sleep

Never underestimate the power of sleep. The cumulative fatigue associated with running hard up steep hills and strength training left me drained the last few days. Last night I fell asleep on the couch during "Whitney" at about 9:35 P.M. and did not wake up until 5:30 A.M. Unfortunately, the first thing I saw was this guy's mug on the tv (he's a tool as far as I'm concerned). Then, I went upstairs and got into bed and didn't move again until almost 8 A.M.

The result is that I am still a little stiff in the legs but mentally I feel much better. For anybody who claims to be able to get by on 4 hours of sleep a night, I don't believe you. Maybe it is possible for short periods but it is definitely not sustainable.

Unbreakable

This movie is great. While there is a lot of good footage of the race itself, my take is that the movie focuses a little more on the lives and personalities of G.R., K.J., A.K., and H.K. Specifically what drives them to want to compete at such a high level. The takeaway for me is that they all love to run just to push themselves, and the fact that a race exists to test themselves is nice but not essential to the process.

SPOILER ALERT

Two specific parts stand out about the movie, the first was the day before the race, David Horton tells Geoff that although Anton and Killian may be more naturally talented runners, Geoff has the edge in mental toughness and was therefore his pick to win. If there is a higher compliment that can be paid to an ultrarunner from a more highly respected source, I'm not aware of it.

The second was at the beginning of the race, the lead pack takes off and Killian just sprints up the mountain effortlessly, all the way to the Escarpment. When he got to the top he stopped and turned around to see where everybody else was, like he was surprised that the pace was so slow. He almost appeared to be a little bummed that he and the rest of the lead pack did not charge to the top of the mountain together. After seeing how this dude trains and moves through the mountains, it is kind of surprising that he did not break the W$ record in 2011.

Excellent movie, highly recommend.

updates

My daughter turned 1 earlier this month. This was definitely the fastest year of my life! I wonder if they will all go by this quickly from here on out. I'm sure I would have been just as happy if we had a boy, but I just love having a little girl. I don't think I could even imagine anything greater than being a dad to my daughter.

Past several weeks have been a series of false starts on the exercise front. For a week I was hitting it hard.......running, biking, weights, kettlebell...........a bit too hard though. One day I woke up completely wiped and void of energy/motivation, and it took a full week to get it back. When I did get it back I decided to only work out once a day (instead of the 2x per day that I was doing), but then I got sick. So, here we are, day 3 of not being able to work out due to a cold. 'Tis the season.

For the 2nd year in a row, did not get my name selected for Hardrock 100. That one was pretty much a relief. For the 3rd year in a row, did not get my name pulled for MMT. Something about that set me off and I was feeling pretty crappy about it. I did not know what I was going to do in 2012 regarding races. Then at some point it occurred to me, there is much more to it than just slogging through crappy weather all winter, then showing up for a race in May. There is value in the preparation for the race, in terms of the discipline required, as well as the fitness gains that are made. Also, there is value in the time spent with the other people I choose to run with. Therefore, I have a good feeling about this winter/spring in terms of my training, as well as races I am thinking about (which include MMT -- I will be at worst, #48 on the wait list, which I think means I've got a very strong chance of eventually getting in).

Then, for the summer, I can take full advantage of the bike riding and swimming that the weather allows for, and hopefully do a triathlon of some distance.

I am strongly considering buying a sleeping bag rated for -15 ºF (a full 47 degrees F BELOW the freezing point of water) and doing some winter camping. That could allow for some very interesting opportunities regarding camping in the Laurel Highlands, and waking up for some long runs!

turkey day recap

Visited my mom for Thanksgiving, ate too much, blah blah blah. Something about the surroundings in that area will always be very familiar to me. I grew up amongst cornfields and this time of year, the fields are all pretty much bare. If you spend enough time around corn, you can start to designate certain times of the year based on what the corn is doing (right now it is not doing anything, but the rule of thumb is "knee high by the 4th of July," also in late summer and early fall the corn gets hard on the cob, which means you can throw it at passing cars if you are a bored adolescent).

Played chess against actual people (as opposed to a computer) over the holiday. I am 2-0 against a 1st grader, and 1-1 against a 5th grader. They are both very smart kids........I'm quite sure it is not the last time I will lose to the 5th grader. In my defense, he is a straight A student.

Did some light plumbing last night, installed a shutoff in my basement to an outdoor faucet that freezes every winter. It was only going to be a matter of time before a pipe burst due to the lines freezing so now, hopefully that is taken care of.

I must be losing my marbles, I am officially entered into the Hardrock 100 lottery which will take place in less than a week. If I actually get in, which most likely will not happen, I don't know what I'm going to tell the wife. Bottom line, that is a dream opportunity that any ultrarunner worth their salt would never pass up.

Finally, went running on the trail this morning with the dog. Very muddy but lots of fun, we saw the sun come up which is always well worth getting out of bed for.

more chess braggings

I should just retitle this thing Eric's Chess Braggings. I have upped the difficulty level and try to play an even mix of black and white. I also like to experiment with different openings and/or defenses.

did i mention............

.............that winning never gets old? In other news, congrats to the dude who broke Clifton's JFK 50 mile record yesterday. How people run that fast, for that long, I'll never know.

winning...........

