were quiet and sleepy. Even though the main town has moved towards the new highway, the people here can enjoy the peace of a small sleepy town. It hasn't changed.
I turned across the bridge towards the Old High school, I paused and walked across the football field where I played my first competitive game against Bridgeport. We lost 6-0. I remembered back in the 60's when we would come here on Thanksgiving Day to watch the ever fierce rival game between the Bridgeport Tigers and Stevenson Panthers. That was the days when it seemed like the weather was colder, gray and games were played during the day.
I headed on down the road and made another turn that took me back under the railroad trestle and back in town. Like I had said, I had no plan or route picked out. I headed north towards Battery hill. No tour of B'port would be complete without cruising around the bluff and seeing the Tennessee River. On Battery Hill, there are also old houses and a lot of Civil war history. During the war, this was an important lookout point along with artillery. As I got to the point, even with the trees and undergrowth, you can see why it was so important. On one point, you can see up and down the river for miles. To the north, I could see the blue bridge in South Pittsburg. From this vantage point, any travel on the river did not go unnoticed.
I cruised down the hill back though town. I made turns randomly, exploring. Ran the the way I felt. Freedom of choice. I came back up the street and came up the hill behind the Charlie Smith field. I stood in front of the Bridgeport Head start building. Here once stood a hospital. In fact, the very hospital where I came into this world. I thought of the full circle and what a view I must have had here when they carried me out to my Grandfather's 55 Chevy to come home. I wish i could have remembered.
By this time, I started to work my way back towards my sister's house. Retraced some of my earlier tracks. Made the round trip in about an hour. Great freedom run, lots of memories. I found a phillips head screwdriver, made the full circle from my birth, saw some historical places. I think the screwdriver probably paid for the wear and tear on my shoes.
Even if you don't/can't run, I think that everyone who is capable should take a few weekends to go and walk around some of our historic places. It saves gas, you'll enjoy it more and you'll get a little exercise in the process. Today, we all have forgotten when entertainment was visiting friends, family and going for a picnic, going sightseeing. Now we do everything online and never leave the house. Let's save that until we can't get out and see it ourselves.
Keep Exploring Life!!!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The Next Season Beginning
Every runner has a time in the year when their serious training and focus begins. Today was mine. When I was a young lad, living in Stevenson , AL my season began in the Spring. I remember the first runs in March. How the lungs burned, the Quads ached. By the end of the Summer, my 10k times were where I wanted them. Low 40's. As the years have creeped up on me, my body and attitude have changed.
Now the hot weather takes a toll on me. I no longer look forward to the long grueling runs in the heat. I now look forward to the long runs in the cold biting cold of winter.
Today, I ran a long trail run with a friend I have worked with for over 5 years. He has run races up to the marathon distance over the years but, recently he was working towards the half marathon distance. This past week, I saw him at work and after exchanging some stories about a recent race had had done, we decided to run a training run this weekend. He was only trained up to about a 12 miler but with a little encouragement, I talked him into a 20 mile training run.
My plan was simple, we would go out as slow as we could, stop and hydrate and eat as often as we needed to make sure he ( we) would be successful. We started the day with coffee at Mickey-D's. We dropped his car at the top of the mountain we were running, so we would have the option to quit after 10 miles.
He brought along all three of his "babies" to run with us. He has 3 beautiful Ridgeback dogs. These dogs apparently come from Africa and have a distinctive raised ridge of hair on their backs. They are not good swimmers. I will elaborate later.
We started our day at 08:00 as the sun was coming up. My goal was two fold. Get in a 20 mile training run (something I haven't had in over 2 months, which I need for the upcoming 50 miler in November) and get my friend through a 20 miler. The trail is fairly technical ( rocky, lots of roots, etc).
We started slow with no time limits on our run. We stopped several times to purify water, and eat and allow the dogs to drink and cool. The dogs probably ran 30 miles with all the run ahead and come back. By the end of the run, they were content to follow us. We ran them into the ground.
Were took an extra longer time to reach the halfway point because of running very conservatively and allowing the dogs drink and cool. I also wanted to gauge how my friend would adapt to running on trails for such a long distance. He is a tough nut and I am encouraging him to pursue running ultra distances. I think he is capable of doing the long distances.
