2014 Hellgate 100K

My first run of the Hellgate 100K++ is over and done. Or as Dr. Horton called it, due to the mild temperature and lack of rain or snow: Sissygate. It was an amazing experience. I'll try a give a decent run down of my race experience. Unfortunately I'm one of those where so many details seem to blur together, but I'll do my best. My prediction going into the race was to run 12-13 hour. My GOAL was try for under 12 hrs. And my super-secret goal was a top 10 finish, something I had yet to do in any of the Lynchburg ultras.

Friday night was a all around good time. I showed up about an hour before pick-up, introduced myself to Dr. Horton. Dr. Horton is founder and race director for Hellgate as well as other ultras around the Lynchburg area. From his quirky charisma, you know he cares for every runner out there. The first to acknowledge your success, but he won't budge an inch until you've earned it. That night we had a wonderful dinner by the staff at Camp Bethel, along with an informative and entertaining briefing. For a few hours we waited, prepped, maybe tried to sleep before heading off the start.

Hellgate starts at the Glenwood Horse Trail, near the Big Hellgate Creek and the Little Hellgate Creek, thus the name. A few minutes before Saturday (this is all starting in the middle of the night, near midnight), we gather to sing the national anthem, and pray. Once Saturday comes at midnight we are allowed to cross in front of the trailhead's gate. And at 12:01 am we are gone!

Start to AS1. This was a lot of rolling trails. The pace seemed a tad faster that I probably would've normally attempted. OK, a bit faster. But I felt compelled to keep that lead pack in my sight. The trail had some rocks and roots, but nothing un-runnable. I had a vague idea of how many were ahead of me, but nothing solid at this point. AS1 had only water, and with my pack pretty full, I just continued on through, determined to keep in sight.

AS1-AS2. This section was completely unmarked, but it's just one road that you follow up, up, up, and up. This is four miles all up hill. It's early enough in the race, many of us aren't running with our heads. So many times, I'm telling myself how much smarter it would be to start walking, but I can't seem to let myself. There's so many spots where you think you're almost to the end, only to see the road switch back and up again. I counted out that I'm somewhere around 12th. I'm a few dozen yards of the lead pack, with a handful of others in between. I resolved not to try and catch anyone yet, and just maintain where I am.

AS2-AS3. Many people see their crews here, and as people start stopping for various lengths, I pretty much lose visual on the pecking order. I grab a few pieces of food, a quarter of PB&J and head out. This next section has a lot of variability in terrain. Just past the aid station, we turn off onto some single track that mainly heads downhill. I've got a few people in sight, but 1 or 2 people might as well be free falling, they're going so fast. Horton calls the next mile or so a road, I think of it more of an ATV trail/double track. We're hear for just a little ways before ducking back on to trails for a lot of decent climbs and descents. I tend to lose people on the downs, but can make it back up on the climbs. I eat a gel or whatever in here, but I'm anxious to get to the aid station.

AS3-AS4. I get some real food in, and then start heading out. I'm feeling really good. One runner I could never reel in and who escapes on the initial downhill, I overtake on the climbs easily. It's back in forth for a bit, but I eventually lose him. What could it have been? MOUNTAIN DEW. I've experienced it's magic before, and I can definitely tell a difference. Reluctantly, I know it's going be a staple fuel throughout the rest of the race. I should also say, at this point, I'm no longer running the whole time. I get some good sections, but I'm a little more conservative and want to make sure I don't lose ground.

AS4-AS5. Even reading the course details, all I remember now is a lot of variability. Some ups. Some downs. Some gravel roads. Some grassy ATV trails. Some single track. I remember briefly being concerned about which section I'm on. I was pretty sure I went through AS4, but since I decided not to go to my drop bag, and thus never saw it, I slightly doubt it was there. I run a little bit with a guy from the Blacksburg area, who's a 8th-year veteran. We're never together continuously, but we talk some and he helps with some pretty accurate info on what's coming up. At some point through several of these sections, I some times think I see an aid station way off in the distance. Then a slight turn and I no longer see it, not really sure if it was even there. The trails are OK, but I'm becoming increasing frustrated with all the BRIARS! I don't know the actual name, but I just called them briar stalks. Just the tall stalks, and you run through them because you can't avoid them, and suddenly I'm a pincushion.

AS5-AS6-AS7. There's just a lot of running. There's also a God awful amount of leaf coverage. No exaggeration: up to my calf. Some sections I don't just because I don't feel safe doing so. The trail is also so narrow next to the side of the mountain; you're worried about falling on your face as much as falling down the mountain. At some point during this time the sun comes up. I'm so excited to turn off my headlamp. If you ever wonder about running throughout the night, my experience is that it's not the sleep deprivation: it's the hours on hours of darkness with only this tiny window of light. One of these sections is longer than Dr Horton claims, and I'm becoming frustrated. I just can't wait to see that next aid station, which is where my drop bag will be.

AS7-AS8. With the sun up, at AS7, I change a bit to get out of some cold weather clothes, to be more prepared of the warmth. Dr Horton happily greets and lets me know that I'M IN SIXTH PLACE. I think I had that kinda worked out before, but to here it from the man himself was great. I've switched to handhelds, and have filled them with Gu for the extra fuel, though, as I've been since AS3, I pound down about 3 cups of Mtn Dew. I grab a Fluffnutter slider (Yes, it is amazing) and head out. Just as I leave, I see another runner come in, and I suddenly feel a huge pressure to defend my position. This next section I actually enjoy for the most part. Initially there is some hard climbing. But eventually there's section of "PIOs;" pointless in and outs. They are certainly not pancake flat, but since I'm feel good, I find most of it runnable, and I enjoy the zig-zagging. By the end, I'm fading a little bit, but the aid station is near.

AS8-AS9. This is my absolute lowest point of the race. At the aid station I fill up my bottles, down my Mtn Dew, grab a few tater tots. This is the "lunch" aid station for most people, but it's still about 9:30-10ish for me. Then I get the worst tidbit. The AS worker tells me the next section is down hills for a ways then flat. I know this has been called "the FOREVER" section, but down hill and flat? I can deal with that. It is true that there was a fair amount of down hill for a while. But once we cut into the woods, it because very clear that it is not flat. While maybe not the steepest, this is some of the worst climbing of the entire day. That leaf coverage is back, and by now I've resolved to run on it where I can, some places I just CAN'T. I have so many false hopes throughout this section, I wanted to cry. And I was PISSED! Down hill and FLAT?! I'm sure I low of calories, but I'm livid. Every time there's a slight down, I think "this is it" and it NEVER WAS. And I swear I hear the people at the next station, but honestly, that started about 45 minutes before I actually got there.

AS9-Finish. This is IT. I grip a little bit to the AS workers, but I try to only speak positively. Negativity just breeds negativity. There's 6 miles left. Two miles up, four miles down. I head out, run a few hundred yards in and take a bathroom break. And... I felt resolved just to walk. At this point, the line between runnable and un-runnable was blurred. I think twice I ran a few hundred feet. But I kind of had no guilt about walking. It felt like a long two miles. When I got to the top, I felt very stiff. But I worked it out crossing the road, and head down. At this point, it was unmemorable, besides just the elation of getting to the end. My quads were on fire, but I'm so close I just abuse them some more. I'm still paranoid about 7th place right behind me. But I see that 1 mile mark and try to get another gear. I turn into Camp Bethel and try to reach one more. I cross the finish line in 12:37:00. And I get my sixth place.

In the end I think I had a great race. I think I'll always wonder if I went out too hard for those first 7 ish miles through AS2. Could I have closed even better if I had left more in the tank earlier? Perhaps. But what I did did get me to where I needed to be to get sixth, and for that I don't regret it.

Hellgate 100K+

Race weekend is upon us. The past month has been relatively busy. On top of work, there has been Thanksgiving, lab practicals, and finals. But yesterday I had my A&P final just in time to be bored out of my mind these few days before Hellgate.

Tapering down has gone well. Nothing new acting up, and it's been a anxious balancing act with Crossfit. Crossfit is definitely a brand new experience for me leading up to a race, though I usually always had some cross-training exercise I've done leading up to a race. But the higher intensity and strength portions are finicky to work, and this week we were programmed to max out on some power lifts. I think I've done a decent job easing up, by skipping deadlift and squat PR attempts, and scaling and/or modifying the conditioning portions. I just can never tell if my legs feel tired/sluggish/strange from running less.

I'm just getting excited. I'll try and have a race report up afterwards. I'll leave around noon tomorrow to get there in the early afternoon. Race starts 12:01am Saturday morning!


Soundtrack:
"I am a Stone" by Demon Hunter
"The Songwriter" by Staple

High of 75

T-minus 6 weeks until Hellgate. Getting excited. It's been a fun few weeks of training, both for Hellgate, and generally for Crossfit.

