Myrtle Beach Marathon 2009

An uneventful but pleasurable drive down to MB on Friday afternoon. It was especially nice driving the Jaguar XK8 convertible, Jerry's wife Lynda's car. Zooooooom !!!! Frank and Karla followed us down and we stopped by the expo as soon as we arrived to pick up our race packets. Saw a few friends but didn't hang around too long before checking in to the Breakers resort and then heading up to the pasta dinner hosted by Mark and Terry Dowd and friends.

4:30 came early on race day but we were happy to find that there was no rain and the temperature was a mild 55F which seemed perfect. We timed our arrival well and only had a short wait before the race begin just before sunrise. All four of us came here not in the best condition and were just hoping to get through the race in decent shape in a reasonable time and not hurt anything in the process. Frank went to join the half-marathoners while Karla, Jerry and I found a spot in the middle for our race.

Our plan was to just start out easy and then taper off so at the gun we eased out onto the course, not worrying about the time as we crossed the early mile markers. Jerry was planning to run with us as long as he could so the three of us were having a good time enjoying the near perfect morning.

By the 6 mile point, I was not feeling bad but I sure wasn't feeling as good as I hoped that early but I wasn't too worried about it just yet. Things change in a race this long so I just tried to relax and settle in for a long day. Jerry was starting to feel very good and by 9 miles he begin to pull away from Karla and I, so we just let him go and stuck to our pace and plan. We went through the half in 2:11 which was very close to the pace we were hoping to hold for the race but I actually wasn't too confident at that point. Already my legs were a bit achy and tired and my energy level was a bit flat. I didn't say anything to Karla but I was expecting that by 16-18 miles I would have to start doing some walking. I was hoping she was feeling better than me.

Things stayed the same for the next several miles but by 17 we were slowing down each mile and Karla was beginning to show signs of fatigue too. I almost had the urge to walk at 19 as we crested "MT Myrtle" but we kept trudging along. By mile 20 I commented to her that I was actually feeling better overall than I had at 14 except that my hip flexors were tired and sore and that our pace was still getting slower and there was nothing I could do about that. And I was thinking to myself that maybe I was actually going to be able to run this whole thing afterall.

And that was about when the rain started. Just a sprinkle at first but by mile 21 a steady rain as we turned into the slight wind along the highway for the next several miles. But despite the deteriorating conditions and our energy levels sinking, the last few miles were quite special as we used the invisible bond that holds two close friends together to push and pull each other to the end. We crossed the line in 4:33:04 to finish our 9th shared marathon. Although nowhere near our best we were very happy with the time considering the past year and lack of training for us both. It was an improvement by a few minutes from last year and 12 minutes faster than her last marathon. Very encouraging as we both look forward to a much better year of running in 2009.

Jerry would hold on to run a great race actually running the 2nd half faster than the first and Frank finished the half faster than he has run in a long time. Quite a few runners from the MTC and NCRC ran great races and fast times and pr's. And sadly some had disappointing days but overall it was another wonderful day at the Myrtle Beach Marathon. It was especially nice to see my good friends Fred and Susan Dummar afterwards. They are wonderful people and it was so nice to se them if only for a few minutes. Fred ran an outstanding 3:34 as a new masters runner and Susan had a good run in the half with a friend.

Will I be back again next year? I don't know for sure just now. With Boston filling up in January now, you can't count on using MB as a last minute qualifier like I did in 2006. I do love the race and would hate to miss it but there are some other things I'd like to do in February like return to Holiday Lake. We'll see. But one thing for sure, I will look forward to running with the Marathon Princess again soon. ( I've talked her into running the Grandfather Mt.!!)

Heading to Myrtle Beach Marathon 09

Once again it is time to make the drive down to South Carolina for another Myrtle Beach Marathon. This will be my fifth year in a row running a race that I wasn't sure I would have ever planned to run. It was my friend Jerry that was probably most responsible for getting me to go the first time. Jerry was the one that introduced me to Karla about a year earlier and he told me that she was going to run the 2005 race as her first marathon and attempt to qualify for Boston. Up until that time she and I were only casual acquaintances and had been on one training run with Jerry and Margo and I on New Years. I decided that I would go and run the race with the two of them and handle the pacing duties. I never knew that would be the beginning of this great friendship and training partnership we have shared these past few years.

I am not in very good running shape now due to last years injuries and Karla hasn't been running too much in that time either. Since I began training again at the beginning of the year we have been able to get in some good long runs the past several Saturdays including a few in Umstead. Training is going well but we aren't in shape to race a marathon just yet, so we plan to just run it together for fun and training. This will be the 4th time running it with Karla with 2006 the only year I ran by myself as I was qualifying for Boston that year.

This will be my 27th marathon and 9th running with Karla. If I'm not racing for a fast time I can't think of a better way to enjoy one than running it with Karla or one of my other friends and I look forward to sharing many more thousands of miles. As always there will be a large group of runners from the NCRC and MTC and I look forward to seeing many of them and hopefully some of you my readers. I'll be riding down with Jerry as usual with Frank and Karla following along. Frank will be running the half again.

The photo was taken by Frank after the 2006 race where I ran my pr and Boston Qualifier of 3:35.