............it never gets old

never say never

Isn't there a saying about never saying never? I just signed up for a 50k, which is in 9 days. My last long run was about 2 months ago in Utah. Nevertheless I am very excited!

few tings

Got back from our nation's capital this past week and came home to a sick baby and exhausted wife. Hooray! The sick baby season seems to be back for another year! Back is getting better, although it took almost a full two weeks this time to heal up. Getting old is no fun.

never say never

I think this is what they mean when they refer to the "1,000 yard stare"

I love this event. I can't help myself. The mere thought of even attempting something so incredibly nasty, and coming out the other side in one piece, is irresistible to me. I think I will put in for the lottery on December 1 and see what happens.

aloha

Today the wife went to the Pitt game so I spent most of the day watching my daughter. It is a lot of work but, it is all worth it -- she rules. Here is a summary, based on what I remember (it was a busy day):

1. Got up and changed a wet diaper, tried to give her a bottle, which she didn't want. Had to settle instead for Cheerios, and little bits of chopped up bananas.
2. Rocked out for a while. We listened to:

• The Clash (Rudy Can't Fail, Let's Go Crazy, Junco Partner)
• Rick James (Pass the Joint)
• Blondie (Sex Offender)
• Aerosmith (Toys in the Attic)
• Big Rock Candy Mountain (song from the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou)

1. Took a walk with the dog
2. Ate again, more Cheerios, bananas, and mushed up apples
   
3. Took a nap (while the baby napped I cut the grass, and got an estimate to replace our side porch)
4. Woke up, changed yet another diaper, ate a bottle
5. Went for a walk in the woods, by far the highlight of my day (see pictures below)
6. Went to the playground and played for a while, she can't go on too many things there but she loves to be around the older kids. I seem to be the pied piper for little kids, who seem to think I am somebody worth befriending. Perhaps it is because they see an adult (technically speaking) who is acting pretty much like a maniac like the other kids. As a result, got befriended by a kid named Jordan as well as a few other kids who didn't tell me their names. As usual, the baby thinks it is so cool to hang out with the older kids.
7. Came home, changed a diaper, and ate again. This time it was mushed up sweet potatoes, and chicken. At this point the wife came home, so I was relieved of my duties.

The Urban Gentleman

I cant help it anymore. I've got to put this down in writing or I won't be able to get it out of my mind. Did you know there is a website, nay, MANY websites dedicated to male fashion, culture, grooming, decorating, etc???? This is the one in particular I am addicted to. It is like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Some of the topics on this website include "How to Fold a Pocket Square" (who cares?), "Interior Decor" (again, who cares?), "Manscaping 101" (which is dedicated to cutting, pruning, and yes, even waxing of male body hair), "Mens Hair Gallery" (there are only two real manly haircuts: flat top and shave the whole thing -- bald counts too I guess), "Murses and Manbags" (whatever guy makes this website, his dad must be ashamed of him), "Skincare" (in the winter my hands get extremely dry and start to bleed, so I put Vaseline on them.........I guess that counts), you get the picture.

Since when are these things that a guy should care about? I always thought that one of the benefits of being a guy was that you didn't have to care about any of them. I don't, never have, and never will. Is it considered not manly anymore to own, and wear, a toolbelt? I change my own oil, brakes, and radiator fluid.......I wonder where I fall on the manliness meter.

If this is the current state of affairs then I guess I'm glad I clearly do not fit in. I don't buy clothing, I just wear whatever happens to be in the closet or dresser........usually because my wife got thoroughly fed up and bought me some article of clothing. I shave my head as short as I can get it, because it requires literally no maintenance, and I can wash it with a bar of soap. By the way, that bar of soap that I have in my half bathroom downstairs is Lava.........now THAT is a manly soap.........takes that first layer of skin off! Interior decorating...........I still have fond memories of my last apartment where I lived by myself, where I didn't have ANY furniture. I guess I did have a futon, but that was it. No tv, chairs, table, or frills of any kind.....it was great.

Finally, I am proud to say that I have never eaten raw fish and don't ever plan to.

Websites such as this one really make me think of the speech that John Goodman gives to his football team in Revenge of the Nerds, right after they get beaten by the Tri Lams. I'm sure that whoever comes up with these ridiculous websites, they have a father who looked at them one day when they were a baby, and wished for him to become a man. Too bad it didn't happen.

loans

How can somebody call themselves a loan officer and NOT know how interest rates are set? I'm wondering if it ever crossed this person's mind, "How are these interest rates chosen? Why do the rates go up sometimes, and down others?" Frustrating for those of us who planned on using this as a negotiation tool.

In other news, listened to this on my big 10 inch this morning. Dig it.

ahoy, world

Despite not being a morning person -- as a matter of fact, I hate getting out of bed in the morning -- I went for a short run this morning. It was my first time I ran since the Wasatch Front 100 DNF 4.5 weeks ago. I will admit, the leg turnover was a bit.........slow. Dodging cars wasn't the most fun either. But it felt great to be out by myself in the dark, where I got to check out the full moon for a couple minutes.

Got home and listened to the Misfits Beware EP while I got myself ready. It occurred to me that this was pretty much the same way I used to start my days when I was about 14 or 15 (minus the running): throwing on dirty clothes and listening to punk at 7 A.M. The only difference is that now, I have to hurry up so that I can feed my daughter before we leave, where previously I had to rush to not miss the bus.

salad days

sometimes, you've got to know when something has run its course, and be able to adjust accordingly. the difficult part is being able to identify this, in real-time.

Wishing for the days
When I first wore this suit
Baby has grown older,
It's no longer cute
Too many voices
They've made me mute
Baby has grown ugly,
It's no longer cute

But I stay on, I stay on
Where do I get off?
On to greener pastures
The core has gotten soft

Look at us today
We've gotten soft and fat
Waiting for the moment,
It's just not coming back
So serious
About the stuff we lack
Dwell upon our memories
But there are no facts

ruminations

I must admit that at some point last night, the possibility of a BRR/MMT combo in 2012 occurred to me.