Running:
Last week was a recovery week, so weekdays I was doing eights, fifteen on Saturday, and two hours on Sunday. Overall I felt pretty well and on point. For my fifteen on Saturday, I finally felt like I was getting back in the groove. I wouldn't say my long runs have been struggling, but I haven't really been at the pace I've been in the past. The past few recovery cycles, my fifteens have been well over 2h10m, getting near 2:20. Pretty close to my pace for the longer runs, but not typical for me. This past week I was feeling strong and had a good time getting out around 2:05. This week hasn't been too much of a slog-fest, and this morning I did 10 miles at sub-7 pace. Not a HUGE deal - I normally have two or three of these in a training cycle - but exciting to see those numbers. I have two more build weeks, another recovery week, and then a few weeks of tapering.

Crossfit:
I'm still riding the wave of the Triangle Invitational competition I saw two weeks ago. Morrisville placed third, and my brother competed with his box as well. I was amazed to see how far he's come since the last time I saw him compete. Then this past weekend, our own box celebrated its one year anniversary. There was a lot of very cool demonstrations: Super Skippers (nationally-ranked jump rope squad), martial arts, and gymnastics. We had a food drive that collected over 2000 lbs of food, and watched the local Strongman trainers attempt to deadlift 2900 pounds. With the Super skippers, I got some pointers and completed my first double under (two turns of the jump rope per jump); a major goal. This week during workouts I feel like I've made some turning points with handstand pushups which are another major goal. Not quite "prescribed" but I found a way to make some positive progress.

Only negative is I have some nagging in my left leg. Where it is, I can't tell if it's my glutes or my hamstring originates, but hopefully it'll work itself out. Given the running has been going ok, I'm not worried at the moment, but I have my eye on it and I'm being proactive with some foam rolling.

Soundtrack: Though I feel like I haven't found any good NEW music lately
"New City" by The Fold
"High of 75" by Relient K

The Spy Hunter

Such a glutton for pain. As hard as it is to move, that feeling of soreness is incomparable.

I am official registered for the Hellgate 100K[+]. This race is 66.6 miles through the mountains outside of Lynchburg, VA, starting at 12:01 Saturday morning, in the middle of December. I was a little nerve-wracked/apprehensive for a  few days before I received confirmation of my registration. With a limit of 140 or so runners, it is not meant for inexperienced runners, so there is a little bit of "resume" review.

That will take place the 2nd weekend of December. I asked a few days off from work for the race, but also added on a few extra days the following week for some R&R. I kind of wanted to do -to GO - SOMETHING but couldn't really think of something worthwhile. Going hiking or the like would be my idea of fun. But we're talking about the few days after a 100K race, and also in the middle of December. Ultimately, I booked a trip to Boston. I've been there a few times, mainly for regattas with the crew team. A coworker and I were talking about neat cities, and with Boston coming up, I got a little nostalgic. I sort of wanted to visit somewhere new; I had considered some of the Canadian metros (Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa) because it'd be neat to go out of country. But the Boston tickets were pretty cheap, and I KNOW I'll enjoy the city, just to relax. I don't have too much of a game plan just yet. I did notice that Concord is only about 45 minutes away, and I would really enjoying going to Walden Pond, where Henry David Thoreau wrote his book, one of my favorites.

Training has been kicking my butt. In a that good way where you know you're getting something great out of it. MCCF had a great clinic on toes-to-bars (T2B). It was a movement I could do, but badly, and this clinic really helped something click. Yesterday was a brutal leg workout (300 single under jump ropes, death by back squat, and glute-ham raises) which is what's leaving me with so much residual leg sorenes/stiffness. This morning was a good workout, with some handstands, cleans, and rowing. Good times all around. It's been a little empty. Several MCCFers are getting ready for a big local competition, the Triangle Invitational on Saturday and Sunday. I'll probably be able to go cheer on the Rx team on Sunday.

Uh-oh though. David is doing it too, for Crossfit Brave. Who do I support? Bros before box?

Soundtrack: Digging out some HS favorites
"The Spy Hunter" by Project 86
"Alive" by POD

OMG

Maybe it's because I just got done about 45 minutes ago, but I am freakin' wasted. I feel so crazily strung out from running/whatever. It was an intense week with some pretty strong runs. 3 10/11 mile runs at under 7:15/mile pace. A 5:38 1600m at Crossfit on Thursday. Topped it off with 25 miles this morning at Umstead. Oh boy: and tomorrow I get to round it out with another 2 1/2 hours.

That is all.

I'm just tired. Can't think of anything else. Oh. Should be able to register for Hellgate (100K+) this coming week.

Soundtrack:
Dear Agony - Breaking Benjamin
Telescope Eyes - Eisley

I think we have an emergency

As with everyone, life ebbs and flows. I'm excited that it's finally getting to be fall time. On one hand I'm glad to be settling into a weekly routine, but on the other, I get that feeling of being in a rut.

Oh CrossFit AND running. Such a bittersweet relationship. Over the two months or so since I've join CrossFit, I've had three different... issues. First was my foot, which with a few days off from running, resolved. Then, while deadlifting, my back started hurting pretty bad. A couple of days off started the healing process, but it was several weeks before it stopped aching. Now the past week and a half, my right quad has been smarting. This started as just an ache up near the hip. Over time though, it's kind of migrated down near the knee. I can feel it whenever I pivot/stand on the one leg, during first several strides of a run (before it just dully aches for a while), or when tightening up for a lift.

I've taken Tuesday and today off from both running and lifting, and I hope that resolves this problem and I can get on with my routine. But like the other problems, it makes me apprehensive about continuing CrossFit. The biggest questions everyone ask me is if CrossFit has helped my running. I always reply that I won't know until I race. But if I can't run and can't train to then race, then obviously it hasn't. The problem is I'm starting to form some good connections with the other people at the gym; it's hard to leave that kind of environment. And it feels good to get stronger.

I am up for Umstead again!!! I'm officially registered. I was kind of hoping to run casually: not worry about time or placement or anything. After this past race, I realized this is that ONE I want to repeat, for years to come, and that I don't have to race every year. However, I'm entered again as a competitive entry. That qualification is the capacity to run under 17:00, which I thought was doable anyways. But something about claiming to be competitive, I now feel the determination to once again go for broke, and see what I can really do.

Soundtrack:
"Emergency" by Paramore
"Circles" by Flyleaf

Time

Already another post? What is this?

I first got serious about running while I was in college. At the time, I was also not serious about wearing a watch: any timepiece I wore usual got lost or broken within a few weeks. So usually when I went for a run, I would pretty much catch the time on the microwave before stepping out and catch it again when I come back in. I didn't care about mileage or time or any of that stuff. I think it was one summer, when working at the Y as a Duty Officer, when keeping the pool schedule going was critical, I bought a watch and wore it all the time. And this was great for running, because now I could keep track of my running time and compare it.

The thing is, I didn't want to bother with that DURING the run. I just wanted to run by feel, and then after the fact, see how I had done. I began keeping a spreadsheet with my times. So how would I keep track of time, but not do on-the-run analysis? Basically, I got into the habit of starting my watch's stopwatch, and immediately switching to the time of day display, but not looking at it. This way, midway through the run I could see what time it was, but without knowing when I started, I was clueless as to how long I had been running. Since, you know, it's so hard to press that little MODE button to switch to the stopwatch (actually, I did often have to resist the temptation). Nowadays, my mentality of running is so different - meditative, cathartic, whatever - I keep the time display open all the time because I just DON'T get anxious about it.

Why am I writing that history? Well, because now I've gone and purchased a Garmin GPS watch. And now I'm face with a similar problem. The watch is great because now I have more precise measurement of my runs and my pace, and a lot of other cool data. The thing is I still just want to run by effort, and not constantly fret about about some pace. So I'm taking a similar approach. I set the watch so that I'm not looking at the "pace screen." All I see is the stopwatch/time of day. As long as I resist changing to the pace setting, I just see all that data afterwards (which, is very cool). And at some point, maybe I'll get the point where I can look at that data without a care.



I've just been having a good couple of days. My foot problem has resolved fairly well. After another week with reduced-mileage, I'm hitting the road and trail pretty well. I've modified my pace on the days when I run right after going to Crossfit, and I think it's been helping not to be overzealous. The Crossfit is fun and there's a nice community around the gym.

Soundtrack:
Shadow by Red
Earthquake by Family Force 5

Long Time No See

Wow. Has it been since June 10 that I last wrote something on here? If I was one of those mega-blogs, I suppose I might feel kinda bad. But really not a whole lot has been going on this hot hot summer.

I have had no major problems due specifically to the Thunder Rock 100, or to the mater of doing two 100 mile races within 6 weeks of each other. I made sure to take it nice and easy. However, there have a few tough weeks and missteps, from a variety of factors. First, it's hot. I remember last summer when I was in Chapel Hill, and having a markedly slower pace. Of course some of that was attributed to the hilly nature of that area, definitely a lot of it was because of the weather. Definitely at least 15 sec per mile it seems. Secondly, I have a bit of weightlifting. For the majority of the summer, it's been on my own, at the Y. Nothing crazy long and hard, but there were definitely some squats in there, which I could always feel during my runs. And then, last week, I buckled down and joined Morrisville Community Crossfit. Crossfit is a pretty unique mix of exercises. Heavy loading, gymnastics, dynamic lifting... it's hard to explain exactly. If you know what it is, you probably either love it (and are a member of a gym) or you think it's the devil. I'm not a hard convert. But I definitely seen my brother benefit from it. It's in NO WAY WHATSOEVER going to replace my running. However, I want to see myself become as balanced an athlete as I can, and it's a fun community.