Back to my other hobby

 A couple of years ago I started another blog to track the construction of a model railroad layout I was beginning to build. But then I got busy doing other stuff again and when my son moved back from Florida it got very crowded in my little abode so nothing was done for about two years. Well lately I"ve had a bit more free time on my hands and I've started back working on it. Hopefully progress will continue to be made although it may be slow. Trainng for an Ironman takes a big chunk of time out of a week but this hobby is very relaxing and a good way to spend my resting time in the evenings. The link is in the margins of this blog for your future reference but here it is now for you convenience if you care to check it out.

 Smoky Mountain & Southern RR

snow day Jan. 20th 2009

A rare and beautiful sight here at home. The roads were much too slick to make it into work so I went for a walk in the snow this morning to take some pictures. The snow was still coming down so it's very gray and overcast.

Here is the link to the pictures.

Finally a little hope.

 So how have things been going the past couple of weeks in this new year you may ask?

 Well, I am happy to say that my legs have felt better this week than they have in over a year. Since that test run on New Years Day with Laura, I have been out running 5 more times and it just keeps getting better. I was amazed at how much better I felt a week after that first run compared to how I was huffing and puffing at 10 mp. After just a few 4 mile runs I was running as fast as I usually do if not faster for those short runs. Last Saturday I met Karla for a 10 miler and that went very well and was pain-free. However the next day I was in pain behind my left knee !! What's that all about !?! I was limping around at work Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday it was better and I had a massage that afternoon that helped a lot. We think it was just muscular, no joint problem caused by the weakness in the hamstring from the injury. I rested it until Thursday and then went for a 4 mile run at Lake Johnson. I was almost afraid to run but after a few steps I felt no pain and it ended up being a great run with no problems afterwards.

  I've also gotten on the bike trainer 3 times the past week.  I started with 20 minutes and then 30 minutes the next two times. That went well also. This summer it didn't hurt the hamstrings to pedal the bike but they would be stiff and painful when I got off so I hadn't ridden since mid autumn. There was no pain and tightness afterwards which is a very good thing because I have many hours to put in the saddle over the next 6 months to get ready for the 112 miles I'll have to ride at Ironman Cour D' Alene .

  The swimming is also continueing to go well. I'm still in the pool about 3 times a week and usually swimming at least 2,00yds, or about 1.2 miles each workout. Somedays I do a long continuous swim. On other days I may do a pyramid workout and somedays I do just 100 and 200 yd intervals. Last week I lowered my mile pr once  again to 34:47 and yesterday I did a 100yd time trial in 1:36 which is about 6 seconds faster than ever. Not bad for an old runner.

Looking ahead to 2009

2009 promises to be an interesting one and a lot different than the past several years have been. The biggest difference is that I don't plan on running any ultras this year with the exception of Derby next November, if I feel I'm in PR shape for it. I will probably get in at least one "non-official" ultra in April when I pace the Trail Princess for 37.5miles at Umstead for the 4th time.

There are three reasons why I'm not planning on the ultra's. Number one is that I had DNF's in my last three 100/24 hour attempts and I feel my body as well as my mind need a break from the long ones. Number two, is the injury issue I've been dealing with all year. And number 3 is because this is the year of the Ironman. This will probably be my only attempt at doing one so I have devoted the first 6 months of the year to training for June 21st. After that I will focus on getting some leg speed back and try to qualify for Boston again in the Fall. I promise if I am physically able, I will be back strong into the Ultra's in 2010.

So here are the plans I'm sure of:

Feb. 14th- run the Myrtle Beach Marathon with the Marathon Princess

Mar. 14th- Azalea Festival Sprint Triathlon

Apr 4th- Pace and volunteer at Umstead 100

April 25th- Riverwood Sprint Tri

May 2nd- White Lake Half-Ironman

May 30th- Over the Mountain Olymoic Distance Tri

June 21st Ironman Cour D' Alene

July 11th Grandfather Mountain Marathon

Aug 8th Bandit's Challenge Olympic Distance Tri

Aug. 22nd- Sportsplex Sprint tri

Sept 12th- Patriots Half- Ironman

Nov. 8th OBX Marathon ( Boston Qualifier attempt hopefully)

Nov. 28th - Derby 50K

Happy New Year 2009

Greetings friends and readers. I hope everyone has a great year ahead of them. Mine got off to a pretty good start this morning. I was up much earlier than I needed to be on a Holiday, but so far I haven't missed one of the NCRC Resolution Run 5k's. I've only ran the race one time but have volunteered every other year which is what I was planning this morning.

I arrived around 8 am and spent the chilly hour waiting for the race greeting many friends from the club. I was a course monitor as usual and took my position along with Alan Hughes and Laura The Trail Angel. After everyone had gone past the last time, we ran back up the hill and I went to shed some layers of clothing and go out for my test run. The run went very well and was especially nice since Laura chose to slow down and run it with me. We ran a little over the 5k distance due to missing a turn while we were busy chatting about music and other such things we discuss, and averaged about 10mp for the run. I could sure feel the effort going up the hills but otherwise felt good. And I ran pain-free. I'm still not sure if it's over yet. There is still a little tightness this evening but so much better than before.

Thanks for running with me Laura!

2008 in review

In many ways, 2008 has been a frustrating year. For the first time in nearly a decade since I tore my knee up playing soccer, I have been dealing with pain and injury over most of the year. Prior to 2008, I have really had some great years with my running,achieving goals and taking on challenges I could have only imagine in my dreams that I would be doing at this age. Over those years I've been doing around 10 to 12 ultra's a year and 5 or 6 marathons, I have only completed two ultra's this year. I did complete 6 marathons but all of them but one were slow by my standards.