The run was very invigorating for me, because I was sharing my limited experience with him. I needed this run to reinforce that I can still run longer distances, even though it has been since August 9 that I had run any distance to speak of. I keep telling myself that distance is run in your head, not on your legs.
The run back down the mountain was more fun and faster than the run up. When we got to a long suspension bridge about 4 miles from the end, one of the dogs had a problem swimming across the creek. It appeared that he would drown. Ron, my friend told me that Ridgebacks are not very good swimmers. Two of the trio did ok but I had to talk Bo across a stretch of creek where he could walk across.
We cruised through the last 4 miles without a hitch, except for the fact that I stumped my little toe on a rock. You remember the one I hurt on my stair incident. It brought on a new pain in the foot resembling when I first injured it. After icing it tonight, it is OK.
We met some older folks hiking at about 2.5 miles from the end and they asked us how far it was from the bridge. We told them about 1 mile, they seemed like it was an impossible task for them to make it and was talking it over whether to proceed. I didn't want to discourage them, but I only told them the truth. They were about 2.7 miles onto the trail. These folks were into their 70's and 80's. I admire their determination to get that far. This is not an easy trail. I hope that they went on to their goal and made it out safe. I hope when I hit 70-80, I will still be able to hike and explore life.
As for my friend, He made the 20 miles with ease. I hope I can convert him into the dark world of running past what is accepted as normal running.
I must build on this run for the coming running season. As you age, you can never rest or take anything for granted.
I have always said. Mother Nature has taken care of you for the first 25 years. Then one day, She says alright, you are on your own.
Then comes the weight gain, the stiffness and the soreness. It is a constant battle. I know I will lose it, but when I die I want to slide in sideways to the grave and say " Man what a ride".
Now the hot weather takes a toll on me. I no longer look forward to the long grueling runs in the heat. I now look forward to the long runs in the cold biting cold of winter.
Today, I ran a long trail run with a friend I have worked with for over 5 years. He has run races up to the marathon distance over the years but, recently he was working towards the half marathon distance. This past week, I saw him at work and after exchanging some stories about a recent race had had done, we decided to run a training run this weekend. He was only trained up to about a 12 miler but with a little encouragement, I talked him into a 20 mile training run.
My plan was simple, we would go out as slow as we could, stop and hydrate and eat as often as we needed to make sure he ( we) would be successful. We started the day with coffee at Mickey-D's. We dropped his car at the top of the mountain we were running, so we would have the option to quit after 10 miles.
He brought along all three of his "babies" to run with us. He has 3 beautiful Ridgeback dogs. These dogs apparently come from Africa and have a distinctive raised ridge of hair on their backs. They are not good swimmers. I will elaborate later.
We started our day at 08:00 as the sun was coming up. My goal was two fold. Get in a 20 mile training run (something I haven't had in over 2 months, which I need for the upcoming 50 miler in November) and get my friend through a 20 miler. The trail is fairly technical ( rocky, lots of roots, etc).
We started slow with no time limits on our run. We stopped several times to purify water, and eat and allow the dogs to drink and cool. The dogs probably ran 30 miles with all the run ahead and come back. By the end of the run, they were content to follow us. We ran them into the ground.
Were took an extra longer time to reach the halfway point because of running very conservatively and allowing the dogs drink and cool. I also wanted to gauge how my friend would adapt to running on trails for such a long distance. He is a tough nut and I am encouraging him to pursue running ultra distances. I think he is capable of doing the long distances.
The run was very invigorating for me, because I was sharing my limited experience with him. I needed this run to reinforce that I can still run longer distances, even though it has been since August 9 that I had run any distance to speak of. I keep telling myself that distance is run in your head, not on your legs.
The run back down the mountain was more fun and faster than the run up. When we got to a long suspension bridge about 4 miles from the end, one of the dogs had a problem swimming across the creek. It appeared that he would drown. Ron, my friend told me that Ridgebacks are not very good swimmers. Two of the trio did ok but I had to talk Bo across a stretch of creek where he could walk across.
We cruised through the last 4 miles without a hitch, except for the fact that I stumped my little toe on a rock. You remember the one I hurt on my stair incident. It brought on a new pain in the foot resembling when I first injured it. After icing it tonight, it is OK.