This past week, my running got sidelined for a little bit. Everything was fine and dandy, but over my 15 miles run on Saturday, I just had an ache in my foot; afterwards, it felt terrible. I've had issues with stress fractures in the past. It's developed before from either too much mileage, or ill-adjusted sheos. I'm sure adding some of the dynamic lifting from Crossfit didn't help. I also did not respected the rest day (Thursday), which I'm sure didn't help. Lastly, I was experimenting with a pair of Altra zero drop shoes. Even though they are nicely cushioned, they may still have promoted too aggressive forefoot running that stressed the metatarsals. Since it felt similar and in the right location, I decided to be safe now. Better to take a week off now than 4-6 weeks later if it really goes south. It felt pretty much resolved by Tuesday, but I took yesterday and today to do some swimming and enjoy getting settle at the Crossfit gym.

The job front is still in limbo. But that may be OK. I've got the Assessment Center for Durham County in about three weeks, but also some other things going on. I'll hold out for a little bit. I'll just say I'm feeling very proactive and motivated.

Soundtrack:
Reckoning by Pillar
My Enemy by Hans Zimmer (this is an instrumental piece from The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

Let the Summer Come

I guess it's been a while since my last post. There hasn't been a whole lot to talk about.

It's almost too late now to properly reflect on the Thunder Rock 100. There were several ways that the race went differently than Umstead, which may prepare me for future races. Like, I think my hydration was better; I never really felt like I couldn't stomach ANYTHING. They actually had these really delicious flaxseed, oatmeal bars that [they said] you could get at Costco. I really enjoyed using my minimal pack and handheld water bottle. It was much simpler and quicker for refueling at aid stations than having to try and work the bladder in the Nathan pack. I was also surprised that the overnight running didn't bother me too much. I never really felt fatigued from being awake all night; it was more bothersome to be tunnel-visioned with the headlamp.

My recovery has been a little bit more relaxed, now that there isn't another race coming up. I needed it too. My legs got beat up more from TR100 than Umstead, and in the days afterwards I could feel it. I eased back into running much more slowly, though I was still able to begin running after just a week.

There's still no rush to run another race, and I expect to wait until the fall for another major ultra. I only have a handful of races in mind. I had actually been offered a chance to run the inaugural Uwharrie 100 that's going to be staged in October. I ended up passing on that to focus on other races; two in particular. Actually, the first one isn't even a race; more of a challenge. The closest comparison is to when runners like to make Rim2Rim[2Rim] attempts (that is, they try to run from one rim to the other of the Grand Canyon; some times back). Some of those guys like to try and get the fastest time, some just to do the run, but for all of them, it's all guts and no glory. No starting line, no packet, no T shirt, no medal. Just the personal satisfaction. For myself, there's a route in the NC mountains called the Pitchell challenge. You start at the summit of Mt Pisgah and run to the top of Mt Mitchell. Following the Mountain-to-Sea Trail for the majority of the route, it ends up being approximately 100K. Obviously with no organized race/event, I can do it whenever I want. However, October is supposed to be the ideal time to do it, and at the moment that will be my timeline. Secondly, I want to run the Hellgate 100K. It's best known as the last race in the Beast Series. Developed by Dr. David Horton, it's a gruesome race, starting at 12:01am, it's a 100K that feels like 100 miles. I really like the community around these events, but I haven't done one of the races yet, and I'd rather not tackle the Grindstone 100M, and I'd like to take a break from Mountain Masochist.

So far, I have yet to hear back from the Wake EMS about their EMT position. I haven't heard back from Cary either, but they are only just getting started even looking at the applications. The Raleigh Fire Department just opened up recruiting for a fall academy, and I will probably apply as a chance to get into Emergency RESPONSE, even if it's not directly Emergency MEDICINE. In the meantime, I have started working part time for a medical transport company. My brother has been working for them for a while now, and the whole time during my EMT class, hinted that they were looking for folks. So, I contacted them, and started working. I could use full time right now, but I will technically be part time, given I plan to work full time for EMS or the fire department. Still just crossing my fingers.

Soundtrack:

"Saving Grace" by Flyleaf

"Last Resort" by Papa Roach

The Third Chimpanzee

It's taken me a while to get through another book. The previous book I read was Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. This guys has written several books in the same field, and since I found it fairly interesting, I picked up another one. The Third Chimpanzee was actually written back in 1993, many years before Guns, Germs, and Steel. I'll admit this book took me quite a while to get through. I checked out the book from the library, and from looking at my original receipt (which I always use as a bookmark), I had gotten the book way back on March 23. So we are talking about a good two months to get through the book.

The premise of the book is this: human are most commonly related to chimpanzees, of which there are two species in existence. Our genes vary by only TWO PERCENT from chimps, yet we are obviously vastly different from our evolutionary relative. So what about that two percent makes us different? What about us is so unique? Dr. Diamond sets out to understand the traits that make humans "special." Along the way he tackles a wide variety of biological, as well as cultural traits. Probably a lot of them, most people wouldn't consider important (certain sexual features). Others are things we take for granted (art, cooperation, communication).

It's a fairly complex subject. If anything it hints at the nuisances of evolution. Some traits we only share with our closest relatives. Others we share with the strangest of creatures (did you know some ants also practice agriculture and animal domestication?). It illustrates that the evolution of some traits depend a lot on the context and history of a species as well as the contemporary situation that they're in. Another important conclusion is that humans are not unique in our uniqueness. It's just the specific set of circumstances and timeline of events that led to our current stature in the world.

As a read, it's so-so. I think coming off of his other book; I was a bit fatigued with his writing style. Diamond sticks very well to the structure of an introduction, supporting information, summary, which often leads to a feeling of redundancy. Also, a book about human traits, which includes analysis of mass murder and genocide, environmental pollution, cannot exclude some highly opinionated statements. I think he keeps it in check, but just barely. Some of the dire circumstances he wrote about in 1993 would be interesting to see how bad it actually is, now, 20 years later.

I originally planned to read his follow up to Guns, Germs, and Steel; a book called Collapse, which is about what causes societies to fail. But I think I may take a break from some of this social analysis. I've been meaning to read the book "Lone Survivor." I haven't seen the movie specifically because I've heard it's better to read the book first. Hopefully it won't take me a full month.

Thunder Rock 100 2014

Chattanooga, TN. Near the finish for the Head of the Hooch

How to begin a race report about the Thunder Rock 100? A race "mistakenly" measure almost as bad as a Horton race. A race with 3 storms within the first 5 hours. A race with a definite bushwacking section. Probably my toughest race to date. But some of the most incredible memories and experiences I've had in a race.

For most of the beginning, I was immensely worried about being too cold. The forecast was much cooler than I anticipated. It hadn't climbed out of the low- to mid-50s, and here I was standing in a singlet. I was eager to begin running. Despite a forecast of only 10% rain, we were greeted with a downpour and thunder, not 20 minutes before the start. Was this going to follow us the whole race? My concerns of hypothermia were increasing; but the weather abated within 10 minutes.

The race starts at the Ocoee Whitewater Center, which hosted the '96 Olympic whitewater events. It began with a tunnel across a suspension bridge, resonating questionable with the pounding of the runners. We turn off on to trail and off we go! This first sections is pretty benign single track, with various switchbacks for short rollers. Of course it's slow, when at the start there wasn't much room for the pecking order to get settled out, but we are all patient and manage. After a little bit we are back down to the river, crossing at the Thunder Rock campsite. Wee get with the first large climb of the race. Once near the top, the hail starts! Pea-sized balls sting my skin. The temperature is fluctuating like crazy and I'm torn between breaking out the armwarmers and gloves. Probably within this same section, though the hail wanes off, rain and thunder join in. We also get this insane trail jump, aka bushwacking. No marked trail, just a guy tells us to tun let and follow some yellow cones for nearly 1/4 mile. This following section is nearly 10 miles as we make our way to the Deep Gap aid station. Usually aid stations are where lots changes in place occur as some runners take longer or shorter. This section is a mix of single track and very ungroomed ATV trails. It's another 10 miles before we get to the small of Reliance, crossing the bank of the river to the aid station. The hills have kind of tough. I feel ok, but wondering if I'll regret the pace. But the sun is out, and I'm glad I decided to leave off the warm clothing.

The starting area.

Already I can tell some very distinct things about these Wild Trails races. First, part in the course guide that says "flat" or "descending" just means average/by TN standards. Everything are rollers, with STEEP inclines. Second, aid stations are more sparsely stashed compared to Umstead, or a Lynchburg race. From listening to the race director, Randy Whorton (pronounced just like Horton!), he is ALL about preserving the remoteness and natural beauty of the trail. We'll see later that many other runners weren't exactly happy. For Mr. Whorton, course markings are rare. You'll see them at every junction and turn, but otherwise, MAYBE every half mile.