Like all years there were other ups and downs but we're not going to dwell on the downs. It's time to move on and look back on all the good things about the year. And there were some very good things because they were times shared with my friends, and that is always the best part of any year.

January got off to a good start at the Frosty 50K. I was hoping for a 50k PR, I missed it but ran my fastest race here in my 5th time running it by over 30 minutes. And afterwards I had the coolest blister ever.

February got off to a good start too with a road-trip to Tybee Island with two of my closest friends, Jerry and Karla. This one was my idea and they just went along for the fun as I attempted to qualify for Boston. I failed but we had a great trip anyway and I got to see several other MTC members there too.

Two weeks later we all went down to Myrtle Beach again for the marathon. It's a great race and a lot of fun because so many friends and aquaintences from the NCRC and MTC run it. I was just planning on running with the Marathon Princess this day which is about my most favorite thing in the world to do. She was a bit disappointed in the time but it was a pleasure sharing the miles anyway.

March was mostly training and then the Umstead Trail Marathon. I like the race and seeing a lot of good friends but in 4 races there I have never ran well. This year was again a slow miserable experience but I got to run practically all of it with my partner in pain, Tony Rouse and that is always a good day.

April and the Umstead 100. I love this race although most of the time I just volunteer. This year I had high hopes of running well and improving my 100 mile PR. I still don't exactly know what happened out there. My legs hurt all day but they weren't a factor in my dnf. But even in such a disppointing result, there was much good going on. Especially gratifying was seeing several friends run their first 100 milers, most notably Dorothy Hunter and the most lovely Jenn. I didn't get to pace the Trail Princess Anita for the first time in 3 years but passed that duty on to my friend Eric Nesbit who did a great job keeping her going and in the process covered nearly twice as many miles as he had ever done. I'll will be taking back over the Princess pacing duties in 2009.

In May I headed off to the Dakotas for the first time ever to run the Fargo Marathon with the amazing Italian running machine and close and dear friend Margherita. I knew I didn't have a qualifier in me but was hoping to run with Margo but I began fall apart before I ever reached the 9 mile mark and had a miserable race. Once again though I had wonderful companionship and got to see a part of the country I'd never seen.

A few weeks later in June, I was back on a plane to the Dakotas but this time to South Dakota with Frank and Karla. This was a great trip and so nice to visit with Karla's family and see where she grew up. We ran the Swan Lake marathon together and although it was another slow one it was a joy to run my 8th marathon with her. And afterwards I had a great vacation in the Black Hills. Cool !

A week later though and I had to drop out of the Boogie 50 at the 1o mile mark. I just couldn't stand the pain any longer and there was no way I could run another 40. I took a couple of weeks off and they got a little better.

As soon I as I got home I rejoined the YMCA to began swimming and cross-training. Margo had gotten me interested in signing up for a triathlon in Wake Forest and I had two weeks to get ready for it. All the Scotts were there as well as Frank and Karla andI thoroughly enjoyed it, my first one in 3 years. And then I got stupid and signed up for an Ironman next year.

And then in July I was back at one of my favorites, the Grandfather Mountain Marathon. I knew there would be no fast time this year. I just wanted to run it for fun and hopefully not damage myself. After the first mile I joined in with a couple of lovely young ladies from Raleigh, Camilla and Lori but after about 5 miles they were going faster than I wanted. About that time I saw my Trail Angel struggling so I dropped back to run with her. We ended up spending the rest of the race together making it my slowest but most enjoyable GMM ever.

Over the next couple of months I would do more biking and swimming than running and participated in a few more sprint tri's. In July I went with Bill and Margo to Burlington for one . Then in August I did one in Chapel Hill. Margo and the Werners were there but it was especially satisfying to see Jenn do her first Tri and do it very well. My last tri was one in Hillsborough that I shared the trip with Margo again.

Over the next several months I mostly just trained but my running mileage was half of normal and the pain wouldn't go away despite the treatments I was getting. I did a couple of more tris and a couple of 5 k's but was really hoping to be able to enjoy the Autumn running.

In October Jenn and I went to the mountains for a nice training run on the Mt Masochist course. I was surprised that my legs felt pretty good and was hopeful they may be getting better but once I was home they hurt again. We went back Nov. 1st to run Masochist. I was not confident at all but just wanted to run as much as I could with Jenn. It actually went better than expected for a while but then I couldn't hold the pace and eventually dropped out at 33 miles. But it was so nice to see Jenn's big smile as she made the finish. I was so proud of her once again.

And then there was Derby 50K. Nice and slow but thankfully my legs held up one final time with very little pain and although it was slow it was the easiest 50K I've ever run and the best job of pacing myself.

And then I quit running. Almost 5 weeks now. Things are feeling a lot better and I hope to test things out on the first.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of my friends an readers in cyber-space.

All I wanted for Christmas is a new pair of hamstrings. I didn't get them so I'll have to do the best I can with the ones I have. They have finally felt a lot better the past couple of days but I'm still waiting at least another week to try running.

So how is the swimming going?

Thanks for asking. Well, mostly very boring although I seem to be able to get into a groove after about 15-20 minutes and then the time seems to pass quickly.

I'm actually very happy with the way things are going right now. My weekly yardage totals are the highest they have ever been. Back when I used to compete regularly in triathlons in 1999-2004, I never swam as far as I'm doing now in training. My usual workouts in those years were 1,000 to 1,200 yards. The only time I ever swam further was in a few of the International distance tri's I competed in and one half-Ironman swim. Since I have started back swimming over the last 6 months, my workouts now are almost always at least 2,000 yds with one long continuous swim each week of at least a mile. Last week I swam a new mile PR and today I did my longest continuous swim ever of 1.5 miles.