We met some older folks hiking at about 2.5 miles from the end and they asked us how far it was from the bridge. We told them about 1 mile, they seemed like it was an impossible task for them to make it and was talking it over whether to proceed. I didn't want to discourage them, but I only told them the truth. They were about 2.7 miles onto the trail. These folks were into their 70's and 80's. I admire their determination to get that far. This is not an easy trail. I hope that they went on to their goal and made it out safe. I hope when I hit 70-80, I will still be able to hike and explore life.
As for my friend, He made the 20 miles with ease. I hope I can convert him into the dark world of running past what is accepted as normal running.
I must build on this run for the coming running season. As you age, you can never rest or take anything for granted.
I have always said. Mother Nature has taken care of you for the first 25 years. Then one day, She says alright, you are on your own.
Then comes the weight gain, the stiffness and the soreness. It is a constant battle. I know I will lose it, but when I die I want to slide in sideways to the grave and say " Man what a ride".
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Little Accidents
Isn't it funny how little things can get in the way? Last Saturday, while knocking around the house barefooted, I slipped off my stairs and injured my foot. It is the area just behind the 4th and 5th toe in the foot. It is slightly discolored but not too bad. The first couple of days, I thought it was broken. My Daughter kept asking me, why I didn't go and get it checked out. My answer was, the Doctor's will x-ray it, give me pain medicine and tell me to ice it, rest it and elevate it and charge me hundreds of dollars.
I rested, it, iced it, and elevated it. Today I went out and ran the fastest training run of the year. Pain level was about a 1 on occaisions, when I hit the foot at certain angles. Tomorrow, I will see how the soreness is. I may very well have cracked my foot, but what is the remedy?
I have run through the mountains, over many roots and rocks and never turned my foot over. Now over the weekend, I turned my foot on stairs.
Little Accidents.
I rested, it, iced it, and elevated it. Today I went out and ran the fastest training run of the year. Pain level was about a 1 on occaisions, when I hit the foot at certain angles. Tomorrow, I will see how the soreness is. I may very well have cracked my foot, but what is the remedy?
I have run through the mountains, over many roots and rocks and never turned my foot over. Now over the weekend, I turned my foot on stairs.
Little Accidents.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Monte Sano 10k and 5k
Being a long weekend, my wife (recovering from kidney stones) wanted to visit her Mother in Scottsboro, AL. I saw an opportunity to run the Huntsville Track Club's Monte Sano 10k and 5k runs. These races have been run for at least 28 years, maybe longer. In the early 80's, these races were 6 miles and 3 miles. These are run on top of Monte Sano mountain in the State Park there. The 10k is 2 loops, which means you have to navigate a long, steady hill twice. The 5k only once. I've run these races off and on over the years, whenever I had the opportunity. I never passed up the opportunity to do both races. The HTC always puts on quality races, and has great support from volunteers and the community.
The late entry fee is a whopping $15, quite reasonable this day. The temperatures did not seem so high on the mountain, but you could feel the humidity was elevated. There was a fog on this morning and there had been a large amount of rainfall during the week. I figured to go and knock out a 50 minute 10k and and 25 minute 5k and log over an hour of tempo run time.
There was a large crowd there, especially for the 5k. I ran into a fellow from work who was there with his son. His son is relatively new to running, so I offered my best advice as to where to start to avoid being cutoff at the first turn and the usual, "don't go out too fast". Boy, I wish I had taken my own advice!
I saw very few familiar faces at the races. I ran into Graham Gallemore, Malcolm Gillis, Jim Oaks were a few that I remember seeing back in the 80's. Now it's a new, fresh crop of runners. The wheel keeps on turning and the years keep speeding by!
The 10k started and off we went. I decided to push the pace a little and maintain my heart rate at about 92 to 94 % of my maximum. All seemed well, the first mile I clicked off a 7:31 with an average HR of 91%. Mile 2 the split was 7:59 with the average HR at 96%. I was already redlining! As you can guess, the other miles started to slow due to the lactic acid buildup. I could tell that my legs were in good shape, My legs never really gave out but was the usual heavy from lactic acid. Even today, no soreness in the legs. The heat and the fact that I'm carrying a little extra weight I packed on this summer didn't help the cause any either.
I finished the 10k with a time of 53:50, not exactly what I had hoped for. The average HR ended up at 96% of max. My maximum HR during the run hit 101%. Looking at the HR and the time, I definately need to work on my speedwork/tempo runs and reduce my spare tire.