OK, so now we get too some actual flat portions, but unfortunately there's 1-2 miles on pavement that is actually hurting a lot more than the rolling trails. I'm so grateful to reach the Powerhoue aidstation. At 32 miles, this is the first time I've taken to refill my bladder. At first I'm ecstatic that the aid station does spill a drop. Yet, I only make it about six miles until I'm dry! I'm sure my drinking has increased, but drinking in 6 miles what took me 32 before? Now I'm paranoid, and for awhile, I'm getting filled at every aid station which is really time-consuming. Until mile 39 at Coker Falls, we're right next to the river bank. Unfortunately it's incredibly rocking and treacherous. Lots of kneeling and stopping to find the best path around the rock beds.

I couldn't say much about the next part. It's mainly fire road, with several steep climbs, but also with steep descents. There's nothing gentle or gradual about any of these hills. The next aid station is Manning Cabin (I actually later meet the woman who lives there. Who will be going to compete in a 30 hour adventure race later this month!). Suddenly a huge crowd of 4 other guys have caught up to me! It catches me a little off guard, but I try no to show it. It's getting closer to sunset, and cooling off. I pull out my headlamp for the ready, and put on my gloves. This whole next section is knee-killing pavement. It's residential and every home has it's guard dog out (Randy warned us that the county residents are some of the poorest in the country, and not the friendliest). And this point my knee can't decided to cooperate or not. It'll stiffen up at every aid station when I stop moving, and even for a 30 second pee break. Mainly down hill to begin, I chat with one of the guys as we kind of ebb and flow with his main group. We a gradual, but walk-able incline up to the Servilla. It's a crew accessible, no aid, and right at 50 miles! Half way! At this point, I've hitched on with three of the guys who've kept going. And this starts some of the best running I've had.

Ryan, Alex, and Dave introduce themselves, and I keep up. I've felt pretty good about how hard I've worked, and definitely agreeable to their walk/run moments. And it's less awkward than silently yo-yo-ing with them for the next several miles. We're just chatting away about everything, really feeding off each others energy, pushing each other when it's needed. Randy planned for most of this section to be fire roads, since it's all in the dark. I'm going into my first all-night race. We've climbed up to Iron Gap. I'm at my first drop bag location. I change into a T-shirt, and exchange my Nathan pack for a minimalist vest and handheld water bottle. Everyone else takes care of stuff too, but we all agree to stick together. We head on out. We hit another aid station called Bullet Creek uneventfully. The BIG station, 65 miles in, is Starr mountain, is probably the closest in comparison to Umstead. But still, the fanciest REAL food is broth. Ryan is seriously/jokingly craving a grilled cheese that he just can't get. Now we head back out, and we are making out way back to Iron Gap. It adds in some single track. By now our legs are trashed, and the course is muddy, mucky, full of debris. We're all kind of zoned into ourselves and keep focused by calling out obstacles. I think we're finally glad to exit back to the fire roads for 1.5/2 miles back to Iron Gap. I planned on switching to ear warmers (instead of my cap) and exchange for a fresh headlamp, but I'm doing OK on both accounts. I very glad the weather has dipped significantly But now we're back on single track, and bombing downhill too. We're all getting very anxious about the next part.

After some frustrating false hopes (we can see the lights of the camping areas), we reach the Hiwassee River for the crossing. We're all dead. But we have to essentially repel 5-6 feet down the bank to the water. Then, using a safety rope, cross waist deep, freezing, fast-moving water. One wasn't bad enough. We crawl out, only to have to dip back down for another, albeit shorter crossing. We run a couple hundred yards over to another aid station where I have my drop bag. We're about 17 miles from the finish. This aid station has a nice selection and I get to munch on some peanut butter cookies. My stomach held up WAY better than any other ultra. I've done better about having a consistent, steady intake of both calories and water. Even though I have a drop bag here, all I do is reapply some lubricant; I don't feel as cold coming out of the water, and the temperature has stayed agreeable throughout the night. We head out, though I have a brief scare when I get about 200 yards up course when I realized I left my handheld and turn around to get it.

We are now in the longest, most frustrating part of the course. 4 miles with 2200 feet of climbing. I don't think this is as bad as Apple Orchard Falls in the Promise Land 50K, but after 80 some odd miles, it's torture. Nothing but walking. We're a little upset when we realize we took FIFTEEN minutes at the last aid station. This is the one section decide to put on my jacket. We would all be swerving all over the place, except we have the narrowest of switchbacks with barely a foot's worth of cliff before plunging back down the mountain.

As we near the top, Oswald Dome, we get a boost when the sun finally returns. We've made it through the night. At the aid station at the top, the end becomes so near; we're only a half marathon away. We make two pacts: we're going to aim to finish in under 21 hours, but more importantly, we're going all cross the finish line together. Ryan, Alex, and I have helped each other out the last 50 miles, and we'll see it through together.

However, this last part turns into the most irritating two sections of the course. Randy described this as all "mostly flat and downhill." See my statement above. Sure, we have plunging miles of down, only to be turned right back upwards. There's nothing flat about this. Worse, we're wincing over some pavement. The VERY last aid station comes into sight that signals 5.8 miles to go, and we have 1.5 hours to make. Seems doable, and again, it's suppose to be all down hill. Not. At. All. It seems for every mile downhill, we take another quarter to half back up. We're positive the last aid station was misplaced, because it's been WAY more than 5 miles. There's a long section of rock fields worse than Terrapin Mountain. Reminds me a bit of the southern terminus of the Uwharrie trail. WE get back on some un-groomed ATV trails, but it just won't end. We're passing a couple of other runners. Alex is an intense guy. Any time we're passing, we surge. In his words, "when you pass, leave no doubt."

There's little warning as we come around a switchback and see the finish line 100 yards away. Alex, Ryan, and I link hands, and cross the finish in 21:04.

It's an incredible feeling. To compare it too my two years an Umstead, the fatique is like the first year. Within seconds, even walking seems impossible. But we're done, and we got it done. The finish line is very unassuming, almost LESS than an aid station. But we hop in a shuttle and are taken to a nearby rafting center. I get a lukewarm shower. They have bunks, but being up a huge set of stairs, I take a power nap in a rocking chair. Alex's crew is a true testimony to the trail running community. I've only Alex for 12 hours; I've been in the presence of his crew for less than 20 minutes. But they congratulate me like I was their own runner, and they give me a space blanket, no questions asked. I hang out for the next couple of hours. Unapologetically, I devour a cheesburger, four [bite-sized almost] slices of pizza, and two Gigi's cupcakes. I end up just sleeping in my car for about 1.5 hours before turning back to Raleigh. I didn't plan to go all the way home. I'm stopped a little less than halfway in Black Mountain (I love this little town), and I'll make the final leg in a little bit.

Belt buckle and finisher's gift, a WARM blanket

I had to crawl up these to get food.

I'll reflect more on the goals and race execution at another time.

New Horizons

I had a pretty good couple of days. Work was so-so uneventful (until today), and some good stuff with my EMS future. I feel pretty good physically for Thunder Rock next weekend.

I let my mileage build up somewhat over the past few weeks. Not in preparation, because I'm still trying to just recover from the last race. I just like running farther distances. Nevertheless, I felt sluggish. However, I guess over the weekend I had a breakthrough because this week I was doing pretty good. I still need to remember that I still need to taper, and bring the mileage back down over the weekend and into next week.

My plan is to leave Thursday to head out to Chattanooga. I'll stay in town Thursday night, and drive back east about an hour to the start, which is at noon. I'm still not sure how I'll get home after the race. Well... I mean, I know HOW I'll get home. It's more of whether I would brave the trip that afternoon, or linger around for a while, stay overnight, and drive back Sunday morning. The smart thing would be to wait. But the smart thing would also be not to run two 100s only six weeks apart.

Things are wrapping up with Pool Pros. Most of my inspected pools got handed over to their managers, and with only two pools left to be inspected, I was pretty relaxed most of the week. Today was stressful as I had my last two inspections. Crazy as it sounds, I passed and ended this inspections season 14 for 14 (pools passed to pools inspected). I probably have a few more days of work. But my race is next week, and I have a couple different parts to an EMS interview, that I'll have good chunk of time away.

The EMT jobs are in sight! Yesterday, after checking every couple of hours, my certification was finally posted. I didn't really have anything to worry about. I already passed the exam and was waiting for a background check to clear me. Nevertheless, it was a relief to finally see that because for future job interviews/applications I don't have to make a little asterick for that certification.

Furthermore, my brother put me in touch with his employer which is a medical transport company. It involves moving stable patients back and forth between medical appointments and hospital treatment. It's all BLS; anything goes wrong and they pull over and call 911! However, it's some cash flow while I wait to hear back EMS, the first responders, which is what I really want. I've got assessments for Wake County EMS over the next few days. And just yesterday (the same day I got my certification; coincidence?) Cary Area EMS posted that they are hiring. I'm hoping to have good news over the coming weeks.

Soundtrack:

"Arise" by Flyleaf

"Fading Away" by Demon Hunter

The post title is a reference to the third album by Flyleaf (the song is from their second album, Memento Mori).

Next Race

Alright. Promise breaking time.