I would rather be running.

The legs continue to improve but I am going to hang tough and wait at least two more weeks before trying them out.

14 Days and Counting

14 days. That how many days it's been so far without running. If all goes according to plan, it will be another 3 weeks before I test things out and see if I can finally run pain-free again. I sure hope I can finally put this injury behind me and begin the new year with a fresh start. There is always some discomfort when you train and race hard but this has been the first time I have had anything like this before. It has been a very frustrating year as I've tried to cure the injured hamstring only to have it keep hurting. Compared to the problems I was having in the summer, I feel great but I finally had to accept that I will have to take time off to let it heal completely.

In the meantime, I have and will continue to spend more time in the pool to stay in shape and be prepared for the upcoming years' schedule of triathlons that I will be using to prepare for next June's Ironman. I'm also doing some weight work in the gym. I should be lookin' good by June! I am already swimming faster, longer and stronger than I was in my earlier years when I competed in triathlons from 1999 to 2004.

Derby 50K 2008

5:37:10. If you had me last year asked what I would have thought about running that time at this years Derby, I would have said, very disappointed. But as I was nearing the finish this past Saturday, I was and still am thrilled with the time and my race.

I've said it many times before that I love this race for many reasons but I almost didn't come run it this year. I have had so my set-backs with my injuries this year that I was afraid of doing further damage and I also knew I probably was not in shape to run it anyway. Things had seemed to be improving very much lately but then on Tuesday before the race I did a 10 mile run and by halfway I was hurting and by the time I made it back to my car my hamstrings were a mess. So knowing it was probably foolish to come run, I decided to do it anyway. I really wanted to be there and I also was going after my 5 Year Veterans Vest. I didn't care about the time but just had two goals this year and not 3 like last year. One was to finish and two was to not do any further damage.

I drove down to Pinehurst Friday night and then awoke Saturday morning to see a cold rain outside. Great. I would get to be slow AND miserable. Seeing the friendly faces of my MTC friends when I arrived in Derby quickly lifted my mood and the rain almost stopped completely as the time to start arrived. It was about 43F but calm and I knew I'd be warmed up soon as long as the rain held off. And then, Mark Long the RD sent us on our way.

I began at a very conservative pace, something new for me here. In the previous 4 years I had been seeking a 50K pr and was successful in that endeavor in each run. This year would be all about making it to the finish as comfortable as possible. I found myself running alongside Jimmy Ballard and we were having a nice conversation for a couple of miles but then I slowly began to pull ahead. The segment to the first aid station is the easiest of the course so I was relaxing and enjoying the easy running. Soon enough but probably 5 minutes slower than last year I came into the aid station which was being run by the Doom family. Just said Hi and grabbed some water and started back up the road.

The next section is where a few hills start and I was thinking this year I'd be walking almost all the hills but I was feeling good and fresh and decided to go ahead and run them this first lap. I'm glad I made that choice because I felt great and was soon arriving at aid staion 2. A cup of ginger ale and I was quickly out again. I spotted my buddy Tony Rouse walking up ahead so I took off to catch up to him. I was thinking he was going to miss his first Derby because I didn't see him before the race but when I caught up to him and Eric Fogelman, I found out that they had started early and were on their 2nd loop. I walked with them for a coupe of minutes and then we began to run together. Eric dropped back to talk to someone as we arrived at the dirt road so Tony and I ran on. It was great to run with him since I haven't seen him since the Boogie in June where we were running together until I dropped out in pain at 10 miles.

The next couple of miles passed quickly and we cruised up the hill to aid station 3. Just before we arrived it began to rain steadily. I left just ahead of Tony and assumed he would catch me but that would be the last I would see of him. For the remainder of the race I would be alone except for a couple of minutes later on when I would pass someone. Only two people would be passing me today which kind of surprised me as slow as I was going but it is normal in the race for things to spread out quickly.

My left hamstring was beginning to hurt but I found myself running in a good rhythm so I was just going with the flow. As I arrived at aid station 1 again, my leg was in quite a bit of pain and I was beginning to worry. Susan D. offered me some ibuprofen but I declined since I had taken some before the start and took off running again. Despite the pain I was still running well and feeling strong so I once again decided to run the hills. By now the rain was a little harder and a breeze had picked up and now I was getting cold. The only thing that was really bothering me were my hands . I hadn't worn gloves and wouldn't have needed them if not for the rain. I just pulled my hands inside my sleeves, but by now they were soaked and not offering any warmth as I ran directly into the wind.

The next several miles were pretty miserable but amazingly as I ran up the hills to the end of loop #2 my legs had quit hurting and my energy level was great. I was very happy that the rain was stopping just as I finished the 2nd loop. I continued to run easily toward aid station 1 for the last time but expecting at anytime for the crash to come. I just couldn't believe how good I still felt. As I left and headed up the hills for the last time, I was expecting to have to walk some of them but once again I had no problem, although I was beginning to slow down a bit. I was drying out and warming up a bit now although there would still be an occasional sprinkle, so I was much more comfortable this last lap.

I passed the marathon point in 4:40, about 42 inutes slower than last year but I didn't care because I was doing much better than expected. Surely I would start to suffer soon I was thinking to myself but the miles continue to fall behind me and as I hit the dirt road with roughly 5k to go I knew that today there would be no crash. I thanked God for giving me the strength to run so well today and enjoy a great race.