I really had a negative thought and it actually drifted through my head not to run the 5k. But this is tradition, to run both races. I toed the line at the 5k but this time with a little less piss and vinegar. My strategy just changed, go out and keep the HR 90%, the pace even and cruise to the finish. Well, The pace was slower but the HR still creeped up. I managed to average just over a 9 minute/mile pace but the average HR was still 96% and my HR got up to 103%. 5k time was 28:48.
I recovered well, and as I stated earlier, no soreness today. I wasn't pleased with my times but my goal was a tempo run. I definately broke through the lactic acid threshold and still finished. As we age, our young minds still thinks we can run the 45 minute 10k that we used to, but the body won't respond. Also, with running longer distances, we sometimes forget to train the body to run into this uncomfortable area of lactic threshold. We focus on long slow distances and just finishing. This is the first short distance road race I have run in probably a year.
Here is a good example of specific training. You have got to train for a specific type of conditions. Road racing and ultra trail running are different animals. I think you can be successful at road racing and that will carry over to the trails. However, I think that by training for long slow trail runs won't carry over to short road races. Conclusion: I have been lacking this type of stress in my training, short intervals and medium to long tempo runs. as the Fall and Winter racing season approaches, I will make adjustments to my training to include some speedwork. Man does not live by long distance alone.
Looking forward to cooler weather. It seems like you get a fresh start when Fall rolls around.
The late entry fee is a whopping $15, quite reasonable this day. The temperatures did not seem so high on the mountain, but you could feel the humidity was elevated. There was a fog on this morning and there had been a large amount of rainfall during the week. I figured to go and knock out a 50 minute 10k and and 25 minute 5k and log over an hour of tempo run time.
There was a large crowd there, especially for the 5k. I ran into a fellow from work who was there with his son. His son is relatively new to running, so I offered my best advice as to where to start to avoid being cutoff at the first turn and the usual, "don't go out too fast". Boy, I wish I had taken my own advice!
I saw very few familiar faces at the races. I ran into Graham Gallemore, Malcolm Gillis, Jim Oaks were a few that I remember seeing back in the 80's. Now it's a new, fresh crop of runners. The wheel keeps on turning and the years keep speeding by!
The 10k started and off we went. I decided to push the pace a little and maintain my heart rate at about 92 to 94 % of my maximum. All seemed well, the first mile I clicked off a 7:31 with an average HR of 91%. Mile 2 the split was 7:59 with the average HR at 96%. I was already redlining! As you can guess, the other miles started to slow due to the lactic acid buildup. I could tell that my legs were in good shape, My legs never really gave out but was the usual heavy from lactic acid. Even today, no soreness in the legs. The heat and the fact that I'm carrying a little extra weight I packed on this summer didn't help the cause any either.
I finished the 10k with a time of 53:50, not exactly what I had hoped for. The average HR ended up at 96% of max. My maximum HR during the run hit 101%. Looking at the HR and the time, I definately need to work on my speedwork/tempo runs and reduce my spare tire.
I really had a negative thought and it actually drifted through my head not to run the 5k. But this is tradition, to run both races. I toed the line at the 5k but this time with a little less piss and vinegar. My strategy just changed, go out and keep the HR 90%, the pace even and cruise to the finish. Well, The pace was slower but the HR still creeped up. I managed to average just over a 9 minute/mile pace but the average HR was still 96% and my HR got up to 103%. 5k time was 28:48.
I recovered well, and as I stated earlier, no soreness today. I wasn't pleased with my times but my goal was a tempo run. I definately broke through the lactic acid threshold and still finished. As we age, our young minds still thinks we can run the 45 minute 10k that we used to, but the body won't respond. Also, with running longer distances, we sometimes forget to train the body to run into this uncomfortable area of lactic threshold. We focus on long slow distances and just finishing. This is the first short distance road race I have run in probably a year.
Here is a good example of specific training. You have got to train for a specific type of conditions. Road racing and ultra trail running are different animals. I think you can be successful at road racing and that will carry over to the trails. However, I think that by training for long slow trail runs won't carry over to short road races. Conclusion: I have been lacking this type of stress in my training, short intervals and medium to long tempo runs. as the Fall and Winter racing season approaches, I will make adjustments to my training to include some speedwork. Man does not live by long distance alone.