Somery

Here is a somery (dig the Descendants reference) of the last 4 years where I have concentrated heavily on running ultramarathons:

2008
Marathon: 1
50k: 1
50 mile: 1

2009
Marathon: 1
50k: 1
50 mile: 2
70 mile: 1
100 mile: 1

2010
50 mile: 1
77 mile: 1
100 mile: 1

2011
50k: 1
100 mile: 1
DNF: 1 (100 mile)

My ultramarathon-to-marathon ratio (not counting the DNF) is 6:1. Um, maybe a bit high. In addition, my fastest 50 mile time, and fastest 100 mile time, were both on my 1st attempt. I suppose this does not count for course difficult though (JFK 50 mile, and Oil Creek 100, respectively).

Nevertheless, here are some tidbits I learned along the way:

1. Don't worry about what the "elite" runners profiled in Ultrarunning magazine are doing, in terms of their training or racing schedule. Their personal life, professional commitments, ability to recover, training grounds, financial backing, and experience level may all be very different than mine (or, maybe not -- who cares?). Bottom line, they've got their thing and I've got mine. Don't worry about it and definitely don't try to keep up with it.



2. While it is impressive that Anton Krupicka can run in excess (WELL in excess) of 100 miles per week, I cannot. I can't even come close. Again, see item #1 above about different lifestyles. I am happy for him that he can do it, however I most definitely cannot. Therefore I am not going to follow the conventional wisdom that if I can't run 100 miles in a week, I'm somehow not training hard enough.



3. Early, early morning is certainly an ideal time to run. No work to worry about, no diapers to change, dishes to do, animals to tend to, bills to pay, or any other of life's worries to think about. It is also a major pain in the rear end to drag your tired butt out of bed when all you'd rather do is sleep. I read somewhere that the "athlete in training is a sleepy animal." Therefore, don't skimp on sleep. Don't deprive yourself of sleep. It is a losing battle. If early morning running just ain't working out, don't fight it. Find another time to do it.



4. Pushing through fatigue and discomfort in the late stages of a race or long training run is part of the deal. Continuing beyond safe and reasonable limitations is something else entirely. Know the difference. It is only a running race, you're not fighting for your life. Doing permanent damage just to say you finished a race is not worth it, in my opinion. Others may feel differently, they are entitled to their opinion as well.



5. The best aid station strategy is to get in and out as quickly as possible, while saying as little as possible. The benefits of this are two-fold: 1) you don't burn a lot of time hanging around the aid station, but more importantly 2) late in the race, it is my opinion that the volunteers try to drum up conversation with you to get a rough estimate of how you are doing mentally. If you give them the slightest clue that you are in any way incoherent, or aren't all there, they might start to think about yanking you from the race. I learned this the hard way one time, where I actually had to spend some time trying to convince the aid station captain that I was really ok. Lesson learned: just keep your mouth shut and get out of there.


6. Roger Waters had it right: You are young, and life is long. Therefore, there's no need to cram everything into a single year. Take things slowly...........try different race distances or different sports altogether for a while.

what's next for me?

I am finding it very liberating to be stepping away from running ultramarathons for a while.

In the words of Dwight K. Schrute, "There's nothing on my horizon, except everything. Everything's on my horizon."

Listening to "Little Doll" by the Stooges, so I'm good. When this was recorded, my parents weren't even married yet, but it is one of my favorites ever.

Watch out in 2013.

Wasatch DNF

I had my 1st DNF at the 2011 Wasatch Front 100. Sometimes you can do everything right, and the stars just don't align I suppose.

I did not go early to acclimate to the elevation this year, like I did in 2010. This proved to be an extremely costly mistake. Despite much more consistent, smart, and focused training, along with a taper that left me bouncing off the walls, the elevation during the race put a hurting on me early.

My muscles were clearly operating in an anaerobic state, even while I was walking. In addition, I had a headache so severe that I could feel my pulse inside my head, and it felt like somebody had me in a bear hug. I was tearing through calories climbing all the mountains and could barely get anything down without feeling sick. My pace slowed to a crawl and no matter what I tried, I could not bring things back under control, and the situation was getting progressively worse.

By the time I rolled into the Big Mountain Pass aid station, an hour slower than 2010 (despite significant walking stretches), I knew my race was done. To his credit, crew extroadinaire Phil Turk tried his hardest to make sure I was not just in a low point, and this was really what I wanted to do. I was sure I was making the right decision and I still stand by it.

Could I have finished the race? I don't know because I didn't try........maybe I could have. What I was NOT willing to do was let the race turn into a 60 mile death march, which is what would have happened. I trained hard this summer, and I intended on RUNNING this race strong until the end. Therefore I wasn't about to let it devolve into an unpleasant slog to Homestead.

Furthermore, I was not about to adopt a "finish at all costs" approach because the last time I did that, I ended up in the hospital for 3 days.

I am 100% confident that I made the right call on that particular day. It doesn't make it any easier though, I worked tirelessly toward my goal of finishing this race 2 years in a row, and it was very disappointing to watch it unfold the way it did.

One day, when my daughter is old enough to come with me, my family and I will go out a week early, and I will erase this DNF. For the time being, my mountainous 100 mile days are done, and I intend to focus on other endurance-related pursuits.

wasatch.........here I come!!

The fact that I am bouncing off the walls, and cannot sit still for more than 4 consecutive seconds, leads me to believe that I have nailed the taper. Funny to think that for the previous two weeks, I had little to no energy and at times wondered whether I really had it in me to take this on again.

Turns out, lots of rest was just what the doctor ordered. I think I have only run 3 (maybe 4?) times over my 3 week taper. I was full-on sick for the first week, and was very cautious about jumping back into it too quickly as I started to feel better. If I did lose any fitness over that time, I think I have gained it back ten-fold in rest and positive outlook.