I had told myself, after the Umstead 100, no signing up for races until July, June at the earliest. I didn't want to have a training mindset. Well, if I sign up for a race, but don't (/can't) train for it, that's still in the "spirit" of that promise, right?

A few days after Umstead, I made the silly mistake of emailing the race director for a race, asking if there was a waitlist or any openings. I really wasn't expecting for there to be any. That is until last week, I got a reply from the race director, saying there IS an opportunity I can use.

So the race? May 16/17 is the ThunderRock 100. It's a trail race in the mountains around/near Chattanooga, TN, held by as part of a race series called Rock Creek. It's not quite like the Lynchburg/Beast Series where you strive to complete every race in the series; it's just a bunch of races, with an overall point series. One of the really cool parts about this race is that it's the inaugural run.

This is mainly meant to be a fun experience, but of course there will be some challenges. Even though the race series has several ultras under its belt, as a first go, there's bound to be hiccups. A video from a training run, shows VERY technical sections of the course. The race starts at noon of Friday, so I will HAVE to be running throughout the entire night. And likely, I'll be attempting it without crew or pacers. I'm somewhat comforted by the fact that I met many other ultra runners who have done races without much support because of travelling long distances.

That race is only three weeks away. I'm still in the recovery phase from Umstead, and it's been steady. Nothing crazy, and if I am doing this ThunderRock, I won't be pushing anything. By the time I could get a longish run, it'll be time to taper back down. I'm too worried about that, and I'll play it by ear.

I'll be interviewing with Wake County EMS just before I go to the race. Wish me luck!

Soundtrack:
Breath Again - by Red
Last Night - by Skillet

Umstead 100 Race Reflections

It's been about a week and a half since the 2014 Umstead 100. During my initial race report I had started to write about some of my reflections and insights I gained from the race. I'm sure some is still there, but a lot of it I thought complicated the reading, and I also wanted it separated out, kind of for my own benefit.

I guess first things first. Did I reach my goal? Well, my "soft" goal was sub-17 hour, and my "hard" goal was sub-16 hour. I made the first, but not the second. Still, like most people, I'm both very satisfied with my PR, but frustrated not to break 16 hours. I had set a goal and didn't meet it. And I don't like to give/make excuses for not having the discipline to follow through.

BUT, I also look at what I was actually aiming for. Sub-16 was really the means to the end. I knew sub-16 was a perfect weather, perfect day goal. Everything had to be going right for it to be "easy" to reach. The purpose was to set a goal that was well beyond my known capabilities, so that I would see how hard I would make myself try.

So, did I reach THAT goal? Overall, I would say yes. At least twice, maybe three times, I had terrible low points. During those instances, I was hurting and told myself that I'd worked hard enough, and could take it easy the rest of the way. Yet somehow I was able to say NO, and keep going.

On of the biggest revelations from this struggle was what I was fighting. I've also supported the idea that our physical limits are really based on the "central governor." Without too many details, it's the belief that our limits are all in our nervous system; receiving physiological cues from our body, and stopping it before we exhaust ourselves to our grave. For me, that mental limit was always manifested in physiological limits. That is, I just felt like I couldn't go any harder. However, during and after this race, I realized a lot is NOT subconscious. I was rationalizing to myself that I didn't need to run harder. I was consciously thinking that "reaching my goal isn't really that big a deal." If you think about it, it's really scary. It makes "mind over matter" seem easy compared to what boils down to "mind over mind." Or, put another way: it's not like this third person experience. You always seem like you're fighting this "other" person. But in the moment, it's just you, and and you are totally in control of your thoughts and decisions.


With that, a few of nitty-gritty analysis comes out.

1. I need to talk more to my crew about how I'm feeling, both good and bad. If I'm feeling bad, I need time to ease up to collect myself. But then when I'm feeling good, if I say things like above "I've worked hard enough... I just want to take it easy the rest of the way" then they know it's time to pick up the pace again.
2. I still have gotten the nutrition down just right. I did a better job of forcing down gels and stuff. But I wasn't as good about sipping my HEED later in the race. I think I want to experiment more with the handheld, because it was easier to get water that was cooler. The problem is carrying enough gels, particularly when I move toward more remote trails/races
1. I will say that having experienced the GI discomfort last year made me at ease with it this year. I was't freaking out as much about what the hell was going on.
3. Some of it may be learning to eat more frequently. During training I stick pretty much to 100 cal (either in gel, blocks, sports beans) per hour. That's meant to get me to keep going on less. And that's usually just enough to keep from bonking on the longer runs. But I'm guessing the big jump in calories/hour in the hundred is what's getting to me.

So what to now? I don't want to sign up for any fall races until June or July. I want several weeks of unstructured base building. It never really feels like training. I first experienced this around New Years, when I postponed my buildup for Umstead, and I think it gave me several weeks for good mileage, but without the stress of trying to hit training goals.

My recovery is going GREAT so far. The first few days were of course painful. I've got a good regiment of using The Stick in the morning, and using the foam roller in the evening. Last Thursday I started some easy spinning on a stationary bike. Saturday I went for a easy three mile run. I know I may be flirting with disaster: last year, two weeks out it was PAINFUL and I wasn't finally good to go until four week out. But I PROMISE I'm listening to my body (really, if I think about it, I didn't even want to for those first two weeks). And my body told me "RUN." I alternate days of spinning and easy 3 milers. I'm fully prepared to stop at the first sign of trouble.

Even though I'm not going to register, I have to admit I am looking at races. There's so many cool ones out there. I've got some pressure to go for the Grindstone 100, which is just up near Lynchburg. It's tempting because, though I haven't done it, I know a fair bit about the race and the group that organizes it so it's somewhat familiar territory. But then, that's what would be challenging about going to a race that isn't so well-known [to me].

I also do NOT want to run any looped courses.

Soundtrack:
David has got me hooked on movie theme songs. So far:
Thor 2
Man of Steel
Iron Man 3
Captain America 2

Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run 2014

I'm starting this Sunday morning, at 5:18am; about 6 hours, 50 minutes after I finished the race and have failed to be able to get to sleep.

**Late morning extra** Went to breakfast at the State Farmers Market. Killed some bacon, eggs, and a monster pancake.

Pre-race: Even though it was the "secret" goal, most people knew I was aiming for a sub 16 hour finish. My competitive entry "mandated" a sub 17 hour finish, but I truly wanted to push the envelope. Last year, at my first 100, I had no goals, and while it was very tough, I don't remember feeling forced to overcome my body. 16 hours was perfect because a) it WAS far enough ahead to be truly challenging, and b) at 8 laps, 16 hours was an easy 2 hours per lap. My timing was incredibly tight; the difference between 17 and 16 hours was only 7 1/2 minutes per lap, which can EASILY snowball.

The week and a half before the race, the forecast was scary, flirting with the mid- to upper 70s, dipping higher and lower as we counted down. All week leading up to the race, I was incredibly nervous. Do I really have to do this?

Friday morning: That's all gone. I woke up, did an easy shake out run, and COULDN'T WAIT to get going. I volunteered at packet pickup, which gave me the opportunity to get a prime spot for a crew, and get settled pretty stress free. I rambled with the other pickup volunteers: Tom who was a multi-year, multi-race veteran, Caitlin a volunteer pacer, and Dana who was doing her first one hundred. I LOVE hearing everyone's stories, and that was no exception. I'll breeze over the rest of the evening, as we have race briefing, dinner, and Greg and I do a basic run down of my gear.

RACE MORNING:
I get up and munch down on some energy bars at my 4:30 wake up. I had moments where I had fallen asleep, but not being much of a pre-race sleeper, that didn't bother me. My roommate and I traded back random wake ups for midnight bathroom breaks. Over at HQ, Greg and I did another run through, and I chatted with all the guys I knew; racers, volunteers, staff.

LAP 1:
Right on time, the cannon fires, and we're off at 6:00. I place myself away from the front to get myself to get a good pace. I past most people within the first mile and half along the airport spur, but I'm not really worried at this point. At way point 1 (WP1), I grab a cookie. I'm still in that seesaw stage with most other racers; some of these hills a runnable, and there's a mix of strategies; I'm among the runners. For this lap, as planned, I'm running the LONG hill up ORCR before Turkey Creek. From the intersection with Reedy Creek Lake until aid station 2 (AS2), I chat with a guy, Jonas, from Rolesville who recognized me from the Mountain Masochist Trail Run. Here I take a long needed pee break, grab some easily digested fruit and water, and continue on my way. Having stopped, several guys get past me. Along North Turkey Creek, the seesaw hits the extremes, and I see people running some truly steep sections. For a few, I get caught up and run before I planned, but I ended getting a hold of myself. As we're coming down Graylyn, we finally introduced ourselves; one guy Mike I had met on lap 1 last year, and though stayed a head of him, it was only about 10 minutes. I also meet Traci, who had won the race in 2012. We're all pretty similar; Mike wants under 17; Traci under 16.
** Perspective ** There's a big difference between advice/encouragement give from mid-/back-of-the-packers and these front runners. And fourth runner who was with us was on his first 100 and wanted a 22. Most mid-/back would have give some encouragement: "Wow, well good luck to you." Traci and Mike were straight up: "Dude, slow the "f*ck down!"
** At WP1 I grab Gu to save my stash. I grab a hat from Greg back at HQ, who, after this lap, easily adjust to my shorter transitions. I've tried to be extremely specific in my requests. I think Traci and Mike said we were in around 1:54.