Looking forward to cooler weather. It seems like you get a fresh start when Fall rolls around.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
LAUREL VALLEY-The best Kept Secret in the Ultra World
The best kept secret of ultra runners has to be Laurel Valley ! Here is a race that has a low entry fee, magnificent trails and the one element that we all crave and why we run ultras- the chance of failure. This seems strange to most, but we all know that when we go out there is a change we will fail. When we enter a 5 or 10k, we know we will finish. Maybe not the PR we had hoped for, but we will finish. With an ultra, there is always that possibility that we can on sometimes do fail.
Laurel Valley takes place in the NW corner of South Carolina in an unspoiled wilderness area. There is little to no access from the outside which makes the run that much more treacherous. Once you make it past the point of no return, it is finish or remain in the woods until they come and get your body.
I had signed up for LV after Mike O'Melia talked me into seeing if I could get in. The race was already full. A couple of emails to Claude Sinclair, along with a few promises, commitments and dropping of a few names of runners in the LV community got me entry as a 5 am Sweep. I rode to SC with Mike and Byron Backer (3rd place 2008 LV) put us up for the night along with about 6 other runners. He was a gracious host and everyone had some good discussions the night before. Just before stretching out in the old sleeping bag for the night, carefully laid out my gear for the following day. Among the gear was a new pack (I had never worn before, bad thing to try something new in a race), a water purifying pump, clothes, shoes, socks, and headlamp. Headlamp, where is my headlamp. A 5 am start requires a headlamp. I know I packed the headlamp in my new pack. I had tested it, and packed it. Wait a minute, the pack had fell off the bed and turned upside down. Could the headlamp have fallen out of the pack. By shear luck, I had my drop bag with me that I had taken on vacation a few weeks ago. We were at the beach and I had been looking for crabs and had put my bigger and bulkier headlamp in it, All is not lost.
We laid down at about 10 pm. Earlier we all met at Pizza Inn for gorging on pizza and pasta.
The floor had more lumbar support than my bed at home and I had a tough time falling to sleep. As I lay there, I kept going over my training since the Chattanooga Stage races. Let's see. two eleven mile runs and a handful of 3 milers (flat course). What in the crap am I doing here. Surely I will die tomorrow!
03:30 came early. A quick bagel, a water bottle filled with black coffee and off to the 5 am start. Thanks to Jim Musselman driving us to the start even though he was a 6 am starter. After the briefing by Claude, the race was ready to begin. The night wasn't as cool as I had hoped but was much better than the days prior. The group stood at the base of a long stairway at the start, He said go and everyone looked at each other and just stood still waiting on the first brave soul to start this grueling march.
The pace was slow due to the darkness and being unfamiliar with the course. The last thing I needed was a face plant off some ravine, I have my looks to think of. As the morning wore on, the trail became more beautiful. The air was cool and light, but with the hint that heat was coming later. The first part of the course was of the rolling variety, nothing to speak of. Then about halfway, the best I remember came the climbs and a downhill that blasted my quads. By this time the 6 am runners were passing. All of them,animals!
There was ample water along the course, even though this region is suffering from a severe drought. At the first bridge, Mike was waiting on me. We made water and went on our way. During the next 20 miles, Mike and I would leap frog, dragging the other on. At no time, was there any competition between us. There was a bond that was to look out for each other and make sure that we succeeded. In this race, there can not be failure. We ran (walked and shuffled) the last part of the grueling course. Sometimes, as the miles add up, the course seems harder. This is not the case. The course actually gets harder! By mile 25, I was out of food, except for some GU. I was tempted to pick up lost Gummi bears and wash them off, that's how bad it got. On the bridge, someone left a bag of granola bars. Mike still says it was a bag of trash. Either way, it provided a boost.
I normally mix my own sports drink, that provides all the sodium I need. However, because of the hassle of making water and/or pouring water from my pack, I got behind on my sodium. At about 8 and half hours I had the sensation of being bloated, knees hurting. The wheels were starting to wobble so, I decided to pop an S! cap. After about 15 minutes, the wheels straightened up, but the energy levels were low. Mike gave me a Clif bar. Taste like S@&! with S@&! icing, but it did raise my energy levels.