In all my years and many 50k's I have never been able to run all of one without walking. Even in my past two fast pr years, I had to walk a little up the last hills. So now I had a new goal. Run up those last hills for the first time. When I got to the end of the dirt road and began the climb I was again amazed that I didn't even feel the need to walk. Not walking was easy. I didn't have to dig deep or anything. I just ran like I was out on a regular training run and when I made the turn for the last 2 /10ths to the finish I was so happy. I had truly expected at the start to be well over 6 hours and exhausted but instead I felt great and thought I could easily have gone on and run a good 50 mile time. Awesome !

Thanks to Mark and the wonderful volunteers. It was a cold raw day out there for them sitting and standing around for hours and they stayed upbeat and friendly all day.

Riverwood Elementary 5k

I guess it's about time I got used to running in cold weather again, but I was sure glad the wind had died down when I woke up early this morning. It was bad enough on Friday with the temperatures in the low 40's facing the wind but with it only about 25 this morning, the calm was welcome.
As you know I don't run many 5k's anymore but I do enjoy testing myself every now and then. The only reason I chose this one is because my friend Maureen was the race director for this first time event and it was held in the neighborhood where she and her husband Todd live as well as my other friends Bill and Margherita Scott, The race is a fundraiser for the school PTA. A lot better way to raise money than having the kids sell over-priced junk to their friends and family I think and also a way to encourage participation by the children and their parents.

I arrived just 30 minutes before the start and was happy to see the school was open with packet pick-up inside where I found Margo and the Werners. Frank just had thyroid surgery this week so he would not be running but Karla was going to give it a shot too. I quickly got my number and then went back out to do a warm-up. I finished my routine with just about 3 minutes to go and took my place near the front. there were 196 entrants but many were kids and casual runners there to support the school and I wanted to get out quickly.

I got off too a good start, not too fast and settled into a good pace. Since I don't race at these quicker paces too often I 'm not quite as good as judging my pace but when I passed the first mile in 6:52, I was feeling good because I was hoping for about 7:00. The course was a bit hilly but with the low point being at the turn-around I knew that the second half would be predominately uphill. As we ran downhill to the turn, I was trying to gain as much time as I could without crossing over the redline.

I made the turn and then dug in for the climb. It's funny but apparently power walking up the mountains in an ultra don't do much for preparing you to run fast uphill in a 5 k. I slowed considerably and was moaning and gasping my way to the top. I recovered quickly but I also knew I would not be running uder 7mp anymore today. I hit 2 miles in 14:41, a 7:49 mile. I hoped to maintain that pace at least but another hill with half mile to go and I was slowing even more.

My legs have at least gotten better to the point that I can usually run pain-free now but I was feeling the left hamstring the last half-mile. It didn't affect my pace or form so I kept pushing and finished in 23:28. That was good enough for 2nd in my age-group but then there were only two of us in my age-group.


Margo would take 1st in her age-group ( thats her getting her medal from Maureen) and Karla would take 3rd in hers so we all brought home some hardware today. Maureen and her volunteers did a great job putting on a first class event.

Mountain Masochist 2008

" We could be in a Marching Band" Jenn said as we made yet another the long climb about 16 miles into the race. The only sound we could hear was the scuffing of our footfalls on the gravel Forest Service road in perfect lock-step. Amazing really when you consider my legs are somewhat longer than hers, but she is a strong woman and can walk a quick pace. We were both feeling pretty good at this point and satisfied that we were slightly ahead of the cut-offs.

What a wonderful weekend for an ultra-race over the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The leaves were as pretty as anyone could remember and the weather was near perfect. One improvement this year was the buses would be picking us up at the host hotel instead of having to drive over to the high school. It was about 45F with a near perfect forecast for the day as we boarded the buses for the 45 minute drive to the James River on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There was much excitement in the air even at this early hour of the day as we made our way to the back of the pack at the start. My two goals for this day would be to stay under the cut-offs, and do whatever I could to see that Jenn made it to the finish line in her first attempt. I was very confident in the latter, but not so much the former.

We started in the darkness at an easy pace, running all of the first section and passing the first aid station in about an average time for me. It was beginning to get light as we turned onto Highway 501 headed toward a.s 2. We were quickly in and out and then hit the trail for the first real climb of the day, the first of many on this tough, mountainous course. I was surprised to see Sylvana and Dean, MTC friends ahead of us here. We shared the trail for awhile but soon we passed them and moved on. Once you make the top of the climb there is some nice running before arriving at a.s. 3. When we arrived the sun was peeking over the mountains tops , brilliantly illuminating the bright yellows and reds of the surrounding trees making a pleasant distraction from the long climbs to come.

The miles passed quickly and mostly uneventfully as we enjoyed the trail and companionship over the next several miles. We both felt good and I was very happy that so far I was not experiencing any pain in my hamstrings.

So back to the Marching Band. We finally made it to the top of the climb, refueled at the aid station and were glad to finally be able to run again as we started down . The next section is 90% downhill and we were soon running the fastest we would all day, passing quite a few other runners on the way down, still matching stride for stride. We came into a.s 8 and had built a little more cushion on the cut-off which was a relief. Now we could just maintain effort and relax for awhile. After all we still had 30 miles to go.