I am ready to rip..........this will be my 4th attempt at 100 miles (currently 3-for-3, and I have every intention of keeping that streak going), and 2nd time at Wasatch. So I am more than aware of what I have in store. At times it won't be pretty. However, as I have said numerous times in the past (but this time plan on keeping to), I plan to take an extended leave of absence from ultrarunning in 2012 (for starters, and maybe longer). Therefore, I intend to leave everything I have in the beautiful, rugged Wasatch mountain range.

Wasatch taper

What fun would a taper be without me getting sick? Not much. Yes I caught my daughter's cold (again). Luckily I have about 2.5 weeks to kick it, which should be more than enough time. I am, however, a bit concerned that this leaves enough time for me to get sick twice. At least this cold will force some badly needed rest.

Feeling good about Wasatch..........it is no secret that I plan to take an extended break from running 100 milers (probably 50 milers too) so I intend to leave it all on the course. My only concern now is trying to find a ride from the finish back to my hotel in Salt Lake City........proving to be difficult logistically.

Two 100 mile races in one year has taken a toll. After I am done with this I tend to refocus my efforts, hopefully learning to swim and finally compete in an Ironman-distance triathlon, which I have always wanted to do. We shall see.................

Wasatch Front 100 Goals

Here are my goals for Wasatch this year, in descending order:

1. Finish the race


2. Finish, without having the race turn into a death march at the end


3. Improve upon my time from last year (34:41:58)


4. Finish in under 30 hours

summer tidbits

Summer is in full swing and for me that means the Wasatch Front 100 training is in full effect. Raging, full on (just like the Firehose album). I have gotten in some monster long runs on the LHHT so far..............the first one a couple weeks back was fantastic, pushed the pace pretty hard for a long run but was able to ingest solid foods (including a whole bottle of Ensure, and 1/4 of a PB&J). No chafing or major problems.

The most recent one was a different story..........nearly puked after crushing an Ensure, was getting eaten alive by bugs, got stung by a bee, and chafed so bad in the "bikini area" that I was nearly in tears by the end..............I have decided to make some wardrobe adjustments which will hopefully fix that. As for the Ensure/solid food, I'm not ready to give up just yet, I think if I can take in a full Ensure at the aid stations in Utah, I will be in great shape.

Have been feeling a bit "crispy" however, not quite burnt out, but getting there..........very restless sleep that definitely does not refresh. Therefore this week is limited to walks.............last year I punished myself into the ground by continuing to train when I should have backed off, and the result was a very lackluster performance at Wasatch. For better or worse, I'm going to listen to what my body tells me this year.

The music of the summer is turning out to be Hot Sauce Committee Part II by the Beastie Boys, and Radio by LL Cool J. Words don't do it justice, best to just check them out and listen.

Garden is also raging, we ate two monster heads of green cabbage over the weekend, with onions and pierogies.

Finally, my daughter continues to amaze and entertain................she is the greatest, hands down...................I don't know what I would do without her. I fell in love the first time I ever held her and haven't been the same since.

sleep/rest

I told myself that today was the start of my Wasatch Front 100 training for the summer. So, here goes (again)! Last year I basically sacrificed my whole summer to prepare for the race. This year, I don't plan on "sacrificing" the summer again. That doesn't mean I am going to train any less hard, but it does mean that this isn't the sole focus of my summer. The most important thing in the world to me weighs about 20 pounds, babbles a lot, and is a real bundle of energy. I am not willing to spend family time preparing for what is essentially a pretty selfish endeavor.

HOWEVER, I am still very excited that I got the wife's blessing! I kicked off the season by riding the bike to work, setting a work-commute PR in the process. At lunch, I did my usual lunch time run, and set another PR by over a minute. I think the moral of the story here is not to undervalue the benefit of rest/recovery (I have not run since last Thursday)! I will do my best to remember that as I prepare to go back to Utah.

Shin has been a little bit tight lately, and I have some kind of dull pain in the bottom of my right foot. No idea what that's all about, good thing it didn't hurt during the run today.

more chess geekery

What can I say besides 1) when you're hot, you're hot, and 2) I dig chess, a lot. If I could go back and do it all again I probably would have passed on the football team, and joined the chess club and cross country team. I DEFINITELY would have gotten ALL the chicks.

unstoppable!!!

on this, my first father's day, i am unstoppable.

the outcome (closure purposes)

I like chess. Yes it is for geeks. No, I don't care. I like (love) it anyway.

backed into a corner

I think this is the very definition of being backed into a corner (I am black).

getting my mojo back

I am slowly returning to my old self after MMT. I have been able to run pain-free, although the legs still feel somewhat tired. In addition I have started playing chess again and although I have had to drop down the difficulty several levels, it is good to be playing again. There is no better game of strategy than chess. The garden is doing well, this is the first year that nothing died on me after I transplanted it into the garden. It is nothing fancy this year, I have:

1. Four beefsteak tomato plants
2. Three poles' worth of Kentucky Wonder green beans (three vines per pole, the climbing variety)
3. Three sweet banana peppers (personally I could have done without them but the wife likes them)
4. Four heads of some oriental cabbage variety (I found the seeds in my garage from last year I guess)
5. Swiss chard, basil, spearmint, and parsley (the spearmint and parsley look like they may not have come up, I may have to replant)

Everything came from seeds, I did not buy any of my plants. I prefer this because I know what variety I am getting, plus it is exciting watching a plant grow and produce vegetables, knowing it came from a little seed.