At about 34+ miles, Mike and I were struggling to stay focused and determine how far was left. We came across a map on a board and determined we were about 2 to 3 miles from the finish. We got a little farther and Mike stated that his energy was gone. I suggested we sit for a minute and he eat one of his GU Octane that he had been saving. He gave me one along with some Clif shots. Boy, that is what I needed! I told Mike, what we need is for some hiker to come by and tell us that we are real close. Well, we met 4 hikers and they told up 1 truth and 1 lie. They said we were within 2 miles (truth) and that we looked fresh (lie). We headed out with renewed hope. We got to the last bridge. A rather tall bridge that requires you use all 4 limbs to climb up to get on the bridge. After the bridge, home free? NO A long technical climb, then some more of the 5000 total steps on the course. Almost there? NO We are on a viewing platform for Whitewater Falls, I never saw the falls. On this platform were several sightseers, and did they see some sights. Now to negotiate, I guess 150 feet of stairs. Finally the top! Now about half of mile downhill to the pavilion where Claude and his wife were working the finish. Several of the earlier finishers were on hand to cheer on the survivors.
This is a race where DNF is not an option, you must overcome. Below is a quote from longtime ultra and LV finisher Bill Keane.
"Once you enter the course you have to adapt and overcome each and every obstacle to achieve the objective and finish. Along the way, you learn a lot about yourself and discover character traits that flow into every facet of your life."
I am relatively new to ultra running, I do have a hundred miler to my credit. By far, this was the most challenging course I have encountered. The terrain, no aid, the heat all add to the experience.
A day after the run, would I run it again? Already started planning on my equipment.
Laurel Valley- the best kept secret, shhhh don't tell anyone.
Laurel Valley takes place in the NW corner of South Carolina in an unspoiled wilderness area. There is little to no access from the outside which makes the run that much more treacherous. Once you make it past the point of no return, it is finish or remain in the woods until they come and get your body.
I had signed up for LV after Mike O'Melia talked me into seeing if I could get in. The race was already full. A couple of emails to Claude Sinclair, along with a few promises, commitments and dropping of a few names of runners in the LV community got me entry as a 5 am Sweep. I rode to SC with Mike and Byron Backer (3rd place 2008 LV) put us up for the night along with about 6 other runners. He was a gracious host and everyone had some good discussions the night before. Just before stretching out in the old sleeping bag for the night, carefully laid out my gear for the following day. Among the gear was a new pack (I had never worn before, bad thing to try something new in a race), a water purifying pump, clothes, shoes, socks, and headlamp. Headlamp, where is my headlamp. A 5 am start requires a headlamp. I know I packed the headlamp in my new pack. I had tested it, and packed it. Wait a minute, the pack had fell off the bed and turned upside down. Could the headlamp have fallen out of the pack. By shear luck, I had my drop bag with me that I had taken on vacation a few weeks ago. We were at the beach and I had been looking for crabs and had put my bigger and bulkier headlamp in it, All is not lost.
We laid down at about 10 pm. Earlier we all met at Pizza Inn for gorging on pizza and pasta.
The floor had more lumbar support than my bed at home and I had a tough time falling to sleep. As I lay there, I kept going over my training since the Chattanooga Stage races. Let's see. two eleven mile runs and a handful of 3 milers (flat course). What in the crap am I doing here. Surely I will die tomorrow!
03:30 came early. A quick bagel, a water bottle filled with black coffee and off to the 5 am start. Thanks to Jim Musselman driving us to the start even though he was a 6 am starter. After the briefing by Claude, the race was ready to begin. The night wasn't as cool as I had hoped but was much better than the days prior. The group stood at the base of a long stairway at the start, He said go and everyone looked at each other and just stood still waiting on the first brave soul to start this grueling march.
The pace was slow due to the darkness and being unfamiliar with the course. The last thing I needed was a face plant off some ravine, I have my looks to think of. As the morning wore on, the trail became more beautiful. The air was cool and light, but with the hint that heat was coming later. The first part of the course was of the rolling variety, nothing to speak of. Then about halfway, the best I remember came the climbs and a downhill that blasted my quads. By this time the 6 am runners were passing. All of them,animals!