After we left a.s 9, I was finally beginning to feel a little fatigue. I wasn't too worried as this is normal for me when I approach the 25 mile mark to have a bad spell. I had forgotten that there was an awful lot of climbing in this next section and I was beginning to feel some pain and weariness in my climbing muscles that have not been used much over the past 6 months. I was glad to finally have the course flatten out a little as we came into view of Buck Mountain. Jenn was also slowing some too and as I checked my watch I was not liking what I saw. I couldn't remember exactly what the cut-off was at Long Mountain Wayside at 26.9 miles, but I knew it was getting close. We finally made it in but our cushion was now down to about 6 minutes. Annette Bednosky and Sue Norwood were there giving us encouragement and smiles but we had to hurry on our way.

I was not feeling too bad as we began the climb but it was becoming evident to me that I was not as strong as I had been earlier. We had gotten maybe halfway up when I noticed I kept dropping behind Jenn and she had to wait a couple of times for me. That's when I reluctantly told her to go ahead and not wait for me. I told her I'd try to catch up if I started feeling better and then watched as she slowly disappeared ahead. I tried to keep up the pace but I could only push for a few strides before I would slow down again. This was the toughest part of the day for me as I realized I would not be able to cross the finish line with Jenn today. I was almost shocked when I finally reached the top and still was under the cut-off. In years past I have been able to run all of the next section, which is mostly downhill with just a few short easy uphills, but today I was spent. I assumed I was the last one on the course by now but as I came into a.s 12, I was passed by the last one.

The next section is short, only 1.5 miles but is uphill all but the last few hundred yards. It is on a rough dirt road and there is a little traffic on this section from runner's crews as well as other users of the National Forest. I was most tempted to hitch a ride up to the loop since I knew I would be going no further once I reached the loop, but I resisted the temptation and finally dragged into the Mt Pleasant loop aid stations. I missed the cut-off by two minutes. The volunteers offered to let me go ahead but I declined the offer knowing there was no way I would make up anytime on the loop and I didn't want to make the volunteers wait for me to drag myself out of the woods. I found a shady spot to lie down and watch as friends and aquaintances ran out of the loop and continue on their journey to the finish.

Although I was disappointed I did enjoy watching friends come out of the loop. One I especially looked forward to seeing was Dorothy Hunter, who I had crewed for at Hellgate last year. She is always sweet and smiling her way through these things. When I saw her come down the hill , I got up and walked over to the aid station to talk to her. I noticed the blood running down her leg from her knee so the first thing I said was "Dorothy, I think you may win Best Blood this year". She seemed quite proud of her boo boo and sure enough at the awards dinner she was the winner this year. Finally Jenn came running down the hill looking strong and had built her cushion back up to about 15 minutes. She seemed in great spirits as I walked with her out of the aid station. I handed her my last two Gu's from my pocket thinking they may come in handy later on. After she ran off I was able to quickly catch a ride with another runners crew back to the finish line.

Once I arrived in Montebello, I quickly changed clothes and then went to hang around with friends that had already finished and others that were coming in. It is an exciting place to be but I really wished I was out there on the trail looking forward to my own finish. It is tough to have to explain over and over why I couldn't make it this year. As the final cut-off neared I stood by the road looking and hoping to soon see Jenn come around the curve for the final quarter mile. I was relieved when she finally came into view know that she would make it. I was so proud and happy to see her finish making the cut-off by about 7 minutes.

Overall and despite not finishing myself, it was a wonderful weekend. The atmosphere of the race is so special and makes it one of my favorite events of the year. New race director, Clark Zealand did a great job, but it was nice to have Horton still around. Hopefully I can convince Jenn to write an account of the run from her perspective and if so I 'll post it here.

These are the few photos I took. Unfortunately, I unknowingly had the camera set-up for video at the finish line. If I'd known I would have tried to do a better job of it.

Return to Masochist

I'm looking forward to my return to one of my favorite races, the Mountain Masochist 50 miler this weekend. I wish I could say I was looking forward to running a great time but with my injuries and the least amount of running mileage in 5 years, I will be very happy if I can just make the cut-offs.

This is a view of Buck Mountain from about the 25 mile mark. The 29 mile mark is on the top of Buck Mountain


Although I am not very confident , I'm sure that I will be having a good time. This is the first time I have planned to run this race with someone. With only a few exceptions I have always preferred to run my ultra's alone. I usually do end up sharing many miles with friends along the way, most notably Tony Rouse, who I'm sure I've shared more ultra race miles than anyone. Tony won't be there this year but I will be running with the Lovely Jenn, my friend and frequent training partner. This will be her first mountain and trail ultra and I look forward to sharing the experience with her. That is if I can keep up. Jenn has proven herself to be a strong and natural ultrarunner the past couple of years so I expect her to do well, so if I feel I'm holding her back I will send her on her way.

You can check our progress here on Saturday with a webcast update I'm #259, Jenn is #118

Look for some photos and a report soon

Autism 5k 10-11-08

I really needed to do a long training run more than I needed to racing a 5k but sometimes you just have to do something a little different. Well actually I have run this race the past 4 years now but it was still a bit different. This was the first year I wouldn't be running with Karla. Our first time was in 2005 as we were training to get me into Boston qualifying shape. We ran several 5k's that Fall trying to get a 5k pr for her while I ran along getting in a good tempo workout. In the process we had a lot of fun and afterwards would go run some extra miles. Then in 2006 she was undergoing her cancer treatments so I just ran with her because of our friendship and then again in 2007 we just went for the fun. Which brings us to this years race. Neither one of us has been running well the past several months so there wouldn't be any pr attempts by either of us. Frank's son Eric was in town visiting so the Werners decided to run the race rather than doing the long run. I decided it would be a good time to test to see just how much I have slowed down since the injuries cut into my training and also see how the legs would hold up to a faster pace.
It was a beautiful morning for a race and I arrived an hour early to register and visit with friends from the NCRC. I would be racing in the Team Jersey today which is sponsored by my part-time employer, The Athlete's Foot in CameronVillage. AFter finding the Werners and visting a few minutes, it was time for me to go warm-up. I was encouraged that my legs felt good as I ran an easy mile and then did a few strides to loosen up and get ready for the faster pace to come.