LAP 2:
I'm running the same sections as before. Most of this lap I'm running within a few 10s of yards of Traci and Mike. They are walking some of the hills I'm so use to running, but Traci is obviously great on the downhills, so overall we're pretty even. I left them as I ran up ORCR and they walked, but by 1.5 miles to AS2, they caught up and we stay together. I made a strategy changed, and plan to start walking some of that the following lap to save some energy. We continued our seesaw, and mostly piecemeal conversation, but were doing good. I add one hill as a walker but overall stick to my plan and don't lose time. It's incredible how fast Traci is on the downhills (she unabashedly LOVES them, even 4-5 laps later). I like the downhills; I just can't run them as fast. I grab another Gu at WP1 and keep on going. We're in right at 3:45. It's 15 hours pace, but I'm OK because I need some extra time. Greg and I have a good trade off, and I tell him to have the HEED ready for lap 5.


Lap 3&4. Probably some of the toughest laps because I'm still without a pacer. Mike's dropped off, but Traci and I still go back and forth. I'm quicker out of the aid stations and I think she's losing speed. It almost takes an hour to the next aid station, but she's gets on back. My walk/run ORCR feels good; only a minute slower to AS2 that before. Overall Lap 3 is in at 5:40, so not as quick. I've switched to HEED and it tasted better, but it's hot and nothing taste good going in. I'm force feeding/drinking at WP1. It leaves me bloated, but perks me up after a couple of minutes. I'm right at 7:40. With a 2 hour lap, I'm cooked, and tell Greg I can't do better than that. I'm thinking 2:05's if I'm working, but I honest could care less if I dropped to 2:30's.

Lap 5:
But holy crap! I've gotten my first pacer, Emmeline. She's good friend of Daren and Tood, but I've never met her, I didn't have great expectations. Those were unwarranted. She was simply amazing, and my spirits soared. When we talked about the race, the encouragement was dead on, but she also distracted me brilliantly. At the fuel spots, she asks what I want. I mostly know it when I see it, and from her I just want her to keep talking. We had a lot in common (she had gotten a Masters degree in Chemistry from NC State), and worked as pharmacists for a drug company on a really neat ailment (dilutional hyponatremia). We slowed a bit to 2:10, but I knew it would happen, and felt good that we kept that. I think I'm staying on top of my nutrition. My intake at the way points and aid stations is consistent, but I'm drinking less. I'm urination way darker, and way less than I did last year. I just keep trying to do the best I can.

Lap 6:
Another low point. I've picked up not-my-brother David, who I had met while coaching Masters swimming. He does a good job, but he's not the bubbly personality that Emmeline was. I guess I should've told him to talk, but I don't, and it's too quiet for my taste. He also asks me I want to walk at certain points, which is really the opposite motivation if you're trying to keep running. He's a very "maximize-efficiency" runner and tries to get me to run a certain spot of the trail which is unnerving. To be fair, I think I'm just hitting my bottom, knowing that even after 75 miles, I still have 25 miles to go. At some point Traci passes me with a gale-force second wind. However, I feel good because I feel that I've perfectly honed my walking/running points. I have all my landmarks in my head, and stick to regiment. I really think that determination, not to push the body, but to stick to the routine, kept me going. Hitting 2:10 again, we're to an average 2 hour lap, which unless I'm faster on the next two, 16 hours is gone.

Lap 7:
Todd. We start out kind of rough. Like last year, I need have to remind him several times to NOT run in front of me before he settles down. Starting lap 7, I feel like I just want to get through this lap well (another 2:10 is good) and just sandbag lap 8 for whatever. Todd's style is different, he's a good motivator, which perks me up. I get rid of eating Gu's and focus on true love; Sports Beans and Shot Blocks. I guess just that it's sort of solid food, but so much more digestible. It takes a while, but I hitting another high point. I hope it last until I get going on lap 8. I'm not sure what time I pass the timing mat, but I don't leave my crew until 2:18, but I had some major gear change, with my shirt, hat headlamp, and fuel pack.

Lap 8:
Again, I was resigned to sandbag this and just make it a victory lap. But I'm still on another high. Pace and pain be damned, but I still hit all the right running and walking landmarks. Nicole and I keep up a conversation. I'm so amazed, and proud; hills I felt sure I would walk, I'm digging deep to keep on running. My legs are on fire. But after seeing it for 8 laps, I see the sign "Pain is temporary, Pride is forever" and I keep up my strategy. We crest Cemetery Hill for the last time, a mile to go, and I'm start gunning it as best I can. At half a mile, I send Nicole up for the heads up. I crush the pain deep down and hurl myself down.

I come in at 16:28:49, within a minute of an hour improvement.

The rest is a happy blur. I do better to keep walking around. I'm wary of hugs and slaps on the back: my skin is sunburned and badly chaffed from my pack. This time I'm able to walk back to my car. David and I just get to make it out of the park for the 11 o'clock gate.


**Final Nutrition thoughts**
I used WP1, AS2, WP1 again, and HQ as my points of fueling. Besides the first lap, both WP1 stops were Gu stops, AS2 and HQ was solid fruit with Gatorade (once or twice Mtn Dew or Ginger Ale). I switched from water to HEED in my pack on lap 4 (mile 37.5) when it warmed up and took a S-cap (electrolyte pill) every hour. Initially the HEED tasted great, but when it got even hotter, that, as well as everything else got grosser.

I sucked down HEED, but also tried to increase my calories at my fuel stops. Both WP1 switched to a cup half Gatorade - half water, a Gu (eaten quickly before I spit it out), chased with a cup of water. I did that from lap 4, maybe until lap 5 around lap 7 and half-ish. AS2 and HQ was an additional cup of liquid fuel. I had a love hate relationship with this strategy. Everything tasted gross, and I had to chug to liquids before I'd throw away a half-sipped cup. That left me churning, but after 10 minutes or so, I could really feel the pick-me-up. Later, I was switching to Sports Beans and Shot Blocks; don't ask me how, but these really hit the spot over Gu's and were quite a blessing. Todd and Nicole were great at piecing them out.

One of the biggest take-a-ways was having a routine and sticking to it. I've always tried to take a more flexible approach. But I appreciated that when I didn't really feel like I could trust my gut, I just followed a regiment that I knew and in the end, dragged me through.

BTW. I changed shirt at mile 50. A friend along the course goes "New shirt, new man!" Another girl I was passing goes "Do you mind just taking it off and running just a little bit ahead of me." Loved it! Can't say I haven't wished for similar when the NC State team is out there.

So now it's all about taking it easy. I won't do much running for a bit, but work will keep me moving around, which I think helps mitigate the stiffness. I don't plan on even signing up for a race for a while; just let any running being about enjoyment.

[Last Minute] Umstead 100 Motivation

Echelon by Pillar "... drive one, pressin' on till we reach the top; and you know we don't stop"
Dive by Disciple "I'll run and not go weak/ walk and will not faint/ climb the highest mountain and dive off"
ISHFWILF by Disturbed (originally by U2)
Worth it All by Disciple "Forgetting what is behind/ I'm going straight head/ And I will run with a passion until I reach the end/I won't let my eyes move left to right/I'll with all my heart/ I'll give it all I've got"
I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin "I will not bow/ I will not break"
Blow Me Away by Breaking Benjamin "Only the strongest will survive"


"If you wanted a guarantee you wouldn't have signed up ..." - How to Be Epic, Runner's World

"Only those who risk going too far can possible find out how far one can go" - T.S. Eliot

Final Countdown

The Umstead 100 is five days away. It's the final stages of my taper. It's always hard to tell if I'm feeling good. My legs are exhausted when I go up the stairs, but since I'm not used to that, I don't know if they feel "normal." The weather is going to be interesting. Mid 70s, and I've seen it go back and forth between whether or not there'll be rain and/or thunderstorms. That forecast makes me kinda scared and frustrated. If I want to be able to finish, it will probably mean passing up an attempt at going under 16 hours. On the other hand, I feel incredibly excited. It's the same way I felt when we had those wickedly cold days, and slick roads. I'm Barney Stinson: "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED." It's been a while since I've had a RACE where the elements truly challenged me and I can't wait to see how I overcome.

My next blog should be my race report.

I'm going to be come up on ANOTHER career move. I'm starting to look for full time work in EMS. I was planning on staying in my current job through the summer. I had made the commitment, which I wanted to honor. However, ever since my EMT class ended, I realized how anxious I was to get into EMS as soon as possible. So right now, my eyes are open for jobs. Last Friday I took the exam for the National Registry of EMTs. NREMT is the national agency which credentials EMS professionals from first responders up to paramedics. While it's technically not a license to practice, 46 states use it as their own certification and license to practice. It's actually not required in NC, which has it's own state certification, which I'll be testing for in about two weeks. Even though it wasn't required, I thought taking the NREMT exam was a good idea. The exam was much harder than I expected (and than my brother let on!), so I was worried waiting over the weekend. But all for not, I got it.