There was ample water along the course, even though this region is suffering from a severe drought. At the first bridge, Mike was waiting on me. We made water and went on our way. During the next 20 miles, Mike and I would leap frog, dragging the other on. At no time, was there any competition between us. There was a bond that was to look out for each other and make sure that we succeeded. In this race, there can not be failure. We ran (walked and shuffled) the last part of the grueling course. Sometimes, as the miles add up, the course seems harder. This is not the case. The course actually gets harder! By mile 25, I was out of food, except for some GU. I was tempted to pick up lost Gummi bears and wash them off, that's how bad it got. On the bridge, someone left a bag of granola bars. Mike still says it was a bag of trash. Either way, it provided a boost.
I normally mix my own sports drink, that provides all the sodium I need. However, because of the hassle of making water and/or pouring water from my pack, I got behind on my sodium. At about 8 and half hours I had the sensation of being bloated, knees hurting. The wheels were starting to wobble so, I decided to pop an S! cap. After about 15 minutes, the wheels straightened up, but the energy levels were low. Mike gave me a Clif bar. Taste like S@&! with S@&! icing, but it did raise my energy levels.
At about 34+ miles, Mike and I were struggling to stay focused and determine how far was left. We came across a map on a board and determined we were about 2 to 3 miles from the finish. We got a little farther and Mike stated that his energy was gone. I suggested we sit for a minute and he eat one of his GU Octane that he had been saving. He gave me one along with some Clif shots. Boy, that is what I needed! I told Mike, what we need is for some hiker to come by and tell us that we are real close. Well, we met 4 hikers and they told up 1 truth and 1 lie. They said we were within 2 miles (truth) and that we looked fresh (lie). We headed out with renewed hope. We got to the last bridge. A rather tall bridge that requires you use all 4 limbs to climb up to get on the bridge. After the bridge, home free? NO A long technical climb, then some more of the 5000 total steps on the course. Almost there? NO We are on a viewing platform for Whitewater Falls, I never saw the falls. On this platform were several sightseers, and did they see some sights. Now to negotiate, I guess 150 feet of stairs. Finally the top! Now about half of mile downhill to the pavilion where Claude and his wife were working the finish. Several of the earlier finishers were on hand to cheer on the survivors.
This is a race where DNF is not an option, you must overcome. Below is a quote from longtime ultra and LV finisher Bill Keane.
"Once you enter the course you have to adapt and overcome each and every obstacle to achieve the objective and finish. Along the way, you learn a lot about yourself and discover character traits that flow into every facet of your life."
I am relatively new to ultra running, I do have a hundred miler to my credit. By far, this was the most challenging course I have encountered. The terrain, no aid, the heat all add to the experience.
A day after the run, would I run it again? Already started planning on my equipment.
Laurel Valley- the best kept secret, shhhh don't tell anyone.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Can't Go Back Home
I was visiting my sister over the 4th holiday weekend. I decided to go and run the loop I always trained when I first started running. It was(is) about a 3.5 mile loop which included a long hill which I called Mead hill. Named for the access to Mead Papermill. I drove up the driveway to the house I grew up in. The driveway is much shorter than I remembered. The house is occupied by the late Pastor's wife. After a brief introduction and her remembering me, I asked if I could park in the yard to make my loop. She was very nice and friendly as always.
As I stood at the same mailbox my Dad used, I reflected on the differences. I stood now to allow my GPS to aquire the needed satellites to begin my run instead of just taking off. Instead of going over music in my head, I cranked up the Ipod to chill a little.
A little over a quarter of a mile down the road (which is much better surface than 27 years ago), I encountered 3 large dogs. I was never afraid, but the adrenaline did kick in for a short time. I really thought that I would be attacked by 2 of them. I bluffed my way around them and continued on.
About 2 miles into the run I passed the new (about 7 years old) McDonald's. Never had an option for a Big Mac back in the 80's. I began the long torturous climb up Mead hill. Maybe it was the years of running or maybe the hill had been amplified in my stories over the years, but I made the hill with the Heart rate just in the Threshold range.
As I made my way over the rolling hills that I had ran over 25 years ago, I noticed the new houses and changes in the landscape. As I came within 300 yards of the finish, I came up on where my uncle had lived. I was approached again by 3 more large dogs. Again, I thought I was going to be bit. I negotiated my way out of the situation again and finished my run. The GPS showed it was 3.45 miles, so I wasn't far off back then.
I then drove to the city park where I had ran before and where I had helped Larry Williamson (football and track coach) put on the "Historic Stevenson Summer Run" the 3rd Saturday in July. I ran along the trail that He and I blazed to connect the park to the city residential streets. His concern then was so that kids could ride their bikes or walk to the park without getting on State highway 117, a very busy and dangerous highway. We spent several days in the summer of 81 blazing the trail with axes, machetes and other hand tools. I don't think we even used a chain saw.