Then I made my way over to the starting line. With over 1800 runners I didn't want to get caught behind a bunch of slow starters so I lined up near the front , just behind fast ladies Laura Frey and Katie Eger. At the gun, I took off at a hard but reasonable pace, or at least I hoped it would be reasonable. I had run just over 22:00 back in May but have only been averaging about 15 miles a week since then and no speedwork.

I knew by the half mile that the pace was probably too fast but I was committed so I pushed on. Charles West pulled up beside me and we tried running together for a while. He has really been improving and as we passed the first mile in about 6:55, he began to pull away. Well, they had changed the course this year so instead of a double loop, it would be out , over and back so it was predominatly downhill the first half and uphill coming back. I began slowing as soon as we hit the hills so I just tried to maintain the effort. Eric Werner passed me just before the two mile mark. Eric doesn't run much but is in great shape from biking, including a cross-country trip ove r the summer.

Once I made it over the final hill and the course started to flatten out, I tried to pick up the pace several times but there wasn't another gear left. I was slightly disappointed in my time of 23:32, but happy that my effort was consistent and my legs held up to the stress.

On to the next one.

Masochist Training Run

Last year my good friend, the lovely Ms. Jenn Ennis, told me she was hoping to be able to run Mountain Masochist this year so we made plans that we would run the race together. As you should know , Jenn has proven to be a natural at the ultra races but so far has never done one in the mountains or with any single-track trail.


So we planned on taking a day to head up to the course in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for a training run and let her get an idea of what she has gotten herself into. With my injury issues and lack of running recently I was also in need of a good workout and hopefully a confidence booster with the race less than 4 weeks away now.

We picked a great day for the trip on Monday, with blue skies and temperatures in the low 70's. After the long drive we arrived at the Mt. Pleasant trailhead which is the location of the "infamous loop" on the course. From here we could use the car as a re-fueling station, as we ran the loop and then we would do a couple of out-and- back spurs on the course.

The trip around the loop went very well. It was a nice change to be able run it while I was fresh and to take the time to look around a little bit. I'm always very tired by the time I get there on race day and also in a hurry. Jenn did great but was a little timid going down the steep, rocky descent but I know she will improve with more experience. We stopped briefly for some pictures and then headed on down to the car.

After a few minutes to refill and snack we headed out onto the dirt and gravel roads that lead to mile 43 on the course. I quickly learned that Jenn has the uphill power-walk down pat and I found myself having to really hoof it too stay with her. She was also running faster and with more confidence on the downhills along this section too.

After heading back to the car for another refuel stop, we started going in reverse on the course back to the Buck Mountain aid station location. I'm not sure we ever got there or if we went past it but I know we got close at least. Things look a lot different than on race day and I'm usually not looking back where I came from.
By the time we made the last climb back to the parking area we were both getting tired and ready to rest. It was a most enjoyable day and we both got in a great workout making the trip a big success for both of us.

Another "Miles stone" quietly passed

Here I am in 1978 doing my best "PRE" imitation. I think I weighed about 132 lbs here. Anyway, as you may know from reading this blog, I started running 31 years ago. Well a couple of weeks ago, almost exactly 30 years after this photo was taken , I ran my 30,000th mile. Although I got hooked on the racing bug in 1978 I was never really a high mileage runner. A combination of factors kept the mileage down including long hours at work, my first son was born about 3 months after this picture and a few beginner injuries kept my average weekly miles around 35 a week for most of the late 70's and early 80's. During the mid 90's I was hardly running and only recorded about 2 to 300 miles a year until after my torn acl in 1998 and I began my comeback. Amazingly over a 3rd of my mileage has come after I began ultrarunning in 2002 . At the beginning of 2003 I had only run about 19,500 miles.
How long will it take to get the next 30,000?

Duke Liver Center Half-Ironman

What have I gotten myself into? You idiot! Why in the world did you sign up for a stupid Ironman? I wonder if I can get a refund? If I ever get off this stupid bike I'll never do another triathlon.

These are the things I was saying to myself( censored version of course) as I approached the 45 mile mark of the bike portion last Sunday.

The day had started off well as I met my wonderful friend Margo once again to share the ride out to Jordan Lake. We were able to find a good parking spot and quickly pick up our race packets and begin preparations for the start. Looking out over the lake we saw calm water but unfortunately the forecast was for a hot humid day with highs in the 90's.

As the first wave started out I got in the lake for a little warm-up swim. The water felt perfect to me and soon enough it was time to take my position in the water at the end of the pier. I had no trouble finding room to swim and settled into a nice easy pace. Last Saturday I had done 1.2 miles in the pool and that went well so I was hoping things would go well this morning. I just had to relax and not be in a hurry. With the calm water I was able to site the bouys easily and before long I had made the first turn. A couple of hundred yards and then the final turn back towards the boat ramp. I was still feeling strong so I picked up the effort a little and with no problems and soon reached the swim finish. But as I stood up to walk out of the lake my right hamstring cramped and I had to stand still for half a minute for it to relax before continuing on. Dan Yeingst a fellow competitor from my age-group years ago when I first started doing tri's was there encouraging me as I came out of the lake and headed to transition one.