Not much more for this blog. Again, next will be the race report.

Soundtrack:
"Man of Steel" theme by Hans Zimmer (GREAT motivational song)
"Still Into You" by Paramore (sorry, I like this band. So sue me)

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Well, I finally got done reading the latest book. This past weekend I had my final build week and now, I'm beginning my taper. Oh, and EMT stuff. In reverse order:

First, my EMT class. The previous Saturday (March 8), I had my last EMT class, where we took our final exam. The previous couple of classes, were our TSOPEs (Technical scope of Practice Examination), which test our ability to assess and treat patients in basic scenarios. With all the stress that entailed, they really weren't all that bad, if not involving WAY more waiting to test, than actually testing. Anyways, those finished up that Tuesday, and our final written test was that Saturday. My stress level was about where it usually is. I KNEW the material, but so many of our other tests had such poorly worded questions and answers. I was worried about something tripping me up and there was a lot of information. My fears were all for naught though. The test was incredibly straight forward, almost as if a completely different institution had written it. I knocked it out pretty quickly. Checking later that day, I passed!

Now, completing that exam does not make me a licensed EMT-Basic. I am now eligible to take the State exam. Due to the state's registration deadline policies and whatnot, my exam date will  April 12. I am somewhat apprehensive about making sure to retain my knowledge; I'm terrible about use-it-or-lose-it. But there is a National Registry of EMTs test that I would like to take (it's complicated, but in NC, the National Registry is not required), and I think that will help keep me on my toes.

I'm finally into the taper phase of my training. Over the weekend was my last long day, and boy was it long. I split my normally single, 35 mile run into three runs of 10 mi, 10 mi, and 15 mi, all at different times during the day. My goal was to spread out the fatigue and get acquainted with running at times I don't normally run. It was an OK day. My pacing was fine. It was very warm for the later runs, reaching into the 70s. Furthermore, my eating in between runs wasn't really idea. The second runs I went in feeling full and bloated. I really don't think my GI tract has recovered, and I've been dealing with stomach aches since, so that was no good. My legs have felt pretty ragged; I cut about 3/4 mile from my run this morning and still finished in my normal time. This is somewhat to be expected; but I'm making sure to take it easy. No is not the time to push, but to heal.

It took me a long time to get through my recent read, Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. The book is pretty long and written very much in the style of academia. Dr. Diamond has written several other books, kind of in the vein of historical anthropology. The predecessor this book sought to investigate the huge differences in chimps and humans, given that we share 98% of our DNA. He has written several follow ups that look at environmental consequences and factors that effect the most immediate modern world.

In Guns, Germs, and Steel, the premise is to understand how our environment has shaped our societies and cultures. Not on a global scale; rather how have differences in the geography, climate, ecology, etc. led to the dominance of Eurasian cultures over cultures in the Americas, Australia, and Africa. Dr. Diamond likes to dig deep. Instead of sticking to immediate causes, such as food production, population, and technology, he explains what caused the causes. Very simple, but also subtle solutions are given. Things like the differences continents that extend east-west instead of north-south; or that the Americas were populated later than Eurasia.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Some of the enlightening points are the facts so much of our current food production relies on so very few crops. So many organisms that place is "known" for (Native Americans as great horsemen, Middle America and wheat) are not native at all. The complete diaspora of crop production and animal domestication is truly astounding. On the flip side, some of the book can be incredibly redundant. Many of the causes can apply to any culture/continent, with differences just in the fine details (cows vs. llamas, corn vs. yams, etc.) so you'd hope the author would speed things up. But like most academic to public writers/books, he doesn't infer anything from previous examples, and he details the proofs in every case. That's probably what led to me taking so long to finish the book.

Not sure what I'll read next... suggestions?

Soundtrack:
Sorry, I got nothin'.

Almost There

We're hitting the home stretch of our EMT class. We were actually supposed to finish this past Monday. However, the weather really messed up our schedule. In order to meet the minimum number of ours, we're meeting a few more times next week. The big damper from this hiccup is that it will be several more weeks before I am able to take the State Exam to become a certified EMT-Basic. For me, that's not too problematic; while I'm eager to volunteer or work part-time, I'm not actively pursuing any leads. However, several other students in our class are applying to jobs in Durham, and those prospects could be in jeopardy if they aren't able to become certified in time. For myself, I'll do my best to get into the earliest test date that I can get, barring any work conflicts.

Unlike most of the other students, I will probably try to take the National Registry Exam. As you probably assume, it's the national certification that is used/accepted in essentially every state (minus North Carolina and three others). Why take the national exam? There aren't many practical reasons: I would feel 99% sure that I'll be staying in NC, and so the national certification isn't necessary. But I think it is easy additional skill set. If there is a slight chance I leave NC, I already have the widely accepted certification. And I think on any resume, a national-level certification could potentially out-shine a state certification. The continuing education requirements are higher (same number of hours, but in only 2 years vs 4), which encourages me to maintain a higher level of professional development.

I am also almost down to one month until the Umstead 100. I'm feeling good about my training. Shamefully, I have abandoned most of my speed sessions. I never liked speed work to begin with. And as I've said before, since Mountain Masochist, I've been consistently several seconds per mile faster. I think further trying to "drop the hammer" could be more harmful than good. Seriously, I've had to do more to force myself to SLOW DOWN every so often, rather than speed up.

Just of few more weeks of serious training. Well, I mean, this is one weekend long run, a recovery week, and then a last build/ON week. Then I start to taper. I may modify my taper a bit at the two week-out point. In the past I've had a 4 hour Sat/3 hour Sun. Except last year at Umstead when I was extremely sick and didn't run AT ALL. I don't think that was ideal, but I don't think it hurt. And given how solid my training has been thus far, it might be worth it lower the training volume even more to be particularly well-rested.

I want to try to find some way to include cool articles or blogs I find. I discontinued my Tumblr account, but I think it could be usual for this (the old, but unused list should still be on the right side of this blog.).

Soundtrack:
"Girls of Summer" - The Ataris (cover)
"All of the Memories" - The Classic Crime

Snow Ice Ride Along

***2/14 UPDATE***
The roads are a bit worse this morning. Yesterday it was wet and slushy. This morning there was that paper thin ice where I busted my ass twice. I had to run on the pot-marked sidewalks which is worse than running through sand.
*** ***


A not-too-bad few days.

My weekend long run was 35 miles. It felt pretty good, without really any issues. I was testing out some new hydration systems. Normally I just wear my Nathan vest; this holds a relatively large bladder, and pockets on the front where I store most of my gels and bars. This weekend I ran with a minimalist vest and a handheld water bottle. Overall, there wasn't anything fantastic or horrible about the change. However, I think it's a good idea to try out new systems or equipment. If something just does NOT flow, then you'll know not to use it. Or if it works out, then if something goes wrong with your go-to-gear then you're confident and familiar with your back ups.

Sunday was a fun day. I did a ride along with the Cary Area EMS. It was a 0700-1900 shift with a truck off of High House. When we got a call right at 0730, I got excited that it was going to be an eventful day. Unfortunately, like my last ride along three or four years ago, we only ended up with two calls all day. Nevertheless, after going through most of my EMT class, I felt better prepared to notice how the paramedics worked (patient assessment, secondary assessments, treatment), and ask pertinent questions.  I think it will do me good to do more ride alongs as necessary and possible. Since Sunday, I've definitely felt more motivated and committed to excelling in my class and this field. Depending on how things go at work, I'm going to try to work out volunteering with a local unit.

And of course, this week (and right now), we've some CRAZY weather. Tuesday there were some false-alarm flurries. Wake Tech cancelled class; this was frustrating because it causes a huge hassle to reschedule the hours we're required to have. However, midday Wednesday, things really hit the fan. We hustled early and closed up work around noon. I wasn't paying attention, and was awed to see how much it was snowing around 2:00. It just kept on coming, and eventually turned over to sleet/freezing rain. I'll leave it to you to see all the pictures on the internet of the gridlocks.

Personally, stuff like this REALLY makes me wish I was better prepared to be a contributing member to help people. I don't know if I'm just ill-equipped or just too timid to "jump in," but sometimes I really think I could be doing a lot more to be a good citizen.

I GOT that chance this morning! I was out for a run (OK, so Thursdays are off (from running) days. But I just HAD to get out in this stuff!). I came across some guys stuck getting out onto Chapel Hill Road from a side street. Helped them push on out. They were lucky. Over the rest of the run, I saw about 5-6 cars abandoned around the NW Cary area I live.

Still making my way through my next read. This week is also a recovery week. Normally this just means fewer miles. However, I also made a conscious effort to run slower. Ever since MMTR, I've been about 15-20 seconds per mile faster. This is great. But in the past, even after 2-3 months, when I think I'm safe from blowing up, I do blow up and struggle for several weeks. So now, I'm intentionally taking a week to slow down my pace and hopefully keep a full charge.