A Milestone

Well, its official: I have lost my first toenail as a result of running. It seems that the toenail itself is attached to the skin underneath it. So when that skin starts peeling away, the toenail comes nicely along with it. My little guy valiantly hung on for a couple days, but it started to become obvious he wasn't going to make it. So last night I gave it a nice little tug (no pain involved since the skin was peeling away anyway), and off it went. My wife was not interested in seeing it at all, despite my best effort to show her. I'm interested to see how long it takes to grow a new toenail. Perhaps it won't ever come back? I really don't know. Anyway, pretty interesting from a purely scientific perspective.

more overanalysis on MMT (last one)

Upon reviewing my splits for MMT I have settled on the following:

1. I was relatively happy with the performance for the first 60 or 70 miles (despite many problems). Had I kept this pace up, I am pretty confident I would have finished in the low 30's.


2. Even when the infection set in and the wheels started to come slightly off, I was still keeping a respectable pace (all things considered).


3. By the last section of the race, the wheels had officially come off -- it was at this point that I was basically dragging my right leg behind me. If I would have maintained a somewhat respectable pace on this section I still would have finished an hour or two sooner.


4. The sting of a very, very slow time is nothing compared to the sting I would have felt from dropping. Therefore I am darn happy and proud about the 34:46 and change it took me to finish this race.

more on MMT

Now that the dust has settled on MMT a little bit I am finding myself happy for the finish, but very unhappy with the time. I am definitely not THAT slow. Things were getting a little sketchy during the race (blisters, chafing, heat) but I was still on pace to turn out a relatively solid performance until my infection set in. My splits over the last few sections were horrid. I think I had literally the slowest split of all finishers over the final section (the one where I got passed by about 30 people).

My shin still hurts and I am having trouble straightening my left leg, but I am hoping this all heals quickly because I am very hungry for redemption. Perhaps I am not accurately remembering how bad I was during the race, and should just be happy I finished? Still, I'm not that slow.

2011 MMT Race Report

Last weekend I ran the 2011 version of the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 (herein referred to as "MMT"). I had expectations of running a 100 mile PR but actually came away from the experience with something far more valuable.

This was my third attempt at 100 miles, having successfully completed Oil Creek in 2009 and Wasatch Front in 2010. I was confident that these two finishes, along with the cumulative experience gained from many other shorter distance ultras, would provide the requisite experience needed to pull off a performance I was pleased with.

My wife and I had our daughter in December, and I was positive that no matter what MMT threw at me, it could never be as hard as middle-of-the-night feedings in the dead of winter (which as any new parent can attest to, are brutal). Despite the lack of sleep I laid a solid base all winter and continued the training into the spring.

The race offers camping at the start line, which is cheap, convenient, and fun. It is entertaining to interact with the other runners and crews and trade war stories (and lies). At 4 A.M. we were off into the darkness. I really like the 4 A.M. start since nobody was really sleeping anyway, plus it means putting a few extra miles in before the next round of darkness.

For me the race started well enough, I went out at a pace I found quite comfortable and was having no major problems. In Western Pennsylvania we have rocky trails, nothing like at MMT, but I still felt pretty comfortable navigating my way through the terrain.

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

Somewhere around mile 25, I could tell it was going to be a difficult day. My stomach was beginning to turn south and no matter what I tried, I could not seem to get it back. One thing I was positive about was that if I didn't eat steadily, I would not complete this race. My solution was to begin walking to cool my body down, settle my stomach, and begin to regroup. After an hour or so of this I felt well enough to start running again, and was once again making good time.

Over the next 20 or so miles I started to chafe, badly. In very sensitive areas. Nothing that can be done except try to slather on a little extra Hydropel, and keep moving. I also started to develop blisters, which were never bad enough to force me to stop, but I always knew were there. I also had a spot on my right heel that had rubbed raw from contact with my shoe.

At some point I started to experience some pain in my lower right shin, just above my foot. This is not new for me -- I have had this in training runs but never during a race. Again, not much that can be done except forget about it and press on.

I'm not sure exactly at what point I realized I couldn't run downhill, but I distinctly remember trying to run down the road toward the Visitor Center at about 3 A.M. in the pouring rain, and not being able to. My shin was in so much pain that I could not extend my foot to run. Climbing was not an issue, but downhill was excruciating. I could still walk at a decent clip however, so I pressed on.

Eventually the rain stopped, the sun came back up, headlamps got switched off, and many of us were still out there battling. By this point, running either downhill or on flat ground was out of the question. My shin was in too much pain, and by this point had started turning red, which I attributed to trashed tendons. That's what color things turn when they're injured, right? I could still walk, however, and quite quickly, so I continued.

"I ain't broke, but brother, I'm badly bent"

By the time I got to the Picnic Area, I couldn't walk so quickly anymore. Since my right shin was in so much pain I was now doing sort of a shuffling/hobbling walk, which altered my gait significantly that now my left calf was a knot, and my right knee hurt. I distinctly remember walking the slow, steady, easy downhill into the Gap Creek aid station and realizing something was wrong. In addition to the chafing and blisters, my entire body had seized up like an engine with no oil in it, and my shin was in some serious pain (and getting redder). My guess was that I was dehydrated so I decided to sit for a while and drink Gatorade, and try to rally for the last section to the finish. I drank about 10 cups of Gatorade, ate some food, and must have looked extra beat-up because Aaron kept taking my picture (he was such a good natured guy and kept cracking jokes that it was impossible to get mad at him though). I shuffled out of there and made my way to the finish.

The final climb up Mt. Whatever-You-Call-It was no problem. I still had juice in the legs and could climb steadily. The downhill was hell. Walking downhill on a road hurt. Picking down a mountain that consists of nothing but big rocks was a new level of pain. I was getting passed by people like I was standing still, because I basically was. Somebody commented that it looked like I had perhaps gotten bit by a spider due to how red my leg was, but I was sure it was only trashed tendons. Eventually I made it to the road, probably took almost two hours to walk the downhill to the finish, and got passed a bunch more. I think I set a record for taking the longest time to "run" through the finishing chute -- I got passed by two more people on this section alone -- but eventually I got it done in 34:46:13.