I was very happy with my effort on the swim and now I quickly prepared to head out on the bike. I was in and out quickly and soon rolling down the road. The first part of the bike course was fairly easy and the sun was still low in the sky so we were in shade for a while making it very comfortable. I was glad to have mostly flat terrain with a good road surface early so I could get my legs warmed up for the bike. Up until today I had only done two 30 mile training rides so I was worried about pedaling for 56 miles on the hills I knew were coming. At 10 miles I checked my pace and was a little surprised but pleased at the speed I was going but already the sun was beginning to bear down and it was heating up quickly.

Between miles 15 and 20 is an out and back spur and as I was coming back I saw Margo behind me and just a bit further back was my buddy Jerry who along with Margo will be doing the Iron Distance Beach to Battleship race on Nov.1st. I guessed they were maybe a mile behind me at this point. Both of them have been biking a lot more than me and Jerry has always been a stronger bike rider so I was expecting them to both pass me within the next 10 miles or so. I checked my pace at 20 miles and it was about the same as at 10. So far so good.

Over the next 10 miles I would began to come back to reality. The course was beginning to get harder and it was getting hotter. To make matters worse my neck and upper back were already tight and hurting making it very uncomfortable. I was still doing ok though but at 30 miles my pace had slowed down about 1 mph average. Now as I pedaled into new territory I was still feeling ok except the neck pain was getting more and more unbearable taking away a lot of the pleasure of riding. My pace stayed about the same over the next hilly 15 miles which brings us to the beginning of the story.

By now I felt miserable I was tired and very hot and ready for this to be over. I struggled on until finally around 52 miles in Margo finally passed me. I had expected her a long time ago, especially as much as I was struggling. And then at 54 miles Jerry came up on me. He asked if I was "toast". I just muttered something that meant yes and as he passed by, my right quadricep cramped on me. Now I was really in a foul mood. I was already going slow enough and now I could barely pedal. The last few miles seemed to take forever and as I neared the transition area I was ready to to call it quits. Dan was there again volunteering at the bike dismount but I don't think I had the energy to even acknowledge his cheering. I think a turtle could have beaten me to my bike rack from there. My legs would barely move and I was dizzy from the heat and dehydration.

I sat down to change my shoes determined that I would at least try to finish what I had started. I slowly headed out stopping at the aid station to get some cold water to pour on my head and to drink. Then I started walking. The first half-mile is flat on pavement and then turns uphill on a gravel road. I walked until I reached the top of the hill and another aid station. They had ice cold towels so I took one and began to run. By now I was feeling a little better and I hoped I could just do an easy run/walk and get through this thing. The run course had a couple of out and back spurs so I was able to see Margo and Jerry as well as Thomas Asta and Kara LaBella out on the course.

Things went OK for a few miles but it was miserably hot and humid. As I left another aid station around 4.5 miles suddenly my right hamstring felt like I had pulled the muscle. I tested it out a couple of times over the next half-mile but I knew then it was over for me. As much trouble as I've had all year with my injuries I was not going to ruin myself today just to finish in a slow crawl for 2 more hours . So I slowly made my way back down to the transition area and turned in my chip and then after grabbing some food and drink I found Kara and we made our way to the finish to watch for our friends. Kara had a great race and was happy and excited. Margo came in soon looking strong and 30 minutes later Jerry came in. Thomas had finished before I came back in and was already gone.

Yes, it was a brutal day and disappointing to have to drop out but the day wasn't a total loss. I hopefully learned a few lessons out there and I did get to spend some time with some friends. And as you can see in the photo at the top of the story I got a hug from a pretty young lady.

On to the next one

Hello Ultra Friends

It's been a strange year for me so far. Over the past several years I would have already completed 8 or 9 ultra's by this time of year but so far I have only finished one and that was the Frosty 50K way back in January. I dropped out of the only other two I started, Umstead at 69 miles and The Boogie at 10 with the leg and butt pain. I really miss the ultra's, the trails but mostly I miss seeing all of you. As you know it is a special atmosphere at an ultra and most of the people are very special.

I am enjoying the Triathlons and cross-training very much although it is different. The best part about it is several of my really closest , true friends are currently participating in in the Tris and cross-training too. Margo and Bill, Frank and Karla, Jerry and Thomas and even Jenn is getting in on the excitement. Thomas just completed his 2nd Ironman in Louisville a couple of weeks ago. Jerry and Margo are training for the Iron Distance Beach to Battleship in Wilmington this November and Jenn is now looking forward to going for an International distance race next year. And of course I will be training for the next 9 months to get ready for Ironman Cour D' Alene.

Tomorrow (9-14-08), I am doing the Duke Liver Center Half-Ironman at Jordan Lake and maybe doing one more sprint that is less than 10 miles from home on Oct. 4th. After this weekend I plan to try and increase the running mileage and get back on the trails. Although I'm still not 100% my running is improving and I ca fianlly run without pain on most days. I look forward to the cooler weather and preparing for Mountain Masochist and my return to Ultras. Of course after that I will still have to cut back on the ultras until after next June but I do hope to run a few 50K's in between.

Look for a report on the Half-Ironman soon.