Soundtrack:
"Currents" by Eisley
"In Shallow Seas" by Emery

So Others May Live

My next read was a book called So Others May Live by Martha LaGuardia-Kotite and Tom Ridge. The book offers a collection of stories about Coast Guard rescue swimmers (technically known today as Aviation Survival Technicians (ASTs)). So Others May Live is the motto ascribed to them, taken from a quote given by a member of the US Lifesaving Service back before it became part of the Coast Guard. I REALLY enjoyed this book. When I was first looking into joining the Coast Guard, my ultimate goal was helicopter rescue. Obviously that path has diverged quite a bit. But taking an EMT class, looking into fire and rescue stuff, it's clear that I'm still itching to do this. I'm getting near the end of my class, and I'm not sure whether the medical side or the rescue/response is where I want to concentrate, but I AM going down those roads. Ironically, though I'm on the last leg of my Coast Guard IRR commitment, I can't honestly rule out pursuing that again.

Book to come? Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond.

After a few weeks easy, it's back to the grindstone. Another 30 miles today. The trails were still pretty snowy and icy from our frigid weather earlier this week. The day after (Wednesday) was kind of a tough run. I didn't do my hill repeats, but the run was still crazy tough. The rest of the week wasn't so bad, just cold. My hands still get crazy cold, though I've been wearing some hefty-feeling ski gloves.

All the weather put work on hold. For some reason, it's kinda hard to clean pools when it's snowing. I totally understand that, but it isn't that great for the whole making a living thing.

Soundtrack:
"Dark Horse" by Katy Perry - Sorry, but I heard it on the radio before my run, and it was the ONLY song to get stuck in my head the WHOLE 5 HOURS
"Heavy" by Collective Soul

Little River Trail Run

This morning I ran the Little River Trail Race. Consisting of a 10 mile and 7 km race, this event is held on in the Little River Regional Park in/near Hillsborough. Interestingly, I learned that my great-grandmother used to live just a few miles away, like 1905 (they moved to Durham... when Duke St used to be a dirt road). It was cold morning, staying in the 30s most of the day. Out in the sun, I thought it wouldn't be that bad, but it was pretty windy which made for a brisk day.

After running 30 miles last week, this was going to be a recovery week. I essentially trained as a recovery week. However, given my normal weekend long run would be 15 miles, and me being me, I felt compelled to run 5 miles before the race this morning. So I was up at 5:00am to get that in. It was a very relaxed pace, though I knew there'd probably be some detriment to the Little River. This race was also my dad's first trail run; he was doing the 7k. So I met at my parents house, and we all went up to the race.

The race itself was hard and difficult. The start of the run I could definitely feel stiffness in my legs. Also, within the first few miles, I had to stop for a pee break. Only a few strides later, I took a wicked branch to the face. It happens all the time so I thought nothing of it. But when I wiped my nose, I was startled to see bloody snot (snotty blood?), and when I spat, there was blood. That eventually stopped, but it was little peculiar. The first two miles of the race flew by, and felt I'd get by without too much suffering. But 4 miles seemed to creep by, and the middle miles slowed to a halt. I was passing many people - less as the race went on - but rolling technical hills were really taking a toll. In the end, I pulled out a 1:16:XX (don't know the seconds); within my estimations of 1:10 - 1:20, but definitely not near the faster end. My dad did GREAT for his first trail race (or trail run, period). Though he didn't have a basis for setting an hour goal, he came in at around 54 minutes.

Though I'm sure I could go right back into a build week, I'm taking another week at recovery mileage. There's not really a need to, except lines up the rest of my training pretty well.

After reading The Story of the Human Body (by Daniel Lieberman), I read The Sports Gene (by David Epstein). In this book, the author address the issues of nature vs nurture; talent vs training. I don't have as strong an opinion on this as I did Human Body. But it is a fascinating perspective. There's an interesting field of genetics called epigenetics. It's the study of how genes can be modified. This mutations are frequently causes of cancer or other maladies. And while I think the exact mechanisms for gene modifications from specific actions, I think the basic ability truly shows that nature and nurture are unavoidably linked. Your baseline influences your talents. But you can't really become great without some training that is persuaded by your talents. I think the great thing about the book is that it illustrates how different every single individual is. And really, some people get to be great by talent, some by training.

I'm not sure what I'll be reading next. I ordered two books online: So Others May Live about Coast Guard rescue swimmers, and Guns, Germs, and Steel about geographical and environmental influences on modern society.

Soundtrack:
"Listening to Freddy Mercury" by Emery
"Currently" by Keaton Simons

The Story of the Human Body

My training season has officially begun with the new year. This past weekend I began upping my long run to 25 miles; this weekend I will hit 30. This past week or so has offered some pretty spectacular challenges, namely the cold weather. My dilemma is nowhere near what people in the northeast and midwest are facing. But the temperatures are ones I have not had to tackle before, which left me both nervous and excited.

My 25 miles was WAY early in the morning; I had an EMT class at 9, so I was up at 2:15 am for a 3:00 (ended up 3:15) start so I could be done before the class began. While not as cold as today, the weather was brisk at 20 F with wind chill into the teens. Like most of these runs, the main discomfort was my hands. If you don't know, my trail name is "Mittens." Whatever the pathology is, the circulation to my hands gets pretty bad, so they get cold pretty easily. Even though I had used hand warmers under my two layers of gloves, I still had some painfully stiff and chilly hands. On a curious note: it came and went in stages, so at about 1:30 - 2:00 hours in I could hardly stand it, but half an hour later, it was no big deal. Probably the most concerning part is that the drink tube for my hydration pack froze even though I tried sipping ever mile or so. This meant a long time without water. Probably the most FUNNY part is that when I got done, the back of my jacket was FROZEN SOLID because of the sweat that had run down.

This morning (Tuesday), we had temperatures in the single digits, wind chill just below zero. Oddly enough, this run went GREAT. I was bundled very nicely, but I still expected to be frigidly cold. But not really. I used some heavy duty ski gloves and hand warmers (still got cold near the end), and there wasn't much to it. What I did learn about myself is that, at least down to those 0 F, I can't go very long with something covering my mouth.  I felt much more relaxed after a pulled down a gaitor I had covering my mouth and nose, and the cold air didn't bother me.

I finished the book I mentioned: The Story of the Human Body, by Daniel Lieberman. In this book, the Dr. Lieberman details a lot of the evolutionary changes that led us from apelike origins to where we are today.

What I really enjoyed about the book is that the author isn't limited to the biological changes that took place. In the book, the Agricultural Revolution and the Industrial Revolution are CULTURAL changes, but very much an evolutionary step. I will say his take on the role of these last two changes is a bit ambiguous. While including them among the evolutionary heritage of humans, he clearly sees them as detrimental. Yet he acknowledges that he himself lives well within the adaptions of modern life. He very objectively lays out the facts of this double-edged sword. As a scientist, I applaud this approach, but I kind of wish there was more insight/conclusion as to whether we are the better for it. One of my predicaments, particularly in regards to fitness, health, and nutrition, is how exactly modern advances play into optimization. Trends like the Paleo diet seem to concluded that recent advances such as eating grains are malicious and unnatural. My predicament, and one I think well-described in this book, is that modern behaviors (again, grains) do have disadvantages, but that does not make those behaviors unnatural.

A recurring proposal of Dr. Lieberman's is that evolution, via natural selection, doesn't necessarily chose traits that are the healthiest. Rather they select for traits that lead to the most reproductive success. For example, humans (rather they're ancestors) were once just foragers: LOTS of fruit and fibrous plants with little to no meat. When we evolved to be hunter-gatherers, it wasn't because red meat made us live longer, but rather provided more energy (from the protein and fat in meat) which was more successful for reproduction. Similarly, the Agricultural Revolution was a NATURAL progression to more stable food source via cultivated food. This led to greater reproductive success; however it decreased nutritional diversity, leading the decreased health.

Near the end, the more interesting subjects were on what Dr. Lieberman termed "cultural buffering." That is, modern culture, which includes medicinal, social, and legal entities, buffer the effects of natural selections. The authors classic example is diabetes: In a "culture-less" environment, it is probably this easily be purged from the gene pool since poor health is undesirable. However, medication mitigates the undesirable poor health, and diabetes doesn't present until after typical reproductive cycles.

While there is a lot more cool facts in the book, I'm going to stop here. Instead, I'll just conclude that it's a fantastic read, and recommend it for those who want an understanding of how we came to be, and why some modern illnesses exist.

BUT my real final note is some speculation on our evolutionary future. Our current "cultural buffering" wasn't a deliberate intervention. But what would happen if we deliberately could STOP it? What would happen? What would it mean? Ending social welfare programs? Would a sort of caste system re-develop? [If you've seen the movie (not the book) The Time Machine] could divergent species eventually develop? It's fascinating, but also scary to think about.

But also cool to think about the evolution of animal life to human. Here's what I think: image bugs that developed camouflage to look like their surroundings. I predict that one day we'll find bugs that look like straws, or McDonald's cups, or ketchup packets. Because if they look more like our products, they're more likely to be overlooks. If they're more likely to be overlooked, they're more likely to live and reproduce, and thus propagate looking like modern products.

Ok, that's it.

Soundtrack:
"Ambulance" by Eisley
"Pressure" by Paramore