Anything that could have possibly gone wrong, went wrong, but I was tremendously happy that I kept battling and didn't give up. This was not the kind of time I was hoping for but this experience really taught me something about never quitting, no matter what happens.

"Everything is healing nicely"

Eventually I got home, where I proceeded to fall asleep on the couch, barely into my 2nd beer. I went along with my wife and daughter to my wife's doctor appointment since I hadn't seen everyone all weekend. Upon walking into the room, the doctor took one look at my red leg and declared "That thing is infected. You need to get to the emergency room, immediately." An hour later I was admitted to the E.R. where they slowly determined that the cut on my heel had gotten infected during the race, and I had a skin infection that may have spread to my blood. According to the doctor, this is why my shin hurt so bad and I couldn't flex my foot enough to run. I was hooked up to an I.V. and flooded with antibiotics for 3 days before being allowed to go home again. Just for the record, a hospital has got to be the absolute worst place to recover from a 100 miler. No internet, you're not allowed off the floor, I couldn't even take a shower. I was happy to finally get out of there.

"Another set of scars to boast"

This race, perhaps more than any I've ever done, taught me to always hang in there. During the race things went from bad, to worse, to unimaginable, but I kept trying to stay positive and remind myself that just like the midnight feedings, this too would eventually come to an end. My wife is begging me to never do this again, but I can almost guarantee I will come back to challenge myself against the rocks.

sick, again

Well, it looks like there is a strong chance MMT will not happen for me this year. Somehow I got sick, yet again. Needless to say, this is extremely disappointing. I sacrificed a lot of time to prepare for this, time I could have been spending with my family. Had I known that I would get sick only days before the race, I would have much rather spent that time with my family.

I think the best I can possibly hope for at this point is that my symptoms don't get any worse. If that happens, I may still try to do the race, although it is going to be slow and difficult (more so than usual). If my symptoms get worse, I think the wise thing to do would be to cut my losses and stay home this weekend, since the prospects of me finishing seem slim.

This is very, very disappointing.

still tapering........

I am really taking full advantage of the taper! Not doing squat if I don't feel like it. Of course, it wouldn't be any fun if there weren't already things to deal with:

1. Baby is sick. I am trying real, real hard to NOT get sick myself (again). Unless I can't breath, I will still do the race. If I have to, I will walk the whole thing.


2. I've got a whole bunch of new, unexplainable phantom injuries: Left ankle hurts, right shin hurts, top of the right foot hurts now (feels almost like a stress fracture), last week both knees hurt, today my right nipple is sore.


3. Although technically not an injury, I have got out of control athlete's foot on my right foot. I have tried almost everything. On the upside, I have discovered Gold Bond Foot Powder, which I think smells terrific!

New Beastie Boys album out today, I give it two thumbs up, although it is a bit short (44 minutes).

MMT -- Status

Under normal circumstances, this would be my last week of hard training for a 100 miler -- last long run is usually done 3 weeks before the race. These are not normal circumstances, so I'm still not clear on how my training is going to wrap up for MMT. One thing is for certain though, the bulk of the heavy lifting is behind me. I reckon this is a good time to evaluate how things went.

Training volume: This was probably not what I was hoping for, hours/week-wise. Certainly, things were a bit light, through no fault of my own. A very drawn-out, muddy winter and spring occasionally made hitting the trails either impossible, or at the very least, not fun. In addition, training for "the most difficult 100 on the east coast" (or however this race bills itself) with a newborn at home presents some scheduling challenges. Having said that, I think I did quite well. With the exception of this past week when I got sick, I religiously got in a weekly long run, hill repeats, some hilly mid-week road runs, a good amount of cycling, and hit the gym twice a week. There was probably a bit more road running than I would have liked, which over time resulted in some little bumps and bruises. Hopefully these will fizzle out over the taper period. For Wasatch last year, I think it is safe to say I overtrained, so I went into this with a bit more focus on alternating between hard/easy workouts. I really made the long runs count as well. Plus, I put in a very solid base all winter long between trail running and showshoeing. Overall, I am confident in the fitness level.

Gear: This race is going to be spartan for me. I almost wish I was fast enough to only run with two handheld bottles. Nothing fancy, no extra shoes, no change of shirt. Some basic stuff in the drop bags, but other than that, the Nathan, Brooks shoes, sunglasses, and an iron will.

Course Knowledge: Nonexistent. Other than prudent planning so I know which drop bag to leave my night time stuff in, I am not going to try to memorize every rock on the trail. I know it is very rocky and there are some long climbs. I will probably have a piece of paper with me so I know what the aid station cutoffs are, but other than that, I'm going to just put my head down and charge. In my experience having run 100 miles twice before, it is always the sections of the course that look easy on paper that end up taking me by surprise (at Wasatch, the climb to the top of Sessions Pass almost killed me -- on paper it looks like nothing).

Other: One of the things I thought I did well at for Wasatch last year was blitzing in and out of the aid stations. I think I was able to do this because I did not rely on aid station fare as my main source of calories. The strategy was to top off the Nathan if I needed it, and eat some solids if I felt like it. Other than that, get out of there. I tried to keep it under 3 minutes and with a couple exceptions I stuck with that, especially late in the race.

In order to be successful at this, my strategy will be an emphasis on taking care of myself early in the race, since the race doesn't even really start until mile 60. I will focus on eating, drinking, and going slow early.

sick!