The trail had been started by the city but ran into a stopping point when they got to the creek bridge. The state would not let them build another bridge adjacent to the highway bridge. The city stopped the project. Coach Williamson, decided to blaze the trail and cross the creek farther north. He recruited several "volunteers" and the city furnished the raw supplies for a bridge across the creek. It was originally made with telephone poles and rough cut lumber. I noticed now the bridge is an all steel construction with concrete footings.
I think the town of Stevenson should name the trail in honor of Larry Williamson. He spent many hours planning and working to make that trail a reality.
I ran up though the small town, and was saddened that most of the stores in the downtown part are abandoned and everything is moved to the new highway 72.
I finished off the run which by now was about noon. The July 4th sun was beading down. I had no time limit or goals, I was sight seeing.
Things have changed, my goals have changed but the drive that keeps me running is still there. I run longer distances and pay more money for races. I can't say that these new challenges are more fun than the old ones. I still have fond memories of some of my old training runs as I make new ones.
Life is a journey, it's what we make it. As I was running in the noon heat, I thought how people would think that I was crazy running in the heat. I was not hot and was enjoying it. Perhaps, even heat is relative. If those people were out there with me, they would think it was hot and complain.
Another lesson in life, when I want to complain, think of the positive side.
As I stood at the same mailbox my Dad used, I reflected on the differences. I stood now to allow my GPS to aquire the needed satellites to begin my run instead of just taking off. Instead of going over music in my head, I cranked up the Ipod to chill a little.
A little over a quarter of a mile down the road (which is much better surface than 27 years ago), I encountered 3 large dogs. I was never afraid, but the adrenaline did kick in for a short time. I really thought that I would be attacked by 2 of them. I bluffed my way around them and continued on.
About 2 miles into the run I passed the new (about 7 years old) McDonald's. Never had an option for a Big Mac back in the 80's. I began the long torturous climb up Mead hill. Maybe it was the years of running or maybe the hill had been amplified in my stories over the years, but I made the hill with the Heart rate just in the Threshold range.
As I made my way over the rolling hills that I had ran over 25 years ago, I noticed the new houses and changes in the landscape. As I came within 300 yards of the finish, I came up on where my uncle had lived. I was approached again by 3 more large dogs. Again, I thought I was going to be bit. I negotiated my way out of the situation again and finished my run. The GPS showed it was 3.45 miles, so I wasn't far off back then.
I then drove to the city park where I had ran before and where I had helped Larry Williamson (football and track coach) put on the "Historic Stevenson Summer Run" the 3rd Saturday in July. I ran along the trail that He and I blazed to connect the park to the city residential streets. His concern then was so that kids could ride their bikes or walk to the park without getting on State highway 117, a very busy and dangerous highway. We spent several days in the summer of 81 blazing the trail with axes, machetes and other hand tools. I don't think we even used a chain saw.
The trail had been started by the city but ran into a stopping point when they got to the creek bridge. The state would not let them build another bridge adjacent to the highway bridge. The city stopped the project. Coach Williamson, decided to blaze the trail and cross the creek farther north. He recruited several "volunteers" and the city furnished the raw supplies for a bridge across the creek. It was originally made with telephone poles and rough cut lumber. I noticed now the bridge is an all steel construction with concrete footings.
I think the town of Stevenson should name the trail in honor of Larry Williamson. He spent many hours planning and working to make that trail a reality.
I ran up though the small town, and was saddened that most of the stores in the downtown part are abandoned and everything is moved to the new highway 72.
I finished off the run which by now was about noon. The July 4th sun was beading down. I had no time limit or goals, I was sight seeing.
Things have changed, my goals have changed but the drive that keeps me running is still there. I run longer distances and pay more money for races. I can't say that these new challenges are more fun than the old ones. I still have fond memories of some of my old training runs as I make new ones.
Life is a journey, it's what we make it. As I was running in the noon heat, I thought how people would think that I was crazy running in the heat. I was not hot and was enjoying it. Perhaps, even heat is relative. If those people were out there with me, they would think it was hot and complain.
Another lesson in life, when I want to complain, think of the positive side.
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