Well the MMT training has been put on hiatus. I have been sick for the last 3 (or 4) days. Couldn't have come at a worse time, either. Wednesday, my usual hill repeat day, I felt beyond sluggish. I clearly needed a break so I decided to just go for a walk rather than do the hill repeats, no big deal since everything would just be pushed back a day. Thursday, I woke up full on sick and have remained so ever since. Rather than try to power through it (which I typically would have done in the past) I decided to cut my losses, and try to recover as quickly as possible. Not ideal, but in this case, nothing to do except play the hand you've been dealt. I am definitely feeling better though, and should be back in the swing of things by Monday.

"One more mile!!!"

Yesterday I ran the Glacier Ridge 50k. The conditions were......a bit muddy. Overall, I was very happy with the effort. My stomach turned south at mile 21 and I had to spend some time getting myself back together, but I finished quite strong so I will count it as a good day.

I wanted to spend some time addressing those spectators who insist on clapping loudly and yelling in my face, "one more mile!" Regardless of where these people are situated on the course, according to them, there's only one mile left. This assessment is almost never, ever accurate.

Dear. Mr or Mrs. Spectator, PLEASE don't clap loudly in my face and try to cheer me up by screaming at me, "ONE MORE MILE!!" I may be tired and hurting, but trust me, I know how much further I have to go, and it is longer than just a mile. As a matter of fact, I have been trying hard for the last 3 or 4 hours to forget how much further I have to go, and when you do this, it forces me to stop and think about it.

I know you are only trying to be encouraging, but please understand that my feet hurt, my back hurts, my legs are killing me, even my hair hurts. Not only have I been running this whole time, but I have probably been awake since about 4 A.M (or perhaps earlier). I may or may not have vomited somewhere earlier during the race. At the very least, I DEFINITELY had a spell somewhere where I thought I was going to -- my stomach was killing me on a climb somewhere back there, and I truly believed I was about to lose my cookies. I have had my ups and downs during this race, and this close to the end, I should be elated, but really, I'm just exhausted. I'm ready to be done, but there is a big difference between the hour I have left, and the "ONE MORE MILE" you insist on screaming in my face. I truly hope you appreciate the restraint I am showing by not punching your damn lights out, or at the very least, clotheslining you.

Love,
Eric

updates

The Massanutten training has been going quite well, considering time availability. I seem to be able to get in mid-week runs pretty consistently, by going out for an hour at lunch. No matter how crappy a job may seem sometimes (and given enough time, they all seem to eventually get crappy), I am infinitely thankful that I have the flexibility to run at lunchtime. Granted it is road running, but there are some decent hills in the area, and on Wednesday I usually run hill repeats up the huge hill right outside my office. Long runs going well too, I ran a 4.75 hour long run on a Saturday a couple weeks ago, and decided that I hated being away from my family on Saturdays. So, the compromise is that I go to Ohiopyle on Fridays after work (or leave work a little early) and do the hilly section of the LHHT. I usually end up doing a fair bit of running in the dark too, which is good practice. I reckon I probably miss ~ 3 hours with the baby, but the upside is that I wake up Saturday at 7, and I have the whole weekend to spend with my family. This past Friday was an epic long run, I started at Ohiopyle and did 3 hill repeats of the huge hill, then obviously had to run all the way back to the car. There was snow on the mountain at the top, and it was quite cold when the sun went down. I was fried by the time I got done, and took two full days off to recover. This week is a "reduced load" week (i.e., no long run this week), then going to hit it hard again for a couple weeks, for one final push before the race. It is a fine line between being disciplined and working hard/pushing yourself, and just pummeling yourself into the ground. Last year for Wasatch, I did the latter and while I finished the race, I wonder if I would have done a little bit better had I not insisted on pounding it as hard as I possibly could, every time I went out and ran. The first clue should have been when I couldn't fall asleep, despite working myself ragged. So, trying to avoid that this year by being a bit smarter about the training. My daughter rules, I love her more than anything in the world. Last night we listened to the A side of Apostrophe by Frank Zappa, which I listened to about a hundred million times while a freshman in college. We also re-read The Cat in the Hat, which still continues to freak me out. Amidst all the chaos, which include the little boy and girl, the cat in the hat, Thing 1, and Thing 2, the voice of reason is the fish. Weird, but my daughter loves it.

snowblowers

I think snowblowers are obnoxious. They are annoyingly loud, and emit that extremely offensive burnt fuel smell. I will always use a shovel and will teach my daughter to do the same.

At what point did we decide that shoveling was too difficult, and that we should use snowblowers instead? I can't pinpoint an exact date, but I suspect it was around the same time that we collectively also made the following decisions:

1. Picking up a suitcase and carrying it is too much work! We should use those stupid little wheels instead
2. Raking leaves and picking them up also is too hard! Leaf blowers are easier!

There are some (who will go unnamed) who contend that I chickened out myself by switching to a jackhammer to break apart my old patio before pouring a new one. I broke up about two-thirds of the old slab with a sledgehammer and pickaxe before renting a jackhammer. However I dismiss that argument on the grounds that most people probably would not even consider renting a jackhammer to do the job, and would rather pay somebody else to do it.

ahoy

Upon some reflection I would say yesterday was a good day. The highlights included:

1. Reading The Ugly Duckling to my daughter
2. Got in a very muddy, slow run with my dog
3. Made a vegetable lasagna
4. Listened to my vinyl copy of the Velvet Underground's "Loaded" with my daughter
5. Fell asleep on the couch with my wife watching Judge Joe Brown
   

ahoy

Dear Diary, I did not get into the much sought-after Hardrock 100, although I was lucky enough to at least make 54th on the wait list. Most applicants did not even get selected for the waiting list. As an aside, I find it quite comical to listen to the diva-like whinings of some of the so-called "elite" ultrarunners who did not get selected. I can understand being upset, but it should be recognized that the character of the race is ultimately up to the Board of Directors. If they decide they want Hardrock to remain a brutally difficult but still low-key race, that is their decision. Another way of putting it would be to say that they call the tune, and we all have to dance to it.

I did however get selected for the equally exciting Wasatch Front 100 for the second year in a row! I am most thrilled about this race again in 2011, and just can't say enough good things about it. I decided to throw a new twist into the year by attempting to run two 100's in one calendar year, the other being MMT (which I did not get selected for last year). The only other race on my calendar is the inaugural Glacier Ridge 50, which will be essentially a training run for MMT.

Despite being a big fan of the race, and having run it for the last two years, I have opted to not run in the Laurel Highlands Ultra this year. It is a great event but I think it is time for me to take a year off from it and hopefully hit it again hard another year. I also think it is wise to leave my calendar wide open between May and September.

All of this is of course contingent upon my ability to balance running with my family, who is the super-duper first priority! If I even get the slightest whiff that my home life is suffering due to the heavy training, I will not hesitate for a second to dial it back, even if that means pulling out of a race. However I am pretty confident I can balance it all. I think I can incorporate my training into my day fairly readily without too much disruption.

Baby is getting better and better every day. I love my little girl unconditionally. I'm sure I would have been happy with a boy but having a little girl is about the best thing in the world as far as I'm concerned.

10 Years

Ten years ago, during the early winter months of 2001, I lived by myself in an unheated 1 bedroom apartment in the South Side. I listened to the Talking Heads album "More Songs About Buildings and Food" about a million times, and lifted weights almost every day. I certainly do not lift weights as much as I used to, and the dwelling in which I now reside is heated, but the Talking Heads record still rules.

It, along with many of the other classic Talking Heads records such as "Remain in Light" and "Fear of Music" has also been reissued with "Bonus Tracks" which is a very cheap ploy to get fanatical listeners such as me to buy albums, again, that we already own. Of course I am going to buy them anyway because I want to hear the unreleased stuff.

I have been a huge Talking Heads fan ever since I heard them on Z-95 in the summer of 1996 in my red S-10 pickup. I would also like to add that I was a rabid Talking Heads fan before they were popularized when Phish covered "Remain in Light" on Halloween in.......1996? 1997? I don't remember, but I was into them WAY before that, which gives me bonus points in the coolness category!

Happy February

Happy February, by the time this month is over, I will have kicked off my 34th year on the planet. Nothing you can do to prevent aging except get hit by a bus.

Baby is growing like crazy, she no longer looks like such a little thing anymore. I love my little girl unconditionally and would do basically anything for her.

I was asked to do a very small amount of work-related travel and although I have not yet gone, and the wife doesn't seem to mind, I am already terribly homesick.

-----------

Snowshoed every day of the 3 day weekend. Trail is starting to get a little bit packed down from traffic but overall still very good. We could use another inch or two of powder but my hips and legs tell me that I worked pretty hard for 3 days, so I guess the trails are still in decent shape. Sunday night especially, I stayed out extra long just so I could frolic around under the moon, which was high in the sky and very bright. Don't think it was full, but it was cool being out under a bright moonlit sky.

Listened to a ton of moe. while out this weekend. Sunday, listened to this, and Monday, this. Both very good.

Baby has now slept through the night for 4 nights in a row, and it is positively glorious.

snowshoeing

Despite initially being snowed in at 5 A.M., by 6 the roads were clear so I decided to head over to the local trail to do some snowshoeing. We have been getting dumped on with snow, and my previous two attempts to try to make it to the park have failed due to hazardous road conditions.

It was a glorious pre-dawn morning with pretty steady snowfall, with my dog having more fun than I was.

Now, doing some fuel cell modeling while listening to 8-4/5/6-74.

My daughter's hair is now long enough to "work" with, so my wife has been putting a bow in it. I am a complete sucker for that little girl, I'm head over heels in love with her. She is positively the cutest, most darling thing in the universe and looks cute as a button with that bow.

updates

Baby is growing like a weed. Last night she fell asleep on my chest and I'll be derned if she didn't look like the cutest little thing in the world, all scrunched up and warm. I love my little girl more than anything in the world.

Running routine is coming into focus a little bit more. I am able to get out with a bit more regularity, and it does not appear to be too disruptive to the family life. Doing the trail runs with the dog before work is nice because I am able to kill two birds with one stone.

Got into MMT from off the waiting list this week. Hopefully, I will get into this race instead, or even better yet, this one. If either of those pan out, I will not be running MMT. I have just enough experience running 100's to know that one a year is more than enough for me.

Finally, I am able to indulge my chess addiction with a bit more regularity and I must say, I'm rusty. I HATE losing in chess. When I first started playing again after the baby was born, I was getting whipped from beginning to end. I think I'm improving somewhat, because I'm able to advance my pieces pretty well and control the middle stages of the game, I just can't close the deal. I could probably use a refresher on some of the basic strategies I typically lean on.

667 -- The Neighbor of the Beast

I had a glorious day in the woods yesterday with my other little girl, the dog. The trail was crunchy and since there was a Stiller game on at the time, empty. Despite some lingering stiffness in the legs after Friday's "long" run of 2.75 hours, I still felt strong but was careful to not push it.

January/February is usually the most rewarding time of the year for me in terms of the satisfaction I get from my running. It is strictly a base building time for me and there is no pressure at all to follow a schedule except to get out and spend some time on my feet. I usually feel very loose and comfortable and thoroughly enjoy myself, and yesterday was no exception.

Listened to some good stuff from 4-5-98 (the "Island Tour"): Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > YEM > Theme From the Bottom, also Divided Sky and a Rebebula from date unknown.

2011

Toss away stuff you don't need in the end, but keep what's important. And know who's your friend.